Josh

Great Britain’s Josh Tarling produces a blistering display to win his first track world title in the men’s 40km points race at the UCI Track World Championships.

WATCH MORE: Archibald wins historic silver at World Track Championships

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Kelly Reichardt’s watchful cinema is one of the indie world’s most exquisite bounties, a space for pioneers (“Meek’s Cutoff,” “First Cow”), artists (“Showing Up”) and wanderers (“Old Joy,” “Wendy and Lucy”) who command your attention the way an ER waiting room does, lingering tensely.

One might not consider a heist film in such anthropological terms. And yet “The Mastermind,” Reichardt’s latest and one of her best, while set in motion by a daylight art grab orchestrated by Josh O’Connor’s middle-class Massachusetts suburbanite, is another precisely turned Reichardt movie: honest, sad, funny and inherently philosophical about our engagement with the world. As you might expect, it’s really about the crime’s aftermath, our cut from this robbery being a deft, fascinating character study rooted in an apathy that’s starkly juxtaposed with the restive year it’s set in: 1970.

By the look of things, preppy, soft-spoken James Mooney (O’Connor), an unemployed carpenter, isn’t obvious criminal material, no matter what composer Ray Mazurek’s propulsive, horn-forward jazz score might imply. James cases his local art museum, often with his unwitting wife, Teri (Alana Haim), and two young boys in tow. Otherwise, James is just a distracted dad, checked-out husband and disappointing son living off the status and largesse of his parents, an esteemed judge (Bill Camp) and a society mother (Hope Davis).

Still, based solely on the error-prone heist — it’s been ages since pantyhose masks seemed so ridiculous — thievery isn’t this spoiled man’s strong suit either. (You didn’t think that title was respectful, did you?) When he’s stashing the stolen paintings later in a farmhouse’s hayloft and accidentally knocks the ladder out from under him, the moment is amusing and appropriately metaphorical.

Reichardt is laying bare a privileged man’s half-assed delinquency, especially with O’Connor so hypnotic at conveying self-absorbed cluelessness with his woeful eyes, posture and movement. As the movie then hits the road for his escape, the early fall colors of Christopher Blauvelt’s cinematography shift to gray tones and darker interiors, and James’ vibe is less rebel eluding capture — even if a pal he visits (John Magaro) expresses admiration — than alienated loser leaving behind a mess, an assessment radiating from Gaby Hoffmann as Magaro’s wife. The bebop groove abandons James, too, slowing into jagged drum solos.

The last contextual indignity are the details of the period itself: Nixon posters, anti-war signs, Vietnam footage on televisions, a protest march. Unforced but ever-present in Reichardt’s mise-en-scène, they remind us that this bored aesthete’s misadventure is an especially empty way to buck conformity. When good trouble beckons, why pick the bad kind?

One can even detect, in this brilliant, captivating Reichardt gem about fortune and fate, a what-if attached to her disaffected male protagonist: Would today’s version of James, just as adrift and arrogant, steal art to assuage his emptiness? Or, thanks to the internet, succeed at something much worse? “The Mastermind” may be an ironic title as heists go. But it also hints at the male-pattern badness still to come.

Goalkeepers: Bailey Peacock-Farrell, Conor Hazard, Luke Southwood

Defenders: Paddy McNair, Ryan Johnson, Daniel Ballard, Ciaron Brown, Conor Bradley, Trai Hume, Brodie Spencer, Eoin Toal, Terry Devlin, Ruairi McConville

Midfielders: George Saville, Ali McCann, Shea Charles, Jamie McDonnell, Paul Smyth, Isaac Price, Ross McCausland, Ethan Gailbraith, Justin Devenny, Jamie Donely

Attackers: Josh Magennis, Dion Charles, Callum Marshall, Jamie Reid

Sherratt’s departure was confirmed on Monday, just six days before the URC opener against Lions.

Adams is confident that the loss of the head coach will not hit Cardiff’s hopes of improving on last season.

“He made a conscious effort to improve our training days and habits,” said Adams.

“It takes a while to break a bad habit and create a new one. What he has implemented is here to stay and there is a great group of senior players who hold everybody accountable to those standards.

“The foundations that he has laid are solid and I wouldn’t say that any hard work will be undone because he has moved on.”

Adams says forwards coach Van Zyl has stepped in “seamlessly” as Cardiff hunt a successful first block of the URC in which they face Lions, Connacht and Edinburgh at home and Munster and Dragons away.

They open up against a Lions side who finished 11th last season and were runners-up in South Africa’s Currie Cup.

“The Lions are a team that graft hard for each other, that’s evident when you watch them,” said Adams.

“They don’t have the superstars of the South African franchises but they are a tough side and we will have to be close to our best to get something from the game.”

Wightman has endured a long road to return to the position of fighting for the sport’s biggest prizes since his crowning moment three years ago.

But he has always maintained his belief that he would get there.

Wightman was accepting that the injury which kept him out of Budapest two years ago was a consequence of the demands of winning world, European and Commonwealth medals in an intense 33-day period in 2022.

But his hopes of returning to the global stage at last summer’s Olympics were cruelly ended by a hamstring tear just one week out.

