Watch the three FA Cup goals scored by Jack Wilshere (for Arsenal and Bournemouth) and Robbie Savage (for Leicester).
Forest Green Rovers, managed by Savage, face Luton Town, managed by Wilshere, in the FA Cup first round on Friday evening.
WATCH MORE: Eze and Alexander-Arnold star in best goals from last season’s FA Cup
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India and Australia have history in World Cups.
There was Harmanpreet Kaur’s unforgettable 171 at Derby in 2017 to seal India’s place in the final, and the near-miss in the T20 semi-final at Cape Town in 2023 as the same player’s bat got stuck in the ground as she was crucially run out.
These two teams had already played out the best match of this tournament’s group stage, with Alyssa Healy’s side chasing 331 on that occasion.
Thursday’s thriller was another example of India and Australia taking the game to new levels.
Phoebe Litchfield’s stunning 119 set up Australia’s 338, supported by half-centuries from Ellyse Perry and Ash Gardner, as India were run ragged in the field.
At the halfway stage Australia’s eight-year unbeaten run at 50-over World Cups looked almost certain to continue.
However, such was Rodrigues’ brilliance – her speed between the wickets, her innovation by shuffling across her stumps, her pinpoint ability to pick the gaps between fielders – that the usually unflappable Australia were rocked.
Healy and Tahlia McGrath put down simple chances, and the team that had not lost a World Cup game since Harmanpreet’s epic were left stunned.
The batting was arguably of the highest quality that women’s cricket has ever seen – but of wider significance is what an India triumph at a home World Cup could mean.
They face South Africa in Sunday’s showpiece, meaning a new winner will be crowned for the first time since 2000.
Both finalists are chasing history – but an India victory could catapult the women’s game to new heights in terms of reach and investment.
“The pace at which women’s cricket is growing in India is unbelievable,” former IPL batter Abhishek Jhunjhunwala told BBC Test Match Special.
“Girls have started playing on the streets with boys, which you never used to see happen. They want to be a Jemimah Rodrigues or a Deepti Sharma.
“It is a proper career now for women. If India go on to win this World Cup, this will change women’s cricket. The game is growing rapidly worldwide but in a commercial aspect, this will change drastically.”
Around the stadiums in India, the shift is obvious in the sheer number of boys and men wearing shirts bearing the names of Smriti Mandhana or Harmanpreet, and the crowds have been electric for the hosts’ games.
The Women’s Premier League, India’s T20 franchise competition, has started the game-changing process with the salaries on offer to players. But based on this sensational semi-final, that could prove to be just the beginning.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot says he has “no regrets” after making 10 changes to his team for their Carabao Cup fixture against Crystal Palace, a match they went on to lose 3-0 at Anfield.
READ MORE: Slot ‘making excuses’ – but should he have rested key players?
Here are the details on the teams, groups, format, match fixtures, kickoff times and venues for FIFA U-17 World Cup 2025:
⚽ Group A: Qatar, Italy, South Africa, Bolivia
⚽ Group B: Japan, Morocco, New Caledonia, Portugal
⚽ Group C: Senegal, Croatia, Costa Rica, United Arab Emirates
⚽ Group D: Argentina, Belgium, Tunisia, Fiji
⚽ Group E: England, Venezuela, Haiti, Egypt
⚽ Group F: Mexico, South Korea, Ivory Coast, Switzerland
⚽ Group G: Germany, Colombia, North Korea, El Salvador
⚽ Group H: Brazil, Honduras, Indonesia, Zambia
⚽ Group I: USA, Burkina Faso, Tajikistan, Czechia
⚽ Group J: Paraguay, Uzbekistan, Panama, Ireland
⚽ Group K: France, Chile, Canada, Uganda
⚽ Group L: Mali, New Zealand, Austria, Saudi Arabia
list of 4 itemsend of list
The top two nations in each group automatically qualify for the knockout rounds, while the eight best third-place teams will also proceed further.
Winners of the last-32 advance to the round of 16, followed by the quarterfinals, semifinals and the final.
In knockout fixtures, if a game is level at the end of normal playing time, no extra time shall be played, with a penalty shootout determining the winner.
