Brown rescues Hampshire draw against Worcestershire
Skipper Ben Brown batted the entire day to save his Hampshire side from a County Championship mauling by Worcestershire.Brown, who took over the leadership from James Vince over the winter, scored 109 not out, but it was the 331 minutes he batted that were crucial to securing a draw.Hampshire had been completely outplayed for the opening three days but Brown, Tilak Varma and Liam Dawson's half-century brought respectability back to the hosts – who took nine points from the match.Bottom-placed Worcestershire toiled all day but could only take one wicket - but the 16 points they claimed could provide the foundations of an escape from relegation trouble.The equation was simple for both teams at 11:00 BST - Hampshire had to bat the day, Worcestershire needed seven more wickets.One thing had changed; the weather. Instead of mercury popping temperatures and blue skies, the Utilita Bowl was crowned by grey overheads and shining floodlights.A mental switch had flicked as well with Hampshire's batters after four sessions of collapsing to a position where an innings defeat looked the most likely result.Brown had a steely determination not to return to the pavilion, other than for lunch and tea, while Varma had appeared unmovable in the first innings until a mindless run out.Worcestershire's disciplined bowling showed little change, but finally the hosts battened down on a pitch flatter than ever and a Kookaburra ball still limp.They came in with gusto all day, particularly Durham loanee Callum Parkinson – the spinner found the odd ball to turn but not quickly or regularly enough to cause true problems.He was rewarded with the wicket of Indian Varma, who fell for 47 after 143 balls and 167 minutes when he poked to short leg.Brown didn't care. He was well on the way to his slowest ever half-century, coming in 162 deliveries, and had now found Dawson for company.A second new ball didn't change much as Brown and Dawson simply batted. They occasionally went through spells where scoring looked freer, but never chased the runs.Ethan Brookes even tried a famed bail switch to change Worcestershire's luck but the only thing it managed was Brown edging, but Ben Allison dropping with his face at first slip.Brown rolled to his second hundred of the season in 257 balls, Dawson passed fifty in 135 deliveries as the game felt safer and safer.At 17:00 BST, Jake Libby decided the game was up, and the idea of taking six more wickets was improbable, to shake hands on the draw.Dawson had lasted 191 minutes, but paled in insignificance to Brown's five and a half hours.Report supplied by ECB Reporters' Network, supported by Rothesay
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Telegraph
16 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Beth Mead interview: We're now judged like England men's team – that is a good thing
Beth Mead has experienced the highest of highs as a footballer and the lowest of lows as a daughter who lost her mother just a few months later. It was three years ago that Mead won the European Championship with England, ending the tournament with the Golden Boot and the year as BBC Sports Personality of the Year. Her life changed forever. She became a household name, a celebrity. And at the same time, she was left without her mum, June, to help steer her through it. 'Our lives changed almost overnight,' Mead tells Telegraph Sport. 'It was a big change at rapid speed. I went into the tournament as a footballer and came out of it as someone who was famous. That wasn't what I was expecting. 'Women's football in this country changed forever after that tournament. At Arsenal, our attendances flew through the roof. There was more television coverage and the game changed for the better. 'In terms of the celebrity side, it was a little weird at first. On a personal level, it was a big change, but whenever someone came up to me, in the back of my mind, I knew this was good for women's football. I'm an extrovert, it comes more easily to me to speak to people, but some found it a little harder to adapt.' There were challenges ahead for Mead, though. An anterior cruciate ligament injury in late 2022 ruled her out of the following year's World Cup and then she had to navigate her way through the trauma of losing a parent, without the release of playing the sport she loved. 'I think I went from the highest high in my life to the lowest of lows in the space of six months,' she says. 'I found out quite quickly after the Euros that my mum's cancer was terminal. I was trying to manoeuvre being this person who had achieved something they had always dreamed of, to being a daughter who was going to lose her mum. 'I was trying to come to terms with a new life with the dread of knowing that my mum was not going to be by my side. We were incredibly close, that was a tough path to figure out. 'To then do my ACL alongside that, it was a really horrible time, but it has helped mould me into the person I am today. I am a very lucky person because of the people I have around me. The people who really love me. You find out who those people are in dark moments like that. 