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The Yankees will live to play another playoff game thanks to some clutch and perfectly-timed heroics from none other than slugger Aaron Judge, who turned the tides of Tuesday night's elimination contest with a three-run homer that tied things up.

From that point on, the pinstripes came alive to not only take the lead but hold it all the way to the end of the night, finishing with a 9-6 victory sponsored by the momentum Judge injected into his dugout.

Speaking after the fact, manager Aaron Boone shared a meaningful explanation as to why he believes Judge can pull this type of performance out of the team.

"Who he is day in and day out, how he treats you. How he leads this group. He's the real deal," Boone said, asked what makes Aaron's energy so "contagious."

"As beloved a player as I've ever been around by his teammates. They all admire him, look up to him, respect him, want his approval. And that's just a credit to who Aaron is and how he goes about things."

Skill-wise, the competitive advantage of having a player like Judge on your team is hard to overstate. But, to Boone's point, it's obvious that his leadership and energy come in clutch, as well. Heck, even the Yankee Stadium ghosts are fans.

No. 99 might be infamous for his struggles to perform in the postseason, but he put those concerns on hold with Tuesday's win. Now, as New York looks to hold on come Wednesday night, we'll see if both his influence and play can do it again.

Searching for a much-needed centre-back, Liverpool are now reportedly prepared to take a key step towards their attempt to sign Nico Schlotterbeck from Borussia Dortmund.

Their chase to sign the Bundesliga defender comes as no surprise. Arne Slot was left with little choice but to play Andy Robertson centre-back in an attempt to rest both Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate against Crystal Palace. The season-ending injury to Giovanni Leoni left the Reds with just three senior centre-backs and only compiled their current misery.

Things could have been so different had they signed Marc Guehi, of course, but those at Anfield now face a battle to land his signature for free next summer. Missing out on the Crystal Palace star a year on from coming within hours of securing his arrival would be an undeniable blow.

Six defeats in seven games have exposed Liverpool’s defensive problems so soon after missing out on Guehi in the summer and they must find a solution in 2026.

What certainly doesn’t help is the contract situation of Ibrahima Konate. The Frenchman is yet to sign a new deal and is on course to leave Anfield as a free agent in the summer. Meanwhile, Virgil van Dijk will be into the final year of his deal at the same time – sparking a potential crisis for the Reds.

Preparations are seemingly underway for such a scenario, with names such as Dayot Upamecano recently mentioned as reported targets, but replacing both Konate and Van Dijk would almost be an impossible task.

One player who holds similar attributes to Van Dijk, however, is Schlotterbeck. The Dortmund defender has caught Liverpool’s eye and Michael Edwards is now ready to take a key step towards his signature.

Liverpool preparing to match Schlotterbeck demand

As reported by Bild in Germany and relayed by Sport Witness, Liverpool are now prepared to match Schlotterbeck’s wage demands.

Liverpool learn true price for Ezri Konsa as PSR forces Aston Villa's hand

The Reds desperately need another central defender.

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By
Tom Cunningham

Oct 30, 2025

The 25-year-old has reportedly rejected Dortmund’s €8m-a-year (£7m) contract offer and wants to earn in the region of €14m-a-year (£13m) instead, which would be up from his current €5m-a-year (£4m) deal.

That’s something that the German club are yet to match, but something that Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid are ready to hand the defender.

Money talks on the European stage and Liverpool will hope that proves true in the summer as Schlotterbeck continues to impress.

Whilst there will be concerns over Schlotterbeck’s struggles in the air, his passing range more than makes up for that. Completing seven progressive passes per-90 so far this season, the Dortmund star would solve Liverpool’s build-up problem almost instantly.

Described as “underrated” by analyst Ben Mattinson, Liverpool should go all out for Schlotterbeck in 2025. Not only is he good enough to replace Konate, but he could even become their Van Dijk heir in the coming years.

Why Arne Slot was left stunned in Liverpool press conference before Aston Villa

Well, given the circumstances, that was an exceptional result for Chelsea.

Sure, Enzo Maresca’s side would have gone out there looking for a win, but considering Arsenal are the Premier League leaders, a point is not bad and has kept them within touching distance.

Moreover, when Moises Caicedo got himself sent off in the first half, it felt like only a matter of when, not if, the Gunners would take the lead.

