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Elijah Just scored two goals for New Zealand in their draw with Iran at the 2026 FIFA World Cup PHOTO: FIFA WORLD CUP In a free-flowing contest the All Whites twice held the lead over Iran as the New Zealand side searched for its first win at a World Cup. The score eventually finishing at 2-2. In front of a boisterous and enthusiastic crowd in Los Angeles it was Motherwell forward Elijah Just who gave the All Whites the lead in the seventh minute after a smart interchange with Chris Wood who held the ball up brilliantly and flicked on to Just. LATEST HEADLINES: Matt Garbett out of World Cup Dan Hall leaves Auckland FC Black Sticks men beat Korea Fox top-10 Canadian Open Liam Lawson finishes eighth The New Zealanders looked good until the first hydration break midway through the half. Afterwards the momentum shifted. Iran's star forward Mehdi Taremi had come close to finding an equaliser when he struck the post with an powerful drive from outside the box. They also put the ball in the net but had the goal ruled offside. Iran then found a way to level when Ramin Rezaeian flicked the ball past Max Crocombe. In the second half the All Whites took some time to settle before Just popped up once more to put his side back in front as he combined with Wood again and lofted the ball over Alireza Beiranvand in the 54th minute. However Iran were back to restore parity when Mohammad Mohebbi met Rezaeian's cross and guided a header in off the inside of the post. For New Zealand Wood and Just combined well and showed their class and were part of eight shots on target compared to Iran's four. Jesse Randall came on late in the game and proved his pace is useful while Tyler Bindon was another useful substitute. Every side in Group G has one point, with Belgium having drawn 1-1 with Egypt in their first match. New Zealand has now scored six times in World Cup contests - Steve Sumner and Steve Woodin in 1982, Shane Smeltz and Winston Reid in 2010 and now Just twice.. New Zealand face Egypt in Vancouver on Monday

Matt Garbett will take no part in the 2026 FIFA World Cup - injured before it bagan for the All Whites PHOTO: THE NZ TEAM The 2026 FIFA World Cup is over for All Whites midfielder Matt Garbett before it had begun. NZ Football confirmed he has been diagnosed with a hamstring injury that will keep him out of action for at least a month. LATEST HEADLINES: Dan Hall leaves Auckland FC Black Sticks men beat Korea Fox top-10 Canadian Open Liam Lawson finishes eighth NZ Athletics team Glasgow26 Twenty-four-year-old Garbett left Friday's training session early and took no part in Saturday's final session. The governing body put said this in their statement. "The whole squad’s thoughts are with Matt at this time and we are gutted he won’t be able to play in the tournament. We look forward to seeing him back on the pitch soon." Auckland FC’s Logan Rogerson has been added to the All Whites’ FIFA World Cup 2026 squad and will travel to join the team immediately. It's a tough blow for the midfielder who plays at Peterborough United as he had been likely to start against Iran this afternoon after an impressive performance in the final hit out against England in Tampa.

Dan Hall (right) is leaving Auckland FC after two sasons PHOTO: AUCKLAND FC Dan Hall is leaving Auckland FC on a high, with the fan favourite centre-back exploring his options overseas following the end of his contract. The centre-back was a prominent figure in his two seasons at the club, where he was instrumental in winning the Premier’s Plate and A-League Championship. LATEST HEADLINES: Black Sticks men beat Korea Fox top-10 Canadian Open Liam Lawson finishes eighth NZ Athletics team Glasgow26 Rowers claim gold and record Hall, 27 played more than 2,500 minutes this season for the club and would have played more was it not for a red card and one match suspension picked up in Wellington. He was popular for his iconic slide tackles, a match-winning penalty in the elimination final, and his bubbly dressing-room personality. “It’s been an incredible two years for me in Auckland, and the journey the boys and I have been on is something I’ll never forget,” said Hall. “I’m truly grateful to be able to leave the club on top and bow out as part of the club’s first championship-winning side.” “My teammates, the staff and most importantly, the fans, have really made Auckland feel like home over these past two years, and it has been a pleasure to go to battle for the city which has supported me so much.” Hall brought title-winning experience to the squad, and he leaves the club, adding two more trophies to his ever-growing collection of silverware.