3 November
Group A: South Africa vs Bolivia (Aspire Zone, pitch 3, 3:30 pm/12:30 GMT)
Group C: Costa Rica vs United Arab Emirates (Aspire Zone, pitch 8, 3:30 pm/12:30 GMT)
Group C: Senegal vs Croatia (Aspire Zone, pitch 1, 4:00 pm/13:00 GMT)
Group B: Japan vs Morocco (Aspire Zone, pitch 5, 4:30 pm/13:30 GMT)
Group D: Argentina vs Belgium (Aspire Zone, pitch 2, 5:45 pm/14:45 GMT)
Group B: New Caledonia vs Portugal (Aspire Zone, pitch 4, 6:15 pm/15:15 GMT)
Group A: Qatar vs Italy (Aspire Zone, pitch 7, 6:45 pm/15:45 GMT)
Group D: Tunisia vs Fiji (Aspire Zone, pitch 9, 6:45 pm/15:45 GMT)
4 November
Group F: Ivory Coast vs Switzerland (Aspire Zone, pitch 8, 3:30 pm/12:30 GMT)
Group H: Brazil vs Honduras (Aspire Zone, pitch 3, 3:30 pm /12:0 GMT)
Group F: Mexico vs South Korea (Aspire Zone, pitch 1, 4:00 pm/13:00 GMT)
Group E: Haiti vs Egypt (Aspire Zone, pitch 5, 4:30 pm/13:30 GMT)
Group G: Germany vs Colombia (Aspire Zone, pitch 2, 5:45 pm/14:45 GMT)
Group E: England vs Venezuela (Aspire Zone, pitch 4, 6:15 pm/15:15 GMT)
Group G: North Korea vs El Salvador (Aspire Zone, pitch 9, 6:45 pm/15:45 GMT)
Group H: Indonesia vs Zambia (Aspire Zone, pitch 7, 6:45 pm/15:45 GMT)
5 November
Group I: Tajikistan vs Czechia (Aspire Zone, pitch 8, 3:30 pm/12:30 GMT)
Group J: Panama vs Ireland (Aspire Zone, pitch 3, 3:30 pm/12:30 GMT)
Group J: Paraguay vs Uzbekistan (Aspire Zone, pitch 1, 4:00pm/13:00 GMT)
Group L: Austria vs Saudi Arabia (Aspire Zone, pitch 5, 4:30 pm/13:30 GMT)
Group L: Mali vs New Zealand (Aspire Zone, pitch 2, 5:45 pm/14:45 GMT)
Group I: USA vs Burkina Faso (Aspire Zone, pitch 4, 6:15 pm/15:15 GMT)
Group K: France vs Chile (Aspire Zone, pitch 7, 6:45 pm/15:45 GMT)
Group K: Canada vs Uganda (Aspire Zone, pitch 9, 6:45 pm/15:45 GMT)
6 November
Group A: Bolivia vs Italy (Aspire Zone, pitch 3, 3:30 pm/12:30 GMT)
Group B: Portugal vs Morocco (Aspire Zone, pitch 8, 3:30 pm/12:30 GMT)
Group B: Japan vs New Caledonia (Aspire Zone, pitch 1, 4:00 pm/13:00 GMT)
Group D: Argentina vs Tunisia (Aspire Zone, pitch 5, 4:30 pm/13:30 GMT)
Group D: Fiji vs Belgium (Aspire Zone, pitch 2, 5:45 pm/14:45 GMT)
Group C: United Arab Emirates vs Croatia (Aspire Zone, pitch 4, 6:15 pm/15:15 GMT)
Group A: Qatar vs South Africa (Aspire Zone, pitch 7, 6:45 pm/15:45 GMT)
Group C: Senegal vs Costa Rica (Aspire Zone, pitch 9, 6:45 pm/15:45 GMT)
7 November
Group E: England vs Haiti (Aspire Zone, pitch 3, 3:30 pm/12:30 GMT)
Group G: El Salvador vs Colombia (Aspire Zone, pitch 8, 3:30 pm/12:30 GMT)
Group G: Germany vs North Korea (Aspire Zone, pitch 1, 4:00 pm/13:00 GMT)
Group E: Egypt vs Venezuela (Aspire Zone, pitch 5, 4:30 pm/13:30 GMT)
Group F: Mexico vs Ivory Coast (Aspire Zone, pitch 2, 5:45 pm/14:45 GMT)
Group F: Switzerland vs South Korea (Aspire Zone, pitch 4, 6:15 pm/15:15 GMT)
Group H: Brazil vs Indonesia (Aspire Zone, pitch 7, 6:45 pm/15:45 GMT)
Group H: Zambia vs Honduras (Aspire Zone, pitch 9, 6:45 pm/15:45 GMT)
8 November
Group I: Czechia vs Burkina Faso (Aspire Zone, pitch 3, 3:30 pm/12:30 GMT)
Group K: Uganda vs Chile (Aspire Zone, pitch 8, 3:30 pm/12:30 GMT)
Group L: Mali vs Austria (Aspire Zone, pitch 1, 4:00 pm/13:00 GMT)
Group K: France vs Canada (Aspire Zone, pitch 5, 4:30 pm/13:30 GMT)
Group I: USA vs Tajikistan (Aspire Zone, pitch 2, 5:45 pm/14:45 GMT)
Group J: Paraguay vs Panama (Aspire Zone, pitch 4, 6:15 pm/15:15 GMT)
Group J: Ireland vs Uzbekistan (Aspire Zone, pitch 9, 6:45 pm/15:45 GMT)
Group L: Saudi Arabia vs New Zealand (Aspire Zone, pitch 7, 6:45 pm/15:45 GMT)
9 November
Group D: Fiji vs Argentina (Aspire Zone, pitch 3, 3:30 pm/12:30 GMT)
Group D: Belgium vs Tunisia (Aspire Zone, pitch 8, 3:30 pm/12:30 GMT)
Group B: Portugal vs Japan (Aspire Zone, pitch 5, 4:30 pm/13:30 GMT)
