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They were constantly on the road in a season ravaged by Covid-19, but adversity only galvanised their battle-hardened group

Tristan Lavalette29-Jan-2022Galvanised by daunting road trips
Due to Western Australia’s unyielding hard border which remains in place indefinitely, Scorchers knew they would be on the road for the majority of the season. They hoped to squeeze in a few early games at Optus Stadium, their fortress, but they only managed to host Brisbane Heat on December 8.Then they were away for 50 straight days, enduring various restrictions, and also life away from home for those based in Perth. It was surely tough, but they embraced the challenge head-on. “There has not been an ounce of whinging, everyone has been focused and resilient,” opener Kurtis Patterson had recently told ESPNcricinfo.Related

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Scorchers had been somewhat here before, having only played four games last season in Perth, but this was an even more daunting task. Obviously, it helps in camaraderie when the team is winning, but the adversity undoubtedly galvanised the group. Perhaps drawing from former coach Justin Langer’s playbook, Scorchers relished a backs-against-the-wall approach which made the triumph the sweetest in their storied history.Depth and continuity
On January 28, 2015, Ashton Turner, Jason Behrendorff and Andrew Tye were celebrating knocking off Sydney Sixers for the title; fast forward exactly seven years, and it’s déjà vu, with the trio of stalwarts playing key roles in Scorchers’ latest success against the same opposition.Andrew Tye was also part of the Scorchers side that beat Sixers in the 2014-15 final•Cricket Australia via Getty ImagesStability is part of Scorchers’ fabric, and they have always built their team around a core of Western Australia players. Even after a couple of unsuccessful seasons in 2018-19 and 2019-20 – when they finished eighth and sixth, respectively – Scorchers stuck with their mantra hoping continuity provides an edge over teams more transient in nature.More than ever, Scorchers’ vaunted depth was needed during a Covid-19-ravaged season and amid the rigours of being on the road. Such was their reservoir of talent that those sidelined for the final included impressive quick Matt Kelly, who claimed 14 wickets at 12.78 in six matches, batter Cameron Bancroft and emerging allrounder Aaron Hardie, who remains worth keeping an eye on in the seasons to come.Every championship team also needs some luck, and Scorchers were fortunate not to have been decimated by Covid-19 and injuries at the wrong time like Sixers. They did have their own dramas later in the season, but Scorchers were reloaded by the finals and further strengthened by inclusions of Marsh, Jhye Richardson and Josh Inglis from Ashes duties.It meant Scorchers fielded their strongest team of the season against Sixers in the qualifying final, and then went into the final unchanged in a far cry to their beleaguered opponents.Kurtis Patterson smashed a team-leading 391 runs at a strike rate of 142.18•Getty ImagesBlueprint of success: bat first
As has been their preference, Scorchers elected to bat first ten out of 11 times that they won the toss this season, eventually going on to win nine of those matches. Scorchers have their formula worked out, and it remains relatively straightforward: set a decent total and then let a star-studded attack do the rest.This season, their batting appeared even bolder than previous versions, thus allowing them to average a particularly healthy 170 when batting first. And that meant that Scorchers’ knack of successfully defending small totals was rarely needed this season.Patterson stars at the top, Marsh brings fear factor
Scorchers had some critics heading into this season, mainly due to having a perceived lack of firepower at the top after losing big-hitting imports Liam Livingstone and Jason Roy. But an unexpected gamble went the Scorchers’ way: left-hander Patterson, who smashed a team-leading 391 runs at a strike rate of 142.18, was converted into a belligerent opener this season, batting at the top in all but one out of 13 innings.Patterson’s pyrotechnics allowed the powerful Colin Munro, who was used as an opener early in the season, to instead find a comfortable spot at No. 4.Scorchers received another fillip with Turner’s return to form after a few lean seasons, having also been bolstered by the success of English import Laurie Evans, who made the No. 6 position his own in his debut BBL season capped by an astonishing Player-of-the-Final performance. It meant Scorchers were loaded at every position in the top six, thus making a mockery of the scepticism that had started before the season.Meanwhile, Mitchell Marsh also left off from his stunning T20 World Cup with a blistering BBL, especially early in the season where his purple patch was instrumental in Scorchers’ six-game winning streak. Those victories in the bank proved pivotal for Scorchers, who had, by then, essentially sewn up the top position early, thus in turn allowing them to navigate eventual injuries and Covid-19 drama.Marsh gave Scorchers an aura, and his intimidating presence made it easy to overlook their wealth of batting talent who could go about their business.Peter Hatzoglou and Ashton Agar combined to pick up 33 wickets in the season•Getty ImagesHandling slower pitches on east coast
Scorchers have traditionally found slower, turning pitches on the east coast difficult. However, that was not the case this season with their batting being more adept against turn. Moreover, their own spinners Ashton Agar and Peter Hatzoglou relished the conditions and developed into a formidable tandem with 33 wickets combined.They often strangled opponents after the four-over powerplay – Agar’s overall economy rate was just 6.79 and Hatzoglou’s 7.26 – and had a knack of taking vital wickets. In the off-season, Scorchers had a punt on Hatzoglou, who crossed over from Melbourne Renegades, ahead of veteran Fawad Ahmed, with the 23-year-old legspinner Hatzoglou repaying the faith.The spin twins Agar and Hatzoglou strengthened an irresistible bowling attack which conceded more than 155 only twice this season, having also impressively dominated the power surge to turn the tables on a ploy designed to favour batters.Strong leadership
It has been a tough ask for head coach Adam Voges ever since he replaced Langer four years ago. He was under pressure after Scorchers missed consecutive finals, but has had them bouncing back emphatically. Voges’ sage leadership has shone through, and he has worked well with a composed Turner, who was named permanent skipper this season after filling the role last year when the then captain Marsh worked his way back from injury.The duo is measured and doesn’t seek headlines, ensuring Scorchers run a tight ship. Both deserve plaudits – especially Voges, who has now won BBL titles as Scorchers’ coach as well as captain – and so too general manager Kade Harvey, who made all the right moves in assembling arguably Scorchers’ greatest ever team.

