Alflaila made a triumphant return to action with an impressive display in the Sky Bet York Stakes.
The Owen Burrows-trained four-year-old won a Listed race at Pontefract and successive Group Threes to round off last season, including a verdict at York in the Strensall Stakes.
A subsequent injury suffered when being readied to run in Bahrain delayed his reappearance, but he proved his talent remains very much intact with a smart performance on the Knavesmire.
A small but select field of five went to post for the Group Two contest, with My Prospero the even-money favourite to make the most of a slight ease in class after finishing fourth in the Lockinge at Newbury and the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot on his first two starts of the season.
But after responding to Tom Marquand’s urgings to grab the lead late on, he was unable to resist the challenge of Alflaila, who had been biding his time in behind under Andrea Atzeni and swept by in the closing stages to prevail by half a length.
Royal Champion was only a length further behind in third, with Checkandchallenge fourth and Mashhoor last of five after cutting out the early running.
Baradar bagged the big-race success he has long promised with victory in the Moet & Chandon International Stakes at Ascot.
The five-year-old was third in a Group One at Doncaster for Roger Varian three years ago, since when he has had a spell in Ireland with Johnny Murtagh before joining George Boughey last term.
He made a successful debut for his new trainer at Doncaster in November, was third in the Lincoln on his reappearance and had since contested the Victoria Cup and the Buckingham Palace Stakes over Ascot’s straight seven furlongs.
Fitted with cheek pieces for the first time on his return to Berkshire, the Amo Racing-owned Baradar was a 16-1 shot in the hands of Kevin Stott and having raced prominently throughout, he saw off the challengers one by one, passing the post half a length ahead the runner-up Hickory.
Boughey said: “He’s a warrior. He’s never worn the cheekpieces and I said to Kia (Joorabchian of Amo Racing) that he’s not quite giving us everything.
“The ability is there – he was third in the Vertem Futurity a couple of years ago and he had Group One two-year-old form – so we just keep battling away.
“Fast ground was just too fast for him last time and he’s probably just a top-end handicapper, nothing more than that.
“It was a good performance, great ride from Kevin and it looked a long way home because he is usually ridden with a bit more restraint, but I just said to Kevin just kick on and see how we get on, and it worked.
“There is no real plan for him, he could come back for the Balmoral at the end of the year and we will run him sparingly. He doesn’t take much training and I may even leave him until then. We might look at another big pot along the way, but we’ll see how he takes it.
“It can’t be soft enough for him so we can probably upgrade that performance.”
Indian Run (15-2) confirmed debut promise with victory in the Greatwood Charity 25th Anniversary British EBF Crocker Bulteel Maiden Stakes.
Eve Johnson Houghton’s colt placed third on his Newbury introduction and raised his game to open his account on King George day, powering to a one-and-a-half-length success under Danny Tudhope.
Johnson Houghton, who also won the race 12 months ago with Buccabay, said of her latest victor: “He’s a lovely horse. I love this race, because they can’t be too exposed – maidens that have only run one race – but it looked like a nice race and Danny said it rode like a nice race.
“The Newbury maiden looked good, too. He’s a nice horse, but as you can see, he’s still very unfurnished and he was quite colty in the paddock and was quite free going down to the start. He’s done pretty much everything wrong before the race, but everything right in the race.
“We’ve thought quite a lot of him for a while now. He is not entered in any posh races now, but he probably will be.”
Random Harvest dug deep to see off all comers and provide jockey Saffie Osborne with a first Pattern race success on home soil in the Longines Valiant Stakes at Ascot.
Ed Walker’s mare was a previous course winner and also finished second at the Berkshire track twice, most recently going close in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes at the Royal meeting last month.
She disappointed in the Falmouth at Newmarket a fortnight ago, but showed her true colours back at Ascot under a well-judged front-running ride from her young jockey.
Osborne, fresh from riding a treble on the opening night of this year’s Racing League at Yarmouth on Thursday, set the fractions throughout and steadily raised the tempo.
In Random Harvest she had a willing partner and when challenged in the straight she refused to bend, pulling out all the stops to claim the Group Three prize by a neck from Roman Mist.
Thornbrook and Ameynah were close up behind them in third and fourth respectively.
Osborne, who steered Random Harvest to a Group Three win in Italy last year, said: “She’s such a game filly and deserved this so much.
“It means so much because it’s been a long time coming – she’s been so unlucky – and I’m so grateful to Ed and (owner) Lady Bamford for keeping me on a filly like this at this point of my career.”
Walker said: “She is a legend, this filly. She really deserved that. She is just so consistent and loves it here.
“It never really happened for her in the Falmouth, she was just wheel-spinning Saffie said. She never really got her own way and she was out there on the wing. It was just a non-event, just never happened.
“I’m bang up for trying again at the highest level – she’s so tough and game. She definitely can get some Group One form, something like a Sun Chariot. Something like that would be ideal for her.
“Whether we look at North America or not, I’m not sure. I think a mile is her trip, but maybe if we went to America it would be nine or 10 (furlongs), a Breeders’ Cup, possibly.”
Of Osborne, he added: “Saffie is a big part of this horse and this horse is a big part of Saffie’s career. This is her first domestic Group winner and she won’t forget this horse in a hurry, that’s for sure. Saffie is an incredible horsewoman.”
Rogue Millennium will bid to give Tom Clover his first Group One success when she lines up in the Prix Rothschild at Deauville on Sunday.
