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Manchester United’s struggles in recent years have been difficult for the fans to process, especially given the success previously endured in previous generations.

The Red Devils ended last season in a record-low 15th place in the Premier League, with Ruben Amorim unable to have a positive impact during his first season in the role.

As a result, the club have now failed to win a single league title since the 2012/13 season campaign, with Sir Alex Ferguson the last manager to finish top of the table.

Their inability to secure top-flight glory hasn’t been through a lack of trying, especially as seen by their spending in the transfer market, which has seen over £800m spent in the last four years.

One player has remained ever-present despite the heavy spending in the market, arguably still being Amorim’s key man in the club’s hunt for sustained success.

The stats behind Bruno’s success in 2025/26

Bruno Fernandes is a player who has constantly impressed during his near six-year spell at United, with the midfielder being the shining light throughout last campaign.

Despite the struggles, the Portuguese international notched a total of 37 combined goals and assists, which no doubt saved the club from a relegation battle.

In 2025/26, the 31-year-old has been forced to operate in a deeper midfield role, but it hasn’t stopped the fan-favourite from producing some incredible numbers in the Premier League.

Bruno has created 3.1 chances per 90 in England’s top-flight to date, with such a tally higher than any other player in the division after the first 15 games of the season.

He’s also registered 2.8 shots per 90 and made 6.1 recoveries per 90, highlighting his efforts at both ends – subsequently placing him in the top 10% of midfielders in the league.

United’s latest showing against Wolves further showcases how impressive he’s been in 2025/26, with the club captain notching two goals and an assist in the 4-1 triumph.

Bruno also completed 55 passes, whilst creating five chances for his teammates, with both of the aforementioned tallies the highest of any player on the pitch at Molineux.

The United star who’s showing shades of Park

Ji-Sung Park was just one player who was a key part of Sir Alex Ferguson’s squad over a sustained period, with the South Korean star a massively underrated player at Old Trafford.

During his seven years in Manchester, the midfielder racked up a total of 205 appearances in all competitions, often featuring in a variety of different positions.

He often started out wide, in the number ten or even a number eight position, often handing Ferguson a versatile option across numerous key areas of the pitch.

Park registered 55 combined goals and assists during such a time, with his best strike arguably being against Wolves at Old Trafford back in the 2010/11 campaign.

During his time managing Park, Sir Alex often paid the South Korean countless compliments, even once labelling him as the “ultimate professional” due to his attitude and reliability.

However, since his departure in 2012, the club have lacked a player of his stature, but Amorim does currently have a similar player in the form of Mason Mount.

The Englishman has struggled to nail down his place in the United first-team since his £60m move from Chelsea in 2023, with injuries often plaguing the 26-year-old.

However, the 2025/26 season has given him a new lease of life, with the midfielder already racking up 12 Premier League appearances this season and catching the eye with his displays.

He’s already netted three goals to date, including one against Wolves on Monday, subsequently repaying the faith shown in him by Amorim in recent months.

Like Park, he’s often featured in countless positions at Old Trafford, including a number eight role and a number ten – with the midfielder now looking like a crucial part of the squad.

Amorim has also sung his praises in recent times, dubbing him a “proper footballer” and saying that he “believes in him a lot” – highlighting the faith he has in the Englishman to succeed.

His recent showing against Wolves, in which he scored, has showcased why he’s as important as Bruno, with Mount completing 90% of the passes he attempted at Molineux.

He also completed 100% of the long balls he attempted, whilst also making five recoveries and being fouled three times – often providing a constant nuisance to the opposition.

Minutes played

85

Touches

46

Pass accuracy

90%

Long balls completed

100%

Goals scored

1

Recoveries made

5

Fouls won

3

Touches in opposition box

2

Mount’s ability in front of goal over recent weeks has certainly given the manager food for thought, which could see the former Chelsea star now be a key member of the side once again.

He and Bruno have clearly struck up a superb partnership at the heart of the side, which could be crucial in any success achieved during the Amorim tenure.

