ITV confirmed earlier this month that it is in preliminary discussions to sell its broadcasting business to Sky for £1.6 billion. The talks come as the television industry faces fierce competition from the rise of streaming services such as Disney+, Prime Video and Netflix. The former platforms already own rights to show one Champions League and one La Liga match per gameweek.

• Sky-ITV merger could impact how fans watch football

  However, one finance expert believes the main concern should be the loss of free-to-air sport. ITV hold the rights for some England and World Cup games, and the worry is that users may one day have to pay for the opportunity to watch the national team, either in qualifiers or at major international competitions.

  "The World Cup is currently locked into listed-event regulation, keeping prices relatively low because rights must remain free-to-air," finance expert Professor Rob Wilson told OLBG. "Should free-to-air erode and regulatory protections weaken, a very different market emerges. A largely exclusive World Cup becomes a quadrennial subscriber magnet with huge advertising and digital potential.

  "Under those conditions UK rights might land in the £350 to £500 million range at the cautious end, rising toward £750 million to £1 billion if full exclusivity and deep digital rights are included. That would make the tournament comparable to a significant slice of Premier League value, something only possible if it moves away from the current BBC-ITV sharing model."

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  'For Match of the Day, the threat is less direct but still real'

  Wilson went on to add the free-to-air shows like Match of the Day may come under threat. While the BBC's weekly Premier League highlights show doesn't actively show domestic top-flight action live, it's still at risk of being unable to fulfil demand owing to potential financial constraints down the line.

  "For shows like Match of the Day, the threat is less direct but still real," Wilson added. "The BBC would be facing a competitor with extraordinary reach across both pay and free platforms. That pushes up prices and makes it harder to retain highlight packages without paying more. In the long run it could shift the balance between free and paid access to top tier sport.

  "A Sky and ITV combination would become the most influential force in British broadcast advertising. Buying strategies would change. Cross platform packages would grow. And the line between broadcast and streaming would blur even further as the combined business pushes its viewers into unified ecosystems."

• 'A Sky–ITV merger would push major football rights upward'

  Furthermore, Wilson discussed the astronomical value of the UK sports market, adding: "The UK sports rights market today is roughly £3 to £3.5 billion annually, with the Premier League and Champions League forming its core.

  "A Sky–ITV merger would push major football rights upward, while expanded competitions and tech-sector interest would accelerate growth. It is reasonable to see the market reaching £4.5 to £7 billion a year by the mid-2030s.

  "For Amazon, Netflix, YouTube or Apple, participation is less about direct profit and more about acquiring customers. Each could justify spending £200 to £500 million annually on UK rights as a strategic foothold, with total disruption capital potentially exceeding a billion pounds a year if multiple platforms compete simultaneously."

  Wilson continued: "ITV's channels would remain free to air because their public service obligations would transfer. But over time, the strategy would change. Expect more cross promotion between free and paid services, more sport moving into premium windows and more rights carved into layered offerings.

  "In short, this deal would be hugely significant in the medium term. If it happens, it would reshape how rights are bought, how audiences are reached and how sport and entertainment flow between free and paid screens across the UK. It might even start an acceleration away from free to air programming as we know it."

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  Premier League & UCL rights would increase

  Wilson also discussed the potential of the costs of Premier League and Champions League rights increasing should the ITV-Sky merger come to fruition. "A combined Sky and ITV would be a powerful buyer," he added. "Sky already controls much of the premium sport in the UK and adding ITV's free to air channels gives it both reach and versatility. It could bid for major rights with more confidence, and it could spread those rights across subscription, streaming and free to air platforms in ways no other British broadcaster can match.

  "Premier League rights currently sit at around £1.7 billion per season, with the Champions League adding roughly another £450 to £500 million. A combined Sky and ITV would be able to monetise rights across pay TV, streaming and free to air in a way no rival could match, reducing competitive pressure and giving them licence to bid more aggressively.

  "In that environment Premier League rights could plausibly rise toward the £2 to £2.3 billion range per season in the early 2030s, while Champions League rights might move into the £600 to £750 million band. Together, the two properties could command between £2.6 and just over £3 billion per year, implying an uplift of around £0.5-£1billion on the current level."

