Sports round-up

Rugby Union: Sale coach Tony Hanks parted company with the Premiership club yesterday following the club’s 45-9 thrashing against champions Saracens, it was confirmed. Sale chief executive Steve Diamond said in a statement Hanks had left with immediate effect after the Sharks conceded 30 points for a third game in a row at Edgeley Park on Friday.

Cycling: French cycling great Jeannie Longo, 53, was named in her country’s eight-woman prelim-inary squad for the Olympic Games in London by the French Cycling Federation. An Olympic champion in 1996, Longo has seen her reputation tainted by doping allegations in recent months. Her husband and coach, Patrice Ciprelli, admitted earlier this year that he had been buying the banned blood booster EPO since 2007, but insisted it was for his own, personal use.

Boxing: Mexico’s Erik Morales (picture) lost his World Boxing Council light-welterweight title by exceeding the division weight limit of 140 pounds for his fight yesterday against Danny Garcia. Morales tipped the scales at 142 pounds, meaning he cannot retain his title even with a victory over unbeaten US fighter Garcia, 22-0 with 14 knockouts, in Houston.

Cricket: Ireland will play in the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka after hammering Namibia by nine wickets in the preliminary final of the qualifying tournament yesterday. The Irish, who will join Afghanistan as the two sides to make it through as qualifiers, made short work of a Namibia side who failed to impress with the bat. The west Africans made just 94-6 off their allotted 20 overs.

Formula One: Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone yesterday said a “majority” of teams had agreed new commercial deals tying them to the sport after the current commercial accord expires this year. Ecclestone said leading outfits Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull were among those on board. Team officials at this week’s Malaysian GP have given no indication that they and the governing body were close to a new Concorde Agreement.