Duo take five and four wickets respectively as Leicestershire Foxes ease to victory

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay 06-Aug-2025

Alex Green’s 5 for 25 and Ian Holland’s 4 for 37 undermined Surrey’s batting at Guildford, where Leicestershire Foxes then eased to 179 for 4 and a six-wicket victory with 21.3 overs to spare.Surrey were bowled out for 174 in 43.1 overs, leaving all the Foxes’ top order to enjoy themselves with a succession of cameos, until Ben Cox settled matters with successive sixes off Cam Steel’s legspin.Cox ended 38 not out from 36 balls and added an unbroken 57 in 8.5 overs with Peter Handscomb, who was unbeaten on 23.Openers Sol Budinger and Rishi Patel struck two sixes and 10 fours between them in their entertaining innings of 36 and 29, Shan Masood included a massive straight six in his 27 and Lewis Hill made 20.Fast bowler Alex French, 18, conceded 26 in two overs on his senior debut but at least also grabbed the wicket of Budinger for his efforts.Earlier, only Ryan Patel and Ollie Sykes, with 53 and 50 respectively, offered any real resistance to the Leicestershire attack in front of a 2,500 sell-out crowd at Woodbridge Road.Surrey, missing 15 players at The Hundred, were also without the injured former Test duo Dom Sibley and Matt Fisher, and their predominantly youthful line-up proved easy for highly rated England Under 19 fast bowler Green.Making only his fourth List A appearance, in addition to a first-class debut last September, Green first removed Ben Foakes before ripping out Sykes, who had pulled Tom Scriven for one huge six over mid wicket, Steel and James Taylor in his second spell in mid-innings. He then returned to finish off Surrey by dismissing Josh Blake for 31 and bowled with genuine pace throughout.Allrounder Holland’s clever medium pace was also too much for Surrey, although it was the occasional off spin of Rishi Patel which struck perhaps the game’s decisive blow when he claimed the wicket of namesake Ryan Patel for 53 in the 25th over.Surrey’s total, though ultimately below par, had been based on a fourth-wicket stand of 68 between Patel and Sykes that rallied the home team after a wobbly start.Rory Burns edged Holland to second slip to go for 3 in the third over and 19-year-old Adam Thomas, in only his third List A game, also fell to Holland who pinned him leg-before for six during a tidy five-over new-ball spell of 2 for 21.The introduction of the giant 18-year-old Green brought almost immediate results, with Foakes (5) nicking his second ball behind, but Patel and Sykes steadied the innings.Patel, captaining Surrey for the first time, has been the county’s leading run-scorer in this competition for each of the past two seasons and he looked in good order before falling to a low caught-and-bowled. Driving at Rishi Patel’s offspin, there initially seemed to be some doubt about whether the ball carried but the bowler was confident and a quick consultation between the umpires confirmed that it had.Patel’s dismissal proved a turning point in the innings, with 111 for four quickly becoming 141 for 8.Sykes was caught at mid on, Steel caught from a skied misfit first ball, Taylor taken at the wicket and Nathan Barnwell – who also scored just two – bowled by Holland between bat and pad.Yousuf Majid did add 32 with Blake but on 14 he fenced at Holland and edged behind, and one run later Blake holed out at deep square leg to give the impressive Green his fifth wicket.

Siraj took three of the last four wickets on the fifth morning to seal an epic win at The Oval

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Aug-20255:30

‘Such moments make you feel that the journey is worth it’

India captain Shubman Gill has said his team was “pretty confident” of taking the remaining four wickets on the final morning at The Oval to square the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series.Late rain on day four dragged the game into the fifth day, leaving England needing 35 runs and India four wickets. Mohammed Siraj picked up three of the four to seal a stunning win.”Yeah, we were pretty confident,” Gill said at the post-match presentation. “Even yesterday, we knew that they [England] are a little bit under pressure. We just wanted to make sure that they’re feeling the pressure throughout. Pressure makes everyone do things that they don’t want to, and we just wanted to make sure that they’re feeling the pressure throughout.Related

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Rahul: This series 'will rank right at the top' for India

