India’s Shubhankar Sharma and England’s Jordan Smith share the halfway lead in the Horizon Irish Open as home favourites Shane Lowry and Rory McIlroy experienced contrasting finishes at The K Club.

Sharma raced to the turn in just 28 shots on his way to a second round of 66, setting what looked an imposing target of 13 under par in sweltering conditions.

Smith responded with seven birdies in the first 11 holes and took the outright lead with another on the 15th, but ran up a double bogey on the 17th before completing a 65 with a birdie on the last.

Lowry birdied the 17th and 18th to complete a second successive 68 and lie five shots off the pace, while McIlroy holed out from 116 yards for an eagle on the 16th but immediately gave both shots back with a double bogey on 17.

“I’m trying to think of the last time I made a double bogey, it’s been a few months and I’ve prided myself on really limiting my mistakes,” McIlroy said after a 70 left him eight shots off the lead.

“That was one that obviously got away from me and I need a good one tomorrow to get myself back into it. There’s low scores to be had on this golf course especially with how the conditions are.”

A birdie at the 16th sparked McIlroy’s victory surge the last time the Irish Open was staged at The K Club in 2016 and he added: “There’s something about that hole that brings out the best in me.

“It was a lovely pin for a wedge shot with that back stop and using the slope to bring the ball back. It’s always a bonus and a bit of luck when they go in the hole but it was a lovely shot.”

Lowry, who won the 2009 Irish Open when he was still an amateur, said: “I’ve a huge weekend ahead of me.

“I’ve obviously been very fortunate to win this tournament before but I’d love nothing more than the opportunity to do that again this weekend.

“Expectations are a tough thing in sport and we’re going to see that over the next two months with the rugby team (at World Cup), but I think you just have to get out of your own way and let yourself do what you do best.

“I’ve done that very well over the last two days and I just need to do that again over the weekend.”

The start of play had been delayed by 30 minutes due to fog, but Sharma quickly made up for lost time as he birdied seven of the first nine holes.

“I had nine single putts which was amazing, I don’t think I’ve done that before,” he said. “Everything was just flowing nicely, I was hitting it in the right spots and was really good inside 10 feet so it all came together.”

The 27-year-old won his first DP World Tour title in December 2017 and his second just two months later, but has not tasted victory since and has recorded only two top-10 finishes this season, although the most recent was in the Open Championship at Royal Liverpool.

“I took a four-week break after the Open and was sick last week so spent most of the weekend sleeping on my couch, but I still have good memories from the Open so I am just trying to continue that form,” he added.

“I’m obviously very keen on getting back into the winner’s circle but it’ll happen when it happens.

“I can only control the controllables, have a good positive mindset on the weekend and I’m sure it will happen soon rather than later.”

Sharma and Smith ended the day with a one-shot lead over England’s Ross Fisher, who carded a second consecutive 66, with Germany’s Hurly Long on 11 under and Scotland’s Calum Hill another stroke back after a remarkable 65.

Hill carded three eagles in the space of seven holes, holing from nine feet on the fourth, from 124 yards on the ninth and 35 feet on the 10th.

Britain’s Joe Salisbury made US Open history alongside American partner Rajeev Ram with victory in the men’s doubles final.

Salisbury, 31, and 39-year-old Ram became the first team to win the Flushing Meadows title three years in a row in the Open era by beating India’s Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden of Australia 2-6 6-3 6-4.

It was a fourth grand slam crown for the duo and denied Bopanna a first major title at the age of 43.

“I think this partnership is really special. It’s been five years and we’ve got pretty close, we know we are going to give it our all until the very end,” said Salisbury.

“We’re just really proud of the effort we put in today.”

Ram dropped serve in the very first game and Salisbury was also broken as Bopanna and Ebden eased to the first set.

With New York still sweltering in 35C temperatures, tournament referee Jake Garner arrived on court to tell the players that the shutters around Arthur Ashe, and then the roof, would have to be closed.

The delay seemed to knock Bopanna and Ebden out of their stride, with Salisbury and Ram securing an immediate break and going on to level the match.

After Ram indulged in his now traditional mid-match sushi snack, they saved three break points for 2-2 in the third and then broke in the next game when Bopanna’s cross-court forehand flew just wide.

Bopanna sportingly gave Salisbury and Ram the point after the umpire missed an Ebden winner brushing his arm on the way through to leave them 0-30 down.

Fittingly, Bopanna hit the winner as he and Ebden came back to hold, but Ram delighted the American crowd by serving out for the title.

Ram paid tribute to Bopanna, saying: “That act of sportsmanship on the court, we’ve been playing the better part of 20 years and I’ve never seen anything like that, especially at a time like that we’d have had no idea. Bops you’re an inspiration.

