Lancashire have “formally expressed” their disappointment to the ECB over Liam Livingstone’s dismissal on Blast Finals Day at the weekend.Livingstone was given out lbw in Lancashire’s run chase during the first semi-final, against Somerset. He immediately reviewed, seemingly convinced of an inside edge; but the third umpire umpire, Sue Redfern, decided on the evidence of UltraEdge that there was no bat involved before the ball hit the back leg.Lancashire were 102 for 3 at the time, needing another 81 from 49 balls, but saw their challenge evaporate after Livingstone’s departure as the last seven wickets went down for 57 runs.Related

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• Kohler-Cadmore 81 sees Somerset past Lancashire in first semi-final

In a statement posted on X, Lancashire said: “Following on from Finals Day, @lancscricket has formally expressed its disappointment to the ECB regarding the decision that led to the dismissal of Liam Livingstone. The Lancashire allrounder was given out lbw for 29, following a review by the TV umpire.”While the club remains deeply frustrated and disappointed with the decision, @lancscricket is equally clear that it does not condone the misogynistic comments that have appeared across social media in response. Such behaviour is unacceptable, does not reflect the values of our club or the wider Red Rose family, and has no place in the game.”Lancashire had already expressed their frustrations ahead of Finals Day, as they were forced to contest the semi-final without the services of six first-choice players. Jos Buttler, Phil Salt, Saqib Mahmood and Luke Wood were all unavailable while on England duty, while Chris Green had departed for the CPL and Ashton Turner was recalled by Western Australia.Keaton Jennings called the scheduling “ludicrous”, with Lancashire giving a T20 debut to spinner Arav Shetty against Somerset, while allrounder George Balderson was also playing his first game of the season.

Newcastle United’s PIF bosses are backing Eddie Howe to find solutions to the current hole they have slipped into. It is important that this point is emphasised, with noise levels rising regarding the manager’s future.

Yes, Newcastle are 14th in the Premier League, and their away form has gone beyond merely concerning. But the Magpies are also into the last eight of the Carabao Cup, and have made a confident start to their Champions League campaign too.

However, there is an expectation that Howe will make the necessary adjustments to bring United back into contention at the top of the table.

Newcastle’s Form in 25/26 (all comps)

Home

Stat

Away

10

Games

7

7

Wins

1

0

Draws

3

3

Losses

3

20

Goals scored

7

9

Goals conceded

8

2.1

PPG

1.16

There is also an acceptance that a difficult summer transfer window and the bitter sale of Alexander Isak to Liverpool have knocked things out of kilter. Luckily, Nick Woltemade has been a shining light, and he proved his skill once again this week for Germany.

Nick Woltemade's start to the season

Since joining Newcastle from Stuttgart for a club-record £69m fee at the end of August, Woltemade has posted six goals for the Toon, quickly bedding in on English soil and proving he has what it takes to succeed Isak in the long run.

Moreover, he has scored three times in his past two outings for Germany, scoring a brace as his side sank Luxembourg in their World Cup qualifier on Friday evening.

Newcastle have their issues this season, but it’s curious that the 23-year-old has made it so his integration in Isak’s still-warm seat has not been one of them.

The 6 foot 6 striker’s unique skillset has seen him dovetail right into a system that has yet to click together, and when wide players like Anthony Gordon and Anthony Elanga find form, Howe could pull the strings of a frontline capable of throwing down with any defence across Europe.

Of course, football is about more than just the forwards, and there’s another Tyneside star whose performances this season have established him as one of the best in the business.

He’s even worth more than Woltemade.

The Newcastle star worth even more than Woltemade

Newcastle have many fine players contracted to St. James’ Park, but Sandro Tonali is fast emerging as the cream of the crop.

After joining from AC Milan for around £55m in 2023, the 25-year-old faced difficulties, but he rebounded last year and redefined Howe’s midfield, instrumental in a long and brilliant purple patch that led to glory.

