Walt Weiss was named the manager of the Braves, the team announced Monday. Atlanta parted ways with Brian Snitker after a disappointing season in 2025, and it opted to promote from within when homing in on his replacement.
Weiss has been the Braves’ bench coach since 2018. He had a 14-year playing career that spanned from 1987 to 2000, and spent his final three seasons in Atlanta. A shortstop, Weiss was a starter at the All-Star Game in 1998 and had 1,207 hits in his career. He won the World Series in 1989 as a member of the Athletics, and also won it with the Braves as the bench coach in 2021.
He’s previously served as the manager of the Rockies, where he was at the helm from 2013 to ‘16. He had a winning percentage of .437 in Colorado, failing to make the postseason in any of his four seasons with the team.
Weiss is the 49th manager in Braves’ franchise history, and he’ll inherit a talented roster that he’s plenty familiar with. The team has made the postseason in seven of the last eight years, and is just four years removed from a World Series title.
How do you solve a problem like Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski?
On July 11, Major League Baseball promoted Misiorowski—a flamethrowing rookie with five starts to his name—from mere curiosity to unwitting sports celebrity. The commissioner’s office named the 23-year-old to the National League All-Star team, making him the least experienced All-Star in history and setting off a firestorm of controversy.
It's true that Misiorowski has the makings of a phenomenon, and his Brewers are on an 11-game winning streak. However, he still falls just short of the experience needed to credibly contend for Rookie of the Year at this time. He should get there soon—this column's cutoff is 31 innings (a 50-inning pace over 162 games). Misiorowski has pitched 25 2/3 innings and is in line to start against the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday.
In the meantime, a different Milwaukee youngster has seized the top spot in the NL pecking order since last month's check-in. Welcome to this edition of MLB Rookie Watch.
American League
1. Jacob Wilson, shortstop, Athletics
He's still the boss after introducing himself on the national stage with a start in the All-Star Game. All three of his slash line numbers have nosedived since late June—and yet he still, with a .197/.246/.279 this month, remains second in the American League in batting average and 10th in offensive bWAR. He was hit on the wrist with a pitch against the Atlanta Braves on July 8, but it turned out, in his own words, to be "nothing serious." His biggest competition for Rookie of the Year may turn out to be…
2. Nick Kurtz, first baseman, Athletics
Wilson’s infield-mate, the white-hot Kurtz has raked to the tune of .329/.427/.776 since June 24 while Wilson has been hanging out around the Mendoza Line. It's his power stroke, however, that has put the AL on notice. His 18 home runs so far would put him on pace for 47 over 162 games, a threshold crossed only by Khris Davis (2018) among Athletics this century.
3. Noah Cameron, pitcher, Kansas City Royals
He may not be perennially unlucky Pirates hurler Paul Skenes, but he's not far off. Cameron is 4–4 with a 2.61 ERA, having received no-decisions in starts where he did not allow a run twice since the calendar turned to July. When he's on, he's on—ask the Pirates, who were overwhelmed by Cameron on July 7 to the tune of seven stellar innings. For that, he holds down his spot while (still-steady) Red Sox catcher Carlos Narváez falls out.
Honorable Mention
Narváez; Roman Anthony, right fielder and designated hitter, Red Sox
National League
1. Caleb Durbin, third baseman, Milwaukee Brewers
Along with Misiorowski, Durbin is a face of the unsinkable Brewers' in-season revival—a renaissance that has them in a dead heat with the Cubs in the NL Central race. In June, this column praised Durbin's unorthodox catalog of statistical accomplishments, like leading the NL in hit by pitches (he's still doing that) and leading NL rookies in win probability added (ditto). Now, thanks to a .373/.456/.542 tear, he's finding much more conventional success. It's getting to the point where Yankees fans are grousing about giving him up for two-time All-Star pitcher Devin Williams during the offseason.
2. Drake Baldwin, catcher, Atlanta Braves
Durbin has passed Baldwin in bWAR and in these rankings, though it should be noted that the Milwaukee fixture has done so in 61 more plate appearances. That's because the Braves remain stubbornly devoted to past All-Star Sean Murphy, who has rewarded his team's faith by slugging .774 since June 24. On Wednesday, David O'Brien of reported that Atlanta has "no intention of trading Murphy this month, despite much speculation to the contrary." This is probably good for a Braves team in observation mode, but bad for Baldwin's Rookie of the Year chances.
