Category Uncategorized

The Boston Red Sox are in hot pursuit of starting pitching and may have to pivot to the trade market to find it.

On Tuesday, Max Fried agreed to an eight-year, $218 million contract with the New York Yankees, taking one of Boston's top targets off the board. While the Red Sox are still looking at Corbin Burnes, they also have interest in a big trade target.

MLB Network's Jon Morosi reported Tuesday that Boston is among the teams looking to trade for San Diego Padres righty Dylan Cease.

After arriving in San Diego via trade from the Chicago White Sox just before the 2024 season began, Cease went on to have an excellent campaign. He finished 14-11 with a 3.47 ERA, a 1.07 WHIP and 224 strikeouts in 189 1/3 innings.

Cease is under team control for one more season before hitting free agency. He's projected to make around $13 million for the 2025 season. The Padres are motivated to move the 28-year-old as they're unlikely to sign him to an extension and they'd like to move his contract and receive assets for him before he leaves at the end of the 2025 season.

There's no guarantee San Diego moves Cease, but given how high the prices are for starting pitchers so far this offseason, he is becoming increasingly attractive to other teams.

Celtic have won the Scottish Premiership title in 13 of the last 14 seasons, but might just be facing genuine competition for this season’s trophy.

Last Sunday, Brendan Rodgers’ team were beaten domestically for the first time this season, defeated 2-0 by Dundee at Dens Park.

This, though, had been on the cards for a while.

Across the previous four Premiership outings, the Hoops had required stoppage time goals to beat both Kilmarnock and Motherwell, as well as being held to goalless draws by Rangers and Hibs, thereby failing to score on six occasions across all competitions to date.

So now, on Sunday lunchtime, they will travel to league leaders Hearts, the Jambos currently five points clear at the top, so which “animal” should Rodgers select in attack for this eagerly-anticipated clash at Tynecastle?

The latest Celtic injury news

Celtic did claim their first European victory of the season on Thursday, fighting back from a goal down to beat Sturm Graz 2-1 in the Europa League, but this win may have come at a cost, or three to be exact.

During the first half, featuring for the first time since picking up an injury against Kairat on 20 August, Alistair Johnston suffered a recurrence of this hamstring tear, which is a major blow for both the player and Rodgers.

Even before that, as early as the fourth minute, Kelechi Ịheanachọ had hobbled off too, which is not ideal considering he’s the only senior centre-forward at the club.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Then, right at the end, star centre-back Cameron Carter-Vickers was stretchered off having picked up a serious Achilles tendon injury that could see the American international sidelined until March; an enormous blow.

On top of this, Daizen Maeda is also already sidelined, unlikely to feature at Tynecastle on Sunday, while also a doubt for the following Sunday’s clash with Rangers in the League Cup semi-finals at Hampden.

The Japanese striker scored 33 goals last season, per Transfermarkt, four of which came in the Champions League, with former Celtic striker Chris Sutton thereby asserting that he ranks among the club’s best-ever bargain buys, alongside Henrik Larsson and Ľubomír Moravčík.

Now, though, with neither Maeda nor Ịheanachọ, Rodgers has to trust the Celts’ rarely-seen “animal” to lead the attack.

Celtic's new Daizen Maeda

When Ịheanachọ hobbled off very early against Sturm Graz, it was Johnny Kenny who was introduced, so it stands to reason that he will be the number nine for the foreseeable.

The young Irishman joined Celtic back in January 2022 from Sligo Rovers, before being immediately loaned out to Queen’s Park, subsequently making a name for himself in a different shade of green and white hoops.

His form at Shamrock Rovers certainly caught the attention of those across the Irish Sea, with the table below documenting his eye-catching form in Dublin.

As the table above notes, Kenny scored 13 goals in the League of Ireland last year; only two players bagged more, but it was his European form that caught the eye.

The youngster scored five goals in six Conference League appearances, helping Rovers reach the knockout phase, on target against Larne, APOEL Nicosia and Rapid Wien, before bagging a brace when Borac Banja Luka were battered 3-0 at Tallaght.

Speaking on Premier Sports, following Shamrock Rovers’ credible 1-1 draw in Vienna last November, former teammate Ronan Finn asserted that Kenny has become a “different animal” in recent years, adding that “physically he’s got stronger” and that his ceiling is sky-high.

Stylistically, Kenny proved to be not only a clinical finisher in the box, but also an energetic nuisance to defenders, constantly closing them down and running all day, characteristics he certainly shares with Maeda.

Since returning to Celtic in January, he has seen limited game time, just 438 minutes to be precise, heading home his first goal for the club at Pittodrie back in May, before also netting during the drubbing of Livingston in August.

So now, set to enjoy a run in the team, can he replicate the success enjoyed by Maeda?

When the Japanese forward first arrived in January 2022 from Yokohama F. Marinos, he was very raw, often erratically missing chances, but has now become a well-rounded attacker who is a pivotal figure in this side.

