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Missing stars, a lack of boundaries and no tension in the result. This wasn’t the opener the ECB was after

Matt Roller03-Aug-2022The opening night of the Hundred’s second season launched with a fireworks display so extensive that the smoke took nearly five minutes to clear. It felt as though a member of the Ageas Bowl’s events staff must have pushed the wrong button, using up all the pyrotechnics for the evening.So it proved. Over the course of 169 balls, Southern Brave and Welsh Fire hit only two sixes, one from Noor Ahmad, the 17-year-old Afghanistan wristspinner, and the other by James Vince off Noor’s bowling. Brave, the defending champions, cruised home with 31 balls to spare in pursuit of 108; Fire’s hopes were extinguished before the end of the powerplay.The shadow of the absent Jonny Bairstow loomed over their innings, after the ECB finally confirmed on the eve of the tournament that Fire’s marquee player would not be taking part in order to manage his workload. They were not short on batting power, with a stacked top order on paper, but any team in the world would feel his absence keenly given his recent form. “It’s huge,” Ben Duckett said. “He came in and won us two games last year.”Related

• Bairstow out of the Hundred after opting for rest

• Last summer, it was all fun and frolics – now comes the real test for the Hundred

• James Vince sparkles as Southern Brave claim dominant opening-night win

Bairstow’s decision to withdraw was the obvious move, the only window in his jammed schedule for him to take a rest, but by making his decision public at the 11th hour – his decision had been communicated internally 48 hours before the announcement – the ECB ensured his absence would be one of the evening’s main talking points.In fact, both sides were missing key men and neither managed to fill their quota of three overseas players: Brave were without Quinton de Kock and Finn Allen while Fire had to cope without David Miller and Naseem Shah, all on international duty. The opening night showed why the ECB have ensured the Hundred has a clear window of availability from next year: the names that had been used to sell tickets were nowhere to be seen.”We’re not quite sure what a good score will be,” Vince had said at the toss, and 107 for 7 was not the answer. Fire lost Joe Clarke, Tom Banton and Ollie Pope inside the first 22 balls for 16 runs between them, and despite Duckett’s valiant 40 off 31 and two drops from Vince in the field, they were a long way short of a competitive total.Vince sparkled in the chase after an early reprieve, dropped by Ryan Higgins at deep backward square leg. He has been seeing the white Kookaburra like a watermelon all summer, leading the run charts in the Blast, and his cuts for four through backward point off Adam Zampa tasted like strawberries on a summer evening.Vince apart, there was limited excitement on the pitch. Brave’s new-ball bowlers, Craig Overton and Michael Hogan, used the pace and bounce of a fresh surface to good effect and Fire’s top order self-destructed against the moving ball, epitomised by Pope losing his off stump while attempting to reverse-lap Overton over short third.The Ageas Bowl was sold out, though not quite at full capacity with two of the temporary stands for England’s T20Is against India and South Africa covered and unused, and felt subdued for much of the night. A clash with the Commonwealth Games means that the first eight days of the tournament will be standalone men’s games, and the ground was noticeably emptier – and quieter – at the start of the game than it had been last year.That also exacerbated the impact of the toss, with conditions significantly harder for batters in the first innings than the second. In the Hundred’s first season, teams taking more powerplay wickets won 68% of games in the men’s competition; on Wednesday night, Brave took three and Fire none. They will lose Overton to England duty soon, but have Tymal Mills and George Garton waiting in the wings.”The bowlers did a fantastic job and from there the gameplan was fairly simple,” Vince said. “The only way we would let them back into the game was to lose early wickets so there wasn’t a huge amount of scoreboard pressure. Our new-ball bowlers bowled really well and found a little bit of seam movement early on. We took early wickets and stayed in control.”The Hundred’s organisers openly admit that the first season, launched amid Covid restrictions which impacted the offering both on and off the pitch, had the feeling of a trial run, one which was generally considered to be a qualified success. This year will be the acid test at a time when domestic leagues are threatening to subsume the international game, but the tournament needs an injection of life after a quiet opening night.As the ECB found when they launched the Twenty20 Cup 20 seasons ago at this same venue, gimmicks and marketing can only take a competition so far. In time, the cricket will have to stand on its own two feet.

The 2025 MLB season has reached its final month and there are still questions that need to be answered, division races to shake out and award races to be decided. Which division leader’s lead is safest? And with a month of games remaining, is the playoff field already set? 

In terms of individual player milestones, will Aaron Judge, who surpassed Yogi Berra on the Yankees’ all-time home run list, one day pass the legendary Babe Ruth as well? And could Justin Verlander, after notching his 265th career win, become just the 25th pitcher to record 300 career victories? 

We’ll answer each of these questions and more in the latest edition of Fact or Fiction. 

