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West Ham United manager Nuno has now commented on the ownership protest, which took place after the 3-1 victory against Newcastle United on Sunday.

West Ham picked up just their second Premier League victory of the season at the weekend, defeating Newcastle at the London Stadium, courtesy of a long-range Lucas Paqueta strike and a Sven Botman own-goal, before Tomas Soucek put the game beyond doubt in injury time.

Nuno managed to get his first win on the board despite a backdrop of discontent, with supporters planning a sit-in protest against the board, having reached the end of their tether with David Sullivan and Karren Brady.

The players seemed unaffected by the off-field issues, however, with Alfie Potts, who had a goal disallowed for a marginal offside in the second half, praising his teammates after the match, saying: “We all fought for the shirt, and we came away with three points, which I think was deserved.”

“I feel like everyone today showed that we’ve got the character and the challenge to come back from positions that we have been in the past, and we can win games, especially against teams like Newcastle who attack really well.”

Nuno directly asked about West Ham fans' protest

The West Ham manager was directly asked about what he thought of the supporters’ protest on Sunday, and he took the time to praise the Hammers faithful, saying: “I think the fans saw something in the team today and this is what we want, this is how we should look at the situation.

“How can we as a team, show to our fans that we want to fight, we want to change [the] situation.

“We want to make things tough for our opponents. We want to change our game, we want to improve our game. The fans [we] cannot thank them enough.”

Of course, the 51-year-old can’t directly criticise the ownership, especially considering some of his recent experiences, with the former Nottingham Forest manager being dismissed after admitting his relationship with Evangelos Marinakis had deteriorated.

However, Nuno’s assessment that the supporters were buoyed on by an encouraging performance is certainly accurate, with the Irons showing signs they are more than capable of getting out of relegation trouble.

West Ham were more than deserving of their victory, as despite the visitors dominating most of the possession, they failed to create any big chances in the match, while the hosts crafted two.

Nuno will be hoping his side can now start to build momentum, with an early six-pointer at home against Burnley pencilled in for next Saturday.

West Ham player ratings as Nuno secures first victory West Ham player ratings v Newcastle United as Nuno secures first victory

The Hammers returned to winning ways with a 3-1 win against Newcastle this afternoon.

ByDominic Lund Nov 2, 2025

As Major League Baseball's trade deadline quickly approaches, emotions are running high across the league.

Play doesn't stop as each team's front office works behind the scenes to discuss and execute deals that help bolster a postseason push or build for the future. As the Cleveland Guardians sit at .500 and three games back from the American League's final wild card, outfielder Steven Kwan has heard his name in trade rumors.

He was in the lineup Wednesday evening as the Guardians defeated the Colorado Rockies 5-0 at home. And just in case it was his last game wearing Guardians' colors at Progressive Field, he made sure to send a sweet gesture to fans sitting in left field. As he ran in from the outfield, he turned around and sent a wave in case anything changes before Cleveland's next home game Friday.

Early Wednesday afternoon, MLB insider Mark Feinsand reported the Guardians are "trying to move" Kwan and pitcher Shane Bieber. Kwan remains under club control through the end of the 2027 season. He has slashed .286/.350/.408 with nine home runs and 38 RBIs this season. He had a great postseason last year as the Guardians made a run to the American League Championship Series with a monster .382 batting average over 42 at-bats in the playoffs.

With less than 24 hours remaining before the July 31 deadline hits at 6 p.m. ET, Kwan remains in Cleveland. Should he be involved in a deal, though, he made sure to say goodbye to the fans he has played in front of for the entirety of his four-year MLB career.

A prominent German journalist has launched an impassioned defence of struggling Liverpool signing Florian Wirtz, and taken aim at jealous ex-Manchester United stars for their perceived unjust criticism. The Reds' blockbuster summer signing from Bayer Leverkusen has also been tipped to become the biggest star in the Premier League despite his slow start at Anfield.

Wirtz fails to hit ground running in England

Wirtz has struggled to adapt to the Premier League since joining from the Bundesliga, with his £116 million ($152m) price tag drawing significant scrutiny as he has failed to record a single goal or assist in his first 11 league appearances. And following last weekend’s damaging 3-0 defeat by Manchester City, Gary Neville stated that Wirtz "looked like a little boy" and was being "chucked around the pitch". Neville emphasised that the club must persist with the Germany international, but need him to "stand up soon". On his YouTube channel, Rio Ferdinand suggested that being dropped for significant matches has likely created "huge doubts" in Wirtz’s mind about joining Liverpool. In contrast, Wayne Rooney has argued that Wirtz actually damages Liverpool's balance and questioned where he fits in the system, even while noting players take time to settle in. 

