Harry Brook proves how much he cares by playing as though he doesn't

Maiden ODI century proves an apt retort after criticism of his previous comments in defeat

Vithushan Ehantharajah24-Sep-2024A look to the heavens before a puff of the cheeks. A “fookin’ ‘ellll” exhaled out the side of his mouth. Harry Brook’s reaction in the 34th over of England’s chase said it all. Who cares? He does.The relief flowed after his maiden ODI century, a feeling you could apply more broadly to the last week, his central part in it and the situation his team faced at the Seat Unique Riverside. After two humbling defeats, England were well on their way to winning this third ODI in Durham. And a cricketer who perhaps did not realise how sapping ODI captaincy could be – “I was actually knackered when I got out there after 50 overs in the field,” he said at the end – finally got to experience being the lesser stressed of the two leaders.There are caveats of course, though nothing to do with rain taking the players off in the 38th over of England’s pursuit of 305. Brook and Liam Livingstone had begun munching through what was left, and the 51 left on the table was set to be devoured in about half of the 74 balls left. They were 46 ahead on DLS at the break in play.Australia rested Travis Head, which lent itself to a subdued start – they struck just nine boundaries in the first 25 overs – before a late flurry shifted their total to 304 for 7. Adam Zampa’s illness robbed them of an X-factor, with the full-time ‘part-time’ offspin of Glenn Maxwell and Matthew Short combining for three forgettable overs. A healthy amount of legspin would have broken up the monotony of seam that England managed easily through the middle overs as Brook and Will Jacks flourished having come together at 11 for 2. “It’s always a different team when Adam Zampa is not there,” Australia’s head coach Andrew McDonald said after the match.Brook also won his third consecutive toss, and though that hadn’t helped at Trent Bridge or Headingley, conditions at Chester-le-Street were conducive to bowling up top. But it turned out to be the first of several correct calls in what turned out to be an accomplished day out for the 25-year-old.Brook admitted he’d found his early experience of the captaincy a bit ‘frantic’•Getty ImagesBefore he starred with the bat, Brook showed a decent amount of cunning in the field. Perhaps the best of it was using an unusually narrow and close mid-on to remove Cameron Green, breaking a stand of 84 with Steven Smith, who was essentially shielding the fielder – Matthew Potts – at the non-striker’s end as Jacob Bethell twirled his left-arm orthodox from around the wicket.”There wasn’t much turn and Beth was kind of just sliding it on,” Brook explained of the unusual placing. Granted, Green did not need to charge down and slap the ball straight to Potts – which Brook acknowledged in his own way. “It was a little bit of luck, to be honest, I’m not going to take the credit too much. But that’s nice to see, when you do make a change and it works straight away.”Another tweak saw the back of Marnus Labuschagne for a duck. The Australian No.5, keen to get off the mark while being denied options down the ground, attempted to find relief with a scoop off Jacks. A ricochet off his grille gave Jamie Smith a simple catch behind the stumps.Despite some sound marshalling of the attack – particularly Brydon Carse, who bowled better than figures of 1 for 55 suggest – things did unravel for Brook at the end of Australia’s innings. Alex Carey’s acceleration and Aaron Hardie’s introduction saw 104 scored off the last 10 overs, with a startling 55 coming from the last four. England looked a seamer light – specifically, an allrounder, and it was some comfort when their most exalted of that breed spent the interval telling Sky he would be more than willing to return when he is inevitably asked.Winning helps of course, but Brook regarded this as an altogether more comfortable outing as captain. “Progressively it’s got more enjoyable. The first game I felt a little bit frantic, at times. But as the series has gone on, I’ve felt a lot more chilled.”It certainly looked that way as far as his batting was concerned. A devastating unbeaten 110 – three figures brought up in just 87 deliveries – breaks a 16-innings streak without a century across all formats, domestic and international. There have been just two half-centuries – for Northern Superchargers against Manchester Originals and in the first innings of the first Sri Lanka Test – since his fifth Test hundred against West Indies at Trent Bridge in the middle of July, among eight other double-figure scores.Related

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There were some welcome hallmarks of the Brook that England fans have come to expect. He explained his success as a case of keeping his head “as still as possible”, watching the ball and playing it late – traits which, to be fair, were abundantly clear today. But there were also the characteristic impulsive streaks.The first time he used his feet was to carve Josh Hazlewood over backward point in the ninth over. He greeted the first deliveries of Maxwell and Short with lofted drives over extra cover, for four and six respectively.In Jacks, he had an ally willing to keep pace, and even sprint ahead. The pair tag-teamed Mitchell Starc in the 23rd over, handing the left-arm quick his third most expensive over in ODIs (19). By the time their stand was broken for 156 – Jacks slicing to point for 84 – the ask was a manageable 138 from 135 deliveries. Brook seemed intent to drive, cut and scoop his way through that figure, eventually having to make do with 40 of the 87 England hacked off before the rains came.”He’s an impressive player,” McDonald said. “He’s going to have a long career for England, and he’s going to give us some headaches along the journey.”You could call this a statement knock of sorts. Two-fold, perhaps. The first being that it gave Brook the chance to clarify comments made after the first ODI. “If you get caught somewhere on the boundary or in the field, then who cares?” was the utterance in question, leading to widespread derision from fans and pundits alike.”I think people took that a little bit the wrong way,” he said. “You’ve got to go out there and play fearlessly and almost have that ‘who cares’ attitude. That’s not a ‘who cares if we lose attitude’ – we still want to win. But you don’t want to go out there and have that fear of getting out.”You could see what he meant at the time, but Tuesday’s knock – studded with 13 fours and two sixes – acts as a handy guide to make it crystal clear. This was Brook leading from the front, in a familiar sweet spot of showing just how much he cares through not caring the right way.

