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Glasgow Rangers officially confirmed that both CEO Patrick Stewart and sporting director Kevin Thelwell left their roles at Ibrox on Monday after the club’s underwhelming start under the new ownership.

Chairman Andrew Cavenagh revealed that the ownership believes that they need different people in those roles in order to bring success back to Ibrox in the months and years to come.

Thelwell was let go by the Gers after he played a key role, as sporting director, in the appointment and firing of Russell Martin, as well as the signings throughout the summer transfer window.

The former Everton chief was given the funds to retool the squad for the head coach in the summer, but after that appointment and the signings he made, Rangers won one of their first eight Scottish Premiership matches.

However, Thelwell would be far from the first sporting director to make some mistakes in the transfer market. Former Gers technical director Nils Koppen, for example, made his fair share.

One signing that officially went through in the summer but was sanctioned before Thelwell’s arrival was the permanent addition of Oscar Cortes.

Why Oscar Cortes has been a waste of money for Rangers so far

The 21-year-old forward initially joined on loan from Lens for the second half of the 2023/24 campaign, and produced one goal and one assist in six games in the Premiership, per Sofascore.

That convinced the Scottish giants to sign him on a season-long loan with an obligation to make it permanent at the end of the season in the summer of 2024, which led to him signing for £4.5m earlier this year.

He is currently the ninth-most expensive signing in the history of the club, with that £4.5m move from Lens, and the Gers have simply not got enough back from him on the pitch to justify that expense.

In the 2024/25 season, the Colombian winger made ten appearances in the Premiership without delivering a single goal or assist for the team, whilst he also missed out on 22 matchday squads and was an unused substitute on six occasions, per Transfermarkt.

Despite his dismal form last term, Rangers had to sign him permanently for a hefty fee of £4.5m because it was an obligation that was put in place in the previous summer. That led to him leaving on loan to Sporting Gijon this season.

Appearances

5

Starts

1

Unused sub

6

Goals

0

Key passes per game

0.0

Big chances created

0

Assists

0

As you can see in the table above, Cortes has struggled badly in Spain since his temporary switch to the second division outfit, with more games left sat on the bench than appearances in LaLiga 2.

His lack of goal contributions for the Spanish side means that he still has not provided a goal or an assist since registering one of each in a 5-0 win over Hearts in February 2024.

With over three years left on his contract at Ibrox, it remains to be seen whether or not the 21-year-old whiz will make a success of his Rangers career or not, but it is not looking good on current evidence.

With his form for the Gers and out on loan, Cortes currently looks like a big waste of money for the significant fee that the club agreed to pay Lens for him, unfortunately.

Whilst Thelwell did not have any say in that move, it was going through irrespective of anything he did after becoming sporting director in April, one of his own summer signings looks to be an even bigger waste of money than Cortes.

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The former Light Blues chief opted to splash the cash on Portugal U21 international Youssef Chermiti, and the early signs from his Ibrox career are far from promising.

Why Rangers should not have signed Youssef Chermiti

Thelwell agreed a deal with his former club Everton to sign the striker for a fee of £8m. That made him the most expensive signing made by the Gers since they signed Tore Andre Flo for £12m in 2000.

When signing a player for that kind of outlay at Ibrox, it is fair to expect that they should be able to make a relatively immediate impact for Rangers, even if they are not the finished product, because Chermiti is their most expensive signing in 25 years.

Unfortunately, though, the Portuguese marksman has failed to prove his worth to the Light Blues on the pitch with his performances so far in the 2025/26 campaign, with just one goal to his name so far.

The former Premier League flop has produced one goal and one assist in 13 appearances in all competitions for the Scottish giants, per Sofascore, which shows that he has not offered a regular threat at the top end of the pitch.

Chermiti’s form in the Premiership, in particular, has left quite a bit to be desired for a player who is the club’s most expensive signing in 25 years.

FotMob rating

6.48

16th

Goals

1

Joint-3rd

xG

0.3

14th

xA

0.2

15th

Dribbles per 90

0.4

14th

Dribble success rate

16.7%

14th

As you can see in the table above, the Portugal U21 international ranks poorly in the Gers squad in a host of key metrics, and the only reason that he ranks highly for goals is that only two players in the squad have scored more than one league goal.

Chermiti, who was described as a “nothing player” by Portuguese journalist Kevin Fernandes, has simply not done enough with the game time that he has been given, domestically or on the European stage.

The ex-Everton striker was signed for almost twice as much as Cortes and appears to be heading in the same direction as the winger, as another expensive flop who is unable to make a significant impact on the pitch for Rangers.

Therefore, Chermiti looks on course to be an even bigger waste of money than the Colombian forward because he cost £3.5m more and has been just as underwhelming at the start of his Ibrox career.

