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Stokes 'definitely on course' to bowl in first Ashes Test
He appeared to jar his left knee - which he has had to manage carefully for several years - when taking a catch at short fine leg to dismiss Curtis Campher, and was restricted in his movement in the field for the rest of Ireland's second innings.
"I actually didn't pick it [the ball] up, and I actually landed quite awkwardly on it [my knee]," Stokes said at the post-match presentation, when asked about the catch. "My weight went on the inside of my knee, like I hyper-extended."
Stokes insisted on the eve of the Test that he was fit to bowl against Ireland, though he added that there should not be "doom and gloom" if he did not. He briefly bowled in the warm-ups on the third morning with bowling coach David Saker watching on, and said he was "really happy" with how it felt.
"I bowled this morning - the first time I'd bowled since being back from India, so it would have been about four weeks actually," he said. "I got through that and was really happy with where I was. So no, nothing [for England fans] to worry about."
He later suggested that his grimaces after completing the catch owed mainly to his age. "I was really happy with how I bowled [before play]," Stokes said. "I bowled for about 20 minutes and I got through that really well. Obviously I have got time to build up before I push back into flat out, but I just landed quite awkwardly when I took that catch.
"I didn't quite see it so had to adjust myself and landed on my left leg and it twisted in a really strange way. It was fine, I just don't know what really happened. It was one of those things - but I am 32 tomorrow so that probably explains it."
Asked if he would consider leaving himself out of the starting XI at any stage of the Ashes - a policy that Eoin Morgan occasionally took during his tenure as white-ball captain, though never at a major tournament - Stokes' response was blunt: "No, of course not. That's not even something we've even spoken about because I'm fully prepared to be bowling at Edgbaston."
Speaking to the BBC's Test Match Special, Stokes added that he was "taking the positives" and that he "wouldn't have bowled in this match… unless everyone else went down".
England named an unchanged 16-man squad for the first two Ashes Tests on Saturday afternoon, which will report to Birmingham on June 12 before training on June 13, three days before the start of the Edgbaston Test.
In the meantime, Stokes is among a number of players due to travel to Scotland to play golf next weekend, while Australia are playing India in the World Test Championship final at The Oval.
"The new way is you get as ready as you possibly can and whatever you do, you just get yourself in the right frame of mind for the games you've got coming up," Stokes said. "This was obviously a great opportunity for us to get back together as a group and we'll be doing that again before the Ashes.
"We'll get together and spend some quality time together as a group and have some fun together before the big Ashes series starts. We're really looking forward to it."
Hope set to continue as 'more aggressive' enforcer at No.4
"It's a ticklish one, but I'm happy to bat wherever the team needs [me to]," Hope said. "Going forward, I think No.4 would give us a bit more stability. In the past, we've had some tough time in the middle overs, especially against spin. But in this series, you may see a bit of a change; the batting line-up may be a bit different to what we're accustomed to. Yeah, I think No.4 is the position that I'll stay at for a period of time and hopefully that continues to work for West Indies."
Hope attributed his boundary-laden knock in East London to both situational awareness and improvement in his power game. He had also displayed signs of his power during his BPL stint with Khulna Tigers and PSL stint with Lahore Qalandars. He batted at No.3 or No.4 in those tournaments as well. Hope encourages the rest of West Indies' batting line-up to play with similar freedom rather than just trying to protect their wickets.
"I think the way how cricket is being played now, you got to pretty much keep up with the times and find ways to adapt and improve our game," Hope said. "I'm trying to be a bit more aggressive in strokeplay and it's something I want to stem down to the team as well and want to focus on trying to find ways to score. I think in the past, we just tried to occupy the crease too much rather than executing our strengths because we're known for scoring and especially scoring boundaries."
Most of West Indies' senior players, including Nicholas Pooran, Jason Holder, Rovman Powell and Kyle Mayers, are on a break after the IPL, but Hope backed the youngsters and fringe players to step up and work up some momentum ahead of the World Cup qualifier, which is set to begin on June 18.
"[Want to] continue development and try to get some progression from here in the UAE," Hope said. "Just trying to see the fellas improve in whatever way we can. I know it's going to be a long and hard journey, but I just want to see some progression and that 1% improvement every single day."
