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From being knocked out even before they knew it, they’re one game – and a little bit of luck – away from the playoffs

Shashank Kishore13-May-20244:04

McClenaghan: RCB’s whole bowling unit made contributions

Three weeks ago, when Royal Challengers Bengaluru fell one short of an epic chase at Eden Gardens, they slumped to their seventh defeat in eight games. Rooted to the bottom of the 10-team table then, you didn’t think a miracle was possible.Glenn Maxwell, their most prolific overseas allrounder, was woefully out of form. Their costliest pre-auction signing, Cameron Green, wasn’t clear about his role. Virat Kohli, their biggest brand captain or not, was under the spotlight for his post-powerplay slowdown. Faf du Plessis, the captain, was coming to grips with the challenges of juggling retirement with three months of franchise gigs.Andy Flower’s proven track record as coach – he has won titles as a coach in the PSL, CPL, Hundred, T10 League, ILT20 – is perhaps why he was signed in the first place. But the lack of a big Indian presence in the back room left you wondering if they had tactically erred many times over by not picking Mahipal Lomror in the middle order.Related

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You asked what more Vyshak Vijaykumar, who had dream figures of 4-0-23-1 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium against KKR, had to do to be considered regularly. Why wasn’t Anuj Rawat, one of your scouting picks from three years ago, far from assured of a spot in the XI despite proving his batting chops in the very first game at Chepauk, where RCB haven’t won in 15 years?The lack of a genuine spinner after the infamous calls around Yuzvendra Chahal first and Wanindu Hasaranga next left them scraping the sides for somebody who could turn his arm over. Karn Sharma, the most experienced of the lot, had played two games. You didn’t quite know if they trusted Swapnil Singh, 33 and barely with any IPL experience prior to this, enough.Rajat Patidar, who could’ve so famously been consigned to the sidelines if not for a mid-season injury to Luvnith Sisodia in 2022, was amid a form crisis that seemed to have blown over from the India-England Tests. He was a floater without a proper batting number, adjusting to the demands of the format while battling his own demons.In short, way too many pieces of the jigsaw, spread across corners RCB thought they’d never be able to access, needed to be pieced together for this dysfunctional outfit to once again compete, forget about conjuring magic.Rajat Patidar has been key to RCB’s turnaround•Associated PressYet, here we are, 13 games into the league phase, beginning to wonder if the stars are aligning. Is this their year? A question asked of RCB consistently every year pre-auction. Perhaps it wasn’t a legit enough debate this year, but they’ve shredded that theory to bits, and how! Essentially, way too many results had to go their way, along with them winning, of course, for RCB to even be in the conversation.Did they believe in this miracle? Their calculators, which they unfailingly dust back to life at this time every year, have been working overtime. There’s now a realistic possibility of them securing that fourth playoff spot from under Chennai Super Kings. Or maybe with some help from Gujarat Titans and Punjab Kings, maybe they can edge out Sunrisers Hyderabad? There are so many possibilities.Who can understate luck amid all this? Sunday evening was meant to be a washout, one of those annual rituals that leave RCB fans tearing their hair out at times for the loss of a point, celebrating in jest at other times for salvaging one point. There was a 60% chance of thunderstorms. Three hours prior to the start, it rained in torrents for an hour.Miraculously, it cleared up for the entire duration of the game, to give RCB a chance of playing without looking at the DLS. And within an hour of the game finishing, the rain was back. Again in torrents, as if to say even the rain gods didn’t want to come in the way of this miracle.Kohli was out of the blocks in a jiffy – no look six swag and all that. Keenness to prove a point to those in the box? Who knows. Perhaps it was just the feeling of being unshackled and playing with a high tempo on a surface where RCB needed the extra runs to play for the net run rate. In any case, the change in intent has been marked. From going at 9.39 in the powerplay at an average of 34.69 in the first eight, they were now going at 11.10 while averaging 47.57 in the last five.Kohli was enjoying it so much that even his dismissal didn’t quite stir him. It elicited a cheeky sledge from Ishant Sharma, who broke the news of his India call-up many moons ago when they were room-mates, and they exchanged a friendly elbow nudge as he walked off. But while he was there, the hair-raising tempo was evident in his approach.Ishant Sharma celebrates the wicket of Virat Kohli•BCCIRCB were denied the Kohli show alright, but Patidar came out all guns blazing. Disdainfully treating Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav, hitting them repeatedly into the stands. As luck would have it, he kept getting dropped too. Shai Hope grassed one at long-on, and Axar let one go at covers. Will Jacks got two reprieves, too. Axar had shelled one around the mid-on region and Tristan Stubbs misjudged one backpedalling at cover. It wasn’t just a slice of luck; they were having dollops of it.RCB had motored at 110 for 2 at the halfway mark, before the Capitals came storming back. Deliveries suddenly began to hold onto the surface, batters began going harder than before, and at times kept losing their shape. Mukesh Kumar was nailing his yorkers and Rasikh Salam was executing his cutters and back-of-the-hand variations from around the wicket. Khaleel Ahmed’s lengths were proving hard to get underneath.This gun all-Indian attack came about only because Anrich Nortje has far from been the threat he once was. And they’d found their mojo, spearheaded by Ishant, the smiling assassin. The end overs were perhaps the only passage when you genuinely wondered if RCB had let things slip. From looking good for 230, they had finished with 187.Yet, the gods were with them. David Warner nailed a slog sweep but found the lone man at the wide long-on boundary. Jake Fraser-McGurk, the first batter to hit three IPL fifties below 20 balls in a single season, began like a runaway train, hitting 21 off seven. You wondered if he was onto something, until you saw Yash Dayal’s palm come in the way of a rasping straight hit that deflected onto the stumps at the bowler’s end to run him out.How lucky could RCB get that they didn’t then have to see Rishabh Pant walking out to bat? Out suspended for poor over-rates, he was replaced by a nervous Kumar Kushagra, who was out to a wild Mohammed Siraj in-ducker. The umpire’s finger went up even before Siraj turned around to belt out an appeal.Hope flickered briefly for DC, but Green snuffed that out with a direct hit to run out Stubbs with a clean pick-up and throw back to the non-striker’s end. With Axar threatening a coup, there was a wisp of thunder, the rumbling of clouds gathering overhead. The winds picked up and you wondered if there was another twist.It wasn’t to be. The rains held off for RCB to conjure magic of the kind not many expected. Their batting tempo that was unlocked in despair – they found themselves chasing 277 and 232 back-to-back – will now possibly be a fascinating case study. On Saturday, it could be put to one final test against CSK.The stakes couldn’t have been higher. From being knocked out even before they knew it, they’re one game, and a little bit of luck, away from the playoffs.

