2 h. ago Tatjana Maria outwits Anisimova to complete Queen’s Club fairytale aged 37

German qualifier becomes oldest WTA 500 championMaria wins first women’s final in 52 years 6-3, 6-4Tatjana Maria completed an extraordinary week of giantkilling in London by becoming the surprise first women’s champion at Queen’s Club in 52 years as she defeated Amanda Anisimova 6-3, 6-4.Maria, a 37-year-old German qualifier, is the oldest WTA 500 champion in history. She had arrived at Queen’s Club on a nine-match losing run before building momentum from the qualifying draw and defeating four top-20 opponents in a row. Continue reading...

Politics

26 h. ago Scots 'gangland' double shooting accused named as Brit after Spanish bar bloodbath

Scots Eddie Lyons Junior and Ross Monaghan were shot dead at Monaghans Bar in Costa del Sol at around 11pm on May 31 after they watched the Champions League final

Events

26 h. ago Photos capture South Africa's emotional WTC final victory over Australia at Lord's

South Africa has upset Australia by five wickets to win the World Test Championship on the fourth day of the final at Lord's.

Culture

28 h. ago South Africa win World Test Championship after completing stunning comeback against Australia – as it happened

Aiden Markram scores 136 runs as South Africa defeat Australia by five wickets at Lord’s to lift the World Test Championship title60th over: South Africa 218-3 (Markram 106, Stubbs 0) So it is Tristan Stubbs to the middle. Starts at the non-striker’s end, but immediately gets strike as Markram guides a single. Lots of pressure on Stubbs, more a white-ball player but one of huge talent, who Shukri Conrad has backed in this team. Small target, plenty of time, and in a short-form game he might knock off these last 64 runs in five overs. But this is different. Hit on the pad early, Hazlewood appealing but it’s going down leg. Two slips and a gully, but the second slip is Webster and the gully is Green, so effectively four slips and two gullies. Cover, mid off, mid on, midwicket up closer. Deep point and deep backward square saving boundaries. Stubbs defends his first five balls.59th over: South Africa 217-3 (Markram 105) Oh, there it is! The first tremor? South Africa’s captain battled ...

Politics

28 h. ago Aiden Markram helps South Africa beat Australia in World Test Championship final

Set 282 to win, 70 more than had been scored in any of the first three innings at Lord’s, Markram scored 136 runs.

Sport

28 h. ago South Africa win World Test Championship after completing stunning comeback against Australia – live reaction

South Africa chasing a target of 282 to win at Lord’sRead the latest edition of The Spin | And email James60th over: South Africa 218-3 (Markram 106, Stubbs 0) So it is Tristan Stubbs to the middle. Starts at the non-striker’s end, but immediately gets strike as Markram guides a single. Lots of pressure on Stubbs, more a white-ball player but one of huge talent, who Shukri Conrad has backed in this team. Small target, plenty of time, and in a short-form game he might knock off these last 64 runs in five overs. But this is different. Hit on the pad early, Hazlewood appealing but it’s going down leg. Two slips and a gully, but the second slip is Webster and the gully is Green, so effectively four slips and two gullies. Cover, mid off, mid on, midwicket up closer. Deep point and deep backward square saving boundaries. Stubbs defends his first five balls.59th over: South Africa 217-3 (Markram 105) Oh, there it is! The first tremor? South Africa’s captain battled through the pain yesterd...

Politics

28 h. ago World Test Championship: South Africa end long trophy wait with tense Lord's victory over Australia

Aiden Markram’s sensational century helped South Africa to chase down 282

Politics

29 h. ago Markram steers South Africa to historic World Test Championship final triumph

Final, D4: SA, 138 & 282-5, bt Aus, 212 & 207, by five wktsVerreynne sees Proteas home against AustraliaFirst trophy since 1998 banishes ‘chokers’ barbAs the South African balcony erupted in ecstasy, and the green shirts in the crowd sent a roar ringing around St John’s Wood, Temba Bavuma simply sat there with his head in his hands. Relief? Disbelief? Whatever it was, it was the culmination of a journey from the township of Langa to the new pinnacle of Test cricket at Lord’s. South Africa, World Test Championship winners under his calm leadership, had made history.There were a couple of stutters along the way, moments when South African backsides started to twitch like a rabbit’s nose and memories of all those self-inflicted heartaches at International Cricket Council events came flooding back. But in the end, guided by a masterful 136 from Aiden Markram - catharsis after last year’s loss in the T20 World Cup final under his captaincy - they squeezed out the remaining 69 run...

