SPORTS DIGEST: CricketIRELAND A endured a brute of day at the office on the opening day of their three-day game against Gloucester seconds at Coombe Park in Bath yesterday as they were put to the sword by the English county.
Having lost the toss, Ireland’s second string conceded 494 runs in 88 overs, with Gloucester skipper Ed Young hitting an unbeaten 172 and 18-year-old Christian Purchase wracking up 156 off just 82 balls, an amazing 140 of which came in boundaries, including 16 sixes.
After the home side declared, Ireland got off to the worst possible start when opening bat Chris Dougherty retired hurt after being struck on his thumb.
Fellow opener Ben Ackland and Andrew Balbirnie both went for ducks and skipper James Shannon for four, with Ireland closing on 27 for three.
– EMMET RIORDAN
REPRESENTATIVE GAME(at Coombe Park): Day one of three: Gloucester 2nds 494-5 dec (E Young 172no, C Purchase 156no, P Muchall 84), Ireland A 27-3 (S Thompson 15, C Dougherty retired hurt).
Hermes win gold to earn promotion for Ireland
Hermes won gold at the EuroHockey Club Champions Challenge in Switzerland yesterday, beating French champions Lille 3-1 in the final. The victory earns Ireland promotion to the Club Trophy in 2013, the second tier of the competition.
The Connery sisters, Áine and Sinéad, combined to give the Dublin side the perfect start, Áine setting up her sibling to score after two minutes. Lille levelled midway through the half when Hermes were down to 10 players, Kerry McComish having been sin-binned for a foul. Hermes restored their lead six minutes after the break when Lille were a player down, Audrey O’Flynn converting a penalty corner, and the Irish international sealed the victory with nine minutes to go with another corner strike.
The team had also defeated hosts Rotweiss (4-1), Austria’s HC Wels (3-1) and the Czech Republic’s Slavia Prague (3-1).
– MARY HANNIGAN.
HERMES SQUAD: M Goode, E Gray, S McCarthy, K McComish, C Quinlan, S Connery, C McGilp, G Pinder, M Crowley, E Horan, L Jacob, Á Connery, R Burke, A O'Flynn, A Harte, S Patton, F Connery.
No foul play suspected as troubled Tapia is found dead at Albuquerque home
BoxingFormer three-weight world boxing champion Johnny Tapia has died at the age of 45. Tapia's body was found in his Albuquerque, New Mexico, home on Sunday night and police spokesperson Robert Gibbs said there did not appear to be suspicious circumstances.
Although a highly successful boxer, Tapia’s life was plagued by drug use, depression and brushes with the law. His mother was murdered when he was eight, and his father was reportedly killed before the boxer was born. He had the Spanish phrase mi vida loca (my crazy life) tattooed on his stomach. He turned pro in 1988 and after winning his first 48 fights – claiming the WBO and IBF super flyweight titles plus the WBA bantamweight crown – he was defeated by Paulie Ayala in June 1999. He won the IBF featherweight title in April 2002 against Manuel Medina but dropped a decision to Marco Antonio Barrera six months later. His last fight came in June 2011 when he defeated Mauricio Pastrana, leaving him with a career record of 59 wins, five losses and two draws.
