Arne Slot heaped praise on the Liverpool fans at Anfield after some were spotted leaving early during their Carabao Cup defeat to Crystal Palace on Wednesday.

The under-fire Dutchman does not believe Liverpool’s sixth loss in seven matches has increased the pressure on his team ahead of this weekend’s clash with Aston Villa. The Premier League champions won seven straight matches in all competitions as they bounced back from their shoot-out loss to Crystal Palace in the Community Shield.

But that run came to a halt with a late defeat to the Eagles at Selhurst Park a month ago, sending the Reds into a spiral that they have yet to climb out of.

Palace got the better of Liverpool for the third time this season in Wednesday’s 3-0 Carabao Cup fourth round win at Anfield as Slot’s decision to leave out stars and make 10 changes backfired.

Joe Gomez, Wataru Endo and Alexis Mac Allister were the first-team players deployed in a team of mostly youngsters, but the senior stars were some of Liverpool’s lowest rated players against Palace.

Related Liverpool player ratings v Crystal Palace: Slot's first-team stars worse than youngsters

It was an evening to forget for a young Liverpool side.

Posts ByTom Cunningham Oct 29, 2025

Fans were spotted leaving the stadium as early as the 70th minute, but the Dutchman said he had no regrets and brushed aside the suggestion it had increased the pressure heading into Saturday’s return to Premier League action at home to Villa, with Man City and Real Madrid also to come in the next ten days.

“I don’t think it’s possible if you lose five out of six that there’s now after six out of seven even more pressure,” Slot said.

“If you’re on a run of results like this, if you play for Liverpool, if you manage Liverpool, you know the pressure is there and I don’t think it has changed much after this loss.

“But if it did then maybe the most positive thing about tonight was that the position we were in, 2-0 down and we weren’t really pushing for a goal because we weren’t able to, the fans were behind the team, were supporting us.

“That gives me the feeling that Saturday when our players will show how much it means to them, our fans will be incredibly supportive for us Saturday.

“But, again, we face a team that has rested in the week to play us, and that’s Villa.”

Liverpool could be boosted by the return of midfielder Ryan Gravenberch against Villa following an ankle issue, but British record signing Alexander Isak remains a doubt with to a groin complaint.

Slot's treatment of Liverpool star is a "sackable offence"

Australian slams 25-ball half-century after Linsey Smith, Lucy Higham tie down Phoenix

ECB Media15-Aug-2025Northern Superchargers soared to the top of the women’s Hundred table with a commanding victory over Birmingham Phoenix at a sun-drenched Headingley.A third win in four matches for Hollie Armitage’s team was built around a miserly performance from their slow bowlers, Lucy Higham and Linsey Smith, who each picked up two wickets to stem the Phoenix’s flow.Their intervention was perfectly timed, after the visitors had begun brightly. On 44 for 1 from 30 balls with Emma Lamb and Marie Kelly going well, Phoenix lost five wickets in 20 deliveries, with captain Ellyse Perry’s unfortunate run out – Annabel Sutherland diverting a straight drive from Kelly onto the stumps at the non-striker’s end – summing up the Phoenix’s misfortune.From 59-6, Em Arlott and Sterre Kalis rebuilt the innings impressively, putting on an unbeaten 57, the highest stand for the seventh wicket in the history of the Hundred’s women’s competition.On a beautiful batting track, it nonetheless felt under par. The Superchargers openers, Davina Perrin and Alice Davidson-Richards, were both dropped early on – Perrin before she had scored when Hannah Baker palmed a pull shot over the rope for six – and their stand of 27 ensured that the home side were always ahead of the game.Australian superstar Phoebe Litchfield, having started this year’s tournament quietly, roared back into form with a stunning assault against Baker in particular, drilling the spinner for a trio of consecutive boundaries to settle any concerns in the home dugout.With her compatriot Sutherland at the other end, the pair cruised to the finish line with only one alarm when Litchfield, on 48, was dropped at deep extra-cover by Baker. Litchfield brought up her second half-century in the competition from just 25 balls, as Superchargers’ overseas stars wrapped things up with a whopping 26 balls to spare.Litchfield was named the Meerkat Match Hero: “That was good fun out there. Every time we play here at Headingley we know it’ll be a good pitch and you saw that even when Davina and ADR came out, and then especially Bellesey [Sutherland] at the end there.”Litchfield was also full of praise for Superchargers’ spinners, Smith and Higham. “They hit their lengths and kept the stumps in play and forced the Birmingham batters to try something else, and we backed them up in the field. Our two little spinners have done wonders for us for a few years now and they showed it again today.”We’ve had this group together for three years now, it hasn’t changed much, and the vibes are good. We had a pretty average game last time out, but we tried to park that and came out with a positive mindset.”

