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Injuries and England call-ups leave teams scrambling for players ahead of format switch

Matt Roller11-Jun-2022Several counties have made short-term signings to plug gaps in their squads that have been created by a combination of a jam-packed domestic schedule and injuries that have followed as a consequence, as well as England’s simultaneous Test and ODI series.Sixteen of the 18 counties were involved in the eight T20 Blast games on Friday night, with Surrey and Northamptonshire playing their most recent games on Thursday instead. There are a further eight fixtures in the County Championship starting on Sunday, with Essex and Northants the only two teams not involved.The schedule is a result of a demand for a greater number of Championship fixtures to be played in the summer months, but has reduced many county’s squads to their bare bones. The issue has been exacerbated by the loss of 25 players to England duty – the 11 who are playing against New Zealand in the second Test at Trent Bridge, plus 14 who will fly to Amsterdam on Tuesday morning ahead of a three-match ODI series against the Netherlands.Lancashire are among the worst-affected sides, with Luke Wood, Liam Livingstone, Phil Salt and James Anderson on England duty, Hasan Ali returning to Pakistan and Saqib Mahmood and Jack Blatherwick both injured.Related

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Matt Parkinson is available after his release from the England squad (Craig Overton and Harry Brook have also been released to play for Somerset and Yorkshire respectively) but Lancashire have also brought in Will Williams, a seamer from New Zealand with a formidable first-class record for Canterbury, on a short-term deal as an overseas player, which covers two games.Durham are also missing four players on England duty – Ben Stokes, Alex Lees, Matthew Potts and Brydon Carse – so have brought in Williams’ compatriot Rachin Ravindra, the spin-bowling allrounder, for their fixture against Worcestershire as a stop-gap replacement for Keegan Petersen.Derbyshire have brought in Toby Pettman from Nottinghamshire as cover for the injured Ben Aitchison and Suranga Lakmal, with Hayden Kerr and George Scrimshaw likely to have their overs limited as they return to first-class cricket.Sussex, meanwhile, have recruited Jack Brooks on a two-match loan from Somerset, with Ollie Robinson (back), George Garton (long Covid) and Fynn Hudson-Prentice (back rehab) all missing out.Yorkshire are likely to give Dominic Drakes, who was primarily signed for T20 cricket, only the second first-class appearance of his career after naming him in a 13-man squad, with David Willey, Joe Root and Dawid Malan on England duty and Ben Coad and Matthew Fisher recovering from injuries.While counties have pushed for a greater proportion of Championship games to be played in mid-summer, coaches often note how hard it is for players to switch between increasingly divergent formats of the game.”It’s always tough as a player, swapping formats,” Richard Johnson, Middlesex’s head coach, told the club’s YouTube channel. “Back when we used to play, it used to be a red-ball game and then a 50-over game straight after, but the crossover wasn’t too bad whereas now, with Championship cricket and T20, they’re the extremes of our sport.”It can be quite taxing and quite hard work – especially for the batters – to get back into that red-ball mode.” With another round of Blast games following on Friday, they will have to get used to making the switch.

National League Cy Young Award frontrunner Paul Skenes cruised through five scoreless innings, striking out eight batters in the Pirates' 2-1 loss on Wednesday. But, to the surprise of some, Skenes was removed from the game after throwing just 64 pitches, a season-low for the 2024 NL Rookie of the Year.

So, what gives? Why did Pirates manager Don Kelly take the ball from Skenes when he seemingly had gas left in the tank?

After the contest, Kelly told reporters that he had a specific workload in mind for Skenes entering the game, with an eye on preserving the righthander for the remainder of 2025 and beyond.

"Yeah. Like we’ve talked about with all the guys," Kelly said. "Just trying to make sure that we’re managing their workload, make sure that they’re going all the way through the end of the season healthy and ready to finish a full season and be ready for next year."

Skenes, to his credit, took it in stride.

"The main goal that I’ve had coming into the past two years is making every start," Skenes told . "There are opportunities to give and take throughout the season, and tonight was kind of one of those. I probably needed it, to be honest."

Limiting Skenes's workload this late in the season certainly makes sense, especially considering that the 82-loss Pirates will miss the postseason for a 10th consecutive season.

The Pirates ace now has 203 strikeouts in 2025, giving him 200-plus in a single campaign for the first time in his career. Skenes is also sporting an MLB-best 1.92 ERA in 178 innings pitched.

