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Alun Wyn Jones says there is still "a lot of life" left in him despite remaining quiet over his future.

Jones led Barbarians to victory over Steve Hansen's World XV on Sunday.

The former Wales captain, who announced his shock retirement from international rugby last week, has yet to confirm if he will play on at all next season.

However he said after the Twickenham showpiece: "There's a lot of life left in me. Whether that's in rugby, I don't know yet."

Jones, 37, is effectively out of contract with Ospreys, where has spent his entire professional career, though has yet to discuss plans with the regions beyond the summer.

He opted against wearing the socks of his club side Ospreys at Twickenham - as is tradition with the invitational Barbarians side - and instead wore the red and black of his boyhood club Bonymaen.

Jones set up one try in the Barbarians 48-42 Killick Cup win, but missed two conversions, including the final kick of the game.

He has confirmed, however, he will play again for the Barbarians this week against Swansea as part of his hometown club's 150th anniversary.

"I've got a big game for Swansea Rugby Club's 150th anniversary, so I'm going to try to get fit for that one now, I've got two days to try to recover from this," he told Channel 5.

"By the looks of my kicking I might have to play a few more to get that right! I don't necessarily know what's happening next, I'll just enjoy this moment with these players and our families and go from there."

His Barbarians coach and namesake Eddie Jones jokingly branded his kicking "disgraceful", but admitted he was happy not to be facing Jones at this autumn's World Cup.

Jones is head coach of Australia, who are in the same pool as Wales in France.

"There are two things. For very few players does it end like a fairy-tale; it ends on someone else's terms and not your own," said Jones.

"Secondly, he'll be remembered as one of the great competitors. If you look at the Welsh side that he led over the last period of time, they've competed hard in every game they've played in and same with the Lions.

"He's one of those players that you hated coaching against, because you knew he was going to be at it, at the referee, and doing everything to get his team in the hunt.

"However after coaching him today, I've changed my attitude towards him. I love him."

Israel Folau was booed after scoring a try for a World XV as former England coach Eddie Jones won on his return to Twickenham with the Barbarians.

Folau was jeered by parts of the 32,500 crowd when he crossed for one of the 14 tries in a thrilling contest that ended 48-42 to the Baa-Baas.

The 34-year-old was sacked by Rugby Australia in 2019 after making anti-gay comments on social media.

The Rugby Football Union (RFU) flew a Pride flag at Twickenham.

World XV head coach Steve Hansen said: "We don't necessarily have to agree with each other on our opinions but you are entitled to have one.

"You can't be punished for the rest of your life for having an opinion that most of us disagree with.

"I've always believed that you can't help somebody change by leaving them on the outside."

Hansen's opposite number Jones, meanwhile, was back at the place he called home for seven years until he was sacked in December.

The Australian had departed with boos ringing in his ears at the end of England's autumn campaign, after a run of five wins in 12 games in 2022.

But he was given a warm welcome back as he led his team through the Twickenham gates.

The loudest cheer of the day, though, was reserved for Alun Wyn Jones when he missed a conversion with the final kick of the game.

The Barbarians captain, who retired from Test rugby last week, opted against wearing the socks of his club Ospreys - as is tradition with the invitational side - and instead wore the red and black of his boyhood club Bonymaen.

Jones, who is out of contract with the Ospreys, has not confirmed whether he will continue at club or regional level next season.

Steve Hansen's World XV stormed 21-5 ahead with three converted tries inside 18 minutes through Sebastian Negri, Sbu Nkosi and Folau, who was booed when he first touched the ball in the fifth minute, then again when he crossed.

There was little of the traditional Barbarian sprit about their first try - a 10-man shove from a line-out finished by wing Adam Radwan.

But they found their rhythm with scores by Tevita Li, Seta Tamanivalu and the pick of the bunch from Stephan Lewies after a move full of side-steps and offloads.

Gareth Anscombe galloped over from 30 metres before half-time, and when replacement Sam Johnson scored twice either side of Bryn Hall's effort, Barbarians were 43-35 ahead.

Nkosi, earlier denied an acrobatic effort, went over for his second, and Rhys Patchell's conversion meant there was just one point in it for the final five minutes.

But centre Tamanivalu went over direct from a penalty for the winning score, and handed Jones an effort at goal.

The Wales lock - the most-capped player in international rugby history - had pushed an earlier effort wide from the exact same position.

Despite raucous support, his second effort was even worse, but it did not dampen the cheers from his team.

