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Pakistan had gone to great lengths to take pace and seam movement out of the picture but Seales still found a way

Danyal Rasool17-Jan-2025Jayden Seales knew the deck, quite literally, was stacked against him. Pakistan had spent the last few days working on that deck to make it so, erecting a protective greenhouse and attempting to warm up the Multan surface in frigid conditions using wedding-style heaters. The idea was to dry the pitch out and help the spinners get turn early on. With the 23-year-old the only opposition fast bowler, it would have felt, to him, as if the whole move was simply Operation Stop Jayden Seales.Well, it failed. There’s only so much that can be done when the temperature drops into single digits, and fog encircled the stadium, forcing the game to start four hours late. Seales knew his window to strike was narrow, and he had little time to waste.”We saw from the training sessions that the ball did a little bit when it was new,” he told a press conference after the end of day’s play. “For me, I needed to try and get the best out of the new ball and put the ball in the right areas. And with the cooler conditions this afternoon, it did a bit and it worked out for us.”Related

• Jayden Seales: 'I want to build my name, I want to build a legacy, I want to be No. 1 in Test cricket'

• Shakeel, Rizwan fifties lead Pakistan's recovery

Seales had more of an active role in making sure it worked out than he takes credit for. With spin operating right from the outset at the other end, he landed the ball on hard lengths, his height and pace making sure to extract enough bounce. But it was also his guile with the wrists that guaranteed seam movement, particularly in the dismissals of Kamran Ghulam and Babar Azam.Having already dispatched the debutant Mohammad Hurraira, he was shaping it away from Ghulam when he was driven through the off side for four, and when the next one landed around a similar line, Ghulam felt secure enough to shoulder arms. But this one seamed back in and smashed into Ghulam’s thigh, with HawkEye confirming it would have clipped the bails.”I just wanted to build pressure,” he said. “As a fast bowler in Asian countries, you tend to want to make a big impact and you want to do well for the team. Spin obviously dominates in these conditions. So as a fast bowler, I always wanted to get a wicket or be in the game and it so happened that I got the wickets for the team today.”But the dismissal to remove Babar required a delivery to match the quality of the batter, and Seales rose to the challenge. Babar came into this innings, with three successive Test half-centuries amid murmurs he may be returning to form. But before his spell ended, Seales ensured he bowled the delivery to give Pakistan one more bloody punch and leave them staggering.

“As a fast bowler, I always wanted to get a wicket or be in the game and it so happened that I got the wickets for the team today.”Seales after the opening day

He landed it on a length as Babar prepared to get in line and defend. Ball-tracking showed the trajectory was sending it right to the middle of his bat, but he got it to land perfectly on the seam to nip away ever so slightly, and take the outside edge.”I figured that he was watching my hand a bit, so I just tried to deceive him and it so happened that paid off. I think as a bowling unit, we did really well and we’ve just got to back it up again tomorrow. I think going forward in the game the spinners will come into the game a lot more. It may reverse-swing at some point, but I still think that the spinners may dominate in this game moving forward.”But Seales has happy memories against Pakistan, and having long odds against him doesn’t faze him much. It was against this opposition four years ago as a teenager playing his third Test that he secured his breakout performance in Jamaica, taking eight wickets before holding his nerve in a thrilling tenth-wicket stand to secure his side a one-wicket win. He was named the Player of the Match.While he knows his tactics may need to change here, his mentality evidently has not. “I don’t really think of it as pressure or anything like that [being the sole seamer]. For me as a player, [it’s] coming into the game a lot more and lifting my hand up for the team and just trying to do our job every time I’m called upon.”In international cricket, you expect the players to be good and you have to back yourself and match up with players skill for skill and who is the better man on the day will win. And it so happened that today I was the man for the team.”Seales may undersell himself, but, more importantly for West Indies, he finds a way to over-deliver. And in conditions tailor-made to shut him out, few could argue he has not done exactly that.

Six England players pick up deals while sealing the deal against Ireland in Paarl

