We’ll leave you with Sean Ingle’s report from a dramatic night on the track, plus all of today’s Commonwealth Games news. Join us on Sunday for the final full day of action.
Gold for Australia in the men’s pole vault! A golden day for Australia concludes with Kurtis Marschall prevailing in the pole vault. He cleared 5.70m to beat the English duo of Adam Hague and Harry Coppell, who take silver and bronze respectively.
As the clock ticks round past 10pm I’m going to call it a night and pad through to the fridge in search of a late dinner. I’m sure it will be something suitably athletic. Promise.
That was fast, frenetic and great fun. One day left tomorrow and even more medals to be divvied up. You know where to be. Until then - goodnight!
Hockey: A frantic end to the match with England getting two late penalty corners but they can’t make it count and Australia have completed the comeback from 2-0 down to take the match and a place in the final, the Kookaburra’s winning 3-2 in the end. England had 14 penalty corners in the match and failed to convert any of them which cost them dear in the end against a side of Australia’s quality.
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Women's 200m final - Elaine Thompson-Herah gets gold!
The Jamaican sets a new Games record of 22.02 seconds and finishes streets ahead of the rest of the field.
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Hockey: Australia go ahead with ten minutes to go! Daniel Beale scores to make it 3-2.
Here’s a round up of Aussie success for our friends Down Under who are likely to be waking up and firing up the live blog.
There’s been Australian gold at the Aquatics centre - Charli Petrov and Melissa Wu ace-ing the 10m synchro diving Meg Lanning’s side have just secured a place in the final of the cricket and the men’s hockey semi and the pole vault final could still go the way of the green and gold too...
The Diamonds do a number on the Roses:
Ollie Hoare gets gold in a nail-biting 1500m final:
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I’m glued to the pole vault: England’s Adam Hague has just snuck over the pole to chalk up a season’s best height of 5.55m. It’s a real Mexican pole-off between Hague’s fellow countryman Harry Coppell and Australia’s Kurtis Marschall. Stick it on!
Hockey: It’s all go... Australia equalise in the third quarter - it’s been coming -England 2-2 Australia.
Track: Men’s 200m final...
England’s Zharnel Hughes gets silver with 20.12 seconds and Jereem ‘The Dream’ Richards, the defending champ, runs an incredible race - crossing the line with a Games record of 19.80seconds.
Steve Cram is full of praise for Richards:
That is fabulous sprinting. Jereem Richards ran under 20 seconds at the World Championships but that is better. A massive performance.”
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Diving: England get silver and bronze in the 10m Synchronised diving
I’m on a slight delay with this one but Eden Cheng and Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix snare silver with their final dive! Robyn Birch and Emily Martyn get bronze. Charli Petrov and Melissa Wu get the gold for Australia.
Team England are totally in sync🤝
— Birmingham 2022 (@birminghamcg22) August 6, 2022
Silver and Bronze from the Synchronised 10m Platform this evening. Bravo👏@Sw_EngDiving#CommonwealthGames22 #B2022 pic.twitter.com/dfLSAsZuUZ
Hockey: England are 2-1 up against Australia at half-time in the hockey. Can they hold on to a slender lead and book a place in the final?
Cricket: Australia beat New Zealand by 5 wickets (with three balls remaining) to book their place in the final against India tomorrow. They get the job done, just.
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Track: Men’s 400m hurdles final - Have Guernsey just got their first ever Commonwealth medal on the track!? They have! Alastair Chalmers takes bronze with a time of 49.97. He’s straight into the crowd to bear hug his family! Great stuff. Kyron McMaster takes gold with 48.93 seconds, Jaheel Hyde of Jamaica snares the silver.
Cricket: Stick the cricket on if you can! Australia need 21 from 20 balls. New Zealand hoping to pull off a big coup. Make that 20 from 18 balls. The experienced Rachel Haynes and Ash Gardner are at the crease for Aus.
Hockey: England’s men are 1-0 up after the first quarter in their semi-final match against Australia over at the University. Phil Roper finding the back of the goal/net and English keeper Ollie Payne channeling Maddie Hinch by pulling off some fine saves to keep the scoreline in the home team’s favour.
