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Tom Alsop 81 not out sets up declaration before hosts chip out five Leicestershire wickets

ECB Reporters Network25-Jun-2024

Sean Hunt made a career-best 65 batting as nightwatcher•Getty Images

Leicestershire 275 and 139 for 5 (Carson 3-38) need a further 325 to beat Sussex 442 and 296 for 6 dec (Alsop 81*, Hunt 65)Sussex took four wickets in the final hour to put themselves in a strong position to beat Leicestershire at Hove and consolidate top place in the Vitality County Championship second division.Offspinner Jack Carson removed Foxes’ skipper Lewis Hill, makeshift opener Ian Holland and Lewis Goldsworthy after slow left-armer James Coles had made the breakthrough when he bowled Rishi Patel. Ollie Robinson also claimed the key wicket of Australian Peter Handscomb as four wickets fell for 30 runs in 12 overs.It left Leicestershire 139 for 5 and still needing 325 in their pursuit of a target of 464 and with the pitch at the 1st Central County Ground showing signs of uneven bounce and occasionally sharp turn for Carson, the hosts will fancy their chances of picking up the five wickets they need on the final day to claim their fourth win of the season.Foxes’ openers Patel and Holland had settled in promisingly with a stand of 51 before Patel upped the tempo by twice hitting Carson over the midwicket boundary. Slow left-armer Coles took over and broke through with his fifth delivery. Patel hit him for a six and four earlier in the over before he was bowled off an inside edge shaping to cut.Carson returned at the sea end and removed skipper Hill with a beauty which turned just enough out of the rough to find the edge and Holland mistimed a reverse sweep, the ball looping off bat-pad to Ollie Carter at short leg.Robinson got the wicket he deserved in his eighth over when Handscomb, who had been off the field earlier in the day with a sore shoulder, fended a short ball outside off stump into Carter’s waiting hands. Just before the close Goldsworthy was caught at midwicket when he mistimed a slog-sweep to leave Leicestershire facing their first defeat of the season.Earlier, nightwatchman Sean Hunt scored his maiden first-class fifty as Sussex scored 230 runs in 54 overs before declaring on 296 for 6.Hunt, who has a career average of just 6.60 and a previous highest score of 22, cashed in after being dropped at slip by Handscomb off Goldsworthy when he’d made just 9. He needed 69 balls to score his first 13 runs but then raced to 50 by smashing 37 off the next 20 deliveries, including two sixes off slow left-armer Goldsworthy over the short leg-side boundary.Goldsworthy had opened the bowling with offspinner Louis Kimber in an effort to improve Leicestershire’s over rate and between them they sent down 21 overs in 55 minutes and 38 in the morning session with Kimber eventually bowling 24 overs unchanged either side of lunch without reward.Goldsworthy did pick up a wicket when Tom Haines, who’d added 64 for the third wicket with Hunt, chipped back a low return catch and there were two wickets for Scott Currie when Leicestershire reverted to seam. Hunt spliced a pull to mid-off for a fine 65 off 118 balls and Coles, after scoring a run-a-ball 45, holed out trying to deposit Currie over long-off.Leicestershire employed nine fielders on the boundary after lunch and Tom Alsop took advantage with an unbeaten 81, including three sixes, before Sussex declared shortly before 3pm and left themselves 40 overs and the final day to take ten wickets. By the close they were halfway there.

While this season has come to an incredibly underwhelming end, Mikel Arteta has still helped to utterly transform Arsenal.

The Spaniard took charge of the side when they were languishing in tenth place, and now he’s led them to a Champions League semi-final and potentially a third second-place finish in the Premier League in as many years.

Moreover, the former captain has overseen a clear improvement of the team in almost all areas, from defence to midfield, between the sticks and out wide.

However, one position in the team which has probably got worse since December 2019 is centre-forward, as Arteta hasn’t been able to find a poacher as prolific as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, although based on recent reports, that might be about to change.

Arsenal's striker search

You don’t have to be a brilliant analyst to see that a lack of cutting-edge up top has cost Arsenal this season, so, in turn, it’s hardly surprising to see the club linked with several sensational strikers in recent weeks, like Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The former has arguably been the best centre-forward in the Premier League this season, racking up a haul of 27 goals and six assists in 41 games this season, but with recent reports claiming he could cost the club in excess of £127m, this feels like more of a dream than a realistic transfer.

Coming in at the slightly more reasonable £63m is his compatriot Gyokeres, and while that’s still a lot of money, his tally of 52 goals and 13 assists in 50 games suggest he’s worth it.

