A round-up of today's other stories in brief
Patriots' victory clinches top seed in AFC play-offs
AMERICAN FOOTBALL:A resounding 34-3 win over the Buffalo Bills ensured the New England Patriots clinched the top seed in the AFC play-offs.
Tom Brady threw three touchdown passes to earn the Patriots their seventh straight win as they took the AFC East division title. Two of Brady’s TD passes went to rookie Rob Gronkowski, while Alge Crumpler and Danny Woodhead were also on the scoresheet for New England.
Matt Cassel threw three touchdown passes as the Kansas City Chiefs hammered the Tennessee Titans 34-14. Cassel hit 12 of his first 13 passes for the Chiefs, including touchdown passes to Jamaal Charles on their first two possessions. The victory moved Kansas City to the brink of the AFC West title and they duly clinched it hours later when their nearest rivals, the San Diego Chargers, went down 34-20 to the Cincinnati Bengals. Three Bengals touchdowns in the final quarter condemned the Chargers to defeat.
Bowlers dominate at Kingsmead
CRICKET:India ended an extraordinary second day of the second Test against South Africa with a 166-run lead after 18 wickets fell as both teams' bowlers dominated at Kingsmead yesterday.
VVS Laxman (23 not out) and Cheteshwar Pujara (10 not out) restored stability to India’s second innings to leave the tourists on 92 for four at the close after South Africa claimed four quick victims to have them reeling at 56 for four.
India had earlier been blown away having resumed on 183 for six, Dale Steyn taking six for 50 as the hosts prised out the top-ranked Test team for 205.
However, that small total was still enough for a first-innings lead as India bundled South Africa out for just 131 to gain an unlikely 74-run advantage.
Spinner Harbhajan Singh claimed four for 10 and paceman Zaheer Khan three for 36.
South Africa lead the three-match series after winning the first Test in Centurion by an innings and 25 runs.
Wilkinson signs new two-year deal
RUGBY:England international Jonny Wilkinson has signed a two-year contract extension with Toulon which commits him to the French club until 2013. Wilkinson's new deal, announced yesterday, could potentially put the outhalf's England future in doubt.
The Rugby Football Union says overseas-based players will only be picked in exceptional cases after the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand. Wilkinson (31) was hugely influential when England won the World Cup in 2003. The new deal was announced via a statement on Toulon’s website.
Wilkinson has made a major impact following his move from Newcastle in the summer of 2009, scoring 302 points in his first season while helping his side reach the final of the European Challenge Cup, where they lost to Cardiff Blues.
They currently top of a testing Heineken Cup pool which includes Munster, Ospreys and London Irish.
Glancy leaves way clear for Keoghan
TENNIS:The men's singles of the National Indoor Championship was thrown wide open by the shock withdrawal of top seed Daniel Glancy last night due to flu.
Glancy was expected to progress comfortably to the second round at the expense of unseeded Paul Keoghan. But instead the Glasnevin club member can now look forward to a joust today against Donnybrook’s Mike Johnston after Glancy was forced to withdraw.
In contrast to Keoghan’s uncomplicated passage to the last 16, Johnston had to battle hard to see off the gutsy challenge of Angus Lloyd, who looked destined for a quick exit when he won only two games in the first set. But he made a much better fist of things in the second and held his own until Johnston came up trumps in the tie-break to prevail 6-2 7-6.
Niall Fitzgerald and Briton Ed Seator were impressive winners, with both not dropping a game in their contests.
O'Neal fined for referee remark
BASKETBALL: Boston Celtics center Shaquille O'Neal has been fined $35,000 by the NBA for criticising the referee after the Christmas Day defeat by his former team Orlando Magic.
O’Neal fouled out in only 13 minutes of play in the 86-78 loss and took aim at referee Bob Delaney, who wore number 26.
“I guess they came out to see number 26, he was a great player out there. The fans paid all that money to watch number 26.”
