A round-up of today's other stories in brief
Saints stay top after consecutive victories
BASKETBALL: In the Nivea for Men's SuperLeague, DCU Saints celebrated consecutive victories while Moycullen sealed win number two with a last second basket.
UCC Demons edged past UL Eagles and UCD Marian comfortably defeated Belfast Star.
In the Nivea Women’s SuperLeague, Ulster Rockets won in overtime and DCU Mercy keep second position while leaders UL, 11890 Killester and Waterford Wildcats had defeats to Team Montenotte, Oblate Dynamos and Liffey Celtics, respectively.
DCU Saints remain on top of the Northern Conference table after defeating Belfast Star and 11890 Killester in a double header weekend for the Dublin outfit. On Saturday the Saints took on 11890 Killester which finished 93-69 while Sunday saw DCU return to hand a 79-63 defeat to Belfast Star. “It’s been a tough weekend and I think the scorelines really flatter the end result,” said DCU coach Dave Donnelly. “Players like Pat Glover, who had 38 points this weekend, really stepped up and made it look like they were easy wins.”
Moycullen’s Dylan Cunningham’s game winning three-point basket stunned Bord Gáis Neptune and gave the Galway side their second victory of the season with a final score of 74-71. Cunningham took aim as time expired to boost the Galway side over the Cork giants. “This victory is compensation for our last two defeats and the players deserved the win,” said Moycullen coach Ger Lyons.
Chanderpaul in control
CRICKET: Shivnarine Chanderpaul scored an unbeaten century to help the West Indies reach 256 for five at stumps on the opening day of the first Test against India in Delhi yesterday.
Veteran Chanderpaul finished on 111 not out after joining forces with teenage opener Kraigg Brathwaite (63) to lead a West Indies fightback after India had left the tourists in some trouble on 72 for three.
The duo had put on 108 for the fourth wicket before Brathwaite became the third victim of the day for Pragyan Ojha (three for 58).
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka retain hope of salvaging a series draw against Pakistan after closing day four with a 237-run second-innings lead despite the loss of several late wickets.
The tourists head into the final day on 164 for five after a middle-order collapse, but will hope to push their lead out towards 300 this morning before having a crack at the Pakistan batsmen.
Frazier treated for liver cancer
BOXING: Former heavyweight boxing champion Joe Frazier is receiving hospice care for liver cancer. The 67-year-old was diagnosed four or five weeks ago, according to his manager, Leslie Wolff. He revealed that doctors have not yet told the US fighter how long he has to live. "We have medical experts looking into all the options that are out there," Mr Wolff said.
“There are very few. But that doesn’t mean we’re going to stop looking.” Mr Wolff, who has been Frazier’s manager for seven years, said the boxer had been in and out of the hospital since early October and began receiving hospice treatment last week.
Frazier was the first man to beat Muhammad Ali, knocking him down and taking a decision in the so-called “Fight of the Century” in 1971. He would go on to lose two more fights to Ali, including the epic “Thrilla in Manila”.
Federer and Ivanovic back winning
TENNIS: Roger Federer won the Swiss Indoors final yesterday to end a 10-month wait for a title, while Ana Ivanovic celebrated her 24th birthday by taking the Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions title for a second straight year.
Federer (30) beat Kei Nishikori of Japan 6-1 6-3 in Basel to claim his 68th career title and first since Doha in January. The former world number one who is now ranked fourth on the ATP Tour, dropped only one point on his serve in the first set against the 32nd-ranked Nishikori. He then broke the 21-year-old Japanese player’s serve to lead 4-2 in the second and held on to win.
Serbia’s Ivanovic, also a former world number one but now ranked 26th on the WTA Tour, had a 6-3 6-0 victory against Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain in Bali. It was her first title of 2011. I felt like I didnt do much wrong. It was a great match for me, Ivanovic said.
Mutai wins New York marathon
ATHLETICS: Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya led the top three home in record-breaking time at the New York marathon yesterday while Firehiwot Dado of Ethiopia claimed the women's title.
Mutai burst from the leading pack at the 20-mile (32-km) mark to win in two hours, five minutes, six seconds, more than two-and-a-half minutes faster than the previous course record of 2:07:43 set in 2001 by Ethiopian Tesfaye Jifar.
Second behind the Boston Marathon winner was Emmanuel Mutai, no relation to his fellow Kenyan, who completed the race in 2:06:28. Third place went to Olympic bronze medallist Tsegaye Kebede of Ethiopia, who was also faster than the old record in 2:07:14.
The womens race was more dramatic, with Dado overtaking fading frontrunner Mary Keitany of Kenya in the final mile. Dado, a three-times Rome Marathon winner, made up a deficit of more than two minutes to win, clocking 2:23:15.
Thrilling win for Stoner
MOTOR SPORT: Champion Casey Stoner mounted a thrilling late charge to pip Ben Spies to the line and snatch a 10th victory of the season at the final motorcycling Grand Prix of the year in rainy Valencia yesterday.
Australian Stoner, who secured his second MotoGP title at his home event last month, powered from pole into an early lead and led by some 10 seconds at one stage but was overtaken by the American Yamaha rider with around three laps left.
When Spies ran wide on the final turn, Stoner seized his chance and his front wheel crossed the line 0.015 seconds in front.
“My heart was in my throat,” Repsol Honda rider Stoner said adding that he had been forced to slow down when the rain started.
“I tried to stay with him on the final lap and I knew I had a better exit line for the straight so I am very happy,” the 26-year-old added. Stoners Italian team-mate Andrea Dovizioso was third.
Coghlan prevails
ATHLETICS: John Coghlan of the Metro St Brigid's club won the senior men's race at the Dublin Cross-Country Championships in Santry yesterday, his first title in the grade and maintaining his good start to the season. Coghlan, the youngest son of former world 5,000 metres champion Eamonn, held off the challenge of Sean Hehir and David Flynn. Elish Kelly of Raheny Shamrock won the women's race with Raheny taking both team titles.
Win for Talbot
EQUESTRIAN: Kildare's Niall Talbot, who is now based in Switzerland, won Saturday's jump-off class in Verona on Jean-Claude Engisch's nine-year-old Selle Francais gelding Nicos de La Cense, writes Margie McLoone.
Talbot claimed the €12,500 first prize pipping Germany’s Philipp Weishaput riding Souvenir 29. Tipperary’s Denis Lynch finished fourth of the 36 starters.