By that point, he had already been wearing the team’s kit at their final training camp in St Moritz.

He sought a refresh this year, making the difficult decision to end his coaching partnership with father Geoff, who was commentating inside the stadium when Wightman outlasted Jakob Ingebrigtsen to win gold in Eugene.

In what has been a year of significant change away from the track, Wightman began working with his partner Georgie’s father, John Hartigan, and relocated to Manchester to be closer to his physiotherapist.

The only major change in terms of his training, he says, has been to respect his body more.

“Honestly, it has been a very, very bleak couple of years for me. A lot of times I doubted if could make it back to this level,” Wightman said.

“I have made some huge changes in my life this year. Moving to Manchester, getting a new coach, and I hoped they were for the best and hope that the big stage is here, I stepped up.

“I want to thank my coaching team and my Dad for getting me to this point in the first place. He did all the hard work bringing me to this level.

“It will take a while to process this. I’m a big believer that you get what you put in at some point. I’m just very, very happy that all the persistence has been worth it.

“I felt like I had another gear through the rounds. I did not know what would happen but I nearly got there.

“For me this is a gold. Just getting on the start line is a gold.”

Double Olympic and world Jakob Ingebrigtsen will also be competing over the 1500m distance with Arizona-based Giffnock North athlete Gourley and his fellow Scots.

“Off the top of my head, I think I’m ranked outside the top 30 in terms of season’s bests this year so that probably tells you a lot about the depth of the event just now,” said Gourley

“I’m pretty confident in saying I’ll finish higher than that. I’d love to outperform that ranking and I think I will, but it gives you a sense of how deep the event has got.

“Not just the people at the top – the top 20 are all quite close together and there are so many people running under 3:30 in the 1500m and that used to be a time that maybe one or two people a year would run.

“It’s now become so commonplace that it’s got silly, if anything. At the same time, it only counts for so much when you all line up at a championship and I’m looking forward to beating plenty of people ranked ahead of me.”

To help with that, Gourley has taken himself away to a special preparation camp in a location that makes him feel like he’s on holiday.

A fair few would swap places with him in Hawaii where, as well as some specialist training sessions, he’s also been able to enjoy a little rest and recovery.

“I have spent some time at the beach because it would be a bit rude not to,” he added.

“I’d love to learn how to surf, somebody’s got to teach me one day. Actually, I just kind of swim around in the waves until I crash out onto the shore. That’s about as adventurous as I get.”

It may take a bolder approach on the track but if he can safely negotiate the rounds in Tokyo, Gourley will feel on safe ground if he gets to another global 1500m final to round off his year.

Former Burnley captain Josh Brownhill has joined Saudi Pro League side Al-Shabab.

Premier League sides Brentford, Wolves and West Ham and Championship club Leicester were all keen on the 29-year-old, who scored 18 goals last season as Burnley secured promotion back to the top flight.

The midfielder left at the end of the campaign after five years at Turf Moor, making 211 appearances in total and scoring 32 goals overall.

He will join Belgium international Yannick Carrasco and former Southampton and Watford defender Wesley Hoedt at Al-Shabab.

The club, managed by former Real Sociedad boss Imanol Alguacil, lost their opening game of the Saudi Pro League 4-1 to Al-Khaleej.

“I feel really honoured to join Al-Shabab,” Brownhill said.

“The way the manager plays – formation, system and the vision that they see – is what really attracted me.

“I’m hoping to score a lot of goals and we’ll be aiming to win some trophies this season.”

The Cincinnati Bengals have started 0-2 or worse in the past three seasons and Joe Burrow was 1-9 in the first two weeks in his career, so their one-point win against the Cleveland Browns will be a huge relief.

Even more encouraging was the fact the much-maligned defence stepped up to clinch their 17-16 victory.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver Emeka Egbuka became only the second rookie since the 1970 merger to score a game-winning touchdown in the final minute as they edged Atlanta thanks to the Falcons missing a last-gasp field goal.

Las Vegas Raiders rookie running back Ashton Jeanty scored as they beat the Patriots in New England, and Washington’s Jacory Croskey-Merritt had an even better debut with 82 yards and a score as the Washington Commanders dominated the New York Giants.

Matthew Stafford became the 10th player in NFL history to reach 60,000 passing yards as the Los Angeles Rams beat the Houston Texans, while the San Francisco 49ers lost George Kittle to a hamstring injury in victory over the Seattle Seahawks.

Headline rookie Travis Hunter made his eagerly anticipated debut for the Jacksonville Jaguars, taking six catches for 33 yards as a receiver and playing six snaps on defence in a comfortable win over Carolina.

Top overall draft pick Cam Ward lost on his debut as the Tennessee Titans were beaten by the Denver Broncos.

World number one Luke Humphries defended his Czech Open title as he beat Josh Rock 8-5 in the final.

Rock, who had beaten Michael van Gerwen en route to the final, got an early break of throw to go 2-0 up but England’s Humphries broke back and then reeled off a 12-dart leg to level at 3-3.

