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White Ferns all-rounder Amelia Kerr is nominated in two categories in the ICC 2024 Awards PHOTO: ICC A New Zealand player has made the cut at the ICC 2024 Awards among some big names. White Ferns all-rounder Amelia Kerr is nominated as the ICC Women's Cricketer of the Year as well as Women's T20 International Cricketer of the Year. LATEST HEADLINES: Black Caps bowl to T20 series victory Bulls resign Rusbatch, Fotu at Tuatara Wood helps Forest to fifth straight victory Sparks score Women's Super Smash win Barry beaten in Classic qualifying battle The other finalists in the overall category are South African Laura Wolvaardt, Australian Annabel Sutherland and Sr Lankan Chamari Athapaththu. Kerr was a key part of the team that won the T20 World Cup in the UAE, top scoring in the final against South Africa with 43 off 38 balls and picking up three wickets. She was named Player of the Match and Player of the Series. In 2024 Kerr scored 264 runs in nine ODIs at an average of 33 and took 14 wickets. She scored 387 runs across 18 T20Is, averaging 24 and took 29 wickets.

Ethan Rusbatch (Franklin Bulls), Dan Fotu (Auckland Tuatara) and Dom Kelman-Poto (Taranaki Airs) have signed on for the 2025 NBL. PHOTOS: BULLS, TUATARA, DKP National Basketball League (NBL) franchises were among the thousands doing some shopping over the holiday period. Tall Blacks Dan Fotu and Dom Kelman-Poto have found new homes, with the Auckland Tuatara and Taranaki Airs, respectively, over the last week, while Ethan Rusbatch will remain with the Franklin Bulls in 2025. LATEST HEADLINES: Wood helps Forest to fifth straight victory Sparks score Women's Super Smash win Barry beaten in Classic qualifying battle Mike Venus could face Djokovic, Kyrgios Alice Robinson takes third in giant slalom After seasons with the Bulls and Nelson Giants, Fotu will return to his hometown Tuatara, who he played three games for in 2022. The 6-foot-7 power forward averaged 17.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and 55 percent shooting in 18 games for the Bulls in 2023, and 18.6 points, 6.3 boards, 2.1 assists and 50 percent from the field in 19 games with the G-Men last season. “Dan is a great player that has established himself as one of the leading Kiwi players in the competition,” said Tuatara head coach Cam Gliddon. “I have worked with him during my time at the Breakers and I know what a talent he is. It is great to be able to bring him home and I know he is really looking forward to representing his hometown team again.” The 25-year-old, who joins fellow Kiwis Rob Loe and Tom Vodanovich on the Tuatara roster, is currently playing in Japan's B.League with the Gifu Swoops, averaging 10.3 points and 4.9 rebounds. Fotu will attempt to take the Tuatara one step further, having lost four straight NBL championship games. While losing Kelman-Poto to the Airs, the Bulls secured the return of Rusbatch for his second season in Pukekohe and 13th NBL season overall. Rusbatch, 32, averaged 13.7 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists, while shooting 41 percent on three-point attempts in 18 games for the Bulls in 2024. The 6-foot-5 wing, who has appeared 28 times for the Tall Blacks in FIBA competitions since 2017, is currently playing for Pyrinto Tampere in the Finnish Korisliiga, where he is averaging 6.1 points in 10 games. "Having Ethan back in the Bulls team for 2025 is a big signing," said head coach Sebastian Gleim. "He keeps us together; trains and plays tough all the time and is committed to what we are doing. We wish him all the best for his season in Finland and can’t wait to see him back on the court for the Bulls." The Bulls also announced the signing of 6-foot-2 local forward Halasiale Miale, who was a Rapid League regular and bench depth player for them in 2024. Kelman-Poto, who has spent considerable time with the 3x3 Tall Blacks in recent years, will suit up for his fourth NBL franchise in eight seasons next year. The 6-foot-7 forward spent the last two seasons with the Bulls, averaging 8.5 points, 4.2 boards and 62 percent shooting in 2023, and 6.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 57 percent shooting in 2024. The Airs also confirmed this week the return of local product Scott Telfer for 2025. The 6-foot-5 small forward spent last season with the Southland Sharks, averaging 19 minutes and 5.3 points in 20 games, after three years in New Plymouth. NBL FREE AGENT TRACKER Auckland Tuatara: Rob Loe, Tom Vodanovich, Dan Fotu Indian Panthers: None Franklin Bulls: Ethan Rusbatch, Halasiale Miale Tauranga Whai: None Taranaki Airs: Carlin Davison, Dom Kelman-Poto, Scott Telfer Hawke's Bay Hawks: None Manawatu Jets: Dontae Russo-Nance, Kenny Goins Wellington Saints: Hyrum Harris, Troy Plumtree Nelson Giants: None Canterbury Rams: None Otago Nuggets: None Southland Sharks: None

