London Spirit have unveiled a striking new blue kit for the upcoming edition of The Hundred, with the franchise incorporating the iconic “egg and bacon” colours associated with the historic Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) into the design as a tribute to Lord’s heritage.The famous yellow-and-red striped pattern has long been linked to MCC members, whose traditional ties, blazers and caps remain a familiar sight at Lord’s during Middlesex fixtures and England Test matches. The MCC also owns Lord’s and holds the majority stake in London Spirit, making the tribute a symbolic nod to the venue’s rich cricketing history.The new kit launch comes as preparations gather pace for another season of The Hundred, England and Wales Cricket Board’s 100-ball competition that was introduced in an effort to recreate the commercial and entertainment success of the IPL in India.London Spirit head into the new season with several high-profile names in their squad, including Liam Livingstone, Jonny Bairstow, Adam Zampa, Dewald Brevis, Jamie Overton and David Willey.The franchise has also strengthened its coaching group with the appointment of former India wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik as mentor and batting coach. The role marks Karthik’s first support-staff position with a franchise team outside the IPL.Unlike England’s traditional county structure, The Hundred features eight newly-created city-based franchises designed to appeal to a wider and younger audience. London Spirit represent the capital and play their home matches at Lord’s, widely regarded as the “Home of Cricket”.The Hundred: Format explainedThe format itself differs significantly from both ODI and T20 cricket. Each innings lasts a maximum of 100 balls, with bowlers allowed to deliver either five or 10 consecutive deliveries. No bowler can bowl more than 20 balls in an innings, while ends are changed every 10 balls rather than after each over.The competition also includes a 25-ball powerplay, during which only two fielders are permitted outside the circle. No-balls result in two runs plus a free hit, and slow over-rates can lead to fielding restrictions for the bowling side.One of the tournament’s unique features is its simplified presentation, with the competition avoiding traditional terms such as “overs” in favour of “sets of five balls”. Matches are designed to finish within approximately two-and-a-half hours to create a faster and more viewer-friendly experience.

Gabba will play host to Saturday’s
Round 12 AFL game between Brisbane Lions and
Fremantle Dockers. The game kicks off at 4:15 pm with Brisbane Lions heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers. Continue reading for our in-depth preview of the Brisbane Lions vs.
Fremantle Dockers
game and give you our free tips and bets.

When: Saturday May 30, 2026 at 4:15 pm

Where: Gabba

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Brisbane Lions vs Fremantle Dockers Preview

Coming off its heaviest defeat since 2018, Brisbane will attempt to bounce back against a rampaging Fremantle side at the Gabba on Saturday afternoon. The reigning premiers’ 166-88 loss to GWS at ENGIE Stadium saw them concede 14 third-quarter goals, equalling the fourth-highest quarter score allowed in V/AFL history. Meanwhile, Fremantle made history of its own by defeating St Kilda 104-74 at Optus Stadium, setting a new club record with a 10th straight victory. Murphy Reid dominated that fixture, totalling 30 disposals, 14 score involvements and a goal, while Jye Amiss slotted four majors up forward. The Dockers will now be looking to snap a four-match losing streak against the Lions at the Gabba, where they’ve lost by an average margin of 35.3 points. Brisbane was also a 101-44 winner when these clubs met at Optus Stadium last season, led by Zac Bailey’s 28 disposals, 10 score involvements and two goals.

Jannik Sinner of Italy reacts as he plays against Juan Manuel Cerundolo of Argentina during their second round men’s singles tennis match at the French Open tennis tournament in Paris, Thursday, May 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

PARIS– Formidable title favorite Jannik Sinner is out of the French Open in the second round.

Sinner struggled with the heat and wasted a chance to serve for the match in a 3-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1, 6-1 loss to 56th-ranked opponent Juan Manuel Cerundolo on Thursday.

