Usually in baseball, the true blockbuster trades take place the All-Star Game. This can create awkward situations at the game itself—remember shortstop Manny Machado's 2018 exit from the Baltimore Orioles?—but rarely does it affect the balloting for the Midsummer Classic.

That's not the case this year. On Sunday, the Boston Red Sox traded designated hitter Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants for four players—in effect forcing him to change horses in mid-All-Star race.

As Tim Healey of pointed out Monday, Devers's nearly 800,000 All-Star votes will now transfer from the American League to National League. That puts him a distant second to baseball's most famous designated hitter—Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The new American League leader is Ryan O'Hearn of the Orioles, who is slashing .310/.391/.502 in a solid year for the league's most disappointing team.

Devers previously made All-Star appearances in 2021, 2022 and 2024. He is 1-for-2 lifetime with a double and a walk in the contest.

Arsenal have now made a strong move to sign a “special” Paris Saint-Germain star, who is still yet to accept an offer to extend his stay at the Parc des Princes.

Gunners under pressure after Aston Villa defeat

The Gunners’ lead at the summit of the Premier League table was reduced to just two points on Saturday, after slipping up at Villa Park, with Emiliano Buendia netting a stoppage-time winner to secure all three points for the hosts.

Gary Neville has suggested the defeat shouldn’t be a major cause for concern, given that Aston Villa are a good side, saying: “That’s a game you can lose. I wouldn’t be panicking at all if I was Arsenal off the back of that. You’re going to lose a game or two, you just are, and you’re going to win a lot of games.”

However, after coming second three years on the spin, Mikel Arteta’s side may be feeling the pressure, with Manchester City now breathing down their necks, and the north Londoners are looking to strengthen their squad in the January transfer window.

That is according to a report from Le10 Sport (via Sport Witness), which states Arsenal have now made a strong move to sign Paris Saint-Germain forward Bradley Barcola, who isn’t entirely happy at the French club, and is still yet to put pen to paper on a new contract.

PSG have made an offer to Barcola, which would see his salary increase significantly from £111k-a-week, but he is yet to commit to a new deal, amid interest from the Gunners and Premier League rivals Liverpool, who are very active contenders.

Arteta’s side have been interested in the French forward for quite some time, and the latest development is exciting, as there are plenty of signs he could be a fantastic addition to the squad…

"Special" Barcola could be exciting signing for Arsenal

With Gabriel Martinelli not in the best of form, receiving widespread criticism for some of his performances this season, it may be a savvy move to sign a new left-winger, and the PSG star has been in impressive form.

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Indeed, the 18-time France international has already amassed eight goal contributions in 18 matches this term, while also receiving very high praise from scout Ben Mattinson earlier this year, who described proved him as “one of the best left wingers in Europe”.

Not only that, but the 23-year-old also ranks extremely highly across a range of key attacking statistics over the past year, when compared to his positional peers.

Statistic

Average per 90 (past year)

Assists

0.42 (95th percentile)

Progressive carries

5.13 (87th percentile)

Touches (Att pen)

8.72 (98th percentile)

Should the opportunity present itself, Arsenal should definitely step up their interest in Barcola, and it is promising news they have already made a strong move to secure his signature.

Coventry City are now reportedly plotting a January deal to sign a Premier League midfielder, who desperately needs a move after playing just two minutes of top-flight action so far this season.

"Frustrated" Coventry must bounce back vs Bristol City

Coventry were cruising at the top of the Championship two weeks ago. Now, however, their lead at the top has been cut to just five points and one more slip-up could see Middlesbrough apply greater pressure than ever before this season.

Manager Frank Lampard admitted his frustration after failing to bounce back from a 3-0 thumping at the hands of Ipswich Town and drawing 1-1 with Preston North End, thanks to Daniel Jebbison’s late equaliser.

The last thing that Lampard needs is a reminder of his past failure in the hunt for Championship promotion and Coventry would be wise to act in January to avoid an all too familiar repeat.

