Tom Hartley became only the sixth Englishman to take seven wickets in an innings on Test debut as Ben Stokes’ side beat India by 28 runs in Hyderabad.
They were the best figures of Hartley’s career in any format and here, the PA news agency takes a look at the statistical significance of his efforts.
Magnificent seven
Hartley, who saw his first and fifth balls as a Test bowler hit for six by Yashasvi Jaiswal after taking the new ball, battled for eventual first-innings figures of two for 131 but starred in the second as England overturned a 190-run first-innings deficit for a stunning win.
Beginning with the wicket of Jaiswal for a measure of revenge, he went on to take seven for 62.
Dominic Cork was the last England debutant to take seven in an innings – his seven for 43, against the West Indies in 1995, are also the national team’s best debut figures.
John Lever took seven for 46 and Alec Bedser seven for 49, both against India in 1976 and 1946 respectively, while among England spinners only James Langridge ranks ahead of Hartley with seven for 56 against the Windies back in 1933.
The name immediately behind Hartley on the list demonstrates the level of company he is suddenly keeping – in 1948, eight years before famously taking 19 wickets in an Ashes Test, Jim Laker began his Test career with seven for 103 in Barbados.
He, like Lever and Bedser, achieved the feat in their first Test innings while Cork, Langridge and Hartley’s hauls came in the second.
First in a decade
Hartley’s are the best figures by any Test debutant in over a decade, since South Africa’s Kyle Abbott took seven for 29 against Pakistan in February 2013.
Only eight bowlers have taken eight wickets in an innings on debut, most recently Jason Krejza’s extraordinary figures of eight for 215 for Australia against India in 2008 – while Hartley is among a further 16 men to pick up seven. Three women have also achieved that feat, England’s Myrtle Maclagan and Australia duo Anne Palmer and Lesley Johnston.
Australian Albert Trott’s eight for 43 against England has stood as the record since 1895, in the 44th of what is now more than 2,500 Tests played.
As notable as Hartley’s achievement is in an international context, it is striking also in terms of his own career.
Before being handed his debut in Hyderabad, the best figures of his career – and his only five-wicket haul in any professional outing before Sunday – came with five for 52 in Lancashire’s County Championship win over Surrey in 2022.
Fergal O’Brien’s Dysart Enos was hardly pressed when maintaining her flawless record in the Download The At The Races App Novices’ Hurdle at Doncaster.
The mare is considered a real prospect and had done nothing wrong in five starts when heading to Town Moor with three bumper wins and two hurdle victories on her CV.
The Cheltenham Festival is on the horizon for the six-year-old and the Doncaster contest proved to be the perfect preparation as she triumphed at a canter under Paddy Brennan, crossing the line seven lengths ahead as the 1-9 favourite.
“We’re very happy with her, obviously it’s very nerve-wracking when you’re 1-9 on and she had to go and win,” said O’Brien.
“She had to win or it was going to be a disaster, there’d have been a big bubble burst! But she did the job well and we were very happy.
“She did it as well as we hoped she’d do it, she’s in good form with herself and she enjoyed the whole job – that was nice to see.
“I think you’ll see her to better effect in a better race, she was just jumping a little bit up in the air today.
“Her jumping at Cheltenham (in December) was probably better, if you were going to crab her, but in a better race she’ll jump better.”
Paddy Power left the winner unchanged at 7-2 for the Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle in March, and O’Brien added: “She got the job done, Paddy was happy with her, fingers crossed it’s Cheltenham now.”
The Los Angeles Clippers must be able to replicate their regular-season form in the playoffs if they are to prove themselves as the real deal, so says Kawhi Leonard.
Leonard led the Clippers with 26 points in a blowout 115-96 victory over the NBA-leading Boston Celtics on Saturday.
That marked the Clippers' fifth straight win, as they improved to a league-best 22-4 run since the start of December.
Clippers coach Tyronn Lue labelled the road trip to Boston, who dealt his team a 145-108 defeat back in December, as a "measuring stick".
By any measurement, their response was emphatic, but Leonard has urged his teammates to remember that it is the postseason that really matters.
"I'm happy that we were able to come in and give the Celtics a loss," Leonard said.
"But it really doesn't mean nothing until you get to the playoffs and you're doing the things we did tonight – executing, making shots, playing good defense.
"It's good that we had carryover from last night coming from Toronto and winning these back-to-back games. But you got to just keep getting better as the year goes on."
James Harden, meanwhile, cited Saturday's display as the Clippers' best performance of the season.
"Against a team that was playing really, really well, especially at home, we've still got some ways to go, but this is a good test for us," he said.
Lue added: "The guys were pretty motivated. When they came to L.A., they did us pretty bad. So, the guys were locked in.
"Just a measuring stick against a great team. We just wanted to kind of see where we're at. We had that on our mind."
