Irvine says it's now or never

Motor Sport: Eddie Irvine has vowed to fight like a "maniac" to bag the drivers' crown before quitting Ferrari at the end of the season.

Irvine is confident that his Ferrari will be far more competitive in the title run-in than it has been in the last two races in Belgium and Italy.

"From the next race we will be back on an even keel and I will be able to fight like a maniac at the front again," said Irvine. "Only if we are slow at the Nurburgring can we say goodbye to the championship.

"We knew Spa and Monza would be terrible races for us. But only when the car is good can you really push.

"This is the best Ferrari I have driven this season," added Irvine. "The Nurburgring is very like Mugello so I don't see why it shouldn't go well there too.

"McLaren still has the better car so we will have to rely on better strategy, better reliability and them making more mistakes.

"I know very well that this is my best chance to win the title. It will be very difficult next year with Jaguar."

Squash: Ireland improved their world ranking by three places to 13 with a 2-1 victory over New Zealand in their final match of the World Team Championships in Cairo yesterday.

It was Ireland's fifth victory in six matches and left them as the seventh highest ranking European team.

World Team Championships (at Cairo) - 13th-14th place play-off: Ireland 2, New Zealand 1 (D Ryan bt P Steel 9-6, 9-0, 9-3; P Foster lost to D Sharplin 2-9, 5-9, 6-9; S Richardson bt G Crosby 9-1, 9-2, 9-1).

Cricket: Aravinda de Silva and Russel Arnold hit half-centuries to help Sri Lanka reach 254 for 6 at the end of first day's play yesterday in the second Test in Galle against Australia.

De Silva, continuing his fine form against the tourists, scored 64, and Arnold 50, as they helped Sri Lanka recover from the shock start of losing their captain Sanath Jayasuriya to the first ball.