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Ex-England seamer takes six wickets before classy century builds healthy overnight lead

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay24-Sep-2025Sussex 228 for 5 (Coles 102, Simpson 62*) lead Worcestershire 123 (Lategan 41, Robinson 6-68, Unadkat 4-43) by 105 runsOllie Robinson produced a reminder of his capabilities with a stunning six-wicket haul as Sussex took charge on day one of their Division One clash against Worcestershire.Taking two wickets in the first over of the match, Robinson went on to finish with season-best figures of 6 for 68 as he and Jaydev Unadkat combined to skittle Worcestershire for 123.James Coles then registered a measured century during a dominant afternoon session for the visitors, in which skipper John Simpson made 62 not out as Sussex finished the day 228 for 5, leading by 105 runs. Earlier, Dan Lategan (41) top-scored for the home side, with contributions from Matthew Waite and Gareth Roderick the only other scores of note.Returning to action for the first time since Saturday’s One Day Cup final triumph, already relegated Worcestershire were brought back down to earth with a bump, as a searing spell from Robinson saw the former England seamer take four wickets in the first hour of the match.Youngster Rehaan Edavalath was caught behind with the third ball of the match, before Pears skipper Jake Libby’s off stump was sent cartwheeling after facing just one ball as the Pears fell to 1 for 2.19-year-old Lategan provided a classy counter-attacking cameo for the hosts, easing the ball through the vacant offside whenever the opportunity arose, but Robinson continued his unrelenting start to the morning, claiming two further scalps, including that of first-class debutant Isaac Mohammed who was pinned lbw. A sobering opening hour was rounded off with the dismissal of Rob Jones, who suffered the same fate, leaving his side in a heap at 36 for 4.Lategan continued to regroup, but Worcestershire’s woes deepened with Gareth Roderick (22) caught behind after an encouraging start to his innings off the bowling of Unadkat. Robinson then collected his fifth wicket of a superb spell by removing the key man, Lategan, for his resolute 41.Robinson almost secured his sixth wicket in a morning session dominated by the bowlers, but the umpires were not convinced Simpson had held onto a rebound catch behind, as lunch was taken with Worcestershire 91 for 6.Unadkat picked up where he left off after the resumption as Ethan Brookes became his second victim with a regulation catch provided to Coles at slip.Unadkat took his season tally of wickets to 13, after removing Tom Taylor caught behind for nine and trapping Ben Allison in front without scoring as the Pears’ landslide continued.Robinson completed his six-fer with the wicket of Waite, who was the last man out for 33 as Worcestershire were dismissed for 123.Worcestershire hit back in resilient fashion as Ben Allison led the way in an inspired early spell, taking three wickets to help reduce Sussex to 67 for 4.The seamer first trapped Hughes lbw for 24, then took a stunning one-handed caught-and-bowled to remove Carter, before bowling Alsop for just one. At the other end, Taylor took his 51st Championship wicket of the season to drag the hosts back into the contest.Simpson and Coles led the Sussex revival however, dominating an afternoon session that saw the fifth-wicket pair add 90 runs before tea, with Coles reaching a fluent fifty in the process.Both batters moved past 1,000 first-class for the season during the evening session, with Coles reaching his century from 105 balls, before he was bowled by Ben Gibbon as Simpson and bad light closed out a dominant day for the visitors.

Pittsburgh Pirates fans have endured six straight losing seasons, haven't witnessed Pirates' postseason baseball since 2015, and haven't seen a Pirates' World Series victory since 1979.

And ace pitcher Paul Skenes believes they deserve better.

When asked by MLB.com's Alex Stumpf if he carries the burden of better expectations as the face of the franchise, Skenes delivered a memorable answer that will be music to the ears of Pirates fans who long for better play.

"I think we owe something to the city," Skenes said. “We owe a lot to the city. It’s our job to go out and win for the city because this is bigger than all of us. There’s a reason why [veteran Andrew McCutchen] Cutch keeps coming back, and specifically to Pittsburgh.

