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Minto stars for England with five-for, but Ratan takes 4 for 9 to seal comfortable victory

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay05-Sep-2025Bangladesh U19 292 (Hossan 100, Minto 5-68) beat England U19 205 (Mohammed 75, Ratul 4-9) by 87 runsRizan Hossan’s authoritative century off 101 balls outdid a five-wicket haul from Durham’s James Minto and a sparkling 75 from Isaac Mohammed as Bangladesh Men U19s beat England Men U19s by 87 runs in the first Youth One-Day International at Loughborough.Despite a confident start, a target of 293 proved too much for the hosts, as England dramatically collapsed from 132 for two to 205 all out. Bangladesh’s spinners combined to take eight wickets. Samiun Basir Ratul stood out with outstanding figures of 4.2-0-9-4.Bangladesh openers Zawad Abrar and Rifat Beg made a brisk start, reaching 31 for none after five overs. Abrar’s brace of sixes over fine leg during an expensive opening spell by Minto typified their approach. Progress was halted when Leicestershire’s Alex Green claimed Beg’s wicket with his first ball, which grazed the leg stump and ended the 44-run opening stand.Bangladesh captain Azizul Hakim Tamim, who was dropped on four, was next to depart, caught by Kent’s Ben Dawkins off Yorkshire new-ball bowler, Matthew Firbank, for 11. England struck again when Abrar gloved Minto down the legside, at 69 for three in the 13th over the Young Lions appeared to gain a foothold in the game.However, a fourth-wicket partnership worth 148 between Kalam Aleen and Hossan allowed the visitors to regain the initiative.Initially Hossan was the main aggressor, he got to his fifty off 58 balls with a stylish boundary over midwicket. Aleen’s half-century, characterised by strong sweep shots, soon followed off 68 balls, as both batters manipulated the field effectively.The partnership was broken by Minto in the 39th over, who took two wickets in consecutive balls, leaving the score on 217 for five. Firstly, Aleen played across the line and was trapped LBW and then Mohammad Abdullah was the victim of another legside strangle, with captain Thomas Rew completing a regulation catch.England’s impressive death bowling meant that only 66 runs were added in the final 9.2 overs of the innings. The late flurry of wickets included Hossan, dismissed by Nottinghamshire’s Hatton-Lowe, one ball after getting to a deserved century. In the final over, Minto mopped up the innings, bagging two tailend wickets in two balls, the left-armer finishing with five for 68.England’s chase of 293 began badly, as Fahad castled Dawkins, in the first over of the reply. Joe Moores followed in the sixth over for 14, a looping top edge offering Tamim a catch off his own bowling.That brought Will Bennison to the middle, the Yorkshire batter in partnership with Mohammed proceeded to dominate the powerplay, accelerating the score to 129 for two after 15 overs. Isaac’s fifty, off only 34 balls, contained a ramped six along with several conventional boundaries.Bangladesh’s breakthrough came via Shadin Islam’s off-spin, bowling Bennison through the gate for 36 off 32 balls. Soon after, Mohammed’s fine innings of 75 ended with a catch to cover, leaving two new batters at the crease and 151 runs needed off 32.2 overs.Skipper Rew and debutant Jack Nelson maintained the pressure until a critical passage saw Middlesex’s Nelson undone by Ratul. The slow left armer also accounted for Rew as England faltered at 189 for six after 26.2 overs.The situation considerably worsened when Ralphie Albert was needlessly run out. The very next ball, Hatton-Lowe was then caught behind off Shahdin.Ratul closed out the game a few overs later with Firbank’s wicket, a sharp catch of his bowling.Mohammed said: “I really enjoyed it to be fair, I just felt good, I’ve doing a lot of training recently and I feel like a lot of that paid off today. At the end of the day the result didn’t go our way but when Sunday comes hopefully we can put it right.”When I’m batting, I like to stay positive, whatever the scenario is, I’m backing my ability.”Speaking about the Bangladesh spinners claiming eight wickets, he added: “At the start it was quite a fresh ball so it wasn’t doing as much. When the spinners did come back on, I’d just got out before that.”But looking at some of the videos, it looked like it was starting to grip, so if we are playing on the same wicket on Sunday, that could be something to look into.”Mohammed, whose Worcestershire are in the men’s Metro Bank One-Day Cup final against Hampshire later this month, to cap a breakthrough season for the batter said: “I’m loving it, and hopefully in the (Metro Bank) final against Hampshire, we can bring home the trophy.”

