Thousands of people lined the streets to pay their respects to Leeds Rhinos legend and motor neurone disease campaigner Rob Burrow as a private funeral service was held.
Burrow passed away at the age of 41 on June 2, four and a half years after being diagnosed with motor neurone disease.
The service was attended by many of Burrow’s ex-team-mates and coaches, including Kevin Sinfield, with whom Burrow raised more than £15m for MND charities since his diagnosis.
Image: Burrow passed away at the age of 41 on June 2, four and half years after being diagnosed with motor neurone disease
Sinfield – who ran seven ultra-marathons in as many days last December to generate funds – flew back from New Zealand, where he has been part of the England rugby union side’s coaching staff.
The funeral procession passed by Featherstone Lions’ ground where Burrow played rugby as a young boy, and slowed again through Featherstone near to where he played junior rugby.
Cars arrived and slowed into Pontefract Crematorium, passing through family and friends for the final time before a haka was performed as Burrow was carried out of the hearse.
Burrow’s former Leeds colleagues Jamie Jones-Buchanan, Ryan Hall and Matt Diskin were among those also present.
Team-mate and close friend Kevin Sinfield sent a special message to Leeds fans following Burrow’s passing
‘Burrow a true inspiration, a giant of a person’
Leeds chief executive Gary Hetherington told the PA news agency of Burrow: “He was a true inspiration.
“The whole rugby league community has come together supported by Leeds Rhinos fans and so many others and his efforts over the last four and a half years with MND inspired the nation.
“With so much support from those such as Kevin Sinfield, politicians and other sports figures… it has been quite remarkable and he leaves a huge legacy. This is the final journey, it has been a remarkable chapter.
Leeds Rhinos gathered to remember their inspirational number seven and give Burrow the fitting tribute he deserved in the match against Leigh in June
“We all knew what the outcome would eventually be and Rob has been remarkable with his fight and what he’s been able to do, not only Rob, but his family.
“The whole family have come together and have been supported by sport in general. It’s brought people together and has moved the nation.
“He was full of life, full of ambition and full of enthusiasm.
“Rob was 5ft 4in but was a giant of a man, a giant of a rugby league player and a giant of a person.”
You can donate to the MND Association at www.mndassociation.org/skysports
American Davis Thompson fired nine birdies in a third-round 62 to take a two-shot lead into the final day of the John Deere Classic.
Soft conditions on the TPC Deere Run in Illinois continued to bring low scores, Thompson moving to 21 under par – two clear of England’s Aaron Rai and fellow American Eric Cole.
“I guess it was just my day today,” said Thompson, who is seeking his first PGA Tour victory. “The guys behind me are playing really well.
Image: Aaron Rai is two off the lead with 18 holes remaining
“I know it’s going to be tough to finish off a golf tournament, but I’ve done it before. I just have to stay present-minded.”
With the final day being played in threesomes with a delayed start in a bid to beat storms, Rai, co-leader after the second round, will play in the last group for the second successive week.
He had six birdies in a round of 66 as he bids to go one better than his second place at the Rocket Mortgage Classic last week.
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Hayden Springer, who shot a 59 on the opening day, is a further two strokes back on 17 under par after a 66, alongside Taiwan’s CT Pan.
Rookie Michael Thorbjohnsen and amateur Luke Clanton are among those on 16 under par, while a third-round 70 saw England’s Harry Hall tumble down the leaderboard to seven shots adrift.
Watch the final round of the John Deere Classic live on Sky Sports Golf from 5pm on Sunday.
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Ireland’s Leona Maguire will take a two-shot lead into the final round of the Aramco Team Series individual event in London, with two teams heading to a play-off.
Maguire added a second round of 72 to her opening 66 at Centurion Club to reach eight under par, with Solheim Cup team-mate Georgia Hall her nearest challenger on six under following a second successive 70.
After making a bogey on her first hole of the day, the 10th, Maguire responded with a birdie on the 13th, only to give the shot straight back on the next.
Birdies on the third and sixth ensured Maguire remained on top of the leaderboard as Hall suffered a poor finish to her round, the world No 38 racing to the turn in 31 but coming home in 39 after dropped shots on the seventh and eighth.
