Today's sports news: What you need to know

The England cricket team will tour Australia for their five-test Ashes series beginning in December, subject to several critical conditions being met before they travel.

Cricket Australia, the ECB and Australian authorities had been negotiating for months over the touring conditions in a country where international arrivals have to isolate in quarantine hotels for 14 days, regardless of Covid-19 vaccination status.

But, in a statement on Saturday (NZ time), the ECB said excellent progress had been made in recent weeks.

"To facilitate further progress and allow a squad to be selected, the ECB Board has met today and given its approval for the tour to go ahead. This decision is subject to several critical conditions being met before we travel.

"We look forward to the ongoing assistance from Cricket Australia in resolving these matters in the coming days."

A major issue was whether family members could join England players in Australia over the Christmas and New Year period. The country's borders are effectively closed to non-citizens and non-permanent residents.

England captain Joe Root had also previously expressed doubts about the tour due to "bubble fatigue".

Australian media reported authorities are offering England's players, staff and families the use of a Gold Coast resort in Queensland state for quarantine before the opening test starts in Brisbane on December 8.

England will play in the Twenty20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates and Oman starting this month before heading to Australia, likely keeping some players who feature in both competitions away from home for four months.

- Reuters

Fire raises doubts over England match

A fire broke out at Andorra's national stadium the day before the country are due to host England in a Group I World Cup qualifier.

Sky Sports UK posted videos showing a television gantry at the side of the pitch between the two sets of team benches engulfed in flames and giving off plumes of thick, black smoke.

There were no reports of injuries, but the blaze raised concerns that the match may be affected since the flames were right beside the stadium's artificial pitch.

Sky added that a fire crew had arrived at the stadium to put out the flames but that the gantry had sustained serious damage, which could affect television coverage of the match.

England's players had been training at the 3,300 capacity stadium three hours before the blaze broke out.

It was not immediately clear what had caused the fire.

- Reuters

Name change for ND cricket teams

The Northern Districts mens' and women's T20 cricket teams have adopted a new name.

Known as the Knights in the men's competitions and the Spirit on the women's side, both teams would now be known as the Northern Brave for the New Zealand domestic T20 competition.

In making the change, Northern Districts became the country's first major association to bring their two senior teams under the same name.

Northern Districts first embarked on this change in 2017, but New Zealand Cricket had to put the project on hold due to challenges presented by Covid-19.

However, Northern Districts' CEO Ben MacCormack and the Northern Districts Board agreed to continue to push on with the project, with the key objective to establish a unified identity to inspire the next generation and grow the game.

The 2021-22 domestic T20 competitions were set to start in November.

Rashford recognised for child poverty work

Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford has become the youngest recipient of an honorary doctorate from The University of Manchester for his campaign against child poverty.

The England international earned widespread praise after successfully campaigning for school food vouchers to be provided over the summer holidays in Britain, revealing that he had relied on such support as a boy.

The 23-year-old Rashford joins club greats Alex Ferguson and Bobby Charlton in receiving the honorary doctorate, the highest honour the university bestows.

"To be here in the presence of a great such as Sir Alex and those who played a huge role in my journey to where I am today is very special. I appreciate you all making the time for me today," Rashford said at a ceremony at Old Trafford.

"I'm here to receive my honorary doctorate for my work around child poverty. Yesterday, millions of families across the UK lost a lifeline and a means of staying afloat," he added, referring to the UK government ending a temporary increase of 20 pounds ($27) in weekly benefit payments to support the country's poorest families.

"A move that could see child poverty rise to 1 in 3 children. For that reason, today is bittersweet. It's time that representatives got out into communities like mine. It's time they saw first-hand the true measure of struggle.

"COVID-19 can no longer be used as an excuse."

Rashford had helped to raise around 20 million pounds with charity Fareshare UK to supply meals to struggling families during the COVID-19 pandemic.

- Reuters

Fox falls off pace in Spain

New Zealand golfer Ryan Fox has fallen off the pace at the Spanish Open.

The Auckland was tied for seventh at six-under par after the first round of the European Tour event.

But, with the rest of the leading contenders all going under par on day two, Fox could only manage an even-par second round of 71.

It saw him stalled at six-under for the tournament, now seven shots behind outright leader Will Besseling of The Netherlands.

Spanish world No 1 Jon Rahm was just one shot back at 12-under par.

Hamilton hot in Turkish GP practice

Mercedes Formula One world championship leader Lewis Hamilton smashed the track record in Turkish Grand Prix practice, while Red Bull rival Max Verstappen was out of sorts and off the pace.

Verstappen was second in the morning session at Istanbul Park, 0.425 behind his Mercedes rival, and only fifth in the afternoon when he was slower than Mexican team mate Sergio Perez.

Hamilton will have a 10-place grid penalty for Sunday's race after exceeding his season's engine allocation but Mercedes hope he will be able to make up places at a track with good overtaking opportunities.

Verstappen, two points behind Hamilton with seven races remaining, was 0.635 slower in the second session on a clear afternoon.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc ended the day second and 0.166 off Hamilton's time.

Hamilton's team mate Valtteri Bottas, who will be expected to make the most of the Briton's penalty, was fourth and third respectively on a track with much more grip than last year's slippery surface.

- Reuters

Indonesia, Thailand want WADA to reconsider

Indonesia and Thailand will ask the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to reconsider its decision to declare them non-compliant.

WADA announced on Friday (NZ time) the National Anti-Doping Agencies (NADOs) of North Korea and Indonesia were ruled to be non-compliant for not implementing effective testing programs.

Thailand was declared non-compliant after failing to fully implement the 2021 Anti-Doping Code, WADA added.

Indonesia's sports minister Zainudin Amali told reporters that the country wrote to WADA explaining that the COVID-19 pandemic had prevented it from extracting enough samples from athletes and sending them to WADA.

A spokesman for Indonesia's badminton association said three tournaments in Bali -- the Indonesia Masters, Indonesia Open, and BWF World Tour Finals -- would proceed as planned in November and December despite the WADA sanction.

The declaration of non-compliance means the three countries are ineligible to be awarded the right to host regional, continental or world championships during their suspension.

Representatives of the countries are also ineligible to sit as members of the boards on committees until their nations are reinstated or for a period of one year, whichever is longer.

- Reuters