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Three personnel changes and a key positional switch, as England set about saving the Ashes

Vithushan Ehantharajah05-Jul-20231:43

Can England channel energy from Lord’s to bring a win at Headingley?

England have made four significant alterations to their line-up ahead of a must-win third Test to keep the Ashes alive as they trail 2-0 to a buoyant Australia. In come Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes and Mark Wood, with Harry Brook moving up to No.3. Moeen’s return as the spinner following recovery from a damaged right index finger is noteworthy after England relied solely on Joe Root’s offspin for Lord’s. But the first sightings of Woakes and Wood this summer, along with Brook’s move from the sanctuary of No.5 to the frontline are three significant shifts at a crucial juncture of this summer. The trio’s individual responsibilities and narratives carry significant weight as the Ashes reach boiling point at Headingley…“Can I have a new ball please?”Harry Brook was working in the temporary nets with assistant coach Jeetan Patel on the dog-slinger when Stokes informed him he would bat at No.3 for this Test, replacing Ollie Pope after the vice-captain was ruled out of the summer with a dislocated right shoulder. In typical Brook fashion, he greeted the news with positivity. Brook immediately turned to Patel and asked to reload the thrower with fresher Dukes: “Can I have a new ball please?” Now that he was moving up the order, training had to be tailored immediately.”You guys have obviously seen his unbelievable start to his international career,” Stokes said, referencing Brook’s 818 runs, four centuries and average of 81.80 from his seven Tests prior to this summer’s Ashes. That haul now reads 950 at 67.85 after a relatively fallow two matches, but Stokes’ point is hardly diluted.”I know that’s been at No.5, but last summer when he was the next batter in, we had complete confidence that he could slot into our batting line-up in any position. The opportunity presented itself to him with Jonny’s injury. Look, he’s technically very gifted and, players like that, you feel you can back anywhere, you’re lucky to have them.”Harry Brook fell for a first-innings duck on a snakepit at Chelmsford in 2018 … then cut loose in thrilling style second-time out•Philip Brown/Getty ImagesFor all Brook’s talent and confidence, the main motivation behind his promotion is to keep Joe Root, the team’s best batter at No.4. In turn, it allows Jonny Bairstow to reprise last summer’s role of five at a time when the keeper-batter could not be more up for the battle after his contentious stumping at the hands of Alex Carey.Brook’s series so far has been neither here nor there, as the average of 33 suggests. An exciting first innings at Edgbaston ended in comical fashion when he was bowled off his backside for 32. A bum shot closed what could have been an emphatic second innings on 46. His half-century at Lord’s was arguably the least convincing knock of his four so far; chaotic on the evening of day two and then clumsy the morning after when moving out to leg and scuffing to cover. He could do little about a worldie from Pat Cummins that took his off stump for four in the second innings, but that merely compounded the wastefulness of the three previous knocks. He’s been in and given it away – something which he cannot do further up the chain.It’s worth taking a cursory look at Brook’s experience at first drop. It’s meaningless of course, given the last of his 13 innings in that position came in 2018 – although that’s still 13 more than Ollie Pope had played before he took on the role at the start of last summer. Back then, Brook was 19 and a very different person, let alone player.There is, however, a standout innings of 124 from May of that year, which is quite fun to extrapolate.On a Chelmsford snakepit, Brook opened and got a duck as Yorkshire were snuffed out for 50 inside 19 overs before Essex responded with 142. Gary Ballance, as captain, decided Yorkshire’s best bet in the third innings would be to go for broke. Bairstow opened the batting this time, struck a 44-ball 50, before Brook came in and played pretty much how he does now: ambitious shots devoid of fear, such as running down the pitch and hitting Simon Harmer out of the rough.Yorkshire would go onto win the match by 91 runs after setting Essex 238 to win, and everyone who took part in the match acknowledges this as a coming-of-age knock for Brook. Not only was this a maiden first-class hundred but it was probably the first time he realised just how good he was.The Wizard Returns Before the start of this summer, Chris Woakes reached out to Stokes. Feeling fit, refreshed and – most importantly – keen to add to his 45 Test caps, he wanted to see if there was anything he could do differently. While he had read a few things about how England have approached their cricket since Stokes took over as captain and Brendon McCullum came into the fold, he thought it best to double-check. An international cricketer of 12 years, he knew there were some messages that don’t make it beyond the dressing-room walls and