Tom Wright and Matt Faessler plundered hat-tricks as Australia cruised to an emphatic 52-20 win over struggling Wales in Cardiff.
Wright capped off a superb individual display in the closing minutes of Sunday's clash to take the Wallabies over 50 points at the Principality Stadium.
It is a defeat that will only increase the pressure on Wales coach Warren Gatland, whose team have now lost 11 straight Tests, their worst-ever run.
Wright and Faessler claimed six of Australia's eight tries, with Nick Frost and Len Ikitau also going over for the visitors, who were 19-0 up early on before Wales responded through Aaron Wainwright's try and Gareth Anscombe's kicks.
Wales were unable to take advantage of Samu Kerevi's second-half 20-minute red card for a high tackle on Jac Morgan, as Australia scored three tries in quick succession, with Faessler getting two and Wright adding his second.
Ben Thomas crossed for the hosts, but Ikitau and Wright had the final say for Australia, who have Scotland and Ireland to come in their next fixtures.
Data Debrief: Record losing run reaches new low
Wales' 11-match losing run is the worst in the nation's Test history, and it is now a long way back for Gatland.
This was Australia's biggest-ever away win over Wales, who now face the daunting prospect of facing two-time reigning world champions South Africa next week.
Should Wales lose to the Springboks, they will have gone an entire calendar year without a win for the first time since 1937.
England Roses Defeat Sunshine Girls to Take 1-0 Lead in Horizon Series
England’s Roses secured a 1-0 series lead against Jamaica’s Sunshine Girls on Sunday with a hard-fought 55-47 victory in Manchester during the second match of the Netball Horizon Series. The result followed a thrilling 49-49 tie in the series opener on Saturday.
The match showcased the contrasting styles of the two teams, with England capitalizing on crucial turnovers and maintaining composure under pressure, while Jamaica struggled to sustain their momentum in critical moments. England started strong, leading 12-8 at the end of the first quarter. However, Jamaica responded with intensity, applying pressure all over the court to edge ahead 23-21 late in the second quarter. England regained control before halftime, thanks to unforced errors by Jamaica, to tie the score 24-24 going into the break.
The third quarter proved pivotal, as England upped their defensive intensity. The Roses forced several turnovers during Jamaica’s attempts to find Romelda Aiken-George in the circle, creating opportunities to extend their lead. Despite a spirited rally by the Sunshine Girls to close within two goals late in the quarter, England held firm to enter the final quarter with a 39-35 advantage.
Turnovers continued to plague the Sunshine Girls in the final quarter, and though they fought valiantly to narrow the gap to 42-41 with 10 minutes to play, England’s relentless pressure proved decisive. The Roses forced critical errors that disrupted Jamaica’s rhythm, pulling away in the closing stages to secure a comfortable win.
Jamaica’s head coach, Sasher-Gaye Henry, reflected on her team’s struggles in the second half, particularly during the third quarter when England took command. “I think we struggled today in the latter part of the game in terms of getting our balls through the court and getting it on top of circle’s edge,” Henry said. “I think the movement was a little stagnant. It’s something we have to look at and correct quickly going into Game 3.”
Henry also highlighted the team’s focus on rotating players to assess different combinations. “It’s about building players, and we want to see rotation,” she explained. “I think we didn’t do a lot with rotation yesterday, so today we wanted to see where the players are at, to see what combination works. We are grateful for that opportunity.”
On the substitution of Shanice Dixon, who limped off and was replaced by Rhea Dixon, Henry noted, “We are looking for more options in our goal attack. Both are options, and we still have to rotate them. I think both did well tonight.”
The Sunshine Girls will look to regroup when the series shifts to Jamaica for the final two matches at the National Indoor Sports Centre in Kingston on November 25 and December 2. With England leading the series, Jamaica will need to address their turnover issues and refine their attack if they hope to level the series and keep their hopes alive.
The Sunshine Girls, known for their resilience, will be determined to defend home court and prove their mettle against a confident England Roses team.
Sacramento Kings coach Mike Brown says De'Aaron Fox "did his job" as he led them to a 121-117 win over the Utah Jazz on Saturday.
Fox had scored 60 points in an overtime loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday, but he once again dug deep and spurred his team on with 49 points at the Golden 1 Center.