England have already booked their spot at the 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico and USA, with Thomas Tuchel’s side looking impressive in the qualifying stages.

The Three Lions didn’t even concede a goal in the six wins that guaranteed their place on the biggest stage, and attention will soon turn to who will be on the plane looking to win England’s first World Cup since 1966.

While there are some stars who are guaranteed to be on the way to North America, such as captain Harry Kane, Tuchel still has a lot to think about between now and June.

Of course, a lot could change between now and the summer, however, here is Chat GPT’s prediction of who will make England’s 26-player squad in Canada, Mexico and USA.

Goalkeepers

Jordan Pickford, Dean Henderson, James Trafford

Providing he remains injury free, Jordan Pickford looks set to continue as England number one in 2026 for the ninth successive year.

Providing back up to the Everton star, according to ChatGPT, will be Crystal Palace’s Dean Henderson and Man City’s James Trafford.

Defenders

Trent Alexander-Arnold, Reece James, Myles Lewis-Skelly, John Stones, Marc Guehi, Ezri Konsa, Dan Burn

One of the big decisions Tuchel made early on was to drop Trent Alexander-Arnold, however, Chat GPT feels the Real Madrid right-back will win his place back in the 26.

Chelsea’s Reece James and Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly are the other full-back options, with John Stones, Marc Guehi, Ezri Konsa and Dan Burn at centre-back.

Tottenham’s Djed Spence had been a regular in Tuchel’s squad, however, there’s no place for the full-back in the 26.

Midfielders

Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice, Adam Wharton, Elliot Anderson, Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers, Eberechi Eze

Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson have been a regular in Tuchel’s midfield and could be the partnership that begins the World Cup campaign, backed by Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton.

Further forward, Jude Bellingham has been tipped to return to the squad after being left out recently due to fitness issues.

Chelsea, Arsenal and Aston Villa stars Cole Palmer, Eberechi Eze and Morgan Rogers make up the seven man midfield selection, with no room for the likes of Morgan Gibbs-White or Jordan Henderson.

Forwards

Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka, Phil Foden, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Gordon, Noni Madueke

Interestingly, ChatGPT thinks Tuchel will go with just one out-and-out centre-forward in captain Harry Kane. Marcus Rashford could also play centrally if required and his ‘revival in form’ at Barcelona sees him included.

Meanwhile, Anthony Gordon’s ’growing importance’ under Tuchel sees him included, alongside Arsenal stars Bukayo Saka and Noni Madueke and Man City ace Phil Foden.

Notable exclusions from Chat GPT’s forward line include Jarrod Bowen and Ollie Watkins.

Also: what’s the record for most consecutive wins from the start of a captaincy career?

Steven Lynch17-Sep-2024Shimron Hetmyer hit 91 without a four in one innings in this year’s Caribbean Premier League. Is that the highest in T20s without a four? asked Chris Dowden from Grenada

You’re right that Shimron Hetmyer’s 91 for Guyana Amazon Warriors in their CPL match against St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in Basseterre a couple of weeks ago contained no fours. We should perhaps mention that he did manage no fewer than 11 sixes, though!It is the highest score in any T20 match without a four, beating Shashrika Pussegolla’s 78 for Sebastianites against Police in Colombo in June 2022.The highest individual score in any T20 match with no fours or sixes appears to be 38 not out, by Navdeep Poonia for Scotland against Bermuda in Belfast during the World T20 Qualifier in August 2008.What’s the highest opening partnership in an international in which neither player scored a hundred? asked Nandra de Silva from Sri Lanka

