NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE, England: Rory McIlroy moved into contention at the British Masters by shooting a 6-under 64 in the third round, leaving the No. 6-ranked golfer two strokes off the lead held by Robert Karlsson on Saturday.
Karlsson shot 67 and was one stroke clear of five players, including overnight leader Tyrrell Hatton, who bogeyed the last for a 71.
Hatton was one of only three players in the top 24 to fail to break par on a day of low scoring at Close House in northern England.
McIlroy made the weekend only after a back-nine rally in the second round, and now has a good chance of winning for the first time in 2017, in what is his next-to-last event of the season.
“You get yourself into contention and you start to think about things and it would be nice to get a win,” said McIlroy, who chipped in for a birdie on the fifth hole and carded three more birdies in a front nine of 31.
“The last couple of tournaments, I’ve been off pretty early on the weekends and had 50 people following me, where there’s thousands out there. So it’s nice to get into that sort of environment again. I haven’t shot a low score like that in a while.”
McIlroy is looking to avoid just the second winless season of his career.
McIlroy makes move at British Masters
McIlroy makes move at British Masters
Five-star Barcelona smash Real Madrid to win Spanish Super Cup in Jeddah
- Kylian Mbappe put Madrid ahead but dominant Barcelona hit five in response
JEDDAH: Barcelona hammered rivals Real Madrid 5-2 in a wild Spanish Super Cup Clasico final in Saudi Arabia on Sunday to win the first trophy of the Hansi Flick era.
The electric Kylian Mbappe sent Madrid ahead but a dominant Barcelona hit five in response before their goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny was sent off in the second half.
Madrid were hoping to avenge their 4-0 defeat by Barcelona in October’s La Liga Clasico but instead were left battered and bruised by their arch-rivals in Jeddah.
After Mbappe’s opener, Lamine Yamal levelled and Robert Lewandowski sent Barcelona ahead from the penalty spot, with Raphinha bagging a brace and Alejandro Balde also on target.
Rodrygo Goes pulled one back for Madrid with a free-kick but they could not capitalize further on their numerical advantage in a humiliating defeat for the European champions.
Both Flick and his opposite number Carlo Ancelotti opted to maintain the same line-ups they started with in the semifinals.
Yamal issued Madrid an early warning with a curling effort from the right which forced Thibaut Courtois into a fine save.
The Belgian goalkeeper also produced a strong stop to keep a Raphinha header at bay after the Brazilian evaded Lucas Vazquez with ease.
Despite Barcelona’s opening salvo it was Real Madrid who took the lead in the fifth minute with Mbappe’s brilliant goal on the counter-attack.
The French forward, frustrated numerous times by the offside flag in the league defeat by the Catalans, broke loose on the halfway line after Vinicius won the ball back and, after bursting into the area, clipped past Szczesny.
It took a stunning individual goal from 17-year-old Yamal to level the scoreline, with the Spanish winger cutting in from the right before stroking home a low finish inside the near post in a similar style to former Barca great Lionel Messi, whom he is often compared to.
Inigo Martinez hobbled off injured and Flick sent on Ronald Araujo in his place, amidst heavy transfer speculation the Uruguayan defender wants to leave the club.
Barcelona kept pushing and moved ahead through Lewandowski’s penalty after Eduardo Camavinga arrived late and carelessly clattered Gavi.
Raphinha soon added Barcelona’s third with a header from Jules Kounde’s cross from deep and they grabbed their fourth before half-time on the break.
Yamal and Raphinha combined and the latter slipped in Balde, who slotted past Courtois.
Barcelona continued in the same vein after the break and Raphinha netted the fifth with a neat dribble and finish after Marc Casado played him in.
The Catalans were reduced to 10 men when Mbappe sped in at the other end, rounding goalkeeper Szczesny, who brought him down outside the area and after a VAR review was dismissed.
Rodrygo, who earlier hit the post, rifled home the free-kick past Szczesny’s replacement Inaki Pena.
