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Jackson Bird and Gabe Bell shared six wickets to dismantled New South Wales’ second innings and secure Tasmania a crushing innings and 58-run Sheffield Shield victory over Tasmania.In a match in which neither team was able to take all 10 wickets in the first innings, NSW collapsed on day four to be all out for 174 in 92 overs at Cricket Central in Sydney.Related

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After falling to 143 for 9, NSW captain Jack Edwards (38 off 137 balls) dug in with No. 11 Liam Hatcher (8 not out off 79 balls) for 28 overs to frustrate the Tigers, before Riley Meredith took the final wicket, nipping one past Edward’s edge to take off stump, to finally sink the the home side.Tasmania became the first team to secure an outright win in a Shield game at Cricket Central, with the previous four matches at the venue ending in draws.Cruising at 102 for 2, NSW lost 8 for 41 in the next 25 overs to hand Tasmania their second win of the season. Bell took three wickets in an over: Josh Philippe glancing down the leg side, Charlie Stobo lbw and Tanveer Sangha edging behind. Edwards was clearly unhappy with the umpire’s decision for the latterAfter a breezy 43 on day one, Sam Konstas struggled for his 19 in the second innings before being dismissed by Bird against his former team.Gabe Bell ripped out three wickets in an over•Getty Images

Patterson made 80 in his first innings, but could only manage 1 when batting again as Tasmania captain Jordan Silk pulled off a stunning catch in slips off Bird’s bowling.That made Bird the fourth-highest wicket-taker in Shield history with 421, only behind legendary legspinner Clarrie Grimmett (513) and Queensland pair Michael Kasprowicz (441) and Andy Bichel (430).After being dropped from Australia’s Test team following a difficult tour of the Caribbean, Konstas is yet to recapture his best since going back to domestic cricket this season. He will get another opportunity this weekend when he plays for the PM’s XI against the England Lions in Canberra.Patterson, who played the last of his two Tests in 2019, has experienced a mixed start to the season but scored a century against Queensland in November.Former NSW coach Phil Jaques was scathing in his assessment of the Blues’ last day collapse.”The second innings there’s been no fight, no plan and no effort,” Jaques said in commentary, before the recovery from Edwards and Hatcher. “That might sound harsh, but there’s got to be some application. There’s got to be some fight. It fell away badly in the field too.”Tasmania, who had been bottom of the table, took full advantage of a good batting wicket to belt their way to 623 for 8 dec declared as Nikhil Chaudhary, Tim Ward and Caleb Jewell all made centuries.

Exiled players now living in Australia have trained at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru and watched India vs Sri Lanka

S Sudarshanan30-Sep-2025

Afghanistan’s women cricketers in exile have been involved at a global event for the first time, albeit only as spectators.A total of 17 formerly contracted Afghanistan women’s players attended the ACA Stadium in Guwahati on Tuesday to watch India face Sri Lanka in the opening match of the Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 as part of a 12-day programme offered by the ICC with support from Cricket Australia (CA), the ECB and BCCI.They have also undergone coaching at the VVS Laxman-led BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, met with players from some of the top teams competing at the World Cup and played some matches.”Most of the players are now based in Australia,” Mel Jones, part of the ICC’s initiative, said on commentary during the match. “They’ve got a few players in Canada and the UK as well. They’ve been put through their paces.”They’re smiling at the moment. That might have been a few ice baths that they had to enjoy over the last couple of days as well. Fitness testing, match simulations, matches, wonderful coaching from the coaching staff at the Centre of Excellence. The ICC, the ECB, BCCI, Cricket Australia have come together to host this tour.”Related

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Form vs Spirit: Australia's world champions take on New Zealand's game raisers

Exiled Afghanistan women players to men's team: 'Please be the voice of the girls'

