Australian bowler Megan Schutt has ODI record in her sights at what will be her final 50-over World Cup
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West Australian
30 minutes ago
- West Australian
West Coast coach Daisy Pearce praises superstar Ella Roberts after first-term heroics for Eagles
West Coast coach and AFLW great Daisy Pearce couldn't help but marvel at the incredible first quarter her superstar Ella Roberts produced in their season opening victory over Gold Coast. Debutant Lucia Painter's three-goal third quarter might have stunned the football world, but the Eagles' 5.5 (35) to 2.8 (20) victory at Mineral Resources Park was set up by Roberts. The incredible 20-year-old who already has a club champion and All-Australian honour to her name kicked two goals from 11 touches in a blistering first term, before finishing with 24 disposals. Pearce described Roberts as an 'incredible talent' who had begun to tap into her potential as she gained the understanding to be a professional athlete. 'It's a good day as a coach when Ella Roberts starts the game that way,' she said. 'She's an incredible talent Ella and we saw today that she'll be able to sustain that high level for longer periods of time now because another one that's starting to put all the pieces in place around her talent which is her hard work and diligence off field. 'It was good to see her start the game that way. She had a really good third quarter as well without her finishing the work. I thought her work-rate and intensity around the ball was one of those reasons why we were getting the deep entries that allowed Lu to go to work. To have those two now to be able to work in tandem as mid-forwards is going to be a good lever to be able to pull.' Remarkably, Roberts had a disrupted lead into round one, battling a back injury weeks into the season. 'That was set up by the work that she did early in the off-season,' Pearce said. 'She was a really consistent trainer. I suspected it would. She got a bit of reward last year with external recognition with some of the individual awards that she won. 'It kind of kicked her into gear to go 'I want to be better'. She's been working hard for a long time. A little bit interrupted towards the back end with her back but given she'd done so much work early it didn't affect her too much.' There is also seemingly no ceiling on how good Roberts could be and Pearce said if she wasn't already one of the best players in the AFLW she soon would be. 'The beauty of her is she just loves getting out there and playing footy. She's 20 years old; she got a lot of talent, she loves getting around her teammates and she's a good teammate,' she said. 'I think she's halfway there, if she's not already there. And given the work that she's putting in and her increasing understanding of what it takes to be a professional athlete, it's pretty exciting where her ceiling is.'
7NEWS
an hour ago
- 7NEWS
Australian tennis player Thomas Fancutt hit with 10-month doping ban
Australian doubles player Thomas Fancutt has issued a statement after accepting a 10-month doping ban from the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA). The ITIA sent Fancutt 'a notice of a potential anti-doping rule violation' on March 7 this year, and he immediately requested to enter a voluntary provisional suspension as the investigation took place. Now, after all the evidence has been gathered, Fancutt has admitted to the breach and been suspended. The suspension follows an 18-month doping ban to Aussie tennis star Max Purcell (who was ranked as high as No.8 in doubles) just a handful of months ago. Fancutt said he 'unknowingly violated an anti-doping rule' when taking an intravenous vitamin infusion. Purcell's ban also followed an IV infusion of vitamins. 'The ITIA sent the player (Fancutt) a notice of a potential anti-doping rule violation (ADRV) on 7 March 2025,' the ITIA said. 'Following a full investigation by the ITIA ... Fancutt admitted to the breach, and the ITIA accepted that the breach was not intentional. 'The ITIA considered relevant precedents across all WADC-compliant sports, in addition to the player's early admission and full co-operation.' Fancutt accepted his intravenous infusion in December 2024 was over the accepted limit — the limit under the World Anti-Doping Code (WADC) and TADP is 100ml in a 12-hour period. Fancutt — who reached a career-high world doubles ranking of 107 in December 2024 — is expected return in January next year (the ban ends on January 18) and could play in the Australian Open. In the meantime, he will however forfeit results and prize money from the date of his first anti-doping rule violation on December 3, 2024, to the first subsequent negative doping control sample, which was provided on January 16, 2025. Fancutt said he was devastated but stressed it was an accident. 'To the International tennis community, at the end of my 2024 season, I unknowingly violated an anti-doping rule by receiving a 500ml IV infusion to combat severe fatigue,' he said on social media. 'The contents of the infusion were solely Vitamin B, Vitamin C and magnesium. The IV infusion amount however exceeded 100mls which regardless of its content is prohibited under anti-doping regulations, something I was completely unaware of at the time. 'I have always taken great pride in being a clean athlete, and this situation has been devastating for me. While I am deeply disappointed by the suspension, I remain fully committed to the sport and look forward to returning to competition as soon as this matter is resolved. 'During the time, I am fully cooperating with the ITIA and am incredibly grateful for the support of the PTPA and everyone standing by me. I appreciate your understanding and support, and I can't wait to be back on tour.'
Perth Now
2 hours ago
- Perth Now
Aussie six-hitter can't rescue Rockets in the Hundred
Power hitter Marcus Stoinis clobbered four big sixes for his Trent Rockets side but the Australian allrounder's pyrotechnics were too little, too late to help them conjure up a win over David Warner's London Spirit. Warner failed to fire after scoring 70no and 71 in his previous two knocks, falling for just five off six balls after the Spirit had been inserted at the Aussie veteran's new Lord's home on Thursday. But England star Jamie Smith (52) and New Zealand great, skipper Kane Williamson (45), dragged the home side back on track with a fine second-wicket partnership. And another Australian Ashton Turner, who's made useful contributions throughout the tournament, chipped in with 30 off just 18 balls, featuring five boundaries, before Stoinis (2-27 off his 20 balls) got him caught at cover. It helped the Spirit to a decent 5-162 off their 100 balls and though Rockets' opener Tom Banton looked in fine form again with his 46 off 31 balls, none of the other visiting batters ever looked comfortable at the iconic venue as even Joe Root struggled a bit for his 27 off 24. Anglo-Aussie Dan Worrall was effective as usual, grabbing a couple of key top-order wickets, leaving Stoinis already under pressure when he got to the wicket at 3-86 with 60 balls already eaten up. Starting too slowly to keep up with the required run rate, amassing just five off his first 10 balls, Stoinis did eventually explode into action, ending up with three sixes off his last seven balls in his 35no off 22 balls, but it was not enough to stop the Rockets limping to only 6-141 and falling to a 21-run defeat.