Mbappe brilliantly teed up Jude Bellingham but the England international was denied by a superb Kounde challenge in stoppage time.
The French forward also came close to scoring again himself on a fine individual display but Pena tipped away his effort.
Barcelona brought on midfielder Dani Olmo for his first appearance since he was registered to play for the club on a temporary basis, a controversial issue which overshadowed the semifinals earlier in the week.
However their five-star display offered a host of other talking points as Barca won a record-extending 15th Spanish Super Cup.
Atletico Madrid wins record 14th game in a row to lead Spanish league at halfway stage
- Atletico has won all of its matches across all competitions since October
MADRID: Atletico Madrid set a club all-time record of 14 straight victories with a 1-0 win over Osasuna on Sunday and went top of the Spanish league at the halfway stage.
Julián Álvarez scored in the 55th minute at the Metropolitano stadium to give Atletico the milestone victory and a one-point lead over second-place Real Madrid. Diego Simeone’s team has a six-point gap to third-place Barcelona.
Madrid and Barcelona play each other in the Spanish Super Cup final in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, later Sunday. A 4-0 defeat to Barcelona will be on Madrid’s mind ahead of the second clasico of the season.
Atletico has won all of its matches across all competitions since October. Its last setback was a 1-0 loss at Real Betis in the Spanish league on Oct. 27. Eight of the victories have come in the league.
“It’s an important streak to show the growth of this club,” Simeone said. “We have been working really hard.”
It was the seventh consecutive league game without a win for Osasuna, which is in 11th place.
Also Sunday, 15th-place Getafe won 2-1 at 14th-place Las Palmas.
Tom Kohler-Cadmore’s heroics seal last-ball victory for Sharjah Warriorz
- Gulf Giants beaten by 3 wickets in thriller
DUBAI: In a thrilling encounter at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday, Tom Kohler-Cadmore’s match-winning knock of 83 not out guided the Sharjah Warriorz to a nail-biting three-wicket victory over the Gulf Giants in the DP World ILT20.
The game, which went down to the final delivery, saw Kohler-Cadmore showcase his class and composure as he finished with six fours and four sixes in his 56-ball knock.
Kohler-Cadmore, who scooped the player of the match award, said: “It is great to get off with a win. I would have been devastated had we not got over the line. The pitch played well once you got your eye in; it was easier to hit.”
Chasing 175, the Warriorz faced early setbacks, losing Johnson Charles and Jason Roy in the first two overs to Daniel Worrall and Mark Adair, respectively.
Despite the shaky start, Kohler-Cadmore and the UAE’s Rohan Mustafa steadied the innings with a 105-run partnership. Mustafa contributed a crucial 45 runs off 33 balls before falling to Blessing Muzarabani in the 13th over, leaving the Warriorz on 119-3.
As wickets fell at the other end, Kohler-Cadmore held firm, pacing his innings with precision. After the quick dismissals of Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Karim Janat, and Harmeet Singh, the Warriorz required 24 runs off the final two overs.
Adil Rashid’s six in the 19th over helped reduce the equation to 10 off the last six balls. In a dramatic final over, Kohler-Cadmore’s calm ensured the Warriorz crossed the line, securing victory on the last ball.
Earlier in the evening, Sharjah Warriorz’s captain Tim Southee elected to bowl first, a decision vindicated by his impressive figures of three for 30. Southee’s early strikes removed Adam Lyth and James Vince, leaving the Gulf Giants at 41-2 in the powerplay.
Rehan Ahmed and Jordan Cox then shared in a 57-run stand, with Ahmed scoring 46 off 27 balls and Cox contributing 36 from 23.
Shimron Hetmyer added firepower, hammering 36 off 23 balls, while Mark Adair’s 20 runs and Saghir Khan’s quick 11 off four deliveries lifted the Giants to a competitive 174-7.
Reflecting on the game, Gulf Giants’ captain Vince praised Kohler-Cadmore’s performance.
He said: “I’m pretty happy with that score. There was some quality bowling from them upfront. Rehan and Cox built a good partnership, and Hettie did what he does.
