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Pakistan haven’t won consecutive games in this tournament but their win over Sri Lanka could spur them on

Mohammad Isam24-Sep-20251:49

Chopra: A travesty that Rishad didn’t finish his quota of overs

Big picture: Mercurial Pakistan v hungry Bangladesh

Pakistan’s hot-and-cold campaign meets Bangladesh’s hunger in a virtual semi-final to book their spot against India in the Asia Cup 2025 final. Pakistan haven’t won two matches in a row in the tournament but despite the hiding against India, they bounced back against Sri Lanka. Bangladesh haven’t done too badly in the tournament despite their T20I misgivings in recent years. They have emerged as a young team in transition, now playing with more confidence. But they have a quick turnaround after their defeat to India on Wednesday.Pakistan would take heart from their batting comeback against Sri Lanka. They lost four wickets for just 12 runs, slipping to 57 for four chasing 134. Hussain Talat and Mohammad Nawaz were the unlikely batting heroes, taking Pakistan home comfortably in the end. They had earlier bowled well to restrict Sri Lanka, who were the favourites going into the game following their group-stage performance.Talat and Nawaz showed the advantage of being underrated batters in the team, as Sri Lanka took their foot off the gas after removing the more heralded Mohammad Haris. Nawaz has had an interesting tournament, having been unused as a bowler in Pakistan’s last two games. This, despite coach Mike Hesson calling him the best spinner in the world. Nawaz, however, has bailed out Pakistan with the bat a couple of times in the tournament. Talat too did well against Sri Lanka, picking up two wickets in an over to go with his rescue act with the bat.Related

• Mohammad Nawaz reinvents himself

Unlike Pakistan, Bangladesh would want to quickly forget how they fared in their last match against India. They would bank on the confidence they gained from beating Sri Lanka and Afghanistan earlier in the tournament. They also beat Pakistan 2-1 at home in July, one of their three consecutive T20I series wins coming into the Asia Cup.To be fair, Bangladesh’s bowlers came back well against India after Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill got off to an electrifying start. Legspinner Rishad Hossain took the first two wickets before Tanzim Hasan Sakib and Mustafizur Rahman put the brakes on the scoring rate. Saif Hassan’s back-to-back fifties will also give him reason to believe he can add a third against Pakistan. Bangladesh will also hope that Taskin Ahmed and Litton Das, reported to return for this game, can use their experience to get Bangladesh to the final.2:14

Why did Bangladesh make four changes against India?

Form guide

Bangladesh LWWLW (last five T20Is, most recent first)
Pakistan WLWLW

In the spotlight: Rishad Hossain and Shaheen Shah AfridiRishad Hossain has answered the big question about legspinners in Bangladesh – whether he can deliver under pressure. After his 14 wickets in last year’s T20 World Cup, he has impressed in the Asia Cup as well with six strikes in four games, including a spirited show against India. He took the first two wickets and then ran out the marauding Abhishek. He is growing in his stature as a legspinner and has the most wickets for Bangladesh since his T20I debut.It is crucial for Pakistan that Shaheen Shah Afridi gets them the early breakthroughs in the Asia Cup. It not only gives them an early advantage but also helps Afridi maintain his rhythm in the match. He has had a decent tournament so far despite his wicketless outings against India. He dismissed both the Sri Lankan openers, Kusal Mendis and Pathum Nissanka, early to set the tone. And his batting lower down the order is also helping him add value to the team.Saim Ayub has found runs hard to come by in this Asia Cup•AFP/Getty Images

Team news: Will Pakistan leave Saim Ayub out?

