10 Nov 2019

Today's sports news: what you need to know

11:10 am on 10 November 2019

Latest - Leicester City have beaten Arsenal 2-0 at the King Power Stadium to move into second place in the English Premier League.

Jamie Vardy and Ayoze Perez of Leicester City.

Jamie Vardy and Ayoze Perez of Leicester City. Photo: PHOTOSPORT

Leicester have 26 points and are above Chelsea on goal difference. They now lead champions Manchester City by a point ahead of their trip to leaders Liverpool.

Earlier, Chelsea notched a sixth successive EPL win as they beat Crystal Palace 2-nil at Stamford Bridge, while Tottenham Hotspur's winless run continued as they were held to a draw at home by Sheffield United.

West Ham United's winless streak extended to six games as they suffered a 3-0 defeat to Burnley.

- Reuters

McLaughlin edges closer to back-to-back titles

A disastrous Sandown showing has all but ended Shane Van Gisbergen's slim Supercars championship title hopes.

Van Gisbergen's first-lap crash in Saturday's 60km sprint race resulted in a costly DNF which left him with no points and extended Scott McLaughlin's championship lead to 500 points.

Even if the New Zealand driver hauls himself from the back of the grid to win today's Sandown 500, it may not be enough to keep the title race alive.

Fellow Kiwi Scott McLaughlin's lead is so big that even if he finishes dead last in 25th he'll claim the points needed to secure the championship.

Van Gisbergen can only keep the title race alive if he wins and McLaughlin fails to finish.

Holden star Jamie Whincup will start the Sandown 500 from pole position

- AAP

Bert Sutcliffe record falls in Dunedin

A massive 7th-wicket stand in a Plunket Shield match in Dunedin yesterday has broken a record set by New Zealand cricket legend Bert Sutcliffe.

The 190-run seventh wicket stand between Nathan Smith and Michael Rippon for Otago against Northern Districts, shattered the mark set by Sutcliffe in a 1952 match, in which he scored his highest first-class tally of 385.

The left-hander dominated that record partnership of 182, set with Alan Gilbertson at Lancaster Park.

Smith's maiden first-class century also ensured that the Otago Volts hauled in the first-innings deficit against Northern Districts, the hosts leading by 54 at stumps.

Windies seal series win over Afghanistan

The West Indies have defeated Afghanistan by 47 runs to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in their three-match one-day international series.

Naveen-ul-Haq took 3-60 as the Windies were restricted to 9-247 at Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow, India.

Nicholas Pooran and Evin Lewis made half-centuries, Shai Hope hit 43 and Shimron Hetmyer 34, but only Pooran scored at more than a run a ball in his 67 from 50 deliveries.

Afghanistan, though, were always behind the rate despite stands of 53 between Rahmat Shah (33) and Hazratullah Zazai (23) and 68 between Najibullah Zadran (56) and Mohammad Nabi (32).

Roston Chase, Sheldon Cottrell and Hayden Walsh took three wickets each as Afghanistan were bowled out for 200.

- PA

Australia chasing Fed Cup glory

Ashleigh Barty will carry the hopes of the nation on her shoulders today when she takes on Kristina Mladenovic in the reverse singles in the Fed Cup final in Perth.

The world No.1 will open proceedings on the final day of competition at RAC Arena with Australia and France tied at 1-1 in the best-of-five rubbers format.

Australia are chasing their first Fed Cup title in 45 years and the clash between Barty and French No.1 Mladenovic will go a long way towards deciding who lifts the trophy.

Barty delivered a masterclass under pressure on Saturday, needing less than an hour to dispatch former world No.4 Garcia 6-0 6-0.

The result evened the ledger after Mladenovic drew first blood for France with a 6-1 6-1 routing of nerve-rattled Fed Cup debutant Tomljanovic.

One of just 11 players to defeat Barty in singles in 2019, world No.40 Mladenovic utilised her lethal forehand to devastating effect in Saturday's win over Tomljanovic.

- AAP

Ko drops down the field

New Zealand golfer Lydia Ko has dropped down the field at her latest LPGA event in Japan.

Lydia Ko

] Lydia Ko Photo: PHOTOSPORT

Ko fired a four under par 68 to be tied for third after the first round of the Toto Japan Classic.

But Ko is now tied for 27th after a second round 74. She's 10 shots behind the leader Ai Suzuki of Japan

Ko has had just four top 10 finishes this year.

Meanwhile, fellow New Zealander Ryan Fox is now tied for 25th after three rounds of the Turkish Open after starting the day in a share of 33.