Sports round-up

Formula one: The future of Australia’s Formula One Grand Prix remains in doubt with this year’s Mel-bourne race costing taxpayers $54m. Victoria Tourism Minister Louise Asher said the state government could only guarantee its support of the Australian GP until 2015 upon the expiry of its contract with F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone. Asher said the fee paid to Ecclestone, around $27m, is one of the largest single financial demands on the event.

Rugby union: Australia’s two-time Rugby World Cup winner John Eales has been inducted into the Wallaby Hall of Fame, the Australian Rugby Union said, yesterday. Eales made 86 Test appearances over a decade and captained the Wallabies 55 times. Under Eales, the Wallabies won a Rugby World Cup in 1999, four Bledisloe Cups from 1998 to 2001, two Tri-Nations in 2000 and 2001 and a series win against the British Lions in 2001. He also was a member of Australia’s winning team in the 1991 World Cup final at Twickenham, England.

Cricket: Kevin Pietersen’s commanding unbeaten double century left England well on top against India at the close of the second day of the first Test at Lord’s yesterday. India, at stumps, were 17 without loss in reply to England’s 474 for eight declared built around Pietersen’s 202 not out – his second double century in seven Tests following his 227 against Australia in Adelaide in December and the third of his 75-match career. Pietersen, watchful early on but upping the tempo so his final fifty took just 25 balls, batted for eight-and-a-quarter hours in total.

Basketball: Marion Jones’s bid to resume a sporting career in basketball after her once stellar athletics career ended in drugs disgrace, was waived by the WNBA’s Tulsa Shock this week. Jones, 35, played basketball during her college days. She joined Tulsa Shock in March of 2010 as a rookie free agent. The Shock said they had waived Jones to make room for centre Abi Olajuwon, the 23-year-old daughter of former NBA great Hakeem Olajuwon.