جارديان: محمد صلاح "الأناني" يخون زملاءه ويُسرّع نهاية حقبته مع ليفربول

رصدت صحيفة “جارديان” البريطانية، تقريرًا مطولاً عن النجم المصري محمد صلاح جناح فريق ليفربول، بعد التصريحات الهجومية التي أدلى بها في أعقاب المباراة أمام ليدز بالدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وافتتحت الصحيفة التقرير، بالحديث عن انكسار علاقة محمد صلاح بليفربول بعد المقابلة التي أجراها، والتي تعد بمثابة اختبار لعلاقة النادي بالمدرب الهولندي آرني سلوت، وسيظهر أيضًا مدى الدعم الذي يحظى به الأخير.

وأشارت إلى أن صلاح قد يكون متأثرًا نفسيًا بجلوسه بديلاً لثلاث مباريات على التوالي، وأفادت أن تصريحاته كانت بمثابة قنابل يقوم المصري بإلقائها واحدة تلو الأخرى، وهو تصرف لم يكن وليد العاطفة.

“جارديان” وصفت صلاح بأحد أعظم لاعبي ليفربول، وأكدت أن تصريحاته وكلماته مدروسة بدقة لتحقيق ما يريده، وفي هذه الحالة، تكديس المزيد من المشاكل على سلوت.

ويفيد التقرير أن صلاح بالغ في حديثه والأمر مشابه لمقابلة لروي كين نجم مانشستر يونايتد السابق، وتصريحاته التي أدلى بها قبل 20 عامًا والتي أدت إلى إقالته من منصب قائد الفريق، ولم تُنشر كلمات كين علنًا آنذاك، ولم يُنشر النص الكامل حتى الآن.

وحللت الصحيفة تصريحات صلاح حيث اتهم ليفربول مرتين بالتخلي عنه ردًا على فشلهم في الدفاع عن لقب الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، وقد حرص المصري على أن يكون جميع أفراد ليفربول – إدارة النادي، والمدرب، وحتى زملائه الذين يُحبهم – في موقف مشابه له.

طالع | “شعور صادق وإشارة مزيفة”.. خبير لغة جسد يُحلل تصريحات محمد صلاح ضد سلوت وليفربول

سلوت نفسه أصبح في وضع مشابه بعدما كشف صلاح عن انتهاء العلاقة بينهما، وهي وضعية لا يمكن استمرارها، كما طالت الاتهامات مسؤولي الإدارة، وتحديدًا ريتشارد هيوز المدير الرياضي، ومايكل إدواردز المدير التنفيذي، بعد ادعاء صلاح أن هناك من يريد إخراجه من النادي، وبشكل مباشر، تشير الأصابع إليهم.

ويواصل التقرير الإشارة إلى أنه حتى زملائه في الفريق لم يسلموا، بعد إصرار صلاح المتعالي على أنه استحق المركز الذي انتزعه سلوت منه، وذلك قبل أسبوع واحد فقط، ومن بين هؤلاء الزملاء دومينيك سوبوسلاي، أفضل لاعبي ليفربول هذا الموسم، والذي شارك أساسيًا بدلًا من صلاح أمام وست هام وسندرلاند وليدز.

وقد يعترض فيرجيل فان دايك على زميله أيضًا، بعد أن قال: “ليس الأمر وكأنك تتمتع برصيد غير محدود، على الجميع أن يُقدم أداءً جيدًا”، وذلك عندما سُئل عن استبعاد صلاح.

وتبرز هنا أيضًا تصريحات أخرى لفان دايك بعد مباراة سندرلاند: “أحتاجه حولي كأحد القادة”، وتشير “جارديان” إلى أن ما فعله صلاح لم يكن قيادة، بل أنانية خالصة وخيانة لغرفة الملابس، ويبدو أن أزمات ليفربول هذا الموسم لا نهاية لها، ومعظمها صُنع بأيديهم.

وتفيد “جارديان” أن رد ليفربول يجب أن يكون حاسمًا، وإلا فإن مكانة سلوت ستتلقى ضربة قوية من داخل النادي نفسه، بعدما تراجعت بالفعل في نظر عدد كبير من الجماهير بسبب سوء النتائج والأداء.

وعاد التقرير للتذكير بتصريحات روي كين حيث سحب مانشستر يونايتد منه شارة القيادة بسبب هجومه العلني على زملائه، وصحيح أن صلاح لم يصل إلى هذا الحد، لكنه واجه مدربه علنًا وانتقد قراراته.

