Theo Walcott takes the ball past Danijel Pranjic of Croatia. Photograph: Phil Cole/Getty Images
If Fabio Capello were to follow Chris Waddle’s advice and drop Theo Walcott from the starting line-up this evening, there would probably be riots around Wembley. Ninety thousand people have not bought tickets for the match against Kazakhstan to be denied a [...]

Emma Pooley, riding her own race. Photograph: Empics
So now there is a little piece of the Great Wall of China that will be forever British. And when Emma Pooley followed up Nicole Cooke’s triumph by becoming the first British woman to take an Olympic time-trial medal on the circuit around the Ju Yong Pass on [...]

Venus Williams. Photograph: A Couldridge/Action
Venus Williams eased into the last 16 with a 6-1, 7-5 win over Spain’s Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez on Court No1 today.
The seventh seed raced through the first set in just 25 minutes, helped by some powerful serving, which included aces clocked at 116, 119 and 120mph.
Sanchez, the world No101, made [...]