Dubois still on course for Usyk rematch - Warren insists

Promoter Frank Warren has insisted that IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois remains on track for a rematch against Oleksandr Usyk.

Duplantis breaks pole vault record - yet again - in homeland Diamond League meet

Armand Duplantis broke the men's pole vault world record for a 12th time with a clearance of 6.28m at the Diamond League meeting in Stockholm.

Dutch stun West Indies in Cricket World Cup qualifier

Two-time champions West Indies face an almighty task to qualify for the Cricket World Cup after losing to the Netherlands in a thrilling final group game decided by a super over.

Nicholas Pooran's second hundred of the qualifiers propelled West Indies to a commanding 374-6, but Teja Nidamanuru hit 111 in reply and the Dutch needed one from the final ball for victory. Jason Holder took a brilliant catch to deny Logan van Beek as the scores finished tied, but Van Beek blasted Holder for 30 runs in the super over to set up a remarkable win in Harare.

Dzsenifer Marozsan voted German Football Ambassador 2023 by fans

There was plenty of suspense in this year's voting for the audience award of the German Football Ambassador 2023. Dzsenifer Marozsan and Melanie Leupolz were in a neck-and-neck race for the coveted trophy until the very end. Well over 5,000 fans took part in the vote and chose Dzsenifer Marozsan of Olympique Lyon with 31.77% ahead of Melanie Leupolz of Chelsea FC with 31.13% as this year's German Football Ambassador and thus Ilkay Gündogan's successor.

Eagles clinch thriller while Suns dominate

Newcastle Eagles managed to get their first win of the season, with a hard fought display against Nottingham Wildcats. Although the Geordies didn’t start the game on the front foot, they played tenacious defence and managed to battle their way to a well earned W.

The game started with Notts well on top, with Kayla Shaw absolutely lighting it up from behind the 3-point arc, shooting 3/3 in the first four minutes.

Eagles deny historic ‘three-peat’ for Chiefs following Super Bowl demolition

The Philadelphia Eagles demolished the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22 to deny them an unprecedented third straight Super Bowl.

Eagles win dramatic BBL Cup Final

Newcastle Eagles have won the BBL Cup for the seventh time after overcoming London Lions 84-77 in one of the most dramatic finals in its history. It’s the fifth time they have won the Cup in the last decade - although their first since 2017, up to which point they had won three in a row – it comes after coming from behind at the death to secure a second piece of silverware already in Ian Macleod's tenure as Head Coach.

Eagles had led by as many as 15 points as Justin Gordon and Rahmon Fletcher scored 14 each in the first half, when a 10-1 push over the first quarter break and an 8-2 burst in the second stanza made it 40-28 three minutes before the break. However – despite playing the game with just seven players as the rest of the squad had to self-isolate under COVID-19 protocols – Lions mounted a brave second half comeback. A scintillating 16-2 third quarter run got them back within one, and they followed that with a 19-7 surge in the fourth quarter to snatch a 76-69 lead with four minutes to play as Justin Robinson, Orlando Parker and Kevin Ware, twice, hit big triples.

But the Eagles proved incredibly resilient to halt that momentum as, from there, they burst out of a timeout to score 12 straight points when a corner three from Gordon tied the game, before Louis Sayers did the same from the opposite corner to give Newcastle the lead for good at 79-76 with two minutes to play. It was a nervy finish until, with 30 seconds remaining, Gordon dragged down a huge offensive rebound – his 15th board of the game, a Cup Final record – enabling Fletcher to make a big score inside the paint that made it a two possession game at 81-76 and settled the tie.

The MVP award went to Justin Gordon as he finished with 18 points, 15 rebounds, three assists and three blocks. He said: "I can't even describe it right now, I'm just happy to enjoy this moment with my teammates. It was a crazy game, but we stuck it out and got the win. We're just going to enjoy this as a team for a little bit, and then get back to the regular season games”. Rahmon Fletcher led the scoring with 21 points.

Prior to that, Leicester Riders made it three BBL Championship wins on the bounce with a 90-58 defeat of Glasgow Rocks behind 18 points, eight rebounds, and four assists from Corey Johnson. The hosts scored 20 straight points in the first quarter to dominate from the outset, Zach Jackson hitting 10 in that spell; and followed that with a 9-0 opening to the second stanza, before holding Rocks to just eight in that period, for 48-22 at the half and no way back for the visitors.