Chris Wood continues to have Nottingham Forest fans dreaming of the Champions League next season. The All Whites captain scored his team-leading 11th goal of the Premier League campaign in a 2-0 away victory over Everton at Goodison Park on Sunday (Monday NZ Time). LATEST HEADLINES: Sparks score Women's Super Smash win Barry beaten in Classic qualifying battle Mike Venus could face Djokovic, Kyrgios Auckland FC win again in the A-League Alice Robinson takes third in giant slalom The three points - from their fifth straight league win - saw the Reds surge to second on the Premier League table, eight points behind Liverpool. Whatever Arsenal and Chelsea do on Monday (Tuesday NZT), Forest will reach the season's halfway point in the top-four, with four - and possibly five - English clubs qualifying for the Champions League. Wood scored in the 15th minute and provided the assist on Morgan Gibbs-White's 61st-minute strike, before being subbed off in the 76th minute. The 33-year-old, who became Forest's leading Premier League goalscorer earlier in December, exchanged attacking headers with teammate Anthony Elanga, before calmly dinking a volley over an advancing Jordan Pickford. Wood recorded his first goal-assist of the season when he found Gibbs-White in the area against a fast-retreating Everton defence. Wood trails just superstars, Liverpool's Mohamed Salah (17), Manchester City's Erling Haaland (14) and Chelsea's Cole Palmer (12) for most Premier League goals, as one of seven players with 10-plus goals.

Eden Carson took three wickets in Women's Super Smash victory over the Auckland Hearts. PHOTO: DAVE LINTOTT PHOTOGRAPHY The Otago Sparks have rebounded from their first white-ball loss of the domestic cricket season in the Women's Super Smash. With their bowlers doing the job, Otago rolled to a seven-wicket victory over the Auckland Hearts at Alexandra's Molyneux Park on Sunday, two days after losing by 12 runs to the Canterbury Magicians at the same venue. LATEST HEADLINES: Barry loses Classic qualifying battle Venus could face Djokovic, Kyrgios Auckland FC win again in A-League Robinson takes third in giant slalom Black Caps score win over Sri Lanka White Fern Eden Carson took 3-28 from four overs and Kirstie Gordon 2-14 from four as Otago restricted the Hearts to 110-8 in their 20 overs, with Brooke Halliday (22 from 19) and Maddy Green (21 from 24) leading the way. Auckland were 80-3 in the 14th over before Carson got a double breakthrough and they lost their last five wickets for just 30 runs. Veteran opener Suzie Bates missed out for the Volts, but Bella James (20 from 12), Felicity Robertson (19 from 23), Caitlin Blakely (21 not out from 23) and Polly Inglis (29 not out from 21) got Otago home with 29 balls to spare. Rain had the final say in the Super Smash nightcap between the Otago Volts and Auckland Aces, with the teams sharing the points. Batting first, Auckland put up a modest 106 from 16.1 of their allocated 17 overs, with former Black Cap Martin Guptill top-scoring with 31 from 23 and Dean Foxcroft taking 4-18 from three for Otago. The Volts were 26-0 after just 1.5 overs, with Dale Phillips 17 not out from 10, when the rain returned to wash out play. The Super Smash returns on New Year's Eve, again at Molyneux Park, with the Volts and Sparks hosting Central Districts, with the women's match at 12.40pm and men's match at 4.25pm.

New Zealand's Monique Barry was beaten in the final round of qualifying at the ASB Classic but put up a big effort. PHOTO: TENNIS NZ Another impressive performance by Monique Barry but not quite enough for victory and a main draw spot in the ASB Classic. Barry was beaten in the final round of qualifing by Lin Glushko (Israel) 7-5 7-6(4) just 24 hours after she had defeated top seed Ena Shibahara in straight sets LATEST HEADLINES: Venus could face Djokovic, Kyrgios Auckland FC win again in A-League Robinson takes third in Giant Slalom Black Caps score win over Sri Lanka Barbarouses goal winner for Phoenix The 506th-ranked Barry forced Glushko, ranked 221, to dig deep who kept in the match even when down on games. Barry got a break of serve in the seventh game of the first set and then held to go up 5-3. She had a set point in the following game, but missed with a return down the line. Glushko, then reeled off four games in a row to take the opening set. In the second set got an early break, but once again Glushko responded and got the set back to 2-2. The set went into a tiebreak, with Glushko winning the first three points. She went onto lead 5-2, before losing the next two points on her serve. However, Glushko won the next two points to book her place in the main draw. Overall Barry won 89 points to her opponents 97 points in the two hour two minute match.. The previous day Valentina Ivanov and Elyse Tse had competed well but lost in the first round of qualifying. With the doubles draw completed Barry, 22 who was born in New Plymouth but lives in Melbourne will partner fellow Kiwi Jade Otway against Nao Hibino (Japan) and Oksana Kalashnikova (Georgia) in the first round. The other doubles wildcard has been given to Ivanov and Vivian Yang, who play Americans An Li and Katie Volynets in the first round.

