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Starc picked up his 100th Ashes wicket but Stokes wrecked Australia with a five-for as 19 wickets fell on the opening day

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Nov-2025

Ben Stokes wrecked the Australia batting unit•Gareth Copley/Getty Images

19 – Number of wickets on day one of the Perth Test, the most on the opening day of an Ashes Test since 1909, where both teams were bowled out on the first day in Manchester.It is also the most wickets on the opening day of an Ashes series, surpassing the 18 that fell on the first day of the one-off Test in Sydney in 1888, and 18 wickets on the first day of the three-Test series at Lord’s in 1896.5 – Ben Stokes is the fifth England captain to take a five-wicket haul in Australia. The last England captain to achieve this feat was Bob Willis in 1982, when he picked 5 for 66 in Brisbane.36 – Stokes took only 36 balls to complete his five-wicket haul (5 for 23). It is the third-quickest five-for by an England seamer (where data is available). Only Stuart Broad has been quicker than him, completing a five-for in 19 balls vs Australia at Trent Bridge in 2015 and 34 balls vs New Zealand at Lord’s in 2013. Stokes has the quickest five-wicket haul for an England seamer away from home.7 for 58 – Mitchell Starc recorded his best figures in Test cricket, topping his previous best of 6 for 9 in Australia’s previous Test, against West Indies in Kingston in July 2025, making it back-to-back five-wicket hauls for him.It was the 17th five-wicket haul in Tests for Starc, the third-highest for Australia among fast bowlers, pipping Graham McKenzie’s tally of 16.Starc also completed 100 Ashes wickets against England in the process. Among the 11 fast bowlers with more than 100 wickets in Tests against England, he is the only one to have made his debut in the 21st century.10 – Number of times Starc has dismissed Ben Stokes in Test cricket, the most by any seamer. R Ashwin is the only one to have dismissed Stokes more times in Test cricket (13).Starc has also bowled Stokes five times in Tests, the most for any bowler.Mitchell Starc acknowledges his career-best seven-for•Getty Images32.5 overs – The second shortest first innings for England in the first Test of an Ashes series. They were bowled out in 35.3 four-ball overs batting first in the first Test of the 1886-87 Ashes in Sydney.4 – England have not batted more than 41 overs in the last four international games that they have played. They were bowled out in 35.2 overs, 36 overs and 40.2 overs batting first in the three ODIs in New Zealand preceding the Ashes.5.23 – Of the 1995 instances of a team being bowled for under 200 in Test history, England’s scoring rate is the third-highest. In the Sydney Test in 2013-14, England were bowled out for 166 batting at a rate of 5.24. West Indies had a run rate of 5.40 when they were bowled out for 137 against Pakistan in Multan earlier this year.0 for 1 – This was the first time both England and Australia lost their first wicket without a run on the board in the first innings of an Ashes Test.Overall, it was only the eighth such instance in Test cricket.6 – Number of times England have been 0 for 1 in the first innings of an opening Ashes Test in Australia. Three of these instances have come in their last five tours – 2010-11, 2021-22 and this time. They were 2 for 1 in their first innings of the 2017-18 tour.2 – Only the second time in Stokes’ 38 Tests as captain that England didn’t pick a specialist spinner in the XI. The other instance also came in the Ashes – at Lord’s in 2023.For England, this is the first red-ball Test match in Australia without a specialist spinner in the playing XI since the 1998 Boxing Day Test.1946 – The last time Australia handed debuts to two players aged 30-plus in a men’s Test before Jake Weatherald and Brendan Doggett in Perth. This was in Wellington against New Zealand almost 80 years ago. Don Tallon and Ernie Toshack, both past 30, were among the seven debutants for Australia in what was their first Test match since World War II.

The Brisbane Heat batter talks about his 140 in the BBL semi-final, his day job making bats, and more

Interview by Mohammad Isam07-Feb-2024How did January 22, 2024 change your life?
Getting all those runs in the Big Bash semi-final was probably the best time to do it. I put my name on the big stage. I said, “Hey, I’m here.”Tell us what happened.
I was actually busy playing on my Xbox that day. I looked at the time – it’s four o’clock, I better go play some cricket. Oh no, I’m running late. I got to the ground, and the rest…What did you do differently in that innings?
Everything just clicked. I was just watching the ball. Everything seemed easy. Just watching it and hitting it. It’s pretty much my game. I just watch and react.From getting big scores in the KFC T20 Max to getting a big score in the Big Bash is a huge leap.
I was hitting the ball well all season but I hadn’t got any runs. I thought I should keep sticking to my process. I was doing it right in training. For it to happen the way it did was perfect.Adam Gilchrist said he was a fan of yours after your innings of 62 off 23 against Sydney Sixers in January last year.
It was unreal. Gilly was my favourite player growing up. I got to meet him a couple of days later. I was more nervous meeting him than I have ever been playing. We talked about bats. I make my own bats. We talked about what he said.Related

