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Hampshire finish as runners-up again, one day after the men fell short against Worcestershire

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay21-Sep-2025

Lancashire bookended their season with trophies as Gaby Lewis’ century secured the inaugural Metro Bank One-Day Cup women’s competition over Hampshire.Ireland international Lewis led a brilliant chase of 289 with 141 off 143, helped by an exceptional 72 from Seren Smale – with whom she put on 144.Lancashire started the season by winning the Vitality T20 Women’s County Cup, and added a second piece of silverware of 2025 when Ailsa Lister sprinted through a single with nine balls to spare.For Hampshire, whose total was underpinned by Maia Bouchier and Georgia Adams’ fifties, it was a double One-Day Cup heartbreak – after they lost to Worcestershire Rapids in the men’s competition final on Saturday.Chasing 289, Alice Clarke was run out by a Freya Kemp direct hit in the fifth over, but it was a blip before Lewis and Smale seized the initiative and put their side on the winning march.Despite never pulling away from the required rate, the pair oozed control as they both serenely scored half-centuries as they added 144 together to break the back of the chase.Both survived strong run-out shouts in their 60s before Smale was brilliantly caught at short midwicket by Kemp, and then Fi Morris was undone by a Naomi Dattani direct hit from the boundary.Threlkeld copied Smale’s low-thrills approach to guide Lewis to three figures – brought up after 121 balls and celebrated with a modest fist pump the moment the ball left her bat for a single.Lewis never looked in trouble, blocking where appropriate but also finding the ropes in all areas of Utilita Bowl – striking 16 fours in total.Lancashire skipper Threlkeld got her side even closer to the winning line before flailing to midwicket – handing former England bowler Freya Davies the final wicket of her career before retiring.But Lewis and Lister ticked the final 46 runs off with relative ease to spark the celebrations.Earlier, having been stuck in, Bouchier and Rhianna Southby got Hampshire off to a flier as they found the boundary at will in a 70-run opening partnership.Southby was caught at mid-on, but Adams continued to keep the momentum with Bouchier – the pair putting on 48.Bouchier came into the season with low confidence after a nightmare Women’s Ashes campaign, but has been crucial for Hampshire at the top of the order.She passed 1,000 runs across the Vitality Blast and One-Day Cup on her way to a run-a-ball fifty – her eighth of the season – in an innings of high-quality.Bouchier chipped to mid-on, but again it didn’t impact Hampshire’s impetus, as Freya Kemp bashed a quick-fire 41, with Adams supporting in a 75-run alliance.Even when Kemp squirted to cover, Abi Norgrove found runs flowing with Adams – who followed her semi-final century with a classy 77.With 300 on the cards, Lancashire pulled Hampshire back with regular wickets at the death. Grace Potts had already dismissed Southby, and added Norgrove and Nancy Harman to take three for 47.

India were 0 for 2 after England piled on 669, but KL Rahul and Shubman Gill batted out two sessions to give India hope of survival

Alagappan Muthu26-Jul-2025

Ben Stokes made 141 to take England to 669•PA Images via Getty Images

Stumps Music echoed around Old Trafford this morning. The trumpeter had chosen well. The things Ben Stokes was doing out there was beyond the realms of normal men. So they picked up their instrument, put it against their lips, and belted out the Superman theme. Paaaa-pa-pa-pa-paaaaaa…England ended day four with 137 runs and two Indian wickets in the bank and it’s largely because of their captain’s exertions. A century and a five-for in the same Test match. Leading his team to their fifth-highest total in the format ever. Gatecrashing a club of only two. The big two. The ultimate two. Before Saturday, only Garry Sobers and Jacques Kallis could puff their chests out and say they had 7000 runs and 200 wickets in Tests. Now they have to scooch over. Cricket’s rosy old past and its complicated present have clashed a lot over the past 48 hours thanks to Joe Root and his successor.Related

• Batting time, battling time – Gill and Rahul duel with the clock

• Root revels in 'pinch-yourself moment' after moving to No. 2

• A rare double for Stokes as England break Old Trafford record

A lead of 311 looked match-winning-well-ahead-of-time, particularly with Chris Woakes daring to be on a hat-trick in the very first over he bowled. India had spent 943 deliveries on the field. The fatigue that sets in as a result undid two of their top order in five. Shubman Gill and KL Rahul came together with the score 0 for 2 and strung up back-to-back wicketless sessions (which suggests the pitch has flattened out) to make sure their team could push the fight to the final day, when there’s rain expected in the morning. The forecast says it will clear up by the afternoon.So England remain in command, although there might be worry about how Stokes did not bring himself on to bowl any of the 63 overs in the day. He’d done a fair bit of leg work earlier, meeting even the slightest sign of the balance shifting with extreme prejudice. Mohammed Siraj thought India had run Stokes out in the first over of the day. Stokes punished his optimism by charging at him the next over. The four runs were incidental. The disdain was the point. Stokes spent a few nervy moments in the 90s, but as soon as he got one on his hips, he was able to deflect it off to the boundary behind him – which was the cue for the trumpeter in the crowd to make their mark on this game – and celebrate it with a look up to the heavens and a sign of tribute to his father, Ged.England’s ninth-wicket stand racked up 95 runs in 97 balls with Brydon Carse almost scoring back-to-back fifties. Their highest total at Old Trafford fell. Then highest total at Old Trafford fell. Eventually England finished with 669, their fifth-highest in Tests and their best since, oh, scoring 823 against Pakistan in October 2024. Stokes made the last 41 of his 141 runs in 34 balls including all three of his sixes. He hit one of them so hard – the deterrent at long-off be damned – his follow through had him spinning around and almost facing the wrong way on the pitch. He seemed emotional getting to his first hundred in 35 innings, and vengeful after it.Chris Woakes struck twice in the first over of the third innings•AFP via Getty Images

