When Ireland last played Australia in a one-day international in Belfast, it took just three deliveries for Aussie fast bowler Brett Lee to underline the vast chasm in quality between the sides.

Two first-half Andrew Gaffney goals in Templemore secured Kilkenny CBS’s passage to the Masita All-Ireland Colleges Senior A hurling championship final.

Ardscoil Ris 2-13 Scoil na Trionóide Doon 0-04

St Fintan’s CBS, Doon 3-12 Castletroy College 1-14

Adare 2-17 Doon 2-15

St Thomas 1-16 Gort 1-15

Gort 0-09 St Thomas 0-09

Dungarvan Colleges 3-13 Doon CBS 1-13

With the disappointing late withdrawal of the Slieve Russell twins Leona and Lisa Maguire, the focus of attention turned to the other Irish competitors in the smaller-than-usual field in the British Ladies Open stroke-play championship at Shandon Park, Belfast yesterday.

Coolderry (Offaly) 3-16 Gort (Galway) 0-17

VICTORIOUS All-Ireland minor winning manager Matt Murphy rounded off a great year when he guided his club Gort to their sixth Galway SHC title with a deserved success in front of a crowd of almost 9,000 at Pearse Stadium yesterday.

A GOAL from Richie Cummins two minutes from the end of normal time sent Mattie Murphy’s Gort into the Galway SHC final.