Litton Das and Taskin Ahmed are likely to return. Parvez Hossain Emon and Mohammad Saifuddin could make way for them.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tanzid Hasan, 2 Saif Hassan, 3 Litton Das (capt & wk), 4 Towhid Hridoy, 5 Shamim Hossain, 6 Jaker Ali, 7 Rishad Hossain, 8 Tanzim Hasan Sakib, 9 Nasum Ahmed, 10 Taskin Ahmed, 11 Mustafizur RahmanPakistan could bring back Hasan Nawaz or play Khushdil Shah for Saim Ayub, who has tallied only 23 runs in five games in the tournament.Pakistan (probable): 1 Sahibzada Farhan, 2 Fakhar Zaman, 3 Saim Ayub, 4 Salman Agha (capt), 5 Hussain Talat, 6 Mohammad Haris (wk), 7 Mohammad Nawaz, 8 Faheem Ashraf, 9 Shaheen Shah Afridi, 10 Haris Rauf, 11 Abrar Ahmed

Pitch and conditions: Win toss, bowl first the Dubai mantra

The pitch in Dubai continues to be slow and slightly difficult for the side batting first, even though India won batting first against Bangladesh. Teams are likely to field first given the heat as well.

Stats and trivia

• For the first time in his T20I career, Nawaz hasn’t bowled for Pakistan in consecutive innings.
• Mustafizur became the fourth bowler to take 150 wickets in T20Is, behind Rashid Khan, Tim Southee and Ish Sodhi.
• Jaker Ali leading Bangladesh in their last match was a first for him in all competitive cricket.

For the first five years, Rohit struggled to cement his place in the side. For the next five, he was among the finest batters in the world

Sidharth Monga08-May-20252:16

Kumble: Straight from the heart, that’s Rohit Sharma

The last act of Rohit Sharma the Test batter and captain will remain sitting out of the Sydney Test. The writing had been on the wall from the time he conceded he didn’t consider himself good enough – or in good enough form – to be one of the five best Test batters in the country. It is a move highly uncharacteristic of an elite cricketer. They get there in the first place by living in denial of any limitation. A comeback from there is unheard of. If at all, it had to come through substantial evidence of a return to form in domestic cricket.There were indications that Rohit didn’t see the end coming. In a recent interview with former Australia captain Michael Clarke, he said he looked forward to leading the attack of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj in England. It is unfortunate that the eventual announcement of retirement was a summary, likely a reaction to the breaking of news that the selectors had officially communicated to the BCCI that they were ready to name a new captain.How you choose to end your career, how you convey to the world that you will no longer wear the cap you worked so hard for and cherished, is a deeply personal thing. Ideally, your hand should never be forced on that. Not in the middle of the IPL when your team is alive in the competition.Related

• The contenders to fill Rohit's vacant spot in the Test team

• Rohit did the decent thing, so why cloak it in intrigue?