"Rotten" Thelwell signing is Rangers' biggest waste of time since Dowell

This summer signing by Kevin Thelwell has been as bad as the deal to bring Kieran Dowell to Rangers.

ByDan Emery Nov 26, 2025

It seems like Manchester United will focus the next stage of their rebuild on the midfield. There are a few players who have futures up in the air, at least in the short term. One of those is Casemiro, whose contract expires in the summer, and it is unclear at this stage if he will extend his deal at Old Trafford.

The other player who might not have a clear future at United is Kobbie Mainoo. He has been underused by Ruben Amorim this season, and could depart the club on loan in January, with Napoli one side who could make a move.

If they do leave, there are a few midfielders from within the Premier League that United could target.

United’s main midfield target

A recent report from TEAMTalk suggests that United have three names on their shortlist when it comes to a new midfielder. All of those currently play in the Premier League, with Brighton’s Carlos Baleba and Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton two of those players.

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The third man is someone who is one of the most highly rated midfielders in the Premier League right now.

TEAMtalk report that the Red Devils ‘would like to seal a deal’ for Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson as one of their key targets in the middle of the park.

This will not be a straightforward deal to do, with the England international a player of interest to former club Newcastle United, too.

However, the Red Devils are showing a keen interest and could look to get a £60m deal over the line. Forest, however, would want closer to £80m if this move were to go ahead.

Man Utd's perfect Carrick successor

There is no doubt that 23-year-old Anderson is one of the most exciting midfielders in England. Described by Thomas Tuchel as “one of the best midfielders in the Premier League”, he’s seemingly secured a spot in the German’s starting lineup for the 2026 World Cup.

He has been exceptional this season in the middle of the park for Forest. In a campaign of great turmoil where they’ve had three different managers, the 23-year-old has been incredibly consistent, playing 14 games, scoring and assisting once.

That included a superb assist for Chris Wood on the opening day of the season.

His underlying numbers also reflect just how well he has played. The boyhood Newcastle star ranks in the top 1% of Premier League midfielders for several key metrics, including progressive passes per 90 minutes, of which he’s played 8.82, and ball recoveries, completing 8.36 each game.

Passes completed

63.73

97th

Progressive passes

8.82

99th

Passes into final third

8.55

99th

Take-ons completed

1.27

97th

Ball recoveries

8.36

99th

There are certainly similarities between Anderson and one of the all-time great midfielders in United’s history, Michael Carrick.

The former England international was metronomic at the heart of the Red Devils midfield for many years, shining under Sir Alex Ferguson especially.

He made 464 appearances for the 13-time Premier League champions, winning five of those league titles and one Champions League.

He even chipped in from the base of midfield with 24 goals and 35 assists.

He was a player highly rated by teammates, with Gary Neville saying he brought “authority, control, peace” to the pitch. This is certainly similar to Anderson, who, as the numbers show, is a true controller in the midfield, able to dictate play at will.

Anderson, it feels like, could bring a similar level of composure to the United midfield that Carrick did all those years ago. England boss Tuchel thinks highly of him, describing him as “a very complete, mobile central midfielder.”

However, it is not just their playstyle that is eerily similar. Carrick was born and raised in the North East, just like Anderson, with the pair growing up in close geographical areas. There are a few fair connections between the duo.

In signing Anderson, United could be adding their new Carrick to the middle of the park. He could certainly bring the same sort of brilliance on the ball and tenacity without it that their former number 16 did during his time at the club.

Man Utd have their own version of Semenyo & he's Amorim's "best player"

Manchester United are again being linked with Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo, heading into January…

ByRobbie Walls Nov 19, 2025

Are Manchester City starting to build some serious momentum?

On Wednesday night, the Sky Blues demolished Borussia Dortmund 4-1 in the Champions League, with Phil Foden bagging a brace, Erling Braut Håland scoring his customary goals and then Rayan Cherki getting in on the act late on.

Back in the Premier League, Pep Guardiola’s team have won five of their last seven, including four in a row at the Etihad, rediscovering their best form ahead of Liverpool’s trip to the Etihad on Sunday.

If the serial champions are going to defeat the reigning champions in this weekend’s headliner, which “exceptional” star should Guardiola start in his forward line alongside Foden?

Is Phil Foden getting back to his best?

On Friday morning, Thomas Tuchel’s England squad was announced for next week’s World Cup qualifiers against Serbia at Wembley and Albania in Tirana, with Phil Foden one of the noteworthy names included.

The 25-year-old has not featured in any of England’s last six matches, seeing just 179 minutes of international action, out of a possible 1,260, that is only 14%, since the Three Lions’ defeat to Spain in the Euro 2024 final at the Olympiastadion in Berlin.

His return to the England squad is an indicator of Foden’s return to form at club level, with his double against Dortmund taking his tally to four goals for the season, having bagged only ten throughout the entirety of the previous campaign, not including the Club World Cup.