Mount’s similarities to Park are there for all to see, with the midfielder now having the chance to back up the manager’s faith, just as the South Korean did at Old Trafford in years gone by.

100% pass success & 100% duels won: Man Utd star is as undroppable as Bruno

Manchester United have unearthed another star after yesterday’s win over Wolves at Molineux.

ByEthan Lamb 3 days ago

استقر حلمي طولان المدير الفني لمنتخب مصر الثاني، على التشكيل الذي سيخوض به مباراة الإمارات في كأس العرب. 

ويلتقي منتخب مصر الثاني نظيره الإمارات، في تمام الساعة الثامنة والنصف مساء اليوم السبت، في الجولة الثانية من دور المجموعات من بطولة كأس العرب. 

ويقع منتخب مصر الثاني في المجموعة الثالثة في بطولة كأس العرب، رفقة منتخبات الأردن والإمارات والكويت. 

طالع.. تشكيل منتخب مصر الرسمي أمام الإمارات في كأس العرب 2025.. ثلاثي هجومي

وكان منتخب مصر قد تعادل في الجولة المضاية امام منتخب الكويت، بهدف لكل فريق، في الجولة الأولى من دور المجموعات من بطولة كأس العرب. 

ويشه التشكيل المتوقع لمنتخب مصر الثاني مشاركة مروان حمدي لاعب بيراميدز أساسيًا أمام الإمارات، بعد اعتراض محمد شريف في المباراة الماضية أمام الكويت على تبديله.  تشكيل منتخب مصر المتوقع أمام الإمارات اليوم

حراسة المرمى: محمد بسام.

الدفاع: أكرم توفيق والونش ورجب نبيل ويحيى زكريا.

الوسط: غنام محمد ومحمد النني وأفشة.

الهجوم: مصطفى سعد “ميسي” وإسلام عيسى ومروان حمدي.

Alarm bells are blaring in the Bronx after Aaron Judge was placed on the 10-day IL with a right flexor strain. While the Yankees were lucky to avoid further injury to their superstar outfielder, the injury couldn't have come at a worse time with the team currently owning MLB's second worst record since June 13.

As the team continues to flounder across virtually every facet of the game, they are also sliding down the standings and find themselves at risk of potentially missing out on the postseason altogether.

As it stands, the Yankees sit in second in the AL East and have fallen 6 1/2 games behind the division-leading Blue Jays. New York has lost seven of its last 10, enabling the third-place Red Sox to narrow the gap between them to just one game. The wild card race is tightening, too, as the Yankees are holding onto the best of the three AL wild card spots by a thread, with their lead shrinking to just one game.

Judge's injury will require some steady navigation from the front office as it reassesses its best steps at the trade deadline. Losing Judge for any period of time will likely see New York slip further down the standings, and they'll also be forced to decide whether Giancarlo Stanton is a viable option in right field given Judge's elbow injury and its impact on his ability to throw when he returns.

We'll take a look at a few courses of action for the Yankees at the trade deadline, discussing what their best moves are following the temporary absence of their leader and AL MVP candidate in Judge.

Remain Buyers, but Focus on Players With Multiple Years of Control

Three players from CSK make it. Find out who else is there on the list

Omkar Mankame28-May-20252:36

Moody: Brevis and Noor will be central to CSK’s plans next season

Ayush Mhatre (CSK)After going unsold at the auction, Brevis returned to the league as an injury replacement for Gurjapneet Singh. The 22-year-old was part of the MI set-up in 2022 and 2024 and had played a key role in MI Cape Town’s (MICT) maiden SA20 win earlier this year, scoring 38 off 18 balls in the final.At CSK, Brevis made the most of his opportunities. He scored at least 32 in five of his six innings, with the only exception being a first-ball duck against RCB, where he failed to review an lbw decision. His impact can best be illustrated by the fact that he struck 17 sixes during his stint – the second most by a CSK batter this season.Urvil Patel struck at 212.50 this season•BCCIUrvil Patel (CSK)The timing of the IPL 2025 mega auction – held before the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024-25 – meant teams missed out on some of the in-form domestic players. One of them was Gujarat’s Urvil, who topped the sixes charts, with 29 in six innings and also holds the record for the joint second-fastest T20 century.Drafted in as a replacement for Vansh Bedi, Urvil made an immediate impression, dispatching the second ball he faced in the IPL for a six. His 31 off 11 balls helped set up CSK’s first successful 180-plus chase in over six years. He featured in just three innings – one of which ended in a two-ball duck – but he showed glimpses of the aggressive style that could make him a key power-hitter in the seasons to come.2:53