The Clippers are third in the Western Conference, two wins behind the Minnesota Timberwolves, who suffered a surprise defeat to the San Antonio Spurs.
Victor Wembanyama starred with 23 points and 10 rebounds as the Spurs - rooted to the bottom of the West - clinched a 113-112 victory.
"This is the best win we've had," said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, whose team trailed by 15 points before hitting back.
Wembanyama added: "It is definitely a good one and I think tonight we have to feel proud about what we did and get used to the feeling so we can repeat it."
Devin Vassell, who led the Spurs with 25 points, said: "I think we're just growing and maturing.
"There would be times where teams go on a run and we put our heads down and almost get defeated already. Basketball is a game of runs. So right now, we've just been sticking with it. We've been playing 48 minutes."
Tom Hartley described his match-winning performance as “unbelievable” after one of the greatest overseas wins in England’s history.
The left-arm spinner claimed a magnificent seven to down India in the first Test at Hyderabad and complete a classic comeback.
Earlier in the match Hartley had seen his first ball as a Test cricketer launched for six, but he showed huge reserves of steel to bounce back with stunning figures of seven for 62 in the fourth innings to seal a dramatic 28-run victory.
The unheralded 24-year-old, selected for this trip as a hunch pick, came into the match with a career-best haul of five for 52 for Lancashire and left it a hero after he wrapped up the last wicket in the final over of the fourth day.
Hartley told TNT Sports: “It’s unbelievable, it’s not going to sink in for a while I think. I’m over the moon to be honest.”
Hartley’s second-innings performance was a turnaround from the first innings, where he picked up two wickets for 131 runs, but he praised the England coaches for their support.
He added: “It was really tough out there, it didn’t spin quite as much as we thought (in the first innings) but testament to the coaches, (Ben) Stokesy and Baz (Brendon McCullum), they really got around me and I lost no confidence really.
“I was able to come out and do my best out here. It’s fantastic in that dressing room we can have a great day, have a really bad day and it’s the same vibe in there.
“They’re always ultra-positive and it’s a fantastic dressing room, one of the best I’ve been in to be honest.”
Hartley also contributed with the bat, scoring 34 runs as England set India a 231-run chase.
Speaking about his batting, Hartley said: “Obviously I was really nervous to start, but getting a few runs always helps so I put my nervousness at ease a bit and I found out a few things about the pitch which helped with my bowling as well.”
England looked on course for a thumping defeat after conceding a 190-run first-innings deficit but refused to back down with bat or ball and condemned India to just a fourth home defeat in over a decade.
Ollie Pope provided the platform with a heroic 196, leaving India with a tough chase of 231 on a worn pitch, and with lead spinner Jack Leach restricted by a knee injury Hartley stepped up in unforgettable fashion.
India captain Rohit Sharma praised Pope’s 196, describing it as “a brilliant knock” and believes his side did not bat well enough to reach the target.
Speaking at the post-match presentation, Sharma said: “The cricket has been played over four days, so hard to pinpoint where it all went wrong.
“Obviously having the lead of 190 we thought we were very much in the game, but exceptional batting, probably one of the best I’ve seen in Indian conditions by an overseas batter, Ollie Pope played a brilliant knock.
“I thought 230 was getable. There wasn’t too much in the pitch, but obviously we didn’t bat well enough to get to the score.
“When you finish the day you analyse what went well, what didn’t go well and things like that. You’ve got to take your hat off and say well done to Ollie Pope, that was some serious knock that.”
England recovered from a first-innings deficit of 190 to complete a thrilling 28-run first-Test win over India in Hyderabad.
Here, the PA news agency looks at England’s greatest overseas Test wins.
v Australia, first Test, Sydney, 1894
Australia made 586 despite having been 21 for three, Syd Gregory scoring 201 and George Giffen 161, and they were able to enforce the follow-on after bowling England out for 325.
Albert Ward’s century anchored a second effort of 437 and Bobby Peel then took six for 67 to dismiss Australia 11 short of their 177 target. There would not be another Test won after following on for another 87 years, until Ian Botham’s Headingley heroics in the 1981 Ashes, and there have still been only four in history.
v West Indies, first Test, Kingston, 1990
England had not won a Test against the all-conquering Windies since 1974 and had several players absent on a just-concluded rebel tour of South Africa, but bowled their hosts out for 164 in Jamaica as Angus Fraser took five for 28.
Allan Lamb then made 132, Gladstone Small and Devon Malcolm took four second-innings wickets apiece and England knocked off the 41 runs required for a famous nine-wicket win.
v Australia, second Test, Adelaide, 2010
Off the back of scoring 517 for one in their second innings of the drawn opener in Brisbane’s fearsome ‘Gabbatoir’, England had Australia nought for two and two for three on the first morning in Adelaide.
