Sunderland have now reportedly made contact in the race to sign a teenage sensation, who is on course to leave his current club as a free agent next summer.

Le Bris praises "demanding" Premier League ahead of Liverpool clash

Sunderland just do not know when they’re beaten in the Premier League. They are writing a blueprint that every newly-promoted side must follow to secure survival and their comeback victory against Bournemouth followed that plan to perfection.

The Black Cats came from two goals behind to secure a dramatic victory and keep hold of their place in the top six after 13 games. With Liverpool at Anfield up next, things don’t get any easier, but Sunderland have relished the challenge of upsetting the odds so far this season.

Regis Le Bris was full of praise for both his side and the Premier League itself following Sunderland’s victory over Bournemouth, telling reporters: “This league is really demanding. You make two mistakes and are punished.

“With the ball, we are good, so just keep pushing. We are able to hit their defence, and it was important to be clinical in the box. I think here we have a great energy in the stands. If we give a lot on the pitch, then they will react. We deserved to win in the end.

“It’s important to play game after game. We went to Fulham last week and we lost. We were dominated. We go again. It’s positive to start this week with three points. It’s an exciting league with tough challenges but we want those challenges.”

Survival, which almost looks guaranteed already, would be a major achievement on the pitch, but it would also make an impact away from the action. The Black Cats are already thinking about the future on that front, targeting Rangers teenager Bailey Rice.

Sunderland make contact to sign Bailey Rice

According to the Daily Mail’s Simon Jones, Sunderland have now made checks on Rice, who is on course to leave Rangers as a free agent next summer after rejecting the Gers’ contract offers.

The 19-year-old became the club’s youngest post-war player to make a Scottish Premiership appearance in 2023, but now looks destined to leave Ibrox with Sunderland, Aston Villa, West Bromwich Albion and Cardiff City all queueing for his signature.

Manchester City were also tracking the young midfielder when he decided to leave Kilmarnock, only for Rangers to jump in and secure his arrival.

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For Sunderland, it would therefore be a major coup to land a player of Rice’s potential. Man City’s initial interest highlights how highly he’s rated in England and praise from Rio Ferdinand echoed that earlier this year.

The Manchester United legend said on commentary when Rangers squared off against Manchester United last year: “I tell you what, I’m liking Rice by the way, he’s come on and looked composed, the kid’s got something about him, he’s got a lovely left foot on him.”

Sunderland star who Speakman was "excited" to sign is the new Jermain Lens

Despite flying high in the Premier League and Champions League, it feels like Arsenal can’t catch a break this season.

Mikel Arteta’s side have played far better football than they did last year, but have been just as unlucky, if not more so, when it comes to injuries.

For example, Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Viktor Gyokeres, and Noni Madueke are just some of their stars who have been forced to sit on the sidelines, or still are.

And then, if things couldn’t get any worse, the Gunners are now going to be without Gabriel Magalhães for up to two months, although Arteta might just have a surprising replacement in mind for the Brazilian.

Arsenal's record when Gabriel does not play

It’s no secret that, thanks to his impact in both penalty areas, Gabriel has become one of Arsenal’s most important players in recent years.

In fact, it’s this ability that led Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher to suggest he could “be seen as the most influential player in the Premier League” only last month.

However, how essential is the big Brazilian to Arteta’s side? While that’s a pretty tricky question to answer, a decent way of approaching it would be to look at how the team have fared when he’s not been in the side over the last two and a bit years.

Starting with the 23/24 season, then, and across all competitions that year, the former LOSC Lille star made 50 appearances, 48 of which were starts, in which he scored four goals, provided one assist and averaged 2.16 points per game.

There were only two matches in which he didn’t appear: a draw against Fulham and a win over Sheffield United, meaning the team averaged just 2 points per game without him.

However, a two-game sample size is rather paltry, unlike last season, when he was absent for 16 games, of which the club won just eight, drew five and lost three, meaning the Gunners averaged just 1.81 points per game without the Brazilian in the team.

How did they fare when he was playing? Well, across all competitions, the Sao Paulo-born titan made 42 appearances, in which he scored five goals, provided three assists and averaged 1.98 points per game.

