Sophia Dunkley launches England into new era with win over West Indies in first T20

This opening match of the T20 series at Canterbury was supposed to be all about England: a first chance to assess how this team will fare under the new head coach, Charlotte Edwards, and new captain Nat Sciver-Brunt. And no doubt, Edwards will be pleased that her reign began with an eight-wicket win, especially as this was a homecoming of sorts for the former Kent captain.But while England experienced their first taste of victory in five months – spearheaded by a career-best unbeaten 81 from Sophia Dunkley, and featuring a wicket on debut for the 27-year-old Warwickshire seamer Em Arlott – there was only one star of Wednesday’s show: West Indies captain Hayley Matthews, who calmly brought up a century off the final ball of the visitors’ innings.An unbeaten 100 out of a team total of 146; 16 boundaries to Matthews while her teammates scored just five between them. Matthews is by now used to bearing the weight of the team she has captained for three years – epitomised by her refusal to take singles in the final over here, as she eyed up three figures – but the sensation is currently heightened by the mysterious absence of Deandra Dottin, who was omitted from the West Indies squad for this tour without explanation

England beat West Indies by eight wickets: first women’s T20 cricket international – as it happened

That’s it from me this evening. Congratulations England – ‘A new dawn has broken has it not?’ and all that. Charlotte Edwards will be pretty happy with what she saw this evening. The series continues on Friday down in Hove. Rob Smyth will be your guide for that and we’ll be back in the morning for the start of the Test match summer

Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander named NBA MVP

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player, capping a breakout year in which he led the Oklahoma City Thunder to a league-best 68 wins and the franchise’s deepest playoff run since the Kevin Durant era.The 26-year-old guard, who will be officially honored on Wednesday night, edged out Denver’s Nikola Jokić for the award after finishing runner-up to the Serbian star last season. Gilgeous-Alexander became the first Thunder player to win MVP since Russell Westbrook in 2017, and only the third in team history, alongside Westbrook and Durant.Gilgeous-Alexander is the first Canadian to win the award since Steve Nash in 2006. He also continues a run of players from outside the US claiming the award

Pro-doping Enhanced Games to debut in Las Vegas with Trump Jr backing

A controversial new Olympics-style sporting event where athletes will be permitted – and even encouraged – to use performance-enhancing drugs is set to debut in Las Vegas next May, organizers announced on Wednesday.The inaugural Enhanced Games will take place 21–24 May 2026 at Resorts World on the Las Vegas Strip. Over four days, competitors will race, lift and swim with full access to drugs and therapies banned in virtually every other elite athletic setting.Billed as a revolution in sport and science, the event aims to embrace what organizers call “superhumanity” – a future where pharmaceutical and technological enhancement is normalized in elite competition. But while promoters cast it as a bold break from the past, critics are already raising alarms about safety, fairness and the fundamental integrity of sport

Ben Stokes targets No 1 spot in world Test rankings: ‘One more place to go’

England under Ben Stokes have never lacked ambition, but they go into a defining period of Test cricket with one in particular in mind: to become the first England side in 15 years to take top spot in the International Cricket Council’s rankings – officially the best in the world.“If we win what we’ve got coming up, the likelihood is that we will be at the top of that leaderboard,” Stokes said. “There’s no doubt in my mind we have the ability to be that team.”The ICC’s latest annual update placed England at No 2, behind Australia, with five-match series against India this summer and the Australians in the winter to follow the one-off game against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge that starts on Thursday.England last took the No 1 ranking in August 2011, on their way to beating India 4-0 at home, before losing it against South Africa the following summer

Steve Borthwick: don’t bet against Henry Pollock making Lions Test team

Steve Borthwick believes Henry Pollock can force his way into the British & Irish Lions Test team for the series against Australia this summer despite having just one England cap as a replacement to his name.The 20-year-old was the headline inclusion in Andy Farrell’s Lions squad last month after a stunning breakthrough season in which he has helped Northampton into Saturday’s Champions Cup final against Bordeaux.At the start of the Six Nations he was still turning out for England Under-20s before starting to figure in Borthwick’s thinking towards the end of the championship. He made a fine debut off the bench against Wales in Cardiff, scoring two tries in a 32-minute cameo.As a back-rower Pollock is in arguably the most competitive position in Farrell’s squad with Tom Curry, Ben Earl, Jac Morgan, Josh van der Flier and Jack Conan for company