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Nottingham Forest have now made contact to sign Everton’s James Garner, amid a new update on the midfielder’s future at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Forest are looking to bolster their options in the engine room, amid widespread interest in Elliot Anderson, with Chelsea recently joining the race for the Englishman, who has managed to impress once again this season, despite his side sitting 19th in the Premier League table.

Anderson has also emerged as a regular starter for England, most recently putting in a solid showing as the Three Lions cruised past Serbia 2-0, completing 77 passes, while also winning seven duels, the joint-highest number of any player.

The Tricky Trees played a blinder by signing the 23-year-old from Newcastle United back in 2024, and they have now made an approach for another English midfielder…

Nottingham Forest make contact to sign James Garner

According to a report from Football Insider, Nottingham Forest have made contact over a deal for Everton midfielder Garner, who is out of contract at the end of the season, meaning his future at the Hill Dickinson Stadium is in doubt.

Forest have registered their interest in signing the 24-year-old, but there could be competition for his signature from Aston Villa, who have also made a move, while former club Newcastle United remain in the race.

The Merseysiders retain the option to extend the Englishman’s contract by an additional year, so they do not need to panic just yet, but they will be eager to tie him down soon, given that interest from elsewhere is now growing.

Sean Dyche knows the central midfielder well from their time working together on Merseyside, with the former Everton manager saying: “Jimmy Garner was terrific, he’s learning and improving. He’s just a good kid. He’s got that nice little edge about him that he’s a bit of a nark now and again, I like it.

“I think you need that as a footballer. The demands he places upon himself is very pleasing as he works very hard in training and I think he’s getting the rewards with his improvement.”

The Birkenhead-born midfielder has also performed well from a defensive point of view over the past year, even outperforming Anderson on some key metrics.

Garner has been a key player for Everton this season, starting every match in the Premier League, which suggests he would be able to hit the ground running at Forest, so Dyche’s side should undoubtedly try and get a deal done this January.

Elliot Anderson makes decision on joining Man Utd

Elliot Anderson makes Man Utd decision as INEOS ready £60m bid

Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson could be set for a major move in January.

1

By
James O'Reilly

Nov 5, 2025

England winning an Ashes Test Australia had all-but won or Sri Lanka’s marathon fourth-innings chase against a battling Zimbabwe?

ESPNcricinfo staff06-May-2025Update: This poll has ended. The ENG-AUS 2019 Leeds Test moves to the round of 16.

The greatest heist Stokes pulled – Leeds, 2019

Was it the ending, the unbroken 76-run stand for the last wicket between Ben Stokes and Jack Leach? Or the fact that one of the batters scored 74 (in 45 balls) and the other 1 (in 17 balls) in that partnership? Or that the winners had scored 67 in their first innings and then hit 362 for 9 in the chase in a Test where 246 was the next-best total?Maybe all of the above. But the drama of the Stokes-Leach partnership is what perhaps made it all so memorable.Australia won the first Test and the second was drawn, so England wanted to win this one at Headingley to stay in the contest, harbour dreams of winning the Ashes. But after Australia were bowled out for 179 in the first innings, all England could put up was 67, with Joe Denly top-scoring with 12. Back to Australia, and this time they put up 246.Was the pitch getting better for batting? It didn’t seem so when England were 15 for 2 in their chase of 359, and then 159 for 4 with Joe Root gone, and then 286 for 9. Stokes, the No. 5, was on 61 at the time. Off 174 balls. So 2-0 to Australia? But with last-man Leach for company, Stokes switched something on. He hit four fours and seven sixes from that point, keeping Leach away from the strike as much as possible, before finishing it off with a flay through the covers off Pat Cummins.

