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Michael Bracewell will lead the Black Caps at home for the first time for the T20 series against Pakistan. PHOTO: ICC CHAMPIONS TROPHY A new home captain for the Black Caps with Wellington all-rounder Michael Bracewell to lead the side for this month's T20 series against Pakistan. Mitchell Santner along with Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Glenn Phillips and Rachin Ravindra are unavailable due to IPL commitments. LATEST HEADLINES: NZ All Whites squad for World Cup qualies Indian Panthers unknown ahead of NBL debut Lulu Sun, Erin Routliffe beaten at Indian Wells Auckland FC reserves to make domestic debut Alker wins on PGA Tour Champions in playoff Bracewell, 34, has made 66 international appearances since debuting in 2022 and was a key member of the squad that made the recent Champions Trophy final. Bracewell captained the Black Caps white-ball tour of Pakistan in April last year and said he relished the challenge of leading the side. "I really enjoyed leading the side in Pakistan last year and we've got many players from that squad included for this series as well, which is nice. "Mitch Santner's done a great job since taking over as white-ball captain and I'll really just be trying to build on his good work and create an enjoyable environment for the guys to perform in. "Pakistan are always a dangerous short-form side with lots of power and pace and we know they'll be hurting after an early exit in the Champions Trophy. Ish Sodhi has been recalled after missing the recent home series against Sri Lanka, while Ben Sears has recovered from the torn hamstring which forced him to return home on the eve of the Champions Trophy last month. Kyle Jamieson and Will O'Rourke have been included for the first three games of the series only, as the selectors seek to manage the workloads of the pace-bowlers returning from the Champions Trophy. Ish Sodhi celebrates a wicket against India in 2023.Ish Sodhi celebrates a wicket against India in 2023. Photo: PHOTOSPORT Matt Henry, who finished as the leading wicket-taker at the tournament despite missing the final through injury, has been selected for games four and five, subject to further assessment once the ODI squad arrives home on Wednesday. Finn Allen, Jimmy Neesham and Tim Seifert have also been included in the squad after confirming their availability, if selected, for the build-up series' to next year's ICC T20 World Cup in India (against India and Afghanistan in January and February). The trio were unavailable for the recent home series against Sri Lanka in December and January due to their overseas T20 league commitments, but have since returned for their Major Associations in the Ford Trophy. Tim Robinson continues his run at the top of the T20 order, while pace-bowler Zak Foulkes (games 4 and 5) and wicket-keeper Mitch Hay retain their spots in the squad after impressing in the recent series against Sri Lanka. Daryl Mitchell and Mark Chapman, who were both part of the Champions Trophy campaign, will provide the top-order batting experience. Bevon Jacobs, who was part of the squad for the recent T20 series against Sri Lanka, was unavailable due to IPL commitments, while Kane Williamson wasn't considered for selection after making himself unavailable. Blac Caps T20 squad v Pakistan Michael Bracewell (c) Finn Allen Mark Chapman Jacob Duffy Zak Foulkes (games 4 & 5) Mitch Hay Matt Henry (games 4 & 5) Kyle Jamieson (games 1, 2 & 3) Daryl Mitchell Jimmy Neesham Will O'Rourke (games 1, 2 & 3) Tim Robinson Ben Sears Tim Seifert Ish Sodhi T20I Double-Header Schedule 1st T20I Double-Header - Sunday 16 March - Hagley Oval, Christchurch White Ferns v Sri Lanka, 10:15am Black Caps v Pakistan, 2:15pm 2nd T20I Double-Header - Tuesday 18 March - University of Otago Oval, Dunedin White Ferns v Sri Lanka, 10:15am Black Caps v Pakistan, 2:15pm 3rd T20I Double-Header - Friday 21 March - Eden Park, Auckland White Ferns v Australia, 2:45pm Black Caps v Pakistan, 7:15pm 4th T20I Double-Header - Sunday 23 March - Bay Oval, Tauranga White Ferns v Australia, 2:45pm Black Caps v Pakistan, 7:15pm 5th T20I Double Header - Wednesday 25 March - Sky Stadium, Wellington White Ferns v Australia, 2:45pm Black Caps v Pakistan, 7:15pm

Lulu Sun fought hard but found eighth seed Qinwen Zheng too tough in the Indian Wells third round PHOTO: BNP PARIBAS OPEN New Zealand tennis player Lulu Sun's run at the WTA 1000 tournament at India Wells has come to an end in the third round Sun won two matches at Indian Wells in what has been a tough year for victories on the WTA Tour. She had just one other win in 2025 so far. LATEST HEADLINES: Auckland FC reserves to make domestic debut Alker wins on PGA Tour Champions in playoff White Ferns wrap up Sri Lanka ODI series 2-0 Auckland FC grab A-League point at Newcastle Phoenix Women secure first win since January Crusaders claim big victory over Queensland However eighth seed Qinwen Zheng was too good in the third round winning 6-4 7-5 in one hour 50 minutes. Sun broke Zheng on four occasions out of her eight opportunities but gave up six breaks on her own serve. The head-to-head record between the two now sits at 1-1 after Sun beat Zheng in the first round at Wimbledon last year. Also losing were doubles second seeds Erin Routliffe and Canadian Gaby Dabrowski. They lost to wildcards Anna Kalinskaya (Russia) and American Caty McNally 7-6(4), 7-5 in the second round.