Kumble: Dubey beating batters with pace, not just turn

Harsh Dubey (SRH)Despite an early exit from the IPL, SRH may have unearthed a long-term prospect in Dubey. The 22-year-old left-arm spinner impressed in his first two appearances, with figures of 1 for 44 and 1 for 20, before delivering a standout performance in SRH’s final match of the season – returning 3 for 34 against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). His dismissal of Andre Russell, who walked off even before the umpire raised the finger, was the highlight of his spell.SRH had backed Zeeshan Ansari as their frontline spinner after Adam Zampa’s injury, but Dubey’s performances suggest he could push for a more prominent role next season.Corbin Bosch contributed with the bat, ball and in the field for Mumbai Indians•BCCICorbin Bosch (MI)Picked as a replacement for fellow South African Lizaad Williams, Bosch joined MI after playing a key role in MICT’s SA20 title run, where he finished as their joint-third-highest wicket-taker.Bosch featured in only three matches this IPL season but made useful contributions. With the bat, he chipped in with 20 off ten balls and 27 off 22 – both timely efforts in tight situations. With the ball, his most economical performance came against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), when he returned 1 for 26 in four overs.Shardul Thakur picked 13 wickets in ten innings for LSG•AFP/Getty ImagesShardul Thakur (LSG)After eight consecutive IPL seasons, Shardul went unsold at the 2025 auction. He was preparing for a county stint with Essex when LSG called him up as a replacement for the injured Mohsin Khan.Shardul made an immediate impact, taking six wickets in his first two games, including a match-winning 4 for 34 against SRH. However, he couldn’t sustain that form and was left out of the XI – or XII – in subsequent matches.Mustafizur Rahman reminded the IPL of his worth•BCCIMustafizur Rahman (DC)Delhi Capitals (DC) signed Mustafizur as a replacement for Jake Fraser-McGurk once IPL 2025 resumed post suspension. His best performance came in DC’s final league game against PBKS in Jaipur, where he dismissed Priyansh Arya, Shashank Singh, and Marco Jansen.However, since he was brought in as a temporary replacement, Mustafizur will not be eligible for retention by DC ahead of IPL 2026, in line with the revised replacement regulations.

Since taking the job almost six years ago, Mikel Arteta has got an awful lot right at Arsenal.

He’s completely transformed the culture of the club and shown a level of tactical flexibility that most managers could only dream of.

Something else he perhaps doesn’t get enough credit for, though, is how he has kept the team ticking over and evolving.

GK

Bernd Leno

RB

Ainsley Maitland-Niles

CB

Sokratis Papastathopoulos

CB

David Luiz

LB

Bukayo Saka

CM

Lucas Torreira

CM

Granit Xhaka

RW

Reiss Nelson

CAM

Mesut Özil

LW

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

ST

Alexandre Lacazette

The makeup of his team has changed multiple times since December 2019, and he has pretty consistently found upgrades and replacements for players like Aaron Ramsdale, Granit Xhaka, Kieran Tierney and even Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

It now appears that he and the club are planning for the long term as well, with reports suggesting they are closing in on an incredible youngster who could be Bukayo Saka’s eventual heir.

