Today's sports news: What you need to know

Latest - The Breakers have beaten the defending champion Perth Wildcats for the second time in as many weeks to keep alive their slim Australian basketball league playoff hopes.

They have edged the Wildcats 86-84 in Tasmania, with import Levi Randolph scoring the game-winning basket with a second left on the clock.

Randolph led the Breakers with 19 points, while captain Tom Abercrombie scored 14 and Tai Webster contributed 12 points, four assists and three rebounds in his return from injury.

The Breakers remain second to bottom in the nine-team competition, but are now five wins adrift of the top four, having played two games fewer.

They are back in action against the fifth-placed Illawarra Hawks tomorrow night.

Ko fades to seventh

New Zealander Lydia Ko has finished in a tie for seventh place at the Women's World Championship in Singapore.

She carded a final round one-under 71 to finish six shots astray of winner Hyo Joo Kim of South Korea.

Ko had been well-placed after three rounds, tied for fifth place and four shots off the lead.

But although she managed two birdies in the first six holes today, she couldn't rediscover that momentum over the back nine, with only a bogey at the par-four 11th to break up a succession of par finishes.

Kim's eight-under par final round of 64 earned her the title with a four round score of 17-under par.

However, it was Australian Hannah Green's failure to see out the last two holes in regulation that ultimately gave Kim first place, Green's back-to-back bogeys leaving her one shot astray in second place.

Williamson named Hyderabad captain as Warner is dumped

Black Caps captain Kane Williamson has replaced David Warner as captain of the Sunrisers Hyderabad as the former champions seek to turn around their flagging Indian Premier League campaign.

Hyderabad languish bottom of the table in the eight-team tournament having managed one win in their six matches under Warner, who led them to their maiden IPL title in 2016.

"This decision has not come lightly as the management respects the enormous impact David Warner has had for the franchise over a number of years," the team said in a statement.

"The team management has also made the decision that they will be changing their overseas combination for tomorrow's (Sunday's) match against Rajasthan Royals," Hyderabad added.

Warner lamented his slow batting in Wednesday's defeat by Chennai Super Kings and took full responsibility for the loss.

Williamson missed Hyderabad's first three matches with an elbow injury and scored 16, 66 and 26 without being dismissed in the last three games.

- Reuters

Frustrating draw for Phoenix

The Wellington Phoenix have missed a chance to return to sixth in the A-League.

The Phoenix have been held to a 0-0 draw by the Brisbane Roar in a rain-soaked match in Redcliffe.

Wellington have slipped to ninth on the ladder, two points outside the top six, after the Western Sydney Wanderers beat Sydney FC 3-2 to climb into seventh.

The Phoenix will next travel to face Adelaide United on Friday night, but will be without two regulars due to suspension.

Both midfielder Cameron Devlin and right back Louis Fenton picked up their fifth yellow cards of the season against the Roar.

City pull 13 points clear

Manchester City moved to the brink of a third Premier League title in four seasons as a piece of magic by Sergio Aguero set them on the way to a 2-0 victory at Crystal Palace.

Pep Guardiola's side were totally dominant but missing a cutting edge until Aguero's stunning half-volley finish just before the hour mark broke Palace's resolve at Selhurst Park.

A minute later Ferran Torres's clinical low shot doubled City's advantage and they could have racked up a bigger margin of victory as they turned on the style with Raheem Sterling denied by the woodwork and Joao Cancelo also going close.

With four games left City have 80 points, 13 ahead of Manchester United who host Liverpool on Sunday (Monday morning NZT) knowing that defeat would seal the title for their neighbours.

Should United draw they could still mathematically catch City but their goal difference is far inferior. If United win, City can seal the title by beating Chelsea next weekend.

In other results, Chelsea have tightened their grip on fourth place with a 2-0 win over relegation threatened Fulham, Aston Villa have moved up to ninth with a 2-1 win at Everton and Brighton and Hove Albion have pulled 10 points clear of the relegation zone by beating Leeds United 2-0.

- Reuters

Hasan Ali leads Pakistan to emphatic win

Seamer Hasan Ali took nine wickets in the match as Pakistan defeated hosts Zimbabwe by an innings and 116 runs after tea on the third day of the first test at the Harare Sports Club.

Hasan moved past 50 test wickets as he took a career-best 5-36 to help bowl Zimbabwe out for 134. He recorded figures of 4-53 during the home side's first-innings score of 176.

Pakistan posted 426 in reply, anchored by Fawad Alam's superb 140 which put the tourists into a commanding position.

"We had planned to put 300-plus on the board (as a lead), and then bowl them out for 150-200," Pakistan captain Babar Azam said in the post-match presentation. "It was an outstanding finish by Hasan."

The second and final test will be played at the same venue from Friday.

- Reuters

Mercedes lock out the front row in Portugal

Valtteri Bottas took pole position for the Portuguese Grand Prix to deny Mercedes team mate and championship leader Lewis Hamilton a record-extending 100th by a mere 0.007 of a second.

Seven-times Formula One world champion Hamilton, winner from pole last year at the Algarve circuit, completed a first front row sweep of the season for his team.

Red Bull's Max Verstappen, a point behind Hamilton after two races, will start third after having his first flying lap on soft tyres of one minute 18.209 seconds deleted for running too wide.

But for that mistake on a gusty but bright afternoon at a rollercoaster of a circuit, the Dutch youngster's time would have been the fastest.

Bottas took pole in 1:18.348, setting the time with his first flying lap on soft tyres before switching to the medium compound.

It was the Finn's 17th pole, lifting him level with Britain's triple champion Jackie Stewart in the all-time list, and first since Bahrain's Sakhir Grand Prix last December.

- Reuters

Bulls and Nuggets on the board in the NBL

The Franklin Bulls and Otago Nuggets have posted their first wins of the National Basketball League season in contrasting fashion.

The Bulls have edged the Manawatu Jets 100-99 in their home opener in south Auckland.

Josh Selby top scored for Franklin with 27 points, while Zane Waterman scored 25.

The Nuggets meanwhile downed the Taranaki Mountainairs 93-66 in Dunedin.

Import Isaiah Moss led Otago with 28 points, while Sam Timmins had a double-double with 22 points and 18 rebounds.