Category Sports News

England retained Jofra Archer in their squad for the second Test because it is “very important” for him to become acquainted with the squad, captain Ben Stokes says.

Archer, 30, was called into England’s Test squad for the first time in four years after a series of injuries but left out of the final XI for the match, which starts on Wednesday.

The fast bowler has played only one red-ball match since May 2021 and could have been released to play for Sussex in the County Championship this week but will instead stay with England’s squad.

“When someone has been out of the environment for so long – and the last time they were in that environment it was so completely different – for me personally and Baz [England coach Brendon McCullum] as well, we felt if he didn’t play it was important to have Jof around the group, around the people,” Stokes told the BBC.

Since taking over in 2022, Stokes and McCullum have revolutionised England’s Test cricket with a positive, sometimes relaxed, approach.

Archer – one of England’s most exciting debutants in a generation in 2019 – last played a Test in February 2021, when Joe Root was captain and Chris Silverwood coach.

That Test was the last time Archer bowled in two innings of a red-ball match.

He played for Sussex against Durham last week and took 1-32 in 18 overs in the first innings but Durham did not bat a second time as the match ended in a draw.

“You can’t really control how a first-class game will go,” Stokes said.

“Here he can come and bowl. He can help out the lads. He can get used to the environment again and when the opportunity does come he is comfortable in it.

“There are benefits to both situations and at the end of the day me and Baz decided one what we thought was best for Jof. “

Having missed England’s training on Monday because of a “family emergency”, Archer had a lengthy bowl in the nets on Tuesday.

He bowled a long spell at Stokes, challenged the England captain on a number of occasions and with only three days between this Test and the third at Lord’s could make his Test return next week.

While England’s decision to hold back Archer means they have an unchanged XI from their win in the first Test at Headingley, India’s side remains uncertain.

Captain Shubman Gill said star bowler Jasprit Bumrah is “available” but a decision on whether he will play will be made on Tuesday evening as he manages his return from a back injury.

The questions do not end there.

Gill appeared to suggest the tourists will bring in a second spinner, off-spinner Washington Sundar or wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav, but the decision is complicated by their weak lower-order after their final four wickets added only 29 runs across two innings combined in Leeds.

Kuldeep would provide a greater wicket-taking threat but Washington greater batting depth.

“If we are able to go with four or five premier bowlers with a sixth bowling option and have batting to seven or eight, that would be a good combination,” Gill said.

Switzerland may be known for its snow-covered mountains, cosy chalets and world-class skiing, but the sun-scorched country is looking very different for Euro 2025.

As 16 teams prepare to begin their Euro 2025 campaigns, temperatures are soaring across the host nation.

With fears that the grass could burn, huge fans have been placed pitch-side to help keep the turf cool, while supporters have been advised to stay in the shade and keep hydrated.

The Swiss authorities have issued amber heatwave warnings across the country until Thursday, with temperatures set to be about 10C above average for this time of year.

Temperatures could rise to highs of 35C, while there’s also the threat of thunderstorms causing heavy downpours towards the end of the week.

For the earlier kick-offs at 18:00 CET (17:00 BST), it is expected temperatures will be between 27 and 30C.

But it’s predicted to be cooler – between 24 and 27C – for the later 21:00 CET kick-offs.

The tournament begins on Wednesday as Iceland play Finland in Thun in the 17:00 BST game, with the temperature forecast to be 28C.

However, it’s expected to be 29C when hosts Switzerland face Norway in Basel later that evening.

The weather conditions might be different to what the Wales and England players are used to, but Wales defender Gemma Evans says “it’s pointless using it as an excuse”.

Her team-mate Rachel Rowe agreed, adding: “It’s the same for everybody isn’t it?

“It’s been hot, but we’ve had our week in Portugal to prepare so I feel like we’re really on our way now to being able to perform in that weather. “

Uefa delegates will measure the temperature with a wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) thermometer at the end of the teams’ warm-ups.

Different from a normal thermometer, the WBGT thermometer accounts for temperature, humidity, wind speed, sun angle and cloud cover to determine the heat.

