Sports Digest

A roundup of today's other sports news in brief:

O'Sullivan set to take on Higgins

SNOOKER: Ronnie O'Sullivan set up an appetising semi-final against John Higgins and almost made a 147 maximum break in his ruthless demolition of Mark Allen at the totesport.com Welsh Open yesterdayThe Essex cueman won 5-2 and finished the match in a hurry by reeling off four frames in quick succession. In the fifth frame of the match, O'Sullivan missed a green when looking good to make maximum break.

Warner calls a halt to 12-year career

NFL: Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner retired yesterday after a 12-year NFL career that yielded a Super Bowl championship and established him as one of the games elite players.

“It’s been 12 unbelievable years, 12 of the best years of my life,” he said. “But I want everybody to know I’m just as excited about the next 12, I’m excited about what lies in front of me.

Warner, a former player in the Arena Football League, made a name for himself during the 1999 NFL season with the St Louis Rams when he was named the starter and led the franchise to its first Super Bowl victory.

The 38-year-old made it to the Super Bowl twice more and retires at the top of his game with one year left on his contract.

Warner was elected to the Pro Bowl four times and has passed for 32,344 yards and 208 touchdowns with the Rams, New York Giants and Cardinals.

Dunne mourns death of coach Perry

BOXING: Former WBA super bantamweight champ Bernard Dunne has led the tributes to boxing coach Peter Perry who passed away yesterday following a long battle with illness.

Perry, from Inchiore in Dublin, was head coach at the CIE boxing club in Dublin and helped steer Dunne to 13 titles at all levels in the amateur ranks.

Perry, who was in his early 80s, was also coach to Jim Rock. Describing Perry as a gentleman, Dunne said that he was devoted to his boxers. He said: “Peter had an enormous influence on my career even to this day. He was one of the gentleman of the sport. “He was devoted to the sport.”

Stefan GP get Toyota backing

MOTOR SPORT: Aspiring Formula One team Stefan GP announced yesterday that they had agreed a technical assistance deal with Toyota.

“Stefan GP has already made its wishes clear to compete in Formula One,” the would-be team, who have yet to secure a place on the starting grid, said in a statement.

“Stefan GP has just come to a basic agreement with Toyota Motorsport GmbH that Stefan GP will receive technical supports from TMG.”

Run by Serbian businessman Zoran Stefanovic, Stefan GP tried and failed to secure a slot last year as one of four completely new entrants.

However they have since approached Toyota, who quit Formula One at the end of last year, with a view to taking over the manufacturer’s cars and operating out of the same Cologne factory as their Japanese firm.

Australia maintain their winning run

CRICKET: Big performances from Nathan Hauritz and Ryan Harris helped Australia emphatically claim their fourth consecutive one-day international victory by 135 runs over Pakistan at the WACA Ground.

Hauritz was in blistering touch with the bat, scoring a career-high unbeaten 53 off 39 balls as Australia recovered from a sedate start to the innings to make 277 for eight off the 50 overs.

But while Hauritz took the limelight with the bat, it was fellow bowler Harris, playing in just his third ODI, that upstaged him during Pakistan’s run chase as his return of five for 19 helped bowl Pakistan out for 142.

Laois weigh up their options

GAA: A meeting was taking place in Laois last night to decide whether the four players involved in the fracas during last week's O'Byrne Cup match with Kildare would exercise their right to a personal hearing before the Leinster Council, writes Seán Moran.

Within the county there was speculation that Kevin Meaney, Peter O’Leary and Denis Booth might decide to accept the four weeks’ suspension proposed by the provincial council competitions control committee.

However reports suggest Billy Sheehan might decide to opt to have his case heard by the hearings committee.