• Rohit in Test cricket: a solid opener, yet a six-hitter

• Gill leads the race for India's next Test captain after Rohit's retirement

• Rohit announces retirement from Test cricket

Some might say this imperfect end is in nice symmetry with an imperfect career. A career whose start was stalled for three years because minutes before the toss in what was supposed to be his debut Test, he stepped on a team-mate’s foot when going for a rocketball and injured himself.Rohit might have found it tough to get in, but once he was in, selectors and team managements moved heaven and earth to accommodate him. It was no favour to him, of course. They saw a high ceiling in him, which, if realised, would help India win more games. Higher than Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane, one of whom would be left out for him.Outside the two centuries in his debut series against West Indies, Rohit wasn’t really able to vindicate the decision-makers for five years. In the 27 Tests that he played in this period, he averaged 39.62 when the average top-six batter in matches that he played went at 38.02. A team playing just five specialist batters wanted someone more than just average. That Rohit was strictly average confounded everyone, fans and outside observers included.Rohit Sharma’s last act as Test captain was dropping himself•Getty ImagesWhen thrown another – final, most likely – lifeline, something clicked for Rohit. Opening the innings brought out the best in him. For the next five years and a bit, Rohit was India’s best Test batter, and among the finest in the world. Only three batters in the world scored more hundreds than him in this period; none of them opened the innings.In this period, Rohit averaged 50.03 when the average top-six batter in Tests that he played went at 41.97. These were the returns everybody hoped for when making way for him. The 2021 tour of England was his absolute peak. He played 866 balls, and left alone 182 of them. He didn’t score off 680 balls, about as many balls as he had ever faced in a series previously.England 2021 was a perfect mix of skill, endurance and discipline in consistently challenging conditions. While he could never repeat this kind of feat of endurance, Rohit dominated bowlers in this period, even on treacherous turners in India. When he scored runs, he did so quickly, giving the bowlers time to win matches. All his 12 Test hundreds resulted in a win. No one has scored these many hundreds all in a win. Nearly 70% of his Test runs came in wins.When the other batters of his age group started to dip, when the spinners started to get on, Rohit the batter played a big role in sustaining India’s unbeaten series streak at home. In this dominant period, Rohit averaged 54.43 at home when the average top-six batter managed only 34.47 in these Tests. At home he was like Virender Sehwag – incidentally the only Indian to have hit more Test sixes than Rohit’s 88 – but in 2021 he also showed the promise of being able to bat like Rahul Dravid when away.Rohit Sharma hit 88 sixes in Test cricket. Only Virender Sehwag hit more for India•BCCIAlas, it was too good to last. His body didn’t cooperate. He was able to play just 32 of the 47 Tests India played during his best years. The itch was there now that he had tasted success. He made what seemed like an improbable return to fitness and spent a week locked up in a flat just to be able to play two Tests in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy of 2020-21.As a leader, Rohit put a tense dressing room at ease. As a captain on the field, he didn’t fiddle with the winning formula he inherited. If anything, he tried to attack even more, but as his own game fell off a cliff, so did India’s fortunes. In his last eight Tests, Rohit averaged a little under 11. When he missed one Test and his replacement opener did well, he didn’t do what he would have done what elite players do: take back that spot. First signs perhaps that he knew his game was not elite anymore.Many coaches and captains tell their players that when all is said and done, people don’t instinctively remember your stats or trophies, but how you made them feel. It might be a little truer in Rohit’s case than in some others. For the first five years of his Test career, Rohit divided opinion: his backers felt he didn’t get enough consecutive chances, others saw injustice for Pujara and Rahane.What made us forget that was the next five years and a bit. During that period, Rohit made us feel batting was easier than it actually was, in arguably the toughest era for batting. Even when he was actually grinding out ugly runs in England. It felt like it was late morning on a late February Sunday when he batted. That everything was pleasant. That there was time at hand. Just like that late February idyll, there could have been more of it.

There was definitely some magic in the air at Great American Ballpark on Friday night.

The Milwaukee Brewers, powered by Christian Yelich and his custom Bob Uecker bat, a perfect tribute to the late former MLB catcher and announcer, stormed back to erase an 8-1 deficit and win a franchise record-tying 13th straight game with the 10-8 win over the Reds. And while the victory was undoubtedly one of the Brewers' most improbable of the season, there was never any doubt, particularly among Yelich.

Down 8-1, the 2018 National League MVP looked at his manager Pat Murphy in the dugout and firmly guaranteed his club would emerge victorious.

"… He told me on the bench, straight up, it was 8-1, he said, 'We're going to win this game,’" Murphy said, via Adam McCalvy. "How do you make that statement? He looked at me and said, 'We're going to win this game.'

"And then—it happened."

Yelich himself confirmed that his bold declaration also happened.

"Yeah," Yelich said when asked if he had said that to Murphy, via the . "We've been in that situation before. We seem to always kind of make it close. Just with the way our team is, I knew we weren't going to get our doors blown off. We were going to find a way to get back into that thing. Just kind of a room full of fighters and guys that don't care what the scoreboard says…

Spurred by a Yelich RBI double and Andrew Vaughn three-run homer, Milwaukee put up a five-spot in the top of the third inning to quickly cut into the deficit, then tied the game in the top of the fourth inning thanks to—guess who—Yelich.

A never-surrender type attitude certainly was paramount to the Brewers' victory, but it would be naive to think that there wasn't a little Uecker magic going on at the ballpark. Yelich, who was dealing with an injury last summer, was unable to use the blue Louisville Slugger, which featured a picture of the iconic announcer, a tribute to his signature play-by-play call and was designed for MLB's Players' Weekend.

