Martina Navratilova's record of never having been on the losing side in the Fed Cup since her debut in 1975 ended with a 4-1 defeat for the US against France in yesterday's final, writes Hailey Milne.

Navratilova, four times a winner of the Fed Cup, teamed up with Lisa Raymond to give the Americans their only point of the final but not until after France had taken an unassailable 4-0 lead. When she and Raymond beat the French substitutes Emilie Loit and Stephanie Cohen-Aloro 6-4, 6-0, the 18-times singles grand slam champion took her personal record in Fed Cup rubbers to 38 wins and no defeats.

"It was a heck of a ride and we did the best we could," said Navratilova, who this week at 47 also became the oldest player to compete in Fed Cup."We had two close matches yesterday [Saturday] and I'm proud of my team."

Athletics

Kathy Butler, the Edinburgh-born, Wisconsin-based former Canadian internationalist, is the only Scot certain to be in the British team for next month's European Cross Country Championships in Edinburgh, which is due to be announced tomorrow, writes Sandy Sutherland.

Butler, who finished third in the women's 6k race in the UK trial at Liverpool on Saturday behind the impressive winner Jo Pavey and the pre-race favourite Hayley Yelling to claim one of the three automatic places, should be joined in the six-strong team by City of Glasgow's Susan Partridge, who was fifth. Butler, Partridge, Collette Fagan, who was a spirited ninth, and Freya Murray, who was a disappointing 14th, helped Scotland to a rare team win over England with 19 points to 24, which would have been even better had 11th-placed Angela Mudge been one of the scorers.

Even if world champion Paula Radcliffe decides to contest the Edinburgh event on December 14 - and reports from Australia suggest she may decide instead to head there to run a 10,000 metres to secure her Olympic qualifying time - Partridge, who is now based in Barcelona, should be granted one of the three discretionary places by the selectors. But it looks as if there will be no place for Edinburgh's Murray.

Despite rumours that she might make a surprise challenge, former world 10,000 metres and half marathon champion Liz McColgan, chairperson of Scottishathletics and Fagan's coach, was content to stay on the sidelines.

The Tynedale Anglo Andy Caine finished sixth in the men's race and must have a chance of making the team, though the selectors may prefer to include one of the pre-race favourites Chris Davies (Staffs Old Boys), who was forced to drop out.

lMorocco's Brahim Boulami should keep his 3000 metres steeplechase world record despite being banned for doping, the International Association of Athletics Federations said yesterday.

An IAAF spokesman said Boulami did not test positive after clocking his best mark of seven minutes 55.28 seconds in Brussels in 2001 and there was no evidence that banned drugs helped him set that time.

Meanwhile the IAAF announced that the 2006 world indoor championships will be staged in Moscow, while Fukuoka, in Japan, will host the 2006 world cross country championships.

Basketball

Scottish Rocks avenged their only loss of the season so far last night, downing BBL Championship leaders Sheffield Sharks 93-82 at Braehead to move up to fifth place and assert themselves as genuine title contenders, writes Mark Woods. Sheffield, whose unbeaten start to the campaign ended in an 93-85 reverse to Brighton the previous evening, came out cold, trailing by nine points for most of the opening half before a late Rocks flurry drove them to a 46-35 lead at half-time.

Although Sheffield fought back and went in front, Phil Perre, almost single-handedly, inspired a decisive retort. The Londoner scored nine of his 18 total in a five minute spell in which the Scots out-scored their guests 18-2.

Meanwhile, Edinburgh Kings reinforced their position as clear favourites to defend their Scottish League title by thrashing leaders St Mirren 94-64 at Linwood. With Saints weakened by injuries and illness, the capital outfit took advantage to keep their own 100% record intact while leaving St Mirren's in tatters.

Bowls

Bainfield will take on Arbroath and Prestwick will line up against Lanarkshire in the hunt for the National Triples crown, when the final stages convene at Paisley on January 17, writes Anne Dunwoodie.

Meanwhile, Stonehaven, Fintry, Falkirk and Midlothian wll line up in the last four of the Taylor Bowls Women's Triples. In the finals on January 24, Fintry take on Stonehaven at Midlothian, who will have home advantage against Falkirk.

Boxing

Barry Hearn believes Brian Magee has proved he is on course to take on the best in the world, writes Henry McCall. Following Magee's victory over the Frenchman Hacine Cherifi, who retired on his stool at the end of the eighth round, in front of his home fans in the King's Hall in Belfast last night, promoter Hearn mapped an exciting 2004 for the 28-year-old.