Powerplay: How cricket helped Afghanistan women escape

Powerplay: More than just a match for Afghanistan Women's XI

The players do not represent Afghanistan as they are not recognised by the ACB but many are playing in league structures in Australia, having fled their country after the Taliban takeover in 2021. Since then, women have been increasingly excluded from public life in Afghanistan, cannot attend university or secondary school and their voices cannot be heard in public. As such, the ACB is unable to ratify a women’s team, despite contracting 25 players in 2020.Not all those living in Australia have made the trip to India as some faced visa challenges but most of them played in an exhibition match between an Afghanistan XI and Cricket without Borders in Melbourne in January.They had not received any official communication from the ICC between their exile four years ago and April this year, when the ICC announced a support package for Afghan female cricketers in exile. Funding for these players comes from the ICC, BCCI, ECB and CA and not from the ACB’s disbursements and will include training camps and trips, such as this one.By inviting them to a World Cup game, the initiative – firmed up at the ICC’s annual conference in July – aims to give the players exposure and allow them to experience the atmosphere of a high-profile women’s international. Their experience was enhanced by the presence of India, New Zealand, England and Australia at the CoE during the World Cup warm-ups and Sophie Devine, the New Zealand captain, presented them with a jade necklace.”It’s gorgeous,” Jones said. “A jade necklace, that represents courage and determination and that’s exactly what these women, these players, have shown after the last four years and going into the future as well.”All going to plan that future mimics almost the Afghan men’s cricket team, whereby they can go through these high-performance programmes, they can create a team that can then be in qualifiers for T20 Women’s World Cups in the future.”

The current international break came at the worst time for West Ham United.

After weeks of poor performances, Nuno Espírito Santo had finally got a tune out of the East Londoners.

First, they blew away a talented Newcastle United side 3-1, and then a week later picked up another three points by beating Burnley 3-2.

These back-to-back Premier League wins have given the fanbase genuine reasons to be optimistic, as they were not lucky victories, but hard-fought and thoroughly deserved.

It finally feels like Nuno has his feet under the table at the London Stadium, and as a result, fears of a possible relegation are starting to dissipate.

However, the Premier League can be unforgiving, so West Ham must maintain their upward trajectory and the board need to back the manager in the winter window. If they do, this could be Nuno’s dream lineup at the end of January.

1 GK – Alphonse Areola

While it would have been a surprise at the start of the season, it should come as no surprise now that, keeping his place between the sticks is Alphonse Areola.

Unlike the Dane signed to replace him in the summer, the Frenchman has been pretty reliable since coming back into the team, and while he might not be the long-term answer, he’s more than good enough to spend another season in goal for the Hammers.

After all, he’s already made 108 appearances for the club, what’s another 27?

2 RB – Aaron Wan-Bissaka

Keeping his place at right-back, so long as he’s fit, is Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

Now, Kyle Walker-Peters has done reasonably well since joining the club in the summer, but at his best, the former Manchester United ace is a more competent defender and has become more adept at getting forward over the last few years.

He was also the club’s Hammer of the Year just last season.

3 CB – Axel Disasi

Now, moving on to the first new face in the team, and before the pitchforks and torches come out, Axel Disasi, who has previously been touted for a £25m move to the London Stadium, could be an excellent signing for the Hammers.

Yes, he has failed to establish himself at Chelsea, but before that, he was one of Ligue 1’s best centre-backs and was even compared to Virgil van Dijk by respected talent scout Jacek Kulig.

Moreover, under a manager like Nuno, who doesn’t like to leave his defenders isolated, the Frenchman might be able to rediscover some of the form that first earned him his move to the Premier League.

4 CB – Charlie Cresswell

Alongside Disasi is the second signing: Charlie Cresswell.

He might not be a familiar name to English fans at the moment, but he certainly will be in a few years from now, as not only is he doing incredibly well for Toulouse in Ligue 1, but he was also a key part of the England u21 side that won the Euros this summer.

Described as a “proper leader at the back” by analyst Ben Mattinson, the former Leeds United gem has also been described as being a bit “like a Thiago Silva” by European football expert Andy Brassell, who highlighted the fact that he “got real smarts about him.”

Unsurprisingly, the 23-year-old is gaining plenty of attention at the moment, and while it won’t be easy to sign him, reports suggest the Hammers could get the job done for around £15m.