Team Nadaud and Team Hall finished tied at the top of the leaderboard at the conclusion of the 36-hole team event which means, with both teams level on 24 under par, they will play off for victory at Centurion Club at the end of the third round on Friday afternoon.
Team Hall is made up of Hall and Hannah Burke alongside Morocco’s Lina Belmati and amateur Shane Hart-Jones, while Team Nadaud includes Nastasia Nadaud, Czechia’s Kristyna Napoleaova, Spain’s Mireia Prat and amateur George Brooksbank.
Highlights from the first day of the Aramco Team Series London from the Centurion Club
“It is really windy out there; it’s probably a two to three club wind in places,” said Maguire.
“It’s getting swirly in between the trees as well. You really have to commit to your shots. It’s a tough test out there, you have to take advantage of those par-fives and par is a really good score on quite a few holes out there.
Image: Leona Maguire is bidding for a wire-to-wire victory at Centurion Club
“It’s almost playing a little bit linksy. The course is drying out, it’s getting firm and fast, and quite strong wind. It was swirling in places, so you’re just trying to hit a few punchy shots that I probably haven’t used in a while. It was definitely a welcome back to European golf. It’s a good test and I enjoyed it.”
Watch the Aramco Team Series event in London live on Sky Sports. Live coverage continues Friday from 12.30pm on Sky Sports Mix, the red button on Sky Sports Golf and – for free on the Sky Sports Golf YouTube channel. Stream the Ladies European Tour and more with NOW.
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Jonny Clayton returned to winning ways with an outstanding 8-5 success against Wesley Plaisier in Wednesday’s Players Championship 14 final in Milton Keynes, as Luke Littler made another early exit.
Clayton stormed to victory on a thrilling day of action at the Marshall Arena, denying an in-form Plaisier to clinch his first PDC ranking title since May 2023.
The Welshman – a runner-up in May’s Dutch Darts Championship – endured a difficult end to 2023, but he continued his revival to become the 14th different winner in as many Players Championship events in 2024.
Clayton – a quarter-finalist on Tuesday – kicked off his campaign with emphatic wins against Darren Beveridge, Andy Baetens and James Hurrell, before defying a 110.71 average from Dom Taylor in a sensational last-16 tie.
The 49-year-old then overcame Martin Schindler in the last eight, before running out a 7-3 winner against Cameron Menzies in the semi-finals, which ended the Scot’s hopes of World Matchplay qualification.
Who will win the Betfred World Matchplay? Watch live from Saturday July 13 on Sky Sports!
Clayton seized the early initiative in Wednesday’s showpiece, reeling off three consecutive legs to establish 4-1 and 5-2 leads, only for Plaisier to respond with a majestic 161 checkout in leg eight.
The former Premier League champion restored his three-leg buffer with a fabulous 11-darter, and he punished rare errors on the outer ring from his Dutch opponent to move to the brink of glory at 7-3.
Plaisier hit back with skin-saving 121 and 122 finishes on the bull as he looked to complete an astonishing turnaround, but Clayton kept his cool, pinning double 16 to triumph with a 106 average.
“Fair play to Wesley. How he hasn’t got a Tour Card I’ll never know, because he can seriously play darts,” said Clayton, who also landed seven 180s in the final. “Confidence is low when you’re not picking up results, but I’ve got my mojo back. I’ve got a smile on my face, and winning always helps.
“I was way off at the start of the year, but something has clicked. I played well yesterday and I played well today, so my consistency is there, and fingers crossed I can keep it going. It’s a great time to get your form back with the World Matchplay coming up, and hopefully I can go one step further this year.”
Plaisier reaffirmed his credentials by reaching back-to-back finals at the Marshall Arena, as he walked away from this week’s ProTour double-header with £20,000 in prize money. He dumped out world No 4 Gerwyn Price in the last 32, and later accounted for Mario Vandenbogaerde, Graham Usher and Ryan Joyce to maintain his superb run of form.
Image: Gerwyn Price will be among the favourites at the Betfred World Matchplay later this month in Blackpool
Joyce crashed in a 111.48 average in his quarter-final thumping of Josh Rock, having also won through a deciding-leg tussle against top seed Dave Chisnall in the last 16.
