Alex Yee runs second fastest British marathon time to trail only Mo Farah

Alex Yee, the Olympic triathlon champion, has become the second-fastest British marathon runner in history with a stunning run in Valencia. The 27-year-old finished seventh in a strong field in a time of 2hr 6min 38sec, quicker than any Briton in history apart from Mo Farah, who ran 2:05:11 in Chicago in 2018.It was a remarkable performance, especially given Yee took up the marathon only this year as a mini-sabbatical from triathlon after he won gold in Paris. As Yee crossed the line he roared to the skies before placing his hands to his head, in disbelief at the time he had just achieved.“Valencia marathon blew away any expectations I had of myself,” said Yee

Australia v England: Ashes second Test, day four – as it happened

Righto, that is all from us today. The lights are dimmed here at Brisbane’s Gabba and the pitch is being watered by the ground staff. Australia are one win away from being home and hosed themselves.We’ll be back to OBO the third game of the series in Adelaide starting on 16th December.All Ben Stokes wants for Christmas… is a Test match win in Australia

He’ll always have Brisbane: Michael Neser revels in sweet day of Ashes glory | Geoff Lemon

In the end, the only tension was whether Brisbane’s rain would descend before Australia could knock off the last 32 runs in the final session, and so whether going 2-0 up in the Ashes would be delayed until the fifth day. It turned out that England’s resistance through the light of the afternoon had only dished up some evening entertainment for home fans, with Travis Head able to put on a brief show in dispatching the pink ball over the fence before he headed back the same way.Although through the longest partnership of the series so far, 221 balls on the hottest day of the second Test, Ben Stokes and Will Jacks made Australia work in the field, something that was perhaps worth doing for the simple fact of proving that it can be done. With Mitchell Starc tiring after leading the line all series, the contest became a grind. What it reflected about Australia’s bowling makeup was instructive

England to seek better warmup preparations before 2029-30 Ashes series

The England & Wales Cricket Board is ready to offer Australia their pick of warm-up facilities before the next Ashes series in 2027, in an attempt to secure similar treatment when England return in 2029-30 and avoid being forced into the kind of buildup that preceded the current series and has become the focus of intense criticism.England’s preparations are under the microscope given their dismal start to this series, with the first Test lost inside two days and the second lost in four, with Australia’s winning margins eight wickets both times. “If I was an England supporter and had paid the money to come here, I’d be asking the ECB for a refund,” Ian Botham said on Sunday. “Because this team, for me, is not prepared.”Though much of the travelling squad was in Perth, venue of the first Ashes Test, by 2 November, 19 days before the commencement of hostilities, and the remainder had arrived by the 9th, their only cricket that could even be loosely defined as competitive before the series got under way was a two-day game against the Lions, a collection of their own reserves and promising youngsters

Neser takes key wickets before Australia ease to 2-0 Ashes series lead over England

2nd Test, D4: Australia, 511 & 69-2, bt England, 334 & 241Neser ends Stokes’ defiance and takes first Test five-ferTo a chorus of Australian cheers, and jeers aimed at England, the second Ashes Test ended not with a whimper but a bang. Steve Smith sent a flash of pink soaring over the rope to seal an emphatic eight-wicket victory for his side, moments after swapping words with Jofra Archer.“You bowl fast when there’s nothing gone on, champion,” was Smith’s dig, before sealing the 2-0 series lead that only one side in Test history has ever overcome. Australia’s second-innings target was a modest 65 runs and, while he was sending down serious heat, Archer’s match figures were hobbled by poor catching. It was hard to disagree with the broader sentiment side-mouthed by Smith: day four was too little, too late from Ben Stokes and his team

‘What’s my life like away from rugby? Chaos’: Red Rose superstar Ellie Kildunne on confidence, cowboy dances and why it’s cool to be different

Kildunne is known for her startling speed and audacious tries, but there’s more to the talented full-back than rugby, from a passion for photography to a sideline in DIY tattooingEllie Kildunne says it’s not quite sunk in yet. A couple of months on from winning the Rugby Union World Cup with her England teammates, she’s still on a high. I ask if she slept with her winner’s medal by her bed the night they won. “That night?” She gives me a look. “It’s still by my bed