The England batter had the stellar ability to make games change course, and that made him worth more than his numbers

Jarrod Kimber18-May-2025In December 2013, when covering a Test at the WACA, journalists started putting their laptops in the fridge as they overheated. It was hot every day of this Test, with 37°C the maximum temperature. The sort of heat that melts your soul after a day or two.Some batters say that it gets harder to think in hot conditions. They resort to trying to get as many runs as they can before fatigue gets them out. This was one of those days. England were well behind in the Test, needing to score 504 to win. At the crease was Kevin Pietersen.The chances of winning were low. The heat had split the WACA pitch like a fault line, with cracks everywhere. Australia had Mitchell Johnson in peak form, and burly chested fast bowler Ryan Harris, who was almost as good. They were both too fast, too much. With a big total to chase, the wicket and the heat, nothing was on England’s side. But they did still have Pietersen, the player who changed things with his strokeplay. His strike rate at the end of his career was 62, which was nowhere near some of the quickest players. But when he went hard, it was violent. “Kevin Pietersen, he’s the best player I’ve ever seen play for England,” says David “Bumble” Lloyd.At The Oval in 2005, Pietersen was yet to make a Test hundred. He was facing Brett Lee and Shaun Tait – two of the fastest bowlers, then and now. As well as Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne – two of the best bowlers, then and now.Pietersen slog-swept Warne like he was a part-timer in a village team. The champion legspinner took 40 wickets in that series. Pietersen brought his hundred up from 124 balls, though for a period Warne bowled defensively around the wicket into the footmarks just to slow him down.But it was the attack on Brett Lee that was the most exhilarating. After 60 balls, Pietersen was on 35, and most of those were boundaries from attacking Warne. Lee decided to bounce Pietersen.It started with a bruise, clocked at 93.7mph. All Pietersen could do was glove it and almost fall over into his stumps. Straight after that, Lee went all in on the short ball. Pietersen went on the hook.The second ball of this plan was hooked for six. Lee’s speed was 91mph. It cleared fine leg by some distance. Pietersen was not a great hooker; like many other tall batters, he didn’t face as many short balls growing up as others. He often made the decision late, and it was more of a panicked swipe. He also often tried to play it off the front foot, which he was even worse at. He averaged far less on the pull and hook than the top six batters of his era.After a watchful start against Brett Lee at The Oval in 2005, Pietersen laid into him, hitting three sixes and five fours•Hamish Blair/Getty ImagesPietersen used this shot differently compared to other players. He was daring quicks to keep bowling it to him. Lee did. Looking back, it felt like this contest went on forever. Lee kept getting faster and shorter, and Pietersen swung more and more frantically. Lee was forced to give up the plan.No one who saw that innings live has ever forgotten it.Pietersen was no one’s idea of a perfect batter. His technique involved hitting balls on the up, dragging deliveries from outside off to leg, and hitting the ball in the air. Playing across the line might have been why he struggled in the second innings of matches, averaging only 38, as the ball kept lower. Overall, the risks he took stopped him from averaging 50 in what was a great era to bat.He is not an automatic selection for the top 50 Test batters of all time, but his ability to turn a match in an innings was like few others in history. It means his average of 47 is more significant than others.About eight years after 2005, Pietersen is facing fast bowling from Australians again – this time on a faster wicket, at the WACA. But he is also going up against a new Australian spinner, Nathan Lyon, bowling with the breeze.Australia have attacking fielders and boundary riders, an in-out field. Many batters would simply rotate the strike, punish any bad deliveries and keep their wicket intact. Lyon is the bowler to milk, to stay in against, to save your real energy for Johnson’s thunderbolts or Harris’ Mack Truck-like force. However, it is hot, and the Australian quicks are all rotating through their second spells. To give them more time to rest, Lyon’s offspin is floating on the breeze.Pietersen starts to attack him almost immediately, smashing one back, which is stopped. Next, he comes down the wicket and drop-kicks a shot over mid- on. He gets three. The next over, there are two more boundaries: one from a fine sweep and another from a cover drive against the spin. Lyon stays on, and Pietersen wants to emphasise that he should not. So he runs down and smashes the ball over the long-on fielder into the crowd. It is audacious, wild, and exactly how Pietersen thinks.He was averaging more than 50 against Lyon then. He has the match-up, has put him in the crowd, and scores off him with ease. One more blow will change Australia’s rest strategy.BloomsburyPietersen runs down the wicket at Lyon one more time and goes for glory. But something doesn’t work; his head isn’t perfect, the ball doesn’t come from the middle, it hangs in the famous Fremantle Doctor and the catch is taken by Harris, one of the quick bowlers he is trying to tire, at long-on.Though we were almost a decade into Pietersen’s career at this point, and he’d taken that sort of risk so many times, he was still taken to task for it.People saw it as arrogance, a lack of patience, or just plain stupidity. But there was solid thinking to how he played. If he did knock Lyon out of the attack, Johnson would probably have to come back too early. Getting him tired was the key to making runs against Australia if you’d managed to survive Harris and the new ball.Johnson and Harris were the threats. You could try handling them for hours and do that over time, or you could speed up the process by making the player who rests them unbowlable.Pietersen often chose the faster, more dramatic option. And when it worked, England won the 2005 Ashes due to his 158 at the Oval. When it didn’t, Australia won the 2013-14 Ashes at the WACA. In terms of game theory, Pietersen was risk and reward. He was hailed as a hero when it worked and abused as a pariah when it didn’t.The Art of Batting: the Craft of Cricket’s Greatest Run Scorers

