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England 160 for 4 (Knight 63, Bouchier 43) beat New Zealand 133 for 5 (Bates 65, Bell 2-29) by 27 runs

In a game of two captains' innings, it was Heather Knight who came out victorious as England took the opening T20I of the five-match series in Dunedin by 27 runs.
Knight, who opted out of the WPL to lead England from the start of this tour, put together a superbly-paced 63 off 39 balls to steer the visitors to 160 for 4 with handy contributions from Sophia Dunkley and Maia Bouchier.
Suzie Bates, standing in for Sophie Devine as she returns from the WPL where she won the title with Royal Challengers Bangalore, did her best to carry the chase with 65 off 51 balls but a batting line-up without Devine and Amelia Kerr couldn't provide enough support at a high enough tempo.

New Zealand should be boosted by the return of the two stars for the next match in Nelson while England's WPL players - Alice Capsey, Sophie Ecclestone, Nat Sciver-Brunt, and Danni Wyatt - won't enter the series until after the third game.

Dunkley provides early impetus

Tammy Beaumont returned at the top of the order for her first T20I in more than two years and the 100th of her career. She was given an early life on 1 when Hannah Rowe couldn't hold onto a chance above her head at mid-on and then there were some positive signs for Beaumont before she found mid-off against the left-arm spin of Fran Jonas.

Either side of the powerplay ending, Dunkley hit her stride having initially reached 11 off 14 balls. She twice found the boundary in the sixth and seventh overs against Rowe and Rosemary Mair as 27 runs came to give England's innings a shot in the arm. Dunkley was starting to motor when she picked up her sixth boundary, but Lea Tahuhu struck back the next ball with a short delivery that was top-edged behind.

Knight goes through the gears

At the midway point, England were 72 for 2 with Knight and Bouchier working to give themselves a platform. It took Knight a little time to get going and she was 8 off 10 balls before collecting her first boundary with a thumping straight drive off Jess Kerr. Then she was up and running.

The England captain needed just another 23 deliveries to bring up her half-century from 33 balls which included taking Tahuhu over wide long-on for six in the 18th over that cost 18 runs. At that point, 170 was well within sight for England but New Zealand clawed the innings back well in the last two overs, leaking just 11 runs.

The third-wicket stand of 91 off 64 balls ended when Knight walked past a full delivery from Jess. Bouchier, who had been dropped on 26 and 37, the first a sitter by Maddy Green at mid-on, ended with a career-best in T20Is but, unlike Knight, couldn't elevate her scoring rate in the same way.

Too much left to Bates

Lauren Bell struck in the first over of the chase to have Izzy Gaze caught at cover second ball (she could have been run out off her first) but stand-in captain Bates ensured New Zealand remained level-pegging to what England have achieved in the powerplay - 44 for 1 compared to 41 for 1.

Bates took on the opening over of debutant quick Lauren Filer with three boundaries - a strong clip, a big top edge to third and a bludgeon over the on side - to lay down the gauntlet. But England's spinners, including Knight, proved harder work and there wasn't the required scoring rate from the other batters.

George Plimmer showed glimpses before skying Sarah Glenn to short fine leg then Green was becalmed early in her innings as the asking rate grew. Green's stay was ended in somewhat unfortunate circumstances when Bates crunched a straight drive into Charlie Dean which ricocheted onto the non-striker's stumps with Green well short.

Bates just about kept New Zealand alive before picking out deep square leg for 65 off 51 balls at which point 52 were needed off the last three overs. The trio of Plimmer, Green and Brooke Halliday managed 56 off 61 balls between them.

Andrew McGlashan is a deputy editor at ESPNcricinfo

It is shocking piece of misfortune for Behrendorff, who is Australia's reigning T20I player of the year following an excellent last 12 months. He played five matches for Australia on the tours of South Africa and India in 2023 and took eight wickets at 16.50, with an economy rate of just 6.60. He produced a stunning spell in Guwahati in Australia's only win in the five-match T20I series post the ODI World Cup, taking 1 for 12 from four overs with 17 dots in a game where no other bowler conceded less than eight runs per over and the two sides racked up 447 runs in 40 overs.

Kings lose Huerter to shoulder injury vs. Grizzlies

Published in Basketball
Monday, 18 March 2024 21:35

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Sacramento Kings guard Kevin Huerter left Monday night's game against Memphis with a left shoulder injury and was later ruled out.

Huerter was attempting a layup 1:51 into the first quarter when Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane made contact with his left arm, sending him to the ground. Bane was called for a common foul.

