SPORTS DIGEST:KEMAR ROACH finished with five wickets as the West Indies bowled out Australia for 311 by tea on a rain-affected day two of the second Test at Port-of-Spain.
The quick recorded figures of five for 105 after removing Matthew Wade and tailenders Ben Hilfenhaus and Michael Beer.
Mike Hussey top-scored for Australia with 73 before falling to Narsingh Deonarine.
The tourists, 1-0 up in the three-match series, added 59 runs for the loss of one wicket before lunch to take the score to 267 for six.
Wade was the man to go as he was caught at slip by Darren Bravo off Roach. Hussey was given a reprieve by the wicketkeeper, who missed a stumping chance off the bowling of Shane Shillingford.
Hussey continued to frustrate the Windies in the second session, putting on 89 for the seventh wicket with James Pattinson before he was caught at short extra cover by Kraigg Brathwaite off Deonarine.
Roach bowled Hilfenhaus off his pads for five and trapped beer lbw for two, leaving Nathan Lyon not out on seven.
ICC confirm competition plans
THE INTERNATIONAL Cricket Council (ICC) has confirmed future plans for their two principle international competitions up until the 50-over World Cup in 2023, writes Emmet Riordan.
The World Twenty20 competition will grow from 12 to 16 teams after this autumn’s staging of the event in Sri Lanka and will continue to be staged every two years. Ireland qualified for this year’s finals at a recent competition in the United Arab Emirates, and the region will again hold the qualifier event for the 2014 event in October of next year. As expected, the 50-over World Cup will be cut from 14 to 10 from 2019, but it will be open to associate nations through a qualification tournament involving 10 teams, the first of which will take place in 2018.
The ICC also confirmed that the qualifying event for the 2015 World Cup will take place in New Zealand in 2014, where the final two places in the tournament will be decided. The other two places will be decided by the ongoing World Cricket League Championship, which is presently led by Ireland and the UAE.
Politician’s son banned for taking drugs cocktail
PROMISING PLAYER Jonathan Spelman, the teenage son of a senior British politician, has been banned for 21 months by the Rugby Football Union (RFU) after admitting taking a cocktail of prohibited substances.
The 17-year-old, whose mother is British Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman, appeared before an independent tribunal last month charged with taking testosterone, drostanolone, growth hormone, human chorionic gonadotropin, clomid and nolvadex. His parents tried to prevent him being named by a Sunday newspaper but a privacy injunction was lifted on Monday after a judge ruled against it last week. Spelman, who played for England under-16s and Harlequins, reportedly took the drugs after being injured playing in a school match.
Korir, Cherop win in Boston
as Kenyans dominate
KENYAN RUNNERS swept both Boston Marathon podiums yesterday as Wesley Korir won the men’s race and Sharon Cherop triumphed in the women’s edition in steamy temperatures that slowed the defending champions.
Korir (29), a graduate of the University of Louisville in Kentucky, finished in two hours 12 minutes and 40 seconds, the slowest Boston winning time since 2007 and almost 10 minutes slower than the world’s fastest time set last year by compatriot Geoffrey Mutai.
Levy Matebo came in second and Bernard Kipyego was third while Mutai, the world’s top-ranked marathon runner, dropped out at the 30km mark due to cramps.
Kenya also notched a sweep in the women’s race. Behind Cherop’s winning time of two hours 31 minutes and 50 seconds were Jemima Jelagat Sumgong, dropped in a furious last-minute dash by the winner, and Georgina Rono. “We started slowly, we did not start fast like last year,” Cherop said. “I was really prepared this time around . . . it’s not my first time running in the heat and humidity.”
Doherty to face Robertson
IRELAND’S KEN Doherty will take on the 2010 world champion Neil Robertson in the opening round of the World Championship, which begins at the Crucible, Sheffield on Saturday.
The Dubliner and 1997 world champion came through the qualification process, but he faces a tough assignment in taking on the Australian. He might take heart from the fact that Robertson lost in the first round last year as defending champion to Judd Trump, who eventually went all the way to the final before losing out.
Ronnie O’Sullivan will tackle his Crucible nemesis Peter Ebdon in the first round. The latter was the player all the seeds wanted to avoid, after he won the China Open at the start of April and followed that with a 10-0 demolition of Alfie Burden in the final qualifying round last night.
John Higgins will begin the defence of his title against China’s Liang Wenbo on Saturday morning. Luca Brecel, the 17-year-old Belgian who will be the youngest player to appear at the World Championship, faces Scotland’s Stephen Maguire.
