Surrey Stars 147 for 7 (Taylor 51, Sciver 53) lost to Loughborough Lightning 150 for 5 (Du Preez 48*) by five wickets

Mignon du Preez scored an unbeaten 48 for Loughborough Lightning to send her side to a second successive Kia Super League Finals Day - while knocking holders Surrey Stars out the competition.

South African du Preez is Lightning's highest scorer in the KSL this season with 246 runs, having previously made unbeaten scores of 70 and 38, before clattering 48 in 25 balls at the Haslegrave Ground, Loughborough.

She finished the job with a four down the ground with nine balls to spare, after Chamari Atapattu had brilliantly notched 45 from 35 balls. Stars had set what had seen a competitive 147, thanks to Nat Sciver's first half century of the tournament and Sarah Taylor's second fifty in a row.

But the hosts chased well to set up a date with either Southern Vipers or Yorkshire Diamonds at Hove - with unbeaten Western Storm waiting in the final.

"We are super excited to go to Finals Day," said du Preez. "It was something we really wanted to do and to get there with two games to spare is super special. The key thing will be to keep the momentum into Finals Day, we want to keep the winning ways going.

"Big hitting isn't something I had been known for. In my ODI career I have only hit three sixes in over 100 games so to actually hit them frequently in games shows I have been working on that area of my game. I also usually struggle with staying to the finish, I usually get in and then get out, so to get those not outs and score runs consistently was one of my big goals.

"I have been really consistent in the KSL and hopefully I can continue that to Finals Day."

Loughborough's response had started in catastrophic style as Amy Jones was run out by Dane van Niekerk, before Marizanne Kapp bowled a maiden.

Having been involved in the Jones run out, Hayley Matthews seemed to feel some responsibility to score quickly, as she helped thunder 24 runs off the third and fourth overs. But the West Indian was stumped off Mady Villiers in the fifth.

Georgia Elwiss and Atapattu settled things down and added 49 in exactly six overs for the third wicket before the former was stumped.

Sri Lankan Atapattu used her power to take Lightning up to, along and then above the required rate - with six boundaries and a straight six, before she was bowled by Laura Marsh.

Du Preez, who had put on 41 with Atapattu, clubbed a quartet of balls over the ropes, and despite seeing Georgia Adams run out, saw her side to a comfortable five-wicket win.

Earlier, the Stars only managed 29 runs in the powerplay, after winning the toss, and had already lost both openers Lizelle Lee and Dane van Niekerk within the first 32 balls.

Lee was lbw to Kathryn Bryce to the first ball of the game before South African teammate van Niekerk was bowled by Jenny Gunn.

But Sciver and Taylor ticked the score along and slowly started to accelerate - the former playing conventionally, while keeper Taylor utilised her supple wrists to claim five flicked boundaries behind the bat.

Skipper Sciver was the first to fifty, off 31 balls, having tickled Atapattu for a boundary before arriving at the milestone with a hoicked single into the leg side.

It was the first time she had scored a KSL half-century since the semi-final against Western Storm last year.

Sciver departed when she offered a catch to extra cover for 53, having put on 87 with Taylor - the third time the duo had added more than 48 together in this season's competition.

Taylor arrived at the 50 landmark in 45 balls with back-to-back boundaries off Bryce, but the Scotland captain had the last laugh next ball with a slower ball yorker.

Surrey lost Kapp, Bryony Smith and Villiers in the last seven balls but managed to reach 147 for seven, despite Gunn's exceptional two for 19.

Australia 179 and 171 for 6 (Labuschagne 53*, Stokes 2-33) lead England 67 (Denly 12, Hazlewood 5-30) by 283 runs

A dire capitulation with the bat left England's Ashes hopes hanging by a thread after another thrilling day in this engrossing series.

Credit goes to Australia's strike bowlers - led by Josh Hazlewood's devastating five-wicket haul - for putting Australia in positition to win the third Test at Headingley and take a 2-0 lead in the series, which would allow them to retain the urn, with three days still to go in the match. But England did not help themselves one bit, bundled out for just 67 in reply to Australia's first-innings 179 with rash shots an all-too-common feature.

