Marizanne Kapp delivered a superb unbeaten 81 to guide South Africa to a vital six-wicket victory over India in the Women’s T20 World Cup group stage in Manchester.
The outstanding all-rounder previously took 2-27 with the ball before striking seven fours and four sixes during a blistering 45-ball innings.
Her spectacular performance ensured the Proteas successfully chased down a target of 159 with just five deliveries remaining.
Kapp and Brits rebuild the innings
The run chase began poorly for the chasing side, with their star batter arriving at the crease at a perilous 25-2 during the final over of the powerplay.
She combined with Tazmin Brits to painstakingly rebuild the innings, initially scoring slowly to reach 59 at the halfway mark before accelerating aggressively.
Their crucial partnership fell just three runs short of a century when Brits was caught in the deep off Shafali Verma for a hard-fought 40.
The match swung decisively when the veteran match-winner was dropped by Radha Yadav later in the same over.
Capitalising on the immense lifeline, she hammered two massive sixes in the penultimate over bowled by Deepti Sharma.
Chloe Tryon then stepped up to edge a winning boundary off Nandni Sharma to seal the remarkable comeback.
Kaur celebrates historic milestone
Earlier in the day, India captain Harmanpreet Kaur made history by becoming the first player to feature in 200 Twenty20 internationals.
She elected to bat first, and her team enjoyed an explosive start courtesy of Verma, who blasted 31 from just 15 deliveries.
Despite reaching 59-2 by the end of the powerplay, the Asian powerhouse lost momentum when both openers returned to the dugout.
Smriti Mandhana was clean bowled attempting an ambitious scoop shot, while her aggressive opening partner gloved a short delivery behind the stumps.
The subsequent batters struggled to maintain the early scoring rate, with Sharma top-scoring among the middle order with 29 runs.
Both she and Richa Ghosh offered tame catches to short fine leg as their side eventually posted 158-7.
Group 1 qualification remains open
This crucial victory moves the victorious African nation level with their defeated opponents on four points in Group 1.
Both sides currently trail tournament leaders Australia, who sit comfortably at the summit with six points.
South Africa now face favorable upcoming fixtures against Bangladesh and the Netherlands to secure their progression.
Meanwhile, the result places immense pressure on India, making their blockbuster clash against Australia at Lord’s on 28 June a potential elimination match.
Northampton Saints back-row Henry Pollock has set his sights on England’s upcoming Test against South Africa after starring in his club’s Premiership final victory.
The 21-year-old delivered a player-of-the-match performance as Saints secured the title in front of 80,000 fans.
It marks a rapid ascent for the dynamic forward, who has recently garnered a growing fanbase and a high-profile partnership with sports promoter Eddie Hearn.
Impact on the biggest stage
The highly rated prospect has repeatedly proved his worth in high-pressure situations, following up a dominant semi-final showing against Leicester with a commanding final display.
Saints director of rugby Phil Dowson was quick to praise his powerful number eight following the title-winning triumph.
“He does things in terms of his speed and power and his ability to stay in the game,” Dowson said.
“Last week he had 26 carries, I don’t know how many carries he had in the final. His impacts throughout the game are fantastic.”
Blocking out the noise
Despite almost tripping as he charged out of the tunnel before kick-off, the youngster displayed immense maturity throughout the intense domestic contest.
The rising star attributes his recent play-off form to a shift in mental approach rather than any tactical changes.
“I haven’t changed anything, no. It’s probably more a mindset thing,” he explained.
“These are the games you want to step up in. You want to be one of those players that step up in big games.”
Springboks test awaits
With an international call-up looming against the physical South African pack in a fortnight, the forward is determined to ignore external expectations.
“People can talk all they want. I have always said in my career, I don’t listen to outside noise, I don’t listen to people’s opinion.”
“I am very much locked into my role and my team, and what I need to do for the team and the coaches.”
The confident back-rower remains resolute in his belief that silverware will ultimately define his burgeoning career.
“At the end of the day, it’s white noise. It doesn’t matter to me, it doesn’t go into my brain. We’ll win trophies, I guess.”
British tennis player Jack Draper is set to return at the Eastbourne Open ahead of Wimbledon following a frustrating 12-month injury spell that has seen his world ranking plummet.
The 22-year-old has fallen to 160th in the ATP standings after battling continuous physical setbacks.
He is now preparing to test his match fitness on the south coast against American fifth seed Brandon Nakashima.
It marks a crucial step for the left-hander under the new guidance of his coach, two-time Wimbledon champion Sir Andy Murray.
Battling physical and mental hurdles
The former top-10 player first encountered a persistent arm issue at last year’s Madrid Masters.
He pushed through the pain barrier at both Wimbledon and the US Open before an eventual premature withdrawal in New York.
