Latest - Defending men's champions the Wellington Firebirds have booked themselves a home grand final in the Super Smash T20 competition.
The Firebirds whalloped the Central Stags by 8 wickets, after a whirlwind batting performance from Wellington opener Finn Allen.
Finn Allen of the Wellington Firebirds. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
The Stags set the hosts a modest target of 165 in their 20 overs at Wellington's Basin Reserve before Allen blasted the Stags bowling attack.
The 21-year-old reached his half ton from just 16 deliveries on his way to 66 from 26.
The win locks in top spot for the Firebirds and finals hosting rights.
Earlier, the Wellington Blaze leapfrogged Canterbury to go to the top of the women's T20 cricket ladder after beating the Central Hinds by 37 runs.
The Blaze set a target of 163 from their 20 overs, with White Ferns' Sophie Devine and Amelia Kerr scoring 88 and 38 respectively at the Basin Reserve.
Botha double gives Bulls dramatic victory in Currie Cup final
Replacement loose forward Arno Botha scored two tries to lift the Bulls to a 26-19 extra-time victory over the visiting Sharks, securing a first South African Currie Cup title since 2009 in the final at Loftus Versfeld.
Botha's second try from close-range came two minutes from the end of the second half of extra-time in a match that stretched almost three hours having been interrupted in the first half due to lightning strikes close to the ground.
Experienced first-five Morne Steyn also kicked three penalties for the home side who added another from his replacement Chris Smith, while the Sharks' points came via a try for wing Sbu Nkosi, and four penalties and a conversion from number 10 Curwin Bosch.
Both teams missed kickable penalties in the game, with Bosch particularly wasteful as he sent five wide of the posts having had opportunities to wrap up the title in normal time.
The game was halted in the first half by the lightning, but there was little in the way of electricity in the play in a stop-start, error-strewn contest.
There was one moment of magic as Sharks fullback Aphelele Fassi broke the Bulls line and fed Bok wing Nkosi to cross over in the corner and give his side a 13-9 lead at the break.
The game opened up in the second period with the Bulls largely dominating possession and finally getting reward as Botha burrowed over the try-line from close range to close the gap to three points.
A penalty by Smith drew the home side level with a minute to play, but he spurned the chance to claim the win when he missed a kickable penalty after the hooter at the end of the game, only for Botha to spare his blushes.
-Reuters
Relief for Newcastle as Wilson double sinks Everton
Newcastle United celebrated their first Premier League win in 10 games and lifted some pressure off manager Steve Bruce after two goals from Callum Wilson gave them a 2-0 win at Everton.
The 16th-placed Magpies put some distance between themselves and the bottom three after Wilson scored his 50th and 51st Premier League goals, leaving them on 22 points from 21 games.
The result left them nine points above 18th-placed Fulham who have two games in hand and the performance will have been a confidence boost for Bruce, who came under intense scrutiny during the barren run.
Everton stayed seventh on 33 points from 19 games after a flat performance, as Wilson missed two chances before he fired the visitors ahead with a brilliiant header in the 73rd minute.
-Reuters
France to trim Six Nations squad to set up tournament bubble
France are to cut their Six Nations squad from 37 to 31 players as they set up a bubble to avoid COVID-19 contaminations, the French league and federation said.
The initial agreement between the national league (LNR) and the federation (FFR) said that the France squad would feature 37 players and an extra five for training sessions, with nine of them being allowed to return for club duty when needed.
Under the new agreement, the 31 players will remain within the squad for the duration of the Six Nations, which starts on Feb. 6 and ends on March 20.
"The health situation requires us to take new measures to limit the risks associated with the movement of players entering and leaving the France squad during the period of the Six Nations," the FFR and LNR said in a joint statement.
"At the request of the FFR, the FFR and the LNR have therefore agreed to have a squad of 31 players from Jan. 31 and for the whole duration of the tournament."
The FFR and the LNR said that should a player be called on to replace an injured team mate, they would need to follow a strict protocol.
France start their campaign with a trip to Italy.
-Reuters