Even then, Andrea Berta and Co might want an even better deal, which might explain the interest in Jonathan David.

According to a recent report from Italy, Arsenal are now one of several sides incredibly interested in signing the LOSC Lille star, whose current contract will come to an end this summer.

Interestingly, while the likes of Inter Milan, West Ham United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Newcastle United are credited with an interest in the Canadian international, the report has revealed that the Gunners are currently the favourites to secure his services.

It could be a complicated transfer to get over the line as Napoli, another interested party, have already made a salary offer to the forward. That said, Arsenal would surely have the financial firepower to outmuscle the Italian side to his signature.

Why David would be Arsenal's best striker since Aubameyang

While things might’ve ended on a sour note, there can be no denying that for much of his time at Arsenal, Aubameyang was a goalscoring tour de force.

For example, he became the fastest player in the club’s history to hit 50 Premier League goals, and when he left, he did so with 92 goals and 21 assists in 163 games, which, again, is made all the more impressive when you take into account his lacklustre final 18-months.

Since he left for free in early 2022, three players have led the line for the Gunners: Alexandre Lacazette, Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz.

The former became the club’s starting nine in the latter half of the 22/23 campaign, and while he didn’t do too badly, he wasn’t prolific and eventually ended that season with a haul of 17 goals and three assists in 41 games.

For their efforts, Jesus and Havertz have managed to rack up tallies of 46 goal involvements in 96 games and 42 goal involvements in 85 games, respectively.

However, while the latter two have done well in North London, their level of output doesn’t come close to David’s.

For example, this season alone has seen the “mind-blowing” forward, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, score 25 goals and provide 12 assists in 48 appearances, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.29 games.

David’s recent club career
Season	21/22	22/23	23/24	24/25
Appearances	48	40	47	48
Goals	19	26	26	25
Assists	0	4	9	12
Goal Involvements*	0.39	0.75	0.74	0.77
All Stats via Transfermarkt (*per Match)

Moreover, he’s been this effective for some time, as, over the last four campaigns, the New York-born marksman, whom journalist Tony Marinaro dubbed “one of the best strikers in the world,” has scored 96 goals and provided 25 assists in just 183 club appearances, which is a goal involvement every 1.51 games.

Ultimately, while Arsenal have had some good forwards play for them since Aubameyang left, there is no doubt that, thanks to his incredible track record, David would be their best striker since the Gabonese icon.

Top target: Arsenal now very keen on £48m forward who's "ideal" for Arteta

The Gunners have identified an “unbelievable” star as their number one target at left-wing.

By
Dominic Lund

May 12, 2025

Wolverhampton Wanderers have avoided relegation back down to the Championship and will be competing in the Premier League once again next season.

Vitor Pereira has left the club to safety and will now have the chance to bring his own players to Molineux in his first summer transfer window with the Old Gold.

The Portuguese head coach, however, may also have to contend with some of his star players moving on from the club, including Rayan Ait-Nouri.

Why Rayan Ait-Nouri could leave Wolves

The Telegraph recently reported that Wolves want to offer the defender a new deal, but that there is still doubt over his future at the club due to interest from elsewhere.

It was revealed that Manchester City and Liverpool have both sent scouts to watch the Algeria international, who is valued at £50m by Wolves, in action this season.

Ait-Nouri, who produced three goals and two assists in all competitions last season, has improved his output at the top end of the pitch, with a return of five goals and seven assists for the Old Gold this term.

His form has attracted interest from two of the best teams in the Premier League, which is why he could be on his way out of the club in the summer if significant bids come in for him.

Journalist Graeme Bailey recently revealed that Wolves are keeping tabs on Sunderland defender Dennis Cirkin, and a move for the Englishman could allow the club to forget all about Ait-Nouri.

Why Wolves should sign Dennis Cirkin

Wolves should swoop to sign the Black Cats star in the summer transfer window because it would ease the blow of losing the Algerian left-back to Liverpool or Manchester City.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Cirkin, who was hailed as “eye-catching” by pundit Sam Parkin, was described as “the best full-back in the Championship” by journalist Josh Bunting, which speaks to how impressive the full-back has been in the second tier.

The 23-year-old ace, who has helped his side to keep 11 clean sheets in 30 starts, is an excellent defender who could offer more solidity down the left flank than Ait-Nouri currently does for Pereira.

Appearances

34

36

Tackles per game

2.4

2.5

Interceptions per game

0.7

1.2

Clearances per game

1.7

2.6

Ground duel success rate

55%

55%

Aerial duel success rate

42%

44%

Red cards

1

0

As you can see in the table above, the Sunderland dynamo has the potential to offer more to the team from a defensive perspective because he makes tackles, interceptions, and clearances more frequently, while also winning a higher percentage of his aerial contests.

