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• Matthews' unbeaten 99 in vain as Australia trounce Windies Women by eight wickets in T20 opener

  In a riveting display of talent and skill, Hayley Matthews scored a blazing 99 not out from just 74 deliveries in the first T20 International against Australia at the North Sydney Oval. However, her lone effort couldn't save the day for the West Indies Women, who were soundly defeated by eight wickets.

  Matthews took the opposition bowlers to the cleaners, hitting boundaries at will, and missing her well-deserved century by a whisker. Her innings was adorned with 12 fours and 4 sixes, making it one of the most memorable performances of her career.

  The West Indies, riding on Matthews' brilliance, posted a defendable total of 147-3 in their 20 overs. However, the opposition seemed unfazed by the challenge and chased down the target in 13.2 overs, losing only two wickets in the process, to finish the game on 149-2.

  Skipper Alyssa Healy scored 56 off 29 while Tahlia McGrath finished on 60 not out from 32 deliveries to guide the home team to the opening win.

  Although the day belonged to the home team, Matthews won countless hearts with her valiant effort. Head Coach Shane Deitz remarked, "Magnificent innings, she really deserved the hundred. It's one of the best innings I've seen for a long time. She's been brilliant around the group as a leader, batter, and bowler."

  Deitz also touched upon the team's overall performance, sharing his perspective on the outcome. He added, "I think we were a bit short as the wicket started playing better in the second half. It was a pretty good total, and maybe if we had taken our chances while fielding, things could have been different."

  No surprise that Matthews was the Player of the Match for her 99 not out and bowling figures of 2-0-17-1.

  The West Indies Women will now regroup for the second T20I Sunday night, hoping to bounce back stronger.

• Middlesex relegated from Division One as Kent survive on dramatic final day

  Kent maintained their Division One status in the LV= Insurance County Championship after a dramatic final day of the season which saw Middlesex relegated instead.

  Kent had to settle for a draw from their game with Lancashire at Canterbury and then faced an agonising 80-minute wait for news from Trent Bridge, where a Middlesex win over Nottinghamshire would have consigned Jack Leaning’s side to Division Two.

  There had looked to be only one outcome as Nottinghamshire, having been set a target of 207 in a generous 58 overs by Middlesex skipper Toby Roland-Jones, progressed to 64 without loss and then 106 for one.

  But on a dry, turning pitch on a sunny afternoon, spinners Jayant Yadav, Josh De Caires and Sam Robson – who finished with a career-best four for 46 with his leg spin – reduced the home side to 157 for seven and suddenly a great escape looked on.

  However, Matt Montgomery (34 not out) held the tail together to drag Nottinghamshire across the line at eight down, with 16 balls to spare, and left Kent celebrating survival despite being frustrated by dogged Lancashire resistance.

  Third-placed Hampshire became just the second team to beat Surrey across their back-to-back title-winning campaigns.

  Only Lancashire had beaten Surrey in 2022 and 2023 in red-ball cricket, winning once in either campaign.

  But Liam Dawson took his season tally to 49 wickets by claiming two of the four scalps needed to secure victory at the Ageas Bowl, with Surrey only scoring 20 of the 73 required to lose by 52 runs before 11am.

  Despite the defeat, Surrey were presented with the Division One trophy by England and Wales Cricket Board chair Richard Thompson.

  Warwickshire and Somerset’s rain-hit clash ended in an expected draw.

  The Division One contest was officially abandoned just after lunch on the final day when, with the sun shining, the umpires ruled that areas of the field remained unsafe.

  Somerset had been 90 for two in the second innings, a lead of 32. The result saw Warwickshire end the campaign in fourth with Somerset seventh.

  In Division Two, Shan Masood’s brilliant 123 helped Yorkshire chase down a final-day target of 360 to beat promoted Worcestershire at Headingley and avoid finishing bottom for only the second time in their history.

  Yorkshire’s fourth-highest successful run chase was achieved with relative comfort in the end, with six wickets in hand and three overs of the allotted 70 remaining.

  With the game meandering ahead of day four, both sides opted to contrive a finish, with Yorkshire risking the draw which would lift them off the bottom of Division Two.

