Sports Digest

A round-up opf today's other stories in brief

Clinical England coast to eighth straight one-day win

England coasted to their eighth successive one-day international victory, to go 2-0 up on Australia in the NatWest Series yesterday.

Ravi Bopara (82) and Ian Bell (75) shared a stand of 90, while Dubliner Eoin Morgan made an unbeaten 43 at The Oval as England’s batsmen consolidated an effective performance from their bowlers to complete the task with six wickets and more than four overs to spare.

Bell, a revelation at the top of the order since his ODI recall last month, brought up his 50 in 71 balls with his fourth boundary – to add to a straight six off Shane Watson – and Bopara was more fluent still on a good batting surface in a chanceless half-century from only 54 deliveries.

The outcome was rarely in the remotest doubt, though, once Australia’s innings stalled in the middle overs. Opener Watson’s half-century had hinted at much better than 251 for seven.

Watson (66) reached 50 with his eighth four at a run a ball but took another 30 over his last 14 runs, before George Bailey cashed in his lengthy reconnaissance in a career-best 65.

Blake records fastest 100m time this year to beat Bolt

Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake sauntered through their 200m semi-finals on Saturday night to set up another rematch and an explosive finish to the Jamaican Olympic trials last night.

On Friday, Blake had run the fastest 100m in the world this year as he and Bolt booked their places at London 2012 in the Jamaican National Championships and Olympic trials.

All eyes were on Olympic champion and world record-holder Bolt in the final in Kingston, but it was world champion Blake who stole his thunder, running 9.75 seconds to best his rival’s time of 9.76 set in Rome last month.

Bolt was second in 9.86, while former world record-holder Asafa Powell was just behind him in 9.88 to book the third spot on the team, although he reportedly limped away from the track after the race.

This was the first time Blake and Bolt had faced each other since Blake took the world title Daegu last year when the Olympic champion false started.

All eight men in the final met the Olympic A standard for the London Games.

Father of drowned supporter touched by Uefa fan award

The father of a young Irishman who drowned while at Euro 2012 has said it is a great honour to have a Uefa award dedicated to his son. James Nolan’s father, Jimmy, thanked Ireland supporters who have been recognised with a special tribute for being the best fans during their short-lived spell at the competition.

“I am deeply touched by this,” Mr Nolan said. “It is a great honour and I would like to thank the amazing support that we have received at this difficult time from supporters of Ireland in every part of the world.”

Mr Nolan’s 21-year-old son drowned in the River Brda in the town of Bydgoszcz the weekend before Ireland’s final match against Italy in Poznan after stopping in the town en route to the game with a group of friends.

Spurs set to unveil Villas-Boas as boss

Tottenham Hotspur expect to unveil Andre Villas-Boas as their manager this week and his appointment is set to spark a frenzied period of transfer activity at White Hart Lane in preparation for the new Premier League season.

Negotiations are ongoing with Villas-Boas and his representative, but are considered close to resolution. The Portuguese is now contractually free to take up the reins at another English club following his dismissal as Chelsea manager in March. It is anticipated the 34-year-old will sign a three-year contract at Spurs and could be confirmed in the position today.

Villas-Boas’s backroom team will include Jose Mario Rocha and Daniel Sousato, key members of his staff during his glittering season at Porto and his ill-fated stint at Stamford Bridge, following the departures of Kevin Bond and Joe Jordan from the coaching team at Tottenham last week.

The manager will arrive keen to re-establish his reputation having been dismissed by Chelsea nine months into a three-year deal.

Puspure falls at semi-final stage

Ireland’s Sanita Puspure fell to the determined efforts of Canadian Isolda Penney in the semi-finals at Henley Royal Regatta.

The Irishwoman, who will be the country’s sole representative in rowing at the Olympic Games, led early in a fine contest in the Princess Royal on Saturday evening. But Penney, who had a stone of a weight advantage and the preferable Berkshire station, edged past Puspure in the middle stages of the race and eventually carved out a surprise win by two lengths.

Penney, who went on to win yesterday’s final against highly rated Kaisia Pajusalu, had a point to prove, as she was not chosen for Canada’s Olympic team. She then used her dual citizenship to trial in the USA and finished third to Genevra Stone, who qualified in the single scull for London 2012.

The quadruple scull, made up of Rowing Ireland lightweights Niall Kenny, Anthony English and Mark O'Donovan and English heavyweight Henry Pelly, exited at the semi-final stage of the Queen Mother against the big heavyweight crew from Victoria City in Canada. LIAM GORMAN