16 Oct 2021

Today's sports news: What you need to know

7:42 pm on 16 October 2021

Latest - Stephen Fleming has won the battle of the New Zealand coaches in the Indian Premier League final.

Stephen Fleming, coach of Chennai Superkings.

Stephen Fleming Photo: PHOTOSPORT

Fleming's Chennai Super Kings claimed their fourth IPL title with a 27-run win over Brendon McCullum's Kolkata Knight Riders in Dubai.

Put into bat, Chennai amassed 192-3 with opener Faf du Plessis anchoring their innings with 86 off 59 balls.

Ruturaj Gaikwad made 32, while Robin Uthappa (31) and Moeen Ali (37 not out) chipped in with useful cameos.

Kolkata got off to a flying start with a 91-run stand between openers Shubman Gill and Venkatesh Iyer before wheels came off their innings and they finished on 165-9.

Only four Kolkata batsmen managed double digit scores, including New Zealand bowler Lockie Ferguson who finished the game unbeaten on 18.

Fox in form in Spain as Campbell misses cut

New Zealand golfer Ryan Fox has continued his strong start to the Andalucia Masters.

New Zealand golfer Ryan Fox

Ryan Fox Photo: PHOTOSPORT

After the second round, Fox is tied for second, one shot off the lead at the latest European Tour tournament in Spain.

Fox shot a two-under par second round, to be tied with Matthew Fitzpatrick, Sebastian Söderberg and Laurie Canter at three-under for the tournament.

Fitzpatrick was leading the field until he shot a double bogey on the final hole of the round.

France's Romain Langaque took the lead after recording an eagle on the 17th hole.

Fellow New Zealander Michael Campbell recorded a 12-over par second round to be placed 124th in the 125 player field.

Venus and Puetz edged in semis

Venus and German partner Tim Puetz have been beaten 6-3 4-6 10-5 by Russians Andrey Rublev and Aslan Karatsev in their men's doubles semi-final at the Indian Wells Masters.

Michael Venus

Michael Venus Photo: Photosport

The Russian combination dominated the opening set, taking just 30 minutes to jump ahead.

Karatsev dropped serve early in the second set, Puetz then saving a break point to consolidate lead 3-1.

Games went with serve throughout the remainder of the set, but Venus had a nervous moment serving for the set at 5-4 when he was taken to deuce before a powerful first serve saw Puetz put away an easy volley to clinch the set.

Venus and Puetz got an early mini break in the tiebreak and led 3-0 but quickly surrendered the advantage when the Russians won the next five points in a row.

Venus and Puetz defeated second seeds and US Open champions Joe Salisbury and Rajeev Ram in the second round and fifth seeds Kevin Krawietz and Horia Tecau in the quarter-finals.

Cycling New Zealand bring in new management role

Cycling New Zealand has appointed Dr Monica Robbers to the new position of chief operating officer for a six-month term, starting on Monday.

The role has been established in the wake of the Independent Cycling New Zealand and High Performance Sport New Zealand Inquiry that was announced on 21 September.

The appointment will allow Cycling New Zealand's chief executive, Jacques Landry, to concentrate on all work related to the Inquiry, as well as the parallel Coronial Inquiry.

Robbers has previously worked as general manager strategy, intelligence, and networks at High Performance Sport New Zealand and senior manager at the Independent Police Conduct Authority.

New Zealand back on World Rally Championship schedule

New Zealand will host a round of the World Rally Championship next year as one of 13 stops on the 2022 schedule.

Hayden Paddon, Mayor Phil Goff and Rally NZ CEO Michael Goldstein at the launch of the WRC Rally New Zealand.

Photo: Supplied

The full WRC calendar for the start of the category's new Rally1 hybrid era was ratified following a meeting of the World Motor Sport Council.

New Zealand had been set to make a return in 2020, having last featured in 2012, but Covid-19 restrictions prevented that.

New Zealand will host round 11 of the WRC from September 29 to October 2.

China dropped and Miami joins F1 schedule

Formula One's governing body approved a record 23-race calendar for 2022, with the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai missing for the third year in a row due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

F1 Hungary

Photo: PHOTOSPORT

Races in Australia, Singapore, Canada and Japan - all cancelled for the past two seasons - were included in a season that marks the start of a new era for the sport with a major regulation change.

"Due to ongoing pandemic conditions, China will not be included on the 2022 calendar. China will be restored to the calendar as soon as conditions allow," Formula One said in a statement.

The season will start at Bahrain's Sakhir circuit on 20 March and end at Abu Dhabi's Yas Marina on 20 November, the championship's earliest finish since 2010.

Formula One is keen to avoid a clash with the football World Cup which kicks off in Qatar in late November.

The Miami Grand Prix on 8 May will be the sport's sole new race for 2022, providing a second round in the United States. The U.S. Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, is on 23 October.

This year was also supposed to have 23 races but ended up with 22, using Turkey's Istanbul Park and Portugal's Portimao circuits as stand-ins to fill gaps left by cancellations while Saudi Arabia and Qatar debut.

The 2020 season had only 17 races.

Six races next year are expected to be under a new Sprint format trialled this year at Silverstone and Monza with a third to come at Interlagos in Brazil next month.

- Reuters