SPORT | IN BRIEF
Russia hockey stars among crash fatalities
ICE HOCKEY: A leading professional ice hockey team was on board a Russian plane which crashed on take off yesterday, killing 43 people. The plane was carrying the Lokomotiv team, who play in the Kontinental Hockey League, whose website confirmed that Canadian coach Brad McCrimmon and Czech Republic internationals Jan Marek and Josef Vasicek were among the dead.
Dernbach and Kieswetter earn ECB deals
CRICKET: Surrey pace bowler Jade Dernbach and the Somerset wicketkeeper Craig Kieswetter have both been awarded England increment contracts. Both players qualify for the contracts by virtue of having played in two Twenty20 internationals and seven one-day matches for England this summer.
Froome wins Vuelta a Espana 17th stage
CYCLING: Britain’s Chris Froome won the 17th stage of the Vuelta a Espana after a pulsating final hill climb. The Team Sky rider edged out Spain’s Juan Jose Cobo of Geox, who retained the overall leader’s red jersey. “The hardest stages are over but we’ll still go out there and look to make it hard for Cobo,” said Froome.