Arsenal close in on Saka heir

Arteta has built a squad full to bursting with international superstars at Arsenal, some of whom people would consider world-class. Yet, when it comes to the club’s most important player, it’s hard to look past Saka.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

After all, on top of already having a frankly ridiculous tally of 76 goals and 73 assists in 280 games, the Hale Ender is the talisman of this side and has become the face of the project.

In other words, the club are going to need an extraordinarily special talent to come in and be his long-term heir when Saka does eventually call it a day.

Fortunately, it looks like the North Londoners might have just found that special prospect.

At least, that is according to a recent report from ESPN, which has revealed that Arsenal have agreed a deal in principle for the incredible winger Edwin Quintero and his twin brother Holger.

The two 16-year-olds are reportedly in London at the moment to iron out the details of the move, with an official announcement to come at a later date.

However, due to rules around foreign-born youngsters, the pair won’t actually join up with the squad until August 2027.

Even so, Arsenal fans should be excited about the development as both teenagers are very highly thought of indeed, and Edwin Quintero looks like someone who could become Saka’s successor.

Why Edwin Quintero will be Arsenal's next Saka

Now it should almost go without saying that, due to Saka being the player he is and Quintero still only being 16, there is little to no chance that the youngster would come in to instantly challenge the Englishman in 2027.

However, as the years progress, he could start getting more minutes in the first team, and then, when he’s in his early to mid-20s and the Hale Ender is in his 30s, there could be a real battle there.

That might sound absurd at the moment, and like far too much pressure to be putting on someone so young, but based on what those in the know are saying, Quintero could be something really quite special.

For example, respected analyst-turned-Como scout Ben Mattinson has described the teenager as someone with “the ability to run games and create something out of nothing,” as well as “the vision to pick out runners”, which sounds quite a lot like the Gunners’ talisman.

Moreover, U23 scout Antonio Mango has described the winger as an attacker who “is always looking to make a difference”, who “Likes to play with short pass-and-move principles”, but can still be incredibly “dangerous from distance.”

Then, just to take the hype surrounding the prospect to another level, respected talent scout Jacek Kulig has stated that the 16-year-old is “one of the most exciting prospects I have seen in recent years,” labelling him as a “huge talent” in the process.

Now, while it’s clear that his passing, vision and ability to change games make him appear like a younger Saka, he does also have more of one trait than the Englishman: flair.

In fact, this is something Mattinson has pointed out, claiming he “is so skilful and constantly uses flair to fool defenders”, and Mango has also highlighted his “excellent close-control.”

Ultimately, Saka is and will likely remain Arsenal’s most important attacker for quite some time, but the club look like they have found his long-term heir in Quintero.

Hale End have given Arsenal a future superstar who's like "a young Saka"

The incredible young talent could follow in Saka’s footsteps and become a superstar for Arteta and Arsenal.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Dec 1, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

Memphis foi o nome do Corinthians na vitória por 1 a 0 sobre o Cruzeiro, nesta quarta-feira (10), pelo jogo de ida da semifinal da Copa do Brasil. O holandês marcou o gol do Timão e garantiu a vantagem dos paulistas no duelo de volta.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasCruzeiroLucas Romero está suspenso para Corinthians x CruzeiroCruzeiro10/12/2025Futebol NacionalVitória do Corinthians sobre o Cruzeiro encerra jejum de 11 anosFutebol Nacional10/12/2025Fora de CampoCrítico de Memphis, Craque Neto reage a gol do Corinthians e viraliza na webFora de Campo10/12/2025

Após a partida, Memphis mostrou que a evolução do Corinthians não está só no campo. Pela primeira vez diante das câmeras, o holandês respondeu em português, enfatizou as qualidades do Cruzeiro e destacou a concentração da equipe.

– Primeiro, é muito importante. Foi um jogo difícil, controlar o jogo é complicado porque o Cruzeiro é um bom time, mas ganhamos por um gol. A defesa foi bem, os zagueiros estavam muito concentrados. Agora é relaxar, descansar, recuperar e se preparar para o próximo jogo – disse o atacante, em entrevista à Globo.

