Search Results

The Canterbury Rams continued what has been a week of blowouts in the National Basketball League (NBL). The Rams powered away in the third quarter, then kept their distance in a free-scoring fourth period in a 104-84 victory over the Bay Hawks at Napier's Rodney Green Arenas on Saturday night. LATEST HEADLINES:  * Pulse surge in second half to defeat the Magic * Kiwi Andre Heimgartner wins in wet in Taupo * Auckland Tuatara destroy Southland Sharks * Lydia Ko in top-10 after second round at major * NZ Warriors outplayed by St George Illawarra * Rufer's costly penalty miss for Phoenix in draw Australian centre Lachlan Olbrich dominated inside, finishing with a game-high 35 points (12/18 FG, 2/4 3pt, 9/10 FT), seven rebounds, four assists and two blocks, and American forward James Walker Jr put up 26 points (7/19 FG, 3/11 3pt, 9/10 FT), eight assists and three steals. 3x3 Tall Blacks guard Aidan Tonge had 12 points (6/6 FG) and six boards, while there was valuable contributions from Kenyon Buffin Jr (nine points and six rebounds), Taylor Britt (seven points, five assists and four steals), and Kaia Isaac (seven points, six boards and two steals). American guard Isaiah Moore led the Hawks with 23 points (9/21 FG, 3/7 3pt), nine assists and three steals, and Tall Blacks forward Jordan Ngatai produced 20 points (6/15 FG, 6/10 3pt) and six boards. Lucas Sutherland managed 14 points (5/13 FG, 2/5 3pt), eight boards, four assists and two steals, Keanu Rasmussen 13 points (4/16 FG, 2/8 3pt), and Josh Roberts 10 points (5/11 FG), 11 rebounds and four blocks. Canterbury scored the game's first 10 points as Olbrich and Buffin Jr had five points each. They led by as many as 15 points in the first period, with the Hawks cutting the gap to 12 points by quarter-time. The Hawks closed to within six points in the second quarter, the closest they would get the rest of the way, but the Rams countered with six straight points. The home side continued to hang around until an 11-0 run from the Rams late in the third period made it a 20-point game. Both teams combined for 66 points in the final quarter but the Hawks only got as close as 14 points. The Rams (2-2) travel to Dunedin to face the Otago Nuggets (3-1) on Anzac Day (tip-off 2pm), while the Hawks (2-2) are at the Wellington Saints (3-1) later in the day (tip-off 7.30pm). Canterbury Rams 104 (Lachlan Olbrich 35, James Walker Jr 26, Aidan Tonge 12) Bay Hawks 84 (Isaiah Moore 23, Jordan Ngatai 20, Lucas Sutherland 14, Keanu Rasmussen 13, Josh Roberts 10). 1Q: 30-18, HT: 45-37, 3Q: 71-51

Contrasting games for the Crusaders and the Blues in Super Rugby in their latest matches. One moved to outright last, the other into clear second. The Western Force heaped more pain on the Crusaders to send them to the bottom of the Super Rugby Pacific ladder with a 37-15 bonus-point victory over the fallen champions in Perth. The Blues were ruthless in their 46-7 win over the ACT Brumbies, the best of the Aussie sides at a wet Eden Park. At Perth former Wallabies star Kurtley Beale made a good debut for the Force his first game in Super Rugby since 2020. LATEST HEADLINES: Black Caps thrashed by Pakistan in 2nd T20 Kiwi Andre Heimgartner wins in wet in Taupo Auckland Tuatara destroy Southland Sharks Lydia Ko in top-10 after second round at major NZ Warriors outplayed by St George Illawarra Rufer's costly penalty miss for Phoenix in draw It was the home sides first win over the Crusaders in more than a decade and showed plenty of frailty in the champions play. The Crusaders are now 1-7 for the season with coach Rob Penney under big pressure, but in reality his players made dumb decisions and lacked discipline. The Crusaders actually scored first through Levi Aumua, but from then on it was the home side all the way. Crusaders win Sevu Reece surpassed Caleb Ralph as the leading try-scorer, 53 for the franchise, but celebrations will be put on hold as the forwards were out-muscled and the backs were out-played The Crusaders now host the Rebels at home, which