Hope is enthused by the growth of Brandon King who has batted at the top as well as in the middle for West Indies in the recent past. King has been promoted to vice-captaincy for the UAE tour and could be among the contenders to become defending champions Jamaica Tallawahs' captain in CPL 2023.
"Firstly, I just love to see him bat - whether it's in the nets or whether it's in the middle," Hope said of King. "He's one of those guys who I can relate to as well as a batter and as a person. So, I'm just hoping he can continue in this stead. He's been improving a lot, especially in his mindset towards the game, towards batting, and towards scoring runs. I must commend him for that.
"His role is a lot more important now because he's now opening the batting for us, so he has his work cut out for him. I'm very sure he's capable of doing the job for us and hope he can continue in this way."
Source: Blue Jackets to hire Babcock as coach
Mike Babcock is expected to become the next head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets, an NHL source confirmed to ESPN on Saturday.
TSN first reported the news.
Babcock, 60, last coached the Toronto Maple Leafs for five seasons before he was fired in November 2019. He had an eight-year contract with the Leafs that runs through June 30, after which he's expected to join Columbus.
The Blue Jackets are still working on the details of their next coach's deal and wouldn't confirm that coach was Babcock. Their previous coach, Brad Larsen, was fired in April after two seasons.
Columbus missed the playoffs for the third straight season, finishing last in the Eastern Conference with a .360 points percentage -- the second-worst finish in franchise history. That was after the Blue Jackets made the biggest free agent splash of the offseason, bringing in star winger Johnny Gaudreau on a seven-year contract to join players such as Patrik Laine and defenseman Zach Werenski, who was limited to 13 games in 2022-23 due to injury.
Babcock has coached 1,301 games in the NHL with the Leafs, Detroit Red Wings and Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. He led the 2008 Red Wings to the Stanley Cup. His teams have won three conference championships (Ducks in 2003, Red Wings in 2008 and 2009). His 700 wins is the 13th most all time, and his .608 points percentage is the fourth best among NHL coaches with at least 1,000 games.
He also coached Team Canada to Olympic gold in 2010 and 2014. Rick Nash, director of player development for the Blue Jackets, was a member of both teams.
But Babcock's reputation was tarnished after his time in Toronto, following multiple accusations of mental abuse of players. Former Red Wings forward Johan Franzen, in the Swedish media outlet Expressen, accused Babcock of "verbal attacks" that, at one point, caused Franzen to break down on the bench and dread coming to the arena.
When Toronto forward Mitch Marner was a rookie, Babcock had him make a list of his teammates ranked by how much effort they gave on the ice. Babcock then shared the list with the players who were at the bottom of that ranking, much to the embarrassment of Marner. The incident was reported to then-general manager Lou Lamoriello.
Chris Chelios, now an ESPN commentator, told the "Spittin' Chiclets" podcast in 2019 that the accusations were "coming out to haunt Babcock for not so much his coaching as the way he treated people." Chelios cited when Babcock scratched Hockey Hall of Famer Mike Modano to prevent him from hitting 1,500 career games and when he made veteran Jason Spezza a healthy scratch for the Leafs' 2019 season opener against the Ottawa Senators, Spezza's former team.
After Babcock was fired, Leafs president Brendan Shanahan said his coaching tactics were not "appropriate or acceptable," given how times had changed in the NHL.
"We have to evolve," Shanahan said in 2019. "We all came from a certain generation where things occurred to us as players that we just sort of accepted. We all have to do a better job of just creating that kind of work environment on the ice and off the ice."
The Brooklyn Nets are hiring Kevin Ollie as an assistant coach, sources told ESPN on Saturday.
Ollie, who won an NCAA championship as Connecticut's coach in 2014, had been a finalist for the Detroit Pistons' head-coaching job this spring.
Ollie joins a reshaped coaching staff for Jacque Vaughn's first full season as the Nets coach. Ollie spent the past two years as head of coaching and player development for the Overtime Elite program in Atlanta that has become a premier feeder program for professional basketball.
After going undrafted out of UConn, Ollie spent 13 seasons in the NBA and built a reputation as a trusted leader and teammate.
