Dawid Malan’s superb century did the hard work for England as they racked up 364 for nine against Bangladesh in Dharamshala, a game they hope can kickstart their World Cup defence after a sticky start.

Malan reeled off a perfectly paced 140 in 107 balls at the top of the order, a career-best knock from a man who only inked his name in the first-choice XI a matter of days before the squad was finalised, to give his side their highest ever World Cup total away from home.

The 36-year-old, frequently an afterthought in England’s white-ball revolution but now a leading man in his own right, shared stands of 115 and 151 with Jonny Bairstow (52) and Joe Root (82) as the reigning champions recovered some of their swagger following a nine-wicket thrashing by New Zealand in the tournament opener.

At one stage, with a power-packed middle order queuing up in the dugout, they looked ready to shoot for 400 but their over-exuberance allowed Bangladesh to find a way back in the closing stages.

England lost five for 27 at one stage, but still walked away with a new record total at the HPCA Stadium, with Malan overtaking Indian superstar Virat Kohli’s 127 as the biggest individual score at the ground.

He paced his run perfectly, scoring his first fifty off 39 balls in the powerplay, taking 53 more to convert his half-century and then smashing 40 off his last 16 as he cut loose. With 16 fours and five sixes, it was an eloquent response to critics who worry about his ability as an aggressor.

For Bairstow there was a fifty to mark his 100th ODI cap, handed over in person by his former captain Eoin Morgan in the team huddle, while Root made his second telling contribution in as many games.

He was alone in emerging in credit from the thrashing in Ahmedabad, making a measured 77, and here moved past Graham Gooch’s mark of 897 runs in World Cup cricket.

Owen Burrows is confident Alyanaabi can make his presence felt in the Native Trail’s Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket on Saturday.

A winner on his Salisbury debut in June, the son of Too Darn Hot then finished fourth behind subsequent Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere winner Rosallion in the Listed Pat Eddery Stakes at Ascot.

Alyanaabi got back on the winning trail in the Group Three Tattersalls Stakes over the Dewhurst course and distance late last month- and while Aidan O’Brien’s unbeaten 2000 Guineas favourite City Of Troy is expected to prove hard to beat this weekend, Burrows is hopeful his colt will put up a bold showing.

“To have the third favourite in the Dewhurst is massively exciting and this is what it is all about,” said the Lambourn handler.

“He would have been a slightly unlucky loser last time out in the Group Three, but he just managed to put his head down in time.

“He is a horse we really like, and it will be interesting to see how he fares on Saturday. As you well know, it is always a bonus when they have acted on the track.

“We left France a couple of weekends ago disappointed after Hukum’s defeat in the Arc and it would be an amazing end to the season if we could come away with a Dewhurst winner.”

While Alyanaabi was not disgraced in being beaten just under five lengths by Rosallion at the end of July, Burrows is adamant his star juvenile is better than he showed on that occasion.

He added: “In the Listed race at Ascot we felt he ran tidy enough, but that wasn’t his proper running. He got a little bit shut up in behind and didn’t get out, but when he did get out he didn’t show the speed he does at home.

“Jim (Crowley) felt the slightly softer ground didn’t play to his strengths, so it was good once we got him on faster ground last time to see him show the speed we had seen at home.

“That Ascot race has turned out to be pretty smart as the winner Rosallion has won the Group One in France, the runner up Al Musmak has won a Listed race and was second in the Royal Lodge, and Dancing Gemini, who finished fifth, has also won a Listed race at Doncaster.

“Even though he got beat at Ascot it was still a good race and the form is stacking up well.”

Burrows hopes Alyanaabi can on Saturday prove himself a legitimate candidate for the 2000 Guineas back on the Rowley Mile next spring.

“He is a Group Three winner now and hopefully that is not the end of it,” he said.

“He is a lovely big scopey horse and it looks like he will get a mile all day long.

“We are all dreaming that he will hopefully be a Guineas horse next year.”

It is a sign of Anna Shackley’s ambitions that she looks back on a big summer of results and thinks first of what she missed out on.

