The decisive second Test, which initially seemed set to end in three days, has now been returned to some semblance of normalcy as South Africa took charge of proceedings on day two to leave West Indies in a familiar position at Providence in Guyana on Friday.
After securing a 14-run lead when they restricted West Indies to 144, South Africa, through an opening stand of 79 between Aiden Markram (51) and Kyle Verreynne, and an unbeaten 84-run sixth-wicket partnership between Verreynne and Wiaan Mulder, all but placed one hand on the Sir Vivian Richards trophy.
They lead by 239 runs, with Verreynne, unbeaten on 50, and Mulder, on 34, set to resume batting at 9:00am on Saturday.
Still, with three more days to play and the surface getting much better to bat on with time, West Indies will cling to hope that they can turn their fortunes and register win number two to move up the ICC Test Championship standings.
Scores: South Africa 160 and 223 for 5 (Markram 51, Verreynne 50*, Seales 3-52, Motie 2-61) lead West Indies 144 (Holder 54*, Mulder 4-32, Burger 3-49, Maharaj 2-8) by 239 runs
Eight wickets fell on another action packed day, as West Indies, resuming on 97-7, got much closer than expected to South Africa’s first innings total, thanks to a 40-run 10th-wicket stand between Jason Holder, who was left unbeaten on 54, and Shamar Joseph (25).
David Bedingham was bowled by Jayden Seales (out of photo).
Mulder ended with 4-32 and Nandre Burger, 3-49, while Keshav Maharaj (2-8) wrapped things up with the dismissal of Joseph in the opening session.
With a slight lead in their favour, coupled with the lessons learnt from their first innings collapse, Markram and Toni de Zorzi (39), weathered some testy movements from West Indies seamers before lunch, and later capitalised on the significant change in conditions to lay the foundation for a massive total.
De Zorzi, who survived a scare on 36 when Joshua da Silva failed to hang on to a low catch off Jason Holder’s bowling, fell three runs later as the wicketkeeper made no mistakes on the second occasion when he knicked one behind from Jayden Seales.
Markram and Tristan Stubbs (24) continued the momentum with a 41-run second wicket stand, but they didn’t have things all their way as the Caribbean bowlers were plucky and created a few half chances—edges, leg before wicket shouts, and a chance put down by Alick Athanaze—that didn’t go their way.
Gudakesh Motie eventually trapped Markram in front shortly after he raised his half-century, and the Guyanese spinner later accounted for captain Temba Bavuma (four) soon after, which left South Africa at 134-3.
Stubbs followed shortly after to the Seales-Da Silva combination, before the Trinidad and Tobago seamer clean bowled David Bedingham for a duck as the visitors slipped to 139-5.
Snaring four wickets for a mere 19 runs in nine overs left West Indies on a high and they would have sensed another low target coming. However, Verreynne and Mulder shifted the momentum back South Africa’s way with the highest partnership of the series so far.
Mark Robins has praised the "scintillating" football Coventry City played as they snatched a late 3-2 win over Oxford United in the Championship on Friday.
Haji Wright gave the Sky Blues the lead after 15 minutes, and Milan van Ewijk restored their lead after Ciaron Brown had pulled Oxford level.
Mark Harris then helped the U's come from behind a second time as he turned in from close range, but Wright had the final say, rounding the goalkeeper in the 96th minute to slot home the winner.
It was Coventry's first league win of the campaign, and a deserved one, as they dominated throughout, registering 26 shots on goal, 10 of which were on target.
After a disappointing opening-day defeat to Stoke City, Robins was particularly impressed with how they took the fight to Oxford.
"It was a really tough game, Oxford play a really good brand of football," said Robins.
"We got on the front foot from the start of the game, and we followed through.
"We had some really good possession and created some great openings.
"Some of the football we played was scintillating."
Vincent Kompany was impressed with Bayern Munich's energy while Thomas Muller revelled in a "fun" victory over Ulm in the DFB-Pokal.
Kompany's first competitive match in charge of Bayern ended in a resounding 4-0 win on Friday.
