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.”

Vote for the best individual Border-Gavaskar Trophy performance by an Indian in Australia since 2000

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Nov-2024Update: This poll has ended. Rahul Dravid’s performance goes into the final. Check the other polls here.ESPNcricinfo LtdRahul Dravid celebrates a famous win at Adelaide Oval in 2003•AFP via Getty Images

Rahul Dravid – 233 and 72* in Adelaide, 2003

India win by four wickets, lead series 1-0Long before Rahul Dravid was immortalised for revealing that he too had the ability to yell his head off, he was immortalised for having the ability to yell his head off and also punch the air. The image of him doing so as he hit the winning runs in Adelaide almost 20 years ago is part of Indian cricket history. It was only the fourth time they had ever won a Test match in Australia – and their first victory since 1981 – and they had to come from behind to do it. From way behind, 556 runs to be exact. But Dravid kept whittling away at it, wearing Australia down not once but twice. Finally, after 12 and a half hours at the crease, scoring more runs than he has ever done or will ever do in a single Test, it made perfect sense that he would be there at the end, soaking in the Adelaide sunshine, teeth gritted, arms up high, the personification of triumph.Dravid’s heroics in that match gave India a 1-0 lead, in a series they went on to draw in Australia for the first time since 1985.Round of 16: Dravid’s 233 & 72* beat R Ashwin’s 3-57 & 3-92.Quarter-final: Dravid’s 233 & 72* beat Sachin Tendulkar’s 241* & 60*.By Alagappan MuthuWatch the highlights of these performances on the Star Sports network at 10am, 1pm, 4pm and 7pm IST, from November 5 onwards.

Jasprit Bumrah – 6-33 and 3-53 in Melbourne, 2018

India won by 137 runs, lead series 2-1India had won in Adelaide, lost in Perth, and knew Melbourne would be a hard slog on a slow surface where only 24 wickets had fallen in a drawn Ashes Test the previous year. Time was precious, particularly with rain forecast on days four and five, so they declared seven down with less than 450, recognising they had batted nearly 170 overs.Turns out you don’t need much time if you have a game-breaker who can take the pitch out of the equation. India bowled Australia out twice in 156.2 overs, with nine of their 20 wickets coming from Jasprit Bumrah’s irresistible blend of brain and biomechanical brawn. They wrapped up victory shortly after lunch on day five, with even a washed-out first session powerless to stop them.Bumrah’s first three wickets, all on day three, all from round the wicket to left-hand batters, showcased how dangerous he could be even with minimal swing, seam or pace off the deck. A pinpoint bouncer managed to both rush Marcus Harris and cramp him for room. An unstoppable yorker, with a hint of reverse, burst through Travis Head.In between came the last ball before lunch, a devious, 113kph change-up that would go on to define not just this spell but all of Bumrah’s remarkable career. Shaun Marsh’s movements, tuned to Bumrah’s regular 140 kph rhythm, were entirely out of step with this ball out of a slow-motion nightmare. Fixated on a front leg that moved too far across and far too early, it dipped late to miss the cue end of the bat and pinged the pad on the full, plumb in front.Round of 16: Bumrah’s 6-33 & 3-53 beat Cheteshwar Pujara’s 50 and 77.Quarter-final: Bumrah’s 6-33 & 3-53 beat Pujara’s 123 & 71.By Karthik Krishnaswamy

After being put into administration last week, Sheffield Wednesday have reportedly received first contacts from American billionaire John McEvoy.

Despite all the consequences that come with being put into administration, including a 12-point deduction, the mood has been relatively positive around Sheffield Wednesday. The era of Dejphon Chansiri has finally come to an end and fans flocked to the club shop in support of their side when the news emerged.

The future is finally looking up even if it does immediately start in League One next season and a number of potential owners have already emerged.

Kris Wigfield, joint administrator with insolvency firm Begbies Traynor provided an update about the Owls’ takeover on BBC Five Live’s Wake Up to Money programme.

Among those in the running to buy the club is McEvoy. According to The Telegraph, the American billionaire has asked questions about the club and is one of the early candidates that could yet complete a takeover.

Whilst everything is still at a very early stage, McEvoy is someone to keep an eye on. The interested candidate has made investments in baseball, ice-hockey and music in an impressive portfolio. Now, he could be on his way to Hillsborough.

Who is Sheffield Wednesday candidate John McEvoy?