Auckland FC will make their debut in New Zealand Football's National League in 2025. PHOTO: AUCKLAND FC The A-League's newest club, Auckland FC, will make their first foray into New Zealand domestic football later this month. Auckland FC's Reserves join the Northern League this season - with their first match away at fellow new club Fencibles United on Saturday, March 22 - during the regional phase of New Zealand Football's National League . LATEST HEADLINES: Alker wins on PGA Tour Champions in playoff White Ferns wrap up Sri Lanka ODI series 2-0 Auckland FC grab A-League point at Newcastle Phoenix Women secure first win since January Crusaders claim big victory over Queensland Coll defends New Zealand Squash Open title Like the Wellington Phoenix Reserves in the Central League, Auckland FC automatically qualify for the now 11-team National League Championship phase during spring. The Auckland FC Reserves' first home match comes against Tauranga City FC at Fred Taylor Park in Auckland's west on Saturday, March 29, with their fixtures list featuring three home matches in the first five rounds. Their first match against three-time defending Northern League and current National League champions Auckland City FC comes on Saturday, May 10 at Kiwitea Street, before they host the return match on Saturday, August 9. While how Auckland FC Reserves fare will provide some intrigue, the country's pre-eminent club, ACFC, will play in three of the first four Northern League matches to alleviate their schedule congestion. The champions will host Tauranga City on Saturday, March 15 and West Coast Rangers on Tuesday, March 18, before travelling to Manurewa AFC on Saturday, March 22 in the first round proper. After those three matches, they will head to the Solomon Islands for the OFC Champions League, with their next league match coming on Saturday, April 17. Similarly, they will play seven matches in May before dedicating the entirety of June to the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States. Three-time Central League champions Wellington Olympic will get their campaign underway at their Wakefield Park home against cross-town rivals Miramar Rangers on Saturday, March 29. The Phoenix Reserves host league newcomers Upper Hutt City the same day at Lower Hutt's Fraser Park. Promoted Wanaka AFC get the Southern League season started, welcoming Universities of Canterbury on Saturday, March 29, while last year's winners Cashmere Technical open at home against Selwyn United the same day. Four teams from the Northern League, three from the Central League and two from the Southern League - plus the AFC Reserves and Phoenix Reserves - will qualify for the National League Championship.

