West Indies great Clive Lloyd ‘disturbed’ by two-tier plan for Test cricket

  • Talks ongoing on dividing sport into two divisions
  • Lloyd: ‘I think it will be terrible for some countries’

The West Indies great Clive Lloyd is “disturbed” by the idea of a two-tier structure for Test cricket and believes efforts should instead be focused on ensuring struggling teams play more often against the top sides.

According to a report in the Melbourne Age, India, Australia and England are in talks to divide Test cricket into two divisions to allow cricket’s “Big Three” to play each other more often. The International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Indian chairman, Jay Shah, will meet representatives of the Australian and English boards this month, the report added.

Continue reading...

Serie A roundup: Napoli go level with Atalanta at top after Raspadori winner

  • Raspadori scores after Romelu Lukuku has penalty saved
  • Fiorentina’s Sottil pegs back Juventus in 2-2 draw

Giacomo Raspadori came off the bench to score the only goal in Napoli’s 1-0 home win over relegation-battling Venezia, a result which moves them to second in the Serie A standings and level on points with leaders Atalanta.

Antonio Conte’s hosts were on the attack from the off, with Filip Stankovic twice denying the home side with close-range saves from Amir Rrahmani and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Venezia began to find a footing in the game, almost taking the lead but Alex Meret pulled off a reflex save with his leg to keep out John Yeboah’s effort.

Continue reading...

South Africa creep past Pakistan after dramatic collapse to reach WTC final

  • Pakistan 211 and 237; South Africa 301 and 150-8
  • Mohammad Abbas takes 6-54 but denied famous win

Fast bowlers Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen turned batting heroes as South Africa edged out Pakistan by two wickets to win a thrilling first Test at Centurion and book themselves a place in next year’s World Test Championship final.

Rabada scored 31 and Jansen 16 in an unbeaten partnership of 51 off 50 balls to see South Africa over the line and deny Pakistan a dramatic comeback victory after Mohammed Abbas took six wickets as he shredded through the home batting order.

Continue reading...

Iga Swiatek feared a more negative public reaction to her doping ban

  • World No 2 tested positive for trimetazidine in August
  • Swiatek insists all anti-doping cases are treated the same

Iga Swiatek says she feared a more negative reaction to her doping ban, and insists that all such cases in tennis are treated in the same way. The Pole was handed a one-month suspension in November after a positive test for trimetazidine, which the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) accepted was caused by contamination of a medicine Swiatek was taking for jet lag.

It was the second high-profile doping case to hit the sport this year after the men’s world No 1 Jannik Sinner’s two failed tests, for which he did not receive a ban. The World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) appealed that decision and Sinner may still be suspended, but Swiatek is not expecting a similar outcome.

Continue reading...

European football: Bayern beat Leipzig 5-1 as Reijnders delivers Christmas win

  • Kane returns from injury in Bundesliga thrashing
  • Milan beat Verona 1-0; Girona sink Real Valladolid

Bayern Munich stamped their authority on the Bundesliga by hammering fourth-placed RB Leipzig 5-1 in a game that featured two goals in the opening two minutes for the first time in the league’s history.

Having lost their first league match of the season to Mainz last week, Bayern delivered a commanding performance against a Leipzig side who struggled to build any attacking momentum.

Continue reading...

European football: Leganés stun Barça as Atlético Madrid make move

  • Leganés defender Sergio González scores early winner
  • Sørloth moves Atlético above Real Madrid into second

Barcelona lost 1-0 to Leganés, allowing Atlético Madrid to pull level with them at the top of La Liga. Sergio González’s fourth-minute header for Leganés proved enough to stun the wasteful hosts, who lost their second consecutive league game in front of their own fans. The defender rose unmarked at the near post to fire an unstoppable header past Iñaki Peña.

Despite dominating with over 80% possession, Barça were clueless as they sought to overcome a disciplined and well organised five-man defence, spurning a handful of opportunities.

Continue reading...

European football: Bayern Munich slip up at Mainz as Leverkusen close gap

  • Leverkusen four points behind after win at Augsburg
  • Real Madrid drop points despite Jude Bellingham goal

Lee Jae-sung scored either side of the break as Mainz stunned Bayern Munich 2-1 on Saturday to end the league leaders’ unbeaten start as their advantage at the top was cut to four points.

Lee struck four minutes before the break, the South Korea international pouncing on a defensive blunder by the lacklustre visitors. The 32-year-old then doubled the hosts’ lead on the hour, turning beautifully in the box to finish a superb attacking move that left the Bayern defence frozen to the spot.

Continue reading...