He now has the most points over a two-game span in franchise history, surpassing DeMarcus Cousins' 104 from 2016.
Meanwhile, Fox is now just the third player ever in the NBA to score at least 109 points over two days, joining Kobe Bryant (2007) and Wilt Chamberlain (17 different times).
The Kings were missing DeMar DeRozan, Domantas Sabonis and Malik Monk, and Brown is proud of how Fox has stepped up in their absence.
"The back-to-back, the overtime game, him playing 75 minutes [on Friday] ... for him to come with us missing three of our top six guys, that's what says OK, he's De'Aaron Fox, and he did his job," Brown said.
"Nobody can stop him from getting to his spots when he wants to. He's feeling that. Not only is he feeling that, but he's showing that.
"When you have guys of his calibre - and I've been around the Stephs [Curry] and the KDs [Kevin Durant] and the Kobes and the LeBrons [James] and the Tim Duncans ... they get to their spots when they want to.
"The biggest difference between those guys and the other pretty good players is that they do it consistently. So no, I didn't have to say anything to Fox. He knew ... he had to carry us."
Fox went 16-of-30 from the field and made 14-of-19 from the free-throw line, while also adding nine assists and two steals.
The night prior, he went 22-of-35 from the field, making six 3-pointers and 10 free throws.
"I was a little tired coming in [on Saturday], but I feel like when the game started, I was fine," Fox said.
"I'm not going to say I'm not tired ... but I can't say this back-to-back has made me more tired than any other back-to-back."
The Kings extended their record to 8-6 as they bounced back from that defeat, while Utah are bottom of the Western Conference having suffered a ninth loss of the season.
Rory McIlroy says he is honoured to be "mentioned in the same breath" as Seve Ballesteros, after matching the Spaniard's haul of six Race to Dubai titles.
McIlroy secured the title for the third year running following his victory at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai on Sunday.
The four-time major winner finished two shots clear of Denmark's Rasmus Hojgaard to seal his third triumph in the event.
"Everyone knows what Seve means to European golf and Ryder Cup players," an emotional McIlroy told Sky Sports.
"The European Ryder Cup locker room, all we have are quotes from Seve. We had a changing room with Seve's shirt from [1995], the last Ryder Cup he played.
"He means so much to European golf and for me to be mentioned in the same breath, I'm very proud."
"I've been through a lot this year, professionally, personally, and it feels like the fitting end to 2024," added McIlroy, who narrowly lost out on the US Open title to Bryson DeChambeau.
"I've persevered this year a lot, had close calls, wasn't able to get it done. I'm really pleased with the way I finished and, thankfully, I hung on after a tough day and got the job done."
Carlos Alcaraz says it will be "the most special tournament I'll play in my career" when he teams up with Rafael Nadal at next week's Davis Cup Finals in Malaga.
Nadal will retire from tennis after representing Spain in the tournament he has already won four times during his illustrious career.
Once again, the 22-time major winner will be joined by Alcaraz, after the pair also teamed up in the men's doubles during the Paris Olympics, where they reached the quarter-finals.
And Alcaraz says winning the Davis Cup is a "huge motivation" as he looks to give his compatriot the perfect send-off.
"It's probably the most special tournament I'll play in my career, because of what's happening, because of the circumstances," the four-time grand slam champion said.
"The Davis Cup has always been a tournament that I'd love to win one day. I'm passionate about representing Spain. Having Rafa by my side, knowing it's his last tournament, will make it much more special.
"No player deserves more to finish the incredible career he had with a title, and I know how special the Davis Cup is for him. It will be a difficult challenge, but winning it for Rafa is a huge motivation.
"Rafa's farewell is much more important, at least for me. The Davis Cup is every year. Rafa's farewell, saying goodbye to a legend of the sport, unfortunately only happens once. Personally, I’m very excited to be by Rafa's side for his farewell."
Rory McIlroy secured his sixth Race to Dubai title with victory at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.
McIlroy finished at 15 under par and two shots clear of Rasmus Hojgaard, who he partnered during the final round, to seal glory at Jumeirah Golf Estates.
The four-time major winner claimed his record-equalling third triumph in this event, matching Jon Rahm.
It is also his third successive Race to Dubai victory - and sixth overall to move level with Seve Ballesteros.
McIlroy was tied for the lead heading into the final day, and a run of four successive birdies gave him a three-shot advantage early on.
