Spencer Johnson produced the greatest-ever figures by an Australian quick in a men’s Twenty20 international to bowl his side to a 13-run win over Pakistan.
With Australia defending 9-147 at the SCG on Saturday night, Johnson bagged five for 26 with the ball to have Pakistan all out for 134 and help the hosts to an unassailable 2-0 series lead.
Continue reading...Australia’s new cross-code star Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii has been surprisingly dropped from the Wallabies’ starting lineup against Wales following his impressive debut against England.
The 21-year-old, who was man-of-the-match in the thrilling win over England at Twickenham last Saturday having played the entire 80 minutes, will revert to the bench in Cardiff on Sunday.
Continue reading...Nick Kyrgios will make his long-awaited return to competitive tennis at the Brisbane International after playing only one ATP Tour match in more than two years.
The 29-year-old firebrand has been mostly sidelined with career-threatening wrist and knee injuries since the 2022 US Open quarter-finals. That run came six weeks after reaching the Wimbledon decider when he came closest to an elusive major crown before falling in four sets to Novak Djokovic.
Continue reading...Glenn Maxwell went wild with the bat, then Xavier Bartlett ripped apart Pakistan’s top order as Australia dominated a seven-over Gabba Twenty20 slog to win by 29 runs.
Lightning and heavy rain reduced Thursday’s series opener in Brisbane to a seven-overs-a-side contest, and it was one-way traffic as soon as Maxwell (43 off 19) strode to the crease. His brazen innings featured boundaries to all corners of the ground, before Marcus Stoinis chimed in with 21 off seven balls, including 10 off the final two balls of the innings as Australia finished on 93 for four. The visitors could only muster 64 for nine in their allotment as Australia took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Continue reading...The Wallabies must make at least two enforced team changes after winger Dylan Pietsch was forced out of the grand slam spring tour of Europe with a calf injury.
Pietsch is on his way back home to Australia after hurting himself in the Wallabies’ 42-37 tour-opening triumph over England at Twickenham on Sunday morning.
Continue reading...Alex de Minaur’s ATP Finals debut appears to have come to a brutal end with a match still to play after being blown off court by a rejuvenated Daniil Medvedev.
The Russian, who said he was looking forward to the season being over after succumbing to a tantrum during his opening round defeat to Taylor Fritz, brushed aside the Australian No.1 6-2 6-4 in 78 minutes of high-octane tennis on Tuesday.
Continue reading...Cooper Connolly suffered what could be a fractured hand as Australia surrendered their one-day international series to Pakistan after another disastrous display with the bat.
Australia, missing Test stars Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, finished with a paltry 140 from 31.5 overs on Sunday, with Connolly unable to return after retiring hurt on seven. In reply, Pakistan reached the victory target with 139 balls to spare to wrap up an eight-wicket win and a 2-1 series triumph over the world champions. It marked Pakistan’s first series win over the Aussies in Australia in 22 years.
Continue reading...Australia have shown a ruthless edge to rise above the sea of red and hold off Tonga in a 20-14 Pacific Cup final win.
In front of a 28,728-strong pro-Tongan crowd at CommBank Stadium on Sunday, the Kangaroos made amends for last year’s final where they suffered the biggest defeat in their history at the hands of New Zealand. Led by an impressive showing from five-eighth Tom Dearden and a two-try haul from Tom Trbojevic, Mal Meninga’s Kangaroos showed a calmness and maturity to capitalise off Tonga’s errors and seal victory.
Continue reading...Australia have reasserted their status as the heavyweights of international women’s rugby league, thrashing New Zealand 24-4 in the Pacific Cup final as revenge for last year’s decider.
The pressure was on the Jillaroos this Pacific Championships following that shock loss to the Kiwi Ferns in the 2023 final, and some controversial selection calls since.
Continue reading...Australia have settled on Nathan McSweeney to be Usman Khawaja’s opening partner for the start of the blockbuster Test series against India. After an outstanding start to the domestic season, McSweeney has beaten Marcus Harris for the vacant spot in the Australian XI.
McSweeney will become the first Australian player in 47 years to make his Test debut as an opener despite never having batted there at Sheffield Shield level. The 25-year-old top-scored in both innings of the first Australia A match in Mackay when batting at No 4. But he was unable to convert starts – 14 and 25 – in both innings as Australia A closed out a six-wicket win in the second match at the MCG.
Continue reading...World champions Australia have been embarrassed by Pakistan at the Adelaide Oval, suffering one of the heaviest defeats in their ODI history.
After posting only 163, Australia were then punished in the field by Pakistan’s openers Saim Ayub (82) and Abdullah Shafique (64 not out) as the tourists raced to a nine-wicket victory in the second ODI with 141 balls to spare. It is the first time since 1992 Australia have lost a home ODI by nine wickets. They avoided becoming the first Australian team to lose a white-ball match at home by 10 wickets when Adam Zampa ended the 137-run opening stand.
Continue reading...David Warner has accused Cricket Australia of sweeping the India A ball-tampering accusation under the carpet, suggesting officials had quickly “squashed” the issue before the Test summer.
Warner officially declared closure on his own ball-tampering scandal on Wednesday, after being announced as the Sydney Thunder’s new BBL captain. The 38-year-old’s appointment comes just a fortnight after his lifetime leadership ban was lifted, removing the last remaining sanction from Australia’s 2018 ball-tampering saga.
Continue reading...In-form Nathan McSweeney has one foot in the Test team after being confirmed as opener for the final Australia A game. The South Australia captain was the only contender for the vacant batting spot in Australia’s top six to fire in last week’s win against India A in Mackay.
McSweeney top-scored twice in the game, including hitting an unbeaten 88 in the second innings as Australia A sealed a seven-wicket victory over India A. The 25-year-old batted at No 4 in both innings of that match but has been promoted to open with Marcus Harris in the four-day match at the MCG starting on Thursday.
Continue reading...Ultra-aggressive Australia almost fumbled a certain victory, but eventually steadied after a lightning quick spell from Haris Rauf to beat Pakistan by two wickets in the first ODI at the MCG.
Chasing just 204, Australia crumbled to 139 for six in the 21st over as Rauf skittled the middle-order when the hosts were trying to end the game as quickly as possible. But the captain Pat Cummins (32 not out), playing his first ODI since last year’s stunning World Cup final triumph, was again there at the end in a tight chase as Australia got home with 99 balls to spare. One of the best quicks of his generation, Cummins has quickly become a specialist run-chaser in the last 18 months after being involved in two close Test wins and three ODI victories.
Continue reading...Jack Miller believes he is lucky to have walked away from a horror crash on the opening lap of MotoGP’s Malaysian Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit.
The Australian motorcycle star was left thanking his lucky stars after his early crash on Sunday as his racing helmet struck the rear tyre of Fabio Quartararo’s Yamaha before Joan Mir’s Honda then ran over his legs.
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