Europe pull back to 4-4

Europe hit back against Britain and Ireland in the afternoon fourballs on Friday to finish the opening day of the Ballesteros Trophy all square at 4-4.

A last-ditch victory by Britain and Ireland's Padraig Harrington and Phillip Price in the morning foursomes left the home team 3-1 ahead, but Seve Ballesteros's European team reversed that result in the fourballs.

Britain and Ireland's Darren Clarke had a chance to keep his team in front but missed his birdie putt on the last hole.

Captain Ballesteros and his Ryder Cup record-breaking partner Jose Maria Olazabal were the only Europeans to fail on an afternoon of high quality play, losing 2 and 1 to Lee Westwood and debutant David Howell in the first match.

After that Europe came roaring back. There were wins by Thomas Bjorn and Miguel Angel Jimenez over Clarke and John Bickerton, who was also playing his first tie, and by Bernhard Langer and Alex Cejka over Ian Woosnam and Harrington.

Then in a dramatic last match, Sergio Garcia and Jarmo Sandelin, making his first foray, beat Britain and Ireland captain Colin Montgomerie and Paul Lawrie in an exhilarating encounter.

Garcia and Sandelin were nine-under-par better-ball to Montgomerie and Lawrie's six-under as the Europeans prevailed 3 and 2.

There was never more than a hole between the pairs in the second match which ended up being the key to Europe claiming the half.

Bjorn and Jimenez wrested the lead back at the ninth to win by just one hole when Clarke, playing the last two shots of the day, missed a 12-foot birdie putt on the last.

Cejka and Langer won only two holes but that was good enough for their 2 and 1 success.

In the foursomes, Price and Harrington came from two down with four to play to beat Bjorn and Robert Karlsson on the last green.

Dane Bjorn missed a two feet putt at the last.

Montgomerie and Woosnam had given the hosts a solid start by defeating Olazabal and Jimenez two and one in the opening match, then Westwood and Clarke outclassed Langer and Cejka four and three.