Track: Phewf I’m worn out just watching that men’s 5000m final, the final lap was epic - Kenya’s Nicholas Kipkorir Kimeli and Jacob Krop were basically sprinting from the moment the bell rang out only for Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo to time his race perfectly to best them on the home straight. Kiplimo, who also took the 10,000m, ran a season’s best 13:08.08. and was absolutely ecstatic after crossing the finish line, where does he get the energy?! He’s draped in the Ugandan flag and taking selfies with the crowd.
Kimeli and Krop take silver and bronze and Mark Scott held up well to finish fifth.
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Track: No time to catch the breath (I’m still firmly rooted to my sofa... ) as the men’s 5000m final gets underway. England’s Marc Scott will be pounding the track in this one.
Cricket: Meg Lanning is out! This is not a drill. I knew my earlier words pretty much declaring Australia would make mincemeat of the Kiwi total would come back to bite me on the britches. Australia are 56-2 and need 89 off 71 balls. In the balance.
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Track: Women’s 800 metre final
My coach told me to go out hard and I thought I did but I was still miles off it. Oh my goodness, these girls are fast!
I was in fourth with 100 metres to go and I was just like ‘no way’.
Kids, that’s why if you coach says run all the way to the line, you run all the way to the line.”
Laura Muir is delighted with her bronze medal which she just nabbed on the line with an outstretched arm. Her main event is the 1500m which she will contest tomorrow but for now she is chuffed to get on the podium in the 800m.
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Track: Women’s 800 metre final - An intriguing race from Mary Moraa who went out hard and then dropped back before launching a killer final assault at the last. Denise Lewis on commentary says that Moraa obviously likes to pick off opponents rather than going out and leading from the front the whole way. Interesting tactics but it works for Moraa, the gold medal is hers.
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Track: Women’s 800 metre final - they are off! Keely Hodgkinson and Muir are in the top three as they enter the second lap... Hodgkinson begins to pull away on the final bend but Kenya’s Mary Moraa finds an extra level to go past Muir and then also powers past Hodgkinson with about twenty metres to go to take the gold medal! Hodgkinson has to settle for the silver and Laura Muir nabs bronze on the line!
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Track: Righto, lots happening and I’m now all eyes on the stadium for a match-up in the 800m as England’s Keely Hodgkinson and Scotland’s Laura Muir duke it out for gold in the women’s 800m. The athletes are being announced, the pundits in the studio are split on who’ll take the spoils.
Table Tennis: Jack Hunter-Spivey takes gold in the men's singles class 3-5!
Another gold in quick succession for England as Hunter-Spivey defeats Nigeria’s Nasiru Sule’s 11-4 9-11 11-6 11-7.
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Cricket: New Zealand have set Australia 145 to win. Mockers alert! I’ll keep an eye on the chase but would be surprised if the Aussies don’t haul down that relatively modest target to take their place against India in tomorrow’s final.
Diving: England clinch all three medals in the men's 3m springboard!
What a finish! Daniel Goodfellow gets the gold with a fine set of dives, he holds his nerve to take top spot at the last. Jordan Houlden gets silver, he could have taken the gold but didn’t quite nail his final effort. He did do enough to stay a couple of points above Jack Laugher who now has a bronze to go with his earlier gold medal brace.
A “shut out” on the podium for England! The three young men embrace at the side of the pool and do a little jig. That was a fab final, full of twists and turns, and not just off the board.
Oh and spare a thought for James Heatly who picks up his third fourth place in as many days. Close but no cigar, or medal, for the Scot.
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Diving: Jack Laugher fluffs his ending and generates a fair old splosh on a difficult dive, he only gets 50 odd from the judges and it sees him drop down to fourth place. What a dive from Jordan Houlden though, his effort sees him leap-frog his team-mates to gold medal position with just one dive to go. Daniel Goodfellow sits in silver and Shixin Li of Australia has come back into contention for bronze. One dive left... exciting stuff.
Diving: Eeeesh. It’s hotting up at the aquatic centre - after four dives it’s an English 1,2,3 on the podium as it stands. Laugher’s dive was solid to keep him in gold medal place but the dives of the round came from his teammates Daniel Goodfellow and Jordan Houlden - each executing an incredibly intricate effort to score highly - Goodfellow pulling off the effort of the night so far and being rewarded with a 91 from the judging panel. He climbs into the hot tub after and affords himself a teeny-tiny smile. He’s in silver, and Houlden in bronze. Currently, two huge dives to come.
