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Captain’s poor form with bat typified off-colour display and leaves questions to be answered before Lord’s

Matt Roller06-Jul-20251:46

Harmison: England’s top-order returns a worry

Ben Stokes was surrounded. Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal seemed convinced that he had edged Washington Sundar down the leg side in the over before lunch, and Indian fielders converged on England’s captain. Ravindra Jadeja pointed to Stokes’ thigh pad. Shubman Gill decided against using his final review. Stokes chewed his gum, hand on hip, and glared.One ball later, India’s fielders went up in appeal again. Stokes was dumbfounded when umpire Sharfuddoula raised his finger, and held out his left hand in bemusement before reviewing. But the decision was spot on: DRS confirmed that Washington’s in-drifter had hit his pad before his bat. He shook his head as he walked off, past a fan waving an India flag in Edgbaston’s South Stand.Stokes’ innings was a grimly compelling watch, a public disavowal of his previous stance that he was “not interested” in drawing Test matches as captain. With every high-elbow defence and exaggerated leave off the seamers, he made ever more clear the extent to which his team had been backed into a corner by India. After three years, the option of last resort had finally arrived.Related

• England want pace and bounce at Lord's, Jofra Archer 'ready to go'

• Atkinson added to squad as England ponder changes for Lord's

• McCullum admits England got the toss wrong

• Akash Deep ten-for seals statement win for India

• Stats – India's first win at Edgbaston and it's by a record margin

The trouble for Stokes was that Gill knew he could attack him with spin. Stokes never settled in England’s run chase in Leeds, compulsively reverse-sweeping – he played the shot 16 times in 51 balls, the last of which brought about his dismissal. He has always been a stronger player against pace but his numbers against spinners have fallen off a cliff.Here, Stokes put his reverse-sweep away against Jadeja, but was never in control. He shifted his guard, batting across his stumps, and was caught between stools when confronted with a rough patch outside off. He lunged forward to sweep, missing as many as he hit, and gloved one ball just short of Gill at leg slip as he looked to defend.Just briefly, Stokes had started to look like his old self when back-cutting, driving and pulling Mohammed Siraj for boundaries, finally exerting his dominance on a bowler. But his dismissal to Washington felt almost inevitable: 16 of his 25 Test dismissals since the start of last year have been to spinners, and he is averaging 18.43 against spin in that time. It has been a barren run, and it was telling that Gill pushed his fielders back at the end of overs, allowing Stokes singles that would keep him on strike.

“The task today was batting out the 80 overs. The result we always try to push towards and look forward [to] was beyond [us]… It just wasn’t meant to be”

Stokes has had a bad week in Birmingham. He took five wickets in the first Test at Headingley but admitted that bowling 35 overs left him as “a shadow of my normal self”, and after 15 more on day one at Edgbaston, managed only 11 overs thereafter. Uncharacteristically, he seemed to run out of ideas in India’s second innings as the game drifted away from him slowly.His decision to bowl first at the toss backfired, with India enjoying the best batting conditions and grinding England into the ground. “As the game got deeper and deeper, it was pretty obvious that [the pitch] was not playing the way that we thought it was going to,” Stokes said. Brendon McCullum was clearer, saying: “We probably got it slightly wrong.”India’s relentlessness with the bat left England facing an unprecedented situation under Stokes’ captaincy, attempting to bat out the final day to secure a draw with a win off the table. “The task today was batting out the 80 overs,” he said. “The result we always try to push towards and look forward [to] was beyond [us]… It just wasn’t meant to be.”4:11

Stokes: We weren’t able to deliver our skills when needed

His team now faces a quick turnaround to Thursday’s third Test at Lord’s. Stokes does not expect the 336-run margin of defeat to affect their performance next week, but he needs to step up with the bat. Gill, his opposite number, does not look a natural leader in the field, but his runs have bought him scope to make mistakes that Stokes is not giving himself.The opening day of this match marked the two-year anniversary of Stokes’ most recent Test hundred, a rage-fuelled 155 in defeat to Australia at Lord’s, and he has not scored a century in any format of the game since the 2023 World Cup. He declined the opportunity to play for Durham or England Lions ahead of this series to manage his body, but his batting has suffered.Since the start of last year, Stokes has faced only 1280 balls in professional cricket, limited heavily by knee and hamstring injuries; the next fewest among England’s top seven is Zak Crawley with 2414, while Joe Root has faced 4523. If batting is a skill that relies on rhythm and tempo, then Stokes has been dancing to a very different tune.Stokes shrugged off a post-match question about his own form with the bat but his five Test scores this year read 9, 20, 33, 0 and 33, and his career batting average has dipped to its lowest mark (35.31) since the 2019 Ashes. He has been an inspirational and tactically astute captain, but Stokes’ leadership alone cannot mask his struggles with the bat.