If the WBGT temperature exceeds 32C, cooling breaks – which can last between 90 seconds and three minutes – will be introduced for players during the match.

If the temperature is below those thresholds, the implementation of drinks breaks is at the discretion of the referee.

A heat warning has been issued by Uefa for all matches on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, with fans allowed to bring a water bottle up to half a litre in size into the stadium on those days.

By the time Wales face the Netherlands in the opening Group D match on Saturday (17:00 BST), it is likely that the temperature will have dropped.

Wales’ first ever game at a major tournament will be played in Lucerne, where thundery showers and light winds are forecast, along with a highs of 30C.

Wimbledon 2025

Dates: 30 June-13 July Venue: All England Club

Heather Watson’s Wimbledon hopes were ended in the opening round as the former British number one was beaten by 23rd seed Clara Tauson.

Watson had made a strong start by taking the opening set but Denmark’s Tauson showed her quality to battle back and win 2-6 6-4 6-3.

Seven Brits progressed on Monday – the most in a single day in the Open era – and more could follow on Tuesday, although the second day started disappointingly with Watson and wildcard Johannus Monday going out.

Watson, who reached the fourth round just three years ago, got off to a bad start when she was broken in just the third game.

But that sparked a fine spell for the former British number two as she won five games in a row on her way to taking the first set.

Tauson initially looked to have no answer for her opponent but she regrouped and came out stronger in the second set, securing another early break and this time making it stick, although she was helped by Watson struggling with her second serve.

With conditions once again sweltering at Wimbledon, Watson started to lose the accuracy of some of her shots in the decisive third set and was broken at 3-3.

Tauson then closed out the remainder of the match to seal her place in the second round.

Wimbledon 2025

Dates: 30 June-13 July Venue: All England Club

Former British number one Dan Evans said his first Wimbledon win in four years “meant everything” as he beat compatriot Jay Clarke to reach the second round.

The 35-year-old struggled for victories before the grass-court season – a run that saw him drop out of the world top 150 and left him uncertain if he would be able to play at Wimbledon.

But, after recording some good wins at Queen’s and Eastbourne, he was handed a wildcard for his home Grand Slam and made the most of that opportunity by beating Clarke 6-1 7-5 6-2 in the first round.

Not only was that his first Wimbledon victory since 2021, but also means he could secure a mouth-watering second-round tie against former world number one Novak Djokovic, who faces Alexandre Muller of France later on Tuesday.

“Today meant everything,” Evans told BBC Sport.

“Yes, it was wildcard versus wildcard but that was one of my top, top wins in my career.

“Coming to these tournaments, you look ahead to grass courts and I had no wins. I don’t want to be that person asking for a wildcard when I didn’t deserve it.

“I really needed wins, I really needed to come here deserving for myself, not for the wildcards but for myself. “

His victory means a total of 10 British players are into round two across the men’s and women’s draws – only the second time that has happened this century alongside 2022.

Seven advanced on Monday – a record for in a single day in the Open era – and they were joined on Tuesday by Evans, men’s British number one Jack Draper and wildcard Jack Pinnington Jones, who was making his Wimbledon debut.

But there was disappointment for some of their compatriots on day two as former British number one Heather Watson was knocked out in the women’s draw.

She had made a strong start against 23rd seed Clara Tauson by taking the opening set but the Dane showed her quality to battle back and win 2-6 6-4 6-3.

Former British number two Jodie Burrage also went out as she was beaten by American Caty McNally 6-3 6-1, while Francesca Jones lost to Ukraine’s Yuliia Starodubtseva 1-6 6-3 6-1.

In the men’s draw, wildcards Johannus Monday and George Loffhagen both exited in the opening round.

At 35, Evans can’t be sure how many Wimbledon tournaments he has left and in the build-up to the prestigious event he became emotional during a press conference as he discussed the challenges he has faced this year.

Currently ranked 170th in the world, Evans needed a wildcard to secure his place at SW19 but despite his struggles earlier this year, his grass-court form has been encouraging.

