The Lionesses did England proud again when winning Euro 2025, but the UK government is not expected to sanction a celebratory bank holiday.

England prevailed in penalty shootoutMade history with second Euros victoryWild celebrations enjoyed across countryFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Sarina Wiegman’s side made history when going back-to-back on the European Championship front. They successfully defended a continental crown on Swiss soil that was first secured at Wembley Stadium in 2022.

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Chloe Kelly was the ultimate hero once again, with the Arsenal forward converting the decisive penalty in a nerve-shredding shootout with World Cup winners Spain. Wild celebrations were sparked in Basel and back home, which stretched long into the night.

DID YOU KNOW?

An open-top bus parade will take place in London on Tuesday, culminating in a ceremony outside Buckingham Palace, but the reports that there are no plans for a bank holiday to mark the occasion.

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Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the team had “once again captured the hearts of the nation", while Deputy Prime Minister Rayner said it would be a “privilege to celebrate” with the triumphant Lionesses.

Starmer had said ahead on the back of Euros glory in 2022 that success should be “marked with a proper day of celebration” and reiterated that stance when saying ahead of the 2023 World Cup final that “there should be a celebratory bank holiday if the Lionesses bring it home”.

The visitors suffered a collapse to finish on 81 for 7 after Will Sutherland had earlier taken five wickets

AAP01-Mar-2024Matthew Wade pulled off arguably the best catch of his glittering career as Victoria’s star-studded batting line-up imploded against Tasmania on a day of Sheffield Shield carnage at Blundstone Arena.A total of 17 wickets fell across the opening day in Hobart, with Victoria entering stumps in huge trouble at 81 for 7 in reply to Tasmania’s 240.The highlight of the day belonged to Wade, who spent the bulk of his career as a wicketkeeper but on Friday proved just how good he is in the field as well. Fielding at gully, Wade pulled off a stunning one-handed catch while diving to his right to dismiss Peter Handscomb for a duck.Ladder leaders Tasmania will secure a spot in the final if they can beat second-placed Victoria. Defending champions WA sit third and are looking to leapfrog Victoria with just one round remaining after this.Wade’s piece of magic was part of a Victorian collapse of 5 for 18 as the visitors slumped from 48 for 1 to 66 for 6. Will Sutherland fell to Riley Meredith in the final over of the day to add further misery to Victoria’s cause.

No gloves needed for Matthew Wade #SheffieldShield pic.twitter.com/2PIMyE88FM

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) March 1, 2024

Fit-again Tasmania paceman Gabe Bell, Iain Carlisle and Beau Webster all shared the load as Victoria’s top and middle order crumbled. The top three of Nic Maddinson, Marcus Harris and Will Pucovski all made starts, but none was able to go on with it.It was disastrous from that point on as Handscomb and Matt Short fell for ducks at the hands of Webster, before Sam Harper departed for 7.”It didn’t quite finish the way we would have liked,” Victorian assistant Adam Griffith said. “We were probably a bit off in both parts of the game.”We’ll get as close as we can (to their score) in the morning.  We’ve played some really good cricket this season, we’ve hung in there when we’ve been behind in the game. We’ll be looking to do that again.”Things looked much brighter for Victoria earlier in the day on the back of Sutherland’s heroics with the ball.Tasmania were cruising at 78 for 0 as openers Caleb Jewell and Wade set a solid foundation. But it was the Sutherland and Fergus O’Neill show after that as the duo combined for eight wickets.Wade was the first to fall when he edged Sutherland to first slip, and Jewell followed a short time later when Pucovski took a sharp catch above his head at gully.Then it was O’Neill’s turn to strike, trapping Jordan Silk lbw for 6. Wicketkeeper Harper then took a stunning one-handed catch diving to his left to pocket Charlie Wakim’s inside edge.Jake Doran and Jarrod Freeman put up stiff resistance, but both fell to the in-form Sutherland.

Kylian Mbappe was one of only two first-team players to attend Lucas Vazquez's farewell at Real Madrid.