A second win for the Black Sticks at the FIH Nations Cup in Sout Africa PHOTO: FIH HOCKEY The Black Sticks men have made it two wins from two matches at the 2026 FIH Nations Cup in Cape Town, defeating Korea 6–2 in a match that exploded into life in the second half. Both sides created chances early, but strong defensive structures and disciplined goalkeeping kept the game tight. Korea struck first through a penalty corner, flicking the ball past goalkeeper Dom Dixon to take a 0–1 lead into halftime. LATEST HEADLINES: Fox top-10 Canadian Open Liam Lawson finishes eighth NZ Athletics team Glasgow26 Rowers claim gold and record Greenbough at BMX World Cup The Vantage Black Sticks stormed out of halftime, with Kane Russell equalising within the opening minute of the third quarter, instantly swinging momentum back New Zealand's way. Minutes later, Scott Boyde put New Zealand in front. Dylan Thomas unleashed a powerful shot that was saved by the Korean goalkeeper, but Boyde was perfectly positioned to pounce on the rebound and slam home his first goal of the tournament, giving the Black Sticks a 2–1 lead. Korea refused to go away and struck late in the quarter, converting another penalty corner with just 15 seconds remaining to level the scores at 2–2 heading into the final break. With the match in the balance New Zealand produced a stunning final quarter. Dylan Thomas started the scoring spree with a well-worked field goal before Kane Russell added his second penalty corner goal of the evening to stretch the lead to 4–2. Then came a moment to remember for Benji Culhane. The youngster scored his first international goal after joining a rapid counterattack, timing his run perfectly before diving onto a pass inside the circle and sweeping the ball past the Korean goalkeeper. It was a brilliant finish and a special milestone in his international career. With just 35 seconds remaining, Dylan Thomas grabbed his second goal of the game, putting the finishing touch on a dominant performance and sealing a 6–2 victory. The result sees the Black Sticks move to six points from their opening two matches, sitting just behind Japan, who lead the pool with seven points from three games. It's been an impressive start to the Nations Cup campaign, with the Black Sticks showing both resilience and attacking firepower as they chase a third consecutive Nations Cup title. Attention now turns to Malaysia in their third pool match on Tuesday evening. New Zealand Goal Scorers: 31' Kane Russell - Penalty Corner Goal 34' Scott Boyde - Field Goal 47' Dylan Thomas - Field Goal 52' Kane Russell - Penalty Corner Goal 55' Benji Culhane - Field Goal 59' Dylan Thomas - Field Goal

Ryan Fox finished top-10 at the Canadian Open PHOTO: RBC CANADIAN OPEN New Zealand golfer Ryan Fox has finished just short of defending his Canadian Open title in Toronto's Osprey Valley. Fox completed the tournament with a two-under 68 to finish 12-under overall- to be tied seventh at the touanment. LATEST HEADLINES: Liam Lawson finishes eighth NZ Athletics team Glasgow26 Rowers claim gold and record Greenbough at BMX World Cup Steel wins over Tactix netball He had a quite remarkable final round starting with par, par, birdie, bogey, birdie and then a par followed by a bogey. On the back nine he score an eagle two on the par four 12 with a 286 yard first shot and then into the hole on the second with a chip of 79 yards past the hole and then rolling back in. He then went bogey, birdie, birdie, birdie followed by two consectutive bogeys to finish. The tournament was won by Bud Cauley from the United States at 17-under, two shots head of Englishman Matt Fitzpatrick with Norway's Viktor Hovland third at 14-under.