Games

50

2

Wins

34

1

Draws

6

1

Losses

10

0

Points per Game

2.16

2

Games

42

16

Wins

24

8

Draws

11

5

Losses

7

3

Points per Game

1.98

1.81

Therefore, while there is not a massive drop in points per game for Arsenal without Gabriel in the side, there is still a noticeable one, and with games against Tottenham Hotspur, Bayern Munich and Chelsea coming up, that is a worry.

However, Arteta has more than enough replacements for his monster centre-back, including one who could come as a bit of a surprise.

Arsenal's surprise Gabriel replacement

The consensus among most Arsenal fans at the moment seems to be that either Riccardo Calafiori or Cristhian Mosquera would be the ideal replacements for Gabriel this weekend.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

The former has been in fine form all season, and the latter has shown glimpses of real talent when he’s stepped in.

However, while either player would make total sense, another, more surprising option Arteta could go with is Ben White.

Yes, the former Brighton & Hove Albion man does feel like something of a forgotten man at the moment, and has spent most of his time at the club playing right-back, but the £50m signing could come in and do a job on Sunday.

After all, while he hasn’t played there consistently for some time – his last start in the middle was back in October 2024 – the Englishman was signed as a centre-back and spent the entirety of the 21/22 season playing there, and playing well.

In fact, the only reason he was moved to the right was because William Saliba was finally given a go, and Gabriel was not at all suited to playing at full-back.

Moreover, by playing the Poole-born ace there, Calafiori won’t have to vacate a position he has been incredible in all year, a young Mosquera won’t be thrown into one of the most tense games of the season, and the same could be said for Piero Hincapie.

Finally, and this is particularly pertinent for the game against Spurs, the 28-year-old is, in the words of journalist Charles Watts, a “master of the dark arts.”

In other words, he could be the perfect player to get under the skin of the Spurs players and either throw them off their game or even get them sent off.

Furthermore, he has a track record of making life particularly difficult for Guglielmo Vicario.

Ultimately, it would be a surprise and something of a risk, but even so, Arteta should look to start White at centre-back for Arsenal while Gabriel is out.

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Allrounder admits he could miss depending on the make-up of Australia’s top six but is hopeful he can play a part in the Ashes if selected

Alex Malcolm28-Oct-2025Allrounder Beau Webster agreed that he could be squeezed out of Australia’s XI for the first Ashes Test depending on the make-up of the batting line-up, but he feels that he can contribute in the series if given the opportunity.Webster’s role in the Australia side has been a topic of discussion despite being one of the most reliable performers over the past seven Test matches. Webster had played as the sole allrounder in the XI across all of those matches since replacing Mitchell Marsh in January.But Cameron Green’s return to bowling, after playing as a batter only at No. 3 in the last four Tests, as well as Marnus Labuschagne’s return to form and questions around the need to pick another specialist opener, have created uncertainty about the make-up of the top six for Perth.Related