Now, he is “the best player by a distance”, according to correspondent Craig Hope, and while Newcastle have some issues in the build-up, Tonali is becoming the defining force alongside Bruno Guimaraes.

Largely, this is because the Italian has become far more progressive on the ball, ranking this season among the top 5% of Premier League midfielders for progressive passes per 90, as per FBref.

And he is beginning to revel in a new level of recognition, with pundits and observers from afar coming to understand that Tonali is one of the best in the business.

His market value is a reflection of that. Woltemade might be the talk of the town, and in many ways, rightly so, but Tonali cut from a different cloth. He’s a maestro, endowed with impressive athleticism and unteachable technical skill.

There is talk of him falling into the same financial bracket as someone like Guimaraes, over the £100m mark, and this is indeed an accurate emphasis on the calibre of superstar at Howe’s disposal.

Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher said that Newcastle had “made a mistake” when signing the midfielder, given his suspension throughout his first year in England, but Tonali is now showing he’s one of the best Premier League signings of recent years, more so, even, than Woltemade.

Related The two Newcastle United stars who could be sold instead of Bruno and Isak

The Magpies are set to sell players this summer.

Posts ByHenry Jackson Feb 12, 2024

Birmingham City would like England's Lionesses to share their proposed new 'Powerhouse' stadium as the Blues continue their ambitious plans for the £1.2 billion ($1.57bn) new ground, which was officially announced in Thursday. The venue is hoped to be open by the 2030-31 season and could also host the Lionesses, who do not have a permanent home at present.

Lionesses could join Birmingham in £1.2bn new stadium

Reported by , Birmingham’s owners, Knighthead Capital, would like the Lionesses to become one of the long-term tenants of their state-of-the-art new arena. They aim for the stadium to be fully in use all year round, including not only hosting Blues’ home games, but a range of international sports, conferences and boxing fights.

Offering to become the new home of the Lionesses takes these ambitions to a new level, as to make Birmingham synonymous with the two-time European champions would go a long way to raising the profile of the new stadium and attracting a new fanbase to the city’s new 62,000-capacity ground.

Amidst aims to have the stadium opened in less than five years’ time – in time for the 2030-31 season – plans are coming together to see the club’s dream home become a reality in the not-too-distant future.

Birmingham would like to speak to the FA regarding the potential ground-share with the Lionesses, who are not currently tied down to use of Wembley Stadium as are their male counterparts. Sarina Wiegman’s side currently play at Wembley two to three times per year and spend the remainder of their domestic fixtures travelling around other stadiums up and down the country. 

Their proposed use of Birmingham’s ‘Powerhouse’ stadium would put an end to this and see the Euro 2025 winners have a new permanent home.

AdvertisementBirmingham City'Fantastic opportunity' – Blues chief speaks on proposed Lionesses share

A senior figure at Birmingham City said of the proposition: "The Lionesses do not have a permanent, or even semi-permanent, home to call their own.

"We believe we are ideally situated to host them.

"It’s less than an hour’s drive from St George’s Park and, once HS2 is operational, we estimate that around 80 per cent of the country will be able to access Birmingham within two hours.

"The Powerhouse presents a fantastic opportunity to showcase the Lionesses in a home they can call theirs which will be accessible to a huge number of people."

Birmingham aim to convince FA ahead of submitting final plans

Birmingham have reportedly told the FA that they will alter their plans for the build to incorporate the Lionesses if they agree to their idea to share the stadium. The current document outlining the plans for the development is currently more than 500 pages long, which reflects the extensive planning which the ambitious Championship club have put into their future home, which they hope will be hosting Premier League football by the time the stadium is fully functional.

The stadium will also offer ‘top-of-the-range corporate packages’ as part of the deal, with the final plans set to be tabled in front of Birmingham City council once a decision has been reached.

With the stadium set to be ‘comfortably the biggest’ within an 80-mile radius of the city, the use of HS2 could also prove influential in the FA’s decision thanks to its ability to attract fans from across the nation with a much-reduced travel time.