Lancashire have said they are investigating the incident at Old Trafford

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Jul-2025Lancashire have said they are investigating after an incident in which a fan attending the fourth Test between England and India at Old Trafford was asked to cover up the Pakistan shirt they were wearing.The fan, named in Pakistani media as Farooq Nazar, posted a video on social media documenting the request, initially from a member of the security staff at the ground, that he cover the shirt, a replica of Pakistan’s traditional green limited-overs kit.The security guard, who identifies himself as working for Lancashire, says: “I’ve been asked by control if you can cover that shirt up, please.” Later on, a steward can be heard saying the shirt “might be considered nationalistic”.Related

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In the video, Nazar can be seen becoming increasingly agitated amid repeated requests to cover up. Eventually, he is approached by a police officer, who asks to continue the conversation away from the stands. According to reports, Nazar then opted to leave the ground rather than hide his shirt.Political relations between India and Pakistan, frosty for years, have been at their most tense this year, following a brief military skirmish between the two countries in May. Those tensions have filtered into relations between the BCCI and PCB; the two sides have not played a bilateral series since 2012-13 and no Test cricket since 2007-08. Their participation in ICC events hosted by either country has also recently become problematic, with a neutral venue added in to stage their games as part of a hybrid solution to the issue.It is unclear on which day of the Test, which ended in a draw as India batted their way through five sessions, the incident took place but Lancashire confirmed they were looking into it.”We are aware of the incident referenced and are taking steps to understand the facts and context surrounding the matter fully,” a Lancashire spokesperson said.In recent years, Lancashire have openly spoken of building their links with India. The Hundred team based at the ground, Manchester Originals, are set to become 70% owned by Sanjiv Goenka’s RPSG group, which runs Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL, while Lancashire’s chief executive, Daniel Gidney, has suggested giving the BCCI a stake in the 100-ball tournament.

The WA offspinner will make his Australia A and MCG debut against India A with a Sri Lanka tour looming on his horizon

Alex Malcolm06-Nov-2024You needed your wits about you as the white balls pinged out of the MCG nets on Saturday during Australia’s training session. But in between the big swings and the flying white orbs there was an intriguing battle going on.A tall offspinner with lengthy blonde hair, who was not part of the ODI squad, was bowling with a red ball to Steven Smith and Marnus Labuschagne. He had Australia’s bowling coach and New Zealand’s greatest ever Test spinner, Daniel Vettori, alongside him talking tactics and technique.Even if he’s not yet a recognisable face, Corey Rocchiccioli stands out in a crowd. His rapid rise up the ranks from being a grade cricketer who had never been in the pathway system, to a Sheffield Shield star, to an Australia A spinner has turned a lot of heads in Australian cricket.Related

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Rahul, Jurel to leave early for Australia and play second A game