His 1.94 career ERA is the lowest through a pitcher's first 53 career starts dating back to 1920, according to Sarah Langs.

The decks have been cleared for the M Chinnaswamy Stadium to be back on the BCCI’s radar after newly-elected KSCA chief Venkatesh Prasad has received a go-ahead from the Karnataka government to host matches, a week after being elected. The BCCI is believed to have been apprised of the recent developments too.The immediate implications are that Virat Kohli could be back playing at the Chinnaswamy, with the KSCA set to move Vijay Hazare Trophy matches involving Delhi from Alur owing to security and logistical challenges. As things stand, Kohli and Rishabh Pant have been named in a jumbo Delhi squad and both could be available for the first three matches.Prasad and vice-president Sujith Somasunder held meetings with chief minister Siddharamaiah, deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar and other government officials in Belagavi earlier this week on the sidelines of the state’s assembly session and the conversations are understood to have been fruitful.ESPNcricinfo understands the KSCA is also making provisions to be able to accommodate 2000-3000 fans by throwing open certain stands to the public, considering the high-profile nature of matches involving two Indian superstars.At the meeting with the government officials, the Prasad-led KSCA committee reiterated their commitment to implementing as many changes as feasible from the Justice John D’Cunha report on the Chinnaswamy Stadium.While hosting matches in the Vijay Hazare Trophy is seen as a starting point, Prasad and KSCA are keen on ensuring Bengaluru doesn’t lose out on hosting IPL matches.”We’re on track for the IPL to be back,” an office-bearer privy to the developments told ESPNcricinfo. The KSCA is expected to begin work on the D’Cunha recommendations in a phased manner.”To avoid any future incidents, we have put in place precautionary measures. We have granted permission accordingly,” deputy chief minister Shivakumar said after the state’s cabinet meeting on Friday. “The Home Minister will hold discussions with the KSCA president and police officials.”The venue hasn’t hosted any top-flight cricket since the June 4 stampede that marred Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL victory celebration, leading to 11 deaths and several injuries. KSCA’s Maharaja Trophy was shifted to Mysore in August, while the venue also lost out on hosting five Women’s World Cup matches, including the final, due to the ongoing impasse.”We have no intention of stopping cricket matches. But crowd-management measures need to be examined,” Shivakumar said. “We also intend to implement the recommendations of the Justice Michael D’Cunha Committee in a phased manner. Venkatesh Prasad too has agreed to this.”

Zimbabwe took a 233-run lead, and then prised out one Afghanistan wicket before stumps

Ekanth21-Oct-2025

Zimbabwe scored 229 runs and lost eight wickets. Afghanistan scored 34 and lost one. On paper, day two was a day of shared honours. In reality though, the hosts were left holding all aces after having bundled out Afghanistan for 127 on day one, and then converting a three-run lead to a 233-run lead, thanks mainly to a gritty, layered 121 from Ben Curran and a calculated (if not slick) 65 from Sikandar Raza.Ziaur Rahman’s 7 for 97 was a dreamy career-best on Test debut. He became the first bowler to take seven or more wickets via bowled or lbw in a Test innings since Imran Khan in 1982. Afghanistan batted for 12 overs before stumps and lost opener Abdul Malik to Richard Ngarava. Ibrahim Zadran got off to a start and was unbeaten on 25.On a day tailor-made for pacers, the proactivity of Brendan Taylor and the experience of Craig Ervine were no match for the reveries of a Harare pitch offering up-and-down as well as sideways movement. Taylor got an edged boundary through gully (over 41.2) and a chipped four through mid-on (43.3).Despite being decisive and even picking up a boundary to third from a semi-educated edge off a flashing cut and looking solid in defence, the right-handed Taylor fell to a vicious inducker from Ziaur, who then used his allies – low bounce and seam in – to trap the left-handed Craig Ervine lbw.Curran, at the other end, grew into a natural rhythm. One undeterred by being beaten and edging. Raza came in with his problem-solver hat on, walking down the pitch and shuffling sideways against the pace of Ismat Alam and Ziaur. He had nervy moments – like a chip to cover off Alam (50.2) – but overcame them while disregarding the threats posed by the conditions and some skillful bowling.Yamin Ahmadzai’s accuracy and consistency in a six-over collection, split across two spells between overs 38 and 56, saw two maidens, just 11 runs but no wickets. The Morne Morkel-esque Ziaur didn’t face a case of pretty figures. Alam created more nervy moments, especially against Raza, but also conceded more boundaries.Curran and Raza built their 99-run stand in 160 balls with Curran scoring 33 despite facing a healthy share of 72 balls. The clear roles and the duo’s commitment ground down Afghanistan, who had an upbeat presence at the start – with chatter and buzz from the keeper and cordons. Zimbabwe went into lunch on 214 for 4, with Curran on 79* and Raza 37*.The older ball, tiring bowlers and the fewer challenges posed by Hashmatullah Shahidi’s part-time bowling and Khalil Gurbaz’s awkward action, helped the two batters consolidate.Curran brought up his 217-ball ton off Shahidi’s flick and virtually levitated with open arms, a bat in one hand and helmet in the other, in celebration.Ziaur Rahman picked up a five-for on Test debut•Zimbabwe Cricket

