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All the runners and riders in Group B of the county 50-over competition, which returns this week

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay04-Aug-2025The Metro Bank One-Day Cup returns this week, with Glamorgan defending the title they won at Trent Bridge in 2025. Here are the runners and riders in Group B:DurhamPreviewed by Graham HardcastleCaptain: Alex Lees
2024 Position: Fifth (Group A)
2024 Most Runs: Colin Ackermann (316)
2024 Most Wickets: Paul Coughlin (12)Why they can win the competition: Durham are coming off the back of an excellent Vitality Blast campaign, which saw them finish second in the North Group. They were 50-over finalists in 2021 and will be desperate to win their first white-ball title since 2014 when they won a previous incarnation of this competition. Their squad is well balanced and hasn’t been ravaged by the Hundred.Player to watch: Ollie Robinson, the 26-year-old wicketkeeper-batter, hasn’t played in this competition since 2022 due to Hundred commitments. That season, he won the title as a Kent player. He scored a career-best 206 not out during that particular campaign. This season, he’s available to his county and is likely to be a linchpin of their top order.Young gun: Wicketkeeper-batter Haydon Mustard, 19, is set for his first first-team exposure of 2025 in this competition. An ever-present last year in the lower middle order, the former England U19 posted a top-score of 35. He even hit a six in a match against Lancashire at Sedbergh which was caught in the crowd by his dad, Phil.Final thought: South African overseas quick Codi Yusuf is available for this competition. He represented the county in the Rothesay County Championship during the first half of the summer before heading off to Zimbabwe in late June and early July to make his Test debut for the Proteas, taking the new ball and claiming 10 wickets in a 2-0 series victory. He returned to the Riverside on a deal until the end of the season and will add significant firepower to Durham’s bowling attack. Kent- ECB Reporters Network supported by RothesayCaptain: Grant Stewart and Harry Finch
2024 Position: Seventh (Group A)
2024 Most Runs: Jack Leaning (262)
2024 Most Wickets: Matt Parkinson (12)Why they can win the competition: Only three first-teamers are playing in The Hundred and the white-ball squad looks significantly stronger than the red. Kent won this competition as recently as 2022 and six of the team that surprised a full-strength Lancashire in that final are still with the club, although whether the Warwickshire-bound Nathan Gilchrist will be selected is uncertain.Player to watch: Harry Finch keeps on reinventing himself. A player who openly admits he wasted the first part of his career with Sussex, he got a second chance at Kent, taught himself to keep wicket and this year has starred at both number three and as an opener in the Vitality Blast. Asked what he’d try his hand at next, he replied: “football”.Young gun: Orpington-born, batting all-rounder Ekansh Singh has broken into the Rothesay County Championship side this season and recently starred for the England Men U19s, making a century in the second Youth Test at Chelmsford. The 19-year-old also went to school in Tonbridge, a town that’s nurtured talent including Colin Blythe, Colin Cowdrey and Ed Smith.Final thought: Politics derailed Kent’s 2024 campaign – Ben Compton was sidelined, reportedly due to his contract situation, and Kent sorely missed his ability to pace an innings, as a bowler-heavy line-up threw away a chance of qualification. This time round the business has been done early, with Compton and Joey Evison, player-of-the-match in the 2022 final, both signing new deals while leg-spinning all-rounder Mohammed Rizvi has been signed after impressing with the 2nd XI.Josh Bohannon whips off his pads through square leg•MI News/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesLancashireCaptain: Marcus Harris
2024 Position: Ninth (Group A)
2024 Most Runs: Josh Bohannon (274)
2024 Most Wickets: Charlie Barnard (8)Why they can win the competition: As mixed as their performances have been in the Rothesay County Championship this summer, Lancashire were excellent in the Vitality Blast, finishing top of the North Group and qualifying for the quarter-finals. If they can transfer that momentum into 50-over cricket, they will have a chance. But their senior players have to be better in this competition than they were last year.Player to watch: Josh Bohannon is Lancashire’s linchpin batter in this format and has been their leading run-scorer in the past two campaigns, scoring a century in each of them. Former England Lions captain Bohannon is likely to bat at number three with the aim of batting through the innings and cashing in at the end.Young gun: Left-arm spinner Charlie Barnard led the way for the Red Rose in last season’s competition with eight wickets and impressed hugely on their pre-season tour of India. A wily spinner, an old head on young shoulders type, the 20-year-old took four wickets in three Vitality Blast matches in late May and early June and should be front and centre over the next month.Final thought: Lancashire, bottom of the pile last year, have not won a major List A title in more than a quarter of a century but came close in this competition in 2022 when they were beaten by Kent in a Trent Bridge final. Australian overseas batter Marcus Harris will captain the Red Rose, with Keaton Jennings and Sir James Anderson both having been selected in The Hundred. They have also signed emerging batting all-rounder Arav Shetty until the end of the season.MiddlesexCaptain: Ben Geddes
2024 Position: Sixth (Group A)
2024 Most Runs: Joe Cracknell (306)
2024 Most Wickets: Luke Hollman (12)Why they can win the competition: One cause for optimism should certainly be the depth of Middlesex’s pace attack. Ireland left-armer Josh Little will bring plenty of international white-ball experience to the table, supported by a clutch of exciting young talents such as Noah Cornwell, Naavya Sharma, Sebastian Morgan and Jamie Feldman – all under 21 and hungry to impress.Player to watch: Ben Geddes. The 24-year-old has performed well in both four-day and T20 formats since his winter move across the Thames from Surrey, can bat anywhere from one to seven and has earned his captaincy opportunity. With many top-order regulars involved in The Hundred, the 50-over tournament should provide further opportunities for Geddes to shine.Young gun: Naavya Sharma. The pacy 19-year-old was leading wicket-taker for England Under-19s in their Test series against Sri Lanka last summer and Middlesex were unafraid to pitch him in at the deep end for their County Championship campaign this year. Sharma bowled consistently, repaying the club’s faith by claiming six wickets in their innings victory over previously undefeated Leicestershire.Final thought: Middlesex are notoriously slow out of the blocks in this tournament, having failed to win their opening fixture since 2019 – a year that also brought the county’s most recent appearance in the knockout stages.Despite losing spinner Zafar Gohar to injury, Middlesex’s bowling options look strong. The question may be whether they can put match-winning totals on the board – the likes of Sam Robson, Ben Geddes and Joe Cracknell may need to go big more often than not.Prithvi Shaw was Northamptonshire’s top run-scorer in 2024•MI News/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesNorthamptonshireCaptain: Lewis McManus
2024 Position: Eighth (Group A)
2024 Most Runs: Prithvi Shaw (343)
