A new tartan has been unveiled to commemorate Scotland’s enduring relationship with the United States, ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary and its co-hosting of the upcoming World Cup.

The design, crafted by Kaci McEwan, a student at Heriot-Watt University’s School of Textiles and Design in Edinburgh, was chosen to symbolise the deep historical and cultural bonds between Scotland and the US.

US ambassador to the UK, Warren Stephens, served on the judging panel for the Scottish Government-commissioned competition.

The initiative coincides with the anniversary of the 1776 signing of the Declaration of Independence and Scotland’s participation in the football tournament later this month.

McEwan’s fabric design intricately reflects the United States’ path to independence, utilising precisely numbered threads and distinct colour sections to represent pivotal moments in early American history.

External Affairs Minister Stephen Gethins said: “Scots were at the heart of the United States’ emergence as an independent country.

“Ever since, those deep bonds of family and friendship have endured, with a diaspora of millions across the US.

“Celebrating 250 years of American independence strengthens the an connection between America and Scotland – bonds which act as a bridge between our past, and our future, as two proud nations.

“The winning tartan commemorates significant moments in US history, whilst highlighting Scotland’s creative drive to offer a modern symbol of the strong and evolving cultural ties between both countries.

“I warmly congratulate Kaci McEwan on this outstanding achievement, and commend all those shortlisted for their exceptional work in bringing this shared history to life.

“Each of the shortlisted designs reflected a deep appreciation of the historic ties between Scotland and the United States.

“As Scotland takes its place at the men’s World Cup, the Scottish Government will showcase the skills and expertise we can offer the US and wider world.”

Ms McEwan said her tartan was designed to tell a story, including references to 4 July and the original 13 colonies.

She said: “I still can’t quite believe it. When I first read the email, I genuinely thought it must have been sent to everyone and I’d misunderstood it.

“I had to read it a few times before it really sank in that I’d actually won.

“It feels incredibly surreal, but also really rewarding, because I put so much time and care into researching and developing the design.

“For me, the tartan was about telling a story. Every thread and colour represents a moment in the journey towards the Declaration of Independence — from the 13 colonies to key dates and even subtle references like the 4th of July.

“Being able to bring that narrative to life through weaving has been such an exciting creative challenge.

“To now have my work recognised on such an international scale is incredibly exciting, and I’m so grateful for the guidance and encouragement I’ve had throughout my studies.

“It’s been an amazing journey, and this really feels like a special way to mark the end of it.”

Man United are looking to sign a replacement for Casemiro this summer and the Manchester Evening News asked readers to decide who they would like to fill the Brazilian’s shoes.

Ederson is set to be the first new face through the door at Manchester United this summer after the Reds agreed a deal worth up to £38.3million with Atalanta for the Brazilian. However, a recent poll conducted by the Manchester Evening News suggests fans are hoping he is not the man the club have turned to to replace Casemiro.

Casemiro brought down the curtain on his Old Trafford career in the final home game of the season against Nottingham Forest last month. He had left Manchester by the time United played their final game of the campaign against Brighton, but was given a superb send-off having helped United qualify for the Champions League.

The hunt is now on for his successor, and we asked fans to vote for who they would like to see replace the five-time Champions League winner.

The clear winner was Elliot Anderson. The Forest man is top of United’s wishlist but the issue is he is also wanted by Manchester City, and it’s believed United’s neighbours are in pole position to land his signature. Anderson received a whopping 4,467 votes (56%).

In second place came Aurelien Tchouaméni, with the Real Madrid midfielder receiving 1,639 votes (21%). It was quite telling to see Ederson receive just 6% of the votes (461 votes in total). While he will no doubt add depth to United’s midfield, it is clear fans do not see him as a Casemiro replacement and that a marquee signing is needed.

6% of fans decided none of the options given to them were the right moves for United, and Adam Wharton and Carlos Baleba both took 5% of the votes. Wildcard option Manu Kone of Roma took just 1% of the votes. You can see the results below:

So, it’s clear who United fans want to see as their No.6 next season, but will the Reds win the battle with City?

Meanwhile, Ederson might be a good addition as United look to build a squad capable of challenging on multiple fronts, but fans don’t see him as a replacement for Casemiro and will be hoping for some big business further down the line.

In a massive decision, the BCCI selectors dropped Suryakumar Yadav from India’s T20I squad. The teams for the upcoming T20I series against Ireland and England, as well as the Asian Games, were announced on Saturday, with Suryakumar, the previous captain in the format, being replaced by Shreyas Iyer in the role. Taking over India’s T20I captaincy after the retirement of Rohit Sharma from the format, Suryakumar led India to the World Cup title earlier this year. However, his returns with the bat were below par.