Raza hit three fours off Sharafuddin Ashraf between overs 69 and 72, but then fell on 75.3, looking for the fourth, after top-edging a slog sweep to Yamin Ahmadzai running around from deep square leg to take the catch.Afghanistan took the new ball one ball after it was available and got it changed 3.5 overs later. Meanwhile, Curran hit three fours in the space of four balls that he faced. There were immediately more threats after the second ball change.Ahmadzai and Ziaur went back to what they did earlier in the day to first threaten edges and dry up scoring, and then Ahmadzai took Curran’s wicket on the stroke of tea. Low bounce and seam in was a culprit again as Curran was hit on the back leg and was out plumb lbw for a 256-ball 121 across 423 minutes.Zimbabwe slumped from 302 for 6 to 359 all out after tea. Ziaur came into his own against a helpless lower-middle and lower order as the final three batters fell for single figures. The carnage began with Tafadzwa Tsiga and Ngarava being lbw in successive balls.Ahmadzai missed the chance to run Blessing Muzarabani out. Perhaps that was because the bowling division of the cricket Gods wanted to watch Ziaur send Muzarabani cartwheeling its way back halfway to the keeper. Evans pulled through against spread-out fields and took Zimbabwe past 350 before Chivanga fell to Ziaur, thus wrapping up the innings.Muzarabani juggled jaffas with the odd bouncer to make Afghan opener Malik’s short stay a scarring one. There were two close shaves in the third over where the ball nearly took the edge – one against each batter.When Ngarava went after Malik with a less attacking plan of bowling short from around the wicket, an attempt to break the shackles was made and an aerial pull went into Muzarabani’s hands at deep-backward square leg.Amid lightmeter readings and some fiery pace bowling, Ibrahim seasoned a crafty little knock while Rahmanullah Gurbaz batted through to stumps. With the visitors still being in the deficit by 198 runs, an innings-win for the hosts is on the cards.

There’s a strong case to be made that Arsenal are the best team in Europe right now. Certainly, the win over Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday evening underlined the credentials of Mikel Arteta’s multi-title challengers.

The Gunners have mastered their game. Some have ridiculed Arteta and his side for finishing second in the Premier League three seasons in a row, but this has only hardened their resolve and will to win, concurrently deepening the tactical layers Arteta has spent so much time developing.

This is the result of everything coming together over multiple campaigns. Hard work and perserverance. Now, Arsenal have the luxury to add elite quality to an already fearsome outfit, and technical director Andrea Berta has found his man.

Arsenal's transfer plans

After such an impressive summer transfer window, table-topping Arsenal aren’t expected to be all that busy in the January transfer window. However, the Londoners will react if the right opportunity presents itself.

Juventus playmaker Kenan Yildiz remains a long-standing target, and attacking midfield is indeed a position the Emirates outfit is likely to target in the coming windows.

However, a recent report from Caught Offside suggests Berta is gearing up to launch a move for Newcastle United full-back Tino Livramento, with the 23-year-old also attracting strong intrigue from Manchester City and Manchester United.

Livramento has been one of the Magpies’ standout players this season, and his club know it, having responded to growing interest in his name by listing him at £80m.

What Tino Livramento would offer Arsenal

Livramento has made 90 appearances for Newcastle since first arriving on Tyneside, having joined the club from Southampton in a deal rising to £40m in 2023.

Last season, he played an instrumental role in securing the Carabao Cup title, something Gunners fans might remember after his tremendous performance at the Emirates in the first leg of the semi-finals.

