Pope takes on India

Cricket: Former Barron cricketer Lloyd Pope had figures of 0-22 from three overs in Australia’s opening fixture of the ICC Under19 World Cup against India yesterday. India racked up 7-328 in 50 overs to start the day-night match in Mount Maunganui, New Zealand. Australia could not come close to the mammoth target. Australia play Zimbabwe on Wednesday.

Clinic nets EPL talent

Football: Former English Premier League player Michael Bridges will join Caravella Football Academy today for a three-day holiday clinic at Tiger Park. A player of Sunderland and Leeds United fame, the 39-year-old played alongside Zenon Caravella at A-League club Newcastle Jets in a career curtailed by injuries. Bridges, currently on the expert football panel for Optus Sport, SBS The World Game and Channel 9, will lend his advice to 54 academy players aged seven to 14 over the next three days.

Juniors spurred on

Hockey: Cairns youngsters Brayden Naess and Jesse Folpp will look to finish their Australian Indoor Hockey Championships tilt on a high today. The boys are playing in the Queensland Spurs under-13 team, which won one and drew two of their matches going into the final day. The Queensland under-21 team, which featured Cairns-based player Mitch Ivory and Matthew Sperring as coach, did not win a game and finished sixth.

Kaiki shines in loss

Baseball: Cairns rising star Kaiki Furutani-Burns was named starting pitcher for the Queensland Bandits in the Under 18s Australian Baseball Championships grand final in Blacktown. But the Bandits were overwhelmed by a strong South Australian team, who won 9-0. Furutani-Burns only gave up one unearned run in a little over three innings at the mound.