The pair then traded legs to reach 5-5 before Humphries won the next three legs on the spin against the Northern Irishman.

Humphries sealed victory with a clinical final leg at the PVA Expo in Prague to retain the title he won a year ago and claim the £30,000 top prize.

The 30-year-old’s three-dart average of 93.89 was marginally less than Rock’s 94.1 but his checkout percentage (34.8% versus 26.3%) was superior.

Humphries has now won the tournament three times in four years following his victories in 2022 and 2024 as he earned the eighth PDC European Tour title of his career.

“If it were up to me, I’d have all 14 European Tours held here. You don’t win three times in the same place by accident and it’s clearly special to me,” Humphries said.

“Since winning the Premier League, the past three months have been tough. I’ve struggled at times, and I felt like I dragged Josh down at the start of the game. But I never give in – I always try to find a way.”

World champion Luke Littler was earlier knocked out in the third round, suffering a surprise 6-4 defeat by Dutchman Gian van Veen.

‘Eye-catching’ was how Gray described Mulligan when he arrived in the summer, and the 22-year-old has only continued to win over the fans with his performances.

He tops the charts when it comes to successful dribbles, and ranks highly for touches in the opposition box and duels won.

What that boils down to is a box-to-box midfielder who not only gets stuck in, but drives forward and gets Hibs into the right areas of the pitch.

“Looks like a brilliant signing,” said Hibs’ fan David when BBC Sport Scotland asked for opinions on Mulligan’s arrival. “A very versatile player who can play in multiple positions, so it will be very interesting to see how he settles in.”

“Brilliant signing,” added Alex. “Good young Scottish talent with good experience at a young age. He will thrive at Hibs.”

Thrive is the word. Although he was rested from the starting XI against Livingston at the weekend, he came on in the 82nd minute to score the second goal – an absolute screamer from outside the box that rattled in off a post.

Having been moved between midfield and right wing-back during his time at Dundee, it’s unsurprising that goals never featured heavily in his previous stats.

But he seems to have added that dimension to his game, having been allowed by Gray to roam forward in attack, which continues to excel in his nascent days at Easter Road.

CHELSEA’S free-flowing attack tripped at the starting line of the Premier League title race, as Enzo Maresca’s side stuttered to a bore-draw at home to Crystal Palace. 

Reportedly on the verge of a move away from the club, it was Eberechi Eze who thought he had opened the scoring, only for VAR to rule his free-kick out over an infringement in the wall by Marc Guehi. 

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It was a VAR call that really wrote the story of this game, with both teams unable to create any moves with much meaning beyond it. 

A tightly contested first half was met with an equally tight second 45 minutes. 

The introduction of teenage wonderkid Estevao threatened to shake things up in the second half, as the Brazilian injected pace and enthusiasm into a lacklustre Chelsea attack.

But even his Brazilian brilliance wasn’t incisive enough to carve an opening for Maresca’s men. 

And despite a number of substitutes following Estevao, including new number nine Liam Delap, Stamford Bridge’s shooters could only fire blanks before going to West Ham next week. 

Here’s how SunSport Chelsea Reporter Lloyd Canfield rated the players…

Robert Sanchez – 6

It’s unclear if Robert Sanchez was blinded by the sun or by a player as an Eze free-kick was rifled past him, but VAR perhaps saved him in that sense, as it was ruled out. 

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The Spaniard made a solid stop to deny Jean Phillipe-Mateta in the first half, and his distribution seemed improved from last season, but there are still question marks over him among the Blues’ fanbase. 

With an ‘elite’ goalkeeper like Gianluigi Donnarumma up for grabs, he is under a lot of pressure to perform at this moment in time. 

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Reece James – 7

Chelsea’s captain was tasked with marshalling Ebere Eze from right-back for the Blues, as well as leading from the back with the young Josh Acheampong next to him. 

It wasn’t a vintage, flying fullback Reece James performance, but one that showed a maturity to his game with a good passing range and an air of calmness on the ball that he has always possessed. 

Josh Acheampong  – 9

The Cobham Academy graduate was thrown in the deep end once more in the absence of Levi Colwill and Tosin for Chelsea. 

With all the talk of whether or not the Blues will sign a new central defender or not, the teenager did extremely well under huge pressure, putting in crunching tackles and showing elite composure on the ball, sending something of a soothing aura around Stamford Bridge with it at his feet.

Dealing with the physicality of Jean Phillipe Mateta is a tough task for any defender, and Acheampong will need to grow physically before he can dominate that kind of threat, but it didn’t bother him much today. 

Enzo Maresca has got the answer to his injury dilemma from within the club, as they wanted, and Chelsea will hope the youngster can build on such an impressive display. 

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Trevoh Chalobah – 7

Perhaps should have done better when he had a chance to open the scoring after 30 minutes, as the ball fell kindly to him eight yards out, only to be fired over the bar.

But Trevoh Chalobah put in a solid showing against his former club, with an array of good tackles and blocks, as well as guiding Josh Acheampong next to him into a brilliant showing. 

Marc Cucurella – 5

Almost opened the scoring with a header before a clumsy challenge gave a free kick to Crystal Palace, from which they thought they had opened the scoring.