On that front, the Sky Blues could turn to the Premier League to get them over the line and, more specifically, Sunderland’s Dan Neil. The midfielder has struggled for minutes in Wearside this season, but has caught the attention of those in the Championship.

Coventry plotting Dan Neil move

Coventry are now plotting a January deal to sign Neil, according to TeamTalk, and there’s no doubt that the Sunderland man needs a move away from Wearside next month.

The midfielder has gone from lifting the playoff trophy at Wembley as Sunderland’s captain to playing just two minutes of Premier League action following the arrival of Granit Xhaka.

With just over six months left on his current deal, the Black Cats are reportedly ready to cash in, providing Coventry with the perfect opportunity to welcome last season’s promotion hero.

Although Neil has struggled to make an impact in the Premier League, it’s tough to doubt his ability to make his mark in the Championship following Sunderland’s promotion.

It was in the second tier that the 23-year-old earned the most praise from Regis Le Bris, with the Sunderland boss telling reporters last January: “The individual output is not maybe as big as expected but it is still very important for the team. You can feel how strong he is as an individual player. At the same, the role he has for the balance of the team is very important.”

Neil played a pivotal part in the Black Cats’ promotion and may yet get the chance to help Coventry over the line in January.

Mykhailo Mudryk’s career at Chelsea remains in limbo as the Ukrainian winger continues serving a provisional suspension.

The £88.5 million signing last featured for the Blues in November 2024, scoring in a Conference League victory over Heidenheim before disappearing from matchday squads entirely.

The FA formally charged Mudryk in June following confirmation that his ‘B’ sample tested positive for meldonium, a prohibited performance-enhancing substance.

The charge carries potential sanctions ranging from several months to a maximum four-year ban, though significant uncertainty surrounds the case’s resolution timeline.

Mudryk has steadfastly maintained his innocence throughout the ordeal, insisting the positive test came as ‘complete shock’ and that he never knowingly consumed banned substances.

Ukrainian journalist Igor Burbas offered an intriguing explanation, suggesting Mudryk received a stem cell injection during national team duty to address discomfort that was limiting his performance.

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According to the report, these stem cells allegedly originated from a cow exposed to meldonium, inadvertently contaminating Mudryk’s sample.

Shakhtar Donetsk chief executive Sergei Palkin recently confirmed Mudryk passed a polygraph test and continues building his defence case, though formal results remain pending.

Palkin revealed substantial financial stakes beyond Mudryk’s career, with Shakhtar potentially forfeiting €30 million in performance-related bonuses if the winger cannot return to action.

Chelsea have provided Mudryk with an individualised fitness programme during his exile from the Cobham training ground, though his number ten shirt was reassigned to Cole Palmer this summer.

The club also signed Alejandro Garnacho and Jamie Gittens during his absence, significantly diminishing his prospects of a first-team role under Enzo Maresca, even if the 24-year-old is eventually cleared.

Luckily for Mudryk, the west Londoners apparently have a plan for that scenario.

Chelsea hatch Mykhaylo Mudryk plan in roadmap to rescue his career

According to reports from Spain, Chelsea have devised a ‘carefully considered’ strategy to ‘rescue’ Mudryk’s career following his prolonged doping suspension that has sidelined him for over a year.

The club apparently plan to loan him to sister club Strasbourg, their sister club in Ligue 1, once his ban concludes.

Rather than severing ties with their near-£100 million investment, Chelsea believe a spell in French football offers Mudryk the ideal environment to rebuild both physically and mentally.

The move would also provide fewer eyes compared to the Premier League’s intense spotlight, allowing Mudryk to rediscover his confidence through regular competitive action.

Stamford Bridge officials view the Strasbourg loan as mutually beneficial for all parties.

Mudryk gains essential playing time in a competitive league without overwhelming pressure, while Strasbourg acquire a player of significant talent, and Chelsea can monitor his development from a safe distance before determining his long-term future.