The 27-year-old is firmly on the radar to tour Sri Lanka with the Test team in the new year. It is for that reason he was flown to Melbourne for a chance to work with Vettori, and bowl to Smith and Labuschagne.”Hearing from a Test great about how to bowl offspin, particularly in Australia and in Asia, that’s something that I got really excited about,” Rocchiccioli said on Wednesday.”I had the opportunity to bowl to Smith and Marnus whilst he was standing next to me. To sort of really pick his brain on how to bowl to world-class batters was something that I took under my wing and wrote in my journal, making sure that I’ve got that for the back of my mind. Hopefully it’s not the last time we catch up. It was an awesome couple of days.”You couldn’t wipe the smile off Rocchiccioli’s face as he stood on the MCG ahead of his Australia A debut against India A on Thursday. Despite playing 27 Shield matches in the past four seasons and being contracted to both Melbourne Stars and Melbourne Renegades in the BBL, Rocchiccioli has never played a game on the MCG.”I’m really excited,” Rocchiccioli said. “I have had the opportunity to run drinks here that many times, but to not play here yet, it’s a bucket list item. I have a little photo on my phone of when I took my old man out here after a Big Bash game. I’m looking forward to being able to step out and bowl on the MCG.”He also gets to bowl to India Test batter KL Rahul, who has been flown out at short notice ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy to get a red-ball game under his belt in Australia before joining the main India squad in Perth. Rocchiccioli was asked if he had seen any weaknesses in the 53-Test veteran.”Nah,” Rocchiccioli said. “Probably just bowl your best ball for as long as you can. But he’s like any batter, on his day he’s going to score a hundred and then some days he makes a mistake.”I think he flew in yesterday, and that’s a pretty long-haul flight. So maybe he’s a little bit jaded and fatigued. But I think it’s really exciting that I get to go up another level and bowl to these type of batters. It’s on my path to mastery. I’ve been able to bowl to some really good batters in first-class cricket. Now I get this challenge to do it to Indian players.”Although Australia’s selectors have been keen to downplay the selection of the Australia A teams for these two games, particularly given the intrigue around the batting order, Rocchiccioli’s inclusion in the second game alongside an attack featuring Test back-up quicks Scott Boland and Michael Neser is instructive.When Nathan Lyon blew out his calf in the Ashes in 2023, it was Todd Murphy who was the like-for-like replacement. It was Murphy too, who was the second spinner picked in India.If Lyon blew out his calf at training next week ahead of the Perth Test, Murphy might not be the automatic selection despite being Australia A’s spinner in Mackay last week.Corey Rocchiccioli has taken the most wickets of any spinner in Shield cricket in the last four years•Getty ImagesNo spinner has even come close to Rocchiccioli’s 83 wickets in the last four Shield seasons. The next best is Mitchell Swepson with 50. Rocchiccioli has claimed 56 of those at the WACA ground 25.28 and a strike-rate of 53.6, a place where Murphy has one wicket in three innings at a cost of 189 from 45 overs.Bounce and overspin is Rocchiccioli’s biggest weapon. At 6 foot 3 inches, he is made to bowl in Perth where Lyon has an extraordinary record. He may enjoy bowling on the revamped MCG drop-in too, where former WACA curator Matt Page has brought the surface to life with pace and bounce. Although Murphy, with his flatter trajectory and ability to bowl with a square seam has averaged 17.50 in his two games there.”I actually think I have [square seam] in my armoury already,” Rocchiccioli said. “It’s just that I just don’t bowl it that often. I do bowl it a lot on day one at the WACA.”It’s something that I’m always going to have to develop. I don’t use it as often as what Murph does when he’s bowling out here and bowling at the Junction [Oval]. So it’s actually a really good chance. I’ve got this game. I’ve got a Junction game. I’ve got the SCG in a couple of games time. So I’ve got the opportunity to develop my square seam.”And he will need it if he is called on for the tour of Sri Lanka. He has done two tours to the MRF academy in Chennai in the last two year’s with a CA squad but unlike Murphy, Swepson, Matthew Kuhnemann, and Ashton Agar he has not played in Asia.He doesn’t view his one-off appearance for Australia A as a bowl-off against Murphy or any of the others for a spot on that Sri Lanka tour.”I hope they just take every offie available, to be honest,” Rocchiccioli said. “But no I don’t see it as that. I think it’s probably more the opposite. It’s really exciting the fact that Australian cricket has so many up and coming offspinners. I think you’ve got me, Murph, you’ve got Kuhney who took five, Ash is back playing Shield cricket. So yeah, I think it’s really exciting that we’ve got so many spin bowlers playing together, playing against each other, and we’re all lifting our own competition.”

New York Mets relief pitcher Edwin Diaz wants to pitch in the World Baseball Classic again. Diaz pitched for Puerto Rico in 2023, but his first appearance in the WBC came to an abrupt end when he tore his patellar tendon in his right knee while celebrating Puerto Rico's victory over the Dominican Republic.

