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With rumours continuing to surround Morgan Gibbs-White over his future at the City Ground, Nottingham Forest are now reportedly ready to take formal steps in the race to sign a potential replacement.

Man City plotting Gibbs-White swoop

Gibbs-White undoubtedly plays a huge role in everything positive Nuno Espirito Santo’s side do at the City Ground, meaning that clubs above them were always likely to keep a keen eye on his talents. Such is the ruthlessness of Premier League football, not even European football could stand in the way of Manchester City making their move successfully this summer.

The midfielder was once again at the centre of the action against West Ham United last time out, scoring a crucial opening goal to send Forest on their way to a crucial 2-1 victory at the London Stadium.

His seventh Premier League goal of the season to go alongside his eight assists, replacing Gibbs-White will be one of the toughest tasks that Nottingham Forest face this summer if he chooses to join Manchester City.

On that front, however, those at the City Ground have already reportedly been lining up a number of targets, including City’s own James McAtee. The young midfielder has struggled for game time at The Etihad and if Gibbs-White heads to Manchester, he could yet head in the opposite direction towards the Midlands this summer.

Unlike in recent years, it’s worth reiterating that Forest are now a European club again and should be in a far stronger position to attract top talent as a result. So, if it’s not McAtee who replaces Gibbs-White, it may well be a talented option from outside of English football.

Nottingham Forest readying Akliouche move

According to L’Equipe, Nottingham Forest are now ready to take formal steps in the race to sign Maghnes Akliouche from AS Monaco this summer in a deal worth as much as €60m (£51m). Battling against the likes of Paris Saint-Germain for the winger’s signature, Evangelos Marinakis should consider making his official move as soon as possible.

With the ability to play as both a winger and attacking midfielder, it should come as no surprise that Akliouche is on Forest’s shortlist to potentially replace Gibbs-White this summer. Even on the numbers front, the 23-year-old has almost mirrored the Forest star.

Starts

27

33

Goals

5

7

Assists

10

8

Key Passes

49

51

All signs point towards a player who’d be ready to step into the Premier League next season and step into European football with Nottingham Forest. Whether those at the City Ground win the competitive race to sign Akliouche remains to be seen, however.

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Described as “elegant” by Jacek Kulig, Akliouche is undeniably one to watch when the summer transfer window arrives. If Forest are looking to instantly ease their potential Gibbs-White problem, then the Frenchman should be a serious option.

Manchester United are now set to make an approach for an “immense” defender, with Ruben Amorim believed to be a big fan, according to a report.

Man Utd pursuing defensive reinforcements

Amorim has made it clear that he will not compromise on his style of play, having implemented a three-at-the-back system ever since arriving from Sporting CP, which means the manager may need to recruit another centre-back in the summer transfer window.

Bayer Leverkusen’s Piero Hincapie is one of the names on the shortlist, with Man United looking to hijack Real Madrid’s move for the defender, while they have also sent scouts to watch Fiorentina’s Pietro Comuzzo in action.

Comuzzo is being targeted as a potential replacement for Lisandro Martínez, who may not be back until 2026, which underlines the need for a new centre-back to be brought in prior to the start of the 2025-26 campaign.

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The Red Devils have set their sights on a striker, whose agent is set to fly to England for talks.

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According to a report from Football Transfers, not only is Amorim concerned by Martinez’s injury woes, but the manager also has doubts over whether the Argentine is suitable for his three-at-the-back system.

As such, the 40-year-old wants to bring in a new centre-back this summer, and he has demanded the signing of Sporting CP defender Goncalo Inacio.

Amorim knows Inacio well from their time working together in Portugal, and he remains a huge admirer, with Man United expected to make an approach of some description over the next few weeks, although there are yet to be any formal talks.

The Portuguese defender is protected by a €60m (£52m) release clause in his contract, but there are indications he could be available for as little as €35m (£30m), which would make him a relatively low-cost addition to the squad.

"Immense" Inacio impressing in Portugal

Sporting are once again challenging for the Liga Portugal title this season, and the 23-year-old has been one of their most important players, making 22 appearances, during which time he has picked up three goals and three assists.

Not only is the Portugal international a threat going forward, but he is also strong defensively and solid in possession of the ball, as showcased by his performance on some key metrics over the past year.

Statistic

Average per 90

Blocks

2.22 (99th percentile)

Tackles

2.04 (84th percentile)

Passes attempted

88.70 (97th percentile)

With Amorim having doubts over whether Martinez is capable of playing in a three-at-the-back system, it would make sense for the manager to bring in a player he can trust, and the “immense” Sporting star is showing signs he could be a success at Old Trafford.

The only doubt over the signing of Inacio will be the fact he is yet to prove himself in a major European league, unlike some of the other players on Man United’s shortlist, such as Hincapie and Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite.