Scottish star Menzies dumped out England’s World Cup winning duo Michael Smith and Luke Humphries on his way to the semi-finals, while Schindler defeated his World Cup partner Gabriel Clemens to end Clemens’ World Matchplay dreams.
Live World Matchplay Darts
Saturday 13th July 7:30pm
Usher claimed a host of big scalps to reach his maiden ProTour quarter-final, following up deciding-leg wins over Gary Anderson and James Wade with a 6-4 success against World Matchplay champion Nathan Aspinall.
Robert Owen produced the performance of the day in Milton Keynes, registering a staggering 115.85 average in his third round demolition of Ryan Searle, who was beaten 6-1 despite averaging 105, while Luke Littler made another early exit with a 6-3 loss against Hurrell.
Wednesday’s action marked the final event before the cut-off for Betfred World Matchplay qualification, with 2007 champion James Wade securing the final place in the 32-player field.
Menzies threatened to overhaul Wade with his brilliant run to the last four, although he fell just short in his last-gasp Blackpool bid.
Watch the Betfred World Matchplay from July 13-21 at the Winter Gardens, Blackpool live on Sky Sports. Watch the best darts live on Sky Sports or stream with NOW.
Ally Ewing and Jennifer Kupcho handled a strong wind and the tough foursomes format for a three-under 67 on Saturday, giving the American duo a one-shot lead going into the final round of the Dow Championship.
The South Korean tandem of Haeji Kang and In Kyung Kim was tied for second with a team of former No 1s in Atthaya Thitikul and Ruoning Yin. The final round is fourballs, the easier format to score.
Ewing finally got a birdie putt to fall from about 18 feet on the 10th hole, and they picked up another birdie on the par-5 11th. A soft bogey on the 16th hole dropped them back into a tie and then Ewing hit a good tee shot on the par-3 18th to set up Kupcho’s birdie.
“I didn’t really know where we stood. I knew we were near the top,” Kupcho said.
“Honestly, I don’t think it matters going into tomorrow. One shot lead isn’t that much when it’s the format of best ball tomorrow. Like somebody can go out and shoot 11 under. It’s just going out and focusing on our own game tomorrow.”
They were at 15-under in the only official team event on the LPGA schedule. Kupcho won it two years ago with Lizette Salas.
Kang and In Kim had the low score of the day, a 65 that included an eagle on the par-4 fifth hole where the tees were moved forward to make it reachable. Kang hit driver to near perfection, over the water setting up a short eagle putt.
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They were at 6 under for the round until the South Koreans made their lone bogey on the 18th.
Thitikul of Thailand and Yin of China lost some momentum in the easier fourballs format on Friday, a 66 that was who shots worse than their opening foursomes score. And then they got off to a rough start, making bogey on the par-5 third hole and taking a double bogey on the next one.
But they picked up the pace and again thrived in foursomes. They responded to the double bogey with three straight birdies, and they picked up four more birdies on the back nine. Thitikul polished it off with a 20-foot birdie putt on the last hole.
“We had a rough start, which is me being stupid,” Yin said.
“I made a couple of mistakes, and Jeeno just talked to me and say, Hey, I know we just need to hit the ball, and we’ll make birdies. I have you; you have me. That’s all you need to know.’
“Yeah, we bounced back in the way we were tough out there.”
Australia’s Grace Kim and Auston Kim, an LPGA rookie from Florida, were part of a five-way tie for the lead going into the third round.
They managed a 69 as they scrambled to stay in position in the tough wind.
Also two shots back were Amanda Doherty and Caroline Inglis, who posted a 66. Lexi Thompson and Brooke Henderson were six shots out of the lead, but they had 14 teams in front of them. They fell back with a 71 in which they managed only one birdie.
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The dream team of Luke Humphries and Michael Smith gave England a record-breaking fifth World Cup of Darts title and first since 2016 with a 10-6 victory over Austria.
World Cup debutant Humphries and 2023 world champion Smith delivered the goods to secure England’s first World Cup triumph in eight years.
Phil Taylor and Adrian Lewis were the only players to have lifted the World Cup title for England since the tournament’s inception in 2010, but Humphries and Smith created their own history with a dominant success on German soil at the Eissporthalle in Frankfurt.
