Browsing: Sports
Ireland players with the winner’s trophy after beating India in a two-match T20 series in Belfast on Sunday. (@cricketireland) Ireland beat 20-over world champions India 2-0 in their two-match T20 bilateral series, as they secured a thrilling one-run win over the white-ball heavyweights on Sunday.Ireland’s Jai Moondra and Matt Hollard dismantled the Indian batting line-up with three-wicket hauls as the visitors could only manage 153-9 after Ireland, put in to bat, posted 154-8 on a rain-disrupted afternoon in Belfast.The hosts, who earned their first-ever victory over India on Friday, handed the visitors their first T20 series defeat since 2023.”I challenged the lads the other day to show the world that (the first win) wasn’t a one-off,” said Ireland captain Lorcan Tucker.”We have a lot of lads with very few caps but they showed great character… it is a great time to be a professional cricketer in Ireland.”Ireland made a shaky start as their openers fell in the first three overs and Prince Yadav (3-22) making his T20 debut for India, helped restrict the flow of runs in the first half of the innings.But Harry Tector (53) and Ben Calitz (37) helped Ireland recover and post a competitive total.In reply, player-of-the-series Moondra (3-32) dismissed Indian openers Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma in the very first over, and bowled captain Shreyas Iyer in the third over, leaving India reeling at 19-3.Tilak Varma’s fighting knock of 55 kept India in the hunt, but Hollard (3-26) got him caught by wicketkeeper Tucker, dealing a crucial blow to the visitors’ hopes.Still, Harshit Rana (21 off 10 balls) got the visitors close, and they needed eight runs to win from the last two balls. But Rana was caught trying to hit Tector for a six off the penultimate delivery to seal Ireland’s win.”Kudos to (Ireland), the way they played. Showed professionalism, they had tremendous idea of how the wicket was going to play,” Iyer said.India next visit England for a five-match T20 series starting July 1, followed by three 50-over matches. BRIEF SCORESIreland 154 for 8 (Tector 53, Prince 3-22) beat India 153 for 9 (Tilak 55, Hollard 3-26, Moondra 3-32) by one run Related Story Source link
England captain Ben Stokes fell for 30 in his last international innings after announcing his shock retirement from international cricket on Sunday in the middle of a Test match.The 35-year-old all-rounder confirmed his impending exit shortly before tea on the fourth day of the ongoing third Test against New Zealand in Nottingham, having informed his teammates in the dressing room at Trent Bridge before the start of Sunday’s play, with the three-match series locked at 1-1.Stokes was in the middle of a lengthy bowling spell when news filtered into a stunned crowd as he was about to start his 11th over.He then received a standing ovation from spectators at Trent Bridge.And in a moment of pure sporting theatre, Stokes had Zak Foulkes caught at slip with his next ball to spark yet more raucous cheers.As if that were not enough drama, Stokes — normally a middle-order batsman — came out to open the innings for just the third time in his 122-Test career after New Zealand set England set a stiff victory target of 373 following an unbeaten century from Daryl Mitchell. SIGNALLED HIS INTENTIONSStokes signalled his intentions with a fierce drive off his first balls faced before he was dropped soon afterwards.He later lofted New Zealand’s Zak Foulkes, a concussion substitute, for a legside six and the left-handed batsman cleared the ropes again when he slog-swept seamer Nathan Smith.But a 20-ball innings, also featuring two fours, ended when Stokes slogged Foulkes to wide mid-on, with England 50-1 in the eighth over of their chase.Sunday’s bombshell announcement came after Stokes returned to England duty at Trent Bridge following the fall-out from a London nightclub incident also involving teammate Gus Atkinson earlier this month.The pair were omitted from a 253-run defeat in the second Test at the Oval — which levelled this three-match series at 1-1 — for breaking a midnight curfew while celebrating England’s win in the first Test.Stokes was later handed a written conduct warning but escaped any further disciplinary action and returned to lead the side at Trent Bridge.’DEFINING FIGURE’Telling his teammates his celebrated England career would end after the finish of the New Zealand series, Stokes said in a clip shared by the ECB: “There’s something that I know is going to happen over the next two days, which is my last two days as your captain and my last two days representing England.”Reasons can wait but I’ve had many trips to the well before for this team, for