2024 Most Wickets: Justin Broad (13)Why they can win the competition: Despite losing more players to The Hundred than ever before, Northamptonshire boast a strong squad who mounted an impressive challenge in the Vitality Blast. They are boosted by Indian leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal who has been in devastating form in the Rothesay County Championship and Tim Robinson, fresh from New Zealand’s recent white-ball tour of Zimbabwe.Player to watch: Last season’s leading wicket-taker, allrounder Justin Broad is firing with bat and ball, with back-to-back scores of 150 plus in the Championship during July.Young gun: After impressing in the Second XI and Academy, 17-year-old spinner Nirvan Ramesh recently signed a two-month rookie contract and was named in the squad for the recent Championship game against Derbyshire to give him more experience. Highly rated by the coaching staff he looks set to feature during the Metro Bank One Day Cup.Final thought: Northamptonshire need to channel the white-ball form that saw them open their T20 campaign with six straight wins. Even without key bowlers in Ben Sanderson and George Scrimshaw, Northamptonshire can call on a battery of seamers led by Broad and the experienced Luke Procter. The Steelbacks will also hope Kiwi international Robinson can help plug the run-scoring gap left by the prolific Saif Zaib on Hundred duty.SomersetCaptain: To be named
2024 Position: Finalists
2024 Most Runs: Andy Umeed (492)
2024 Most Wickets: Jack Leach (15)Why they can win the competition: The loss of eight players to The Hundred is less than last season when Somerset still finished runners-up in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup, winning six of their eight group games and a semi-final against Leicestershire before losing a rain-affected final against Glamorgan. That was the third trophy to narrowly elude the team last summer and the bitter memory will strengthen resolve to go one better.Player to watch: Andy Umeed has flourished in the 50-over competition over the past two seasons, hitting three centuries in 2023 and another against Kent last year on his way topping Somerset’s One-Day Cup batting averages. Overlooked in other competitions this season, the 29-year-old Scot will be keen to reproduce the exciting form that launched his career with the club.Young gun: At the tender age of 17, Thomas Rew already boasts the fastest century for England Under-19s, made against India this summer, and looks set to follow elder brother James into the Somerset team on a regular basis, having made his debut in this season’s Vitality Blast. Long rated the club’s brightest prospect, the One Day Cup looks sure to showcase his special talent.Final thought: Even without the players on duty in The Hundred, Somerset have enough experience blended with exciting young talent to deservedly rank among the favourites for the One-Day Cup. Support for 50-over cricket remains strong at the Cooper Associates County Ground and the team are guaranteed fervent backing while looking to capitalise to the bat-friendly pitches at their home venue.SussexCaptain: John Simpson
2024 Position: Ninth (Group B)
2024 Most Runs: Tom Haines (326)
2024 Most Wickets: Henry Crocombe (10)Why they can win the competition: Sussex regard the Metro Bank One-Day Cup primarily as a development competition and the focus will again be on giving youngsters opportunities. Many will be better for the experience they had in 2024, even though they only won one game, and if they can make a good start they could make the knockout stages, as they did in 2022 with a similarly inexperienced team.Player to watch: Henry Crocombe was one of the stars of Sussex’s Vitality Blast campaign with 15 wickets in his nine games and he was their leading wicket-taker in the One-Day Cup last season. With his strong action, the 23-year-old is capable of bowling with serious heat and will relish his likely role as leader of the seam attack.Young gun: George Thomas has had few opportunities since his winter move from Somerset, but the opening batter offered glimpses of his potential when he broke into the Vitality Blast team. He made his maiden hundred in this competition last year for his former county and a run of games will offer the 21-year-old an opportunity he should relish.Final thought: Batting coach Grant Flower will be in charge for this competition, and it will be interesting to see his approach. Sussex only won one game last year, but they lost twice by one wicket and were competitive in most. John Simpson, who missed three games last year, will be captain for the tournament which is a welcome development. So is the return to Arundel which stages its first one-day game since 2013 against Kent as part of a four-day festival of cricket.Ed Barnard was a prolific performer for Warwickshire last year•Getty ImagesWarwickshireCaptain: Ed Barnard
2024 Position: Semi-finals
2024 Most Runs: Ed Barnard (433)
2024 Most Wickets: Ed Barnard (19)Why they can win the competition: Semi-finalists last season, Warwickshire have some talented young players who drive the team in this competition. A year on from the under-performance in the last four against Glamorgan at Cardiff, those emerging players are more experienced and better-equipped to handle the bigger, make-or-break games.Player to watch: Kai Smith. The wicketkeeper batter is pushing hard to become a regular in all formats. Solid behind the stumps, he bats with a freedom and power which can transform games. His unbeaten 130 from 104 balls against Worcestershire at Edgbaston in this competition last season was a scintillating exhibition of how to turn pressure back on the opposition.Young gun: Hamza Shaikh. Although only just turned 19, top-order batter Shaikh has some first-team cricket under his belt now in both first-class and 50-over formats. His 84 and 112 as captain of England Men U19s against India at Beckenham last month suggests he is ready to take the next step and deliver match-shaping innings for his county.Final thought: Ian Westwood’s first season as head coach at Edgbaston has contained some promising signs – Warwickshire have delivered some eye-catching Rothesay County Championship wins and qualification for the Vitality Blast quarter-finals. To lift the Metro Bank One-Day Cup would assure supporters that their side is settling again after the long period of transition since winning the 2021 County Championship – and also underline Ed Barnard’s credentials to be the next club captain.YorkshireCaptain: Dom Bess
2024 Position: Sixth (Group B)
2024 Most Runs: Will Luxton (247)
2024 Most Wickets: George Hill (17)Why they can win the competition: Added to Jonny Bairstow, Harry Brook, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid and Joe Root, Yorkshire have – as things stand – only got two other players away at the Hundred. They are Jafer Chohan and Jordan Thompson. They are determined to put right a failed Vitality Blast campaign which saw them win only five games and finish second bottom in the North Group.Player to watch: All-rounder George Hill, aged 24, is having a great summer, especially with his seamers. He has topped the 40-wicket mark in the Rothesay County Championship and has gained England Lions recognition. In the last few years in 50-over cricket, Hill has posted a score of 130 in the middle order and has returned a haul of 6-30 with the ball.Young gun: David Lloyd lives close to top-order batter Will Bennison’s club, Sheriff Hutton Bridge, and has watched lots of the 18-year-old. Bumble even announced Bennison’s maiden rookie professional contract on Yorkshire’s social media accounts last month, saying: “He’s the real deal”. Bennison loves to score runs in big chases. Expect to see him later in the competition, as Yorkshire start off with experience.Final thought: With Jonny Bairstow and Dawid Malan – Yorkshire’s Championship and T20 captains – away at The Hundred, spin-bowling all-rounder Dom Bess will lead Yorkshire’s pursuit of a first limited overs trophy since 2002. They beat Somerset in the Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy final that year when current head coach Anthony McGrath was in the team. The White Rose will have Pakistani top-order batter Imam-Ul-Haq available to them for the duration of the competition, and look well placed to have a crack at the title.

