England broke the world record for the highest one-day international total after racking up 444 for three against Pakistan at Trent Bridge yesterday.

In this month of commemoration and celebration it is appropriate to recognise the achievements of John Pius Boland. 

In his first press conference as the new Irish cricket coach in April, John Bracewell admitted he had coveted the job long before Phil Simmons left for the West Indies.

A doctor has been charged with a further 10 offences of sexually assaulting female patients at two hospitals.

England captain Alastair Cook credited the irrepressible James Anderson and some judicious use of the review system for delivering victory in a classic first Ashes Test.

England captain Alastair Cook was more than happy with his team’s all-round display after beating Australia in the second 50-over NatWest Series match.

Li Na reached her second successive grand slam final with a 6-4 7-5 victory over Maria Sharapova at the French Open this afternoon.

The Pope’s visit to Britain this week will allow the country to gain “fresh energy and inspiration” from its “rich Christian inheritance”, a leading Catholic said today.

RICKY PONTING accepts his pantomime villain role in this summer’s Ashes simply “goes with the territory” for a touring Australia captain.

GRAEME SWANN admits England will have to come up with something special to deal with Australia’s Shane Watson when the third npower Ashes Test resumes today.

ENGLAND face an anxious wait to see whether key batsman Kevin Pietersen will be fit to withstand another battle with Australia in next week’s third Ashes Test.

ENGLAND captain Andrew Strauss praised the stirring response his battle-weary side gave to their underwhelming Ashes series beginning after they recorded a historic win at Lord’s yesterday.

Magdalena Rybarikova won her first career title after defeating Na Li in straight sets in the AEGON Classic final at Edgbaston today.

Maria Sharapova crashed out of the AEGON Classic at Edgbaston with the former Wimbledon champion suffering a straight-sets defeat to Na Li in today's first semi-final.

Former Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova’s bid for a third title on the grass at Edgbaston remains on course after she moved into the quarter-finals.

Detectives are waiting today for a pathologist’s report on the death of Pakistan cricket coach Bob Woolmer amid claims he was murdered by “match-fixing mafia”.

Nine men were being held tonight in England over an alleged terrorist plot to carry out an Iraqi-style kidnapping of a British Muslim soldier.

Paul Collingwood and Kevin Pietersen entered Ashes folklore today with big hundreds as England approached a formidable first-innings total in the second Test.

AUSTRALIAN selectors yesterday opted for bowling cover ahead of Friday’s second Ashes cricket Test, amid doubts over Glenn McGrath’s ability to get through back-to-back Test matches with a heel problem.

SRI LANKA capped a fine summer by breaking the world record for a one-day international total, posting 443 for nine against the Netherlands in Amstelveen.

Maria Sharapova may be one of the world’s most beautiful women, but she knows she cannot compete with England playing in a World Cup.

Maria Sharapova is confident she is “100% strong mentally” as she looks to reclaim the Wimbledon crown.

Maria Sharapova may have won a Wimbledon title and held the world number one ranking, but she will bound into the new grass-court season next week convinced the world has yet to see the best of her.

Three members of a “lunatic fringe” animal rights group were jailed for 12 years each in the UK today for their parts in a terror campaign, during which the body of an 82-year-old woman was stolen from her grave.

Richard Gibson

JUSTIN LANGER believes Australia’s selectors have been left with a headache when they choose the bowling attack for this week’s fourth Ashes Test.

ENGLAND narrowly failed to claim a major advantage in the Ashes series after Australia clung on to claim a draw in another tense and dramatic finish to the third Test at Old Trafford.

SIMON JONES and Ashley Giles bowled England into a strong position at stumps on the second day of the third Ashes Test against Australia at Old Trafford yesterday.

BRETT LEE took two late wickets to remove some of the shine from England captain Michael Vaughan’s 166, the first century of this Ashes series, on the first day of the third Test at Old Trafford yesterday.

AUSTRALIA have reacted to the mounting injury crisis within their ranks by calling up seamer Stuart Clark to boost their bowling options for this week’s crunch third Ashes Test.

ENGLAND captain Michael Vaughan admitted England’s Ashes hopes almost disappeared at Edgbaston after his side hung on for a nailbiting two-run second Test win against Australia to level the five-match series at 1-1.

England reignited their hopes of regaining the Ashes for the first time in 16 years when they completed a dramatic two-run victory over Australia in the second npower Test at Edgbaston.

Australia paceman Glenn McGrath was carried off the field at Edgbaston this morning after being injured in the pre-match warm-up ahead of the start of the second Test.

MICHAEL Vaughan has insisted he has no fears about facing Glenn McGrath after proving his fitness for the second Ashes Test match at Edgbaston, which starts this morning.

ENGLAND are facing an anxious wait to determine whether captain Michael Vaughan is fit enough to feature in the second Ashes Test after sustaining another injury in the nets at Edgbaston.

DAVID GRAVENEY has urged England to avoid a repeat of the errors which blighted their performance in the first npower Test if they are to gain revenge over Australia at Edgbaston.

ENGLAND have named an unchanged squad for the second Ashes Test against Australia starting at Edgbaston on Thursday.

ENGLAND have become the second best Test side in the world by persevering with selections — so to ditch such a policy when beaten once by the best would be premature and could be ultimately damaging.

Russian number nine seed Anastasia Myskina made heavy weather of securing her place in the last 16 at Wimbledon, coming through an epic, near three-hour battle with Jelena Jankovic before rain stopped play at the All England Club this afternoon.

ANDY RODDICK remained on course for a third straight Stella Artois title yesterday with a hard-fought third round victory over Slovakia’s Karol Beck at Queens.

AS part of the Ireland team’s preparation for the ICC Trophy next July, the Irish Cricket Union have secured a fixture against English County Champions Warwickshire CCC.

Under-fire West Indies captain Brian Lara defiantly insisted last night he would not quit despite his team suffering another crushing defeat.