Legspinning allrounder has only just turned 18 but ECB already keen to nurture his talent

Matt Roller29-Oct-2022Rehan Ahmed, the teenaged legspinning allrounder, took everything in his stride during a breakthrough 2022 season. He has already impressed in county cricket – last month, he recorded his maiden first-class hundred and five-for in the same Championship game – and played in the Hundred and for England Lions; Mo Bobat, the ECB’s performance director, says Ahmed has already been “inundated” with opportunities from franchises around the world.But next week, he expects to feel starstruck when he boards a plane to the UAE along with James Anderson for a training camp which will present him with an opportunity to break into England’s Test squad for their tour to Pakistan. “He’s played international cricket longer than I’ve been alive,” Ahmed, who was born in August 2004, says with a grin. “It’s crazy.”Ahmed is only 18 years old but is one of three spinners in the Lions training group that will spend November in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, along with Jack Carson and Liam Patterson-White. He will play against an England XI in a three-day friendly at the end of the camp, and a successful month could see him taken to Pakistan as a net bowler, or even a back-up spinner.Related

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“I am trying to stay in the present, not thinking too far ahead,” he says. “If they take me along to train with them, great; if not I will come back and train with Leicester. Personally, I feel mentally ready. They have not said ‘we are taking you’ or this or that, but I feel like I always have to be ready for that moment.”Ahmed has caught the eye with his quick, modern style of legspin, particularly in short-form cricket, but describes himself as “more of a batsman” and wants to become “a proper allrounder”. He spent the summer asking Paul Nixon and Claude Henderson, Leicestershire’s coach and director of cricket, to move up the order; in the final round of Championship game, he hit 122 off 113 from No. 5.He admits that he is cricket-obsessed. “I can’t go a day without picking up a bat or a ball,” he says. “It’s not possible.” During the Hundred, his Southern Brave coach Mahela Jayawardene told him to take a day off after seeing his insatiable appetite for training; he snuck in an early-morning session in the indoor school while Jayawardene wasn’t looking.He is also a keen cricket watcher, and thinks that England’s ultra-positivity suits his own game. “It’s the only thing I’m interested in, in my life,” Ahmed says. “I watched most of the Test matches this summer. It’s a great entertaining style and it’s not reckless either – just a very fun way to play cricket.

