Ball-by-ball Ashes updates: England face Australia in final Test at SCG
Tag: Cricket
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Zanetti: Serving Inter and my mission to help the next generation
Javier Zanetti lived out his dreams as a player, lifting 16 trophies in an Inter Milan career that spanned a record 858 appearances, winning 145 caps for Argentina, and earning a reputation as one of the best defensive players of his generation.
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Australia v England scorecard
Scorecard: Australia vs England, fourth Ashes Test, Melbourne
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Team official to investigate drinking habits of England cricketers during Ashes tour
MELBOURNE, Australia — England’s managing director of men’s cricket Rob Key says he will investigate the drinking habits of the England team following reports that their mid-Ashes beach resort break may have involved over-indulging of alcohol.
England lost each of the first three tests to allow Australia to retain the Ashes in just 11 days of on-field action.
The England squad visited the resort town of Noosa on the Sunshine Coach north of Brisbane between the second and third tests, a long-planned part of the itinerary designed to help players relax and unwind on the long tour.
Key, who did not join the players in Noosa, said he had no problem with the break, but would not be happy if he found evidence of over-indulging.
“If there’s things where people are saying that our players went out and drank excessively, then of course we’ll be looking into that,” he said Tuesday in Melbourne, where the fourth test begins Friday.
“Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol for an international cricket team is not something that I’d expect to see at any stage and it would be a fault not to look into what happened there. From everything that I’ve heard so far, they actually were pretty well behaved. Very well behaved.”
He added: “We’ve got enough ways of finding out exactly what happened and everything that I’ve heard so far that they sat down, had lunch, had dinner, didn’t go out late, all of that, had the odd drink. I don’t mind that. If it goes past that, then that’s an issue as far as I’m concerned.”
Key also said he had previously looked into reports that players had been spotted drinking the night before a match in New Zealand shortly before the Ashes.
A short clip of white-ball captain Harry Brook and Jacob Bethell was shared by a member of the public on social media, said to have been taken while they were out in Wellington before the third one-day international on Nov. 1.
“I didn’t feel like that was worthy of formal warnings, but it was probably worthy of informal ones,” he said.
“I think that was a bit of a wake-up call actually for what they’re going into. I don’t mind players having a glass of wine over dinner. Anything more than that, I think is ridiculous, really.”
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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
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Australia v England commentary
Ball-by-ball updates: England face Australia in must-win Ashes Test
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Hearts sweep aside Falkirk to move six points clear
Claudio Braga and Stephen Kingsley were on target as resurgent Hearts won 2-0 away to misfiring Falkirk to move six points clear at the top of the William Hill Premiership.
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Letters: Fremont cricket field critics fear the unknown
Submit your letter to the editor via this form. Read more Letters to the Editor.
Cricket field critics
fear the unknownRe: “Neighbors up in arms over cricket field plans” (Page B1, Nov. 22).
It was shocking to read that a few neighbors are opposed to having a cricket field in the proposed Palm Avenue Community Park in Fremont. The main fear is that flying cricket balls could injure a child or elderly person or damage homes or cars. Do baseballs ever fly out of the field and cause personal injury? Balls flying over to the street or neighborhood will be rare and can easily be prevented in the design and construction of the stadium.
It is more likely the fear of the unknown. People here are not familiar with cricket. Both baseball and cricket trace their origins back to medieval European bat-and-ball games and are more like “cousins.” Cricket fields all over the world are in the middle of cities and residential neighborhoods, and they are safe. It is fun to play and or watch cricket, so let us go for it.
Subru Bhat
Union CityCoal project is bad
for Oakland’s healthRe: “Coal project costs mounting” (Page A1, Nov. 26).
The New York Times article about Phil Tagami’s proposed Oakland coal terminal is very misleading.
The article says, “a state judge ruled in 2023 that the city had to uphold its deal with Tagami.” However, that ruling only provided Tagami with $320,000 in damages. The disappointed coal developers found a judge in Kentucky whose suggestion of hundreds of millions in damages was rejected by Kentucky’s district court on November 21.
