England veteran Rachel Daly is confident the Lionesses have the depth to cope without injured midfielder Keira Walsh when their World Cup campaign resumes on Tuesday in Adelaide.
The European champions need just a point in their final group match against China to secure top spot in Group D at Hindmarsh Stadium and set up a last-16 meeting with one of Nigeria, Canada or Australia in Brisbane.
Walsh will miss out after suffering a knee injury in Friday’s 1-0 victory over Denmark, but boss Sarina Wiegman was given an encouraging update when a scan revealed the problem was not to the 26-year-old’s anterior cruciate ligament.
Daly said: “Obviously it was heartbreaking. You always fear the worst in that situations like I’m sure you guys did. As a team-mate, as a friend, it’s even harder.
“She’s obviously such a pivotal part of our team on and off the pitch, so it was tough. It’s not nice to see anyone get injured. But a sigh of relief I suppose when it wasn’t the dreaded three-letter word (ACL) and we’re all just here to support her and get her through whatever she needs.
“It’s obviously difficult losing a player of her ability and the quality that she brings, and like I said off the pitch she’s a vital part of the team as well so it’s tough.
“[We have] a 23-player squad that can all be capable of stepping up in these moments. And we know that as a team, the players believe in that. The staff believe in that. And I hope that everybody else on the outside believes that. And yes, it’s sad to see someone not be able to play, but it’s a fantastic opportunity for somebody else to step up.
“It’s a team game and we have to get on with it and ultimately to get the job done for Keira as well. I think everyone’s just in better sprits, obviously going into the game knowing that we need to get the job done.
“I think what you saw on Friday was the resilience side that we have. It was obviously so difficult losing her, but we’ve got players to step into that role. You know, no one’s going to replace somebody else. Everyone brings something different to the squad, their own unique ability.”
Walsh, who was carried off on a stretcher in the first half of the Denmark clash and later appeared on crutches, will remain at the team’s Terrigal base in New South Wales to undergo medical assessments.
Monday also marks the one-year anniversary of the historic Wembley final that saw England lift their first major trophy at Euro 2022.
Of that victorious Lionesses squad, Ellen White and Jill Scott have since retired, while Leah Williamson, Fran Kirby and Beth Mead were ruled out of this summer’s World Cup through injury.
Losing Walsh, then, also guarantees that more than half of Wiegman’s starting XI to face China on Tuesday will be different from her unchanged line-up last summer.
So while Daly treasures that trophy and the uplift in attention paid to the Women’s Super League, she was – like many of those remaining from that triumph – eager to shift the focus to the present as England push for a first Women’s World Cup title.
The 31-year-old added: “I think the Lionesses obviously have had the target on our back a little bit, but you know, we always say pressure is the privilege and we’ve earned that, right?
“So things have changed in that sense. But yeah, I don’t think any internally, the players haven’t changed whatsoever. We’re all just the same old people that we were before. Obviously things around us change, getting recognised a little bit more, stuff like that. But yeah, I don’t think a whole lot has changed.
“And obviously, it’s not something that we particularly focus on is the Euros because a lot of the group that are with us now weren’t at the Euros, so it’s great to have that in the bag but this is a new tournament and that’s what we’re focusing on now.”
A swashbuckling six from Stuart Broad in his final batting innings set Australia 384 to win the fifth Ashes Test, but England were unable to make any inroads on the fourth morning at the Kia Oval.
Broad’s shock announcement on Saturday night that he would retire after this series ensured all eyes were on him as England resumed on 389 for nine.
Following a guard of honour, Broad pulled the last delivery of Mitchell Starc’s opening over into the stands and it was his final flay of the bat.
Todd Murphy trapped James Anderson lbw five balls later to dismiss England for 395 with Broad unbeaten on eight.
There would be no early heroics with the ball for Broad though, with David Warner and Usman Khawaja able to enjoy their best opening stand of the series to guide Australia to lunch on 75 without loss before rain arrived.
Broad lapped up the benefits of making his retirement plans public when he walked out to bat for one final time on day four.
A sold-out Kia Oval crowed greeted his emergence from the pavilion with a standing ovation before old rivals Australia gave the veteran a guard of honour.
England’s innings would last a further 11 balls, but it was enough time for Broad to deliver one last time with the bat.
