In Pictures: British and Irish Lions in training
BBC Sport and Inpho present a selection of some of the most striking images from Tuesday's British and Irish Lions training session.
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Daily Mail
31 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Ben Stokes hails 'unbelievable' Ben Duckett after the opener's magnificent 149 helped England claim another heroic Headingley triumph
Ben Stokes savoured another heroic Headingley triumph as England completed their second-highest run chase to beat India by five wickets in a thrilling first Test. Opener Ben Duckett led the charge with a magnificent 149, helping the hosts knock off 371 with 14 overs remaining of an epic final day in Leeds. England's remarkable pursuit follows their famous run-chase wins on this ground against Australia in 2019 – when Stokes inspired them to knock off 359 - and 2023. And skipper Stokes said: 'We've got some good memories here in the last few years and that's another one to add to it. 'To get to day five and the last hour and come home with the win is amazing. It was an awesome Test to be a part of. It's a special start to the series.' Man-of-the-match Duckett shared an opening stand of 188 with Zak Crawley, who struck 65, while Joe Root hit an unbeaten 53 and Jamie Smith smashed a six to win it in a knock of 44. On Duckett, Stokes said: 'He was unbelievable. He knows how good that was. Chasing 371, you need a good start and his stand with Zak set us up brilliantly. 'Ducky has been incredible since coming into the team. He has shown he can score runs all over the world and in any conditions he's faced. 'He is one of the best in the world at playing reverse sweeps and sweeps. He is a quality player.' Duckett added: 'I had to do my job. Zak played beautifully and we knew we had to set the tone. To start this series with a 1-0 win is huge for us.' Stokes insisted he never regretted his controversial decision to bowl first despite India reaching 430 for three in their first innings. But he praised the character his side showed to fight back in the Test, with Josh Tongue twice blowing away the tourists' tail. 'This win here is not down to just the skill, but the attitude of this dressing room,' said Stokes. 'We turned up each session with an attitude that we'll blow the game open. Tongue's spells were game changing.' Defeat is especially damaging for India given they only plan to play star bowler Jasprit Bumrah in two further Tests following his return from injury. 'We won't change our plans,' said India coach Gautam Gambhir. 'For us, to manage his workload is more important. We haven't decided which two he will play, but we believe in the rest of our bowling attack.'
Daily Mail
32 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Ex-Man United boss Erik ten Hag meets Robbie Williams after attending the popstar's gig in Amsterdam as he enjoys his summer before starting work at Bayer Leverkusen
Former Man United boss Erik ten Hag reunited with Robbie Williams after attending the popstar's latest gig in Amsterdam. Ten Hag was back at the Johan Cruyff ArenA on Sunday night, the venue he had called home as manager of Ajax from 2018 to 2022. The stadium had been the latest stop on Williams' Britpop tour across Europe, with Ten Hag among the attendees. Ten Hag met Williams backstage following the gig, with the singer sharing a photo of them on Instagram. 'Two incredible nights in Amsterdam… that was fun. All the love, Rob,' Williams posted with nine images from his stop in the Netherlands. Accompanying the picture with Ten Hag, Williams also showed where his football loyalties lie by posing next to a banner in honour of his local club Port Vale, which read 'The Valiants, Port Vale, Est. 1876'. It was not the first time Ten Hag had come across Williams, with the 'Angles' singer having previously visited Man United during the Dutchman's time as manager. Williams had been given a tour of Man United's Carrington training ground in 2022 by Harry Maguire. The defender, who is friends with Williams, also organised for the star to meet members of the squad during their pre-season tour in Los Angeles last summer. Ten Hag is joining some final time off before returning to management, after being sacked by Man United last season. He was dismissed from Old Trafford in October with Man United lying 14th in the Premier League after winning just four of their opening 14 matches. His departure came despite the club triggering a one-year contract extension last summer. Ten Hag's extension followed him leading the club to the FA Cup, having also won the Carabao Cup in his first full season in charge. He was appointed as manager of Bayer Leverkusen on a two-year deal last month, with the Dutchman succeeding Xabi Alonso as boss after his move to Real Madrid.
