27 Jul 2019

Today's sports news: What you need to know

10:08 pm on 27 July 2019

Latest - The Parramatta Eels have beaten the New Zealand Warriors 24-22 in a frenetic National Rugby league clash, which may be remembered more for its refereeing decisions.

Roger Tuivasa-Sheck

Roger Tuivasa-Sheck Photo: Photosport

The Warriors came close to going ahead with less than four minutes remaining when inspirational captain and fullback Roger Tuivasa-Sheck sent Gerard Beale clear only for his flick pass to be judged forward.

Fullback Clint Gutherson, playmaker Mitchell Moses and winger Mika Sivo were all prominent as Parramatta solidified a place in the top eight while harming the Warriors finals aspirations by ending their three-match winning streak.

The Warriors, who provisionally dropped to 11th, hung in until the end despite being on the wrong end of a 9-2 penalty count in Sydney.

Whincup wins opening SuperSprint race

Jamie Whincup

Jamie Whincup Photo: Photosport

Seven-time Supercars champion Jamie Whincup has ended his longest winless streak in 13 years after capitalising on a stunning first lap in the opening race at the Ipswich SuperSprint.

Whincup hadn't won in 24 races, dating back to September 16 last year at Sandown, in what had been his longest drought since joining Triple Eight in 2006.

Holden star Whincup had started second on the grid and overtook championship leader Scott McLaughlin on the second turn.

New Zealand driver McLaughlin - having won six of the past seven races - fell out of podium contention when Chaz Mostert took him at the halfway point.

McLaughlin had secured a 100th pole position for the team.

Will Davison made it one-two finish for Red Bull Holden, while Tickford Racing star Mostert came third.

- AAP

Aussie swimmer fails doping test

Swimming Australia has confirmed rising star Shayna Jack has failed a doping test.

After initially claiming Jack had left the team before the world titles for "personal reasons", Swimming Australia said the 20-year-old had failed a routine out-of-competition drug test in late June.

Jack also confirmed the positive test on Instagram.

"It is with great sadness and heartache that I had to leave due to allegations of having a prohibited substance in my system," she posted.

"I did NOT take this substance knowingly ...now there is an ongoing investigation and my team and I are doing everything we can to find out when and how this substance has come into contact with my body."

- AAP

Aussie captain sets new 20/20 record

Captain Meg Lanning made a mockery of the Chelmsford cauldron, smashing a world record unbeaten 133 to lead Australia's women to their best ever Twenty20 score, hitting 3-226 and thrashing England by 93 runs at the hosts' favourite ground.

Australian captain Meg Lanning hits out against the White Ferns.

Australian captain Meg Lanning hits out against the White Ferns. Photo: Photosport

England hadn't lost at Essex's County Ground in 14 internationals, but from the moment Lanning arrived at the crease in the first over, their record was on borrowed time and Australia easily clinched the Ashes series.

In reply, England could only manage to equal Lannings's score, ending at nine for 133, with lower order hitting from Katherine Brunt (29 not out) and Laura Marsh (25) sparing their side the humiliation of losing by three figures.

Lanning topped her previous best score of 126 against Ireland in Bangladesh in 2014, a joint world best, off 63 balls with 17 fours and seven sixes.

- AAP

Ko misses rare major cut

New Zealand golfer Lydia Ko has missed the cut at a major for just the second time in her career.

After a horror opeing round at the Evian Championship in France, Ko carded a two-over par second round on Saturday (NZ time) to finish at nine-over, seven shots below the cut line.

CARLSBAD, CA - MARCH 28: Lydia Ko on the fourth hole green during the first round of the Kia Classic LPGA Golf Tournamenton March 28, 2019, at Aviara Golf Course in Carlsbad, CA. (Photo by Will Powers/Icon Sportswire)

Photo: ©Icon Sportswire (A Division of XML Team Solutions) All Rights Reserved

South Korea's Mi-Hyang Lee was the halfway leader at 10-under par.

Lee recovered from a double-bogey to card a four-under 67, after starting one-stroke off the lead.

One stroke behind is fellow South Korean Kim Hyo-joo, who needed just 26 putts on her way to a bogey-free 64.

Kim's compatriots Park Sung-hyun and Inbee Park joined her at nine-under overall after carding impressive rounds of 66 and 68, respectively.

- RNZ, Reuters

Tall Ferns notch another win

The Tall Ferns basketballers remain on track to defend their title at the William Jones Cup in Taiwan.

The New Zealand women's side have three wins from three after a convincing second half performance led them to a 97-78 victory over Chinese Taipei B on Friday.

Tall Ferns player Stella Beck.