Group B: Morocco vs New Caledonia (Aspire Zone, pitch 1, 4:30 pm/13:30 GMT)
Group C: United Arab Emirates vs Senegal (Aspire Zone, pitch 2, 5:45 pm/14:45 GMT)
Group C: Croatia vs Costa Rica (Aspire Zone, pitch 4, 5:45 pm/14:45 GMT)
Group A: Bolivia vs Qatar (Aspire Zone, pitch 7, 6:45 pm/15:45 GMT)
Group A: Italy vs South Africa (Aspire Zone, pitch 9, 6:45 pm/15:45 GMT)
10 November
Group F: Switzerland vs Mexico (Aspire Zone, pitch 3, 3:30 pm/12:30 GMT)
Group F: South Korea vs Ivory Coast (Aspire Zone, pitch 8, 3:30 pm/12:30 GMT)
Group G: El Salvador vs Germany (Aspire Zone, pitch 5, 4:30 pm/13:30 GMT)
Group G: Colombia vs North Korea (Aspire Zone, pitch 1, 4:30 pm/13:30 GMT)
Group H: Zambia vs Brazil (Aspire Zone, pitch 4, 5:45 pm/14:45 GMT)
Group H: Honduras vs Indonesia (Aspire Zone, pitch 2, 5:45 pm/14:45 GMT)
Group E: Egypt vs England (Aspire Zone, pitch 7, 6:45 pm/15:45 GMT)
Group E: Venezuela vs Haiti (Aspire Zone, pitch 9, 6:45 pm/15:45 GMT)
11 November
Group K: Uganda vs France (Aspire Zone, pitch 3, 3:30 pm/12:30 GMT)
Group K: Chile vs Canada (Aspire Zone, pitch 8, 3:30 pm/12:30 GMT)
Group J: Ireland vs Paraguay (Aspire Zone, pitch 5, 4:30 pm/13:30 GMT)
Group J: Uzbekistan vs Panama (Aspire Zone, pitch 1, 4:30 pm/13:30 GMT)
Group I: Czechia vs USA (Aspire Zone, pitch 4, 5:45 pm/14:45 GMT)
Group I: Burkina Faso vs Tajikistan (Aspire Zone, pitch 2, 5:45 pm/14:45 GMT)
Group L: Saudi Arabia vs Mali (Aspire Zone, pitch 7, 6:45 pm/15:45 GMT)
Group L: New Zealand vs Austria (Aspire Zone, pitch 9, 6:45 pm/15:45 GMT)
Rest days on 12 and 13 November
14 November
Match 1 (Aspire Zone, pitch 8, 3:30 pm/12:30 GMT)
Match 2 (Aspire Zone, pitch 3, 3:30 pm/12:30 GMT)
Match 3 (Aspire Zone, pitch 1, 4:00 pm/13:00 GMT)
Match 4 (Aspire Zone, pitch 5, 4:30 pm/13:30 GMT)
Match 5 (Aspire Zone, pitch 2, 5:45 pm/14:45 GMT)
Match 6 (Aspire Zone, pitch 4, 6:15 pm/15:15 GMT)
Match 7 (Aspire Zone, pitch 7, 6:45 pm/15:45 GMT)
Match 8 (Aspire Zone, pitch 9, 6:45 pm/15:45 GMT)
15 November
Match 9 (Aspire Zone, pitch 3, 3:30 pm/12:30 GMT)
Match 10 (Aspire Zone, pitch 8, 3:30 pm/12:30 GMT)
Match 11 (Aspire Zone, pitch 1, 4:00 pm/13:00 GMT)
Match 12 (Aspire Zone, pitch 5, 4:30 pm/13:30 GMT)
Match 13 (Aspire Zone, pitch 2, 5:45 pm/14:45 GMT)
Match 14 (Aspire Zone, pitch 4, 6:15 pm/15:15 GMT)
Match 15 (Aspire Zone, pitch 7, 6:45 pm/15:45 GMT)
Match 16 (Aspire Zone, pitch 9, 6:45 pm/15:45 GMT)
Rest days on 16 and 17 November
18 November
Match 1 (Aspire Zone, pitch 8, 3:30 pm/12:30 GMT)
Match 2 (Aspire Zone, pitch 3, 3:30 pm/12:30 GMT)
Match 3 (Aspire Zone, pitch 1, 4:00 pm/13:00 GMT)
Match 4 (Aspire Zone, pitch 5, 4:30 pm/13:30 GMT)
Match 5 (Aspire Zone, pitch 2, 5:45 pm/14:45 GMT)
Match 6 (Aspire Zone, pitch 4, 6:15 pm/15:15 GMT)
Match 7 (Aspire Zone, pitch 9, 6:45 pm/15:45 GMT)
Match 8 (Aspire Zone, pitch 7, 6:45 pm/15:45 GMT)
Rest days on 19 and 20 November
21 November
Quarterfinal 1 (Aspire Zone, pitch 4, 3:30 pm/12:30 GMT)
Quarterfinal 2 (Aspire Zone, pitch 5, 4:30 pm/13:30 GMT)
Quarterfinal 3 (Aspire Zone, pitch 2, 5:45 pm/14:45 GMT)
Quarterfinal 4 (Aspire Zone, pitch 7, 6:45 pm/15:45 GMT)
Rest days on 22 and 23 November
24 November
Semifinal 1 (Aspire Zone, pitch 5, 3:30 pm/12:30 GMT)
Semifinal 2 (Aspire Zone, pitch 7, 6:45 pm/15:45 GMT)
Rest days on 25 and 26 November
27 November (Aspire Zone, pitch 7, 3:30 pm/12:30 GMT)
27 November
Final (Khalifa International Stadium, Doha, 9pm/18:00 GMT)
Sovereignty, the top-ranked horse in the country, will not run in the $7-million Breeders’ Cup Classic after developing a fever this week. The winner of the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes and Travers Stakes will recover although it’s unclear if he will ever race again.