World Cup of Darts – Results
Quarter-finals
Austria
8-7
Croatia
Belgium
8-7
Italy
England
8-4
Northern Ireland
Scotland
8-7
Sweden
Semi-finals
Austria
8-4
Belgium
England
8-3
Scotland
Final
England
10-6
Austria
Luke Humphries and Michael Smith celebrate winning a record-breaking fifth World Cup of Darts for England
“I felt the biggest buzz since winning the Worlds. We really wanted this. We really believed we could win it and after that first game we played, we clicked,” Humphries told Sky Sports.
“You’ve got a cheat code, the world number one and number three against the field, it’s quite tough for everyone else but after that first game we played and we clicked. We were only worried about ourselves. We knew if we played our best, we could do it and we did.
“I just hope we get to come back next year and defend it together as champions.”
Humphries and Smith share their thoughts after their World Cup of Darts triumph against Austria
Smith was full of praise for team-mate Humphries, adding: “How good was this man in the final? He hit everything.
“My [double] tops was non-existent and every single shot I left him, bang, bang, bang…. thank you so much mate, you’ve just got me the gold medal.”
The title favourites raced into a 5-1 lead over 2021 runners-up Rowby-John Rodriguez and Mensur Suljovic, Humphries taking out 151 in the sixth leg and 121 in the next before Austria hit back to reduce their deficit to 6-4.
A 180 from Humphries then set up Smith, who had struggled with his doubles early on, to take out double 15 before finishes of 130 and 112 from Humphries took England to the brink of victory.
Suljovic took out 98 to keep the match alive but Smith sealed the win on double eight in the next leg.
Humphries slammed in FOUR ton-plus checkouts in the final
England deserved to be crowned champions
“No one has got within four legs of England, they’ve been that dominant,” said Mark Webster, a 2010 World Cup of Darts finalist for Wales.
“They were pushed in that final but they just all the answers including those big finishes from Luke Humphries.
“They functioned as a team throughout. They were heavy favourites and lived up to it. They’re deserved champions.”
Tale of the Tape
World Cup of Darts: Roll of Honour
England had earlier beaten Northern Ireland 8-4 in the quarter-finals and Scotland by the same score in the last four, while Austria edged past Croatia 8-7 in the quarter-finals before an 8-3 win over Belgium in the semis.
Referee Kirk Bevins ruled that Gary Anderson stepped over the oche throwing his final dart leading to confusion in Scotland’s semi-final against England
What’s next on Sky Sports?
The 2024 World Matchplay starts July 13th , only on Sky Sports!
The 2024 Betfred World Matchplay will take place from July 13-21 at the Winter Gardens, Blackpool.
The iconic summer tournament will see 32 of the world’s top stars battling it out across nine days for the Phil Taylor Trophy and £800,000 in prize money.
2024 Betfred World Matchplay Schedule of Play Saturday July 13 (7.30pm) 4x First Round
Sunday July 14 (1pm) Afternoon Session 4x First Round
Evening Session (7pm) 4x First Round
Monday July 15 (7pm) 4x First Round
Tuesday July 16 (7pm) 4x Second Round
Wednesday July 17 (7pm) 4x Second Round
Thursday July 18 (8pm) 2x Quarter-Finals
Friday July 19 (8pm) 2x Quarter-Finals
Saturday July 20 (8pm) Semi-Finals
Sunday July 21 (1pm) Afternoon Session Women’s World Matchplay
Evening Session (8pm) Final
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“He is probably saving himself for the final. We understand his class. We understand his importance in big games.”
It was almost as if Rohit Sharma knew what was coming.
The India captain was speaking after team-mate Virat Kohli fell for nine in the T20 World Cup semi-final against England in Guyana on Thursday, a dismissal that left one of the best batters on the planet with an alarmingly poor record in this year’s event.
In what his final T20 international before retiring from the format, Virat Kohli returned to form with 76 from 59 balls and helped India win the T20 World Cup
Kohli’s stats at that that point read 75 runs in seven innings at an average below 11. His best score was 37.
He had only made double figures twice. There were two ducks in there, one of them of the golden variety.
But fast forward two days and a man who previously couldn’t buy a run had racked up 76 of them in the final versus South Africa in Barbados, notching more in one knock than he had mustered in his previous seven combined, underlining his “importance in big games”.
