Former Australian rugby league player Jason Smith to appear in court charged with trafficking cocaine.

Former All Black prop Carl Hayman will retire before the end of the year after deciding against renewing his contract with French club Toulon.

A world record-setting day for New Zealand has given them the springboard to press for victory on the final day of the second test against Sri Lanka.

The opening day of the ASB Classic has seen a significant upset, with former Champion Yanina Wickmayer dumped out of the tournament in the first round.

There's no particular science to winning tosses. You, or your rival skipper, depending on where the test is being played, either calls correctly or not. A 50-50 chance every time.

Sri Lanka were undoing their good work earlier in the day after a poor batting display on the opening day of the second test against New Zealand at the Basin Reserve.

It's not often Venus Williams is lost for words but she looked close to it today as she experienced a slice of Maori culture in Auckland.

New Zealand replace left armer for the second test against Sri Lanka with Doug Bracewell, who returns for his first test since late 2013.

New Zealand are poised to make a significant jump in cricket's world rankings, and it's proof of how far the Black Caps have come in the last year.