Basketball

The preparations of the England coach, Laszlo Nemeth, for tonight's European Championship semi-final against Latvia in Leicester went ahead without the 6ft 9in Spencer Dunkley, who failed to join the team from his French club Limoges on Monday night and is believed to be in America.

Steve Nelson, the Worthing Bears player, is recovering from a cartilage operation knowing his immediate future is safe after winning his case for breach of contract against his former club, Thames Valley Tigers. Reading County Court awarded the former England international in excess of pounds 3,200 - plus legal costs - after a two-year battle with the Budweiser League club. Nelson underwent surgery on his knee this week and will be out of action for up to six weeks.