Trainer Bill Mott made the announcement Wednesday morning and informed Breeders’ Cup officials of the scratch.
“I actually started thinking, ‘We might be OK.’ But then, in a matter of hours, my optimism was taken away,” Mott said. “When he had a real mild fever and we medicated him right away, he acted normal. I actually was maybe looking at it with rose-colored glasses.”
On Wednesday morning, Sovereignty was standing upright in his stall munching on hay and showed no obvious discomfort.
“We’ve gone through the entire year with this horse without a hiccup,” Mott said.
The fever was detected on Monday and he was treated with an NSAID, similar to Tylenol. He could not be given an antibiotic at that time because he would then likely fail a drug test. On Tuesday, Mott puts his odds at running at 50-50.
“If we don’t think he’s 100%, he won’t run in the Breeders’ Cup Classic,” Mott said on Tuesday.
After he was initially treated, his temperature went back to normal but then it spiked again overnight.
Sovereignty was the biggest star of the 42nd Breeders’ Cup and was installed as the 6-5 favorite to win the Classic.
Mott and owner Godolphin have been very cautious with this Sovereignty. After he won the Kentucky Derby his connections elected to not run him in the Preakness because it was only two weeks after the Derby. Horse racing is a dying brand on the sports landscape and a possible Triple Crown winner could have a shot in the arm the sport desperately needs.
A decision has not been made if the colt will return to racing next year or be retired to stallion duty.
England’s Amy Jones, Heather Knight and Tammy Beaumont are all dismissed for a duck as England slump to 1-3 in their World Cup semi-final against South Africa.
FOLLOW LIVE: Cricket World Cup semi-final: England v South Africa
Available to UK users only.
India have called up batter Shafali Verma in place of the injured Pratika Rawal for their Women’s World Cup semi-final against Australia.
Rawal sustained an ankle injury while fielding during India’s final group game against Bangladesh on Sunday.
The 25-year-old opener tried to stop a boundary on the slippery outfield at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai and was later unable to bat in the match.
Rawal is the tournament’s second-highest run-scorer with 308 in six innings at 51.33, behind only fellow India opening batter Smriti Mandhana.
India’s request to replace Rawal in their squad with Verma was approved by the International Cricket Council’s event technical committee for the tournament.
Verma has not played a one-day international for India since October 2024 but has played 50-over cricket for India A in recent months.
The 21-year-old was left out of India’s original squad for the World Cup but will now come into contention for a place against Australia in the semi-final showdown on 30 October.
Amanjot Kaur opened against Bangladesh after Rawal limped out while Uma Chetry and Jemimah Rodrigues are other potential partners for Mandhana at the top of the order.
Amy Jones’ unbeaten 86 runs off 92 balls helps England to an eight-wicket win over New Zealand with twenty overs to spare in their final group stage match at the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup match in Visakhapatnam, India.
MATCH REPORT: ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup – England v New Zealand
Available to UK users only.
Alana King takes a stunning 7-18 – a record at a Women’s World Cup – as Australia bowl South Africa out for 97, before chasing down their target with seven wickets in hand in Indore.
MATCH REPORT: King takes 7-18 as Australia thrash South Africa
Available to UK users only.
Same result, different day.
A glimmer of hope, a door creaked slightly ajar, a creeping sense of “what if” drifting through the crowd and the commentary box – but in the end, Australia win.
This was England’s long-awaited Ashes reunion, their first competitive meeting since the ill-fated 16-0 drubbing.
In some ways, this was a free hit, considering the fact that a semi-final spot at the Women’s World Cup had already been secured for both teams.
Throughout the tournament, England have shown – despite being far from perfect on occasions – that this is not the same dejected England that left the Melbourne Cricket Ground back in February, having barely left a scratch on their opponents – let alone a punch.
Against their great rivals in Indore, they had spells where they competed – again, something that was nothing more than a pipe dream at the beginning of the year.
Amy Jones and Tammy Beaumont dominated the first eight overs, cashing in as the Australian seamers bowled too wide and lacked control.
Alice Capsey played an enterprising cameo to get England to 244, which always felt below par, but when Lauren Bell removed Phoebe Litchfield’s off stump with a beauty and Georgia Voll and Ellyse Perry were dismissed shortly after, England were in unfamiliar territory.