Sinner was on a 30-match winning streak stretching back to February and the odds were overwhelming he’d complete a career Grand Slam by winning the only big title missing in his tennis career — especially with two-time reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz out due to an injured right wrist.

Sinner bent over on the clay court in apparent exhaustion multiple times and was hardly even running for shots as the match wore on, resorting to drop shots and serve-and-volley tactics to try and shorten the points.

Jannik Sinner of Italy cools himself with the ice during the second round men’s singles tennis match against Juan Manuel Cerundolo of Argentina at the French Open tennis tournament in Paris, Thursday, May 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

He attempted to cool himself with a hand-held fan on changeovers and put bags of ice around his neck.

The temperature at the start of the match was 29 degrees C (84 F) and then rose to 32 C (90 F).

Sinner was serving for Thursday’s match at 5-4, 0-40 in the third set when he bent over on the court and then walked to his chair. He asked for assistance and left the court. His entire light blue outfit was soaked through with sweat.

Between the third and fourth sets, Sinner received medical attention and left the court. Minerals were added to his drink when he returned but Sinner wasn’t able to recuperate.

Sinner last lost on Feb. 19 in the Qatar Open quarterfinals. He had won five straight titles and hardly dropped a set.

On the same Court Philippe Chatrier, Sinner wasted three match points against Alcaraz in last year’s final before losing the title match in a fifth-set tiebreaker.

Sinner also struggled in the heat at the Australian Open against Eliot Spizzirri in January. The roof was closed and the third-round match swung his way.

Naomi Osaka of Japan reacts as she plays against Donna Vekic of Croatia during their second round women’s singles tennis match at the French Open tennis tournament in Paris, Thursday, May 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

PARIS–Naomi Osaka advanced to the third round of the French Open for the first time in seven years Thursday with a 7-6 (7/1), 6-4 win over Croatia’s Donna Vekic.

Four-time Grand Slam champion Osaka will next take on American teenager Iva Jovic as both players attempt to reach the last 16 at Roland Garros for the first time.

READ: Naomi Osaka channels Eiffel Tower with French Open outfit

Osaka, seeded 16th, retrieved an early break against Vekic and then broke back again when her opponent was serving for the first set.

The Japanese star dominated a tie-break and came up with the decisive break late in the second set to put away the 72nd-ranked Vekic.

Osaka’s run to the US Open semi-finals last year is the only time she has made the second week of a major since her last Grand Slam triumph at the 2021 Australian Open.

The former world number one returned to the courts in early 2024 after a year out following the birth of her daughter.

Jannik Sinner’s 30-match winning run came to an abrupt halt at the French Open on Thursday as the world number one succumbed to sweltering conditions in a five-set, second-round loss to Juan Manuel Cerundolo. Sinner, the red-hot favourite at Roland Garros, appeared to be cruising to victory, holding a two-set lead and a commanding 5-1 advantage in the third, before suddenly taking a turn for the worse.The Italian complained of dehydration and dizziness, saying he felt as though he might vomit, and was visibly struggling as temperatures once again climbed above 30C during a record-breaking heatwave in France.

Sinner suddenly looked a shadow of himself and an inspired Cerundolo seized his chance to pull off an improbable comeback, prevailing 3-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1, 6-1.

Sinner arrived in Paris on the back of winning all three of the clay-court Masters titles, with his odds of completing a career Grand Slam enhanced further by the absence of injured rival Carlos Alcaraz.

Instead, the 24-year-old suffered his earliest exit at a major since losing at the same stage of the French Open in 2023. 

“It’s tough for him (Sinner). I think I was a little bit lucky,” said Cerundolo, who goes on to play Martin Landaluce or Vit Kopriva in the last 32.

“I feel sorry for him. He was deserving to win and then I don’t know what happened to him. Maybe cramping, maybe the pressure, but I hope he recovers.”

It was another bitterly disappointing ending at Roland Garros for last year’s runner-up who held three championship points 12 months ago before losing to Alcaraz.