Muller's first-half brace got the ball rolling for Bayern, with Kingsley Coman and Harry Kane coming off the bench to add some gloss to the scoreline as Ulm rarely showed a threat going the other way.
Bayern had 16 shots and accumulated 3.28 expected goals (xG) in a dominant performance that impressed their new coach.
"I'm happy. We started well and were 2-0 up early on," said Kompany, as reported by Bayern's website.
"I'm also very happy that we kept a clean sheet. Games like this aren't always easy.
"It wasn't always perfect, but we played with discipline, and 4-0 is good, now we're moving on. The important thing is that we show the right energy. That's the basis, it has to be there."
Muller's goals came inside the first 14 minutes. In his 708th competitive Bayern game, it is the earliest he has ever scored a double.
He said: "We wanted to implement a lot of what we have worked on in the last few weeks. It's fun, I feel good, I'm in good shape physically, I did my job, had a few good moves, I'm happy about that.
"If you look at how we work against the ball and the way we tackle, you can see a difference to what didn't do us so much good last year. I thought it was a good performance, even if there is still room for improvement with the ball."
Marco Silva thinks Fulham "did not get the points he thought they deserved" as they suffered a 1-0 defeat to Manchester United in their Premier League opener.
The Cottagers looked a threat on the counter-attack but lacked a clinical edge in the final third as they wasted chances to take the lead.
Bernd Leno kept them in the game by making big saves in both halves before United debutant Joshua Zirkzee proved the difference in the 87th minute from close range.
While Silva admitted there were positives to take from the performance, he was ultimately left frustrated by the missed chances that cost them.
"It is really tough for us to lose this game the way we lost," Silva told Sky Sports.
"We started really well. I think the first two dangerous moments were from ourselves. The first one we should have scored, a really dangerous attack from us.
"We had our chances. When you play against Manchester United...there were moments, and we had to punish them.
"We had so many moments, and we were punished at the end of the game. It was a crazy game, and we did not play our own game. It was an emotional game, we tried to rush many, many times.
"We did not get the points I thought we deserved."
Fulham managed 10 shots in the match, though only tested Andre Onana twice, with Kenny Tete forcing a good save out of the goalkeeper with one of those in the first half.
Andreas Pereira also squandered two opportunities on the break with loose passes, and Silva is keen to fine-tune certain aspects of their performance.
"Of course, when you have two against one you should at least finalise the action and put your teammates in the right action," he added. "But it was not just that one, we had other really good moments and should have scored.
"We have to keep the emotional control in these types of games. We know they are strong and want to play this type of game. It's always their strength when the game is broken and the space is there. We should have kept the balance and emotional control.
"But it was a good answer from the team overall. It was a tough summer when you lose five players - four of them starting players. But I knew the players were good enough to play in this way."
Joshua Zirkzee is not feeling any pressure as he looks to make his mark at Manchester United.
Having come on from the bench to make his United debut, Zirkzee scored in the 87th minute to seal a 1-0 win over Fulham on Friday in the first Premier League match of the 2024-25 season.
Zirkzee joined United from Serie A club Bologna in July, and with Rasmus Hojlund injured, swiftly made an impact at Old Trafford.
And the former Bayern Munich attacker knows it is about as good a start as he could have asked for.
Speaking to BBC Sport, he said: "It's the perfect one, no? In front of the Stretford End. And a win as well, it couldn't be any better.
"It's been very good [since I arrived]. The group have been amazing, I feel very comfortable and at home here. I'm having a very good time.
"Of course it's a big club, but we just work hard every day and focus on what we want to achieve, and that's being the best we can be. At the moment I don't really feel any pressure.
"I look forward to working with everyone here. That includes all the staff. Everyone has been great.
"Of course having Ruud van Nistlerooy in the staff as a striker, you have to be grateful for that. Everyone has been great, it's a pleasure to be here."
Following Zirkzee's winner this evening, 22 players have now scored in their first Premier League appearance for United, with only Chelsea (27) and Aston Villa (26) having more debutant scorers in the competition's history.