Contracted until 2031, BlueCo still have plenty of time to weigh up a decision on this, and hope that they can recover at least some of the eye-watering cash they spent on Mudryk in 2023.

While Manchester United came from behind to defeat a stubborn Crystal Palace side last weekend, Ruben Amorim’s side could not follow that up with another victory.

This time, they dropped points at the hands of lowly West Ham. Diogo Dalot scored a rare goal but Soungoutou Magassa scored from a corner late on to rescue a share of the points for Nuno Santo’s men.

Unsurprisingly, the 1-1 result did not go down well with Amorim.

Amorim speaks out following West Ham draw

Amorim made his anger and frustration clear after his team drew with the Hammers on Thursday evening.

“It’s frustrating, it’s angry, that’s it,” he said.

“It’s not going backwards. The results are going backwards. We had some moments. That can happen. You were talking about when we had that run that team was really perfect and saying we are not that far from being in the perfect moment. We are really inconsistent. But if you look at the goal, 83 minutes, we have a long ball, we have everything under control and we need to do better.”

Amorim plans to debrief his players on Friday when he has cooled down, rather than hit a giant television in the dressing room like he did after the 3-1 loss to Brighton in January.

The Portuguese mentioned that incident after this latest setback. “In that regard, I’m almost always consistent,” he said. “I had one [outburst] and you know. Brighton last year. I will talk to them tomorrow. I always have the feeling – I think everyone has the feeling – that we need to score more goals. Even with Brighton (in October) we were 3-0 (up) and then suddenly (we conceded twice). We suffer with that, we are inconsistent and we need to improve.”

United return to action against a winless Wolves side next Monday but cannot take things for granted after failing to beat the team 18th at Old Trafford.

For that game, it’s likely that young central defender Ayden Heaven won’t be in the team again

Heaven disappoints in first half cameo

Signed from Arsenal nearly ago, the centre-back has made a promising start to life in United colours but this was perhaps his worst senior performance to date.

The 19-year-old was handed his first Premier League start of the campaign and sadly did not do too much to warrant being given a role in the team.

Heaven’s performance lasted just 45 minutes before Amorim decided to withdraw him at the break.

Despite being so young, it was a performance that took criticism, chiefly from journalist Samuel Luckhurst who took to social media in the first half to say that the Englishman had a “pretty torrid opening 11 minutes” at the back.

Luckhurst said in full: “Pretty torrid opening 11 minutes from Heaven. Got too tight against Wilson, booked and even that back pass did Lammens no favours. Big call pitting him against Wilson.”

The teenager’s numbers did not make for pretty reading either. He failed to make a single tackle, make an interception or win any of his duels. He also completed just six passes and had fewer touches (17) and Senne Lammens.

While Heaven is still young, he clearly has a lot of improving and maturing to do before he’s ready to start regular games at his level.

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حقق الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ريال مدريد، فوزًا مهمًا على حساب أتلتيك بلباو، بثلاثية نظيفة، في المباراة التي جمعتهما ضمن منافسات الدوري الإسباني.

وواجه ريال مدريد نظيره أتلتيك بلباو مساء اليوم، الأربعاء في إطار منافسات الجولة الـ19 المقدمة من بطولة الدوري الإسباني.

واستضاف ملعب “سان ماميس” مباراة ريال مدريد بقيادة تشابي ألونسو وأتلتيك بلباو، في الجولة الاستثنائية من “لا ليجا”.

بتلك النتيجة، رفع ريال مدريد رصيده إلى النقطة 36 في المركز الثاني بجدول ترتيب الدوري الإسباني، بفارق نقطة وحيدة عن برشلونة المتصدر.

جاءت أول أهداف المباراة عن طريق النجم الفرنسي كيليان مبابي، إذ نجح في تسجيل الهدف الأول في الدقيقة 7، حيث استقبل الكرة من أرنولد وراوغ لاعب بلباو في نصف ملعب الخصم وركض بالكرة ناحية المرمى وسددها على يسار الحارس سيمون.