Spain's anti-violence commission have recommended a Real Oviedo supporter is fined £3,521 (€4,000/$4,625) for allegedly directing racist abuse towards Barcelona forward Marcus Rashford. The incident is alleged to have taken place during the Spanish champions' 3-1 victory over Oviedo in La Liga on 25 September – a match in which the Manchester United loanee recorded an assist.

• La Liga detect images of the alleged abuse on social media

  In a statement on Thursday, Spanish authorities recommended the fine after La Liga detected images on social media of the Oviedo supporter, who is alleged to have aimed a racial slur in Spanish towards Rashford.

  The statement said: "La Liga detected the images on social media and filed a complaint with the National Police.

  "Subsequently, analysis of footage from the stadium's Organizational Control Unit (UCO) cameras allowed for the identification of the alleged perpetrator. The processing of this proposal will be contingent upon the final decisions made in the criminal proceedings."

  The authorities are yet to confirm when a final decision will be taken.

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• AFP
  

  Rashford was racially abused after Euro 2020 final loss

  In 2021, a man who livestreamed himself on Facebook racially abusing Rashford, Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka and on-loan Aston Villa forward Jadon Sancho after they missed penalties in England’s Euro 2020 final shoot-out defeat was jailed. Jonathon Best, then 52, was sentenced to 10 weeks in prison at Willesden Magistrates' Court.