The playoff field in MLB is already set

I know I’m being a bit of a party pooper with this answer, but it’s hard to argue with the current playoff landscape in MLB. 

For a brief moment to begin August, the Mets and Yankees, both mired in dreadful slumps, had their fan bases longing for the return of New York football. However, both clubs have emerged from the danger zone and stand on firmer ground as the calendar flips to September. 

As for the other current wild-card holders, it’s difficult to imagine a scenario where the likes of either the Red Sox or Padres, two of baseball’s best teams since the All-Star break, fall out of the playoff race. Likewise for the Cubs, who, even after a middling month of August, still have a firm grasp on the third National League wild card. 

If there’s going to be a shakeup in the postseason landscape, it will happen in the American League, where the Royals, Rangers and even Guardians all could conceivably catch the Mariners for the third wild card. But all three of those clubs have a noticeable Achilles heel—offensive woes for the Royals and Guardians, injuries for the Rangers—that make it tough to envision these teams taking the field come October. 

Of the six division races, one is seemingly decided—the AL Central—and two are trending toward that territory—the NL East and Central. The division-leading Blue Jays, Astros and Dodgers all sport leads of fewer than five games. 

All of this to say, there could be some musical chairs going on in the season’s final month as clubs jockey for positioning. The seeding and playoff bracket could look a bit different come season’s end. But get used to the teams that currently represent the playoff field. 

Of the 12 teams in pole position entering September, 10 of them boast 90 percent or better postseason odds on FanGraphs and nine of them have similar figures in Baseball Reference’s playoff odds. Hopefully, the good folks at FanGraphs and Baseball Reference are wrong and there’s a September surprise or two in store. Just don’t be too crestfallen if that doesn’t happen. 

Verdict: Fact

Aaron Judge will one day top Yankees’ all-time home run list 

MatériaMais Notícias

O técnico Abel Ferreira falou publicamente pela primeira vez sobre o suposto pré-contrato assinado para deixar o Palmeiras e acertar com o Al-Sadd, do Qatar. Em tom duro, o português se esquivou do tema em específico, garantiu que fica no Verdão até o fim de 2025 e ressaltou o orgulho de treinar a equipe paulista.

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➡️O mata-mata da Copa do Brasil está pegando fogo! Abra a sua conta e faça já a sua aposta no Lance! Betting

➡️ Siga o Lance! Palmeiras no WhatsApp e acompanhe todas as notícias do Verdão

O clube move uma ação na Fifa em razão do treinador supostamente ter descumprido um acordo firmado na reta final do ano passado.

Estou aqui com muito orgulho e não vou falar mais sobre esse assunto. Há meses foi bater na mesma tecla. Continuo aqui e, se tudo correr normalmente, fico até 2025, que é o contrato que tenho. Muito obrigado aos torcedores pelo apoio e carinho. Sobre este assunto não falo mais – disse Abel Ferreira, após classificação na Copa do Brasil diante do Botafogo-SP.

➡️ Assista à coletiva completa de Abel

Na reta final da última temporada, Abel Ferreira fez mistério até a última rodada do Brasileirão, sobre sua permanência no Palmeiras. Havia o interesse do Al-Sadd, mas o treinador ficou e renovou seu contrato até o fim de 2025.

A presidente Leila Pereira ainda deseja mantê-lo até o fim de seu possível segundo mandato. Ela será candidata à reeleição no fim deste ano, é favorita para vencer o pleito e deve ficar no cargo até 2027.

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VEJA A FALA DE ABEL FERREIRA SOBRE O ASSUNTO NA ÍNTEGRA:

— Vou fazer uma declaração breve. Esperei até hoje para falar com vocês com olhos nos olhos. Minha carreira como treinador é um livro aberto, que tem capítulos. Capítulos de vitórias, frustrações. Duas ou três paginas eu rasgaria. Mas com certeza é um livro genuíno. Gostaria de acrescentar que sou dono da minha alma e capitão do meu destino. Quis o capitão do meu destino que eu chegasse no Palmeiras e, até hoje, quero dizer bem alto… Não vou alterar uma vírgula do que disse há meses. Estou no Palmeiras e sou treinador do Palmeiras. É bom, um orgulho. O capitão do meu destino me trouxe ao Palmeiras. Já ganhamos esse ano e se Deus quiser, vamos continuar ganhando. Estou onde quero estar e querem que eu esteja.

Gostaria de dizer muito mais. De vos dizer o que vai na alma e no coração. Muita coisa foi dita, não só agora, e sempre disse o mesmo: sou treinador do Palmeiras. Estou aqui com muito orgulho e não vou falar mais sobre esse assunto. Há meses foi bater na mesma tecla. Continuo aqui e, se tudo correr normalmente, fico até 2025, que é o contrato que tenho. Muito obrigado aos torcedores pelo apoio e carinho. Sobre este assunto não falo mais.

