Tag Futebol

Brandon King, Kevlon Anderson and Johann Layne have earned maiden call-ups to the West Indies Test squad

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Jun-2025There was no place for Kemar Roach in West Indies’ squad for the upcoming home Test series against Australia, although the hosts have strengthened their batting by bringing back Shai Hope and John Campbell. They have also given a maiden call-up to Brandon King and Kevlon Anderson, while the fast-bowling attack has a new face in Johann Layne. Anderson Phillip has been retained.The third and final Test of the series in Jamaica, which kicks off the new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle for both teams, will also be a day-night Test. It will be the third day-night Test in the West Indies and the second at Sabina Park.Roach played West Indies’ last Test, in Pakistan, where he picked up two wickets in a 120-run win that squared the series. Only four wickets fell to quick bowlers in that game in Multan. Roach was in decent form in the Test series in Bangladesh prior to that, picking up nine wickets in two games. He has since played in the first-class West Indies Championship for Barbados and, more recently, for Surrey in the County Championship.WI vs Australia schedule

June 25-29 – 1st Test in Barbados
July 3-7 – 2nd Test in Grenada
July 12-16 – 3rd Test in Jamaica (day-night)

“Despite being under consideration, veteran pacer Kemar Roach has not been included and has been duly informed,” Cricket West Indies (CWI) said about the 36-year-old in a press statement.Layne, a 21-year-old fast-bowling allrounder from Barbados, came into the 16-man squad after picking up 63 first-class wickets in 17 matches. Trinidad & Tobago’s Phillip last played Test cricket in December 2022, the last of his two appearances, but was in the squad in Pakistan and has a five-wicket haul in the ongoing unofficial Test for West Indies A against South Africa A in Gros Islet.The lead spinners in the side are captain Roston Chase and vice-captain Jomel Warrican, while Jayden Seales, Alzarri Joseph and Shamar Joseph are the main quicks.The batting suggests a fresh start for the team after they finished one off the bottom – Pakistan were last – in the nine-team WTC 2023-25 table with three wins in 13 games.

“Brandon King’s inclusion fits a role we have identified that needs special focus to take our team to those closer to the top of the rankings”Daren Sammy

Campbell is back as an opening option after last playing a Test in June 2022, having served an anti-doping violation in the interim period. He was in good touch at the WI Championship to finish as Jamaica’s top-scorer – and seventh-highest overall – with 517 runs from 11 innings. Campbell and Anderson scored three centuries apiece in the competition.Anderson was one of the stars of the tournament, scoring 573 runs in 11 innings to finish as the third-highest run-getter overall, and Guyana’s best. King, a white-ball star who has turned out for West Indies in 52 ODIs and 63 T20Is so far, played four WI Championship games for Jamaica, scoring 242 runs in eight innings.Hope, an experienced Test-match player with 38 Test caps and a batting average of 41.85, last played a game in November-December 2021.Related

Pooran makes shock retirement from international cricket at 29

The changing game: Test matches get faster and shorter

Carty: 'I'm not just proud to be here, it's time to be impactful'

