Sport

In today's sports news: What you need to know

14:05 pm on 18 July 2022

Latest - New Zealand's Scott Dixon has joined Mario Andretti for second most wins in Indcar history.

Photo: AFP

Dxon has won the latest round in Toronto, the 52nd of his career.

He drove his Chip Ganassi Racing Honda to victory by less than a second from Colton Herta.

The six-time champion earned his first victory since May 2021 at Texas Motor Speedway - a span of 23 races, the second-longest winless streak of his career.

It is the 20th season that Dixon has won a race in Indycars.

Fellow New Zealander Scott McLaughlin was ninth.

Marcus Ericsson still leads the championship after 11 of 17 rounds with Dixon up to fourth overall and McLaughlin seventh.

AJ Foyt has the most wins in Indycar history with 67.

Fan banned from Rugby Australia events

Rugby Australia have handed a lifetime ban to a fan who climbed onto the roof of a stand at Sydney Cricket Ground and urinated during the test against England on Saturday.

A 31-year-old man was arrested after the incident, which was filmed by other fans in the sellout crowd of 43,274 and posted on social media.

Sydney Cricket Ground Photo: PHOTOSPORT

"The deplorable actions of the alleged intruder that made his way to the roof of the grandstand were disgraceful and dangerous," Rugby Australia said in a statement.

"This individual has been issued with a life ban from Rugby Australia events and we will continue to support the authorities in their handling of the matter."

Video also emerged of another fan berating England coach Eddie Jones from the sidelines as he walked past the historic Members' Stand. The Australian coach reacted angrily to being called a "traitor" by the fan and had to be held back by a security guard.

"The offensive remarks made by spectators ... towards England staff were unacceptable and not representative of the values of rugby," the statement added.

-Reuters

Cummins skips NZ one-day series

Test skipper Pat Cummins has been rested for Australia's one-day series against Zimbabwe and New Zealand in August and September, Cricket Australia said on Monday.

Pat Cummins Photo: PHOTOSPORT

Fast bowler Cummins will be "managed through a period of rehabilitation and physical preparation for the upcoming summer" and miss the six matches in North Queensland, CA said in a statement.

Batsman Travis Head will also skip the series as his partner is expecting their first child, but spinner Adam Zampa, all-rounder Ashton Agar and paceman Sean Abbott all return to the squad.

Abbott, who fractured his finger in the nets on the recent tour of Sri Lanka, will form an imposing pace unit with Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc.

Captain Aaron Finch will lead an equally strong batting line-up also featuring the talents of David Warner, Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne and Glenn Maxwell.

Australia play three ODIs against Zimbabwe in Townsville from 28 August before taking on the top ranked Black Caps in three day-nighters in Cairns from 6 September.

- Reuters

Win for Tall Blacks

The Tall Blacks have advanced to the next stage of basketball's Asia Cup with a 92-75 win over the Philippines in Indonesia.

Taine Murray Photo: PHOTOSPORT

The win secured them second place in their group and they will now play Syria tomorrow for a place in the quarterfinals.

Flynn Cameron led the way with 18 points in limited minutes, while Taine Murray had 8 points and 8 rebounds, Kruz Perrott-Hunt had 12, Tohi Smith-Milner with 11 points and 8 rebounds, and Isaac Davidson scored 10.

The Kiwis led the game from start to finish to beat Gilas Pilipinas for the third time in three games this year.

The Kiwis shot 45% overall, along with a vastly-improved 88% from the free throw line.

New Zealand also dominated on the boards with 61 rebounds against 28 for Philippines

Leader crashes on Tour

Belgian Jasper Philipsen claimed his maiden victory on the Tour de France when he won a bunch sprint in the 15th stage as overall leader Jonas Vingegaard and his team suffered a bad day.

Jonas Vingegaard Photo: PHOTOSPORT

Alpecin-Deceuninck rider Philipsen timed his effort to perfection to beat compatriot Wout van Aert and Dane Mads Pedersen, who were second and third respectively.

Vingegaard retained the yellow jersey but hit the deck and lost two of his Jumbo-Visma team mates as Steven Kruijswijk crashed out and Primoz Roglic did not take the start of the 202.5-km ride from Rodez after failing to recover from injuries.

With the temperature above 40 degrees Celsius, organisers sprayed parts of the road with water to cool down the melting tar before the riders passed.