Rangers and the 49ers Enterprises could sell an Ibrox star for a huge profit after receiving enquiries, according to a new update.

Rangers preparing for Athletic Club second leg after Aberdeen draw

The Gers and Barry Ferguson are preparing to head to Spain to take on Athletic Club in the second leg of their Europa League quarter-final this week. The first leg at Ibrox was a stalemate as 10-man Rangers held the La Liga side, with Liam Kelly saving a penalty late on.

It is all to play for on Thursday, and Ferguson’s side go into the game off the back of a 2-2 Scottish Premiership draw with Aberdeen, where they once again played large parts with 10 men.

Ross McCausland received two yellow cards in the first half at Pittodrie, however, second half goals from Hamza Igamane and Ianis Hagi ensured the points were shared.

Talking after the draw with Aberdeen, Ferguson said: “After going down to 10 men and 2-0 down, you’ve got to be pretty happy with coming back into the game and getting a point. [Character] is one thing I’ve tried to drill into them. They’ll dig deep for me. They never give in. They kept going until the end. But we don’t help ourselves.”

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Igamane starred over the weekend and looks set to play a big role for Rangers against Athletic Club, however, a worrying transfer update has emerged on the 22-year-old.

Rangers could sell Igamane for £20m as Marseille make serious move

According to a new transfer report from TEAMtalk, a number of clubs have been making enquires to sign Rangers star Igamane.

Ligue 1 side Marseille, under Roberto De Zerbi, have made ‘serious moves’ to sign Igamane, whereas Everton, Tottenham, Bayer Leverkusen, Nice and Rennes, are also credited with an interest.

It is added that Rangers want £20m to sell the forward, a fee which would represent a 700% profit on the £2.5m they paid for Igamane last summer.

Igamane’s stats at Rangers

Games

41

Goals

15

Assists

3

Minutes played

2,373

The Morocco international has enjoyed a brilliant first season in Scotland, with five of his 18 goal contributions coming in the Europa League.

Back in December, Derek Ferguson, brother of Barry, hailed the attacker, saying: “Igamane is a real breath of fresh air, the young man. The manager said he was trying to get him up to speed, but in the last few games he has been nothing short of brilliant. He is off the cuff and he had three or four nutmegs this afternoon – and took his goal brilliantly. I don’t know if you remember Ted McMinn, but Igamane’s got that unpredictability.”

Sabina Park collapse symbolises West Indies’ Test malaise, but what is the way ahead?

Andrew McGlashan15-Jul-2025

AFP/Getty Images

There’s never a good time to be bowled out for 27. Monday at Sabina Park felt like a particularly bad one for West Indies.At 11 for 6, New Zealand’s 70-year record of 26 all out was under threat. When Scott Boland took his hat-trick, there was a realistic chance they would at least have someone to share it with. There won’t be many people across the Tasman shouting Sam Konstas a beer after his misfield.Less than 24 hours later, Cricket West Indies has called an emergency summit with invites to a host of former greats for help. But there will be skepticism about whether it will make any difference.Related

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As impressive as Mitchell Starc and Boland were, it was a woeful display. They couldn’t even say it happened in the night session. There had been warning signs in the first two Tests when their second innings fell apart rapidly; their last performance of the series was the sum of all fears. Within six balls, there was the sense it could be a horror show.John Campbell can be excused somewhat as he edged a perfect outswinger from Starc. He had shown some gumption in earlier innings. You also need to have some sympathy for debutant Kevlon Anderson padding up to an inswinger and then reviewing, a clear sign of a frazzled mind. Brandon King, who had performed encouragingly, decided a booming drive was the best option despite having seen Starc curving the ball late.King made West Indies’ one half-century of the series – his 75 was also the highest individual score on either side – but no one else, barring Anderson Phillip who played a single match, averaged over 20. Batting was tough, for sure, and Australia weren’t immune from their own problems, but there were numerous techniques exposed. No doubt the game in West Indies needs help, but it also needs to help itself.Since February 2023, when Kraigg Brathwaite and Tagenarine Chanderpaul each score hundreds in a 336-run stand against Zimbabwe, West Indies have had two centuries: Kavem Hodge against England and Justin Greaves against Bangladesh. There have been some fallow periods in West Indies’ batting over the last 25 years – they started the 21st century by making totals of 54, 61 and 82 in 2000 – but this might be the lowest point, and not just statistically.This performance also comes at a time when the future structure of Test cricket is at the forefront of debates. Nothing is yet decided, although some plans may be outlined at the ICC’s annual conference in Singapore this week, and while it can be easy to be drawn into sweeping statements after events such as Sabina Park, the problems facing West Indies in the format are as acute as any of the Full Members.They have managed a couple of landmark victories in recent times – defeating Australia at the Gabba and Pakistan in Multan – but they look like outliers. The win in Brisbane persuaded administrators to add a third Test to this series, which became the Sabina Park day-nighter.Jayden Seales, Alzarri Joseph and Shamar Joseph troubled Australia all series with the ball•AFP/Getty ImagesThat they competed with Australia for the first two days of each Test is worthy of note, but that was largely down to the fast bowlers. Jayden Seales, Shamar Joseph and latterly Alzarri Joseph performed superbly, supported by Greaves’ brisk medium pace, and made life very uncomfortable for the visitors. They are carrying the team but are being asked to perform miracles.It needs to be questioned whether a factor they are taking advantage of – the pitches – has veered too far one way; although, with something of a grimace, Roston Chase said the Jamaica pitch was the best of all three.It’s all well and good playing to your strengths, the bowlers making the most of a ball zipping around, but when your weakness is so weak it makes everything futile. Since the start of 2023, the West Indies, as a venue for Tests, has the lowest collective batting average where more than a single match has been played. West Indies, themselves, average just 18.39 in that period, by far the lowest for a home side.Clearly, the problems in West Indies run deeper than the 22 yards but after the second Test in Grenada, coach Daren Sammy spoke about the surfaces around the Caribbean and how batters even at domestic level are unable to trust their games. Slightly counter to that, Chase said it was hard to judge players properly as each team had a couple of good bowlers.West Indies have away tours of India and New Zealand next where the batters are likely to be severely challenged again. Their other away series in this WTC cycle is in Bangladesh. Back at home they will face Sri Lanka and Pakistan, teams they may believe they can compete with.After the match had raced to its hasty conclusion and the presentations were completed, Starc delayed his return to the Australian celebrations to chat with uncapped West Indies quick Johann Layne who is highly regarded as part of the next generation. Layne appeared to be lapping up all the tips from one of the game’s greats. It can only be hoped that he has a viable Test team to be part of, and a chance to face Australia in the future.