Sri Lanka pull off a record chase – Colombo (RPS), 2017

How difficult could Zimbabwe make it for Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka in a Test match?Very, as it turned out.Craig Ervine hit 160 in close to six hours after Zimbabwe had opted to bat. They scored 356. Sri Lanka had two half-centurions – Upul Tharanga and Dinesh Chandimal – as they fell ten runs short.Surely Zimbabwe couldn’t do it again against Rangana Herath and everyone else.Yes, they could.Even top it.This time Sikandar Raza was the star, with 127, again in just under six hours, and Sri Lanka had to chase 388. Only four times had a bigger target been chased down in a Test match at that point, and never in Asia.Again, there was no century-maker. Forget that, Sri Lanka were five down for 203, still 185 in arrears. But Niroshan Dickwella and Asela Gunaratne weren’t done yet. Both scored 80s – Dickwella 81 and Gunaratne 80 not out – and Zimbabwe’s fight eventually fizzled out.

Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim has been urged to steer clear of signing Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton as there is too much hype around him. United are in the market for a new central midfielder either in January or more likely in the summer of 2026 after prioritising strengthening in other areas in the squad last window such as attack and goalkeeper.

• Baleba and Anderson heavily linked with Man Utd

  The club held initial discussions with Brighton & Hove Albion over signing Carlos Baleba but turned away from the move after disagreeing with the Seagulls' £100m ($131m) valuation. The Red Devils have more recently been linked with a move for Elliot Anderson, who has established himself as an England regular in the last three months and whose statistics put him up there with Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo as the most impressive midfielders in the Premier League. 

  Palace midfielder Wharton, who made his first England start last week against Albania, is another player who United are believed to be interested in. But former United striker Dwight Yorke does not think the 21-year-old is the player they should be targeting.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Yorke: Wharton not the answer

  Yorke said, via "I’m not sure Adam Wharton is the answer. He's still not quite there for me yet and that's an area of concern we have to look to improve. It is a gap in this Man United team. You look at the history behind the football club in its most successful years and they always had a fantastic number six in that position.

  "Casemiro has been hit and miss at times and it’s a key part of your team. You listen to all the great managers, that central area of your midfield is always so important. It’s a tough gig that one to find the right players and I think that's why they're struggling. They haven’t got that player who can set the floor of the game, as I always call it, and dictate the pace, who defends but passes the ball forwards, and can see the pass. 

  "These types of players are rare which surprises me as on the face of it it’s not the most difficult job in the world but it’s the most crucial. Who I would like to see in that position more? I can’t think, honestly, because there’s too much hype around some of these players. Bring back Michael Carrick, maybe? There we go. He’d have done a job in this team!"

• Casemiro future in doubt despite upturn in form

  Amorim has settled on a midfield pairing of captain Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro, with the Brazilian staging a stunning revival after his worrying campaign in 2023-24, when he was told by Jamie Carragher to quit elite football and wind down his career in Saudi Arabia or the United States. However, neither players are long-term options. Fernandes' contract expires in 2027 while Casemiro's is up next June. The club have the option to extend both deals by an additional year but big investment is ultimately needed to refresh their midfield and make them future Premier League title contenders.

  Amorim has said he wants the club to extend Casemiro's deal and Harry Maguire's by at least one year although the Brazilian's massive wages, believed to be £350,000 per week, are an obstacle. It has been reported that United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe was critical of Casemiro's contract when he bought his stake in the club in 2023 given his age. The former Real Madrid lynchpin turns 34 next February and was signed in 2022 for an initial fee of £60m rising to £70m.

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  United without Sesko for Everton test

  United have drawn their last two games against Nottingham Forest and Tottenham Hotspur, interrupting their previous run of three consecutive wins. They will be hoping to return to winning ways at home to Everton on Monday although they will be without striker Benjamin Sesko, who is expected to be out for a month after hurting his knee in the 2-2 draw with Spurs.

  Lisandro Martinez is hoping to make his first appearance of the season against Tottenham. He recently joined Argentina for training in Europe although he did not play any matches for his country. Maguire could also be back to face the Toffees. The Everton game will mark one year since Amorim's first game in charge of United against Ipswich Town.