• Josh Brown joins Melbourne Renegades in BBL coup

• Brown bludgeons 57-ball 140 to set up Heat's final date with Sixers

• Stats – Josh Brown sets record for most sixes in a BBL innings

• Brown: 'To do what I did in a pressure game was surreal'

• Spencer Johnson, Josh Brown lead Brisbane Heat to second BBL title

How tough is the Big Bash?
It is a very tough competition. The pitches this year weren’t the best. It was a tough adjustment as well. Once we did, it was perfect.Brisbane Heat won the title after 11 years. What changed in the team that won the title this year?
We were runners-up the season before. The whole group was devastated by it. To come out the next season, start so well – everyone was just hungry. We didn’t want to lose a single game. I think we lost just two games [one game] the whole season.Guys like you and Nathan McSweeney, the Heat captain, have come through a system in Brisbane…
I never came through a system. I started playing grade cricket. There’s Under-19s in Queensland but I never had any of that. I didn’t really care about cricket back then.So how did you eventually get into it and break through?
At the age of 23 or 24, I lost 30 kilos working in the gym. I got down to about 95-100 kilos. I started cricket training. I started playing fifth grade and finished the season in third grade. The next season I started in third grade and finished in first grade. I have been in first grade ever since. About 12 months after I played my first first-grade game, I played in the Queensland 2nd XI. It was my first taste of the pathway.I was working full-time at [equipment manufacturer] Cooper Cricket when I started playing first grade. I was playing on the weekend and training once a week. I was not taking it that seriously.Then I had this discussion with my boss at Cooper. We spoke for about two hours. He said that the job is always going to be here for you. So during the off season I went up to Darwin to play cricket for four-five months, to try to be a professional cricketer. I didn’t do that well. I came back to Brisbane for the T20 Max, and that’s when I got the big scores. I got 147 not out and 159 off 59 balls. I hit 17 sixes. I was like, “Hi guys, I’m here. I can’t really do much more. You have to give me a chance.” I got one of the centuries against Darren Lehmann’s son’s team.

“Now I have about six years to have a good crack at cricket. Hopefully I can keep getting contracts around the world, which will be lovely”

Were you surprised at the speed at which the BPL and ILT20 came calling after your innings?
Absolutely. I scored the century on the Monday night; the next day my manager said that he was in talks. I told him not to tell me anything till the final, but he said I had to get home and pack. “You are leaving on Friday.” Okay, cool.What will you do to adjust to conditions in Bangladesh in the BPL?
I haven’t had to change too much, to be honest. I have been batting really well. I have been smoking it everywhere in the nets, which is nice. The only thing is that it doesn’t really bounce as much as Australian pitches. Staying a bit lower is making the difference.I am loving Bangladesh. I love the people, I definitely love the food. I just love spicy food as well. My favorite restaurant in Brisbane is Café Hyderabad. I get the Chicken 65 from there. It is so tasty.How do you see your career going from this point?
Hopefully play as much cricket as I can. I just love cricket. I am an absolute nuffy!You spoke about Cooper Cricket. Making bats must require a lot of patience?
We have a process. My boss, Rod Grey, the owner, is a signwriter by trade. We have a CNC [wood lathe] machine. We play around with shapes in it. We can put a rough shape into it and finish it off by hand. It saves us about two or three hours.Brown on his method: “I just watch and react”•Matt King/Getty ImagesWhat kind of bat do you like to use?
I always use a mid-middle bat. The traditional one is the low-middle with a low spine. Mine is a mid-middle with a load of high spine. Pretty much a flat one, and that shapes away at the toe. We use English willows.Have you had a chance to try other kinds of bats?
I have tried Kashmir, Siberian, and Aussie willow. English willow is the best one. Australian willow is good for white-ball cricket. It is a lot harder. Siberian willow cannons but it breaks also.I know you have your own brand, so to speak, but do you have a favourite brand?
Puma. Gilly’s Puma. I collect bats as well, so I try to find old Puma bats.Are you looking to turn fully professional now?
This is it. So now I have six years to have a good crack at it. Hopefully I can keep getting contracts around the world, which will be lovely.I need to score some runs first. It would be nice to get a gig as a replacement player in the IPL. I would love to play in the [Persian] Gulf and America too. Otherwise, I will just be at home working at Cooper and in the gym. Anyone in particular you turn to for advice?
I have a had a lot of good talks with Colin Munro. Darren Lehmann also speaks so truly. He was always honest, which I personally needed. It made a huge difference to me. Same with Munro. Even McSweeney. He and I played four years together in club cricket before he moved to South Australia. He has seen me at my best and he has seen me at my worst. He is one of the best.Do you remember the day before you hit 140 in the Big Bash? Effectively the last day of a normal life.
I trained, went home and played Xbox. During that day as well. It was pretty much what I did in those two days. After the game I didn’t have a beer. I had a tiny niggle on my hip. We celebrated and sang the song. We went into the final – it was the big thing.

