India and Pakistan’s unedifying posturing and power plays sapped all joy from the tournament and left only a sense of what the game has surrendered

Andrew Fidel Fernando03-Oct-2025Ninety minutes passed between Tilak Varma putting the final touches on India’s Asia Cup final victory over Pakistan and the start of the post-match presentation – enough time to have played an an entire additional T20 innings. Cricket’s shortest format was in its earliest years considered its most frivolous. Now it is its most glamorous, dynamic and accessible “product” – to be shown off at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics as cricket once again attempts to capture America and find fresh audiences. If it is to gain credibility as a truly global sport, there is no better medium.And yet, last Sunday night, following the pinnacle match in the tournament for teams from the sport’s most cricket-obsessed region, there was sufficient petulance to fill half a T20. We know the general outline of events. Suryakumar Yadav’s team refused to accept the Asia Cup trophy from Asian Cricket Council president Mohsin Naqvi, who, vitally, is also Pakistan’s Minister of the Interior. Naqvi, a controversial politician even within Pakistan, refused to cede the handing over of the trophy to a less-polarising figure.Suryakumar had indicated his team would not receive the trophy from Naqvi weeks before, so this standoff was entirely predictable. And yet the post-match presentation, which ordinarily would be a joyous event to cap off three tough weeks of competition, was held hostage, for no reason ultimately – no trophy was publicly handed over.Related

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The 48 hours following the final were characterised by a whirl of high-profile reactions, and reactions to reactions, each additional voice broadening and intensifying a vortex of opinion comprised of precious few cricketing facts. India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, posted on X that India’s victory was an on-field continuation of Operation Sindoor (the Indian name for the skirmish with Pakistan in May), Suryakumar praised Modi for “batting on the front foot” for India in return, and Naqvi posted indignantly that Modi should not be “dragging war into sport”, when only days before, Naqvi himself posted a sports gif that appeared to reference planes being shot down. This was after Haris Rauf, while fielding in an earlier match, had made gestures depicting crashing aircraft, and Sahibzada Farhan had celebrated a half-century by firing his bat like a gun.That Varma had paced his 69 not out more or less perfectly to raise India up from 20 for 3 gained comparatively little attention. That Faheem Ashraf and Shaheen Afridi’s intense new-ball overs had set up one of the most electric passages of play in a tournament too short of cricketing tension went mostly overlooked. When politics wraps its tentacles so tightly around the sport, it cannot be a surprise that a little of cricket’s soul is squeezed out.But politics is only one of two major forces currently pressing upon the game’s integrity, the other also plainly evident at the Asia Cup. Suryakumar said at one press conference that “[a] few things in life are ahead of sportsmanship spirit” to explain his team’s decision to refuse public handshakes with the Pakistan players. But handshakes or not, these sides played three times, the tournament having been structured specifically to make an India vs Pakistan triple the most likely possibility, to maximise revenue.Both sides were guilty of moments of unsportsmanlike conduct•AFP/Getty ImagesEven in global tournaments, it has long been taken as read that India and Pakistan always start in the same group, which perhaps confers a small competitive advantage – those teams are able to plan for a specific opposition long before the schedule is announced. More egregiously, with each of the “big five” Asian teams capable of making a deep run in this tournament, the three others (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka) were again stuffed into a “group of death”, the third consecutive Asia Cup in which this has been the case. Pakistan and India, meanwhile, had two Associate sides – Oman and the UAE – to play in Group A.With two teams from each group having arrived at the Super Four, one side was then required to play on consecutive nights to make the schedule work. A Group B team was, of course, saddled with this fate (Bangladesh in this instance, who rested key players for one of these games). In the previous Asia Cup, which was partially played mid-monsoon in Sri Lanka, only the match between Pakistan and India enjoyed the safety of a reserve day in the Super Four stage.As the most profitable version of the Asia Cup played out this year – India and Pakistan facing each other at prime time on three consecutive Sundays – the other six teams, who shook every hand put in front of them, who turned up to every press conference they were contractually required to attend, who, committing significant resources, had planned and trained for months for a tournament whose very schedule was an article of disrespect, seemed, for all this, no more than props in the India vs Pakistan melodrama. Competitive equilibrium is a foundational rudiment of any sport, and yet cricket has for some time been prepared to lay it on the altar of capitalism. What was new here are the depths of absurdity plumbed – these teams more or less insisting on playing each other while making a show of resenting having to do so.The fallout from Dubai will have immediate consequences elsewhere in the cricketing world. In the approach to the ongoing Women’s World Cup, Pakistan captain Fatima Sana was visibly uncomfortable when questioned on the political tension that will attend their campaign, particularly when they play India on Sunday in Colombo. Both her side and Harmanpreet Kaur’s are now required to formulate a plan on how they interact publicly. Do they take cues from the men and refuse handshakes? Will politicians also regard their match as an extension of military operations? South Asian women athletes anyway function in a far more fraught cultural and political milieu than their male counterparts – gender equality a more distant dream in this region than in some others. Now, in the midst of a World Cup, they have this poison dart flying in their direction.India and Pakistan women’s games have largely been devoid of political drama, but that looks set to change•PCBMost worrying about the game’s present direction is that there may be no meaningful shift in the short term. Politically the India-Pakistan relationship – as riven as it has been for decades – shows no signs of easing. And while there is more money in cricket than ever, it is also not about to become any less concentrated in India, which already is a cricketing superpower the likes of which the game has not seen.There was once edifying collaboration among South Asian cricket boards. Most notably, this was in 1996, when Pakistan, India, and Sri Lanka together co-hosted the World Cup, in the face of criticism from the traditional cricketing powers that the region could not pull such an event off. Ahead of that World Cup, India and Pakistan put a combined team together in Colombo to demonstrate that Sri Lanka was safe for cricket. Wasim Akram and Sachin Tendulkar travelled on the same team bus, strategised as one, wore the same kit, and delighted in the joy they were bringing to a Sri Lankan crowd together. Such a string of events is unthinkable now.There is no strap of the globe in which cricket is as profound a cultural touchstone as in Asia, nor a region that affords the sport so vast a canvas. In one South Asian afternoon, full tosses could find themselves as easily crashed over freshly harvested paddies in Jaffna as through mango groves in Karnataka, as above the waves in Cox’s Bazaar or down a Himalayan hillside. In a single day, a left-arm wristspinner might find themselves ripping a rubber ball in a match in the morning, a hard ball at academy nets in the afternoon, a tape ball under lights at night. In eastern Afghanistan in the last year, cricket fans gathered in public spaces to celebrate team victories in defiance of Taliban wishes. It took gun-toting men to scatter them.Little of this joy was on display in the aftermath of a gripping Asia Cup final. Instead, an already compromised sport was co-opted, and a shared passion became a tool of political division. An even greater cultural chasm has now been cleaved than when the tournament began. Far from exhibiting the best of our sport in the region in which it is most beloved, this Asia Cup spiralled into a showcase of dysfunction.