Lyon being left out of Australia’s XI for just the second time at home in his career signals a significant shift in the selectors thinking

Andrew McGlashan04-Dec-20251:12

‘Speed isn’t the be all and end all’ – Starc bemused by Lyon omission

When Nathan Lyon was left out in Jamaica earlier this year for the day-night Test against West Indies, Tony Dodemaide, the selector on tour, termed it “exceptional circumstances” and a “one-off”. Three Tests later it has happened again with Lyon left “absolutely filthy” at being benched at the Gabba with Australia fielding an all-pace attack for the day-night encounter.Lyon missing out for this Test was a notion trailed since the opening match finished; a combination of his lack of overs in that game against England’s freewheeling batters, and the fact he only bowled one over in last season’s day-night against India in Adelaide. Still, as the Test neared, it felt as though his overall day-night record – 43 wickets at 25.62 – and concerns that the ball can go soft at this ground would work in his favour.Lyon found out about 30 minutes after arriving at the ground, following a final huddle by the pitch involving Steven Smith, Andrew McDonald and George Bailey.”Absolutely filthy,” he said on Channel 7 of his reaction when told by chair of selectors Bailey. “But yeah, can’t do anything about it. So, yeah, hope I can play my role in making sure I get the guys ready and do whatever I can to make sure that we get the right result here.””To be honest I haven’t really sat down with Ronnie [Andrew McDonald] or George yet. I’m letting things settle down in my own head and trying to make sure that I’m, as I said, doing whatever I can to make sure the guys out in the middle representing Australia do the right thing and get the right result for us.”Related

• Nathan Lyon: 'No one's got a given right to be selected'

• Lyon: As soon as the ball spins there's more eyes on TVs

• Starc stands out as the lone ranger with rest of the awesome foursome missing

• Mitchell Starc on left-arm wickets record: Wasim still the GOAT

• Selection uncertainty or smokescreen? Focus on Cummins day before Gabba Test

“The communication is always there, I just hadn’t had it in me to sit down with the coach and George at the moment,” he added. “So that will happen. I’m not the first player to miss a Test match and I won’t be the last. But, yeah, obviously pretty gutted because I know the role that I can play within Australian cricket and especially a venue like this.”Bailey termed it a “one Test decision”, although it’s now happened twice in quick succession. “Nath will disagree with the decision, and that’s perfectly okay,” Bailey said. “I think he disagreed with the decision in Jamaica, and that’s perfectly okay. I have no qualms about players feeling like they can impact the game and the fact of the matter is he could have. So we could have picked a different squad…that could have been Beau Webster, that could have been Nathan Lyon, but that’s the path we go. Allow the disappointment and then build up a preparation for Adelaide.”Very much it’s a one Test decision, Nath will play in Adelaide,” he added. “It’s just how you think you’re going to structure up the resources and how it’s going to be used, when it gets dark here, when you think you’re going to be using seam bowlers, how many overs get bowled in a day, when you think new ball will be available and that sort of stuff.”It was just the second home Test Lyon has missed since his debut – a run of 69 matches before today – with the other being against India at the WACA in 2012 when Australia fielded an all-pace attack.It meant that Michael Neser played his third Test, all them having been day-night games. He previously played two in Adelaide: against England in the 2021-22 Ashes and West Indies a season later.”This is Michael Neser’s home ground and he knows the conditions really, really well,” Ricky Ponting said on Channel Seven. “But for someone like Nathan Lyon who is such a seasoned professional with a good record at the Gabba, I think it’s a massive call for the Aussies to make.”Pat Cummins, Steven Smith, George Bailey and Andrew McDonald discuss their selection options•Chris Hyde/Getty ImagesWhat does this all mean for Lyon? In the aftermath of not playing at Sabina Park he said he ultimately understood the decision but was still disappointed, believing he can be successful in all conditions.”I believe I can play a role in any conditions, and I still honestly believe that,” he said after that series. “I want to play every game for Australia, and I’ve just got that belief that I can play a role in any conditions, as every cricketer should have that belief.”In Jamaica, conditions with the pink Dukes ball were on the extreme end; the match ended before the first interval on the third day with West Indies skittled for 27. Whether it plays out a similar way in Brisbane, time will tell.Overall, there has been a diminishing role for spinners in Australia as the surfaces offer increasing assistance to the quicks. Lyon’s tally of 122.4 overs against India last season was the lowest amount he had sent down in a home summer.”I know how important spin bowling is, but there is a degree of me that’s concerned about spin bowling around the world, not just Australia, with the wickets we’re playing on,” Lyon said earlier this year.”If you look at spin bowling and your younger spin bowlers around the country, they’re not getting the overs or the opportunities to bowl on day-three, day-four wickets, or spinning wickets, or even green seamers because the fast bowlers are dominating.”Lyon will be back for the next Test in Adelaide, a day game, followed by the contests at the MCG and SCG. But it is now unarguable, that when Australia play day-night Tests, even at home, Lyon can no longer be assured of a place in the XI. And that is quite a shift.