He added: “Just to be out here, it’s something I could never have thought of in my wildest dreams. I can’t believe we’re here.”

Frankie Dettori paid his first ever visit to Down Royal on Friday evening but was out of luck on his two rides.

Dettori, who is retiring at the end of the year, is planning on visiting as many different courses as he can before he finally hangs up his saddle.

Fresh from a successful visit to Hungary recently, this weekend he is closer to home for the Irish Champions Festival which meant he was able to stop off in Northern Ireland beforehand.

Dettori could not have dreamt for his farewell season to have gone much better as he has already won the 2000 Guineas on Chaldean, the Gold Cup at Ascot on Courage Mon Ami and the Juddmonte International on Mostahdaf among many other big races.

However he was unable to give the bumper crowd the result many were after as No Thanks faded into third behind Noel Meade’s Crassus in the Grant Thornton Ulster Cesarewitch Handicap and Evening’s Empire could only finish seventh to God Knows in the Children’s Heartbeat Trust Handicap.

“This is my first time (riding here) – obviously, as you know this is my last year. I tried to reach out to places I haven’t been before,” he said.

“Barney (Curley) took me to Northern Ireland and I did sightseeing in Enniskillen and Omagh. I think up there today he will be chuckling to himself that I am riding here!

“I like new challenges and this is my farewell tour.

“Now that I don’t have to worry about keeping my job, I am much more relaxed and I guess the horses feel it. I’m getting some good results.

“I’ve had an amazing career and I’m going to miss it.”

Speaking of the timing of the decision he said: “I feel this is the right time to stop at the top. I was watching the World Cup last year and Ronaldo, one of the best players in the world, was on the bench. That could happen to me.

“I’ve so much to look forward to. I’d like to travel the world a bit – I’ve seen horses and racecourses, but I haven’t seen much else. So some time for me and my wife to explore the world a little bit.

“No time to reflect yet, just keep going!”

After racing Dettori was taking part in an event with racegoers who were due to be regaled with stories from his illustrious career.

Gregor Townsend insisted the 15 players he has selected to face South Africa have “earned the right” to start together as he challenged his burgeoning Scotland team to deliver on the biggest stage of all.

The head coach named a starting line-up on Friday with no surprises as key duo Darcy Graham and Zander Fagerson returned from injury and suspension respectively for the World Cup Pool B opener against the world champions.

Townsend believes the sense of “cohesion” within the team he has picked will stand them in good stead for Sunday’s showdown in the late-summer heat of Marseille.

“It’s been the team that has played (together) in the main,” he said at a press conference at Stade Velodrome on Friday. “The majority of the players have played together all year. A couple of players missed the Six Nations, Rory Darge and Darcy Graham who are back fit and back with us.

“It’s a team that deserves to go out there. They have earned the right to start in such an important fixture because of the way they have played and the way they have trained.

“We have built a lot of cohesion over the last two or three months by training with certain combinations week after week. We’ve seen the benefits of doing that transfer into the warm-up games and now it’s about delivering the most complete game we have done this year.”

Scotland go into the World Cup as dark horses for the Webb Ellis Cup having emerged as best of the rest behind the heavyweight quartet of Ireland, South Africa, France and New Zealand.

Several players in Townsend’s team go into the global showpiece at the top of their game and the head coach is confident they can produce collectively when it matters most.

“It’s the biggest opportunity you’ll get: a World Cup game, playing the world champions,” he said ahead of Sunday’s showdown.

“We believe we’ve been building to our best performance – and I know that’s a continual journey and we’ll say it again as we go towards the Tonga game – but really this is where it’ll count for our players to deliver what they have been delivering in training and what they have been delivering in other games we’ve played this year, and we have every faith they will be able to do that.”

Townsend has no worries about his players’ temperament as they prepare for a huge occasion in front of 67,000 people in the Marseille heat.

“That’s the job for us as coaches, the senior players and the players who have been there before, to be calm and to calm others,” he said. “But there is an expectation that it’s going to be a very emotional and exciting build-up.

“I’m sure the players will feel the sense of adrenaline, nerves and excitement as we get closer to kick-off. But that can be turned into a real positive. It can narrow your focus, but also give you that extra energy boost that you need.”

Scotland trailed in all four of their summer warm-up matches and came back to win three of them, including a stirring 25-21 victory at home to France, while they also went close to pipping Les Bleus in the rematch in Saint-Etienne before eventually succumbing to a 30-27 defeat.

Townsend believes such experiences will give them reason for confidence if they find themselves trailing at any point on Sunday.

