Hale, Jones defend NZ title

Snooker: Otago’s Garry Hale and Brent Jones, of Canterbury, successfully defended their New Zealand pairs title in Mount Maunganui over the weekend.

Hale and Jones won the title in Blenheim in 2019 but had to wait until this year to make it two in a row after Covid forced the cancellation of the event in 2020 and last year.

Coming from 21 down in the final against Auckland’s Baljeet Singh and Sam Travis, Hale and Jones reeled off the next three frames for a 42 victory.

Results of veterans pennants at St Clair yesterday. —Round 15: Island Park Gold 3, Taieri Red 1; Taieri Gold 2.5, Chisholm Links Red 1.5; Twelve Oaks Gold 2, Taieri Blue 2; St Clair Gold 3, St Clair Red 1; Island Park Green 2, Chisholm Links Tartan 2; Port Chalmers Green 2, Gladfield 2; St Clair White 3, St Clair Blue 1; Otago Blue 1, Twelve Oaks Blue 3; Port Chalmers Red 2.5, Chisholm Links Blue 1.5.

league going into the international break,’’ Gunners boss Arteta said.

Everton’s win ends a run of four successive draws for Everton and moves it up to 13th, while West Ham remains in the bottom three with one victory from its seven games.— BPA championship leader Fabio Quartararo crashed out in the first lap, blowing the title race wide open.

Gresini Racing's Bastianini avenged his narrow San Marino GP defeat earlier this month by denying Bagnaia a fifth straight win, fighting off the Ducati rider to win by 0.042sec.

Bagnaia cut Frenchman Quartararo's championship lead to 10 points with five races remaining. Aleix Espargaro is also back in the title hunt after completing the podium for Aprilia. — Reuters