One could understand, then, if Diaz was feeling a bit leery about pitching in the event in 2026. But that's not the case at all.

"As of now I would play if I had the chance," Diaz said last week according to the . “I didn’t get hurt pitching. That’s something that could happen at my house or wherever. If I was pitching maybe I’d be a little bit scared—but I just want to go and represent my country and have fun."

While it's true that Diaz's injury did not occur while he was pitching, it's likely that the Mets aren't too keen about seeing their closer taking part in the WBC again, if Diaz picks up his contract option and returns to New York in '26.

Diaz, a three-time All-Star, has pitched to a 1.55 ERA with 61 strikeouts in 40 2/3 innings piched for New York in 2025. The Puerto Rican team is headlined by Diaz's Mets teammate Francisco Lindor, who is the club's captain. The WBC begins on March 5 next year.

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has shared an injury update on his squad, and they could be without one of their players until after the new year.

The Blues made light work of London rivals Tottenham in their last outing, cruising to a 1-0 win on enemy turf, and Thomas Frank’s side hardly laid a glove on them.

It was a much-needed victory for Maresca’s men, who were dispatched by newly-promoted Sunderland in their previous Premier League clash the weekend prior.

The loss at home to Regis Le Bris’ side sparked major outrage after what was a very disappointing performance, with reports in the aftermath suggesting that Maresca’s long-term Chelsea future is far from certain amid interest from Juventus.

Luckily for the Italian, Chelsea have responded to that defeat in good fashion — knocking Wolves out of the Carabao Cup via a dramatic 4-3 win at Molineux to then claim the London derby spoils.

It has been a mixed start to 25/26 for Chelsea after what was a stellar summer, having won both the Conference League and Club World Cup earlier this year, but Maresca is believed to be dissatisfied with the squad at his disposal overall.

Chelsea ended the last summer transfer window as one of England’s most lavish spenders, investing nearly £300 million in new recruits, but the west Londoners failed to shore up their centre-back options or bring in a world-class goalkeeper.

Rank

Club

Gross Spend

Sales

Net Spend

20.

Bournemouth

£136.7m

£202.5m

+£65.8m

19.

Brighton

£67.7m

£127.5m

+£59.8m

18.

Brentford

£92.8m

£152m

+£59.2m

17.

Wolves

£105.6m

£126.5m

+£20.9m

16.

Chelsea

£296.5m

£314.4m

+£17.9m

BlueCo are reportedly ready to prioritise the signing of a centre-back for Chelsea in January, but Maresca hasn’t exactly been helped by injuries and suspensions either.

Summer signing Liam Delap was missing for weeks with a hamstring problem and couldn’t play against Tottenham last weekend after his red card at Wolves.

Malo Gusto was also suspended recently, with Trevoh Chalobah, Robert Sanchez, Joao Pedro and Delap all sent off in the last 44 days alone.

Chelsea’s current disciplinary issues are a real conundrum for Maresca to solve, and it’s the last thing he needs considering their troubles with fitness issues this campaign.

Right now, Pedro Neto, Benoit Badiashile, Cole Palmer, Levi Colwill and Dario Essugo are all unavailable through injury, and Maresca might not welcome back the latter until 2026.

Chelsea could be without Dario Essugo until January

Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of their Champions League clash with Qarabag, Maresca suggests that Essugo could be out injured until January.

Essugo, who’s been called a ‘frightening’ player by members of the media like journalist Antonio Mango, hasn’t been able to showcase his best since joining Chelsea in the summer, and it’ll be a while before he gets to do so.

That being said, there is some good news.

Chelsea’s manager believes that star forward Palmer, who’s been battling a niggling groin problem since the start of the season, could return for their blockbuster European showdown against Barcelona.

Chelsea play their last game before the next international break against Wolves this weekend, and their Barça clash is scheduled to take place around three days after they return to action away to Burnley on November 22.