However, he hit bogeys on the ninth and 13th holes, allowing Hojgaard to draw level heading into the final four.
Nevertheless, McIlroy dug deep with a brilliant approach leading to a birdie on the 16th, which put him back in front.
And while Hojgaard could only par the final hole after narrowly missing a birdie putt, the Northern Irishman held his nerve with another birdie to seal his seventh tournament win in Dubai.
Iga Swiatek joked "in 20 minutes, I'll be dead" after securing back-to-back wins that booked Poland's place in the Billie Jean King Cup semi-finals.
The Poles are through to the last four of the competition for the first time, having come from behind to beat the Czech Republic 2-1.
After Marie Bouzkova defeated Magdalena Frech in the opening singles match, Swiatek pulled Poland level by edging out Linda Noskova 7-6 (7-4) 4-6 7-5 after two hours and 39 minutes.
The five-time major winner returned to court just half an hour later for the doubles decider - and her first in this event since 2019.
Nevertheless, Swiatek was not to be denied, partnering Katarzyna Kawa to a 6-1 6-4 win over Bouzkova and Katerina Siniakova.
"It was an exhausting day, but everything worked," the world number two said. "We did a great job, we won."
Steve Borthwick was left "incredibly disappointed and frustrated" following England's defeat by South Africa, conceding "these are painful days".
England suffered their fifth successive Test loss after going down 29-20 at the Allianz Stadium on Saturday.
The hosts were quick out of the blocks with Ollie Sleightholme crossing on his first international start, and led 20-19 in the second half.
However, a Handre Pollard penalty and Cheslin Kolbe's second try of the game settled the contest in favour of South Africa, who then stubbornly defended their lead during a late England surge.
Borthwick's side have now lost three consecutive home games for the first time since 2006, but he hopes these experiences will benefit his players further down the line.
"I am incredibly disappointed and frustrated," he told BBC Radio 5 Live. "You see so much good' the way the team came out of the blocks at the start and came at South Africa.
"Then, for a long time, the game was toe-to-toe, but in the last period, we failed to take our opportunities. How many times did we fail to take our chances in their 22?
"These are painful days. At times, we are putting ourselves in positions to win games, and we are not converting them. Whilst these are painful, we will use them in a positive way to help with our development.
"We have a lot of young players that have come into this team, and we have accelerated their transition.
"As you look towards the future, these players are going to be brilliant international players. But, right now, these days of development are tough. We will persevere and be better because of these experiences."
Borthwick is adamant England are "going in the right direction", and believes he still has the backing of the RFU.
"I'm not going to be talking about private conversations here, but what’s actually more important is the feeling I get," he added.
"The feeling I get from the RFU is one of absolute support and absolute belief that this team is going in the right direction."
After scoring 60 points in a losing effort the night before, De'Aaron Fox scored 49 points to lead the Sacramento Kings to a 121-117 win over the Utah Jazz on Saturday night.
Fox went 16 of 30 from the field and made 14 of 19 from the free-throw line, and he also added nine assists and two steals. Fox now has the most points over a two-game span in franchise history, surpassing DeMarcus Cousins.
Kevin Huerter had 18 points, and Trey Lyles added 17 points for the Kings.
Lauri Markkanen had 25 points, Collin Sexton added 18 and Keyonte George scored 19 points for the Jazz.
DeMar DeRozan, Malik Monk and Domantas Sabonis were sidelined for Sacramento, and Taylor Hendricks and Walker Kessler did not play for the Jazz.
The Kings led 62-50 late in the second quarter and held on for a 64-63 margin at the half.
The Jazz opened the third quarter with a 10-3 run. They bumped their margin up to 89-78 on a layup by Isaiah Collier before ending the frame with a 94-90 lead.
Sacramento came back in the fourth to take a 118-116 lead on a Jordan McLaughlin 3 with a minute left to play. After Fox made one free and missed the next two with 13 seconds left to play, Clarkson made one free throw before the Jazz were called for a lane violation. Fox made the last two free throws to seal the victory.
Tatum plays hero in Celtics’ win
Jayson Tatum hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer in overtime and the Boston Celtics rallied to beat the Toronto Raptors 126-123.
Tatum finished with 24 points and 11 rebounds, Jaylen Brown added 27 points and Al Horford and Derrick White scored 18 points apiece.