“We thought they would come out strong, and the half chance of Cadmore proved costly. Having someone staying till the end was crucial. He is a quality player, a clean striker of the ball. It was a quality knock.”
Dan Lawrence, Sam Curran lead Desert Vipers to victory over Abu Dhabi Knight Riders
- Emphatic 7-wicket win at the Zayed Cricket Stadium
ABU DHABI: The Desert Vipers began their DP World ILT20 season three campaign with an emphatic seven-wicket victory over the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders at the Zayed Cricket Stadium on Sunday.
Star performances from Dan Lawrence and Sam Curran, who struck commanding half-centuries, powered the Vipers to their target of 167 with eight balls to spare.
Lawrence was the star of the show, smashing 70 runs off 39 balls, including four sixes and five boundaries. He was supported by Curran, who remained unbeaten on 50 from 37 deliveries, anchoring the chase with minimal risks and only two fours and a six.
Speaking after the game, player of the match Lawrence had kind words for his experience in the DP World ILT20 so far.
He said: “The situation was quite nice to come into, knowing I had to give myself time. From the hotel to how the coaches treat you, this is probably the most professional set-up.”
The Vipers began their chase strongly, putting on 46 runs in the powerplay.
Fakhar Zaman contributed a quick-fire 23 before being dismissed by Andre Russell, while Alex Hales fell cheaply to Sunil Narine.
At 56-2, Lawrence and Curran joined forces, forging a match-winning 95-run partnership in just 59 balls. Despite Lawrence’s dismissal in the 18th over, the Vipers comfortably reached their target, finishing at 168-3 in 18.4 overs.
Earlier, the Knight Riders’ innings got off to a shaky start after they lost Kyle Mayers and Joe Clarke inside five overs, leaving them 19-2.
However, Phil Salt held the innings together with an unbeaten 71 off 49 balls, supported by Alishan Sharafu’s 46 and a late blitz from Andre Russell, who hammered 30 runs off 14 deliveries. The team finished on 166-5 after 20 overs.
Narine, Abu Dhabi Knight Riders’ captain, admitted that the early overs proved decisive, adding: “We did well to get back in the game. We had a tough powerplay and we obviously wanted more runs. The key was the difference in the first six overs.”
Desert Vipers will be pleased with the win as they aim to contend for the DP World ILT20 title this season.
High-flying Afghanistan announce Champions Trophy squad
- Afghanistan finished sixth in the 50-over World Cup in 2023 and reached the semifinal in last year’s Twenty20 World Cup
- This will be the first time Afghanistan participate in the eight-nation Champions Trophy, starting in Pakistan on Feb. 19
KABUL: Afghanistan announced their squad Sunday for next month’s Champions Trophy, with prolific opener Ibrahim Zadran returning after an injury lay-off but spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman missing out.
The country’s performance in white-ball cricket has been strong recently — finishing sixth in the 50-over World Cup in 2023 and reaching the semifinal in last year’s Twenty20 World Cup.
This will be the first time Afghanistan participate in the eight-nation Champions Trophy, staged between February 19 and March 9 in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates.
“Zadran, who was away from action due to an ankle injury, has returned to the squad,” said a statement from the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB).
“However, Mujeeb Ur Rahman misses out on the selection, as AM Ghazanfar, a similar mystery spinner, has made the cut for the mega event.”
Rahman was left out because “he has been advised by his doctor to focus on T20s for a while to ensure his full recovery,” added acting ACB chief selector Ahmad Suliman Khil.
But fast-rising opener Sediqullah Atal did secure a place in the squad, the ACB said.
Afghanistan beat England and Pakistan in the ODI World Cup and Australia and New Zealand in the T20 World Cup.
Their Champions Trophy campaign begins with a clash against South Africa in Karachi on February 21, before they face England and Australia in Lahore.
Squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt), Rahmat Shah (vice-capt), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ikram Alikhil (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, AM Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmad, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Naveed Zadran and Farid Ahmad Malik.