3. Yohel Pozo, catcher, St. Louis Cardinals
Making his first appearance in these rankings is Pozo as Dodgers second baseman Hyeseong Kim (still a contender) returns to earth. Pozo is not clearing this column's hitting threshold (95 at-bats; he has 96) by much, but this is a fractured race and that .302/.327/.490 slash line is hard to ignore. He actually made his MLB debut in 2021, after a period of homelessness reported upon by Levi Weaver of at the time. Look for his profile to increase if the Cardinals remain in contention.
Honorable Mention
Agustin Ramirez, catcher and designated hitter, Miami Marlins; Hyeseong Kim, second baseman and center fielder, Los Angeles Dodgers
Premier League star Ola Aina has been told to “own up” after revealing that he is at the “talking stage” with a fellow football player’s girlfriend. The Nottingham Forest defender claims that the woman in question likes him more than her current clinch, but their budding relationship remains secret for now. Aina is being urged to address the issue with his love rival.
Forest star Aina makes shock revelation
Nigeria international Aina made his shocking revelation when appearing on show. The versatile 29-year-old said he was there to seek advice from the children and adults on the panel for what has become an obvious “dilemma”.
The former Chelsea and Fulham player, who has been at the City Ground since 2023, was happy to state in public that he has become close with the partner of a fellow performer. He now finds himself in a difficult position.
Aina said: “My dilemma is I'm in a talking stage with another baller's girl.” Asked if he is able to reveal the identity of the other player, the Forest full-back added: “Can't disclose that one.” He went on to confirm that he is at the “talking” stage, rather than the “walking” one, with the surprising scenario only playing out over a matter of weeks.
AdvertisementGettyLove triangle: Aina offered advice on what to do
Quizzed on whether interest has been reciprocated, Aina said that he “knows she likes me back”. He went on to say that he can “easily” take his fellow player one-on-one, but saw it put to him that the girl in question may be “a bit of a clout chaser” as she pits “two footballers” against one another.
Aina maintains that: “I believe she likes me more.” He has, however, been advised to clear the air with everybody involved. The ‘Aunties’ told him to “own up to the guy” and “be honest” about what has happened.
One of the children on the panel added: “Me personally, I think she's only there for your money. You're a professional footballer, you're earning bread, plenty more girls will come. She's on a permanent sin bin off the pitch, red card.”
The two sides proceeded to battle it out in a bid to convince Aina of their argument. He eventually sided with the Aunties, much to their delight. That would suggest that he is ready to speak with the fellow professional that he has become locked in a love triangle with.
Untimely injury: Aina underwent hamstring surgery
Aina does, however, have plenty of his plate at the moment. Away from his private life, every effort is being made to recover from an untimely injury that has kept him out of action since September. His last appearance for Forest came on August 31.
An unfortunate knock was then picked up during the first international break of the 2025-26 campaign, as he headed off with Nigeria. A hamstring problem has been difficult to shake, with surgery required a matter of days after being forced onto the treatment table.
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GettyAfrica Cup of Nations: Will Aina figure for Nigeria?
Aina did not figure for Forest at all during Ange Postecoglou’s ill-fated 39-day spell in charge of the Reds. He has been unable to show current coach Sean Dyche what he is capable of, with it revealed that he is unlikely to grace a Premier League fixture again until 2026.
Dyche has said when delivering a fitness update on his walking wounded: “The ones left not with us yet are Taiwo [Awoniyi], Woody [Chris Wood] and Douglas [Luiz] – although they are getting closer. Ola is getting closer to fitness but obviously can’t be with us until January.”
That is because, alongside his rehabilitation, Aina is in contention to represent Nigeria at the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations. Selection there would come as a surprise, given how much football he has missed over recent months.
The Super Eagles may take a calculated gamble on the 48-cap star, allowing him to rebuild form and fitness before returning to Trentside. The 35th edition of AFCON is set to get underway on December 21 and run through to January 18. Nigeria have been placed in Group C alongside Tunisia, Uganda and Tanzania.
