Commonwealth Games 2022 LIVE: Laura Muir storms to 1500m gold after England win women’s hockey title

The women’s pairs final is into an extra end after England and Australia tied at 18-18 after 18 ends.

Amy Pharoah made the key shot for England to limit the damage to a single shot meaning we’re into a 19th, sudden-death end.

All to play for.

We are into the 18th and final end of the women’s pairs final in the lawn bowls.

England duo Sophie Tolchard and Amy Pharoah lead the Australian pair by a single shot at 18-17 but crucially have the final bowl in this final end.

Ellen Ryan and Kristina Krstic have refused to go away the whole match, however. It’s too close to call.

A euphoric Javier Bello sank to his knees in the sand while twin Joaquin reflected on past moments of despair as the English brothers moved to within one win of guaranteeing a Commonwealth Games medal.

Joaquin noted the quarter-final stage of major events represented something of a banana skin for the Madrid-born siblings, who emigrated with their beach volleyball-obsessed family to the UK aged 11.

More heartache might have been in store after the Gambia pairing of Sainey Jawo and Mbye Babou Jarra forced a decider, but the Bellos dug deep to secure an exhilarating 21-16 20-22 15-12 win.

Supported by their team manager mother Barbara and coached by their father Luis, with younger brother Enrique a training partner, the 22-year-old Bellos recognised their triumph was not theirs alone.

“It meant everything,” Javier said after the win in front of almost 4,000 people at Smithfield. “I was overcome with emotion because it was such a special moment for our team and for our family.

“It’s the whole family behind the scenes, we’re so grateful for them that we can give back something.”

The athletics will be getting underway very very shortly at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham.

The men's 1500m is the pick of the early menu today with Jake Wightman in action, but there are plenty of other tasty morsels to tuck into this morning including the always dramatic 4x100m relays.

The first heats for both the men and women begin just after midday.

• 10:17: Women’s high jump final
• 10:20: Women’s F55-57 shot put final
• 10:30: Women’s 10,000m race walk final
• 11:48: Men’s hammer final
• 11:50: Men’s 3000m steeplechase
• 12:17: Women’s 4x100m relay heats
• 12:47: Men’s 4x100m relay heats
• 13:10: Men’s 1500m final

It is tense stuff over in the lawn bowls with Australian duo Ellen Ryan and Kristina Krstic bouncing back from a hefty early deficit to level things up against England in the women’s pairs gold medal match.

After 12 ends the scores are tied at 12-12.

Can Sophie Tolchard and Amy Pharoah now respond? Six more ends to play in leafy Leamington Spa.

England and Australia go head to head in their netball semi-final after the hosts thumped world champions New Zealand by 10 points to earn their place in the last four.

Australia limped through to the knockout stages after a shock defeat to Jamaica.

However, England coach Jess Thirlby is all too aware that the Australians – still smarting from their last-gasp loss on the Gold Coast – will be licking their wounds.

You won’t want to miss it. It’s coming up a little later at 2.30pm.

Scotland’s George Miller became the oldest gold medallist in the history of the Commonwealth Games when Scotland beat Wales in the B2/B3 mixed pairs bowls on Friday.

The 75-year-old Miller is director for visually impaired bowler Melanie Innes, who along with Robert Barr and his lead director Sarah Jane beat Wales 16-9 in the final at Victoria Park, Lymington Spa.

“A year ago I never dreamed of being here. I got a phone call, and nearly fell off my chair to be honest. Here we are - where are we going to go from here?” Miller told the BBC.

“Bowls is easier for older people but any sport ... walking football, rugby, you name it. Get out there and exercise, play games, and compete. It’s brilliant whatever age you are.”

Day nine of the Commonwealth Games is underway where 33 gold medals will be won today.

Athletics takes centre stage where Jake Wightman will hope to back up his 1500m world title with gold here. There is an intriguing women’s high jump competition to take in while the 200m and 400m hurdles finals promise fireworks too.

There is more diving where we finally get up to the 10m synchro board while there are more medals to be won in the rhythmic gymnastics, table tennis and wrestling.

The first action of the day comes in Leamington Spa where England are taking on Australia in the women’s pairs gold medal match.

England hold the early advantage in the early stages but as any lawn bowl aficionado knows, things can change quickly even in this most slow-paced of sports.

England beat New Zealand in a shoot-out to stay on course for a first-ever women’s hockey Commonwealth Games Gold in Birmingham.

Isabelle Petter and Hannah Martin scored in the shoot-out as goalkeeper Maddie Hinch refused to be beaten with a series of brilliant saves.

The two sides could not be separated in 60 minutes of intense hockey, playing out a goalless draw just like they had done in the bronze-medal match in Australia four years ago.

On that occasion New Zealand won the shoot-out to progress to the gold medal match, and the Black Sticks also got the better of England in the World Cup last month with a 3-1 victory.

Hinch said: “This is fairytale stuff for us, to come here and find ourselves in the final.

“This is a hugely important step for us to start believing and realise what we’re capable of. It was a cracking semi, I’m just so delighted for the team.

Asked about penalties, Hinch added: “I absolutely love them. You have to, you know it’s going to be a tough gig.

“As goalies, a lot of the time you’re picking the ball out of the net, it’s pretty unforgiving.

“These are the moments to really showcase the position, and I’m trying to inspire as many people as possible to wear these weird-looking outfits and be the hero for a few minutes.”

Matty Lee revealed that he and partner Noah Williams were suffering with cramp as they won gold in the men’s 10-metre synchronised platform event on Friday.

The pair topped the leaderboard after facing close competition from Canada and Australia, who placed second and third, respectively.

Williams has already tasted success in the the 10-metre synchronised, winning a silver medal with Matthew Dixon on the Gold Coast in 2018.

Lee is also no stranger to success in the discipline having won gold in the Tokyo Olympics alongside Tom Daley, but was delighted to have added a Commonwealth medal to his collection.

“I’m feeling very, very good,” Lee said. “That was my first ever Commonwealth medal, and that’s something I’ve always wanted to do.

“You know I’ve done quite well in my career but Commonwealths is always one I’ve wanted to do well at, I’m just so happy me and Noah came out on top today.”

Although the pair looked to be doing well, Lee revealed that they had both been suffering with cramp just under halfway through the final.

“I wasn’t comfortable one bit,” Lee said. “We have never competed in a crowd like that ever and probably might not experience that again, because that was insane.

“We were both dealing with bad cramp in our calves after the second dive, we don’t really know why, but we think it was because of the adrenaline.”