Following Wednesday night’s Champions League victory, Guardiola asserted that Foden is back, labelling him a “special player”, while Barney Ronay of the Guardian noted that he was the ‘best player on the pitch’, adding that he was ‘perky and precise all night’.

Thus, Foden’s recent performances mean he is a guaranteed starter against Liverpool, but who should come into the team alongside him, thereby forming part of the Citizens’ attacking quartet in support of Håland?

The exceptional star Pep Guardiola must start against Liverpool

In mid-week, it was Tijjani Reijnders, Savinho and Jérémy Doku who all started alongside Foden, but Guardiola surely must tinker with his lineup this weekend.

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That’s because, having recovered from a thigh injury, Rayan Cherki is starting to show glimpses of what he is capable of.

The Frenchman came off the bench to score his fourth goal for the Citizens on Wednesday, having previously netted against Al Ain, Wolves and Swansea.

When he arrived from Olympique Lyonnais for £34m in June, big things were expected of the 22-year-old, with Guardiola describing him as “exceptional”, and his statistics in Ligue 1 last season underlining why.

Goals

8

25th

Assists

11

1st

Goals – xG

+3

7th

Key passes

75

2nd

Big chances created

22

1st

Passes into area

77

1st

Shot-creating actions

146

1st

Goal-creating actions

24

2nd

Progressive carries

106

10th

Carries into area

91

2nd

Successful dribbles

48

13

Touches in attacking 3rd

826

3rd

Average rating

7.6

2nd*

*minimum 25 appearances.

As the table documents, Cherki was one of the outstanding players in France’s top-flight last season, leading Ligue 1 for assists as well as a whole host of other creative metrics, behind only Désiré Doué in terms of goal-creating actions.

This season, despite sitting out eight matches due to injury, Cherki has already started to produce in a Man City shirt, registering three goals and three assists as well as creating four big chances in the Premier League; only seven players have more across the entire division, despite the fact he’s featured in only 163 of a possible 900 minutes to date.

Two of his three assists came against Bournemouth last Sunday, both times setting Håland free to burst in behind to slot the ball beyond Đorđe Petrović.

Thus, this forthcoming Sunday, a similar game plan is surely required.

During their sequence of six defeats from seven games, Liverpool were very susceptible to players running in behind, with Virgil van Dijk not at his dominant best and Ibrahima Konaté largely looking all at sea throughout the entire campaign.

With that in mind, Guardiola will want to pick a team that can exploit this weakness, featuring Håland running in behind and Doku giving right-back Conor Bradley nightmares with his dribbling, pace and trickery.

In order to best supply these other attackers, he must find room for Cherki, who demonstrated against Bournemouth last weekend that he possesses the right skillset to unlock Man City’s other attackers.

In the possible absence of Rodri, Reijnders will be in the team to offer support to Nico González while, as already documented, Foden’s flurry of goals makes him undroppable.

This leaves Savinho, who is still yet to score in the Premier League or Champions League this season, meaning the Brazilian is the most likely candidate to make way for Cherki, who simply has to be included in the starting lineup if Man City are going to become the latest team to defeat Arne Slot’s Reds this season?

Man City "monster" is closest thing Pep's had to Messi & it's not Cherki

Pep Guardiola has found his new Lionel Messi at Manchester City in pure “monster” and it is not Rayan Cherki.

ByBen Gray Oct 30, 2025

Miami Marlins left fielder Kyle Stowers is on the type of heater that's rarely seen. In his first game back from the All-Star break Friday night, he mashed a walk-off two-run home run to give the Marlins an 8-6 win over the Kansas City Royals in extra innings.

Honestly, it wasn't much of a shock that Stowers went yard. He did so earlier in the night in the bottom first and homered three times in Miami's final game before the break. The walk-off blast marked his fifth home run in just two games.

Overall, he's had eight hits and 11 RBIs alongside the five homers in the two-game stretch. Those are numbers we haven't seen in 100 years, literally. According to OptaSTATS, the only other MLB player to reach the same stats in a two-game span is Ty Cobb, who had nine hits, five homers and 11 RBIs over two games in 1925.

Even more incredible is that there were four days in between Stowers's remarkable two-game stretch due to the All-Star break. He was a National League All-Star and competed in the swing-off Home Run Derby to decide the outcome of the game. He sent out one dinger in three tries to add to the NL's total as they eventually came out on top thanks to three bombs from Kyle Schwarber.

On the season, Stowers is slashing .298/.371/.563 with 21 home runs and 59 RBIs. His .298 batting average is a top-10 number across the MLB. He has a chance to continue the insane stretch as the Marlins' weekend series in Miami against the Royals continues Saturday.

