Sports News 12:30

BULLETIN SPORTS NEWS 19 December 12:30 pm

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

# First up we take a look at soccer: South African governing body SAFA is set to receive a major financial boost after Bafana Bafana qualified for next year’s World Cup in the US, Mexico and Canada. Under FIFA’s expanded prize structure, each qualified nation will receive at least nine-million-rand, plus preparation funding, totalling about 175-million-rand. The milestone marks South Africa’s first World Cup return since 2010, easing SAFA’s financial strain, while players will also receive government bonuses.

# Cricket: Today’s third and final one-day match between the Proteas’ Women and Ireland in Johannesburg will be a dead rubber after South Africa already clinched the series by winning the previous two encounters. The hostesses first beat the visitors by seven wickets in East London, and then by 74 runs in Gqeberha. This followed their 2-0 victory in the T20 series when the final match in Benoni rain out. Today’s action at the Wanderers start at 1 this afternoon.

More cricket news is Australia has a 356-run lead with six wickets in hand after the third day of the third Ashes Test against England in Adelaide. The hosts took the visitors’ two remaining first-innings wickets this morning, removing captain Ben Stokes for 83 and Jofra Archer for 51 after a ninth-wicket partnership of 106 runs. England ended on 286 after Australia posted a first innings-total of 371. The Aussies reached 271 for four at stumps. The situation is getting desperate for England, who already lost the first two Tests.

# Rugby: The United Rugby Championship resumes after a three-week hiatus this weekend, with several local derbies on offer. Top of the log Stormers play the seventh-placed Lions in Cape Town from 3.30 tomorrow afternoon, and at six, the 14th placed Sharks host the eighth-placed Bulls in Durban. Welsh teams Cardiff and Scarlets kick off the weekend in the Welsh capital this evening, while Irish teams Leinster and Ulster will do battle at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Four other matches will take place tomorrow.

# And finally, motorsport: Four-time Fomula One world champion Max Verstappen will race with the number three on his Red Bull car next season. The Dutchman  relinguished the number one to Lando Norris of McLaren after the Briton clinched his first title recently. Verstappen says three had always been his favourite number – apart from one – and he had decided not to return to the 33 he previously used. The new season starts in Melbourne, Australia, in the first weekend of March.

Stay tuned for more news………….