“My dad is from Pakistan and I have family there. It would mean the world to represent England in Pakistan. It would be great”

“I just never get sick of it, really. Even on a bad day, I’m like, so what? I just keep shadow-batting. I keep thinking about the game. People say sometimes it can get you mentally drained but as much as I try to not to, I just keep thinking about it. I just think it’s the best thing ever. I don’t really think of studies, movies, anything like that. It’s just cricket.”Perhaps that is no surprise: his father Naeem was an allrounder growing up in Pakistan but moved to the Midlands to work as a taxi driver. “He couldn’t really play cricket when he wanted to, so he wanted his sons to do it. He’d work long hours in the night and then take us to games in the morning. He sacrificed a lot for us, and my mum has been behind us the whole time.”Ahmed is one of three brothers and insists that Raheem, a left-arm seamer who has played for Leicestershire’s second XI and the eldest at 19, is the best player in the family, though his progress has stalled due to injury. Farhan, the youngest, is only 14, but bowled offspin for Nottinghamshire’s seconds this summer, with Luke Wood among his victims.Ahmed, who views himself as more of a batter, scored his maiden first-class hundred last month•Getty Images”He’s a proper cricketer,” he says of Farhan. “I don’t know why he’s an offspinner but you don’t want two legspinners in the same team. If we want to play for England, we’re going to have to do two different things. We have all had dreams about all three of us playing.”Clearly, England will have to take good care of him. “He’s someone we have a really high opinion of,” Bobat says. “He hasn’t played a huge number of games but he’s someone I’ve been speaking to quite a lot, trying to map out his winter. He’s in that category of player where he’s young, high-potential, and has done some things on TV that people get excited about.”Bobat is keen to find a balance between finding him opportunities in franchise cricket and ensuring he develops as a red-ball player. “I’ve already spent time with Leicestershire trying to map out a medium-to-long-term plan for him. English cricket has a real responsibility to manage him carefully.”Ahmed adds: “The ECB will try to do what’s best for me. I have a lot of trust in them.”If he does get an opportunity in Pakistan – in December, or in 2024 when England return for another three-Test series – it would be a special moment. “My dad is from Pakistan and I have family there, so I’ve been a few times,” he explains. “We’re from a place called Mirpur. Whenever I’ve been, I’ll go to the stadium and train and you’ll have a load of bowlers ready to bowl to you, and a load of batters ready to bat.”Every time I’ve been, it’s always been great: the way they look after you there is crazy. It would mean the world to represent England in Pakistan. It would be great.”

No team in the IPL bowls the short ball better than the four-time IPL champions, and it shows in their results

Karthik Krishnaswamy07-Oct-2020Sanju Samson has a love-hate relationship with the short ball. He scores quickly when fast bowlers go short at him, but he’s also likely to get dismissed in the process.Since the start of IPL 2018 and before Tuesday’s game against the Mumbai Indians, Samson had scored 53 off 22 balls from fast bowlers that ESPNcricinfo’s scorers had logged as “short”. That’s a strike rate of 240.90. He hadn’t scored quicker against any other length. But four of those 22 short balls had also led to his dismissal, giving him an average of 13.25 – lower than his average against any other length.The Mumbai Indians would have known all this, and would probably have more sophisticated data than ESPNcricinfo’s numbers to back up their knowledge. They would have known to attack him early with short balls.But knowing is one thing. Bowling the perfect short ball is another. Trent Boult did just that on Tuesday night: left-arm over, slanting across Samson, pounding the pitch hard, climbing towards the batsman’s right shoulder, still rising when ball met bat. Samson shouldn’t have tried to pull it, perhaps, but instinct is instinct. He met it with bat face pointing almost skywards, and the ball ballooned gently to mid-on.Samson c Rohit Sharma b Boult 0.This was the high point of a Mumbai performance that emphasised just how much their fast bowlers own the shorter lengths in the IPL. Nine of the ten wickets Mumbai took went to their seamers – calling Kieron Pollard a “fast bowler” would stretch the definition too far – and six of those nine wickets went to balls pitching short or short of a good length.This is T20, and most dismissals don’t have a grand plan behind them – you can’t plan for Steven Smith, for instance, to be dismissed hoicking across the line for the third time in a row – but Mumbai’s use of the shorter lengths against the Royals was part of a larger pattern. No team in the IPL does it as well as them.This season alone, Mumbai have enjoyed success by going short and aggressive – like the Samson delivery, or the one from James Pattinson against the Kolkata Knight Riders that chalked up another victory for bouncers against Sunil Narine – as well as with slower bouncers, like those that uprooted Sunrisers Hyderabad’s top order in Sharjah. They’ve bowled short balls at the batsman’s body, and they’ve bowled them wide outside off stump to make them reach out and lose their shape. They’ve used short balls to attack, and they’ve used them to defend by forcing batsmen to take singles to deep fielders patrolling the long boundaries.ESPNcricinfo LtdIt’s nothing new. Since the start of the 2018 season, Mumbai’s fast bowlers have bowled more short and short-of-good-length balls than those of any other team, and bowled those balls better than any other team, taking the most wickets and achieving the best average and economy rate.It’s always been part of their wider strategy. Mumbai play their home games at the Wankhede Stadium, which offers more pace and bounce than the average Indian pitch in the IPL, and their best squads have always included fast bowlers who can use short balls effectively. The defining image of Mumbai’s bowling attacks over the years might be Lasith Malinga’s yorker or Jasprit Bumrah’s yorker, but their fourth-highest wicket-taker of all time is the persistently short Mitchell McClenaghan.McClenaghan, now in his sixth season with Mumbai, hasn’t got a game yet in IPL 2020 because he’s in the back of their fast-bowling queue behind Boult, Bumrah and Pattinson, who could form a tasty Test-match pace attack, and probably also behind Nathan Coulter-Nile, who also favours the hard lengths.It’s an attack built for the Wankhede, but it wasn’t clear before this season began whether it would suit the pitches in the UAE. The team management probably saw enough upon their arrival in the country to pick Pattinson, rather than a spinner, as Malinga’s replacement when he opted out for personal reasons, and conditions – at least in the first half of the tournament – have definitely given the fast bowlers something to work with.ESPNcricinfo LtdMumbai have exploited those conditions better than most other teams so far, with their fast bowlers picking up 32 wickets in six matches, with a best-in-the-league collective average and economy rate. The Delhi Capitals, who have Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje leading their pace attack, are the only comparable team across those measures.Mumbai and the Capitals occupy the top two spots on the IPL table currently, and own the two best net run rates too. It can’t just be a coincidence.

