Sport

Saracens claimed a comfortable 38-5 win at Leicester Tigers to maintain the pressure on league leaders Exeter Chiefs in Premiership Women’s Rugby. Sarries took the early advantage and scored three tries inside 12 minutes through Kelsey Clifford, Lotte Sharp and Gabrielle Senft. It went from bad to worse for Tigers when Tahlia Brody was sent off for making head contact …

McLaren had dominated the practice sessions leading up to qualifying and were favourites for pole, but they did not show their hand until the final lap of a session marked by track limits transgressions and other incidents. World champion Max Verstappen was quickest on the first runs in the final session in his Red Bull, despite a big slide out …

Storm Darragh has caused the postponement of Saturday’s Irish Premiership games between Glentoran and Ballymena United at the Oval and Glenavon and Crusaders at Mourneview Park. The match between the Glens and the Sky Blues was called off following a pitch inspection at 10:30 GMT on Saturday, with the game between the Lurgan Blues and the Crues postponed later because …

The Merseyside derby between Everton and Liverpool at Goodison Park has been postponed because of adverse weather during Storm Darragh. An amber weather warning for strong winds was issued for Merseyside on Saturday morning amid the threat of disruptive conditions. Everton said the game was called off on safety grounds after a meeting between both clubs and representatives from Merseyside …

Britain’s Emma Finucane closed the gap in the women’s sprint standings as she claimed victory in the Track Champions League at Lee Valley VeloPark. The double world champion went into the penultimate round of this year’s series in fifth, way behind runaway sprint leader Alina Lysenko. But the Welsh rider, 21, won the sprint event in London and was second …

In all Test cricket, Atkinson’s is the first hat-trick since South Africa spinner Keshav Maharaj against West Indies in 2021. Atkinson’s three wickets in three balls is also the first hat-trick taken at the historic Basin Reserve. New Zealand resumed on 86-5, 194 adrift. Brydon Carse needed only 10 balls of his spell to take Tom Blundell’s off stump and, …

Bath: De Glanville; Cokanasiga, Redpath, Butt, Muir; Russell, Schreuder; Du Toit, Dunn, Stuart, Roux, Ewels (capt), Hill, Pepper, Reid. Replacements: Annett, Van Wyk, Griffin, Molony, Bayliss, Carr-Smith, Ojomoh, Coetzee. La Rochelle: Dulin; Nowell, Seuteni, Danty, Leyds; West, Kerr-Barlow; Wardi, Latu, Atonio, Lavault, Skelton, Jegou, Haddad, Alldritt (capt). Replacements: Lespiaucq, Penverne, Colombe Reazel, Douglas, Botia, Berjon, Reus, Thomas.

BBC Radio Berkshire’s Reading commentator Tim Dellor Likeable, calm and well organised, Ruben Selles’ character was tested to the full at Reading. A lesser man in charge of the Royals for the past 18 months would have thrown the toys out the pram and snapped at least once but Selles took all the nonsense thrown at him by the owner …

All domestic football and rugby matches in Wales scheduled for Saturday are postponed due to concerns over Storm Darragh.

Dragons back row Shane Lewis-Hughes has undergone surgery to amputate the ring finger on his right hand. The 27-year-old from Pontypridd first experienced issues with his finger in 2016 after his hand got stuck under a set of studs during training. He returned to training but over time experienced deterioration in his finger from the knuckle upwards, and in 2020 …