Related items

• Windies fall short as Salt's unbeaten century guides England to eight-wicket win in record chase

  England once again showcased their firepower in securing an eight-wicket victory over West Indies in the first of their five T20 internationals, thanks largely to Phil Salt’s brutal unbeaten century in what was a thrilling contest at Kensington Oval on Saturday.

  Salt’s blistering 103 off 54 balls, which featured nine boundaries and two sixes, set the stage for England’s successful pursuit of the 182-9 set by West Indies—the highest run chase ever achieved at the venue—as they comfortably got to 183-2 with 19 balls to spare.

  He was well supported by Jacob Bethell, who carved out his maiden T20 half-century, finishing with a splendid 58 off 36 deliveries in what was a deeply meaningful knock.

  Bethell, 21, became the youngest player to reach this milestone in this format for England, at a venue close to his heart as he spent his early years in Barbados.

  Scores: West Indies 182-9 (20 overs); England 183-2 (16.5 overs)

  Sent in to bat first, West Indies struggled early, with wickets tumbling at regular intervals. Seamer Saqib Mahmood dismantled the top order as he accounted for Brandon King (3), Evin Lewis (13), and Shimron Hetmyer (zero), while spinner Adil Rashid snared the scalps of captain Rovman Powell (18) and Sherfane Rutherford (two) to leave the Caribbean side 69-5 in the ninth over.

  

  However, Andre Russell smashed four sixes in a 17-ball 30, and Nicholas Pooran (38) initiated a gritty recovery, putting together a 39-run partnership that began to stabilize the innings. Pooran had two sixes and three fours in his 29-ball knock.

  When both fell in quick succession, Romario Shepherd, who was left unbeaten on 35, and Gudakesh Motie (33) came to the rescue with an invaluable 49-run stand for the ninth wicket, which boosted West Indies to a respectable 182-9.

  Motie used 14 balls for his knock, which had four boundaries and two sixes, while Shepherd had three fours and two sixes in his 22-ball innings.

  Mahmood ended with 4-34, and Rashid (3-32).

  Despite the late fightback, West Indies’ total was put into perspective by Salt’s heroics. His century marked his third against the Caribbean side and proved to be a masterclass in chasing under pressure.

  Salt, along with opening partner Will Jacks (17), added a solid 73 runs before the latter was cleaned up by Motie. The defining moment, however, was the seamless 107-run partnership with Bethell, as the two took West Indies bowlers to task to seal a comprehensive win.

  The second encounter is scheduled for Sunday, as West Indies will be looking to regroup and rebound to level the series.

• Motta salutes 'solid and concrete' Juventus after derby victory over Torino

  Thiago Motta hailed Juventus' "solid and concrete" display on their way to victory over Torino in Derby della Mole.

  The Bianconeri claimed bragging rights in the Turin derby, with goals from Timothy Weah and Kenan Yildiz sealing all three points.

  Juve climbed to third place - a point behind leaders Napoli - after extending their unbeaten start in Serie A, while earning a ninth clean sheet - the most of any side in Europe's top five leagues.

  And Motta paid tribute to his players for their performance levels at the end of a busy seven days.

  "It's always important to play with balance, and today, we put in an excellent performance, bringing home three precious points," he said.

  "I am happy both for the result and for the level of play expressed in front of our fans, who supported us a lot. We have to thank them, as well as the boys, because it was not easy.

  "It was the third game of the week, we were able to manage our energy well, and we were solid and concrete for the whole 95 minutes. A well-deserved victory."

  Weah became only the second American to score for Juventus against Torino after Weston McKennie in 2020.

  Next up for the Bianconeri after the international break is a showdown with AC Milan at San Siro, where Weah's father George played a starring role during the 1990s.

  "Today I'm happy," he said. "We have to continue like this, because when we play like tonight, we're strong.

  "Now, the match against Milan awaits us. It's important, also for me and for the history of my family."

• Slot believes Liverpool have 'many challenges to come' in Premier League title race

  Arne Slot envisages "many challenges to come" in Liverpool's Premier League title race, despite his side moving five points clear at the top of the table with victory on Saturday.

  The Reds capitalised on Manchester City's slip at Brighton by taking all three points in a 2-0 win over Aston Villa to establish breathing space at the summit.

  Darwin Nunez gave the hosts the lead at Anfield as he capitalised after a quick counter, before Mohamed Salah did the same six minutes from time to secure all three points.

  While Slot was pleased by the outcome, he is aware the cushion at the top does not guarantee a smooth run in their title challenge.

  "It wasn't easy, like most of our games have been now," he told TNT Sport. "Aston Villa were maybe not as aggressive as we thought they would be.

  "We were patient. One thing they are very good at is set-pieces. In general, we had control over the game and scored from two counter-attacks, which is maybe not what we would expect.

  "If I look at the games that are ahead, they are tough. It will be a tough season in general. Margins are small, we have a margin, but it is small. [There are] many challenges to come for us."

  Slot has got off to a fine start since succeeding Jurgen Klopp as manager at the start of the season, as he became just the fourth manager to win as many as nine of his first 11 Premier League games in charge, after John Gregory, Guus Hiddink, and Carlo Ancelotti.

  Liverpool now have 28 points in the league. They have only previously equalled this total once after 11 games, in their title-winning season of 2019-20 (31). 

  Equally, no manager has ever won more points from their first 11 games in the competition than Slot. The Dutchman is not concerned by totals or margins, however, with his focus remaining on the philosophy he wants to instil at Anfield.

  "As a manager, if you come into a new club, you don't think about how many points after how many games," he told BBC Match of the Day. "You think about changing the style or keeping it as it was.

  "To change the style, you have to do a lot of things on the training ground and in meetings. The only thing I have thought about is how to implement the playing style, and how to make sure the players keep working as hard as they can."