The Newmarket handler enjoyed the biggest day of his training career when his stable star struck Duke of Cambridge Stakes gold at Royal Ascot and connections now hope to extend that winning feeling as they make the journey to France.
The four-year-old, who is owned by the Rogues Gallery syndicate, has spent most of her time racing over 10 furlongs, including when a close second to Free Wind in the Middleton Stakes at York on her penultimate start.
However, it was a drop back to a mile which proved fruitful when successful at the Royal meeting and Clover sees little reason to change things.
“When we ran her in the Middleton, she just travelled so strongly from off the pace when we tracked through Free Wind and she just looks sharper in her work now,” explained Clover.
“Even earlier in the season she was working well with some decent six- and seven-furlong horses and I just thought she is really sharpening up. She travels so well and it is hard to have a horse to take her far enough through her races she just travels that well. We won over a mile, so it makes sense to stay at a mile.”
He went on: “She has taken the Rogues and us on a terrific journey all the way through her three-year-old and four-year-old years and it’s wonderful to be lining up in a Group One again.
“Obviously it was a fantastic day at Ascot and one we will always remember, but let’s hope we can continue on the path we’ve been going on.
“She’s been very consistent this year and I hope she can maintain that consistency. She seems well and has been since Ascot and hopefully we have some luck. It would be great if she can run a big race.”
John and Thady Gosden’s Grande Dame was disappointing when sent off one of the co-favourites for the Ascot contest Rogue Millennium won, but has solid Group One form to her name having finished third in last season’s Sun Chariot.
Thady Gosden said: “She improved through the year last year and she didn’t run until Ascot this season on ground that was quicker than ideal for her.
“It’s only her second start of the year and it’s a small field of similarly-rated fillies.
“She’s Group One placed from the Sun Chariot last year and she certainly deserves to take her chance in what looks a relatively open Group One.”
Meanwhile, Ralph Beckett’s Remarquee is another to bring fine efforts at the highest level to the table.
The daughter of Kingman had only Irish 1,000 Guineas heroine Tahiyra ahead of her in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot and then faced the unenviable task of tackling an on-song Nashwa when second in the Falmouth Stakes.
That outing was Remarquee’s first appearance in the ownership of Wathnan Racing and she now gets the opportunity to add to her victory in the Fred Darling earlier in the campaign before a well-earned break.
“We are conscious it is her third run in a fairly short space of time, but we are going to give her a break next, win, lose or draw,” said Richard Brown, racing adviser for the owners.
“She has come out of Newmarket in great form. She’s still quite green and still learning her job.
“She came up against Nashwa at her best last time and that is a hard task for any filly. She ran a great race and she has never ran a bad race, so hopefully she can run another good race in France.”
Jessica Harrington’s Sounds Of Heaven was a head behind Remarquee when third at Royal Ascot and is making just her fifth career appearance, while there is a strong home challenge which includes Prix Jean Prat runner-up Sauterne.
Patrice Cottier’s filly was second to Carlos Laffron Parais’ Kelina in the Prix de Sandringham before that and they will lock horns once more, with Andre Fabre’s pair of Life In Motion and
Mqse De Sevigne are both dropping back in distance for their shot at glory on the Normandy coast.
Hedi Ghabri’s Tairann completes the field of nine.
Sacred Angel produced a dominant front-running performance to strike Group Three gold in the Bateaux London Princess Margaret Stakes at Ascot.
A field of 10 juvenile fillies went to post for the six-furlong contest, with Sacred Angel a 16-1 shot for trainer Charlie Johnston off the back of a maiden success at Newmarket a fortnight ago.
Jason Hart sent the grey daughter of Dark Angel straight to the lead and while the challengers were stacked up in behind, she kept finding more to kick a couple of lengths clear.
The well-fancied Pretty Crystal quickened smartly from the rear to emerge best of the rest, but could not get on terms with Sacred Angel, who passed the post with three lengths in hand.
The victory provides Johnston with a first Group-race winner since becoming the sole licence holder at his Middleham yard, with his father Mark also breaking his Group-race duck in the same race with Marina Park in 1992.
“It was a good way to start. She is improving dramatically – very much so,” said the trainer.
“Her first run at Pontefract, I thought she was the best horse on the day. She was quite green and got beat by two horses who’d had experience.
“If you told me then, within two starts we’d be at this level, I’d have thought, ‘I’m not so sure about that’, but she took a nice step forward at Newmarket and a step forward again.”
Sacred Angel was carrying the colours of Nurlan Bizakov for the first time, with the businessman having snapped her up after her Newmarket success from the Titanium Racing Club.
Considering future plans, Johnston added; “The owners obviously sponsor quite a high-profile race in France (Prix Morny) and on the back of that I would suspect they will want her to go there next.
“Possibly the Cheveley Park at the end of the year will be the obvious real highlight target.”
Richard Fahey was pleased with the performance of runner-up Pretty Crystal.
He said: “I thought it was a good run, but it just didn’t work out again for her. She’s been a bit unlucky. But she is quite a nice filly and she’ll definitely go for the Lowther at York.”
Max Verstappen will start on pole position for Saturday’s sprint race after beating McLaren’s Oscar Piastri to top spot by just 0.011 seconds.
Verstappen qualified fastest here on Friday for Sunday’s Grand Prix, but he will line up in sixth after serving a grid penalty for a gearbox change.
But for the 15-lap dash in the Ardennes, the Red Bull driver begins from the front after edging out the impressive Piastri in wet-dry conditions at Spa-Francorchamps.