So, who is McEvoy? Most will know him for his minority stakes in NHL side Nashville Predators and MLB side Colorado Rockies, but any music fans will also be well aware of Various Artists – a talent agency which manages the likes of Mel C and Tom Grennan.

Interestingly enough, that same talent agency manages Reverend and the Makers, who are fronted by famous Sheffield Wednesday fan John McClure – someone that McEvoy has reportedly already spoken to about buying the club.

Sheffield Wednesday administrator reveals "four or five" buyers and "criteria" they must meet

The Owls are rooted to the bottom of the Championship.

ByBen Goodwin Oct 27, 2025

This is also not the first time that the American has shown an interest in English football. In 2022, reports claimed that he was considering a bid for Coventry City and even attended a game before a takeover failed to materialise.

McEvoy made a large share of his billions from founding a San Diego-based mobile device distribution company and could now use those billions to welcome Sheffield Wednesday into a new era.

On paper, he ticks the box for experience in the world of sports investment and the credentials to avoid the same problems that Chansiri handed the Owls.

John Textor makes contact with Sheffield Wednesday

وجه فيرجيل فان دايك قائد ليفربول رسالة لجماهير الفريق بعد الخسارة الثقيلة أمام آيندهوفن برباعية لهدف واحد، على ملعب آنفيلد في دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وأكد المدافع الهولندي المخضرم أن فريقه لن يستسلم، وأن ليفربول سيسعى لقلب سلسلة هزائمه الكارثية التي بلغت تسع هزائم من أصل 12 مباراة خاضها الفريق.

ويستعد ليفربول لمواجهة وست هام يونايتد على ملعب لندن يوم الأحد في الدوري الانجليزي الممتاز، وقد اعترف فان دايك أن الفريق يمر بأصعب فترة في مسيرته.

أقرأ أيضاً.. وارنوك: محمد صلاح سيعود لحالته في ليفربول.. ولكن بشرط

وكتب فان دايك عبر “إنستجرام” في رسالة نشرتها صحيفة “ميرور” البريطانية: “نواجه واحدة من أصعب لحظات مسيرتنا”.

وأضاف: “لكننا نرفض أن نسمح لهذا بأن يحدد مسارنا، سننهض من هذه المحنة، أؤمن بهذا الفريق بكل ما أوتيت من قوة”.

واختتم فان دايك: “لن نستسلم، كل تحدي هو فرصة، علينا أن ننمو معاً وندعم بعضنا البعض ونظهر قوتنا، إلى الجماهير استمروا في دعمنا، كلنا بحاجة لبعضنا البعض أكثر من أي وقت مضى”.

Pitcher Steven Matz has reinvented himself in 2025—and the Boston Red Sox appear hopeful he can reinvent their bullpen.

The Red Sox are acquiring Matz from the St. Louis Cardinals for infielder Blaze Jordan, according to a Wednesday night report from ESPN's Jeff Passan.

Matz, 34, is in the first year of a shift to the bullpen after 10 years as a starter. That move has gone fairly well—in 32 games this season, he is 5-2 with a 3.44 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 55 innings pitched. His 2.88 FIP suggests he may be even better than his numbers let on.

Among most baseball fans, Matz remains best known for his stellar—albeit injury-marred—early years with the New York Mets. The Long Island native helped the Mets win the National League pennant in 2015, and went 9-8 in a very good rookie season in 2016.

He reportedly joins a Boston team clinging to the American League's second wild-card spot; it leads the Seattle Mariners by one game.

Celtic are considering appointing Nicky Hayen as their next manager and a new update has now emerged regarding their pursuit of the Belgian.

Hayen has been mentioned as one of the leading contenders to replace Brendan Rodgers at Parkhead, with the Northern Irishman departing last week. The 45-year-old has been very open about potentially leaving his role in charge of Brugge, hinting that he would be keen on coming in as the new Celtic boss.

Hayen is far from the only option for Celtic, however, with Martin O’Neill thought to be open to the idea of staying in charge of the Hoops for the remainder of the 2025/26 season, should the club’s owners like that idea.

The likes of Lee Carsley, Kieran McKenna and Damien Duff have all been linked with the job, too, as the Scottish Premiership champions look to nail their appointment and claw back the deficit on Hearts in the title race.

