Joe Root’s first Ashes century in eight years provided calm amid the storm as England and Australia traded blows in a high-octane opening day at the first LV= Insurance Test.

Root’s masterful 118 not out, the 30th ton of his career but a first against the old enemy since 2015, provided the centrepiece on a day of fiercely competitive cricket and outstanding entertainment that bodes well for the summer ahead.

Ben Stokes pulled a rabbit from the hat when he waved Root in at 393 for eight – the earliest declaration in Ashes history after just 78 overs of the match – but his hopes of sniping a late wicket did not materialise.

The renewal of Stuart Broad’s personal duel with David Warner provided some late theatre, but Australia will resume on 14 without loss after surviving the challenge.

The tone was set by the first ball of the series, when Zak Crawley crashed visiting captain Pat Cummins through the covers for four in a bold statement of intent. England went on to score their runs at a fraction more than five-an-over, once unthinkable but fully in keeping with this side’s spirit of adventure.

Crawley’s flowing 61 set the agenda, and repaid a portion of the faith he has been shown during patchy form, while Jonny Bairstow’s first Test innings in 10 months found him in rude health.

He hustled and bustled his way to 78 at exactly a run-a-ball, bossing a stand of 121 with Root and proving the badly broken leg that interrupted his career-best hot streak last summer had not dulled his effectiveness.

But England needed someone to go on, take it deeper and hold the line as Australia repeatedly made timely breakthroughs on an placid pitch. That man was Root.

He may have gone three Ashes series and 16 Tests since he last made a century against the Baggy Greens, but the 32-year-old remains his country’s classiest performer.

Here, he measured his innings to perfection. Arriving at the crease in the 18th over at 92 for two, Root quickly settled into a familiar rhythm as he worked the ball meticulously around the arc between deep third and point.

In the afternoon he eased to his half-century for the fifth time in his last five innings, allowing Harry Brook and Bairstow to press the accelerator at the other end, and in the evening session he finished the job.

Twice he pulled out his audacious reverse ramp, dispatching Scott Boland and then Cummins over his shoulder for six, and he was building to a crescendo when Stokes declared.

England won the toss and, with it, the chance to bat first under sunny skies.

The first ball of the Ashes has acquired a mythology of its own over the years, with the most memorable moments falling in Australia’s favour.

Michael Slater slashing Phil DeFreitas for four in 1994, Steve Harmison serving up a massive wide in 2006 and Mitchell Starc smashing Rory Burns’ leg stump 18 months ago are all etched into the story of this series, and Crawley made a game attempt at joining their ranks.

Offered a modicum of width first up by Cummins, he found the sweet spot of the bat and pounded the ball emphatically to the ropes at extra-cover.

The crowd roared its approval, joined by an England balcony who had seen their fighting talk come to life in a matter of seconds.

Josh Hazlewood, recalled in place of Starc, was welcomed in similar style as Crawley pinged his first delivery to the square-leg boundary, but Ben Duckett made an early exit. One ball after chopping past his stumps he was caught behind in familiar fashion.

Crawley and Ollie Pope refused to be rattled, putting on a bright 70 as they ran hard, played positively and used their feet to confront the bowlers head on.

By contrast, Australia quickly reverted to defensive field placings, piling up the boundary riders in a clear attempt to throttle England’s aggressive game.

Crawley was buoyant. When Nathan Lyon was handed an early look in the 10th over, he pulled out a reverse sweep and clean drive down the ground, before leaving his mark on Boland with some flowing strokes.

Yet the first session ended with Australia back in the hunt at 124 for three, Lyon trapping Pope lbw for 31 and Boland getting one to lift as Crawley gloved the final ball of the session behind.

By then Root had settled quietly into his work and he was happy to sit back and watch Brook’s 32-run cameo at the start of the afternoon.

Brook showed glimmers of his ball-striking prowess, pounding Lyon over extra-cover and clobbering Boland on the charge, before his fun ended in a stroke of misfortune.

Padding away the spinner, he saw the ball loop into the air, hit his leg and dislodge a bail.

