Luke Littler lost in a dramatic showdown to Michael Van Gerwen in the BetMGM Premier League.
The 17-year-old suffered a 6-5 defeat in the final of the second night in Berlin on Thursday.
“It’s good. I hope we can keep it that way as well,” Littler told Sky Sports.
“In this format, in the Premier League, you have to be good week after week. It’s non-stop and I think that was good for me.
“I was always putting energy into my game and that helps me in the long run.
“It is only week two. Everyone was saying ‘last week you lost in the first round’. Don’t worry, it’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon.”
Littler moved 2-0 ahead before Van Gerwen hit back to move 3-2 legs in front but the pair could not be separated with the current PDC World Youth Champion close to a 145 checkout before levelling at 4-4.
They went into the final leg locked at 5-5 and both hit 180s but Van Gerwen missed the bull for victory before Littler failed to convert two darts at double 10 to allow his rival to hit double four to win.
Littler had beaten Luke Humphries and Rob Cross on the way to the final with Van Gerwen dispatching Michael Smith and Nathan Aspinall.
Gareth Southgate insists he is keeping an open mind about staying with England beyond Euro 2024 this summer.
The 53-year-old is under contract until December and accepts it is possible he may not even be in charge by the time England play Nations League matches against the Republic of Ireland, Greece and Finland in the autumn.
However, he insists his decision is not yet made either way and remains open to the possibility of staying on and working with England’s exciting crop of players, led by Real Madrid superstar Jude Bellingham.
“There’s a fair chance half the coaches won’t be here after the Euros. That’s international football,” he said at the draw in Paris.
“You’ve got to see how the summer goes. It’s as simple as that. In my view, I know what we’re capable of achieving in the summer, I know what my own benchmark of success would be, after that I’m not really thinking about anything else.
“Without a doubt it’s exciting to take the team, it’s always been exciting to take the team, whatever the strengths of the squad. In the end, we’ve got to deliver a performance and you’ve got to make the best decisions for everybody. I won’t be in a position to make that decision before the tournament.”
While Bellingham’s place in the squad appears certain barring injury, others seem to have a much bigger fight on their hands.
Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford has hit the headlines recently after an unsanctioned trip to Belfast and Southgate insists all his players are being monitored on and off the field.
“We’re five weeks away from picking a squad, although so much happens to players over the period between November and March that we’re always sitting and observing everything on and off the pitch.”
The last competitive encounter between England and the Republic was a Euro 92 qualifier at Wembley, where a Niall Quinn goal cancelled out Lee Dixon’s opener.
A friendly match in 1995 at Lansdowne Road had to be abandoned due to crowd trouble and the teams’ most recent meeting was a November 2020 friendly.
England midfielder Declan Rice played three senior matches for the Republic before switching allegiance to England, while Manchester City star Jack Grealish also played for the Republic at under-age level.
Southgate said: “I have to say that I don’t know where we would have been without them. If we hadn’t had Declan over the past four years then I don’t know what we would have done.”
Football Association of Ireland director of football Marc Canham said of the draw: “It’s tough, but exciting, some amazing games and obviously we’re playing England for the first time in a while.
“It’s a great opportunity for our players and team and our amazing fans, an experience they can really look forward to.”
Wales will be up against Iceland, Montenegro and Turkey in Group B4.
Wales boss Rob Page said: “We know what Turkey are about (having played them in the Euro qualifiers last year). There are no easy games in international football but, with regards to the opposition, if we could have handpicked them we probably would have picked them.
“That’s no disrespect to them, but we want to give ourselves the best opportunity.”
Steve Clarke’s Scotland are up against Croatia, Portugal and Poland in Group A1.
Michael O’Neill’s Northern Ireland were drawn in Group C3, where they will take on Luxembourg, Bulgaria and Belarus.
O’Neill said: “I think they will be good games for the young squad that we have at the minute. It will be a test for them as part of their development as international players.”
The league phase will be played between September and October before League A quarter-finals and promotion/relegation play-offs take place in March 2025.
Single-leg semis and a final will be played in June 2025.
Adam Idah detailed his confidence from 12 yards after brushing off the pressure to net a stoppage-time winner on his first Celtic start.
The on-loan Norwich forward enjoyed a dream full debut as he scored penalties near the start and end of a 2-1 victory over Hibernian.