Sixteen wickets fell on a day when Joe Denly was England's top-scorer with just 12, Jason Roy's struggle to establish himself as a Test opener faltered again and Joe Root made consecutive ducks for the first time in his career as questions resurfaced about his batting position.

In all honesty, just about everyone in an England helmet looked out of position and out of their depth as Hazlewood struck early en route to claiming 5 for 30, well supported by Pat Cummins and James Pattinson, who chimed in with three and two wickets respectively.

Replying to Australia's seemingly below-par 179, England were in all sorts of bother at 10 for 2 after Hazlewood had Roy and Root both caught in the slips by David Warner - who had not only rediscovered some form with the bat, striking 61 the previous day, but also in the field, overcoming a rash of dropped chances earlier in the series to hold four on the second day at Headingley - the most ever in an innings by an Australia fielder in an overseas Ashes Test.

Roy was out driving at a Hazlewood delivery which was wide of off stump and moved ever so slightly to draw the edge, while Root hung his bat out to a good ball which had a hint of movement off the seam. When Rory Burns gloved a Cummins bouncer to Tim Paine behind the stumps, England were 20 for 3 and from there the procession of cheap wickets continued.

During the evening, as England attempted to claw their way back into the game, Ben Stokes toiled for a mammoth 15.2 overs, with only four balls breaking up his spell before he was called back into action when Jofra Archer suffered leg cramps. Stokes' efforts delivered two wickets for England, alongside two for Stuart Broad, as Australia finished in a strong position, Marnus Labuschagne passing fifty for the third time in as many innings and still unbeaten at the close.

With three days yet to build their lead and then bowl England out, Australia are in the best position they could have hoped for after grafting in difficult batting conditions on the opening day for their total of 179. Labuschagne top scored in Australia's first innings with 74, just as he did as Steve Smith's concussion replacement with 59 in the second innings at Lord's .

Australia's prospects didn't look so great when Warner was out lbw for a duck, dismissed for the fourth time by Stuart Broad in six innings this series. Marcus Harris followed soon after and, when Usman Khawaja was out to a loose shot off Chris Woakes which was caught by Roy, they were 52 for 3.

But Travis Head and Labuschagne dug in and it was a long time before Stokes, brought into the attack in the second over after tea, made the breakthrough. Stokes tried with all his might to make things happen for England, delivering a maiden first up and suffering a dropped catch - Labuschagne juggled and spilled by Root in his second over.

In his thrid over, Stokes hit 89mph bowling to Labuschagne, who - luckily for Australia - left it alone. Not so fortunately for the tourists, Stokes dismissed Head in the next. Matthew Wade treated an 88mph Stokes delivery with disdain, flicking it through midwicket for four before Stokes responded by peppering Wade with a series of short balls.

Stoke bowled eight overs straight before he was replaced by Archer but, four balls into the over, Stokes had to finish it when Archer was struck down by cramp. Archer eventually returned to the field, to the delight of the crowd, whose watermelon-shaped beach ball he had saved from the clutches of a security guard earlier. But Stokes bowled on and eventully struck again in his 13th full over with the wicket of Wade, caught behind by Jonny Bairstow. That prompted Stokes to collapse on the ground, and exhaused grin on his face as his team-mates gathered round to congratulate him.

Broad had Paine out amid some confusion over whether it was lbw or a caught, prompting the batsman into a hopeful appeal, but he was indeed caught by Denly for nought, nonetheless leaving his side in decent shape.

Seldom has the word "some" carried more meaning than in how Josh Hazlewood characterised England's Test batting line-up. It is a team composed of, in Australia's view, "some" great Test cricketers and several great one-day cricketers. Ruthlessly and relentlessly, Australia have attempted to pressure this hodgepodge of batsmen, some of whom were World Cup heroes a matter of weeks ago, into the horrendous display at Headingley, where they were shot out for 67 and left almost certain of losing the Ashes at home in the space of three Tests.