They recovered somewhat to 245 but Sir Alastair Cook made 148 and Kevin Pietersen 227 in England’s 620 for five before they declared and completed an innings win with Graeme Swann’s five-wicket haul. England’s 3-1 series win remains the last by the away team in the Ashes.
v India, second Test, Mumbai, 2012
Cook (122) and Pietersen (186) powered England to an 86-run first-innings lead and India collapsed for 142 second time around – Gautam Gambhir made 65 with the next best score being Ravichandran Ashwin’s 11 – as spinners Swann and Monty Panesar combined for all 10 wickets and 19 in the match. Cook and Nick Compton ticked off a 10-wicket win.
v Pakistan, first Test, Karachi, 2022
With ‘Bazball’ firmly established in Brendon McCullum’s first six months as coach, England produced a notable first ever series whitewash in Pakistan – kicked off by a memorable climax in Rawalpindi. On a batting-friendly pitch, England racked up 657 with four centuries – Harry Brook smashing 153 from 116 balls – but the hosts responded with 579.
Ben Stokes’ bold tea-time declaration at 264 for seven, Brook clubbing another 87, set a target of 343 in four sessions and in near darkness on the final evening, Ollie Robinson and James Anderson reduced Pakistan from 259 for five to 264 for nine before Jack Leach took the final wicket.
v India, first Test, Hyderabad, 2024
India, who had lost only three of their last 46 home Tests and no series since 2012, were 356 for five in response to England’s 246 but lost their last five wickets for 80 – three to Joe Root’s part-time off-spin.
Ollie Pope took it upon himself to wipe out the first-innings deficit with an innings of 196 as England posted 420 to set the hosts 231 to win. Debutant Tom Hartley’s figures of seven for 62 and Stokes’ diving backhand run-out stood out as they succumbed for 202 – the first time they had ever lost a home Test with a three-figure first-innings lead.
Il Est Francais is unlikely to attempt repeating his ultra-impressive Kempton heroics at the Cheltenham Festival, with the cold weather in France leading connections to firmly lean towards Plan A with their star chaser and target the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris.
Noel George and Amanda Zetterholm’s six-year-old lit up Kempton on Boxing Day with a dazzling display in the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase and the appetite to see him take on the undulations of Prestbury Park was wetted when he was handed an entry for the Turners Novices’ Chase.
However, the French Gold Cup at an Auteuil track he has mastered many times has always been at the forefront of George and Zetterholm’s minds for this spring.
And a recent cold spell that has hit their Chantilly base has reaffirmed plans to remain on home soil this season before dreaming of further raiding missions next term.
“He’s absolutely great and after Kempton has had a couple of weeks just on the walker and in the paddock. He’s put on 20kg and is looking great,” said George.
“We had a big frost the last week, so he missed another week and I don’t think we will be coming to Cheltenham, but he’s in great form.
“It was an entry in case the Turners cut up and the timing looked right, but he missed a week with the snow and he will go for the French Gold Cup now.
“He will run in a prep race on April 6, a Grade Two – and then in May, the main Grade One.”
Tom Hartley described his match-winning performance as “unbelievable” after one of the greatest overseas wins in England’s history.
The left-arm spinner claimed a magnificent seven to down India in the first Test at Hyderabad and complete a classic comeback.
Earlier in the match Hartley had seen his first ball as a Test cricketer launched for six, but he showed huge reserves of steel to bounce back with stunning figures of seven for 62 in the fourth innings to seal a dramatic 28-run victory.
The unheralded 24-year-old, selected for this trip as a hunch pick, came into the match with a career-best haul of five for 52 for Lancashire and left it a hero after he wrapped up the last wicket in the final over of the fourth day.
Hartley told TNT Sports: “It’s unbelievable, it’s not going to sink in for a while I think. I’m over the moon to be honest.”
Hartley’s second-innings performance was a turnaround from the first innings, where he picked up two wickets for 131 runs, but he praised the England coaches for their support.
He added: “It was really tough out there, it didn’t spin quite as much as we thought (in the first innings) but testament to the coaches, (Ben) Stokesy and Baz (Brendon McCullum), they really got around me and I lost no confidence really.
“I was able to come out and do my best out here. It’s fantastic in that dressing room we can have a great day, have a really bad day and it’s the same vibe in there.
“They’re always ultra-positive and it’s a fantastic dressing room, one of the best I’ve been in to be honest.”
Hartley also contributed with the bat, scoring 34 runs as England set India a 231-run chase.
Speaking about his batting, Hartley said: “Obviously I was really nervous to start, but getting a few runs always helps so I put my nervousness at ease a bit and I found out a few things about the pitch which helped with my bowling as well.”
England looked on course for a thumping defeat after conceding a 190-run first-innings deficit but refused to back down with bat or ball and condemned India to just a fourth home defeat in over a decade.
Ollie Pope provided the platform with a heroic 196, leaving India with a tough chase of 231 on a worn pitch, and with lead spinner Jack Leach restricted by a knee injury Hartley stepped up in unforgettable fashion.