After singles were turned down from the first five balls of Starc’s over, the sixth was smashed over square leg for six by Broad.
It would prove the final ball of Broad’s batting career with Anderson out lbw in Murphy’s next over to set Australia 384 to win the series.
Broad sprinted off to get ready for his bowling stint and despite enticing an inside edge first up from Warner, it landed safely and Ben Stokes had replaced both his new ball bowlers by the ninth over.
Moeen Ali got the call after recovering sufficiently from his groin strain on Thursday but leaked runs initially and Australia’s openers brought up their fourth fifty stand of the series in the 14th over.
Further changes by Stokes saw Broad and Anderson brought back after spells from Chris Woakes and Joe Root, but quick Mark Wood was conspicuous by his absence.
Australia’s scoring rate did slow and yet Khawaja and Warner nudged their way past the 73-run partnership they put on at Lord’s with the former surviving an lbw appeal by Root before light rain arrived as the players walked off.
Vera Pauw has called on the Football Association of Ireland to reach a decision on her future as Republic of Ireland coach ahead of the team’s final World Cup match against Nigeria.
Pauw’s contract is up at the end of the tournament, with Ireland having already been eliminated following defeats to Australia and Canada in their first two games.
That means Monday’s final Group B fixture in Brisbane could be her last game in charge if a decision is made not to keep her on.
She has repeatedly stated that she hopes to continue in the role to try to lead them to the European Championship finals in Switzerland in 2015.
The 60-year-old, who was appointed in 2019 and has led the Republic to their first major tournament finals in Australia and New Zealand, has been the subject of allegations of misconduct dating back to her time managing Houston Dash in the National Women’s Soccer League.
“Yes,” she replied when asked whether the players deserved to know whether their coach would be staying. “My situation has not changed.
“I think we have a fantastic bond in our team. That has been shown all over the four years.”
Opponents Nigeria were conquerors of co-hosts Australia in their previous game and will advance to the last-16 if they avoid defeat against Pauw’s side.
Ireland need to win and hope that Australia lose to Canada if they are to have any hope of finishing their debut tournament off the bottom of the group.
“We have a fantastic game tomorrow to play,” she added. “Nigeria are ranked 52 (by FIFA) but we all agree now that they are so, so strong.
“They are physically strong, they are skilful and extremely fast so there is a huge task on our plate. I want to concentrate on the game.
“That game is crucial for us, for our feeling, our pride and for the tournament.”
Defender Megan Connolly praised the strides made by the team during Pauw’s four-year tenure, but said ultimately the decision on whether or not she remained in the job was outside of the players’ control.
“Obviously, it’s not my decision,” she said. “What we have achieved in the past two or three years under Vera has been amazing.
“I think she helped us get to this point and I can only speak from my own personal experience and Vera has been great for me, but it’s not my decision.”
Racing and equestrianism will come together at the Qatar Goodwood Festival with the aim of raising money for charity in the Magnolia Cup.
The five-and-a-half-furlong contest, for which 2024 applications are open, gives 12 women from a variety of backgrounds the chance to shine at the summer meeting.
The event is sponsored by Markel and in 2022 was run in aid of The Brilliant Breakfast, a British charity that supports disadvantaged young women and for whom the race raised over £300,000.
This year’s race is run in support of the Education Above All (EAA) Foundation, established in 2012 by Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, with the aim of transforming lives through education.
In recent years the race has also exemplified the increased focus on diversity within the sport, with Khadijah Mellah becoming the first hijab-wearing jockey to win an organised horse race of any kind in this country when successful in 2019.
Mellah learned to ride at Ebony Horse Club, an inner-city riding school in Brixton, and in 2022 the momentum continued when Ashleigh Wicheard was the winning rider and used her moment in the limelight to highlight the Black Lives Matter cause.
Naturally both successes have to led both improvement in and increased discussion around diversity in racing, something that leads Cool Ridings founder Lydia Heywood to believe the sport is blazing a trail for other areas of equestrianism.
Heywood, a British-based event rider who represents Jamaica, created Cool Ridings in 2020 to give support to those not well represented within the world of equestrian sport.
Through the organisation Heywood met Olivia Kennedy, a fellow equestrian who will aim to do Cool Ridings proud when she takes her place in the 2023 Magnolia Cup.