  And in 2022, a teenager who racially abused Rashford following England’s defeat against Italy was jailed. Justin Lee Price, then 19, was jailed for six weeks at Kidderminster Magistrates' Court after targeting Rashford on Twitter (now X).

• On-loan forward has been in excellent form for Barcelona

  Rashford has been in excellent form for Barcelona after joining them on a season-long from United in the summer. The 28-year-old is the current joint-top assist provider in La Liga, having set up his team-mates five times in 10 league games.

  The England international has also impressed in the Champions League this season, scoring four goals in three fixtures, with only Bayern Munich and Real Madrid forwards Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe having netted more (five each).

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Rashford has already expressed desire to stay at Barcelona

  With Barcelona holding the option to make his loan move permanent for £28 million (€32m/$37m) next summer, Rashford has already expressed his desire to remain with the Blaugrana.

  "For sure," Rashford told when asked if he wanted to stay in Spain.

  "I'm enjoying this football club and I think for anybody who loves football, Barcelona is one of the key clubs in the history of the game. For a player it is an honour.

  "People forget this, but 23 years of my life was with Manchester United. So sometimes you just need a change. I think maybe this is the case with me and I'm enjoying everything.”

Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United dynasty went down like a lead balloon after the legendary manager called it a day back in 2013.

Nothing can take away the incredible, matchless success that the Scotsman forged down at the Theatre of Dreams over so many years, but United have never quite been the same since, still searching for their first Premier League and Champions League titles in this post-Fergie world.

A revolutionary, one of the greatest managers in the history of football, Sir Alex will have been among those to have smirked on Sunday evening, when that glorious final whistle rang across Anfield and it was confirmed: the Red Devils had beaten Liverpool in their own backyard.

Ruben Amorim’s had it tough since replacing Erik ten Hag in 2024, but this was a staggering achievement, with the summer signings coming together and producing strong showings on Merseyside.

This new batch of talent might just have the minerals to turn things around at Old Trafford, and if United wish to return to even the outer reaches of their former glory, they will need to start pulling off consistent transfer success in a similar vein to Ferguson in his heyday.

Ranking Fergie's greatest Man United signings

How could we start anywhere other than with Cristiano Ronaldo? One of football’s greatest players, CR7 arrived as a boy from Sporting Lisbon in 2004, for a £12m fee, before growing into a superstar and claiming the Ballon d’Or, before Real Madrid came calling and he left for a record fee.

With 145 goals from 346 appearances, three Premier League titles and a maiden success across an incredible career of triumph in the Champions League, the Portugual legend was fashioned by Ferguson, hailing the manager as his “football father”.

Ronaldo was hardly the extent of Ferguson’s transfer market success, though. Eric Cantona deserves a mention. Swiped from Leeds United for a shrewd £1.2m fee, the combative forward would prove one of the most influential additions in Premier League history, with such strength and style and flamboyance on the field.

And, perhaps the club’s greatest player of the Premier League era, Wayne Rooney, is a further example of Sir Alex and his coaching staff’s talent radar and insistence on securing their quarry, having poached him from Everton for about £26m when he was only 18 years old. The rest, of course, is history.

The list could go on and on, and likely makes for rueful reading if you are of a United persuasion, for such deals have truly been few and far between over the past decade.

There have been one or two, though. Bruno Fernandes is inarguably the best piece of business United have pulled off in a long time, and there would have been a place for the Portuguese Magnifico in many of Man United’s finest squads of the past.

But, while INEOS have faced their share of criticism since Sir Jim Ratcliffe first took his seat in the Old Trafford head office, they might just have pulled off a signing this summer that could be the best since those halcyon days of the past.

Man United's potential "all-timer"

Manchester United supporters have been treated to some of the finest players the Premier League has ever hosted, but there’s no denying that, in spite of the staggering spending over the past ten years, few have pulled their weight.

Well, perhaps that is now changing, with Amorim’s side putting in quite the performance to sink Liverpool in their own backyard, Bryan Mbeumo and Harry Maguire bagging the goals.

And, though his wait for a first goal in a United shirt rages on, Matheus Cunha looks every bit the superstar signing he promised to be when joining from Wolverhampton Wanderers for £62.5m in July.

He worked like a dog, making six recoveries, winning five duels and completing both of his attempted dribbles, as per Sofascore.

Given that the 26-year-old Cunha’s work rate had been questioned at times during his career at Molineux, it’s fair to say he is looking to quash such claims now that he has arrived at the club of his dreams, showing few – if any – signs of such hesitance or reluctance this term.

Seven matches into his Premier League career with United, Cunha has yet to break his duck. This is something he will hope to rectify swiftly, but it’s perhaps a measure of Cunha’s quality that he has not faced the criticism of some other big-money signings in the Premier League this season.

The principal reason is that the Brazilian forward has played with gusto and clarity, and given that he ranks among the top 8% of positional peers across Europe for non-penalty goals scored per 90 over the past 12 months, it’s surely just a matter of time until he finds his form in front of goal.

