International sport: Overnight highlights brought to you by SleepDrops - April 14

All the sporting news that happened overnight.

Eliza second best in tense battle

Eliza McCartney soared into the Gold Coast evening and returned with New Zealand's first Commonwealth Games medal in women's pole vault overnight.

Merv Richards, at Cardiff in 1958, and Simon Poelman, at Auckland in 1990, had secured bronzes in the men's discipline.

McCartney took silver with a clearance of 4.70m, after duelling with Canada's Alysha Newman.

Australian Nina Kennedy finished third at 4.60m.

McCartney secured a Games record at 4.65m, overtaking Kym Howe's Melbourne 2006 effort by 8cm.

However, Newman had her measure. She matched that height, then ratcheted up to 4.75m in a gamble to stay ahead. Newman cleared with what was a new personal best and national record.

Her joy was palpable as she somersaulted and grasped her forehead in relief.

McCartney made her final attempt to no avail at 4.80m.

Read more: Eliza McCartney takes silver after tense battle

Adams pipped for gold

Dame Valerie Adams attempted to glide, throw and conquer last night on the Gold Coast.
The 33-year-old was trying to become the first female track and field athlete and the first New Zealander to win gold medals at four Commonwealth Games.

She took silver.

Her best throw, a season best of 18.70m, was achieved in front of her family in Carrara Stadium, including husband Gabriel and six-month-old daughter Kimoana.

Jamaican Danniel Thomas-Dodd triumphed with a personal best 19.36m in the fifth round.

Read more: Valerie Adams finishes second in shot put final

Robertson sets national record

Jake Robertson broke his brother's national record after finishing fifth in the Commonwealth Games 10,000m final. Robertson ran a time of 27:30.90 after staying with the lead bunch until the final two laps when Kenya's Joshua Cheptegei and Canada's Mohammed Ahmed broke away. Cheptegei went onto claim gold.

Another golden chance in hockey

New Zealand beaten India 3-2 to earn a spot in the men's hockey gold medal match at the Commonwealth Games.

The Kiwis pushed out to an early 2-0 after 12 minutes before Glasgow silver medallists India pulled one back in the shadow of half-time.

New Zealand, ranked ninth in the world to India's sixth, struck again in the third quarter only for India to haul one back in the final spell to set up a nailbiting finish.

The win earns New Zealand a chance to play for gold against the winner of the second semi-final, between world No.1 Australia and Glasgow bronze medallists England.

Dragons move to 6-0

St George Illawarra have become the first team in five years to go unbeaten through the first six rounds of a NRL season, adding insult to Cronulla's horror Friday the 13th in Wollongong.

The Sharks' 40-20 loss to their local rivals was only one concern, with Andrew Fifita and Paul Gallen both booked in for Saturday knee scans.

Wade Graham (hamstring) and Luke Lewis (knee) also left the field with minor issues in the second half at WIN Stadium, cutting through their star-studded forward pack and leaving them with an empty bench by fulltime.

Against the odds, though, Cronulla fought back from a 28-10 deficit before giving the Dragons an almighty scare when Josh Dugan was denied a try that could have brought them back within two.

But, when Jack de Belin and Euan Aitken crossed late for the Dragons, the Sharks were consigned to their fourth loss in six games.

Nyika to fight for gold

David Nyika is one victory away from New Zealand boxing history.

Three New Zealand heavyweights have claimed gold at the Commonwealth or Empire, as they were previously known, Games.

Nyika now has a chance to join Frank Creagh (1950), Bill Kini (1966) and Jimmy Peau (1986). But having clinched gold as a light heavyweight four years ago in Glasgow, his potential achievement of winning two weight divisions would be a first, and therefore outrank them all.

Nyika was the only one of the four New Zealand boxers in semifinals to taste victory. Alexis Prichard was beaten by Michaela Walsh of Northern Ireland to pick up bronze. +91kg fighter Patrick Mailata also had to settle for bronze after losing his semifinal bout 3-2 to Englishman Frazer Clarke. Mailata was knocked down twice but finished with a flourish.

Read more: David Nyika one win away from New Zealand boxing history

Tall Ferns to play for bronze

The New Zealand women's basketball team will face Canada in today's bronze medal game after being handed a heavy defeat by Australia. New Zealand went down 109-50.

Storm thrash Knights

A blistering opening 20 minutes has laid the platform for Melbourne's emphatic 40-14 NRL win over Newcastle at AAMI Park.

Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy laid down the law midweek about their stuttering attack after two successive losses and the Storm responded in style on Friday night.

As well as three early tries, the defending champions completed 13 from 13 sets and had 82 per cent of possession.

-With AAP