Sports News 12:30

BULLETIN SPORTS NEWS 6 January 12:30 pm

Good day, let’s look at the latest sports news and scores:

# We start with cricket: Travis Head and Steve Smith starred with the bat as Australia reached 518 for seven at stumps on the third day of the fifth Ashes Test in Sydney, leading England by 134 runs. Head scored 163 while Smith contributed an unbeaten 129, becoming the second-highest run scorer in Ashes history behind English batter Jack Hobbs. England were bowled out for 384 in their first innings with Joe Root scoring 160. Australia is now on course to complete an Ashes triumph with a 4-1 scoreline.

# Rugby: The beleaguered Bulls hope to get their season back on track in the next two Champions Cup matches. The Pretoria team is under huge pressure after six defeats in a row, including going down 13-8 to the Stormers in a United Rugby Championship encounter on Saturday.  Head coach Johan Ackermann says their defense was a lot better and they could take a lot of positives from that game. They play Bristol Bears at Loftus this coming weekend, and Pau in France a week later.

# Soccer: Seven-time champions Egypt booked their place in the quarterfinals of the Africa Cup of Nations when defeating Benin 3-1 in extra time, following a 1-1 draw in regulation time. Egypt scored two goals in extra time, including one from star player Mohamed Salah, which saw the Pharaohs set up a clash with the winner of today’s tie between Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso. Meanwhile, Nigeria cruised into the quarterfinals with an emphatic 4–0 victory over Mozambique and will face either Algeria or DR Congo.

# Tennis: Two-time champion Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from next week’s Adelaide International, saying he is not quite physically ready to compete. The 38-year-old Serb was planning to use the event as a springboard to the Australian Open at Melbourne Park. Djokovic, who has scaled down his playing time in recent years to attempt to be fresh for the Grand Slam tournaments, says his focus is now on preparation for the Australian Open, where he has lifted the trophy a record ten times.

# And finally, motorsport: Formula One debutant, Cadillac, had appointed Zhou Guanyu as their reserve driver for this season. The Chinese driver held the same role at Ferrari last year after losing his Sauber race seat at the end of 2024. Guanyu will provide back-up to Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez, while former IndyCar racer Colton Herta will fulfil the role of test driver. During his time on the grid, Zhou competed in 68 Grand Prix races and scored points on seven occasions.

Stay tuned for more news………….