“I think the way both the teams played in the entire series, every day coming on day four, day five, and never really knowing which team is going to win… it shows that both the teams came up with their A game and very happy to get over the line in this one.”Joe Root had said that the use of a heavy roller would benefit England on the fifth morning, but Siraj and Prasidh Krishna worked in tandem to give no respite to Jamie Smith and the tail.”When bowlers like Siraj and Prasidh are bowling like that then 35 runs is also too much,” Gill said at the post-match press conference. “As a batsman, you are under pressure as you feel the ball is doing something and it takes just one ball. And that is what we were reminding them about frequently. If the conditions are like this and the momentum is with you, then 30-35 runs is enough, then you know it is a matter of one or two balls falling in the right place and the game will get over there and then.”Gill said that India never thought about taking the second new ball, considering the movement both his strike bowlers had been getting since day four. “Also, we had the wicket-taking option on this wicket,” Gill said. “If they had to make the runs, they would need to score boundaries. We knew they were under pressure because in such a position the batting team is under pressure because it is matter of one ball.”Having been left heartbroken after he was the last man dismissed in the Lord’s Test last month, Siraj finished the game this time with the ball, when his pinpoint yorker uprooted Gus Atkinson’s off stump. Siraj put in a big shift, with his 30.1 overs in the fourth innings bringing him five wickets.ESPNcricinfo Ltd”Yes, definitely, he’s a captain’s dream”, Gill said of Siraj. “Coming in five Test matches, every ball, every spell that he bowled gave his all out, and every captain, every team wants a player like him. We are very fortunate to have him in our team.”While Siraj won the Player-of-the-Match award, Gill was chosen as India’s Player of the Series by the opposition coach Brendon McCullum for his chart-topping 754 runs in ten innings at an average of 75.40. Gill’s series aggregate is the second-highest for a captain behind Don Bradman’s 810 against England in the 1936-37 Ashes. No other batter has scored more runs in a series between England and India, going past Graham Gooch’s 752 runs in 1990.”Feels very rewarding,” Gill said. “I worked pretty hard before the start of the series. There were certain things that I wanted to work on as a batsman, and it was my goal to be able to be the best batter of the series. And to be able to accomplish that goal feels very satisfying and very rewarding.”I think once you are sorted mentally, you would be in a good space. But you’re only sorted mentally when you’re feeling technically correct. So, I think they’re both kind of correlated. If you feel like you’re getting in good positions, you’re always mentally more stable.”3:49

Bangar: Series result proves India is growing in stature

‘We want to be looked as a gun team’Having started the new WTC cycle with a series-levelling win, India are currently third on the table with 28 points in five matches. “This series was very important for us because the kind of maturity every player would feel [at] the end of the series would really help us in the long run in this WTC cycle,” Gill said.Asked if he would have felt the same had England chased the target, Gill admitted that his “feelings would definitely be slightly different”.”I think the scorecard of the series could not have really depicted what kind of cricket we played,” he said. “But this scorecard of the series that we have right now really shows how both teams played. This win was important for us to be able to get that morale high, especially after the kind of cricket that we have played over the course of two months.”When Gill’s India had landed in the United Kingdom in June, there were several questions asked – whether his team had the experience and the personnel to challenge Ben Stokes’ men. Two months later, India depart with the series shared. Gill credited head coach Gautam Gambhir for building the confidence of the team.”At the start of the series Gauti [Gambhir] said: ‘yes, we are a young team, but we don’t want to be looked as a young team; we want to be looked as a gun team’. And the way we played it today showed us that why we are a gun team, and we have gun players like him [Siraj] in our team and that’s what makes this team so special.”

Chelsea are a force to be reckoned with in the transfer market and could now be set to launch an ambitious bid to land Vinicius Jr at Stamford Bridge.

The Blues have endured an intriguing start to the campaign, where their Premier League form has been a little inconsistent, albeit a confidence-boosting EFL Cup victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers in midweek will serve to benefit Enzo Maresca.

Ill-discipline is a factor that will need to be rectified. Despite his return from injury, Liam Delap was dismissed for two cheap bookings against the Old Gold, leaving his side in the lurch as they narrowly saw it through to claim a place in the quarter-finals.

Bereft of attacking options at times this season, Maresca has needed to turn to the likes of Marc Guiu and Tyrique George to step into the breach. While both have shown potential, there is a need for more experience in the final third to convert chances.

Undoubtedly, BlueCo’s signing model has been based on identifying stars with potential to become world-class. Estevao is a prime example of Todd Boehly’s operation in action, though you get the feeling there is room for another exciting reinforcement to arrive.

With that in mind, the Blues have identified a world-leading star they believe could now become a central part of their plans at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea "ready to bid" for Vinicius Jr amid tensions with Xabi Alonso

According to reports in Spain, Chelsea are set to launch a January bid for Real Madrid winger Vinicius Jr, who is set to find himself out of contract in the Spanish capital in 2027 and is at odds with manager Xabi Alonso.