Eagles Win Play-offs for a Seventh Time

Newcastle Eagles have won the BBL Play-off Final for the seventh time in their history, leading all teams in that regard, after overcoming London Lions 68-66 in one of the tensest finals in memory at the Morningside Arena in Leicester.

Having finished fourth in the BBL Championship, the Eagles showed great resilience to come through tough post-season ties against B. Braun Sheffield Sharks and Leicester Riders, and needed every ounce of that in the showpiece game.

Newcastle trailed by double-figures on four separate occasions, finding themselves in such a hole after just three minutes, and despite a couple of comebacks they were still in that situation when the deficit peaked at 54-42 inside the final three minutes of the third quarter.

From there Cortez Edwards took over, as he scored six straight points in an 8-0 burst towards the end of the third, before he opened the fourth with the first five points and then lobbed up an 'alley-oop' pass for Evan Maxwell to give Eagles a 57-55 lead, their first since the opening possessions.

In total, it was a 15-1 surge in five and a half minutes over the third quarter break in which Edwards had scored 11, half of his points as he went on to be awarded MVP with a double-double of 22 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists and four steals.

Lions weren't done, as they came back to tie the game three times and the teams were knotted at 66 heading into the final minute. Edwards drove hard and drew a foul, icing both free-throws, and they proved decisive as a series of strong defensive stands saw Eagles through, before Rahmon Fletcher intentionally missed a final free-throw so London couldn't call timeout and were forced to throw up a desperate heave.

Head Coach Ian Macleod spoke to Sky Sports immediately after the game, commenting: "I'm very happy. If you'd have said it was going to be 68-66 I'd have probably said, 'OK, what's going to happen in the fourth quarter?' I thought our defence was incredible, and it feels like we did a great job defending the three-point line.

"We're three of three in finals in the most difficult year that most of us will ever remember. That's success. What else is success to us? Themba Yabantu playing 27 minutes in the game at Bristol and not looking out of place, when he came to us at 10-years-old. There's lots of different measurements of success. Externally it looks like trophies, and we have two of those this season."

East Midlands’ professional services experts take to the padel court to raise nearly £1500 for PWSA

More than 40 specialists from the East Midlands finance and professional services sector swapped their laptops and spreadsheets for padel rackets as part of a major Derby fundraiser.

ECB publishes response to ICEC report and aims to change the game

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said that it wants to change the game as it publishes its response to a report detailing racism, sexism, classism and elitism in the sport.

Edgbaston Foundation honours Community Hero Rick Coleman

Warwickshire County Cricket Club’s Official Charity the Edgbaston Foundation has made a fitting tribute to the late Edgbaston tour guide and friend of the Club Rick Coleman by naming him as the Community Hero for 2020.

The Edgbaston Foundation is also making a lasting tribute to Rick by awarding him a stone in the Bear & Ragged Staff Wall and through renaming its Community Award, which is presented annually to the Warwickshire player which it believes has made the biggest community impact over the course of a year, as the Rick Coleman Community Award. 

Rick, who passed away aged 77 in June, spent 20 years giving schools, cricket clubs and community groups tours of Edgbaston, whilst he also played a key role in development of the Edgbaston Foundation’s cricket-inspired education programme, the Edgbaston Classroom.

Ravi Masih, Head of Community Engagement at Warwickshire CCC and Lead of the Edgbaston Foundation, said: “Rick gave so much time to Warwickshire CCC and in the development of the Edgbaston Foundation and it’s right that his fantastic efforts are never forgotten, through this initial Community Hero accolade and through the newly named Rick Coleman Community Award.

“Even whilst his health affected how often he could get to Edgbaston in the 12 months prior to his passing, Rick still wanted to play his part and earlier this year he supported the Edgbaston Foundation in a joint project with the National Literacy Trust called ‘Young Birmingham Poets’. Here he provided inspiration for the children to create poetry about cricket and Edgbaston Stadium

“He is sorely missed by the many of us who were lucky enough to work with him over the last 20 years and we are very grateful that we can continue working closely with the Coleman family to honour Rick’s great community legacy.”

The Edgbaston Foundation launched its Community Hero accolade in 2019 and presented its first award during the Ashes Test match to Joel Hales-Waller for his support in establishing the Cricket Full Circle programme, which he also volunteered as a delivery coach.

Edgbaston Foundation launches cricket initiative ahead of Mayor’s Giving Day

As part of the Mayor’s Giving Day in the West Midlands, Warwickshire County Cricket Club’s Official Charity, the Edgbaston Foundation, has partnered with West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) on a new cricketing initiative which is designed to get more children active.

