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Wisden Cricketers' Almanack has severely criticized England's Test team for their tumultuous Ashes tour, labeling their campaign as 'feckless, reckless and legless'. The criticism comes after England suffered a 4-1 defeat in Australia.The editor of Wisden, Lawrence Booth, expressed his dismay at England's performance, stating it is 'hard to think of a privilege so carelessly squandered, a chance so blithely spurned'. Booth highlighted several factors contributing to the team's downfall, including poor preparation, lurching tactics, and an unprofessional approach off the field.The Ashes tour was marred by incidents such as Harry Brook's altercation with a nightclub bouncer in New Zealand and a mid-series break in Noosa, which drew significant criticism. In contrast, Australian bowler Mitchell Starc was praised for his discipline, choosing to abstain from alcohol during the series, which helped him secure 31 wickets and earn the title of Wisden's leading men's cricketer in the world.The awards section of Wisden showed a strong Indian flavor, with Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, and Mohammed Siraj recognized for their performances. Haseeb Hameed was the sole Englishman among the five players of the year.

A customer who invested in solar panels through Ikea's website is now £3,000 out of pocket after the collapse of the European operation of Soly, the installer's partner. The customer had signed up for the solar panels late last year, confident in the partnership with a well-known company like Ikea. Ikea had partnered with Soly to offer solar panels to customers, advertising the service on its website and promising 'Ikea pricing'. However, in February, the customer emailed Soly to check on the installation status and received an out-of-office notification. Subsequent emails bounced back, and phone numbers were no longer working. The customer discovered that Soly's European operation had gone bust, but Ikea's website still advertised the partnership, and agents assured them that Soly's UK division was still operational. However, the UK arm had entered liquidation in January, and Ikea quietly removed Soly from its website without informing customers who had paid deposits. The customer has contacted Ikea multiple times for help but received no reply. Ikea's silence has been criticized given the fanfare with which it launched its solar partnership last September. Customers were encouraged to invest in a 'better future life at home' in 'five easy steps' by applying for a free quote via the Ikea website. Soly's administrators, S&W; Group, have advised customers to register a claim, but the chance of a refund is uncertain. Unfortunately, the customer paid the deposit by bank transfer, making it unlikely that they will see their money again.

England's women's rugby team kicked off their Six Nations campaign with a convincing 33-12 win against Ireland at Twickenham, in front of a tournament-record attendance of 77,120. The Red Roses, led by Amy Cokayne, showed their strength despite missing several key players due to injury.Cokayne, the new vice-captain, delivered an impressive performance, scoring a try, making an interception, and achieving a 100% lineout success rate. Her efforts were instrumental in securing the win, which saw England extend their lead through two Sarah Bern tries and a bonus-point try from Jess Breach.The victory marked a significant step for England as they defend their title, despite the setback of losing Morwenna Talling and Natasha Hunt to long-term injuries. The team's adaptability will be crucial moving forward, with head coach John Mitchell emphasizing their ability to adjust to the lock injury crisis.Ireland, led by Erin King and Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald, showed resilience and are on the path to narrowing the gap with the world champions. They will look to bounce back against Italy next Saturday.England's next match is against Scotland, where they will aim to extend their unbeaten run of 34 games across all competitions.

Real Madrid is set to host Girona at the Bernabeu Stadium on Friday, April 10, at 9pm (19:00 GMT) in a pivotal La Liga encounter. The match is crucial for Real Madrid's title aspirations as they trail leaders Barcelona by seven points with only eight games remaining.After suffering back-to-back defeats, including a 2-1 loss to Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League, Real Madrid aims to bounce back and keep their title hopes alive. Coach Alvaro Arbeloa emphasized the importance of the match, stating, “We know that each game is important. We have a smaller margin of error now.”Girona, currently 12th in the standings, has shown improvement in 2026, losing just three of their last 13 games. Their recent 1-0 victory over Villarreal has lifted them into 12th place, just one point behind Osasuna, Espanyol, and Athletic Bilbao.In terms of team news, Real Madrid will be without Rodrygo, Thibaut Courtois, and Franco Mastantuono, but may include Ferland Mendy if he passes a late fitness test. Jude Bellingham and Eduardo Camavinga are set to start for the hosts.Girona faces a lengthy injury list, with Portu, Donny van de Beek, Juan Carlos, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, and Ricard Artero all ruled out. Vladyslav Vanat and Daley Blind are injury doubts for the visitors.

Robert MacIntyre's visit to the Masters ended in disappointment, with the Scot missing the cut after carding a 71 on Friday, which left him at seven over par. His struggles began on Thursday, when he posted an 80, including a quadruple bogey at the 15th hole.MacIntyre's behavior during the tournament, particularly in the closing stages of round one, has raised concerns. He was caught on live television releasing expletives and making an offensive gesture after finding water on the 15th hole. This reaction, along with his subsequent social media post featuring an AI-generated image of himself making an obscene gesture as the iconic Masters gnome, is likely to prompt a stern response from Augusta National officials.The 29-year-old's aggressive behavior on and off the course has sparked debate about his sportsmanship and adherence to the high standards expected at the Masters. His father, Dougie MacIntyre, has urged his son to 'tone it down' when things aren't going his way on the course.In contrast, MacIntyre's playing partner, world No 1 Scottie Scheffler, managed to bounce back from a lackluster first round with a 74 on Friday, moving to even par for the tournament. Scheffler acknowledged struggling with the pace of the greens, stating, 'I felt like I played better than my score'.