There were sensational displays across the pitch for the hosts, including one monster that saved the Ecuadorian international from becoming the talking point.

Chelsea's standout stars

One of Chelsea’s best players this evening, and all season for that matter, was Robert Sanchez.

Chalkboard

The Spanish shot-stopper has come in for some harsh criticism over recent years, but against the Gunners, he was superb.

On top of his passing generally being on point and his collection of crosses being efficient, he also made several top-quality stops, like the one from Gabriel Martinelli’s shot in the first half.

Another hugely important player for the Blues was captain fantastic, Reece James.

The Englishman once again started the game in the middle of the park and was, in the words of presenter Olivia Buzaglo, “gargantuan.”

In his 94 minutes of action, he provided an assist, played two key passes, won 100% of his tackles, won 11 of 12 duels, didn’t get dribbled past at all, recovered the ball twice, and completed 100% of his dribbles.

It was just the sort of performance the team needed from their captain after Caicedo was sent off in the first half.

However, there was another starter who was just as vital to the win, and truly saved the Ecuadorian’s blushes.

The Chelsea player who saved Caicedo

Once Caicedo was sent off, there was an expectation that Arsenal would eventually wrestle control back from Chelsea and stamp their authority over proceedings.

However, the Blues clearly had other ideas.

Just three minutes into the second 45, James delivered an incredible corner into the Gunners’ penalty area, and Trevoh Chalobah rose to meet it and head it home.

It was a well-worked set-piece and a brilliant header that seemed to shock the visitors and gave the Stamford Bridge faithful something to cheer about and take their minds off the red card.

However, while that was the most memorable moment of his game, Chalobah did far more than just score, as he was superb at the back and showed some great on-the-ball skill, coming out from the back on multiple occasions.

He unsurprisingly made quite the impression on the watching press as well, with the Standard’s Dom Smith awarding him an 8/10 match rating at full-time.

The 26-year-old’s statistics more than justify such a rating as well.

In his 94 minutes of hard-fought action, the academy graduate won 100% of his tackles, made six clearances, recovered the ball four times, won five of seven duels, didn’t get dribbled past, took 52 touches and won one foul.

It was another performance from the Englishman that proves he’s more than just a stopgap until the club splashes the cash on a new defender.

Or, as Gary Cahill said in an interview that came out a few hours before the game, he is “the most underappreciated player at Chelsea.”

Ultimately, they might not have won, but Chelsea put in a sensational performance to claim a point against Arsenal, and alongside the likes of Sanchez and James, Chalobah saved Caicedo from becoming the talking point.

Chelsea have already signed their own Saka & he's "just like Estevao"

Chelsea are building a team of young superstars, and they have their latest talent waiting in the wings.

By
Angus Sinclair

Nov 29, 2025

“We want to make everyone proud” – to understand why winning the World Cup matters so much to South Africa, read the stories of the players

Firdose Moonda19-Oct-2024Over the last 20 months, you would have heard South African sportspeople speak about their desire to play for something greater than themselves, and you would probably have believed them. They come from a country where social wounds are fresh and open, and where sport has, from the earliest days of democracy, provided a balm.In 1995, the Springboks won the rugby World Cup at home with Nelson Mandela as an ambassador. They have since gone on to lift the trophy three more times, most recently when they beat New Zealand in the final last year. In 1996, the national men’s football team won the African Cup of Nations, and last year the women did the same. South Africa’s cricketers have yet to do something similar. Since February last year, they have had three chances, two of them thanks to the women, and this time they aim to deliver.”We want to unite the country,” Chloe Tryon said at the pre-final press conference. “We wish the whole country was here with us. It would mean a lot to us. And we just want to play for everyone – our family, our friends, everyone that’s just sitting at different places watching and coming together and just supporting. We’re a very diverse, colourful nation. We just want to make them proud. We want to make everyone proud. And we just want to bring them all together. We’re hoping to fly that South African flag high.”Related

• 'The team needs a little bit more' – Dillon du Preez unsure about future with South Africa

• 'We are breaking barriers every day' – Bates proud to fly the flag against ageism

• Beyond the big three – doing it despite 'not having it like others'

