Sports digest

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

Ireland get weather break to seal victory in Toronto

CRICKET: Ireland finally got some luck with the weather in Toronto yesterday as they claimed full points from their Intercontinental Cup clash against Canada, winning by six wickets to keep their slim hopes of qualifying for the final intact, writes Emmet Riordan.

Ireland had to settle for draws in their opening games of the competition because of bad weather and a five and a half hour delay for rain yesterday looked like scuppering them again.

Phil Simmons’s side required just 52 runs to get over the line with six wickets in hand and Andrew White and John Mooney got them to within 28 runs of their target when the forecasted rain arrived.

An anxious wait ended just after 4pm when the pair got back out to the middle to complete the job. White finished unbeaten on 59, his second half-century of the game.

Landmark win for Petacchi

CYCLING: Italian Alessandro Petacchi put his legal problems to one side to roar to a landmark 20th stage victory in the Tour of Spain yesterday. The veteran Lampre rider accelerated away in a bunch sprint in Orihuela that decided the 187.1-km seventh stage. Britain's Mark Cavendish finished second and Argentina's Juan Jose Haedo was third. Ireland's Nicolas Roche is in 11th overall, 58 seconds behind leader Philippe Gilbert.

McGimpsey fires seniors into final

GOLF:Ireland will today attempt to win the European seniors team championship for the third time in four years after sweeping into the final at Fairhaven in Lancashire, with defending champions England standing in their way.

The Irish booked their place in the title decider with a 3½-1½ victory over Scotland in a game in which they were always in the driving seat.

Garth McGimpsey was again in sensational form in getting the first point on the board with a 7 and 6 trouncing of Scott MacDonald. The former Walker Cup captain demolished MacDonald, winning the first six holes to go out of a sight.

In Berlin, Ireland’s senior women came within an ace of reaching their European final, losing 3-2 to Scotland.

Perry through to Open final

SQUASH: Top seed Madeline Perry will meet the Netherlands' Vanessa Atkinson in today's final (2.0) of the Cannon Kirk Homes Irish Squash Open after beating England's Laura Massaro in the last four at Fitzwilliam yesterday. Perry lost the first game of her semi-final but rallied to take the next three (8-11, 11-9, 13-11, 11-9), the third a contentious affair that ultimately went the Banbridge player's way, while Blake lost out to Atkinson in straight games, 8-11, 6-11, 10-12.

EQUESTRIAN SPORT: Ireland finished joint fifth with Saudi Arabia in yesterday's Spanish nations' cup which was won by Belgium on a two-round score of 12 faults, writes Margie McLoone.

The Irish squad picked up 12 faults in the first round in Gijon, the only clear coming from Capt David O’Brien with Mo Chroi but the 13-year-old grey lowered two fences in the second round where Shane Breen (Carmena Z) and Cian O’Connor (Splendor) jumped clear.