On a hard-fought day at the SCG, Victoria fought back strongly after Starc had made major inroads

Andrew McGlashan10-Nov-2025Mitchell Starc revealed he has been working on ironing out some technical issues ahead of the Ashes as he warmed up for the Test series with some hostile bowling on the opening day against Victoria at the SCG.Starc ended the opening day with 4 for 91 from 18 overs, including a particularly rapid spell after lunch, but New South Wales paid the price for dropping Peter Handscomb before he had scored as he forged an impressive century to leave the visitors handily placed on a hard-fought day.”[I’ve been] working on a few things, getting that rhythm back,” Starc said. “Probably my longest layoff injury-free for a long time so trying to find that rhythm through the ODIs [against India]. Just felt like something wasn’t quite clicking there and it felt pretty close today. So, yeah, reasonably happy.Related

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“I tend to be someone [for] who continuous bowling keeps me in rhythm. It was a quick return to playing…I wasn’t going into the ODI series thinking I was cherry ripe.”Starc, who had asked for side-by-side footage of his most recent Test spell in Jamaica where he took 6 for 9 and the ODI in Adelaide to try and see if he could pick out an issues, added he had spoken to Australia coach Andrew McDonald after play to say he felt close to finding his best form again.”I think I’ve sorted it out. It’s just getting the engine going again,” he said. “I couldn’t really pick up too much in the action [from the footage]. I felt like I was pretty close and today I feel like I’m even closer.”Starc, playing just his fourth match since the West Indies tour, struck twice in quick succession after lunch to leave Victoria wobbling on 106 for 4. But Sam Harper, who counterattacked with a 40-ball 54 which included taking 22 off five balls against Starc, added 92 with Handscomb. Then Fergus O’Neill, whose batting has flourished this season, helped put together 84 with Handscomb for the sixth wicket.Shortly after coming to the crease Handscomb edged Josh Hazlewood low to first slip where Jack Edwards, who handed the NSW captaincy to Steven Smith for this match, spilled a regulation catch. Handscomb made it count, reaching his second Shield century of the season from 208 balls with a drive down the ground against Hazlewood. Shortly after, he fell to a Nathan Lyon delivery with a relatively new ball which slid past the outside edge.”Nice to come out here and face such a quality attack,” Handscomb said. “To score runs is always nice, but to do it against those boys was special for me.”Starc provided New South Wales with their first wicket of the day when he trapped Harry Dixon with a searing yorker. Then after lunch he was involved in an engrossing contest with Campbell Kellaway, the 23-year-old opener who is establishing himself as one of the most promising among Australia’s next generation, with the left-hander repeatedly having to sway out of the line of well-directed bouncers.Peter Handscomb celebrates his century•Getty ImagesHowever, one short ball Kellaway couldn’t avoid slammed him on the left hand causing significant pain and a lengthy delay. But he was able to resume and brought up a 96-ball fifty before gloving Starc down the leg side. It was a clear deflection and Kellaway began to walk but then stopped leaving the umpire to raise his finger.”Old Starcy fired up a bit there and got the ball whizzing through, which with the summer of cricket coming up, it’s exciting to see,” Handscomb said. “[It was] amazing from Campbell. You take a few body blows, a few finger blows, it’s never nice.”For him just to knuckle down and keep fighting and keep trying to just focus on the next ball, sticking to his process and putting everything else out of his mind was a class act. Sort of showing that he is going from strength to strength as a batter and doing some pretty amazing things at the top of the order in the Sheffield Shield, which is a tough ask.”Starc struck again at the start of his next over when Ollie Peake slashed to gully where Kurtis Patterson took an excellent catch. His figures took a dent after tea as Harper began the session in dramatic fashion with two fours and two sixes. It included a huge hook which lost the ball in the stands, in the process racing to a 38-ball fifty, before picking out deep square leg when he couldn’t resist having another dip.Among other members of Australia’s Test attack, Hazlewood ended wicketless after seeing the early opportunity against Handscomb go begging but again looked in excellent rhythm as he had during the recent white-ball matches against India.Lyon had struck in the morning session when he had Marcus Harris caught at short leg off an inside edge. He finished with 2 for 65 from 21 overs. Sean Abbott, one of the reserve quicks for Perth, initially went at more than four an over but clawed things back and struck to remove O’Neill via an inside edge.Shortly after lunch, Will Salzmann was subbed out of the game with a hamstring injury under the trial being run by Cricket Australia for the first five rounds of the Shield season. He was replaced by Ryan Hicks. It was the second time NSW had made use of the rule after Abbott suffered a split webbing against Victoria in Melbourne.

