Harry Kane was delighted for Cole Palmer after the Chelsea forward marked his full England debut with a first goal for the Three Lions.
Palmer, who was making his first international start at senior level, opened the scoring from the penalty spot as Gareth Southgate's side overcame Bosnia-Herzegovina 3-0 at St James' Park.
Kane was also on target later on, coming off the bench to round off a commanding win with the third goal in England's penultimate warm-up game ahead of Euro 2024.
Palmer, who made his senior debut against Malta in November, continues to thrive following a superb 2023-24 with Chelsea, with his 33 goal involvements (22 goals, 11 assists) in the Premier League earning him the Young Player of the Season award.
Saluting the former Manchester City forward, Kane said: "He's had an unbelievable season. It's never easy moving clubs as well and what he [Palmer] has done for Chelsea is a credit to him and the team he was in.
"We're very happy to have him. I am delighted he got his goal because we are going to need all our players chipping in with important goals in the tournament in a couple of weeks. The more people feeling good, the better."
Kane also addressed his own fitness, with the Bayern Munich striker having missed the final few weeks of the Bundesliga season with a slight niggle.
Although, the England skipper believes the unscheduled break may benefit him as he looks to lead the Three Lions to European Championship in Germany.
"I'm feeling good, and a lot of the end of the season was precaution," he added. "There's a big summer coming up, so we didn't want to take any risks with it.
"In the end, it was a good chance to get a good break after a tough season, and we have been in camp now for nearly a week.
"I've had a good week training, some minutes here, and I'm sure I will get some minutes on Friday [against Iceland] and I will be ready to go for the group stage.
"It's almost worked in my favour missing the back end of the season. It gave me a chance to get maybe more rest than I was going to get."
Afghanistan made a statement of intent as they opened their T20 World Cup campaign with a 125-run victory over debutants Uganda.
With matches against the West Indies and New Zealand to come in Group C, Jonathan Trott's side were quick out of the blocks in Guyana.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz (76) and Ibrahim Zadran (70) led the way with an impressive opening stand of 154 after 14.3.overs.
However, Afghanistan collapsed somewhat later on, adding just 29 more runs as they finished at 183-5.
Nevertheless, they were quick to ensure Uganda were unable to build any momentum. Fazalhaq Farooqi dismissed Ronak Patel and Roger Mukasa in consecutive deliveries during the first over.
Indeed, it was a true baptism of fire for the T20 World Cup debutants, who were bowled out for just 58 with four overs still remaining.
Data Debrief
Afghanistan set the tone with a fast start in Georgetown. Zadran and Gurbaz's opening stand of 154 was the second-highest in T20 World Cup history, behind only the 170 of England's Jos Buttler and Alex Hales against India two years ago.
Farooqi then took centre stage in the field, claiming his first five-wicket haul in T20Is and conceding just nine runs - four of which came from his first ball. His 5-9 was the fourth-highest figure in tournament history.
Rhys Hoskins homered in his return to Philadelphia, but his former team defeated his current one as the Phillies earned a 3-1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers in Monday's opener of a three-game series between National League division leaders.
Hoskins spent his first seven MLB seasons in Philadelphia and helped the Phillies win the 2022 NL pennant. After missing the entire 2023 campaign with a torn ACL, he signed a two-year, $34million contract to join the Brewers in the offseason.
The first baseman received a standing ovation from the Citizens Bank Park crowd during his first at-bat, then later took former teammate Zack Wheeler deep in the seventh inning for his 10th home run of the season.
Hoskins' blast was the lone run allowed in seven innings by Wheeler (7-3), who held Milwaukee to five hits and struck out six. Jose Alvarado recorded his 10th save with a perfect ninth as the Phillies snapped NL Central-leading Milwaukee's five-game winning streak and improved to 42-19, tied with the New York Yankees for the majors' best record.
Wheeler got all the support he needed when Philadelphia recorded four hits, including run-scoring singles from Edmundo Sosa and Johan Rojas, off Bryce Wilson in the second inning to build a 2-0 lead.
David Dahl extended the margin further with a solo homer off Wilson in the fourth. Dahl finished 2 for 3 with two runs scored in his Phillies' debut after being called up from the minors when Philadelphia placed left fielder Brandon Marsh on the injured list prior to the game.