Sudharsan spoke about Gambhir’s influence on him, his approach to Test cricket and wanting to be versatile like KL Rahul
Shashank Kishore29-Oct-2025
B Sai Sudharsan has been named India A vice-captain for the two four-dayers against South Africa A•PTI
B Sai Sudharsan has hailed India head coach Gautam Gambhir for backing him unconditionally through a challenging initiation into Test cricket.Sai Sudharsan scored 140 runs at an average of 23.33 in his debut Test series on the tour of England, and was out for 7 in his only innings in the first Test against West Indies in Ahmedabad earlier this month. He felt under some pressure coming into the second Test in Delhi until a chat with Gambhir put him at ease.”The support has been impeccable,” Sai Sudharsan said in Bengaluru where he will be India A’s vice-captain in the first unofficial Test against South Africa A, which begins on Thursday. “After the first game in Ahmedabad, we were practicing at the Feroz Shah Kotla nets. As always, I was the last to come out of the nets.Related
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“GG [Gambhir] sir called me and said, ‘You are not getting desperate. You are one of the best players in the country. So do not think about any of the other things. Don’t think that you have to score runs in this game or what will happen if you don’t.'”He told me, ‘You will play.’ The way he said that gave me so much confidence and freedom. I was trying to be more free and not think about external factors or the magnitude of things. But when you hear it from the head coach himself, the perspective and environment change drastically.”That helped me express myself better as well. Even in that game [2nd Test], I wasn’t in a mindset just to get runs, I was in a mindset to fight and win for the team, to dominate for the team.”Sai Sudharsan hit a composed 87 in his last Test outing•AFP/Getty Images
Sai Sudharsan made 87 and 39 in Delhi as India won by seven wickets to clinch the series 2-0. While those knocks have given him confidence, he doesn’t want to put himself under the pressure of having to live up to some of India’s past No. 3s.”I take it game by game, inning by inning, look at the situation, and react as best as I can,” he said. “Playing for India, there’s so much competition. So many great cricketers who have done well, are doing well, and will continue to do well. I’m not looking at a spot to cement or thinking about securing a place. I’m playing for a reason and that is to win games and fight for my team. That’s my mindset when I walk in.”When I think about sealing a spot or playing for safety, I tend to go defensive and play for myself, which I definitely don’t want to do. I look at it from a different perspective – to win one session at a time and make a difference there. Runs will be a byproduct of that process.”That said, Sai Sudharsan acknowledges the challenges that will come with batting at No. 3, having come through domestic cricket primarily as an opener for Tamil Nadu.”It’s a great responsibility, and I’m grateful for the opportunity,” he said. “No. 3 is also like an opening spot. There’s not a big difference, to be honest. But playing for India, wherever we get an opportunity, we have to be on point, not just fill a place but be really ready for whichever spot we play.”We have great examples. Like KL [Rahul] , who has played in almost all positions and is so versatile. We can learn from him. We have to be ready for all those challenges. I wouldn’t say I prefer one or the other. I’ve played quite a lot at No. 3, even in the IPL, and when I was younger in the Under-14s and Under-16s also I’ve batted at No. 3. So I enjoy both. It’s not a big difference”
Lancashire 241 for 6 (Lister 96, Threlkeld 92) beat The Blaze (K Bryce 124, Elwiss 55) by five runs Lancashire Women maintained their hold over The Blaze in this season’s Metro Bank One-Day Cup to book a place in the final despite Kathryn Bryce’s magnificent 124 in a tense semi-final at Trent Bridge.Ellie Threlkeld’s side await the winners of Wednesday’s second semi-final between Hampshire and Surrey at the Utilita Bowl in Southampton. The final is on the same ground on Sunday.Lancashire Women beat The Blaze home and away in the league phase and pulled off a five-run victory in this match despite being without the competition’s top runscorer, Emma Lamb, who is with England ahead of the Women’s World Cup, and another of their key batters in Eve Jones, who is injured.With the bat they recovered from 52 for four to post 241 for six after Scotland international Ailsa Lister hit a career-best 96 from 91 balls and captain Threlkeld a season’s best 92 from 128.Seamers Grace Potts, who limped through most of her spell after suffering an injury in her first over, took three for 32 and Kate Cross ( three for 47) then led an excellent bowling display, restricting the home side to 236 for nine.Bryce and Georgia Elwiss (55) combined to add 150 for the fourth wicket in The Blaze’s reply