A modern and dynamic full-back, Livramento’s positional versatility has seen him play ample on his unnatural left flank for United, with his surpassing technical quality leading Newcastle-focused content creator Kendall Rowan to hail him as a “superstar” of a prospect.

Given that Manchester City also have a vested interest, you could say that Livramento would emulate Declan Rice by completing a big-money move from a title-winning Premier League rival like Newcastle, Rice having completed his £105m transfer to north London from West Ham United in 2023, since transcending his role as a superstar.

Tino Livramento – Career Stats by Position

Position

Apps

Goals + Minutes

Right-back

91

1 + 6

Right wing-back

37

3 + 11

Left-back

24

0 + 2

Left wing-back

6

1 + 1

Right wing

1

0 + 0

Data via Transfermarkt

As Arteta’s troops march their way through the campaign, indomitably, irrevocably, Rice is the most trusted lieutenant, now one of the best central midfielders in the world after several years lauded as an elite talent with room for growth.

In this way, Livramento would mimic him, completing a move to north London and rejecting Pep Guardiola on the way to the Emirates.

Moreover, the likes of Theo Walcott have praised Newcastle’s star full-back for his potential to become something even more, suggesting that his athleticism and ability to play across a range of positions make him someone akin to Gareth Bale.

Bale was a superstar, alright, and this is evidence that Livramento falls into a bracket of world-class players.

Newcastle are bound to play hardball over one of their biggest, most profitable talents, but Arsenal have shaped their stadium into quite the desirable destination, and Livramento would have the chance to emulate Rice in rising the Premier League ladder and becoming a superstar under Arteta’s wing.

Related He's becoming a Saka & Eze hybrid: Arsenal have signed an "agent of chaos"

The increible international has the ability to be as important as Saka and Eze for Arsenal this season.

Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 28, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

A novela envolvendo Corinthians, Santos Laguna e o atleta Félix Torres chegou ao fim. O diretor de futebol corintiano, Rubens Gomes, assegurou que o clube mexicano liberou o zagueiro equatoriano para realizar exames e assinar contrato de quatro anos com o Timão nesta quinta-feira (11).

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O Corinthians fechou a negociação por Félix Torres em 5,5 milhões de dólares (R$26,8 milhões na cotação), e os detalhes estavam alinhados desde a última semana de dezembro. Porém, o Santos Laguna vinha retardando a troca de documentos. Uma das exigências feitas pelos mexicanos para liberar o zagueiro era o pagamento de uma parcela no ato da compra.

O jogador de 26 anos chega para suprir as saídas de Bruno Méndez e Gil, que não tiveram seus vínculos renovados pela nova diretoria. O Corinthians também fechou a contratação de Gustavo Henrique, ex-Flamengo que estava no Real Valladolid, para reforçar a zaga corintiana.

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+ Veja como ficou a tabela do Brasileirão após a última rodada

Félix Torres acumula 30 convocações e foi titular nos três jogos do Equador na Copa do Mundo realizada no Qatar. Revelado pelo Alianza Pailon (EQU), o zagueiro defendeu o Galáticos FC, LDU Poroviejo e Barcelona de Guayaquil, todos do Equador, antes de se transferir ao futebol mexicano. 

Nesta temporada, Félix marcou cinco gols em 19 partidas pelo Santos Laguna. O jogador recebeu elogios de Diego Palacios, novo reforço para a lateral-esquerda do Timão.

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– Estou bem feliz que Torres vem jogar aqui. É o melhor zagueiro do Equador, vai nos ajudar muito. Estaremos muito bem aqui, quero que venha para essa família, para ser campeão – disse Palacios durante apresentação no CT Joaquim Grava.

The leaves are beginning to change colors, wild-card races are flaming hot and October baseball is just around the corner. Only a week and a half remains in MLB's regular season and much has yet to be determined. Unlike the field of contenders for the World Series, which is seemingly wide open, candidates for the award races in MLB have separated themselves from the pack. At least one player has emerged as the favorite to take home the MVP and Cy Young awards in both leagues.

The Rookie of the Year award races however, seemingly foregone conclusions just a few months ago, have ramped up.

In the AL, New York Yankees catcher Austin Wells emerged as a two-way presence behind the plate—and a dark horse to take home the hardware. His teammate, the even-keeled Luis Gil, pitched steadily in the second half to remain a contender. And the early favorite, Baltimore Orioles outfielder Colton Cowser, remains a factor despite his bat cooling somewhat in the second half.