• SA channel a champion mindset for another final

• Relentless Nonkululeko Mlaba is determined to be No. 1

To understand why it matters, meet the team that represents the self-titled Rainbow Nation and read their stories:Laura Wolvaardt could have been a medical doctor or a musician. Instead, she is leading South Africa at a T20 World Cup and is already their most decorated white-ball batter. Wolvaardt is the leading run-scorer in ODIs and T20Is for her team and achieved both after accepting the job as full-time captain. At first, she was concerned the leadership would affect her batting and she was right. Since taking over, she has upped her T20I average to 46.10 from 36.20, her ODI average to 68.21 from 49.38 and has scored a century in every format.Tazmin Brits would have represented South Africa by throwing the javelin at the 2012 Olympic Games but she was in a car accident that fractured her pelvis, burst her bladder, and could have ended her life. After she cheated death, she worked in a grocery store packing vegetables, and played cricket socially until the chance came to take it more seriously. But Brits could not afford to quit her day job and CSA had to step in to provide a stipend to “give her an opportunity to focus on cricket”, as CSA head of pathways Eddie Khoza put it. “She celebrates every moment and her passion for the game is something else.”Anneke Bosch made her international debut in 2016 but after two low scores, she had to wait three years to be considered for the T20I side and five to return to ODI cricket. In the interim, she found herself at what she described as a “crossroads”, when she considered quitting the game to focus on her career as a biokineticist. “Cricket looked like it wasn’t going anywhere and it wasn’t going to work out. I had almost decided to let cricket go,” she told ESPNcricinfo. She stuck at it, got re-selected, and found herself given the No. 3 spot for this tournament where scores of 18, 11 and 25 and a strike rate of 72.97 meant there were questions over her going into the semi-final. But in the most high-pressure of all situations, Bosch stood up to Australia and sent South Africa to a second final with an unbeaten 74 off 48 balls.Despite so many things going against her, Marizanne Kapp has become the champion allrounder she was destined to be•ICC/Getty ImagesMarizanne Kapp wears her heart on her sleeve. She has battled health issues through an unknown condition, which sometimes floors her, and personal issues, through a relationship that is in the cricket public’s eye. She has still managed to become a champion allrounder. In the last two years, Kapp has had Covid four times, could not fulfil her dream of playing at the Commonwealth Games after her brother-in-law suffered an accident, as she returned home to be at his side in the Intensive Care Unit. Eight months later, her wife Dane van Niekerk’s plans to play at the home T20 World Cup were derailed after she failed a fitness test. As van Niekerk retired, Kapp had to play under the same administration that had shunned her other half. She did, and was part of a side that took South Africa to the final. The national anthem is her cue to cry and expect the tears to flow on Sunday in Dubai.Chloe Tryon became the first bowler to take a wicket with her first ball in a T20I, and she did it at the World Cup in 2010. She was just 17 at the time and considered the future of the South African game. But two years later, she had back surgery for the first time and has struggled with a recurring injury for a large part of her career. In 2020, she was told her career was done. Tryon chose not to believe that. She has made comeback after comeback, re-established herself as a power-hitter, a versatile bowler who can be used in the powerplay, and a senior member of this South African side.Sune Luus was made South Africa’s interim captain when van Niekerk broke her ankle in early 2022 and continued in that job for over a year. She has spoken about the challenges of trying to make the team her own, in the space where they waited to find out if their permanent skipper would return. Despite that uncertainty, Luus led the team to their first T20 World Cup final and then chose to step away from the job. After doing that, Luus found runs hard to come by. She did not score a T20I half-century for 14 innings this year and as she battled for runs, she also decided to change her bowling style. Luus went from bowling legspin to offspin in her search for consistency. She has re-found form and her love for the game at this World Cup, where she has operated as a foot soldier and done it with a smile.Flags and songs were part of South Africa’s celebration upon entering the final•Getty ImagesAnnerie Dercksen grew up on a farm which did not have access to the state electricity supply and her family had a small diesel-powered generator for essentials. Though that gave her a rugged, robust childhood, it also meant that if her parents wanted to boil water, they had to turn off the television. She was a 2000s kid, who read about cricket in the newspapers, and wasn’t ever sure she could play at a high level. Now, she is shaping up as South Africa’s finisher.Nadine de Klerk was being primed for big things as a seam-bowling allrounder until she lost both her national and her WBBL contracts in 2022. She told ESPNcricinfo that she felt as though her career was “about to crash” and had to work her way back into contention. A much bigger and more difficult loss was coming. On the eve of South Africa’s T20 World Cup semi-final last year, de Klerk’s grandmother died. She left the team camp and it was uncertain if she would return for the big match, but she did, and with Shabnim Ismail at her side, bowled South Africa to a history-making victory.Sinalo Jafta checked herself into rehab for alcohol abuse 126 days before the 2023 T20 World Cup, knowing that she would put her place in the squad at risk. But the social media abuse she faced had become too much and consoling herself with a bottle was costing her her sanity. Jafta did not dream she could come back to win a silver medal with South Africa at the T20 World Cup. She has since spoken about the dangers of doom scrolling and has become a lively, energetic presence behind the stumps, a mentor to some of South Africa’s younger players and a role model for the Gen-Zs.Nonkululeko Mlaba is the second-highest wicket-taker at the World Cup at the moment•ICC/Getty ImagesNonkululeko Mlaba comes from KwaMashu, a township in the province of Kwa-Zulu Natal, just 16 kilometres from Kingsmead but a socio-economic world away. She needed assistance to find accommodation closer to training facilities and CSA once again stepped in. It was not long ago that she was the No. 2 T20I bowler in the world but she then saw her ranking tumble. Mlaba berated herself for the dip and actively sought out ways to improve. She is up to No. 7, is the South African with the most wickets at the T20 World Cup currently, and at 24, has years in the game to come.Ayabonga Khaka was born in the town of Middledrift in the Eastern Cape in what has been described as “impoverished” circumstances by Khoza. She played in the streets with boys, dabbled in football, and was eventually offered a place at former international Mfuneko Ngam’s academy at the University of Fort Hare. She also took up a study post for a degree in human movement science. She honed her craft of discipline and accuracy to become one of the most difficult bowlers in the world to get away. With her quiet confidence, she is the unsung hero of the South African attack and knows she is playing for something far greater than herself. “It’s possible,” she said. “Anything you want, you can do it.”And that is just the playing XI. On the bench, South Africa have Tumi Sekhukhune, who may consider herself unlucky to have missed out on selection, Ayanda Hlubi and Seshnie Naidu, from the Under-19 World Cup squad, and Mieke de Ridder, who has played four internationals and has gained invaluable experience.There’s also the coaching staff. Interim head Dillon du Preez, who found himself thrust into the job, Paul Adams, who has been through the ringer as a player and then at the Social Justice and Nation Building hearings, and Abrahams, who is a seasoned men’s provincial coach now imparting his knowledge where it is having the most impact. They represent the full spectrum of South Africa, across every divide, and their goal on Sunday is to cross those and bring a nation together in the most cohesive and beautiful way: with victory.

