Mitchell Owen emulates Ponting and Warner's feat after remarkable debut vs West Indies
Owen walked in to bat with Australia reeling at 78/4 in 8.2 overs and joined Cameron Green at the crease. However, the duo rescued their team with a massive partnership of 80 runs off just 40 balls and brought them closer to victory. Green scored a quick-fire half century (51 off 26) and was well-supported by Owen, who clobbered six massive sixes in his innings.Owen, earned his national team call-up after his prolific run for the Hobart Hurricanes in the 2024–25 Big Bash League and also featured for the Punjab Kings in IPL 2025. He scored 452 runs in 11 BBL matches at an average of 45.20 and a blistering strike rate of 203.60.Earlier, on the bowling front, Ben Dwarshius ran through the West Indies batting lineup as he picked up four wickets for 36 runs in his four overs. For the hosts, Shai Hope (55 off 39) and Roston Chase (60 off 32) scored half-centuries.Meanwhile, having won the first T20I, Australia will look to continue their winning momentum while West Indies will look to stage a comeback in the second T20I on Tuesday, July 22.- Ends
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News18
38 minutes ago
- News18
Oscar Piastri Powers To Sprint Pole With Record-Breaking Lap At Belgian GP
Oscar Piastri secured pole for the Belgian GP sprint race with a record lap, finishing 0.477 seconds ahead of Max Verstappen, strengthening his championship lead. Championship leader Oscar Piastri stormed to pole position for Saturday's sprint race at the Belgian Grand Prix with a record-breaking lap that left Red Bull's Max Verstappen trailing by nearly half a second. The 24-year-old McLaren driver delivered a searing 1:40.510 lap on Friday, finishing 0.477 seconds clear of Verstappen. The result strengthens Piastri's lead in the drivers' championship, which now stands at eight points over teammate Lando Norris heading into the sprint. Piastri's dominant performance also ensured both McLarens will start near the front, with Norris qualifying third, six-tenths behind the Australian. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc took fourth, followed by Haas driver Esteban Ocon and Carlos Sainz, now racing for Williams. Haas's Oliver Bearman continued his impressive form by slotting into seventh. Pierre Gasly qualified eighth for Alpine, just ahead of Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar and Sauber's Gabriel Bortoleto. Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton had a session to forget, spinning his Ferrari in SQ1 and finishing a lowly 18th. A mechanical issue thwarted any recovery attempt as he lost control at both Stavelot and the final chicane. His pole position puts him in a strong position to extend his title lead in Saturday's sprint at the iconic Spa-Francorchamps circuit. Verstappen, competing in his first race weekend since the departure of Red Bull team boss Christian Horner, was pleased with his second-place finish despite the gap to Piastri. The sprint qualifying session began in bright and breezy conditions at Spa, with early drama as Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli spun off at Stavelot and Hamilton's Ferrari slid off at the same corner before limping through another off at the chicane. Piastri initially led in SQ2 before his lap was deleted for exceeding track limits at Raidillon. Norris temporarily took the top spot before a frantic final run saw Piastri recover and just make it through to SQ3 in 10th place. He then unleashed a phenomenal final lap to seize sprint pole in the dying seconds. (with AFP inputs) view comments First Published: July 25, 2025, 23:06 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris rivalry adds drama to the Formula One season
Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris render a momentary intra-team rivalry that has developed into one of the key stories in the Formula 1 2025 season. With Piastri at the top of the championship and Norris close behind him in the standings as his teammate at McLaren, the two drivers have continually found themselves close together on, and off, the track, leading to a fun, frosty rivalry which is shifting from a background noise to one of the most notable in recent times. Piastri showed exemplary performance at the Spanish Grand Prix in June. He qualified on pole, with a margin of 0.029 seconds, the biggest margin of the year and converted his pole position into a win extending his championship lead to ten points over Norris. Piastri called the weekend 'exactly what I needed,' and credited the team for performing to perfection and being composed under pressure. Norris, finishing second, accepted Piastri was the better driver that weekend and accepted the result with measured respect. Conversely, both Norris and Piastri claimed wins in the subsequent rounds at the Austrian and British Grands Prix. Norris triumphed in Austria from pole position with strong pace, while Piastri continued to challenge hard behind him, in what the Australian described as intense intra-team contestation. At Silverstone, Norris secured his first home Grand Prix win in McLaren machinery since Lewis Hamilton in 2008, capitalising on a ten‑second penalty given