BlueCo see him as a “market opportunity, a high-impact signing” and believe he could be the focal point of their project.

After a return of five goals and four assists in 13 appearances this term, the Brazil international has attracted interest from the Blues, Manchester City and Manchester United. He is seen as someone who could become central to the Stamford Bridge project.

Dubbed the best player in the world by Cristiano Ronaldo, the Champions League winner is expected to have a high release clause value and also earns around £350,000 per week, placing challenging obstacles in the way of a deal being completed.

Risk is involved in any transfer, and Chelsea will know that he won’t come cheap. However, his situation is said to be the most uncertain of his career, proving that his seemingly untouchable status at the Santiago Bernabeu may be at risk.

Vinicius Jr is in the top 10 of 2026 Ballon d'Or power rankings

Incredibly, Fotmob calculate the 25-year-old has already created 23 chances and perfected 24 dribbles in La Liga this term, and he appears to be at the top of his game before Brazil head to the 2026 World Cup intent on securing glory.

Chelsea are wise to these developments and feel the right time to make an offer will be when the transfer window opens, making this one to keep an eye on over the next few months.

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.

MatériaMais Notícias

Diz o ditado que ’em time que está ganhando, não se mexe’ e é nessa filosofia que Abel Ferreira deve manter os onze titulares do Palmeiras para a primeira grande final do Paulistão 2024.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasNa busca do 12º título pelo Palmeiras, Weverton repudia ódio nas redes sociais: ‘Sei quem sou!’Palmeiras30/03/2024Campeonato Paulista6 nomes que podem decidir o Paulistão para Santos e PalmeirasCampeonato Paulista30/03/2024PalmeirasCom a chegada de Rômulo, Palmeiras tem sábado agitado pré-final do PaulistaPalmeiras30/03/2024

➡️ Tudo sobre o Verdão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Palmeiras

Sem perder há 20 partidas, o Verdão treinou nesta manhã na Academia de Futebol pela primeira vez após a importante vitória por 1 a 0 sobre o Novorizontino e já finalizou a sua preparação para encarar o Santos na Vila Belmiro neste domingo (31).

Maior nome do Palmeiras hoje, o garoto Endrick participou de apenas uma parte da atividade no gramado e seguiu um cronograma especial na parte interna do CT. O camisa 9 sentiu um trauma na coxa direita diante do Novorizontino, mas deve ser titular na final do Paulista.

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Gustavo Gómez e Richard Rios treinaram mais uma vez sem restrições e surgem como potenciais dúvidas na cabeça do técnico para estarem entre os 11 titulares na grande decisão.

Ao que tudo indica que Abel deve manter o time do Palmeiras que avançou nas quartas e na semi do Estadual com duas vitórias.

Sendo assim, o provável Palmeiras para encarar o Peixe é: Weverton, Mayke, Marcos Rocha, Luan, Murilo e Piquerez; Aníbal Moreno, Zé Rafael e Raphael Veiga; Endrick e Flaco López.

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A atividade deste sábado contou com a presença do meia Rômulo, que foi para o campo e treinou pela primeira vez com seus novos companheiros. A expectativa da torcida é de que o destaque do Novorizontino neste Paulista possa estrear com a camisa alviverde já na próxima quarta-feira (3), quando o Palmeiras encara o San Lorenzo, em Buenos Aires, na estreia da Libertadores 2024.

A bola rola para Santos x Palmeiras neste domingo (31), na Vila Belmiro, a partir das 18h (horário de Brasília), e o jogo terá transmissão da Rede Record, Cazé TV, TNT/HBO Max e Paulistão Play.

Tudo sobre

Palmeiras

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.

Bruce could be seen in his new team colours at the Cricket World Cup League 2 matches in the Canada leg starting August 27

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Aug-2025

Tom Bruce has shifted his loyalties from New Zealand to Scotland, and will be seen in action for his new team later this month, when Scotland take part in the Cricket World Cup League 2 matches in the Canada leg, starting August 27.Bruce, who qualified to play for Scotland because of his Edinburgh-born father, represented a Scotland Development side in 2016, before moving to New Zealand. A top-order batter, Bruce played domestic cricket for Central Districts since 2014, and represented New Zealand in 17 T20Is between 2017 and 2020. He was most recently in action for Central Districts at the Global Super League in Providence, Guyana.In a Cricket Scotland statement, Bruce said, “There’s a long Scottish history within my family and I know they will be incredibly proud that I am representing Scotland on the world stage. I’ve been fortunate enough to play for New Zealand five years ago, and I want to continue to showcase my skills on the world stage, and help the Scotland team achieve success, as I know the group is capable of achieving success and continuing to grow as a team.Related

