Manchester City and England defender John Stones revealed he briefly considered retiring amid his injury nightmare last season.

The 31-year-old’s 2024/25 campaign was decimated by foot and hamstring injuries, which saw him make just 24 appearances for club and country and none after February.

Stones considered retirement amid Man City injury struggles

He is back fit again this season and looks set to make his first appearance under England boss Thomas Tuchel in the upcoming games against Wales and Latvia.

Despite his injury woes last season, Stones, on £250,000-a-week at the Etihad, was invited to Tuchel’s summer camp for the games against Andorra and Senegal, which showed the German’s intention for the defender to be part of his plans.

“I love England so much and I love playing for England,” Stones said. “Some of the best moments in my career have been playing for England at tournaments.

“And when he said to (me), would I come out and be with the guys and continue my training, it was a no-brainer. For me to come and show my face to the guys, offer advice, be a good team-mate, I suppose – it was a special moment.

“I had not thought about it since, because everything moves on so fast. But it was a big sign and something that I was really happy to

do.”

David Moyes’ blistering start back to life in the Everton dug-out feels like a very long time ago now.

Indeed, the Scotsman was just the antidote the Toffees needed after the wheels came off Sean Dyche’s miserable reign, with just two defeats picked up from his opening ten games back in charge of the Premier League titans last season, steering them comfortably away from relegation.

The Merseyside outfit is still six points clear of that dreaded relegation zone in the here and now, but there are concerns in the air at the Toffees all the same, with Everton only coming out on top with a win in the league once across their last five matches.

A 3-0 defeat at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday would have only added to those worries, as former Everton hero Richarlison stood out for Thomas Frank’s away side.

Richarlison's potential Everton return

Richarlison has often found his time at Tottenham Hotspur to be fraught with bumps, but he would put the game beyond all doubt on Sunday evening when heading into the path of Pape Matar Sarr to make it 3-0.

The passionate Brazilian only has 23 goals next to his name for Spurs from 104 total appearances, but recent reports – as perTEAMTalk – suggest that the North Londoners are willing to cash in on their one-time £60m buy in January, and that Everton are circling.

It would well be a masterstroke of a return as the Toffees attempt to feel comfortable about their striker options again.

Richarlison’s numbers for Everton by position

Position

Games

Goals + Assists

CF

77

23 + 6

LW

51

24 + 8

RW

22

6 + 1

Sourced by Transfermarkt

While Richarlison might be remembered most fondly by those on Merseyside for his gung-ho performances down either wing, it feels unlikely that the South American – despite his previous heroics at the club – would be able to displace the likes of Jack Grealish on his favoured left channel at the moment.

Consequently, he stands his best chance at making waves on his return as an out-and-out centre-forward, when assessing Richarlison’s previous goal tally as a striker at Everton, with 23 goals picked up from 77 outings, leading to one of his ex-managers at Goodison Park in Carlo Ancelotti, hailing him as a “fantastic” finisher of chances.

Despite murmurs that Spurs want to offload their hot-and-cold number nine in the coming months, he is also able to boast a healthy haul of three goals and two assists next to his name from nine clashes this season.

Bringing back such a former beloved figure could signal the end for Beto in Everton blue, with the Lisbon-born striker struggling once again to get going yesterday evening, to the dismay of his impatient fanbase.

Why Beto is on borrowed time at Everton

You would think a striker in Moyes’ current set-up would be licking their lips at the prospect of how many goals they could put away, with the likes of Iliman Ndiaye and the aforementioned Grealish tricky customers intent on putting chances on a plate for the chosen marksman leading the line.

Unfortunately for Moyes and Co. though, Beto often fluffs his lines when a golden opportunity comes his way, with the former Udinese striker desperately unlucky not to find the back of the net on Sunday evening, when an acrobatic effort in the second half – with the scoreline still standing at 2-0 – was somehow clawed away by an alert Guglielmo Vicario.

That’s about as good as it gets for the under-fire 27-year-old, however, with his minimal 14 touches of the ball meaning he often cut an isolated figure at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, so much so that Jordan Pickford even managed to accumulate more touches himself, having tallied up 36 in total.

With just one goal next to his name in the Premier League this season, it isn’t a great shock to read all the widespread backlash he is receiving for his recent dismal displays, with Everton-based podcaster Paul Brown stating at full-time that the goal-shy number nine is “hopeless”.

