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Australia allrounder Beau Webster has been ruled out of Tasmania’s opening Sheffield Shield match of the season against Queensland after picking up an ankle injury although it is not considered to be a major concern.Webster will be reassessed ahead of the One-Day Cup match against Queensland on Thursday. The second round of the Shield, where Tasmania will face Western Australia in Hobart, starts on October 15.Related

• Silk, Weatherald, Hope shine as Tasmania rally from rocky start

• Webster hopes his all-round skills can help push for ODI honours

• Sheffield Shield preview: Ashes selection race adds intrigue

• No Ashes restrictions: Cameron Green maps out bowling plan

Webster had earmarked playing all four of Tasmania’s Shield matches ahead of the start of the Ashes. Although he has made an excellent start to his Test career with four half-centuries in seven matches in tricky batting conditions there is talk he could be under pressure for his place when England arrive.Cameron Green is expected to be back on unrestricted bowling duty by then and, depending on which players stake a claim for top-order positions, there is a scenario where Green is moved back down the order although he has also been endorsed as a long-term candidate for No. 3.If Green is retained in that position, where he finished strongly against West Indies, there is a good chance he and Webster can continue to feature in the same XI.”It’s one thing that’s coming up a lot is obviously Greeney’s back bowling and I’ve got my chance, I suppose, through him being a batter only,” Webster told ESPNcricinfo ahead of the season. “He was an allrounder for Australia for years before that along with Mitch [Marsh] and, when I answer the question, I’d love to see both of us in the team. If you’re scoring runs in the top six batters for Australia if you can bowl it’s a bonus.”Absolutely I’d love to play in a team with Greeney. He’s a fantastic batter. I really hope he bangs it out of the park at the top of the order and I can stay at No. 6 and we can both contribute with the ball and in the field and win games for Australia.”Webster started his domestic season with five wickets in two One-Day Cup games and 81 off 95 balls in the second match against Victoria.

The all-format coach was full of praise for Pretorius and Brevis despite South Africa losing “a game of millimetres” in the final

Firdose Moonda26-Jul-2025South Africa’s all-format coach Shukri Conrad will make “no excuses” for losing “a game of millimetres” to New Zealand in the tri-series final in Harare and is “thrilled” with the way his new-look team played.Though South Africa lost all three matches they played against New Zealand in the competition, they came close to claiming the trophy and pulling off their highest successful chase against them. That they did that with a squad that includes only two players – Reeza Hendricks and Gerald Coetzee – who were part of their last T20 World Cup squad suggests to Conrad that the depth in South African cricket is strong as he builds towards the next World Cup in February-March next year.”There’s so many good things that we can take forward from here,” Conrad said at the post-match press conference. “The result is disappointing but there were so many good things that happened there today that we can be really proud of and that I am really proud of. With such a young and inexperienced side, to put up the type of performance today, that is also pleasing to see. It’s no excuse for losing and we’re still bitterly disappointed. But there were some really good things.”

Pretorius and Brevis repay the faith

Chief among them was the form shown by the two young batters Conrad has also included in next month’s white-ball squads for a tour to Australia: Lhuan-dre Pretorius and Dewald Brevis. Pretorius, who scored 31 runs in his first three innings as a T20I opener, was moved down to No. 5 for South Africa’s last league game, where he made 1. He was brought back up to the top of the order for the final and set South Africa on their way with a 35-ball 51.Related

• Risk-taking Henry comes out on top with death-overs wizardry

• Henry the hero as NZ win last-ball thriller to clinch tri-series title

“Lhuan-dre is one of the bright prospects for South Africa. We saw what he has in him with the innings he played today,” Conrad said. “He had a lean period throughout this tournament, but he’s a classy young cricketer and exciting times lie ahead for him. Young players go through tough times and very often don’t know how to deal with it. But for him to come back in the final and play the way he did gave us a really good foundation.”Brevis had played international cricket before, in 2023, when he scored five runs from two T20Is. He has enjoyed a breakthrough last six months with strong performances in the SA20 and call-ups to both Test and T20I squads in Zimbabwe and the ODI squad to Australia. After establishing himself as a finisher for MI Cape Town earlier in the year, he came within two shots of winning South Africa the final and Conrad is keen to develop his ability to close out games.”Dewald is a special talent,” Conrad said. “He’s hugely disappointed that he didn’t take us home but on another day, he would have hit that out of Harare. He’s a special talent. He’s probably one of the sweetest strikers of a cricket ball in world cricket at the moment. You’re never out of a game when you’ve still got Dewald Brevis in the shed or he’s at the wicket, and he’ll be better for this experience this week. He got us close on a few occasions and it’s a case of when he gets us over the line rather than if he will. This is all part of a journey for Dewald and part of his development. There’s certainly no doubting his ability.”