Launched with Warwickshire CEO Stuart Cain and Captain Will Rhodes at Edgbaston Stadium, the Edgbaston Foundation and WMCA are giving away 1,000 children cricket bats across the region over the next year to encourage more youngsters to stay fit and get involved in the game.

To kick start Mayor’s Giving Day this year Andy Street, the Mayor of the West Midlands, Warwickshire CEO Stuart Cain and Men’s Team Captain Will Rhodes have already virtually handed over the bats to some of the region’s worthy recipients. The project follows on from previous bat giveaways and last year’s inaugural Mayor’s Cricket Cup at Edgbaston, where West Midlands Mayor Andy Street invited adults and children of all ages and backgrounds to take part in the first of its kind intergenerational tournament on the stadium’s hallowed turf.

Ravi Masih, Head of Community Engagement at Warwickshire CCC and lead of the Edgbaston Foundation, said: “Through the Edgbaston Foundation and Warwickshire CCC we’re committed to using cricket to make a difference within our local community by making the game more accessible than ever before.

“The last few months have been a tough for everyone but getting out into the great outdoors has provided some welcome relief. We hope that by providing more equipment and opportunities like All Stars and the upcoming Dynamos programme, we can get many more youngsters involved in cricket.”

With a further 1,000 cricket sets pledged by the Edgbaston Foundation in collaboration with the WMCA over the next 12 months, it will have taken the charity’s total giveaways to 4000 over four years.

Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street said: “Even though we are in different times this year the principle is exactly the same.  The ability to give children and community groups the ability to play sport by donating these bats and balls is part of the combined initiative of ‘giving’. 

“Edgbaston Foundation are supporting the Mayor’s Giving Day for the second year running and as always, I am extremely grateful for all their work within the community and by providing this kit will enable so many young people to be part of this great sport.  Who knows we may see a new star from within our Region.”

Edgbaston hosts Club’s first Vaisakhi Cricket Cup

Edgbaston came alive with a carnival of colour, music and cricket as the Club celebrated the Sikh festival of Vaisakhi with a fun cricket competition.

Around 80 people took part in the Vaisakhi Cricket Cup at Edgbaston’s indoor centre – including many women and children who are new to the sport – as mixed teams played off in a softball tournament. The action was accompanied by bhangra beats from Birmingham Sikh drumming group Eternal Taal, while a lunch was provided for all entrants.

Edgbaston hosts Table Cricket tournament for region’s schools

Children from special schools across the region came to Edgbaston as Warwickshire hosted the county table cricket finals. Almost 50 pupils from five schools competed in a series of round robin matches at the Club’s indoor centre in the event which is specially designed to make cricket accessible to children with disabilities.

Edgbaston Stadium unveils new plaza, one of the largest outdoor community spaces in Birmingham

Birmingham’s Edgbaston Stadium has unveiled its new Plaza and stadium entrance, which features one of the largest outdoor community spaces in Birmingham. With 14,800 sq m, the Edgbaston Plaza offers more space than both Centenary Square and Victoria Square in Birmingham city centre and the new community space is the first stage to complete within the new Edgbaston Stadium Masterplan.

Edgbaston to host India Test and T20I following change to 2022 schedule

One of Test cricket’s biggest fixtures is coming to Birmingham in 2022 with the England men’s team meeting India at Edgbaston Stadium from Friday 1 to Tuesday 5 July in a Test series decider. Following discussions with the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB), Edgbaston has agreed to step in and host the rearranged fifth LV= Insurance men’s Test match, which was originally scheduled to be played in September 2021, due to the unavailability of the original venue.

Edgbaston to host Ireland International T20 versus Bangladesh

Birmingham’s Edgbaston Stadium has reached an agreement with Cricket Ireland to host a men’s Twenty20 International (T20I) match between Ireland and Bangladesh on Friday 29 May 2020.

Edgbaston, which is already hosting a One-Day International (ODI) between world champions England and Ireland on Saturday 12 September as part of a seven-day England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) major match programme in 2020, is one of four English venues to be named by Cricket Ireland as a host for the four-match IT20 series.

Neil Snowball, Chief Executive of Edgbaston Stadium and Warwickshire County Cricket Club, said: “We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to extend our programme of major match cricket and to bring another international cricket fixture to Birmingham and to the wider West Midlands region.