Hazlewood, who had never before taken the field to bowl with Pat Cummins and James Pattinson, stated bluntly that drying up the runs and forcing England into errors like those committed by Jason Roy and Ben Stokes was key to the Australian blueprint, which now sees them on the verge of retaining the urn in a Test series in this part of the world for the first time in 18 years.

"That's probably the general plan, they're all great one-day cricketers, some are great Test cricketers, so I think they love to feel bat on ball, especially through that middle order," Hazlewood said. "So if we can dry up the runs and force a mistake, which we saw a couple today, then that's fantastic.

ALSO READ: Australia find Ashes gold at end of pace rainbow

"I think when Davey [Warner] and Marnus [Labuschagne] were batting yesterday, you can see the runs can pile up really quickly in England, with such quick outfields and that hour or hour-and-a-half here or there, can really decide the game if the runs can flow quickly. I always love the scoreboard going nowhere and picking up a wicket here or there.

"I don't think many teams are winning if one of their innings is 60 or 70 runs, it makes it difficult. I think if we start well again next innings, they might think 'here we go again', so it's about creating that doubt in the mind. I think through the way we've gone about it is not letting the foot off, just keep going."

Similarly, Hazlewood said that England's decision to send Joe Root in at No. 3, meaning he is frequently facing a new and moving ball, has been to Australian advantage. "I certainly like him in there as early as possible," he said. "They follow him a little bit, he's the leader, he's the captain, he's got the best average, he's their best batsman going by numbers. So if we can get him I think they can be vulnerable at times, same as any other team, if their best batter's out you feel a bit more relaxed about your business."

Having been close to an automatic selection when fit for most of the past four years, Hazlewood was left out of the team for the opening Test at Edgbaston and had to work his way back via a tour game at Worcester. He has responded with several of the spells of his life, not least his 5 for 30 here, and agreed that the extra pressure for places - created by the presence of Cummins, Pattinson, Peter Siddle, Mitchell Starc and Michael Neser on tour - had pushed all bowlers to raise their standards.

"Yeah I guess at times you might get a little bit comfortable, a little bit relaxed in there's no-one really knocking the door down," he said. "I guess that can happen at certain times. But when they're right here training every day, putting pressure on you every day, it adds that extra element I think. How quickly the Tests are spaced together it brings that extra element of having six quicks here. Five of those have played a lot of Test cricket.

"We see how well [Peter] Siddle has bowled this series, he's been fantastic, our best at times. I would love to play every Test. The body feels great, I have had my issues over the last few years which has been disappointing but I feel really good and hope I can go back-to-back Tests. But the way the series is set out, we have six great quicks here and it keeps you on your toes."

A hallmark of the England innings was how wickets fell steadily, not in a rush of two or three in an over, through the constant pressure being applied. Another was the pace, bounce and carry in the surface, which offered Australia's catchers an excellent sight of the ball. It was not until Matthew Wade spilled a running chance from short leg, before Hazlewood bowled Jack Leach next ball, that Australia missed out on a perfect 10 chances taken out of 10.

"It didn't feel like there was a big collapse," Hazlewood said. "The runs stayed stagnant for a long time and we just kept taking wickets here and there. A bit of luck went our way and it felt like it was just our day. We bowled well, a couple of really good deliveries in those wickets and we were very happy with how we went about our plans. The slips caught well and everything went our way.

"I think they all carried through hip high, which is what you want. I wouldn't say it's slow, the carry is pretty good for both teams, there is sideways movement off the wicket, which is doing the damage and I am sure the slips love it coming through a bit higher. I guess sometimes in England they can go quite low but this wicket seems pretty good."

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady's application to trademark the term "Tom Terrific" has been refused by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Brady, who said his goal was to ensure people didn't refer to him by that nickname, created a stir among New York Mets fans because "Tom Terrific" is the nickname of Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Seaver. As it turns out, Brady's application for the trademark was officially refused by the USPTO on Thursday because "the applied-for mark consists of or includes matter which may falsely suggest a connection with Tom Seaver."

Brady has up to six months to respond to the rejection. If there is no response in that time period, the request for the trademark will be abandoned.

In June, Brady had expressed regret for applying for the trademark.