Celtic willing to offer Hayen big wages

According to Voetbal Nieuws [via Sport Witness], Celtic will try to “lure” Hayen away from Brugge with a high salary, and have knocked on his door. The Hoops are trying to use “money, prestige, and the lure of Glasgow” to bring him to Parkhead, with his current club hesitant to allow him to leave without receiving plenty of compensation.

It is easy to see why Hayen is a leading contender to be Celtic’s next manager, with the Belgian averaging 2.03 points per game across 80 matches in charge of Brugge. He also won the league title with them in 2023/24, and the Belgian Cup last season, showing that the Hoops would be bringing in a manager who knows how to win trophies.

Hayen’s preferred 4-2-3-1 formation isn’t dissimilar to Rodgers’ 4-3-3 system, meaning Celtic’s players shouldn’t find it too difficult to make the adjustment, and at 45, he is still a young manager who would bring vibrancy to Parkhead.

Postecoglou 2.0: Celtic looking at hiring "box-office" McKenna alternative

With Ange Postecoglou unlikely to return to Celtic, should the Hoops appoint a “box office” title-winning manager instead of Kieran McKenna?

Nov 1, 2025

There may be a temptation to give O’Neill the job until the end of the season, but if Hayen makes himself available very soon, he should be looked at as a great option.

Celtic are looking at hiring "box-office" alternative to Nicky Hayen

Maphaka, the highest wicket-taker of the T20I series, was added to the squad on Monday

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Aug-2025

South Africa pacer Kagiso Rabada was ruled out of action for the entirety of the three-match ODI series against Australia on the morning of the first ODI.Rabada, 30, underwent a scan on Monday, which confirmed the extent of his ankle injury. He will remain in Australia and undergo rehabilitation under the supervision of the South Africa medical staff. Kwena Maphaka, who was the highest wicket-taker in the T20I series that preceded the ODIs, has been added to the South Africa squad.Related

Rabada excited by the new generation of South African players

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Road to 2027: Questions for Australia and South Africa

With Rabada not available and Marco Jansen still recovering from surgery to his left thumb, the fast bowlers in the squad are Nandre Burger, Lungi Ngidi and Maphaka. They also have seam-bowling allrounders Corbin Bosch and Wiaan Mulder on the tour. Their spin options are Keshav Maharaj, Senuran Muthusamy and Prenelan Subrayen.The first of three ODIs is being played at the Cazaly’s Stadium in Cairns, after which the teams move to Mackay’s Great Barrier Reef Arena for the next two matches. Australia won the hard-fought T20I series 2-1.

Carlo Ancelotti has lifted the lid on why his final season at Real Madrid unravelled despite Kylian Mbappe’s blockbuster arrival. Speaking from Brazil, the legendary coach detailed the defensive crisis that derailed Los Blancos’ campaign and forced tactical improvisation in key moments as the campaign ended without a major trophy.

• Why Ancelotti believes his final Madrid season collapsed

  Ancelotti’s Madrid era ended far differently from how he imagined. After winning La Liga and the Champions league in 2024 and seeing Mbappe join an already star-studded squad featuring Vinícius Junior and Jude Bellingham, expectations were sky-high. Instead, the season ended in disappointment as they finished four points behind Barcelona in La Liga and they crashed out of the Champions League at the quarter-final stage, resulting in the Italian being replaced by Xabi Alonso.

  The veteran coach has now broken down what went wrong. Speaking to , he explained how an unprecedented defensive injury crisis forced Los Blancos out of their natural structure. With Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao sidelined with anterior cruciate ligament injuries and Antonio Rudiger playing through significant pain, Madrid lost the backbone that had powered their earlier success. Those problems triggered a domino effect across the pitch, reshaping rotations, shifting the midfield, and destabilising the rhythm of the team. Ancelotti says the collapse had far less to do with individuals leaving and far more to do with a team losing its defensive identity.

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  "We lost our entire starting defence" – Ancelotti breaks down the failure

  Ancelotti expanded on the real reasons behind Madrid’s drop-off, pointing directly to the defensive situation: “What happened was that we lost our entire starting defence. We lost Carvajal and Militao, and Rudiger played with a serious injury. Luckily, [Raul] Asensio came up from the youth academy and did very well. Let’s not forget that many times I had to play [Federico] Valverde at right-back and [Aurelian] Tchouameni at centre-back, which left the midfield with significant absences. We lost solidity at the back, and that cost us titles.”