Moreover, another Toffees podcaster in the form of Steven Kelly also stated that the ongoing striker situation is “killing” Moyes’ side at the moment.

It really does look like Beto is on borrowed time on Merseyside, therefore, with his precarious position in the starting XI becoming ever more shaky if the passionate South American potentially returns to the blue half of Liverpool shortly.

Related Alongside Beto: Moyes must drop 4/10 Everton star who lost possession 19x

Everton were humbled on their own patch as Tottenham Hotspur ran out convincing 3-0 winners.

Posts ByKelan Sarson Oct 27, 2025

Are Manchester City being overlooked as Premier League title candidates?

A lot of the recent spotlight has been on Liverpool, considering the champions have lost three top-flight matches in a row for the first time since February 2021, with many thereby anointing league leaders Arsenal as overwhelming favourites.

However, considering Man City have been champions in six of the last eight seasons, they are very much in this race.

Pep Guardiola’s team have yielded 13 points from their last five league outings, going in search of a fourth straight league win when they take on Aston Villa on Sunday.

Ahead of this one, the Sky Blues have actually lost their last two visits to Villa Park, failing to win any of their last three outings there, despite a sequence of five successive victories in Birmingham beforehand.

If the Citizens are to get back to winning ways in the Midlands, should Guardiola boldly drop one of his most loyal disciples and start a forgotten star instead?

Bernardo Silva's Manchester City importance

Just in case anyone was doubting Bernardo Silva’s importance to Manchester City, he was on target at Estadio de la Cerámica on Tuesday night, heading home the second goal that rather cemented three Champions League points against Villarreal.

This was his 418th appearance for the club, only 13 men have ever made more, 18 behind Willie Donachie and his namesake David Silva, who sit ninth and tenth on the all-time list.

Bernardo himself has now scored 73 goals and registered 74 assists for the Sky Blues, while he is the player who has made the most appearances under Guardiola in his entire managerial career, clear of Kevin De Bruyne, Ederson and İlkay Gündoğan, all of whom moved on to pastures new this summer.

Still only 31 years old, there are discussions about Silva’s role in the current Man City side, given that he has not started any of the last three Premier League matches, before returning to the lineup in Eastern Spain on Tuesday.

So, the Portuguese international may well once again be left on a Premier League bench come Sunday afternoon, given that Guardiola needs to make space in his team for another sensation.

Guardiola must start Manchester City's 'freak'

So far this season, Manchester City have been rather over-reliant on the goals of Erling Braut Håland; his tally of 15 goals already accounts for 65% of their entire tally across the Premier League and Champions League.

However, could the return of Omar Marmoush help ease this attacking burden?

The Egyptian suffered a knee injury during Egypt’s World Cup qualifier against Burkina Faso in Ouagadougou in September, so had not been seen since, until coming off the bench for a brief four-minute cameo at El Madrigal on Tuesday.

His return is certainly a major boost considering that last season, for two different clubs, he was one of the most in-form strikers in Europe, as the table below documents.

Kylian Mbappé

Real Madrid

31

Mohamed Salah

Liverpool

29

Robert Lewandowski

Barcelona

27

Harry Kane

Bayern Munich

26

Mateo Retegui

Atalanta

25

Alexander Isak

Newcastle United

23

Erling Braut Håland

Manchester City

22

Omar Marmoush

Frankfurt & Man City

22

Ousmane Dembélé

Paris Saint-Germain

21

Serhou Guirassy

Borussia Dortmund

21

Patrik Schick

Bayer Leverkusen

21

Ante Budimir

Osasuna

21

Mason Greenwood

Olympique Marseille

21

As the table documents, only five men across Europe’s top five leagues scored more league goals than Marmoush last season, an impressive feat considering the Egyptian changed clubs in January.

Shortly after arriving at the Etihad, he scored a hat-trick against Newcastle, before securing the Premier League Goal of the Season award courtesy of this absolute rocket against Bournemouth in May.

On top of his £59m transfer fee, Marmoush is the club’s third-highest earner, currently pocketing a reported £295k-per-week, behind only the aforementioned Håland and Silva.

Journalist António Mango labelled him a “well-rounded… freak”, international teammate Mohamed Salah heralded him as a “great player with a lot of talent”, while former Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger described him as “mobile” and “powerful”, impressed by the “special” talent’s adaptability and versatility.

