Latest – The Wellington Phoenix women tested the reigning A-League champions but have ultimately fallen to the ninth straight defeat of their maiden season.
Wellington Phoenix goalkeeper and captain Lily Alfeld. Photo: Supplied
The Phoenix have been beaten 2-0 by Melbourne Victory in Wollongong, despite getting the better of their finals-chasing rivals for large parts of the contest.
Wellington matched Victory for possession and created more goalscoring opportunities than their opponents.
Lewis made just one change to the side which started Monday night’s 3-2 defeat to Perth, with Isabel Gomez returning in place of Grace Wisnewski, who was unavailable for mental health reasons.
Victory took the lead against the run of play when Wellington captain Lily Alfeld was unable to deal with a cross from midfielder Alana Murphy and tipped the ball into her own net.
The Victory went two-nil up through the first-half after the Phoenix gave away possession on the edge of their own box.
After two games in five days the Phoenix have a full week to prepare for their next match against Canberra United.
New Zealand javelin record broken
Javelin star Tori Peeters set a New Zealand resident record of 60.51 metres at the Capital Classic in Wellington.
Tori Peeters Photo: PHOTOSPORT
The 27-year-old gradually improved through the first four rounds before firing the spear out to 57.78m – beyond the meet record of Canada’s Ashley Pryke.
However, Peeters saved her best for the final round as the spear landed beyond the 60m mark to better her previous New Zealand resident record by 37cm.
The performance was also the second best of her career and offers further evidence the Hamilton City Hawks AC athlete is in the mood to threaten the Commonwealth Games A Performance standard of 61.50m.
Olympian Tom Walsh launched the shot out to a best of 21.03m to smash the meet record.
Tapenisa Havea, the latest emerging athlete from the seemingly never-ending production line of New Zealand throwing talent, set a meeting record and a near half-a-metre personal best in the women’s shot.
The 18-year from South Canterbury AC hurled a mighty 15.92m to surpass the meet record of Tokyo Olympic sixth place finisher Maddi Wesche.
Speed trumped strength as James Harding edged Will Anthony to become the first New Zealand U20 men’s mile champion since 1972 Olympic 1500m bronze medallist Rod Dixon took the last edition of this title 53 years ago.
In her first race over the mile distance 14-year-old Boh Ritchie made history by becoming the inaugural winner of the women’s U20 New Zealand mile.
Felix McDonald soared out to a personal best and meeting record of 7.61m (+1.6m/s) to win the men’s long jump.
Another coach exits England Cricket
Graham Thorpe has become the latest casualty of England’s woeful Ashes series after he stepped down as batting coach, the England and Wales Cricket Board confirmed.
Head coach Chris Silverwood and managing director Ashley Giles had already left their roles this week in the aftermath of England’s 4-0 Ashes series defeat, with Thorpe following after several batting collapses by the team in Australia.
Former England skipper Andrew Strauss has replaced Giles on an interim basis and will appoint a caretaker coach for the forthcoming tour of West Indies in March.
“I have been very fortunate to have worked with so many good players and coaches who I consider my friends for life,” Thorpe said.
England are due to play three test matches against the West Indies starting from March 8 in North Sound, Antigua.
– Reuters
Australia commit to tour of Pakistan
Australia confirmed their first tour of Pakistan in 24 years after receiving a go-ahead from governments of both the countries and the players’ association, Cricket Australia (CA) said.
Pakistan security forces on duty outside Rawalpindi cricket stadium. Photo: www.photosport.nz / Furqan Bhatti
Australia, who last toured Pakistan in 1998, will play three tests, an equal number of one-day internationals and one T20 match between March 4 and April 5.
“I would like to thank the PCB and both the Pakistan and Australian Governments for ensuring the tour will proceed for the first time in 24 years,” CA chief executive Nick Hockley said in a statement.
“This is a historic occasion and important for the global growth and health of the game. We are looking forward to an exciting series between two world-class teams.”
Top teams have largely shunned Pakistan since an attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore in 2009 that killed six policemen and two civilians.
The tour begins on March 4 with the opening test in Rawalpindi, which also hosts the entire white-ball leg of the series ending with a one-off T20 game on April 5.
Test captain Pat Cummins was convinced most frontline Australia players would travel to Pakistan.