England eye perfect home World Cup record vs Australia

Inaugural champions England will face six-time winners Australia in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 final, seeking to preserve a remarkable record across every Women’s World Cup they have hosted at Lord’s on Sunday.

England’s campaign have stood out not just for six straight wins, but for the variety with which they have reached the title clash. argolida.life

England arrive unbeaten, confident, and carrying an extraordinary home World Cup record.

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The Portland Fire returned to winning ways with a gritty 77-72 victory over the Seattle Storm, snapping a three-game losing streak and earning just their second road win of the 2026 WNBA season. French guard Carla Leite led the way with a game-high 20 points as Portland improved to 9-12, while Seattle slipped to 5-17.

Portland endured a sluggish start, managing just 10 points in the opening quarter after struggling to find its rhythm offensively. Despite the poor shooting display, the Fire stayed within striking distance thanks to their defensive effort and dominance on the boards.

Leite spearheaded the comeback, finishing with 20 points, four assists and a perfect 12-for-12 from the free-throw line. Bridget Carleton added 14 points and seven rebounds, while Megan Gustafson chipped in with 10 points and nine rebounds to provide valuable support.

Seattle was led by Dominique Malonga, who scored 22 points, but the Storm struggled to match Portland’s physicality in the closing stages. The Fire controlled the rebounding battle 37-25 and capitalised on second-chance opportunities, helping them overturn the early deficit.

Portland also benefited from disciplined play at the foul line, converting crucial free throws down the stretch to keep Seattle at bay. Strong execution in the pick-and-roll and timely defensive stops allowed the visitors to close out the contest and secure a much-needed confidence-boosting victory.

The win provides fresh momentum for the expansion franchise as it prepares for a challenging stretch of the season, while Seattle will look to regroup after missing an opportunity to build on its recent improvement.

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England produced a clinical run chase to defeat India by four wickets in the second T20 International at Emirates Old Trafford, taking a 1-0 lead in the five-match series. Chasing 191, the hosts were inspired by an unbeaten 76 from Jacob Bethell, whose late assault on Ravi Bishnoi proved decisive as England crossed the finish line with an over to spare.

India posted 190/7 after solid contributions from Ishan Kishan (49), Abhishek Sharma (43) and Shreyas Iyer (37). Sam Curran starred with the ball for England, claiming 3/33, while Will Jacks kept the Indian batters in check through the middle overs. The visitors added 23 runs from the final seven deliveries to post a competitive total.

The match also marked the international debut of 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who became the youngest male cricketer to represent India in England. The left-handed opener scored a brisk 14 off 10 balls before being stumped by Will Jacks.

England’s reply got off to a shaky start as they lost an early wicket, but captain Harry Brook changed the momentum with a blistering 39 off just 15 balls. After Brook’s dismissal, Jacob Bethell and Tom Banton added a vital 67-run partnership to keep the chase on course.

With England needing 49 runs from the last four overs, Bethell turned the game on its head by taking apart Ravi Bishnoi in the 17th over. The left-hander smashed three sixes as the over yielded 29 runs, swinging the contest decisively in England’s favour. Bethell remained unbeaten on 76 from 46 deliveries to guide the hosts home, while Jofra Archer struck the winning runs in the 19th over.

Arshdeep Singh was India’s most successful bowler with figures of 3/40, but Bishnoi’s expensive spell at the death allowed England to seize control and complete a memorable chase.

England now hold a 1-0 advantage in the five-match series ahead of the third T20I at Trent Bridge.

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Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) [US], July 5 (ANI): France head coach Didier Deschamps came out in support of captain Kylian Mbappe following criticism over his leadership of the national team, saying the striker’s public image does not reflect the person he is within the squad.

Speaking to reporters after France secured a place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 quarterfinals, Deschamps dismissed suggestions that Mbappe had changed since taking over the captaincy.

“No, he hasn’t changed. You make him seem like a dictator. Kylian has an image for some people on the outside that doesn’t correspond at all to reality," Deschamps told reporters after the match in a video shared by news outlet LIBERTA DEPRE on X.

Deschamps also said his players were prepared for Paraguay’s physical approach and praised captain Kylian Mbappe’s leadership after Les Bleus edged past the South American side 1-0 to reach the FIFA World Cup 2026 quarterfinals, according to Reuters.

Reflecting on the fiercely contested Round of 16 encounter, Deschamps said his squad had anticipated the nature of the match and managed to remain disciplined throughout.

“I’ve seen a lot of things," Deschamps said, as quoted by Reuters.

“I have prepared the players. The players were expecting this game. I do not want to criticise Paraguay. Each team plays the way they want. But there were some insults from the other bench which I could have done without," he added.

“The most important thing is that by the end of the game, there were no disagreements and that we (did not) get another card," he said.

France booked a place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 quarterfinals with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Paraguay in the Round of 16 at Lincoln Financial Field, thanks to Kylian Mbappe’s second-half penalty.

Despite dominating possession, Les Bleus found it difficult to break down Paraguay’s disciplined defence, with the South Americans frustrating Didier Deschamps’ side throughout the opening half.

The match became only the third FIFA World Cup knockout fixture since 1966 to reach halftime without a single shot on target, while tensions flared following a challenge on Mbappe that sparked a mass confrontation.

France finally broke the deadlock in the 66th minute after Desire Doue won a penalty, which Mbappe converted calmly. Paraguay pressed for an equaliser until the final whistle, but France held firm to secure victory and set up a quarterfinal clash with Morocco. (ANI)

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