World Sport Briefs

Tennis Australia’s former world number one Lleyton Hewitt has been cleared to resume training next month after undergoing hip surgery.

Hewitt plans to resume playing in January with two lead-up events before the Australian Open. Rugby Former All Blacks wing Neil Purvis died at the weekend aged 55, the New Zealand Press Association reported.NZPA reported Purvis collapsed and died at his Otago farm.Purvis made one test appearance for the All Blacks, against Ireland in 1976.Cricket Rain delayed the start of the second and final test between New Zealand and Bangladesh for the third consecutive day yesterday.The much-delayed toss at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium was due at 02h30 GMT, but was again suspended because of continuous rain and an advancing storm from the Bay of Bengal.Play was washed out on the first two days and the remaining days’ play was to have 30-minute extensions to the opening session to make up some of the time lost to the weather.Horse racing A record nine European-trained horses could face the starter in next Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup in Australia after Monday’s third declarations were taken.A total of 39 horses, including nine Europeans, remained in the race after acceptances were taken with the final 24 set to be decided at the weekend.Tennis Four new directors have been elected to the board of Tennis Australia.The new directors are Harold Mitchell, Janet Young, Stephen Healy and Graeme Holloway.Geoff Pollard was elected unopposed as president.Rugby The Wallabies flew out of Sydney yesterday for a six-week tour of Asia and Europe that could have a major bearing on the team’s prospects of launching a successful World Cup campaign in 2011.The Australians start the trip with a Bledisloe Cup match against arch rivals New Zealand in Hong Kong before continuing to Europe for games against Italy, England, Wales, France and the Barbarians.The end of year tests have lost a lot of their prestige in the last decade with countries often unable to pick their best players because of commitments to rich European clubs.Baseball The Philadelphia Phillies crushed the Tampa Bay Rays 10-2 on Sunday to move within one win of their first World Series crown in 28 years.Slugger Ryan Howard belted two homers while Jayson Werth and starting pitcher Joe Blanton also cleared the fences for the Phils, who claimed a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.Nampa-Reuters and AFPRugby Former All Blacks wing Neil Purvis died at the weekend aged 55, the New Zealand Press Association reported.NZPA reported Purvis collapsed and died at his Otago farm.Purvis made one test appearance for the All Blacks, against Ireland in 1976.Cricket Rain delayed the start of the second and final test between New Zealand and Bangladesh for the third consecutive day yesterday.The much-delayed toss at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium was due at 02h30 GMT, but was again suspended because of continuous rain and an advancing storm from the Bay of Bengal.Play was washed out on the first two days and the remaining days’ play was to have 30-minute extensions to the opening session to make up some of the time lost to the weather.Horse racing A record nine European-trained horses could face the starter in next Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup in Australia after Monday’s third declarations were taken.A total of 39 horses, including nine Europeans, remained in the race after acceptances were taken with the final 24 set to be decided at the weekend.Tennis Four new directors have been elected to the board of Tennis Australia.The new directors are Harold Mitchell, Janet Young, Stephen Healy and Graeme Holloway.Geoff Pollard was elected unopposed as president.Rugby The Wallabies flew out of Sydney yesterday for a six-week tour of Asia and Europe that could have a major bearing on the team’s prospects of launching a successful World Cup campaign in 2011.The Australians start the trip with a Bledisloe Cup match against arch rivals New Zealand in Hong Kong before continuing to Europe for games against Italy, England, Wales, France and the Barbarians.The end of year tests have lost a lot of their prestige in the last decade with countries often unable to pick their best players because of commitments to rich European clubs.Baseball The Philadelphia Phillies crushed the Tampa Bay Rays 10-2 on Sunday to move within one win of their first World Series crown in 28 years.Slugger Ryan Howard belted two homers while Jayson Werth and starting pitcher Joe Blanton also cleared the fences for the Phils, who claimed a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.Nampa-Reuters and AFP