But there he was on Friday night, using the bat en route to a 4-for-5 performance at the plate, the perfect tribute to Uecker, who passed away in January.

"…When it comes to that guy [Uecker], nothing surprises me," Yelich continued. "You guys have been around him a lot too. Stuff like that, that's just part of 'Ueck. If you know 'Ueck, you know crazy things like that are going to happen when he's involved. It just adds to how special tonight was with the guys and the comeback win… Just a pretty cool, full-circle moment."

Southampton interim manager Tonda Eckert will be in the dugout for the next three Championship matches before a decision is made on his future at the club.

Sky Sports journalist Lyall Thomas added that the German tactician is bidding to land the role on a full-time basis, which makes these next three games an important audition for him.

He has already won his first two games in charge of the club, beating QPR 2-1 and Sheffield Wednesday 3-1, after stepping in because of Will Still’s departure.

Why Southampton need an upgrade on Will Still

The Saints need to find a manager who can be an upgrade on their previous head coach, as obvious as it sounds, because his track record before coming to St. Mary’s did not suggest that he was an obvious candidate.

Of course, finishing in midtable with two different Ligue 1 clubs as a 33-year-old head coach is impressive, given that it is one of the best leagues in Europe, but each manager has different skills that suit certain environments.

Southampton, from the outside looking in, appeared to need a leader who could galvanise the club after such a dismal relegation from the Premier League, whilst also having the coaching outlook required to mount a promotion push.

As you can see in the table above, Still, aside from nine games as an interim years before his first major job, had never been in an environment where he was expected to win consistently and be at the top of the table.

That lack of alignment between coaching and expectation may have been a contributing factor to Southampton ending up in 21st place in the table, with the benefit of hindsight.

Now, in what may be a controversial suggestion, Sport Republic could replace Eckert and find an upgrade on Still by returning to Russell Martin to hire him as their next manager.

Why Southampton should hire Russell Martin

It was reported earlier this month that the former Rangers boss still has admirers in the boardroom at St. Mary’s and it has been claimed that some first-team players and staff are open to his return, suggesting that he could be an option in their managerial search.

Like him or loathe him, Martin is a good communicator and can lead a group when there is buy-in and potential for positive momentum with results, which may not have worked out at Premier League level, or at Rangers.

The 39-year-old tactician’s style of play was described as “successful” and a “joy to watch” by Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta. Whilst they may have been untrue in the Premier League, it was certainly the case in the Championship, which is where Southampton are now.

When the Saints were promoted under Martin in the 2023/24 campaign, his team were incredible offensively, as shown in the table, above, as they went on to win the play-offs.

This shows that the ex-Swansea boss has the relevant experience required to take on the job at hand, as Southampton look to get promoted back to the top-flight, because he has been there and done it, which was not the case for Still in the summer.

There are major question marks over his Premier League capabability, due to one win in 16 matches last season in the division, which is why it would be interesting to see if he would consider a deal until the end of the season.

Bringing Martin in on a short-term deal until the end of this season to see if he can spark a reaction out of the players and use his experience to guide the team towards the play-offs, before a longer-term appointment is made with the Premier League in mind, could be a shrewd way to go about it.

Southampton face 'complex' Tonda Eckert visa issues as permission granted

The Saints have been working behind-the-scenes.

By
Charlie Smith

Nov 21, 2025

A dominant 4-0 win for Stuttgart in the Europa League was overshadowed by controversy after Go Ahead Eagles forward Victor Edvardsen mocked Angelo Stiller with an offensive gesture, sparking backlash and a brief on-field scuffle. While Wesley Sneijder condemned the act as “absolutely unacceptable,” Stuttgart downplayed the incident and strengthened their push for a top-eight finish.

• Edvardsen mocks Stiller in Stuttgart's win over Eagles

  What should have been a routine European fixture turned volatile in the 73rd minute when Go Ahead Eagles substitute Edvardsen fouled Atakan Karazor before provoking Stiller with a mocking gesture, repeatedly pointing at his nose. The moment ignited chaos. Stuttgart players immediately confronted the Swede, a scuffle broke out, and referee Mohammed Al-Hakim struggled to restore order amid shoving, shouting and rising tempers.