won't be easy against the resurgent Melbourne side. Eden Park once again proved Australian rugby's graveyard as the Blues put the Brumbies away scoring seven tries to one. The Brumbies suffered their heaviest defeat to the Blue in a mismatch between the two sides previously sitting in joint second place. A rout certainly didn't look on the cards early on as after Blues halfback Taufa Funaki was yellow-carded for being offside while pulling off a try-saving tackle on Ollie Sapsford. But Hoskins Sotutu, following a bust from flanker Dalton Papali'i, when the Blues were down to 14 men put the hosts up 7-0 against the run of play. The try proved the turning point of the match as the Blues converted their clear dominance into a double-digit lead when destructive winger Caleb Clarke burst over to bag the Blues' second try seven minutes from halftime. An error from, Noah Lolesio gave the Blues a free kick, with Sotutu punishing the error with his second five-pointer to earn his team a 24-0 lead at the break. Papali'i then scored off a driving maul before veteran Brumbies prop James Slipper was sin-binned for a dangerous tackle. Further tries to front-rowers Ricky Riccitelli and Funaki added to the  Brumbies defeat as their Eden Park hoodoo extended to 11 years. Blues 46 (Hoskins Sotutu 2, Caleb Clarke, Dalton Papali’i, Taufa Funaki, Ricky Riccitelli, Kurt Eklund tries; Harry Plummer 4 con, pen) ACT Brumbies 7 (Luke Reimer try; Noah Lolesio con). HT: 24-0 Western Force 37 (Chase Tiatia, Tom Horton 2, Sam Carter, Carlo Tizzano tries; Ben Donaldson 5 pen, con) Crusaders 15 (Levi Aumua, George Bell, Sevu Reece tries). HT: 16-5

The Auckland Tuatara have thrashed the Southland Sharks in the National Basketball League (NBL) by 40 points in front of a sell out crowd at North Harbour. The 94-54 victory showed the value of Rob Loe, who has not been picked up by the Breakers in the next Australian NBL season. LATEST HEADLINES: Poor NZ Warriors outplayed by Dragons Costly penalty miss for Phoenix in 1-1 draw Eight straight for Hurricanes; Highlanders lose NZ athletics team selected for Paris Olympics New players need to step up for Black Caps Loe scored 23 points, made 14 rebounds, four assists and two steals. Strangely Corey Webster and Tom Vodanovich both rounded out the game with 23 points each as well. Rueben Te Rangi made scored six points but pulled down eight rebounds and had 10 assists. The Sharks had just three players make double figures, import Caleb Asberry had 12, Callum McRae 11 and Ben Hall 10 and lack numbers anywhere else on the court. The loss means Southland have a 0-5 record, their worst start to a season ever. The win lifted the Tuatara to 4-2. The home side led 47-20 at the half time break and didn't let up as the visitors struggled against a relentless Tuatara. The Tuatara host the Franklin Bulls midweek in a local derby in round five, as well as travelling to the Jets on Friday. The Sharks host the Rams on Friday in a bid to end their winless streak.

New Zealand golfer Lydia Ko has carded a respectable second round at the first women's golf major of the year. Starting day two in a share of fourth, Ko carded a one-under 71 at the Chevron Championship to move to four-under overall, tied for ninth, at The Woodlands course in Texas. LATEST HEADLINES: Poor NZ Warriors outplayed by Dragons Costly penalty miss for Phoenix in 1-1 draw Eight straight for Hurricanes; Highlanders lose NZ athletics team selected for Paris Olympics New players need to step up for Black Caps Ko, 26, is four shots behind co-leaders Jin Hee Im of South Korea and Thailand's Atthaya Thitikul in a seven-way tie for 10th. Ko hit bogeys on the second, fifth and 15th holes but birdied the sixth, seventh, 13th and 18th holes. The Kiwi requires one more tour win to earn induction to the LPGA Hall of Fame. However, she has not scored a tour win since her triumph at the Tournament of Champions in Florida in January. The Chevron Championship is where Ko became the youngest two-time major winner in LPGA history in 2016.