Celtic looked set to drop points for the second game running until Kyogo Furuhashi earned a penalty following Joe Newell’s late tackle, and Idah sent former Hoops goalkeeper David Marshall the wrong way for the second time in the game after switching sides.
The Republic of Ireland international, who has a 100 per cent record from the spot for club and country, said: “I have taken penalties my whole career and didn’t think much of it. I was confident enough I was going to score.
“That’s the mindset you have to have when you take penalties and thankfully it hit the back of the net.
“It was a bit crazy. It was an amazing feeling. To get the goal and the three points was fantastic and to do it in front of the away fans was unbelievable. To see their reaction and to get a last-minute goal was fantastic. I’m delighted with it.
“The main thing was to get the three points and it was a tough game but overall I’m proud of the lads.”
The 2-1 victory restored Celtic’s three-point lead over Rangers in the cinch Premiership and Idah’s penalty could prove crucial given the Light Blues have a game in hand.
Idah, who now has 10 goals for the season for Norwich, Ireland and Celtic, said: “It was a big game, a big three points and hopefully we can push on now and get more wins.
“One of my aims when I joined the club was to score goals. It’s the most goals I have scored in a season and it drives me and motivates me to push on and get more goals and get wins and hopefully help the team.”
Jamie George has urged his England team to put their passion on full display when one of rugby’s great rivalries is renewed at Twickenham on Saturday.
Wales are the opponents in round two of the Guinness Six Nations and new captain George is determined to match their zeal for the jersey when he leads the team out on home soil for the first time.
England are hoping to improve engagement with their supporters through changes to the matchday experience at Twickenham, such as increasing the length of the players’ walk through the crowds from their bus to the changing room.
On their last appearance at the ground in August they were booed off by their own fans having lost to Fiji for the first time in their history in a deflating Rugby World Cup send-off.
George is keen for England to find their own inspiration rather than looking to emulate Celtic fury, but he knows that results will ultimately shape the relationship between team and supporters.
“We don’t want to replicate anything, we want to do things our way. We can build emotion and motivation through different ways,” the Saracens hooker said.
“Something we have talked about a lot as a group is passion and not being afraid to show passion. I’ve certainly been encouraging of that this week.
“If people want to use that passion and emotion, as long as we are controlled and clear about what we are doing rugby-wise, I don’t see why we shouldn’t do that.
“We don’t want to replicate anyone else’s emotion – we are never going to try to do things another team’s way. We want to be authentic.”
England have lost 50 per cent of their Six Nations matches at Twickenham over the last three years as part of a significant period of underachievement in the tournament pre-dating Steve Borthwick’s arrival as head coach.
“First and foremost, we’ve identified that our win rate there hasn’t been good enough. The most intimidating atmospheres come off the back of the most intimidating teams,” George said.
“If we want to be the the type of team we want to be and create an intimidating environment to play in at Twickenham then we have to be the sort of team that we want to be.
“I think there’s going to be a great buy-in and a great atmosphere at Twickenham. Now the responsibility is on us as players to go and back that up.”
Borthwick has named an unchanged matchday 23 to the one announced for the 27-24 victory over Italy after prop Ellis Genge recovered from a foot injury to take his place on the bench.
Wing Immanuel Feyi-Waboso made his Test debut in Rome on Saturday and he continues as a replacement against the nation of his birth.
The 21-year-old wing sensation has pledged allegiance to England despite being born and raised in Cardiff, prompting Wales boss Warren Gatland to remark that his decision had not gone down well across the border.
“Manny came on and did really well against Italy. He has been an incredibly calm, composed and mature character,” Borthwick said.
“He’s trained very well and in the little time I’ve known him he doesn’t seem to get fazed. I only have good things to say about him.”
The New York Knicks have made another big move in an attempt to ascend in the Eastern Conference, acquiring scorers Bogdan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks from the Detroit Pistons in one of the headline deals commenced prior to Thursday's NBA trade deadline.
New York will send guards Quentin Grimes, Evan Fournier, Malachi Flynn and Ryan Arcidiacono along with two second-round draft picks to Detroit in exchange for two players who are both shooting over 40 per cent from 3-point range this season.
Bogdanovic is averaging 20.2 points per game after establishing a career best in that category last season, when the Croatian averaged a team-leading 21.6 points in 59 games.