The once-white-hot Chicago Cubs have been playing rather docile baseball as of late—they entered Thursday just 5-5 in their last 10 games.

However, they received some good news as a crucial piece of their collective puzzle returned Thursday against the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cubs activated pitcher Shota Imanaga from the 15-day injured list and watched him pitch five shutout innings against the Cardinals.

Imanaga, 31, had been out since May 4 with a left hamstring strain. He is 3-2 on the season with a 2.83 ERA and 34 strikeouts in 44 2/3 innings.

To make room for Imanaga, Chicago designated pitcher Michael Fulmer for assignment. The 32-year-old has bounced around the big leagues since an excellent mid-2010s debut that saw him win the American League's Rookie of the Year award in 2016. He was named an All-Star with the Detroit Tigers in 2017.

The Cubs are currently 47-33; they lead the Milwaukee Brewers by 2.5 games in the National League Central Division.

Kylian Mbappe's injury has forced Xabi Alonso to launch a 'desperate' Real Madrid tactic in the fight to save his job against Manchester City. Alonso could turn to out-of-favour forward Endrick in the absence of their star attacker. The Frenchman was absent from Los Blancos' open training session the day before the game against Pep Guardiola's side at the Bernabeu.

Injury scare for Real Madrid ahead of Man City clash

A day before Madrid's crucial Champions League fixture against Premier League giants Manchester City, star forward Mbappe missed the club's open training session, alongside compatriot Eduardo Camavinga. While Alonso did not mention anything about injuries in his squad, in the training session following the manager's pre-match press conference, Mbappe was a notable absentee. 

Spanish radio station also reported that the France international had suffered an injury in his left leg, making him a serious doubt for the game with City at the Bernabeu.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesMbappe's injury major blow for Alonso

Mbappe has been Los Blancos' standout player in the 2025-26 campaign, with 25 goals across La Liga and the Champions League, plus four assists. He is also on course to break Cristiano Ronaldo's record for the most goals for Real in a calendar year. The Frenchman has been responsible for half of the team's goals in the Spanish top flight and a remarkable 75% of their goals in Europe's top competition, netting a stunning four strikes in his last continental outing against Olympiacos. 

Head coacg Alonso is under huge pressure following Madrid's dismal 2-0 defeat at home to Celta Vigo on Sunday, which also saw Alvaro Carreras and Fran Garcia sent off and key defender Eder Militao hobble off with a muscle injury that is set to keep him out for up to four months. The loss meant that their gap with league leaders Barcelona increased to four points. Alonso's side have won just two of their last seven games in all competitions.

Alonso focusing on Endrick

With Mbappe out injured, reported on Tuesday that the Madrid boss paid special attention to out-of-favour forward Endrick in the training session and even individually spoke to the Brazilian, something he never did since joining the club in the summer. 

The special attention towards the attacker clearly indicates that the youngster is likely to feature in the club's matchday squad to face City on Wednesday, which has been dubbed 'Plan Endrick'. If Endrick starts against the English giants, it will happen for the first time this season. If he comes off the bench, he would feature in a game for the first time since November 1, when he played a few minutes in the club's win over Valencia.

Other than Endrick, another forward option for Alonso ahead of the City clash is Gonzalo Garcia. The Spaniard has played more minutes than Endrick this season and is likely to get the preference ahead of the Brazilian in the European clash.

