Australia have gained a slight psychological advantage over arch-rivals New Zealand in the fight for Commonwealth Games gold, claiming a dramatic come-from- behind 79-73 win in Cairns. The fired-up Tall Blacks took the challenge to the hometown favourites on Saturday, and the off-colour Boomers trailed at all three changes. But the superb Nick Kay led the late revival as Australia pulled ahead and ran down the clock for a six-point triumph that will almost certainly see them finish top of their pool and progress directly to the semi-finals. In truth coach Andrej Lemanis' side were largely off the pace and got out of jail big time, and New Zealand will want another crack given they were one step ahead until well into the final quarter. The Boomers were clearly feeling … [Read more...] about Commonwealth Games: Tall Blacks fall short against Australia in basketball thriller
Australia
Swimmers and cyclists drive Australia to top of Commonwealth medal table
Australia’s Dolphins have kickstarted the host nation’s Games with an impressive six gold, four silver and four bronzes on day two to drive Australia to the top of the medal table. Two quinellas and a remarkable fourth-ever clean sweep in the women’s 100m butterfly have capped a dominant night in the pool, with medals also arriving in the velodrome, weightlifting and gymnastics. In a field boasting the South African Chad Le Clos and England’s James Guy, Australia’s Rio golden boys Kyle Chalmers and Mack Horton led the way, chasing down the fast-starting Le Clos to deliver an impressive one-two finish in the men’s 200m freestyle. Both the sprint specialist and the long distance star finished strongly in a result that pleased Chalmers and delighted a vocal home crowd. “We had a race plan and we stuck to it really well”, said Chalmers. “The third 50 felt pretty strong, and I knew I had a bit to give in that last 50. I could see [Guy] … [Read more...] about Swimmers and cyclists drive Australia to top of Commonwealth medal table
Prince Charles gets merry as he blends his own rum and brandishes cake knife on Australia tour
PRINCE Charles got into the spirit of things by creating his own rum while on a distillery tour in Australia. The Prince was presented with four test tubes of alcohol at the Bundaberg Distillery, with instructions to mix them together. He joked: “It’s like chemistry! I was never any good at chemistry at school." His successfully mixed concoction will be brought back to England as a souvenir of his trip. The merry Royal then gave an impromptu speech to hundreds of well-wishers gathered at the distillery, saying: "After being here in 1994 and having tasted the rum then, it's taken me all those years to come back for another tot. "I'm thrilled the distillery is still one to be producing some of the most famous of all rums around the world." The 69-year-old Royal spent a few hours at the distillery, taking particular interest in a section of the famous distillery museum, where a commemorative 'high water' bottle of Bundaberg Rum is displayed. He was taken through a tasting … [Read more...] about Prince Charles gets merry as he blends his own rum and brandishes cake knife on Australia tour
Criminal charges against man accused of murdering Derbyshire backpacker in Australia dropped
The mum of a Derbyshire backpacker murdered in Australia has spoken of her heartache - after criminal charges against the man accused of the killing were dropped. Mia-Ayliffe Chung, 21, from Wirksworth died after being stabbed at the Shelley's Backpackers hostel in Queensland in August 2016. Tom Jackson, 30, from Congleton in Cheshire, was seriously injured as he tried to save Mia and died a few days after the attack.French national Smail Ayad was charged with the murder of Mia and Tom, as well as a number of other offences. But on Thursday, the criminal charges against him were dropped and he was instead sent to a mental health facility.In an victim impact statement read out during the hearing at Brisbane Mental Health Court, Mia's mum Rosie Ayliffe said: "Mia was full of light, laughter and fun. She was an absolute joy to be around, and she was loved by countless people both here in Derbyshire and around the world."The tributes came from all over the world too, about how kind Mia … [Read more...] about Criminal charges against man accused of murdering Derbyshire backpacker in Australia dropped
Cricket Australia chairman not on ‘witch hunt’ following ball-tampering scandal
by Press Association April 6 2018, 1.01pm FacebookTwitterWhatsAppLinkedInEmail Sign up to our Daily newsletter Want to read more?Subscribe today from £1 a week Cricket Australia chairman David Peever insists now is not the time for “witch hunts” and chief executive James Sutherland continues to retain the full support of the board. An independent review is to examine cultural and governance issues following the ball-tampering scandal against South Africa. An investigation by CA found three players – Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft – were involved in a plot to manipulate the ball in the Cape Town Test. Details of the review, which were announced by Peever on Friday, will consider whether any “wider cultural, organisational and/or governance issues should be addressed”. While Peever accepted “this has happened on our watch and clearly we accept responsibilities”, the chairman stressed no one should be … [Read more...] about Cricket Australia chairman not on ‘witch hunt’ following ball-tampering scandal