But a journalist from German paper has come out swinging in the player's defence, and made a bold prediction about how Wirtz will influence the game in England. 

AdvertisementAFP'He's not bothered by these comments'

Journalist, Axel Hesse, said: "There's no need to feel sorry for Wirtz. For three reasons: His quality and mentality are outstanding. He's not particularly bothered by these comments. And they usually come from a certain quarter. Rooney, Ferdinand, Neville – they're all former players of arch-rivals Manchester United. Therefore, either their motivation is their dislike for Liverpool and Wirtz, because of the mega transfer fee of 140 million euros, is their new favorite victim – or they have no idea!

"To put things in perspective: Wirtz is the player who, alongside Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe, has created the most chances in the Champions League this season (16)," continued Hesse. "He was the best player on the pitch in the recent 1-0 win against Los Blancos. He also creates a string of chances in the Premier League. He covers the most ground, wins tackles, and works hard for the team. The Liverpool fans appreciate that."

'The biggest attraction in your league'

Hesse added: "The fact that the technician isn't performing as brilliantly as he did in previous years at Leverkusen is primarily due to one factor: his teammates at Liverpool aren't currently converting their chances. Especially striker Mo Salah, for whom the German superstar was signed as the perfect partner, is struggling. Manager Arne Slot has already stated: 'We're not used to him missing chances'.

"The core problem: The English champions aren't yet functioning as a unit. An eight-point deficit to Premier League leaders Arsenal is clear proof. Wirtz is part of that. An important part, no doubt. He was brought in to lead the club to further titles – just as he is now supposed to lead Germany to the World Cup qualifiers in Luxembourg and against Slovakia. At Liverpool, he's considered a leader and the face of the future. There's no doubt about that. Critics point to the huge transfer fee, which is understandable. And yes, he and his team were completely outclassed in their recent 3-0 defeat at Manchester City."

Hesse concluded: "Dear England experts, Florian Wirtz is not only our best player – but soon also the biggest attraction in your league!"

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Getty Images SportSupport pours in for Wirtz

Liverpool boss Slot has been quick to defend Wirtz and responded to recent claims from former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger that the German had "destroyed" the Reds’ midfield. 

Slot said: "If I need open-heart surgery, I am not going to tell the surgeon what to do. Everyone has a right to his own opinion and many of them have. That is the nice thing about football, that everyone has his opinion about it. If I need open-heart surgery, I am not going to tell the surgeon what he needs to do but about football everyone is telling you what the best thing is to do. But that is also the nice thing about football because everyone knows it so we can talk about it."

