Sports
Sports news rail of the day | The Express Tribune
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Boxing
Itauma blows away Whyte
News Desk: Moses Itauma needed less than two minutes to emphatically stop Dillian Whyte and further strengthen his credentials as the next heavyweight star. Headlining a card for the first time, the 20-year-old Briton rose to the occasion in what was billed as the biggest test of his career to date. After some precise and powerful combinations, Itauma sent Whyte, 37, down with a thundering right. With 119 seconds on the clock, referee Mikael Hook waved off the fight after Whyte had climbed back to his feet.
UFC
Murphy stakes title claim
NEWS DESK: Britain’s Lerone Murphy thrust his name into the featherweight title picture by knocking Aaron Pico out in sensational fashion at UFC 319 in Chicago, Illinois. The 34-year-old, who took the fight on three week’s notice, ended the bout with a stunning spinning back elbow in the first round. Victory extended Murphy’s winning start to his career to 17 as he called for a title bout with Australian champion Alexander Volkanovski. “This sport’s all about moments and I just created one,” said Murphy.
Iconic
In 1992, South Africa great Jonty Rhodes completed the most iconic run out in the history of ODI World Cup
Record Corner
264
is the highest individual score in the One-day International cricket held by former India captain Rohit Sharma
Trivia
How many times Pakistan lifted the Asia Cup trophy?
A. Two
Side Stories
Barcelona beat Mallorca
News Desk: Marcus Rashford made his competitive debut as Barcelona started their La Liga title defence with a controversial victory at nine-man Mallorca. Raphinha nodded in the opener following a fine right-wing cross from Lamine Yamal. Ferran Torres smashed in their second goal, while Mallorca captain Antonio Raillo was lying on the ground in the box with a head injury after blocking a Yamal shot. Manu Morlanes, who was booked for dissent in the aftermath of that incident, was shown a second yellow card soon after for a foul on Yamal.And Vedat Muriqi was sent off for a high boot on debutant Barcelona goalkeeper Joan Garcia, a decision upgraded from a yellow card after a video assistant referee (VAR) review.
Australia beat South Africa
NEWS DESK: Australia came from 22-0 down to beat world champions South Africa 38-22 in Johannesburg in the opening match of the Rugby Championship. Joe Schmidt’s side appeared to be on their way towards a chastening defeat a quarter of the way through the game but rallied in remarkable fashion to claim their first victory at Ellis Park since 1963. The Springboks dominated the opening 20 minutes and estabished a commanding lead courtesy of tries from Kurt-Lee Arendse, Andre Esterhuizen and captain Siya Kolisi. However, the Wallabies began to take control at the breakdown, with captain Harry Wilson hugely influential and capping a fine display with two tries.
All Blacks beat Pumas
NEWS DESK: New Zealand held off a second-half fightback to beat Argentina 41-24 in their Rugby Championship opener and return to the top of the world rankings for the first time in four years. Winger Sevu Reece and substitute hooker Samisoni Taukei’aho each scored two tries for the All Blacks who replace world champions South Africa, who were beaten 38-22 by Australia in Johannesburg, as the number one team in the world. The visitors were 10-0 ahead inside the opening 10 minutes in Cordoba thanks to Beauden Barrett’s penalty and Reece’s first try. Pumas winger Rodrigo Isgro went over to reduce the deficit to three points, but quickfire tries from Ardie Savea, Cortez Ratima and Reece again put New Zealand 31-10 ahead at the break.
Invincibles hit record score
NEWS DESK: Jordan Cox lit up The Hundred as Oval Invincibles smashed the record for the competition’s highest total by piling up 226-4 in an 83-run victory over Welsh Fire. Cox crashed 86 not out from just 29 balls in a thrilling display of six hitting at The Oval and the Invincibles comfortably passed the previous record score – Manchester Originals’ 208-5 against Northern Superchargers in 2022. England right-hander Cox hit 10 of the innings’ 17 sixes in front of a jubilant home crowd. Openers Tawanda Muyeye and Will Jacks laid a platform of 76 in 39 balls before Cox, after a steady start, exploded into life by hitting four sixes in one set of five balls from Hundred debutant Ajeet Singh Dale.
Robertson edges out O’Sullivan
News Desk: Neil Robertson beat Ronnie O’Sullivan 10-9 in a classic encounter to claim the Saudi Arabia Masters title in Jeddah. The Australian takes home £500,000 for the 26th ranking title of his career and climbs to third in the world rankings It represents another huge step forward in Robertson’s return towards the top of the game. The 2010 world champion started last season outside the top 16 with his career seemingly spiralling, before he enjoyed success at the English Open and World Grand Prix. “Can’t explain what this means in words,” said Robertson.