you blokes, for people beforehand and I’ve got one more trip to do.”And the only thing that I ask, please, is can everyone please just do the same? We’ve got a lot of hard work still to do.”Stokes, captain of the Test side since 2022, has been responsible for some of England’s most remarkable performances in Test and limited overs cricket since making his white-ball debut 15 years ago.His unbeaten 84 against New Zealand in the 2019 I50-over World Cup final at Lord’s helped take the match into a Super Over in which England sealed a thrilling win. EXTRAORDINARY 135 NOT OUTAnd weeks later his extraordinary 135 not out guided England to a remarkable one-wicket win in the third Ashes Test against Australia at Headingley.A stunning 258 against South Africa in Cape Town in 2016 remains his highest Test score, with Stokes also having taken more than 250 Test wickets as well.”Ben Stokes leaves the international game as one of England’s greatest ever cricketers and one of the defining figures of his generation,” said England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chairman Richard Thompson.Stokes, however, also experienced several low moments on and off the field in his England career as well.England were just six balls away from winning the 2016 T20 World Cup, with the West Indies needing an unlikely 19 off the last over of the final in Kolkata.But Stokes was struck for four successive sixes by Carlos Brathwaite and cut a crestfallen figure at the finish.And in September 2017, Stokes was arrested in the early hours after a fracas outside a nightclub in Bristol, southwest England, following a one-day international against the West Indies.He was ultimately found not guilty on a charge of affray in a criminal trial 11 months later, but by then Stokes had missed an Ashes series loss in Australia. Related Story Source link
Japanese rider Ai Ogura claimed his maiden MotoGP win as Aprilia achieved another 1-2-3 finish but Marco Bezzecchi crashed and surrendered the overall championship lead to Jorge Martin in Sunday’s motorcycling Dutch Grand Prix.At the heart of MotoGP thanks to their riders and manufacturers, Japan had been waiting nearly 22 years for a victory in the premier class.And it was ultimately Ogura, the 2024 Moto2 world champion, who ended that interminable wait with a first Japanese win since Makoto Tamada in 2004.The 25-year-old, who had already shown great promise ahead of his 2025 debut in the elite class, has confirmed his talent this year.Ogura delivered a masterful display in the Dutch heat, despite being hampered by a technical issue early in the race.Initially trailing and holding third place for much of the race, he once again produced a blistering finish.Ogura finished over two seconds ahead of his Trackhouse teammate Raul Fernandez with another Spaniard Martin in third a further 1.5sec back on a winding and undulating track.”It’s fantastic, I don’t have much to say but I’m really very happy. Many thanks to my team,” said Ogura.Fernandez, winner of Saturday’s sprint, spent two-thirds of the race behind Martin before managing to overtake him only for Ogura, who had been biding his time, to pass his teammate shortly after and pull away for a scorching victory.Ogura took pole last week in the Czech Republic but came second.He also finished third at Le Mans in France in May to become the first Japanese rider to finish on a MotoGP podium since Katsuyuki Nakasuga at the Valencia Grand Prix in 2012. Bezzecchi scareIn the championship, Martin takes the lead seven points ahead of Bezzecchi with Italian Fabio Di Giannantonio 16 behind the leader.Bezzecchi crashed heavily on lap three at over 200kph.The Italian Aprilia rider was fortunate to separate from his bike early in the fall and was transferred to hospital, conscious but suffering “intense pain”.Ogura moved up to fourth position, 25 points behind the leader, while Marc Marquez, the reigning world champion, is 40 points behind his compatriot in fifth.”It’s incredible to lead the championship; the important thing for me is that I’ve made good progress with this bike and am increasingly adapting my riding style to this Aprilia,” said Martin.This tenth round of the season at Assen’s “Cathedral of Speed” confirmed Aprilia’s superiority over Ducati, a manufacturer that had dominated MotoGP for over five years.Ducati’s Marquez, who had won the previous two Grands Prix just a month after undergoing double surgery on his right shoulder and foot, was unable to match the Aprilias in the Netherlands.Penalised one position for exceeding track limits, the 33-year-old Catalan finished a disappointing seventh and now trails Martin by 40 points.However, the final round before the summer break, taking place in two weeks at his favourite circuit, the Sachsenring in Germany, where he has won nine times in MotoGP, could allow the seven-time world champion to narrow that gap. Related Story Source link