“Ireland fans bring great colour and noise wherever they play in the world, so we’re very excited to host them for the first time, whilst Bangladesh fans won so many plaudits and created a great atmosphere in their visits to Edgbaston during the ICC men’s Cricket World Cup and ICC Champions Trophy.

“Our masterplan for the redevelopment of Edgbaston has been created to ensure that Edgbaston remains one of the leading cricket venues in the world and to enable us to host a broader portfolio of events and fixtures.

“We’re looking forward to working with the Cricket Ireland team and we hope that this can be the start of a partnership, which could lead to further opportunities in the future.”

Ireland’s schedule for the T20I series with Bangladesh begins at the Kia Oval in London on Friday 22 May, with following fixtures at the Essex County Ground in Chelmsford on Sunday 24 and the Bristol County Ground on Wednesday 27 before the fourth and final fixture is played at Edgbaston on Friday 29 May.

Cricket Ireland Chief Executive, Warren Deutrom, said: “Edgbaston is quite simply one of the most iconic and heralded grounds in England, and this will be the first time in 15 years Ireland has played at the ground. We have in fact, back in our Associate days, played Warwickshire three times at the ground, but apart from these encounters, Ireland’s greatest association with Edgbaston is through our players who have played for the County.

“Icons of our game like William Porterfield and Boyd Rankin, as well as one of our brightest emerging talents, Mark Adair, have played in recent times here. We hope to see the local fans, regardless of allegiance, come out and enjoy what will undoubtedly be a competitive spectacle.”

Edgbaston to host Pakistan ODI with 80 per cent capacity

Birmingham’s Edgbaston Stadium has again been confirmed as part of the Government’s Events Research Programme (ERP) and will operate at 80 per cent capacity for the Royal London International (ODI) between England and Pakistan.

Taking place on Tuesday 13 July, Edgbaston will be able to accommodate around 19,000 fans, including under 16s, in the stadium bowl and hospitality lounges without social distancing as part of the research study.

All attendees will be required to show a negative COVID lateral flow test result, this is necessary for anyone aged 11 years and older, or proof of two vaccinations (first and second dose) at least 14 days before the fixture to secure entry.

Any ticket purchasers who no longer wish to attend can request a refund for all tickets in their booking via our online form and all requests must be made before our deadline at 4pm on Thursday 1 July.

Today’s announcement follows on from Edgbaston’s successful hosting of the LV= Insurance Test Match between England and New Zealand, which accommodated around 60,000 spectators (70 per cent capacity) across four days with the same spectator entry requirements.

Stuart Cain, Chief Executive at Edgbaston, said: “It’s fantastic for sport in the West Midlands that so many cricket fans will be able to enjoy another blockbuster fixture in England versus Pakistan at Edgbaston.

“The recent Test match gave us a fantastic opportunity to build a new model for large scale sporting events and I’m pleased to see elements of this first trial being carried forward for the Pakistan match.  Technology played a big part in this and we will again focus on using this as a way of creating a safe environment whilst enhancing Edgbaston’s reputation as one of the best atmospheres in world cricket.”

Edgbaston’s hosting of the recent LV= Insurance Test Match saw the Birmingham venue introduce its new smart phone app with mobile ticketing, queue time checker, food and drink click and collect and a delivery to seat option for disabled spectators.

During the Test Match, 95 per cent attendees entered Edgbaston through a digital ticket, which could be accessed via the app. This app received 314,344 views across the four days of play for tickets, retail purchases, spectator information and food and beverage orders.

Edgbaston to stage first ‘Go Green Game’ sustainable international match day

Edgbaston Stadium is set to stage its first sustainable international match day after announcing the sold-out Men’s Vitality IT20 against New Zealand on Sunday 3 September as its Go Green Game.

The stadium has underlined its green credentials in the last 12 months after reducing waste by a third, running kitchens on 80 per cent locally sourced produce, rolling out a low-energy LED light project, and continued use of e-cups that’s prevented 562,000 plastic alternatives being wasted.

Edgbaston unveils Major Match cricket programme for 2022

More of the biggest games in world cricket are coming to Birmingham in 2022 with the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announcing seven Major Match days for Edgbaston Stadium next summer. Edgbaston will host Joe Root’s England men side for an LV= Insurance Test Match against South Africa from Thursday 25 to Monday 29 August and a mouth-watering Royal London International (ODI) versus India on Saturday 9 July.

The venue will also host the biggest day in the county cricket calendar, with Vitality Blast Finals Day returning to Edgbaston for the 14th time on Saturday 16 July.