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The tournament is not perfect, but it’s not the disaster England have often tried to paint it as being

Matt Roller19-Jun-2025The World Test Championship might be fundamentally flawed but after three missed attempts to reach the final on home soil, it is time for England to take it seriously. Ben Stokes believes it is “utterly confusing” but he must have looked on with envy as Temba Bavuma lifted the golden mace at Lord’s last week, capping a comeback victory that was celebrated throughout South Africa.The third WTC final was the best yet, one that underlined the significance of a concept that has added plenty to Test cricket despite its flaws. The quality of cricket was incredibly high, embodied in the performances of Pat Cummins, Aiden Markram and Kagiso Rabada, and the occasion was clearly enhanced by the jeopardy created by a one-off final.But England’s attitude towards the WTC has been ambivalent. The ECB’s managing director of men’s cricket believes it is “hard to understand”, the chairman has called for it to be “fairer and more competitive”, and the chief executive said last week that it is “not the be-all and end-all” when compared to the results of five-Test series against India and Australia.Related

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Markram: Playing two-Test series throughout WTC cycle could help us in the final

These are not just sour grapes from a team that has finished fourth, fourth and fifth in the first three cycles. Even the WTC’s most vocal proponents would accept that it is a long way from perfect: no sporting league with any competitive integrity should be superimposed onto a fixture list decided between individual boards, as this one effectively is.The uneven, unequal fixture list has been a clear frustration for England: the percentage-point system effectively penalises them for playing longer series against high-quality opponents. Still, Australia and India have overcome similar scheduling to reach two finals each out of three; England, by contrast, have never come close.But the reality is that for all its flaws, the WTC has been a success: it has created a showpiece final for the Test format, which in turn has provided context and incentives that did not previously exist for smaller nations. For New Zealand’s and South Africa’s players, winning the WTC was a bigger achievement than any single series win of their careers.England must accept that they will have to adapt accordingly. The ECB has made the case that the over-rate penalties they have faced have been outsized, considering that they have only drawn one of their last 36 Tests, but every other team has been able to get through their overs more quickly. Their complaints will be taken more seriously from a position of strength.They have also developed a bad habit of ending series poorly: in four of their last five series, they have won the first Test but lost the last. Stokes has attributed that to mental and physical fatigue, but there have been hints of complacency too, not least against Sri Lanka at The Oval last year.England have been the perfect hosts for the first three WTC finals, but as a team they have been ambivalent towards the tournament•Gareth Copley / GettyIt was a series that England needed to win 3-0 to retain realistic ambitions of reaching the final, but their performance suggested a team who considered the match to be a dead rubber: they handed a debut to an incredibly raw fast bowler, and were bowled out in 34 overs in a frenetic second innings. It was anything but ruthless.The great curiosity of England’s position is that they appear to have taken a sudden interest in the ICC’s Test rankings, despite the WTC rendering them almost irrelevant. Stokes texted Brendon McCullum and Rob Key to say, “One more place to go,” when England briefly rose to second last month, and Key has publicly targeted the No. 1 spot.It is a strange focus as a new WTC cycle starts, akin to an international football team talking about the FIFA rankings at the start of a World Cup. England’s public stance is that they focus on winning every Test match they play in, and that winning enough will get them into the final: “As a group, we’re probably not looking that far ahead,” Brydon Carse said on Wednesday.England’s fixture list in the 2025-27 cycle is frontloaded. If they emerge from their next ten Tests – five against India, five in Australia – with a winning record, then they should be well positioned for their four remaining series: three Tests apiece against Pakistan and New Zealand at home, three in South Africa, and two in Bangladesh.The ECB is keen to retain hosting rights for the WTC final, and the indications are that it will do so at next month’s ICC conference in Singapore. If that happens, it will provide their side with yet another prime opportunity to reach the final in home conditions; to do so, they must engage with the WTC’s oddities rather than fighting against them.