وقدم مبابي أيضًا تمريرة حاسمة إلى كامافينجا ليسجل الهدف الثاني في المباراة لينتهي الشوط الاول بتقدم ريال مدريد بثنائية.

وفي الدقيقة 59، أحرز مبابي الهدف الثالث لصالح ريال مدريد في مرمى بلباو بعدما سدد تسديدة قوية للغاية سكنت شباك أوناي سيمون.

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وشهدت المباراة إصابة ترينت ألكسندر أرنولد في شوط المباراة الثاني ولم يستطع استكمال مباراته الرابعة على التوالي.

وظهر الظهير الأيمن الإنجليزي بمستوى ثابت فور عودته من الإصابة التي حدثت له أمام مارسيليا في الجولة الأولى من بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا، لذلك تعتبر تلك الإصابة بمثابة انتكاسة جديدة لـ تشابي ألونسو.

وفي الدقيقة 68، غادر إدوارد كامافينجا المباراة بعد الهدف الثاني الذي أحرزه كيليان مبابي، للإصابة وحل مكانه أردا جولر.

وقدم ريال مدريد مباراة جيدة للغاية على مستوى الإحصائيات إذ سدد رجال ألونسو 8 تسديدات على المرمى منهم 6 بين القائمين والعارضة.

واستحوذ على الكرة بنسبة 58% بعد تمرير الكرة 427 تمريرة، فيما جاءت نسبة استحواذ أتلتيك بلباو على الكرة 42% بعدد تمريرات 258. أهداف مباراة ريال مدريد وأتلتيك بلباو في الدوري الإسباني

Arsenal have been almost faultless this season, but on Sunday, their unbeaten run finally came to an end.

Mikel Arteta’s side once again came unstuck at the hands of Unai Emery’s Aston Villa and now sit just two points clear of Manchester City atop the Premier League table.

It wasn’t a dreadful showing from the league leaders, but it was a disappointing and potentially worrying one.

Moreover, it was another game in which a particular player flattered to deceive, a player who could end up being Arteta’s worst signing since Fabio Vieira.

What went wrong for Fabio Vieira at Arsenal

Arsenal fans largely remember the summer of 2022 as the window when Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko arrived from Manchester City and helped the team on their first title charge in a generation.

However, that summer also saw the club sign Vieira from Porto for around £34m, and while it was a surprise move, it was an exciting one.

After all, the Portuguese midfielder had just come off a campaign in which he produced 23 goal involvements in 39 games.

Unfortunately, aside from the odd moment of brilliance, the Santa Maria da Feira-born talent failed to make much of a mark during his first season in North London, racking up a tally of just two goals and six assists in 33 first-team appearances.

Things would only get worse the following season, as a combination of injuries, poor form and suspensions limited him to just 16 appearances, in which he scored one goal and provided four assists.

With two disappointing campaigns under his belt in as many years, the 25-year-old was sent back to Porto on loan for 24/25, where he did improve, but only marginally and ended the season with a tally of 11 goal involvements in 42 games.

The Portuguese giants did not want to bring their player back on a permanent deal this year, and so, with few other options, the Gunners agreed to send him on another loan, this time to Hamburg, with an option to buy.

Season

22/23

23/24

Appearances

33

16

Goals

2

1

Assists

6

3

Goal Involvements per Match

0.24

0.25

In all, it’s clear that Vieira is a talented player, but it’s equally clear he is not, and never was, good enough to play for Arsenal.

Worryingly, the same might eventually be said about another of Arteta’s signings, someone who could go down as his worst since the Portuguese midfielder lest he improve, and quickly.

Arsenal star in danger of becoming Arteta's worst signing since Vieira

Overall, it would be fair to say that Arsenal’s summer business this year was a success.

Chalkboard

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

The likes of Eberchi Eze, Martin Zubimendi and Noni Madueke, for example, have all looked good to great so far.