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Getty/GOALWagner speaks of 'huge milestone'

Chairman and co-owner Tom Wagner told the club’s website of his excitement for the ambitious plans: "This is a huge milestone for Birmingham City Football Club, creating a home for the club that reflects our ambition to compete at the highest level. More than that, the iconic design is a statement of intent for the City of Birmingham and the West Midlands, testament to a region that is on the rise. The stadium draws upon the proud heritage of the West Midlands – a heritage of industry, ingenuity and growth. I believe those same qualities can create a new era of success on and off the field and prosperity for local communities that have been starved of opportunities for too long."

Eddie Howe suggested Newcastle United have lost their bite after beating Athletic Bilbao in the Champions League this week, and there’s certainly a case that the Toon’s gritty bite has been dulled since the summer.

In many ways, this is only natural. The sale of Alexander Isak to Liverpool. Yoane Wissa’s injury before he could make his debut, a recovery process he is still going through. Only Nick Woltemade’s emphatic introduction to Tyneside has eased the attacking struggles that have spilt over to the flanks.

Newcastle are in the now, and there’s no question that this is something of a transitional period for a club still set on making incremental gains under Howe’s wing.

But the hurdles that have sprung up over the past few months will be overcome, with such exciting signings as Woltemade added to the ranks, St. James’ Park is well set for the future.

Newcastle's new superstars

If Isak’s departure has told us anything, it’s that Newcastle have the capacity to rally against a storm and emerge with their core intact.

Woltemade, 23, is one of the most talented strikers in the world, and while he’s scored six goals in black and white so far, the German has so much more to offer, and that’s an exciting thought.

Against Bilbao, Dan Burn and Kieran Trippier showed off their culture and class down the flanks, but these are hardened veterans of the game, and in Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall, who impressed off the bench, the Tynesiders have a duo to be reckoned with for years to come.

So much quality, but the older average age of this group of players, starting in the Premier League, does emphasise the need for greater promotion of younger talents at the club.

Howe understands the need for a blend, though, but someone like Sandro Tonali is really stepping up and proving he can be an all-inspiring leader for the club. The Italian is 25, and he is “the best midfielder in the Premier League”, according to division great Paul Scholes.

This is all to say that Newcastle have hit the jackpot more often than not in the transfer market since that fateful PIF takeover, and it is for this reason they will continue to fight against the big six hegemony in the Premier League while pressing for European glory each and every year.

There’s another man we haven’t yet mentioned, and who perhaps deserves a big handful of praise. After all, this shrewd summer signing has been described as Newcastle’s future.

The Newcastle signing who is the future of the club

Newcastle have completed a wave of business in recent years, and while it is the attacking additions who often take the spotlight, we must pay credit to Malick Thiaw’s stunning start to life in England’s north east.

The German centre-half was signed from AC Milan in August for a fee just shy of £35m. It helped push United forward during a difficult summer transfer window, and he has repaid the faith over the past few months.

Howe eased the 24-year-old into the Premier League, benching him four times in a row to start things off, but he has since started the outfit’s past nine fixtures across the top flight and the Champions League, thriving alongside Sven Botman or Fabian Schar and perhaps even outshining the pair of them.

He has even been described as “the future of this club” by Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes, and if that doesn’t make a conclusive comment on the skillset Howe has added to his ranks, what will?

His success rate in the duel is absurdly high, especially having just stepped into the English game. What’s more, Thiaw is a confident distributor and he boasts awareness and intelligence to rival the mightiest defenders across England the the wider European scene.

As per data-led platform FBref, Thiaw ranks among the top 11% of central defenders across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for pass completion and the top 13% for progressive passes per 90, illustrating his quality on the ball.

Given that Howe enforces a system rooted in transitional fluency, Thiaw’s presence will only enrich the tactical flow. He has, after all, been hailed as an “absolute steal” of a signing by one Magpies content creator, who went on to marvel at his “Saliba-esque” qualities.

To think that Newcastle are only just beginning to enjoy the fruits of this signing is to understand the calibre of player still yet to develop and grow at St. James’ Park.

