Second Metro Bank one-day international, Headingley

Sri Lanka 321-6 (50 overs): Kusal 121, Kamindu 54; Ahmed 2-48

England 305-9 (50 overs): Banton 73, Buttler 69; Wellalage 3-49

Sri Lanka won by 16 runs

Scorecard

Jos Buttler’s bravery came in vain as Sri Lanka fought back to beat England in the second one-day international at Headingley and set up a series decider at The Oval.

Needing 68 from 75 balls, England were cruising towards a target of 322 until Buttler retired hurt on 67 after tweaking a hamstring.

When Rehan Ahmed, Gus Atkinson and Jamie Overton fell, Buttler re-emerged with 27 now needed from 14 balls and witnessed Will Jacks fall for 52 at the non-striker’s end.

England were left needing 19 from the last with Buttler on strike but, barely able to hobble a single, he holed out at deep mid-wicket. England finished on 306-9 as Sri Lanka won by 16 runs.

Buttler had earlier shown flashes of his vintage best in hitting Sri Lanka’s spinners for five sixes, putting England on course after collapse of 3-14 spoiled an opening stand of 143 between Tom Banton and Ben Duckett.

Sri Lanka were fortunate for the way he was abruptly halted but deserve credit for the way their seamers used reverse swing afterwards to deny England’s lower order.

Their captain Kusal Mendis also hit a fine 122 in their 321-6. The series, and the international summer, concludes on Sunday from 10:30 BST.

Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton could return for the playoffs after a 5 1/2-month absence due to calf strains.

Stanton faced pitchers Wednesday at Double-A Somerset along with center fielder Trent Grisham, sidelined since straining his right hamstring on Sept. 4. Both ran the bases and Stanton homered while taking six or seven at-bats.

“Putting them on the outskirts of the conversation,” New York manager Aaron Boone, bothered by a cold, said in a raspy voice.

Already without injured star Aaron Judge due to a strained right calf, New York is likely to host Boston in a best-of-three Wild Card Series starting Tuesday, with all three games at Yankee Stadium.

Following the end of the seasons for Yankees farm teams, New York has minor leaguers working out at Somerset in nearby New Jersey.

Stanton hasn’t played since April 24 because of strained calf muscles in both legs after starting the season with a .256 batting average, three homers and 14 RBIs in 24 games. The 36-year-old former NL MVP had 38 homers and 100 RBIs in his first season with New York in 2018 but has missed 500 of 1,194 games since (41.9%), through the end of this regular season.

His other injuries included strains of his right biceps, right knee, left hamstring (three times), left quadriceps and both calf muscles along with right ankle inflammation, left Achilles tendinitis and tendon pain in both elbows.

“You’re looking more at a pinch-hit scenario,” Boone said. “We’ll see if that’s even a realistic option.”

Stanton is owed $25 million next year in the final guaranteed season of a $325 million, 13-year contract that includes a $10 million buyout of a 2028 club option.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

Two 2000m Group 1 races at Flemington are on the radar for the Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr stable, with Zambardo being their prominent contender.

The Cox Plate, which this year takes place on October 24 and has moved from Moonee Valley due to its redevelopment, and the Champions Stakes, scheduled two weeks later, are races that Price has highly rated.

Zambardo’s previous outing at Flemington was in last year’s Champions Stakes during Melbourne Cup week, where he finished behind Via Sistina.

The gelding’s campaign in Sydney and Brisbane during the autumn and winter seasons was, according to Price, less than satisfactory.

After securing midfield finishes at Randwick and Gosford, Zambardo found his preferred wet conditions at Rosehill, coming second in the Lord Mayors Cup, before travelling to Brisbane.

Lining up in the Q22 at Eagle Farm, Zambardo was not suited by the leisurely pace, finishing ahead of only two other runners.

Following a break in the warmer Queensland weather, Zambardo resumed with a respectable third-place finish over 1500m at Sandown on September 5. He now heads to Caulfield on Sunday to enhance his Cox Plate prospects in the Group 2 Feehan Stakes (1600m).