Aston Villa are now battling Manchester United for the signature of AC Milan star Christian Pulisic, amid a new update on his future at the San Siro.

Villa’s interest in a new forward comes amid doubts over both Jadon Sancho and Harvey Elliott, with the former failing to hit the ground running since arriving on loan in the summer, being unable to register a goal or assist in his opening eight matches in all competitions.

Elliott, on the other hand, hasn’t received any game time in the Premier League since the end of September, with transfer correspondent Pete O’Rourke revealing the attacking midfielder could be set to return to Anfield, saying: “Aston Villa does seem to be having second thoughts on potentially making that long deal permanent as well.

“There’s a possibility he returns to Anfield in the January window if he’s not going to figure in Unai Emery’s plans going forward.”

As such, if the Villans are to remain in the hunt for the European places, Emery may want to bolster his attacking options this winter, and a new target has now been identified…

Aston Villa now fighting Man Utd for Christian Pulisic

According to a report from Spain, Aston Villa are now battling Manchester United for the signature of Pulisic, and view the American as an ideal addition to the squad, given that they are looking to bring in a versatile forward.

The 27-year-old is able to play both through the middle and out wide, which is what has alerted Villa, but there is a possibility he remains at the San Siro, with it being revealed that AC Milan have already opened talks over a new contract.

The Milan star’s agent is already ‘handling offers’ and awaiting a decision about where he would like to play next, with a move to Villa Park potentially attractive, given that he would be likely to receive regular first-team football.

The former Chelsea man has managed to establish himself as an important player for AC Milan, and his performances over the past year have been very impressive, placing in the 86th percentile for non-penalty goals and assists per 90, when compared to his positional peers.

Although Milan underperformed last season, finishing eighth in Serie A, the USA international remained a reliable source of goals and assists in all competitions.

Christian Pulisic’s output in 2024-25

Appearances

Goal contributions

Serie A

34

22

Champions League

9

5

Italian Super Cup

2

2

The versatile forward, who has scored 32 goals for the USA, has also been lauded by journalist Jacob Schneider, who described him as “sensational” on X.

Pulisic has clearly taken his game to the next level in the Serie A, so he could be a real statement signing for Aston Villa, but the competition from Man United could pose a problem.

Aston Villa want deal for Real Madrid forward done ASAP Aston Villa want deal for Real Madrid forward done ASAP after making offer

The Villans have made an approach for a new forward, but there could be major competition from their Premier League rivals.

ByDominic Lund Nov 16, 2025

Since the third season in 2025, the MLC has opted for a window in June-July that ensures no clash with other competitions