Image: Kohli was averaging less than 11 in the T20 World Cup but then played a decisive knock in the final
Rohit has got most things spot on as India captain and this was another example.
“No one was in doubt about Virat, he’s been on top of his game for the last 15 years,” said Sharma after a seven-run win clinched his side a second T20 World Cup title and a first slice of silverware in a global ICC event since the 2013 Champions Trophy.
India’s victory was largely crafted by Kohli, with the batter rallying his team from the parlous position of 34-3 in the fifth over as he parked the frenetic way he had batted throughout the tournament and reverted to the classy and composed method that had brought him over 4,000 runs in the format beforehand.
“We have wanted to lift a trophy for a long time and the occasion made me put my head down, respect the situation and play the innings the team needed from me,” Virat said afterwards, while accepting the Player of the Match award and announcing his immediate retirement from T20 internationals.
Kohli says it is time for India’s new generation to take the T20I team forward
But it was a victory largely executed by Jasprit Bumrah. If not for him, Kohli’s efforts may have come in a losing cause. If not for him, a South African – perhaps Heinrich Klaasen – may have bagged the Player of the Match accolade instead, shortly before going on to join his Proteas team-mates in lifting a World Cup for the first time.
Like Kohli, Bumrah underlined his importance in big games.
Bumrah brilliant as India fight back with the ball
After 15 overs of the chase, South Africa were favourites.
Klaasen had just donged India spinner Axar Patel for four boundaries in total, and three in a row, in a 24-run over. The ask was now a run-a-ball 30 from 30 with Klaasen on the cusp of fifty and fellow hard-hitter David Miller at the crease with him.
Surely this was where the Proteas broke their World Cup duck? No, it wasn’t, and it mainly wasn’t because of Bumrah, although his fellow death bowlers Arshdeep Singh and Hardik Pandya deserve kudos, too, as does fielder Suryakumar Yadav with his catch for the ages.
In the last over of the T20 World Cup final, India’s Suryakumar Yadav produced a stunning, juggling catch on the boundary to dismiss South Africa’s David Miller
Bumrah conceded only four runs in the 16th over but bettered that in the 18th when he shipped just the two runs and bowled Marco Jansen through the gate.
The India quick finished with figures of 2-18 from four overs, having castled South Africa opener Reeza Hendricks with a delicious out-swinger in the second over of the innings.
That eminently doable 30 off 30 was now 20 of 12. The game was slipping away from the Proteas and Arshdeep and Hardik, plus Suryakumar’s astonishing athleticism in the deep, ensured they could not retrieve the situation.
Image: Jasprit Bumrah conceded only six runs combined across the 16th and 18th overs of South Africa’s run chase in Barbados
Score summary – South Africa vs India
India 176-7 from 20 overs: Virat Kohli (76 off 59), Axar Patel (47 off 31), Shivam Dube (27 off 16); Keshav Maharaj (2-23), Anrich Nortje (2-26)
South Africa 169-8 from 20 overs: Heinrich Klaasen (52 off 27), Quinton de Kock (39 off 31), Tristan Stubbs (31 off 21); Hardik Pandya (3-20), Jasprit Bumrah (2-18), Arshdeep Singh (2-20)
Heartbreak for South Africa again, albeit this time in a final as opposed to a semi-final – a stage they had never previously gone beyond after seven harrowing losses in the last four.
Aiden Markram’s side – who may take some time to get over this result – had the proverbial one hand on the trophy with some of their big players making telling contributions.
Klaasen’s 23-ball fifty. Quinton de Kock’s 39 off 31 balls at the top of the order. Keshav Maharaj’s wickets of Rohit and Rishabh Pant in the second over of India’s innings. Anrich Nortje’s tidy 2-26.
It’s just that India’s big players made the more telling contributions. Kohli the top-scorer, Bumrah the most economical bowler.
India skipper Rohit Sharma hit eight sixes during his swashbuckling 92 from 41 balls against Australia at the T20 World Cup
Rohit bows out after transforming India
But arguably the most telling contribution of all has been made by Rohit, who, like Kohli, has also revealed his T20I career is now done.
Perhaps not telling in the final, when he scored just nine before picking out Klaasen at square leg off Maharaj, although his decision to hand Bumrah the 16th and 18th overs later on as opposed to the seamer’s customary 17th and 19th may have been a masterstroke.
