Sports
Stokes tells England to ‘write our own history’ in Ashes | The Express Tribune
England captain Ben Stokes bowls during a nets session at Perth Stadium. Photo: AFP
PERTH:
England captain Ben Stokes admitted Thursday beating “a seriously good” Australia will be tough but said his team was up for the challenge and had a golden opportunity to rewrite Ashes history.
The tourists have not won a series in Australia for 15 years and have crashed to defeat in 13 of 15 Tests since, with two more drawn.
But with the hosts missing influential pace spearheads Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood for the first Test starting in Perth on Friday, Stokes was upbeat about England’s chances.
“Coming to Australia, playing against Australia, they’re a seriously good team,” he said.
“Everyone, including myself, knows the record of England over the history of Ashes in Australia isn’t the best.
“But you know, we’ve got an opportunity here over the next two-and-a-half months to write our own history.
“We’ve obviously come here with a goal and that goal is to get on that plane mid-January, returning to England being Ashes winners.
“We know it’s going to be very, very tough. It’s going to be hard because beating Australia is not an easy thing.”
England named a 12-man squad for the opening Test but are set to leave the final decision on who to omit until the toss.
Much will depend on how veteran paceman Mark Wood is feeling after an injury scare last week, along with a final look at a wicket which is expected to be lively.
If Wood is good to go, they will potentially field an all-speed attack also boasting Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson and Brydon Carse, although the option of including off-spinner Shoaib Bashir remains on the table.
Bashir was relegated to the second-tier England Lions in England’s only warm-up match last week but Stokes said that was a deliberate tactic.
“He was always going to be in the 12,” he said. “We thought it was just about getting as many opportunities to bowl as possible. And we got to face him.”
Wood only sent down eight overs in the game last week before heading for scans on a hamstring niggle. He was cleared, but has barely played since knee surgery earlier this year.
Stokes said he had no concerns about the 35-year-old, who was “flying”.
“I know you guys say he only bowled eight overs in the game, but he’s been bowling for a long, long time,” he said.
“He has always been someone who can just hit the ground running in the game, and he’s bowling rapid, which is good.”
The Ashes moves to Brisbane after Perth, before Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney.
Bayern Munich turned the tables on old rival Real Madrid in a dramatic series between the European giants that ended with the German team prevailing.
Luis Díaz and Michael Olise scored late for the Bavarian powerhouse to beat Madrid 4-3 and advance to the Champions League semifinals on Wednesday.
“What a special night, Harry Kane said after the game. “I mean, a crazy game, to be honest, and obviously, being a quarter-final, being a big game like it was, to have the ebbs and flows and the highs and lows throughout the first half, especially, was pretty unique.”
The victory extended Bayern’s unbeaten run to 16 games in all competitions and sealed a 6-4 aggregate triumph, a first over Madrid in a two-legged tie since 2012.
The second-leg quarterfinal game ended in acrimony with Madrid’s players furious that referee Slavko Vinčić sent off substitute Eduardo Camavinga in the 86th minute with a second yellow card for an innocuous challenge on Kane.
Díaz fired inside the right post three minutes later and Olise ended the contest definitively with a spectacular strike in stoppage time to give Bayern a 6-4 win on aggregate after the Bavarian powerhouse won the first leg of their quarterfinal 2-1 in Madrid last week.
Bayern will play defending champion Paris Saint-Germain in the semifinals.
“One of the best in Europe for sure, reigning European champions for a reason,” Kane said about PSG.
“We obviously had a tough game against them earlier in the Champions League stages. So, yeah, we’ll expect an open game, a lot of man-for-man pressure, a lot of individual quality. Hopefully, we can come out on top.”
Bayern, which smashed the Bundesliga goals record last weekend, can clinch yet another German league title on Sunday – the 13th in 14 years – if Borussia Dortmund drops points the day before.
Bayern also faces Bayer Leverkusen in the semifinals of the German Cup on April 22 as it chases a repeat of the treble it won in 2013.
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — North Carolina freshman Caleb Wilson is headed to the NBA draft after what he called “the most fun year of my life” playing for the Tar Heels.
The program released a video statement Monday from the 6-foot-10 forward regarded as a top prospect in the June draft. That made Wilson’s one-and-done route official, coming after he had posted an “#8out” message on social media late last month indicating he was headed in that anticipated direction.
“I am grateful for the opportunity I had to represent North Carolina,” Wilson said. “Wearing No. 8, running out of that historic tunnel every day for practice and games, and i’m happy to say every day I gave it my all.”
Thank you CHAPEL HILL🩵 pic.twitter.com/Yd4u8ZVM19
— Caleb Wilson (@CalebWilson2025) April 13, 2026
Wilson averaged 19.8 points and 9.4 rebounds in a dynamic season that was cut short by injury, first a broken bone in his left hand days after a thrilling win against rival Duke. Then, when he was on the verge of returning, he broke his right thumb in a noncontact drill to end his season on the eve of the second game against the Blue Devils.
Still, Wilson was named a second-team Associated Press All-American, a distinction that will ensure that he will be included among the honored jerseys in the Smith Center rafters.
He is projected to go fourth in ESPN’s latest mock draft for the star-studded 2026 class.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
Sports
WWE champ Jade Cargill very hopeful to meet ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin at Hall of Fame ceremony
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LAS VEGAS – WrestleMania 42 is the big-ticket item on pro wrestling fans’ checklist this weekend in Las Vegas, but before the bell rings, WWE will enshrine its 2026 class into the Hall of Fame.
AJ Styles, Stephanie McMahon, Sycho Sid, Bad News Brown, Dennis Rodman, the tag team duo known as Demolition and Hulk Hogan’s match with Andre the Giant from WrestleMania 3 are included this year.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Jade Cargill enters the arena before competing against Iyo Sky during “SmackDown” at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., on April 10, 2026. (Eakin Howard/Getty Images)
Jade Cargill, the current WWE women’s champion, is also excited about the Hall of Fame festivities. She told Fox News Digital she was a big fan of the Attitude Era of the WWE and was hopeful to meet “Stone Cold” Steve Austin.
“I hope he is there because I want to meet him,” she told Fox News Digital in a recent interview. “He’s one of the people, other than Paul Heyman and Booker T, Paul Heyman I was like I have to meet him. How did this guy survive this long? He’s bigger than life. He’s just natural with it. I have to meet him, have to take a picture with him, talk to him, I have to do that.
WRESTLEMANIA 42 CARD REVEALED AS MAIN EVENTS AND MAJOR MATCHES ARE SET
Stone Cold Steve Austin speaks during WrestleMania 41 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev., on April 20, 2025. (WWE/WWE/Getty Images)
“And Stone Cold is the other person. I’m very hopeful that he’s gonna be there at the Hall of Fame. He was there last year. But I couldn’t like, there was so many people crowding him. And just to see Stephanie (McMahon) get her flowers is one-of-one. I love that for her.”
Austin was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009 as a wrestler. Last year, he was inducted as part of the immortal moment wing. His match with Bret Hart at WrestleMania 13 was inducted last year. He’s one of eight wrestlers who are in the Hall of Fame multiple times.
WWE Women’s Champion Jade Cargill performs in the ring during “SmackDown” at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Ariz., on March 13, 2026. (Bradlee Rutledge/WWE)
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The WWE Hall of Fame ceremony will take place at Dolby Live at Park MGM on Friday night at midnight ET.
Kane hails ‘special night’ as Bayern finally gets past old rivals Madrid
Caleb Wilson says bye to UNC after 1 year, off to NBA draft
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