Bowling options at the death

The other improvement Conrad pointed out was South Africa’s bowling in the last five overs. Though they conceded 45 runs in that period, they only gave away three boundaries and took two wickets. Nandre Burger bowled two of the four overs, conceded 18 runs, and took a wicket, while Kwena Maphaka bowled the last over and gave away 11 runs. “Today, an area that we paid particular attention to was our bowling at the death. It’s been a bugbear for us for a long time,” Conrad said. “I think we’ve made huge strides insofar as that is concerned. Guys are clearer with their plans. In the last five overs, New Zealand only hit three boundaries, which is brilliant for us.”Gerald Coetzee was making a comeback during the tri-series•Zimbabwe Cricket

In South Africa’s first match in this series against New Zealand, they conceded 63 in the last five overs, which demonstrates the improvement Conrad spoke of. In that match, Coetzee bowled two of the five overs and gave away 32 runs. Coetzee did not play the final and has not been included in the squads for the Australia series, with Conrad saying he has moved down the pecking order.Coetzee remains very much part of South Africa’s core group, which Conrad will work with over the next WTC cycle (which will start with a two-Test tour to Pakistan in October) and in the lead-up to the 2026 T20 World Cup and 2027 ODI World Cup. Despite losing his first white-ball series in charge, Conrad is optimistic about what South Africa’s players can offer.”The bulk of them would have laid down a marker at some stage during this tournament that they belong at this level and that they want to be a part of this team,” he said. “It’s always great when you can grow your strength or your depth in certain areas, and I think we’ve managed to do that. Ideally, we want to play our best team and our strongest team whenever we can. And that’s going to be the case going forward now. But our experienced guys needed a break. So it’s going to be great integrating some of these young guys.”And, as always, Conrad would not leave without a parting shot about South Africa’s ambitions, especially as he looks to the next global event. “If today is going to be a yardstick, then it comes to the T20 World Cup, whoever wants to win the tournament is going to have to beat us,” he said. “I’m very confident going forward. I think we’ve got the makings of a really great side in every format.”

Branislav Jasurek, representative of Napoli midfielder Stanislav Lobotka, has clarified the state of the player's relationship with head coach Antonio Conte. Jasurek and Lobotka stole headlines in Italy recently after comments resurfaced of the agent suggesting that his client will leave the club if the coach stays at the helm.

• Lobotka's agent raises eyebrows in Italy

  Jasurek appeared in a podcast with Slovak website which was recorded in October but gained significant traction in Italy this week. Lobotka's agent's comments sent shockwaves in Naples, as he stated that the combative midfielder could seek pastures new next summer if Conte ended up staying.

  "Napoli have invested well in recent times and brought in new players," he said, before questioning Conte's choice to hand Lobotka very little rest amid his struggles with injuries. "That's why I don't understand why Lobotka had to play three difficult matches in eight days before the national team match. They could have given him a little rest and thus he would have been able to play for Slovakia in Northern Ireland. So I'm nervous," Jasurek expressed.

  "If Stano wins a third title in Napoli, it will certainly be easier for him to leave, but I don't like to predict these things. He now has a significantly improved contract and could stay at the club for a few more years. But he is already 30 years old and it will be almost unrealistic to physically endure it under Conte. We are still talking about whether it can be managed at all. What Conte requires is brutally demanding. The coach's running requirements in statistics are incomparable."

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  Jasurek issues clarification, praises Lobotka's dynamic with Conte

  Following how big a deal Jasurek's words became within hours of it making the rounds on the internet, the agent was contacted by Jasurek immediately issued a determined clarification, revealing that his words were taken out of context.