New loyalties – Ross Taylor joins growing list of dual-internationals

Bruce makes 345, third-highest score in New Zealand history

The free spirit who has finally found his identity as a cricketer

“I was involved briefly in the set-up back in 2016, and it was an awesome experience. I played alongside and against a lot of the current group of Scotland players, and it’s been great following their development through the years and I’m looking forward to linking up with them again.”For me, I want to help the team in any way shape or form to play some consistent quality cricket and ultimately help get us to a World Cup.”Now 34, Bruce made a name for himself first when he hit 223 runs at a strike rate of 140.25 for Central Districts in the 2015-16 Super Smash. An innovative hitter, he had another good run at the following Super Smash, and that earned him a call-up to the New Zealand squad for a T20I series against Bangladesh. Success was elusive at that level, though, as Bruce scored a total of 279 runs at a strike rate of 122.36 from his 17 T20I innings with two half-centuries.”I’m very excited about Tom joining the group, not only is he a world-class cricketer, he brings a whole range of experience, he’s played a lot of 50-over and T20 cricket,” Doug Watson, the Scotland men’s head coach, said. “He’s going to add massive value both on the field and off the field in the years ahead, and I’m looking forward to getting him amongst the group, and I’m sure he’ll fit in perfectly well.”Scotland squadRichie Berrington (capt), Tom Bruce, Matthew Cross, Brad Currie, Josh Davey, Jasper Davidson, Chris Greaves, Jack Jarvis, Michael Leask, Finlay McCreath, Brandon McMullen, George Munsey, Safyaan Sharif, Charlie Tear, Mark Watt

Everton spent a lot of time spinning their wheels with Farhad Moshiri at the head of the table, but David Moyes is working well within the Friedkin Group’s parameters, and there’s a new sense of belief on the blue half of Merseyside.

There’s no question the Blues have improved since the Scotsman’s exciting return, almost 12 years after closing the door on his dynasty and succeeding Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, but more is needed to hit that elusive next level: contending for a seat at the European table.

While there may be an acceptance that the Toffees need external solutions, there’s one player plying their trade elsewhere who’s guaranteed a shot in Moyes’ squad next season, given that they are contracted to the Hill Dickinson Stadium already.

Indeed, Harrison Armstrong’s loan spell with Preston North End is drawing many plaudits, suggesting he is destined for success in the Premier League.

Why Harrison Armstrong is Everton's future

Armstrong, 18, has been at Everton since he was five years old. He is young and raw, but the talent has been clear from the get-go, with Sean Dyche featuring him three times in the league last season.

This season, the athletic, progressive centre-midfielder racked up two assists for Everton as they beat Mansfield Town in the Carabao Cup second round, ahead of his season-long switch to Preston in the Championship.

He’s making good progress in the second tier. The 18-year-old was praised for a statement showing against Sheffield United recently, winning six of eight contested ground duels and completing both of his dribbles.

There was much to like on loan at Derby County last year, but Armstrong has evolved and developed since the summer, and that bodes well for his future in the Premier League.

Preston fans are certain Armstrong “will play for England one day”, and Everton must ensure they keep him on the books and help nurture him to the fore.

And the same must be applied to one of the youngster’s Toffees teammates, a rising star who might even be a bigger talent.

Everton have a bigger talent than Armstrong

This summer, Moyes oversaw sweeping changes as Everton moved house. Among the most high-profile and exciting deals was the £42m signing of Tyler Dibling from Southampton, the teenage talent having broken out on the south coast last term.

The 19-year-old only scored four goals and provided three assists across all competitions last season, but Southampton were in a dire state and he was a shining light throughout, blending pace and power and potency down the flank.

This season, Dibling has featured only four times in the Premier League, hooked at half time during his only start, the 2-1 win over Crystal Palace.

It’s been a slow start, but he’s immensely talented and has the potential to outstrip all his teammates in Moyes’ system.

With a natural ease when carrying the ball that will only develop over the coming years, Dibling is also positionally dynamic and has effortless balance.

Output and effectiveness are two facets he needs to keep working on, but there’s no question that Everton have a gem on their hands, potentially an even bigger talent than someone like Armstrong.

