Ben Stokes made a quickfire 43 to help Durham to a 20-run victory over Essex in their One-Day Cup Group B match at Darlington despite the absence of England Test opener Emilio Gay.

In a match reduced to 38 overs a side by early morning rain, Durham were put in to bat by Essex and fell to 30-3.

But former England captain Stokes hit 43 off 27 balls, hitting five fours and two sixes, before Colin Ackermann added an unbeaten 80 that helped them post 229-5.

Essex opener Noah Thain made 76 but the visitors lost the rest of their top order cheaply, and were bowled out for 209.

Gay sat out the match as a precaution after retiring hurt in Friday’s loss to Middlesex.

Elsewhere, Jake Libby’s fourth century in as many One-Day Cup outings was not enough for Worcestershire as Glamorgan snatched a two-wicket victory off the last ball at Cardiff.

Libby extended his outstanding run as the Worcestershire skipper made 105 off 114 balls in his side’s 278-9.

Glamorgan were quickly reduced to 46-3 in reply but Callum Rhys Nicholls (70) and Jack Hope-Bell (58) reversed the trend and captain Andy Gorvin found the boundary from the last ball of the game to snatch the win.

Group B leaders Middlesex eased to an 87-run win over Derbyshire on the back of a 156-run third-wicket partnership between Max Holden (65) and Ben Geddes (109).

Hampshire openers Ali Orr (105) and Ben Mayes (109) put on 225 for the first wicket in their 51-run win over Sussex.

A superb unbeaten 133 from Daniel Bell-Drummond powered Kent to a six-wicket win over Group A leaders Leicestershire to keep their hopes of progress alive.

Nottinghamshire could not take advantage of Leicestershire’s loss as Gloucestershire beat them by four wickets with five balls remaining at Cheltenham despite captain Haseeb Hameed’s 85.

Luke Procter also made 85 as Northamptonshire secured a seven-wicket victory over Somerset at Wantage Road while Warwickshire secured a two-wicket win over Lancashire.

Brooks Koepka labelled missing the FedExCup Playoffs “pathetic” in a brutally honest assessment of his game after a low finish at the Wyndham Championship.

The five-time major champion, back on the PGA Tour after a four-year hiatus with LIV Golf, posted a final-round 70 at Sedgefield Country Club on Sunday.

Koepka was tied for 70th when his round finished, way short of the fourth-place finish he needed to secure qualification for next week’s St Jude Championship.

“I struck the ball great,” Koepka explained. “It’s just all on the greens. I don’t know what the deal is.

“Got zero confidence, can’t putt. I don’t know. There’s going to be a lot of changes here soon.”

Asked to sum up his disappointment at missing the playoffs, Koepka didn’t hold back, adding: “Pretty disappointed. I think it’s pretty pathetic that I can’t get through.

“Zero top-10s basically in two years. To be in the prime of my career and be as good as I think I am, I think that’s very pathetic, disappointing.

“I just need to go home and completely re-evaluate everything.”

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Koepka, 36, has not made a PGA Tour post-season appearance since 2021, having featured every year, except 2020 when he was injured, dating back to 2015.

The American has secured just one top-10 finish in the 16 tournaments he has played since returning to the PGA Tour from LIV Golf.

Watch the PGA Tour’s FedEx Playoffs St Jude Championship live on Sky Sports Golf and Sky Sports Main Event from 7pm on Thursday. Get Sky Sports or stream golf with no contract through NOW.

After years of speculation, Jose Mourinho has confirmed that he agreed to replace Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United in 2013, before changing his mind and re-joining Chelsea instead.

“When I left Real Madrid, I signed to go to Manchester United after Sir Alex,” the 63-year-old coach – now back at Real for a second spell – said in a new Netflix documentary series about his career.

“He was offered the job, yes,” confirmed Ferguson, who won 13 Premier League titles over 26 years at Old Trafford before retiring in 2013.

“I sat him down and explained the situation,” he added: “As far as I was concerned, he was accepting. And then, within hours, it changed.”

What changed was that Mourinho felt he could not turn down a return to Chelsea, where he had won consecutive Premier League titles in 2005 and 2006.

“One night, he phoned me and he was crying and he says, ‘Alex, I can’t take it. I’ve given my word to Chelsea and I’m not going to break my word’,” said the former United boss.

“The reason he gave to me, I could understand, but I was disappointed.”

Mourinho said he was “very flattered” to be offered the job of replacing Ferguson “because Manchester United has an incredible appeal”.

“But one thing is love for football, another thing is love for a certain club,” he explained.

“I think this is more powerful than love for football and fundamentally, after Real Madrid, I needed to feel that I’m loved.

“For me to lose the chance to be the coach to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson was dramatic, but I don’t regret (it) because it was a decision that I made with my heart.”

After returning to Stamford Bridge in 2013, Mourinho went on to win his third Premier League title as well as the League Cup.

In May 2016, he got a second chance to take over at United, succeeding Louis van Gaal.

Over a two-and-a-half year spell at Old Trafford, Mourinho won League Cup and Europa League titles before being sacked in December 2018 following a slump in results.

He returned to another of his old clubs, Real Madrid, in May this year. Mourinho’s last spell there ended in acrimony as he fell out with club captain Iker Casillas and other players.

On the eve of his Real reunion, the combative manager and former Spain goalkeeper Casillas spoke candidly about the reasons behind those differences.

Mourinho also spoke about difficulties he has faced with former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, who hired him twice and sacked him both times.