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Wolves are open to selling striker Jorgen Strand Larsen this month, amid interest from Nottingham Forest.
The Premier League’s bottom side recognise allowing the 25-year-old to leave may be best for all parties, if the right deal could be found.
That would include a switch to the City Ground, despite Forest being one of the teams also fighting against the drop from the Premier League.
Forest – missing last season’s 20-goal top scorer Chris Wood – are one of several clubs to have looked at Strand Larsen as an option.
Wood, who has been out with a knee injury since October, had surgery just before Christmas, with a comeback date yet to be determined.
West Ham‘s interest in Strand Larsen has cooled after being asked for £40m, and they have bought Valentin Castellanos and Pablo Felipe instead. Newcastle‘s priorities are now elsewhere after they failed with a £55m bid in the summer and signed Nick Woltemade.
Sean Dyche’s Forest are seven points clear of the relegation zone – and 15 above Wolves – after Tuesday’s 2-1 win at West Ham.
Arnaud Kalimuendo, Forest’s £26m summer signing from Rennes, joined Bundesliga club Eintracht Frankfurt on loan with an option to buy on Wednesday, leaving Igor Jesus and Taiwo Awoniyi as the club’s only strikers.
Strand Larsen has been targeted by unhappy Wolves fans this season, having scored just one Premier League goal.
It is part of the reason why Wolves are willing to allow the Norway international to leave, even though he only made his initial loan move from Celta Vigo permanent last July for £23m.
Yet, Strand Larsen is well-respected behind the scenes, where he is seen as a leader. He earned internal credit for the professional way he handled Newcastle‘s interest and bids.
He was rewarded with a five-year contract in September after a promising debut season, scoring 14 goals and helping Wolves finish 16th.
Wolves‘ likely relegation is a factor in Strand Larsen’s future – they only secured their first Premier League win of the season last Saturday, at the 20th attempt, as they beat West Ham 3-0.
Strand Larsen would not be expected to remain at Molineux in the Championship and selling him in January would generate a higher fee than the summer.
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Reliever Kirby Yates finalized a $5-million, one-year deal with the Angels on Tuesday.
A 38-year-old right-hander, Yates flopped last season with the Dodgers. He did not pitch after Sept. 20 after straining his right hamstring, an injury that also sidelined him between May 17 and June 8.
Yates is technically making a return the Angels, who employed him for one major league appearance in 2017 after claiming him off waivers from the Yankees. Yates subsequently joined the San Diego Padres and enjoyed the longest sustained success of his career before bouncing to Atlanta, Texas and the Dodgers over the past three seasons.
The veteran is rejoining Mike Maddux, the pitching coach who oversaw Yates’ All-Star performance in 2024 while both were with the Rangers. Yates went 7-2 with a 1.17 ERA, an 0.83 WHIP and 85 strikeouts in 61 innings for Texas.
Yates still earned a World Series ring last season after agreeing to a $13-million, one-year deal with the Dodgers, but he spent three stints on the injured list and had a 5.23 ERA before failing to get on the postseason roster as part of the Dodgers’ struggling bullpen.
Yates is 30-24 with a 3.36 ERA, a 1.13 WHIP and 98 saves in 472 relief appearances over 11 major league seasons with Tampa Bay (2014-15), the Yankees (2016), the Angels, San Diego (2017-20), Atlanta (2022-23), Texas (2024) and the Dodgers. He led the major leagues with 41 saves in 2019.
He had Tommy John surgery twice, in 2006 while in college and after getting hurt during spring training in 2021 with Toronto.
He is the latest addition to the Angels’ overhauled pitching staff, joining new relievers Jordan Romano and Drew Pomeranz. The Angels also took low-cost fliers on Grayson Rodriguez and Alek Manoah, two once-promising starters whose careers were derailed in recent years.
Former England striker and manager Kevin Keegan has been diagnosed with cancer.
Keegan had an illustrious playing career which included spells at Liverpool, Hamburg and Newcastle United, while he twice won the European Footballer of the Year award.
He moved into management after ending his playing career and had stints in charge of Newcastle United, Fulham, England and Manchester City.
“Kevin was recently admitted to hospital for further evaluation of ongoing abdominal symptoms,” the 74-year-old’s family said in a statement.
“These investigations have revealed a diagnosis of cancer, for which Kevin will undergo treatment.
“Kevin is grateful to the medical team for their intervention and ongoing care.
“During this difficult time, the family are requesting privacy, and will be making no further comment.”
More to follow.
To win a championship in soccer a reliable goalkeeper is a must, and Palos Verdes has one of the Southland’s best in Greyson Porth.
The 6-foot-1 junior is one of many reasons the Sea Kings began the week ranked No. 1 in California and No. 14 in the country, and his skill was on display Tuesday night in the Sea Kings’ tense Bay League opener at Mira Costa — a match that featured Tucker Malinofsky’s equalizing goal in stoppage time before fellow co-captain LT Armijo netted the winner in double overtime.
“He’s very strong and when the ball’s in the air he calls for it and gets there first,” Armijo said of Porth. “We trust him.”
Porth has nine shutouts with 73 saves in 15 starts this winter and did not allow a goal for 340 minutes of action — a scoreless streak lasting four and a half games — before Noah Szeder snapped it on a rebound off a corner kick in the 70th minute Tuesday to give Mira Costa a short-lived 1-0 lead Tuesday. It was only the seventh shot to get behind Porth all season.
“It’s a great feeling because they’re our rivals and I hadn’t beaten them before — none of us had,” Porth said while savoring the Sea Kings’ first win at Mira Costa since 2017. “Shutouts are up there but as long as we win, I’m happy. Our defense is awesome — LT, Nathan Dorfman, Aiden Cruz and Dayton Chontos — our whole back line.”
