Hawks run riot against Phoenix as Scorchers stay unbeaten and England lose Bethell ahead of Australian tour

Illawarra piled on 120 points to beat South East Melbourne in the NBL, Perth Scorchers extended their perfect WBBL start, and England suffered another injury setback before their white-ball series in Australia. Usman Khawaja’s book tour also took an unexpected turn as the fallout from the 2018 ball-tampering scandal continued.

NBL: Hawks pile on 120 to beat struggling Phoenix

The Illawarra Hawks bounced back from their heavy defeat to Adelaide with a 120–110 road victory over South East Melbourne Phoenix on Wednesday night. The Hawks were particularly damaging in the second quarter, pouring in 43 points to take a 71–54 half-time lead after shooting at 72 per cent from the field. The Phoenix fought back in the second half, winning both remaining quarters, but could not seriously threaten Illawarra’s advantage.

Kelan Martin led the way with 27 points off the bench, while Milton Doyle contributed 22 points, including six three-pointers from seven attempts. Davo Hickey added 15 points, nine rebounds and eight assists in an influential all-round performance. The result lifted Illawarra to 5–9, while the Phoenix slipped to 4–8 after a third consecutive defeat.

WBBL: Scorchers make it five straight despite Mooney absence

The Perth Scorchers maintained their unbeaten start to the WBBL season with a four-wicket victory over the Sydney Thunder at the WACA. The Thunder recovered from a poor start to post 159–5, largely through a 128-run partnership between England international Heather Knight and Anika Learoyd. Knight made 71 from 46 deliveries, while Learoyd contributed 53 from 44, giving Perth a challenging target of 160.

The Scorchers had to work for the chase, particularly after losing wickets through the middle order, but eventually reached 160–6 with nine balls remaining. Sophie Devine made 37 and Katie Mack 31, before Chloe Piparo helped finish the job with an unbeaten 20. Perth were without captain Beth Mooney, who missed the match with quad tightness, making the victory a useful demonstration of the side’s batting depth. The result was the Scorchers’ fifth consecutive win, leaving them unbeaten halfway through the regular season.

Cricket: Bethell ruled out of England's Australian tour

England batter Jacob Bethell has been ruled out of the white-ball tour of Australia after suffering a setback in his recovery from a knee injury. The 23-year-old had travelled to Australia hoping to return following surgery in September, but a scan confirmed he would not be fit to play. Bethell has not appeared since England’s one-day series against India in July, when he experienced discomfort in his knee during an innings of 91 at Lord’s.

England have called up James Coles and fast bowler Eddie Jack as replacements for Bethell and Josh Tongue, who was already unavailable with a toe injury. The three-match ODI series begins in Perth on Friday, followed by five T20 internationals. Bethell’s absence is a blow to England’s plans for the tour, particularly with the side using the limited-overs fixtures to build towards next year’s World Cup.

Cricket: Khawaja book tour adjusted amid renewed Sandpapergate fallout

Usman Khawaja’s promotional tour for his new autobiography has undergone changes after the former Australian Test batter faced persistent questions about his claims concerning the 2018 ball-tampering scandal. His publisher confirmed on Wednesday that several radio and television appearances had been withdrawn from the schedule, although the tour itself would continue and had not been substantially cancelled. The changes followed a tense interview on the ABC’s 7.30 program the previous evening.

Khawaja declined to elaborate when pressed on whether members of the Australian bowling group had prior knowledge of the plan to alter the ball during the 2018 tour of South Africa. His book argues that awareness of the episode extended beyond the three players who were formally sanctioned, but he has maintained that he does not intend to name individuals or turn the issue into a personal dispute. The controversy continues to attract attention as England prepare to begin their Australian tour, with Cricket Australia having already ruled out reopening its original investigation.