I Dig Sports
Nathan Gilchrist six-for leaves Lancashire in deep trouble
Lancashire 92 (Gilchrist 6-24, Agar 4-35) and 119 for 4 (Jennings 40) trail Kent 261 (Evison 71*, Williams 3-44, Lyon 3-50, Balderson 3-67) by 50 runs
Presented with the luxury of a 169-run first-innings lead, the Kent skipper, Daniel Bell-Drummond, chose to enforce the follow-on and his decision was justified as Lancashire lost three wickets for as many runs late in the day to finish on 119 for 4, still 50 runs in arrears.
In the 40 minutes' play that had been possible before lunch, Kent resumed on 203 for 7 and added 36 runs for the loss of Agar, who was bowled for 13 when he went back to a quicker delivery from Lyon that turned through the gate.
The new ball was taken immediately after lunch and brought dividends when Gilchrist was caught behind by Matty Hurst off Tom Bailey for 10, but Matthew Parkinson, who was playing his first innings at Emirates Old Trafford since he left Lancashire for Kent, ensured that his new team would collect a bonus point when he edged two runs through the slip cordon.
The value of Evison's 198-minute innings was soon apparent as Lancashire collapsed to 40 for 7 in 17.4 overs. Luke Wells was the first to go when he edged Agar to Jack Leaning and departed for 10 but the disintegration really gathered pace when the home side lost four wickets for five runs in ten balls.
Josh Bohannon cover-drove Gilchrist for four but lost his middle stump next ball when he inside-edged an attempted pull into his wicket. Next over, skipper Keaton Jennings nicked behind to Harry Finch for 4 when caught half-forward by Agar, who then trapped Tom Bruce lbw first ball.
The tumble of wickets continued next over when George Bell nicked Gilchrist to Finch and the same bowler had George Balderson caught at slip by Denly for 2 to leave Lancashire in tatters. Tom Hartley added to the mayhem when his wild slash to a ball outside the off stump merely gave Zak Crawley his first catch and Gilchrist his fourth wicket.
Lancashire's disastrous afternoon continued when Tom Bailey was caught down the leg side off Agar for 5 but some defiance was shown by Hurst, who hit three fours and two sixes in an innings of 36 that took his side past 61, their lowest first-class score against Kent, which they made at Old Trafford in 1884.
Hurst became Gilchrist's fifth wicket when he pulled him straight to Crawley at deep midwicket and the innings ended when Williams edged a ball from Gilchrist to give Finch his fourth catch.
In their second innings, Wells and Jennings immediately took the attack to Kent's new-ball attack. The fifty partnership came up in the ninth over and the aggression continued even after Wells had been caught at slip by Leaning off Gilchrist.
Bohannon helped his skipper add a further 51 before he was caught by Leaning off Evison for 31 when attempting a drive and Lancashire suffered another crucial blow when Jennings was brilliantly stumped by Finch off Parkinson for 40. Will Williams lasted only one ball before being bowled by Gilchrist for a single.
Somerset tame Essex on seaming pitch to seal thrilling two-day win
Somerset 128 (Porter 5-37, Cook 5-38) and 170 for 7 (Dickson 42, Snater 4-55) beat Essex 156 (Westley 43, Pretorius 4-36) and 138 (Davey 3-20, Gregory 3-23) by three wickets
A target of 167 to win looked stiff for the home batting line-up given what had gone before. But Renshaw (35) and Dickson (42) put together an opening partnership of 75 and, although the Essex bowlers stuck gamely to their task, Somerset always looked favourites from then on.
Andy Umeed made 34 and Tom Banton's 29 off got them over the line to take 19 points, while Essex had to settle for three.
Somerset's seamers were soon among the wickets when their opponents began the day on six without loss in their second innings. Dean Elgar glanced a catch to wicketkeeper James Rew off Davey at 11 for one and, with four runs added, Sam Cook was caught at third slip by Umeed off Craig Overton, fourth slip Dickson scooping the ball up one-handed to his team-mate.
