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Fast bowler returns to group with England considering changes for The Oval

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Jul-2025England have brought Jamie Overton back into their squad for the fifth Test against India. The addition of Overton, who played for Surrey in the County Championship last week, is the only change to the group from Old Trafford, where India salvaged a fighting draw to keep the series alive.England’s bowlers shouldered a heavy workload in vain during the fourth Test, sending down 257.1 overs across two innings, and captain Ben Stokes admitted afterwards that fresh legs might be required with a three-day turnaround between Tests.”If you look at how long we’ve been out in the field and the overs that we bowled as a bowling unit, everyone is going to be pretty sore and pretty tired going into the last game of the series,” he said. “There’ll be an assessment of everyone, and hopefully we can use these next two or three days’ rest period wisely and then have to make a decision.England squad for fifth Test against India•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“These recovery days are going to be pretty important, and we might have to make a few decisions to get some fresh legs in. But that won’t be decided until we get closer to the last game.”England have largely kept the same attack during the four Tests to date, with Jofra Archer replacing Josh Tongue after two games and Liam Dawson coming in for the injured Shoiab Bashir at Old Trafford the only changes. Chris Woakes has bowled more overs (167) than anyone on either side, while Brydon Carse (155) and Stokes (140) are not far behind. Archer, meanwhile, has only just returned to Test cricket after a four-year absence.Gus Atkinson had been expected to be involved by this stage of the series and could come in for Woakes, having proved his fitness after a hamstring injury while playing for Surrey’s 2nd XI last week. Tongue, who is still England’s second-leading wicket-taker in the series with 11, may also be in contention, while a recall for Overton would see him playing Test cricket for the first time since his debut Test in 2022.England have cancelled their training session for Tuesday to allow the players more recovery time, and will reconvene at The Oval on Wednesday.

England squad for the fifth Test against India

Ben Stokes (capt), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes

Daniel Farke’s reputation as a ropey Premier League manager is back under the spotlight at Leeds United.

The under-fire German has now lost a colossal 40 matches at the intimidating level from the 59 games he’s taken charge of, as the Whites worryingly looked like relegation fodder last time out in a 3-0 loss at Brighton and Hove Albion.

It’s not quite as bad as his Norwich City end days just yet, with Farke’s Canaries falling to an embarrassing 7-0 defeat at the hands of Chelsea all the way back in 2021.

But, his dismal record in the division just doesn’t make for pretty reading, as he now attempts to guide Leeds up the table.

He could have to think outside of the box, soon, if he feels he’s being let down consistently by his senior personnel, as a whole host of exciting U21 talents are coming through currently in West Yorkshire…

The biggest stars in Leeds' academy

Throughout his time in the Elland dug-out to date, Farke has often chucked young talents into the first team mix when he’s deemed them to be ready, having once kick-started Archie Gray’s ascent to stardom.

With Dominic Calvert-Lewin misfiring as of late, he might well be tempted to look at another Gray and launch Harry Gray into the senior side, with the 17-year-old already up to 15 goals for the U18s and U21s, despite recent injury setbacks.

Moreover, Alfie Cresswell could soon fancy his own chances, having captained the U21s this season from defensive midfield, with the 18-year-old – who can also play in defence – also collecting three goals for his troubles.

But, it could be down the right wing where Farke is looking to bring in some youthful reinforcements, having had to rely on a hot-and-cold Brenden Aaronson in his spot on the pitch for most of the season so far.

That has resulted in the versatile American only collecting one meagre goal for his efforts, with Farke having to persist with the up-and-down 25-year-old, owing to both Daniel James and Wilfried Gnonto being unfortunate with injuries.

Yet, there could be an in-house replacement now staring Farke in the face. Like Cresswell and Gray, he’s a hotly-tipped teenage sensation.

Leeds' surprise Aaronson replacement

All the young starlets over the years who have been generously handed a first-team opportunity at Leeds must dream that they can become the next homegrown ace to make it.

Only a select few do, unfortunately, but Connor Douglas will back himself that he can be a success story in the senior ranks down the line, having already been branded as a “joy to watch” by PureFootball Trent Gaffney for his previous heroics on the youth pitches in West Yorkshire.

Yet, despite receiving such glowing praise and collecting an impressive 12 goals and nine assists from 66 appearances in youth circles to date, the 20-year-old is still without a Leeds first-team chance.

That could soon change, however, particularly if Farke wants to look more left-field for an Aaronson replacement, with the adaptable number 52 collecting ten of his 21 goal contributions for the U21s from the right wing spot, an area of the pitch that isn’t best suited to the ex-Union Berlin man.

With Douglas’ senior contract also only in play until next summer, it does feel as if it’s make-or-break time for the young Englishman, if he wants to make an impression in the senior game.

Even lining up as a right-back and as a striker on occasion for the U21s, it’s clear that Douglas is a jack of all trades.

But, in the here and now, with a goal and an assist next to his name in the Premier League 2 this season when playing predominantly down the right flank, he could be a shock replacement for Aaronson.

Leeds have a "wrecking ball" out on loan who can put DCL on borrowed time

Leeds United have an impressive star out on loan who can put Dominic Calvert-Lewin on borrowed time already at Elland Road.

By
Kelan Sarson

Nov 3, 2025

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.