"There’s something about this city. We saw it last summer. We’ve seen it in the videos of the Wild Card Game. I’m tired of watching them because it was a Wild Card Series. The bar needs to be set pretty high. Not taking anything from those guys.

"The fact that that’s a golden era of recent Pirates baseball, that needs to change. We owe it to the city."

Skenes gives Pirates fans hope that better days are coming—and not just because of his potentially franchise-changing attitude. Skenes, who won the '24 National League Rookie of the Year award after authoring one of the most dominant seasons by a first-year pitcher in MLB history, also just so happens to be a franchise-changing player.

Additionally, the Pirates have an All-Star caliber veteran in outfielder Bryan Reynolds, a physically-gifted—and perhaps future All-Star—in 26-year-old Oneil Cruz, and a farm system with promising young bats and arms that MLB.com ranked among baseball's top-15 this spring.

Pittsburgh opens the '25 season with Skenes on the mound against the Miami Marlins on Thursday.

Blades, meanwhile, will miss the ongoing Bangladesh tour and the following NZ tour with a back injury

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Oct-2025West Indies quick Shamar Joseph was in line for a return to international cricket this weekend after missing the Test tour of India, but he has been set back by “some discomfort in his shoulder.” The 26-year-old, who was with the ODI squad in Dhaka, has now been sidelined from the three-match series against Bangladesh as well.Joseph had been picked for the T20I leg of the tour too. A Cricket West Indies (CWI) release on Monday said “he has been recommended for consultation with a specialist in England to start the rehabilitation process.”Before the Bangladesh series, Joseph had missed the two Test matches in India with an unspecified injury. He hasn’t played any cricket since the CPL ended in September. There he represented Guyana Amazon Warriors for five of their 12 matches.Left-arm seamer Jediah Blades also joined Joseph on the sidelines. The 23-year-old, who has played nine white-ball internationals for West Indies, was ruled out of the Bangladesh tour and the following New Zealand tour with a stress fracture of the lower back. Blades will return home for his rehab.Allrounder Akeal Hosein and left-arm seamer Ramon Simmonds have been added to West Indies’ squad for the remaining two ODIs against Bangladesh. Hosein and Simmonds were already scheduled to play the three-match T20I series, which will conclude West Indies’ tour of Bangladesh.West Indies lost the first ODI to Bangladesh by 74 runs on an unusually dark Dhaka pitch on October 18. Their next two ODIs are on October 21 and 23.

Real Madrid came from behind but were unable to get over the line in a frustrating 1-1 draw with a well-drilled Girona. Kylian Mbappe's second half penalty cancelled out a well-worked opener from the La Liga strugglers, yet Madrid couldn't find a second – and stay one point off the top in La Liga in another twist to the title race.

Madrid probed for opportunities early on, but were left rather exposed on the break. Thibaut Courtois responded, though, producing a couple of good saves to keep the visitors level. Los Blancos thought they had taken the lead when Mbappe slotted home, but his goal was correctly chalked off when VAR determined there was a handball in the build-up. The visitors were then made to pay for a major defensive lapse. Girona were allowed to work the ball down the right, before Azzedine Ounahi swept one past Courtois from the top of the box after a well-timed feed from Viktor Tsigankov. 

Los Blancos had their chances to start the second half. They had the ball in the net again on the hour mark, but saw it ruled out again after Vinicius Junior was in an offside position when he poked home. Madrid got their equalizer from the spot after 65 minutes. Vinicius scampered around his man and was brought down inside the box. Mbappe coolly tucked the penalty into the bottom corner to ease Xabi Alonso's nerves on the touchline. Madrid came close numerous times after. Vinicius missed a couple narrowly. Mbappe was denied from close range. 

But there was never a second. Girona were resilient at the back, and Madrid lacked a crucial bit of quality needed to put the game away. This can be considered nothing other than a chance to go top wasted, with Barcelona holding the initiative at the La Liga summit. 

