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The Independent
7 minutes ago
- The Independent
Chris Woakes and the sporting stars who played beyond the pain barrier
Chris Woakes bravely batted with a dislocated shoulder on Monday as England fell to defeat in the fifth Test against India. The all-rounder entered proceedings at The Oval with his arm in a sling tucked underneath his jumper and winced in pain as he ran between the wickets. But what other sportsmen and women have played through the pain barrier to defy the odds? Lucy Bronze England were crowned European champions at the end of July having successfully defended their title from 2022 with a penalty shoot-out victory over Spain. Bronze had been ever-present for the Lionesses after playing every minute of the tournament in Switzerland until picking up a knee injury in extra time during the final. However, in a post-match interview Bronze revealed that she had played the entire competition with a fractured tibia. 'I've actually played the whole tournament with a fractured tibia, but no one knew. And now I've hurt my knee on the other leg,' the 33-year-old full-back told the BBC afterwards. 'I think that is why I got a lot of praise from the girls after the Sweden game because I'm in a lot of pain but that's what it takes to play for England and that's what I will do. They know that and we inspire each other by playing through things like that and it got us to the end in the end.' Malcolm Marshall During the West Indies tour of England in 1984, Marshall broke his hand. The West Indies bowler sustained a double fracture to his left thumb at Headingley and remarkably managed to bat one-handed, hitting a boundary while helping Larry Gomes reach a century. Marshall then went on to impress in the second innings, where – with a plastercast on his left hand – he took seven wickets for 53 runs to reduce England to 159 all out and the West Indies went on to win the Test. Bert Trautmann Playing for Manchester City in their second successive FA Cup final in 1956, Trautmann's side were leading 3-1 with 15 minutes left to play. The City goalkeeper was then called into action to stop a cross destined for Peter Murphy and collided with the Birmingham player while making the save. Trautmann was treated with smelling salts and a wet sponge before continuing to play in discomfort with an issue in his neck. Only days after helping City lift the trophy, X-rays revealed that the goalkeeper had actually broken his neck during the game. Tiger Woods Woods produced a battling performance at the 2008 US Open, where he won his 14th major in visible pain. The-then world number one had undergone surgery on his left knee two days after finishing second in the Masters in April. Woods was limping at times during the tournament, but managed to force a play-off with a birdie putt on the 18th hole and made another birdie in the play-off, winning on the 91st hole. Days after winning, Woods announced he would undergo reconstructive surgery on the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee and have time to rehabilitate a fracture of the left tibia in his leg.
The Independent
7 minutes ago
- The Independent
Former priest accused of ‘brainwashing' followers in evangelical Church of England cult claims he led on ‘consensus'
A former priest accused of leading an evangelical cult in the Church of England has denied 'brainwashing' his followers as he stands trial for sexually abusing 13 women. Christopher Brain, who led the rave-style Nine O-Clock Service (NOS) in Sheffield in the 80s and 90s, allegedly surrounded himself with women who wore lingerie or revealing clothes as part of his 'homebase team' who kept his house 'spotlessly clean'. Jurors at Inner London Crown Court previously heard the women – sometimes referred to as 'the Lycra Lovelies' or 'the Lycra Nuns' – were on a rota to help then-Reverend Brain get to bed, and this included performing sexual favours. The 68-year-old denies one count of rape and 36 counts of indecent assault relating to the 13 women between 1981 and 1995. Giving evidence in his own defence on Monday, Mr Brain – who was in a Christian band – admitted he became the unofficial leader of a Christian group known as the 'Nairn Street Community', made up of up of around a dozen people who felt they did not fit into a traditional church congregation. This group later became part of NOS, formed after they heard 'charismatic' evangelical American minister John Wimber speak. His preaching included practices such as 'laying on hands' and speaking in tongues, the court heard. Mr Brain admitted he would be described as the leader of NOS, a congregation which met for 9pm services 'shaped around club culture' at St Thomas' in Crookes, Sheffield, but claimed there were other members of a leadership team. Mr Brain said he "rarely" stood at the front of worships and instead played more of a "producer" role. He admitted he may have been 'overbearing' at times as he led the art and direction of NOS services, which featured music and visual effects. 