Cirkin can also maraud forward to make an impact at the top end of the pitch, having scored three goals and provided two assists in the Championship this term, which means that he could still offer a threat going forward as well.

Of course, the caveat is that the former Spurs youngster is currently playing in the second tier and is an unproven quantity in the Premier League, but he is a young player with time left ahead of him to develop and improve and has shown plenty of promising signs in a Sunderland shirt.

The new Gibbs-White: Wolves planning move for £50m Premier League talent

Wolverhampton Wanderers might be about to land their next Morgan Gibbs-White if this deal is successful.

ByKelan Sarson May 7, 2025

Therefore, Wolves could forget all about Ait-Nouri, and sanction a sale for the defender, if they can strike an agreement with the Black Cats to bring the impressive Cirkin to the Molineux this summer.

Tottenham Hotspur are now racing to sign a “sensational” striker who idolises Harry Kane, having recently conducted a scouting mission, according to a report.

Tottenham's striker search continues after Saints win

Tottenham returned to winning ways against Southampton yesterday afternoon, picking up a 3-1 victory, and Ange Postecoglou will be pleased with the fact striker Mathys Tel managed to get on the scoresheet for the first time in the Premier League.

Tel is expected to sign for Spurs on a permanent basis this summer, which could leave Postecoglou relatively well-stocked in the striker department, with Dominic Solanke and Richarlison also available.

However, given that there is doubt over Richarlison’s future, the Lilywhites may look to bring in another forward this summer, and a number of potential targets have been identified.

Related Development: Tottenham now making moves to sign "monster" striker for £0

Spurs are interested in signing a forward, who they are willing to offer a place in the starting XI.

Posts 2 ByDominic Lund Apr 6, 2025

Lille’s Jonathan David could be an attractive option, given that the Canadian will be available on a free transfer, while Tottenham also hold an interest in Ipswich Town marksman Liam Delap.

There has now been a new update on Tottenham’s pursuit of Delap, with a report from The Boot Room revealing Spurs sent a scout to watch the striker in action against Wolverhampton Wanderers at the weekend.

The scout is likely to be impressed by what he saw, too, given that the Ipswich star scored his side’s only goal of the game, although they ultimately succumbed to a 2-1 defeat in the relegation six-pointer.

Liverpool and Newcastle United officials were also in attendance to watch the forward, so there will be no shortage of his interest this summer, at which point he could be available for a fee of £50m.

"Sensational" Delap could be ideal Harry Kane heir

Understandably, Tottenham have found it difficult to replace Harry Kane since his move to Bayern Munich, with Dominic Solanke struggling with injuries this season, meaning he has just seven Premier League goals to his name.

Delap, on the other hand, has scored 12 goals for the Tractor Boys, which is no mean feat, given that he is playing for a side almost certain to be relegated from the top flight.

It is still early days for the Ipswich striker, but Danny Murphy has suggested he could be capable of being Kane’s successor for England.

Not only that, but the 22-year-old has received high praise from members of the media, being lauded as “sensational” earlier in the campaign, and he has previously admitted he idolises Kane.

Delap is in line to succeed Kane at international level, and his performances for Ipswich indicate he could be a suitable replacement for the England captain at Tottenham.

The game is moving from the Captain Roop Singh Stadium, the site of many memorable matches, to the shiny new Shrimant Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Stadium

Daya Sagar05-Oct-2024When an international cricket match was last held in Gwalior, Sachin Tendulkar scored the first double-century in men’s ODIs. Fourteen years after that historic game, international cricket is set to return to the Madhya Pradesh city.However, cricket is not back at the historic Captain Roop Singh Stadium but at the newly built Shrimant Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Stadium, where the first T20I between India and Bangladesh will be played on Sunday. The Captain Roop Singh Stadium, though, is inextricably linked to cricket in the city.When you arrive at the old stadium, located near the railway station in the heart of the city, it feels like you have arrived at a single-screen cinema hall in a small town. Built in the shape of a hexagon, it doesn’t look like a cricket stadium from the outside. There are no cricket-related hoardings, no floodlight towers visible from a distance.Related