Toronto has lost seven straight and failed to register its first road win of the season despite getting a career-high 35 points from Jakob Poeltl, who finished 16 of 19 from the field with 12 rebounds. RJ Barrett added 25 points and 10 rebounds.
With the game tied at 112 in regulation, Barrett connected on a runner in the lane and was fouled by Brown with 59 seconds remaining. But Barrett missed his ensuing free throw.
Boston’s Neemias Queta, who started in place of Jrue Holiday (left knee tendinopathy), scored a driving layup on Boston’s next possession.
With the game tied at 123, Toronto won a coach’s challenge on an out of bounds call that originally was awarded to Boston. But Barrett had his driving layup attempt blocked by Queta, giving the ball back to the Celtics with 20.2 seconds remaining.
Davis powers streaking Lakers
Anthony Davis had 31 points and 14 rebounds and the Los Angeles Lakers extended their winning streak to five games with a 104-99 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.
LeBron James highlighted a 21-point performance with a pair of pivotal 3-pointers in the final minutes, but his career-long four-game triple-double streak came to an end.
Rookie Dalton Knecht hit five 3s to finish with a career-high 27 points in a spot start for the Lakers.
One night after posting 40 points and 12 rebounds in a victory at San Antonio, Davis reached the 30-point plateau for the eighth time in 12 games played this season.
Brandon Ingram scored 32 points, and reserve Jaylen Nowell scored 16 points for the Pelicans, who lost for the 10th time in their last 12 games.
Right after a clutch 3 by Ingram gave the Pelicans a late two-point lead, James responded with consecutive 3s to put the Lakers up 101-97 with 37 seconds left.
Sunshine Girl Crystal Plummer is no stranger to high-pressure situations, but Jamaica’s dramatic 49-49 draw against England in the opening game of the four-match Horizon Netball Series was an experience that even she found exhilarating.
Still, as the Sunshine Girls look to improve in the second match on Sunday, Plummer is focused on channeling the lessons from Saturday’s thrilling contest into consistent success for the remainder of the series and, by extension, her career.
“It was a rollercoaster of emotions,” Plummer told SportsMax.Tv as she reflected on the match played at the AO Arena in Manchester.
“There were moments when we should have had the upper hand and allowed England to slip. But that’s what makes netball so exciting—it’s a constant test of resilience and focus. All in all, I’m super excited to be back on the international stage, and I am just looking to build on the lessons as they come,” she added.
Plummer, who started at centre before being substituted at the beginning of the second quarter, acknowledged the intense pace of the match. Both teams traded turnovers early on, but it was England who managed to pull away in the second quarter to establish a 26-20 halftime lead.
Despite sitting out portions of the game, Plummer remained a vocal presence on the sidelines, urging her teammates to push through their challenges.
Though they eventually rallied in the last two quarters, it was the comeback from two goals down in the closing seconds of the final quarter to level the game that really took the prize.
“Our team showed so much heart. We made some errors, but we also demonstrated how capable we are of bouncing back, so basically it is a case of all the hard work we put in that paid off. The way we rallied in the third and fourth quarters was truly inspiring,” Plummer opined.
“Those last few minutes were nerve-wracking. Again, we had chances in which we could have opened up big leads, but we let it slip. That’s something we’ll address as a team because we know we have what it takes to win these tight games,” she noted.
That said, Plummer believes consistency will be the key to victory as the Sunshine Girls look to gain the upper hand in the second game of the series on Sunday.
“We’ve shown that we can match England in every aspect, but it’s about sustaining that level of play for all four quarters. If we can clean up our errors and stay composed under pressure, I’m confident we’ll come out on top. We just have to take things one quarter at a time,” Plummer stated.
The talented 22-year-old, who has been a pivotal player for Jamaica since her debut at the Americas qualifiers on home soil in 2022, is also eager to step up her individual performance.
“As a midcourt player, my role is to connect the defence and attack seamlessly, so I want to be sharper in my decision-making and ensure that I’m providing the best support to my teammates on court,” said Plummer, who was a part of the bronze medal-winning Netball World Cup team.
“I always tell myself that I am a hard cookie who will battle to the very end, and I am very confident in my abilities, which is why I consistently set goals and then put in the mental and physical work to ensure I fulfil them. So my goals for this series have already been locked in, and so I just want to put my best foot forward for myself and the team,” she declared.
