England face daunting task as Ashes series resumes in shadow of tragedy

Adelaide may be 1,300km to the west of Bondi but the sense of pain in the city has been no less for the distance. People are in shock here trying to make sense of the horrors that unfolded on Sunday evening – a day that was supposed to be one of celebration for Sydney’s Jewish community. As the first national public event being staged in Australia since, the third Ashes Test that starts here on Wednesday will play out to a sombre backdrop. The flags at Adelaide Oval will fly at half-mast, a minute’s silence will be observed before the toss, while players are likely to wear black armbands throughout. Inevitably, security for the match has been increased

Jockey Club behaves like old-style lord of the manor over secretive Kempton sale plans | Greg Wood

It has taken the better part of a decade but the Jockey Club, the private, self-appointed body that has wielded immense power in racing for nearly 300 years, seems poised to realise its long-standing ambition to see one of the sport’s most historic racecourses bulldozed for housing. If the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day is on your racing bucket list, next week’s renewal might be one of the final chances to tick it off.That, sadly, is the only conclusion to be drawn from what was almost a throwaway comment by Jim Mullen, the Jockey Club’s new chief executive, to the Racing Post’s industry editor, Bill Barber, over the weekend.“Kempton,” Mullen said, “is out of my hands,” before adding: “Back in 2018 the Jockey Club and [the developer] Redrow negotiated an option to develop Kempton and that option was negotiated and transferred to Redrow. They have the option to exercise that for development, but since I’ve been here [from April 2025] there have been no concrete plans or agreements to develop it

If Harry Brook is truly a generational talent, that promise needs to be delivered now | Barney Ronay

“They were shocking shots. I’ll admit that every day of the week. Especially the one in Perth. It was nearly a bouncer and I’ve tried to drive it. It was just bad batting

Ben Stokes calls on England to show some ‘dog’ in Adelaide and keep Ashes hopes alive

Ben Stokes has called on his England players to summon up the rage witnessed against India in the summer and show some “dog” as they seek to keep their slim Ashes hopes alive in Adelaide.After going 2-0 down in Brisbane, Stokes spoke of Australia being “no country for weak men” and stressed the same went for the England ­dressing room under his captaincy.Looking ahead to the third Test that gets under way on Wednesday, that comment was seemingly no slip of the tongue.Instead, having allowed it initially to sit with his players ­during their mid-series break in Noosa, Stokes has since doubled down internally. This included a reminder of the timewasting row with India at Lord’s in July that triggered a spate of running verbals and, in the end, a 22-run win

It’s Lionesses v Red Roses v Rory’s Europe as BBC names Spoty team of year shortlist

England’s Lionesses are up against their rugby union counterparts, the Red Roses, and Europe’s winning Ryder Cup side on the shortlist for team of the year at the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year award.For the first time the BBC have swerved having to make the call themselves by making the team award a public vote, with the winners to be announced live at the ceremony on 18 December.It will be a battle that pits history-makers against game-changers and a team that conquered America and a relentlessly hostile crowd.Sarina Wiegman’s England will have their supporters having become only the second country to retain the Euros after a penalty shootout victory over the world champions, Spain. The victory also meant the Lionesses became the first senior England team to win a trophy abroad

Philip Rivers: how a 44-year-old grandpa nearly pulled off one of the NFL’s greatest comebacks

The Colts quarterback was coaching high school football before his surprise return. And he showed brains are almost important as brawn at his positionIs quarterback the most demanding position in sports? It’s close enough to make no difference: players must memorize a complicated playbook, orchestrate an entire offense, scan for open receivers while 280lb opponents sprint toward them with violent intent, and then thread a pass to a target who could be 30 yards downfield amid a crowd of defenders. Now try doing all that as a 44-year-old grandfather, exactly 1,800 days since you last started an NFL game.Philip Rivers broke a historic streak for the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. The longest layoff between games before then belonged to another 44-year-old quarterback who returned to action after years out of the game, and some time in coaching – Steve DeBerg for the Atlanta Falcons in 1998