Aaron Boone and his Yankees are heading north of the border for the AL Division Series after taking care of the Red Sox. Now, they have another rival in front of them in the AL East champion Blue Jays.

Toronto and New York finished the regular season with the same record (94-68), but the Blue Jays took the division and a bye to the ALDS thanks to owning the tiebreaker over the Yankees. During the division race, Blue Jays broadcaster and former big leaguer Buck Martinez didn't hold back his true thoughts on the Yankees.

"Ya know, the Yankees, they're not a good team," Martinez said on a broadcast Sept. 9. "I don't care what their record is. They have a lot of wild pitches, they make a lot of mistakes in the field, they don't run the bases very well. If they don't hit home runs, they don't have a chance to win."

Boone certainly recalled those choice words and is using them as motivation ahead of Game 1 against the Blue Jays Saturday.

"I feel like the last couple months, we started to play really well. Contrary to some thoughts up here, we're a really good team," he said to reporters Friday via SNY.

After a follow-up question, the Yankees manager addressed Martinez's shade directly. "I know Buck had some thoughts, that's all I was responding to. He's wrong," he continued.

The Yankees won a decisive Game 3 against Boston Thursday at Yankee Stadium to keep their season alive. And ironically, they didn't hit a home run in the big 4-0 win. Now, Boone's squad has an opportunity to prove Martinez wrong with a trip to the ALCS on the line.

MLB's inaugural Rivalry Weekend kicks off on Friday with a slew of competitive matchups. The weekend is highlighted by Juan Soto's return to Yankee Stadium for the first time as a member of the New York Mets, but the slate contains a bunch of intriguing matchups for baseball fans to watch. Eleven of the 15 series are interleague matchups, and two are between division rivals.

Below is our ranking of the weekend's rivalry matchups in terms of how exciting and competitive they should be. All home teams are listed second.

1. New York Mets vs. New York Yankees

All-time record: 84–67, Yankees

Two of baseball's best teams will battle in the rivalry known as the Subway Series, a rematch of the 2000 World Series. The big storyline will be Juan Soto returning to Yankee Stadium for the first time since ditching the Bronx to join the Mets on a $765 million contract. I'm sure he'll be welcomed back warmly by Yankees fans.

2. Seattle Mariners vs. San Diego Padres

All-time record: 68–63, Mariners

This “rivalry” doesn’t have much notable history, but these teams do have the second-best combined records in 2025 of this weekend’s matchups. It features two of the best, most dynamic center fielders in baseball in San Diego’s Jackson Merrill and Seattle’s Julio Rodriguez. Plus, this is the first official edition of the 2025 Vedder Cup. A can't-miss series.

