Key events
Australia play England in the netball on Sunday in Pool A, having thrashed Tonga 99-38. They fell just short of the century.
Their captain, Liz Watson: “The girls were yelling a the bench to try at hit that 100 – but it was an unreal way to start. The depth of this team is awesome so really, really happy with that start. It’s going to get really busy from now on … It’s going to take a lot of rest and recovery now because it’s going to fly by.”
England play Northern Ireland later today.
Fiji’s new national hero, Rajnesh Prasad, has been speaking: “You just have to breathe in, breathe out, and deliver. I’m taking it one game at a time. It’s a long, long tournament.”
Rajnesh Prasad, the surprise package of the bowls, marches on beating Jason Banks of Scotland in a tie-break. Prasad is top of the men’s bowls table with three straight wins.
NB: Le Clos has already added to his total, taking bronze in the men’s 4×100-metre freestyle relay on Friday to take his medal count to 19 for South Africa, a record for a male athlete.
Like Cameron McEvoy, Chad Le Clos is safely through to the semi-finals but only after finishing second in his heat, as Ben Armbruster of Australia wins heat 4 of the men’s 100m Butterfly in 51.74. Both take their place in tonight’s semis.
Across the 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022 Commonwealth Games, Le Clos has won a total of 18 medals, including seven gold medals, four silver medals, and seven bronze medals. Surely more to come in Glasgow.
Australia looking awesome against Tonga, admittedly first-time participants, and leading 51-15 at half-time.
Further news and coverage of Friday’s action.
The Australian netball team is in play, taking on Tonga, and leading 23-12 after the first quarter, the holders have been quick to hit form.
The Australian Cameron McEvoy, the reigning Olympic champion at 50m, finishes second in his heat, though second overall in terms of time, behind his heat-winner, Joshua Liendo. The top 16 go through to the semis.
At the pool now, and into the 50m freestyle heats for the men.
The bowls is underway, too, with Scotland’s Jason Banks, in natty shorts, taking on Fiji’s Rajnesh Prasad, who beat the Englishman, Sam Tolchard, on Thursday. Prasad is playing well here, too, having won the first set 6-2.
Final score: Scotland 44-74 New Zealand. The Kiwi team looked very strong though the Scots put in a decent display. Plenty of appreciation from the crowd at the Hydro.
In the netball, New Zealand are headed for victory over Scotland. In the fourth quarter, it’s 63-40, with time running out.
Sean Ingle has been enjoying his time so far in Glasgow.
But do you know what? Despite these initial teething problems, and a fair number of empty seats, it didn’t matter. These Games might be “reimagined” – which is management speak for “made smaller”. But, as the first full day of action showed, they retain plenty of soul and glow.
The soul? That was provided by the Botswanan lawn bowler Diza Mphotho, who delighted the crowd at the indoor SEC arena with his bucket hat and languid style, even if he ended up being on the reverse of a 10-3, 16-1 thrashing by Guernsey’s Jason Greenslade.
More action from Tollcross to follow but here’s the news from the pool.
To make Scott’s victory even sweeter, he also broke the Commonwealth record. No wonder he lifted his arms up in the air and started to pound his chest like a silverback after leaving the pool. “I was a wee bit nervous before that,” he said. “Being one of the senior members of the team, the onus is kind of me. Those boys made it tough.”
The big news on Friday in Glasgow was this incident.
After initially lying motionless, Langton responded to medical staff, moving his legs and later his hands. A dozen medical personnel carefully stabilised the England gymnast before lifting him on to a stretcher about 11 minutes after the fall. He was applauded by the crowd as he was taken from the competition floor.
Preamble
Good morning. The track and field is yet to start so we get underway with bowls, netball, 3×3 basketball and boxing. And there’s action from the pool, where later on, Adam Ramsay-Peaty – or is it Adam Peaty-Ramsay? – defends his title in the Men’s 100m Breaststroke.
Join us.