Marmoush is not only a goalscorer, proving during his short Manchester City career so far that he can get involved in build-up play as if he was a world-renowned attacking midfielder, while also capable of running in behind, thereby creating space for others.

Well, on Sunday, Guardiola will come up against an Aston Villa side who will press ferociously at times and defend with a high line but, as noted by Ali Tweedale of Opta’s the Analyst, Unai Emery’s team are susceptible to transitions, often caught out by opposition counter-attacks due to the fact that their offside trap, once the best in Europe, is no longer watertight.

Thus, while Bernardo offers technical brilliance, this may be a game best suited to Guardiola’s direct attackers.

With that in mind, Jérémy Doku and Savinho appear the obvious choices to start out-wide, the latter rewarded for his scintillating display at the Cerámica this week, having looked ‘Leroy Sane-esque’ on the night.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Through the middle, Marmoush should be chosen to complete the attacking trident, getting forward to support Håland in a second striker role, because his profile is best suited to causing the Villans all sorts of problems, and his return could be a serious game-changer in the title race in general.

Man City have Fernandinho 2.0 who's "one of the best players in the world"

Pep Guardiola may have found his new Fernandinho at Manchester City…

ByJoe Nuttall Oct 24, 2025

أعلن الاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة القدم “كاف”، موعد أول مباراتين لفريق بيراميدز في دور المجموعات من بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا، في إطار مشوار حامل اللقب نحو الدفاع عن لقبه القاري.

وتأهل بيراميدز إلى دور المجموعات بعد تخطيه عقبة فريق التأمين الإثيوبي في دور الـ32 من البطولة، ليبدأ رحلة جديدة يسعى من خلالها للحفاظ على لقبه التاريخي الذي توّج به لأول مرة في الموسم الماضي على حساب صن داونز الجنوب إفريقي. موعد مباراة بيراميدز وريفرز يونايتد في دوري أبطال إفريقيا

ويستهل بيراميدز مشواره في المجموعة الأولى باستضافة فريق ريفرز يونايتد النيجيري، في المباراة المقرر إقامتها في السادسة مساء السبت الموافق 22 نوفمبر الجاري، على استاد الدفاع الجوي بالقاهرة.

طالع أيضًا | ممدوح عيد: حصول بيراميدز على بطولة إفريقيا كان حلمًا.. ونريد الفوز بكأس العالم للأندية موعد مباراة بيراميدز باور ديناموز في دوري أبطال إفريقيا

وفي الجولة الثانية، يخرج بيراميدز لمواجهة نادي باور ديناموز الزامبي، يوم السبت 29 نوفمبر، على استاد ليفي موانواسا بمدينة ندولا في زامبيا.

ويطمح بيراميدز، بقيادة مديره الفني يورتشيتش، إلى تحقيق بداية قوية في مشوار الحفاظ على لقبه الإفريقي، خصوصًا بعد تتويجه مؤخرًا بلقب السوبر الإفريقي على حساب نهضة بركان المغربي، بطل كأس الكونفدرالية. مجموعة بيراميدز في دوري أبطال إفريقيا

بيراميدز (مصر)

ريفرز يونايتد (نيجيريا)

باور ديناموز (زامبيا)

نهضة بركان (المغرب)

Neymar has been snubbed by Brazil boss Carlo Ancelotti again, with the injury-ravaged Santos superstar missing out on selection for upcoming friendly dates against Senegal and Tunisia. The 33-year-old playmaker has made no secret of the fact that he wants to represent his country at next summer’s World Cup, but faces a race against time to prove his worth.

• When did Neymar make his last appearance for Brazil?

  Neymar has not figured for Brazil since October 2023, when he ruptured knee ligaments during a clash with Uruguay. He spent 12 months stuck on the sidelines recovering from that injury and is now two years into a wander through the international wilderness.

  Ancelotti has not called upon Neymar since taking charge of South American heavyweights due to a series of unfortunate fitness setbacks – with his last selection in March 2025 ending in withdrawal. The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain forward has struggled to steer clear of the treatment table.

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• Getty Images
  

  No contact: Brazil boss has not spoken with Neymar

  That has been the case again of late, with Neymar making his latest return to action in Santos’ 1-1 draw with Fortaleza on Saturday – a game that saw him step off the bench. Ancelotti is not convinced that Brazil’s all-time leading goalscorer is ready to add to his collection of 128 caps.