Thiaw is a sensational defender, and he will form the bedrock of Howe’s Newcastle for many years to come, perhaps even establishing himself as one of the continent’s finest down the line and leading the side to even more illustrious heights than have been reached over the past four years.

Woltemade and Tonali are sensational players, and will define Newcastle’s central and offensive thirds throughout this new chapter, but Thiaw is on a level with such stars, and he is very much shining.

Newcastle have "one of the best teen prospects" & he can surpass Woltemade

Newcastle’s youthful underbelly is as talented as it’s ever been right now.

By
Angus Sinclair

Nov 8, 2025

The Miami Marlins were able to beat the Toronto Blue Jays, 5-3, on Sunday to avoid being swept at home. After the game the pitcher who closed it out, Tyler Phillips, gave one of the most intense interviews you'll ever see that left the team's sideline reporter a bit scared.

Phillips pitched a perfect ninth inning for the Marlins while not allowing a ball to leave the infield. A groundout to first, a grounder back to the pitcher and a popup to second sealed the deal and gave the Marlins their 61st win of the season.

Stephen Strom, who works for the Marlins radio broadcast, was the reporter who got to talk to Phillips right after his outing and this was easily one of the best interviews you'll ever see.

Some highlights:

Strom: "Tyler you threw 32 pitches yesterday. When did you know you were going in tonight?"

Phillips: "When they called down."

Strom: "And you were ready to go?"

Phillips: "They call down, I’m pissed off. I’m ready to go."

Strom: "Why do you get so pissed off?"

Phillips: "I don’t like hitters."

Strom: "How did you get through that ninth?"

Phillips: "Throw the ball over the plate."

Strom: "How long does it take you to cool down after a win?"

Phillips: "I never cool down."

Strom, on Phillips slapping himself while making his entrance: "And the slapping. What was the level of slapping when you came on?"

Phillips: "Pretty hard. My face is hot."

Strom: "Great win, you’re scaring me. Go to the clubhouse. Thank you very much."

Here's that interview:

Here's Phillips slapping himself while entering the game:

You gotta love baseball. And, if you're Phillips, hate hitters.

كشف الإعلامي أحمد شوبير حقيقة ما تردد خلال الساعات الماضية بشأن اقتراب رحيل لاعب الأهلي محمد مجدي أفشة.

وقال شوبير في تصريحاته الإذاعية صباح اليوم الأربعاء: “الحديث عن أن محمد مجدي أفشة تلقّى عرضًا غير صحيح إطلاقًا؛ فاللاعب ما زال موجودًا داخل النادي، ولم يطلب الجهاز الفني رحيله، ولم يحدث أي شيء من هذا الكلام”.

طالع أيضًا | أولمبي الشلف الجزائري يوضح لـ”بطولات” حقيقة عرض الأهلي لضم أشرف عبادة

وأضاف: “على العكس، فإن ييس توروب يحتاج وجود أفشة معه، وما زال يراقب اللاعبين ويقيّمهم، صحيح أنه لم يشارك في الفترة الماضية، لكنه دائمًا يؤكد أن لأفشة دورًا مهمًا مع الأهلي”.

واختتم شوبير حديثه قائلًا: “لا توجد أي عروض وصلت لأفشة، ولا أفشة نفسه طلب الرحيل، ولا النادي الأهلي يفكر في رحيله”.

ومن المقرر أن يلعب الأهلي مباراته القادمة في بطولة كأس الرابطة المصرية ضد إنبي في الجولة الأولي من مرحلة المجموعات، وذلك يوم الخميس الموافق 11 ديسمبر المُقبل.

The New York Yankees were able to power their way past the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday night and one of their best moments didn't come from any of their players, but rather from one of their fans in stands.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, Cardinals third baseman Nolan Gorman hammered a home run that landed in the crowd behind the right field wall. A Yankees fan was able to come up with the ball, and then he was told by a fellow Yankees fan that a young Cardinals fan sitting a few rows in front of them was celebrating his 10th birthday.