A performance in a T20I leads the way here. Playing for Gibraltar against Bulgaria in Valletta (Malta) in 2022, Avinash Pai (86 not out) and Louis Bruce (99 not out) batted through the innings for an unbroken opening partnership of 213.In ODIs, Chris Gayle (99) and Wavell Hinds (82) put on 192 for West Indies’ first wicket against Bangladesh in Southampton during the 2004 Champions Trophy in England. Shikhar Dhawan (81 not out) and Shubman Gill (82 not out) also shared an opening stand of 192 – without being parted – for India against Zimbabwe in Harare in 2022.The men’s Test record is also 192, by Sunil Gavaskar (97) and Chetan Chauhan (93) for India against Pakistan in Lahore in 1978. However, Caroline Atkins (90) and Arran Brindle (85) put on exactly 200 for England’s first wicket in a women’s Test against India in Lucknow in 2002.I was going through scorecards of the good old days of Pakistan cricket, and spotted that in a Test against India in 2005-06, seven batters made 50-plus in the second innings. Was this a record? asked M Usman Sharif from Pakistan

You’re right that Pakistan’s second innings against India in Karachi in 2006 contained seven scores of 50 or more. Actually, it was the top seven in the order: Salman Butt 53, Imran Farhat 57, Younis Khan 77, Mohammad Yousuf 97, Faisal Iqbal 139, Shahid Afridi 60 and Abdul Razzaq 90. The total was enough for Pakistan to win by 341 runs – quite a comeback considering they had been 0 for 3 in the first over of the match, after a hat-trick from Irfan Pathan.That was actually the second Test innings to contain seven individual scores of 50 or more, after England against Australia at Old Trafford in 1934. It happened again at Lord’s in 2006, when seven Sri Lankans reached 50 after they followed on against England. Here’s the full list of seven or more batters making 50 or more.Percy Chapman holds the record for winning the most consecutive Tests at the start of a captaincy career•SR Gaiger/Getty ImagesHad England won at The Oval, Ollie Pope would have started with three wins in his first three matches as captain. Which captain won the most Tests from the start of their career? asked Mark Annear via Facebook

England’s stand-in captain Ollie Pope won his first two Tests in charge, before coming a cropper in the third, at The Oval last week. Over the years, 23 captains won their first three matches in charge: six of them are from England, the most recent being Brian Close in the mid-1960s. The most recent from any country is Pope’s opposite number, Dhananjaya de Silva, earlier this year.The best start is by England’s Percy Chapman, who won his first nine Tests as captain in the late 1920s. Earlier that decade, Warwick Armstrong won his first eight Tests in charge of Australia. There’s a big gap then to seven others who won their first four Tests as captain.Regarding last week’s question about the tallest men to play for England, what about Boyd Rankin? asked Michael O’Hara from Ireland

Thanks for pointing that out: it’s not the first time I’d forgotten that fast bowler Boyd Rankin, who played county cricket for Derbyshire and Warwickshire, played a Test for England (against Australia in Sydney in 2014), as well as two for his native Ireland.Rankin is also in the region of 6ft 8in (203cm), and thus shares the distinction of being England’s tallest Test cricketer with Steven Finn. Current squad member Reece Topley is also 6ft 8in, but although he has played more than 50 white-ball internationals, he hasn’t appeared in a Test match.The tallest Test player from any country remains Mohammad Irfan of Pakistan – another left-arm quick – who extends the tape to 7ft 1in (216cm). Irfan is believed to be the tallest first-class cricketer too.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

Liverpool are a team with distinct flaws, and yet they are also breathtaking and brilliant when firing on all cylinders.

Too often this season, Arne Slot’s side have failed to get going, outthought and outfought across the past few months, losing six of seven matches across all competitions before a controlled win over Aston Villa in the Premier League stopped the rot.

The 1-0 victory over European nemeses Real Madrid was something different, though. Anfield roared and cheered Virgil van Dijk and his Redmen, bayed and bellowed at Los Blancos and ex-Liverpool man Trent Alexander-Arnold, who received a frosty reception when welcomed after 80 minutes.