Valkerie Baynes13-Feb-2023England and Ireland entered their World Cup contest on Monday in the most bizarre circumstances of any side at the tournament, with many of its participants walking onto the field with virtual price tags hanging over their heads like thought bubbles – some stamped “sold” and others not.The WPL auction had been the “elephant in the room”, according to Sophie Devine, the New Zealand captain who was eventually sold to Royal Challengers Bangalore for her base price of 50 lakh (£50,000). But all of a sudden it was adding weight to every shot, every wicket, and every catch at the picturesque Boland Park in Paarl, even while playing out 8,000km away in Mumbai.Sophie Ecclestone duly wore her price tag as a badge of honour, striding onto the pitch as a marquee spinner for UP Warriorz after being picked up for the equivalent of £180,000, before taking two wickets in two balls among her 3 for 13. Leg-spinner Sarah Glenn’s 3 for 19, however, couldn’t sway the buyers, as she went unsold for her asking price of 30 lakh.What about the six Alice Capsey heaved onto the grass banks beyond backward square leg to bring up a 21-ball fifty, the equal fastest at a World Cup and equal third-highest in all Women’s T20Is? Delhi Capitals would like more of that please – for 75 lakh (£75,000), thank you – although Capsey herself might have earned a fair bit more had she been able to produce that innings before the hammer went down.Then there was Nat Sciver-Brunt, who took the field knowing that she had fetched a cool £320,000 from Mumbai Indians, the equal second-highest price alongside Australian allrounder Ashleigh Gardner (Gujarat Giants), and behind only Smriti Mandhana, who went to Royal Challengers Bangalore for about £20,000 more.Heather Knight, England’s captain, could not deny that the auction had been on the players’ minds. She had even had to move a team meeting because the India squad are staying at the same hotel in Stellenbosch and, because they aren’t due to play until Tuesday, were able to enjoy the occasion accordingly.And such was the game-face that England had to wear – particularly in light of Ireland’s remarkable victory over Australia in last week’s warm-ups – Knight herself was given no inkling that she’d picked up a deal with RCB midway through the run-chase, not even when she was greeted by her coach, Jon Lewis, at the top of the pavilion steps after the match.”No not at all. It’s probably a good thing the way I batted,” Knight said, after an uncharacteristically scratchy 14 from 22 balls. “If they’d seen that I don’t think I would have got picked up at all, it made it a little bit hard work out there, but no, when we were at the ground it was all about just focusing on the game, and I just got told afterwards and obviously who’d been picked up and who’s missed out.”The England camp left it up to individuals to decide when they wanted to find out the results of the auction, with 10 of their playing XI having put their names forward. Six of them, plus reserve Issy Wong, secured deals worth nearly £800,000 combined.Sophie Ecclestone was one of England’s big winners at the WPL auction•AFP/Getty Images”It was strange, it’s something we’ve never experienced and you don’t often get it in the men’s game, I don’t think, when it’s on match day,” Knight said. “It was all about trying to manage it as best we could, trying to do what individuals wanted and also trying to, when we got here, our main focus obviously was on the game.”Some of the girls would have known going into it, the ones picked up early. I think Soph knew and she’s someone that really thrives on that pressure. A few of the girls would have known arriving but, during the game, our self-focus was on trying to obviously get the two points.”Knight wasn’t the least bit surprised that Sciver-Brunt had fetched such a high price, and she was conscious of ensuring that her vice-captain was as comfortable as possible with being in the limelight again, after taking a mental health break last year.”I think she’s one of the best, if not the best, cricketer in the world and Nat probably won’t like all the attention,” Knight said. “She’s very humble and she’s just very, very good at cricket. I’m super glad she’s on our team.”I think also it’s about making sure that Nat’s able to deal with that, because it’s not potentially just a positive, the pressure that comes with that. But also I think hopefully it’ll be something that she thrives on and she’s at the top of her game at the moment, so yeah, it’s not a surprise at all.”Sciver-Brunt’s wife, veteran seamer Katherine, went unsold, as did wicketkeeper Amy Jones and Danni Wyatt, while fellow opener Sophia Dunkley was a bargain for Giants at £60,000, given her recent form. Quicks Lauren Bell and Wong went to Warriorz and Mumbai Indians respectively for £37,000 each, while Knight’s 40 lakh (£40,000) base-price deal came after being overlooked in the initial draw.Related

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• Jemimah Rodrigues: Pressure of boys cricket on Mumbai maidans fuelled World Cup heroics

• Mandhana gets the biggest bid at WPL auction, goes to RCB for INR 3.4 crore

• Capsey and Ecclestone give England net-run-rate boosting win

Knight said it was also important to make sure those who hadn’t secured a place in the competition, beginning on March 4, were doing okay too.”I think the whole team will make sure individuals are looked after, that’s really important and what we’re about as a side,” she said. “The value of players to the England team doesn’t change because they haven’t been picked up, they’re still very valuable, everyone in the squad is hugely valuable to us trying to win a World Cup, so that doesn’t change.”They’ll certainly be looked after and given space if needed, to deal with anything and try and refocus and get back on it. Every individual will be given that support and ultimately we want to get the best out of every player, however we do that. The main thing is making sure they’re okay and then trying to refocus on cricket and get the best out of all the individuals in our team.”In the end, England managed to retain their focus to secure a comfortable win, after bowling Ireland out for 105 with 1.5 overs to spare, even if they made their run-chase a little harder than it might have been, with only Capsey passing 16 thanks to Cara Murray’s 3 for 15 on a golden day for spinners. Auction-wise, no Ireland players were chosen, despite expectations that Gaby Lewis – their top-scorer with 36 off 37 – might spark some interest.For 18-year-old Capsey, a fine (pay)day was made sweeter by the fact that she only recently returned from a broken collarbone suffered in December.”We were expecting to not have her available, so to see her come back and overcome that sort of injury – and mentally it can be quite tricky as well – so the fact that she’s worked her way through that and come back is brilliant,” Knight said. “She fits with exactly how I want to play the game, that fearlessness, she goes out and plays in one way and really takes on the powerplay, which is what we want from our top three players.”At least by the time South Africa and New Zealand lined up for a crunch match in the evening, with both sides looking to avoid a second straight – and potentially tournament-ending – defeat, there was no auction hanging over them, just a stunning Paarl sunset.