  Former Real Madrid and Bayern Munich boss Ancelotti is reluctant to be dragged into a debate regarding Neymar’s situation, with the Italian delivering a blunt response when quizzed on that topic at his latest squad reveal. Ancelotti said: “I haven't spoken to Neymar again. We'll see when he recovers and starts playing again.”

  Brazil’s head coach has previously said of the mercurial No.10: “Neymar can play at his highest level in this team without any problems. When he is in good physical condition, he has the quality to play not only in Brazil but in any team in the world because of his talent.”

• Ancelotti leaves ex-Brazil stars puzzled with Neymar stance

  Ancelotti’s reluctance to discuss Neymar is puzzling many, with former defender Fabio Luciano telling : “I think this issue of Neymar going to the World Cup isn't going to be like that, that he'll only go if he's 100%. If he's not flying high, but he's delivering good football… I don't think he needs to be 100% to be called up, because he's a different kind of player technically.

  “He has to be in good condition, I just don't think it's going to be like 'Neymar has to be flying high physically'. I think if he's well, he'll play. We don't have anyone similar and if he can maintain good performances he'll be called up.”

  Another former Brazil star, Luisao, added: “I think the Neymar issue has gone too far. We're always chasing our own tails when we talk about Neymar. I'm surprised I don't understand why the national team hasn't resolved this situation already. It's about being clear, 'I spoke with him and from today on I won't talk about Neymar'.

  “Every time there's a squad announcement, an interview, they'll talk about him. Ancelotti always says the same things. What's the problem with you acknowledging the situation and saying you only talk about the players called up? It's annoying.”

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• Getty Images
  

  Messi reunion: Where will Neymar be playing in 2026?

  World Cup winner Ronaldo has said of Neymar taking in one more shot at global glory: “Brazil can achieve anything with the players they have available. Neymar can be, and I believe he will be, an important player in the World Cup. Everyone wants Neymar at 100%. That's what Ancelotti wants, and what he wants too. In his mind, I see a strong desire to be at the World Cup and help the Brazilian team.

  “I hope he's 100%. He's coming off a serious injury, and what he's going through is very natural: re-adaptation, game rhythm. The criticism is exaggerated, but expectations for him are always high, and that's why they exist. But Neymar knows what needs to be done to be 100% at the World Cup.”

  While generating plenty of discussion when it comes to his international future, Neymar is also the focus of speculation at club level. That is because his contract at Santos continues to run down towards free agency, with it being suggested that he could head to MLS early in 2026 and reunite with fellow ‘MSN’ members Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez at Inter Miami.

The India bowling coach also heaped praise on Akash Deep and why conditions in the UK suited his style

Sidharth Monga05-Jul-2025

Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep were the wreckers-in-chief•BCCI

India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel was full of praise for Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep, who have taken 13 wickets between them to give India a great chance to level the five-match series 1-1.India need seven wickets on the final day after setting England 608 and taking three wickets in the 16 overs possible on the fourth evening. That India have done so in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah has pleased Morkel even more.”Very, very happy so far,” Morkel said. “We had a deep or good discussion after the last Test in terms of areas we want to improve on, and I think we’ve done that. So that’s a pleasing sign from a growing bowling attack, missing one of their most experienced players so they can react to those sort of things.”Related

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Siraj went the whole Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 on green surfaces without a five-for, but picked his first five-wicket haul in England on perhaps the flattest pitch India have encountered in the country this century. Morkel said it was just rewards for all the good bowling in the intervening matches between five-fors.”Siraj is a guy that I’ve got a lot of respect for,” Morkel said. “He’s a guy that always will push his body to the limits. I think sometimes the guilty part of him is trying too hard so for us. It’s about managing that sort of aggression and managing that intensity because he really bowls with his heart on his sleeve. I think sometimes those sort of things can give you that inconsistency.”In a match that he’s now the leader of the attack, he got the wickets, but for me in terms of effort and energy and with a sore body, he’s always done and will put his hand up, and he wants to bowl that over. I don’t think sometimes we give him enough credit for that.”Akash Deep’s line of attack, Morkel said, gave India the potency in brief windows of the new ball doing something. “He is an attacking bowler that asks questions, bowling at the stumps a lot,” Morkel said. “I think that’s one of the golden rules here in England: asking questions on the stumps. So for these sort of conditions in the UK, it suits his style. And coming back from injury and seeing him running in with high pace, it’s a nice sign for us.”That was a dream delivery… top quality player Joe Root and to dismiss him in that fashion just shows the quality of Akash, what he can do. I think he is also a guy like all of us. The more confidence you give him, almost like there’s a little bit more energy behind the ball and hopefully that delivery he will play over in his phone tonight, and then bring a couple more of those tomorrow.”Akash Deep left Ben Duckett’s stumps in a mess•Getty Images