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Once inside, there is a gallery that leads you past some offices and the scorecard featuring the details of Tendulkar’s historic knock. With the exception of some VVIP seats towards the pavilion end, all the seats – the stadium has a capacity of around 20,000 – are in the form of cement steps. At both ends stand small floodlights, erected in the lead-up to the 1996 World Cup.Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association (MPCA) scorer Sunil Gupta’s eyes light up as he recalls Tendulkar’s double-century. According to him, it feels like yesterday, when Tendulkar played Charl Langeveldt past point and achieved an “impossible historical feat”.”We couldn’t believe we had seen something that was almost impossible in one-day cricket at that time,” Gupta says. “This match was accidentally moved from Kanpur to Gwalior 20 days earlier. Our pitch and ground were ready, but international cricket requires a lot more preparation. Our association completed these preparations in a very short time and what happened after that, the whole world knows it now.”Gupta, who is a believer in destiny, says, “That is why it has been said that on every grain is written the name of the one who eats it. We were destined to watch the double-century of [God] and when he waved his helmet and bat in the air, many people, including me, had tears in their eyes. These were tears of joy.”The entrance to the Captain Roop Singh Stadium in Gwalior•Daya Sagar/ESPNcricinfoThe stadium has played host to many other memorable ODIs too, including the India-West Indies match in the 1996 World Cup, the fourth India-Pakistan ODI in 2007, India’s win against Australia in the TVS Cup months after their 2003 World Cup final defeat to the same opposition, Kenya’s first win over India in an international match, and two ODIs against England in 1993 on consecutive days. The 1997 Ranji Trophy final was also held in this stadium, the only day-night Ranji Trophy final till date.”At times, this stadium has come in handy for the BCCI during crises,” Gupta says. “When the first India-England ODI was cancelled in Ahmedabad due to riots in 1993, two ODIs were held on this ground on two consecutive days. This is the only ground in the India where ODI matches have been held on consecutive days.”Apart from this, in 2010, when the preparations were not deemed to be complete in Kanpur, we were given an ODI match in a hurry. At the same time, when we did not have that much funds for the 1996 World Cup, we made smaller floodlights on three stands instead of four, so that day-night matches could be organised.”The stadium once hosted ODIs regularly, with a match every two or three years in the 1990s and 2000s. But as the facilities became dated, this stadium, which has hosted 12 ODIs, gradually faded into the background.The stadium belongs to the Gwalior Municipal Corporation, and was leased by the Gwalior Division Cricket Association (GDCA) for 25 years; the lease ends in 2025. So the MPCA decided to build its own stadium in Gwalior. Named after former BCCI president Madhavrao Scindia, plans for the new stadium were laid out in 2011 and it was completed in 2024 and inaugurated by BCCI secretary Jay Shah and former India captain Kapil Dev.Gwalior scorer Sunil Gupta with the scorecard from Sachin Tendulkar’s ODI double-century•Daya Sagar/ESPNcricinfoLocated on the outskirts of Gwalior, on around 30 acres of land near the Mumbai-Agra highway bypass, surrounded by the hills of Chambal, the new stadium has all the modern frills: towering floodlights, the latest drainage system, indoor-training facilities, plush dressing rooms, a separate practice ground, nine cricket pitches, a gym equipped with new machines, a TV broadcast control room, a closed and air-conditioned media centre, and PVC seats for spectators.But like the new stadium in Mullanpur in Punjab, the stadium is still open, with canopies for the stands to be installed only later. At present, the capacity is 30,000, with an increase to 50,000 planned by the MPCA. This is why there are exposed pillars on both sides of the square boundary – to allow for another round of construction later on.India vs Bangladesh will be the first top-level match at this stadium – not a single domestic match has been held here yet. In June this year, however, the Madhya Pradesh Premier League was held here and, in a total of 12 matches, a lot of runs were scored.How many runs are scored on Sunday remain to be seen, but off the field security will be tight. Prohibitory orders – aka Section 163 – have been imposed in the city, which means that more than five people cannot gather and hold any demonstration. The orders were passed after right-wing organisations called for a boycott of this match in the wake of media reports of violence on Hindus in Bangladesh. There had been similar calls for a boycott of the Kanpur Test.The effects of these developments are visible in the preparations for the match. The road to the stadium, which is located around 8km from the city, has already been blocked by a barricade at about the 4km mark, with only those working inside the stadium and the media allowed access to the stadium. Section 163 will remain in place even after the end of the match, until October 7, when both teams leave for Delhi for the second match of the series.For now, though, Gupta is happy that the cricket is back, after a 14-year “exile” from his city. He is ready to score another historic match in the annals of Gwalior cricket.