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Sep-2025The fourth season of Major League Cricket (MLC) will be held from June 18 to July 18, 2026. Like the previous edition, the six-team competition will feature 34 games in all.But even with the Season 4 dates now out, there is no public confirmation from USA Cricket (USAC) on whether it has revoked the termination of its contract with American Cricket Enterprises (ACE), the owners of the league.The confusion has left USA players concerned, as recently stated by Corey Anderson, who is the operational director of USA Cricketers’ Association, which is not recognised by USAC.Since the third season in 2025, MLC has opted for a window in June-July that ensures no clash with other global franchise competitions, allowing for a bigger pool of talent to tap into. Originally a 19-match tournament in 2023 that expanded to 25 matches in 2024, the competition has been a 34-match event since 2025. MLC is set to avoid a clash with the Hundred for the second successive year. The Hundred’s dates have not been publicly confirmed but ESPNcricinfo understands it will run from July 21 until August 16.”Season 3 showed that demand for top-tier cricket in the USA is real and accelerating,” Johnny Grave, MLC chief executive, said in a statement. “MLC is winning new fans, followers and viewers throughout the USA and around the world. We’re delivering on our promise to grow the game across the USA and build relations with new and existing commercial partners.”According to MLC, ACE is now targeting ten international standard venues by 2030 with investments upwards of US$ 150 million committed.The six teams participating in the event are Los Angeles Knight Riders (owned by Knight Riders Group), MI New York (Indiawin Sports), San Francisco Unicorns (Anand Rajaraman, Venky Harinarayan), Seattle Orcas (GMR Group, Satya Nadella, S Somasegar), Texas Super Kings (Chennai Super Kings, Anurag Jain, Ross Perot Jr) and Washington Freedom (Sanjay Govil). The MLC is also planning to add two more teams by the 2027 season, with a move to Canada also being explored.The 2025 edition was won by MI New York, their second title in three seasons, defeating Washington Freedom by five runs in the final.

تحدثت صحيفة “آس” الإسبانية عن المشوار المتوقع لمنتخب إسبانيا، بقيادة المدرب لويس دي لا فوينتي، في بطولة كأس العالم 2026، بعد إجراء قرعة دور المجموعات مساء يوم الجمعة.

وتستضيف كل من الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية، كندا والمكسيك نهائيات النسخة المقبلة من بطولة كأس العالم، في الفترة بين 11 يونيو و19 يوليو.

وتُعد تلك هي النسخة الأولى من بطولة كأس العالم، بعد استحداث نظامها، حيث سيشارك فيها 48 منتخبًا، سيتم تقسيمهم على 12 مجموعة، ويتأهل متصدر ووصيف كل مجموعة إلى دور الـ32، بالإضافة إلى أفضل 8 منتخبات في مركز ثالث.

وتواجد منتخب إسبانيا، حسب القرعة في المجموعة الثامنة، التي تضم كل من: كوت ديفوار، السعودية وأوروجواي.

وقالت صحيفة “آس” الإسبانية إنه بشكل نظري، سيتمكن منتخب إسبانيا من اجتياز مرحلة المجموعات والتأهل إلى دور الـ32، ولكن ماذا سيحدث بعد الدور الأول؟.

وأضافت أن الإجابة ستعتمد على ترتيب فريق لويس دي لا فوينتي في المجموعة، ففي أفضل الأحوال، إذا تصدرت إسبانيا المجموعة الثامنة، فستواجه ثاني المجموعة العاشرة في دور الـ32، أي المجموعة التي تضم الجزائر والنمسا والأردن والأرجنتين، بمعنى آخر إذا لم يتصدر لا روخا مجموعته، سيواجه بطل العالم حال تصدر الأخير مجموعته.

اقرأ أيضًا | طريق ناري ينتظر الأرجنتين حتى نهائي كأس العالم 2026.. قد تواجه مصر

وأشارت إلى إنه بالعودة إلى سيناريو تصدر المنتخب الإسباني للمجموعة الثامنة والتأهل من دور الـ 32، سيواجه إما وصيف المجموعة الحادية عشر أو وصيف المجموعة الثانية عشر في دور الـ 16، وتضم هذه المجموعات فرقًا مثل كولومبيا والبرتغال وإنجلترا وكرواتيا.

وأفادت أنه إذا واصلنا هذا المسار، فمن المفترض أن تلعب إسبانيا في ربع النهائي ضد متصدري مجموعتين: متصدر المجموعة الرابعة (حيث سيلعب الفائز في الملحق الأوروبي الثالث، والذي سيتنافس فيه منتخب تركيا بقيادة أردا جولر على بطاقة التأهل لكأس العالم)، ومتصدر المجموعة السابعة (مجموعة بلجيكا).

وفي نصف النهائي، سيواجه لا روخا خصومًا أقوياء مثل ألمانيا وفرنسا وهولندا، وحال الوصول إلى النهائي وبما إنها تقع ضمن المجموعة الثامنة، فإنها ستتجنب البرازيل حتى النهائي.

كما تستطيع إسبانيا تجنب مواجهة الأرجنتين، مع أن هذا، كما أكدنا سابقًا، يتوقف على أداء الفريقين وتصدرهما مجموعتيهما.