Huerter briefly remained on the floor before heading to the locker room while cradling his arm. He recorded a rebound, assist and steal before the injury.

The 25-year-old Huerter missed Wednesday's game against the Los Angeles Lakers with a right leg contusion and returned to the lineup Saturday against the New York Knicks.

The 25-year-old Huerter is averaging 10.4 points and 3.5 rebounds this season and is shooting 36.1% from 3-point range.

Sources: Lakers' Wood out several more weeks

Published in Basketball
Monday, 18 March 2024 21:35

LOS ANGELES -- Lakers forward Christian Wood will undergo an arthroscopic procedure on his left knee and is expected to be sidelined for several weeks, sources told ESPN on Monday.

Wood has been out more than a month already after experiencing swelling in the knee during the All-Star break.

The 28-year-old big man signed a one-year, veterans minimum contract with the Lakers in the offseason, and he has averaged 6.9 points on 46.6% shooting (30.7% from 3) and 5.1 rebounds this season in 50 games.

The Lakers came into Monday's matchup against the Atlanta Hawks as the No. 10 seed in the Western Conference with 14 games remaining. Their regular-season finale is scheduled April 14.

Madrid complaint: Ref 'negligent' on Vini abuse

Published in Soccer
Monday, 18 March 2024 17:23

Real Madrid have filed a complaint with the Spanish Football Federation [RFEF] calling the referee in their 4-2 LaLiga win at Osasuna "negligent" for failing to include insulting chants aimed at Vinícius Júnior in his match report.

Television cameras picked up part of the crowd singing "Vinicius, die" during Saturday's game at El Sadar, with Madrid teammate Dani Carvajal then gesturing towards referee Juan Martinez Munuera.

Vinicius scored twice in the match and celebrated his second goal in the 64th minute by turning to the crowd and pointing at his ear.

Martinez Munuera made no mention of any offensive chanting in his formal match report.

"After the serious insults made, once again, against our player Vinicius Junior, in this case during the last LaLiga match played by our team at El Sadar, Real Madrid C.F. communicates the following," Madrid said in a statement.

"Our club has filed a complaint with the Disciplinary Committee of the Royal Spanish Football Federation against match referee Juan Martinez Munuera, as a result of the negligent drafting of the referee's report. The referee voluntarily and deliberately omitted the insults and humiliating chants repeatedly directed towards our player Vinicius Junior, despite being warned insistently by our players at the same time that they were occurring.

"In addition, Real Madrid has also filed a complaint with [the RFEF] in relation to the aforementioned insults and humiliating chants, and forwarded them to the State Commission against Violence, Racism, Xenophobia and Intolerance in Sports, so that those who said them are identified and punished.

"In light of the unfortunate events that occurred in El Sadar, Real Madrid has expanded the complaint that it presented last Friday, March 15, to the State Attorney General's Office against crimes of hate and discrimination, for the racist and hateful insults directed towards our player Vinicius Junior in the vicinity of the Olympic Stadium in Montjuic and the Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid, requesting that the perpetrators be identified.

"Real Madrid once again condemns these violent attacks of racism, discrimination and hatred, and demands that the necessary measures be taken, once and for all, in order to eradicate the violence that our player Vinicius Junior has been suffering."

Last week, cameras captured fans chanting "Vinicius, die" ahead of Barcelona's Champions League round-of-16 tie with Napoli at Montjuic, while a group was recorded shouting "Vinicius, chimpanzee" before Atletico Madrid's game with Inter Milan.

Vinicius has repeatedly been targeted with racist abuse from opposition fans, including at Valencia's Mestalla Stadium last May, after which an investigation was launched into three people for racially insulting the player.

Bama gives DeBoer top-5 annual salary at $10.9M

Published in Breaking News
Monday, 18 March 2024 20:07

First-year Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer will make an average of $10.875 million per year, ranking him in the top five nationally among the highest-paid coaches in college football.

His eight-year contract was approved Monday by the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees, and DeBoer will make $10 million in the first year of his deal that will run through Dec. 31, 2031. His compensation will increase $250,000 per year and grow to $11.75 million in the final year of the deal.

DeBoer's contract is 90 percent guaranteed if he were to be fired without cause, and there is no mitigation. His buyout if he were to leave Alabama before his contract is up is $5 million in 2024, $4 million in 2025, $3 million in 2026 and nothing from 2027-31.