Marc Cucurella has often become a source of attacking threat and chance creation under Enzo Maresca, but wasn’t able to create many openings when he did progress further up the pitch, losing the ball too often.

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Moises Caicedo – 8

Consistency personified in blue, Moises Caicedo was his usual brilliant self today. 

Vital interceptions, tackles full of heart and the stamina of a marathon runner, Caicedo distributed the ball through Chelsea’s midfield and put out fires from the very first whistle to the last. 

A bit more creativity and ball progression from the deep-lying midfielder would have improved his rating to that truly elite level. 

Enzo Fernandez – 4

A very quiet first half saw Moises Caicedo doing the work of two people on his own, with Enzo Fernandez seeming overrun by the enigmatic Ebere Eze. 

Struggled to get his foot on the ball and create chances as he has done so well in recent games for the Blues, before being swapped for Andrey Santos in the final 15 minutes. 

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Jamie Gittens – 4

After an electric pre-season that left fans excited to see him in Premier League action for the first time, he was somewhat disappointing in the first half. 

He was given a run for his money by Daniel Munoz and failed to deliver any sort of end product on his PL bow. 

Better things will be coming from Chelsea’s new number 11, who was substituted after 54 minutes for wonderkid Estevao Willian.  

Cole Palmer – 3

A shadow of his usual self, Cole Palmer didn’t deliver the same kind of fireworks we have become so accustomed to seeing from him under Enzo Maresca. 

Instead for much of the game he looked the same player we saw during his ‘rough patch’ last year. 

He wasn’t allowed much, if any, space on the ball and wasn’t able to create something from nothing in this game, which everyone knows he can do at his mind-blowing best.

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Pedro Neto – 5

Chelsea fans know what to expect from Pedro Neto by now, at his worst he will give you heaps of hard work and running, even on a baking hot day at Stamford Bridge like today. 

He was more impressive than Gittens on the other wing, but also struggled to really create any meaningful chances, with a few deliveries sailing over any Chelsea attackers. 

Neto was switched to the left side when Estevao was introduced, but it was much the same as the first half in truth. 

Joao Pedro – 4

After five goals in his first five games for Chelsea, he had fully justified his place in Enzo Maresca’s starting XI for this game. 

In this game, though, fans were keen to see the introduction of Liam Delap after the half-time whistle, which came to fruition with little under 20 minutes to go. 

The Brazilian struggled to grasp the game by the scruff of the neck against Palace, and couldn’t provide the link-up with Cole Palmer that was so impactful in the Club World Cup. 

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Substitutes

Estevao – 7

Instantly injected energy and enthusiasm into the game but also into the crowd, Estevao is a catalyst for making things happen in this team.

As soon as he came on he had Marc Guehi in a twist before delivering a cross that created a Chelsea chance, despite not being finished off – a move that will have Blues’ fans clamouring for him to start against West Ham next week. 

Estevao perhaps should’ve opened the scoring, with a chance falling to him in the second half that he seemed to overthink before firing over. 

Nonetheless, with the iconic Romario watching on at Stamford Bridge, he will be confident that Joga Bonito has a place here for years to come. 

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Malo Gusto – 4

Took on Reece James’ role when he came on, and was mostly solid at the back but also unable to create any kind of forward spark. 

Saw his name up in lights in the 88th minute, but those lights may have blinded him as his shot from range sailed into row Z. 

Andrey Santos – 5

A solid showing from the Brazilian in midfield, but leaned back too much and fired over the bar in the dying embers of the game with a left-footed shot in front of the Matthew Harding end. 

He came close moments later, this time with a header that was grasped by Henderson. 

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Liam Delap – 5

His determination and hard work allowed him a sight of goal as the game came to a close, but his effort on the half-volley was stopped relatively easily by Dean Henderson. 

Delap will no doubt be a handful for defenders this season if he is coming from the bench, and likely won’t want to settle for playing second fiddle to Joao Pedro for too long. 

“It was a hard effort and spending 12 and a half laps out there is a bit different and a bit more than I’m expecting, but that mile push hopefully shows I’m strong enough for five weeks time.”

Kerr pointed out the strength of British middle distance running.

“This title’s been British for about three or four years and it’s hopefully going to stay British for the next couple of years and it’s my job to do that,” he said after his win at the event in Birmingham that doubled as the British trials.

“We have a fantastic set of 1500m guys going after it as well, so we are in a great spot in the UK.”

Gourlay proved himself best of the rest and said “it feels great” after beating Englishman Elliot Giles in a sprint finish to secure the British title for the fourth time in six years.

“It’s a bit surreal having that longevity with all the people that have been coming and going through this event,” he told Scottish Athletics.

“It’s always the challenge to come and take care of business here in terms of qualification for the world championships, but the goal was certainly to win and it feels satisfying to do that today.

“To win the last three is quite something given the people I’ve ended up being up against over these years.”

Jemma Reekie booked her 800m place in the team for Tokyo, but the Scot had to be content with second spot behind in-form Englishwoman Georgia Hunter Bell.