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George Bailey, the chair of selectors, guaranteed Webster would be in the squad for the first Test, saying “everyone can relax.” But there is a way Webster could be squeezed out of the XI if the selectors opted to reinstate Labuschagne at No. 3, either retain Sam Konstas or pick another opener in his place to partner Usman Khawaja, and move Green back to No.6, given he is expected to be fit to bowl again despite a slight setback in his workload progression.Webster had missed the first two Sheffield Shield games of the summer due to an ankle injury, which only added to the speculation. Speaking after day one of his return for Tasmania against Victoria at Junction Oval, where he took 1 for 26 with the ball from 12 overs, Webster hoped that “I’ll be thereabouts”.”We’ve obviously got a potential hole around the top of the order there, and see who fills that,” Webster said. “If they see me as a pure middle-order [batter], then I’m probably going to get squeezed out. That is what it is. I hope I’m still in the conversation, certainly as a batter only, and if not, if it’s just the makeup of the team I’ll plug the way back in first-class cricket. There’s a there’s a lot of Test cricket coming up in the next two years. I hope I’ll be thereabouts.”Webster, 31, has done very little wrong in his first seven Tests. He has four half-centuries from 12 innings, averaging 34.63, which does not do him justice given the difficulty of the surfaces he has played on. He also has eight wickets at 23.25 with the ball, striking at 45.1, and has taken 12 catches in the field, where he has been a huge asset, especially in the slips cordon.Beau Webster has done little wrong since his Test debut•AFP/Getty ImagesHe said it was nice to hear Bailey guarantee his spot in the Perth squad, but he had not been given the same guarantee about being in the XI.”That depends who you ask,” Webster said. “I’d obviously love to be in the XI. I think I’ve got a lot to contribute there, and especially this Ashes series, I feel like I’m playing the best cricket of my life at the moment. So I certainly want to be there. Sometimes it’s the make-up of the team and the balance and the overs and who bats where. It feels like this series has probably got more questions over that than any before.”Webster admitted he felt some rust on return for Tasmania. He took the new ball to front end his overs having come into the game on a 16-over limit from Cricket Australia’s [CA] medical staff. He used 12 of those on day one in four spells. He picked up the wicket of former Test opener Marcus Harris with a delivery that pitched back of a length outside leg and nipped sharply across the left-hander to scratch the outside edge. Webster later took a sharp catch at slip but dropped one he would normally take.”If I could sum my day up today, a few no-balls and a drop catch at first slip, it probably felt like I was five or 10% off what I usually am,” Webster said. “I mean, that comes when you have probably three weeks of not playing. I felt like I was probably just slightly off it. But to get out there today and bowling 12 overs and get some more time in the slips is always beneficial.”Webster said the time off was helpful to freshen up mentally and also to do some strength work in the gym, having played nearly a full winter with Australia and Warwickshire in the county championship.”I think there’s some benefits, no doubt,” Webster said. “I think looking back, I did play a lot of cricket in England, and that’s by choice. I play my best cricket when I’m constantly playing. To have a three-week gap there, it was nice to get back in the gym and do some running and probably freshen the body up physically, ready to go for a big summer.”

Directors from USAC called for “immediate and decisive intervention not to punish, but to rebuild what has been broken”

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Oct-2025

Directors from an embattled USA Cricket (USAC) board have called for the ICC’s immediate intervention to remove a rival group of directors, including the chair Venu Pisike, as the fallout and divide from the board’s suspension continues to deepen. They have also asked the ICC to conduct an investigation into the organisation’s “collapse.”In a statement issued on Tuesday by two current directors, Arjun Rao Gona and Kuljit Singh Nijjar, and Patricia Whittaker, who was removed by USAC last year as an independent director (she is legally contesting the termination), have also asked the ICC to conduct a forensic audit of USAC dealings and make the findings public. Gona and Nijjar are elected directors.”We call for immediate and decisive intervention not to punish, but to rebuild what has been broken,” the trio said in the statement. “This is no longer a crisis of management; it is a test of integrity and courage.” The directors’ statement follows USAC’s media release last week, where the board complained it could not “comprehend” the ICC’s decision on September 23 to suspend it.Related

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Pisike chaired a USAC Board meeting on October 1, after which USAC said it was filing for bankruptcy as part of a financial restructure. That decision was taken by five directors, including Pisike, Srini Salver, David Haubert, Pintoo Shah and Anj Balusu (USAC currently has nine directors after Whittaker’s exit). Four directors at that meeting – Gona, Nijjar, Nadia Gruny and Atul Rai – exited in protest.In a statement of his own issued on Tuesday, Rai said USAC’s public statement to its members on Friday was “not authorised by the Board” while alleging it was “clearly an abuse of power and authority.”The ICC Board decided to suspend USAC, citing “repeated and continued breaches of its obligation” as a member. The ICC’s major concern will be if the cycle of events since then could affect USAC securing NGB (National Governing Body) status from the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC), necessary for all sports that are part of the 2028 Los Angeles Games.The ICC’s Normalisation Committee drew up a six-step roadmap for that, starting with an organisational revamp of USAC where three new independent directors replace the existing Board, which would step down and pave the way for fresh elections. The ICC would simultaneously carry out a comprehensive review of the USAC constitution to bring governance and structural reforms to a body enmeshed in controversies since 2019 when it was awarded Associate status.Gona, Nijjar and Whittaker want the Normalisation Committee to take control of USAC immediately and “go beyond administrative control and conduct a full, independent investigation into the root causes of USA Cricket’s collapse, identifying every act of constitutional breach, misuse of authority, and conflict of interest.”The three have also suggested appointing five new independent directors once the USAC constitution has been amended.”Conduct a full forensic audit of all financial transactions, contracts, appointments, and legal decisions taken under the current regime, and publish the findings to the public to restore trust, confidence and transparency.”Safeguard players, competitions, and development programs during this transition, ensuring that athletes and fans do not suffer for failures of leadership.”