There has been a pile of under-23 medals – gold at the British national championships, silver at the euros and bronze on home roads in Glasgow at the worlds, then second place overall at the Tour de l’Avenir, plus a WorldTour top-10 at the Tour de Romandie.

But the 22-year-old Scot starts by saying she wanted more from a season disrupted by a knee injury which cost her the best part of three months, ruling her out of the Ardennes Classics and La Vuelta.

“At the start of the year I wouldn’t say it had been a very good year for me at all,” Shackley told the PA news agency. “It’s been a really nice last couple of months and I’ve improved a lot but I probably haven’t achieved what I wanted to achieve.”

It is hard to say which is the most significant of Shackley’s results this season. While the podium places have all come at under-23 level, seventh overall at the Tour de Romandie pointed to her ability to compete with the world’s best even as she was helping team-mate Demi Vollering to overall victory.

But her second place at the Tour de l’Avenir in early September, in the first women’s edition of the prestigious under-23 event, showed why Shackley is seen as a future contender to win the world’s biggest stage races.

“It was really nice having l’Avenir (on the calendar),” she said. “It was a full five-day tour of only under-23 riders so it helps you grow in confidence, having that leadership role. You’re the ones making the pace and not the ones hanging on for dear life.

“I was pretty lucky (the first edition) came in my last year as an under-23 and I can do it before I’m too old.”

Leadership roles can be hard to come by for Shackley, who rides for the mighty SD Worx squad.

She got an opportunity at the UAE Tour but Shackley is competing with a stacked roster that includes Tour de France winner Vollering, world champion Lotte Kopecky, star sprinter Lorena Wiebes and Marlen Reusser to name but a few.

The Dutch team has been utterly dominant in 2023, piling up 62 victories in all.

“It’s been really nice but a very strange year,” Shackley said. “This is not normal to win so many races. The team are understandably very happy with the year but it’s been a bit insane to be riding in the same team with people like Lotte, Demi and Lorena, who can achieve so much.”

This was Shackley’s third year with the team, and the young Glaswegian is still trying to learn as much as she can from her illustrious team-mates.

“It’s a Dutch team so it’s quite loud and you have to stand up for yourself or you get drowned out but they’ve always been pretty accepting and supportive,” she said.

“I’m not sure if the Dutch are people who do an arm around the shoulder so much but it works with me anyway.”

As she looks towards 2024, Shackley’s goal is to turn one of those second places into first. But with the door closing on her time in the under-23 ranks, she knows it will only get harder.

“Each year I’ve been improving a little bit and becoming more assured of myself,” Shackley said. “If I was to win a race next year, I would be more than happy…

“Leaving the under-23 category makes you feel quite old and now there’s a bit more pressure to step up. But that’s life, you move on. I’m looking forward to it.”

What the papers say

Jadon Sancho could leave Manchester United in January, the Daily Mail reports, with the Red Devils said to be willing to subsidise his wages to offload the 23-year-old forward. Sancho, who is reportedly paid £300,000 a week at United, remains out of the first-team picture at Old Trafford following his stand-off with boss Erik ten Hag.

The Times says Tottenham defender Eric Dier could move back to his former club Sporting Lisbon in January, or when his contract runs out next summer. The 29-year-old is yet to feature for Tottenham this season after playing 33 games for the club last term. The England international joined the club in 2014 from Portuguese outfit Sporting.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Vinicius Junior: The 23-year-old Real Madrid superstar is yet to sign a new contract with the club, with his current deal running out next summer, Spanish outlet Sport says.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka: Football Insider reports that Manchester United have commenced talks with their 25-year-old right-back to sort out a new contract.

The Las Vegas Raiders ended their three-game losing streak as a last-quarter touchdown sealed a win against the Green Bay Packers 17-13.

The Raiders, down by three early in the fourth quarter, positioned yards from the endzone after a 10-play drive.

And the visiting defence parted ways for running back Josh Jacobs to make the deciding two-yard rush.

Green Bay quarterback Jordan Love threw three interceptions, including a crucial one in the fourth quarter, and went without a touchdown pass in a night to forget in Las Vegas.

Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo threw for 204 yards, including a touchdown pass to wide receiver Jakobi Meyers.

Jacobs ran for 20 carries for 69 yards while Meyers had seven receptions for 75 yards with one touchdown.

The Raiders now have three wins and two losses, sharing the same record as the Packers.

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. homered and knocked in two runs to back a solid start from Zac Gallen, and the Arizona Diamondbacks continued their surprising postseason run with Monday's 4-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Arizona, the sixth and lowest playoff seed in the National League, took a 2-0 lead in this best-of-five Division Series against a Dodgers team it finished 16 games behind of in the NL West standings. The Diamondbacks are now 4-0 in these playoffs after sweeping the NL Central champion Milwaukee Brewers on the road in the Wild Card round.

The Diamondbacks now return home with a chance to close out this series Wednesday. 

After battering Los Angeles ace Clayton Kershaw in an 11-2 rout in Saturday's Game 1, the Diamondbacks started fast again with three first-inning runs off rookie Bobby Miller.

The first three Arizona hitters reached base in front of Christian Walker's sacrifice fly and Gabriel Moreno's run-scoring groundout, and Gurriel later produced an RBI single to extend the lead to 3-0.

Los Angeles got on the board in the fourth on J.D. Martinez's solo homer off Gallen, but Arizona countered with Gurriel's homer in the sixth to increase the margin to 4-1.

Max Muncy and Martinez singled to chase Gallen in the bottom of the sixth and got a run back on Enrique Hernandez's RBI single, but reliever Ryan Thompson prevented further damage by getting the final out and stranding the bases loaded.

Thompson, Kevin Ginkel and Paul Sewald then held the Dodgers without a hit over the final three innings to seal the win.

Gallen was charged with two runs over 5 1/3 innings, while Miller was pulled after permitting three runs and four hits in just 1 2/3 innings.

Riley's homer caps rally as Braves even series with Phillies

Austin Riley's dramatic two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning capped a crucial comeback for the Atlanta Braves, who rallied from a four-run deficit to defeat the Philadelphia Phillies, 5-4, in Monday's Game 2 of the National League Division Series.

Atlanta, which won a major league-best 104 games during the regular season, was facing a 2-0 deficit in this best-of-five series before scoring five unanswered runs to avoid a potential elimination game in Philadephia on Wednesday.

Travis d'Arnaud aided the improbable rally with a two-run homer in the seventh inning off Phillies starter Zack Wheeler, who didn't allow a hit until the sixth as Philadelphia built a 4-0 lead.

The Braves also got a sensational defensive play in the ninth from center fielder Michael Harris II, who made a leaping catch to rob Nick Castellanos of extra bases to start a game-ending double play that caught Phillies star Bryce Harper attempting to score from first base.

Riley stepped up with two outs in the eighth and Ronald Acuna Jr. aboard with the Braves down 4-3. The All-Star third baseman worked the count full against Jeff Hoffman before taking a slider over the left-field wall to put the NL East champs ahead for the first time in the series.

The Phillies put the tying run aboard in the ninth, however, when Harper drew a leadoff walk. Two batters later, Castellanos sent a deep drive off Braves closer Raisel Iglesias that Harris snared just before hitting the outfield wall before quickly throwing the ball to the infield, where Riley grabbed it and fired to first base to double off Harper after the two-time NL MVP was frantically trying to get back to the bag after rounding second base.

Wheeler allowed just one baserunner, who reached on an error by shortstop Trea Turner, before walking Acuna with two outs in the sixth. Ozzie Albies then broke up the no-hit bid with a single to right that led to Atlanta's first run when Acuna raced home as Turner misplayed the relay throw. 

D'Arnaud cut the lead to 4-3 by homering off Wheeler's final pitch with Matt Olson on base in the seventh.

Wheeler struck out 10 over 6 1/3 innings and was charged with three runs - two earned - while yielding only three hits.

The Phillies built their 4-0 lead on J.T. Realmuto's two-run homer off Max Fried in the third inning, Alec Bohm's RBI single in the first and Bryson Stott's sac fly in the fith. 