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Getty Images SportWill Endrick leave Madrid in January?

Endrick has been linked with a temporary move away from Madrid since the start of the new season and the player's frustration has only grown after repeatedly being ignored by Alonso. With just over six months left for the 2026 World Cup to start, the youngster is naturally desperate for game time and could consider moving away from the Bernabeu.

Endrick's father recently showed his support by writing on social media: "I know, my son, how hard you work and how much you dedicate every minute of your day. I know everything you're capable of. You're a winner and you're showing everyone that you're a true warrior. Your star will continue to shine, even though some try to dim your light. I believe your future lies right there."

It remains to be seen now how many minutes Endrick manages to accumulate in Mbappe's absence in December and depending on his opportunity, the teenager will take a final call on his future.

Jordan Cox and Emma Lamb have been named PCA Players of the Year, capping stellar summers in which both players earned England recalls after consistent seasons in domestic cricket.Cox missed out on a Test debut for England last November due to an ill-timed injury and was left out of their white-ball squads at the start of the summer. However, he earned a T20I recall after scoring his maiden T20 hundred for Essex and finishing the Hundred as the leading run-scorer. He saw off competition from Joe Root, Ed Barnard and Dom Sibley to win the award.”My favourite moment of the year was taking my chance and scoring an international half-century [against Ireland],” Cox said. “It’s probably why I got selected to go to New Zealand, which means a lot. On the Lions trip [to Australia] I want to show the selectors I’m capable of playing Test cricket.”Lamb missed the PCA awards ceremony in west London on Thursday night – which are sponsored by Toyota – as she is currently in Colombo, preparing for England’s World Cup fixture against Sri Lanka. She was the leading run-scorer in Lancashire’s Metro Bank Cup triumph, and pipped Nat Sciver-Brunt, Kathryn Bryce and Georgia Elwiss to the award.Lamb said she was “very surprised” to find out she had won after England’s tense win over Bangladesh on Tuesday. “I wasn’t expecting it, but obviously I’m very happy,” she said. “It’s really lovely that my peers have taken the time to recognise my performances this year. It’s such an honour to receive this award… It’s been a very enjoyable 12 months.”Emma Lamb in action for England•ECB/Getty Images

Rehan Ahmed was named men’s Young Player of the Year after scoring five centuries for Leicestershire as they won promotion in the County Championship, while he also impressed for Trent Rockets in the Hundred. Davina Perrin, who scored a stunning 42-ball century in the Hundred’s eliminator, won the women’s award, having also impressed for Birmingham Bears.”I was a bit shocked to be honest,” Perrin said. “There’s been some great performances from young players, especially Ailsa [Lister] and Ella [McCaughan] who have had unbelievable seasons… The biggest thing for me is that I’m maximising my potential and hopefully the England honours will come.”Rehan said that the award “topped off a great season” for him. “My red-ball season was great,” he said. “I want to be a regular in the England [Test] team – it’s more important to me than the white-ball stuff – so being given the opportunity to perform and then repaying the coaches with my form for Leicestershire has been great.”The Outstanding Contribution Award went to Graham Gooch, for his “incredible support of the game” including his donations to the Cricketers’ Trust, while Adil Rashid and Nat Sciver-Brunt won Rado Recognition Awards for their England careers. The ECB’s Special Merit award went to Andrew Flintoff’s BBC series , while the players voted for Ian Blackwell and Gabi Brown as Umpires of the Year.Daryl Mitchell, the PCA’s chief executive, said: “The most prestigious awards ceremony in cricket is always a wonderful opportunity to celebrate our fantastic players who have worked so hard throughout the season. Another enjoyable year… culminated in everybody coming together to congratulate our four main winners at the PCA Awards in partnership with Toyota.”

2025 PCA Awards in partnership with Toyota:

Men’s Player of the Year: Jordan Cox (Shortlisted: Ed Barnard, Joe Root, Dom Sibley)
Women’s Player of the Year: Emma Lamb (Shortlisted: Kathryn Bryce, Georgia Elwiss, Nat Sciver-Brunt)
Men’s Young Player of the Year: Rehan Ahmed (Shortlisted: James Coles, Asa Tribe)
Women’s Young Player of the Year: Davina Perrin (Shortlisted: Alisa Lister, Ella McCaughan)
Outstanding Contribution Award: Graham Gooch
Rado Recognition Awards: Adil Rashid, Nat Sciver-Brunt
ECB Special Merit: Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams
Men’s Umpire of the Year: Ian Blackwell
Women’s Umpire of the Year: Gabi Brown

England’s focus may be elsewhere at end of long season, but for hosts, this is the be-all-and-end-all