into the media. He wanted to check what they were.Aged 34, he was open to trying new things at the start of the season for Warwickshire. Anything to help him fit into an England environment that looked a lot more fun than his last two Test squads – 2021-22’s 4-0 Ashes defeat followed by the 1-0 loss in the Caribbean. At the time, Stokes told Woakes not to do anything differently.That message was reiterated this week. Ahead of what will be his 13th Ashes Test and first of the Bazball era, Woakes checked in with his captain once more. “Anything for me?” he asked on Wednesday morning.”Nah, you just do you,” Stokes replied. “If I change the field, don’t worry about it because I just like doing rogue things.”James Anderson’s endurance has limited Chris Woakes’ England opportunities, but now he needs to fill his huge shoes•Getty ImagesLike Stokes, Woakes’ Test debut came against Australia in 2013, albeit in the last Test of the home series rather on the 2013-14 return leg immediately after. His Ashes memories aren’t particularly fond – a modest 38.81 average with the ball on these shores, and an unflattering 51.63 over there – but this week is an opportunity for better days.His merits as an allrounder, along with Moeen Ali, reinforce England’s batting after a long tail was, ultimately, exposed at Lord’s. And yet he will also serve a dual purpose of replacing James Anderson, who has had an ineffectual couple of weeks, and acting as Stokes’ crutch.”A big part of the team we’ve ended up picking is, worst-case scenario, if I wasn’t to bowl this game,” Stokes admitted, alluding to the chronic issue with his left knee. “It doesn’t mean I’m not going to. But yeah last week I bowled that 12-over spell and it was a tiring last two days of the game. [It is a] Very quick turnaround so I obviously had to factor that in, in terms of if I was to bowl again then couldn’t, then we’re a little bit stuck. Whereas now I don’t feel as if I’m under too much pressure to bowl with the team we’ve picked.”There is a bit of Paul Scholes about Woakes. While some doubt his standing in the English game (mostly because of a poor away record), team-mates past and present regard him as the most talented cricketer going, hence the nickname “Wiz” (The Wizard). An intermittent Test career is down to Anderson’s longevity as an opening quick and Stokes’ talismanic ways as an allrounder. Now, facing the biggest Test of his career a decade after this journey began, he must channel the former to reinforce the latter.Rockets finally unleashed?There weren’t many words exchanged as McCullum and Stokes told Mark Wood he would play in this third Test on Wednesday morning. The Durham quick more or less knew on Tuesday, but a necessary bowl in the middle of Headingley at full-pelt and off the full run-up on the eve of Test was an understandable last-minute check.The 33-year-old Wood has been something of an over-coiled spring this summer. He sat out the Ireland Test in anticipation of Edgbaston, then was left out for an all-medium-pace attack before a minor elbow issue – and the presence of Josh Tongue – gave England reason to hold fire. Two-nil down, this is the big one, and with a week’s gap between this and the fourth Test, the best-case scenario of an England win here potentially gives Wood a clear run to the end of this series.His last competitive match came in the Indian Premier League, on April 15, taking two for 35 for Lucknow Super Giants against Punjab Kings. Months and worlds away from where we are right now. But England have no fears about his match-fitness or durability, certainly as far as the next month is concerned.The extra pace will add a new dimension to the bouncer wars both teams have engaged in – Wood will be the quickest bowler on show this series – but it will also help England overcome a couple of issues of their own making. The request for “fast” and “flat” pitches has not come to fruition, and 2023’s offering from Dukes is only marginally better than last year’s ball. If Headingley is uncharacteristically sleepy, a player responsible for the fastest spells ever bowled by an Englishman could wake it up.Mark Wood is back to add extra firepower to England’s line-up•Getty Images”To replace someone who performed so well with someone like Mark Wood is a big positive for us,” Stokes said, after Tongue’s spirited five-wicket display at Lord’s. “And yeah, we’ve all seen the tactics that both teams actually went to. So having Woody in our bowling attack this week, if we feel like we have to go to that tactic again is obviously a big bonus for us.”Tonguey was bowling high 80s last week, so to have someone who can bowl high 90s is pretty exciting. I think as well with that, you know what, Woody’s not just an out-and-out bloke who runs in and tries to hit people. He is a very skilful bowler as well. So I’m excited that we’ve got Woody in a place where he’s able to walk onto the field and play part of the summer.”The last time Wood played an Ashes Test at home, he helped secure the urn, claiming the final wicket of the fourth Test at Trent Bridge in 2015 en route to a 3-2 series win. England need nothing less than that scoreline right now.