MatériaMais Notícias

O Santos entra em campo na manhã deste domingo (18), às 11h, na Vila Belmiro, em busca de se manter na liderança da Série B do Brasileirão. O duelo é válido pela sexta rodada, e o técnico Fábio Carillo tem algumas dúvidas no ataque para escalar a equipe titular.

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➡️Confia no Santos? Se liga nas odds para o time marcar nos dois tempos contra o Brusque: 2.23!

Com a ausência de Guilherme, uma das principais peças do time e que sofreu uma lesão na coxa, a briga pela vaga na frente fica por conta de Morelos e Willian Bigode. O último é visto como um segundo atacante por Carille e pode começar no banco de reservas nesta partida.

O meio-campista Patrick foi o escolhido de Carille para substituir Guilherme na vitória sobre a Ponte Preta, partida em que o jogador sentiu a lesão. No entanto, Weslley Patati também briga pela vaga no time titular.

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A provável escalação do Santos contra o Brusque tem João Paulo; JP Chermont, Gil, Joaquim e Escobar; João Schmidt, Diego Pituca e Giuliano; Otero, Morelos (Willian Bigode) e Weslley Patati (Patrick).

Com 12 pontos, o Peixe defende a liderança da Série B. O time venceu quatro jogos e perdeu apenas um até aqui.

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Futebol NacionalSantosSérie B

Emma Coates has left her role as England women’s under-23s head coach to become the new manager of National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) side Bay FC. The Football Association (FA) has announced the recruitment process will begin “imminently” as they look to identify a successor to the 34-year-old, who worked closely with Sarina Wiegman while in charge of the young Lionesses.

Getty Images SportCoates developed several stars for senior Lionesses squad

Regarded as one of the brightest young coaches in the women’s game, Coates developed a number of players at U23 level who have gone on to represent the England senior side.

West Ham defender Anouk Denton and London City Lionesses forward Freya Godfrey were introduced into Wiegman’s senior squad for December’s friendlies against China and Ghana, on the back of Arsenal centre-back Katie Reid and Aston Villa midfielder Lucia Kendall’s October call-ups.

All four players have followed in the footsteps of Manchester City and Manchester United midfielders Grace Clinton and Jess Park, alongside Chelsea and Brighton forwards Aggie Beever-Jones and Michelle Agyemang, in successfully stepping up from England’s youth teams.

In total, more than 25 players reached the England senior squad under Coates, whose U23s side also went unbeaten in their 2023-24 European league campaign.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportFA confirms Coates will be joined by assistant Davies in NWSL

Following Coates’ impressive work with England's U23s, the former Doncaster Belles boss has now been handed the reins at Bay FC, whose squad features the likes of Zambia star Racheal Kundananji and USWNT defender Abby Dahlkemper.

Confirming Coates will be joined by her young Lionesses assistant Gemma Davies in the San Francisco Bay Area, the FA said in a statement: “We thank Emma and Gemma for their time with us and wish them all the best with their new challenge.

“Emma, with Gemma’s support, has played a key role in strengthening the pathway between the WU23s and the senior squad, as well as the younger age groups.

“Together, they have directly impacted the development of many young players who have gone on to become senior Lionesses, and helped to re-establish the WU23s as a team that fans want to watch wherever they play across the country. 

“We are excited to see the WU23s set-up continue to grow over the coming years and have already begun the search for their replacements.”