Also: which players have scored the most runs and taken the most wickets in England-Australia ODIs?

Steven Lynch15-Sep-2020Stuart Law scored 54 not out in his only Test innings. Does he hold the record for most runs in Tests without being dismissed? asked Keith McKenzie from Australia
Stuart Law made 54 not out in his only Test innings, against Sri Lanka in Perth in 1995-96. The unfortunate Law never won another cap, while Australia’s other debutant in that match, who scored 96, went on to play 168 Tests – Ricky Ponting.However, there is one man who made more runs in Tests than Law without being dismissed: offspinner Afaq Hussain played twice for Pakistan in the early 1960s, and scored 10, 35, 8 and 13 – all not out – for a total of 66 runs. The only man to have five innings in Tests and not be dismissed in any of them is another Pakistani, the recent seamer Aizaz Cheema, who actually won seven caps – but managed only a single run.Aaron Finch has a highest score of 172 in T20Is, 153 not out in ODIs, and 62 in Tests. Does anyone else have this back-to-front sequence? asked Aiden Holt from Australia
My first thought was that Australia’s Aaron Finch might be the only batsman with such a lopsided arrangement. He made 172 – the highest score in all T20Is – against Zimbabwe in Harare in July 2018, 153 not out in a one-day international against Pakistan in Sharjah in March 2019, and 62 on his Test debut, against Pakistan in Dubai in 2018-19.However, there is someone else, from among the ranks of batsmen who have scored at least one international century. New Zealand’s Colin Munro has a highest score of 109 not out – one of his three centuries in T20Is – against India in Rajkot in 2017-18. In ODIs he has twice scored 87 – against Bangladesh in Christchurch on Boxing Day 2016, and against Sri Lanka in Mount Maunganui in January 2019. Munro has played only one Test, against his native South Africa in Port Elizabeth in 2012-13, and scored 15 and 0.Whose international career amounted to ten Tests and 25 one-day internationals – all in the same calendar year? asked David Howe from New Zealand
The man with this brief but busy international career was the tall Indian fast bowler Abey Kuruvilla, who played 35 separate international matches in 1997, ten of them Tests, starting on March 6 and finishing on December 14. He took 50 wickets in all, 25 in each format. However, the rise of Ajit Agarkar meant Kuruvilla was jettisoned, never to return. For a recent article which explored Kuruvilla’s strange experience, click here.Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team has unearthed some other players with single-year careers but several international appearances: The old Australian fast bowler Ted McDonald played all his 11 Tests in 1921 (no ODIs back then). The flame-haired Kevin Wright kept wicket for Australia in ten Tests and five ODIs, all in 1979. And two England wicketkeepers had concentrated one-day careers: Ian Gould played 18 ODIs in 1983, including several in that year’s World Cup, while Paul Nixon played 19 (and one T20 international), all in just four months in 2007, a spell that also included a World Cup.Eoin Morgan is the leading run scorer in England-Australia ODIs with 1887 runs, ahead of Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke•Getty ImagesWith England currently playing Australia, I wondered who had scored the most runs and taken the most wickets in “Ashes” ODIs? I’m not sure such stats are regularly talked about, asked Michael Keenan from England
You’re probably right that figures from bilateral series are not widely known. It was therefore a slight surprise to me to discover that the leading scorer in England-Australia one-day internationals is none other than Eoin Morgan, who had 1887 runs after the first match of the current series. He’s well clear of Ricky Ponting (1598) and Michael Clarke (1430), the leading Australians. Six others, including Morgan’s current opposite number, Aaron Finch (1269), have scored more than 1000 runs in ODIs between England and Australia. Finch leads the way for centuries (seven), while Morgan has hit the most sixes (48, well clear of Shane Watson with 27).Turning to the bowlers, Brett Lee leads the way with 65 wickets, with Glenn McGrath second on 53. Next, with 40 wickets after the recent opening game, is Adil Rashid.Which great West Indian fast bowler played first-class cricket for Queensland in Australia? asked Jamie Stewart from Canada
This was the legendary Barbadian speedster Wes Hall, one of the stars of the 1960-61 Australia-West Indies series that started with the historic tied Test in Brisbane, in which he bowled the nerve-shredding final over. Hall, who ended up with 192 wickets in 48 Tests, returned to Queensland the following season, taking 43 wickets, and added 33 in 1962-63.Hall shook up a fair few batsmen – and Queensland’s Test wicketkeeper, Wally Grout, whose jaw he broke with a wayward delivery in the match against the MCC tourists at the Gabba which preceded the first Test of the 1962-63 season. Richie Benaud wrote: “Hall bowled a head-high full-toss at tremendous pace… The batsman ducked but Grout did not pick up the flight of the ball till fairly late. He moved to it on the leg side but the ball, having passed the batsman on the full, struck the ground immediately in front of Grout and flew straight at his face. Wally’s jaw was fractured in two places.” The unlucky Grout missed the first three matches of that Ashes series, being replaced by South Australia’s Barry Jarman.Use our feedback form or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

Are Arsenal now ready to bring the biggest trophies back to North London?