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Cricket: At the halfway stage in the second semi-final New Zealand are ticking along quite nicely. They are currently 74-2 and haveSophie Devine and Amelia Kerr well set on 20 runs each. They’ll need plenty on the board to keep the mighty Aussie’s at bay though.
Diving: Jack Laugher comes to the party with a beauty of a dive, tightly coiled somersaults and a pencil straight entrance into the pool. The judges duly chuck him a score of 86.70 and that puts Laugher firmly back in the hunt for a third gold medal of these Games.
Bowls: Iain McLean of Scotland takes bronze in the men’s singles! I think that could be the final medal to be decided in the bowls at this Games. I’ll miss the calmness of the carpet-like grass and the particular bucolic competitiveness on show at Victoria Park in the past week or so.
It's a BRONZE for Iain McLean in the Lawn Bowls Men's Singles 🥉
— Team Scotland (@Team_Scotland) August 6, 2022
Well done Iain!! 👏#TeamScot #TimeForHeroes pic.twitter.com/wY1MJUWX8C
ICYMI: Here’s a really interesting interview with Tom Daley from today’s paper:
The right wing is very good at making people fight with each other to create tension and division and fear. If you ask the younger generation, nobody cares what somebody’s gender is or what their sexuality is. Everybody just wants to be a human being.”
Diving: The 3m springboard final is underway at the aquatics centre. You wouldn’t catch me up there! I get a fizzy tummy just looking at that board from the comfort of my own sofa.
After one round of six Australia’s Shixin Li sits at the top of the standings on 76.50, yapping at his heels are the English trio of Jack Laugher (74.80) Jordan Houlden (73:10) and Daniel Goodfellow (73.10). Five rounds to go, keep an eye on those splashes. Big splash = bad.
Cricket: It’s New Zealand against Australia in an antipodean battle to the death Commonwealth Games final over at Edgbaston. Another beautiful evening - the Aussies have called the coin correctly and stuck the Kiwis in.
Boxing: In the the men’s light middleweight, Tiago Osorio Muxanga of Mozambique charges into the final with a unanimous victory over Tanzania’s Kassim Mbundwike. He’ll face off against Northern Ireland’s Aiden Walsh in the final while Walsh’s beaten semi-finalist, Garan Croft of Wales, will battle it out with Mbundwike for bronze. Got that? Good.
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Aaron Wilson clinches gold in lawn bowls men's singles
The Australian confirms the inevitable, seeing off the so-called challenge of Gary Kelly by an eventual score of 21-3. And he celebrates in true Aussie style: noisily and without a shirt on.
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Miesinnei Mercy Genesis takes gold in women's 50kg freestyle wrestling
Genesis turns it on again. Canada’s Madison Parks has no reply at all to the Nigerian, who knows this is never a time to show mercy and duly sends her opponent to the land of confusion, Parks throwing it all away after going into the break at 1-1. The Nigerian twists the knife to take it to 3-1 and is counting out time until she collects her gold. That’s all.
Celebrity news: Middling TV personality Fred Sirieix is at the Sandwell Aquatics Centre to watch his daughter Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix in the women’s synchronised 3m platform final later. Prodigiously talented 17-year-old Andrea is fresh from her heroic, dramatic victory in the 10m platform diving on Thursday night and will be looking for another gold, this time alongside Eden Cheng. Bonne chance, Andrea!
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Lawn bowls: I’m not saying Aaron Wilson will definitely be going home with gold medal in the men’s singles, but he is 12-1 up in the final against Gary Kelly of Northern Ireland after nine ends. Iain McLean, who Wilson beat in the previous round, is similarly enjoying himself against Malaysian Fairul Izwan Abd Muin, 12-2, eight ends in.
Wrestling: India’s Pooja Gehlot has beaten Christelle Lemofack of Scotland in the women’s freestyle 50kg bronze-medal match, 12-2. Canada’s Madison Parks now takes on Miesinnei Mercy Genesis for gold.
Beach Volleyball: Canada beat England by two sets to one to go through to the final.
Hard lines to the Bello twins who went down in the deciding set 15-7. Canada showed their class when the pressure was on, blocking decisively and hitting the lines with their smashes. England will battle for bronze whilst Dearing and Schacter progress to the final to give Canada a shot at gold.
Beach volleyball: We’re going to a deciding set. Canada take the second set 21-13. Canada’s Daniel Dearing was an absolute monster at the net in that set, blocking smashes and putting away his own overheads spectacularly.