Stokes made just one before nicking Hazlewood, but Bairstow kept the tempo up. He and Root produced their latest made-in-Yorkshire stand, Root providing the finesse, while Bairstow scampered greedily for every single and pounded out 12 boundaries.

Both he and Moeen Ali were stumped running down the pitch at Lyon, the latter having heaved Cummins for six over midwicket, but only Stokes’ surprise declaration could bring an end to Root’s magnificent innings.

Scotland aim to build on their flying start to their European Championship qualifying group when they face Norway in Oslo on Saturday.

Steve Clarke’s side made a perfect start in March against Cyprus and Spain with five goals and two clean sheets, while Norway only collected one point.

Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the major talking points ahead of the encounter.

How do you stop Haaland?

With 21 goals in 23 internationals, Erling Haaland’s goalscoring rate for his country is similar to the records he has set at Salzburg, Borussia Dortmund and now Manchester City. Steve Clarke has decisions to make over who goes up against a striker who netted 52 goals for treble winning City this season. The player who started in the heart of the back three in victory over Spain, Grant Hanley, is missing for Scotland through injury. The likes of Jack Hendry, John Souttar and Liam Cooper are vying for his place.

Can Scotland’s forwards overshadow Haaland?

The visitors have plenty of goal threats from midfield with Scott McTominay already on four goals in the campaign and John McGinn taking his international tally to 16 in the opening victory over Cyprus. With Che Adams injured, Lyndon Dykes is likely to lead the line with eight Scotland goals to his name. Lawrence Shankland and Kevin Nisbet are both off the mark for their country and go into the game in good form.

A big chance for Scotland already

An away win would put Scotland eight points clear of their opponents and put them in a strong position to seal a top-two position and automatic qualification for Germany. A draw would also keep Scotland on course provided they follow it up with a home win against Georgia. Norway have the chance to kick-start their campaign and ensure all three top seeds have beaten each other at home.

Learning the lessons

Scotland embarked on a training camp in Spain before their normal week’s preparation, after suffering defeats against Ukraine and Republic of Ireland last June on the back of varied workloads and season finishes for their players. Clarke hopes the extra preparation will lead to a stronger post-season performance this year.

Aidan O’Brien is confident Emily Dickinson will be better the further she goes as he prepares a two-pronged assault on the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot.

Though last year’s winner Kyprios has been ruled out through injury, the Ballydoyle maestro runs both Broome and Emily Dickinson in Thursday’s feature, which he has won on a record eight occasions.

The latter will have to recover from a lacklustre display when finishing a disappointing sixth as a 2-5 favourite in the Saval Beg at Leopardstown.

But O’Brien believes the four-year-old daughter of Dubawi will benefit from stepping up to two and a half miles, having previously won over two miles in testing ground at the Curragh in October – her first time at that distance.

“We always thought this race would suit her well, because we think she stays very well,” O’Brien told Sky Sports Racing.

“Obviously, she handles some ease in the ground well and when there is ease in the ground, stamina comes into it more.

“We think the trip will suit her and even though she handles soft ground, we don’t think she minds fast ground.”

Winner of three of her 13 runs, Emily Dickinson is the general 6-1 third-favourite behind Coltrane and Eldar Eldarov in what is considered to be an open race.

O’Brien feels Ryan Moore’s mount had excuses in the Saval Beg, run over a mile and three-quarters.

He added: “When we stepped her up to two miles at the Curragh she kind of grew another leg, then she won in very soft ground in Navan.

“The ground was soft, so it made it a testing, demanding race, and then she went back to Leopardstown for her next run and it was fast ground, they went no pace.

“Ryan got left in front. He didn’t want to be putting the gun to her head in that race, because it was obviously being used as a trial for the Gold Cup. He wasn’t too hard on her when he knew the race wasn’t going to suit her.

“She ran a nice race, obviously she will have to step up a lot from that but we think she will, going that trip.”

Last year’s Hardwicke winner Broome advertised his credentials with a Group Two success at Meydan in March, before finishing a close-up third to Giavellotto in the Yorkshire Cup last month.

The seven-year-old has yet to race beyond two miles, and O’Brien admits it will be “interesting” to see if he can handle the extra half-mile.

He added: “Obviously, we were delighted with him in Meydan and delighted with him the last day.