However, there is one signing who has divided opinion more than any other, and is in danger of being labelled a flop if he doesn’t improve: Viktor Gyokeres.

Now, before the pitchforks and torches come out, there is every chance the Swedish international will prove his doubters wrong and become the goalscoring monster Arsenal need him to be.

Unfortunately, there have been few signs of that happening so far this season.

For example, in 17 appearances so far, the former Sporting “powerhouse” forward, as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, has scored just six goals, which is not terrible, but it’s not enough for someone who wants to lead the line for a title-winning side.

Minutes

50′

Shots

0

Expected Assists

0.03

Key Passes

0

Touches

11

Lost Possession

6

Passes

4

Crosses (Accurate)

1 (0)

Moreover, the game against Villa on Saturday was another one in which he failed to stamp his authority on things.

The 27-year-old came on at half-time, but in his 50 minutes of action, he took just 11 touches, lost the ball six times, completed four passes, failed to take a single shot or create a single big chance.

It was a worrying display, and one that could easily see the likes of Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus leapfrog him in the pecking order when they are both fully fit.

Ultimately, while there is time for him to make his mark on this team, Gyokeres has underdelivered for Arsenal so far this year and is in real danger of becoming Arteta’s worst permanent signing since Vieira.

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MatériaMais Notícias

O Campeonato Brasileiro, no formato mais próximo do que conhecemos hoje era ainda uma criança. Estava na sua quinta edição. E o Internacional já tinha um terceiro e dois quarto lugares na competição. Com Rubens Minelli na casamata e um time com Manga no gol, Elias Figueroa na zaga, Falcão e Carpegiani no meio, e Valdomiro, Flávio Bicudo e Lula na frente, o Colorado cruzou definitivamente o rio Mampituba naquele 14 de dezembro de 1975. A história dos 50 anos do primeiro título brasileiro do Alvirrubro começou, porém, antes. O Lance! lembra como foi aquele título. 

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasInternacionalExclusivo: os oito dias que salvaram o Internacional da Série BInternacional13/12/2025InternacionalInternacional aguarda por resposta de TiteInternacional12/12/2025InternacionalGigante argentino está de olho em lateral do InternacionalInternacional12/12/2025

➡️Tudo sobre o Colorado agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Internacional

Antes da história alvirrubra na competição, que começou em 20 de agosto, vale uma explicação da fórmula. É jovens, eram anos de formulismo, nada de pontos corridos. Assim, vamos a ela:

1ª fase: dois grupos de dez times e dois de 11. Turno único com enfrentamentos cruzados entre as chaves (A x B e C x D). Os cinco primeiros passavam;2ª fase: dois grupos de dez, turno único com jogos dentro da chave, seis primeiros passavam;3ª fase: dois grupos de oito, turno único com duelos dentro da chave, o dois primeiros de cada vão a semifinal;Semifinal: jogo único na casa do time de melhor campanha;Final: jogo único na casa do time de melhor campanha.

Vocês pensam que terminou, não. Naquele ano, a então CBD – antecessora da CBF – decidiu inovar. Vitórias com mais de um gol de diferença valiam três pontos. Vitórias por apenas um gol de diferença, dois. Empate, um.

continua após a publicidadeBom, vamos à campanha colorada

O título colorado teve uma caminhada de 30 partidas juntando todas as fases. Foram 19 vitórias, oito empates e somente três vitórias. O time de Minelli marcou 51 gols e sofreu 12. O centroavante Flávio Minuano foi o goleador da competição, com 16 bolas na rede.

Primeira fase

O Inter teve 11 jogos, com oito vitórias, dois empates e uma derroga, somando 23 pontos, com 24 gols a favor e cinco contra.