Price indicated that Zambardo would then compete in the ‘Globe Stakes’ (the Might And Power) at Caulfield on October 10, with the Cox Plate as his ultimate target.

“He was great first-up,” Price commented.

“It was what I expected off his trial after his little winter sojourn wasn’t so successful.

“I’m putting a circle around the 2000 metres at Flemington where he will be very well suited, especially if he gets his toe in the ground.

“He might not be good enough, but I don’t think it will be a huge field, and there are no internationals coming.

“One thing is, he’ll be cherry on the day.”

Past editions of the Feehan Stakes have frequently featured small fields, with Pride Of Jenni proving dominant in the last two renewals.

Pride Of Jenni is slated to race again on Sunday, facing a field of just five rivals, including Mr Brightside and Treasurethe Moment, who have each finished second to the mare in the preceding two races.

Explore the betting markets for the Feehan Stakes at betting sites.

JJ Gabriel’s Manchester United future has been plunged into major doubt after he requested to leave the club, with several European clubs now monitoring his situation

Barcelona sporting director Deco has addressed reports linking the club with Manchester United youngster JJ Gabriel, claiming that the Spanish giants are not ‘interested in any player in his situation.’ The 15-year-old has informed United of his desire to leave the club, with his family reportedly believing the club has fallen behind their rivals and that his development would be better served elsewhere.

Gabriel has caught the eye with a string of impressive performances for United’s academy sides and attracted plenty of attention during pre-season after being integrated into Michael Carrick’s first-team setup. However, he is yet to make his senior debut.

It had been planned for Gabriel to make his first-team bow against Brighton in the Carabao Cup, only for him to ultimately be left out of the squad following his request to leave. United have less than two weeks to find a resolution before he turns 16 on October 6, when he will become eligible to be legally represented by an agent.

The attacker will also be able to join a foreign club using his Irish passport. Earlier this week, reports from Spain claimed Gabriel could be set for a move across Europe, with Barcelona and Real Madrid among the clubs said to be interested in signing him.

It was also claimed that Gabriel and his representatives had already travelled to Spain, visiting both Madrid and Barcelona, with the United youngster said to have reached a ‘first major agreement’ to join one of the two clubs rather than move elsewhere.

Deco has now addressed the reports, stressing that Barcelona would first need to understand the situation before considering whether to make any move.

“There’s nothing to say about this boy, it’s normal we always have players linked with us,” Deco told journalist Ben Jacobs. “There’s a huge market for that, even when they [players] are young.

“We are not interested in any player in his situation. I am not sure what’s happening, and if he’s still a Manchester United player. We are not involved in that.

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“First of all, we need to understand how the situation is before we try to do something. And to speak about young, teenage players, it is not our business.”

United officials remain unclear over what has prompted Gabriel to seek a departure from the club he joined at the age of 11. The youngster made his UEFA Youth League debut against Sabah last Thursday and marked the occasion with a hat-trick as his rapid rise through the academy ranks continued.

The Old Trafford hierarchy are unwilling to bow to the demands and tear up the youngster’s current contract, which is due to expire at the end of the season. If United were to terminate the deal, they could receive as little as £300,000 in compensation, despite Gabriel potentially being worth millions of pounds in the years ahead.

There is also the possibility that Gabriel could appeal to the Premier League or FIFA in an attempt to secure his release from United. Gabriel has been absent from the club for the past two weeks and his departure now appears increasingly likely, although United have made it clear that the youngster’s welfare remains their priority.

Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong stole his 40th base of the season on Thursday afternoon, a few weeks after belting his 40th career home run, which means the breakout star is now the seventh member of the 40-40 club in MLB history. He’s all the way up to 45 home runs now to go with his 40 steals. Here’s the historic 40th theft. 

The previous entries: 

Canseco, Acuña and Ohtani won league MVP in those same seasons, and it appears PCA is headed in that direction. 

