Sports Digest

A roundup of the rest of the day's sports news in brief:

Hickey gets new term

OLYMPICS: Pat Hickey was unanimously re-elected president of the European Olympic Committee (EOC) in Lisbon yesterday. Hickey will serve another four-year term, and will oversee the Continent's challenge for success at the London Olympics in 2012.

Next month Hickey, the president of the Olympic Council of Ireland, will receive the Legion d’Honneur in Paris in recognition of his contribution to Olympic sport in Europe.

Porterfield wins writers' award

CRICKET: William Porterfield was named as the Cricket Writers of Ireland Player of the Year at a function at Railway Union on Thursday night, writes Emmet Riordan.

The 25-year-old from Killyclooney in Tyrone was named ICC Associate Player of the Year in October.

Porterfield played in 24 of Ireland’s 33 games while still holding his place at the top of the order for Gloucestershire, scoring 1,018 runs, 10 short of his Irish record.

The Young Player of The Year award went to Pembroke’s Andrew Balbirnie, who will captain Ireland in January’s Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand.

Australia students too strong for young Ireland

SCHOOLS RUGBY: Australia kicked off their six-match Northern Hemisphere tour by beating Ireland on a somewhat flattering scoreline of 31-14 in their Under-19 Schools international at Belfield Bowl yesterday.

The Irish were cobbled together with limited preparation. This was not apparent, however, in the opening half as they played an attractive brand of rugby behind a mobile pack of forwards.

Methodist half-backs Blane McIlroy and Paddy Jackson dictated much of the play and centre JJ Hanrahan was a threat with the ball in hand and off the boot. Early on, Jackson eased Ireland ahead with a penalty.

The Australians sent out a warning of their attacking prowess when scrumhalf Nic Stirzaker stole in on the blindside. Outhalf Rohan Saifolai converted.

Jackson’s second penalty and a blinding finish from left wing Chris Colvin put Ireland into an 11-7 lead.

It didn’t last as left wing Kimami Sitauti showed up on the other side of the pitch to sidle over, before Jackson clipped his third penalty to see Ireland hold a 14-12 edge at the interval.

From there, the greater power and strength of the Australians gradually wore down the Irish with tries coming from Matt Lucas, captain Liam Gill, and Chris Feauai.

Scorers– Ireland Under-18 Schools 14 (C Colvin try; P Jackson 3 pens); Australia Under-19 Schools 31 (C Feauai, N Stirzaker, K Sitauti, M Lucas, L Gill try each; R Saifolai 2 cons; R Esekia con).

Cragg confirmed for Santry

ATHLETICS: ALISTAIR CRAGG has been confirmed by Athletics Ireland as part of the Ireland team for the European Cross Country Championships in Santry Park next month.

Irish team management had held off confirming Cragg on the team until he raced at the Thanksgiving Day 5km race in San Jose yesterday. The Clonliffe Harriers runner put in an impressive performance in what was a top-quality field to finish fifth in a time of 13.45 seconds. This was Cragg’s first race since he competed in Berlin at the World Championships in August.

Ireland team manager Anne Keenan-Buckley thinks Cragg has the ability to do well next month. “Alistair Cragg is an excellent athlete who has outstanding ability and his performance yesterday showed that, which is why he will be lining out in Santry.

“I know that he is very excited about racing at the European Cross next month and very hopeful of what he can do there.”

Cragg’s inclusion in the team will mean Raheny Shamrock’s Mick Clohisey will now be first reserve should any of the team be unable to compete next month.

De Villiers ton helps level series

CRICKET: England fell 112 runs short in an unlikely run chase under lights at Newlands as AB de Villiers' 121, his fourth one-day international hundred, helped South Africa level the series at 1-1.

Responding to a ground record-equalling 354 for six, even in-form Paul Collingwood’s battling 86 from 82 balls could not save the day for England this time.

After an encouraging start, England lost openers Andrew Strauss and Luke Wright quickly as three wickets went for only 17 runs.

Following a fourth-wicket stand of 84, Kevin Pietersen fell five short of his 50 – swiftly followed by Eoin Morgan for a duck.

India trounce Sri Lanka

CRICKET: India crushed Sri Lanka by an innings and 144 runs in the second Test yesterday to take a 1-0 lead in their three-match series.

The margin of victory was India’s greatest over Sri Lanka, surpassing the best of an innings and 119 runs in Lucknow in 1994. It was also the hosts’ 100th Test triumph.

Forced to follow on after a first-innings collapse, Sri Lanka were all out for 269 in their second innings before tea on the fourth day at the Green Park ground.

Sri Lanka were 206-8 at lunch and although the visitors rattled up 149 runs in the morning and staved off defeat well into the afternoon, they were not even close to making India bat again after the hosts piled up 642 in their first innings.

Middle-order batsman Thilan Samaraweera was the only Sri Lankan batsmen to score a half-century in the match, remaining unbeaten on 78 when the final wicket fell.

Indian off spinner Harbhajan Singh took five wickets in the match.