Category: 6. Sports

  • Cooper Connolly breaks multiple records; also equals Brett Lee in elite list- The Week

    Cooper Connolly breaks multiple records; also equals Brett Lee in elite list- The Week

    While they lost their fifth successive bilateral ODI series to South Africa earlier this week, Australia capped off the three-match series with a consolation win of epic proportions. The hosts posted their second-highest ODI total of all time and the highest at home, en route to a mammoth 276-run win against the Proteas. While the batters ruled the roost for Australia, their left-arm spinner Cooper Connolly created an all-time record with the ball in the run fest.

    The 22-year-old came into the attack with the game already virtually sealed for the World Champions. In fact, once they got to 431/2 in their 50 overs, the result seemed a foregone conclusion, even if you factor in the history of that epic 434 run chase in 2006 by a different generation of South African cricketers.

    With such a big target, the visitors attacked from ball one and were three down in no time. Dewald Brevis and Tony de Zorzi then stitched a partnership to lend respectability to proceedings before Connolly came into the attack. He removed both set batters and from there on, the innings imploded in a flash. South Africa were bowled in just 24.5 overs with Connolly registering figures of 5-22 from six overs. 

    Here are some of his major records.

     *Youngest Australian to register a five-wicket haul in ODIs 

     

    *Best figures by an Australian spinner in ODIs

     

    *First South African spinner to take an ODI five-wicket haul against South Africa

     

    *Joint second-best bowling figures by an Australian bowler against South Africa in ODIs, level with Brett Lee

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  • Czechia mount spectacular comeback to beat Slovenia in five

    Clearly outblocking their rivals, with middle blocker Nika Milosic shining at the net, Slovenia stayed in control for the most part of the first two sets and took a 2-0 lead. They managed an early lead in set three as well, but this is when the Czechs scored five in a row to step in front and launch their spectacular comeback. Even in the tie-breaker, Czechia came back from an 8-5 deficit to turn the course of events around to a successful ending that came on 22-year-old middle Ela Koulisiani’s overpass kill for the match winner.

    20-year-old opposite Monika Brancuska led the winning side with a match-high 24 points, including two aces and two kill blocks. The two outside hitters chipped in with 15 points apiece. 37-year-old standout Helena Grozer’s tally included three kill blocks, while captain Michaela Mlejnkova put up two of those. Spiking at a 56% success rate, middle blocker Magdalena Jehlarova also reached the double digits with 11 points.

    “In the first two sets, we were playing like in the first match. We were in our bubble and this was no volleyball,” coach Athanasopoulos told VBTV. “After that, suddenly everything changed. I want to thank the girls for the reaction and the performance. They gave me the best birthday present and we can celebrate today, but we have one more very important game against USA. We will try everything to win it.”

    While 22-year-old outside Fatoumatta Sillah was Slovenia’s most prolific scorer with 23 points, it was 20-year-old middle blocker Nika Milosic that really shined on their team on Sunday. She raised as many as six of the team’s 14 kill blocks in the match, fired an ace and registered a remarkable 79% success rate in attack to finish with 18 points. Slovenia’s other outside, 22-year-old Lorena Lorber Fijok, and opposite Eva Zatkovic finished with 16 and 11 points, respectively.

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  • South Africa vs Brazil LIVE: Watch Women’s Rugby World Cup, TV stream, latest score, updates & lineups

    South Africa vs Brazil LIVE: Watch Women’s Rugby World Cup, TV stream, latest score, updates & lineups

    South Africa vs Brazil LIVE: Watch Women’s Rugby World Cup, TV stream, latest score, updates & lineups – BBC Sport

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  • Netherlands prevail over Egypt for second win at Thailand 2025

    The Netherlands prevailed over Egypt on all scoring counts, most substantially in attack with 44 successful swings against just 25 from the African team. 21-year-old opposite Nicole Van De Vosse registered an impressive 77% success rate in spiking to lead the way with a 12-point match high, including one ace and one kill block. Swinging with 70% success, 22-year-old outside hitter Iris Vos put away two kill blocks and an ace as well to reach the double digits with 10 points. With nine points to her name, outside Mariam Metwally Mohamed Morsy (Meeto) was Egypt’s leading scorer of the match.

    “I really like that we kept a really good level. We prepared well, of course, with video, but we had to go out from our own game. I think we kept that really clean and you saw that we made it out really well, so I am happy,” Dutch opposite Elles Dambrink told VBTV. “Having a good blocking game gives us a lot of confidence for the next matches.”

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  • Slick Ireland shine against spirited Japan

    Slick Ireland shine against spirited Japan



    NORTHAMPTON – Ireland opened their Rugby World Cup 2025 campaign with a convincing win at Franklin’s Gardens on Sunday but Japan more than played their part in an entertaining Pool C contest.