Matheus Cunha in the Premier League (by year)

Season

Apps

Goals (assists)

25/26

7

0 (0)

24/25

33

15 (6)

23/24

32

12 (7)

22/23

17

2 (0)

Data via Transfermarkt

This has all been picked up by those of an Old Trafford persuasion, with writer Wayne Burton claiming he’s got the “potential to be an all-timer”, with such quality that he might even be “the best player we’ve had since Fergie retired”.

There is certainly something nostalgic about watching Cunha romp about the final third, and when he starts to add goals to his game – and he will – the silky striker might just find himself stepping up as Man United’s main man.

Their finest since Fergie retired? It’s too early to tell. But there’s no question that he has the talent and the desire to hit elusively high heights as Amorim’s project starts to get going.

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O São Paulo quer garantir o título da Copa do Brasil no próximo domingo (24), às 16h (de Brasília), diante do Flamengo, no Morumbi. O Tricolor venceu a ida por 1 a 0, no Maracanã, e tem a vantagem do empate. Seria a primeira vez que o Soberano levanta a taça, mas, além da conquista inédita, o clube está de olho na premiação em dinheiro que vem por aí. Com a chegada à final, o clube já garantiu, pelo menos, R$ 48,7 milhões, quantia que pode aumentar em caso de vitória na decisão.

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+ Veja tabela da Copa do Brasil-2023 clicando aqui

Por ter entrado na terceira fase, o Tricolor já tinha arrecadado R$ 2,1 milhões. Quando classificou para as oitavas, mais R$ 3,3 milhões. Ao eliminar o Sport e avançar para as quartas, conquistou R$ 4,3 milhões. A premiação do avanço para as semifinais contra o Palmeiras foi de mais R$ 9 milhões. Já a ida à final garantiu mais R$ 30 milhões, que é a premiação destinada ao vice.

+ O Lance! de volta às bancas! Seja uma das 100 pessoas a ganhar a revista pôster do campeão da Copa do Brasil

Caso o São Paulo seja campeão, além do prêmio inédito na história do clube, pode arrecadar cerca de R$ 88,7 milhões somente em premiação, pois o prêmio para quem levantar a taça é de R$ 70 milhões, ou seja, R$ 40 milhões a mais do que o vice-campeão.

O Conselho Deliberativo do São Paulo definiu as metas orçamentárias e esportivas do clube para 2023 e era previsto que o clube do Morumbi chegasse até as finais do Campeonato Paulista e da Copa Sul-Americana, além de atingir as quartas de final da Copa do Brasil. A meta do torneio nacional, por sua vez, já foi ultrapassada.

+ Saiba quanto o São Paulo vai deixar de receber pela eliminação na Copa Sul-Americana

Na Sul-Americana, competição na qual a queda foi nas quartas de final, a premiação tricolor foi de 2,5 milhões de dólares (R$ 12,17 milhões na cotação atual).

Vaibhav Suryavanshi has become the flavour of IPL 2025 since his 35-ball century against Gujarat Titans (GT) on Monday lit up the tournament. But behind his rise to stardom, Rajasthan Royals (RR) have tried to create an environment to help the 14-year-old play with freedom while staying insulated from the pressures of playing in a certain way.”He’s been very welcomed,” head coach Rahul Dravid said on on Wednesday. “One of the things we’ve tried to do is make him feel integrated well into this environment. Even after the auction, we had three to four short-duration camps every month leading into the tournament. Vaibhav was there at every one of those camps, getting to know the players and support staff.”The idea was simple: make him feel at home before the spotlight turned his way. “We were conscious of the fact that we wanted him to feel comfortable by the time he came to the IPL,” Dravid said. “We wanted him to know each and everyone of the players, except the foreign players whom he was meeting for the first time. But he’d met all the Indian players, coaches, admin staff and support staff.”Related

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Despite being “shy”, Dravid felt Suryavanshi hadn’t shown signs of being overwhelmed.”I’m sure he’s having conversations and learning from each of those players, whether it’s a [Yashasvi] Jaiswal, [Riyan] Parag, [Dhruv] Jurel or Sanju [Samson],” Dravid said. “He’s built up good connections and friendships with some of the other guys who’ve played a lot of domestic cricket, like Sandeep Sharma. Even Fazalhaq Farooqi.”He’s a shy boy; he’ll take some time to open up, but he’s very comfortable here. At no stage does it feel like he’s intimidated or he’s holding back. There’s been a bit of an effort gone into trying to ensure that he’s comfortable around the group.”Asked how the coaches have been managing a still-maturing young talent, Dravid said the focus has been on not overcomplicating his game.”At this stage, you don’t want to really confuse him with too many things but just trying to allow him to keep it simple and really have some fun and enjoy his cricket,” Dravid said. “Obviously, he likes to play a positive brand of cricket, that’s no secret, and we want to encourage him to do that and set it up in such a way that he can play that form of cricket without worrying about it too much.”5:27