Ongoing knee tendonitis has further complicated his recovery, forcing a frustrating walkover against Tomas Etcheverry at the Barcelona Open in April.
“It’s been an incredibly difficult year.”
Draper told reporters prior to his imminent grass-court comeback.
“I’m someone who’s all-in with my tennis. I’m obsessed with improving and being the best in the world and doing all the right things.”
A glimpse of form and steep decline
Despite his ongoing physical hell, the British hopeful showed his immense potential at Indian Wells earlier this season.
He secured a stunning victory over Novak Djokovic en route to the quarter-finals before eventually falling to Daniil Medvedev.
However, the inability to consistently compete on the ATP Tour has been incredibly taxing for the ambitious athlete.
“Outside of tennis, there is not a lot going on for me. It’s obviously been very isolated; a lot of tough days.”
He admitted that watching his hard-earned ranking disappear was the most difficult part of the process.
“I was top 10 in the world, doing great things, and you’re losing your ranking every week.”
Patience ahead of Wimbledon
The rising prospect bypassed the recent Queen’s Club Championships because he felt his body was not quite ready for top-level match play.
Last year, he famously battled through a severe bout of tonsillitis to reach the semi-finals of that prestigious grass-court tournament.
“You know what tonsillitis is like, you’re barely getting out of bed.”
He believes his prolonged absence has forced him to develop a newfound patience with his physical recovery.
Now, he views his current position outside the top 100 not as a defeat, but as a chance to rebuild his promising career from the ground up.
“Having to almost start again with my ranking and with everything, it’s an incredible opportunity to come back.”
Swedish midfielder Lucas Bergvall has informed Tottenham Hotspur of his desire to leave the club this summer in search of regular first-team football.
The 20-year-old has struggled to secure a consistent starting role since arriving in North London, prompting him to actively seek a new challenge.
Despite signing a lengthy contract intended to keep him at the club until 2031, the highly-rated prospect has failed to cement his place in the midfield.
Sandro Tonali talks accelerate departure
Competition for places is expected to intensify further with the Premier League side reportedly in active negotiations to sign Sandro Tonali.
The potential arrival of the Italian international would severely limit match opportunities for the young Swede during the upcoming campaign.
Originally acquired from Djurgardens as a cornerstone for the future, the £57m-rated talent now appears destined for a premature departure.
Search for a new challenge
According to journalist David Ornstein, rival clubs are already monitoring the situation closely as they sense an opportunity to secure a transfer bargain.
A summer exit would mark an abrupt end to an association that was initially viewed as a massive recruitment coup for the North London outfit.
Francisco Cerundolo has claimed his first Queen’s Club title after defeating Tommy Paul in the longest final in the tournament’s history.
The Argentine eighth seed triumphed 6-7 (4-7) 6-4 6-3 in a gruelling grass-court epic lasting three hours and three minutes.
His American opponent had arrived at the final boasting a nine-match winning streak at the prestigious West London venue following his 2024 victory.
The defending champion initially looked poised to retain his crown after recovering from a 5-3 deficit to capture a 66-minute opening set via a tie-break.
Resilience rewarded in deciding set
Showing immense mental fortitude, the South American challenger fought off a vital break point in the eighth game of the second set.
He subsequently broke serve himself to force a decider before surging into a commanding 5-2 lead.
Despite squandering three match points on his opponent’s serve, the 25-year-old held his nerve to serve out the biggest victory of his career.
“I want to thank my mum and dad – they only arrived for the last two games!”
The emotional victor revealed it was the first time his father had taken a flight to watch him compete outside of their home nation.
“I felt really privileged here this week – you make me feel at home.”
Boulter suffers early exit in Germany
Elsewhere, British number two Katie Boulter endured a frustrating first-round defeat to Leylah Fernandez at the Bad Homburg Open.
The 27-year-old squandered an early advantage to lose 7-6 (7-5) 3-6 3-6 in a punishing three-hour encounter against the Canadian world number 22.
Having actively bypassed the Eastbourne International to compete in Germany, the British star now faces heading into Wimbledon without any further competitive grass-court preparation.
Searle secures landmark Challenger title
In better news for British tennis, former Wimbledon boys’ champion Henry Searle claimed the most significant senior title of his burgeoning career at the Dublin Challenger.
The 20-year-old defeated world number 152 Jurij Rodionov 6-4 6-2 to cap off an outstanding week of performances in the Irish capital.
The rising star is now set to utilise a wildcard for Wimbledon singles qualifying before partnering mentor Dan Evans in the men’s doubles draw.
The forthcoming All England Club appearance will officially mark the final professional tournament for former British number one Evans before his retirement.
