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Today's sports news: What you need to know

09:01 am on 6 May 2019

The Black Caps three-match one-day series against Australia next summer has been shifted because of an ongoing dispute between the national bodies of Australia and India.

Black Caps captain Kane Williamson in action against Australia. Photo: PHOTOSPORT

Originally scheduled for January 2020, the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy ODIs will have been moved to March, according to both The Daily Telegraph and ESPNCricinfo.

The decision means the series will now complete what is a big summer for the Black Caps.

New Zealand are at home against England for T20s and Tests in October and November, play a three-Test series in Australia and then host India in February.

The Black Caps hold the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy after winning the series between the two teams in early 2017, with the silverware not contested last year in favour of a T20 tri-series with Australia and England.

Pulse push late to retain perfect record

The perfect record of the Central Pulse remains intact after they posted a 53-45 win against a tenacious Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic side during the ANZ Premiership triple header in Invercargill on Sunday.

Central Pulse captain Katrina Rore Photo: Photosport Ltd 2018www.photosport.nz

The Pulse were pushed to the limits by a committed and dogged Magic for three-quarters of the match before showing their class with a strong final quarter to seal their 12th win from 12 matches this season.

With another game, against the Southern Steel, on Monday night, the Pulse rotated players throughout the match.

Shooter Ameliaranne Ekenasio and well-formed midcourters Karin Burger, and Claire Kersten, with six and three intercepts respectively between, them were strong performers in the Pulse getting across the line.

Meanwhile, the Southern Steel ensured their hold on second place remained firm with a 69-58 victory over the Northern Mystics.

In the day's final game, Mainland Tactix captain Jane Watson had a moment to savour in her 100th match as her side delivered a 53-48 win over the Northern Stars.

Paddon cleans up in Whangarei

Hayden Paddon has ticked off his key goals at the International Rally of Whangarei.

Hayden Paddon Photo: PHOTOSPORT

Paddon claimed the outright win, maximum points towards the Pacific Cup component of the FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship, and new stage records on more than 80 per cent of the rally's special stages.

With new co-driver Samantha Gray calling the pace notes on a rally Paddon has now won five times - and despite a few technical issues with the Hyundai i20 AP4 that kept the Paddon Rallysport crew on their toes - the pair won the rally by over four minutes from second-placed Ben Hunt and Tony Rawstorn.

"It was a good weekend and we achieved everything we wanted to," said Paddon who finished 4:40.8 ahead of his closest APRC competitor David Holder.

Paddon was very pleased with the performance of his first-ever female co-driver, Samantha Gray, on their first event together.

"She did a really good job. Samantha was thrown in the deep end, especially with the thick fog on the first stage on Saturday - that was really tricky for a co-driver, but she learned quickly and took everything onboard.

"She adapted and it was impressive to see how she improved as the weekend went on."

Top four gone for Man United

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admitted his side can have no complaints about finishing outside the Premier League's top four after their fate was sealed by a lacklustre 1-1 draw at bottom club Huddersfield Town.

Manchester Untied manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Photo: PHOTOSPORT

Needing six points from their last two games, and results to go their way, United were always facing a tough task to qualify for next season's Champions League.

But a failure on Monday (NZ time) to beat a side who had managed only 14 points in their previous 36 games, just about summed up the malaise United find themselves in as the season ends in an anti-climax.

"We haven't deserved to be top four, we've chased the pack and been given chances, the league is so tight. When we got the opportunities we didn't take them," Solskjaer, who initially sparked a spectacular change in fortunes after Jose Mourinho was sacked in December, told the BBC.

Meanwhile Chelsea boosted their chances of European Champions League football next season, with goals from Ruben Loftus-Cheek, David Luiz and Gonzalo Higuain lifting them past Watford 3-0 and into third place.

Chelsea are one point clear of Tottenham Hotspur and five ahead of Arsenal, who host Brighton later on Monday, in the battle for the final two Champions League qualifying places.

-Reuters

Windies pair go wild in Dublin

West Indies batsmen John Campbell and Shai Hope have shattered the record for the highest partnership for the opening wicket in one-day international cricket with a stand of 365 against Ireland in Dublin.

Campbell made 179 and Hope 170 to help West Indies to 3-381 as Ireland captain William Porterfield's decision to field first after winning the toss backfired.

The pair surpassed the previous opening partnership record of 304 set by Pakistan's Imam-ul-Haq and Fakhar Zaman against Zimbabwe in July last year.

It was the first time both West Indies openers made centuries in the same game. They fell just seven runs short of the record ODI stand, held by compatriots Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels against Zimbabwe in 2015.

-Reuters

Eels fightback to bite Dragons

Clint Gutherson and Mitchell Moses continue to add zeroes to their contract talks after leading Parramatta to a 32-18 comeback NRL win over St George Illawarra.

Parramatta Eels playmaker Mitchell Moses. Photo: Photosport

Two weeks after celebrating their debut at Bankwest Stadium with a 50-point party, the Eels made it two from two in style on Sunday at their new digs.

Gutherson and Moses took centre stage, combining to entrench the Eels' top-eight spot.

Down 14-0 after 30 minutes, Reed Mahoney started the fightback when he jumped over from close range just before halftime.

And the home side continued their push after the break, with Gutherson and Maika Sivo scoring long-range tries within four minutes.

Not even a Mikaele Ravalawa try could halt the Eels' momentum. Moses reclaimed the lead with a penalty goal, before having a hand in tries for Blake Ferguson and another for Sivo in the final quarter of the game.

-AAP

Adelaide find last-gasp winner

Adelaide United star Ben Halloran has produced a stunning last-gasp winner to send his side into the A-League semi-finals at Melbourne City's expense.

As the dreaded penalty shootout loomed, the star winger struck the only goal of the game after 119 gruelling minutes to set the Reds up for a Friday clash with Perth.

The strike also ended City's season, with coach Warren Joyce's future likely to come into acute focus after a fifth-placed finish.

Halloran's deadly effort on Sunday night came after he hit the crossbar in the first half and forced Eugene Galekovic - another possible retirement - into a save off the post in extra time.

The 26-year-old forward latched onto a cut-back from Baba Diawara after Ryan Kitto's through-ball was misjudged by City's marquee defender - a painful end to an otherwise fine season from the Belgian.

- AAP

Chadwick creates history at Hockenheim

The new W Series, which aims to help women such as inaugural race winner Jamie Chadwick make it to Formula One, could itself be on the fast track to joining the grand prix circus.

Former racer David Coulthard, a key player behind the scenes, said at Hockenheim there had already been discussions about the W Series featuring on the Formula One support programme.

The women have only six races this year, all supporting the German Touring Car (DTM) championship, in identical Formula Three cars with the finale at Britain's Brands Hatch in August.

Chadwick, who dominated the Hockenheim weekend, is also an Aston Martin factory junior driver and remains free to race in other events and series.

W Series aims to promote women drivers and help them compete against men further up the motorsport ladder and Coulthard said the concept interested Formula One owners Liberty Media.

It has been 43 years since a woman raced in Formula One, and only five have ever tried to compete in a grand prix since the championship started in 1950.

Chadwick said she did not want any 'token pass'.

- Reuters