Barbarians coach Jones said: "It was fantastic to be back. It brought back good memories.

"As a coach you rarely get to leave on your own terms but I spent seven years here, the longest I've ever coach a team, so I loved every minute of being back. The sun was shining so no overcoat or scarf, fantastic."

Line-ups

Barbarians: Anscombe; Radwan, Tamanivalu, Kerevi, Li; Cooper, Maunder; Waller, Dolly, Pieretto, AW Jones (captain), Lewies, Wainwright, Yamamoto, Luatua.

Replacements:Thacker, West, Sadie, Simmons, Vailanu, Hougaard, Cruden, Johnson.

World XV: Piutau; Folau, Radradra, Laumape, Nkosi; Hastings, Phipps; W Jones, Brown, Kebble, Ratuniyarawa, Hockings, Negri, Lamaro (captain), Mata.

Replacements: Piutau; Folau, Radradra, Laumape, Nkosi; Hastings, Phipps; W Jones, Brown, Kebble, Ratuniyarawa, Hockings, Negri, Lamaro (captain), Mata.

Referee: Tom Foley (RFU)

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Oregon will begin Sunday’s third round of the NCAA Championship six shots outside the top 15. If the Ducks want to make the 54-hole cut and play Monday with a chance at qualifying for match play, however, they will have to do so without junior Greg Solhaug.

Solhaug injured his foot on the 11th hole after he stepped on a wooden golf tee, which then went through his shoe and impaled his foot, according to a Golfweek report and confirmed to GolfChannel.com by several witnesses on the scene. Solhaug, who was 2 over through 10 holes at the time, was tended to by tournament medical staff before being forced to withdraw.

The NCAA provided this statement: “Oregon student-athlete Gregory Solhaug suffered a foot injury during the second round of the NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championships and was forced to withdraw from competition. Oregon, which completed Saturday’s second round with four players, will have the option to substitute another player into their team lineup for subsequent competition rounds, as they deem appropriate.”

With Solhaug unable to finish, the Ducks had to count Greyson Leach’s 7-over 77 in Round 2. Gabriel Hari was subbed in for Solhaug for Round 3.

Oregon head coach Casey Martin said Sunday morning that Solhaug was "doing OK."

Solhaug's injury wasn't the only serious injury to take place Saturday at Grayhawk. A few holes before Solhaug stepped on the tee, he hit an errant shot that struck Erin Stark, the mother of Texas player Brian Stark. The senior said Sunday that his mother suffered a fractured finger and required a splint, though he expected her to be back out to watch his third round.

CROMVOIRT, Netherlands — Spanish golfer Pablo Larrazabal won the KLM Open by two strokes on Sunday to claim his ninth title on the DP World Tour and a second in the space of four weeks.

The 40-year-old Larrazabal started the final round with a one-stroke lead and shot 3-under 69 at Bernardus Golf.

Larrazabal punched the air repeatedly and beat his chest after rolling in a putt from 21 feet at the last for a third birdie in his final four holes. He finished on 13 under par overall.

His round began badly after making a double-bogey 6 at No. 2 when his tee shot found the water, but he recovered with back-to-back birdies from No. 6 and then came home in 32.

“It was a battle with myself,” Larrazabal said. "I didn't play well. I managed myself out there, holed a few great putts on the front nine and did my best to keep myself in position, then three birdies in the last four.

“To win golf tournaments, you have to make birdies at the end. It doesn't matter how fast you run at the beginning, you have to run faster at the end to win the race.”

Larrazabal also won the Korea Championship last month and is playing some of the best golf of his career, which has included standout victories at the Abu Dhabi Championship in 2014 and the French Open — his first tour title — in 2008.

Fellow Spaniard Adrian Otaegui birdied the last, too, to shoot 70 and finish alone in second place.

Rasmus Hojgaard of Denmark (71) and Deon Germishuys of South Africa (69).

Alba, Busquets bid tearful farewell to Camp Nou

Published in Soccer
Sunday, 28 May 2023 14:46

Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba bid farewell to Barcelona on Sunday on an emotional evening as the LaLiga champions ran out 3-0 winners against Mallorca.

Ansu Fati scored a brace and Gavi added the third in what was also the last game at Spotify Camp Nou for the foreseeable future, with Barca due to move to the Olympic Stadium next season to allow their iconic home to be redeveloped.

- Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)

However, the night belonged to club captains Busquets and Alba as they played their final ever games for Barca, with coach Xavi Hernandez later confirming they will not be involved in the final fixture of the season at Celta Vigo next week.

Alba, 34, broke down in tears when he was taken off late in the second half to a standing ovation, hugging all his teammates individually as the supporters chanted his name.

Busquets, also 34, wore a smile as he followed the left-back off the pitch a few minutes later, handing the armband to Sergi Roberto.

"I dreamed of one day playing in this stadium," Busquets said after the game in a speech addressed to the 88,775 fans present at Camp Nou.

"When I was a kid, I came here to watch matches, I went to away games, I watched on television. Nobody will ever take away the feeling of pride of belonging to the best club in the world.

"I am leaving, but the dream I had has been fulfilled -- in fact, it's been better than I ever imagined. This is also not a goodbye, it is a 'see you soon.'"

Alba added: "Thanks for the affection you have shown me in the street, at the stadium ... everywhere. I have been proud to wear this shirt. This has been one of the happiest days of my life.

"I've played less than usual this season, but I've tried to help everyone. Now it's time to see things from a different perspective, but you have a friend here for life."

Busquets announced earlier this month he would not renew his contract with the club, despite coach Xavi Hernandez making it clear he wanted the midfielder to stay for another year.

The former Spain international brings to an end 18 years with the Catalan side, during which time he has made over 700 first team appearances, winning nine LaLiga titles and three Champions Leagues.

Alba, meanwhile, leaves after 11 years in the first team. After being released from the academy, he returned in 2012 and has gone on to play over 450 times for the club, winning six LaLigas and one Champions League.

Neither have yet announced where they will play their football next season.

Barca also said a temporary farewell to Camp Nou, with the 99,000-seater ground to be revamped over the next 18 months, forcing the team to play their home games at the 50,000-capacity Olympic Stadium in the Montjuic area of the city until at least November 2024.

After the game, following the tributes to Busquets and Alba, Barca played footage of historic moments that have taken place at the stadium since its opening in 1957.

Several featured Lionel Messi, prompting chants of "Messi" from the fans as the Argentine forward continues to be linked with a move back to the club this summer with his Paris Saint-Germain contract expiring.

A fireworks display then took place and confetti was let off as music blared out and the curtains came down on Camp Nou in its current guise.

"In a year and a half, we will have the best stadium in the world," Busquets added. "We will have a home in line with the magnitude of this club and its history."

Xhaka bids farewell with brace in Arsenal romp

Published in Soccer
Sunday, 28 May 2023 14:46

Arsenal romped to a 5-0 win against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday, with Granit Xhaka bagging two of the goals in what is expected to be his final game of an incident-packed seven years at the club.

Arsenal had topped the English Premier League for almost the entire season but had stumbled badly in the final eight games to allow a ruthless Manchester City to roar past them to a third consecutive title.

- Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)

The London club finished the season with a flourish though. Some trickery from forward Gabriel Jesus on the right was headed in by Xhaka on 11 minutes to give them an early lead in what was the Swiss midfielder's 297th, and tipped to be last, game.

Xhaka's fairytale finish was nailed on just three minutes later when the 30-year-old, who had been close to leaving the club in 2019 after ill-tempered exchanges with supporters, tapped in following some clever interchange play from Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard.

He spurned a golden chance for a hat-trick before Saka made it 3-0 with less than half an hour played with a curled effort. Jesus headed in the fourth after halftime while Jakub Kiwior made it 5-0 with 12 minutes left to play.

Arsenal ended the season on 84 points from 38 games, five behind champions Manchester City. It was their highest points tally since the "Invincibles" won the title with 90 in 2004.

The Gunners will be back in the Champions League next season for the first time since the 2016-17 season.

Ahead of Sunday's game, Arsenal captain Odegaard said in his programme notes that it was going to take a while for the team to get over the disappointment of how the campaign ended.

Mikel Arteta's side faltered in the final weeks of the season, losing to their main rivals Man City and teams near the bottom of the table as they threw away what had been a sizeable league lead at the start of April.

"I still can't explain how or why our form changed," Odegaard said. "But we have got a very young team still, the direction is good and it's up to us to learn from this season and improve again next year."

Arsenal were rampant on Sunday, with a host of chances narrowly missed in the second half after midfielder Thomas Partey had an effort ruled out for an earlier push on goalkeeper Jose Sa. The visitors barely managed a shot on target.

