T20 Blast: Surrey seal home quarter-final, Vince stars for Hawks
Star-studded Surrey see off leaders Somerset
At a sun-kissed Kia Oval, Surrey opener Will Jacks responded well after being hit on the elbow early to top score with 57, and Jason Roy and Dan Lawrence (both 32) provided important knocks as the hosts totalled 201-7 against Somerset.Returning Jack Leach claimed 2-42 and Lewis Goldsworthy ended with 2-39 but group leaders Somerset could not back up their victory on Friday at Kent with an away double.Up against it, they lost Tom Lammonby early when he was bowled by Reece Topley (3-20) and when Sean Dickson was caught and bowled by Jamie Overton their hopes looked to be gone, eventually ending 67 runs short.Hampshire came out on top by six wickets against Sussex after all-rounder James Fuller claimed 3-16 in the Sharks' innings.Vince's wonderful knock, featuring three sixes and 12 fours, aided by Joe Weatherley's 43 off 29 balls, means they can secure their passage to the knockout stage with a win at bottom club Essex on Thursday.Hampshire's cause was helped further by Glamorgan's loss to Gloucestershire at Sophia Gardens.A fourth-wicket partnership of 69 between Ben Charlesworth (55) and captain Jack Taylor (39) was vital as the visitors finished on 175-6.The Welsh club started the powerplay brightly but lost their way following the loss of opener Will Smale for 43, leaving them 66-4, and South African Marchant de Lange (4-20) and swing bowler David Payne finished off the tail as they were all out for 135.Meanwhile, Kent chased down a target of 161 against Middlesex in front of their own fans in Canterbury.Fred Klassen picked up three wickets for the home side as Middlesex captain Leus du Plooy (68) top-scored on his side's way to 160-5.Terrific knocks from opener Tawanda Muyeye (59 off 41 balls) and veteran Joe Denly (46) saw the hosts bounce back from their defeat on Friday and secure a seven-wicket victory, reaching 165-3 in 18.1 overs.
Lancashire go top; Northants leap to second
A decisive performance with bat and ball from Chris Green helped Lancashire defeat Durham in a top of the table clash in Manchester.Figures of 3-15 off his four overs from the Australian all-rounder helped restrict Durham to 156-7, with Colin Ackerman top scoring for the visitors with 42.The Red Rose started the powerplay strongly with opener Keaton Jennings making 42 but when he fell with the score on 107-4, the hosts wobbled and then lost Michael Jones and Jack Blatherwick without scoring.However, Green's assured cameo settled home fans nerves and his second six of his innings meant he ended on 31 not out as the Red Rose reached 156-7 and went top - they could confirm their final eight spot with a victory at Yorkshire next week.Worcestershire leapfrogged Leicestershire with a six-wicket win at New Road.The Foxes won the toss and elected to bat first but were 5-2 in the second over following the early dismissals of Rishi Patel and Shan Masood.Ben Cox (70 not out off 44 balls) steadied the ship and they reached the end of the innings with 173-6 on the board.Worcestershire got off to a flier in their reply, reaching 50-0 in the fifth over and Ethan Brookes' 56 not out off just 28 balls, which included five sixes, helped the hosts secure a comfortable victory on 176-4 with 13 balls still remaining.Northamptonshire went up to second in the North Group with an impressive victory against fellow quarter-final hopefuls Bears.On a batter-friendly pitch at Edgbaston, Breetzke backed up his superb 93 against Derbyshire on Friday with a dazzling 40-ball knock containing six sixes, to help the Steelbacks post 240-6.In reply, Bears lost Alex Davies and Dan Mousley early on and despite Sam Hain's 50 off 29 balls providing some resistance, the hosts were bowled out still 65 runs short of their target.In the day's other game, Derbyshire dismantled Yorkshire at Headingley in a clash between the North Group's bottom two clubs.A five-wicket haul from seamer Ben Aitchison, 2-36 from Zak Chappell and 2-5 from Mohammad Ghazanfar, who sent down 20 dot balls, saw the White Rose limited to 151-9, Dom Bess top scoring with 53.Yorkshire opener Jonny Bairstow followed his century on Friday with a five-ball duck, bowled by 19-year-old Afghan off-spinner Ghazanfar.Derbyshire, whose hopes of reaching the knockout stages have already gone, chased down their target easily with Aneurin Donald and Wayne Madsen bringing up half centuries.