Against Clarke, who was making his first appearance in the main draw in three years, he looked hungry from the outset, racing through the first set and then pushing through the challenging moments to win.

Once again the emotions spilled over as Evans punched the air in delight, before throwing some of his tennis equipment to the jubilant crowd.

Now he has his eyes on potentially facing 24-times Grand Slam champion Djokovic again – he beat the Serb in their only previous meeting in Monte Carlo in 2021.

“It would be really nice to play Novak,” added Evans.

Pinnington Jones, who trained with Draper as a teenager and the two remain good friends, was the last of the British players to complete their match on Tuesday, beating Tomas Martin Etcheverry of Argentina 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 7-5.

The 22-year-old produced a gutsy display, fighting back from set point to win the opener, and then clawing back from 4-1 down to win the third and progress.

A total of 23 British players began round one, with 14 of those wildcards, and 10 are now through to round two, with Evans and Pinnington Jones the only two wildcards to win their openers.

Asked if he felt British tennis is in a good place with so many home players going through, Evans said: “These events are not where you judge British tennis.

“Everybody who takes wildcards has a great level. All of the players who are a direct entry have a great level. It needs to be in the other tournaments. That’s just a fact.

Watson, who reached the fourth round just three years ago, got off to a bad start in her match with Tauson when she was broken in just the third game.

But that sparked a fine spell for the former British number two as she won five games in a row on her way to taking the first set.

Tauson initially looked to have no answer for her opponent but she regrouped and came out stronger in the second set, securing another early break and this time making it stick, although she was helped by Watson struggling with her second serve.

With conditions once again sweltering at Wimbledon, Watson started to lose the accuracy of some of her shots in the decisive third set and was broken at 3-3, a crucial point as Tauson went on to seal the win.

Wimbledon 2025

Dates: 30 June-13 July Venue: All England Club

Former British number one Dan Evans said his first Wimbledon win in four years “meant everything” as he beat compatriot Jay Clarke to reach the second round.

The 35-year-old struggled for victories before the grass-court season – a run that saw him drop out of the world top 150 and left him uncertain if he would be able to play at Wimbledon.

But, after recording some good wins at Queen’s and Eastbourne, he was handed a wildcard for his home Grand Slam and made the most of that opportunity by beating Clarke 6-1 7-5 6-2 in the first round.

Not only was that his first Wimbledon victory since 2021, but also means he could secure a mouth-watering second-round tie against former world number one Novak Djokovic, who faces Alexandre Muller of France later on Tuesday.

“Today meant everything,” Evans told BBC Sport.

“Yes, it was wildcard versus wildcard but that was one of my top, top wins in my career.

“Coming to these tournaments, you look ahead to grass courts and I had no wins. I don’t want to be that person asking for a wildcard when I didn’t deserve it.

“I really needed wins, I really needed to come here deserving for myself, not for the wildcards but for myself. “

His victory means a total of 10 British players are into round two across the men’s and women’s draws – only the second time that has happened this century alongside 2022.

Seven advanced on Monday – a record for in a single day in the Open era – and they were joined on Tuesday by Evans, men’s British number one Jack Draper and wildcard Jack Pinnington Jones, who was making his Wimbledon debut.

But there was disappointment for some of their compatriots on day two as former British number one Heather Watson was knocked out in the women’s draw.

She had made a strong start against 23rd seed Clara Tauson by taking the opening set but the Dane showed her quality to battle back and win 2-6 6-4 6-3.

Former British number two Jodie Burrage also went out as she was beaten by American Caty McNally 6-3 6-1, while Francesca Jones lost to Ukraine’s Yuliia Starodubtseva 1-6 6-3 6-1.

In the men’s draw, wildcards Johannus Monday and George Loffhagen both exited in the opening round.

At 35, Evans can’t be sure how many Wimbledon tournaments he has left and in the build-up to the prestigious event he became emotional during a press conference as he discussed the challenges he has faced this year.