Burks, who previously spent two seasons with the Knicks from 2020-22, has shot better than 40 per cent on 3-point attempts in four straight seasons and is averaging 12.6 points in 43 games in 2023-24.
New York is presently tied with the Milwaukee Bucks for third in the East and is 16-3 since Jan. 1, two days after it secured defensive standout OG Anunoby in a blockbuster five-player trade with the Toronto Raptors.
The team right behind the Knicks and Bucks in the East race added a sharpshooter of its own on Thursday, as the Philadelphia 76ers landed guard Buddy Hield from the Indiana Pacers for forward Marcus Morris, guard Furkan Korkmaz and three second-round picks.
Hield, a career 40.1 per cent 3-pointer shooter who is averaging 12 points in 52 games this season, will be asked to help stabilise a reeling 76ers team that has lost seven of its last eight games and will be without Joel Embiid for at least four more weeks after the reigning NBA MVP recently underwent surgery on his left knee.
Indiana, which sits two games back of Philadelphia in sixth place, later traded Morris to the San Antonio Spurs for outside shooting specialist Doug McDermott.
Milwaukee's lone deadline move came via a trade with the 76ers for veteran defensive stopper Patrick Beverley, in which the Bucks sent fellow point guard Cameron Payne to Philadelphia.
The most active team in the Western Conference was the Dallas Mavericks, who swung two deals to bolster their frontcourt by obtaining center Daniel Gafford from the Washington Wizards and forward P.J. Washington from the Charlotte Hornets.
Gafford, whose 2.16 blocks per game ranks seventh among qualified NBA players, heads to Dallas for forward RIchaun Holmes and a 2024 first-round pick the Mavs acquired from the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Mavericks also sent a 2027 first-round selection, along with forward Grant Williams and guard Seth Curry, to rebuilding Charlotte for Washington, who's averaged 14.9 points and five rebounds per game over the past two seasons and is under contract for two more years.
Dallas currently sits in eighth in the West but is just two games behind the fifth-place Phoenix Suns, who traded four role players in a three-team deal with Brooklyn and Memphis to add perimeter-shooting forward Royce O'Neale from the Nets and second-year forward David Roddy from the Grizzlies.
Three teams - the Oklahoma City Thunder, Minnesota Timberwolves and defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets - entered deadline day tied atop the West. The Thunder were the only one of that group to make a significant move on Thursday, as they acquired former All-Star Gordon Hayward from the Hornets for guards Tre Mann and Vasilije Micic, forward Davis Bertans and a pair of second-round picks.
The 33-year-old Hayward is averaging 14.5 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.6 assists in 25 games this season but has been sidelined since late December by a calf strain.
One player who did stay put with the Hornets is Miles Bridges, the team's second-leading scorer at 21.9 points per game and an unrestricted free agent next season. Bridges had the right to veto any trade as part of the one-year contract he signed during the offseason to stay in Charlotte.
British duo Tom Daley and Noah Williams secured spots at the Paris Olympics with silver in the men’s 10-metre synchro at the World Aquatics Championships in Doha.
They earned 84.48 points in their first international competition as a pair and sealed a quota spot for this year’s Olympic Games in the process.
China’s Lian Junjie and Yang Hao took gold in the event, while Oleksii Sereda and Kirill Boliukh of Ukraine finished third.
Daley and Williams’ silver medal also set a new British diving record, becoming Britain’s seventh of the championships, beating a previous best of six earned in Budapest in 2022 and Daley insisted that the “real work” starts now in the build-up to Paris.
“I was terrified when I woke up this morning, terrified eating breakfast, and at lunch!” Daley said.
“But once I got into the competition, and being with Noah, I kind of relaxed and was like, ‘ah, this is what it feels like’.
“We knew that we had to try to qualify for a spot at the Olympics, which we succeeded in – but I think we went into it more fighting for the medals rather than thinking about the spots.
“Today was what it all came down to, whether I was going to be able to be fit enough to dive with Noah in the first place, and then be able to actually come in the top qualifying spots.
“That’s mission accomplished so far, and now it’s about staying fit and healthy to get to the start line (in Paris), so now the real work starts.”
For Williams, it was a second silver World Championship men’s 10m synchro medal having earned his first in 2022 at Budapest and he hopes to push for gold alongside Daley.