Porth went nearly five full games without being scored on during the South Tournament, finally giving up a goal in the second half of the championship match versus another league rival Redondo Union. Palos Verdes prevailed 2-1 in overtime.
One save that comes to mind for head coach Derek Larkins was on a penalty kick with 15 minutes left in a nonleague contest Dec. 30 at Sultana that kept it scoreless. The Sea Kings scored shortly thereafter to avenge a 3-0 defeat in the Southern Section Division 1 quarterfinals last year.
“It’s one of the hardest places for a visiting team to win but Greyson came up huge that day,” said Larkins, who is trying to lead PV to its first CIF title since back-to-back crowns in 2006 (Division 4) and 2007 (Division 2). “We haven’t forgotten that loss because it ended our season and he helped us exorcise that demon.”
Porth was the backup last season to then senior Ben Forte, whom he called a “good mentor.”
“I didn’t get to play much last year, maybe five or six games, but I learned a lot from Ben,” said Porth, who started his soccer career in fourth grade as a midfielder but switched to goalie when he was 11. “I sort of got forced into the position because I was the tallest player on my AYSO Extra team so they needed me there. It’s nerve-racking at times but I take pride in knowing that I’m the last line of defense. So I can make or break the game.”
Larkins attributes the 17-year-old’s growth to hard work in the offseason and credits goalie coach Matthew McNab with helping Porth reach his potential.
“He’s receptive to learning and he’s taken responsibility for his game and the way he practices,” said McNab, a 2009 PV soccer alum who went on to play at Westmont College. “He’s taken up the leadership role. Being a goalkeeper requires a great deal of mental toughness but he’s taken to that, too.”
The two have formed a tight bond.
“Matt listens to me,” said Porth, who even made a slide tackle from midfield to thwart a potential breakaway earlier this season. “I tell him what I need to work on and he drills me. I’ve improved everything from last year…. angles, positioning, my shot blocking and my kicking. I can be aggressive or rely on my reflexes. I use my instincts to know what to do in certain situations.”
Mira Costa has won five consecutive league championships and is trying to equal PV’s string of six in a row from 2011-16. The teams square off again January 23.
“Something we emphasized heading into the season is how are we going to defend the box and set pieces,” Larkins said. “We gave up five goals off of throw-ins and two on free kicks in our three losses to them last year. We’ve stressed the importance of that.”
Larkins, who is also an English teacher, believes sports is a metaphor for life and likes quoting athletes, philosophers and musicians to motivate his players. This season’s mantra is “be yourself, be legendary” — a lyric from the hip-hop group Coast Contra’s “Breathe and Stop Freestyle.”
“This is the best team we’ve had since 2014,” said Larkins, who is in his 15th season. “We have seven guys who are three-year varsity players. A lot of them went to middle school together so it’s an older, more experienced team. We’ve got a lot of grit, we can play different styles depending on the opponent and we have the talent.”
Palos Verdes (14-2) has won 10 straight since back-to-back one-goal road losses to Santa Monica and Servite. Senior co-captain Willie Knotek has a team-best eight goals, forward Ian Alonzo has a team-high 20 points (six goals, eight assists and Malinofsky has six goals and five assists.
Motherwell right-back and Scotland cap Stephen O’Donnell recently said it was incumbent on all Scottish players to give national manager Steve Clarke “a headache” in the run-up to the World Cup.
Findlay and Halkett are two such players but Findlay has the advantage of having worked with Clarke at Kilmarnock.
He is also one cap better off than his club-mate, having made his sole international appearance in a 6-0 win over San Marino in 2019 under Clarke.
The national team head coach is fiercely loyal to players who have served him well and Grant Hanley, Jack Hendry, Scott McKenna, Souttar and Kieran Tierney would all appear to be ahead of Findlay in the queue.
“There’s a few lads maybe on the outside of that just looking in at the minute,” McInnes added. “Going into big tournaments, there’s always maybe one or two casualties for injury and you just never know.
“If you’re playing for a team at the top of the league then there’s always significant players within that. But likes are Stuart and Craig Halkett, Stephen Kingsley, Harry Milne, these boys, you just never know.”
And Findlay added: “Every professional football player, until the day they retire, wants to play for their country. It’s the highest honour you can get in a game.
“I know the manager well and there’s no surprise to me how well he’s done. As a Scotland supporter, I trust him implicitly to pick the squad that he thinks is the best.
“For me, the biggest thing for me this season was doing well at Hearts. Of course, it’d be a massive bonus and it’d be great to be involved in.”
HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
TUESDAY’S RESULTS
BOYS
CITY SECTION
Chatsworth 43, Los Angeles 28
Downtown Magnets 55, Wilmington Banning 47
East College Prep 45, Collins family 41
East Valley 52, San Fernando 48
East Valley 79, Sun Valley Magnet 28
Harbor Teacher 49, New Designs University Park 32
LA Roosevelt 65, Franklin 64
Lincoln 74, LA University 65
Locke 52, Animo Robinson 44
Panorama 54, Sun Valley Magnet 50
San Pedro 64, Granada Hills 51
Sherman Oaks CES 53, Verdugo Hills 48
View Park 69, Manual Arts 52
SOUTHERN SECTION
ACE 65, Lakeview Leadership Academy 49
Adelanto 58, Granite Hills 34
Aquinas 74, Woodrest Christian 52
Arlington 51, La Sierra 35
Arroyo Valley 50, San Jacinto 46
Beaumont 59, Redlands 48
Big Bear 81, Riverside Prep 35
Bolsa Grande 68, Santa Ana Valley 30
Brea Olinda 57, Troy 49
Buckley 66, de Toledo 34
Cajon 62, Yucaipa 58
Calabasas 63, Thousand Oaks 57
California City 74, Desert 36
California Lutheran 80, United Christian Academy 29
Camarillo 63, Royal 49
Carter 67, Bloomington 39
Century 44, Magnolia 25
Chaffey 63, Don Lugo 55
Chino 76, Ontario 65
Chino Hills 64, Upland 51
Corona Centennial 54, Fairmont Prep 51
Cerritos 77, Glenn 31
Crean Lutheran 80, Anaheim Canyon 54
Crossroads 69, Viewpoint 39
Cypress 64, La Habra 55
Damien 79, Rancho Cucamonga 46
Eisenhower 71, Riverside Notre Dame 69
El Dorado 59, Villa Park 57
El Modena 37, Garden Grove Pacifica 34
Estancia 58, Westminster La Quinta 47
Etiwanda 46, Los Osos 30
Godinez 50, Garden Grove 46
Grace 67, Pilgrim 35
Great Oak 69, Chaparral 53
HMSA 72, Animo Leadership 48
Irvine University 63, St. Margaret’s 48
Laguna Hills 90, Buena Park 69
Lancaster Baptist 49, Desert Christian 48
Los Amigos 64, Savanna 42
Mira Costa 67, Palos Verdes 50
Moorpark 57, Simi Valley 54
Newbury Park Adventist 64, Hillcrest Christian 60
Nordhoff 69, Hueneme 38
Northwood 62, Laguna Beach 59
North Torrance 46, South Torrance 44
NSLA 56, Cornerstone Christian 42
Oaks Christian 83, Newbury Park 36
Oakwood 61, YULA 48
Palmdale Aerospace Academy 67, Trinity Classical Academy 60
Pioneer 66, Artesia 52
Placentia Valencia 49, La Palma Kennedy 45
Portola 90, Sage Hill 51
Rancho Alamitos 54, Saddleback 47
Redlands East Valley 74, Citrus Valley 32
Redondo Union 72, Wiseburn-Da Vinci 35
Riverside North 58, Norco 42
Rosamond 77, Frazier Mountain 37
San Fernando Valley Academy 62, Highland Hall 37
San Jacinto Valley Academy 73, San Jacinto Leadership 47
Santa Clarita Christian 73, PACS 52
Santa Paula 70, Fillmore 47
Segerstrom 80, Santa Ana 60
Servite 62, St. Anthony 56
Sonora 70, Yorba Linda 64
South Hills 61, San Dimas 56
Summit 78, Jurupa Hills 44
Summit Leadership Academy 55, Victor Valley Christian 44
Tahquitz 73, Anza Hamiton 12
Temecula Prep 69, California Military Institute 29
Temecula Valley 83, Murrieta Mesa 78
Tustin 64, Santa Ana Calvary Chapel 52
University Prep 70, Hesperia Christian 63
Victor Valley 73, Barstow 53
Village Christian 78, Heritage Christian 76
Western 49, Anaheim 42
West Ranch 61, Valencia 58
West Torrance 65, El Segundo 51
Whitney 69, Oxford Academy 50
INTERSECTIONAL
Brawley 54, Palo Verde Academy 52
Cleveland 88, St. Paul 74
GIRLS
CITY SECTION
Bernstein 51, LA Marshall 45
Birmingham 54, Granada Hills Kennedy 46
Bolsa Grande 50, Rancho Alamitos 43
Huntington Park 38, Marquez 35
LA Hamilton 61, Bell 11
Northridge Academy 48, MSCP 23
RFK Community 61, Chatsworth 53
SOUTHERN SECTION
Adelanto 67, Granite Hills 30
Alemany 82, Marymount 29
Aliso Niguel 50, Dana Hills 41
Anaheim 67, Westminster La Quinta 14
Anaheim Canyon 53, Crean Lutheran 49
Arroyo Valley 23, Eisenhower 18
Beaumont 56, Redlands 32
Bishop Amat 47, St. Mary’s Academy 23
Brentwood 83, Archer School for Girls 22
California Lutheran 45, United Christian Academy 20
Carter 60, Bloomington 19
California City 62, Desert 23
Calvary Baptist 69, Pomona 7
Camarillo 66, Royal 25
Cantwell-Sacred Heart 51, St. Pius X-St. Matthias 44
Canyon Country Canyon 71, Golden Valley 27
Capistrano Valley Christian 42, Coastal Academy 30
Cerritos 84, Glenn 11
Chaffey 44, Don Lugo 28
Chaparral 62, Great Oak 36
Chino 55, Ontario 28
Chino Hills 50, Upland 41
Citrus Valley 40, Redlands East Valley 26
Colony 64, Alta Loma 51
Cypress 74, La Habra 26
Desert Christian 67, Lancaster Baptist 31
Diamond Ranch 36, Montclair 32
El Modena 46, Garden Grove Pacifica 10
El Toro 55, Mission Viejo 15
Etiwanda 69, Los Osos 33
Hesperia Christian 47, University Prep 38
Immaculate Heart 29, AGBU 28
Jurupa Hills 58, Rim of the World 29
Lakewood St. Joseph 69, Bishop Montgomery 46
La Salle 43, St. Anthony 40
Long Beach Jordan 59, Mayfair 30
Los Alamitos 28, Corona del Mar 20
Los Amigos 32, Savanna 31
Lucerne Valley 45, PAL Academy 2
Marina 54, Fountain Valley 40
Marlborough 52, Harvard-Westlake 47
Moorpark 57, Simi Valley 32
Murrieta Mesa 55, Temecula Valley 31
Notre Dame Academy 47, Flintridge Sacred Heart 29
Oaks Christian 63, Newbury Park 47
Orange Lutheran 58, Godinez 31
Pasadena Poly 69, Mayfield 8
Pioneer 61, Artesia 45
Rancho Cucamonga 90, St. Lucy’s 24
Redondo Union 68, West Torrance 53
Riverside Prep 45, Big Bear 24
Rosamond 72, Frazier Mountain 9
Rosary Academy 56, Portola 52
Sacred Heart of Jesus 50, St. Genevieve 45
