Sport

Australia v England: first men’s cricket one-day international – live
Posted on Friday November 13, 2026

Updates from the ODI series opener at Perth Stadium
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All the talk of past deeds and perhaps even future global tournaments can be pushed aside as Xavier Bartlett stands at the top of his mark with Tom Banton on strike and Ben Duckett at the other end. Let’s play …

Thanks for Will to nudging attention closer to the action in Perth as the players line up for the Welcome to Country and the national anthems.

Harry Kane spot on to seal England win over Croatia on his record-breaking night
Posted on Thursday November 12, 2026

It was an historic occasion for Harry Kane, the one when he made his 126th England appearance and overtook Peter Shilton as the nation’s most capped men’s player. And for much of the night, it felt as though the desire to celebrate him, certainly beforehand, was the main thing. The actual football in this Nations League group game felt like a sideshow.

England had demolished Croatia 7-0 in Rijeka last month; it was Croatia’s heaviest defeat. It was a different story here. England lacked cut and thrust. There was a flatness to the Wembley atmosphere. Croatia were never likely to be humbled again and they sensed redemption when Petar Sucic capitalised upon a defensive aberration from Jarell Quansah to equalise for 1-1 just before the hour.

Fitness, Fernandes and a back four: how next head coach can reignite Manchester United | Will Unwin
Posted on Thursday November 12, 2026

Michael Carrick’s replacement must find solutions on the pitch and pressure the hierarchy to accept a share of blame

One of the final images of Michael Carrick’s time in charge will be of him standing in the rain on the Old Trafford touchline watching his side succumb to Bournemouth, while his sullen captain sat unused on the bench. Bruno Fernandes was dropped after calling out his head coach’s tactics, although Carrick said it was for football reasons. It was the second combustible television interview in as many Champions League games after Lisandro Martínez pointed the finger at the director of football, Jason Wilcox, for failing to provide a squad suitable for fighting on all fronts.

Australia Test captain Pat Cummins calls Khawaja's sandpapergate claims ‘complete and utter nonsense’
Posted on Thursday November 12, 2026

Cummins insists he did not know of ball-tampering plot in South Africa
‘No masterplan around using illegal methods,’ Cummins says
‘Abrasive’, ‘arrogant’ and ‘ugly’: standout moments from the press conference

Pat Cummins flatly denied Usman Khawaja’s claims that the entire Australian cricket team was implicated in the 2018 sandpaper scandal, saying at a press conference in Sydney the allegations were “complete and utter nonsense”and “100% wrong”.

The Test captain’s defiant appearance on Friday morning prompted David Warner to later accuse Cummins of throwing Khawaja under the bus as the feud engulfing Australian cricket continued.

Much-changed England told to ignore World Cup and put team first against Japan
Posted on Thursday November 12, 2026

Only three retained in same positions from Australia game
‘We want the very best of these guys,’ says Maro Itoje

England’s World Cup hopefuls have been warned not to go off script when auditioning for a place on the plane next year after Steve Borthwick rang the changes to his side to face Japan on Saturday, handing starts to rookies Will Joseph and Max Ojomoh as well as Henry Pollock.

Borthwick has made 10 personnel and two positional changes to his team to play Eddie Jones’s side with a glut of injuries, a handful of players in need of a rest and the head coach’s determination to give those such as Joseph and Ojomoh, who line up on the right wing and inside centre respectively, the chance to shine. Pollock makes his second start, coming in at No 8, while the Northampton scrum-half Archie McParland is in line for a debut from the bench.

Arsenal dig deep to earn WCL draw in face of Barcelona dominance
Posted on Thursday November 12, 2026

Arsenal continue to be a sharp thorn in the side of the European champions, Barcelona, and they dug deep to hold on to a draw at the Camp Nou on Thursday night. Frida Maanum put the Gunners ahead despite a hugely dominant performance from Barcelona, but Caroline Graham Hansen’s equaliser ensured the spoils would be shared.

Barcelona have been formidable when playing at the club’s main stadium, winning nine and drawing twice, against Chelsea in the semi-finals in 2023 and now Arsenal.

Pierre Sage’s failure to fix defensive flaws leaves Crystal Palace seeking new solution
Posted on Thursday November 12, 2026

A losing run, set-piece struggles and a call for help led Steve Parish to cut ties with the manager after five months

The moment that summed up Crystal Palace’s season under Pierre Sage came five minutes before half-time at Selhurst Park on Sunday. After Palace had gone close to taking the lead on numerous occasions against Liverpool, the Frenchman must have feared the worst when Alexis Mac Allister headed in from a soft free-kick conceded by Jefferson Lerma. The TV cameras immediately panned to Steve Parish in the stands. After the Palace chair removed his hands from in front of his eyes, his expression said everything you needed to know. The only surprise was that Sage had to wait until Thursday before his inevitable fate was confirmed.

Not since the start of the 2017-18 season, after Frank de Boer was appointed as Palace’s first permanent foreign manager and sacked after five matches, have the club found themselves bottom. In their record 14th consecutive season in the top flight, and with preliminary work having started on building a new £200m main stand despite major doubts over funding, Palace cannot afford to be relegated.