Can teams afford to go all-out to buy back their players? Is there a premium on certain skillsets? And how old is too old?

Nagraj Gollapudi and Gaurav Sundararaman11-Feb-20229:32

Runorder: Who will be the most expensive player in the 2022 IPL auction?

Could this be the most open IPL auction? While all ten franchises have varying purses, none of them have enough of a core around which they can build the rest of their squads. There are no right-to-match cards, which in the past had allowed teams to retain as many as five players and complete the rest of their squads at the auction. This time, several quality overseas players are also absent. That will put the focus on the Indian talent pool, which remains vast in terms of numbers. The marquee set is small, and some of the most-wanted players will arrive in later sets. The IPL 2022 auction is certainly going to test the planning and strategy of franchises like never before. Here are some key pointers they will pay attention to, as they prepare to raise the paddle.Should teams go all out to rebuild their core?
Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders have each retained the maximum allowable limit of four players. The comfort pill of a right-to-match card doesn’t exist anymore, with two new teams added to the IPL. This means teams now need a Plan B, which could include spending more money for a player they want to buy back.Take Mumbai for example. Ideally, they would want to procure the wicketkeeper-batter pair of Quinton de Kock and Ishan Kishan, who were among their best performers in the 2018-21 period. But while de Kock is in the opening set of marquee players, Kishan is listed in the fourth set as player No. 32. A safe move would have Mumbai pick one of the two. In either player’s case, though, Mumbai may need to spend big money as both are potential big buys, with ESPNcricinfo experts predicting Kishan to be the auction’s most expensive buy. But if Mumbai were to not bid high for de Kock to keep their purse healthy for Kishan, it would be a big gamble, since more than one rival franchise could still have a stronger purse than Mumbai’s, and they might end up missing out on both.Ishan Kishan and Quinton de Kock are both likely to be in high demand•BCCISimilarly, for the Capitals, four of their core group of players from last season – R Ashwin, Shreyas Iyer, Shikhar Dhawan and Kagiso Rabada – come in the marquee set while Avesh Khan is slotted at 85, in set 10. All these players along with the retained four played key roles in Capitals making their first final last year. Both Mumbai and Capitals have smaller purses in INR 48 crore and INR 47.5 crore respectively. While they could both bid aggressively for one of their former players, they would be wise to acknowledge that rival franchises would want those same players, which will automatically raise their prices. Also both these franchises should expect rivals to up their bids solely to eat into their purses. Understanding and recognising patterns of rival teams in past auctions, and being willing to pick a back-up option in case the first choice player crosses the amount reserved for him will ensure teams stay ahead of their rivals.Is a fat purse a clear advantage?
Not really. Take Punjab Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad, who will walk into the auction with the top two purses at INR 72 crore and INR 68 crore respectively. Punjab have retained just two players – one capped (Mayank Agarwal) and another uncapped (Arshdeep Singh). They are starting from scratch, almost.Related

• Iyer, Warner, Ashwin, Rabada and Shami among marquee set

• The building blocks of a good auction strategy

• Who will be the most expensive player in the IPL 2022 auction?

