Lee and Duddy bout confirmed for March 12th

Sports Digest/BOXING:Andy Lee's Detroit Kronk camp have officially confirmed Lee will meet his fellow Irish middleweight John Duddy on March 12th at Foxwoods Casino, Mashantucket, Connecticut.

Both men are slated to clash in a North versus South “Irish civil war” on the Sergio Martinez/Serhiy Dzinziruk undercard live on HBO.

Lee’s manager Emanuel Steward says the duel with Derry-born Duddy will go down in Irish boxing history as the greatest fight ever to happen since Irish prize fighters Jack Dempsey and Gene Tunney fought in the 1927 “Battle of the Long Count”.

The duo are at crossroads in their careers, Lee is on a nine-fight winning streak and moving in the direction of a world title challenge in 2011 and Duddy after losing to Julio Chavez Jr is looking for a fight that will bring him redemption.

Limerick southpaw Lee said: “There has never been a better time for the fight. It is a fight were the stakes are stalked high and that neither fighter can afford to lose, a defining moment in our careers.”

Kelly hit by torn cruciate curse

GAELIC FOOTBALL: Kildare's plans for the year ahead have been rocked by the news that the cruciate knee ligament curse has struck again, this time accounting for Peter Kelly.

Dermot Earley, Mikey Conway, Ken Donnelly and Rob Kelly were all struck down by torn cruciates last year and now it is Peter Kelly who faces an uncertain future after it was confirmed that the All-Star defender had become the latest victim.

The Two Mile House clubman suffered the injury after just 30 seconds of Tuesday night’s O’Byrne Cup clash between the UCD side he was captaining and Meath at Páirc Tailteann.

While initial indications had been cartilage damage, a scan revealed on Wednesday night that the cruciate had been torn.

Marnane opens his Dubai account

RACING: David Marnane had something of a homecoming at Meydan as he saddled his first winner as a trainer in Dubai through Dandy Boy in the Dolce Vita Handicap. Marnane, a former jump jockey, hails from Co Tipperary but spent eight years in Dubai and was assistant to Kieran McLaughlin before setting up on his own back home in 2005.

Dandy Boy won the Victoria Cup at Ascot last spring but had come up a little short in Group races for the rest of the campaign. The mount of Colm O’Donoghue and sent off at 10 to 1, he whipped right through the field and quickened just under two lengths clear of his compatriot Hujaylea, trained by Michael Grassick.

“It’s my first winner out here,” said Marnane. “It’s changed a lot since I left five years ago but it’s a wonderful set-up and no stone is left unturned for you.

“This was over seven furlongs and I might well run him back on the Tapeta in about four weeks. Hopefully after that he might be able to go for the Godolphin Mile on World Cup night.”

Dott put in his place by Ding

SNOOKER:Ding Junhui was in imperious form as he dispatched Graeme Dott 6-2 in the first quarter-final of the Ladbrokes Mobile Masters yesterday.

The Chinese player compiled three sparkling centuries (124, 108 and 124) before the mid-session interval and two half-centuries thereafter to see off an out-of-sorts Dott.

The Scotsman struggled for fluency throughout, missing a host of easy balls, and his highest break was just 38.

Moriarty suffers surprise defeat

TENNIS: Ireland's Julia Moriarty yesterday suffered a surprise defeat in the ITF Women's Circuit in Glasgow. Playing in her first

tournament in Europe since last August in Finland, Australia-based Moriarty crashed out in the first round to British qualifier Lucy Browne

6-4 6-2.

The Irish number one enjoyed over a huge advantage in the world rankings on her opponent, at 755 to 998, but she struggled on her serve for most of the contest and was broken twice in the opening set and once in the second.

Moriarty also experienced a disappointing day in the doubles, partnering Malta’s Kimberley Cassar to a 6-3 6-1 defeat at the hands of British pair Amanda Elliott and Samantha Murray.

Dockrell makes promising start

CRICKET: Ireland spinner George Dockrell made a very promising start to his career with English county side Somerset in Antigua last night in their opening game of the Caribbean Twenty20 series, writes Emmet Riordan.

The 18-year-old from Rathgar bowled his four overs for just 21 runs against Guyana at the Viv Richards Stadium, taking the prize scalp of West Indian star Shivnarine Chanderpaul when he held on to a return catch from the talented left-hander.

It helped restrict their opponents to 112 for eight from their 20 overs and Somerset were coasting to victory at 105 for three before a dramatic collapse saw them fall one run short.

They lost five wickets in eight balls with Dockrell coming to the wicket with one ball remaining and two needed for victory. But he was unable to prove the hero as Calum Haggett was run out attempting a single, one of four run outs Somerset suffered in a frantic ending to the contest.