England are batting big, and fast, and a jittery third innings is now a matter of when, not if

Danyal Rasool09-Oct-2024Like an aeroplane taking off or a group of suspiciously adult-looking teenagers getting on a roller-coaster in a film, you know where this is going. Pakistan are about to take on a similarly innocuous task when, having had their fill, England finally turn it back over to them at some point tomorrow. They have to see off one of England’s weakest bowling attacks on one of their most placid surfaces.But, unlike this Test match, let’s get to the point: Pakistan have found a way to take conditions out of the equation when contriving to collapse in the third innings. No side has a lower average third-innings score this year, and Pakistan’s tell the story of their year; 115, 172 and 146. Sydney, Rawalpindi, Rawalpindi. Played three, lost three.Josh Hazlewood blew them away in Sydney as Pakistan frittered away a narrow lead. That may have hardly have been surprising, but Bangladesh used Pakistan’s susceptibility at that stage of an game as a template to carve a path to victory. The danger of preparing a flat wicket to bat first on is that side is often the only one who can possibly lose as the match approaches its dénouement. It’s a vulnerable position to get to, and, like a film from that aforementioned series, every situation suddenly appears laced with danger.Related

• England further expose Pakistan's mental and tactical fragility

• Joe Root reaches the batting heights for which his career was destined

• Root overtakes Cook as England's leading scorer in Tests

• Root and Brook hit big centuries to make Pakistan's 556 look inadequate

• Brydon Carse takes pride in the grind after claiming maiden Test wickets

The denunciations of the surface have already begun, but Pakistan would do well not get caught up in them. When Naseem Shah – the pick of Pakistan’s bowlers without reward today – vented his frustrations about the lack of fast-bowling assistance from the pitch during the first Test against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi, it was difficult to take issue with anything he said. But Pakistan followed up by collapsing in a heap two sessions later and handed Bangladesh a ten-wicket win. Turns out you don’t need much help from the surface for wickets if you’re dancing down the ground having failed to make contact, or skying straight deliveries into the air.With two days to go, England are 64 runs behind with seven wickets still in hand, one of which involves an unbeaten 243-run partnership. They will soon leave Pakistan’s 556 in the rearview mirror in the heat and dust of Multan; Joe Root has already overtaken Alastair Cook, and with his fourth hundred in as many matches in Pakistan, Harry Brook has gone past Imran Khan. Having found a way to force 10 wickets out of an at-least-equally moribund Rawalpindi surface in just over a day in 2022, they will have nearly twice as much time in Multan this week. The potential to exploit any demons that may have begun to appear, either on this sun-baked surface or within Pakistani batters’ minds, is ripe.Shaheen Shah Afridi’s morning dismissal of Zak Crawley felt a world away from their close-of-play position•Getty Images”We’re still about 60 runs in front,” Pakistan head coach Jason Gillespie said at the close of play. “We suspect England’s approach will be to bat and try to get a lead before having a crack at us. That seems to be their game-plan. However, we can’t control how they play; we can only focus on our own performance.”Knowledge of England’s game-plan, though, is not necessarily a hedge against its prevention. Pakistan have known they’re on a nearly four-year winless Test home streak, after all, but they’re no sooner to ending it.Salman Ali Agha said yesterday he was confident the cracks would “open up wide” on the final two days. Jack Leach – who was part of the side that manufactured that remarkable Pindi win in 2022 – and Shoaib Bashir may be interested to know that. Shan Masood and Abdullah Shafique’s return to form is only an innings old, and Babar Azam’s quest continues. And while Masood has repeatedly pointed to the winning positions Pakistan have reached in his time as captain, Pakistan need to take similar responsibility for the fact that, on every single occasion that has happened, they have dismounted those positions of advantage into the abyss of defeat.Once more, the hosts find themselves in a situation where the bore draw that snaps their losing run – the bare minimum Pakistan’s supporters should expect given the conditions and the opposition’s bowling quality – can only be achieved with the sort of grit they have failed to muster in any of the three Tests they have played so far this year.As the series will confirm, even mediocrity can be a difficult bar to clear.