New Zealand's Andre Heimgartner has won in the wet at the inaugural V8 Supercars championship round in Taupō, just over a second ahead of Australian Will Davison. It was only the second win of Heimgartner's career and was not certain with cars crashing out of the race from the first corner to the last. LATEST HEADLINES: Tuatara destroy Southland Sharks in NBL Poor NZ Warriors outplayed by Dragons Costly penalty miss for Phoenix in 1-1 draw Eight straight for Hurricanes; Highlanders lose NZ athletics team selected for Paris Olympics New players need to step up for Black Caps Chaz Mostert was challenging until his back right wheel came off on the 42nd lap, allowing the New Zealander to cruise to the flag. It was a dramatic start as the wet track caused chaos early on with pole sitter Cam Waters and Tim Slade colliding just seconds after the start of the 60-lap race. Kiwi Matt Payne also slid off the track on the first bend. The damage saw Slade's race end there as his car was unable to continue. Will Brown took an early ascendancy but after all cars went into pit after Bryce Fullwood spun out, Heimgartner took the front with Mostert close behind. Mostert remained right in the hunt until his tyre came off which gave Heimgartner a relatively comfortable win. Anton De Pasquale was third while kiwi Richie Stanaway made a big move from 23rd to sixth The final race of the weekend, the 60-lap Race 8, will start just after 3pm tomorrow.

The Warriors season hit a major speedbump with a big loss to the Dragons at WIN Stadium on Friday night. It wasn't the 30-12 scoreline, but the way they were outplayed and made to look second rate across the field after having plenty of early possession. LATEST HEADLINES: Costly penalty miss for Phoenix in 1-1 draw Eight straight for Hurricanes; Highlanders lose Lydia Ko in touch with the leader at golf major NZ athletics team selected for Paris Olympics New players need to step up for Black Caps The fight from the first few rounds disappeared as Zac Lomax put on a dazzling display for the Dragons. After a good start a penalty against Francis Molo for holding down gave the Warriors ideal field position and Shaun Johnson capitalised in the 12th minute when he went through a gaping hole to post the opening try which he converted for a 6-0 lead. When Moses Suli coughed up possession four minutes later the home side were put under enormous pressure for three consecutive sets but a goal line intercept by Jacob Liddle saw the Dragons come away. The home team hit back in the 25th minute when Ben Hunt took the ball to the line and found a rampaging Suli, who left Rocco Berry in his wake to post the first try for the home side. The Dragons forced an error from Marcelo Montoya with a strong kick chase and they bagged a second try in the 30th minute when Tyrell Sloan chimed into the backline and put Mikaele Ravalawa over in the right corner for an 8-6 lead. On the back of a penalty and a six-again the Dragons made it three tries 11 minutes when Hunt showed great strength to burst through three defenders and score from close range. Lomax's first conversion of the night made it 14-6. Lomax then slotted a 42-metre field goal in the 40th minute to take the Dragons out to a 16-6 lead at the break. The second half started the way the first had finished with Lomax flying above Montoya to pull down a bomb and cross for a try in his 100th NRL game. The conversion gave the Dragons a 16-point lead. The Dragons went further ahead in the 52nd minute when Roger Tuivasa-Sheck made contact with a dropout before it had travelled 10 metres and Lomax slotted a simple penalty goal. The Warriors were attacking the Dragons' line when Johnson put the ball down and Hunt picked up before passing to Tyrell Sloan who raced 90 metres to make it a 30-6 scoreline. . A trademark acrobatic try by Dallin Watene-Zelkezniak in the 70th minute didn't count for much as the Warriors fell o their heaviest loss of the season. Warriors coach Andrew Webster was honest with his assessment. "I thought we completely lost the ruck, they blew us away, they ran so hard. Off the back of some discipline I thought we lost our way defensively. Their momentum was fierce and we weren't calm enough to get together and slow it down tonight. There are moments that can hurt but we want to be that team that when moments don't go our way that we find a way to get back in the fight. You can't have a poor attitude around errors and when things don't go our way," said Webster. The Warriors face the Titans in their next game on ANZAC Day at Mt Smart. St George Illawarra Dragons 30 (Moses Suli, Mikaele Ravalawa, Ben Hunt, Zac Lomax, Tyrell Sloan tries; Lomax 4 goals, Lomax 1 (two point) field goal) beat Warriors 12 (Shaun Johnson, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak tries; Johnson 2 goals) HT: 16-6