5 LB – El Hadji Malick Diouf

Back to a familiar face and keeping his place at left-back is, of course, El Hadji Malick Diouf.

The all-action full-back joined the Hammers from Slavia Prague in the summer, and while he can be a little frustrating defensively, he is unreal when it comes to the offensive side of the game.

For example, he has already racked up three assists in just 12 appearances, and really could have more if his teammates were able to finish better earlier in the campaign.

6 CM – Freddie Potts

Moving into the middle of the park and onto someone who has to now be one of the first names on the team sheet: Freddie Potts.

The academy graduate was finally handed his first competitive start for West Ham against Newcastle United, and to say he delivered would be a massive understatement.

He put in a man-of-the-match performance that saw him cover practically every blade of grass, snuff out Toon attacks and kickstart ones for his own side.

It was more of the same a week later against Burnley, and while it is still early on, it feels like the Hammers have themselves a future superstar in Potts.

7 CM – Mateus Fernandes

There are a few options Nuno could go with for the position alongside Potts, but based on the last two games, it really has to be Mateus Fernandes.The Portuguese midfielder had a bit of a slow start to life in East London following his £40m move from Southampton in the summer, but over the last few weeks, he has started showing the fans just what he can do.Capable of helping out with the defensive side of the game, but just as able to play defence-splitting”KDB-type passes,”in the words of Mattinson, the 21-year-old could be a real game-changer for the Hammers as the season goes on.

8 CAM – Lucas Paqueta

To nobody’s surprise, Lucas Paqueta keeps his place as the most advanced of the midfielders.

Despite talk around his future, the former Lyon ace has looked back to his best in recent games and scored his fourth goal of the campaign against Newcastle.

He might be frustrating at times, but West Ham are undeniably a weaker team without him in it.

9 RW – Jarrod Bowen

The sky is blue, the grass is green, and Jarrod Bowen starts for West Ham United.

The former Hull City star is the club’s talisman, the most beloved player to wear the shirt in a very long time, and, most importantly, a sensational goalscoring, game-changing winger.

Despite the team’s poor form last season, the Englishman was still able to rack up an incredible tally of 14 goals and ten assists in 36 appearances across all competitions, totalling 3148 minutes.

That came out to a brilliant average of a goal involvement every 1.5 games, or every 131.16 minutes.

Bowen’s West Ham Record

Appearances

250

Minutes

19971′

Goals

77

Assists

53

Goal Involvements per Match

0.52

Minutes per Goal Involvement

153.62′

All Stats via Transfermarkt

So far this year, the 28-year-old has already scored three goals and provided two assists in just 12 games, and now that the team seem to have turned a corner, he’ll probably become even more productive.

10 ST – Lucas Stassin

The final signing in the team is Saint-Étienne’s Belgian goal machine, Lucas Stassin.

According to one report, the Hammers might be able to sign the 20-year-old for a fee of €30m, which is about £27m, and while that is a lot, it would almost certainly be worth it.

For example, despite being so young, he racked up an impressive tally of 14 goals and eight assists in just 34 appearances last year, and has already produced seven goal involvements in 13 games this year.

That sort of return would make him an instant upgrade on the still useful but injury-prone Callum Wilson and the ideal replacement for Niclas Füllkrug, who has made it clear he wants out in January.

Martin O’Neill’s time in charge of Celtic couldn’t have gone much better really.

The legendary manager saw his beat their Old Firm rivals, reach a cup final and draw level with Hearts at the top of the SPFL table.

It took the Hoops a while to find their new manager but they finally have their man in the form of Wilfried Nancy who arrives following a stint in MLS.

That said, for those at Parkhead, chiefly Liam Scales, he’s not had much time to think about what could be in store under the new boss.

Scales preparing for new era at Celtic

Republic of Ireland international Scales was asked after the 1-0 victory over Dundee on Wednesday evening whether he had been doing his research on the 48-year-old Nancy.