Liam Lawson in action in Barcelona when he eventually was promoted to eighth PHOTO: VISA CASH APP RACING BULLS New Zealand driver Liam Lawson has been promoted to an eighth place at Formula One's Barcelona-Catalunya after a post-race penalty for Alpine driver Franco Colapinto Retirements late in the race had Lawson claim ninth place after earlier looking like he'd finish 11th in a race where over half a dozen cars failed to finish.. LATEST HEADLINES: NZ Athletics team Glasgow26 Rowers claim gold and record Greenbough at BMX World Cup Steel wins over Tactix netball Mystics defeat Magic netball To continue his good fortune Lawson, 24 later received an update that Colapinto had failed to slow for a yellow flag which dropped him back from eighth to 10th, meaning the Racing Bulls driver doubled his championship points from two to four. Sitting in line for points a late virtual safety car on lap 41 of 66 meant Alpine’s Pierre Gasly took a free pit stop, to put Lawson and his Racing Bulls teammate Arvid Lindblad at a disadvantage. However with less than five laps remaining, Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc suffered engine and steering failures respectively, seeing Lawson climb back inside the top 10, where he’d finish. “It’s great we finished in the points, but if the top guys had finished, we wouldn’t have,” said Lawson in the post-race media confernce. “We got knocked out by the Alpine’s, they were quicker than us. It’s something for us to review. We had a good car yesterday, and struggled more today.” Lawson is 10th in the driver standings on 28 points, six behind Isack Hadjar and 10 ahead of Oliver Bearman. Meanwhile Lewis Hamilton celebrated an emotional and historic first grand prix victory with Ferrari to end Kimi Antonelli's five-race sequence of success and become, at 41, Formula One's oldest winner since Australian Jack Brabham in 1970. In second was Mercedes George Russell followed by Lando Norris (McLaren) and Max Verstappen fourth.

Geordie Beamish is one of the stars in teh NZ Athletics team for Glasgow Commonwealth Games PHOTO: WORLD ATHLETICS A 21-strong New Zealand athletics team has been selected for the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Steeplechase world champion Geordie Beamish headlines the strong Kiwi contingent on the track. LATEST HEADLINES: Rowers claim gold and record Greenbough at BMX World Cup Steel wins over Tactix netball Mystics defeat Magic netball White Ferns fall to West Indies Beamish stunned the sporting world in 2025 when he flew from seventh to the lead to overhaul two-time Olympic champion Soufiane El Bakkali in the final strides at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. The win was New Zealand's first-ever world title in a men's track event. Beamish is now based in Boulder, Colorado and will be looking to improve on his fifth-place finish at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. The Men’s Shot Put is set to be a one to watch in Glasgow with tour-time world indoor champ Tom Walsh, the most decorated male athlete in World Athletics Indoor Championships history with seven medals. Walsh returns to defend his Commonwealth Games title alongside Birmingham 2022 silver medallist Jacko Gill. Walsh and Gill's one-two finish in Birmingham was one of the big moments of the Games, with the pair now joined by rising young thrower Nick Palmer at Glasgow 2026. Palmer has trained alongside Walsh in recent years and is a regular 20m+ thrower. In the women's field events, Imogen Ayris makes her return to the Games as the reigning Commonwealth Games bronze medallist in the Pole Vault. She will arrive in Glasgow in career-best form after a bronze medal at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Toruń in 2026 and clearing a new PB of 4.81m at the Paavo Nurmi Games in Turku, Finland in June. She is joined in the Pole Vault by three-time Olympian and 2018 Commonwealth Games silver medallist Eliza McCartney, the national record holder at 4.94m and 2025 London Diamond League winner Olivia McTaggart. The trio makes up one of the deepest Women's Pole Vault groups New Zealand has fielded at a major Games. Reigning High Jump World, Commonwealth and Olympic champion Hamish Kerr also returns to the New Zealand Team. Kerr cleared 2.30m earlier this year at the Track Stars event in Auckland and has set his sights for more at Glasgow 2026. Sprint star Zoe Hobbs leads the women's track programme fresh off of a Diamond League podium in Oslo and an 11.00s performance over 100m in Darwin at the Oceania Athletics Championships. In the middle distances New Zealand is represented by Paris Olympian James Preston in the Men's 800m, who shattered Sir Peter Snell's 62-year-old 800m national record in 