Andre Russell put on a show with the bat but it wasn’t enough to prevent the Los Angeles Knight Riders from going down by six wickets to the Washington Freedom in Major League Cricket at the Church Street Park in Morrisville, North Carolina on Thursday.
The Freedom won the toss and put the Knight Riders in to bat. The decision looked like the right one, early, when Washington had the Knight Riders reeling at 68-4 in the 11th over before Russell came to the wicket.
The all-rounder needed just 37 balls to hit 70*, his second fifty in the tournament. The Jamaican hit six fours and as many sixes. He was supported well by Rilee Rossouw who hit 41 off 30 balls including four sixes.
In the end, LA amassed a respectable 175-7 from their 20 overs. Freedom Captain, Moises Henriques, took 3-26 off three overs while Marco Jansen took 2-29 off four.
The ensuing chase was an all-round batting effort from the Freedom. They needed only 18.1 overs to overhaul LA’s total, eventually finishing on 177-4.
Openers Matthew Short and Andries Gous led the way with scores of 43 and 40, respectively. Short’s innings lasted 35 balls and included three fours and a six while Gous needed just 15 balls and hit five fours and two sixes.
Glenn Phillips also made a good contribution with 29 while Obus Pienaar hit 26. Knight Riders skipper, Sunil Narine, was their most economical bowler with 1-20 from his four overs.
The Knight Riders are still winless in the competition with only one match left to play.
Emily Dickinson bids to get back on the winning trail in the Comer Group International Curragh Cup.
With her esteemed stablemate Kyprios sidelined by injury, the daughter of Dubawi moved to Gold Cup favouritism in the spring following an impressive return in the Vintage Crop Stakes at Navan.
Her Royal Ascot claims were severely dented as she disappointed in the Saval Beg at Leopardstown the following month, but the four-year-old nevertheless took her chance in the Gold Cup and emerged with credit after finishing fourth.
Emily Dickinson drops back in distance and class on the Irish Oaks undercard and will be a warm order to provide trainer Aidan O’Brien with an eighth Curragh Cup success.
O’Brien said: “It looks a strong race. I think she stayed in the Gold Cup, I don’t think the trip was a problem.
“She likes an ease in the ground so she’ll appreciate that. She’s had a bit of an easy time since Ascot because we didn’t think the ground was going to be as it is, but we are letting her take her chance, obviously.
“The Irish Leger is definitely in the back of our minds for her.”
Emily Dickinson’s rivals in the €150,000 Group Two include her lightly-raced stablemate Gooloogong, the Paddy Twomey-trained Rosscarbery and Joseph O’Brien’s Duke of Edinburgh Stakes winner Okita Soushi.
Aidan O’Brien also houses the hot favourite for the Group Three Jebel Ali Racecourse And Stables Anglesey Stakes in Royal Ascot runner-up Pearls And Rubies.
A winner on her Navan introduction in June, the No Nay Never filly was subsequently beaten a head by Snellen in the Listed Chesham Stakes.
O’Brien, who won the Anglesey Stakes for a 12th time with Little Big Bear last season, added: “She was just a little bit green at Ascot, she was only after having her first run not long before it.
“She probably found everything a little bit new and she just got left out a bit on her own on the wing, but she did run well.”
Michael O’Callaghan saddles Kairyu, who impressed on her debut at Naas three and a half weeks ago, while dual winner Buyin Buyin represents trainer Willie Browne.
British raider Art Power bids for a fourth Curragh win in the Barberstown Castle Sapphire Stakes.
Tim Easterby’s six-year-old has landed the Group Three Renaissance Stakes in both 2021 and 2022 and maintained his unbeaten course record in the Group Two Greenlands Stakes in May.
He is four from four in Ireland overall, having also won the Group Three Lacken Stakes at Naas in 2020, and returns in fine form following a fourth-placed finish in last weekend’s July Cup.
Alastair Donald, racing manager for owners King Power Racing, said: “Ideally we probably wouldn’t run him back a week later, but his record in Ireland is so good and this looks the perfect race for him.
“He hasn’t run over five furlongs for a while, but it’s a stiff finish and soft ground and it’s not like he’s short of pace. He should have a favourite’s chance.”
Art Power is one of two British-trained runners in the five-furlong Group Two along with Karl Burke’s White Lavender, who was last seen striking gold in a Group Three in France.