It was 37 for three when Tom Westley fell lbw pushing forward to Davey before Nick Browne and Jordan Cox added 30. Browne, on 23, then got an inside edge onto his pad to send a delivery from Gregory looping up for a catch at third slip.
It was 95 for four at lunch, with the Essex lead 123. The fifth wicket fell on 106, Matt Critchley nicking a ball from Davey through to Rew, who claimed a low diving catch in front of the slips.
Overton cranked up his pace and forced Cox to edge to second slip where Tom Lammonby pouched a routine catch. Thain and Harry Duke took the score to 137 before the last four Essex wickets fell in quick succession, Duke feathering a defensive shot off Jake Ball through to Rew and Thain pinned lbw by Gregory.
Simon Harmer was trapped leg before by Ball and when Rew produced another low diving catch to send last man Jamie Porter back for a duck it meant a third wicket for Gregory.
Soon openers Renshaw and Dickson set about the target of 167 in positive fashion against Cook and Porter with the sun shining brightly. Both went for their shots and by tea they had taken the score to 45 without loss off 11 overs, leaving Somerset needing just 122 more runs for victory.
Dickson took the stand past 50 with a glorious off-drive for four off Shane Snater and followed up with a six over long-on in the same over. Renshaw joined in with a flashing square drive for four off Cook.
When Renshaw edged Snater the ball fell agonisingly short of the slip cordon. Cook gave Essex hope by dismissing Renshaw lbw with the total on 75, but by then only 92 were required.
Dickson followed in the next over, caught behind the ball after hitting his third four and suddenly Somerset had two new batsmen at the crease. But Umeed carried on applying pressure to the Essex bowlers, hitting two straight fours in an over from Cook.
Lammonby matched his first innings patience, but having faced 23 balls without scoring he padded up to a delivery from Snater which nipped in off the seam and fell lbw with 68 still needed.
Umeed had faced 55 balls, hitting 5 fours, when edging a ball from Snater, which cannoned off wicketkeeper Duke and looped to Harmer at second slip. With 47 required, Somerset needed to keep their heads.
Migael Pretorius failed in that respect, lofting a catch to extra cover off Cook and Rew was spilled on one at third slip by the diving Critchley. He fell before the close, but Banton's largely sensible knock had almost seen his side home when he edged a slip catch off Snater.
It was left to Overton to hit the winning boundary off Porter in the second additional over of the day to give Somerset their first win of the season after four draws.
Reese, Cardoso debuts spark popular livestream
The WNBA debuts of Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso were widely watched on a social media livestream from a fan who stepped in when the league's app couldn't broadcast the game.
Reese and Cardoso played in their first preseason game for the Chicago Sky on Friday night in a 92-81 loss to the Minnesota Lynx.
The WNBA's app had incorrectly listed the game as available to watch, leading to confusion from fans before the league clarified that only Caitlin Clark's debut with the Indiana Fever was being broadcast.
That's when @heyheyitsalli stepped in on X.
"Would y'all want me to try and stream the game on here??" the X user asked. "No promises on the quality but i can try."
Viewership numbers on the livestream varied, but on Saturday the video showed about 434,000 total views. The X user previously posted a screenshot showing that the stream peaked at 173,381 live viewers.
"Y'all these are some of THE WILDEST numbers WOW," the user tweeted.
Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve was asked about the stream after the game. She said @heyheyitsalli deserves $3 per viewer.
"Anybody that watched it should send three bucks to the person, I don't even know who it is," Reeve said. "I think that what I would say is that the growth is happening so fast. It's so accelerated. And I've been saying this in our own organization -- that business as usual isn't going to work anymore.
"You're gonna get left behind, and this is an example."
Reeve said she understands that Clark's game would be broadcast and is "all for that."
"People want to see that, but they also want to see, you know, it's not just about Caitlin," Reeve said. "This isn't Caitlin's fault it any way. It's more, you know, the recognition that there's general excitement about the WNBA in ways that we haven't seen before. And so we have to capitalize to really ensure that this is a movement."