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Atlético-MG e Cruzeiro estão classificados para a final do Campeonato Mineiro 2024. Os rivais farão a grande decisão do estadual após superarem América e Tombense, respectivamente, nas semifinais da competição. No entanto, os confrontos de Galo e Raposa tiveram enredos bem diferentes para conseguirem suas vagas.

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As partidas de volta do Mineiro foram disputadas nete fim de semana. O Atlético-MG enfrentou o Coelho neste domingo (17), na Arena Independência, e saiu derrotado por 2 a 1. Contudo, como havia vencido por 2 a 0 na ida, o Galo garantiu seu lugar na final. Do outro lado, o Cruzeiro encarou o Tombense no Mineirão, no sábado (16), e venceu por 3 a 1. Com o empate em 0 a 0 no primeiro jogo, a Raposa volta à decisão do estadual. Confira abaixo como foram as partidas.

AMÉRICA 2 x 1 ATLÉTICO-MG (2 x 3 no agregado)

O América entrou em campo precisando reverter de 2 a 0 conquistado pelo Atlético-MG na ida, e foi para cima logo de cara. Assim, o Coelho abriu o placar com Brenner, aos seis minutos de partida. O Galo chegou ao empate pouco depois do intervalo, com Paulinho aproveitando sobra dentro da área. Os donos da casa ainda marcaram com Vitor Jacaré para vencer o jogo, mas não foi suficiente para tirar a vaga do adversário.

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CRUZEIRO 3 x 1 TOMBENSE (3 x 1 no agregado)

Cruzeiro e Tombense voltaram a se enfrentar após o zero a zero da partida de ida, na última semana. Arthur gomes marcou o primeiro da Raposa logo no primeiro tempo, após linda assistência de Matheus Pereira. Já na segunda etapa, a defesa do Gavião Carcará se atrapalhou e Zé Victor jogou contra o próprio gol e ampliou para os mandantes. Dez minutos depois, o zagueiro compensou a lambança e balançou as redes, dessa vez a favor. Já nos acréscimos, Matheus Pereira deixou o dele para consagrar ótima atuação e dar números finais ao duelo.

Agora, Atlético-MG e Cruzeiro se enfrentam em duas partidas na grande decisão do Campeonato Mineiro, disputadas em 30 de abril e 6 de março. O jogo de ida será na Arena MRV, e a volta será no Mineirão, com mando da Raposa, que terminou a primeira fase com a melhor campanha da competição.

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That will open up fresh possibilities for Sri Lankan cricket with day-night Tests becoming more viable in the country

Andrew Fidel Fernando26-Nov-2025The Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) ground in Colombo will get floodlights and other upgrades in preparation for the Men’s T20 World Cup, which Sri Lanka co-hosts with India in February and March next year. Although the SSC has occasionally hosted daytime limited-overs internationals – especially women’s games – Colombo’s day-night games have all been played at Khettarama (R Premadasa Stadium), which in any case is the highest-capacity stadium in the country.SSC’s first match that will require lights will be the T20 World Cup Group B game between Oman and Zimbabwe, scheduled to start at 3pm local time on February 9. It is one of five matches the SSC is due to host at this World Cup. The first of those – between Netherlands and Pakistan on February 7 – will begin at 11am local time whereas the third fixture – between Pakistan and USA on February 10 – is the only match there to start at 7pm local time. Khettarama is set to host at least eight matches, and possibly the first semi-final and the final if Pakistan make it that far. Pallekele, the only Sri Lanka World Cup venue not in Colombo, will host seven games.Building floodlights at the SSC will open up fresh possibilities for Sri Lankan cricket with day-night Tests becoming more viable in the country. Although Khettarama is the preferred limited-overs venue in Colombo, the SSC and the P Sara Oval are still preferred for Tests, owing partly to their reputation for being boutique Test venues.Related

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Sri Lanka has never hosted a day-night Test, but Sri Lanka’s Test captains have also asked their board to arrange such a fixture, over the years.SLC confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that floodlights construction were already under way at the SSC.The ICC announced the schedule for the T20 World Cup on Tuesday, with the tournament set to run from February 7 to March 8 across five venues in India and three in Sri Lanka.

