Anthony Gordon’s second goal of the European Championship secured a 1-0 win over Portugal and booked England Under-21s’ place in the semi-finals for the first time since 2017.
The Newcastle winger, operating as a central forward in Lee Carsley’s team, pounced 10 minutes before half-time to clinically finish a good passing move.
Despite some late Portuguese pressure which saw Henrique Araujo’s effort rebound off the crossbar with goalkeeper James Trafford beaten, England – who have yet to concede a goal at the tournament – held on to set up a meeting with Israel, whom they beat 2-0 in the group phase, on Wednesday.
The only downside on the night in the Shengelia Arena in Kutaisi, Georgia, was a booking for Norwich right-back Max Aarons which rules him out of the semi-final.
Early exchanges saw Liverpool’s Curtis Jones guide a shot wide from just outside the penalty area and Wolves’ Pedro Neto have an effort turned around the post by Trafford.
Gordon’s first sight of goal in the 23rd minute from Jacob Ramsey’s through-ball was easily saved by Celton Biai but the Portuguese goalkeeper had no chance with his next effort.
Noni Madueke played in Morgan Gibbs-White and he cleverly cut back the ball to Gordon loitering near the penalty spot to confidently sweep home first time.
In first-half added time Taylor Harwood-Bellis produced an important block to deny Tiago Dantas and, after Aarons was booked early in the second half, Levi Colwill did similarly to prevent Araujo having a chance to equalise.
Seconds later the Portugal forward was unsuccessfully appealing for a penalty after a tangle with Harwood-Bellis in the six-yard area as they challenged for a cross before coming even closer to scoring when his header hit the crossbar.
With seconds remaining of regulation time, Neto drilled a free-kick into England’s defensive wall and when Nuno Tavares fired over in the final minute of six added on, Carsley’s side were safe.
England captain Ben Stokes took the moral high ground over Jonny Bairstow’s controversial dismissal by Australia at Lord’s, insisting he would not want to win a Test in such divisive fashion.
The tourists took a 2-0 Ashes lead as they wrapped up a 43-run victory in the second Test at the home of cricket, but a gripping five-day contest seems destined to be remembered for the flashpoint – as well as Stokes’ magnificent century in response.
Alex Carey’s opportunistic stumping of Bairstow was the pivot point, with the wicketkeeper throwing down the stumps as England’s number seven wandered out of his crease in the belief that Cameron Green’s over was complete.
The letter of the law meant Bairstow had to go as the ball was not officially considered dead, but a capacity Lord’s crowd reacted in outrage to what they saw as an underhand tactic. Deafening boos and endless refrains of “same old Aussies, always cheating” dominated for the rest of the day as Stokes blazed a defiant 155.
The 32-year-old’s brilliant best was not enough as he fell short of completing a 371-run chase that may have trumped his Headingley heroics in 2019 and he could not hide his disappointment at the nature of the Bairstow stumping.
“The first thing that needs to be said is that it is out. But would I want to win a game in that manner? The answer for me is no,” he said.
“Jonny was in his crease, then left his crease to come out and have the conversation between overs like every batsman does.
“For Australia it was the matchwinning moment. If I was fielding captain at the time I would have put a lot more pressure on the umpires to ask them what their decision was around the (end of the) over. Then I would have had a real deep think about the spirit of the game.”
Asked if his approach would change for the rest of the series now that Australia had set the bar, Stokes said: “Would I do that back to them? No, I’m not looking to do something like that because they did it.”
Pat Cummins, long known for his sunny disposition and mild manner, appeared taken aback by the sustained jeers from the stands. More loud boos followed the final wicket of the match, drowning out the cheers of the touring group in green and gold, and Australia captain Cummins was barracked at the post-match presentation.
However, he made no apologies for upholding the appeal against Bairstow and said the England keeper had been looking for similar opportunities throughout the match.
“It’s in the laws, totally fair play. That’s how I saw it,” he said.
“You see Jonny do it all the time, he did it day one to (David) Warner and in 2019 to Steve (Smith). It’s what keepers do if you see an opportunity. All credit to Carey, he rolled it at the stumps, Jonny left his crease and you leave the rest to the umpires.”
Stokes did his best to block out the external noise while he was batting – a remarkable knock of controlled aggression, tactical strike rotation and brute force – but was taken aback by the unprecedented reaction at a ground known for its laidback ‘Lord’s hum’.