“We didn’t want to be 21-3 behind against France but this team have shown they are capable of coming back, whether it’s in Paris (in the Six Nations), or at Murrayfield when a man down, or Saint-Etienne with the crowd and momentum against us.

“It would be nice to be 15 points ahead, but we’ve got to deal with whatever situation is presented at any time in the game.

“We will be tested, no doubt. There will be times when South Africa have dominance, South Africa have points on the board.

“There will be times when we aren’t able to execute things as well as we like and that’s not because it’s the first game of the World Cup, it’s because of the opposition and what they bring with their pressure.

“But we’ve got to find a way to win and that’s what this World Cup is about, finding a way to win.”

The Scots were unable to include either scrum-half George Horne or hooker Ewan Ashman in the 23 after the pair suffered concussion in training.

Stuart McInally, who was cut from the squad last month, has flown out to France as cover until Ashman recovers.

Sports stars and clubs across the world continue to provide an insight into their lives on social media.

Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the best examples from September 8.

Remembering Gary Speed.

James Maddison was ready for take off.

Shane Duffy was looking forward.

John Terry prepared to honour a Chelsea favourite.

Eric Bailly was up and running at Besiktas.

Previously in European Championship qualifying group A…

Happy birthday.

Coco Gauff got the crowd animated.

Call it a comeback.

Hamilton’s creator was in The Room Where It Happens.

A good day in history for Ferrari.

Lewis Hamilton went back to school.

Valtteri Bottas was moonlighting.

Yuki Tsunoda and his AlphaTauri sailed through Venice.

Sergio Perez was celebrating his latest milestone.

Happy birthday Jos Buttler.

Tyson Fury has been urged to use his platform to highlight Saudi Arabia’s “disturbing” human rights record after he claimed the Middle East country will host all the big sporting events within the next decade.

Fury will fight in Riyadh on October 28 against former UFC world heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou in a boxing bout which has been described as an ‘historic event’ by his Queensberry and Top Rank promoters despite his WBC belt not being on the line.

It will not be the first time Fury has been the main attraction in Saudi Arabia after he took part in a wrestling contest with Braun Strowman at King Fahd International Stadium four years ago, but he will now follow in the footsteps of Anthony Joshua by boxing in a country with a poor human rights record.

Joshua faced criticism ahead of his 2019 clash with Andy Ruiz Jr in Diriyah, located just outside of Riyadh, and before his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk in Jeddah last year from human rights group Amnesty International.

Amnesty has now turned its focus to Fury, who predicted Saudi Arabia will became “the powerhouse of all sports” during Thursday’s launch press conference for his bout with Ngannou, while Saudi advisor Turki Alalshikh was frequently thanked for organising the event in Riyadh.

Fury said: “I have fought in the Riyadh season before in 2019 for the WWE Crown Jewel and I knocked out the Monster Among Men Braun Strowman and I will knock out another big dosser here in him (Ngannou).

“It is a very special event for me and a special time in sports where a powerhouse like Saudi Arabia are coming in taking over the game.

“They are taking over football, taking over boxing, I think within five to 10 years they will be the powerhouse of all sports. All the big sporting events will be in Saudi Arabia somewhere.”

The Riyadh season, which since 2019 runs from October to March and sees several big entertainment events taking place in the city, was referenced repeatedly during Thursday’s press conference in London but there was no mention of homosexuality being illegal and a punishable death in Saudi, nor the accusations the state faces for placing harsh restrictions on women’s rights.

Sacha Deshmukh, Amnesty International UK’s chief executive, said in a statement to the PA news agency: “Saudi Arabia’s efforts to become a sporting ‘powerhouse’ are part of a major sportswashing drive from the Saudi authorities who are intent on trying to rebrand the country and distract attention from the country’s appalling human rights record.

“At the same time that Saudi Arabia’s been shovelling money into eye-catching sporting ventures, it’s been cracking down on human rights at home, with peaceful activists jailed, a staggering 196 people executed last year alone, and Jamal Khashoggi’s grisly murder still the subject of a state cover-up.

A post shared by Queensberry (@queensberrypromotions)

“Only last week, we had news that retired teacher Mohammad bin Nasser al-Ghamdi has been sentenced to death by a Saudi court for his remarks on Twitter and YouTube, and meanwhile the Leeds University PhD student Salma al-Shehab is serving a 27-year jail sentence for tweeting her support for Saudi women’s rights activists.

“As far back as Anthony Joshua’s Saudi fight against Andy Ruiz, we were saying that sporting stars needed to understand the dynamics of sportswashing and be prepared counter it by speaking out about human rights violations in Saudi Arabia.