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli do what was expected of them and more, and will now disappear from view as the focus turns to T20Is again

Alagappan Muthu07-Dec-20253:11

A 10/10 for Kohli, but how did the rest fare?

He’s given that look before. “, and Samaira and Ahaan would have prepared their father for Saturday, when Kuldeep Yadav saw something shiny – Lungi Ngidi’s wicket – and wanted it even though he hadn’t entirely earned it.The ball seemed to be turning too much. To Rohit Sharma, it was just so obvious that for those moments India spent deliberating – which is a kind word – whether or not to review, he stared at Kuldeep like the left-arm wristspinner was one of his toddlers throwing a tantrum. “””Obviously, you know, in DRS, I’m someone who’s very bad and he [Rohit] is someone who keeps pulling my leg all the time” Kuldeep told the host broadcaster between innings. “As a bowler, you feel like every not out is out so you have to have those people around you to just guide you, you know calm down, we only have two reviews.”Related

• Jaiswal, Rohit, Kohli lead India to 2-1 series win

• Stats – Kohli goes on a six-hitting spree, Jaiswal joins all-format centurion club

• Kohli: I've not played at this level for two-three years

The 2-0 loss in the Test series had the dressing room wired for this decider. India finally won a toss and KL Rahul was desperate to push home that advantage. He was very particular about which end Prasidh Krishna would bowl from – to take down Aiden Markram and Matthew Breetzke – and eager to have a word with everyone at the start of their spell, ironing out plans. His attention to detail with field placement was also pin-point. Once, he asked Virat Kohli to move to his left at long-on and Marco Jansen hit the next ball straight down that path.But by that 43rd over, with South Africa 252 for 8, all the tension had dissipated. Rohit, in particular, was feeling . The leaner part of him had already been on show. He pulled off a sharp stop to prevent Dewald Brevis from getting a boundary at backward point. Kuldeep woke up the meaner part of him.Rohit, from the 2023 World Cup to the 2025 Champions Trophy, was a violent presence at the top of India’s batting line-up. Only 24% of the shots he attempted in the first ten overs were defensive. Since the Australia ODIs – by which point he had retired from every other form of cricket and was chasing the 2027 World Cup dream – he has been rather more sedate. Forty per cent of his shots in the first ten overs had become defensive.Obviously, that requires context. Conditions in Perth, Adelaide and Sydney weren’t easy and against South Africa, Yashasvi Jaiswal seemed comfortable taking those early risks so that the rest of the batting line-up could focus on and post dew-proof totals batting first. Rohit used to play like this a lot, back when he kept churning out daddy hundreds. Has he reverted to type given where his career is at and the goal he has set for himself?Rohit Sharma checks his bat after falling to the sweep•Associated PressIn the two half-centuries he scored this week, Rohit caught up with the rate in the blink of an eye. He was dismissed for 75 off 73 in Visakhapatnam looking to go big when the required rate was less than five. That doesn’t look like someone preoccupied with their own needs. Rohit left the field looking down at his bat, at the spot that caused the mis-hit, almost unaware of a crowd of over 27,000 applauding him off, who, about midway through, realised they needed to set a different vibe.Kohli was walking in.India had knocked off too much of the target for a hat-trick of centuries to be viable. But just like in 2018, when he was 29 and at his peak scoring 140, 157* and 107, this sequence of 135, 102 and 65* highlighted his problem-solving ability. His understanding of what shots to play and what not to – particularly in Raipur – when conditions weren’t so straightforward to score quickly. His shepherding of his batting partners. His increasing comfort in hitting sixes whether he’s set or not.”I don’t think I’ve played at this level for a good two-three years now and I feel really free in my mind and just the whole game is coming together nicely, [it’s] very exciting to build on,” Kohli said after collecting his Player-of-the-Series award.5:03

Kohli, Kuldeep or toss – who bossed the ODI series?