اقرأ أيضًا | براتب 200 مليون يورو.. وجهة جديدة تنتظر محمد صلاح في يناير

وتؤكد الصحيفة أن ليفربول لا يمكن له أن يسمح بمرور الأمر إن كان يريد الحفاظ على سلطة سلوت داخل غرفة الملابس، وقد يكون استبعاد صلاح من رحلة دوري الأبطال إلى ميلان لمواجهة إنتر، ومن مباراة برايتون على ملعب آنفيلد، بداية مناسبة للعقاب، خاصة بعد تلميحه بإمكانية توديع الجماهير – نهائيًا أو قبل سفره إلى كأس أمم إفريقيا.

وتتابع الصحيفة، موضحة أن تغيير المدرب أسهل وأقل تكلفة من تغيير فريق كامل، لكن مع تقدم صلاح في العمر وتراجع مستواه بوضوح هذا الموسم، تصبح المعادلة أقل تعقيدًا بالنسبة لليفربول، ويبدو من غير المعقول أن يستمر صلاح وسلوت معًا حتى نهاية عقد المصري في صيف 2027.

وواصلت مشيرة إلى أن الخطوة التالية من ليفربول ستوضح موقف النادي، إما من دعم محمد صلاح أو مدرب الفريق آرني سلوت، مع الوضع في الاعتبار أن هيوز وإدواردز يدركان جيدًا الاهتمام السعودي بالتعاقد مع المصري واحتمالية السعي لضمه في يناير.

وقد يتغير موقف ليفربول السابق تجاه العرض السعودي الذي تم رفضه قبل عامين، ويبدأ النادي في فتح باب التفاوض والاستفادة ماليًا من بيع صلاح ومن ثم دعم النادي بصفقات جديدة مثل أنطوان سيمينيو لاعب بورنموث.

ووصف التقرير مقابلة صلاح بالانقسامية والحادة، وربما أجريت مع وضع العروض السعودية في الاعتبار، لكنها حظيت ببعض الدعم لأنها تتوافق مع الإحباطات المحيطة بموسم ليفربول.

وأشارت إلى أن صلاح مُحق في قوله إنه لا ينبغي استهدافه بسبب إخفاقاتهم، في حين يعاني العديد من اللاعبين، وقد أنفق النادي ما يقرب من 450 مليون جنيه إسترليني على فريق فاز بالدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز بسهولة الموسم الماضي وتراجع في نتائجه سريعًا، وكان هوجو إيكيتيكي هو الوحيد الذي له تأثير ملحوظ من بين صفقات ليفربول الصيفية باهظة الثمن.

وأتمت جارديان تقريرها موضحة أن صلاح سيحتفظ بمكانته كبطل في ليفربول بغض النظر عن تداعيات مقابلته، على الرغم من أن إظهار الدعم الداخلي لسلوت سيؤكد اعتقاد النادي بأن المصري تجاوز الحد.

Craque da galera: confira quem foi o melhor jogador da 1ª rodada do Brasileirão

MatériaMais Notícias

A 1ª rodada do Brasileirão chegou ao fim, e os torcedores elegeram o craque dos jogos de estreia da competição. A redação do Lance! separou quatro destaques das 10 partidas iniciais do Campeonato Brasileiro para que os fãs votassem.

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Mateus Carvalho, do Vasco, Ganso, do Fluminense, Canobbio, do Athletico, e Fernando, do Internacional, foram os candidatos. Em votação realizada no Canal de Whatsapp do Lance!, os torcedores elegeram o atacante do Furacão como o melhor jogador da primeira rodada do Brasileirão, com 54% dos votos.

Cannobio foi o destaque da goleada de 4 a 0 do Athletico sobre o Cuiabá, na Arena da Baixada, no domingo (14). O uruguaio contribuiu com um gol e uma assistência na partida, além de ter sido extremamente participativo até ser substituído, já nos momentos finais do confronto. Por isso, foi eleito o craque da galera da 1ª rodada na votação do Lance!.

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Quem ficou em segundo lugar na enquete foi Mateus Carvalho, do Vasco, com 28% dos votos. O jovem volante marcou um os gols do Cruz-Maltino e controlou o meio-campo na vitória sobre Grêmio. Ganso, do Fluminense, ficou com 10% da votação, enquanto Fernando, do Internacional, teve 8%. Você pode deixar sua opinião na publicação abaixo, via Instagram do Lance!.