The Hurricanes have taken a stranglehold on the Super Rugby Pacific regular season title after another convincing victory. The Canes won their eight straight match to open the season, scoring five tries and surviving almost 10 minutes with just 13 players in a 38-15 win over the Fijian Drua in Suva, Fiji on Friday night. LATEST HEADLINES: * Lydia Ko in touch with the leader at golf major * NZ athletics team selected for Paris Olympics * New players need to step up for Black Caps * Bulls take down Nuggets to remain unbeaten * Veterans bolster Black Sox World Cup squad The victory moved the Hurricanes to 37 points, 10 clear of the Blues and ACT Brumbies, who face each other on Saturday (kick-off 7.05pm) at Auckland's Eden Park. The Hurricanes were in control after a strong first half, leading 28-7, but there were some nervous moments after flanker DuPlessis Kirifi and lock Isaia Walker-Leawere were shown yellow cards in the 64th and 65th minutes. Kirifi was sin-binned for a high tackle, and Walker-Leawere for slapping the ball down at a ruck with the Drua attacking the Hurricanes line. However, the visitors were able to hold out while two-men down, with the teams exchanging penalties. The Canes lost replacement prop Caleb Delany to the sin-bin in the 81st minute for repeated infringements, but they had the final say, with reserve prop Xavier Numia scoring deep into referee's time. The Hurricanes conceded significant possession and territory to the Drua but were resolute in defence, making a whopping 236 tackles, and were clinical on attack when they did get the ball in attacking situations. Centre Billy Proctor opened the scoring in the eighth minute, dotting down after the Drua spilled a Salesi Rayasi chip-kick inside their 22, before the Drua answered soon after through Isikeli Rabitu. No 8 Devon Flanders gave the Canes the lead for good in the 16th minute, charging off the back of an attacking scrum, then the visitors took control with two late first-half tries. First, Jordie Barrett scored after a Proctor break in midfield, then hooker James O'Reilly went over from a 5m lineout drive. In Round 10, the Hurricanes (8-0-0, 37 points) travel to Australia's Capital to face the ACT Brumbies next Saturday (kick-off 4.35pm NZ Time), while the Drua host Moana Pasifika in Lautoka earlier in the day. Meanwhile, the struggling Highlanders have been held scoreless for the fourth time in their Super Rugby history and first time since 2019. The Highlanders, still just two points outside the top-eight, turned over the ball regularly and barely fired a shot in a 31-0 rout at the hands of the Queensland Reds at Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium on Friday night. In a low-quality affair, the Reds scored tries through second-five Hunter Paisami in the third minute and lock Ryan Smith in the 27th minute, to lead 17-0 at halftime. The Highlanders held out until the last quarter when Lawson Creighton was put through a gap by Paisami, before Suli Vunivalu scored in the game's last play. In Round 10, the Highlanders (2-0-6, 11 points) host the also-lowly Western Force (1-0-6, five points) in Round 10 at Dunedin's Forsyth Barr Stadium next Saturday (kick-off 7.05pm), while the Reds welcome the Blues (6-0-1, 27 points) to Brisbane in the following match. Hurricanes 38 (Billy Proctor, Devon Flanders, Jordie Barrett, James O'Reilly, Xavier Numia tries; Aidan Morgan 4 con, Jordie Barrett con, pen) Fijian Drua 15 (Isikeli Rabitu, Kitione Salawa tries; Kemu Valetini con, pen). HT: 28-7 Queensland Reds 31 (Hunter Paisami, Ryan Smith, Lawson Creighton, Suli Vunivalu tries; Tom Lynagh 2 con, pen, Lawson Creighton 2 con) Highlanders 0. HT: 17-0

The Wellington Phoenix missed the chance to go three points clear at the top of the A-League table after captain Alex Rufer failed to convert a 96th-minute penalty in a 1-1 draw with Newcastle Jets on Friday night. An own goal to keeper Alex Paulsen put Wellington behind the eight-ball but Kosta Barbarouses brought the away side back on level terms in the second half at McDonald Jones Stadium. LATEST HEADLINES:   * Eight straight for Hurricanes; Highlanders lose * Lydia Ko in touch with the leader at golf major * NZ athletics team selected for Paris Olympics   * New players need to step up for Black Caps   * Bulls take down Nuggets to remain unbeaten A handball from Jets defender Carl Jenkinson led to a late penalty awarded to Wellington by referee Alireza Faghani which Rufer crashed off the post as the visitors were forced to settle for one point, instead of three. The ‘Nix did return to the top of the table after the 1-1 draw – but Central Coast Mariners now hold the advantage in the Premiership race. The Mariners have two games to play opposed to Wellington’s one, and are just one point behind. Jets keeper Ryan Scott was immense for the home side on Friday night, making a string of quick-reflex saves amid a tirade of second-half Phoenix pressure which culminated in Rufer’s late penalty. Scott guessed the right way and may have saved Rufer’s attempt had it been on target. With Rufer failing to score from the spot, the 1-1 draw handed advantage to Newcastle’s bitter rivals Central Coast in the Premiership fight. Newcastle could still have a big role to play in Central Coast’s last push for the Premiership, with an F3 Derby headlining the final round. The Mariners travel to play the Jets in Round 26 on Saturday, April 27. Apostolos Stamatelopoulos had the chance to open the scoring inside two minutes when Lachlan Bayliss slipped the Golden Boot contender through on goal. Stamatelopoulos attempted to cross from a tight angle instead of shoot, which allowed Finn Surman to make a sliding block. The Jets were fast out of the blocks but Wellington held firm and began to show positive signs as Bozhidar Kraev shot wide on the turn. But then came a rare mistake from Phoenix keeper Paulsen that gave the hosts the lead. The Jets made their way down the left wing with a series of neat