to Piastri for hard braking under a safety car restart. That penalty reversed the finishing order: Norris inherited victory, narrowing Piastri's championship margin to eight points. Piastri accepted the penalty even though he felt it unfair, stating he had 'learned from' the episode and would refrain from similar aggressive braking in future situations. The Canadian Grand Prix proved a critical flashpoint. In a hard-fought midfield battle around turn 13, Norris made contact with Piastri's rear tyre while attempting an overtake, colliding with the pit wall and retiring from the race. Piastri continued to finish the event and extended his lead, while Norris conceded fault for the incident. The rivalry has elicited commentary from prominent figures. Former driver Johnny Herbert suggested both 'must be selfish' in their championship quests. Lando Norris himself has stated that it is not a question of 'if' but 'when' he and Piastri would clash on track, underlining the inevitability of confrontation as both seek to emerge as the McLaren number one. Meanwhile, Piastri has emphasised that the competition stretches beyond a single season, stating: 'we don't want just one opportunity to try and win a world championship each … we're aware that whatever happens in the championship this year … is much bigger than just this season'. Team management have framed the rivalry as constructive. McLaren boss Zak Brown and team principal Andrea Stella have highlighted the importance of treating both drivers equally and described the rivalry as healthy, anticipating that it will intensify through to the end of the season. Oscar Piastri was fastest on the Friday morning at Spa‑Francorchamps, going 0.404 seconds quicker than Max Verstappen, and a significant 0.504 seconds faster than Lando Norris, who was third. Undoubtedly, Piastri's performance confirms his current form, and it appears his composure under pressure goes deeper than just racing skill, and is now extending into single lap performances. Norris, while still competitive, appears in this session to trail the pace of his teammate by a non‑trivial margin. It is notable that Spa replaces the usual second free‑practice with the sprint qualifying. As a result, the implications of this single session may amplify Piastri's dominance heading into qualifying and the sprint race. ALSO READ | What has gone right for McLaren this season as they head to Belgian GP on top of drivers' and constructors' races in Formula 1? Spa is known for its high‑speed layout, changing weather, and potential for slipstreaming and strategy advantage along the Kemmel Straight. Both drivers are capable in wet conditions, though Norris has historically displayed confidence at Spa. With Piastri enjoying the psychological edge in the early session, the essential tension between consistency and outright pace is again apparent. Piastri's ability to convert practice speed into qualifying advantage may prove decisive. Norris, chasing momentum and seeking redemption after practice deficits, must regain parity quickly. As commentators have noted, momentum may play into Norris's hands if he can string together strong qualifying and race results at Spa and could enter the mid‑season break with the championship momentum firmly back on his side. Team principal Zak Brown has acknowledged that while the drivers are free to race each other, tactical considerations may be introduced. 'More of the same, maybe not a 30-second win, but more of the same… we'll be unwrapping that… on both cars,' Brown stated when asked about the team's approach for Spa. This weekend will likely be another trigger point in the Piastri‑Norris feud. With only eight points between them, a minor mistake or tactical decision will swing the balance one way or the other. McLaren's leadership is on record emphasising team unity, but has also conceded that conflict is inevitable on track.
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
F1, Belgium GP 2025: McLaren's Oscar Piastri takes dominant sprint pole
Formula One leader Oscar Piastri took pole position for the Saturday sprint by nearly half a second at the Belgian Grand Prix while McLaren teammate and title rival Lando Norris qualified third. Red Bull's reigning champion Max Verstappen will join Piastri on the front row for the first race since Christian Horner was dismissed as team boss and replaced with Laurent Mekies. Piastri lapped the Spa-Francorchamps circuit with a best time of one minute 40.510 seconds, 0.477 seconds quicker than Verstappen and 0.618 clear of Norris. The Australian is eight points clear at the top after 12 of 24 rounds. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc starts fourth but teammate Lewis Hamilton will line up 18th after a difficult afternoon for the seven times world champion, whose most recent win came at the same circuit last year with Mercedes. ALSO READ | Verstappen says, Horner's exit has no impact on his future plans The Briton spun on his last flying lap while on course to go through, with the suspicion falling on a failure of the car's rear axle. George Russell, who finished first last year for Mercedes but was then disqualified for an underweight car, also struggled and qualified 13th.