Carlos Sainz finished third, just 0.025sec adrift of Verstappen, with Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc fourth.
Lando Norris took fifth for McLaren, while Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, who appeared to trip over one another in the closing moments, only seventh and 10th respectively for Mercedes.
“It was difficult, but we stayed calm,” said Verstappen. “The gap to second was not as big as yesterday, but there was no need to risk it all.
“My second sector was a bit careful – turns eight and nine were very slippery so I left a bit of time on the table – but I am still on pole and that is what counts.
“Let’s see if it rains in the afternoon. I will try to have a clean start and have good vision and that is very important when it is wet.”
The start of qualifying was delayed following heavy rainfall in the area, but the sun suddenly broke through allowing the action to get under way 35 minutes later than advertised.
The final running took place on an almost dry track and the times tumbled as grip improved and the clock ticked down.
Rookie Piastri, 22, looked to have done enough to take the spoils when he crossed the line fastest, only for Verstappen to steal his thunder
“There wasn’t much left in that lap,” said Piastri over the radio. “Probably 11 milliseconds.”
Verstappen is on course to gallop to his third world championship in as many years and the Dutch driver will be expected to extend his 110-point lead over team-mate Sergio Perez later on Saturday, with the Mexican only eighth on the grid.
Eight points are awarded for the winner of the 15-lap dash, with a sliding scale down to to eighth place.
The result of Saturday’s sprint, which could take place in the wet with more rain forecast, has no bearing on Sunday’s 44-lap main event.
Lance Stroll’s gamble to switch from wet rubber to slicks with a couple minutes of Q2 remaining backfired as he crashed out.
The Canadian driver lost control of his Aston Martin through the left-hand ninth corner, skidding through the gravel and into the tyre barrier.
The front of Stroll’s machine was heavily damaged in the accident and the running was suspended.
His crash meant team-mate Fernando Alonso, who turned 42 on Saturday, did not post a time, leaving him a disappointing 15th on the grid.
Saturday’s race is due to get under way at 5:05pm local time (4:05pm BST).
Jamaica's Sunshine Girls produced another strong showing to make it two-from-two at the Vitality Netball World Cup when they defeated Wales 75-40 in another lopsided affair in Cape Town, South Africa on Saturday.
While it was not the most convincing performance to follow up their record 105-25 opening win over Sri Lanka, the number four-ranked Jamaicans did enough to secure their sixth win over the ninth-ranked Wales in what was their seventh meeting.
Captain and ace shooter Jhaniele Fowler again led from the front scoring 39 goals from 41, with Romelda Aiken-George, who took over second half duties, sinking 19 goals from her 21 attempts. Goal attacks Shanice Beckford and Rebekah Robinson contributed five and 12 goals from six and 14 attempts respectively.
With the win, the Jamaicans, who are aiming to break a lengthy medal drought dating back to 2007 when the country last won one of its three World Cup bronze medals, moved up to four points and are assured of one of three spots to the next round.
Head coach Connie Francis opted for a completely different starting seven on this occasion with Shamera Sterling, Latanya Wilson and Jodi-Ann Ward in defence. Nicole Dixon-Rochester started centre court, as Khadijah Williams and Shanice Beckford occupied the wing attack and goal attack positions behind big shooter Fowler.
Jamaica forced three turnovers off Wales' centre pass and, as such, rushed into a five-goal lead before the opponents responded. Despite Wales finding an early rhythm of their own to gradually close the gap at 9-6, the Sunshine Girls accelerated late on to end the quarter with a 12-goal lead at 23-11.
The Sunshine Girls' tempo in the early exchanges of the second quarter was a stark contrast to what it was in the first, but when they eventually got going –particularly at the defensive end where Sterling and company had a number of deflections and interceptions –it brought Fowler's accuracy into play, as they went on to outscore Wales 21-12 for a 44-23 half-time lead.
However, Francis and her team were left with much to figure out, as they struggled to maintain that tempo with their usual speed and flair dropping significantly after combination changes in the second half of the encounter.
In fact, they only mustered 31 goals across the last two quarters which is fairly low by their standards, especially coming off a record high performance against Sri Lanka.
Though they scored high at 90 percent, the Sunshine Girls conceded 16 turnovers and that remains a cause for concern for Fowler, heading into a much tougher contest against the number five-ranked host South Africa at 11:00am Jamaica time, on Sunday.
“I think the entire team played well, the fact that we had changes going throughout the quarters and when everyone went in the just slot in and did their part which is really good. But yeah, we have to make sure that we limit our turnovers and also tighten up on some of our contacts,” Fowler said in a post-game interview.
Meanwhile, Sterling, who was named player of the game, said they always expected a tougher contest against Wales.
“Coming off the win against Sri Lanka and then coming to play Wales, which is a more structured and organised team, we know it was going to be more competitive and we were prepared for that. So, it was just a matter of trying to tweak and fix some of the little things that we need to do,” Sterling noted.
Six-time Paralympic champion Bethany Firth believes society needs to become more understanding of “hidden disabilities” after revealing her memory issue makes life similar to the plot of the film 50 First Dates.
Northern Irish swimmer Firth competes in the S14 classification for athletes with intellectual impairments and is unable to remember some of her many successes in the pool due to her condition.
The 27-year-old, who is preparing to defend her 100m backstroke, 200m freestyle and 200m individual medley titles at the Allianz Para Swimming World Championships in Manchester next week, overcame insecurities about her disability through involvement in sport.