Zirkzee, meanwhile, is the 15th Dutch player to score on his Premier League debut, and the fourth to do so while at United, after Van Nistelrooy, Alexander Buttner and Donny van de Beek.
His goal came from his only attempt on target.
"It was very important to get the first goal as a striker," said manager Erik ten Hag.
"For him it is very pleasing because strikers have to score. That is the first ability you have to show when you come as a striker to a new club."
Aryna Sabalenka has reached the Cincinnati Open quarter-finals for the fourth time after rallying to a straight-sets victory over Elina Svitolina.
The Belarusian took just 79 minutes to seal the victory, seeing off her opponent 7-5 6-2 on Friday.
Sabalenka made a quick start, earning a break in the first game, but was pushed all the way in the opening set, as Svitolina fought back to tie them level at 5-5.
Another break then set the number three seed up to take the set before she asserted her dominance by winning the final four games in a row to advance to the last eight.
She will face Liudmila Samsonova as she attempts to reach the semi-finals of the tournament for the third straight year.
Data Debrief: Four is the magic number
Only Jelena Jankovic (seven), Simona Halep (six) and Serena Williams (five) have made more quarter-finals than Sabalenka (four) in Cincinnati in the Open Era.
The 26-year-old now boasts 22 career WTA 1000 quarter-finals, tied for most among active players with Karolina Pliskova.
Throughout Friday's match, Sabalenka saved four of the five break points she faced in the match while going 4-for-4 on her own break points against Svitolina's serve.
French champions Paris Saint-Germain won 4-1 at Le Havre on Friday, capitalising on a late collapse by the hosts to get their Ligue 1 season off to an excellent start.
PSG opened the scoring after three minutes when Goncalo Ramos found Lee Kang-in inside the box and he sent a left-foot shot into the net.
The visitors' joy was short-lived, however, as Ramos was hurt in a challenge and the Portuguese international had to be replaced by Randal Kolo Muani, who rattled the crossbar shortly after entering the fray.
The hosts, who had a goal chalked off in the first half for offside, shocked PSG after the break as Gautier Lloris in the 48th minute, before Josue Casimir's goal was disallowed following a VAR decision for handball in the build-up.
Lee was then inches away from a second as he struck the woodwork, but five minutes before the end, the Le Havre defence went missing as three PSG substitutes ran riot.
Ousmane Dembele headed home in the 85th minute before Bradley Barcola added a third as he cut inside from the right less than two minutes later.
Kolo Muani then completed the rout from the penalty spot after he was brought down by Lloris' late tackle in the box
Data Debrief: PSG leave it late
While it was three late goals that wrapped up the three points, Lee actually scored the earliest first goal of a Ligue 1 season (after two minutes and four seconds) since the one scored by Mamadou Niang for Marseille in August 2009 against Grenoble (1:42).
PSG are the first team to score at least three goals from the 85th minute in the same Ligue 1 game since Monaco in November 2016 against Nancy (also three).
Luis Enrique's side are now unbeaten in their last 25 Ligue 1 away games (winning 20, drawing five), extending the longest such run in their history.
Joshua Zirkzee scored a late winner on his Manchester United debut as the Red Devils claimed a 1-0 victory over Fulham in the first Premier League match of 2024-25.
After recording their lowest-ever Premier League finish last season, United looked set to be frustrated at Old Trafford on Friday until their new striker diverted a deft finish past Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno in the 87th minute.
Introduced midway through the second half by Erik ten Hag, Zirkzee applied the crucial touch to fellow substitute Alejandro Garnacho’s teasing centre to settle the contest.
Bruno Fernandes had earlier squandered United’s best chances, with Leno in excellent form for the visitors, making two saves from the Portuguese playmaker in swift succession.
Leno denied Mason Mount at the start of the second half, though Fulham were left to rue some missed openings at the other end when Zirkzee charged into the area to nudge home.
Alejandro Garnacho fluffed his lines when teed up by Marcus Rashford deep in second-half stoppage time, but the miss did not prove costly as United secured a winning start to the new campaign.
Data Debrief: Dutch delight
Zirkzee became the 15th Dutch player to score on his Premier League debut, with four of those doing so for United (also Ruud van Nistelrooy, Alexander Buttner and Donny van de Beek).