3. Atlanta Braves vs. Boston Red Sox

All-time record: 50–44, Red Sox

Both teams are hovering around .500 but should be far better and could combine for some quality baseball. Boston is bringing its Rafael Devers drama into the weekend. The new lefty ace the Red Sox acquired from the White Sox (Garrett Crochet) will face the old lefty ace they acquired from the White Sox (Chris Sale) on Friday night.

4. Cincinnati Reds vs. Cleveland Guardians

All-time record: 76–59, Guardians

If the Los Angeles Dodgers want to repeat as World Series champs, they'll have do it without a key cog in their bullpen machine.

Dodgers pitcher Evan Phillips will undergo Tommy John surgery and miss at least the rest of the 2025 season, manager Dave Roberts announced Friday ahead of the team's series against the New York Yankees.

"It's surprising," Roberts said via Sonja Chen of MLB.com. "More disappointed for Evan, but he just wasn't responding to the rest and then (trying) to ramp back up. Ultimately, that was kind of the advice and the route he decided to go."

Phillips ends '25 with a 0-0 record and 0.00 ERA to go with six strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings.

He last pitched on May 5, working a scoreless inning in a 7–4 win over the Miami Marlins. A move to the injured list with right forearm discomfort followed, and that snowballed into a shift to the 60-day injured list Thursday as Los Angeles traded for a potential replacement.

A valued member of the Dodgers' bullpen since 2021, Phillips saved 42 games for Los Angeles from 2023 to '24.

Breaking into Didier Deschamps' France squad is one of the toughest tasks in international football, but Tottenham’s Wilson Odobert is rapidly forcing his way into the conversation. After battling through injuries, thriving under Thomas Frank, and emerging as a decisive presence for Spurs and France’s U21s, the 20-year-old winger is now reportedly on Deschamps' radar and the timing may finally be on his side.

• Deschamps planning to call-up Spurs winger Wilson Odobert

  A place in France’s senior squad is notoriously difficult to secure. Deschamps has always strive to have a balanced squad merging the team with new talent while maintaining loyalty to trusted figures like Randal Kolo Muani, Adrien Rabiot, and Lucas Hernandez, players he has selected consistently despite their patchy club form.

  With Les Bleus already qualified for the 2026 World Cup, the competition only intensifies. According to L'Equipe, several players outside the current set-up believe they can force a late surge, but very few catch Deschamps’ attention. One who has is 20-year-old Odobert, now seen as an emerging contender thanks to his strong start to the season at Tottenham and sharp progression with France’s U21s.

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  Odobert's Spurs breakthrough: From injury setback to key performer

  Odobert’s debut season at Tottenham was turbulent but promising. After joining from Burnley in August 2024, a severe hamstring injury sidelined him for months, restricting him to 21 appearances. Still, he produced standout moments, most notably his Europa League brace against AZ, a decisive performance that helped Spurs overturn a deficit and eventually win the trophy in Bilbao.

  This season marks a turning point. Injury-free and gaining rhythm, he has accumulated 679 minutes, scoring and assisting in recent matches. Coach Frank has stabilised Spurs' left wing by placing trust in Odobert, praising him for “stepping up” and delivering in key moments.

  Odobert has embraced the tactical shifts under Frank, calling the system “top-notch” and highlighting the importance of patience and hard work. His mindset reflects maturity:

  “If you look closely at our performances, we’ve been close even in the home losses. It’s about patience, hard work, and letting time take its course.”

  The youngster recently earned the player of the match award for his performance against Manchester United helping the team clinch a 2-2 draw. Odobert’s ability to take on defenders, create opportunities, and remain effective under pressure showcased why he has become such a clutch player for manager Frank this season.

• Why Deschamps is looking into Odobert's profile

  Deschamps’ interest in Odobert aligns with both timing and profile. France’s attacking department is increasingly competitive, with recent call-ups Maghnes Akliouche and Rayan Cherki showing how quickly the hierarchy can shift. Yet Odobert offers something distinct herald by his direct wing play, verticality, and calmness in high-pressure moments, traits Deschamps values.

  His 15 U21 appearances with five goals show consistent development, and his Premier League adaptation displays resilience after adversity. Deschamps has always appreciated players who overcome setbacks, evolve, and stay mentally strong. Odobert fits that mould perfectly.

  With France seeking renewed attacking depth ahead of the World Cup, Odobert’s rising form gives Deschamps a compelling reason to hand him his first senior call-up, potentially opening the door to World Cup 2026 if he continues his ascent.