Wheeler made the lead stand until Hoskins' homer in the seventh by working out of a pair of earlier jams. The Philadelphia ace got Brice Turang to bounce into a bases-loaded double play to prevent the Brewers from scoring in the third, and Hoskins was thrown out at the plate by Rojas while attempting to score on Blake Perkins' single to center in the fifth.
Wilson (3-2) allowed all three Philadelphia runs in 5 2/3 innings of work after entering the game in the second inning.
Diamondbacks stun reeling Giants on Smith's homer in ninth
Pavin Smith connected for a game-winning two-run homer in the ninth inning as the Arizona Diamondbacks extended the San Francisco Giants' losing streak to a season-high five games with a 4-2 victory.
Smith, pinch-hitting for Eugenio Suarez, sent Randy Rodriguez's pitch over the center field wall with one out and Jake McCarthy aboard to snap a 2-2 tie and give the defending NL champion Diamondbacks a third consecutive win.
McCarthy had reached on a double to precede Smith's second home run of the season.
Heliot Ramos went 2 for 4 for the skidding Giants and tied the contest at 2-2 with a solo home run off Ryne Nelson in the seventh inning.
Nelson pitched a career-high 7 2/3 innings and allowed two runs on six hits before giving way to Ryan Thompson, who tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings for the win.
Lourdes Gurriel hit his 100th career homer, a solo shot off Spencer Howard in the second that gave Arizona a 1-0 lead. The Diamondbacks scored again later in the inning when Suarez tripled and came home on Blaze Alexander's two-out single.
The Giants cut their deficit to 2-1 on Matt Chapman's fourth-inning double that plated Brett Wisely, who had led off the inning with a single.
Wisely and Chapman each finished with two hits for San Francisco, while Alexander went 2 for 3 for Arizona.
Rogers' two homers lift Tigers over Rangers
Jake Rogers' second home run of the game snapped a tie in the eighth inning as the Detroit Tigers earned a 2-1 win over the Texas Rangers in the opener of a three-game series.
Rogers launched a pitch from Jose Leclerc into the left seats to break a 1-1 deadlock and record the third multihomer game of his career. The blast made a winner out of Beau Brieske after the right-hander yielded just one hit over three scoreless innings in relief of Detroit starter Tarik Skubal.
Skubal served up a lead-off homer to Marcus Semien in the first inning but kept the Rangers off the board for the remainder of his six-inning stint. The lefty scattered seven hits and struck out seven to help the Tigers to their seventh win in 10 games.
The defending World Series champion Rangers went 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position to drop two games below .500 at 29-31.
Rogers brought Detroit even with a two-out homer in the third, the only run surrendered by Texas starter Nathan Eovaldi in 5 2/3 innings. The veteran hurler gave up just three hits and fanned seven in his second start since missing nearly four weeks with a groin strain.
Semien and Corey Seager each had two hits for Texas, with Seager extending his hitting streak to 16 games with a pair of singles.
The Jamaica Table Tennis Association (JTTA) has announced a 15-member delegation to represent the country at the Caribbean Mini and Pre-Cadet Championships, scheduled to take place in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, from July 1-7, 2024.
The delegation, which includes 10 players, three coaches, a team manager, and newly elected JTTA President Ingrid Graham, was selected following the successful staging of the 2024 National Mini and Pre-Cadet Trials held at the Excelsior High School auditorium on Saturday, June 1, 2024.
The players selected to represent Jamaica are: U11 Boys: Malone Bird, Yashma Anderson, Jathneil Todd, Rudane Hemmings; U13 Girls: Kira Scott, Christina Royes; U13 Boys: Anthony Bird, Ajani Spencer, Kyle Johnson, Andrew Anderson.
In addition to the players, the delegation will be supported by a team of experienced coaches and staff to ensure optimal performance at the championships.
The JTTA is seeking the assistance of donors to help cover the costs of airfares, accommodation, gears, and equipment for the team as the association is committed to providing the necessary support for the athletes as they prepare to compete on the regional stage.
In a press release, the JTTA expressed gratitude to the organizations and individuals who contributed to the success of the trials, including Excelsior High School, Mr. Desmond Palmer of Financial Management Services, Mr. Daren Mears (Herbalife Coach and Distributor), Gewo Jamaica, and Dr. Barrington Houston (KSATTA Director).
Reflecting on the previous year's performance, the JTTA highlighted the achievements of Jamaican players who secured two silver medals in the U13 Boys event and three bronze medals in the U13 Boys event at the 2023 championships. The association is hopeful that this year's team will build on that success and bring home even more medals.