As things stand, Crow-Armstrong is hitting .280/.374/.577 (157 OPS+) with 31 doubles, eight triples, 45 home runs, 107 RBI, 119 runs and 40 steals. He leads the majors in runs, home runs, total bases and WAR (9.8) while leading the NL in slugging, OPS and OPS+. With the injury to Ohtani keeping him off the mound and later placing him on the IL, the path is clear for the first Cubs NL MVP since Kris Bryant took the honors in 2016. The hunch here is PCA wins the award unanimously.

But PCA isn’t just having an MVP-caliber season; he’s putting together one of the greatest individual seasons in franchise history. He’s the first Cubs player to ever reach the 40-40 plateau, but before he came around, there had only been two 30-30 seasons, both by Sammy Sosa. PCA has now done it twice in a row and he’s still only 24 years old. 

Further, he’s in rarified air in club history if we look at WAR, which takes hitting, baserunning and defense into account as a kind of “catch-all” stat (note: It is required by law here that I point out this isn’t the only important stat and anyone who thinks otherwise is a fool). 

Among Cubs position players, here are the top 10 seasons by Baseball Reference’s WAR (heading into Tuesday): 

1. Rogers Hornsby, 1929, 10.6 WAR
2. Sammy Sosa, 2001, 10.3
3. Ernie Banks, 1959, 10.2
t4. Pete Crow-Armstrong, 2026, 9.8
t4. Ron Santo, 1967, 9.8
6. Ernie Banks, 1958, 9.3
t7. Ron Santo, 1966, 8.9
t7. Ron Santo, 1964, 8.9
9. Ryne Sandberg, 1984, 8.5
10. Ernie Banks, 1955, 8.1

Over in the FanGraphs version, he scores even better. Here are the top 10 in Cubs history, where he has the best season in nearly a century: 

1. Rogers Hornsby, 1929, 11.0
2. Pete Crow-Armstrong, 2026, 10.6
3. Sammy Sosa, 2001, 9.9
4. Ernie Banks, 1959, 9.7
5. Ron Santo, 1967, 9.5
6. Ernie Banks, 1958, 8.7
7. Ron Santo, 1964, 8.7
8. Ron Santo, 1966, 8.5
9. Hack Wilson, 1930, 8.0
10. Ryne Sandberg, 1984, 8.0

As a reminder, the WAR guidelines typically view 5.0 as an All-Star-caliber player and 8.0 as an MVP-caliber performer. Getting into double digits is generally considered an all-time great season. 

The all-around performance here is what is staggering. The numbers at the plate say PCA has been one of the best hitters in baseball this season. He’s in the top five in stolen bases and rates out excellently in other baserunning metrics. He’s arguably the best defensive player in baseball, too, sitting in first in fielding run value and outs above average.

When you take a 40-40 player with a strong triple-slash line who is a terror on the bases and an incredible defensive player, you get one of the best individual seasons the Cubs franchise has ever seen. 

And he’s only 24 years old. 

It’s a special season for Pete Crow-Armstrong. As his Cubs eye the postseason, he’ll look to lead them to a special season as a team next.

Irish boxing will make history in Cork on Friday, October 9, when Christina Desmond and Louise Creaven meet in the first-ever Irish women’s professional title fight – with Galway Bay FM sports broadcaster John Mulligan set to be on commentary for the landmark occasion.

The historic contest takes place at the Parochial Hall Arena in Cork City, bringing together two Irish fighters whose careers have taken very different routes to this groundbreaking night.

Desmond will have home advantage, while Galway’s Creaven will return from Australia for what will be her first professional fight on Irish soil.

Christina Desmond Brings Outstanding Amateur Pedigree

Christina Desmond has made an impressive transition to professional boxing and brings a wealth of international experience into the historic contest.

The Macroom fighter has won her opening five professional contests and enters the showdown with an unbeaten 5-0 record.

Her latest victory came in Spain, where she stopped England’s Sherie Barnes in the second round as she continued her rapid progress through the professional ranks.

Desmond’s professional success follows an outstanding amateur career in which she won six Irish Elite titles, claimed a European Championship silver medal and also secured European bronze.