“I’m excited about the inclusion of young prospect Kevlon Anderson, who comes in after solid seasons in our domestic competitions to help provide stability in the top order, while the return of Shai Hope is welcomed given his consistency in white ball cricket.” head coach Daren Sammy said in a statement. “Brandon King’s inclusion fits a role we have identified that needs special focus to take our team to those closer to the top of the rankings.”We analysed what the top teams in the world are doing and what is needed for us to bridge the gap. We have identified a direction, along with the group of players and resources to give us the best advantage as we seek to take the team up ladder and challenge the best in the world.”Former captain Kraigg Brathwaite, Justin Greaves, Tevin Imlach and Mikyle Louis make up the rest of the squad, adding heft and experience. Joshua Da Silva, Alick Athanaze, Amir Jangoo, Kavem Hodge, Gudakesh Motie and Kevin Sinclair are the players to have been dropped from the squad that played in Pakistan. Da Silva, the wicketkeeper-batter, has been ignored despite finishing the WI Championship as it’s second-highest scorer (583 runs in ten innings), while another senior cricketer, Jason Mohammed, was overlooked despite topping that table with 679 runs in ten innings, inclusive of four centuries. Mohammed, 38, has never played Test cricket.Kemar Roach, 36, has been left out of the Test squad in favour of younger fast bowlers•AFP/Getty Images”The start of the [WTC cycle] is critical to building positive momentum as we strive to work our way up the rankings. Beginning with a strong showing against a team like Australia would be ideal in our quest to bring West Indies back to the helm of Test Cricket”, CWI director of cricket Miles Bascombe said. “It was imperative that we sought to put a squad together that was well equipped, in both and the batting and bowling departments, to manage the ebbs and flows of this format of the game, while possessing the ability to apply pressure in key phases, through disciplined, purposeful play.”Sammy, asking for patience from fans towards the players and the team, promised exciting cricket in the series.”I am truly looking forward to this series because we want to start off strongly and make our home turf a fortress during this cycle, while having our passionate and proud fans behind us,” he said. “The matches will be challenging but I believe in this core of players, and they are eager to wear the maroon and make our fans happy.”West Indies squad for Test series against AustraliaRoston Chase (capt), Jomel Warrican (vice-capt), Kevlon Anderson, Kraigg Brathwaite, John Campbell, Keacy Carty, Justin Greaves, Shai Hope, Tevin Imlach, Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Brandon King, Johann Layne, Mikyle Louis, Anderson Phillip, Jayden Seales

انتقد كيكي سانشيز فلوريس، مدرب نادي أتلتيكو مدريد وإشبيلية السابق، تصرفات نجم نادي ريال مدريد، فينيسيوس جونيور، خلال لقاء الكلاسيكو أمام برشلونة يوم الأحد الماضي بالدوري الإسباني للدرجة الأولى، موضحًا أن ما فعله الدولي البرازيلي خلال تلك المواجهة قد أضر بصورة الميرنجي.

فينيسيوس أثار الجدل خلال لقاء ريال مدريد وبرشلونة بالدوري الإسباني يوم الأحد الماضي بالليجا، حيث اعترض وبشدة على تبديله في شوط المباراة الثاني ولم يصافح المدرب تشابي ألونسو، قبل أن يعود مرة أخرى للتواجد على دكة البدلاء.

ولم يكتف فينيسيوس بهذا التصرف، وإنما دخل في شجار مع جناح برشلونة، لامين يامال، عقب نهاية المباراة، قبل أن يتدخل لاعبو الفريقين لفض هذا الشجار.

وقال فلوريس في تصريحات نقلتها صحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو”: ”قضية فينيسيوس شاملة، وتصل إلى إدارة النادي نظرًا لتأثيرها على صورة ريال مدريد، إنها تضر بصورة النادي أمام ملايين الناس، ويجب اتخاذ إجراء”.

اقرأ أيضًا .. لاعب برشلونة السابق مدافعًا عن لامين يامال: ركزوا معه في أرض الملعب

كما انتقد فلوريس رد فعل فينيسيوس مع زميله رودريجو والذي دخل بدلًا منه إلى أرض الملعب في الكلاسيكو، حيث أضاف: “التجاهل تجاه رودريجو الذي يدخل بديلًا والذي تتشارك معه كل شيء يوميًا ودائمًا، يؤثر على اللاعبين، وهذا أمر يجب على القادة أو اللاعبين في ريال مدريد حله”.

وأوضح: ”هناك قلة احترام للمدرب تثير التساؤلات ليس فقط حول التبديل بل حول كل ما سيحدث بعده، لأنه لو كان كوندي قد سيطر على الكرة جيدًا وسجل، لكانت النتيجة 2-2، وكان ذلك سيخلق انقسامًا حول ما إذا كان تشابي أو فينيسيوس على حق”.