All the optimism that had been in the air surrounding Leeds United going into this Premier League season is gradually being sapped more and more as the campaign goes on.

Last time out away at Brighton and Hove Albion, Daniel Farke’s men arguably hit rock bottom, as they were resoundingly beaten 3-0 away at Fabian Hurzeler’s relentless Seagulls, in a contest where they barely laid a glove on the rampant hosts.

If they put in more empty performances like the one they served up on the South Coast, relegation will be a definite, as Leeds now languish just five points off 18th-placed Nottingham Forest, who they face next in a huge tie.

Farke will surely be feeling the intense pressures of the Whites hot seat right now, as he potentially prepares to drop Dominic Calvert-Lewin for matches to come, after his slow start out of the blocks in West Yorkshire.

Calvert-Lewin's struggles at Leeds

It was always going to be a transfer deal that would be fraught with risk, but Leeds gambled on Calvert-Lewin this summer on a free transfer, anyway, following the expiry of his long-term Everton contract.

Indeed, last season in the Premier League, the Sheffield-born striker would only fire home a weak three goals, with a high 15 games missed through injury also a concerning statistic to take in.

Thankfully, despite all these worries, Calvert-Lewin is off the mark for Farke and Co., as this header above helped Leeds to a convincing 3-1 away success at Wolverhampton Wanderers in September.

But, Leeds fans have still been left wanting more from their new recruit, with the 28-year-old now deep in a five-game stretch of no goals in league action, which has often resulted in the injury-prone number nine cutting an isolated figure.

That was very much the case on the South Coast last time out, with Calvert-Lewin only managing to test Bart Verbruggen in the home side’s goal with one effort all afternoon, having amassed just 17 touches of the ball in total.