On Tuesday night, the Gunners sent out a serious statement by smashing Atlético Madrid 4-0 in the Champions League, all the goals coming during a 12-minute second-half scoring spree.

New striker Viktor Gyökeres scored twice, easing some of the pressure on his shoulders, while fellow summer signing Martín Zubimendi put in another eye-catching display.

Thus, the additions made this summer have elevated Mikel Arteta’s team to another level, but is balance one of the under-the-radar reasons why the Gunners have found red-hot form of late?

Arsenal's right-sided bias

During their previous title challenges, a high proportion of Arsenal’s attacks have come down their right flank.

The Gunners’ peak form under Arteta came during the second half of the 2023/24 campaign, winning 16 of 18 Premier League matches, with the Benjamin White, Martin Ødegaard and Bukayo Saka attacking trident down the right-hand side, by some distance, their most dangerous outlet.

As documented by the Athletic, the most common combination would see White overlapping, thereby making space for Saka, with Ødegaard’s primary task to find one or the other, this functioning thanks to White’s ‘energetic and well-timed runs’ alongside Ødegaard’s ‘exquisite passing’ as well as Saka’s ‘dribbling ability [which] forces teams to double up on him’

Meantime, the Telegraph outlined that a whopping 45% of their attacks last season came down the right flank, up from 38% and 41% the previous two campaigns, making this a clear pattern across an elongated period of time, something they describe as an issue when the opposition are able to nullify this.

We could have included dozens of goals to demonstrate the threat Arsenal pose down their right-hand side, but Kai Havertz’s late winner against Brentford in March 2024 illustrates it nicely.

Now, recent acquisitions have made Arteta’s team significantly more balanced, no longer solely reliant on some Saka magic, while neither White nor Ødegaard have featured particularly much, for various reasons, so far this season.

Thus, Arteta has reshaped his left side, so has this become equally as effective?

Arsenal's new look creative left-side

Where once Oleksandr Zinchenko stood as Arsenal’s marauding left-back, Riccardo Calafiori is the current occupant of that position.

The Italian has started all eight Premier League games so far, paradoxically described as both ”defensively very solid’ and “the most electrifying man in sports entertainment” following last weekend’s 1-0 win over Fulham at Craven Cottage.

The table below documents Calaifori’s importance this season.

Stats

Calafiori

PL rank

Minutes

614

6th

Goals

1

5th

Assists

2

1st

Shots

16

2nd

Shot-creating actions

17

4th

Goal-creating actions

5

1st

Progressive carries

16

4th

Tackles

12

3rd

Clearances

20

3rd

Ball recoveries

30

2nd

As the table notes, amazingly, only Gyökeres has attempted more shots among Arsenal players in the Premier League this season, while the Italian is contributing across all areas of the pitch, including the fact he’s second only to Declan Rice in terms of ball recoveries.

However, as White can testify from the other flank, a full-back going forward is only as good as the players he has in front of him, so could Eberechi Eze be that man for Calafiori?

Right now, the England international is being deployed more towards the right, deputising for Ødegaard, with Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli, both of whom have scored crucial goals this week, time-sharing on the left flank.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Nevertheless, Eze’s natural tendency is to drift to the left, something he’s having to fight against at the moment.

Thus, analyst Ben Mattinson posited back in 2024 that the pair could be something of a “left-sided White and Saka”, noting that there are “a lot of similarities”, adding that Calafiori is a “better carrier” and Eze is “creative”, concluding that this could be enough to fire Arsenal to the Premier League title.

The man who arrived from Crystal Palace, too much excitement, in August notched his third assist for Arsenal on Tuesday, setting up the first of Gyökeres’ two goals, while he himself opened his Gunners account at Port Vale in the EFL Cup last month.

As Arteta searches for more central creativity, Eze has regularly been deployed through the middle so far, but has started on the left too.

The best example of what he is capable of from a wider position came against Nottingham Forest, bursting in behind to get on the end of a driven ball over the top by, you guessed it, Calafiori, before squaring it for Gyökeres to tap home.

This goal could prove to be just an amuse bouche of what this £110m pair are able to contribute this season so, if Arsenal’s left side becomes anywhere near as potent as their right, supporters have every reason to believe that this genuinely could be their year.