  "I was very surprised, because the words were taken completely out of context," he assured. "It's true that I participate in a podcast in Slovakia, where we talk about the national team and some players. In that episode I spoke about Lobotka with a lot of appreciation. At the end, I said that it's difficult to work with Antonio Conte, because he's a very demanding coach, but I added that this is positive because he's a winner. Then I joked and said that Lobo might get tired and ask me for a transfer in the summer, but it was clearly a joke.

  "Everyone on the podcast understood this, because I am his agent and every transfer is 'work' for me. Anyone who listened to the podcast in the original language would have immediately understood that it was just a joke. I can also assure everyone that Conte is like a father to Lobotka, and this relationship will never change. I am sure they will win many more trophies together."

• Lobotka wants to win the Champions League with Napoli

  Lobotka, who arrived from Celta Vigo in 2024, has a contract until 2027 with the Partenopei. There's also an option to extend his deal by another year. According to Jasurek, the Slovakia international harbors ambitions of lifting the Champions League trophy with Napoli, drawing parallels between his connection to the club and that of Marek Hamsík.

  "Stanislav has the same relationship with Napoli as Marek Hamsik. He sees the city as his second home and has bought a house there. He shows commitment every week, often twice a week, and that's what matters most," Jasurek continued.

  "He is already a two-time Italian champion with Napoli and fully believes he can win the title for the third time. He also dreams of the Champions League with this club. He is 30 years old — a time when he wants to lift trophies — and he is at the right club to achieve that."

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  How's it going for Lobotka and Napoli this season?

  The Scudetto holders have been struggling of late, dropping to fourth place after earning just seven points out of a maximum 15 from their previous five league encounters. Per reports, Conte is set to hold talks about his future at Napoli with the club's hierarchy. 

  As for Lobotka, the 30-year-old has recently returned to full fitness after spending two weeks on the sidelines due to an adductor injury. 

South Africa finish the day on 247 for 6 after opting to bat in Guwahati, the newest venue in Test cricket

Sidharth Monga22-Nov-2025Guwahati, the newest venue in Test cricket, might have turned session breaks upside down, but it also brought about some normalcy to Test cricket amid the pandemonium in Kolkata and Perth. The pitch called for watchfulness in the first hour, eased out once the moisture dried out, and then offered a bit of turn here and there on a day when 247 runs were scored for the loss of six wickets.The quality and depth in India’s bowling shone through on the flat surface, making it necessary for series leaders South Africa to take risks if they wanted to score over three an over. India were good enough to get wickets when the batters did take risks.A new captain in Rishabh Pant couldn’t prevent India from losing their eighth toss in the last nine Tests, but Kuldeep Yadav is just the bowler you need if you lose the toss on a typical Indian surface. He took three wickets to go with Jasprit Bumrah’s ever-reliable control for figures of 17-6-38-1.Related

