Australia are prepared to take a chance on Ellyse Perry if needed for Sunday’s ICC Women’s T20 World Cup final at Lord’s, with head coach Shelley Nitschke saying the all-rounder could play even if she is not fully fit.Perry retired hurt during Australia’s semi-final win over West Indies at The Oval after feeling what the team described as “minor quad awareness”. She walked off after facing seven balls, with Australia later saying the decision was taken as a precaution because they were in control of the match.Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Nitschke said Australia had not trained since the semi-final, so there was still no clear update on Perry’s condition. However, she admitted that a World Cup final changes how teams assess a player’s fitness.“Yeah, potentially,” Nitschke said when asked if Perry could play without being fully fit.“I think there’s still certain things that she wants to be able to do as well, [to] be able to still contribute to the team and hold her own, whether that’s in the field or running between the wickets. But there is that element of, this is a World Cup final, so what’s our tolerance there? So certainly a slightly different lens than perhaps some other times.”Nitschke said the team remains hopeful Perry will be available for the final.“Hopefully she’s come through okay and is available on Sunday,” Nitschke said.“We don’t really have a clear picture of what that looks like.“We’re confident, but just not completely 100 per cent sure of how that’s gone at the moment.”Perry has been Australia’s leading run-scorer in the tournament with 185 runs at an average of 46.25 and a strike rate of 135.03. She has scored half-centuries against Pakistan and India, including a 38-ball 56 against India that guided Australia to victory and ended Harmanpreet Kaur’s team’s campaign.She has also taken four wickets during the tournament.Australia will play their first global tournament final since 2023 when they take the field at Lord’s on Sunday. Perry, who missed the 2020 Women’s T20 World Cup final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground because of a hamstring injury, is now racing to be fit for another chance at a World Cup final.

Terence Crawford suspects Ryan Garcia could lose his WBC title later this year, depending on whether he faces a physically superior opponent.

The 27-year-old claimed his world welterweight title in February, dethroning Mario Barrios with a unanimous decision victory after scoring a first-round knockdown.

In doing so, Garcia returned to the win column after suffering a points defeat to Rolando Romero, which followed his no-contest against Devin Haney in April 2024.

Sandwiched between those two results was, of course, his year-long doping ban, but now it seems the American has rediscovered some measure of form.

Hoping to build on this momentum, Garcia is likely to defend his title against mandatory challenger Conor Benn, potentially in Las Vegas on September 12.

Like Garcia, Benn was previously embroiled in a doping scandal but has since been involved in two middleweight encounters with Chris Eubank Jr, losing their first contest before scoring a unanimous decision victory last November.

The 29-year-old then unanimously outpointed a faded Regis Prograis this past April, dominating their 10-rounder at a catchweight of 150lbs.

Given his apparent size advantage, Crawford has told Ariel Helwani that he could see Benn pulling off an upset victory over Garcia later this year.

“I think that’s a good fight. I think, of course, Ryan’s got the experience, but Conor’s got the size and the power.

“I think it’s gonna be an interesting fight … I’mma go with Conor. I think he’s gonna upset him. I’m gonna go out there and pick him.”

While Benn has been competing at higher weights in his last five outings, he does not appear significantly bigger than Garcia, who matches him for height and is perhaps even a bigger puncher.

Manny Pacquiao faced a who’s who of excellent fighters across several divisions, but never managed to cross paths with Terence Crawford despite both holding belts at 147lbs at the same time.

The eight-division world champion made his professional return last year, fighting then-WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios to a draw. With a professional rematch against Floyd Mayweather put on hold indefinitely due to the American’s legal troubles, he is now looking for another major fight.

It will not come against Terence Crawford, who retired in December following his victory over Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez.

Speaking to Vibe, ‘PacMan’ was asked if there was any fight he wanted that never happened, and he named none other than ‘Bud’ Crawford, believing their shared promoter at the time, Bob Arum, ‘preserved’ the American.

“The Crawford fight. Because Bob Arum preserved him. I’m under Top Rank promotions, and he was under Top Rank promotions before, so I would’ve loved to fight him. But it never happened. Bob didn’t give it to me.”