There were few signs of what was to come as Sinner sailed through the first two sets, picking up where he left off after a typically efficient opening-round win.

But the wheels began to come off with the finish line in sight.

Sinner left Court Philippe Chatrier to receive medical treatment while serving for the match at 5-4, albeit 0-40 down. He returned minutes later but Cerundolo sensed his opportunity against an ailing opponent.

The Argentine won 18 consecutive points as he clawed his way back from the brink, breaking Sinner three times in a row to send the match to a fourth set.

Sinner, hunched over periodically in the shade at the back of the court between rallies, earned three break points early in the fourth but couldn’t capitalise.

Cerundolo, the world number 56 with just two Grand Slam match wins before this tournament, took advantage and broke twice more to run away with the set and force a decider.

The Buenos Aires native didn’t blink as Sinner tried to gamely hang on, Cerundolo putting away the struggling top seed for the biggest win of his career.

“I’m super happy,” said Cerundolo. “I’m going to keep trying to play my best. It’s a tournament I really like to play, clay is my best surface.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Tushar Deshpande’s Brilliant Final Act Ensures Thrilling Win For RR Over Gujarat Titans

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is 14 days away. It is supposed to be the biggest sporting event ever held on American soil. And right now, the organisation running it is facing a joint legal investigation from two state attorneys general over how it sold tickets to the people who live closest to the venue hosting the final.

On Wednesday, New York Attorney General Letitia James and New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport announced they had issued subpoenas to FIFA as part of a probe into its ticketing practices for matches scheduled at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, including the World Cup final on July 19.

What the Investigation Is About

The subpoenas are seeking internal documents about how FIFA sold tickets to eight MetLife matches, how prices were communicated to buyers, and how seat categories were assigned.

The central complaint has two parts. The first is pricing. Between October 2025 and April 2026, FIFA raised ticket prices for more than 90 of the 104 World Cup matches, with the three main ticket categories increasing by an average of 34 percent across that period. A seat at the July 19 final is currently listed as high as $32,970. The cheapest non-hospitality tickets for the final had previously been quoted at $6,730 before the investigation was announced.

The second issue is seat allocation. Multiple fans have reported being assigned seats different from the ones they believed they purchased, with complaints focused on unclear or misleading seat maps when tickets were bought.

A Controversy That Has Been Building for Months

This is not a new argument. It has just escalated to a new level. Fan organisations filed formal complaints against FIFA as far back as December 2025, with one group calling the pricing approach a “monumental betrayal of the tradition of the World Cup.” The backlash was loud enough that FIFA introduced $60 entry-level tickets as a concession, but critics pointed out those tickets were limited in number and disappeared quickly.

This is the first World Cup at which FIFA has used dynamic pricing, adjusting costs based on demand in real time. The practice is standard across American sports and concert venues, but it had never been applied to a World Cup before. The result, in the months since tickets went on sale, has been a system where prices shifted dramatically within short windows and fans who held back were punished for waiting.

Jannik Sinner of Italy reacts as he plays against Juan Manuel Cerundolo of Argentina. (AP Photo)

World number one Jannik Sinner suffered one of the most dramatic defeats of his career after collapsing physically in the blazing Paris heat and crashing out of the French Open in the second round on Thursday.The Italian star, widely viewed as the overwhelming favourite for the title after the withdrawal of defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, squandered a two-set lead before losing 6-3, 6-2, 5-7, 1-6, 1-6 to Argentina’s Juan Manuel Cerundolo in a stunning turnaround on Court Philippe Chatrier.Sinner’s shocking exit blew the men’s draw wide open and ended his remarkable 30-match winning streak stretching back to February.Heat nightmare derails Sinner’s dominanceThe 24-year-old looked in complete control for over two hours and was just one game away from victory while serving at 5-4 in the third set. But the match suddenly turned when Sinner appeared physically drained under the brutal Paris conditions.With temperatures rising to 32 degrees Celsius, Sinner repeatedly bent over in exhaustion and struggled to move freely around the court. He asked the chair umpire for assistance after feeling dizzy and nauseous before leaving the court for medical treatment.The Italian returned wearing the same sweat-soaked light blue outfit, with ice packs around his neck and minerals added to his drinks, but the damage had already been done.From leading comfortably, Sinner astonishingly lost 18 consecutive points as Cerundolo sensed a historic opportunity.

