Sports world daily: Khawaja’s knock rescues Australia in Ashes; Portugal win in Euro 2024 qualifiers

Usman Khawaja scored an unbeaten ton to help Australia recover from a nervy start in their innings, in the opening match of the Ashes Series.

Bruno Fernandes scored a brace as Portugal beat Bosnia and Herzegovina in their Euro 2024 qualifier, while Scotland came from behind late to beat Norway.

Tottenham Hotspur have completed the signing of Dejan Kulusevski from Juventus. The Swedish winger had been plying his trade for Spurs for the past 18 months on loan.

In tennis news, Katie Boulter and Jodie Burrage set-up the first all-British WTA final in 46 years by getting to the summit clash in Nottingham. Meanwhile, Frances Tiafoe has reached his first ever grass court final, where he will take on Jan-Lennard Struff for the Stuttgart Open title.

Here’s a look at the key stories from international sporting events through the day for June 18, 2023:

Khawaja leads Australian fightback

Usman Khawaja said the taunts of the Edgbaston crowd spurred him on to an “emotional” first Test hundred in England as he led Australia’s fightback in the Ashes opener on Saturday.

Australia were reeling at 67-3 after Stuart Broad struck twice in two balls to remove David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne, the world’s top-ranked Test batter, before England captain Ben Stokes captured the prize wicket of Steve Smith.

Yet they recovered to 311-5 at stumps on the second day, 82 runs behind England’s first-innings 393-8 declared, with left-handed opener Khawaja 126 not out.

Broad later blasted the pitch as “soulless”.

Khawaja’s more than six-and-a-half hour stay may have lacked the dynamism of some of England’s ‘Bazball’ batting, but there was no denying the value of an innings that still featured 14 fours and two sixes.

The 36-year-old’s seventh hundred in 18 Tests since he was recalled last year also ended a decade-long wait to reach three figures at this level on English soil.

Prior to this innings, Khawaja’s top score in a Test in England was 54, with his corresponding average a lowly 19.60.

“When I’m getting sprayed (barracked) by the crowd as I’m walking out there today and as I’m going to nets being told that I can’t score runs in England...I guess it was just a bit more emotional than normal,” he said.

Khawaja was bowled by Broad on 112 only for replays to reveal the veteran seamer had over-stepped for one of his six no-balls in the innings.

Broad said the intensity of the occasion allied to a “soulless” pitch, contributed to a “frustrating day”.

“I’m not really a big no-ball bowler,” he told the BBC.

“I have probably bowled more today than in a Test match day before. There’s no excuse.

“But it is the first innings of an Ashes Test match, you have some big emotions there so you are trying to gain energy from the surface and maybe pushing a little bit too hard.”

He addded: “It is certainly one of the slowest pitches I can remember bowling on in England...Hopefully it is not a trend for the whole series.”

Portugal, Scotland win in Euro qualifiers

Bruno Fernandes scored twice as Portugal won in Euro 2024 qualifying on Saturday after Scotland produced a stunning late comeback to beat Erling Haaland’s Norway in Oslo.

Portugal defeated Bosnia and Herzegovina 3-0 in Lisbon to make it three wins out of three in Group J, with Manchester City star Bernardo Silva opening the scoring a minute before half-time.

Fernandes headed in the second from a Ruben Neves cross in the 77th minute and scored his second, and Portugal’s third, in added time.

Cristiano Ronaldo wore the captain’s armband and played all 90 minutes as the 38-year-old men’s international appearance record-holder won his 199th cap.

Portugal, who visit Iceland on Tuesday, are top of Group J with nine points out of a possible nine having scored 13 goals and conceded none.

Scotland have three wins out of three in Group A after, following a famous victory over Spain in March, coming from behind late on to beat Norway 2-1 on Saturday.

It looked as if Norway would get their first win of the campaign after Erling Haaland was fouled in the box on the hour mark by Ryan Porteous and converted the resulting penalty.

But then Scotland equalised in the 87th minute when Leo Ostigard failed to deal with a John McGinn pass, allowing Lyndon Dykes to stab home.

And Scotland were not finished as they snatched the winner with a minute left, McGinn and Dykes combining to set up Norwich City’s Kenny McLean to slot in, leaving Norway with just one point from three outings.

Scotland, who went 23 years without appearing at any major tournament before going to Euro 2020, are now in a fantastic position on top of Group A, five points clear of Georgia and six ahead of Nations League finalists Spain.

They have played a game more than both of those sides, however, and welcome Georgia to Glasgow on Tuesday.

Belgium held

Belgium were held to a 1-1 draw by Austria in Brussels, with captain Romelu Lukaku turning and firing in from the edge of the box just after the hour mark for the hosts.

They had been trailing after Orel Mangala deflected a shot past goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and into his own net.

Belgium are three points behind group leaders Austria but have a game in hand. They are back in action on Tuesday in Estonia, who drew 1-1 with Azerbaijan on Saturday.

In other action, the Czech Republic cemented their position at the top of Group E after a 3-0 win in the Faroe Islands in which Vaclav Cerny scored twice.

Tottenham sign Kulusevski

Tottenham secured a permanent deal for the signing of Dejan Kulusevski from Juventus on Saturday, the Premier League club confirmed.

The Swedish winger has been on loan at Spurs for the past 18 months after joining on loan in January 2022.

Kulusevski impressed during his debut season as Tottenham finished in the Premier League’s top four.

But his first full season in north London was less successful as he scored just twice in 37 appearances in an injury-disrupted campaign.

According to reports, Tottenham will pay 30 million euros (£27 million, $33 million) for the 23-year-old.

He becomes Spurs’ first signing since Ange Postecoglou took charge as the club’s new manager.

All-British WTA final in 46 years

Katie Boulter and Jodie Burrage on Saturday set up the first all-British final on the WTA Tour in 46 years at the Nottingham grass court tournament.

Boulter defeated compatriot Heather Watson 6-4, 7-5 before 131st-ranked Burrage clinched a 7-5, 7-5 win over France’s former top 20 player Alize Cornet.

The last all-British final on the WTA Tour was in 1977 when Sue Barker beat Virginia Wade in San Francisco.

“It means so much to me, especially here,” said Boulter.

“I just tried to put my heart on the line, and I managed to get through it in the end.”

Burrage made the final after a testing week on the Nottingham grass courts – needing three hours to defeat Tereza Martincova as well as seeing off Magdalena Frech and Australian Open semi-finalist Magda Linette.

“I wasn’t expecting this coming into this week, not going to lie, but I’m very happy with my performance today,” Burrage said.

“I was saying to myself at the end there ... ‘Jodie, you’re winning this in two sets. You’re not playing three. I don’t have that in me.’ Maybe I should say that to myself more often.”

Tiafoe reaches Stuttgart final

Frances Tiafoe reached his first grass court final on Saturday after seeing off Hungarian qualifier Marton Fucsovics in straight sets.

The 12th-ranked American came through 6-3, 7-6 (11) and will face Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff for the title on Sunday in what will be his seventh tour final.

“I have played some solid tennis. It is one of my favourites surfaces. It is good to get out here and get some matches,” said Tiafoe who saved six set points in a marathon second set tie-break.

Third-seeded Tiafoe is chasing his third tour-level title and second of the season this week, having triumphed on clay in Houston in April.

Struff saw off Polish fourth seed Hubert Hurkacz 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 to close in on a first ever title.

The 33-year-old cracked 35 winners past Hurkacz in his 89-minute victory.

“I am very happy,” Struff said. “Hubi is an incredible grass-court player, so I knew I had to play a very good match. After starting off well I found a way and I am very happy with the win.”

With text inputs from AFP

Updated through the day