Except now that India have won this series 2-1, both he and Rohit will disappear into the background. Focus will shift to the T20I team and their preparation for the World Cup. The coaching staff can breathe a sigh of relief. They don’t have to answer questions about whether their two superstars can last the next two years playing as little as they do. It is to their credit they haven’t stuck their fingers in their ears and gone la-la-la-la-la every time they have been asked to gaze into that crystal ball.”They are world-class players in this format and their experience is really important in the dressing room,” Gautam Gambhir said. “And they are doing what they do. They have been doing it for such a long time for Indian cricket. And hopefully they can continue doing the same, which is always going to be important, come the white-ball format and the 50-over format.”Six-hundred-odd days to 2027 is a long time. Too many things can happen – injury, dips in form. Some others need to happen. Kohli and Rohit will be playing domestic cricket again, at the Vijay Hazare Trophy starting January 3 to keep themselves in contention for the ODI side. Then there’s the New Zealand series – again only three matches because we are in the T20 World Cup cycle – and then… and then… and on… and on… almost everything has to go right.And it did here, with Rohit showing the time he still has against fast bowling, the ease with which he throttles up and down, the 360-plus ODI sixes and 20,000-plus international runs, and Kohli bossing all that he sees as soon as he steps up to the crease, including Saturday’s chase. Real life made friends with fairy-tale logic this series.

A former team-mate of Lionel Messi has revealed how much he would love to join the Argentina icon at Inter Miami. The World Cup winner has recently extended his stay with the MLS side, penning a new contract at the club that will run through to the end of the 2028 MLS season. Messi will be 41 when his contract expires, meaning this could be the final club of his incredible career.

• Messi starring in MLS with Miami

  Messi is continuing to play a starring role for Inter Miami and is currently eyeing his third piece of silverware with the club. The former Barcelona star has already won the Leagues Cup and the Supporters Shield during his time with David Beckham's club and will face the Vancouver Whitecaps next for the MLS Cup on 6 December. Saturday's game will be Inter Miami's first MLS Cup final appearance and offers Messi the chance to add yet another trophy to his extensive cabinet.

Advertisement

• AFP
  

  Ex-Messi team-mate opens door to MLS move

  Ahead of the game, Messi's former Argentina team-mate Darío Benedetto has been talking about his future. The 35-year-old, who left Newell's Old Boys in October, is on the verge of retirement but admits he could be tempted to reconsider, particularly if Messi comes calling. "If he calls me to play for Inter Miami, I'll go by bicycle!" he told ESPN.

  A move may be unlikely, but Benedetto is still hoping to finish his career on a high. He added: "I got fed up with certain bad habits that football has taken on today. Troubles, business dealings, it doesn't matter… But I'll always love it, because I'm very grateful to football. I can't believe the career I've had… Now I'm almost retired. But I've decided, through therapy, to extend it a little longer and retire on a high note.

  "I'm going to lean towards clubs that don't have any problems, because the last few years I've spent my time complaining. I want to enjoy playing football," he added, "I would have liked to retire at Boca, but it didn't happen. My best form was in 2016. And I always watch it on TV."

• Messi staying at Miami

  As for Messi, he now looks set to stay at Miami potentially until he hangs up his boots after penning a three-year extension in October. The World Cup winner said: “It makes me really happy to stay here and to continue with this project that, besides being a dream, has become a beautiful reality – playing in this stadium, at Miami Freedom Park. Since I arrived in Miami, I’ve been very happy, so I’m truly glad to keep going here.”

  Yet Messi has also admitted that he still longs to return home to Barcelona and plans to go back to the city with his family in the future. He told Sport: "I really want to go back there, we miss Barcelona a lot. My wife and I, the kids, are constantly talking about Barcelona and the idea of moving back. We have our house there, everything, so that's what we want. I'm really looking forward to going back to the stadium when it's finished because since I left for Paris, I haven't been back to Camp Nou, and then they moved to Montjuic.”

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• Getty/GOAL
  

  Messi vs Muller up next

  Messi is now preparing for Saturday's clash in a game which will see the Inter Miami talisman come up against former Bayern and Germany star Thomas Muller. The forward joined Vancouver Whitecaps in the summer after his contract with Bayern ended and is now set for yet another match-up with Messi.