GOAL rates Real Madrid's players from Estadio Montivili…

GettyGoalkeeper & Defence

Thibaut Courtois (7/10):

Made a few silly saves. Could do nothing about the goal. Denied a second. 

Trent Alexander-Arnold (6/10):

A very Trent performance. Did some ridiculous things with the ball but failed to track his man on the goal.  

Eder Militao (7/10):

A composed performance on his return to the side. Good on the ball and effective in the air. 

Antonio Rudiger (6/10):

First appearance since late August, and he was a little mixed. Solid on the ball but a little slow to react – and handed Girona a good chance as a result. 

Fran Garcia (6/10):

A surprise to see him start at left back. Scampered up and down the left but his final ball was lacking. 

AdvertisementGettyMidfield

Aurelien Tchouameni (5/10):

Offered plenty of control at the base of midfield, but didn't get across to track the runner on Girona's opener. 

Jude Bellingham (8/10):

Dropped a little deeper and did plenty of dirty work in the first half. Pushed up more in the second. Madrid's most consistent performer throughout. 

Federico Valverde(6/10):

Full of legs and industry, clean on the ball, but rather stripped of his attacking nous in this role. 

Arda Guler (5/10):

Used in a No.10 role in the opening exchanges, but saw his influence wane. Removed at the break. It's been a tough few games.

GettyAttack

Kylian Mbappe (7/10):

Unfortunate to have a goal ruled out for an unlucky handball. Buried his penalty with ease. Not his most involved game, but got on the scoresheet, regardless. 

Vinicius Jr (8/10):

Won the penalty thanks to a lovely bit of skill. Put a couple of others narrowly wide. Very good without being at his scintillating best. 

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GettySubs & Manager

Eduardo Camavinga (7/10):

Introduced at the break and gave Madrid some much-needed energy and balance in midfield. Seriously impressive thus far this year. 

Rodrygo (6/10):

A late introduction as Madrid chased a winner. Barely involved. 

Alvaro Carreras (N/A):

No time to make an impact. 

Gonzalo Garcia (N/A):

No time to make an impact. 

Xabi Alonso (5/10):

Rotated a bit, making changes at left back and centre-back. His side were a bit lacklustre, though, and unconvincing at both ends. 

Manchester City are now reportedly ready to hijack Manchester United’s move to sign a Premier League star worth as much as £100m in 2026.

Man City make Semenyo a top target

It’s not just their local rivals that Man City are looking to frustrate. The Citizens are also reportedly interested in signing Antoine Semenyo and have made the Bournemouth star a top target. In what would deal Liverpool an untimely blow, City could land one of the most in-form wingers that the Premier League has to offer.

It’s clear that Semenyo likes the idea of linking up with Erling Haaland, too, after saying: “Haaland is number one. You see it on TV, scoring all these goals and thinking, surely he’s not like this in person… That man is tall, my goodness. Tall, strong, fast, can finish.

“He’s got everything you need as a striker. I remember Man City just bopping, and I’m thinking, okay this is normal that they bop it. Ruben Dias wraps the ball to him, the ball’s like this high, I’m thinking ‘how’s he going to deal with this?’ just takes it on his chest like this – I am thinking: Haaland, the man.”

It’s also easy to see why City have set their sights on another direct winger. Aside from the improved Jeremy Doku, Pep Guardiola’s wide men have struggled to leave their mark, with Savinho receiving his fair share of criticism from those at the Etihad in recent weeks.

The Brazilian was part of a much-changed Man City side against Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League, but to say that he failed to make his opportunity count would be an understatement.

Alas, it’s not just wide men that Guardiola wants. The Spaniard and Man City have now reportedly turned their focus towards midfield star Elliot Anderson, who is represented by the same agency as Omar Marmoush.