Sage Hill 92, Laguna Beach 28
San Dimas 55, South Hills 36
San Jacinto 66, Linfield Christian 21
Santa Ana Valley 43, Saddleback 27
Santa Clarita Christian 49, PACS 28
Saugus 50, Hart 11
Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 67, Louisville 38
Silver Valley 62, CIMSA 30
St. Bernard 33, Mary Star of the Sea 31
St. Bonaventure 74, Santa Clara 4
Summit 47, Fontana 35
Tahquitz 63, Anza Hamilton 31
Temecula Prep 37, California Military Institute 12
Thousand Oaks 69, Calabasas 20
Trabuco Hills 38, Tesoro 35
Troy 75, Brea Olinda 43
Valencia 82, West Ranch 29
Village Christian 54, Heritage Christian 31
Villa Park 68, El Dorado 25
Westlake 51, Agoura 34
Whitney 57, Oxford Academy 28
Whittier Christian 58, Maranatha 56
Windward 79, Campbell Hall 52
Wiseburn-Da Vinci 58, El Segundo 32
Yucaipa 71, Cajon 20
INTERSECTIONAL
Venice 61, St. Monica 51
Two-time Grand Tour winner Simon Yates has announced his retirement from cycling with immediate effect.
The shock announcement comes just seven months after the 33-year-old Briton clinched a thrilling victory at the 2025 Giro d’Italia.
The Visma-Lease a Bike rider also claimed his third stage win at the Tour de France in July last year.
Yates, whose first Grand Tour title was the 2019 Vuelta a Espana, joined the Dutch team on a two-year contract before the 2025 season.
“This may come as a surprise to many, but it is not a decision I have made lightly,” said Yates.
“I have been thinking about it for a long time, and it now feels like the right moment to step away from the sport.”
Visma’s head of racing Grischa Niermann added: “[Winning the Giro d’Italia] was one of the major goals of the season, for us as a team and for Simon personally. The fact that he also went on to win a stage in the Tour de France underlines his class.
“It is a shame that he is stopping now, but he does so at an absolute high point.”
Ulster full-back Jacob Stockdale has been ruled out of Sunday’s Challenge Cup pool game against the Cheetahs (15:15 GMT) with a rib injury.
The Ireland back suffered the injury in last week’s United Rugby Championship win over Munster and was forced off early in the second half.
The 29-year-old joins Juarno Augustus (ankle), Charlie Irvine (calf), Michael Lowry (ankle), Rory McGuire (ankle), Ethan McIlroy (ribs), James McNabney (knee), Stewart Moore (hand) on Ulster’s injury list.
In more positive news, Ben Moxham is available for selection after recovering from a serious knee injury.
The 24-year-old winger has not played since tearing an anterior cruciate ligament during Ulster’s loss to Leinster in November 2024.
Ulster opened their Challenge Cup campaign with a resounding 61-7 win over Racing 92 but fell to a 29-26 loss to Cardiff.
Since then, Richie Murphy’s side lost to Leinster before beating Connacht and Munster in the festive inter-provincial derbies in the United Rugby Championship.
Michael Carrick and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer have emerged as the frontrunners to become Manchester United’s caretaker manager until the end of the season.
The former players, who have both previously managed United, are set for face-to-face talks with the club’s leadership.
It is not out of the question the pair could also work together because Carrick was a significant part of Solskjaer’s coaching team when he replaced Jose Mourinho at Old Trafford in 2018.
Darren Fletcher, United’s current Under-18s coach, who has also been spoken to about the job, will continue as interim manager until a caretaker is appointed. The former midfielder takes charge of his first match on Wednesday, when United visit Burnley (20:15 GMT) in the Premier League.
Ruud van Nistelrooy, the ex-United striker, is also believed to be a contender.
Amorim was sacked on Monday after a turbulent 14 months in charge.
United plan on naming a permanent successor for Amorim in the summer.
One player has told BBC Sport they felt it was possible the role could be shared by more than one of the contenders, or that Fletcher could even stay in the job until the end of the season if the next two matches are positive.
Solskjaer initially took charge in a similar fashion when United sacked Mourinho in 2018, and he subsequently became the full-time manager for three years before he was sacked in November 2021.
Carrick then had a three-game stint as temporary boss after Solskjaer’s dismissal before he left the club in December 2021.
The former England midfielder has been out of work since he was sacked by Championship club Middlesbrough last June after after two-and-a-half years in charge.
Solskjaer was sacked by Turkish club Besiktas in August.
Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner and former Brighton boss Roberto de Zerbi – now at Marseille – are understood to be early contenders for the full-time job.
Glasner, who won the FA Cup with the Eagles last season, was asked about the link during his news conference on Tuesday.
He said: “I am Crystal Palace manager and it makes no sense for you to ask me any more questions about it.”
Gary O’Neil has been appointed Strasbourg manager after Liam Rosenior left the French Ligue 1 side to join Chelsea earlier this week.