The article quotes Tagami as denying that the project “makes a difference in the world.” But several mile-long trains every day would be spewing unhealthy coal dust from Utah to Oakland. And when burned, that much coal would cost the world tens of billions of dollars in damages (using the EPA’s social cost of carbon).
The article says, ”The coal project must now go forward.” Those of us who care about the livability of Oakland will continue to oppose this deadly project.
Jack Fleck
OaklandMastering spelling
unlocks many doorsRe: “Spelling isn’t a subject we can afford to drop” (Page A6, Nov. 19).
My attention was drawn to Abby McCloskey’s column.
As this article asserts, a strong foundation in spelling in a child’s early learning years leads to reading and literacy proficiency down the road. My personal academic experience bears this out.
In my elementary school years in the 1950s, I had a natural strength in spelling, which was nurtured by my teachers. I still have all of my certificates of achievement, which span local through regional spelling contests that I entered.
Further, this skill led me toward my love of writing — whether it be in the form of a school essay, poetry or, as you are reading now, my penchant for submitting letters to the editor.
While “spell check” is a helpful tool, our brains still rely on the visualization of words to connect the dots in our educational journey.
Sharon Brown
Walnut CreekImmigration judges’
principles cost themAs the season of gratitude, peace, joy and hope approaches, recently unbenched San Francisco Immigration Judges Patrick Savage, Amber George, Jeremiah Johnson, Shuting Chen and Louis Gordon have inspired this letter. Although no reason was given for their forced departures, I wasn’t surprised. Having seen several preside over mandatory immigration hearings restored my hope in this country’s future. Unfortunately, the very behaviors that gave me hope put them at risk of losing their jobs. Behaviors like being well-versed in immigration law, diligent in their efforts to fully understand cases from both immigrant and government perspectives, and exhibiting both kindness and respect to all present within their courtrooms.
The current administration has rendered these judges easily disposable obstacles to any campaign promises conflicting with this nation’s laws, Constitution and system of checks and balances. Fortunately, obstacles like integrity and allegiance to oaths of office can’t be as easily disposed of.
Linda Thorlakson
Castro ValleyLetters To The Editor
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Australia has won the first Ashes cricket test against England by 8 wickets with three days to spare
Australia has won the first Ashes cricket test against England by 8 wickets with three days to spare
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Australia v England scorecard
Scorecard: Australia vs England, first Ashes Test
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England desperate to end Ashes drought in Australia
PERTH, Australia — The build-up to the Ashes series starting Friday began at the end of July 2023 following one or the more acrimonious test cricket series between England and Australia.
Ben Stokes and his England lineup won that test at The Oval in South London but it wasn’t enough to reclaim the Ashes from the Aussies, who won the first two tests and drew the fourth in a five-match series to retain the old urn.
Cue to Perth Stadium, Day 1 of a possible 25 spanning seven weeks and five cities.
There are some big questions in play.
Can an aging, understrength Australia continue its unbeaten run in Ashes tests on home soil that dates to the 2010-11 series?
Can Stokes inspire an end to that long drought for England?
Can Joe Root, the world’s No. 1-ranked test batter, finally post an Ashes century in Australia?
Can Stokes and Root win a test on Australian soil for the first time?
Australia captain Pat Cummins and fellow paceman Josh Hazlewood will be missing the first test because of injuries, leaving Australia’s attack without half of its frontline bowlers.
The remaining half — left-arm fast bowler Mitchell Starc and offspinner Nathan Lyon — are confident that the team can win on what is expected to be a fast, bouncy pitch in Perth. Brendan Doggett is set to make his test debut alongside fellow fast bowler Scott Boland, making it the first time an Australian men’s test XI will contain two players with Indigenous heritage.
“Good to see the depth in the squad,” Starc said. “We know what Scotty Boland can do, … (and) ‘Doggie’s’ coming off a hot streak at the moment.”
