Category: 6. Sports

Northern Superchargers thrashed London Spirit by eight wickets, moving above their opponents into second in The Hundred table.

Spirit put in a dismal performance with the bat, struggling to 90-8 at Lord’s.

The Australian pair of Phoebe Litchfield, who hit an unbeaten 55, and Annabel Sutherland, who made 29 not out, put on an unbroken partnership of 76 to seal victory for the Superchargers with 34 balls to spare.

The home side floundered after choosing to bat, slipping to 9-2 in the powerplay with top-order batters Kira Chathli and Cordelia Griffith dismissed for a duck and one respectively.

Spirit can usually rely on the big-hitting Grace Harris to drag them out of trouble, but Nicola Carey had her caught at long-on for just seven, then saw Dani Gibson taken at point from her following delivery.

They continued to steadily lose wickets until Issy Wong and captain Charlie Dean offered a degree of stability, putting on a partnership of 31 for the seventh wicket, but it came from 33 deliveries, with the pair unable to significantly up the tempo.

Sutherland dismissed Dean caught behind in the final set of five deliveries, and had Glenn caught in the covers from the next ball, as Spirit limped to a sub-par total.

Superchargers’ top-order also wobbled, with Alice Davidson-Richards and Davina Perrin both dismissed by Bex Tyson for a golden duck and four respectively.

However, those early wickets brought star batters Phoebe Litchfield and Sutherland to the crease, and the Australian pair made light work of reaching their target.

Litchfield took more of the strike, hitting her second half-century in three matches, and it was the 22-year-old who hit Eva Gray for four to bring the match to an early conclusion.

The result sees Spirit slip to fourth in the standings, behind Superchargers and Manchester Originals on net run-rate.

Chaos reigned at Lumen Field on Monday night to close out the match week, as Seattle and Chicago dueled to a late-game draw. Jess Fishlock and Jordyn Huitema powered the Reign to a commanding advantage, with Emeri Adames adding a third immediately after halftime. Not to be counted out, however, Chicago stormed back, with goals from Ludmila and Camryn Biegalski narrowing the gap. But the moment everyone is talking about came in the final minutes of the game. Before a wild corner kick scramble, goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher ran across the field to join the fray, ultimately smashing home the loose ball. The result left Seattle fans frustrated but for fans of chaos and lore, it was a game to remember.

Former Pakistan captain and legendary pacer Wasim Akram has revealed his top five cricketers from his illustrious playing days, naming Sir Vivian Richards as the toughest batter he bowled to.

Speaking on the Stick to Cricket podcast alongside England greats Michael Vaughan, Sir Alastair Cook, David Lloyd, and Phil Tufnell, Akram reflected on the highlights of his 17-year career.

When asked to name the best batter, the 59-year-old picked West Indies legend Sir Vivian Richards.

“People often ask me who the best batsman I bowled to was. For me, it has to be Sir Vivian Richards. It’s not just about his batting — it was the whole package, the charisma he carried with him,” Akram said.

He added that he also faced many other greats, including Allan Border, Graham Gooch, Sachin Tendulkar, and Brian Lara.

“Sir Viv was at the end of his career in 1987-88, but what a character he was — everyone’s hero,” Akram added.

The legendary left-arm pacer went on to name the five best cricketers he played against during his career.

“My top has to be Imran Khan, because of what he did for Pakistan. Then Viv Richards, Martin Crowe, Brian Lara, and Sachin Tendulkar,” he revealed.

Akram also recalled some of the toughest contests he faced, singling out Australian wicketkeeper-batter Adam Gilchrist in ODIs.

“I very rarely played against the great Ricky Ponting, but in ODIs, Adam Gilchrist was one who really troubled me,” he admitted.

When asked about the best countries to play cricket in, Akram chose England and Australia.

“It’s hard to pick just one. England is special because of its rich history, excellent facilities, knowledge of the game, and easy travel. And then, of course, Australia,” he said.

“I remember touring there in 1989 after my first year with Lancashire, and Imran [Khan] told me, ‘If you perform against Australia in their own conditions, you’ll be recognised straight away.’ And that’s exactly what happened,” Akram concluded.

Six times New Zealand have made it to the final and six times they have walked off the pitch clutching the Women’s Rugby World Cup Trophy.