Os resultadosInter 3×1 FigueirenseVitória 0x5 InterGoiânia 0x1 InterPortuguesa 0x2 InterInter 1×1 GrêmioInter 1×0 Santa CruzInter 1×0 SantosInter 5×0 SergipeAmérica-RN 1×1 InterCampinense 0x3 InterFlamengo 2×1 InterSegunda fase

O Alvirrubro somou 19 pontos em dez jogos, com cinco vitórias, quatro empates e uma derrota. Foram 15 gols para os vermelhos, que tomaram quatro.

continua após a publicidadeOs resultadosAtlético-MG 0x2 InterInter 2×0 TiradentesInter 1×1 CruzeiroInter 4×0 RemoInter 3×1 FluminenseInter 1×1 CorinthiansAmérica-RJ 1×0 InterCoritiba 0x0 InterInter 2×0 GuaraniPalmeiras 0x0 InterTerceira fase

Falcão e cia chegaram a 12 pontos em sete jogos, com quatro vitórias, dois empates e uma derrota. Nove gols a favor e três contra.

Os resultadosSanta Cruz 1×0 InterInter 3×1 Sport RecifeSão Paulo 0x0 InterInter 1×0 GrêmioNáutico 0x1 InterInter 1×1 FlamengoInter 3×0 PortuguesaSemifinal – Superando a Máquina Tricolor

O desafio da semifinal era gigante. O Inter enfrentava a Máquina Tricolor. Naquele ano, o Fluminense comandado pelo técnico Didi, meio-campista bicampeão do mundo, 1958 e 1962, tinha estrelas com Rivellino, Paulo César Caju e Félix, todos presentes no tri do Brasil em 1970.

O Inter, porém, foi superior. Enquanto o volante Caçapava anulava Rivellino, o ponta-esquerda Lula e o meia Carpegiani faziam os gols que deram a vitória ao time gaúcho.

✅ FICHA TÉCNICA

FLUMINENSE 0 X 1 INTERNACIONAL
SEMIFINAL – CAMPEONATO BRASILEIRO 1975
🗓️ Data: 7 de dezembro de 1975
📍 Local: estádio Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro (RJ)
🥅 Gols: Lula (33’/1°T) e Carpegiani (30’/2°T)
🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Público: 97.908.
⚽ ESCALAÇÕES
FLUMINENSE (Técnico: Didi)
Félix; Toninho, Silveira, Edinho e Marco Antônio; Zé Mário (Carlos Alberto Torres), Paulo César Caju e Rivelino; Gil, Manfrini e Zé Roberto (Cléber).
INTERNACAIONAL (Técnico: Rubens Minelli)
Manga; Valdir, Hermínio, Figueroa e Chico Fraga; Caçapava, Carpegiani e Falcão; Valdomiro (Jair), Lula e Flávio.

Final – O título do gol iluminado

Então, chegamos a este domingo, há 50 anos na verdade. O histórico, para os colorados, 14 de dezembro de 1975. O Cruzeiro, que havia passado pelo Santa Cruz-PE na semifinal, era um adversário temido. Ainda era o famoso Trem Azul, a música de Lô Borges. Tinha craques da estirpe de Raul, Nelinho, Piazza, Palhinha e Joãozinho.

O jogo foi truncado, com poucas chances para os dois times e um duelo particular entre o goleiro Manga e o lateral e exímio cobrador de faltas Nelinho. O Inter chegou ao gol da vitória aos 11 minutos da etapa final, com gol de cabeça de Elias Figueroa após cobrança de falta de Valdomiro. O famoso Gol Iluminado.

✅ FICHA TÉCNICA
INTERNACIONAL 1 X 0 CRUZEIRO
FINAL – CAMPEONATO BRASILEIRO 1975
🗓️ Data: 14 de dezembro de 1975
📍 Local: estádio Beira-Rio, Porto Alegre (RS)
🥅 Gols: Figueroa (11’/2°T)
🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Público: 82.568.
⚽ ESCALAÇÕES
INTERNACAIONAL (Técnico: Rubens Minelli)
Manga; Valdir, Figueroa, Hermínio, Chico Fraga; Caçapava, Falcão, Carpegiani; Valdomiro (Jair), Flávio e Lula.
CRUZEIRO (Técnico: Zezé Moreira) Raul; Nelinho, Darci Menezes, Morais, Isidoro; Piazza, Zé Carlos, Eduardo; Roberto Batata, Palhinha e Joãozinho.