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  Odobert's time to shine for Les Blues

  If Deschamps decides to include him, the timing could not be better for Odobert. He is fit, trusted by Frank, consistently performing, and mentally ready. A senior call-up now offers him exposure to elite international rhythm and a chance to impress before squad decisions tighten.

  Tt is a strategic investment for Les Blues to include a winger who brings freshness, work ethic, and versatility. For Odobert, it is the opportunity he has been preparing for, to translate Premier League progress into international impact and position himself as a long-term attacking option for Les Bleus. If his upward trajectory continues, Odobert could become one of the surprise breakthrough names in Deschamps’ next squad.

Keeper-batter’s first List A century for Durham was followed by Will Rhodes’ maiden List A five-for

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay05-Aug-2025

A brilliant century from Ollie Robinson and an excellent all-round effort from Will Rhodes led Durham to a 51-run victory over Sussex in the Metro Bank One Day Cup.Robinson’s counter-attacking century, which was his first List A ton for Durham, supported by a gutsy innings from Rhodes fired Durham to a total of 310 for 7 from their 50 overs, with Archie Lenham the pick of the Sussex bowlers.Sussex’s chase of 311 got off to a poor start as they found themselves 86 for 4 at one point, but middle order runs from Danny Lamb dragged his side back in the game.However, Rhodes secured Durham the opening day victory with his first ever List A five-wicket haul.Sussex won the toss at a sunny Roseworth Terrace and elected to bowl first and they got off to a great start as Alex Lees edged a Fynn Hudson-Prentice delivery behind to Charlie Tear in the opening over.Rhodes and Emilio Gay settled Durham down after the early loss and reached 50 in the powerplay as the former produced a crunching straight drive for four.Rhodes then reached his half-century from 43 balls on his List A debut for Durham, while Gay started to show some aggression as he took the aerial route to find the cover boundary.Gay then tried to launch a Jack Carson delivery down the ground for six, but he was caught well by Ari Karvelas for 34. Sussex then struck again as Lamb bowled Colin Ackermann for 14 to leave things finely poised.Robinson joined Rhodes at the crease and looked to be proactive as he pulled a Lenham ball for four and he followed that up with a cut shot on the back foot that went for four.Rhodes then hit the first maximum of the day as he gave a Carson ball the treatment with a beautiful slog sweep.Robinson then got his fifty from 47 balls, getting to the milestone with a six, but Rhodes fell four short of his century as Lenham got him caught at deep square. Wickets then came like buses for Sussex as Lamb got Ben Raine for six. Despite the wickets, Robinson kept the scoreboard ticking over and picked up another maximum as he pulled a Henry Crocombe ball over the ropes.Haydon Mustard, making his first appearance of the season, also looked to move Durham towards 300 as he picked up a couple of boundaries including a lovely cut shot.Mustard then fell for a lively 36, but Robinson reached his century off 78 balls to take his side to a big total. The centurion fell for 100 exactly, Ari Karvelas picking up the wicket, but Durham reached 310 for seven at the end of their 50 overs.Tom Haines and Danial Ibrahim started Sussex’s chase of 311, but it got off to a bad start as Ibrahim was caught behind off the bowling of Codi Yusuf for two.Durham cranked up the pressure as George Drissell got Tom Clark caught behind for 14.Haines showed a glimpse of some aggression as he reverse swept Drissell for four, however, Tear departed for nine after he pulled a Mitch Killeen delivery straight to Yusuf in the deep.Killeen then struck again as he got Haines for 23 as he chipped one straight to Ackermann at mid-on.Hudson-Prentice was frustrating Durham and he took a liking to James Minto’s bowling as he smashed one over the square boundary and out of the ground.Durham got the big wicket of Hudson-Prentice for 43 as he went for a second run, but a throw came in from Yusuf and Robinson whipped the bails off with aplomb.Oli Carter then hammered one from Drissell down the ground for six and followed that up with a four off Minto. Danny Lamb then hit Ben Raine for six to boost his team’s hopes and he backed that up with a tidy flick off his legs for four a few balls later.Lamb continued his charge, dragging his side back into the game with some powerful strokes and reached his fifty from 35 balls.However, Carter departed for 38 as Rhodes got him caught behind to halt Sussex’s momentum. Lamb continued his assault on the Durham attack as he pulled a Yusuf ball for four, but Rhodes got another wicket, getting Carson caught and bowled for four.Rhodes got his third, removing Lamb for an excellent 74 to leave Durham on the verge of victory.Rhodes then wrapped things up for Durham to bowl Sussex out for 259 and he finished with figures of 5 for 30.

