Du Plessis made 91 before retiring out while Milne’s five-wicket haul skittled Orcas for 137 in chase of 189

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Jul-2025

Texas Super Kings produced a dominant all-round performance to crush Seattle Orcas by 51 runs and finish, for now, at the top of the table. With 14 points, Super Kings have a superior net run-rate than San Francisco Unicorns and Washington Freedom, who are placed second and third respectively but have a game to play in the group stage.After being put in to bat, Super Kings were powered by a sensational 91 off 52 balls from captain Faf du Plessis, who retired out in the penultimate over of the innings. His innings included six fours and four sixes. Du Plessis was well supported by Shubham Ranjane, who smashed 65 off 38 balls as the pair stitched together a 131-run stand off just 71 balls that laid the foundation for Super Kings’ imposing total of 188 for 4.Orcas’ bowlers had no answers once du Plessis and Ranjane got going, struggling to contain the run flow or break the partnership. Orcas did manage to take a couple of late wickets, but the damage was already done.In the chase, Adam Milne led the charge with the ball, producing a spell that tore through Orcas’ top and middle order. The fast bowler finished with 5 for 20, including a three-wicket 18th over.Orcas made a sluggish start and were always behind the game after racing to 42 for 2 in the powerplay. Kyle Mayers top-scored with 35. But David Warner struggled to find any rhythm, while Shayan Jahangir fell for a duck. Shimron Hetmyer showed some intent, but with the required rate climbing rapidly and little support from the other end, the odds were heavily against him. His solo effort of a quick-fire 26 couldn’t rescue the innings in their must-win clash. By the time Sikandar Raza walked in, the game had already slipped away with Orcas needing 98 runs off 47 balls. His impact came far too late.Only three batters managed to pass 20 as Orcas were bundled out for 137 in 18.4 overs.With a seventh loss in ten games, Orcas slipped to fifth with six points. Super Kings have to wait till tomorrow to see if they can hold on to the top-two position.

When you're watching a baseball game on TV, chances are you want to see what's happening in said baseball game. That sounds simple enough and should be a guarantee every time you flip on a game, but fans learned during a pivotal moment of Wednesday's Mets-Brewers playoff series that it stunningly isn't always a guarantee.

In case you missed it, the Mets came up in the ninth inning down by two runs. Jose Iglesias led off the inning while New York fans sat on the edge of their seats, hoping to see their team mount a dramatic comeback.

That's when ESPN decided to show an in-game interview with Milwaukee's Garrett Mitchell instead of sticking with the action on the field. They cut back in time to see Iglesias fly out to right field but the broadcast missed the pitch being thrown. In the ninth inning of a playoff game. With so much on the line.

This was just so bad:

Fans were rightfully furious:

The Brewers held on for the 5-3 win to force a Game 3. Hopefully ESPN learns from that mistake.

The beauty of sports—especially sports played in big cities with multiple professional teams—is that fanbases of teams across different leagues come together to embrace big moments when one team is on a special run. Such an instance occurred during Game 1 of the World Series, the ending of which coincided with the Phoenix Suns' game against the Los Angeles Lakers at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

Dodger Stadium and the city of Los Angeles were positively buzzing Friday night after star first baseman Freddie Freeman belted a walk-off grand slam to power the Los Angeles Dodgers to victory. And the energy and enthusiasm spread into the Crypto.com Arena, where replays on the video scoreboard showed Freeman's dramatic walk-off.

The arena erupted into cheers.

But it wasn't just the fans who were tuned into the incredible moment. Television cameras caught Suns guard Bradley Beal's amusing reaction to Freeman's grand slam.

That face expression is priceless. Beal was one of several players who found themselves lost in the World Series moment, despite the fact that they were in the middle of a game themselves.

"That s–t was crazy," Lakers star forward Anthony Davis told reporters when asked about Freeman's walk-off. "I was actually like checked-out for a second and looked up. (Forward) LeBron (James) was just listening, the way the ball sounded when he hit it, it was… yeah."

Davis added a "Go Dodgers" for good measure.

Meanwhile, it didn't take long for Lakers' first-year coach JJ Redick, whose team started slow out of the gate Friday night, to figure out why the fans at Crypto.com Arena were cheering.

"With my deductive reasoning, I figured it was only one thing," Redick deadpanned. "That the Dodgers won."

