Allrounder’s 19, three wickets and two catches proved too much for Originals, who are now bottom

ECB Media13-Aug-2025Welsh Fire 137 for 8 (Smith 26, Kohler-Cadmore 26, Tongue 3-25) beat Manchester Originals 112 (Buttler 57, Meredith 4-9) by 25 runsAussie pace bowler Riley Meredith cranked it up in front of a raucous Cardiff crowd, taking 4 for 9 as Welsh Fire defeated Manchester Originals by 25 runs.There were also three-fors for both Chris Green (3 for 19) and David Payne (3 for 14) as a brilliant fielding and bowling performance earned Fire a much deserved win.Bowling first, Originals got off to a flying start, Sonny Baker having Jonny Bairstow caught by Lewis Gregory at slip with his fifth ball.Fire reached 28 for 1 after the powerplay, 22 of the runs to Steve Smith, including a stunning six over point off Josh Tongue.Tongue soon got his revenge, seeing Smith caught behind for 26. Fire then lost Luke Wells to Scott Currie for 13, reaching 57 for 3 at the halfway point.Tongue returned to remove Abell (22) and Currie got rid of Saif Zaib (15), both caught behind by Jos Buttler, the Fire innings threatening to fizzle out at 108 for 6.Chris Green added some late impetus, striking two sixes in his nine-ball 19, as Fire closed on 137 for 8, Currie (3 for 21) and Tongue (3 for 25) the pick of the Originals’ attack.A brilliant burst of 3 for 6 from 10 balls by Riley Meredith saw the backs of Phil Salt (3), McKinney (10) and Mark Chapman (0), Salt spectacularly caught at deep backward-square by Green, as the Fire started well on top.Buttler began the counterattack, hitting Paul Walter for back-to-back boundaries, but the Fire struck a huge blow when they had Heinrich Klaasen (11) caught in the deep off Green.Buttler kept going, bringing up his fifty from 28 balls with a six off Green, but the off-spinner then struck twice, taking the key wickets of Buttler (57) and Gregory (21), both caught at deep midwicket by Abell, before Payne and Meredith cleaned up the tail.Meerkat Match Hero Chris Green said: “It was a lot of fun. The last two games here have been an amazing atmosphere. The support here in Cardiff has been fantastic and it was great to reward that support with a win here tonight.”Tommy Abell thought 130 was defendable, there was a bit of hold for the off-cutters for the seamers and a bit of hold for the spinners as well.”Riley Meredith was outstanding up front and probably should be standing here because I thought he broke the game open. The energy we had and the support we had tonight got us over the line and we go into a big game in London on Saturday.”

Former Real Madrid striker Mariano Diaz believes a move to Lyon could be the best step for Endrick if the Brazilian leaves the club in January, saying regular minutes matter more than staying on the bench at the Bernabeu. Mariano, who made the same move in 2017 after struggling for game time, says there is "life beyond" Madrid.

• Endrick’s season stalled at Real Madrid

  Los Blancos signed Endrick from Palmeiras in 2022 in a deal worth up to €60 million. His first year under Carlo Ancelotti showed promise, with seven goals in 37 appearances, but injuries halted his progress heading into this season. A hamstring injury kept him out of the Club World Cup and the start of the new campaign. By the time he returned, new manager Xabi Alonso had settled on other attacking options, leaving Endrick with just one brief appearance against Valencia earlier this month, where he played just 11 minutes. The lack of consistent minutes has raised concerns about his development, especially with the World Cup coming next year.

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  Mariano advises Endrick to embrace a move abroad

  Speaking to , Mariano sees parallels between their situations and says leaving Madrid does not mean giving up on a future at the club.

  “If Endrick ends up leaving, or a player who isn’t getting much playing time has to go abroad to play, I would tell him to enjoy it a lot, to appreciate that if he’s going to be a starter on the team, that’s the best thing that can happen to him,” Diaz said.

  He stressed that regular starts give players a real chance to prove their ability. 