England arrived at Lord’s as underdogs and left as favourites

Matt Roller29-Jun-2023England arrived at Lord’s as outsiders on Thursday morning, and left the ground 10 hours later as favourites. Not bad, for a team derided in several quarters as “brainless” and forced to defend their approach on a day where they gained a foothold in an Ashes series that had threatened to slip away from them.After 61 overs, England are 278 for 4 against a team whose spinner looks highly unlikely to bowl again in this match and are only 138 runs behind on first innings. Yet the focus has fallen squarely on a passage in which they lost three wickets for 34 runs, largely ignoring the 244 for 1 they added either side.Jonathan Agnew, the BBC’s cricket correspondent, interviewed Ben Duckett moments after stumps were drawn. “What about the general mood in the dressing room [about the fact] that three frontline batsmen get out in that fashion with such a clear plan, and with the spinner off the field injured?” he asked.Duckett was bemused. “I’m not sure how to answer that,” he said. “I’m surprised about the question. We’ve played positive cricket for the past 12 months and we’re certainly not going to change. We’re very happy with the position we’re in. If we can eke closer to them and even get a lead, I think we’re on top in this game.”The exchange laid bare the extent of the transformation in England’s attitude towards risk. Once, there was a right way to play, an unwritten moral code which dictated that the superior way to get out is while defending; now, there is no stigma involved in attacking, no tacit understanding that certain shots are off limits.Related