Batter used a short boundary on one side to score half of his runs, with either reverse or switch shots

Sidharth Monga27-Sep-20212:07

Harshal Patel on hat-trick: It will take some time to sink in

On a night when both innings turned around on spin, it really came down to the efficiency of hitting against spinners. The eight overs faced by Royal Challengers Bangalore went for just 60 runs but with just one wicket. Mumbai lost five wickets for 34 runs to eight overs of spin in response. To the naked eye, and according to the participants, there didn’t seem to be much grip in the surface, but the spinners and Harshal Patel, who relies a lot on the slower balls, thrived.Related

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The two teams’ approach to playing spin then was interesting, and eventually, decisive. According to ESPNcricinfo’s logs, Royal Challengers attacked just seven balls of spin. Virat Kohli, who had got off to a quick start, hitting three sixes inside the first five overs, went at under a run a ball against spin, attacking just one ball from them. At the time, it looked like a spell of ceasefire that handed the advantage back to Mumbai.In response, Mumbai played the way they do, backing their attacking instincts. They went after 20 out of the 48 balls they faced from the spinners. On most occasions, that is the right approach to batting in T20 cricket because you have 10 wickets in hand over 20 overs. More so in this case as Mumbai had got off to a superb start. It felt like the right approach on the night, irrespective of the result.Maxwell scored at 8.76 runs an over against spin with just three attacking shots in 13 balls•BCCIHowever, Royal Challengers might tell you they read the conditions better: not aiming too high and getting a total that kept them in the game before they exploited the pitch with their slower bowlers.What goes against this line of thinking is that they got to that competitive total through a freak innings. Glenn Maxwell had the best night against spin, scoring at 8.76 an over while playing only three attacking shots in 13 balls. All three were switch hits, two of them hit clean for sixes. Team-mate Harshal Patel, who later took a hat-trick, has seen him a lot in the nets but has never seen Maxwell play any reverse shots.Watch the IPL on ESPN+

Sign up for ESPN+ and catch all the action from the IPL live in the US. Match highlights of Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Mumbai Indians is available here in English, and here in Hindi (US only).

“I have not seen him play those shots in training,” Harshal said in the post-match press conference. “He is one of the most gifted batters I have seen in current cricket. He can do that out of the blue right into the game. Him and AB [de Villiers] are two guys who can bring that sort of skill level into the game without even practising those shots. So no I have not seen him practise those shots, but he does execute them really well under pressure.”Maxwell kept playing the reverse shots against pace too, hitting Adam Milne over short third man for two fours and a six. In all Maxwell scored 28 of his 56 runs with either reverse or switch shots. The reason Maxwell went for so many of those shots was the short boundary on one side, and interestingly, the slowness of the surface, which allowed him time to better line up deliveries.”Yeah it is something I suppose I have worked on a lot over the years,” Maxwell told Star Sports. “And it has become a really good strength for me. I suppose with that short side, I was trying to target that as much as I can. The wicket being a touch on the slower side, I felt I could wait for it, hopefully get under it and cash in with the wind going that way as well.”So Maxwell might not have done it on the team’s time, but it takes a lot of practice to find the level of confidence with these shots that you use them in a match. On another night, one of these – still a high-risk attempt – might have resulted in a wicket, and we would be talking of Royal Challengers’ go-slow against spin. Not on this night, though, because Maxwell executed these highly difficult shots with precision to get them to a total big enough that their spinners could exert some pressure on Mumbai.

Tottenham Hotspur are poised to be without a big name for their crucial North London derby clash against Arsenal on November 23, with the player’s return from injury up in the air.

Spurs take on Mikel Arteta’s Premier League title frontrunners in a mouth-watering clash at the Emirates Stadium following the conclusion of this latest international break, and the stakes are high for both sides.

Thomas Frank is attempting to guide the Lilywhites to a top four finish and build upon Ange Postecoglou’s final season in charge with another piece of major silverware, but concerns have surrounded their general creativity in open play and plethora of key absentees.

While Arsenal have also struggled to keep their star attackers fit this campaign, with Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli, Noni Madueke, Martin Odegaard and Viktor Gyokeres all racing to be fit for Tottenham, Frank’s extensive injury list is much longer.

Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison are among the forwards who’ve been absent with serious injuries, and the latter is not expected to return until midway through 2026.

Summer signing Randal Kolo Muani was the latest to be sidelined after fracturing his jaw in their 2-2 draw with Man United last weekend. While the Frenchman, who only just returned to full fitness after a dead leg, won’t require surgery, it remains to be seen how long he’ll be out for or if he’ll be able to wear a mask and play against Arsenal.