The Wellington Phoenix Women have reinvigorated their Women's A-League finals hopes. The Phoenix came from behind to beat Western Sydney Wanderers Women 2-1 and lift the Sister City Cup at Porirua Park, courtesy of late goals from Mebae Tanaka and Olivia Fergusson. LATEST HEADLINES: Crusaders claim big victory over Queensland Coll defends New Zealand Squash Open title Black Caps lose ICC Champions Trophy final Kiwi Tyler Hodge holds on for NZ PGA victory Wellington Phoenix lose fourth straight match The victory snapped Wellington’s five-match winless run and moved the Nix just a point adrift of the top-six. Phoenix head coach Paul Temple said it was a massively important result for the team. “The last two weekends [and] last night’s games they’ve all been going in our favour really and we haven’t been able to capitalise,” Temple said. “So, it’s huge for us to get three points because it capitalises on that, cuts the gap to one and of course if it’s that tight it’s anyone’s game. The manner of how we won that game today will help the confidence as well so it was just what we needed.” Temple felt his substitutes were the difference. “We were talking on the bench about Mebae and how she has X-factor and a bit of quality and it was all about trying to find her a moment. Thankfully the ball dropped to her, and it was an incredible hit. “As soon as that goes in the whole life goes back into the team and then Fergie I thought finished her chance really well. It was a good cross from Zoe that came on so the subs made a big impact." The Wellington Phoenix Women lift the Sister City Cup after beating Western Sydney Wanderers. PHOTO: WELLINGTON PHOENIX Temple made two changes to the XI that started last Sunday’s 3-1 defeat to Adelaide United, with Daisy Brazendale and Manaia Elliott returning to the side in place of Zoe McMeeken and the injured Mackenzie Barry. The Phoenix started brightly with Fergusson unleashing the first shot of the match inside 60 seconds, but pulled it off target. Elliott came close to opening the scoring seven minutes later following a free-flowing Nix attack, but she too pulled her shot. Fergusson also headed an Annalie Longo corner wide of goal before 10 minutes were on the clock. Despite Wellington’s initial dominance they were unable to test Sham Khamis in Western Sydney’s goal and Phoenix ‘keeper Carolina Vilão made the first save of the match in the 20th minute when she kept out Sienna Saveska’s powerful effort from the top of the box. Bronte Trew put Wanderers in front a couple of minutes later when she pounced on a ball mis-played by Alivia Kelly to slot home into an empty net. After a flat period the Nix finished the half with renewed energy. Emma Main shot over the bar from six yards out after Western Sydney were unable to deal with an Annalie Longo corner in the 29th minute. Fergusson had three further goalscoring opportunities before halftime. She struck the outside of the post after Alyssa Whinham made a mazy run and picked her out in the six yard box, found the side-netting from a Longo cutback and wasn’t able to bring a threatening Main cross under control and it bounced into Khamis’ arms. Wellington's Manaia Elliott gets her head in the wrong place and cops a ball to the nose. PHOTO: DAVE LINTOTT PHOTOGRAPHY Vilão made a save seven minutes into the second half to keep out a shot from Trew, but otherwise Wellington continued where they left off in the first half. Moments after Trew’s shot, Fergusson headed a left-wing cross from Elliott narrowly wide of the near post. Khamis made a double save in the 58th minute to keep Wanderers in front. She first denied Whinham and then spectacularly tipped Elliott’s follow-up around her post. Elliott had to be replaced soon after, having copped a nasty knock to the head. Tanaka came on for the final half-hour. She drew the Phoenix level 15 minutes from fulltime, finding the roof of the Western Sydney net with a thunderous effort after Wanderers were unable to properly clear a right-wing corner. The Nix continued to dominate after Tanaka’s equaliser and finally got the reward for their endeavour in the 86th minute when Fergusson redirected a cross from substitute McMeeken past Khamis. Western Sydney threw numbers forward in the closing stages in the hopes of pinching a point but were unable to trouble Vilão. The Phoenix Women, who lifted the Sister City Cup for the fourth straight match, head across the Tasman next week to play Sydney FC on Saturday. Wellington Phoenix Women 2 (Mebae Tanaka 75', Olivia Fergusson 86') Western Sydney Wanderers 1 (Bronte Trew 22'). HT: 0-1

Tyler Hodge became the third Kiwi to win in the last four tournaments on the PGA Tour of Australasia. PHOTO: PGA TOUR OF AUSTRALASIA Kiwi left-hander Tyler Hodge has held his nerve over the closing stages to clinch a one-stroke victory at the Wallace Development New Zealand PGA Championship. Leading by four strokes after a birdie at the par-5 10th, Hodge’s advantage from Queensland pair Tim Hart (67) and Shae Wools-Cobb (71) was reduced to three with a bogey at the par-4 11th. LATEST HEADLINES: Alker in the top-20 on PGA Tour Champions Wellington Phoenix lose fourth straight match Paul Coll into decider at the NZ Squash Open Rise of the Pacific as Chiefs, Canes go down Lulu Sun into third round; Routliffe wins too Hart, Wools-Cobb and Kerry Mountcastle (66) all nudged one stroke closer with birdies of their own, Hodge’s lead shrinking to just one when he made a third bogey in the space of eight holes after three-putting the par-three 16th. The two closing holes at Hastings Golf Club were playing directly into a hefty wind and Hodge came up short with his second into the par-four 17th. He very nearly chipped in before tapping in for par to head to the 72nd