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Brasileirão

Rehan Ahmed continues stellar season as Leicestershire take charge

Leicestershire 386 for 9 (Rehan 119, Patel 85) vs Kent Rehan Ahmed hit a brilliant 119 as Division Two leaders Leicestershire reached 386 for 9 at stumps on day one of their Rothesay County Championship match against Kent at Canterbury.Rishi Patel, dropped in the first over when he was on nought, made 85 in a stand of 164 for the second wicket with Rehan, who hit three sixes and 17 fours in a flamboyant innings that defied the gloomy conditions and a green wicket. Matt Parkinson took 7 for 104 and is on course for career best figures, if he can better the 7 for 126 he took for Lancashire against Kent at this venue in 2021.Tom Scriven and Josh Hull were not out on 39 and 12 respectively at the close.Kent’s decision to bowl looked reasonable given the weather and the hue of the wicket, but less so when Leicestershire reached 120 for 1 for at lunch, by which time the hosts learned they’d been docked eight points for repeated infractions of the disciplinary code.Given they were already 18 points adrift at the foot of the table, this did little to lighten the mood among the St Lawrence ultras in a crowd of 1200 and the tone was set when Ben Compton dropped Rishi off the fifth ball of the morning, after he’d edged Agar.The only wicket came in the 11th over, when Sol Budinger played on to Agar for 27 and Rishi got a second life when he was on 26 and cut Evison. The ball hit keeper Harry Finch on the glove before falling short of Tawanda Muyeye at first slip.Both Rishi and Rehan reached their half-centuries with sixes, the former with a pull off Agar that flew over square leg, the latter hooking the same bowler over backward square, but the afternoon session was more of a contest.Parkinson broke the partnership when he duped Rishi into charging down the wicket and Finch stumped him and with his next delivery he had Lewis Hill brilliantly caught by a diving Tawanda Muyeye at slip.Rehan reached his century when he nudged Parkinson for a single, but Joey Evison then had Peter Handscomb lbw for 18 and Parkinson got Rehan when Muyeye took an ankle-high catch.By tea Kent were a bowler down, as stand-in skipper Grant Stewart had limped off with a hamstring injury, but Louis Kimber went for 17, caught by the sub Kashif Ali after he’d holed out to Parkinson and for the second time in the match the bowler found himself on a hat-trick when Ben Green went to the next ball, caught by debutant Ben Dawkins at silly point trying to sweep.Logan van Beek survived it comfortably enough but had made just 5 when Parkinson had him caught by George Garrett at short third man. Ian Holland went in almost identical fashion for 49 before the players went off for bad light at 5.49pm.Almost everyone in the ground had left when the umpires called the players back for a 6.25pm restart and Leicestershire added 20 useful runs in the 5.5 overs that remained.

Memphis Depay offers to help Corinthians amid financial crisis by giving up hotel suite that has cost Brazilian club €2.5m so far

Corinthians’ financial troubles have reached a breaking point, with unpaid wages, heavy debts and over €2.5 million already drained from club accounts this season. In a gesture of solidarity, Dutch star Memphis Depay has offered to give up his €40,000-a-month hotel suite to help the club reduce expenses. This comes after there were reports that the club had asked the forward to cut-back on his finances and move to a cheaper accommodation.

Depay’s offer to help Corinthians

Depay’s career has been defined by flair, self-expression, and a strong sense of identity. But in Sao Paulo, it’s empathy that’s making headlines. The Dutch attacker, who joined Corinthians in 2024, has reportedly offered to give up his €40,000-per-month luxury hotel suite to ease the club’s growing financial burden.

According to , the suite which is located in one of Sao Paulo’s top hotels, costs the club around 250,000 Brazilian reais monthly and includes premium services like room service, laundry, a chauffeur, and 24-hour concierge support. Since his arrival, Corinthians have already spent over €405,000 on his accommodation alone.

Depay’s willingness to forgo this contractual privilege is seen as a commendable gesture at a time when Corinthians’ finances are stretched thin. Despite his €11 million annual salary (which could rise to €19m with bonuses), the forward has acknowledged the club’s fragile situation and expressed readiness to help reduce costs.

So far, Depay has scored nine goals and registered 10 assists in 44 games for Corinthians this season.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportCorinthians can't afford Depay's luxurious lifestyle

Depay's stance in the Corinthian's case marks a shift in tone for a player long known for his confidence and occasional controversies. In early 2025, the Dutch player clashed with the Brazilian club officials over his unpaid $1m in debt. The forward further notified the club that if the situation is not resolved quickly he would not fulfil his contractual obligations. He also missed a few training sessions in a bid to boycott the club. The situation was resolved after he met the club's president, Augusto Melo.

Corinthians, one of Brazil’s most historic football institutions, is currently navigating one of its worst financial crises in decades. The club’s debt has reportedly ballooned to R$2.7 billion (around €500 million), driven by mismanagement, inflated contracts, and unpaid transfer fees.

Amid this turmoil, Depay’s luxurious living arrangement became a symbol of excess. Reports suggest that club executives recently approached the Dutchman to discuss ending the deal or asking him to bear part of the costs. While the suite was part of his signed agreement, the club can no longer sustain such high non-sporting expenses.

At first, sources claimed Depay was reluctant to change terms, arguing the club must honour its contract. But in a surprising turn, the 31-year-old forward later expressed a willingness to help.

Corinthians’ mounting debt and the struggle to survive

Corinthians’ financial crisis runs deep. The club has faced wage delays, transfer bans from FIFA and threats of point deductions due to unpaid fees. Over the past two years, their debt has climbed to around half a billion euros, a figure that dwarfs even some European clubs.

Sponsorship disputes and heavy spending on marquee signings like Depay have worsened the situation. The club has been forced to cut costs drastically, delay transfers, and renegotiate contracts.