Yet consistently recalling information remains an ongoing challenge for the multiple world-record holder, who likens it to the 2004 romantic comedy starring Adam Sandler in which Drew Barrymore’s character suffers short-term amnesia on a daily basis.
“Some days I can remember stuff, some days I can’t,” Firth told the PA news agency.
“It’s a bit like 50 First Dates – you don’t know what I am going to retain and what I’m not.
“My coach (Nelson Lindsay) finds it very hard because one day I can be knowing all of these drills and then he says to me the next day you’ve already done that, let’s do it again and I have no clue.
View this post on Instagram“In every day life, I struggle a bit with trust because I will see pictures of myself doing something and it is me but I can’t remember or I have no connection to that.
“There are just lots of little things that add up that people don’t notice because everyone just sees you as this normal person that can do everything.
“Everyone has their own struggles and we need to be a lot more aware that maybe that person is taking a wee bit longer to pay because they’re not understanding how much they need to give. Or maybe that person needs just a bit more time to understand what that person’s just said.
“Hidden disabilities are so common nowadays. It’s a bit like mental health – you can’t see what’s going on in someone’s life and people are very good at hiding it.
“We need to be a bit more understanding that we don’t know what’s happening in someone’s life.”
Firth burst on to the scene aged 16 by winning 100m backstroke gold for Ireland at London 2012.
She added a further five Paralympic golds and three silvers to her collection across Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 after switching allegiance to Great Britain, in addition to last year claiming the Commonwealth 200m freestyle title for Northern Ireland.
Firth, from Seaforde, County Down, has learnt to deal with the demands of having a target on her back and is focused on times rather than medals ahead of competing at Manchester Aquatics Centre and moving on to Paris 2024.
“It’s always a mixed bag when you go into a competition because you’re always the one people want to beat, so there’s always a bit of pressure there,” she said.
“I haven’t PB’d since 2016. I’ve always had an injury. Last year I broke my foot, the year before that I had shoulder injuries.
“For me, it’s not always about the medals. It’s actually about my performance and I really want to push on with my own performance and not just stay at the same sort of level.
“At Paris I want to beat all my PBs. I am hoping this week will give me a really good step towards doing that.”
Anthony Santander drilled a home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift the Baltimore Orioles to a 1-0 win over the New York Yankees on Friday night, spoiling Aaron Judge’s return.
After Gerrit Cole and rookie Grayson Rodriguez hooked up in a classic pitcher’s duel, the scoreless game was turned over to the bullpens.
Orioles closer Felix Bautista struck out two in a perfect top of the ninth before Santander sent a 2-0 offering from Tommy Kahnle into the seats in right field with one out in the bottom half for his 18th home run.
The American League-leading Orioles avoided a third straight loss and maintained a 1 ½-game lead over second-place Tampa Bay in the East.
Judge was 0 for 1 with three walks in his first game back from a toe injury. The Yankees slugger had been sidelined since June 3.
Cole limited Baltimore to three hits over seven innings without a walk and five strikeouts.
Rodriguez was just as good, allowing three singles over 6 1/3 innings with two walks and four strikeouts in the best performance of his young career.
DJ LeMahieu had two hits for last-place New York, which lost its fifth consecutive road game.
Tauchman’s catch allows Cubs’ streak to continue
Mike Tauchman robbed pinch-hitter Alec Burleson of a potential winning home run to end the game and the Chicago Cubs topped the St. Louis Cardinals, 3-2 for their seventh straight win.
With a runner on third and two outs in the bottom of the ninth, Burleson sent a deep drive to centre but Tauchman reached over the fence to take away a sure home run and prevent the Cardinals from winning.
Patrick Wisdom hit his team-leading 18th home run and Trey Mancini had a tiebreaking RBI single in the sixth inning for Chicago, which has its longest winning streak since also taking seven in a row last Sept. 25-Oct. 2.
Lars Nootbaar accounted for all of St. Louis’ offence with solo home runs in the first and third innings.
Casas provides spark for surging Red Sox
Triston Casas homered and had and RBI double to back Kutter Crawford as the Boston Red Sox won their fifth straight game, 3-2 over the San Francisco Giants.
Moved up to sixth in the order, Casas doubled home a run in the second inning and took Logan Webb deep in the fifth to give Boston a 2-0 lead.
Crawford allowed one run and three hits over 5 2/3 innings while walking one and striking out seven.
The Red Sox improved to 15-5 in July and are a season-best nine games over .500 (56-47).
Camperdown Giants, Purple Power Basketball, Hoops Factory Blues and the Caribbean Basketball Academy will contest the semi-finals of the 2023 Jamaica Basketball Showcase at UTECH on Saturday.
In an unfortunate turn of events for the defending champions, Phase 1 Academy, they entered day two thinking they had two wins in the bank but, after it was found that they used an ineligible player in both those games on Thursday, those results were overturned to wins for Purple Power Basketball and Hoop Factory Blues, respectively.
The day’s play began with the Caribbean Basketball Academy attempting to rebound from a pair of day one defeats.
Last year’s beaten finalists did just that with a comprehensive 56-41 victory over Hoop Factory Blues.
CBA enjoyed an 11-point lead at the half before an avalanche in the third quarter saw them stretch it to 24 to lead 50-26 heading into the final quarter.
Jahidi Campbell had 16 points and nine rebounds while Jaiden Brown had 15 points, nine assists and four steals for CBA. Joel Ricketts also provided support with 13 points and nine rebounds.