ولتسهيل الأمر، يمكن قراءة مجموعات كأس العالم:

المجموعة الأولى: المكسيك، جنوب إفريقيا، كوريا الجنوبية، الدنمارك/مقدونيا الشمالية/التشيك/جمهورية أيرلندا.

المجموعة الثانية: كندا، إيطاليا/أيرلندا/ويلز/البوسنة والهرسك، قطر، سويسرا.

المجموعة الثالثة: البرازيل، المغرب، هايتي، اسكتلندا.

المجموعة الرابعة: أمريكا، باراجواي، أستراليا، تركيا/سلوفاكيا/كوسوفو/رومانيا.

المجموعة الخامسة: ألمانيا، كوارساو، كوت ديفوار، الإكوادور.

المجموعة السادسة: هولندا، اليابان، أوكرانيا/بولندا/ألبانيا/السويد، تونس.

المجموعة السابعة: بلجيكا، مصر، إيران، نيوزيلندا.

المجموعة الثامنة: إسبانيا، كاب فيردي، السعودية، أوروجواي.

المجموعة التاسعة: فرنسا، السنغال، العراق/بوليفيا/سورينام، النرويج.

المجموعة العاشرة: الأرجنتين، الجزائر، النمسا، الأردن.

المجموعة الحادية عشر: البرتغال، جمهورية الكونغو الديمقراطية/جامايكا/كاليدونيا الجديدة، أوزبكستان، كولومبيا.

المجموعة الثانية عشر: إنجلترا، كرواتيا، غانا، بنما.

Think back to the morning of the Fourth of July. Our nation’s birthday. Quintessential America. Barbecues. Burgers. Fireworks. Everything as you expect, including the Dodgers with the best record in baseball.

Now seems like a long time ago. Since then, the Dodgers have been as sorry as a sack of soggy charcoal briquettes: 12–21. Only the Nationals and the Rays have been worse.

Wait, the Dodgers? The $391 million payroll Dodgers? The same Dodgers who gobbled up so many high-profile free agents last winter we started asking, “Are the Dodgers good for baseball?”

Eight months later, now we’re asking, “Will the Dodgers ever play good baseball?”

They better figure it out quickly. Starting tonight, the Dodgers play six of their next 10 games against the smoking hot, deadline-fortified, first-place San Diego Padres.

What is wrong with the Dodgers? It’s time to dig in.

1. Maybe the Dodgers are just in a slump

All teams go through valleys. At some point in June, the Dodgers, Cubs, Mets, Astros and Yankees all had leads as big as 5 1/2 games. All gone.

But slumps this deep are rare for the Dodgers. In the past 30 years, here are the only seasons in which the Dodgers hit .236 and lost at least 21 games in a 33-game span:

Dodgers Seasons with 33-Game Span With 21+ Losses and Hitting .236 or Worse (Wild Card Era)

Year

Final Record

Postseason Result

2003

85–77

None

2010

80–82

None

2012

82–76

None

2017

104–58

Lost World Series

2025

?

?

I know you optimistic Dodger fans are thinking:

But the problems this year go deeper than 33 games. Let’s continue.

2. Dodgers don’t measure well against good teams

Los Angeles is 28–32 against teams that are .500 or better. Among the 12 teams in playoff position today, only the Tigers are worse against good competition.

To find the last Dodgers team that had a losing record against teams .500 and above, you must go back a decade, to 2015, when Don Mattingly was the manager, Andrew Friedman had just arrived as president of baseball operations—and the Dodgers were booted in the NLDS by the Mets.

That best record on the Fourth of July? Fool’s gold. The Dodgers were 14–1 against the Rockies, Marlins and White Sox. They proceeded to get swept by the Astros and then twice by the Brewers.

3. Dodgers are a poor team in defensive efficiency

This is shocking news.

What is defensive efficiency? It’s the measurement of how often a team turns batted balls into outs. I like this measurement because it does not isolate defense but reflects the unbreakable marriage between pitching and defense. A pitching staff that gets weak contact, for instance, makes the job easier for the defense.

This has been Andrew Friedman’s secret sauce. You can talk all you want about the Dodgers’ money, technology, scouting, international footprint, annoying speaker system at Dodger Stadium, whatever … turning batted balls into outs is what they do best under Friedman.

No more. Their amazing six-year year run of elite pitching combined with elite defense is over.