• Madrid hosted farewell ceremony for Vazquez
• 34-year-old leaves after 18 years at the club
• Mbappe attended ceremony after cutting holiday short

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Real Madrid organised an institutional farewell ceremony within the Valdebebas premises for Vazquez, with the long-serving warrior departing the club after spending 10 years in the first-team and lifting 23 titles. In a touching gesture, Mbappe, along with goalkeeper Andriy Lunin, cut short their vacations to attend the ceremony for one of their ex-captains. Even Marcelo, who shared the dressing room with Vazquez for seven seasons, was present at the event.

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  Vazquez first joined Madrid as a 16-year-old in 2007 and rose rapidly through the youth ranks. He got his first taste of top-flight football in the 2014-15 season, when he was loaned out to Espanyol in La Liga. The following season, he earned a promotion to the first team, and became one of the most important squad players, often sacrificing himself out of team's best interests. He earned the privilege of the wearing the captain's armband on numerous occasions

• WHAT LUCAS VAZQUEZ SAID

  Speaking at his farewell, Vazquez struggled to hold back his tears. He said: "This is one of the most important days of my life. Thank you for every applause and every gesture of support, you've made me feel at home. Today it's time to say bye, but I'll never say goodbye to my Real Madrid.

  "I've had the privilege of sharing a dressing room with legends and winning titles, but above all, I've been happy. I've felt valued, respected, and loved. To the president, Florentino Perez, thank you for allowing me to fulfill my dream.
  To Jose Angel Sanchez, thank you for putting your all into the negotiations.

  "To my parents, since becoming a father, I understand even more everything you did for me. To you, Mateo, my brother, thank you for instilling in me your love of football. Without you, I wouldn't be a footballer; I've fulfilled both of our dreams. And to you, Maca, you gave me peace of mind and support to keep believing in myself. We've laughed and cried together. You're the person who knows me best and also the one who has endured me the longest, being my best life partner. I can never thank you for everything you've done for me.

  "You've given me my children; you're my greatest pride. I hope that one day you'll understand what wearing this shirt meant to your father. I've fulfilled my dream. I'm leaving, but Real Madrid will always be my home. I am and always will be Lucas Vazquez, a canterano Real Madrid."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MBAPPE AND VAZQUEZ?

  Mbappe will return to pre-season duties in around two weeks time, with Madrid set to face Osasuna on August 19. Meanwhile, Vazquez is yet to decide his next destination. Rumour has it that he turned down an opportunity to rejoin Espanyol. He currently has offers from Qatar and Turkish side Fenerbahce on the table.

Oman’s Bilal Khan turned out to be Chattogram’s unlikely hero, even as Barishal’s Shoaib Mailk abruptly left the BPL

Mohammad Isam31-Jan-2024While table-toppers Khulna followed up two wins from the last week with two more in this one, Chattogram Challengers were in good form too, having now won three matches in a row to sit just below Khulna. Rangpur Riders also bounced back from a defeat at the start of the week with two important wins.Led by Anamul Haque – and with a heavy West Indies contingent – Khulna beat Rangpur by 28 runs before thumping Durdanto Dhaka by ten wickets in a 131-run chase, which they completed with more than five overs to spare. Allrounder Mohammad Nawaz starred for Khulna in both games. While he smashed 55 off 34 balls and took two wickets against Rangpur, he took 3 for 15 against Dhaka. Apart from Nawaz, Khulna have also been boosted by the consistency of Anamul and Evin Lewis.Related

• Shakib diagnosed with eye condition but will continue playing cricket

• Malik leaves Fortune Barishal abruptly after just three games

• Josh Brown signs up with Chattogram Challengers

Chattogram, meanwhile, also won both games this week. While they just inched past Fortune Barishal by ten runs while defending 193, they dominated Sylhet by chasing down 138 with eight wickets and 14 balls in the bank. Finalists last season, that was Sylhet’s fifth loss in a row. Either side of losing to Chattogram, they also suffered heavy defeats to Comilla Victorians and Barishal.The injured Mashrafe Mortaza might have been part of the reason for Sylhet’s poor run, as he played for and captained the side despite not bowling regularly. Mashrafe has since decided to take a break from the tournament to focus on his political work. He had earlier admitted that it was “not ideal” that he was still in the side.The change of venue from Mirpur in the first week to Sylhet in the second might have been a factor in there being a majority of wins for sides batting first – all eight games in Mirpur were won by the chasing side – as dew apparently became less of an issue at the picturesque Sylhet International Cricket Stadium.Babar Azam has two half-centuries in the BPL so far this season•Raton Gomes/BCB

