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Tom Latham and Devon Conway added 317 for the first wicket before England fought back in the final sessionEmail! “In the pre-match photo of Ben Stokes, he’s batting in a sleeveless top (and probably shorts as well) — presumably what he’s most comfortable wearing while doing a physical activity in this weather,” begins Smylers. “Has there been any discussion of relaxing player kit requirements during the heatwave? I’m in an office where we’ve been allowed to wear shorts this week; my children’s schools have told pupils to come in in PE kit rather than their normal uniforms. When the rest of us are making adjustments, it seems curious for profession cricketers to have to play wearing more clothes than they need to. Is it just tradition?”I guess it’s mainly tradition and perhaps the need to slide. But as a lifelong member of the shorts-wearing community, I’d say that, when it’s really hot, the feeling is more one of freedom than of cooling so, once they’re focused, maybe it doesn’t make too much difference. Continue reading...

As we near the end of the group stage, writers from our newly expanded US soccer team Alexander Abnos, Pablo Maurer and Jeff Rueter are now online answering your World Cup questionsPost yours below the line nowAncientFootsteps asks: Many of the pitches used appear to be quite small (perhaps because they are designed for American football which uses a narrower field). Is this really the case? And, if true, are teams taking this into account in their selection and tactics?Jeff: Field dimensions are uniform across every venue at every World Cup, so that’s 105 meters (115 yards) long by 68 meters (74 yards) wide. The difference, as you’ve spotted, is that their stationing in an NFL stadium shows just how narrow those fields are by really cutting into the space around the pitch. Throw-ins and corner kicks look claustrophobic. Fans are perhaps unusually close to the benches. There are no expansive running tracks to serve as a dryland moat, as there were at Italia 90. I think a lot of casual American sports fans are coming to appreciate the amount of space available in this sport – just wait until they learn you can comfortably fit a regulation basketball court inside one penalty box.Jeff: Surprise: Cape Verde! I’ll be gutted if they can’t advance after famous draws against Spain and Uruguay – though I expect them to beat Saudi Arabia.Disappointment: I had Ecuador into the business end because of how stout their defence is, but I completely overlooked the lack of chance creation and alternative scoring threats beyond Enner Valencia. Continue reading...

⚽ Latest news from day 15 | Vehicle hits crowd in Mexico⚽ World Cup Q&A: post your questions for our US team⚽ Player guide | Bracketology | Golden Boot | Mail JohnMauricio Pochettino’s US team are having a great time at home – but the last couple years haven’t been all that easy, writes Jeff Rueter.For more permutations chat, click below: Continue reading...

Totoa Auvaa will not be disciplined for incident on 8 JuneECB understood to be bemused at lack of actionThe Saracens academy player who triggered the Ben Stokes captaincy crisis by throwing a punch at his England teammate Gus Atkinson has escaped without being disciplined.The Guardian understands that Totoa Auvaa, a 21-year-old Samoan back-row, will not face formal disciplinary action from Saracens or the Rugby Football Union despite throwing a punch at Atkinson. Continue reading...

I savour the memory of playing for Brazil at the 2022 tournament – but it was a privilege that took effortFor a player the World Cup day begins with everyone gathering in the restaurant for breakfast at the scheduled time. Buffet options are determined by the nutritionist, who specifies which food and in what quantities each player can consume. The morning also includes on-field training, usually within the team’s accommodation complex.After that, lunch is likewise personalised, based on each athlete’s body composition and physiological needs. The afternoon is then dedicated to gym sessions and, when necessary, recovery massages, as well as meetings for strategic guidance from the coaching staff and video analysis of the upcoming opponent. Dinner, attended by the whole squad, allows for more relaxed conversation and games such as cards, pool, or dominoes. A final snack wraps up the schedule before the night’s sleep recharges energy levels to repeat the process the next day. And the next. And the next. Continue reading...