This is the Liverpool we know. Energy and intensity and purpose across every area of the field. However, while Van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate stood firm against Kylian Mbappe, with the full-backs excelling too, the plain truth remains of the Merseysiders’ desperate need for reinforcements in central defence.

Liverpool searching for a centre-back

Of course, Liverpool did sign a centre-back this summer, adding Giovanni Leoni to their ranks for a £26m fee. The 18-year-old is worth his wait in gold, but ruptured his ACL on his debut against Southampton and now sits sidelined for around a year.

The inability to prise Marc Guehi away from Crystal Palace, however, is surely the bigger blow. A deal was almost in place on deadline day, but the Eagles had not found a suitable replacement, and with such little time to pull out the stops, the move disintegrated, with the player having been permitted to carry out a medical with the Anfield side.

It still could come together. Guehi, 25, has entered the final year of his contract at Selhurst Park and has no desire to pen a fresh deal. The issue now is that a host of Europe’s top outfits want his signature, though Spanish paper AS have confirmed with week that, alongside Bayern Munich, the Reds are still leading the race, ahead of the likes of Real Madrid.

Liverpool will hope to snap Guehi up on a Bosman by the end of the campaign, but if they fall short in that race, sporting director Richard Hughes has lined up the perfect alternative in Inter Milan’s Alessandro Bastoni.

As per further Spanish sources, Liverpool have been named as potential suitors for Italian defender Bastoni, with FSG considering making a €100m (£87m) bid this January.

The veracity of this developing story is uncertain at this stage, but the 26-year-old is undoubtedly talented enough to stand out under Slot’s wing, with the style and experience to make a marked difference as Van Dijk inches ever closer to the autumn of his illustrious Anfield career.

What Bastoni would offer Liverpool

Liverpool need a centre-back; they’ve needed one for some time. While Guehi was the first-choice option this summer, Bastoni might actually prove a more compelling option for the Anfield side, having been hailed for his “world-class” ability by commentator Matteo Bonetti.

This is a defender who is at the top of their game, one of the most important cogs in an I Nerazzurri machine that has won two Scudettos and two Coppa Italia titles in five recent seasons, winner of the 2021 European Championship with Italy besides.

And, aged 26, he falls into a similar bracket as Guehi: a centre-back with the talent to make an instant impact and the prime years still ahead to grow deeper into their role in Slot’s squad and reach entirely new levels of performance.

He’s one of the best players in his position worldwide. In Serie A this season, Bastoni has scored a goal and supplied two assists across nine outings, winning 70% of his aerial duels and averaging 1.8 tackles per game (data provided by Sofascore).

A strong passer and outside-the-box thinker, he could even trump Guehi across ball-playing metrics, with the Palace man renowned for his cool, composed and creative presence on the ball.

As you can see, Guehi has been more active in defensive contributions over the past year. This you would expect from an outfit like Palace in the Premier League when compared to Italian giants like Inter. But Bastoni is slicker and more able on the ball, and that when Guehi shines in that regard.

Sure, Guehi is a free agent come the end of the campaign, and that counts for a lot, but whether Liverpool and FSG would be willing to pass up an opportunity to sign a talent of Bastoni’s ability is another question entirely. After all, the reports suggest that a bid is currently being packaged together.

Here is a fearsome centre-half with the passing range of a maestro. Liverpool could do a lot worse than add Bastoni to their ranks, securing a long-term Van Dijk heir with the perfect skillset to ease the agony of his moving on.

Bastoni. The perfect, elite bastion to secure Liverpool’s backline for many years to come. He has a wealth of experience at the highest level and the hunger to achieve even more.

He is immensely talented, perhaps more so than Guehi, and Slot’s defence would reach frightening levels of security and balance and progression with him added into the mix.

Not Bradley: Liverpool have found the new Trent & he's not even a defender

Arne Slot has now uncovered Liverpool’s next Trent Alexander-Arnold, and it’s not Conor Bradley.

By
Kelan Sarson

Nov 6, 2025

The Colorado Rockies were cheered heartily by fans at the 2025 MLB draft after Rob Manfred announced that the organization had selected Ethan Holliday with the No. 4 pick in the first round.