Manchester United aren’t alien to spending a pretty penny in the transfer market, as seen by their recent attempts over the last couple of years under various managers.

The hierarchy have splashed over £800m on new additions since the summer of 2022, with Ruben Amorim the most recent beneficiary of the huge spending.

He’s already been handed over £200m worth of funds since taking the reins in November last year, but was only able to guide the club to a 15th-place finish in the Premier League.

His summer additions have already made an immediate impact, as seen by the sixth-place standing at present, but certain areas are still in need of added depth.

With January now rapidly approaching on the horizon, it could provide INEOS and the manager with yet another opportunity to finally nail their recruitment in the market.

United’s hunt for added attacking reinforcements this January

Over the last couple of weeks, United have been named as just one side who are contemplating a winter move to land Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo to improve options in the final third.

It’s been reported that the Ghanaian international is available for a fee in the region of £65m due to his release clause becoming active on the 1st of the new year.

However, Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur are all said to be interested in a move for the 25-year-old, which could lead to huge competition for his signature.

Semenyo isn’t the only attacker currently in their sights at present, with PSG star Bradley Barcola another option the hierarchy have identified ahead of January.

According to one Spanish outlet, the Red Devils are considering a move for the French forward, after his impressive start to 2025/26, which has seen him net five goals in Ligue 1 to date.

However, the report also states Luis Enrique doesn’t want to lose one of his star players next month, leading to a €70m (£60m) asking price being placed on his head.

Why Barcola would be an upgrade on Cunha

As part of the club’s £200m spending spree during the summer window, United managed to clinch the signature of Brazilian forward Matheus Cunha from
Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The Red Devils paid a reported £62.5m including add-ons for his services, a deal which was seen as excellent business, after he netted 15 league goals last season.

However, a few months into his career at Old Trafford, Cunha has struggled to meet expectations and has been unable to produce his best performances in the Premier League.

In his 12 league matches to date, he’s only scored once and registered a single assist – the lowest tally of any of the three forwards who moved to the Theatre of Dreams in the summer.

Whilst he still has plenty of time to turn things around, the board will no doubt be concerned about his lack of impact during the early stages of his career in Manchester.

He could find minutes harder to come by after January if the hierarchy manage to complete a move for Barcola, with the French youngster one of Europe’s biggest stars.

When comparing his stats to Cunha in 2025/26 to date, the PSG sensation has dominated in key areas, which could provide Amorim with a huge upgrade in the attacking department.

Barcola, who’s been described as “one of the best wingers in Europe” by European football expert Zach Lowy, has massively outscored the United star whilst posting a better shot on target accuracy rate in attacking areas.

Such numbers showcase the dominance he possesses over Cunha when in front of goal, which could hand Amorim the added firepower he is currently craving.

How Barcola & Cunha compare in 2025/26

Statistics (per 90)

Barcola

Cunha

Games played

12

12

Goals & assists

5

2

Shot on target accuracy

52%

33%

Progressive carries

4.6

2.8

Progressive passes

4.1

3.8

Pass accuracy

84%

79%

Key passes

2.1

1.2

Take-on success

2.9

2.1

Carries into opposition box

3.3

1.4

Stats via FBref

However, the Frenchman has also provided a more creative option than the Brazilian this season, as seen by his better tallies in progressive passes and key passes per 90.

Getting past the opposition has also been a strength of Barcola, as demonstrated by his higher tally of take-ons per 90 and dribbled into the opposition box.

At just 23, it’s evident that Barcola is already a bigger talent than Cunha, but he also has age on his side, which could allow him to reach the next level in the years ahead.

£60m would be yet another huge investment from the board, but it is one that could allow the Red Devils to be a force to be reckoned with in the Premier League for many years to come.

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Posts ByEthan Lamb 3 days ago

And what’s the earliest in their career that a player has scored a hundred and taken a five-for in the same Test?

Steven Lynch15-Jul-2025I heard that KL Rahul was the 100th player to be out for 100 in a Test. Who did it most often? asked Arqam Fazal Mirza from India
You heard correctly: KL Rahul’s round 100 at Lord’s last weekend was indeed the 100th time a batter had been dismissed for exactly 100 in a men’s Test. The great England opener Len Hutton managed it four times between 1937 and 1951, while a later Australian opener in Graeme Wood had three round 100s. Four others were out for exactly 100 twice – both Waugh twins, Gordon Greenidge and Kevin Pietersen.There have also been 69 cases of 100 not out, including two by Allan Border, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Saleem Malik (and another one by Steve Waugh). There are also three instances (plus one not-out) in women’s Test matches.England and India tied on the first innings at Lord’s. What are the highest and lowest such instances? asked Ahmedul Kabir from Bangladesh