Wolves' home ground Molineux was half-empty during the first half of their Premier League clash against Manchester United on Monday. Wolves have made a nightmare start to their 2025-26 campaign as they are yet to win a match in the Premier League after 15 games and are placed at rock bottom on the league table with only three points, as they stare at possible relegation.

Wolves fans turned up late for Man Utd clash

Wolves' famous fan group the Old Gold Pack (OGP) organised a protest where they encouraged fellow supporters not to enter Molineux for the first 15 minutes of their Premier League fixture against United on Monday evening. Some fans stayed outside the ground at kick-off as empty seats were spotted in the South Bank and parts of the North Bank. The protest was aimed at owners Fosun and club chairman Jeff Shi as the club struggle at the bottom of the Premier League table, with the possibility of relegation from the top flight growing more real every week.

AdvertisementAFPWolves fans protest explained

Speaking to , Kieran Newey from the OGP said: "We’ve arranged the 15-minute boycott because we care deeply about Wolves and feel the club’s leadership is ignoring key issues raised by fans. By missing the first 15 minutes, we’re sending a clear, peaceful message that fans want better for Wolves and won’t accept this continuing trend. It shows that supporters are united together and serious about wanting change. An empty stadium or empty seats, even for a short time, is a powerful visual that says we’re not being listened to, and we won’t just sit back and watch the club drift away any further than it already has. 

"We hope this makes the owners realise how much fans care, and sparks real dialogue. A lot of supporters don’t feel confident that Jeff Shi is the person to take this club forward. Our aim is for the owners and club to reconnect with the wider group of supporters, listen to our concerns, and restore the ambition and pride Wolves deserve."

He added: "It’s heartbreaking. Wolves means everything to us, and it hurts to have to do this just to feel like we’re being heard. We’re doing this because we care, and because we want to see our club competing, with a solid plan and leadership model for everyone who loves it."

Protest gaining traction

While the initial plan to protest came through OGP on social media, it was quickly backed by other Wolves supporters' groups like the Wolves 1877 Trust, Talking Wolves, Wolves Fancast, The Wolves Report, Wolves 77 Club, Always Wolves, Punjabi Wolves and The Wolfpack, who all released a joint statement, encouraging fans to take part.

The fan groups, however, conducted a peaceful protest and urged the masses gathered to remain respectful of those fans who wished to watch the game from kick-off.

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After a heartbreaking result against West Ham last weekend which saw United drop crucial two points after Soungoutou Magassa equalised for the Hammers in the 83rd minute. Ruben Amorim will now hope that his team walks away with all three points against the struggling Wolves side and move up in the league table.

Liverpool have taken decisive action in the wake of Mohamed Salah’s shock outburst against the club, with the Egyptian superstar set to be left out of the Reds’ Champions League squad for the trip to Inter. The Premier League title holders are due to face Italian opposition at San Siro on Tuesday, and will do so without their leading goal-scorer from the last eight seasons.

• Why has Salah been dropped by Liverpool?

  Salah has been named among the substitutes in Liverpool’s last three fixtures. He stepped off the bench in a home draw with Sunderland, but saw no game time as the Reds headed out on the road to West Ham and Leeds.

  It was in the wake of the trip to Elland Road, which delivered a dramatic 3-3 draw and more points dropped for Arne Slot’s side, that Salah opted to speak out and air his grievances in public. He accused his current employers of throwing him under the bus, believing he has become a scapegoat for the struggles being endured as a collective, and admitted to having no working relationship with his current head coach.

  He said: "I have done so much for this club down the years and especially last season. Now I'm sitting on the bench and I don't know why. It seems like the club has thrown me under the bus. That's how I am feeling. I think it is very clear that someone wanted me to get all of the blame." Salah added on his dealings with Slot: "I said many times before that I had a good relationship with the manager and all of a sudden, we don't have any relationship. I don't know why, but it seems to me, how I see it, that someone doesn't want me in the club."

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  Who made the decision to exclude Salah from Champions League squad?

  Plenty of criticism has come Salah’s way in the wake of his explosive comments, with many accusing the 33-year-old of allowing ego to get the better of him. He has suggested that past achievements should almost guarantee him a regular role with Liverpool.