• FAQs: All you wanted to know about the IPL 2022 auction

While they could show keenness to buy virtually every player in the top sets, they could potentially burn their cash quickly if they overspend on a player or two. For Sunrisers, having failed to retain a proven matchwinner in Rashid Khan, they will want to seek a replacement. But if they were to bid hard for, say Yuzvendra Chahal, they would still need to wait for Set 6 where the India legspinner is listed as Player No. 47. And there is no guarantee they will bag Chahal, with plenty of other franchises expected to show interest in him too.The other challenge for Sunrisers is that while they have retained three players, two of them are the uncapped Abdul Samad and Umran Malik. Just like Punjab, they will need to buy players up front, which is likely to bring down their purse by the time Chahal’s name is put up for bidding. Instead, one potential solution could be to bid for Ashwin as their lead spinner, with the India allrounder also capable of being the back-up captain for Kane Williamson.How should the budget be spent?
The unique challenge in big auctions for franchises is splitting the purse among all the roles and players they want. When you look at the roster, those who are likely to attract the maximum value are wicketkeeper-batters, Indian quicks and spinners.There are seven teams who could do with an Indian wristspinner, but among the first 55 names in the auction, there are just four. The franchises who miss out on these four players could struggle to find a wristspinner of the same pedigree. So one approach could be for teams to spend a lot of their budget up front to get the best possible players for the roles they want, and then pick up bargain buys as back-ups. This is where player scouting becomes very important. If franchises can identify a few skillsets and players that can be obtained at base price, they can spend more early on in a targeted manner. Teams need to focus on obtaining their first 11-15 players as much as possible from the first few sets, due to a lack of options down the pecking order. The price points at which a franchise can buy the top five players in each skillset could almost be 2-3 times what they would pay to get the next five in the same skillset. As a result, expect teams to spend almost 90% of their budgets on their first 11 players. If all teams think similarly, then the players are the ones likely to gain the most as bids shoot up.Yuzvendra Chahal and Deepak Chahar both offer premium skill-sets in short supply•AFP via Getty ImagesHow valuable are established Indian players?
Teams like the Super Kings, the Knight Riders, the Capitals and Mumbai have figured out that the best template to build a successful squad is to build a strong core of Indian players. But are there enough Indian players for all roles and for all teams to have that core of five or six players? Right now, not so much. Therefore, with more teams chasing fewer players, franchises will have to pay a premium. Teams such as Mumbai and Super Kings don’t have the reputation of breaking the bank for certain players, but they may be forced to bid huge this time around. Proven performers such as Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Prasidh Krishna, Nitish Rana and Rahul Tripathi could fetch high prices with more teams chasing their skillsets. Similarly, there a sheer lack of spinners and wicketkeeper-batters in the auction roster, and that increases the prices of those skillsets. With an eye on the future, teams could also look at investing in a few Indian youngsters who could come at a much lower price. Don’t be surprised if most Indian players rake in a lot more money than you expect.Suresh Raina, Dwayne Bravo, Bhuvneshwar Kumar – still worthy?
These three players have not just won matches, but have helped their franchises win IPL trophies in the past. But these three, along with other senior players like Amit Mishra, Piyush Chawla, Ambati Rayudu, Robin Uthappa and Ishant Sharma, are not only on the wrong side of 30, but have struggled with fitness and form issues. Most of these players have also listed their base prices at the maximum, but are they worth that amount? Is the experience worth it?It’s a difficult question to answer, but experience, as the Super Kings have shown, can help you walk out of difficult situations. If Faf du Plessis was among their best batters last season, Uthappa played the most important knocks in the qualifier and final. While Uthappa was traded from Royals for INR 3 crore, du Plessis was bought for just INR 1.6 crore. Expect franchises to keep these examples, and many others from previous seasons, in mind, and not look at age in a simplistic manner.

علق أوليفر كان أسطورة الحراسة الألمانية وبايرن ميونخ، على أداء ريال مدريد تحت قيادة مدربه تشابي ألونسو الذي تم تعيينه خلفاً للمدرب السابق كارلو أنشيلوتي.

وأصبح ريال مدريد يحتل المركز الثاني في جدول ترتيب الدوري الاسباني برصيد 36 نقطة، من 11 فوز و3 هزائم وتعادلين.

ويستعد ريال مدريد لمواجهة ديبورتيفو ألافيس مساء الغد في الجولة السابعة عشر من الدوري الاسباني.

أقرأ أيضاً.. تشابي ألونسو يكشف موقف مبابي من المشاركة أمام ألافيس.. ويوضح خليفته في تدريب ريال مدريد

وقال كان في تصريحات نشرتها “ESPN” :”لست متفاجئاً بالنتائج التي حققها ريال مدريد لأن أفكار المدرب لا تناسب أسلوب لعب الفريق”.

