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Updates from the first T20 in Kandy, 1.30pm GMT start Sign up for the Spin newsletter | Mail James Gah. Spoke too soon, the toss is delayed by fifteen minutes while the ground staff complete some clean up. Never mind, we have plenty of pre-match reading for you to get stuck into. Not all of it that uplifting, mind. The good news is that the toss is about to happen and we should be underway on tim…

Concern raised over politicisation of sport Bangladesh pulled out of men’s World T20 after row Bangladesh’s withdrawal from the men’s T20 World Cup could have implications for India’s 2036 Olympic bid amid concern at the International Olympic Committee over the potential politicisation of sport. Bangladesh pulled out of next month’s tournament last weekend after the International Cricket Council …

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16-year-old signs pre-agreement for first pro contract ‘What Max has done age 15, I haven’t seen before’ Mikel Arteta has likened Max Dowman to a young Lionel Messi after the teenager committed his future to Arsenal. Dowman, who in November became the youngest player to play in the Champions League at 15 years and 308 days, has signed a pre-agreement for his first professional contract when he tu…

Well drilled, well balanced and boasting enviable depth, City can move closer to dethroning Chelsea on Sunday After six consecutive years as champions, Chelsea find their firm grip on the Women’s Super League crown has been reduced to a little finger clinging to the side of the trophy. They head to the Etihad Stadium on Sunday nine points behind their opponents and surely sensing that only a win …

Vonn crashes into nets and clutches left knee Race in Crans-Montana abandoned after early falls US star’s Olympic fitness now under scrutiny Lindsey Vonn crashed out of the final World Cup downhill before the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics on Friday, leaving the American skiing great limping and clutching her left knee as organizers abandoned the race amid worsening conditions. The 41-year-old lo…

Flagg scores 49, most ever by an NBA teenager Knueppel drops 34 as Hornets steal road win Aguirre honored at halftime as rookie mark falls As Dallas rookie Cooper Flagg set the NBA record for points by a teenager with 49 on Thursday night in a 123-121 loss to Charlotte, he broke the franchise rookie scoring record he shared with Mark Aguirre – whose jersey was retired at halftime. “Mark Aguirre i…

With the Super Bowl on the horizon, we pick the outstanding players and moments from the season just gone Drake Maye struggled through a blizzard as the New England Patriots dragged themselves past the Denver Broncos and into the Super Bowl. But he endured, holding on to execute in the critical moments, as he had done against the Houston Texans the week before. Continue reading...

Updates from the second semi-final in Melbourne Alcaraz beats Zverev | Follow us on Bluesky | Mail Katy We’ll have a bit of a delay before the next semi-final as the spectators leave and the night session ticket holders come in. So what does this mean for Sinner sorry Sinner or Djokovic in Sunday’s final? Well if either of them wins the title, they owe Zverev a huge favour for beating up Alcaraz …

Zverev served to reach Australian Open final in fifth set Spaniard holds out in epic 6-4, 7-6 (5), 6-7 (3), 6-7 (4) 7-5 As it happened: look back at an epic semi-final clash Murmurs around Melbourne Park had been building. That the men’s Australian Open draw had not met expectations in 2026. That matches had been one-sided, and lacking memorable moments. That so-called SinCaraz was a foregone con…

⚽ News and previews heading into the weekend’s action ⚽ Premier League: 10 things to look out for | Mail Dominic The Rumour Mill is certainly spinning. And how on earth did Raheem Sterling – who hasn’t kicked a competitive football in eight months – find himself at the centre of the speculation? Crystal Palace’s proposed move for Wolves striker Jorgen Strand Larsen is reportedly on the rocks afte…

American stars meet at sold-out Madison Square Garden Stevenson rises to 140lb in bid for title in fourth division López enters in rare underdog role that suits his history When Teófimo López and Shakur Stevenson come together on Saturday night inside the big room at Madison Square Garden, a junior welterweight title and a claim to American fistic supremacy will be on the line before a sold-out c…

Construction works for Milano Cortina have been a lightning rod for suspected infiltration by organised crime, but anti-mafia groups have adopted an approach that will help future hosts Early on the morning of 8 October, the Provincial Command of the Carabinieri in Belluno put out a press release announcing three arrests, in the culmination of a year-long investigation they called “Operation Rese…

Four points separate first from eighth in the Ekstraklasa and the aim is to establish Europe’s most interesting league as its sixth biggest The temperature will be far below zero when Zaglebie Lubin and GKS Katowice restart Poland’s top flight on Friday evening. A bitter new wave of winter is about to hit central and eastern Europe, forecasts suggesting this is only the start. When the surprise E…

The Uzbek GM, 21, has a half-point edge, but rivals from his own country, the Netherlands, Germany, the US, and Turkey are all within one point Nodirbek Abdusattorov still has a narrow lead as the “chess Wimbledon” at Tata Steel Wijk aan Zee heads into its final three rounds this weekend, but the Uzbek, 21, is battling to stay ahead of a quintet of rivals after being held to two draws and a loss …