  The two-time Premier League champion has, however, seen it made clear to him that everybody – regardless of their standing at Anfield – must earn their place in the team. Salah will be left to reflect on that stance when his team-mates line up against Inter. is reporting that the decision to leave Salah out of the Reds’ travelling party was made “by the board and Arne Slot”.

• Authority undermined: Why Slot had to make an example of Salah

  Dutch tactician Slot was under pressure to make an example of Salah, with it vital that he does not allow his authority to be undermined by one frustrated individual. He has responded to calls for action to be taken.

  The Egypt international did, however, take part in Liverpool’s training session on Monday. The Reds were put through their places ahead of boarding a plane to Italy. Salah will be left watching on from afar as his colleagues seek to deliver a positive response to the surprising 4-1 reversal they suffered at the hands of PSV in the club’s last European outing.

  While Salah is likely to be forced to sit out a crunch clash with Inter, claims that his exclusion is not considered to represent “disciplinary action” by those working behind the scenes on Merseyside.

  Instead the “step is viewed in isolation, rather than having a bearing on Salah’s possible selection going forward – including for Saturday’s Premier League game at home to Brighton & Hove Albion”. A home date with the Seagulls will be Liverpool’s last before Salah heads off on Africa Cup of Nations duty with Egypt.

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  January transfer: Liverpool's stance on Salah exit talk

  Salah has said, after accusing some of trying to force him out of Anfield, that he intends to bid farewell to Liverpool fans against Brighton. According to , the Reds are expecting him back.

  They are said to “remain fully committed to Salah and his contract, which runs through until 2027, while maintaining that the current situation is temporary and can still be turned around”. Despite future rumours being sparked, Liverpool are “not currently planning for the forward’s exit, nor making plans to use the January transfer window for possible replacements”.

The Detroit Tigers' mascot Paws tried to do his part to distract Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes as he was dealing on the bump at Comerica Park on Thursday. He threw six innings and tied a season-high with nine strikeouts, but will record yet another no decision after the Tigers tied the game after Skenes's exit.

The Pirates ace had it going though, amidst a clever, yet audacious distraction attempt from Paws behind home plate. Skenes makes up one half of debatably the most notable couple across sports with his girlfriend, former LSU gymnast Livvy Dunne.

As Skenes toed the rubber Thursday, Paws held a big sign that said "sup Livvy Dunne" adorned with hearts to try and get in the NL Cy Young favorite's head. A bold and pretty hilarious attempt. It turned out to be just a failed attempt as Skenes set Tigers' batters down on strikes left and right, giving up two earned runs in his six-inning outing.

Dunne quickly took notice and posted the perfect response to the Tigers' mascot.

"Sorry… not my type of tiger," the LSU alum wrote on her X account.

Skenes and Dunne recently made the trip to Omaha to cheer on their LSU Tigers in the men's College World Series. LSU is set to meet Coastal Carolina in the championship final round, which is a best-of-three series and begins Saturday.

In the Los Angeles Dodgers' lengthy, bicoastal history, designated hitter and pitcher Shohei Ohtani stands alone.

On an 0–2 count Tuesday against Milwaukee Brewers fireballer Jacob Misiorowski, Ohtani turned an 88 mph curveball into a 431-foot home run—his 31st home run of the season. That gave him the Dodgers' all-time record for home runs before the All-Star break.

The mark was previously held by first baseman and outfielder Cody Bellinger, who smashed 30 in the first half of 2019 on his way to a career year and the National League's MVP award.

Ohtani, who has played in 91 of his team's 93 contests so far, is on pace for 54 home runs on the dot—his exact total from 2024, which broke right fielder Shawn Green's 2001 franchise record of 49.

Los Angeles currently sits in first place in the National League West division—six games clear of the second-place San Francisco Giants.

So far, the Dodgers' $700 million investment is paying off handsomely.

أعلن الألماني هانز فليك المدير الفني لبرشلونة، تشكيل الفريق لمواجهة ريال بيتيس، في بطولة الدوري الإسباني، حيث يلتقي الفريقان مساء اليوم السبت.

ويحل برشلونة ضيفًا على ريال بيتيس في إطار مباريات الجولة السادسة عشر للدوري الإسباني “الليجا” على ملعب “لا كارتوخا”.

وتنطلق مباراة برشلونة وريال بيتيس، في تمام الساعة السابعة والنصف مساء اليوم السبت، بتوقيت القاهرة، الثامنة والنصف مساءً بتوقيت السعودية.