Behind the wicket is this unorthodox India batter’s happy place

Deivarayan Muthu22-Oct-20241:37

Manjrekar: Sarfaraz should walk into India’s XI for the Australia tour

When Will O’Rourke, at 6’4″, the tallest bowler in the current New Zealand attack banged one into the pitch in Bengaluru, it seemed destined to smack Sarfaraz Khan on his head until an impish intervention from the batter. Sarfaraz had originally misjudged the bounce as he tried to avoid the bouncer. To make matters worse, it kept veering into him as well. The fates had decided he was going to end up on his backside. He said, ‘fine but I’m getting something out of it’ and somehow ramped a ball that was pushing him down into the floor for a boundary.Ramps are ostentatious shots for most batters but for Sarfaraz it is staple. It’s his signature. Like how the cover drive is Virat Kohli’s. Like how the pull is Rohit Sharma’s. Like how the one-handed loft is Rishabh Pant’s.Having been bred on the bouncy, red-soil pitches in Mumbai, Sarfaraz has developed various versions of this shot, from the delicate dab ramp over the cordon to the full-blooded scythe over deep third. And he can play these shots to balls ranging from just back-of-a-length to a bouncer by twisting his body like a contortionist to get underneath the ball.He even played the ramp off a full and wide one from Bhuvneshwar Kumar back in IPL 2016 at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. Having spotted Sarfaraz manufacture swinging room, Bhuvneshwar had shifted his lines wide of off stump, but the batter still caught up with the ball, got underneath it, and ramped it over the deep-third boundary. Sarfaraz was only 18 then. This ability to manipulate the “V” behind the wicket has been with him from day one of a professional cricket career that is now in its 10th year.Sarfaraz showed his full range behind square in the first Test against New Zealand at the same venue where he had bested Bhuvneshwar as a teenager. Look at his wagon wheel from the recent Bengaluru Test. He scored 96 of his 150 runs behind the wicket.Fourteen of Sarfaraz’s 21 boundaries in the first Test came behind the wicket•ESPNcricinfo LtdSarfaraz was dismissed for a duck in the first innings. When there was excessive seam movement for New Zealand’s seamers under overcast skies, he went hard at the ball and ended up playing well in front of the body, shanking a catch to mid-off. In the second innings, when the pitch had lost its early juice, and there wasn’t as much lateral movement, Sarfaraz allowed the ball to come onto him and kept directing it behind the wicket. Believe it or not, he had not scored a single run in the “V” in front of wicket until after his hundred.”I like playing the balls that rise high. I have a bouncy wicket back at home [Mumbai], and I play regularly there, and the bounce easily allows me to cut,” Sarfaraz said. “They [New Zealand] were trying to bowl short at me, and I simply played accordingly. It was fun.”Related

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Williamson to miss second Test against India

It’s not always fun though. The same shot that left jaws on the floor in Bengaluru – the duck ramp – led to his downfall in Lucknow. It was IPL 2023. Mark Wood was the bowler and he was giving Sarfaraz a serious working over to the extent that he was caught off a bouncer that he had initially tried to avoid. That couldn’t have felt good. It certainly didn’t look good. That dismissal epitomised the risk that comes with unorthodox strokeplay; not so much that it could result in your downfall but more that it makes you look silly. Sarfaraz is happy to live with this risk. He trains to try and minimise this risk. When he met Wood again in the Dharamsala Test earlier this year, he ramped the fast bowler, nonchalantly, to the deep-third boundary.The pitch in Pune might not offer as much bounce for Sarfaraz to play his ramps, with a bald, back-soil surface set to negate the seamers and bring the spinners into play. Sarfaraz, though, can also disrupt spin, thanks to a number of sweeps, including the reverse. He crouches low for these sweeps and often crunches them flat and hard – both in front of and behind the wicket.Sarfaraz Khan countered the short balls with the ramp•BCCIWhen Ajaz Patel dangled a full ball up outside off in India’s second innings in Bengaluru, Sarfaraz stretched out, met the pitch of the ball, and swept so hard that it sounded like a thunderclap. Earlier, in the Irani Cup, when Saransh Jain, the emerging offspinner from Madhya Pradesh, blocked the sweep with a packed leg-side field, Sarfaraz unfurled the reverse-sweep and countered him.With Shubman Gill likely to be fit for the second Test, India will have to make a choice between Sarfaraz and KL Rahul. It will incredibly hard for the team management to ignore Sarfaraz, especially after he had scored his maiden Test hundred, which had them dreaming about a remarkable comeback win at one point, though Rahul has a case for himself: he was a bit unlucky in Bengaluru and has a strong body of work overseas.”Sarfaraz was obviously brilliant in the last Test,” Ryan ten Doeschate, India’s assistant coach, said on Tuesday. “I went to KL after the last Test and said: ‘how many balls did you play and miss at?’ He didn’t play and miss one ball and that’s what tends to happen when you’re not getting runs. He got the two balls in the game – one caught down the leg side and one that he managed to nick.”So there’s certainly no concerns about KL. He’s batting nicely, he’s in a good mental space, but yeah, we’re certainly going to have to fit seven pieces into six spots for this Test and look at the pitch now and decide what’s going to be best for the team.”For so long, Sarfaraz has been on the outside looking in on this Indian team. But bit by bit, day by day, shot by shot, his chances of making it to the first-choice XI are ramping up.

The New York Yankees placed outfielder Aaron Judge on the 10-day injured list over the weekend with a flexor strain in his right elbow. Though Judge will have to miss some time, he did avoid a more serious injury or any damage to his ulnar collateral ligament, and his elbow will not require surgery.