Meanwhile, there was a nagging off-field debate surrounding Barishal’s Pakistan allrounder Shoaib Malik. In the previous week, Barishal owner Mizanur Rahman wasn’t pleased with Malik bowling as many as three no-balls in an over against Khulna, claiming “that’s where we lost that match”, as Khulna chased down 188 rather comfortably.Soon after, on January 26, Mailk abruptly left the BPL after playing only three games, although as per Mizanur, Malik’s contract ran “till February 14”. That led to rumours about a rift within the team, though Malik later said that it was not the case.

Batter of the week

Rangpur’s Babar Azam struck his second fifty of this season’s BPL when he made 62 off 46 balls in a match-winning effort against Dhaka. He followed it up with a better-than-a-run-a-ball 37 against Comilla, again Rangpur’s highest score in their eight-run win.While Babar doesn’t entirely dominate bowling attacks with a flurry of boundaries, he remains steady while building crucial partnerships. For instance, against Dhaka he added 50 with Nurul Hasan after Rangpur had lost two wickets in the powerplay, before having a union of 55 for the second wicket with Fazle Mahmud against Comilla.

Bowler of the week

Someone in the top six of the all-time ODI bowling averages with a minimum of 50 wickets slipped into the BPL without notice. Bilal Khan hails from Oman – he is one of their stars. And the left-arm quick has been effective for Chattogram too, picking up eight wickets at 18.25 to currently top the bowling charts in the BPL. That included a haul of 3 of 24 against Sylhet, for which he was given the Player-of-the-Match award.

England A captain shows class in run chase after Sparks recover from slow start

ECB Reporters Network01-May-2024

A high-class century from Grace Scrivens ensured that Sunrisers continued their strong start to the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy season with a five-wicket victory over Central Sparks at Kidderminster.Put in, Sparks lost both openers for ducks and recovered only partially to post a moderate 213 all out thanks principally to Abi Freeborn’s accomplished 93. Only Freeborn stayed long enough against a disciplined attack led by openers Kate Coppack (3 for 26) and Nicola Hancock (3 for 34).It looked a under-par total on a decent batting pitch and Scrivens navigated Sunrisers’ pursuit of it to perfection, with a stroke-laden unbeaten 118 off 123 balls to take her side to 214 for 5 with 10.2 overs to spare.A third win from four games strengthened Sunrisers’ place among the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy front-runners but Central Sparks need to reboot after following their opening-round win with three successive defeats.Abi Freeborn scored 93•Getty Images

“It was great to get another bonus-point win,” Scrivens said. “I’m feeling nice at the moment and when you are feeling nice you have to cash in. I was just happy I did that today and helped get us over the line.”I thought we kept them to a total which was a little bit below par. We bowled well up top to take some wickets and then bowled well through the middle too. Sometimes you can let things drift when you don’t take wickets but we stuck at it really well and it was nice to restrict Freeborn to the mid-nineties when she was in and set.”Sparks captain Eve Jones endured a bracing start to the day: at 10am, she lost the toss. At 10.30am, she edged the first ball of the match, an absolute beauty from Coppack, to wicketkeeper Amara Carr.When Chloe Brewer edged Coppack behind, both Sparks openers had departed without scoring and debutant Courtney Webb walked in to bat with the score at 1 for 2. The pressure on the batters remained high – Coppack opened with 5-2-8-2 and Hancock 5-1-6-0 – but Freeborn and Webb withstood it to add 67 in 20 overs before the latter miscued a straight hit and was caught by Scrivens in front of the sightscreen.Freeborn completed her second half-century of the season from 99 balls but partners continued to come and go as Davina Perrin and Katie George sent up catches in successive overs from Jo Gardner.Freeborn had her good fortune – on 69 she should have been out twice to the same ball from Gardner, stumped at one end then run out at the other as she tried to scramble a bye – but batted with selective assertion. The 27-year-old struck 12 fours and was seven short of emulating her century against Sunrisers last season when she top-edged a pull and fell to a fantastic diving catch by Mady Villiers.Related