‘Otherworldly’ Suryavanshi wows Bishop, Aaron

What makes him special? “He’s got real good bat speed,” Dravid observed. “He’s obviously got a high back lift, that’s very obvious. A really good hand-eye coordination in terms of judgment of length. What you look for in a young batsman is how quick he is in picking length.”Vaibhav is very quick to pick up anything that’s fractionally short or if it’s really full, he’s really able to capitalise on that. A combination of high back-lift and ability to pick length gives him the power and he seems to have a natural strength which is helpful in these situations.”In explaining their process in handling a young talent like Suryavanshi, Dravid also underlined how RR view their recruitment – less about just age, more about all-round development and readiness.”Not every Under-19 player gets picked by franchises,” Dravid said. “We look at experience, too. Look at someone like Shubham Dubey, or even Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma, who were picked later in their careers. Vaibhav wasn’t picked just because he’s young. We felt that with a bit of work, he could succeed at this level.”But amid the soaring expectations, Dravid also made a measured plea to those watching from the outside. “We can’t control how much people are going to talk about him or what the media writes about him,” he said. “It’s just about recognising this is what happens and putting a certain level of support around that and helping him navigate all of this attention while still allowing him the space to be a youngster.”It’s impossible to completely distance yourself from it [attention] 100%. A lot of you [journalists] can play that role as well, if the media can be responsible about how you write about not only his success but also his potential failures. Let’s be realistic, he’s going to go through some ups and downs. We’re also going to have to be mindful of that he’s a young man finding his way as well.”

Celtic are set for a busy deadline day, and Brendan Rodgers could now be set to bring a winger into the equation after identifying a new target.

Celtic's dire Glasgow Derby display emphasises need for reinforcements

Despite plenty of anticipation ahead of the first clash between Glasgow’s big two this season, Celtic claimed a point away to Rangers at Ibrox in a 0-0 draw that won’t live long in the memory.

Rarely has a derby match-up between the pair passed without any real incident, though the Bhoys were flat in attack and registered only five shots, two of which were on target, as they remain top of the Scottish Premiership on goal difference.

Post-match, Rodgers hinted that his side could be in for a busy deadline day in order to land the offensive reinforcements he needs at the top end of the field.

He told reporters: “It’s been so clear what the team has needed and what’s required. I really hope that in this period we can do that.

“Celtic’s DNA is around about our attacking intent, mentality and that bit of quality. You arrive into the final third and you’re creating chances.”

Becoming the Bhoys’ main target at a late stage in the window, Anderlecht striker Kasper Dolberg is wanted to lead the Celtic line and could be set to replace Adam Idah, who is on his way to Swansea City as things stand.

Reports suggest the Bhoys have also made an approach for Bristol City forward Fally Mayulu, albeit he won’t be the last forward to be linked with a move to Parkhead before the deadline passes.

Admittedly, Celtic have left their business late, though they could now be about to step up their efforts to land a winger after showcasing a lack of creative ideas at Ibrox.

Celtic submit loan bid for Crystal Palace winger Jesurun Rak-Sakyi

Taking to social media platform X, Sky Sports reporter Anthony Joseph has confirmed that Celtic have submitted a loan bid for Crystal Palace winger Jesurun Rak-Sakyi ahead of tonight’s deadline.

Intriguingly, Rangers, Lyon and Leicester City have also put forward proposals for the 22-year-old, who will now have a decision to make based on the amount of minutes he will earn away from Selhurst Park.

Dubbed “wonderful” by former Charlton Athletic boss Ben Garner, Rak-Sakyi spent last season out on loan at Sheffield United and enjoyed a successful spell at Bramall Lane, registering seven goals and two assists in 36 appearances.

With two years left on his contract, it remains to be seen if any option to buy would be included in a deal for the England Under-21 international. However, supporters of Celtic, Rangers, Lyon and Leicester City won’t need to wait too long to find out the £10 million-rated star’s chosen destination.

Travis Head top-scored with 47 for SRH

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Mar-2025

Shardul Thakur celebrates a wicket with Ravi Bishnoi•Associated Press

Many expected Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) to post the first 300-plus total of the IPL, and that was not without reason. SRH had posted 286 for 6 in their previous game and LSG were missing a couple of first-choice seamers.Forget 300, SRH could not even post 200. They finished their innings on 190 for 9 as Shardul Thakur picked up 4 for 34, his best figures in the IPL. Mind you, it’s still a big total.After Rishabh Pant put SRH in, Shardul dismissed Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan off successive balls in the third over of the innings. Abhishek pulled a short ball down the throat of deep square leg, while Kishan was caught down the leg side.Head tried to put the pressure back on LSG with two sixes and a four off Avesh Khan in the next over. In the last over of the powerplay, he tried to take on Ravi Bishnoi but ended up skying a slog sweep towards long-on where Nicholas Pooran put him down. Later in the over, Bishnoi himself failed to latch on to a tough return catch.Head was on 35 at the time of the first drop but it cost LSG only 12 as Prince Yadav made a mess of Head’s stumps soon after for his first wicket in the IPL. Nitish Kumar Reddy and Heinrich Klaasen took the side past 100 in the 11th over before Klaasen was run out in a bizarre fashion. Nitish hit a full toss from Prince to the bowler’s left. Prince went for the catch but ended up dropping it. The ball, though, ricocheted onto the stumps at the non-striker’s end with Klaasen well outside his crease. Soon after, Bishnoi castled Nitish for 32 off 28, leaving SRH in a spot of bother.Aniket Verma smashed Bishnoi for two back-to-back sixes before repeating the feat against Digvesh Rathi in the following over but he fell for 36 off 13 on the last ball of the 16th over. Two balls later, Abhinav Manohar holed out to deep point off Shardul.Pat Cummins went 6, 6, 6 on the first three balls he faced before getting out on the fourth. But only ten runs came from the last two overs.