Reese finished the game with 13 points and nine rebounds in 24 minutes. Cardoso had six points and four rebounds in 13 minutes.
Sky coach Teresa Weatherspoon said she was pleased with the rookies' debuts.
"This is a learning process for all of us. ... And we're going through that process in the right way," she said. "We got our leaders leading them, pulling them along. Keeping them confident. That's what matters. So we're in a great place, and they're in a hell of a great place."
Former Laker Morris dies at 33, family announces
Former Michigan standout and Los Angeles Lakers draft pick Darius Morris has died at 33, his family announced Saturday.
No cause of death was given. TMZ reported Morris' body was found in the Los Angeles area on Thursday. He was a Los Angeles native.
"With great sadness we announce the passing of our dearly beloved son, Darius Aaron Morris," Morris' family told TMZ on Saturday. "During this time of transition, his family asks that you please respect their wishes for privacy and grace."
Morris was a second-round pick of the Lakers in the 2011 draft. He averaged 3.3 points in 132 career games (17 starts) with the Lakers and four other teams in four NBA seasons. He went on to play professionally in China and France, last playing in 2019-20.
The Lakers said in a post to X they were "heartbroken by the passing" of Morris.
After missing the past two-plus seasons with a knee injury, Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball has exercised the $21.4 million option on his contract for the 2024-25 season, sources told ESPN on Saturday.
Ball has undergone three surgeries on his left knee, the most recent a cartilage transplant in 2023. There remains some guarded hope that he could return next season, but there are no assurances that the damaged knee will allow for him to play again.
Ball, 26, signed an original four-year, $80 million deal as part of a sign-and-trade with New Orleans in the summer of 2021. After a fantastic start that had the Bulls leading the Eastern Conference in 2021-22, Ball averaged 13.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.8 steals before a knee injury 35 games into the season.
His inactivity has caused his contract to become a blight on the Bulls' salary cap.
Ball was the No. 2 overall pick to the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2017 NBA draft and eventually was traded to the Pelicans as part of the Anthony Davis blockbuster deal.
Sources: Mavs' Kleber (AC joint) out indefinitely
DALLAS -- Mavericks reserve power forward/center Maxi Kleber will be sidelined indefinitely after suffering a third-degree dislocation of the AC joint of his right shoulder, sources told ESPN.
The injury could sideline Kleber for the remainder of the Mavs' playoff run, a source said.
Dallas will face the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals series that begins Tuesday night.
Kleber, who missed most of the first half of the season with a dislocated toe, is a key defender who provides Dallas with lineup versatility. He shot 10-of-18 from 3-point range in the Mavs' first-round series win over the LA Clippers.
Kleber suffered the injury on a gruesome fall early in the second quarter of Friday's Game 6 elimination victory over LA. He landed on the shoulder after being fouled by Clippers forward Amir Coffey on a fast-break layup attempt.
Kleber, an important role player during Dallas' run to the 2022 West finals, shot the free throws after he was injured but exited the game one possession later.
NEW YORK -- Aaron Judge has accomplished plenty during his nine-year major league career. The five-time All-Star set the American League record for home runs in a season in 2022. He won the AL MVP award. He was named the 16th captain in New York Yankees history.
And not once in his first 869 career games was the 32-year-old slugger ever ejected.
That streak, though, ended Saturday at Yankee Stadium.
Judge was tossed for the first time leading off the seventh inning after arguing a called third strike in the Yankees' eventual 5-3 win over the Detroit Tigers. Judge was displeased when plate umpire Ryan Blakney punched him out on a pitch he thought was outside for ball four. The outfielder had some words for Blakney as he walked away before turning around to go to the Yankees' dugout. Blakney then threw him out of the game.
"Very surprising, especially in a 5-3 game, late in the game," Judge said. "Battling a 3-2 count and kind of walking away saying my piece. I've said a lot worse. ... I usually try not to make a scene in situations like that. So a little surprised [that] walking away that happened."