He said: “We came into today’s competition just trying to get an Olympic spot, and we did that and got a medal as well, so we’re very happy with the performance.
“We obviously haven’t trained too much together, but I think it has come pretty naturally to both of us.
“Tom said about seeing if he’s fit enough to dive with me, it’s definitely the other way around! I just try to do my best next to him, he’s obviously a great diver, so the better I dive, we’ll hopefully be able to be pushing for gold.”
Gareth Southgate admitted all England’s focus was on this summer’s European Championship as the Nations League draw pitted his team against the Republic of Ireland.
The two sides will meet competitively for the first time since March 1991 and are also up against Euro 2004 winners Greece plus Finland in Group B2.
The Nations League ties will be played in the autumn when Southgate could, depending on how the summer tournament in Germany goes, be out of the job, and he admitted it was difficult to see past the Euros at the moment.
“Our entire focus is on (the Euros),” he told Sky Sports.
“I know we’re here for a draw for a different competition but all we’re thinking about is our preparation for Germany and we’re really looking forward to the competition.
“We finished runners-up last time. We’ve been ranked in the top five in the world for four or five years so we know we have a good team.
“But we know in tournaments that on one day there are lots of good teams in Europe who can win matches against each other. There are also some other strong squads.”
The last competitive encounter between England and the Republic was a Euro 92 qualifier at Wembley, where a Niall Quinn goal cancelled out Lee Dixon’s opener.
A friendly match in 1995 at Lansdowne Road had to be abandoned due to crowd trouble and the teams’ most recent meeting was a November 2020 friendly.
Football Association of Ireland director of football Marc Canham said: “It’s tough, but exciting, some amazing games and obviously we’re playing England for the first time in a while.
“It’s a great opportunity for our players and team and our amazing fans, an experience they can really look forward to.”
Wales will be up against Iceland, Montenegro and Turkey in Group B4.
Wales boss Rob Page said: “We know what Turkey are about (having played them in the Euro qualifiers last year) – there are no easy games in international football but with regards to the opposition, if we could have handpicked them we probably would have picked them.
“That’s no disrespect to them, but we want to give ourselves the best opportunity.”
Steve Clarke’s Scotland are up against Croatia, Portugal and Poland in Group A1.
Michael O’Neill’s Northern Ireland were drawn in Group C3, where they will take on Luxembourg, Bulgaria and Belarus.
O’Neill said: “I think they will be good games for the young squad that we have at the minute. It will be a test for them as part of their development as international players.”
The league phase will be played between September and October before League A quarter-finals and promotion/relegation play-offs take place in March 2025.
Single-leg semis and a final will be played in June 2025.
Head coach Andy Reid says he can understand the Kansas City Chiefs being viewed as the underdog for this weekend’s Super Bowl but stressed he never approaches a game feeling like one.
Sunday’s NFL championship match in Las Vegas sees defending champions the Chiefs take on the San Francisco 49ers.
Reid’s side – who he has guided to three of the last four Super Bowls, triumphing against the 49ers in 2020 and the Philadelphia Eagles last year – suffered four defeats in six towards the end of the regular season before finding form in the play-offs.
And the 65-year-old told a press conference: “I understand why we’re the underdog, I get that – we had some ups and downs during the season.
“I never feel like an underdog going into a game. I understand why it’s been situated that way. It is what it is.”
Reid, whose experienced stars include quarter back Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce, said his message to players tasting the showpiece for the first time to help calm nerves they might have was: “When you get through all of this, this stuff here, it’s a game.”
He added: “It’s faster than most games. It’s crazy how in the play-offs every game is a little faster the higher you go up. So it’s fast. But it’s still a game. You’re professionals, so you go play and do your job.”
Reid was asked about the likelihood of him considering retirement if the Chiefs complete back-to-back successes this weekend.
And he said: “I haven’t gone there, I don’t think about that. I’m tied up in the game and trying to take care of that. I’m sure somewhere I’ll know when that time is. It’s not today or Sunday.”
Kelce described Super Bowl week as having been “chaos and a lot of fun” with “a lot of energy at practices”.
He said: “I’m not even going to lie, things got a little chippy – I’m not going to say between who, but the offensive and defensive lines are trying to get their work in, trying to make sure everybody’s ready for the game.