While her immediate focus is on helping Jamaica secure a series win, Plummer also has her eyes set on long-term goals. With the next Netball World Cup scheduled for 2027, she is determined to elevate her game and contribute to Jamaica’s quest for global dominance.
“This series is a great opportunity to test ourselves against one of the top teams in the world, but it’s also a stepping stone for bigger things. We want to keep building and ensure that when the World Cup comes around, we’re ready to challenge for the title. For now, it’s about putting it all together because I believe our best is yet to come, and I’m excited to be part of this journey,” the jovial Plummer ended.
Iga Swiatek levelled the score for Poland against Czechia, keeping their hopes of reaching the semi-final of the Billie Jean King Cup alive.
The world number two had to dig deep for the win though, triumphing 7-6 (7-4) 4-6 7-5 in two hours and 41 minutes in the second of Poland's singles matches on Saturday.
In their earlier match, Marie Bouzkova had put Czechia ahead but also had to go the distance to beat Magdalena Frech.
It means their quarter-final tie will be decided by doubles, which Swiatek will also play – her first doubles match at the Billie Jean King Cup since 2019 – as they aim to try and win the title for the first time.
The winner of that tie will face Italy in the semi-final, with Jasmine Paolini leading them into the final four.
Japan had taken the lead in the best-of-three tie thanks to Ena Shibahara's win over Elisabetta Cocciaretto, but the French Open and Wimbledon runner-up turned things around.
She beat Moyuka Uchijima 6-3 6-4 in straight sets to level the tie before pairing up with Sara Errani, three months after their Olympic gold triumph, to complete the comeback.
Italy has won the competition four times previously but are looking to better last year's result when they fell to Canada in the final.
Fabien Galthie says it was a "special match" after France edged past New Zealand 30-29 on Saturday.
The All Blacks held the lead at half-time as tries from Peter Lakai and Cam Roigard helped put them 17-10 up, with Romain Buros powering over on his debut to keep France in touching distance.
However, the hosts flipped the script in the second half, coming out strong as Paul Boudehent dotted down after a powerful maul to help level the scoreline.
Louis Bielle-Biarrey then gave them the lead, and though Damien McKenzie's penalties kept the All Blacks on France's heels, Tomas Ramos also stayed perfect with his kicks, doing enough to help them record a third straight win over New Zealand.
Les Bleus had gone 14 games without a win against New Zealand prior to this run, while it is the first time since 1994-95 they have managed three in a row against their opponents.
Galthie was delighted with his players' focus to ensure they overcame the half-time deficit.
"It was a special match; we know the opponent. When you see the scenario of the match, winning by one point, it brings back memories," he told TF1.
"We have six years of experience with this team. For a few years, we have had arguments, we have identified how to play them, we are sticking to this roadmap. We had to keep our heads down.
"At half-time, we found solutions. It's a close call, but a point is a lot. I am very proud, this is the third time we have hosted them. Three times we have beaten them. We have confidence. They have given us weaknesses, cracks."
New Zealand, meanwhile, saw a five-game winning run ended as they suffered their first defeat since early September.
Ardie Savea admitted that they struggled against France's aggressiveness in the second half, and was disappointed they did not deal with the threat better.
"Extremely disappointed with ourselves not to win the game. We made silly mistakes. We turned the ball over to this French squad, which can punish us and they did. I'm pretty gutted," he told TNT Sports.
"Of course, you [have to credit France in the second half]. We felt like we were in control, and we were pretty accurate in the first half, but in the second half, we let them in the game.
"They applied pressure on us, and we couldn't handle it. Towards the end, we just got stuck in our line and we couldn't do it. I'm extremely disappointed but proud of the boys.
"We didn't hit our targets. We want to win everything, but we couldn't, and that's credit to the French squad, they're a quality side. We have to look in the mirror and see where we could've put the nail in the coffin because we didn't do that."
Jannik Sinner cruised into the title clash of the ATP Finals after brushing aside Casper Ruud 6-1 6-2 in the semi-finals in Turin.
Sinner, ranked number one in the world, will now face Taylor Fritz in his bid to win his first ATP Finals crown after the American shocked Alexander Zverev in the other semi-final on Saturday.