  Stiller himself was visibly furious, arguing with Edvardsen and the referee before both players were cautioned. The tension briefly halted the flow of the game, but its emotional weight lingered. Former Dutch star Sneijder, working as an pundit for , condemned the act sharply: “I find it sad. Such things are absolutely unacceptable.” His words echoed the dominant sentiment across social media, where the clip spread rapidly.

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  Stuttgart refuses to escalate matters amid Stiller incident

  Despite the incident’s intensity, Stuttgart chose restraint as their official stance. Sporting director Fabian Wohlgemuth, speaking after the match, declined to fuel the controversy further.

  "I saw it, but from a distance it was still difficult for me to assess. It's about Europa League points for Deventer just as it is for us," he said. "So if emotions are running high and then quickly subside, and the referee takes the right measures, then it's not all that big of a deal. Therefore, everything's fine."

  Stuttgart’s intention was to move past the flashpoint quickly, focusing instead on their strong European campaign. Stiller, substituted in the 80th minute, received visible support from teammates, and the squad regained composure almost instantly.

  After five matches in the Europa League, the Bundesliga club stand 12th in the table with three wins and two defeats. However, the differences in points aren't much with top spot holder Lyon on 12 points while Stuttgart are on nine.

• Stuttgart demolish Go Ahead Eagles in important Europa clash

  The team delivered one of their most complete European performances of the season, dismantling the Go Ahead Eagles 4-0 at De Adelaarshorst. Jamie Leweling opened the scoring in the 20th minute after pouncing on a defensive error, then doubled the lead at the 35-minute mark with a composed finish. Bilal El Khannouss extended the advantage in the 59th minute, and Badredine Bouanani sealed the result deep into stoppage time.

  The win moved Stuttgart to nine points pushing them back into contention for a Europa League top-eight finish. Their broader season only strengthens the optimism: Stuttgart sit fifth in the Bundesliga with seven wins from 11 matches.

  The team also continue to rely heavily on Stiller, whose evolution into one of Europe’s most sought-after midfielders is becoming impossible to ignore. Even amid transfer speculation, Wohlgemuth maintains composure.

  “He has a contract with us. It’s far too early to speculate about that… Of course, one or two clubs will have had their eye on him. He's having an outstanding season. Maybe he'll even play in a World Cup, we'll see. We're happy he's with us."

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  What comes next for Stuttgart?

  Stuttgart's form across competitions suggests a squad capable not only of competing but also of evolving into a consistent presence in major continental fixtures with clash against Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich on December 6.

  For Stiller, his storyline remains one of the season’s most intriguing subplots. Bayern, Borussia Dortmund, and Premier League clubs continue to monitor him closely. Yet Stuttgart insist they will handle the growing interest without distraction. Internally, they acknowledge the attention is natural given the midfielder’s exceptional season, but outwardly they maintain a steady, controlled approach.

The New York Mets and Seattle Mariners put on a show Sunday night at the Little League Classic. Young ballplayers competing for youth baseball's ultimate prize got a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see their favorite MLB stars up close and a tremendous amount of fun was had per usual.

The Mariners organization and its fans would have had a decidedly worse time had their cornerstone outfielder Julio Rodriguez suffered a significant injury while sledding down a hill on a piece of cardboard, which almost became a reality when a member of security took a spill and nearly landed on his ankle.

Here's the footage, which thankfully ends with everyone invovled getting up and getting on with their day.

That is too close for comfort. And you have to feel for the security person here who was simply trying to hustle to do the job and ended up losing to gravity. Before they were even able to get upright some unhelpful person is joking about a potential Rodriguez ACL injury. It's rough out there.

Rodriguez will be paramount to the Mariners' playoff hopes going forward and their ability to make a deep run if they get there. Plenty of people breathing a sigh of relief realizing this could have been worse.