Sunderland returned to Premier League action after the international break with a whimper, instead of a bang.

Indeed, Regis Le Bris’ men lost 1-0 away at Fulham, which doesn’t seem like the demoralising result on first glance. But, on another day, Marco Silva’s hosts could have run away with the clash as resounding winners, having notched up a colossal 23 shots, to the Black Cats’ meagre five.

Le Bris will hope his side can return to winning ways in the top-flight when AFC Bournemouth come to Wearside next, before December kicks into gear, which sees huge contests such as the Tyne-Wear Derby arrive on the jam-packed calendar.

Before you know it, the January transfer window will also reopen to give Sunderland an apt opportunity to improve their ranks, ahead of a tough second part of the season, with some high-profile names already being linked to the Stadium of Light.

Transfer latest at Sunderland

Sunderland were very busy in the summer before jumping up to the big time in the Premier League, with a whopping £162m forked out on the likes of Granit Xhaka and Robin Roefs.

Therefore, it isn’t the wildest shout to suggest they could break the bank again if a tempting move comes their way in January, with recent reports from Spain suggesting that the Black Cats could boost their forward line with the acquisition of Real Madrid hotshot Gonzalo Garcia.

The biggest rumour of them all comes in the form of Matteo Guendouzi, the former Arsenal midfielder who worked under Le Bris at Lorient.

Keith Downie reported last week that the Mackems boss has not ruled out a move for the Frenchman as they potentially go about bringing another former ex-Gunner to the Stadium of Light.

He isn’t the only Lazio midfielder catching the eye, with concrete rumours emerging involving the Premier League newcomers being in the hunt for Lazio outcast Fisayo Dele-Bashiru.

As per reports from Italy, Sunderland are named as one suitor taking a look at the ex-Sheffield Wednesday midfielder this January, with the centre of the park a clear priority position to improve.

Sunderland will hope, even if a move for Guendouzi isn’t forthcoming, that they can still clinch a deal for Dele-Bashiru to leave Serie A behind, as Le Bris potentially works his magic on another diamond in the rough, much like he did with Wilson Isidor.

How Dele-Bashiru can be Le Bris' next Isidor

Isidor hasn’t had the smoothest career up to this point, even if he is now four Premier League goals down in Sunderland red and white.

Unfortunately, the 25-year-old attacker has had to bounce back from a lot of adversity already, so early into his playing days, with the Rennes-born striker never going on to score a senior goal for AS Monaco, before many loan moves to the likes of Lokomotiv Moscow came to fruition.

Thankfully, the nomadic marksman has now found a home that suits him in Wearside, after such a well-travelled career, with Dele-Bashiru’s career path looking very similar.

Like Isidor, the “special” midfielder as he’s been labelled in Nigeria, is well-travelled, having already played in countries such as Turkey and Italy, after failing to make the grade at Manchester City at youth level.

Much like Isidor, though, he has shone in the EFL previously – which is where the 6-foot-1 striker bagged 13 goals to seal Sunderland’s promotion out of the Championship – with seven goal contributions coming his way on the books of the Owls in League One, as a rising youngster in South Yorkshire.

The nine-time Nigeria international has also shone in spurts for Lazio, even if only four appearances have come his way this season, with five goals and three assists from 33 appearances perhaps standing him in good stead to acclimatise to the Premier League effortlessly, as Isidor has managed.

Away from possessing a similar eye for a goal and assist like his Rennes-born counterpart, Dele-Bashiru would also be a useful buy when you consider his versatility across his up-and-down career to date, with his Lazio teammate in Boulaye Dia even hailing him as a talent who “can do everything”, whether that be from a central role, down the flanks, or even as an unorthodox defender.