but a superbly disciplined Lancashire attack ensured that The Blaze were never on top of the required scoring rate and that pressure paid off for them as the home side, 179 for three with 10 overs remaining, ultimately fell short.Lister and Threlkeld shared a 166-run partnership for the fifth Lancashire wicket, 21-year-old Lister underlining her potential by hitting 11 boundaries before she was stumped in search of the one more needed for a maiden hundred, the home side rueing a dropped catch when she was on 66.Seamers Cassidy McCarthy (two for 27) and Orla Prendergast, who conceded only 26 runs in 10 overs, impressed among The Blaze bowlers.Asked to bat first on the pitch that would have been used for England’s washed-out T20 international against South Africa last Sunday, Lancashire Women found themselves in trouble at 33 for three after 10 overs.McCarthy uprooted Gaby Lewis’s middle stump and had Seren Smale caught at short backward square, the left-armer Grace Ballinger finding the edge to have Fi MorrisAlice Clarke – tasked with filling the shoes of Lamb at the top of the order – fell to a good catch on the legside boundary as she pulled Prendergast and with their opponents 52 for four in the 18th, The Blaze were well on top.But Threlkeld brought her experience to bear in guiding her younger partner through a testing period before the pair kicked on from the 35-over mark, upping the scoring rate to seven per over for the next 12 before Lister, spared by the normally safe hands of Kathryn Bryce at deep midwicket on 66, went down the pitch to Kirstie Gordon’s left-arm spin and paid the price.Threlkeld departed in the next over, run out going for a second by McCarthy’s arrow throw from the point boundary.The Blaze, missing their three England players but accustomed to managing without them, would have seen chasing 242 as well within their compass, although less so after matching their opponents in losing three wickets in their opening powerplay.Mahika Gaur bowled Sarah Bryce with a full delivery before Kate Cross removed Georgie Boyce, caught and bowled off a leading edge, and Prendergast, who stepped across to be leg before for a second-ball duck, leaving The Blaze in peril at 37 for three.But just as Threlkeld and Lister rescued Lancashire, Elwiss joined Kathryn Bryce to turn their side’s innings around. Yet though Bryce passed fifty for the seventh time this season from 64 balls, none of Threlkeld’s six bowlers conceded runs easily.Bryce brought up her hundred, the fifth of her career in List A cricket and a first in Blaze colours, from 121 balls as the partnership ticked over to 150, but the big breakthrough for Lancashire came shortly afterwards as Elwiss, who had clocked up her fifth half-century of the season, was caught at backward point on the reverse sweep off Fi Morris, with 55 still needed off 52 balls.The wicket opened up one end for the visitors and after Marie Kelly, Michaela Kirk and and Lucy Higham all went cheaply, The Blaze needed 33 from 18 balls, which came down to nine off the last over, but when Bryce holed out to mid-off to give Potts her third wicket, their chance had gone.
Planning for a career after football is always wise, but that usually comes in the form of punditry or coaching. Gary Neville famously did one far more successfully than the other, whilst Mikel Arteta is now one of the best managers in the world.
Alfie Whiteman has done neither after leaving Tottenham Hotspur, however.
The 26-year-old has retired from football to pursue an entirely different dream. The goalkeeper was part of Ange Postecoglou’s Europa League-winning squad just last season, providing backup for Guglielmo Vicario and Antonin Kinsky, but failed to get a single minute on the pitch.
In fact, the goalkeeper’s last senior appearance came on loan at Swedish side Degerfors IF in the 2021/22 campaign. Playing 21 games in the Allsvenskan, Whiteman kept just two clean sheets and conceded 40 goals in a difficult spell.
Life as a goalkeeper and as a professional footballer, Whiteman admitted, was not the dream that he had imagined. The goalkeeper, who left Spurs as a free agent in the summer, recently told The Athletic: “I signed for Spurs at 10 years old. Then I left school at 16 and went straight into this full-time life of football.
“When I was around 17 or 18, living in digs, I just had this feeling inside of, ‘Is this it?’ Getting on the mini bus, going to training, doing the Sports Science BTEC (he also did an A Level in Economics) and going home to play video games. I realised, ‘Oh, I’m not happy here’ from quite a young age.
“The stereotype of a footballer is generally quite true. It’s the golf, washbag culture. I was that young footballer. I wanted the Gucci washbag and I drove the Mercedes. You all just become a reflection of each other. You’re a product of your environment. It’s the way football is in this country; it’s so shut off from anything else. You go to training and then you go home, that’s it.”