Man City ready to hijack Man Utd's Anderson move

As reported by the Daily Mail’s Craig Hope, Man City are now ready to hijack Man Utd’s move for Anderson. The Citizens have made the Nottingham Forest star a top target and could splash out as much as £100m to secure his signature in 2026.

Man City now considering move for £65m forward who Pep called "extraordinary"

City have identified a forward as a priority target ahead of the January transfer window.

ByDominic Lund Nov 27, 2025

The England star is quickly becoming one of the most wanted players in the Premier League and that should come as no surprise.

England boss Thomas Tuchel has quickly made the Forest star one of his main men and has showered him with praise a number of times, telling reporters: “He is an elite player with the right attitude and a lot of talent. He is fulfilling his role in the best way possible so we are very happy with him.”

Man City now frontrunners to sign "world-class" £80m star, Pep's a big fan

Major League Baseball umpire Ron Kulpa had a night to forget Tuesday in Minnesota as he missed a wild amount of calls while working home plate in the Twins' 9-1 victory over the visiting Baltimore Orioles.

Kulpa, whose struggles have been well documented before, had the announcers shaking their heads all night as he missed 18 calls. Here's a sampling of the announcers' reactions to those misses.

“Ohhhh that was called a strike but that was ball four.” 

“That’s the fastball he took for ball one to begin the at bat.”

“Oh, he got that call. Fooled Ron Kulpa there.”

“He got a gift on a curveball.” 

Here's video proof of his mistakes.

Twins manager Rocco Baldelli could be heard yelling at Kulpa during the seventh inning.

Fans were also not impressed with Kulpa:

Not the best of nights for Ron Kulpa.

Manchester City are expected to be active in the market over the near future and could now beat rivals Manchester United to sign a teenage sensation who has excelled at the Under-17 World Cup.

Pep Guardiola will hope his side can strike up a bid to claim the Premier League title this season. However, they suffered a setback on the road to potential glory after falling to a defeat against Newcastle United on Saturday evening.

Harvey Barnes’ double cancelled out Ruben Dias’ equaliser at St James’ Park, albeit the Citizens were off colour in front of goal and were made to rue their missed chances, something Guardiola pointed out when speaking after the match.

He said: “Newcastle is a top side, top players, top manager, so unfortunately tonight we could not make the momentum that we had. It was an entertaining game, we both had chances, and then there was a momentum shift, and ultimately we couldn’t win.”

Ultimately, there is plenty of football still to be played and twists will occur before the Premier League title race starts to take a clear course. Still, Manchester City are now sitting adrift of Arsenal and Chelsea, which is something that needs to give over the next few weeks.

Man City’s upcoming fixtures – all competitions

Bayer Leverkusen (H)

Champions League

Leeds United (H)

Premier League

Fulham (A)

Premier League

Sunderland (H)

Premier League

Real Madrid (A)

Champions League

Nico O’Reilly’s emergence into the Citizens’ first-team and Matheus Nunes slotting in at right-back show that solutions are there to be stumbled upon for Guardiola, though you get the feeling January will be an important month to conclude meaningful business.

While bringing in senior players will be the priority, there may also be a focus on acquiring stars of the future at the Etihad Stadium amid recent developments.

Man City keen to sign Under-17 World Cup star Mohamed Zongo

According to Africa Foot, Man City are keen to sign Tenakourou Academy star Mohamed Zongo, who is also on the radar of Manchester United, Villarreal and Anderlecht after giving an excellent account of himself at the Under-17 World Cup.

On the biggest stage within his age group, the 15-year-old registered two goals and three assists from an attacking midfield role, and the Citizens have now initiated talks alongside the trio mentioned.

Labelled “magic” by Under-23 football scout Antonio Mango, he may become the next exciting gem in a long line at Manchester City, though no club has reached an agreement after his exploits at the youth World Cup.

Either way, beating Manchester United to his signature would be a signal of intent by Manchester City as they build for the future at the Etihad Stadium.