Xhaka, meanwhile, was substituted with 15 minutes remaining to a rousing reception. The fiery midfielder rebuilt his rapport with the fans following the 2019 controversies, which saw him stripped of the club captaincy by then manager Unai Emery.

LIVERPOOL, England -- The euphoria of survival lasted less than a minute at Goodison Park. Everton pulled off the victory they needed to avoid relegation from the Premier League, beating Bournemouth 1-0 with Abdoulaye Doucoure's second-half goal, but the overriding emotion at the end of the game was anger.

Anger at being in this position -- again -- but also at the regime in charge of the running the club. The fans were chanting "Sack the board!" before Sean Dyche's players had even left the pitch, but the board weren't there to hear it. The directors, chairman Bill Kenwright and owner Farhad Moshiri haven't attended a home game since the club cited security concerns over their safety prior to the fixture against Southampton on Jan. 14.

- Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)

This was the third time that Everton have achieved a so-called Great Escape on the final day of a Premier League season, having also saved their skin in 1994 and 1998. Everton have brushed with relegation on other occasions, managing to avoid final-day drama last season with a win in their penultimate game, but the reason celebrations were so brief on this occasion is because the club's supporters have had enough of underachievement.

Doucoure, whose stunning right-footed shot from 20 yards sealed the crucial win against Bournemouth, summed up the mood around the club with a blunt assessment of what survival means.

"There is a lot of work to do," he said after the game. "We can't get carried away. I'm not a hero. Nobody is here. We work and play for Everton and we have to be much better than that. We need to realise the mistakes we made this season. Everyone showed passion at the end, but next season we need to come back stronger and put Everton high up."

Relegation often goes hand-in-hand with mistakes and incompetence off the pitch and Everton are fortunate to not have suffered the ultimate punishment for their shortcomings.

They allowed last season's top scorer, Richarlison, to leave in a £60 million move to Tottenham, choosing to replace him with Brighton's Neal Maupay for less than a quarter of that fee. Maupay has scored just once all season and that was in September.

In January, having fired manager Frank Lampard following 11 defeats in 14 games, Everton were the only club not to make a signing during the transfer window. But they did allow young forward Anthony Gordon to join Newcastle in a £45m deal.

It could be argued that appointing Dyche as manager was one thing the Everton board got right, considering the former Burnley boss has kept the club in the Premier League. But Dyche was not their first choice. Marcelo Bielsa, the polar opposite of Dyche in terms of coaching style, was the board's choice. But the former Leeds manager quickly realised that Everton were in a bigger mess than he could resolve in six months, so Dyche got the job.

Unless there is more upheaval at the club -- there is constant speculation surrounding the ownership and whether Everton could be sold -- Dyche will remain in charge to take the team forward and ensure that progress can be made. But there was a dose of reality from the manager after this game.

"This was a horrible day for all concerned," he said. "There's no joy in it for me. It's been very difficult, but the positive side is that we got the job done. There is loads to change here and a lot of work to be done, but this is a big step towards doing it. The Evertonians, as remarkable as they have been, have to remember that. We can't say, 'Oh, it's all right now.' I don't have magic dust to sort it out.

"If you ask five different Everton fans what we need, you'd get five different answers, so we have to realign everyone. The work on next season started the day I got here. This is not an easy fix, far from it. The fans want us at the top of end of the market because we are a big club, but we are not performing like a big club."

Pressing the reset button as a Premier League team will be so much easier than as a failing club in the EFL Championship, though.

Everton are due to move into a new stadium during the 2024-25 season, but before that, they must deal with whatever punishment comes their way after being charged by the Premier League in March for breaching financial fair play regulations. If the charge is upheld, Everton could be deducted points next season, so "Groundhog Day" this time next year is a possibility.

Avoiding relegation was absolutely crucial for Everton. Next season will be their 70th consecutive campaign in the top division -- only Arsenal (98 seasons) can boast a longer streak -- and that sense of the club's future being in the balance hung in the air prior to this game.

The streets around Goodison were quiet prematch, as though nobody dared speak, and the calm was broken only by supporters chanting outside the ground, letting off flares and fireworks as kickoff approached.

Last season, those same fans were credited by Lampard for helping keep the team up after creating a frenzied atmosphere in the buildup, welcoming the players' coach with colour and noise. Dyche wanted none of that. He wanted to dial down the emotion, treat it like a normal day, so the players arrived individually in their cars. Perhaps it was also a ruse to allow them to escape quickly afterwards if events had gone differently.