واختتم فلوريس في حديثه: “ريال مدريد على عكس برشلونة لا يفقد التواصل مع اللاعبين أبدًا، وهذا فرق كبير بين الناديين، لأن برشلونة حتى وقت قريب جدًا، كان يفقد التواصل مع اللاعبين. لا يوجد شيء أفضل من أن يتم التواصل باستمرار بين اللاعبين والنادي”.

Playing his first match since October 2024, the highest speed he worked up against MI was 142.7kph

Sidharth Monga27-Apr-20251:30

Mayank Yadav’s variations impress Anil Kumble

Playing his first competitive match in six months, tearaway quick Mayank Yadav came back a much slower bowler. He returned figures of 4-0-40-2, bowled the first over of a T20 match for only the second time in his career, and took his first T20 wicket off a slower ball in matches that have a ball-by-ball record. The slower balls were the standout feature of his comeback; he has never bowled more in a single T20 match than the eight he sent down at the Wankhede Stadium against Mumbai Indians on Sunday.Eyes train on the speed gun whenever Mayank runs in to bowl. It was his high pace – a high of 156.7kph – and accuracy that excited the selectors, who gave him a special fast bowler’s central contract. But the high pace came at a cost: frequent injuries that hardly let him play longer formats. Eighteen of his 36 representative matches are T20s, and only one first-class.Mayank was primarily recovering from a back injury, and missed the entire 2024-25 domestic season. He was recovering at the BCCI’s Centre Of Excellence (CoE, formerly NCA) in Bengaluru. His return to action had been pushed back by “a week or two” when he stubbed his toe against his bed, and subsequently picked up an infection, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) head coach Justin Langer had said in early April.It was apparent immediately that Mayank was going to ease himself back in after his latest injury cost him six months. The quickest ball he bowled against MI was 142.7kph, which often used to be his slowest pace. He added the smarts, though: after getting pulled for two sixes in the third over by Rohit Sharma, he slipped in a wide slower ball that gave him Rohit’s wicket.Despite that, Mayank remained costly, going for 13 runs in his second over, and 15 in his third over. However, he made a stellar comeback in the 16th, getting Hardik Pandya out bowled top of leg stump with a reversing delivery, and then tying up Suryakumar Yadav and Naman Dhir with slower balls. His final over conceded no boundary.”It’s going to take a while,” Anil Kumble said of Mayank’s journey to be the bowler he once was, “But very impressed. For a first game, after a long time, especially against a really good batting line-up, Mumbai Indians, a good surface, Wankhede, you know as a bowler, irrespective of when you are playing at the Wankhede, you don’t have too many margins of error. So knowing all of that and coming back from injury, he was very impressive.”He picked up two important wickets, Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya. I thought the lengths that he bowled and the variations that he provided, was really good.”If Mayank has found himself a more sustainable bowling action, he can work on his strength to add a few clicks to his early 140ks on his comeback. However, there is a big difference between the early 150s and mid-140s, which will call for much more accuracy, control and movement to be effective at the top level.

Captain says the league will help players fine-tune their game and improve their fitness in the free window after the tournament

Vishal Dikshit05-Feb-2025India captain Harmanpreet Kaur believes the upcoming WPL will “play a very big role” in the lead up to the home ODI World Cup later this year, as the T20 league will help the India players fine-tune their game and “raise” their fitness levels in the free window after the tournament. This year’s World Cup will be the first time Harmanpreet will lead India in the 50-over tournament.The five-team WPL will run from February 14 to March 15 across four cities in India for 20 league matches and two knockout games. The India players will then have a gap of over three months before they head to England for five T20Is and three ODIs. They will then have another gap for nearly two months. As per the FTP, their next assignment will be of three homes ODIs against world champions Australia in late September and then the 50-over World Cup at home in October.Related

