BIG HITTERS Women triumph in combat and cycling but fall short in cricket

CRICKET – England lose to West Indies in Tri-nation Twenty20 final after strong performances in the Caribbean.

The West Indies women took an eight-wicket victory over England in the final of the tournament in Bridgetown.

Natalie Sciver, 21, top scored with 36 from 33 balls for England but the ladies were already off to a poor start after losing their first three wickets before five overs had been bowled. Healthista TV caught up with Sciver in Barbados pre-final in the video above.

West Indies 119-2 (16.5 overs) bet England 115-5 (20 overs).

The tournament’s been a debut in some light for the England side. Katherine Brunt, Anya Shrubsole, Laura Marsh and Heather Knight did not travel to Barbados, rather with a younger squad with untested and uncapped players including Kate Cross, 22, and Beth Langston, 21, gripping the opportunity to put their names forward in the sport.

The squad booked their place in the final of the T20 series early in the week when they beat New Zealand with 125-8 (20 overs) – 106 (20 overs) by 19 runs.

Natalie Sciver was key to that match also becoming the first England player to take a Twenty20 international hat-trick.

The loss for New Zealand left them eliminated and England’s second game of the week against West Indies serving as a warm-up for the final.

Or perhaps a warning would be a more suiting definition as the West Indies beat England’s ladies in a super over.

England begin their three-match one-day series against West Indies in Trinidad on Tuesday.

The next focus for the England team is Australia in January where they will defend the Ashes.

Football: England beat Wales 2-0 in World Cup qualifying

England have had a perfect start to their World Cup qualifying campaign and little changed at the weekend when they beat Wales 2-0.

So far the ladies have threashed Belarus 6-0 and defeated Turkey 8-0 but it seemed meeting Wales at Millwall’s, The Den, was much tougher.

By half time the score lay an even 0-0.

Two minutes into the second half Jordan Nobbs scored for England closely followed by Toni Duggan’s second.

Temporary coach Brent Hills remains in charge of the team, he’s already voiced an interest in a permanent position and England’s three consecutive wins under his control can do nothing but support his application.

England sit comfortable at the top of their group ahead of their match with Turkey next Thursday.

SKELETON – British Skeleton World Cup team is decided, as Lizzy Yarnold is quickest in selection races and Rose McGrandle faces disqualification.

Nigel Laughton announced his remaining team spaces to join pre-selected world champion Shelley Rudman as former world number six Donna Creighton, 28 and trials winner Lizzy Yarnold.

Lizzy, 24, began her world cup selection races well in Altenberg. The former world medalist led the way after the first two runs on Tuesday with a 1.86 second advantage over second placed Rose McGrandle.

World champion Shelley Rudman, 32, was pre-selected for one of the three slots on the team so competition was fierce.

But on the same day Rose McGrandle was disqualified for breaching equipment regulations.

The slider was found to be in violation of rules relating to FIBT ‘stamp markings’ on one of her sled runners and did not take part in final runs of the trials.

British Skeleton performance director Nigel Laughton told teamGB.com: ‘Rose was using an old and favoured set of runners which, it appears, have left this single stamp on one runner barely visible – undoubtedly caused by regular sanding of the runner surface.’

However who will slide on the World Cup circuit and who won’t isn’t decided solely on placing, a selection committee chaired by Laughton and including coach Andreas Schmid, former Olympian Lord Wrottesley and lawyer Mike Townley took place to determine the athletes chosen.

Laura Daes, who finished third in the trials, and Rose McGrandle will compete on the Intercontinental Cup circuit.

GB are hoping to qualify three sliders for the women’s and the men’s events at next year’s Olympics.

Sliders will be attempting to qualify for the Olympics at the first seven World Cup races of the season in Calgary, Park City, Lake Placid, Winterberg, St Moritz and Igls.

The final make-up of the Olympic team will be announced in late January.

Cycling – Laura Trott takes second Gold at European Track Championships in the Netherlands

Laura finished the individual six-event competition with 15 points, level with Kirsten Wild of the Netherlands. Laura won the title on countback.

The 21-year-old was part of the quartet that finished first in the women’s team pursuit event.

In the women’s Keirin double world champion Becky James, 21, had to settle for seventh, her teammate Victoria Williamson came ninth.

World Combat Games – Savannah Marshall, world middleweight champion, takes gold.

Savannah, 22, took gold at the world combat games in Saint Petersburg by beating China’s Li Qian.

It is her biggest victory since winning Britain’s first ever women’s boxing world title last year.

World bronze medalist Natasha Jonas lost in the semi-finals of the women’s lightweight division.

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