South Africa claim historic World Cup final spot as Wolvaardt blows England away

South Africa made history in ­Guwahati on Wednesday, after a ­phenomenal innings from their captain, Laura Wolvaardt, and ­remarkable figures of five for 20 from Marizanne Kapp helped them to a 125-run win against England and into their first 50-over World Cup final.Wolvaardt took 115 balls to bring up a maiden World Cup hundred, which was reason enough to celebrate. But with wickets tumbling at the other end, and England looking like they might have an easy-enough chase on their hands, she unleashed a superb display of boundary-striking, adding 69 runs in 28 balls.Wolvaardt slammed four sixes down the ground and slog-swept Linsey Smith for 20 runs off the 47th over. Even when she holed out to Lauren Bell in the 48th, Chloe Tryon and Nadine de Klerk took over, ­hitting 16 off Smith in the 49th over as ­England’s best death bowler was made to resemble an amateur

Australia will target Freeman at centre in England clash, George Gregan warns

The former Australia captain George Gregan says they will target Tommy Freeman’s defending at outside-centre for England on Saturday.Steve Borthwick’s side kick off their autumn campaign at Twickenham against opponents who consigned them to a dramatic late defeat last year, and the head coach has made some notable selectorial calls.George Ford starts at No 10 instead of Fin Smith, Ford’s Sale Sharks colleague Tom Roebuck is on the wing and, most interestingly, Freeman will play at No 13.The in-form Northampton back will line up in midfield for England for the second time, switching from a more familiar role out wide. He scored four tries in the Saints’ win against Saracens last Friday wearing the No 14 jersey, and outside-centre requires a different set of skills, particularly without the ball

Shohei Ohtani had an off night at the World Series but he still breaks baseball logic

The Dodgers star pitched in Game 3 just 18 hours after setting records with the bat. It’s a reminder of how he makes the miraculous seem mundaneEven Shohei Ohtani’s teammates struggle to find the right adjectives to describe him; ones that express how good he is while emphasizing how unlikely his existence is in the first place.After Monday’s Game 3, when Ohtani became the first player in postseason history to reach base nine times in a World Series game, Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman opted for “unicorn,” one of the more common Ohtani descriptors. Starting pitcher Blake Snell, meanwhile, put things simple and plain.“He’s going to do spectacular things all the time,” Snell said

Wallabies resume England rivalry with memories still fresh of Twickenham triumph | Angus Fontaine

Smell that? That delicious whiff, sometimes bitter, but all the sweeter for its bluster? ‘Tis the distinctive funk of Australia-England sporting acrimony back on the breeze. The Kangaroos and England battling over rugby league Tests. The Lionesses and the Matildas resuming their World Cup feud. Stuart Broad and the Barmy Army playing at villainy before the Ashes next month. And the green grass of Twickenham twitching at the Wallabies’ return this weekend

NFL’s No 1 draft pick Cam Ward victim of identity theft in $250,000 scheme

Two people armed with a number of false identities managed to fraudulently obtain a quarter of a million dollars’ worth of loans in the name of Cam Ward, the quarterback of the National Football League’s Tennessee Titans, according to authorities.Albert Weber, 42, and Cyntrelle Lash, 39, are facing charges of identity theft, bank fraud and forgery after their arrests in a case whose victims allegedly include the first overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft, his father and the business that loaned out the money in question, said Capt Jason Rivarde of the sheriff’s office in Jefferson parish, Louisiana, outside New Orleans.While attempts to contact Lash for comment were unsuccessful, Weber vehemently denied wrongdoing, suggesting the actions attributed to him were carried out by someone else who falsely assumed his identity.The case in any event highlights how increasingly common fraud involving professional athletes has become amid rises in their endorsement and salary income, as highlighted by a 2021 report from global accounting and consulting firm EY.As Rivarde put it, beginning in March, Weber and Lash worked together to secure multiple loans cumulatively worth at least $250,000 in the name of Ward, whose four-year rookie contract with the Titans is reportedly worth about $48

The Spin | Sophie Devine’s impact on women’s cricket should be measured in more than statistics

The New Zealand legend played with joy and fun, but was also a true fighter who spanned eras in the women’s gameAs the Women’s World Cup has progressed, sanding down the edges and turning up the four semi-finalists you might have predicted from the start, a sideshow has been quietly playing stage left. A down-to-earth sideshow – just like the woman herself – the Sophie Devine farewell.Devine made her New Zealand debut in October 2006, in an ODI and T20 series against Australia. Nineteen years later, still with the same open face and broad smile, she has played her final one-day international – a losing affair against England neither side will polish up for the mantelpiece. The most memorable moment came at the end with the affectionate guard of honour given to Devine by both sides and the Māori tribute led by Melie Kerr and sung by her teary teammates as the stadium emptied