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Tudo sobre

Abel FerreiraPalmeiras

قام آرني سلوت، المدير الفني لنادي ليفربول، بتفسير سبب جلوس محمد صلاح على مقاعد البدلاء أمام وست هام يونايتد، وذلك ببطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وست هام سوف يستضيف ليفربول بعد أقل من 30 دقيقة من الآن، وذلك لحساب منافسات الجولة الثالثة عشر من منافسات الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وقام سلوت بمفاجأة الجميع حيث أبقى محمد صلاح على مقاعد بدلاء ليفربول، ودفع بدلًا منه بفلوريان فيرتز في مركز الجناح الأيمن، إلى جانب كودي جاكبو كجناح أيسر وفي مركز المهاجم ألكسندر إيزاك.

وتعتبر هذه هي المباراة الثانية التي يتواجد فيها محمد صلاح هذا الموسم على مقاعد البدلاء، بعد مباراة آينتراخت فرانكفورت في دوري أبطال أوروبا.

اقرأ أيضًا.. تشكيل ليفربول أمام وست هام في الدوري الإنجليزي.. موقف محمد صلاح

وفسر سلوت سبب جلوس محمد صلاح كبديل اليوم، بسبب ضغط المباريات الذي يعيشه ليفربول خلال هذا الموسم.

وقال سلوت في تصريحات نقلها صحفي شبكة “سكاي سبورتس”، الموثوق فابريزيو رومانو: “نلعب 4 مباريات في 10 أيام، أحيانًا يكون ألكسندر إيزاك على مقاعد البدلاء وأحيانًا فلوريان، هذه هي التشكيلة التي اخترتها اليوم وليس قرارًا سهلًا أبدًا، وليست هذه هي المرة الأولى التي أفعل فيها ذلك”.

محمد صلاح تراجع مستواه بشدة خلال هذا الموسم وبقى الدولي المصري محل انتقاد من الجميع، على عكس الموسم الماضي الذي ساعد فيه ابن الـ33 عامًا الريدز على تحقيق لقب الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

Tottenham’s miserable form under Thomas Frank continues following a lacklustre 2-1 loss at home to Fulham on Saturday night, with the home side subjected to a chorus of boos at the full-time whistle.

Tottenham 1-2 Fulham as tepid Spurs form piles pressure on Frank

The visitors delivered a devastating early double blow to extend the North London club’s torrid run and raise fresh questions about Frank’s ability to arrest their alarming slide.

Fulham raced into a commanding two-goal advantage within the opening six minutes at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, capitalizing ruthlessly on defensive frailties that continue plaguing Spurs despite their manager’s persistent tactical tinkering.

Kenny Tete opened the scoring after just four minutes when his speculative effort took a wicked deflection off Destiny Udogie’s leg, completely wrong-footing goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario and nestling into the bottom corner. The Italian stopper, helpless against the deflection, barely had time to recover before Fulham doubled their advantage.

Harry Wilson compounded Tottenham’s defensive nightmare just two minutes later, capitalizing on catastrophic goalkeeping from Vicari

The Welshman caught Vicario in no man’s land with a long-range chip from distance, and given there were no defenders there to clear it off the line, the ball floated into a completely empty net.

Tottenham dominated possession throughout the opening period but created virtually nothing of substance, managing just two shots and accounting for a paltry 0.01 expected goals during the first half.

Frank introduced attacking reinforcements during the second half, withdrawing Joao Palhinha, Richarlison and Archie Gray for Wilson Odobert, Xavi Simons and Rodrigo Bentancur around the hour mark.

The changes provided brief encouragement when Mohammed Kudus lashed home a powerful half-volley in the 59th minute — his first at home in a Spurs shirt — which reduced the deficit and offered fleeting hope of a comeback.

Tottenham hold talks with Arsenal target as Frank 'craves his progressive passing'

Spurs need more creativity.

ByEmilio Galantini Nov 28, 2025

However, Fulham expertly managed the remaining half-hour, introducing Sasa Lukic and Emile Smith Rowe to shore up midfield and nullify Tottenham’s increasingly desperate attacking thrusts.

Despite introducing forwards Mathys Tel and additional creative players, Spurs lacked the quality and conviction required to salvage anything from another disappointing home performance.

The defeat represents Tottenham’s fourth loss in their last six matches across all competitions, following humiliating setbacks against Arsenal (4-1) and PSG (5-3) in the last week.

The pressure is now seriously on Frank, who is attracting real scrutiny as critics question whether he is really the right man for the Spurs job.

Jamie O'Hara loses it with Xavi Simons in Tottenham defeat to Fulham

Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, pundit Jamie O’Hara picked out substitute Simons for criticism alongside Frank, despite the fact he only had half an hour to make an impact.

The former Spurs midfielder was livid with Simons following repeated failed flick attempts when the north Londoners were chasing the game at 2-1, with O’Hara expressing his outrage at the wasteful attacking play.