Farke’s options off the bench aren’t plentiful either, with both Lukas Nmecha and Joel Piroe not the most inspired selection of understudies.

Leeds are now reportedly looking at free-scoring Coventry City striker Haji Wright as a January addition up top, subsequently. But, they could be better placed to just gift one of their own a chance, instead, with this star – who is out on loan competing with Wright’s Sky Blues – potentially putting Calvert-Lewin on borrowed time as a first team starter down the line.

Leeds loanee could put Calvert-Lewin on borrowed time

Farke’s patience regarding Calvert-Lewin’s no-shows must surely be thin already.

But, with Mateo Joseph out on loan, and Joel Piroe potentially on the move in January, he has his hands tied with what he has at his disposal up top, with forgotten striker Joe Gelhardt also currently on the books of another club temporarily.

It feels like a lifetime ago since Gelhardt was dubbed the next best thing at Leeds, with Sky Sports’ Jamie Redknapp even lauding the Elland Road prodigy as a “wrecking ball” style figure, after he bagged two goals and assisted a further four strikes from 20 Premier League games during the 2021/22 season.

Since then, his opportunities have been sparse, but he could be in for some more game time in the near future in West Yorkshire if he can keep the goals flowing right now in the Championship with Leeds’ near neighbours Hull City.

Gelhardt has rolled back the years for the Tigers, with the striker who was once also deemed as “special” by Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher, coming back to the forefront in Hull’s distinctive orange and black, as seen in him collecting four goals from his last four second-tier outings.

With 11 goals now next to his name across two spells at the MKM Stadium, the time might be right for Gelhardt to gain chances in the Leeds first team fold once more, as persisting with Calvert-Lewin could well be the wrong move here, knowing full well his recent sketchy record with injuries and his long barren patches of form.

Games played

13

Goals scored

6

Assists

1

Scoring frequency

157 mins

Ball recoveries*

4.2

Total duels won

4.9

On the contrary, Gelhardt could be the breath of fresh air needed to reenergise an often lethargic Leeds forward line, with a powerful 4.9 duels won per second-tier contest this season sticking out from the table above.

Of course, Leeds will also be hesitant to chuck Gelhardt back into senior action, with the 23-year-old also prone to a lack of confidence in front of goal.

But, whether it comes via a recall in January or next season, adding the lively striker back into the mix could put Calvert-Lewin on borrowed time, with ex-Premier League scout Bryan King even recently stating that the hot-and-cold attacker just isn’t the “right striker” fit for the Whites, as they desperately crave goals to beat the drop.

Worse than Aaronson: Farke must drop 4/10 Leeds dud who won 33% duels

Daniel Farke has to now drop this Leeds United star after his shocking display against Brighton and Hove Albion.

ByKelan Sarson Nov 2, 2025

The home belonging to Arizona Diamondbacks infielder Ketel Marte was robbed during MLB's All-Star break, reported early Thursday morning, per police.

Scottsdale-area authorities are investigating a "high-dollar residential burglary" that is believed to have happened Tuesday night, while Marte would have been away at the All-Star Game in Atlanta.

Per , no one was home when the incident occurred, and "numerous personal items and jewelry" were taken. An investigation into the matter is currently ongoing.

The incident is just the latest in a series of recent robberies involving well-known athletes across leagues, where players' homes have been repeatedly targeted while they are traveling for events or away games. Among those impacted are NFL stars Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow, as well as basketball bigwigs Luka Doncic and Bobby Portis.

In good news, the National League walked away from the All-Star Game with a win, during which Marte hit a two-run double in the first inning.

Earlier in June, the second baseman was also a victim of some pretty nasty trash talk from a fan who brought him to tears after invoking his late mother. But the D-Back handled it with class, and received a standing ovation at his first home game after.

Everton need to win against Fulham in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.

It’s a strange thing to say, almost. Clubs seek victory each time they enter the field, but after just one win across seven recent top-flight outings, David Moyes’ side need to return to form at the Hill Dickinson and pause for the November international break on a high.

Crucial in achieving this will be the availability of talisman Iliman Ndiaye, who was withdrawn after an hour against Sunderland on Monday evening with a suspected knock, limping off the field.

The latest on Iliman Ndiaye's fitness

In short, Ndiaye has been cleared to play. The Senegalese winger has been nothing short of brilliant this season, with his return of four goals and an assist across ten matches.