Jamie Carragher has taken a fresh swipe at Mohamed Salah for supposedly not leading by example amid Liverpool's poor run of form. The Reds legend commended captain Virgil van Dijk for speaking to the media and demanding more from his team-mates. But the former Anfield favourite thinks Salah shouldn't shirk his responsibilities, especially after being vocal about his contract situation last season.

• Carragher feuds with Salah

  This time last year, Carragher branded Salah as "selfish" for publicly expressing his disappointment at Liverpool not offering him a new deal.

  He said on Sky Sports: "The most important thing for Liverpool this season is not the future of Mo Salah, it's not the future of Virgil van Dijk and it's not the future of Trent Alexander-Arnold. The most important thing is Liverpool winning the Premier League. That is more important than any of those players, and if he continues to put comments out or his agent keeps putting cryptic tweets out, that's selfish, that's thinking about themselves and not the football club."

  The Egypt international bit back at Carragher but the feud eventually ended when the former Roma man signed a two-year deal at Anfield. Fast forward to the present, and the ex-England man has laid into the 33-year-old again in light of Liverpool dropping to 12th in the Premier League and losing six out of their last seven league games. 

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  Salah needs to 'come out as a leader'

  Like Liverpool, Salah has struggled to make a telling impact for Arne Slot's team this season. The forward scored 34 goals last season but this term, he has just five goals in 17 matches. Following the Reds' 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest on Saturday, skipper Van Dijk said "everyone has to take responsibility" for their current malaise, and urged his team-mates to get the Merseyside outfit out of this mess. Now Carragher wants Salah to do something similar going forward.

  Before Manchester United's 1-0 loss to Everton on Monday, he said on Monday Night Football: "I think Virgil van Dijk, after the game, has come out again and spoke, as he should do as a captain, he's called Liverpool a mess. I must say, on the back of all these Liverpool defeats, it's always Virgil van Dijk who comes out. And as I said, the captain should do that, but there should be other players in that dressing room coming out and speaking for the club. A year ago this weekend, Mo Salah wasn't shy in coming out and speaking about his own situation, about the club not offering him a contract. I only ever hear Salah speak when he gets man of the match, or he needs a new contract. I'd like to see Mo Salah come out as one of the leaders, as one of the legends of Liverpool, come out and speak for the team. He shouldn't always be the captain. But, obviously, the manager is the one in the firing line. Any manager with results like that, as you said, if they were part of the bottom four or a promoter team, would be under pressure. So there's no doubt the manager is under pressure now with results like that, on the back of being champions, but also on the fact of what Liverpool spent in the summer."

• Slot positive about Liverpool's future

  While Slot was naturally disappointed with Liverpool's recent results, months on from spending more than £400 million on players this summer, he struck a defiant tone ahead of a busy run of games. The Dutchman added that a "solution" for the Reds could be within their grasp.

  When asked if his players are low on confidence, he replied: "I don't feel this, or I don't see this. After we go 1-0, we struggled. I tried to pump them up and give them the information to start the second half well. Immediately, they go 2-0 up. The players kept trying, I can't blame them for that. They blocked every shot we had. The solution is not that far away. We created chances in every and it's not as if we give away 10 chances. That will not go on forever but we have to look at ourselves and what we can do better when we concede a goal. Two games in a row, we haven't scored."

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  What comes next for Liverpool?

  Liverpool will hope to put the Forest loss behind them when they host PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League on Wednesday at Anfield. The Reds have had more joy in Europe's elite competition this season, so this may be the perfect game to reignite their campaign. After that, they face West Ham, Sunderland, Leeds United, and Inter Milan in the space of 10 days.

As Chelsea thrashed Barcelona 3-0 in the Champions League, former Stamford Bridge star Pat Nevin was left in awe of Estevao Willian, who scored a stunning individual effort in a true breakout performance for the young Brazilian.

The Blues started as they meant to go on, almost inviting Hansi Flick’s high-line, baiting Barcelona in. The Spaniards were handed plenty of warning signs, too. Wesley Fofana’s hand spared their early blushes, before the linesman’s flag suggested that Flick had picked his tactic well for the trip to Stamford Bridge. But the inevitable was clear.

