The England Test cricket captain Joe Root says he'd like to play alongside his New Zealand counterpart Kane Williamson in next year's inaugural "The Hundred" tournament in England.
Kane Wiliamson and Joe Root Photo: PHOTOSPORT
The 100-ball competition, which is comprised of eight English city-based teams, takes place in July and August.
Williamson is one of a number of overseas stars who have made themselves available and will be a part of the main draft later this month.
Players could earn between 60 and 250 thousand dollars.
The England contracted players were drafted today with Root picked up by the Trent Rockets.
Ben Stokes was the first player selected by the Northern Superchargers.
Root says with the best players in the world going to England it would be great to play alongside Australia's Mitchell Starc and New Zealand's Kane Williamson.
Eight womens teams will also compete alongside the men.
The women will earn between $7,000 and $30,000.
-BBC
Tall Ferns to host Olympic qualifying tournament
The New Zealand women's basketball team will play in front of home fans for the first time in four years next month.
Photo: Photosport Ltd 2019
Basketball New Zealand's announced the Tall Ferns will host China, South Korea and the Philippines in an Olympic qualifying series in Auckland from 14-17 November.
It's a major boost for the team, which has only played four tests in New Zealand within the last decade.
The top two nations from the tournament will go through to a final round of 16 teams, to be played in February next year.
Of those 16 teams, the top 12 will qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Paddon 24th in first stage of Rally GB
Hayden Paddon is well off the early pace in his return to the World Rally Championship.
Photo: Supplied
The Geraldine driver has recorded the 24th best time in the opening stage of Rally Great Britain, 12.4 seconds behind the stage winner, Kris Meeke.
It's the first WRC stage Paddon has completed in almost a year, after a crash in testing denied him the chance to drive in Rally Finland in August.
The long time Hyundai driver is behind the wheel of a Ford in the WRC2 Pro category.
There are nine stages in Wales tonight, with Rally Great Britain finishing on Monday morning New Zealand time.
Walsh and Gill into World Championship final
Reigning champion Tom Walsh needed just one throw to qualify for the final of the men's shot put at the World Atletics Championships in Doha.
Photo: PHOTOSPORT
The South Canterbury builder has thrown 21.92 metres with his first attempt, more than a metre over the automatic qualifying standard.
Walsh will be joined in the final by the likes of Brazil's Darlan Romani and American Darrell Hill, who also needed just one throw to advance.
New Zealand team-mate Jacko Gill, the 2011 world youth champion, also qualified with his first throw of 21.12 metres.
Tough draw for Davis Cup team
New Zealand has been drawn to play in Venezuela in their Davis Cup tennis tie in March.
Rubin Statham Photo: Photosport
New Zealand is taking part in the second tier of the men's teams competition which was revamped to allow more natons to compete in the World Group.
The winners of these ties will then join the losers from the top group in a knockout format.
New Zealand captain Alistair Hunt admits it'll be tough encounter in South America.
"It will be a great opportunity for the players to experience something different and we relish the challenge." Hunt said.
If New Zealand loses to Venezuela they will compete in a World Group 2 tie next September.
Also competing in New Zealand's round of ties is Switzerland, who won the Davis Cup in 2014.
Hawke's Bay secure home play-off game
Hawke's Bay remain top of the provincial rugby Championship standings after beating Counties Manukau 22-10 in Pukekohe.
The result secures the Bay a home semi-final, although they can still be overtaken for top spot in the Championship by Bay of Plenty.
It also means Counties Manukau will be relegated from the Premiership.
Hawke's Bay scored three tries to Counties one and led 12-3 at half time.
Phoenix stun United
New basketball franchise South East Melbourne Phoenix have stunned cross-town rivals Melbourne United to win their ANBL season opener 91-88.
Melbourne's newest sporting rivalry came to life at a packed Melbourne Arena with the upstart Phoenix holding off United in the finals second to record an impressive debut victory.
Marquee signing Mitch Creek made a stunning return to the NBL with a 28-point, 11-rebound haul and import guard John Roberson added 20 as the Phoenix overcame the loss of Tai Wesley (hamstring) in the first quarter.
United rallied from ten points down in the fourth quarter to level the scores at 84-all but Creek's clutch three-pointer put his side in sight of victory with 50 seconds to play.
The Breakers don't start their NBL campaign for another fortnight as they're involved in a pre-season series against NBA teams in the United States.