India had 15 minutes to see off before lunch. England clearly wanted to make the most of them. Woakes went around the wicket straight away and that decision yielded great results. Yashasvi Jaiswal couldn’t leave the ball alone. Not with the angle coming into him. He played for it, closing the face, and a peach of a delivery, nipping away off the seam, took the edge through to Root at first slip. He fumbled the first time but not the second. In walked B Sai Sudharsan to become an advert for what happens to a team when they spend 157.1 overs in the middle. He was undecided against a short and wide delivery and in the end got caught trying to leave it.Gill looked troubled at the start. His front pad was a big target. Thirty-seven per cent of his dismissals in Test cricket are lbw and bowled and England went after one more. Jofra Archer produced an inswinging yorker that nearly took Gill out only for DRS to reveal that the ball hit both the inside edge of his bat and the outside of his front pad almost at the same time. In the middle of this examination, Gill played a shot away from his body and immediately looked like he hated himself. Eventually, he looked up and realised it had raced away towards the cover boundary. And from there, he just decided to trust his game and play his shots. Not in the same way as throwing the bat around and hitting himself out of trouble, just backing himself to play to his strengths.Out came the drives, and when Gill went down the ground, he evoked the history of the bat he was holding. A couple of guys with MRF-sponsored equipment were good with that particular stroke. He cut the ball well, gaining a little payback over Archer, who had hit his hand, which had been bandaged up. There were also several drop-and-runs to rotate strike and share the pressure with his partner, Rahul. It was a good innings, which could easily have been cut short at 46 when Carse had him playing away from his body again only for Liam Dawson to drop a tough catch at gully.Shubman Gill and KL Rahul revived India from 0 for 2•AFP/Getty Images

Gill made the most of that generosity to continue his run-spree. He went past Virat Kohli’s 655 runs against England in 2016 and is chasing down Sunil Gavaskar’s record of most runs as an India captain in a Test series (732). Crucially, he became confident of his defence, too. From being 46 off 52 with eight fours, he went to stumps scoring a further 32 off 111 with two fours.Rahul was old-school, too, right from the start. He backed his technique even when the new ball drew plenty of life out of the pitch. This was a thrill for him. He shared smiles with Archer when an absolute seed snaked past his outside edge.Rahul’s judgment on what to play and what to leave was all the more impressive considering the time India were stuck in the field and how they were trailing the game. He was 20 off 71. Perfectly content, then bit by bit he accepted the rewards of his patience, scoring 67 off the next 139 balls and going past 500 runs in a series for the first time in his career. Rahul, too, had a little luck break his way when on 36, as an inside edge off Dawson skirted just wide of his leg stump.A day five with immense possibility awaits.

Mohammad Saifuddin’s cameo was crucial after Mahedi’s 3 for 25 restricted Ireland to 170

Mohammad Isam29-Nov-2025Litton Das’ 16th T20I half-century took Bangladesh to a four-wicket win against Ireland in Chattogram. As a result, the hosts levelled the three-match series 1-1 with this win, and broke a four-match losing streak in the format.Litton made 57 off 37 balls with three sixes and as many fours. But his dismissal, coupled with three more wickets in quick succession, left Bangladesh in some constraint in the end overs of the 171-run chase.When Bangladesh lost their fifth wicket in the 19th over, they still needed 22 runs to win off the remaining 14 balls. New batter Mohammad Saifuddin responded with a pulled boundary first ball, as Josh Little couldn’t grab the chance at short fine leg. When Bangladesh were six down in the 19th over and required another 14 runs in ten balls, Saifuddin hit a six over six and then a four – both off Mark Adair. He finished with a crucial 17* off seven balls, with two fours and a six.With three runs needed in the last over, Mahedi Hasan settled the matter with two balls remaining as a thumping drive through extra cover went for four.Ireland had earlier made 170 for 6 in 20 overs, although their rousing start was giving them hints of a 200-plus total. Bangladesh replied well with Parvez Hossain Emon and Litton giving them a fine start.Parvez Hossain Emon batted at a quick pace in the chase•BCB

Parvez cracks the whip

Parvez went after Matthew Humphreys, Ireland’s hero from the first T20I, for two fours in the first over, before going after Adair in the second. Parvez’s opening partner Tanzid Hasan, however, was run out after miscommunication even as Barry McCarthy, who was bowling the third over, lost possession of the ball while moving to his left.Parvez, though, didn’t stop his onslaught while his captain Litton aided him in the big-hitting. Litton and Parvez slammed Little for a six and two fours in the sixth over to give Bangladesh 66 runs in the powerplay. Parvez struck Gareth Delany for his second six, before falling in the legspinner’s next over for 43. Overall, Parvez struck five fours and two sixes in his 28-ball stay.

No luck for Little

JLittle was wicketless in the first T20I, and was unlucky when his captain Paul Stirling dropped Saif Hassan in the 11th over. The chance at cover was a difficult one, but Stirling is known for plucking these catches.Little had more bad luck when Delany grabbed a difficult chance at the deep-midwicket boundary. He had intercepted Litton’s pull with one hand, before settling under the ball in the second attempt. Replays, however, showed Delany’s towel, which was tucked behind his trousers, had touched the boundary rope. It was thus adjudged to be a six.File photo: Paul Stirling bashed 29 off 14 balls•ICC via Getty Images

Litton, Saif fall before final push

Litton and Saif kept Bangladesh’s run rate at par with the requirement. Litton lofted Delany for four before Saif struck him for a straight six in the 12th over. Litton then hit a beautiful six by going inside out over the covers to reach his fifty. Adair, however, got rid of him, trapping him lbw for 57.Three balls later, Saif gave long-on a catch off Delany, who bowled the delivery off 24 yards. Towhid Hridoy was then run-out for the sixth time in his career when he couldn’t reach the striker’s end, with his bat being in the air despite crossing the crease. When Nurul Hasan fell in the 19th over, Ireland sensed they were in the game.