Andrew Miller16-Sep-2025Big picture: Big-ticket visit, but small beer for visitorsIt’s a state of affairs that sums up the imbalances of international cricket. England and Ireland are about to play their first-ever bilateral game of T20 cricket – even though the format has consumed the sport in the course of the past two decades – at a moment in the respective itineraries of the two nations that could scarcely be more polarized.On the one hand, there’s the visitors England, girding their loins for one final push after an exhausting home season comprising a five-Test series against India, while already casting their eyes forward to the single biggest date on their 2025 calendar: November 21, and the start of their legacy-defining Ashes campaign.Despite the notable pick of Jacob Bethell as captain, they’ve arrived in Dublin with something close to their first-choice XI, or at least the version that took the field with such stunning success in their most recently completed match, against South Africa at Old Trafford last week.Jamie Smith and Ben Duckett were scarcely missed while Phil Salt and Jos Buttler were blazing England towards that record 304 for 2, but they remain in mothballs alongside the regular captain Harry Brook and Jofra Archer – each of whom, with as much respect as can be mustered in such circumstances, has bigger fish to fry in the coming months. As indeed has the head coach, Brendon McCullum, who has already flown home to New Zealand.And then, there’s the hosts Ireland – for the most part exiles in their own land, given how rarely they are able to attract the quality of opposition that justifies the outlay required to accommodate them. This three-match series is their biggest ticket since India popped over for three T20Is in August 2023 (one of which was abandoned).Sure enough, Malahide has rolled out its temporary stands (at considerable expense) to take the ground’s capacity to around 4,000 for these three games. Happily, Friday and Sunday are already sold out, while Wednesday’s series opener should be at least 80% full, with tickets still available. Given that last year’s visit by Australia was canned on the grounds that even those broadcast rights couldn’t have covered Cricket Ireland’s costs, their financial tightrope is real and terrifying.For both teams, however, this series remains a key staging post for a significant and looming peak. England’s thoughts will have to turn to the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka almost before they’ve completed their Ashes comedown, and such are the reasons why experimentation for this leg has been relatively limited, even if the conditions in Malahide will be as far removed from those in the subcontinent in February as can be imagined.For Ireland, however, that focus will be nothing less than full-bore. So much of their raison d’etre revolves around ICC events, from the long and anxious qualification bids that precede them, to the crucial exposure and funding that their moments on the big stage provide. But here, in a slender weather-threatened five-day window, that stage has at long last come back to their own shores.Form guideIreland LLWLL (last five T20Is, most recent first)
England WLWWWIn the spotlight: Jordan Cox and Ross AdairAll he ever seems to get are scraps from the table, but to Jordan Cox’s immense credit, he has not yet been consumed by frustration at an international career that simply cannot stick a landing. The false starts have been numerous – most gallingly the broken thumb that robbed him of three guaranteed Tests in New Zealand last winter – while his two previous T20I appearances, against Australia last year, were – just like this potential recall – tacked onto the end of a long international summer. But his belated call-up to the squad is entirely on merit, after his MVP displays for Oval Invincibles in the Hundred. Given half a chance, he is still hungry to make the most of it.At the age of 31, and having parked his previous career in rugby union, Ross Adair is a significant bolter for this winter’s T20 World Cup. His last-but-one international innings was a storming knock of 100 from 58 balls as Ireland beat South Africa in Abu Dhabi this time last year, and as he told ESPNcricinfo this week, the explosive nature of T20 cricket means there are plenty of transferrable skills from his previous incarnation as a winger.Team news: Calitz, Baker in line for debutsIreland could hand a maiden cap to Ben Calitz, the 23-year-old Canada-born batter, with Paul Stirling, their captain, saying they were “crying out” for a left-hander in their middle order. Their bowling stocks have taken a hit with Josh Little and Mark Adair both absent for this series – Little has played just once for Middlesex in two months as he nurses a side injury. Matthew Humphreys is set to lead the attack once more, after impressing in his only outing against West Indies in June.Ireland: (possible) 1 Paul Stirling (capt), 2 Ross Adair, 3 Harry Tector, 4 Lorcan Tucker (wk), 5 Ben Calitz, 6 George Dockrell, 7 Curtis Campher, 8 Barry McCarthy, 9 Graham Hume, 10 Matthew Humphreys, 11 Craig Young.Sonny Baker seems in line for a maiden T20I outing, and ideally a less brutal return to England colours, after being launched for 76 runs on his wicketless ODI debut against South Africa earlier this month. Cox is the obvious replacement for Brook in the middle-order, with England likely to persevere with their spin-heavy attack in preparation for the T20 World Cup.England: (possible) 1 Phil Salt, 2 Jos Buttler (wk), 3 Jacob Bethell (capt), 4 Jordan Cox, 5 Sam Curran, 6 Tom Banton, 7 Will Jacks, 8 Liam Dawson, 9 Adil Rashid, 10 Luke Wood, 11 Sonny Baker.Pitch and conditionsDublin in early autumn is unlikely to be the sort of batting paradise that England encountered in that Old Trafford contest. Stirling predicted conditions would be as “alien” to those at next year’s World Cup as you could imagine: “September in Ireland is going to be green, it’s going to nip a little bit, and it’s going to be slightly slow.” The weather for Wednesday is mostly set to be clear, though torrential overnight rain is anticipated, which may well influence the decisions at the toss.Stats and trivia England and Ireland have played only twice before in the T20I format – at the T20 World Cups in 2010 (then the World T20) and 2022. Ireland memorably won the second of those at the MCG and might well have won the first but for a washout. England, remarkably, recovered from those set-backs to claim the title on each occasion. At 21 years and 329 days, Jacob Bethell is set to become the youngest captain in England’s history, beating the mark currently held by Monty Bowden, who was 23 and 144 days when he led England against South Africa at Cape Town on the Test tour of 1888-89.Quotes”It was fantastic viewing… Hopefully it’ll be a bit different than Old Trafford, where the pitch didn’t seem to be doing much. Coming here, it might be a bit slower, it might do a bit more, and hopefully we can catch a team off-guard that way if things go our way – maybe win the toss and go from there.”
“I’ve played with Paul Stirling myself, and I’ve seen how destructive he is at the other end. He’ll be someone we’ll be looking to target early and try to get him walking back into the sheds.”