Stubbs has 'worked a lot' on his defence and it's showing

South Africa’s batting depth made sure India had to keep working hard through the day, even after they had been reduced to 201 for 5. Tony de Zorzi and No. 7 Senuram Muthusamy, the only one in the line-up to average over 40 in Tests, added 45 for the sixth wicket, but Mohammed Siraj topped up a four-over spell with the old ball with the wicket of de Zorzi in what proved to be the dying moments of the day’s play.South Africa will be disappointed that all of their batters got starts but no one reached fifty. This is something that had happened in Kolkata as well, but that pitch broke up rapidly to make sure it didn’t hurt the visitors.This Guwahati pitch played way better for batters, but also kept the bowlers interested. Aiden Markram and Ryan Rickelton put on 82 for the first wicket, then the highest partnership of the series, before Bumrah removed Markram with what proved to be the last ball before the tea, the first session break of the day, taken at 11am after the early start at 9am to make up for early sunrise and sunset in the eastern-most Test venue in India.Temba Bavuma and Tristan Stubbs added 84 together•AFP/Getty ImagesUntil then, Markram and Rickelton had looked solid even though they had been tested thoroughly. It took Markram 17 balls to get off the mark, and he was reprieved by KL Rahul at second slip on the 18th. Nitish Kumar Reddy, in as a specialist right-hand batter in a left-heavy batting line-up, was some relief with his four overs going for 21, but the spinners followed up with tight bowling.Bumrah’s first spell was another masterclass in length bowling, but when he was brought back for one over before lunch, he took a dip in the fuller waters. Markram, who had driven similar balls from Reddy well, was stuck on the crease to Bumrah and ended up playing on.Immediately after tea, Kuldeep got rid of Rickelton thanks to a slightly loose drive and a sharp catch by Pant off a thick deflection. India had managed to keep them around or below three an over until that point.Temba Bavuma and Tristan Stubbs batted through the rest of the session, but it was hard work even though the pitch was at its best behaviour with the early moisture gone. And yet they could add only 74 in 26.4 overs when they went back for lunch.It could not be ascertained if there was some discussion around the scoring rate during this break, but Bavuma and Stubbs both came out looking more intent on scoring quicker. Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep didn’t let up and took three quick wickets as a result.Bavuma looked to clear extra cover off Jadeja, but ended up giving a catch to mid-off off the inner half of the bat. Stubbs was caught pushing hard at Kuldeep’s first ball of a new spell. Rahul, who had missed a tough chance off Markram earlier, took an equally sharp one smoothly at first slip. Wiaan Mulder got a couple of looseners from Siraj, but his lack of experience in Indian conditions showed when Kuldeep tossed one up. He wound up to hit him big, but the ball dipped on him, resulting in an easy catch to mid-off.Siraj came back from that spell to bowl three intense overs against de Zorzi and Muthusamy, but there just wasn’t enough in the pitch for the old ball. With the sun sinking rapidly, India called out for the second new ball two balls after it became available.It turned out to be a timely move as there wasn’t much time left before the umpires would take the players off for bad light. It meant India could risk the new ball even though one of their fast bowlers was exhausted. But is Siraj ever exhausted? He took the new ball and bowled a peach first ball. The seam position and the shape in the air hinted at an inswinger for the left-hand batter, but the ball nipped away after pitching, taking the edge and leaving de Zorzi frustrated. Four balls later, play was called off.

The dejection was palpable. Emi Buendia’s arcing strike following a goalmouth scramble condemned Arsenal to only their second defeat of the season. It was the last kick of the highly charged contest against Aston Villa.

Perhaps the most frustrating part is that the Gunners’ lead at the top of the Premier League has now been slashed to just two points after Manchester City thumped Sunderland. For their part, Villa are now emerging as bona fide contenders, third in the standings and with 30 points, three fewer than Arsenal’s 33.

Mikel Arteta has done incredible things in north London over the past five years, but this is the season that Arsenal must crown their revival with a gold medal, having finished runners-up in the top flight for three successive seasons.

And, sadly, the manager got it wrong against the shrewd Unai Emery.

Why Arteta got it wrong vs Aston Villa

Credit where credit’s due, Arteta made a few changes at half-time, his side one goal down, and was rewarded for his alteration when Leandro Trossard converted following an initial strike from Bukayo Saka before the hour mark. 1-1.

But the Emirates side would ultimately come away with nothing, and Arteta will be irked by his own decision-making, having opted to play Eberechi Eze out wide and withdraw the playmaker instead of skipper Martin Odegaard, despite the England international having played some knockout stuff from a central berth in recent weeks. He was, after all, named the club’s Player of the Month for November.

Eze, however, did flatter to deceive, at fault for Matty Cash’s opening goal, and the Spanish manager will feel he was somewhat handicapped due to injuries to key defensive personnel, Gabriel Magalhaes, William Saliba and Cristhian Mosquera all missing out.

Viktor Gyokeres entered the fray at the interval, and though the Swedish striker toiled away, he might have enjoyed a greater impact had he been unleashed from the outset, but Arteta opted to go down a different road.

Arteta must axe 5/10 Arsenal star

Arsenal have been immense this season, a force to be reckoned with. That said, they still need to be more incisive in the danger area, and for all his strengths and clutch ability in the box, Mikel Merino is not the solution at number nine.

Merino has posted five goals and three assists across 21 matches in all competitions this term. He has split his time between the final third and the middle of the park, and seven of those eight contributions have come as a makeshift striker.

It’s remarkable, but it’s not going to work all the time, and this was painfully clear at Villa Park, whose defenders negated his threat. Gyokeres was largely ineffective after the break, having replaced the seven-pass Spaniard at half-time.