There’s a lot at stake; not just the series against India, but their position in the WTC final, which is not quite confirmed yet

Andrew McGlashan25-Feb-2023After an extended period in Delhi following the swift conclusion to the second Test, Australia head to Indore on Sunday to try and rescue a tour where they have conceded the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in barely five days of playing time.However, there is still a huge amount at stake for Australia. To haul the series back to 2-2 would be a remarkable achievement, but the first port of call is to shore up their position in the World Test Championship final, which is not yet inked in. Should they lose 4-0 to India, they could still miss out if Sri Lanka were to turn over a struggling New Zealand 2-0 during March.There have been a number of departures since the second Test, including captain Pat Cummins for the heartbreaking reason of spending time with his seriously ill mother. Steven Smith will captain the side in Indore at least, while Australia would be reinforced by the availability of Mitchell Starc and Cameron Green.For two days in Delhi, Australia went toe-to-toe and were ahead of the game before it fell in a heap. Here are some talking points as they look to find just a second victory in 18 attempts in India dating back to 2004.6:46

Hayden: ‘When you sweep, you have to be absolutely certain the ball won’t hit the stumps’

Can captaincy inspire Smith?Smith was livid with himself when he fell sweeping against R Ashwin in the second innings in Delhi. It’s a shot he rarely uses, especially in Tests, and the dressing room knew how angry he was. It followed the opening Test in Nagpur where he had looked very good at the crease before being beaten by Ravindra Jadeja in the first innings, and it would have happened twice in the game but for a no-ball. One of Australia’s big mantras is don’t get beaten on the inside.Smith will be back in the captaincy seat in Indore, the third time he has filled in for Cummins. He does not need extra motivation to score runs, but having the leadership may help bring out his best. As captain he averages 67.33, and on the 2017 tour of India produced one of his finest series with 499 runs at 71.28.Related

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Play your gameOn the subject of that sweep shot from Smith, Australia’s batters need to recalibrate their approach. Cummins pretty much admitted there had been two extremes so far in the series: too cautious in Nagpur, too frenetic in Delhi. They need to find a middle ground. That will look different for every batter. And it doesn’t mean shelving the sweep entirely.Smith may ponder whether to play it again, and Alex Carey probably needs to consider whether the risk-reward has become too skewed. But Usman Khawaja is unlikely to stop playing it despite his dismissals in Delhi. Marnus Labuschagne had some success with the slog-sweep variety, hit hard along the ground through midwicket. It was notable that Travis Head did not play a single sweep; he stuck to his own strengths. Peter Handscomb also had an excellent balance in the first innings.Try and take a pause”Things move quickly,” is becoming one of the catchphrases of the series. It’s easier said than done against an opposition attack that swoops at the first sign of panic setting in, but Australia have to find a way that when a wicket or two fall, they can stop the bleeding before it becomes a match-losing collapse. Attacking is one option but is fraught with risk. It might mean just seeing out a few overs or reaching the next drinks or session break to take the sting out of the game.”It’s tough to try and gain momentum when the team is as good as they are and can exert that much pressure on you that it can crack,” Head said. “But that’s the challenge for us over the next couple weeks, when we find ourselves in those moments how can we draw it back. There’s enough experience in that room to know the right answers, it’s about when it’s a full stadium, there’s noise going [and] wickets falling.”Cameron Green has worked his way back to fitness while on tour in India•Getty ImagesAll-round boost, but be careful of expectations on GreenA lot has gone wrong for Australia on this tour, but one of more significant moments that had an impact happened on December 27 when Green suffered his broken finger against South Africa. That’s not to say results would have been different, but it knocked out of kilter so much of Australia’s planning around how they would balance the side.Now Green is back, having been delayed a little by a setback at the Bengaluru training camp, but this will be one of the biggest challenges of a still young international career. The 77 he made against Sri Lanka in Galle, an innings rated very highly by his team-mates, provided an example of how quickly he can learn – it’s worth noting that the sweep, not a natural shot for him, played a pivotal role.However, he hasn’t batted in a match scenario for nearly two months and the last two home summers have shown how he can take time to get into his groove. But he’s a player with many India tours ahead of him and the learning starts now.Don’t forget paceIt feels as though Australia’s quicks became a bit of an afterthought during the first two Tests. It’s a significant contrast to India, who, while dominating with their spinners, have had Mohammed Shami play a key role. As this piece points out, it continues a trend.There will be a new look to Australia’s quicks in Indore with Starc set to slot back in for the absent Cummins. Green’s availability gives them a second option regardless of whether they stick with three specialist spinners. It will be interesting to see how Smith uses them. Cummins was reluctant to bowl himself in Delhi. The ball has not reversed for the Australians as it did in Pakistan when it provided the series-breaking weapon, but equally they have not pursued the tactic for very long.