"I think we in the big picture dodged something pretty good," Yankees manager Aaron Boone told on Tuesday. "Hopefully this little bit of downtime does the trick and also serves as a little bit of a physical reset for him in a long season where you're playing every day."

Boone added that he thinks Judge will begin hitting off the tee on Tuesday or Wednesday, and will resume throwing 10-15 days after the injury. Boone remains unsure of how long it will take Judge to be ready to go in the outfield after he starts throwing again.

Per Bryan Hoch of , Boone said the "hope" is that Judge will play as the designated hitter when he's eligible to return from the IL on Aug. 5.

The Yankees have talked to designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton about playing outfield with Judge out and for depth down the stretch. Though Stanton is "eager" about the opportunity and will do some drills in the outfield this week, Boone is unsure if he will actually use Stanton in that role.

Sri Lanka have never beaten Australia in ODIs but they have the advantage of playing at home

Madushka Balasuriya03-Oct-20252:44

Can the Australia batting juggernaut be stopped?

Big picture: Sri Lanka need to up their gameIf there were even the faintest doubt about who the favourites for the 2025 Women’s World Cup were, they were put to bed as swiftly as an Ashleigh Gardner blade swing after Australia’s dominant win over New Zealand in their tournament opener.In Indore, Australia started fast and stumbled, but like an unrelenting force, they just kept coming. In the end, their victory was less about outplaying New Zealand and more about brute-forcing the result. As far as early tournament markers go, it was an impressive one.Against India in their opener, Sri Lanka too set an early marker of the sort of side they are. They had India reeling at 124 for 6 but then proceeded to drop each of the next four chances that came their way to let the hosts claw themselves back into the contest and register a fairly comprehensive win eventually. Discipline followed by indiscipline; bad undoing the good.Related

'Good to start with best teams' – Sri Lanka's Athapaththu ready for Australia after India

Sri Lanka have not played an ODI against Australia since 2019, but they know what they need to do. Resilience has been a buzzword for Chamari Athapaththu, and in that sense it’s clear that any lingering hang-ups from that opening defeat will be well behind them come Saturday. But execution might be the more pertinent declaration if they’re to show their best selves against the defending champions.With free entry being granted to the stadium, Sri Lanka will also be hoping for substantial home support. They’re also very familiar with the Khettarama surface, as the high-performance centre where the national players train is located there. So while Sri Lanka have never beaten Australia in an ODI, the conditions for an upset are nevertheless in place.Form guideAustralia WWLWW (last five ODIs most recent first)
Sri Lanka LLLWWVishmi Gunaratne’s form is a concern for Sri Lanka•ACCIn the spotlight: Ashleigh Gardner and Vishmi GunaratneLike the surprise manifestation of a final boss’ second health bar after you think you’ve finally got them beat, Ashleigh Gardner sits spearheading Australia’s lower middle order. Her 115 off 83 against New Zealand served to highlight not just the resilience of this Australian outfit, but their entire aura. While her role is a challenging one, it’s invaluable in that it affords the licence for those above her to play with freedom, while allowing her to provide guidance to those below her. And it means that while she is at the crease, Australia are never beat.In August 2024, Vishmi Gunaratne struck her maiden ODI hundred against Ireland. Her three innings in the lead-up to that read 40, 50, 44. But in ten innings since then, she has not been able to cross 36. While Athapaththu would be the obvious pick for this section, if Sri Lanka are to challenge Australia, they need the rest of their batting to chip in in a big way. Gunaratne has been out of sorts, but Sri Lanka will be banking on her rediscovering her groove even though it’s her first ODI against Australia.Team news: Brown or Schutt?Australia are unlikely to make any changes to the batting, though it remains to be seen if Darcie Brown continues in place of Megan Schutt.Australia (probable): 1 Alyssa Healy (capt & wk), 2 Phoebe Litchfield, 3 Ellyse Perry, 4 Beth Mooney, 5 Annabel Sutherland, 6 Ashleigh Gardner, 7 Tahlia McGrath, 8 Sophie Molineux, 9 Kim Garth, 10 Alana King, 11 Darcie BrownSri Lanka played their first-choice XI against India, and it’s unlikely there will be any changes.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Hasini Perera, 2 Chamari Athapaththu (capt), 3 Harshitha Samarawickrama, 4 Vishmi Gunaratne, 5 Kavisha Dilhari, 6 Anushka Sanjeewani (wk), 7 Nilakshika Silva, 8 Sugandika Kumari, 9 Inoka Ranaweera, 10 Achini Kulasuriya, 11 Udeshika PrabodhaniAshleigh Gardner scored a brilliant hundred against New Zealand•Getty ImagesPitch and conditions: Rain could play spoilsportThe pitch at the R Premadasa Stadium has traditionally offered up an even contest between bat and ball. However, efforts have been made recently to make it more batting-friendly, so there may not be as much in it for the spinners as usual. As for the weather, there is a distinct chance of rain in Colombo throughout the afternoon.Stats and trivia: Australia 11-0 Sri Lanka Sri Lanka have lost each of their 11 ODIs against Australia. Athapaththu is 80 runs away from 4000 ODI runs. Gardner’s 51 wickets are the most by an Australian since the 2022 World Cup. They are the joint-third-most in that period among all players.Quotes”The beauty of a World Cup is you play every different side and you have to prepare. You don’t really get time to learn. You’ve got to come out firing. But I think our group’s got some awesome heads on our shoulders and we are able to assess conditions and adapt to whatever’s thrown at us.”
“We’re playing against the best team. The world champions. But if we can execute the right plan at the right time, I know we can beat any team. But execution is the most important thing, rather than the skill and the mindset. So we’ll have to play our best game tomorrow.”