Tudo sobre

BrasileirãoFutebol NacionalInternacionalLancepedia

After choosing to bowl, West Indies picked up nine wickets on a rain-affected day

Hemant Brar01-Dec-2025

Michael Bracewell and Nathan Smith’s 52-run stand for the seventh wicket ensured New Zealand ended the rain-affected opening day on an even keel. In seam-friendly conditions at the Hagley Oval, Kane Williamson had set the platform with a half-century but once he fell, New Zealand collapsed to 148 for 6. They looked in danger of being bowled out under 200 before the lower order steered them to 231 for 9 at stumps.After winning the toss, West Indies captain Roston Chase had no hesitation in opting to bowl first. Apart from the overcast conditions and a green pitch, Chase also pointed to the venue’s history. Of the 15 Tests played here, including the current one, only once has a team opted to bat after winning the toss, South Africa in 2022.Kemar Roach, playing his first Test since January 2025, took only three balls to prove his captain right. Bowling around the wicket, he pitched one up in the channel. Devon Conway hung his bat out, got a healthy outside edge, and Justin Greaves did the rest at second slip.Related

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Zak Foulkes gears up for 'really special' homecoming at Hagley Oval

But rain arrived after just 3.3 overs and halted play for 90 minutes. Another shower towards the end of the first session meant only 10.3 overs were possible before an early lunch was taken. New Zealand scored only 17 in that period.Williamson upped the scoring rate after lunch, hitting Johann Layne for two fours in three balls. While he was not always in control, he played late and defended with soft hands, like he always does. That helped him survive and also score runs on a difficult pitch.Debutant Ojay Shields had a forgettable start. His first ball in Test cricket was short and wide and a front-foot no-ball. Tom Latham, who was on 2 off 47 until then, cut it away for four. In his next over, Shields bowled Williamson through the gate but had once again overstepped.Kane Williamson celebrates his half-century•Getty Images

That showed there was still help from the pitch but Layne and Shields were not disciplined enough to take advantage of it. But Greaves was. In his back-to-back overs, he removed Williamson and Latham. Williamson was squared up and caught at second slip; Latham nicked an overpitched delivery to the wicketkeeper.Soon after, Jayden Seales castled Rachin Ravindra with a full delivery from around the wicket. Will Young made only 14 before Layne had him caught at second slip, leaving New Zealand 120 for 5. It was Layne’s maiden Test wicket. Shields followed suit when Tom Blundell inside-edged one onto his stumps.Bracewell and Smith then got together and revived the innings. Bracewell was the aggressor in their stand, while Smith defended well. Chase eventually broke the stand when Smith flicked one uppishly to short midwicket.Bracewell realised there was not much batting left and started taking more risks. The strategy didn’t work for long, though. On 47, he miscued a pull to give Shields his second wicket. Matt Henry also fell to the short ball, caught off Roach for 8. Two balls later, Roach hit Jacob Duffy on the helmet with another bouncer. As the physio came out for a concussion test, the umpires realised it had gotten too dark to continue.As a result, only 70 overs were possible in the day’s play. In those 70 overs, West Indies gave away 23 extras, which could prove to be decisive in these conditions.

