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Francesco Bagnaia begins defence of MotoGP title with Qatar GP victory

  • Ducati rider finished ahead of Brad Binder and Jorge Martín
  • Teenager Pedro Costa sets early pace but drops to ninth

Ducati’s defending world champion, Francesco Bagnaia, won the MotoGP season opening Qatar Grand Prix on Sunday after taking the lead in the opening lap to beat Red Bull KTM’s Brad Binder and Pramac Racing’s pole sitter Jorge Martín.

Bagnaia had finished fourth in Saturday’s sprint but his faultless ride to take the chequered flag in the race moved him to the top of the championship with 31 points. Binder, who also finished second in the sprint, sits two points behind with 29 while last year’s championship runner-up, Martín, is a point further behind.

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Wales 24-45 France: Six Nations 2024 – as it happened

Wales play their part in eight-try show, but France’s power game proves too much as Gatland’s charges remain rooted to the bottom of the table.

Elliot Dee leads the team out on his 50th appearance. Applause for Lewis Jones, the former Wales and British & Irish Lion, who passed away this week. Some love too for Barry John, JPR Williams, Phil Bennett and John Dawes.

Minutes away. Both groups look tense. They know what’s on offer today. Redemption is maybe too strong a word, but yesterday proved that any side can win if their opponents aren’t on it.

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New Zealand close in on drought-breaking Test victory against Australia

New Zealand are in the box seat to claim a drought-busting Test win over their arch-rivals after Australia wilted on day three of the second Test.

Chasing 279 for victory, Matt Henry and debutant Ben Sears ripped through the Australian top order at Hagley Oval on Sunday, leaving Australia dazed at 34-4.

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Pat Cummins strikes late but New Zealand claw back ascendancy in seesawing second Test

  • Marnus Labuschagne scores 90 as Matt Henry takes 7-67
  • New Zealand fight back to 134-2 leading by 40 runs on day two

Australia skipper Pat Cummins bowled Kane Williamson in the final hour of play on the second day of the second Test in Christchurch on Saturday, just as the master batsman threatened an innings that would put New Zealand on top.

After 14 wickets fell on day one and seven more before tea, Williamson and Tom Latham had hit the pause button on a frenetic match with a partnership of 105 that erased Australia’s first-innings lead and put the home side 17 runs ahead.

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Van Gerwen knocks out Littler on way to third Premier League win in a row

  • Dutchman beats Aspinall in night four finale
  • Littler beat Wright 6-5 in quarters before falling by same score

Michael van Gerwen is seeking further glory after earning his third successive Premier League Darts victory with a 6-4 win over Nathan Aspinall. The Dutchman beat Gerwyn Price and teenager Luke Littler to secure a spot in the final, where the seven-time Premier League champion came from behind to beat Aspinall.

Aspinall started brightly, winning two successive legs but was left to rue missed doubles which had troubled him throughout the evening as Van Gerwen hit a 10-dart break on his way to leading 5-2.

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Luke Littler hits nine-darter on way to Players Championship debut triumph

  • Littler beats Ryan Searle in final on his first Pro Tour appearance
  • Gerwyn Price forfeits match over ‘pathetic conditions’ at venue

Teenage darts sensation Luke Littler has won the opening Players Championship event of the season, hitting a nine-darter on the way to a stunning victory on his debut in the competition.

After landing the nine-dart finish against Michele Turetta in one of the earlier rounds, 17-year-old Littler dug deep to beat Ryan Searle 8-7 in a thrilling final. Despite Searle edging the averages by 111.71 to 109.64, Littler won the deciding leg in Wigan to capture the £15,000 winner’s purse and a first PDC Pro Tour ranking title.

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