Dele-Bashiru’s career by position

Position

Games

Goals + Assists

CM

99

14 + 9

AM

41

7 + 6

RW

7

1 + 0

LW

7

2 + 1

RM

2

0

DM

2

0

RB

2

0

Sourced by Transfermarkt

Valued at around the £4.7m mark, which is the amount he officially joined Lazio for, this is a deal that would be really worth exploring, with Dele-Bashiru lining up across seven different positions during his bumpy career to date.

Isidor only cost around the £5m price range, as well, and in January, another Isidor-style deal could soon be wrapped up.

Related Sunderland chief in contact with 14-cap midfielder who Cesc Fabregas "loves"

The Black Cats could land another transfer coup in 2026.

Posts ByTom Cunningham Nov 21, 2025

San Diego Padres reliever Mason Miller achieved one of the rarest feats in baseball on Wednesday, as the flamethrowing 27-year-old recorded the 119th immaculate inning in league history.

Even more impressive, Miller did it all using the same pitch; his devastating slider, and didn't have a single Orioles hitter make contact, even a foul ball, with any of his nine sliders in the inning.

Miller benefitted from a called strike on the very first pitch of the inning, and he followed up by throwing eight devastating sliders in a row, attacking various parts of the plate.

There have been more than twice as many no-hitters as immaculate innings in MLB history, some evidence as to just how rare the feat is. Even more rare is an immaculate inning in which every pitch is a slider and there wasn't a single foul ball, making Miller's accomplishment even more impressive.

Miller has been fantastic since joining the Padres at the trade deadline in a deal with the Athletics. He's logged a 1.64 ERA with 19 strikeouts and five walks in 11 innings.

Boston Red Sox pitcher Garrett Crochet threw a complete game shutout for the first time in his career on Saturday, leading the Red Sox to a 1-0 win over the Tampa Bay Rays.

Crochet pitched all nine innings and allowed just three hits, no walks or runs, and struck out nine for the Red Sox. After reaching this feat for the first time, Crochet hilariously admitted he didn't know what to do after notching the final out of the game.

“I didn’t even know what to do when the third out was recorded,” Crochet said after the game, via Christopher Smith of . “I was like, ‘Where do I stand?’"

Crochet, who was recently named to his second straight MLB All-Star Game, called his first complete game shutout "really special." He previously came close to such a game against the New York Yankees last month, but gave up a home run to Aaron Judge in the ninth inning. This time around, Crochet managed to close out the game.

“It was really awesome, really special. Just grateful to get the job done,” Crochet said, via Smith. "… Incredibly satisfying. … Nice to keep the streak going, too.”

With Crochet's performance, the Red Sox extend their winning streak to nine straight games. They are now 52-45 and are 4.5 games back of the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League East.

Bayern Munich are now in contact with the representatives of a Manchester United star, who has been told to leave the club by Old Trafford legend Paul Scholes.

Man Utd targeting midfield addition in 2026

The January transfer window is now less than a month away and Man United could once again be active on the hunt for reinforcements. In the summer, it was their frontline that took the focus as they welcomed Bryan Mbeumo, Benjamin Sesko and Matheus Cunha. Now, however, INEOS are looking to add to Ruben Amorim’s midfield.

It’s not a major surprise that the Red Devils are after a midfielder. Casemiro is an ageing option, Manuel Ugarte has proved to be an unreliable option and Mason Mount’s injury history speaks for itself. As such, a move for Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton would make perfect sense.

According to The Mirror, the England international sits at the very top of United’s wishlist even though he wants the guarantee of Champions League football next season.

Bad news for Mainoo: INEOS make £70m "passing machine" Man Utd’s no.1 target

Man United’s need for a new centre-midfielder is as pressing as ever.

ByAngus Sinclair 4 days ago

For those at Old Trafford, it could be a case of one in one out if they sign Wharton but allow Kobbie Mainoo to leave in 2026. The Carrington graduate has been left aside by Amorim this season, despite the fact that the manager blocked his attempts to leave in the summer and told him to fight for his place.