Bay FCEx-Doncaster Belles boss 'honoured and super excited' to join Bay FC

Growing up in Yorkshire, Coates began her coaching journey at Leeds United’s academy in 2010 before becoming Doncaster Belles manager in 2016. She was previously a first-team coach at The Belles in 2014.

Coates then became a specialist coach with England’s youth teams in 2019 before being named as the U19s manager in 2022. She then moved over to the U23s in 2023, where she forged a strong relationship with Wiegman at St. George's Park.

Expressing her delight at being named as Bay FC’s new manager, Coates told the club’s official website: “I’m truly honoured and super excited to build on the strong foundations that have already been established and to implement a clear identity both on and off the pitch.

“This is a club that has already captured the hearts of so many people in the local community, and it’s a privilege to be part of that journey. From my first conversations with Bay FC, it was clear that the club shares my passion for people, performance, and culture which I believe are fundamental to sustained success. 

“I’m eager to get back on the grass every day, to work closely with the players and staff, and to meet the fans at PayPal Park. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with the FA (English Football Association), it has helped shape me both professionally and personally. 

“Now, I feel ready and excited to challenge myself in a new environment, and I would like to express my sincere thanks to everyone at the FA for their trust, support, and belief throughout my journey.”

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Bay FCAssistant Davies 'thrilled' to reunite with Coates in San Francisco Bay Area

Alongside Coates, Bay FC have also captured another one of women’s football’s most promising young coaches in Davies, who will act as assistant manager at PayPal Park. The 34-year-old managed Aston Villa in the Women’s Super League between 2018 and 2021 before holding roles with England’s U19s and U23s sides.

“Bay FC represents an ambitious and forward-thinking project,” said Davies. “I’m thrilled to join Emma’s staff in creating an environment where players and staff can thrive and supporters can be proud of the football we play. I’m looking forward to being back on the field on a day-to-day basis as we support the club in its next stage of growth.”

Hailing Davies as an “excellent” coach, Coates added: “Gemma’s track record in both club and international football makes her the ideal fit to help implement our playing philosophy.

“Her delivery on the grass is excellent, and her tactical insight and analytical skills will be invaluable as we prepare the team for start of the 2026 season.”

Bay FC finished 13th in the 2025 NWSL regular-season league table, level on points (20) with bottom-placed Chicago Stars FC but with a slightly better goal difference. Jess Carter's Gotham FC defeated Esme Morgan's Washington Spirit 1-0 in the Championship match on 23 November. The two defenders helped the Lionesses win Euro 2025 in the summer.

Jamie Vardy scored his first Serie A brace as Cremonese snapped Bologna's 12-game unbeaten run in a rain-soaked encounter at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara. The 38-year-old forward, who left Leicester City in the summer after more than a decade of folklore-defining moments, including a Premier League title win, stole the show and then joked that the UK weather is now following him to Italian shores.

• Vardy breaks Bologna’s resistance in a near-British downpour

  The rain fell heavily and the wind cut across the stadium in a way that would have felt familiar to Vardy from his Leicester days. After Martin Payero curled home a precise effort in the 31st minute, Vardy doubled the lead just four minutes later. Riccardo Orsolini temporarily revived Bologna with a composed penalty, but Vardy struck again only five minutes into the second half, burying a low shot across the goalkeeper to restore Cremonese’s two-goal cushion and secure the three points that ended a three-match losing streak. The brace takes him to four goals in nine league appearances for Cremonese, who inflicted Bologna's first defeat in any competition since September 25.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  'Typical midweek in the UK!'

  "I think we were just missing a bit of rain – this is a typical midweek in the UK," Vardy said after the win.

  "The most important thing was getting the three points and keeping that progress going. It's another step in the right direction.

  "It's all about commitment and wanting what's best for the club. Everyone's on that same page and everyone's pushing forward to make sure that come the end of the season it will have been a successful year."

  Cremonese manager Davide Nicola, who has built his coaching career on uniting underdog squads, is impressed with his new talisman.

  "Great players are easy to handle as they know what they're supposed to do – and they know how to do it," he said. "That's how he is – he's comfortable with who he is, good humoured. He came here with the mentality of making himself available for the team."