Neither impressed, but football.london did award Gyokeres a 6/10 match rating, drawing attention to his energy and the off-the-ball work that evades statistical representation. Merino, conversely, was branded with a 5/10 score, having fumbled a chance with Saka earlier on.

Minutes played

45′

45′

Goals

0

0

Assists

0

0

Touches

17

11

Shots (on target)

0 (0)

0 (0)

Accurate passes

7/11 (64%)

4/7 (57%)

Chances created

0

0

Dribbles

0/1

0/0

Ball recoveries

3

1

Tackles won

0/0

0/0

Duels won

1/5

0/0

Assessing which of Arsenal’s centre-forwards did better on the evening is akin to splitting hairs. The fact of the matter is that neither received enough service, and this is an issue that Arteta has to overcome, especially with Eze, Odegaard and Saka all on the field at different stages.

Though it’s perhaps telling that Gunners goalkeeper David Raya took more touches of the ball than the pair of them, and given that Arsenal enjoyed 58% of the possession before the break (compared to 49% across the second half), Merino should have had more of an influence.

Gyokeres was signed for a big fee during the off-season to provide the north London side with a solution up top, and it’s surely crucial that he is afforded more starting action going forward, having started from the bench on three successive occasions since returning from the muscle injury that ruled him out for a few weeks in November.

The 27-year-old does need to up his game to the next level, because one thing’s for certain: If Arteta has to persist with Merino at number nine throughout the duration of the campaign, getting his hands on that elusive Premier League title will prove a tall order indeed.

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MatériaMais Notícias

O São Paulo recebe o Fluminense nesta segunda-feira (13), pela sexta rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro, em duelo que pode marcar a estreia do meio-campista Lucas Moura sob o comando do técnico Luis Zubeldía.

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As melhores e mais variadas ofertas para o Brasileirão estão no Lance! Betting! Abra já a sua conta!

O jogador está sem atuar desde o dia 4 de abril, quando lesionou a coxa esquerda contra o Talleres, na Argentina, pela estreia do Tricolor na Libertadores. No período, ele foi ausência em nove partidas e viu a diretoria do clube modificar o treinador da equipe, com a demissão de Thiago Carpini e a chegada de Zubeldía.

Lucas retornou às atividades com o restante do elenco na última semana. No entanto, o clube não divulgou imagens do atleta no treinamento de domingo (12), que encerrou a preparação do time para o duelo, e o camisa 7 segue como dúvida.

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Caso o meia não esteja à disposição contra o Fluminense, a tendência é que ele retorne no meio de semana, contra o Barcelona de Guayaquil, pela quinta rodada da fase de grupos da Libertadores.

Portanto, a provável escalação do São Paulo para a partida tem: Rafael, Igor Vinicius, Arboleda, Alan Franco e Patryck; Alisson, Bobadilla e Galoppo (Lucas); Ferreira, Luciano e André Silva.

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Contra o Fluminense, o Tricolor Paulista busca vencer sua primeira partida em casa na atual edição do Brasileirão. Até o momento, a equipe acumula um empate, contra o Palmeiras, e uma derrota, para o Fortaleza. A bola rola a partir das 20h (de Brasília), no Morumbis.

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We’ve heard it said that the ICC has been reduced to an event management firm, but is it even that now?

Osman Samiuddin20-Dec-2024First of all, a round of applause for cricket for finally ending what seemed at first to be the saga with no end but which quickly became the saga that if nobody cared much about it, might just go away. Second of all, everyone involved can claim a win. The PCB has its equitable and just agreement, the sense that it is being treated as an equal with the biggest board in the game. The BCCI is not going to play in Pakistan, which is what it has wanted from the off. The ICC has a tournament, and all members their ensuing revenues from it. We all get our tournament and perhaps, somewhere down the line, a triangular or quadrangular series involving both India and Pakistan.Third – and realest – of all, though, better make that a really slow handclap for cricket. If anyone thinks the outcome of this entire sorry drama is a win – least of all for cricket – then it is not the game’s interests they have at heart, no matter how much they tell us otherwise.Consider the ICC. Their perfunctory statement on the resolution is, by one count, six paragraphs long. By another, less generous, count, it is actually six sentences long, two of which spell out the decision and two being space fillers about a schedule that will come soon and about how many teams will take part. That’s it. Six sentences, with no explanation or context as to why there is a statement in the first place. Why do we need a hybrid model, ICC, when the tournament was awarded three years ago to Pakistan as the sole hosts? And how come this arrangement will last until at least 2027?Related

