:00:07. > :00:11.Welcome to the BBC Sport Centre, I'm Karthi Gnanasegaram. In the next
:00:12. > :00:14.fifteen minutes we'll have the latest sport news, previews and
:00:15. > :00:32.interviews ahead of a busy weekend. This is Saturday Sportsday. Here's
:00:33. > :00:36.what's coming up on the programme. Former Essex bowler Mervyn Westfield
:00:37. > :00:40.went to prison for spot-fixing. We've been given exclusive access to
:00:41. > :00:46.Westfield as he takes on a new role educating young cricketers.
:00:47. > :00:51.A week today, the action at the Paralympics gets underway in Sochi.
:00:52. > :00:57.We need to one of Great Britain's medal prospects, Jade Etherington.
:00:58. > :01:01.And the number of women playing rugby league has almost doubled in
:01:02. > :01:12.the last four years. We are at one club leading the way. That is all to
:01:13. > :01:14.come, but first, the headlines. Andy Murray has this morning lost his
:01:15. > :01:19.semifinal in Acapulco to the 22-year-old Bulgarian, Rigger
:01:20. > :01:23.Dimitrov. He was attempting to reach his first final since Wimbledon but
:01:24. > :01:28.was defeated in a third set tie-break at the Mexico open.
:01:29. > :01:31.Ronnie O'Sullivan will play Barry Hawkins in the last four of the
:01:32. > :01:38.Wales open after beating John Higgins 5-1. Ding Junhui faces Joe
:01:39. > :01:43.Perry in the other semifinal. And Rory McIlroy has a one-shot lead in
:01:44. > :01:46.the Honda classic in Florida. He shot a second round of 66, building
:01:47. > :01:49.on his opening round of 63. But we'll start with reaction to
:01:50. > :01:54.England's first One Day International against West Indies in
:01:55. > :01:56.Antigua. It was England's first competitive match since their Ashes
:01:57. > :02:00.humiliation in Australia and although they were beaten by West
:02:01. > :02:07.Indies by 15 runs there were some positives to take from their
:02:08. > :02:11.performance. The West Indies were 260 946. In reply, Michael Lunn
:02:12. > :02:19.scored a century on his debut but England fell short, making 254 46.
:02:20. > :02:24.Graeme Swann has joined the test match special team and here is his
:02:25. > :02:27.take on that game. The first international ends in defeat for
:02:28. > :02:31.England after a major West Indies comeback. England will feel very
:02:32. > :02:39.disappointed with the way that today has gone. They had all the balls in
:02:40. > :02:45.their court. The West Indies at 40 four four managed to claw it back to
:02:46. > :02:50.206 to nine. The England guys, Michael Lum started magnificently.
:02:51. > :02:54.96 for the first wicket. But from then on, things fell apart. As has
:02:55. > :02:59.happened so often, they could not get over the line. Some magnificent
:03:00. > :03:07.bowling near the end, and the West Indies team was exceptional. 1-0 to
:03:08. > :03:09.the West Indies but all to play for on Sunday. As Graeme Swann just
:03:10. > :03:12.mentioned the second One Day International is tomorrow,
:03:13. > :03:15.commentary on 5live Sports Extra and BBC Radio 4 Longwave. Now we're
:03:16. > :03:18.staying with cricket. Mervyn Westfield was sent to prison after
:03:19. > :03:21.agreeing to take part in a spot fixing plan arranged by his then
:03:22. > :03:25.Essex team-mate Danesh Kaneria. Westfield has described his time in
:03:26. > :03:29.jail as "hell" but is now trying to help young cricketers avoid the same
:03:30. > :03:32.temptations. Joe Wilson was given exclusive access as Westfield began
:03:33. > :03:38.his new role with the cricket's club season about to start.
:03:39. > :03:44.If you get any approach from anyone, anything, tell someone
:03:45. > :03:47.straightaway, even if it is your best friend, your coach or captain.
:03:48. > :03:54.At the end of the day, you do not want to be in the same situation as
:03:55. > :03:58.me. For these new professionals, this could be the most important
:03:59. > :04:01.lesson of their lives. Brought to a classroom in Edgbaston to listen to
:04:02. > :04:06.Mervyn Westfield, the cricketer who took ?6,000 to bowl badly and served
:04:07. > :04:11.two months in Belmarsh prison. Seeing daylight for ten minutes a
:04:12. > :04:19.day. A severe punishment. What it used to make him into an example? A
:04:20. > :04:25.lot of people say that to me. I've probably was. But at the end of the
:04:26. > :04:31.day, I did what I did and it was a massive mistake. They look to target
:04:32. > :04:34.vulnerable people. I'm want to talk to younger players and make sure
:04:35. > :04:37.they do not go through what I'd go through. Even the people I used to
:04:38. > :04:41.go out with, they have distanced themselves from me because they do
:04:42. > :04:47.not want to be in my position. I was in awe of his story. Trying to think
:04:48. > :04:53.of what he went through, I'm edging it is traumatic. You do not think
:04:54. > :04:57.about those things. -- I imagine. You do not think it could happen to
:04:58. > :05:02.you. There are pitfalls, and distractions. There are things which
:05:03. > :05:09.can catch you out. The more that the lads in this room, in their teens
:05:10. > :05:13.and 20s, are made aware of that, it can only help. It brief glimpse of
:05:14. > :05:17.the sun is a reminder that cricket will be resuming here in April.