He expects more of the same at Headingley next week and expects the volume to be cranked up.
“I definitely think it’s going to be ramped up,” he said.
“When we go to Australia we get lambasted as well – 90,000 Australians at the MCG cursing at you. That’s part of the sport we play, you get thousands of people who want their team to win and they’ll just jump on something.
“I could see it was ramping up and getting a bit vocal, but it wasn’t until I got out and went out on the balcony to watch the remaining half hour…I was just like “I’ve never heard Lord’s like this”. It reminded me of the World Cup final in 2019.
“It was nice to see Lord’s (like that), a ground that’s not got a reputation for the atmosphere and noise. Today was one of the days where Lord’s showed up.”
England now need to show up themselves. After successive defeats to start the series they need to a hat-trick of wins at Headingley, Old Trafford and The Oval to reclaim the urn.
“We’ve won 3-0 against New Zealand and we won 3-0 against Pakistan, in Pakistan,” was Stokes’ defiant message as he looked back on past glories from his year as captain.
“We’ve won three games in a row twice. All we’re thinking about is winning the series 3-2. We have to win these three games to get this urn back and we’re a team who are obviously willing to put ourselves out there and do things against the narrative. So, these next three games are an even better opportunity for us than we have ever found ourselves in before.”
England named a 15-man squad for Thursday’s third Test, with back-up leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed dropping out alongside seamer Matthew Potts. Moeen Ali (index finger) and Mark Wood – overlooked this week due to fitness concerns – retained their places, as did vice-captain Ollie Pope, who injured his right shoulder while fielding.
Max Verstappen said he is refusing to dream about completing a hat-trick of world championships after he delivered another emphatic performance to win the Austrian Grand Prix.
The double world champion was made to work for his seventh victory from nine rounds after he passed Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz on track in Spielberg.
But after manoeuvring himself ahead of both Ferrari drivers, Verstappen raced off into the distance to the delight of his 70,000-strong travelling army from the Netherlands.
He leads Sergio Perez in the standings by 81 points – the equivalent of more than three victories – ahead of next weekend’s British Grand Prix.
However, when asked about the prospect of taking his third straight title, Verstappen said: “I don’t like to think about that yet.
“I am enjoying the moment, driving with this car, and working with this team. I am just very happy for this weekend and we will turn our focus to the next race at Silverstone.”
A day after taking the sprint race spoils, Verstappen was celebrating his fifth consecutive victory, and the 42nd of his career to move ahead of Ayrton Senna.
Verstappen fended off an aggressive Leclerc on the opening lap before he fell to third after the Ferrari drivers stopped early for tyres under the Virtual Safety Car.
It ended Verstappen’s remarkable run of 249 consecutive laps at the head of a race – a streak stretching back to the Miami Grand Prix on May 8 – however, the Dutchman required just 11 laps before he was back in charge.
After he left the pits on lap 25, Verstappen moved ahead of Sainz a couple of laps later, and then fought his way past Leclerc on lap 35 of 71.
From there, the Dutchman cruised to the flag – even stopping for tyres on the penultimate lap in order to set the fastest lap and take a bonus point.
“It was important to stay in front of Charles on lap one and after that we were able to do our own race,” added Verstappen.
“We chose not to box under the VSC and we followed our normal strategy and that worked out really well.
“I knew I would get them back eventually and following our own plan was the best way forward. To see all the orange in the grandstands and the flares at the end was incredible.”
Verstappen has won 16 of the last 20 races in F1, with Red Bull unbeaten this season as they bid to become F1’s first invincible team.
“We can only take it one race at a time,” said Red Bull team principal Christian Horner. “Can we [go unbeaten]? Yes. Will we? Who knows.”
Pat Cummins expects MCC members to lose their membership following the “aggressive and abusive” behaviour encountered by his Australia team in the Long Room during a dramatic final day of the second Ashes Test at Lord’s.
A flashpoint occurred on the eve of lunch on day five when Jonny Bairstow was dismissed in controversial fashion, after Australian wicketkeeper Alex Carey threw the ball at the stumps at the conclusion of Cameron Green’s over.
Bairstow had already left his crease to speak with Ben Stokes under the impression it was a dead ball with the over finished but was given out and it saw the Lord’s crowd respond with hostility towards the tourists.