The Italian was straight into attack against the sixth seed on Saturday, breaking serve in the second game before taking the first set in half an hour, with the home crowd cheering him on.
Sinner did not afford the 25-year-old much success in the second set either, going on a five-game winning streak to progress to the title showdown by hardly breaking a sweat.
On the showpiece match, Sinner said: "We [Taylor Fritz] already played in the round-robin format and will play again in the final.
"I just try to play the best I can [on Sunday]. Anything can happen. I'm just happy to be back here. I've grown as a player since last year.
"It's been a very positive week and year, so I'm really happy."
Sinner had overcome Novak Djokovic in the round-robin stage in the last edition of the tournament but went on to lose to the Serbian in the 2023 final.
He will now hope to buck the trend and claim his maiden crown against Fritz, who he beat in straight sets in the group stage on Tuesday.
England suffered a fifth consecutive loss as South Africa held on to clinch a thrilling 29-20 win at Twickenham on Saturday.
After an open first half, the Springboks dug deep in the second, with Cheslin Kolbe's try ensuring they got over the line.
It had started so well for England, who took the lead just four minutes in as Marcus Smith's dummied drop-goal gave Ollie Sleightholme the chance to cross.
South Africa took their chances when they came though, and three quickfire tries put them in control.
Grant Williams raced through a gap, leaving Freddie Steward behind, and though Smith's kick edged England in front again, Pieter-Steph du Toit and Kolbe kept the momentum with them.
Sam Underhill burrowed through to make it a two-point game at the break, but Kolbe scored the only try of the second half after Handre Pollard's penalty to put them out of sight.
An increasingly desperate England tried to fight back but struggled to find a way through their stubborn opponents as they suffered a third consecutive defeat in their autumn series.
Data Debrief: A worrying sight
England cannot seem to find a win at the moment, as they struggled to come up with ideas to try and get what would have been a first victory since June.
The good news for them is that their final match of the autumn campaign is against Japan, who they beat in their most recent triumph by 35 points.
As for South Africa, they have now won four of their last five matches against England (L1), including each of their last three.
Jamaica’s Sunshine Girls rallied from six goals down at halftime to secure a dramatic 49-49 draw with England’s Roses in a nail-biting opening contest of their four-game Horizon Netball Series at the AO Arena in Manchester on Saturday.
Latanya Wilson, showcasing her versatility and tenacity at wing defence, earned the Player of the Game award for her outstanding performance, which included critical interceptions and relentless pressure on England’s attackers.
While proud of her team’s effort, Wilson, who represents Adelaide Thunderbirds in Australia’s Suncorp League, acknowledged that they had much work to do, especially with this being their first international outing since last year’s Netball World Cup.
“I think it was pretty much a close game; we knew that we were in it, and we came to win it, so I am proud of myself and the team’s effort to at least draw the game, so well done to us. So I am very pleased, but there is a lot more work to get done, and we are going to do things step-by-step, and we are going to give it our all,” Wilson said in a post-game interview.
Jamaica's Latanya Wilson tries to disrupt England's play.
The match began with both teams showing flashes of brilliance but also committing early turnovers. England’s match-fitness from their recent series win over New Zealand—to move to number two on the ranking chart—was evident as they displayed better composure and consistency for the most parts.
Still, the Jamaicans, who won bronze at last year’s Netball World Cup, did well to disrupt England’s fluency in patches but struggled to capitalize on opportunities as both teams ended the first quarter locked at 13-13.
Abigale Sutherland replaced Crystal Plummer at centre for Jamaica at the start of the second quarter, but an early turnover from their centre pass set the tone for a challenging period.
England, bolstered by sharp passing and disciplined shooting from Helen Housby, took charge of the contest in the second quarter as they outscored the Jamaicans 13-7.
The hosts were also aided by tidy defensive work from Imogen Allison and Funmi Fadoju, who were effective against the towering Romelda Aiken-George in the shooting circle for Jamaica.
In fact, England-born Rhea Dixon’s introduction at wing attack provided some creativity for Jamaica, but their inconsistency allowed England to maintain control for much of the quarter, and they opened up a six-goal lead, 26-20 at the interval.