  He pushed back on the idea that Toni Kroos’ departure destabilised the team, adding: “I don’t think it was because of Kroos, because we adapted to playing with [Eduardo] Camavinga, [Dani] Ceballos, Bellingham, Tchouameni, or Valverde. We have great midfielders, but finding another Kroos or [Luka] Modric is impossible.”

• Brazil beckoned after Madrid exit

  The 66-year-old ended up taking over as Brazil coach in the wake of his Madrid departure, an outcome he admits he never seriously imagined during his time in Spain.

  "Thinking about going to another club was difficult for me because of the legacy I had left here, which was huge," he said. "I found it hard to imagine myself at another club. But then Brazil called, and it became a great challenge, a great dream to prepare for a World Cup with the five-time champion team, the historic Selecao. Besides, being the national team coach is a different job. I really enjoy what I'm doing. I made the right decision.

  “At Real Madrid, I had brutal daily pressure… six press conferences a week. Brazil is also under pressure, but it’s a more relaxed job, more about observation than intervention. I don't have much time to train, but that was already the case at the clubs because of the demanding schedules. I try to learn every day about the current state of football in Brazil, the country's culture, everything. I live in Rio de Janeiro as much as possible. I really like the city. Now I'm not involved in the daily grind like before. There's time to observe calmly: the players, the structure of Brazilian football, with a very young Confederation president who wants to change things for the better. All of that is good."

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• Ancelotti aiming to get the best out of Vinicius

  The Brazil boss also discussed the challenge of helping Vinicius reproduce his Madrid form on the international stage, saying: "With the national team, he hasn't been able to reach the level he usually has at Real Madrid. But in these last few matches, he's improved and has done very well with Brazil, scoring goals and providing assists. Nobody can dispute his qualities. Vini is top-class."

  He also addressed Vini’s emotional outburst in El Clasico after being substituted by Alonso: "He simply made a mistake that day and needs to understand his new role at Real Madrid, a more important role in the dressing room than before. He made a mistake, he apologised, and he must learn from it. The coach has the right to make the changes he needs to improve the team."

MatériaMais Notícias

O Palmeiras entra em campo neste sábado (9), na Arena Barueri, quando recebe o Botafogo-SP, pela última rodada da fase de grupos do Paulistão 2024. Já classificado em primeiro lugar de seu grupo, o Verdão entra em campo para garantir pelo terceiro ano seguido, a melhor campanha da primeira fase do Estadual.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasCom Endrick pendurado, Abel tem dúvidas para escalar o Palmeiras diante do Botafogo-SPPalmeiras08/03/2024NotíciasAposte R$50 e ganhe mais de R$300 nas vitórias de Palmeiras, Santos, Internacional e FluminenseNotícias08/03/2024ListasQuem contratou melhor? Veja os reforços de Corinthians, Palmeiras, Santos e São PauloListas08/03/2024

➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

Em 2022 e 2023, o Palmeiras não perdeu nenhum jogo na fase de grupos do Estadual, acabou campeão, mas só não ficou com os títulos invictos, pois acabou perdendo o primeiro jogo da final, para São Paulo e Água Santa, respectivamente.

Agora em 2024, o clube tenta o tricampeonato paulista que seria inédito na era Palmeiras, que começou em 1942, e de forma invicta, que também seria algo inédito pro clube neste era moderna, uma vez que o último Paulista invicto do Verdão foi conquistado em 1972, mais de 50 anos atrás.

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Caso queira manter a invencibilidade que já duram 17 jogos e também ficar com a melhor campanha desta primeira fase do Paulista, basta um empate diante do Botafogo-SP, que já não briga mais por nada na competição.

O provável Palmeiras para encarar o Botafogo é: Weverton, Mayke, Luan, Murilo e Piquerez; Aníbal Moreno, Zé Rafael e Raphael Veiga; Lázaro (Richard Rios), Rony e Flaco López.

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➡️ Veja os grupos e datas dos confrontos no Paulistão

A bola rola para Palmeiras x Botafogo-SP a partir das 18h (horário de Brasília), na Arena Barueri, e o jogo terá transmissão do Paulistão Play e da Cazé TV.