“No, I haven’t had time,” the defender said. “It’s been so busy. Obviously we know bits and pieces but we can’t get ahead of ourselves. We need to focus on the games that we have and now is the time where we’re going to have to really focus on the tactical changes and whatever he wants us to do.

“It’s hard to do homework on someone you’ve never met because you don’t want to create a false idea of them. It’s better just to wait and really learn from them in person.”

Nancy arrives ahead of a crucial run of games. Celtic will go top of the Premiership if they beat Hearts on Sunday before facing St Mirren in the League Cup final a week later.

“It doesn’t get much bigger than the week he has come in. It’s probably ideal. You want to come in and be part of massive games and he has a chance to win a trophy early on.

“If you come in and do well over the next three games, it’s the best way you can start a job. We’ll be doing our best to make that happen for him because we want to be successful as a team.”

Scales could be set for new role under Nancy

Scales was in excellent form under O’Neill, notably hailed as Celtic’s “player of the year” by some. Evidently, he thoroughly enjoyed his time with the interim manager in the dugout.

The defender said of O’Neill: “He’s been really good. It’s been a positive four weeks or five weeks. We’ve won a lot of games. We’ve obviously won a cup semi-final and won an away game in Europe as well. They were big wins. It’s just been really enjoyable and positive.

“In the game now, the defenders are on the ball a lot and you need to link play. But to go back to basics and just be told that you need to win your headers, you need to win your duels, I’ll keep that with me.”

Whether the centre-back continues his form remains to be seen. After all, Scales could be set for a modified role given Nancy’s preference for a back three. “I’ve played in back threes, I’ve played in back fives, I’ve played in back fours. I just want to be in the team. That’s all I care about.”

Better than Maeda: Celtic star is going to be undroppable under Nancy

This Celtic star who was even better than Daizen Maeda against Dundee should be Wilfried Nancy’s first undroppable star.

1 ByDan Emery Dec 4, 2025

And does Angelo Mathews hold the record for the most Tests played at a single venue?

Steven Lynch24-Jun-2025Tharindu Rathnayake picked up three wickets in the first innings of his Test debut – two with offspin, the other with his left arm. Is this the first time anyone has done this in a Test? asked Divy Tripathi from India

The versatile Sri Lankan spinner Tharindu Rathnayake marked the first innings of his debut, against Bangladesh in Galle last week, with three wickets. The first two – left-handers Shadman Islam and Mominul Haque – came with offbreaks, but Rathnayake often changes his bowling style when faced with right-handers so his fingerspin still turns away from them… and he disposed of Litton Das while bowling orthodox left-arm spin. In the second innings he again dismissed Mominul with an offbreak, then Liton and Jaker Ali with his left arm.It seems certain that this feat is unique in Test cricket: we don’t know how some bowlers delivered, but I’m sure that someone changing mid-stream and having any success would have been commented on and we’d have known about it! The only men I’m aware of who have even bowled with both right and left hand in Tests are Pakistan’s Hanif Mohammad (it seems he had switched to slow left-arm at the end of Garry Sobers’ then-record 365 not out in Kingston in 1958) and Graham Gooch of England, who enlivened the closing stages of a drawn Test in Calcutta in 1982 with some bowling impersonations, including at least one ball delivered with his left hand. Neither of them took a wicket with their “wrong” arm, though. Rathnayake’s Sri Lankan team-mate Kamindu Mendis has occasionally bowled left-arm in first-class cricket, but his three Test wickets to date all came with right-handed offbreaks.Karun Nair returned to India’s Test side at Headingley after missing 77 matches. Was this a record? asked Vinesh Maharajan from India

Karun Nair reappeared for India in the first Test against England at Headingley after missing his country’s previous 77 five-day matches. He’s quite high on the list, but not at the top: the Indian record-holder is the left-arm seamer Jaydev Unadkat, who missed 116 successive Tests between his debut, against South Africa in Centurion in December 2010, and the second of his four caps, against Bangladesh in Mirpur in December 2022. Two Indian wicketkeepers also missed more Tests than Nair: Dinesh Karthik 87 between January 2010 and June 2018, and Parthiv Patel 83 between August 2008 and November 2016.The only man from anywhere with a bigger gap than Unadkat is the England offspinner Gareth Batty, who missed no fewer than 142 Test matches between June 2005 and October 2016, when he was recalled at 39 to face Bangladesh in Chattogram.Angelo Mathews, who just retired, played his 34th Test match at Galle. Was this a record? asked Mohan de Silva from Sri Lanka