His goal ensured United have more wins (22) and more points (70) from their opening games of Premier League campaigns than any other side. The Red Devils are featuring in their 100th season in top-flight football, making them the fifth different team to reach the milestone after Everton, Aston Villa, Liverpool and Arsenal.
The Jamaica Table Tennis Association (JTTA) is sounding the alarm for financial support as it strives to restore the sport to its former glory. Spearheaded by JTTA President Ingrid Graham, the association is seeking additional sponsorship to sustain its vital initiatives, particularly the recently concluded summer camp aimed at nurturing the next generation of Jamaican table tennis talent.
In collaboration with Skills Unlimited Table Tennis Academy (SUTTA), Taylor Hall, and Chancellor Hall, the JTTA hosted a summer camp from July 15 to August 14 at the University of the West Indies (UWI) in Mona. This camp, which brought together both junior and senior athletes for intensive training, has been hailed as a success. However, despite the camp's achievements, financial challenges loom large, threatening the future of this critical program.
Graham emphasized the urgent need for additional funding, noting that while the camp was a paid program, more than half of the over 30 participants were unable to contribute financially. This shortfall has placed a significant burden on the JTTA, jeopardizing the sustainability of the camp and other similar initiatives.
This year's camp received backing from several organizations and individuals, including Taylor Hall, Chancellor Hall, JTTA, SUTTA, the Sports Development Foundation Jamaica, Western Sports, Optical Solutions International Limited, Graham International Consulting and Research INC, past players, and the families of junior athletes. Their contributions ranged from providing meals and tokens for participants to offering free use of facilities.
Jide Lewis, the father of national players Gianna and Tsenaye Lewis, underscored the camp's importance in laying a firm foundation for Jamaica's future athletes. He emphasized the need for more sponsors to ensure that the athletes receive adequate training at home before competing overseas, adding that he intends to send his children back next year.
Despite the support garnered this year, Graham highlighted the need for additional sponsorship to ensure the camp's continuity and growth. The JTTA hopes to make the summer camp an annual event, with even more participants in the coming years.
Thomas Muller's first-half brace ensured Vincent Kompany got off to a winning start at Bayern Munich as they beat Ulm 4-0 in the DFB-Pokal first round.
Kingsley Coman and Harry Kane came off the bench to add some gloss to the scoreline as Ulm rarely showed a threat against a dominant Bayern side.
The hosts did almost cause an early shock though, as Maurice Krattenmacher was left unmarked at the far post, but he could not adjust quickly enough and turned his first-time shot wide.
Joshua Kimmich then unlocked Ulm's defence with a throughball into Stanisic, who did brilliantly while off-balance to set up Muller for his first of the game.
And just two minutes later, the forward had his second – Christian Ortag was drawn to Serge Gnabry's run, leaving Muller to tap it into the empty net.
The hosts showed some fight in the second half, with Dennis Chessa forcing Manuel Neuer into a low save before Bayern finally got their third in the 79th minute, as Michael Olise's trickery set Coman up for a close-range finish.
Kane had a goal ruled out for a foul on the goalkeeper, but he was not to be denied as he headed in a fourth with the final touch of the game.
Data Debrief: Muller at the double
Muller is off the mark for the season, and he wasted no time in doing it. He scored his earliest brace for Bayern (14 minutes) in his 708th competitive match for the club.
It was a clinical performance from the 34-year-old, who scored with both of his shots on target as he registered an expected goals of 1.42, and only Jamal Musiala (eight) had more touches in the opposition box than him (seven).
Bournemouth have confirmed the signing of Evanilson from Porto for a club-record fee.
The forward has joined in a deal worth up to £40.2million.
He joined Porto in 2020 and went on to make 154 appearances in all competitions, netting 60 goals and registering 21 assists.
His 13 league goals last season were the most of any Porto player, while he also had the second-most shots of anyone on the team in the Primeira Liga (76).
"We are delighted to bring someone with an immense pedigree to AFC Bournemouth," chief executive Neill Blake said.
