There was plenty of sporting action to celebrate on the first day of the 2022 Games with medals won in Triathlon, Cycling, Artistic Gymnastics and Swimming.
Here, we round up the best of the rest:
THE CRICKET
World champions Australia survived a major scare to beat India by three wickets in the first women’s T20 match at the Commonwealth Games.
Ashleigh Gardner proved to be Australia’s hero with 52 not out from just 35 balls to see her side to their target of 155 with six balls to spare.
Australia had slumped to 49 for five as Renuka Singh Thakur claimed four for 18 to put India in box position as skipper Harmanpreet Kaur’s 52 and Shafali Verma’s 48 took them to 154 for eight.
But Gardner held her nerve and was supported by Grace Harris, who made 37, and Alana King’s unbeaten 18 to get the favorites off to a winning start.
In the evening match, Kycia Knight and captain Hayley Matthews hit half-centuries as Barbados cruised to a 15-run win over Pakistan to kick-start their Group A campaign.
RUGBY SEVENS
Samu Kerevi scored a hat-trick of tries as Australia’s men opened their Rugby Sevens campaign with a dominant 62-0 win over Jamaica.
New Zealand began their title defense in style against Sri Lanka but England, bronze medalists three years ago, suffered a shock 34-0 opening defeat to Samoa before beating Sri Lanka 47-19.
In the women’s competition, Gold Coast bronze medalists England thrashed Sri Lanka 57-0 in their opening game – but lost 26-19 to Canada in their second game – while defending champions New Zealand started with a 45-7 win over Canada.
Australia, Fiji and New Zealand also scored with big wins over South Africa, Scotland and Sri Lanka respectively.
For all Friday’s Rugby Sevens results, click here.
NETTOBOLL
Trinidad and Tobago are tough to play against. But basically, what I saw was a huge impact off the bench and into problem solving with real purpose
Four years on from their incredible 52-51 final victory against hosts Australia, England began the defense of their Netball title with an emphatic 74-22 victory over Trinidad and Tobago.
Eleanor Cardwell scored 30 goals and Joanne Harten contributed another 30 for the Roses.
England coach Jess Thirlby said: “Trinidad and Tobago are tough to play against – they’re good at breaking our flow, which we struggled with on a few occasions.
“But basically, what I saw was a huge impact off the bench and into problem solving with real purpose.”
Australia’s bid to regain the title got off to a flying start with a crushing 95-18 win over Barbados.
3X3 BASKETBALL
In the opening game of the day, the Canadians won 15-12 over Kenya with Bikramjit Gill top-scoring with five of their points before Scotland eased Sri Lanka 16-9, while the Scots beat Canada 21-20 later as Kenya beat Sri Lanka 21-18.
Alex Wilson scored seven points as Australia’s women beat Scotland 21-9 and Kenya recorded a 21-8 triumph over Sri Lanka.
In the second matches of the day, Scotland beat Sri Lanka 21-5, while Australia defeated Kenya 21-15.
England men cruised to a 17-2 wheelchair basketball victory over South Africa in their opening Group A match, while the host nation’s women’s team also celebrated an away victory when they thrashed Kenya 20-1.
In the evening’s action, Australia’s men defeated Canada 13-11, while their women defeated Scotland 12-5.
BADMINTON
We already have the home crowd advantage…if it sells out tomorrow, it will be incredible. The atmosphere is electric
England’s Marcus Ellis and Lauren Smith started the badminton mixed team competition in style as England wrapped up a 5-0 win over Barbados.
Smith said: “We already have the home crowd advantage, so if you add that kind of feeling, it will make a huge difference to us. If it sells out tomorrow, it will be unbelievable. The atmosphere is electric.”
Malaysia, silver medalists four years ago, and Singapore also started with 5-0 wins.
The hosts added another 5-0 win over Mauritius with Malaysia and Singapore also winning by the same scoreline on the night.
HOCKEY
Olivia Shannon scored three goals as New Zealand’s defense of the women’s hockey crown began with a stunning 16-0 win over Kenya.
New Zealand made 49 runs to Kenya’s in a display of complete dominance.
Scotland defeated South Africa 4-2, while India and Canada beat Ghana 5-0 and Wales 4-0 respectively in Pool A.
The men opened their account in the evening session with England easing past Ghana 6-0 and there was a 5-5 draw between New Zealand and Scotland.
PING PING
Defending women’s team champions India beat South Africa 3-0 in their opening Group 2 Birmingham 2022 match, with silver medalists Gold Coast Singapore also beating bronze medalists England 3-0 in Group 1.
In the men’s team competition there were 3-0 wins for medal contenders India, England, Nigeria and Singapore.
For all of Friday’s table tennis results, click here.
LEAVE BORN
Scotland earned the bragging rights with a 23-12 victory in the Para Men’s Pairs opener against England.
There was also success for defending champions Scotland in the men’s triples, collecting wins over Malta and India, while Gold Coast 2018 silver medalists Australia claimed big wins over Niue and the Cook Islands.
For all of Friday’s Lawn Bowls results, click here.
boxing
Australia’s Billy Polkinghorn earned a knockout victory over Seychelles’ Fabio Taryll Liam Roselie inside 30 seconds to rush into the welterweight round of 16, while Wales’ Taylor Bevan also won by knockout after beating the New Zealander. Onyx Lye in his featherweight bout.
Pumpkin
Botswana’s Leungo Katse set up a tie with top seed and defending champion Joelle King of New Zealand after beating Zambia’s Zulema Chisenga 3-0, while Cayman Islands’ Jade Pitcairn takes on Birmingham-born Sarah-Jane Perry – runner of 2018. above – then after leaving Jada Smith-Padmore from Barbados.
In the men’s competition, Niall Engerer came out on top after an all-Maltese clash between Commonwealth Games debutant Kijan Sultana to set up a clash with New Zealand top seed and world number two Paul Coll, who won the silver medal four years ago.
Click here to read in detail about Friday’s medal events.