That’s a good spot, as I hadn’t seen it mentioned anywhere: Angelo Mathews played 34 Tests in Galle, which is indeed the record for a single venue. Next at the moment is Jimmy Anderson, who played 29 Tests at Lord’s, while his long-time new-ball partner Stuart Broad had 28 matches there.Mahela Jayawardene played 27 Tests at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo (his home ground), while Mushfiqur Rahim is likely to add to his current total of 27 at the Shere Bangla Stadium in Mirpur. Mushfiqur recently became only the 19th player to extend his Test career beyond 20 years.No other player has played as many Tests at a single venue than Angelo Mathew’s 34 in Galle•AFP/Getty ImagesWho holds the record for taking the most Test wickets at home before taking his first wicket abroad? asked SM Nazmus Shakib from Bangladesh

That’s an unusual question – and the answer is an unusual character: the South African medium-pacer Jimmy Blanckenberg, who took 56 wickets in 13 home Tests on the matting pitches used there at the time. He then toured England in 1924 with less success, taking just four wickets in the five-Test series. After this Blanckenberg had several seasons in the Lancashire League, although he also ran into controversy there, apparently refusing to shake the hand of the black West Indian allrounder Learie Constantine. After his stint in the leagues Blanckenberg rather disappeared from view, and his death details have never been discovered, although there’s a theory that he passed away in Berlin in 1955. If any historians out there have more details, do let me know!The Middlesex legspinner Walter Robins took 52 Test wickets in England before finally claiming one overseas, in Australia in 1936-37, while fast bowler Rodney Hogg picked up 51 in Australia – including 41 in his maiden Ashes series in 1978-79 – before touring India the following season, when his first scalp was that of Sunil Gavaskar.Turning the question around, Jasprit Bumrah collected 79 wickets overseas before finally taking one in India. That’s the record, unless you include the legspinner Yasir Shah: he took 207 wickets before finally taking one in Pakistan, but that included several in “home” Tests in the UAE and elsewhere while security concerns precluded matches in Pakistan.In the World Test Championship final, Aiden Markram scored the only century of the match in the fourth innings. How often has this happened in a Test? asked Dylan McKenzie from South Africa

That superb 136 from the South African opener Aiden Markram, which did much to decide the destiny of the World Test Championship mace, was indeed the only century of the final at Lord’s. It’s a relatively rare occurrence: this was the 39th Test match in which the only century was scored in the fourth innings. Markram had done it before – also against Australia, in Durban in 2018 (the Aussies still won that one, though).Markram is one of only three men to do this twice, the others being fellow openers David Warner and Dimuth Karunaratne. But Sri Lanka’s Mahela Jayawardene uniquely scored the only century of a Test in the fourth innings on three occasions: against South Africa in Colombo in 2000 and also at the Sinhalese Sports Club in 2006, and against Australia in Galle in 2011.The first such instance was by Australia’s Joe Darling, whose fourth-innings 160 was the only century of the match against England in Sydney in March 1898. There were only 17 further cases in the 20th century, but 21 since 2000.Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

MatériaMais Notícias

O jogo-treino entre Santos e Corinthians, marcado para sexta-feira (22), na Vila Belmiro, foi cancelado. A delegação do Timão ficou presa na Via Anchieta por conta de um grave acidente que bloqueou a passagem na rodovia e inviabilizou a descida da serra. A partida seria disputada em quatro tempos de 30 minutos.

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O ônibus com os jogadores e comissão técnica do Corinthians está voltando para o CT Joaquim Grava, e permanecerá concentrado para o treino de sábado, no período da manhã.