Cameron Green’s fitness to bowl means he’ll fill the allrounder spot and Australia can give opening batter Jake Weatherald a test debut at the age of 31. The flow-on means Marnus Labuschagne will return to the test lineup at No. 3, with stand-in skipper Steve Smith at No. 4.
Stokes knows the record: 13 losses, two draws and no wins in the last 15 tests Down Under for England. He’s thinking more about the 2010-11 squad that beat the Australians 3-1.
“I do understand how big a series this is. I’ve come here absolutely desperate to get home on that plane in January as one of the lucky few captains from England who have come here and been successful,” he said. “A lot has been spoken of about the history and how it has gone for England — this is our chance to create our own history.”
In a bid to break the drought, England is likely to start a pair of express pace bowlers in conditions expected to suit them. Jofra Archer is primed to do well in Australia and 35-year-old Mark Wood recovered from a minor hamstring strain to be including in the 12-man match squad for the first test. Stokes will bowl and it’s likely seamers Brydon Carse and Gus Atkinson will also start, although spinner Shoaib Bashir has been included in the 12.
“Jofra and Woody are amazing bowlers and they’ll be huge for us this series,” Atkinson said. “You hear about (tests in Australia) and it’s all ‘pace, pace, pace’ but we’re hearing lately a bit more seam movement. It’s nice to hear that — something I’m looking forward to.”
The 36-year-old Smith will lead Australia for the third time this year and the seventh time since his era as captain ended in the wake of the Sandpapergate scandal in 2018.
He filled in as skipper the last time England toured Australia in 2021-22, after Cummins was forced to isolate for the Adelaide test during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“He’s a lot more relaxed as a person all round,” Starc said of his longtime teammate. “Even the times that he’s captained since, when he’s had to fill in for Pat, it’s a different approach.
“He’s still that competitive beast, and still wants to be the best, and still will leave no stone unturned. But I think he’s finding a few outlets to actually switch off from time to time … and just not be cricket 100% of the time.”
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Australia: Jack Weatherald, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith (captain), Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Brendan Doggett, Scott Boland.
England (from): Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (captain), Jamie Smith, Brydon Carse, Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, Shoaib Bashir.
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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
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Fully Monty comes with Poms to Perth Ashes spectacle
Michelle Rose- Sous Chef creates UK-inspired food specials like Fully Monty Perth Ashes spectacle
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Babar’s century drought ends and Pakistan wins the Sri Lanka ODI series
RAWALPINDI, Pakistan — Babar Azam’s first international century in more than two years anchored Pakistan’s comfortable chase of 289 against scratchy Sri Lanka in their series-clinching one-day international on Friday.
Pakistan won by eight wickets, cruising to 289-2 in 48.2 overs on Babar’s fluent unbeaten 102 off 119 balls. They have an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-match series, which ends on Sunday.
Sri Lanka was restricted to 288-8 on a perfect batting pitch after six of the top seven batters couldn’t convert good starts.
The series was in doubt after Sri Lanka players wanted to leave the country when a suicide bomber killed 12 people outside a court in Islamabad on Tuesday, hours before the first ODI in nearby Rawalpindi.
However, Sri Lanka Cricket directed the team to finish the series after it was reassured about security by the Pakistan Cricket Board.
Babar came into Friday’s game without an international century in 83 innings across the formats, more than 800 days since a hundred against Nepal in the Asia Cup at Multan in August 2023.
“I had been waiting for this (century) like the fans,” Babar said. “I kept the belief up. I got starts in a few games against South Africa too (in the last ODI series) but you only get what you wished when God wants you to. I was trying to spend as much time at the crease.”
He dug in well against the spin threat of Wanindu Hasaranga, who finished wicketless with 0-35, but the Sri Lanka seamers couldn’t control the wet ball because of dew and consistently missed their lengths.
Babar raised his half-century off 68 balls with only three fours and grew in confidence. He pulled Pramod Madushan to midwicket for a single to complete his much-awaited century off 115 balls with eight fours.