Harmanpreet Kaur: 'If a player can handle the pressure in the WPL, they can handle it anywhere'

WPL 2025 FAQs: Fixtures, players to watch, injury updates, and everything else

Aggression, clarity, fearlessness – coach Edwards reveals MI's mantra for WPL 2025

Chinelle Henry replaces injured Alyssa Healy at UP Warriorz

Gardner replaces Mooney as Gujarat Giants captain

Some of the India players are nursing injuries and could also use the WPL to regain and prove their match fitness.”I think this WPL is going to play a very big role because this year we have ODI World Cup,” Harmanpreet said at a press conference in Mumbai. “After the WPL, we have a very good window where we can work on our fitness and raise our fitness level. I think that gap will really help us to work really hard on ourselves.”India had failed to make the semi-finals in the last ODI World Cup, in early 2022 in New Zealand, under the captaincy of Mithali Raj.Harmanpreet was asked about India’s busy schedule at the turn of the year when they played back-to-back series against Australia (away), West Indies (home), and Ireland (home) and if that might have played a role in players having to manage their workload.Harmanpreet herself sat out of two of the three T20Is against West Indies followed by the three ODIs against Ireland. India also played all those series, after the T20 World Cup, without the injured Pooja Vastrakar whose fitness is being monitored by Mumbai Indians for her participation in the WPL. Some other players such as Yastika Bhatia, Shreyanka Patil and Priya Punia had also missed the West Indies games in December because of injuries, and have not played since then. Like Harmanpreet, India had also rested their lead fast bowler Renuka Singh for the Ireland ODIs last month.”See, as a cricketer, we really want our schedule to be packed and injuries are something which is part of the game and sometimes these are not under your control,” Harmanpreet said. “But as a cricketer, we don’t want to miss any tournament. But really happy [with] the way we are getting our schedule really packed and playing back-to-back cricket and that is something as a player, as a captain I’m enjoying. And good to see the last series went really well.”A few young players got opportunity and they did really well, played very impressive cricket. This season and this year is going to be very exciting because [of the] home World Cup and then we have really exciting cricket in front of us after the WPL. Hopefully we gel well as a team and do what a team requires and play some good cricket.”

GOAL reviews the major takeaways from Americans playing in Europe, including Pulisic's continued dominance

There’s no slowing Christian Pulisic right now, and we’re running out of superlatives for the American star. Simply put, he’s a man in form.

Pulisic was once again the headliner in this weekend's slate of Americans Abroad, as the AC Milan star added a goal and an assist to his recent tally. With that, he's up to four goals and two assists in just four Serie A matches. Make no mistake about it: the U.S. men's national team star has been the league's best player to start this 2025-26 season.

He wasn't the only one with an assist this weekend, which turned out to be a fairly productive one for the USMNT stars in Europe. Gladbach's Joe Scally put on a show in the weekend's most chaotic game. Patrick Agyemang added another helper to his tally, too. And then there was Brenden Aaronson, who set up a goal, too, to silence some of the critics over in Leeds.

With USMNT camp looming, several Americans stepped up as the European season really gets into full swing heading into October.

GOAL looks at the major takeaways from this weekend's Americans Abroad.

AFPPulisic steals the show

Sunday was a statement game for Milan. Riding a strong start to the season, Milan had a date with Napoli, another Serie A contender. Win and maybe the world would believe and Milan was for real. Lose? Well, same old Milan.

In those types of games, it's vital that a team's best player steps up. That happened on Sunday, as Pulisic led from the front by playing his part in both goals.

The first was a picture-perfect assist just three minutes in.. It came after he broke free on the left-hand side, showing off his pace to drive the ball forward. Then came the pass, a ball right across the goal line to Alexis Saelemaekers that left little more than a tap-in.

Pulisic then got a goal of his own before the first half was over, netting his fourth goal in just three games. It proved vital. A second-half red card to Pervis Estupinan also handed Napoli a penalty but, despite the man disadvantage, Milan held onto the 2-1 lead after Kevin De Bruyne buried that spot kick with 30 minutes remaining in the match.