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O Santos segue a preparação para enfrentar o Red Bull Bragantino. O duelo, válido pela semifinal do Paulistão, será disputado na quarta-feira (27), às 20h30, na Neo Química Arena, casa do Timão. Caso avance, o Santos enfrenta o vencedor de Palmeiras e Novorizontino na final do estadual.

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Eliminado na fase de grupos do Paulistão, o Corinthians segue em busca de equipes para disputar amistosos durante a Data Fifa. A equipe de António Oliveira volta a campo no dia 2 de abril, contra o Racing (URU), pela primeira rodada da fase de grupos da Copa Sul-Americana.

➡️ Veja tabela com datas e horários da Sul-Americana

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Haydos in the altogether at the MCG: you didn’t hear it here first

Alan Gardner16-Sep-2025The ECB has tried calling it “Super September”, which the Light Roller understands is short for “Super Sopper September” – and South Africa’s autumnal return to England, three months on from winning the World Test Championship, became a predictable shemozzle, with two rain-wrecked T20Is sandwiching a deluge of a different kind, as England pongo-ed their way to 300 in Manchester.South Africa managed to concede 400 during the ODI series too – having achieved the same in Australia last month (though it’s fair to note that they had already won the series on both occasions). At least you could say they are consistent. Such are the convolutions of the schedule that we would forgive the bowlers for not knowing which team jersey they should be wearing, never mind what format they’re playing or what lengths to hit.In England and Wales, getting back to bilateral internationals, as well as the culmination of a host of county competitions, was sort of comforting – dreary weather included – after a month of the Hundred, during which the game’s global T20 overlords descended en masse. Did the Teen Tech Titans have fun playing with their new toys at Lord’s? We can only hope they did, after buying up the prime chunk of summer.On the subject of the calendar, ECB chair, Richard Thompson, tried speaking truth to power (i.e. himself). “Cricket arguably does play too much,” Thompson told the BBC. “We’re the only sport to have a World Cup every year, which I personally think is too much.” Now, that might sound like far too sensible an opinion for a cricket administrator to espouse, but don’t get carried away.Asked about the fact the ECB had squeezed the Hundred into such a small window that it started the day after the conclusion of the Test series against India, and finished less than 48 hours before an ODI against South Africa, Thompson said change would have to wait until the end of the current broadcast deal in 2028. “So we’re only three years away from being able to ensure there is a gap at the beginning and end of that period.” Just three more years, lads, then you can have a proper rest! It’ll still be raining in September, though.

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The Ashes are coming (you may have noticed), and that means all sorts of nonsense leaking into the discourse. But – and we sincerely apologise for bringing this to your attention if you were otherwise unaware – new levels of WT-actual-F were reached by Matthew Hayden’s contribution on the subject of whether Joe Root, now the second-leading Test run-scorer of all time, would get into an Ashes XI. Regarding the absence of a century on Australia soil from his CV, Hayden declared: “I’ll walk nude around the MCG if he doesn’t get a hundred this summer.” And it doesn’t matter if Haydos does eventually do the walk of shame dressed only in his Stetson or not, you now have that image in your head regardless.

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“Wait, eco-warrior means you’re fighting the ecosystem, right? Right?”•Matt Lewis/ECB via Getty ImagesAdam Zampa loves the environment. He loves animals (he’s a vegan), he loves sustainability. But he also loves the Hundred, as he said midway through a 34,000 km round trip to play in the men’s final for Oval Invincibles: “I absolutely love this comp, it’s my favourite one. I’ve loved playing for this team over the last couple of years of being involved.” Zampa duly bowled his 20 balls and helped Invincibles lift a third consecutive title, after which he hopped on the plane – presumably returning to his Byron Bay farmhouse, where the focus is on promoting native flora and fauna, growing their own food, and learning about “the ways in which we can help our impact on the eco-system”. Presumably one of those lessons being: if you can’t source your legspinners locally, it’s okay to fly them in from the other side of the world for one game.