When both men held belts at welterweight – Pacquiao after his record-breaking title win over Keith Thurman, Crawford on his run as WBO champion – the fight would have indeed been a stellar main event.

Pacquiao ended up being booked to face future Crawford rival Errol Spence Jr, but an eye injury for Spence saw Yordenis Ugas step in. Ugas beat the Filipino icon over 12 rounds before losing the belt to Spence, who would face Crawford for undisputed in 2023.

Ironically, Crawford has offered the exact same take on the fantasy match-up but with roles reversed, believing Arum wanted to keep Pacquiao away from him.

However, Swan – making her first appearance at Wimbledon in three years – was unable to join Fery in the third round as she fell to a 6-1 6-4 defeat by American Keys.

Both Fery and Swan were watched on by Catherine, the Princess of Wales – a patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC).

“I didn’t know she was here. I probably would have been a bit more tight if I did,” said Fery, who has reached the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time and is set to earn least £185,000 in prize money.

Virtanen, the world number 140, caused the biggest shock of the men’s draw so far on Tuesday when he knocked out fourth seed Ben Shelton in a five-set win.

The Finn, who spent more than four hours on court against Shelton, won just four points on Fery’s serve in the opening five games, but when he was presented with a first break point at 5-5, he capitalised on it before serving out the set.

After suffering another nosebleed – a repeat of an issue he experienced against Dzumhur in the first round – Fery pulled himself level via a second-set tie-break and he did not offer Virtanen another break point before wrapping up the win.

Fellow Britons Jacob Fearnley and Jan Choinski will hope to follow suit later on Thursday, when they take on Jaume Munar and Frances Tiafoe respectively.

Fery, ranked 114th in the world, will next face another unseeded player in either Zizou Bergs of Belgium or Portugal’s Jaime Faria.

Democratic Republic of Congo head coach Sebastien Desabre received the devastating news of his father’s death just hours before his team’s World Cup Round of 32 clash against England.

Despite the personal tragedy, Desabre led his side to an agonisingly close defeat, nearly securing an upset victory.

The emotional revelation was made public at the conclusion of his post-match press conference, when the team’s media officer, Jerry Kalemo, said: “We announce that the coach has lost his father. Our sincere condolences.”

Desabre, who will turn 50 next month, responded with a quizzical expression before simply saying “thank you”, a reaction that initially led to erroneous reports suggesting it was his first time hearing the news.

However, an official later clarified to Reuters that Desabre had been informed prior to the match in Atlanta.

The Congolese team had taken an early lead through Brian Cipenga and maintained it for over an hour before Harry Kane scored twice, ultimately securing a 2-1 victory for England.

The official added that Desabre’s father had been unwell for some time, though no further details were provided.

DR Congo are now heading home after their best ever performance at a World Cup, having reached the knockout stages for the first time in their history.

Congo earned a 1-1 draw against highly-fancied Portugal in their opening group game before suffering a narrow 1-0 defeat by Colombia.

Heading into their final group fixture against Uzbekistan, DR Congo knew they needed a victory to book their spot in the knockout rounds.

They fell behind early on but produced a spirited comeback to claim an impressive 3-1 victory. Newcastle striker Yoane Wissa scored twice, either side of Fiston Mayele also finding the net.

This meant that they went through to the last-32 to face England, and they pushed Thomas Tuchel’s men all the way before ultimately coming up short.

England are now through to the Round of 16 where they will play co-hosts Mexico at the Azteca Stadium on Sunday night.

Mexico have won all four of their matches so far without conceding, while England are also unbeaten at this year’s World Cup.

Thursday’s Major League Baseball schedule features nine games, including a National League West battle between the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers. Play begins at 12:35 p.m. ET, with the final first pitch set for 10:10 p.m. ET. Among the top options in the MLB DFS player pool include Nathan Eovaldi, Shohei Ohtani, Cal Raleigh, Julio Rodriguez, Bobby Witt Jr., Matt Olson, Junior Caminero and Freddie Freeman. With only so much MLB DFS salary cap space, you’ll have to be judicious on who you select to compose your daily Fantasy baseball lineups.

