Squash: Ireland put up a courageous battle against sixth seeds Pakistan at the World Team Championships in Cairo yesterday but a 2-1 defeat ended their hopes of a top 12 finish at the tournament, writes Mary Hannigan.

Steve Richardson lost to Shahid Zaman in the first game of the tie before Derek Ryan squared the match with a straight sets win over Amjad Khan.

Patrick Foster needed to beat Manzoor Zaman to clinch a place in the 9th-12th play-offs for Ireland but went down in straight sets.

Ireland now meet Scotland today with the winners playing off for 13th place.

Motor Sport: Two-time world champion Michael Schumacher will undergo a series of tests at Fiorano early next month to decide whether he is ready to return to formula one, his spokesman Heiner Buchinger confirmed yesterday.

The 30-year-old, recovering from a double fracture in his leg, will decide whether to return for the Malaysian Grand Prix on October 17th after testing in his Ferrari.

Cricket: A Leinster Selected XI will play an end-of-season friendly 40-overs match against Glamorgan at Malahide next Saturday.

The visiting side will include a number of prominent players such as Matthew Maynard, Robert Croft, Steve James and Steve Watkins.

Brian O'Rourke, the Leinster Cricket Union's full-time development officer, arranged the fixture at the request of the Glamorgan CC.

Cycling: Yet again, Ciaran Power saved the good wine until last when he triumphed in the final stage of the tour of Hokkaido yesterday.

With four laps of the close circuit remaining, Power moved ahead in the treacherous conditions and at the finish was 16 seconds in front.

Eugene Moriarty, Paddy Moriarty and Michael McNena could not better their cause in the final stage and finished 5th, 6th and 7th. Ireland also won the team classification.