While the T20I captaincy change was announced by the BCCI on Saturday, sources had already confirmed the decision to NDTV well before that. Speaking about the move, former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin criticised the Board’s decision. He made the remark on his YouTube channel, as quoted by Sportskeeda, a day prior to the announcement.

“Shreyas Iyer should have been in the T20 squad last time. But when you do return, do you have to return straight as the hero? On what basis did you suddenly judge his captaincy credentials? Shreyas definitely warrants a discussion for a place in the Indian T20 team. But is there any hole in the Indian T20 team? Except for spin-bowling, there are no holes. So why make this change?” Ashwin said.

He cited the example of legendary captain MS Dhoni, who led Chennai Super Kings to the Indian Premier League title in 2011. From 43.55 in the title-winning season, Dhoni’s average dipped to 29.83 the following edition. However, he remained in the side and put on an improved show the next year. The wicketkeeper-batter scored 461 runs at an average of 41.90 in IPL 2013.

“MS Dhoni won the 2011 IPL as captain. If he doesn’t perform in the 2012 IPL, will you drop him in the 2013 IPL? Then how can you drop Suryakumar Yadav? Yes, he is not in form as a batter. But give him clarity that he’ll play only as a batter, as he’s not an automatic selection in the side,” Ashwin concluded.

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TNT and Ginebra will gun for a crucial tie-breaking victory on Sunday. —PBA IMAGES

The first two games of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals may have produced different results, but they unfolded in remarkably similar fashion.

That is why TNT coach Chot Reyes wants to make sure his team avoids another late-game scare when the Tropang 5G and Barangay Ginebra break their 1-1 deadlock in Game 3 on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. at the Mall of Asia Arena.

“We just try to play the same game all throughout,” Reyes said ahead of the pivotal contest.

TNT evened the series with a 101-94 victory on Friday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, but not before surviving an anxious finish.

Second unit

The Tropang 5G appeared headed for a comfortable win after building a 22-point lead, only for Ginebra to mount a furious rally behind a second unit led by rookie John Abis, Jeremiah Gray and Isaac Go.

The Gin Kings cut the deficit to four before TNT came up with key defensive stops down the stretch to seal the victory.

“Hopefully, we can sustain a high level of play for 48 minutes,” Reyes said. “Against a team like Ginebra, if you just let your guard down for three to four minutes, they’ll get on a very big run.

“So those are the things that we need to talk about—how to make sure that we’re able to sustain that kind of energy and execution all throughout the game.”

Calvin Oftana powered TNT in Game 2, scoring 31 points and sparking the early surge that put the Tropang 5G in control. Another standout performance from Oftana could prove crucial as the series moves forward.

Game 2 mirrored the Finals opener in several ways.

Lacking energy

In Game 1, TNT erased an 18-point deficit and grabbed a five-point lead before Ginebra stormed back for a 102-100 victory behind the heroics of RJ Abarrientos and Justin Brownlee.

Ginebra coach Tim Cone admitted afterward that his team lacked its usual energy from the opening tip of Game 2.

“We came out with no fire in the belly,” Cone said. “I don’t know if that tough semifinal series with Rain or Shine all caught up on us. We just weren’t ready to play.”

With the outcome seemingly decided, Cone rested most of his regulars in the fourth quarter, including Brownlee and Scottie Thompson, and turned to Gray, Go and Abis.

The trio nearly engineered a stunning comeback.

Gray finished with 13 points, Go added 10, while Abis contributed four points and two rebounds in 11 minutes as Ginebra’s reserves injected life into the late rally. INQ

Shubman Gill reached the milestone of 1,000 Test runs as skipper, becoming the 11th player to do so for India during the One-off Test against Afghanistan at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium on Saturday. Gill achieved the landmark in just his 15th innings (Test), making him the second-fastest Indian captain to reach the mark, behind Sunil Gavaskar, who did it in 14 innings. The right-handed batter also achieved it in the shortest span of 351 days, the least number of days by an Indian captain to reach 1,000 runs in the longest format.

In terms of most centuries as captain in Tests for the Asian Giants, Virat Kohli leads with 20 hundreds in 113 innings, followed by Sunil Gavaskar with 11 in 74 innings, Mohammad Azharuddin with 9 in 78 innings, Sachin Tendulkar with 7 in 43 innings, and Shubman Gill now with 6 in 15 innings.

9th Test fifty

runs as #TeamIndia‘s Test captain!

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Fastest (in terms of days) & second fastest (in terms of innings) to reach 1000 Test runs as an Indian captain. ????

Well played, Shubman Gill! ???? ????