Fried lasted just four innings and allowed three runs while walking four. 

Kevin Sinfield fittingly kicked the winning points to provide a fairytale finish to his magnificent rugby league career as he led Leeds to Grand Final glory on this day in 2015.

The Rhinos twice came from behind in a pulsating tie against Wigan, with Sinfield converting a 64th-minute try from substitute Josh Walters to seal a 22-20 win at a sell-out 73,512 crowd at Old Trafford.

Sinfield’s third goal meant he ended his rugby league career on 4,231 points, making him the third highest scorer in the history of the game, as Leeds celebrated a seventh Grand Final triumph in a year where they also scooped the Challenge Cup and League Leaders’ Shield.

“To top my career off with a treble in my final year is unbelievable. I’m really thankful and really proud,” said Sinfield, who switched codes to rugby union and had a season with the Rhinos’ sister club Yorkshire Carnegie.

“To finish on an ending like that against a great team and for it to be so tough out there, to come through at the end was brilliant.”

Jamie Peacock bowed out with a record 11th appearance at Old Trafford, as well as a ninth success, while fellow front rower Kylie Leuluai maintained his 100 per cent record in Grand Finals in his last game with a sixth triumph.

Leeds’ hero was Danny McGuire, scoring two of their four tries which helped his side to a first win over Wigan in seven major finals and belated revenge for their defeat in the inaugural Grand Final in 1998.

“We were all a bit emotional and felt a little bit drained early on,” McGuire said.

“Three of my best mates are not going to be playing with me next year. Psychologically you try to put that to the back of your mind but it’s always there.

“You want to send them out on the best terms and fortunately we were able to do that through sheer determination and hard work.

“It’ll be weird not having the Sinfield shirt next to mine on a Friday night.”

England’s bid to get their World Cup defence back on track could be hampered by the condition of the outfield in Dharamshala when they face Bangladesh today.

A surprise thumping at the hands of New Zealand in their opener has narrowed England’s margin for error but concerns in the lead-up to their second fixture have centred on the field of play.

Uneven grass coverage and a loose sandy make-up at the HPCA Stadium in the foothills of the Himalayas led England captain Jos Buttler to suggest “the integrity of the game” could be compromised.

Afghanistan spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman came close to a nasty injury on Saturday when his knee lodged in the surface as he slid to stop a boundary, with debris spraying up from the soil as he landed.

The International Cricket Council stressed the outfield was rated ‘average’ by the officials at that game, while match referee Javagal Srinath has declared himself satisfied after a fresh inspection.

But England have had two training days at the venue and are unimpressed by conditions, which appear to fall short of international norms.

Speaking at his pre-match press conference, Buttler said: “I think it’s poor, in my own opinion. It’s not as good as it could be or should be.

“Certainly if you feel like you’re having to hold yourself back, it’s not a place you want to be as a team, or as a player, or in a World Cup match.

“You want to dive through a row houses to save a run, so it’s obviously not ideal, the way the surface is. We won’t be using it as an excuse, we’ll just have to be a bit smart.”

He subsequently took his misgivings even further, telling the BBC: “The powers that be are comfortable, the only thing I would question is, if you are telling players not to dive and stuff does that question the integrity of the game?

“Worse case scenario is something bad happens, but fingers crossed that doesn’t happen for both teams.”

England are likely to draft left-arm quick Reece Topley into their starting XI as they ponder shifting the balance of the side to include an extra specialist seam option.

While Ben Stokes engaged in another long batting session in the nets, his second in as many days, there is no prospect of him being risked as he continues to recover from a hip injury.

England’s World Cup-winning former captain Eoin Morgan gave a wholehearted endorsement of Stokes’ importance to their title defence, given how essential he was to the cause in 2019.

Morgan believes his presence carries even more weight than it did previously, given the achievements he has racked up along the way as a T20 world champion and inspirational Test captain.

“Is he as influential as he was? Even more so I’d say,” said the Irishman, who is in India as an ICC World Cup ambassador.

