The sporting week on TV

Appropriately some fresh young talent mixed in with a largely young but now thoroughly experienced Proteas side starts the serious side of South Africa's first full tour of the West Indies this week.

The first Test against the Windies starts at Bourda in Guyana on Friday. A practice-match starts on Sunday and ends on Tuesday. Though there is only one new face in the Test squad, that of Easterns quickie Andre Nel, who arrived in dramatic fashion with his tko of his boyhood hero Allan Donald recently, several of the squad were virtual unknowns not that long ago.

The 23-year-old from Benoni travels to the islands as back-up to Donald on the 10-week tour, and some are predicting he could well take over from White Lightning in the not-too-distant future. Boeta Dippenaar, Justin Kemp, Neil McKenzie and Justin Ontong, who with Jonty Rhodes will join the team for the one-day internationals, were all on the fringes a year ago.

Paul Adams and Roger Telemachus have worked themselves back in favour, and Daryll Cullinan and Adams will make way for Rhodes and Ontong once the ODI series starts on April 28. There are seven ODIs in all. The five Tests, following rapidly upon one another, end with the final Test at Sabina Park, Jamaica, from April 19-23.

MOTOR RACING

THE new Grand Prix season opens in Melbourne, Australia, on Sunday, but according to British bookmakers, it might as well already have ended. Michael Schumacher, the defending champion, say they all with a single voice, will retain his Formula One title by at least a 10-point margin. McLaren's Mika Hakkinen, of Finland, they believe, will fill second spot for the second successive year, and the season's two dark horses are Britain's David Coulthard (McLaren) and Colombia's Pablo Montoya, making his debut with Williams. Ferrari's Schumacher won the Australian Grand Prix last year and took the title from Hakkinen by a 19-point margin.

If you want a flutter that might help buy the groceries for the GP season, Ladbrokes are offering 5 000-1 on Spanish teenager Fernando Alonso taking the Australian title.

GOLF

CAN Ernie Els turn it around this year: turn three Majors runner-up finishes - the US Masters, the US Open and British Open - into the real thing? He believes he can. Nothing, one imagines, motivates Els more than the thought of going one-up on his arch-rival, Tiger Woods, who at 24, is well on his way to becoming the greatest player the game has ever known. Woods is the youngest player in the history of the game to win all four of the majors - In 1999 he won the US Masters and last year won the the US Open, British Open and US PGA.

Els is looking in fine form at the Doral Ryder Blue Monster course in Miami but at the Dubai Desert Classic, Woods might as well been in his own backward with two first rounds of 64. You can catch the last rounds on TV on Sunday..

RUGBY

CORNE Krige's Stormers oppose the Waratahs at the Sydney Football Stadium (8.20am) on Sunday, and will be hoping to make amends for last week's opening Super 12 defeat by the Cats. It could be a good year for the Currie Cup champions, particularly if they can get trump cards like Bobby Skinstad, Robbie Fleck, Breyton Paulse and Braam van Straaten firing consistently.

- Supporters have the ideal opportunity on Sunday (2.50pm) to check out Natal's depth as the Wildebeest tackle Boland in Wellington in the Vodacom Cup.

SOCCER

Sunday is the first round of the Bob Save competition and holders Sundowns are drawn against Hellenic in this afternoon's TV game. As they continue to fall behind in the PSL race, this is a chance for 'Downs to concentrate on more silverware.

WEEK'S INSTANT REPLAY

TALK about chutzpah! All Black fullback Christian Cullen (left) certainly has plenty of it. In a race for the ball in the in-goal area, he was certain he had scored for the Hurricanes in their Super 12 match against the Reds. So sure, that he indicated to the ref, drawing an imaginary TV screen with his hands that he should consult the television ref. Didn't help much as there had been an infringement at the other end of the field. The Hurricanes went down 27-18 to the Reds.