Seamer shines as late replacement for Jofra Archer and could still force his way into World Cup contention

Vithushan Ehantharajah11-Sep-2025Not all England caps are equal, and Luke Wood would have been under no illusions that his 10th across formats on Wednesday evening was, essentially, as a fall guy. And yet, with 2 for 22 from his two overs, he left the first T20I against South Africa with something worthwhile.After enough Cardiff deluges for three rainbows and a start delayed by two hours and 20 minutes, England called an audible on the XI they had announced on Tuesday. The outfield was deemed too saturated for Jofra Archer; a four-year journey back to all formats has been physically, emotionally and financially taxing enough to not be worth what became a forgettable defeat across 12.5 overs at a slip-and-slide Sophia Gardens.”I wouldn’t run my horse around here in this type of weather, let alone my premium fast bowlers,” former England limited-overs captain Eoin Morgan joked. The current one, Harry Brook agreed: “It would have been stupid to play him.” And thus, as uncouth as it may sound, wiser to risk Wood.Related

• England 304 for 2; Salt 141* sets up crushing 146-run victory

• Brook content to move on quickly from 'shambles of a night'

• Maharaj withdrawn from T20I squad; Fortuin called up as replacement

• South Africa beat England and the rain to leave Cardiff 1-0 up

Brook, aligned with head coach Brendon McCullum, made the decision to park Archer as soon as the match was set to be reduced. It meant Wood had under two hours to prepare. Such was the regularity of showers throughout the day, it would have only been when the left-arm seamer had the ball in his hand at 8.50pm, ready to kick things off from the River Taff End, that he would have known there was actual work to be done.He removed Ryan Rickleton with his second ball, a late away-swinger drawing an edge through to Jos Buttler. Lhuan-dre Pretorius was pocketed with his penultimate one, rushing the batter into an ungainly hack that required an acrobatic effort from Brook at mid-off. He should have had Aiden Markram on 24, when Phil Salt spilled a far simpler catch at cow corner; Wood then held on to dismiss Markram off Adil Rashid an over later.Brook, clearly exhausted at the end of a long night of an already long summer, lauded Wood’s efforts: “He didn’t have much time to prepare, but he went out and did a good job with the new ball, as he always does.”It was a sincere appraisal from Brook, more so than his intimation at the toss that Wood’s inclusion was on tactical grounds for what initially began as a nine-over affair. The 30-year-old may have been collateral, but he was the only England player to inflict any real damage on their opponents.This is a fascinating period in Wood’s career, one which the man himself had assumed would be without any international requirements. His participation in the West Indies T20Is at the start of this season could hardly be termed a recall given his previous seven appearances in 2022 and 2023 came, much like Wednesday, as a seat filler for the A-listers. Even his inclusion for May and June’s ODIs against West Indies was the result of Archer-related caution.There is a lot to like about Wood; quick enough, always finding movement through the air, and doing so immediately. Rickleton was the 11th batter he has removed in the first over of a T20 in 2025 alone – only fellow English leftie David Willey has more (14).Wood is also not shy of a bit of confrontation. These traits were brought to the fore in Brook’s second match as T20I captain in June, with a player-of-the-match display of 2 for 25. It was reminiscent of Wood’s T20I debut in Pakistan back in 2022, another award-winning turn of 3 for 24.Such was the impression Wood made that there were unofficial, idle thoughts that he could come into contention for the India Test series had England encountered a handful more injuries to their already depleted fast bowling stocks. His last first-class match came in September 2023, one of two County Championship appearances for Lancashire that season. But as was the case with Jamie Overton this summer, a lack of red-ball experience might not have precluded Wood from selection.Overton has since made himself unavailable for Test cricket ahead of the Ashes to prolong his career in the shorter formats. Though Wood need not make any official statements, having never earned a Test call-up, his winter has already been hitched to the franchise circuit with Dubai Capitals in the ILT20, which runs from December 2 to January 4. It is worth noting that since the 2023 home summer, Wood’s 72 matches since have been exclusively in the T20 formatNevertheless, the remaining two matches against South Africa, next week’s jaunt to Ireland and October’s tour of New Zealand will present Wood further opportunities to press his case for 2026’s T20 World Cup squad. Having been on the periphery for England’s success in 2022, as a late replacement on the reserve shortlist, he may finally be considered first-string.On an otherwise treacherous night that Brook regarded as “a bit of a shambles”, Wood was able to emerge unscathed and better for it.