  "It's not about Messi against Thomas Müller," Muller told reporters. "It's Miami against the Whitecaps. Maybe they rely a little bit more on him than we do on me, because we are such a good group."

  The two superstars have previously met 10 times, with Messi ending up on the winning side only three times.

Liverpool are keen to see an upturn in performances under Arne Slot, and they could be set to target a free agent manager familiar to supporters if they fail to improve over the coming weeks.

Arne Slot looks to revive Liverpool's Premier League season

Credit in the bank goes a long way, and the Anfield hierarchy won’t forget Slot’s exploits last season as he took the Reds to a second title of the Premier League era. However, they have failed to claim the desired results in recent times, causing anxiety among their support.

Regardless, the Dutchman has vowed to fight for his future at Liverpool and appears uncompromising in his vision to help the club rediscover their form, claiming that his side will find the answers to their problems before too long.

He said before his side took on West Ham United: “We’ve had the same conversations we’ve had since I am here. We fight on. We will try to improve. You try to find the answers of what is needed to win a game of football but in the end it is about doing what this club is about.

“We have to keep fighting, fight together. But it would also be nice if we rewarded ourselves in the moments we play well. People are focused correctly on the parts where we don’t play well.”

However, Liverpool appear to be in the process of profiling potential alternatives to Slot, with Paris Saint-Germain boss Luis Enrique high on FSG’s radar should they eventually decide to make a change.

Nevertheless, the Reds could be about to go in a totally different direction, one that will surprise supporters if recent developments do indeed come to fruition.

Liverpool cast attention to Brendan Rodgers and Andoni Iraola

According to reports in Spain, Liverpool could replace Slot with former boss Brendan Rodgers or Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola, as the Dutchman’s future on Merseyside becomes increasingly unclear.

A return for Rodgers would be remarkable considering he previously served as manager of the English giants between 2012 and 2014, coming incredibly close to delivering their first Premier League title before leaving the season after. Described as “world-class” by Gabriel Agbonlahor, he has since won multiple league titles with Celtic.

Meanwhile, Iraola’s stint at Bournemouth has won plenty of plaudits across the nation, and both coaches are willing to listen to Liverpool should they be approached over taking on the potential vacancy.

He'd unlock Wirtz: Liverpool considering Klopp 2.0 who's “best coach in PL”

Arne Slot is under intense pressure after Liverpool lost a ninth time from 12 matches.

By
Angus Sinclair

Nov 28, 2025

FSG aren’t in a rush to make a decision, suggesting Slot will be given time to revive the Reds’ fortunes as they look towards a heavy period of festive fixtures.

Either way, there is pressure on the Dutchman, and it may be a telling sign that they already have replacements in their eyeline should their patchy form continue.

Parent company of Major League Cricket takes legal action over termination of commercial agreement

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Sep-2025There has been a power struggle at the heart of cricket in the USA for over a month now and it escalated on Tuesday, with American Cricket Enterprises (ACE), the parent company of Major League Cricket (MLC), taking USA Cricket (USAC) to court for “improper termination” of their contract.The two parties had been commercial partners since May 2019 but a few weeks ago USAC ended it saying ACE had failed to “fulfill its contractual and fiduciary obligations”, including payments due to the national team and support staff. ACE disputed this, claiming it had actually offered more than the agreed amount.An ACE press release said on Wednesday: “USAC’s handling of the ACE agreement has been chaotic and reckless. It is emblematic of USAC’s bad faith. A small group of USAC directors have chosen to prioritize politics rather than preparing teams that can build on their recent successes.”These actions have jeopardized ACE’s significant investments into U.S. cricket over the last six years, as well as the continued success of cricket in the U.S.”USAC’s wrongful conduct cannot go unanswered, so today, ACE filed legal proceedings against USAC regarding its improper termination of the ACE agreement.”This situation has caused unease among the USA players. ACE runs the highest profile cricket tournament in the country – MLC – and the development league associated with it – Minor League Cricket. It also owns the ground that houses the High Performance Centre at Grand Prairie in Dallas, Texas and operates other facilities in Morrisville, Florida and California.At the time of USAC terminating its deal with ACE, on August 21, it said it was open to renegotiations. Seven days later, it even suspended the decision to cut ties. On September 16, however, “USAC then unilaterally reinstated its original termination, effective today, without holding any meaningful discussions directly with ACE”.Johnny Grave ACE chief executive, said, “We’re disappointed with the actions of USA Cricket. For the last six years, ACE has been focused on the athletes, fans, and partners who have helped develop US cricket. We have commenced legal proceedings against USAC to prevent the irreparable harm caused by its wrongful termination of the ACE agreement and to protect the thriving cricket community that ACE has cultivated in America.”This standoff is taking place two months after the successful staging of the 2025 MLC season and less than six months out from the men’s T20 World Cup. USA are due to participate in that tournament in India and Sri Lanka and ACE had planned a training camp for 35 top men’s players with trial matches – three 50-over games and three T20s – in Morrisville against West Indies A.”Is that all still taking place or not? These camps have to take place for the players to get ready for those things,” USA allrounder Corey Anderson said recently. “All of those things are very much in a big question mark at the moment, which again just creates more uncertainty around the players.”