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ByJack Salveson Holmes Oct 23, 2025

This was a night for three points. Liverpool’s staggering decline this season cannot be understated, and following a succession of disappointing draws against Sunderland and Leeds United, a one-goal win over Inter Milan at the San Siro could bear dividends going forward.

It was a strange contest on the VAR front, with Ibrahima Konate’s first-half header ruled out before Florian Wirtz won a match-winning penalty late on, adjudged to have been pulled to the ground by Alessandro Bastoni. Dominik Szoboszlai stepped up and converted.

Liverpool have returned to the top eight of the Champions League. Liverpool’s defensive line has been so porous this season, leakier than Old Trafford roofing, but Arne Slot has employed a more compact and pragmatic system in recent fixtures. Back to basics.

However, the Reds’ highly talented forward players are still, as a unit, flattering to deceive, and improvements are needed there.

How Liverpool's forwards played at San Siro

Post-match, Slot detailed Liverpool’s emphasis on shutting up shop in recent weeks. Mixed results on that front, but there has been a concerted plan all the same, and it came to fruition against Serie A champions Inter Milan.

Szoboszlai’s penalty aside, Liverpool amassed 0.56 xG in the second half, as opposed to just 0.12 before the break. Slot’s tactical tweaks were on the money in Italy, but the Premier League champions are still struggling to get a tune out of record signing Alexander Isak, who huffed and puffed but was unable to achieve anything of note in the final third before being withdrawn after the hour mark.

This is a world-class striker, but he needs better creative connections. Curious, then, that he was replaced by Wirtz, who nestled into the ten spot and changed the game, finding pockets of space and placing the Nerazzurri defenders under pressure, creating a chance, winning both of his duels and enjoying neat interplay with Ekitike and Szoboszlai in particular.

Anfield plays host to a crucial Premier League tie against Brighton & Hove Albion this weekend, and it’s crucial that the German playmaker starts at the expense of a star who still hasn’t clicked together this season.

Slot must drop 6/10 Liverpool star

So many Liverpool stars have flattered to deceive this season, and Alexis Mac Allister has been one of the most disappointing. The 26-year-old has played at such a high level since joining the Merseysiders from Brighton in 2023, but he’s lacked bite and energy and eloquence in the engine room.

Deployed in a more advanced role against Inter, ostensibly to ease his defensive struggles and build-up problems this season, the £150k-per-week talent did actually prove dependable in stifling the hosts’ threat, but he lacked the completeness that fans have come to expect, unable to effectively service the forwards.

The Liverpool Echo acknowledged Mac Allister’s defensive contribution, handing him a 6/10 match rating, but they also drew attention to the Argentine’s attacking effort, leaving something to be desired on that front.

There has been a suffocating air of frustration around the South American’s performances this term, and most of that is because Liverpool fans know how good he can be.

But he’s offering little right now, and though he completed his defensive duties with diligence, there was a lack of dynamism and sparkle that will hinder the Anfield side going forward. He didn’t attempt a dribble and neither did he create a chance. Wirtz must play at the weekend.

Ultimately, Liverpool still have many, many creases to iron out, but this was a step in the right direction. However, Liverpool’s emphasis on compactness cannot come at the expense of pre-existing creative problems, and Wirtz must start at the weekend; that much is clear.

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By
Angus Sinclair

6 days ago

A large portion of Daniel Farke’s summer signings at Leeds United stood out in the Whites’ dramatic 3-3 draw against Liverpool last time out.

Indeed, Dominic Calvert-Lewin would have loved following up his instinctive effort against Chelsea with a penalty goal against the Reds, having just recently waved goodbye to Everton.

Anton Stach also got in on the goalscoring act as another new recruit from Hoffenheim, before Ao Tanaka – who triumphantly lifted the Championship title last season – hammered home the crucial equaliser.

Unfortunately, not every fresh face that arrived at Elland Road this off-season has instantly gelled, with Farke now in danger of having his very own Vurnon Anita, six years on from the ex-Newcastle United midfielder’s uneventful stint in West Yorkshire.

Remembering Anita's shambolic stay at Leeds

Leeds would have felt they’d struck gold by being able to land the now 36-year-old on a free transfer in 2017, considering Anita was just fresh off a Championship promotion with the Magpies, and the Whites were desperately looking to break back into the Premier League.

On top of his EFL experience, the three-time Eredivisie winner had also amassed 106 Premier League appearances on Tyneside as a useful utility presence, with one of his former Toon coaches, John Carver, once stating that he always has the “same attitude and commitment” wherever he’s thrown into the XI.

Anita’s numbers for Leeds

Stat

Anita

Games played

22

Minutes played

1620 mins

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Wage per week

£25k-per-week

Wage costs for a year

£1.3m

Sourced by Transfermarkt/Capology

Unfortunately for the Whites, though, they never managed to get the best out of Anita, who could play at left-back or right-back at a moment’s notice, away from his central midfield duties, with an unmemorable 22 first-team appearances all she wrote on his forgettable Leeds career.

