Sports digest

A round-up of today's sports news in brief

Hamilton to move to Switzerland

FORMULA ONE:  Lewis Hamilton said yesterday he was moving to Switzerland to escape media attention in Britain. "Over there people don't come up to you, they leave you alone and give you space," the 22-year-old McLaren driver, who finished one point behind Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen in a remarkable debut season, told the BBC.

Raikkonen and Hamilton's McLaren team-mate Fernando Alonso, Spain's double world champion, also live in Switzerland as does retired seven-times champion Michael Schumacher.

Formula One's first black driver, who is soon to have a street named after him in his home town of Stevenage, said dealing with the fame and recognition had been tough.

Kraut takes top prize in Belfast

EQUESTRIAN:America's Laura Kraut left it late to get among the winners at the Northern Ireland International Horse Show but went away with the top prize when taking the Equestrian Sportsman's Grand Prix on Anthem, writes Margie McLoone.

Kraut bettered the time set by Britain's Michael Whitaker and Wonamia van den Aard by more than two seconds. The best-placed Irish rider was Comdt Gerry Flynn, who finished fifth on Mo Chroi.

Whitaker won the earlier Northern Ireland Events Company speed stakes on Lady des Hayettes.

Yesterday at the Coilog Equestrian Centre in Kilmeague, Olive Clarke won her second round of the Bloxham Autumn Grand Prix league on Michael Duignan's Cruising gelding Starboard.

Red Sox sweep Rockies

BASEBALL:The Boston Red Sox beat the Colorado Rockies 4-3 on Sunday to win the World Series and record their second four-game sweep of the Fall Classic in four years.

Boston, who had gone 86 years without winning a World Series before sweeping the St Louis Cardinals in 2004, repeated the feat by outscoring the Rockies a cumulative 29-10.

Starter Jon Lester took the win, Jonathan Papelbon notched the save and World Series MVP Mike Lowell paced a nine-hit attack with a double and home run in the final chapter of this year's best-of-seven Major League Baseball championship.

"It doesn't get old," said Red Sox manager Terry Francona after his second title in four years. "I'm so proud of our organisation."

Flintoff 'under the influence'

CRICKET:Former England coach Duncan Fletcher said he had to cancel an Ashes tour practice session last year because captain Andrew Flintoff arrived under the influence of alcohol.

England were thrashed 5-0 by Australia in that series and then performed miserably in the World Cup, where Flintoff was disciplined for drink-related incidents. Fletcher's comments appeared in yesterday's Daily Mail. "We went to Sydney for a vital match against Australia and a fielding practice was arranged for 10am. Flintoff turned up still under the influence of alcohol," Fletcher wrote.

Meanwhile, Pakistan lost their last six wickets for 20 runs as South Africa won the fifth and final one-day international by 14 runs yesterday to win the series 3-2. Pakistan were bowled out for 219 in 46.3 overs.

Ireland ranked 10th in world

BOXING:The Irish senior team's performances at the AIBA World Championships and Olympic qualifiers in Chicago have seen Ireland surge to number 10 in the world, according to the latest rankings, writes Bernard O'Neill.

England, Germany and Bulgaria are marginally ahead of the Irish in a top 10, with the US at number one.

However, Gary Keegan, who directs the Irish Amateur Boxing Associations high performance unit, admits the rankings will count for little if they don't achieve their objectives over the next 48 hours.

Four of five Irish boxers will be in the ring over the next two days vying to reach the quarter-finals which will be enough to book their tickets for the 2008 Olympic Games.

Ireland set for final WRC round

MOTOR SPORT:Rally Ireland is set to be the final round of the World Rally Championship in 2009, writes Brian Foley.

The championship is expected to be reduced from this year's 16 rounds to 12 in 2009, picked from a list of 24 events with a different dozen to be selected in 2010. Two of the high-profile events to be dropped in 2009 are the Monte Carlo Rally and Rally GB.

Rally Ireland promoter Ronan Morgan was quoted as saying: "Everything is subject to official confirmation but we are absolutely delighted with the news.

"We still have to put on a good show in two weeks' time (November 15th/18th) but a date in 2009 would be ideal as we always knew we wouldn't be on again in 2008."

University of Ulster claim cup

HOCKEY: The University of Ulster claimed the men's Mauritius Cup at the Intervarsity championship in Belfast yesterday, beating UCD 1-0 in the final with Neil Hamilton scoring the decisive goal.

Earlier, UU came from 3-1 down to beat defending champions Trinity on golden goal, while goals from Robbie McFarlane, Glenn Holmes and Michael O'Connor against CIT gained UCD their final berth.

UCC overcame UCD 2-1 to retain the women's Chilean Cup. Ireland international Julia O'Halloran opened the scoring early in the first half and Holly Moffett sealed the victory 10 minutes from the end. UCD pulled one back with virtually the last touch of the game through Fiona O'Callaghan.