Sport

32 h. ago South Africa v Australia: World Test Championship final cricket, day four – live

South Africa chasing a target of 282 to win at Lord’sPlay starts at 10.30am BST / 11.30am SAST / 7.30pm AESTRead the latest edition of The Spin | And email GeoffWho’s nervous? I’m nervous, on their behalf. The batters in next will have spent the evening telling themselves that they’re relaxed, but I’m sure there are thoughts flittering around, mostly that they would all really like to not be required. Australia need to turn that screw right away to have a chance.Then there was Andy Bull, who pondered the slips and the turn of fate that saw Steve Smith’s horrible hand injury. Continue reading...

Sport

34 h. ago PDC World Darts Championship finalist's son making waves after hitting televised nine

Simon Whitlock has enjoyed a fine career, reaching the final of the PDC World Darts Championship and winning the World Cup of Darts in 2022, and his son, Mason, is now emerging as a top talent

Sport

44 h. ago ECB likely to continue as host of World Test Championship finals until at least 2031

Decision expected to be ratified at ICC conference in JulyWTC win would be ‘massive’, says South Africa coachThe third day of the World Test Championship final ended amid raucous scenes among the South Africa fans in the stands but possibly also with popping corks in the Lord’s pavilion as it emerged that England is likely to host the showpiece event for another three cycles.Arun Singh Dhumal, chair of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, informed the International Cricket Council in April that it would like to host the next final in 2027 and such is the BCCI’s power in the international game the move was seen as overwhelmingly likely. Continue reading...

Sport

47 h. ago Aiden Markram gives South Africa control against Australia at Lord’s

The Proteas need another 69 runs to win the World Test Championship final.

Politics

48 h. ago South Africa defy the doubters and Australia to close in on remarkable Test triumph

Aiden Markram’s magnificent unbeaten 102 helped South Africa edge closer to World Test Championship final triumph

Politics

49 h. ago Steve Smith suffers nasty injury after dropping catch in World Test Championship final

The Australia batter shelled a sitter at slip and could face months out

Sport

55 h. ago South Africa v Australia: World Test Championship final cricket, day three – live

Updates from the third day of the WTC final at Lord’sRead the latest edition of The Spin | And email GeoffThis is mine, with the Australian perspective on Pat Cummins’ remarkable day, and what influence a certain member of the nouveau landed gentry might have had.Here’s Simon Burnton with the press conference reporting, where David ‘Bedding In’ Bedingham is upbeat about knocking off the Aussies. Continue reading...

Sport

56 h. ago Darts legend who made World Championship final has own body part in vodka bottle in home bar

Bobby George, one of the biggest names in darts in the 1980s, proudly keeps a toe that he had amputated in 1999 in a bottle of booze in his bar at home and shows it off to guests

Sport

69 h. ago South Africa have ‘massive belief’ they can stun Australia, insists David Bedingham

Batter confident despite 218-run deficit in WTC finalPat Cummins hails ‘brilliant’ Alex Carey for rescue actThe destiny of the mace may still be in the balance but David Bedingham admitted Australia’s bowlers had already “shown they’re the best in the world” in bowling South Africa out for 138 on the second day of the World Test Championship final. Pat Cummins claimed six wickets to put his team in the ascendancy but on a whirligig day of constantly oscillating fortunes, the Proteas promptly bowled themselves back into contention, with Australia reaching stumps on 144 for eight, nursing a lead of 218.“It’s an amazing chance, and we’re all excited about the opportunity to win,” said Bedingham. “It could go either way but us as a team are very, very excited and there’s a lot of belief in the dressing room. We’re very confident. When they started batting in their second innings we would definitely have taken this score. So very confident, there’s massive belief in this team.” Continue ...

Politics

3 d. ago Captain Pat Cummins answers Australia’s call before South Africa roar back in rollercoaster final

Cummins took six wickets to put Australia in the ascendancy before a late collapse kept South Africa’s hopes much alive

Politics

3 d. ago Chris Wilder 'set to be sacked' by Sheffield United ahead of crunch meeting

Sheffield United missed out on promotion to the Premier League after losing the Championship play-off final and could now be about to make a shock managerial change

Politics

3 d. ago Wales set up final World Championship audition opportunities as prodigious star set for debut

Wales U20s have named their team for the final World U20s Championship warm-up against Italy on Friday

Sport