The Guardian

Batter will not be going to India and Sri Lanka despite fine form in the Big Bash but he does have an eye on the 2028 Olympics Considering that Steve Smith was once observed changing gloves after facing eight balls, it is no surprise to see him throw down a gauntlet. The surprise is that he is doing so in 20-over cricket, the format where his batting has historically made the most modest impressi…

Once dismissed as a basement game, table tennis is enjoying an unlikely US revival as the Oscar-tipped biopic Marty Supreme collides with a wave of new players For decades in the US, table tennis has lived a double life: one of the most widely played sports in the country, yet still dismissed by many as a basement pursuit. Now, unexpectedly, it is having a cultural moment. The release of Marty Su…

Aryna Sabalenka takes on Victoria Mboko; Carlos Alcaraz to face Tommy Paul Updates from Sunday’s day session at Melbourne Park | Email Joey We had a big few stories yesterday but a contender for the biggest fortune, and a enforced heat break, coming to the aid of Jannik Sinner (2) as he struggled with full-body cramps in the stifling conditions against 85th-ranked American Eliot Spizzirri . Tumai…

Head coach highlights away game in Champions League Slot questions fixture list after difficult away trip Arne Slot conceded his Liverpool side ran out of steam in defeat at Bournemouth , after Amine Adli’s 95th-minute winner condemned his side to a first loss since November. Liverpool pulled level from 2-0 down late on courtesy of Dominik Szoboszlai’s sensational free-kick, but Bournemouth respo…

Head coach targeted in draw at Burnley Frank: ‘You can’t say we didn’t do everything to win’ Thomas Frank has called for “calm heads” after Tottenham fans urged the club to dismiss him during their draw at relegation-threatened Burnley. The away end sang “You’re getting sacked in the morning” at full time, making their views clear to the hierarchy and head coach. Cristian Romero salvaged a late p…

Derby victory was undeniably impressive but how will club assess caretaker manager’s suitability to permanent job? The problem Manchester United have – after 13 years and seven managers of failure – is that for whatever action they take now, there is a bad precedent. Keep Michael Carrick on, and it’s just another Ole Gunnar Solskjær situation. But replace him and, for almost whoever they appoint …

Trump tells New York Post he will skip Super Bowl NFL stands by Bad Bunny amid rightwing backlash Donald Trump said he will not attend next month’s Super Bowl in northern California, citing the distance to the game, amid an ongoing culture-war backlash over the NFL’s choice of half-time and pre-game performers. Trump told the New York Post he plans to skip the 8 February championship game at Levi…

Extreme heat wreaked havoc on Saturday’s schedule but tennis has changed its ways of dealing with extreme heat Even before the first set and first hour of his match elapsed, Tomas Machac had asked the umpire for the tournament doctor, trainer and pickle juice, the drink du jour for tackling cramps. Those preventive measures taken in the intense early stages of his third-round tussle with Lorenzo …

Manchester City have a first Premier League win in four games and Wolves a first defeat after going five unbeaten in all competitions following a fixture in which the referee, Farai Hallam, on top-flight debut, dared to stick with his decision not to award a penalty despite being sent for a pitchside review by the video assistant referee. That was for a Yerson Mosquera handball and infuriated Pep…

Fans hope for good news on Champion Hurdle favourite The New Lion wins race in subdued atmosphere On an afternoon when Britain’s National Hunt fans had expected to be looking for potential winners at the festival meeting in March, they left here hoping instead for positive news on Nicky Henderson’s Sir Gino. The most exciting prospect in the sport was pulled up with a suspected pelvic injury in t…

Harry Wilson’s taste for the spectacular continues to decorate Fulham’s season. Deep in added time, the Welshman’s free-kick beat Bart Verbruggen, whose failure to keep the ball out completed a regrettable afternoon for both goalkeepers. As in August, when the two teams fought out a draw on opening day, Brighton rued missed chances and Fulham took theirs when they came. Fabian Hürzeler’s team con…

Prem Rugby: Exeter 3-8 Bristol Visitors leapfrog Exeter before Six Nations break So much rain has been falling out west this week that Bristol could almost have floated down to Devon in canoes. Add in more heavy downpours, a tricky wind and a horribly slippery ball and there was never any chance of a free-flowing, fast-paced spectacle between two of the league’s more fluent attacking sides. This …

Massengo and Chaves strike late in Bavarian derby Defeat ends Bayern’s 27-game unbeaten league run Strugglers Augsburg scored twice in six minutes late in the second half to come from a goal down and stun hosts Bayern Munich 2-1 in the Bavarian derby on Saturday, the league leaders’ first Bundesliga loss of the season. The hosts, fresh from securing a Champions League knockout spot with Wednesday…

2nd ODI: Sri Lanka 219; England 223-5. Eng win five wkts Root scores 75 as England end away losing streak in ODIs It has been a rough few years for England’s 50-over side, but the glow of their World Cup victory has not completely disappeared. Joe Root and Adil Rashid, both part of the 2019 class, were the protagonists of the second one-day international against Sri Lanka, setting up a five-wicke…

The unfamiliar sensation coursing through West Ham is hope. Seemingly down and out after their devastating defeat to Nottingham Forest earlier this month, the prospect of Nuno Espírito Santo masterminding the unlikeliest of escapes feels far from outlandish after seeing his side treat the London Stadium to the rare sensation of a performance full of craft, desire and tactical intelligence. Sunder…