  "You have to try to prove yourself when they give you that confidence, because it’s not the same when you play a few minutes every three games. You can’t prove your worth in a few minutes. But if they trust you and you’re a starter, that’s when you can prove a lot of things. In this case, if he [Endrick] leaves, he could also return to Madrid," the 32-year-old added.

• Endrick stands at same career crossroads Mariano faced

  The Dominican Republic international knows what it feels like to wait for chances at Madrid. The forward broke into the senior team during the 2016-17 season, scoring five goals in 14 appearances, but spent most of his time behind the famous 'BBC' trio of Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale, and Cristiano Ronaldo. The Los Blancos went on to win the Champions League and enjoy their most successful campaign in decades, but Mariano’s role was limited.

  "It was one of the best teams I’ve ever played for because it wasn’t just the starters, but also what the press called ‘Plan B’. It was a bit curious, but the truth is that Plan B was like Plan A."

  At the end of that season, Diaz moved to Lyon to play regularly, a decision he now sees as crucial in his development. However, he returned a year later after Cristiano Ronaldo's shocking move to Juventus. 

  "As it was Madrid, I wasn’t going to say no,” Mariano recalled. "But they told me that this time it would be different, and that was one of the reasons I wanted to return."

  Injuries derailed his progress, and he was again playing a bench role until his exit in 2023.

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  Brazilian forward sees Lyon as the right move for development

  Several clubs have shown interest in Endrick, including Manchester United, who saw him as a replacement option after Benjamin Sesko’s injury. But the 19-year-old prefers Lyon, viewing the French club as a place where he can earn minutes, regain confidence and stay in contention for the 2026 World Cup with Brazil. Madrid had initially wanted to loan him within La Liga to help him adapt more smoothly and keep him close to home as he approaches Spanish citizenship in six months. However, Endrick pushed for a move abroad, prioritising consistent game time over location.

  Ancelotti, now the Brazil national team coach, is yet to call up the young forward in any of the international breaks. However, the former Madrid coach has also urged him to play regularly if he wants to remain in the national-team picture.

  "He has to think with his entourage about what’s best. Talk to the club, to see what’s best for him. Endrick is very young, this won’t be his last World Cup," he said. "He could play in the 2026 World Cup, because he has the quality for it, but he could also be in the 2030 World Cup, or the 2034 World Cup, and maybe even the 2038 World Cup (laughs). I believe it’s important for him to get back to playing and show his qualities.”

يترقب رمضان صبحي لاعب فريق بيراميدز، موقفه من أجل حل أزمة إيقافه 4 سنوات بقرار من المحكمة الرياضية بشأن أزمة المنشطات.

وأصدرت المحكمة الرياضية قرارًا بـ إيقاف رمضان صبحي لمدة 4 سنوات بداعي التلاعب في عينة المنشطات.

طالع.. عاجل | بعد حبسه.. إيقاف رمضان صبحي 4 سنوات رسميًا بسبب المنشطات

وعلم بطولات، أنه يتبقى لـ مضان صبحي فرصة للتظلم على القرار الصادر من المحكمة الرياضية أمام المحكمة الفيدرالية.

وكانت المحكمة قد قررت حبس رمضان صبحي، على ذمة قضية “تزوير محرر رسمي”، خلال الأيام الماضية، وسبق أن تم القبض على اللاعب عقب عودة بعثة فريق بيراميدز من المعسكر الخارجي من تركيا في بداية الموسم الحالي.