They were favourites.
But against a team of such greatness, a line-up littered with stardom from one to 11 and the three left on the bench, you cannot and will not win a game in moments.
England learned a harsh lesson in Indore. They have improved massively in the field, they look fitter, they look a more cohesive unit willing to fight and scrap for everything.
Still, you can do all of that, and still be outplayed. You can take four top-order wickets for 68 runs and the next two will add a chanceless 180 between them, turning a wobble into a crushing victory with nearly 10 overs to spare.
England’s unbeaten run came to an end, ever so predictably, with a bump down to earth dealt by Australia.
A TINY station in Northumberland that was closed from the 1960s until last year, has been crowned ‘Britain’s most life-changing station.’
It beat 330 stations across the country for the award – known as ‘The World Cup Of Train Stations,’ and the town itself also has a rich celebrity past from sportsmen to actors.
‘The World Cup Of Stations’ was launched in honour of 200 years of railways in Britain, to bring attention to the stories behind the stations and how much they’ve changed and brought communities together.
Ashington train station, up the road from Newcastle upon Tyne, opened in December last year as part of the restoration of the Northumberland Line.
It was shut due to Beeching cuts to the railway in the 1960s which resulted in the closure of thousands of stations, but Ashington has made a mighty comeback.
Ashington competed against 330 nominations, which were whittled down to 20 by a judging panel.
It stood against the likes of Liverpool Lime Street, London Paddington, London Waterloo, Vauxhall and York.
In just over five days, over 24,000 people voted, with Ashington being one of the country’s newest stations in the shortlist.
Trains started running between Newcastle and Ashington in December last year, and it’s not even finished yet as additional stations along the line are set to open next year.
Jacqueline Starr, Rail Delivery Group chief executive officer said: “As we celebrate 200 years of rail history, Ashington shows how investing in stations can transform lives linking people to opportunity, pride, and possibility.”
The Northumberland Line was one of many to be axed as part of the Beeching cuts to the railway in the 1960s but was brought back as part of a £298.5 million redevelopment project.
Ashington sits 15 miles north of Newcastle, close to the coast and was once centre of the coal mining industry.
It was the birthplace of some of Britain’s biggest sporting stars like Bobby and Jack Charlton, who were both part of the England national team that won the 1966 World Cup against West Germany.
Jackie Milburn, also born in Ashington and went on to be one of the most legendary players for Newcastle United.
Cricketing brothers Steve and Ben Harmison were born there, and after retiring from cricket, Steve managed his hometown football club in Ashington.
The TV and actor and popstar Robson Green hails from the town too – going on star in top shows like Casualty, Soldier Soldier and more recently, Grantchester.
The top things to do in Ashington on Tripadvisor include exploring the Woodhorn Museum which is based on the town’s mining history.
Inside is memorabilia, gallery exhibitions and trinkets from the days it operated as a mining hub.
It’s known for having lots of woodland and green spaces too which you can see by visiting the Queen Elizabeth II Country Park, or taking a walk around the Wansbeck Riverside Park.
On Tuesdays, Ashington holds a market where sellers sell all sorts from food to clothing and gifts.
The town is very close to Newcastle, which is a 30 minute drive away, or along the Northumberland Line, a 48 minute train journey.
It’s not all towns and cities, Ashington is minutes from the coastline with some of the nearest beaches in neighbouring Newbiggin-by-the-Sea.
The small seaside town has a north, south and east beach where you’ll spot a fleet of traditional fishing boats – but the coastline is a great spot for paddling in the summer and rock pooling.
Newbiggin is also known to be one of Britain’s most budget-friendly seaside resort.
At the seaside town, you can get a bargain ice cream at Caffe Bertorelli and cheap pints at The Coble pub.
Ashington is near Cresswell Beach too, a sandy spot known for being dog-friendly and a starting point for the Northumberland Coastal Path.
Another great beach is Druridge Bay which has rugged coastline, a seven-mile beach, sand dunes and is popular for activities like birdwatching and horse riding.
These beaches might be about to get even more popular as this year, Northumberland beaches became one of the world’s trending destinations.
The northern county of Northumberland has been getting lots of attention over the summer, with plenty of pretty beaches that are usually less busy than those in the south.
Airbnb said: “Northumberland is drawing more summer visitors, with searches up over 50 per cent this summer, thanks to its pristine North Atlantic beaches.”
These include Embleton Bay, Low Newton-by-the-Sea and the seaside town of Bamburgh.
Writer Jenna Stevens headed up to Newcastle for the opening of the UK’s first Greggs pub…
When I heard that Greggs were opening a pub, my first thought was “a Greggs sausage roll and a pint in one place? Sign me up!”
But what I wasn’t expecting to find at The Golden Flake Tavern was a traditional, homely pub with an impressive menu that could take on the best of boozers.
The room was decked out with local art, a jukebox, board games and cosy booths. From branded Golden Flake coasters and napkins, to a framed painting of Geordie legends Ant and Dec.
Newcastle is the birthplace of Greggs, so it’s only fitting that the pub has opened in its city centre.
