Taipans torch Bullets, WBBL launches with double-header drama as Australian clubs stumble in Asia

Thursday delivered a busy day across Australian sport, with the NBL producing a convincing Cairns victory, the Women's Big Bash League getting underway with two matches at Junction Oval, and both Adelaide United and Melbourne Victory suffering defeats in Asian competition. There was also an important day in the deciding Test against South Africa, while Alex de Minaur moved another step closer to qualifying for the ATP Finals.

Cricket — Inglis century puts Australia in control at Newlands

Australia strengthened its position in the third Test against South Africa, reaching a 100-run first-innings lead before restricting the hosts to 4-140 in their second innings. Josh Inglis was the standout with the bat, scoring 102 in a crucial contribution after Australia's middle order had established a platform. Alex Carey added 80, while Matt Renshaw continued his encouraging return to the Test side with 74.

Inglis and Carey combined for a 185-run partnership for the fifth wicket, turning Australia's promising position into a substantial advantage. South African spinner Simon Harmer eventually broke the stand and finished with four wickets as Australia were dismissed for 429.

South Africa's second innings began poorly. Mitchell Starc removed Aiden Markram for one before Josh Hazlewood dismissed David Bedingham for 11, leaving the hosts in trouble at 31-2.

Marques Ackerman attempted to rescue the innings with an aggressive 62, but Starc eventually dismissed him with a sharp short delivery. Nathan Lyon then removed captain Temba Bavuma for 35 late in the day. South Africa finished on 4-140, holding a lead of just 40 runs with six wickets remaining. Australia are now firmly in the driver's seat in a series that will determine which nation finishes as the world's top-ranked Test side.

WBBL gets underway

The Women's Big Bash League began its twelfth season with a double-header at Junction Oval, producing two entertaining matches. The Sydney Thunder started their campaign with a six-wicket victory over the Melbourne Renegades. Georgia Voll was outstanding, taking 4-26 to restrict Melbourne to 138-9 before contributing 25 runs in the chase. Anika Learoyd then produced a career-best 48 from 37 deliveries, combining with Heather Knight in a match-winning partnership. The Thunder reached 140-4 with three overs remaining.

There was also an encouraging sight for Melbourne supporters, with Tayla Vlaeminck returning to WBBL action after five injury-disrupted seasons. She finished with 2-23.

In the evening match, the Melbourne Stars defeated defending champions the Hobart Hurricanes by 18 runs. Meg Lanning led from the front with 71, combining with Annabel Sutherland, who scored 57, in a 109-run partnership. The Stars eventually posted 4-192.

Hobart made a promising start to the chase through Lizelle Lee, who scored 57, but regular wickets prevented the Hurricanes from keeping up with the required run rate. Sutherland also made an impact with the ball, taking 3-34 as Hobart finished on 8-174. It was a particularly satisfying opening night for the Stars, who have immediately handed the reigning champions a defeat.

NBL — Cairns dominate Brisbane in Queensland derby

The Cairns Taipans continued their impressive recent form with a commanding 107-85 victory over the Brisbane Bullets at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre. The Bullets actually started the contest well, establishing an early eight-point advantage, but Cairns gradually took control and produced a devastating second quarter. The Taipans scored 34 points in the period, including seven three-pointers, and continued to extend their advantage after half-time.

Cairns finished with an extraordinary 20 three-pointers from 48 attempts, with Jack McVeigh and Reyne Smith combining for nine of them. The victory represents the Taipans' fifth win from their past six games and lifts them to a 6-4 record, while Brisbane were left to reflect on another disappointing home performance. The Queensland derby has developed into an increasingly important fixture for both clubs, and Cairns will take plenty of confidence from the manner of Thursday's performance.

Football — Both Australian clubs beaten in Asia

It was a disappointing night for Australian football in the AFC Champions League Two, with both Adelaide United and Melbourne Victory suffering 2-0 defeats. At Coopers Stadium, Adelaide United were beaten by Singaporean side Lion City Sailors. The visitors controlled much of the contest but struggled to turn their dominance into goals. That changed in the closing stages when Brazilian defender Hugo Gomes scored in the 80th minute. German forward Lennart Thy then added a second in stoppage time to secure the points.

The result was particularly frustrating for Adelaide, who had won their opening two group matches and had an opportunity to establish a strong position in the competition. Lion City now lead Group F with seven points, one ahead of Adelaide.

There was similarly disappointing news for Melbourne Victory, who travelled to Indonesia and lost 2-0 to Persib Bandung. Montenegrin striker Balsa Sekulic scored twice, finding the net shortly after half-time before adding a second in the 67th minute. Victory struggled to convert their opportunities, with their best chance coming when Clarismario Santos struck the crossbar from distance.

The result represents Victory's first defeat in the group stage and leaves them second in Group E, with three matches remaining. Both Australian sides will have an opportunity to respond when they meet their respective opponents again next week.

AFL — 2027 fixture released as Suns face finals venue dilemma

The AFL released the first detailed portion of its 2027 premiership fixture on Thursday, giving supporters their first look at next year's major match-ups and scheduling arrangements. The season will begin on Wednesday, 17 March, with all 18 clubs participating in the opening round. The competition will run across 24 rounds, with the Grand Final scheduled for 2 October.

Among the headline fixtures are Brisbane's Easter Thursday meeting with Collingwood, the traditional Good Friday matches involving North Melbourne, Carlton, Fremantle and Adelaide, and the return of the Easter Monday Geelong-Hawthorn clash. Gather Round will run from April 8-11 in South Australia, while the inaugural Dreamtime at Maali match between Richmond and Essendon will take place at Optus Stadium in July. The fixture also includes a number of significant changes to the competition's scheduling, with Opening Round scrapped and all 18 clubs participating in the traditional opening round.

Gold Coast's finals reward comes with a catch

The Gold Coast Suns have secured their first AFLW finals appearance since 2023, but the club is facing an unusual problem as it prepares for the postseason. The Suns currently sit fourth with eight victories, having enjoyed a dramatic improvement after finishing near the bottom of the ladder in recent seasons.

However, Carrara Stadium will be unavailable during several weeks of the finals because of Australia's upcoming T20 international against England. The club and the AFL are considering alternative venues, including Springfield and Fankhauser Reserve at Southport. The situation is particularly frustrating given the importance of home-ground advantage in the finals. Gold Coast have won their past three matches at Carrara and would ideally like to reward their growing supporter base with a home final. The Suns still have Sunday's meeting with Greater Western Sydney to come, which could further strengthen their position in the top four.

Tennis — De Minaur strengthens ATP Finals hopes

Australian men's No.1 Alex de Minaur has moved into the quarter-finals of the Vienna Open after a convincing straight-sets victory over American Learner Tien. De Minaur won 6-4, 6-2 in just 78 minutes, producing a particularly impressive performance on return and converting four of his seven break-point opportunities.

The victory is important beyond the tournament itself, with the Australian attempting to secure qualification for the season-ending ATP Finals in Turin. De Minaur entered the Vienna event tenth in the live standings and provisionally moved into ninth following Thursday's win. With an injury to world No.1 Jannik Sinner affecting the qualification calculations, the Australian remains firmly in contention. He will now face either Italian fourth seed Flavio Cobolli or compatriot Matteo Berrettini in the quarter-finals. For De Minaur, a strong finish to the European indoor season could provide another opportunity to compete against the world's best at the year's final major tournament.