This economic strain has already impacted results. Corinthians have struggled in both domestic and continental competitions, unable to strengthen their squad or retain key players. Local media reports suggest that morale inside the camp is low, with several foreign players frustrated by delayed payments.

Depay’s offer to ease the burden comes as a rare positive in an otherwise grim narrative. It also highlights a wider conversation in football: whether players and clubs can find balance between contractual rights and moral responsibility in times of crisis.

The Brasileiro-side currently stands 10th in the league table after 32 games.

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Getty Images SportDepay remains a complicated figure in Brazil

Depay’s time at Corinthians has been anything but quiet. Beyond the financial headlines, he has been at the centre of both brilliance and controversy. On the pitch, his flair and goal-scoring instinct made him a key figure; off it, his personality, high-profile disputes, and rumoured personal scandals have kept him in the spotlight.

The forward has been facing pregnancy claims by Brazilian influencer Lary Simoes after she publicly claimed that Depay got her pregnant and then ghosted her. Multiple reports also confirm that the Dutch footballer had received a four-month suspended prison sentence for a drunk driving offense that occurred in Monaco in 2024.

However, Corinthians are reportedly looking to extend Depay's current contract after they are done with their current financial obligations. His recent action has also come as a relief for the club, giving more hope to the club for a renewed bond but the road to recovery is still a long one for the club and to manage to personality like Depay will take a lot of toll on the club. 

Wolves' cheap plan for new manager revealed with Vitor Pereira set for big payout

A new update has emerged regarding Vitor Pereira’s potential replacement at Wolves, with the club eyeing a cheap alternative option to him if he is sacked.

The Old Gold have suffered a dire start to the 2025/26 Premier League season, picking up just two points from nine matches and sitting rooted to the bottom of the table. Their only points have been draws away to Tottenham and at home to Brighton.

After a promising period in charge last season, Pereira now finds himself battling to save his job, with the manager having to be dragged away from the supporters after last weekend’s dramatic 3-2 defeat at home to Burnley, and asking for their support after the game.

“We understand the frustration of the people and supporters but what I must say, if we fight united with them, we can win games and compete and achieve our targets – without them, it is impossible. If we win two or three games in a row, things will change.”

Potential replacements for Pereira have already been mentioned, including Brendan Rodgers, who left Celtic earlier this week after a disappointing start to the season, and who may like the idea of a return to the Premier League.

On Saturday afternoon, Wolves make the trip to Fulham, with defeat at Craven Cottage potentially proving to be the final nail in the coffin for the Wanderers boss.

Wolves have cheap managerial plan to replace Pereira

According to Football Insider journalist Pete O’Rourke, Wolves “would hope to find an out-of-work manager” to replace Pereira in charge, should he be relieved of his duties in the near future.

The Premier League strugglers “will be looking for a cheap option” instead of “poaching a manager from another club”, and Wanderers “would prefer not to pay the compensation fee needed to release a working boss from their current contract”. That’s partly due to Pereira getting a big payout if he is sacked.

There is plenty of sense in this approach by Wolves, rather than bringing in a manager who is already in charge elsewhere, immediately making it a more expensive venture.

Wolves targeting Brendan Rodgers amid doubts about Vitor Pereira

The Old Gold have made a very poor start to the season.

2 ByDominic Lund Oct 29, 2025

Ideally, though, Pereira will turn things around at Molineux, overcoming this dreadful start to mastermind a great recovery as the seasons goes on.

Wolves targeting Brendan Rodgers amid doubts about Vitor Pereira

Sadly, that feels unlikely at the moment, with Wolves’ performances so disappointing on a regular basis, and the fact that a chunk of the fanbase has already turned on him feels like the writing is on the wall.

In Rodgers, Wolves could have a good option to bring in, with the Northern Irishman proving himself in the Premier League in the past, not least coming so close to winning the title with Liverpool back in 2013/14, playing some stunning attacking football along the way.

Tarik Skubal Didn't Mince Words About Tigers Teammates Left Off AL All-Star Team

Tarik Skubal becoming an MLB All-Star was a foregone conclusion. The Detroit Tigers ace and one of the best pitchers in baseball has dominated on the hill this season for a team with a 13.5 game lead in their division and the best record in baseball (57–34).

The lefthander officially earned his All-Star bid Sunday when each league's pitchers and reserve position players were announced, joining the starters who were announced earlier this week. Was Skubal happy with his second All-Star appearance? Sure. But he may have been more disappointed for his teammates who didn't hear their names called.

"To be honest, I’m a little disappointed with only the four guys we got," Skubal said Sunday via 's Cody Stavenhagen. "I think there’s a lot more deserving guys on our team. We got the best record in the American League. I would like to think we’d be more represented there."

In addition to Skubal, the Tigers have three All-Stars—Gleyber Torres, Riley Greene and Javier Báez—who all got in as starters. Four is a big number with a finite amount of spots, but Skubal's comments may have been sparked because he was the only Tiger to become an All-Star Sunday when the pitching staffs and reserve position players were announced. Spencer Torkelson and Zach McKinstry both have decent cases to get in as reserves, while Detroit's No. 2 starter Casey Mize has nine wins with his own argument to join Skubal on the AL All-Star staff.