The Golden Flake Tavern’s menu is loaded with Greggs’ best-loved bakes, reimagined as pub dishes.
I opted for the Greggs pub staple: the Sausage Roll and Mash and was wowed by the dish’s posh presentation. The sausage roll had been sliced in half and carefully propped up against the mash like a Michelin star meal.
I tried the Gosforth 1939 Stottie Lager (£6.50) – a beer named with Greggs’ history in mind – and all cocktails are priced at £11.50.
The Golden Flake Tavern is open daily from 11am – 7pm at Fenwick Newcastle. And you need to visit soon as the pub is open to visitors until February 2026.
Read more on the English port town that stars in Hollywood’s top films – from Indiana Jones to Batman and Paddington Bear – with a train station also making the shortlist.
Plus, these two huge cities north of London have been tipped for direct trains to Europe.
South Africa pair Nadine de Klerk and Marizanne Kapp combine to hit Pakistan’s Fatima Sana for 25 runs from six balls in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup.
FOLLOW LIVE: ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup – South Africa v Pakistan
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Australia beat England in the 2022 World Cup final and are bidding for a record-extending eighth title.
Healy faces a race against time to recover for the semi-finals with the first scheduled for 29 October in Guwahati or Colombo and the second due to take place the following day in Mumbai.
The 35-year-old, who made her Australia debut in 2010, has endured a difficult time with injuries in recent years.
She missed the final group game of the T20 World Cup in 2024 and was unavailable for their semi-final loss to South Africa with a plantar fascia issue.
Healy also missed large periods during the 2024-25 season with knee and foot problems keeping her sidelined for the majority of the Sydney Sixers’ WBBL campaign, an ODI series against India, the T20 leg of the Ashes and a T20 tour of New Zealand.
She returned from injury in August to play six white-ball matches for Australia A against India A in Queensland, before being named in the World Cup squad.
England rallied to secure their semifinal spot at the World Cup while India’s defeat jeopardises their last-four chances.
England dug in for a four-run victory over India to clinch a semifinal spot at the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup on Sunday, leaving the tournament co-hosts in a five-way contest for the remaining place in the final four.
Chasing a winning target of 289, India stumbled from a position of strength to fall just short as they were restricted to 284-5 in their 50 overs.
India were on course for victory for much of their innings – Smriti Mandhana top-scored with 88, while skipper Harmanpreet Kaur hit a run-a-ball 70.
England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt picked up 2-47 and left-arm spinner Linsey Smith bowled a tight spell of 1-40 in 10 overs, including the key wicket of Mandhana, to apply the brakes on the home team and help pull off a stunning win.
It was India’s third straight loss – following defeats to Australia and South Africa – and stunned the home crowd at Holkar Stadium.
This was after England opted to bat first and posted 288-8, with Heather Knight contributing 109 off 91 balls.
England joined defending champions Australia and South Africa in the semifinals with a fourth win in five games. The four-time champions next play Australia on Wednesday at the same venue.
India are still fourth with four points from five games and need a massive turnaround in form against New Zealand on Thursday and Bangladesh on Sunday in their remaining two group games.
“Smriti’s dismissal was the turning point,” Kaur said. “We had sufficient batting to finish the game, but I don’t know how things went the other way. Credit to England – they kept bowling well and kept getting wickets.”
Co-hosts Sri Lanka take on Bangladesh in Navi Mumbai on Monday.
The chase did not get off to the best start. Pratika Rawal was caught behind for six, while Charlie Dean trapped Harleen Deol leg before wicket for 24.
Mandhana and Kaur then combined at 42-2, and the pair added 125 runs off 122 balls for the third wicket, with India seemingly cruising on a batting-friendly surface.
Kaur reached her half-century off 54 balls, while Mandhana was content with playing an anchoring role. She reached her second consecutive fifty off 60 balls.
Sciver-Brunt got the breakthrough to dismiss Kaur, but India were still favourites to win.
Deepti Sharma hit 50 off 57, and put on 67 off 66 with Mandhana.
India needed 62 off the last 60 deliveries, but momentum swung when Mandhana went for a big shot against Smith in the 42nd over and was caught on the boundary.
India slipped from 234-3 to 262-6 in 33 deliveries with Sharma out caught off Sophie Ecclestone (1-58) in the 47th over.
England piled on the pressure as Amanjot Kaur (18 not out) and Sneh Rana (10 not out) were unable to finish off the chase.
Knight scored her third ODI hundred to lead England’s innings.
England made a good start with openers Tammy Beaumont (22) and Amy Jones putting on 73 runs. Jones scored 56 off 68 balls.
Off-spinner Sharma accounted for both openers before Knight took over the innings, including a 113-run third-wicket stand with Sciver-Brunt (38 off 49).
“I got myself in and put down the accelerator. It felt like we needed 300 on that pitch, but it was frustrating to not get there in the end,” Knight said. “I was desperate to put in a statement performance for my 300th [international game] and I am pleased to do that.”
Knight reached her century off 86 balls, including 14 fours and a six. She was run out in the 45th over as England slipped towards the end, conceding five wickets for 31 runs across 5.1 overs.