tee with a one-shot advantage as Hart and Mountcastle sat safely in the clubhouse at 15-under. A bombed drive into the fairway was the first piece of the puzzle Hodge needed to complete before the 30-year-old hit his best shot of the day, a 7-iron from 161 metres to just 12 feet. It was after watching playing partner Denzel Ieremia’s shot carry deep into the green that Hodge changed clubs, dropping back to 7-iron to all but seal his first PGA Tour of Australasia victory with a final round of 3-under 69. He is the third Kiwi winner in the past four events (Josh Geary, Nick Voke) and the third left-hander to win this season (Elvis Smylie, Ryan Peake) and does so in his second stint as a professional. Originally joining the pro ranks in 2015, Hodge quit in late 2019 and had a year away from the game before returning to amateur golf and caddying for two seasons at Tara Iti. In 2023, he decided to try again and now, two years later, he is a Tour winner with guaranteed status through until the end of the 2026-2027 season. “That’s a very cool thought,” said Hodge, who had fiancée Tessa McDonald on the bag as he completed a career highlight. “We’ll have some in-house conversations and stuff like that about what the future looks like playing golf. “I had a couple of years off a few years ago and then kind of came back to the game and have been enjoying it. “But she’s a tough old slog pro golf, so my fiancée and I have been having some chats about possibly giving the pro playing stuff away. We’ll have to have a bit more of a chat over the winter about that.” Tied for second overnight, Hodge continued to forge ahead as the likes of Cameron Harlock (77), Jake McLeod (74), Denzel Ieremia (71) and Wools-Cobb (71) stalled on Sunday. Challengers emerged from back in the pack in the form of Mountcastle and Hart, but both would ultimately fall one short of forcing a playoff. It was Hodge’s performances on the Charles Tour in New Zealand last year that earned limited playing rights on the PGA Tour of Australasia this season, a tie for 11th at the NSW Open enhancing his status and providing confirmation that a win was not beyond reach. “I definitely haven’t played to my potential for most of the season,” said Hodge, who is now 22nd on the Order of Merit. “That was a little bit of a highlight that week but still felt like I didn’t kind of have it. Just to kind of let it go this week and just whatever happens, happens, the game kind of came back to me a little bit naturally, I suppose. “I’m almost a journeyman now. Golf is different. There’s a lot of learnings that you have to go through yourself. “People can tell you about it and stuff like that, but you have to experience a few of those things and get through a lot of adversity. “Slowly but surely got back into it and then obviously enjoyed it enough to have another crack at the pro stuff.” Mountcastle and Hart shared second at 15-under, one clear of Wools-Cobb, Anthony Quayle (69) and another Kiwi left-hander Tim Wilkinson (67).

An unusual trophy at the Cologuard Classic for Steven Alker on the PGA Champions Tour. PHOTO: PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS Steven Alker has carded a remarkable final round to win the latest PGA Tour Champions event in Arizona. The New Zealander started the final day on Sunday (Monday NZ Time) four shots off the lead at the Cologuard Classic in Tuscon, only to shoot a five-under 66 to climb six places, along with American Jason Caron. LATEST HEADLINES: White Ferns wrap up Sri Lanka ODI series 2-0 Auckland FC grab A-League point at Newcastle Phoenix Women secure first win since January Crusaders claim big victory over Queensland Coll defends New Zealand Squash Open title The pair went to the clubhouse tied for the lead and watched as others tried to chase down their 12-under for the tournament. Australians Greg Chalmers and Rod Pampling fell one shot short to finish at 11-under, while South African major winner Ernie Els ended at 10-under. On the first playoff hole, the par-four 18th, Alker had a chance to putt for birdie to win the tournament and the reigning Charles Schwab Cup Champion held his nerve. The 53-year-old was even-par at the turn after a pair of birdies and bogeys. His charge to the title began with an eagle at the par-five 11th, before he made three straight birdies at the 15th, 16th and 17th to join Caron. Alker has now moved to second on the overall tour standings, with a second and a tie for fourth in his first two starts of the year. Despite a consistent 2024 - with his lone victory coming in the season-opening tournament in Hawaii - he said it was nice to win a tournament for the first time in a while. "You just grind away, I've been in a lot of top-10s and top-fives, been in the hunt so it's just being patient and working hard on the body in the pre-season. "It's been 13-14 months since my last win so just to get over that little hurdle and get that win. The game has just been feeling good, just consistently week in week out so that's what I want, to give myself chances. "Moving forward, I've got a Charles Schwab Cup to defend so I've got to get it going ... the competition is just getting so good, so you've got to keep getting better." Meanwhile, fellow New Zealand golfer Danny Lee made a final-round push at the LIV Golf Hong Kong tournament on Sunday. Lee fired a four-under 66 at the Hong Kong Golf Club, featuring six birdies - including three in his last five holes - and two bogeys, to climb into a tie for 20th at seven-under, 11 strokes behind the winner, Spaniard Sergio Garcia. Fellow Kiwi Ben Campbell closed with a two-under 68, with four birdies and two bogeys, to finish in a share of 35th at five-under. Campbell's RangeGoats GC finished seventh and Lee's Iron Heads GC 10th.