Boos greeted the Australians when they left the pitch at lunch and television cameras picked up an exchange in the Long Room between MCC members and both Usman Khawaja and David Warner.
The MCC later apologised for the incident and Cricket Australia revealed an investigation is under way but Cummins does not want the tradition of walking past the members to end.
“The crowd certainly made themselves known, in the Long Room and also out there,” Cummins reflected after Australia won by 43 runs to move 2-0 up in the series.
“I think they were just quite aggressive and abusive towards some of our players, which yeah I know the MCC were not too happy with.
“The MCC came and apologised for the behaviour of some of the members and some of them might lose their membership over the way they behaved.
“Other than that one time, they were fantastic all week. The members here are normally fantastic, really welcoming.
“Something special about playing at Lord’s is you feel like you are at a really special place surrounded by people who have a love for the game. I quite like the tradition.
“I don’t think it hurts any more than normal. I think just standards that are held by the members are maybe a bit different to what you expect from certain members of the crowd at Edgbaston.
“To quote (Steve) Smithy, it felt like a normal day.”
Cummins did not see the alleged physical contract which a Cricket Australia spokesperson referenced.
“Australian management has requested the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) investigate several incidents involving spectators in the members’ area during lunch on day five of the Lord’s Test,” a Cricket Australia spokesperson said.
“It is alleged players and staff from the Australian team were verbally abused, with some being physically contacted, as they made their way to lunch through the members’ area.”
England captain Stokes was not asked specifically about the exchange in the Long Room, but did enjoy hearing the Lord’s crowd, known as one of the most politest sporting venues in the world, boo the tourists’ for most of day five.
“It was pretty mad wasn’t it,” Stokes admitted.
“It wasn’t until I got out and went on the balcony to watch the remaining half an hour, I thought I had never heard Lord’s like this.
“At the back end of the Test match it reminded me of the World Cup Final in 2019.
“It was good to see Lord’s, a ground that has not got a reputation for atmosphere or noise, like that. Today was one of the days where Lord’s showed up.”
A spokesperson for the MCC read: “The Long Room is unique in world cricket and the great privilege of players passing through the pavilion is very special.
“After this morning’s play, emotions were running high, and words were unfortunately exchanged with some of the Australian team, by a small number of members.
“We have unreservedly apologised to the Australian team and will deal with any member who has not maintained the standard we expect through our disciplinary processes.
“It was not necessary to eject anyone from the ground and I am pleased to say that there was no repeat of this as the players resumed the field for this afternoon’s session.”
Injury-hit Nottinghamshire confirmed their place in the quarter-finals of the Vitality Blast after beating Leicestershire by four runs.
South African Wiaan Mulder’s career-best unbeaten 83 from 50 balls almost led the visitors to their target but two wickets each from Imad Wasim, Shaheen Afridi, Matt Carter and Calvin Harrison restricted them to 164 for eight.
Wicketkeeper Tom Moores top-scored for the second successive match for the Outlaws with 68 from 40 deliveries as the hosts set up an away tie with Somerset.
North Group winners Birmingham completed their campaign with a club-record seventh successive victory – and 11th in 14 matches – after beating Durham by eight runs at Edgbaston.
Although they were bowled out for 141 in the final over, with Rob Yates scoring 53, the moderate target proved beyond Durham as Henry Brookes claimed three for 15.
Lancashire also qualified with a comfortable six-wicket victory over Northamptonshire at Old Trafford which also ended the visitors’ qualification hopes.
Phil Salt hit a 51-ball 74 as the hosts chased down the Steelbacks’ 138 for seven with 20 balls to spare to set up a home tie against Surrey.
Mitchell Santner’s contribution with bat and ball helped book Worcestershire’s place in the quarters after hammering 64 in 46 balls in the visitors’ 222 for five.
He then claimed one for 28 in four overs as Derbyshire came up 28 runs shot despite Wayne Madsen making 63 from 32 balls in reply.
In the South Group defending champions Hampshire booked their place in the last eight thanks to a destructive performance from John Turner in an eight-wicket win over Gloucestershire.
The fast bowler took his Blast tally to 18 with three for 15 as Gloucestershire were restricted to 105.
James Vince’s eighth half-century of the season saw his side home with 33 balls to spare.
Feroze Khushi hit a six off the last ball as Essex snatched a last-gasp three-wicket win over Surrey.