No, Rohit’s most telling contribution is transforming this team from the tentative one we saw plod along in the 2022 T20 World Cup semi-final against England in Adelaide to the front-foot outfit they now are. Sharma having embodied that with his 92 off 41 balls against Australia in this year’s Super 8s.
Watch India being crowned T20 World Cup champions after beating South Africa in Bridgetown
The irony is that it took Kohli shunning that approach and “putting his head down”, as he described it, to help India up to a winning score against South Africa. But that is possibly what he should always have done. Been the glue among the gung-ho gang.
Rohit and Kohli will now bow out from this format having underlined their importance in big games.
Opposition batters might secretly be wishing Bumrah would do the same but, at the tender age of 30, there appears zero chance of that. There will be plenty more big T20 games for him.
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Ahead of Saturday’s Men’s T20 World Cup final between South Africa and India, Sky Sports pundits Nasser Hussain, Michael Atherton and Eoin Morgan assess where the match may be decided.
South Africa skittled Afghanistan for just 56 en route to a nine-wicket victory on a spicy track in Trinidad as they won a World Cup semi-final after seven failed attempts, while India thumped 2022 champions England by 68 runs on a slow surface in Guyana.
One of these teams will become the first to win the Men’s T20 World Cup having gone through the tournament unbeaten, so will it be a first World Cup success for South Africa or first since 2011 for India?
Highlights as India thrashed England by 68 runs in their T20 World Cup semi-final in Guyana
Watch how South Africa stormed into their first Men’s T20 World Cup final with a nine-wicket win over Afghanistan in Trinidad
Here is our pundits’ take ahead of the Barbados showdown, which you can watch on Sky Sports Cricket from 3pm (3.30pm first ball).
Is the pressure on India?
Sky Sports Cricket’s Nasser Hussain:
“You’d be a fool to say India beat England because of the conditions. They played on a bouncy pitch against Australia, who love those conditions, in St Lucia and won.
“Their batting line-up. Their pace attack. Their spinners. They have every base covered. And a slight advantage is that they have played a game here in Barbados and South Africa haven’t.
“South Africa have got that monkey off their back of seven semi-finals lost and if the pressure can be off, then it shifts to India.
India skipper Rohit Sharma hit eight sixes during his swashbuckling 92 from 41 balls against Australia in the Super 8s
“India have not won a title for a very long time. For all their resources and the players they have, they feel it is about time to win it and all of India will be expecting them to win it.
“As for South Africa, they made some difficult decisions, focusing on their franchise T20 competition and choosing not to send players to New Zealand for Test cricket.
“They took a gamble and copped a lot of stick for that [but it has paid off]. It would mean so much to South Africa but it means so much to India as well.”
Image: Watch the Men’s T20 World Cup final between India and South Africa live on Sky Sports Cricket from 3pm on Saturday (3.30pm first ball)
‘Hopefully the pitch has pace’
Sky Sports Cricket’s Michael Atherton:
“The best two teams are in the final.
“On a slow, low holding pitch, India would be much stronger favourites, so I hope there is a pitch with pace. If it goes through, South Africa’s pace battery comes into it.
“It is a significant pace battery. We saw against Afghanistan that if there is a bit in the pitch, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje and Marco Jansen are dangerous.
Image: India fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has taken 13 wickets in the T20 World Cup an an average of 8.15 and economy rate of 4.12
“However, Jasprit Bumrah has been the bowler of the tournament. He is not the leading wicket-taker but when he has ball in hand, he has been incredibly difficult to get away.
“As a chasing side, you almost fashion your chase around him. You can’t afford to get too far behind the rate for the 17th and 19th overs that he bowls.”
‘South Africa must go blow for blow with India’
Sky Sports Cricket’s Eoin Morgan:
“I think India, having been in finals before, are better equipped to apply pressure than South Africa and South Africa will have go blow for blow with the bat.
“If they don’t, India could bat them out of the game as they did to England in the semi-finals. Rohit Sharma embodies that shift in attacking mindset for India.
Reeza Hendricks hit the winning runs as South Africa beat Afghanistan in the semi-final in Tarouba
“India have had a short turnaround from playing in the second semi-final but they will be used to that from the IPL. You may play three games in five days and be dotted around all four corners of India.
