7 d. ago Macclesfield realise impossible dream in rise from ashes to a day of historic glory

Rob Smethurst’s resurrection of a troubled but proud club is timely reminder that football can still be the people’s gameFrom extinction to the impossible dream of becoming the greatest FA Cup giantkillers of all, Macclesfield’s story reminds that community will forever be football’s greatest asset. As fans celebrated victory over the holders, Crystal Palace, many took their time to peel away from the stadium. Not too long ago, many feared they may never return to Moss Rose.Macclesfield Town FC, 1874-2020 was the etching on the gravestone of the club that died, mourned quietly by a town that had slowly lost touch with events at the shambling football ground on its southern tip, pretty much the last stop before the long drive to London begins. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago The Ashes RECAP: Australia win the fifth Test to take the Ashes 4

Despite Jacob Bethell's classy century, the Lions will need something special to stop the Aussies sending Khawaja out a winner in his final Test.

Politics

1 week ago The Ashes LIVE: Australia win the fifth Test to take the Ashes 4

Despite Jacob Bethell's classy century, the Lions will need something special to stop the Aussies sending Khawaja out a winner in his final Test.

Politics

1 week ago Australia beat England by five wickets on day five of the fifth Ashes Test – live reaction

Over-by-over updates from Sydney Cricket Ground The Ashes top 100 | Follow us on Bluesky | Mail Angus78th over: England 312-8 (Bethell 145, Potts 7) Bethell finally has the strike and he immediately takes a single off Webster. I wonder if he’s going to play some shots before that second new ball? The singles continue as Webster tosses the ball up, inviting a potential hoo-ha. Bethell gets the reverse-sweep out, but with the field back he gets just one.77th over: England 307-8 (Bethell 142, Potts 5) Scott Boland is up from the other end and he immediately finds Potts’ front pad. It looks like it’s going down the leg-side, but Australia go upstairs with a review. It’s comfortably missing the stumps. Potts gets the bat down to see off a maiden. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago Ashes tensions explode as England star loses his mind with the umpire and fans brand Aussies cheats over HUGELY controversial decision

England paceman Brydon Carse provided some on-field spice after losing his mind at umpire Ahsan Raza on day five of the fifth Ashes Test in Sydney on Thursday.

Events

1 week ago Injured Stokes to spend final day of Ashes tour watching from SCG pavilion

England captain suffered groin injury in opening sessionBethell says ‘I knew it was coming’ over maiden centuryBen Stokes is set to spend the final day of this Ashes tour watching on from the old pavilion at the SCG and hoping for a miracle in his absence after seeing yet another Test series cut short by injury.The all-rounder had worked hard to get through all five Tests in Australia only to fall at the final hurdle, limping off 10 balls into his opening spell on the fourth morning and appearing in distress. An England spokesperson later confirmed it was an issue with his right abductor (groin). Continue reading...

Events

1 week ago Jacob Bethell plays starring role in Ashes Wars Episode 5: A New Hope | Barney Ronay

A brilliant hundred against an elite attack on a wearing pitch shows this England team can survive and evolveEt in dystopia ego. In the midst of death, we are in life. On a throbbingly hot deep blue afternoon in Sydney, as this ghost ship of an England Ashes tour creaked towards its final dock, the fourth day of the fifth Test produced an unexpected late plot twist. Something good happened.Jacob Bethell batted for six hours from mid-morning to close of play and scored a hundred of rare beauty at the SCG. It was an easy, crisp kind of beauty too, all classical lines and symmetry, an innings of layers and gears, of comforting rhythms, shot through with moments of balletic power. Continue reading...

Events

1 week ago Why Jacob Bethell was England’s best and worst selection decision of the Ashes

Bethell ended his Ashes on a high with sublime century on day four of the final Test to give a tantalising glimpse of a bright future

Politics

1 week ago The future of England cricket – Sir Alastair Cook raves over Jacob Bethell

Jacob Bethell struck a sublime 142 not out to help England extend their Ashes tour into a fifth and final day at the SCG.

