A round-up of today's other stories in brief
Avoca know what they are up against as they double up
HOCKEY:After week one Avoca know what the top flight is all about. However, a 4-1 beating by Corinthians left them in a similar position to the Glenanne, YMCA and Railway, who also lost their opening Leinster Senior League Division One fixtures.
Avoca face Three Rock Rovers tomorrow on a weekend in which several clubs have double fixtures. They also play Fingal on Sunday, while Rovers also play Monkstown in Rathdown on Sunday afternoon.
With the arrival of Joe Brennan from Glenanne as their new coach, Rovers should gain some bite. Added to the return of players of the calibre of Mitch Darling, the Grange Road side could play their way into the top end this season.
They will arrive in Blackrock after a healthy opening win against the Glens in Tallaght, Darling one of three players from a number of clubs who scored two goals on the day.
UCD bring YMCA to Belfield on Saturday and then Glenanne on Sunday. Those opening two games could tell a lot how the Belfield side are going to fare this season.
SATURDAY: Leinster Senior League: Division One: Railway Union v Corinthians, Park Avenue, 1pm; UCD v YMCA, Belfield, TBC, 1pm; Monkstown v Glenanne, Rathdown, 1.30pm; Avoca v TRR, Newpark, 1pm; Fingal v Pembroke, ALSAA, 1pm.
SUNDAY: Leinster Senior League: Division One: UCD v Glenanne, Belfield, 4pm; Corinthians v YMCA, Whitechurch, 2pm; Railway v Pembroke, Park Avenue, 2.45; Fingal v Avoca, ALSAA, 2.30; Monkstown v TRR, Rathdown, 2.45.
– JOHNNY WATTERSON
Kallis helps South Africa to big win over Zimbabwe
CRICKET:Jacques Kallis starred with the ball as South Africa cruised to a comprehensive 10-wicket victory over Zimbabwe in their World Twenty20 opener in Hambantota yesterday, sealing their berth in the Super Eights in the process.
Kallis took four for 15 off his four overs as Zimbabwe were limited to 93 for eight and South Africa’s openers Richard Levi (50 not out) and Hashim Amla (32no) easily knocked off the target with 44 balls remaining.
The result means South Africa and Sri Lanka have both qualified for the Super Eights from Group C as Zimbabwe bow out of the competition having also been heavily beaten by hosts Sri Lanka on Tuesday.
County players still awaiting expenses
GAELIC GAMES:Hundreds of GAA intercounty players are out of pocket to the tune of thousands of euro in expenses, while some haven't received their full gear entitlements months after entertaining over 1.2 million GAA supporters this summer.
Under the “Player Entitlements Scheme” agreed in 2007 between the Gaelic Players Association and the GAA’s Central Council, players are entitled to a mileage rate of 50 cent per mile, but in many cases this is not being observed. A survey of players on all senior teams in counties that are not involved in the All-Ireland finals show that at least 32 per cent of teams are still awaiting payment of their expenses. Many have not received their full gear entitlements, with the bulk of players on hurling teams not receiving their helmet allowance.
Kildare (footballers and hurlers) and another high-profile side, Tipperary, are among those still awaiting payments of expenses.
Irish keep hopes of qualifying alive
GOLF:A host of Irishmen, including British Amateur champion Alan Dunbar, are set to keep their European Tour hopes alive going into today's final round of first stage qualifying.
At Wychwood Park in Cheshire yesterday, Dunbar couldn’t repeat Wednesday’s brilliant 66 and had to settle for a three-over-par 75, but that still keeps him just outside the top 10 – the best 23 plus ties advance.
Jonathan Caldwell (68), Barrie Trainor (70) and David Higgins (69) all overtook Dunbar with the third of that triumvirate, Waterville’s Higgins, tied fourth on two-under with 18 holes left.
Two more Irish golfers, Cian Curley (73) and Bushfoot’s David Jones (70), are also looking good for qualification on one- and two-over for the event respectively.
In the first qualifying stage at Fleesensee in Germany, Royal Dublin’s Niall Kearney shot a one-over round of 73 for a share of 26th place with the top 24 plus ties going through at the end of today’s last round.
Authorities seek to tweak Grand National challenge
RACING:Changes will be made at the Aintree Grand National after an official inquiry into the race's safety following the deaths of four horses in the last two years, the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) announced yesterday.
The start at the Aintree course in Liverpool will be moved forward 90 metres, farther from the crowd, and measures will be introduced to stop horses getting caught up in the starting tape.
The landing zone of the famous Becher’s Brook jump will be levelled out and fence designs will be reviewed, the BHA said.
Two horses, Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Synchronised and According To Pete, died in the race on April 14th this year, the second successive year there had been two fatalities.
Aintree Racecourse and the BHA believe the course could continue to accommodate a maximum of 40 runners but they would monitor the issue of field size.