Jamaica's Shamera Sterling-Humphrey and England's Olivia Tchine challenge for possession. (Photo: Skysports)
Jamaica came out spiritedly in the third quarter, forcing a few turnovers, but in the same push, returned possession by virtue of unforced errors. England capitalized and extended their lead to eight goals.
However, the Sunshine Girls gradually found their rhythm and rallied to cut the deficit. By the five-minute mark, they trailed by just one goal, 33-32, but missed opportunities kept England in the driver’s seat, as the Roses again pulled away to lead 38-35 entering the final quarter.
Jamaica knew they needed a flawless fourth quarter to mount a comeback, and they responded with resilience. They leveled the score at 39-39 with over 11 minutes left and ignited a thrilling end-to-end battle.
The Sunshine Girls surged ahead 44-42 with less than eight minutes to play, but a sloppy centre pass allowed England to claw their way back.
A crucial offside turnover by Jamaica with less than three minutes remaining presented a chance to seal the game, but the opportunity went begging and England capitalized to go up 49-47 with less than a minute remaining.
Just when it seemed as England had the first win in the bag, up came Jamaica’s ever-reliable goalkeeper Shamera Sterling-Humphrey to snatch possession from Lois Pearson in the dying seconds.
Though Aiken-George missed her two attempts, goal attack Shanice Beckford showed steely nerves to secure the dramatic equalizer.
Sunshine Girls head coach Sasher-Gaye Henry praised her team’s determination but stressed the need for improved consistency.
“We showed great heart today. I think the first time playing in 15 months is really a big thing for us as it starts our journey (to the next World Cup), so I am quite pleased with what we saw. We still have some rough edges to fix, but England gave us a fair contest; we knew they were going to come hard, and I am glad that our girls stood tall to the task,” Henry said.
With the series finely balanced, both teams will head into Sunday’s second game with renewed determination, eager to gain the upper hand ahead of the Jamaican leg scheduled for November 25 and 26.
Sunday’s game is set for 9:00 am Jamaica time.
NB: The Horizon Netball Series can be seen live on SportsMax and the SportsMax app.
Rory McIlroy fancies his chances of ending 2024 on a high after taking a share of the lead at the DP World Tour Championship with one round remaining.
McIlroy shot a four-under 68 through his third round at Jumeirah Golf Estates to sit level with Antoine Rozner and Rasmus Hojgaard at 12-under for the week.
The Northern Irishman has endured a mixed year, memorably missing two close-range putts to miss out on his first major crown in a decade at June's US Open.
However, he could yet end it on a high as he is almost certain to claim the Race to Dubai title and is firmly in contention for a third triumph at the DP World Tour's season finale.
"As I said at the start of the week, my goal tomorrow is to be on that 18th green with two trophies instead of one," he told Sky Sports at the conclusion of his third round.
"I was with one of the Hojgaard brothers on the 18th last year and hopefully I'm not with the other one tomorrow!
"If I was to do it tomorrow, I'd walk away from this year with four worldwide wins, which is still pretty good.
"I'm excited about tomorrow. It's an opportunity to end the year on a really good note. I'm going to go out there and try to get it done."
Meanwhile, having carded six birdies in a seven-hole stretch to move into contention, Hojgaard is looking for more of the same on Sunday.
"I obviously hit it very close on the front nine, which was a massive confidence boost," the Dane told Sky Sports.
"I was just trying to ride the wave, see how many birdies I could make and then obviously it got a little bit more quiet on the back nine.
"I will approach tomorrow like I did today, try not to worry too much about what's ahead of me, try and play one hole at a time and get the best score possible."
Taylor Fritz dumped Alexander Zverev out of the ATP Finals with an entertaining 6-3 3-6 7-6 (7-3) semi-final win, teeing up a final meeting with Jannik Sinner or Casper Ruud.
Fritz became the first American to reach the final of the season-ending event since James Blake in 2006, standing firm in the face of Zverev's monstrous serve to earn a hard-fought win.
Zverev had not seen his serve broken in straight-sets wins over Andrey Rublev, Ruud and Carlos Alcaraz in the group stage, but Fritz achieved that feat in the sixth game to inch ahead in the opener, then only dropped one point in his subsequent two service games.
Zverev came battling back in the second set, breaking at the second attempt then coming through a tough seventh game to hold as he levelled the contest.