Star winger Mohammed Kudus was ‘touch and go’ to face Man United and ultimately left out by Frank, with the 25-year-old also not selected for Ghana’s upcoming friendlies against Japan and South Korea.

There is every chance that Kudus, who’s stood out as their most in-form attacker this term, will recover from his knock in time to play against Arsenal, but the same cannot be said for striker Dominic Solanke.

Tottenham poised to be without Dominic Solanke for North London derby

The Englishman has yet to start a competitive game since Frank’s arrival at the club, playing just 49 minutes in total across all competitions, and his once minor ankle issue is taking a while to fully recover from.

Solanke was forced to undergo small surgery on his ankle problem and the initial prognosis was that he’d be back fairly soon. However, the 28-year-old still hasn’t played a single minute since Tottenham’s 2-0 win away to Man City right at the start of the season.

Recently, when asked if Solanke would be back on the field before the end of 2025, Frank’s response wasn’t that convincing at all.

Standard Sport have now reported that Solanke returning from injury to face Arsenal is looking “unlikely”, and they could even welcome back defender Radu Dragusin before him.

The Romanian is set to feature in a behind-closed-doors friendly during the international break, which will be his first piece of action since rupturing his ACL back in January. Some reports suggest that Tottenham could even sell Solanke when the window reopens, with Frank viewing the forward as “expendable” amid repeated links to former Brentford star Ivan Toney.

Right now, Frank has just Mathys Tel, who can’t participate in the Champions League after being left out of their 22-man squad, and Richarlison to select from as their readily available striker options.

If injury were to befall Richarlison, like it did for large periods of last season, Frank would be in serious trouble.

Solanke finished 24/25 as the club’s second top scorer behind Brennan Johnson, and they’ve missed both his poacher’s instinct and general link-up play.

A bowling blitz from allrounder Ash Gardner powered Sydney Sixers to an 11-run win that snaps Hobart Hurricanes’ undefeated start to the WBBL.Her side chasing 148 for victory, Elyse Villani helped Hurricanes overcome some middle-order wobbles and take control at Bellerive Oval. The hosts required 19 runs from the last three overs with four wickets in hand.Related

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Gardner had been expensive, going at 1 for 34 across her first three overs, but was thrown the ball with Saturday’s game hanging in the balance.The Sixers captain dispatched of Hayley Silver-Holmes as she attempted an audacious sweep shot before also collecting Molly Strano’s stumps as she attempted a hero shot of her own on the next delivery.Lauren Smith mistimed Gardner’s last ball of the over and picked out Sophia Dunkley at extra cover, leaving Hurricanes with only No. 11 Linsey Smith to partner Villani.When Smith skied to midwicket off Lauren Cheatle, Hurricanes were all out on 136 and left to wonder how the game had slipped so quickly out of their hands.The victory ended Hurricanes’ winning streak on five – their equal-longest in WBBL history – and helped Sixers bounce back from a disastrous 111-run loss in a rain-affected last start against Melbourne Stars.Earlier, the summer’s leading wicket-taker Heather Graham came up with WBBL career-best figures to help consign the Sixers to 147 for 9 at the close of their innings.That was no mean feat after the visitors won the toss and looked in command during a 75-run opening stand between Dunkley and Ellyse Perry.Dunkley notched her second half-century of the summer after surviving a scare on 7, the third umpire ruling her bat came down in time to thwart Lizelle Lee’s stumping effort.But Sixers’ innings never hit the same heights after Dunkley lobbed Graham’s slower ball out to Rachel Trenaman at long on.Only Gardner joined Perry and Dunkley in passing 50 as the Sixers lost 4 for 6 to finish their innings with Graham on song. Graham had her four-fer by collecting Erin Burns’ stumps as the veteran stepped back and mistimed her shot.

Manchester United have been in tremendous form over the last couple of months, only losing one of their last nine outings across all competitions in 2025/26.

Some of their good form will no doubt be down to the impacts of Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo, with both players massively starring in the Premier League under Ruben Amorim.

The former of the pair has already netted six goals and one assist in England’s top-flight, with his tally of goals the highest of any player in the first-team squad.

As for the Ivorian, he’s netted one goal and two assists to date, often offering the Red Devils a real creative presence down the right-hand side from a wing-back role.

However, the manager will be unable to rely upon either of the aforementioned pair for the next few weeks, with both of the players set to link up with their respective nations for the competition.