“I suppose the Gold Cup is an unusual race because a lot of horses get two miles, but when you go past that two miles, a lot of different stuff happens, especially in the last quarter of a mile, so it will be very interesting.

“Obviously he is a classy horse. Ryan gave him a brilliant ride in Dubai and he was very happy with him again the last time at York and he was staying on again, so it is going to be very interesting – will he get the trip?

“He is a very good-natured horse – he should relax. He should have no problem with the track or ground, so it will be interesting to see if he gets trip or not.”

Hopes are high Little Big Bear, who reverted to sprinting at Haydock after a disappointing experience in the 2000 Guineas, can back up his Group Two Sandy Lane success when he runs in the Commonwealth Cup.

He has already shown a liking for Ascot, winning the Windsor Castle at last year’s meeting.

“He is a big, powerful, classy horse,” added O’Brien. “We were delighted with him at Haydock. He is a big traveller. He looks like a big sprinter.

“Obviously, we tried him at a mile and we didn’t have time to go back again – the whole Guineas just went wrong on us and that was it.

“But we knew to go to Ascot that it would be a nice thing to have a run into him at this trip, rather than throwing him straight back in from his Guineas run.

“Frankie (Dettori) rode him and was very happy with him. Wayne (Lordan) has been riding him work since and seems very happy with him, so we’re hopeful.”

Defending champion Matt Fitzpatrick enjoyed another memorable moment in the US Open as he recorded the third hole-in-one of the week at Los Angeles Country Club.

Fitzpatrick’s tee shot on the 115-yard 15th pitched beyond the flag and span back into the hole, although he could not see where the ball had landed and was walking off the tee before the crowd’s roar sparked wild celebrations.

The eagle lifted Fitzpatrick from one over par to one under, eight shots behind the lead held by American Wyndham Clark, who had covered his first seven holes in three under to overhaul Rickie Fowler and Xander Schauffele.

Fowler and Schauffele had both shot 62 in the first round to record the lowest score in US Open history and equal the lowest in any men’s major, while the scoring average of 71.38 was another tournament record.

Tournament officials insisted they would not respond by making conditions “stupid hard”, although the par-three 11th was playing 297 yards on Friday and water had only been applied to “isolated spots on the putting greens for turf health”.

John Bodenhamer, chief championships officer of the USGA, told NBC: “[On Friday], as planned, we will play the golf course longer.

“We’re not going to force anything. We could do things that could make it stupid hard. We’re not going to do that.”

Dustin Johnson found the going hard enough on his own early on, the 2016 champion running up an eight on the second after tangling with a fairway bunker, thick rough and the barranca which runs down the left of the hole.

Rory McIlroy was also among the early starters and had dropped a shot on the 11th, but bounced back in style by holing a 32ft birdie putt on the 12th which had several feet of break from left to right.

McIlroy bogeyed the 13th after a pulled drive finished underneath the branches of a tree and failed to birdie the par-five 14th to remain four under.

Lee Johnson believes Hibernian have added “craft” and “nous” to their attack after signing veteran striker Adam Le Fondre on an initial one-year contract.

The 36-year-old Englishman, who has amassed 273 career goals, joins the cinch Premiership club after recently leaving Australian side Sydney, where he spent the majority of the past five years.

Prior to moving to the A-League in 2018, Le Fondre played for a range of English clubs, with his most prolific spells coming at Rochdale, Rotherham and Reading, where he played under Hibs’ current director of football, Brian McDermott.

“Adam brings craft to our new frontline and his experience and nous in the game will help develop our younger strikers,” boss Johnson told the Hibs website.

“Throughout his career he has a proven goal-scoring record and physically he’s in good shape. We look forward to working with him.”

The arrival of Le Fondre will help fill the void left by Scotland striker Kevin Nisbet, who was sold to Millwall last weekend. Hibs have the option to extend Le Fondre’s contract by a further year if they wish.

Aberdeen have announced the signing of Slovenian striker Ester Sokler on a three-year deal.

The 24-year-old, joining from NK Radomlje for an undisclosed fee, becomes the Dons’ second new arrival in as many days and third recruit of the summer, following Nicky Devlin and Leighton Clarkson.