Nathan Ricketts led the Blues with 12 points and five assists.
The second game of the day saw Purple Power Basketball get their second win of the showcase with a 31-29 win over Blue Mahoe Basketball.
Jacqwaine Freeman led Purple Power with 18 points and five rebounds while Yahvarr Fearon had 12 points for Blue Mahoe.
Next up was a clash between Phase 1 Academy and the Camperdown Giants.
In an exciting contest, Phase 1 came out 48-45 winners for their first official victory.
Derjean Royal had 19 points, 11 rebounds, three assists and two steals for Phase 1 while Micah Swaine led the Giants with a game-high 24 points.
After the break, Hoop Factory Blues bounced back from their loss earlier to book their spot in the semis with a 36-30 win over Purple Power Basketball for their third win.
Nathan Ricketts, once again, led the Blues with 13 points and a pair of steals while Jordan James had seven points and 10 rebounds. Tyreke Tummings had nine points for Purple Power.
Camperdown Giants were next to book a spot in the last four after rebounding from their defeat to Phase 1 Academy earlier in the day with a 51-45 overtime win over Blue Mahoe Basketball.
Micah Swaine led the way for the giants with 22 points, eight rebounds and three assists. Hubert Rodney had 14 points and nine rebounds for Blue Mahoe Basketball.
The day’s final game saw the Caribbean Basketball Academy pull out a hard-fought 43-41 win over Phase 1 Academy to book their spot in the semis. Both teams entered the contest knowing a win would see them advance to the last four.
CBA played an excellent first three quarters to go into the fourth and final period with a 36-28 lead before a ferocious Phase 1 fightback meant the teams were separated by just two points in the end.
Jaiden Brown had 21 points, five rebounds and three steals while Joel Ricketts had 13 points and 13 rebounds for CBA.
Romareo Mills had 10 points and 13 rebounds for the outgoing champions.
“We took the hardest route to get here,” said CBA coach Ludlow Barker after the game.
“Last night, we were really frank with each other. We had some heart to heart conversations and we came out today and did everything we needed to do,” he added
“One good thing about this tournament is you never know who is going to win,” Phase 1 Academy coach, Onecia Smellie, said after the game.
“Every single game, the boys came out and they played hard, win, lose or draw,” she added
The semis will see Camperdown Giants facing Purple Power while Hoops Factory Blues will oppose the Caribbean Basketball Academy before the two winners square off later on Saturday in the final.
Undefeated Jamaica advanced to Sunday’s final of the 2023 CAZOVA Women’s Championship after beating Barbados in straight sets 25-16, 25-21, 25-21.
Jamaica awaits the winner of the next semi-final between host Suriname and defending champion Trinidad and Tobago to determine their opponent in the final.
Suriname women clinched their semi-final berth where they will face defending champion Trinidad and Tobago. The hosts beat Barbados 3-1 (25-17, 25-21, 24-26, 25-19) at the Anthony Nesty Sports Hall in Paramaribo.
Outside hitter Ketura Margaret led with 22 points with team captain Sandrina Hunsel adding 15 points including two blocks and four spikes. Outside hitter Shonte Seale of Barbados had a game high 17 points.
Suriname coach Sergio Valdes praised her victorious team. “We played very good today. I am happy my team stuck to the plan. Now we will face Trinidad once again. We lost against them but it will be a much better game this time around.”
Barbados defeated Bahamas 3-1 (25-23, 25-16, 23-25, 25-22) to book their spot in the men’s final of the 2023 CAZOVA Volleyball Championships in Suriname on Friday. They will face either hosts or Trinidad and Tobago.
Barbados was incredibly dominant in the semi-finals at the Anthony Nesty Sport Hall only giving up one set to The Bahamas on their way their 14th appearance in a CAZOVA final. Team captain and outside hitter Oxley led Barbados with 22 points.
Barbados coach Elwyn Oxley was full of praise for his team, stating, “All the credit are going to the players. The have fought all through this tournament. Especially those young players we have coming up doing great stuff out on the court. Let’s see who will we meet in the final on Sunday.”
Meanwhile, Jamaica ended the Men’s Championship in fifth place after defeating Martinique 3-0 (25-22, 25-18, 25-21).
Friday’s victory over Martinique was bitter-sweet for Jamaica’s coach Gatasheu Bonner.
“Yesterday (Thursday) was a disappointing match for us. We didn’t get the result we wanted but it pressed us to come back today to show energy and life, which is a great opportunity for this group,” he said.
“We try to teach our team that every game matters and tomorrow hopefully we’ll show up to be the team we want to be. This tournament will be a lesson to move forward with volleyball in Jamaica.”
Losing coach Eddy Erialc said his team’s performance was disappointing, saying, “We didn’t show up today. It is like we couldn’t make any good points in the attack. We will evaluate and do things for developing the game in our country.”
In the men’s quarter-final Thursday defending champions Suriname had beaten Jamaica’s men 3-2 (23-25, 25-20, 20-25, 28-26, 15-9) in a thriller at the Anthony Nesty Sports Hall in Paramaribo.
Jamaica dominated the opening set but Suriname fought back to win the second set in the contest between the evenly-matched teams. However, Suriname took control of the final set to book their spot in the semi-final.
Zefanio Breinburg led Suriname’s scoring with 21 points and got backing from outside hitter and team captain Keven Sporkslede with 16 points. Outside hitter David Pinas was a key player in the final set with 11 points.