Hockey: England’s men will take on Australia in the semi-final this evening. Not sure what is going on here, mind.
What about that men’s team warm-up 🔥😍💥💥
— England Hockey (@EnglandHockey) August 6, 2022
What you saying @TeamEngland 🏴 pic.twitter.com/AYwetg5Vvx
Beach volleyball: The sun beats down on Smithfield and the Bello twins came out onto the sands with a real intent, some amazing rallies and incredible blocks saw them take the first set against Canada. The Canadians have come back strongly in the second set though and currently lead 13-8.
Read all about it: MacDonald to go for gold in flyweight final:
So, defeats in the netball and cricket semi-finals for England today.
Can the beach volleyball provide some home nation succour? English pair twins Javier and Joquain Bello are about to line up against Canada’s Sam Schachter and Daniel Dearing on the Smithfield sands.
Australia beat England to reach netball final
In truth, the Aussies were all over England like a cheap suit at times, also, the Diamonds’ shooter Gretel Bueta had ice in her veins and didn’t miss a shot. England had their moments and fought bravely to the end with the crowd roaring them on but too many mistakes and a lack of cohesion cost them dear in a 60-51 defeat. The Aussies celebrate and also get some sweet revenge for their dramatic loss on the Gold Coast four years ago. It’ll be Australia against Jamaica to contest for the gold medal in tomorrow’s final.
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Track: Sean Ingle’s in-stadium report from an exciting men’s 1500m final is here for your delectation.
Jake Wightman gave his all in a Commonwealth 1500m final for the ages. This time, though, the familiar formula didn’t quite work as Ollie Hoare swooped at the death to win for Australia.
— Guardian sport (@guardian_sport) August 6, 2022
By @seaningle https://t.co/OjlpmGjXe1
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Netball: England are getting tetchy and a bit ragged, Australia have a ten point cushion now - they lead 42-32, the gap might already be too large for England to claw back in the final quarter.
Right, back to the netball - the second half has just begun, England trail Australia by six points - actually make that five as they grab an early point. 30-25... and another! 30-26.
Boxing: 21-year-old Savannah Stubley gets bronze after losing on points to India’s Zareen Nikhat.
Nikhat, the gold medal favourite, will come up against Northern Ireland’s Carly McNaul in the final.
New posts please!
When you don't get any letters this Christmas, it's because Layla has destroyed the post #BringItHome | #Birmingham2022 pic.twitter.com/0VgmRc0WBu
— Team England (@TeamEngland) August 6, 2022
Kablammy!Layla Guscoth does a Phil Babb at the start of the netball semi-final.
When you don't get any letters this Christmas, it's because Layla has destroyed the post #BringItHome | #Birmingham2022 pic.twitter.com/0VgmRc0WBu
— Team England (@TeamEngland) August 6, 2022
Netball: Enter Ellie Cardwell! The sub has an immediate impact and England close the gap to six points, 27-21 to the green and gold as it stands.
Bowls: We interrupt this broadcast exhilarating netball match... to announce that England have beaten Wales 17-12 to take the bronze medal in the men’s fours.
Netball: It’s tense stuff and Australia have the upper hand at the moment, they lead England 21-14 after five minutes of the second quarter. The crowd’s delirious cheers have abated and a more nervy atmosphere has taken hold.
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Track: Scotland’s Jake Wightman took bronze in the men’s 1500m final earlier on, he’s been speaking to the Beeb about how hard it can be as an athlete to “get up” for a race and experiencing mental fatigue. A pretty honest and very interesting interview:
Initially I was pretty disappointed because I wanted to win. But in hindsight if I told myself at this point I’d have a world gold and Commonwealth bronze two weeks later, I’d take that.
Mentally it was hard to get back up for this. I gave it a go to win it, but I didn’t have it. Just relieved to get something for Scotland because one of us deserved to be on the podium and I’m lucky to be the one to be on it.
It wasn’t even the pressure it was just the mental fatigue of having had such a high, to come back up and get on it soon again after. I could have easily bombed that and not done even anything. For me I’ve done something so good this season, everything else is a bonus.
It’s been a good season. I think the finish disappointment will fade away because I’m glad I managed to come back, step up and get a medal.”
Bowls: Northern Ireland take GOLD in the men’s fours, that’s their second of these Games. Northern Ireland’s joint-flagbearer Martin McHugh sends down the winning bowl to secure an unassailable 18-5 lead over India.
