A roundup of today's other sports news in brief
Button a leading light for award
SPORTS AWARDS:Formula One world champion Jenson Button is a leading contender along with heptathlon world champion Jessica Ennis and Ashes-winning captain Andrew Strauss for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award after the shortlist was announced yesterday.
Brawn driver Button won six out of the first seven grands prix after winning just once in previous seasons to build up what proved to be an unassailable lead.
The trio are joined on the 10-strong shortlist by Manchester United forward Ryan Giggs, triple jump world champion Phillips Idowu, diver Tom Daley, cyclist Mark Cavendish, boxer David Haye, tennis star Andy Murray and gymnast Beth Tweddle.
BBC Sports Personality of the Year takes place at Sheffield Arena on Sunday, December 13th.
Sri Lanka urged to go all out to win the final Test
CRICKET:Sri Lanka's Mahela Jayawardene has urged his team to go flat out in tomorrow's final Test against India at the Brabourne Stadium.
India crushed Sri Lanka by an innings and 144 runs in the second Test in Kanpur and are poised to go top of the International Cricket Council’s Test rankings if they win again in Mumbai.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s side battled back from a massive first-innings deficit to draw the first Test in Ahmedabad and have a 1-0 lead in the three-Test series.
Former captain Jayawardene, however, has exhorted his team-mates to ensure their goal of achieving a first Test victory in India is reached.
“Our goal when we came to India was to win our first Test here,” Jayawardene wrote in a column for cricketnirvana.com.
“But the reverse in Kanpur brings our goals into sharp focus.
“We now have to go all out to win the final Test in Mumbai and square the series.
“The way forward is to not think too much about the defeat or over-analyse what happened but to pick ourselves up and perform as a group.”
Sri Lanka’s decision to field three specialist spinners in Kanpur came in for severe criticism, but Jayawardene believes the collective failure of the batsmen led to defeat.
Sri Lanka’s fast bowlers Dammika Prasad and Nuwan Kulasekara are available for selection having recovered from minor injuries.
Nevin invited on to European team
BOXING:Irish senior champion John Joe Nevin has been invited on to a European team to battle it out with the rest of the world for a €33,000 prize fund at the upcoming Presidents Cup in Azerbaijan.
Nevin, who claimed bantamweight bronze at this year’s AIBA World Senior Championships in Milan, will trade leather on one of two eight-man European selections for the tournament.
The Confederation duels, which begin in Baku next Tuesday, will see two teams from Europe, Asia and America and one team each from Africa and Oceania go head-to-head.
The winning team will receive a cheque for €33,000, while the gold medal winners in each category will also receive cheques for €2,000 each.
Ireland’s John Joe Joyce was also invited onto the European team at light welter. However, the St Michael’s, Athy, man has since moved up to welterweight,
Nevin (20) who boxes out of the Cavan BC, will have European coaches working his corner in Baku.
However, Zuar Anita, who worked Nevin’s corner at the Olympics and World Championships, will be in Baku with the Irish champion.
Young drivers get chance to shine
MOTOR RACING:The cream of motor racing's emerging crop will be on display this week in Jerez as Formula One provides a showcase for a number of young drivers.
With the current ban on in-season testing, the three-day test which starts tomorrow is the only one available to the teams to cast their eye over potential stars of the future. Nine of the marques that competed in this year’s championship will be in attendance, with Toyota the only exception after their recent withdrawal from the sport.
The only driver on show guaranteed an F1 seat for next year is Nico Hulkenberg, who will partner Rubens Barrichello at Williams.