Society

1 week ago Ben Stokes injury update issued by Jacob Bethell ahead of final Ashes day

England’s captain pulled up with a right adductor injury while bowling on day four in Sydney

Events

1 week ago Bethell’s elegant first Test century presses pause on Australia’s Ashes party

Fifth Test; day four: England 302-8 & 384; Australia 567Tourists lead by 119 after late wickets let hosts back inIt was good. So good. So unbelievably good. On the penultimate day of an Ashes tour packed with regrets for England, a star was born when Jacob Bethell, 22 years young, raised his bat to all corners of the Sydney Cricket Ground in celebration of a hundred that offered hope for the future.There was no reason why England should collapse to defeat on this sun-soaked fourth day but every reason to think they might anyway. Ground down by Australia over two months, starting their second innings 183 runs behind and with Ben Stokes injured first thing, they certainly looked ripe for it. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago The Ashes LIVE: England star's century raises a huge question before it all falls apart in the space of just three balls

Australia go into day four at the SCG with the upper hand after centuries to Travis Head and Steve Smith - with more than a little help from some awful England fielding.

Politics

1 week ago The Ashes LIVE: England star's century raises a huge question as his family get emotional in the stands

Australia go into day four at the SCG with the upper hand after centuries to Travis Head and Steve Smith - with more than a little help from some awful England fielding.

Society

1 week ago The strangest thing: is the future of cinema not new movies?

Netflix’s big-screen release of the Stranger Things finale is estimated to have made over $25m at the US box office, the latest example of event cinema proving popularIt was a lucrative holiday period at the North American box office these past two weeks, with titles like Avatar: Fire and Ash, The Housemaid, Marty Supreme, Anaconda, and Zootopia 2 bringing a welcome diversity of hit movies after an underwhelming fall. But during that period, the biggest single-day gross posted by any release wasn’t really a gross – or a movie. It was the series finale of the Netflix TV show Stranger Things.Netflix made a deal to put the feature-length episode in theaters simultaneously with its streaming debut, and estimates put the numbers for the 24 hours’ worth of shows, beginning at 8pm on New Year’s Eve and continuing throughout New Year’s Day, around $25m. That’s bigger than any single day of Avatar: Fire and Ash after its opening weekend. In fact, if the Stranger Things release banked over $3...

Culture

1 week ago Jacob Bethell insists England remain driven in Ashes battle after punishing day

Australia had piled on a towering total of 518 for seven – 134 ahead – by the end of day three.

Events

1 week ago Bethell admits ‘tired’ England need to ‘graft’ after hitting Ashes wall in Sydney

‘It was a tough day but that’s what it’s about’Player suggests spin may now play a part in TestEngland hit the wall on day three at the Sydney Cricket Ground, or at least the latest in a series of walls, at the end of which Jacob Bethell admitted mental and physical fatigue was understandably, playing a part. There were dropped catches and some scattergun bowling lengths as Australia batted all day to reach 518 for seven, 134 runs ahead on first innings.“This is proper Test cricket now in terms of the graft and the stuff that you have to put in,” Bethell said afterwards. “It was a tough day, but that’s what it’s about. We’ve got to come out tomorrow, take the three wickets early and get back in again. Continue reading...

Events

1 week ago England hopes of final Ashes win fading after Steve Smith hundred gives Australia commanding lead

England pushed towards defeat after punishing third day in Sydney

Politics

1 week ago Smith and Head hit centuries to help Australia grind England into the dust

Fifth Ashes Test; day three: England 384. Australia 518-7Host captain on 129 not out following Head’s 163 from 166They do these things well here in Australia. They honoured the victims and first responders of the Bondi atrocity fittingly on the first day of this fifth Test, and on the third the Sydney Cricket Ground became a sea of pink to once again generate welcome funds for the McGrath Foundation.Out in the middle, however, Australian charity was in far shorter supply. Across three sessions their batters ground England’s bowlers into the dust and perhaps answered some of the questions about their motivation since winning the Ashes, not least following the madness of Melbourne. Continue reading...

Events

1 week ago Australia v England: fifth Ashes Test, day three – live reaction

Australia 518-7 with a lead of 134 runs after centuries from Head and Smith36th over: Australia 167-2 (Head 92, Neser 1) “It’s at least possible we’ll see the traditional England management shakeup after the Ashes,” says Ben Mimmack, “so who in the current squad do you think would welcome a change and who won’t? These are my guesses:“(Like the) Status Quo: Crawley, Duckett, Stokes, Carse, Archer, Wood, Jacks, Atkinson, Fisher. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago The Ashes LIVE: Bitter blow for Usman Khawaja in his last Test as Steve Smith smashes through multiple major milestones

Australia go into Day Three of the Test with a slight upper hand after a seesawing battle highlighted by Joe Root's outstanding century.

Politics