Coppull stepped up in distance to land a second Group Two of his career under an enterprising ride from Hector Crouch, who completed a big-race double in the Visit Malta Hungerford Stakes at Newbury.

The three-year-old Clive Cox-trained colt finished third in the July Cup last time out but a bold plan to move up to seven furlongs was landed in fine style for his jockey, who also completing a treble on the card.

Crouch delivered Coppull in eyecatching style, too, peeling away from the main group towards the far side two-and-a-half furlongs from home at the head of a three-strong breakaway, a path which proved quicker to the line.

It proved a masterstroke as the Bated Breath colt stayed on too strongly to land the £93,571 pot by one-and-a-quarter lengths at 15-2 from Prince Of India (14-1) with a further three-quarters of a length back to another of the breakaway trio, the 5-2 favourite Symbol Of Honour.

Cox, who was credited by Crouch with the decision to go far side, said victory over seven furlongs had given them options for the remainder of the season.

“He was unlucky not to be a place closer at least in the July Cup but he always gave me the impression he would stretch another furlong, even as a two-year-old where he ran so well in the Coventry,” he told ITV Racing.

“He’s got a lot of class and he reminds me an awful lot of Lethal Force who won this race back in 2012 and he went on to be champion sprinter the year after he won this.

“He’s still quick enough for six furlongs and while I’m not convinced he likes it really soft, with the dry summer we’ve had we’ve got choices now.

“If he comes back all right we could still run in the Haydock Sprint Cup and that would be with a bit of confidence after today. And we still have the Park Stakes [Group Two over seven furlongs at Doncaster] which obviously he would have a penalty in.”

Melbourne Cup next stop for Wine Dark Sea after Freer success

Wine Dark Sea made every yard of the running to land a gamble in the Highclere Thoroughbred Racing Geoffrey Freer Stakes at Newbury and set up a possible tilt at the Melbourne Cup.

Connections have recently sold a share in the four-year-old gelding to Australian Bloodstock and victory under Hector Crouch was enough to earn a place in the Flemington race.

Making all under Crouch, Wine Dark Sea, who was well backed from 13-2 into 7-2, never looked like being pegged back and stayed on well in the straight to pull clear of the staying-on Tabletalk to win by a length and a half.

William Haggas’ 2-1 favourite Dubai Honour was a neck further back in third.

Winning trainer Harry Charlton confirmed the Melbourne spectacular was the next stop for the improving four-year-old with the horse set to go into quarantine on September 9.

“The intention today was to finish third which would help with the ballot qualification for the Melbourne Cup and he has done more than that,” said Charlton.

“The Aussies who I’m dealing with were saying finish third and they won’t change his handicap mark. It is very different how they do it.”

Wine Dark Sea ran out an impressive winner of handicaps at Ascot and Carlisle earlier in the season but could manage only fifth when well supported at Newmarket’s July meeting.

Charlton was inclined to put that disappointment down to the rigours of a stiff finish and long journey to the Cumbrian track.

“Although he won on the bridle at Carlisle he broke the track record carrying top weight so you can’t have an easy race, particularly travelling eight hours in a heatwave. The 10 days later we just saw a slightly flat horse.

“My brother [Tom] trains in Australia and has a Melbourne Cup runner as well. I have a team going down with the horse and you train out of the quarantine barn at Ballarat.”

There could be a Trent Rockets double and a Sam Billings four-peat at Lord’s on Sunday as the 2026 edition of The Hundred draws to a close.

Rockets’ men’s and women’s sides advanced directly to the finals after topping their respective tables during the group phase, winning 13 of their combined 16 matches.

The Midlanders already have the Hundred Helix trophy sewn up – a new prize awarded to the best-performing franchise across the men’s and women’s competitions.

Now, though, Rockets, want to secure individual men’s and women’s glory, live on Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Mix.

The women are up first at the Home of Cricket as they take on defending champions SunRisers Leeds from 2.15pm – SunRisers triumphed a year ago under their Northern Superchargers name – before the men play Manchester Super Giants from 6pm.

Rockets women have never won The Hundred before. In fact, this is their first final, after four group-stage exits and a defeat in the eliminator across the first five editions.

Rockets men, meanwhile, are one-time champions, prevailing in 2022 before their now-captain Billings began his love affair with this tournament and led Oval Invincibles to three successive Hundred titles, capped off with a win over Rockets in the 2025 final.

Billings ‘very proud’ of Hundred success

Invincibles let Billings go ahead of the auction as they began a new era under their MI London moniker, allowing Rockets to swoop for him. It has been an extremely shrewd acquisition, with Billings now on the brink of four in a row.

The Rockets skipper said: “It is impressive. It’s something I’m very proud of and to have the opportunity to win another one, albeit with a different team, is very pleasing. You want to be in this stage of the tournament every year so it’s not lost on me.

“The opportunity we have, I never take it for granted, playing here at the Home of Cricket. As a young kid growing up, you dream of occasions like this and playing at Lord’s. As you get older, you start to appreciate these things a little more, I suppose.

“I think we might be one of the oldest teams in the competition. We have a lot of guys who have played in finals before, been successful in finals. We have had brilliant energy throughout this competition.”