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England lost three wickets to the short ball in that period after tea, all of them playing attacking shots. Ollie Pope toe-ended Cameron Green to deep backward square leg; Duckett hooked Josh Hazlewood to deep fine leg; Joe Root plinked Mitchell Starc to square leg, where Steven Smith dived forward to take an excellent low catch.And it could have been worse. Root had earlier gloved behind to Alex Carey, only to be reprieved when replays confirmed Green had over-stepped, while Harry Brook – perhaps the most frenetic of England’s batters during a chaotic passage – was put down by Marnus Labuschagne at square leg, again taking on the short ball.This was, unquestionably, Australia’s moment. A frontline bowler down on a pitch that Smith described as “pretty flat and benign”, their change in plans – a short-ball barrage with fields set to match – brought them three quick wickets and brought them back into a game that had wriggled out of their control.But to hammer England for getting out playing attacking shots misses the point completely. Their mini-collapse did not exist in a vacuum, but in the context of a day where they had been so dominant that Australia – the recently-crowned World Test Champions, no less – were forced away from their own strengths: “We had to revert to different tactics,” Smith conceded.Ben Duckett cuts through point•PA Images via Getty ImagesEngland did not reach 188 for 1 by ducking, weaving, blocking and leaving, but by playing in the manner that comes naturally to a team filled with batters who have been brought up in the T20 era and who trust their attacking shots more than their defence. “I’m not happy I got out, but I’d rather get out like that,” Duckett said.Duckett rode his luck through his innings, with a handful of miscues that did not go to hand, but an element of risk is built into his game. Across his innings, he only left two balls, neither of which he felt he could have reached, and played 21 pull shots; the 21st got him out, but the first 20 brought him 23 runs.”10 metres either side of him there and I’ve got 100,” he reflected on his dismissal for 98. “I’d only have been disappointed if I’d have gone away from my natural game and it’s a shot that I play and it’s a shot that I’ve scored plenty of runs over my career doing so I’m not happy I got out, but I’d rather get out like that.”In another era, Pope would have walked back through the Long Room fearing a verbal barrage after being caught on the boundary on 42. Not now. “No-one in that dressing room will be disappointed with how he got out,” Duckett said. “Everyone will be a bit gutted that it didn’t go for six.”Popey said, ‘I’m going to get that side of it, and smack it into the stands.’ I said, ‘Go and do it.’ He was so unlucky to get a toe-ender there. If that’s anywhere near the middle, or even a top edge, it’s going miles back for six. It’s the way we play our cricket. If they’re going to have plans like that and we’re going to go into our shells and just get bombed out… that would be going totally against what we do.”Only when Ben Stokes walked out did England’s innings regain a semblance of calm – and even then, Brook did his best to further his commercial relationship with Major League Baseball by slugging another Green short ball for three through mid-off, either side of two more cross-batted swings for four through the leg side.Perhaps England could have batted differently for that half-hour. “Most of the bowlers probably didn’t want to keep charging in and bowling short stuff,” Smith said. “If you get under [duck] a few, it might stop but they kept taking it on.” Perhaps they could have been more ruthless, and reached the close two or three wickets down.But to fixate on three miscues risks missing the bigger picture. On Thursday, England scored at 4.55 runs an over against the best seam attack in the world, forcing their way into the ascendancy barely 24 hours after inserting Australia under heavy cloud cover and taking three wickets for 316.England have won 11 out of 14 Tests by embracing their strengths, dialling up the aggression and taking bowlers on – and they might well win this one, too. 18 months on from the limpest defeat in recent Ashes history, they can be forgiven for briefly leaning too far the other way on a day they dominated.

Fall-out at county is bound to be painful, but necessary, after seismic few weeks for cricket