However, Fritz would come on strong again in the decider, which required a tie-break after an excellent display of serving from both players. Fritz capped the contest in style on his second match point, sending a fine forehand whizzing across the court and beyond Zverev.
The American, who began the tournament as the fifth seed among eight players, will now have a chance to win the biggest title of his career on Sunday.
Data Debrief: Second time lucky?
This has truly been a breakout season for Fritz, who is the first United States-born player to reach the finals of the US Open and ATP Finals in a single calendar year since Andre Agassi in 1999.
He was beaten in straight sets by Sinner at Flushing Meadows, but he could get a chance for revenge if the Italian overcomes Ruud later on Saturday. Sinner leads the all-time head-to-head with Fritz 3-1.
Rafael Nadal says he "couldn't ask for anything more" from his career as he prepares for the start of the Davis Cup, the final tournament before he retires.
The Spaniard announced last month he would end his remarkable playing career after the tournament, which begins on November 20, having struggled with injuries in the last two years.
He will retire as a four-time US Open champion and a two-time winner at both the Australian Open and Wimbledon.
Along with Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, Nadal is one of only three players in the Open Era to have played and won over 300 men's singles Grand Slam matches. Nadal bows out with a major record of 314 wins from 358 matches.
It is not yet clear if Nadal will play singles, doubles, or be a substitute at the Davis Cup, but he is determined to enjoy the event where he first played 20 years ago.
"My first great joy as a professional tennis player was the Davis Cup in 2004. Circumstances have given me the opportunity to be here," he told RFET media.
"I can't ask for anything more. I am more than grateful and satisfied with everything that has happened to me over the years.
"What I would like is obviously that the team works well and have options to win one more Davis Cup, either playing or cheering from the stands, sincerely. I'm here to live this week with enthusiasm, and then we'll see what happens."
Nadal last played at the 6 Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia, and has limited the events that he has featured in this year. After playing in just seven ATP Tour events in 2024, he will take the time to decide what he is capable of in Malaga.
"First, we have to see how I'm feeling these days in training and if I really do not see myself ready to have options to win the singles, I'm the first one who will not want to play," he said.
"If I don't feel ready, I'll be the first to talk to the captain. I've already told David [Ferrer, Spain's captain] on many occasions not to make any decision based on what is my last week as a professional tennis player. More or less, I've been able to do a good preparation. That's why I'm here.
"You have to see day by day, I haven't competed for a long time and the reality is that I want to live this week in whatever way I can, with the illusion of closing a very beautiful and long stage of my life, living these last moments with illusion, also with normality and from the acceptance of what is all a beginning and an end".
The Cleveland Cavaliers celebrated the longest winning streak in franchise history with their new frog mascot on Friday, leaving the defeated Chicago Bulls hopping mad.
Donovan Mitchell scored 18 of his season-high 37 points in the fourth quarter as the Cavs pulled away for a 144-126 victory at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, their 14th in as many games this season.
That result ensured they went one better than the previous team record of 13 successive wins, which they managed on three occasions during the LeBron James era.
They are just the sixth team in NBA history to go 14-0 from the start of a season and the first since 2015-16, when the Golden State Warriors did so en route to the Western Conference title.
After the victory, Mitchell – as well as team-mates Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen – celebrated by dancing with a man in a frog costume, which had gone viral as an impromptu mascot during the team's historic start to the campaign.
"That was fun," Mitchell said. "It shocked the hell out of me when I saw the frog. It was pretty dope. It was like just a vibe."
"It's Cleveland," Allen said when asked about the frog's arrival. "It's just a vibe in the city, and I hope it doesn't change.
"I've been wanting to dance with that frog since I first saw him!"
After scoring 49 first-quarter points in a blistering start, the Cavs found themselves just five points up at half-time, prompting coach Kenny Atkinson to angrily throw a sandal in the locker room.
"That's what we want," Mitchell said when asked about the incident after the game. "We all prefer that. We hear how good we are.
"For us, that's how we get better. We haven't lost, but how do you continue to find ways to build habits? It's continuing to coach hard and not let any lapses. That's what you want in a coach."
Cleveland have some way to go to record the best start to a campaign in NBA history, with the Warriors going 24-0 to begin the 2015-16 season.
However, a victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday would make their start the joint-second best in league history, along with the 1948-49 Washington Capitols and the 1993-94 Houston Rockets.
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