• Who is Vardy's Serie A inspiration?

  Vardy was also linked to Wrexham in the summer, but the striker chose to settle for a fresh opportunity in Italy. Some critics questioned whether Serie A would suit him at this stage of his career. But with goals, graft, and an instant connection with supporters, he has already embedded himself into the club’s fabric. 

  Vardy is also learning Italian and told when asked how he is coping on a linguistic level: "I only know the basics, good morning, thank you, numbers, but I’ll be taking lessons as of next week, so hopefully that will start the bringing on the language a bit more. I have to learn, as my kids are learning, and I can’t have them learning it before me, otherwise they’ll be taking the mickey out of me!"

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  What comes next?

  With Cremonese now sitting 11th on 17 points after 13 games, the mood around the club is one of cautious optimism. Avoiding relegation would trigger a one-year contract extension to the summer of 2027 for Vardy, something that suddenly looks plausible. They sit seven points clear of the relegation zone, a comfortable position for a newly-promoted side. Cremonese return to the Stadio Giovanni Zini on December 7 to face Lecce.

Big picture: England’s strong record vs SA

England have been South Africa’s banana peel in the Women’s ODI World Cup. They have a 6-2 superior record in the tournament heading into the clash in Guwahati on Friday. While South Africa beat England in the group stages in 2022, they lost to England in the semi-final. The result was the same in the 2017 semi-final as well.”I feel like we’ve beaten them in the group stages in the past World Cups and then lost to them in the semi-final. So we know as a group, we can beat them, especially in the group stages,” South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt said on Thursday. “We have played some good cricket recently. We’ve been batting really well. We’ve been bowling better and better. I think all of us know that if we really stick to our plans and are really clear with what we want to do, we can beat them tomorrow.”South Africa enter the World Cup on the back of a solid run of games. They played a tri-series with India and Sri Lanka, then played Pakistan in Pakistan. They have been in action regularly with the same set of players, high on confidence. While the women made it to successive T20 World Cup finals in 2023 and 2024, the men ended the drought of ICC titles with the World Test Championship win this year.”It’s been amazing to see how the country has supported them and how excited everyone was back at home and united to support them in that trophy,” Wolvaardt said. “Hopefully we have the chance to do something similar to really get the country behind us in this tournament.”England have had a contrasting run in this regard. Their leadership group underwent a change after the Women’s Ashes. Under head coach Charlotte Edwards and captain Nat Sciver-Brunt, England played just the two series – winning comfortably against West Indies and losing to India, both at home.Sciver-Brunt, however, was okay with the team’s preparation away from internationals. They had a ten-day camp in Abu Dhabi, where they acclimatised to the conditions they would encounter at the World Cup. Plus, there are eight players in the England squad with WPL experience.”We got some great time out in the middle in really hot, humid conditions where in England it’s not like that,” she said. “So preparing physically in that way was really good. That is going to be a massive part of our tournament, making sure that we are adapting as quickly as we can.”During the India vs Sri Lanka match at the ACA Stadium, spin played a part in the middle overs while it was easier to face pace at the start. That is a template that Sciver-Brunt backed England to follow.”That’s a blueprint that we work with, especially when we’re bowling, making sure the spinners in the middle are doing a really good job for us and making it really hard for people to get away. I think that has been a really good strength of ours for a number of years. We’ve got a brilliant spin attack.”

Form guide

England LWLWW (last five matches, most recent first)
South Africa LWWWW

In the spotlight: Nat Sciver-Brunt and Marizanne Kapp

In her first World Cup match as captain, the spotlight will be firmly on Nat Sciver-Brunt. She is England’s leading run-scorer since the 2022 World Cup and only Amy Jones has more than her so far this year. That is in addition to her 20 wickets in the last three years. With a view to manage her workload, she hadn’t bowled since the WPL but resumed duties with the ball at the warm-up games. With Heather Knight returning from a hamstring injury, Sciver-Brunt will draw from her WPL experience to navigate the side at the ACA Stadium, where the track could be slightly two-paced.This will be Nat Sciver-Brunt’s first World Cup as captain•Getty Images

A like-for-like, South Africa allrounder Marizanne Kapp is at the peak of her powers. Give her the new ball, she’ll dry up the runs and pick up wickets. Send her in with South Africa in a spot, she will not just arrest the slide but also transfer the pressure back on the opponents. A WPL regular for Delhi Capitals, Kapp is into her fifth World Cup and would want her team to cross the finish line this time. “The amount of experience that she has is invaluable,” Wolvaardt said on match eve. “She knows every player going around. She’s bowled to basically all of them.”