Ireland openers go big

Ireland were off to a blistering start after they decided to bat first. Tim Tector was at it again, building on his 32 from the previous game. He struck Mahedi for three fours in the opening over, before Stirling lofted Nasum Ahmed for a four and six in the second over.Stirling then went after Saifuddin, hitting him for a six and two fours in the third over. Stirling, who bashed 29 off 14 balls, fell in the fifth over to a good catch from Saif in the deep, though Tector kept striking his pulls cleanly, as one of them landed deep into the second tier. Ireland’s 75 for 1 was their highest powerplay score against Bangladesh.File photo: Mahedi Hasan’s three wickets meant Ireland’s 88 for 1 quickly became 103 for 4•Bangladesh Cricket Board

Mahedi gives Bangladesh respite

Mahedi removed the Tector brothers, Tim and Harry, in the ninth over. He had Tim stumped off the first ball, when he swung at the ball, which went under the bat. Tim made 38 off 25 balls with two sixes, apart from his four boundaries. Mahedi then got one to skid below Harry’s bat to bowl him for 11. Mahedi also removed Ben Calitz for 7, also stumped by Litton. Ireland’s 88 for 1 in the ninth over quickly became 103 for 4 after 11.

Tucker helps Ireland recover

Lorcan Tucker and George Dockrell got Ireland back on their feet with a 56-run fifth-wicket partnership. Tucker struck Nasum with a slog-swept four through mid-on, before slamming Tanzim and Saifuddin for three boundaries in the 16th and 17th overs.Dockrell, however, struck just one boundary in his 21-ball stay for 18 runs, while Delany, known for his big-hitting, struck just one six in the last over. Tucker was run-out off the last ball, having made 41 off 32 balls, with four boundaries.

انتقد واين روني، أسطورة نادي مانشستر يونايتد، محمد صلاح، نجم نادي ليفربول، وذلك بعد التصريحات الأخيرة التي أدلى بها الدولي المصري تجاه إدارة الريدز والمدرب آرني سلوت.

ويعتقد روني أن محمد صلاح يدمر إرثه في ليفربول بمثل هذه التصريحات، مشيرًا في الوقت ذاته إلى أنه على أحد الأشخاص الموجودين داخل النادي الإنجليزي التحدث معه سريعًا لحل هذه الأزمة.

وخرج محمد صلاح عن صمته بعد تعادل ليفربول مع ليدز يونايتد بالدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز يوم السبت الماضي 3-3، حيث كان الدولي المصري بديلًا في تلك المباراة.

ولم يشارك محمد صلاح ضد ليدز  ، حيث بقى ابن ال33 عامًا كبديل للمباراة الثالثة على التوالي مع ليفربول، مما جعل اللاعب يخرج عن صمته ويصرح بأن العلاقة مع سلوت قد تدمرت، وبأن إدارة الريدز لم تفي بالوعود التي قدمتها له.

وقال روني في تصريحات لبي بي سي سبورت: “لماذا تصرون على قول ذلك؟ محمد صلاح لاعب رائع مع ليفربول، كلاعب هو هادئ، ومنعزل”.

وأضاف روني في حديثه: “في العام الماضي أعرب عن استيائه الشديد لعدم عرض عقد جديد عليه، يستحق محمد صلاح الحصول على المبلغ الذي يستحقه. لكن لا يمكن قلب الأمور رأساً على عقب والتعبير عما قاله، كان ذلك إهانة لزملائه في الفريق، ولمديره، وللجماهير”.

وأوضح: “يمر الوقت علينا جميعًا، لم يكن محمد صلاح في أفضل حالاته هذا الموسم ولم يكن في أوج عطائه، من الواضح أن سلوت لاحظ ذلك ووضعه على مقاعد البدلاء”.

وأردف روني: “إنه أحد اللاعبين الأساسيين، إن لم يكن اللاعب الأهم في ليفربول خلال المواسم القليلة الماضية، نريد رؤيته يشمر عن ساعديه، أن تتباهى بالقول إنه ليس مضطرًا لكسب مكانه الأساسي في التشكيل؟ عليك أن تكون في أفضل حالاتك كل أسبوع للبقاء في الفريق”.

وتابع روني في حديثه عن محمد صلاح: “لو كنتُ زميله في الفريق لما كنت سعيدًا على الإطلاق بما قاله. هذا هو الوقت الذي يحتاجونه فيه أكثر من أي وقت مضى. بل على العكس، لقد أساء إلى ليفربول بكلامه”.

طالع .. إبراهيم حسن: محمد صلاح سيصنع التاريخ مع منتخب مصر في أمم إفريقيا

ثم نصح روني محمد صلاح قائلًا: “إما أن يتحدث إلى المدرب ويعلن موقفه، ويحاول تصحيح الأمور، أو أن يغادر النادي، يجب حل الأمر بسرعة”.

وقال: “إنه يدمر إرثه تمامًا، الإرث الذي كان بإمكانه تركه هائلا، أساطير ليفربول الذي هو من بينهم تمامًا، سيكون من المحزن أن يتخلى عن كل شيء، لقد أخطأ تمامًا”.

وأضاف روني في حديثه عن محمد صلاح: “سيحظى بالحماية بدءًا من الأسبوع المقبل حيث سيغيب لمشاركته مع منتخب مصر، أما بالنسبة للتوقيت، فقد فعل ذلك لسبب وجيه، إنه كان يدبر لإلقاء قنبلة ثم المغادرة مع مصر”.

وأوضح: “أعتقد أنه سيكون من الجيد لليفربول أن يبعد محمد صلاح عن الصورة حاليًا، على سلوت أن يظهر سلطته ويقول له لن تسافر مع الفريق، ما قلته غير مقبول، ودع الأمور تستقر”.

وأردف: “الأمر الصعب هو أنه عندما تكون لاعبًا وتصل إلى السن الذي ينخفض ​​فيه أداؤك تبحث عن أسباب، آخر شخص تنظر إليه هو نفسك. أعتقد أن هذا ما يحدث مع محمد صلاح، لم يكن أداؤه رائعًا. أنا متأكد أنه خلال العامين المقبلين، عندما يستذكر ما حدث، سيندم على ما قاله”.