"It's unfortunate," he said. "I was actually trying to do something because I didn't like the nickname and I wanted to make sure no one used it, because some people wanted to use it. I was trying to keep people from using it, and then it got spun around to something different than what it is. Good lesson learned, and I'll try to do things a little different in the future ...

"It wasn't something I was trying to do out of any disrespect or ill manner or anything like that."

Tennessee Titans left tackle Taylor Lewan has officially been suspended four games for violating NFL policy on performance-enhancing substances, the league announced Friday.

Lewan acknowledged last month that he had tested positive for the banned substance ostarine but said he would appeal the results. He also posted apparent polygraph results on Instagram to indicate he didn't knowingly use a banned substance.

He became the league's highest-paid offensive lineman last season after signing a five-year, $80 million deal that included $50 million guaranteed.

The Titans open up the season with a tough stretch of games that includes the Browns, Colts, Jaguars and Falcons.

Authorities in Minnesota have charged the son of former NFL lineman Barry Bennett in Bennett's death.

Barry Bennett, 63, and his wife, Carol, were found dead in their home in Long Prairie, a small town about two hours northwest of Minneapolis, on Wednesday. Authorities have sought 22-year-old son Dylan Bennett since then and have charged him in absentia.

Barry and Carol Bennett were both shot. A criminal complaint said that Dylan Bennett's car was at the scene and an empty box for a 9 mm handgun along with ammunition was inside it.

Authorities said they traced transactions after the Bennetts' death suggesting Dylan Bennett had flown to Mexico, and a warrant has been issued.

The complaint said Barry Bennett reported in December that while in a mental health facility, Dylan had expressed thoughts of killing his parents.

Barry Bennett played 11 seasons with the New Orleans Saints, the New York Jets and the Minnesota Vikings.

The Vikings issued a statement Friday saying: "We are saddened by the tragic loss of former Vikings player Barry Bennett and his wife, Carol. Our thoughts are with their friends and family during this difficult time."

The Star Tribune reported that Bennett had retired from teaching physical education in Long Prairie. Superintendent Jon Kringen said Bennett rarely talked about his NFL career unless someone asked.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Miami and No. 8 Florida meet Saturday (7 p.m. ET, ESPN) for the first time since 2013 to kick off the 150th season of college football.

Though it might be hard to remember, Miami vs. Florida used to be the biggest, and only, in-state rivalry. The teams played every year between 1944 and 1987, until Florida decided to stop playing the game annually -- a move that still irks Miami fans. As soon as their rivalry stopped, the Miami-Florida State and Florida State-Florida matchups filled the void and grew in intensity as all three programs rose to prominence and often played with championship stakes on the line.

When the rivalry was held annually, the two teams played for a trophy called the Seminole War Canoe, an actual canoe hand-carved out of a 200-year-old cypress tree. It currently resides at the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame, and there are no plans for it to go anywhere. Miami says the trophy was intended to be awarded only to the annual rivalry game winner, and since this is no longer an annual rivalry game, the canoe stays in Miami. The Hurricanes won the final annual meeting with the Gators 31-4 in 1987.

With the renewal of their rivalry upon us, here is a look back at the five most memorable moments in the history of the Miami-Florida game.

1971: The Gator Flop, and a dip in the dolphin pool

Florida quarterback John Reaves needed 10 yards to break Jim Plunkett's NCAA career passing record of 7,544 yards. With the game winding down and the Gators leading 45-8, Miami had the ball and was driving down the field. Florida used its timeouts, and it was at this time Harvin Clark approached coach Doug Dickey and asked if they should let Miami score so Reaves could get the ball back. Finally, Dickey agreed -- but he had no idea what Harvin had in mind.

Harvin told ESPN in 2010, "So I went back in the huddle and said, 'Here's what we need to do. We have to get John back in the game. So when they hike the ball, I just want everyone to fall on the ground.' And I remember John Clifford, our free safety, saying, 'What? We have to play these guys next year.' And I said, 'Come on now, John. I'm the captain, and this is what we're gonna do.'"