Team news

Sciver-Brunt will bowl at the World Cup, which means England could play an extra spinner or an extra seamer. But she said on match eve that she would “like to select seven batters to go into this tournament” which opens the door for Alice Capsey, who also bowls offspin.England (probable): 1 Amy Jones (wk), 2 Tammy Beaumont, 3 Heather Knight, 4 Nat Sciver-Brunt (capt), 5 Sophia Dunkley, 6 Danni Wyatt-Hodge, 7 Alice Capsey, 8 Sophie Ecclestone, 9 Charlie Dean, 10. Em Arlott, 11 Lauren BellAyabonga Khaka bowled full-tilt on the eve of the game. She could shoulder duties with fellow seamers Marizanne Kapp, Nadine de Klerk and Annerie Dercksen. Karabo Meso had a long batting stint ahead of Sinalo Jafta, who is South Africa’s preferred wicketkeeper.South Africa (probable): 1 Laura Wolvaardt (capt), 2 Tazmin Brits, 3 Sune Luus, 4 Marizanne Kapp, 5 Annerie Dercksen, 6 Chloe Tryon, 7 Sinalo Jafta (wk), 8 Nadine de Klerk, 9 Nondumiso Shangase, 10 Nonkululeko Mlaba, 11 Ayabonga Khaka

Pitch and conditions

Rain washed out England’s pre-game practice session, while South Africa managed to get theirs done under lights. Showers are expected on Friday as well with IMD issuing thunderstorm alerts. A washout isn’t on the cards, though.A fresh pitch will be used for the game. Expect spin to come into play as the game goes on, as was the case during the India vs Sri Lanka contest.

Stats and trivia

• No opening pair has scored more runs than Laura Wolvaardt-Tazmin Brits in ODIs since January 2023. They have 1536 runs at an average close to 60. The next best is Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal with 1316
• South Africa have won only two of their last six ODIs against England
• Marizanne Kapp has dismissed Heather Knight five times in 15 innings, Nat Sciver-Brunt three times in nine innings and Tammy Beaumont five times in 13 innings
• Charlie Dean has got Laura Wolvaardt out three times in seven innings for only 65 runs and Sune Luus three times in four innings for just 19 runs

Quotes

“She obviously has a lot of experience. I think it would be stupid of me not to listen to her. She’s a hugely valuable person in our side, whether it’s with the bat or just that tactical thinking. She’s got a brilliant brain for cricket. So, yeah, I’m encouraging her to be as vocal as she wants to be.”
“The biggest learnings in that series are probably just how to play spin, especially being nice and proactive with the bat against the spinners in that middle phase. We generally get off to good starts, and I think we had really good death overs with the bat in that series in Sri Lanka, but probably could have done a bit more in that middle phase.”

While we’re still in the early stages of the season, so much has changed already. Two teams have already fired their managers. The Baltimore Orioles have the worst run differential in the American League. The Seattle Mariners suddenly have one of baseball’s best offenses. And the Colorado Rockies are on pace for (yes, you read that right).

Entering play Friday, all 30 clubs have played at least 42 games, meaning we’ve officially reached the end of the first quarter of the 2025 campaign. While we’ve still got a ways to go, it felt like the right time to check in on the major awards races and hand out some quarter pole accolades.

Some of the picks were pretty clear cut (you should check out this Aaron Judge guy, he’s pretty good). Others had a long list of deserving candidates that made picking just one at this point of the season a difficult task. And while the pecking order will undoubtedly change as spring turns to summer, it’s worthwhile to see where things stand from an individual perspective now.