Sokler scored 10 goals in 30 games for Radomlje last season.

Aberdeen boss Barry Robson said on the club’s official website: “Ester is a striker with all the key attributes needed to be a success here and he further strengthens our attacking options for next season.

“He fits the profile of striker we were searching for, someone who can continue to develop in the correct environment and is another good example of our overall recruitment strategy, looking further afield for players who we believe can make a positive impact here.”

Sokler will officially become an Aberdeen player subject to successful completion of the UK immigration process, following the award of a Governing Body Endorsement on Thursday.

Richard Kingscote lamented the fact Keith Dalgleish plans to leave the training ranks having partnered his Chichester to victory in the Seat Unique Ganton Stakes at York.

Dalgleish announced earlier this year he planned to do something else and was not leaving the profession for financial reasons. And with results like this he will clearly be a loss.

A talented former rider, Dalgleish is closing in on 1,000 winners. Chichester (15-2) has provided him with six of them, but this was by far the biggest with the Listed event carrying an almost £40,000 first prize.

When odds-on favourite Shining Blue hit the front he looked sure to collect for Saeed bin Suroor, but Kingscote had been biding his time on Chichester who stayed on strongly to win by a length and three-quarters.

“It was a great bit of placing by connections, they found a five-runner Listed race for good money so fair play,” said the Derby-winning jockey.

“I always thought I was getting there, we actually went a decent pace for once because in general of late we’ve been going steady but he was able to get into a nice rhythm.

“He found plenty. He’s a funny old boy, he’s more than capable as we’ve seen but sometimes he needs things to go his way. He stays this trip well, he ran over 10 furlongs the last day.

“Keith knows what he’s doing and it’s a great shame he’s handing in his licence – he can certainly do the job.”

The improvement of the David Evans-trained Radio Goo Goo (11-2) shows no signs of stopping after she won her fourth race in a row in the British EBF Supporting Racing With Pride Fillies’ Handicap.

She won first time out this year at Wolverhampton off 72, was beaten on Good Friday at Lingfield and then rattled off a treble at Chester, Haydock and back at Chester.

Racing off a career-high 86 she looked beaten, but just got the better off Al Simmo by a nose under Ben Curtis.

“To be honest she wasn’t really travelling so I had to sit on her a bit longer than I wanted to fill her up,” said Curtis.

“I didn’t think I was going to win, but the last few strides her ears went back and she really wanted it.

“She finished second a fair few times last year, but that was over five and she kept bumping into one. She’s stronger this year and is better suited to six and Dave’s horses are flying at the moment. Hopefully she can keep rising.

The most valuable race of its kind every season is the SKF Rous Selling Stakes which went the way of Ollie Pears’ Celestial Flight (7-1) in a photo finish.

James Sullivan’s mount prevailed by a head from Up The Jazz on his second start and was bought back in for £25,000.

“We always like to target this. For an inexpensive horse it gives the owners a fantastic day out and the chance to run for a big pot,” said Pears.

“I bought him back in as there would have been an awful lot of disappointed people here if I hadn’t.

“We think he’s a horse who should go on and he’s a horse who should get seven furlongs.”

Karl Burke saddled his 11th individual juvenile winner of the season when Harvanna (5-1) won the Juddmonte British EBF Fillies’ Restricted Novice Stakes after finishing third on her debut.

Clifford Lee was on top and said: “She learned a lot on her debut and we saw the benefit of that.

“We’ve got some nice two-year-olds, hopefully I’ll be on a couple next week and we’ll just see how the ground is and everything before finalising.”

Mick and David Easterby’s Menelaus (15-2) followed up a recent win at Thirsk when stylishly pulling clear in the Andy Thornton Hospitality Furniture Apprentice Handicap under Connor Planas.

It was a third success in his last four rides for Planas, who is enjoying a breakthrough season.

Michael Jordan has reached an agreement to sell his majority share of the Charlotte Hornets to a group led by Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall, the team announced Friday in a press release.

The move will end the NBA Hall of Famer's 13-year tenure as the Hornets' primary owner. Jordan will still hold a minority stake in the franchise.