Heywood said of the group: “Cool Ridings launched in 2020 following work I did with city riding schools, I felt there was a missing link when young people discover their passion for horses and want to find a pathway to continue into successful careers.
“I’ve been representing Jamaica in the sport (eventing) since 2017, I wanted to be the change I wanted to see in the industry and now I have a whole host of new friends and a community that really celebrate each other.
“It’s a huge step in the right direction, aligning with governing bodies on training days where we support each other regardless of our level or ability.
“The Magnolia Cup was been a wonderful opportunity to get deserving members into the limelight, Olivia has grabbed the opportunity and made some great connections in the racing world.
“Her position and fitness has come on so much in such a short space of time, I’m so impressed and we’re really looking forward to the race day.”
Riders will this year raise funds for Education Above All – a charity founded by Qatar’s Sheikha Moza bint Nasser that aims to ensure more underprivileged children receive an education.
The race’s diverse cast this year includes Maryam Al Jaber, state lawyer in Qatar and the first Qatari female trainer of Camels, and Roya Nikkhah, Royal Editor for The Sunday Times, continuing the event’s status as a leader in terms of diversity and inclusion within racing.
Heywood said: “I think the racing world is leading the way when it comes to opportunities for young people and people from all backgrounds.
“Khadijah Mellah is someone who started riding at Ebony Horse Club and the work I’ve done with Ebony Horse Club has inspired me a lot to get Cool Ridings members opportunities.
“I’m sure the members will be grabbing their tickets, getting dressed up and cheering on Olivia.”
Erik ten Hag is demanding Manchester United raise the bar once again having overseen “necessary” and “immense” improvements during his first year in charge.
Last summer the Dutchman took the reins at a club in disarray, with a lack of coherency, quality and joined-up thinking resulting in a wretched 2021-22 campaign.
Ten Hag brought in a new style, implemented demanding standards and handled star Cristiano Ronaldo’s exit as well he could before masterminding the end of United’s six-year wait for silverware.
The Carabao Cup triumph was followed by a third-placed Premier League finish and FA Cup final loss to eventual treble winners Manchester City, who are the target as they push for further improvements.
“I think the levels all across increased (at an) immense (level) and that was necessary,” Ten Hag said, reflecting on his first year in charge.
“But, still, we are not there where we want to be and we have to raise the bar, so we have to go to next levels.
“You learn always and I think English football evolves and I think you see nowadays the league is stronger and stronger. When you compare it with three, four years ago, it’s definitely the case.
“Because all the strong players get attracted to the Premier League, all the best managers got attracted to the Premier League, so every time it develops and progresses.
“It’s really a challenge and I’m really looking forward again to go in the season and to get the challenge.”
United have been bolstered heading into the new season by the arrivals of Mason Mount from Chelsea and Inter Milan’s adventurous goalkeeper Andre Onana.
Rasmus Hojlund is set to join them after United agreed a deal in principle to sign the talented Atalanta striker for a £64million fee rising to £72m – a potentially key addition to a goal-shy group.
“I can’t talk about this player in this moment because I’m a long time in football and I know first we need signings,” said Ten Hag, who always tends to keeps cards close to his chest.
“So far, we have to keep calm and let the professionals do their work. “
Hojlund’s arrival will take United’s summer outlay to £162.8m – a figure that would increase to £179.2m if the respective clauses in the three arrivals’ contracts are met.
Club success is key to many of those add-ons and fans could be concerned it will be hard to reach those heights under the Glazers given their track record.
Hope that their long, unpopular ownership could end grew with November’s announcement of a “strategic review” at United, with Sheikh Jassim and Sir Jim Ratcliffe placing bids.
But the Glazers are dragging their heels and no resolution is in sight with the Premier League kick-off less than a fortnight away.
“I focus on my job, and that is to improve the team,” Ten Hag told the PA news agency when asked about the takeover situation.
“I have to do my work to sign the players and I have to work on the way of play. That is my focus area.
“That’s what I’ve done, so I don’t get distracted from any of the strategic review. That’s what others in the club will deal with.
“We have a good information line. We’re sharing the information, so I know where I am and I can focus on my job.
“Most of the times (the information) is going over (chief executive) Richard Arnold or (football director) John Murtough. But sometimes also we have direct contact, as you have seen in New York.”
Ten Hag faced a variety of questions about different topics in the New York area ahead of kicking off their US tour with a 2-0 friendly win against Arsenal at MetLife Stadium.