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Tudo sobre o Timão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Corinthians

Vantagem do Corinthians

O Corinthians voltou a vencer após quatro jogos. Na reta final do Brasileirão, o objetivo de Dorival Júnior era contar com força máxima para as semifinais. O plano surtiu efeito, e o clube alvinegro teve apenas um desfalque: José Martínez.

Memphis voltou a formar dupla de ataque com Yuri Alberto. A assistência do gol saiu da cabeça do camisa 9. Ainda no primeiro tempo, Carrillo lançou na área, o camisa 9 escorou e o holandês finalizou em dois tempos para abrir o placar. Foi o décimo primeiro gol do atacante na temporada.

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Corinthians e Cruzeiro voltam a se enfrentar no próximo domingo (14), às 18h (de Brasília), na Neo Química Arena. O Timão terá a vantagem do empate para avançar à final da Copa do Brasil. O adversário sai do confronto entre Fluminense e Vasco.

Tudo sobre

Copa do BrasilCorinthiansFutebol Nacional

Pat Cummins’ Ashes preparation has been compromised after a scan revealed lumbar bone stress in his lower back which has ruled him out of the three white-ball series against New Zealand and India. It leaves the potential that he won’t play any cricket ahead of the England series which starts on November 21 in Perth.Cummins, Australia’s Test and ODI captain, has not played since the Test tour of the Caribbean where his bowling workloads were significantly lower than usual. He missed the five T20Is against West Indies and both series against South Africa that followed which was a long-held plan to given him a 10-week physical build-up to the Test summer in a similar vein to last year.Related

• Doubts over Cummins' fitness for first Ashes Test grow, return remains unknown

• Inglis out of T20 tour of New Zealand with a calf strain, Carey called up

• Vidler ruled out of Australia A tour of India with a partial stress fracture

• Cummins may 'take a few risks' to be able to play Ashes

• Australia's pace depth: Who's in the Ashes mix if Cummins and co run aground?

But Cummins experienced some back soreness post the Caribbean tour that lingered much longer than expected and a routine scan on Monday showed the bone stress, otherwise known as a hot spot, which can be a precursor to a stress fracture. However, he has been cleared of any fracture in his lower spine and there remains confidence he will be fit for the opening Test against England.”There always was a de-load planned for him post that West Indies Test series, and then he’s just reported that he had a little bit of ongoing back soreness as part of that, and [the scan] just identified a little bit of lumbar bone stress,” chair of selectors George Bailey said. “I think the focus for him has and will continue to be just preparation for that [Ashes] Test series.”So there’ll just be some further management and a little bit of rehab around that. But in terms of plan for the Ashes, I don’t think too much will change. There still feels like there’s plenty of time. But there’s full expectation that Pat will be right to go come the first Test.”Cummins was plagued by stress fractures across the first six years of his international career and did not play a Test match between his debut in 2011 and his second Test in India in 2017.Since that time he has been incredibly durable with various minor issues, including an ankle injury and a hamstring issue, being managed without him missing large chunks of cricket.This back issue will be a concern given his overall bowling loads have been much lower in 2025. He had bowled 400-plus overs in all cricket in each of the last three calendar years but has only bowled 175.1 overs through nine months of 2025, including just 95.1 across the four Tests recently in June and July against South Africa and West Indies. Even with a handful of ODIs and a possible planned Sheffield Shield game as well as the first four Ashes Test before the end of the year he was likely to fall well short of 400 overs this year.Pat Cummins has missed very few Tests since returning to the side in 2017•Randy Brooks/AFP/Getty Images