Roy Keane has claimed that his infamous leg-breaker on Erling Haaland's dad, Alfie, was not an unfair challenge. To get a bigger picture and understand the magnitude of Keane’s fury, you have to rewind to September 1997, when Manchester United faced Leeds United at Elland Road.

How did it all start?

Keane was a player who thrived on combat on the pitch. However, he went down in agony after rupturing his cruciate ligament while attempting a challenge. As he lay on the turf, clutching his knee in genuine pain, Haaland, who was playing for Leeds, stood over him and sneered, accusing him of faking an injury. 

"He tried to tackle me and I got the free kick. He was lying on the ground and I just told him to ‘get up’ as you normally do with players – nothing more than that," Haaland said in an earlier interview. "I wasn’t trying to intend anything against him, but obviously he took that very hard."

AdvertisementGetty Images SportThat fateful day in Old Trafford

For Keane, who never forgot a slight, those words became fuel. Four years later, in April 2001, fate delivered the perfect opportunity for revenge during a Manchester derby at Old Trafford. And Keane didn’t miss. His right boot smashed into Haaland’s knee with sickening force as Keane stood over his old adversary, snarling expletives. He didn’t even pretend it was an accident.

In his 2002 autobiography, he admitted it outright: "I’d waited long enough. I f*cking hit him hard. The ball was there (I think). Take that you c***. And don’t ever stand over me sneering about fake injuries."

At the time, Keane received a £5,000 fine and a three-match ban. But when his autobiography publicly confirmed what everyone suspected, that the assault was premeditated, the FA reopened the case. He was handed an additional five-match suspension and fined a further £150,000. 

In his second autobiography, published in 2014, he doubled down once again, describing Haaland as "an absolute pr*ck to play against."

"[He] p*ssed me off, shooting his mouth off. He was an absolute pr*ck to play against. Niggling, sneaky," he wrote.

"I did want to nail him and let him know what was happening. I wanted to hurt him and stand over him and go: 'Take that, you c***.' I don’t regret that. But I had no wish to injure him. It was action; it was football. It was dog eats dog. I’ve kicked lots of players and I know the difference between hurting somebody and injuring somebody. I didn’t go to injure Haaland. When you play sport, you know how to injure somebody.

"There was no premeditation. I’d played against Haaland three or four times between the game against Leeds, in 1997, when I injured my cruciate and the game when I tackled him, in 2001, when he was playing for Manchester City. If I’d been this madman out for revenge, why would I have waited years for an opportunity to injure him? Was I going around for years thinking: ‘I’m going to get him, I’m going to get him.’? No. Was he at the back of my mind? Of course, he was. Like Rob Lee was, like David Batty was, like Alan Shearer was, like Patrick Vieira was. All these players were in the back of my mind: ‘If I get a chance I’m going to f*cking hit you, of course I am.’"