The games Mbeumo & Amad could miss at AFCON

The African Cup of Nations is a tournament that has caused constant disruption for many clubs over the years, with United set to suffer with the upcoming competition.

The competition is set to last from the 21st of December until the 18th of January, which could see Mbeumo and Amad miss up to seven games should both teams reach the final.

Amorim stated in his press conference yesterday that he’s unsure if either of the two will be available to play against Bournemouth on Monday – which could take their games missed tally to eight.

During the competition, United have six Premier League matches to contend with, whilst also facing Brighton & Hove Albion in the third round of the FA Cup.

The biggest game that the manager will have to deal with their absence is the clash with local rivals Manchester City on the 17th of January, but both could be back should they suffer a group stage exit.

The competition’s group stage will conclude on the 31st of December, which will certainly see the pair miss matches against Aston Villa, Newcastle United and Wolves.

However, the first opportunity to have the player back would come on the 4th of January, which could see the pair star in the clash with Leeds United at Elland Road.

The player who could solve the Amad and Mbeumo issue

In the 2025/26 campaign to date, the pairing of Amad and Mbeumo have frequently featured together down the right-hand side and have formed an excellent partnership with one another.

Their tally of 10 combined goals and assists to date is 38% of the team’s total to date, which highlights the issue Amorim has on his hands to replace the aforementioned duo.

Players like Mason Mount, Kobbie Mainoo, and Joshua Zirkzee will no doubt be chomping at the bit to force themselves into the starting eleven, but Amorim could decide to delve into the market.

Even though the window is yet to open, the Red Devils have already been linked with a whole host of players – including Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo.

The Ghanaian international has thrived in the Premier League this campaign, already netting six times and registering three assists in his first 14 games.

Unlike Mbeuno and Amad, he won’t be going to AFCON this year, which presents a perfect opportunity for Amorim’s side to make a move for his signature.

It’s been reported that he has a £65m release clause which becomes active on the 1st of January, but can only be triggered for a ten-day period at the start of the window.

United should be all over such a move, with the Cherries star, who’s been dubbed “the best winger in the country” by Chris Waddle, having the tools needed to fill the void at Old Trafford.

He’s already registered 1.4 shots on target per 90 this campaign, with such a tally ranking him in the top 4% of all players in the division – subsequently offering the goal threat that will be missed by Mbeumo.

Games played

14

Goals & assists

9

Shot on target accuracy

52%

Progressive carries

3.5

Progressive passes

3.7

Take-ons completed

1.5

Take-on success

53%

Crosses completed

1.7

Aerials won

2.3

Semenyo has also created 1.3 chances per 90 this campaign, whilst completing 1.5 successful dribbles per 90 – numbers which could allow him to fill Amad’s void.

The forward is capable of operating in a number ten or wing-back role if needed, something which could make him extremely useful to Amorim over the next few weeks.

He’s become one of the most sought-after talents in the division, with the hierarchy needing to move swiftly to complete a deal and hand the manager the assets needed to soften the blow created by AFCON.

Man Utd gem could be "the world's best", but he's becoming the new Mainoo

Manchester United have one star in their ranks who could suffer the same fate as Kobbie Mainoo.

ByEthan Lamb 3 days ago

Ruben Amorim has now spent a little over a year in charge as Manchester United manager, but his spell at Old Trafford has been one that has presented constant questions.

The main one has undoubtedly been around his 3-4-2-1 system, with the 40-year-old utilising such a formation in each and every one of his games in charge of the Red Devils.

It’s led the side to numerous impressive victories, including one at Anfield this campaign, something no manager has managed to achieve in nearly a decade prior to his appointment.

However, it’s also led to concerns among the fanbase, especially when his men lost 1-0 to Everton in the Premier League last month, despite the visitors being down to ten for the majority of the contest.

Only a specific calibre of player can fit into Amorim’s system at the Theatre of Dreams, as seen by their attempts to solve numerous problem positions ahead of January.

Man Utd looking to sign new wing-back

Over the last few weeks, United have been just one Premier League side named with a huge interest in landing Nottingham Forest star Elliot Anderson in the January window.

However, such a deal would cost INEOS a pretty penny in the months ahead, with Sean Dyche’s men currently demanding a fee in the region of £100m for his services.

Amorim’s men could miss out on the 23-year-old in the near future, especially after rivals Manchester City stormed into the race to land the England international this week.