The two leading hopes for the home team are Johnny Murtagh’s defending champion Ladies Church and French import Go Athletico, who bids to supplement a successful Irish debut for Ado McGuinness in the Listed Midsummer Sprint Stakes at Cork last month.
“He’s in great form and the ground will help. Unfortunately Ronan Whelan is suspended, but we’ve got a good deputy in Colin Keane,” said McGuinness.
“We’re very hopeful of a huge run. I know the Tim Easterby horse is back over, but he only ran last week in a Group One and our horse is fresh and well. We’re really looking forward to running him.
“I think our horse is even better than what he’s rated, hopefully he can prove it.”
Frankie Dettori has high hopes of making a successful return from suspension aboard Lezoo in the bet365 Hackwood Stakes at Newbury.
The 52-year-old incurred a nine-day ban for careless riding aboard Saga in the Wolferton Stakes at Royal Ascot last month, with a subsequent appeal proving unsuccessful, as well as an eight-day suspension for a whip offence aboard Queen Anne second Inspiral.
As a result Dettori missed the ride on Coral-Eclipse runner-up Emily Upjohn and was denied the opportunity to partner the third-placed Kinross in last weekend’s July Cup, the only British Group One to elude him during a glittering riding career that is due to come to an end later this year.
Dettori, though, is keen to move on as he readies himself for what he hopes will be a busy second half of the season.
“I’m back and there is so much to look forward to,” he said.
“There’s the King George, Goodwood, Deauville and York. It’s going to be a packed summer and I’m looking forward to it.”
Like Kinross, Lezoo is trained by Ralph Beckett and carries the colours of Dettori’s long-time friend and supporter Marc Chan.
The magical Italian steered her to two of her four juvenile wins last year before William Buick took over for her Group One win in the Cheveley Park Stakes.
She has failed to trouble the judge in either the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket or the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot so far this term, but Dettori is confident about her chances in Saturday’s Group Three.
He added: “Lezoo was a Group One winner last year and she’s owned by Marc Chan and Andrew Rosen, who are two good friends of mine. It is always extra nice when you ride for your friends.
“I think we can put a line through Ascot, she just didn’t turn up. She’s a Group One winner and a good filly, so let’s hope we can get her going back to winning ways.”
The Michael Dods-trained Commanche Falls returns to Pattern level after a confidence-boosting Listed success at the Curragh three weeks ago.
The six-year-old finished third behind stablemate Azure Blue and Highfield Princess in the Duke of York Stakes on his penultimate start and was beaten just a head by Garrus in the Abernant Stakes at Newmarket earlier in the year.
“It’s obviously a tougher race than the one in Ireland, but it’s the only race there is for him really, so we’ll have to see how he gets on,” said Dods.
“He ran well at York before he won in Ireland, so hopefully he’s going there in good form.”
The Charlie Hills-trained Garrus is in opposition once more, while Adam Kirby is looking forward to riding Rohaan for trainer David Evans.
He said: “Rohaan’s last run at Ascot was much more pleasing. He is moving well and hopefully he can show his hand on Saturday.
“He finished off well, but it was a very slowly-run race. We were just pleased he came home and was only beaten a couple of lengths.
“Any rain will do him no harm, but some of his best form is in top-flight races on good to firm, so we’ll see.”
Other contenders include Mick Appleby’s King’s Stand third Annaf, who has since finished fourth in the Coral Charge at Sandown, and the Karl Burke-trained Cold Case, who bids to bounce back from a disappointing showing behind Little Big Bear in the Sandy Lane at Haydock.
Rangers manager Michael Beale has confirmed Ecuador midfielder Jose Cifuentes is bound for Ibrox but a summer deal has not been finalised.
The 24-year-old has agreed a pre-contract deal to join Rangers in January but talks are ongoing with Major League Soccer side Los Angeles over an instant transfer.
“It is getting closer,” Beale told Sky Sports News. “Logistics of that one, and work permits and everything that goes in between it, the clubs are still talking.
“He is out of contract at the end of the year and we have an agreement for that.
“We would like to bring it to a close early if we can so he can join us in this window. Those discussions are ongoing.”
Rangers are also in talks with Dutch champions Feyenoord over a potential transfer for Brazilian forward Danilo, with the Ibrox club reported to have offered £5million for the 24-year-old.