Tuesday fixture
Chester-le-Street: Durham v Leicestershire FoxesMatch starts 18:30 BST
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Metro
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England hero Chloe Kelly criticised for 'cocky gesture' during Euro 2025 final
England hero Chloe Kelly has been accused of making a 'cocky gesture' at the end of the dramatic Euro 2025 final penalty shootout against Spain. Arsenal forward Kelly struck England's winning penalty in Basel after the final finished 1-1 after extra-time. Pre-tournament favourites Spain took the lead midway through the first half through Mariona Caldentey but Alessia Russo equalised for the Lionesses just before the hour mark. England withstood plenty of Spain pressure in extra-time before winning the shootout 3-1, goalkeeper Hannah Hampton making two superb saves. Kelly scored the winner in the Euro 2022 final win and was England's hero again as she blasted her spot-kick past the helpless Cata Coll, who had saved two previous penalties. It was at that moment that Kelly made a 'cocky gesture', according to sections of the Spanish press, as she wheeled away in celebration in front of Coll. Kelly initially went to sprint to her right – in the opposite direction of the diving Coll – before quickly changing direction and running in front of the Spain goalkeeper. Coll gestured angrily at Kelly as she ran past but the England star paid little notice and was soon celebrating back-to-back European titles with her teammates. Kelly appeared to be focused on the celebrating England fans inside St Jakob-Park rather than her opponent but Spanish outlet AS nonetheless said it was a 'cocky' and 'unnecessary gesture'. 'This is unnecessary, my friend,' they wrote. 'Chloe Kelly's cocky gesture to Cata Coll after scoring the decisive penalty. 'The England specialist changed her run during her penalty celebration to get past the goalkeeper she had just beaten.' In a separate article, AS claimed Spain had been 'robbed' after losing a final they if not dominated at least were in control of for large periods. 'The dream ends in a nightmare,' one piece said. 'Spain lost the European Championship on penalties. England tied a match that Spain largely dominated. 'History is made by victories, and also by defeats. Spain fell in the Euro Cup final but left its name sealed in gold. England robbed them of their dream; the world champions couldn't close the circle they began to write two years ago in Sydney. 'They couldn't have been crueller in the penalty shootout, tossing a few dice in the air.' A separate piece from the Spanish outlet, which accused England of playing for penalties, added: 'England had been eliminated three times. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video 'But they must have been using Houdini's secret manual of tricks to take home the trophy. Congratulations. 'The English embraced penalties like happy castaways, and it showed.' Spain manager Montse Tome was fairly magnanimous following her side's heartbreaking defeat and insisted she was 'proud' of the World Cup holders. 'It's a final and we are sad because we weren't able to win,' he said. 'I think the effort from all of the players was very good. 'They tried until the very end to try to win but then we arrived at a penalty shootout and we weren't able to do it. I thought overall we were very good on the ball. More Trending 'They are a team that play a lot on the second balls and they managed to hurt us a bit in these situations. 'I think in extra time we got the momentum back, got on the ball and were able to attack, but we were not able to avoid a penalty shootout and in the end we were not able to do that better. 'Now we have a strange feeling because we wanted to win so much. You have it so close and you are not able to do it. 'But I am always proud of the effort of the team and the staff that has been really positive. Now we have to stop and relax, and that is what I'm going to do.' For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. MORE: Joey Barton branded 'bitter and twisted' after vile posts about England's Euro 2025 win MORE: 7 films celebrating women in sport after the Lionesses win Euro 2025 MORE: 'If that's not a sign…' – Ella Toone shares poignant tribute to 'angel' dad after Euro 2025 win
The Independent
23 minutes ago
- The Independent
Why do men like Jeremy Clarkson get so upset at women playing football?