"We're bringing Brian back to the King's Hall in March and we're looking to match him with Omar Sheika, who has proven himself at world level," said Hearn. The IBO super-middleweight champion now expects to be placed in the WBC's top 10 after defeating 35-year-old Cherifi, who had blood streaming from his forehead and right eye when his corner pulled him out of the one-sided contest. "The ultimate target is the WBC super-middleweight champion Marcus Beyer and a win against Sheika would be another towards that goal,'' Hearn said.

cricket

East League chiefs have celebrated a half-century of competition by scrapping drawn matches, writes William Dick. The decision to come into line with the National League was passed by a single vote, a year after the same motion failed by the same margin. A spokesman said: ''It was a close run thing but there is a growing feeling that the draw has no place in limited-overs cricket.''

Curling

Three wins in a row took the Hammy McMillan at the Charlevoix Casino Classic tournament in Quebec took the Stranraer side into the semi-finals of this WCT tournament, writes Bill Melville. In round three, McMillan beat the Quebec side skipped by Don Westphal 7-3.

At the Painted Hand Casino tour event in Yorkson, Saskatchewan, however, three defeats in a row put Warwick Smith out of the tournament.

lAfter three rounds in the Scottish Championships Gold League, the defending champion Edith Loudon from Perth and Aberdeen's Jackie Lockhart, who won the world title in 2002 after taking that year's Scottish crown, share the lead and an unbeaten record, writes Mike Haggerty.

Loudon went through last season's round-robin programme undefeated and her 9-6 defeat of Kelly Wood from Letham Grange yesterday at the Forest Hills resort in Aberfoyle gave her a third scalp in this campaign and her 17th successive victory in championship play. Lockhart won yesterday 7-5 over Rachael Simms.

Britain's Olympic champion Rhona Martin from Greenacres was defeated by Claire Milne from Letham Grange and now has a won two, lost one record, the same as Wendy Johnston from Edinburgh's Gogar Park.

Hockey

Any hopes Western A may have had of finishing in the top five before the split at the half-way point of the outdoor season foundered in a flood of goals yesterday at DISC, writes Mike Stanger. Bonagrass Grove, who had lost to En-Croute Western 3-1 the previous day, made amends with an overwhelming performance.

Grove won a penalty stroke in the first minute, converted by Kylie McEniery, who went on to grab a treble, and continued in similar vein from set-piece situations throughout the game. The 7-3 victory ensured that both MIM and Grange, who had drawn 1-1 on Saturday, remained in the top half for the second part of the season, which resumes in February.

Saturday's rearranged men's match between Pro-Life Kelburne and Dundee Wanderers reinforced the Paisley side's credentials as principal challengers to Western Wildcats. Goals from Jonathan Christie and Ross McPherson, and a response from Paul Dailly, made it 2-1 at half-time, while young Michael Christie's super cross found an unmarked Chris Nelson to deflect sweetly in for a 3-1 finish.

Meanwhile, in Auckland, Great Britain followed up their 2-1 defeat in the first test against New Zealand with a more positive 3-1 victory yesterday. Once again, Scotland's Graham Moodie captained the side, Niall Stott was on the park for most of the game, while Vishal Marwaha took a rest. But, after his side scored three goals in the first half, Moodie received a yellow card, leaving GB with only 10 players and allowing the Kiwis to pull one back.

Ice hockey

Paddy Lochi fired a treble as Dundee Texol Stars last night fought back from 2-0 down to beat Newcastle Vipers 8-3 on Tayside, writes Nigel Duncan. The former Scottish Eagles forward also assisted in three of Stars' other goals. The stand-in captain Dino Bauba was also inspirational with three goals and two assists.

Elsewhere, Steve Kaye snatched the equaliser as Edinburgh Capitals drew 3-3 with under-strength Fife Flyers at Murrayfield. The Kirkcaldy club opened the scoring in the second minute but found themselves 2-1 down four minutes later before levelling four minutes from the first break.

Todd Dutiaume put the visitors ahead after 46 minutes before Kaye's second strike just over three minutes later levelled the scores.

shinty

The final week of the interim season promised much but the reality proved to be different as the great finale was wrecked by postponement and cancellation, writes David Calder.

The battle for the South Division One championship ended rather tamely when the Oban derby between Camanachd and Celtic failed to go ahead after Celtic were hit by team- raising difficulties. They scratched from the fixture and handed the points to Camanachd, a rare act of generosity towards their arch rivals. It mattered little in the end, though, as Inveraray's 4-0 home win over Glenorchy confirmed their status as champions. Gary MacPherson and Russell Mackinlay each scored twice in what may well be the club's final game of the season. With the league won they may opt not to play their one outstanding fixture, which is against Kyles Athletic.

Only five of the 10 leagues of the transitional season have been settled by the official end date, prompting the Camanachd Association to issue a programme of rescheduled fixtures aimed at bringing the season to a close as quickly as possible.

Glasgow Mid Argyll go into the close season as Division Two champions after a 4-1 home win over Lochside Rovers while Boleskine and the reserve sides of Kilmallie and Kyles Athletic were winners of their leagues.