Czech fourth seed Marie Bouzkova has overcome a first-set ankle injury to defeat Emma Navarro and claim the Nottingham Open, securing her first career grass-court singles title.
The 27-year-old required medical treatment twice but demonstrated remarkable resilience to seal a 7-6 (7-5) 4-6 6-2 victory over her American opponent.
It marks a second tournament triumph of the season for the Prague-born player, following her clay-court success at the Bogota Open in April.
This latest hard-fought victory takes her overall tally to four career singles titles on the WTA Tour.
Injury scares and crowd disruption
The final appeared to be slipping away from the eventual champion when she landed awkwardly on her right ankle late in the opening set.
Serving at 6-5 and trailing 0-30, a medical timeout was urgently called to heavily strap the affected joint.
She battled back to reach deuce upon resumption, only for proceedings to be halted again due to a lengthy medical emergency within the spectator stands.
Despite the highly fragmented rhythm, she edged a tense tie-breaker before the former world number eight levelled the match in a competitive second set.
An early break in the deciding set ultimately broke the American’s resistance, allowing the Czech star to comfortably serve out the championship.
An emotional on-court address saw the newly crowned champion wish her father a happy Father’s Day after he booked a late flight to witness the final in person.
Weather chaos hits Berlin as Boulter exits Bad Homburg
Elsewhere on the grass-court circuit, severe thunderstorms forced a delay of several hours to the Berlin Open final between Jessica Pegula and Linda Noskova.
Organisers were forced to entirely evacuate the stadium as extreme weather conditions caused significant structural issues.
The public village area of the tournament sustained significant damage as a result of the storm and will remain closed.
Berlin Open Organisers
Meanwhile, British number two Katie Boulter suffered a frustrating early exit at the Bad Homburg Open in Germany.
Leylah Fernandez exacted revenge for her recent Queen’s Club defeat by battling past the Briton 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 6-3.
The Canadian showcased extraordinary defensive skills during the marathon three-hour encounter, saving 19 of the 24 break points she faced to advance.
England cricketers Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson have been cleared of violent conduct by the ECB following an investigation into a London nightclub altercation, though both received written warnings for breaching curfew.
The duo were previously omitted from the recent second Test defeat by New Zealand while authorities looked into the events that occurred while celebrating their first Test victory.
An England and Wales Cricket Board disciplinary hearing concluded the pair breached specific contractual obligations requiring players to maintain the highest standards of conduct.
Unprovoked Attack
According to the findings, the England captain and the pace bowler were present when a team security guard was struck by Saracens rugby player Totoa Avuaa.
The ECB stated that Avuaa attacked both the fast bowler and the security official, leaving the latter bloodied and requiring medical attention.
“No blame should be attached to the players for violent conduct at the nightclub.”
The governing body confirmed that the 33-year-old skipper was not involved in the altercation and did not witness either incident.
Return for Trent Bridge Decider
Evidence demonstrated that the Surrey paceman was the victim of unprovoked attacks and did not retaliate on either occasion.
A separate inquiry conducted by the Cricket Regulator also determined that neither player has any further case to answer.
Following their omission from the team’s recent loss, both men have been reinstated to the squad for the series-deciding third Test against the Black Caps.
The crucial match begins on Thursday at Trent Bridge, with the returning all-rounder immediately restored to his leadership role.
Marc Marquez claimed victory at the Czech Grand Prix in Brno as MotoGP championship leader Marco Bezzecchi served a one-race suspension.
The 33-year-old continued his remarkable comeback from foot and shoulder surgeries to secure back-to-back triumphs.
He overtook Ducati team-mate Francesco Bagnaia with just five laps remaining to take control of the race.
Ai Ogura also passed the fading Italian in the closing stages to snatch second place.
Bezzecchi apologises for marshal altercation
Aprilia’s leading rider was banned from Sunday’s main event following an unacceptable incident during Saturday’s sprint.
The Italian crashed into the gravel trap and appeared to slap a track marshal twice in the face while attempting to retrieve his damaged bike.
The 27-year-old issued a formal apology on Sunday morning and admitted his actions were completely wrong.
“I know how much effort and sacrifice marshals make to ensure our safety,” Bezzecchi said.
“This behaviour shouldn’t happen and there is no justification for it. I apologise to everyone, Aprilia Racing and all my fans.”
Title race blows wide open
Bezzecchi’s controversial absence has allowed his closest rivals to significantly close the gap at the top of the standings.
His Spanish team-mate Jorge Martin could only manage a ninth-place finish but now trails by just eight points.
The reigning champion sits fourth overall, slashing a staggering 102-point deficit down to just 40 points in recent weeks.
“It’s a super important win, something special,” Marquez said.
“I never give up, but I was suffering a lot, I was empty. It was the longest six laps of the year and I am super happy.”