26 h. ago In Pictures: Waterlogged pitch perfect for cricketers playing annual game in sea

The tradition started in 1984, with the match ending when play is stopped by waves.

Politics

40 h. ago England v South Africa: first men’s T20 international gets under way after rain delay – live

Over-by-over coverage of the first T20Get in touch with Tim to share your thoughts“Shame (but very predictable) about the current weather,” says Alfie Sparrow, although his email is actually about something else. “I’ve just moved into London, living in Tooting with some old uni mates. I was wondering if any readers have local cricket club recommendations? Played alongside Bas de Leede growing up in the Netherlands, winning 3 national titles in our age group. Wish I could say I was still near his quality but that’s far from the case – just after a friendly club for next summer.” Hope you find one.“My girlfriend has very tentatively started to get into cricket,” reports Charles Aspden. “And we discussed potential telly programmes which would further entice her in. In true Alan Partridge fashion, she wants to see ‘Tea with Amol Rajan,’ a show somewhere between Bake Off and Grandstand. Amol travels the country to try the best and worst teas around the village, county and international g...

Society

41 h. ago England v South Africa: first men’s T20 international, start delayed by rain – live

Over-by-over coverage of the first T20Get in touch with Tim to share your thoughts“Shame (but very predictable) about the current weather,” says Alfie Sparrow, although his email is actually about something else. “I’ve just moved into London, living in Tooting with some old uni mates. I was wondering if any readers have local cricket club recommendations? Played alongside Bas de Leede growing up in the Netherlands, winning 3 national titles in our age group. Wish I could say I was still near his quality but that’s far from the case – just after a friendly club for next summer.” Hope you find one.“My girlfriend has very tentatively started to get into cricket,” reports Charles Aspden. “And we discussed potential telly programmes which would further entice her in. In true Alan Partridge fashion, she wants to see ‘Tea with Amol Rajan,’ a show somewhere between Bake Off and Grandstand. Amol travels the country to try the best and worst teas around the village, county and international g...

Society

68 h. ago Pitch perfect partnership kicks off new chapter for Alloa Rugby Club and Allanwater HOmes

A strategic land swap between Allanwater Homes and the Earl of Mar, who leases land to Alloa Rugby Club, is set to deliver major long-term benefits for sport and housing in Clackmannanshire.

Society

4 d. ago England beat South Africa by 342 runs for biggest winning margin in men’s ODI history – as it happened

Jofra Archer, Joe Root and Jacob Bethell star for England as they inflict a record ODI win on South Africa in SouthamptonAn interesting chat between Nick Knight, Shaun Pollock and Mike Atherton. Athers says that England are trying to bring the ODI and Test teams together whilst treating the T20 side as a different entity. That’s sensible on paper, he says, but brings a “real challenge because of the amount and volume of Test cricket England play. They are going to have to be quite strong about where their players play franchise cricket.”South Africa: Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Temba Bavuma (capt),Matthew Breetzke, Tristan Stubbs, Dewald Brevis, Wiann Mulder, Corbin Bosch, Keshav Maharaj, Codi Yusuf, Nandre Burger. Continue reading...

Politics

4 d. ago England beat South Africa by 342 runs for biggest winning margin in men’s ODI history – live

Updates from the match in Southampton (11am BST)You can email James | Report: South Africa seal seriesAn interesting chat between Nick Knight, Shaun Pollock and Mike Atherton. Athers says that England are trying to bring the ODI and Test teams together whilst treating the T20 side as a different entity. That’s sensible on paper, he says, but brings a “real challenge because of the amount and volume of Test cricket England play. They are going to have to be quite strong about where their players play franchise cricket.”South Africa: Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Temba Bavuma (capt),Matthew Breetzke, Tristan Stubbs, Dewald Brevis, Wiann Mulder, Corbin Bosch, Keshav Maharaj, Codi Yusuf, Nandre Burger. Continue reading...