Currently ranked 170th in the world, Evans needed a wildcard to secure his place at SW19 but despite his struggles earlier this year, his grass-court form has been encouraging.

Against Clarke, who was making his first appearance in the main draw in three years, he looked hungry from the outset, racing through the first set and then pushing through the challenging moments to win.

Once again the emotions spilled over as Evans punched the air in delight, before throwing some of his tennis equipment to the jubilant crowd.

Now he has his eyes on potentially facing 24-times Grand Slam champion Djokovic again – he beat the Serb in their only previous meeting in Monte Carlo in 2021.

“It would be really nice to play Novak,” added Evans.

Pinnington Jones, who trained with Draper as a teenager and the two remain good friends, was the last of the British players to complete their match on Tuesday, beating Tomas Martin Etcheverry of Argentina 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 7-5.

The 22-year-old produced a gutsy display, fighting back from set point to win the opener, and then clawing back from 4-1 down to win the third and progress.

A total of 23 British players began round one, with 14 of those wildcards, and 10 are now through to round two, with Evans and Pinnington Jones the only two wildcards to win their openers.

Asked if he felt British tennis is in a good place with so many home players going through, Evans said: “These events are not where you judge British tennis.

“Everybody who takes wildcards has a great level. All of the players who are a direct entry have a great level. It needs to be in the other tournaments. That’s just a fact.

Watson, who reached the fourth round just three years ago, got off to a bad start in her match with Tauson when she was broken in just the third game.

But that sparked a fine spell for the former British number two as she won five games in a row on her way to taking the first set.

Tauson initially looked to have no answer for her opponent but she regrouped and came out stronger in the second set, securing another early break and this time making it stick, although she was helped by Watson struggling with her second serve.

With conditions once again sweltering at Wimbledon, Watson started to lose the accuracy of some of her shots in the decisive third set and was broken at 3-3, a crucial point as Tauson went on to seal the win.

Wimbledon 2025

Dates: 30 June-13 July Venue: All England Club

American third seed Jessica Pegula said her first-round Wimbledon exit was her “worst result of the year” as she became the highest seed to fall at the tournament so far.

Pegula was below par in a 6-2 6-3 defeat by Italy’s Elisabetta Cocciaretto, ranked 113 places below her at 116 in the world.

The 31-year-old had heavy strapping on her right knee but said that did not bother her as she was dismantled in just 58 minutes on court two.

“This is definitely probably the worst result I’ve had all year,” she said.

“I’ve been winning lots of matches. It’s just all about it having to come together for two weeks. Sometimes it doesn’t quite all align when you need it to. “

Pegula, fresh from beating Iga Swiatek to win the title at Bad Homburg in Germany last week, was predicted to go far at Wimbledon.

But while she has long lingered around the world’s top 10, consistent progress at Grand Slam level continues to elude her.

She has only once gone beyond the quarter-final stage of a major – at last year’s US Open where she lost to Aryna Sabalenka in the final.

Since then, Pegula has gone out before the last eight in all three Grand Slam tournaments.

But this marks her worst performance at a major since the 2020 French Open.

“I haven’t lost first round of a Slam in a very long time, so that sucks,” she said.

“I used to kind of have trouble getting past the first round for a while. I remember I had a really tough match and I just told myself, I’m done losing first round, I’m not losing first round.

Cocciaretto had faced Pegula at SW19 before, a 6-4 6-0 defeat at the 2023 tournament.

But an error-strewn performance from the world number three allowed Cocciaretto, 24, to take advantage and secure her second career win over a top-10 player.

Things unravelled quickly as Pegula was broken in the third game of the opening set on another hot day at the Championships.

The double break swiftly followed and Cocciaretto wrapped up the opening set in just 25 minutes.

The second followed a similar pattern with Pegula losing her serve in the seventh game and letting out a cry of frustration before bending over her racquet in exasperation as she prepared to serve to stay in the match.

But she was unable to do so as a double fault and two long forehands gave Cocciaretto three match points – and she took the first.