ECB defend “thorough and rigorous” process as sale prepares to get underway this week

Matt Roller28-Jan-2025Prospective investors in Hundred franchises have expressed their frustration with the ECB’s sales process, which will be determined by final bids in the next two weeks. Bidders fear that the efforts they have put into building relationships with potential partners over the past five months may have been wasted, with the process ultimately determined by “pure financial factors”.The ECB invited bids for 49% stakes in each of the eight Hundred teams in early September, in a sales process being run by the US-based Raine Group and Deloitte. The board said that the process has the dual aim of attracting “strategic partners” for the Hundred’s future success while ensuring the “long-term financial sustainability” of English domestic cricket.The final round of the process will start on Thursday, as ESPNcricinfo revealed, after each host venue chose a shortlist of potential partners to run their franchise as a joint-venture. The highest bidder from each shortlist will enter into a period of exclusivity following either sealed bids (if two bidders remain) or an auction (if three or more remain).Some prospective investors have raised their frustrations that the final stage of the process will be determined by a straightforward financial offer. This has come as a surprise to some bidders, who believed that host venues would consider all final-round offers and choose their preferred partner based on the extensive discussions they have held over the past five months.”It’s coming down to the highest number wins,” an associate close to a bid team told ESPNcricinfo. “If that’s been the case from the start, then such a drawn-out and confusing process could have been avoided. We, like many, have a compelling case that goes beyond pure financial factors.”The bidders in this process are very successful people both from the sporting and business worlds. But the whole thing has been unpredictable, and has changed throughout, which has been concerning. This is such a crucial moment in time for the game in England: let’s hope all things have been considered with regards to partnerships versus financial gain.”ECB defend ‘thorough and rigorous’ processThe ECB denies that the sales will simply be a case of the highest bidder winning, and defended their process as “thorough and rigorous”. They argue that the first two stages of the process saw more than 100 initial expressions of interest cut down significantly in collaboration with the eight host venues, depending on their preferences, with some lucrative offers counted out.Richard Gould, the ECB’s chief executive, has previously dismissed criticisms of the process, describing it as investors trying to “negotiate through the media”. An ECB spokesperson told ESPNcricinfo: “This has been a thorough and rigorous process, with each host venue choosing its own shortlist of potential partners based on who they would like to work with, not making purely financial decisions.”Our aims have always been to attract interest from a diverse range of parties with relevant skills and expertise to help the Hundred continue to grow, and to maximise value for the whole game. We have had a huge amount of interest and engagement from a wide range of interested parties, and we recognise that this leaves a number of disappointed parties who will not be successful.”The ECB also insisted that all remaining bidders in the process have submitted bids at each stage of the process. Several prospective investors have queried the recent emergence of a bid from a Silicon Valley tech consortium – led by Nikesh Arora and including the CEOs of Google, Microsoft and Adobe – but the board insisted there have been no late entrants since the initial first-round deadline of October 18.Another member of a bid team told ESPNcricinfo that they have found the process “complex” and that they feel miscommunication has led to “confusion” among prospective investors. But they added: “I respect what the ECB are doing. They are trying to maximise what they can get from this. They have to do everything they can on that front.”Related

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Richard Thompson, the ECB chairman, referred to a minimum target of raising £350 million through the sales process in November. ECB sources have indicated this relates to an early benchmark set for the minimum value of 100% of the eight franchises. Proceeds from the 49% stakes sold will be split among the 18 first-class counties, MCC and the recreational game in England and Wales.Thompson has also ruled out an “IPL takeover” of the Hundred. The owners of at least five Indian franchises – including CVC, the private equity firm who run Gujarat Titans – are understood to be in the final round of bidding, but several US-based investors are also in contention, including Sanjay Govil, the owner of Washington Freedom in Major League Cricket, and Avram Glazer, the co-chair of Manchester United.Gould said last month that the funds raised would safeguard county cricket’s finances for the next “20 to 25 years” The ECB is putting “guard-rails” in place to ensure that the counties spend the money in a sustainable way: paying off debt, building reserves or investing in long-term projects.

After agreeing a deal to sign Benjamin Sesko, Manchester United have reportedly turned their attention towards landing an upgrade on Andre Onana this month.