Friday night was a good night overall for Los Angeles sports. The Dodgers took Game 1 and the Lakers stormed back from a 22-point deficit to defeat the Suns.

Celtic have now reportedly scheduled an interview with a former player who dreams of becoming their next manager, as Dermot Desmond continues his search for a Brendan Rodgers replacement.

The Hoops have been on the hunt for their next manager since Rodgers made the unexpected decision to leave the club last month. Names such as Ange Postecoglou, Kieran McKenna and Nicky Hayen have all been mentioned as candidates, but those in Glasgow remain without a permanent manager.

In the meantime, however, Martin O’Neill has continued to do an excellent job as interim to spark rumours that he could yet land the job until at least the end of the season. The 73-year-old rolled back the years last weekend to defeat Rangers in the Scottish League Cup semi-final, but remained coy when asked about a full-time position in the hot-seat.

Given that Postecoglou has already stepped away from the race in an attempt to take a break from football and McKenna has also reiterated his loyalty for Ipswich Town, O’Neill wouldn’t be a bad choice.

Celtic can’t afford to get their next permanent appointment wrong and hiring such an experienced manager until the end of the season would at least buy them some time to get things right.

Celtic podcaster Paul John Dykes shared that stance in recent praise for O’Neill – saying: “It was a shock when Martin O’Neill came back into the fold. You thought to yourself – his legacy was 20-odd years ago.

Celtic manager twist on Martin O'Neill after Desmond relationship revealed

The pair’s relationship is seen as crucial.

ByCharlie Smith Nov 6, 2025

“But he’s got the tracksuit on and I think, for as long as these results continue, more and more fans are getting right into this. It seems to me we are in safe hands at the moment, so let’s not rush any decisions.”

Whilst in those safe hands, Parkhead chiefs have reportedly had the chance to schedule an interview with an ex-player who dreams of taking the job.

Celtic schedule interview with Efrain Juarez

As reported by the Scottish Sun, Celtic have now scheduled an interview with Efrain Juarez over Zoom. The new managerial candidate played for the Hoops from 2010 to 2012 and is now in charge of UNAM Pumas in his home country of Mexico.

Previously the assistant manager at New York City and Standard Liege before taking permanent roles at Atletico Nacional and Pumas, Juarez’s managerial experience isn’t exactly extensive. He does, however, dream of taking the job at Parkhead.

Operating in a 4-2-3-1 system, Juarez wouldn’t be introducing something entirely new at Celtic if he took over from O’Neill, who also prefers that attacking formation.

What should concern the Bhoys is the 37-year-old’s lack of experience. They are at a crucial stage and may not be willing to take such a gamble on a young, upcoming manager such as Juarez.

Batter rewarded for impressive form for Oval Invincibles, en route to their third Men’s Hundred title

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Sep-2025Jordan Cox has been rewarded for his Player-of-the-Tournament display in the Men’s Hundred with a belated call-up to England’s T20I squad to face Ireland later this month.Cox, 24, topped the Hundred averages with 367 runs at 61.16, and a strike-rate of 173.93, as Oval Invincibles lifted the trophy for the third consecutive season with an emphatic 26-run victory over Trent Rockets in the final at Lord’s on Sunday.Cox himself made 40 from 28 balls in the final, after which he said he would continue to “bang the England door down”, after a series of luckless near-misses in recent months, including a broken thumb sustained on the eve of his designated Test debut in New Zealand, and a side strain sustained while making a century for Essex earlier this summer.He has previously played two T20Is, making scores of 17 and 0 against Australia in September 2024, as well as three ODIs on the subsequent tour of West Indies in October and November.His recall comes as part of a second-string England squad, captained by Jacob Bethell, that is due to play three T20Is in Dublin on September 17, 19 and 21. The original 14-man squad had been notably light on specialist batting, with the likelihood that a bowling allrounder – Liam Dawson, Rehan Ahmed or Jamie Overton – would be carded to come in at No.6.The news comes just 24 hours after England’s 50-over squad were bowled out for 131 in 24.3 overs at Headingley, to slump to a humiliating seven-wicket loss to South Africa in the first ODI.

Chelsea legend Pat Nevin has lauded Moises Caicedo's performances, going as far as to call the 24-year-old a "genius defensively". The pundit said the Ecuadorian could be a transfer target for Real Madrid going forward, however, given his performances and the lofty £115m sum the Blues paid for his services in 2023, a future deal for the player would be difficult to execute.