‘We’re working cohesively, more tight-knit than ever’Austrian GP declared F1 heat hazard race amid heatwaveLewis Hamilton is confident he and Ferrari can build on their first win together at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix with the seven-time world champion bullish about how strong the team were and how comfortable he felt in the car heading into this weekend’s Austrian GP.Hamilton won in Barcelona to take his first victory for Ferrari and his first since the Belgian GP in 2024. He delivered a superb drive on a three-stop strategy and took advantage of a well-timed safety car but Ferrari too, under the leadership of team principal, Fred Vasseur, were in fine form. Their upgrade package in Spain was revelatory as the car genuinely had the pace to compete with the championship leaders Mercedes. Hamilton is now in second place, 41 points behind the title leader, Kimi Antonelli. Continue reading...

Pape Thiaw’s side need to beat Iraq handsomely to progress from tough group after persisting issue of poor governanceAs the most successful president in Fédération Sénégalaise de Football (FSF) history, Augustin Senghor was looking forward to overseeing the Lions of Teranga’s World Cup campaign, after doing the same for those in Russia and Qatar. But the 60-year-old lawyer, who doubles as the mayor of Gorée island – the point from where large numbers of Africans were shipped to the Americas during the transatlantic slave trade – surprisingly lost his job in last August’s FSF elections.“After losing the election I decided to stay quiet and not talk too much about football, to allow the new administration to take charge, with my cooperation and full support,” Senghor told the Guardian. His achievements and the largely professional manner in which the FSF was led during his presidency have become a talking point in Senegal as the comedy of errors in governance by the new FSF administration, led by Abdoulaye Fall, comes to light. Continue reading...

Charlotte get Naz Reid, seven draft picksMinnesota also add guard Josh Green in swapBall to pair with fellow 2020 draftee Anthony EdwardsThe Charlotte Hornets have agreed to trade LaMelo Ball, their starting point guard, and Josh Green to the Minnesota Timberwolves for power forward Naz Reid, a 2033 unprotected first-round draft pick, three first-round pick swaps and three future second-round picks, a person familiar with the situation told the Associated Press on Thursday.The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal, first reported by ESPN, has yet to be approved by the league. Continue reading...

Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now? Sign up now!Sorry, I’m a Lady, The Devil Sent You to Lorado and Sleepy-Time-Toy are reminders that no one remembers the bad times, the mind is selective and focuses on the positives. Baccara’s back catalogue is roughly one song long, the others are rightly forgotten, a figment of only a few people’s imaginations. Scotland needed a certain song and took it around America; well, from Boston to Miami at least. The nation arrived with hope, boasting European champions, Premier League and Serie A winners among their cohort on the pitch, hoping to get through the group while drinking cities dry. All they had to do was get past Haiti, African champions* Morocco and those boys from Brazil.I’ve given up hope of ever being the author of the letter o’ the day with you lot but wish to join the 1,056 other California-based pedants and point out that the aforementioned cheese [Football Daily letters passim] is correctly referred to as ‘Monterey Jack’. Monterey is the city in California, Monterrey (with two Rs) is in Mexico” – Jim Broshar.Congratulations to Scotland for finding new ways to extend the torture of their wonderful fans. In previous tournaments they would go out unbeaten, or in glorious defeat, with the goal of the tournament thrown in for good measure. Now, in keeping with this bloated GWC, they get an extra three-day wait in the Miami heat, while watching one team after another best them on goal difference” – Justin Kavanagh.Fox Sports’ ‘The 32’ is punchier than the name here in Germany at least. As well as quarter-finals (viertelfinale), German has the semis as ‘half finals’ (halbfinale), the round-of-16 as “eighth finals” (achtelfinale), and so naturally the new stage is the ‘16th finals’ (sechszehntelfinale). Germany also considers the second-place team as ‘vice champions’ (vizemeister), probably as they’ve been second so often” – Chris Green.This is an extract from our daily football email … Football Daily. To get the full version, just visit this page and follow the instructions. Continue reading...

What is behind the glut of goals from crosses at this World Cup? And will teams continue their aerial bombardments?By Opta AnalystFootball is cyclical. Trends come and go. After the rise of inverted wingers, who tend to cut in and shoot, are we seeing the return of traditional wingers – those wide players who hug the touchline and send in crosses on their stronger foot?We are seeing a lot of goals scored from deliveries into the box from out wide. In the first two rounds of games, 29 of the 48 teams at the tournament scored at least one goal within five seconds of a cross into the box. Continue reading...