Two Australian players were “touched inappropriately” by a motorcyclist in Indore, where they played South Africa in their final league game of the Women’s World Cup on Saturday. The incident occurred while the players were walking to a cafe on Thursday, the morning after Australia’s victory against England in Indore.”CA can confirm two members of the Australian Women’s team were approached and touched inappropriately by a motorcyclist while walking to a cafe in Indore,” Cricket Australia said in a statement. “The matter was reported by team security to police, who are handling the matter.”Rajesh Dandotiya, the additional district commissioner of police, Indore crime branch, said they had made an arrest. “The security in-charge manager of the Australian team registered a complaint about inappropriate behaviour against two players. We carried out an intensive strategic operation and arrested the culprit, Aqeel. He belongs to Khajrana but now lives in Azad Nagar. He has an old criminal record.”The Indore Police Commissionerate held a meeting with the stakeholders, BCCI and MPCA, after which security protocols were put in place. We are examining where the security protocol was breached. The incident happened on October 23 around 11am and within the next six hours, we carried out an intensive strategic operation and arrested the culprit. The incident happened when they were headed to a cafe from hotel Radisson.”Devajit Saikia, BCCI secretary, described the incident as “very condemnable” and assured to “revisit our safety protocols if required.”The Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association (MPCA) said in a statement that it was “deeply pained and shocked by the disturbing incident of misconduct and inappropriate behaviour with two players from the Australian Women’s Cricket Team in Indore. No woman should ever have to endure such trauma, and our thoughts and support are with those impacted by this distressing incident. This unfortunate event has deeply affected everyone from MPCA who cherishes the values of respect, safety, and dignity of women. It is truly inspiring to see the players rise above this painful experience and continue to compete with courage and determination, carrying the pride of their nation on their shoulders in the match against South Africa.”Over the years, Indore has earned a proud reputation as a safe venue for the visiting teams and dignitaries from other fields. It is deeply painful that the disorderly action of one individual has caused such harm and cast a shadow over the city’s image. As the host, MPCA extends sincere apologies to the Australian Women’s team for this deeply distressing and unfortunate incident while in our city known for safety, grace, and hospitality.”Australia ended the league stage on top of the World Cup points table and will play India in the second semi-final on October 30 in Navi Mumbai. South Africa will travel to Guwahati to play England in the first semi-final on October 29.

The assistant coach during Scotland’s run to their maiden World Cup is New Zealand’s frontline offspinner at the tournament

Shashank Kishore02-Oct-2024In June 2022, Leigh Kasperek, at 30, found herself at a crossroads. She had just lost her New Zealand central contract and wasn’t sure of her immediate international future. But a trip to Scotland to see family that winter opened new doors.A casual stop at the Scotland camp to catch-up with old friends led to her stumbling upon an opportunity to coach. In April this year, Kasperek was Scotland’s assistant coach at the T20 World Cup Qualifier in the UAE. Now, Kasperek has returned to Dubai to be a part of the World Cup, not as a coach though, but as New Zealand’s frontline offspinner.On Thursday, when Scotland play their first-ever women’s T20 World Cup game against Bangladesh, Kasperek “will have a small piece of my heart” with the team that she was a part of not long ago.Related

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• October 3 at the World Cup: Debutants and dark horses

“When one door shuts, you have no option but to try and see how another one opens,” Kasperek says philosophically. “Watching the Scotland girls go about their work [during her stint with the team] and enjoying themselves was a good reminder of why you play the game.”Now, as a player, I am just trying to embrace that a little bit in my own cricket moving forward. It [coaching] probably gave me a little bit of an outside perspective. It’s pretty funny because when I was coaching on the sidelines, I felt very relaxed. I just enjoyed watching the girls go out there, and I have been able to take that little bit more of that into my playing career again.”At Scotland, Kasperek was coach to many whom she grew up playing with. Like Abbi Aitken-Drummond, the former Scotland captain. They played pathways cricket together until Kasperek decided to embark on an adventure of a lifetime.In Dubai, Kasperek and Aitken-Drummond may not cross paths on the field as New Zealand and Scotland are in different groups – the top two from each group make the semi-finals. “I’m looking forward to seeing her in the semi-finals,” Kasperek laughs.”Abbi has gone through some injuries, had a kid and now has fought her way back in. For someone like her who has gone through the tough times, it means a lot to make it to a World Cup.

