North Richmond Street, being blind, is a quiet street. There is nothing there to tell you what went on at No 17, the red-brick terrace house where James Joyce lived as a kid. Round the back there is a courtyard garden, where Joyce spent happy hours batting against his brother John. “I remember having to bowl for him for perhaps an hour at a time,” John wrote. “I did so out of pure goodness of heart since, for my part, I loathed the silly, tedious, inconclusive game.” James was a “useful bat” and “eagerly studied the feats of Ranji and Fry, Trumper and Spofforth”. Years later he threaded the four of them into the text of Finnegans Wake.

It was the week for old stories about Irish cricketers. There is another about Samuel Beckett, half-true, about how, when he lived in Ussy-sur-Marne, he would drive the neighbour’s boy to school in his convertible. The kid was so big he could not fit in the bus seats. When he grew up they called him André the Giant. “I asked André what he and the famous author talked about when they were together,” wrote Cary Elwes. “‘Mostly cricket,’ André recalled.” Beckett opened the batting and bowling for Trinity College. He had a first-class batting average of 8.75 and, like Joyce, he never lost his taste for it.

What began with “Dandy Don” decades ago continues today: The stars of “America’s Team” become the stars of NFL TV. Jason Witten joined the cast this year.

The tiny, wealthy nation of Qatar wants to help Capitals fans avoid a post-game D.C. Metro nightmare.

Steven Stamkos and the Lightning attempt to avoid a near-insurmountable 0-3 series hole against the Capitals in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals. Sporting News has live updates.

There are reports dozens of people stormed Sporting CP’s training ground and attacked players and staff, prompting the club to respond.

Jagr confirmed he intends to “return to the role of the player” with the Kladno Knights in 2018-19.

The Mariners’ Robinson Cano is the latest MLB player to test positive for a banned substance and then claim at least partial ignorance. Such claims are not just getting harder to believe, but they border on an insult to our intelligence.

The Capitals are at home, with a 2-0 lead over the Lightning, and are surviving and thriving without Nicklas Backstrom. The omens are in their favor, so far.

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6.59pm BST

Aston Villa only make one change from the first leg. James Bree replaces the injured Ahmed Elmohamdy at right-back.

Middlesbrough also make one change. Out goes Daniel Ayala, who has a knee injury, and in comes Dael Fry.

6.55pm BST

Aston Villa: Johnstone; Bree, Terry, Chester, Hutton; Hourihane, Jedinak, Grealish; Snodgrass, Grabban, Adomah. Subs: Bunn, Samba, Whelan, Onomah, Hogan, Kodjiah, Bjarnason.

Middlesbrough: Randolph; Shotton, Fry, Gibson, Friend; Howson, Clayton, Besic; Traoré, Assombalonga, Downing. Subs: Dimi, Cranie, Fabio, Leadbitter, Harrison, Bamford, Gestede.

• Gareth Southgate to include Fabian Delph and Ashley Young
• Nick Pope expected to get call-up but no place for Ryan Bertrand

Jack Wilshere and Joe Hart have been omitted from England’s squad for this summer’s World Cup but there is a place in Gareth Southgate’s selection for Fabian Delph.

Wilshere has missed out after being called up for the friendlies against Italy and the Netherlands in March only to withdraw because of injury. The Arsenal midfielder, who has not played for his country since Euro 2016, started only 12 Premier League games in the season just finished and a historically fragile body may have counted against him given the demands of a tournament.