Holliday, 18, is the youngest son of former Rockies All-Star outfielder Matt Holliday, who played the first six seasons of his career in Colorado and was a fan favorite.

After Ethan followed in his father's footsteps as a Rockies draft selection, some old photos of him supporting the organization throughout his youth emerged on social media, courtesy of both the Rockies and MLB.

Ethan has been making trips to Coors Field since his youth, and now he'll get to look forward to playing there on a daily basis in the future.

Matt played in Colorado from 2004 to '09 and finished his career with the team in 2018. He was a seventh round pick by the organization in 1998 and rose to stardom at Coors Field, where he earned three of his six career trips to the All-Star Game.

Ethan is a standout shortstop and third base prospect who played high school baseball at Matt's alma mater, Stillwater High School in Stillwater, Okla. He launched 16 home runs and had a stunning 1.309 slugging percentage in 32 games during his senior year.

Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal and Arsenal star Declan Rice are among the 11 nominees for the FIFA 2025 Puskas Award. The global honour recognising the most breathtaking goal of the year kicked off on Thursday as FIFA revealed the shortlists for both the men’s and women’s prizes. The award, named after Real Madrid icon Ferenc Puskas, recognises the finest goal scored between 11 August 2024 and 2 August 2025, and this year’s competition is stacked with elite talent.

• Yamal’s brilliance and Rice’s rocket steal the spotlight

  Yamal earned his nomination for a stunning left-footed curler against Espanyol. It was a moment of individual brilliance that effectively clinched the league title for Barcelona. Cutting in from the right, he opened his body and sent the ball spinning into the far top corner, a finish dripping with maturity well beyond his teenage years.

  Whereas, Rice stunned the Champions League with one of the most audacious free kicks in recent memory. His nomination came for the second of his two spectacular dead-ball strikes against Real Madrid in the quarter-finals. From a seemingly impossible angle, Rice trusted his capabilities and whipped an outrageous shot into the top corner to give Arsenal a famous 3–0 first-leg win.

  "To score my first free kick in a game is a special one. And then when I got the second one. I just had the confidence. I'm speechless, really," Rice told Amazon Prime after the Real Madrid game in April.

  "When you score a goal, it's the best feeling in the world. It didn't make sense from that angle to cross the ball. It would have to be a delicate pass. And when I saw the wall, it didn't make sense to cross. You know what, I'm happy I took it because it was magic."

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  Who are the nominees of the FIFA Puskas and Marta award?