Judge said there wasn't any tension between him and Blakney leading up to that point. He ended his day 2-for-3 with a double. It was just his second multihit game since April 14, raising his batting average on the season to .209. Trent Grisham replaced him in center field.
"I got a lot of respect for Ryan and what he does," Judge said. "I know their job is tough and I've always had their back because it's tough back there. So, for it to happen that way, that's what I'm most upset about. Especially late in a game like that, close game."
Umpire crew chief Alan Porter told a pool reporter that Blakney hadn't yet told him what Judge said to warrant the ejection.
"Apparently, Aaron did not agree with the pitch and said something that you shouldn't have said, and he was ejected," Porter said. "We do what we can to keep guys in the game, but he said something he shouldn't have said."
Judge said he had never been ejected at any level in his baseball life -- from little league through high school, college and the pros. It was the first time a Yankees captain was ejected from a game since Don Mattingly in May 1994.
"I didn't even see myself get tossed," Judge said. "It was a crowd reaction I heard, so I kind of assumed at that point."
Though surprising to the Yankees, Judge's ejection isn't the team's most controversial this season. Manager Aaron Boone was tossed five pitches into a game on April 23 for words that appeared to have come from a fan behind the dugout.
On Saturday, Boone, whose 35 ejections since 2018 are the most among managers, defended his star.
"I was surprised," Boone said. "Judgy says very little usually. Very respectfully, walking away. Come on, man."
Italy's Jannik Sinner says he is working with doctors to be ready for the French Open after announcing his withdrawal from this week's Italian Open in Rome.
The world number two won his first Grand Slam title at this year's Australian Open and is one of the favourites for the Roland Garros tournament, which starts 26 May.
Sinner, 22, followed January's win in Melbourne with further titles in Rotterdam and Miami, but pulled out of the Madrid Open last week with a hip injury after reaching the quarter-finals.
"It is not easy to write this message but after speaking again with the doctors and specialists about my hip problems I have to announce that unfortunately I will not be able to play in Rome," he wrote on X, external.
"Obviously I'm very sad that I didn't recover, it being one of my favourite tournaments ever. I couldn't wait to come back and play at home in front of the Italian crowd."
The news comes a day after the withdrawal of Spain's Carlos Alcaraz - the world number three - from the tournament.
Sinner, who has never been past the quarter-finals at the French Open, added: "Now I will work with my team and doctors to be ready for Roland Garros."
Podgorica Evidence Suggests Same Again in Paris
Gold medallists at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, when play concluded on Saturday 4th May at the 2024 ITTF Montenegro Para Open in Podgorica, there was a clear message: when the world meets later this year in Paris, players who gained the highest honours in the Japanese capital city are focused on repeating the feat.
Just as in Tokyo, in Podgorica Korea Republics Joo Youngdae (class 1). Germanys Valentin Baus (class 5) and Belgiums Laurens Devos (class 9) all secured mens singles titles, as in the womens singles did Australias Lei Li Na (class 9-10).
Later Joo Youngdae partnered Jang Yeongjin to mens doubles gold (class 4) and Lee Migyu to mixed doubles success (class 4), thus emerging the most successful in the whole tournament alongside Frenchman Clément Berthier.
In addition to the mens singles victory (class 8), he won mens doubles gold partnering Esteban Herrault (class 14) and the mixed doubles with Morgen Caillaud (class 14).
A boost for Morgen Caillaud, it meant she departed Podgorica with two titles to her name; additionally, she partnered Germanys Nina Reck to womens doubles gold (class 14).
Likewise, Valentin Baus and Laurens Devos added to their collections; both enjoyed mens doubles success, Valentin Baus with Thomas Schmidberger (class 8), Laurens Devos partnering Marc Ledoux (class 18).
Two titles secured, it was the same for Korea Republics Moon Sunghye and Brazils Bruna Alexandre.