وأضاف :”ألونسو يركز على اللعب المنظم والمركزي، وهذا ما يتطلب لاعبين ذوي خصائص مميزة، لكن ريال مدريد لديه فلسفة مختلفة تماماً، تعلي من شأن الحرية والفردية”.

وواصل: “لاعبو ريال مدريد لا يرغبون في التقيد بنظام محدد مسبقاً، وهذا هو جوهر سوء الفهم”.

واختتم كان: “ما نحتاجه هو مدرب قادر على توظيف النجوم بأفضل شكل ممكن، بدلاً من مدرب يفرض نظام صارم”.

MatériaMais Notícias

O futebol muitas vezes é cruel e prega peças aos torcedores e, por que não, aos jogadores. Há cerca de um mês, na mesma Neo Química Arena, o goleiro Hugo Souza era cortado da Seleção Brasileira após uma partida contra o Grêmio, em razão de uma lesão. Hoje, diante do Cruzeiro e de um dos maiores ídolos da história do Corinthians, fez história e abriu caminho para garantir uma vaga na final da Copa do Brasil.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasCorinthiansHugo Souza abre o coração após classificação do Corinthians e fala sobre CássioCorinthians14/12/2025Fora de CampoTorcedores mandam recado a Gabigol após Corinthians x CruzeiroFora de Campo14/12/2025Lance! BizVeja quanto o Corinthians faturou com a classificação para a final da Copa do BrasilLance! Biz14/12/2025

Durante o tempo regulamentar, Hugo Souza tentou e conseguiu retardar uma possível reação do Cruzeiro ao realizar ao menos duas grandes defesas, uma delas decisiva em finalização de Matheus Pereira.

Precisando do resultado, o Cruzeiro buscou os gols necessários, mas o roteiro de cinema parecia querer levar a decisão para os pênaltis, cenário no qual Hugo Souza voltou a brilhar. O goleiro defendeu duas cobranças, de Gabigol e Walace, e garantiu a vaga do Corinthians na final da competição nacional.

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O contexto ganha ainda mais relevância por colocar Hugo frente a frente com Cássio, para muitos o maior ídolo da história do Corinthians e dono de 32 defesas de pênaltis com a camisa alvinegra. Em entrevista recente, Hugo Souza chegou a afirmar que Cássio é o maior ídolo da história do clube.

— Não tive convívio com ele, mas, todas as vezes que o encontrei, foi o melhor contato possível. Sempre foi uma referência na posição. Estou em um lugar que vai ser dele durante a eternidade. Para mim, o maior ídolo da história do Clube — disse.

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Hugo Souza na temporada:

54 jogos49 gols sofridos2.6 defesas por jogo74% bolas defendidas6 pênaltis defendidos (2 em disputas)25 jogos sem sofrer golsNota Sofascore 7.06Novo ídolo da Fiel?

Antes da bola rolar, o LANCE! conversou com torcedores nos arredores da Neo Química Arena e procurou saber quem eles escolheriam em uma eventual decisão por pênaltis: o atual goleiro Hugo Souza ou o ídolo Cássio.

Apesar da idolatria, os torcedores não titubearam. Hugo Souza é o nome da vez e carrega nas luvas a chance de também se tornar um ídolo do clube. Veja o vídeo abaixo.

Chances na Seleção Brasileira?

A grande atuação do goleiro volta a credenciá-lo como opção para a Seleção Brasileira. Até o momento, Hugo Souza disputou apenas uma partida com a amarelinha, na derrota para o Japão. Apesar do desempenho abaixo naquela ocasião, as boas atuações com a camisa do Corinthians reforçam a expectativa por uma nova convocação.

Hugo Souza vs Cruzeiro:

90 minutos jogados2 gols sofridos3 defesas60% bolas defendidas2 defesas em disputa de pênaltisNota Sofascore 7.8

Agora, o técnico Carlo Ancelotti terá a oportunidade de observar o arqueiro em mais dois jogos decisivos, a final da Copa do Brasil, que pode ser contra Fluminense ou Vasco da Gama, e, quem sabe, entrar na onda da torcida corinthiana, que gritou ao fim da partida diante do Cruzeiro que Hugo Souza é o melhor goleiro do Brasil.

Hugo Souza pelo Corinthians:

88 jogos83 gols sofridos2.9 defesas por jogo75% bolas defendidas10 pênaltis defendidos (6 em disputas)37 jogos sem sofrer golsNota Sofascore 7.11

➡️ Clique aqui e baixe o app do Sofascore para ficar por dentro de estatísticas e resultados de futebol em tempo real

Tudo sobre

Copa do BrasilCorinthiansFutebol NacionalHugo Souza

تحدث عمرو السولية، لاعب منتخب مصر الثاني، عن استعداداته للمشاركة في بطولة كأس العرب 2025.