Serbia’s Novak Djokovic plays against US player Tommy Paul ahead of their match on day four of the Giorgio Armani Tennis Classic tournament at the Hurlingham…
Spain edged Uruguay 1-0 on Friday to top Group H and reach the knockout stage of the World Cup, with Alex Baena’s first-half strike enough to settle a tense, physical contest and leave Marcelo Bielsa's side out of the tournament.Spain finished with seven points from two wins and a draw, while newcomers Cape Verde claimed the second knockout berth after three consecutive draws. Uruguay bowed out with two points, level with bottom-placed Saudi Arabia.’Today's game really put us to the test,’ said Spain coach Luis de la Fuente. ‘We've played some very demanding matches, and the team always steps up. We played a different kind of game today, and the team stepped up again.’We're very happy because we've come through three very tough matches,’ he added.Baena broke the deadlock in the 42nd minute when he found space near the edge of the area and drove in a powerful effort that veteran goalkeeper Fernando Muslera failed to hold, the ball slipping from his grasp and trickling into the net.It was a costly mistake from Muslera, who Bielsa said decided to come off at halftime. The goal was scored with Manuel Ugarte and Lamine Yamal down injured as play continued, but Baena kept his focus and Spain took full advantage.’It might be one of the goals that has made me happiest,’ Baena said. ‘We knew it was going to be a tough match.’They were fighting for their lives, and we were fighting for the top spot. We didn't show our best form, but we competed very well,’ he added. AGGRESSIVE START BY URUGUAYUruguay had begun aggressively, determined to deny Lamine space on the right, with Guillermo Varela and the rest of the defence keeping tight to the 18-year-old.Spain mostly threatened from set pieces in the opening half. Pau Cubarsi headed wide from a Baena corner in the 16th minute and missed again from close range four minutes later following another Baena delivery.Uruguay's best first-half chance came when Federico Valverde pressed Rodri into an error in the 27th minute and then found Darwin Nunez inside the area, but the forward chose to attempt a backheel rather than shoot and the opportunity went begging.The second half followed a similar pattern, with Uruguay pushing but lacking precision in the final third. Federico Vinas replaced Valverde and almost made an impact, but his left-footed effort from a Maxi Araujo cross flew high and wide.’I wasn't able to make the most of the potential the Uruguayan players had. (After Valverde was substituted) I tried to get the team to be more aggressive on offence,’ Bielsa said, adding it was aimed at improving Uruguay's creativity.Spain introduced Dani Olmo, who missed a chance from the middle of the box after a cross from Lamine in the 63rd minute, but Luis de la Fuente's side looked in control.Uruguay pressed late, but Unai Simon denied Mathias Olivera and then saved Nicolas de la Cruz's right-footed shot from outside the box.Ferran Torres nearly doubled Spain's lead when he hit the crossbar with a right-footed effort from just inside the area following a pass from Fabian Ruiz.Inside the Guadalajara stadium, Mexican and Spanish fans sang ‘Cielito Lindo’ with the chorus ‘sing and do not cry’ as Uruguay's frustration mounted.That boiled over in stoppage time when Agustin Canobbio was shown a red card for a reckless challenge on Cubarsi, capping a bitter end to Uruguay's campaign. Source link
Rachin Ravindra's unbeaten fifty kept England at bay after Jofra Archer's double strike rocked New Zealand in the third and deciding Test at Trent Bridge on Saturday.New Zealand, with the three-match series up for grabs at 1-1, were faltering at 12-2 in their second innings following fast bowler Archer's two wickets after tea on the third day.But at stumps they had recovered to 120-3, an overall lead of 204 runs, to set up an intriguing finish with two full days remaining.Ravindra was 60 not out, the 12th time in his 24 Tests he had scored 50 or more — a tally including five hundreds.The 26-year-old left-hander received good support from Daryl Mitchell (26 not out) in an unbroken stand of 69.Fast bowler Archer on another day of soaring heat in Nottingham had impressive close figures of 2-14 in seven overs to give England, on a run of six defeats in their last eight Tests, hope of victory. ARCHER STRIKESArcher struck twice to reduce New Zealand to 12-2 — a far cry from the Black