“It just got me fired up yesterday, seeing everybody locked in and wanting to get their work in, making sure that everybody’s ready for the task in hand on Sunday. I just love the focus and the energy of the team right now.”
There has been considerable attention in the build-up to the contest on the fact Kelce is in a relationship with pop star Taylor Swift.
Asked if the buzz over his personal life was a distraction for him, Kelce said: “I love this game and I love coming into work.
“I think everybody has things in their lives that can take away from their focus in their work life, and you’ve just got to be able to compartmentalise that.
“It might be on a national media scale so it seems like it’s a lot harder, but in the reality of things, when I step on that field I’m focused on championship football and being a Kansas City Chief.”
Kelce was also asked why he thought there was such fascination with him and Swift, and said: “I think the values we stand for, and just who we are as people.
“We love to shine light on others, shine light around the people who help and support us, and on top of that I feel like we both have just a love for life.”
Jamaica has been named as the hosts of the 2024 Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association (CAZOVA) U19 Boys and Girls Championships. The highly anticipated tournament is scheduled to take place from July 24 to August 5, 2024, and will unfold at the prestigious G.C. Foster College of Physical Education and Sport in Spanish Town, St Catherine.
The confirmation of Jamaica as the host country and the specified dates came through a letter from CAZOVA President Mushtaque Mohammed, as revealed by the Jamaica Volleyball Association (JaVA) in a press release on Thursday.
This marks a significant milestone for Jamaica as it marks the first international volleyball event to be hosted since the onset of the global pandemic.
Jamaica has a rich history of hosting successful volleyball events, having previously organized the CAZOVA U18 Girls and U19 Boys Championships in 2019 at the G.C. Foster College. The Senior Women’s CAZOVA Championship took place in 2017 at the National Indoor Sports Centre, while the CAZOVA U19 Boys Championship in 2015, held at G.C. Foster, saw Jamaica emerging as champions, securing the nation's first-ever international volleyball title at any level.
The Caribbean island has also been a host for high-profile beach volleyball events, including the Beach Volleyball Olympic Qualification in 2015 and 2016, as well as the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tournaments in 2017, 2018, and 2019.
With the hosting rights secured, Jamaica has wasted no time in preparing its teams for the upcoming championships. Over the weekend, more than 100 student-athletes participated in tryouts at the G.C. Foster College of Physical Education and Sport. The participants included athletes currently engaged in the ISSA National U19 Volleyball Championships, showcasing the depth of talent and dedication within the Jamaican volleyball community.
Yorkshire have confirmed the controversial return of Colin Graves to the board of the club.
The 76-year-old has been appointed as a non-executive director ahead of his election as chair at Friday’s board meeting.
Graves will succeed interim chair, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, who will remain on the board as a non-executive director, and the previous chair Harry Chathli.
Yorkshire’s members accepted a loan offer to the debt-ridden club from Graves, who previously served as chairman and helped to save them from financial ruin in 2002.
His comeback is hugely contentious, however, given the racism scandal which has engulfed the club since 2020 took place partially on his watch.
Graves, who has previously apologised for the mistakes of the past, vowed that “lessons have been learned”.
He said: “It is an honour and privilege to be appointed and be back at Yorkshire CCC.
“I will work tirelessly with the board to resolve the financial position in which the club currently finds itself, and to restore financial stability and sustainability to Yorkshire cricket for generations to come.
“Equally, it is my personal pledge to members and to the entire Yorkshire public that, regardless of background, community or ethnicity, all will be welcome in the fully inclusive culture and environment of The Yorkshire County Cricket Club. There will never be any exceptions.
“I have unreservedly apologised for any, and all mistakes either I or the club has made over the painful and difficult years of the recent past.
“Lessons have been learned and will continue to be acted on as we move forward and focus on the future of our great club. Yorkshire CCC will become a sporting institution of which everyone can be proud.”
The racism scandal began when bowler Azeem Rafiq spoke out about the discrimination he faced during his time as a player.
England and the Republic of Ireland will meet competitively for the first time since 1991 in the next edition of the Nations League.
The English and the Republic are also up against Euro 2004 winners Greece and Finland in Group B2. They avoided a long trip to Kazakhstan under UEFA’s excessive travel restriction rules, with the former Soviet republic placed in Group B3 instead.