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Remarkably, it is the only statement the ICC has made since November 9, when the BCCI first informed the ICC that India were not going to travel to Pakistan. Not a single statement about the uncertainty around one of their premier events, a tournament essentially held hostage by two of their biggest members who together form their events’ biggest rivalry. There’s Stockholm Syndrome and then there’s this.It used to be said, a little disparagingly in the years after Malcolm Speed was forced out as CEO, that the ICC had become a mere event management company and was no longer a global governing body. What, then, might it be left as these days, given its lack of management of the 2023 World Cup and then the fallout from the T20 World Cup this year? An event management company that is no longer managing events at all, or at least not managing them very well?If you conclude that this is down to a complete absence of leadership, or the total subjugation of the ICC to the game’s strongest constituents, then you would not be entirely wrong. But I think a more illuminating insight can be drawn from Greg Barclay’s recent interview with the , in which the outgoing chair deploys a curiously detached gaze on the game, as if he were a fond – but mere – observer, with no real skin in it. The game’s a mess, isn’t it? Lost a bit of perspective, hasn’t it? Sure hope Jay Shah uses India to grow the game and not put it under the yoke of India. Gee, somebody should really do something about all this. Er, who’s going to tell him, guys?And so, in this reflection, the ICC has stood aside and shrugged, watching the game not grow but grow more unruly, pulled here, pushed there, stretched out so that it loses all shape and meaning. Yep, it’s a mess, fellas. Yep, there’s challenges. If only somebody would do something about it.

It used to be said the ICC had become a mere event management company. What, then, might it be left as these days, given its lack of management of the 2023 World Cup and the fallout from the T20 World Cup this year? An event management company that is no longer managing events at all, or at least not managing them very well?

If there’s a smidgen of sympathy here, it’s because the ICC has been wedged in between in this anti-romance between the BCCI and PCB. Nothing brings out the worst in either board than having to deal with the other. And this time the charade that the wrangling is anything other than a proxy for their governments to point-score has been especially risible.Mohsin Naqvi has repeatedly argued that politics and sport should not be mixed. At the best of times this is a reductive line. For Naqvi, concurrently, the incumbent PCB chair and Pakistan’s interior minister (and an especially influential one) it’s a supremely disingenuous line to push. To the extent that it feels like it’s pure trolling.In India, meanwhile, cricket is to politics as smoke is to mirrors, which, given the BCCI secretary had a direct line to the sitting home minister, was something. The BCCI said it was the government not allowing the team to travel. The government didn’t say anything. Until one day, in response to a question, the ministry of external affairs referred to a BCCI statement on the decision. The BCCI, said the spokesperson, had cited security concerns in Pakistan and so was unlikely to send the team there.Umm, what now?The BCCI had made no statement at all, then or now; had, in fact, made clear the decision was in their hands: Rajiv Shukla, the forever BCCI grandee, once said to the media the decision was not the board’s. That was half the problem, that the PCB wanted to know from the BCCI (and not the ICC) why it wasn’t going to send its team, and what the Indian government had said. And security concerns? A security plan had been presented and no objections raised at an ICC meeting in October. None of the eight Full Members who have travelled to Pakistan since 2019 have raised any issues, nor the teams who are actually in the Champions Trophy.And in the middle of this impasse, Jay Shah ascended (or should that be was demoted?) to the ICC chair. One day he was fighting for the BCCI’s interests. The next, a switch was flicked and he was meant to be fighting for the ICC’s interests. It’s quite the to-do list to have left on the last day of your old job to pick up on the first day of your new job. It was entirely fitting. This is, after all, a members’ body in which members routinely do things that undermine the members’ body, and then, as members of said members’ body, bemoan those undermining actions.Still, at least everyone won. Only, if this is what cricket winning feels like, may we never find out how cricket losing feels.

