A round-up of today's other stories in brief
Pietersen earns England victory
CRICKET:Kevin Pietersen's continued good form helped England to a thrilling five-run victory and 2-1 Twenty20 series success over Pakistan to conclude their tough tour of the United Arab Emirates.
Pietersen’s unbeaten 62 underpinned a vulnerable 129 for six, and although Pakistan looked sure to complete the chase with ease at one stage, England’s bowlers dug in to sneak the spoils.
Bryant breaks nose on way to record
BASKETBALL: Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant paid a price for becoming the National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star Game's leading scorer, breaking his nose in the Sunday contest, the Lakers said yesterday.
Bryant, who surpassed Michael Jordan as the game’s all-time scorer, suffered a nasal fracture in the Western Conference’s win and will be re-evaluated by a specialist when he returns to Los Angeles.
Bryant was also experiencing headaches, Los Angeles media said. The 14-time All-Star apparently was injured in the third quarter when he suffered a bloody nose on a foul by the Miami Heat’s Dwyane Wade.
Bryant helped the West beat the East 152-149 by scoring 27 points in Orlando, Florida.
Parks to sign for Connacht
RUGBY: Dan Parks will become only the second former Scottish international to sign for Connacht when he completes a move to the Sportsground this week. The record points scorer in the RaboDirect Pro 12 League will move to Connacht on a two-year deal as Eric Elwood strengthens his squad for next season.
Parks, who has amassed 1,322 points in nine seasons in the Celtic League with Glasgow Warriors and Cardiff Blues, recently retired from international rugby following the Six Nations loss to England after winning 67 caps.
One of the players Parks will be competing with for the number 10 shirt next season, Niall O’Connor, has been ruled out of Friday’s trip to Scarlets. He received a knock to the head in the 26-13 win over Edinburgh at the weekend.
Brett Wilkinson and Mike McCarthy also look set to miss the trip after being called in to train with the Irish squad.
Fitzgerald in the frame for Friday's tie against Aironi
RUGBY: Luke Fitzgerald's neck will be tested in contact tomorrow. If the 24-year-old comes through unscathed he will play in Leinster's Pro 12 game away to Aironi on Friday, writes Gavin Cummiskey.
A return to the pitch would disrupt his move into television punditry – Fitzgerald was a pitch-side analyst for the BBC last Saturday.
“Luke Fitzgerald will do a little bit of contact work Wednesday. If he passes that then I think that’s the last box he needs to tick,” said Leinster assistant coach Jonno Gibbs yesterday.
“Signs are pretty positive that he’ll be involved this weekend.”
The only injury concerns are Matt Berquist, who has almost completed the rehabbing of a fractured knee-cap, while Brian O’Driscoll is due to see the surgeon soon with a possible eye on returning before the season is out.
O'Brien in line for Bangladesh bonus
CRICKET: Ireland wicket-keeper Niall O'Brien is in line for a $50,000 (€37,300) bonus if his side go on to win the inaugural Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) in Dhaka tomorrow, writes Emmet Riordan.
The 30-year-old Dubliner signed a €62,000 contract with Khulna that saw him dropped for the recent Ireland tour of Kenya and the World Twenty20 qualifiers.
O’Brien was in the Khulna side that qualified in second place from the six-team round-robin section of the BPL after a convincing 69-run victory over bottom side Sylhet yesterday.
They now face third-placed Dhaka in today’s semi-finals, a side they beat on both occasions during the group stages of the competition, for a place in tomorrow’s decider.
The eventual champions will win $1 million (€746,000) and a place in the T20 Champions League, while the runners-up will pocket $500,000 (€373,000), money that will be divided among the playing staff.
Nadal curtails practice due to injury
TENNIS:Second-ranked tennis player Rafael Nadal said he regularly cuts short training because of recurring pain from a foot injury dating back to 2004. Nadal told Spanish state-owned broadcaster Television Espanola that the ailment flares up in cold weather.
It has hampered him during practice sessions at home on the island of Majorca in the last few months, he said.
The 25-year-old Spaniard, who changed his playing style in 2006 because of the injury, said that on balance he is happy he has managed to compete “in good condition” over the last seven years in spite of the injury. “Strangely, it always hurts a lot more in training than in matches,” he said.
