Kürten and Coyle keep on winning

DIGEST: The purple patch in which Ireland's show jumpers have revelled recently continued over the weekend, with doubles for Jessica Kürten and Trevor Coyle and a win for Harry Marshall, writes Grania Willis.

In Lummen, Belgium, world number two Kürten won the 1.25-metre championship with La Vie and then steered Lou Lou to the head of the line-up in the 1.35-metre speed final.

Belgian-based Coyle (47) opened his account with victory in Saturday's 1.35-metre speed class at Lummen when Joy's Mouche stopped the clock on 73.45 seconds to score by three-tenths of a second. His winning margin was almost two seconds in the following 1.45-metre speed, Overtime claiming the honours.

Harry Marshall's turn in the spotlight came in Saturday's 1.35-metre speed on the Italian Toscana Tour in Arezzo, when the aptly named Swift obliged.

Billy Twomey earned £3,500 when posting sixth in the British Open championship in Sheffield.

Corinthians not only managed to kill off the top-three hopes of Three Rock and Fingal on Saturday by beating league leaders Glenanne 3-2 in Tallaght, they also helped revive Pembroke Wanderers' hopes, however slim, of pipping Glenanne to the men's title in Leinster, writes Mary Hannigan.

The leaders, though, remain favourites to hold on, despite losing for only the second time in the league this season - one win from their last two games will do it.

Glenanne looked to be edging ever closer to that target when John Goulding gave them a 14th-minute lead against Corinthians, but goals from Robbie Burns and Adrian Nissen (two) put the visitors 3-1 up. Mark Lambe pulled another goal back for Glenanne.

The line-up for the All Ireland Club Championships is, therefore, complete. Glenanne, Pembroke and Corinthians will be Leinster's representatives, with Ulster's Annadale, Lisnagarvey and Banbridge joining Munster's Cork Harlequins and Church of Ireland.

England were ushered away from the aborted fifth one-day cricket international against India before violence erupted at the Nehru Stadium yesterday. Frustration at the abandonment of the contest without a ball being bowled spilled from the stands on to the periphery of the outfield moments after the tourists' coach left the ground under its usual security escort.

Tear gas was released into the stands to disperse the rampaging masses as police armed with batons moved in. But they became targets for the yobs, gathered in one section of the 20,000-capacity ground, and were pelted by missiles - one officer was knocked out by a brick thrown over the terrace fencing.

The initial displeasure featured plastic bottles being thrown onto the playing area and fires being lit on the terracing, but the rebellion intensified as it became clear the five-hour wait was to be fruitless. Rain in the preceding five days caused the abandonment with persistent downfalls leaving muddy patches on the outfield deemed a threat to player safety.

Ireland's 12-match build-up to the World Cup Qualifier in Rome later this month is complete, 1-0 defeats by Italy and England in Manchester over the weekend making it 11 losses out of 12 since January, writes Mary Hannigan.

Yesterday's defeat by England, however, will be less of a concern to coach Riet Kuper than Saturday's poor display against Italy, whom Ireland meet again in their pool in Rome.Mercedes Salessi got the game's only goal, converting a penalty corner in the 48th minute.

Kate Walsh scored England's winner yesterday when she converted a 54th-minute corner.

" If we can play like we did against England I will be happy, we defended well. But the performance against Italy wasn't good enough," said Kuper.

IRELAND (v Italy): M Goode, C Parkhill, J Orbinson, C O'Brien, F Connery, N Symmons, L Caulfield (capt), C Carey, J McDonough, E Cregan, C McKean. Subs: A Platt, Z Dahl, N Keegan, A Speers, S Beaney.

IRELAND (v England): A Platt, C Parkhill, J Orbinson, C O'Brien, F Connery, N Symmons, L Caulfield (capt), C Carey, E Cregan, J McDonough, C McKean. Subs: M Goode, Z Dahl, S Beaney, A Speers.