While neither Abhimanyu nor Rahul put forward a strong case at the top, there were encouraging displays elsewhere

Alex Malcolm09-Nov-2024Related

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Batting issues loom over Australia with big five in focus

Abhimanyu EaswaranThe 29-year-old endured a difficult two games and did not help his cause for a Test debut in Perth despite coming to Australia in red-hot form. He returned scores of 7, 12, 0 and 17 in Mackay and Melbourne. He ran himself out in the second innings in Mackay, but his other dismissals would be of concern to India’s selectors. He was caught behind the wicket three times with the extra pace and bounce of Australia’s pitches causing issues, despite falling to three seamers who aren’t express pace or particularly tall. In Mackay, he edged Jordan Buckingham to the keeper trying to defend when caught on the crease. In the first over in Melbourne, he was squared up by a rising delivery from Michael Neser and caught in the gully off the shoulder of the bat. In the second innings he sliced a tentative drive to gully again off Nathan McAndrew. The manner of those dismissals won’t help his case to be Rohit Sharma’s replacement, should India’s captain not be available for the Perth Test, given Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc would be another step up in pace and bounce.ESPNcricinfo LtdKL RahulIt was a big ask for Rahul to step straight off the plane and perform without much preparation in Australia, although it wasn’t a problem for Jurel. To be fair to Rahul, he didn’t do a huge amount wrong in returning scores of 4 and 10 while opening on a difficult pitch at the MCG. In the first innings he nicked a beauty from Scott Boland that he could have easily missed. He had to play at a ball angled into off stump that seamed away enough to catch the edge. He looked comfortable against the quicks in the second innings compared to his team-mates, but fell in bizarre fashion to Corey Rocchiccioli’s offspin. Rocchiccioli’s first ball was an innocuous offbreak that Rahul thought was spinning down the leg side. He decided to let it go, it didn’t spin as much as he thought it might and it sneaked through the small gap between his thighs and ricocheted onto off stump. Australia A opener Marcus Harris noted that Rahul looked all class in his brief stays but whether it was enough to convince India’s selectors that he is the ideal Rohit replacement remains to be seen.Dhruv Jurel made fifties in both innings of the second unofficial Test at the MCG•AFPDhruv JurelJurel was the best batter on both sides in the second unofficial Test, and made a serious case to be selected as a specialist batter at some stage in the Test series if there are concerns about Sarfaraz Khan’s ability to handle the pace and bounce of Australia’s quicks in Australia. Jurel looked a class above everyone on either side and played Scott Boland, Michael Neser and Nathan McAndrew with ease. His 80 in the first innings was near flawless in some of the toughest batting conditions of the match. He pulled, cut and drove superbly in between defending and leaving with conviction. He was equally good in the second, although he did benefit from a big slice of luck on the third morning. He uppercut Boland on 25, forgetting deep third had been placed for the stroke. Ollie Davies ran in and dropped a difficult but catchable chance. He went onto make another classy 68 but fell for the second time in the game caught in the deep trying to launch an offspinner over the top. He also kept tidily as expected.Nitish Kumar ReddyAside from a good 38 in the second innings in Melbourne, Reddy did not have a huge impact with either bat or ball in the two matches. He made 0 and 17 in Mackay and then 16 and 38 at the MCG. The two innings in Melbourne were important as he shared critical partnerships with Jurel to give India A some hope after top-order collapses. But he fell three times to the medium-pace of Beau Webster. The tall Tasmanian has an outstanding first-class record with the ball in recent years, but he is the not the same threat level that Australia A’s main quicks are, let alone the Test quicks, given he bowls predominantly under 130kph. Reddy was bounced out three times across the series, twice trying to pull and the other skipping down the track and trying to cut. With the ball he took just one wicket for the series from 31 overs. It was the important scalp of Nathan McSweeney in the first innings in Mackay, but batter error played a big part. He conceded four an over in the first innings at the MCG when scoring was incredibly difficult against the seamers.ESPNcricinfo LtdPrasidh KrishnaThe tall right-armer was one of the shining lights for India A and could well have rocketed into calculations for the Border-Gavaskar series given how well he bowled. He took 10 wickets at 17.30, including 4 for 50 in the first innings at the MCG and two wickets in an over at the start of the second to give Australia A a fright. He caused Australia A’s best opener, and Australia’s possible Test opener, Marcus Harris no end of problems, knocking him over three times. Only two of his wickets were of specialist bowlers. His accuracy and his bounce at good pace are ideally suited to Australian conditions. He also made a critical contribution with the bat in the second innings at the MCG, making 29 off 43 with five boundaries to give his side hope.