ويستعد منتخب مصر الثاني، تحت قيادة حلمي طولان، للمشاركة في البطولة التي ستُقام في قطر وتنطلق بعد أيام قليلة.

طالع.. محمد النني: جاهزون لـ كأس العرب.. وهدفنا إسعاد الجماهير

ونقل مراسل بطولات تصريحات عمرو السولية خلال مران المنتخب، حيث قال: “عشت تلك الأجواء من قبل في كأس العرب وللأسف لم نصل إلى النهائي”.

وتابع: “لكن تلك المرة هدفنا هدفنا الوصل للنهائي والتتويج بالبطولة وننتظر دعم الجماهير المصرية في قطر”.

يُذكر أن النسخة الأولى من كأس العرب أقيمت عام 2021 في قطر، وتُوج بها منتخب الجزائر بعد الفوز بالنهائي، بينما اكتفى منتخب مصر بالوصول إلى نصف النهائي واحتلال المركز الرابع في الترتيب النهائي للبطولة.

Yash Dhull’s 92 and Manav Suthar’s unbeaten 56 made life briefly uncomfortable for Vidarbha

Sreshth Shah05-Oct-2025Rest of India’s Yash Dhull produced a valiant 92 in the fourth innings to briefly threaten a come-from-behind win, but Vidarbha tore down his resistance to win the 2025-26 Irani Cup for the third time since 2017-18.Starting the final day at 30 for 2 in pursuit of a 361-run target, Rest of India lost overnight batter and captain Rajat Patidar early when he drove uppishly for a caught-and-bowled to Aditya Thakare. Ruturaj Gaikwad then lasted only 19 balls before edging Darshan Nalkande to the wicketkeeper.Ishan Kishan, the other overnight batter, lost his patience after 64 balls and came down the wicket to hole out on 35 to deep midwicket off left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey. When Saransh Jain was lbw off left-arm spinner Harsh Rakhade, Rest of Irani were reeling at 133 for 6.However, 22-year-old Dhull, batting at No. 6, gave Rest of India hope by scoring at a brisk rate alongside a more subdued Manav Suthar in a 104-run seventh-wicket stand. Dhull struck eight fours and a six for a 117-ball 92 before playing an uppercut off Yash Thakur to deep third that couldn’t clear the boundary. The frustration – and relief – was clearly visible on the faces of the namesakes as they exchanged words after the dismissal. Next ball, Thakur cleaned up Anshul Kamboj’s stumps with a length ball jagging in, and with Rest of India at 237 for 8, victory was in sight for Vidarbha.When Dubey tossed one up to Akash Deep next, his expansive cover drive found air and when he looked back, his poles were flattened. Suthar battled on with the No. 11 Gurnoor Brar to earn his sixth first-class fifty. Dubey picked off the final wicket to finish with 4 for 73.Earlier in the game, Vidarbha rode on Atharva Taide’s 143 and Yash Rathod’s 91 in the first innings to post 342. Thakur then took a four-for to skittle Rest of India for 214 despite half-centuries from Patidar and Abhimanyu Easwaran. A four-wicket haul from Kamboj in the third innings then restricted Vidarbha to 232. But a target of 361 in the fourth innings turned out to be too steep for Rest of India.

After leading Trinbago Knight Riders to their first CPL title in five years, and earning his first CPL title in 12 seasons, Nicholas Pooran has put their success down to belief.While TKR were also tactically superior to Guyana Amazon Warriors on Sunday – Andre Russell bounced Quentin Sampson out with Kieron Pollard swooping in on a catch at short leg and their left-handed batters countered Gudakesh Motie – Pooran said that it was their immense self-belief that led them to CPL glory.”Nah [not tactics]. It’s just belief. Team belief,” Pooran said after TKR squeezed past Amazon Warriors in the final. “I’ve waited 15 years for this moment. This feeling, there’s no words to describe it. But before we talk about anything else, I just want to say thank you to all my guys here, every single person in the TKR team, all the squad members, every single one of our fans. Thank you for the love and support.”Related

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• All-round Hosein takes wobbly TKR to fifth CPL title in thrilling finish against GAW