Vingegaard, who appeared not to suffer any injuries in his crash, made it back into the peloton and still leads defending champion Tadej Pogacar by two minutes and 22 seconds.

Monday is a rest day as the Tour de France heads into it's final week.

-Reuters

Record threes for Tiarna Clarke

Tiarna Clarke has broken the all-time record for most 3-pointers made by a woman in a New Zealand professional basketball game.

Photo: PHOTOSPORT

The Whai and 3x3 Tall Ferns guard draining an incredible 11 shots from beyond the arc, in her team's 99-69 win over the Mainland Pouākai in round 3 of Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa.

Clarke scored 34 points in the game to lead her team, shooting 11-of-20 overall on her 3-point attempts. She hit nine shots from beyond the arc in the second half, including six triples in the third quarter when her team erupted for a season-high 41 points in the period.

Clarke says that even though a good shooting night felt overdue for her, she didn't come into this game expecting to have a performance quite like this.

"After not being able to find my shot over the last few games, then hitting this many threes this game, it's indescribable - honestly it's just the greatest feeling to be able to help my teammates to a win, and then afterwards having my teammates support me and show the love for what I've done," says Clarke.

Clarke and the Whai take on the Northern Kahu in Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa on Tuesday 19 July, before the hot-shooting guard heads to the Birmingham Commonwealth Games with the 3x3 Tall Ferns.

Former Wales captain scared

Former Wales captain Ryan Jones said he feels like his "world is falling apart" after being diagnosed with early onset dementia.

Ryan Jones in 2008 Photo: PHOTOSPORT

The 41-year-old said he had received the diagnosis in December last year, with doctors telling him he was one of the worst cases they had seen. He was also diagnosed with probable chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

Jones won 75 caps for Wales and captained the side to a Six Nations Grand Slam in 2008, making his last appearance for them in 2014. He was also part of the British and Irish Lions squad that toured New Zealand in 2005.

"I feel like my world is falling apart. And I am really scared," Jones said in the Sunday Times. "I lived 15 years of my life like a superhero and I'm not. I don't know what the future holds.

In 2020, a group of former rugby players filed a class-action legal case against World Rugby and other governing bodies, alleging that their failure to protect them led to early onset of dementia.

The rugby governing body has announced guidelines limiting full contact training to 15 minutes per week and launched a brain health education campaign for players.

-Reuters

United finalise deal with Martinez

Manchester United have agreed a deal with Ajax Amsterdam to sign defender Lisandro Martinez for an initial fee of $94 million, with $16 million of potential add-ons included.

The deal is subject to a medical examination and a visa being granted, with completion expected in the coming days.

The length of the contract was not announced, but a source with knowledge of the agreement said that Martinez would sign a five-year deal with the Premier League club, with an option for a further 12 months included.

The 24-year-old, who can also play in midfield, will be manager Erik ten Hag's third signing following the arrivals of Dutch left back Tyrell Malacia and Denmark midfielder Christian Eriksen.

A new defender was seen as priority for United after their struggles at the back last season. They conceded 57 goals last term, the most among the Premier League's top six and 31 more than champions Manchester City.

-Reuters

Rovanpera wins in Estoinia

Toyota's Kalle Rovanpera won in Estonia for the second year in a row to take another big step towards becoming rallying's youngest world champion.

Photo: AFP

The 21-year-old Finn, who last year in Estonia became the youngest driver to win a round of the championship, has now won five of the last six rallies with Estonia the seventh of a scheduled 13 events.

Rovanpera dominated the gravel event to finish just over a minute ahead of second-placed team mate Elfyn Evans and stretch his championship lead over Hyundai's Thierry Neuville to 83 points.

Estonia's 2019 world champion Ott Tanak finished third for Hyundai in the gravel event, with Neuville fourth after struggling at the end with a foggy windscreen.

New Zealand's Hayden Paddon, who was competing in the second tier competition, failed to finish.

The next rally is in Finland from Aug. 4-7.

-Reuters

Fiji win Pacific rugby title

Fiji captured the 2022 Oceania Rugby Womens Championship title with a hard-fought 31-24 win against Samoa, scoring on the final play to claim victory.

Fiji claimed their third Oceania Rugby Womens Championship title after victories in 2016 and 2018.

In the earlier match, Tonga secured a record 101-point win against Papua New Guinea. Their previous biggest winning margin was 36 against PNG at the 2018 Championships.