Man City & Pep now keen on Real Madrid star with Erling Haaland swap possible

The draw is here. Who needs the easiest group? Who could make a run? And did FIFA’s seeding just tilt the field? GOAL's writers weigh in.

And so it gets real. The World Cup draw feels like an inflection point in every cycle. From the end of the previous tournament – when Lionel Messi lifted the trophy in Qatar – everything has basically been informed guesswork. We knew that some teams would be here as hosts. We could make some solid guesses as to who would join them. And even after qualifying last month yielded (most of) the rest of the field, no one substantively knows very much until the draw.

Now it's here. Starting Friday, we will get a real sense of how this tournament will look. We will know who will play who. We will know if the U.S. are odds on to make a run to the quarters, or could crash out at the group. We will have a good sense if England can bring football home. 

Still, there are some questions to be asked here. 48 teams is a lot for a World Cup. And FIFA has set up the seeding so that the highest ranked teams are unlikely to face any of their most apparent competition later in the tournament. Sure, this is randomization, but it's not as unpredictable as in years past. Is that a good thing? Or should there be more obstacles? 

GOAL US writers break down the World Cup draw and make some far too early predictions in another edition of… .

AFPOut of the USA, Mexico and Canada, which team needs a friendly draw?

Tom Hindle: ALL OF THEM, really. But the Canadians could really do with a good one. Canada manager Jesse Marsch has hammered home the point that they could play a ton of home games if they top their group. If he manifests that, then it'll be a sight to see – but they will certainly need a little luck on the day. 

Ryan Tolmich: All three would LOVE a friendly draw, but in terms of need? Mexico, probably, simply because they're in a place where pressure and expectations don't really match up with talent and quality. For Mexico, any World Cup where they don't genuinely compete is seen as a failure, so a group stage exit from a Group of Death would be no moral victory. Because of that, a nice waltz into the knockout stage would at least quiet the noise, even if would likely fall shortly after.

AdvertisementGettyWho's the team to watch out for if they get a friendly group?

TH: Norway are the obvious answer, especially considering the fact that Erling Haaland is an evil space demon. But Colombia could be the real tricky one. Every game for them will basically be a home game, and Luis Diaz is in red-hot form. They're a Pot 2 team who could win their group, and you wouldn't bet against them to make a run. 

RT: Looking at the teams deeper in the pots, it's safe to say no one is going to want to run into Norway. They have the best goalscorer of this generation in Haaland and, when you have that, you can win any game against any team. Because of that, Norway could easily top their group, despite being in Pot 3, and, from there, who knows?

Getty ImagesWhich newly qualified teams or long-absent teams are you excited to follow?

TH: If Ireland manage to qualify, it will be them, especially considering everyone is now a massive Troy Parrott enthusiast! But as for the guys that are already here, why not Curacao? They're a really fun story and play with a real confidence. Will they get battered? Probably. But they won't give up. 

RT: We've already mentioned Norway, and that's surely one. The other obvious one is Scotland. They haven't been to the World Cup since 1998, with this run ending a six-tournament drought. That's fun! You know their fans will turn up and, given the Premier League-level talent at the squad, they might just be pretty damn competitive, too.

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GettyWhat is the group stage game you most want to see?

TH: So many options. It's a real disappointment that England and the U.S. are both in Pot 1, because that would have been TASTY. Let's have Germany-South Korea, if only to repeat a classic match-up. 

RT: Give us Morocco-Portugal again! The former scored a historic upset over the latter in the quarterfinals in Qatar, so seeing those two teams meet again would no doubt be personal. It would also be fun, too, as there would be plenty of star power on both sides eager to make a run this summer.