Moeen Ali and Andrew Flintoff provide coaching cameos as England build up to Edgbaston Test

Vithushan Ehantharajah01-Jul-2025

After missing Monday’s training session due to a family emergency, Jofra Archer was at Edgbaston on Tuesday making up for lost time.A strong session in the nets on the Colts Ground included a stint bowling at Ben Stokes. Unsurprising, really. Archer is not the first bowler to be left out of an XI and immediately seek to give his captain a reminder of their talents the day before a Test.It perhaps spoke to who had the better of that duel that Stokes ended up rushing to his 11.15am press conference after opting for another hit to get some groove back. Not that Stokes needed a reminder of Archer’s qualities, or indeed Archer had anything to prove, despite missing the cut for this second Test against India.”I know Jof, obviously, a lot better than you guys sat down here,” Stokes said, when assessing the situation around his 30-year-old quick, and the notion Archer would need to be kept interested in a format he has not played for over four years.”I’ve been in constant communication with him since the injuries. And I said it a few times – he was so determined to get back and play Test cricket or to make himself available to be selected. So, look, he didn’t need any more reason to find any more desire. He loves playing cricket. He loves playing for England.”The figurative “here” of being Test-ready for a first appearance of the new era – he has previously played one Test under Stokes in 2020 – was as important as the literal.Having returned for Sussex last week against Durham – his first red-ball appearance since May 2021 – Archer could have dropped back into their match against Warwickshire at Hove to add to the 18 overs of work last week. ECB regulations state that players released from international duty can be shoehorned back into ongoing County Championship fixtures, provided there are at least two days remaining, which would have been the case on Tuesday.However, England confirmed on Monday that none of their four unused squad members would be released for their respective county fixtures. While Jacob Bethell was always due to remain as the spare batter, Archer, Sam Cook and Jamie Overton were probably glad to be saved from what looks to be hard toil with the Kookaburra ball.Jofra Archer bowled 18 overs for Sussex last week but hasn’t been released for further game-time•PA Photos/Getty Images

Having that trio of seam bowlers around the group, particularly Archer, was seen by Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum as far more beneficial.”This is something we had to consider around bringing him back into the squad,” Stokes told when asked why Archer was not released to play for Sussex.”For me, personally, and Baz as well, we felt if he didn’t play it was important to have Jof around the group, around the people, to get him back into the environment again. Having him back in the squad is great but we want him to play a part in the series and going forward with this group.”There were benefits to both situations, but how me and Baz think about the time we spend as a group is very important as well. He (Archer) has been playing for a long time. He has bowled a lot of overs. You can’t really control how a first-class game will go. Because of how last week went, he [only] got 18 overs in a week.”Of course, Archer has been around England set-ups plenty, even with his elbow and lower-back travails. Since his last Test cap on the India tour in 2021 – not just under a different regime but during the pandemic – Archer has played 41 ODIs and T20Is for England. Nine of them have been with McCullum in charge, since the unification of his red- and white-ball coaching roles at the start of the year.While Archer is with how McCullum and Stokes work, the squad as a whole has an altogether different feel. One which, despite McCullum and Harry Brook’s best efforts, they have yet to replicate across the other codes. As such, keeping “newer” players around, even when they are not in the XI, makes sense.By design, this environment is geared towards making Test cricket more enjoyable, on and off the pitch, and thus more attractive to players at a time when T20 riches are hard to spurn. And it is not just Archer who has that option open to him.Even Overton, who made his one and only Test appearance under Stokes and McCullum in the 2022 summer, is still embedding.Speaking to ESPNcricinfo in April while at the IPL with Chennai Super Kings, Overton had not even considered that Test cricket may be across his radar this summer: “There’s not many bowlers that play all three formats now… It’s going to take a lot to get the body back to those bowling workloads, and we’ll just see where we go and play it by ear.” Even while on the periphery at Headingley, and over these last two days at Edgbaston, Overton has seemed very happy with his lot.Related

