Sports round-up

Rugby Union: England lock Courtney Lawes was banned for two World Cup games yesterday for kneeing Argentina’s Mario Ledesma, but escaped a stiffer sanction that could have ended his tournament. Lawes, who pleaded not guilty to the offence committed during England’s hard-fought win in Dunedin, will miss England’s next two Pool B matches against Georgia and Romania but will be available for the last game against Scotland.

Cycling: The husband and coach of French cycling legend Jeannie Longo, who is under the spotlight for missing three drugs tests, has been accused of buying the banned blood booster EPO (erythropoietin), according to reports yesterday. Former professional Joe Papp, an American who turned to supplying banned drugs to cyclists after being banned for doping himself, claims he supplied Patrice Ciprelli – Longo’s husband and coach – with EPO in 2007. The claims were made by Papp in a two-page report in French sports daily L’Equipe.

American Football: Sebastian Janikowski equalled a National Football League record with a 63-yard field goal in the first half of the Oakland Raiders’ 23-20 victory on Monday over the Denver Broncos. Janikowski’s kick sailed low over the crossbar, giving him a share of the record with fellow field goal kickers Tom Dempsey and Jason Elam. Dempsey set the record for New Orleans in November 1970, and Denver’s Elam matched it on October 1998. Janikowski hit a 61-yard field goal in December 2009.

Cricket: England batsmen Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott were named respectively test player of the year and player of the year by the International Cricket Council (ICC) yesterday. Cook, the 26-year-old opener who was appointed one day captain after the World Cup – shone during the year, peaking with a masterly 294 in the third Test victory over India in August, though, that fell outside the time frame for the award. It was his third test century in six matches and 19th in all and is now just three shy of England’s all-time record Test century total.