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

The Commonwealth Games like to be referred to as the “Friendly Games“ and up until Sunday even India and Pakistan cricketers had bought into the idea. Women’s cricket is making its Games debut in Birmingham and because of that there has been an all-for-one pioneering camaraderie built into the competition dialing down what is arguably world sport’s most intense rivalry.

But with a path to the medal round opening up for the winners, sisterhood was put aside at Edgbaston Cricket Ground as India thumped Pakistan, who remain winless and dropped to the bottom of the Group A standings. Chasing 100 to win the rain-shortened match, India reached their target with 38 balls to spare as Smriti Mandhana smashed an unbeaten 63 to secure an eight-wicket victory.

Earlier, Pakistan overcame the loss of Iram Javed for a duck as fellow opening batter Muneeba Ali struck a 30-ball 32, but a collapse meant they were restricted to 99 in their 18 overs. Having both lost their Games opener India and Pakistan arrived at the stadium knowing another defeat would just about end any medal hopes, putting more weight on a fixture that never needs any. “Whenever we get the opportunity to play against Pakistan we always want to do well,” said India’s Harmanpreet Kaur. “This game was very important to win, not just because it was Pakistan.”

SLIM HOPES

India can clinch a semi-final spot with a win over Barbados in their final Group A match on Wednesday while Pakistan need victory over Australia and plenty of help in the tiebreaker scenarios to keep their slim hopes of advancing alive. The top two teams in the group will be joined in the final four by two from Group B which is made up of England, South Africa, Sri Lanka and New Zealand.

While the India and Pakistan rivalry is centred around men’s cricket, the women fully understand its significance and their increasing role in it. With Birmingham recognised as one of Britain’s most diverse cities with large Indian and Pakistani communities the crowd at the Edgbaston oval was the largest of the tournament. The atmosphere outside the ground on a drizzly morning was more family outing than the hysteria that usually follows a men’s meeting as fathers and mothers with children in tow soaked up the fun.

“It’s just a game at the end of the day but a good game,” summed up one father in an India jersey accompanied by four young girls.

The occasion was not lost on the players or the fans, the cheering was loud and constant. At the conclusion no one was leaving Egbaston and setting themselves on fire, as distraught fans have done in the past when results have not gone their way, but the smiles on the faces of India supporters signalled their trip home was going to be a more up beat one.

“It is always a special feeling when you play against Pakistan but I would like to say it is just another game and not like, “ohhhh Pakistan”,” said Sneh Rana. “But it is a good game always. It is a special feeling.”

Jessica Gordon-Brown reflected fondly on the “happy accident” that led to her pursuing weightlifting after claiming Commonwealth Games silver in the women’s 59kg final.

A once budding judoka as well as a national acrobatic gymnastics champion at one point, Gordon-Brown happened upon what would prove to be her true calling in her final year at Brighton University.

“I’m so glad that finally after doing three different sports I found the one for me,” said the 26-year-old from Harefield.

“I think I’m built for it and I glad I stumbled into it. A happy accident.”

Gordon-Brown lifted 86kg in the snatch and then 111kg in the clean and jerk for a combined 197kg, enough for second place which she celebrated with a backflip at Birmingham’s NEC Arena.

Nigeria’s Rafiatu Folashade Lawal set a new Games record with 206kg to capture the gold medal, while Canada’s Tali Darsigny took bronze after lifting just one kilogram less than an ecstatic Gordon-Brown.

“It wasn’t a perfect backflip, but it just shows how much I had to put into that last clean and jerk,” said Gordon-Brown after becoming England’s second weightlifting medallist of the Games, with Fraer Morrow collecting bronze in the women’s 55kg category on Saturday.

“I didn’t really know how to celebrate, it just happened. That was sheer euphoria. I haven’t quite accepted what’s just happened yet.

“It’s something I’ve been dreaming about for a very long time, something I never would have thought I’d hear and it’s really nice to see the hard work finally pay off.”

Earlier on Sunday, Jaswant Shergill, born and raised in Birmingham, finished just outside the medal positions in fourth in the men’s 67kg final.

Laura Kenny revealed she nearly pulled out of her Commonwealth Games race after the ‘horrendous’ Matt Walls crash.

Walls toppled over the London velodrome barriers in an incident that shocked the sporting world, with latest updates confirming he is ‘alert and talking’ in hospital.

Five-time Olympic champion Kenny revealed she was so shaken that she nearly withdrew from the women’s points race that took place a few hours later.

She said: “It was horrendous. It was playing on my mind earlier, I messaged Jason and said ‘I’m not sure I even want to do this.’

Triathlons aren’t meant to be a walk in the park but England still strolled, almost leisurely, to Commonwealth Games team gold in the sunshine.

With men’s champion Alex Yee and women’s silver medallist Georgia Taylor-Brown in the line-up, this was the host team’s race to lose and along with Sophie Coldwell and Sam Dickinson they were faultless from gun to tape for a 46 second victory.

No controversies here, just a slight post-race disagreement between Yee and girlfriend Olivia Matthias, who won silver for Wales. She believed that medal meant they could get a dog, Yee wasn’t quite so sure.

“We never shook on that, perhaps after Paris,” he joked.

Birmingham’s leafy Sutton Park has not seen scenes like this since the World Scout Jamboree of 1957. Fans were several deep, their roar rolling around the undulating course as England took the lead and turned the screw on rivals.

It's 12.050 for Kinsella, only enough for fourth overall.

Achampong could have had gold without her slip. Huge potential for years to come.

Achampong’s England teammate Alice Kinsella finishes up on the floor.

She’s disappointed, maybe a few tears, but she gets a huge ovation from the crowd.

It was the two and a half twists that did for her, she’s alone on the mat, head in hands. A real shame.

It’s confirmed, Australia’s Georgia Godwin gets gold, England’s Ondine Achampong has silver.

She’s done it, Ondine Achampong nails the floor performance, it’ll be a silver, despite a fall earlier.

Australia’s Georgia Godwin set for gold, her 12.950 on floor takes her to 53.550 overall.

Shannon Archer is disappointed with her floor routine, a couple of mistakes. 11.500 and 49.300 overall, she’s third for now.

Her compatriot Cara Kennedy sits down on her vault finish, the Scot laughs off the mistake.

Magic from Spence on the floor! Could that land her a medal?

Wales’ Poppy-Grace Stickler concludes her final, she posts 50.200.

Scotland’s Shannon Archer is fifth and about to go on the floor.

While Canada’s Laurie Denommee’s floor routine is exquisite (13.150 ) and finishes up on 49.700.

Australia’s Georgia Godwin is mightily impressive here, she nails the beam, delivering 13.750.

Another fall!! This time it’s England’s Ondine Achampong, with an eventual score of 12.500. A big blow, but she’s temprarily second.