“I can clearly feel there’s still a lot of cricket left in me,” says fast bowler after guiding Bengal to a second straight win in the Ranji Trophy

Shashank Kishore28-Oct-2025Mohammed Shami served a reminder of his fitness on Tuesday with a match-winning spell to deliver Bengal’s second consecutive win in the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy.At Eden Gardens, Shami finished with 5 for 38 – his 13th first-class five-for – as Bengal beat Gujarat by 144 runs. He finished with eight wickets in the match across 28.3 overs. Shami currently sits third on the Ranji season’s wicket-taker’s leaderboard, with 15 wickets at an average of 10.46 after four innings.”When you perform like this, it feels good both mentally and physically,” Shami said. “Coming out of a difficult phase and performing well gives a lot of satisfaction. The time after the [2023] World Cup was tough and painful.Related

Shami five-for leads Bengal to second win

“But then I played the Ranji Trophy, white-ball cricket, the IPL, Champions Trophy, Duleep Trophy [since his comeback late last year]. Now my rhythm is back to where it was before. I can clearly feel there’s still a lot of cricket left in me.”Shami has been open about his hurt of missing out on India selection for the England tour. When asked during the squad announcement for the West Indies Tests about Shami’s availability, chief selector Ajit Agarkar stated that the fast bowler hadn’t played enough cricket.Since then, there have been a few back-and-forths in the media between the two, even if not directly at each other. It’s perhaps with all this in context that Shami was asked if this felt like another comeback, a suggestion he dismissed.”This was not a comeback match for me,” he said. “If you had said that last year, maybe it would have made sense. But yes, in terms of this match, what we did was a special comeback.”We decided to bat for 8-10 overs today, we had already taken three points [first-innings lead]. The situation was tough, but the boys put in their full effort. To turn the game in this manner is rare, especially on this kind of wicket. It’s a great job by the boys.”Amid chatter that this sets him up well for the South Africa Tests, Shami chose to distance himself from social media speculation, while reiterating he was focused on delivering his best wherever he plays.”Yes, I knew this question would come,” Shami said with a wry smile. “Controversy follows me. What else can I do or say? In today’s world, social media twists everything. My job is to perform well. Wherever I get an opportunity, I’ll give my best. The rest is up to god. Bengal is my home. Every match I play for Bengal is special.”Coach Laxmi Ratan Shukla was effusive in his praise for Shami’s discipline, underlining he was fully fit and in great rhythm.”You all saw how Shami bowled. There’s nothing for me to add,” he said. “His performance said it all. There’s no question about his commitment. The entire world knows what Mohammed Shami is. He doesn’t need a certificate from anyone, his bowling is the certificate. He’s completely fit.”That said, Shukla also wanted to tread a cautious path in terms of Shami’s workloads. “We can’t make Shami play all seven matches, though he keeps saying he’s fit and wants to play every game,” he said. “The way he’s running in is unbelievable.”If you compare his run-up and rhythm from when he played for India with now, you won’t find any difference. Even after 500 wickets, he’s in fantastic rhythm. He’s playing with complete calmness now.”

Pete Crow-Armstrong has a knack for hitting home runs on pitches out of the zone. In fact, he leads MLB in the quirky statistic.

Well, if hitting out of the zone homers is an art form for Crow-Armstrong, then he created his magnum opus during the Chicago Cubs' 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday. Facing Pirates southpaw Andrew Heaney with one on and one out in the bottom of the fourth inning, Crow-Armstrong worked the count even, then got a four-seam fastball up in the zone—and I mean way up—on the fifth pitch of the at-bat.

The Cubs budding star turned on the ball, crushing it 393 feet to right field at a blistering 103.9 MPH.

Not only did the home run give the Cubs the lead, but it was also absurd, given the location of the pitch Crow-Armstrong hit. Here's a closer look.

The offering was nearly four feet above the plate. Crow-Armstrong's manager Craig Counsell was just as surprised as all of us that the Cubs star managed to hit the ball out.

Crow-Armstrong is in the midst of a breakout campaign in his second full big-league season. He owns a .271/.305/.554 slash line with 18 home runs, 57 RBI, 51 runs scored and 21 stolen bases. Crow-Armstrong, currently on pace for at least 40 homers and 50 stolen bases, is a safe bet to be a National League All-Star for the first time in his career.