“There’s talks in the background on that one but he’s Feyenoord’s player at the moment,” Beale said.
“They are building after a really successful campaign last year so we will keep that just between the two clubs and if there’s any news on it we will update. He is obviously a good player.”
Beale, whose side host Hamburg in a friendly on Saturday, stated that his recruitment both ways was not finished.
“We spoke about wanting the squad to be tighter,” he said. “There’s a lot of competition for places. With that, one or two players naturally will want some guarantees to play regularly, so there will be some change.”
Four people were arrested after Just Stop Oil protesters disrupted the second day of the Open Championship at Royal Liverpool.
American golfer Billy Horschel intervened to help remove one who invaded the 17th to throw powdered orange paint on the green. A smoke flare was also let off.
The 36-year-old escorted a woman wearing a Just Stop Oil T-shirt away from the putting surface and towards a police officer.
Another woman and two men, wearing similar T-shirts, were also handcuffed and marched off the course by several police officers.
Merseyside Police confirmed four people had been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit criminal damage and public nuisance.
“At around 12.20pm Just Stop Oil supporters ran onto hole 17 at The Open in Royal Liverpool,” read a Just Stop Oil statement given to the PA news agency.
“They set off a smoke flare and threw orange powder paint on the green before being removed by security.”
Greenkeeping staff were dispatched to the hole and removed the powdered paint with leaf-blowers.
Merseyside Police said while it respected the rights of people to protest, disorder would not be tolerated.
“A small amount of powder was discarded onto the playing surface and it was reported that one person had a smoke pyrotechnic,” read a police statement.
“Two males and two females were quickly detained by both stewards and officers and they were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit criminal damage and public nuisance. They will be taken into police custody to be questioned.
“Merseyside Police respects the right to protest and expression of views but anti-social, criminal behaviour or disorder will not be tolerated and will be dealt with robustly.
“Police and The R&A management will be looking to ensure the activities of anyone who wants to protest don’t disrupt the event itself and if necessary we will use relevant legislation to deal with those people involved in it.
“Contingency plans are in place to help visitors enjoy these events in safety and with minimal disruption.”
Horschel declined to speak after his round but Merseyside Police has been contacted for comment.
In a statement, the R&A said: “A protester was quickly apprehended on the 17th hole and is one of four people who have been arrested by police.
“Play was not disrupted and we would like to thank the marshals, players and other spectators for their vigilance and understanding as the protesters were removed.”
Leon Bailey’s future with ambitious Aston Villa is up in the air with head coach Unai Emery seemingly keen to replace the Reggae Boy with one of his former team-mates.
He has produced inconsistent displays for the English Premier League (EPL) outfit since signing a four-year deal in August 2021. And his recent hit ‘n’ miss international performances during the CONCACAF Gold Cup did the 25-year-old no favours.
Emery has made a massive impact with the Villains, since replacing head coach Steven Gerrard last October, by steering them to seventh place in the EPL to earn a UEFA Europa Conference League play-off spot.
The wily Spaniard will be desperate to strengthen his squad, with Bayer Leverkusen and France star winger Moussa Diaby firmly on Emery’s radar.
The winger, who played under Emery at Paris Saint-Germain, is due to shortly kick-off pre-season training with the German Bundesliga side. If there’s going to be a deal it will be soon, and Bailey will be pondering his future.
It’s understood that a £42m offer has been tabled by Villa, which if accepted puts Bailey down the pecking order at the EPL club and effectively on the sidelines.
Bailey had previously been a wanted man by the likes of elite EPL clubs such as Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United before he penned his £5.2million base salary contract with Villa.
However, only producing flashes of brilliance rather than on a persistent basis means that top teams aren’t likely to be interested as Bailey can’t consistently deliver the goods.
His performance during Jamaica’s timid 3-0 Gold Cup semi-final defeat to eventual champions Mexico, highlighted his inexplicable inconsistency for both club and country.
Bailey was largely ineffective against Mexico. He lost possession 17 times, won seven of the 14 tackles, was accurate with just two of his five crosses and produced only a single shot — which was off target.
Should he stay in the EPL then at least Everton and Wolves could step in, because they were reportedly clamouring for Bailey’s signature before he joined Villa.
