Archive June 21, 2025

Betfred Super League

Dragons and Catalans (6) 12

Goals: Makinson 2 tries: Pangai Junior, Makinson

Leigh Leopards (12) 26

Leigh Leopards defeated Dragons and Catalans 26-12 to finish third in Super League, scoring late tries from Joe Ofahengaue and David Armstrong.

Tevita Pangai Junior and Tommy Makinson had scored tries to bring the Catalans’ lead to 12-2, but they lost six games in a row in the league.

Leigh had a half-time lead thanks to Tesi Niu and Keanan Brand crossing paths.

Leigh and Pangai Junior both conceded penalties before full-time to add to their four conversions, but Gareth O’Brien’s performance with the boot was crucial.

When Makinson missed the opportunity to lead the Dragons, Makinson received a penalty inside 30 meters.

When Niu ran in following a wonderful catch and pass from Lachlan Lam, Armstrong broke through the defense and opened the door for the left. Instead, Leigh came in.

Leigh added another six minutes later when Lam found Brand in the top corner for a quick touch-down.

Pangai Junior blasted his way through the defense under the posts just before half-time, making it 2-0 for the Dragons, Makinson not letting up with his kick.

When Oliver Partington, Luke Keary, and Sam Tomkins made a quick move that was completed by Makinson, who had already scored, the Catalans leveled off with a real goal.

Then, when Pangai Junior was sent to the trash for a late tackle, Makinson missed what appeared to be a straightforward penalty to take the lead.

O’Brien’s kick from the subsequent penalty hit the post, and Lam immediately reacted, causing Ofahengaue to cross the line in the process.

Dragons and Catalans: Tomkins, Makinson, Laguerre, Darrelatour, Cotric, Keary, Rouge, Satae, Da Costa, Maria, Romano, Seguier, Partington

Interchanges: Dezaria, Bousquet, Sironen, and Pangai Juniorr.

Armstrong, McIntosh, Niu, Hanley, Brand, O’Brien, Lam, Ofahengaue, Ipape, Mulhern, Halton, Trout, Liu, and others are Leigh Leopards.

Changes: McNamara, Davis, O’Neill, and Tuitavake

Aryna Sabalenka defeated world number one Marketa Vondrousova to reach her first final since winning the 2023 Wimbledon title.

Vondrousova, who has been recovering from shoulder surgery and is ranked 164th in the world, defeated Wang Xinyu 6-2,6-4 in Sunday’s showpiece in Germany.

“I didn’t play for a while,” I said. On the WTA Tour website, Czech Vondrousova stated, “I’m just happy to be back in good health and so grateful to play these games.”

“I was like, OK, let’s just try to win the first round,” I thought as I saw the field, and then, you know, this is happening.”

Sabalenka saved two break points in the opening set, but she was again denied in the second service match, leading 5-2 going in the second set.

Vondrousova responded immediately after asking to lead 2-0 in the second, which was the three-time Grand Slam champion.

The set remained on serve until 25-year-old Vondrousova broke for 5-4, and the match was then ended in a tense scrap.

Wang won the other semi-final 6-4 6-1 over 2021 Berlin Open champion Liudmila Samsonova to reach her first WTA singles final.

Daniil Medvedev fought back from world number three Alexander Zverev to win 7-6 (7-3) 6-7 (1-7) 6-4 in a grass-court competition in the lead up to Wimbledon and advance to the Halle Open final on Sunday.

After beating eighth seed Karen Khachanov 4-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-4, Medvedev will face world number 45 Alexander Bublik in a semifinal match.

World No. 11 Medvedev wasted three match points in the second set and took three hours and one minute to complete the task after facing Zverev in a tie-break.

Medvedev said, “I’m happy with my level, I played great.”

In the second set, “I would have loved to finish on the match points.” I attempted it first, but I was disappointed.

He made a great point in the second one, so I waited a little while while he made the first one. I’m happy to ultimately prevail.

Medvedev needed medical attention for a nosebleed at 4-4 in the opening set, as was the case with his quarter-final victory on Friday.

After colliding with Glenn Irwin during a free practice session at the third round of the British Superbike Championship on Saturday, he broke his hip socket and pelvis.

During FP3, the Northern Ireland rider left his Hager PBM Ducati and was later red-flagged at Turn Nine.

The 35-year-old was then transported to Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital for further examination and assessment after initially being taken to the circuit medical center for x-rays on his hip and right leg.

Later on Saturday, a statement from the BSB race organizers revealed the extent of his injuries.

“Glenn Irwin has fractures to his hip socket and pelvis following a CT scan at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital. He is stable, they declared.

The specialist team will examine Glenn tomorrow to decide a continuing management strategy.

Irwin was unable to compete in the series’ opening weekend BSB race, which Bradley Ray, a Yamaha rider, won.

With Kyle Ryde, the defending champion, Tommy Bridewell of Honda Racing, second, and Leon Haslam, fourth, Ray won his fifth championship win.