It was one of those moments that reminds you why sports really are the best.

During the first game of the New York Mets-Milwaukee Brewers doubleheader on Tuesday, SNY's Steve Gelbs was filmed alerting an adorable young fan that he had been chosen from a large pool of applicants to be the network's "kidcaster" for an upcoming July contest.

And reader, this kid's reaction is one you'll want to see.

Twelve-year-old Antonio Veneziano, decked out in eye black, looked truly giddy to see Gelbs approach, and freaked out even further when he realized the broadcaster knew his name. But when Gelbs dropped the "kidcaster" bomb, that's when Veneziano looked close to tears.

"You did an amazing job. There were more entries than have ever been had," Gelbs told his mini-me of the honor, "and you were the winner. I saw it; your home run calls? Pretty spectacular."

As icing on the cake, Veneziano then offered viewers a little preview of his broadcasting talents and called a would-be Francisco Lindor dinger on the spot.

You've gotta see this:

Really heartwarming stuff. You can catch little Antonio make his debut in the booth for half an inning on July 22nd.

The Mets would go on to lose Tuesday's afternoon contest 7-2, but have another chance in Game 2, where the first pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET.

Tottenham Hotspur fell to an embarrassing 4-1 defeat against bitter North London rivals Arsenal this afternoon, with the result heaping more pressure on Thomas Frank.

The Dane’s side came into the encounter unbeaten away from home in the Premier League, but such a record has been wiped out after the demolition job at the Emirates.

He switched to a 5-2-2-1 system against Mikel Arteta’s men, but it quickly backfired, with the Lilywhites already three goals down after just 47 minutes of the clash.

Former transfer target Eberechi Eze netted a hat-trick in the humbling defeat, further rubbing salt into Spurs’ wounds after their failure to land his signature in the summer.

Numerous players also failed to rise to the occasion across the capital, with the manager desperately needing to drop numerous players from his first team squad in the weeks ahead.

The Spurs players who massively struggled against Arsenal

Despite not scoring since the middle of September, Frank decided to stick with Richarlison at the top end of the pitch against Arsenal, with the Brazilian finally ending his goal drought despite the loss.

His 50-yard strike wasn’t enough to gloss over his struggles in North London, as the 28-year-old registered the least amount of touches of any player with his total of just 24.

He was dominated aerially, losing 100% of his battles at the Emirates, with the former Everton man unable to offer the hold-up play needed to release some of the pressure placed on the Lilywhites.

Djed Spence was given the responsibility of starting at right wing-back, but the England international struggled to match the huge expectations he’s set for himself in recent months.

He featured for 78 minutes before being withdrawn, but his substitution was warranted after completing none of his attempted dribbles, whilst also failing to find a teammate with any of his crosses.

Neither of the aforementioned players managed to rise to the occasion this afternoon, which could put their starting positions at risk ahead of the Champions League clash with PSG.

The Spurs player who’s now looking “non-league” level

There is little denying that today’s performance from Spurs was one of the worst of the Frank era, with the manager needing to take huge responsibility for the defeat.

His decision to switch to a back five will no doubt have contributed to their inability to create opportunities in the final third, resulting in a total xG created of just 0.07.

The withdrawal of Kevin Danso at the break no doubt signalled that he made the wrong decision to start with such a negative system against their bitter rivals.