"Evanilson is a hugely sought-after striker and for us to bring him to the club in a record-breaking deal shows our ambition and intent.
"Having scored 25 goals last season, including goals in the Champions League, we feel that his experience and ability, despite only being 24, will help us to match our ambitions moving forward."
Bournemouth had also shown interest in Arsenal's Eddie Nketiah, but have chosen the Brazilian to replace Dominic Solanke, who was sold for a club-record fee of £65million to Tottenham.
Evanilson is the seventh Bournemouth signing so far, with Andoni Iraola's side set to kick off their Premier League campaign against Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
Carlos Alcaraz suffered a shock defeat at the Cincinnati Open as Gael Monfils came from a set down to prevail from a rain-delayed encounter.
Monfils was 3-1 up in a second-set tie-break before rain stopped play on Thursday, but returned 24 hours later to win 4-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-4.
Once play resumed on Friday, Monfils continued where he left off but squandered three set points before eventually taking the tie this distance.
Last year's runner-up Alcaraz struggled in the opening exchanges, with his French opponent finding a decisive break in the third game as Monfils took control of proceedings in Ohio.
And Monfils' experience ultimately told, as the 37-year-old held out for the remainder of his service games to set up a meeting with Holger Rune in the last 16, condemning Alcaraz to a shock exit.
World number one Jannik Sinner, meanwhile, had no need to take to the court on his 23rd birthday, as he was handed a walkover following Jordan Thompson's withdrawal.
Data Debrief: The old head prevails
Monfils is the oldest player to defeat an opponent ranked in the ATP top-three since Jimmy Connors defeated Michael Stich in Memphis in 1992.
The world number 46 starred on serve, firing 15 aces throughout the contest compared to Alcaraz's seven, while also clawing back six of the seven break points he faced.
Paulo Fonseca is happy with AC Milan's acquisitions in the transfer window but warns that players will be leaving the club as they begin their Serie A campaign at home to Torino on Saturday.
The new Portuguese coach confirmed the signing of French midfielder Youssouf Fofana from Monaco is nearly complete, with no other recruitment planned.
He would join striker Alvaro Morata, and defenders Emerson Royal and Strahinja Pavlovic, who signed for Milan earlier in the window.
"After his [Fofana's] arrival, our incomings will be completed, we will need to focus on outgoings," Fonseca told reporters on Friday.
"Some players must leave now. We have many, and it's not easy to work with a lot of players.
"We work and play to aim for the top, we cannot say that we are ahead of everyone to win the league, but we want to be fighting for the Scudetto.
"Inter are reigning champions, we know their level. Juventus, Napoli and Atalanta, apart from ourselves, also have the right things to compete."
Fonseca has only been Milan's coach for two months but has overseen an unbeaten pre-season in that time, and he is pleased with how his players have adapted to his methods.
"I came to Milan at the right moment in my career," he added. "The feeling is very positive, right from the first day, we have already improved more than I expected.
"We are expecting a different and more complex game than those we have played in pre-season. We want to show our identity from the very first game."
Kenan Yildiz has renewed his contract at Juventus, extending his stay with the 36-time Serie A champions until the end of the 2028-29 season.
Yildiz, who starred for Turkiye at Euro 2024, will also don a new number for the upcoming campaign, taking the number 10 shirt previously worn by Paul Pogba.
The 19-year-old enjoyed a breakthrough year with I Bianconeri last year, making his debut against Udinese in August before going on to make 27 league appearances.
He netted his first goal on his first start for the club, striking in a 2-1 win over Frosinone, notching his second two games later against the same opponents in the Coppa Italia.
Yildiz also helped his nation reach the quarter-finals of the European Championships for the first time since 2008, featuring in all of their games in Germany.
Turkiye became the first country since Hungary at Euro 1964 to have two players under the age of 20 in the starting line-up in a major tournament knockout match, with Yildiz lining up alongside Real Madrid's Arda Guler in their 2-1 win over Austria.
Juventus kickstart their league season next week against Como, with new head coach Thiago Motta hopeful of making a winning start at the Allianz Stadium.
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