However, Morkel did say it was not going to be easy as the pitch has responded only to the new ball, and the older ball has gone dramatically soft. “Your skill really gets tested on a surface like that,” Morkel said. “The margin for error is a lot smaller. Obviously, that’s nipping around a little bit now, but it’s going to be a challenge for us tomorrow.”In the first innings, India – having taken five wickets already – tried to buy a wicket with the short ball telegraphed, but Morkel felt this pitch was more about testing the stumps and going short only as a surprise.”For me personally on this sort of surface, you want to set a field where you can still have both options: using the short ball and try and nick a guy off,” Morkel said. “I think at times when you get too predictable, it can be a little bit easier to score because the surface is slow. But remember both those batters are attacking batters. They were going to take it on, and credit to Shubman, he took a gamble there for a couple of overs to potentially get a wicket. England at the time was 80 for 5. So to chase another wicket there, there’s no harm in that.”I thought we moved slightly away from our plans in the first innings, and in a way also with runs on the board you want to go take a couple of more risks but tomorrow for us it’s just going to be asking those questions on a good length because we know as the ball gets a little bit softer it is harder to strike.”The ease with which India were batting in the third innings and still scoring at five an over led India to what many might think is a conservative declaration. Morkel said it was more about how much time they wanted to bowl for rather than being spooked by England’s approach of late.

MatériaMais Notícias

A trajetória de Bruno Lage no Botafogoteve um ponto final. O treinador não resistiu à sequência de maus resultados com o Alvinegro e à pressão dos líderes do elenco e, nesta terça-feira (3), dia seguinte ao empate por 1 a 1 com o Goiás, o clube decidiu pela saída do português. A demissão foi confirmada no fim da noite – veja o comunicado na íntegra abaixo. Caberá a Lúcio Flávio comandar de maneira interina a equipe no clássico diante do Fluminense. A partida acontecerá no domingo (8), no Maracanã. Joel Carli será o auxiliar-técnico.

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Contratado para substituir Luís Castro, Bruno Lage durou cerca de três meses no Botafogo. Em 16 partidas, a equipe somou cinco vitórias, teve sete empates e amargou quatro derrotas. Neste período, sofreu a eliminação na Copa Sul-Americana e a distância na liderança do Brasileirão de 12 pontos caiu para sete. O aproveitamento foi de 45,8%.

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Bruno Lage foi apresentado como técnico do Alvinegro em 12 de julho, no gramado do Nilton Santos. Ao chegar, recebeu a camisa do clube das mãos de John Textor e prometeu dar continuidade à equipe líder da competição. Porém, aos poucos foi mudando o estilo de jogo. Inicialmente, decidiu escalar o time basicamente reserva nos jogos da Sul-Americana, enquanto os titulares atuavam no Brasileirão.

+ Bruno Lage fora do Botafogo! Confira outros estrangeiros livres no mercado

+ Bruno Lage fora do Botafogo! Confira técnicos brasileiros livres no mercado

Posteriormente, atribuiu a série de maus resultados ao fato de que o Botafogo, por ser líder, passou a ser mais visado e disse que a equipe precisava encontrar variações. Com isso, fez escalações que causaram estranheza em torcedores.

O fim de sua trajetória, porém, foi desenhado na terça-feira (3). Líderes do elenco demonstraram sua irritação a integrantes da SAF com os métodos de Lage. A gota d’água foi sua decisão de barrar o artilheiro Tiquinho Soares e lançar Diego Costa como centroavante diante do Goiás, culminou em uma crise. Tiquinho entrou no segundo tempo e fez o gol de empate em 1 a 1.

Sua atitude gerou insatisfação entre os jogadores, que cobraram explicações de John Textor em relação ao episódio. Tiquinho é um dos jogadores mais prestigiados do elenco e mais queridos da torcida e tinha sido titular em boa parte dos treinos na semana. A pressão em torno de Lage foi aumentando, até o acionista majoritário do Botafogo optar pela saída do português. A informação de “O Globo” foi confirmada pelo Lance!.

