Chris Tremlett: Sri Lanka series win could prove the turning point for Joe Root’s England captaincy November 21, 2018 England’s series-clinching win in Kandy last week was full of positives for the away side, but no one will be happier than captain Joe Root. Root scored a magnificent 124 in the second innings, his first away from home as captain, to set Sri Lanka a tricky target and seal his maiden away series win [...]
EFL TV deal: Why Championship clubs are revolting against new £595m Sky broadcasting agreement November 21, 2018 There is a revolt brewing in the second tier of English football. Rather than being met with acclamation, the announcement on Monday that the EFL, which represents the three divisions below the Premier League, had signed a new record £595m, five-year broadcast deal with Sky Sports was greeted by anger from within. As an important [...]
Bet365’s billionaire boss Denise Coates pockets massive £265m payout November 21, 2018 The chief executive of online bookie Bet365 Denise Coates took home £265m last year after giving herself a £21m pay rise. The billionaire businesswoman pocketed a salary of £220m, an increase from £199m last year and roughly a third of Bet365’s total profits for the year to the end of March, according to the company’s accounts. Coates, [...]
Trevor Steven: England are burying their inferiority complex and Nations League success can accelerate the process November 20, 2018 As a footballing nation, England cannot expect to be winning every international tournament; all we can really ask is that the team is competitive – and we have achieved that now. Sunday’s victory over Croatia, which sent England into next year’s Nations League Finals, was further evidence of the development seen at the World Cup [...]
Revealed: The huge challenge facing Christian Wade as he goes Stateside to join the NFL’s International Player Pathway Programme November 20, 2018 Christian Wade has established himself among the all-time greats in Premiership history when it comes to try-scoring, but he now faces the biggest challenge yet of his sporting career as he attempts to reinvent himself as an NFL star. The former Wasps wing this month embarked on the challenge of breaking into American football, starting [...]
Sam Torrance: Sheer hard work earned Danny Willett a long overdue return to winning ways November 19, 2018 Five holes into the back nine at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai on Sunday and it was starting to look very dodgy for leader Danny Willett. The Englishman – winless since his Masters victory two and a half years ago – had bogeyed twice since the turn and was now just one shot [...]
Alex Rodriguez: Baseball is a thinking person’s game so it fits beautifully in London November 19, 2018 American sports are renowned for their scale and razzmatazz so it should perhaps be little surprise that Major League Baseball, in making a push for a slice of the British market, has sent its big hitters out to bat. For the first MLB games ever to be staged Europe, which will be held at the [...]
“They complement each other beautifully”: How England’s spinners out-bowled Sri Lanka to secure series win November 18, 2018 England’s series win over Sri Lanka has broken new ground in many ways. The 2-0 scoreline is the side’s first away win since beating South Africa in 2016, their first in Sri Lanka for 17 years and Joe Root’s first away series victory as captain on the back of his first century outside England as [...]
England break from past by learning from mistakes to overcome Croatia November 18, 2018 Among the many painful aspects of England’s failings over the last three decades has been the tendency of the most promising teams to repeat the same mistakes tournament after tournament. At both the 2004 European Championship and the 2006 World Cup, Sven-Goran Eriksson’s side departed on penalties to Portuguese opponents who, while gifted, outsmarted more [...]
England 2-1 Croatia: Five things we learned as Harry Kane sends hosts through to the Nations League semi-finals November 18, 2018 With time ticking away at Wembley England appeared to be heading towards another disappointing defeat at the hands of their newest international rival. But, unlike in this year's World Cup semi-final, it was the hosts who finished on the front foot, clinching a 2-1 win over Croatia. The Nations League may not carry the prestige [...]