Molins awarded Marchant Cup

SPORTS DIGEST/Cricket: The Leinster Cricket Union (LCU) has announced its individual awards for the past summer, as well as the province's team of the season, writes Karl Johnston.

Jason Molins, Ireland's captain, has been awarded the Marchant Cup for batting as well as being named skipper of the Leinster side.

The North County club, which won the Royal Liver Irish Senior Cup for the second time in August, has had four players named in the Leinster team of the season - Andre Botha, Paul Mooney, Conor and Dara Armstrong, while Armstrong has retained the Hopkins Cup for wicket-keeping. Brendan ("Ginger") O'Brien (Railway Union), who played 52 times for Ireland between 1966 and 1981, won the Hall of Fame award.

Meanwhile, the draws for next year's Leinster Senior (Conqueror) Cup first round, Sections A and B of the Senior League (sponsored by Lewis Hone Williams) and the Alan Murray 20-Overs Cup will be made in Clontarf CC at Castle Avenue tomorrow evening. The draws will be broadcast live on radio NEAR FM 101.6 from 7 p.m.

^{AWARD WINNERS: Marchant Cup (Batting): Jason Molins (Phoenix), O'Grady Cup (Bowling): Sadat Gull (Rush), Samuels Cup (All-rounder): Thinnus Fourie (Clontarf), Hopkins Cup (Wicket-keeping): Dara Armstrong (North County), Solomons Cup (Fielding): J. P. O'Dwyer (Leinster), Fair Play Award: Colm Morgan (CYM), Young Player of the season: Kevin O'Brien (Railway Union), Hall of Fame Award: Brendan O'Brien (Railway Union).}

^{LEINSTER TEAM OF THE SEASON: Jason Molins (Phoenix, capt.), Conor Armstrong (North County), Dara Armstrong (North County), Jeremy Bray (Phoenix), Andre Botha (North County), Luke Clinton (The Hills), Thinnus Fourie (Clontarf), Sadat Gull (Rush), Greg Molins (Clontarf), Paul Mooney (North County), Nazeer Shaukat (Rush).}

Tennis: South Africa's Wayne Ferreira is planning to retire at the end of 2004. "The end of next year will be it for me," the 32-year-old said after a first-round victory over Croatian Ivan Ljubicic at the Madrid Masters yesterday.

"I have the goal of doing the grand slams and there's the possibility of getting back to the Olympics one more time. Then I think it's time to put my time and effort into my family so I think I'll give it one more year."

Ferreira, who turned professional in 1989, said he would like to stay on in the sport in some capacity and hinted at a possible future career as a coach.

Motor Sport: Valentino Rossi, who won his third consecutive motorcycling world title on Sunday, could swap two wheels for four if Formula One team Ferrari have their way.

A day after Ferrari's Michael Schumacher won a record sixth Formula One world title, Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo said he wanted 24-year-old Honda rider Rossi to take a test drive for the team.

"A serious test, no joking," Montezemolo told Radio Anch'io Sport. "It's always been difficult going from two to four wheels, and it is even harder today. But Valentino is a great champion and the symbol of a land of motorsports." Italians dream of an Italian driver in the Ferrari seat.

Alberto Ascari was the last Italian to win a world title with Ferrari. He took the championships in 1952 and 1953.

But Rossi, who has dominated top class motorcycling for the last three years, has been approached by several Formula One team before and, while not ruling out a switch, has always declared rally driving to be his first love as far as four wheels are concerned.

The five-times world champion, he won the 125cc championship in 1997 and the 250cc class in 1999, has yet to agree an extension to his contract with his Honda team, sparking speculation that he may be open to offers.

Briton John Surtees won the 500cc world motorcycling championship four times in the late 1950s and early 1960s before moving on to claim the Formula One title for Ferrari in 1964.

Tennis: Martina Navratilova will put her unbeaten Fed Cup record on the line next month when she lines up for the United States against Belgium after an eight-year break from the women's team competition.

Navratilova, unbeaten in 37 Fed Cup ties, will be 47 when the Americans tackle Belgium in Moscow on November 19th-20th, becoming the oldest player to compete in the 40-year history of Fed Cup.

"This team is very excited about going to Moscow and we are going there to win," US captain Billie Jean King said yesterday. "Martina brings additional power to our line-up and prestige to this international competition. We are all looking forward to going to Moscow and bringing the Fed Cup back to the United States."

Navratilova equalled King's record of 20 Wimbledon titles with her 2003 mixed doubles crown with Leander Paes and reached last year's US Open doubles final with Svetlana Kuznetsova.

She holds 18 singles, 31 doubles and nine mixed doubles grand slam titles plus a record 167 singles and 172 doubles WTA Tour titles.