Updates https://t.co/Au50EfVM30 #INDvAFG | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/AqSWNHOeqq

— BCCI (@BCCI) June 6, 2026

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In terms of the most hundreds scored as a Test opener for India, Sunil Gavaskar leads the list with 33 centuries in 203 innings, followed by Virender Sehwag with 22 centuries in 168 innings. Murali Vijay ranks third with 12 hundreds in 100 innings, while KL Rahul has 11 centuries in 101 innings.

Meanwhile, wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant marked his 50th Test appearance. Among Indian wicketkeepers, only MS Dhoni (90) and Syed Kirmani (88) have played more matches.

India finished Day 1 of the one-off Test against Afghanistan in a commanding position, reaching 368 for 3 in 85 overs. Skipper Shubman Gill scored an unbeaten 103, while KL Rahul contributed a century of his own. Rishabh Pant supported with a well-timed 50, helping India dominate the Afghan bowling attack. Mohammad Saleem Safi took two wickets, while Ziaur Rahman Sharifi claimed one.

After winning the toss and opting to bat, India started with KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal. The pair gave India a steady start, with Jaiswal driving Ziaur Rahman Sharifi for a boundary in the first over. India featured six left-handed batters, marking only the third time this has happened in a playing XI after the two Tests against South Africa last year. Afghanistan struck early when Safi dismissed Jaiswal for 24 off 32 balls, edging to the wicketkeeper. He was replaced by Sai Sudharsan, who along with Rahul put together a 55-run partnership for the second wicket in 78 balls, leaving India at 96 for 1 at lunch.

In the second session, Rahul and Shubman Gill continued to build the innings, adding 113 runs for the loss of one wicket to reach 209 for 2. Rahul brought up his 21st Test fifty, while Sai Sudharsan reached his third Test half-century before being dismissed for 81 by Safi. Gill remained unbeaten at the crease, anchoring the innings.

During the third session, Rahul reached his 12th Test century off 164 balls but was dismissed on the very next delivery, caught by Rahmanullah Gurbaz, ending a 67-run partnership with Gill. Despite the setback, Gill and Pant kept India’s momentum, with Gill completing his ninth Test half-century in the following over. The pair continued to dominate, taking India past the 300-run mark, with Pant hitting three sixes off Abdul Malik in the 68th over.

Gill reached his century in the 83rd over, his 11th Test hundred and the sixth as an Indian captain. Pant also completed his half-century in the final over of the day. India ended Day 1 at 368 for 3, with Gill unbeaten on 103 off 143 balls and Pant not out at 50 from 70 deliveries.

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Lottie Woad struggled to get a stance. 

Then, after a two-stroke penalty, she tumbled during Saturday’s third round of the U.S. Women’s Open. 

The sequence came from the greenside bunker on Riviera Country Club’s 9th hole, where Woad’s second shot had plugged into the steep upslope and about a yard from the lip. She was stuck. The primary issue was her footing.    

Standing normally, Woad would slide, and she tried to find stability. Peacock network cameras showed her trying to push into the sand with her back (right) foot, and at one point, her caddie, David Taylor, put his left foot behind her right foot. Woad continued to push. At one point, she slid down the bunker. An official was called. Woad and Taylor said they saw bunker liner and wondered whether that could lead to relief, but, following a seven-minute conference, they were denied. 

After she tried to position her right foot again, Woad hit. Her ball unplugged — but it jumped forward only about an inch before sliding back down the bunker. From there, she hit her second shot to 2 feet, and she one-putted for what she believed was a bogey five.  

It was more. There was a review, and a short while later, Woad’s score became a seven. At issue was Woad’s stance. At 12:20 p.m. local time in L.A., reporters were told that Woad had been assessed a two-stroke penalty, under Rule 8.1a of the Rules of Golf, “for improving her stance in the bunker.” 

Peacock network mics did pick up the official who talked with Woad telling her to be “careful about building a stance,” but no penalty was called. When contacted by GOLF.com, a USGA spokesperson said that an official monitors all broadcast feeds and “as this situation aired, prior to the referee coming to help, we actively started reviewing it.”

Three times on the Peacock broadcast, an analyst was concerned about Woad’s actions. 

“So [the official] just mentioned I was a little concerned that it looked like she was kind of building a stance,” the analyst said. “You saw her take her foot with the sand and try and make extra sand so she could stand on it. You’re not allowed to do that.” 

“This is what I’m concerned about,” the analyst said. “Caddie kind of came in and helped as well. Digging in the feet and really moving the sand around.” 

“She’s got to be very careful that she’s not also creating some type of stance,” the analyst said. “Just looking at the ball, she was fluffing up the sand. The caddie, David Taylor, came in and was doing the same.” 

From there, Woad played one-under golf, and she finished with a three-over 74.

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