Georgia Plimmer in action at the T20 World Cup LAST YEAR scored a century against Sri Lanka in Nelson PHOTO: ICC/GETTY IMAGES The White Ferns have eased to an ODI series win over Sri Lanka by 98 runs in the third and final game in Nelson. Opener Georgia Plimmer was the star for the home tean scoring her maiden ODI century. LATEST HEADLINES: Auckland FC grab A-League point at Newcastle Phoenix Women secure first win since January Crusaders claim big victory over Queensland Coll defends New Zealand Squash Open title Black Caps lose ICC Champions Trophy final After winning the toss and choosing to bat first New Zealand scored 280-6, Plimmer making 112 from 120 balls and Suzie Bates 53. Together they put on 108 for the first wicket. Brooke Halliday, Maddy Green and Isabella Gaze all had good starts in the middle order with scores of 36, 32 adn 24 respectively. Sugandika Kumari was the best of the Sri Lankan bowlers taking 3-70 from 10 overs. Jess Kerr removed the top three visiting batters all for singles figures with Sri Lanka falling to 23-3. Kayisha Dilhari and Nilakshika Silva both scored 45 in the middle of the innings to steady the innings, but it was never going to be enough as the side was dismissed for 182 in the final over. Fran Jonas also took 3-40 alonside Kerr's 3-22. The first match was washed out while New Zealand won the second by 78 runs. The two nations now meet in three T20 internationals with the first in Christchurch on Friday.

Glenn Phillips tries to work the ball away on the Dubai pitch in the ICC Champions Trophy final loss to India PHOTO: ICC The Black Caps have been beaten in the final of the ICC Champions Trophy in Dubai by Inida by four wickets with six balls to spare. Batting first New Zealand made 251-7 thanks to Daryl Mitchell with a measure 63 from 101 balls to resurect the innings once Kane Williamson had gone at 75-3. LATEST HEADLINES: Wellington Phoenix lose fourth straight game Paul Coll into decider at the NZ Squash Open Rise of the Pacific as Chiefs, Canes go down Kiwi Harlock surprise leader at the NZ PGA Lulu Sun into third round; Routliffe wins too Down the order Michael Bracewll his 53 not out including two sixes and three fours. Rachin Ravindra made 37 from 29 at the to of the order while Glenn Phillips was more cicumspect than usual with 34 from 52 on a wicket tha lacked pace. Will Young scored 15, Tom Latham 14 and Michell Santner was run out for eight while Nathan Smith who was in the side for the injured Matt Henry was not out no score. Williamson made 11 runs but sustained a quad strain during his innings meaning he did not field when India were at bat. The Indian innings was steady all the way through except for Virat Kohli who was lbw to bracewell for just one. Otherwise Rohit Sharma opened with 76, Shreyas Iyer made 48 and KL Rahul 34 as India made 254-6. Phillips once again took a spectacular catch to dismiss Shubman Gill of Santner's bowling. The best of the Black Caps bowlers was Bracewell who has the superb figures of 2-28 from his 10 overs while Santner 2-45 with Kyle Jamieson and Ravindra taking the other two wickers. Ravindra was named player of the tournament.

