Today at the world cup

VALENCIENNES, France (AP) — As the Cameroon players protested and play was delayed, England’s staff and players watched in disbelief. “I didn’t know what was going on,” England coach Phil Neville said. “Are they going to walk off?” Twice, the English couldn’t be sure if Sunday’s Women’s World Cup last-16 game would resume as the opposition lost its cool in the humidity of northern France and complained about decisions that went against them. Anger erupted when video reviews on offside decisions allowed Ellen White to send England to a 2-0 lead before halftime and then denied Cameroon the goal that would have brought them within one after the break. Referee Quin Liang struggled to maintain control, or resume the game as Cameroon players seethed. “It’s never happened to me before in a game of football,” England forward Fran Kirby said. “We had to keep our heads and stay in the game.” England won 3-0 … [Read more...] about England beats seething Cameroon 3-0 to advance in World Cup

VALENCIENNES, France (AP) — After all the rage and rebellion in the stadium, England players received a far more convivial reception back at their hotel they shared with Cameroon. It came remarkably from Cameroon supporters who were far more graceful than some of their dissenting national team players earlier on Sunday evening in the humid cauldron of Stade de Hainaut. England players who had denied their country a place in the Women’s World Cup quarterfinals by winning 3-0 were applauded back into the Royal Hainaut Spa and Resort Hotel. The England traveling party led by Phil Neville welcomed the unexpected reception. The manager had concerns the moment he was informed by the team operations manager that they were sharing with the opposition in the small city of Valenciennes. “I thought, ‘No, that’s not right,’” Neville said. “Then we went to hotel and it’s been amazing. We saw them go out to training (on Saturday) and they had a … [Read more...] about After World Cup rage, Cameroon faces demands for punishment

Video PlayerClose YOKOHAMA, Japan, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- China and the Netherlands both secured their third straight-set victories on Monday at the FIVB Volleyball Women's World Cup to sit first and second in the table of the round-robin tournament. China dominated Russia 25-22, 25-16, 25-18 with wing spikers Zhu Ting and Zhang Changning scoring 21 and 17 points respectively. Nataliya Goncharova, who had 31 points from Russia's 3-2 victory over Japan on Sunday, was limited to nine points, while Irina Voronkova had a team-high 11 points. After a close 25-22 win in the first set, China pressed ahead with waves of attacks while putting up a solid defense, and safely pocketed their third win of the tournament. "It is always tough playing against Russia. Their players are tall and very strong in front of the net. We made careful preparations before this match, and we were good in serve and reception today," Chinese coach Lang Ping said. The win lifted China to the top of the table, edging … [Read more...] about China routs Russia 3-0, Netherlands stuns Brazil in FIVB World Cup

        Stuart Binny is talking about trolls.For his cricket idols, the country’s recently retired stars, who played when the scope of the internet was still nascent, there were crowds who torched effigies.In the era in which Binny’s father—the 1983 World Cup-winning hero Roger—took the field, there was the odd heckler in the stands.For Binny’s generation, and especially Binny, the hecklers are everywhere and nowhere; everybody and anybody with an opinion and a mobile phone. “It is what it is,” Binny says, crossing his arms and staring at the large tribal tattoo sneaking past the sleeve of his gym-buffed arm. “It took time but now I’ve learned to laugh about it. But that hasn’t stopped me from getting shocked at how silly some of the comments can get.”‘Silly’ is putting it lightly. Binny isn’t active on Twitter the way he is, say, on the photo-sharing platform, Instagram. But … [Read more...] about Almost Famous: A life in cricket

I spend much of my time in a suit and tie with my top button done up and my sensible shoes neatly polished. When it comes to work, my appearance is about communicating professionalism and confidence. But, as in any walk of life, the Westminster dress code is also about fitting in. In western societies, this begins with expectant parents choosing pink or blue and ends with black-clad funeral corteges. Outside the office, like millions of Britons, I routinely throw on jeans, a T-shirt and a hoodie for pottering around the house. For me, a hoodie is like a pair of slippers or pyjamas – something comfortable and well-worn that you can wear unthinkingly. Unless, of course, you happen to be a black male. In Florida in 2012, Trayvon Martin was shot dead by George Zimmerman, who cited his hoodie when asked by the 911 despatcher for a description of the teen’s clothes. Did Trayvon’s clothing choice and skin colour play into Zimmerman’s unconscious bias that the teenager … [Read more...] about David Lammy on why there’s nothing scary about a black man in a hoodie