India captain Rohit Sharma praised Pope’s 196, describing it as “a brilliant knock” and believes his side did not bat well enough to reach the target.
Speaking at the post-match presentation, Sharma said: “The cricket has been played over four days, so hard to pinpoint where it all went wrong.
“Obviously having the lead of 190 we thought we were very much in the game, but exceptional batting, probably one of the best I’ve seen in Indian conditions by an overseas batter, Ollie Pope played a brilliant knock.
“I thought 230 was getable. There wasn’t too much in the pitch, but obviously we didn’t bat well enough to get to the score.
“When you finish the day you analyse what went well, what didn’t go well and things like that. You’ve got to take your hat off and say well done to Ollie Pope, that was some serious knock that.”
Jannik Sinner staged a brilliant fightback from two sets down to defeat Daniil Medvedev and win his first grand slam title at the Australian Open.
The 22-year-old Italian handed Novak Djokovic his first loss at Melbourne Park for six years in the semi-finals but looked like he would have to settle for the runners-up plate as Medvedev dominated the first half of the match.
Sinner was not finished, though, and he slowly began to take control with his huge groundstrokes, opening his grand slam account in stunning fashion with a 3-6 3-6 6-4 6-4 6-3 victory.
Earmarked as the man most likely to lead the game into its next era alongside Carlos Alcaraz, Sinner has decisively proved that he can be a force for years to come.
For Medvedev, though, this is a crushing blow, with the Russian now having won only one of six grand slam finals – at the US Open in 2021 – while this is the second time in three years he has led by two sets to love here only to lose.
The first of those came against Rafael Nadal in 2022 but, even without the Spaniard or Djokovic across the net in a final for the first time, he still could not claim the trophy.
It had been a tortuous path to get here for Medvedev, who recovered from two sets down to win against Emil Ruusuvuori at 3.39am in round two and Alexander Zverev in the semi-finals, while also needing five sets to defeat Hubert Hurkacz in the last eight, spending more than 20 hours on court.
It had been almost 20 years since an Australian Open final did not feature one of Djokovic, Nadal or Roger Federer.
Sinner’s victory over Djokovic was a breakthrough moment for the 22-year-old but Medvedev immediately set about showing him that, for once, he carried the advantage of experience and knew just how to handle the occasion.
The Russian’s usual tactics involve standing several metres behind the baseline and using his long levers to form the human equivalent of a brick wall.
But here, whether necessitated by fatigue, a tactical switch or a combination of the two, Medvedev stepped straight in and began swinging.
Sinner had not faced a single break point against Djokovic, a first for the out-of-sorts Serbian in his grand slam career, but here he found himself 0-40 down in only his second service game, and Medvedev took his second chance.
Having lost his first six matches against the Russian, Sinner beat him three times in quick succession at the end of last season and went into the contest as the favourite having dropped only one set all fortnight.
He could not find a foothold in the match, though, Medvedev striking his groundstrokes with such crisp precision that Sinner, normally one of the most aggressive players in the game, was left scrambling to stay in rallies.
He got the crowd involved in the second game of the second set, saving four break points with some stellar defence, but Medvedev simply came at Sinner again and broke twice in succession to lead 5-1.
At last there were signs of life from the Italian when Medvedev served for the set, Sinner breaking back and then threatening to get on terms only to net a forehand on break point.
It offered Sinner some hope, though, and an even third set went his way when he forced a break of the Medvedev serve at 5-4, upping the pace on his groundstrokes and finally managing to hurt his opponent.
Medvedev had the scar tissue from the loss to Nadal two years ago in his mind and 23 hours of tennis in his legs, and he called the trainer for attention to his right foot after three games of the fourth set.
It was now very much Sinner forcing the pace, although a saved break point at 3-3 was a huge moment, and even more so when the fourth seed again found the breakthrough in the 10th game with huge hitting.
Medvedev headed off court to change but, having taken a long break at the end of the third set, he was not permitted extra time and was given a time violation for not being ready to start the deciding set.
Sinner knew this was his for the taking, and take it he did breaking for 4-2 before clinching the biggest win of his life in fitting fashion with a forehand winner down the line.
LeBron James is looking forward to talking about his thrilling matchups against Stephen Curry with his grandchildren.
That is how much James relishes going up against the Golden State Warriors star, as the duo served up another wonderful instalment of their long-running rivalry on Saturday.
James and the Los Angeles Lakers came out on top, edging out the Warriors 145-144 in double overtime.
Curry led the game with 46 points, with 15 of those coming across the two OT periods, but James inspired the Lakers with a triple-double of 36 points, 12 assists and a career-best 20 rebounds.
"It's something I'll be able to talk about with my grandkids," James said.
"When you talk about me being able to compete versus one of the greatest players to ever play the game.
