Auckland looking down relegation barrel
New Zealand failed to get past the group stage of the Under- 17 World Cup in India, bowing out with a 3- 1 loss to Mali. The Kiwis needed a win to progress after drawing 1- 1 with Turkey and losing 4- 2 to Paraguay in their two other matches. New Zealand under- 17 coach Danny Hay put a positive spin on the outcome. “We were in a very, very tough group and were more than aware of that,” Hay said following the loss. “We played against three very good sides and our attitude, application and the quality of football was at times better than it ever has been from a New Zealand under- 17 side.” Former Black Cap Andre Adams has signed on as White Ferns’ bowling coach, replacing John Furlong. Adams will join the White Ferns on their tour of the United Arab Emirates, where they’ll play Pakistan in three one- day internationals and four Twenty- 20 internationals over three weeks. Kiwi squash star Joelle King has surged into the semifinals of the US Open tournament in Philadelphia. The Waikato- based world No 10 edged out English opponent Alison Waters 11- 9 8- 11 11- 2 11- 3 yesterday, proving far too strong in the latter stages. It’s another string in King’s impressive US Open bow, having defeated Milou van der Heijden in the first round before knocking out French third seed Camille Sermie in five sets in secondround action. King, seeded 11th, will now face the winner of an all- Egyptian quarter- final between Raneem El Welily and fifth seed Nouran Gohar. Ben Stokes will offer a full explanation of the incident in Bristol last month which could cost him his Ashes place “when the time is right”. The England allrounder, 26, was arrested on suspicion of actual bodily harm following a disturbance outside a nightclub in the city on September 25. He will not travel to Australia with the rest of the England squad for the Ashes series as he waits to learn whether he will face criminal charges. His agent, Neil Fairbrother, said Stokes would discuss his version of events in due course, but did not wish to prejudice the investigation. Addison Russell drove in four runs, Wade Davis earned a seven- out save, and the Chicago Cubs reached their third National League Championship baseball series in a row by edging the Washington Nationals 9- 8 in a thrilling game five. The defending World Series champion Cubs trailed 4- 1 before scoring four runs in the fifth inning off two- time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer. They then led 9- 6 and held on to win the series 3- 2. They now face the Los Angeles Dodgers for the right to play in the World Series. Carson Wentz threw for 222 yards and three touchdowns to help the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Carolina Panthers 28- 23 in their NFL match yesterday to improve to an NFC- best 5- 1. The Eagles turned two interceptions deep in Carolina territory into 15 points, with touchdown passes to Zach Ertz, and LaGarrette Blount’s two- point conversion to take an 18- 10 lead in the third quarter. Wentz added a 24- yard scoring pass to Nelson Agholor in the fourth quarter.