Dodgers MLB Rank in Defensive Efficiency

Year

Defensive Efficiency MLB Rank

2019

2

2020

2

2021

1

2022

1

2023

2

2024

2

2025

18

MatériaMais Notícias

Sem dois de seus principais jogadores entre os titulares, o Flamengo empatou sem gols com o Palmeiras, no Allianz Parque, e perdeu o 100% de aproveitamento nesta edição do Campeonato Brasileiro.

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➡️ Tudo sobre o Mengão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Flamengo

Questionado a respeito das ausências de Pedro, artilheiro do time na temporada, e De La Cruz, principal reforço da equipe para 2024, Tite revelou que o gramado sintético influênciou na decisão, que foi motivada pelo risco de lesão.

– Eu estava pedindo para chamar o Fábio (preparador físico do clube) porque ele tem detalhes específicos da área que são científicos, que não é da vontade do técnico. A vontade do técnico é competir. Mas tem alguns atletas com seis ou sete jogos seguidos. Aí o departamento médico diz: “A nossa posição é de cuidados”. Hoje especificamente tínhamos Pedro, Nico (De La Cruz), Ayrton, Erick Pulgar e Luiz Araújo, que estavam em sinal amarelo e vermelho porque tinham riscos importantes e você perde jogador para seis ou sete jogos. E o sintético tem uma característica diferente. A exigência articular e muscular no sintético é muito maior também – disse o treinador.

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Na sequência, o comandante elogiou o sistema defensivo de ambas as equipes, responsável por frear os setores de criação, e também aproveitou para criticar os critérios da equipe de arbitragem no confronto.

– Gramado que proporciona velocidade, a arbitragem também (poderia estar) em um nível melhor. Não é porque tomei amarelo, tem que ter um critério. Foi a supremacia das duas equipes do processo de marcação com dois modelos diferentes de contato em cima da criatividade. Nos poucos momentos em que as equipes tiveram criatividade, não houve a conclusão – finalizou.

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BrasileirãoFlamengoFutebol NacionalTite

Mikel Arteta is now driving Arsenal’s move to sign Scott McTominay, with the manager of the belief the Scot would be the perfect addition to his midfield, and Napoli’s asking price has been revealed.

Arteta is already blessed with a wide array of options in central midfield, having signed Christian Norgaard and Martin Zubimendi in the summer, while Declan Rice also continues to impress, receiving plaudits from Gary Neville after the recent 4-1 North London derby victory.

Neville said: “The only player you would be worried about losing for a period of time would be Declan Rice because you cannot replace that,”

“That is your Roy Keane, that is your Rodri, the player that holds you together. There is only one of them.”

However, despite strengthening considerably in the summer, the Gunners have struggled injury-wise this season, with Viktor Gyokeres, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus being ruled out against Tottenham Hotspur, meaning Mikel Merino had to lead the line.

As such, it could be a wise idea to bring in another central midfielder in the transfer window, and Arteta is personally a fan of a Serie A star…

Arteta driving Arsenal move for Scott McTominay

According to a report from Spain, Arteta believes McTominay could be the ideal addition to his midfield, with Arsenal closely monitoring the Napoli star’s performances over the past few months.

The Spanish manager rates the Scotland international highly due to his ability and press forward, and there are signs that a deal could be possible, though Andrea Berta will have to stump up £60m.

The 28-year-old is under contract until 2029, meaning Napoli are in a strong negotiating position at present, but interest from elsewhere is growing, with Manchester United also joining the race to re-sign their former player.

The Napoli star has certainly taken his career to new heights since leaving Old Trafford, with football writer Mark Carruthers praising him for the part he played in the Serie A side winning the title last season.

The former Man United man displayed his attacking quality as Napoli went on to win the league, picking up 12 goals and six assists in 34 Serie A outings, and he recently scored a remarkable bicycle kick as Scotland beat Denmark 4-2 to qualify for the World Cup.

It may be difficult for McTominay to force his way into the Arsenal starting XI ahead of Rice and Zubimendi, but he would certainly provide Arteta with fantastic depth in the middle of the park.

Scott McTominay has been named as one of the best midfielders in the world The Best 15 Midfielders in World Football Ranked (2025)

Some of the best players in the world do their stuff in the middle of the park, but who’s number one?

5 ByCharlie Smith Nov 20, 2025

And who is the oldest player to play the tournament?