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TKR’s victory capped a banner week for Trinidad & Tobago sport. Earlier this week, Keshorn Walcott had won the gold in the men’s javelin while Jereem Richards had claimed silver in the men’s 400-metre race at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.”We weren’t only doing it for ourselves, but we were doing it for the people of Trinidad & Tobago,” Pooran said. “They came out and supported us. The government supported us. Even the minister is here. I hope he’s going to reward us as well, right (laughs)?”But again, we did it for the people of Trinidad & Tobago. This week was a really important one where Keshorn Walcott and Jereem Richards won in the World Championship and then us coming to win the CPL.”TKR were pilloried for picking a number of players over the age of 30, but they turned their perceived weakness into their biggest strength. Fittingly, 32-year-old Akeal Hosein bagged the Player-of-the-Match award for his all-round effort while 38-year-old Pollard, the oldest West Indian in the TKR squad, won the Player-of-the-Tournament award.”First of all, it’s all about getting the ego out of the way,” Pooran said. “We’ve lost in the last five years and a lot of things were said: ‘The guys are old and time has passed’. I guess every single person, they answered and they proved everyone wrong. I want to start with Polly, 38 years old or young I should say, right (laughs)? MVP in a tournament like this. Dre [Andre Russell], every single person, day in and day out. These guys really did it for us. For me as a captain, I can’t ask for anything else.”ESPNcricinfo Ltd

‘Sometimes you have to throw the first punch’ – Pollard on his battle with Tahir

In front of a partisan Providence crowd that even booed him, Pollard played a vital cameo and took down Imran Tahir, the top wicket-taker in CPL 2025. Pollard pounded Tahir for 20 off six balls, including three sixes, before the Amazon Warriors captain burst through his defences with a wrong’un.”As much as you guys talk about him being a match-up for myself on the television, I back myself to hit the spin,” Pollard said. “In a situation like today, what we needed was a quick cameo to settle the nerves.”Throughout the entire tournament, the competition between Tahir and myself all over the world has been immense. Sometimes you have to take the first step and try to make the first punch. Once I show that sort of intent early on, I’m always going to be on top. There are other times where I have to just block him out. But you have to have the discipline and the want to do that because that’s what the team requires.”While Pollard was tight-lipped about his CPL future as a player – he has already retired from the IPL and forayed into coaching there – he confirmed that he will play in the upcoming season of the ILT20 in the UAE.”I can’t tell you the future,” Pollard said. “I can only deal with what’s in front of me. I have a flight coming up and I’m getting home to the kids. I’m just trying to enjoy some time at home. I’ve been on the road for the entire year. So, I think I owe it to them. Let’s see what happens. At the end of the year, I’ll still be playing in the ILT20 in Dubai. So that’s the only thing I can tell you at this point of time.”

Akeal Hosein overcomes illness to win it for TKR

Hosein, who iced the chase with an unbeaten 16 off seven balls, was ill in the lead-up to the final but overcame that and embodied TKR’s belief. He had also contributed handsomely with the ball, dismissing both Shimron Hetmyer and Shai Hope, the highest run-getter this season.”Very special. This win has eluded us for five years and we were really hungry,” Hosein said. “We had an experienced group and there were lots of talks about the ages in our group, but experience beat old talk and I’m really happy to get this win.”I told one of my team-mates yesterday that I’m gonna get the Man of the Match [award] today and that’s what I set my mind to. And no matter what condition I’m in, I’m gonna go out there and give it my all for my team and I’m really happy that I did that today.”Hosein has also been working behind the scenes to expand his range as a lower-order batter. Two months after he hit his maiden T20 fifty, for Texas Super Kings from No.6 in the MLC, he secured the CPL title for TKR with the bat and sparked wild celebrations in their camp.”I think there’s some work to be done [with the bat], but it’s always good to look up on the board and get recognised as an allrounder,” Hosein said. “So hopefully, more opportunities come along like that. I’ve been working really hard with Polly as well. So why not? I have the best in the world in my team. Why not pick their brains, rub shoulders with them and try and become a better player?”

Detroit Tigers ace starting pitcher Tarik Skubal had no trouble handling the Cleveland Guardians lineup during Game 2 of the American League Division Series, as he pitched seven shutout innings and struck out eight batters to help his club earn the victory.

But Skubal did get himself into trouble with his mother.

After inducing a grounder that resulted in an inning-ending double play in the bottom of the fifth inning, Skubal yelled, "Shut the f**k up" at the Progressive Field crowd as he walked off the mound.

