In case you’ve missed it, the summer of cricket is in full swing. Not sure where to start? Luckily you have me ‘Ponting’ you in the right direction.

The Women’s Big Bash League is in its second week, and today the Aussie men are taking on Pakistan at the MCG in the first of three One-Day Internationals.

Time to pull up stumps and turn the cricket on.

20.29 seconds
The time 16-year-old Australian sprinter Gout Gout ran in the 200m at the Queensland All Schools Track and Field Championships. It is the fourth fastest time in Australian history and the fastest time run by an Aussie since 1993. Keep an eye on Gout. 

"Something like this will be a very low point in my career, having lost three games at home. I take full responsibility as a captain. As a leader, I've not been at the best of my abilities right from the start of the series.”
Indian cricket captain Rohit Sharma after India was beaten 3-0 in a Test cricket series against New Zealand. It is the first time that India has been swept by a visiting country in a Test cricket series featuring three or more tests. Tom Latham, New Zealand’s captain, described it as “one of New Zealand's greatest series wins”.

Kevin Leimkuhler set the world record for the fastest marathon in a pair of Crocs on Sunday at the New York City Marathon. He ran an impressive 2:51:27, eclipsing the previous record of 2:58:24 set by Chris Howett at the Manchester Marathon in April. That’s an average split of about 4:04min/km.

🏉 The undefeated North Melbourne Kangaroos claimed the AFLW minor premiership this weekend with a dominant 63-point win over the Gold Coast Suns.  Eight teams have advanced to the first week of finals, which will feature two qualifying finals between the top four teams, and two elimination finals between the teams finishing 5th to 8th.

🏉 In the first of this year’s rugby union Autumn Internationals, the All Blacks held off a late charge from England to win 24-22 at Twickenham in London. England’s George Ford missed a drop-goal attempt in the final minutes. Mark Tele'a starred for the Kiwis with two tries. England, who have lost four of their last five games, will now turn their attention to their match against Australia at Twickenham on Saturday night (local time). At Murrayfield in Edinburgh, the Scottish beat Fiji 57-17. 

🏍️ Jack Miller, an Australian motorbike racer in MotoGP, was involved in a heavy crash at the Malaysian GP yesterday. The 29-year-old made contact with another rider while taking a corner and fell off. His helmet hit the back wheel of the rider in front and another driver rode over his legs when he hit the track. He posted on Instagram: "Lucky to walk away from that one today. Thank you to everyone for the kind messages".

🏃‍♂️The Sydney Marathon has officially become the seventh World Marathon Major, joining Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York. The event, first held as a test before the Sydney 2000 Olympics, is now likely to attract more elite runners as well as destination runners. President of Athletics Australia Jane Flemming said: “It will inspire countless Australians to take up running.” The 2024 edition saw 25,000 participants.

🏉 An AFL umpire has been handed a one-match ban after he attended a post-season function dressed as Osama bin Laden. The event, held for AFL field umpires the day after the Grand Final, was themed ‘characters from the 2000s’. Leigh Haussen, who has officiated 147 games, said in a statement: “I am sorry… I never intended to offend anyone.”

Tomorrow at 3pm (AEDT) will mark the 164th running of the Melbourne Cup. The 3,200m race features 24 horses and a prize purse of $8 million.

The Melbourne Cup was first run in 1861. It is the world’s richest handicapped race, meaning the more highly rated horses carry more weight to try and even out the field.

Most of the 24 horses racing in this year’s edition are from overseas. The last Australian-bred horse to win was Vow and Declare in 2019. Among the favourites this year are French horse Vauban and British horse Buckaroo.

The winner of the Cox Plate and the world’s highest-rated horse, Via Sistina, was a strong favourite for the Cup. However, Via Sistina’s owners revealed last week that the horse would not be racing, leaving 2021 Melbourne Cup-winning jockey James McDonald without a horse.

You can watch the race on Channel 9.

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Max Verstappen has won the São Paulo Grand Prix in a remarkable victory which saw him come back from 17th on the grid. It’s his eighth win this year.

Meanwhile, Verstappen’s championship rival Lando Norris started in pole position but finished in sixth place. There are three GPs and one sprint race left in the season.

Verstappen originally qualified in 12th position but was handed a five-place grid penalty for taking a new engine outside his permitted allocation. In wet conditions, the Dutchman quickly worked his way through the back half of the field, and by Lap 11 he was in sixth position.

While Norris was forced to pit to change tyres in the heavy rain, Verstappen chose not to and was fortunate as the opportunity to change tyres without pitting arose when the race was stopped due to Franco Colapinto crashing. He then claimed the lead on Lap 43 and never looked back, winning by over 19 seconds.

The two drivers from Alpine - Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly - filled out the remainder of the podium. Alpine’s strong drive in São Paulo has moved them from ninth to sixth in the Constructors.

Norris won the Sprint Race earlier in the weekend to reduce the gap between him and Verstappen to 44 points, but Verstappen’s victory in the GP has extended his lead in the Drivers Championship to an almost unassailable 62 points. If Verstappen maintains a lead of 60 points or more after the next race in Las Vegas, he will win the world title for a fourth time.

McLaren are still on top in the Constructors Championship, 36 points ahead of Ferrari in second and 49 points ahead of Red Bull in third.

Verstappen said after the race: "Starting P17, I knew that it was going to be a very tough race but we stayed out of trouble, we made the right calls, we stayed calm and we were fine... [it was] unbelievable to win here from so far back."

The next race on the calendar is the Las Vegas GP on 24 November (AEDT).

ICYMI: TDA Sport has a new game on Instagram called Blurdle. IYKYK.
Today’s answer: James Tedesco
Useless clue: Something to cuddle

Boosting Athletic Performance with AI: Insights from Deakin’s Dr. Lyndell Bruce

As a key partner at the recent Sport Tech World Series (STWS) during Australian Sport Innovation Week, Deakin University is leading the charge in harnessing data to revolutionise athletics.

Dr. Lyndell Bruce, a sport scientist at Deakin, believes that real-time data integration is the future of sports technology. This approach empowers coaches with insights that enhance decision-making during training and competitions.

Recent initiatives at Deakin have involved developing tools that combine AI analysis with human intuition. Dr. Bruce emphasises that while technology plays a crucial role, the true advantage comes from blending data-driven insights with the expertise of coaches. This fusion allows teams to adapt strategies on the fly and optimise performance.

Looking ahead, Dr. Bruce envisions user-friendly platforms that streamline data access for all sports professionals, making valuable insights readily available. By fostering this synergy between technology and athletic expertise, Deakin is setting the stage for a new era in sports performance enhancement

Think beyond the field. Study sport at Deakin.