'I have a great family and a family away from family, the Arsenal girls. They showed up for me at the hardest time of my life. Those moments when I thought I can't do this, they were by my side to help show me I could.' It has given the 30-year-old a unique perspective on not just football, but life. Back in the England squad as they prepare to defend their European crown in Switzerland, Mead has been through so much. She has forged strength in the face of adversity; a sense that whatever is thrown at her, she will overcome. These are qualities England need more than ever. The Lionesses have reached at least the semi-finals of every major tournament since 2015, but their form recently has been patchy. There has been criticism of their performances and players have departed. The sudden retirement of Mary Earps on the eve of the Euros was closely followed by that of Fran Kirby, another key figure in their success. When England's captain in Australia, Millie Bright, announced she was making herself unavailable for selection for the Euros to prioritise her 'mental and physical wellbeing' there was a sense of crisis engulfing the camp. Bright, like Earps, is understood to have been told she was no longer a guaranteed starter by manager Sarina Wiegman. Where once there had been only praise and good wishes, there were now barbed questions and scrutiny of the motives behind those decisions. Expectations are incredibly high too. You might argue the Lionesses have become victims of their own success but, interestingly, Mead does not entertain the idea they are victims of anything. Her message is a blunt one: this is what women's football wanted – deal with it. 'We are being judged how the England men's team always has been,' said Mead, with the sort of straight-talking approach that betrays her Yorkshire roots. 'One hundred per cent that is a good thing for me. That is how big women's football has become. It doesn't make it easier for some people and yes, it can be difficult, but top and bottom, we have to deal with it and cope with it. If there is criticism in the media, if there is outside noise, it should give us an extra point to prove.' Reflecting on England's inconsistency since winning the Euros in 2022 and reaching the World Cup final a year later, Mead expands on her point. 'It has been up and down [since the World Cup],' she says. 'We've had some good performances and some not good ones. I guess we have been in a transition period. 'There was a lot of familiarity in the group and that changed through retirements. We've had more change on the eve of the tournament, but that is done. We have to pull together, make it right and deliver. I always back us going into tournaments that we will get it right. 'There might be a perception that we are not the same force we were. But that was around the team when we went to the World Cup and the team got to the final. 'We know what comes as part and parcel of playing for England now. The expectations are huge and there is pressure, there is noise, but we are going out there to win the thing. 'I don't shy away from that expectation and pressure, we have to embrace it and as one of the senior players that is what I've been drilling into people. We're playing for England, this is what comes with it. 'There is going to be criticism attached to that. Throughout my career, I've always been criticised as well as praised. It's not something that worries me or bothers me. 'I understand that for some people it's not easy to have to deal with that and it can hurt. It's not our favourite part of playing the game, but we wanted the game to grow, we wanted the attention and with that expectation comes pressure. If you don't live up to it, there will be criticism. It should just give us an extra fire inside to prove people wrong. 'There is nothing better than shutting people up by performing on the pitch. That is the challenge we take on and it is one we are relishing. I think we should use it as motivation, not shy away from it. People can say what they want, we win games and it all goes away. Suddenly the story is different, isn't it?' Mead is diplomatic when asked about the loss of three senior players, insisting she respects their decision, but echoed the words of Wiegman when she said the squad had already moved on. 'They are big characters we are going to miss,' she says. 'They are players I've played with for a long time at international level. It will be a little bit weird not having them there, but at the same time, everyone has their own journey. These girls made their decisions for whatever reason and you have to respect that. 'We have to push on with the players we have here now. National teams evolve, there are always going to be changes. The last Euros was three years ago, you've got to make the best out of the situation, not worry about players who aren't going to be there.' There will always be one person Mead will miss; someone she will always struggle to cope without. 'I still think about my mum every single day,' she adds. 'Something will happen… a song on the radio, I'll hear her voice when someone says something. There are days when I think about her more than others, but there is always something. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Beth Mead MBE (@bethmead_) 'When I got the call from Sarina to say I had been called up to the England squad, she said to me I'm super happy for you to be in the squad, the first without your mum and that makes it very very different. 