Chasing 196 for victory, the visitors required eight from the final over but five singles put the pressure on Khusi (35 not out), who responded by hoisting the ball to long on where Chris Jordan could not prevent it dropping over the rope.
Bottom side Middlesex won just their third game of the campaign with a 49-run victory over Glamorgan as Ryan Higgins hit 71no off 36 balls to steer his side to a total of 200 and then claimed three for 20 runs, including two in two balls.
Glamorgan looked to be coasting to victory thanks to Kiran Carlson hitting the county’s fastest T20 half-century but when he was out for 77 off just 29 balls they lost all momentum.
Five horses were separated by less than half a length in the Dubai Duty Free Rockingham Handicap at the Curragh and it was Harry’s Hill who had his head just in front where it mattered most.
The favourite, Jon Riggens, reared up as the stalls opened losing all chance and it was the English raider Michaela’s Boy, who was to the fore throughout.
Martin Hassett’s Harry’s Hill was out of the handicap, so the trainer opted to claim 10lb with his nephew Wayne Hassett, and it proved an inspired decision.
Master Matt, Run Ran Run and Big Gossey were all in there pitching, but it was Harry’s Hill who got the verdict by a head.
There was a dead-heat for second between Master Matt and Michaela’s Boy, with a short head back to Big Gossey and a neck to Run Ran Run.
It was a third win for the jockey meaning he can no longer claim 10lb.
Martin Hassett said: “At the start of the week when I saw the entries I thought what are we after doing!
“He ran disappointing in Tipperary, we reckoned he ran a bit flat. I thought he’d win in Tipperary, we’d get 7lb and we’d get into this but he ran bad and got dropped 3lb.
“This is the most important race of the year for a small operation and small owners. He was bought for €12,000 and is a legend of a horse.
“He might come back here for the Scurry. I always thought he’d get six furlongs, but he’s never run well over six so we’ll see.
“Wayne (17) is well able to ride and he doesn’t look like a 10lb claimer. He’s working in Joseph O’Brien’s now and will learn plenty there.”
Johnny Murtagh’s Blues Emperor (7-1) made just about every yard of the running in the Dubai Duty Free Derby Festival Handicap.
Ridden positively by Shane B Kelly, the lightly-raced four-year-old beat Chazzesmee by a length.
“That bit of rain we’ve had the last few days suited him. A stiff mile here is good for him, he’s very brave and when he gets to the front he doesn’t like being passed,” said Murtagh.
“He’s entered in Leopardstown for the mile-and-one (Nasrullah Handicap) and will probably go there and Rahmi (fourth) might go to Galway.”
Murtagh doubled up in the closing Dubai Duty Free Irish EBF “Ragusa” Handicap with Safecracker (15-2), ridden by Ben Coen.
Another to make just about all the running was Fozzy Stack’s 5-2 favourite Aussie Girl in the Dubai Duty Free Summer Fillies Handicap.
Jamie Powell was keen to dictate matters and once in front was allowed to set his own fractions.
“I only declared her at 9.55 on Friday morning when I saw there were only nine in it,” said Stack.
“Obviously it wasn’t planned out as she only ran in Naas a few days ago and that’s her third race in a fortnight. She’s tough.”
Katie Swan is hoping a strong performance at Wimbledon might encourage Elton John to visit SW19 to support her.
The 24-year-old recently signed with Rocket Entertainment, the management company co-founded by the music superstar, and has already been enjoying the benefits.
“I am feeling really good off court,” said Swan. “It is a really exciting time. I have signed for Rocket. I got to go and see Elton John playing in London, which was fun.”
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Swan, who was formerly with Andy Murray’s 77 agency before the Scot decided to close its tennis division, took mum Nicki with her to The O2.
“She is a huge fan of Elton,” said Swan. “My favourite song is Don’t Go Breaking My Heart, but he didn’t do it. So Your Song was my other favourite one. It was unreal. His voice is a joke, it’s so powerful – I am so glad I got to see him live before he finishes.”
John’s farewell tour is set to finish in Sweden on Saturday, so Swan would need to reach at least the fourth round in order to have a chance of tempting him to Wimbledon.
“I haven’t met him yet,” she said. “I am hoping I will get the chance to at some point. I’ve heard he is a big tennis fan so hopefully, if I can get some good results, then maybe he’ll want to come and watch me.”
