He coaxed greatness from teammates, bent occasions to his will and mastered the most complex of arts, but best of all he connected like few others in sport The 100 greatest men’s Ashes cricketers of all time Raise the Playboy pants like a pirate flag. Twirl the big brimmer in...
Sean Bowen looks real McCoy at Cheltenham in emulating legend’s never-say-die ride
There were distinct echoes of Tony McCoy and Wichita Lineman when the current champion won on Wade Out On an afternoon for the National Hunt diehards here on Friday, as Storm Claudia battered racegoers and runners alike, one rider’s refusal to be cowed by either the elements or circumstance was...
Felix Auger-Aliassime beats Alexander Zverev to reach ATP semi-finals – as it happened
The Canadian reached the semi-finals for the first time, where he’ll face Carlos Alcaraz, after a 6-4, 7-6 win against the world No 3 Auger-Aliassime to serve. Ready? Let’s play. Now Auger-Aliassime, dressed in purple, is making Zverev, clad all in black, wait for the coin toss. The match may...
World Cup 2026 qualifying roundup: Northern Ireland in playoffs despite loss
Slovakia win 1-0 and battle with Germany for top spot Netherlands nearly there after draw in Poland Michael O’Neill fumed at a goal that “should clearly have been disallowed” after Northern Ireland’s hopes of progressing from World Cup qualifying Group A were ended by the Slovakia debutant Tomas Bobcek in...
England pumped up for chance to end 13-year wait against All Blacks
Maro Itoje and company have talked the talk and are hungry to follow through with a first win at home over New Zealand since 2012 For better or worse it has been lashing down in south-west London. Good news for restocking the reservoirs but rather less so for dry-ball rugby....
Thomas Tuchel wants England substitutes to channel anger into World Cup victory
Coach hopes to match spirit of his 2021 Chelsea team Tuchel needs strong bench ‘after a long, long season’ Thomas Tuchel wants his England substitutes to channel any anger they feel at not starting into making the difference when they can because the team that win the World Cup will...
Josh Hazlewood ruled out of Ashes opener in fresh blow to Australia bowling stocks
Michael Neser added to first Test squad already missing Pat Cummins England’s Mark Wood available after being cleared of hamstring injury Josh Hazlewood has been ruled out of the first Ashes Test after a second scan on the hamstring injury he initially reported during the recent Sheffield Shield match between...
In the name of their fathers: Eubank v Benn began and ended a heady era of British boxing
Their dads lit a fire that consumed me but Eubank Jr v Conor Benn embodies all that has gone wrong with the Dark Trade Thirty-five years ago this month, on 18 November 1990, my life changed course when I watched Chris Eubank and Nigel Benn fight each other in Birmingham...
Searches for lorazepam surged after release of The White Lotus, data shows
Third series of TV drama spiked interest in anti-anxiety drug amid warnings over illicit production of ‘benzos’ In the third series of the hit TV show The White Lotus, the entitled North Carolina housewife Victoria Ratliff is often shown reaching for her lorazepam. Now researchers say internet searches for the...
Rare bronze and iron age log boats reveal details of Cambridgeshire prehistory
Well-preserved oak and maple boats used for transport and fishing to be displayed in Peterborough After lying undisturbed in mud for more than 3,000 years, three rare bronze and iron age log boats have emerged to offer fresh insights into prehistoric life. The boats were among nine discovered in a...