Unfulfilled and released from his boyhood club, Whiteman has since gone in pursuit of happiness in the film industry.
Whiteman swaps the football for the camera in stunning change
After earning £1.5m in wages at Spurs, Whiteman has retired from football at 26 years old to become a film director and photographer. The former goalkeeper now works for Somesuch – an award-winning production company – where he plans to take a much more fulfilling career path.
It’s been a long time coming too. During his time sitting on the Spurs bench, Whiteman was working as a runner for directors, photographers and producers in preparation for his dream role. Although the expectancy is for footballers to retire in their 30s, he didn’t wait until then to make the jump.
Although many goalkeepers can boast careers at the highest level, you’ll struggle to find a shot-stopper who’s got his hands on a European trophy and an Oscar, but that’s the dream for Whiteman.
Celtic lost a huge talent in the recent summer transfer window when they decided to cash in on Nicolas Kuhn by selling him to Italian side Como for a fee of £16.5m.
The German winger has endured a difficult start to life in the Serie, failing to score or assist a goal in any of his first five matches in the division, but his time at Parkhead suggests that the best is yet to come.
Celtic signed the left-footed star from Rapid Vienna in the January transfer window at the start of 2024, and his best form for the club came after a difficult start to life in Glasgow.
How Nicolas Kuhn saved his Celtic career
The former Bayern Munich and Ajax trainee produced three goals and three assists in 18 appearances in the second half of the 2023/24 campaign, including one goal and one assist in the cup, per Transfermarkt.
Kuhn needed time to adapt and adjust to the intensity of Scottish football and the pressure of playing for Celtic, though, and his best performances for the club came after that initial period of adaptation.
In his full season at Parkhead, the 25-year-old star racked up an eye-catching return of 21 goals and 15 assists in 51 appearances in all competitions, per Transfermarkt, which shows that he found his feet in Scotland to deliver consistent performances.
Kuhn is, therefore, the poster boy for why supporters and pundits alike should perhaps give some players more time to adapt to life at Celtic if they do not hit the ground running.
With this in mind, the Scottish Premiership champions may be brewing their next version of the German superstar, and it is not Sebastian Tounekti.
The Celtic player who is the next Nicolas Kuhn in the making
Unlike Kuhn, Tounekti has enjoyed a fairly strong start to his career at Parkhead and all but nailed down a place in the starting XI on the left flank, thanks to his exciting wing play after his deadline day move from Hammarby.
The Tunisia international has completed 14 dribbles in five matches in all competitions, per Sofascore, and scored against Partick Thistle in the League Cup.
Meanwhile, Michel-Ange Balikwisha, who joined from Royal Antwerp in the summer, has not had as much success in winning the fanbase over since his move to the club.
After the 3-2 win over Motherwell, Brendan Rodgers explained that it has “all been a wee bit of a blur” for the Belgian forward since he moved to Parkhead, which suggests that he may be suffering from the same adaptation issues that Kuhn had at first.
Appearances
16
4
Shots per game
1.1
0.0
Goals
4
0
Key passes per game
1.6
0.5
Big chances created
7
1
Assists
3
1
Successful dribbles per game
0.4
0.0
As you can see in the table above, Balikwisha’s statistics for Royal Antwerp in the Pro League last season suggest that he has more gears to find in Glasgow, as he has struggled at the top end of the pitch for Celtic so far.
The young forward did deliver a fantastic assist for Daizen Maeda’s winner against Motherwell in the Premiership last weekend, his first goal contribution for the club, and that could be the moment that he needs to kick on and make a name for himself at Parkhead.
Balikwisha, who was described as an “exciting” player by Rodgers, has been a bit too timid in his early outings for the Hoops, as evidenced by no shots and 0.5 key passes per game across four matches.
The Belgian attacker needs to show more conviction and drive in his performances on the wing, as he did in the Pro League with his former club, and not worry about making a mistake or the crowd getting on his back.
Celtic must rue binning "magic" outcast who's now outperforming Tounekti
Brendan Rodgers must rue moving on from this Celtic star who is now outperforming Sebastian Tounekti.