Ray now has 104 points in the championship standings, followed by Ryde, Haslam, and Irwin, who scored 77 and Irwin, who scored 77.

Andrew, Irwin’s brother, crashed out during the weekend opener’s fourth lap while vying for the top-12 spot.

On Sunday, there are scheduled to be two more races.

Prior to this weekend’s action, Glenn Irwin had already secured four podium finishes in his first five races of the season at Oulton Park and Donington.

is a 11-time Superbike race winner at the North West 200 international road races, but the sport has since given up on that category before this year’s event in county Antrim.

Headingley, Day Two of the Fifth Rothesay Test

India 471: Gill 147, Pant 134, Jaiswal 101, Stokes 2-66, Tongue 4-86

England 209-3: Pope 100*, Duckett 62, Bumrah 3-48

England is 262 runs back.

Only Jasprit Bumrah’s heroic century, which ended England’s revival, late on day two, gave India the crucial wicket of Joe Root.

With 100 not out at Headingley, Pope, who was preferred to three-time world champion Jacob Bethell, redeemed England’s faith.

After Pope had finished his century, Root was caught at first slip, leaving England with a score of 209-3, with the paceman taking the final three wickets.

England is 261 fewer than India, which should have been much higher.

The tourists lost their final seven wickets for 41 runs despite Rishabh Pant’s thrilling century. Ben Stokes and Josh Tongue each took four wickets each.

England were confronted with the threat of Bumrah, who immediately had Zak Crawley caught at slip under a brooding sky, which had for 40 minutes of play halted by rain.

Although Bumrah was thrilling, Ben Duckett and Pope faced a stand of 122. Pope edged the same bowler through the slips after Duckett was dropped off Bumrah.

Duckett lost by 62 to Bumrah’s second spell, in which Yashasvi Jaiswal dropped Pope on 60 with third slip.

Root overturned being given lbw in the evening sunshine. One more spell called upon Bumrah. He snatched the bigger prize of Root, even though he was unable to stop Pope from reaching his milestone.

On the opening day, England was forced to chase after losing the toss, leaving England flat.

India should have kicked England out of the game before going back to bat 359-3 and then late on unleashed Bumrah.

Instead, the tourists gave the tourists a chance to return with loose kicks and dropped catches, and England, in particular Pope, did well enough to take advantage of the situation. The hosts still managed to score more than four runs in their over, despite their cavalier batting.

The ideal bowling conditions under which England faced their first innings further underscored how effective batting on Friday was. Every delivery was a learning experience for Bumrah when he had the ball, and he could have received an even bigger haul on another day.

England has a foot in the game despite all the talk of the Toss and Bumrah’s genius. The home team may win a fourth-innings chase on a sluggish pitch that appears to be full of runs.

The most significant innings of Pope’s Test career, which ended against India 18 months ago, defeated the same opponents despite having a weak record.

This was his best homecoming, in light of the debate in his place, the match situation, and the threat of Bumrah. The Surrey man won his ninth overall and third successive home Test.

Pope had a weakness as well, scoring behind square on the other side. He should have been caught by Jaiswal after edged Bumrah between third slip and gully on 10.

When Duckett cut Bumrah point, Ravindra Jadeja, who is a regular player, sprang up the chance to save him. Duckett drove through the gaps and barely managed to pull anything.

When Duckett fell from the inside edge and returned, the batting appeared much simpler. On seven, Mohammed Siraj received his replacement’s leg, Root, only to discover that it had a missing leg stump.

Bumrah’s third spell came to an end. Pope leapt in celebration after edged a single on 99. When Root was drawn into a poke to the first slip and left for 28Headingley was just starting to settle.

Given their platform at the beginning of the day, India had a choice to demand 550 or even more. Stokes’ decision to postpone his own entry into the attack in the first hour of England’s anonymous debut revealed little about the imminent collapse.

Pant planted Shoaib Bashir for six as he resumed his 65-year career. The left-hander made his second Test ton since a fatal car crash in December 2022 when he retested the dose, this time with one hand off. He celebrated with a somersault every time, ever the showman.

Up until captain Shubman Gill, who added 20 to increase India’s lead, carelessly clipped Bashir to Tongue at deep midwicket. The visitors began to disintegrate after that.

In the 12th over of the day, Stokes once more appeared to be a threat with pace, full length, and swing. In his first Test match in eight years, Karan Nair made a four-ball duck for the flying Pope in quick cover.

On day one, the tongue was poor and was ignored until 18 minutes before lunch on day two. He obtained the crucial wicket by finding the same movement as Stokes. Pant, who should have been spooked by Jamie Smith off Bashir, was tricked into leaving a tongue-in-swinger that had him locked in a trap, was impaled.

The series wins if Bumrah can keep quiet.

Ben Duckett, England’s opener, said: “We are in a good position, and if we win the first session tomorrow, we will really be in this game.”

When Pope scored 100, I was shivering. He makes up the majority of the dressing room. I’m anxious to hug him.

Sir Alastair Cook, the former England captain, said on TMS, “Pope played Bumrah with such control.