2024, and two-time Olympian Sam Tanner who will contest the Men's One Mile. Beamish has also been given permission to start in the Men’s One Mile in Glasgow, meaning two Kiwis could contest the distance which returns to the Commonwealth Games programme for the first time since 1966. National Javelin record holder Tori Moorby and five-time national Hammer champion Lauren Bruce lead the women's throws, while reigning World Under-20 Triple Jump champion Ethan Olivier makes his Commonwealth Games debut. The Heptathlon features debutants Briana Stephenson, alongside national champion Maddie Wilson. Anthony Barmes, James Steyn and Nick Southgate round out the team in the Men's Hammer and Pole Vault respectively. Athletics New Zealand CEO, Cam Mitchell, said the team was one of the strongest athletics contingents New Zealand had assembled for a Commonwealth Games. "From reigning World, Commonwealth and Olympic champions to athletes competing at their first Games, we have exceptional depth and real medal aspirations across multiple events. Glasgow 2026 is going to be an outstanding Games for New Zealand athletics." The Athletics programme takes place at Scotstoun Sports Campus from 27 July to 1 August. NZ Team — Athletics | Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games: Max Attwell – Men’s Decathlon Imogen Ayris – Women’s Pole Vault Anthony Barmes – Men’s Hammer Throw Geordie Beamish – Men’s 3000m Steeplechase Lauren Bruce – Women’s Hammer Throw Jacko Gill – Men’s Shot Put Anna Grimaldi – Women’s 100m T47 (selected on 30 April) Zoe Hobbs – Women’s 100m Hamish Kerr – Men’s High Jump Eliza McCartney – Women’s Pole Vault Olivia McTaggart – Women’s Pole Vault Tori Moorby – Women’s Javelin Ethan Olivier – Men’s Triple Jump Nick Palmer – Men’s Shot Put James Preston – Men’s 800m Nick Southgate – Men’s Pole Vault James Steyn – Men’s Pole Vault Briana Stephenson – Women’s Heptathlon Sam Tanner – Men’s One Mile Tom Walsh – Men’s Shot Put Maddie Wilson – Women’s Heptathlon The following athlete has been granted permission to start in an additional event at the Games: Geordie Beamish – Men’s One Mile

Ben Taylor and Oli Welch have broken a world record at the World Cup regatta in Bulgaria PHOTO: ROWING NZ New Zealand won five medals on the final day of the World Cup regatta in Bulgaria with crews across the boat classes pushing close to world best times. Defending world champions Ben Taylor and Oli Welch won gold in the Men's Pair, finishing just 0.54 seconds outside Hamish Bond and Eric Murray's record row from the London Olympics in 2012. Conditions were quick on the Plovdiv course and Taylor and Welch signalled they were in reach of the record as they passed through the first 500m in 1min 29.17sec, well under the 1.31 first 500m posted by the Kiwi Pair in London. LATEST HEADLINES: Greenbough at BMX World Cup Steel wins over Tactix netball Mystics defeat Magic netball White Ferns fall to West Indies Lawson 8th on grid at Barcelona The record was still on at the 1000m mark, Taylor and Welch going through in 3.01.76 compared with the Kiwi Pair's 3.03 in London. Bond and Murray went through the 1500m mark in 4.37 in London, Taylor and Welch went through in 4.35.32. The last 500 was their slowest and they crossed in 6.09.04. "It got a bit messy," said Welch. "The course definitely kind of slowed down and it got a little bit rough towards the end. We probably started getting a bit tired as well." They were oblivious to just how close they'd come. "We didn't really know until we got interviewed and they asked us how did it feel to go one second outside the record," said Welch. "We were like, 'What? We didn't know we did that'. It was quite a nice surprise." Two weeks ago in the Seville, Finn Hamill and Ben Mason rowed the C Final alongside Croatia's Olympic stars Valent and Martin Sinkovic. It was a race neither crew wanted to be in. Both were back in the A Final for the Men's Double Sculls and with the breeze still pushing things along, a world best time looked like a prospect too. The New Zealanders shot out at almost 60 strokes a minute but were 4th through the 500m mark as China and the Sinkovics tussled for the lead. At that point the Kiwis were just hanging on. "The transition onto our rhythm just didn't really happen," said Hamill. "We were three or four seconds slower in that 2nd 500 than where we needed to be. It was pretty laboured and sluggish." The Croatians built through the middle 1000 to put them on pace for a world best time while Hamill and Mason set to work on chasing down the Chinese. They managed to crack them over the last couple of hundred metres to win silver in 6.05.36, the Sinkovics winning in 6.00.97. The Croatians nearly beat their own world best time of 