'I think most of the time I lead on consensus,' he told the jury from the witness box, wearing a black suit and shirt. 'It's also my character style. However when it got to music and direction I could be very direct and be very Yorkshire and straight and I think at times I probably was overbearing.' Asked by his lawyer, Iain Simkins KC, if he was at times 'overly direct', he replied: 'Yeah, by today's standards.' However, he denied 'brainwashing' or 'exerting undue control' over congregation members. Asked by Mr Simkin 'did you turn them into robots to allow you to manipulate them for your own sexual desires', he responded: 'No.' The prosecution allege NOS became a 'closed and controlled' group which he used to 'sexually assault a staggering number of women from his congregation'. The former priest appeared in a 1995 documentary and made admissions to the filmmaker of sexual contact with a number of the female members of NOS, jurors were told. Mr Brain, 68, who denies all charges, insists NOS was not a cult. He accepts that he engaged in sexual activity with some of the complainants, but that it was consensual. The eight-week trial continues.
The Independent
7 minutes ago
- The Independent
The numbers behind England vs India and a test series for the ages
India completed one of the most dramatic Test match victories ever seen on British soil, squaring the series with a stunning six-run victory after Chris Woakes attempted to carry England over the line with a dislocated shoulder. England arrived on the final day of a classic Test summer needing 35 runs to complete a remarkable chase of 374 but were blown away on a morning of unbearable tension and true sporting drama. They lost four for 28 as Jamie Smith, Jamie Overton, Josh Tongue and Gus Atkinson succumbed to searing pressure at the Oval. Woakes, who is expected to be out for several months with the injury he sustained in the field on Friday, answered his country's call by coming out at number 11 to try and finish the job. Holding the bat in hand, with his left arm bundled up in a sling under his sweater, he joined the fray with 17 runs still needed and was grimacing in pain throughout his brief stay. In the end he did not face a ball as Mohammed Siraj clean bowled Atkinson to secure a sensational result and a 2-2 series draw. With an incredible test series came some interesting statistics, too. The best ones are below: 7,187 There have been a cumulative 7,187 runs scored in the series – the second-highest total ever, behind the 1993 Ashes with 7,221. That was in six Tests, making this a record for a five-match series. 21 The 21 total centuries, rounded off by Harry Brook and Joe Root on Sunday, equals the all-time record set in the 1955 Australia v West Indies series. 6 India's six-run win in the final match is their narrowest margin by runs in the 183 Tests they have won, the previous lowest being 13 runs over Australia in Mumbai in November 2004. 5 All five matches went to the fifth day, the first time that has been true of a five-Test series since the 2017-18 Ashes in Australia – won 4-0 by the hosts. 754 India captain Shubman Gill top-scored with 754 runs in the series, with four centuries and an average of 75.40. Ravindra Jadeja averaged 86.00 while Joe Root led the way for England with 537 runs at 67.12. 13,453 Root's efforts took him up to second on the all-time list of Test run-scorers, ending the series on 13,453 for his career and trailing only Sachin Tendulkar's 15,921 for India. Root also reached a record 213 Test catches. 23 Mohammed Siraj led all bowlers with 23 wickets, including the series-tying dismissal of Gus Atkinson. Josh Tongue's 19 scalps led England's attack while Atkinson's one appearance brought eight wickets at a series-best average of 20.00. 2 Substitute wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel took two stumpings after Rishabh Pant 's injury during the fourth Test, removing Root and Brook. There had previously been only three stumpings by substitutes in the history of Test cricket. Karun Nair's 303 not out against England in Chennai in 2016 remains more runs than he has scored in his entire Test career outside of that innings. He has 279 runs at an average of 19.71 in his other 14 knocks, with just one half-century – 57 in the first innings of this match.
