Dan Lawrence scored an unbeaten half-century as England reached 177-7 in their second innings on day three of the second Test at Lord’s.
The hosts lead by 357 runs and appear to be closing in on a series victory with one match still to play.
Lawrence’s composed innings has strengthened England’s position, despite weather delays interrupting the day’s play.
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Caitlin Clark continues to deliver performances that would be career nights for most players, yet Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White believes the guard’s brilliance is becoming surprisingly easy to overlook.
Clark scored 34 points and dished out 12 assists on Friday as the Fever defeated the Connecticut Sun 111-91. She shot 12-of-19 from the field, grabbed five rebounds, made six 3-pointers and recorded three steals in just 34 minutes.
White believes Clark’s ability to make difficult plays look effortless is one reason her achievements can sometimes be taken for granted.
“You watch her, and I think it’s easy to take for granted some of the things that she does,” White said after the game. She added that great players make complicated aspects of basketball look simple, calling what Clark is doing “really special.”
The timing of Clark’s latest performance was notable because it came shortly after ESPN released its latest player ranking. The three-time All-Star was voted the second-best player in the WNBA, behind Las Vegas Aces superstar A’ja Wilson, who remains one of the leading MVP candidates this season.
Wilson’s No. 1 ranking is understandable, but Clark’s recent production continues to strengthen the argument that she belongs among the league’s elite players.
Against Connecticut, Clark recorded the sixth 30-point, 10-assist game of her WNBA career, giving her more such performances than any other player in league history. She also became the first player in WNBA history to record at least 800 points and 300 assists in a single season.
That achievement came after Clark became the first player to reach 300 assists and 100 made 3-pointers in one season.
Despite the historic numbers, Clark was not particularly interested in celebrating her individual statistics after the win.
“I mean, I don’t really care about the stats,” Clark said, explaining that when she plays freely and finds her rhythm, the numbers tend to follow naturally.
Clark also emphasized that her production matters most when it helps the Fever succeed as a team. Her shooting and playmaking can create momentum throughout Indiana’s lineup.
That impact was evident against Connecticut. Kelsey Mitchell matched Clark with 34 points, while Aliyah Boston added 14. Indiana’s starters combined for an outstanding offensive performance as the Fever secured another convincing victory.
The win improved Indiana’s record to 26-14 and moved the Fever into fourth place with four regular-season games remaining. The schedule ahead will be challenging, with three games against playoff teams and the final two contests against the Minnesota Lynx.
The bigger picture remains clear for Clark: even after rewriting several WNBA records, she believes there is still plenty of room to improve.
If a 34-point double-double can begin to feel almost routine, that may be the clearest indication yet of how special Clark has become.
Álvaro González was asked during the broadcast of Racing-Elche on Radio MARCA about his experience sharing a dressing room with Cristiano Ronaldo. The former Spanish footballer crossed paths with the Portuguese star in Saudi Arabia, where he saw firsthand what it is like to live alongside one of the greatest players in football history.
Álvaro’s response was emphatic. “Honestly, and after confirming it with other teammates we’ve had in common, he’s a true phenomenon in the dressing room”, explained the former centre-back.
According to Álvaro, Cristiano’s personality changes radically when he leaves the dressing room for the field. “As soon as he goes from the dressing room to the field, he completely changes”, he said. The former defender described Ronaldo as “a competitive beast” when it comes to competing.
Despite Cristiano Ronaldo’s intense demands on the pitch, Álvaro described him as very different in everyday life. “Inside the dressing room he is a super normal, approachable person who helps you”, he said during the broadcast.
Álvaro also recalled the important role Ronaldo played when he first arrived. “He helped us enormously when he arrived because of some things that were happening during that year, and he helped us with everything”, he explained.
Inside the locker room Cristiano is a super normal, down-to-earth person who helps you
Álvaro González
For Álvaro, discovering this side of the Portuguese star up close was one of the most memorable experiences of his time in Saudi Arabia. “When you experience it firsthand yourself, it’s much more beautiful”, he admitted.