Ten-man Auckland FC have shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw with the Newcastle Jets, despite a red card.  Auckland FC showed resilience to secure a hard-fought A-League draw against Newcastle at McDonald Jones Stadium on Sunday despite playing a man down for the final 20 minutes. LATEST HEADLINES: Phoenix Women secure first win since January Crusaders claim big victory over Queensland Coll defends New Zealand Squash Open title Black Caps lose ICC Champions Trophy final Kiwi Tyler Hodge holds on for NZ PGA victory The result extends their unbeaten streak to eight matches and keeps them six points clear at the top of the A-League ladder, with a game in hand over second-placed Western United.  The Jets started brightly and found the breakthrough in the 12th minute, thanks to a moment of brilliance from Eli Adams. The forward weaved his way past Auckland’s defence before firing a clinical finish into the net, giving the hosts an early advantage.  Newcastle had a golden opportunity to double their lead just eight minutes later when Nando Pijnaker was penalised for handball inside the box. After a brief review, the referee pointed to the spot, presenting Kosta Grozos with a chance to extend the Jets’ lead. However, Auckland goalkeeper Alex Paulsen produced a superb save, diving low to his right to deny Grozos and keep his side within reach.  A-League-leading Auckland FC have not lost a match since January 11. PHOTO: DAVE LINTOTT PHOTOGRAPHY Auckland grew into the game after that let-off and found their equaliser in the 37th minute. Hiroki Sakai delivered a pinpoint cross into the box, where Jesse Randall showed great determination to rise above the Newcastle defence and head the ball home. In doing so, he collided heavily with Newcastle keeper Noah James, but his bravery was rewarded as the ball nestled into the net.  The second half saw Auckland pressing for a potential winner despite being away from home. They created a handful of chances but struggled to convert their opportunities. Their challenge became significantly harder in the 72nd minute when Louis Verstraete received a straight red card following a VAR review. The Belgian midfielder went in for a late challenge, and after reviewing the footage, the referee had no hesitation in sending him off.  Despite being down to 10 men, Auckland still looked threatening and even thought they had taken the lead in the 81st minute. A goalmouth scramble saw the ball bundled into the net, but the celebrations were short-lived as the referee disallowed the goal for handball, with replays showing the ball had deflected in off Tommy Smith’s lower arm.  Newcastle had one final opportunity to snatch all three points deep into stoppage time when they were awarded a free kick just outside the box. Grozos stepped up, hoping to redeem himself after his earlier missed penalty, but his effort flew over the crossbar, much to the relief of Auckland.  With the draw, Auckland FC remains in firm control of the A-League title race, with a game in hand. They now return home, where they will host Central Coast next Sunday. Auckland FC 1 (Jesse Randall 37') Newcastle Jets 1 (Eli Adams 12'). HT: 1-1

The Crusaders have run in seven tries to defeat the Queensland Reds in Christchurch. All Blacks Sevu Reece and Will Jordan each scored doubles as the Crusaders eased clear for a 43-19 win at Orangetheory Stadium on Sunday afternoon to launch into the top-six after Round 4 of Super Rugby Pacific. LATEST HEADLINES: Coll defends New Zealand Squash Open title Black Caps lose ICC Champions Trophy final Kiwi Tyler Hodge holds on for NZ PGA victory Wellington Phoenix lose fourth straight match Rise of the Pacific as Chiefs, Canes go down The home side took advantage of a wasteful performance from the Reds, who perhaps had Cyclone Alfred, which struck south-east Queensland on Friday, on their mind, taking an early lead and never letting it slip. Reece and Jordan both crossed for two tries as the Crusaders raced to a 29-14 halftime lead, then extended the gap soon after the break. Les Kiss' men ended a 12-year losing streak in the Garden City last year and returned confident of improving to 3-0 in 2025. But they were made to pay for overplaying their hand, often while attempting to run out of their own territory, as the hosts punished them with six tries inside 42 minutes. Levi Aumua (second right) completed the Crusaders scoring against the Reds. PHOTO: SUPER RUGBY The Reds will attempt to return to Brisbane on