Sports digest

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

French clubs join English in issuing autumn deadline to ERC

RUGBY:The French rugby clubs have emulated their English counterparts in upping the ante in advance of negotiations to restructure the Heineken Cup by issuing tournament organisers ERC with an autumn deadline for a resolution of the matter.

Although ERC have set in train the agreed protocol for instigating negotiations, prompting a workshop involving all the stakeholders on September 18th, the vice-president of the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR), Patrick Wolff, has compounded the threat of a breakaway Anglo-French Cup by Premiership Rugby chief executive Mark McCafferty, by suggesting a deadline neither agreed upon nor practical.

“This is a platform to negotiate, it’s not about exerting pressure for a boycott or forming a new competition,” maintained Wolff. “We must give negotiation a chance because the competition is more interesting with the Celts involved. We expect to find a common understanding with all the stakeholders. If the negotiations fail, we will see what our alternative options are.”

“What’s important for us is that these negotiations are completed by the end of autumn. This schedule is very important for us – we must have something agreed by October or November,” added Wolff.

“If we don’t, we’ll have to look at how the nine dates set aside for European competition can be used in other ways.

“We want a decent schedule to the season whereby European competition will be finished by the end of April.”

Degenkolb wins his third stage

CYCLING:Germany's John Degenkolb underlined his status as the Vuelta a Espana's strongest sprinter yesterday with a third victory in six days.

Victorious in all of the bunch sprints in this year's race, the Argos-Shimano fastman used his trademark last-ditch acceleration to fend off Italian Elia Viviani by half a wheel. Allan Davis of Australia was third while Katusha rider Joaquim Rodriguez of Spain retained the overall lead.

"After taking that first win [Sunday] everything's been a bonus and it becomes easier to suffer," Degenkolb said. "Today we suffered, you can see that from when we were in one line close to the finish because we were going so fast. Team Sky did a great job working for sprinter Ben Swift – I even had a few problems following them.

Ireland's Nicolas Roche came home in same official time as the winner in 14th spot, and is now sixth overall, one minute four seconds off Rodriguez.

Doherty finally gets a break and makes 147

SNOOKER:Ken Doherty made the first 147 break of his professional career at the Arcaden Paul Hunter Classic in Fürth, Germany yesterday.

The maximum score came in the third frame of his 4-0 defeat of Germany's Julian Treiber.

The Dubliner, who has been on the pro circuit for 22 years, famously missed the last black for a 147 in the 2000 Masters final.

"I've certainly waited long enough to make a 147 in tournament play," said Doherty yesterday evening.

"Missing the black in the Masters . . . will haunt me for the rest of my career and people will never let me forget that, but at least now that I've made one. It's a lovely feeling."

In the fourth round last night, Doherty beat Stephen Lee, 4-3.

Ireland finish in 12th after defeat

CRICKET:Ireland's failure to put together a strong batting performance again cost them at the Under-19 World Cup as they lost the 11th place play-off to Scotland by five wickets in Brisbane yesterday.

In the six matches played in the tournament, Ireland failed to get past 200 and were bowled out for 182. Merrion's Tyrone Kane, Ireland's best batsman at the tournament, made 78 against Scotland, the only half-century scored by an Ireland player in Australia.

Scotland were caused few problems in chasing down the total, with openers Ross McLean (47) and Matthew Cross (30) setting a platform as they got home with 50 balls to spare.

The Ireland women's team were denied the chance of a second victory this week against Bangladesh as their one-day game at Claremont Road was ended by rain with the visitors on 22 for four (all four wickets going to Kim Garth) in reply to Ireland's total of 145 for nine from 45 overs.

– EMMET RIORDAN

Pedrosa looking to make a strong move in Brno

MOTOR SPORT:Dani Pedrosa set the fastest time in the first two free practice sessions ahead of the 12th round of the MotoGP in Brno this weekend.

The Repsol Honda rider beat fellow Spaniard Jorge Lorenzo into second place in both sessions with the Yamaha rider crashing halfway through free practice two. Pedrosa is currently 17 points behind Lorenzo in the driver's championship.

The 26-year-old's team-mate Casey Stoner will miss the Grand Prix to have surgery on an ankle injury and has already said he believes he is out of the championship picture.

Seven-time world champion Valentino Rossi had one of his best sessions of the season, finishing sixth, less than half a second slower than Pedrosa.

Irish boxers back in the medals

BOXING:Ireland's boxers are guaranteed medals in international competition just under two weeks after taking home four medals from the Olympic Games in London.

Keith Flavin and Hughie Nevin, a cousin of Olympic silver medal winner John Joe Nevin, are through to the semi-finals of the Brandenburg Youth Cup in Frankfurt/Oder, Germany.

The Irish duo guaranteed themselves bronze at the 22-nation tournament with quarter-final wins over Poland's Karol Judin and Lithuania's Ignas Kuodels yesterday.

But Kurt Walker, team captain David Roche and George Boylan bowed out yesterday, Boylan losing to Germany's 2011 World Junior silver medalist Melvin Perry.

The seven-strong Irish squad are preparing for October's AIBA World Youth Championships. Billy McClean and Tom Hayes are working Ireland's corner in Germany.