Sports Digest

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

Ballesteros talks to family

GOLF:Five-times major winner Seve Ballesteros has spoken to his family as he makes progress in his recovery from a third operation on a brain tumour.

"Seve Ballesteros continues to evolve favourably. He is conscious, is breathing spontaneously and can talk with his family," said a statement from Madrid's La Paz hospital yesterday. "He has begun to receive rehabilitation treatment in the intensive care unit."

The 51-year-old Spaniard underwent his third operation on a brain tumour just over a week ago.

His family also posted a statement on the golfer's official website (www.seveballesteros.com), thanking everyone for their messages of support.

"Seve is putting as much positive strength in this battle as he is capable of," said the family.

Joyce to move to Sussex 

CRICKET:Middlesex left-hander and former Ireland batsman Ed Joyce is to join Sussex next season in a bid to revive his England career.

The 30-year-old played for Middlesex in the Stanford Super Series and will stay with the side for the Champions League in December before moving to Hove.

Joyce made his Middlesex debut in 1999 and played for Ireland before switching to England, but has not featured at international level since April 2007.

Middlesex spokesman Vinny Codrington admitted: "He needs a new challenge."

Several English counties were thought to have been interested in signing Joyce, who is keen to add to his 17 one-day international appearances, having played the last of them in the disappointing 2007 World Cup campaign in the Caribbean.

He has scored 471 ODI runs for England at an average of 27, with one century against Australia.

Kelly vows not to chase points

RUGBY LEAGUE:Ireland coach Andy Kelly insists his side will not go chasing points in their crunch World Cup clash with Samoa in Parramatta tomorrow (8.55am Irish time, live on Sky Sports 1). The Irish go into their final Pool C match needing to win by six points to go top and secure a place in the semi-final qualifier against Scotland or Fiji on November 10th.

The winner of that match will almost certainly face a last-four clash with defending champions Australia.

"We can't get stressed out by the winning margin," said Kelly. "We've got to earn the right to put points on the board. It all hinges on us putting right some of the things we felt we came up short with in our earlier match.

"It's a fairly standard winning margin in a close game. If you are 12 or 18 points behind in a game you wouldn't consider it an insurmountable margin. We've got to be patient and not start chasing the first game in the first minute."

Dublin-born front-row forward Wayne Kerr (24), who only took up rugby league three years ago, will be on the bench in place of veteran Mick Cassidy, the former Wigan and England forward who misses out through injury.

Kelly also makes two positional changes, with scrum-half Liam Finn and prop Gareth Haggerty coming into the starting line-up at the expense of Karl Fitzpatrick and Ryan Tandy, who both drop to the bench.

IRELAND:M Platt (Bradford); D Blanch (Wakefield), S Gleeson (Wakefield), S Littler (Salford), P Richards (Wigan); S Grix (Wakefield, capt), L Finn (Dewsbury), E O'Carroll (Wigan), B Beswick (Widnes), G Haggerty (Harlequins), B Harrison (Warrington), L Doran (Leigh), S Finnigan (Bradford). Subs: M McIlorum (Wigan), K Fitzpatrick (Salford), W Kerr (London Skolars), R Tandy (Wests Tigers).