New Zealand's Lulu Sun is the fourth seed at the ASB Classic and will face Canadian Rebecca Marino in the first round PHOTO: NZSW Different draws for the New Zealand players in the main draw of the ASB Classic which starts Monday in Auckland. Fourth seed Lulu Sun faces Canadian Rebecca Marino who has a current WTA ranking of 102 on the opening day of the tournament. LATEST HEADLINES: New Zealand trio in ASB Classic qualies Otago, Canterbury split in Super Smash Lydia Ko wins prestigious Lonsdale Cup Black Caps Champions Trophy games set Volleyball NZ aims for LA28 with funding Marino has been ranked as high as 38 and has played the event on four previous occasions dating back to 2010. She reached the second round in Auckland last year. Her best result in 2024 was winning the WTA 125 tournament in Midland, United States last month. Sun ranked 40th hasn't played a full competitive match since before the US Open and is hoping to start 2025 on a high at her 'home' tournament. Kiwi wildcard Vivian Yang has second seed Elise Mertens from Belgium as her first round opponent. Left-hander Yang, 19 who is currently at college in the United States won the New Zealand wildcard playoff and will have to be at the top of her game against 34th ranked Mertens who has eight WTA singles titles in her career. Other notable matches include top seed Madison Keys against Italian Lucia Bronzetti, former US Open winner Emma Raducanu faces American Robin Montgomery, Former world No 1 and four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka will play a qualifier and 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens faces countrywoman Ann Li.

Part of the incident which has seen Breakers star Parker Jackson-Cartwright suspended for five NBL games PHOTO: NBL The NZ Breakers have lost star player Parker Jackson-Cartwright to a five game suspension after an altercation during the NBL game against the Tasmania JackJumpers on Christmas Day. Jackson-Cartwright was accused of manhadling a referee during the incident. LATEST HEADLINES: Sun plays Canadian, Yang second seed New Zealand trio in ASB Classic qualies Otago, Canterbury split in Super Smash Lydia Ko wins prestigious Lonsdale Cup Black Caps Champions Trophy games set He was referred directly to a Single Member Tribunal which came up with the decision to suspend Jackson-Cartwright for five games The Breakers may appeal the SMT’s determination to a Full Member Tribunal. JackJumpers player and Tall Black Reuben Te Rangi has been charged with Unduly Rough Play against Breakers player Parker Jackson-Cartwright. The incident has been determined as intentional, medium impact and body contact resulting in a one-game suspension or a $1550 fine with an early plea. Neither the Jackson-Cartwright or Te Rangi were ejected from the game at the time of the incident. The Breakers have lost eight straight games and face the Taipans in Cairns Tuesday 31 December.

Queenstown alpine skier Alice Robinson has claimed her 12th World Cup podium, finishing third at the FIS Giant Slalom World Cup held in Semmering, Austria. The 23-year-old Kiwi was sixth after her first run, but improved to finish just 0.90 seconds behind race winner Federica Brignone of Italy with Sweden's Sara Hector in second. LATEST HEADLINES: Black Caps score win over Sri Lanka Barbarouses goal winner for Phoenix Jackson-Cartwright 5 game suspension Sun plays Canadian, Yang second seed New Zealand trio in ASB Classic qualies Robinson was pleased with her result, explaining how she can go faster. “I am really happy, my third GS race [of the 2025 season] and my second podium…I would describe today’s performance as solid, the first run – I definitely left a bit of time out there, I had some good sections but I was a little conservative. I felt like in the second run I really charged and went for it.” Robinson felt nervous going into the event after recording a DNF (did not finish) at the previous GS World Cup stop in Killington. She said she skied a little more conservatively on her first run, then as her confidence built she charged hard into her second run and skied into podium position. Robinson’s 2025 campaign continues January 4th with the Kransjka Gora Giant Slalom World Cup in Slovenia.

