The penultimate day of the Commonwealth Games brought plenty more thrills and spills across Birmingham - here's our recap of things you may have missed...

Three badminton golds up for grabs

Lauren Smith will compete for two gold medals on Monday morning while comeback kings Ben Lane and Sean Vendy will also do battle in a final following a thrilling day at the NEC.

Smith and partner Marcus Ellis overcame Scotland's Adam Hall and Julie MacPherson in straight sets in the mixed doubles, prevailing 21-14, 21-7 in an emphatic display against their occasional training partners.

The Cumbrian was soon back in action alongside Chloe Birch and the pair dug deep to defeat Australia's Hsuan-Yu Wendy Chen and Gronya Somerville 21-14, 22-20.

She will have to set an early alarm on Monday, with Smith and Ellis due on court at 8am for the mixed doubles gold medal match against Singapore's Terry Hee and Jessica Tan, with Malaysia's Thinaah Muralitharan and Pearly Tan the opposition for Smith and Birch in the women's doubles later in the morning.

Smith has five Commonwealth medals on her CV but none so far are gold, a record she is determined to put right on the final day of the Games.

“We’ll do a bit of video analysis but we’ll enjoy this win for a couple of hours first," she said.

"The crowd were incredible again, every game has been amazing. In that second set, they lifted us every single point. I’m savouring every moment out there.”

Lane and Vendy made it three English semi-final wins from three with a statement victory over world Olympic bronze medallists Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik.

The Malaysian duo took the opener 21-18 but Lane and Vendy roared back to level it up and took a one-sided decider 21-4 in front of a raucous crowd.

They will now face India's Chirag Shetty and Sairaj Rankireddy in the gold medal match on what could be a memorable Monday for the English squad.


Gold medal guaranteed for England's squash doubles

On the squash court, Sarah-Jane Perry and Alison Waters ensured they will take home two medals apiece from Birmingham with victory in their women's doubles semi-final.

Perry and Waters came through a tense decider 11-9 against Malaysia's Rachel Arnold and Aifa Azman to book a place in Monday's gold medal match against reigning champions Joelle King and Amanda Landers-Murphy.


Looking ahead to Monday's showpiece, Waters, 38, said:  "They won it last time so they're going to be the favourites going in. 

"But we know that on our day we're a strong partnership and we know that if we play to how we can, we've got a good chance. 

"It's the final so anything can happen. The home crowd is going to be a massive help."

Her mixed doubles partner Waller is through to the men's doubles final alongside Daryl Selby after their 2-1 victory over Scotland's Rory Stewart and Greg Lobban.

Selby will hope to end an illustrious career with a set-completing gold, after he announced his retirement from professional squash last week.

He said: "It means everything to be honest. It's been a long lead up. It's been tough because I know this is my last event, last chance, last squash, last everything. So the pressure's on but at the same time the pressure's off in a nice way.

"I'd love to get a gold and complete it. We've been professionals a long time. We're not taking anything for granted. We'll give it everything tomorrow."

They too were forced to win the deciding set, after their home nations opponents levelled, and they will meet familiar faces in the final as compatriots Declan James and James Willstrop came back to make it past Malaysia this afternoon 2-1 (5-11, 11-5, 11-8).

And James is relishing the all-England clash: “It’s a dream final and there’s not much more you can ask for. We’ll go out there and enjoy it as much as we can."


Cricketers miss out on bronze at Edgbaston

England's cricketers were beaten by New Zealand in Sunday's bronze medal match at Edgbaston.

Captain Nat Sciver top-scored with 27 in the home side's 110-9, a total New Zealand passed for the loss of two wickets with 8.1 overs to spare.

England may have missed out on a medal but Sciver relished the sport's debut on the Commonwealth Games stage and said: "It has been an incredible experience. The crowds have shown that people really love coming to watch.

“Having that new audience from the Commonwealth Games where everyone is happy to go and watch any sport is something really special and can only help women’s cricket."


Usoro-Brown and Francis-Bayman sign off with emotional farewell

Two Red Roses legends brought down the curtain on their distinguished careers today, signing off in front of an adoring home faithful at the NEC.

Eboni Usoro-Brown and Stacey Francis-Bayman, both 34, played their last game in the famous red dress and while they couldn't sign off with a medal against New Zealand, the pair were grateful to end with an incredible experience at the Commonwealth Games.

Goal Keeper Usoro-Brown made her international debut in 2008 and went on to medal at three World Cups and two Commonwealth Games, including an infamous gold four years ago on the Gold Coast.

Usoro-Brown said: “It’s been absolutely incredible. The crowd, in general, have been amazing for the whole competition but I think it was extra special for me because after having Savannah [her daughter], I didn’t think I would be back here.


“To finish off today, obviously not how we wanted to, but hopefully inspiring others who want to consider motherhood and being an elite athlete, and having a career potentially, is actually possible and especially in this red dress.” 

And for Francis-Bayman, finishing her journey on home soil at her third Commonwealth Games, 12 years after her first, represented the perfect farewell.

She said: “I don’t think it will sink in for a little while longer yet. But when I reflect back, I’ll feel so privileged that we were able to be out on court in a home Commonwealth Games, wearing the red dress that we don’t take for granted."