He’s only made 35 appearances for Villa, having been out of favour under Gerrard as well as a string of injuries, bagging just five goals. So his value will not be particularly high despite his age, should Emery decide to shelve the Kingston-born winger.
Emery has demanded reliability from his squads wherever he has worked, and because Bailey seems incapable of this then Diaby could fill his boots.
Diaby was on target in Europe last season, notching two goals during the Champions League group stages and adding a further three in the Europa League knockout rounds.
Bailey, who is expected to shine in attack but rarely does, only managed one goal during Jamaica’s Gold Cup campaign. Following his extended international break, Bailey has been given extra holiday time by Emery before his pre-season return.
Whether Bailey will return to Villa lies very much in the balance, with a summer move potentially on the cards for the former Phoenix All Stars Academy product.
Relief Rally will bid to give trainer William Haggas his third success in the Weatherbys Super Sprint when she takes on 20 rivals in the valuable five-furlong dash at Newbury.
Haggas, who struck with Superstar Leo in 2000 and Jargelle eight years later, feels the daughter of Kodiac has plenty going for her – and so do the bookmakers, who make her a warm favourite for the prize which is worth £122,925 to the winner.
Royal Ascot’s Queen Mary has been a good pointer to the Newbury sprint and having finished runner-up to American raider Crimson Advocate, who ended Relief Rally’s unbeaten run and foiled a hat-trick bid, Haggas feels she is the one to beat.
The last nine winners have come from stall 13 or higher and Tom Marquand’s mount is handily placed in stall 18, with Eve Johnson Houghton’s fancied pair Bobsleigh and Juniper Berries berthed in stalls 16 and four respectively.
“She’s a good filly and she’s very well,” said Haggas. “She won’t mind any rain. I don’t know about the draw.
“She is drawn with Bobsleigh and away from Juniper Berries, but there’s not much we can do about that. She has a good chance.”
The weight carried by a horse in the Super Sprint is determined by its sale price and as such, Juniper Berries, who finished fourth, four lengths behind Relief Rally at Ascot, is in receipt of 7lb this time.
Johnson Houghton said: “I was absolutely thrilled with Juniper Berries in the Queen Mary – she ran a blinder – and fourth at Royal Ascot is quite a feather in your cap.
“Relief Rally is obviously the main danger but we have a huge weight turnaround, so I am hoping that will be enough to change the placings.
“Bobsleigh has come out of the Coventry in very good form, I am very happy with him. He ran a storming race (at Ascot, beaten three lengths by River Tiber), which has turned out to be very strong form.
“That (five furlongs) would be my main worry. He has won over five and a half, but he looks like he gets the six furlongs well. They normally go very fast in the Super Sprint, so I am hoping that he we will be picking them up at the end.”
Irish raider Son Of Corballis has won two of his three starts for County Laois handler Kieran Cotter, latterly talking the scalp of the well-regarded Coolmore-owned colt Alabama in a Listed sprint at Tipperary.
Though he won on yielding ground on debut, Cotter is hoping the unsettled weather forecast is wrong.
He said: “We actually would want quickish good ground. He won on quick ground twice and I’m hoping it doesn’t rain to be honest.
“The way I look at it, if Alabama was in the race, he’d be hot favourite after previously running well at Ascot (fifth in the Windsor Castle) on the wrong side of the track. We’ve beat him twice this year with two different horses. He’s a fair horse.
“Before he won, he’d been working really well and we really fancied him. But since then, he’s been really laid back in his work, he just couldn’t be bothered.
“He has gone very relaxed altogether. So, when we were going for the Listed sprint, we thought cheekpieces would be needed, as these sprints are won by short heads.
“He is one of these horses who just pulls it out on the day, which is good, as we’ve had too many horses who will fly up the gallops and then you go to the track and they let you down a bit.
“He’s drawn 13 and that was our one big worry. The lads were saying if he was drawn one or two, you might just turn round the box.
“If you’d have given me the 13 stall yesterday I would have taken it. He’ll jump and go and we’ll see how far he gets.”
Roger Teal was also delighted with the 20 berth that Ffos Las debut winner Rosario has been accorded.
A son of Harry Angel, he had the reopposing Heed The Call and Relentless Warrior behind when scoring by a length and a quarter under George Rooke, who retains the ride.
Teal said: “He did it nicely on his first day at school. It all went very nicely and hopefully he will have improved for that, so fingers crossed.
