SPORTS DIGEST:MOTOR SPORT: Hockenheim will be unable to stage the German Formula One Grand Prix unless it receives financial help from the state, circuit boss Karl-Josef Schmidt said yesterday.
"Without grants from the state (of Baden-Wuerttemberg) there will be no more Formula One in Hockenheim," Schmidt told Der Tagesspiegel.
According to the newspaper, Hockenheim made a loss of €5.3 million on this year's German Grand Prix.
"Formula One will disappear not just from Hockenheim but from Germany as a whole," Schmidt said. "Then it will only be run in Arab countries."
Formula One teams are also under pressure to make significant cost savings in the current economic crisis with the carmakers who dominate the sport suffering from a worldwide slump in sales.
London Irish go top of table
RUGBY:London Irish moved top of the English Premiership table after coming from behind to beat basement side Bristol 18-13 as second-placed Bath lost at Harlequins.
The win put Irish level on points with Gloucester but ahead of them on points difference.
Bristol had hoped to secure their second league win of the campaign as they lay four points adrift of 11th placed Newcastle at the foot of the table.
But that is where they stayed as an interception try by Shane Geraghty on 68 minutes proved decisive.
Zimbabwe whitewashed
CRICKET: Nuwan Kulasekara picked up three wickets in 12 balls as Sri Lanka beat Zimbabwe by 19 runs in their fifth and final one-day international in Harare yesterday.
Zimbabwe were chasing just 153 for victory and Keith Dabengwa (39) and captain Prosper Utseya (31) lifted them from 58 for six with a 72-run stand that left the hosts needing 23 for victory in 10 overs with four wickets in hand.
Dabengwa then stepped away and tried to carve Kulasekara through the off-side, only to be bowled.
The dismissal changed the momentum of the game as Zimbabwe gave up their last four wickets for just three runs and lost the series 5-0.
Kulasekara finished with three for 14 in nine overs, and spinner Muttiah Muralitharan completed his 10th five-wicket haul in 318 ODIs, having sparked the initial collapse.
Boundaries were a perk on a pitch that was low and slow and on which no Sri Lankan batsman, save for Angelo Mathews who scored a run-a-ball 31, looked comfortable.
Schoolboy raking it in
GOLF: Japanese schoolboy Ryo Ishikawa became the youngest player to win 100 million yen (€825,000) in a season on Japan's tour at the Casio World Open yesterday.
The 17-year-old finished tied for 13th to pass the "million dollar" barrier and shatter Shigeki Maruyama's record.
Ishikawa reached the milestone nine years quicker than Maruyama.
"It's a relief to get over that mark," Ishikawa said.
Double class win for Turkington
EQUESTRIAN: Co Down's Emily Turkington won two classes yesterday at Neeroeteren in Belgium. The 15-year-old finished first and second in the 1.15m two-phase competition after running out the narrow winner of the 1.25m jump-off class, writes Margie McLoone.
In the afternoon's 1.30m Grand Prix, George Murphy, also 15, fared best of the Irish by slotting into sixth place with Ashlair Lady, behind Britain's Jessie Drea, who recorded the only double clear on Quantum Light.
Cian O'Connor had his best result of the weekend at the Audi Masters show in Brussels when he finished fourth in Saturday night's accumulator on the 11-year-old chestnut mare Irish Independent Echo Beach. Germany-based Denis Lynch took sixth spot with Thomas Straumann's Upsilon d'Ocquier.
In Dresden, Jessica Kuerten won yesterday morning's young horse final on the mare Fashion.
Elks down Tigers to claim first win of campaign
BASKETBALL: Ulster Elks won their first game of the SuperLeague campaign 90-82 away to reigning champions Abrakebabra Tigers on Saturday, while Belfast Star made it a good week for the Ulster sides with a 73-67 win at home to Limerick Lions.
Dart Killester maintained their winning run away to Neptune, while yesterday UCC Demons showed their title credentials by beating in-form UCD/Marian.
Tigers had Kieran Donaghy in the side, who scored 14 points, but were again without Michael Quirke, who will be back for their SuperLeague Cup clash with Hoops next weekend.
Elks were full value for their victory, with Matt Betley proving a thorn in Tigers' side. Betley had 12 points in the opening quarter, bettered only by CJ Haldey of Tigers who put up 13. The first quarter ended 22-22.
The second period was nip and tuck early on, Elks leading 29-26 with a little over six minutes remaining, then 33-31 with four to go. Tralee dominated the closing minutes to lead 42-35 at the break.
Betley scored his side's first 10 points in the third, hitting 17 in total, as Elks led 64-62 going into the final quarter.
Elks always that that little bit extra in the final period, responding each time Tigers scored. When Gareth Maguire of Elks scored a free throw and added a basket inside the final two minutes, the win was secured.
