snooker

Scotland completed a magnificent double yesterday when Perth's Scott Donaldson won the European Amateur Championship in Latvia, writes Michael Gallacher. His win guarantees him a two-year invitation to the professional tour, where he will join Midlothian's Michael Leslie, the 19-year-old who won the European Under-21 Championship earlier this year. Donaldson, 18, came through a field of 80 of Europe's top amateur players before beating the Irishman Brendan O'Donoghue 7-3 in the final, winning the final frame on the black.

n Anthony McGill, from Glasgow, will play a fellow Scot, Marcus Campbell from Dumbarton, for a place in next month's Australian Open. McGill took the first three frames in his penultimate qualifying round-tie against Thailand's Dechewat Poomjaeng in Sheffield yesterday en route to a 5-3 victory.

cricket

Scotland A suffered a morale-denting loss to their Irish counterparts at Uddingston yesterday, losing four quick wickets to Lee Nelson as they were bowled out for 173, 78 short of their target, writes David Kelso. The Scots lost three of their top order, Ewan Chalmers, Moneeb Iqbal and Josh Edwards, for just eight runs in the space of four overs. Iqbal was the first victim for Nelson, the off spinner who also dismissed Andrew Umeed, Marc Petrie and Umair Mohammed for a golden duck. The Taysiders Calvin Burnett (36 not out) and Aman Bailwal (29) offered late resistance with a ninth wicket stand of 54 but the Scots were never in contention for a win.

cycling

Team Sky's Mark Cavendish had to settle for third place in yesterday's opening stage of the Ster ZLM Toer, his final stage race before the Tour de France, writes Colin Renton. The German rider Marcel Kittel (Argos-Shimano) pipped Australia's Mark Renshaw (Rabobank) and Cavendish in a bunch sprint at the end of the 151km opening stage from Eindhoven to Sittard-Geleen. Today's 167km second stage features several sharp climbs in the Limburg hills but is still likely to end in a sprint finish.

hockey

France, involved in the annual Celtic Cup competition since its inception, have withdrawn from the tournaments to be contested over the next four weeks, writes Craig Madden.

Scotland's under-21 men and women will play only Ireland and Wales in their competitions later this month in Wrexham as part of their build-up for the European Junior Nations Championships later this summer. The senior Celtic Cup is scheduled for Lisburn at the beginning of July and has attracted South Africa in place of the French. It will be a stiff test for the coaches Derek Forsyth (men) and Gordon Shepherd (women), as the South African sides are significantly higher than Scotland in the world rankings and their sides are heading for the London Olympics. Shepherd's charges lost a recent five-match Test series against South Africa 4-0 at Titwood, although the Scots were without their four Great Britain players.

Later in July, Edinburgh's Peffermill will host the inaugural under-18 Celtic Cup where Switzerland will take the place of France and join Ireland and Wales in a four-team tournament.

motor racing

Peter Dumbreck, the 38-year-old from Kirkcaldy, insists he will have no fear as he returns tomorrow to Le Mans in a prototype car for the first time since he suffered a horrific crash in 1999, writes Kenneth Stephen.

He has raced at the 24 Hours in GT cars since he somersaulted into the woods at 300km per hour in a Mercedes prototype but the race this weekend will be the first time in 13 years he has driven the La Sarthe track in a similar prototype car, this time an HPD with JRM Racing. Despite the extra power and speed in the LMP1 class, he will not be shying away from what needs to be done as JRM seek a top finish in the endurance classic.

"I've been back to Le Mans in a GT car since my accident and it is not really anything that will be on my mind," he said. "When I went back in 2006 I did have a think about it when I passed the spot where the accident happened but this weekend is just about driving the car as well as I can, as fast as I can."

Dumbreck will be joined by three fellow-countrymen, Marino Franchitti, Ryan Dalziel and Allan McNish, on the circuit in various disciplines.

SPEEDWAY

Edinburgh Monarchs host Berwick Bandits in the BSPA Premier League tonight (7.30) expecting their visitors to be more threatening than on their last visit in May when they scored only 33 points, writes Nigel Duncan. Their high-average riders Ricky Ashworth and Seb Alden are both a significant threat while the Frenchman David Bellego, a former Glasgow Tigers racer, also has potential.

The first home match this season for the Edinburgh Kumho Kings in the Northern Junior League is scheduled.Kumho Kings won the competition last season and their line-up will be James McBain, Stephen Morris and Ryan McDonald.