SPORTS DIGEST: RUGBY: Leinster completed their tour of Italy with a narrow but deserved 19-14 victory over Treviso on Saturday evening.
The visitors got off to a bright start and the opening try came after two minutes when outhalf Jonathan Sexton capitalised on excellent work by the pack to touch down in the corner.
He missed the conversion, but made amends in the 16th minute when he slotted home after Felix Jones sprinted clear to score.
Devin Toner was the instigator in that move by snatching a lineout and feeding scrumhalf Chris Keane, who distributed the sweetest of passes to Sexton. Brian O'Driscoll then released Jones on the flank and the former Ireland Under-20 winger completed the move in the corner.
Treviso fought back with tries on 43 and 50 minutes.
The visitors regained the lead when Rob Kearney gathered a kick and chase to race clear of the Italian defence. Felipe Contepomi added the points.
Williams recovers for good win in Belfast
SNOOKER: Former world champion Mark Williams made a fine start to the season with victory in the first round of the Northern Ireland Trophy in Belfast.
The two-time Crucible winner was in trouble at 3-1 down to Scottish qualifier Marcus Campbell at the Waterfront Hall.
But the Welshman dug deep to win the next four frames for a gutsy 5-3 win.
"I felt I played okay really," said Williams, who dropped out of the elite 16 rankings last season. "Marcus started well and went 2-0 up, but I didn't really do too much wrong.
"I just managed to stick in there at 3-1 down and, when I was in amongst the balls, I didn't miss much.
Other winners on the first day of this year's €300,500 event were Ian McCulloch and Dave Harold.
McCulloch beat Mike Dunn 5-4 with breaks of 97, 139, 62 and 48, while Harold impressed with runs of 51, 42, 45, 70 and 76 in a 5-2 victory over qualifier Ricky Walden.
ICC postpone series due for Pakistan
CRICKET: Next month's Champions Trophy in Pakistan has been postponed, the International Cricket Council (ICC) have said.
"The ICC board today agreed unanimously to postpone the ICC Champions Trophy . . . until October 2009," the world governing body said in a statement.
"Pakistan will retain the right to host the tournament, but it was agreed that if other members continued to express reservations over issues of safety and security then the ICC board would have the right to decide about the tournament's location," the statement added.
South Africa pulled out of the eight-nation tournament scheduled from September 12th-28th on Friday despite assurances from an ICC task force that acceptable security arrangements were in place.
England, Australia and New Zealand had also expressed their concerns about security after a series of suicide bombings.
Walsh, Kennedy back in final
HANDBALL: It will be a repeat of last year's All-Ireland showdown when Kilkenny's Michael Walsh and Dublin's Eoin Kennedy meet in next month's 60x30 final.
The Dubliner was forced to call on all his reserves in his defeat of Mayo's Dessie Keegan, while Walsh brushed aside the challenge of Meath's Tom Sheridan, despite getting off to a poor start.
In the first of the senior semi-finals at Croke Park, Sheridan sparked into a 9-3 lead before the 38-time champion eased back into the game.
Walsh made some uncharacteristic errors in the early stages, but after he hit form mid way through the first, he never looked back, winning the first 21-15.
In the second, he pushed into top gear and Sheridan had no answers as Walsh's clinical finishing granted him a 21-5 win.
Martin shows his class in Portugal
CYCLING: Completing his final race in advance of this Wednesday's start of the Tour of Ireland, Daniel Martin yesterday finished an excellent 10th overall and second in the best young rider classification in the Tour of Portugal, writes Shane Stokes.
Having placed 10th and eighth on stages eight and nine, Martin was 18th on the final stage, a 31.2km individual time trial to Felgueiras. He finished three minutes and one second behind stage winner Hector Guerra Garcia (Liberty Seguros).
David Blanco Rodiguez (Palmeiras Resort - Tavira) placed second in the time trial and won the race overall. Martin was eight minutes and four seconds back, dropping one place to 10th overall and going from first to second in the young rider rankings.
Nevertheless he can be satisfied by his performance in the 12-day race.
The first-year professional has just turned 22 and is one of the most promising talents in the sport.
Second seed Bowtell romps home
TENNIS: Greystones' Amy Bowtell, the second seed, romped to a 6-1 6-2 win over top-seed Maria Morrissey of Donnybrook in the girls' under-18 final in the Dolmen National Junior Championships, at Fitzwilliam on Saturday.
In the corresponding boys event, Limerick's Sam Barry proved too strong for Florida native Connor Smith.
One break proved enough for Barry to wrap up the first set, but number two seed Smith, whose parents come from Ireland, pushed the top seed to a tie-break in the second before succumbing on a 3-6 6-7 scoreline.
Maria Morrissey's brother John, the top seed, captured the boys' under-16 title, defeating third seed and fellow Dubliner Damon Gaffney 6-1 6-2 in the final.