England batter’s stamina and endurance to the fore during record-breaking triple-hundred

Matt Roller10-Oct-20240:57

England rewrite the record books vs. Pakistan

It was like watching Eliud Kipchoge run: the pace was remarkable enough in itself, but the ability to sustain it across such a long period of time defied logic. Harry Brook batted for seven hours, spending 97.4 overs in the stifling heat and facing 322 balls – all while scoring at a run a ball. This was Brook’s Multan marathon, an epic feat of endurance and stamina.Brook is 25 years old, and this was the first time in his lifetime that an England batter had scored a triple-century; his 317 was the fifth-highest score in England’s Test history. This pitch was desperately flat, offering nothing to Pakistan’s weary bowlers, but Brook put on a batting clinic which laid bare both his singular focus and his hunger for runs.This was not an innings that Brook could have played 12 months ago. He missed England’s tour to India at the start of the year to be with his grandmother, who was on her deathbed, and spent the time away from cricket “trying to lose a bit of weight and trying to get leaner”. It has reaped rewards, allowing him to withstand the physical challenge of batting in these conditions.Related

• Joe Root: Harry Brook's 317 is just the first of his 'monster' scores

• Joe Root: 'Earning the right to win' was England's motivation in historic batting display

• Stats – England's mammoth total, Brook and Root pile on records

• Root and Brook hit big centuries to make Pakistan's 556 look inadequate

• England seize opportunity after Brook triple, Root double flatten Pakistan

“That three-month period I had at the start of the year was massive for me,” Brook said. “I obviously lost a bit of weight, and tried to get as fit as possible by eating well, running and gymming. If I hadn’t done that, I’d have probably got to 150 and just slogged one up in the air. It’s made a difference, for sure.”Brook ran and ran and ran. During Brook’s time in the middle, the vast majority spent alongside Joe Root in a mammoth 454-run partnership, England scored 199 singles, 55 twos and 11 threes: he covered more than four miles running between the wickets alone. He looked utterly exhausted when celebrating his double-hundred, after batting through the first session.Yet after a nutrition shake, some food and plenty of fluids at the interval, Brook found another gear after lunch. He scored 99 runs off 65 balls in the afternoon session as he laid into the occasional spin of Salman Agha and Saim Ayub, whom he swatted disdainfully down the ground to reach 300. It was outrageous batting, and his scoring rate enabled a declaration before tea.Until he miscued a sweep to backward square leg on 317, Brook looked as though he had a realistic opportunity not only to break England’s record score, Len Hutton’s 364, but to overtake Brian Lara’s world-record 401 not out too. He did not offer a genuine chance at any stage in his innings, or even have a review to worry about.ESPNcricinfo LtdHis one scare came on the third evening. On 75, Brook defended a ball from Aamer Jamal into the crease, only for it to bounce up and hit him on the chin. It dribbled past his attempt to kick it away and into the stumps, but was moving so slowly that it did not dislodge the bails. Having seen both Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett give hundreds away, Brook resolved not to.It was only a month ago that Brook was bored out by Sri Lanka’s seamers at The Oval, letting his frustrations get the better of him as they hung the ball wide outside his off stump. His character and mentality were called into question: this innings was an unequivocal response to that criticism.Perhaps Pakistan should have borrowed the same template. “Our plan was to bowl pretty straight – and when we did that, we did quite well,” Jason Gillespie, their coach, said on the third evening. “But on reflection I would’ve just liked us to just sit in a bit longer, be a little bit more patient and just a little bit more disciplined.”They occasionally tested out the perception that Brook has a weakness against the short ball, and proved that the theory is not watertight. When Shaheen Shah Afridi slammed the ball in halfway down, Brook simply ran down the pitch, gave himself room and flat-batted him away for four.Brook at his best reduces batting to its first principles, hitting the ball where the fielders aren’t. It was the theme of how he played on the fourth day: charging down to launch Jamal over cover; standing dead-still to uppercut Naseem Shah’s short ball over third man, and falling over to the off side to scoop over his left shoulder.Harry Brook became the first England batter in 34 years to score a triple-century•Getty ImagesThis innings also extended Brook’s scarcely believable record in Pakistan, the country where he has felt “at home” since playing for Lahore Qalandars in the PSL two-and-a-half years ago. In fact, he has been significantly better there than when actually playing at home: Brook has now scored more Test runs in Pakistan (785 in six innings) than in England (761 in 21).Root was on 82 when Brook came in at No. 5 on the third afternoon; by the time he was dismissed for 262 on the fourth, Brook had 260. Their partnership was the biggest in England’s history and a combination between the two Yorkshiremen who fuse the past and the future of their Test team with the present.After overtaking Alastair Cook on Wednesday, Root will likely put the England record for Test runs out of reach in the next few years. If there is anyone who can catch him from their current batch of young batters, it is surely Brook: this was his first double-hundred in first-class cricket, let alone triple, but he has a rare blend of talent and temperament.Brook will face new challenges next year: his first full series against India, whom he has only played once, and his first tour to Australia. It remains to be seen how he will fare against two of the world’s best attacks on pitches that will pose more issues than this one, but the evidence of his career so far suggests that he should be up to the task.