Caicedo will interest Real Madrid

Nevin was running the rule over Chelsea's season so far in an interview with Casino Hawks. He spoke glowingly about the Ecuadorian, suggesting he could play in any team, including Xabi Alonso's side. 

However, the finances of any approach for Caicedo could prove prohibitive, says Nevin. While the midfielder has been a standout performer in 2025/26, the pundit still thinks even the biggest clubs might hesitate to part with the £200m Chelsea would likely demand. Caicedo joined the west London club from Brighton for a British record transfer fee of £115m in 2023, signing an eight-year contract with the Blues. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportNevin: Caicedo is an "absolute genius defensively"

Speaking about the midfielder, Nevin said: "Moises Caicedo is capable of playing in any team because he's more than a destructive player, he's an absolute genius defensively. Yes, he would interest Real Madrid, but I can't see the numbers working. I’m struggling to see the numbers working.

"Because if he's bought for £100m, or £115m depending on what you hear about the add-ons, etc., how much is he going to have to spend to get him to give Chelsea a viable profit that they don't feel as if they've lost one of their best, if not their best, player? 

You're talking 200 odd million. Unless you're a forward scoring 30, 40 goals a season, that market, I'm not sure about. Even though Enzo Fernandez and Caicedo were both bought for over 100 million and I have to say, it shocked a lot of us, that amount of money spent in that position. But to go further than that, I don't know."

Caicedo's 2025/26 season so far

Caicedo has been one of the best midfielders in the Premier League in the 2025/26 season. He has completed 90.7% of his passes, according to Opta. Typically viewed as a destructive defensive presence, his output in the final third has improved this term, completing 81.7% of his passes in the attacking third this term. 

He is still just as ferocious in the tackle, making 3.2 tacklers per 90 minutes and winning close to 60% of his ground duels. 

The standout moment of his campaign came during the Blues 2-1 win over Liverpool last month. His thunderous strike had an xG of just 0.03. 

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AFPCaicedo a consistent performer in a baffling Chelsea side

Enzo Maresca's side has blown hot and cold throughout the 2025/26 season, yet they still find themselves sitting in third place in the Premier League table. While his teammates have struggled for consistency, Caicedo has been a stalwart in the middle of the park. If the Blues are to mount any serious attack on the title race this term, he will need to continue his rich vein of form. That will likely attract a cadre of suitors for his services, but as Nevin points out, his already lofty price tag following his record switch from Brighton could well see him stay in west London for the bulk of his prime. 

Caicedo and Chelsea's Premier League season continues with an away trip to Burnley following the international, before the Blues travel to Barcelona in the Champions League on November 25. 

Tottenham Hotspur returned to winning ways on Tuesday night when they secured an impressive 4-0 win over Copenhagen in the Champions League, after their defeat to Chelsea at the weekend.

Thomas Frank’s side put in, arguably, their best performance of the 2025/26 campaign as they created a whopping eight ‘big chances’ to find the back of the net.

That is the most ‘big chances’ the Lilywhites have created in a single game under the former Brentford head coach, per Sofascore, and they did so despite going down to ten men when Brennan Johnson was sent off.

Spurs are yet to find consistency in their creative play in the Premier League, though, as they rank 12th for ‘big chances’ created (17) and 15th for xG (10.1), per Sofascore and FBref.

Frank needs to find a way for his team to create chances in the way that they did against Copenhagen on a regular basis in the Premier League to improve those rankings.

The North London outfit rarely used to have a problem with creating chances when they had Danish playmaker Christian Eriksen in their side.

Why Spurs need their next Christian Eriksen

The Lilywhites need their next version of the Denmark international, who is currently at Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga, because he provided a consistent creative presence in the middle of the park.

Signed from Ajax in 2013, Eriksen hit double figures for assists in four of his seven Premier League campaigns with Spurs, per Transfermarkt, which speaks to his consistency in the final third.

The right-footed playmaker produced 69 goals and 88 assists in 305 matches for the club in total before his departure in the summer of 2020. He offered a goalscoring threat to go along with his impressive creativity.

The former Manchester United central midfielder is, undoubtedly, one of the most creative players to have worn a Spurs shirt in the Premier League era.