Billings’ opposite number on Sunday will be Jos Buttler, who has stepped up to captain Super Giants since South Africa’s Aiden Markram exited for personal reasons.

Buttler has stepped up with the bat, too – plundering 311 runs, including four fifties, and he cracked 33 off 20 balls in the eliminator win over SunRisers on Friday night.

Billings, whose side beat Super Giants by six wickets while amid a run of six straight wins during the group stage, said of his weekend opponents: “They’re a very good team.

“Jos [Buttler] is arguably the best white-ball player ever to represent England and the leading record run-scorer ever in T20 cricket. They’ve got a lot of variety in their side as well. But I think it’s all about us, to be honest.

“We topped the group. We beat them in Manchester, which definitely gives us confidence. We will absolutely respect them. But, as a team, winning the league stage gives us a lot of confidence. We’ve been the best team from a record point of view.”

Can Gibson’s SunRisers deny Gardner more Lord’s glory?

There will definitely be a triumphant England captain in the men’s final, either Billings or Buttler, and there could also be one in the women’s.

SunRisers’ Dani Gibson – one of only three English skippers in the women’s competition this term, alongside London Spirit’s Charlie Dean and MI London’s Hollie Armitage – will be hoping to get the better of Rockets’ Australian leader Ash Gardner.

Gibson was in the England team beaten by an Australian outfit containing Gardner in the Women’s T20 World Cup final at Lord’s in July.

Gardner also has fellow 2026 World Cup winners Kim Garth and Beth Mooney with her at Rockets, although there are members of that victorious squad in the SunRisers’ ranks in Phoebe Litchfield and Annabel Sutherland, the leading run-scorers in the women’s Hundred this term.

The performances throughout the competition have shown that it’s not the same people standing up every game. We’ve got a lot of experience and that really helps in a fast-paced format where you’re under pressure quickly. Players have stayed composed in those moments and we’ve also got people willing to take the game on.

Gardner said: “There are definitely some fantastic memories here at Lord’s. It’s nice coming back to the same dressing room and hopefully that brings some good energy. Having a few Australians in the side helps because we know what big occasions require.

“Sunday is a new game and a different challenge but there are plenty of positive memories to draw on and confidence in the things we’ve done well throughout the season.”

Gibson added of playing Rockets, who have England skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt in their line-up: “They’ve got some great names but I think every team has great names. It’s just making sure that we prep well and play the conditions that we’re going to get here.

“Adapt quickly, communicate well and enjoy playing.”

Watch The Hundred finals, at Lord’s, live from 2pm on Sunday on Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Mix. The women’s match between Trent Rockets and SunRisers Leeds starts at 2.15pm with the men’s between Trent Rockets and Manchester Super Giants under way at 6pm. Stream cricket contract-free with NOW.

Pakistan warmed up for their first Test against England at Headingley from Wednesday with a seven-wicket win over a County Select XI as Saud Shakeel hit an unbeaten hundred and Imam-ul-Haq scored 80.

Set 262 to win on the third and final day in Beckenham, the tourists reached their target in 57.1 overs with England spinner Shoaib Bashir recording second-innings figures of 0-45 from eight overs after bagging 4-76 from 20.2 first time around.

Bashir is hoping to be included in the England XI in Leeds next week, live on Sky Sports, but the hosts could pick an all-pace frontline attack with the recalled Dan Lawrence, who will bat at No 6, and newly reappointed captain Joe Root providing the spin options.

Opening batter Emilio Gay and seam bowler Matt Fisher were the other members of the England Test squad, besides Bashir, to play in Beckenham, although the first two were released from duty on the final day.

Gay bagged a pair in the match as the home side made scores of 305 all out and 195 all out, while Fisher clubbed 62 not out from 53 balls in the hosts’ first innings before registering bowling figures of 1-15 from 11 overs in Pakistan’s opening knock of 238.

Who else impressed for Pakistan in Beckenham?

Pakistan’s top-scorer in their first innings was Abdullah Shafique (61), while highlights with the ball included a second-innings five-for for left-arm spinner Ali Usman.

The tourists suffered a scare on day two when captain Babar Azam retired hurt after being struck on the hand by a delivery from young Hampshire quick Manny Lumsden.

Babar was advised to rest for the remainder of the game but a PCB statement said he would train at Headingley on Monday.

The skipper said on Saturday after the win over the County Select XI: “It’s a very good preparation for us to prepare ourselves for the Test.

“The pitch was a bit challenging early on but it got better after a couple of days. We have to prepare ourselves for the game and it’s a great thing to go out and perform.

“I’m not sure what the conditions will be like in the first Test, but seeing here it’s slightly dry and the ball was turning as well. That pitch will have some bounce there.

“It will be slightly different [in Leeds]. We will be preparing accordingly. “

England vs Pakistan Test series fixtures

• First Test (Headingley) – Wednesday August 19 – Sunday August 23 (first ball 11am)
• Second Test (Lord’s) – Thursday August 27 – Monday August 31 (first ball 11am)
• Third Test (Edgbaston) – Wednesday September 9 – Sunday September 13 (first ball 11am)

Watch the three-Test series between England and Pakistan live on Sky Sports Cricket from Wednesday (11am first ball at Headingley). Stream cricket and more top sport contract-free with NOW.