However, it wasn’t the only decision that proved to be the wrong one, with the Dane deciding to start the clash with Joao Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur as a double pivot at the heart of the side.

The pair have previously showcased that they can’t play progressively alongside one another, further highlighting the negative approach taken by the manager in North London.

Bentancur has constantly come under scrutiny for his lack of positive impact, something which has become apparent once again after the clash against Arsenal.

The Uruguayan international featured for 66 minutes but failed to prevent the onslaught from Arteta’s men – resulting in 100% duels lost and the player picking up a yellow card.

He also failed to win any of the tackles he entered, whilst being dribbled past twice and unable to provide the ball-winning presence Frank would have craved with the double pivot.

Other figures, such as 26 touches of the ball and zero passes into the final third, also demonstrate his lack of quality when in possession, resulting in some hugely vocal criticism of his display.

After his dismal showing at the Emirates, one content creator labelled Bentancur as a “non-league” footballer, further showcasing his dismal form for the Lilywhites.

As a result, the manager desperately needs to exclude the Uruguayan international from his first-team plans, with it being clearly evident he’s not at the level required for success.

His continued struggles make the decision to extend his contract in North London an even more baffling one, with other options desperately needing to be utilised after the embarrassing Derby Day loss.

Spurs have their own Saka & he’s “one of the biggest talents in Europe”

Tottenham Hotspur have a star who could rival Bukayo Saka in the North London derby this weekend.

By
Ethan Lamb

Nov 22, 2025

Head coach imbued his players with belief, becoming first man to lead three different counties to Championship title

Vithushan Ehantharajah26-Sep-2025Fergus O’Neill took 21 wickets in the first four matches of the 2025 summer. But arguably the Victorian quick’s most enduring contribution to Nottinghamshire’s first County Championship title in 15 years was a tan corduroy blazer he picked up in a charity shop.After dry cleaning it, the garment was sent off to get embroidered with the club crest and “MOM” on the breasts. It has subsequently been presented to either the “man” or person responsible for the “moment” of the match.The honour of handing it over is given to the previous round’s “MOM”. Having donned it for his three-wicket blitz to seal a thriller at the Kia Oval, which meant Nottinghamshire led the four-peat seeking Surrey into this final round, it was Josh Tongue’s duty on Friday afternoon. And so, for the last corduroy presentation of the season, Tongue handed it over to Peter Moores.Related

• Nottinghamshire re-sign Fergus O'Neill for 2026 and 2027 Championship

• Tongue prevails in thriller to put Nottinghamshire on cusp of title

• Moores hails 'box office' Tongue as Notts close in on title

• Hameed hundred leads Notts to Championship title glory

• Nottinghamshire romp to three-day win as title celebrations begin

“Oh, it was lovely,” said Moores, green Nottinghamshire hood over the off-mustard lapels, nailing the yuppie-chic, winners’ medal around his neck adding an extra flash of bling. “I’m not one for big emotions in the dressing room, but I was properly made up with it.”Let he who has watered, be watered. If there is one overriding emotion from this season, it is that a group of players have bound together and fought for a head coach who has done the same for them. Players that, to a man, had never previously tasted Championship success but, under his care, have grown as cricketers and developed the kind of resolve you only realise you have once you’ve won it.You could apply that to Moores, too. None of this has been plain sailing. After being chewed up and spat out twice by England (2007-2009 and 2014-2015) he admits to a bitterness that just wasn’t . It was while stewing after that second stint, halfway through a bottle of Rioja, that he realised the game does not owe him anything.Since starting out in professional cricket at the age of 18, at no point had he really felt short-changed. In fact, he surmised, each year offered fulfilment and, occasionally, reward. Now, at 62, he is the first coach to win the Championship with three different teams (Sussex in 2003 and 2006, Lancashire in 2011).That the requisite title-sealing points were secured on Thursday, when Kyle Verreynne’s six over midwicket took Nottinghamshire to 300 in their first innings against Warwickshire, allowed Moores a first, tension-free drive into Trent Bridge since coming on full-time in 2017. Naturally, he found it “weird”. But as his players lined up for their medals, he watched on with pride, even indulging his paternal instincts and getting out his phone to capture a few special moments in front of a Hound Stand teeming with home fans doing exactly the same.The final throes of the match were, well, perfect. Friday was always going to be a day of celebration given the mountain Warwickshire had to climb to give Nottinghamshire a meaningful target. Spectators were walking in as early as 9am and out to the bars as early as 5pm.