The last competitive encounter between England and the Republic was a Euro 92 qualifier at Wembley, where a Niall Quinn goal cancelled out Lee Dixon’s opener. A friendly match in 1995 at Lansdowne Road had to be abandoned due to crowd trouble, and the teams’ most recent meeting was a November 2020 friendly.
Wales will be up against Iceland, Montenegro and Turkey in Group B4.
Steve Clarke’s Scotland are up against Croatia, Portugal and Poland in Group A1.
Michael O’Neill’s Northern Ireland were drawn in Group C3, where they will take on Luxembourg, Bulgaria and Belarus.
The league phase will be played between September and October before League A quarter-finals and promotion/relegation play-offs take place in March 2025.
Single-leg semis and a final will be played in June 2025.
The ICC U19 Men's Cricket World Cup 2024 final will see Australia facing off against India after the former edged Pakistan in a thrilling contest in Benoni on Thursday.
If India's narrow win over South Africa in the first semi-final was not enough, Benoni bore witness to another nail-biter as Australia beat Pakistan by one wicket to join India in the tournament final.
Reduced to nine wickets with 16 runs still required in a run-chase of 180, Pakistan had one foot in the final. However, Australia's last-wicket pair held their nerve, defying the odds to clinch the match with just five balls remaining, leaving the spectators on the edge of their seats.
The win means that we will have a repeat of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 final with U19 World Cup defending champions India going head to head against Australia.
Australia beat Pakistan by one wicket in Benoni
Pakistan 179 (48.5 overs) beat Australia 181/9 (49.1 overs)
Australia's captain, Hugh Weibgen, won the toss and opted to put Pakistan in to bat in the crucial semi-final match of the 2024 edition of the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup, unleashing his pace bowlers on a fresh wicket.
Pakistan's openers, Shamyl Hussain and Shahzaib Khan, started cautiously against the new ball from Mahli Beardman and Callum Vidler. However, the introduction of Tom Straker as the first change bowler brought immediate success for Australia.
In just his second over, Straker claimed the important wicket of Shamyl Hussain, who attempted an ambitious pull shot only to top-edge it to Oliver Peake, taking a fine catch at mid-on. Shortly after, Shahzaib's watchful innings came to an end as he miscued a drive off Vidler to Hugh Weibgen at backward point, who held onto a splendid low catch.
With both openers dismissed within the Powerplay, Australia gained a strong foothold in the semi-final. Saad Baig and Azan Awais looked to rebuild for Pakistan and the former was saved by a dropped chance from Harry Dixon at first slip off Straker.
Baig’s luck didn't last long, though, as Straker had the last laugh in the next over. The seamer found the left-hander’s edge again and this time Dixon hung on to the catch at slip to reduce Pakistan to 43 for three.
After 16 overs dominated by pace, Weibgen introduced spin into the attack. Raf MacMillan responded to his captain's call by dismissing Ahmad Hassan with a well-pitched delivery that trapped him in front of the stumps.
MacMillan came close to claiming another wicket when Haroon Arshad narrowly survived a stumping chance. However, Beardman's return to the attack proved fruitful as he dismissed Arshad with a delivery that skidded off the pitch and disturbed the off-stump.
Arafat Minhas joined Azan Awais, and together they revived Pakistan's innings with a steady partnership. Awais reached his half-century off 83 balls, as the pair steadily increased the scoring rate between overs 31 to 40.
However, Straker ended their partnership by dismissing Awais for 52, caught behind by the wicketkeeper. With Awais departing, Pakistan found themselves in a precarious position at 133 for six, requiring a significant contribution from the lower order.
Minhas carried on unflustered, thumping Vidler off the back foot with a strong pull and bringing out the square cut against the spinner. He reached his half-century off 60 balls, cutting Tom Campbell in front of square for a boundary, but fell next ball when he attempted a loft over cover and sliced it to the deep fielder.
The tailenders couldn’t add too much to the total as Straker ran through them, cleaning up the last two off successive deliveries, to finish with six wickets, as many as he had managed in the entire tournament until today.
Pakistan finished on 179, needing their bowlers to step up big-time to put them in the finals of the tournament.
While Harry Dixon and Sam Konstas got Australia off to a slow, steady start, Pakistan made a roaring comeback after the Powerplay overs.
