MEN’S RUGBY LEAGUE: Parramatta winger Zac Lomax ran in two tries as New South Wales beat Queensland 18-6 in the opening leg of the three-match State of Origin series on Wednesday. 

Brisbane Broncos prop Payne Haas won the man of the match award for New South Wales, who are defending the shield. 

Queensland have the better historical record with 24 series wins, seven more than New South Wales. 

WOMEN’S FOOTBALL: France are the only team already guaranteed a place in the finals as Nations League action resumes Friday evening. 

Scotland must beat Austria to avoid relegation, Wales are also facing the drop before their game in Denmark, while Northern Ireland face Poland and the Irish Republic will seal a play-off spot if they avoid defeat in Turkey.

MEN’S BOXING: Uzbekistan’s former Olympic silver medallist Bektemir Melikuziev fights Darius Fulghum in Friday night’s super middleweight title eliminator in Las Vegas. 

Unbeaten in 14 fights, Fulghum is rated at number 4 by the World Boxing Association, one place below Melikuziev, who also squeezes into the WBO and WBC top tens. 

In Guadalajara, Murodjon Akhmadliev takes on Luis Castillo for the right to meet undisputed super bantamweight world champion Naoya Inoue.

MEN’S CRICKET: Pakistan are one up as they head into the second leg of their three match Twenty20 series against Bangladesh at the Gaddafi stadium in Lahore tomorrow. 

After recovering from 5-2 Pakistan posted 200-7 in Wednesday’s game, with captain Salman Ali Agha top scoring on 56, before Bangladesh crumbled to 164 all out. 

Warwickshire’s Hassan Ali was the pick of the Pakistani bowling attack with 5-30.