passes which led to a Bayliss cross directed to the back post, but diverted over the line by Paulsen’s intervention. Newcastle had their penalty claims waved away by referee Alireza Faghani after a Stamatelopoulos header struck the arm of Scott Wootton. Down the other end Wellington patiently set about finding an equaliser, first through Mohamed Al-Taay who called Ryan Scott into a fine save low to his right, and then via Kosta Barbarouses who fired over the crossbar. The Jets had a chance to double their lead deep into first-half stoppage time when Stamatelopolous fed Bayliss down the right wing with an inventive through ball on the turn. Bayliss drove into the box, sent his marker Alex Rufer to ground and went eye-to-eye with Paulsen but this time the Phoenix gloveman won out, denying the young Jet another huge first-half contribution. The ‘Nix quickly set about finding an equaliser after the restart and a magnificent save from Scott denied Sam Sutton a stunner from distance just minutes into the second half. A chaotic sequence of events denied Newcastle a second goal. Stamatelopoulos attempted a cross to Daniel Stynes which Wootton blocked out but the rebound fell back to the Jets striker who attempted to find the roof of the net but thundered the ball off the crossbar. Scott continued his impressive night in goal for the Jets when Ben Old’s floated delivery into the six-yard box led to a Kosta Barbarouses header which the Newcastle gloveman kept out with a combination of athleticism and anticipation. With 30 minutes to play Wellington turned up the heat and an extended period of attacking play led to a deflected Ben Old shot which rattled the woodwork. But all signs pointed to a Phoenix equaliser and the goal eventually came in the 70th minute, nodded into an empty net by Barbarouses after an initial chance for the New Zealand international that went begging. With the equalising goal, Barbarouses equalled Shane Smeltz on 92 Isuzu UTE A-League goals – the fourth-most of all-time. Barbarouses should’ve scored his 93rd league goal and put Wellington into a 2-1 lead when he met Kraev’s deft, chipped through ball and controlled off his chest to go one-on-one with Scott. The ball skidded off the turf and with space closing, Barbarouses attempted to squirm the ball past Scott’s near post – but hit the woodwork. The Jets looked to have reclaimed their lead after Trent Buhagiar came off the bench, broke Wellington’s defensive line and set up Clayton Taylor to finish – but a tight offside call on Buhagiar halted the home side’s celebrations. There was more drama to come at McDonald Jones Stadium as a Jenkinson handball in second-half stoppage time led to a penalty to the visitors. Rufer stepped up to the spot but failed to take advantage of the opportunity presented to him to win the game for Wellington. Wellington Phoenix 1 (Kosta Barbarouses 71') Newcastle Jets 1 (Alex Paulsen 15' (own goal)). HT: 0-1

The New Zealand Speedgolf Open has attracted a top field for its 10th edition at Fitzroy Golf Club in New Plymouth with defending champions, a DP World Tour player, and another professional. Defending champions Jamie Reid and Liz McKinnon will be the favourites once again in the fast golf format, which combines run time and golf score. However, as the sport continues to grow throughout the country, the talent pool has deepened, reflected in this year’s field. Reid’s world championship partner, Robin Smith, will pose a threat once again. They won their world title in 2022 and Smith was a close second to Reid in the national event last year. He can run within three minutes of Reid’s time but has the ability to return a low golf score. LATEST HEADLINES: NZ athletics team named for Paris Olympics New players need to step up for Black Caps Bulls take down Nuggets to stay unbeaten Can Hurricanes keep winning streak going? Veterans bolster Black Sox World Cup squad Another threat will come from DP World Tour player Sam Jones, who finished fourth last year. He is now a professional and earned status in Europe after progressing through every stage of DP World Tour Qualifying School. More recently, he won his third Charles Tour title, at the Muriwai Open. Jones will need to conjure some of his best golf to challenge for this year’s title. Another professional who comes into the weekend as a dark horse is Harry Bateman. The two-time Charles Tour winner has recently taken up the fast format and finished a close second to Robin Smith at the Carterton Speedgolf event in February, shooting 73 in 36 minutes. Last year’s bronze medalist Brad Hayward is another to keep your eyes on in the men’s section. Women’s defending champion McKinnon has never been beaten in the speedgolf format, but will face a serious challenge from Amy Linton, who won the Wellington Speedgolf Championship earlier this year. She has been training with her brother Smith, and some say, she the more talented of the two. Long-time supporters of the event, Grant Carson, Tom Osborne, and Brad Barron, return once again. They are the only players to have played in every New Zealand Speedgolf Open. Fitzroy Golf Club will host the event for the third year running and will play as a short 5100-yard par-68. Last year, Reid shot 70 in 31:59 (101:59) and 70 in 32:51 (102:51) for a combined total of 204:10. McKinnon returned 80 in 48:46 (128:46) and 75 in 49:19 (124:19) for a combined total of 253.05.