Netball: Play! The semi-final gets underway. Last weekend was all about the Lionesses, will this one belong to the Roses? A fast and frenetic start with every pass being cheered. England lead 3-2 and the roof must be really feeling in danger of getting blown off.
Didn’t they film Gladiators at the NEC? Not the Russell Crowe version, the Kriss Akabusi one? Early drama as one of the posts has to be replaced! Layla Guscoth tried to intercept a ball and ends up wrapped around the post - she’s all smiles and seems to be fine but the post now resembles something from Pisa.
Feeling the love 🫶
— England Netball (@EnglandNetball) August 6, 2022
Thanks for your support, @JillScottJS8 🙌#MakeYourMark | @Lionesses @TeamEngland pic.twitter.com/QLAYrqTkyT
Netball: Six of England’s team remain from that finger-chewer on the Gold Coast four years ago. Hazel Irvine has just described it as the “hottest ticket in town” and the atmosphere seems to be reaching fever pitch over at the NEC.
Your @TeamEngland starting seven 📜#MakeYourMark | #B2022 pic.twitter.com/wc3DkzlGGD
— England Netball (@EnglandNetball) August 6, 2022
Here come the players!
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I’ll get the latest on the next BIG semi-final happening this afternoon very shortly, in case you didn’t know - England take on Australia in the netball shortly, a proper grudge match as the Roses pipped the Aussies at the last in their own backyard four years ago.
Some badminton news first: In the mixed doubles - Adam Hall and Julie MacPherson have set up a Scotland v England semi final by beating Malaysia’s Chan Peng Soon and Cheah Yee See 21-15 21-19.
England’s Marcus Ellis and Lauren Smith (who won silver in 2018) lie in wait for them tomorrow.
India beat England in women's cricket semi-final
Cricket: India win by four runs! Ecclestone bunts the final ball for six but the game had gone for England, they go down by just a single boundary and will no doubt re-live how they managed that run chase, they had the game in their hands and then let it slip away in the last ten overs, three run outs costing them hugely. Congratulations to India who go through to the final to contest for the gold medal.
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Cricket: Maya Bouchier on strike - dot ball! And only a single off the second. 12 needed to take it to a super over. Brunt on strike... and she’s OUT! Plopping a full toss straight to Harmanpreet Kaur at mid-off. That could be curtains for England.
Thank Alex, hi all. Let’s get straight down to brass tacks. In the cricket - England need 14 runs off six balls to make the final. Nat Sciver has just been run out for 41 to be replaced by her partner Katherine Brunt, India have turned the screw... but wait - India have been slow to bowl their overs so are only allowed three fielders out for the final over. Drama!
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Cricket: Amy Jones out! And it’s a bad one for Jones, who makes her move for a single, hesitates, and is caught well short. That leaves England on 135-3 from 17.3 overs, with the door closing. And with that, I’ll hand over to James Wallace.
Lawn bowls: Aaron Wilson of Australia, the defending champion, books his place in the men’s singles final with a light trouncing of Scotland’s Iain McLean, 15-6. Wilson will face Gary Kelly of Northern Ireland in this evening’s showdown. At Edgbaston, England are 135-3 off 17 overs. Thirty more for the win.
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Cricket: Things are getting fraught as Amy Jones survives an lbw scare. 61 needed off seven balls now for England.
Table tennis: England’s Paul Drinkhall and Liam Pitchford look to be on their way to the men’s doubles final, easing into a two-game lead against their rivals from Singapore. Marcus Ellis and Lauren Smith are into the badminton mixed doubles semi-finals – potentially an England-Scotland clash.
Nick Miller takes gold in the men's hammer throw!
That almighty 76.43m did the job – the Herculean Cumbrian will collect his second Commonwealth gold. Ethan Katzberg’s personal best of 76.36m is enough to take silver, while Joseph Ellis’s hopes for bronze are crushed at the last when Cypriot Alexandros Poursanidis heaves a final throw of 73.97m to put himself third.
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Cricket: Another one bites the dust as Danni Wyatt is bowled by Sneh Rana. She departs for 35 to leave England 86-3 after 10 overs.