However, he’s not the only young talent in their sights ahead of the upcoming window, with left-back Nathaniel Brown another talent being considered by the hierarchy.

According to Sky Sports Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg, the Red Devils are keeping tabs on the progress of the Eintracht Frankfurt full-back, with a €70m (£61m) price tag being mooted.

Despite the interest from Amorim’s men, they’re not alone in the hunt for the 22-year-old’s signature, as Bayern Munich and Real Madrid also look to land the German international.

Analyst Spencer Mossman claimed back in May that he is “1-2 years away from being the most coveted left back” around but based on the fact that plenty of Europe’s heavyweights want him now, there is a sense that Mossman’s prediction is coming true just seven months later.

How Brown compares to Patrick Dorgu

Spending big money on full-backs hasn’t been alien to United over the last couple of seasons, as seen by their £30m move to land Patrick Dorgu in January this year.

The Dane became Amorim’s first major addition since taking the reins, with the 21-year-old identified as the immediate and long-term solution to the left-back issue.

However, as previously mentioned, Amorim’s system requires players to be tactically skilled, something which the youngster has struggled with over the last couple of months.

He was brought on with just a minute to go against Crystal Palace last weekend, with the manager opting to utilise right-back Diogo Dalot in a somewhat unfamiliar role.

Dorgu’s tally of just seven league starts in 2025/26 further highlights the lack of trust shown in him by the manager, which has no doubt led to the recent rumours ahead of January.

Brown, who’s only a year older than the Dane, has already demonstrated his quality at both ends of the pitch, that’s despite operating in a back four in the Bundesliga.

However, he’s still managed to outperform the United man in numerous key areas, with his skillset arguably being perfect for the manager’s philosophy at Old Trafford.

Brown, who’s been dubbed a “galactico” by one analyst, has completed more progressive carries and passes per 90, often liking to get the ball into attacking areas.

Such tallies will no doubt be perfect in a more advanced wing-back role, which could allow Brown to take his career to the next level if he moves to Old Trafford.

Games played

12

12

Goals & assists

3

1

Progressive carries

3.3

2.8

Progressive passes

2.7

1.1

Pass accuracy

82%

69%

Passes into final third

2.2

0.7

Tackles made

2.4

2.1

Blocks made

1.5

1

Take-on success

38%

12%

However, despite currently featuring in a back-four, the German has also completed more of the take-ons he’s attempted, whilst making more passes into the final third per 90.

The youngster’s creativity is certainly one of his best assets, but he’s also managed to dominate Dorgu without the ball during the early stages of the 2025/26 campaign.

The Frankfurt star has won more tackles, whilst also making more blocks per 90 – subsequently handing Amorim’s side the added defensive quality they’ve lacked in the left-back department.

Whilst £52m would be yet another hefty investment from INEOS, it’s a deal that could no doubt solve the glaring issue in such an area for the foreseeable future at Old Trafford.

As for Dorgu, the deal could certainly cast doubt over his long-term future at the club, with the hierarchy potentially wanting to cash in on his services to avoid losing a fortune on their investment.

Man Utd looking to sign £100m Casemiro upgrade who's "as good as Bellingham"

Manchester United could push to sign this wantaway superstar in 2026.

ByAngus Sinclair Dec 1, 2025

Blake Snell unsurprisingly had a number of teams interested in him when he entered free agency after the 2024 season. What was surprising was that none of those teams were the San Francisco Giants, who Snell played for in 2024.

“The Giants didn’t even talk to me. It was surprising—I thought they really liked me," Snell said, via Susan Slusser of the .

Snell said that he didn't even hear back from Giants manager Bob Melvin, his manager on both the San Diego Padres and Giants, despite their close relationship.

“I know Bob loves me, and I’m really close with Logan and Chappy," Snell said, via Slusser. "So I was shocked. I thought they’d come after me right away. I really liked it there. I was happy there. But they never even said anything to me.

“I texted Bob and he didn’t reply, and Bob always replies to me, so I kind of had a feeling," he added. "But it was weird, especially with all the other teams that were interested in me. … There were a lot of teams after me. I just thought it was weird the Giants weren’t one.”

Snell did have a strong season with the Giants, too, particularly during the second half of the year. The two-time Cy Young award winner posted a 1.23 ERA over his final 14 starts of the season, and also recorded a no-hitter on Aug. 2 against the Cincinnati Reds. Overall, he finished the 2024 season with a 5-3 record, 3.12 ERA and 145 strikeouts over 20 starts.

