Cricket: The Australian cricket board has eased rules governing the eligibility of players holding dual passports to compete in domestic tournaments as part of a scheme to strengthen its talent base. The initiative’s aim is to lure talented cricketers like Sydney-born opening batsman Sam Robson, currently the leading run-scorer in the top tier of the County Championship in England, back to Australian domestic cricket.

Tennis: Maria Sharapova has confirmed she has severed ties with coach Jimmy Connors after one match together. The Russian said in a statement that the pairing had not been “the right fit for this time in my career”. Sharapova had originally hoped her partnership with the fiery eight-times grand slam champion would produce the same type of success Andy Murray has enjoyed since recrui-ting Ivan Lendl. But instead the brief experiment ended after one match in Cincinnati this week.

Cincinnati Open QFs: Del Potro bt Tursunov 6-4 3-6 6-1; Isner bt Djokovic 7-6 3-6 7-5.

Rugby Union: Engineers will undertake checks at Wellington Regional Stadium ahead of next week’s Rugby Championship clash between the All Blacks and Australia following a 6.5 magnitude earthquake south of New Zea-land’s capital city yesterday. The 34,500 capacity stadium will be closed until the checks have been carried out, stadium management said. Events scheduled for this weekend at the stadium, have been cancelled. Authorities said the earthquake had caused some minor damage in central Wellington.