For Jamaica, Owayne Lawrence had a game high 21 points and outside hitter Ryck Webb contributed with 17 points.
The Cincinnati Bengals will likely be without their franchise quarterback for the rest of training camp, and his status is in jeopardy for the team’s season opener.
Joe Burrow will be out “several weeks” with a strained right calf, Bengals coach Zac Taylor said Friday.
When asked to clarify Burrow’s timeline for a return, Taylor repeated his previous phrasing.
“It will take several weeks, and that’s all the information we have,” Taylor said.
Burrow came up limping after scrambling during a play in Thursday’s practice. He eventually went to the ground, where he was examined by training staff before riding off the field on a cart.
Burrow was wearing a compression sleeve on his right calf, but Taylor said he was unaware of any pre-existing injury or symptoms before the play.
Jake Browning and Trevor Siemian handled quarterbacking duties in Friday’s practice with Burrow out.
The first overall pick in the 2020 draft, Burrow is still in negotiations with the Bengals on a long-term contract extension that will likely make him one of the league’s highest-paid players.
After a shortened preseason in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, injury rehab in 2021 and appendicitis during last year’s training camp, Burrow had said earlier this week that he was hoping to play a full preseason schedule this year.
“Joe got more days this July than he’s ever had in the NFL,” Taylor said Friday. “So I feel really good about the progress we made during those July practices with Joe, and if he’s able to get back, we’ll be able to keep working with him.”
A 2022 Pro Bowl selection, Burrow has 11,774 passing yards, 82 touchdowns and 31 interceptions in 42 career games.
The New York Yankees activated slugger and reigning American League MVP Aaron Judge from the injured list Friday ahead of the team’s series opener against the Baltimore Orioles.
Judge, who set the AL record for home runs last season, has been sidelined since tearing a ligament in his right toe on June 3 while crashing into the outfield wall at Dodger Stadium.
Judge faced live pitching for the first time in his rehab on Sunday and progressed to a simulated game Wednesday before rejoining his teammates in New York.
The Yankees, who enter Friday in last place in the AL East at 54-48, went 19-23 during Judge’s stint on the IL. During that span New York scored 3.88 runs per game, ranking 27th in baseball.
The Yankees are 30-19 this season with Judge in the starting lineup and 14-1 when he hits one or more home runs.
Judge is batting .291 with a 1.078 OPS in 49 games this season with 19 home runs and 40 RBI.
After hitting an AL-record 62 home runs last season, Judge signed a nine-year, $360million contract to stay with the Yankees in the offseason.
Since his first full season in the majors in 2017, no one has hit more home runs than Judge’s 235.
New York is eight games back of the Orioles in a competitive AL East and sits 2 ½ games back of a wild card spot.
Trinidad and Tobago’s Calypso Girls and Barbados Gems were both brave in defeat despite being outclassed by reigning champions New Zealand and England in their respective opening games at the Vitality Netball World Cup in Cape Town, South Africa on Friday.
The number 10-ranked Calypso Girls, who were the first Caribbean team in action, went down 27-72 to number two-ranked New Zealand, while the 14-ranked Gems, succumbed to a 29-90 loss to number three-ranked England Roses.
Those results meant that both Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados will have to play catch up in their respective pools, if they are to make the top three to progress to the next round.
New Zealand head Pool D ahead of Uganda, who were 79-37 winners over Singapore, while England heads Pool B ahead Malawi, who registered a 55-49 win over Scotland.
Trinidad and Tobago, one of only three countries to win a World Cup title in the tournament’s history, knew they were always up against it against the Silver Ferns, but left their best on the court in restricting the champions to a score under 80.
Still, New Zealand were comfortable from the start going 23-2 in the opening quarter and 43-11 at half time, before asserting authority at the backend of the contest.
Grace Nweke scored a flawless 31 goals for New Zealand and Maia Wilson made 22 of 24 attempts, while Afeisha Noel and Joelisa Cooper, had 17 and 10 goals for Trinidad and Tobago.
The Calypso Girls are scheduled to face Singapore on Saturday at 11:00am Jamaica time.
Meanwhile, Barbados, despite the presence of experienced siblings Sasha and Kadeen Corbin, who both racked up over 70 caps for England before switching allegiance, struggled for consistency which proved their undoing against the Roses.
They Started positively by matching strides with, but a number of unforced errors paved the way for England to take command of the game at 20-8 going into the first interval and 42-18 at half time.
England rang the changes at the start of the third quarter and with Barbados being caught out by the long balls, it forced goal shooter Kadeen Corbin to take up the goalkeeping position. While the move gradually assisted in restricting the Roses, it also limited the Gems’ scoring chances across the last two quarters.
Faye Agard, captain of the Bajan Gems took heart from her team’s performance heading into their second game against Scotland tomorrow at 9:00am Jamaica time.
“We know we had some really good passages of play, but we also had a lot of unforced errors that we need to work on. So, we know what we need to do, go back to the drawing board and fix some things for the next game,” Agard said.
Jamaica’s Sunshine Girls expectedly opened their Vitality Netball World Cup campaign with a bang, as they hammered Sri Lanka 105-25 in Cape Town, South Africa on Friday.
The number four-ranked Jamaicans were dominant from the start and didn’t relent against their number 15-ranked opponents for a minute with the towering combination of Romelda Aiken-George and captain Jhaniele Fowler sharing goal shooting duties across two quarters apiece.