Chris Waddle has slammed Mikel Arteta for his supposed criticism of Sunderland's tactics as the Arsenal manager was told to stick to his own job. The Gunners boss' frustration was palpable after his side let a precious victory slip through their fingers in stoppage time and had to settle for a point instead in Saturday's 2-2 draw.

• Brobbey breaks Arsenal hearts

  Arsenal’s struggles began 10 minutes before the interval when ex-Gunner Dan Ballard punished his old side. The Sunderland defender latched onto a smart pass from Nordi Mukiele and lashed his finish past Raya from close range. From there, Arsenal had to chase the game, and Arteta’s men came out swinging after the break. Their pressure told early in the second half when Bukayo Saka capitalised on an error from Enzo Le Fee to smash home the equaliser. Moments later, Martin Zubimendi rattled the crossbar before Leandro Trossard, who has been one of Arsenal’s most reliable and clutch players this season, rifled in a spectacular long-range drive to put the visitors 2-1 up. At that point, it looked as though Arsenal’s quality and persistence had won the day. But Brian Brobbey’s late intervention tore up the script. That late strike from the Dutch striker saw Arsenal’s lead at the summit trimmed to just four points after 11 rounds of league fixtures.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Arteta pointed finger at 'disruptive' tactics

  After the match, Arteta’s tone was one of frustration. He praised his players for their reaction but couldn’t resist a dig at Sunderland’s defensive approach.

  "We have to navigate through a really tough game," he said. "We knew that, it was very disruptive. We have to deal with situations, obviously, that are difficult to deal with. They do it really well and we conceded a goal that is not in our standards. But after that, I think the team reacted really well, showed a lot of personality and courage. They scored the first goal, they scored the second goal and we totally dominated the game.