Before making any MLB DFS picks be sure to check out the MLB DFS advice, player rankings, stacks, and top daily Fantasy baseball picks from SportsLine’s Mike McClure.

Visit our DraftKings promo code review to see their latest offers and get started.

McClure is a DFS professional with more than $2 million in career winnings. He’s also a predictive data engineer at SportsLine who uses a powerful prediction model that simulates every minute of every game 10,000 times, taking factors like matchups, statistical trends and injuries into account. This allows him to find the best MLB DFS values on sites like DraftKings and FanDuel and create optimal lineups that he shares only over at SportsLine. They’re a must-see for any MLB DFS player.

McClure has turned his attention to MLB action on Thursday and locked in his top daily Fantasy baseball picks. You can only see them by heading to SportsLine.

Top MLB DFS picks for Thursday, July 2

For Thursday, one of McClure’s top MLB DFS picks is Kansas City outfielder Starling Marte ($2,900 DraftKings, $2,200 FanDuel). Marte has been on a roll. He has three hits over his past two games. In 39 games this season, he is hitting .268 with four doubles, one homer and seven RBI. See McClure’s other MLB DFS picks right here.

McClure is also stacking Marte with outfielder Lane Thomas ($3,100 DraftKings, $2,600 FanDuel). Thomas has fared better on his home field this season. In 31 games played in Kansas City, he has registered six doubles and two home runs. He has a .357 slugging percentage and .677 OPS. See McClure’s other MLB DFS picks right here.

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How to set your MLB DFS lineups for Thursday, July 2

McClure is also targeting a player who could go off for massive numbers on Thursday because of an optimal matchup. This pick could be the difference between winning your tournaments and cash games or going home with nothing. You can only see who it is here.

Who is DFS pro Mike McClure putting in his optimal MLB DFS lineups for Thursday? Visit SportsLine now to see optimal MLB DFS picks, rankings, advice, and stacks, all from a professional DFS player who has over $2 million in career winnings, and find out.

Away-game victories set a college football program apart and often correlate with teams at the top of the standings.

The tables below show the wins, losses, and win percentages for the region’s top programs as the away team over the last 20 seasons.

Boise State leads the way, followed by Oregon, USC, Utah, and BYU.

Away Winning % and Records by Program from 2021-2025

Pubs may now be allowed to stay open until the end of England’s World Cup match against Mexico, which is due to kick off at 1am UK time on Monday.

The government had initially said it would not relax licensing laws further than they already have been for the World Cup, but BBC News understands that the Prime Minister is now considering it.

In April, the government relaxed licensing rules so England and Scotland fans could watch matches in the pub.

But earlier on Thursday, Business Minister Kate Dearden had told the House of Commons that opening times would not be extended even further for the 1am start in Mexico City.

Dearden was responding to a question from Liberal Democrat MP Max Wilkinson about a blanket extension.

Wilkinson said in the House of Commons: “Pubs will miss out on a real opportunity to get money in the till if ministers do not make a blanket extension for licensing hours.”

Dearden said that Local Government Secretary Steve Reed had written to councils encouraging them to sign off on pubs staying open late enough that fans can watch to the end of the match.

“Pubs can stay open for an extra two to three hours depending on how late the match starts so pubs can still open as the game finishes,” she said.

“Regarding Sunday, unfortunately that doesn’t apply with the 1am start but going forwards we are absolutely backing our pubs so people can watch and support our lads, and it’s coming home hopefully.”

Licensing hours were extended from 11pm to 1am for games with kick-offs from 5pm up to 9pm.

Additionally, pubs can stay open until 2am for kick offs after 9pm and up to 10pm.

Outside of those rules, pub can apply to their local council for what is called a Temporary Event Notice (TEN) to stay open late.

However, it must be submitted no later than five working days beforehand, leaving it too late for pubs to apply on Thursday.