  FIFA Puskas Award 2025 nominees

  Alerrandro | Vitoria v. Cruzeiro | 19 August 2024

  Alessandro Deiola | Cagliari v. Venezia | 18 May 2025

  Pedro de la Vega | Cruz Azul v. Seattle Sounders | 31 July 2025

  Santiago Montiel | Independiente v. Independiente Rivadavia | 11 May 2025

  Amr Nasser | Al Ahly v. Pharco | 17 April 2025

  Carlos Orrantía | Querétaro v. Atlas | 16 April 2025

  Lucas Ribeiro | Mamelodi Sundowns v. Borussia Dortmund | 21 June 2025

  Declan Rice | Arsenal v. Real Madrid | 8 April 2025

  Rizky Ridho | Persija Jakarta v. Arema | 9 March 2025

  Kévin Rodrigues | Kasımpaşa v. Rizespor | 9 February 2025

  Lamine Yamal | Espanyol v. Barcelona | 15 May 2025

  FIFA Marta Award 2025 Nominees

  Jordyn Bugg | North Carolina Courage v. Seattle Reign | 22 March 2025

  Mariona Caldentey | Olympique Lyonnais v. Arsenal | 27 April 2025

  Ashley Cheatley | Brentford v. Ascot United |3 November 2024

  Kyra Cooney-Cross | Germany v. Australia | 28 October 2024

  Jon Ryong-jong | Korea DPR v. Argentina | 2 September 2024

  Marta | Orlando Pride v. Kansas City Current | 17 November 2024

  Vivianne Miedema | Wales v. Netherlands |5 July 2025

  Kishi Núñez|Argentina v. Costa Rica |8 September 2024

  Lizbeth Ovalle | Tigres v. Guadalajara | 3 March 2025

  Ally Sentnor | USA v. Colombia | 20 February 2025

  Khadija Shaw | Hammarby v. Manchester City | 21 November 2024

• The legacy of greatness: A look back at previous Puskas Winners

  The Puskas Award, introduced in 2009, has become one of the most cherished individual honours in world football. Cristiano Ronaldo’s thunderbolt for Manchester United against Porto in the Champions League remains one of the most astonishing long-range strikes in European history. From nearly 40 yards out, he unleashed a missile into the top corner, and that was the first Puskas winner. 

  In 2011, a 19-year-old Neymar announced himself to the world with a goal that seemed sculpted from a video game. Picking up the ball near the halfway line for Santos, he slalomed past four defenders before putting up a composed finish. And the Puskas Award was almost inevitable.

  The Egyptian King, Mohamed Salah, took home the prize for his solo run against Everton in the Merseyside derby. Salah dribbled inside from the right, held off defenders with brute strength, then bent an unstoppable curler into the far corner. It was a quintessential Salah finish, and the Puskas Award was his in 2018. 

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  Who will decide the Puskas winner?

  Fans can now view all nominated goals on FIFA.com, with voting split 50/50 between supporters and a panel of FIFA Legends. The winners will be crowned at The Best FIFA Football Awards 2025.

More young seamers join county cricket’s transfer merry-go-round

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Aug-2025 • Updated on 12-Aug-2025Mitchell Killeen, the Durham allrounder, has agreed to join Essex on a two-year deal from the end of the current season.Killeen made his Durham debut in a One-Day Cup match in 2022 and has made nine List A and three first-class appearances – which included taking 5 for 36 on his County Championship debut earlier this year. He has also featured for England Under-19s and the Professional County Club XI.The 20-year-old, son of former Durham seamer, now England bowling consultant, Neil Killeen, was Durham’s 2nd XI player of the season in 2024, scoring more than 400 runs to go with 18 wickets.”I am really excited to be joining Essex for the 2026 season,” Mitchell Killeen said. “Essex have an excellent squad of cricketers and have obviously enjoyed some great success in recent years. Once Chris Silverwood got in touch, I knew that I wanted to be involved with what he is trying to build at Chelmsford.”I feel my cricket is developing and I will be doing my best to push hard for regular first team cricket. I know a few of the younger players from my time with England Under-19s and I can’t wait to meet the rest of the squad ahead of next season.”Killeen’s signing follows that of Zaman Akhter from Gloucestershire as Essex look to reshape their attack for next season.Kasey Aldridge is joining Durham•Getty Images

Durham have offset Killeen’s departure with the signings of Kasey Aldridge and Archie Bailey, from Somerset and Gloucestershire respectively.Aldridge, 24, is a tall fast bowler who played for England at the Under-19 World Cup in early 2020 and has also represented England Lions. He went on loan to Durham for eight matches in the Blast this year, taking his first T20 five-for against Nottinghamshire, and has taken 12 wickets in five County Championship appearances for Somerset this summer.”We’re delighted that Kasey has chosen to join Durham, and we have been able to secure the signing of a highly talented bowling allround,” Marcus North, the club’s director of cricket, said. “At only 24, Kasey has already established great foundations in all formats of his game, and we look forward to nurturing this very exciting talent in his next stage of his career at Durham.”Somerset confirmed Aldridge’s impending departure earlier this month, with Ben Green and Josh Davey also set to leave the club. “All three players were offered contract extensions,” Andy Hurry, their director of cricket said. “However, they have taken the decision to seek enhanced playing opportunities elsewhere and we must respect that decision.”Bailey, meanwhile, is a 20-year-old seamer who has come through Gloucestershire’s pathway. Like Aldridge, he has signed a three-year deal, and will join Durham on loan for the remainder of the Metro Bank One-Day Cup. “While it’s never easy to say goodbye, I’m excited about what lies ahead and will always look back on my time at Gloucestershire with pride and gratitude,” Bailey said.