In September, Ollie and UConn agreed on a settlement of $3.9 million in a potential federal race discrimination suit that he had considered against UConn. That payout included claimed reputational damages and attorney's fees to end what had been a lengthy legal battle between UConn and Ollie since his firing in 2018 for allegedly violating NCAA rules.
The Cincinnati Reds placed TJ Friedl on the 10-day injured list due to a left hamstring strain on Saturday and promoted fellow outfielder T.J. Hopkins from Triple-A Louisville.
Friedl's move is retroactive to Wednesday for the Reds, who transferred left-hander Nick Lodolo to the 60-day injured list.
Friedl, 27, is hitting .326 with three homers and 20 RBIs in 42 games with the Reds this season.
Hopkins, 26, is batting .341 with seven homers, 27 RBIs and 31 runs in 50 games this season with Louisville.
Lodolo, 25, is dealing with a stress reaction in his left tibia. He is 2-1 with a 6.29 ERA in seven starts this season.
PITTSBURGH -- Oneil Cruz's days in crutches are numbered. Ditto for the walking boot used to protect the broken left ankle suffered during an awkward slide home in early April..
Recovery for the 24-year-old Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop remains on track, meaning he could return sometime late this summer, barring any setbacks.
Cruz's left leg rolled up underneath him after he collided with Chicago White Sox catcher Seby Zavala. He had surgery the next day, and the team optimistically said it expected him to miss four months, a timeline it has not deviated from as his rehab reaches the halfway point.
"You never want to get hurt, obviously, but that's part of the game and it happens to me," Cruz said through an interpreter. "I'm just going to take it the way it is and get better as soon as possible."
The Pirates entered play Saturday at 29-27, a half-game back of Milwaukee for first place in the NL Central.
The club has used a handful of players at short to fill in for Cruz -- Rodolfo Castro, Tucupita Marcano, Ji Hwan Bae and Chris Owings -- but none possesses his unique mix of size, power and speed.
"Every time I see them doing well, it makes me happy," Cruz said.
Cruz believes he is poised to come back stronger than he was before the injury, and the Pirates have been adamant that the hope is he'll return this season.
"I should be good when I get out there because when I go out there, I understand I'm not going to hesitate," Cruz said. "I'm just going to go out there and do my best."
Tributes paid to athletics journalist ‘Captain’ Dave Martin
Track and field writer from North East England worked for the Great Run Company, Press Association and AW
Athletics legends such as Paula Radcliffe, Haile Gebrselassie and Kenenisa Bekele have paid their respects to Dave Martin, the popular athletics journalist, who has died aged 75.
Known affectionately as “the Captain” due to his military background, Martin’s coverage of the sport during the 1990s and turn of the millennium in particular were read by millions of people due to his roles as athletics correspondent of the Press Association, press officer at Nova International (the forerunner to the Great Run Company) and as chief contributing editor with Athletics Weekly.
Such was his reputation, the tributes have come flooding in from former colleagues and athletics greats who he worked with at press conferences and finish line interviews in events like the Great North Run.
Radcliffe, former world marathon champion and record-holder, said: “The Captain was truly a unique, special and much loved man. He was the life and soul of any event, a journalist with ethics as well as someone who brought athletics to the forefront. Through my early successes he was right there, if not at the finish then through those Sunday night congratulatory phone calls. They don’t make them like Dave Martin any more, he was a one off that many of us will miss dearly and always raise a glass in his memory.”
Gebrselassie, multiple world record-breaker and global gold medallist, said: “I am saddened by the death of Dave Martin. I want to send my condolences to the family for losing such great man, whose career has helped shape the athletics world, and thus myself. He was one of a kind. I remember him fondly, especially when we saw each other near his home town in South Shields, finish of the Great North Run. Dear Dave, rest in peace.”
Gebrselassie’s fellow Ethiopian running legend Bekele, added: “Always a smiling and friendly face whether Olympics, Gateshead or Ostrava. He christened me “Kenny” when I first broke through and it stuck. I know it was because he couldn’t say Kenenisa but he was always the first person I wanted to speak to after a race. His type will always be missed.”
Sir Brendan Foster, founder of the Great North Run and distance running legend, said: “He was an asset to the sport and gave his life and heart to athletics and the army. His was indeed a Captain of both.”