The Dutchman pointed back to his comments there when asked for an update on Mason Greenwood, who has been suspended since January 2022.
The Crown Prosecution Service announced in February that all charges, including attempted rape and assault, had been dropped but an internal investigation continues.
“I explained in New York and I don’t think I have to reply again on that question,” Ten Hag said. “I answered this question, but I can’t every time answer the same question.”
Another major topic heading into the New York leg was the United captaincy as Ten Hag had just stripped Harry Maguire of the armband and handed it to Bruno Fernandes.
The club have since rejected a £20m bid from West Ham for the out-of-favour defender, who it was suggested could dominate the first few months of the season like Ronaldo did last term.
“I don’t see it like that, but you can have that impression,” Ten Hag retorted. “That’s your choice.
“But not last year, not this year. We are building, we are building a project. We want to win trophies.
“And, so we have to invest in the way of play, we have to invest in the team and our focus is not on one player.”
Ten Hag says consistency across the team is essential if United are to kick on next season, with the early acquisitions of Mount and Onana boosting their preparations.
“I wouldn’t call it an Erik ten Hag squad,” the manager added. “It’s about the demands of top football.
“We have to find the players, or we have to increase the levels from the players who are there.
“I think many players improved during last season. My expectation is that we can make another step that we increase the levels of the individuals.”
Ascot’s director of racing Nick Smith insisted he was “very pleased” with attendances at the two-day King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes Festival meeting.
It culminated with a pulsating clash between Hukum and Westover, with the former narrowly prevailing.
“It was a fabulous race, a deep race and fought out by two popular older horses,” he said.
“It was a race for the ages, although from a purely purist point of view, we needed the Derby winner to play a part. For whatever reason, he sadly was beaten before the race got started – that’s horses for you. The other three-year-old, King Of Steel, ran his race, but it was all about the two who drew clear, really.”
However, rail strikes played a part, with the crowd diminished as a result.
Smith added: “Overall, we have been very pleased with the turnout of just under 19,000, which given the rail strikes, was commendable.
“We moved a few things around on the Friday schedule and that seemed to work in terms of field size, and we were treated to a good King George, with a great finish. I think we have got to be happy in the circumstances. It was a great advertisement for racing, which is the main thing.”
Former Wales captain and coach Clive Rowlands has died at the age of 85, the Welsh Rugby Union has announced
Rowlands, who played 14 times for Wales as scrum-half, also managed the British and Irish Lions and served as president of the WRU.
He captained his country on each of his international appearances and led the team as they shared the 1964 Five Nations title with Scotland.
As coach he guided the team to a first Grand Slam in 19 years in 1971, after retiring from playing at the age of 29.
Olympic champion Tom Daley has said he will return to the pool to target a spot at Paris 2024.
Daley, 29, won Olympic gold alongside Matty Lee in the men’s synchronised 10 metre platform at the Tokyo Games, his third Olympics after his debut as a teenager at London 2012.
The three-time world champion has taken two years out since then, saying he had “in theory retired”, but in a new YouTube video he said a recent trip to Colorado Springs in the United States had reignited his competitive spirit with a year to go until Paris.
Daley and his husband Dustin Lance Black travelled to Colorado for the birth of their second son, with Daley saying he had not realised its status as an Olympic city until they arrived. He then took eldest son Robbie to the museum there and felt inspired to attempt a return.
“Robbie said to me, ‘Papa, I want to see you dive in the Olympics’,” Daley said. “It has lit a new flame in me to see where this goes, I don’t know where this is going to go.
“I don’t know if this is going to be a completely silly idea of me getting back in the pool or an opportunity for me to do this recreationally and have a bit of fun without any pressure, or if my body is going to be able to get back on a diving board and dive half-decently.
“I don’t know what that’s going to look like. Paris 2024 is definitely a goal. I don’t know if it’s going to be possible but you never say never.”
Everton signed Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku from Chelsea for a club record £28million on this day in 2014.
The move came after a successful loan spell at Goodison Park the previous season in which the forward scored 16 goals in 33 appearances and helped the club finish fifth in the Premier League.
The then 21-year-old, who had also spent an impressive year on loan at West Brom since joining Chelsea from Anderlecht for £18million in 2011, signed a five-year contract with the Toffees.