But that hardly paints the full picture. It was the goal that counted at the Stadium of Light, but the manner in which the 25-year-old skipped his way into the box, wrongfooted one man, two, and then struck so sweetly past Robin Roefs, who was not wrongfooted but frozen in place.

He’s fast, furious and clever in his decision-making. So guileful. There has been concern that he will sit this one out, but Moyes revealed on Friday morning that the winger had trained as usual and is ready to play.

Given that Moyes has been so reluctant to start the 19-year-old Tyler Dibling this season, Ndiaye’s availability is crucial, not least because Fulham are a resilient and well-structured outfit, and his maverick nature could unlock that backline.

However, he’s not the only one who has the skillset to shine. Pitted against Everton at the Hill Dickinson will be their former star Alex Iwobi, and Moyes has found the Toffees’ new version this season.

Moyes must unleash Everton's new Iwobi

Iwobi was a trusty servant across his four years on Merseyside, and it was under Frank Lampard’s wing that he was resfashioned from an electric winger into a robust central midfielder.

Here the Nigerian’s creativity has been allowed to flourish, hitting 15 goal involvements in the league last year. Everton have missed this kind of player, but in Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Moyes might have signed the solution.

Dewsbury-Hall, 27, joined the club from Chelsea for a £28m fee this summer and he has impressed across his nine Premier League starts, scoring one goal, assisting one more, and creating four big chances. Sofascore record that he won 55% of his ground duels and completed 71% of his dribbles, too.

This is a complete midfielder, and while he doesn’t shirk from defensive responsibilities, Dewsbury-Hall’s bread and butter is his passing, and this makes him the perfect solvent of Iwobi’s talent, for he could overpower him in his number ten role.

The pair are considered statistically similar players in the Premier League this season by data-led platform FBref, and the £90k-per-week Dewsbury-Hall could now prove his worth by stepping up and leading the Toffees toward three points.

Goals

0.11

0.11

Assists

0.11

0.22

Touches

43.93

57.59

Pass completion (%)

77.2

79.2

Progressive passes

5.19

6.24

Shot-creating actions

3.50

3.56

Through balls

0.56

0.45

Crosses

4.63

2.67

Progressive carries

1.36

4.46

Successful take-ons

1.13

0.56

Ball recoveries

3.05

4.23

Tackles + interceptions

1.47

1.34

Playing balls in behind is Dewsbury-Hall’s speciality. He has the athleticism to dribble the ball forward, but is designated as the Blues’ conduit between midfield and attack, passing through the spaces and creating for his teammates.

Iwobi has probably enjoyed the better season so far, as the statistics will tell you above, but this is a chance for Everton’s summer recruit to properly announce himself and become the “revelation” that former boss Brendan Rodgers said he was at Leicester City.

Fulham are a tough team, and they thrashed lowly Wolves last weekend after skidding to four successive defeats. One point and one place behind Moyes’ side, they will be hungry to cause an upset.

If Dewsbury-Hall turns up, he could not only stand out and overshadow his opposite number in Iwobi but also take Everton back into the win column.

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ByAngus Sinclair Nov 7, 2025

David Saker has been appointed as England’s fast-bowling coach for the upcoming Ashes series, reprising a role he has held regularly over the last 15 years.Saker’s appointment comes with confirmation that Tim Southee, England’s current fast-bowling coach, will leave the squad after the first Test in Perth to play in the ILT20.Saker and Southee will work together for the warm-up fixture against the Lions in Perth as well as the opening Test, before Saker will take on the role himself. It has also been confirmed that Paul Collingwood, who has been absent from the coaching staff across the summer due to personal reasons, will not be part of the touring party. The rest of the support staff remains unchanged.Saker has long been a coach that England have turned to. He was the fast-bowling coach from 2010 to 2015, and played a key role when England last won an away Ashes in 2010-11. More recently, he was brought back into the fold for their T20 World Cup victory in 2022 and for the Ashes and ODI World Cup in 2023.The Australian’s official title will be “Specialist Skills Consultant” but he has been brought in specifically to work with the fast-bowling group and to provide local knowledge of how to succeed Down Under.It continues a theme of English, and world wide, coaching appointments where teams opt to hire on a short term basis to provide specific insight into the conditions they are about to face. England themselves hired Mike Hussey and Kieron Pollard for the recent T20 World Cups in Australia and the Caribbean respectively, while earlier this year South Africa hired Stuart Broad as a consultant for their World Test Championship final at Lord’s.While Saker’s appointment comes at the eleventh hour, it is a continuation of England’s long-term plan to take a “battery” of fast bowlers to Australia in an effort to win only their second away Ashes since 1987.England will take arguably their fastest ever seam attack to Australia, with Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, Gus Atkinson, Josh Tongue, Brydon Carse and Matthew Potts in the squad. Furthermore, with the England Lions also touring at the same time, they will be able to call upon the likes of Sonny Baker, Josh Hull and Matt Fisher if they so wish.Josh Tongue chats to Saker during the 2023 Ashes•Philip Brown/Getty Images