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Another treat before the tournament came on Thursday when Swan hit with Venus Williams on Court One.
“It was an incredible opportunity,” she said. “Laura Robson messaged my coach saying, ‘Venus is looking for a hit on Court One to open it if you’re interested’.
“And I was like, ‘OK, let’s not turn that down’. For me, that’s something I wouldn’t have even dreamed of as a kid. It was unbelievable and something I’ll never forget. She was really friendly.”
Ill-timed injuries have so far prevented Swan reaching the potential she showed as a junior.
She made her Wimbledon debut back in 2016 and reached the second round in 2018, securing what is so far her only victory at the All England Club.
There have been positive signs this year, though, with Swan pushing towards the top 100 and reaching the final of the warm-up tournament in Surbiton, beating last year’s Wimbledon semi-finalist Tatjana Maria along the way.
“I think this year is more exciting than normal,” she said. “I feel in probably the best form that I have been in coming into this week. I’m excited to get going.”
The draw did not appear to be kind to Swan, who will take on 14th seed Belinda Bencic on Monday.
The Swiss has twice reached the fourth round at Wimbledon but she has not won a match here since 2019 while she has only played one match – a first-round loss at the French Open – since the beginning of April because of injury.
“Everyone here is tough but obviously she’s an Olympic gold medallist and she’s achieved so much in her career,” said Swan.
“I was excited when I saw the draw. Court Two is the biggest court I’ve played on here so I’m really pumped for it. I back myself and I think having the home support will be a lot of fun out there.”
Toto Wolff insists his public rebuke of Lewis Hamilton at the Austrian Grand Prix will have no impact on the British driver’s Mercedes future.
As Max Verstappen racked up his seventh victory from nine rounds with a crushing performance at Red Bull’s home race in Spielberg to extend his championship lead to 81 points, Hamilton crossed the line a disappointing seventh.
Hamilton was the first of six drivers to be penalised by race director Niels Wittich for exceeding track limits.
He then spent the remainder of the race asking why some of his rivals – namely Sergio Perez – had not been sanctioned, and also lambasted the speed of his under-performing Mercedes machine.
Wolff rarely speaks to his drivers over the radio, but was on the intercom twice to Hamilton during Sunday’s race.
“Lewis, the car is bad, we know,” said Wolff on his second appearance over the airwaves. “Just please drive it.”
The dressing down might have stung Hamilton. Asked what provoked Wolff to deliver the remark, Hamilton’s answer was short, and not-so-sweet.
“I don’t know,” he said. “You will have to ask him.”
Hamilton has six months remaining on his £40million-a-season deal. Might the exchange have a bearing on negotiations?
“No, not at all,” said Wolff. “You should hear us talking on the phone and meeting each other. That was nothing.
“We have had a bad weekend, all of us in the team, and that just makes us stronger.
“It was only for the best interest of the driver and the team. Sometimes there is a certain moment when you need to calm things down but I meant well.
“We had a lot of discussion about track limits and whether they were enforced or not.
“I wanted to make sure we were getting the best out of the package that wasn’t performing, and trying to give it our best shot.”
It has been a difficult weekend for Mercedes in Austria. Hamilton was 10th in the Sprint on Saturday, while team-mate George Russell finished eighth in both the shortened race and the main event.
Hamilton’s losing streak now extends to 32 races and Wolff – despite suggesting on June 12 that his superstar driver’s next contract would be signed in “days rather than weeks” – confirmed that there will be no news of an extension at Silverstone this weekend.
“I am still very confident it will get done,” added Wolff. “We want to do it super, and to every detail.
“This is not a money discussion. It is about the future, what is it that we want to do right, and then optimise.
“We are not talking anymore about money, or duration, it is about other topics.”
Asked how long Hamilton’s next deal will be, Wolff replied: “For a while. The Brits say a couple means two, and the Americans say a couple means a few, so it is somewhere there. Several.”
The day began strongly for Hamilton. He started fifth and leapfrogged Lando Norris at the opening corner. But he soon faced the wrath of race control for putting all four wheels of his Mercedes over the white line on three separate occasions.
He was penalised with a black-and-white warning flag on lap 12, and then hit with a five-second penalty five laps later.
Hamilton took his punishment at his second pit stop on lap 43, dropping him to eighth place.
He moved up one spot when Pierre Gasly stopped for tyres but failed to make any impression on Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, crossing the line half-a-minute back.