“Moores’ mantra has always been twofold: that winning is a byproduct of getting your players to believe in what they’re doing, and that you creep to excellence”

You do not often get perfect days in this game, even over a long, 14-game season, when luck – whether the elements or injuries – can decide your destiny. Nottinghamshire have certainly had the weather on their side. Of their six draws, four were in the Kookaburra rounds. And availability of key resources can be pinned squarely on Tongue, who was a huge boost even for only six matches. His 31 wickets have come at 22.03, of which 15 were picked up in his first three appearances of the season.It was his final match of that initial chunk – a home victory over Sussex, which was also O’Neil’s last appearance – that gave Nottinghamshire some daylight to work with at the top of Division One. In the dressing room afterwards, when the players saw the table, they figured they might be onto something.Winning the whole thing was not quite on the agenda up until then. Having just about survived relegation in 2024, there were many Nottinghamshire fans calling for change, not unreasonably. Even as recently as the Metro Bank One-Day Cup, a fan was spotted wearing a “MOORES OUT” Outlaws jersey.Moores almost was, before signing a new three-year deal in August to ward off reported overtures from Hampshire and Lancashire. By then the squad was in an entirely different space, owning a lofty Division One position that they had spoken about previously without ever truly believing would be theirs.It was on a pre-season trip to Abu Dhabi that Moores told his group that, despite their previous struggles, they were no longer in transition. “I thought we were ready to play.” Sights were set on becoming a top-four team. From there, who knows. Anything can happen.Haseeb Hameed holds the Championship trophy aloft•PA Photos/Getty ImagesAnd it did – because they played. All of them.After a first taste of full-time captaincy last season, Haseeb Hameed has emerged an incredibly wily captain, having developed an extra personal touch to his own ruthlessness with the bat, finishing with career-best 1258-run first-class summer, equalling his previous hauls of four centuries in 2016 and 2022.Hameed was one of eight century-makers – one short of the nine Nottinghamshire relied upon for their 2010 success. It was not only idyllic for him to strike the winning boundary elegantly through cover, but also that he did so after being given the strike by Ben Slater. The left-hander’s single saw him join Hameed as the only other Notts batter to reach four-figures. That Jack Haynes didn’t reach that milestone despite matching his skipper’s hundred count merely speaks to the fact that when runs were needed, someone stood up.Brett Hutton, as ever, led the attack with 38 dismissals. Remarkably, he was one of seven with 20 or more. Dillon Pennington offered real value with 28 from his eight games, while two home-reared allrounders in left-arm spinner Liam Patterson-White (averaging 33.75 with the bat, 36.07 with ball) and seamer Lyndon James (46.41 and 35.61) were almost luxuries given how well they performed in their 11 and 13 appearances, respectively.It will be harder to keep this group together next year. Tongue, for instance, will continue to get the cotton-wool treatment from the ECB, who are paying his wages for the foreseeable future. The club will also have to stump up the cash for Mohammad Abbas, who is subject to a lucrative offer from Derbyshire. They hope to be able to welcome back Verreynne and O’Neil pending international commitments.None of that is for now, of course, even if it was about this time last year that Moores began plotting for how this one could go. His mantra has always been twofold: that winning is a byproduct of getting your players to believe in what they’re doing, and that you creep to excellence rather than sprint to it.That, however, is not quite how 2025 has panned out. Nottinghamshire grew to believe and did not creep. They have marched, proudly, to a seventh County Championship title, a third for Moores, and first for each other, in style.