The crowd erupted and chanted “Babar, Babar” to celebrate the end of the drought by Pakistan’s premier batter. His 20th ODI century equaled Saeed Anwar’s Pakistan ODI record.
The opening pair of Fakhar Zaman (78) and Saim Ayub (33) provided a rollicking start of 77 off 58 balls.
Zaman was dropped twice in the 20s and a third time at fine leg just before his dismissal, a brilliant catch by Janith Liyanage at short midwicket. But by then he’d put on 100 runs with Babar to take the game away from Sri Lanka.
Mohammad Rizwan, unbeaten on 51 off 54 balls, and Babar shared a 112-run stand to the win.
“It’s a complete batting performance from us,” stand-in captain Salman Ali Agha said. “We had three very good partnerships. It was a 320-330 wicket for us so I was very happy to keep them to 290.”
Kamil Mishara (27) in his second ODI and Pathum Nissanka (24) made a decent start of 51 runs for Sri Lanka inside the batting powerplay before Nissanka was run out against the run of play when he tried to go for a third run.
Leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed, who recovered from illness, pegged back the visitors with three wickets. He dismissed Mishara, Kusal Mendis and captain Charith Asalanka and dropped the visitors to 98-4 in the 22nd over.
Sadeera Samarawickrama (42) and Liyanage (54) revived the innings with a 61-run stand until Haris Rauf knocked back the off stump of Samarawickrama in his return spell.
Rauf followed his four-wicket haul in the first ODI with 3-66 including the vital wicket of Kamindu Mendis (44) in the death overs.
Hasaranga’s late flurry of 37 off 26 balls helped to set a total that was thought to be about 30-40 runs short of par.
Asalanka rued a ton of missed opportunities, including good starts by batters and dropped catches in the field.
“A lot of wides and extras in the first two overs,” he said. “It’s really hard to come back on these wickets. After 10-15 overs dew came and things got harder.”
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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
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South Africa is 105-3 at lunch on the 1st day of the 1st cricket test against India
KOLKATA, India — Jasprit Bumrah took two wickets for nine runs as India fought back in the morning session Friday on the first day of the first cricket test against South Africa at Eden Gardens.
After winning the toss, South Africa set a hectic scoring pace in the first hour of play, reaching 57-0, before finishing the first session at 105-3 in 27 overs.
At the break, Wiaan Mulder was unbeaten on 22 while Tony de Zorzi was batting on 15 not out.
Earlier, India captain Shubman Gill lost his seventh toss in eight tests as South Africa opted to bat.
Openers Aiden Markram scored 31 runs and Ryan Rickelton 23 to give South Africa the early advantage.
But South Africa slipped from its unbeaten 57 to 71-3 in 5.3 overs, before Mulder and de Zorzi batted on for the remainder of the session. They added 34 off 66 balls for the fourth wicket.
Pacer Kagiso Rabada missed out for World Test Championship winner South Africa because of a rib injury, replaced by medium pace all-rounder Corbin Bosch. The Proteas opted for two spinners in Simon Harmer and Keshav Maharaj.
South Africa has not won a test in India since 2015. It last won a test series in India in 2000-01 under Hansie Cronje.
Kolkata is hosting its first test since 2019, when India and Bangladesh played a day-night test.
The second test will be played from Nov. 22 at Guwahati’s Barsapara Stadium, which hosted multiple games in the 2025 Women’s Cricket World Cup but will become a men’s test venue for the first time.
Recently, India beat West Indies 2-0, with left-arm wrist spinner Yadav the leading bowler with 12 wickets. South Africa drew a two-test series in Pakistan 1-1.
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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
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South Africa wins first toss on tour to Pakistan, elects to bat in series-deciding ODI
FAISALABAD, Pakistan — South Africa won its first toss on the tour of Pakistan and elected to bat in the series-deciding third and final ODI on Saturday.
The series is locked 1-1 after Pakistan won the first game narrowly by two wickets and South Africa bounced back with the help of Quinton de Kock’s unbeaten century to win the second game by eight wickets.