“He is owned by my wife and we think a bit of him. He’s got a good draw, but the only worry would be the rain that is supposed to come on Saturday.”
He went on: “That could just mess us up a bit – he’s quite a good-moving horse and he wouldn’t want the ground too soft.
“Other than that, he’s pretty straightforward and he did the job nicely, so we’re looking forward to it.
“I’ve had bad draws all year, so it’s about time we got a good one. I don’t know what I’ve done right – they must have got my name mixed up in the computer somewhere!”
Celtic striker Kyogo Furuhashi hopes to brush off fitness issues and enjoy a homecoming appearance against Gamba Osaka on Saturday.
Scotland’s player of the year was restricted to a substitute appearance in Wednesday’s 6-4 defeat to Yokohama F Marinos after being troubled by a shoulder injury.
Quoted on Celtic’s official website, Furuhashi said: “Gamba Osaka is a very great team with so many good players and they have played well in the last few games in the league.
“We both have the same attacking football philosophy, so I hope it will be a great game and we can entertain the fans who are coming to watch.
‘Personally, I want to have a presence in the game if I have a chance to play.
“I went to high school in Osaka and played against Gamba Osaka many times when I was with Vissel Kobe.
“So I want to enjoy this opportunity and have a good game against them.
“Obviously we want to win because it is a game, but at the same time we want to play great football and we want to entertain our fans.”
Furuhashi, who recently signed a new four-year deal, added: “There are lots of people here who believe in me and love me and need me.
“I was very happy when I was offered a contract extension and I want to continue to repay the favour with results.”
The mayors of Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire have pleaded with the England and Wales Cricket Board to reconsider its northern snub for the 2027 men’s Ashes.
England captain Ben Stokes admitted earlier this week he was “devastated” by the allocation for the five-Test series in four years’ time, with both Headingley and Emirates Old Trafford missing out.
It means that the most northerly of the grounds will be Trent Bridge, which has not staged a men’s Ashes Test since 2015, while Edgbaston, Lord’s, the Kia Oval and the Ageas Bowl are also host venues.
An uneven geographical split has been labelled “disappointing” and “remarkable” by Greater Manchester’s Andy Burnham and West Yorkshire’s Tracy Brabin in an open letter to ECB chair Richard Thompson.
“We are writing to express our disappointment at the English Cricket Board’s announcement of match venues for the Men’s Ashes in 2027,” wrote the mayors.
“Headingley and Old Trafford are two of England’s most iconic cricket grounds, and home to historic Ashes moments from Ian Botham’s heroics in 1981 to Ben Stokes’ own ‘Miracle of Headingley’ in 2019.
“Very few grounds attract support as passionate or indeed as diverse as Headingley and Old Trafford – as a number of England players themselves have acknowledged in recent days.
“It feels even more remarkable therefore that an area so passionate about cricket, with a population of over 15 million people, misses out on a Men’s Ashes Test in 2027 while the South hosts three.”
This last point has drawn scrutiny, with traditional London venues Lord’s and the Kia Oval joined by the Ageas Bowl, which will stage its first men’s Ashes Test in 2027.
Headingley will play host to the women’s Ashes Test in four years’ time while the Yorkshire ground and Old Trafford both return to the men’s programme for the 2031 series between the old rivals.
“It does not feel right at a time when cricket needs to do more to spread interest in the game around the country that London consistently hosts three Tests every summer,” Burnham and Brabin added.
“Next year for example, Lord’s hosts one third of England’s Men’s Tests whilst Headingley doesn’t get any.
“The rivalry between Lancashire and Yorkshire within cricket is legendary, but this is an issue that unites both sides of the Pennines.
“We urge you to think again and ensure people in the North of England get the opportunity to witness more iconic Ashes moments in 2027.”
American sprinter Gabby Thomas paid homage to her Jamaican roots on Thursday ahead of Friday’s Diamond League meeting in Monaco where she will take on a crack field over 200m that includes reigning world 200m champion Shericka Jackson.
It is well known that Thomas has Jamaican roots, something she is proud of and she enjoys the love and support of the island’s rabid track fans. On Thursday, she chose to set the record straight about how she feels about her Jamaican heritage.
Asked about her Jamaican connection, the Olympic bronze medallist responded, “So, my grandfather is actually Jamaican, he lives there, he is from there. My dad didn’t grow up there but he is Jamaican and he always likes to bring the culture home with me and made sure I was proud to be Jamaican.