Caps' first-innings 319-2 — as skipper Tom Latham and fellow opener Devon Conway, who had made 151 and 157 respectively earlier in this match, both fell for single-figure scores.Latham was lbw for just four to a fine delivery from the express quick that angled in and cut away.Conway, one of a quartet of left-handers in the top four, was then struck on the helmet by an Archer delivery that lifted awkwardly off a good length.And three balls later he fell for five when another similarly brutish Archer delivery from around the wicket climbed sharply to take the splice before flying to Joe Root at first slip.New Zealand were 51-3 when Harry Brook — who had earlier missed Henry Nicholls completely while stationed at a wide first slip — made no mistake when the Black Caps No 3 edged again.But Ravindra went to his second fifty of the series by whipping returning England captain Ben Stokes through midwicket for a seventh four in 81 balls faced. SUPERSUB FOULKESEarlier, Nathan Smith took 4-91 and concussion substitute Zak Foulkes grabbed two key wickets as an injury-hit New Zealand bowled out England for 354 to lead by 84 runs on first innings.Foulkes, New Zealand's first concussion substitute in Test cricket after replacing Blair Tickner on Friday, captured the prize scalps of Stokes (15) and Brook (58) in a fine return of 3-35 in just 15.2 overs.England lost three wickets for 11 runs at the start of Saturday's play as their overnight 223-2 became 234-5, with Root (21) and Jacob Bethell (74) unable to add to their Friday scores.The double strike was just what New Zealand needed after coming into this match without injured seamer Matt Henry, who took 11 wickets at the Oval, and in-form towering paceman Kyle Jamieson, rested as a fitness precaution even before Tickner was sidelined.Stokes was back after being omitted from England's 253-run defeat in the second Test at the Oval for breaking a midnight curfew, along with Gus Atkinson, while celebrating at a London nightclub following the first-Test win over New Zealand.In New Zealand's first innings Stokes took 4-70 after ending an opening partnership that threatened to take the Black Caps to a total beyond 500.But Stokes, fresh from 95 for county side Durham, only managed 15 on Saturday before he was bowled by a superb Foulkes delivery that cut back sharply to the left-handed batsman. BRIEF SCORESNew Zealand 438 and 120 for 3 (Ravindra 60*) lead England 354 (Duckett 113, Bethell 74, Brook 58, Smith 4-91, Foulkes 3-35, O’Rourke 3-53) by 204 runs Source link
Former England cricketer Liam Plunkett swapped his cricket colours for a baseball glove on Friday, playing his first game for independent American club Oakland Ballers and even claiming a strikeout.Plunkett, 41, was part of England’s 2019 World Cup-winning side – his final international appearance – taking three wickets in the tied final against New Zealand as England emerged victorious by the narrowest of margins on boundary count. He subsequently moved to the United States, where his wife is from, and has since played Major League Cricket for the San Francisco Unicorns. His latest venture came with the Ballers, who participate in the Pioneer Baseball League (PBL), an independent competition and official Major League Baseball (MLB) Partner League. The seam bowler featured under the PBL’s “marketing player” exception, a clause which allows teams to temporarily sign high-profile cross-sport athletes.Facing the Yuba-Sutter Freebirds at Raimondi Park, Plunkett started on the mound and recorded a strikeout in the process.“Originally, I thought it’s like the ceremonial open pitch, but it was the real thing. I was first on the mound, a little bit nervous, but the catcher was excellent,” Plunkett said in a post-game interview.“But yeah, I mean I got that strikeout. I think the hitter didn’t know what was coming. I think it was a bit unusual, a mix between bowling and then pitching. Play first game, get a strikeout. What more could I ask for? Happy days!”Earlier Plunkett told the San Francisco Chronicle: “It’s a unique opportunity. As much as I’m coming here tomorrow and it’s my first time, you always want to help the team win. You don’t want to be terrible at the plate, you know?”The story in the San Francisco Chronicle added sporting white sneakers, black sweatpants and no batting gloves, Plunkett went through a quick hitting crash course with assistant general manager Tyler Peterson. “I’m used to the ball coming at me, so you get used to your timing,” Plunkett said. “But it’s a different ballgame completely against these guys who do this for a living.”“There’s a lot of cricket fans in the Bay Area. There’s a huge cricket community, and we hope this kind of crossover event activates that,” Ballers CEO Paul Freedman told the San Francisco Chronicle.“We’re also hopeful that a lot of baseball fans will learn a little bit more about cricket through doing this. The Oakland Ballers were founded on the belief that there’s a magic of sports in the way that it brings communities together, and we believe more sports is better.” Source link