وتابع: “هو وحده القادر على مساعدته في الخروج من هذا الوضع من خلال اللعب بشكل أفضل، بدلًا من النظر إلى نفسه، هو يبحث عن أي شيء يلقي عليه اللوم ”.

واستكمل: “لقد مررت بنفس التجربة مع جوزيه مورينيو. بدأت الموسم مع زلاتان إبراهيموفيتش لكنني كنت أعرف أنه عادةً ما يلعب بلاعب واحد في الهجوم”.

وواصل: “في أول ثلاث أو أربع مباريات أشرك مورينيو لاعبين منا، كنت أعرف أنه بمجرد أن ألعب بشكل سيء، لن ألعب، وسيكون زلاتان هو المهاجم”.

وقال: ”دخلتُ وتحدثتُ بصراحة مع جوزيه. طلبت منه الانتقال على سبيل الإعارة في يناير لأنني أردت اللعب، رفض لأنه كان بحاجة لي في الدوري الأوروبي، لكن كان بإمكاني الرحيل في الصيف”.

واختتم روني في حديثه: ”وقفت وصافحته ولم أشتكِ مرة أخرى. جلست على مقاعد البدلاء ولعبت بضع مباريات، كان حديثاً صريحاً، رجلان يتصافحان، وهو ما أعتقد أنه التصرف الصحيح وليس ما فعله صلاح”.

Perhaps to be expected of this modern-day Manchester United team, the recent five-game unbeaten run was merely a false dawn, as Ruben Amorim’s tenure reached another low on Monday evening.

That wet and miserable night at Grimsby is arguably the nadir of the Portuguese’s year in charge, although the latest loss to Everton could well run it close, following what was simply a lifeless performance from the hosts at Old Trafford.

Handed a bizarre advantage following Idrissa Gueye’s slap on ex-United man, Michael Keane, the Red Devils contrived to slip up against their ten-man opponents, with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall firing in a deserved lead on the hour mark.

Despite having ample time and opportunity to get back into the game, the Red Devils barely threatened Jordan Pickford’s goal from then on, albeit with the Englishman making one notable save to deny Joshua Zirkzee’s goalbound header.

The Dutchman, to his credit, came as close as anyone to getting the home side level on the night, but that should not overshadow what was another desperate display from United’s number 11.

The 24-year-old wasn’t the only INEOS signing under the microscope against the Toffees – far from it – but his performance certainly warrants further scrutiny.

Joshua Zirkzee's dismal Everton display in numbers

On a different day, the £36.5m man might have been the hero had his well-taken header evaded the sprawling Pickford, with the striker’s last Premier League goals having actually come against the Merseysiders almost a year earlier.

As it is, Amorim is left to reflect upon a largely limp showing from Zirkzee in attack, with the ex-Bologna man’s woes only heightening the frustration regarding Benjamin Sesko’s absence.

Sesko – with just two goals for United to date – hasn’t been perfect, but even amid his struggles at Spurs, he was still a handful, a physical outlet whom Amorim’s side can look to.

Zirkzee might be a self-described ‘nine and a half’, but at 6 foot 4, he should be doing far better, notably losing the ball on 12 occasions from just 35 touches.

Far too frequently, the struggling forward dallied in possession or produced an errant touch or flick, looking distinctly uncomfortable with his back to goal.

The caveat to that, of course, is that he had featured for just 90 minutes in total this season prior to that, with there likely to be an element of ring rust for a player handed just his first league start of 2025/26.

That being said, on a wider focus, this remains a striker who has scored just three top-flight goals since signing back in the summer of 2024, with United again left looking desperately short at the top end of the pitch.

Problems at the other end also persist, however, with the backline looking particularly erratic.

Amorim must bench Man Utd's "best in the world" star

Much of the blame for Monday’s defeat lies at Amorim’s door, with the 40-year-old’s failure to release the handbrake and shuffle his system having been desperately evident, as his side toiled for an equaliser amid their second-half dominance.

In the ex-Sporting CP man’s defence, however, he must have been scratching his head at the laboured showing of those on the pitch, with Leny Yoro notably putting in a tame effort to try and prevent Dewsbury-Hall from converting.

That weak act – which was followed by another weak stop from the previously impressive Senne Lammens – came amid a largely frustrating display from the young Frenchman, with Harry Maguire’s absence felt again in the back three.

Yoro’s pace and recovery speed is a useful tool, although he has the tendency to be bullied up against a physical forward line, winning just two of his five ground duels, as per Sofascore.

Perhaps more frustrating were his woes in possession, losing the ball on ten occasions, while failing to really drive forward from his right-sided role, even with ample time and space afforded to him.

Yoro – 25/26 PL stats

Stat (*per game)

Record

Games (starts)

12 (8)

Goals

0

Assists

0

Key passes*

0.3

Pass accuracy*

88%

Successful dribbles*

0

Tackles*

1.0

Interceptions*

1.0

Total duels won*

58%

Aerial duels won*

72%

Dribbled past*

0.4

Stats via Sofascore

Unlike last term, when the 20-year-old was a central figure in United’s Europa League charge, he appeared hesitant to get forward, rarely attempting to burst into space to support the likes of Amad ahead of him.

There is an argument to suggest he may need to shift to a left centre-back role, having thrived there in the second half of last season, although with Luke Shaw, Lisandro Martinez and Ayden Heaven already in contention there, Amorim surely can’t make that switch.

Currently ranking in the bottom 2% of European centre-backs for blocks, the bottom 9% for clearances and the bottom 27% for aerial duels won per 90, as per FBref, the ex-Lille starlet certainly isn’t thriving as expected, having previously been described as the “best in the world” for his age by Rio Ferdinand.

Options at right centre-back really are quite limited – particularly in the absence of Maguire – although Amorim may have to consider relocating Noussair Mazraoui, and shifting Yoro back to the bench.

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As Ferdinand suggested, the France U21 international is a massive talent, but United and Old Trafford are yet to see the best of him.