Meanwhile, Alessandro Schenini took gold in the long jump, Kirsty Law won silver in the discus and Bera Ajala was third in the men’s triple jump.

It felt like 2022 all over again when Josh Gad took to Instagram to express his heartbreak about contracting a “virus known as COVID” and announce his decision to pull out of playing King Herod in the highly anticipated production of “Jesus Christ Superstar” at the Hollywood Bowl, which staged its first night of a three-night run Friday.

Gad hinted that maybe — if he tested negative — the situation might change. The following day, however, John Stamos announced on social media that his weekend “just got biblical” and that he was stepping in for Gad in the show.

On Friday, things got extra dramatic when Gad said that he had tested negative. Fans on his social media clamored to know what that might mean, but he stayed mum until Saturday when he posted a photo of himself in an elaborate gold lamé costume with the words, “See you all Sunday night.”

A rep for the Los Angeles Philharmonic said that final confirmation that Gad will step onto stage won’t come until noon Sunday.

Stamos appeared onstage as Herod on Friday night, bringing some comic relief to an electric, deeply emotional show.

After one of star Cynthia Erivo’s solos, the audience clapped so loud, long and reverently, that tears came to the singer’s eyes — which only caused the crowd to cheer harder. The moment of symbiotic love lasted for at least 3 minutes, maybe more.

The Bowl was packed with marquee names, including former Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, Jim Carrey and Ted Neely (who played Jesus in the 1973 film adaptation of the musical). Erivo brought composer Andrew Lloyd Webber onto the stage as a special guest during curtain call.

Still, Gad fans were many — you could tell because they held Olaf dolls and wore Olaf jewelry — and they could be heard expressing their sorrow at the absence of Gad in the crush of the crowd after the show.

Gad’s addition to the cast, which included Erivo as Jesus, Adam Lambert as Judas and Phillipa Soo as Mary Magdalene, was hailed by fans; and in an interview with The Times during rehearsal, Gad spoke about being beyond excited to perform at the Bowl for the very first time with a stellar cast that he called the Avengers of musical theater.

“I’ve wanted to play the Hollywood Bowl forever,” said Gad. “But I never thought I was good enough to play the Hollywood Bowl,” he added with a self-deprecating smile

Even though the role of King Herod entails a single song — a kind of comic interlude that Gad likened to the part of King George in “Hamilton” — Gad showed up at as many rehearsals as possible before he came down with COVID. He just liked sitting on the sidelines, soaking up the scene and the incredible talent on display, he said.

At a Saturday rehearsal before the show, he filmed numbers on phones for various cast members and cheered his heart out. His sense of excitement was palpable. Now he’ll get one night to give “King Herod’s Song” his all.

“[The crowd] got their money’s worth. I think they wanted 15-all but that last leg, I just had to stay focused,” he told Sky Sports.

“I didn’t really panic. Leg by leg, Andrew started to win a few on the trot, but on the last leg, against the darts, I just had to get over the line.

“He played his part, it’s very tough. Andrew never goes out of rhythm, he’s the same throw by throw. I just had to find a rhythm to match him.”

Littler teased there would be “fireworks” in the fourth quarter-final and Rock delivered.

Both the 24-year-old (104.02) and Price (100.21) averaged above 100, but it was Rock who seized the moment, winning three consecutive legs to open up an 11-8 lead and then extending his advantage to 13-9.

Price rallied to make it 13-11, but Rock – who beat three-time champion Michael van Gerwen in round two – closed out the match in style, winning the last three legs and producing a checkout of 164 in the final one.

“I’m on cloud nine at the minute. What a game,” Rock told on Sky Sports.

“I was just like, ‘Josh, you’re doing nothing wrong, you’re playing your own game, happy days’. The form Gerwyn’s in, you know what to expect.

“Littler’s one of my closest friends behind the scenes. I hope we both turn up. Hopefully it will be a cracking game.”

The semi-finals will take place on Saturday evening with England’s James Wade facing Jonny Clayton of Wales, before Littler’s meeting with Rock.

Helmets, padding and the ability to practice better has made everyone fair game and you’re acutely aware that you’ll receive a bouncer when you walk out there, especially as you’ll be tasked to do the same when you have the ball in your hand.

Your palms get sweaty, you need a nervous trip to the toilet every five minutes and you can’t take your eyes off who the opposition captain is gesturing at to bowl next.

I made the mistake of bouncing Jofra Archer in a County Championship match in 2018, hitting him on the head.

As soon as it was my turn to bat, I knew who’d have the ball in his hand.

The index finger on my right hand is still swollen from where the first ball I faced from him squeezed in against my bat handle in front of my face. He got me out next ball for nought.

The psychological lift a wagging tail gives to a dressing room is also huge.

It lightens the mood, it gives players the confidence that the momentum in the game is in their favour and you can physically see the frustration in the opposition as they toy with how to extract the last few wickets.

The top order batters’ minds are distracted from facing the opening overs of the following innings and if the tail really wags it can descend into chaos.

England were the sixth worst at removing the tail in the previous cycle of the World Test Championship, with the opposition averaging 87.04 after the sixth wicket fell in that period.