    NORTHAMPTON – Ireland opened their Rugby World Cup 2025 campaign with a 42-14 win at Franklin’s Gardens on Sunday but Japan more than played their part in an entertaining Pool C contest.

     

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  • ‘I still have it in me’

    ‘I still have it in me’

    PV Sindhu has carried the Indian badminton flag for over a decade. The two-time Olympic medallist has been a consistent presence on the podium at major events, but the past two years have brought fresh challenges for the former world champion.

    Since her gold medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, Sindhu has endured injury setbacks and a dip in form, slipping outside the world’s top 10 for the first time since 2016.

    The BWF World Championships 2025, starting Monday in Paris, presents an opportunity to kickstart a revival.

    The 30-year-old Indian badminton player already has five medals from the competition, including India’s first world title in 2019, and is chasing a sixth.

    “I have had some good memories, good wins, good medals at the World Championships,” Sindhu told Olympics.com. “I still know that I have it in me, so I would want to be at the top, irrespective of (my current) ranking.”

    The past year has tested Sindhu’s resolve, particularly after she missed out on a medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Yet, her hunger to win remains undiminished.

    “Last year, I was hoping that I could get a medal (at the Olympics), but that didn’t happen. I think I can’t just let go and think everything is done with it. I’ll learn from my mistakes and come back stronger.”

    Adding to the challenge is how women’s singles has evolved since her breakthrough years. Once dominated by fast, attacking rallies, the game has become slower and more attritional.

    “It’s quite challenging. Initially, the game was faster but it has now completely changed. Every opponent is right there for a longer period of time and not leaving the shuttle in long rallies,” she explained.

    “Even the lower lot, who have their world rankings like 15, 16, 17, are good. On the day, anything could happen.”

    Sindhu, currently ranked 15th, experienced that firsthand at the China Open last month, where she was defeated by 17-year-old Unnati Hooda, ranked world No. 30.

    But pressure is nothing new. Since her silver at Rio 2016, Sindhu has lived with the weight of expectation, and the Olympic medallist said she chooses to embrace it.

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  • Greece score first World Championship win in 23 years!

    Outside hitters Olga Strantzali and Effrosyni Bakodimou added another 14 and 12 points, respectively. 21-year-old middle blocker Kyriaki Terzoglou also reached the double digits with 11 points.

    “I think that Puerto Rico just didn’t play that well in the first two sets. They came back and played amazingly in the third. So, we had to push more in the fourth set. It was a difficult game, but we were very focused throughout the match,” Greece’s captain Strantzali told VBTV. “I am very happy! It was our first win at the World Championships after so many years. We definitely deserve to be here. I am so proud of my team. We came here as the last seed, but we proved to everyone that we are not the last here and we can do something big. Now we hope to advance. I am excited about the next match. We have a very important game against France. It is going to be difficult, for sure, but I believe in my team.”

    Outside hitter Valeria Vazquez was Puerto Rico’s most prolific player with 14 points, while 15-year-old opposite Decelise Champion delivered 12.

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  • Siddiqullah defeats Asghar to take bantamweight title at Pak MMA Open

    Siddiqullah defeats Asghar to take bantamweight title at Pak MMA Open


    LAHORE:

    Siddiqullah stunned Asghar Khan to claim the bantamweight title at the Pakistan MMA Open and secure his spot at the IMMAF World Championships in Georgia.

    The Pakistan MMA Open is part of the Pakistan Combat Night 2025, held at DHA Phase 6 Sports Complex in Lahore.

    The Pakistan MMA Open final fights are taking place in the build-up to the Road to Brave 100 bouts.

    While the Pakistan Open fights are featuring amateur fighters from all over the country, the Road to Brave 100 event will have six bouts featuring international fighters.

    In the hopes of having his berth in Georgia, where the IMMAF World Championships will take place later this year, Siddiq gave his all during the three-day event.

    The fighter from Islamabad won the final on a split decision from the three judges.

    Two of them were in favour of Siddiq, 30-27, 29-28, whereas one judge scored in favour of Asghar, 29-27.

    He took charge of the three-round bout early on. Although Asghar started strong in the first round, Siddiq assured that he did not let Asghar hold him down for too long and dominated the next two rounds to end with a gold medal.

    “I am now focused on Georgia, I had to drop the weight for this fight, and I also took it easy because I have been winning my bouts in the first round very often, so Asghar really pushed back in the first round, and then I had to pull my act together,” Siddiq told The Express Tribune.

    “I will be training very hard now as the IMMAF World Championships are just around the corner. We have around a month to train.”

    Siddiq began his campaign at the event on Friday when he defeated Balochistan’s Essa Khan in the quarterfinal.

    Then he overcame Samiullah in the semifinal on Saturday to book his place in the final.

    Asghar, on the other hand, received a bye in the quarterfinal and defeated Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Ihsanullah to reach the final.