Mateus Fernandes

4

3.64

Ryan Manning

1

2.80

Yukinari Sugawara

1

2.46

Kyle Walker-Peters

2

2.30

Tyler Dibling

0

1.46

Despite entering the professional scene for the first time, despite trying to find success as a creator in a, frankly, dismal Saints side, Dibling showcased his quality, backing up the claims of his former youth coach Andy Goldie that he is a “world-class talent”.

Given Everton paid a hefty figure for the teenager’s services, and that he has a full Premier League campaign under his belt, it’s certainly not unjust to suggest that Dibling is a bigger talent than Armstrong, who may be thriving at Deepdale but has even further to climb if he wishes to successfully wedge his way into Moyes’ plans.

In any case, this all serves as an exciting nod toward the future for the Merseysiders.

Everton's £45k-p/w talent is now giving "Pienaar 2.0 vibes" under Moyes

Everton have already hit the jackpot on this talented first-teamer.

ByAngus Sinclair Oct 29, 2025

The MLB trade deadline is less than a week away and New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman still has some work to do. Cashman himself, while speaking to reporters prior to the All-Star break, cited starting pitching, relief pitching and an infielder—ideally a third baseman—as the club's biggest needs and vowed that the club would "try to be active." True to his word, Cashman and the Yankees have already addressed third base, on Friday acquiring Ryan McMahon from the Colorado Rockies. The club then imported utilityman Amed Rosario from the Washington Nationals on Saturday. And while the injury to captain Aaron Judge throws a bit of a wrench in New York's plans, it's likely the club has enough outfield depth to navigate the reigning American League MVP's right elbow flexor strain. So, let's operate under the assumption that Cashman will be working the phones with the remaining two positions on his shopping list, starting pitcher and relief pitcher, in mind. What players are the best fits for the Yankees to acquire?

3 MLB Trade Deadline Targets for YankeesDavid Bednar, RP, Pittsburgh Pirates

Bednar, 30, is a hard-throwing righthander who misses bats, something the Yankees' bullpen, which features a smaller circle of trust then manager Aaron Boone would like thanks to injuries and inconsistent performance, could use. Bednar, a two-time All-Star and the No. 21 player on SI's Big Board of trade candidates, has pitched to a 2.19 ERA with 16 saves in 37 innings this year. The Pittsburgh native has utilized an arsenal that includes a four-seam fastball, split-fingered fastball and curveball to register an impressive 34.5% strikeout rate and 30% whiff rate. In other words, he misses bats at a very high rate. That's music to New York's ears.

The Yankees, who possess just one lefthanded reliever, would love to add a southpaw to the bullpen. Bednar is the next best thing, though. Yankees pitchers have surrendered a .736 OPS to lefty batters vs. a .650 mark to righties. Bednar is the rare kind of righthander who is better against lefties, making him a desirable upgrade for the Yankees' 'pen.

The Pirates closer has popped up in trade rumors in years past, though Pittsburgh has balked at trading him. This might be the year they finally do. He won't come cheap—it could take one, potentially two top-10 prospects to acquire the righty, depending on the Pirates front office's demands. But Bednar, who is not a free agent until 2027, would be a savvy addition by Cashman for another reason. Both current closer Devin Williams, as well as Luke Weaver, are free agents this winter. Should the Yankees lose one or both, the presence of Bednar, an experienced high-leverage reliever, would soften the blow.

Bangladesh cricket seems to always be embroiled with off-field distractions, with Shanto’s reluctance to lead the latest one

Mohammad Isam28-Oct-2024Another Test match for Bangladesh, another major distraction. Shakib Al Hasan’s farewell-that-wasn’t and the messy handling of Chandika Hathurusinghe’s exit dominated the headlines around their previous Test, while the Test prior to this series, in Kanpur against India, had Shakib’s retirement news all over it. And now, they will play the second Test against South Africa in Chattogram with a reluctant captain.The situation is far from ideal – as if being 1-0 down at home wasn’t bad enough.Bangladesh aren’t great at recovering after losing a first Test either. The only time they have done it against a noteworthy opponent was eight years ago, when England were over. For them to get their act together will take a big effort, particularly from that same reluctant captain, Najmul Hossain Shanto.Related

• De Zorzi and Stubbs hit maiden tons to make it South Africa's day

• Mehidy pulls up Bangladesh's top order after Dhaka defeat

• Shanto wants Bangladesh to focus on cricket

Shanto has informed the BCB that he wants to give up captaincy, across formats. It was only eight months ago that the BCB appointed him. He has reportedly said that among the reasons for his reluctance to continue is his own batting form. Since February, he has averaged 20.92 in seven Tests with just one half-century.So far, from the BCB, only director Nazmul Abedeen has spoken on the matter. He said that the board is open to discussing the issue with Shanto once president Faruque Ahmed returns to Dhaka on Monday evening.Now, the Test starts on Tuesday. So the discussions between Shanto and Faruque will have to be during the Chattogram Test. This is because Bangladesh have an ODI series against Afghanistan starting November 6 in the UAE, four days after the Chattogram Test’s scheduled fifth day.