Monday. Weather permitting, their next assignment will be the unbeaten NSW Waratahs at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday. Cullen Grace opened the scoring with a clever raid straight through the centre of the ruck as the home side improved to 2-1 after a Round 3 bye. There were flashes of brilliance when forwards Josh Canham and Alex Hodgman found open space and set up tries that kept the Reds in the hunt. But they were offset by errors and cheap turnovers, as Crusaders fullback Will Jordan scored twice in four minutes before halftime to open a 29-7 lead. Harry Wilson's try before the break was cause for optimism but it was erased immediately after the restart. Reds No 10 Harry McLaughlin-Phillips's clearance kick was smothered and Christian Lio-Willie showed good hands to grab a loose ball and spin over for a 36-14 lead that all-but shut out the Reds. Reds wing Lachie Anderson scored down the right edge after setting up the play with a deft chip and chase down the left flank. The visitors had a chance to edge closer but there was no way through the Crusaders' defence, with Levi Aumua icing the performance with an 80th-minute try converted by former Reds playmaker James O'Connor. "The way the game's being refereed and played ... high tempo, there's a lot of back and forth, turnovers, big efforts required," Jordan said. "I love playing open, free-flowing footy. The standard so far, the competition among the team's been great, it's great to be a part of it." Crusaders 43 (Cullen Grace, Sevu Reece 2, Will Jordan 2, Christian Lio-Willie, Levi Aumua tries; Taha Kemara 3 con, James O'Connor con) Queensland Reds 19 (Filipo Daugunu, Harry Wilson, Lachie Anderson tries; Harry McLaughlin-Phillips 2 con). HT: 29-14

Paul Coll (right) wins the NZ Squash Open title over Marwan ElShorbagy in Christchurch PHOTO: SQUASH NZ SUPPLIED Kiwi squash pro Paul Coll has defended his New Zealand Open title with a dominant win over England’s Marwan ElShorbagy in Christchurch. Coll quickly set the tone with a strong start to the match, tearing into ElShorbagy and providing himself a perfect platform with an 11-5 win in the opening game of the men's final. LATEST HEADLINES: Black Caps lose Champions Trophy final Kiwi Hodge holds on for NZ PGA victory Alker in the top-20 on PGA Tour Champions Wellington Phoenix lose fourth straight match Rise of the Pacific as Chiefs, Canes go down ElShorbagy found the perfect response in game two, with the second seed fired up and at his explosive attacking best as he hit back 11-8 to set nerves fluttering inside the Isaac Theatre Royal. Game three was a brutal affair for both men, with Coll and ElShorbagy putting a number of lengthy rallies into each other’s legs in front of the 1,200 spectators. The long games appeared to take their toll on ElShorbagy and the New Zealander moved away from 5-5 to regain his lead with an 11-6 win. ElShorbagy appeared to be feeling the effects of game three at the beginning of the fourth, as Coll stormed to a 5-1 lead. The Englishman desperately tried to go on the attack to rattle off quick points, but Coll was simply too good, throwing his arms into the air in triumph as he powered home with an 11-3 victory in front of a jubilant crowd. The final score 11-5, 8-11, 11-6, 11-3 in 59 minutes. “It's been an unreal week,” said Coll. “I really went out with the mindset of trying to enjoy this week. This is pretty much my hometown and so many friends and family came out to support me. “I never dreamed of this, to play such a big event here, to have so many people turn out today, it was pretty unreal. I'm so filled with emotion.” In the women’s final 17-year-old Egyptian Amina Orfi won her third title of the season as she put in an incredible performance to defeat Japan’s Satomi Watanabe. Orfi was magnificent early on, with the young Egyptian dominating proceedings to earn a 7-2 lead in the opener. Watanabe began to chip away at Orfi’s lead, but the World No.8 was simply too far ahead, taking the first game 11-5. Watanabe hit her lengths better in game two, recovering from 0-4 down to take an 8-6 lead. Orfi was unrattled as she calmly notched up points, eventually working her way to an 11-8 win. Flowing with confidence, Orfi never let her energy or commitment drop, and she took a huge lead at 9-4 in the third game. Watanabe took the next point to briefly threaten a comeback, but was no match for Orfi’s unnerving accuracy, with the teenager winning her third title of the season with an 11-5 victory.