The ICC is set to approve a continental qualification system to decide the six participating teams in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. That means that Full Members such as Pakistan, New Zealand and Sri Lanka among others, could miss out on cricket’s much-anticipated return to the Olympics after over a century.ESPNcricinfo understands that the board discussed a proposal at the recent AGM which allows for one team from each continent. Though some details still need to be finalised, in essence, the majority approval for a regional qualification system is in place, with a minority of members expressing dissent.Six teams each in the men’s and women’s categories will contest for Olympic medals between July 14 and 29 in 2028 after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) allowed cricket to be added to the roster for the first time since the Paris 1900 Olympics. While the ICC’s initial thinking was that it would shortlist the top six-ranked teams at a pre-determined cut-off date, several Full Member countries believed such an approach wouldn’t allow for a wider representation of countries from across the globe.Related

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That has now changed to a one-country-per-continent qualification system, which is thought to be more in line with the Olympic participation ethos.Which countries are shortlisted will be based on the rankings on a set date. But if the ICC plan goes through, it could mean the Olympics may not have one of the most widely watched contests in global sport: India vs Pakistan. Based on the current ICC T20 rankings, in both men’s and women’s competitions, India will qualify from Asia, Australia from Oceania, England from Europe, with one between USA or one of the islands from the Caribbean from the Americas, while South Africa qualify from Africa. ESPNcricinfo understands that the ICC is still discussing the participation of USA, who potentially get direct entry as hosts.But questions remain around the make-up of the USA men’s team, the majority of whom are US residents but not naturalised US citizens. The ICC is also concerned that the USA women’s team are not in the top 20-ranked teams at the moment. A final decision is likely to be taken at the ICC’s next quarterly meeting in October.The ECB, along with Cricket Scotland and Cricket Ireland, have formed Great Britain Cricket as an entity, which will help facilitate players from England, Scotland and Northern Ireland to represent Great Britain at the Games.An artist impression of Brisbane Stadium in Victoria Park for Brisbane 2032 Olympics•Queensland Government

As for West Indies, CWI wrote to ICC in May, pitching two ideas that could allow one of the regional countries to represent the Caribbean in the Olympics. One suggestion was an internal qualifying tournament conducted among the Caribbean countries with the winner heading to the Olympics. The other involved conducting a global qualifying pathway that would pit countries in the five ICC development regions alongside regions in the West Indies.For the sixth team, the ICC is considering the option of a global qualifier, the structure for which is still being fine-tuned.Speaking on Thursday to BBC’s , ECB chairman Richard Thompson said that the IOC was keen on having a team from each continent which satisfies the Olympics charter. “The preference from the IOC is to work to the ‘five ring’ principle, which is teams from each of the continents represent their continent,” Thompson said.The ICC is also optimistic about increasing the number of participating teams in the next two Olympics – in 2032 in Brisbane and in 2036, the venue for which is yet to be finalised by IOC. Thompson said that with India expected to bid hard to host the 2036 Summer Games, cricket could receive a massive boost.”The hope is, when we get to Brisbane, we might be up to eight or ten teams, and in 2036, there’s a three-way shoot-out between Qatar, Saudi and India, and clearly the real hope is that India get in it 2036, in which case, cricket will be front and centre. Who knows? It could be ten or 12 teams by that stage.”At this stage, we are there by the invitation of the IOC and on that basis, you abide by their rules, and that is to play the geography of your game as opposed to necessarily the top six playing nations.”