Steven Lynch10-Jun-2025Virat Kohli has played in every season of the IPL. How many others have done this? And did any of them play for just one team, as he has? asked Himanshu Patel from India

You’re right that Virat Kohli has appeared in every edition of the Indian Premier League since the first one back in 2008. Three others have done this, but none of them have played for the same team throughout.The long-serving trio are MS Dhoni, who usually played for Chennai Super Kings but represented Rising Pune Supergiants when CSK were suspended (2016-17), Rohit Sharma (Deccan Chargers and Mumbai Indians) and Manish Pandey, who has actually turned out for seven different teams.At The Oval last week Gudakesh Motie faced a hat-trick ball and hit it for six. How often has this happened? asked Katherine Miller from England

In the one-day international at The Oval last week, Adil Rashid dismissed the West Indian pair of Justin Greaves and Roston Chase with successive balls in the 22nd over – but the hat-trick ball was a short one and the new batter Gudakesh Motie smashed it over midwicket for six.We don’t have ball-by-ball data for a lot of matches, so it’s quite hard to work out how often this has happened. I’m pretty sure there have been no instances in Test matches, but there is at least one more in an ODI, and another in a T20I. At Edgbaston in 2015, Grant Elliott of New Zealand dismissed England’s Chris Jordan and Adil Rashid with successive balls in the 50th over, whereupon Liam Plunkett came in and hit the next delivery for six (he added another six from the next legal ball, after a wide).New Zealand were also involved when, in a match in Kolkata during the 2016 T20 World Cup, Mustafizur Rahman of Bangladesh took two wickets in two balls, again in the final over. The last delivery of the innings was the hat-trick ball – and Mitchell McClenaghan clouted it over the long-on boundary for six.Who’s the oldest player to appear in the IPL? And which IPL cricketer has the earliest date of birth? asked Abhik Ghoshal from Canada

The oldest man to appear in the IPL is the Australian left-arm wristspinner Brad Hogg, who was 45 years 92 days old when he played his final game, for Kolkata Knight Riders against Gujarat Lions at Eden Gardens in 2016. Next comes legspinner Pravin Tambe, who was 44 years 219 days old in May 2016, while up to third this year went MS Dhoni, at 43 years 322 days. Muthiah Muralidaran and Imran Tahir both played in the IPL when they were 42.Just two men who were born in the 1960s played in the IPL: Sanath Jayasuriya, who was born on June 30, 1969, and Shane Warne (September 13, 1969). Then come two other distinguished Australians in Darren Lehmann (born February 5, 1970) and Glenn McGrath (February 9, 1970), before the Indian allrounder Sunil Joshi (June 6, 1970).Brad Hogg was 45 and 92 days old when he played his final IPL game•BCCIEngland won in Cardiff last week after both openers were out for ducks. How often has this happened, and was 312 the record score afterwards ? asked Keith Durbridge from England

England made 312 for 7 to beat West Indies in Cardiff last week despite both openers – Jamie Smith and Ben Duckett – falling for 0. This was the 51st instance of both openers making ducks in an ODI, but the recovery from such a disastrous start has been bettered only by New Zealand, who made 339 for 5 to beat England in Dunedin in 2018 after Martin Guptill and Colin Munro fell for 0: Ross Taylor hammered 181 not out.Next comes Nepal’s 310 for 8 against Oman in Kirtipur in April 2023, and New Zealand’s 291 for 8 against West Indies at Old Trafford during the 2019 World Cup. In that one, both Guptill and Munro were out first ball, but New Zealand ended up winning by five runs.Where does Joe Root’s 166 last week stand on England’s ODI list? And has anyone made their highest score in ODIs later than their 179th match, as Root did? asked Chris Goddard from England

That superb innings of 166 not out by Joe Root against West Indies in Cardiff last week was England’s fifth-highest individual score in ODIs, a list headed by Ben Stokes’ 182 against New Zealand at The Oval in 2023.You’re right that Root’s 166 came in his 179th ODI, but a surprising number have made their highest score at a later stage – 34 men in all. They include Sachin Tendulkar, who made his career-best 200 not out (the first ODI double-century) in his 442nd match, against South Africa in Gwalior in February 2010. A quartet of distinguished Sri Lankans come next: Kumar Sangakkara made his highest ODI score of 169 in his 350th match, Mahela Jayawardene 144 in his 343rd, Muthiah Muralidaran 33 not out in his 321st, and Tillakaratne Dilshan 161 not out in his 310th. Virender Sehwag (219 in his 240th ODI) and Chris Gayle (215 in his 266th) are the other double-centurions on this list.Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

