Today's sports news: What you need to know

Latest - Black Caps captain Kane Williamson will finish 2020 at the top of ICC Test batting rankings, overtaking India's captain Virat Kohli and Australian Steve Smith.

Williamson scored 129 in the first innings of the Black Caps first Test against Pakistan at Mt Maunganui this week to help boost him up the rankings

"Those two players are the best so for me to sneak up perhaps in some way, is very surprising and humbling but at the same time I think there's other rankings somewhere that quite clearly state the successes of these other two." Williamson said of Smith and Kohli.

"Year in and year out those two players, in all formats, are moving the game forward.''

F1 champion knighted

Seven-times Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton was awarded a knighthood in the UK New Year's honours list.

The 35-year-old this year became the most successful F1 driver of all time after equalling Ferrari great Michael Schumacher's record seven titles and beating the German's 91 race wins.

The sport's only Black driver, who grew up in social housing as the grandson of immigrants from the Caribbean, Hamilton has also used his profile to campaign for diversity and speak out against racial injustice.

The Monaco resident's presence on the overseas and international list, rather than a main one with many rewarded for service to public health in a pandemic, was seen as a reflection of his tax status.

The citation referred to Hamilton's sporting record and his "charitable and philanthropic contributions in the UK and overseas".

Hamilton's supporters have long felt his achievements have not been sufficiently recognised at home and they expressed delight at the Mercedes driver joining a select group of sporting sirs.

Hamilton is the fourth F1 driver to be knighted after the late Australian Jack Brabham, Stirling Moss and triple champion Jackie Stewart and the only one to have received the award while still racing.

-Reuters

Reds held at Newcastle

An off-key Liverpool were frustrated for a second successive game by struggling opponents as they were held to a 0-0 Premier League draw at Newcastle United.

Juergen Klopp's side had the chance to open up a five-point lead at the top of the table, but a combination of wastefulness and Newcastle's valiant rearguard kept them at bay.

Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino were all guilty of poor finishing for the champions while Newcastle goalkeeper Karl Darlow produced a couple of fine saves.

Liverpool were held to a 1-1 draw by second-bottom West Bromwich Albion on Sunday and drew with struggling Fulham earlier this month.

Klopp's team lead the table going into the New Year with 33 points from 16 games, three points ahead of second-placed Manchester United who have a match in hand.

Fulham's match at Tottenham Hotspur today was called off due to a Covid-19 outbreak at the West London club.

-Reuters

Hockley and Jelley honoured

Cricket stalwart Debbie Hockley and athletics coach Arch Jelley are among those who have been recognised in the New Years honours.

Hockley was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 1999 for her contributions to cricket as a player, this year she becomes a Companion of the Order for her added contributions off the field.

Since retiring from playing in 2000, the Cantabrian has been a strong advocate for the women's game and in 2016 made history by becoming New Zealand Cricket's first ever female president.

Jelley is also made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his work as a coach and an administrator in athletics and the card game bridge.

98 year old Jelley coached Sir John Walker to World and Olympic success in the seventies and for the last 25 years has been teaching bridge.

Jelley was also made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1982.

Others to be honoured include jockey Lisa Allpress, rugby player Kendra Cocksedge, long distance runner Melissa Moon, freediver William Trubridge and basketball administrator Burton Shipley.

Bracewell plays a big part in Stags win

Central Districts allrounder Doug Bracewell continued his fine form this season, helping the Stags to a 45-run win over Northern Districts in their Super Smash T20 game in New Plymouth.

Bracewell hit an unbeaten 55 off 25 balls for his first Super Smash half century adding to his career first-class six-for and century already this season.

Bracewell had spent almost a year out of the game with injury.

He then bowled four overs and took a wicket as the Stags scored their first win of the competition, despite Anton Devcich's century for the Knights.

Earlier Katie Gurrey scored a half century to help the Northern Spirit to a 17 run win over the Central Hinds in the women's game.

First up win for Macarthur

Macarthur FC made a dream start to life in the A-League, winning their inaugural match 1-0 in a pulsating West Sydney derby against the Wanderers.

Spanish substitute Benat Extebarria's second-half free-kick deflected off skipper Mark Milligan and trickled into an empty net in the only goal of the game.

Ante Milicic's side became just the sixth team in A-League history to win their inaugural league fixture, just like Western United FC did last season.

And it was just reward for an excellent display by the Bulls, who took the game to the Wanderers from the outset.

The Wellington Phoenix open their campaign against champions Sydney FC on Saturday.

-A-League

Warner back, Burns dropped

Opening batsmen David Warner and Will Pucovski have been included in Australia's 18-man squad for the third test against India in Sydney but Joe Burns has been dropped after twin failures in Melbourne.

Regular opener Warner missed the first two tests with a groin strain while the uncapped Pucovski was ruled out after suffering concussion when hit on the helmet by a short ball in a tour match before the series started.

Burns was out for a duck and four at the Melbourne Cricket Ground where Australia crashed to an eight-wicket loss on Tuesday that levelled the four-test series at 1-1.

All-rounder Sean Abbott was also included in the squad after recovering from a calf strain.

-Reuters

Leeds upset by promotion comments

Leeds United Chairman Andrea Radrizzani has hit out at former England women's international Karen Carney after she suggested that last season's COVID-19 shutdown helped them win promotion to the Premier League.

Carney, speaking in her role as a pundit for Amazon Prime during Leeds' 5-0 win at West Bromwich Albion yesterday, said they ran the risk of losing steam at the end of the campaign because of their high-tempo style.

"I actually think they got promoted because of COVID in terms of it giving them a bit of respite. I don't know if they'd have got up if they didn't have that break."

The 2019-20 Championship season resumed in June after a three-month hiatus due to the pandemic and Leeds went on to win with a tally of 93 points.

In response to her comments, Leeds tweeted: "Promoted because of COVID. Won the league by 10 points."

Radrizzani also said on Twitter the comment was "completely unnecessary and disrespectful to our club".

-Reuters