Hampshire reply with resolve after title-chasers post imposing 578 for 8 declared

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay23-Jul-2025Hampshire 90 for 0 (Weatherley 43*, Middleton 34*) trail Nottinghamshire 578 for 8 dec (James 203*, Haynes 103, McCann 79, Hutton 71) by 498 runsLyndon James masterfully struck his maiden double-century as title-chasing Nottinghamshire took control of their Rothesay County Championship clash with Hampshire.James helped his side to maximum batting points with an awesome 203 not out, overtaking his previous personal best of 164.With him, Jack Haynes took himself to a fourth hundred of the season – the most in Division One – while Brett Hutton’s 71-run cameo allowed Nottinghamshire to declare on 578.Joe Weatherley and Fletcha Middleton reached close with no damage for the hosts – ending on 90 without loss, in arrears by 498 runs.The day was a procession of bat raises from Nottinghamshire batters – six of them in total.Haynes was the first as he converted his overnight 70 to three figures in 42 day-two balls – 129 in total. It was the fourth time he had passed fifty, and the fourth time he had converted to a hundred this season.But after a flourish of drives and boundaries, his 106-run stand with James was ended when Kyle Abbott got Haynes chipping the second new ball to mid-on.Hampshire had an inexperienced attack – without Keith Barker, Liam Dawson, Brad Wheal and John Turner – and failed to build any pressure throughout the day, albeit with an unhelpful ball.However trouble-free much of the bowling was, the batter standards were incredibly high – led by James.The all-rounder kept up the scoring rate throughout his innings as he mixed a constant yearning for runs with a tight technique.His one major life came on 94 when Hampshire missed a third chance in the slips during the innings – a frequent pattern this season, and one which was met by derision in the stands and by Abbott curling into a frustrated ball at mid-on.James shook off the nineties nerves to reach his second century of the season, and the sixth of his career – one of real fluency.Liam Patterson-White had accompanied him for 66 runs – one of six partnerships to pass 40 – before James Fuller pinned him lbw.But Hutton – who will be replaced by Josh Tongue from day three onwards after his release from the England squad – arrived to ignite the innings even further.Where fours had previously been struck, short balls were cannoned into the stands by both Hutton and James – combined they struck 12 in total – as any hope of containing them had disappeared for Hampshire.Nottinghamshire reached maximum batting points – which could be crucial in their Championship bid. They had started the round just a point behind leaders Surrey.Hutton picked out long-on for an 87-ball 71, but James kept going despite being disturbed by tea when on 197. He reached his double century with a flick to the boundary and a fist pump.Nottinghamshire immediately declared on 578 and gave Hampshire’s refreshed opening pair of Middleton and the recalled Weatherley a testing 32 overs – with Ali Orr absent with a concussion suffered in the Second XI.As it happened, both breezed through with sturdy defences, although the defensive nature could harm their quest for much needed bonus points in the long term.

The Tampa Bay Rays will be represented during Monday's Home Run Derby as 22-year-old Junior Caminero is among the eight-man player pool for the slugfest at Truist Park.

He'll be rocking what is maybe the most unique bat of any participant in this year's derby, too.

Caminero will take to the batter's box Monday night with a bat that's designed with an image of himself. The top of the bat is Caminero's blonde curly hair, and his sunglass-laden face covers the barrel. In the design on the bat, the infielder is depicted wearing a blue jersey that has his No. 13 on the back, and he's wearing a lime green chain which matches the handle of the bat.

Have a look at the spectacularly distinctive bat design Caminero will be using during the derby:

This is Caminero's first appearance in the Home Run Derby in what is just his second MLB season, and his first full one. In 91 games, he's showcased plenty of power at the plate, racking up 23 home runs, which ranks fourth in the American League, and 60 RBIs along with a .790 OPS.

He'll hope to put on a show and become the first Rays player to win the Home Run Derby in the franchise's history.