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D'Alessio holds one-shot lead

GOLF: American Diana D'Alessio carded a second-round 68 to claim a one-shot lead at the New Zealand Women's Open.

D’Alessio followed up her opening 67 with a round which was bogey free until the 13th when she found the water and took a double-bogey.

They were her first dropped shots of the tournament to put her on nine under par through 36 holes.

“On this course you are going to make bogeys as it is a hard course, but I made a few great par-saving putts like a 15-footer on the eighth to keep the string going,” D’Alessio said.

Midway through the event, D’Alessio holds a one-shot lead over Australian Sarah Kemp.

Ireland to host Bangladesh

CRICKET:Ireland have confirmed two One Day Internationals against Bangladesh to be held in Belfast this July, writes Emmet Riordan.

The games will take place at Stormont on Thursday, July 15th, and Friday, July 16th, following Bangladesh’s tour of England, and beef up a home fixture list that also includes the visit of Australia to Clontarf on June 17th.

Ireland have got the better of Bangladesh in both their World Cup and World Twenty20 meetings, but suffered a 3-0 series defeat in Dhaka early in 2008. The two sides will meet again there in the 2011 World Cup, with Ireland coach Phil Simmons hoping his side can set down an early marker in Belfast.

“It’s great that we have a chance to play them on home soil. We lost to them badly in 2008 in Bangladesh but on our home turf I’d be confident of doing well,” said Simmons. “I don’t think there’s much to choose between the two teams. It’s a great opportunity for us to gain valuable ranking points.”

Pitcher reaches Antigua to win Atlantic rowing race

ROWING:Charlie Pitcher, in his boat JJ (Insure and Go), has won the Woodvale Atlantic rowing race. The Englishman landed in Antigua on Thursday having spent 52 days, six hours and 47 minutes at sea since he set out from La Gomera in the Canary Islands. It is the first time a solo rower has won this event.

Pitcher has a strong background as an adventurer – he completed the Marathon des Sables last year – but also as a yachtsman. He was noticeably more au fait with the vagaries of the weather and with steering in difficult conditions than most of the competitors. His boat, which was designed by naval architect Phil Morrison, was also of innovative design, with a much shallower and rounder bottom than the traditional ocean rowing boat, making for more manoeuvreability, and with the fore cabin being bigger than the aft, which reduced wind resistance.When Pitcher, was struggling in the row, one of his closest friends, Tony Ellison, sent him an email saying “Tom Crean”. “Thats all he has to say,” Pitcher said. “Right now, more than ever before, I pray for the strength and perseverance of Tom Crean.”

The one Irishman competing in this year’s race, Seán McGowan, has expressed admiration for Pitcher, while suggesting that the rule which allows solo rowers freedom in design may be looked at after the win. McGowan has 3,238 kilometres (1,750 nautical miles) left in his own journey. Should he complete it, he will be the first Irishman to row the Atlantic solo.

Egan eases his way into final

BOXING:Ken Egan is just three, three-minute rounds away from winning an historic 10th Irish senior title in a row after recording a win over Denis Hogan in the semi-finals of the Elite National Senior Championships at the National Stadium in Dublin last night.

The 2008 Olympics silver medalist was 3-1 up at the end of a a low tempo first. However, he upped the pace to stretch his lead to 12-1 by the end of the second and added another nine points to his tally in the final frame to claim a 21-2 decision.

The Neilstown southpaw will now meet either Tommy McCarthy or Michael Ward in next weekend’s 81Kg final.

Meanwhile, Willie McLaughlin beat Adam Nolan 5-0, while Tyrone McCullough edged out Ryan Lindberg on count-back.

Woods winning Olympic support

GOLF:Tiger Woods would have the support of 69 per cent of Americans if he represented the US at the Olympic Games, a survey found. Just less than a quarter of respondents to the Seton Hall University sports poll weren't in favour of the golfer playing on a US team, while 75 per cent of men and 63 per cent of women said theyd have no problem with him being included.

“Tiger still has work to do to win back the public,” Rick Gentile, the director of the poll, said. “But the Tiger camp should be pleased by the strong number supporting his being a potential member of the team.”

The International Olympic Committee voted in October to include golf in the program for the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro and the following edition four years later.