Good evening team…

As devastating as it was to see the Aussies bundled out of the Twenty20 Cricket World Cup today, there’s something in all of us that doesn’t mind seeing the underdog triumph.

Afghanistan is through to a World Cup semi-final for the first time in the country’s cricketing history after they beat Australia and Bangladesh on the trot.

So…since Australia can’t be the T20 World Champs - here’s to the underdog!

I’ve got 10 seconds

Stat of the day

9.83
The time American sprinter Noah Lyles ran in the 100m to equal his personal best at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon. Lyles is the current World Champion. 

Quote of the day

"As an Olympian and the son of an Olympic swimmer whose US women’s team faced an East German team that was systematically doping, cheating is a betrayal of everything I have been taught and stand for."
American swimmer Michael Brinegar in a post on Instagram after he was handed a four-year ban for blood doping. The 24-year-old denies any wrongdoing. Brinegar swam in the 800m and 1500m at Tokyo in 2021 and is the son of former US Olympian Jennifer Hooker Brinegar. 

Random fact of the day

Christa Luding-Rothenburger is the only person to have ever won a medal at the Summer and Winter Olympics in the same year. In 1988, she won silver in the track cycling sprint at the Seoul Summer Olympics and gold and silver medals in the 1000m and 500m speed skating at the Calgary Winter Olympics. The last time the Summer and Winter Olympics were held in the same year was 1992.

I’ve got 30 seconds

In case you missed it…

🏊‍♀️ The U.S. Olympic Swimming team has been announced for Paris with 48 athletes named. Among them is Simone Manuel, who battled ‘overtraining syndrome’* in the lead-up to Tokyo. Manuel was the first Black woman to win gold in an individual swimming event when she won the 100m freestyle in Rio in 2016. She will compete in the individual 50m freestyle and 100m freestyle relay.

⚽ Spain continued their unbeaten run at the Euros and won their third and final game of the Group Stage, defeating Albania 1-0. The result had a domino effect with England, the Netherlands, and France all advancing to the Round of 16.

🏃🏽‍♀️American sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson ran 10.71, recording the fastest 100m in the world this year at the U.S. Olympic Trials and booking her place in Paris for her first Olympic games. Richardson missed the Tokyo Games due to a one-month suspension after testing positive for THC, a compound found in cannabis.

🏏 Afghanistan beat Bangladesh by 8 runs in the T20 Cricket World Cup today and advanced to their first-ever semi-finals at a World Cup. Afghanistan’s victory means Australia will not advance in the tournament after the Aussies lost to India by 24 runs overnight. 

🏄 Tamayo Perry, a former professional surfer, respected lifeguard, and actor has died from a fatal shark attack off Oahu’s North Shore in Hawaii. Perry won the Pipeline Masters trials in 1999 and played a buccaneer in ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides’.

*a condition in which an athlete suffers physical and emotional decline as a result of intense exercise

I’ve got 1 minute

The Florida Panthers won their first-ever Stanley Cup today, defeating the Edmonton Oilers 2-1 in Game 7 of the finals series in Sunrise, Florida. The Stanley Cup is the championship trophy awarded to the winners of the National Hockey League, North America’s premier men’s ice hockey league.

Panthers make history

The Panthers scored first, but the Oilers equalised just two minutes later. Sam Reinhart then scored late in the second period for the Panthers to take a lead they would hold onto for the remainder of the match. Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky also starred, saving 23 shots on goal.

Following their victory over the Oilers, the Panthers have become the third team in the NHL’s modern era to win the Cup after losing the final in the prior season. In 2023, they lost in five games to the Las Vegas Golden Knights.

Oilers were on the verge of history

The Oilers were the first hockey team in 79 years to draw a finals series at 3-3 after losing the first three games. The 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs remain the only team to win the Stanley Cup from 3-0 down.

If they had won, they also would have been the first Canadian team to win the Stanley Cup since the 1993 Montreal Canadiens (known to locals as the Habs). Canada will have to wait for at least another year.

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Yesterday, we previewed the men's State of Origin Game II, which kicks off tomorrow night. Today, we will take a look at women’s State of Origin Game III, which will take place on Thursday night.

The past five games of Women’s State of Origin have been played in front of record crowds and Thursday night’s game is expected to be a sellout.

Context

For the first time in Women’s State of Origin, this year’s series winner will be decided in three games instead of two. Heading into Game III the series is tied at one game apiece, setting up a decider at Queensland Country Bank Stadium in Townsville. 

Game I was played at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane and the Sky Blues (NSW) beat the Maroons (Queensland) at home 22-12. 

Game II was played in wet conditions at McDonald-Jones Stadium in Newcastle and the Maroons claimed an 11-10 victory following a 68th-minute field goal from Lauren Brown. 

Lineups

Sky Blues coach Kylie Hilder has named an unchanged side for Game III. The only difference will be that Olivia Kernick will now start on the field and Keeley Davis will start on the bench.

The Maroons have had some injury troubles and coach Tahnee Norris has made some changes to the side. Lily Peacock will replace Destiny Brill, who is out with a calf injury, while Keilee Joseph will start with Sienna Lofipo out due to a PCL injury.

Players to watch

For the Sky Blues, Caitlan Johnston and Jaime Chapman have both troubled the Maroons defence throughout the series, Chapman scored an incredible individual try in Game I. The Sky Blues are led by veteran centre Isabelle Kelly who had the most run metres of any player (173) in Game II.

If the game goes down to the wire, the Maroons will look to draw on the combined experience of veterans Ali Brigginshaw, who captains the team, and Lauren Brown. Both players were instrumental in Queensland’s Game II victory. Also keep an eye out for star fullback Tamika Upton. 

How to watch

Women’s State of Origin will be streamed live on Channel 9 and 9Now. Kick-off is at 7:45 pm.

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