Still, the Giants opted not to pursue bringing Snell back, and he instead signed a five-year, $182 million contract with the reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

Though Snell might have felt snubbed by the Giants not pursuing him, he has sounded excited about joining the Dodgers.

"It was really easy, just because me and [partner] Haeley wanted to live here," Snell said of the Dodgers in December, via ESPN's Alden Gonzalez. "It's something we've been talking about for a while. And when you look at the team, you look at what they've built, what they're doing, it's just something you want to be a part of."

Don't look now, but the New York Mets are just two wins away from the NLCS. Yes, the same Mets that started the year 0-5. The same Mets that were, at one point, 17.5 games back. On Saturday, New York took the first game of the NLDS from the Philadelphia Phillies, going from a low of 21.8 percent win probability (per ESPN) to a 6-2 victory thanks in large part to a five-run eighth inning.

The Mets had to do plenty to make it into the postseason. They had to win one of their final two games (in doubleheader format) on the final day of the season to make it in, but that was crawling out of that massive deficit. Along the way, they were the good vibes ship captains with McDonald's mascot Grimace becoming a key icon and a latin pop hit from one of its players, Jose Iglesias, becoming their anthem.

But, with how hard they had to claw to get here, shouldn't they slow soon? The magic is entertaining, but it has to wear off sometime, right?

Brandon Nimmo doesn't think so. The Mets outfielder was asked on MLB Network if the team is tiring:

"I don't think you can be tired in the playoffs and with this atmosphere. We've been on the road for two weeks now, we've had some amazing games. I think I've played two or three of the best games of my career and they've been within a week span."

Nimmo continued, insisting this is what it's all about:

"This is what we play for. This is what we do that 162-[game] grind for. When you're standing on the line before a game and there's 50,000 people waving their towels and you've got the Red October, it's just like you dream when you're a kid. And you've got all that emotion and adrenaline going, I just don't think you can be tired."

It's perhaps fear-inducing, considering the Phillies have created one of the best home field advantages in baseball the last several years, to hear that the raucous, loud Philly crowd is essentially what's giving the visiting Mets extra life.

England have it all to do after Shubman Gill’s historic double-hundred gave India a mammoth 587

Matt Roller03-Jul-2025

Shubman Gill walks off to applause from the Edgbaston faithful•Getty Images

India’s new-ball bowlers picked off England’s top three with the same ease with which Shubman Gill ticked off records during his maiden Test double-hundred to take control of the second Test. This was a near-perfect day for India’s captain: Gill cruised to 269 before offering his first genuine chance, then snaffled a blinder at third slip to prompt England’s slump to 25 for 3.Gill made clear at the toss that he supported India’s decision to reinforce their lower-order batting after two collapses at Headingley, and it has paid off so far. He added 203 for the sixth wicket with Ravindra Jadeja, then 144 more for the seventh wicket with Washington Sundar, turning 211 for 5 into the highest total that England have conceded in the Stokes-McCullum era.Related

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Gill personified class and composure. He milked Shoaib Bashir for singles with the ease of a father teaching his son a lesson in the back garden, caressed back-to-back boundaries off Brydon Carse through wide mid-on and cover, and treated Harry Brook’s medium pace with utter disdain as he swept landmarks aside.He started England’s innings off the field after his 387-ball epic, and then took a spectacular catch four balls after walking back on. Akash Deep, India’s replacement for Jasprit Bumrah, cramped Ben Duckett for room from around the wicket and induced a thick outside edge; Gill flung himself acrobatically to his left and clung onto the chance, sending last week’s fourth-innings centurion crashing back to earth.Akash Deep struck again with his next ball, a full outswinger that Ollie Pope optimistically tried to whip leg side. His outside edge flew to KL Rahul at second slip, who parried the chance up to himself and grabbed it at the second attempt; Pope said after his first-innings century in Leeds that he was determined to avoid a familiar tail-off as the series wears on but has now failed twice since.India were rampant and soon had a third when Mohammed Siraj, who bowled a faultless opening spell, had Zak Crawley edging to first slip. It was a textbook Crawley dismissal, pushing with hard hands – and no foot movement – at a ball which left him, which left Brook and Joe Root to pick up the pieces: after 151 overs in the field, England were still 362 short of the follow-on mark.While Root was watchful, Brook sensed an opportunity to take the pressure off himself – and to get rid of some close catchers. After surviving an umpire’s call lbw shout – with Sharfuddoula consistent across both innings – Brook charged Siraj, flat-batting him through extra cover before launching him for six down the ground. He made it through to stumps, the deficit still 510.But a 52-run stand could not take the shine off Gill’s day. It is increasingly hard to fathom that he averaged barely 35 in Tests before this tour: he has led by example in his first series as captain and already looks ensconced in his new role at No. 4. Chief among his records were the highest score by an India men’s captain, and the highest score by any India batter in England.He was brilliantly supported by India’s two spin-bowling allrounders. Jadeja was the aggressor at the start of the day, slapping Ben Stokes through the off side for back-to-back boundaries. The pair exchanged words about Jadeja’s habit of taking two strides down the pitch before deciding whether to attempt a run or not, and both were warned off the danger area by umpires.1:39