The JTTA is confident that the selected players, with their dedication and hard work, will make Jamaica proud at the Caribbean Mini and Pre-Cadet Championships. The association is also excited about the new direction and leadership under President Ingrid Graham, who is expected to bring fresh energy and vision to the organization.
Gareth Southgate admitted he may have future selection headaches after England's 3-0 friendly win over Bosnia-Herzegovina at St. James' Park on Monday.
Cole Palmer netted on his first England start from the penalty spot before Trent Alexander-Arnold and Harry Kane made sure of the victory late on.
With key players out injured, Southgate used the opportunity to give some of the less experienced squad members some valuable minutes ahead of Euro 2024.
The England manager still has to narrow his 33-man preliminary squad down to 26, with the announcement due later this week.
Southgate confessed the first-half performance was not what he wanted, but overall, he was pleased with how his side responded after half-time.
"We had a lot of fresh players to bring in," Southgate told Channel 4. "Once you break that resistance then it starts to come. A lot of players didn't have many caps that started so it was going to be a sticky start.
"I thought [Palmer and Eberechi Eze] both played with the freedom. Ebere has got lovely movement to go past players, he's got power. A couple of times, Cole was being too precise and if he got his shots away earlier maybe he could've got a couple.
"The great thing is we've got through the last few days with no new problems. That's really important. We needed to get through these first matches to get a clearer picture and the guys rehabbing have done well.
"A little bit [of a selection headache] but that's a good thing. I would rather have good performances than poor performances.
"Winning and clean sheets are good habits to have."
England's final friendly before their Euro 2024 campaign begins is against Iceland on June 7, with Southgate due to announce his 26-man squad following that game.
Anrich Nortje says he is "trying not to look too deep" at his career-best bowling total in South Africa's win over Sri Lanka.
Proteas' dominant bowling limited Sri Lanka to their lowest-ever T20I run total in their World Cup opener on Monday as they recorded a six-wicket victory.
Nortje was the standout amongst the bowlers and earned player of the match after finishing with a career-best 4-7, helping to stop Sri Lanka at 77 in the 20th over.
While Nortje was pleased with his performance, he was quick to turn the focus back to the team post-match.
"I've been feeling good, it just hasn't paid off in the last few games," he said. "It's great to finally get a result, some balls went my way, but I try not to look too deep into it.
"It's been a while since I've had those figures. Just happy to have pulled it off for the team. It's a great win for the team, everyone bowled really well. Kudos to the rest of the guys as well.
"Just to get some momentum going [is what matters], we've worked really hard and it's great to get a result."
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka were left lamenting their World Cup schedule as they will play at four different venues during the group stage, meaning awkward travel arrangements could disrupt their tournament.
"So unfair for us, we have to leave every day [after the match] because we are playing [at] four different venues," Maheesh Theekshana said.
"It's unfair. The flight we took from Florida, from Miami, we had to wait like eight hours in the airport to get the flight. And we came around.
"We were supposed to leave at 8pm, but we got the flight at 5am. It's really unfair for us, but it doesn't matter when you play [on the field]."
However, captain Wanindu Hasaranga was quick to explain the team were not using that as an excuse for their performance, and understood that nothing could be changed at this stage even after complaints to the ICC.
Next up for South Africa in the group is Netherlands on June 8 in New York, while Sri Lanka play Bangladesh on June 7 in Texas.
Cole Palmer scores on his first England start to set the hosts on their way to a 3-0 friendly victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina at St. James' Park on Monday.
The Chelsea midfielder kept his cool from the spot to put England ahead in the 60th minute after a frustrating goalless first half.
Trent Alexander-Arnold made sure of the victory in the 85th minute, striking a superb low volley around Nikola Vasilj and into the bottom corner.
Harry Kane, off the bench, added a third from close range, pouncing on the loose ball after Ezri Konsa had inadvertently blocked Jarrod Bowen's shot on the line.
Data Debrief: England find shooting boots in second half
Palmer is just the fifth player to see his first-ever England goal come from the penalty spot, after Tommy Lawton (1938), Alf Ramsey (1951), Allan Clarke (1970) and Ivan Toney (2024).
Not only did Alexander-Arnold score his third goal for the Three Lions in this game, but he also created five chances, at least three more than any other player on the pitch.
Kane may not have started, but his late strike is the 12th goal he has scored in his last 12 matches for the national side across all competitions.
