1. In a straight fight the crusaders usually won; in skirmishes, the Saracens often overcame their more numerous opponents.

2. The election is now a straight fight between Labour and the Conservatives.

3. The election was a straight fight between the two main parties.

4. This will be a straight fight between Labour and the Conservatives: the other parties are nowhere.

5. A straight fight between John Smith and Bryan Gould will never be able to generate that level of fall-out.

6. But it appears to be a straight fight between the two to be named Capello's on-field leader when the qualifying campaign for the 2010 World Cup gets under way in the autumn.

7. Each has several times beaten the other in a straight fight.

8. What I will say, however(sentence dictionary), is that any tendencies to portray them as a straight fight between good guys and bad guys do appear to be wide of the mark. Real life is always far more complicated.

9. Tuttosport claims that Juventus and Inter are now set for a straight fight for the 24-year-old.

10. The Spaniard made the most of his opportunity when torrential rain and car failures combined to leave him in a straight fight with Ferrari's Felipe Massa.

11. Meanwhile, midfielder Darren Fletcher has warned against billing the title race as a straight fight between United and Manchester City ahead of Sunday's visit of Chelsea.

12. The 28-year-old Frenchman is keen to leave the Reebok Stadium and it seems that Chelsea face a straight fight with Manchester United for the former Arsenal star's signature.

13. He has already seen off Tomasz Kuszczak and Ben Foster, but Neuer has been told he would come in for a straight fight with van der Sar.

1. In a straight fight the crusaders usually won; in skirmishes, the Saracens often overcame their more numerous opponents.