Garrett Crochet had a pretty nice night against the Yankees on Sunday. The Red Sox starter went six full innings and struck out 12 batters to help Boston snap a three-game losing streak and salvage the final game of a weekend series against New York.

He also fell down on a play that probably terrified fans.

Facing Jose Caballero with two outs and a runner on first, Crochet went to deliver the 0-1 pitch and completely lost his footing. His left foot turned towards second and he slipped. His right foot came down and then he threw the ball away as he took a seat.

Jazz Chisholm advanced to second while Red Sox fans held their breath. Luckily, Crochet was able to get up, dig back in at the rubber and strike out Caballero a few pitches later.

Crochet would give up a home run to Aaron Judge the next inning, but still escaped with the incredibly important win. Boston is currently in position for the second AL wild card with 12 games remaining in the season.

Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suárez is one of the hottest names surrounding Major League Baseball's trade deadline on July 31.

Entering Wednesday, his 36 home runs on the year were tied for the National League lead until Shohei Ohtani mashed a homer for the fifth straight game. Still, Suárez is on a heater as one of the best power hitters in baseball. He trails only Cal Raleigh (39) and Ohtani (37) in home runs and leads the MLB in RBIs with 86.

The D-Backs are in a position to pick their favorite package in return from Suárez if they decide to deal him, which certainly isn't a given. At 50-53 and 5 1/2 games back of the final wild-card spot, it may behoove them to deal Suárez, 34, before he becomes a free agent after this season. Although they could acquire talent by dealing first baseman Josh Naylor or starting pitchers Merrill Kelly and Zac Gallen, Suárez may just be the darling of this year's trade deadline. The thought of adding his bat for a postseason push could lead to some rival clubs offering shiny future-forward prospects to boost MLB's No. 22 ranked farm system.

Below are some of the best fits for Suárez as we approach the trade deadline.

New York Yankees

Of course the Yankees are in on the hottest bat available at the deadline. MLB insider Jon Heyman has long reported the Yankees have inquired with the D-Backs on the 34-year-old slugger. Suárez was asked about the possibility of a Yankees trade during All-Star weekend, to which he responded "it's a team that wants to win," seeming somewhat enticed about the potential of landing in the Bronx. The Yankees are in need of help at the hot corner down the stretch, seeing six different players play at least one game at third base this year: Oswald Peraza (47), Oswaldo Cabrera (33), Jazz Chisholm Jr. (29), Jorbit Vivas (12), Pablo Reyes (5) and J.C. Escarra (2).

Detroit Tigers

Suárez began his career in Detroit before he was quickly dealt to the Cincinnati Reds. Over a decade later, a return to where it all began may make sense. The Tigers won the race to 60 wins this season and had an incredible first half, but have been stuck in a slump, losing nine of their last 10 games. They need pitching support to help their ace Tarik Skubal, but adding a big bat should be a priority too. Plus, with Skubal only under team control through the end of the 2026 season and a massive contract looming, the Tigers could push their chips in and go for it all this year. If they are willing to give up one of their higher-tier prospects, the D-Backs could bite.