Novak Djokovic once again has to go the distance but is through to the French Open quarter-finals after a dramatic comeback victory against Francisco Cerundolo.
At one point, the Serb, who finished his third-round match just after 3am on Sunday, looked down and out, but he rallied in style to earn a 6-1, 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 win after four hours and 39 minutes on Monday.
Djokovic looked fresh, cruising through the first set, but shortly into the second, he required treatment for what looked to be a knee problem.
The injury looked to be affecting him as Cerundolo responded well to going behind and stormed into a 2-1 lead after the third set.
Djokovic looked set to make an early exit when he found himself 2-4 down in the fourth, but he refused to surrender, breaking to drag it back to 4-4 before he forced a decider to level things up once more.
He was back to his best in the final set, easily seeing off the Argentinian to see up a meeting with Casper Ruud or Taylor Fritz in the next round.
Data Debrief: Making history
Djokovic continues to break records in his aim to win a record-extending 25th major crown and keep his world number one status. He has now reached the most quarter-finals in men's singles during the Open Era in Grand Slams (59), eclipsing Roger Federer's 58.
Not only that, but the 37-year-old has also recorded the most wins in Grand Slams during the Open Era (370).
Enzo Maresca says it is a "dream" to be appointed as Chelsea’s new head coach.
Maresca has signed a five-year deal, as announced by Chelsea on Monday, with the option to extend for a further year.
He comes in as Mauricio Pochettino's replacement after the Argentinian left the club by mutual consent last month after just one season in charge.
In a statement on the club’s website, Maresca said: "To join Chelsea, one of the biggest clubs in the world, is a dream for any coach. It is why I am so excited by this opportunity.
"I look forward to working with a very talented group of players and staff to develop a team that continues the club's tradition of success and makes our fans proud."
He joins from Leicester City having guided them back to the top-flight as winners of the Championship at the first attempt last season.
Maresca is the Blues' fourth managerial appointment since Todd Boehly and private equity firm Clearlake Capital bought the club in May 2022.
Second-half goals from Ryan Christie and Che Adams secured a 2-0 victory over Gibraltar in a pre-Euro 2024 friendly, ending a seven-game winless run.
Adams added some gloss to the scoreline late on, latching onto John McGinn's cross to rifle into the top corner after Ryan Christie had put them ahead in the 58th minute.
In the first half, it looked like it was not going to be Scotland's day, as they wastefully spurned a host of chances, with Grant Hanley failing to convert a hat-trick of opportunities.
Though they ended their winless run, there was still cause for concern for Steve Clarke as Liam Cooper, on as a half-time substitute, was forced off injured in the 77th minute.
Data Debrief: Ending goal droughts
Christie's opener was his first goal for Scotland in 15 international appearances since netting against Republic of Ireland in September 2022.
Meanwhile, Adams is making a case to start in the Euros after Lyndon Dykes was forced to withdraw from the squad due to injury. He scored his sixth goal for Scotland on his 30th appearance, and his first since June 2022 against Armenia.
South Africa's World Cup campaign got off to a winning start as they cruised to a six-wicket victory over Sri Lanka on Monday thanks to an impeccable bowling performance.
All the hard work was done in the first innings when Sri Lanka chose to bat but were unable to come up with any answers to South Africa's stubborn bowlers.
They limped to 40-5 in the first 10 overs, as Keshav Maharaj took two wickets in two balls in a successful second over, with both Wanindu Hasaranga and Sadeera Samarawickrama being dismissed for ducks.
Anrich Nortje entered the mix to ensure Sri Lanka were bowled out for their lowest-ever T20I total, as he took 4-7 in his four overs to ensure a target of just 78.
It was by no means a high-scoring game, as Quinton de Kock finished with the highest run tally (20 off 27 balls) as one of South Africa’s openers.
Sri Lanka were strong bowlers themselves, with Hasaranga the stand-out with 2-17, but it was not enough as South Africa ambled to 80-4 inside the 17th over.
Elsewhere, Namibia survived a huge scare to beat Oman in a super over in their Group B opener on Sunday, with David Wiese making the difference with both bat and ball.
Wiese had finished with figures of 3-28 as Oman were bowled out for just 109, then Namibia stumbled to 109-6 themselves, scrambling two off their final ball after Mehran Khan's bowling had put Oman on the brink of an upset.