Australia recovered from 128 for 5 to post 326, and despite Devine’s best efforts, New Zealand could only make 237

Sruthi Ravindranath01-Oct-2025

Two solo century acts lit up the Australia-New Zealand World Cup contest in Indore. It was Ashleigh Gardner’s which proved to be the match-winning one, while Sophie Devine’s effort went in vain, as defending champions Australia opened their campaign with an 89-run win.Gardner rescued Australia from a precarious position, helping them recover from 128 for 5 to post 326, by smashing 115 off 83 balls. It was a total that required a record chase, with the highest ever chase in women’s ODIs being 302. Devine was left to do the heavy-lifting after early wickets, but could not keep up with the scoreboard pressure. She finished with 111, her ninth century in ODIs, while New Zealand could only muster 237 in 43.2 overs.Alyssa Healy and Phoebe Litchfield started positively after Australia opted to bat. Litchfield was particularly adept at using her feet, as she came down the track often to play her big shots. Even after Healy departed in the fifth over, Litchfield continued to pile on the runs in the company of Ellyse Perry, targeting the off side for her big hits.Related

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Litchfield adjusted well to the lengths of the fast bowlers and began to place the ball in the gaps, looking on track for a big score after taking Australia to 81 for 1 at the end of the powerplay. But the introduction of Amelia Kerr in the ninth over turned the game. In the first ball of the over, she executed the perfect googly that pitched outside leg and turned into the left-handed Litchfield, who played down the wrong line and was bowled. The wicket was also Amelia’s 100th in ODIs.New Zealand put the squeeze on Australia after Litchfield’s wicket, conceding just 20 runs between the 11th and 17th overs. Kerr particularly made run-scoring a task for the Australia batters, mixing googlies, flight and control during her spell. The experienced Lea Tahuhu triggered a mini collapse, starting with Perry’s wicket in the 18th over. Annabel Sutherland was the next one to go in the following over, with Kerr having her caught at mid-on. Australia then lost their third wicket in the space of 24 balls, with Beth Mooney dismissed tamely for 12.The rearguard for Australia came in the form of Gardner. She was aggressive from the start, getting off the mark with a punch over extra cover. Gardner took on the spinners and fast bowlers alike, particularly punishing them through the covers and down the ground. She stamped her authority as she danced down the track to hit Kerr for a six to bring her half-century off 43 balls.Gardner did not take her foot off the gas even as wickets fell around her, hurrying to her century in the next 34 balls. She soaked in the applause of the 8900-strong crowd in Indore, hosting its first-ever women’s ODI, as she celebrated her game-changing innings.Sophie Devine’s knock of 111 went in vain•Getty Images

New Zealand’s chase started chaotically, with Georgia Plimmer run out without facing a ball in the first over after a mix-up. Left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux, returning to ODIs for the first time since December 2024 after an injury layoff, was given the new ball with Kim Garth, and the move paid off. Molineux removed the experienced Suzie Bates for a duck in the second over to leave New Zealand in tatters.New Zealand were 24 for 2 at the end of nine overs, but Kerr broke the pressure with a flurry of boundaries in the tenth over off Darcie Brown. But with Sutherland and Alana King bowling in tandem, Kerr toiled for her runs while Devine occasionally found the gaps. From 28 off 30 balls, Kerr laboured to 33 off 55 before being dismissed by King next ball.The first six of New Zealand’s innings came when Devine walked down to Gardner to pump her into the sightscreen, and soon brought up a 69-ball half-century. Brooke Halliday hit the second one, off King, and followed it up with a boundary, but King had the last laugh, dismissing her for 28.The asking rate had ballooned to ten by then. With Australia’s spinners making New Zealand work hard for the runs, Devine feasted on some wayward bowling from Brown in the 36th over, hitting her for four consecutive boundaries to move into the 90s. Brown had come into the XI in place of premier pacer Megan Schutt.Despite New Zealand needing 107 off 54 balls and wickets falling around her, Devine kept a cool head and hit a six over deep midwicket to raise her century. But a triple-wicket 43rd over by Sutherland, in which she dismissed Devine, Jess Kerr and Eden Carson, all but quashed New Zealand’s slim hopes. Molineux wrapped up New Zealand’s innings in the following over to finish with 3 for 25 on her return.