"It's been a treat to go against one of the greatest to ever play this game.
"For us to continue to push each other at the state of our careers, you don't take it for granted because you don't know how many times you're actually going to get the moment to actually be on the same floor with such a talent."
James and Curry dominated four successive NBA Finals, and the pair, who have eight championship rings between them, rekindled that fire in magnificent fashion.
However, neither team have been enjoying their best campaigns. The Lakers are ninth in the Western Conference with a 24-23 record, three places ahead of the 19-24 Warriors.
"Every year that we get to do this and go back and forth, the battles, the Finals runs, the playoff battles last year, after the horn sounded tonight there was a little laugh of, I can't imagine a scenario where a game like tonight happens, [with] him in Season 21 and me in Year 15," Curry said.
"You look forward to the battles, but you also appreciate the mutual respect of what it takes to keep doing what you're doing at this level. Only a few people know how hard it is. I'm happy to be in that group."
Klay Thompson, who scored 24 points for the Warriors, is simply happy to have played alongside, and against, two of the NBA's greatest.
"Credit to LeBron for what he's doing at his age. I mean, that guy is a freak of nature in terms of his ability to play at this level for so long. Same with Steph," Thompson said.
"When you're younger, you don't ever really think that basketball will stop because it's what you love. It's all you do.
"But when you get to your thirties, you realise there's an end point to being an athlete. Knowing that, I am very grateful to step on the floor with those guys and play against LeBron."
Robbie Llewellyn may have TV cameos in Games Of Thrones to his name but it is victory on the racecourse that is fuelling his ambition as he paves his way in the training ranks.
Many would dine out on donning the armour of a Dothraki knight in the popular TV blockbuster, but the 33-year-old has no desire to reminisce about his brief stay in the fantasy land of Westeros and has always held the desire to train racehorses.
Llewellyn’s journey to the training fraternity has seen him excel in the pointing field and assist Tim Vaughan before an epiphany during Covid finally convinced him to roll the dice and commit to taking on a trainer’s licence.
From that moment on, survival entered the equation as starting from the bottom, Llewellyn and his wife Sarah upped sticks to a flat in Wiltshire and began navigating the treacherous world of training racehorses.
It was a move the unassuming Welshman describes as a “calculated punt” and two years on the flat is now a house and his initial 24-horse barn is set to be doubled as he begins expanding his empire.
Llewellyn said: “We didn’t have a lot of money starting off so we couldn’t go out and buy the fancier-bred or expensive horses and we’ve had to work our way up from the bottom.
“Surviving is the biggest thing at the moment and there is no massive grand ambition. But if we can keep going as we are and try to increase the quality – as well as the Monday-to-Friday stuff we want to be competing on the Saturday – that would be good.
“I wouldn’t have been able to do it without my wife Sarah, we took a gamble and moved up from Wales to Wroughton. We rented a two-bedroom flat round the corner and rented a 24-box barn and had three horses, two of which we owned ourselves.
“It’s expensive to get going, and you have to cut the costs when you can to get going. But that was just over two years ago and now we have a barn of 24 full and we have just taken on another barn now which we might have licensed next season I would have thought.
“It was a bit of a punt, but a calculated punt because I guess I knew I could earn money elsewhere if it didn’t work out training wise. We’ve now got a house on the farm right next to the horses, so if it all went Pete Tong tomorrow, it wouldn’t matter because we have a house.”
Life towards the bottom end of the racing ladder is all about maximising returns on a budget, and Llewellyn is always on the search for the next value buy to add quality to his team.
He added: “We have to think about the way we do things and we can’t just turn up at the sales and pick the flashy stuff, we have got to look at things from a different angle really. We’re on the button, looking at sellers, claimers, we have to be ‘on it’ all the time.
“I’ve been lucky, I had some supportive owners before I took the licence out and I was lucky a few owners sent me horses to train to get me up and running and the business going.
“I think every single owner who had horses with us before we had a licence has had a winner with us now and that is what I’m most proud of. It’s great the people who started with us when no one knew us are beginning to have success and enjoying it as much as we are.”
Having initially done his training modules aged 18, Llewellyn tried his hand riding in the pointing field before hanging up the saddle to train ‘between the flags’ for Welshman David Brace.
That gave Llewellyn the bug and having always wanted to train, it was his time assisting Vaughan that convinced him he held the knowledge required to become his own boss.
“I kind of had a free rein for David Brace training his pointers for him and we won two owners’ championships and I always wanted to train but just didn’t know how we could do it,” he explained.
“Working two seasons as an assistant to Tim Vaughan, I realised there wasn’t such a big step to go and Covid was the first time in my life I realised what I wanted to do. If I was going to train I didn’t want to get to 50 and regret not giving it a go when I was 30.”