Moon Sunghye, after enjoying womens singles success (class 5), partnered Jung Younga to womens doubles gold (class 5-10); Bruna Alexandre prevailed in the womens doubles with Danielle Rauen (class 20), in mixed doubles alongside Paulo Salmin (class 17-20).
The top prize for Tokyo gold medallists, it was the same for one notable name who had succeeded at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, Belgiums Floran van Acker secured mens singles gold (class 11).
Victory for Florian von Acker was no surprise, a situation that in the mens singles applied to Korea Republics Park Jincheol (class 2) and Kim Junggil (class 4), as well as to Jenson van Emburgh of the United States (class 3). Similarly, the win recorded by the host nations Filip Radovic (class 10) was as status advised.
Meanwhile, in the womens singles, prominent names succeeded. Croatias Andela Muzinic Vincetic struck gold (class 3), a situation that also applied to Germanys Sandra Mikolaschek (class 4) and Elena Prokofeva, an independent athlete (class 11).
Winners as expected but there were surprises, in the mens singles Chiles Matthew Pino (class 6) and Danill Domaneskii, an independent athlete (class 7) claimed gold, an outcome that was also witnessed in the womens singles by Norways Nora Korneliussen (class 6-7) and Eva Kuts, also an independent athlete (class 8).
Titles for Europeans, as play concluded there were high notes for Asian visitors.
Japans Koya Kato and Takeshi Takemori claimed mens doubles gold (class 22), colleagues Hajime Hara and Nanako Hazeyama prevailed as a mixed doubles pair (class 22).
Likewise, there was success for the Korea Republic on the final day of play.
Competing in the mixed doubles, Kim Junggil and Yoon Jiyu (class 7) claimed gold as did compatriots Baek Youngbok and Jung Younga (class 10).
Play concluded in Podgorica, the 2024 ITTF Slovenia Para Open, a four-day tournament with a factor 40 weighting for World ranking, commences on Tuesday 7th May.
Gloucester beat Benetton to reach Challenge Cup final
Gloucester remain on track for their third Challenge Cup victory, having won in 2006 and 2015 and also their second piece of silverware this season after winning the Premiership Rugby Cup in March, despite not having a season to remember in the Premiership.
The hosts got off to the perfect start with Hathaway starting in place of experienced Argentine Santiago Carreras who has just had appendix surgery collected a punt over the top from Chris Harris to dive over for the first try of the day.
Tomas Albornoz on his 50th appearance for Benetton pulled back some points with two penalties, to one from Adam Hastings, but Gloucester looked in control.
Hastings kicked a brilliant 50:22 after the Italians sloppily lost the ball in midfield to give the hosts an excellent attacking opportunity and, at the second time of trying from a line-out, Gloucesters maul drove forward and over with Blake scoring the second try to stretch the lead to 15-6.
Yet the tide turned when Gloucester number eight Zach Mercer was sent to the bin, five minutes before the break for a deliberate trip and Benetton instantly capitalised.
Winger Onisi Ratave saw a try chalked off for an infringement in the build up before Smith ran over in the corner with the clock in the red zone to close the gap to four points.
The hosts came out firing and looked the stronger team for early parts of the second half, and while Hastings kicked a penalty, replacement hooker Lucchesi powered over from a maul.
But Hastings, who has seen another season ravaged by injury and will leave Gloucester at the end of the campaign to re-join Glasgow, darted between two defenders to score a crucial try at a pivotal point.
Clarke capped a sensational interception and sprint downfield with a dive under the posts to add Gloucester's fourth try seconds later as the momentum firmly swung the way of the hosts as they made it 32-16.
Lucchesi pulled another try back, rolling over from a driving maul, but it was too little from Benetton who were unable to become the first Italian side to reach a European Cup final.
Caolan Englefield's penalty created a bit more breathing space for Gloucester before Thorley added the extras in the final seconds, scooping up a loose ball to run over and delight the rocking Kingsholm crowd.
Phone: (800) 737. 6040
Fax: (800) 825 5558
Website: 
Email: 