Head coach says Ashes is ‘marathon, not sprint’ after crushing collapse inside two days at Perth

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Nov-2025

Ollie Pope looks on in vain as Australia pile on the runs•Getty Images

Brendon McCullum, England’s head coach, said that his beaten players would double down on their team unity after a chastening loss in the first Test at Perth, and vowed to block out the outside noise after what he acknowledged was “a very bad day”.Speaking to TNT Sports after Travis Head’s 69-ball century had condemned England to a crushing eight-wicket defeat inside two days, McCullum revealed he had been confident of his team’s chances of defending a slender total of 205, on a pitch that had offered pace and movement throughout, and on which Australia had been rolled aside for 132 in their first innings.Instead, Head came out swinging as a stand-in opener for the injured Usman Khawaja, and succeeded in knocking England off the aggressive lengths that had worked so well for their five-pronged pace attack on the opening day.”I thought 200 was actually a pretty good score for us to try and defend in the last innings,” McCullum said. “But the way Travis Head played was absolutely outstanding. It’s one of the best knocks I’ve seen in a pressure situation on a tough wicket.”I spoke to Gilly [former Australia wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist] about five minutes before their last innings, and he said, ‘I think you guys have got 30 too many’. I said, ‘I hope so’, but we might have needed another 230 the way that Travis played.”Fair play. We’ve always said that if someone’s able to stand up to what we throw at them, and be able to put us under pressure and deliver a performance such as that, then you have to tip your cap.”Head had been trapped on the back foot throughout a tentative first innings, scoring 21 from 35 balls from No. 5, before falling to a loose pull to mid-on off Ben Stokes. This time, however, he took the offensive option with 16 fours and four sixes, and grew in aggression throughout a first-wicket stand of 75 with the debutant Jake Weatherald, before adding 117 more with Marnus Labuschagne.With doubts about Khawaja’s fitness after a back spasm, and with Australia’s top-order in a state of flux coming into the series, Head may have made the role his own for the rest of the series – just as he did in powering Australia to ODI World Cup glory two years ago.”We will look at how we can control things better if that confronts us again,” McCullum said. “But at the same time, you’ve got to just acknowledge how special that knock was, particularly out of batting position as well. I thought was a brave call from the Australian coaches and from Travis Head as well, to put himself up the order.”Ironically, despite the extent of England’s own batting failings at Perth, with all 20 of their wickets falling in just 67.3 overs across the two days, Head’s success has encouraged McCullum to double down on their own policy of going hard at Australia’s bowlers.”Clearly, they wanted to try and make that ball as soft as what they could, as quickly as they could,” he said. “You do that through two ways. Right? You either do it through absorbing pressure and letting them all go through to the keeper, or you try and do what Travis he did, and batter it to all parts and make teams go away from their lengths. And he was superb.”As everyone knows, that’s the style of play that we try and replicate as well, to try and put opposition teams under pressure and take them away from bowling the most dangerous length. It doesn’t always work. And there were times today, with bat in hand, where we tried to do that, and it didn’t work. But the way that Travis Head played, he took the game away from us.”Case in point was the performance of Scott Boland, who bounced back from his rough first-innings figures of 10-0-62-0 to deliver the decisive spell of the day, immediately after lunch, as England lost 4 for 11 in 19 balls. Both of their set batters, Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope fell in consecutive overs after getting bogged down by Boland’s accuracy, and when Harry Brook and Joe Root tried to take the aggressive option before they had the measure of the conditions, they too both fell cheaply.Related

• England need to shut out the noise and look in the mirror

• Head: 'It's not going to get much bigger than this'

• Bareknuckle Baz-brawl produces Ashes all-nighter for the ages

• Live Report – Stunning Head century gives Australia 1-0 lead

• Travis Head's 69-ball ton secures remarkable two-day win for Australia

“Boland bowled exceptionally well,” McCullum said. “He hit the deck hard, his paces were up as well, particularly after I felt we were on top of him a little bit in the first innings. The way he came back was a really pivotal moment. We were 100 in front, one-down, there was a time for us to be able to try and manoeuvre the game more into our favour and start to build the lead.”But in the end, we got out. We nicked out a couple of wider balls, and some of our high-quality players, who are free-wheeling types of cricketers, weren’t quite able to put pressure back on the opposition. We found ourselves in a bit of a collapse, and that’s something we’ll have to look at.”But I never want us to go away from our style. That is our best opportunity to try and put opposition teams under pressure. Yes, there’s times where we have to throttle down, and times where we can power up, but the basic principle of how we try and operate as a team is to try and exert some pressure back on the opposition.”The magnitude and manner of the defeat means that the reaction in the local media, and from the fans – both English and Australian – is likely to be off the scale in the coming days, especially given some of the headlines that contributed to the pre-series phoney war.McCullum, however, backed the culture of the dressing-room to withstand the worst of the criticism, much as has been the case throughout the ups and downs of his three-and-a-half-year tenure.”We’ve been trying to insulate against reacting to things too much for a little while,” he said. “We know that this one’s going to hurt, and it’s going to hurt not just us, but all the English people that follow this cricket team as well.”There’ll be a lot of a lot of chatter. For us, it’s a matter of making sure that we don’t allow our confidence and our camaraderie to dip too low. We know that at our best, we’re a very good cricket team. We have now got an extended amount of time off over the next 10 to 12 days to make sure that when we get to Brisbane, we bounce back.”One of my big beliefs is you got to build that unity, that cohesion, the connectivity and that camaraderie within a team for when you are under the biggest pressure, and the brightest lights, and things haven’t worked out accordingly. To me, there is no other way other than to stay together, and keep backing one another, and keep heading towards the target.”This is a marathon, not a sprint. We’ve had a very bad day today, but we’ve done it before. That’s our blueprint. We’re married to that, and we won’t back down from that over the next four Tests.”

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.