The 42-year-old, who has previously managed Premier League sides Bournemouth and Wolves, said he is “proud” to join a club with a “high-quality squad and clear, ambitious goals for the season”.
The former Portsmouth, Middlesbrough and QPR midfielder added: “Racing has a unique history, extraordinary passion, great resilience, and of course, loyal fans who want to see this team play attractive football and succeed.
“My priority is to work hard with the team and give everything for the club’s success.”
Strasbourg, who sit seventh in Ligue 1, moved swiftly to appoint O’Neil after Rosenior joined Chelsea on a six-and-a-half-year deal on Tuesday.
The French side are part of the Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital-owned BlueCo multi-club ownership group which also controls Chelsea.
Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid are among the European clubs to have shown an interest in signing Guehi on a free transfer, and he can sign a pre-contract agreement with an overseas club from this month.
“If you’re just valuing sports, everyone in the club will say Marc has to stay,” Glasner added. “The chairman will tell you the same. But it’s not one-dimensional. If you see the financial situation, it’s very important.
“If somebody comes, there will be a moment when the club says ‘now the financial issue is more important than the sports issue’.
“There will be a threshold where the club has to say it will happen – as long as Marc says ‘I want to leave’, because the final decision is always with the player.”
Guehi helped Palace finish 12th last season and win the FA Cup to qualify for Europe for the first time in the club’s history.
The Eagles then won the Community Shield in August, beating Premier League champions Liverpool on penalties, and are 14th in the table and through to the knockout phase play-offs in the Uefa Conference League.
“The chairman rejected many offers in the summer because we want to play a successful season and wanted to win the Community Shield,” Glasner added. “Therefore, Marc is important, and then he rejected the offer.
“The threshold at that time, the money we got offered was not above it. Maybe it was close, but it was not above.”
England and Trailfinders Women back row Abi Burton has been chosen as chair of a landmark leadership group of PWR players.
Burton, who was part of the Red Roses squad that won the Womens’ Rugby World Cup in September, will lead the Women’s Rugby Board set up by elite players union The Rugby Players Association (RPA).
The 25-year-old’s Rugby World Cup triumph came three years after she had to be placed in a coma to treat a serious immune disease attacking her brain.
“I’m really proud to have been elected chair of the first Women’s Rugby Board,” said Burton.
“It’s an important opportunity to ensure players’ voices are heard, and I’m looking forward to working with the board and the RPA to represent players across the women’s game.”
The new separate women’s board will ensure women’s players are better represented and able to respond to “specific challenges and opportunities they face” say the RPA.
Bristol Bears and Wales full-back Jenny Hesketh has been elected as vice-chair with Emily Tuttosi, who started for Canada against England in last year’s World Cup final, chosen as Exeter Chiefs representative.
The Women’s Rugby Board representatives for the 2025–26 season
Bristol Bears: Jenny Hesketh (vice-chair)
Exeter Chiefs: Emily Tuttosi
Gloucester Hartpury: Sam Monaghan
Harlequins: Lagi Tuima
Leicester Tigers: Grace Deane
Loughborough Lightning: Elis Martin
Sale Sharks: Tysh Harper
Saracens: Ella Wyrwas
Trailfinders Women: Abi Burton (chair)
Bethell’s century, which took the tourists to 302-8 and a lead of 119, makes the 22-year-old the seventh youngest man to score a Test hundred for England against Australia.
Having come in during the first over, he strolled to the nineties but 29 balls passed with Bethell a hit away from a century.
Harry Brook, England’s vice-captain, wafted and waved at Mitchell Starc bouncers at the other end. Bethell’s dad, Graham, took deep breaths in the stands.
It was the man that mattered most who appeared the calmest of all.
Bethell had, of course, been here before.
In November 2024, he reached 96 against New Zealand in his second Test, only to nick behind off Tim Southee.
His response afterwards, that it would have been “flair” to “smack that through the covers” hinted at Bethell’s freer side – the one that had him pictured doing the YMCA during England’s ill-fated mid-Ashes trip to Noosa.
This hundred showed all of his maturity that is so highly regarded by England – and what persuaded them to make him their youngest captain on last year’s white-ball tour of Ireland.
“He played in a way that Test cricket has been played for many generations,” said former England captain Michael Vaughan on Test Match Special. “You respect the ball and have good technique.
“It was a technical masterclass. A masterclass in composure and calmness.
“The strokeplay, when he got a chance to score, he didn’t try to overhit it. We have seen a batting masterclass from someone who let the ball come.
“He didn’t hit the ball in the air that often. It was a throwback.”
Though the landmark came with a flick for four over mid-wicket off Beau Webster’s spin, Bethell’s first ton was moulded in a style from the old school.
While defending the danger area around his stumps, he timed back-foot punches rather than slashing cuts and clipped from his pads to keep the score moving.
A glorious on-drive off Michael Neser was the highlight and a dismissive pull off Cameron Green through mid-wicket a statement.
“I had two shots and a half,” said Cook, famed for his cuts, pulls and clips, on TNT Sports.
“Four shots would help anyone be world-class. He has guts and determination.
“There were some really tough balls but he has a nice solid technique down the ground.
“Clip, pull, drive and cut. A classic number three innings.”
NEW ORLEANS — LeBron James and Luka Doncic left the fans inside the Smoothie King Center in awe at their performances on Tuesday night.
The two of them led a Lakers’ smothering defense in the fourth quarter and an efficient offense.
James had a near triple-double of 30 points, eight rebounds and eight assists and Doncic had 30 points and 10 assists, the two of them leading the Lakers to a 111-103 win over the New Orleans Pelicans.