She represented Ireland internationally for more than a decade and competed at the Youth Olympic Games before eventually making the move into professional boxing.

The possibility of Desmond competing in an historic Irish title fight had previously been discussed in connection with the proposed Katie Taylor Croke Park event. Instead, Desmond will now get the opportunity to make history in front of a home Cork crowd.

Louise Creaven Returns Home From Australia

Standing in Desmond’s way will be Killimordaly’s Louise Creaven, who has established her professional career thousands of miles away in Australia.

Creaven enters the contest with a 6-2 professional record and returns to Ireland following another important victory in Australia.

In August, the Galway fighter defeated Thailand’s experienced Thanchanok Phanan at the Gold Coast Convention Centre, forcing a stoppage in the third round of their scheduled six-round contest.

That victory came during a significant year for Creaven, who also challenged for an Australian title in 2026.

She will now swap Australia for Cork and, remarkably, the October 9 contest is set to be Creaven’s first professional fight in Ireland.

That makes an already historic night even more significant for the Galway boxer, who has spent much of her professional career building her reputation on the other side of the world.

John Mulligan to Call Historic Fight

There will be another strong Galway connection at ringside, with Galway Bay FM sports broadcaster John Mulligan set to provide commentary on the historic contest.

Mulligan has followed Creaven’s progress closely, including speaking with the Killimordaly boxer following her recent victory in Australia.

Confirming that he will be heading to Cork for the fight, Mulligan spoke of his excitement at being involved in such a significant occasion for Irish boxing.

“SO EXCITED to be going to this fight and more importantly to have the honour and privilege of commentating on two LEGENDS going toe to toe who are making history! Well done to all for making it happen.”

For Mulligan, it will be the opportunity to call the action as a new chapter in Irish professional boxing is written.

A Landmark Night for Irish Women’s Boxing

Ireland has produced some of the greatest female boxers in the history of the sport, with Katie Taylor’s achievements helping transform the profile of women’s boxing both in Ireland and internationally.

However, despite that extraordinary success, an Irish professional women’s title had never previously been contested.

The possibility of crowning an Irish women’s professional champion has been discussed for a number of years, but Desmond and Creaven are now set to finally make it happen.

When they step through the ropes in Cork, they will become the first two women to contest an Irish professional boxing title.

Desmond v Creaven – An Intriguing Match-Up

Beyond the historical significance, the fight itself provides an intriguing clash between two boxers with very different backgrounds.

Desmond possesses enormous amateur experience, having represented Ireland at major international championships before beginning her unbeaten professional career.

Creaven, meanwhile, has gained valuable professional experience in Australia, experiencing both championship boxing and the demands of building a career away from home.

It leaves an intriguing contest between Desmond’s extensive international amateur pedigree and unbeaten 5-0 professional record against Creaven’s 6-2 record and greater experience in the professional ranks.

But whatever happens when the bell rings, both women will already have secured their places in the history of Irish boxing.

Christina Desmond v Louise Creaven – Fight Details

• Fight: Christina Desmond v Louise Creaven
• Date: Friday, October 9, 2026
• Venue: Parochial Hall Arena, Cork City
• Occasion: First Irish women’s professional title fight
• Christina Desmond record: 5-0
• Louise Creaven record: 6-2
• General Admission: €60
• Gold Front Rows: €90
• Commentary: John Mulligan

October 9 will therefore be about much more than another professional boxing show in Cork.

For Christina Desmond and Louise Creaven, it is an opportunity to become the first winner of an Irish women’s professional title.

For those inside the Parochial Hall Arena – and for John Mulligan behind the microphone – it will be the chance to witness and document a genuine piece of Irish sporting history.

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Meta Description: Christina Desmond faces Louise Creaven in Cork on October 9 in the first Irish women’s professional boxing title fight, with John Mulligan on commentary.

Focus Keyphrase: Christina Desmond v Louise Creaven

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Angel Reese is on a roll this season. The Atlanta Dream star has helped her team qualify for the playoffs. On the international stage, she was part of the USA team that won its fifth straight gold medal at the FIBA World Cup.