“And I do really love the fan base in Jamaica, they have really been so amazing and supportive and I do make sure everyone knows that I am Jamaican because I do believe that is where I get my fast roots from. I am not going to sugar coat it because that’s what it is. And we grew up loving track and my family has always been a big track family so I if could just run, run well and make my grandmother and my dad proud, then I would have done my job.
Thomas, who holds the world-leading time of 21.60, will face a tough field that includes NCAA champion Julien Alfred of St Lucia as well as the talented Britons, Dina Asher-Smith and Daryll Neita and the dangerous Anthonique Strachan of the Bahamas, who has run a lifetime best of 22.15 so far this season
Peter Bowen’s Francky Du Berlais will bid for a third successive victory in the Unibet Summer Plate Handicap Chase at Market Rasen on Saturday.
The 10-year-old has landed the contest for the past two years, prevailing by seven and a half lengths in 2021 and by a neck in 2022.
His successes have continued Bowen’s exceptional record in the race, a contest he has won eight times since its inception in 1995.
Francky Du Berlais became the first horse to land the valuable chase twice when triumphant last year and he returns to Lincolnshire in good form as he goes for the hat-trick.
“He’s had his prep run and everything’s gone fine, everything’s ready for him now,” Bowen said.
“He’s won it twice and whether he can do it a third time, I don’t know, but he’s in great form anyway.”
When asked if the Summer Plate is a specific target for the yard, the trainer said: “Not particularly, but it just seems to happen for us in this race. It’s about seven hours from here but he’s made it worth it.”
Francky Du Berlais will not make the journey from Pembrokeshire alone as Bowen also has Courtland in the Summer Plate.
The eight-year-old has won his past three starts, including a course-and-distance victory by five and a half lengths last time out.
“Sean (Bowen, son) rides him (Francky Du Berlais) and Gavin Sheehan will ride Courtland, he’s in good form and he’s up and coming so he could be well in.”
Success in the race would be another win to add to Sean Bowen’s impressive tally so far this season, with the trainer’s son the current favourite be crowned champion jockey at the conclusion of the term.
Bowen snr said: “He’s had a brilliant start. As long as he can stay injury-free and have a bit of luck, he should stand a good chance.”
Elsewhere in the Summer Plate is Jonjo O’Neill’s La Domaniale and Sarah Humphrey’s Gloire D’athon, with Emma Lavelle saddling two entrants in both Killer Clown and Hang In There.
Gavin Cromwell also brings a pair of runners over from Ireland in Railway Hurricane and Broken Ice, while Laura Morgan is also double handed with And The New and Tardree.
Sergio Perez’s torrid run of form continued at the Hungarian Grand Prix after he crashed out of a rain-hit opening practice.
George Russell led the way in the wet conditions for Mercedes at the Hungaroring, 0.359 seconds clear of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, with Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll third and Lando Norris fourth.
Only 13 of the 20-strong field posted a competitive lap, with championship leader Max Verstappen and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton not risking the possibility of damage.
The first one-hour running of the weekend was still dry, and barely a few minutes old, when Perez lost control of his Red Bull and ended up in the wall.
The Mexican put two wheels on the grass under braking for the fifth corner, sending him into a pirouette and into the tyre barrier.
Perez was unharmed in the accident but he sustained significant damage to the front of his machine.
Perez is under increasing pressure at Red Bull following five consecutive qualifying sessions in which he has failed to make it into Q3. On each of those occasions, Verstappen has scored pole position in the other Red Bull.
Indeed, Verstappen, who has won eight of the opening 10 rounds and six in succession, has already moved 99 points clear of his struggling team-mate.
Daniel Ricciardo’s comeback at Red Bull’s junior team AlphaTauri is also likely to be playing on Perez’s mind, with the Australian admitting he is daring to dream about the possibility of a return to the grid’s all-conquering team.
For now, Ricciardo has a dozen races to prove his credentials. However, the eight-time grand prix winner was among those who elected not to set a timed lap on Friday.
The red flags were deployed to deal with Perez’s stricken car and then the rain arrived. The slippery conditions caught out Carlos Sainz after he lost control of his Ferrari on the exit of turn three.