Come the 27th-minute, Barcelona and Jules Kounde completed the job that Enzo Fernandez believed he’d done twice prior by finding the back of the net to hand Chelsea the lead. The own goal opened the gate in a half of onslaught that simply did not rest after the break, when West London was treated to the Estevao show.

On a night centred around one of the early 2026 Ballon d’Or favourites Lamine Yamal, it was Chelsea’s youngster who shined brightest to score a wonderful goal in the 55th-minute. The 18-year-old is proving to be one of the best signings of the Todd Boehly era.

Aside from Ferran Torres’ wasted effort early on, Barcelona didn’t have a sniff against Enzo Maresca’s dominant side. This was no 2005 display from the Spanish club. Instead, it was excellency from the hosts in the Champions League as they secured their biggest-ever win against Barcelona.

The impressive victory has made it three wins from five in the Champions League and highlighted them as a potential dark horse. They’ve got plenty of history in European football these days and have just added another night to remember.

Pat Nevin blown away by "utterly brilliant" Estevao

When news emerged earlier this week that Cole Palmer has fractured his toe in a home accident, there may have been understandable concern around West London about where the Blues would continue to find their spark. But Estevao wouldn’t have shared that concern. He saw an opportunity – an opportunity that he’s taken with both hands against Barcelona, of all sides.

Shades of Drogba: Chelsea make contact to sign £26m Liam Delap upgrade

Chelsea could already be about to sign a replacement for Liam Delap.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Nov 25, 2025

He ended the evening with three chances created, one goal, eight touches inside the Barcelona box and deserved praise from Nevin. The former Chelsea man was blown away by the teenage sensation, telling BBC Sport: “You know what? Start believing the hype! Estevao Willian is EXTRA special!

“The way he goes past the first player, there is no space whatsoever and he leaves him for dead. He did it just by pure skill and fast feet. He still had a difficult angle to overcome to finish it but he leathered it into the net.

“He is going to be absolutely and utterly brilliant. It isn’t a question of if, it is a question of when and how good he is going to be.”

Chelsea now "crazy" about signing "wonderful" assist king

WA slumped from 198 for 5 to 215 for 8 chasing 259 after Matt Kelly’s career-best 6 for 49

AAP and ESPNcricinfo staff17-Oct-2025Two crucial late strikes from Gabe Bell has put Tasmania on the brink of victory at Bellerive Oval after Western Australia quick Matthew Kelly took a career-best six-wicket haul on a wild day of momentum swings.Chasing 259 to win in the fourth innings WA were 198 for 5 as they neared stumps on day with Aaron Hardie on 61 having shared a half-century stand with Joel Curtis before they lost three wickets in 12 balls with Bell snaring two of them. It left WA still needing 44 to win at stumps on day three with Curtis not out alongside Corey Rocchiccioli and No.11 Liam Haskett still to come.Earlier, WA were given a chance by Kelly as he tore through Tasmania’s lower order taking a career-best 6 for 49. Tasmania had started the day 244 for 5 with skipper Jordan Silk on 51 and Jake Doran unbeaten on 29. Cameron Gannon removed Doran caught behind in the third over of the morning before Kelly took three of the last four in a devastating burst as Tasmania lost 5 for 9 to be all out for 259.Cameron Bancroft and fellow opener Sam Whiteman both fell cheaply in the chase and the hosts were reduced to 76 for 4 when Hilton Cartwright (14) and Jayden Goodwin (48) fell in quick succession.But Sam Fanning (31) and Hardie swung the balance in WA’s favour, the visitors appearing on track for victory until Hardie fell for a set trap and was caught by captain Silk at a second short midwicket off the bowling of Bell.Riley Meredith then blasted through Kelly’s defences and Bell bowled Gannon to leave WA needing 58 runs with just three wickets in hand.Rocchiccioli hung with Curtis at stumps to keep WA in the fight.Bell continued Test aspirant Bancroft’s lean run to begin the Shield season when he was caught behind while Jackson Bird bowled without luck.