It is remiss to ignore the part Llewellyn’s dalliance with the big screen has played in his journey, but the trainer is keen to stress he is far from an Academy Award nominee, but simply someone with horses in the right place at the right time.
“I’m no actor and I have no interest in being in front of the camera,” he pointed out.
“I have no interest in talking about the Game Of Thrones stuff really as I don’t want to be known as the film guy and I’m not an actor.
“You’ll never see me do that again. It’s just something I was able to earn a bit of money out of – being able to ride a horse. People get excited about it, but I just needed to earn a few quid and they happened to be filming round the corner from my house and needed someone who is six foot who could ride a horse.”
However, his time working alongside leading film-industry horse supplier The Devil’s Horsemen has opened up some vital revenue streams that have not only helped make training a more viable option, but reaffirmed to Llewellyn it was the avenue he wanted to take in life.
“I now work alongside ‘The Devil’s’,” said Llewellyn. “I worked for them for two years in between leaving David Brace’s and starting at Tim’s, just as a sub-contractor I suppose.
“When I went back into racing they asked me if I could provide some horses for The Crown on Netflix, then we did Dream Horse and since then we’ve done adverts.
“It probably put my life into perspective and that’s how we made the move into training really, doing something because I wanted to do it, not just being somewhere because it was a way of making money.
“I think we have an easy life. When you are working six or seven days a week and 18 hours on a film set, working in racing is easy – coming in and doing something you enjoy every day.”
He went on: “It’s a sideline which enables us to train if I’m honest and we had 20 horses at Newbury for a Coral advert recently which really helps us keep going because with the prize-money as it is, it’s a tight game to make money in. It means the business survives and takes the pressure off.”
Now in his third season with a licence, Llewellyn has easily eclipsed last season’s tally of five and saddled 15 winners at just past the halfway stage of the campaign.
Operating at a strike-rate of over 20 per cent, the biggest victories of his career came at Ascot during the the track’s two-day pre-Christmas meeting where Titan Discovery’s triumph on the Friday was quickly supplemented a day later by the success of Top Cloud.
“The Friday was a special day and Titan Discovery is probably the nicest horse we’ve got,” said Llewellyn.
“Owner-breeders Kevin and Anne Glastonbury I’ve known since I was 14 and as soon as I came out of Tim’s, they sent me some young horses to break in and to have a nice horse for them is massive.
“When he got a mark of 104 I thought we might as well have a day out at a nicer meeting and a day out at Ascot while he was on the way up and improving. We thought he had a solid each-way chance, but you still never know when you are taking on the big boys and you always assume one will have a bit more up their sleeve.
“It was magical and to win on the Friday and then come back and win with Top Cloud on the Saturday was a different world to be honest. We paid £8,000 for him and again he was there to give the syndicate a nice day out at Ascot and for him to win made it a special two days.”
Those results have convinced the fledgling handler he is on the right track and has given him the confidence to take on the best in the game again if the opportunities arise.
“We know we can get them fit and know we can place them well, but sometimes you just avoid those type of races because you think it’s Ascot on a Saturday and we’re not good enough,” said Llewellyn.
“Realistically though, we probably are. We still have to be in the right grade, but now just because it’s Ascot on a Saturday, if it’s the right race we can’t just ignore it.
“It’s kind of opened my mind a little bit to say ‘oh come on, let’s have a go’. Training is a confidence game and you are only as good as your last winner.
“At the minute everything is flying so we’ve just got to try to earn as much money as we can and place our horses the best we can with the limited numbers we’ve got.”
Maidstone pulled off one of the great FA Cup upsets on Saturday, beating Championship outfit Ipswich 2-1.
Sam Corne scored the winner in the 66th minute to knock the Tractor Boys out of the competition and send the National League South side into the fifth round.
Here, the PA news agency looks at some memorable FA Cup upsets.
Blyth Spartans 3 Stoke 2 (1978)
Another non-league fourth-round upset saw Northern League side Blyth Spartans hand Stoke an early exit.
Despite Terry Johnson’s early opener, Stoke pulled two goals back, but Steve Carney equalised and Johnson lashed home a winner at the death.
The win set up a fifth-round meeting with Wrexham, who beat them in a replay at St James’ Park.
Crawley 3 Leeds 0 (2021)
In their third-round tie, Marcelo Bielsa’s side were reeling from two goals inside three second-half minutes from Nick Tsaroulla and Ashley Nadesan before Jordan Tunnicliffe finished them off with 20 minutes remaining.
To rub salt in the wounds Crawley even handed a debut to reality TV star Mark Wright as a late substitute, but the only way was out of the cup for Leeds.
Hereford 2 Newcastle 1 (1972)
Southern League Hereford side had earned a 2-2 draw at St James’ Park in February 1972 and were given little chance of emulating that feat in their third-round replay.
It was all going to plan when Newcastle took the lead in a game which had been postponed three times by bad weather.