  "You have to rely on defending the box when they start to commit six or seven players there. It can be from a direct play, it can be from a throw-in, it can be from any situation. We can defend the action better, and today we haven't done it; we conceded the goal."

• Waddle fires back at Arteta

  Waddle was unimpressed by Arteta’s complaints. The former Sunderland man, who had a short spell at the club in 1997, said that managers should focus on overcoming problems rather than criticising opponents for playing smart.

  "It’s always strange to criticise your opponent’s tactics, at the end of the day," he told in an interview with . "You know, the whole point of football is to get a result. It’s a game. You have to work out how to get results and win, and at least avoid defeat. You work out how to get the best out of your team and cause problems to the opposition. You come up with a plan, and if it works, then you’ve done your job well, so I wouldn’t criticise Sunderland.

  "People could talk about Arsenal, about how they park the bus and rely on set-pieces. Everyone wants to have a dig at everyone else’s tactics, but it’s your job to find the weaknesses and exploit them, or spot a good tactic and use it yourself. This time, Sunderland worked out how to get a point, so the manager got it right. It might make it harder to break down sides if they park the bus, but it’s your job to figure out how to break it down. It’s up to you, and you don’t moan about it. You figure it out and you overcome it, and then you get a little smile on your face that a team sat back and they still couldn’t stop you. Obviously, Arteta wasn’t happy, but Sunderland had their game plan and it worked."

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Le Bris' cunning pre-match tweak to thwart Arsenal

  Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris, meanwhile, revealed one cheeky tactical adjustment that helped stifle Arsenal’s usually dangerous long throws. The Frenchman admitted his staff moved the advertising hoardings closer to the touchline before kick-off, reducing the space for Arsenal players to wind up their powerful throws into the box. The tweak was small but effective as Sunderland’s defenders had fewer deep deliveries to deal with and managed to keep the Gunners’ aerial threat to a minimum. Although Arteta did not comment on this tactic, the Spaniard might have a thing or two to say on this sly tactical adjustment. 

  Le Bris told when quizzed about the hoardings: "Yeah, we tried to find the details to win the game. They are really strong on set-pieces, and we were good as well. It was absolutely obvious this threat was really important for this game, and in the end, it was balanced."

New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge has put up his usual mind-boggling numbers during the first half of the 2025 MLB season, leading the charge as the AL MVP favorite just ahead of the All-Star break.

Through 90 games this year, Judge is slashing .360/.468/.734 with 33 home runs, 74 RBIs and 65 walks. He ranks second in MLB in home runs and RBIs, and leads the league by a huge margin with a 1.202 OPS.

Judge also made MLB history during the first half of the campaign.

This is the third time in his career Judge has hit 33 or more home runs during the first half of a season. No other player has ever recorded more than two such seasons, according to OptaSTATS. Judge has accomplished the feat in three of the last four years––in 2022, '24 and '25––a testament to his dominance at the plate.

Since the start of the 2022 season, Judge has hit 190 home runs, 28 more than the next highest player, Shohei Ohtani, during that same span. He broke the American League record with 62 home runs in '22, and added another 58 last season. He could surpass both those tallies this year based on his ridiculous first half. At his current pace, Judge would hit just over 59 home runs across a 162-game season.

Appointment of Washington Freedom director of cricket helps to strengthen ties at newly acquired franchise