Man Utd agree deal to sign Sesko

Dealing Newcastle United another transfer blow, Manchester United have now agreed a deal to sign RB Leipzig’s Sesko worth an initial £66m before add-ons. Spending big once again, the Red Devils have now completed their attacking overhaul by welcoming three instant upgrades for Ruben Amorim this summer.

Minutes

2,380

2,597

3,414

Goals

13

15

20

Assists

5

6

7

Expected Goals

10

8.6

12.3

Not only have Manchester United added a combined 48 goals to their frontline, they’ve also added three clinical goalscorers. Last season, Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha all outperformed their expected goals by at least three as they remained lethal in front of goal throughout their respective campaigns.

Amorim has already spoken about the quality that Cunha, in particular, will add to his side – telling reporters: “He’s a loud guy that’s really important in this moment. When he’s upset, you can feel it in the environment and that’s good.

“When you play some games and he loses, he’s a different guy, and that’s good. He has some characteristics that we miss last season, so I’m really happy with him and the other guys.”

Perfect for Cunha: PL "monster" is now keen to join Man Utd after Sesko

Manchester United have wasted no time in making moves in the market after landing Benjamin Sesko.

ByEthan Lamb Aug 8, 2025

Now, he’s likely to hand Sesko a similar welcome as Manchester United gear up for a blockbuster opening game against Arsenal next weekend. If Amorim is looking to find out exactly where his side are at then their face off against Mikel Arteta’s side should certainly help.

That said, there is still work to be done on the transfer front even after Sesko and it now looks as though the focus has turned towards upgrading on Onana.

Man Utd targeting Senne Lammens

According to Fabrizio Romano, Manchester United are still targeting a move to sign Senne Lammens and the Royal Antwerp shot-stopper “is on the list” of targets at Old Trafford.

The transfer expert said in his GiveMeSport transfer newsletter: “Now focus is on midfielder. Goalkeeper can be a possibility, Lammens from Antwerp remains a name on the list.”

As Romano claims, a midfielder is also the focus for the Red Devils and then they may go full steam ahead to replace Onana. The former Inter Milan goalkeeper struggled again last season and, whilst they’re in the mood to spend big, United may land an instant upgrade this month.

Just who arrives is the big question. The biggest name mentioned so far has been Gianluigi Donnarumma. The Paris Saint-Germain star is reportedly in a contract standoff with the French giants and now looks destined to leave either this summer or when his contract expires next year.

With Manchester City also interested in the Italian, however, United could yet be forced to turn towards Lammens. At 23 years old, the Belgian – who analyst Ben Mattinson believes has an “elite potential” – wouldn’t exactly be a bad alternative.

A “natural leader” is now pushing behind-the-scenes to join Rangers this week, ahead of the crucial Champions League qualifier against Panathinaikos, according to a report.

Gers gearing up for Panathinaikos clash

The all-important Champions League qualifier against Panathinaikos is now on the horizon, with the first leg due to take place at Ibrox next Tuesday, but UEFA’s squad registration rules could cause the Gers a few problems.

No more than 25 players can be named on list A, with eight spots reserved for locally trained players, but Russell Martin currently only has seven to choose from, which means the manager is at risk of forfeiting one of the places in his squad.

The Light Blues need to try and get as many bodies through the door as possible ahead of the initial deadline of this Thursday at 11pm, and Martin appears to be particularly keen to bring in a new centre-back.

Rangers star agrees to leave with deal now on the verge of being finalised

He looks to be heading for the exit door.

By
Tom Cunningham

Jul 15, 2025

Rangers have now joined the race for Volendam defender Xavier Mbuyamba, while they are also well-known to be interested in Leicester City’s Conor Coady, and there has now been a new update on their pursuit of the Englishman.

According to a report from The Daily Record, Coady is now pushing behind-the-scenes to secure a move to Ibrox, with the defender desperate to seal a move prior to Leicester embarking on a ten-day pre-season training camp in Austria on Wednesday.

It appears as though Martin would also be very happy if the deal gets the green light in the near future, considering the manager is described as a huge admirer of the Leicester defender, who has set his heart on being a part of the Gers backline.

The Foxes have delayed the move, while getting the deal for former QPR manager Marti Cifuentes over the line, and Rangers will be hoping the new Leicester boss doesn’t view the 32-year-old as part of his plans for next season.

"Natural leader" Coady could be perfect fit for Rangers

Former Gers striker Jermaine Defoe clearly believes the 32-year-old would be a solid signing, saying: “Conor can lead from the back and he’ll be a massive signing for Rangers. He’s a natural leader and you don’t get many of them. Some players develop that over their career.

“But with someone like Conor, I think he’s been like that from a young kid, it’s natural.”

It is clear to see why Defoe holds the Leicester defender in high regard, given that he is vastly experienced at Premier League level, making 198 appearances in the top flight, while also amassing ten caps for his country.

The former Wolverhampton Wanderers man was very impressive during his time at Molineux, missing just one Premier League game across four full seasons.

Given that he is in the latter stages of his career, Coady has started to receive less game time since moving to Leicester for £7.5m, but his leadership qualities mean he could still be a fantastic signing for Rangers.