Today's sports news: What you need to know

Canterbury have secured a spot in next weekend's NPC premiership semi-finals with a 40-28 win over Bay of Plenty in Christchurch today.

They will play second-placed Waikato, while Hawke's Bay host Tasman after the Mako beat Wellington 34-22 in Blenheim on Saturday afternoon.

Tasman stormed out to an unassailable lead early at Landsdowne Park, with tries to Quentin MacDonald, Jacob Norris, Leicester Fainga'anuku and Levi Aumua.

Trailing 0-24 after 25 minutes, Wellington managed to finally get on the board when Taine Plumtree scored but the Mako still led 27-7 at halftime.

Tries to Jackson Garden-Bachop and Tyrone Thompson narrowed the lead to 27-22 with 15 minutes remaining but Tasman flanker Anton Segner put the result beyond doubt with a late try.

In Saturday's later game, Canterbury ground out the win with a solid second half after leading 24-21 at the break.

Dallas McLeod and Waisake Naholo both scored doubles, with Chay Fihaki also crossing. For Bay of Plenty, first-half tries to Leroy Carter and Veveni Lasaqa kept them in touch, while Lucas Cashmore scored early in the second half to give the Steamers a 28-24 lead.

But Canterbury pressure, and accurate kicking from Fihaki and Fergus Burke, secured the home team win.

Kerr leads Wellington to win

White Ferns and Wellington star Melie Kerr opened her big summer in style with a devastating 5-40 to inflict a first-up loss on defending Hallyburton Johnstone Shield champions Canterbury.

Kerr got the big wicket of New Zealand teammate Amy Satterthwaite in the 41st over to open the gate to a 39-run victory for the visitors in Rangiora.

Captaining the Magicians in Frankie Mackay's absence, Satterthwaite had been leading the recovery for her side who were in early strife at 34-2. She top-scored, having reached 87 before Kerr got one through her defences.

Spinner Kerr was too good for the tail, picking up a further two wickets to finish with her bag - just the second five-for of her List A career, and first for Wellington Blaze, with her career best 5-17 having been for the White Ferns.

The win wasn't good enough for a bonus point for Wellington, but there were plenty of encouraging statistics for the New Zealand selectors with the sizzling early form on display both this and last weekend, in their ICC Women's World Cup season.

Earlier, Wellington captain Maddy Green had top-scored for the visitors with an unbeaten 87 off just 75 balls.

Green's decision to bat first was rewarded with a strong total of 276-8, the Magicians coming up short in reply at 228-9 in their 50 overs.

Ko keeping right in touch

New Zealand golfer Lydia Ko remains right in the mix after two rounds of the Ladies European Tour event in Saudi Arabia.

Tied at the top after round one, Ko has slipped back to joint third after an up-and-down second round at the Royal Greens Golf and Country Club.

The world No 7 mixed five birdies with three bogeys in her two-under par outing, moving to seven-under for the tournament.

Despite not matching it with the day's best, Ko was just two shots behind outright leader Alice Hewson of England heading into the third round.

Meanwhile young New Zealand men's player Daniel Hillier has work to do after a tough second round at the European Challenge Tour season finale.

The 23-year-old has carded a four-over par 75 in Mallorca to slip to two-over for the event.

The top 20 players in the season standings after the tournament earned a full European Tour card for next season, with Hillier currently projected to slip five places to 23rd.

India keep semi-final hopes alive

Former Twenty20 World Cup champions India have kept alive their slim chances of making the semifinals with an eight-wicket rout of Scotland.

Virat Kohli elected to field after winning his first toss of the tournament and the 2007 title holders bundled out the Scots for 85 in 17.4 overs at the Dubai International Stadium.

KL Rahul blasted an 18-ball fifty as India chased down the paltry target in 6.3 overs for their second win in four matches.

Unbeaten Pakistan have already qualified from the group with eight points. New Zealand beat Namibia to sit in second place on six points, with India third on four.

India's fate in the tournament is beyond their control after thrashings by Pakistan and New Zealand in their first two games.

Kohli's men snapped their losing streak against Afghanistan but must handsomely win Monday's final group match against Namibia and hope Afghanistan beat New Zealand to have any hope of reaching the last four.

- Reuters

Bravo bowing out for Windies

West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo said he will retire from international cricket after their final Super 12 game at the Twenty20 World Cup against Australia.

Holders West Indies were eliminated from contention for the semifinals following defeat by Sri Lanka.

Bravo, who had come out of retirement to help West Indies defend the title, has won the T20 World Cup twice as well as the 50-overs ICC Champions Trophy in 2004.

"I think the time has come, I've had a very good career. To represent the West Indies for 18 years, had some ups and downs," Bravo, 38, said in a post-match interview.

"But as I look back at it I'm very grateful to represent the region and the Caribbean people for so long.

"To win three ICC trophies ... One thing I am proud about is that the era of cricketers we had. We were able to make a name for ourselves on the global stage and not only do that but have silverware to show for it."

- Reuters

Farrell tests positive for Covid

England captain Owen Farrell has tested positive for Covid-19, making him likely to miss Sunday's (NZ time) Twickenham test against Tonga.

The RFU said Farrell would miss Saturday's training after returning a positive PCR test and would remain in isolation and would be lateral flow and PCR tested again on Saturday. All other player and staff PCR test results received were negative.

Farrell had been due to start at flyhalf but his likely absence means a probable start for Marcus Smith, who was named among the replacements after missing parts of training this week with a leg injury.

Farrell was set to win his 100th test cap - his 94th for England alongside six tests for the British & Irish Lions - in what would have been only his fourth start at flyhalf in his last 16 England games.

Coach Eddie Jones had delayed naming his team on Friday after what was reported by the RFU as a positive test for an unnamed staff member.

- Reuters

More success for Venus

New Zealand's Michael Venus and his German partner Tim Puetz have reached back-to-back ATP Masters 1000 semifinals.

A day after knocking over second seeds Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury, they've beaten German Andreas Mies and Frenchman Fabrice Martin 7-5 7-5 to reach the last four at the Paris Masters in France.

Venus and Puetz only joined forces after the French Open in June and have already won one title together, the ATP 500 tournament in Hamburg.

They also reached the semifinals at the prestigious Indian Wells Masters last month.

Verstappen not worried about Covid hurdles

Formula One leader Max Verstappen said he was not worrying about Covid-19 affecting the championship outcome but rival Lewis Hamilton remained wary as countries ease restrictions.

Hamilton tested positive for the coronavirus last December and had to miss the Sakhir Grand Prix in Bahrain, which came after the Mercedes driver had sealed his record-equalling seventh championship.

Five other drivers, out of 20, have tested positive since the start of the pandemic.

"If I slide in the shower and I break my neck it's the same story, isn't it?," Red Bull's Verstappen said ahead of Sunday's Mexico City Grand Prix when asked whether he was taking any extra precautions.

"If I go out in Monaco and I slip while walking and I break my leg, I mean, it's also not great," added the 24-year-old, who leads Hamilton by 12 points with five races remaining.

"I don't really think about these things. I just keep on doing and living my life like I have been in the last two years already, of course, with COVID. Just continue doing what I have been doing."

Formula One arrives in Mexico from the US Grand Prix in Texas and heads next to Brazil before a closing run of three races in the Middle East.

Formula One has travelled further afield this season, after a 2020 campaign in Europe and the Middle East, and welcomed large crowds again after a year behind closed doors.

The teams operate inside a protective 'bubble' but the paddock has opened up more.

- Reuters