“Tyson Fury should take the time to examine Saudi Arabia’s disturbing human rights record and use his platform to draw attention to the plight of people like Salma al-Shehab and Mohammad bin Nasser al-Ghamdi.”

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has been handed an additional one-match ban and a £100,000 fine after admitting he acted in an improper manner following his red card at Newcastle.

The Netherlands international was dismissed for a foul on Alexander Isak in the first half of Liverpool’s 2-1 victory at St James’ Park on August 27, but initially refused to leave the pitch – and then remonstrated with referee John Brooks.

An automatic one-match ban saw the centre-back suspended for the 3-0 win over Aston Villa before the international break, but he will now also serve an additional suspension and so miss the trip to Wolves on September 16.

A statement from the FA read: “Virgil van Dijk has been suspended for one match and fined £100,000 for breaching FA Rule E3.1 during Liverpool’s Premier League fixture against Newcastle on Sunday August 27.

“The defender admitted that he acted in an improper manner and used abusive and insulting words towards a match official after being sent off in the 29th minute, and the sanctions were subsequently imposed by an independent regulatory commission.”

A year on from the death of Queen Elizabeth II, a great supporter of British racing and a lifelong horsewoman who bred and owned many successful horses, racing paid its respects.

At Ascot racecourse an exhibition of photographs was displayed to remember her support of racing, with many figures across the industry acknowledging the loss to the sport a year on from her death.

Here, PA Media looks at how racing paid tribute:

Ben Stokes marked his ODI return with a resolute fifty as England started the first of four World Cup warm-ups against New Zealand by posting 291 for six at a sultry Sophia Gardens.

Stokes is back in tow as a specialist batter after reversing his 50-over retirement last month ahead of England’s defence of their World Cup crown in India and got back into the groove with 52 off 69 balls.

It was not his most fluent effort but was one of four fifty-plus scores on a tricky pitch after the hosts were asked to bat first, with Dawid Malan contributing 54 off 53 balls before Jos Buttler top-scored with 72 off 68 deliveries.

Liam Livingstone added some impetus with a sparky 52 from 40 balls at the back end of an innings in which left-arm spinner Rachin Ravindra finished with career-best international figures of three for 48.

The knocks of Malan and Livingstone are timely given their places in England’s provisional World Cup squad are thought to be the most vulnerable as Harry Brook makes a late case for selection.

Brook had an opportunity to push his claims after being shunted to open alongside Malan, with England cautious over Jonny Bairstow’s shoulder niggle sustained in the drawn T20 series and Jason Roy waking up on Friday morning with a back spasm that precluded his involvement.

It was his first time opening the batting in List A cricket and he tickled the first ball off his thigh to the boundary but it was Malan who stamped his authority on the union from then on, capitalising on wide or overpitched deliveries to the tune of six fours in the space of 18 deliveries at one point.

Malan was adept on the pull as New Zealand’s quicks dragged back their lengths, dispatching Kyle Jamieson then Lockie Ferguson to bring up a 48-ball half-century – his eighth fifty-plus score in 19 ODI innings.

He was unable to kick on, though, as Ravindra halted England in their tracks after an 80-run opening stand. The slow left-armer was already appealing when Malan missed a clip off his pads and only belatedly noticed the ball spin back and thud into off-stump.

Brook then departed in the next over for a pedestrian 25 off 41 balls as a brute of a bouncer from Ferguson brushed his glove on the way through to New Zealand captain Tom Latham.

Matters might have worsened for England as another sharply rising delivery caught Stokes out first up although the ball ballooned agonisingly over Glenn Phillips at gully.

Joe Root scratched his way to six off 15 balls but top-edged a slog sweep to Daryl Mitchell in the ring to give Ravindra his second wicket.

He conceded just eight runs in four overs before Buttler displayed a rare show of aggression by clattering the spinner over the shorter straight boundary for six.

With bowling all-rounder Chris Woakes at seven, Stokes and Buttler settled for watchful accumulation over outright might.

Buttler was busier and the pair both went to their fifties. But the ball after heaving Ravindra into the stands for his first six to go with three fours, Stokes clubbed to cover to end an 88-run stand.

Ravindra was taken the distance by Buttler while Livingstone upped the ante with three successive sixes off the expensive Jamieson.

Either side of two slower balls being shovelled over the leg-side boundary, Livingstone bludgeoned a pace-on delivery back over Jamieson’s head.

Livingstone and Buttler both miscued Tim Southee slower balls up in the air to end England’s hopes of a 300-plus total but David Willey’s 21 not out off 11 balls got them close.