Brentford seal Ouattara deal
NEWS DESK: Brentford have completed a club record deal of up to £42.5m to sign Dango Ouattara from Bournemouth. The Burkina Faso forward joins the Bees on a five-year contract with the option of a further year. The 23-year-old, who scored nine goals in 37 games in all competitions last season, is viewed as a replacement for Bryan Mbeumo, who moved to Manchester United in July. “We’re really happy to get Dango in,” said Brentford boss Keith Andrews. “He’s someone that we were aware and surprised could be available and, once we knew that signing him might be a possibility, we really focused on trying to get him.
MacIntyre retains BMW Champ lead
NEWS DESK: Robert MacIntyre will take a four-shot lead into the final day of the BMW Championship in Maryland after keeping world number one Scottie Scheffler at bay at Caves Valley. While the Scot’s putting and imperious iron play helped him construct a five-stroke advantage over the first two days, he maintained a healthy advantage on Saturday with some par saves before dropping in a 41-foot birdie on the 18th to sign for a two-under 68. MacIntyre, who appeared to relish the pressure of playing alongside American Scheffler, who carded a 67 and at one stage was within three, made a scrambling par after playing out of trees and bushes near the fifth green.
Rangers seal last-eight spot
NEWS DESK: Much-changed Rangers delivered an unconvincing performance as they beat League 1 Alloa Athletic to reach the quarter-finals of the Premier Sports Cup, where they will face either Livingston or Hibernian at Ibrox. Head coach Russell Martin made 10 changes from the side beaten 2-1 by Viktoria Plzen on Tuesday, with only centre-back Nasser Djiga keeping his place. They started brightly in front of their own fans, with debutant Mikey Moore lively down the left flank, and took the lead through a superb strike from Nedim Bajrami that found the top corner via the crossbar. However, Rangers’ defensive frailties shone through again as Alloa found a shock equaliser.
Top Quote
Amorim: I want to apologise for this season…Today after this disaster season I want to tell you: The good days are coming
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim is optimistic to make it up in the new Premier League season
Side Quote
Du Plessis: It wasn’t a matter of strength; it wasn’t physical; it was almost like he knew what your next move was.
Former UFC Champion Dricus Du Plessis praises Khamzat Chimaev after a gutsy performance at UFC 319
The good (Treylon Burks’s incredible catch) and bad (Washington’s record in prime time) from the Commanders’ seventh-straight loss.
Source link
Ounahi gave Girona the lead before half-time, but Mbappe equalised from the penalty spot
French forward Kylian Mbappe earned Real Madrid a point from the penalty spot. Photo: AFP
BARCELONA:
Real Madrid were held to a third consecutive La Liga draw in a 1-1 tie at Girona on Sunday, allowing Barcelona to retain pole position.
Azzedine Ounahi fired the hosts into a surprise lead before half-time, with Kylian Mbappe earning Madrid a point from the penalty spot.
After Barcelona beat Alaves on Saturday to move top of the table, Madrid needed a victory at Girona to reclaim top spot but now sit second, a point behind the champions.
Earlier Alberto Moleiro helped Villarreal, third, move back ahead of fourth-place Atletico Madrid with a stoppage time winner in a 3-2 victory at Real Sociedad.
Real Madrid’s draw increases the pressure on Madrid coach Xabi Alonso, after recent rumours suggesting his future is insecure in the Madrid dugout.
“We are up there, it’s all very even, it’s a long season and we have to continue,” Alonso told reporters.
“I liked the reaction from the players. It was not enough to turn it around but we were close, and we have to continue with the unity we have, being self-critical enough, and wanting to win away from home.”
Madrid travel to face Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday for a fourth consecutive league match on the road, a game moved because of the club’s participation in the Spanish Super Cup in January.
“The table will be hard-fought, there will be lots of movement,” added Alonso.
Mbappe and Arda Guler fired off target for Madrid early on in a hotly-contested but scrappy clash, in front of a raucous home crowd.
French superstar Mbappe had a goal ruled out for handball moments before Morocco international Ounahi fired Girona ahead, rifling home from just inside the area to stun their illustrious visitors.
Catalan minnows Girona, 18th, have twice beaten Real Madrid at Montilivi since making their top flight debut in 2017 and for a while it looked like they were going to manage it again.
Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois made a stunning save to tip away Vanat’s drive across goal before Los Blancos fought back.
After having a goal disallowed for offside Vinicius was clumsily felled in the box by Hugo Rincon.
Mbappe smashed the resulting penalty into the bottom left corner past Gazzaniga’s dive for his 14th La Liga goal of the campaign.
“Absolutely not the result we wanted tonight, but the league is still on and very long,” wrote Mbappe on social media network Instagram.
“We need to change this dynamic and show who we are as a team.”
Keeping the pressure on
Villarreal playmaker Moleiro netted twice in the second half of a thrilling game in San Sebastian.
Villarreal secured their fifth consecutive league win to stay firmly in the Spanish title fight.
Ayoze Perez sent the visitors ahead midway through the first half and teed up Moleiro for Villarreal’s second soon after the break.
Real Sociedad fought back strongly, with Carlos Soler netting on the hour mark.
The Basque side ramped up the pressure and levelled in the final stages through a spectacular Ander Barrenetxea free-kick.
However, Moleiro had the final say, firing home in the 95th minute to maintain his team’s momentum.
“We had that little bit of luck to get three very important points, as important as they were difficult (to get),” said Marcelino.
“To get 32 points out of a possible 42 to me seems a stunning achievement.”
Elsewhere, Real Betis claimed a 2-0 win at Sevilla in a fiery derby clash which was briefly suspended after home fans threw bottles onto the pitch.
The referee ordered players from the field in the 87th minute at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan stadium, with the match resuming 15 minutes later as Betis held on to fifth place.
Star batsman Virat Kohli slammed a record-extending 52nd one-day international century, scoring 135 off 120 balls to lead India to a thrilling 17-run victory over a determined South Africa in the first ODI on Sunday at Ranchi.
Kohli shared a second-wicket partnership of 136 runs with fellow stalwart Rohit Sharma, setting India on course for a competitive 349-8.
South Africa’s number eight, Corbin Bosch, made a valiant 67 off 51 balls, keeping his team in contention until the final moments. Entering the 50th over, the visitors needed 18 runs with one wicket left, but Bosch fell on the second ball, leaving South Africa all out for 332.
Earlier, Matthew Breetzke (72) and Marco Jansen (70) had forged a fighting 97-run stand for the sixth wicket, reviving the chase after South Africa slipped to 11-3 and 77-4.
Kuldeep Yadav was the standout bowler for India, taking 4-68, including a crucial double strike to dismiss Jansen and Breetzke in just three balls—a turning point in the match that helped India secure a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Kohli, now 37, raised his 83rd international century across all three formats with a boundary off Jansen, celebrating with the raucous home crowd.
“If you’ve played over 300 games and so much cricket, you know your reflexes and physical ability are there to bat long,” said Kohli, the player of the match.
“As long as you’re hitting the ball well and playing good cricket, it’s about being physically fit, mentally ready, and excited.”
Kohli mania
An enthusiastic Indian fan breached security and ran onto the field to touch Virat Kohli’s feet before being restrained.
Kohli now holds the record for the most ODI hundreds, with Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar second with 49.
In a single format, he also leads the list, while Tendulkar’s 51 hundreds came in Tests.
Kohli and 38-year-old Rohit Sharma, who scored 57, now only play ODIs after retiring from T20s and Tests.
Their presence strengthened India, led by KL Rahul in the absence of the injured Shubman Gill, following a 2-0 Test series whitewash against South Africa.
Rohit lost fellow opener Yashasvi Jaiswal early for 18, but Kohli walked in to a roar from a 38,000-strong crowd.
The pair steadied the innings before Rohit was trapped lbw by Marco Jansen.
Rohit hit three sixes in his 51-ball knock, taking his total to 352 sixes in ODIs, surpassing Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi (351).
Kohli accelerated after reaching his first century since February, hitting off-spinner Prenelan Subrayen for two fours and two sixes in the 39th over, scoring 21 runs. He eventually fell to Nandre Burger, caught by Ryan Rickelton, after hitting 11 fours and seven sixes.
KL Rahul contributed 60 off 56 balls, while Ravindra Jadeja added 32 off 20.
Corbin Bosch recorded his first ODI half-century, keeping South Africa in the contest, making the series opener an exciting match ahead of the second ODI in Raipur on Wednesday.
“Great to sit in the change room and watch the guys do their thing,” said stand-in skipper Aiden Markram. “Never losing the belief that we can pull off a rabbit from the hat.”
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