Testing times for English cricket | Letters

Emma John’s perceptive analysis of cricket in Australia is spot-on (England ruthlessly privatised cricket – Australia embraces it with constant public displays of affection, 9 January). I have been visiting Australia for many years – our son and his family live in Sydney. The locals, on hearing my accent, mostly respond by saying “Sorry about the cricket, mate.” It’s not in a gloating or superior way, but in a genuine sense of puzzlement at how when we have often promised a real contest we perform like a malfunctioning firework.As Emma observes, in Australia cricket is a national obsession and accessible to all, either to watch or to play

Your Guardian sport weekend: Australian Open, NFL playoffs and the Afcon final

Ease into the football weekend with our essential rolling blog. Dominic Booth buckles up to bring you breaking news and insights from around the grounds with seven Premier League fixtures, kicking off at lunchtime with the Manchester derby. Jamie Jackson will be online at Old Trafford for a live Q&A before the match, so post your questions to matchday.live@theguardian.com

Thistle Ask seeks to sting rivals in Ascot’s all-star Clarence House Chase

The top-rated two-mile chaser in training takes on the most improved performer in the division in the Clarence House Chase at Ascot today and Thistle Ask (3.30) feels overpriced at around 7-1 to take the step up to Grade One company in his stride.Thistle Ask has made remarkable progress since joining Dan Skelton’s yard for just £11,000 in May, winning his first start for his new stable off a mark of 115 and completing a four-timer off 146 in the Desert Orchid Handicap Chase at Kempton’s Christmas meeting.The opposition there was a long way short of the three high-class rivals he will face on Saturday, but the visual impression of Thistle Ask’s frontrunning, 10-length success was backed up by a strong time figure and the form pushed his Timeform rating to 162, within 6lb of last year’s winner, Jonbon.Harry Cobden, who was announced this week as JP McManus’s new No 1 rider in Britain and Ireland from the start of next season, rides Jonbon for the first time on Saturday, but while the 10-year-old remains wonderfully consistent, recent runs have suggested that he may be just a little past his best

Alex de Minaur out to break new ground as next generation boost Australia hopes

World No 6 aims to progress past quarter-finals at a grand slam, while Maya Joint is Australia’s first seeded woman at Melbourne Park since 2022Amid the annual upheaval at the Australian Open, of party courts, one-point fairytales, and ever-expanding festivals, some things don’t change. Alex de Minaur has had the same locker every year of the 10 he has played at Melbourne Park, and he once again carries the hopes of home fans into the year’s first grand slam.On the Groundhog Day repetition of the international circuit, it’s the kind of familiarity that might breed superstition. But not for the 26-year-old. “Throughout my career I’ve tried to stay clear from superstitions, because I think it can consume you,” says the man entering the tournament – at No 6 – as the highest local men’s seed in two decades

Max Verstappen admits new F1 season is step into unknown amid rule changes

Red Bull formally began their tilt at the forthcoming Formula One season, unveiling the livery for their challenger, the RB22, in a showcase event in Detroit on Thursday, with Max Verstappen admitting the sweeping regulation changes for 2026 will be a step into the “unknown”.Before a highly anticipated season, with a swathe of big rule changes presenting a challenge across the grid, Red Bull are the first in what is due to be a hectic period of launches before pre-season testing begins.The four-time champion Verstappen finished second in last year’s championship, two points behind McLaren’s Lando Norris, but the Dutchman had to extract the maximum from a car that was off the pace for the opening half of the season.The team continued development of the car well into the season in order to better understand how it fed into this year’s model and Verstappen was eager to climb behind the wheel.“It’s all still a bit unknown,” said Verstappen in Detroit alongside his new teammate, Isack Hadjar

NFL divisional round predictions: which No 1 seed is set for an unpleasant shock?

The postseason continues with the Broncos and Seahawks entering the fray, but there could be trouble for one of the frontrunnersWhat the Bills need to do to win: Keep winning short-yardage situations. The tush push on fourth down that propelled Josh Allen 10 yards and helped secure Buffalo’s win over Jacksonville last weekend epitomised how the Bills dominated the game’s crucial moments. The Bills converted four of their five third downs with four yards or to go last Sunday, and they finished fifth in third-down rate in the regular season in the same situations. Denver were eighth this season in third-and-short defensive efficiency (50.6%)