But there was no need for sneaking out of the back door thanks to Doucoure. He scored the goal that mattered to keep Everton in the Premier League, sending Leicester and Leeds down instead.

The Everton board will have celebrated somewhere, but the fact that they stayed away from such a pivotal game tells you everything about the tightrope that the club must still walk.

They stayed up, but nobody is celebrating too loudly.

Sussex 149 for 5 (Alsop 51*, Burgess 48) beat Surrey 148 (Narine 29, Bopara 3-18) by five wickets

Tom Alsop's tenacious unbeaten 51, and a classy 28-ball 48 from Michael Burgess, swept Sussex Sharks to a tenacious, against-the-odds Vitality Blast five-wicket victory against Surrey at the Kia Oval - with just one ball to spare.

After bowling out the hosts for 148 on a used pitch, Sussex looked out of it when they struggled to 57 for four after Sunil Narine, who took two for 18 from his four overs, produced a wicket maiden in the 11th over.

But then Burgess joined Alsop in a match-winning partnership of 77 in eight overs that shocked Surrey, who had won their first two Blast fixtures of the season, and propelled the Sharks to the brink of an opening South Group win.

Burgess, having just deposited Dan Worrall for a huge six into almost the second tier of the JM Finn Stand, was brilliantly caught at short third man from the last ball of the 18th over - slashing a low full toss to Nathan Barnwell, the substitute fielder, who hung on gallantly.

That left Sussex needing 16 from the last two overs, and then ten from the last after Sam Curran bowled a tight penultimate over, and Alsop was equal to the task of taking ten off Tom Lawes.

Left-hander Alsop hit the second ball through extra cover for three and, with James Coles taking a single from the next, levelled the scores by hammering Lawes' fourth ball back past the bowler for a lofted boundary.

Alsop then pulled Lawes over a ring field for the victory-clinching single and his 42-ball anchor knock included legside sixes off Cameron Steel and Worrall and four fours besides.

But it had been Burgess, on-loan from Warwickshire and originally a product of Surrey's youth system before joining Sussex for three seasons from 2017, who played the innings of the game. He took the lion's share of the 19 runs that came from the 15th over, off Worrall, including a remarkable square cut six that landed on the boundary rope.

That left Sussex needing 52 from the final five overs and Burgess, in all, hit two sixes and five fours as the Sharks shook off injury setbacks that included opener Ali Orr having to bat with a runner - but still hitting 24 from 15 balls - after hurting his knee trying to take a boundary catch early in the match.

Narine earlier hit three sixes in a quickfire 29 but he then became the first of Ravi Bopara's three victims in a canny spell of three for 18 from the 12th, 14th and 16th overs, and Surrey's innings rather fizzled out as their last four wickets tumbled for just two runs in nine balls.

Surrey at first took the attack to a Sussex bowling unit shorn of both their overseas players, Pakistan's Shadab Khan and Australia's Nathan McAndrew, who were rested as a precaution following their unfortunate on-field collision in the Sharks' opening game defeat against Somerset at Hove.

Laurie Evans took two legside fours off George Garton in the second over and then lifted Coles' left-arm spin for a six into the back tier of the Bedser Stand in a third over that brought 16 runs as Will Jacks also plundered two fours.

But Tymal Mills, introduced for the fifth over, made the breakthrough when Evans, making room to carve, lost his off stump on 23 and Jacks fell for 13 - splicing Henry Crocombe's fast-medium to mid wicket - as Surrey ended the six-over powerplay on 42 for two.

A quite brilliant low diving catch at backward point by Coles cut Sam Curran's innings short on just two, the fielder scooping the ball up right-handed as the England all-rounder slashed Archie Lenham's leg spin hard for what he must have thought would be a boundary.

Narine's mid-innings aggression helped to take Surrey to 82 for three by the halfway point as he and Tom Curran added 53 for the fourth wicket but then Bopara began to produce his own particular brand of medium-paced magic as Narine lofted to long on and Curran (23) skied to extra cover, where Alsop took a fine running catch over his shoulder.

Jamie Smith did bludgeon Lenham for two straight fours but on 19 was bowled by Bopara as he tried to sweep a straight ball after moving outside his off stump.

Mills returned to help his captain turn the screw on Surrey's lower order and Jamie Overton was bowled for 13 by a thunderbolt that hit his off stump and both Steel and Lawes were run out trying to come back for a second run - Lawes being dismissed without facing a ball.