So, does this mean Milan is for real? Quite possibly. Pulisic, himself, appeared to allude to higher expectations for the club.

 "It sends a message for sure,” Pulisic told CBS Sports Golazo after the result. “That we’re a good team, we’re a strong team, you know we can score goals, but we can defend like this. And we have a good spirit and I think it shows a lot for sure.”

As long as Pulisic is in this form, the answer is probably "yes." Right now, Milan have Serie A's most undefendable player. Pulisic proved that again on Sunday.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportScally's big attacking day

The questions about Joe Scally are almost universally on the attacking side of the ball. One performance doesn't answer those questions, of course, but the right back showed he can be a factor on that end of the pitch Saturday. 

Scally provided two assists in Borussia Monchengladbach's 6-4 loss to Eintracht Frankfurt in what was surely the weekend's craziest game. While Gladbach were, in general, horrific defensively, Scally made some uncharacteristic contributions on the attacking end, setting up Gladbach's first and last goals from a right wingback position.

With the U.S. switching to a similar five-at-the-back look last camp, Scally's place seems far from guaranteed. He isn't traditionally an attacking presence. There are also options like Alex Freeman, Max Arfsten and even Tim Weah or Yunus Musah that can fill roles in those wide spots. Scally has a fight to earn a World Cup spot, even with his own versatility. 

Those assists help.

Getty Images SportAn assist for Agyemang

In truth, a bulk of the credit goes to Ben Brereton Diaz. It was his touch and long-range finish that made the goal what it was, earning Derby County a 1-1 draw with Wrexham. But Patrick Agyemang's part in it has to be acknowledged, too, as he provided an assist that offered a good glimpse into what he can offer for his new club.

Agyemang's assist was a flicked on header, one that put Brereton Diaz through. From there, the Chilean international did the rest. Yet, it was Agyemang's play that helped Brereton Diaz make something out of nothing. That, at his core, is what the American forward can do: make things happen from nowhere due to his unique combination of physical and mental skillsets.

After making the big move to the Championship this summer, Agyemang is just getting started. This was his first start and just his third appearance but, in those three appearances, he's already provided two assists. Despite lacking fitness and sharpness, Agyemang is finding a way to impact games, which is a good sign for a player that will experience a crazy learning curve in his first season abroad.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

AFPRichards and Palace stand tall again

Over the last year or so, Liverpool have generally ran rampant through the Premier League. Few teams have given them problems. After this weekend, though, there's no arguing that Chris Richards and Crystal Palace are the biggest thorn in Arne Slot's side.

After already toppling in the Community Shield, Palace took it to Liverpool again, netting a late winner to earn a 2-1 win. Richards, again, was generally solid, although his inability to clear did lead to Liverpool's goal. Outside of that, though, the Palace defense was near perfect, effectively silencing stars Mohammed Salah and Alexander Isak throughout the game.

It continues Palace's insane run of form. The club has not lost a competitive match since April, claiming two trophies since while pushing all the way up to third to start this new Premier League season. In total, the run extends 18 games in all competitions. The continuing rise of Richards has played a big part in that, as the defender continues to impress alongside fellow stalwarts Marc Guehi and Maxence Lacroix in defense.

Defensively sound and talented enough in attack to scare even top sides like Liverpool, Palace are one of the Premier League's most dangerous teams. 

Tottenham Hotspur have reached an agreement with an unnamed club for a “talented” Spurs player to leave north London alongside Heung-min Son.

Heung-min Son set to leave Tottenham

Spurs captain Son is on course to become the club’s first major departure of the summer window.

Perfect Son upgrade: Spurs in talks to sign "world-class" £69m sensation

Tottenham’s legendary captain wants to leave the club this summer.