George Dobell08-Nov-2021Sometimes you have to tear things down to rebuild.That is the stage we are in with Yorkshire County Cricket Club. It will pain many to hear the club they love – and some of the players they have admired – criticised over the next few weeks.But it is a necessary phase. The first step towards rebuilding was acknowledging there was a problem. After many months of denials, Yorkshire – or at least their new chairman – has done that.There is still much to admire in this great cricket club: it still produces fine players; it still plays admirable cricket. A cancer has long existed within it, though. And instead of cutting it out years ago, it has been allowed to grow. There is, no doubt, a racism and inclusion problem across society and within the sport of cricket which reflects it. But the situation in Yorkshire, at club and county level, seems far worse than elsewhere.The evidence for this? Copious first-hand testimony. Testimony that would have been given to cricket’s authorities if only the complainants had any confidence in them. Instead they turned to the media.Remember, it has been reported in recent months that four Yorkshire players of Asian heritage – Adil Rashid, Ismail Dawood, Azeem Rafiq and Rana Naved – have made complaints of racism at some stage. We know, too, that several other players of the same heritage have made complaints in private. Until now, they have largely been ignored.Most of all, there has been Rafiq. Partly because he was a man with nothing left to lose – never forget, he lost a child in the midst of this saga – he wouldn’t give up. Not when the club refused to listen, not when his union told him he didn’t have a case and not when all the people who told him he would have their support melted away. He might turn out to be the most stubborn man in Yorkshire. And that’s a competitive field.At every stage, his story shows up a grim culture. For a start, he should never have faced the abuse he did. He should never have been called ‘Rafa the Kaffir’; he should never have been called a ‘P**i’; he should never have felt he had to drink alcohol to fit in.More than that, though, he deserved to have his complaints taken seriously. He should never have been driven, in despair and frustration, to the brink of suicide. And, even after it took the media’s intervention to ensure there was an investigation, he deserved better than the sham of a report which concluded that use of the ‘P**i’ word was “banter”. At every stage, the game let him down.Azeem Rafiq refused to give up in his bid for vindication at Yorkshire•Getty ImagesLord Patel spoke well on Monday. In acknowledging a “flawed investigation” and “the need for change” he came as close as he could at this stage to admitting institutional racism at Yorkshire. In the end he stopped just short of that conclusion, but it may well follow in the coming days. It’s impossible to reach any other conclusion, really.Patel and Rafiq have much in common. Both were born overseas but grew up in Bradford and Barnsley respectively where the scourge of racism was a daily threat. Both have had their fair share of turning blind eyes and deaf ears to such behaviour. And both are now in a position where they will not do so any more.There is a word of warning required here, though. Roger Hutton, the former Yorkshire chairman who resigned last week, held many of the same views as Lord Patel. He attempted to settle Rafiq’s legal action in April and, initially at least, felt he could bring the club’s executives with him “on a journey” of education and improvement; words Patel also used on Monday. In the end, that reasonable attitude counted against Hutton. Patel must know that some journeys are best made without baggage. There are those at the club who have had every chance to educated themselves and change. Now is the time to cut them loose.Let’s be clear: there is no way Yorkshire can repair its tattered reputation with the same executive team in place. Equally, there’s no way most of the current coaching team can remain; they have presided over the most shameful episode in the club’s history. There has to be a new start at Yorkshire.There will, no doubt, be more uncomfortable moments in the days ahead. Neither Rafiq nor Hutton, the chair who stepped down last week, look set to hold back when they speak to the DCMS (the Department of Culture, Media and Sport) hearing next week. Equally, in the coming days, it seems inevitable that more of Yorkshire’s report into his allegations will leak out. There are other prominent players – including prominent former England players – mentioned in the report. In the case of at least two of them, whom ESPNcricinfo has chosen not to name, Rafiq’s complaints against them were upheld. Given that his complaint against the player who called him a P**i was not upheld on the grounds that it constituted “banter”, those ‘upheld’ verdicts look damning.It’s not just Yorkshire who will be embarrassed, either. The Professional Cricketers’ Association also have things they can learn from the episode. Their representative in this case admitted taking no notes from the meeting in which Rafiq made his complaints and then not recalling a specific complaint on the issue of racism. As a former Yorkshire player who had colleagues who were accused in the meeting he was, no doubt, in a difficult position. But the process failed Rafiq and the PCA know they have to find better ways to act in such conditions. It may be relevant that every one of their staff – and they have 24 full-time members of staff – is white. The representative who worked on this case, whom ESPNcricinfo has chosen not to name, has left the organisation in recent days.An anti-racism banner hangs outside Yorkshire’s Headingley Stadium in Leeds•AFP/Getty ImagesAnd then there’s the ECB. They have, in recent days, done all the right things. And, to most reasonable judges, they handled the Ollie Robinson affair pretty well, too. But they were aware of this case many months ago (Tom Harrison first spoke to Rafiq in August 2020; they received his statement in November 2020) and, for all the warm words they have uttered, we are still awaiting tangible action. Perhaps it is inevitable that the wheels of progress in such a bureaucratic organisation move slowly and there will be, no doubt, much benefit in the establishment of a “Commission for Equity in Cricket”. But sometimes we need to see sanctions and suspensions to know there are bites behind the barking. In short: words are easy. Now it’s time to shut up and show us.It’s going to take a long time for each of these organisations to win back the trust of non-white communities. In recent months, those of us working on such stories have been inundated with the testimony of those who have suffered similar experiences. Often, they do not want those stories publicising; they just want to be heard and for Rafiq to know he has their support. In almost every case – and we are talking several dozen – they feel they tried to alert the authorities and were ignored. In other cases, they felt that there was simply no point trying. They key point is that Rafiq’s experiences are anything but aberrational.In the short term, the ECB will set up a confidential hotline which will field such calls. The hope is this will at least enable the sport to understand the extent of the problem. In time, it might also build more trust. Surrey have already released a statement asking any “Surrey player, coach, official or employee at any level of representation” to contact them if they “feel they have ever suffered racism or prejudice on any occasion during their time at Surrey CCC”. Other clubs need to follow. Some of the results of this “truth and reconciliation” process, as Lord Patel termed it, may be painful, but it’s the only way to progress.Related

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• Yorkshire settle employment tribunal with Azeem Rafiq as Lord Patel takes the helm

In the long term, all cricket lovers – even those Yorkshire supporters who currently resent the disruption they may feel he is causing – may come to reflect they owe Rafiq plenty. Like English cricket’s other whistle-blowers in recent years – the likes of Tony Palladino, Don Topley and Ian Pont – he has endured his share of abuse and isolation. But when they tried to buy his silence, he shouted louder. He wouldn’t be bought or bullied or broken. He has persisted and he has prevailed. We may well look back on this as a watershed moment for the game.There will be some – you know the sort – who claim a pay-off was always Rafiq’s aim. But, by declining to sign a non-disclosure agreement, he limited his options in this regard long ago. Instead, his aim has always been change. He simply doesn’t want anyone else to suffer as he has.ESPNcricinfo understands Yorkshire’s settlement with him (which includes his legal costs) also includes the creation of a bursary, in Rafiq’s name, to enable cricketers from Asian backgrounds to enjoy more opportunities within Yorkshire cricket. It was perhaps more telling, though, that moments after agreeing the settlement, Rafiq committed himself to contributing to another bursary. In recognition of the role the cricket media played in bringing his case to wider attention, he will contribute to the Bethan James bursary; a scheme set up by the Cricket Writers’ Club in the name of Bethan, a 21-year-old journalism student who died suddenly and aimed at helping aspiring cricket journalists from working-class backgrounds. Bethan was also the daughter of former England and Glamorgan top-order batter, Steve James.So, where does all this leave us? With a mess, no doubt. Construction sites often look that way. And things may look uglier before they look prettier at Yorkshire. We’re in for a bumpy few weeks.But we also have an opportunity. For far too long, our professional game been growing more exclusive and less reflective of those playing it at recreational level. We have, thanks to Rafiq’s determination and bravery, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get to grips with this issue. We have to seize the chance. And, if we do, we’ll have a sport – and a Yorkshire – of which everyone can feel proud.