So, without further ado, the envelopes, please:

American League

MVP: Aaron Judge, RF, New York Yankees

At this point, Judge’s mastery of hitting is well documented. Through the Yankees’ first 43 games, he’s on pace to: clear 50 homers for the third time in four years; reach the 150-mark in runs scored and driven in; and record 256 hits. He’s hitting over .400, has the lowest strikeout rate (21.5%) of his career and is putting up the highest single-season slugging percentage (.782) of the 21st century for anyone not named Barry Bonds. His 252 wRC+ would be the best for a full season in MLB history.

Can Judge keep up this historic pace? History and math tell us it’s unlikely, but the run Judge has been on these past four years give us little reason to doubt that, by season’s end, there will be no debating who baseball’s best hitter is.

Honorable mention: Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas City Royals; Cal Raleigh, Mariners; Alex Bregman, Boston Red Sox

Cy Young Award: Hunter Brown, Houston Astros

Now we get to the competitive races. The American League has seen several established aces get off to hot starts, but Brown has the slightest of edges so far. The 26-year-old has continued his stellar form over the second half of last season into 2025, and looks to be in the midst of a full-blown breakout.

Brown, a former top prospect, had an up-and-down rookie campaign in 2023 that portended brighter days in ‘24. That didn’t happen right away: through his first 10 games in ‘24 (nine starts), Brown was 1–5 with a 7.06 ERA and 24 walks in 44 ⅓ innings, briefly losing his spot in the rotation. From that point on, he was dominant, leading the AL with 2.27 ERA in 21 starts from May 28 through the end of the season.

The righthander has been a workhorse to begin 2025, ranking third in the AL in ERA (1.48) and first in FIP (1.85). He’s putting up a career-best 32% strikeout rate and his lowest walk rate (7.7%), allowing him to pitch deep into games: he’s gone at least six innings in seven of eight starts. The competition here is stiff, but Brown’s ability to log bulk innings, miss bats and prevent hard contact gives him the edge.

Honorable mention: Tarik Skubal, Detroit Tigers; Max Fried, Yankees; Nathan Eovaldi, Texas Rangers; Garrett Crochet, Red Sox; Kris Bubic, Royals 

Rookie of the Year: Jacob Wilson, SS, Athletics

The A’s took Wilson with the sixth pick in the 2023 draft, then saw him hit .401 in 79 minor league games before making him the team’s starting shortstop. He kept his head above water in a 28-game cup of coffee in ‘24, but has been terrorizing opposing pitchers to begin ‘25.

Wilson doesn’t hit the ball hard and he doesn’t walk much, but he possesses Luis Arraez-like bat-to-ball skills that give him the league’s second-lowest strikeout rate at 5.4% (fittingly, trailing only Arraez). His ability to square the ball up despite lacking high exit velocities suppresses his power potential, but also allows him to have the league’s 10th-highest expected batting average (.319). The shortstop version of prime Luis Arraez at age 23 is a great foundational piece for an A’s team that’s managed to hover above .500 to this point.

Honorable mention: Shane Smith, Chicago White Sox; Kristian Campbell, Red Sox; Trey Sweeney, Tigers; Jasson Dominguez, Yankees; Tomoyuki Sugano, Baltimore Orioles

Move over torpedo bats, there’s a new hot trend in the baseball world.

Well, maybe not a trend yet, but it’s certainly got our attention: The New York Mets are using a sledgehammer to warm up while in the on-deck circle.

Outfielder Brandon Nimmo could be seen with the team’s hammer while getting ready to hit against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday night.

Per the Mets broadcast, the sledgehammer was a thing that Mets slugger Pete Alonso had been playing with all the way back since spring training. Over the weekend, he and Nimmo apparently had a “there’s nothing in the rulebook that says we can’t” moment, and decided it was time to take it onto the field.

Part of me wants to say that the sledgehammer bit feels a bit performative, like when a college football team warms up shirtless before a snow game to show that they are tough or something.

But on the other hand, swinging a sledgehammer is, undeniably, a cool look. We’ll see how the bit develops over time.