AFP, MANCHESTER: England set themselves up for the Ashes by ensuring New Zealand’s tour ended in a comprehensive defeat as they thrashed the Black Caps by 56 runs in the lone Twenty20 international at Old Trafford on Tuesday. New Zealand, set 192 for victory, collapsed to 135 all out as they lost…

AFP, COLOMBO: Pakistan are eager to celebrate senior batsman Younis Khan’s 100th Test appearance with a series-clinching victory against Sri Lanka in the match starting Thursday in Colombo. Misbah-ul Haq’s tourists are riding high after a 10-wicket triumph in the opening Test in Galle even…

AFP, EASTBOURNE (UK): Belinda Bencic reached her second grass-court quarter-final of the summer on Wednesday, with the Swiss teenager advancing 6-4, 3-0 as opponent Eugenie Bouchard retired injured in Eastbourne. Bouchard, the seventh-seeded Canadian whose prospects for repeating her Wimbledon final…

The second leg of the Manyavar Bangladesh Premier Football League will begin from June 28 with table toppers Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club taking on Farashganj Sporting Club. According to earlier schedule the second phase was supposed to start from June 26 but at the request from some clubs, the Professional…

AFP, VANCOUVER: Japan gave newcomers the Netherlands a lesson in football on Tuesday, winning 2-1 to advance to a last-eight showdown with Australia at the Women’s World Cup. Saori Ariyoshi and Mizuho Sakaguchi scored in either half for the defending champions who are the only team left in Canada…

AFP, LONDON: Serena Williams has set her sights on moving a step closer to an historic calendar Grand Slam as the world number one launches her bid for a sixth Wimbledon crown. Williams returns to the All England Club next week for the first time since her distressing meltdown midway through a doubles…

AFP, COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s batting great Kumar Sangakkara is still in talks with selectors to discuss his retirement from Test cricket, captain Angelo Mathews said on Wednesday. Local media had speculated that the 37-year-old will only play three more home Tests — two in the ongoing series…

AFP, KINGSTON (JAMAICA): Reigning world and Olympic sprint champion Usain Bolt will return to basics when he runs the 100 metres Thursday at the Jamaica Athletics Championships to prepare for the World Championships. Bolt had not originally planned to run at the national trials for the Jamaican squad…

AP, SANTIAGO (CHILE): Brazil captain Neymar has denied insulting a referee after being sent off in the Copa America game against Colombia, calling the incident a mix-up. Neymar received a four-game suspension after the incident in last week’s group game. CONMEBOL said Neymar was given such a lengthy…