“I decided very quickly I wanted to come back here because it was a good step for me,” said Lukaku. “This is the place I belong.
“I’m 21, I need to be playing in a good team. I needed to be in a place that felt right.”
The fee paid by Everton shattered their previous club record of £15million for Marouane Fellaini in 2008.
Manager Roberto Martinez said: “It is not just one of those important days for the season, but it is a very significant day in the history of our football club.
“It is fair to say Romelu was our number one target to bring in and the pursuit was relentless, but it had to be a record transfer and it is worth every single penny and effort we put behind it.”
Lukaku spent a further three years with Everton, taking his overall tally across two spells at the club to 87 goals in 166 appearances, before joining Manchester United for £75million. He later moved to Inter Milan and then back to Chelsea.
He is now back with the Blues after spending last season on loan at Inter.
Terence Crawford has become the undisputed welterweight champion after a dominant performance against Errol Spence Jr in Las Vegas.
Crawford unleashed a flurry of punches in round nine to a wobbly Spence who could not defend himself, forcing the referee to step in and stop the fight.
It took just two rounds for Crawford to land his first of three knockdowns, with the next two coming in round seven.
Spence was brave throughout the bout, hanging on in a fight he was significantly behind in, but eventually Crawford took it out of his hands.
Crawford showed his respect to his downed opponent after the fight and said he would be up for a rematch.
“It was a good stoppage. I was on the verge. The referee did what he was supposed to do to protect the fighter,” Crawford said.
“If the fight happens again I am pretty sure the support will come out again for both of us.”
Ian Happ and Yan Gomes each hit two-run homers and the Chicago Cubs defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 5-1 for their eighth straight win on Saturday night.
Jameson Taillon won his third consecutive decision, allowing one run and two hits over six innings with four walks and four strikeouts.
Mike Tauchman, who had a game-saving catch in Friday’s win, had three hits with a seventh-inning RBI double, a night after scaling the center field fence to rob Alec Burleson of a potential winning home run.
Happ drove in Tauchman with his 10th homer of the season in the third inning to put the Cubs ahead 2-1.
Gomes’ two-run homer in the fourth inning off Adam Wainwright extended the lead to 4-1.
Wainwright was reached for four runs on seven hits with three walks in six innings. He remained stuck on 198 career victories.
The last-place Cardinals have lost three straight and seven of nine.
Acuna stars in Braves’ win
Ronald Acuna homered and stole his 50th base of the season to propel the Atlanta Braves to an 11-5 win over the Milwaukee Brewers in a matchup of division leaders.
Acuna went 3 for 4 with two runs, two RBIs and walk to become the first player in history with 20 or more home runs and 50 steals before August. He is one homer away from the 12th 25-50 campaign in MLB history.
Atlanta opened the game with four straight singles against Julio Teheran. After a sacrifice fly by Travis d’Arnaud, Marcell Ozuna had an RBI double and Eddie Rosario followed with a home run for a 6-0 lead.
Astros belt 5 home runs in rout
Jeremy Pena drove in a career-high four runs and the Houston Astros hit five homers in a 17-4 drubbing of the Tampa Bay Rays.
Yainer Diaz homered off starter Taj Bradley and Jose Abreu went deep off reliever Calvin Faucher before Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman and Yordan Alvarez all homered off catcher Rene Pinto in his first career pitching appearance.
Houston got eight hits and five RBIs from the bottom three batters in its lineup.
Hunter Brown limited the Rays to two runs and four hits over six-plus innings for his first win since June 13.
England great Stuart Broad could bring the curtain down on a stellar Test career on day four of the final Ashes Test at the Kia Oval.
Broad made the shock announcement regarding his decision to retire following this series at the close of a productive third day where England made 389 for nine, an overall lead of 377.
If Ben Stokes does not spring another declaration, Broad will walk out in a batting capacity for one last time at the Kia Oval alongside James Anderson, the other half of the memorable bowling duo, on Sunday.
No matter how long England’s second innings does last, Broad’s main task of the day will be to terrorise Australia for one final occasion with plenty on the line in south London.
View from the dressing room
Broad confirmed his retirement plans in a post-play interview with Sky Sports after England had smashed 389 in 80 overs. He made up his mind at 8.30pm on Friday and told captain Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum later that evening before he revealed the news to the rest of the team on Saturday morning.