Only Heung-min Son (71) has assisted more Premier League goals for Tottenham than Eriksen (63), but he played 107 more matches to assist eight more goals, per Transfermarkt.

Eriksen’s eye for a pass and ability to execute all kinds of passes made him a constant threat with the ball at his feet and a joy to play with for any forward with intelligent movement, because they knew that he would be able to find them.

The Danish maestro had the quality to create high-quality chances on a regular basis, as evidenced by his impressive assist haul for the club, and that is what Spurs need in the Premier League in the present day.

Frank, though, does have a player within his Tottenham squad who has the potential to be Eriksen 2.0 for the Lilywhites this season, and beyond.

Chalkboard

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

Dutch attacking midfielder Xavi Simons put in an impressive performance against Copenhagen in the Champions League on Tuesday night, and showed that he does have the quality to be the club’s next Eriksen if he can add consistency to his performances.

Why Xavi Simons can be Tottenham's new Christian Eriksen

The Netherlands international created three ‘big chances’ in the first half of the 4-0 win, the most by any Spurs player in a Champions League match for the best part of a decade.

Per Sofascore, the former RB Leipzig star ended the night with four key passes, three ‘big chances’ created, and one assist in 61 minutes of action, before he was withdrawn after Brennan Johnson’s red card.

The Dutchman registered his assist by playing a brilliant through ball for Johnson to race onto and slot into an empty net after dribbling past the goalkeeper.

After the win over Copenhagen, Spurs writer and content creator Mitch Fretton claimed that Xavi is “going to be an elite player for Tottenham”, and it is hard to disagree with that assessment, despite his rocky start in the Premier League.

The £52m signing from RB Leipzig has yet to set the world alight since his move from Germany, as he has produced no goals and one assist in the top-flight so far.

As you can see in the table above, Xavi has yet to provide consistent quality in the final third in the Premier League, but his performance against Copenhagen was a glimpse at what he can produce at his best.

The 22-year-old star assisted 11 goals in 48 matches for PSV and racked up 24 assists in 78 appearances for RB Leipzig, per Transfermarkt, which shows that he has provided consistent quality as a creator for his previous clubs.

Xavi also scored 22 goals each for PSV and RB Leipzig in that time, before his move to Spurs, and can offer a threat as a scorer as well as being a creator when he is on form.

Frank will now be hoping that his brilliant creative display against Copenhagen will allow him to kick on and make an impact in the final third on a consistent basis.

As good as Simons: 8/10 star had his "best performance in a Spurs shirt"

Spurs put in their best display under Thomas Frank yet against Copenhagen in the Champions League.

By
Dan Emery

Nov 5, 2025

If the Dutch playmaker can replicate the level of consistency he showed at PSV and Leipzig, Spurs could unlock their next version of Eriksen in the middle of the park.

Danni Wyatt-Hodge fifty sets hosts up for success

ECB Media10-Aug-2025

Southern Brave made it two from two in this year’s competition, as Sophie Devine starred in a 15-run victory over Birmingham Phoenix in front of a record crowd at Utilita Bowl.A crowd of 11,167 turned out in the Hampshire sunshine to see the home side prevail in a game which see-sawed throughout but was ultimately decided by the regular wickets Brave took throughout the Phoenix run chase.Both teams came into today’s game off the back of strong opening wins, with Phoenix winning the toss and opting to field. Danni Wyatt-Hodge’s 59 from 39 balls was the foundation for the Brave’s total of 139, ably supported by Laura Wolvaardt (28) and Devine (27).After a good start from Brave, Phoenix came back into the first innings, restraining the home side in the last 25 balls. At one stage, a big score was on the cards but, led by Megan Schutt (2 for 23 from 20 balls) and then Em Arlott (2 for 19 from 20 balls) at the death, Brave faltered to 139 with only 19 coming from the last 15 balls.Southern Brave took the early wickers of Emma Lamb and Georgia Voll, both of whom had done well in the Phoenix’s first game. Ellyse Perry and Amy Jones then steadied the ship and looked comfortable in their efforts to knock off the total.When Jones was out for 20, Sterre Kalis took over the charge to the finish, with Phoenix needing 45 from the final 30 balls. However, when Perry was caught well in the deep by Mady Villiers for 26 from 21 balls, Kalis accelerated but ultimately ran out of support, and Phoenix were bowled out with two balls to spare, 15 short.The Brave bowling performance was headlined by Lauren Bell taking 3 for 17 from 19 balls, with Devine’s 2 for 28 and Tilly Corteen-Coleman’s 2 for 16 also doing damage.With her 27 runs, two wickets and a run out, Devine, the Meerkat Match Hero said: “I’m really pleased about the result. Danni (Wyatt-Hodge) was outstanding. The way she set up the game, it was trickier than she made it look. It was a great game for us and nice to do it in front of the home crowd.”It is always nice to perform against teams you have previously played for. Every game is on the line and you have to be good. We have to keep sharp and keep learning. I have not played a lot of cricket over the last few months and was probably swinging like a rusty gate. I’ve played enough cricket to know that it will come. When you have someone like her (Wyatt-Hodge), it makes easier. If I can contribute in any way, that is what I am here for.”