Dave Martin with Said Aouita (Mark Shearman)
Jos Hermens, the athletics agent and former international distance runner, said: “A great man is gone. Dave Martin has lived many lives in good and bad times, but always full of life, full of stories, full of sports. He was the No.1 athletics geek in the world. He has helped the sport so much forward. We will always be grateful to him for that. He adored athletics – and we adored him.
John Caine, who worked with Martin at Nova, offered some nice anecdotes, saying: “Like all of us, I was deeply saddened by the news of the death of a dear friend, Dave Martin – “The Captain” to all of his athletics family.
“Some thought his florid complexion was responsible for his nickname, referencing Captain Scarlet, but indeed he was a Captain in the British Army. Being a career soldier, Dave joined the army as a teenager, eventually retiring in his 40s. He rose through the ranks from a humble squaddie to Captain and depending on his behaviour he went up and down the ranks on a couple of occasions.
“His ‘behaviour’ was legendary and working with him for over 20 years everyone at The Great Run Company was exposed to his savage sense of humour and on occasions his outrageous exhibitionism. Behind his hard drinking and hard living lifestyle he was passionate about athletics and a very good journalist who recognised the difference between – news, a good story and puerile gossip.
His journalistic career started as a 16-year-old steeplechaser and cross country runner who wrote reports on the exploits of his South Shields Harriers team for the local newspapers. Referencing a good performance of his own, he once modestly concluded one of his reports with the sentence: “And on this occasion your scribe finished a creditable 6th in the youths’ race.”
From these lowly beginnings he ended up writing for The Army News (following the army’s highest profile sportsman Kriss Akabusi all over the world) Athletics Weekly, the IAAF and eventually working for the PA. He finally ended up serving as Press Officer and writer for our company.
“After retirement from military life, he returned to his home town of South Shields where for almost a decade he sat as a JP on the bench of the town’s magistrates court bringing his wide range of life experience and idiosyncratic style of justice to the local reprobates.
“Dealing one Monday morning with the detritus of another alcohol fuelled weekend in South Shields, he was presented with a dire specimen – a sorry looking, hung over, unshaven and dishevelled football yob complete with beer stained black and white Newcastle United shirt. From the bench, a smiling Dave commented: ‘A Newcastle fan, are we?’
“Sensing he might receive a sympathetic hearing from a fellow Newcastle fan, the defendant raised a smile and said, ‘yes, sir’. Dave’s reply: “Not your lucky day, Sunshine, is it? I’m a Sunderland fan!”
With thanks to Matthew Turnbull.
Kevin Dourbecker Turns the Tables, Surprise Winner in Amman
Bronze medallist earlier this year in both Egypt and Brazil, Frenchman Kevin Dourbecker emerged the biggest surprise winner at the Al-Watani Para Championships 2023, play concluding in Amman on Saturday 3rd June, following three days of action.
Not seeded, competing in men’s singles class 7, in the group stage of play, he was beaten by Jean-Paul Montanus of the Netherlands, the top seed (3-11, 11-6, 9-11, 11-6, 11-9); second position, a place in the main draw, in the penultimate round he accounted for Egypt’s Sayed Youssef, the no.2 seed (11-8, 11-13, 13-15, 11-8, 11-5) to book a second meeting with Jean-Paul Montanus.
A further full distance five games contest ensued, only this time the verdict in favour of the 33-year-old Frenchman from Lagny sur Marne (11-6, 4-11, 9-11, 11-8, 11-8).
Success against the odds for one Frenchman, it was the same for another, Yorick Adjal emerged the winner in men’s singles class 3, in so doing he ended the ambitions of the host nation’s Osama Abu Jame to retain the title claimed one year ago.
The no.3 seed, he beat the Jordanian, the top seed, at the semi-final stage (11-5, 11-9, 5-11, 11-9), before securing gold at the final expense of Egypt’s Khaled Ramadan, the no.2 seed (11-6, 11-6, 11-7).
Unexpected wins for France, it was the same for India, Iraq, the Korea Republic.
Kunal Arora flew the flag for India, finishing in first place in a men’s singles class 8 group event; Canada’s top seed, Ian Kent having to settle for fourth place.