“South Africa had quite a light workout against Afghanistan and should be fresher, but India will be immune to [the tiredness].”
Watch the T20 World Cup final between India and South Africa, at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados, live on Sky Sports Cricket from 3pm on Saturday (3.30pm first ball).
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Defending champions Loughborough Lightning and four-time winners Manchester Thunder meet in Saturday’s Netball Super League, with former Former England international Tamsin Greenway looking ahead to a ‘incredible’ matchup in front of a record 8,000 sell-out crowd in Birmingham.
Watch the final – and the third-place playoff between Severn Stars and London Pulse – for free live on skysports.com and Sky Sports App
What can we expect from the final?
It’s a huge match, a massive one for these two teams who have become huge rivals over the last few years.
It’s going to be a really big one. They’ve both won one and lost one to each other this season and it’s kind of the final everyone was expecting.
Image: Loughborough Lightning are the defending Netball Super League champions
Manchester Thunder go in as favourites.
This was the same matchup last year in the semi-final where they lost out. They’ve recruited well since, they’ve got the best attacking record in the league, the best defensive record and only lost one game all season.
However, that one game they lost this year was against Loughborough Lightning… although you have to go back to March to find that.
A history of Netball Super League champions have been crowned…who will win and be crowned Grand Final champions 2024?
Lightning are reigning champions. They’re consistently good and they always arrive at the big occasions.
They had the the tougher semi-final to come through. They they played London Pulse, who everyone kind of thought would sneak in – they’ve got a young, exciting group and they’d lost them twice in the rounds but Lightning got over the line when it mattered.
It’s going to be a really intriguing 60 minutes battle.
Who are the ones to watch?
What has been great is to see is the growth of some of the players across this year. The two teams are littered with international stars.
You look at the form of Beth Cobden, the Loughborough Lightning wing defence and the form of current England international Imogen Allison for Manchester, they were both named Player of the Match in their semi-finals.
Highlights of the Super League semi-final between Manchester Thunder and Severn Stars
They are crucial to how these teams get about and they’re up against the two best wing attacks in the league this year.
You’ve also got the experience of Nat Metcalf, the current England Roses wing attack for Manchester Thunder.
I think it comes down to who gets on top of each other out of those players.
Stars or Pulse from third-place playoff?
This is a really strange one because London Pulse were absolutely gutted about not making the final last week.
They went in to that semi-final with two wins over Loughborough, thought they get over the line again but they didn’t and were devastated. They’re a really young group, but full of of England players and superstars.
Highlights of the Super League final between Loughborough Lightning against London Pulse
For Severn Stars this is their first ever Finals appearance, so it’s slightly different. They lost but their loss to Manchester Thunder was kind of expected.
I’ve seen this happen before where they get up for the big occasion and want to get that third spot.
Pulse have got to put all of that aside and go for it. On paper, London Pulse should come out on top, but I wouldn’t write off Severn Stars.
Record 8,000 capacity crowd expected
It’s absolutely incredible. The last few years, the uptake in attendances for the big games has been huge.
We’re moving forward into the professional era, going into the big arenas, and this is just another statement as to why that needed to happen.
Eight thousand people in the Resorts Arena at Birmingham, the atmosphere is going to be incredible.
It’s going to be an amazing event… to have that atmosphere and play in front of that crowd just shows where the sport is heading.”
Netball Super League Finals Day
Saturday June 29
2pm: 3rd/4th play-off – Severn Stars vs London Pulse
4.30pm: Final – Manchester Thunder vs Loughborough Lightning
One India opener is in prime form ahead of Saturday’s T20 World Cup final against South Africa. The other very much isn’t.
While Rohit Sharma has struck 248 runs – 92 of them from 41 balls in a cavalier innings against Australia – at an average north of 40, Virat Kohli has mustered just 75 at an average south of 11.
Rohit has racked up three half-centuries in seven knocks. Kohli two ducks and just two double-figure scores in his seven.
The aggressive brand of cricket India have adopted since a meek T20 World Cup semi-final defeat to England in Adelaide in 2022 – a result they avenged in Guyana on Thursday to reach the 2024 final – has been instigated by Rohit and he is thriving while playing it.
