BRUMIE BITES: England pararunner Sophie Unwin loses bronze medal due to clerical error as cricket captain Heather Knight is forced to miss T20 opener through injury
England netball team gets the perfect start to their Commonwealth defence
England cricket captain must miss the opening game for her side
Paracyclist Sophie Unwin was deprived of medal due to administrative error
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The 2022 Commonwealth Games kicked off in Birmingham on Friday with plenty of sporting action on display.
England and other host countries were in the medals after successful forays into the velodrome and gymnasium.
Sportsmail brings you an overview of some of the biggest stories from day one of the Commonwealth Games.
Home heroes achieve big win
The England netball team got off to a perfect start to their 2018 title defense with a 74-22 demolition of Trinidad and Tobago.
Birmingham-born wing defender Stacey Francis-Bayman sensed the power of home support before she came on as a substitute, saying: ‘We’ve never been so much cheered for a warm-up!’
The England netball team started their Commonwealth Games perfectly in Birmingham
Heather Knight to sit-out T20 opener
Captain Heather Knight will miss the opening game of England’s T20 against Sri Lanka on Saturday due to a hip injury. Nat Sciver steps in as skipper.
The format made its debut at the Games on Friday, with Australia recovering from a seemingly hopeless position to post a stunning three-wicket victory over India.
First doping ban hits
Ghana boxer Shakul Samed is the first athlete to fail a drug test in Birmingham 2022.
The light heavyweight, 23, is out of the Games after testing positive for furosemide – a banned masking agent and diuretic. Samed should have fought Rosalba Jean Luc of Mauritius last night.
Tearful Unwin stripped of bronze
English para rider Sophie Unwin was left in tears after losing a bronze medal due to a clerical error.
Unwin, a two-time Paralympic medalist, thought she’d secured a place on the podium after beating Scottish Libby Clegg in the bronze medal race of the women’s tandem sprint.
But she was later told that she would not receive a gong because after a late withdrawal there were only four participants – and according to the rules, only gold and silver are handed out in those circumstances.
A tearful Sophie Unwin (right) poses with what is believed to be a borrowed bronze medal
The United Front of India
Those attending the velodrome may have thought they had been playing the wrong sport – as the Indian men’s sprint team lined up with team members named Ronaldo Singh Laitonjam and David Beckham Elkatohchoongo. No sign of Sir Alex yet, however…
All eyes on Brit pool party
Get ready for Duel in the Pool Part III, with Scotland’s Duncan Scott and England’s Tom Dean (left) ready for a Battle of Britain to claim the 200m freestyle title tonight.
The pair are 1-1 after epic matches at last year’s Olympics and the British Championships in April.