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With RR needing 18 from 12 balls, Hazlewood conceded only one in the penultimate over and also took two wickets

Ashish Pant25-Apr-20252:12

What makes Hazlewood a much-improved T20 bowler?

Being at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium is an experience. When things are going the home side Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) way, one needs to strain his ear to listen to the person next to him inside a soundproof room. When it’s not, the silence can get disconcerting.On Thursday, at the end of the 18th over, the Chinnaswamy Stadium got really quiet. The 30,000-strong crowd had just witnessed their star bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar being thrashed for 22 runs by Rajasthan Royals’ (RR) Dhruv Jurel and Shubham Dubey. The RCB chants weren’t ringing around the ground anymore, there were no flags waving. With 18 needed off 12 balls, this was now RR’s game to lose. Were RCB about to go down at home for a fourth straight time? Surely nine an over at the Chinnaswamy is a cakewalk.Enter Josh Hazlewood. A solitary run off the 19th over, two wickets, and RR did not know what hit them. It was a classic case of sticking to the plan: hard lengths mixed with the occasional yorker and change of pace. And just like that, Hazlegod (that’s what the RCB faithful call him) had flipped the narrative again, and the crowd found its voice… big time.Related

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Kohli: 'Applied ourselves well after three average games at home'

Parag: We didn't show enough intent against the spinners

Hazlewood has always been a frugal powerplay bowler, and it’s no different in the IPL. His high release points, because of which he generates the extra bounce, coupled with the subtle movement off the deck have often been a nightmare for batters. In IPL 2025, he has also been a death-bowling sensation.Entering the tournament, Hazlewood had bowled 141 balls in the death since the first time he played in the league in 2020. Off those, he picked up 13 wickets at an economy of 10.00. This season, he’s already bowled 59 balls in the death and picked up six wickets. Only Matheesha Pathirana (seven) has more wickets than him, while his economy of 8.23 is the third-best for any bowler with a minimum of five overs in the death.What’s crucial is that Hazlewood seems to have gotten a hang of the Chinnaswamy surface. He had a tough beginning here, going for a combined 83 runs in 6.5 overs in the first two games against Gujarat Titans and Delhi Capitals. But the rain-shortened game against Punjab Kings, where he almost broke open the game, helped him find a template.ESPNcricinfo LtdAgainst RR, 17 of the 24 deliveries that he bowled were short of a good length, which fetched him wickets of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shimron Hetmyer and Jofra Archer. It wasn’t the easiest of starts for him here as well, with Jaiswal laying into him (26 off 11 balls), but Hazlewood stuck to that hard-length plan and hit the jackpot.”It’s just sticking to your strengths,” Hazlewood said after his four-wicket burst gave RCB their first win at home. “The bounce here has been quite steep throughout the whole tournament so far and that hard length was still hard to hit, so I was just about mixing it up with, you know, the odd yorker, the odd bouncer, change of pace, so the normal stuff, but it’s just the order in which you apply those balls.”I think for that six to eight metres [length], the strike rate was about 100. If you can hang around there more often than not, bring the batsman forward, without bowling the half-volley, I think that’s the way forward for us.”

“From 18 in the last two overs, it is very much in the batters’ favour and they should win the game from there. I think that almost relieves you a little bit”Josh Hazlewood

But what about the pressure when he is bowling to two set batters with the required rate only at nine an over? “I think it almost takes the pressure off to a degree,” Hazlewood said. “From 18 in the last two overs, it is very much in the batters’ favour and they should win the game from there. I think that almost relieves you a little bit.”[If] you have 25 or 27 to play with, then the pressure is on the bowling team. I felt that I could [be] nice and relaxed, stick to my strengths on this wicket. It was a hard ball to hit that back of a length and then mix it up with the odd yorker. So [I was] happy to execute that and sort of get monkey off the back of that first win at home.”While Hazlewood’s one-run 19th over will remain the talking point, his 17th over was equally important. With RR needing 46 off the last four overs, with six wickets in hand, he got the key wicket of Hetmyer and conceded just six. Those two overs, which went for just seven, softened the impact Bhuvneshwar’s 22-run over created.1:53

Are RCB looking good for the playoffs now?

“I think both those overs showed the class of the guy,” RCB head coach Andy Flower said after the game. “He’s a class operator and he’s a world-class bowler. He is great under pressure in any format of the game, he thinks clearly and he’s got great skill. I know he’s known for his heavy length bowling but he’s got some great all-round skills.”He mixes in those yorkers, wide yorkers, slower balls and he seems to know what type of ball to bowl at the right time. So it’s great having a guy like him in our side, in our squad and part of a very strong three-pronged attack.”Minutes after the dust had settled on the contest, and the players were congratulating each other, the cameras panned to Virat Kohli. There was a sheepish smile on his face as he jogged towards Hazlewood with childlike enthusiasm and then picked him up with the bowler breaking into a wide grin.Out of the 16 wickets Hazlewood has picked this season, 13 have come in the second innings with RCB defending a score. Not all these wickets have come in a winning cause, but in Hazlewood, RCB know they have a rare bowler who can be destructive in the powerplay and the death. Can he be the ticket to their maiden IPL trophy?

Arsenal are on a roll. They have not tasted defeat in their last nine matches in all competitions. Across their last seven games, they have not shipped a single goal. In their last five matches, they have conceded just four shots on target.

Many laughed when the stat was revealed that they were on course to beat Chelsea’s remarkable record of 15 goals conceded in a single Premier League season but they truly are the most solid and reliable defensive outfit in Europe.

Mikel Arteta’s men have been imperious at the back over the last couple of campaigns, but they have, much to the dismay of opposing forward lines, got even better in 2025/26.

While Burnley were never going to pose Arsenal their toughest test of this season, they had to be wary as they travelled to Turf Moor.

Their second half display was a tired one but ultimately the Gunners left Lancashire with all three points, winning 2-0 courtesy of goals from Viktor Gyokeres and Declan Rice.

Gyokeres was withdrawn at half-time due to injury but up to that point he was brilliant, not just scoring but creating two big chances and supplying three key passes.