“He just continues to deliver when the team needs and creates belief and confidence around that and if you play with a guy that has already crossed the finish line on numerous occasions, and speaks in straight lines and not riddles, it’s genuine.

“I think the thing that we can’t measure when it comes to Ben is how much he contributes in the changing room and how much he makes other players better around him.”

The UK and Ireland’s bid to host Euro 2028 is set to be officially approved later today.

Turkey’s withdrawal to focus on a joint bid with Italy to host Euro 2032 leaves the five-nation bid unopposed to host the tournament in five years’ time, with former Wales forward Gareth Bale adding a sprinkling of stardust to the presentation that will be made to UEFA’s executive committee alongside six youth ambassadors.

It emerged on Monday that England had requested to go through qualification for Euro 2028.

UEFA has reserved two ‘safety net’ host-nation berths should any of the five UK and Ireland bidders not qualify on merit, but the Football Association is understood to have already told UEFA that England are keen to go through qualification.

The FA is keen to keep the team competitive on the run-up to the finals, with Germany having struggled in friendly action in the build-up to Euro 2024. There are also concerns over the level of opposition they would be able to secure if they were limited to friendlies.

If more than two of the five hosts do not make it, only the two with the best record will secure host places. So there are no guarantees all five will be involved in the finals.

Ten stadia were included in the UK-Ireland’s bid submission in April. Six of the venues are in England, with one each from Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

The six in England are Wembley, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the Etihad Stadium, St James’ Park, Villa Park and Everton’s new home at Bramley-Moore Dock.

A redeveloped Casement Park in Belfast, the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Hampden Park in Glasgow and the Principality Stadium in Cardiff are the other stadia included in the submission.

Even with Turkey in the running, the five-nation bid was the overwhelming favourite to be selected.

Senior UEFA sources have indicated the importance of another Euro in a major football market, following on from next year’s tournament in Germany, as European football’s governing body seeks to further replenish its reserves after the financial shock of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The five nations released a joint statement last week following Turkey’s withdrawal, stating they had a “compelling” and “ground-breaking” proposal for UEFA to consider, which would deliver “lasting legacies” across the whole of Ireland and the UK.

Bid leaders estimate that the 2028 tournament is projected to generate around three billion euros (£2.6 billion) of economic benefit for the five host nations.

Victor Wembanyama scored 20 points in 19 minutes in his much-anticipated NBA preseason debut, a 122-121 loss by the San Antonio Spurs to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday.

The heralded No. 1 overall pick finished 8 of 13 from the field and made 2 of 5 shots from 3-point range before being removed midway through the third quarter. Wembanyama added five rebounds and two steals, though he did have a game-high four turnovers.

Wembanyama's first regular-season game will take place in a little over two weeks when the Spurs host the Dallas Mavericks on Oct. 25.

Monday's contest also saw the return of Thunder center Chet Holmgren, the second overall pick of last year's draft who missed the entire 2022-23 season recovering from a foot injury. Holmgren posted a game-high 21 points on 7-of-10 shooting along with nine rebounds in just 16 minutes, and made both of his two 3-point attempts. 

Luguentz Dort and Isaiah Joe each added 14 points for Oklahoma City, which trailed 81-74 at the half before outscoring the Spurs by a 30-17 margin in the third quarter. 

Keith Earls insists in-form Ireland have eradicated habits instilled by Joe Schmidt ahead of a reunion with their former head coach in Saturday’s World Cup quarter-final against New Zealand.

Schmidt led the Irish into the previous two World Cups, both of which ended with disappointing last-eight exits, before joining the All Blacks’ coaching team last summer.

The 58-year-old’s largely positive six-year tenure culminated in a 46-14 hammering at the hands of the Kiwis at the 2019 tournament in Japan before he was succeeded by his assistant Andy Farrell.

Schmidt is now plotting the downfall of his former employers after switching sides, with Ireland seeking to make history in Paris by stretching their winning run to 18 matches to reach a maiden semi-final.

New Zealand boss Ian Foster publicly outlined plans to tap into Schmidt’s extensive knowledge of the opposition, but Munster wing Earls dismissed the merits of doing so.