A reportagem do Lance! apurou que houve uma tentativa de dar respaldo ao treinador, frisando que ele teria de se adequar ao projeto, compartilhando suas decisões com todos do departamento do futebol. No entanto, as queixas dos jogadores pesaram para o adeus de Lage. Veja o comunicado do clube.

“O Botafogo informa que, por decisão de John Textor e do Departamento de Futebol, Bruno Lage não é mais o técnico da equipe principal.

O Botafogo destaca o profissionalismo, o caráter e o comprometimento de Bruno Lage no período em que defendeu a camisa alvinegra e fez parte da família. Apesar do início do treinador, com 10 jogos de invencibilidade, os últimos resultados não foram os esperados. Fica o agradecimento do Clube a Bruno e a toda a sua comissão técnica pelos serviços prestados ao Glorioso ao longo dos últimos meses, desejando muito sucesso em seus futuros desafios.

Como família, o Botafogo vai buscar no momento soluções dentro de casa. O Clube segue com confiança inabalável e firme no propósito da temporada com o suporte incansável de uma legião de alvinegros apaixonados.

Lucio Flavio e Joel Carli (na função de assistente técnico) assumem interinamente o comando do time a partir desta quarta (4) na preparação para a partida de domingo, contra o Fluminense, pelo Campeonato Brasileiro.“

*Atualizada às 23h11.

Getting to his 400th wicket in his 100th Test, with a flurry of records thrown in, makes it a game to remember for Mitchell Starc

Andrew McGlashan15-Jul-2025Mitchell Starc termed the Jamaica Test match as an “uncomfortable” one for him. West Indies’ batters might well have said, “speak for yourself”. Starc was not, of course, referring to when he had the pink ball in hand.Starc’s feelings around the last few days refer to the attention on him for his 100th Test. “Get on with the cricket,” he said ahead of the game. He has often spoken about how he will only reflect on landmarks and achievements when he hangs up the bowling boots. In this match, he added plenty to the list: a triple-wicket opening over, his 400th wicket, and the quickest five-wicket haul in a Test innings.It was as though he was putting together his own highlights package to mark the occasion: inswingers, pads struck, stumps splattered. Only one of his wickets needed the assistance of a fielder. In some ways, it was a bit of a shame Mikyle Louis got his pad in the way of the 400th.Related

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The night before the match, Starc was presented with a couple of signed shirts and a bottle of Jamaican rum to mark his century. But what seemed most special was a video put together with messages from family, friends, former Australia cricketers and players from his AFL team, Greater Western Sydney Giants.”It’s certainly been uncomfortable throughout the week,” he said. “I was happy just to have a win and sing the song. It’s certainly been a special week to play, to wear the baggy green. It’s been one I’ll cherish for a long time.”Such was the speed of Australia’s victory (or West Indies’ disintegration) that supporters were playing on the outfield before it even went dark. While Starc and Scott Boland finished the game in the blink of eye, this was not a collapse under lights. On the first two days of the match, wickets had been hard-earned in the first two sessions. But on the third, the sun hadn’t even started setting when Starc claimed three in his first over.

“He can tear a game open by himself really in the matter of a couple of overs. It feels like he can do it in any format, any time”Pat Cummins on Mitchell Starc

In fact, Australia bowled just nine overs under lights for the game, on the first evening after they made the decision to have a thrash, losing 7 for 68 in the process. They found themselves batting under lights yesterday and were 99 for 6. In the fourth innings, they were preparing to try and hold the game until the lights took hold, hoping 203 runs would be enough to take the game deep if needed.”[It’s] probably a win against the conditions in the fact that we only bowled ten [nine] overs under lights,” Starc said. “I think everyone today with the ball was pretty spot on. I don’t think anyone thought it was going to happen that quickly. We were talking about almost consolidating the scoreboard until we got closer to that night session.”It wasn’t a plan to drag it out. [But] if things weren’t happening straight away, we knew that things would happen quicker in the night session. [It was like] this is what we want to do at the start, but if it doesn’t happen straight away, let’s just chill out and stop the scoreboard and cash in at night. Didn’t need to.”Starc’s 6 for 9 took him to 20 wickets at 16.45 in this four-Test stretch, which started with the World Test Championship final. For the second time in ten Tests, following his 6 for 48, also with the pink ball against India last season in Adelaide, he has improved his career-best.Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins lead the trophy celebrations•AFP/Getty Images”I felt like my rhythm has been pretty good for a while now,” he said. “Even coming into the lead up to Lord’s, I felt like everything was clicking into place. It’s been nice to have that carry on throughout the series. Today, again, just felt like everything was in sync and got some late swing. I think perhaps the breeze might have helped in the fact that I wasn’t under lights.”Starc’s six and Boland’s hat-trick meant that for just the second time in an innings of significance when he was fit, Pat Cummins wasn’t required to bowl. “My favourite part,” he joked.”I think a lot of the chat leading into this week is how resilient you need to be and professional to make it 100 Tests,” Cummins said of Starc. “[But] I think that’s kind of the Starcy I always remember playing alongside. He can tear a game open by himself really in the matter of a couple of overs. It feels like he can do it in any format, any time.”When day-night Tests were introduced, Starc was a strong voice questioning the wisdom of it. He still believes they need to be scheduled carefully, and that Adelaide is an ideal model, but he can see a place for them – 81 wickets 17.08 no doubt helps.”It’s good for my record,” he said with a smile.