He was everywhere; it was the Swede’s most complete performance in an Arsenal shirt yet. However, there are two men who just continue to be at the centre of everything good the Gunners do.

Gabriel influences things again at Turf Moor

Can you name a better defender in Europe right now than Gabriel? Arguably not.

After Arsenal beat Crystal Palace a week ago, Jamie Carragher commented that the big Brazilian was the most influential player in the Premier League.

Only three defenders, Virgil van Dijk, John Terry and Paul McGrath have ever been crowned the division’s best player in a campaign, but Gabriel certainly deserves to be in the conversation.

He is in the form of his life, scoring twice and registering three assists across his last eight games in all competitions.

While the 27-year-old did not find the net at Burnley, he did play another vital part in their win. Rice’s corner – of course it was – found the centre-back at the back post. He knocked the ball into the path of Gyokeres who from a few yards out found the net.

Gabriel has made a habit of popping up from set-pieces in recent years, but notably in the last couple of months has become more inspiring than ever. Who could forget that crashing late winner at St James’ Park?

While he always pops up in the final third, he’s a damn good defender too. Burnley didn’t pose a huge threat on Saturday but Arsenal’s number 6 was dominant nonetheless, completing 93% of his passes, winning 100% of his five duels and making a whopping nine clearances.

He’s clearly been one of Arsenal’s best players this season but has he been the best? The club’s record signing may have a thing or two to say about that.

Arsenal's most influential player vs Burnley

The likes of Gyokeres and Gabriel certainly stood out during Arsenal’s trip up north but the best player on the pitch by a country mile was Rice.

The £105m addition was merely a defensive midfielder when he signed from West Ham United in 2023 but he has taken his game to new levels, particularly during 2025.

No player has created more chances in the Premier League than Rice this calendar year and a large part of that has been due to his impeccable set-play delivery.

The England international was again on hand in that regard on Saturday, supplying the pre-assist from a corner for Gyokeres’ goal. It backed up claims in recent weeks that he is now one of the best over a dead ball. Indeed, Sky Sports reporter Sam Blitz stated after Rice popped up to assist the opening goal in the 4-0 win over Atletico Madrid that he is now “the best set-piece taker in world football.”

Yet, he’s not just a fine set-piece taker. He’s a goalscorer, a box crasher and one of the most well-rounded midfielders not just in the country, but in Europe. His display at Turf Moor was described as a “monster performance” by The Standard’s Simon Collings at full-time.

Minutes played

90

Touches

94

Accurate passes

63/69 (91%)

Key passes

2

Accurate crosses

2/6

Goals

1

Shots

1

Tackles won

5

Interceptions

3

Clearances

4

Recoveries

9

Duels won

9/14

Rice found the net with a brilliant header from Leandro Trossard’s first-half cross but his influence was felt far beyond that.

No player from either side registered more than his 94 touches and only William Saliba (80) completed more than Rice’s tally of 63 passes.

He also won nine of his 14 duels to cement himself as “one of the world’s best” in the words of Arsenal podcaster Rohan Jivan.

It’s rare a transfer fee that eclipses £100m feels like a bargain but in Rice’s case that certainly proves to be true. He is very much rivalling Gabriel for the honour of the best player in the Premier League this season.

It was impossible to miss the Ashes omens as England’s Test-qualified top order were blown apart

Cameron Ponsonby26-Oct-2025He’s done it again. Another innings in New Zealand. Another Harry Brook masterclass.Less than a year ago, Brook played arguably his best innings in an England shirt. Arriving at the crease at 26 for 3, which soon became 43 for 4, Brook made 123 from 115 (in a Test match) at the Basin Reserve in Wellington. He hit one ball out of the stadium and into the road. It had gone over extra cover.So where does he rank his magician’s innings in Mount Maunganui compared to his hundred at Wellington?”Which one?” comes the reply.Because he also made 186 on the same ground the year before. Maybe he genuinely couldn’t remember. Which somehow makes it worse.Related

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Brook’s 135 from 101 balls at the Bay Oval was nothing short of phenomenal. He hit 11 sixes and scored 60.53% of his team’s runs, the highest proportion that any one batter has ever contributed to an England ODI innings.But on a day of extremes, it highlighted one man’s genius in the face of his own team’s weakness. Following the T20 series, Brook spoke of how on true surfaces, there are few teams better in the world than England. But the challenge they have is when faced with a difficult pitch, can they fight and scrap their way to a total?Mount Maunganui was a tricky deck. And England were 10 for 4.You can pick the caveat you want: New Zealand were also 24 for 3, so it was a new-ball wicket. Or, in isolation, each of England’s first four wickets to fall were to exceptional pieces of bowling. Zak Foulkes, in only his second ODI, was entrusted with the new ball due to a strong crosswind and his ability to extract significant swing away from the left-hander. He was close to unplayable, first spinning Ben Duckett round to take the outside edge, then boomeranging one into Joe Root, before bowling a late-tailing yorker to Jacob Bethell.”I wasn’t expecting to open,” Foulkes said. “I didn’t think it was going to keep swinging past the tenth over. That doesn’t usually happen.”Of the four early wickets (Jamie Smith got a good one from Matt Henry first up too), only Root was playing an attacking shot. And counter to what Brook said before, that was the issue.”The question I would ask is, can we probably go a little bit harder?” Brook said here. “I think so. I think we can try and knock them off their lengths a little bit more and capitalise on their slightly off balls.”Instinctively, who’s to question the man who did it so successfully and so spectacularly? But pragmatically, there’s a touch of the genius speaking on behalf of the commoners. Thierry Henry would tell you to open your body and kick it in the goal. But it doesn’t make it any easier for the rest of us. Brook played a style of innings that only he – and Jos Buttler – could dream of.Harry Brook leaves the field at the end of England’s innings•Getty ImagesEngland’s top five consisted of four locks for the Ashes and one potential bolter in Bethell. The already stated line of attack from Australia is that they will produce lively pitches to test the defence of England and nullify their attacking instincts. On this showing, it is a sound strategy.”It’s definitely not a cause for concern,” Brook said when asked whether another failure on a pitch that offered assistance for the bowlers was a worry. “There’s a reason they’re playing cricket for England, they’re the best four batters in the country. It’s just one of them days where a couple of them got nice balls.”You’ve got three Test batters in the top-three. Rooty, Duckett and Smith didn’t come off but on another day they all get 30 and we’re off to a hell of a start.”If any further confirmation was needed that whatever’s about to happen in Australia, it will happen quickly, this was it.Away from the batters, Brydon Carse furthered his reputation in an England shirt with an excellent spell of bowling that claimed the wickets of Will Young, Kane Williamson and Tom Latham. Both Young and Latham were beaten for pace and dismissed bowled and lbw respectively, while Williamson got a lifting delivery that he edged through to Buttler for a golden duck – the first of his ODI career.Carse’s spell, along with Luke Wood claiming the wicket of Rachin Ravindra, gave England hope in a cause that even with Brook’s effort seemed lost.”I was thinking ‘bloody hell, if we get two more wickets here now, Santner comes out and it’s a completely different game’,” Brook said.”Carse was awesome. It was one of them pitches where as a tall bowler you probably get the most out of it. He was hitting the pitch hard and getting a bit of bounce. To get Kane Williamson out first ball put them under serious pressure and the first few overs were a really good start. It’s good signs moving forward.”Already a shoo-in in both the white-ball formats, it is increasingly hard to imagine England walking out in Perth without Carse in their XI.In all, it was another ODI defeat for England, who have now won just eight of their last 24 fixtures. Such is way with the ICC rankings, failure to automatically qualify for the 2027 World Cup remains a distant and unlikely disaster, but even with a full-strength XI, the ODI format clicking for a wildly talented group remains elusive.England’s batters got a taste of what may be to come in the Ashes. And England supporters blearily checking the scorecard first thing in the morning, might just have to.

