Archive July 4, 2025

Second Test, Grenada (day two of five)

Australia 286 & 12-2: Green 6*; Seales 2-5

West Indies 253: King 75, Campbell 40; Lyon 3-75

Australia lead three-Test series 1-0

Australia’s lost both openers before the close as they finished 12-2 against West Indies on day two of the second Test, having bowled their opponents out for 253.

Jayden Seales broke the stumps of Sam Konstas for a four-ball duck then trapped Usman Khawaja lbw for two, with Australia taking a 45-run lead into day three.

John Campbell added 40 and Brandon King top-scored for the West Indies with 75, while a 51-run partnership between bowlers Alzarri Joseph and Shamar Joseph ensured the home side would come close to parity with Australia’s first innings 286.

Australia won the first Test in Barbados by 159 runs on day three, in a game where neither team passed 200 in the first three innings, and this match also looks set to be heading to an early conclusion as batters on both teams continue to struggle.

Teenage opener Konstas has now failed to make it into double figures in three of his four outings in the series, and veteran partner Khawaja hasn’t passed 20 in three innings.

Jayden Seales, who took six wickets in the first Test and one in the first innings in Grenada, blew away the two openers inside three overs as Australia failed to navigate a short spell prior to close of play.

The West Indies have a struggling opener of their own, with former captain Kraigg Brathwaite, who made four in both innings in Barbados, caught and bowled by Hazlewood in the second over of the day.

Keacy Carty was then removed for six by Cummins with the same method of dismissal, but King warded off a collapse, adding steady runs alongside Campbell, Roston Chase and Shai Hope.

Having made his maiden Test half-century in his second game in the format, he was dismissed between Chase and Justin Greaves in a flurry of wickets that left West Indies at 174-7 and at risk of a significant first innings deficit.

Brendan Rodgers has confirmed Celtic winger Nicolas Kuhn is poised to join Serie A side Como, with the manager calling it “great business all round”.

The 25-year-old, capped by Germany up to under-20 level, joined the Scottish champions from Rapid Vienna in January last year.

He made 41 starts and 10 substitute appearances for Celtic last season, scoring 21 goals.

“We’ve virtually agreed between the club and Como so it looks at this point that he’ll be on his way, but we just have to wait for confirmation,” said Rodgers after a 1-0 friendly win over Queen’s Park.

Celtic paid a fee in the region of £3m for Kuhn, with reports suggesting Como will pay more than five times that amount.

“I think it’s very clear, the model of Celtic,” added Rodgers. “In the 18 months he’s done absolutely fantastic for us. He was aware of interest towards the end of last season and that sort of followed through.

“Other teams have joined in that interest over the summer and that’s why a lot of the young players come. It’s a wonderful, brilliant club to come to develop and improve.

Rodgers also revealed that central defender Maik Nawrocki is moving to German second-tier side Hannover on a season-long loan.

The 24-year-old Pole has managed just 18 appearances for Celtic since joining from Legia Warsaw in the summer of 2023.

British number one Emma Raducanu is out of Wimbledon after falling short of beating top seed Aryna Sabalenka in a gripping third-round match on Centre Court.

Raducanu, 22, put the three-time Grand Slam champion – and clear title favourite – under extreme pressure before succumbing to a 7-6 (8-6) 6-4 defeat.

“It is a difficult to take right now,” Raducanu said.

“It’s hard to take a loss like that but at the same time I’ve pushed Aryna, who is a great champion, so I have to be proud. “

Raducanu, ranked 40th in the world, played with clarity and confidence throughout most of a captivating contest.

Had the 2021 US Open champion served out the opener at 6-5 after saving seven set points in the previous game, or converted a set point in the tie-break, the momentum of the lead might have carried her to a notable victory.

However, the deficit proved too much to overturn – even though Raducanu broke to lead 4-1 in the second set.

The long rallies she needed to break down Sabalenka eventually took their toll and Raducanu began to look fatigued as the world number one fought back.

Sabalenka, who is aiming for a first SW19 title, goes on to face Belgian 24th seed Elise Mertens in the fourth round on Sunday.

“Emma played such incredible tennis and she pushed me really hard to get this win,” said the 27-year-old Belarusian.

Coming into her home Grand Slam tournament, Raducanu tried to temper expectations following a difficult build-up.

It was a sensible policy given she is always the centre of attention because of her major-winning status and the furore which surrounds home players at Wimbledon.

The dominant manner of her second-round victory against 2023 champion Marketa Vondrousova, however, lifted belief.

Despite producing her best performance in “a long time” against the crafty Czech, Raducanu knew she still had a gap to bridge with the very best – and Sabalenka is the leading marker.

Raducanu’s level in the first set was even better than against Vondrousova.

The sharp uplift of volume on Centre Court, accentuated by the greenhouse effect of the covered roof, indicated the home fans believed as much as Raducanu did.

The challenge was maintaining her level.

Errors started to creep in when she served at 4-3 – summed up by a wild forehand long on break point – and her baseline game continued to break down in the next as Sabalenka gathered momentum.

Raducanu was also left frustrated by Wimbledon’s newly introduced electronic line calling system, which she claims makes “some dodgy” decisions.

When Raducanu faced seven set points at 5-4, it felt like the match could quickly swing away from her.

But she is a more resilient competitor these days and demonstrated her improved durability by breaking in the 11th game to serve for the set.

Sabalenka, though, showed why is the dominant figure on the WTA Tour by raising her game when it mattered most.

Previously, Raducanu would have wilted after losing the first set to a top-level opponent, but there was further evidence she is no longer a soft touch.

Raducanu has now won only three of her 16 matches against top-10 players, but this was a markedly improved performance from her defeats by Grand Slam champions Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff this year.

“It does give me confidence because the problem before was I felt I was gulfs away. But at the same time it is difficult to take right now,” Raducanu added.

Raducanu regrouped to break early in the second set, stepping in more to return and the subtle change of tactic helped her power into a 4-1 lead.

The 15,000 home fans continued to vociferously get behind Raducanu in a bid to help her over line and force a decider, but the energy expended in the elongated rallies and heat of the battle took its toll.

Looking wearier and more flustered, Raducanu lost her advantage of a single break and Sabalenka dropped just four points in the next three games to secure a hard-fought win.

Raducanu was given a warm ovation as she left court before Sabalenka won the crowd over by praising the home player’s efforts.

“What an atmosphere – my ears are still hurting. It was super loud,” said Sabalenka.