Cook and Westley back young batsman to build on impressive Test debut campaign

Andrew Miller31-Mar-2021After the challenge of withstanding R Ashwin and Axar Patel on an Ahmedabad dustbowl, it will be back to a trial by seam and swing for Dan Lawrence next week, as Essex begin their defence of both the County Championship and the Bob Willis Trophy with a season-opening encounter against Worcestershire at Chelmsford.But while Lawrence’s profile may have gone up several notches during a tough debut tour of Sri Lanka and India, the man himself says his appetite has merely been whetted by his experiences this winter.And, having bookended the trip with hard-fought fifties in his first and last outings at Galle and Ahmedabad respectively, Lawrence believes he’s proved to himself, first and foremost, that he belongs at the highest level, and is hungry to get another bite of the action as soon as possible.”It’s hard to know for sure, because it feels different when you are batting yourself to when you actually watch it back,” Lawrence said. “But I did actually [feel like I belonged]. I really enjoyed it. It’s something I always wanted to do, and I really relished the challenge all winter.His debut came in the first Test of England’s winter, against Sri Lanka at Galle, where he was presented with his cap by his former Essex captain, James Foster, and immediately showed his mettle with a gritty innings of 73 in support of his England captain and double-centurion, Joe Root. Lawrence then held his nerve in the second innings, to seal an anxious run-chase in partnership with Jonny Bairstow, to complete a hugely composed first outing for England.”It’s quite a big one for me, to get the monkey off the back and actually play a Test match is something I’ve always wanted to achieve,” he said. “I’ve had a little taste of it and hopefully I can carry on playing.”It’s obviously completely different conditions, coming back from playing in Asia all winter, with the ball nibbling at Chelmsford in mid-April. But I’m really hoping I can get loads of runs on the board at the start of the year, help Essex win some more trophies, and push my case to play the first Test this summer.”In the final analysis, Lawrence’s figures from his maiden England winter don’t especially stand out – 248 runs at 27.55 in five Tests and ten innings show promise rather than fulfilment. But, having been shunted around the order – as high as No.3 and as low as No.7 – to fit with England’s evolving plans on an arduous tour, he now knows, without much doubt, that there aren’t many harder places than Asia for a young English batsman to succeed.”If I’m selected for England, I’ll bat anywhere, and I’ve said that before,” he said. “But I’ve accepted that I don’t think cricket can get more challenging than what I experienced in those Test matches in India and Sri Lanka.”Playing in England, you don’t face a lot of quality spin, because it’s not really needed. So it’s lovely to be challenged against that and to be able to deal with the pressure, just knowing that if things do get really tough, that I’ve actually got a plan, and the sort of tempo and a mindset that hopefully can work at Test level.”Dan Lawrence is still only 23, but very much a senior player within Essex’s ranks•Getty ImagesThe next step for any young England player is often the hardest – second-season syndrome has afflicted many rising stars in the past. But after a two-week break at the end of the India tour, Lawrence was back in the nets at Chelmsford last week, and has thrown himself into Essex’s pre-season with a vigour that has reassured the senior batsmen around him that a big follow-up to his winter exploits is on the cards.One man who knows better than anyone about such heightened expectations is Sir Alastair Cook, whose own breakthrough winter came in India in 2005-06, with a century on debut in Nagpur aged 21.”He’s in a quite a hard spot because he’s so desperate to play for England, you can worry about all kinds of stuff which are totally out of your control,” Cook said. “Ultimately, he needs to make sure his focus is on the next ball. If he does that, which I’m sure he will, everything else will take care of itself.”He’s in a good space with his game, coming back from India, and mentally he seems in a good spot too,” Cook added. “He’s hit probably the most balls out of any batsman coming back, and he’s been doing extra sessions too, all the hard graft which will only bode well for him.”Just because he’s played for England, that doesn’t mean he’s guaranteed to score runs, it’s not as easy as that. There are some very good bowlers in county cricket that know what they’re doing, and he knows that too. But he looks in a good space, and that can only be a good thing for Essex. We’ve got a guy who’s desperate for higher honours, and knows that he needs to score runs to get there.”The one thing that Lawrence can be sure of is that further success for Essex will earn the recognition he craves, given that the club is the pre-eminent force in county cricket at the moment – thanks to two County Championship titles in 2017 and 2019, and last season’s success in “The Bob” when Covid-19 forced a rejig of the season.Related