Sharma returned figures of 4-51 in 10 overs and followed up with a half-century, but it was not enough on the day.
When Steve Cherundolo announced last spring that he would be leaving LAFC at the end of the season to rejoin his wife’s family in her native Germany, he seemed excited about the reunion.
Six months later, with LAFC preparing to enter the MLS playoffs, that reunion is just a loss away. So now Cherundolo, who took LAFC to the MLS Cup final twice in his first three seasons as coach, is hoping to put off that departure for another couple of months.
“I’d love to stay until early December,” he said. “That would be ideal. That is what we’re all trying to achieve at LAFC.”
And that appears well within reach for LAFC (17-8-9), which has six wins and 19 points in its last eight games, the last a 2-2 draw Saturday in Colorado. As a result LAFC, the No. 3 seed in the conference, will enter the playoffs as the hottest team in the West and arguably the best team in MLS since the mid-summer acquisition of forward Son Heung-min.
LAFC has lost just one of the 10 games the former Tottenham captain has played in, with Son scoring nine goals and assisting on three others. He has also provided a big boost to winger Denis Bouanga, who scored 11 times in his last 10 games, giving LAFC the most dynamic scoring tandem in the league.
LAFC will open the best-of-three conference quarterfinals next weekend against Austin (13-13-8) at BMO Stadium. The second leg will be played in Texas with a third game, if necessary, in Los Angeles.
Austin is one of just two teams that beat LAFC twice this season, though it enters the postseason having lost three of its last four. Cherundolo said none of those numbers matter now. Not only do regular-season records get thrown out for the playoffs, but even the rules change. In the first round of the MLS postseason, for example, games that are tied at the end of regulation go straight to penalty kicks.
“It’s a new scenario. So it does change the way you play a little bit,” Cherundolo said. “I don’t think current form has a ton to do with it. Last season there were some surprises in the first round of playoffs.
“We’ll do our very best to make sure that doesn’t happen to us.”
Should LAFC, which has never lost in the first round of the playoffs under Cherundolo, make it past Austin it will face the winner of the Vancouver-Dallas series in the conference semifinals. That could be a matchup between Son and Vancouver’s Thomas Muller, who has seven goals and three assists since joining the Whitecaps from German power Bayern Munich two months ago.
The Western Conference playoffs will open with Wednesday’s wild-card match between Portland and Real Salt Lake. The winner of that game will meet conference champion San Diego in the first round. The other final first-round series will see No. 4 seed Minnesota face fifth-seeded Seattle.
Regardless of who reaches the MLS Cup, for the 13th consecutive season the league will not have a repeat winner. The Galaxy (7-18-9), which won the title last season, were eliminated from playoff contention a month ago and finished the season with franchise-worst totals for wins (seven) and points (30) in a full season while matching the record for most losses with 18.
They did end on a high note, however, beating Minnesota 2-1 in their season finale for their third win in their final four games. That allowed them to escape the conference cellar and finish two points ahead of last-place Sporting Kansas City (7-20-7).
Inter Miami star Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring against Atlanta on Oct. 11.
(Lynne Sladky / Associated Press)
Still think Lionel Messi doesn’t care about MLS?
Locked in a tight battle for the league scoring title entering the final month of the season, Messi took his game to another level — if that’s possible — and scored five times in Inter Miami’s final two matches to claim the Golden Boot by a wide margin over Bouanga.
Messi had a hat trick against Nashville on Saturday, putting the game away with a third goal in the 81st minute to finish with 29 goals in 28 games. That’s the fourth-best single-season total in MLS history. Bouanga finished with a career-best 24 goals, tying him for second place with Nashville’s Sam Surridge.
Messi also had five assists in three October games to finish with a league-high 19, tying him for fourth place on the all-time list there as well. Messi’s 48 goals contributions (29 goals, 19 assists) is second all-time to Carlos Vela, who scored 34 times and had 15 assists for LAFC in 2019.
MLS bills the final day of the regular season “Decision Day” because it’s the day the postseason field is determined. But in the Eastern Conference, the nine playoff qualifiers had already been decided by the final weekend. So had the conference champion, with the Philadelphia Union (20-8-6) having secured the league’s best overall record and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs two weeks ago.
Still, some playoff pairings were determined on Decision Day.
With its win over Montreal, Cincinnati (20-9-5) grabbed the second seed in the postseason tournament on a tiebreaker over Inter Miami (19-7-8). Both teams finished with 65 points, but Cincinnati had one more regular-season victory.
As a result Cincinnati will open the playoffs against seventh-seeded Columbus (14-8-12) while Inter Miami will face No. 6 Nashville (16-12-6).
With its win over Philadelphia, Charlotte (19-13-2) clinched a fourth-place finish and home field for its playoff opener with New York City (17-12-5) next weekend. The two wild-card teams, Chicago (15-11-8) and Orlando (14-9-11), will meet Wednesday in Chicago with the winner facing the Union in the conference quarterfinals.
Standard Liege’s Belgian Pro League match against Royal Antwerp was abandoned in the 87th minute after the referee was hit by a cup thrown by a fan.