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Nova Iguaçu e Internacional se enfrentam no Estádio Mané Garrincha, em Brasília, nesta quarta-feira (13), às 20h, pela segunda fase da Copa do Brasil. A classificação será decidida em jogo único e sem vantagem do empate a nenhum dos lados. Ou seja, caso não haja um vencedor no tempo normal, a decisão será nos pênaltis.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasInternacionalVÍDEO: Thiago Maia revela conversa com Tite e explica afastamento no Flamengo em chegada ao InternacionalInternacional12/03/2024DicasInternacional x Corinthians: estatísticas e informações para apostar no jogo da Copa do Brasil Sub-17Dicas12/03/2024InternacionalVÍDEO: Coudet revela único alvo do Internacional: ‘Quero Oscar’Internacional11/03/2024

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O Nova Iguaçu vem surpreendendo na temporada e está na semifinal do Campeonato Carioca, enquanto o Internacional encara o Juventude na semifinal do Campeonato Gaúcho.

Confira abaixo todas as informações que você precisa saber sobre o confronto (onde assistir, horário, escalações e local).

✅ FICHA TÉCNICA
Nova Iguaçu x Internacional
COPA DO BRASIL – 2ª FASE

Data e horário: quarta-feira, 13 de março de 2024, às 20h00 (de Brasília)
Local: Estádio Mané Garrincha, em Brasília (RJ)
Onde assistir: Prime Video

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NOVA IGUAÇU (Técnico: Carlos Vitor)
Fabrício; Yan Silva, Gabriel, Sergio Raphael e Maicon; Índio e Albert; Xandinho, Bill e Yago; Carlinhos.

INTERNACIONAL (Técnico: Eduardo Coudet)
Anthoni (Rochet); Bustos, Igor Gomes, Vitão e Renê; Aránguiz, Mauricio, Bruno Henrique e Wanderson; Alan Patrick e Enner Valencia (Lucas Alario)

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Copa do BrasilInternacional

Karim Adeyemi’s World Cup preparations were overshadowed by the revelation that the Borussia Dortmund winger accepted a €450,000 fine for illegal weapons possession. The 23-year-old blamed a “mystery TikTok box” for the items, prompting shocked reactions from Rudi Voller and Julian Nagelsmann as the German Football Association (DFB) scrambled for clarity. The controversy erupted just hours before Germany’s key qualifier.

Adeyemi fined €450k for illegal weapons after ‘mystery TikTok box’ claim

As per , Dortmund's star winger Adeyemi has been handed a staggering €450,000 fine after prosecutors confirmed he illegally possessed a knuckle duster and a stun gun, weapons prohibited under German law. According to the public prosecutor’s office, a penalty order of “60 daily fines of €7,500 each” became legally binding on October 30, with the case handled by the district court in Wetter.

The story surfaced shortly before Germany’s crucial World Cup qualifier against Slovakia, catching both the DFB and Borussia Dortmund off guard. reported that Adeyemi did not initially inform federation officials, leaving them to learn of the conviction through media disclosures. According to his lawyer, the items stemmed from a “mystery box ordered from TikTok,” a claim that Adeyemi reportedly attempted to explain during internal discussions.

Despite being part of the matchday squad, Adeyemi did not appear during Germany’s 6-0 win over Slovakia, a match over which the controversy loomed large. The BVB star, who has delivered six goal contributions this season across competitions, suddenly found himself at the centre of an off-field scandal during a decisive international window.

AdvertisementAFPVoller and Nagelsmann respond as DFB blindsided by conviction

DFB sporting director Voller admitted that the federation was completely unaware of the case until Borussia Dortmund sporting director Lars Ricken contacted him. Voller told : “Yes, of course we didn't know. The day after the game in Luxembourg, Lars Ricken called me and told me. He didn't know everything either. Then Julian and I grabbed Karim. We wanted to hear his side of the story. He then tried to explain it to us, more or less.”

While declining to disclose finer details, Voller stressed that the national team must balance accountability with perspective. He added: “We still have the feeling that the lad is developing exceptionally well in the national team. We also live a bit in a time of outrage culture here in Germany… Everyone is always quick to complain, not that I want to sugarcoat it. It's naive or stupid, no matter what you call it.”

Head coach Nagelsmann echoed the sentiment but made clear how disruptive the situation was given the timing. At the pre-match press conference, he said: “Rudi and I spoke with him. This issue is taking up space and time that I don't have before such an important game. We will address the matter after the match… I will not comment on it further.”