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And Lawrence knows, from the manner in which the club has nurtured its young players in the past, that he’ll be given all the support he needs to take his next steps, both in his England development and in graduating to a more senior status within the county as well.”We’ve got really good things going on at the club at the moment, with a brilliant mix of younger and older players, and a really good management and support staff,” Lawrence said. “We’ve got a formula that’s proven, and we know how to win a lot of games of cricket, so I’m really excited to get stuck in with the boys.”It’s not only with me, but a lot of the older guys do try their utmost to help out any young players coming through,” he added. “With the atmosphere that we have at this club, and being a really close knit group, and a really honest group, it really allows young players to develop quicker than they would at other counties. They know where they stand with us and we really try our best to get around them.”So if any young batter or bowler needs any help, it wouldn’t only be me, but I think everyone would be queuing up to help them, and I think that’s a big part of why we are so successful.”Tom Westley, Lawrence’s captain and de facto house-mate, now that the pair are living in the same bubble, shares Cook’s belief in the progress of their young team-mate.”He knows his game, he’s mature,” Westley said. “Even though he’s young, he has been around for a while. But he’s a stand-up guy and he’s an outstanding professional cricketer.”It has been very refreshing, with him coming back. He’s not a guy who’s going to be complacent, he injects energy and positivity into the squad, and wants to get better himself – even if it’s a warm-up game, he wants to score hundreds. He wants to go to the indoor school to work on his own game, he’s a role model for younger cricketers on how they should go about their cricket, and I think he will slot in like normal.”With Dan, I’ve always said it’s more a matter of when he’ll play for England, and when he will be successful, rather than if.”He’s had a taste. And I hope, and think, he will be successful for England for a number of years. And if he is, that’s going to be good for Essex. He’s very level-headed, he knows how hard it can be, and that there will be ups and downs, but the one thing he has got is complete confidence in his ability.”And already it seems that Lawrence’s game brain is in gear for the new season. He captained the side during their pre-season outing against Lancashire last week, and with a pair of exploratory visits to the middle he feels sufficiently grooved to take what’s coming in an extended run of early-season Championship fixtures.”I got myself in trouble [in the past] with thinking too far ahead,” he said. “So now I’m really focused on taking it game by game and helping Essex win games of cricket. Whether that’s batting a long time or whether it’s the team needing me to score quick runs, it’s about making sure my process and training is right before each game and see where it leads me.”

يستأنف ليفربول مشواره في دوري أبطال أوروبا، بعد التعادل ضد ليدز يونايتد على ملعب إيلاند رود بثلاث أهداف لكل فريق في الجولة الخامسة عشر من الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وجاء هدفي ليفربول الأول والثاني عن طريق الفرنسي هوجو إيكتيكي في الدقيقة 48 بتسديدة رائعة من أحداث الشوط الثاني، وفي الدقيقة 50 من صناعة كونور برادلي.

وفي الدقيقة 73 أحرز دومينيك كالفيرت لوين هدفًا لصالح ليدز من ركلة جزاء، وتعادل الفريق المضيف بهدف ثاني عن طريق ستاخ في الدقيقة 75.

وفي الدقيقة 80 عاد سوبوسلاي مرة أخرى ليتقدم لصالح ليفربول، وفي الوقت القاتل تعادل ليدز عن طريق تناكا ليخطف نقطة للفريق المضيف.

وارتفع رصيد ليفربول للنقطة 23 في المركز الثامن، وأصبح ليدز يونايتد برصيد 15 نقطة في المركز السادس عشر.

أقرأ أيضاً.. فيديو | في دقيقتين.. إيكتيكي يسجل هدفين لـ ليفربول أمام ليدز

ودخل سلوت لقاء اليوم بتشكيل مكون من: “أليسون بيكر، كوناتي، فيرجيل فان دايك، كونور برادلي، كيركيز، جرافنبيرخ، جونز، جاكبو، فيرتز، سوبوسلاي، إيكتيكي”. موعد مباراة ليفربول وإنتر ميلان في دوري أبطال أوروبا

يلتقي ليفربول وإنتر ميلان، يوم الثلاثاء المقبل 9 ديسمبر، في إطار منافسات مرحلة الدوري ببطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا، في تمام الساعة العاشرة مساءً بتوقيت مصر، الحادية عشر بتوقيت السعودية.

Arsenal star Declan Rice has had his say on summer signing Cristhian Mosquera as Mikel Arteta waits to discover the extent of his injury problem.

Arsenal defeat Brentford 2-0 to maintain 18-game unbeaten run

The Gunners restored their five-point advantage at the Premier League summit with a straightforward victory over Brentford on Wednesday evening.