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Jadeja fell shortly before lunch, gloving Josh Tongue’s short ball down the leg side for 89, and Washington struggled early against the bumper barrage. But he decided to take Tongue on after lunch, pulling him over long leg for six, and otherwise held up one end while Gill dominated the scoring.Stokes opted to preserve Chris Woakes’ body, and his own: neither man bowled an over after their initial bursts which started the day, with Bashir relied upon to hold up an end as Tongue, Brydon Carse and Brook rotated from the other. It took Root, curiously under-bowled, to break the partnership, ripping an offbreak past Washington’s outside edge and into middle stump.Gill fell shortly after tea, mistiming a pull straight to square leg: it was the first genuine chance he had offered, after a half-hearted lbw shout on the first evening and an outside edge past second slip in Woakes’ early burst on the second day. Bashir was handed the final two wickets on a platter: Akash Deep holed out to long-on and Siraj walked past a carrom ball to be stumped.India’s selection plan is halfway to working: Gill explained that Washington’s selection ahead of Kuldeep Yadav owed to the extra batting he provided, and he played a major role in helping India add a national-record 372 runs for the last five wickets. The second half relies upon them taking 20 England wickets with the resources available: after three early strikes, so far, so good.

Everton have made a terrific start to the campaign and could now look to bring a talented La Masia graduate to Merseyside after his recent run of impressive performances.

Everton renew Jordan Pickford terms

Most people on the blue half of Merseyside wouldn’t disagree with the statement that Jordan Pickford has been Everton’s most influential player over the last few years, and he is now set to sign a new long-term contract that will likely see him end his career at the club.

Delivering details of his extension, Sky Sports reporter Phil Dorsett wrote on X: “Jordan Pickford will sign an improved four-year contract with EFC when he returns from #england duty. Brilliant servant for club and country. He surpassed Gordon Banks’ record of eight consecutive clean sheets for England in the 3-0 win over Wales.”

Currently Everton’s highest paid permanent player with a weekly wage of £125,000 per week, Pickford will be likely to earn a major increase on that salary and nobody can argue that it hasn’t been deserved.

Putting that to one side, the Toffees face a difficult challenge against an in-form Manchester City side this weekend at the Etihad Stdium, albeit David Moyes will fancy their chances of claiming something against Pep Guardiola’s men.

Ultimately, there is a steely resilience surrounding Everton that has been mixed with a unique blend of attacking talent, with Jack Grealish leading the charge on a weekly basis alongside the likes of Iliman Ndiaye.

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Nevertheless, you can never have too many good technicians within your ranks, and supporters of the Blues will be delighted to hear about their latest interest in a proven international.

Everton want to sign Ansu Fati

According to reports in Spain, Everton are keen on signing Barcelona loanee Ansu Fati, who is currently enjoying an encouraging start to his spell at AS Monaco.

Six goals in his first five games for the club, equating to an effort converted every 32 minutes, has brought about further interest in his services from the likes of Crystal Palace and Newcastle United.

Five similar players to Ansu Fati (FBRef)

Luis Diaz

Bayern Munich

Leroy Sane

Galatasaray

Oihan Sancet

Athletic Club

Jamal Musiala

Bayern Munich

Fermin Lopez

Barcelona

Intriguingly, Monaco have a chance to sign him permanently for just £9.5 million. Meanwhile, Barcelona can exercise a buyback clause for just over £24 million.

Keen to get ahead of the curve, Everton may be banking on the Ligue 1 outfit looking to trigger a quick sale for a profit amid his availability to Monaco for a low fee.

The player will likely have the deciding say on his future, and interest from Premier League clubs is something that could be weighed up as an alternative to a permanent move to his loan club or returning to Barcelona upon the conclusion of his spell at Stade Louis II.