Carey and Inglis put Australia ahead, Diamonds salvage finale as Kings stun Wildcats

Australia's cricketers moved into the lead against South Africa, the Diamonds finished their Constellation Cup campaign with a victory and the Sydney Kings produced a blistering start to defeat the Perth Wildcats in the NBL. Elsewhere, Kurtley Beale earned a surprise Wallabies recall, while Football Australia addressed security concerns surrounding the Socceroos' upcoming international fixtures.

Cricket — Carey and Inglis turn the tables in Cape Town

Australia seized the initiative on day two of the third Test against South Africa, reaching 4-330 at stumps to take a one-run first-innings lead at Newlands. The visitors had plenty of work to do after Mitchell Starc's extraordinary six-wicket haul had dismissed South Africa for 329 on the opening day. Australia's inexperienced batting combination responded with a series of valuable contributions before a late counterattack put the tourists in front.

Travis Head made 41 before being bowled, while Marnus Labuschagne's difficult run continued when he was dismissed for a duck.

Matt Renshaw and Cameron Green subsequently steadied the innings with a 126-run partnership. Renshaw scored 74 and Green contributed 65 before both fell to Marco Jansen, who threatened to turn the match back in South Africa's favour. However, Josh Inglis and Alex Carey combined for an unbeaten 145-run partnership to swing the momentum back towards Australia.

Inglis finished the day on 85 not out, with Carey unbeaten on 51. Their aggressive approach against the second new ball ensured Australia finished the day in a commanding position.

With six wickets remaining, Australia will now look to build a substantial lead and put South Africa under pressure in the series decider.

Netball — Diamonds finish on a high despite series defeat

The Australian Diamonds avoided a clean sweep in the Constellation Cup, defeating the New Zealand Silver Ferns 68-58 in Melbourne. Although New Zealand had already secured the series, the final match carried additional significance because Australia's position at the top of the world rankings was also at stake. The Diamonds trailed narrowly at half-time before producing a powerful second-half performance, outscoring the Silver Ferns 37-23 after the break.

Georgie Horjus and Sophie Garbin developed an increasingly effective attacking combination, while Jessie Grenvold helped generate turnovers through her defensive pressure. Australia's improvement after the interval provided a welcome response following a difficult series. The Diamonds retained their world No.1 ranking, but New Zealand took the Constellation Cup 3-1. The result offers Australia some encouragement heading into its next international campaign, although the team will need greater consistency across four quarters if it is to reclaim the trans-Tasman trophy next time around.

NBL — Kings survive Perth fightback

The Sydney Kings bounced back from their weekend defeat to Melbourne United with a 99-91 victory over the Perth Wildcats at RAC Arena. Sydney could hardly have started better, making its first 10 shots of the game and opening up a 33-17 lead by quarter-time.

Kendric Davis was instrumental in the opening burst, scoring 16 points in the first quarter without missing a shot. The Kings continued to build their advantage in the second period, eventually moving 25 points clear.

Perth responded after the break, gradually cutting into the deficit before reducing the margin to just four points in the final quarter. The home side threatened to complete a remarkable comeback, but Sydney found enough composure to close out the contest. Torrey Craig led the Kings with 26 points, while Davis finished with 24 points, nine assists and seven rebounds. Brandon Knight was Perth's leading scorer with 27 points. The victory was Sydney's seventh consecutive win over Perth and lifted the Kings to 6-3 for the season. The Wildcats fell to 5-3 after letting a promising home opportunity slip away.

Rugby Union — Beale earns surprise Wallabies recall

Veteran utility back Kurtley Beale has been recalled to the Wallabies squad for Australia's upcoming northern hemisphere tour. The 37-year-old, who has 95 Test caps, has not represented Australia since facing Wales in 2021. His return comes after a strong period with the Western Force and follows Hunter Paisami's unavailability for the tour. Coach Les Kiss has added Beale alongside James Ramm and Kalani Thomas as Australia prepares for Tests against England, Scotland and Wales next month, followed by the Nations Championship finals.

Beale's versatility and international experience make him an intriguing addition ahead of the 2027 Rugby World Cup on home soil. His inclusion also raises the possibility of Australia drawing on a more experienced playmaking option as Kiss continues to assess the team's combinations. For Beale, the recall represents an opportunity to revive his international career after several years away from the Test environment.

Football — Socceroos' Middle East fixtures under scrutiny

Football Australia has confirmed it expects the Socceroos' upcoming Middle East friendlies to proceed as scheduled, despite growing security concerns in the region. Australia is due to face Qatar in Doha on 14 November, followed by Jordan in Amman on 17 November. The matches are intended to provide final preparation before the Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia in January.

Recent violence has prompted heightened concern about travel and security arrangements, particularly with uncertainty also surrounding the broader regional sporting calendar.

Football Australia said it was closely monitoring developments and receiving regular updates from its security team, stressing that the safety of players, staff and supporters remained the priority. For coach Tony Popovic, the matches are important opportunities to assess his squad before the Asian Cup. Any change to the schedule would therefore have implications for Australia's final preparations. For now, however, the governing body expects both fixtures to go ahead.

VFL — Tasmania Devils defend decision over captain Fox

The Tasmania Devils have defended their handling of the Robbie Fox situation after further questions emerged about the decision not to renew the inaugural VFL captain's playing contract. The club said the decision reflected several issues relating to player behaviour and standards rather than one isolated incident.

Fox, a former Sydney Swans defender who helped lead Tasmania to a top-four finish in its first VFL season, will remain employed by the club in his strategic projects role. The Devils will now need to appoint a new captain ahead of their next campaign. The club has maintained that its standards and culture remain central to its development as it prepares for another season in the competition. The situation is an early test of how Tasmania intends to manage player expectations as it builds towards its eventual entry into the AFL.