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Oct-2025Michael Klinger, the former Australia batter and current director of cricket at Washington Freedom in the MLC, has joined Welsh Fire in a senior management role and will also take over as head coach of their Women’s Hundred team.Klinger’s appointment, on a two-year contract, further strengthens ties between Glamorgan County Cricket Club and Washington Freedom, whose owner – Sanjay Govil, the US-based tech entrepreneur – acquired a 49% stake in Welsh Fire during the Hundred equity sale earlier this year.Klinger will retain his role at Washington Freedom, and will work closely with Fire’s general manager Mark Wallace to oversee recruitment for both the men’s and women’s teams.Gareth Breese, who oversaw the women’s squad in this year’s Hundred, will stay on as an Assistant Coach in the restructured team, while Mike Hussey – Klinger’s fellow Australian – retains his role as head coach of the men’s team.In the 2025 Hundred season, Klinger was head coach of Manchester Originals women’s team, and has also served in coaching roles at Gujarat Giants in the Women’s Premier League in India, the Melbourne Renegades Men’s Team in the Big Bash League and the Sydney Thunder Women’s team.”I’m thrilled to be taking on an expanded role with Welsh Fire, leading list management for both the men’s and women’s teams, alongside being Head Coach of the Women’s side,” Klinger said.”I’d like to thank Manchester Originals for the opportunity to work with them last year. It was a fantastic and rewarding experience for which I’m very grateful.”This new role allows me to combine coaching with a broader strategic focus and to continue strengthening my connections with the Washington Freedom organisation, as well as with the current management and coaches at Welsh Fire.”Glamorgan and Welsh Fire CEO, Dan Cherry, added: “We’re thrilled to welcome Michael to the Welsh Fire family. From his career to date, Michael’s experience, pedigree and enthusiasm matches our long-term strategic vision of ambition and success for the franchise.”Michael adds real quality to our recruitment and coaching capabilities, while his arrival allows Mark to focus directly on implementing our wider cricket strategy. We are hopeful that Gareth Breese will stay on to support Michael after leading the team to the final in 2024.”It’s great also to continue our partnership with Mike Hussey. Mike is an outstanding leader who has made great strides with our Men’s team in recent years. We are all excited for this new chapter as we maximise our partnership with Sanjay Govil and his team to take progressive steps forward on and off the field.”

Sharma makes 82 for Northamptonshire but second-wicket stand breaks back of chase

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay21-Aug-2025Ben Dawkins struck a sparkling maiden List A century to steer Kent Spitfires to their second Metro Bank One Day Cup victory of the season, beating a youthful Northamptonshire side by seven wickets at Wantage Road as they chased down 244 with 32 deliveries to spare.The in-form England Under-19 opener struck an unbeaten 111 (105 balls, 12 fours, two sixes), sharing a second-wicket stand of 157 off 181 balls with Joey Evison who made a fine 82 (106 balls, 10 fours, 1 six).Young guns Aadi Sharma and Stuart van der Merwe (37) starred with the bat for the Steelbacks in a stand of 75 off 87 balls characterised by rapid running between the wickets. Sharma made an excellent 82 (90 balls, 8 fours, 1 six), his maiden List A half-century.Their stand came after Evison, who bowled his 10 overs straight through, removed Northamptonshire’s top order to finish with career best List A figures off three for 36.Matt Parkinson took two for 50 as Northamptonshire suffered a middle order collapse, before some lower order hitting from Dom Leech (36 off 35 balls), but the hosts’ eventual total of 243 all out proved insufficient.Earlier Luke Procter (15) was caught behind playing at a wide one from Evison. But Sharma was soon into his work, hooking and driving sweetly, although he rode his luck at times.James Sales fresh from scores of 117 and 98, fell cheaply, adjudged lbw to one that kept low from Evison, while Northamptonshire lost a third when George Bartlett was caught behind off Evison, cutting close to his body.That brought Sharma together with van der Merwe who tucked into Parkinson’s legspin, cutting through cover and swotting him over long-off for six.van der Merwe reverse swept Jack Leaning, taking Northamptonshire past 100, while Sharma uppercut Corey Flintoff over the vacant slip region to reach 50 off 58 balls.The drinks break brought a wicket when van der Merwe chipped Leaning straight to long-on, but Sharma continued to attack. He skipped down the pitch to deposit Leaning over extra cover and clipped Flintoff off his legs for six into the old signal box at deep square leg.The tide turned as Parkinson made a double breakthrough, three wickets falling for five runs in 17 balls. First Parkinson bowled Lewis McManus round his legs before spinning one past off-stump to take the edge of Sharma’s bat through to the keeper. Next delivery Mohammad Rizvi trapped Rob Keogh plumb lbw.With Northamptonshire 171 for seven, Leech found a good ally in debutant Aryaman Varma (30) in an enterprising stand of 59. Leech attacked the spinners, smiting Parkinson over midwicket before sweeping for six, while Varma deployed the cut shot to good effect.Leech smashed Rizvi straight to bring up the 50 partnership before Jaydn Denly struck twice in two balls, bowling Leech as he attempted to reverse sweep before bowling Yuzvendra Chahal. Fred Klaassen picked up the final wicket, Varma well caught by a tumbling Flintoff at mid-off.Dawkins started aggressively, punching several boundaries through the off-side and pulling Procter for a straight six. Denly (20) meanwhile sent a huge six flying over deep midwicket off Leech as Kent raced past 50 inside seven overs.Scoring briefly slowed against spinners Nirvan Ramesh and Chahal with the opening stand of 58 ended by a sensational one-handed diving catch by van der Merwe at cover off Ramesh.Dawkins reached 50 with a streaky boundary off Varma, while Evison collected boundaries against the spinners as he hit over extra cover, reaching his own half-century with a sumptuous cover drive off Leech.Runs kept coming for Evison as he smashed over midwicket, while Dawkins reached his ton with elan, pulling van der Merwe over midwicket for six.Evison crunched van der Merwe for a straight six before he holed out at long-on, Chris Benjamin following soon after in similar fashion off Keogh, but with the target in sight, Dawkins was there to see his side home.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has been handed a fresh injury update on forward Kai Havertz, with a timeline emerging on his possible return.