:05:18. > :05:22.Mervyn Westfield is still banned from playing professional cricket.
:05:23. > :05:29.But in April they will be allowed to play club cricket again, on the
:05:30. > :05:32.Essex coast line. Humble, but it is a start. I do not want anyone to go
:05:33. > :05:36.through what I went through. It is like hell. When Mervyn Westfield
:05:37. > :05:41.speaks to cricketers, he does not ask for simply. He now seeks
:05:42. > :05:46.acceptance. After Team GB's record equalling
:05:47. > :05:49.tally of f four medals at the winter olympics in Sochi, a week today
:05:50. > :05:53.Britain's Paralympians begin their campaign for honours in Russia. They
:05:54. > :05:55.only receive a fraction of the funding their able-bodied
:05:56. > :05:58.counterparts are given by UK Sport but leading visually impaired skier
:05:59. > :06:03.Jade Etherington hopes that can change. She is bidding to win Great
:06:04. > :06:06.Britain their first-ever Winter Paralympic goal medal. Nick Hope has
:06:07. > :06:12.been to Austria to meet her and guide Caroline Powell.
:06:13. > :06:16.Downhill can be dangerous. Just ask the Olympians who struggled in
:06:17. > :06:20.Sochi. Imagine skiing when you cannot see where you're going. It is
:06:21. > :06:25.like for Jade Etherington, who has caught,. I am in visually impaired,
:06:26. > :06:29.with less than 5% vision. Cannot really go anywhere, to the shops or
:06:30. > :06:38.anything, to cross the road on my own. Ayes have it guide who stands
:06:39. > :06:43.in front of me. And then we communicate via radio. You need to
:06:44. > :06:50.know how to communicate. If I was stressed, Caroline knows. We know
:06:51. > :06:55.how to perk each other up. Caroline has great energy on the hill and I
:06:56. > :06:58.need that. It works really well. So you are a fellow competitor,
:06:59. > :07:04.psychologist and friends? All in one! She has got the whole package.
:07:05. > :07:09.A guide is crucial but support for one has been in short supply.
:07:10. > :07:13.Disabled athletes have less than 6% of the funding that able-bodied
:07:14. > :07:17.counterparts receive. Etherington could have missed the Paralympics if
:07:18. > :07:21.it was not for a bronze medal at the world Championships last year which
:07:22. > :07:25.unlocked some financial help. I would not have been able to carry on
:07:26. > :07:29.racing. I've needed to get that result. It is so expensive, the
:07:30. > :07:33.travel, the accommodation, the skis. And you have a guide so the costs
:07:34. > :07:38.are doubled. It is difficult because UK sport does not cover the cost.
:07:39. > :07:42.She hopes that the medal haul at the Sochi Olympics will boost Team GB's
:07:43. > :07:47.funding prospects and those of disability winter sports. There will
:07:48. > :07:52.be more attention drawn to the sport and how good it is. And that can be
:07:53. > :07:57.successful, even though we are from a country that does not have as many
:07:58. > :08:00.mountains! Great Britain has never won a Winter Paralympic goal medal.