Both first innings at Lord’s last week ended at 387: this was the ninth time such a tie had happened in all Tests.Twin totals of 387 come in fifth – exactly halfway – on the list. The highest was 593, by West Indies (who declared five down) and England in St John’s in April 1994, in the match in which Brian Lara first claimed the Test record with an innings of 375. The lowest such instance involved two totals of 199, by South Africa and England at the old Lord’s ground in Durban in January 1910 (England were 198 for 7, but lost their last three wickets for one).Corbin Bosch scored a hundred and took a five-for in just his second Test. Has anyone else done this? asked Nelson from South Africa

South Africa’s Corbin Bosch scored 100 not out in the first Test against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo at the end of June, and then took 5 for 43 in the second innings.He was the fourth man to do this in his second Test, following Jack Gregory, for Australia against England in Melbourne in January 1921, Roston Chase for West Indies vs India in Kingston in August 2016, and one of his opponents in the match in question – Zimbabwe’s Brian Bennett, against Afghanistan, also in Bulawayo in December 2024.But there’s one man who achieved this all-round feat on his Test debut: New Zealand’s Bruce Taylor followed 105 with 5 for 86 against India in Calcutta in March 1965. There’s also one woman: Chamani Seneviratna made 105 not out after taking 5 for 31 in Sri Lanka’s only women’s Test to date, against Pakistan in Colombo in April 1998.Bosch was the fourth to do this particular double for South Africa in Tests, following Jimmy Sinclair, Aubrey Faulkner and Jacques Kallis (twice). It was also Bosch’s maiden first-class century: he was the fifth South African to do this in a Test – but the first since 1955, following Sinclair, Percy Sherwell, Tuppy Owen-Smith and Paul Winslow.Corbin Bosch was the fourth man to score a hundred and take a five-for in his second Test•Zimbabwe CricketLhuan-dre Pretorius scored 157 runs in all on his Test debut. What’s the record for this? asked Biraj Bohara from Nepal

The South African left-hander Lhuan-dre Pretorius had scores of 153 and 4 on his Test debut, against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo at the end of last month.Rather surprisingly, perhaps, no fewer than 46 men have made more runs in their first Test: the list is headed by Lawrence Rowe, who marked his debut for West Indies – against New Zealand in Kingston in February 1972 – with 214 and 100 not out. The only other batter to score more than 300 runs in his first Test is England’s Reginald “Tip” Foster, who followed his 287 against Australia in Sydney in December 1903 (the highest individual debut score) with 19 in the second innings.The South African record is held by Jacques Rudolph, with 222 not out against Bangladesh in Chittagong in April 2003.Has anyone ever scored centuries in the second and third innings of a Test? asked Nirmal Mendis from Sri Lanka

This is obviously quite a difficult thing to do, as it requires your team to bat second and then be forced to follow on. But it’s dangerous to say “never” about this sort of thing, because actually it’s happened twice in Tests! The first to do it was India’s Vijay Hazare, who contributed a valiant double of 116 and 145 (his first two Test centuries) as his side slipped to an innings defeat in Adelaide in January 1948. In the opening innings of the match Hazare had bowled Don Bradman – but unfortunately he’d made 201 by then, and Australia were well on their way to a total of 674.The other instance came in a match in Harare in September 2001. After South Africa romped to 600 for 3 declared, Andy Flower made 142 in Zimbabwe’s total of 286. He was soon back at the crease in the follow-on, and this time remained undefeated after almost ten hours with 199 out of 391. His epic resistance forced South Africa to bat again, and extended the match close to tea on the final day before the visitors finally won by nine wickets.Flower was only the second man, after South Africa’s Jimmy Sinclair against England in Cape Town in April 1899, to score more than half his side’s runs in a match in which they were bowled out twice. They were later joined by Brian Lara, with 221 and 130 as West Indies (390 and 262) lost by ten wickets to Sri Lanka in Colombo late in 2001.Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

Newcastle forward Yoane Wissa has been left out of the DR Congo squad for the Africa Cup of Nations, which is slated to commence on December 21. Although the decision will be a shock for the forward, it should benefit the Magpies, who are still waiting to see their £55 million summer signing in action. The 29-year-old has not featured for the Premier League club since arriving from Brentford due to a knee injury suffered on international duty just days after completing his move.

• AFP
  

  Injury strikes days after his Newcastle arrival

  Wissa’s start to life in the North East has been shaped entirely by misfortune. After signing on deadline day, he immediately joined DR Congo for the September international break. He starred in a 4-1 win over South Sudan on September 5 and showed why Newcastle paid a premium for him as he racked up a goal and an assist. But in the following fixture, a narrow 3-2 defeat to Senegal, Wissa sustained the knee injury that has sidelined him ever since. Initial fears centred around possible ACL damage, but Newcastle quickly moved to reassure supporters that the forward had avoided a catastrophic setback. His recovery has been slower than first anticipated, with it reported that the striker suffered a minor setback during rehabilitation.