Iraq’s Abdulrahaman Shafeeq, not seeded, accounted for Egypt’s Abdelrahman Abdelwahab, the top seed, to claim men’s singles class 10 gold (11-7, 11-9, 11-2).
Less an upset Kim Hakjin, the no.2 seed, overcame Korea Republic colleague Park Jungsoo at the final hurdle in men’s singles class 1 (8-11, 11-8, 6-11, 11-5, 11-9) to claim the top prize.
Otherwise, for the men, it was success for the top seeds. Egypt’s Samed Eid (class 4) and Hassan Tolba (class 5) enjoyed success as did Slovakia’s Jan Riapos (class 2) and Iran’s Naser Dehghanpour (class 9) alongside India’s Yesdi Bhamgara (class 6).
Somewhat differently, for the women, in each category the leading names prevailed.
Evanthia Bournia of Greece (class 1), Slovakia’s Alena Kanova (class 2-3) and Jordan’s Faten El-Elimat (class 4-5) enjoyed success in the wheelchair events.
Likewise, in the standing categories it was gold for Iraq’s Najlah Al-Dayyeni (class 6), Kelly van Zon of the Netherlands (class 7), France’s Lucie Hautière (class 8) and India Baby Ravi (class 9-10).
Titles for Faten El-Elimat, Kelly van Zon and Baby Ravi, as matters progressed there was further gold for the trio.
Partnering Osama Abu Jame, Faten El-Elimat brought the tournament to a conclusion, securing the mixed doubles class 7 top prize; the success coming soon after Kelly van Zon had joined forces with Jean-Paul Montanus to win mixed doubles class 14, after Baby Ravi had emerged the most successful of all.
She concluded proceedings as the only player to complete the clean sweep of three titles. In addition to women’s singles class 10, competing in class 20, partnering colleagues, she claimed women’s doubles gold alongside Devyani Walhe, the mixed doubles top prize with Jotiram Chougule.
Otherwise, it was very much honours shared.
In the men’s doubles there was success for Korea Republic’s Park Jungsoo and Egypt’s Khaled Ramadan (class 4), India’s Yesdi Bhamgara and Sanjeev Hammannavar (class 14) as well as for Egypt’s Abdelrahman Abdelwahab and Sayed Youssef (class 18).
Victory for Egypt, in the women’s doubles, it was gold for Hagar El-Sayed and Hanna Hammad (class 10) in addition to Fawzia El-Shamy. She partnered Saudi Arabia’s Maryam Al-Myrisl (class 5) to the top prize. In the one further women’s doubles event, it was success for Iraq’s Hadeed Al-Waeli and Rusul Al-Waeli (class 10).
Meanwhile, in the mixed doubles there were smiles for Kuwait. Khalifa Al-Qasem partnered Iraq’s Hadeel Al-Waeli (class 4) to victory. Similarly, Ali Alsanea triumphed in harness with Bulgaria’s Valentina Marcheva (class 17).
Positive outcomes for Kuwait, in the remaining mixed doubles event it was gold for Egypt. The victorious pairing being Hassan Tolba and Faiza Mahmoud (class 10).
Attention now turns to the Youth Para Pan American Games 2023, three days of table tennis action, play commenced on Friday 2nd June.
Barcelona recovered from two goals down as they beat VfL Wolfsburg 3-2 to win the UEFA Women's Champions League on Saturday in a thrilling final at the Philips Stadion in Eindhoven.
Fridolina Rolfo struck the winner in the 70th minute after Patri Guijarro had scored twice in two minutes at the start of the second half as Barca fought back to claim the trophy for the second time in three years.
Goals from Ewa Pajor and Alexandra Popp had given two-time winners Wolfsburg a comfortable lead going into half-time, but the German side collapsed after the break as Barca ramped up the pressure.
Barca were appearing in their fourth final in the last five years and the manner of their comeback will give way to arguments that they are now the dominant team in European football.
Lyon will rightly contest that, though. They have won six of the last eight Champions Leagues and have never lost in the competition to Barca, who they beat in the 2019 and 2022 finals.