With the best in the world, New Zealand, conceding an average of 61.92, that is a significant 50.24-run swing across a Test.

Cast your mind back to the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston in 2023 that Australia won by two wickets.

In a chase of 282, Scott Boland as nightwatchman scored 20 from 40 balls, Pat Cummins 44 not out from 73 and Nathan Lyon a 28-ball unbeaten 16.

More was made of the Stokes declaration on day one, but fundamentally, the inability to blow the tail away in the second innings was where the game was lost.

Killing the tail is going to be imperative to England’s success not only in this series, but in this winter’s Ashes too. Tongue has shown he has the skills. The likes of Carse, Archer or Gus Atkinson could do it too.

Gobbling up rabbit pie could be more important than anyone thinks.

Josh Jackson’s “The Enduring Wild: A Journey Into California’s Public Lands” is a story of adventures across 41 California landscapes, with photos of beautiful places you are unlikely to have seen, in locations ranging from the Mojave Desert to the Elkhorn Ridge Wilderness in Mendocino County. Early on, the author lays out mind-bending stats: more than 618 million acres in the United States are federally owned public land and 245 million of those belong to the Bureau of Land Management.

Public lands, he notes, “are areas of land and water owned collectively by the citizens and managed by the Federal government.” These lands “are our common ground, a gift of seismic proportions that belongs to all of us.”

Drive across the United States and consider that 28% of all of that is yours. Ours.

Jackson’s assertion that we are all landowners is a clarion call amid a GOP-led push to sell off public land. The shadow of the current assault on public lands weighs heavy while reading this lovely book.

The book has endearing origins. When Jackson could not get a reservation for weekend camping with his kids, a buddy suggested that he try the BLM. Until that moment he had never even heard of the Bureau of Land Management. Yet, 15.3% of the total landmass in California is … BLM.

Jackson starts out with history: All these lands were taken from Native American peoples, and he does not overlook that BLM used to be jokingly referred to as the Bureau of Livestock and Mining. In 1976, a turnaround came via the Federal Land Policy and Management Act, which built a multi-use mandate to emphasize hiking and conservation as much grazing and extraction (a.k.a. mining). This effort to soften the heavy use of public lands by for-profit individuals and companies led to the so-called Sagebrush Rebellion and the election of President Reagan. Arguably, we’ve been struggling with finding the multi-use balance ever after.

Jackson’s first BLM foray was out to the Trona Pinnacles in the Mojave Desert, where he and his two older children camped, playing in a wonderland where “hundreds of tufa spires protrude like drip-style sand castles out of the wide-open desert floor that extend for miles in every direction,” while his wife, Kari, an E.R. nurse, stayed home with their newborn. The pandemic shutdown in 2020 inspired Kari’s suggestion, “Why don’t you start going to see all these BLM lands?”

Jackson’s love affair with BLM lands was not immediate, as just a few miles into his next hike in the Rainbow Basin Natural Area near Barstow, he was underwhelmed, like he was missing something. A few miles later, he sat and considered a Terry Tempest Williams quote from “Refuge”: “If the desert is holy, it is because it is a forgotten place that allows us to remember the sacred. Perhaps that is why every pilgrimage to the desert is a pilgrimage to the self.” Revisiting this quote on repeat, Jackson had an emotional shift, deciding to stop hiking and … start walking.

On his next trip to the Amargosa Canyon, Jackson began by reaching out to the Amargosa Conservancy, learning about the Timbisha Shoshone people whose ancestral land this is, about past mining and dozens of plant and animal species. Committed to going at the pace of discovery, he admired the enchanting, striated geology of Rainbow Mountain, cherished creosote, mesquite and the brave diversity of desert flora and was struck by the gaze of an arrogant coyote. On his return, he found that in three hours, he had only traveled … a mile.

Yet it was during this meander that his writing made a steep drop into seeing, feeling, connecting, plunging toward transcendence.

A highlight of the book is a repeat trip to Central California’s Carrizo Plain, first during a drought, silenced by its sere magnificence. After the heavy rains of 2023, he joined Cal Poly San Luis Obispo botanist Emma Fryer and was overcome by the delirious beauty of a superbloom, feeling like “I had wandered into the Land of Oz.” Fryer observed that the drought was so severe that only the hardy native seed survived within the soil, releasing their beauty the moment water allowed them to come to life. Seeing the same place twice was revelatory, both familiar and completely new.

It’s hard to tell if the places he visits gets more beautiful over the course of the book or his capacity to appreciate them and share his joy has grown. Despite the frequent paucity of BLM cartographic resources, apparently Jackson never got lost or worried about dropping the thread of a trail. Describing his father, Jackson might as well be talking about himself: “I have no memories of my dad being worried or fearful in unfamiliar situations.” Nevertheless, toward the end of the book, when he and his hardy father camped next to the rushing Eel River, Jackson did worry about bears breaking into their tent. Fortunately, the bears did not arrive but, inspired by William Cronon’s “The Trouble With Wilderness,” Jackson’s heart opened as he realized that “Nature” is not out there; nature is wherever we are.