Trackhouse rider Raul Fernandez (centre) after winning the sprint race at the Dutch Grand Prix ahead of teammate Ai Ogura at Assen on Saturday. Trackhouse rider Raul Fernandez delivered a dominant performance to win Saturday’s sprint race at the Dutch Grand Prix, overtaking pole sitter Jorge Martin on the third lap to claim his second sprint victory of the season.Ai Ogura completed a landmark result for the team by finishing second, 0.362 seconds behind Fernandez, sealing Trackhouse’s first-ever 1-2 finish in a sprint race. The contest was also the first to be held under MotoGP’s new rules banning front holeshot devices.”I think we found that we are quite strong. It is an amazing result for me and for the team,” Fernandez, who took his maiden MotoGP sprint win at Mugello in May, said.”The track was quite nice. I was quite fast in the final part of the race, but honestly, I was on my limit. We have to see what happens tomorrow.” Martin made a strong launch from pole but was overtaken by Fernandez, Di Giannantonio and Ogura, then slipped further as he battled teammate Bezzecchi for fourth.Di Giannantonio took third after holding off Bezzecchi, while Martin faded to fifth.”The race was really close. It was a shame that I lost a couple of spots in the first three laps. We know what we have to improve tomorrow,” Ogura said. BEZZECCHI FINISHES FOURTHBezzecchi, who retired from the sprint at Brno a week ago before being banned from the Grand Prix for slapping a marshal, finished fourth to extend his championship lead by one point. The Aprilia rider now leads teammate Martin by nine points in the standings.Marc Marquez finished seventh but was awarded sixth place after his Ducati teammate Francesco Bagnaia dropped a position after being penalised for exceeding track limits on the final chicane.Gresini’s Alex Marquez started the sprint race after missing qualifying and finished 13th, while Honda’s Joan Mir crashed out on the opening lap.Di Giannantonio closed to within 22 points of Bezzecchi, with Marc Marquez a further 20 points back. Ogura sits on 143, one behind Marquez, ahead of Pedro Acosta (133) and Bagnaia (130). Source…
Venus Williams is relishing the “very special” opportunity to reunite with her sister Serena in the Wimbledon doubles.A decade on from winning the last of their six Wimbledon doubles titles together, the American siblings will be back on court at the All England Club next week.After receiving a wild card following Serena’s sensational return from four years in retirement, the pair will take on Camila Osorio and Solana Sierra in the first round.”It’s very special indeed. We have had quite a history here and it’s nice to be back in 2026, so ready to go,” Venus told reporters on Saturday.Venus, 46, plays only intermittently on the WTA Tour in the twilight of her career, while Serena, 44, is taking tentative steps in her unexpected comeback.It seemed they had played together for the last time when Serena retired following the 2022 US Open, saying she was “evolving away” from tennis.But, motivated by a desire to play in front of her two young daughters, Serena is back on the circuit, playing doubles at Queen’s Club with Victoria Mboko and Karolina Muchova in the Berlin Open.She will also play singles at Wimbledon for the first time since her US Open farewell. ‘EXCITED WE’RE PLAYING TOGETHER'”I’m excited we’re playing together and I can’t wait until we hit the courts,” Venus said.”As soon as she wanted to play doubles and we were playing doubles, that’s how it works.”Venus won five Wimbledon singles titles between 2000 and 2008, while Serena has lifted the trophy seven times at the All England Club.Serena will take on Australian world number 53 Maya Joint in the first round as she bids for a 24th Grand Slam singles title and first since the 2017 Australian Open.Doubts remain about how well Serena will be able to compete in singles after so long away from the top level.Asked about Serena’s current performance, Venus defiantly said: “Can you walk over to the courts and watch her play? That’s probably your best bet.”There is no doubt that she has nothing to prove, at all.” Related Story Source link
French former Olympic figure skater Philippe Candeloro reacts as he arrives to address media during a press conference, in Issy-Les-Moulineaux, in the outskirts of Paris on…