Today's other sports stories in brief
Ballygraffan trials cancelled
EQUESTRIAN:There was disappointment for event riders yesterday with the news that the Ballygraffan international horse trials, scheduled for the Co Down venue in April, have been cancelled, reports Margie McLoone.
In a press release issued late on Tuesday, the organisers cited insufficient financial support and damage to the land for the cancellation of this event which has become increasingly popular with Irish and overseas riders since joining the international calendar in 2005. This year, William Fox-Pitt, a member of the British three-day event team at the Olympics in Hong Kong, won both CIC classes.
Event host June Burgess, herself an international rider, stated: "We have tried everything we can to close the significant shortfall in funding for the event, but are unable to do so within the current timescale. Also, with the unexpected damage which has occurred to the fields, we are left with no choice."
Symonds is cleared
CRICKET:Australia all-rounder Andrew Symonds insists he will not stop drinking and socialising in public after being cleared of any wrongdoing in last weekend's altercation with a fan at a Brisbane hotel.
Symonds was involved in a scuffle with a fan at the Normanby Hotel in Brisbane on Sunday night, but Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland confirmed in Adelaide yesterday that the player will not be punished.
Ireland retain pole position
GOLF: After another day of murky Murcia weather, Ireland retained pole position at the halfway stage in the PGAs of Europe International Team Championship.
Robert Giles, the first round 'ringed' player, led the charge this time with a three-under-par 69 that, with the support of Eamon Brady's level par, took his team to an impressive total of seven under for the 36 holes.
However, Scotland are on the Irish heels just three shots behind as their '69' hero Sam Cairns was backed up by Robert Arnott (71) in the best two out of three cards competition.
After that, there is a wider gap on the leaderboard. Holland and Wales, at +5 are joint third with Germany (+6), England and Italy (+7) next in line.
Strong winds caused havoc and forced players to change club selection by two or three notches.
Sehwag's 91 steers India to six-wicket win over England
CRICKET: Opener Virender Sehwag smashed 91 to guide India to a six-wicket win with more than six overs to spare over England in the fifth one-day game yesterday, the hosts going 5-0 up in the seven-match series. Sehwag missed out on his 10th one-day hundred but added 136 runs with fellow opener Sachin Tendulkar (50) as India chased down England's 270 for four.
Skipper Kevin Pietersen compiled 111 not out, his seventh one-day hundred, to steer England to a solid total after being asked to bat first.
England bowlers removed Tendulkar, in-form Yuvraj Singh (6) and Sehwag in the space of 20 runs before the hosts recovered to reach 273 for four in 43.4 overs. Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Suresh Raina struck 50s and added 94 for the fourth wicket to ensure an easy win.
Pietersen had shared an unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 112 with Owais Shah (66 not out) after adding 89 for the third with Paul Collingwood (40).
However, Sehwag struck his fourth 50 of the series in a 73-ball effort, scoring 15 fours and a six.