Politics

4 d. ago England set South Africa target of 415 to win third men’s one

Updates from the match in Southampton (11am BST)You can email Tanya | Report: South Africa seal seriesAn interesting chat between Nick Knight, Shaun Pollock and Mike Atherton. Athers says that England are trying to bring the ODI and Test teams together whilst treating the T20 side as a different entity. That’s sensible on paper, he says, but brings a “real challenge because of the amount and volume of Test cricket England play. They are going to have to be quite strong about where their players play franchise cricket.”South Africa: Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Temba Bavuma (capt),Matthew Breetzke, Tristan Stubbs, Dewald Brevis, Wiann Mulder, Corbin Bosch, Keshav Maharaj, Codi Yusuf, Nandre Burger. Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago Pandemonium and pure joy: how my club Grimsby beat impossible odds to stun United

Heart, organisation and bravery found a way on a night that will be talked about in pubs and playgrounds for decadesSome nights you know, even as they’re happening, will stay with you for ever. Wednesday night at Blundell Park was one of them. A full house, the world’s media watching, and Grimsby Town delivering the sort of performance that will be told and retold in pubs, workplaces and playgrounds for decades.The pitch looked perfect under the lights. The performance was even better. When Manchester United’s manager, Ruben Amorim, admitted afterwards that “the best team won”, it felt like a moment of truth. For once, the cameras weren’t pointing at the Premier League’s aristocrats but at a small port town on the Humber. For once, the headlines belonged to us. Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago Pandemonium and pure joy: how my club Grimsby beat impossible odds to stun United | Jason Stockwood

Heart, organisation and bravery found a way on a night that will be talked about in pubs and playgrounds for decadesSome nights you know, even as they’re happening, will stay with you for ever. Wednesday night at Blundell Park was one of them. A full house, the world’s media watching, and Grimsby Town delivering the sort of performance that will be told and retold in pubs, workplaces and playgrounds for decades.The pitch looked perfect under the lights. The performance was even better. When Manchester United’s manager, Ruben Amorim, admitted afterwards that “the best team won”, it felt like a moment of truth. For once, the cameras weren’t pointing at the Premier League’s aristocrats but at a small port town on the Humber. For once, the headlines belonged to us. Continue reading...

Events

3 w. ago Gavin Newsom is expertly trolling Fox News stars by mimicking Trump online — right down to the nicknames

Gavin Newsom’s pitch-perfect parody has resulted in several Fox News hosts taking the bait — and making the governor’s point, Justin Baragona writes.

Politics

3 w. ago ‘I didn’t realise the game’s impact for years’: the making of the original Football Manager

When Kevin Toms created the first footie tactics simulation in the early days of the gaming industry, it became a phenomenon – and a source of cherished memoriesIf you were a football fan who owned a computer in the early 1980s, there is one game you will instantly recall. The box had an illustration of the FA Cup, and in the bottom right-hand corner was a photo of a smiling man with curly hair and a goatie beard. You’d see the same images in gaming magazines adverts – they ran for years because, despite having rudimentary graphics and very basic sounds, the game was an annual bestseller. This was Football Manager, the world’s first footie tactics simulation. The man on the cover was Kevin Toms, the game’s creator and programmer.The story behind the game is typical for the whiz-kid era, when lone coders would bash out bestselling ZX Spectrum and Commodore 64 titles in their bedrooms and then end up driving Ferraris around with the proceeds. As a child in the early 1970s, Toms was a ...

Sport

3 w. ago Bob Simpson, former Australia cricket captain and coach, dies aged 89

Simpson played 62 Tests across more than two decades after debut in 1957Australia’s first full-time coach helped guide team’s reemergence in 1980sFormer Australia cricket captain and coach, Bob Simpson, has died in Sydney aged 89.Robert Baddeley Simpson was an influential figure in Australian cricket for more than four decades as a player, captain and coach, and also made his mark on the game as a law-maker, referee and commentator. Continue reading...

Events