‘TikTok box’ explanation and Dortmund’s internal response

Adeyemi has not personally addressed the allegations but, his legal representative reiterated that the issue stemmed from a TikTok “mystery box,” which apparently contained the prohibited items that ultimately triggered the investigation.

Dortmund issued a reserved but firm statement emphasising their internal process: “BVB always takes criminal allegations seriously and uses them as an opportunity to discuss them with its employees while respecting confidentiality obligations.”

The club also confirmed it was unaware of the legal proceedings until the media report surfaced. Under German weapons law, Adeyemi’s offence could have resulted in up to three years in prison, or even 10 years in cases involving brass knuckles. However, based on income calculations, the penalty remained a fine, with the 23-year-old receiving a central register entry but not a formal criminal record.

The timing is particularly sensitive as Adeyemi has recently been linked with Premier League interest, including Manchester United, and as he prepares for a crucial rule in the upcoming World Cup for Germany.

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Getty Images SportDespite controversy, Adeyemi remains key for Dortmund

On the pitch, Adeyemi has quietly built strong form despite BVB experiencing an inconsistent start to the season. He has produced three goals and three assists, including a standout Champions League strike against Juventus, maintaining his reputation as one of Europe’s fastest wide attackers.

Nagelsmann used all five substitutions against Slovakia yet left Adeyemi unused on the bench, raising questions about whether the scandal impacted selection. The winger had also been suspended for Germany’s qualifier against Luxembourg days earlier, adding to the sense of disruption around his international involvement.

Dortmund is now expected to conduct internal meetings to clarify the incident and determine whether additional measures are required. For now, the club insists it will handle the matter privately, with Adeyemi expected to return to Bundesliga action immediately after the international break.

Germany’s coaching staff will revisit the situation once the qualifying campaign concludes, with Voller and Nagelsmann keen to avoid off-field distractions that compromise squad harmony.

Sonny Baker suffers again on debut in only blemish for visitors at Malahide

Matt Roller21-Sep-2025Jordan Cox has spent the past 10 months desperate for another chance in international cricket and grasped this end-of-season opportunity. He cracked 55 off 35 balls at a sold-out Malahide, setting up another comfortable England win to seal this series 2-0, after their spinners restricted Ireland to 154.Named in squads across formats last summer, Cox’s first five England innings revealed an apparent vulnerability against the short ball and brought him just 39 runs. He was on the cusp of a Test debut in New Zealand last November when he fractured his thumb in the nets, and later sought help from a psychologist to help him get over the disappointment of being ruled out of the series.But he has thrived for Essex this year – he has hit three hundreds in the County Championship and one in the Blast – and was a late addition to this squad after he was named MVP in the Hundred. Handed his chance in Dublin, with Oval Invincibles team-mate Sam Curran absent on best-man duties at a friend’s wedding, Cox produced his first convincing knock in an England shirt.Cox’s partnerships of 57 and 49 with Phil Salt and Tom Banton respectively removed any sense of jeopardy from England’s chase after Curtis Campher’s stunning early catch – diving full-stretch to his right at short extra cover – removed Jos Buttler for a second-ball duck. Cox