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• International snub helps Newcastle’s festive plans

  Wissa was recruited as a Premier League-ready replacement for Alexander Isak following the Swede’s high-profile exit to Liverpool. His arrival was part of a broader attacking rebuild, and Newcastle believed his work rate and finishing ability made him a perfect fit for Howe’s system. In his absence, fellow summer arrival Nick Woltemade has stepped up impressively with seven goals in 14 starts across all competitions.

  Had Wissa been selected for AFCON, Premier League regulations would have prohibited Newcastle from using him during the tournament window, even if he regained fitness earlier than expected. DR Congo’s decision to leave him out means that once he recovers, he is free to feature in every match of Newcastle’s congested festive schedule. If he continues to progress and avoids setbacks, he could finally be named in a matchday squad within the next two weeks, marking the end of a lengthy wait for his debut. 

• Getty Images
  

  Howe doesn't want to rush Wissa into action

  Speaking ahead of Newcastle’s Premier League meeting with Tottenham this week, head coach Eddie Howe struck a cautious but optimistic tone.

  "He (Wissa) had an 11 vs. 11 game this week while we were at Everton. He will have another one this week, and we will see where he is," he said.

  "There has been no change. He is working back, and he is doing well; everything is positive, but he will be back involved when we think he is able to contribute to the group and has a minimal chance of reinjury."

  Wissa has been progressing through a tightly managed individual training programme, with Newcastle’s medical staff taking a long-term view of his recovery. Howe has been impressed with the forward’s determination and professionalism, particularly given the psychological blow of joining a new club only to be immediately sidelined.

  "He has a very strong character and that comes across," Howe continued. "He’s good with the players, he’s very positive. He’s a leader. You can see that already. He’s trying to inspire and help the players, which is sometimes very difficult when you come to a new club and you’re injured straight away. That’s a real tough mental challenge for him to take on, especially with his transfer fee. There’ll be a lot of emotions going through him, but all he can focus on is trying to get fit and trying to make a difference on the pitch."

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• What comes next?

  With DR Congo choosing not to gamble on his fitness, Wissa’s pathway back now lies entirely within Newcastle’s hands. If his recovery continues smoothly, the forward could soon begin the Premier League chapter that was put on hold before it even started. 

  DR Congo’s AFCON squad in full: 

  Goalkeepers: Timothy Fayulu (FC Noah), Lionel Mpasi (Le Havre), Matthieu Epolo (Standard Liege)

  Defenders: Aaron Wan-Bissaka (West Ham United), Gedeon Kalulu (Lorient), Arthur Masuaku (Sunderland), Joris Kayembe (Genk), Rocky Bushiri, Axel Tuanzebe (Burnley), Chancel Mbemba (Lille), Steve Kapuadi (Legia Warsaw)

  Midfielders: Noah Sadiki (Sunderland), Edo Kayembe (Watford), Samuel Moutoussamy (Atromitos), Charles Pickel (Espanyol),  Ngal’ayel Mukau (Lille), Mario Stroeykens (Anderlecht), Theo Bondgonda (Spartak Moscow), Michael-Ange Balikwisha (Celtic), Nathanael Mbuku (Montpellier), Brian Cipenga (Castellon)

  Forwards: Simon Banza (Al Jazira), Ibrahim Mayele (Pyramids), Samuel Essende (Augsburg), Meschak Elia (Alanyaspor), Cedric Bakumbu (Real Betis).

No thrilling finish but draw with Gloucestershire is enough for Foxes combined with stalemate at Lord’s