Smith faced fast bowlers without issue in the nets two days out from the Grenada Test, and looks set to replace Josh Inglis, but he will have to field in outfield due to his finger

Andrew McGlashan01-Jul-20251:21

Smith ‘looking forward’ to second Test after injury

Steven Smith remains on track to make a return in the second Test against West Indies in Grenada, after his first full training session since suffering a compound dislocation of a finger against South Africa at Lord’s. But Australia will have to rejig things in the field to accommodate him not being able to stand in the slips.Smith spent a week at his apartment in New York while the Barbados Test was on and only had his stitches removed when he rejoined the squad. He will have to wear a splint for around six more weeks but the earlier confidence from both he and coach Andrew McDonald that he would be able to withstand the rigours of a Test appears to be bearing out.In perfect weather on Tuesday at the National Stadium, the first time any of this Australia squad have set foot in the stadium, Smith initially faced throwdowns from assistant coach Matthew Wade in the nets at the back of the ground before moving to the centre-wicket pitches. He faced further throwdowns and the spin of Nathan Lyon before switching to the pace-bowling net where he took on team-mates Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, although they were not operating at top pace given the short turnaround between games.Related

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It’s understood that Smith came through the batting stint without problems. After leaving the nets, he had lengthy conversations with backroom staff including McDonald, selector George Bailey, and physio Nick Jones with some close attention paid to the injured right little finger and the splint Smith needs to wear.”He seems pretty confident,” Alex Carey had said before training began. “He’s excited to get back in. It’s been tough at the top of the order, so to add a little bit more experience is good for the group.”Assuming Smith does play, he will need to be managed in the field. He took some gentle slip catches after finishing batting but won’t be able to take his usual place in the cordon. He occasionally felt his finger during the remainder of the fielding drills.

“Australia is still strong [without him] because of the system they have. They keep on producing guys. But we’ve seen when we add pressure as a bowling group, we did get 20 wickets in the Test and that’s the first step towards winning”Daren Sammy on Steven Smith

Australia are preparing their cordon on the assumption that Smith will play. Beau Webster remained at second during practice after fielding there in the first Test, and Sam Konstas, who was at short leg and in the outfield during the first Test, came into third. Starc also caught some balls in the gully where he may slot in should Cameron Green move to the slips at any stage. In the first Test, Usman Khawaja stood at first slip to Lyon. Significantly, Josh Inglis, who filled Smith’s spot at No. 4 in Barbados, did not practice in the slips.Smith averages an eye-watering 124.57 in Tests against West Indies, which includes an unbeaten 200 in Perth in 2022 and 199 at Sabina Park on the 2015 tour. The last Test he played against them he was opening the batting at Gabba where he was unbeaten on 91 when West Indies secured their famous victory.”He’s a quality guy, a quality player,” West Indies coach Daren Sammy said. “Australia is still strong [without him] because of the system they have. They keep on producing guys. But we’ve seen when we add pressure as a bowling group, we did get 20 wickets in the Test and that’s the first step towards winning. Steve Smith, if he comes in, poses a different challenge to us.”Steven Smith fell for 199 in last Test in the Caribbean in 2015•AFPSammy suggested West Indies may look to rejig their own slip cordon after spilling seven catches in the last Test, with Brandon King potentially moving to first, where he sometimes fields in white-ball cricket, and Roston Chase shifting to the gully although that is perhaps not an ideal position for a captain.”I think the biggest thing is we shot ourselves in the foot [in Barbados],” he said. “You cannot drop seven catches against the world’s No. 1 team and expect to compete. We have a lot of blame to take for the defeat, but there were also some positives… for the first two days, we were head and shoulders against the No. 1 team.”Signs two days out suggest that the pitch in Grenada would not be nearly as lively as one served up at Kensington Oval. It had an even covering of dry grass and was given another heavy rolling between the two training session.”We’ve played more white-ball cricket here,” Sammy said. “It’s normally a really good cricket wicket. [There’s a] much more even cover of dead grass. I trust in the groundsmen, with what they’re going to prepare. At the end of the day, you could have a grassy top or a flat deck, you have still got to be able to execute. That’s what our challenge is about.”

Manchester United have made an enquiry about the signing of a “world-class” player with six league titles and a Champions League win to his name.

Sesko promises more to come at Man Utd

The Red Devils secured a vital 2-0 win at home to Sunderland in the Premier League on Saturday, easing some of the pressure on Ruben Amorim in the process.

It was a good day for Benjamin Sesko, who scored his first Old Trafford goal, and speaking after the game, he said there is hopefully much more to come from him at United.