:08:01. > :08:05.The closest they came was in 2006 when the wheelchair curlers were
:08:06. > :08:11.literally centimetres from success. Telly Gallagher, a rival of
:08:12. > :08:15.Etherington's, was fourth four years ago. What would success in Sochi
:08:16. > :08:18.mean? I would never forget it, for the rest of my life. Hopefully it
:08:19. > :08:25.would influence the next generation of skiers and people to come out and
:08:26. > :08:28.enjoy the sport as much as I do. The Formula one season starts in two
:08:29. > :08:33.weeks. Today is the third day of the final preseason testing. And it has
:08:34. > :08:36.been another difficult one for Red Bull, despite seeing improvements in
:08:37. > :08:43.their car yesterday they have broken down twice this morning, and have
:08:44. > :08:47.failed to complete a single lap. But the boss believes they will be able
:08:48. > :08:50.to solve the issues before the season starts. I'm confident that we
:08:51. > :08:54.will overcome them but the question is when and how quickly. We're
:08:55. > :08:58.trying to go to Melbourne in as good shape as we can. We have probably
:08:59. > :09:06.only covered about a third of the mileage of some of the other teams,
:09:07. > :09:08.so we are on the back foot. But we are pushing and pushing hard. We
:09:09. > :09:12.want to catch up the ground as quickly as we can. And we have a
:09:13. > :09:18.great team and great strength and depth. Everybody is full of
:09:19. > :09:22.motivation to turn up in Melbourne and put on a good show. If you
:09:23. > :09:25.remember 2012, we did not have a great car at the beginning of the
:09:26. > :09:32.year. Sebastien had that experience now. He has had tough years years
:09:33. > :09:35.where has dominated. He has won in the inferior cars. You only have to
:09:36. > :09:40.look at the Herbert Ring last year. He was not in the quickest car on
:09:41. > :09:48.that day but he still managed to win the race. With his experience now, I
:09:49. > :09:52.think he is relishing the challenge. In the build-up to International
:09:53. > :09:55.women's next Saturday, we will be meeting sportswomen who are at the
:09:56. > :09:57.top of their game, sometimes in sports where being female is not
:09:58. > :10:03.very common. -- International Women's Day. Sometimes they will be
:10:04. > :10:07.from sportswear women are not particularly common. Rugby League is
:10:08. > :10:10.a sport that certainly falls into that category. But since 2009 the
:10:11. > :10:14.number of women participating has increased by almost 90%. Jenny
:10:15. > :10:28.Culshaw has been to St Helens find out why.
:10:29. > :10:34.Welcome to a rugby league club where the girls have been converted. I
:10:35. > :10:40.have three coaches working with the under 12 sand under 14 is. Ian was
:10:41. > :10:43.one of a small group of volunteers who helped in this section get
:10:44. > :10:48.started. Not only is it now well-established, it is thriving. On
:10:49. > :10:52.that morning, I came with my daughter and were eight of us. Now
:10:53. > :10:56.there are 45 girls playing rugby league, training on a Saturday
:10:57. > :11:00.morning or a Wednesday. There is a structured league. The growth in the
:11:01. > :11:04.numbers of girls here reflects what has happened in the women's game
:11:05. > :11:14.across the country. In 2009, 377 players were registered. Last year,
:11:15. > :11:16.that number went up to 708. Most importantly it is down to the
:11:17. > :11:20.volunteers. We have a good group of people who go out and make stuff
:11:21. > :11:27.like this happen. It is not one size fits all. It is not just about the
:11:28. > :11:30.rugby, it is about creating a good environment for everyone involved.
:11:31. > :11:34.But the competitive side of the game is not forgotten. We like the effort
:11:35. > :11:38.and commitment and that is something, that is all you need
:11:39. > :11:43.really at this age. You can build on it. Today, two England players have
:11:44. > :11:49.come to talk to the girls, the idea being to mentors and inspire. And
:11:50. > :11:54.perhaps even find new team-mates. The talent is amazing and the skill
:11:55. > :11:57.level is just out of this world. They are good enough to be playing
:11:58. > :12:03.in the open age right now. But nurturing talent takes more
:12:04. > :12:06.encouragement and money. The attitude to girls pulling on a rugby
:12:07. > :12:13.league shirt can be different to boys doing so. It is difficult to
:12:14. > :12:17.get a sponsor. If they are going to put money into Robbie league, it
:12:18. > :12:22.will go into a boys team before a girls team, so we are bottom of the
:12:23. > :12:25.pecking order. The girls here are used to the challenges and the mixed
:12:26. > :12:30.reactions that involving themselves in the sport can bring. When you say
:12:31. > :12:35.you are playing rugby league, people look at you like, what? Do not see
:12:36. > :12:39.why girls cannot play rugby. Why not? There's no doubt it can be a
:12:40. > :12:44.rough game of the girls of Saint Helens know what they are doing. And
:12:45. > :12:50.they love their sport. Great Britain's cycling team has
:12:51. > :12:52.become one of the country's biggest sporting success stories and they
:12:53. > :12:56.are going for more medals in column B. You can follow the action here on
:12:57. > :13:02.the BBC. Jonathan Edwards has highlights on BBC One from 13:15pm.
:13:03. > :13:06.This week, Britain's track cyclists are in action in Colombia. There's
:13:07. > :13:20.already been two goal medals for Joe Rasul. I will be back at 1:15pm with
:13:21. > :13:26.all the high lists. -- highlights. Final score will be on BBC Two from
:13:27. > :13:30.245 this afternoon with previews and goals from the first half of
:13:31. > :13:37.today's games. Then it is on BBC One from 4pm. That is just about it from
:13:38. > :13:42.Sportsday. But don't forget, all of the information on today's programme
:13:43. > :13:48.and more is on the BBC sport website. And in the Championship,
:13:49. > :13:53.Leeds have a 1-0 lead over QPR. Join me, Karthi Gnanasegaram, for a full
:13:54. > :13:56.round up of all of today's action on Sportsday at 6.30pm and 7.30pm on
:13:57. > :14:03.the BBC News Channel. Good afternoon.