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay11-Sep-2025There was no thrilling finale on the field but Leicestershire could celebrate nonetheless after securing the draw with Gloucestershire that, in the event, ensured their promotion to Division One of the Rothesay County Championship.With two fixtures still to play, the result at the Uptonsteel County Ground combined with the draw between Middlesex and Derbyshire at Lord’s guarantees that Leicestershire will finish in the top two in Division Two and end a 22-year-exile from the top division.Set 316 to win from a minimum 74 overs when Gloucestershire, who felt their outside chance of a promotion required them to win here, declared four overs before lunch on 175 for 3 in their second innings, Leicestershire were 93 for 1 from 30.3 when the afternoon’s third interruption for rain proved heavy enough for the final day’s play to be abandoned at around 4.10pm.It is a first promotion for Leicestershire since the County Championship adopted its current two-division format in 2000. Led for most of the season by Australian international Peter Handscomb – now back home preparing for his domestic season – Leicestershire have been the dominant side in Division Two all season after winning five of their first seven matches and suffering only one defeat.They last played in Division One in 2003 and have since become almost perpetual stragglers, finishing bottom of DivisionTwo on eight occasions. In four of those, the last as recently as 2022, they failed to register a single victory, famously going 37 matches over 933 days without a Championship win between September 2012 and June 2015.Leicestershire, whose next target is to secure the points they need to guarantee they are crowned Division Two champions, went into the final day in the comfortable knowledge that while a victory would seal the deal in terms of confirming promotion, a draw might do it anyway depending on the result at Lord’s, or at worst leave them needing minimal gains from their final two fixtures.Gloucestershire’s need for a win, therefore, put the onus on them to set up a finish, to which end they added 165 in 21 overs before declaring just before lunch, setting the home side 316 to win in a minimum 74 overs.Against a Leicestershire attack that was a man down because of Ben Mike’s ongoing hamstring problems, 21-year-old opener Joe Phillips further enhanced his growing reputation with an unbeaten 69 from 73 balls.Ben Charlesworth cleared the midwicket boundary off Logan van Beek and landed back-to-back sixes off Chris Wright in his 56-ball 61 before a miscue to deep third man ended his charge. Ian Holland limited Ollie Price to just 8 but Miles Hammond plundered another 28 from 26 before top-edging into the off side, Holland veering away in his follow-through to be under the ball when it came down.Gloucestershire asked Leicestershire to face four overs before lunch possibly more in hope than expectation. The wicket of Sol Budinger perhaps came as a bonus, the opener making no attempt to rein in his natural attacking instincts but perishing after just 13 deliveries, tempted by a widish ball from Ajeet Singh Dale despite having collected three boundaries already and picking out the fielder at wide third.The visitors’ cause was not helped by showers after lunch, which eventually washed out 43.3 overs of the scheduled 74.Yet there never seemed enough jeopardy in the fourth-day surface to make 10 wickets a realistic possibility. Rishi Patel finished unbeaten on 42 with acting captain Holland on 27. Gloucestershire’s frustration was cushioned a little by taking 15 points for the draw, but the gap between themselves and second-placed Glamorgan remains at more than 30 points.

In a tournament where fast-scoring has been difficult, West Indies’ opening duo put England to the sword

Valkerie Baynes16-Oct-20243:35

Takeaways: West Indies’ powerplay stuns England to land semi-final spot

Hayley Matthews looked at Qiana Joseph in the changeroom at the innings break and thought something was wrong.West Indies needed to chase down 142 to qualify for the T20 World Cup semi-finals for the first time since 2018 – a target Matthew later said she’d have “bitten your hand off” for at the start of the game.It turns out Joseph was simply in the mood.Related

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“When we went into the changing room at halftime, I looked at her and I said: ‘What’s wrong? You look like you’re upset.’ She said: ‘I’m just ready.'”She’s always up for it, man. And it’s great to have characters like that within the dressing room, especially as a West Indies team who are probably always underdogs. We need fighters within the team and she’s a great example of that.”Joseph didn’t just fight. She pummelled England into submission.England, who had beaten West Indies in their 13 previous games dating back to 2018, had come into the tournament tipped as finalists with their vast resources and unbeaten record in the group stages.In her 15th T20I, Joseph had a big role to fill at the top of the order with Stafanie Taylor – West Indies’ leading run-scorer before the start of the game – succumbing to a knee injury she has been carrying through the tournament.Already the 23-year-old Joseph had shown her versatility, opening the batting in the first game – a 10-wicket loss to South Africa – before dropping below Taylor to No. 3 as West Indies sailed past Scotland. She dropped into a floating role next, listed at No. 6 against Bangladesh but not required as West Indies won by eight wickets.

When we look at individuals within this team, so many times we would hear only ‘Deandra or Hayley or Staf will put in performances’, but one thing we can say we’ve started to see this year is others really stepping upHayley Matthews