The Black Caps have scored an eight run victory over Sri Lanka at Bay Oval in Mt Maunganui in the first of three T20's. New Zealand made 172 for 8 thanks mainly to a 106 run partnership from Daryl Mitchell who eventually made 62 off 42 balls and 59 by Michael Bracewell from 33 including four sixes and four fours. LATEST HEADLINES: Barbarouses goal winner for Phoenix Jackson-Cartwright 5 game suspension Sun plays Canadian, Yang second seed New Zealand trio in ASB Classic qualies Otago, Canterbury split in Super Smash Only Tim Robinson with 11 and Mark Chapman 15 made double figures out of the rest of the home batters. Rachin Ravindra played in the unfamiliar position of opener. In reply Sri Lanka scored 164 for 8 with openers Pathum Missanka 90 and and Kusal Mendis 46. No other Sri Lankan player reached double figures. Kusal Perera and Kamindu Mendis came in at three and four in the order and both went for not score thanks to the combination of Jacob Duffy and Mitch Hay behind the stumps. Duffy had the best bowling figures of 3-21 from his four overs while Zak Foulkes and Matt Henry took two wickets each. The second match, also at Mt Maunganui is December 30th.

Kosta Barbarouses scored almost from halfway his 99th A-League score as the Phoenix got back to winning PHOTO: A-LEAGUE Wellington Phoenix’s three-game losing streak has come to an end after a 2-1 win over Newcastle Jets in the Capital. The victory was , inspired by a second-minute Kosta Barbarouses wondergoal scored from inside the centre circle. LATEST HEADLINES: Jackson-Cartwright 5 game suspension Sun plays Canadian, Yang second seed New Zealand trio in ASB Classic qualies Otago, Canterbury split in Super Smash Lydia Ko wins prestigious Lonsdale Cup It was the 99th -League goal (and sixth of the season) for Barbarouses as Jets defender Mark Natta turned over possesion with an errant pass in the midfield and the Nix player spotted Ryan Soctt off his line to fire a shot from the centre circle over the head of the keeper. That one bit of magic gave the home side the lead in a first half otherwise dominated by the Jets at Sky Stadium. Paulo Retre doubled Wellington’s advantage in the 59th minute with his first Phoenix goal before 21-year-old Newcastle striker Ben Gibson gave the visitors hope with his third goal in two games. Back in the hunt after Gibson’s 73rd-minute finish, the Jets pushed for an equaliser but Phoenix keeper Josh Oluwayemi produced a big save to deny Gibson a double and keep his side on top.

Kiwi doubles player Michael Venus is top seed in Brisbane with Nikola Mektic and could face Novak Djokovic and Nick Kyrgios PHOTO: NZSW New Zealand's Michael Venus and new doubles partner, Nikola Mektic are the top seeds at the Brisbane ATP tournament this week. They've been given a bye in the first round, however in the second round they could face the combination of Serbian tennis great Novak Djokovic and flamboyant Australian Nick Kyrgios. LATEST HEADLINES: Auckland FC win again in A-League Robinson takes third in Giant Slalom Black Caps score win over Sri Lanka Barbarouses goal winner for Phoenix Jackson-Cartwright 5 game suspension Venus and Kyrgios have history where the Kiwi labelled his Australian opponent "an absoute knob" after a controversial quarterfinal clash at the Australian Open in 2022. Kyrgios has continued his strong words about players such as Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiantek who escaped full sanctions for positive drug testting. The Australian 27-year-old has said he will play on the tennis tour throughout 2025. Venus and Mektic are set to play Brisbane then the ASB Classic and the Austrlaian Open where they will likely be the fifth or sixth seeds. Mektic has a current ATP ranking of six while Venus is 17.

Celebration time for Auckland FC who returned from their first loss of the season to defeat Central Coast Mariners PHOTO: A-LEAGUE Auckland FC have got their mojo back as they scored 4-1 victory over defending champions the Central Coast Mariners in Gosford. The newcomers have a four point lead over Adelaide at the top of the A-League table, depending on other results. LATEST HEADLINES: Robinson takes third in Giant Slalom Black Caps score win over Sri Lanka Barbarouses goal winner for Phoenix Jackson-Cartwright 5 game suspension Sun plays Canadian, Yang second seed After their first loss of the season, 4-0 to Western United coach Steve Corica got his side back on track and looking dominant. Hiroki Sakai scored the first goal in the 12th minute with a header, however Alfie McCalmon equalised for the Mariners three minutes later with assistance from a Nando Pijnaker deflection. Auckland scored two more first half goals through Jake Brimmer with a powerful volley in the 31st minute and then Guillermo May capitalised on a defensive mix up to make it 3-1 at halftime. It remained 3-1 until the 84th minute when Logan Rogerson off the bench basted a goal to finish the match. Auckland FC return to Mt Smart Stadium where they will play Melbourne Victory on New Year's Day.