Sports News

Somersets 14-runs victory in the Vitality Blast 2023 final, capped off a day of exciting, swashbuckling cricket that befitted the tournament – at large – and the final itself – in particular - as Essex pushed them hard in a game that was full of thrills, spills, tension and first-class cricket, at the Edgbaston Stadium, in Birmingham.

The world's oldest professional footballer at 56, has extended his stay with Portuguese second-tier side Oliveirense. Ex-Japan striker, Kazuyoshi Miura, joined Oliveirense on loan in January from Yokohama and will continue with them on that basis for an undisclosed duration.

He’s played just 28 minutes of football this year, spread over three substitute appearances. Miura was named man of the match on the final day of the Portuguese season after a 26-minute cameo in a 4-3 win over Leixoes. The opposition manager said that the decision was offensive and turned it into a "circus".

Birmingham Phoenix has used the local talent at their disposal to finalise their squads ahead of the third edition of The Hundred, which gets underway on Tuesday 1 August.

With their Vitality Wildcard selections, Phoenix men chose Birmingham Bears fast bowler Henry Brookes and batting all-rounder Jacob Bethell, whilst the final round of signings in the women’s competition include Central Sparks batter Davina Perrin, wicket-keeper Abbey Freeborn and all-rounder Charis Pavely. All five will be recognisable names for Edgbaston regulars with Pavely, who was part of England’s U19 World Cup finalist squad in January, the only player not to have experienced the competition already.

Sabrina Fortune (coach: Ryan Spencer-Jones / Ian Robinson, Deeside) became the latest Brit to win back-to-back World Para Athletics Championships titles in Paris with a performance the global event has never seen before on a night when Sammi Kinghorn (Rodger Harkins, Red Star), Maria Lyle (Team East Lothian) and Sophie Hahn (Leon Baptiste, Charnwood) all won medals to keep the GB&NI team rolling.

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ruled in favour of double 800m Olympic champion Caster Semenya in a case related to testosterone levels in female athletes.

The South African athlete was born with differences of sexual development (DSD) and is not allowed to compete in any track events without taking testosterone-reducing drugs. Three-time 800m world champion and 800m and 1500m Commonwealth champion, Semenya, 32, has been in a long-running dispute with World Athletics.

It’s been announced that a superstar field of golfers will take part in the Farmfoods’ British Par 3 Championship, with major winners Ian Woosnam and Michael Campbell amongst those who are set to compete in golf’s “ultimate challenge” alongside stars including former Senior PGA champion Fraser Mann, European tour winners Jean Van De Velde, Scott Drummond, Jarmo Sandelin and Mark Mouland.

The Great Britain and Northern Ireland team got off to the perfect start at the World Para Athletics Championships in Paris as Gavin Drysdale and Rafi Solaiman won gold and silver respectively in the men’s T72 100m.

Drysdale won a second world title of his career, and he was pushed all the way to achieve it by European champion Rafi Solaiman who matched his silver medal winning display from 2019. The duo take home the honours in the new FrameRunning event to start GB & NI’s march at the Championships.

England won the European Under-21 Championship for the first time in nearly 40 years after a dramatic last-minute penalty save by James Trafford ensured the Young Lions held on to beat Spain. Trafford, who is set to join Burnley from Manchester City in a deal that could be worth up to £19m, kept out Abel Ruiz's low spot-kick in the 99th minute after a lengthy VAR check.

The 20-year-old then produced another brilliant stop on the follow-up before being mobbed by his team-mates. The winning goal came with virtually the last kick of the first half when a Cole Palmer free-kick deflected off team-mate Curtis Jones and wrong-footed goalkeeper Arnau Tenas to find the bottom corner.

Business ambassadors and corporate partners of Midlands Air Ambulance Charity attended its annual Corporate Golf Day at JCB Golf & Country Club. The sold-out event was sponsored by Phoenix Group and helped fund 27 lifesaving missions for the charity.

With all proceeds going towards the charity’s vital pre-hospital emergency service, the eighth annual Golf Day raised an astonishing £42,000, the most raised for this event so far. The fundraising total has helped fund 27 lifesaving missions carried out by the charity’s advanced clinical team, 13 by air ambulance and 14 by critical care car.

Ashes hero Matthew Hoggard has encouraged England players to be smarter when it comes to “Bazzball” to boost their chances of beating the Aussies. The former England fast bowler hinted that England could still win the Ashes as he spoke out on the controversial stumping of Jonny Bairstow. 

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Champions UK, Hoggard said: “Bazzball is running towards the danger instead of away from it. You take the positive option rather than the negative option. I like it but still think we've gone too far at times. 

American trio Noah Lyles, Fred Kerley and Erriyon Knighton will join Zharnel Hughes (GBR) in a sensational men’s 200m line-up at the London Athletics Meet on Sunday 23 July. Two-time world 200m champion Noah Lyles, Olympic 100m silver medallist Fred Kerley and world 200m bronze medallist Erriyon Knighton add star power to what will be a fast and furious contest at the London Stadium.

The Saudi Motorsport Company (SMC) has welcomed the announcement that the FORMULA 1 SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX will be returning to Jeddah, home of the world’s fastest street circuit, on 7th-9th March 2024. The pinnacle of motorsport’s fourth visit to Saudi Arabia will see a change to its previous weekend format, with the Grand Prix taking place on Saturday night in order to avoid a potential clash with the start of the holy month of Ramadan, which is scheduled to begin the following week.

Forest Green Rovers have named Hannah Dingley as their new caretaker boss, making her the first woman to manage a professional men's team in English football. The League Two side just sacked Duncan Ferguson after just six months in charge.

The EFL team announced Dingley, the club's academy head, would be put in caretaker charge of the first team. Her first match in charge was said to be a friendly at Melksham Town. The 39-year-old said: "I'm really excited for this next step of my career.

British world heptathlon champions Katarina Johnson-Thompson and Nafi Thiam of Belgium have been added to the women’s long jump field for the London Athletics Meet on Sunday 23 July. Two of the all-time greats in the combined events will add further star power to the long jump competition as they join European Indoor champion Jazmin Sawyers at the London Stadium later this month. 

Edgbaston is set for another stunning summer of men’s and women’s international cricket after the ECB announced Pakistan and West Indies are heading to Birmingham in 2024.

Following on from Saturday’s record-breaking Women’s Ashes IT20, England Women return next summer for an IT20 versus Pakistan, before the Men compete in the same fixture two weeks later. Edgbaston will also host a five-day Test Match against West Indies for the first time since 2017, while Vitality Blast Finals Day returns to the venue for a 12th year in a row.

Sam Hain and Craig Miles took time to visit youngsters at Acorns Children’s Hospice – and handed over a cheque for almost £6,000 thanks to the generosity of Bears’ lead Vitality Blast sponsor Talbots Law. The Midlands-based law firm nominated Acorns as its charity partner for the Blast derby against Worcestershire Rapids to help raise funds for its three regional hospices.