5.59.72, set in Amsterdam in 2014. Alana Sherman, Isla Blake, Kate Haines and Ella Cossill were nearly seven seconds back on the United States in the preliminary race of the Women's Four two days ago. They also focused on their middle 1000m in the final and closed the gap to just over three seconds to win silver. New Zealand finished in 6.18.99. The Americans crossed in 6.15.75, just outside the world best time (6.14.36) set by New Zealand in Amsterdam in 2014. The Women's Quadruple Sculls of Olivia Hay, Stella Clayton-Greene, Beckie Leigh and Veronica Wall also won silver, finishing in 6.17.27 behind the USA (6.08.83). It was a step on from the preliminary race where they were more than 12 seconds behind in third. Fred Vavasour, Campbell Crouch, Harry Fitzpatrick and Josh Vodanovich so nearly made it a silver medal in their final of the Men's Four, just pipped by Romania in the final 100m. But a bronze is a significant step up for a crew that, apart from Campbell, is in its first season of Elite racing. Coach Mike Rodger had seen something from the heat that he knew they could build on for the final. The Women's Pair of Katie Lush and Juliette Lequeux finished fifth (6.59.59) in the opening A Final of the day. Americans Kaitlin Knifton and Teal Cohen won gold, crossing the line in 6.50.82, just three seconds outside of the world best time (6.47.41) set by New Zealand's Kerri Williams and Grace Prendergast at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. The Women's Double Sculls of Eva Hofmans and Sophie Egnot-Johnson were racing their first A Final at a World Cup event. They finished fifth in a time of 6.56.01, Italy winning the gold medal in 6.45.36. The Men's Quadruple Sculls of Arie Magasiva, Callum Tutbury, Oscar Ruston and Ben Olifiers, all in their first season of top international rowing, were also fifth. The squad now returns to New Zealand and a fresh round of seat racing to finalise crews for the World Championships in Amsterdam in August

Lily Greenough in action at Papendal, Netherlands at the UCI BMX Racing World Cup PHOTO: COLE MCONIE Cambridge teenager Lily Greenough impressed with a runner-up performance at the latest round of the UCI BMX Racing World Cup in the Netherlands. It marked a breakthrough ride for the 2025 Junior World Champion, bouncing back from injury to finish on the podium in the first full season in Under-23 competition for the 18-year-old kiwi. LATEST HEADLINES: Steel wins over Tactix netball Mystics defeat Magic netball White Ferns fall to West Indies Lawson 8th on grid at Barcelona Ryan Fox stays in contention Greenough, in strong form in Saturday’s third round of the world series, finished seventh after a collision in the final. She bounced back to make her mark in the fourth round at the famed Papendal course today, winning her first-round qualifier, the quarterfinal and semifinal in impressive fashion. Greenough was edged in a close battle with Renske van Santvoort in final, with the Dutch rider having won at the opening round in Sarrians, France last week and leads the standings after finishing runner-up at the world championships in 2025. The young kiwi star, second in the World Cup standings for 2025, has moved to sixth in the overall under-23 championship after missing a round at Sarrians with injury. Fellow under-23 racer, Brooke Penny (Te Awamutu) has enjoyed significant progress in Europe, finishing sixth in her first final on Saturday and edged out in the semifinal today with just two seconds covering the field. There was strong progress from the under-23 men with Finn Cogan (Cambridge) fifth in Saturday’s final and edged out by one spot in the second round today. Fellow club rider Jack Greenough had an impressive start but went out in the quarterfinals on both rounds in Sarrians, while Christchurch rider Jesse Green missed out in the first round. Olympian Leila Walker went out in semifinal today and quarterfinal on Saturday in a competitive elite women’s field, with Rotorua’s Megan Williams edged out in the quarterfinals in both rounds. National elite champion Rico Bearman showed plenty of speed and promise, without much fortune, caught in a tangle in the semifinal on Saturday and eliminated by one spot in the semifinal today by just 0.07s. Fellow kiwi Michael Bias was edged out in the last chance heat on Saturday, but showed good speed before missing out in a highly competitive quarterfinal today. The riders return to prepare for the world championships in four weeks’ time in Brisbane with over 3,000 riders expected to compete across BMX Racing and Challenge (age group) classes. The UCI BMX Racing World Cup resumes with two double rounds in China in early October ahead of the final two rounds at Sarasota in Florida USA.

