CRICKET

Glamorgan have not had much to celebrate in recent times, but at least they can now say they have a current world champion.

Their overseas batsman Marnus Labuschagne played a key role in helping Australia beat India to win the World Cup.

Labuschagne – who began his stint with the Welsh county in 2019 and will return again next summer – hit 58 not out as the Aussies regained their status as the kings of one-day cricket.

His 192-run partnership with the brilliant Travis Head – who hit 137 – enabled Australia to claim a record-extending sixth World Cup title on Sunday, ending India’s dominant run in their home tournament with a six-wicket victory in a low-scoring final.

The crowd was silenced as Head combined with Labuschagne to chase down the target of 241.

Head was dismissed off what proved to be the next-to-last ball of the match, caught in the deep while attempting to hit a title-clinching boundary.

In came Glenn Maxwell and he ran two off his first ball, securing a victory that prompted fireworks above the world’s largest cricket venue, the 132,000-capacity Narendra Modi Stadium.

 

RALLYING

Elfyn Evans paid tribute to his team after the Welsh driver secured runners-up spot in the World Rally Championship following victory at Rally Japan.

Evans clinched his eighth career win by finishing a dominant 1min 17.7sec ahead of team-mate Sébastien Ogier at this final round of the season.

It was enough to confirm his place as the runner-up driver in the 2023 FIA World Rally Championship for the third time.

“It was not easy with the conditions we had this week, even though we had a massive gap already after Friday night,” Evans said.

“A massive thanks to the team, the car’s been great and a 1-2-3 for Toyota is a fantastic result.”

Evans laid the foundations for glory early in the asphalt fixture when he charged to a near-two-minute advantage in Friday’s rain-soaked opening leg.

From then on, he was able to control the rally by adapting his risk level to suit the ever-changing conditions.

 

Final FIA World Rally Championship standings (provisional, after Rally Japan)

1. Kalle Rovanpera (Finland) Toyota, 250 points

 

2. Elfyn Evans (Great Britain) Toyota, 216 points

 

3. Thierry Neuville (Belgium) Hyundai, 189 points

 

4. Ott Tanak (Estonia) Hyundai, 174 points

 

5. Sebastien Ogier (France) Toyota, 133 points

 

ICE HOCKEY

 

Peter Russell had plenty of praise for his Cardiff Devils team after they made it through to the Continental Cup Final with a gritty display in France.

The Devils coach was proud of his players after they managed a 1-0 victory over Bruleurs de Loups in Grenobles.

Justin Crandall scored in the second period, while net-minder Ben Bowns produced a 31-save shutout.

“For our team to play three games in three nights shows the character of this group,” said Russell.

“We faced adversity after the first game but pulled together and became stronger as a group. The players were fantastic, and I think this was a great trip for everyone involved.

“It was amazing for our team to be driven forward by the 300+ fans that travelled to France to support us. I feel a real connection between the team and the fans, and we all celebrated the win on Sunday together after the game.”

The final will take place in January when the Devils will fight it out with three other European sides – Kazakhstan champions Nomad Astana, Denmark’s Herning Blue Fox and GKS Katowice of Poland.