2

By
Angus Sinclair

Aug 2, 2025

After spending 10 years in north London and winning his first piece of silverware last season after lifting the Europa League, Son has announced his plans to leave the club before the new Premier League campaign.

Mikey Moore and Alejo Veliz have already left on loan ahead of the 2025/26 season, and alongside Son, another highly-rated Tottenham gem is also set to depart.

Agreement reached for Jamie Donley to leave Tottenham on loan

According to reports from Lilywhite Rose, relayed by Tottenham News, Spurs have reached an agreement with an unnamed Championship club for Jamie Donley, with a deal set to go through following the club’s pre-season tour of South Korea.

The 20-year-old has featured under Thomas Frank in parts of pre-season, and there were claims that the attacking midfielder could be a part of the first-team plans in 25/26.

However, he now looks set to head to the second tier on a season-long loan after an impressive spell with Leyton Orient in League One last year.

Leyton Orient manager Richie Wellens loved what he saw from Donley last season, who stunned Manchester City in the FA Cup with a long-range effort.

“I can’t speak highly enough of Jamie, he is a talented player. He’s come into us and he is a talented boy, everyone can see that. When you watch him in training and you see the talent he has, he has every opportunity to be whatever he wants to be.

“We have been good in the last 14 or 15 games and he has been outstanding for us, he is an exceptional player at this level and will go on to bigger and better things.”

It now appears he is set for a step up into the Championship, and in 12 months time, could be pushing for a spot in Frank’s side.

Peter Crouch turned heads when the ex-Liverpool man turned up as a mascot for a non-league team after losing his Fantasy Football league.

Crouch last in Fantasy Football leagueEx-Liverpool man told to do a forfeitActs as mascot for non-league sideFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The ex-England international finished bottom of his fantasy football league with That Peter Crouch Podcast hosts, Chris Stark and Steve Sidwell. As a punishment, the 6ft 7in star walked out as a mascot for Farnham Town before their Southern League Premier Division South game against Sholing on Saturday.

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The popular former Stoke City ace took part in pre-match player meet and greets, was part of a half-time show, and ate dinner with the other mascots. And best of all, the 44-year-old wore a Farnham kit to blend in with the Surrey outfit, to the delight of many at Memorial Ground. Incidentally, the game ended in in a 2-2 draw. 

WHAT CROUCH SAID

Alongside a clip of him walking onto the pitch before kick-off, Crouch tweeted: "Having the best day at Farnham Town today as mascot."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

WHAT NEXT?

Crouch's actions went viral on social media, with many praising the big man. Some may wonder if the retired footballer will be attending any more Farnham games this season, as they try to secure promotion from the seventh tier of English football.

Nottinghamshire took a hefty stride towards safety in Division One of the Vitality County Championship by reaching 393 for 6 at stumps after a dominant first day against Kent at Canterbury.Openers Ben Slater and Haseeb Hameed demoralised the division’s basement side with a stand of 196 for the first wicket: Slater made 160 from 217 balls, with 22 fours, while Hameed made a more pedestrian 56 from 142.Jack Haynes then inflicted further punishment with 62 and Nottinghamshire, who began the day in eighth, were aided by a total of 37 extras, 30 of which came from no-balls.Games at the Spitfire Ground have followed a pattern for Kent fans this season: a slow erosion of hope during the first innings before despair sets in during the second; there’s admirable but futile resistance in the third and then defeat in the fourth, if it goes that far.Last week’s trend-bucking draw with Hampshire at least allowed members a micro-measure of optimism going into this “48-pointer”, but even that had gone within the first half hour. In a pivotal game for both sides’ chances of staying in the division, Kent chose to bowl, only for Notts to race to 50 in just 53 balls.Kent handed a home debut to Akeem Jordan, but his first three overs went for 36 and he was replaced at the Pavilion End by Nathan Gilchrist.Slater was on 41 when he slashed at George Garrett, only for Jack Leaning to drop him at second slip and his 50 came after a misfield from Jordan. It was 134 for 0 at lunch, and the afternoon was only slightly less lopsided. Slater cracked Gilchrist through point for four to reach three figures and Hameed steered Jordan through third man to bring up his 50, before their stand was finally ended when Joey Evison bowled the latter.Freddie McCann then walked after he edged Gilchrist to Leaning for 8, although replays suggested it may not have carried, and Joe Clarke went for 18 when he pulled George Garrett to Gilchrist at deep fine leg, leaving Notts on 271 for 3 at tea.Leaning had Slater caught at first slip by Tawanda Muyeye but Haynes and Lyndon James responded with a partnership of 60 before Haynes was caught off a bottom edge by Muyeye off Gilchrist.James then fell to Jordan for 34 in the penultimate over, given out caught by Muyeye after a lengthy consultation by the umpires, leaving Luke Fletcher and Dane Schadendorf to bat through to stumps on 10 and 8 respectively.

