A roundup of today's other sports news in brief
Cheruiyot wins Boston race
ATHLETICS: Kenya’s Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot easily won the Boston Marathon in a course record time yesterday.
Cheruiyot clocked an unofficial 2:05:52 to beat Ethiopians Tekeste Kebede and defending champion Deriba Merga. American Ryan Hall finished fourth. Ethiopia’s Teyba Erkesso won the women’s race when she held off Russia’s Tatyana Pushkareva by three seconds to win in 2:26:11 after allowing a huge lead slip away.
Carter flies high against Cope
SNOOKER: Trained pilot Ali Carter was staying grounded as he admitted nobody expects him to win the Betfred.com World Championship this year – including himself.
Flights across the UK have been cancelled since Friday but Carter has been unaffected as he puts his hobby on hold for 17 days each year for his tilt at Crucible glory.
The 30-year-old from Essex has jumped to third place in the provisional rankings for next season and yesterday finished off highly-rated Jamie Cope 10-4 in their first-round clash.
But while Cope believes only a mental block is barring his own route to Crucible success, Carter acknowledges he is an outsider again despite showing consistent form through the season.
“I’ve got no expectations, I’ve got no hopes of winning, I’m just playing snooker and seeing what happens,” Carter said.
Ireland suffer 16-run defeat
CRICKET: Ireland will have to wait until the World Twenty20 starts next week to try and get the better of the West Indies after they suffered a 16-run defeat in the final game of the Jamaica Cricket Festival at Sabina Park on Sunday evening, writes Emmet Riordan.
In a game reduced to 15 overs per side due to overnight rain, the West Indies XI clubbed 152 runs for the loss of four wickets after being put in to bat by Ireland captain William Porterfield. Ramnaresh Sarwan, who made an undefeated century in the full ODI between the sides, again showed his full array of shots in his innings of 52 off 30 deliveries.
Ireland’s target of 153 was the same total they made in 20 overs during the loss on Saturday and their reply was not helped when Paul Stirling and Niall O’Brien failed to get out of single figures. But Porterfield hit two sixes in scoring 25 off 18 balls, while Trent Johnston, moved up to number five, hit four maximums in his knock of 39 off just 20 balls.
Senegal-born Thiam to face Lee next month
BOXING: Promoter Brian Peters has acknowledged that Senegal-born KO artist Mamadou Thiam is not a man inclined towards waiting around for the judges to tot up their scores.
Thiam, nicknamed Dou-Dou, has been named as Andy Lee’s opponent for a top of the bill 10-rounder at the University of Limerick next month.
The May 15th promotion will also feature World, European and European Union lightweight champion Katie Taylor.
Paris-based Thiam is a former European champion and has challenged for a world title on two occasions. He lost out in his bid for the WBA crown in 2000 after being stopped in the third by Felix Trinidad in Miami.
At 38 he’s 13 years older than Limerick southpaw Lee. However, he’ll arrive on Shannonside with a formidable reputation as a man that likes to take the early route to victory having floored 43 of his opponents – none of whom got back up until after the count – and looks a real danger.
McCann retains lead in Philippines
CYCLING: David McCann finished a fine fifth on yesterday’s third stage of the Tour of the Philippines, defending his overall lead in the race and appears poised to win the event when it ends today, writes Shane Stokes.
The 37-year-old Belfast rider was clocked in the same time as the South African stage winner James Ball (DCM Team) at the end of the 142 kilometre stage to Subic.
Ball won after a breakaway group containing several riders was overhauled two kilometres from the line.
In finishing with all his main rivals, the Irishman preserved his two minute 34 second lead over Lloyd Lucien Reynante (7-Eleven Racing Team). Baler Ravina (Batang Tagaytay) is a further two seconds back.
Centre Moore the hero for CUS
RUGBY: Centre Barry Moore achieved hero status with four tries in CUS’s 40-23 Fr Godfrey Junior Cup Plate final defeat of Cistercian Roscrea at Newbridge yesterday. Roscrea outhalf Paddy Duggan kicked two penalties before CUS went on a run of 19 points through a hat-trick of tries from the outstanding David Moore.
They were temporarily relieved of their momentum when Roscrea struck for three tries by prop Oisin Heffernan and centres Rory Moloney and Cormac Brennan to regain the advantage 23-19.
Jolted into action, CUS raided quickly for another three from Moore, number eight David Feenan and prop Daniel Khan, flanker Jamie Murphy converting five out of six.
CUS:C O'Brien; J McCarthy, B Moore, C Cusack, M Smith; M Hughes, E Guiry; D Zambrano (C Hand 59), J McAndrew (F McWilliams 50), D Khan, J Gavin, C Fahey (D Healy 50), J Murphy, L Trench, D Feenan.
CISTERCIAN ROSCREA:C Duff; J McInerney (F McCormack 65), C Brennan, R Moloney, J Bourke; P Duggan, R Lavery; O Heffernan, H O'Connell, M Lyons (J Kennedy 55), T Drea, A Nihill (J Foley 5), C Duignan, A Mackey, K Buckley.