  As it was, they were able to achieve that by going for broke as captain Masood hit 15 fours in 131 balls.

  Sussex took just 45 minutes to complete a 339-run victory that condemned Gloucestershire to a winless season and bottom spot.

  The hosts took only 9.5 overs to achieve a third victory of the campaign after Gloucestershire resumed on 113 for five, needing another 400 runs.

  Durham sealed an emphatic victory over Leicestershire by an innings and 141 runs to end their title-winning campaign on a high.

  The home side required 10 wickets to secure their seventh victory of the campaign at Seat Unique Riverside and took only 42.5 overs to tear through the Leicestershire batting line-up.

  The Durham bowlers shared the wickets around as Vishwa Fernando and Matt Parkinson claimed three apiece, while Matthew Potts, Ben Raine and Jonathan Bushnell also struck.

  The hosts took 24 points from the contest, ending the term with a mammoth total of 233.

  Leus Du Plooy’s last game for Derbyshire ended in a draw despite another Luis Reece century as their side came up four wickets short after setting Glamorgan a target of 384 to win on the final day in 70 overs.

  Derbyshire had eight fielders around the bat in the chase for wickets but eventually called time one over short at 5.37pm as the game petered out into a draw with Glamorgan on 135 for six. Derbyshire finished sixth in the table and Glamorgan fifth.

• "Storm" in Belgium: Bajan gymnast Kelly ready for World Champs challenge with Olympic berth in mind

  The stage is set, and Olivia “Storm” Kelly is raring to go with hopes that she will produce something special, on this her second appearance at the FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships.

  It is a moment the Barbadian gymnast has worked hard for all season, and as the September 30 to October 8 championships fast approaches, an Olympic Games berth which is among the spoils, is very much weighing on her mind.

  Simply put, Kelly has her sight set on becoming the first gymnast to represent the Eastern Caribbean Island at the global multi-sport showpiece, and achieving such a feat would not only be a dream come true but would most certainly propel her budding career to higher heights.

  While the expectations may be lofty, they are by no means impossible and given the experience gained from last year's championships, Kelly believes she is well positioned to prove more competitive on this occasion.

  But for now, the 17-year-old is basking in the culture and scenery of Antwerp, a port city on Belgium's River Scheldt, almost like a calm before the proverbial storm.

  "Belgium is so beautiful. So far, I’ve been able to walk around Antwerp a little to enjoy the scenery and there is just so much to do. The lifestyle here is very admirable and the food and people are incredible.

  "I’ve adjusted pretty well to the six-hour time difference and have also been in training which has been going well since I arrived. So I am just making the most of the time before I jump into competition which I am really looking forward to," Kelly told SportsMax.tv from her base in Belgium.

  One key component for the American-based Kelly is the fact that she will have compatriot Anya Pilgrim competing alongside her on this occasion, and that has not only added to her excitement, but more importantly, offers a slight boost in confidence.

  The American-born Pilgrim, another talented gymnast, was a late call-up for the Championships after a qualified athlete opted not to take up their spot.

  "Having Anya here has definitely made me more excited. It’s great to have another athlete/friend with me who is going through the exact same situation I am, as we are both seeking to be the first to gymnast to qualify and, by extension represent Barbados the Olympic Games," Kelly shared.

  That said, Kelly pointed out that they have not only fed off each other’s energy building back up strength and endurance, while adding elements to increase their difficulty scores, but most importantly, ensuring they are both mentally and physically ready to rise to the occasion.

  "Both of us are doing pretty well mentally and physically and are extremely excited to compete. Since it’s my second time at Worlds, I feel like I really know what I’m doing this time and I’m excited to explore this gorgeous place and compete for Barbados," she noted.

  Beyond the excitement –which is understandable for any athlete returning on what is the biggest stage of her career at present –there is a serious side to Kelly, and she is focused on ensuring her performance quality and the details of her routine are on point.

  "Making it to the Olympics would mean so much to me. Ever since I started competing in Gymnastics it’s been my long-term goal. For a while I gave up on that dream thinking it was impossible. But now, I’m just so grateful to have even made it this far and have the opportunity to live out my dream," the bubbly athlete ended.