Then, there's the NL. Flamethrowing Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes, who seemingly makes history every time he toes the rubber, leads the three-horse race for Rookie of the Year. But power-speed threat outfielders Jackson Merrill of the San Diego Padres, and Jackson Chourio of the Milwaukee Brewers, are nipping at Skenes's heels.

All this to say, the Rookie of the Year races are going to be difficult to predict. But where would the fun be in trying to forecast them?

So here's to taking on the enviable task of predicting the top three finishers for the American League Rookie of the Year, and the not-so-enviable task of doing the same for the National League.

Predicting the Top Three Finishers in NL Rookie of the Year Award Race1. Paul Skenes (SP, Pirates)

Can we just hand out an award to Skenes and Jackson Merrill and call it a day? If posed the question as to who the NL ROY is just a few months ago, Skenes would be the obvious choice. But Merrill's emergence, and to a certain degree, Chourio's, has tightened this race considerably. Yes, voting history favors either Merrill or Chourio over Skenes since they’re position players. Even the current odds favor Merrill over the Pirates ace.

But it's difficult to give this award to Skenes.

The 6'6" right-hander boasts a triple-digit fastball, a sinker-splitter hybrid called the "splinker" and three different breakers—a sweeper, slider and curveball. Skenes even has a changeup in his arsenal. Keeping track of all the pitches he throws is almost as hard as hitting them. Just ask opposing MLB hitters, who, as of Friday, are batting just .204 against him. Skenes' splinker is also legitimately one of the best and most unhittable pitches in the game.

Among hurlers with at least 100 innings pitched, Skenes's K/BB percentage ranks third in MLB while his 2.07 ERA ranks second. Here's the real kicker. Skenes' adjusted ERA of 203 would rank among the 100 best single-season marks dating as far back as 1884, were he to qualify in terms of innings.

The fact that Skenes—who was called up in May—has only pitched 126 innings may work against him, but it shouldn't. This is not just one of the best pitching seasons we've ever seen by a rookie. It's not just one of the best pitching seasons this year. It's quite literally one of the best seasons by any pitcher that we've ever seen. Give him the award.

2. Jackson Merrill (OF, Padres)

Seriously, can we just hand out an award to Skenes and Merrill and call it a dayIf anythingMerrill's standout season proves there should be a separate ROY award for pitchers and hitters. But that's another argument for another day.

The case for Merrill winning ROY is simple. The 21-year-old has been the best second-half hitter on a playoff-contending Padres team that features six-time All-Star Manny Machado, two-time All-Star Fernando Tatis Jr. and two-time batting champ Luis Arraez. But that's not all. Since the All-Star break, Merrill ranks in the top 10 in all of MLB in batting average, OPS, barrel rate and wRC+. Simply put, we are talking about one of the best hitters in baseball over a half-season sample size. And it's not like Merrill's overall slash line of .292/.323/.504 is anything to be ashamed of.

Plus, Merrill, a natural shortstop, impacts the game positively at a premium position in center field, as he ranks 12th among all players at the position in outs above average.

Recently, the voters have favored position players. There is a good chance, then, that Merrill wins this award. But there would be no shame in finishing second to one of the best pitching seasons we've ever seen from a rookie.

3. Jackson Chourio (OF, Brewers)

Chourio is the dark horse to take home the NL ROY after he has rebounded from a dismal first half that saw him post a 23.3% strikeout rate and .678 OPS. But, much like Merrill for the Padres, Chourio has been the best second-half hitter on a playoff-bound Brewers team.

The 20-year-old has shaved points off of his first-half strikeout rate and has hit the ball on the ground far less since the All-Star break. Elevating the ball more has made Chourio a deadly hitter. Just ask the Brewers' scoreboard.

Since the Midsummer Classic, Chourio owns a .944 OPS, ahead of NL MVP candidate Francisco Lindor and just behind NL MVP favorite Shohei Ohtani. He ranks in the top 15 in batting average and wRC+ and his post-All-Star 2.9 WAR ranks just ahead of Merrill. Oh, and Chourio also became the youngest player in MLB history to hit 20 home runs and steal 20 bases in a single season.

Chourio has bounced between left and right field, where he has been one of the best defenders in the game. Skenes and Merrill get all the headlines but don't overlook Chourio in this race.