The Wellington Phoenix have had an unhappy first visit to Ironbark Fields in Melbourne’s west. The Phoenix were beaten 4-1 by Western United at their new home on Saturday after trailing 2-0 at halftime. LATEST HEADLINES: Paul Coll into decider at the NZ Squash Open Rise of the Pacific as Chiefs, Canes go down Kiwi Harlock surprise leader at the NZ PGA Lulu Sun into third round; Routliffe wins too Hawks win at buzzer; Bulls Jets get on board Nathan Walker’s maiden A-League goal was scant consolation for the Nix, who were second best for most of the match. Phoenix head coach Giancarlo Italiano said it was an unacceptable performance. “I’m hurting as much as the fans are,” Italiano said. “We had our fans come today all the way out here. I don’t even know where we are! They expected more [and] I expected more.“I’m not fazed by losing games, but the way we’re losing games. “Today just felt like an unacceptable performance for the first 60. The last 20 was okay when we made the subs. They gave us some good intent.” Wellington remain 11th on the ladder and Italiano conceded their hopes of making the top-six are now over. “Finals are done. We’re not going to make the finals even if we win all seven games. We still need a lot of things to work for us mathematically. “Now we’re playing for the pride of the club for the last seven games, and I expect the boys to lift and give something for the fans to be optimistic about. “I want to see good performances from now until the end of the season.“We have to dig deep now as a group and show what we’re really made of.” Alex Rufer's Wellington Phoenix are now 12 points outside the A-League's top-six. PHOTO: WELLINGTON PHOENIX Italiano made two changes to the XI which started last week’s home defeat to Melbourne City, with Corban Piper and Marco Rojas returning to the starting line-up. It was just Rojas’ second start of the season, while young goalkeeper Dublin Boon was named on the bench for the first time in the absence of Josh Oluwayemi (illness). The Phoenix found themselves a goal down little over two minutes into the match when diminutive Western midfielder Rhys Bozinovski headed home the first corner of the match. The hosts dominated the first 20 minutes and Alby Kelly-Heald made saves to deny Riku Danzaki, Matthew Grimaldi and Hiroshi Ibusuki. Kosta Barbarouses had Wellington’s first shot of note midway through the half when he got in behind the Western defence courtesy of a quick clearance from Kelly-Heald. But he was unable to test goalkeeper Matt Sutton, with Dylan Leonard blocking his shot. Chico Geraldes dragged a free-kick narrowly wide of the left-hand post soon after as the Nix attempted to snatch an equaliser. However, it was United who looked more likely to score next. Kelly-Heald did well to keep out a dangerous in-swinging corner from Angus Thurgate half an hour into the match, but soon after he was picking up the ball from the back of his own net. Ibusuki doubled Western’s lead, sweeping home from six yards out after Kelly-Heald was unable to hold on to Danzaki’s dangerous cross. The Phoenix finished the half the better of the two sides but were unable to test Sutton in United’s goal. Sam Sutton came closest to pulling a goal back for Wellington when he smashed a volley into the side netting in the 41st minute. Alex Rufer earlier volleyed well over the bar, while Rojas pulled a left-footed shot wide of the right post shortly before halftime. United reasserted their dominance at the start of the second half and Grimaldi made it 3-0 in the 51st minute when he squeezed a shot past Alby Kelly-Heald after the Nix coughed up possession in midfield. The Phoenix struggled to play through the Western press and Grimaldi scored his second shortly after the hour mark when United pounced on a defensive error. Kelly-Heald made a good save soon after to prevent golden boot leader Noah Botic scoring the hosts’ fifth. Italiano made a quadruple change midway through the half, bringing on Nathan Walker, Hideki Ishige, Paulo Retre and Kazuki Nagasawa in place of Piper, Geraldes, Rufer and Matt Sheridan. Luke Brooke-Smith had earlier replaced Rojas. The Nix had their first shot of the second half in the 74th minute when Isaac Hughes headed well wide from a corner. Wellington had a couple of promising attacks beforehand but were unable to pick out the final pass. Walker pulled a goal back for the Phoenix in the 82nd minute when he squeezed a shot past Matt Sutton after Tim Payne slipped the 19-year-old in behind the United defence. Western had numerous opportunities to add to the scoreline but were wasteful in front of goal. The Phoenix return home on Sunday before heading back across the Tasman next weekend to play Sydney FC.