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The regime’s efforts to make their players’ lives more enjoyable have included jaunts to the UAE ahead of series in Pakistan and India, and an extended stay in Queenstown on their last tour of New Zealand. Domestically, they play plenty of golf, of course, but the odd cameo coaching appearance has helped lift the mood too. Moeen Ali dropped in as a mentor on Monday and worked with Shoaib Bashir – “they’d never met until yesterday,” Stokes revealed – before Lions head coach Andrew Flintoff graced Tuesday’s training. A few used the afternoon after training to hit the course.Much of the bonhomie throughout the match will come from, as Stokes says, mucking in. And there is also the carrot of working yourself into pole position for a berth at Lord’s.Given the third Test starts three days after this one is scheduled to finish, changes are likely with the pace attack of Chris Woakes, Josh Tongue and Brydon Carse already going back-to-back. Archer might not have to wait much longer for his return.”Here he can come and bowl, he can help out the lads, he can get used to the environment again and when the opportunity does come, he is comfortable in it,” Stokes said.”This week being here, and building up to be in contention for next week, it is tight back-to-back games and having a few fresh bowlers to choose from. He was in contention to play this week and, unless anything goes wrong, I can’t see why he won’t be next week.”

Vincent Kompany's Bayern Munich are seriously targeting Feyenoord's 19-year-old right-back Givairo Read and have already held initial talks, according to reports. However, the German giants face a "very complicated" transfer battle, with multiple Premier League clubs also vying for the highly-rated Dutch Under-21 star.

Bayern transfer chiefs 'working on the matter'

The 19-year-old has emerged as a highly-coveted young defender, and his performances have now triggered firm interest from the Bavarian giants, who are looking to strengthen their options at full-back.

However, Bayern are not alone, with the German champions reportedly facing a major transfer battle with multiple, unnamed Premier League clubs who are also tracking the Dutch U21 international.

reports that Bayern director of sport Max Eberl and sporting director Christoph Freund are both "working on this matter" personally. Read is understood to be "one of the preferred candidates" to bolster the right-back position for Vincent Kompany's side.

Initial talks between the club and the player's camp have reportedly already taken place. The report notes that "this interest is flattering to the player's side – and Read himself is aware of it."

Despite the early contact, securing a deal is described as a "very complicated undertaking" due to the intense competition from England and Feyenoord's strong negotiating position.

AdvertisementImagoWhy Read is one of Europe's most-wanted teenagers

Read, who only turned 19 in June, has enjoyed a meteoric rise since breaking into the Feyenoord first team. He was promoted from the club's U18 setup in January 2023 and became a first-team regular during the 2024-25 campaign.

That breakout season saw him rack up an impressive two goals and seven assists in the Eredivisie, and he was also noted for a "solid performance" during Feyenoord's shock Champions League knockout play-off victory against AC Milan.

Read, whose playing style is described as that of an "excellent ball carrier" and "progressive passer," has continued that form into the current 2025-26 season. In nine Eredivisie appearances, he has already provided two assists, and he also found the net in Feyenoord's recent Europa League win against Panathinaikos.

Feyenoord in strong negotiating position

Complicating matters for Bayern and their Premier League rivals is Read's contract situation. The Dutch prodigy only signed a new long-term contract extension in April 2025, committing his future to the Rotterdam club until 30 June 2029.

This long-term deal gives Feyenoord significant leverage in any negotiations. With multiple top clubs interested, the Eredivisie side are in a position to demand a fee far in excess of his current market valuation, likely sparking a bidding war for his services.

Bayern's interest in a specialist right-back comes despite the outstanding form of Konrad Laimer, who has been transformed under Kompany. The Austrian, traditionally a central midfielder, has become "indisputable" for Bayern this season, showing versatility at both right-back and left-back amid a defensive injury crisis.

Laimer's recent form was highlighted by a remarkable hat-trick of assists in the 4-0 Champions League win against Club Brugge. Bayern are now reportedly looking to reward him with a contract extension beyond his current deal, which expires in 2027.

Beyond Laimer, Sacha Boey has been "gaining confidence" with his recent performances, while Josip Stanisic – who can also cover the role – only recently returned from injury in the 4-1 DFB-Pokal win against Koln. The move for Read suggests Bayern's hierarchy is focused on a long-term, high-potential specialist for the position.

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Read part of a wider Bayern squad overhaul

The pursuit of Read is not happening in isolation. The report details that Eberl and Freund are assessing multiple positions as part of a wider squad strategy.

In central defence, Bayern are understood to hold Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi and Borussia Dortmund's Nico Schlotterbeck among their preferred candidates.

Further up the pitch, the club is looking to strengthen its attack. Cologne's rising star Said El-Mala is reportedly on the shortlist for the left-wing position. In the hunt for a backup to star striker Harry Kane, Hoffenheim's Fisnik Asllani is considered a possibility, though that decision may depend on whether Bayern opt to make Nicolas Jackson's loan from Chelsea a permanent move.

Finally, movement is also possible in central midfield, with the club potentially entering the market for a new player should Leon Goretzka's contract not be extended.