Riccardo Calafiori, the Italy defender for Arsenal, has found solace in the team's recent Champions League victory against Sporting, which has reignited their trophy hopes. The win came after a tough couple of weeks for Calafiori, who was part of the Italy squad that failed to qualify for the World Cup for the third consecutive time.Calafiori reflected on the painful period for both his country and club, where Arsenal suffered successive defeats either side of the World Cup qualification failure. However, he emphasized that the beauty of football lies in its unpredictability and the opportunity to bounce back. “It’s been tough, but that is the beauty of football: it is 100% better now,” Calafiori stated.The defender acknowledged that the defeat to Southampton in the FA Cup and the broader disappointment of the period had been challenging. Yet, he expressed gratitude for the chance to play against Sporting just three days later, which helped him shift focus away from the negativity. Calafiori mentioned that while the World Cup failure might have given him more desire to succeed at the club level, he remains disappointed and sad.Arsenal's recent performance was marked by goalkeeper David Raya's heroics, who made crucial saves to secure a 1-0 win against Sporting. This victory was a significant confidence booster for the team, especially with Kai Havertz scoring the winning goal in injury time. Calafiori praised Raya, stating that his return to the lineup after being rested had engendered confidence in the defence.Looking ahead, Calafiori and Arsenal are set to face Bournemouth in the Premier League, an opportunity to extend their lead at the top of the table to 12 points before Manchester City travels to Chelsea. Calafiori emphasized the importance of every upcoming game, stating, “Every game is really important now.”

Arsenal bounced back from their recent domestic struggles to secure a vital 1-0 win against Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League quarterfinals. Kai Havertz scored the decisive goal in stoppage time, capitalizing on a superb pass from Gabriel Martinelli to beat the offside trap and slot past Sporting goalkeeper Rui Silva.The Gunners arrived at the Jose Alvalade Stadium reeling from successive defeats to Manchester City in the League Cup final and Southampton in the FA Cup quarterfinals. Despite a lackluster performance, Arsenal's resilience and Havertz's clinical finish earned them a crucial victory.Mikel Arteta's side will be favorites to advance to the semifinals in the second leg at home on April 15. However, they will need to significantly improve their form to win the tournament for the first time. Arsenal's Premier League title hopes remain strong, with the team sitting nine points clear of second-placed Manchester City.Sporting Lisbon, seeking their first Champions League semifinal spot since 1983, were unable to capitalize on their 17-game home winning streak. The hosts created several chances, including a fierce strike from Maxi Araujo that David Raya tipped onto the crossbar and a low drive from Geny Catamo that Raya smothered.Arsenal's injury-hit squad was still without several key players, including Jurrien Timber and Bukayo Saka. However, the team's depth and Arteta's tactical acumen ultimately paid off, as they secured a hard-fought win in Lisbon.

Liverpool's recent performances have been under scrutiny, particularly their slump in form following a promising start to the season. Manager Arne Slot's tactics and team selection have come under fire, with some questioning his ability to lead the team to success.Slot's romantic connection with Paris Saint-Germain is well-documented, with the manager often citing the French club as an inspiration for his playing style. Liverpool's upcoming match against PSG in the Bigger Cup has generated significant interest, with Slot's team looking to bounce back from a disappointing FA Cup loss to Manchester City.In the midst of this turmoil, Slot's past performances against PSG have been recalled, including a thrilling match last year that ended in a penalty shootout. Slot's passion for the game and his desire for an open and entertaining match have been praised, but his team's recent form has raised concerns about their ability to compete at the highest level.The pressure is on Slot to turn things around and lead Liverpool to a strong finish in the season. With a 20th league title already secured, the team's focus now shifts to the Bigger Cup and a chance to make a statement against one of Europe's top clubs.

Italy's World Cup qualifying playoff woes continued as they lost to Bosnia on penalties, following a 1-0 win over Northern Ireland. Alessandro Bastoni's first-half red card in the Bosnia game was pivotal.Bastoni had been jeered by fans in away games for Inter Milan due to his actions in February's Derby d'Italia against Juventus, where he got Pierre Kalulu sent off. He apologized for his behavior, calling it 'really ugly'.Inter Milan bounced back from their slump with a convincing 5-2 win over Roma, Lautaro Martínez scoring. Marcus Thuram and Hakan Calhanoglu also shone, with the latter scoring a goal of the season contender from 30 yards.The win eased Inter's nerves ahead of Serie A title contention, keeping their lead intact. Alessandro Bastoni received a standing ovation when substituted, with fans chanting his name.