“It feels amazing. It feels even better because I’ve helped the team to come to the end and to win the game. In the end, it’s important to win the game, trying to help the team as much as possible. The goal, the atmosphere afterwards was unbelievable. It’s something that I’ve been dreaming about, jumping high at the stadium like that, and yeah – [my] dreams came true.

“In the end, this is my job; trying to score as many goals as possible, trying to win the games, trying to help the team in every single situation, and hopefully [there are] more moments like this [to come].”

United’s win was a much-needed boost for anyone linked with the club, but that’s not to say that new signings aren’t needed, with one world-renowned player now mentioned as a potential target.

Man Utd make enquiry for "world-class" ace

According to Sport in Spain, Manchester United and Sir Jim Ratcliffe have enquired about signing Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, with Premier League rivals Newcastle United and Tottenham also in the mix to sign him.

The 33-year-old German is out of favour under Hansi Flick, meaning a move elsewhere is likely, with a loan option to buy possible in the January transfer window.

Ter Stegen has arguably been one of the leading ‘keepers of his generation, winning six La Liga titles and one Champions League crown during his time with Barca, also being lauded by Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann.

“We have made the decision (Neuer will start in goal). Unfortunately Manu got injured but it’s just a strain and he will only be out for ten days, so I won’t be changing my decision. I also said in a conversation with Marc [Andre Ter Stegen] that I’m happy that we have two world class goalkeepers. I explained to him that it was important that he was there for the two games.”

Champions League

2014/15

La Liga

2014/15

La Liga

2015/16

La Liga

2016/17

La Liga

2017/18

La Liga

2020/21

La Liga

2024/25

Admittedly, Senne Lammens produced an encouraging performance for United against Sunderland, not least keeping a clean sheet, but if the chance of signing a player of Ter Stegen’s calibre arrives, the Red Devils should take it.

Man Utd's future "£100m plus footballer" could steal the #8 from Fernandes

Manchester United have a player who could reach the very top in the years ahead at Old Trafford.

1 ByEthan Lamb Oct 6, 2025

At 33, he is still far from old for a goalkeeper, and he will be desperate to prove his worth before the 2026 World Cup, having lost his place in Barca’s starting lineup after injury problems.

Dewmi Vihanga’s five-for and Chamari Athapaththu’s half-century went in vain for Sri Lanka

Firdose Moonda09-May-2025Annerie Dercksen’s maiden ODI century – which came off the back of two successive 50-plus scores and is also the fastest by a South African in the format – headlined South Africa’s consolation win at the women’s tri-series in Colombo.With South Africa out of contention for Sunday’s final, they put together their most complete performance of the competition and posted their fifth highest score in all ODIs thanks to contributions from the lower order, which ultimately won them the game.Dercksen arrived at the crease with South Africa on 85 for 5 as offspinner Dewmi Vihanga ripped through their top and middle-order. She consolidated with Nondumiso Shangase before sharing a 112-run seventh-wicket stand off 88 balls with Chloe Tryon, a seventh-wicket record for South Africa, to put them in sight of a big score. Tryon smashed 74 off 51 balls and was part of a 66-run stand off 30 balls with Nadine de Klerk which pushed South Africa over 300 and asked Sri Lanka to complete their highest successful chase.Related