Gymnastics: Here’s Louise Christie’s medal-winning display from earlier this afternoon:
🏴🥈 https://t.co/G3NvcWfBPi
— Team Scotland (@Team_Scotland) August 6, 2022
Cricket: Alice Capsey is run out for 13 to leave England 63-2. Eeek. The record broken by Ollie Hoare, by the way, belonged to Tanzania’s Filbert Bayi. Hoare took a good two seconds off that, and becomes Australia’s first Commonwealth 1500m champion since 1958.
Australia's Ollie Hoare wins the men's 1500m!
Athletics: As the clock ticks towards the three-minute mark Wightman makes his move – but Cheruiyot was expecting it, he puts the burners on and keeps the Scot at arm’s length. Then Hoare, who’s been watching the duel play out ahead of him, pounces at the very last minute, steaming past both to take the gold with 3.30.12 – a Games record! – and collapsing in a knackered, gasping heap. Well done that man! Cheruiyot took silver and Wightman settles for bronze.
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Men’s 1500m final: It’s all eyes on the Alexander Stadium with Jake Wightman the favourite, chasing a summer championships hat-trick. And bang, they’re away. The Kenyan Abel Kipsang stretches his legs out in front, his countryman Timothy Cheruiyot just behind. Welshman Jake Heyward makes his move…
Men’s hammer throw: After starting the final with two no-throws, Nick Miller plants himself in the gold medal position with a bulldozing 76.43m. His compatriot Joseph Ellis is in third, and Canada’s Ethan Katzberg second.
Cricket: After a fire-powered start, Sophia Dunkley is gone for 19 to Deepti Sharma for lbw. England, chasing 165, are 28-1.
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Athletics: A good few minutes for Team England: both 4 x 400m relay teams have ensured their passage to tomorrow’s finals and in the squash, James Willstrop and Declan James have seen off Aussie pair Cameron Pilley and Rhys Dowling 11-7, 11-4, for a semi-final tomorrow against Malaysia of India. And good news for the auld enemy too: Scotland’s Sean Lazzerini makes the light heavyweight boxing final, beating Tanzania’s Yusuf Changalawe on a split decision. Lazzerini’s compatriot Jake Wightman limbers up for the men’s 1500m final, coming up in 10 minutes.
Cricket: Thwack, thwack, thwack: Sophia Dunkley and Danni Wyatt hit three fours between them to get England off to exactly that start they’d have wanted. It’s on.
Gymnastics: Scotland’s Louise Christie nabs herself a silver medal – Scotland’s 36th of the Games – with a score of 27.550 for her performance (to Insomnia by Rollo Armstrong, since you asked). She will take to the podium alongside between Malaysia’s Joe Ee Ng, now a double Commonwealth champion, and Canada’s Carmel Kallemaa with bronze. Meanwhile, in the freestyle wrestling, Georgina Nelthorpe misses out on a place in the women’s under-76kg final and South Africa’s Simnikiwe Bongco takes a beating from Callum Peters of Australia, who clinches his spot in the men’s under-75kg boxing final.
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Nigeria win women's F55-57 shot put gold!
I’m going to pass this on to Alex Hess now. One more gold to tell you about before I go: Eucharia Njideka Iyiazi has wons the Women’s F55-57 shot put final for Nigeria. Bye!
☄️ Another games record, another gold medal for 🇳🇬Nigeria!
— #ParaAthletics (@ParaAthletics) August 6, 2022
Two-times @Paralympics champion, Eucharia Njideka Iyiazi, takes the last #ParaAtheltics🥇at @birminghamcg22 in the women's shot put F55-57!
🥈Arlette Mawe Fokoa 🇨🇲
🥉Ugochi Constance Alam 🇳🇬
@MakingOfChamps @thecgf pic.twitter.com/RTtDTSRRRJ
England need 165 to beat India in the cricket semi-final
Cricket: After the dazzling 61 from Smriti Mandhana earlier, India slowed a little but a partnership of 61 from Jemimah Rodrigues and Deepti Sharma has helped India to a total of 164-5, a solid total but not out of reach. The last times the two teams met – a year ago – England needed 154. This time round the total is a little higher but England will still back themselves to make it to the final.
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The medals table
There have been a few more golds for Australia this morning, which means the medals table looks great if you’re looking at it Down Under. Australia have 54 golds to England’s 47. Canada are third, New Zealand fourth and India fifth.
Australia win gold in the 3m springboard final!
Diving: There are tears from Maddison Keeney as she wins gold alongside Anabelle Luce Smith. The Australian pair were streets ahead, finishing on 316 points. Malaysia take silver on 299, with Canada scooping bronze on 297 points. Random fact: Keeney works in the coalmining industry back in Australia as well as being a world-class diver.