The Steel beat rival south island side the Tactix in the ANZ Premiership PHOTO: MICHAEL BRADLEY The Southern Steel have secured a home Elimination Final in the ANZ Premiership after a 56-54 win over neighbours the Tactix in Invercargill on Sunday. Already confirmed as the pair to meet in the Elimination Final, this result means the Steel will retain their home advantage at Invercargill. It reversed their 13-goal loss to the Tactix in Round 1 while also breaking an 11-game losing streak to their southern rivals. LATEST HEADLINES: Mystics defeat Magic netball White Ferns fall to West Indies Lawson 8th on grid at Barcelona Ryan Fox stays in contention Hurricanes thrash Blues in semis The southern derby lived up to expectations with the contest sitting in the balance from start to finish. Coming into the final quarter trailing by two, the Steel demonstrated their renowned grit, getting their noses back in front with under five minutes to go. In an epic clash, it was late turnovers that cost the Tactix, who provided plenty in an outstanding contest. The connection and accuracy between shooters Aliyah Dunn and Georgia Heffernan were key for the Steel alongside a non-stop defensive effort. It was much the same for the Tactix, with shooter Charlie Bell delivering a perfect 45 from 45 while the defensive end provided a wholehearted 60-minute effort. Ball retention proved crucial in the final outcome. Befitting the context of the game, the expected arm-wrestling was evident from the first whistle as an intense, dogged and physical game played out. Early on the game was dictated by the defensive ends, both sides providing plenty of hustle to pick up the scraps. With Bell slotting all opportunities coming her way, the Tactix forged a handy four-goal lead before the Steel came storming back. Long clearing passes put the home side in prime position with a run of late goals, Dunn continued her strong season in helping the Steel level up. A buzzer-time shot from the influential scorer giving the home side a narrow 15-14 lead at the first break. The tightest of contests resumed on the resumption, both sides absorbing intense pressure while keeping everyone on the edge of their seats in the sold-out stadium. The Tactix required more time to work their way towards goal but hanging tough while the Steel enjoyed more flow. Former Silver Ferns captain Gina Crampton showed strong vision into Bell while at the other end, Heffernan provided key back-up for Dunn with her positioning and play-making skills. Steel defenders Renee Savai’inaea and Carys Stythe were a menacing presence but well-matched at the opposite end of the court by Laura Balmer and Ash Barnett. The Steel tried to gain some energy through interim injury replacement Queenslander Jessie Laga’aia in at centre for a fresh perspective. But the impasse continued, the combatants slugging out a stalemate through a drawn second quarter to leave the Steel with their one-goal margin when leading 29-28 at the main break. With no lessening of intent as the defensive pressure lifted another notch, the third stanza was highlighted by multiple phases of play with the ball swinging from one end of the court to the other without reward. Both sides picked up numerous intercepts and deflections but failed to fully capitalise. The Steel pushed out to a three-goal buffer, looking to nail a small advantage as the teams went goal-for goal but a Balmer intercept late in the piece handed the impetus to the visitors. Levelling up with five minutes to go, it was just what the Tactix needed and enough to give them a sniff. With Bell in commanding form under the Tactix hoop, it was the visitors who enjoyed the slightest of edges through the third quarter, making the last turn with their noses in front when leading 41-39.