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Sri Lanka have already done that once before against South Africa – when they also chased down a 300-plus total – and were in a good position on 160 for 3 in the 30th over. But Ayabonga Khaka’s double-strike, which included the dismissal of Chamari Athapaththu for 52, and a career-best 5 for 34 for Tryon, including a hat-trick, ended their chances of another historic win.Instead, the records were all Dercksen’s after she became only the second batter to score a hundred at No.7 or lower in women’s ODIs and capped off a breakthrough series as a batter.Dercksen scored her first half-century just two matches ago, at this tournament, and finished as the leading run-scorer from the league stage. Her maturity and aggression rescued South Africa after a start which turned in the wrong direction and should see her bat higher up the order in future.Dewmi Vihanga picked up a five-for•SLCLaura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits put on 68 for the first-wicket and were both batting well when Vihanga first struck. She drew Brits forward and took the edge and Hasini Perera took a good, low catch at slip to give Sri Lanka their first. In her next over, Vihanga beat Wolvaardt’s inside-edge and bowled her and in the over after that, had Miane Smit caught slog-sweeping at midwicket.Just when Vihanga may have thought things couldn’t go better, she plucked two more in her next over: Lara Goodall caught at slip and Sinalo Jafta, bowled while giving the charge. Vihanga, at 19 years old and playing in her third ODI, had her first five-for and is the second-highest wicket-taker of the series behind Sneh Rana.Sri Lanka had the opportunity to run through South Africa from there but Dercksen stood in their way. She hit the third ball she faced over Vihanga’s head for four and there was no looking back. Dercksen favoured the area down the ground, where three of her five sixes were scored, including the one that took her to the century.Dercksen’s innings was laced with cuts and pulls off the back foot and, unusually for her, a selection of sweeps including a reverse off Athapaththu. She dominated the partnership with Tryon, and scored 77 of the 112 runs they put on and it was only when she was dismissed, in the 44th over, that Tryon took over.She charged Sugandika Kumari and hit her for six, moved across the crease to send Manudia Nanayakkara over midwicket and then took three sixes off Athapaththu before missing one and being stumped. De Klerk finished unbeaten on 32 off 19 balls and South Africa would have been comfortable with the target they set Sri Lanka, who began well in pursuit.Chloe Tryon scored a half-century and took a five-for, which included a hat-trick•SLCThe opening pair of Hasini Perera and Vishmi Gunaratne put on 52 and it was Tryon’s introduction that separated them. Her second delivery was tossed up, Perera tried to drive and spooned a catch to Dercksen at cover. Four overs later. Tryon switched to around the wicket and had Gunaratne caught at backward point.Athapaththu was in at No. 4 and gave Tryon a taste of her own medicine when she took 10 runs off her fourth over, including her first six.Athapaththu and Harshitha Samarickrama’s third-wicket partnership grew to 52 and and they took Sri Lanka to the halfway stage on 124 for 2 but debutant legspinner Seshnie Naidu ended their stand. Samarawickrama tried to hit the first ball of Naidu’s fourth over out of the ground but was caught at mid-off.Athapaththu brought up a 17th career half-century and kept Sri Lanka in the hunt but Khaka was brought back at a crucial time. In the 30th over, with Sri Lanka needing 156 runs to win, Khaka returned and Athapaththu sliced her to cover to all but end Sri Lanka’s hopes. In her next over, Khaka bowled Nilakshika Silva with the slower ball.Sri Lanka continued to bat proactively even as the asking rate climbed and then they were snubbed out in the 42nd over, when Tryon took three in three.She had de Klerk to thank for the first after she ran in from deep backward square and took a diving catch to remove Vihanga. Off the next ball, Sugandika Kumari was caught at backward point and then Malki Madara got a faint edge to Jafta to complete Tryon’s hat-trick.Sri Lanka were bowled out for 239 in the 43rd over and lost by 76 runs.

Newcastle United are “in the mix” to complete the signing of a player who was described as one of the “biggest revelations” from Barcelona’s famous La Masia academy.

Hopkinson excited about Newcastle role

David Hopkinson has been appointed as the Magpies’ new CEO, in the biggest development at the club since the international break got underway. The 54-year-old Canadian has admitted that he cannot wait to get started in his new role, as he looks to make Newcastle supporters embrace him.

“I’m getting into this with both feet. This is not some sort of transactional assignment for me. This is where I intend to make my home. This is the community I intend to represent on every stage imaginable.

“The CEO role has an ambassadorial component to it and I want to be a great ambassador for Newcastle United and ultimately for Newcastle. My intention is to become an adopted Geordie here, but you have to earn that.”

The summer transfer window may be closed, but that hasn’t stopped Newcastle being linked with potential future signings, with one exciting name now thrown into the hat.

Newcastle "in the mix" to sign Barcelona rising star

Speaking to The Boot Room, journalist Graeme Bailey reports that Newcastle will be “in the mix” to sign Barcelona youngster Marc Casado in 2026.

“Casado is a really interesting name to keep an eye on heading into 2026. Newcastle do need and wanted something extra in midfield and he is someone who does appeal. It remains to be seen if he is attainable in the near future, but if he is available, then Newcastle are likely to be in the mix.

“Newcastle could get a closer look at Casado in the Champions League this season as they welcome Barcelona to St James’ Park in the Champions League later this month.”

Casado is a big young talent with a bright future in the game, so the idea of Newcastle prising him away from Barca is a mouthwatering prospect, if they are able to.

The 21-year-old midfielder has racked up 42 appearances for the La Liga champions, registering six assists in that time, while scout Jacek Kulig hailed him as one of the “biggest revelations” during the 2024/25 campaign.

Whether Newcastle are able to entice Casado to St James’ Park remains to be seen, but if he is struggling to start regularly for Hansi Flick’s side, he may see a move elsewhere as best for his long-term development.

PIF have already signed Newcastle's new Elliot Anderson and he's "terrific"

Eddie Howe will hope he has his own Elliot Anderson now at Newcastle United in this terrific talent.

ByKelan Sarson Sep 8, 2025

At 21, he is a player with so many more years ahead of him, and he could be viewed as a long-term successor to Bruno Guimaraes at the heart of the Magpies’ midfield.