Sporting Digest: Rugby league

The Canterbury Bulldogs took a dramatic extra-time win over Parramatta in their qualifying final yesterday to earn a meeting with the Brisbane Broncos in next weekend's Australian National Rugby League grand final. Canterbury came from 18-2 down with 11 minutes left to take the match into extra time before they beat the Parramatta Eels 32-20.

One of rugby league's legends, Alan Prescott, the former St Helens and Great Britain forward, died yesterday in a Wigan hospital at the age of 71 after a long illness. Prescott, a front row who made 28 Test appearances from 1951-58, defied the pain of a broken arm, sustained in the opening minutes of the second Test in Brisbane on the 1958 tour to Australia, to play for the full 80 minutes.