The innings ended with three balls unused, Jordan Clark swinging and missing at Garton to go for just eight and leaving Surrey short of a par total and guilty of losing their way against some excellent Sussex out-cricket.

Tom Clark was Sussex's first wicket to fall, caught at extra cover off Worrall for 9 and after Orr was taken at backward point off Lawes the Sharks reply stuttered further when Bopara edged Narine's third ball behind and the West Indian mystery spinner also had Garton caught by keeper Smith for 7.

Alsop and Burgess, though, held their nerve in front of a big crowd and, with Narine bowled out at the end of the 14th over, an equation of 71 from six was achieved. Their stand, meanwhile, was a fifth wicket T20 record for Sussex against Surrey.

South East Stars 126 for 6 (Davidson-Richards 43, Prendergast 2-12) beat Western Storm 121 (Luff 43*, Davies 2-14)

South East Stars produced a disciplined performance in the field to beat Western Storm by six runs in a close-fought Charlotte Edwards Cup contest at Taunton's Cooper Associates Ground.

Orla Prendergast returned miserly figures of 2 for 12 from four overs as Storm produced their most incisive new-ball bowling performance of the campaign to reduce their opponents to 31 for 4. But Alice Davidson-Richards staged a rescue act, top scoring with 43 from 45 balls and dominating a stand of 52 for the fifth wicket with Phoebe Franklin, while Tash Farrant clubbed an unbeaten 32 to hoist Stars to 126 for 6.

Needing to bounce back after being comfortably beaten by Southern Vipers 48 hours earlier, Storm suffered a third defeat in four outings and are now adrift of the top four, while Stars registered their second win in five games to keep alive their hopes of progressing.

If Storm were looking to make a fast start to calm any nerves, they were made to think again as they slipped to 37 for 4 in 6.1 overs, Franklin and Ryana MacDonald-Gay removing openers Nat Wraith and Dani Gibson for 12 apiece and Davies bowling Fran Wilson for 1. When Paige Scholfield had England captain Heather Knight caught at the wicket for 11, Stars must have fancied their chances of defending a modest total against opponents who have proved prone to batting collapses in recent times.

So often Storm's saviour in these situations, Luff immediately set about repairing the damage, working the ball into gaps and running well between the wickets to move quickly into double figures. Having initially played a supporting role, Prendergast hoisted Scholfield over midwicket for a huge six and then edged for four later in the same over to afford the innings much-needed impetus.

These two had added 35 for the fifth wicket when Prendergast fluffed her lines, slapping a Gregory full toss straight to midwicket and falling for 17 in the 12th over. Gregory made further in-roads in her next over, Alex Griffiths dancing down the track and being comprehensively stumped as Storm lurched to 78 for 6

Now in the company of Niamh Holland and with the asking rate above eight an over, Luff represented Storm's last realistic chance. But she was in danger of running out of partners. Holland was run out by Davidson-Richards for 7, Lauren Filer nicked behind off Davies and Sophia Smale was bowled by Franklin, at which point Storm required a further 17 runs from 11 balls with one wicket standing.

With 12 needed off the last over, former Storm bowler Davies held her nerve as Chloe Skelton was run out to settle a tight finish in favour of the visitors.

Storm had earlier won the toss, elected to bat and made easily their best start of the season with the ball, reducing Stars to 14 for 3 inside four overs. Ireland international Prendergast made the initial breakthrough, bowling Stars skipper Bryony Smith with a ball that sneaked between bat and pad, and 11 for 1 became 11 for 2 when fellow opener Scholfield mistimed a pull shot and offered a straightforward catch to mid-on as Filer struck with her first delivery from the River End.

Called into the side as a replacement for the injured Sophia Dunkley, Aylish Cranstone also came and went quickly, attempting to drive Prendergast and succeeding only in sending a leading edge looping to mid-on, where Sophia Smale took a tumbling catch.

Charged with the task of repairing the damage, England players Davidson-Richards and Alice Capsey certainly faced an uphill task as Stars struggled to 26 for 3 at the conclusion of a powerplay that failed to yield a single boundary.

Realising the need to take drastic action, Capsey drove Filer for the first boundary of the innings in the seventh over, eluding extra cover by inches. But her luck ran out in the next over, offspinner Chloe Skelton inducing her to slice to point where Fran Wilson held a fine catch. Capsey had gone for 12 and Stars were under duress at 31 for 4.