Seattle Mariners

Although they have MLB's home-run leader in Cal Raleigh, the Mariners are looking for an upgrade in the corner infield to strengthen their potential postseason push. Seattle traded Suárez to Arizona just two seasons ago, but a reunion may be in order. Rookie Ben Williamson has served as the primary third baseman for the Mariners this season, mainly supported by Miles Mastrobuoni. Both Williamson and Mastrobuoni have just one home run apiece this year. Suárez's bat brings an upgrade for any roster, but especially Seattle's. We'll see if they offer a package the D-Backs can't refuse, which would unite two of baseball's best home-run hitters on the same roster.

Cincinnati Reds

The Reds haven't been rumored as a potential Suárez suitor for long. However, according to a recent report from 's C. Trent Rosecrans, there is mutual interest between the Reds and D-Backs in a deal that would return Suárez to Cincinnati, where he has spent the majority of his MLB career.

He played for the Reds from 2015 to '21 before he was traded to the Seattle Mariners and dealt to Arizona two seasons later. With Suárez slated to become a free agent after this year and Arizona in need of pitching, Rosecrans reported the D-Backs are "at least interested in kicking the tires" on young and promising righthander Chase Petty. The Reds are in striking distance of a wild-card spot and they could push to bring in a familiar face to help down the stretch.

Winning run comes to an end despite fifties from Maia Bouchier and Freya Kemp

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay25-Jul-2025Alice Davidson-Richards produced a game-changing fifty as Surrey ended Hampshire’s winning streak in a rain-curtailed Metrobank Women’s One Day Cup clash in Guildford.Freya Kemp’s 58 and Maia Bouchier’s 51 gave Hampshire a platform for a big score, but wickets at regular intervals, including three for Phoebe Franklin, restricted the visitors to 278.Surrey initially struggled to build regular partnerships but Davidson-Richards capitalised on a lengthy rain delay and smashed 62 to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat for Surrey.Having been sent in to bat, Hampshire got off to a positive start as openers Bouchier and Rhianna Southby capitalised on some erratic bowling from the Surrey quicks before Southby chopped on for 27.Bouchier anchored Hampshire’s innings well as she marshalled her side past 100 but then mistimed a flick straight to midwicket to fall for 51 as the run rate slowed.Surrey were sharp in the field throughout, as Ryana MacDonald-Gay produced two diving stops before substitute fielder Alexa Stonehouse took a reflex catch at midwicket to dismiss Georgia Adams as Hampshire slumped to 131 for 4.Abi Norgrove joined Kemp to bring about a revival and the two increased the tempo, cruising beyond 200 with a blend of big hitting and well-placed strokes before Norgrove was dismissed for 40.Kemp breezed past 50 and rotated the strike effectively with Nancy Harman until she was run out by Alice Monaghan for 58 attempting to take two on the boundary rider’s throw. But a flurry of wickets prevented Hampshire from fully attacking during the death overs and Surrey restricted the visitors to 278 all out.As dark clouds loomed over Guildford, Hampshire used the conditions to dismiss Kira Chathli early on for a duck but Bryony Smith and Alice Capsey counterattacked to make the most of the powerplay.The pair raced to 46 for 1 after seven overs before a brief shower forced the players off. Immediately after the resumption, Smith was dismissed for 24, having driven Perry straight to cover.Surrey began to settle once more but Freya Davies returned to the Hampshire attack and took the crucial wicket of Capsey for 47 thanks to Bouchier’s juggling take at midwicket.Hampshire continued to turn the screw as Ava Lee and Perry dismissed Paige Scholfield and Grace Harris, leaving the hosts 123 for 5 after 21 overs.Davidson-Richards and Danni Wyatt-Hodge kept the run rate manageable as they put together a meaningful partnership to steer Surrey to the drinks break.The rain showers that had persisted throughout the innings finally got too heavy, forcing the players off with Surrey 19 runs behind the DLS par score.After a lengthy delay, Surrey were set a revised target of 63 off 29 balls and their hopes looked over when Wyatt-Hodge holed out to cover. But Davidson-Richards and Monaghan took up the mantle, smashing a barrage of boundaries to chase down the target with two balls to spare.