Against England, Joseph blasted her way to a career-best 52 off just 38 balls with six fours and two sixes as she and Matthews took West Indies to the highest powerplay of the tournament so far at 67 without loss.It wasn’t until midway through the innings that the duo learned they needed to reach the target in 19 overs to finish ahead of South Africa at the top of Group B on net run rate. West Indies got the job done on the last ball of the 18th, Aaliyah Alleyne piercing the covers to find the boundary off Sophie Ecclestone and close an innings built by Joseph and Matthews.The duo shared a 102-run stand off just 74 balls with Matthews, who played her best innings so far with 50 off 38 – her first half-century against England – after scores of 10, 8 and 34.It was only the second time both openers had scored 50 or more in a women’s T20I for West Indies, the first time being when they beat Australia in the 2016 T20 World Cup final.It was Matthews who took control to begin with, smashing 14 runs off Lauren Bell, the most runs conceded in the first over of a match at this World Cup.Like her captain, Joseph was off the mark with a boundary, two in three balls from Nat Sciver-Brunt, no less. She then ripped into England’s spinners, powering Charlie Dean over midwicket for six then striking back-to-back fours off Ecclestone behind and over square leg.Joseph rode her luck as well, barely clearing fielders a couple of times then put down by Sophia Dunkley on 6, Alice Capsey on 31 the three times by Maia Bouchier. She reached her maiden fifty off just 34 balls, the fastest against England at the T20 World Cup.Hayley Matthews produced best innings of the tournament at a vital time•ICC/Getty ImagesJoseph was part of West Indies’ T20 World Cup squad in 2018 as a 17-year-old, largely as a left-arm spinner, but her ball-striking has improved markedly in recent times, prompting her move up the order.Earlier this year, she played largely as an opener in an away series against Pakistan, which West Indies won 4-1, and was used as a pinch-hitter in a 2-1 series win in Sri Lanka.Despite those results, West Indies hadn’t been expected to do so well here, possibly because of a well-documented lack of resources compared to the likes of India and England, both of whom are now out of the reckoning.”I think a lot of people wrote us off coming into this tournament,” Matthews said. “The way we’ve been able to go about our cricket, especially after the start we had against South Africa, we’ve just bounced back against Scotland, against Bangladesh.”We haven’t beat England in about six years. As far as I can remember, the last time we beat them was back in 2018, but everyone still came here with a belief and a fight and it just shows what we can do as a West Indian team. A lot of people coming up against us know that if it’s one thing we’ve got, it’s a lot of heart and a lot of fight and we showed that today.”Particularly pleasing for West Indies was the fact Joseph was able to step up in Taylor’s absence so that by the time Deandra Dottin came in to score 27 off 19 striking at 142.10, the bulk of the work was done.That said, Dottin was instrumental in setting the tone for the match with some brilliant fielding at the start of England’s innings and she also bowled for the first time in the campaign, taking 1 for 16 in three overs.’To be given this opportunity to come out, represent your nation and making a living out of it, every single person, it changes their lives’•ICC/Getty Images”When we look at individuals within this team, so many times we would hear only ‘Deandra or Hayley or Staf will put in performances’, but one thing we can say we’ve started to see this year is others really stepping up,” Matthew said. “Karishma [Ramharack] with 4 for 17 against Bangladesh] last game, Qiana Joseph this game, and it’s just going to make us more and more dangerous.”By topping their group, West Indies avoid favourites Australia in the semi-finals and will face New Zealand on Friday in Sharjah. Australia play South Africa in Dubai on Thursday. And Matthews was confident the entire Caribbean would be behind her team.”Honestly speaking, we probably just don’t have it like the rest a lot of the time,” she said. “Back home in the Caribbean, sometimes we don’t have facilities and a lot of our girls come from very humble beginnings. To be given this opportunity to come out, represent your nation and making a living out of it, every single person, it changes their lives.”Within the West Indies, I think a lot of the islands can always be against each other, but the one thing that does bring the entire West Indies together is cricket and the passion that the people have for the game is massive. It just brings our whole region together as one for the only time probably.”

The independent head of BCB’s integrity unit said keeping some players out of the auction was “one of many actions” to “protect” the BPL

Mohammad Isam30-Nov-2025

No players have been officially named by the BCB so far•kkr.in

Alex Marshall, the independent head of BCB’s anti-corruption unit, wanted to keep some individuals away from the upcoming edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) as it would make the tournament “much safer” without them. On Saturday, the BCB had removed several players from the auction that took place on Sunday. The BCB integrity unit is carrying on investigations to look into previous editions of the BPL.Marshall’s statement was played ahead of the BPL auction’s broadcast. “In advance of BPL 12, I have provided advice to the (BPL) governing council about some people who should not be invited to this year’s event,” he said. “That’s just one of many actions that are being taken to protect this year’s BPL. And I just felt it would be much safer to keep some people away while investigations are completed and we look back over recent years.”Marshall and the BCB have, however, not officially named anyone as part of their reports. “I’ll say no more about any individuals because that would be wrong, and I will never discuss the details of a live investigation. That’s unfair to victims and witnesses, and it’s unfair to people who are suspects. My team will maintain confidentiality.”Shortly before the auction started, the BCB also announced that the country’s high court had rejected three writ petitions which challenged the board’s decision to exclude nine cricketers from the BPL auction.The board released an official statement that said: “Upon hearing the petitioners’ lawyer Barrister Ruhul Quddus Kazal, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of Bangladesh and Bangladesh Cricket Board’s lawyer Barrister Mahin M Rahman, Advocate (Appellate Division), Supreme Court of Bangladesh, a Division Bench of the High Court Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh, Mr Justice Sikder Mahmudur Razi and Mr Justice Raziuddin Ahmed, vide an Order dated 30 November 2025, summarily rejected the said writ petitions. Accordingly, the auction of the BPL 12th Edition will proceed without the names of the nine players.”