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Villiers spins Sunrisers to resounding win over Blaze

Bethan Ellis offered some impetus with a 35-ball 31 which included the only six of the innings, but Coppack and Hancock returned to lop off the tail, supported by more excellent catching.When Sunrisers replied, the catching bar was raised still further by George’s brilliant, one-handed grab at second slip off Grace Potts as Ariana Dowse became the third opening batter in the day to bag a duck.The fourth opener filled her boots though. Reprieved on 22 when wicketkeeper Freeborn grassed a tough chance from an edge off Grace Potts, Scrivens played with the freedom and confidence of a batter in top form. She reached 50 from 53 balls and celebrated by lifting Ria Fackrell over long-on for six.Scrivens and Cordelia Griffith (37) added 110 in 19 overs before Fackrell struck twice to retain a Sparks toe-hold in the game. Griffith belted a full toss straight to a fielder and Jodi Grewcock fell lbw, sweeping. When George took another fine catch, at midwicket off Ellis, to end Villiers’ counter-attack, it was 149 for 4 and Sparks had a glimmer of opportunity.That glimmer was emphatically extinguished by Scrivens and Carr (26), the former reaching her century from 108 balls in a victory-clinching fifth-wicket partnership of 59 in nine overs.

Harry Brook will play for Yorkshire in the early stages of the County Championship season, after withdrawing from the IPL in order to be close to his grieving family.Brook, 25, was due to play for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2024 after he was bought for INR 4 crore (£380,000) at December’s auction in Dubai. But he pulled out of the tournament earlier this month following the death of his grandmother Pauline, with whom he shared a close relationship.He is yet to play any competitive cricket in 2024, having also withdrawn from England’s recent Test tour to India. But he will now tune up for June’s T20 World Cup by playing for Yorkshire in the County Championship, with their head coach Ottis Gibson suggesting he will be available from the outset.Related

• The inside story of county cricket's most eye-catching transfers

• Yorkshire apologise to sacked former physiotherapist after reaching out-of-court settlement

• Darren Gough steps down as Yorkshire managing director of cricket

• Harry Brook withdraws from IPL 2024 following grandmother's death

• Harry Brook pulls out of England tour of India

Yorkshire’s opening match of the season starts on April 5 at Headingley against Leicestershire. “Now that Brooky isn’t going to the IPL, I suspect he’s going to be available for us for the first few games, including [against] Leicestershire,” Gibson told the Yorkshire website.Brook said in a statement when pulling out of the IPL that “nothing is more important to me than family”. His decision to withdraw will enable him to be with them in Yorkshire while still playing competitively.Gibson also hinted that Joe Root will be made available for some early-season fixtures by the ECB, having opted out of IPL 2024 himself. “He [Brook] loves playing for us, and Rooty is also going to be available for some games in that early period,” Gibson said. “Having those two playing for us would be special.”

