Harrington plays his part

PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON played the starring role for Britain and Ireland as he and Phillip Price beat Thomas Bjorn and Sergio Garcia by two holes in the Seve Trophy match against Continental Europe in Spain.

Harrington and Price had a best-of-the-day 62, with the Dubliner contributing an eagle and six birdies to the cause. He was left with two putts for victory from 14 feet on the 18th, but made it.

Justin Rose and Ian Poulter were not sure if they were playing El Saler or Hell Saler for a while yesterday.

The two close friends were only losers for the visitors in the opening fourballs. But at least they avoided total embarrassment.

Rose and Poulter's four and three defeat to Alex Cejka and Raphael Jacquelin was a lot better than it threatened to be they lost the first six holes and were seven down after nine.

However, after staging a comeback with five successive birdies and then seeing their team-mates open a two-point lead 3 1/2-1 1/2 the two debutants were able to smile again.

"We were playing for respectability at the end," commented Rose.

Cejka and Jacquelin turned in a brilliant better-ball of 29, seven under par, and then birdied the next two holes as well before cooling off with four successive pars, the last of which was good enough to finish the job when Rose missed from 20 feet.

Captain Colin Montgomerie wanted a fast start and Lee Westwood certainly provided it for him, grabbing eight birdies as he and David Howell beat home captain Seve Ballesteros and his old Ryder Cup partner Jose Maria Olazabal on the last.

Howell delivered the decisive stroke there, though a superb four-iron to within three feet of the flag.

Paul Casey and Brian Davis defeated Ignacio Garrido and Miguel Angel Jimenez two and one, Casey doing the business with a hat-trick of birdies.

Montgomerie himself had to settle for a half and it was partner Paul Lawrie who secured it, making a five-footer at the 18th to beat Volvo Masters champion Fredrik Jacobson and his fellow Swede Niclas Fasth.

Ballesteros, 1,231st on the world rankings, had some more moments of magic alongside Olazabal, with whom he won 11 and halved two of 15 Ryder Cup game.

The pair led when Ballesteros matched Westwood's birdies at the second and third and then Olazabal chipped in on the next, but although the man in whose honour the contest is held added three more birdies they were not enough.

Davis and Casey were nine under par for their 17 holes, while Montgomerie and Lawrie had a 65. They led by one after 10, but Jacobson birdied the long 11th and the last seven were all shared.

The match continues with five more fourballs today.