A round-up of today's other stories in brief
Skipper Dhoni earns India a tie
CRICKET: Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was India’s hero again as they tied with Sri Lanka in the fifth match of the tri-series in Australia.
Sri Lanka batted first at the Adelaide Oval and made a competitive 236 for nine, built around Dinesh Chandimal’s 81, and India were always right on the rate.
Opening bat Gautam Gambhir made 91, but a nervy finish saw the balance shift one way then another before Dhoni (58 not out) and Umesh Yadav scampered three off the final ball from Lasith Malinga to leave the scores level.
Dhoni made 44 not out to see his side to victory over Australia with two balls to spare on Sunday, hitting 12 from the last four balls.
The result gave Sri Lanka their first points in the tournament, while India moved a point ahead of hosts Australia having played a game more.
Woods signs up for Honda Classic
GOLF: Tiger Woods has added the Honda Classic in Florida at the start of March to his schedule, slotting it in between two World Golf Championship events.
The former world number one has never previously played the tournament as a professional, but now lives nearby to PGA National. In a statement, he said: “I heard great things about the Honda Classic. Now that I live here I want to play whenever possible.”
Curragh boot camp for boxers
BOXING: Irish head coach Billy Walsh has saluted the Irish Army for their input into Ireland’s training camp at the Curragh in Kildare.
Thirty top boxers, including Katie Taylor, Joe Ward and John Joe Nevin, Darren O’Neill and Michael Conlan, are taking part in preparation for the final Olympic qualifier for European male boxers which takes place in Trabzon, Turkey in April.
Taylor and the Irish women’s squad are gearing up for the only Olympic qualifier for females at the AIBA World Championships in China in May.
“The Army have bent over backwards to facilitate us and have really looked after us,” said Walsh.
“We did the tank tracks on Sunday morning and the army PTIs gave the squad a bit of a grueller. We were up on the Braveheart hills this morning doing repeat runs.”
The squad will finish up on Friday before resuming training at Dublin’s National Stadium next Tuesday before travelling to Germany for a further camp on February 28th.
Williams shows his battling qualities
SNOOKER: World number two Mark Williams squeezed past Andy Hicks 4-3 in the first round of the 888 Welsh Open in Newport yesterday.
The two-time world champion from Wales trailed three times to the Devon cueman, but Hicks was unable to get over the line.
A break of 47 saw Hicks nick a scrappy first frame, but a knock of 64 was enough to get Williams back level. Hicks edged ahead again but again Williams restored parity despite not looking on top form.
A 53 break put Hicks 3-2 up but Williams scraped back level and then a solid deciding frame saw him sneak into round two, where he will face Ronnie O’Sullivan or Marco Fu.
Stephen Lee overcame fellow Englishman Michael Holt 4-1 and Stephen Hendry enjoyed one of his best results in recent years as he romped past Neil Robertson 4-1, winning the final three frames.
Stuart Bingham then eased past Mark King 4-2.
Morbey to take over on Clarke's bag next week
GOLF: Darren Clarke has appointed Phil “Wobbly” Morbey, who used to caddie for Ian Woosnam, as his new bagman.
ISM, Clarke’s management team, said yesterday Morbey would launch his partnership with the 43-year-old Northern Irishman at next week’s WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship in Marana, Arizona.
The world number 54 announced in January he had split up with John Mulrooney, the caddie who helped him land his first Major championship at the British Open in July.
Clarke has been out of sorts since his victory at Sandwich, his best result since a 20th-place finish at the Volvo Golf Champions tournament in South Africa last month.
He and Mulrooney parted company after the player slumped to rounds of 72 and 81 to miss the cut at the Abu Dhabi Championship. Morbey spent 14 years as caddie for Woosnam and was with the Welshman when he won the 1991 US Masters.
