Sports digest: Paul Di Resta sits in pole

MotorsportBathgate's Paul di Resta gave himself the perfect opportunity to clinch his first DTM Championship when he stormed to pole position — his fourth of the year — for today's (Sun) season finale in Shanghai.The 24-year-old's hopes were further boosted when his main rival for the championship, Bruno Spengler, crashed on the new 1.5-mile Chinese street circuit. The Canadian, who leads Mercedes team-mate Di Resta by just three points, starts 17th.

Cross country

Curran makes Team GB

Scottish champion Elspeth Curran booked her place in Great Britain's team for next month's European Cross Country Championships holding onto third place in snowy Sefton Park behind Emma Pallant and Emily Pidgeon to secure an automatic spot in the Under-23 squad for Albufeira on December 12.

Louise Damen won the senior women's race while Andy Vernon outpaced Andy Wilkinson to take the men's title.

Awards

Hannah's Miley better

Hannah Miley was named as the Scottish Sportsperson of the Year at last night at the Commonwealth Games Awards in Glasgow. The Great Britain swimmer, who won the European 400 metres individual medley title in Budapest in August as well as bronze in the 200, ended the year as world No.1.

Miley pipped world duathlon champion Catriona Morrison to the award from a short-list that also included Andy Murray, David Millar and Sir Chris Hoy.

Basketball

Turner turns on chiefs

Former Scotland basketball coach Allan Turner has called for the sport's bosses to quit after accusing them of running the game into the ground. Turner, who led the national side for nine years, has joined the widespread fury at Basketball Scotland's decision to pull out of next summer's European Championships.

He said: "There's been a long downturn in Basketball Scotland's ability to promote international basketball but this is the final straw."

Hockey

Hockey hit by cold snap

A BLAST of Arctic weather had a devastating impact on the final Subway national league weekend before the winter shutdown with all fixtures on the card falling foul of the conditions, and they will not be replayed until the spring.

Grange enter the winter break with a six point lead over Western Wildcats and Greaves Clydesdale..

In the women`s league Grove Menzieshill lead Giffnock by a single point but with three games in hand.

BOWLS

Forrest on fire

Taylor Bowls Championships in Aberdeen, Forrest, from Teviotdale, beat Arbroath's Eleanor Anderson 21-9 to stay on course to become the first ever five-time winner of the women's principal singles crown.

Today Forrest will face off against Lorna Cameron from Whiteinch, who beat Blantyre's Caroline Brown 21-20.