His high £25k-per-week salary came under plenty of scrutiny, therefore, with Anita – who wasn’t even registered as an outfield player for Leeds during the 2018/19 campaign – branded as a “huge waste of money” by ex-Leeds player Noel Whelan, after he was chucked to one side by Marcelo Bielsa.

Surely, if Leeds could turn back time, they would never have gambled on the Curacao international to come good, with a worryingly similar tale playing out in the here and now for Farke…

Farke's very own Anita

Thankfully, Leeds already look to be vindicated in their decision to bring in the aforementioned Calvert-Lewin on a free transfer, with no Anita-style repeat on the cards here, as the Sheffield-born striker already boasts four Premier League goals for Farke’s men.

The same, however, cannot be said for Sebastiaan Bornauw, who appears to be destined for the exit door, just a matter of months after sealing a move to England for a modest £5.1m fee from Wolfsburg.

Yet, at the time of the capture, Leeds would have thought they’d acquired a diamond in the rough, with the 26-year-old accumulating 140 Bundesliga appearances for both Wolfsburg and FC Köln, meaning the hope would be that he could be a dependable cover option at the back for Farke.

Fast forward to the present, though, and the deal to bring the four-time Belgium international to English shores has already been dismissed as “laughable” as per Leeds-based content creator Lewis Deighton, with Bornauw only fit enough for a paltry two minutes of Premier League action so far.

This is a far cry from when Sky Sports’ Dougie Critchley was hailing the capture of Bornauw as an indicator that Leeds had conducted some “excellent” summer business back in July, with the lofty number 23 already out of action for four games this season, owing to recurring knee issues.

Estimated to be on a bumper £45k-per-week pay packet, too, all the current signs are pointing in the direction that Bornauw is Leeds’ modern-day iteration of Anita.

For context, both Joe Rodon and Ethan Ampadu are on a lesser £40k-per-week salary each, reportedly.

Further dubbed as looking “terrible” against Sheffield Wednesday in the EFL Cup by commentator Sam Matterface, on what has been his only start to date, he only won 50% of his duels against lower league opposition.

It really does feel as if Bornauw’s stay at Elland Road will be extremely short-lived, as he just goes down as a forgotten flop, like Anita before him.

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Posts ByJoe Nuttall 4 days ago

The defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers are not an easy outing for any pitcher, no matter how good. The Dodgers, rolling back many of their key bats from 2024, made relatively easy work of the National League playoff field and the American League champion New York Yankees to hoist the trophy to put a capper on last season.

Paul Skenes drew the Dodgers assignment on Friday and was up to the challenge, shutting their bats out through six and a third innings. It was not all easy, including one thorny Shohei Ohtani at-bat that could have changed the game had Skenes not locked in and thrown his best stuff.

Skenes seemed to relish the challenge, speaking highly of the battle after the game with the media.

"This is where baseball gets really fun, I think, to find different ways to get them out," Skenes said, H/T Alden Gonzalez of ESPN. "Ohtani saw all my pitches today. Freddie [Freeman], I think, saw all my pitches today. They've all seen all my pitches. I'm not hiding anything from them, and they're not hiding anything from me."

Baseball at its purest. No deception or flair, just all-out skill vs. skill.

Through six starts, Skenes has a record of 3-2 with a 2.39 ERA. The Pirates currently occupy the last spot in the NL Central, six games back. Fans have expressed their displeasure with the franchise's seeming reluctance to build around Skenes, showering "sell the team" chants aimed at ownership since the first home game of the season.

Welsh Fire condemned to wooden spoon once again despite best efforts of Kohler-Cadmore

ECB Media28-Aug-2025In the last game of the group stage, Welsh Fire could have climbed as high as fourth in the table with a win against Southern Brave in Southampton but defeat left them rock bottom, joining their women’s team in ending up with the wooden spoon.In the end it was Southern Brave, with Jason Roy (70 off 39) rolling back the years, who ended up in that fourth position, after a game that was all about playing for pride, the top three positions in the table all having been decided days ago.Fire chose to field and with the Brave at 10 for 2 off 14 balls, the Welsh side were delighted with their start. But Roy was at his belligerent best, counterattacking brilliantly, twice hitting successive sixes to get himself going and bringing up his 50 from 30 balls. David Payne (2 for 17) used his smarts to do for him in the end but despite 30 from 21 from Leus du Plooy, it took a rambunctious finish from Craig Overton and Jordan Thompson to take the home side up to an impressive looking 167 for 7.In reply, Overton took two scalps in the first five balls, one of them the big wicket of Steve Smith, snapped up by Roy at extra cover. With the score at 24 for 3 after the Powerplay, the Fire’s hopes seemed all but extinguished. And when Tom Abell went, with 117 needed from 59, it was a tall order but Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Welsh starlet Ben Kellaway soaked up the pressure and then exploded, hitting shots all around the ground to bring the Fire right back into things.Kohler-Cadmore matched Roy in striking a brace of successive sixes and Kellaway lost nothing by comparison, the two combining for 81 in 39 balls and leaving the match in the balance.In an innings where 40 overs of spin had gone for 85 runs, it was left to seamers Thompson and Tymal Mills to bowl the last 20 with 36 needed and their death bowling skills were evident, with a succession of yorkers and slower balls. It came down to 18 from 5 and a no ball and a slugged six made the Fire favourites, but then Thompson bowled Kohler-Cadmore (84 off 46) to leave seven needed off two, then six of off one. Another nailed yorker was enough to see the Brave home.Meerkat Match Hero Overton said: “It was great to get across the line; we haven’t quite put in the performances this year so it’s good to finish with a win. It was about doing the basics; it swung a bit and the way the boys finished off was great.”The boys have been awesome; the group has been similar for the last three of four years and it’s nice to get back together. We didn’t quite perform how we would have wanted but that’s the way it goes sometimes.”