ByDan Emery Oct 7, 2025
If he can step up to produce fearless performances, then his form from Belgium may translate to Scotland. He could follow in Kuhn’s footsteps by hitting his stride in front of goal after a difficult start to life in Glasgow.
Eddie Howe said he doesn’t have “a rabbit I can pull out of the hat” when quizzed on Newcastle United’s early-season injury problems.
Newcastle are enduring their perennial teething problems during the first months of the campaign, but there are certainly signs of new life stretching sunward from the squad, who have been rattled and turned during the summer transfer window but are coming off the back of big performances in the Champions League and Premier League as we pause for the October international break.
Nick Woltemade, in particular, is the talk of the town after his fast start to life at number nine. Four goals from seven games and a penalty to behold during Sunday’s win over Nottingham Forest.
There’s work to be done, but the 23-year-old is showing signs of significant potential. And while Alexander Isak has left for Liverpool, this talented frontman could be a dream partner for Anthony Gordon over the coming years.
Gordon's new Isak
Gordon and Isak formed quite the partnership over the past two years at Newcastle. The England winger even described Isak as being “the best in Europe” back in January, with the striker having scored nine in seven in the Premier League.
Isak is undoubtedly an elite goalscorer, having notched 27 in all competitions last year. His pace and potency and intelligence worked wonderfully with Gordon’s own rip-roaring style, with the duo each dominating the headlines across the past two Toon terms.
For Gordon, this is a striker who might even surpass his connection with Isak – and what a duo that was. The 24-year-old even remarked after Sunday’s victory, “My style suits playing with that style of striker because I can run off them.”
Woltemade’s rise coincides with Yoane Wissa’s injury-ruined start to life on Tyneside, and now, Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento face extended spells on the sidelines themselves.
There’s a blow to Newcastle’s flanks and transitional play. Still, Howe’s system has many times overcome obstacles of similar shapes and sizes, and the manager has crafted a new partnership to ease any defensive issues.
They might even be the best since Isak and Gordon were at their best.
Newcastle's new Isak & Gordon
The beauty of Howe’s Newcastle tactics is the stability of it, the way it roots players down and allows them to grow into top talents capable of challenging at the higher end of the Premier League and compete for silverware.
And that’s not restrictive to any one position or personality. Flashy forwards like Isak and Gordon can achieve big things, but so can those at the other side of the field.
Sven Botman and Malick Thiaw bear testament to that.
While the full-back injuries have pulled Dan Burn back into his wide berth, this flowering connection between two terrific centre-backs has led captain Bruno Guimaraes to hail them as “the future of this club”.
Sven Botman for Newcastle
Since joining in 2022, Botman has been widely regarded as Newcastle’s most talented centre-half, but he’s been blighted by injuries.
Burn and Fabian Schar formed a strong alliance at the rear last season, but the £35m signing of Thiaw from AC Milan speaks of evolution. Hailed as a “monster in the air” by journalist Martino Puccio, the German is also confident and high-quality when on the ball, and athletic besides.
Across the past three top-flight fixtures, Botman and Thiaw have kept two clean sheets, only foiled during that exasperating defeat by Arsenal at St. James’ Park.
Indeed, Botman has now completed three successive 90s in the Premier League, a feat he achieved not once last season. As his fitness improves and his partnership with Thiaw develops, Newcastle fans truly might be in for a return to sustained iron-clad protection but with a technical flair added in.
Sven Botman – PL Career by Season
Season
Apps (starts)
Minutes
25/26
5 (4)
340′
24/25
8 (6)
415′
23/24
17 (15)
1,378′
22/23
36 (35)
3,129′
Data via Transfermarkt
Journalist Mark Douglas has noted that Thiaw is “a Rolls-Royce driving one of the best defences in the Premier League.” It is understood that the summer acquisition was the culmination of two years of scouting.
Newcastle, time and time again, have their wits about them in the transfer market. They know when to pounce on an earmarked target, and Howe knows how to develop them.
Newcastle have a few fitness problems at this early-season stage. But they are adapting, and they are evolving. Woltemade is he new attacking poster boy, but in Botman and Thiaw, there is a budding partnership fit to rival Isak and Gordon as the finest Tyneside has seen in modern years.
Not Woltemade: Newcastle star is "one of the signings of the summer"
Nick Woltemade may not be Newcastle’s best signing of the summer.