Creepy crunches through cover again!
Before Broad’s retirement had been made public, all eyes were on how England would fare following nip-and-tuck first and second days where Australia manufactured a 12-run lead after both teams had their first go with the bat.
Zak Crawley set the tone with another first-ball special, crunching a wide Mitchell Starc delivery through cover for four to begin his final innings of the series in the same vein he started this Ashes at Edgbaston, where he smashed the opening ball in Birmingham past cover to the boundary off Pat Cummins.
Crawley and Ben Duckett shared a fifty stand for the first wicket with the Kent opener eventually falling for 73, enough to put him back on top of the run-scoring charts with an overall total of 480 runs, with nearest challenger Usman Khawaja the only player realistically able to knock him off first spot with 57 runs required to do so on Sunday.
Another ravenous Root ramp
After Crawley’s dismissal, Joe Root joined Stokes at the crease with the England captain in the unorthodox position of number three due to Moeen Ali’s time spent off the field on Friday.
Root initially struggled, wearing a delivery on the body and surviving a narrow lbw call against Josh Hazlewood, but the introduction of Mitch Marsh was greeted with a ramp shot for six and the former skipper never looked back.
Anything short was treated with disdain while Root milked the field for singles and twos before a flurry of boundaries off Starc took him into the nineties, but he could not bookend this Ashes with centuries after a Todd Murphy delivery kept low to bowl him for 91. Nevertheless, he walked off after a 60th Test half-century with England’s lead already beyond the 300-mark.
Here’s one for Jonny
It is no secret that Jonny Bairstow has endured a difficult series with the gloves, but he again highlighted the upside of his inclusion in the England XI with a sparkling 78 on day three.
Bairstow walked out with England on 222 for four and only a batting collapse away from throwing away a position of strength in their efforts to level the series at 2-2.
The response from Bairstow was to counter-punch, striking 34 runs off 35 balls before tea and upping the ante in the evening session until he edged behind to Alex Carey. His third fifty of the series brought his own tally of runs up to 322, the third most by an English wicketkeeper in an Ashes behind Alan Knott and Alec Stewart, who made 364 and 378 runs respectively in the 1974-75 and 1993 series which both contained six Test matches.
One Last Dance?
Spectators at the Kia Oval were none the wiser about Broad’s retirement intentions when last-man Anderson walked out to join his friend at the crease but it represented a special moment with the pair together with bats in hand for potentially the last time.
Applause greeted the arrival of Anderson, despite announcing before this match his desire to continue playing Test cricket, and he delighted the sell-out crowd with back-to-back boundaries against Murphy. He then successfully reviewed a lbw decision that was given out.
Broad and Anderson may get given another opportunity to bat on Sunday but if Stokes does decide to declare, that is the perfect way for Broad to bring his batting career in Test cricket to its conclusion.
The end of an era
There have been many times where Broad has written his own script and you would not bet against him doing the same on day four, especially with the threat of rain on Sunday and Monday.
Broad will be desperate to bowl England to a series-levelling victory and even though he has enjoyed an outstanding Ashes with 20 wickets at an average of 28.15, four more scalps will ensure he finishes top of the wicket-takers charts.
It will be a target for the seamer, who may not be the only Englishman to hang up the boots in Test cricket during the next two days with Moeen expected to go back into red-ball retirement. If he can bowl after Thursday’s groin twinge, it would be a major boost for the hosts.
The Caribbean Basketball Academy are champions of the 2023 Jamaica Basketball Showcase after a 52-50 overtime win over the Camperdown Giants in the final at the University of Technology on Saturday.
To advance to the showpiece event, CBA beat Hoop Factory Blues while Camperdown Giants beat Purple Power Basketball earlier on Saturday.
With both teams understandably tense due to what was at stake, CBA took a cagey first quarter 12-8.
They held a one-point lead with 1:13 to go in the first half before a Micah Swaine three-pointer gave the Giants a 16-14 lead. The Giants led 18-15 at the half.
A quick 4-0 start to the third quarter gave the Giants a seven-point lead and, with four minutes to go, they were up 26-16.
More solid play throughout the third saw them rewarded with a 32-20 lead entering the fourth quarter.