    “The fighters are feeling great, and they are very thankful for the medical treatment that they are getting,” Waleed Amjad, the event partner ACTIVT official, told The Express Tribune. “ The fighters are happy because they don’t get a chance to fight abroad, but now they are getting a chance to showcase their talent. They are also grateful for the medical treatment from the National Hospital DHA. The event is helping to highlight the talent.”

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  • Cameron Green smashes 47-ball century vs South Africa, second-fastest hundred for Australia in ODIs

    Cameron Green smashes 47-ball century vs South Africa, second-fastest hundred for Australia in ODIs

    Australia all-rounder Cameron Green smashed his maiden ODI hundred in the third game against South Africa in Mackay on Sunday.

    He recorded a 47-ball hundred, the 11th fastest in the format and the second fastest by an Australian after Glenn Maxwell’s 40-ball effort.

    Coming in to bat at no. 3 with the score at 250, Green powered Australia to its second-highest ODI total of 431.

    Green finished unbeaten on 118 off 55 balls with six fours and eight sixes.

    South Africa has already sealed the three-game series 2-0 after convincing wins in Cairns and Mackay.

    Published on Aug 24, 2025

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  • Australia beats South Africa by 276 runs for record ODI victory in dead rubber

    Australia beats South Africa by 276 runs for record ODI victory in dead rubber

    MACKAY, Australia (AP) — Australia’s top three batters bossed an understrength South Africa pace bowling attack with blazing centuries to hand the tourists their largest ever ODI defeat in the third and final game on Sunday.

    Travis Head (142), captain Mitchell Marsh (100) and Cameron Green’s (118 not out) maiden ODI hundred powered Australia to its second-best ODI total of 431-2 after the home team failed to cross the 200-run mark while chasing in the two earlier games of the series.

    All-rounder Cooper Connolly, playing his first game of the series, took 5-22 to rattle South Africa as the tourists fell to 155 all out in 24.5 overs.

    None of the South African batters could score more than Dewald Brevis’ knock of 49 as Connolly ran through the lower order with his left-arm spin and helped lead Australia to its 276-run win.

    Fast bowler Shaun Abbott (2-27) had picked up the wickets of Aiden Markram (2) and captain Temba Bavuma (19) inside the batting powerplay before Connolly closed out the game quickly.

    Earlier, Australia fell just short of its highest-ever ODI total of 434-4, also made against South Africa in 2006, and had the first three batters score hundreds in an ODI innings for just the second time.

    Head and Marsh, who won the toss and elected to bat, pushed the home team to 250-0 in 34 overs and raised Australia’s fourth-highest opening stand against some wayward bowling by an inexperienced South African attack.

    Fast bowler Lungi Ngidi was rested for the dead rubber after South Africa had already sealed its fifth successive bilateral ODI series against Australia with convincing 84-run and 98-run wins at Cairns and Mackay.

    With Kagiso Rabada already ruled out of the series due to an ankle injury, South Africa’s pace bowlers lacked the experience to control the aggression of Australia’s top three batters.

    Kwena Maphaka, playing in only his third ODI, conceded 73 off his six overs, Wiaan Mulder returned expensive figures of 0-93 off his seven overs and spinner Senuran Muthusamy ended up with 1-75 off his nine overs.

    Despite Keshav Maharaj going for less than six-an-over, Head and Marsh kept scoring at a rapid pace as Head raised his half century off 32 balls while Australia eyed a big total in reaching 86-0 in 10 overs.

    Marsh was less aggressive of the pair in completing his run-a-ball half century, while Head reached his hundred off 80 balls when he drove Muthusamy for a single.

    Head, who hit 17 fours and five sixes, raised Australia’s first double-century stand since the 2023 World Cup in the 28th over and then pushed the scoring further over the next six overs by smashing Aiden Markram for 19 runs in one over.

    Maharaj finally broke through when Head holed out at long-off and Marsh departed soon after completing his century when he top-edged a slog sweep off Muthusamy and wicketkeeper Ryan Rickelton took a well-judged catch by running to square leg.

    Green, promoted ahead of Marnus Labuschagne, then dominated the last 10 overs as Australia scored 126-0 off the final 60 balls. Young Maphaka had a forgetful outing when Green completed his half century off 28 balls with a pulled six off the fast bowler. Maphaka later spilled a catch of Alex Carey when the batter was on 29.

    Green unleashed his power-hitting in the death overs by smashing Muthusamy for three consecutive sixes in an over and then reached the 90s with two more sixes off Mulder before running for two runs to complete his maiden ODI hundred.

    Carey also played his part in Australia’s massive total with an unbeaten 50 off 37 balls as he added a whirlwind 164 with Green, who hit six fours and eight sixes, at more than 12-runs-an-over.

    AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

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