The Yankees fan then immediately gave up the ball to the young fan, giving him a birthday that he'll never forget.

Here's that awesome moment:

You gotta love baseball. And you also have to love that Yankees fan who went out of his way to do something pretty sweet for a fan of the other team.

Pakistan batter Sidra Amin has been reprimanded for breaching the ICC’s code of conduct during the match against India at the Women’s World Cup in Colombo on Sunday.A statement from the ICC said that Amin breached Article 2.2, which relates to “abuse of cricket equipment or clothing, ground equipment or fixtures and fittings during an International Match.” It was her first offence in a 24-month period and she was given one demerit point for a Level 1 breach.The incident occurred when Amin forcefully hit her bat onto the pitch after being dismissed in the 40th over. She admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by match referee Shandre Fritz, so no formal hearing was needed.Related

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On-field umpires Lauren Agenbag and Nimali Perera, third umpire Kerrin Klaaste and fourth umpire Kim Cotton levelled the charge. Level 1 offences carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand, a maximum penalty of 50% of a player’s match fee, and one or two demerit points.Pakistan lost the match against India after they were bowled out for 159, chasing 248. Amin top-scored for Pakistan with 81 off 106 balls but it wasn’t enough. Pakistan have now lost their first two games at this World Cup and face Australia next, on Wednesday.

The opening batter from New Zealand lit up the opening day of the tournament in the USA

Sampath Bandarupalli13-Jun-202519 – Sixes Finn Allen smashed during his 151-run knock for San Francisco Unicorns against Washington Freedom in the opening game of MLC 2025. He broke the record for most sixes hit in a T20 match, bettering the joint-record previously held by Chris Gayle (vs Dhaka Dynamites in 2017) and Sahil Chauhan (vs Cyprus in 2024), who hit 18 sixes each.49 – Balls Allen took to complete his 150 in Oakland. It is now the fastest 150 in T20s, bettering the record held by Dewald Brevis, who got to his 150 off 52 balls when he scored 162 against Knights in 2022 in South Africa’s domestic T20s.134 – Runs Allen scored off boundaries, including the 114 coming through the 19 sixes he hit. Only three men have scored more runs through boundaries in a T20 innings than Allen.28 – Total sixes by Unicorns in their innings, the second-most by any team in a T20 match, behind the 37 by Baroda against Sikkim last December in India’s domestic T20s. The Unicorns batters hit at least one six in 16 of the 20 overs in their innings.ESPNcricinfo Ltd151 – Allen’s score against Freedom is now the highest individual score in MLC. The previous highest was 137* by Nicholas Pooran against Seattle Orcas in the 2023 final before the league acquired T20 status.34 – Balls Allen needed to bring up his hundred, the second-fastest in a T20 franchise league, behind Gayle’s 30-ball effort against Pune Warriors in IPL 2013. The previous fastest hundred in MLC came off 40 balls by Pooran in the 2023 final (before the T20 status).269 for 5 – Unicorns’ total against Freedom is by far the highest in MLC. They also became the first team to breach the 250-run mark in a T20 match in the USA, as the previous highest was 245 for 6 by West Indies against India in 2016 in Lauderhill.

Seven seamers included in Lions group to shadow England during first two Ashes Tests

Matt Roller30-Sep-2025England will bring Rehan Ahmed, Jordan Cox, and seven fast bowlers to Australia this winter as part of an 18-man Lions squad. Andrew Flintoff’s team will shadow England’s main touring party for the first two Ashes Tests, providing a stable of potential reinforcements at close quarters.The Lions will provide England with their only competitive match practice ahead of November’s first Test in Perth and will then face a Cricket Australia XI (also in Perth) and Australia A (in Brisbane) alongside the first and second Tests. They are also expected to provide the bulk of the England XI to face the Prime Minister’s XI in a pink-ball tour match.Rehan and Cox were both overlooked for the main Ashes squad but will both be on standby at the start of the tour in the event of injury. Will Jacks was preferred to Rehan as the back-up spinner, while Cox’s omission came after England opted against taking a second specialist wicketkeeper, reasoning that Ollie Pope can take the gloves from Jamie Smith if required.Related