“The feeling with the car was the same as I had last year,” said Hamilton. “I didn’t expect to be as bad as we were today. It is surprising.”
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc finished second for Ferrari, while Perez raced from 15th to third, passing Carlos Sainz with 10 laps to go.
Norris ended the day in fifth to record his best result of a difficult season for his under-performing McLaren team.
Shane Foley returned from injury with a winner as Jessica Harington’s Bold Discovery won for the first time since his debut in the Dubai Duty Free Celebration Stakes at the Curragh.
Foley faced a race against time to be fit for the Irish Derby having broken his collar bone almost four weeks ago and while he had no joy on Sprewell in the big race, he left happy enough with a Listed winner.
Bold Discovery looked a very promising type when scoring first time out at two and he went on to be placed in the Killavullan Stakes.
He had been highly tried this season, finishing behind Paddington the last twice, most recently in the Irish Guineas.
Down markedly in class, he was sent off at 18-1 with Dermot Weld’s filly Tarawa all the rage on the back of her fast-finishing fourth in the Irish 1000 Guineas behind her stablemate Tahiyra.
With just over a furlong to run, Bold Discovery took over from Pretreville and held off the challenge of Tarawa by half a length.
Harrington said: “That’s what he was showing us earlier in the year.
“He had allergies and kept scoping wrong after his races, but we’ve been able to treat them since the Guineas and he’s all right now.
“He loved going around that bend and for a big horse, he goes on that quick ground.
“That was really good and I’d say he will come forward from that and get a bit of confidence.”
Sprewell came home sixth in the Irish Derby after being hampered by San Antonio, who suffered a fatal injury over four furlongs out.
Harrington added: “Sprewell is OK. He just got interfered with at the wrong time and probably wasn’t quite letting himself down on the ground.
“I shut my eyes for a second and thought he was going to fall and Shane was going to fall again. It’s amazing what goes through your mind in half a second.
“He’ll live to fight another day.”
Shane Foley returned from injury with a winner as Jessica Harington’s Bold Discovery won for the first time since his debut in the Dubai Duty Free Celebration Stakes at the Curragh.
Foley faced a race against time to be fit for the Irish Derby having broken his collar bone almost four weeks ago and while he had no joy on Sprewell in the big race, he left happy enough with a Listed winner.
Bold Discovery looked a very promising type when scoring first time out at two and he went on to be placed in the Killavullan Stakes.
He had been highly tried this season, finishing behind Paddington the last twice, most recently in the Irish Guineas.
Down markedly in class, he was sent off at 18-1 with Dermot Weld’s filly Tarawa all the rage on the back of her fast-finishing fourth in the Irish 1000 Guineas behind her stablemate Tahiyra.
With just over a furlong to run, Bold Discovery took over from Pretreville and held off the challenge of Tarawa by half a length.
Harrington said: “That’s what he was showing us earlier in the year.
“He had allergies and kept scoping wrong after his races, but we’ve been able to treat them since the Guineas and he’s all right now.
“He loved going around that bend and for a big horse, he goes on that quick ground.
“That was really good and I’d say he will come forward from that and get a bit of confidence.”
Sprewell came home sixth in the Irish Derby after being hampered by San Antonio, who suffered a fatal injury over four furlongs out.
Harrington added: “Sprewell is OK. He just got interfered with at the wrong time and probably wasn’t quite letting himself down on the ground.
“I shut my eyes for a second and thought he was going to fall and Shane was going to fall again. It’s amazing what goes through your mind in half a second.
“He’ll live to fight another day.”
England captain Ben Stokes questioned whether Australia had compromised the “spirit” of cricket in the wake of his side’s controversial 43-run defeat in the second Ashes Test at Lord’s.
England were furious over the manner of Jonny Bairstow’s dismissal, who was stumped by Australian wicketkeeper Alex Carey after the batsman strayed from his crease believing the ball was dead.
Stokes told Sky Sports: “I think there’s quite a lot of factors you’ve got to take into that.
“At the end of the day it’s out, (but) if the shoe was on the other foot I’d probably just have a little think about the spirit of the game. It’s happened and we’ve just got to move on with what’s in front of us.”
Australia skipper Pat Cummins was unrepentant over the incident, insisting: “I think Carey saw it happening a few balls previously.