'For her to still understand and recognise that for me, it was very special. She lost her sister just before the Euros and we have that connection. We have lost someone we love and everything that comes with that. It never leaves you, but you have to get on with life.' It is an approach England will do well to follow this summer. 'I want to inspire kids when we play in Euros this summer' How do famous names spend their precious downtime? In our weekly My Saturday column, celebrities reveal their weekend virtues and vices. This week: Beth Mead 8am What time the day starts depends on what time kick-off is. I would love a lie-in, but my dog Myle really doesn't. She's a little cocker spaniel, brown with a white chest and ginger paws. I'm biased but she's gorgeous and I love her to bits. She's like me – full of energy, and a big personality, a big alpha woman 9am I've been away from my partner Vivianne [Miedema, who plays for Manchester City] since she left Arsenal, so it's nice to have quality time whenever we can. When it's not a match day, we'll go for a walk and have brunch and a coffee. I live by the countryside near St Albans so Myle is free to roam wherever she likes, as long as she behaves. 10am I live very close to the Arsenal training ground, so I drive over and get my breakfast at the club. I'm a creature of habit and eat what I eat to be able to feel good on the pitch, so it'll be avocado on toast with scrambled eggs or anything else to do with eggs, I'm a big egg fan. 11am We get on the bus to travel to the club. I play Monopoly Deal with Caitlin Foord, Katie McCabe and Alessia Russo. Katie has got 10 wins more than most of us, so we're not happy about that. We use a few rude words sometimes. 12pm Head into the stadium where I'll always go straight to see the physio. I'm actually very chilled before a match – when I'm on the physio bench, I play Candy Crush on my phone so that I don't think about the game too much, I just switch my brain off. 2pm When I go out for the warm-up, I'm in full focus mode. I'm getting old now so I've got to do that little bit of extra work, prepare correctly, and then get out there and play a good game of football. 5pm A lot of the girls find it really hard to switch off after a match, but it's one of my superpowers – I think some of them are very envious. But, win or lose, I'll always look at myself in the mirror, check my own performance, and look at what went right and what went wrong, and what could be done better. I'll then go over it the next day with coaches, looking at clips of the match. I'm my own worst enemy, definitely my harshest critic. 7pm It's nice to switch off and cook for myself. I'm very good at risotto and can make a nice lasagne or fajitas. I don't go out often but, if I do, it's for good food, good people and good chat. It depends where I am as to how much I get recognised. If one person talks to you, you're in trouble, other times, I pass by unnoticed. I meet a lot of young fans at McDonald's Fun Football sessions, where boys and girls have a safe environment to play for free. I never got the chance to do something like this as a kid and it would have made my footballing journey a lot easier. It's nice to meet them and give them a core memory – it depends who they support though, maybe not if they're the Chelsea fans! But I hope we can inspire every single one of them while we're out in Switzerland representing the nation. 9pm I've seen Game of Thrones right the way through before and gone back to the beginning. I'm watching it with Steph Catley, my close friend [and Arsenal team-mate], so it's fantastic seeing her reaction when a character dies. We've also been watching Married At First Sight: Australia – that is a very entertaining show. 10.30pm Chill in the bath. Then it's the same bedtime every night, I'm serious about my routine. My head hits the pillow and I'm out. My dad is like that so it's something he passed on to me, which I very much don't take for granted. Beth Mead kicked off the first McDonald's all-girls Fun Football day, with up to 300,000 hours of free coaching sessions across the UK this summer.
The Independent
28 minutes ago
- The Independent
Lewis Hamilton returns to Silverstone in last chance saloon for first Ferrari year
If you'd told Lewis Hamilton four months ago, amid the hoopla of Formula One's biggest-ever driver move, that he would be 'hoping and praying' for a strong result at his beloved Silverstone, he'd likely have laughed you out of the room. Either that or he'd have rolled his eyes. Take your pick. After all, this was the seven-time F1 world champion moving to the fabled Ferrari. A driver in need of rejuvenation after three years of frustration at Mercedes was joining a team seemingly on the up, having come within a whisker of last year's constructors' title. Everything seemed perfectly aligned. With the whole world watching, what could possibly go wrong? Well, come race 12 and the halfway stage of the 2025 season, the answer is unavoidable: pretty much everything. It has been an eye-opening, gut-wrenching opening salvo for the 40-year-old in red. From amateurish radio communications and irritation in the rain of Australia in round one to an overwhelming lack of car performance throughout, Hamilton has endured his worst-ever start to an F1 season. Even for the biggest of pessimists, this was not in the forecast. Eleven races, zero podiums. Sixth in the world championship, closer to the bottom of the standings than the top. Never mind winning, Hamilton is now on the longest podium-less streak of his career, at 13, stretching back to Las Vegas last November. As ever, it makes this weekend's British Grand Prix a significant marker in his season. A venue he has won at nine times, and been on the podium for 11 consecutive years, represents Hamilton's best chance to smell the Moet & Chandon champagne once more. Of course, his fond memories here come as recently as last year, when he broke a 31-month winless streak with a memorable and brilliant victory. If it's going to happen anywhere for Hamilton in 2025, it's going to be this weekend. 