اقرأ أيضًا | مارك جويهي يحسم رغبته بشأن وجهته القادمة بين بايرن ميونخ وقطبي إسبانيا

ويتصدر برشلونة ترتيب الدوري الإسباني برصيد 37 نقطة، وريال بيتيس يأتي في المركز الخامس بـ25 نقطة.

وأجرى فليك تغييرات هجومية بتواجد ليفاندوفسكي ورافينها على مقاعد البدلاء، ودفع بفيران توريس وماركوس راشفورد أساسيان إلى جوار لامين يامال، وكذلك شهد تغييرات في خط الوسط، بتواجد روني باردجي أساسيًا. تشكيل برشلونة اليوم أمام ريال بيتيس 

حراسة المرمى: خوان جارسيا.

خط الدفاع: جول كوندي، باو كوبارسي، جيرارد مارتن، أليخاندرو بالدي.

خط الوسط: إريك جارسيا، بيدري، روني باردجي.

خط الهجوم: لامين يامال، فيران توريس، ماركوس راشفورد.

البدلاء: ليفاندوفسكي، رافينها، كريستينسن، فيرمين لوبيز، مارك كاسادو، فرينكي دي يونج، بيرنال، تشيزني، خوفري، درو، إيدير، تومي.

Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe committed two defensive errors during the team's 7-5 win over the Rays on Tuesday. Volpe has now made 15 errors this season, which is tied for the most in MLB.

Though Volpe's home run and two hits were crucial in the Yankees' win, he gave the Rays another chance with a poor throw to first base during the ninth inning. The 2023 Gold Glove winner has not played up to his previous defensive standard, and been a key part of the Yankees' overall struggles this season, a major concern as the team looks to return to the World Series in October.

Despite Volpe's woes, Yankees manager Aaron Boone is not planning to bench Volpe or sit him as a mental reset.

"Clearly, he's gone through some struggles here and in some key moments not made some plays," Boone said Wednesday. "I think Anthony's super tough, and I think he's wired for this. We think of slumps or struggles more offensively, it happens with even really good players on that side of the ball."

Boone continued, "My message to him is, 'You're really good at this.' And that's reality. He's a Gold Glove player, he makes plays that people can't make. He's a playmaker out there. He's made some mistakes on some balls that he needs to nail down, but it happens to guys at different points of their career. I believe his mental toughness and his wiring will get him through this, and we'lI all work right there with him to get through it too. I believe his best days are in front of him this year and beyond."

Volpe remains determined as well to turn around his performance defensively. “I’ve never really experienced something like this,” Volpe said Tuesday. “But I’ve got really good guys around me. I know what I’m capable of. It’s obviously frustrating, but it’s not discouraging. I know the standard I have for myself. I’m going to keep pushing until I prove it to myself every day."

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Tudo sobre

Diego CostaFutebol NacionalGrêmio

Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke will surely be pleased with how his side has adapted to Premier League football after their promotion from the Championship.

The last six teams to have come up from the second tier have all been relegated at the first time of asking, and the Whites, Sunderland, and Burnley are hoping to avoid making it nine from nine.

Leeds have racked up eight points in seven matches in the Premier League so far this season, lifting them above the relegation zone, in what has been an impressive start to the campaign.

They lost 2-1 to Tottenham Hotspur last time out in the top-flight at Elland Road, but they had a 2-2 draw with Bournemouth and a 3-1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers, which included a stunning goal from Anton Stach, prior to that.

The German central midfielder smashed his free-kick right into the top corner for his first goal for the club after his move from Hoffenheim in the summer window.

Another signing from the summer transfer window who has impressed since his arrival at Elland Road is exciting wide attacker Noah Okafor.

Where Noah Okafor ranks among Leeds United's attackers

It may not be unfair to suggest that the Switzerland international is the best and most effective attacker within Farke’s first-team squad in the Premier League this season.

Okafor, who was signed from AC Milan, has hit the ground running in English football with two goals in four starts in the Premier League, per Sofascore, which is twice as many goals as any other player in the team has managed.

He is the only Leeds player who has scored more than one goal this season in the top-flight, with his strikes against Wolves and Spurs, and that suggests that the forward is, at the very least, the most effective goalscorer in the attacking ranks.

As you can see in the table above, Okafor ranks either first or second in a host of key attacking metrics for the Whites in the Premier League, which speaks to how influential he has been at the top end of the pitch in the early stages of the campaign.