It fell to Franklin to muster meaningful support for Davidson-Richards and the fifth-wicket pair blossomed in the face of spin, finding the boundary a little more often and pushing the field back in a restorative partnership that reached 50 via 45 balls.

Adopting the role of aggressor-in-chief, Davidson-Richards plundered 10 runs from one Knight over and the stand was worth 52 when Franklin finally succumbed, chipping Griffiths meekly to mid-on and departing for 17. Looking to accelerate, Davidson-Richards followed her back to the pavilion soon afterwards, pinned lbw by the wily Gibson with the score on 95 in the 17th over.

Thereafter, Stars were indebted to Farrant, the England international demonstrating her ingenuity in plundering six fours and scoring at two runs a ball in a forthright innings that served to make a game of it.

Australia have pushed Mitchell Marsh and Matt Renshaw into their reserves for the upcoming WTC final against India, trimming their squad to 15 members in the process.
Josh Hazlewood, meanwhile, has been retained after scans had revealed no substantial damage - he left the IPL early after complaining of side soreness.
Josh Inglis, who is yet to play a Test, has found a place in the squad, as has Todd Murphy, who made his Test debut in India earlier this year. Michael Neser and Sean Abbott have been chosen to serve as net bowlers, with Neser tipped to replace Hazlewood in the main squad if required.
Both the uncapped Ishan Kishan and Jaydev Unadkat, who had injured his left shoulder during the IPL and was ruled out of the tournament, figure in the squad of 15. Kishan, who came in after the injury to KL Rahul during the IPL, is likely to be back-up for KS Bharat, India's first-choice Test wicketkeeper in Rishabh Pant's absence.
Also a part of the India squad is Shardul Thakur, who had missed three games in the IPL because of a niggle, and was not fit to bowl in a few games.

India's reserves are Mukesh Kumar, Suryakumar Yadav and Jaiswal.

The match will be played at The Oval from June 7 to 11, with June 12 pencilled in as the reserve day. The winners will earn US$ 1.6 million, while the runners-up will earn $800,000.

Australia squad: Pat Cummins (capt), Scott Boland, Alex Carey (wk), Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis (wk), Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Todd Murphy, Steven Smith (vice-capt), Mitchell Starc, David Warner.
Standbys: Mitchell Marsh, Matt Renshaw

India squad: Rohit Sharma (capt), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, KS Bharat (wk), R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat, Ishan Kishan (wk).
Standbys: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Mukesh Kumar, Suryakumar Yadav

Soccer

From Mbappé to Pulisic, which most expensive U21 signings were hits?

From Mbappé to Pulisic, which most expensive U21 signings were hits?

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsAs a strategy, it seems to make sense: Secure the budding superstar...

Yohannes in for USWNT, Rodman, Smith left out

Yohannes in for USWNT, Rodman, Smith left out

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsOne week after announcing her intent to represent the United States...

Sources: Pogba eyes top European team after ban

Sources: Pogba eyes top European team after ban

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsPaul Pogba is determined to continue his career in one of Europe's...

2026 FIFA


2028 LOS ANGELES OLYMPIC

UEFA

2024 PARIS OLYMPIC


Basketball

Heat's Butler cleared to return; Jaquez, Rozier out

Heat's Butler cleared to return; Jaquez, Rozier out

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsMiami Heat star Jimmy Butler has been cleared to return for Monday...

Lakers to honor Riley with statute outside arena

Lakers to honor Riley with statute outside arena

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsEL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- The Los Angeles Lakers will honor former coac...

Baseball

Martinez accepts Reds' $21.05M qualifying offer

Martinez accepts Reds' $21.05M qualifying offer

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsRight-hander Nick Martinez has accepted the Cincinnati Reds' $21.05...

Ichiro, CC among 14 newcomers on HOF ballot

Ichiro, CC among 14 newcomers on HOF ballot

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsCOOPERSTOWN, N.Y. -- Outfielder Ichiro Suzuki and pitcher CC Sabath...

Sports Leagues

  • FIFA

    Fédération Internationale de Football Association
  • NBA

    National Basketball Association
  • ATP

    Association of Tennis Professionals
  • MLB

    Major League Baseball
  • ITTF

    International Table Tennis Federation
  • NFL

    Nactional Football Leagues
  • FISB

    Federation Internationale de Speedball

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