“Hindsight is a beautiful thing, and obviously, I wish now that I didn’t play that shot and get out,” Harry Brook says

Matt Roller04-Aug-20251:58

Bangar: Brook largely responsible for what unraveled

Harry Brook was “very confident” that England would win The Oval Test when he arrived at on Monday morning, but ended up looking back on his own dismissal with regret after their six-run defeat.Brook scored a swashbuckling 111 off 95 balls in a seemingly game-changing fourth-wicket stand with Joe Root on Sunday, taking England to 301 for 3 in pursuit of 374. But he miscued to mid-off while charging down and trying to hit Akash Deep over extra cover for a third consecutive boundary, and his dismissal was the first domino to fall in a collapse of 7 for 66.”My thought process was just to try and hit as many runs as quick as possible,” Brook said at the post-match presentation. “Like I said, the game’s done if we need 40 runs with me and Rooty in there; if I get out there [with 40 to win], the game’s still done. Obviously, it didn’t work. Hindsight is a beautiful thing, and obviously, I wish now that I didn’t play that shot and get out.”Related

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He told the BBC’s : “At the time, I was obviously very confident. If I’d have got a quick 30 off the next two overs, then the game is done. That was my thought process. I always try and take the game on and put them under immense pressure… I wish I was there at the end, but you can’t write them things.”I had no idea that we were going to lose seven wickets for 60 runs. You’ve got arguably the best Test cricketer in the world out there at the time as well in Rooty, and in the back of my mind, [I thought] I’d try and get as many runs as quickly as possible and the game is done. I had every faith in Rooty that he was going to be there at the end.”But while Brook said he regretted his shot, Ben Stokes sprung to his player’s defence and highlighted the wider value of his attacking approach. “Harry got us into that position by playing a particular way, putting the Indian bowlers under immense pressure to take them away from being able to consistently bowl the areas that they wanted to bowl in,” he said. “I’m sure everyone was applauding him when he brought up his hundred in the way that he did. Some of the shots he played were unbelievable. The dismissal and the way that he got out was a shot that we’d seen a lot of him do in that innings, which I’m sure was getting a lot of praise.”7:00

Stokes: ‘Series great for the wider game’

Brook had a life early in his innings, picking out Mohammed Siraj at long leg on 19 only for the fielder to tread on the advertising cushion on the boundary rope while steadying himself. “I thought the match was gone,” Siraj later said. “Had we got Harry Brook out before lunch, things would have been different. There would have been no fifth day.”Instead, Brook blitzed a brilliant hundred, doubling down on his attacking approach to reach a 39-ball 50 before shifting down a gear and rotating strike with Root. His second fifty took 52 balls and brought the requirement down into double figures. Despite his dismissal, he had put England on course to complete what would have been the second-highest successful chase in their history.They were clear favourites as long as Root was at the crease, but he was caught behind for 105 late on the fourth day – looking to steer a Prasidh Krishna outswinger away for a single – before rain intervened. Even then, with 35 runs required and four wickets in hand, Brook said he was sure Jamie Smith and Jamie Overton would see England home.”I came into the day this morning very confident,” he said. “We had two very good players out there at the time, and I just thought we were going to easily see it home. The way that the Indians fought back there and the way that Siraj bowled especially, I think he deserved every success there.2:19