Maia Wilson looks to get a pass away for the Mystics against the Magic PHOTO: MICHAEL BRADLEY PHOTOGRAPHY The Mystics have secured netball's Minor Premiership after posting a hard-fought 53-42 win over a tough Magic in Auckland on Saturday. Completing a seven-match winning streak guaranteed the Mystics top spot and a week off before the right to host the 2026 Grand Final on June 27. LATEST HEADLINES: White Ferns fall to West Indies Lawson 8th on grid at Barcelona Ryan Fox stays in contention Hurricanes thrash Blues in semis Warriors beaten late by Sharks With both sides coming into the match with winning momentum, the result hung in the balance until the last quarter, the bottom of the table Magic giving the front-runners a real run for their money. In the end, the Mystics experience won out, the home side needing all of their combined history and wisdom to keep a committed and energetic Magic challenge at arms-length through a particularly strong second half response where veteran defender Phoenix Karaka left a strong impression. In a predictable line-up, the Mystics continued their recent trend of naming captain Michaela Sokolich-Beatson to start at goal defence. The Magic were also settled in personnel but opted to tinker with their shooting combination, and starting with the tall figure of Kate Taylor at goal attack in tandem with Saviour Tui. Showing the best of intent, the Magic started with a hiss and roar to forge an early lead before the Mystics flexed their collective muscle with a withering response. With Sokolich-Beatson and Karaka providing the defensive squeeze, the Magic were forced to bring Sarah Guiney off the bench to provide extra movement, while at the attack end the home side quickly slid into another gear. With five minutes remaining, the scores were all level at 7-apiece, the Mystics keeping their opponents scoreless for the remainder of the quarter for an 8-0 run while romping to a 15-7 lead at the first break. The Magic provided a cracking response on the resumption, turning the tables with their own 5-0 scoring run and working their way back into the contest. Wing defence Georgie Edgecombe did a terrific job of putting a dent in the threat imposed by Peta Toeava while the long wing spans of Oceane Maihi and Erena Mikaere caused all sorts of problems for the Mystics shooters. That resulted in Sophia Lafaiali’I taking over from Maia Wilson under the Mystics hoop with the home side taking nearly five minutes to score their first goal of the stanza. The athletic and agile ability of Tui under the Magic hoop proved crucial as the visitors ate into the deficit. The Mystics had more possession heading into the main break but Tui’s unblemished 18 from 18 had the visitors well in the race. With Magic levelling the scores after 10 minutes, the Mystics fought back to reclaim a 23-22 lead at halftime but still with plenty of work to do after being kept to a single digit return during the quarter. After a couple of lead changes to start the third stanza, the Mystics ground their way into a handy lead but never comfortable as the arm-wrestle continued. With Lafaiali’I settling in well to provide a strong option under the Mystics hoop, in tandem with the unflappable and smart play of Filda Vui, and a big defensive showing, led by Karaka at the other end, the home side went out to a six-goal lead but the Magic were never out of the contest. The visitors recovered from a patch of shooting wobbles, Guiney nailing a two-pointer to help them stay in reach but in the context of the game and what was at stake for the Mystics, were still facing a significant mountain to climb when trailing 39-34 at the last turn.

Too many dropped catches cost the White Ferns against the West Indies at the T20 World Cup PHOTO: ICC A disaster in the field has cost the White Ferns badly in their opening match of cricket's T20 World Cup in England. The defending champions were beaten by the West Indies by seven wickets in Southampton, after scoring 162-6 in their 20 overs, in which middle order batter Brooke Halliday top scored with 40 from 32 balls. LATEST HEADLINES: Lawson 8th on grid at Barcelona Ryan Fox stays in contention Hurricanes thrash Blues in semis Warriors beaten late by Sharks Stars beat Pulse netball comp Wicket keeper and opening batter Isabella Gaze made 39 from 29 balls, Maddy Green 35 from 22 balls including a a six and four fours while Sophie Devine compiled 22 runs. Captain Melie Kerr made five runs. The West Indies chased down that total with just one ball to spare, scoring 163-3, largely thanks to a substandard White Ferns fielding effort, that saw them put down six catches, and wicketkeeper Izzy Gaze miss a stumping opportunity. West Indies opening batter Shemaine Campbelle was the player of the match for scoring an unbeaten 90 off 62 balls, as she guided her team to victory. New Zealand's next match is Wednesday, also in Southampton, against Sri Lanka.