The National League-leading Los Angeles Dodgers got five players in—three position players and two pitchers. The Seattle Mariners (48–42) tied Detroit with four All-Stars. More Tigers could make their way into the Midsummer Classic as replacement players if they are needed and chosen by the league, but their ace thinks that shouldn't need to be the case considering their incredible season so far.

Finais do Carioca contam com disputa acirrada para maior garçom da competição

MatériaMais Notícias

O Campeonato Carioca está chegando ao seu fim e a disputa para saber quem será o maior garçom da competição segue acirrada. Ao todo, quatro dos postulantes ainda jogam as finais. Saiba quem são e contra quem entram em campo.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasFlamengoPedro busca nova artilharia em início de ano mágico pelo FlamengoFlamengo30/03/2024Onde AssistirNova Iguaçu x Flamengo: onde assistir, horário e escalações da final do Campeonato CariocaOnde Assistir30/03/2024BotafogoBotafogo define favorito e está próximo de contratar técnico portuguêsBotafogo29/03/2024

➡️ Tudo sobre o Mengão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso canal Lance! Flamengo

➡️ Tudo sobre o Fogão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso canal Lance! Botafogo

CRYSTOPHER (BOAVISTA)
O meia do Boavista é o cara que lidera a estatística com seis assistências em 11 jogos. Crystopher terá apenas mais uma partida para aumentar o número e ter poucas chances de ser ultrapassado. O adversário será justamente o Botafogo no segundo jogo da final da Taça Rio.

HUGO (BOTAFOGO)
O lateral-esquerdo do Botafogo tem cinco assistências em nove partidas. É o que possusi mais chances de atingir o topo da estatística. Isso porque o Alvinegro tem uma tranquila vantagem para a final da Taça Rio e joga em casa o confronto da volta.

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BILL (NOVA IGUAÇU)
Talvez o atacante do Nova Iguaçu tenha a missão mais espinhosa entre os quatro postulantes e maior garçom do Carioca. Bill vai enfrentar o clube que o revelou: o Flamengo. O jogador tem quatro assistências em 10 jogos.

ARRASCAETA (FLAMENGO)
Apesar de ser o último dos quatro jogadores no ranking, o uruguaio é um dos que pode surpreender sempre tirando um coelho da cartola. Arrascaeta tem quatro assistências em nove jogos e vai enfrentar o Nova Iguaçu.

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O primeiro duelo das finais será entre Flamengo e Nova Iguaçu. A bola rola às 17h deste sábado (30), no Maracanã. Já Botafogo e Boavista decidem quem conquista a Taça Rio. A partida será às 18h30 deste domingo (31), no Nilton Santos.

Tudo sobre

BoavistaBotafogoCampeonato CariocaFlamengoNova Iguaçu

A's Rookie Nick Kurtz Makes MLB History With Unbelievable Four Home Run Game

Athletics rookie Nick Kurtz is on a tear unlike anyone across Major League Baseball. And he's only 22 years old.

Kurtz's heater continued Friday night with an unbelievable four home run game against the Houston Astros. He became the 20th player in MLB history to hit four homers in a game, and the first to ever do it as a rookie.

Here's every dinger he hit in the record-setting night:

He didn't just hit the long ball either. On the night, he finished a perfect 6-for-6 at the plate with eight RBIs in addition to the four homers. Of the base knocks that didn't leave the park, he had a double and a single. The A's smashed the Astros 15-3 thanks to their rookie star's historic game.

Kurtz joined Arizona Diamondbacks slugger Eugenio Suárez as the only players in baseball to hit four homers in a game this season. Suárez accomplished the feat in April against the Atlanta Braves.

The massive night Friday continued what's been an incredibly hot stretch for Kurtz. He went 3-for-5 Thursday and last homered Monday against the Texas Rangers. Per the A's, he's leading the major leagues in nearly every batting stat over the month of July, including batting average, OPS, home runs and RBIs.

He now has 23 homers in his rookie season after the A's selected him with the No. 4 pick in last year's MLB draft. Now, he has achieved a big piece of MLB history in remarkable fashion.

How lucky were India on their last tour of Australia? A statistical model tells us