Though the Sunshine Girls usual bad habit of making unforced errors kicked in at one point, Aiken-George with 33 goals from 34 attempts and Fowler with 42 goals from 43 attempts, spared their blushes, as goal attacks Rebekah Robinson and Shanice Beckford, contributed 17 and 13 goals respectively.
With the win, the Jamaicans assume pole position in Pool C, ahead of host South Africa, who were 61-50 winners over Wales.
Jamaica’s Head coach Connie Francis started with two debutants in Latanya Wilson at goal defence and wing defence Crystal Plummer, as Robinson and Aiken-George got the starting goal attack and shooter roles ahead of Beckford and Fowler.
The potent attack of the Sunshine Girls saw them open a brisk five-goal lead inside the first 30 seconds, as they displayed their usual speed and flair that delighted crowd, especially when Aiken-George scored a lay-up shot.
In fact, the Jamaicans were so dominant that Sri Lanka’s first goal came almost seven minutes into the opening quarter, which eventually ended 26-5.
Jodi-Ann Ward joined Kadie-Ann Dehaney and the dynamic Plummer in defence for the second quarter and the trio proved too formidable for Sri Lanka’s attackers, as their consistent deflections resulted in the Jamaicans firing in 14 unanswered goals, before the opponents belated got their first almost nine minutes in.
From there, they went on to register a 52-11 half time lead, which all but signalled the writing on the wall for Sri Lanka.
The Jamaicans signalled their intent to hit the century mark with the introduction of Fowler at the start of the third quarter and she flawlessly scored her first 14 attempts, with Beckford providing the necessary support to again outscore Sri Lanka 23-7 for a 75-18 lead heading into the final quarter.
That final quarter represented the best display from Sri Lanka in the shooting circle as the matched the Jamaicans goal for goal in the early exchanges.
However, once the defence lead by Shamera Sterling and player of the game Wilson, found back their rhythm, they forced a number of turnovers and orchestrated some quick transitions for Fowler and Robinson to finish off and propel Jamaica to the 14th 100-plus goal scoreline in the tournament's history.
It was also the first 100-plus score by a team at the World Cup since 2015, when Malawi achieved the feat ironically, also against Sri Lanka.
While the Sunshine Girls scored at 89 percent, they also had 17 turnovers, an issue that Francis is hoping to correct going forward.
“From the first day when we assembled here, I saw the hunger and the will to execute well, and I am very impressed with my team. We made a number of changes just to work on combinations and also to manage the workload because the thing that we are trying to work on mostly is our turnovers.
“We know we have players that can hunt and win balls which makes them dangerous, so it is just to minimize the turnovers some more and we will be good,” Francis said.
For Fowler, the execution was on par for the most parts.
“We wanted to come out and practice some of our strategies and make sure we are cementing some of our plays. Romelda and I are both amazing shooters so either one starting a game is fine, we are just more focused on gelling as best as we can and just going one game at a time,” the captain shared.
The Sunshine Girls will next face Wales on Saturday at 4:00 am Jamaica time.
Conor Benn’s suspension imposed for failing two drugs tests in the build-up to his cancelled fight with Chris Eubank Jr has been lifted.
UK Anti-Doping confirmed the news first revealed by Benn and his promoters Matchroom Boxing on Friday afternoon, but added that it has 21 days to appeal the verdict of the National Anti-Doping Panel, an independent tribunal.
Benn was formally charged by UKAD in April after twice testing positive for the female fertility drug clomifene in the build-up to October’s catchweight showdown with British rival Eubank Jr.
“UKAD carefully reviews all decisions in its cases before deciding whether to exercise its right of appeal,” UKAD said in a statement, before declining to comment further on the case.
Benn, son of boxing great Nigel Benn, had claimed on social media that he had been exonerated only for UKAD’s statement to indicate his case is not yet closed as the drugs agency considers whether to appeal.
“Today marks the end of a gruelling 10-month process, during which the WBC had already decided I was innocent of any wrongdoing,” Benn said on Twitter.
“After a hearing with the National-Doping Agency Panel and UKAD, I have now been vindicated for the second time.
“Hopefully, the public and various members of the media can now understand why I have maintained my innocence so strongly all the way through.
“The UKAD process has now formally ended and I remain free to fight.”
If Benn is cleared, he will reapply for the British Boxing Board of Control licence that was relinquished during his dispute with the governing body.
Promoter Eddie Hearn said he is already planning a comeback fight for the 26-year-old Londoner in September ahead of a clash with a high-profile opponent in December.
Benn had been banned from competing in the UK until his case had been heard by UKAD, although he was free to fight overseas.
The lucrative showdown with Eubank Jr is likely to be revived and having protested his innocence from the outset, Benn revealed his joy at what he considers to be the end of the process.
“Naturally, I am pleased that I can now put this behind me once and for all,” he said.
“As you can imagine the last 10 months have weighed heavily on me and I am anxious that if this happened to me, it could potentially happen to any honest, dedicated and clean athlete like me.
“I would like to thank my fans that have kept the faith when many have turned against me, as well as my team, Matchroom, my friends and family, sponsors and also my legal team, all of whom have shared a belief in me and a commitment to ensure the correct result being obtained and justice being services.
“Only with the strength of all this support have I been able to continue during this challenging time.
“I now intend to put this matter behind me and look forward. Which begins with fighting as soon as possible so I can remind everyone who I am.”