Tall Ferns player Stella Beck. Photo: Photosport

For the third consecutive game Micaela Cocks led the New Zealand scoring. The tournament's leading scorer dropped 21 points in the opener against the Philippines, 20 yesterday against Korea and 21 points again in game three.

Also impressive was Stella Beck, who missed just one shot on her way to 18 points, while Penina Davidson posted 15 points and 9 rebounds and Charlisse Leger-Walker was the fourth Kiwi in double figures with 13 points.

In addition, there were productive contributions from Tessa Boagni (9 points) and Kalani Purcell (8 points and 8 rebounds).

Two thrillers in NRL

South Sydney have broken St George Illawarra's hearts with a Campbell Graham try on the siren giving the Rabbitohs a heart-stopping 20-16 win.

In one of the best finishes in several years, the Rabbitohs snatched victory from the jaws of the defeat at ANZ Stadium on Friday night to extend their winning streak to four matches and cement second spot on the ladder.

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. Photo: © Copyright Andrew Cornaga / www.photosport.nz Photosport Ltd 2018

The Dragons slumped to their 10th loss in their last 12 starts but can hold their heads high after almost storming over the top of Wayne Bennett's side.

Meanwhile, a resurgent Wests Tigers have celebrated Robbie Farah's 300th first grade game - and moved within reach of the NRL top eight - with a thrilling 28-26 win over Newcastle.

The Tigers' finals hopes looked grim when the Knights shot out to a 12-0 lead inside the opening seven minutes at McDonald Jones Stadium.

However, Michael Maguire's side showed plenty of character to claim the halftime lead and then hold their nerve in a high-scoring affair.

Knights star Kalyn Ponga, who was arguably his team's best, had a chance to level the game in the 70th minute but hooked his conversion attempt right.

Home grown hopes hit on Tour

Colombian Egan Bernal has been catapulted into the overall lead of the Tour de France in dramatic circumstances as the 19th stage was stopped early because of a hailstorm after French hopes had faded away.

Team Ineos rider Bernal, who began the day a minute and a half behind, had overhauled France's Julian Alaphilippe during the climb up the Col de l'Iseran on a devastating day for the host nation.

Alaphilippe began eating back into the lead with a brilliant descent, only to be told to stop riding after organisers called the race off because of the dangerous conditions ahead.

They later confirmed that there would be no stage winner for the first time in the race's history.

On what was effectively the penultimate stage, France's hopes of a first home-grown winner since Bernard Hinault in 1985 came to a brutal, heartbreaking halt after Thibaut Pinot was also forced to abandon the race with a thigh injury.

The race timings were taken by hand from the top of Col de l'Iseran and gave Bernal a lead of 45 seconds going into the final mountain stage, as he seeks to become the first Colombian to win the Tour.

- Reuters

Bancroft back for Ashes

Cameron Bancroft, Matthew Wade and Mitchell Marsh have earned recalls to Australia's 17-man touring party for the Ashes series against England, while uncapped Queenslander Michael Neser is a surprise selection in the pace attack.

Cameron Bancroft.

Cameron Bancroft. Photo: © Photosport Ltd 2017

Opener Bancroft earned a spot in the squad with an unbeaten match-winning knock of 93 on day three of the intra-squad clash in Southampton on Thursday.

The 26-year-old's return means all three players - along with Steve Smith and David Warner - who were banned after the South Africa ball-tampering scandal feature in the squad and could all lineup for the first test at Edgbaston starting on August 1.

Wade, who last played a test in September 2017, edged out Alex Carey as the squad's reserve wicketkeeper-batsman behind captain Tim Paine, while all-rounder Marnus Labuschagne will serve as a second spinning option alongside Nathan Lyon.

- Reuters

Malinga signs off ODIs in style

Fast bowler Lasith Malinga said goodbye to one-day cricket in style as his devastating opening spell helped Sri Lanka beat Bangladesh by 91 runs.

Malinga, known for his blond-tinted hair and the distinctive slingshot action, received a guard of honour from his team mates at the start of the second innings at a packed R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Saturday.

The Sri Lanka fast bowler Lasith Malinga.

The Sri Lanka fast bowler Lasith Malinga. Photo: PHOTOSPORT

The 35-year-old did not disappoint his fans as he produced an inswinging yorker to remove Bangladesh opener Tamim Iqbal with just his fifth ball of the innings.

In his final over, Malinga dismissed tailender Mustafizur Rahman with a slower ball to finish as the pick of the bowlers with 3-38.

Sri Lanka bowled out Bangladesh for 223 and took 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

Malinga finished with 338 wickets from 226 ODIs for Sri Lanka, the third highest for the island country behind Muttiah Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas.

- Reuters