Speaking in September, managing director Rob Key spoke of his excitement for a bowling group “on the up”, with, subject to any late fitness issues, England taking a full-strength attack.”We’ve worked so hard to get to this point,” Key said. “It is the last little step. So we get this bit right and hopefully we have every option available to us going into that First Test in Perth.”England also confirmed that Gilbert Enoka, the mental skills coach who is most famous for coining the All Blacks famous “no d*ckheads policy”, will work with the squad in the lead up to the first Test.Enoka, who lives in Christchurch, worked with the Test squad for the first time earlier this year, and is currently with the white-ball team as they prepare for their series against New Zealand.Related

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“He’s awesome,” white-ball captain Harry Brook said of Enoka. “He’s been around the Test side a little bit and he’s a great bloke. He brings a lot of knowledge to the mental side of the game which is a vital part of cricket and professional sport. To have him in the ranks, just to be able to pull for a chat for five or 10 minutes is awesome.”Ahead of this three-match T20 and ODI series, Brook also spoke of a desire to change his white-ball approach, saying that he’d been “disappointed” with his recent performances in the shorter formats.”I feel like I’ve been premeditating quite a lot,” Brook said to talkSPORT. “And there’s one goal for me this series is just to try and play on instinct as much as possible.”When I’m at my best, I’m hitting straight and then I’m adapting to line and length.”Brook made just one white-ball half century for England across the summer from 11 innings, although his average remained above 30 and his strike-rate was healthy across both formats.New Zealand cricket announced that Saturday’s opening T20 at Hagley Oval will be a sell-out. It is a coup for the series, given the cold evening weather in October and a clash with a domestic rugby final featuring Canterbury that had threatened to hurt ticket sales.”It’s pretty outstanding,” New Zealand’s captain Mitchell Santner said. “Hopefully we can put on a bit of a show and it’ll be a great contest.”Santner also announced his XI for the match, with himself and Rachin Ravindra returning, while Bevon Jacobs, Zak Foulkes and Devon Conway miss out from the squad of 14.New Zealand XI 1 Tim Seifert (wk), 2 Mark Chapman, 3 Rachin Ravindra, 4 Tim Robinson, 5 Michael Bracewell, 6 Daryl Mitchell, 7 Jimmy Neesham, 8 Mitchell Santner (capt), 9 Matt Henry, 10 Kyle Jamieson, 11 Jacob Duffy

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Desde a derrota, e a eliminação, para o Nova Iguaçu, nas semifinais do Carioca, o Vasco não entra em campo. De lá para cá, são 17 dias e praticamente uma segunda pré-temporada nesse ano. Com Brasileirão e Copa do Brasil pela frente, saiba quais os desafios do Gigante da Colina nessas competições.

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➡️ Tudo sobre o Gigante agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Vasco

Brasileirão: É justamente pela maior competição do país que o Vasco voltará a entrar em campo, no próximo dia 13, sábado. Ainda sem maiores detalhes, como horário, definidos, o Gigante da Colina enfrenta o Grêmio em casa e quer começar com vitória, mostrando que os trabalhos de quase um mês de treinamentos intensivos valeu a pena. Além disso, o técnico Ramón Diaz pode ter reforços a disposição que devem chegar durante a janela em andamento, como o tão sonhado volante.

Após a estreia, o Vasco encara o Bragantino, em Bragança, e volta para o Rio, onde atuará como visitante no clássico contra o Fluminense. E encerrando os 5 primeiros compromissos, abrindo o Campeonato Brasileiro, o clube recebe o Criciúma e joga em Curitiba contra o Athletico, na Ligga Arena. Até aí, Ramón Diaz já deve ter algumas definições sobre a base do time para o restante da temporada.

