Joseph Parker stops stand-in Martin Bakole in two rounds for crushing win

Joseph Parker overcame the surprise of fighting a very different opponent from the man he had been expecting to face when he knocked out Martin Bakole with devastating force in the second round of their heavyweight contest in Riyadh. The New Zealander had been scheduled to challenge Daniel Dubois for his IBF world heavyweight title but, after the champion fell ill with a virus on Thursday, Bakole flew to Saudi Arabia from the Democratic Republic of Congo as an emergency replacement.The odds against Bakole were underlined by the fact that he had only landed in Riyadh at 3am on the morning of the fight. Less than 22 hours later, at 1.10am local time on Sunday morning, Bakole ambled calmly to the ring

How Dyson Daniels’ home town became an unlikely hotbed of Australian basketball talent | Jack Snape

Bendigo has long had fertile sporting soil but has now produced one of the NBA’s best defensive players as well as successful WNBL and NBL 1 teamsDyson Daniels opened his sparkling silver jacket on NBA draft night in 2022. Under the bright lights of the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, the lining on his right breast revealed the names of his parents and brothers. On Daniels’ left was stitched a map of Bendigo.About two hours’ drive north-west of Melbourne and with a population of 122,000, Bendigo is no Brooklyn. But thanks to Daniels and a dominant professional women’s team, the regional centre generously described by some as a city has emerged this year as a genuine power in global basketball

Scotland’s Gregor Townsend questions England’s crucial penalty decision

Scotland’s coaches and players believe two key officiating decisions potentially denied them another historic Calcutta Cup victory. Gregor Townsend feels his team were unlucky to concede the crucial second-half penalty kicked by Fin Smith that ultimately proved decisive and doubts have also been raised over the solitary English try, scored by Tommy Freeman.Townsend was particularly unhappy about the crucial penalty given against Rory Darge and Tom Jordan for lifting Ben Curry out of a ruck. “I’m going to go through the game two or three times to see whether we could have got better decisions,” said Townsend, the head coach. “I did feel the decision that counted against us for the winning three points where we cleared someone out of the ruck … I just don’t know how that’s a penalty

Scotland are a joy to watch but still can’t deliver what they promise | Michael Aylwin

They must be sick of this. Not losing to England necessarily – this is the first time they have done that since 2020, after all – but sick of running rings around opponents for large stretches of a match and failing to come away with the win. Of promising that this might be their time at last and failing to follow through with anything tangible.Anyone who loves rugby loves this Scotland team. And yet what does that consolation serve than to make the pain of another championship gone all the more acute

Alex Carey’s acrobatics lay foundation for Josh Inglis’ fireworks | James Wallace

Catches win matches? Well, they certainly help set them up. Alex Carey’s brace of afternoon wonder-grabs sent the dangerous duo of Phil Salt and Harry Brook trudging back to the sheds blinking not from the afternoon Lahore sun but in disbelief.Carey’s acrobatic, sinew straining exertions in the outfield (gloves? who needs ’em) exemplified a razor sharp Australian performance in the field that kept England’s progress constantly in check and eventually paved the way for a historic run chase, the highest ever in International Cricket Council tournaments no less. The Aussies can turn it on in major tournaments, who knew?Josh Inglis’s liquid nitrogen-veined maiden ODI century will steal the headlines and rightly so, especially as he was brought up amongst the crags and chevins of Menston, Yorkshire, in the first 14 years of his life, before a move out to the sunnier climes and sandy beaches of Mindarie in Perth. The Yorkshire lad turned West Australian dude who lumped a whole lotta pressure on the poms? A delicious and surefire way to get computer keyboards clacking

England 16-15 Scotland: Calcutta Cup Six Nations player ratings

Marcus Smith Tested out aerially early on and given a torrid time by Duhan van der Merwe. Shanked clearance kick but scored his goals. Slightly more dangerous after break. 6Tommy Freeman Strong finish for England’s first try after already showing skills under high ball. Van der Merwe gave him plenty to think about though