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Steeplechase gold for Kenya's Kibiwot!
What a finish! Abraham Kibiwot beats India’s Avinash Mukund Sable by just five hundredths of a second to claim gold in the steeplechase. Amos Serem of Kenya takes bronze. Sable had the run of his life and had the race been 3001m long instead of 3000m, he’d have taken the top prize.He was eating up Kibiwot’s lead at the end.
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Bowls: Here’s a flavour of the scenes earlier when Australia grabbed gold with the final bowl in the women’s pairs against England. Liquid bowls.
Want to see one of the greatest shots ever played in Lawn Bowls history at the @CommGamesAUS @Ellenryan23 let’s get some likes for Ellen and Kristina #boldingold #B2022 pic.twitter.com/PVHODd7NRL
— Barrie Lester (@122blest) August 6, 2022
Cricket: Since taking Smriti Mandhana’s wicket, England have slowed India’s run rate somewhat. They’re 97-2 after 12.4 overs but captain Harmanpreet Kaur is beginning to have some success on the leg side.
High jump gold for Jamaica's Lamara Distin!
Athletics: England’s Morgan Lake is close, but not close enough. She clips the bar and finishes fourth. Eleanor Patterson takes silver and Jamaica’s Kimberly Williamson wins bronze. It’s been a very good day for Jamaica so far, after the wonderful netball victory against New Zealand earlier.
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Athletics: The high jump world champion Eleanor Patterson is out! She fails to clear 1.95m at the third attempt. She leapt 2.02m to claim gold in Eugene. She may still claim silver, mind. England’s Morgan Lake has one last chance to clear 1.95m. She will get a medal if she does so.
Athletics: In the women’s high jump final only Jamaica’s Lamara Distin has cleared 1.95m. Australia’s Eleanor Patterson – the current world champion – has failed twice and England’s Morgan Lake has failed once at the height.
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Cricket: And now England do get the prized wicket of Mandhana. Bowled Sciver, caught Wong. What fun Mandhana had when she was out there. The fastest 50 in Commonwealth Games history. She leaves with 61 off just 32 balls. A pure entertainer. The crowd give her an ovation. India are 76-2.
Cricket: A breakthrough for England but it’s not the irresistible Mandhana’s wicket. Brunt catches after a high slog from Shafali Verma, who was caught out by a slower ball by teenager Freya Kemp. India are 76-1.
A first gymnastics gold for Malaysia!
Well done Joe Ee Ng.
Malaysia gets Gold! 🥇@olympicmas's Joe Ee Ng has won the country's first Gymnastics Gold with a stunning Ball routine!🇲🇾#CommonwealthGames | #B2022 pic.twitter.com/UfTRPTfLkH
— Commonwealth Sport (@thecgf) August 6, 2022
Cricket: India are taking England’s bowlers apart. They’re 74-0 after seven overs, with Smriti dazzling the crowd watching on in the Edgbaston sun. She’s on 59, having blasted away three sixes and eight fours. Could they make 200?
Gold for Australia in the Women's 10,000m race walk!
Jemima Montag waves to the crowd and beams delightedly as she crosses the line in 42min34sec to win gold. It’s a Commonwealth Games record and a personal best. India’s Priyanka finishes four seconds behind to take silver and Kenya’s Emily Wamusyi claims bronze.
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Cricket: India have made a sparkling start in the T20 semi-final against England. They are 50-0 inside five overs with Smriti Mandhana hitting nine boundaries and scoring 46 of those. She’s playing some incredible cricket.
Australia win women's pairs bowls gold!
Incredible scenes in Leamington Spa! Ellen Ryan knocks out England’s leading bowl with the last bowl of the tie-breaker to seal a 19-18 win. That’s a crushing blow for England but what nerve from Ryan, who claims her second gold medal of the Games and sends the Australians in the crowd into raptures. Let’s not forget, Australia trailed 11-2 at one point.
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Athletics: In the high jump final, England’s Morgan Lake has just failed with her first attempt at 1.85m. She was mighty close but after a few wobbles the bar fell. Five athletes have cleared that height so she’ll have to dust herself off and go again. Australia’s Eleanor Patterson is among those to have cleared it, along with Jamaica’s Lamara Distin, who looks good.