So the Gator Flop came to be, as nearly every player on the Gators' defense fell onto the field, allowing Miami quarterback John Hornibrook to score an easy touchdown, giving the ball back to the Florida offense. Reaves set the record on a 15-yard pass to Carlos Alvarez as time expired. Miami coach Fran Curci was so incensed, he called it "the worst thing I have ever seen in football." He refused to shake Dickey's hand afterward. To celebrate, several Gators jumped into the dolphin pool in the east end zone of the Orange Bowl, home to the Miami Dolphins' actual mascot, Flipper. (Flipper was not in the pool at the time.)

1980 (and 2008!): Flying oranges and last-second field goals

That was not the last time these teams had issues running out the clock. In 1980, Florida fans started pelting Miami players with oranges after a late touchdown gave the Hurricanes a 28-7 lead. Then-Miami coach Howard Schnellenberger decided to do something about it. He called a last-minute timeout so he could add a field goal to the final score with 1 second remaining. Miami won 31-7. Schnellenberger said afterward, "I did that because I wanted the press to come and ask me why I kicked the field goal."

It took 28 years, but Urban Meyer returned the favor in 2008. Rather than take a knee with 25 seconds left in a blowout, Florida kicked a field goal to make it 26-3. Miami coach Randy Shannon briskly walked past Meyer and in his postgame comments said, "I'll just say this one statement. Sometimes when you do things, and people see what type of person you really are, you turn a lot of people off. Now, whatever you want to get out of that, I won't say it again. But it helped us. It helped us more than you'll ever know."

1984: Kosar magic

The 1984 Florida-Miami game was one of the first televised on ESPN, and it ranks as one of the best games in the series. The teams met at the old Tampa Stadium in front of more than 72,000 fans. It appeared as if Florida might pull the upset on the defending national champions. The Gators led 20-19 with 41 seconds remaining, but then Bernie Kosar delivered one of the most memorable plays in Miami history. He led Miami 72 yards in only 29 seconds, capped off by a 12-yard touchdown pass to Eddie Brown in the corner of the end zone with 7 seconds left, to go up 26-20. Florida's last pass went for a pick-six and Miami won 32-20, giving the Hurricanes possession of the vaunted Seminole War Canoe. It was Miami's 13th consecutive victory, and first under new coach Jimmy Johnson, though the Hurricanes would lose the following week to Michigan. As for Florida, it was the Gators' only loss that season, but the year was marred by NCAA violations that forced the resignation of coach Charley Pell and led to Florida vacating its SEC championship.

2000: Bourbon Street brawl

Miami and Florida were set to meet in New Orleans for the 2001 Sugar Bowl. What could possibly go wrong? In the first game between the schools since their series ended in 1987, nostalgia was high -- but so were tensions. Days before the game, Miami and Florida players encountered each other on Bourbon Street just past 11 p.m. Predictably, it did not end well. Approximately 10-15 players from the two teams got into a verbal altercation. Who started the fight remains unclear to this day, since both sides gave differing accounts to their coaches and police. Soon, the fight spilled over to a nearby pizza restaurant, where one person involved in the fight fell through a window. The owner of the pizza place told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel at the time, "If somebody in here had been in the way, they would have been trampled. It was a bunch of guys, fighting each other, running around and chasing each other. There were so many of them."

Florida linebacker Alex Brown had a swollen left eye at media availability the following day. Brown said he didn't know who hit him, but said, "I wish I knew who did it. I'd kill him." Incredibly, no players were suspended as coaches Butch Davis and Steve Spurrier played it off as a "minor verbal confrontation." Miami beat Florida 37-20 in the actual game, setting the stage for its epic 2001 championship team. Years later, Miami tight end Jeremy Shockey said in the 30 for 30 documentary "The U Part 2" that Spurrier told him after the game, "You guys definitely deserved it. We got our ass beat off the field and on." Spurrier vehemently denied this, saying after the film came out, "They never called me and said, 'Did you say that?' But that's not the first time in life somebody put a quote on me that I didn't say. I did say most of them, but not that one."