After his disasterclass in goal, keeper Vicario was also booed by supporters nearly every time he touched the ball, with the tension among fans now reaching breaking point as Spurs continue to underperform.

Simons, who could end up costing the club £125 million over a potential seven-year contract when you factor in wages, agent’s fees and add-ons, needs to find his feet in England soon or risk being seen as a major flop.

The Dutchman has scarcely been given a chance by Frank lately, but the fact he’s only been given a few minutes here and there should send a pretty clear message.

Simons was often bullied off the ball against Fulham and failed to make the desired impact, even despite all of his efforts to get into dangerous positions.

For Spurs, the home curse continues, and no other ever-present Premier League side boasts a worse record on their own turf than Tottenham in 2025.

Former MLB pitcher Brian Matusz, who passed away on January 6, died from a suspected drug overdose, according to a report from the Phoenix Police Department that was obtained by . Matusz, who was 37, spent the majority of his eight-year career with the Baltimore Orioles.

According to the report, Matusz's mother Elizabeth went to his house to check on him. When there was no answer at the door, she entered the residence through a bathroom window and discovered Brian laying on his back on a couch in an upstairs room. Matusz was cold to the touch with a white substance in his mouth, and drug paraphernalia in the form of a lighter, a straw and a small piece of aluminum foil were discovered on the floor near his right hand.

The Phoenix Police Department said there were no apparent injuries, trauma or signs of foul play.

Matusz, who had a history of substance abuse, was advised to seek the help of a mental health professional after he was taken to the emergency room two days before his death. The reason for the visit was redacted in the report. Matusz's mother told police that he made comments like "there is nothing left for me" and that he used to "have it all."

After a standout career at the University of San Diego, Matusz, the fourth overall pick in the 2008 MLB draft, became a full-time starter in his second season in the big leagues, tossing 175 2/3 innings for Baltimore in 2010. During his career as both a reliever and a starter, he, somewhat famously, became known for his effectiveness against Hall of Famer David Ortiz, whom he held to a .138 batting average in his career. In 280 games, Matusz recorded a 4.92 ERA.

Ravindra Jadeja reached the ground early to get some batting practice, and ended up partnering Shubman Gill in a 203-run stand

Sidharth Monga03-Jul-20251:11

‘Jadeja-Gill partnership the most important one of the Test so far’

Ravindra Jadeja flouted the new BCCI standard operating procedures (SoPs) on the second day of the second Test against England in Birmingham. After the Australia tour, the BCCI decreed that no player would move to or from the ground on their own, that they will all move together on the team bus. Jadeja didn’t do that on Thursday.But don’t expect any sanctions. Because Jadeja broke the SoPs to come in early so that he could hit a few extra balls before resuming his innings. He knew India had collapsed twice in Leeds, and this time he had done half the job of rescuing India from 211 for 5 on a flat pitch. There was no way India could afford to be dismissed on a below-par score again.Jadeja resumed on 41, his partnership with Shubman Gill was 99, but the new-ball threat was around. “Somewhere I felt that I should go and bat extra because the ball was still new,” Jadeja said. “I felt if I can see the new ball off, it would become easy for the rest of the innings. Luckily I could bat till lunch, and then Washy [Washington Sundar] also batted well with Shubman. The more you bat in England, the better it is because you never feel you are set in England. At any time a ball can swing and take your edge or bowl you.”Related

Gill makes the highest Test score by an India batter in England

India's quicks cause damage after Gill's epic 269

Jadeja had a chance to unfurl his sword celebration when reaching fifty but got a rare snorter from Josh Tongue to be dismissed on 89. He added 203 runs with Gill to help India go past 500.”When you contribute with the bat for the team, it feels great, when you are playing outside India, and the team needs you more, it feels good,” Jadeja said. “From 210 for 5, to put together a big partnership to take the team forward, it is a challenge. I took it as a challenge. If you can stick around with the captain and put together a big partnership, it gives you confidence as a cricketer and a batter that in the coming matches also you can contribute.”Jadeja never fails to get under the skin of England. His habit of playing a front-foot shot and running straight down the pitch irked England captain Ben Stokes, who kept remonstrating with the umpires even after Jadeja became fully conscious of staying off the danger area.”He felt I was [creating a] rough for myself,” Jadeja said. “The fast bowlers were doing it anyway. I don’t need to do that. He was repeatedly telling the umpire that I am running on the wicket. I had no such intention. It might have happened once or twice by mistake, but I didn’t mean to.”Even though India took three wickets with the new ball, this does seem like a pitch that could do with some rough. Jadeja said bowling would take a lot of discipline and in-out fields because the ball was not moving off the straight. He said India were not looking in terms of the final result from the match, but just looking to bowl with similar energy on day three.