“There’s no pause, you catch it and have a throw. I thought it was totally fair play. That’s how the rule is – I know some people might disagree a lot.”
Fans booed the Australians and there appeared to be a number of flashpoints when the players exited through the famous Long Room during the lunch interval.
However, former England captains Andrew Strauss and Eoin Morgan, working as post-match analysts for Sky, agreed with Cummins’ opinion.
Strauss said he was “pretty comfortable with what Australia did there”, while Morgan added: “I don’t see it compromising the spirit of the game. He (Bairstow) was just being naive, it was almost like he was batting in his own bubble.”
Stokes admitted his thrilling knock of 155 was scant consolation for a difficult defeat but insisted the series was far from finished.
“Having experienced something like that before, you’re able to look back and have some kind of game plan, but unfortunately it just wasn’t enough for us today,” said Stokes.
“It got to the point where Australia changed their plans so I just had to change the way I was going about it.
“It’s a tough one to swallow going so close, but being involved in such a fantastic game was awesome. We’re 2-0 down but we’ve got three games left so we know we can do it.”
Australia batter Steve Smith, who pipped Stokes to the man of the match award for his first-innings knock of 110, hailed his England counterpart as a “freak”.
“He’s an unbelievable player, some of the things he can pull off on this ground and in this game of cricket, he’s a freak,” said Smith.
“The way he went about it, targeting that one side, smacking them down the hill and batting the other end. He’s a freak, an unbelievable player.”
Reflecting on his missed opportunity to catch Stokes earlier in his innings, Smith added: “It’s difficult giving guys like that lives. The way he plays chasing totals, the way he gets it done, it was an incredible knock.”
England head coach Brendon McCullum doubts his side will be “having a beer any time soon” with Australia’s players following a controversial climax to the second Test at Lord’s.
Jonny Bairstow’s dismissal – out of his crease believing the ball to be dead as Alex Carey’s expedient underarm threw down his stumps – overshadowed Australia’s 43-run win to move 2-0 up in the series.
The laws of the game state: “The ball shall be considered to be dead when it is clear to the bowler’s end umpire that the fielding side and both batters at the wicket have ceased to regard it as in play.”
Carey throwing upon collection of the ball without hesitation seems to vindicate him but, as Bairstow was not seeking a run, the Australia wicketkeeper’s actions call into question the so-called ‘spirit of the game’.
And the famously laid-back McCullum admitted the flash point might impact relations between the teams as he said on the BBC’s Test Match Special: “I can’t imagine we’ll be having a beer any time soon.”
Carey’s swift handiwork and Australia captain Pat Cummins’ decision to uphold the appeal meant a visibly furious Bairstow had to depart but a normally sedate Lord’s crowd seethed at the outcome, with boos and chants of “same old Aussies, always cheating” ringing out throughout the final day.
Ben Stokes channelled any frustration into a jaw-dropping innings of 155 as England were all out for 327 in pursuit of 371, but the Bairstow dismissal remained on everyone’s lips after the denouement.
McCullum added: “I think it was more about the spirit of the game and when you become older and more mature you realise the game and the spirit of it is something you need to protect.
“You have to make decisions in the moment and they can have affects on games and people’s characters.
“By the letter of the law he is out. Jonny was not trying to take a run and the umpires had called over.
“It is one of those difficult ones to swallow and you look at the small margins it is incredibly disappointing.
“But lots of people will have their opinion on both sides of the fence. But the most disappointing thing is that it will be the most talked about event of a great Test match.”
Jodie Burrage had an unusual practice partner on the eve of Wimbledon – Percy Pig.
The 24-year-old is yet to win a singles match at the All England Club but she was involved in one of the most popular stories of the tournament last year when she offered the Marks and Spencer treat to a ball boy who was feeling unwell.
“I don’t really know why it was such a big story,” she said. “He just wasn’t feeling great, I tried to help him out a little bit. I feel like anyone would have done the same thing. For some reason it kicked off. Hopefully no one feels ill on court this year. It was a bit mad.”
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Burrage’s act of kindness earned the attention of Marks and Spencer, and the National Tennis Centre in Roehampton had an unusual visitor last month when Percy Pig turned up for a hit.
“We had a two-hour session,” said Burrage. “It was good fun. We tried to play, actually Percy was better than I thought he was going to be.”
So could the British number two be Percy Pig’s official representative at Wimbledon in the future?