• Brook named as Ashes vice-captain as Jacks wins recall

• Wildcard Jacks pick for Ashes is England's latest Bazball call

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Cox, who also features in England’s T20I squad to play New Zealand in October is expected to miss the final Lions match in order to play in the ILT20 after signing a lucrative replacement deal at Dubai Capitals.Raw seamers Sonny Baker, Josh Hull, Eddie Jack and Mitchell Stanley have all featured regularly in the Lions programme before, while Matthew Fisher – who won his only Test cap three years ago – is rewarded for his strong finish to the County Championship season with Surrey. Fisher’s county team-mate Tom Lawes and Nathan Gilchrist, who is joining Warwickshire from Kent, complete a seven-man pace battery.Thomas Rew, the England Under-19s captain, is one of four new Lions call-ups after impressing for Somerset in the Metro Bank Cup this summer and is named alongside his older brother James. Yorkshire’s Matthew Revis and Glamorgan’s Ben Kellaway and Asa Tribe – who has five ODI and 26 T20I caps for Jersey – are the other new names.Sussex’s James Coles is a notable absentee, but is understood to be prioritising short-form cricket this winter after encouragement from the ECB; he has a contract at the SA20 in early 2026, and is also hoping to line up deals in the Abu Dhabi T10 and the ILT20. Saif Zaib, the leading Championship run-scorer this season, is another curious omission.Sam Cook, who struggled in his maiden Test against Zimbabwe earlier this summer, has also missed out on the Lions tour with England already aware of what he offers them as a medium-fast new-ball option. He could yet come into contention as an injury replacement in the event one of their six Ashes seamers goes down.”There are some unbelievably talented players in this squad, and this is a fantastic opportunity for them to go to Australia, excel in the conditions, and thrive against quality players,” Flintoff said. “At the same time, these players will get a sense of what an away Ashes series is all about.”Meanwhile, Rehan’s youngest brother Farhan Ahmed will captain England’s Under-19s on their tour to the Caribbean in November, following Rew’s Lions call-up. They are due to play seven ODIs – two against USA, five against West Indies – as part of their preparation for the Under-19 World Cup in Namibia and Zimbabwe early next year.”Farhan has been exceptional whenever he has been with the U19s squad and he deservedly gets the opportunity to captain the team for this tour and show his leadership qualities,” Michael Yardy, their head coach, said. “These will be important matches as we begin to fine-tune our plans for the U19s World Cup early next year.”

England Lions in Australia

Squad: Rehan Ahmed, Sonny Baker, Jordan Cox, Matthew Fisher, Emilio Gay, Nathan Gilchrist, Tom Hartley, Tom Haines, Josh Hull, Eddie Jack, Ben Kellaway, Tom Lawes, Ben McKinney, Matthew Revis, James Rew, Tom Rew, Mitchell Stanley, Asa TribeFixtures:
November 13-15: England vs England Lions (Lilac Hill, Perth)
November 21-24: Cricket Australia XI vs England Lions (Lilac Hill, Perth)
November 29-30: Prime Minister’s XI vs England XI (Manuka Oval, Canberra)
December 5-8: Australia A vs England Lions (Allan Border Field, Brisbane)

England Under-19s in West Indies

Squad: Farhan Ahmed (capt), Ralphie Albert, Will Bennison, Ben Dawkins, Caleb Falconer, Jamie Feldman, Matthew Firbank, Alex French, Alex Green, Manny Lumsden, Ben Mayes, James Minto, Isaac Mohammad, Sebastian Morgan, Joe Moores, Jack Nelson, Charlie TaylorFixtures:
November 13 and 19 – Youth ODIs vs United States (both St Vincent)
November 16, 22, 25, 28 and December 1 – Youth ODIs vs West Indies (all St Vincent)