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As anyone who has followed the sport for a period of time knows, cricket is more about talking than doing. There’s very little doing at any one time – often only two, maybe three or four, of the 13 people involved on the field – but usually lots of talking about it among those looking on. Or not talking about it, but rather discussing the weather, the food, the pigeons, or the regular appearances of the No. 32 bus over the shoulder of fine leg. So it’s fitting that attempts to refine and reduce the structure of the County Championship, after five months of discussion, look very much like boiling down to: it’s completely unworkable, but too hard to agree on change… so shall we just do the same again next year?

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It was bold, it was risky, it was trying to get ahead of the game… it was precisely none of the things that their opening partnership for Pakistan was famous for. And it probably needed an outsider of the calm, measured character of Mike Hesson to pull the T20I plug on Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan. It’s not about agendas or personal shortcomings, he said, just a simple question of strike rates. Data, guys. Look at the data. And then, y’know, obviously, he had to sit back and watch his bold, risky, ahead-of-the-game move result in Pakistan scoring at 0.35 above a run-a-ball after choosing to bat first in their defeat to India. Good try, Mike. But Pakistan’s gonna Pakistan.

New white-ball captain prepares to turn team’s results around in first assignment at the helm

Vithushan Ehantharajah28-May-2025During last year’s men’s Hundred, Harry Brook received a light-hearted but necessary reprimand from Sky Sports commentator Mel Jones.Brook, in his first season as captain of Northern Superchargers – his first leadership role in professional cricket – had made a habit of forgetting team news. On one occasion, Jones offered some polite advice: “Come on Harry, you need to get better at this – you’re going to do a lot more of them!”On Wednesday in Birmingham, in Brook’s first pre-match press conference as white-ball captain, he flexed his improvement, running through the XI for Thursday’s series opener against West Indies. Barring a momentary hesitation when moving from the middle order into the tail – “Bethell six… Jacks seven… ermmm… Overton eight” – a full team, in order, was read off the dome.Granted, this is the least you’d expect from an England captain in a sport so beholden to detail. But the bar is on the floor as far as English white-ball cricket goes. Every win, no matter how menial, should be savoured.Related

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Harry Brook to shelve franchise cricket as England captain

Jofra Archer ruled out of West Indies ODIs due to thumb injury

Even more so on the field. Three poor global outings, an ODI record of 13 lost out of the last 17 – seven of them in a row – and the loose threat of not qualifying for the 2027 ODI World Cup mean the issues of the last era hang over this group. The first job of any new leadership team is to fix previous mistakes.And yet, arguably the biggest part of the last regime remains integral to this revamp. Jos Buttler’s part in the solutions to the problems he failed to avoid has him back in his most comfortable position behind the stumps. He has not kept in ODIs since 2023’s tour of West Indies, though he did marshal from that position during last summer’s T20 World Cup.”I think Jos is the best white-ball batter in the world,” crowed Brook. Whether that remains true, the fact is his numbers bear out that he is a better player with the gloves and without the captaincy, in every metric. His work with Gujarat Titans – “he’s been banging it in the IPL,” – is further testament to this particular combination of keeping without wider responsibility.Buttler was not at Edgbaston on Wednesday, another perk of being unburden by captaincy meaning he can lean on the fact sessions are optional. Having trained on Tuesday, Buttler opted for an extra night at home having only just arrived back from India at the start of the week.Both Jacob Bethell and Will Jacks got back to the UK in the last 48 hours, which is far from ideal but with them comes the variation in the slow-bowling department which was absent during the Champions Trophy and high on the wish list when Brook had his initial conversations with managing director Rob Key. Bethell’s return comes after injury, and as such is as you were. But Jacks’ – high-class and under-utilised – is a nod to doing things differently.Jamie Smith as an opener that straddles both camps, as a newer take on an old thought. An inkling head coach Brendon McCullum had during the Champions Trophy – where Smith averaged 8 at No.3 – that moving further up the order might suit him better. Pushing Smith towards the danger which, in this case, seems to be the new ball.”He [McCullum] actually said it in Pakistan to me, and a few lads… he just had this burning desire (sic) that Smudge could be an amazing opening batter in one-day cricket. So, we’re giving it a crack and see how he goes, hopefully he does well.”The travails at first drop against the white ball highlight the punt being taken. Smith’s professional opening experience amounts to 22 T20 and three first-class innings. Set against his success down at No.7 in Test cricket, and the fact a swap with Jacks, who is actually an opener, puts players in more familiar roles – it seems a peculiar move. But, crucially, a positive one in the minds of a captain, coach and management set-up who cannot quite fathom why a bunch of undoubtedly talented players have been in such a funk.The group will be challenged early on under Brook, as is his wont, and the loose promise to England’s new skipper at this juncture he will be afforded his full wares for each series. And while that is clearly at odds with the lay of the land, notably limited overs tours of New Zealand and Sri Lanka that sandwich the Ashes, patient improvement is the name of the game. Returning to those glory days set in motion by Eoin Morgan will take time.Nevertheless, West Indies arrive respectfully wary of their hosts for that recent history. Shai Hope had no problem lauding England as trend-buckers while also reiterating they are not here simply to be a character in someone else’s story. Indeed, they have their own redemption having missed 2023s ODI World Cup altogether. Now ninth in the ICC rankings, three points behind England, automatic passage to 2027’s edition is far from guaranteed.”As a opposition coming in to play against them, you certainly want to showcase your best skills because they kind of set the benchmark of one-day cricket,” Hope said.”But again, I’m not going to focus too much on what they’ve done in the past. I know they’re going to be looking at us as trying to start their new winning streak. It’s within our power to make sure that we don’t let it happen.”