“I love what’s happening right now with Luka and LeBron and that partnership, whether it’s pick-and-roll with each other,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said.
As he talked about James and Doncic and how dynamic those two are, Redick beamed at his two stars.
“There’s some real synergy happening right now and it’s fun to watch,” Redick said.
It was the second time in the last three games that James and Doncic have scored at least 30 points in a game. James had 31 against Memphis last Friday night and Doncic had 34.
Now, here James and Doncic were combining for 60 points on 21-for-41 shooting.
“It is gonna start with me and Luka, for sure, every time we hit the floor,” James said. “He has the ball in his hands. I’m gonna have the ball in my hands. We have to make sure we putting our guys in position offensively and then defensively. It has always been my voice to make sure I command with my voice and everybody knows what’s going on on the floor.”
As James talked, he shot down the theory that Doncic has to bend his game to James’ or to any of his teammates.
James simply noted that the Lakers (23-11) are Doncic’s team and the rest of them will follow his lead, including James.
“Luka don’t need to bend his game. Luka is our (26-year-old) franchise for this ball club,” James said. “He don’t need to bend this game. It’s up to us to bend our game around him and figure it out. We just try to be dynamic to work off of him. We know he is an unbelievable pick-and-roll player, unbelievable shot maker. He commands the defense. He had four eyes, sometimes six eyes on him. So it’s us…It’s up to us to put ourselves in the right position. So, it’s not a problem for me, it’s not an issue for me. To be able to do things that… I don’t know…I just don’t think people watch basketball.”
So when Doncic threw a two-handed lob pass from beyond the three-point line to a high-flying James on the baseline in the second quarter, it was another example of how Doncic controls the game and how James fits in.
The Lakers opened the fourth quarter with an intensity on defense.
They turned a deficit at the end of the third into a seven-point lead in the fourth quarter by opening the quarter with an 18-4 run to take a 97-90 lead.
Still, it took the Lakers playing hard until the end to close out the victory.
When Doncic lost control of the basketball late, it looked like it would be a 24-second clock violation as he stumbled.
Instead, he got the ball back with James and two Pelican defenders all close by and shot a wild floating three-pointer for a 105-96 Lakers lead with one minute and 59 seconds left.
Doncic looked at the Pelicans bench after the ball settled into the net and roared.
The Pelicans called a time out, leading James to bump Doncic on the back, put his head in Doncic’s chest and then slap him on the head, the two of them smiling at the magical moment.
“I told him (James), he set a great screen. If you don’t set that screen, I probably was not that open,” Doncic said, joking and smiling. “But, it was a great moment. He started the fourth quarter with two threes and then an assist. So he got us back into the game. We appreciate him.”
The defense the Lakers played in the fourth was tremendous.
They held the Pelicans to17 points and 33.3% shooting. The Lakers took three charges in the fourth, one a career-first by Dalton Knecht and one by Doncic.
Now the Lakers turn their attention to playing a back-to-back game Wednesday night in San Antonio and the question presented to James was about him playing.
The 41-year-old James said it was “TBD,” to be determined.
“You guys know that,” James said. “I’m 41 years old, of course, it’s always…Every back-to-back for the rest of the season is TBD. I am 41. I got the most minutes in NBA history. Bank it right now. What are we talking about? What are we talking about?”
Doncic had 16 points and six assists in the first half and James had 15 points and six rebounds.
But starting forward Jake LaRavia didn’t score in his 18 minutes of play in the first half.
The Lakers then went down by nine points in the third quarter, meaning they had to play catch-up the rest of the way.
The Lakers play a back-to-back game Wednesday night in San Antonio, leading to Redick being asked if the 41-year-old James would play against the Spurs.
“We have no plan for any of our players,” Redick said. “We’re gonna see what happens tonight.”
Lakers guard Gabe Vincent is on the two-game trip, but he was downgraded to out for the game against the Pelicans with a lumbar back strain. Vincent has missed the last nine games, but there is hope he’ll be available Wednesday against San Antonio. “We just downgraded Gabe,” Redick said. “He has not had a setback, but we’re hoping he gets to play tomorrow. But again, it’s all about how he feels tomorrow.”
The shots had stopped falling. The tension had started rising. Fresh off its worst loss of the Lindsay Gottlieb era, USC had, for the better part of three quarters, looked well on its way to a get-right win Tuesday, the sort that might help ease the embarrassment from a 34-point loss to bitter rival UCLA.
But over the course of the fourth quarter, as Oregon clawed its way back, the Trojans tightened up. The offense looked out of sorts. The defense looked out of breath. No. 21 USC (10-5, 2-2 in the Big Ten) missed its first eight shots of the quarter, just as Oregon (14-3, 2-2) exploded on that end, its worst fears coming to life out of the loss.
Over four minutes and 46 painful seconds, the Trojans went scoreless, unable to do much of anything but watch as Oregon stole a 71-66 victory Tuesday.
The loss was USC’s second in a row, marking the first time since January 2024 that the Trojans suffered consecutive defeats.
Even as Oregon mounted a late run, USC had its chances to shoot its way back into the game. Londynn Jones hit a three-pointer, and freshman Jazzy Davidson made a jumper, her only bucket of the second half, to give the Trojans a nine-point lead with just under five minutes remaining.
But those were the last two buckets USC would score. Oregon’s Ari Long hit a three-pointer, then drained another on the next possession. The Galen Center crowd groaned, seemingly knowing what was coming next.
With 32 seconds remaining, Oregon called a timeout. The Ducks found Long again coming out of the break, and she sank a third three-pointer, this one costly.