West Indies fall well short in ODI series opener despite 91-run opening stand
Valkerie Baynes30-May-2025England’s experiment with Amy Jones at the top of the order paid dividends as she and opening partner Tammy Beaumont scored centuries in a 108-run victory over West Indies in the first ODI in Derby.It was Jones’ maiden international century after 12 years and more than 200 games across formats for England, helping to set a lofty victory target of 346 after captain Nat Sciver-Brunt, who chimed in with a 35-ball fifty, won the toss.Linsey Smith, the left-arm spinner on ODI debut following a career resurgence in 2024 after nearly five years on the outer, claimed a five-wicket haul to bowl West Indies out for 237 with 10 balls to spare despite a 91-run opening partnership between Hayley Matthews and Qiana Joseph.Jones and Beaumont both scored at better than a run a ball and shared a 222-run stand for the first wicket as England reached 345 for 6.Jones had opened the batting 22 times previously in ODIs, but not since the 2019 Women’s Ashes – and 18 times in T20Is, most recently during the World Cup in Australia five years ago.But perhaps in a sign of what was to come, she had opened with Beaumont in all seven of her innings for The Blaze in this year’s domestic one-day cup competition and scored 80, 52 and 41 in her last three outings there.Jones’s innings was chanceless until, on 92, she drove the ball hard back at bowler Jahzara Claxton who couldn’t hold on despite getting both hands to it. Karishma Ramharack missed a similarly well-struck return catch off Jones in the next over.Jones displayed excellent placement and timing, highlighted by a beautiful cover drive off Zaida James for four followed by two more boundaries off the same bowler, threaded expertly between backward and cover point and plundered over mid-on. She brought up her half-century in 59 balls with a single into the leg side off Matthews.Beaumont was more circumspect in raising her fifty although an assertive six over wide long-on, also off Matthews, put her in touching distance and she met the milestone off 74 balls with a cut single off Afy Fletcher.Beaumont signalled a remarkable shift in tempo when she followed back-to-back fours off Aaliyah Alleyne immediately with another six pulled over deep square leg. Her third maximum came off Claxton through wide long-on and she showed great innovation moments later to uppercut a four through deep third before edging Claxton’s next ball just past wicketkeeper Mandy Mangru for four more.Suddenly Beaumont had moved to 92 off 93 and it became a century race between the openers after they posted a first-wicket stand worth 200 for only the fourth time in England Women’s ODI history.Beaumont reached the landmark first, having faced just 22 balls for her second fifty, as she struck two fours in three balls off Ramharack for her 11th ODI ton.She could have fallen three balls later had Mangru held a faint edge as Beaumont looked to work a Ramharack delivery fine and she capitalised with another six over wide long-on off Matthews.Jones brought up her century with a four through extra cover off Cherry-Ann Fraser, prompting a satisfied smile to spread across new head coach Charlotte Edwards’ face.Linsey Smith took a five-for on ODI debut•ECB via Getty ImagesBeaumont’s innings finally ended as she advanced to Fraser, missed the cutter and heard her middle and leg stumps rattled.Emma Lamb came in at No. 3 after forcing her way back into the England squad after a peerless start to the domestic 50-over competition. Replacing Maia Boucher in the squad for this series, her stay at the crease was short-lived on Friday when she attempted a reverse-sweep off Matthews and sent a faint top edge to the keeper via her forearm.Jones launched Fraser down the ground for six, followed by back-to-back fours, but she holed out in Matthews’ next over, ending a brilliant innings.Sophia Dunkley fell cheaply but Alice Capsey – called into the ODI squad as cover for Heather Knight, who is out for the rest of the summer with a hamstring injury – slotted in at No. 6 and shared a 57-run partnership with Sciver-Brunt.Sciver-Brunt made a rapid 52 off 36 balls before she fell lbw to Fletcher and Capsey ended with 24 off 19 before she chipped Alleyne to Matthews at extra cover in the final over.Matthews – player of the T20I series despite her side failing to win a game – and Joseph made a decent start in the face of some scrappy England fielding, although the hosts’ efforts weren’t anywhere near as poor as the last time this duo combined so well at the top of the order against them. On that occasion, during the T20 World Cup, England put down five catches to lose the game and exit the tournament.Em Arlott, joining Smith on ODI debut after making her first appearances for England during the T20s against West Indies, made the crucial breakthrough by