Fast bowler shows worth in match-turning performance, but will sit out final round on England’s orders

Vithushan Ehantharajah18-Sep-2025Josh Tongue’s final act of the 2025 English summer was taking Nottinghamshire to the cusp of the Divison One County Championship title.Tongue’s 5 for 100, his fourth five-wicket haul of the first-class season, completed a thrilling victory against Surrey. Chasing a remarkable four titles in a row, the defending champions now trail Nottinghamshire by 14 points heading into the final round.The new Division One leaders host Warwickshire at Trent Bridge next week, hoping to seal their first Championship since 2010. But they will have to do so without Tongue, who also took 3 for 43 in the first innings, with England erring on the side of caution to preserve Tongue for the Ashes, which begins on November 21 in Perth.Related

• India get caught up in the Tongue paradox

• Tongue's lashing spell puts Notts back in box seat

• Tongue prevails in thriller to put Nottinghamshire on cusp of title

Tongue is currently on an ECB central contract, which is due to be extended next month, and has emerged as a crucial member of the fast-bowling armoury. His high release point, speed and ability to find movement on flat pitches are vital to England’s hopes of wrestling back the urn in Australia.Though unfortunate for Nottinghamshire and Tongue, who only made his debut for the county in April after right pectoral issues and a hamstring tear kept him out of action having joined at the end of 2023, his performances showed why the 27-year-old is worth the cotton wool treatment.He was the difference-maker on day four of this de facto title-decider, bowling 17.2 of a tense final 55.2 overs of the match. A top speed of 93mph was surrounded by consistent pace in the late 80s, and consistent spells – the longest of six overs after the lunch interval. His removals of Rory Burns (ending an opening stand of 74) and Ben Foakes accounted for two of the top four, before a blistering final 3.2 over burst ended a dogged rearguard effort, taking the final three wickets to leave Surrey 21 short of their 315 target.Nottinghamshire head coach Peter Moores likened Tongue to former England seamer Stuart Broad, for his knack of bending matches to his whim.”The best person I ever coached on sensing moments was Stuart Broad – he knew when to up it,” said Moores, who had two spells working with Broad as England coach, and is on the cusp of becoming the first head coach to win the Championship with three different teams (Sussex in 2003 and 2006; Lancashire in 2011).”The way he [Tongue] impacted the game, it’s reserved for [only] a few people. Bowlers are kings of the game, really, if they have moments like that, because they are the only people that start the process. Everybody else reacts to what they do. But when he’s doing that, and at the top of his mark, we are glued. It’s box office.”Today we saw a player who is enjoying playing the game. He’s talented, he’s got pace and he’s got something I think we should never ignore in a bowler – he’s got an awkward action. You never ignore that. He delivers from past the perpendicular; it looks like it’s coming in but sometimes it’s going away.”England’s caution with Tongue is understandable given his injury history, which includes 15 months sidelined with a potentially career-ending right shoulder issue. That ended up being alleviated unconventionally with botox injections, leading to a Test debut against Ireland in June 2023, followed by an Ashes appearance at Lord’s later that month.Further setbacks kept him out of action entirely in 2024. This year, however, he has delivered the most red-ball overs (382.3) of his career, of which 369.3 have come this summer. Not only was he England’s leading wicket-taker in the Test series against India, with 19 from just three appearances, but he currently has more first-class dismissals (54) than anyone else in the ongoing English season.”I feel like now I’m in a better place physically I can hold that pace for longer periods and longer spells,” Tongue said. “Last year was a tough year for me during my injuries. But I know the hard work that I did over the winter just gone, it’s going to put me in good stead this season.”I did a few long spells during that Test series as well, so I knew I’ll be able to do it for Notts as well. And that’s the main thing, I just want to put all my effort into to winning games of cricket – and thankfully it’s, paid off today.”Tongue is not the only player involved in the title race who will not participate in the final round. Gus Atkinson will also be absent for Surrey’s trip to Hampshire.