Lockie Ferguson's ready to launch into his bowling run-up again

He'll return from a fractured thumb to play for a New Zealand XI in two Twenty20 warm-up games against England at Lincoln on October 27 and 29.

Ferguson suffered the injury in Sri Lanka last month.

Ferguson will join Black Caps teammates Tim Seifert and Colin Munro in the 12-man squad.

While England coach Eddie Jones was making spying claims, his New Zealand equivalent was having a shot at the Six Nations.

The All Blacks Rugby World Cup semi-final against England will be the second time the two teams have met in the past year.

However prior to last November's test, they hadn't played since 2014.

All Blacks coach Steve Hansen says it's hard to build a rivalry like they have with South Africa when they play England so infrequently.

Baseball's World Series gets underway in Houston this afternoon with the Astros hot favourites against the Washington Nationals.

Houston's chasing a second title in three years while Washington's in their first ever World Series.

First pitch is at eight past one.