-AAP
India in control of first Test
India have taken control of the first cricket Test against South Africa in Visakhapatnam.
India declared their first innings on 502 for seven with Mayank Agarwal scoring 215 and fellow opener Rohit Sharma 176... the pair put on 317 for the first wicket.
Ravi Ashwin then took two wickets to reduce the Proteas to 39 for three at stumps on day two.
Samoa make six changes
Samoa coach Steve Jackson has made six changes to his side for tomorrow's Rugby World Cup clash against hosts Japan, throwing up the possibility of two sets of brothers being on the pitch at the same time.
Jack Lam will captain Manu Samoa for the first time. Photo: Samoa Rugby Union / Wayne Dowd
Number eight and captain Jack Lam, and his brother Seilala, who plays at hooker, will start the Pool A game at the City of Toyota Stadium.
Loose-head prop Jordan Lay has been brought into the starting XV while his brother James, also a prop who operates on the other side of the front row, is among the replacements.
Lock Piula Faasalele, scrumhalf Dwayne Polataivao, flyhalf Ulupano Seuteni and wing Ah See Tuala are the others to have been drafted into the side following Monday's 34-0 loss to Scotland.
Meanwhile Japan have made three changes, including bringing Michael Leitch back to captain the side.
Leitch comes in at flanker for Kazuki Himeno, who moves to number eight following the injury to Amanaki Mafi in the match against Ireland.
-Reuters
Brisbane player fails drugs test
Off contract Brisbane hooker James Segeyaro has been provisionally suspended by the NRL after testing positive to a banned substance.
The NRL confirmed that the PNG international had returned a positive A-sample for Ligandrol, a non-steroid anabolic agent popular with bodybuilders.
It is the same substance that has been found in Australian swimmer Shayna Jack, who faces a ban of up to four years.
The NRL said they were now awaiting the B-sample results after Segeyaro was tested by the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority on September 3 and alerted of the findings yesterday.
Segeyaro - a nine season NRL veteran - will remain sidelined as he sweats on his future.
He looks set to miss this month's World Cup Nines after being named in PNG's squad this week.
-AAP
Etzebeth to play on
Springbok lock Eben Etzebeth will line-up against Italy in a must-win Rugby World Cup Pool B clash at the Shizuoka Stadium in Japan tonight despite allegations of physical and racial abuse hanging over him.
Eben Etzebeth shows his disappointment during the Rugby Championship test match rugby union. Photo: Photosport NZ
The matter stems from an incident in the South African coastal town of Langebaan on August 25, during which a man was allegedly racially and physically abused by a group that included Etzebeth.
The South African Human Right Commission will approach the Equality Court today to ask it to hear what amounts to a civil case, a date for which will only be set later.
State prosecutors have yet to decide whether there is a case to answer.
Etzebeth has denied any wrongdoing and for now remains part of the South African squad.
-Reuters
Italy get support from space
Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano will be cheering on his team from space when they take on South Africa in their pivotal Rugby World Cup clash.
Parmitano will be watching tonight's Pool B match from the International Space Station as it orbits some 400 km above the earth.
Italy are looking to upset the Springboks and reach the knockout stages for the first time.
Parmitano, who has been in space since July, had a message for the Italian team.
"You are a team and have to work all together to reach your goal, which is that of winning," he said in a video posted by the European Space Agency and the Italian Rugby Federation.
It is not the first time Parmitano has broken new ground in space.
In August he became the first person to DJ in space when he played a set from the ISS for a club in Ibiza.
-Reuters
UEFA takes action against clubs
UEFA have opened disciplinary proceedings against six clubs including Manchester City and Real Madrid after incidents at Champions League games this week.
Manchester City and Dinamo Zagreb have both been charged after their fans threw objects while the Croatian side were also pulled up for damaging seats at the Etihad Stadium during City's 2-0 win on Tuesday.
Real Madrid were charged for a late kickoff in Tuesday's 2-2 draw with Club Brugge while the Belgian side were cited after midfielder Ruud Vormer, who was sent off after picking up a second booking, used abusive language towards a match official.
Olympiakos were charged after their fans unfurled a banner that UEFA deemed to be racist in their 3-1 loss at Red Star Belgrade. They were also charged with delaying kickoff.
Red Star were charged with improper conduct after five players, including two substitutes, picked up bookings.
-Reuters