The old dinosaur Jeremy Clarkson claims he likes women's football. In fact, he wrote a column about it for The Sunday Times, saying he found the Lionesses' Euros final 'exciting'. Great! Progress, right? Well… not quite. Because in the very same breath, he compares that excitement to what he imagines he'd feel watching cow racing in Sri Lanka. Yes, really. His exact words: ' It was exciting – in the same way that I'd be excited if I were in Sri Lanka and the locals invited me to watch some cow racing.' It's a thinly veiled pat on the head – the kind of backhanded compliment women in sport have heard for decades. Clarkson's message is clear: well done, ladies – that was 120 minutes of fun, in a novelty sort of way. Not real football, of course. Just a quirky spectacle for a Sunday afternoon. And that, right there, is the problem. Because even when some men say they like women's football, it's often delivered with a side of snark, scepticism or condescension. It's not quite "real". It's not quite worthy. It's the football equivalent of a try-hard indie band – enjoyable, but let's not pretend it deserves top billing. That mindset – whether shouted from comment sections of newspapers or whispered into broadsheet columns – is why women's football continues to be met with hostility. And it's going to take far more than England's back-to-back Euros win, a Downing Street visit and a street parade through the capital to convince men like Clarkson that women's football is worthy of their attention. What are they waiting for – a Bank Holiday in the Lionesses' honour? Nothing has stirred more bizarre, irrational rage in recent years than women playing football. Not climate change, not taxes, not even unfixed potholes. No – it's women daring to lace up their boots and play the same sport men have dominated for over a century. The horror! Now, don't get me wrong. I'm well aware there are thousands of men who have supported the Lionesses wholeheartedly through the Euros and through the trials and triumphs of women's football. Those men exist. In fact, I live with two of them. But what's also been impossible to ignore is the other group – a loud, seething contingent who foam at the mouth every time women's football gets airtime. Let's be honest. Some of these men don't just dislike women's football – they absolutely hate it. Viscerally and irrationally. As though women simply kicking a ball poses a threat to their very identity. Take Graham (real name, I believe), a caller I heard on LBC just the other day. He proudly declared – without a hint of irony – that he 'can't stand' women's football. Not just that he doesn't enjoy it. Not just that it's not his thing. No, Graham hates it. He can't watch it. He repeated several times that he can't bear it being 'shoved down our throats'. Shoved down our throats? Remind me… has there ever been a sport more relentlessly marketed, broadcast and worshipped than men's football? We've had 24/7 coverage for decades, wall-to-wall analysis of Premier League games, live transfer updates (snore) that border on obsession. Somehow, that's just normal. But when the BBC dares to air a Lionesses match? Now it's an outrage. Another gem came from a man I came across on a well-known sports account on Instagram who insisted women's football 'isn't the same sport' as men's. It's not as fast, not as powerful. Therefore, in his eyes, it's a different game entirely. Let's unpack that for a second. Two teams. Eleven players per side. A ball. A pitch. A goal at each end. A ref. Sounds like football to me. The only real difference? Some of the players have penises and some don't. That's not a different sport. That's just biology. By this logic, does he tell his son – who maybe plays under-12s on a soggy Sunday morning – that his football isn't real football because it lacks the speed and precision of the Champions League? Does he pat the kid on the head and say, 'Sorry son, it's just not the same sport'? Unlikely. The moment you challenge these men, even gently, the reaction is instant and vicious. I dared to comment on one of these videos, pointing out the obvious: it is the same sport. Cue the backlash. Within seconds, I saw replies accusing me of 'rage bait', clown emojis and insults I won't repeat here. The vitriol is astonishing – and sadly familiar, if you've ever spoken up for women's sport. But it begs the question: why does women's football cause such a meltdown in some men? Why this sport in particular? Why not women's tennis, where the stars earn millions and fill arenas? Why not rugby or cricket? Why this obsessive need to gatekeep football? The answer is as uncomfortable as it is obvious: misogyny. It's pure, deep-seated and often subconscious. Men's football is one of the last cultural arenas where some men feel untouchable. It's 'theirs'. The pub, the banter, the tribalism. And it seems when women enter that space (and excel in it), it rattles them to their core. Here's the real kicker: the England Lionesses aren't just playing football. They're winning. They're one of the most successful England teams this country has ever produced. While the men's team continues to serve us heartbreak, hype and penalty shootout trauma, the Lionesses deliver us trophies and finals and pride. At last! And it's not just what happens on the pitch. Off the field, the women are widely seen as more approachable, less egotistical and, frankly, better role models. They play as a team. They show humility. They connect with fans in a way that's rare in the era of £100k-a-week Instagram stars. That success – both in results and in values – should be a source of national pride. But instead, a portion of the male population would rather die on the hill of 'it's just not the same' than cheer on the best England football team we've got. Before I get accused of having no facts to back up my point – let's talk numbers for a minute. The Lionesses won the 2022 European Championship, something the men haven't done. They've reached the World Cup finals. Their matches have sold out stadiums. They've inspired millions of young girls – and plenty of boys – to take up the sport. If you're still arguing they don't deserve the spotlight, then sorry, but you've left logic behind. It's a sad day when a country finally gets to be world-class at something… and a significant chunk of its population responds by crossing its arms and pouting. Here's the truth: no one's asking you to like every pass or admire every tackle. But if you hate it – if it genuinely makes you angry to see women succeeding in sport – then maybe the problem isn't the football. Maybe the problem is you.
The Independent
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Ella Toone and Beth Mead share moving tributes after Euro 2025 win
Ella Toone dedicated England 's Euro 2025 victory to her late father, Nick, marking her first trophy since his passing last September. Following England's shootout win against Spain, an emotional Toone looked skyward and was comforted by teammates. She later shared on Instagram that a spare seat next to her mother at the final felt like a sign her father was watching. Toone also shared a poignant moment with Beth Mead, who lost her mother 18 months ago, dedicating their win to 'our angels in the sky'. Toone and Mead have shared a special bond during the tournament by supporting each other through grief and posed with their Euro 2025 medals.
