ON THIS DAY
1848: WG Grace was born. The cricket great scored 54,896 runs, took 2,876 wickets and 871 catches in the first-class game. In 1876, he became the first man to score 300 runs in an innings and duly repeated the feat within a week. He also represented his country at bowls and founded the English Bowling Association in 1903. He retired from first-class cricket aged 60 in 1908 and died in 1915.
1951: 'Jersey' Joe Walcott knocked out Ezzard Charles to become world heavyweight boxing champion at the age of 37 years and 168 days.
1992: Crystal Palace became the first foreign club to play in South Africa following the country's readmittance to FIFA. Palace beat Kaizer Chiefs 3-2 in Johannesburg.
1997: Liverpool signed England midfielder Paul Ince from Inter Milan for £4.2million.
2004: Unheralded American Todd Hamilton beat Ernie Els in a play-off to win the Open Championship at Royal Troon.
2008: Sprinter Dwain Chambers lost his bid to be allowed to compete at the Beijing Olympics after a High Court judge refused to grant an injunction to temporarily suspend a lifetime ban imposed by the British Olympic Association for using drugs.
2009: Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor passed a medical and signed a five-year contract with Manchester City.
2010: South Africa's Louis Oosthuizen won the Open Championship at St Andrews.
2014: Germany's World Cup-winning captain Philipp Lahm announced his retirement from international football.
2015: Formula One driver Jules Bianchi died, nine months after suffering severe head injuries in a crash during the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix.
2016: A WADA investigation found that the Russian Ministry of Sport "directed, controlled and oversaw" the manipulation of urine samples provided by Russian athletes at Sochi's anti-doping laboratory during the 2014 Winter Olympics.
2018: British and Irish Lions captain Sam Warburton announced his retirement from rugby due to injuries at the age of 29.
BIRTHDAYS
David Hemery (athletics) - 1968 Olympic 400-metres hurdles champion, born 1944.
Jim Watt (boxing) - WBC world lightweight champion turned TV commentator, born 1948.
Dennis Lillee (cricket) - former Australia fast bowler, born 1949.
Sir Nick Faldo (golf) - three-time winner of both the Open and US Masters, born 1957.
Alan Pardew (soccer) - former Crystal Palace, Newcastle and West Ham manager, born 1961.
Shane Horgan (rugby union) - retired Leinster and Ireland wing, born 1978.
Canelo Alvarez (boxing) - two-weight world champion from Mexico, born 1990.
QUICK QUIZ
1. Who captained England to win this year's Cricket World Cup?
2. Which English city is currently hosting the Netball World Cup?
3. Which cricket county play their home matches at Riverside?
4. What year did Royal Portrush first host the Open Championship?
5. Which two countries will contest Friday's Africa Cup of Nations final?
(See quiz answers at bottom)
SPORT ON TV
Today (Thursday, July 18)
GOLF: The Open Championship - Sky Sports Main Event & Sky Sports Golf 0630.
CRICKET: Women's Ashes, England v Australia - Sky Sports Cricket 1030; Vitality T20 Blast, Nottinghamshire Outlaws v Worcestershire Rapids - Sky Sports Cricket 1845.
CYCLING: Tour de France - Eurosport 1 1120, ITV4 1030 & S4C 1400.
NETBALL: World Cup - BBC Two 1545.
TENNIS: WTA, Bucharest Open - BT Sport 1 1300.
RUGBY LEAGUE: Super League, Wigan Warriors v Wakefield Trinity - Sky Sports Arena 1900.
SOCCER: Europa League, Shamrock Rovers v SK Brann - eir Sport 1 1955.
BASEBALL: MLB, Miami Marlins v San Diego Padres - BT Sport/ESPN 1700.
BASKETBALL: WNBA, Los Angeles Sparks v Dallas Wings - Sky Sports Action 2030.
Tomorrow (Friday, July 19)
GOLF: The Open Championship - Sky Sports Main Event & Sky Sports Golf 0630.
CRICKET: Women's Ashes, England v Australia - Sky Sports Cricket 1030; Vitality T20 Blast, Hampshire v Sussex Sharks - Sky Sports Cricket 1845 & Sky Sports Main Event 2030.
CYCLING: Tour de France - ITV4 0930, Eurosport 1 1230 & S4C 1400; La Course by Le Tour de France - Eurosport 1 0845.
NETBALL: World Cup - BBC Two 1445.
SOCCER: Africa Cup of Nations final, Senegal v Algeria - Eurosport 2 1945; Betfred Cup, Motherwell v Morton, BT Sport 1 1915.
RUGBY LEAGUE: Super League, Hull KR v Huddersfield Giants - Sky Sports Arena 1900.
RUGBY UNION: Currie Cup, Griquas v Pumas - Sky Sports Action 1545; Blue Bulls v Free State Cheetahs - Sky Sports Action 1800.
BASEBALL: MLB, Chicago Cubs v San Diego Padres - BT Sport/ESPN 1900.
QUICK QUIZ answers: 1 Eoin Morgan; 2 Liverpool; 3 Durham; 4 1951; 5 Senegal and Algeria.