The former footballer also highlighted the privilege of sharing a dressing room with players of the stature of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. “They are people, both he and Messi, who will go down in the history of sport, which is football”, he stated.
The conversation also included jokes about training sessions. Asked whether he dared to “get under Cristiano’s skin,” Álvaro did not hesitate: “Always”.
Any tension was quickly forgotten, however. “The dirty looks… afterwards we would go to the jacuzzi, have a few laughs and some humor, and everything would pass”, he said with a laugh.
Álvaro believes Cristiano’s competitiveness during training was also important to the Portuguese forward after moving from European football to a different footballing environment. “He likes us to be competitive in training”, he explained.
Ronaldo wanted to maintain that high standard despite the change of setting. He made it clear that he had to “keep going here and keep at it because we have to carry on”, with one major objective in sight: “Him, to reach one thousand goals”.
Coventry City’s nervous start to life in the Premier League was evident in their defeat, with manager Frank Lampard acknowledging an anxiety in the Sky Blues’ play that must be removed quickly.
The Championship promotion winners appeared cautious in possession, choosing safer passes instead of pushing forward as they adjusted to the demands of the Premier League.
“This season was always going to be very different to last season but I sensed a bit of edge, that quality of pass and playing safe rather than play forward,” he said. “Maybe that is apprehension.”
Lampard rejected the idea that nerves could be used as an excuse, saying Coventry must respond quickly after losing their opening two matches.
“I don’t like the excuse of it. Last week that was valid because of the level of opposition, the occasion, 25 years out and a lot of debuts. We shouldn’t use it as an excuse today. “It’s a game against a team we played twice last year and we finished a lot of points above them. The Premier League gives that edge and we will have to get used to that and quickly. “The lesson is don’t expect anything in the Premier League. It depends how much you want it to be (a mental blow). There are 36 games left, we’re two games in. It depends how you want to react to defeats.”
Former Wales captain Ashley Williams believes the defeat could damage Coventry’s confidence. Williams won promotion to the Premier League with Swansea City in 2011 and understands the importance of avoiding early psychological setbacks.
“They blitzed the Championship last year and were full of confidence coming into the season. But after two defeats everything suddenly becomes that much harder,” he said on the BBC’s Final Score programme.
Williams said Coventry’s position near the bottom of the table would increase the pressure, particularly with Manchester City their next opponents.
“As players, you look at the table and it’s not nice when you are at the wrong end of it. Straight away they’ll see they are already six points behind Hull and that’s a real kick in the teeth.”
“All those little doubts start to kick in so they’ve got to get to work and figure it out fast and I’m sure Frank Lampard will do that. However, Manchester City away next up is far from ideal.”
According to The Times’ Paul Joyce, Liverpool value Cody Gakpo at £85 million as Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur step up their interest in the forward.
The reported asking price is in line with the fee Tottenham paid for former Manchester City winger Savio, despite Savio having less Premier League experience and pedigree than Gakpo.
Max Eberl has spoken again about his contract extension after FC Bayern Munich’s 5-1 victory over Stuttgart.
The club’s sporting director will remain with Bayern until 2029.
Source: tribuna.com
Gabriel Martinelli’s transfer from Arsenal to Al Hilal is in its final stages, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The Arsenal winger has already agreed personal terms with the Saudi Pro League club and has given Al Hilal permission to negotiate a transfer fee with Arsenal.
Bayer Leverkusen began the new Bundesliga season with a shock defeat, losing 3-2 away to newly promoted SV Elversberg.
Source: tribuna.com
Robert Sanchez could be frozen out at Chelsea if he remains at the club beyond this summer, according to the Guardian.
The Blues are expected to sign Emiliano Martinez, which would leave no squad place for the Spaniard who was their No.
Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has backed Kylian Mbappe to win this year’s Ballon d’Or, saying the award should honour the world’s best individual player rather than simply reward Champions League or World Cup success.
Mourinho highlighted Mbappe’s individual achievements this summer, including the France captain’s rise to become the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history.
Source: tribuna.com