Allrounder hits counterattacking 90 against former team to put visitors on top

ECB Reporters Network06-Apr-2024Ben Mike returned to haunt his former county Yorkshire with a brilliant, counterattacking 90 as Leicestershire’s lower order carried their side to a first-innings 354 on day two at Headingley.This was another weather-shortened day in the Vitality County Championship opener, play only starting at 1.40pm due to a wet outfield – two hours earlier than day one.Yorkshire held sway overnight with the visitors at 164 for 5, and three wickets inside the first 75 minutes strengthened their position. Seamer Matt Milnes claimed two of them on the way to 4 for 73. However, allrounder Mike impressively led the revival from 215 for 8, sharing a record ninth-wicket stand of 119 either side of tea with tailender Tom Scriven, who contributed a valuable 56.Mike then struck twice in his first two overs with the ball as Yorkshire replied with 72 for 2 from 18 overs at close.Mike, who hit four sixes in 113 balls, left Yorkshire in November, one year into a three-year deal. He returned to the Uptonsteel County Ground in search of greater opportunity in this competition.The 25-year-old only played two Championship matches during his season and a bit at Headingley, the latter part of 2022 spent on loan wearing the white rose. In Yorkshire colours, Mike claimed a best of 4 for 40 with the ball in a One-Day Cup match last August but didn’t top 30 with the bat in any competitive fixture.Home supporters will, therefore, have fully expected sod’s law to kick in, and it did as Mike played superbly. He was aggressive but selective with it from No. 9 in the order, arriving at the crease at 177 for 7.He slog-swept and pulled three leg-side sixes en route to a 56-ball fifty, taking on the left-arm spin of Dan Moriarty and the seam of fellow allrounder George Hill. He later pulled Milnes for another as a century came into view.Mike wasn’t without fortune, however. On 38, he miscued Moriarty and offered a tough chance to Jordan Thompson running in from long-on. Another skied miscue shortly afterwards caught the strong wind sweeping across Headingley and took another catch out of the same fielder’s reach as he ran towards midwicket.Mike was ably supported by Scriven, the pair recording Leicestershire’s highest ever ninth-wicket partnership in first-class fixtures, beating a record which stood for 85 years.Yorkshire’s day had started well. Milnes had both Australian overseas batter Peter Handscomb, for 26, and nightwatchman Scott Currie caught behind as the score slipped to 177 for 7 inside the first six overs of play. Both were playing loosely outside off stump.Matthew Fisher cartwheeled Ben Cox’s off stump for 32, leaving the Foxes in danger of not reaching 250. But Mike was followed to a fifty by Scriven, who got there off 71 balls. By that time, the visitors were far, far happier at 327 for 8.Seven more runs had been added when Ben Coad, bowling with the new ball, trapped Scriven lbw, only for Mike to ensure a third batting point for reaching 350.One of Yorkshire’s issues last season was their inability to finish off the tail in matches. If they are to fulfil their Division Two title ambitions in 2024, that needs addressing.The innings was wrapped up when Milnes had Mike caught superbly at deep cover by Fisher, leaving Yorkshire with almost an hour-and-a-half’s batting to do before close.And it wasn’t entirely straightforward as Mike had Fin Bean caught behind with his third ball and captain Shan Masood caught at second slip playing loosely – the latter for a duck – as the score slipped to 47 for 2 in the 13th over.Adam Lyth played fluently for 43 not out, the ex-England opener reaching 12,000 Championship career runs on the way, before bad light stopped play four overs early.

Liverpool have revealed plans for 'more permanent' tributes to Diogo Jota, including a sculpture and a 'Forever 20' emblem on the new kit for the 2025-26 campaign. Jota and his brother Andre Silva died in a tragic car accident on July 3 when travelling through northern Spain to a ferry port on his return to England for pre-season training.

• Liverpool revealed plans for permanent tributes to Jota
• Will unveil a sculpture and have special emblem on new kit
• Jota died in a car crash on July 3

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Since the brothers' death, tributes have poured in from all corners of the football world. Fans and players of other clubs have paid their respects by laying flowers and shirts in particular outside Anfield, where the club created a temporary shrine to the late striker.

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  The Premier League champions have now confirmed that they have removed the floral tributes and other artefacts from the spot and have carefully stored them. While the flowers will be composted and used in various beds across Anfield, the other things will be recycled to create a sculpture of the Portuguese player. If supporters wish to print 'Diogo J 20' on the back of their shirts from the club's official store, the money will go to the LFC Foundation. The new kit for the 2025-26 campaign, which will be launched on August 1, will also have a 'Forever 20' emblem printed on them. In the team's season opener on August 15 against Bournemouth at Anfield, a special fan mosaic will be unveiled and a minute of silence will be observed.