Pakistan fast bowler Haris Rauf returned after serving two-match ban for violating ICC code of conduct during the Asia Cup in late September and replaced Naseem Shah. Leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed, who was surprisingly left out from the second match, made his way back into the playing XI in place of Mohammad Wasim.
South Africa awarded an ODI debut to 28-year-old wicketkeeper-batter Rubin Hermann in place of injured Sinethemba Qeshile. The Proteas went with an extra seam option and brought back Lungi Ngidi as left-arm spinner George Linde missed out.
South Africa didn’t win a toss in a two-match drawn test series in Pakistan. The Proteas also lost all the five tosses in the white-ball series before at last calling it correctly in the final game of the tour on Saturday.
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Lineups:
South Africa: Quinton de Kock, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Tony de Zorzi, Matthew Breetzke (captain), Rubin Hermann, Donovan Ferreira, Corbin Bosch, Bjorn Fortuin, Nqabayomzi Peter, Nandre Burger, Lungi Ngidi.
Pakistan: Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Ali Agha, Hussain Talat, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed.
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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
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India leads T20 series 2-1 after Australia crashes against spin
GOLD COAST, Australia — Washington Sundar took three wickets in five deliveries as India beat Australia by 48 runs in the fourth Twenty20 on Thursday.
India spinners claimed six wickets in all to usher an Australia collapse from 91-4 in 11.3 overs to 119 all out in 18.2 overs in pursuit of 168.
Australia lost its last seven wickets for 28 runs across 41 deliveries and out for its second lowest T20 total on home soil after 111 versus New Zealand in Sydney in 2022.
India has an unbeatable 2-1 lead in the series which ends on Saturday in Brisbane.
Sundar took 3-3 from 1.2 overs, left-arm spinner Axar Patel grabbed 2-20 in four overs, and Varun Chakravarthy picked 1-26.
Patel’s wickets and cameo of 21 not out off 11 balls, which helped to push India’s past 150, earned him the player of the match award.
“I got a chance to bat at No. 7 and it helped me understand the wicket,” Patel said. “The ball was not coming on and there was unexpected bounce. I tried bowling wicket to wicket. If I have an impact for my team it’s the best game for me.”
Shubman Gill scored 46 off 39 balls as India put up 167-8 after being sent in.
Wrist spinner Adam Zampa took 3-45 in four overs.
Chasing 168, Australia made a decent start between skipper Mitchell Marsh, who top-scored with 30 off 24 balls, and Matthew Short, opening in place of Travis Head.
Short scored 25 off 19 balls with two fours and two sixes.
But Patel trapped Short lbw and bowled Josh Inglis on 12. Then Shivam Dube dismissed Marsh in the 10th over and Tim David on 14 two overs later at 91-4.
Australia tried hard to stay in the contest but the spinners took over.
Chakravarthy bowled Glenn Maxwell for a sixth time then Sundar trapped Marcus Stoinis lbw and dismissed Xavier Bartlett next ball. Nathan Ellis survived the hat trick ball in the 17th over.
Earlier, Gill and Abhishek Sharma gave India a flying start with 56 off 40 balls for the first wicket.
Sharma’s 21-ball 28 included three fours and a six.
Dube was sent up the order and added 22 off 18. Skipper Suryakumar Yadav chipped in 20 off 10. Gill stitched vital partnerships with both of them.
After Gill and Yadav departed, India was 125-4 in 15.1 overs and the middle order couldn’t hit hard, especially against Zampa. Nathan Ellis supported him with 3-21.
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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
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New Zealand v England scorecard
New Zealand v England – third ODI: live scorecard and commentary
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New Zealand v England scorecard
New Zealand v England – second ODI: live scorecard and commentary
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Skipper Healy out of Australia’s blockbuster World Cup clash with injury
Alyssa Healy has been ruled out of Australia’s World Cup clash against England, with the in-form opener suffering a calf injury a little over a week out from the finals.
Officials have confirmed Healy suffered a minor strain while training on Saturday, with the captain now fighting to be fit for Australia’s final-round game against South Africa.