SUNDAY

Boxing: SA featherweight title, Anthony Tshehla v Jackie Gunguluza, SABC2, 5.05pm.

Golf: European PGA Tour, Dubai Desert Classic, final round, SS Int on DStv, midday.

US PGA Tour, Genuity Championship, final round, SS1 on DStv, 10pm.

Motor Sport: Australian Formula 1 GP, SABC3, 4am, repeated at 11pm.

Rugby: Super 12, Waratahs v Stormers, SS on M-Net and SS1 on DStv at 8.20am.

Vodacom Cup, Boland v Natal Wildebeest, SS1 on DStv, 2.50pm.

Soccer: Castle Premiership, BobSave Superbowl, first round, Sundowns v Hellenic, SABC2, 3pm.

English Premiership, Ipswich v Bradford, SS on CSN and SS Int on DStv, 5.50pm.

English First division, Fulham v Bolton, SS Int on DStv, 5pm.

MONDAY

Soccer: English Premiership, Sunderland v Aston Villa, SS on CSN and SS Int on DStv, 10pm.

TUESDAY

Soccer: Uefa Champions League, Real Madrid v Leeds, (delayed) e.tv, 10.15pm.

WEDNESDAY

Boxing: Fight Night from Carnival City, SS Int on DStv, 8pm.

Soccer: Castle Premiership, Sundowns v Wits, (delayed) SABC2, 10pm.

Uefa Champions League, Panathinaikos v Man Utd, e.tv, 9.30pm.

THURSDAY

Cricket: SuperSport Series, Super Eights, WP v Free State, SS2 on DStv, 10.25am.

Golf: European PGA Tour, Qatar Masters, first round, SS1 on DStv and CSN, 12.30am.

US PGA Tour, Honda Classic, first round, SS Int on DStv, 11pm.

FRIDAY

Athletics: World Indoor Championships, SABC2 10.15pm.

Cricket: First Test, West Indies v South Africa, first day, SS1 on DStv and CSN, 3.30pm; first day H/L, SABC3, 6am.

SuperSport Series, Super Eights, WP v Free State, day 2, SS2 on DStv, 10.25am.

Golf: European PGA Tour, Qatar Masters, second round, SS1 on DStv and CSN, 12.30am.

US PGA Tour, Honda Classic, second round, SS Int on DStv, 11pm.

Rugby: Super 12, Hurricanes v Stormers, SS on M-Net and SS1 on DStv and CSN, 8.20am.

Vodacom Cup, N West v Border, SS2 on DStv, 7pm.

SATURDAY

Cricket: First Test, West Indies v South Africa, second day, SS on CSN and SS2 on DStv, 3.30pm.

SuperSport Series, Super Eights, WP v Free State, day three, SS Xtra on DStv, 10.25am.

Golf: European PGA Tour, Qatar Masters, third round, SS2 on DStv, 12.30am.

US PGA Tour, Honda Classic, third round, 10pm.

Motor Sport: World Superbike Racing from Valencia, Spain, SS Xtra 2 on DStv, 5pm.

Rugby: Super 12, Crusaders v Chiefs, SS on CSN and SS1 on DStv, 8.20am.

Super 12, Waratahs v Bulls, SS on M-Net and SS1 on DStv, 10.30am.

Super 12, Cats v Brumbies, SS on M-Net and SS1 on DStv, 4.50pm.

Super 12, Sharks v Highlanders, SS on M-Net and SS1 on DStv, 7pm.

Vodacom Cup, Lions v Namibia Welwitchias, SS on M-Net and SS1 on DStv, 2.45pm.

Vodacom Cup, Blue Bulls v Pumas, SABC3, 2.30pm.

Soccer: World Cup qualifier, South Africa v Guinea, SABC1, 4pm.

FA Cup sixth round, tba, SS Int on DStv, 2pm.

FA Cup sixth round, tba, SS Int on DStv, 5pm.

- All times supplied by TV channels and subject to change