Fifteen-year-old Ali Raza cleaned up Konstas with a delivery that nipped back in sharply to hit the stumps. Weibgen smashed a full toss straight to short cover off Naveed Khan to depart for four and a massive mix-up between Harjas Singh and Dixon saw the end of the former.
With three wickets falling quickly, Baig turned to strike bowler Ubaid Shah and the move worked. The dangerous Ryan Hicks was bowled off an inside edge for a golden duck as Australia slipped to a tense 59 for four.
Dixon was joined by the left-handed Ollie Peake, who has had to bat only two times in the competition before this. The two left-handers went about rebuilding the innings as Pakistan looked to attack further.
Dixon completed his half-century in the 24th over as Peake settled in at the other end. Minhas’ entry into the attack saw the back of Dixon. The left-arm spinner had the well-set Dixon cleaned up for 50 with a delivery that turned massively back into the batter.
Runs dried up as Minhas and Naveed Khan kept things pretty tight. Raza returned to the attack after Naveed was bowled out and almost instantly found a wicket. Tom Campbell’s edge was found but the ball raced over the keeper for a boundary, the first for Australia in nine overs.
Minhas, meanwhile, continued to bowl unchanged from his end and in his eighth over, the left-arm spinner struck again. Campbell was undone by an arm ball that skidded on with the angle and hit the stumps.
With another threatening stand broken, Pakistan were back into the contest. Australia were still 34 runs away with four wickets left in the bank. Raza found MacMillan’s edge the very next over with the slip fielder diving to take a catch close to the ground. But confirmation for a clean catch wasn't needed as the ball was over waist height and hence a no-ball.
Peake continued to build, unflustered by the chaos around him, but while on 49, he nicked a harmless Raza delivery, going down the leg-side, through to the wicketkeeper to leave Australia in a tricky position. They were still 25 runs away and Pakistan sensed a way back to win the contest.
Raza added two more in his final over to put Pakistan on the brink of a sensational win, sending back Staker and Beardman to reduce Australia to nine down.
MacMillan continued to fight though and got a lucky top edge over the keeper's head for four in the 48th over with Australia needing less than 10 runs.
Ubaid Shah almost trapped the lower-order batsman in front in the following over, but the umpire dismissed the appeal, judging the ball to be sliding down the leg-side. Vidler then played out the remaining deliveries, reducing the equation to just three runs needed off the last over.
In a nerve-wracking climax, on the first ball of the final over, MacMillan, who looked to punch off his back foot, got an inside edge and the ball raced through fine leg, securing Australia's thrilling victory.
Australia now have the opportunity to replicate the success of their senior team from three months ago when they face India in the final on Sunday, 11 February.
Australia skipper Hugh Weibgen stated that he had full confidence in Vidler and MacMillan to successfully finish the run-chase.
“Never in doubt [win]. We had full faith in Vids [Vidler] and Raf [MacMillan] to get the job done. There was quite a bit of emotion in the dressing room. I was quite tense and excited too. I still don’t know what really happened, but it was awesome.”
Pakistan skipper Saad Baig commended Ali Raza for his splendid spell, but remained composed despite the heartbreaking loss.
“It is difficult to be the losing team, but I felt we were 20-30 runs short. The boys played really well. Ali Raza was brilliant. Our bowling was pretty good throughout the tournament. Anyway, one team has to win, one has to lose, that’s the game.”
Dunskay booked his ticket to Aintree in the spring when capping off a fine afternoon for Ben Pauling at Huntingdon in the manner of a smart operator.
Pauling had earlier won the feature M1 Agency Sidney Banks Memorial Novices’ Hurdle with Handstands and was doing somersaults after seeing Dunskay bounce back to his very best in the concluding PHP Architects Open National Hunt Flat Race.
A taking winner at Exeter on debut, he was disappointing in Listed action at Ascot prior to Christmas, but carried a penalty to a comfortable success at odds of 4-1 in the hands of Harry Cobden to tee-up another step up in class at the Grand National meeting in April.
“It’s been a good day and this is a lovely horse,” said Pauling.
“He trach washed dirty after Ascot and I was fairly easy on him between there and now, so I thought he might need today. He’s done it nicely, so I’m really pleased.