“Watching the Scotland girls go about their work and enjoying themselves was a good reminder of why you play the game. Now, as a player, I am just trying to embrace that a little bit in my own cricket moving forward”Leigh Kasperek

“Priyanaz Chatterji and I played Under-17s [together]. So yeah, it was an obvious decision to be able to work with them in a different capacity [when the opportunity came]. It was really rewarding and enjoyable. I’ll be rooting for them when they play that first game.”Kasperek’s own career received a massive fillip earlier this year. Having been recalled during the T20I leg of a tough England tour in June-July, she will now feature in her fourth T20 World Cup, having played previously in 2016, 2018 and 2020.”I actually first got a call-up last July as a replacement for the Sri Lanka tour, but it was totally out of the blue,” Kasperek says. “I was meant to be away in the Netherlands with the Scotland team but had to pull out of the tour when I got the call.”I came back from Sri Lanka and kept working with Scotland and went to the pre-qualifiers in Spain, where we came up against sides like Italy and France. Then they [Scotland] had a great series in Ireland. Then I came back to play for Wellington in the [New Zealand] domestic summer. So yeah, it’s been quite an interesting journey.”Scotland were keen on having her as part of the backroom for the World Cup, but she wasn’t going to let a chance of playing for New Zealand pass.Scotland are playing their first women’s cricket World Cup, across formats•ICC/Getty Images”It would’ve been lovely to play in Bangladesh [the original hosts for this World Cup], with all those spinning wickets,” she chuckles. “But I guess the UAE isn’t all that bad in terms of pitches either. As a spinner, it’s just trying to add more tricks to your bowling in terms of change of pace and angles, to stay one step ahead.”Another change in the women’s game [compared to the men’s] is only having four fielders out [after the powerplay]. So, I guess, in a sense you’re slightly limited in what lines you can go with. Sometimes you feel like you can bowl really well and get hit around the park and it can be the other way round too, so yeah, I’m always on my toes.”Kasperek’s perspective on her own cricket may have changed in recent times, but not the drive to keep getting better. Her decision to leave Otago and move to Wellington in early 2021, once cricket resumed post-pandemic, is a prime example.”I made the move because at the time it had the best training structure in New Zealand,” she says. “I just thought if I wanted to try and kick on a little bit with my cricket then, they had like full-time coaches and great facilities. I just thought that I wanted to try and give myself the best chance to improve. And I really enjoyed the city, the vibe around the team we’ve got there.”Kasperek still divides her time between New Zealand and Scotland, but there’s more clarity and purpose to her pursuits. “It’s been hectic, but also very rewarding,” she says. “I guess I really had to invest in other parts of my life outside of [playing] cricket. It was forced upon me [because of not having a contract].”Having got into coaching, I feel a lot less daunted about the future planning. Even if I won’t get many more opportunities [to play], the place I’m in today, I’ll be okay. I’ve enjoyed coaching and would love to go down that path.”For now, winning as many games as possible for New Zealand will do.

The players and umpires congregated near the pitch while the stands emptied quickly after the 5.5 magnitude earthquake hit part of Bangladesh and India

Mohammad Isam21-Nov-2025

Play had to be halted for three minutes after a 5.5 magnitude earthquake caused severe tremors in parts of Bangladesh and India in the morning session of the third day of the ongoing second Test between Bangladesh and Ireland in Dhaka.There was immediate panic in the stands as the jolts were felt, and the players and umpires gathered near the pitch. Both dressing rooms emptied at around 10.38am (10.08am in India). The small crowd looked for open areas to escape to. Some went out of the stadium while others tried to get close to the ground. The media centre, a five-storey building at the north end of the stadium, also emptied quickly as people tried to go out to safe spaces.While there was some confusion about the magnitude of the earthquake, local media in Bangladesh has reported that it was recorded at 5.5 on the Richter scale, with the epicentre in Madhabdi, a municipality around 40 kilometres east of Dhaka. There have been reports of at least two damaged buildings in the capital city but no confirmed reports of casualties.”I have been personally involved in in a couple of earthquakes,” Ireland coach Heinrich Malan said after the day’s play. “I have lived in New Zealand for a while. It’s never a nice feeling. You are trying to understand what is happening at the minute around you. But also you have to think about some bigger impacts, about where the earthquake obviously struck, and hopefully that’s not too bad. Everything stood still for a couple of minutes, and we got back to business. We are just thinking and hoping that there wasn’t too much damage done. We will obviously find out about what that happens as we go.”Reports from Kolkata, across the border from Bangladesh in India’s West Bengal, said tremors were felt there too, as was the case in Guwahati, the venue of the second Test between India and South Africa from Saturday, and in other parts of northeastern India.Play resumed in the Dhaka Test after the pause, with Ireland losing two more wickets in the first session to go to lunch on the third day at 211 for 7 in reply to Bangladesh’s 476.