'There is always magic here at Silverstone,' he said, with an optimistic outlook, at media day on Thursday. 'It is a very, very special race and I am hoping all sorts of things can help us. I am hoping and praying. 'I cannot wait for Friday. Driving a Ferrari at Silverstone for the first time will be special and unique in its own way. We have the best fans here, and for a British driver, they really do make a difference. 'I have shown that to you time and time again. I hope this weekend they really make the difference for us.' LEWIS HAMILTON'S FIRST 11 RACES Hamilton is accurate to some extent: his best displays do come in front of the British fans, of which we can anticipate a modicum more to come decked in scarlet over the next three days. 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LEWIS HAMILTON'S RUN OF PODIUMS AT SILVERSTONE In the weeks since, we've had issues uncovered and not eradicated. We've had anger on the radio towards race engineer Riccardo Adami. We've even had boredom: Hamilton has regularly been running on his own in races, too quick for the midfield pack but too slow to compete at the top. 'Where is Lewis?' says the hypothetical fan switching on Sky Sports F1 mid-race. 'No man's land,' is often the riposte. But this weekend, there is hope. Ferrari unveiled a much-needed upgrade to the floor of their car at the last race in Austria and were the second-quickest team. A further development of the rear suspension is expected this weekend. It feels like something of a last-chance saloon for the Scuderia, as teams up and down the grid begin to turn their full attention to new regulations next year. Yet more so than car modifications, as so often is the case in Northamptonshire, rain is in the air on Sunday. 'We are not as quick as McLaren,' Hamilton said. 'If it stays dry, they will walk the race.' But if it rains, nobody masters a wet-dry conflux like Hamilton around these parts. A win may still be out of the question – though championship frontrunners Norris and Oscar Piastri have already shown that mistakes and collisions are possible – but a podium feels obtainable. Yet for Hamilton, historical statistics are not what he's here for; he simply wants to see progress. A lot of progress. 'I don't look at those (podium) statistics, so it is not something that affects me or I think about,' Hamilton said. 'But we are here at Silverstone. What better place to change that run.'
The Independent
35 minutes ago
- The Independent
Wimbledon 2025 live: Raducanu faces formidable Sabalenka and Alcaraz continues hat-trick bid
It's day five of Wimbledon 2025, and there's another packed schedule ahead with Emma Raducanu, Carlos Alcaraz, Cam Norrie and Aryna Sabalenka in action. Raducanu, in fact, takes on Sabalenka in the final match on Centre Court today, as the young Briton and the world No 1 vie for a spot in the fourth round. Before that, on the same court, Alcaraz continues his bid for a third straight title in SW19, facing Jan-Lennard Struff. Elsewhere, Cam Norrie is the last Briton standing in the men's draw, and he'll try to overcome Mattia Bellucci on No 1 Court. That will be after Sonay Kartal goes up against Diane Parry, with Kartal aiming to do the home crowd proud. Naomi Osaka, Taylor Fritz and Madison Keys are among the other big names in action, and all will hope to emulate the likes of Novak Djokovic, Iga Swiatek and Barbora Krejcikova – three key players who advanced on Thursday. Djokovic progressed at the expense of Britain's Dan Evans, whose compatriot Jack Draper was the leading prospect for the home crop until he fell to former runner-up Marin Cilic. Welcome to Wimbledon 2025 day five It's day five of Wimbledon 2025, and there's another packed schedule ahead with Emma Raducanu, Carlos Alcaraz, Cam Norrie and Aryna Sabalenka in action. Raducanu, in fact, takes on Sabalenka in the final match on Centre Court today, as the young Briton and the world No 1 vie for a spot in the fourth round. Before that, on the same court, Alcaraz continues his bid for a third straight title in SW19, facing Jan-Lennard Struff. Elsewhere, Cam Norrie is the last Briton standing in the men's draw, and he'll try to overcome Mattia Bellucci on No 1 Court. That will be after Sonay Kartal goes up against Diane Parry, with Kartal aiming to do the home crowd proud. Naomi Osaka, Taylor Fritz and Madison Keys are among the other big names in action, and all will hope to emulate the likes of Novak Djokovic, Iga Swiatek and Barbora Krejcikova – three key players who advanced on Thursday. Djokovic progressed at the expense of Britain's Dan Evans, whose compatriot Jack Draper was the leading prospect for the home crop until he fell to former runner-up Marin Cilic. Alex Pattle4 July 2025 07:00