Chelsea cruised to an emphatic 6-0 win over Roma in the Champions League on Wednesday. An own goal set the Blues on their way to victory before Johanna Rytting Kaneryd teed up Wieke Kaptein and added a goal of her own to put the hosts in control at the break. Substitutes Sjoeke Nusken and Maika Hamano extended Chelsea's lead in the second half before Lucy Bronze wrapped up the win in some style late on.

Roma started the game in positive fashion, but went behind in unfortunate circumstances when Sandy Baltimore fired in a cross from the left which beat Sam Kerr but not defender Valentina Bergamaschi, who thumped a header past her own goalkeeper with only 13 minutes on the clock.

Chelsea promptly took control and added a second through Kaptein. A well-worked move saw Keira Walsh ping a glorious diagonal ball through to Rytting Kaneryd to head back across goal for Kaptein to drill home for 2-0.

Rytting Kaneryd was involved again just before half-time as Chelsea put the game out of Roma’s reach. Veerle Burman got the Blues going with an incisive pass through to Niamh Charles to run onto and deliver into the box. Kerr saw her shot from close range parried only as far as Rytting Kaneryd, who fired high into the net at the far post.

With Chelsea 3-0 up at the break, manager Sonia Bompastor made three changes by sending on Lexi Potter, Nusken, and Hamano and saw the Blues win a penalty in the opening minutes of the second period. Substitute Nusken won the kick and promptly despatched the penalty to extend Chelsea's lead and make it 4-0.

Yet Chelsea remained hungry for goals and simply kept on attacking. Hamano added Chelsea's fifth after good work from fellow substitute Guro Reiten before Bronze sealed the victory with an outrageous effort in the dying minutes.

GOAL rates Chelsea's players from Stamford Bridge…

Getty Images SportGoalkeeper & Defence

Livia Peng (7/10):

Didn't have much to do in truth, but did put in a crucial challenge to deny Pandini in the first half and made a late block to preserve her clean sheet.

Lucy Bronze (8/10):

Showed her experience up against Pandini and Pilgrim, who got very little out of the right-back. Grabbed Chelsea's sixth of the night with a brilliant effort that may well have been a cross but certainly thrilled the home fans.

Millie Bright (7/10):

Solid at the back and played some dangerous balls forward.

Veerle Burman (8/10):

A really impressive showing. Very strong defensively and played a brilliant pass through to Charles to send Chelsea away for the third goal.

Niamh Charles (8/10):

Another player who enjoyed herself against Roma. Had a fine battle with former team-mate Babajide and grabbed an assist for the third.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportMidfield

Catarina Macario (6/10):

Lost a few balls early on but also produced some incisive passes and put in a great cross in for Kerr who somehow managed to miss from close range. One of three changes at half-time with Chelsea already 3-0 up.

Keira Walsh (7/10):

Set up the second goal with a wonderful diagonal ball that opened Roma up. Another player given a breather with the game won at the break.

Wieke Kaptein (8/10):

Fired home Chelsea's second of the night with fine finish and might have scored a second but put an effort just over the bar.

Getty Images SportAttack

Johanna Rytting Kaneryd (8/10):

Teed up Chelsea's second goal in fine style with a header back across goal. Also bagged the third with an emphatic finish from close range.

Sam Kerr (7/10):

Missed a couple of good chances but was heavily involved in everything. Lovely dummy to allow Kaptein to score Chelsea's second. 

Sandy Baltimore (7/10):

Great ball in from the left which Bergamaschi headed home to gift Chelsea the lead. Caused problems down the left throughout the first half before being replaced at the break.

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Subs & Manager

Lexi Potter (7/10):

A really positive showing after coming on in the second half. Could have scored but was denied a first Chelsea goal by goalkeeper Lukasova.

Sjoeke Nusken (8/10):

Came on at the start of the second half and made a real impact. Won a penalty with her first involvement and made no mistake from the spot. Might have had a second but blazed over.

Maika Hamano(7/10):

Finished off Roma with a easy finish after good work from Reiten.