Erling Haaland needed less than four minutes to score his first ever goal against Liverpool. Aged just 19 at the time, he had started on the bench for RB Salzburg's Champions League visit to Anfield in 2019, despite scoring a hat-trick on his competition debut against Genk. He was introduced by coach Jesse Marsch with his side in the middle of a comeback from three goals down and duly made it 3-3.

It was one of the easiest goals Haaland has ever scored, tapping into an empty net on the hour-mark after being teed up by future Liverpool player Takumi Minamino. The elation of drawing level against Liverpool did not last long though as Mohamed Salah made it 4-3 to the Reds nine minutes later. Still, his first goal on English soil served to bring more recognition to Haaland at the start of his astronomical rise to being the best centre-forward in the world.

And yet that simple goal was the feast before a famine – by Haaland's ridiculously high standards – against Liverpool. In eight matches against the Reds, Haaland has only scored three times, the lowest amount of goals he has scored against a team he has faced at least eight times. 

Haaland has scored eight times against Manchester United, five times against Arsenal and four times against both Chelsea and Tottenham. Those four teams are among the 35 sides Haaland has scored four or more goals against throughout his career. In that context, Liverpool, against whom he has scored two goals in six games for City with only one Premier League strike, are Haaland's bogey team. 

But Sunday's game against the champions, which begins a pivotal week for the Norwegian goal-machine, is the perfect occasion to end his Liverpool hoodoo and give the Reds the same merciless treatment he has meted out to almost every other team.

Getty Outshone by Nunez

Haaland was left frustrated in Salzburg's home fixture against Liverpool in his breakthrough season, being subbed off in a 2-0 defeat. His first game against the Merseysiders in a City shirt was the 2022 Community Shield, when he was surprisingly upstaged by Darwin Nunez in a 3-1 defeat.

The stiker touched the ball 14 times and missed a simple late effort when he hit the crossbar from a rebound inside the six-yard box. Guardiola exercised caution by remarking: "He didn't score. Another day he will score. He has an incredible quality on that and he will do it. He is going to help us a lot."

The coach was spot-on and in his next game Haaland scored twice against West Ham, his first strikes on the road to his record-breaking 36 goals in a Premier League season. But he has not really helped City beat Liverpool, at least not in the league. 

AdvertisementGettyZero wins in the Premier League

The Norwegian drew a blank again the next time he faced Liverpool, the ill-tempered 1-0 defeat in the league at Anfield in October 2022. He did score in the Carabao Cup meeting between the two sides at the Etihad Stadium two months later although he missed their next fixture with injury. City barely noticed his absence though as they won 4-1 on the way to claiming the Premier League title. 

Haaland scored in a 1-1 draw at home to Liverpool in November 2023 and he has not found the net against them since, drawing blanks in a 1-1 draw and 2-0 loss at Anfield while missing last season's 0-2 defeat at the Etihad Stadium with injury. It means that Haaland is still waiting for his first win against Liverpool in the Premier League.

Liverpool's results between late September and the end of October, when they lost six out of seven matches while conceding 14 goals, would have lifted Haaland's hopes of turning the tide. But in their last two games against Aston Villa and Real Madrid they have looked more like the team that swept to last season's title and who did the double on City. 

Getty ImagesNever felt better

And it was why Haaland warned: "We need to perform as a team and need to be all together, attacking Liverpool and defending as a team. We need to be ready because it’s not going to be an easy game. The competition between Man City and Liverpool has been amazing in previous years – pushing each other to get better and fighting for the title. It’s going to be a difficult game, and we need to be at our best."