The midfielder could now follow the path of Scott McTominay and others by thriving away from Old Trafford, especially if it is Bayern Munich who secure his signature.

Bayern Munich make contact with Mainoo

According to TeamTalk, Bayern Munich have now made contact with Mainoo over a 2026 move away from Man United. The German giants have joined the likes of Napoli in the race to sign the 20-year-old, who is increasingly desperate to leave his boyhood club when the chance arrives.

Mainoo isn’t the only one frustrated by his current situation, either. Man United legend took the Instagram after the midfielder was an unused substitute against West Ham United to say: “Bulls**t. The kid is being ruined, not being played in a team that can’t control a game of football. Hate seeing home grown players leave but it’s probably best for him now. Enough is enough.”

At his best, meanwhile, the academy graduate has earned high praise from teammate Bruno Fernandes, who described him as “great” after he first burst onto the scene while journalist Alex Turk has even described him as a “future £100m+ footballer.”

Praise from his captain isn’t enough for Amorim, however, who has not given Mainoo a fair chance since blocking his late loan move away from the club in the summer.

He's "like Reijnders": Old Trafford chiefs pushing Man Utd to sign "elite" star

There are fewer than two months left in the 2025 MLB regular season, and the playoff races in the American and National Leagues are really starting to heat up. 

In the American League, five teams are within five games of the final wild card spot, while the No. 4 team – the Texas Rangers – is just a half-game out of the third spot. A lot could change in the next few months, especially with teams like the Minnesota Twins and Tampa Bay Rays selling at the deadline, but there likely will be a team – or two – that misses the playoffs that was expected to make it in.

In the National League, the top wild card teams (New York, Chicago and San Diego) seem pretty set in stone, but the Cincinnati Reds (three games back) are still within striking distance with plenty of games to go.

Here’s a look at the playoff odds for every team in the hunt, and a few storylines to watch when considering bets for these playoff markets. 

American League Playoff OddsDivision LeadersToronto Blue Jays: -2500Detroit Tigers: -5000Houston Astros: -1000

Toronto (19 games over .500), Detroit (17 games over .500), and Houston (14 games over .500) all appear to be locks to make the playoffs in the 2025 season.

Detroit has a seven-game cushion in the AL Central – the largest of these three division winners – which is why oddsmakers have it priced at -5000 to reach the playoffs for the second straight season.

It would be relatively surprising to see any of these teams fall out of the race, especially since they’d slot in pretty high in the wild card standings if a team were to overtake them in the division. 

Wild Card RaceBoston Red Sox: -450Seattle Mariners: -360New York Yankees: -330Texas Rangers: +115Cleveland Guardians: +320Kansas City Royals: +650Tampa Bay Rays: +950Minnesota Twins: +1800Los Angeles Angels: +2500Baltimore Orioles: +5000

The AL wild card race is going to be extremely fun to watch down the stretch of the season.

Entering Wednesday’s action, the Texas Rangers could overtake the New York Yankees, who are just a half-game ahead of them in the standings. New York has played under .500 ball over the last few months, and despite some trade deadline moves, it is fading fast in this market.

Oddsmakers project the Yankees to be the team that is currently holding a spot to be the closest one to drop out (-330 to make the postseason). 

While Cleveland, Minnesota, and others are long shots to make the playoffs, Texas is a team to watch since it has been elite at home (36-20) and still has 25 games at Globe Life Field left in the 2025 season. 

National League Playoff OddsDivision LeadersPhiladelphia Phillies: -3000Los Angeles Dodgers: -20000Milwaukee Brewers: -10000

All three of these division leaders appear to be locked into a playoff spot, as the implied probability for Philadelphia (the team with the worst odds) to make the playoffs is 96.77 percent.

There’s a chance that all three of these teams could lose their spot atop the division (Milwaukee has the largest lead at four games), but they’d all just fall into a wild card spot, barring a crazy run from the Reds or another fringe wild card team. 