Oriane Jean-François (7/10):

Had a shot blocked with her first touch and put in some good challenges. 

Guro Reiten (7/10):

Replaced Kerr for the final stages and unselfishly set up Hermano for Chelsea's fifth.

Sonia Bompastor (8/10):

A fairly perfect evening for the Chelsea boss, who saw her team completely outclass Roma. Was able to rest players with her team already 3-0 up at the break and saw her substitutes impress in the second half. Will also be pleased to see Kerr get 70 minutes under the belt.

Extraordinary century bends The Oval narrative to his will before India’s fightback threatens nightmare ending

Vithushan Ehantharajah03-Aug-20251:58

Bangar: Brook largely responsible for what unraveled

On Saturday evening, with England one down and still 324 away from winning this fifth Test and the series, Brendon McCullum ran through the ways they could do it all.The runs would not be squarely on one man, he said. Partnerships, as they were for both previous 370-odd chases against India, would be crucial. With spirits and belief raised, McCullum sent his players away with one request: “Dream the dream”.Now, they must dream another dream. And the gorgeous nonsense of this sport is those final 35 runs will bring a more restless sleep than the night before. With Chris Woakes expected to bat if required, they at least have four wickets to come, and a heavy roller to make their beds a little comfier. Related

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• India claw back after Brook, Root tons to set up thrilling finish

They do not, however, have either Joe Root or Harry Brook. But England owe their favourable position to both. For 55.3 overs between their coming-together at 106 for 3, and Root’s dismissal at 337 for 6, Yorkshire’s favourite sons were making those dreams come true.It was during their stand of 195 that England and their fans were deep in the REM cycle: revelling in lucid streams concocted from previous happy memories, and not simply those from previous Test chases. Mohammed Siraj’s misstep on the boundary sponge at long leg, after clinging on to a Brook hook for 19, was surely just a lazy re-interpretation of Trent Boult’s similar costly error during the 2019 World Cup final.Brook, even by that point, was in his flow state, having charged Akash Deep to send him over cover for six. And so, rather than stir, he went deeper, clearing cover and then the cordon (deliberately) in the same over.At times, Brook’s tenth century felt like contorted reality, altering a few universal laws across the 91 balls it took to get there.Root, on his way to a 39th century, was playing his trusty anchor role, which offered the dressing-room and home fans grounding during such tense times. But, suddenly, the man who was No. 2 on the all-time Test run-scorers’ charts was, well, in the way. Thanks for the memories Joe, but piss off for a bit – Harry’s on one.3:37

Root: ‘Amazing spectacle to look forward to’ on fifth day

India’s pace trio, who had run roughshod over England’s line-up only two days earlier, were now being reduced to million-dollar cannon fodder.Throughout the series, India’s support staff have been stationed around the boundary – saving the fielders’ legs and buying back time for overs – but now they were contributing to the very things they were supposed to prevent.The balls were coming back from the boundary as quickly as they were heading there. At times, it was as if Shubman Gill had opted for Sisyphus at both ends. India at one point were six behind on overs, but also unable to slow the game down in a meaningful way.The clarity of Brook’s boundaries lifted the atmosphere and quietened the , despite how reliant the former had previously been on the latter. None of it really made sense.Brook’s celebration, too, was out of the ordinary. He is, by his own admission, a muted celebrator, believing hundreds are just his job. But this time he pumped his fist, screamed towards the floor, cut the air with a fling of his bat and raised both arms aloft.It was as much relief at England’s situation as a chance to draw a line under the last few weeks. Until this innings, an impressive series that ends with 481 runs at 53.44 had threatened to end with a bitter after-taste.Brook’s part in the verbals in the closing overs at Lord’s had been followed by a bigger role in the dissent that marred the end of the Emirates Old Trafford Test. It put a target on his back, and it was clear that some quarters sensed an opportunity to get at a player still relatively early in his career, despite the size of the role he plays in this batting line-up.A vital 53 on day two has now been followed by a stellar fourth-innings hundred, his second meaningful contribution in the last throes of a Test after his 75 against Australia at Headingley in 2023. This, too, may prove to be another match-winning contribution from a talent whose strike rate of 87 is the highest of anyone with more than 1000 runs to their name.”He mentioned that out there,” Root said, on Brook acknowledging the extra feeling fueling his celebrations. “I don’t even think he knew where it came from, but clearly it’s been a hard-fought series and, and he’s desperate to win games of cricket for England.”Brook’s eye-catching demise then put the onus back on Root, who did not so much assume the lead role, but took it upon himself, as he picked apart the moments that India felt might have been heading their way.Brook’s century celebrations were unusually demonstrative•Getty ImagesAfter Prasidh Krishna removed Jacob Bethell, he beat Jamie Smith twice, then Siraj attempted to pin Root down. A dabbed single to point punctured the crescendo-ing pressure, drawing relieved cheers from fans starting to wake up and face reality once more. And like all dreams, there was one last chance to clasp at a memory of love rather than fiction.A shuffle across his stumps, and a tip around the corner took Root to his hundred. After removing his helmet and initially saluting all corners, he pulled out a commemorative white headband made in honour of the late Graham Thorpe, put it on and saluted to the heavens.You always hope to do right by your mentors. And for all the work Thorpe put into Root throughout his career – the fruits of which labour have given him a shot of becoming Test cricket’s all-time run-scorer – there would have been uncertainty in the moment for Root. Doing right by someone when they pass is a duty for life.All of us are made up of pieces of those who have reared us. Root’s third century of this series, and his general standing in the game’s history, is a testament to the part that Thorpe played in that development. But the ability to pay tribute with a knock of such guts and class, in a Test dedicated to Thorpe’s legacy at his home ground, merely underlined the romance of what was unfolding in front of us.But then … a jolt of inspired bowling from Prasidh removed Root, before Siraj’s unrelenting attitude sent the day’s final half-hour into nightmare territory as far as England were concerned.Nerves rattled. Heads in space. A night’s sleep (if they can get it) will do everyone some good.What dreams await this time may finally be realised on Monday.