One final declaration from Keane!

Keane is never one to hide behind PR polish or remorse, and has again claimed that his tackle on Haaland was "not a bad challenge", defiantly insisting that he was merely trying to "hurt him", and not end his career. 

Speaking on , the ex-Manchester United captain declared: "This is my last time talking about this tackle, the Haaland one. I still don’t think it was a bad tackle, I really don’t. I don’t care what anyone says. It’s not as bad as everyone thinks it is. When you play sport at that speed we played at, there’s a difference between hurting somebody and injuring somebody – big difference. That’s my argument. I was trying to hurt him, not injure somebody."

When asked about it in 2024, Haaland said wryly: "Is that a coincidence, or isn’t it? If you’re in the ground and someone hits you in the right leg, you can still twist your other leg. It can get injured and that’s probably what happened.

"I haven’t played a full 90 minutes after that incident, that’s the hard fact. And people can judge whatever they want. Obviously, I found out afterwards that it was with intent and he was seeking revenge and all these things. I think that’s a bit sad. Sad for football and it was not good for me either at the time."

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Getty Images SportDid Keane actually end Haaland's career?

Keane used one argument to justify his lack of guilt as the Norwegian played a full international just four days after the infamous tackle and played 68 minutes for City shortly after. 

"Haaland finished the game and played four days later, for Norway," he said. "A couple of years later, he tried to claim that he’d had to retire because of the tackle. He was going to sue me. It was a bad tackle but he was still able to play four days later."

One must note that although Haaland did undergo the knife in that summer, it was on his left leg, whereas Keane tackled him on the right.

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

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

Liverpool are now battling Real Madrid for the signature of FC Bayern defender Dayot Upamecano, amid a new update on his future at the Allianz Arena.

The Reds finally managed to get one over on Madrid on Tuesday night, defeating the Spanish side 1-0 at Anfield in the Champions League, courtesy of Alexis Mac Allister’s second-half header, which was the Argentinian’s first goal of the season.

The result was extra sweet, given that it was the first time Trent Alexander-Arnold has returned to Anfield since controversially leaving in the summer, with Arne Slot bringing in Jeremie Frimpong as a replacement.

However, it would be fair to say Frimpong hasn’t made an immediate impact, having only been used sparingly by Slot even prior to his recent injury, which has ruled the right-back out of the last four matches in all competitions.

The manager was also keen to bring in a new centre-back in the summer, narrowly missing out on Marc Guehi on deadline day, given that Crystal Palace were unable to sign a replacement, but a potential alternative has now been identified.

Liverpool battling Real Madrid for Dayot Upamecano

Having gotten the better of Real Madrid on the pitch, Liverpool are now trying to one-up their European foes in the transfer market, with a report from Spain revealing the two clubs are battling it out for Upamecano, although there could be competition from elsewhere.

Premier League rivals Chelsea and Manchester United are also in the race for the defender, amid uncertainty surrounding his future at Bayern, as he is still yet to put pen to paper on a new contract to extend his stay at the German club beyond the end of the season.

Talks over a new deal have now stalled, which suggests the 27-year-old could be on the move in the summer, but Bayern would be unwilling to sanction a move during the January transfer window.

Slot is personally a fan of the centre-back, with the Dutchman of the belief he could adapt to life in the Premier League swiftly and stabilise his backline, and there are plenty of indications the Liverpool manager could be on the money.

Hailed as “outstanding” by Joshua Kimmich, the Bayern star is vastly experienced at the top level, having made 60 appearances in the Champions League and won 11 trophies, across what has been a very impressive career to date.

Despite the contract uncertainty, the Frenchman also remains a key player for Bayern Munich, most recently starting in the 2-1 victory against Paris Saint-Germain, making six clearances and winning four duels to keep the reigning European champions at bay.

That said, Liverpool haven’t always been successful when recruiting from the Bundesliga, with Florian Wirtz yet to adapt to life in the Premier League, failing to register a goal or an assist.

As such, it would be less risky to simply go back in for Guehi, who has already proven himself in the Premier League.

Upamecano and Guehi have been named among the world's best centre-backs The Best 15 Centre-Backs in World Football Ranked (2025)

Liverpool skipper Virgil van Dijk is one of the best defenders in the world.

ByCharlie Smith Nov 20, 2025