Honorable MentionsShota Imanaga, (SP, Chicago Cubs)

Imanaga ranks sixth in MLB in ERA and ninth in adjusted ERA.

Masyn Winn (SS, St. Louis Cardinals)

A defensive ace at shortstop with a cannon for an arm who has also hit 14 homers and swiped 11 bags.

Tyler Fitzgerald (IF/OF, San Francisco Giants)

Fitzgerald has appeared in just 87 games for the Giants but has posted a .861 OPS while belting 14 home runs and stealing 17 bases.

Predicting the Top Three Finishers in AL Rookie of the Year Award Race1. Luis Gil (SP, Yankees)

Since this is a predictions piece, why not predict something bold that has happened just four times since the ROY award was introduced in 1947? A pitcher will win both the AL and NL ROY awards for the first time since 2011. And Gil, who has been the best and most consistent starter on a playoff-bound Yankees team, will take home the hardware in the AL.

Gil was utterly dominant over the course of his first 14 starts, as he pitched to a 2.03 ERA and looked to be making an early case for the AL Cy Young award. He has come back down to Earth a bit since then, and, as of Friday, has only pitched 140 2/3 innings as he has dealt with an injury and workload concerns coming off of rehab from 2022 Tommy John surgery. But Gil has been remarkably steady throughout the year.

Plus, among AL starting pitchers who have pitched at least 100 innings this year, Gil ranks 10th or better in ERA and strikeout rate. His .184 opponent batting average would rank first among AL starters, were he to qualify in innings, while his Adjusted ERA of 130 would place just outside the top 10 pitchers in all of MLB.

Gil walks too many batters and the voter's history in the AL is working against him in this race. It will be close between Gil, his teammate Wells and Cowser. But the best pitcher on the best team in the AL gets the slight edge.

2. Austin Wells (C, Yankees)

Wells started the year off slow but has been a revelation behind the plate and in the middle of the order for the playoff-bound Yankees.

You want offense? Among catchers who have played at least 100 games, Wells ranks fifth in wRC+, seventh in OPS and 12th in home runs. You want defense? Wells ranks in the 96th percentile among all catchers in Statcast's pitch framing metric and is capable at blocking pitches in the dirt, ranking in the 73rd percentile in blocks above average. He is league average in his ability to throw out runners attempting to steal a base. One downside is that he has made 11 errors, the most among catchers.

Most importantly, Wells has provided some much-needed thump in the middle of the Yankees lineup behind AL MVP favorite Aaron Judge and fellow slugger Juan Soto.

His bat has cooled a bit in September, and the primary knock on Wells is that he's essentially a platoon bat for the Yanks—he owns a .801 OPS vs. righthanders and .525 OPS against southpaws this season.

But there's no denying the fact that Wells has a legitimate chance to become the first catcher to win the AL ROY award since Sandy Alomar in 1990.

3. Colton Cowser (OF, Orioles)

Thanks to a scorching-hot March and April, Cowser looked poised to become the second straight Orioles player to win AL ROY, following in the footsteps of teammate Gunnar Henderson, who took home the hardware in 2023.

His bat has cooled since, but that doesn't mean his candidacy for this award should too. Cowser has belted 20 home runs and recorded a 120 OPS+ in 145 games for an Orioles team with championship aspirations. The 24-year-old is also an excellent left fielder, as he ranks second among all players at the position in outs above average, thanks to plays like this one.

Cowser's bat and glove have been difficult for Orioles manager Brandon Hyde to take out of the lineup, as the rookie has played in the third-most games on a 85–68 team headed to the postseason.

Honorable MentionsMason Miller (RP, Oakland Athletics)

Armed with a triple-digits fastball, Miller has been lights-out. He ranks first in K/BB percentage and is tied for ninth with 27 saves.

Wilyer Abreu (OF, Boston Red Sox)

Abreu is already one of the better defensive right fielders in the game and owns a .800 OPS.