Back in Los Angeles taking long walks with his daughter, past bodegas and car washes, he saw jacaranda, heard owls and coyotes and realized the wild had been here all along. An urban sycamore claimed its space regardless of enclosing cement and car exhaust, as spectacular and venerable as any sycamore in the state.

Can the places Jackson visited for his book endure public larceny? He is tracking the answer to this question, real time, on his Substack, where he’s currently describing the shocking attempts to sell millions of acres of BLM land.

“It’s been a wild few weeks for BLM lands. 540,385 acres in Nevada and Utah were on the chopping block to be sold off,” Jackson recently noted. “Everyone was talking about the land totals — but no one was showing what the landscapes actually looked like. So, I decided to go see them.”

Great advice: Bring a friend, pack water and go.

Watts’ writing has appeared in Earth Island Journal, New York Times motherlode blog, Sierra Magazine and local venues. Her first novel is “Tree.”

All unhappy families of addicts are unhappy in their own way. Unless, of course, you’re a stage family, overrun with “characters” who don’t so much speak as deliver laugh lines and dispense nuggets of moral wisdom. Those families tend to be all alike, regardless of the superficial differences among them.

Grandparents play a larger role than usual in Jake Brasch’s “The Reservoir,” which opened Thursday at the Geffen Playhouse under the direction of Shelley Butler. But the theater’s ability to turn family dysfunction, be it alcoholism, Alzheimer’s or just garden-variety existential agony, into entertainment and instant illumination, has long been a staple of the American stage.

My tolerance for the artificiality of the genre may be lower than most theatergoers. Some take comfort in hoary comic patterns, souped-up eccentricity and reassuring pieties. Overexposed to this species of drama, I slump in my seat.

Indeed, my patience was as thin for “The Reservoir” as it was for “Cult of Love,” Leslye Headland’s drama about a family breakdown during the holidays that made it to Broadway last season after its 2018 premiere at L.A.’s IAMA Theatre. Neither play is beyond pandering to its audience for an easy laugh.

Serving as protagonist and narrator, Josh (Jake Horowitz), the queer Jewish theater student on medical leave from NYU who wakes up one morning after an alcoholic bender at a reservoir in his hometown of Denver, exhibits the snappy, manic banter of a drunk not able to face up to his problem. Patricia (Marin Hinkle), his long-suffering mother, has had it with Josh’s relapses, but how can she turn away her son who lies bleeding on her couch?

With his mother’s help, Josh gets a job as a clerk at a bookstore as he tries once again to pull his life together. Fortunately, Hugo (Adrián González), his manager, is quick to overlook his lax performance. Apparently, drinking has so scrambled Josh’s brain that alphabetizing books takes every ounce of his strength.

Marin Hinkle, left, Lee Wilkof, Jake Horowitz, Geoffrey Wade and Liz Larsen in “The Reservoir.”

(Jeff Lorch)

I didn’t quite feel as indulgent toward Josh, but not because I didn’t sympathize with his struggles. My beef was that he sounded like an anxious playwright determined to string an audience along without forced exuberance and sitcom-level repartee. (Compare, say, one of Josh’s rants with those of a character in a Terrence McNally, Richard Greenberg or Jon Robin Baitz comedy, and the drop off in verbal acuity and original wit will become crystal clear.)

What gives “The Reservoir” a claim to uniqueness is the way Josh’s four grandparents are conscripted not just into the story but into the staging. Seated in a row onstage, they serve as chorus to their grandson’s travails, chiming in with their own opinions and acting out his description of the way his thoughts compulsively take over his mind, like an unstoppable train or a raging river.

Each also has an individual role to play in Josh’s recovery. Patricia’s mother, Irene (Carolyn Mignini), for example, has been transformed by dementia since Josh has seen her last. She’s always been his favorite grandparent. He fondly recalls baking cookies, playing Uno and singing along to “The Sound of Music” with her. Even when she pulled away after he came out in high school, his affection has remained steadfast.

He would like to connect with her again and fears he has lost his chance. At the bookstore, he reads up on Alzheimer’s disease and hatches a plan to build up the cognitive reserve of all his grandparents by feeding them spinach and keeping them mentally engaged. He’s trying, in effect, to save himself by saving them, but they’re too feisty to be corralled by their unstable grandson.

Irene’s fiercely protective husband, Hank (Geoffrey Wade), an arch religious conservative, is too grumpy. As for Josh’s paternal Jewish grandparents, Shrimpy (Lee Wilkof) is too much of a practical joker with sex on his mind. And Beverly (Liz Larsen), an electrical engineer who doesn’t mince words, is too gimlet-eyed not to see that Josh is focusing on his grandparents to avoid doing the hard work of recovery.

Having been sober for many decades herself, Bev recognizes the narcissism of addiction, the way addicts have a tendency to put themselves at the center of the universe. She offers Josh the tough love that he needs, forcing him to see that a grandparent isn’t just a grandparent but a human being with a complicated history that needn’t be worn like a Kleenex visible from under a sleeve.

