Wimbledon diary: strawberry sandwiches, pricey rackets and Oliver Tarvet’s expenses

“Where are the strawberries and cream?” was among the more unexpected questions for one of Wimbledon’s army of volunteer stewards as the crowd streamed through the gates on Monday morning, given that the answer is “absolutely everywhere you look”. It was a different story at the local branch of Marks & Spencer, though, where 300 packs of the chain’s specially commissioned strawberry & crème sandwich, a staple food for influencers on Instagram and TikTok in recent days, ran out shortly after 9am. A sample did make it into the media room, though, and while strawberries “paired with whipped cream cheese on sweetened bread” might sound like the losing team’s product idea on week two of The Apprentice, it has to be said – it’s very edible.There was an air of genteel bedlam in the main Wimbledon shop as the first wave of merch-hungry tennis fans poured through the doors in search of SW19-branded booty. The demand for hats and towels was, not surprisingly, rather stronger than that for sweatshirts and hoodies, and no one at all seemed inclined to lug around one of the giant tennis rackets – designed to be hung on the wall, apparently – that are the most expensive single items in the shop at £600 a pop

Mystery swirls around Bumrah as unchanged England overlook Archer for second Test

One of the many delights of leafy south Birmingham is when an international cricket team is in town and residents stumble across them training on the Colts Ground at Edgbaston. Folks could be heading for a stroll in Cannon Hill Park, or their weekly shop at Aldi, only to suddenly find themselves watching Jasprit Bumrah let fly.The fences at the Colts Ground have now been hastily covered up with tarpaulins after some passing numpties apparently decided to hurl some abuse at the players over the weekend. Those who did watch India train on Monday were not much the wiser as regards the main question: whether, despite being 1-0 down, the tourists will pick Bumrah for the second Test that starts on Wednesday.This was telegraphed

Sonay Kartal gets Britain off to a flyer at Wimbledon with win over Ostapenko

This time last year, Sonay Kartal was ranked No 298, batting to make it as a professional. On Monday, after a whirlwind 12 months, the 23-year-old made it a perfect start for British players at Wimbledon as she upended the former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko 7-5, 2-6, 6-2.Kartal, who cracked the top 50 for the first time earlier this month, saved three set points as she recovered from 5-2 down to win the first set and though No 20 seed Ostapenko bounced back to level, Kartal ripped through the third for a well-earned victory.“That was one of the toughest matches I have played,” Kartal said. “I struggle against the big hitters, she beat me easily last week (in Eastbourne)

British world No 733 Tarvet conjures Wimbledon shock to tee up Alcaraz clash

More eyes than usual were on court four on the first day of Wimbledon, where the unlikeliest of British heroes, Oliver Tarvet, the world No 733, kicked off his SW19 journey with a 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 victory against Leandro Riedi, a Swiss qualifier ranked previously as high as 117.As the lowest-ranked player in the Wimbledon draw this year, Tarvet’s presence alone was a story. The 21-year-old student at the University of San Diego made history by becoming the first British man in eight years to navigate the perilous qualifying rounds and made headlines because of an American college rule for student athletes.As per National Collegiate Athletic Association regulations, Tarvet is eligible to claim only $10,000 (£7,300) “profit” a year from his winnings after expenses, and yet he has made £99,000 alone from reaching the second round here.“Tennis is an expensive sport,” he said

Norris urges Silverstone fans not to cast Piastri as villain at British GP

Lando Norris has urged fans at Silverstone not to cast his McLaren teammate and world championship rival, Oscar Piastri, as a villain at Sunday’s British Grand Prix. Norris won the Austrian GP in Spielberg after a tense, lights-to-flag fight with Piastri, the pair in almost constant competition over 70 laps. Norris held his nerve with great control and closed to within 15 points of the Australian in the title fightWith McLaren so dominant, the drivers’ championship looks to be a two-horse race between the teammates and the team principal, Andrea Stella, said the British driver was in a strong position to back-up his victory in Austria with a first home GP win.The fans at Silverstone will largely be on Norris’s side, with the 25-year-old selling out his own 10,000-capacity area at Stowe – renamed the Landostand, which overlooks Stowe corner – for the first time.When it was suggested that the Australian Piastri could receive a hostile reception from the crowd, Norris said: “I certainly hope that doesn’t happen

Lions’ first-choice half-backs will unite for first time against Queensland

Everyone connected with the British & Irish Lions is gutted for Tomos Williams, ruled out of the tour through injury at a horribly early stage. Not only had the Gloucester scrum-half been performing well but his unfortunate early exit with a torn hamstring means the squad’s Welsh representation is now so skinny it can fit into a single pair of jeans.While that inevitably places extra responsibility on Jac Morgan’s shoulders as the last Welsh player standing, it also tweaks the bigger picture at scrum-half.Ben White has been summoned from Scotland’s tour of New Zealand to be Williams’s replacement and now has an opportunity to vie with Alex Mitchell for a place in the matchday 23 for the best-of-three Test series.Even at this juncture, though, the Lions’ first-choice half-back combo is all too obvious