Mikel Merino’s early header and Bukayo Saka’s stoppage-time finish secured all three points to extend the Gunners’ unbeaten streak to 18 matches, but Arteta faces mounting injury concerns ahead of Saturday’s trip to Aston Villa.

The manager watched Mosquera hobble off just before halftime after landing awkwardly during an aerial challenge with Kevin Schade.

Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest

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Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos

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Arsenal 4-0 Atlético Madrid

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Arsenal 2-0 Brentford

The defender immediately signalled discomfort and was unable to continue, with Jurrien Timber entering as his replacement to partner Piero Hincapie in central defence.

Arsenal’s defensive problems have now intensified with both regular starters William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes already sidelined through injury, leaving Arteta with severely limited options at the back during a congested festive fixture schedule.

That being said, the good news is that Saliba is expected to be back in a ‘matter of days’, according to Arteta in his pre-Brentford press conference.

If the Frenchman is fit and available for Villa, Arsenal will have little choice but to thrust Saliba right back into the starting eleven to partner Hincapie, with Gabriel still weeks away from returning.

Mikel Arteta says "very powerful" Arsenal star has took him completely by surprise

He wasn’t expecting it.

ByEmilio Galantini Dec 3, 2025

The situation worsened against Brentford when Rice gestured toward his right calf before receiving treatment and departing in the 83rd minute. Viktor Gyokeres replaced the influential midfielder as concerns grew about the England international’s availability for crucial upcoming fixtures.

Luckily for Arteta, Rice has managed to avoid a serious injury and is expected to be fit for their upcoming Premier League clash against Unai Emery’s men in-form Villa side.

Supporters can breathe a massive sigh of relief after this news, but they’re still waiting to find out about Mosquera’s condition.

Declan Rice praises Cristhian Mosquera amid Arsenal injury scare

Speaking to Sky Sports before Arsenal’s win over Brentford, Rice explained exactly why the Spaniard could end up being a sore miss — especially with Saliba currently absent and a doubt for this weekend.

The England international, who has been their arguable player of the season so far, told Sky that Mosquera is an “incredible” player with “immense” qualities alongside Hincapie.

This high praise comes as further evidence of what many already know — Mosquera has proved to be one of the bargains of the summer.

Signed for just £13 million from Valencia, the 21-year-old has done exactly what has been required of him whilst barely ever faltering.

Mosquera was handed his Premier League debut in a testing 1-0 defeat at Anfield in August, the club’s last defeat in all competitions, and he performed admirably at a very difficult ground after replacing the injured Saliba.

The youngster has attracted major praise whenever he’s been asked to fill in for one of Arsenal’s first choice pairing, with Martin Keown claiming that Mosquera has ‘the same DNA’ as both Saliba and Gabriel.

Arsenal will now be praying that his development isn’t stifled by a serious long-term injury, and the club are reportedly convinced that Mosquera could become one of the best centre-backs in world football.

Chicago White Sox fans have a new favorite jersey—and it's not from any of their players.

Since Pope Leo XIV, a Chicago native that was formerly known as Cardinal Robert Prevost, was named the new pope, it's been revealed that he is a White Sox fan—even attending Game 1 of their World Series win in 2005.

Thus, White Sox fans have embraced the first American pope's fandom, with many even looking to acquire a Pope Leo XIV White Sox jersey. Though the White Sox team store has yet to fully embrace selling Pope Leo XIV merchandise, a local Chicago store, Grandstand Sports, has began selling jerseys with his name.

Quickly, the store owners have learned just how popular the Pope Leo XIV jersey is. After a local ABC station showed the store's co-owner Josh Ganal, holding up a No. 14 jersey with Pope Leo written across the back, Josh's wife Stephanie recalls seeing a line of people outside their store the next morning, with people clamoring to get their own.

“That Saturday we opened and there were people lined up at 9:15 and we don’t open until 10,” Stephanie said, via Jon Greenberg of The Athletic. “They were lining up waiting for jerseys.”

“I’m telling you, I think Pope Leo is probably overselling ballplayers in the last two years," Stephanie said.

“It’s grandma and grandpa standing in line because they’re going to go to church on Sunday and they want to be the first ones with a Pope Leo jersey,” Josh added. “Hopefully, it was the talk of the town and the talk of the church.”

For White Sox fans coming off a historically bad season in which they set the MLB record for most losses in a season, there has been little to be excited about lately. Though the team isn't winning many more games than they were a year ago, learning that Pope Leo is a White Sox fan has brought some enthusiasm back to the team and stadium.