“He’s a very nice, straightforward, big, gorgeous horse – a big, powerful horse. He’s going to be one for the future again, but he’s a lovely horse and I was delighted with that. Winning under a penalty is never easy, so I’m pleased.
“He will go to Aintree for the Grade Two next. We have some nice novices and bumper horses and it’s going the right way – we’re building a nice team of young horses, which is what it is about.”
Gavin Sheehan’s fine season continued with a double at the Cambridgeshire track.
He got the day off to a brilliant start aboard Christian Williams’ Fortunefavorsdbold (16-1) in the Newlands Developments Mares’ Novices’ Handicap Chase, before following up on Katy Price’s 6-4 favourite King Of Brazil in the Winvic Construction Handicap Chase.
Another jockey hitting the headlines was 10lb conditional Lewis Saunders, who made the early mornings on the gallops at Olly Murphy’s Warren Chase base worthwhile when earning the praise of his boss after putting his claim to good use aboard Barricane.
It was just the second winner of the 20-year-old’s career and, having won aboard the nine-year-old at Uttoxeter in December, he showed his talent in the saddle to drive the 4-1 shot home to a three-length victory in the Urban Logistics Reit Handicap Hurdle.
“He’s a good little rider who came to me from Oliver Sherwood,” said Murphy.
“A lot of things went through my mind there. I was giving him a telling off for being left at the start, he was then getting a telling off for not pulling him up and then I thought, you know what, you have done the right thing and this is going to be the ride of the season.
“Well done to the young lad. He’s ridden his first two winners on Barricane and is good value for his claim and works hard.
“I’ll give young lads chances if they work hard and muck in. I make them work hard and they ride early lots – all my conditionals are in at 6.30am riding an early one – but I do it for the right reasons.
“You have to work hard for what you get in life – and if they work hard and have ability to go with it, I will look after them.”
Harry Derham’s gamble to run Nordic Tiger (11-10 favourite) quickly after his wide-margin win at Wincanton last week paid dividends when the game five-year-old held on by a neck in the Mulberry Developments Novices’ Handicap Hurdle.
“I was so nervous about running him because it was only seven days after his last race and it is not normally my style at all,” explained Derham.
“But he’s about to go up 10lb, which is a fair old hike, so we said we would try our luck and Alice (Stevens, jockey) takes off 5lb, which is very helpful – and he’s just a lovely, genuine horse.
“When it was raining all morning driving up here, I thought it was his chance gone, but he really knuckled down well.
“He’s going to be 10lb higher now and life will get tough, but when you have an attitude like him and you jump and try like him, then he will always have a decent chance and he is a horse who will probably win a few more races next season.”
Meanwhile, you may have seen Hermes Le Gris (2-1 favourite) on your television in adverts in the past, but he put his name in lights when gaining compensation for a fall when leading at Southwell last week by claiming the Oxenwood Real Estate Handicap Hurdle for Robbie Llewellyn.
“He’s been in a Coral advert, so he’s had a few spins round Newbury,” said the trainer.
“After last week, where we thought he would have won and it was disappointing for him to fall, to come back six days later and produce a performance like that shows he obviously has a bit more left in the tank.
“You never quite know when you run them that quick if they will bounce, but I’m delighted.”
Hearts have handed Craig Gordon a one-year contract extension that will take him beyond his 42nd birthday.
The goalkeeper recently returned from a double leg break that deprived him of action for 12 months.
The 41-year-old Scotland international helped Hearts to a Scottish Cup win over Spartans last month and his comeback has been rewarded with a deal that ties him to Tynecastle until the summer of 2025.
Although Zander Clark has remained Hearts’ first-choice keeper through a run of nine unbeaten cinch Premiership games, the club were keen to tie Gordon up for another season.
Head coach Steven Naismith told the club’s website: “Firstly, and most importantly, he’s a fantastic goalkeeper. I see him in training every day and he continues to put in unbelievable performances. To see him come back into the team against Spartans was a special moment.
“Secondly, he’s a leader. He’s an influential figure in the dressing room, someone who has played at the top level both domestically and internationally.
“Younger players look up to him, so to know that he will be at the club for another 18 months to not only compete for the number one jersey but pass on his knowledge to others is a massive thing for this club.
“He’s the type of character this club needs in order to keep progressing because he knows exactly what it takes to be successful.”
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