Sports News 12:30

BULLETIN SPORTS NEWS 5 January 12:30 pm

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

# Firstly, cricket: Cricket South Africa awaits the International Cricket Council’s report on the surface of the Newlands pitch, which saw a Test being wrapped up in 107 overs. The second Test between South Africa and India was the fastest-completed match in the history of the game with  a total of 642 balls, beating the 656 from the South Africa and Australia Test in Melbourne in 1931/32. Newlands was also the scene of an ODI debacle in 1993 during the International Series when a pitch with excessive bounce and seam movement saw Pakistan bowled out by the West Indies for 45 in just more than 19 overs and the Windies winning with seven wickets.

In Australia, Pakistan’s Aamer Jamal took six wickets to give his team a 14-run first-innings lead over the home team on the third day of the third Test in Sydney. But the visitors then had a horrible second innings, losing seven wickets with just 68 on the scoreboard before stumps, for a lead of 82 runs. Josh Hazlewood claimed four wickets. Pakistan posted 313 in their first innings before bowling out the hosts for 299. The hosts already clinched the three-match series by winning the first two Tests.

# Athletics: Legal analyst Mpumelelo Zikalala has cast doubt on Oscar Pistorius’s return to competitive athletics. Speaking to Talk 702, Zikalala suggested if the former Paralympic champion was to pursue a return to the sport, he would need permission from the Parole Board. The Blade Runner was released on parole this morning after serving eight years of his 13-year and eight months sentence for the murder of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, in 2013. Zikalala says the parole process is geared towards rehabilitation and not any financial advantage.

# Tennis: Rafael Nadal of Spain will play local player Jordan Thompson in the quarterfinals of the Brisbane International in Australia today. The 22-time Grand Slam champion is looking sharp after just returning to the tour after an injury-enforced year out, beating Austria’s Dominic Thiem and another Australian, Jason Kubler, in straight sets in the previous rounds. Nadal uses the tournament to hone his skills for the year’s first Grand Slam tournament, the Australian Open, that starts in Melbourne next Sunday. He is happy with his performance:

# And we end with darts news: Luke Littler has been selected for Premier League Darts following his fairytale run to the final of the PDC World Championship. Only eight players contest the 16-week series and the 16-year-old, who was beaten 7-4 by Luke Humphries in Wednesday’s final, has been included. World number one Humphries is also involved and will make his debut in the competition. The tournament begins in Cardiff on 1 February. Littler, who will be 17 when the event begins, will be the youngest player ever to compete in the Premier League.

Stay tuned for more news………….