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Copa do Brasil: Sem adversário definido, e sem data de sorteio divulgada pela CBF, o Vasco deve integrar o pote 2, ou seja, seus possíveis adversários na 3ª fase são: Flamengo, Palmeiras, São Paulo, Athletico-PR, Atlético-MG, Corinthians, Fluminense, Grêmio, Fortaleza, Internacional, Bahia, Botafogo, Bragantino, Atlético-GO, Ceará e Cuiabá. Sem mais detalhes, a competição deve voltar a ser jogada no início de maio.

Na competição, os vascaínos querem voltar a sonhar com o título, conquistado pela última, e única vez, em 2011.

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BrasileirãoCopa do BrasilVasco

Essex 366 for 6 (Westley 118, Benkenstein 74, Allison 64) beat Derbyshire 322 for 9 (Came 139, Montgomery 108, Critchley 3-63) by 44 runsHarry Came’s highest List A score of 139 from 120 balls was in vain as Derbyshire Falcons lost to Essex by 44 runs in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup Group A game at the Central Co-op County Ground.But victory for Essex was not enough to qualify for the knock-out stages as Hampshire’s win at Bristol denied them a third-place finish.Came shared a second-wicket stand of 225 from 178 balls with Matt Montgomery, who made 108 off 91, but once Simon Harmer (2 for 45) broke through, the Falcons’ chase of 367 stalled as former Derbyshire all-rounder Matt Critchley claimed 3 for 63.The home side finished on 322 for 9 with all-rounder Martin Andersson unable to bat after injuring a hand in the field.Essex’s 366 for 6 was built around Tom Westley’s 118 from 110 balls, 74 off 48 by Luc Benkenstein and Charlie Allison’s 64 with Zak Chappell taking 2 for 64.Essex chose to bat on a pitch which was used for Friday’s high-scoring game against Surrey and lost Critchley in the second over.Critchley made only 2 on his return to Derby for the first time since he left the county four years ago when he missed a full length ball from Ben Aitchison.Paul Walter marked his first List A game since 2021 by flicking Rory Haydon over the deep square leg boundary and pulled the young spinner Joe Hawkins for two sixes in the 14th over.The Falcons were relieved to see him get a big leading edge to mid-off in the next over but Westley and Allison were soon finding the ropes or clearing them with regularity.After Westley went to his 50 from 60 balls, Allison reached his off 46 by dispatching Hawkins for successive sixes.Hawkins failed to cling on to a difficult chance running back from mid-off when Allison was on 57 but the Falcons broke the stand three overs later.Allison tried to drive the medium pace of Amrit Basra over cover but Caleb Jewell took a good catch above his head.Westley edged a drive at Jack Morley to reach his 100 which came off 98 balls and contained 14 fours and a six but was well caught at deep midwicket off Haydon in the 42nd over.Benkenstein initially struggled to beat the fielders but when he found his range, he did so spectacularly, driving and pulling Haydon for six to reach 50 from 38 balls.He dispatched Morley for two more sixes before a mistimed pull was taken at long on but Harmer’s unbeaten 29 off 20 balls took Essex to an imposing total.The Falcons’ chase started badly when Charlie Bennett moved one in to bowl Jewell in the third over but Came and Montgomery got them back on track.Came advanced to drive Jamie Porter for six and then Montgomery dismissed a free hit over wide long on for another maximum.Montgomery nudged Harmer to the third boundary to reach 50 from 37 balls with Benkenstein’s leg-spin coming in for some harsh treatment.Came completed his 50 off 61 balls and after 25 overs, the game was in the balance with the Falcons on 168 for 1, needing another 199.Essex were struggling to exert any control with Came driving Critchley for six, the pair reaching their hundreds in consecutive overs as the 200 stand came up off 163 balls.Harmer made the breakthrough when Montgomery dragged a drive into his stumps and four balls later he turned one through Basra’s defence.Came drove Shane Snater for six but Essex struck again when Walter’s throw from cover ran out Brooke Guest, leaving the Falcons to score 90 from the last 10 overs.Critchley gave the contest a decisive twist when he bowled Chappell and with the asking rate above 10 an over, Came was stumped to end the Falcons hopes.

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.