DeBoer's average salary ranks fourth among all college football head coaches, industry sources told ESPN. Clemson's Dabo Swinney is at the top with an average annual salary of $11.5 million. Georgia's Kirby Smart and USC's Lincoln Riley are also over the $11 million figure annually. DeBoer is fourth ($10.875 million) followed by Texas' Steve Sarkisian ($10.64 million) and Florida State's Mike Norvell ($10.52 million).

Sarkisian and Norvell both agreed to new deals taking them over the $10 million mark in January about the time of DeBoer's hiring. DeBoer made $4.2 million last season at Washington in leading the Huskies to the national championship game. Washington athletic director Troy Dannen said he offered DeBoer $9.4 million after the Sugar Bowl, but DeBoer rejected that offer to become Alabama's coach and replace Nick Saban.

Saban, who retired on Jan. 10 after winning six national championships in 17 seasons at Alabama, was scheduled to make $11.5 million in 2024.

In other salary news for Alabama assistant coaches, defensive coordinator Kane Wommack will make $1.55 million in 2024, offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan $1.35 million, co-offensive coordinator/receivers coach JaMarcus Shephard $1.1 million, associate head coach/defensive line coach Freddie Roach $1 million, strength coach David Ballou $950,000, assistant head coach/running backs coach Robert Gillespie $850,000, co-defensive coordinator/defensive backs coach Maurice Linguist $875,000, offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic $875,000, outside linebackers coach Christian Robinson $650,000, co-defensive coordinator/defensive backs coach Colin Hitschler $625,000, tight ends coach Bryan Ellis $550,000, general manager Courtney Morgan $500,000 and special teams coordinator Jay Nunez $250,000.

NEW YORK -- Detroit Pistons guard Evan Fournier has been fined $25,000 by the NBA for kicking the ball into the stands.

NBA executive vice president for basketball operations Joe Dumars, himself a former Pistons guard, announced the punishment on Monday.

Detroit lost 104-101 to Miami on Sunday on Bam Adebayo's buzzer-beating 3-pointer. The 31-year-old Fournier then punted the game ball into the stands at Little Caesars Arena.

Wizards rookie Coulibaly (wrist) done for season

Published in Basketball
Monday, 18 March 2024 19:26

Washington Wizards rookie Bilal Coulibaly will miss the remainder of the regular season after being diagnosed with a right wrist fracture, the team announced on Monday.

Coulibaly suffered the injury after a fall in Saturday's loss to the Chicago Bulls. Washington has 14 games left in its season and at 11-57 has already been eliminated from the Eastern Conference's play-in race.

No surgery is required on the injured wrist.

The No. 7 pick in the 2023 NBA draft, Coulibaly averaged 8.4 points and nearly one steal and block per game in 27.2 minutes this season.

Coulibaly was one of the youngest players in the draft; he turns 20 in July.

Tatum sits out Celts' win over Pistons due to ankle

Published in Basketball
Monday, 18 March 2024 19:26

BOSTON -- Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum missed Monday night's 119-94 win against the Detroit Pistons because of a right ankle injury.

It's the fourth time the team's leading scorer was sidelined this season.

Tatum, who is averaging a team-best 27.1 points and 8.3 rebounds a game, joined Jrue Holiday (right shoulder contusion) as the two starters missing for the Celtics (54-14).

Boston, which has the best record in the league, sat three starters in Sunday night's 26-point win at Washington. Derrick White (sprained left hand), Kristaps Porzingis (strained right hamstring) and Jaylen Brown (sprained right ankle) all missed that game.

Brown and Porzingis were back in the lineup for Monday's game against the Pistons, scoring 31 and 20 points, respectively. Porzingis missed the past five games with a strained right hamstring.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Sources: Anunoby sidelined after elbow flare-up

Published in Basketball
Monday, 18 March 2024 19:26

New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby has had a post-surgical flare-up in his right elbow and is expected to miss more than just Monday night's game against the Golden State Warriors, sources told ESPN.

Anunoby -- who returned for three games following a Feb. 8 procedure to remove a loose particle from his shooting elbow -- will need for the elbow to calm down before he can return to the lineup, sources said.

That timeline is currently unclear.

The Knicks are 15-2 with him in the lineup since Jan. 1 and 8-10 with him sidelined. Anunoby's plus-297 plus-minus since joining the Knicks is third best in the NBA in that span, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.

Anunoby -- who arrived in a December trade from the Toronto Raptors -- is holding opponents to 35% shooting as the closest defender since Jan. 1, best in the NBA among players to defend 150 or more shots, per Second Spectrum Tracking.

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