Cummins went into last summer deliberately underdone playing one 50-over match for New South Wales and two ODIs against Pakistan before the first Test against India. He was rusty as a result in the first Test in Perth when Australia were beaten heavily. But his freshness showed at the back end of the series as he was Player of the Match in the fourth Test in Melbourne and took five key wickets in the final Test in Sydney while India’s Jasprit Bumrah went down with a back injury following an unsustainable bowling load.Cummins said after the West Indies series in July this year that he planned to play in New Zealand and then against India in the ODIs, as well as potentially play a Sheffield Shield game.He now has just 11 weeks for the hot spot to settle and it would seem highly unlikely, although not impossible, that he could play any cricket before the Ashes starts. There is a domestic one-day game between NSW and Queensland in Sydney on November 3 that could present a chance for some capped competitive overs if his back has settled in time, without being locked into a four-day Sheffield Shield game. NSW’s last Sheffield Shield match before the first Test, against Victoria at the SCG, starts on November 10.”I think he’s one, certainly skill wise, that has entered summers at different stages without a great amount of match balls at different times,” Bailey said. “Given how far out we are there’s the potential for some Shield cricket in the lead-up. There’s still options there. If it got to the stage where they were taken off the table, I still think that we’d be comfortable with Pat’s experience and skill level.”The injury also presents a possibility that Cummins will not be able to play and captain all five Tests. There are eight-day breaks following each of the first and second Tests but those breaks shorten to just four days after the third and fourth, putting major strain on the ability of fast bowlers on both sides to back up later in the series.Steven Smith will likely captain Australia if Cummins were to miss any of the Tests. Smith led Australia in the two Tests against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka earlier this year when Cummins missed due to an ankle issue and the birth of his second child. Smith also captained one Test in the last Ashes series in Australia in December 2021 when Cummins was ruled out of the second match in Adelaide due to the Covid-19 rules in place at the time.Overall, Smith has captained six times in Cummins’ absence since returning to the vice-captaincy in 2021. Travis Head is also formally a Test vice-captain but it would be unlikely he would be called upon to deputise if Smith is in the XI.Steven Smith would likely captain if Pat Cummins missed a Test•Getty Images

On a bowling front, Australia have a ready-made replacement in Scott Boland, but should another injury occur to either Josh Hazlewood or Mitchell Starc then the likes of Michael Neser and the uncapped pair of Brendan Doggett and Sean Abbott will come into the frame.Jhye Richardson is hopeful he can be fit by the time the Ashes starts but he is recovering from shoulder surgery and has only just started bowling again and won’t be able to throw properly. Lance Morris is out for the summer after opting to have back surgery following another stress fracture.Hazlewood and Starc’s management will become critical in the lead into the Ashes. Starc’s retirement from T20Is means he will likely play the ODIs against India and at least one Shield game for New South Wales before the first Test, as he did last summer.Hazlewood will play the T20Is in New Zealand, but almost certainly won’t play all three in four days. He, too, will likely play some of the ODIs and at least one Shield game before Perth. Last summer he played one Shield game and one ODI but broke down with a side strain in Perth before returning for the third Test in Brisbane only to injure his calf and miss the rest of the summer.CA will also be extra vigilant in managing allrounder Cameron Green ahead of the Ashes as he returns to bowling for the first time since back surgery last year. Green will not tour New Zealand and will instead play the first Shield round for Western Australia starting on October 4. It is likely he will play three Shield games and potentially only one ODI before the Ashes begins to build up his bowling loads.Cummins’ back issue could also influence Australia’s selection in the Ashes. There had been a thought that Australia did not need the luxury of two allrounders in the same Ashes XI with Green’s return to bowling potentially making the in-form Beau Webster surplus to requirements. But having two allrounders in the same XI could significantly aid Cummins’ chances of playing while managing his workloads given Australia could have five genuine seam options plus Nathan Lyon to spread the overs across.