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Shanto’s drop in form since becoming captain has been stark. He had said earlier this year that he has the ability to detach his leadership role when he is batting. Shanto’s batting during these last eight months hasn’t reflected that.It started in fairy-tale fashion, though. Shanto hit 105 in over four hours against New Zealand in his first Test as captain, in Sylhet last year, leading Bangladesh to a 150-run win. At the time, he was a stop-gap appointment as then captain Shakib was injured and Litton Das was on paternity leave. Shanto was impressive again on the white-ball tour to New Zealand later in the year in December. Hathurusinghe backed him as the permanent captain.

Bangladesh’s players showed that they can ignore distractions and thrive in nothing-to-lose situations, like in Pakistan. If they are to do it again, Shanto, for a last time perhaps, has to show them the way

But then things changed. His form and Bangladesh’s results both went downwards since March this year. Their T20I series defeat against USA was followed by a lukewarm T20 World Cup, and that put pressure on Shanto. The Test series win in Pakistan this year changed things again, and while it might be fair to overlook the team’s performance in India thereafter, the pressure has come right back after the Dhaka Test defeat against South Africa.Shanto made 7 and 23. South Africa got their first Test win in the subcontinent in ten years.For a young man – Shanto is just 26 – everything going on around the team must be tough to deal with. The Shakib saga – his political connections, the murder charge, and now his inability to return to Bangladesh because of security threats – since August has been exhausting to keep up with. Shanto didn’t appear too worried about the political side of things, but he has had to deal with Shakib, Bangladesh’s best cricketer, being mostly unprepared ahead of two major Test series. Shakib’s lack of overs in both the Chennai and Kanpur Tests raised eyebrows. Shanto pointed to the conditions by way of explanation, but Shakib’s bowling form was a concern.Shanto also witnessed Hathurusinghe’s exit up close. Faruque had spoken about wanting a new coach on his first day in office. The pressure on the coach continued until six days before the Dhaka Test against South Africa. BCB suspended Hathurusinghe and appointed Phil Simmons, and then sacked Hathurusinghe two days later. For a captain who was planning the next Test match with the coach, this must have been confusing if not worse. Shanto made the right noises, but that was only for the wider world. It was, like much else, far from ideal.

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The BCB’s main reason for appointing Shanto full time was to lead Bangladesh’s transition from the era of the senior players into the next. Shanto was appointed vice-captain during the 2023 ODI World Cup, amid the messy change of baton between Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan. He was Bangladesh’s best batter in 2023, and brought with him calm and composure, so he seemed the natural choice.When Shakib was injured, Shanto stepped up. Litton was the other choice but the BCB said that Litton was reluctant to lead the side. Now, in less than a year, Shanto and Litton are seemingly speaking the same language.Najmul Hossain Shanto’s runs have dried up of late•PTI Much of this is down to the price a Bangladesh captain has to pay.Like Shanto, Mominul Haque lost form after becoming Test captain and nearly lost his place in the team in 2022. He resigned after that. Shakib never really warmed up to the Test captaincy even though he was appointed a few times since 2018. Mushfiqur Rahim was the last captain who enjoyed a favourable Test run as a batter, but his tenure also ended when his batting form dipped.Shanto is also unlikely to be the last to be in the position.The BCB could talk him out of resigning. If they don’t, or can’t, Shanto’s long-time friend Mehidy Hasan Miraz might be the front-runner to take over at least in Tests, while Towhid Hridoy’s name is dong the rounds in the media for the T20I job. There is no clear candidate for ODIs at this stage.But Mehidy has just started to make meaningful all-round contributions in the last 12 months, while Hridoy is quite new to the international arena. Do they have it in them to be Bangladesh’s long-term captain, in one format or another? Questions, debates, discussions… it will all go on parallelly to the Chattogram Test. Bangladesh’s players showed that they can ignore distractions and thrive in nothing-to-lose situations, like in Pakistan. If they are to do it again, Shanto, for a last time perhaps, has to show them the way.