CBA cut the lead to eight with 3:55 left in the fourth quarter through a Jaiden Brown driving layup. The Giants were up 38-28 with 1:55 left before a quick 13-5 CBA run meant the lead was just two with 22 seconds left.
The Giants then hit a crucial layup which they thought sealed the game after putting them up four, however, this was not the case as Lebron Lewinson was fouled in the process of making a layup to cut the lead to two with 15 seconds left.
He ended up missing the freethrow but the ball ended up in the hands of Jaiden Brown who made a layup to tie the game at 45 with 11 seconds left.
CBA then forced the Giants into a turnover giving them the ball back with seven seconds left and a chance to win the game.
They ended up getting a good look with a Lewinson mid-range shot but it didn’t fall, meaning the champions would be decided in overtime.
In the end, CBA held their nerve to pull out a 52-50 victory and claim the trophy after losing in the final last year.
Lewinson was named MVP of the game with 16 points while Jaiden Brown led the champions in scoring with 18 points.
Micah Swaine, who was named MVP of the tournament, had 19 points and eight rebounds for the Giants.
“It means a lot,” said winning coach, Ludlow Barker, after the game.
“As I kept saying, we took the hardest route to get to the semi-finals and then the semi-final wasn’t that great but I told my guys that I prefer an ugly win over a pretty loss. I kept saying that from here, the only way we can go is up and that is exactly what we did,” he added.
He also lauded his team’s mental toughness to come back from down 10 with less than two minutes left in the fourth quarter.
“I’m speechless. We were dead and buried but they believed in each other, stuck it out and kept going. I said we were the best defensive team so we should use our defense and win this game and they did,” Barker said.
Losing coach, Nylon Hurd, said turnovers at key moments in the game cost his team the victory.
“I think we had some critical turnovers at critical times. We were able to hold Lebron (Lewinson) for most of the game before he hit two big time shots down the stretch. It is what it is. We will learn and move forward,” he said.
Hurd also said that, even though it was his team’s first year entering the competition, getting to the final wasn’t a surprise.
“For those who know, when we’re in competitions we’re always a quality team so it’s not new,” he said.
What was expected to be a difficult return to action for Dale Murphy’s Runaway Algo did not materialize, as the inform American-bred horse easily disposed of rivals to top the Eros Trophy feature on the 10-race card at Caymanas Park on Saturday.
In fact, the seven-length margin of victory by the four-year-old chestnut colt in the Graded Stakes/Open Allowance event for three-year-olds, was almost liking to an exercise run, given the ease in which he covered seven furlongs (1,400m) in a tidy 1:26.3, after setting splits of 23.4, 46.0 and 1:11.3. It was also a second successive win for the Lanmark Farms-owned and bred charge this season.
Anticipations of race fans were high that Runaway Algo would possibly be locked in a stretch duel with Jason DaCosta’s American-bred I Am Fred or Ian Parsard’s Mahogany or even both at the same time, but from the moment the left the gates, it became clear that Murphy’s charge would have things his own way.
The fact that I am Fred (Reyan Lewis) and Mahogany (Dane Dawkins), attempted to go with the fleet footed Runaway Algo made things all the easier for jockey Raddesh Roman, who gradually slowed the pace to accommodate his rivals, while also ensuring his horse had enough in the tank for his usual explosive burst in the homestretch.
By the time they arrived at the half-mile, Roman gradually released his hold on Runaway Algo and though I am Fred and Mahogany were both still in close proximity when they turned for home, they soon lost sight of the Algorithms –Misunify progeny, who opened up and won going away under a comfortable hand ride.
I Am Fred stayed on for second, with Mahogany in third and King Arthur (Javaniel Patterson) at the back of the four-horse field, as DaCosta’s other trainee, Eagle One was a non-starter.
Meanwhile, leading rider Lewis, extended his rich vein of form in the saddle, with a fine treble. Lewis won the first race aboard DaCosta’s Whizz Kidd, the fifth race aboard the Patrick Lynch-conditioned Prosecco, and the sixth aboard Airstream for trainer Robert Pearson.
DaCosta also saddled Phenomenal One (Anthony Allen) in the fourth race for a double for the day, along with Pearson, who also won with Posing Already (Tevin Foster).
Allen added victory with Gary Subratie’s 24-1 outsider D Head Cornerstone to his earlier win aboard Phenomenal One.
The next race card is scheduled for Tuesday, August 1, 2023.
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