In the first T20 World Cup super over since 2012, Wiese slammed a four off the first ball and a maximum from the second, finishing with 13 off four deliveries faced.
Taking up the ball, he then dismissed Naseem Khushi as Namibia clinched an 11-run success.
Data Debrief: South Africa's bowlers take away hope
All of South Africa's bowlers were on top form in their opener, but no more than Nortje, who broke his own record for the best bowling figures for the Proteas in a men's T20 World Cup match, with his 4-7 in this match beating his 4-10 versus Bangladesh in 2022.
Meanwhile, Baartman became the first South African to take a World Cup wicket with his first tournament delivery.
With England preparing to begin their defence of the T20 World Cup against Scotland, captain Jos Buttler has promised his side will bring "100 per cent intensity".
The 33-year-old led his country to victory two years ago in Australia as they became joint ODI and T20 world champions, and after surrendering the former crown last year, they will be determined not to lose their remaining title.
Tuesday's encounter in Barbados will be the first ever 20-over international between the nations and their first meeting of any kind since 2018, taking place on the same Kensington Oval surface that hosted Namibia's super over victory against Oman on Sunday.
England approach the fixture as heavy favourites, but Buttler was quick to highlight there was no room for complacency, with last year's dire 50-over World Cup campaign still fresh in the memory for many.
"We expect a tough challenge, and we're all excited for that," Buttler said. "They've come here to try and win games. They want to beat us and we want to beat them, so it's pretty straightforward.
"There's a good feeling amongst the team, we've had some good performances, but we're fully focused on this game and we need to make sure we bring 100 per cent intensity.
"Every game we have to be right on it. All we are focused on is that Scotland match and that is the biggest and most important thing right now."
England have plenty of local knowledge in their dressing room, with Jofra Archer joined by his fellow Bajan Chris Jordan as well as Phil Salt, who spent six years on the island during his childhood.
Their backroom staff has also made room for former West Indies international Kieran Pollard, who is on hand as a coaching consultant to assist Matthew Mott for the tournament.
"That's part of selection discussions and team discussions, being aware of the wind and right-hand/left-hand combinations," Buttler said of Pollard's presence in the group.
"[Pollard] has fitted in really well. Some of the guys have played with him, or played lots of cricket against him, so have a nice relationship to start from.
"Obviously, he's got a wealth of T20 knowledge and everyone should have been tapping into that, sponging up any really good information that he's got for us.
"And obviously, [he knows about] local conditions. He knows everything about the Caribbean, and he's got that winner's mindset.
"I think that's something that we're really tapping into. He's won a lot of competitions around the world… it's great to have guys like that around the group."
The ninth edition of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup will see the winners of the 20-team tournament earn at least $2.45 million, the highest prize money in the history of the tournament, along with the trophy that they will lift at Kensington Oval in Barbados on 29 June.
The runners-up will receive at least $1.28 million, while the losing semi-finalists walk away with $787,500 each from the total, historic prize pot of $11.25 million.
The four teams that fail to make it out of the Super 8s will earn $382,500 each, while the teams placed ninth, 10th, 11th and 12th receive $247,500 each. Participants who finish 13th to 20th place will return $225,000.
And every team receives an additional $31,154 for each match they win barring the semi-finals and final.
The 55-match event will be played over 28 days, across nine venues in the West Indies and USA, making this the biggest ICC T20 World Cup ever.
The format of this year’s tournament will see 40 first round matches played before the top eight progress to the Super 8s. Four teams will then qualify for the semi-finals, which will be staged in Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana, ending with the final in Barbados where the 2024 men’s champions will be crowned.
ICC Chief Executive Geoff Allardice said: “This event is historic in so many ways so it is fitting that the prize money for players reflects that. Hundreds of millions of fans around the world will be entertained by the players in what we’re hoping to be an Out of This World event.”
Giorgio Scalvini has been ruled out of Euro 2024 for Italy after picking up an injury in Atalanta's final game of the season.
The Italian was forced off the field during the Europa League winners' 3-2 defeat to Fiorentina in Serie A on Sunday, reportedly rupturing an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee.
Atalanta confirmed in a statement on Monday the defender will undergo further tests, and Luciano Spalletti announced he would not be joining the squad as planned.
Federico Gatti will instead link up with the national team as defensive cover after Francesco Acerbi was also forced to withdraw last week.
The Juventus man has made three appearances for the Azzurri, most recently in November against North Macedonia.
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