batted through discomfort after jarring his knee while taking a catch; his only frustration was that he could not quite take England home himself.Instead, it was Banton who calmly knocked the winning single into the leg side to seal a six-wicket win with 17 balls unused and duly finishing unbeaten on 37. The singular blemish for England was a second unconvincing white-ball debut of the month for Sonny Baker, whose first four overs in T20Is cost 52 runs.Cox grimaces as he walks off the field•Sportsfile/Getty ImagesCox steps upCox has had dreadful luck with injuries. He had not played since the Hundred final due to a minor rib injury, and felt soreness in his knee after taking a catch at midwicket early in Ireland’s innings. He then jarred it on the soft outfield while taking a second, and spent the last two overs off the field receiving treatment.But after Friday’s rain cost him another chance to play for England, he resolved to bat through the pain. “There wasn’t a chance that I wasn’t going to bat, because I might have had to wait another two years,” Cox said. He hit four sixes, including two pick-ups over backward square leg, in his 31-ball half-century.The key, he said, was pretending that he was wearing Oval Invincibles teal instead of England red. “I was just like, ‘Come on, this is just franchise cricket and I’m playing for the Oval, so just enjoy it and have a bit of fun.’ That’s what I do when I’m there. Why not try it everywhere?”Cox looks set to miss the cut when England name their Ashes squad next week, but hopes to be involved in their white-ball tour to New Zealand next month: “I’d love to play for England, whatever that is … My goal, and what I want to achieve in my career, is [to be] in an England shirt.”Spin to winConditions in Dublin’s coastal suburbs could hardly have been further removed from those that these teams will encounter at February’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka. The run-chase was delayed by nearly an hour due to squally showers, and the temperature peaked at just 13 degrees Celsius on a bitingly cold day.But on a surface being used for the second time in five days, England stuck to the spin-heavy formula that they will employ at that tournament. Though Jamie Overton showed what might have been for the quicks with 2 for 17 in four economical overs, they were vindicated in doing so. Adil Rashid and Liam Dawson have been ever-present across England’s seven T20Is this summer and returned combined figures of 5 for 38 from six overs, while Rehan Ahmed had Ross Adair caught on the slog-sweep after an explosive cameo of 33 off 23 balls.Dawson struck in the Powerplay, having Paul Stirling caught behind on review, then had Harry Tector caught on the reverse-sweep. Rashid was slog-swept for six by Ireland debutant Ben Calitz but had him caught off the top edge looking to repeat the trick, then trapped Barry McCarthy lbw first-ball. From 102 for 7, only Gareth Delany prevented Ireland being bowled out.Adil Rashid claimed three wickets in the innings•PA Photos/Getty ImagesBaker’s strugglesBaker recorded eye-watering figures of 0 for 76 on ODI debut against South Africa earlier this month, and his T20I bow went the same way. Adair tucked into him early, launching him over mid-off for six and slapping him over the off side, before Delany cashed in at the death, picking him up over deep backward square leg for consecutive sixes.Delany marshalled the strike well at the death, turning down several singles to face 25 of the last 28 balls. He belted two more straight fours in Baker’s final over, registering his highest score (48 not out) against a Full-Member opponent. It left Baker with the third-costliest figures for an England T20I debutant; his 11 overs in international cricket to date have brought 128 runs.