Trio of middle order fifties see hosts recover from 46 for 3, with Tom Banton unbeaten on 57

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay29-Jun-2025

Somerset 275 for 6 (Abell 64, Rew 58, Abbas 2-45) vs NottinghamshireHalf-centuries from James Rew, Tom Abell and Tom Banton dug Somerset out of trouble on a compelling first day of the Rothesay County Championship match with Division One leaders Nottinghamshire at the Cooper Associates Ground, Taunton.A crowd of just under 3,000 saw the home side slip to 46 for three after winning the toss before Rew (58), Abell (64) and Banton (57 not out) guided them to 275 for 6 at the close. There were two wickets each for Mohammad Abbas and Brett Hutton.All the Notts bowlers displayed commendable accuracy to ensure their opponents could never cut loose and the pitch offered them just enough assistance to ensure an absorbing contest between bat and ball.Somerset opted for a new opening partnership of Sean Dickson and Tom Kohler-Cadmore, but were soon in trouble as, with only ten runs on the board, Dickson fell lbw to Hutton for a duck, advancing down the pitch.Soon it was 22 for 2 as Tom Lammonby, on two, played forward and edged a catch to wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan to give Hutton a second wicket. Kohler-Cadmore had begun positively and hit five fours in scoring 31 off 55 balls before getting a good delivery from Mohammad Abbas that left him off the pitch, forcing an edge that was again snapped up by Kishan.At 46 for three in the 15th over, Somerset were in hole. But there was no great movement in the air or off the pitch for the seamers and Patterson-White’s left-arm spin was soon introduced from the River End as Rew and Abell went about rebuilding the innings.By lunch they had taken the total to 100 for 3 from 31 overs, Rew looking the more fluent in moving to 41, while Abell had battled for his 17. The afternoon session saw Rew move to a half-century off 86 balls, including 8 fours, making good use of the sweep against the spinners.Abell had gradually found his timing and placement, but when the stand had progressed to 99 from 34.4 overs, Rew straight drove a delivery from seamer Lyndon James, who stooped to take a sharp return catch.It looked an important breakthrough for the visitors, although Abell was looking an increasing threat as he moved to fifty off 126 balls, with five fours. Banton, struggling for form since a triple century in the opening game of the season against Worcestershire, was given a life on two when Patterson-White spilled a relatively straightforward chance at first slip off James.Patterson-White quickly atoned by taking the valuable wicket of Abell, who spared the umpire a decision by turning to walk off after feathering a catch to Kishan down the leg side. At 179 for 5, Somerset were back under pressure and just six runs had been added when tea was taken.Notts had bowled well all day, giving little away, and that continued in the final session, which saw Banton and Archie Vaughan made to fight for every run on the normally fast-scoring ground. Both displayed exemplary concentration and careful shot selection to put together a half-century stand from 83 balls.Despite a short boundary on the town side of the ground, the scoring rate was only fractionally above three an over when the second new ball became available at 243 for 5. The impressive Abbas struck with it in the 83rd over, as Vaughan, on 35, aimed a back-foot forcing shot and was caught at a wide third slip by Jack Haynes.Banton, who loves nothing more than dominating a bowling attack, showed the required degree of restraint to reach fifty off 103 balls, having hit five fours. Kasey Aldridge, recalled to the Somerset team, proved an equally determined partner in taking Somerset through to the close, scoring just four off 34 balls.

Attempting to solve their centre-back problem, Liverpool have now reportedly joined the race to sign a defensive addition who already knows Ibrahima Konate well.

Leoni injury hands Liverpool fresh problem

Despite spending over £400m in the summer, Liverpool failed to address their centre-back problem. The Reds went all in on Marc Guehi, only for Crystal Palace to pull the plug on his Anfield move in the final hours of deadline day and leave Arne Slot without the added defender that he so desperately wanted.

Without Guehi, Liverpool were left with Joe Gomez, Giovanni Leoni, Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate. Now, on paper, that should have been enough to ease any worries, but Leoni’s ACL injury has since reignited those concerns. Set to be without the 18-year-old for the majority of the campaign, the Reds have just three senior centre-backs to choose from, with one of them being the injury-prone Gomez.

It’s a problem that Anfield chiefs could solve in the January transfer window and reports are already suggesting that any move for Guehi could be accelerated as a result.

According to Sky Sports, there is “acceptance” that the England international’s time at the club is coming to an end – be it in January or when his contract expires next summer. The big question is whether Liverpool remain front of the queue for his signature.

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Real Madrid have reportedly shown interest in Guehi, which could see the Reds suffer defeat against a familiar foe in the transfer market. Alas, if that does prove to be the case, it seems as though those at Anfield already have a backup plan in mind.

Liverpool join race to sign Upamecano

As reported by BILD, Liverpool have now joined the race to sign Dayot Upamecano, with his £168,000-a-week Bayern Munich contract set to expire next summer. The Frenchman, who formed an impressive partnership next to Konate at RB Leipzig many moons ago, is on course to become a free agent and potentially hand the Reds an undeniable bargain as a result.