Tahlia McGrath will captain the Australian team in Healy’s absence, while Beth Mooney will take the gloves. Georgia Voll is expected to come into the XI.
Healy’s injury could not have come at a more frustrating time for the 34-year-old.
She missed the semi-final of last year’s Twenty20 World Cup with a foot injury, before Australia were ultimately knocked out by South Africa.
Foot and knee issues then ruined her summer, including Australia’s clean sweep of England in the Ashes.
Healy had returned to form in the past fortnight, backing up a match-winning 142 against India with an unbeaten 113 against Bangladesh last week.
Wednesday night’s clash with England marks a battle of the only two unbeaten teams of the tournament, with the winner set to claim top spot ahead of the finals.
Healy had said in the lead up to the World Cup her time away from the game had her feeling reinvigorated for both the World Cup and summer ahead.
“She’s pretty used to playing very strong cricket in World Cups,” Ellyse Perry told AAP last week.
“The form she is in and the way she is giving to the group across the board, it seems like she is certainly invigorated.”
Australia will now desperately hope to have Healy back on deck for next week’s semi-finals, where there is every chance they could face hosts India.
AAP
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Steph Curry exclusive: Golden State Warriors superstar opens up on free agency in 2027 and preparing for the 2025/26 season
Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry speaks exclusively to Sky Sports to discuss 2027 free agency
Golden State Warriors superstar Steph Curry has opened up on his plans for free agency in 2027 after admitting situations change “really fast” in the NBA.
The prospect of Curry, a two-time league MVP and 11-time All-Star, playing for any franchise other than The Dubs is a strange one.
After being drafted with the seventh overall pick in 2009, Curry has gone on to revolutionise the game of basketball, helping himself to four championships, one finals MVP and the NBA record for most three-pointers made with 4,058 to add to his overall tally of 25,386 points.
All while wearing No 30 for the Warriors.
- 4 x NBA champion
- 2 x NBA MVP
- 2022 NBA Finals MVP
- 11 x NBA All-Star
- 2 x NBA All-Star MVP
- 11 x All-NBA Team selection
- 2024 NBA Clutch Player of the Year
- 2 x NBA Three-Point Content champion
- Most three-pointers made in NBA history
Curry signed a one-year extension with the team in 2024, worth a reported £47.5m ($62.6m) and ending growing speculation around his future in the process, keeping him in San Francisco until 2027.
Two years from now, when that deal expires, the greatest shooter of all time will be 39.
After averaging just under 25 points, six assists, and over four rebounds in his 16th season, as well as longevity being more prominent than ever in the league, it is clear to see that his time in the NBA is far from over.
But could the next chapter in his illustrious career lie away from Chase Center? Do not rule it out.
“What I have learned about this league is that things change really fast,” Curry told Sky Sports while discussing Underrated Golf, a programme set up by the point guard to break down barriers to entry and increase diversity in the game of golf.
Underrated Golf is an initiative led by Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry to create a pathway into the sport for young athletes from underrepresented communities.
The programme aims to break down barriers in the game of golf to give prospects a level playing field, in a bid to create a more inclusive and accessible environment for young golfers.
“What you might feel like in two years from now could be totally different. I try to stay in the moment as much as possible; it’s not the glitziest answer but it allows me to enjoy what is happening now.
“I do want to play for only one team, let’s keep that pretty clear. Being at the Warriors has been unbelievable and I feel blessed to have only played for one franchise and to have accomplished what we have.
“So if I could have the best of both worlds and continue to be championship relevant over the next couple of years, that would be great but this league is wild. You kind of just stay in the moment.”
Despite a decision on his future looming as we approach 2027, Curry’s full focus remains on securing more success with the team he holds so dear to his heart in the upcoming 2025/26 season.