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone is probably feeling pretty satisfied with his decision to start Cody Bellinger in left field during Sunday's Subway Series showdown against the New York Mets.

With Jasson Dominguez getting the day off, Bellinger took over in left field on Sunday and ended up making one of the most crucial plays of the game during the seventh inning.

With one man on and no outs in the inning, Juan Soto sent a blooper towards left field. Bellinger charged in on it and reached all the way down in order to pluck the ball out of the air just before it hit the ground. He then turned and fired it in to first base, where Paul Goldschmidt made a catch to double off Francisco Lindor.

That ball was centimeters away from dropping for a hit, and it could potentially have gotten past Bellinger and rolled all the way to the wall had he not made the extremely narrow catch.

Have a look at the web gem double play:

Failing to make that catch would've resulted in Lindor likely scoring and Soto getting on base with Pete Alonso due up. That's not a situation fans would be optimistic about given the recent struggles of the Yankees bullpen.

New York was able to get out of the inning unscathed and maintain their two-run lead heading into the eighth.

The visitors batted much better second time around but still faced defeat against Australia A

AAP07-Dec-2025

England’s Jacob Bethell staked his claim for an Ashes recall after fighting hard in the clash with Australia A in Brisbane.As his England team-mates slipped 2-0 down at the Gabba, Bethell crafted 71 in England Lions’ second innings at nearby Allan Border Field on Sunday.Related

England sink to another low as Lions thrashed by Australia A

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McSweeney pushes Test recall case with double century

Bethell last played a Test in August when England lost a thrilling match at The Oval against India. But with questions surrounding Ollie Pope’s future as England’s No.3, he will be pushing to be recalled for the third Test at the Adelaide Oval on December 17.Bethell is averaging 38.71 from his four Tests for England after debuting late last year against New Zealand.The Lions got to 274 for 6 in their second innings at stumps on day three, still trailing Australia A by 148.After slumping to 29 for 3, England’s second XI recovered through Bethell and fellow rising starAsa Tribe. The pair put on a 169-run stand for the fourth wicket, with Tribe reaching his third first-class century.Tribe, who has five ODI and 26 T20I caps for Jersey, was able to survive Australia A’s dangerous bowling attack featuring Jhye Richardson, Xavier Bartlett, Fergus O’Neill, Beau Webster and Todd Murphy.Victorian seamer O’Neill was the pick of the bowlers in the second innings, taking 4 for 53 from 17 overs.Australia A declared at 588 for 8 early on Sunday, after captain Nathan McSweeney’s career-best knock of 226 not out.