Kohli not so much.
Kohli nicked off for a golden duck against USA in the first round of the T20 World Cup
Rohit was quick to praise Kohli’s “intent” after his run-a-ball nine against England – six runs of which came off one delivery when he launched Reece Topley over wide long-on.
Kohli may be following the team mantra, then, but is that to the detriment of his own game?
Take out that sublime six and Kohli’s innings was highly skittish.
He charged down the pitch to Topley second ball and swiped at fresh air. He was beaten by Jofra Archer’s fifth delivery attempting a booming drive outside off stump.
Image: This year’s T20 World Cup has been a tough slog for Kohli
The ball before Kohli got out, he scuffed Topley into the off-side for two off a thick leading edge. The next delivery he was castled leg stump heaving across the line. Off he trotted. Frustrated. Angry.
This low knock followed a five-ball duck against Australia in which he perished looking to get off the mark with a boundary and was caught off Josh Hazlewood at deep midwicket.
“Surely he just has to bat normally? He is world class and has done it for a very long time,” said Sky Sports‘ Nasser Hussain following Kohli’s aforementioned wild waft against Archer.
“I couldn’t agree more,” added former India player and head coach Ravi Shastri. “Be the playmaker. Rohit is the one that will go after it.”
Kohli was out for a duck against Australia as he looked to get off the mark with a boundary
‘This is not Kohli’s game, he is going too early’
Kohli entered the tournament as the all-time leading run-scorer in men’s T20 international cricket – he has since slipped to third on that list, behind Rohit and Pakistan’s Babar Azam – with 37 fifties and one ton along the way, against Afghanistan in September 2022.
His old style appeared to work and Shastri wants him to revert to it, saying on Star Sports after his dismissal against England: “This is not his game. He is going too early for it, especially with Rohit playing aggressively at the other end.
“He can make up quite easily once he spends a little more time at the crease. He is more orthodox. When he tries to get out of his zone, he will get out in that fashion.”
Kohli holed out at long-off as he fell for 24 against Afghanistan
This debate is a familiar one for fans of English Test cricket, with Joe Root’s more aggressive streak under Bazball often called into question when he falls doing something funky, as he did in the Test series against India this winter when out on the reverse scoop.
Should one of your classiest players, with oodles of runs behind them over a number of years, be left to their own devices amid a dramatic shift in team mindset or tow the party line?
If Kohli adopted the “playmaker” role Shastri referenced earlier, then India have the hitting around him to compensate: Rohit up top, Rishabh Pant at No 3, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel to follow.
Take a look back at Kohli’s batting masterclass against Pakistan at the MCG during the 2022 T20 World Cup
Rohit pinpointed the “intent” and that is the big play here – to put pressure on the opposition immediately, to not let the bowlers settle. Rohit executed that to perfection against Australia when he took the third over, bowled by Mitchell Starc, for 29.
He could, perhaps fairly, argue that Kohli’s 28-ball 37 against Bangladesh was crucial in that 50-run victory, too, with his opening partner’s early runs putting India on top before he was bowled.
Intent is great but results matter and Kohli has been short of those.
Kohli’s enterprising innings against Bangladesh ended when he was bowled by Tanzim Hasan.
His run-a-ball 24 against Afghanistan was the only other time he has passed nine. Blob against Australia. Blob against USA. Four against Pakistan. One against Ireland. Now nine against England.
India may not have needed peak Kohli to win eight from eight in this World Cup, such is their strength in depth in both batting and bowling, but they may do when they come up against fellow unbeaten outfit South Africa in Barbados.
“He is probably saving himself for [that game],” quipped Rohit as he gave Kohli a ringing endorsement after the win over England. “He is a quality player. Any player can go through [a lean patch].
India captain Rohit Sharma is backing Kohli to perform at his very best in the T20 World Cup final against South Africa
“When you have played for 15 years, form is never a problem. We understand his class. We understand his importance in big games.”
India have undoubtedly changed for the better but perhaps, in this big game, Kohli should change back to what has brought him so much success in the past. Be the playmaker. Bat normally.
Watch the T20 World Cup final between India and South Africa, at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados, live on Sky Sports Cricket from 3pm on Saturday (3.30pm first ball).
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