Monday was a night to remember for the Raleigh family.

With his father, Todd, pitching on the mound and his 15-year-old brother, Todd Jr., catching behind the plate, Mariners slugger Cal Raleigh hit 18 homers in the final round—and 54 overall—to take home the 2025 MLB Home Run Derby crown. He became the first catcher and switch hitter to capture the crown.

"It means the world," Raleigh said to Jeff Passan on the ESPN broadcast after the final round. "I could've hit zero home runs and had just as much fun. I just can't believe I won. It's unbelievable!"

Raleigh batted first in the final round and mashed 18 homers from the left side of the plate. The other finalist, Rays infielder Junior Caminero, fell just short with 15 homers.

But "Big Dumper" nearly didn't advance past the first round.

Raleigh hit 17 homers in the opening round, tied with Brent Rooker for fourth place out of eight batters behind Oneil Cruz (21 homers), Caminero (21) and Byron Buxton (20). Raleigh and Rooker went to a tiebreaker to determine who advanced—and MLB announced after the round that the Mariners slugger's longest home run traveled about an inch further than Rooker's longest dinger.

Raleigh's longest homer was measured at 470.617 feet, narrowly defeating Rooker's distance of 470.535 feet.

"You know, maybe if they have it to the decimal point, they should display that during the Derby and not wait till everyone's done to bring out that information that might be helpful," Rooker said to reporters after the Derby.

In the second round, Raleigh cruised past Oneil Cruz with 19 homers to his 13.

Raleigh is the first Mariners player to win the Home Run Derby since Ken Griffey Jr. did it three times in 1994, '98 and '99. And, coincidentally, Griffey was in attendance at Truist Park on Monday night working as a photographer for the event.

And does Varun Chakravarthy have the best bowling figures in a losing cause in T20Is?