Jannik Sinner of Italy cools himself with the ice. (AP Photo)

Cerundolo scripts career-defining upsetWhile Sinner faded physically, Cerundolo grew stronger with every passing game. The world number 56 relentlessly extended rallies and forced the exhausted top seed into desperate drop shots and risky serve-and-volley tactics.After winning the third set, the Argentine completely dominated the final two sets as Sinner struggled to even chase routine balls. The Italian repeatedly doubled over between points while Cerundolo played fearless attacking tennis.The victory marked the biggest win of Cerundolo’s career and sent him into the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time.

Juan Manuel Cerundolo of Argentina returns to Jannik Sinner of Italy during their second round men’s singles match. (AP Photo)

Sinner’s defeat is his earliest exit at a major tournament since the 2023 French Open and raises fresh concerns about his struggles in extreme heat conditions. Earlier this year, he also battled physically during a difficult Australian Open match against Eliot Spizzirri.The Italian had arrived in Paris after winning titles in Rome, Madrid, Monte Carlo, Miami and Indian Wells, and many believed this was finally his year to complete a career Grand Slam.Instead, his French Open dream ended in collapse under the scorching Paris sun.

Anthony Gordon nears a mammoth move to Barcelona and may have one club chief to thank for it

Barcelona president Joan Laporta’s intervention has reportedly been instrumental in securing the club’s signing of Newcastle United winger Anthony Gordon.

The England international is set to join the La Liga champions in a £69.3million plus add-ons move and is presently completing a medical. Gordon, 25, has been the subject of transfer speculation away from St James’ Park, with Barca and Bayern Munich expressing strong interest in him.

Yet it’s the Spanish side that have prevailed in the pursuit of the England international, with German media outlet Bild reporting that Laporta telephoned Gordon personally to finalise the transfer.

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The newspaper suggests the Bundesliga champions had reached an agreement on personal terms with Gordon, but their submission of a lower transfer fee than Barca prolonged discussions, allowing Hansi Flick’s team to seize the initiative.

It is claimed Bayern Munich officials thought that Barca were posturing in their discussions with Gordon, and news of their negotiations was deliberately released to put pressure on Manchester United to reduce their valuation of Marcus Rashford.

The 28-year-old is expected to return to Old Trafford this summer, with Barca holding the option to purchase him permanently for £26m. However, a deal for Gordon was already secured by the time Bayern became aware of Barca’s plans, as they outbid Vincent Kompany’s team by £10m.

The report went on to state that Laporta – who is serving his second term as Barca president – gave the Newcastle player assurances that he’ll be registered without complications despite the club’s ongoing financial constraints.

Laporta confirmed that the Gordon transfer was entering its concluding phase following a dinner with Barca’s sporting director Deco, his adviser Alejandro Echevarria, along with Juanma Lopez and Andy Bara, the representatives of Joan Garcia and Dani Olmo.

The 63-year-old said: “The Gordon deal is being finalised, but it’s not done yet. I’ve been informed of everything.” The Magpies are poised to lose one of their finest players and have permitted the Spanish club to stagger the cost of acquiring Gordon across the duration of his contract at the Nou Camp.

Barca will settle the initial £69.3m sum in staged payments over the next five years. Carrying debts exceeding £2bn, the La Liga champions insisted this arrangement for the transaction.

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Newcastle will collect a share of any future sale of Gordon, while Everton will receive a substantial sum from the departure of their academy product. The Toffees included a sell-on clause in the £45m sale of Gordon to Newcastle in 2023, which will see David Moyes’ side pocket 15% from his switch to Spain.