The arrival of six-time All-Star Jimmy Butler in February has shown early signs of promise after the Warriors reached the Western Conference semi-finals last time out, only to be denied the opportunity to show their title-winning credentials following a Grade 1 hamstring strain for Curry in game one against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
A 4-1 defeat in the series would follow but heading into 2025/26, the roster has been bolstered by a new two-year deal for Jonathan Kuminga, as well as the arrival of 2024 NBA champion Al Horford,to run alongside long-term teammate Draymond Green in the frontcourt.
Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler (left) Stephen Curry (centre) and forward Draymond Green (right)
With Curry now back to full fitness and fresh depth surrounding him, the intentions from the Warriors have been clear from pre-season.
The Dubs are 3-1 in games Curry has featured in, beating the Los Angeles Lakers and the Portland Trail Blazers twice, with attention now turning to the season opener against the Lakers on October 21, live on Sky Sports.
When asked what aspects of the game still motivate a player who has already achieved so much in the sport as we approach a new 82-game season, Curry added: “I talk about championships, and that drive – it allows every part of the journey to matter.
“Even in the off-season, how you prepare for the year, come in and try and build chemistry with your teammates and how you get through the emotional rollercoaster of an 82-game season.
“All of that is built into being at your peak come playoff time in April.
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry during the pre-season game against the Los Angeles Clippers
“Individual accolades take care of themselves. When you win, everybody is rewarded. As long as I’m taking care of championship motivation, everything else takes care of itself. Whether you win or not, you just lay it all out there.
“We have a brand new team again. We’ll all try and stay healthy and try and get to the finish line. That’s our goal.”
The Warriors have won seven championships in total across their 78-year history, with Curry leading them to more than half of that total.
If the franchise is to add an eighth banner to the rafters in 2026, their point guard will be the man to lead them there.
His powers at the highest level are showing no signs are waning, with the 37-year-old looking to replicate the successes of the likes of LeBron James and Kevin Durant by “redefining” what it is to be playing at a high level towards the latter stages of their respective careers.
“I feel like I’ve got some good basketball ahead of me. I’m trying to redefine what it is to be playing at a high level at this age,” said Curry when the question of his timeline leading the roster was posed.
“I still love the work that goes into it and playing the game; hopefully, that will carry me. I don’t want to put any limits on it.”
Watch the Golden State Warriors against the Los Angeles Lakers live on Sky Sports + on October 21, tip-off 3am UK time.
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Blind woman from Bay Area selected to Team USA in cricket World Cup in India
A Bay Area woman has made it onto the USA national team to represent her country in the first World Cup of cricket in India.
She’s played sports all her life, but she hasn’t always been on a level playing field until now.
Asanda Pavlacka is a multi-sport athlete with a background in martial arts, running, swimming and gymnastics. While she has overcome many hurdles, her biggest challenge came about 28 years ago when she lost her sight.
“I had a degenerative eye condition when I was born, so I was able to see up through my teens,” Pavlacka said. “Then diminished a little by little. Then I ended up having nothing.”
Losing her vision hasn’t stopped Pavlacka from playing sports.
“That’s how I live my life,” she said. “I don’t let too many things stop me and if they do, I figure it out and find a different way.”
That’s what she did when a fellow blind athlete approached her about playing cricket.
“For blind cricket, we’re actually kneeling down to the ground and using the full length of the bat,” Pavlacka said.
After several training camps across the country, Pavlacka was selected to represent Team USA in India.
“In November, we’re going to the first-ever blind World Cup for cricket,” she said.
Pavlacka said that playing cricket is the easy part. The challenges have come off the pitch, from getting their visas to making sure expenses are covered while they are away. She started an online fundraiser to help her and four other teammates.
“There’s five of us on the team that’s kind of flying solo in a sense,” she said. “We don’t have a lot of at-home support.”
Pavlacka said that while the goal is to bring home the gold, it’s a big win to be invited to play a sport on the world stage. If anything, she hopes to use this as a learning experience to improve her skills and go back next year a better player.
“Knowing that I’m not the awesomest awesome person doing something like that is a little ego blow,” she said. “I mean, it’s all about sticking with it and getting better every day and not comparing yourself. Comparing yourself to me.”
Andrea Nakano
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