Cricket Comment: Cook faces axe if skipper can’t make big score June 17, 2014 IT MIGHT have been an agonising margin that separated England from victory over Sri Lanka in the first Test this week, but now the dust has settled it’s time to look at what went wrong. The biggest disappointment for the hosts was the performance of the opening batsmen, on what was a batter’s pitch at [...]
World Cup: Brazil held by Mexico as party spirit dampens June 17, 2014 BRAZIL 0 MEXICO 0 BRAZIL’S hopes of advancing to the knockout stages as group winners were dented last night thanks to some wasteful finishing and an outstanding display from Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa. The 28-year-old, who is unattached having left French club AC Ajaccio following their relegation from Ligue 1, denied Neymar, Paulinho and Thiago [...]
World Cup: Wilmots masterminds Belgium comeback to edge out Algeria June 17, 2014 ALGERIA 1 BELGIUM 2 A LATE second-half strike from Napoli winger Dries Mertens saw Belgium come from behind to land only their second World Cup win in 20 years. Manager Marc Wilmots scored the winning goal to defeat Russia in 2002 – Belgium’s sole triumph at a finals since 1994 – and inspired victory again [...]
World Cup: Kerzhakov comes off the bench to cancel out Akinfeev’s blunder June 17, 2014 RUSSIA 1 SOUTH KOREA 1 RUSSIA substitute Aleksandr Kerzhakov spared the blushes of goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev with a late goal to rescue a point in last night’s Group H clash. Akinfeev, earning his 70th cap, inexplicably spilled Lee Keun-Ho’s speculative strike over the goal-line when a simple catch was required. But former England manager Fabio [...]
World Cup in brief June 17, 2014 Online abuse for wrong Neville A RADIATOR salesman named Phil Neville, 60, has been bombarded with abuse on Twitter following his namesake’s much-criticised commentary debut in England’s defeat to Italy, for which the BBC received 445 complaints. Uruguay craving caramel snack URUGUAY fans have blamed the confiscation of the players’ favourite snack at customs for their [...]
Jockey goads rivals at Ascot June 17, 2014 JOCKEY James Doyle last night apologised for goading his rivals after piloting Kingman to glory in the St James’s Palace Stakes on the first day of Royal Ascot. Doyle turned to face the field and pressed his finger to his lips after the 8/11 favourite saw off rival Night Of Thunder, who beat Kingman in [...]
Cipriani shines on Test audition June 17, 2014 RUGBY UNION: Fly-half Danny Cipriani boosted his hopes of featuring in Saturday’s final Test in New Zealand with a promising display in England’s 38-7 win over Super Rugby side Crusaders yesterday. Regular No10 Owen Farrell has been ruled out of the third Test against the All Blacks with a knee injury.
Cavendish wins Swiss stage four June 17, 2014 CYCLING: Britain’s Mark Cavendish won stage four at the Tour of Switzerland to help Omega Pharma Quick-Step team-mate Tony Martin retain his six-second lead in the general classification. Team Sky’s Sir Bradley Wiggins crashed on the 160.4km leg, leaving him 14 minutes 43 seconds off the pace.
Box clever by backing Burano and Queensberry Rules in Hunt Cup June 17, 2014 BILL ESDAILE PREVIEWS THE ROYAL HUNT CUP, DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE AND QUEEN MARY STAKES PUNTERS like nothing more than solving a complex handicap puzzle and there is no race run at Ascot all week that is more difficult to find the winner of than the Royal Hunt Cup (5.00pm). There have been only two successful [...]
Take Stoute to enhance Duke of Cambridge record with Integral June 17, 2014 SKY LANTERN is the current favourite for today’s Group Two Duke of Cambridge Stakes (4.25pm) and considering she’s a four-time winner at the top level and is dropping a grade, many of you will think the 3/1 available is fair value. But I think she is begging to be taken on. Unlike yesterday’s Queen Anne [...]