Plus a first look at tomorrows front pages. Good evening. Englands lionesses have thrilled and delighted fans at home and abroad by beating the hosts australia 3 1 in a keenly contested world cup semi final. Its the third consecutive time theyve been in the last four in the world cup and it now means they will face spain in the final on sunday. Todays match was full of drama and tension, leaving the audience wherever they were on a rollercoaster of emotions. Its tough being a fan. With a place in the final potentially 90 minutes away, the tension was deep and palpable. Despite a nervy opening, englands first goal sparked wild celebrations. Cheering. Both in australia and back home. But australias supporters knew their team werent going down without a fight. Cheering. And a goal in the second half restored hope to the home nation. England fans on Tenterhooks But then two more goals sealed englands place in sundays final against spain. Its coming home. Well, our Sports Editor dan roan is
the bbc football commentator john motson, who has died at the age of 77. also coming up in the programme. australia hold their nerve to reach their seventh consecutive women s t20 world cup final with a tense five run win over india. hello and welcome to sportsday. we start today s programme with news that a new independent regulator of men s football in england is to be established for the first time. the announcement follows a recommendation by a fan led review last year. the main purposes of the proposed new regulator will be stopping english clubs from joining european breakaway leagues, preventing financial failings at clubs, introducing more stringent owners and directors tests, giving fans more power and ensuring a fairer distribution of money down the english football pyramid. the significant move aims to protect english football s cultural heritage. here s just some of the reaction to the proposals starting with the premier league chief executive richard masters. w
could perhaps be even more of a force for change. it won t be easy against a force for change. it won t be easy againsta spain force for change. it won t be easy against a spain side who almost knocked england out of the euro that year. they will have a large contingent from the barcelona side, but if england can go all the way, they will be afforded legendary status forever. ailiilur they will be afforded legendary status forever. they will be afforded legendary status forever. our sports editor dan roan- thanks, dan. now to rest of the day s news. inflation has fallen sharply and is now at its lowest level for more than a year. it means that prices are still going up, but not as fast. inflation stands at 6.8% in the year tojuly ? that s down from 7.9% injune. it s partly because food price increases have been slowing down, and also because of a fall in energy costs. in october last year, inflation hit a peak of ii.i%. here s our economics editor, faisal islam. the heat might be co
already been testament to the resolve of a side that had to cope with the adversary of injuries to key players, the suspension of their top scorer and a slow start, but then came the toughest test to date, trying to take on the co hosts themselves in front of 70,000 fans at the national stadium in the sense that they were having to take on an entire nation as well as a team. but as ever, this side dug deep and found a way. not since this stadium was the focal point of the olympics here 23 years ago has a sports event brought australia to a standstill quite like this. the matildas pursuit of world cup glory on home soil has gripped a nation and inspired new fans. but threatening to crash the party, england vastly outnumbered amid a sea of green and gold, but daring to dream. we re outnumbered 1000 to i, but we re going to be the loudest fans in the stadium. we want to beat england. if there s anyone we want to beat, it s england. england had grown into this tournament. now, in a deaf
on the england defence before unleashing a shot that lifted an entire nation. a goal of majesty by one of the game s greatest players. england had shown fight and spirit this tournament. could they do so again? the answer was emphatic. hemp! lauren hemp stealing in as the hosts defence faltered, and drilling home to revive england s lead. australia were desperate. kerr blasting wide, much to the anguish of the hosts. england had survived and moments later booked their place in the final. it s russo! absolutely sublime! australia had nothing left. their memorable world cupjourney over. semifinal losers in their previous two world cups, this time england through to the biggest match of their lives. and so these players now stand on the brink of sporting immortality. not since 1966 has an england side walked out for a world cup final. now these lionesses have the chance to become modern day legends of the game. we ve been saying we re dreaming