Miller: Woakes’ bravery epitomises the value of Test cricket

“We were thinking the bowlers would stiffen up a bit [overnight] and the pitch would be a little bit flatter, but obviously with the overcast conditions – lights on again – it started to zip around a bit. Like I said before, Siraj, he’s played five Test matches in a row, bowled 85mph-plus every ball, and he’s had a phenomenal series. I respect him a lot for what he’s done this series.”Brook was nominated as England’s Player of the Series by India’s coach Gautam Gambhir after scoring 481 runs at 53.44 in nine innings, including hundreds at Edgbaston and The Oval and 99 at Headingley. “I’ve played all right,” he said. “I could have won that game yesterday, which is devastating, but I’m just happy to contribute to as many games [as I can].”He plans to play the full Hundred season as Northern Superchargers captain – starting this week – before leading England into white-ball series against South Africa (at home) and Ireland (away). He will then finally get a short break before travelling to New Zealand for a white-ball tour, leading into the main assignments of the winter: the Ashes, then the T20 World Cup.”My first game is on Thursday, so it’s a fairly quick turnaround. We’ll see how I get on. It’s a completely different ball game,” he said. “I’ll go out there and try and work on a few things and get ready for another long winter ahead. It’s going to be awesome. We’ve got a lot of cricket to be played… There’s a lot to look forward to. Hopefully, everybody stays fit and we’ll be raring to go.”

Roberto Firmino has weighed in on some of football’s biggest debates ahead of Liverpool’s blockbuster clash with Real Madrid, picking Mohamed Salah over Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Jr over Luis Diaz. The ex-Liverpool star praised both rivals but revealed his admiration for Vinicius’ energy and Salah’s unmatched consistency ahead of Champions League clash.

• Firmino names Salah and Vinicius among favourites

  Former Liverpool forward and Brazilian international Firmino has shared his picks between some of the world’s top footballers, siding with Salah and Vini when asked to choose between the duos Salah-Bellingham and Diazi-Vinicius. Speaking to , the Brazilian, who currently plays for Al Saddi in the Qatar Stars League, didn’t hesitate when asked to compare two of his former Premier League peers.

  When asked who he would choose between Diaz and Vini Jr., Firmino responded: “It’s very difficult to choose so simply. But… Vini!” He also showed loyalty to his former teammate when asked to pick between Bellingham and Salah, replying: “Mo Salah.”

  Firmino’s choices come ahead of the high-powered Champions League showdown between his former club Liverpool and Madrid, a fixture he described as “one of the best matches you can find in world football.” The Brazilian made it clear that his heart remains with the Reds, “as a Liverpool fan, I hope the Reds win.”

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  Firmino 'a big fan of Vini’

  The ex-Liverpool man also expressed admiration for Vinicius, both as a player and as a person, commending the Madrid forward’s attitude and skill while defending him from critics. “Vinicius is a great player. I had the opportunity to be with him on the national team and play against Real Madrid,” Firmino said. “Personally, he’s a really good guy. I think it’s normal for opposing fans to put pressure on him, but what I don’t like is when they bring up racism.”

  The Brazilian also offered advice for his compatriot on how to handle off-field distractions, saying: “If I were him, I’d try not to listen too much to what’s being said outside the stadium. I’d try to focus on football regardless of what people say. I wish him all the best. I’m a fan of Vini, and I love him as a footballer.”

• Salah still shining at Anfield

  Firmino’s selection of Salah over Bellingham highlights not only his respect for Liverpool’s Egyptian icon but also his enduring bond with his former teammate. Salah and Firmino formed one of the most formidable attacking trios in modern football alongside Sadio Mane, powering Liverpool to Champions League and Premier League glory under Jurgen Klopp.

  During his eight-year stay at Anfield, Firmino scored 111 goals in 362 matches. His connection with Salah on and off the field was central to Liverpool’s success, and his latest comments reaffirm the admiration he has for the winger’s professionalism and consistency.

  While Bellingham has recently emerged as a superstar at Madrid, Salah remains Liverpool’s heartbeat. Firmino’s nod to his former teammate serves as a reminder of the Egyptian’s longevity and impact at the highest level, a player who continues to deliver even as Liverpool undergo a new era under Arne Slot.

  The Brazilian, who now stars in Qatar’s top flight, continues to follow Liverpool’s fortunes closely and believes the Reds’ evolution under Slot could soon yield major results. Having seen Klopp step away in 2024, Firmino recently also hinted on the Diary of a CEO podcast that his former manager might one day return to the dugout: "I think he's taking a break, I think he's going to go back to coaching a club. Whether it's Liverpool, only he can say."

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  Liverpool vs Real Madrid set for UCL showdown

  Firmino’s comments arrive just as Liverpool and Real Madrid prepare to renew one of football’s fiercest modern rivalries at Anfield. The Reds head into the Champions League encounter after a morale-boosting 2-0 win over Aston Villa, but their opponent is looking too dangerous under Xabi Alonso as Real Madrid remain in imperious form, winning 13 of their last 14 matches, and leading their league's table, after clinching the intense Clasico, and beating Valencia 4-0.

  Arne Slot’s side will need all their firepower, including Salah’s leadership, to overcome Alonso’s relentless Madrid, who boast Kylian Mbappe's form, along with Vinicius, and Bellingham also in unstoppable form. The stage is set for another European classic, one that Firmino, watching from Doha, will surely be following with emotion and pride for both his former club and his fellow Brazilians.