An analysis of expected runs and wickets, based on false shots played by batters

Kartikeya Date24-Oct-2024Rishabh Pant made 146 in 111 balls against England in India’s first innings of the Test at Edgbaston in 2022. It remains the second-quickest three-figure innings by an Indian batter in Test cricket since records for deliveries faced became available. The quickest was Mohammed Azharuddin’s 109 in 77 balls against South Africa in November 1996.How good was Pant’s innings? This is a difficult question to answer well, mostly because it is under-determined. For instance, it is not difficult to imagine that if Cheteshwar Pujara played the same 111 balls that Pant faced, he would make different choices and score a different (and almost certainly smaller) number of runs. Would Pujara be more or less likely than Pant to survive for those 111 deliveries? More generally, if the average batter made the choices that Pant made on those 111 deliveries, how many runs would result? And how many times would the average batter be dismissed, having made those choices? What are the expected runs and expected dismissals for the choices Pant made?The answer, according to the model that is described below, can be as follows.Of the 111 balls Pant faced, 73 were from right-arm quick bowlers and 38 from finger spinners. A summary of the shots Pant attempted is in the table below. xR is the expected runs for the average left-hand batter against the given bowling style when playing a specific shot.For example, Pant attempted to pull the right-arm fast-medium bowler nine times (eight of those deliveries were legal) and scored 16 runs. In the record, a left-hand batter has been dismissed 54 times in 485 false shots on the pull against the right-arm pacer. A false shot on the pull for this match-up produces 358 runs off 473 deliveries, while a successful pull shot produces 2464 (off 996). Pant played two false shots in those nine attempts. The expected wickets (xW) for those nine attempts is 0.23 (2*54/485). The expected runs (xR) figure is 18.2.Summing this up for all the shots that Pant attempted against each bowling style, and applying those to the average left-hand batter, it turns out that the average left-hand batter would have scored 97.5 runs off 111 balls and been dismissed 2.4 times, against bowlers of the type Pant faced in that innings.

The model used in this article relies on the ball-by-ball record collected by ESPNcricinfo, which lists what shot was attempted off which delivery and whether or not the batter was in control. The model also considers what style the bowler was bowling, and whether the batter is a right-hander or a left-hander. It is illustrated using examples in the table below.

When the left-hand batter sweeps the offspinner and is in control, 2.09 runs are scored per shot. When the left-hand batter successfully sweeps the slow left-arm orthodox bowler, 1.81 runs result per shot. When the left-hand batter is not in control of the sweep shot against the offbreak bowler, 0.118 dismissals occur; the corresponding figure against the slow left-arm orthodox bowler is 0.097 dismissals.To round out the information in the table, the average left-hand batter fails to control the sweep against the offspin bowler 33.5% of the time (1686 out of 5025 attempts fail), while 30.8% of sweeps against the slow left-arm orthodox bowler (1244 out of 4039) fail. For comparison, when the left-hand batter attempts to drive the offbreak bowler, the expected-runs figure is 0.89, the expected dismissals 0.141, and 9% (2354 out of 26109) attempts fail. The sweep involves greater risk, greater reward, and is more difficult to pull off than the drive. This is also why, typically, the field is set to defend the drive more often than it is to defend the sweep.Readers will note that when the ball is turning more, the drive and the sweep both carry greater risk than usual. It would be reasonable to think that the expected-dismissals figure for the drive or the sweep on a turning pitch should be higher than it would be on a flat pitch.The way the model used in this article accounts for the conditions is through the false shots record. On a turning pitch, the batter is likely to play false shots more often. For example, suppose that a left-hand batter attempts the sweep ten times against an offspin bowler on a flat pitch, and plays two false shots, instead of the expected three or four. The expected runs for these ten attempts would be 17.7. The eight successful attempts would generate 16.72, and the two failed attempts 0.94. The expected dismissals would be 0.24.On a turning pitch, the batter is likely to miss more sweeps. Let’s say the batter misses five sweeps. In this case, xR would be 12.8 runs, and xW would be 0.59. In this way, the xR and xW for every ball, and therefore for every batter and every bowler in every innings, can be estimated. The essential intuition here is that it is the false shot that makes a dismissal possible. When false shots from a particular shot type are more frequent, dismissal from that shot category is more likely too. The conditions only matter to the extent that they modify the likelihood of the occurrence of the false shot. In other words, conditions are easy or difficult depending on how often false shots occur in them.The same can also be said for bowlers. Facing James Anderson (right-arm fast-medium, under ESPNcricinfo’s classification) is a more daunting proposition than facing the average right-arm fast-medium bowler in a Test match. Anderson is more daunting because he challenges the middle of the bat more often than the average right-arm fast-medium bowler does. By evaluating expected dismissals based on the occurrence of false shots, the model accounts for this distinction. For instance, in England, Anderson induces a false shot every 4.9 balls, while the average right-arm fast-medium bowler does so every 5.1 balls. In Australia, Anderson induces a false shot every 6.4 balls, while the average right-arm fast-medium bowler does so every 6.2 balls. The model will return a higher expected-wickets figure than average against Anderson in England, and a lower xW than average against Anderson in Australia.R Ashwin induces a false shot every 5.4 balls in India, while the average offspinner does so every 6.2 balls. Outside India the gap is narrower (6.9 balls per false shot against Ashwin, 7.2 balls per false shot against the average offspinner). The model is able to accommodate these distinctions.The table below lists the 15 Test innings since 2014 with the highest xW. These could be considered the 15 most unlikely Test innings, in terms of their size and length, in the last ten years.