In-form Dom Sibley’s second hundred in three matches spurred Surrey to end a run of five straight defeats with their first Metro Bank One-Day Cup victory of the season, dealing a blow to Leicestershire’s hopes of qualifying for the knock-out stages.Sibley followed his 149 against Warwickshire and 72 versus Nottinghamshire with 105, sharing stands of 138 for the first wicket with Ryan Patel (72) and 111 for the second with Ben Geddes (61) as Surrey totalled 296 for 6. It proved enough despite losing five wickets in the last eight overs.The Foxes were given a chance as opener Sol Budinger maintained his place as the competition’s leading run scorer by hitting 70 from 68 balls and Tom Scriven’s career-best 55 raised hopes of a gripping finish for a crowd of almost 1,400 but ultimately proved in vain, leg-spinner Cameron Steel taking 3 for 48 for the victors.All-rounders Ian Holland, with 2 for 50, and Scriven, with 2 for 51, were the pick of the Foxes bowlers, with 19-year-old seamer Sam Wood taking 1 for 34 on his List A debut.If the Foxes finished well with the ball, the start provided by Sibley and Patel with the bat was comfortably Surrey’s best of the season.Asked to bat first on an overcast morning, Surrey were 51 without loss from 10 overs and were 125 for nothing by halfway, Sibley having gone to fifty from 59 balls with Patel reaching his from 72.Patel suffered an unlucky dismissal. Shaping to hook the tall Wood, he seemed to be hit on the shoulder before the ball deflected off his helmet on to the stumps.Geddes maintained Surrey’s positive start. Dropped by Chris Wright at fine leg on 35 off Liam Trevaskis, he cashed in to the tune of 26 more runs before falling to a catch at deep midwicket off Roman Walker.Sibley had gone to his hundred from 115 balls in the 42nd over with his 11th four but soon miscued to long-off, giving Scriven wickets in consecutive overs after Rory Burns was bowled sweeping.Holland then had Josh Blake caught at backward point and 19-year-old Surrey debutant Ollie Sykes at long-on, a fifth wicket to fall in seven overs with Surrey slipping from 249 for 1 to 286 to 6.The Foxes’ chase suffered a double stumble to leave them 49 for 2 from 10 after Holland picked out deep backward square off James Taylor and Lewis Hill was caught behind off Conor McKerr.Ajinkya Rahane had an escape when he was spilled at cover on four off McKerr, which was beginning to look like an expensive drop by Steel as he and Budinger began to accelerate, the latter passing fifty for the fourth time in five innings, the run including 120 against Essex at Chelmsford. But Rahane could make only 27 before he was caught at midwicket off Patel, the ball perhaps sticking in the pitch a little.Budinger and Peter Handscomb shared a match-winning 113-run partnership against Essex on this ground last year but could add only 48 this time before Budinger holed out to deep midwicket.It felt like a significant moment at 142 for 4 in the 26th, one that was amplified two overs later as Handscomb hit straight to cover, both batters falling to Steel.Trevaskis was bowled by left-arm spinner Yousef Majid and Cox fell leg-before to McKerr. Scriven’s 45-run eighth-wicket stand with Wood, stumped off Steel for 22, kept the contest alive, Scriven hitting two sixes, but 20 off Taylor in the last over was always unlikely and the match ended with Scriven falling to a stunning catch by Patel at backward point as Leicestershire were all out for 279.With three wins from five, qualification for the knock-out stages is still possible, although Group B leaders Warwickshire and Glamorgan both have five wins from five.Both sides wore black armbands and a minute’s silence was observed at the start of the match as the cricket world mourns the loss of great England and Surrey servant Graham Thorpe.