Now that it has brought in the money, the upcoming Hundred season has missed a chance to begin the healing process

Andrew Miller13-Mar-2025“Are you a Gladiator? Do you have the will and the skill?”At the age of 42, but still with the body of a Greek god, James Anderson would probably answer “yes” to both of those questions, whether he was pushing off from the sightscreen at Old Trafford or from a giant hamster-ball launcher in a Saturday night gameshow.Never mind that the Hundred might prefer to be seen in loftier company, English cricket’s chosen prime-time offering has more than a few traits in common with “Gladiators”, ITV’s eponymous hit which pitches plucky members of the public against a range of beefcakes in a series of taxing athletic pursuits.Kids love both concepts, by all accounts, even if more established sports fans tend to view them, at best, with indifference and, at worst, disdain or outright loathing. And the strides towards gender parity have been a key aspect of the appeal, with the men’s and women’s competitions in both cases having equal and interchangeable merit (if not, in the Hundred’s case, equal pay just yet).Dare one say it, however, grumpy has-beens have long been a central plank of Gladiators’ success. Fans of the original series in the 1990s had “Wolf” as the original pantomime baddie, while the modern-day villain is the taciturn, tantrum-prone “Viper” (alongside the engagingly egomanicial “Legend”). At least London Spirit have got David Warner lined up for 2025, but you can see where this one’s going, can’t you?Yes, Anderson’s enduring heart to be a winner made not the blindest bit of difference in Wednesday night’s Hundred draft. For the fifth time (and, given what’s at stake from next year onwards, let’s fervently hope the final time), the tournament’s organisers again failed to work out whether it is sport or entertainment that they will be overseeing in the prime weeks of the English summer.Should we care that an England legend, who hasn’t played a professional T20 fixture in more than a decade, has just been snubbed by a tournament that was last month valued at approximately £2 billion? Your answer depends on what you think the ECB ought to be getting out of the Hundred this summer, seeing as it has already got exactly what the tournament was created for.Wolf (left) and Cobra pose ahead of the original series of Gladiators in 1992•Getty ImagesAs England’s stake in a fragmenting international market, the Hundred has fulfilled its purpose admirably. At an operational level, however, the ECB has consistently struggled to pitch it in a manner appropriate to the sport that they already serve. The tournament, they have long said, is not aimed at cricket’s established fans, which would be fine in principle, were it not for the contempt with which that insistence had been burnished, and the collateral damage it has caused along the way, particularly in hastening the decline of the very international game that, by design, it is there to replace.As such, every new season has been a bundle of contradictions, at one level or another, but this year’s competition doesn’t even seem to be aimed at future fans either. Who knows what the Hundred will look like from 2026 onwards, when IPL team-names begin to oust the competition’s existing brands, and the kits start to get a makeover – including, it is proposed, a garish MCC egg-and-bacon strip to replace London Spirit’s existing Tyrells’ blue. Vikram Banjeree, the Hundred’s MD, recently admitted the competition needed more “tribalism” to gain proper traction with its fans, but in the rapacious world of financially focused sports leagues, the only constant is change.The draft itself rather confirmed the impression that this year’s tournament will be an unusually listless exercise. Where once the player selection process had been envisioned as an appointment-to-view Sunday evening event on Sky Sports, this year’s version wasn’t even deemed worthy of a fixed YouTube camera. Instead, contracts worth up to £200,000 a pop were drip-fed through a tournament-run live blog on a half-hour delay, without so much as a peep behind the curtain to whet any wider media interest. No doubt the Silicon Valley tech bros were especially entranced by the spectacle.Beyond the immediate confusion, however, there are still wider issues that the Hundred still isn’t making any attempt to address. In the build-up to the draft, a preview piece on BBC Sport (a tournament partner, remember) was inundated with the usual vitriol: “Couldn’t care less” … “pantomime time” … “a joke competition” … “just ever-changing teams of random individuals, picked like in a school playground …” and so it went on.Of course, the ECB is entitled to show off its swag-bag as a pointed rejoinder, but there’s no way that anyone who cares for cricket in this country can just close their ears to the hatred, and pretend it will all just go away now that the money is rolling in. The bad blood is real and lasting, and a rapprochement seems no closer to fruition.Related

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Maybe it’s easy to cling too tightly to the past, and miss the bigger picture. Elsewhere in this week’s sporting news, the Manchester United Supporters Trust couldn’t help but sound like stick-in-the-muds when failing to get giddily excited about Old Trafford’s extraordinary expansion plans. No doubt their concerns about ticket prices and in-stadium atmosphere have merit, but lads … can’t you just look at that £2 billion’s worth of real-estate investment and be happy for once?But, while snubbing Anderson’s advances could be seen as a statement of sporting seriousness as the Hundred prepares for its loaded new future, it does seem odd – in these remarkable circumstances – to pass over the appeal of one man who could, at the very least, have given cricket’s disenfranchised masses a reason to tune in and pass judgement on their own terms.Anderson played his first T20 match way back in July 2004, in the format’s second season, and a full year before its first international fixture. But it’s not as though he’s been a stranger to the Hundred’s new demographics, with his guest slots as a BBC summariser and numerous matchday masterclasses. His Tailenders’ podcast sidekicks, Felix White and Greg James, were even co-opted onto Oval Invincibles’ board in the lead-up to the equity sale.Yes, Anderson will still be toiling away on the county circuit for another season yet, but that fact in itself merely exacerbates the sense of a heritage spurned – a fair few fans may pop into Lord’s from April 4 to watch him open the county season with Lancashire, and he may even feature in his first 50-over game in six years when the One-Day Cup takes place in the Hundred’s immense shadow in August.But surely there would have been merit in a one-season deal for a grand old man who just wants to be able to flame out on his own terms, and provide a last bit of entertainment along the way. It would have been a vehicle, if nothing else, to lure a few of the unconverted through the gates – maybe even with their kids in tow, flushed with memories of what it was like to be young and starry-eyed – and begin some sort of a healing process before the true upheaval begins next year.After all, as Gladiators has shown over the course of its 33-year span, good clean family fun doesn’t have to be so goddamn divisive.