The table below lists the 15 unluckiest match bowling efforts in Test cricket since 2014. Mohammed Shami collected 182 for 2 at The Oval in 2018. He induced 107 false shots in the match. Over the 10,770 deliveries Shami has bowled in his Test career since the start of 2014, his xW/xR is 228.5/5775.0. He actual figures are 212/5896. His expected career bowling average since the start of 2014 is 25.7; his actual bowling average since then is 27.8.Jasprit Bumrah’s 0 for 92 in the 2021 World Test Championship final also features in the list below. He induced 55 false shots in that match without getting a wicket. This was one of only four instances of a bowler going wicketless in a Test since 2014 while producing an expected wickets total in excess of five wickets. Of the 339 instances since 2014 when a bowler has bowled at least 15 overs in a match and gone wicketless, the average expected wickets for such a bowler have been 1.77. Over his 37-Test career so far, Bumrah’s xW/xR is 168.3/3498.0. His actual career haul is 164/3365. His expected career average (20.8) closely matches his actual career average (20.51).

Only 1.6% of individual Test innings involve an xW of 3.5 or more. About 5% of Test innings involve 2.5 xW or more (see the graph below). The average individual three-figure score in a Test match involves 2.72 xW. The average innings where the xW is 1.0 (that is, between 0.50 and 1.49) produces 31.2 runs. The distribution of all innings and centuries in the graph below shows how much luckier a batter has to be than average to reach a century.Of the 792 Test hundreds scored since the start of 2014, only 41 have come in innings where the expected average (xR divided by xW) of the rest of the batters in the innings is less than 20 runs per wicket. Only eight have come in innings where xAve for the rest of the batters is less than 15 runs per wicket. These are:1.Aiden Markram’s 106 (103 balls) against India in Cape Town, 2024
2.KL Rahul’s 101 (137) against South Africa in Centurion, 2023
3.Steven Smith’s 109 (202) against India in Pune, 2017
4.Dimuth Karunaratne’s 107(174) against India in Bangalore, 2022
5.Ajinkya Rahane’s 103 (154) against England at Lord’s, 2014
6.Dimuth Karunaratne’s 158 not out (222) against South Africa in Galle, 2018
7.Dean Elgar’s 136 (228) against England at The Oval, 2017
8.Dinesh Chandimal’s 119 (186) against West Indies in St Lucia, 2018
Kartikeya DateThe xR and xW models extend the intuition underlying the control measurement to specify risks. For instance, India’s infamous 36 all out innings had an expected wickets/runs of 3.2/47.1 from those 128 balls. India’s fourth innings in Sydney on that tour lasted 786 balls from which they scored 334 for 5. The expected wickets/runs from those deliveries were 13.5/376.1.England made 420 all out in 613 balls in the third innings in Hyderabad in January this year. The expected wickets/runs from those 613 balls were 15.7/391.3. Over the course of the series, the Indian batting produced an expected average of 42.2 (their actual average in the series was 39.7), while England’s expected average was 26.0 (actual, 25.6). The figures belie the idea that it was a close series and that England were close to winning it. India were only 28 runs away from a 5-0 result.In Australia in 2020-21, India were decidedly the luckier of the two sides. Their expected average with the bat was 29.3 (actual 30.4). Australia’s expected average was 37.0 (actual 29.3). Essentially, enough Australian batters fell to early mistakes to nullify the difference in quality between the Australian and Indian attacks. The gap between the two attacks was narrower in the first two Tests (Australian batting: 32.7 xAve, Indian batting: 27.4 xAve) in 2020, than it was in the last two Tests, played in 2021 (Australian batting: 40.0 xAve, Indian batting: 30.0 xAve) after India had lost several players to injuries.The model could be modified, for instance, to consider the innings of the match in which the shot is attempted, to add greater texture. For a right-hand batter sweeping the slow left-arm orthodox bowler, the expected-wickets figure from innings one through innings four is 0.110, 0.111, 0.136, 0.123. In other words, the chance of a dismissal for a false shot on the sweep is between 11% and 14%. The conversion rate of false shot to dismissal is only marginally affected by the innings in the match.The temptation to build ever more elaborate sets of categories should be resisted. The larger the number of categories, the smaller the number of deliveries in each category, and consequently, the less stable the average expectation from each category. With more categories, it also becomes more difficult to keep them apart and ensure that they do not describe overlapping features. For example, ESPNcricinfo’s classification includes four categories of right-arm seam bowlers – right-arm medium, right-arm medium-fast, right-arm fast-medium, and right-arm fast. It becomes difficult to distinguish between the middle two. But it is also, on the other hand, easy to see why these categories might be useful. Consider, for instance, Colin de Grandhomme (medium), Chaminda Vaas, especially after his injury (medium-fast), Glenn McGrath (fast-medium), and Brett Lee (fast). The speed gun readings suggest that fast-medium bowlers fall back into the medium-fast category at times during Test matches, especially in flat batting conditions, when there’s a lot of bowling to be done. If anything, having a two-pronged classification of seam bowlers – fast and medium – would be sufficient. Ideally, an expected runs/wickets model would include the trajectory of the delivery and the batter’s control as its inputs. Absent this, the categories provided by ESPNcricinfo offer a usable proxy.This expected runs/wickets model is relatively easy to implement. They provide a baseline expectation and make it possible to measure both the relative quality of the teams involved in a match as well as relative good (or bad) fortune enjoyed by each. A model along the lines described in this article should be available in the coverage of every Test match. The figures used in this article include Tests completed on or before September 25, 2024

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