It's a big opportunity for the younger and more inexperienced players on the Black Caps' T20 tour of Pakistan to step up according to batter Mark Chapman. Essentially a New Zealand B side with nine regulars, including captain Kane Williamson, missing through IPL and English county duties, and others being rested or injured. LATEST HEADLINES: Can Hurricanes keep winning streak going Olivia Merry retires from international hockey Vets bolster Black Sox World Cup squad Christchurch to host Tall Blacks in November Fisher-Harris signs for NZ Warriors from 2025 Phoenix's Macey Fraser gets big US contract The team is captained by Michael Bracewell and plays the first of five matches on Friday morning (NZ time) at Rawalpindi in the Black Caps' last series before the T20 World Cup in the US and Caribbean starts in June. Only a few players are likely to be considered for the World Cup, but Chapman said the Pakistan tour provided a chance for the youngsters to shine. "Obviously we are missing a couple of players, but we have a really exciting team here, a lot of talent, and I think it will be a really good opportunity for them to put their hands up and hopefully similar to last year it can be a really exciting series,'' he told a media conference after their arrival in Pakistan. "I think it is an amazing opportunity to show the depth that we are building in New Zealand. Obviously the team has generally been pretty settled, but behind the scenes there is a lot of talent, young guys like Ben Sears and Will O'Rourke who have played this year in test cricket and really impressed. Also Tim Robinson who was outstanding in the Super Smash." Sears, O'Rourke and Robinson are in the squad for the Pakistan series, while another fresh talent is Canterbury Kings all-rounder Zac Foulkes, who also had an impressive Super Smash series. Foulkes and Tom Blundell were late call-ups to the squad after injuries to Finn Allen and Adam Milne, but the 21-year-old said he was initially reluctant to take the surprise call from Black Caps coach Gary Stead. "I got the call from Steady, obviously it was an unknown number. I had a scam call the day before and I was a bit uncertain to pick it up but thankfully I did. Steady broke the good news to me and I was very surprised. I didn't know what to say to him to be fair. It's all been pretty quick up until now." Foulkes said his winter plan of playing club cricket in the UK had been put on hold as he seeks to make his mark in Pakistan. "I'm looking to keep developing. Being able to contribute with both bat and ball is something I really like." BLACK CAPS SQUAD Tom Blundell Michael Bracewell (c) Mark Chapman Josh Clarkson Jacob Duffy Zak Foulkes Dean Foxcroft Ben Lister Cole McConchie Jimmy Neesham Will O'Rourke Tim Robinson Ben Sears Tim Seifert (wk) Ish Sodhi BLACK CAPS SCHEDULE Friday, 19 April, 2.30am, 1st T20, Rawalpindi Sunday 21 April, 2.30am, 2nd T20, Rawalpindi Monday 22 April, 2.30am, 3rd T20, Rawalpindi Friday 26 April, 2.30am, 4th T20, Lahore Sunday 28 April, 2.30am, 5th T20, Lahore Times in NZ Time

New Zealand golfer Lydia Ko is just three shots off the lead at the first women's golf major of the year. Ko fired a three-under 69 in the opening round of the Chevron Championship at The Woodlands, Texas on Thursday (Friday NZ Time), sitting in a share of fifth, three back of American Lauren Coughlin. LATEST HEADLINES: * NZ athletics team named for Paris Olympics * New players need to step up for Black Caps * Bulls take down Nuggets to stay unbeaten * Can Hurricanes keep winning streak going? * Veterans bolster Black Sox World Cup squad Starting from the 10th hole in the morning wave, the 26-year-old produced four birdies and a bogey at The Club at Carlton