Reese has been one of the WNBA’s best two-way players this season, as shown by her performances for the Dream since returning from the FIBA break. She is averaging 19.3 points, 9.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.5 blocks in her last three games.

While her offense has reached a new level since the World Cup, her defense has been strong all season. She is among the favorites to win the Defensive Player of the Year award this season.

Here is a look at some stats that support her case:

#1 Opponent True Shooting % differential

Angel Reese has proven herself a dominant presence on the court. According to Hoops Junkie, Reese’s opponents have a true shooting percentage of -6.0% when she is on the floor.

When Reese is on the court, the Dream’s opponents shoot 55.8%, and when she is off the court, they shoot 61.8%. Reese is ranked second in the league in this statistic.

#2 Team Block % Differential

According to Hoops Junkie, the Atlanta Dream make almost twice the number of blocks on two-point attempts when Reese is on the floor. They have a +4.5% block differential.

When Reese is on the floor, the Dream has 8.9% blocks per game. When she is off the court, the statistic falls to 4.3%. The Dream star ranks fourth in the league in this statistic.

#3 Team Steal % differential

The Dream’s defensive setups are more secure when Angel Reese is on the floor, with a steal % differential of +2.9%.

When Reese is on the court, the Dream swipes the ball 11.4% per game. When off the floor, that percentage drops to 8.6%. The Dream star ranks third in the league in this metric.

7. Single-game and season rebounding records

Angel Reese has been playing some of the best basketball of her career in her first stint with the Atlanta Dream. In a 78-71 win over the Los Angeles Sparks on Aug. 24, the three-time All-Star broke the record for most rebounds in a single game. She recorded 26 rebounds in the win, breaking a 23-year-old record, which was previously held by Chamique Holdsclaw.

In the same game, Reese broke A’ja Wilson‘s record (451) for most rebounds in a single season. Later, the Dream star became the first player in WNBA history to record 500 rebounds in a single season. She currently has 521 rebounds this season.

6. Fastest player to reach 1,000 career rebound mark

Angel Reese shattered quite a few records this season. Earlier this season, she became the fastest player in league history to reach the 1,000 career rebound milestone.

She reached the milestone in the 79th game of her career, which, ironically, was a 113-96 win over the Indiana Fever on Jun. 20. Reese currently has a career total of 1344 rebounds.

5. Third consecutive rebounding leader

Since her rookie season, Angel Reese has made it clear that she is an ultimate competitor on the boards. She is a back-to-back rebounding leader, winning the title in 2024 and 2025.

The Dream star is currently leading the league in rebounds for the third consecutive season. She is averaging 12.1 rebounds per game, and it is safe to say that she will win the title for the third time in a row.

4. Fourth-highest Defensive VPM in the league

Reese has the fourth-highest defensive value per possession metric in the league. According to Databallr, the Dream star has a defensive VPM of +1.69. Only Aliyah Boston, Gabby Williams and A’ja Wilson are above her in this metric.

3. Leads the league in Opponent Turnover% differential

Angel Reese’s presence makes the Dream a turnover-forcing menace. According to Hoops Junkie, she is currently leading the league in opponent turnover percentage differential at +2.8%. It means that with Reese on the floor, Atlanta’s opponents are prone to turn the ball over.

Atlanta has an opponent turnover percentage of 18.5% with Reese on the floor and a 15.8% without her.

2. 4th best team defensive rating with a shorthanded front court

The Atlanta Dream have the fourth-best defensive rating in the league this season, at 103.5. With Brionna Jones out for the rest of the season, the Dream’s front-court defense relies heavily on Reese. So far, she has done a great job at commanding the Dream’s defensive line.

1. Best defensive rating differential in the league

Angel Reese leads the league in defensive rating differential this year, making her one of the most influential players on defensive possessions. She has a defensive rating differential of -15.5, meaning that the Dream’s opponents score 15.5 more points per 100 possessions when she is off the floor.

Combined with her elite rebounding skills, Reese’s importance on the Dream’s defense makes her a strong candidate for this season’s DPOY award.