It’s set to be the summer of the contract rebels. Guehi looks almost certain to leave Palace either in January or as a free agent, whilst Upamecano could follow suit and Liverpool have their own contract issues with Konate.

The France international is yet to put pen to paper at Anfield and may yet join Trent Alexander-Arnold in Spain as a free agent amid interest from Real Madrid. It’s a move that would deal Liverpool another blow, but one that would also open the door for Upamecano.

Dubbed a “fantastic player” by France teammate Lucas Hernandez, last season’s numbers suggest that Liverpool wouldn’t necessarily be getting a downgrade on Konate in Upamecano. In fact, the Bayern star even outperformed his former Leipzig partner in a number of departments.

Newcastle United headed to AFC Bournemouth on Sunday in Premier League action still bruised from their narrow 2-1 defeat in the Champions League at the hands of Barcelona.

With such a quick turnaround since Thursday’s defeat, too, Eddie Howe had to make five alterations to his starting XI for the trip to the Cherries, with none of these fresh alterations coming in to guide the Toon to a much-needed win, unfortunately.

Instead, the much-changed Magpies would unconvincingly stumble to a 0-0 draw on the road, with Joe Willock, in particular, not banging the door down for more first-team minutes going forward, based on his poor display.

Willock's no-show vs Bournemouth

In truth, it was a flat performance all over the pitch from Howe’s visitors, with only a weak four shots registered all match by the Toon, during the drab stalemate.

Worryingly, Willock showed no sign of being energetic throughout, despite the ex-Arsenal man being handed his first Premier League start of the season, as Howe made all those changes.

The vibrant livewire that once netted eight goals from just 13 league starts during the 2020/21 season is now long gone, with Willock actually managing to register fewer touches of the ball than Nick Pope in between the sticks, as a forgettable 32 touches of the ball were tallied up across his hour or so on the pitch, next to Pope’s 42, per Sofascore.

With just 12 accurate passes notched up from the middle of the park, too, it’s no great shock that the heavily rotated Newcastle that took to the pitch looked so limp in attack when there was a complete lack of creative flair coming from the declining 26-year-old.

Of course, the attackers fielded by Howe also need to take their portion of the blame after firing blanks throughout on the South Coast, as another underperforming member of the concerned manager’s starting XI worries about his first-team minutes moving forward.

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It was a tough day at the office for the Newcastle forward players, but Jacob Murphy did manage to show some flashes of his quality here and there.

In all fairness, the long-standing Magpies servant looked somewhat bright for his hour run-out against Andoni Iraola’s stern hosts, with Murphy at least coming away from the bore draw with a shot on target registered, on top of also completing a dribble when trying to catch out the Cherries defence.

It would, however, be one of Murphy’s attacking partners for the day in Nick Woltemade, who would notably struggle throughout, despite plenty of praise coming the ex-Stuttgart centre-forward’s way before the match got underway.

After all, it’s not as if the 6 foot 6 monster has the pressure of attempting to break his Magpies duck weighing down on him, with a debut goal coming his way in the Premier League versus Wolverhampton Wanderers when he graced the St James’ Park turf.

Yet, away from grappling well in one instance when having his shirt pulled by a Bournemouth man for a potential penalty, it was very much a forgettable second outing for Woltemade in the top-flight, as is illustrated in the table above.

It will all centre on the mountain man trying to find some consistency moving forward, with his shooting boots presumably forgetting to be packed for the long journey down to the South Coast, as Woltemade failed to register a single meaningful shot at the home side’s goal.

Even more concerningly, the below-par number 27 also struggled to put his towering frame to good use, with only four of his 14 duels being successfully won, per Sofascore.

Willock, at least, came away from his shoddy showing with six duels won under his belt, with Woltemade also losing possession 19 times, while his midfield teammate gave up the ball just nine times. Despite all these worrying numbers, the German would be handed a 6/10 post-match rating by Newcastle World’s Jordan Cronin, although Cronin did state that his performance “dipped” in the second 45 minutes.

After ringing the changes to try and freshen his side up did not work, it could well be that Howe reverts to what he knows more for Newcastle’s upcoming contest in the league against Arsenal, with Willock at risk of being dropped against his former side, alongside Woltemade potentially sitting the clash out back on home soil.

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