Wrexham fans must have become used to their side languishing in the National League and being known as sleeping giants, with the Red Dragons stuck inside non-league’s top division for a mammoth 15 seasons, before a dramatic turnaround in fortunes came about during the 2022/23 campaign.

Now, Phil Parkinson’s team will be embarking on an unbelievable Championship adventure this coming season, with Wrexham just fresh off the wild feat of three promotions in a row to demand a seat at the esteemed second-tier table.

The ultra ambitious Welsh outfit will head into the Championship full of confidence, and rightly so, with this sky-high optimism only raised more by the potential arrival of a new striker who could go down as Wrexham’s next Paul Mullin.

Mullin has been there from the very start of the crazy journey up the leagues, with his growing collection of goals making him a firm fan favourite at the Racehorse Ground.

Mullin's remarkable journey at Wrexham

The 30-year-old joined the Wrexham ranks right as the club was about to be catapulted into stardom, with every season – bar his debut campaign – ending in the sweet glory of promotion.

Along the way, the prolific striker has bagged a jaw-dropping 105 strikes from 165 overall clashes, with the Liverpool-born centre-forward a definite member of the Red Dragons’ hall of fame.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an inevitable end, with Mullin’s waning output of just three league strikes last season meaning he could be moved on very shortly.

Wigan Athletic are allegedly interested in his services, but this potential dent to Wrexham’s squad would be immediately fixed by a brand-new goalscoring menace joining the club, someone who has displayed a similar deadliness in front of goal to Mullin during the high points of his up-and-down career.

Wrexham's "clinical" new Mullin

The much-loved 30-year-old might well be a potent hero in the lower reaches of the EFL, but it would be a tall order to expect him to light up the Championship, considering he has never plied his trade here across his extensive playing days.

On the contrary, Danny Ings has shone at the difficult level in the past, with Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph now boldly revealing that the newly promoted side are in talks with the 32-year-old over a statement deal taking place.

Before going on to be known as a Premier League-calibre striker for the likes of Southampton and West Ham United, Ings would get his first big break in the Championship with Burnley by scoring 27 of his 43 Clarets goals in the unpredictable division.

The well-travelled veteran would surely welcome a return to the level, therefore, to recapture his groove in front of goal, with the hope that he can go on to be as deadly as Mullin in his fresh location, even so deep into his career.

Burnley

130

43

14

Southampton

100

46

10

West Ham

69

5

5

Aston Villa

52

14

8

AFC Bournemouth

30

8

3

Liverpool

25

4

1

Overall number

406

120

41

After all, the table above shows off Ings’ “clinical” nature – as he was once labelled glowingly by Liverpool writer Leanne Prescott – across the myriad of clubs he has lined up for, with his weaker return of five strikes for West Ham mainly impacted by his recurring injury issues when on the books of Graham Potter’s men.

Ings going down as a success in Wales will all depend on whether the injury-prone forward can shake free of these constant trips to the treatment room.

If he can, he could become that same talismanic figure for Parkinson’s men that Mullin once was, with Wrexham already daring to dream about a Premier League stay one day.

Reynolds and McElhenney now lead race to sign 22 y/o MLS ace for Wrexham

The Welsh club are preparing for life in the Championship.

ByTom Cunningham May 28, 2025