Mark Wood: ‘We’re going to the Ashes with an Australia blueprint to put their batters under pressure’

Fast bowler says England have confidence and belief as he prepares for what could be his final series against the old foe“My dad would be Australia and I’d be England,” Mark Wood says with a wry smile when remembering his first Ashes Tests as a boy in his back garden in Ashington, Northumberland. “I’d try to copy Darren Gough, Andrew Caddick, Matthew Hoggard and, later, Jimmy Anderson, who I’d go on and play with. My dad, who didn’t do the actions so well, had to be Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie and Shane Warne. He was most proud of his Gillespie but his Warne wasn’t great.”Wood snorts at the idea that his dad, Derek, might have let him win most of those matches

Cocktails and checkmates: the young Britons giving chess a new lease of life

One of the liveliest spots on a Tuesday night in east London’s Brick Lane isn’t a restaurant or a streetwear brand pop-up, it’s a chess club – or chess club-nightclub hybrid, to be exact.Knight Club is the unlikely crossover between chess and London’s fervent nightlife scene. It was started by Yusuf Ntahilaja, 27, who began his first chess club in August 2023 at a smaller bar in Aldgate, not too far from the current location at Café 1001 on Brick Lane.“I wanted to make chess clubs for people who look like me and people my age,” he said. “Typically, chess is only put in spaces that are full of older people, which isn’t diverse enough

Commanders coach accepts blame for leaving Jayden Daniels in game before serious injury

Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn has accepted he shares some of the blame for a serious injury to the team’s quarterback, Jayden Daniels.Daniels, who had one of the greatest rookie campaigns of all time last season, suffered a dislocated left elbow in Sunday’s loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Although Daniels throws with his right arm, the injury has left his season in doubt. The injury was serious enough that the television broadcast did not show replays and several players turned away as Daniels was treated my medical staff.Quinn came under criticism as many believed Daniels should not have been on the field in the first place

WTA Finals: Rybakina downs Swiatek, Anisimova fights back to beat Keys – as it happened

Elena Rybakina is through to the last four of the WTA Finals after producing a storming comeback to beat Iga Swiatek in Riyadh. Rybakina, from Kazakhstan, lost the first set after a single break in 36 minutes, but turned the match on its head in the second and went on to win 12 of the next 13 games.The win, coupled with Amanda Anisimova’s three-set victory over Madison Keys, ensured that Rybakina will finish top of the Serena Williams Group and secure a semi-final berth, while Swiatek and Anisimova with battle it out for the second spot on Wednesday.Swiatek, the world No 2, thrashed Keys 6-1 6-2 in her opening round-robin clash, but was twice broken in the second set against Rybakina before failing to win a game in the decider to lose 6-3 1-6 0-6. Rybakina, who had lost each of her previous four matches against Swiatek, has now played two and won two in Riyadh following a 6-3 6-1 triumph over Anisimova in her tournament opener

Steward injury could offer Smith the chance to start for England against Fiji

A hand injury to the full-back Freddie Steward could present Marcus Smith with a fresh chance to start for England when they face Fiji at Twickenham on Saturday.Steve Borthwick’s team will meet the Pacific Islanders in the second of four November internationals after a comfortable opening victory against Australia, but the No 15 jersey may become a significant problem for the England head coach.Steward, who started against the Wallabies, received treatment at pitchside in the second half at Twickenham and appeared to be in considerable pain but stayed on for 80 minutes. It is understood that he will not return to training until Thursday.With the full-backs George Furbank of Northampton and Elliot Daly of Saracens already ruled out, Steward’s setback may provide a chance for Smith

Eli Katoa’s seizure and brain bleed prompts calls for NRL to assess concussion protocols

The NRL is assessing whether there was a failure in the application of rugby league’s concussion protocols after Tonga star Eli Katoa underwent emergency surgery prompted by seizures and bleeding on the brain following three sickening head impacts on Sunday.Katoa was allowed to take the field after what appeared to be a concussion in the warm-up. He suffered another head injury in the first half of the Pacific Championships clash against New Zealand, but was allowed to continue the match.A third blow in the second half finally saw him leave the field when his side trailed by 22 points, but his condition deteriorated and he suffered seizures on the sideline. A medicab rushed him from the field and he underwent surgery on Sunday evening