Blast’s joint-leading wicket-taker hasn’t given up hope of adding to solitary England cap

Alan Gardner13-Sep-2024This time last year, David Payne had a difficult decision to make. A persistent ankle niggle had dogged him through 2023, requiring two rounds of surgery. When Luke Wright, the England men’s selector, phoned ahead of the Ireland ODIs that preceded last year’s 50-over World Cup, Payne had to admit he wasn’t fit enough. “That was one of those really difficult ones, to have to turn down that call.”But the big decision revolved around whether or not to move on to a white-ball contract with Gloucestershire. The demands of playing first-class cricket, in which he remains a proven performer, had contributed to Payne’s problems with injury. With a goal of playing for England again at the front of his thinking, he chose to sign a three-year extension and put red-ball cricket to one side (although he has not yet retired from the format).The result, as Payne prepares to spearhead Gloucestershire’s tilt at T20 Finals Day, has been “pretty much the perfect summer so far”. Payne has enjoyed the most-prolific T20 season of his career and is currently the Blast’s joint-leading wicket-taker with 29, having moved level with Danny Briggs after taking a four-wicket haul against Birmingham Bears in last week’s quarter-final.”It probably brought a few more nerves to the first group game [of the season], thinking I’m almost like a one-format player for Gloucestershire now, because of the Hundred – so what if I don’t perform in this one format?” Payne tells ESPNcricinfo. “What good am I to the county? But now, the plus sides, and the reasons I’d done it, were mainly for my body and prolonging the career in that sense. I’d had some trouble with my ankle and actually that was the big difference, that I went into that first group game really fresh. I hadn’t played six or seven four-day games. My body was always already really sore, or had a niggle or something, and I was actually completely fresh for the probably the first time ever. And it just felt like it made a huge difference physically and mentally, and allowed me to perform at my best.”Related

• David Payne grabs breathless tie for Gloucestershire against Surrey

• Tymal Mills: Blast schedule is 'stupid' with England players missing Finals Day

• Gloucestershire stun Bears in low-scorer to book Finals Day spot

• Somerset sweat on Tom Banton after twisted ankle during football warm-up

• Chris Jordan backs Surrey to switch mindsets for Somerset Blast challenge

Payne mapped out the “best-case scenario” for his summer as “having a good Blast and a good Hundred, then hopefully that leading to getting back in England squads.” Although the last of those has yet to happen, he is confident that he has put himself in the best position, at 33, to add to his sole ODI appearance against Netherlands in 2022.Notwithstanding England’s apparent transition to a new generation, one factor that may keep Payne on the radar is his effectiveness in the powerplay – an area which has been a weakness with the T20I side for some time. In this year’s Blast, Payne has taken 20 of his 29 wickets while fielding restrictions were on; the next-highest is Ollie Robinson of Sussex (Gloucestershire’s semi-final opponents) with 14, followed by Olly Stone and Timm van der Gugten on 11.While this has long been part of Payne’s skillset – since 2020 in the Blast, he leads the way with 45 powerplay wickets at 16.88 – he said that an increasingly attacking mindset from batters meant bowling teams placed greater importance on striking with the new ball. As a case in point, he highlighted the quarter-final win over Birmingham defending a low total, in which Gloucestershire’s captain, Jack Taylor, kept Payne on for a third over at the top and was rewarded with the key wicket of Moeen Ali.Then came the victory away to North Group winners, Birmingham, which should ensure that no one takes them lightly when they return to Edgbaston. “We’re always labelled the underdogs, whatever happens, and I think that plays well for us, because it always feels like we enjoy proving people wrong and proving that we’re better than people think we are.”While the closest Gloucestershire have come to lifting the T20 trophy is a runners-up finish in 2007, Payne was part of the team that beat Surrey – who will play Saturday’s other semi-final against defending champions, Somerset – in the 2015 Royal London Cup final at Lord’s, and believes they can upset the odds again.”It generally feels like no one really gives us a chance. It feels like going into Saturday, if they’re saying, who’s going to be your tip for winning it, more often than not no one’s really going to mention us. And that tends to play in our favour. I think it makes us feel like we can just go out there and play with freedom. We’ve got nothing to lose. If no one’s expecting us to win, then all we can do is cause an upset. It feels like that’s what happened in 2015 and hopefully that’ll be the same on Saturday.”