Skubal's mother was not a fan of the language, and she let him know it in a post on X (formerly Twitter), even resorting to using his middle name—the universal sign that a line has been crossed.

Making an appearance on on 97.1 The Ticket on Wednesday ahead of Game 3, Skubal shared that he also received an admonishing text message from his mother in addition to the scolding tweet.

"She texted me after the game, 'Love you,' whatever, but she was saying the same thing, she's like, 'You can't do that on the road,' " Skubal said. "And I'm like, 'I know, Mom, I know. I don't what got into me.'"

"That was really funny."

Skubal, the presumptive AL CY Young award winner, has been lights-out for the Tigers this season, and in the postseason, where he has yet to allow an earned run in two starts. But apparently, one is never too old—or too successful—to avoid being reprimanded by their middle name.

"Tarik Daniel is when I was in trouble growing up, so I haven't got that in a while, probably since high school is the last time I was really in trouble with my mom."

While Skubal acknowledged that the moment gave him an adrenaline boost, he also admitted that getting so fired up towards fans was probably not wise.

"I guess I wish I would have just kept it within our team and our guys and not really interact with the fans, just because it becomes a slippery slope and some bad things can happen, especially if fans are drunk, whatever, (stuff) happens," Skubal said. "I should probably just keep that within our team going forward, but it was fun. Obviously, I fed off of it."

Skubal's Tigers won Game 3 on Wednesday by a score of 3–0. Unless Cleveland forces a Game 5, Tigers fans are unlikely to see Skubal on the mound again until the American League Championship Series.

Jofra Archer says that the mental challenge of returning to four-day cricket after a four-year absence has been a bigger issue than the physical toil. However, he is confident that his body will be ready for Test cricket if he gets the call-up later this summer.Speaking to Sussex Cricket at Chester-le-Street after the second day’s play, where he had dismissed Emilio Gay lbw for his first first-class wicket for 1,501 days, Archer admitted the experience had been “mentally tough” on a surface that offered very little lateral movement for the bowlers.”I’m glad to just finish a day of four-day cricket,” he said. “Last time I played [against Kent at Hove in May 2021], I just made it to tea, so I’m glad to go all the way today.”When the scoreboard got to 50 overs, I was, like, ‘Jesus, time to come off now!'” he joked. “But it wasn’t too bad. Doing it session-by-session was okay, but the pitch didn’t do much.”Today could have been the longest day I’ve ever had, and not because it’s red-ball cricket,” he added. “I’ve been in the field for two-and-a-half days before, and it still didn’t feel as long as today. When the ball is moving, and you’re getting something off the pitch, it feels a bit more exciting.”However, crucially for Archer’s hopes of getting back into the Test team – for whom he last featured on the tour of India in 2020-21 – his body has so far shown no reaction to the added toil of red-ball cricket.”It felt all right today,” he said. “I’ve been playing for a year, and bowling for two years, including the build-up, so everything is fine.”There have been no restrictions on this game,” he added, when asked if the ECB had requested that he limit his workload. “Whatever I did, I did. Obviously there can’t be a limit if you’re looking at a Test match. They were in the field for a day-and-a-half [in the first Test at Headingley].Related

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“You can’t have restrictions if you’re potentially going to go in. You put your body through as much pressure, safely, as possible, to put yourself in the best position.”Archer’s return to action this summer was delayed by an injured right thumb that he sustained during the IPL. However, he classified that setback alongside the freak glass cut he received from a broken fishtank back in 2021, calling it more of an “accident than an injury” compared to the career-threatening elbow and back fractures that have chequered his recent career.”If you get cut in the kitchen with a knife, no-one’s going to call it an injury,” he said. “It’s similar with my thumb. I just got hit while batting as we do all the time, but unfortunately it got fractured. If it was my left thumb I could have carried on and no-one would know but, because it was my bowling hand, I had to give it a bit of care.”But injuries are injuries. Nobody gets injured on purpose, no one knows when they will happen … it can be in the gym, or rehab, pre-hab, or whatever. If you’re supposed to get injured, there’s nothing you can do to get away from it.”Asked if he could ever have envisaged a return to first-class cricket during his long lay-off, Archer replied: “Back then, I didn’t have the choice because I didn’t think my body could hold up to it.”Now it’s a different challenge, because I know my body can hold up to it. The mental part of the game [will be tough]. Over the next couple of days, I’m going to have to battle a bit with it, but it’s all good. It’s a new challenge, and I’ll keep trucking along.”