Max Verstappen vowed to kiss and make up with his race engineer following their X-rated row in Belgian Grand Prix qualifying.
Verstappen finished fastest in a wet-dry session at Spa-Francorchamps, but he will start Sunday’s 44-lap race from sixth following a gearbox penalty.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc is promoted to pole position, with Red Bull’s Sergio Perez second. Lewis Hamilton, on pole a week ago in Hungary, will line up in third.
Verstappen made it into Q3 – the final phase of qualifying – by the skin of his teeth and vented his anger at long-serving race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase, known as GP, following the close-call.
“I should have just f****** pushed two laps in a row like I said,” said Verstappen, who sneaked through in 10th place.
“But you are through, Max,” replied Lambiase.
“I don’t give a f*** that we are P10, mate. It is just s*** execution,” came Verstappen’s fiery response.
Lambiase snapped back: “OK, and then when the track was two seconds quicker for your final lap and you didn’t have any energy left, how would that have gone down?”
A surly Lambiase added: “But you tell me what you want to do in Q3 and we’ll do it. Tyre sets, fuel, run plan.”
After returning to finish eighth tenths clear of Leclerc, Verstappen issued an apology.
“Sorry to GP for being such on the rant,” he said over the radio.
Lambiase replied: “Slowly getting used to it, Max.”
Speaking afterwards, Verstappen added: “It happens sometimes. Most of it is blocked off.
“We are mates. We can get quite emotional, quite vocal. We sort it out afterwards.”
Verstappen’s grid drop for exceeding the allocated number of four gearboxes will provide his rivals with forlorn hope they can end his seven-race winning streak.
However, the Dutchman, a winner of nine of the 11 rounds so far this season, started this race from 14th last year owing to engine penalties and still took the victory in his all-conquering Red Bull machine.
For Hamilton, the seven-time world champion faced a post-qualifying investigation from the stewards after he ran off the circuit at Eau Rouge before re-joining in front of team-mate George Russell in Q2.
Russell was forced to slow down to avoid making contact with the sister Mercedes. Race control noted the incident and confirmed they would investigate.
Hamilton finished nine tenths slower than Verstappen, with Russell even further back in eighth, 0.8sec adrift of his team-mate.
“It was definitely very hectic because it was consistently drying up,” said Hamilton after the running started on a wet track.
“It was difficult to see with the spray. I was head down, just maximining as much as I could.
“At the end, I was still a good chunk off Max. But I am really happy with the result I’ve got.”
Carlos Sainz qualified fifth for Ferrari, one spot ahead of Oscar Piastri, with Lando Norris seventh in the other McLaren.
Daniel Ricciardo finished a commendable 13th on his F1 comeback but the Australian will line up from the penultimate spot on the grid.
Ricciardo temporarily hauled his AlphaTauri through to Q2 only to see his lap time deleted for exceeding track limits.
“F***, I am sorry,” said Ricciardo when informed of the chalked-off lap. “I just lost it through Turn 3. I am sorry.”
Spa-Francorchamps is hosting the sport’s third sprint event of the year with a shortened race on Saturday to come before Sunday’s main event – the concluding round ahead of the sport’s summer shutdown.
Max Verstappen took pole position for the Belgian Grand Prix despite an X-rated radio row with his race engineer.
Verstappen was embroiled in a squabble with Gianpiero Lambiase after he only just made it through to Q3 during a wet-dry session at Spa-Francorchamps.
But the championship leader regained his composure at the business end of qualifying to demolish the opposition, finishing eight tenths clear of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc with Sergio Perez third in the other Red Bull. Lewis Hamilton qualified fourth.
However, Verstappen will only start Sunday’s race from sixth position as he serves a five-place grid drop for exceeding his gearbox allocation.
Verstappen made it into the final phase by the skin of his teeth in 10th place and then vented his anger at his long-serving engineer.
Verstappen accused his team of “s*** execution”, claiming he should have pushed harder on an earlier lap after the field switched from wet to dry rubber.
“I don’t give a f*** that we are P10, mate”, he yelled over the radio.
Lambiase snapped back: “OK, and then when the track was two seconds quicker for your final lap and you didn’t have any energy left, how would that have gone down?”
A surly Lambiase added: “But you tell me what you want to do in Q3 and we’ll do it. Tyre sets, fuel, run plan.”
But after taking pole, Verstappen, 110 points clear at the standings and on a run of seven-consecutive wins in his all-conquering Red Bull machine, said over the radio: “Sorry to GP for being such on the rant.”
Lambiase replied: “Slowly getting used to it, Max.”
Hamilton secured pole a week ago in Hungary, but he is facing an investigation from the stewards after he ran off the circuit at Eau Rouge before re-joining in front of team-mate George Russell in Q2.
Russell was forced to slow down to avoid making contact with the sister Mercedes. Race control noted the incident before confirming they would investigate.
It was an underwhelming afternoon for the Silver Arrows with Hamilton nine tenths slower than Verstappen, and Russell ever further back in eighth, 0.8sec adrift of his team-mate. Lando Norris finished seventh, a spot behind Oscar Piastri in the other McLaren.
Daniel Ricciardo qualified a commendable 13th on his return a week ago, but the Australia will line up from the penultimate spot on the grid on Sunday.
Ricciardo temporarily hauled his AlphaTauri through to Q2 only to see his lap time deleted for exceeding track limits.
“F***, I am sorry,” said Ricciardo when informed of the bad news. “I just lost it through Turn 3. I am sorry.”
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