However, Jonatan Giraldez's side are here to stay. They won a fourth straight Liga F title in Spain, too, and recently saw a 64-game unbeaten streak in the league ended.
Wolfsburg's season, meanwhile, ends in disappointment. They also missed out on the Frauen-Bundesliga, pipped to top spot by Bayern Munich, although they did win the DFB-Pokal Frauen.
"I am so emotional ... I never thought this would happent," Rolfo said postmatch. "At 2-0, at the beginning, I thought we can do it. It was really hard, but we showed so much mentality today and I am so proud of the team."
Barca, who beat Wolfsburg 5-3 on aggregate in last year's semifinal, were favourites going into the game but produced a first half performance which brought back memories of last year's final defeat to Lyon, when they trailed 3-0 after 33 minutes.
It took just three minutes for Wolfsburg to open the scoring. Lucy Bronze was caught on the ball by Poland forward Pajor, who smashed home her ninth goal in this season's competition from the edge of the box.
Irene Paredes and Caroline Graham Hansen both missed great chances to level before Barca were once again caught out at the back. Popp outmuscled Mapi Leon to find space in the box and head home Pajor's cross in the 37th minute, scoring in her fourth Champions League final.
Salma Paralluelo almost pulled one back before half-time, but she was denied by a fine save by Merle Frohms. Frohms could not come to Wolfsburg's rescue in the second half, though, as they buckled under intense pressure in the first five minutes after the break.
Graham Hansen did brilliantly to set up Guijarro to turn home in the 48th minute and, two minutes later, the midfielder added her second goal of the game, heading in an Aitana Bonmati cross.
Barca took control of the ball from there, but Wolfsburg remained a threat on the break. Pajor twice drew saves from Sandra Panos.
The Spanish champions always looked the more likely to go on and win the game, though, and that proved the case when Sweden international Rolfo took advantage of some hesitant defending to rifle home against her former side with 20 minutes to play and settle the final.
Two-time Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas, who only recently returned from an anterior cruciate ligament injury, came off the bench late on to help Barca see out seven minutes of stoppage time to spark celebrations among the more than 10,000 Blaugrana supporters in Eindhoven.
"I think this game had every emotion you could possibly have," Graham Hansen said. "From two goals down, then we score two quick goals and then you have to wait... but champions again. I am so happy.
"At half-time, 2-0 down, I had a big flashback from the last final, and it was like, it's not going to happen again. We go out there and turn the game around and win it."
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has defended David De Gea after the goalkeeper was criticised for his role in Manchester City's second goal in the FA Cup final on Saturday.
City won 2-1 at Wembley thanks to Ilkay Gundogan's double as Pep Guardiola's team took another step towards a historic Treble.
- Dawson: City outclass United to lift FA Cup
- The VAR Review: Grealish handball, Casemiro red card
Gundogan scored his first goal after just 12 seconds -- the quickest ever FA Cup final goal -- but his second came from a weak shot from the edge of the penalty area which De Gea failed to stop.
It prompted further criticism of the Spaniard, who is out of contract this summer, after recent mistakes against Sevilla and West Ham United but afterwards Ten Hag stuck up for the 32-year-old.
"In this moment, I don't want to talk about such issues of criticism because we played all a great season -- including David De Gea, he played a fantastic season," Ten Hag said.
De Gea is expected to stay at Old Trafford with negotiations about a new contract at an advanced stage but asked specifically about De Gea's kicking, Ten Hag accepted there must be improvement.
"Say it like this, we are in the right direction," Ten Hag added. "But there are occasions in the game, issues in the game we have to improve, definitely, if we want to make the next step and win trophies."
Following defeat in the FA Cup final, Ten Hag is facing a crucial summer as he looks to continue his rebuild of the squad.
Transfer plans have not been helped by uncertainty over the club's ownership, although a decision is expected sooner about whether British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe or Qatari businessman Sheikh Jassim have been successful in their attempts to take over.
"I have only one plan, that is to improve this club and to improve this team," Ten Hag said. "I have my ideas and I already told the club what we have to do for that but I have to work with my staff, with my players to be better next season.
"It's not about getting players in and they do well. It's about we work all season and day by day to develop the team, progress the team. I'm very proud where we came from in the start of the season."
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