Steven Lynch05-Feb-2025Sri Lanka used only four bowlers in Australia’s huge total in the first Test. Was this a record? asked Aditya Agarwal from India
Australia’s first innings in Galle last week reached 654 for 6 before Steve Smith declared. You’re right that Sri Lanka used only four bowlers, who sent down 154 overs between them.It was not only the highest Test total in which only four men bowled – previously Australia’s 528 against India in Adelaide in 1981 – but also the highest in all first-class cricket. That mark was previously 533, by South Africa in an unofficial Test against an Australian XI in Port Elizabeth early in 1987.There have been two Test innings longer than 154 overs to feature only four bowlers. In Rawalpindi in 1997, Pakistan used only four in 167.5 overs as South Africa made 402. But the most deliveries came in Sydney in 1951, when England used only four bowlers in 129 eight-ball overs – equivalent to 172 of six balls – as Australia reached 426. One of those England bowlers, Denis Compton, sent down only six overs – but Alec Bedser delivered 43, John Warr 36 and 40-year-old Freddie Brown 44.Three of Sri Lanka’s bowlers last week conceded more than 180 runs: this has happened only once before in a Test innings, in Sri Lanka’s own record total of 952 for 6 declared against India in Colombo in 1997. The bowlers then were Rajesh Chauhan (1 for 276), Anil Kumble (1 for 223) and Nilesh Kulkarni (1 for 195 on debut; his wicket came from the first ball he bowled).Gudakesh Motie top-scored in the match as West Indies beat Pakistan last week. How often has the highest individual innings in a Test come from a No. 9? asked Shane Chintamani from Guyana
It turns out that Gudakesh Motie, who made 55 in the second innings of West Indies’ dramatic series-squaring victory over Pakistan in Multan last week, was only the tenth man to make the highest individual score in a Test match from as low as No. 9 in the order.The list includes Reggie Duff, a batter who usually opened but who went in at No. 10 on his debut for Australia against England in Melbourne in 1902, and scored 104.The other No. 9s who top-scored in an entire Test were Clem Hill (160) for Australia against England in Adelaide in 1908 (he usually batted much higher, but had been ill), Ian Johnson (73) for Australia vs India in Madras in 1956, Asif Iqbal (146) for Pakistan vs England at The Oval in August 1967, Warren Lees (89) for New Zealand vs Sri Lanka in Christchurch in 1983, Wasim Akram (66) for Pakistan vs West Indies in Faisalabad in 1986, Fanie de Villiers (67 not out) for South Africa vs India in Ahmedabad in 1996, Brett Lee (62 not out) for Australia vs West Indies in Brisbane in 2000, and Shaun Pollock (111) for South Africa vs Sri Lanka in Centurion in 2001.Was Usman Khawaja the oldest man to score a maiden Test double-century? asked Emil Chandran from Australia
When he reached his double-century against Sri Lanka in Galle last week, Usman Khawaja was 38 years 43 days old. He was the 12th man to score a Test double-century after turning 38: Don Bradman of Australia and India’s Vinoo Mankad both made two.The oldest man to score a Test double-century remains the South African opener Eric Rowan, who was 42 when he made 236 – his first and only double – against England at Headingley in 1951. Jack Hobbs was 41 when he scored 211 (also rather surprisingly, his maiden Test double-century) for England vs South Africa at Lord’s in 1924. Another Englishman, Patsy Hendren, reached his maiden Test double-century on his 41st birthday, against West Indies in Port-of-Spain in 1930. Graham Gooch of England and South Africa’s Dudley Nourse both also scored Test doubles after their 40th birthdays. Mankad and England’s Andy Sandham were also older than Khawaja when they reached their maiden Test 200s. For the list, click here (note that the ages given are at the start of the match in question).Varun Chakravarthy is the only bowler to have taken two five-fors in losing causes in T20Is•BCCIVarun Chakravarthy took a five-for in a T20 international against England the other day and lost – and it was the second time he’d done that. What are the best T20I figures by someone who ended up losing? asked Lakshmi Narayanan from India
The Indian legspinner Varun Chakravarthy took 5 for 24 in the second T20I against England in Rajkot last week, but he still finished on the losing side, as he did when he claimed 5 for 17 in Gqeberha last November.In all there are 28 instances of a bowler taking five or more wickets in a losing cause in a men’s T20Is, and Chakravarty is the only one to have done it twice. The best figures in a defeat are 6 for 12, by the Hong Kong seamer Nasrulla Rana against Papua New Guinea in Kuala Lumpur in 2023; Chakravarty’s 5 for 17 are the best figures in vain in a match between two Test-playing nations.There were 53 men’s Test matches in 2024. Was this a record? asked Andrew McKenzie from England
The number of men’s Tests in 2024 has been exceeded only twice before: there were 55 in 2001, and 54 in 2002. What’s noticeable is that there were 12 draws in 2001, and eight in 2002, but only three last year. The last time there were as few as three draws was 2020, when Covid meant there were only 22 Test matches all year.For the list, click here. Note that this is worked out by the start date, which means a few Tests which straddle the new year are not credited to the second year. This does not affect any of the top 25 or so entries, except 2013 and 2014 – one Test started on December 30 and continued into January 2014 (so arguably the totals for those years should be 43.5 and 41.5).Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

CI chair Brian MacNeice met with players to address concerns about lack of fixtures

Matt Roller19-Sep-2025Cricket Ireland (CI) hopes that India’s men will tour for a white-ball series next summer on their way to England.India will travel to England for five T20Is and three ODIs from July 1-19 next year, and ESPNcricinfo understands that CI officials have held discussions with their BCCI counterparts over a potential visit before that tour begins. India’s men have toured Ireland three times for short T20I series in the past seven years (in 2018, 2022 and 2023) and attracted strong crowds at Malahide on the outskirts of Dublin.Paul Stirling, Ireland’s captain, said on Tuesday that he was “disappointed” that his side had played so little home international cricket this summer, and described them as “underprepared” to face England in their ongoing T20I series. Brian MacNeice, CI’s chair, said after Friday’s washout in Malahide that he had met players and staff to address their concerns.Related

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“I opened the meeting by saying, as far as I’m concerned, the quantum of cricket that we’re playing in ’25 isn’t good enough to prepare you guys to play international cricket and to be competitive at ICC tournaments,” MacNeice said. “I’m not hiding from that.”We mapped out our views and thoughts on what the schedule for ’26 and ’27 looks like, and I wanted to get their input not just on the international schedule, but also the domestic schedule… It was a really positive session yesterday. There’s more work to be done, honestly, but it was a good session.”Sunday’s third T20I against England will be Ireland’s ninth and final home men’s international of the 2025 summer, with four of the first eight lost to weather. Their slimline fixture list is, in essence, the result of the high costs they incur while converting club grounds into international venues and the relatively low value of their broadcast rights deals.”[The players] understand the challenges that we’re facing and some of the reasons why we had what we had, but they also are very clear about what we’re trying to achieve. I think they’re fully bought into that,” MacNeice said.Per the ICC’s Future Tours Programme, Ireland are due to host New Zealand (one Test), Bangladesh (three ODIs and three T20Is) and Afghanistan (one Test, three ODIs and three T20Is) next summer. “There’s still a couple of variables that have to be figured out before we lock in the final schedule, but we’ll be hosting Test cricket here next year,” MacNeice said.MacNeice also said that Ireland’s new stadium project at Abbotstown on the outskirts of Dublin is “very much on track”, and said that he has held positive meetings with senior ECB officials this week around the 2030 men’s T20 World Cup, which Ireland, England and Scotland will co-host.He confirmed that he would be “very supportive” of a proposal for a two-division World Test Championship featuring Ireland, and said that the process of hiring a new chief executive to replace Warren Deutrom is going “really well”, with the hope of making a recommendation for his successor to the board in late October.MacNeice was appointed chair of the board for the planned European T20 Premier League (ETPL) on Thursday, with Deutrom becoming the league’s director. The ETPL was due to launch in 2025, but its inaugural season was postponed to 2026 after it struggled to find buyers for franchises.