2003: Brock Berlin's revenge

This one still makes Florida fans nauseous. Brock Berlin, one of the most highly touted quarterbacks coming out of high school in Louisiana, chose to sign with Spurrier and Florida. But after Spurrier left for the Redskins and Ron Zook became the head coach, Berlin decided to transfer to ... Miami, a personal affront to Gators fans everywhere. He earned a permanent place in the rivalry after his career-best day against the Gators.

"It was a very emotional week leading into that game," Berlin recalled in a recent phone interview with ESPN. "No. 1, it was my first start in the Orange Bowl, so there was a lot of emotion with that in itself, but to be able to play against my former teammates at Florida made it even better."

Florida took a 33-10 lead into the third quarter, but Berlin saw a spark in his teammates after he threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Beard with four minutes left in the third quarter. Then just before the third quarter ended, Miami scored again. "We got into a rhythm. We gained momentum," Berlin said. "For me, it was one of those out-of-body experiences. You knew we're not walking out of here without a win."

Berlin battled cramps in the fourth quarter but refused to let it deter him, and Miami kept rolling -- scoring 28 unanswered points to win 38-33. To celebrate, he did the Gator chomp in front of the Florida section. "You can't dream up that scenario," Berlin said. "You can't dream up the way that game played out."

SALT LAKE CITY -- Tom Nissalke, who won coach of the year honors in the NBA and ABA, has died. He was 87.

Nissalke passed away at his home in Salt Lake City on Thursday after facing a "series of health-related problems" in recent years, according to the Deseret News .

He was the first coach of the Utah Jazz after the franchise relocated from New Orleans in 1979. Nissalke was also an NBA head coach in Seattle, Houston and Cleveland.

Nissalke got his start in the pro ranks as an assistant with Milwaukee and helped guide a team featuring Hall of Famers Oscar Robertson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to an NBA title in 1971. His work with the Bucks landed him a head coaching gig with the ABA's Dallas Chaparrals. He led them to a 42-42 record in his first season and was named the league's top coach.

He was hired the next season in Seattle, but was fired after a 13-32 start. Nissalke then coached the Utah Stars and San Antonio before returning to the NBA with the Rockets. He won 124 games in three seasons with Houston, twice taking the team to the playoffs and the 1977 Eastern Conference finals.

Nissalke was named the NBA's Coach of the Year after going 49-33 in 1976-77.

After retiring, he was active with the YMCA and worked as a radio analyst.

Nissalke is survived by a daughter, Holly, son Thomas Jr, and two grandchildren. His wife, Nancy, died in 2006.

Investigators for the Sacramento Kings and the NBA determined that, based on available evidence, there was "not a sufficient basis to support" the sexual assault allegations made against Kings head coach Luke Walton.

According to a Friday statement from the Kings and the NBA, Kelli Tennant, who alleged that Walton sexually assaulted her in 2014, did not participate in their investigation.

Tennant, a former host on Spectrum SportsNet LA, the Lakers' regional sports network, filed a civil lawsuit against Walton in April. During a news conference, Tennant said that Walton assaulted her in a Santa Monica, California, hotel room. Walton was an assistant with the Golden State Warriors at the time.

"Out of nowhere, he got on top of me and pinned me down to the bed and held my arms down with all of his weight while he kissed my neck and my face and my chest," Tennant said at an April news conference, adding that when she asked him to get off, "he laughed at me."

Walton said in a statement Friday that he is "100% focused on coaching the Sacramento Kings, and energized to work with this incredible group of players and coaches as we start the preseason. I will have no further comment."

Walton said in a court brief filed back in July that the allegations against him are not backed up by facts and are designed to attract media attention. Walton's court filing claims that Tennant filed a lawsuit nearly five years after the alleged assault, which the brief calls a "pleasant encounter," after she quit two jobs and needed money.

The Kings and the NBA launched a joint investigation into the allegations in April. The investigatory team was led by Sue Ann Van Dermyden, from the Sacramento law firm Van Dermyden Maddux, and Elizabeth Maringer, senior vice president and assistant general counsel of the NBA.

The Kings on Friday released a separate statement about Walton, saying he "is our head coach, and we support him and his team as they continue to prepare for the upcoming season."

