G'day sports fans,

"He kisses the crest and salutes the crowd with his helmet aloft, his bat aloft, his family there!" - Dave Warner became the 10th player to score a ton in their 100th Test in emotional scenes at the MCG and just the second to score a double.

🇦🇺 Aussie Sport

🏏 Not content with a first Test century in almost three years, David Warner continued to 200 before retiring hurt in his 100th match for Australia.

The hamstring cramps he had battled for much of his second hundred proved too debilitating for him to continue, though he'll surely want to reprise his knock by resuming at the fall of the first wicket today.

By stumps, after a procession of players had been led from the field by medicos, Australia were 3-386 with a lead stretched to 197, although it's unclear how many fit bowlers they will be able to summon in their victory push in the coming days. (match report)

🏏 Steve Smith revealed he is one of several Australian stars fighting personal injury battles during the second Test against South Africa.

"I've been pretty crook actually on the last few days and had the flu, so it wasn't much fun out there," he said.

Mitchell Starc is set to miss the New Year’s Test match in Sydney due to injury, and now Cameron Green has been sent for scans after copping a 145km/h thunderbolt to the knuckle.

⛵️ Andoo Comanche has taken Line Honours in the 2022 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. 

The 100-ft maxi, skippered by John Winning Jr, crossed the line in 1 day, 11 hours, 56 minutes and 48 seconds.

🎾 The men’s and women’s tours have already begun to descend upon Australia for the lead-up to the season’s opening grand slam, and the main event itself - the Australian Open - across the last two weeks of January.

Things will look a bit different this year with the United Cup replacing the men-only ATP Cup, ensuring the world’s top talents are in action from December 29.

And in total there will be five lead-up tournaments, plus qualifying, across seven states and territories before the action truly gets underway at Melbourne Park.

Bruce Clark talks to all the trainers and gets their horses to follow in 2023 — www.racenet.com.au

Bruce Clark gets the lowdown from all of Australia's top trainers with their horses to follow in 2023.

🎾 Novak Djokovic has been welcomed back into Australia almost a year after he was deported over his Covid vaccine status.

Officials confirmed the 21-time Grand Slam champion, 35, had landed in the country for January's Australian Open.

Serb Djokovic, a nine-time Australian Open winner, had an automatic three-year visa ban overturned in November.

"I think that he will again be the player to beat," said Tennis Australia chief executive Craig Tiley.

🏀 The NBL made Australian sporting history by playing on Christmas Day with the game at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena largely marked a success on all fronts. The Kings beat Melbourne United to return to the top of the standings.

The Big Bash is said to be considering a similar move.

🏆 Australia’s men’s Test Player of the Year award will be renamed in Shane Warne’s honour as tributes were paid to the late spin-king at the Boxing Day Test against South Africa.

🌍 World Sport

⚽️ Liverpool have agreed to sign Netherlands forward Cody Gakpo from PSV Eindhoven.

Gakpo, 23, had an impressive World Cup in Qatar, scoring three goals as he helped the Netherlands reach the quarter-finals. 

The fee for the winger is expected to be between 40m-50m euros.

🏈 The Los Angeles Chargers reached the NFL post-season play-offs for the first time since the 2018 campaign after a 20-3 win at the Indianapolis Colts.

Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr have scheduled a medical for Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo, 37, before a US$75m-a-year move. (CBS Sports)

🐴 Bravemansgame emerged from a battle with rival L'Homme Presse to give trainer Paul Nicholls a 13th win in the King George VI Chase at Kempton Park.

Champion Hurdle favourite Constitution Hill earned a comfortable win in the Christmas Hurdle.

They'll both head to the Cheltenham Festival in March.

🏈 With $365m quarterback Russell Wilson bombing, the Denver Broncos have fired their first-year coach Nathaniel Hackett.

🗞 Please share Sport Journal

📲 Share via WhatsApp HERE

🧑🏻‍💻 Share the link with a friend to sign up HERE

📺 Live sport 👇🏼

TODAY

⚽️ 07:00 - Premier League - Manchester United v Nottingham Forest (Optus Sport 1)

⚽️ 07:00 - English Championship - Burnley v Birmingham City (beIN SPORTS 1)

🏏 10:30 - Test Match - Australia v South Africa (Channel 7, Fox Cricket)

🏀 12:00 - NBA - Oklahoma City Thunder v San Antonio Spurs (ESPN)

🏏 12:40 - NZ Super Smash - Otago Volts v Northern Brave (Fox Sports)

🏒 14:30 - NHL - Los Angeles Kings v Vegas Golden Knights (ESPN)

🏏 16:00 - Test Match - Pakistan v New Zealand (Fox Sports)

🏏 19:15 - Big Bash League - Sydney Sixers v Melbourne Renegades (Fox Cricket or Channel 7)

THURSDAY

⚽️ 07:00 - Premier League - Leeds United v Manchester City (Optus Sport 1)

⚽️ 07:00 - Scottish Premiership - Hibernian v Celtic (beIN SPORTS 2)

🏏 10:30 - Test Match - Australia v South Africa (Channel 7, Fox Cricket)

🏀 11:30 - NBA - Miami Heat v Los Angeles Lakers (ESPN)

🏏 12:40 - NZ Super Smash - Otago Volts v Auckland Aces (Fox Sports)

🏒 14:00 - NHL - Anaheim Ducks v Vegas Golden Knights (ESPN)

🏏 16:00 - Test Match - Pakistan v New Zealand (Fox Sports)

🏏 18:05 - Big Bash League - Brisbane Heat v Sydney Thunder (Fox Cricket or Channel 7)

🏀 19:30 - NBL - Adelaide 36ers v Brisbane Bullets (ESPN)

🏏 21:15 - Big Bash League - Perth Scorchers v Melbourne Stars (Channel 7, Fox Cricket)