drawing an edge from Matthews, who was caught behind by Jones two runs shy of her half-century.Arlott should have had her second in the same over – a wicket maiden in the end – as James flashed at a drive which flew straight to backward point but Dunkley spilled the chance.Arlott then beat James with a late-moving fuller ball but it was Smith who pinned James lbw for a laboured 7 off 29 balls.In the meantime, Joseph raised her second fifty in ODIs, greeting Capsey’s introduction to the attack with consecutive fours either side of the V followed by a single to long-on to bring up the mark off 53 deliveries.But it was Capsey who ended Joseph’s stay on 62. After missing a tough caught-and-bowled chance off Shemaine Campbelle the previous delivery, Capsey sent down a slower ball that dipped and beat Joseph’s attempted slog to rattle the stumps.That sparked a mini-collapse in which West Indies lost three wickets for eight runs in the space of 20 deliveries as Smith bowled Campbelle and Mangru to make it 147 for 5 after they had been 124 for 2.Dunkley twice held on in the deep midwicket region to give Smith her five-wicket haul, taking skied chances off Claxton and Fraser, the latter off the last ball of Smith’s allocation to give her figures of 5 for 36 off 10 overs.Alleyne proved stubborn with 44 of 45 balls but she became the last wicket to fall, skying Lauren Bell down the ground and caught by Kate Cross.
Everton timidly exited the Carabao Cup after a 2-0 defeat by Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux.
There’s been an overarching feeling of progressiveness since David Moyes returned to the club in January, but the Merseysiders reverted to their former type against Wolves.
There has been a collective drive at Everton to attack domestic cup competitions, and so this one will sting for the Toffees, with Wolves having started the Premier League season off dismally, losing all five of their opening fixtures.
It was an uncharacteristically shoddy defensive performance from the away side, and James Tarkowski was at the epicentre.
James Tarkowski let Moyes down at Molineux
Tarkowski has been a pillar of strength for Everton since joining from Burnley on a free transfer in 2022, but the skipper endured a tough showing last night.
Moyes, it must be said, wasn’t best pleased with the performance. But then, the weakened team the Scotsman put out were always going to be up against it.
While it wasn’t a terrible showing from the 32-year-old, he lost both of his ground duels, as per Sofascore, and ceded possession 12 times, seemingly hesitant to engage with the hulking Wolves striker Jorgen Strand Larsen.
The return of Jarrad Branthwaite from injury cannot come soon enough, and unless Tarkowski recovers his aggressive, solid nature in central defence, it may be Michael Keane – one of the better performers against the Old Gold – who keeps his starting spot.
However, while Everton flattered to deceive in defence, they were toothless in attack, and Dwight McNeil was among the worst performers. It’s quite likely the 25-year-old will be making a swift return to the bench.
Dwight McNeil has already lost his starting spot
McNeil battled against injury for much of the 2024/25 campaign, with his absence for most of the start of this new Moyes era especially frustrating given his emphatic form under Sean Dyche’s wing at the start of the 2024/25 campaign.
He offers a potent threat when firing on all cylinders, but none of the playmaker’s vim and vigour was on display against a spirited Wolves side, and Moyes hooked him before the hour mark.
Given that McNeil has sat as an unused substitute across four of Everton’s five Premier League matches so far this season, he will be concerned about his playing time going forward, with Jack Grealish and Iliman Ndiaye both in inspired form down the flanks.
25/26
1
0 (0)
24/25
21
4 (8)
23/24
35
3 (6)
22/23
36
7 (3)
Statistician Tactically Matt put in no uncertain terms after the Englishman was hooked before the hour mark, saying, “Dwight McNeil has been a difficult watch for a while now.”
Chris Beesley of the Liverpool Echo branded McNeil with a 5/10 match score and drew attention to the fact that the overload of addition to the attacking midfield will have left the former Burnley man frustrated, having blown a good chance to stake his claim.
He completed only eight passes across the evening at a success rate of 62%, and that having failed to create a chance or complete a cross.
Dwight McNeil for Everton
Moreover, McNeil lost four of his five duels, drifting out to the left to try and collect the ball and funnel it on through to the danger area – to no avail.
Moyes is almost certainly going to take the player’s starting place away from him, and it’s going to take a big effort for McNeil to make his way back into the ascendancy at Everton.
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