Lunch Joe Root rose to third on Test cricket’s run-scoring charts on a day three morning in Manchester that he and Ollie Pope cut further into India’s first innings with a flawless morning. Lunching just 26 behind, thoughts are turning to whether they can secure the series by batting just once in this fourth Test.Upon moving to 31, Root snuck past Rahul Dravid (13,288) and Jacques Kallis (13,289), bumping the latter off the podium to join Sachin Tendulkar and Ricky Ponting. Unbeaten on 63, the 57 more he needs to catch Ponting could come in the next session.Root’s ascension was the first of three ovations in the opening session, with Pope registering his 25th fifty-plus score, before Root brought up his 104th, from 99 deliveries. An unbeaten stand of 135 is their sixth century partnership under Ben Stokes’ tenure, the most of any pairing.Joe Root and Ollie Pope looked immoveable in the morning session•Getty Images

They ran brilliantly throughout, toying with the outfield, with just one moment of real alarm when Root was on 22. Reeling from a Mohammed Siraj delivery that leapt off a length, Pope charged down while calling his partner through, forcing Root to head to the bowler’s end.Ravindra Jadeja’s throw from point was off target, but both he and Siraj were furious neither mid-off nor mid-on had taken the initiative to come up to the stumps. The single brought up the fifty stand for the third wicket.Pope might have also been dismissed, though his edge on 48 off Anshul Kamboj was as tough a chance as they come for sub-keeper Dhruv Jurel, standing up to the stumps to keep the batter in his crease.It was emblemactic of India’s session, who were better with their lengths compared to Thursday, but still lacked consistency. Siraj’s unnecessary hurl for four overthrows summed up the irritation England have elicited in their opponents. The only crumb of comfort for the tourists is the availability of a second new ball in six overs.

Paul Skenes finished his final start before the All-Star break in style on Thursday, throwing seven no-hit innings before being pulled after 99 pitches. That was just the latest start in a dominant first half. The rookie superstar will enter the 2024 MLB All-Star Game with absurd numbers.

Thursday was Skenes' best start of the season. He threw seven innings while allowing no hits and no runs. He also tied a career-high with 11 strikeouts. In the second inning, he hit Jake Bauers and walked Garrett Mitchell in back-to-back at-bats. Those were the only blemishes on his line. Debate will rage over whether or not manager Derek Shelton should have pulled Skenes, given he had a no-hitter and had thrown fewer than 100 pitches.

The 22-year-old has made 11 starts and boasts a 6-0 record, with a 1.90 ERA, a 0.92 WHIP, and 89 strikeouts against 12 walks in 66.1 innings. He is currently averaging 12.1 strikeouts per nine, the top mark in the National League. Perhaps even more impressive, Skenes has yet to leave a start with the Pirates trailing.

As if those numbers weren't enough, there's this tidbit. Skenes is only the second big league pitcher with multiple starts of six-plus innings, no hits, and 11-plus strikeouts in the same season. Nolan Ryan is the only other guy to do it, in 1973 with the Angels.

The No. 1 pick from the 2023 MLB Draft has arrived at the big leagues and begun to dominate in no time. He has already become one of the league's best pitchers. Skenes just finished his 11th major league start, and he only made 12 in the minor leagues and only threw 34 minor league innings.

At this point, there should be no doubt that Skenes should be the National League's starter in the All-Star game. He is baseball's most electric pitcher and should be on the mound to start the Midsummer Classic.