Newcastle United’s topsy-turvy campaign continued away at Brentford on Sunday afternoon.

Fresh off collecting another Champions League victory versus Athletic Club at St James’ Park in mid-week, the hope would have been that Eddie Howe’s Magpies would travel to the Bees and start to turn around their stuttering domestic campaign.

Unfortunately for the travelling masses at the Gtech Community Stadium, Newcastle would, instead, crash to their fifth defeat of the Premier League season already, as an Igor Thiago-inspired comeback clinched a 3-1 win for Keith Andrews’ hosts.

Eddie Howe has nowhere to hide after “another awful away day” as journalist Craig Hope brutally put it, with Dan Burn’s sending off late on starting the demise, which saw Brentford sneak home two quickfire efforts inside the final 12 minutes.

The 6-foot-7 warrior wasn’t on his own, though, in putting in another disastrous defensive display, as one of his partners on the day in Sven Botman, was also exposed as a weak link throughout the 3-1 loss.

Botman's poor performance in numbers

This is the second Sunday in a row where Newcastle have travelled to London and surrendered a one-goal lead, with West Ham United also getting the better of them by the exact same scoreline to start November.

In both defeats, the Dutchman has looked shaky and susceptible, with Botman even managing to score an own goal against the Hammers.

While he was spared his blushes in this regard against the Bees, he was still a liability in the centre-back positions throughout, as Thiago’s late 95th-minute game-clinching strike saw the below-par number 4 fail to keep a close eye on the action.

Away from being run ragged by the 24-year-old hotshot, Botman also trudged off at the end with only two of his six duels being won, alongside failing to win a single tackle to try and stop a Brentford side who only grew in confidence, the more the game went on.

Howe might well be tempted to throw Fabian Schar back into his starting XI if Botman keeps up these shoddy performances, with the 25-year-old only managing to collect a slim two clean sheets in league action this season when featuring for the up-and-down Magpies.

With Burn now suspended for Newcastle’s next league tie after the international break against Manchester City, and Nick Pope taken off towards the latter stages of the 3-1 loss, it could be a new-look defence that takes to the field against the revitalised Citizens, as another underperformer at the back fears Howe’s selection wrath.

Newcastle star was just as bad as Botman

Howe is now being stung for being too loyal towards long-standing St James’ Park servants, with Burn very visibly not at the required level anymore to be a starting left-back.

Kieran Trippier also struggled throughout on the right flank against Andrews’ hosts, with the return of Tino Livramento from injury – who Howe stated could be back for the clash against Pep Guardiola’s men – only troubling the 35-year-old’s starting position going forward even more.

Trippier’s performance in numbers

Stat

Trippier

Minutes played

90

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Touches

81

Accurate passes

47/60 (78%)

Accurate long balls

2/5 (40%)

Accurate crosses

0/5

Possession lost

20x

Dribbled past

2x

Total duels won

4/11

Stats by Sofascore

Often, the ex-Atletico Madrid defender’s saving grace is his ability to conjure up an opening from nowhere, with an inch-perfect free-kick delivery getting the ball rolling in the Champions League last Wednesday night, as Burn then headed home the right-back’s inviting delivery.

Against Brentford, though, this split-second creativity was nowhere to be found, with Trippier failing to register a single accurate cross, which led to Nick Woltemade cutting an isolated figure up top, once more.

Trippier also gave up possession a high 20 times, while also looking rusty when Brentford attacked with pace and energy – much like Botman – with only four of his 11 duels being successfully won.

Livramento’s return from injury has possibly come at the perfect time, so Howe doesn’t have to persist with selecting his declining captain, with Burn also fearful he will be removed from the team for good, for Lewis Hall to take over left-back duties.

Howe stated at the full-time whistle that there are “no excuses” after the Toon succumbed to their fifth Premier League defeat of the season to date, with Newcastle needing to return after the international break refreshed and ready to break out of their inconsistent form, with both Trippier and Botman dropping down to the substitutes bench.

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Posts ByTom Cunningham Nov 9, 2025