Unbeaten England eye place in semis but results have masked woeful batting | Raf Nicholson

England find themselves in a curious position at the halfway point of their World Cup campaign as they prepare to face the hosts, India, on Sunday. They are unbeaten, sit third in the points table, and – partly because India have already lost twice – have a 98% chance of qualifying for the semi-finals. One more win would seal their progress to the knockouts.Yet their batting has been woeful. With the honourable exception of Nat Sciver-Brunt, England’s top seven have looked desperately lacking in the technique and temperament that is required on tricky batting tracks at Guwahati and Colombo

Risk of wheel bashing and strategy sets up complicated US Grand Prix

At the mid-point of this season it might have been considered that the title fight between McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri would simply be decided by which driver had the edge to take the flag at each remaining meeting. Going into this weekend’s US Grand Prix, however, the contest has become far more complicated and far more interesting.While only 22 points separate the pair neither has now won for three races, the team’s longest drought of the season. Moreover, they have been beaten on merit across a variety of tracks. At the fast, low downforce challenge of Monza and Baku, where Red Bull’s Max Verstappen took the flag, and the slow, high downforce of Singapore, where Mercedes’ George Russell more than had their measure

Taunts add spice as big three vie for Champion Stakes in thrilling Ascot finale

If you were to sit down with a blank piece of paper to design an ideal finale for the 2025 Flat season, the result would probably be a race with a striking resemblance to Saturday’s Champion Stakes at Ascot.It will be run over a mile-and-a-quarter, an ideal test for speed and stamina, and on good ground, with three of the world’s top-10 racehorses on ratings going head-to-head. The double-figure field also includes some very live “dark” horses that could spring a surprise, and a runner apiece for Ireland, Britain and France, European racing’s leading nations, among the three main contenders. The strength and depth of the competition is so high that punters who successfully unravel the puzzle can expect at least a 180% return on their stake, in the space of a couple of minutes.There is even a little needle to add further spice, after Aidan O’Brien, the trainer of Delacroix, suggested to a media briefing on Thursday that John Gosden, who trains Ombudsman, the favourite, “can whinge a little bit after races, whether he wins or he loses”

‘Illusion of democracy’: Ben Sulayem’s last rival exits FIA presidential race

The FIA has been accused of presenting an “illusion of democracy” in an uncompromising broadside from the last remaining challenger to Mohammed Ben Sulayem as he formally announced his attempt to succeed the organisation’s incumbent president was over. Tim Mayer, a former FIA senior steward, also condemned Formula One’s governing body for lacking transparency and threatening the sport’s future.The 59-year-old American, who was sacked from his FIA role last year, had been standing as a candidate against Ben Sulayem but on Friday in Austin acknowledged the incumbent would run unopposed because of the way FIA electoral regulations are composed.“There will be only one candidate, the incumbent,” Mayer said. “That’s not democracy – that’s the illusion of democracy

‘Inspiring’ Lewis Moody will make it a day of emotion at Leicester-Bath clash

Emotions are bound to run high at Welford Road on Saturday, and not just because Bath are in town to renew one of the great rivalries in English rugby.Not even because Leicester’s round-four date with the reigning champions is a repeat of last season’s final, a little over four months ago, when Johann van Graan’s side resisted a fierce Tigers fightback at Twickenham to claim their first league title in 29 years.The emotion for Leicester fans, in particular, will be generated by an appearance from Lewis Moody, the former England flanker, who revealed this month he has been diagnosed with motor neurone disease. Moody spent 14 seasons with the East Midlands club, amassing 223 appearances and scoring 32 tries. Perhaps it is less well remembered that he was a two-club man who finished his career at Bath, finally forced to retire due to injury in 2012

Your Guardian sport weekend: Premier League returns, F1 in the US and World Cup cricket

Here’s how to follow along with our coverage – the finest writing and up-to-the-minute reportsThe opening Ashes Test in Perth on 21 November is drawing ever closer, but first England touch down across the Tasman for a limited-overs tour of New Zealand, beginning in Christchurch on Saturday with the first of three T20s. White-ball cricket as a warmup for the greatest Test series of them all may seem curious but the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka follows hot on the heels of the Ashes. On England’s last visit to Asia this year they lost 10 out of 11 matches, including seven from eight in India, but Harry Brook’s side are targeting the trophy he helped them win in Australia in 2022. Brook is back to lead the side after being rested last month in Ireland, where Jacob Bethell became England’s youngest men’s captain, aged 21, and guided them to a 2-0 T20 series win. When they last had a full complement, England became the first Test nation to score 300 in a men’s T20, with Phil Salt and Jos Buttler flaying South Africa’s bowlers to all parts at Old Trafford