The Gunners, even without Havertz, have made a brilliant start to the 2025/2026 season, with their last defeat coming all the way back at Anfield against Liverpool.

Since then, Arsenal have been a force to be reckoned with, sitting firmly atop the Premier League table and showing no signs of slipping.

One of the defining features of Arsenal’s campaign so far has been their dominance from set pieces. Arteta’s side have already scored an incredible 11 goals from dead-balls, making them the undisputed set-piece kings of the league.

From pinpoint corners to clever free-kicks and long-throws, Arsenal have turned these situations into a very reliable source of goals, much to the detest of some critics.

What’s particularly impressive is that they’ve done it while missing a plethora of key stars for long periods.

Club captain Martin Odegaard, who is back on the treatment table until mid-November following a medial collateral ligament (MCL) injury against West Ham, had only just come back from a shoulder problem beforehand.

Gabriel Jesus, meanwhile, ruptured his ACL at the very start of 2025 and hasn’t played since Arsenal’s FA Cup defeat to Man United last season.

Noni Madueke, who was really impressing on-lookers with his early-season form, picked up a knee injury in their 1-1 draw at home to Man City, but the England international could apparently make a “faster-than-expected” return to the team (GiveMeSport).

With Havertz, the signs have also been pretty good.

Arteta’s versatile forward — the club’s highest earner on around £280,000-per-week — is believed to be impressing Arsenal staff with his recovery from knee damage behind-the-scenes.

As a result, Havertz is apparently ahead of schedule to return for Arsenal, but it still might not be too imminent.

Arsenal handed fresh Kai Havertz injury update

The 26-year-old, who scored 15 goals and bagged another five assists in all competitions last season, has played just half an hour so far this term and Arteta will be hoping to have him back as soon as possible.

However, according to journalist and founder of Premier Injuries, Ben Dinnery, Havertz may not be back in full match action until as far down the line as December.

Arteta will want to be careful managing the former Chelsea star’s load, especially considering how light Arsenal are going forward right now after Gabriel Martinelli was also sidelined recently.

Summer signing Viktor Gyokeres has done fairly well in Havertz’s place up front, albeit his goal return so far isn’t what most had hoped for.

The return of Havertz would give Arteta an extra option in that area, and Arsenal have already been tipped to bench Gyokeres for the attacker in big games once he makes his comeback.

Mikel Arteta's underrated Arsenal star adds something "people really don’t see"

The Philadelphia Phillies found a wild way to lose a game Tuesday night as the San Francisco Giants walked them off with a historic inside-the-park three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning at Oracle Park.

Giants catcher Patrick Bailey was the hero as his hard hit to right field bounced off the brick wall and shot past Phillies center fielder Brandon Marsh. He was able to eventually chase it down and fire the ball back to the infield but they never had a chance of stopping Bailey.

Phillies announcers Ruben Amaro Jr. and Tom McCarthy had the perfect reactions to it right after Bailey crossed home plate.

"Tom, I've seen a whole lot of things in this game. But I've never seen that," Amaro Jr. said. "That is truly an amazing, astonishing thing. I've just never seen anything like it."

"Nope, not something like that," McCarthy said.

Here's their call of the play:

You gotta love baseball.