But Hereford grew stronger as the match went on and Ronnie Radford equalised with a long-range thunderbolt, one of the cup’s most famous ever goals, to take the game into extra time where Ricky George hit the winner.
Sutton 2 Coventry 1 (1989)
Coventry arrived in Surrey just 18 months after winning the 1987 FA Cup, and were riding high in the top flight.
It appeared to be a case of “no contest” against the non-leaguers. But they were left stunned in their third-round meeting as Tony Rains and Matthew Hanlan became the goalscoring heroes for a team fashioned by English teacher Barrie Williams.
Both scorers became instant celebrities, appearing on Terry Wogan’s chat show the following Monday.
Wrexham 2 Arsenal 1 (1992)
The Gunners were the reigning league champions, Wrexham were bottom of the old fourth division – there was only going to be one result at the Racecourse Ground.
Arsenal had taken the lead through Alan Smith in the third-round clash but with 10 minutes to go, 37-year-old Mickey Thomas unleashed a 20-yard free-kick past David Seaman for the equaliser.
The Welsh side could sense an upset and Steve Watkin popped up late on to score the winner and send their illustrious opponents crashing out.
Cambridge 1 Newcastle 0 (2022)
Third-tier Cambridge stunned Premier League club Newcastle with a 1-0 FA Cup victory at St James’ Park that fired the League One side into the fourth round.
Joe Ironside scored the only goal of the game, striking in the 56th minute to dump Eddie Howe’s side out of the competition.
Wycombe 2 Leicester 1 (2001)
Second Division Wycombe provided an upset in the quarter-finals of the competition in 2001, beating Premier League Leicester 2-1.
Paul McCarthy put the Chairboys ahead before Muzzy Izzet equalised for the Foxes, but Roy Essandoh, who remarkably was brought in via an advert on Ceefax in to ease Wycombe’s injury crisis, sent them into the semi-finals with a last-gasp header.
The Gabba in Brisbane witnessed an extraordinary display of courage and skill as Shamar Joseph, nursing an injured toe, produced an astounding seven-wicket haul that propelled the West Indies to a historic eight-run victory over Australia in the second Test at the Gabba in Brisbane.
The young fast bowler's seven-wicket haul on the fourth day turned the tide, securing not only the Test match but also tied the series 1-1. It was the West Indies first Test victory in Australia since 1997. Joseph, who had figures of 1-56 and 7-68 in the match, took total of 13 wickets during the two Tests and was awarded the Richie Benaud Medal as Player of the Series.
Riding the high of his extraordinary feat, the 24-year-old Guyanese fast bowler, who bowled unchanged for 11.5 overs on the final day, expressed gratitude for his teammates' support and the medical intervention that enabled him to play through the pain after being struck on the big toe by a Mitchell Starc yorker the night before.
The young bowler, who had contemplated skipping the remainder of the match, said he stuck to the basics that brought him the rewards.
"Shout out for my teammates for their support. I wasn't even going to come to the ground today. But the doctor did something to my toe. I don't know what he did. But it worked. I just stuck to the basics. Stuck to the top of off. I feel like we win the entire series by winning this Test. Shout out to my teammates for their support. I cried for my five-wicket haul but I'm so happy now. I'm not even tired. I would have kept bowling," exclaimed Joseph.
The elation was shared by the West Indies captain, Kraigg Brathwaite, who seized the opportunity to respond to criticism from retired Australian Test cricketer Rodney Hogg. Hogg had labeled the West Indies team as 'pathetic and hapless.' Brathwaite, flexing his biceps, challenged Hogg's assessment and credited it as motivation for his team's spirited fightback.
"We won a Test match in Australia. It does a lot for West Indies cricket. It means a lot. It's been a number of years since we've won a Test match here. But my message to the group is that this is the beginning. It's amazing, we enjoy this, but this has to continue. I'm extremely proud,” Brathwaite declared.
“I must say we had two words that inspired us in this Test match. Mr. Rodney Hogg said that we were 'pathetic and hopeless.' That was our inspiration. We wanted to show the world we're not pathetic.”
Brathwaite then singled out Joseph for his remarkable performance.
“I knew I had Shamar probably an hour before play. The doctor said he got an injection and he's quite good and then he told me he's going to do it. I had to back him. He's a superstar and I know he'll do great things for West Indies in the future. Just his belief. It's a great example for this team to follow. As I said, this is the beginning. We have to continue and play with heart and keep fighting for West Indies. I would love more Test cricket for sure," declared Brathwaite.
The final day's play saw Steven Smith standing as the lone barrier against Joseph's onslaught. Smith's unbeaten 91, however, wasn't enough to save Australia as Joseph dismissed key batters in quick succession, setting up an intense and nail-biting finish.
Resuming from their overnight total of 60-3 with Steve Smith on 30 and Cameron Green on nine, Australia appeared to be cruising towards the target of 216 at 113 for 2 until Joseph struck with the wickets of Cameron Green and Travis Head in consecutive deliveries.