It is a level of success that is ingrained deep in the Black Ferns DNA, and at their opening press conference, the RWC 2025 squad laid out one ingredient they clearly believe is key. 

“It’s probably just as important, our off-field stuff, that they get their minds away from rugby, get out and explore England and the towns that we’re in, especially here in York,” defence coach Steve Jackson said firmly. 

“They’ve had some down time to be able to switch off, and I know when it comes to training they’ll switch back on, which is pretty good.”

This ability to flick between modes is something the players tasked with upholding their nation’s remarkable record appreciate. 

“Our team has a really good balance of switching off and it helps that everyone in this team is kind of best friends,” young scrum-half Maia Joseph explained. “So, it’s easy to entertain ourselves off the field and play cards, play games in the team room, go for walks, chat. 

“And being over in England, we get to go and explore a new country, which is really exciting, especially for the players who haven’t been here before.”

Fellow 23-year-old and RWC debutant, Vici-Rose Green knows just what her teammate is talking about. 

“It can get quite intense sometimes with just rugby,” the two-cap hooker said. “But if I do a couple of the things that fill my cup up, I’m pretty sweet.”

Jackson, who coached the Samoa men’s team at Rugby World Cup 2019, is well aware that how his charges deal with the fervour ahead will likely define this team. 

“It’s a long tournament, you’re here for six weeks if you get through to the final and it’s a competition, so you’re playing week in and week out,” he said. “You’ve got to perform on the world stage and normally (at a) World Cup, everybody’s watching.” 

Green and Joseph are two of the young tyros who, along with the likes of 18-year-old Braxton Sorenson-McGee and sevens star Jorga Miller, have sent jolts of energy through the 2017 and 2021 world champions. Crucially, though they still have the likes of 30-year-old fly-half Ruahei Demant and RWC record try scorer Portia Woodman-Wickliffe to balance the books. 

“There’s a lot of experience in our team and then there’s a few newbies, like myself, so they’ve just gotten around us,” Green said. “I can’t express how much gratitude I have for them. They’ve helped me absolutely grow in this space and I’m just really excited to see everyone’s weapons unleashed.” 

This ability to “unleash” when it really matters is what has helped the Black Ferns become what is fashionably labelled ‘mentality monsters’. Maintaining this priceless skill is what apparently drove director of rugby Allan Bunting to perform his own haka (A Maori ceremonial war dance performed by New Zealand teams before kickoff) in a changing room in front of his squad back in May. 

Jackson knows he, and the rest of the world, will soon see if this version of the Black Ferns has what it takes. 

“You’re playing the best of the best, and there’s so much hype around a World Cup,” he said. “We’ve just got to perform well and be ready.”

Orlando City at Deportivo Toluca FC (Leagues Cup)

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Reigning javelin throw world champion Neeraj Chopra will not compete at the Brussels Diamond League 2025 in Belgium on Friday.

The two-time Olympic medallist has already secured his spot in the Diamond League Final in Zurich on August 27-28, having collected 15 points from his two appearances this season.

The men’s javelin throw final, which will decide the 2025 Diamond League champion, is scheduled for August 28. Neeraj, the 2022 Diamond League champion and runner-up in 2023 and 2024, is yet to announce his participation in Zurich.

Brussels will be the fourth and final Diamond League meeting this year to feature the men’s javelin throw event. Neeraj, however, has opted to skip the leg, just as he did in Silesia earlier this month.

Neeraj finished runner-up in the 2024 Diamond League Final with an attempt of 87.86m, losing the title to Grenada’s Anderson Peters by one centimetre.

In his two Diamond League appearances this season, the 27-year-old Indian athlete claimed victory in Paris with a throw of 88.16m after producing a national record-breaking 90.23m effort to finish behind Julian Weber of Germany in Doha.

Alongside Chopra, Weber (15 points) and Trinidad and Tobago’s Keshorn Walcott (17 points) have also confirmed their qualification for the Zurich Final.

Both Weber and Walcott will compete in Brussels, while the remaining slots for the six-man final in Zurich will be decided after Friday’s meet.

Neeraj’s last outing was at the NC Classic in Bengaluru on July 5, where he won with an 86.18m throw.