Top-of-the-table Southern Brave continued their unbeaten start to this year’s women’s competition in the Hundred and guaranteed themselves a top-three finish with a nervy penultimate-ball victory over a spirited Welsh Fire.Needing six runs from the final five, Mady Villiers was run out coming back for two from the first delivery of the set before Georgia Adams was almost brilliantly caught in the deep as she and Rhianna Southby scampered back for two and got Brave over the line with a ball to spare.Put into bat, Welsh Fire lost the big wicket of Hayley Matthews early, lbw to Sophie Devine for a first-ball duck.Sophia Dunkley looked to be continuing her form from The Kia Oval on Saturday, starting brightly and hitting four commanding boundaries.Brave made another important strike when Lauren Bell had Tammy Beaumont (7) brilliantly caught by Maia Bouchier at mid-on as the Fire reached 32 for 2 at the end of the powerplay.The impressive Tilly Corteen-Coleman returned to the attack to see the back of Dunkley (31), the spinner inducing a false cut shot to have the England batter caught behind by Southby.Georgia Elwiss reached a run-a-ball 36 not out as the Fire closed their innings on 111 for 6. Bell changed her pace and length expertly to finish with figures of 2 for 21.Bouchier and Danni Wyatt-Hodge played positively and untroubled, taking the score to 32 without loss after the powerplay and reducing the runs required to just 80.Fire then struck back to stay in the game. Wyatt-Hodge (18) was caught fantastically by Jess Jonassen at mid-off off Georgia Davis and Jonassen then came into the attack and removed Bouchier (35) and Laura Wolvaardt (3).Devine countered with a huge slog-swept six off Davis to relieve some pressure and Freya Kemp then deposited Freya Davies into the stands to take Brave closer to their target, but Kemp (17) fell soon after, caught by Shabnim Ismail at long-off off Jonassen.Chloe Tryon then went for a duck as Jonassen finished with exceptional figures of 4 for 10 before Devine (25) skied Matthews to Davies to leave her side needing 10 from the last 10 and then six from the final five.Meerkat Match Hero Devine said: “Credit has to go to the Welsh Fire there. We were probably cruising at the halfway stage and the way that they were able to fight back and take it to the last set, full credit to them.”It wasn’t our best day today, we’ll be the first ones to admit that. To get over the line is really pleasing and now we move forward.”I’m really pleased we were able to restrict them to what we did and finally get over the line there with the bat. We wanted to get ahead of the run rate and Dan and Bouch were outstanding and put the pressure back onto the Welsh Fire.”Then we probably got a little bit of the wobbles unfortunately but to be able to get over the line and people to keep their heads there at the end was really pleasing.”

MatériaMais Notícias

O Corinthians foi atropelado pelo Bahia e perdeu, em casa, pelo placar de 5 a 1, em jogo válido pela 35ª rodada do Brasileirão. No intervalo e após a partida, a torcida do Timão vaiou e entoou cantos de protesto contra a equipe, em protesto pelo péssimo desempenho em campo. Após a derrota, o técnico Mano Menezes concede entrevista coletiva na Neo Química Arena. Assista no vídeo acima:

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasFora de CampoRizek detona atuação do Corinthians contra o Bahia: ‘Desrespeito ao torcedor’Fora de Campo24/11/2023CorinthiansNa véspera da eleição, sede do Corinthians é alvo de tiros e pichaçõesCorinthians24/11/2023NotíciasSabia dessa? Corinthians não perde para o Bahia como mandante desde 2008Notícias24/11/2023

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