2 h. ago ‘Make it happen when it matters’ – Andy Farrell urges Lions to embrace pressure

Powerful Lions side named to face Australia in first TestTom Curry starts in back row, no Welsh player in 23Andy Farrell has urged his British & Irish Lions players to embrace the pressure of their billing as heavy favourites to beat Australia in the series opener on Saturday.The Lions will go into Saturday’s match as odds-on favourites after Farrell named a powerful side featuring Tom Curry at openside flanker and Sione Tuipulotu at inside-centre to face a Wallabies team missing Will Skelton, Rob Valetini and Taniela Tupou. Continue reading...

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7 d. ago Voices: Married at First Sight Australia made me realise something terrible about my relationship

The Independent’s agony aunt Victoria Richards is here to help. Email dearvix@independent.co.uk for advice on love, work, family and relationships

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9 d. ago Aryna Sabalenka caught in sexism storm as Wimbledon icon slams article on world No.1

Aryna Sabalenka is the heavy favourite to win Wimbledon this year after surging into the quarter-finals without dropping a set, amid the backdrop of a Wall Street Journal headline that has left a former SW19 champion unhappy

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1 week ago Tour de France live: Stage 3 favourite Philipsen abandons after heavy crash

Anticipated headwinds and rain could make this a gruelling day for the peloton

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1 week ago Scrutiny of Sam Konstas ramps up as West Indies keep second Test alive | Geoff Lemon

Australia’s top order has more question marks than the Riddler’s pants after Konstas and Usman Khawaja again failed to deliverAs so often in Test cricket, drama saved itself for the dying overs of the day. With 90 remaining minutes ticking down towards 60 on the second day of the second Test in Grenada, tactically minded onlookers started to think about West Indies’ last-wicket partnership. Anderson Phillip and Jayden Seales were defending with heart, on their way to facing 65 balls and adding 16 runs. With Australia having made 286 the previous day, their stand took West Indies from 49 runs behind to 33. But each over that they chose to keep batting rather than swing for runs, they reduced the time available to bowl at an Australian top order under pressure.In the end, there were 30 minutes left when Australia began the third innings. And in the end, that was enough to account for both openers, raising the tension another notch with only two more opportunities for them to bat in a ...

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1 week ago Seales puts Australia on back foot as West Indies fight back in second Test

Tourists finish the day 12-2 with a lead of 45 runsNathan Lyon took 3-75 as West Indies were all out for 253As so often in Test cricket, drama saved itself for the dying overs of the day. With 90 remaining minutes ticking down towards 60 on the second day of the second Test in Grenada, tactically minded onlookers started to think about West Indies’ last-wicket partnership. Anderson Phillip and Jayden Seales were defending with heart, on their way to facing 65 balls and adding 16 runs. With Australia having made 286 the previous day, their stand took West Indies from 49 runs behind to 33. But each over that they chose to keep batting rather than swing for runs, they reduced the time available to bowl at an Australian top order under pressure.In the end, there were 30 minutes left when Australia began the third innings. And in the end, that was enough to account for both openers, raising the tension another notch with only two more opportunities for them to bat in a Test before the As...

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2 w. ago Bowling attack bails out Australian batters with first Test in West Indies finely balanced

Day two: Australia 180 & 92-4; West Indies 190 | Australia lead by 82Beau Webster impresses with two wickets in fight backThe wheel turned as the wheel so often has in Australia’s Tests the last couple of years: the batters under-delivered, the bowlers made it right. With the team having been bowled out for 180 on the first day of the first Test against West Indies in Barbados, Australia’s quicks turned around and returned the favour, keeping West Indies to 190, the lead to 10, and making the match a one-innings shootout in an often chaotic day. The second Australian batting effort then stuttered to 65-4, before improving the score by stumps to 92, a lead of 82.Spare yet another thought for Shamar Joseph. In three career outings against Australia, the West Indies pace prodigy has been a bowling Mozart, but he runs towards a slip cordon with more drops than Tiësto. In the first innings after getting Sam Konstas lbw, his notional catchers put down chances from Cameron Green and Us...

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4 w. ago Lions enjoy rare status as heavy favourites as Australia fight for credibility

Captain Maro Itoje and head coach Andy Farrell are out to mastermind a series win for the British and Irish Lions.

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