Kara Dunn did what she could to keep USC afloat, scoring 21 points and adding nine rebounds. Davidson struggled to find her shooting stroke, but still filled the stat sheet with 13 rebounds, five assists, two blocks and two steals to go with 14 points.
Jones even gave USC critical contributions throughout, as the Trojans were forced to play without sophomore Kennedy Smith, their best defender who has a leg injury, according to the team.
She was missed Tuesday, especially down the stretch, as Long torched the Trojans for nine of her 11 points in the final minutes.
Where USC goes from here remains to be seen, but the schedule doesn’t get any easier, with four more matchups against ranked teams before January is up.
It took nearly four minutes for USC to find the basket to start the game, its offense picking up right where it left off Saturday in its sluggish loss to UCLA. The Trojans missed nine of their first 10 shots, unable to find any semblance of a rhythm.
Then finally, Malia Samuels hit a corner three. Jones sank a three-pointer of her own. Then Dunn got in the party.
USC exhaled — and proceeded to finish the first quarter on a 16-0 run.
The defense did most of the heavy lifting from there, holding Oregon at arm’s length until the fourth quarter, when the Ducks flew out in front, dealing the Trojans another loss.
MADISON, Wis. — Can a team be in crisis just a handful of games into conference play?
UCLA is testing that possibility given what happened here Tuesday night as part of a larger downward trend.
Lacking one of their top players with guard Skyy Clark sidelined by a hamstring injury, the Bruins also were deficient in many other areas.
Defense. Heart. Toughness. Cohesion. Intelligence.
In a game that the Bruins needed to win to get their season back on track and have any realistic chance at an elite finish in the Big Ten, they fell flat once more.
Another terrible first half led to another failed comeback for UCLA during an 80-72 loss to Wisconsin on Tuesday night at the Kohl Center, leaving the Bruins in search of answers that seem elusive.
There was a dustup with 10 seconds left when UCLA’s Eric Dailey Jr. pushed Wisconsin’s Nolan Winter after absorbing a hard foul, forcing a scrum of players to congregate along the baseline. Winter was assessed a flagrant-1 foul and Dailey a technical foul that was offset by a technical foul on Badgers guard Nick Boyd.
About the only thing to celebrate for the Bruins was not giving up.
Thanks to a flurry of baskets from Dailey and a three-pointer from Trent Perry that broke his team’s 0-for-14 start from long range, UCLA pulled to within 63-56 midway through the second half. Making the Bruins’ rally all the more improbable was that much of it came with leading scorer Tyler Bilodeau on the bench with four fouls.
But Wisconsin countered with five consecutive points and the Bruins (10-5 overall, 2-2 Big Ten) never mounted another threat on the way to a second consecutive loss.
Dailey scored 18 points but missed all five of his three-pointers, fitting for a team that made just one of 17 shots (5.9%) from long range. Bilodeau added 16 points and Perry had 15.
Boyd scored 20 points to lead the Badgers (10-5, 2-2), who won in large part by their volume of three-pointers, making 10 of 30 attempts (33.3%) from beyond the arc.
Unveiling a turnover-choked, defensively challenged performance, UCLA played as if it were trying to top its awful first-half showing against Iowa from three days earlier.
It didn’t help that the Bruins were shorthanded from tipoff.
With Clark unavailable, UCLA coach Mick Cronin turned to Perry and pivoted to a smaller lineup featuring forward Brandon Williams alongside Bilodeau as the big men.
For the opening 10 minutes, it felt like a repeat of Wisconsin’s blowout victory over UCLA during the Big Ten tournament last March. The Badgers made seven of 11 three-pointers on the way to building a 20-point lead midway through the first half as Cronin continually tinkered with his lineup, trying to find a winning combination.
It never came.
He tried backup center Steven Jamerson II for a little more than a minute before yanking him after Jamerson committed a foul. He put in backup guard Jamar Brown and took him out after Brown gave up a basket and fumbled a pass out of bounds for a turnover. Backup guard Eric Freeny got his chance as well and airballed a three-pointer.
Wisconsin surged ahead with an early 13-0 run and nearly matched it with a separate 11-0 push. The Bruins then lost Perry for the rest of the first half after he hit his chin while diving for a loose ball, pounding the court in frustration with a balled fist before holding a towel firmly against his injured chin during a timeout. (He returned in the second half with a heavy bandage.)
Just when it seemed as if things couldn’t get worse, they did. Williams limped off the court with cramps late in the first half and the Bruins failed to box out Wisconsin’s Andrew Rohde on two possessions, leading to a putback and two free throws after he was fouled on another putback attempt.
UCLA almost seemed fortunate to be down only 45-31 by the game’s midpoint, though being on pace to give up 90 points couldn’t have pleased a coach known for defense.
Another comeback that came up short didn’t make things any better.
Jacob Bethell makes his first Ashes half-century in 87 balls on day four of the fifth Ashes Test in Sydney.
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John Bobich, in his 26th season coaching San Pedro High basketball, knows a few tricks in the coaching trade. All you had to do is listen and watch in the third quarter when he put 6-foot-5 junior Aidan Applegate into the game. Applegate was crouching at the scorer’s table waiting to be buzzed in.
“This is your chance,” Bobich told him.
Applegate had a shot blocked, which didn’t deter him. By the fourth quarter, he was comfortable and confident, scoring eight points in the quarter and finishing with eight rebounds to help San Pedro pull away from Granada Hills 64-51 in a Marquez tournament game between two potential City Section Open Division playoff teams.
Applegate said when he heard Bobich’s words of motivation, he thought, “It’s my opportunity to show what I could do.”