Gordon’s imminent arrival has cast uncertainty over whether Rashford will remain in Catalonia. Discussions are ongoing between United and Barca, with the Blaugrana preferring another loan deal for the forward.

Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package

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Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.

Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.

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Just days after a bombshell New York Times report revealed new details about FIFA’s process to award Fox U.S. broadcast rights to the 2026 World Cup, a federal judge has moved to drop charges against Hernan Lopez, a former Fox executive implicated in a sprawling federal investigation into bribery at the highest levels of global soccer media negotiations.

On Wednesday, Judge Pamela K. Chen approved an effort by the federal government to dismiss the charges against Lopez, according to a report by Larry Neumeister in the Associated Press. In December, Justice Department prosecutors moved to drop the case against Lopez, citing shifting priorities under the Trump administration.

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Lopez, the former CEO of Fox International Channels, and Full Play Group SA, a South American sports media company, “were convicted in 2023 of paying tens of millions of dollars in bribes to nab broadcasting rights to the World Cup and other top soccer matches,” per the AP.

Fox has long denied any involvement in the scandal, telling The New York Times earlier this week, “This case involves a legacy business that has no connection to the new Fox Corporation.” Fox, for its part, was never named a defendant in any case brought by the Justice Department. Lopez, however, was.

Testimony given in a previous case by Alejandro Burzaco, a former Argentine sports marketing executive who admitted to bribing a FIFA official to obtain inside information about television rights negotiations, said the inside information “gave Fox a decisive edge in what was supposed to be a blind auction for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups,” the Times reports. As was further detailed in the report, FIFA’s decision to move the 2022 World Cup in Qatar out of its usual summertime window and into November and December directly led to Fox securing a no-bid extension on its media rights deal to include the 2026 World Cup. By some estimates, Fox is paying approximately $1 billion under what current market value would be for this summer’s tournament.

As for Lopez, the former Fox executive seems to have benefited from an administration wholly uninterested in prosecuting corruption. In 2025, the Trump administration paused a statute prohibiting companies from giving money or gifts to foreign officials as a means of securing deals. The four-month pause came amid wider cuts at the Justice Department, including to the section of the agency that prosecuted fraud and corruption cases against public officials.

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A lawyer for the federal government told the judge at Wednesday’s hearing the administration would prefer to devote resources towards prosecuting matters of national security — like terrorism, narcotics trafficking, and human trafficking — rather than potential foul play in a deal for soccer rights made over a decade ago. The judge agreed, saying that was “sufficient justification” for the government to dismiss the indictment.

The post Judge drops corruption charges against former Fox exec implicated in World Cup bribery case appeared first on Awful Announcing.

​Jannik Sinner‘s bid ​for a maiden French Open title and career Grand ​Slam ‌were cut short Thursday as he struggled with the heat in his ⁠second-round match against Juan Manuel Cerundolo and ​fell to a ‌3-6 2-6 7-5 6-1 6-1 defeat.

Sinner won the opening ​two sets with ease and was up 5-1 in ​the third set ​before dropping three ​games and asking for medical ​treatment off the court, only to lose two straight sets before going ⁠down in the decider.

Sinner was on a 30-match winning streak stretching back to February and the odds were overwhelming he’d complete a career Grand Slam by winning the only big title missing in his tennis career – especially with two-time reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz out due to an injured right wrist.

The temperature at the start of the match was 29 degrees C, and was forecast to rise to 33 C.

Sinner bent over on the clay court in apparent exhaustion multiple times and was hardly even running for shots as the match wore on, resorting to drop shots and serve-and-volley tactics to try and shorten the points.

He attempted to cool himself with a hand-held fan on changeovers and put bags of ice around his neck.

Sinner also struggled in the heat at the Australian Open against Eliot Spizzirri in January. The roof was closed and the third-round match swung his way.

(FRANCE 24 with Reuters and AP)