Sport

Today's sports news: What you need to know

19:18 pm on 6 July 2019

Latest - Scott McLaughlin has won his sixth straight Supercars race to extend his championship lead.

Supercars competition leader Scott McLaughlin. Photo: Photosport

The New Zealand driver has come from third on the starting grid to win the opening race of the Townsville 400 and record his 13th victory from 17 starts this year.

McLaughlin's now 358 points clear of his team-mate and fellow countryman Fabian Coulthard in the championship standings.

Coulthard finished fifth, after starting from 13th, just behind Shane van Gisbergen.

Seven-time series champion Jamie Whincup finished second, with Chaz Mostert third.

Raptors unable to convince Leonard to stay in Toronto

Kawhi Leonard has left the Toronto Raptors, less than a month after guiding them to their maiden NBA title.

Kawhi Leonard of the Toronto Raptors celebrates his teams win. Photo: AFP

The most valuable player of this year's NBA finals is joining the Los Angeles Clippers, reportedly on a four-year contract.

The Clippers have made the deal a reality by securing Paul George from the Oklahoma City Thunder via a trade.

Like Leonard, George is a multiple all-star.

The Thunder will receiver Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari and a number of future draft picks in return.

Guard Danny Green is also leaving the Raptors, after just one season.

He's joining LeBron James at the Los Angeles Lakers.

Black Caps to tour Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka will host New Zealand between August and September for two test matches and three Twenty20 internationals, the Sri Lankan Cricket board has confirmed.

The tests are part of the inaugural World Test Championship which involves the nine top-ranked test nations competing in a league between July 2019 and April 2021, with the top two teams progressing to the final to be held in England in June 2021.

Black Caps batsman Ross Taylor in action against Sri Lanka. Photo: PHOTOSPORT

The Black Caps will be the first team to tour Sri Lanka since the Easter Sunday suicide bombings that killed 253 people in the island nation.

The bombings led to Sri Lanka postponing a tour of Pakistan's Under-19 team, who were scheduled to play two four-day matches and three one-dayers in Galle and Hambantota.

The last time Sri Lanka hosted New Zealand was in 2012, with the two-test series ending 1-1.

- Reuters

Last year's beaten men's finalist exits Wimbledon

Argentine Guido Pella has pulled off a major upset at Wimbledon, beating fourth seed and 2018 finalist Kevin Anderson in straight sets to reach the last-16 of a Grand Slam for the first time.

The 29-year-old, who beat the big-serving South African 6-4 6-3 7-6(4), will play Canada's Milos Raonic next for a place in the quarterfinals.

Anderson, runner-up to Novak Djokovic last year, arrived at the All England Club after an injury-hit season due to a troublesome right elbow and his serve-and-volley game was derailed by a lack of sharpness at key moments.

Tenth seed Karen Khachanov also exited following a 6-3 7-6 (7-3) 6-1 defeat to Spain's Roberto Bautista-Agut.

- Reuters

Good day for Kiwis at Wimbledon

Marcus Daniell has helped keep it a perfect day for New Zealand at Wimbledon.

Daniell won his first round mixed doubles match with Jennifer Brady against Nick Kyrgios and Desirae Krawczyk, 6-7 7-6 7-5.

Marcus Daniell. Photo: PHOTOSPORT

There was also wins for Artem Sitak in the mixed doubles and Michael Venus in the men's doubles.

Venus and Raven Klaasen moved into the third round, defeating Lleyton Hewitt and Jordan Thompson 6-3 7-6 6-2.

It was another impressive performance from Venus and Klaasen, who have won all six sets they've played at this year's Championship so far.

Sitak and Laura Siegemund beat Ken Skupski and Darija Jurak 3-6 6-3 6-4 in their first round of the mixed doubles.

Gautrey holds third at Laser worlds

New Zealand's top Laser class sailors took advantage of "fantastic" conditions to put themselves right in the mix on day two of the world championships in Japan.

George Gautrey continued to impress and is third, although level on points with leader Jesper Stalheim of Sweden, while Sam Meech improved 10 places to ninth overall and Tom Saunders also jumped into the top 20 after two top-10 results.

There's still one more day of qualifying in Sakaiminato before the top third of the 156-strong fleet move into gold fleet but the top three New Zealanders are doing their best to ensure they are handily placed for the final three days.

Only 15 points separate the top 20 boats on a congested leaderboard, although many have a reasonably big drop for their worst result already on their cards which will make things interesting.

Meech was the best performed of the Kiwis on day two, banking two second-placed finishes in his fleet to leave himself only four points behind the leaders.

Fifa boss wants boost for women's World Cup

Fifa president Gianni Infantino wants to expand the women's World Cup to 32 teams from 24 for the next edition in 2023 along with doubling the prize money to $90 million (NZD).

Ahead of the women's World Cup final on Monday between holders the United States and the Netherlands, Infantino said he would take his proposals to the FIFA council and member associations for approval.

Photo: PHOTOSPORT

The deadline for submitting bid documents to host the next World Cup was in April, with a host due to be appointed in March 2020 by the Fifa council. However, those plans may now change should the expansion get the go ahead.

New Zealand is one of nine countries, alongside Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Japan, South Africa and South Korea, to have so far submitted bids to host the 2023 women's World Cup

Infantino hailed the 2019 tournament in France as "the best women's World Cup ever", citing figures that show the global reach will exceed 1 billion viewers across all platforms.

- Reuters

Roosters crowing after overcoming Tigers

A classy return from Luke Keary and the powerful Latrell Mitchell have propelled the Sydney Roosters to fight back to a 24-16 NRL win over the Wests Tigers at Bankwest Stadium.

Five-eighth Keary, who was playing his first match in six weeks since his latest bout of concussion, threw the final pass for three of the Roosters' four tries on Friday.

Latrell Mitchell. Photo: © Photosport Ltd 2018 www.photosport.nz

Centre Mitchell who bagged 26 points earlier in the season against the Tigers, turned the match with two big second-half plays.

The Tigers reversed a 12-8 halftime deficit to a 16-14 lead five minutes into the second half after canny plays from captain and five-eighth Benji Marshall set up tries for former Rooster Paul Momirovski and fellow centre Esan Marsters.

But recent NSW State of Origin discard Mitchell sparked the decisive surge of the game to give the Roosters their ultimate eight-point winning lead.

- AAP