United roll past Breakers, Scorchers defend 124 as Australia unveil new-look England squads

It was an exciting day of sport on Monday, with Melbourne United extending their winning streak in the NBL, Perth Scorchers defending a modest total in the Women's Big Bash League and Cricket Australia unveiling fresh-look squads for the upcoming white-ball series against England. Queensland's Jack Clayton also made a strong case for higher honours with a Sheffield Shield century, while the AFLW's million-dollar McClelland Trophy race narrowed to six contenders.

Cricket — Australia reshapes white-ball squads as Clayton pushes for Test recognition

Cricket Australia's selectors have unveiled their squads for the upcoming ODI and T20 international series against England, with several established stars missing and a number of emerging players receiving opportunities. Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood have all been left out of the white-ball squads as Australia manages their workloads ahead of its upcoming World Test Championship commitments against New Zealand and India.

Nathan Ellis is also unavailable for the ODI component as he continues recovering from a side strain.

There are plenty of new faces, particularly in the T20 squad. Sam Harper, Nikhil Chaudhary, Joel Davies and Lachlan Shaw have all been included, while former Under-19 representatives Mahli Beardman and Oliver Peake feature in the ODI group. Mitch Owen and Jake Fraser-McGurk also return to the T20 side, with selectors looking to add power and versatility to the batting order. Mitchell Marsh will captain both squads. The three-match ODI series begins in Perth on November 13, followed by five T20 internationals beginning in Melbourne on November 21.

The selection announcement comes amid a period of reflection for Australian cricket following its disappointing South African tour. Coach Andrew McDonald acknowledged on Monday that Australia had underperformed during the 2-1 Test series defeat and conceded that Marnus Labuschagne's position would need to be reassessed. Labuschagne made 131 runs across the series at an average of 21.83. McDonald stopped short of ruling him out of future selection, however, insisting there was still a very good cricketer capable of returning to form. There was more encouraging news regarding Steve Smith, with McDonald expecting the experienced batter to be available for the opening Test against New Zealand in December after his neck problem.

Shield — Clayton makes his case with seventh century

Queensland batter Jack Clayton has continued his excellent domestic season, scoring 104 against Victoria in the Sheffield Shield at the Gabba. Clayton resumed Monday on 99 not out and quickly reached his century before Queensland were eventually dismissed for 280, trailing Victoria's first-innings total of 307 by 27 runs. The 27-year-old has now scored 293 runs this season at an average of 73.25, strengthening his claims for consideration at higher levels.

His performance is particularly timely given the uncertainty surrounding Australia's middle order. Former Test opener Usman Khawaja had publicly endorsed Clayton as a potential international contender during the South African series. Victoria reached 6-136 in its second innings at stumps, establishing an overall lead of 163 runs with four wickets remaining. Jem Ryan was Queensland's best bowler in the second innings, taking 3-38, while Victoria's Matt Hennig had earlier impressed on debut with 4-54. The match remains delicately poised heading into its final day.

WBBL — Scorchers defend 124 in extraordinary bowling performance

Perth Scorchers have maintained their unbeaten start to the Women's Big Bash League after defending a modest total to defeat Melbourne Stars by 15 runs at Junction Oval. The Scorchers struggled with the bat, managing just 9-124 from their 20 overs after Melbourne's spinners exploited difficult conditions. Beth Mooney made 17 and Alana King contributed 18, but neither side could establish much momentum during an innings affected by drizzle and a sluggish surface.

The Stars appeared well placed during their chase at 4-79, with captain Meg Lanning leading the way with 41. However, Sophie Devine changed the contest with an outstanding spell, claiming 4-19 and removing both Annabel Sutherland and Charlie Dean.

King then produced a decisive double-wicket maiden in the 18th over, finishing with 3-17 as Melbourne collapsed to 109 all out in 18.1 overs. The result gives Perth two victories from its opening two matches, while the Stars have now lost two of their first three games.

NBL — United make it three straight with commanding Breakers victory

Melbourne United continued their resurgence with a convincing 94-74 victory over the New Zealand Breakers at John Cain Arena. The hosts established an early advantage through import guard Cole Anthony, who scored 13 points in the opening quarter to help United build a 28-19 lead. New Zealand fought back and reduced the deficit to just four points at half-time before keeping the contest close during the third period.

United then produced the decisive passage of play, closing the quarter with a 19-6 run to take a 70-55 advantage into the final period. Anthony finished with 21 points, while Josh Oduro was particularly influential inside, recording 17 points and 19 rebounds, including six offensive boards.

Luke Travers also made an important contribution with 12 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Sam Mennenga top-scored for New Zealand with 15 points, but the Breakers struggled to contain United's interior presence and have now lost four consecutive matches.

The result improves Melbourne's record to 6-5 and gives the club three successive victories as it looks to climb towards the top of the ladder.

The NBL also announced a new partnership with men's health organisation Movember on Monday, making it the league's first Impact Partner. The initiative will use basketball communities and club programmes to encourage conversations around men's physical and mental health.

AFLW — Six clubs remain in million-dollar McClelland Trophy race

The AFL has confirmed that six clubs remain in contention for the 2026 McClelland Trophy and its $1 million prize following the conclusion of the AFLW home-and-away season. The trophy recognises the strongest overall club across the men's AFL and women's AFLW competitions, combining each club's final positions across both seasons. Geelong currently leads the standings with 31 points, two ahead of Sydney on 29. Melbourne, Carlton and Hawthorn are all level on 26 points, while the Western Bulldogs remain in contention on 24.

The prize money will be divided equally, with $500,000 distributed across the winning club's AFL and AFLW playing groups and the remaining $500,000 going directly to the club. Geelong enters the AFLW finals in the strongest position, but the outcome will ultimately depend on how the remaining contenders perform across the postseason. The initiative places additional significance on the upcoming finals, particularly for clubs whose men's and women's programmes have both enjoyed successful seasons.

Rugby League — Walsh calls for greater recognition of Kangaroos forwards

Kangaroos fullback Reece Walsh has defended Australia's forward pack, arguing that its contribution to the team's World Cup performances has been overlooked. Speaking on Monday, Walsh said the forwards had been unfairly overshadowed by discussion surrounding the strengths of rival nations, particularly New Zealand. The 24-year-old praised the work rate, defensive pressure and kick-chase efforts of his teammates, insisting those less glamorous contributions had been central to Australia's success.

Walsh also provided an encouraging update on his recovery from an ankle injury, explaining that he was continuing to regain confidence after a lengthy period without kicking a football. His comments come as he continues to compete with James Tedesco for Australia's preferred fullback position. The Kangaroos are preparing for the knockout stages of the World Cup, with coach Kevin Walters facing several selection decisions before the semi-finals.

Rugby Union — England lose Mitchell ahead of Wallabies showdown

England have suffered an injury setback ahead of Sunday's Nations Championship meeting with Australia, with scrum-half Alex Mitchell ruled out of the upcoming international. Mitchell sustained a hamstring injury while playing for Northampton Saints and has been omitted from England's 36-man squad for the November campaign. Head coach Steve Borthwick has brought in Bath's Ben Spencer and Bristol's Harry Randall as additional halfback options, joining Jack van Poortvliet in the squad. Fin Smith has been included despite recent calf concerns, while established names including Maro Itoje, George Ford, Marcus Smith and Henry Slade are also available. England will host Australia at Twickenham on November 8 before facing Japan and New Zealand later in the month.

For the Wallabies, the absence of Mitchell removes an important playmaking option from the opposition, although England retain considerable depth in the position. The match will be Australia's first assignment of its northern hemisphere tour under coach Les Kiss.