Woods. After a bogey at the par-four 11th, Ko made back-to-back birdies at the par-five 13th and par-four 14th to get into red numbers. After the turn, she made further birdies at the par-four second and par-three seventh holes. Ko, who hit 12-of-14 fairways and 14-of-18 greens in regulation, but still required 31 putts, tees off her second round from the first hole on Friday at 1.21pm local time (6.21am Saturday NZT). Meanwhile, Momoka Kobori is tied for 44th after the first round of the Ladies European Tour's (LET) Joburg Ladies Open on Thursday (Friday NZT). Kobori signed for a one-over 74 at the Modderfontein Golf Club to be seven strokes off the lead, making four birdies, two bogeys and a triple-bogey. Opening at the 10th, the 25-year-old was one-under at the turn after a birdie at the par-three 14th. She made back-to-back bogeys at the second and third holes to dip back into the black. She made three birdies in four holes but a triple-bogey in between at the par-four sixth spoiled her round. Kobori, who hit 10-of-14 fairways and 14-of-18 greens in regulation, tees off her second round on Friday from the first hole at 7.22am local time (5.22pm NZT).

The Franklin Bulls have established themselves as the team to beat in the National Basketball League (NBL). All five Bulls starters scored in double-digits as Franklin improved to 4-0 with a 105-71 win over the Otago Nuggets in a top-of-the-table clash at 'The Stockyard' in Pukekohe on Thursday night. LATEST HEADLINES: * New players need to step up for Black Caps * Can Hurricanes keep winning streak going? * Veterans bolster Black Sox World Cup squad * Nelson Giants ease by Manawatu Jets in NBL   * Fisher-Harris signs for NZ Warriors from 2025 American forward Luther Muhammad led the Bulls with 25 points (9/22 FG, 6/6 FT), six rebounds, four assists, three steals and a block, while Tall Blacks guard Ethan Rusbatch put up 17 points (6/12 FG, 5/9 3pt), seven boards and two steals. Second import Jarrell Brantley scored 16 points (7/11 FG), with nine rebounds, while Kiwi big man Sam Timmins added 14 points (7/10 FG), nine boards and four steals, and Josh Scott 12 points (4/6 FG, 4/4 FT) and six assists. The Nuggets' American forward Kimani Lawrence dropped a game-high 26 points (11/17 FG, 4/7 FT), with nine rebounds and two steals. He was supported by Ben Henshall, who went close to a triple-double, with 18 points (7/21 FG, 2/13 3pt), 10 boards, seven assists and two steals, and Zaccheus Darko-Kelly with 15 points (5/14 FG, 2/9 3pt) and six assists. The Nuggets, without suspended guard Tai Webster, got just four points from their bench and just 12 points outside of the top-three scorers. The Nuggets kept the game close, and even led once, for the first half of the opening quarter. But the Bulls went on a 16-4 run, including a pair of threes from Rusbatch, to stretch out by 12 points. The visitors kept the Bulls mostly in check until late in the third period, when the Bulls scored 12 straight points, culminating with another Rusbatch triple in the final seconds, to head into the fourth with a 20-point lead. With the game already decided, the Bulls turned it into a one-sided affair with an 18-2 run over the final six minutes as head coach Sebastian Gleim gave his bench an extended run. The Bulls (4-0) meet the cross-town Auckland Tuatara (3-2) in their next game on Wednesday (tip-off 7.30pm) on the North Shore, while the Nuggets (3-1) are back at home for the Canterbury Rams (1-2) on Thursday (tip-off 2pm). Franklin Bulls 105 (Luther Muhammad 25, Ethan Rusbatch 17, Jarrell Brantley 16, Sam Timmins 14, Josh Scott 12) Otago Nuggets 71 (Kimani Lawrence 26, Ben Henshall 18, Zaccheus Darko-Kelly 15). 1Q: 29-20, HT: 52-41, 3Q: 81-61