Clinical home performance sees Fire succumb to their heaviest defeat of the women’s competition

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Northern Superchargers 141 for 4 (Armitage 34*, Wareham 29*, Mathews 2-18) beat Welsh Fire 94 (Beaumont 36, Wareham 2-14) by 47 runsNorthern Superchargers got their campaign in The Hundred off to the perfect start with a comprehensive win over Welsh Fire at Headingley.Under the new leadership of former England Women’s Head Coach Lisa Keightley, Superchargers batted first and made 141 for 4. In reply, Tammy Beaumont’s Welsh Fire were bowled out for just 94, much to the delight of the 7,208 Superchargers fans in attendance.The team in purple have kept all three of their Australian overseas stars, and there were runs for both Annabel Sutherland (28) and Georgia Wareham (29*), but it was captain Hollie Armitage who top-scored, with an unbeaten 34.Welsh Fire have enjoyed two successful seasons in The Hundred, with visits to The Eliminator and The Final to their name across the last two years, and much of their success has been down to their batting – but when Sophia Dunkley and Hayley Matthews found themselves back in the pavilion with the score still in single figures, they faced an uphill task.Beaumont and Georgia Elwiss tried to undo the damage but the home side possess a balanced attack and they utilised it well, chipping away throughout Fire’s reply to maintain control at all times. It was in the end an easy win, spinners Linsey Smith and Wareham snaffling two wickets apiece, with a couple also for Grace Ballinger.Welsh Fire will have the opportunity to turn it around very quickly, hosting their first game in Cardiff on Saturday. For Superchargers it’s a visit to Trent Rockets on Sunday, where they’ll look to go two from two.Meerkat Match Hero Wareham said: “It felt like a really good hit out for the girls, it felt like we were really clinical in all facets which showed up on the scoreboard for us.”I think [when batting with Hollie Armitage] it was just about being really calm at the time, and knowing that there were actually quite a few balls left. It’s always pretty calm out there with Hollie, she keeps things pretty level. As a team we’re talking about taking the game on, and being brave through different phases of the game, which I think all the batters did really well today.”With the ball, we wanted to keep the stumps in play as much as we possibly could. The change of pace worked really well for Welsh Fire so we took that into play for us, as well, and as it showed we hit the stumps as often as we could.”

Manchester United legend David Beckham admitted he has achieved a long-term goal as his Inter Miami side won the MLS Cup for the first time. A Lionel Messi-inspired Miami earned a hard-fought 3-1 win over Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday at Chase Stadium to secure their biggest ever trophy. As the dust began to settle on their achievement, co-owner Beckham revelled in the club's triumph.

• Messi inspires MLS Cup win

  Miami had an ideal start to their final game of the season when Edier Ocampo scored an own goal in the eighth minute but the Canadian outfit grew into the game and got their reward on the hour mark through Ali Ahmed's scuffed shot. Rodrigo de Paul tucked in Messi's cross 11 minutes later before the Argentine great set up Tadeo Allende deep into stoppage time to seal the victory. The match was also the last that Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets will play for the club, prompting Beckham – who could not contain his excitement – to pay tribute to the two retiring veterans.

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• Beckham realises dream

  After the win, former Real Madrid player Beckham wrote that he was "so proud" of everyone who helped the club achieve this goal and also thanked the former Barcelona stars for securing them a perfect send-off.

  He wrote on Instagram: "WOW… MLS Cup Champions 2025. Ever since I won this trophy as a player, I’ve always wanted to win it as an owner. I am so proud of everybody at this incredible club… the players, the staff, the fans… thank you for your unwavering commitment and support as we realise this dream together. The perfect way to say goodbye to this stadium, and to send off Sergio and Jordi the way they deserve… VAMOS @intermiamicf #FreedomToDream."

• 'One of my greatest moments'

  Beckham won the Champions League with United and a host of domestic trophies under Sir Alex Ferguson. He played for Madrid, AC Milan, PSG and more, but Miami's victory this weekend was a crowning achievement for the 50-year-old.

  "It has to be one of the greatest moments in my career to have won it as a player and now to have won it as an owner," former LA Galaxy player Beckham told The Athletic. "I don’t think that’s been done before, so that’s a nice thing to do first.

  "One of the things was obviously me going to L.A., but then the next one was me owning the team and my promise to America and to the MLS was to bring the best player, and we brought the best player and now we’ve had success tonight. Tonight is just one of those nights that I’ll never forget."