Haaland could not be in better form or mindset though as he prepares to set the record straight on Sunday. He has scored 18 goals in 14 matches for City in the Premier League and Champions League plus an additional nine strikes in three matches for Norway. 

That's 27 goals in 17 games for club and country, putting him on course to better that insane tally of 57 goals for club and country in 2022-23. Haaland was even prepared to admit that he has never been in a moment of form like this in his career. "It’s been a good start, and I feel really good," he told reporters this week. "I feel this is the best version of myself. I’ve never felt better than now."

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InstagramDiligent routine paying off

Last month Haaland opened a window into his daily routine, showing his diligent process to recover from games and training sessions in order to avoid injuries. That routine includes red-light therapy, massages, ice-baths and saunas plus a diet of fresh fish, steaks and raw milk. 

And after scoring against former club Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday to make it five goals in four Champions League games, he reiterated how important that routine has been to his current insatiable goalscoring form.

He explained: "To keep sharp, I need to keep my mind in the right place, I need to recover well, I need to get a lot of treatment, I need to eat the right things. I connect when I have to connect on the pitch and then relax as much as I can when I’m at home. It’s about maintaining the energy levels, being motivated and doing the things that are good for my body and for my brain."

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To hear Clayton Kershaw speak after his Tuesday outing against the Reds at Dodger Stadium, you’d be forgiven for thinking he was lamenting a night that didn’t go his team’s way.

“It was pretty evident that it wasn’t gonna be a long night for me.”

“It wasn’t a great night stuff-wise.”

“It was pretty obvious to me after the first batter that my slider wasn’t great. I just didn’t feel like I had the arm speed.”

The lefthander wasn’t telling mistruths, exactly—he lasted only 72 pitches; the average velocities on all of his offerings were down across the board, relative to his 2025 averages; he allowed hits to two of the first three Reds batters to fall behind 1–0 in the top of the first.

But that was all the offense Cincinnati would muster against the future Hall of Famer. Kershaw set down the next 14 in a row to spearhead a 6–3 Dodgers victory.

The performance was the latest in what’s been a late-career revival for Kershaw, now in his 18th season and somehow—after all the injuries, surgeries and missed time—still finding new ways to dominate. He picked up the win in Tuesday’s game by allowing only the one run in five innings, logging six strikeouts with no walks.

It was Kershaw’s fifth win in as many outings, his first five-start winning streak since 2022. It also marked just the fourth time in his career he’s had five wins in a calendar month (the last was June 2017).

In some ways—namely, the results—it looks like the Kershaw of old. And in most others, it’s a completely different pitcher compared to the one who captured three Cy Young Awards and an MVP in a four-year span during the prime of his career.

For example: Would the Kershaw of 10 years ago have taken well to his manager pulling him after just 72 pitches and five one-run innings?

“Oh, not at all. Not at all,” Dodgers skipper Dave Roberts said after the game. “I think that Father Time gets everyone, and I think that he’s smart enough to understand how many bullets he has.”

Sunday's Mariners–Rangers game was a big one for Seattle star Julio Rodriguez.

The center fielder crushed his career 100th career home run, a 391-foot two-run homer off of two-time Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom in the third inning.

But, that wasn't the biggest news of the game. This home run was Rodriguez's 20th of the season, marking his fourth consecutive season in which he's logged at least 20 homers. On top of that, Rodriguez has also tallied at least 20 stolen bases in all four of his MLB seasons. With this combination, Rodriguez officially became the first MLB player in history to start their career with four consecutive seasons of at least 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases, per Mariners PR.

Rodriguez has 20 homers and 20 stolen bases so far this season. In his rookie year, the Mariners star logged 28 home runs and 25 stolen bases. His second season was his career-best with 32 HRs and 37 SBs and last year, Rodriguez had 20 HRs and 24 SBs. He's currently on pace to pass his totals from last season.