Having been set 121 to win, India only briefly tried to finish the match on the fourth evening, ending on 63 for 1

Sidharth Monga13-Oct-20252:43

Chopra: Credit to West Indies for pushing India into day five

India 518 for 5 dec and 63 for 1 (Sai Sudharsan 30*, Rahul 25*, Warrican 1-15) need a further 58 runs to beat West Indies 248 and 390 (Campbell 115, Hope, 103, Greaves 50*, Bumrah 3-44, Kuldeep 3-104)India wanted to get out of the joint as soon as possible when they enforced the follow-on less than halfway into the match, but 200 continuous overs of bowling on an unyielding pitch later, India will have to come back on the fifth morning to complete the win. Having been set 121 to win, India only briefly tried to finish the match on the fourth evening, ending on 63 for 1.Signs that it was going to be hard work was apparent when the last two West Indies wickets hung around for 25.2 overs in the first innings, but India disregarded the conditions when asking their bowlers to go back in after having bowled 81.5 overs. India perhaps expected West Indies to roll over, but they dug in: John Campbell brought up his maiden century, Shai Hope scored his first in eight years, and the last wicket added 79 in their second-best partnership of 2025.That the last wicket didn’t give them squeaky bums was down to the second new ball giving them just enough to turn 293 for 4 into 311 for 9. Mohammed Siraj started the West Indies slide with Hope’s wicket before Kuldeep Yadav took three in quick time to go with five in the first innings. Just how desperate India were was evident from how they didn’t bowl a single over of Nitish Kumar Reddy, whom they want to put in live situations as evidenced in his promotion to No. 5 when India batted.West Indies began the day 97 behind with eight wickets in hand. The 49-over-old ball offered India nothing on a lifeless track even though they did stick to the task. Campbell, resuming on 87, went to his hundred with a massive slog-swept six. The sweep shot had been his ally throughout the innings, but when he pulled out the reverse for the first time, he missed it comprehensively and was caught in front. This shot was likely a result of Ravindra Jadeja’s move to round the wicket, which began to threaten both the edges. One ball before he got out, Campbell had got away with an outside edge too thick for the keeper to catch.Centuries from John Campbell and Shai Hope made India toil•Associated Press

Hope and Roston Chase looked comfortable during their 59-run stand but the second new ball, taken as soon as it became available just after lunch, created just about enough for India. Siraj was the one to create the breakthrough, getting Hope played on off a wobble-seam ball. The wicket took him to the top of wicket-takers’ list in Test cricket in 2025.Kuldeep, having been targeted for 63 runs in 16 overs with the first ball, decided he needed to get even quicker in the air when Tevin Imlach took him down for a four and a six in his first over with the new ball. The length went slightly shorter, and he managed to draw just enough low bounce and pace from the middle of the pitch to get the wickets of Imlach and Chase, the former lbw and the latter caught at short midwicket.Khary Pierre, who began the resistance in the first innings, played a loose slog early to be caught at mid-off, and Jasprit Bumrah got rid of Jomel Warrican and Anderson Phillip with the lead still 41.With the ball now soft, the pitch went back to sleep. Justin Greaves didn’t even feel the need to shield Jayden Seales. The tired limbs and frustrated minds began to show as the middle session was stretched because West Indies had only one wicket standing. The two played out that extra half hour without any incident. For large periods, India’s best spinners, and thus the world’s best, bowled at the No. 11 with only one slip and no other catching man.Greaves and Seales batting for long enough to take them into the territory where they will wistfully wonder what might have happened if they had not collapsed against the second new ball. Seales eventually fell to a confident shot off Bumrah, forced to bowl yet another spell 10 overs into the final session, holing out to deep forward square leg. He had pulled Bumrah for four earlier in the over.Set 121 to win, with 18 overs and a possible extra half hour left in the day Yashasvi Jaiswal came out trying to finish the match on the fourth evening, but was caught at long-on off Warrican in the second over. India proceeded to bat normally and finish the match on the fifth morning. Unless it was a personal decision that Jaiswal made, he has reason to feel disappointed at India’s flimsy commitment to finishing the game on the fourth evening.