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  Messi revels in victory

  Messi left Paris Saint-Germain for Miami in the summer of 2023, and after delivering them their first-ever trophy with their Leagues Cup success that year, the 38-year-old has secured them the MLS Cup, too. The Argentina international was thrilled at their cup success, saying this was an effort long in the making.

  "Three years ago, I decided to come to MLS, and today we are MLS champions," he said. "We reached the semifinals of the [CONCACAF] Champions Cup. Last year, we went out early in the league and were eliminated in the first round. This year, winning the MLS was one of our main objectives. The team made a huge effort – it was a very long year, with many matches – and we were up to the task all season. This is the moment I had been waiting for, and that we, as a team, were waiting for. It’s very beautiful for all of us. They deserved it."

The start of this season couldn’t have gone much better for Tottenham Hotspur, with convincing wins over Burnley and Manchester City.

However, in the months since, things have really gone off the rails for Thomas Frank and his side.

They currently sit 16th in the Champions League and, following their dismal defeat at the hands of Fulham on Saturday night, 11th in the Premier League.

Frank looked bereft of ideas against the West Londoners, and his team appeared all at sea, including one player who could be in danger of becoming their new Serge Aurier.

Spurs' worst players against Fulham

Aside from maybe Micky Van de Ven for his goalsaving tackle and Randal Kolo Muani for his general play, there were dismal displays across the entire Spurs starting lineup.

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The player who has received the most stick during and after the game is undoubtedly Guglielmo Vicario.

The Italian goalkeeper was the main culprit for the visitors’ second goal, with him rushing out to intercept a long ball, kicking it into danger and then being way out of the penalty area when Harry Wilson curled the ball into the net.

Such a costly blunder, and the fact that the team were 2-0 down in just the sixth minute, led to sections of the home support booing the former Emploi man at every touch.

While not responsible for conceding a goal, Richarlison was another Lilywhites ace who was practically useless on the night.

In his 60 minutes of action, he offered no threat at all, producing an expected goals figure of 0.00 and completing just six of his nine passes.

Moreover, while he took 21 touches, he ended up losing possession nine times, which helps to justify the 3/10 match rating he received from the Standard’s Matt Verri.

It was also a poor showing for Kevin Danso, who was second best to Raul Jimenez throughout the game, and it was his headed clearance that led to the opening goal.

Unfortunately for Frank and the fans, another starter put in a horror display against the Cottagers and could end up becoming the Spurs’ next Aurier if he’s not careful.

Spurs' new Serge Aurier

It was clear that Aurier was a talented player during his stint with Spurs, but what was also clear was that he was error-prone and became something of a scapegoat.

After all, he got sent off on his Premier League debut, and it was his foul that led to Manchester City’s winning free-kick in the 2021 League Cup final.

After that mistake, Jamie Carragher described him as “one of the biggest liabilities in Premier League football.”

The Ivorian left the club that summer, and unfortunately, it feels like Pedro Porro could be becoming the new version of him.

Now, to be clear, the Spanish full-back, originally signed on loan by Antonio Conte, is a hugely talented footballer and someone who is capable of delivering a brilliant cross at times.

However, he has become a growing concern for North Londoners over the last season or so, both offensively and defensively, with the game against Fulham a perfect example.

In his 94 minutes on the pitch, he lost 100% of his aerial duels, lost five of eight ground duels, was dribbled past three times, was accurate in just three of 16 crosses, failed in 100% of his dribbles and completed only 62% of his long balls.

In short, it was a poor attacking display and a truly horrendous defensive one, which more than justifies Verri’s match rating of 4/10 and description of him looking a ‘nervous wreck at the back.’

As if that wasn’t enough, he then proceeded to throw his shirt to the floor and storm off the pitch when the full-time whistle went, in what journalist Mitch Fretton described as “absolute embarrassment.”

It’s this combination of yet another poor performance and the petulance afterward that makes it hard not to think of the former Ivorian international.

Ultimately, Porro is still a talented player and could turn things around, but it’s been some time since fans have seen him at his best, and that display against Fulham was more than worrying.

New Soldado: Frank must bin Spurs flop who had fewer touches than Vicario

Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank must drop this flop who is becoming the new Roberto Soldado.

By
Dan Emery

Nov 30, 2025