Jordan, who starred at the University of North Carolina prior to his legendary 15-year NBA playing career, had been the league's sole Black majority owner. The 60-year-old purchased the Hornets in 2010 for approximately $275 million.

Financial details of the proposed transaction, which will require approval from the NBA's Board of Governors, have not been disclosed. According to ESPN, the Hornets have a valuation of approximately $3 billion.

In the most recent ownership change involving an NBA franchise, the Phoenix Suns were purchased by mortgage investor Mat Ishbia for a reported $4 billion in December.  

Plotkin, the founder and chief investment officer of Tallwoods Capital LLC, has been a Hornets minority owner and an alternate on the NBA's Board of Governors since 2019.

Schnall is currently a minority owner of the Atlanta Hawks and is in the process of selling his share of that team. He has been with the Hawks since 2015 and is also an alternate on the Board of Governors. 

Other members of the new ownership group include country music star Eric Church and recording artist J. Cole.

Jordan led the Chicago Bulls to six NBA titles in a remarkable eight-year span in the 1990s as a player but never came close to reaching the same heights as an owner. The Hornets made the playoffs just twice during his reign while compiling a 423-600 overall record, which ranks 26th of the NBA's 30 teams in winning percentage over that period. 

The Hornets last won a playoff series in 2002 and their stretch of 19 consecutive seasons without a postseason series victory is tied with the Minnesota Timberwolves for the longest active streak in the league.

Charlotte had the NBA's fourth worst record this past season at 27-55 and holds the No. 2 overall pick in next week's draft.

Dundee have signed “old-school” Mexican defender Antonio Portales, subject to the granting of a visa and international clearance.

The 27-year-old centre-back moves to Dens Park from Atlante, a second-tier side in his homeland.

The former Oaxaca, San Luis and Monterrey player made 45 appearances and scored nine goals in the season just finished, and recently-appointed manager Tony Docherty is delighted to add Portales to the Dark Blues squad as they prepare for their return to the cinch Premiership.

“The club were made aware of Antonio and our recruitment team watched him extensively,” Docherty told the Dundee website. “We then all agreed that he would make a great addition to our playing squad.

“He is someone who enjoys defending, he is a bit old-school in terms that he enjoys defending.

“He is effective in both boxes and has real ability to play out from the back. He displays real passion and desire in his performances and I think this is something that will really relate to the Dundee fans.”

Leeds forward Zane Tetevano has described suffering a stroke last month as a “scary episode”.

The New Zealand international was rushed to hospital after collapsing during a Rhinos training session.

The 32-year-old was later diagnosed with a hole in his heart.

Tetevano told the club’s website: “I was the first one out on the field and I had a spring in my step, ready to crack on with my session.

“I was pretty much just in my warm-up period when I just started slurring my words. I missed about three plays within a drill – just basic drills – and I remember just speaking to a team-mate of mine, slurring my words.

“I just couldn’t feel my tongue, my mouth, and that’s when everything started kicking in. I was kicking the ground, standing up, having the medical staff there, then the ambulance came.

“It was a scary episode. You just don’t know what was going on until you get told you’ve had a stroke.

“I guess everyone knows I’m quite an active person, I like my training. It was a shock, a kind of unreal feeling like, ‘No, I can’t be in this position’. But I’ve come out on the right side.”

Tetevano has recovered well from the stroke but requires surgery to repair his heart problem. He is hopeful of returning to action before the end of the season.

He said: “It might sound a bit weird but, after having a stroke, I was kind of hoping that I had something wrong – a hole in your heart, ‘OK, let’s fix that thing and crack on with life’.

“At the same time I was actually nervous, thinking this can’t be, but again I was just like, ‘Good news, the quicker I get surgery done the better’.”

Tetevano has been cleared to resume non-impact aerobic training to maintain a level of fitness prior to his operation but he cannot yet play contact sport.

To help motivate himself, he is to run the Leeds 10k this Sunday to raise money for the Children’s Heart Surgery Fund.

He said: “I was just running around the canals and one of the coaches mentioned it. I was pretty keen to jump straight on it.

“It’s something that has a deep place in my heart. It’s a little thing that I can do from my episode to help raise funds for the young ones and families.”