European football: Bayern go six clear at top, Real Madrid close on Barcelona

  • Jamal Musiala scores twice in 4-2 win over Heidenheim
  • Betis level late against Barça; Real Madrid beat Girona

Two second-half goals from the substitute Jamal Musiala put Bayern Munich six points clear at the top of the Bundesliga with a nervous 4-2 home victory over Heidenheim.

The Bavarian club, who take on Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League on Tuesday, were without the injured Harry Kane, Manuel Neuer and Serge Gnabry. Eager to bounce back from their midweek German Cup defeat by Bayer Leverkusen,the hosts were in control from the start and took an 18th-minute lead when unmarked Dayot Upamecano headed in.

Continue reading...

Remco Evenepoel sustains multiple fractures after collision with post van

  • Bike collided with the open door of vehicle in Belgium
  • Incident broke double Olympic champion’s bike in two

The double Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel suffered fractures to his rib, right shoulder blade and hand, his team, Soudal-QuickStep, said on Tuesday. According to ­Belgian media, the 24-year-old crashed into an open door of a postal vehicle while he was on a training ride in Oetingen.

Evenepoel, who claimed gold in the men’s road race and time trial at the Paris Olympics, was conscious after the incident, with the impact breaking his bike, reports said.

Continue reading...

Australia’s Jack Doohan to make Formula One debut at Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

  • Son of motorcycle great Mick replaces Esteban Ocon at Alpine
  • Esteban Ocon released early to join Haas for post-season test

Australian Jack Doohan, son of motorcycle great Mick, will make his Formula One debut for Alpine in Sunday’s season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix after departing Esteban Ocon was released early.

Ocon has signed for Haas and the switch will allow him to take part in the post-season test at Yas Marina next week, while also preparing Doohan for next season when he graduates from reserve to full race driver.

Continue reading...

European football: McTominay boosts Napoli title bid, Real Madrid sink Getafe

  • Midfielder nets winner in 1-0 victory at Torino
  • Bellingham and Mbappé on target for Madrid

Scott McTominay’s first-half goal earned leaders Napoli a 1-0 win at Torino as Antonio Conte’s side opened a four-point gap at the top of the Serie A standings.

The Scotland midfielder found the net around the half-hour mark when he struck a shot powerfully inside the near post after receiving a precise pass from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Napoli move on to 32 points, with four teams level on 28 points: Atalanta, Lazio, Inter and Fiorentina.

Continue reading...

Halep hits out at ‘difference’ in anti-doping cases after one-month Swiatek ban

  • Halep was given four-year ban in 2022, later reduced
  • World No 2 Swiatek given one-month ban for violation

Simona Halep questioned the “big difference” in how doping cases are treated after world No 2 Iga Swiatek was handed a one-month drugs ban while the Romanian was out of action for more than 18 months following two separate anti-doping violations.

The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) said on Thursday that Swiatek had accepted a one-month suspension after testing positive for the banned substance trimetazidine (TMZ).

Continue reading...

Champions League roundup: Bayern’s Kim Min-jae leaves PSG in trouble

  • PSG outside playoff places after 1-0 defeat by Bayern Munich
  • Inter top after beating Leipzig; Barcelona best Brest 3-0

Bayern Munich battled past 10-man Paris Saint-Germain 1-0, thanks to Kim Min-jae’s winner, to improve their chances of automatic qualification and leave the visitors in trouble after a third defeat in the competition.

With PSG’s only win so far coming against Girona in their opener they were desperate for points, but Bayern struck first with South Korea’s Kim heading home from close range after the goalkeeper Matvei Safonov fluffed a corner in the 38th minute.

Continue reading...

Real Madrid’s Vinícius Júnior to miss Liverpool clash with leg injury

  • Brazilian out of Wednesday’s Champions League match
  • Fears that forward could miss up to seven games

Vinícius Júnior will miss Real Madrid’s Champions League game at Liverpool on Wednesday after sustaining a leg muscle injury in Sunday’s 3-0 La Liga win at Leganés, the Spanish club have said.

Sources close to the player said that Vinícius is expected to be sidelined for three to four weeks. It means he could miss up to seven games before the winter break.

Continue reading...

European football: Kylian Mbappé and Jude Bellingham on target as Real cruise

  • Madrid beat Leganés to move four points off Barcelona
  • Lukaku takes Napoli back to top spot in Serie A

Kylian Mbappé ended his goal drought and England’s Jude Bellingham scored too as Real Madrid thrashed Leganés 3-0 in La Liga on Sunday.

Leganés’ defence kept Real at bay in the first half but the visitors took the lead three minutes before the break when Vinícius Jr teed up Mbappé, who slotted home for seventh league goal this season. Real enjoyed most of the possession in the second half and the Uruguayan midfielder Federico Valverde scored with a powerful low free-kick after Bellingham had been fouled at the 66th minute.

Continue reading...