Some establishments had plotted England’s potential progress through the tournament and have already applied for and received an event notice.

In a video on X, Reed encouraged councils to approve applications from pubs.

“There are still some councils that are saying no to the pubs, and my message to those councils is please say yes,” he said.

Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, said: “We remain in close contact with government about concerns raised by publicans who want to show the match but haven’t got TENs in place.

“It would be a crying shame for fans and pubs if our locals weren’t able to host such an important match.”

BTS member Jungkook (Jeon Jung-kook) added another luxury brand to his growing list of global partnerships. On July 2, 2026, British luxury jewelry house Graff announced the singer as its first-ever global ambassador since the brand was founded 66 years ago.

Graff introduced BTS’s ‘Golden Maknae’ as its new global ambassador and revealed that he would star in the new Laurence Graff Signature campaign, showcasing pieces from the brand’s iconic goldwear collection. The announcement came after days of speculation among fans.

On June 23, 2026, Jungkook was seen wearing multiple Graff rings during his departure from South Korea to Madrid, Spain, alongside his BTS bandmates for the group’s European concert schedule. The jewelry he wore was estimated to have a combined value of around $126,500, prompting fans to speculate that a partnership with the luxury house was on the way. Following that on June 1, the brand also released a teaser video further igniting the speculation.

Along with the announcement, the company unveiled its latest Laurence Graff Signature campaign starring the BTS member. The brand released a video and three campaign images.

In the campaign, Jungkook is dressed in a black suit layered over a black T-shirt while showcasing pieces from the Laurence Graff collection. The line reimagines founder Laurence Graff’s signature approach to exceptional diamond cutting through faceted precious metal links in bold gold designs.

The campaign images and teaser quickly spread across social media, where fans celebrated both the collaboration and the significance of the announcement. Many pointed out that the idol had become the first global ambassador in Graff’s history, describing the appointment as another major milestone in his career. One fan wrote,

“Need a perspective of how prestigious Graff is? Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Diana wore the brand. Jungkook is its first ever Global Brand Ambassador in history. This is another league.”

Many others echoed similar sentiments, congratulating Jungkook on the achievement. Several fans pointed out that Graff’s decision to choose him for its first-ever global ambassador role reflected his worldwide influence and standing.

Others expressed their excitement over the announcement, saying they were thrilled and proud of the youngest BTS member for achieving another major collaboration. Many also felt he was the ideal choice to represent the luxury jeweler.

Graff CEO welcomes Jungkook as global ambassador; BTS star says he is ‘profoundly honored’

Graff also shared a statement from its Chief Executive Officer, François Graff, following the announcement. He described Jungkook as a cultural icon whose artistry aligns with the luxury jeweler’s creative vision. The CEO also expressed,

“Jung Kook is a cultural icon, known for his multifaceted talents. His performances are bold yet refined, crafted with a brilliance that is impossible to ignore. Just as we at Graff push the boundaries of what is achievable in luxury jewellery, Jungkook continually challenges creative boundaries in his work. We are delighted to welcome him as Graff’s new global ambassador.”

Speaking separately to WWD on the same day, François Graff echoed similar sentiments. He said the idol’s multifaceted talent and commitment to artistic excellence reflected the values Graff represents.

“He always offers remarkable performances. Just like Graff, which strives to push the boundaries of high jewelry, [he] explores and constantly surpasses those of his creativity” said François Graff.

Jungkook also commented on the partnership, saying he felt “profoundly honored” to join Graff as its newest global ambassador. He described the British luxury house as “the originator of so many legends throughout the decades,” expressing his appreciation for becoming part of the brand’s legacy.

With the Graff announcement, the singer has further expanded his portfolio of global luxury partnerships. The BTS star is also associated with Hublot, Chanel Fragrance and Beauty and Calvin Klein, adding Graff as another internationally recognized brand to his list of collaborations.

The announcement coincides with Jungkook’s ongoing activities with BTS on the ARIRANG World Tour. At the time of the reveal, the group is set to take the stage for the second night of its Brussels concerts at King Baudouin Stadium on July 2.