A restructured FairBreak has promised to create “the Wimbledon of cricket” in partnership with Saudi Arabia, which will see 90 women’s players from both Full Member and Associate teams compete at an elite level in a multi-team T20 event. The tournament, which has its roots in the FairBreak Invitational, has, through Saudi Cricket, applied for ICC sanction and will run for five years starting in 2026.”It’s an event played in one city, one stadium, with one hotel where everybody stays and it’s over in two weeks,” Ramasamy Venkatesh, FairBreak’s MD, told ESPNcricinfo. “It means that every day at breakfast, women across different countries and teams will be mixing, chatting, and forming relationships. Then you get players contacting their heroes like Shabnim Ismail and Katherine Sciver-Brunt and asking them questions as they continue playing. That kind of relationship-building and feedback is invaluable.”FairBreak, which was founded in 2013 by former Australian captain Lisa Sthalekar and her manager Shaun Martyn, seeks to champion the cause of gender equality in cricket and democratise the space for women across the playing spectrum. After several invitational fixtures, it launched its first tournament in 2022, which included six teams.Related

• Saudi Cricket, FairBreak announce new Women's World T20 Challenge

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• Women's World Cup 2029 to have ten teams

What makes it distinct from other franchise competitions is that there is no auction and squads are decided by a panel of between four and six selectors. Each squad composition is the same, with half the players coming from Full Members and the other half from Associates. Players are paid across four salary bands ranging from US$20,000 for category A to US$5,000 for category D (category B players earn US$15,000 and C players US$10,000). These signature features will remain in place for the upcoming event.All six teams will be owned by FairBreak, with the option to partner with a corporate sponsor for brand rights. Previous sponsors included the Barmy Army, and FairBreak intends to procure others, especially as that could impact players’ remuneration.”Our interest is always to increase the compensation to the women to make it more remunerative for them because we want the girls to be paid equally as men. That’s our long-term vision,” Venkatesh said. “If we get enough sponsorships to support an increase in pay, the first thing we’ll do this time is to increase the pay for the women.”The event has previously featured players from 35 countries, but none from India as the previous editions clashed with domestic tournaments in India. With FairBreak eyeing a September-October window that will fall after the Women’s Hundred and before the WBBL – both events that Indian players participate in – it is hoped there will be no obstacles to Indian players taking part this time. While only retired Indian men’s players can get NOCs to play in overseas leagues, active Indian women’s players have been involved in T20 leagues around the world, and FairBreak and Cricket Saudi are hopeful of achieving the same for this tournament.Chiefly, FairBreak’s focus is on casting the net as wide as possible to involve as many ICC members as they can. That will include Saudi Arabia, where there is a significant expat sporting community and women mostly play tape-ball cricket. “Right now, Full Member nations are getting a good amount of cricket, especially India, England, New Zealand, South Africa, Australia,” Venkatesh said. “Our aim is to make sure Associate nations can also take the step up to the higher levels. Today, women’s cricket is the fastest growing segment of cricket.”Shizuka Miyaji of Japan also played in the FairBreak tournament•FairBreak Global

Recognition of this growth is growing after the ICC launched an Emerging Nations Trophy for women last month and confirmed the expansion of the Women’s ODI World Cup. FairBreak, while not part of the ICC, works in the same area of development and aims to continue to partner with member countries to raise the profile of the women’s game, especially as their organisation has come through a period of uncertainty to find stability.After their inaugural event in 2022 in the UAE, FairBreak held a second tournament in 2023 in Hong Kong and appeared to be growing. They were due to hold a third event in 2023 in the USA which was initially pushed back to 2024 and then postponed indefinitely. Venkatesh explained that the logistical challenges of hosting the 2024 event with the Women’s T20 World Cup in October that year and several other tours prompted the organisation’s decision to hold off as they also faced internal changes.In 2026 too, the new FairBreak tournament will face the challenge of a calendar clash with the women’s Asia Cup, which is also scheduled for mid-September to early October as of now, along with bilateral tours such as England touring Ireland for six white-ball matches in September and West Indies hosting Zimbabwe for eight white-ball matches mid-September onwards.Martyn stepped down in January 2024 and Venkatesh, who is also the founder of a multi-national healthcare group Gencor and an ICC Development Panel umpire, was confirmed the MD in September this year. By that time, talks on another tournament were in full swing and FairBreak had identified the Middle East as a potential region for an event. They began negotiations in the first quarter of 2025 and believe they have signed a deal that will ensure their “sustainability” into the future.