Wild Card RaceChicago Cubs: -1400New York Mets: -650San Diego Padres: -575Cincinnati Reds: +250San Francisco Giants: +600St. Louis Cardinals: +1100Arizona Diamondbacks: +2500Miami Marlins: +3000Atlanta Braves: +5000

There is a lot less intrigue in the National League, as the Reds – who made some big moves at the deadline to acquire Ke’Bryan Hayes, Zack Littell, and others – are the only team that seems to have a chance to supplant New York, Chicago, or San Diego.

However, there is a lot of time left for a team like the Giants or Cardinals (both hovering around .500) to get hot and make some inroads in this race.

For now, Cincinnati is the only team at plus money that I’d consider in the NL playoff market. 

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De maneira épica, o Palmeiras derrotou o Independiente del Valle por 3 a 2, de virada, fora de casa, e segue invicto na atual edição da Copa Libertadores.

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

Herói do Verdão no duelo, Luis Guilherme saiu do banco de reservas para marcar o gol que garantiu a vitória nos acréscimos da segunda etapa.

No vestiário, o técnico Abel Ferreira pediu concentração para os jogadores que iniciaram o confronto no Equador e cobrou atenção para aqueles que entrariam no decorrer da partida, caso de Luis Guilherme.

Confira no vídeo acima os bastidores do discurso do treinador português antes da virada histórica do Palmeiras.

➡️ Luis Guilherme, do Palmeiras, atrai o interesse de gigantes do futebol europeu

PALMEIRAS ENTRE OS CLUBES BRASILEIROS NA LIBERTADORES

▪️ Brasileiro com mais finais disputadas: 6 (1961, 1968, 1999, 2000, 2020 e 2021) ao lado do São Paulo;
▪️ Brasileiro com mais títulos: 3 (1999, 2020 e 2021) ao lado de Flamengo, Grêmio, Santos e São Paulo;
▪️ Brasileiro com mais gols marcados: 458 gols;
▪️ Brasileiro com mais vitórias: 134 triunfos;
▪️ Brasileiro com mais participações na história: 24 edições disputadas.

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They are without Faf du Plessis, who had led them to the title last CPL

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Aug-2025David Wiese has been named the captain of St Lucia Kings for CPL 2025 starting next week. They are the defending champions.St Lucia had won the title under the leadership of Faf du Plessis, who had opted to play in the Hundred over the CPL this year, but has since withdrawn from that competition too for groin surgery.”I am absolutely humbled to be named your captain,” Wiese said while thanking the franchise and the fans. “This season, we will be playing with passion, heart and unity. You will see us give everything for each other and for you. And fans, we need you with us to pack the stadiums, lift the vibe and let’s paint Saint Lucia blue. Let’s make this a special season.”Wiese had played a crucial role for the franchise last year, scoring 121 runs in seven innings at a strike rate of 168.05 and an average of 40.33. With the ball, he picked up 13 wickets with an economy rate of 8.34.”David Wiese has been a part of the family for a long time,” head coach Daren Sammy said. “He has been with us for a number of years and has put on some excellent performances. We cannot wait to start our first home game on August 23rd. We know Saint Lucia Kings are the best fans and you will come out at Daren Sammy Cricket Ground and paint it blue, as you support our new captain and our team.”Wiese has been with St Lucia since 2021 and has played 26 matches for them overall. Although he has represented South Africa between 2013 to 2016, Wiese has played cricket for Namibia till his retirement in 2024. That makes him the first player from an Associate team to be full-time captain at a franchise competition run by a Test nation. He has previously captained Lahore Qalandars and Northern Superchargers in the PSL and Hundred respectively as one-offs.St Lucia had recently signed Tim David, picking him as their first-round pick at the draft. The CPL starts on August 14 with a clash between St Kitts and Nevis Patriots and Antigua and Barbuda Falcons. St Lucia start their campaign on August 17 against Antigua and Barbuda Falcons in North Sound.