Times
36 minutes ago
- Times
England complete remarkable chase in stunning first-Test win over India
The Dickie Bird clock showed 6.30pm, the match well into its final, thrilling hour, when Jamie Smith clobbered Ravindra Jadeja over the leg side, pummelling India's spinner for not just one six but two and taking 18 runs off an over to finish the match in style. Joe Root, the nerveless home-town hero, took the younger man into his arms to celebrate another famous backs-to-the-wall victory at this ground, having calmly provided the closing touches to England's second-highest run chase of all time. The old adage of never judging a pitch until both sides have batted on it can be replaced now in the context of this match by never judging a toss until the end of the game. Ben Stokes would be entitled to touch his flat cap, sip the foam from his celebratory (non-alcoholic) beer and say, 'I told thee so,' as, once again, Headingley's recent penchant for playing to the advantage of the team batting last came to pass. After another dramatic final day, but one that lacked the tension of some victories here because a win seemed, well, so certain for long parts of it, England fought the clock, rain, the best fast bowler in the world and a fifth-day pitch to win a wonderful Test match by five wickets. Many contributed, but none more so than Ben Duckett, who made a brilliant sixth Test hundred to blunt Jasprit Bumrah with the new ball and Jadeja with the old, India's chief threats on the day. Duckett was not there when England made their highest chase, against India, at Edgbaston two years ago, although four of India's attack were. Alex Lees was the incumbent then, but since Duckett was recalled in Lees's place, he has contributed immensely to the transition of this team to one who think all things are possible. Rishabh Pant made two hundreds in the game, but there was little doubt that Duckett's was the match-winning performance. India will wonder how they lost this match. Indeed, no team in history have lost a Test having had five players make individual hundreds. They had a chance to bury England in both innings, but collapsed twice, dropped crucial catches, had too little back-up for Bumrah throughout the game and were left to rue the absence of their wrist spinner, Kuldeep Yadav, with so many runs to play with. Bumrah could summon no miracle and went wicketless on the final day. Duckett played superbly for 149, a number that carries great significance on this ground to England cricket supporters, given it was exactly that score made by Ian Botham in 1981. His performance can be bracketed with other notable batting efforts here in modern times, made in match-winning causes, such as Graham Gooch's 154 in 1991, Mark Butcher's 173 in 2001 and Stokes's 135 in 2019. No opener has scored more runs in Test cricket since his recall in 2022, and Duckett's value to the team is immense in all formats. He played with real intelligence, punishing the loose balls and exploiting the gaps, and, crucially, nullifying Jadeja's threat with as fine an exhibition of reverse-sweeping as has been seen by an England player, though Jadeja bowled poorly initially, for a bowler of his experience and standing. Duckett shared in an opening partnership of 188 with Zak Crawley, who played with as much composure as he ever has in an England shirt in making 65. Each was given one life, Duckett on 97 and Crawley on 42, to further highlight India's poor out-cricket in this match, but the alarms were few and far between apart from that. Very few had discounted England's chances before the final day, but no one, surely, expected such serene and untroubled progress initially. The first hour was filled with tension, though. England survived Bumrah's opening burst, despite two balls that went like firecrackers off the pitch to Duckett. Crawley played sensibly save one leg-side whoosh to Mohammed Siraj, who bowled his best spell of the game. Straight of line, Siraj was hunting a leg-before to Crawley, who took guard out of his popping crease as a result. The fifty partnership arrived with four costly byes. India had bowled well, for no reward. Shubman Gill's problem was highlighted by the 56 runs that came in the nine overs after Bumrah's withdrawal. Duckett took boundaries with ease from Prasidh Krishna, expensive again, and went to his second half-century of the match. It felt as if he had played more calmly than usual — he even left three of his first six balls on the fourth evening — but his 50 still came quickly, in 66 balls. Crawley drove Krishna on the rise to register England's 100, the fourth time he and Duckett had so combined. They are not as prolific as some, but few combinations have taken the attack to the bowlers so aggressively, their runs in partnership having come at a rate of more than five an over since they were first paired together. Gill was forced to return to Bumrah again before lunch, and he missed a sharp return catch from Crawley. England lunched at 117 for 0. It was to Bumrah that Gill turned again afterwards, and Crawley picked him off to the leg side for his fifth boundary to bring up his fifty. Duckett edged Siraj through slip, but Gill had moved KL Rahul wider, and the bowler glared in displeasure. Siraj nearly flipped when Duckett was dropped by Yashasvi Jaiswal at deep square leg, the youngster's third drop of the match, and Duckett reverse-swept Jadeja with authority and power to fly through the nineties and reach his hundred in 121 balls. Things seemed to be slipping away from India, and Siraj, a fine competitor, was close to blowing his top, although a smile was never far away too. A 20-minute rain break helped India to regroup, but was not kind to Crawley, who edged Krishna to slip on the restart. Confidence boosted after an expensive morning, Krishna found some extra bounce to bowl Ollie Pope off inside edge and pad. It was the turn of Shardul Thakur, so anonymous until now, to bring another twist to proceedings. From nowhere, Duckett crunched Thakur to cover and then Harry Brook, advancing, tickled a catch down the leg side first ball. Enter Stokes to join Root, with 118 to win, and Jadeja adjusted his line finally to catch the rough with greater frequency, giving Stokes some challenges early on. Rain came; tea was taken, and Gill turned to Bumrah again for a final throw of the dice. India burnt their final review, when they thought Jadeja had trapped Root on the front foot. Stokes saw off Bumrah and fell top-edging a reverse-sweep, with 69 needed. Root was the key man now and demonstrated all his class and experience in making an unbeaten 53, sharing the final partnership with Smith, who, with Root entrenched, had the freedom to attack. When Bumrah did not take the second new ball with 22 to win, the game was up, and it was left to Smith to finish things off in a hurry.