The investigation is considered closed unless new evidence becomes available, the Kings and the NBA said.

Middle-distance man puts teaching career on hold to focus on World Champs and Olympics

Jamie Webb is ranked No.1 in one of the most competitive events at this weekend’s Müller British Championships in Birmingham – the men’s 800m. The 25-year-old faces arguably the strongest field for years in the event and he knows there is no room for error if he wants to qualify for the IAAF World Championships in Doha.

“It’s going to be an incredible domestic showdown,” he says. “Realistically you could end up with the whole final who are able to make the team.”

In the quest for excellence, Webb recently put his teaching career on hold in order to focus on training 100% in the run-up to Doha and the Tokyo Olympics next year. His last day as a teacher was one month ago and he wasted no time in setting a PB of 1:44.52 the following day at the Müller Anniversary Games in London.

However, in Birmingham this weekend he will face another sub-1:45 man this year in the shape of Kyle Langford, together with Elliot Giles, who finished top Brit at last weekend’s Diamond League in Birmingham, plus Guy Learmonth, Andrew Osagie, Thomas Staines, Spencer Thomas and UK junior record-holder Max Burgin, among others.

“I’m feeling good,” says Webb. “Birmingham last weekend was a funny one for me (Webb placed fourth, one position behind Giles in a race won by Ireland’s Mark English). I got a bit caught up with the race at 500m and got a bit too aggressive and it came back to bite me in the home straight with the wind and the lactic.”

It was a reminder for Webb that this weekend won’t be easy. “If I want to compete with the best in Doha and be in the final then I have to be one of the top three in Britain,” he says. “There is not much room for manoeuvre this weekend. I have to produce my best or I won’t be going to Doha.”

Webb was a bit of a late starter in athletics. He says he “messed around” in other sports as a teenager and didn’t begin running seriously until he was in his late teens. His dad, Adrian, began coaching him at Liverpool Harriers but more recently he has also benefited from the advice and experience of Matt Yates – the 1992 European indoor 1500m gold medallist.

“My dad and Matt will both be there this weekend,” Webb says, explaining the coaching partnership. “We also have three people competing this weekend so we’ll be there as a team. We’re all working on a common goal and the way we work together has become more fluent over time.”

Such is Webb’s progress, he has beaten Yates’ PB of 1:45.05 and also the Liverpool Harriers club record of 1:44.92 which was held by Curtis Robb – a world and Olympic 800m finalist in the 1990s.

With Burgin breaking age-group records and GB juniors Oliver Dustin, Ben Pattison and Fin Mclear sweeping the medals at the European Under-20 Championships, too, some are describing the current 800m crop as the strongest since the 1980s and the days of Seb Coe, Steve Cram, Steve Ovett and Peter Elliott.

“It’d be amazing to lift the sport to that level of popularity again,” says Webb, who won European indoor silver earlier this year in Glasgow (pictured below). “I don’t think any target is out of reach but I see myself as improving by about one second a year, which I’ve done a good job of so far.”

His current “sabbatical”, as he calls it, from teaching cannot be harming his athletics but is he feeling the benefits yet? “It’s a bit too early to tell,” he says, “as I usually have summer off anyway. It’s not really kicked in yet that I’m full time. I’ll probably feel the benefits more in winter when I have a bigger volume of training.

“But if I want to do well at the Olympics then the work I need to put into that isn’t sustainable alongside a full-time job,” he adds.

Webb says he is 3kg heavier than last year and is lifting more in the weights room but is doing one less weights session per week, which is making his legs fresher for running sessions. He says he has always been aerobically strong but it now also one second quicker over 200m than he was previously. Weights aside, this might be linked to him shortening the length of his hill reps in recent months.

He plans to add more to his routine, too, as he explains: “I’ve got the chance to restructure my whole life and improve my nutrition, do a bit more yoga, focus more on recovery and quality sleep, etc. From now on I hope to have some spare time after running rather than trying to do running in my spare time.

“Now is the perfect time for me to do it full-time. A lot of people do it before university and don’t know what to do with themselves but I’m 25 and I didn’t really start training until I was 18.”