The Swiss speedster, who scored in the 2-1 defeat to Spurs last time out, is an electric dribbler who can score goals and create chances for his teammates, which makes him an invaluable part of Farke’s attack.

Despite that, Transfermarkt have Okafor as the 13th-most valuable member of the squad, at £11m, and the seventh-most valuable winger or striker, even below Jack Harrison at £12m.

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Another player who is worth even more than the Switzerland international, despite his impressive form in the Premier League, is central defender Pascal Struijk, whom the Whites have hit the jackpot with since his move to the club from Ajax.

Leeds have hit the jackpot with Pascal Struijk

The Dutch central defender joined the club at U21 level on a free transfer at the start of 2018, as his contract with Ajax was due to expire, and he was able to rise through the ranks at Thorp Arch.

Struijk made seven appearances for the U21 team before he emerged as a regular first-team squad member in the 2020/21 Premier League season under Marcelo Bielsa, playing 27 times, per Transfermarkt.

The left-footed star has since racked up 166 appearances for the first-team in all competitions for the West Yorkshire outfit, and has started all seven of the club’s league matches this season.

Struijk was particularly important to the club’s promotion to the Premier League last season, scoring five goals in 35 appearances, as he formed a reliable partnership with Joe Rodon.

The 26-year-old titan, who scored two late goals in a dramatic comeback against Sunderland, kept 14 clean sheets in 31 starts in the second tier last term, per Sofascore, which speaks to how defensively solid the team were with him in it.

Farke has kept his faith in both Rodon and Struijk, despite the signings of Jaka Bijol and Sebastiaan Bornauw, in the Premier League so far this season.

The German boss described him as a “crucial” player back in 2023, and he still relies on the Dutchman, even if his performances this term have not quite been up to scratch.

As you can see in the table above, Struijk currently ranks among the worst centre-backs in the division in a host of defensive statistics, which suggests that he needs to improve his performances if he wants to remain in the side.

Despite his slightly concerning form at this moment in time, the Dutch star is valued at a whopping £15.6m by Transfermarkt, which means that he is worth more than Okafor (£11m). He is also the joint-fourth most valuable player at the club, per Transfermarkt.

Considering that the Whites picked him up from Ajax’s academy and he started his career in England at U21 level, it is fair to say that Leeds hit the jackpot when they signed Struijk back in 2018.

He has developed into, at the very least, a Championship promotion-winning central defender, and one of the most valuable players in the squad at £15.6m.

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At the age of 26, Struijk also has plenty of time left ahead of him to increase in value, but he must first turn his Premier League form around and show that he is good enough to start week-in-week-out in a top-flight side that can avoid relegation.

Following the appointment of Danny Rohl, Rangers chief Andrew Cavenagh has already set his sights on some much-needed January upgrades at Ibrox.

Cavenagh admits early Rangers mistakes

It would be a major understatement to say that the 49ers’ haven’t had the best start at Rangers. The new owners have faced fan protest and are already on their second manager after deciding to sack Russell Martin just 123 days into his tenure. But they will hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel for their problems now that Rohl has arrived.

The 49ers have also faced up to their mistakes, with Cavenagh admitting publicly that things have not gone as they “envisioned” and that it is key to own their mistakes.

The Rangers chairman said: “When we came here, we said we wanted to do two things, sustain winning and winning sustainably.

“It has not gone as we envisioned, we knew it wouldn’t be easy, but we are incredibly committed to getting back to what everybody wants, which is winning football matches. When we get things wrong, the key is to recognise that, own it and improve and we are incredibly committed to that.

“It didn’t work out with Russell, I think he is a good person, he worked tirelessly in the role, he desperately wanted to win, and I wish him nothing but the best but, in the end, it didn’t work out. We recognised that and that is a big part of the reason that we have changed.”

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They’ve had their say…

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There may be more change on the way yet, with the chairman already setting his sights on two moves in the January transfer window.

Rohl already has Rangers transfer promise

Speaking to Sky Sports, Cavenagh set his sights on two Rangers moves this January amid an early promise to Rohl about reinforcements. The club chairman admitted that he still wants to add more experience and steel to the new manager’s side when the winter window swings open.

Despite already spending big to hand Martin plenty of changes, it looks as though the 49ers are ready to bite the bullet and return to the transfer market to make up for previous mistakes for Rohl this winter.