Josh sets out to be a savior but ends up getting an education in the reality of other people. Brasch’s intentions are noble, but “The Reservoir” doesn’t plunge all that deep. The play draws out the distinctiveness of the grandparents by ratcheting up their zingy eccentricities. How easily these characters fall into a punch-line rhythm. Larsen has the most consequential role and she imparts just the right note of astringency. But the staginess of the writing makes it difficult for any of the actors to transcend the shtick that’s been assigned to them.

Hinkle brings a depth of realism to her portrayal of Patricia, but the character isn’t fully developed. Whole dimensions of Patricia’s life are veiled to us. Both Hinkle and Gonazález gamely play other characters, but these sketched presences compound the general impression of a comic world drawn without much nuance.

The staging is frolicsome but visually monotonous — a problem for a play that is much longer than it needs to be. More than two hours of looking at the fey-preppy outfit costume designer Sara Ryung Clement prepared for Horowitz’s Josh becomes a kind of fashion purgatory for audience and protagonist alike.

I’m not sure why a production that doesn’t take a literal approach to settings has to repeatedly trot out the front seat of a car. The spry assistance of stagehands, who not only move set pieces but help flesh out the world of the play, is a jaunty touch. But the sound and lighting effects get rather heavy-handed during Josh’s hallucinatory meltdowns. Blame for the inexcusably clunky dream scenes, a writing fail, can’t be pinned on the designers.

Horowitz had the Geffen Playhouse’s opening-night audience in the palm of his hand, but I heard an actor playing his comic lines more than his character. Horowitz, however, is only following the direction of a playwright, who has a harrowing story to tell and needs you to enjoy every tricked-up minute of the zany-schmaltzy telling.

Josh Hazlewood claimed five wickets as Australia wrapped up an emphatic 159-run victory against West Indies in the first Test in Barbados.

West Indies lost all 10 of their second-innings wickets in the evening session on day three of the contest as Australia showed their ruthlessness to close out the match with two days to spare.

Set 301 for victory, the hosts’ response had started promisingly as they overcame the early loss of Kraigg Brathwaite to reach 47-1 with John Campbell and Keacy Carty at the crease.

However, Hazlewood swung the momentum Australia’s way as he ran through the West Indies top order during a characteristically controlled spell which saw four wickets fall for just nine runs.

From 56-5 it was always going to be an uphill struggle for West Indies, even though Justin Greaves (38 not out) and Shamar Joseph (44) provided some late entertainment.

Hazlewood removed Jomel Warrican to finish with 5-43 before Nathan Lyon bagged two wickets in the final over of the day, after play had been extended by 30 minutes, to seal the win.

Earlier, Australia had made a battling 310 in their second innings after Alex Carey had top scored with a punchy 65.

The tourists had resumed the day on a precarious 92-4 but Travis Head and Beau Webster made gritty scores of 61 and 63 before Carey batted smartly with the lower order.

More to follow.

JOSH KELLY once played alongside Jordan Pickford – now he is targeting world title fights against champions taller than the goalkeeper.

Kelly spent two years in Sunderland’s academy but was booted out when he struggled to juggle it with boxing.

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But the Black Cats fan admits it was probably for the best having excelled in the ring after giving football the KO.

He told The Northern Echo: “I was in the academy from 11 until I was about 13. I was in and out of the academy and development centre.

“I remember playing in one training game and Pickford was in goal! I did well.

“I think I could have done OK in football but when I was making weight for boxing I didn’t really mature as quickly as the other guys, and I made the decision to focus on my boxing.

“I was trying to run both next to each other. I played for Hartlepool a little bit. But it’s hard to focus on both.

“I remember coming off one day and talking to my dad, a lot of the lads were a lot more mature than me, I was weight draining myself for the boxing and trying to diet and I knew I had to do this or that.

“When I started boxing for England and going places, that was the natural step.”

Kelly was a decorated amateur, representing Great Britain at World and European level.

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He went onto qualify for the 2016 Olympics but was knocked out in the second round by Daniyar Yeleussinov of Kazakhstan. 

Kelly then turned professional in 2017 and looked to be one of the most promising talents in world boxing, with flashy speed and eye-catching combinations.

But after drawing to unknown American Ray Robinson in 2019 and losing to David Avanesyan two years later, Kelly’s career came into question.

He built his way back up slowly, moving up from welterweight to light-middleweight, where he won the British title.

But Kelly is eyeing 154lb the big dogs – quite literally – with his eyes on 6ft 6in WBC and WBO champion Sebastian Fundora.

He told BoxingScene: “Tall; awkward; readable; I feel like he’s readable; he’s a freak as well.”

Despite weighing the 11 stone limit, Fundora stands the same height as 18 stone Anthony Joshua.

He beat Tim Tszyu for the WBO title and the vacant WBC belt.

Kelly meanwhile also has Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn in his sights after their second generation grudge match in April.

Benn, 28, moved up from welterweight for the fight but was beaten by Eubank, 35, after 12 thrilling rounds.

Kelly returns on Friday in Newcastle against 24-1 Romanian Flavius Biea.

But he said: “Well, Benn or Eubank or someone like that would be cool.

“So, just big fights – just ones that will get people talking, ones that will get people excited, ones where you get excited.” 

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