Teenage ace Rafael Jódar endures defeat by Cobolli but his star is rising

Returning captain and out-of-the-cold seamer flatten Pakistan on ground where five years ago they produced rare point of pre-Bazball light One win in England’s last 17 Tests. Those were the numbers that greeted Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes when they took over in 2022, a reminder of just how bad things had ended under Joe Root. It was a statistic that gave the new boys permission to rip up the old order. So it’s easy to forget that precious one. It was near the middle of that horror run, and it came at Headingley against India five years ago this month. The tourists were bowled out for 78 as Root reached three figures and celebrated his 27th victory as Test captain, a record among Englishmen. The Yorkshireman had to come home to find some breathing space...

Item, a 10-1 chance, ran down Almaqam to win the International Stakes at York with Constitution River and Ombudsman only third and fourth It all went according to plan for the low-numbered stalls there, as Lexington Blitz fired out into the lead and gave the far side an advantage that they never surrendered. The first four home were drawn five, nine, four and six...

27-year-old Dutch rider takes win in Cumbria GB’s Josie Nelson in third, Italy’s Chiara Consonni second Lorena Wiebes took the victory in the first stage of this year’s Tour of Britain. The opening stage started and finished in Cockermouth on a circuit spanning 158.9km in Cumbria. The Dutchwoman powered to victory in a thrilling sprint finish, where the Team SD Worx-Protime rider narrowly pipped her rivals over the line. Italy’s Chiara Consonni finished in second, while Great Britain’s Josie Nelson claimed third...