The Spaniard spun across the track and grazed the wall on the opposite side of the circuit before becoming stuck in the grass.
A second red flag was required as marshals assisted in helping Sainz return to the pits with front-wing damage on his scarlet machine.
Friday’s concluding session takes place at 5pm local time (4pm BST).
Harry Brook and Ben Stokes made half-centuries as England advanced their lead to 189 on the third morning of the fourth Ashes Test.
Starting 67 in front after the thrills and spills of Zak Crawley’s dashing century, the hosts continued to stretch their advantage at Emirates Old Trafford.
Captain Stokes reached 51 before being bowled off the inside edge by opposite number Pat Cummins, with Brook making 61 before a mis-hit hook off Josh Hazlewood picked out fine-leg.
At the lunch break they had moved to 506 for eight, with 122 runs and four wickets in two hours of rapid-fire entertainment.
Resuming on 384 for four, England began positively with 38 runs from the first six overs. Stokes and Brook had both played carefully on the second evening but showed early intent.
Stokes was swinging from the hip almost immediately, missing his first couple of attempts before nailing a couple of unforgiving blows through mid-wicket.
Brook came to life in Mitchell Starc’s sixth over, lacing a pair of cover drives then staying on the back foot to guide a third boundary to wide of gully.
Australia’s best chance of parting the pair looked to be a run out, with half-chances opening up as they looked to snatch every available scoring option.
Stokes laid another blow on Hazlewood as he reached a third fifty of the series in 72 balls but did not get the chance to stick around, playing Cummins into his stumps as he continued to attack.
Brook followed his skipper to a half-century, chasing ones and twos as Australia finally found a way to dry up the fours, but came unstuck when the tourists took the new ball.
It was the first time in the series they have done so and the move paid off when Brook top-edged a Hazlewood bouncer to Starc as he marshalled the ropes at fine-leg.
Jonny Bairstow ensured England had enough in the tank to breach the 500-mark, racing to 41no in just 31 balls including 15 off his last five balls of the session.
But Hazlewood was whittling away at the other end, Chris Woakes caught behind for a duck and Mark Wood cleaned up off the last ball of the session.
Evgeniy Zukin says the only way to ensure tennis' future in Ukraine is by stopping the war started by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Russia, with Belarus' assistance, invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
The war still rages on, but in sport, Ukrainian athletes are carrying on, with Elina Svitolina becoming something of a figurehead with an exceptional run to the semi-finals at Wimbledon this month.
Zukin, the chief of the Ukraine Tennis Federation (UTF), is proud of the achievements of his compatriots, but warned that the "golden age" of Ukrainian tennis could ultimately lead to nothing down the line.
"This is the hard work of all the players themselves and the federation, the clubs, who put in those efforts in the last 10 years – the results are following just now," he told Stats Perform.
"We are truly happy, so many players in the top 50 and the way they play is inspirational and they have chances of beating the top players all the time. It's great.
"But could you imagine if this moment had come in a peaceful situation, in a good economical situation, because our main focus as the federation in the peaceful times was to promote our sports so that the parent would decide which sport their child would take up.
"They might go to tennis because it has tradition, good results, good coaches, so that’s why we need results on top, to grow the mass participation, to involve more people at grassroots. From those grassroots, there’d be more players, and from there more talents who become professionals if they work hard enough.
"Unfortunately now this is not the case and the problem is not many will be able to afford tennis for quite a big period of time.
"This is a golden age for [Ukrainian] women's tennis, for sure, but I'm really worried what's going to be there when this generation stops playing, and for the next generation."
Zukin says there is little the sporting community can do. Instead, the onus must be on the war coming to an end.
"We need to stop the war. This is the most important thing," he said.
"We cannot do anything in tennis when there are bombings in Kyiv, not even at the frontline, even in western Ukraine. We need to stop the war.
"Tennis is dependent on the economic situation of normal people, who can invest in their child until at least 13, 14, when we can understand if the kid can be a professional.
"Then we could support them, find an investor or a club. Those first five, six, seven years, it's the parents who are taking on most of the expenses.
"We need to stop the war, get back our normal economy and get it even better, with all the infrastructure that we lost already – it's not going to be easy, this is what we see as the biggest challenge, the economic resurrection.
"It's not about how many [tennis] courts were destroyed, the parents need to invest in their kids and be able to do this."
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