“I’d love that,” she said gleefully. “My mum is a massive fan of Percy Pigs as well, and my physio. My physio is probably Percy Pig’s biggest fan. So, if they ever do something like that, I’d love to be.”
Burrage will not be able to help out any similarly stricken ball kids this year, though, adding: “I’ve had them the last few weeks, they are one of my favourite sweets, but they’re not in my bag. My nutritionist had a firm ‘no’ on that.”
The Percy Pig incident meant a disappointing first-round loss for Burrage was rather forgotten, and she is hoping it can be third-time lucky on Monday when she takes on American Caty McNally.
“I played her at the US Open last year,” said Burrage. “I’ll be watching that match back. She’s a tough opponent and actually on the grass she’s going to be really dangerous. I’ll enjoy the challenge.”
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Burrage has enjoyed a strong grass-court campaign, reaching her first WTA Tour final in Nottingham and climbing to 108 in the rankings, and she will try not to put too much pressure on herself.
“It comes with experience,” she said. “It would be great if I could go on, play my best, win, everything be happy.
“There’s going to be some ups and downs in the match like there always is. All I can do is go out there, fight and give my all.
“If it’s my day, it’s my day, and if it’s not, it’s not. I’ll try and come back next year.”
New Zealand’s Daniel Hillier admitted he was “gobsmacked” after producing a stunning burst of scoring to claim his first DP World Tour title in the Betfred British Masters.
Hillier holed from 40 feet for eagle on the 15th, made birdie from a fairway bunker on the next and then holed from six feet for another eagle on the 17th in a brilliant final round of 66 at The Belfry.
That gave the 24-year-old a winning total of 10 under par, securing the first prize of £468,000 and also a place in the Open Championship at Royal Liverpool later this month.
Hillier, who began the day three shots off a six-way tie for the lead, said: “I’m gobsmacked. I think it’s going to take me a while to process to be honest.
“Early on in the day I was not feeling it at all. I was a little bit uncomfortable with the driver, didn’t have many chances but obviously knew there were some chances coming in.
“I didn’t think I would take them that well, but obviously pretty ecstatic.
“I’m not going to lie, I was definitely looking at the leaderboard and seeing my name up there and thinking about what it would be like to finish it off but it’s all a bit of a blur really.”
Hillier admitted his eagle putt on the 15th was going “a little quick” when it hit the back of the hole and dropped, while he also made the most of a favourable bounce on his approach to the 17th.
And he also revealed he will now have to cancel his planned trip to play in two PGA Tour events which take place the week before and the week of the Open.
“Late change of plans but I’m not complaining,” added Hillier, who missed the cut on his Open debut in 2021.
“It’s going to be a pretty awesome experience playing the Open again so I can’t wait.”
Hillier finished two shots ahead of England’s Oliver Wilson and American Gunner Wiebe, who secured the other two spots up for grabs at Hoylake.
Wiebe, who is ranked 1,349th in the world and has made just one cut in 14 DP World Tour events this season, had set the early clubhouse target after carding an eagle, seven birdies and a triple bogey in his closing 66.
“That is quite special,” the 34-year-old said of his Open place. “It’s the major that I’ve adored since I was a kid.
“It was on at 6am when I woke up in the morning. I’d watch till 2.30 when the coverage ended and I would go try to hit shots that I saw on TV.
“And it’s also the last major that my dad (Mark) played in 2014 at the same course. That was his 500th career start and it was his final major so to get where he sort of ended his career in a way, that’s pretty special.”
Wilson birdied the 18th to snatch the final Open spot from Scotland’s Calum Hill, who had to settle for a share of fourth place with compatriot Ewen Ferguson and pre-tournament favourite Justin Rose.
Rose was seven under par after an opening 65, but finished on the same total following subsequent rounds of 73, 74 and 69.
“Obviously a good week,” said the former world number one, who won this event in 2002 and acted as tournament host in 2018. “I’ve enjoyed it. The crowd were really rooting me on.
“I felt like I was struggling with momentum in the middle of the tournament, obviously sensing their frustration, and I was getting a little frustrated, too, because obviously I really want to play well here at home.
“This week has been a good test of everyone’s game I think and it’s a good sort of benchmark on where you’re at. So quite happy with the test and the way I passed that test and can hopefully build on that the next few weeks.”
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