He then dismissed Mitchell Marsh and Alex Carey as Australia lost 4 for 23.
Joseph claimed his second five-wicket haul in as many matches by dismissing Mitchell Starc, who had briefly counterattacked.
Joseph, who had sunk to his knees with his head on the ground pushed through the pain and exhaustion to nick off Pat Cummins.
The umpires extended play 20 minutes after Joseph dismissed Cummins, but neither he or Alzarri Joseph could not get through Smith and Lyon. After the break Alzarri dismissed Lyon with Australia still needing 27.
Joseph would not be denied and flattened Josh Hazlewood’s off stump too see the underdogs claim a famous victory.
Steven Naismith lauded his Hearts team for taking command of the race for third place in the cinch Premiership after “getting battered” with criticism during a slow start to the season.
The Jambos moved 10 points clear of fourth-place Kilmarnock on Saturday as a Jorge Grant penalty and a 19th goal of the season for Lawrence Shankland secured a 2-0 win over Aberdeen.
It was a 10th victory in 13 league games for the Edinburgh side, who came under fire in the autumn after winning just three of their opening 10.
“We are in a very good position,” said Naismith. “Our form recently has been really good. After a slow start and getting battered in the press, we have continued to just get on with our business.
“Internally we are comfortable and we are getting our rewards from that. We don’t panic. We didn’t panic against Spartans (in the Scottish Cup), we played to the end and got our goal.
“We were 2-0 down against Dundee and came back. But we have got to see it as, any successful player’s mentality is always ‘I’m doing well, but how can I get to the next bit?’
“Whether you’re a young player breaking into the team or Shanks scoring goals, it’s always ‘how can we be better?’. We are building that mentality and that’s what we need to have.”
Naismith insisted he never doubted that things would come good, even when his team were languishing in the bottom six earlier in the campaign and he was coming under fire from supporters.
“I’ve experienced it as a player,” he said. “I’ve had managers come in that are completely different to the previous one or making lots of changes, and it takes time.
“We are unfortunately in an era of instant success and if that’s not happening then you’re done, you’re not good enough.
“The thing that gave me lots of confidence was a lot of our players were improving day-to-day and we could see it. But the hard part is to do it on a Saturday when there are loads of people watching you, and nerves come into it.
“But once you can start dealing with that and you trust yourself, you improve. At the end of the day I go home and I have got a wife and two kids that are more important than any football game.”
Aberdeen boss Barry Robson was the subject of calls from some supporters to leave towards the end of Saturday’s match, while Jambos fans goaded him with chants of “you’re getting sacked in the morning” as his team slipped to eighth in the table.
“From the minute I have been here I have been under pressure as an Aberdeen manager,” said Robson.
“Anyone who has been an Aberdeen manager will tell you that, and I’m no different.
“I understand the club, I know the club and I know the demands of the club, so I get that but we need to keep going and keep working.
“It is frustrating when there are a couple of decisions that have not been great and we didn’t perform for 20 to 25 minutes.”
Ryan Moore produced another masterclass of race riding to help Warm Heart bow out in a blaze of glory at Gulfstream Park.
Aidan O’Brien’s filly was chasing a third elite-level success in the $1million 1/ST BET Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational and went off at 12-5.
Moore was happy to track the front-running Main Event for much of the nine-furlong contest but made a daring dive up that horse’s inside entering the home straight.
It was a move which brought back memories of his brilliant Breeders’ Cup Turf triumph on Auguste Rodin and reaped the same reward.
Warm Heart sprinted through a gap on the rail to seize a decisive advantage and then repelled the late challenge of I’m Very Busy to win by half a length.
O’Brien said: “We’re absolutely delighted. It’s incredible. Ryan obviously gave her an incredible ride and has done such an incredible job.”
Moore added: “The leader was always leaning out and he was weakening, and I knew I had plenty of horse, so no problem. I was happy to wait.
“She’s always travelling very comfortably. I didn’t want to be there too early and I didn’t want to be tipping out into the straight, so I thought I’d just wait. She’s a great filly. She’s had an incredible year. She hasn’t had a bad race.”
It was a sixth success for Warm Heart, who last year prevailed in the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot, the Yorkshire Oaks and the Prix Vermeille.
The four-year-old is now set to embark on a second career as a broodmare, with a visit to stallion sensation Justify on the horizon.
“We’d love to have her and to be racing her, but the lads’ business is breeding these horses and she’s an absolutely incredible broodmare to be going to Justify,” said O’Brien on the Gulfstream Park website. “It’s so exciting, really.”
The $3million Pegasus World Cup was won by last year’s Preakness Stakes hero National Treasure, who edged out Senor Buscador by a neck for trainer Bob Baffert and jockey Flavien Prat.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