Bowls: What drama in the women’s pairs! With the score at 18-17 to England and Australia set to take two points from the 18th and final end, Amy Paharaoh saves England’s skin with her final bowl – clattering one of Australia’s bowls out of play and ensuring that Australia can only tie at 18-18. The Leamington Spa crowd are loving this. That means we go into a 19th end.
Gymnastics gold for Wales in the hoop final!
Gemma Frizelle becomes Wales’s first gymnast to win hoop gold at the Commonwealth Games. Silver for Cyprus’s Anna Solokova and bronze for Canada’s Carmel Kallemaa.
Bowls: We’re into the 17th end of the women’s pairs and England and Australia are locked in the tightest battle for gold. It’s 18-17 to England but this could go down to the last bowl.
Cricket: England’s women’s T20 team begin their semi-final against India in 20 minutes’ time at Edgbaston. The winner will face either Australia or New Zealand, who play in the other semi at 6pm (BST). England won all three of their group matches, whereas India won two out of three, losing to Australia. The last time England met India in T20 cricket, England won, at Chelmsford, to seal a 2-1 series win a year ago.
Jamaica into netball final!
Netball: What a performance by Jamaica! They thrashed the world champions New Zealand 67-51, with a 100% shooting record. Captain Jhaniele Fowler scored 54 from 54. Take a bow. They will face either England or Australia in the final. They lock horns at 2.30pm.
Athletics: The women’s high jump final has just, erm, leapt into action at the Alexander Stadium. The two favourites are from Australia, Nicola Olyslagers and Eleanour Patterson, both of whom have personal bests of 2.02m. Jamaica’s Lamara Distin has gone close to 2m before, though, as has England’s Morgan Lake. They’re starting down at 1.71m. I’ll keep you updated.
Bowls: It’s now a see-saw battle between Australia and England in the women’s pairs gold medal match. Kristina Krstic and Ellen Ryan fought back from 11-2 down to lead England’s Sophie Tolchard and Amy Pharaoh 16-12, but the host nation have taken four to level the score at 16-16 with four ends to go.
Netball: With 11 minutes remaining in the semi-final, Jamaica have increased their lead to 58-37. The Silver Ferns need a miracle. Jamaica are heading to the final, where they will face either England or Australia, who play at 2.30pm (BST).
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If, like Sachin Nakrani, your holiday plans were ruined by a delay at the passport office, get over to Birmingham pronto – the Commonwealth Games might provide the entertainment you need.
Bowls: After 12 ends Australia have battled back from 11-2 down to level the score at 12-12 with England in the women’s pairs gold-medal match. The match finishes after 18 ends so it really is building towards a tense finish.
Netball: There’s a bit of an upset developing in the netball semi-final, where Jamaica are leading the world champions, New Zealand, 44-28 in the third quarter. Jamaica are no mugs – they are ranked fourth in the world – but the manner in which they have raced out of the blocks in this match is surprising. New Zealand look shocked. Jhaniele Fowler has scored a perfect 38 from 38. Incredible.
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Preamble
Morning. There are 33 gold medals to be won on day nine of the Commonwealth Games. It’s why it is being called ‘Super Saturday’ by some, including our very own Sean Ingle.
The weekend excitement begins at 11am on Saturday when England’s women cricketers take on India in the T20 semi-finals at Edgbaston. They are heavy favourites after winning their group ahead of New Zealand, with victory likely to see them facing Australia in Sunday’s finals.
The action skips to the track at 1.10pm as the world 1500m champion Wightman takes on a high-class field which includes Kenya’s Timothy Cheruyiot and his Scottish teammate Josh Kerr, the silver and bronze medallists at last year’s Olympics.
Just over an hour later all eyes will be on the NEC Arena as England’s netballers take on Australia in a rematch of the 2018 final on the Gold Coast.
England’s men will also face Australia in the hockey at 8.15pm, although they will be underdogs against a side looking for their seventh straight title. Then the action switches back to the track, where Keely Hodgkinson and Zharnel Hughes will hope to win a second and third track gold of the day for England.
We’ll bring you updates on all the stories that develop throughout the day. The bowling action is already under way in Leamington Spa, where England’s Sophie Tolchard and Amy Pharaoh lead Australia’s Kristina Krstic and Ellen Ryan 11-10 in the gold medal match of the women’s pairs. Remarkably, Australia have battled back from 11-2 down. Stay tuned.