“I don’t think Joe would know anything about this squad,” said the 36-year-old. “We’re a completely different squad.

“He probably knows things about individuals but, again, we’ve all changed our habits under this coaching staff and we genuinely don’t use any of the habits that Joe taught us.

“Look, he might have a thing on a couple of individuals, but we’re certainly not the same team that played under Joe.”

Schmidt was due to join the set-up of his native New Zealand following last summer’s three-match home series against Ireland, but he was rushed in early after Covid-19 sidelined Foster and some of his staff.

The All Blacks won the first Test but lost the next two as Ireland launched their current winning streak with a historic tour triumph.

Veteran Earls believes that landmark achievement gave Ireland greater belief, which was enhanced further by this year’s Six Nations Grand Slam success.

Yet he concedes they would be foolish to underestimate the three-time world champions, who have scored 240 points and 36 tries across thrashings of Namibia, Italy and Uruguay following an opening-night defeat to hosts France.

“This tournament is a different animal,” said Earls.

“I know we have beaten New Zealand a few times in the last few years, but they have obviously taught us one or two lessons in between that and beaten us by more than one score.

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“We’re under no illusion as to what is coming at the weekend.

“People speak about New Zealand the last year or two that they’ve dipped in performances, but what we’ve seen in this World Cup, they’re starting to come back with a roar.

“After the French game it’s obviously ignited some spark in them. They’re starting to hit their stride again.

“We’re certainly not undermining New Zealand, you would be very silly to do that.

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“I have no doubt they will be highly emotional and looking for revenge and bring everything they have.”

Earls hopes to be available to add to his 101 caps after sitting out last weekend’s victory over Scotland due to a hamstring niggle.

He also missed Ireland’s landmark first win over the All Blacks in 2016 in Chicago through suspension, a result, masterminded by Schmidt, which he credits for helping to improve Ireland’s self-image.

“As Irish people, we can lack a lot of confidence and be a small bit too humble at times,” he said.

“We’ve done an awful lot of work on ourselves to believe that we can play a certain brand of rugby that can make us compete with anyone in the world.”

Burton boss Dino Maamria is remaining level-headed after his side recorded back-to-back victories with a 2-1 win over Cambridge.

Albion extended their unbeaten run to five games in Sky Bet League One thanks to first-half goals from Josh Walker and Deji Oshilaja.

“We are a level-headed group. I always said when we had that tough start to the season, I kept belief in the group,” said Maamria.

“We deal with the highs and the lows the same way and we have to stay focused and doing the fundamentals which is working hard, playing on the front foot.”

Watford loanee Kwadwo Baah was man of the match with a hand in both goals after switching to play as a right winger, a tweak that Maamria prepared pre-match.

“There are always one or two tweaks,” Maaria said. “We realised that KB could cause problems on the right hand side tonight and we thought Muzzy would do well against their right-back and both of them, the front three really did well in that first half.”

Cambridge hit back in the second half with Fejiri Okenabirhie halving the deficit to set up a tense finish but Maamria always felt his side were in control.

He added: “Second half was always going to be difficult, 2-0 is a difficult scoreline and overall we were comfortable. They had their fair share of possession in the second half but didn’t really test us.

“To win games you have to score when you are on top and then show some resilience and I thought we did that well tonight.”

Cambridge boss Mark Bonner was frustrated with his side’s first-half performance and his team are now winless in five in the league after a good start.

“You can’t come here and not see out the early pressure that they inevitably have,” said Bonner.

“They are very good at it. We didn’t stop crosses well enough and we didn’t defend the box well at all or with enough aggression to see out those situations.

“Both goals are preventable and then it is a mountain to climb from there. We have put ourselves in that position two weeks running now and that makes it a really difficult situation for us.”

Bonner was disappointed that his side could not do more with the long spells of possession that they had and knows United need to start games better.

He added: “First half we had a lot of the ball but didn’t penetrate or create and then we come out second half and I am almost angry that we did all that.

“That all needs to be there from the start. It is ridiculous isn’t it.”