Bobich has known Applegate since he was 8 years old. In fact, Bobich knows most of his San Pedro players from coaching or seeing them play in local recreation leagues. His son is on the team. San Pedro is 12-4 and favored to win the Marine League. Ricky Alonso led the scoring with 19 points and Elias Redlow, AJ Bobich and Chris Morgan added 10 points apiece.
Granada Hills received 20 points from Kristapor Kedikian. Applegate celebrated his 17th birthday with the team serenading him.
Birmingham 54, Kennedy 46: The Patriots (14-3) received 21 points from Kayla Tanijiri.
Mitchell Starc strikes in the first over yet again as Zak Crawley is trapped lbw for one, having made no attempt at playing a shot, to leave England 4-1 on day four of the fifth Ashes Test in Sydney.
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Tyler Higbee has played in 12 NFL playoff games during his 10-year career, so the veteran tight end knows, better than perhaps any other Rams player, what lies ahead.
Higbee was part of two teams that advanced to the Super Bowl.
“Don’t listen to the outside noise,” Higbee said when asked to describe the formula for a Super Bowl run. “You don’t look at the ifs, the what-could-be’s. You just come in, work, and take it a day at time. … Keep peaking week after week.”
The Rams, seeded No. 5 in the NFC, begin the playoffs on Saturday against the No. 4 Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C.
Higbee, who returned from injured reserve and starred in last Sunday’s season-finale victory over the Arizona Cardinals, figures to be a key player as the Rams attempt to avenge a Week 13 loss to the Panthers.
Higbee was scheduled to play limited snaps against the Cardinals, but with rookie tight end Terrance Ferguson a late scratch because of a hamstring issue, Higbee played 48 snaps and caught five passes for 91 yards and a touchdown in a 37-20 victory.
“I was just excited the ball found me,” he said. “Glad I could contribute to help us get a win.”
Coach Sean McVay was happy to have Higbee back.
“You could just see there’s a swag,” McVay said, “there’s a confidence.”
Higbee, 33, was a fourth-round draft pick in 2016 and has been an integral part of the offense ever since McVay was hired in 2017. Higbee and right tackle Rob Havenstein, an 11-year veteran who is on injured reserve, were members of McVay’s first team that have been on the roster for all seven playoff appearances under the ninth-year coach. Long snapper Jake McQuaide, a 15th-year pro who was part of McVay’s first four seasons, was signed at midseason.
Higbee has 386 career catches, 27 for touchdowns.
But Higbee’s value to the Rams goes beyond production.
“It’s just the human being too,” quarterback Matthew Stafford said. “The human being that celebrates for everybody.”
Midway through this season, the Rams evolved from an offense that primarily utilized one tight end to a scheme that utilizes as many as three at a time.
“Everybody has their own flavor,” Higbee said, “their own things that they’re great at.”
In 10 games, Higbee has 25 catches, three for touchdowns.
Colby Parkinson has 43 catches, eight for touchdowns, both career bests. Davis Allen has 24 catches, three for touchdowns, and Ferguson has 11 catches, three for touchdowns.
“We’re all very selfless,” Parkinson said. “No one is out there looking for individual success. We’re out there looking for team success.”
With Stafford at the controls, a receiver corps that includes stars Puka Nacua and Davante Adams, the running back duo of Kyren Williams and Blake Corum, and four productive tight ends bolstering the offensive line, the Rams averaged a league-best 30.5 points and 394.6 yards per game.
“This is the deepest tight end room I’ve ever been a part of,” Higbee said. “We’ve got the guys to do it, and we’ve shown that we can do it and the offense can go while we do it.
“And that will just present more opportunities.”
Higbee has 31 postseason receptions for 302 yards and two touchdowns, including one against the Philadelphia Eagles in last season’s divisional-round defeat.
Higbee did not play in the 31-28 loss to the Panthers on Nov. 30 because of the ankle injury suffered two weeks before against the Seattle Seahawks. So he is looking forward to making an impact any way that he can on Saturday for a team stocked with players that he said play for each other.
“At this level,” he said, “the more you can get guys that want to play for each other rather than just their families and the name on their back, makes a tighter team and in my opinion makes for a better team.”
Head coach Thomas Frank says Tottenham are “completely aligned” about the future as he faces pressure from fans to improve results.
Frank has declared that the club are united behind the scenes, saying that chief executive Vinai Venkatesham makes “sensible decisions” and is “is one of the best communicators I ever met”.
Spurs were booed off after Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Sunderland, and have won two of their past 11 Premier League games.
In the past week, Enzo Maresca has left Chelsea and Manchester United have sacked Ruben Amorim – with both head coaches departing amid fallouts with senior figures at their respective clubs.
But Frank says he has no such issues with Tottenham‘s hierarchy.
“I think the biggest thing is that we are completely aligned with the ownership,” Frank said.
“Vinai is one of the best communicators I ever met, as a CEO, leader or whatever, he is absolutely excellent in that.
“I think I’m OK, but he is way superior, which I think is crucial internally and externally.
“He’s calm and he takes sensible decisions – two rare abilities in football. He understands the journey we’re on.”
Tottenham, who visit Bournemouth on Wednesday, are in a congested mid-table, sitting 13th in the Premier League.
They are unbeaten in their past three matches, but have not scored from open play since 6 December.
Sporting director Fabio Paratici has continuously been linked with a move back to Italy with Fiorentina during recent weeks, but remains in place at Spurs.
Frank said: “We’re paying his wage, he’s working very hard.
“The last time I spoke to him? I spoke to him in the morning before the [Sunderland] game.”