• WHAT LIVERPOOL SAID

  Thanking fans and everyone who took time to pay physical tributes to Jota, Liverpool released a statement that read: "Liverpool FC wishes to express its heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to everyone who has taken the time, and continues to take the time, to leave tributes in honour of Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva at Anfield."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL?

  Arne Slot's side will be next seen in action on Saturday as they take on AC Milan in a pre-season friendly at the Kai Tak Stadium in Hong Kong.

Jamie Carragher took centre stage when Liverpool kicked off their new era with adidas by unveiling their home and away kits for the 2025-26 campaign early Friday morning. However, as the former centre-back posed in the brand-new kit as part of the official launch materials, he captured attention not just for his throwback look but also for a cheeky post that followed on social media.

Liverpool unveil new kitCarragher puts in cheeky social media postQuickly gained traction among Liverpool fansFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Following the kit reveal, Carragher turned to X (formerly Twitter) to deliver a message that had deeper implications for Liverpool’s transfer plans. Alongside a photo of himself in the latest home strip, he wrote: “The new @LFC centre back finally arrives! @adidasfootball [football emoji, heart emoji].”

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWHAT THE FANS ARE SAYING

The tongue-in-cheek caption wasn’t lost on fans, who quickly picked up on the underlying message: Liverpool still need to strengthen their defensive line ahead of the new season. 

One of them, @PaulSenior1, said: "Can he play in a high line 😅."

Another fan, @The_Afahanam, chimed in with: "The odds of Liverpool scoring own goals have reduced drastically with this new signing."

While @pekmade commented: "Keep that kit on, might need to play some minutes with the lack of Centre-back depth."

One particularly nostalgic fan, @_RL_1892, quipped: “We all dream of a team of Carraghers,” quoting the famous terrace chant. 

While, @EthanDavey25, said: "At this point mate. Fourth choice I'd probably take you."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Behind the humour lies a serious issue for Liverpool. The Reds have already seen young centre-back Jarell Quansah depart for Bayer Leverkusen earlier in the summer, creating a noticeable gap in their defensive options. Virgil van Dijk remains Liverpool’s defensive lynchpin, but at 34 years old, his best years are arguably behind him. Ibrahima Konate, another key figure, has less than a year left on his current deal and reports of interest from Real Madrid only add to the sense of urgency. Should he leave on a free next summer, the Reds would face a massive rebuilding task. Joe Gomez is Liverpool’s remaining senior centre-back, but his recent injury history makes it difficult to rely on him for a full season. Having made only 17 appearances last campaign, his durability remains a concern.

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Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi appears to be high on Liverpool’s wishlist. With his current deal at Selhurst Park due to expire in 2026, Liverpool might be able to negotiate a reduced fee this summer. And at just 25, Guehi would represent a long-term solution to Liverpool’s defensive needs.

Shahid Afridi steamrolled the Indian bowlers for the second time in as many Tests

George Binoy22-Jan-2006Shahid Afridi steamrolled the Indian bowlers for the second time in as many Tests and the fact that India were playing five bowlers and that Pakistan were not in as commanding a position as in Lahore, only made him play a more responsible and marginally less destructive innings.While the spinners bore the brunt at Lahore (89 runs off 69 balls), in Faisalabad the fast bowlers came under Afridi’s hammer, going for 111 runs off 84 balls. In the wake of the 57 runs that Afridi clobbered off 6.3 overs from Harbhajan Singh at Lahore, Rahul Dravid didn’t bowl him at Afridi on the second day at Faisalabad. In fact, only 12 off the 128 balls faced by Afridi were bowled by Harbhajan.Pace in the mid-120 kmph range was never going to fluster Afridi and when the ball was pitched up, he clouted down the ground and when it was short he hoicked over midwicket with ease. Irfan Pathan was listless, lacking in pace and swing, and no matter where he bowled Afridi went after him. Twenty two runs were scored of four short deliveries and even the 20 balls Pathan pitched on a good length cost 25 runs.