Archive June 22, 2025

Betfred Super League

Salford Red Devils (6) 6

Tries: Hankinson Goals: Hankinson

Hull FC (14) 38

Hull FC moved back into Super League’s play-off positions as they saw off a spirited Salford Red Devils.

The visitors took the two points to climb to sixth, but this was harder work than the scoreline suggests at Salford Community Stadium.

The gap was only eight points at the interval after tries from Cade Cust, Lewis Martin and Davy Litten with Chris Hankinson crossing for Salford’s sole try.

But Hull took control in the second half as Sam Eseh, Zak Hardaker, Tom Briscoe and Harvey Barron added another four tries.

It has been a dispiriting and troubling season for Salford with huge financial problems regarding the club’s ownership, unpaid wages and major player departures.

But the beleaguered Red Devils face their most important fixture on Wednesday – a meeting with HMRC over a potential winding-up order.

Against that backdrop, they started this game with four debutants – Dan Russell, Cain Robb, Tom Whitehead and Kobe Rugless – all of them having joined on loan within the past seven days.

Despite their new look, the Red Devils actually started well although Cust scored from Hull’s first real attacking position.

However, Hankinson’s good hands allowed him to level the scores as the home side showed commendable spirit.

And the Airlie Birds were dominant in the second period as they reinforced their superiority early on as Eseh cut through for a powerful score, and then Hardaker, operating in the forwards, burrowed over.

Briscoe ran in for a simple try after Salford lost the ball in their own half, before Barron grabbed a seventh and final try with some wonderful winger’s athleticism close to the corner flag.

Salford Red Devils head coach Paul Rowley told BBC Radio Manchester:

“We had a clear objective and we felt if we applied ourselves in certain areas, we’d get the outcomes we deserved.

“I thought we dominated most things in the first half, but it flipped on its head second half.

“They dominated territory, they’re physically a big side, and we were unable to sustain what we did first half and they had the personnel to put us to the sword.“

Hull FC head coach John Cartwright told BBC Radio Humberside:

“Defensively, we were very strong as they [Salford] were very spirited.

“With what they’ve been through and some previous results, you think they might go away if you can make it hard for them.

“But they stayed aggressive and had a plan for the 80 minutes and they didn’t go away.

Salford Red Devils: Connell; Vaughan, Hankinson, S Hill, Marsters; Warren, Brierley; Ormondroyd, Robb, C Hill, Foster, Russell, Shorrocks.

Interchanges: Bullock, Wilson, Rugless, Whitehead.

Hull FC: Rapana; Barron, Briscoe, Litten, Martin; Cust, Sezer; Ese’ese, Bourouh, Knight, Hardaker, Chamberlain, Aydin.

Interchanges: Ashworth, Eseh, Fash, Charles.

First Rothesay Test, Headingley (day three of five)

India 471 (Gill 147, Pant 134, Jaiswal 101; Stokes 4-66, Tongue 4-86) & 90-2

England 465 (Pope 106, Brook 99, Duckett; Bumrah 5-83)

India lead by 96 runs

England captain Ben Stokes checked India’s progress after Harry Brook’s breathtaking 99 on a helter-skelter third day of the first Test at Headingley.

The tourists were painstakingly building their lead when Stokes had Sai Sudharsan clip to mid-wicket, leaving India 90-2 and with an advantage of 96 runs at the close.

India were only six ahead on first innings when they finally bowled England out for 465.

Brook, who was caught off a no-ball late on day two, was dropped twice. He played some outrageous strokes and looked set for a century on his home ground until he top-edged a hook to long leg.

England were still 73 behind when Brook became the seventh man out, only for the hosts to be taken to virtual parity by a rapid stand of 55 between Chris Woakes and Brydon Carse.

Woakes was eventually bowled by the irrepressible Jasprit Bumrah, who did the same to Shoaib Bashir to end with 5-83.

England had the momentum, even more so when Carse had Yashasvi Jaiswal caught behind. Headingley was rocking, which made the stand of 66 between debutant Sudharsan and KL Rahul all the more impressive.

This has been three days of wonderful, see-saw Test cricket, living up to the pre-match billing of two high-quality and evenly matched teams.

After England gifted away the chance to bat first, India have been just as generous in return. The visitors should have got many more than their first-innings 471, then dropped four catches, including three off Bumrah, the man culpable for Brook’s no-ball reprieve.

For as well as they have battled back, England can also reflect on their own wasted opportunities and moments of recklessness.

A blustery Sunday showed the best and worst of Bazball. Jamie Smith fell into a bouncer trap two balls after hooking a six, in the over before the second new-ball was due, while Brook was also bounced out.

In contrast, the attacking intent of Woakes and Carse scrambled Indian minds and kept England in it.

Marketa Vondrousova claimed her first title since winning Wimbledon two years ago after she beat Chinese qualifier Wang Xinyu in the Berlin Open final.

The 25-year-old Czech has struggled with injury over the last year but put that behind her to win 7-6 (12-10) 4-6 6-2.

She saved six set points in a tight first-set tie-break but came through that to take the opener.

Wang, 23, had seen off four top-20 players to reach her first-ever tour final and she showed great resolve to get a break in the second set and level.

But Vondrousova dominated the decider, getting the double break to send her on the way to a third career title and ensure she heads into Wimbledon with confidence.

“It was nice to see a full crowd. I really enjoyed the tennis this week and the support”, Vondrousova said.

Alexander Bublik continued his impressive recent form by beating former world number one Daniil Medvedev 6-3 7-6 (7-4) to win the Halle Open.

The Kazakhstan player had seen off world number one Jannik Sinner in the last 16 and this victory was his first in seven attempts against Medvedev.

It took him one hour and 22 minutes to secure the win, which was his fifth ATP Tour title and his second in Halle after his 2023 win.

Russian Medvedev, meanwhile, has now lost his last six Tour-level finals.

With the win Bublik will rise to 30th in the world, having been outside the top 75 just one month ago.

“I had such tough months since last Wimbledon to probably this summer”, he said.

On the final day of the European Championships, the Para-Canoe team from Great Britain won three more medals to finish first overall.

The team won seven medals, seven more than any other nation, in four golds, four silvers, and one bronze.

Laura Sugar won the KL3 200m race, finishing 1.747 seconds ahead of France’s Nelia Barbosa.

With the victory, Sugar now holds the Olympic and World Championship titles in Europe.

Norberto Mourao, Portugal’s Edward Clifton, finished second in the men’s VL2 200m event, while Stuart Wood came in second place in the VL3 200m.

On Saturday, Charlotte Henshaw won two of Britain’s six medals, taking home silver in the VL3 and the KL2.

Hope Gordon, who won by half a length, defeated Henshaw in the VL3 women’s final.

Christian Volpi, 36, defeated Olympic silver medalist David Phillipson to claim the KL2 men’s title in a 45.56 seconds match.