Standard were leading 1-0 when the cup hit referee Lothar D’hondt, who then blew his whistle to end the game at Stade Maurice Dufrasne on Friday.
The league said the match will resume behind closed doors on Monday at 14:00 BST “for the final minutes of play”.
Standard Liege said the supporter who threw the cup had been identified.
“The club will initiate civil stadium ban proceedings against him, as well as an action for compensation,” they said in a statement.
As Pratika moved up through the age groups, she caught the attention of former India player Deepti Dhyani, who became her coach.
“I saw her play a few drives and realised she had the capabilities. Most state-level players have talent; the challenge is transforming it for professional cricket. That’s where we as coaches step in,” Deepti says.
“She stood out because whenever you asked her to work on something, she would tick every box, even if you weren’t watching.”
Deepti also emphasised fitness, something Pratika had embraced since childhood.
“We often think gym work means building bulky muscles, but it’s really about staying injury-free. Thankfully, Pratika understood that well and worked on her fitness seriously,” says Deepti.
Even as cricket became her focus, Pratika didn’t neglect her studies. She pursued a degree in psychology, which helped her understand the mental side of the game.
“She was in ninth standard when she got interested in psychology, so she decided to study it in college,” says her father.
“In cricket, psychology plays a major role. When you’re batting, trying to read what a bowler is thinking or why they’ve set a certain field, it helps you dissect situations better. It’s been really useful for her.”
It’s that out-of-the-box thinking which gives Pratika a useful skill off the field: she can solve a Rubik’s cube.
“It has an algorithm to it,” Pratika said, in a social media video. “The centre pieces don’t move, so you need to move everything around those.”
Easy, or so Pratika makes it seem.
National League sides Brackley Town and Eastleigh will have their home ties in the first round of the FA Cup broadcast by the BBC.
Brackley will host League Two side Notts County at 17:30 GMT on Saturday, 1 November.
Eastleigh face another League Two outfit in Walsall at 14:15 GMT on Sunday, 2 November.
Both matches will be live on BBC Two and across BBC Sport channels, including BBC iPlayer.
There will be eight ties shown live on television overall and all will be available on TNT Sports.
Each of the clubs involved in the televised ties will receive a £50,000 fee.
United Arab Emirates denied Japan and took the final place at next year’s men’s T20 World Cup with an eight-wicket victory in the qualifier in Oman.
Japan could have reached their first major tournament with a victory but UAE held them to 116-9 and then chased their target in 12.1 overs.
It means UAE join Oman and Nepal in progressing from the Asia and East Asia-Pacific qualifier to the World Cup held in India and Sri Lanka in February and March next year.
In addition to the two hosts getting automatic spots, England, Australia, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, South Africa, United States and West Indies qualified courtesy of reaching the Super 8 stage of the 2024 edition held in the United States and West Indies.
Ireland, Pakistan and New Zealand qualified via the rankings while Canada, Italy, Netherlands, Namibia and Zimbabwe came through their regional qualifying tournaments.
The tournament schedule is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
Japan beat Kuwait and Samoa earlier in their qualifying tournament which meant they would have progressed had they beaten UAE and overturned a net run-rate deficit.
They slumped to 58-8, however, with spinner Haider Ali taking 3-20, and only limped to their total thanks to 45 not out from Wataru Miyauchi.
Alishan Sharafu and Muhammad Waseem put on 70 for the first wicket of the chase and, despite the pair falling for 46 and 42 respectively, UAE, who played at the 2014 and 2022 T20 World Cups, eased to victory.
It looked like City’s hopes of a comeback had been extinguished after just three minutes when, as she did in the first leg, Mille Gejl opened the scoring for Koge.
The former Crystal Palace midfielder took a short corner to Rikke Madsen and latched on to her fellow Denmark international’s cutback from the byeline before steering her low drive into the far corner from just inside the penalty box.
However, City were pinging the ball about far quicker than in the first leg in Denmark and were back level on the night within six minutes.
Captain Amy Muir set Nicole Kozlova down the left wing and the former Koge player’s low ball into the penalty box was fired home by strike partner Abby Harrison.
A couple of fine saves from goalkeeper Lee Gibson denied the visitors before City were back level on aggregate on 25 minutes when Emily Whelan headed powerfully home after left-back Muir crossed to the back post.
City’s joy only lasted two minutes as veteran former Manchester City and Denmark forward Nadia Nadim turned in from the left wing and sent a right-foot drive looping over Gibson and into the far corner.
Glasgow were ahead again on the night when Harrison rose with the visiting goalkeeper to meet a Lisa Evans corner and the ball deflected off Emma Pelkowski and into her own net.
Fellow midfielder Sarah Thygesen pounced on an Emma Brownlie error to slot what looked like a killer strike for the Danes six minutes from normal time.
However, Brownlie made amends by rising to meet another Evans corner and level the score on aggregate as the game entered added time.
Just when it looked like extra time might be needed, Lisa Forrest headed a cross from fellow substitute forward Sofia Maatta over the stranded goalkeeper to signal joyous scenes among the home support.