Well, as already alluded to, Kenny possesses similar traits, simply needing an opportunity to showcase what he is capable of, so could he come to the fore and be the hero at Tynecastle on Sunday as Celtic’s new Maeda?

Rodgers must finally ditch Yang & unleash Celtic's "terrific talent"

With Celtic under pressure to beat Sturm Graz in the Europa League, Brendan Rodgers must bench Yang Hyun-Jun and start his “terrific talent” instead.

By
Ben Gray

Oct 23, 2025

India U19s set home side target of 350 in 63 overs but unable to force victory in final session

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay15-Jul-2025

A thrilling Under-19 Test match between England and India at Beckenham ended in draw, after England reached 270 for 7 at stumps on the final day.India set England a target of 350 to win from 63 overs, after making 248 in the second innings: Vihaan Malhotra hit 63 and a there was a late charge by RS Ambrish, who made 53, while Archie Vaughan took 6 for 84 after bowling unchanged from the City End.After losing three early wickets Hamza Shaikh and Ben Mayes gave England hope of a win with a stand of 119. Mayes went for 51, but Shaikh made 112 before he was run out. When Thomas Rew went for 50 India scented blood, but Ralphie Albert and Jack Home batted out 11.5 overs to secure the draw.India began the final day with a lead of 229 and seven wickets remaining, with Malhotra and Abhigyan Kundu the not out batters on 34 and nought respectively. The former took just 15 minutes reach his half-century with a cover driven four off Vaughan, but he was caught behind by Rew trying to fend off Alex Green and a downpour then caused a 30-minute delay.When play resumed Rew took two more catches before lunch. Green strangled Kundu down the leg side for 11 and Rahul Kumar tried to hook James Minto and gloved him behind, also for 11.Vaughan bowled Mohamed Enaan for 5 and got his fifth when Rocky Flintoff caught Henin Patel for a four-ball duck, grabbing a top-edged sweep one-handed at the second attempt, leaving India on 209 for 8 at lunch.Deepesh Devendran was Vaughan’s next victim, caught behind for 4, but Ambrish went on the attack, taking 12 from one Vaughan over and reaching his 50 after a misfield before he was run out by Mayes.It looked evenly poised, but India made early inroads. Perhaps exhausted by his marathon bowling spell, Vaughan was out for just 3, caught behind off Devendran. Jaydn Denly attempted to hook Ambrish and was caught on the boundary by Vaibhav Suryavanshi for 19, while Flintoff tried to drive Singh and was caught by Chavda at long-on for 11.Yet Mayes was on 7 when Devendran missed a difficult chance to catch him one-handed off and by tea England were 83 for 3 and at that point the chase was still on.Shaikh brought up his 50 with a six driven back over Singh’s head, but England had a major let off when both batters ended up at the keepers end and India threw at the wrong set of stumps, allowing Mayes to scramble back to safety. He reached 50 with an elegant swept two but slashed at Ambrish and was caught behind. Any thoughts that the teams might shake hands were banished when Rew came in and immediately went on the attack.When Shaikh scrambled a single from Devendran to reach his century England looked favourites, but two run-outs tilted the game back in India’s favour. Singh got Shaikh and Ayush Mhatre got Ekansh Singh for 1, both chasing suicidal seconds, before Rew holed out to Malhotra and was caught by Kumar. However, Albert and Home survived with few serious alarms.

Graham Potter has been dismissed by West Ham after only nine months.

Former Chelsea boss Potter was relieved of his duties just two days out from West Ham’s match against Everton.

The Hammers faithful turned on Potter during last weekend’s defeat to Crystal Palace and the club’s owners have acted with West Ham on the hunt for a fourth manager during the last 18 months.

West Ham statement confirms five coaches to leave with Potter

A statement from the club read: “West Ham United can confirm that Head Coach Graham Potter has left the Club.

“Results and performances over the course of the second half of last season and the start of the 2025/26 season have not matched expectations, and the Board of Directors believe that a change is necessary in order to help improve the team’s position in the Premier League as soon as possible.

“The Club can confirm that Assistant Coach Bruno Saltor, First Team Coaches Billy Reid and Narcis Pelach, Lead Goalkeeper Coach Casper Ankergren, and Goalkeeper Coach Linus Kandolin have also left with immediate effect.

“The Board would like to thank Graham and his coaching staff for their hard work during their time with the Hammers and wish them every success for the future.

“The process of appointing a replacement is underway. The Club will be making no further comment at this time.”

The Hammers have been linked with Nuno Espirito Santo and Slaven Bilic as possible replacements.

England’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 Images

Beaumont’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.

For the second game in a row, Rajasthan Royals (RR) stumbled in a seemingly straightforward chase, unable to score nine off the final over. In Jaipur on Saturday night, Avesh Khan’s ice-cool death bowling turned a cruise into chaos, as Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) snatched victory from under RR’s nose.Up until 17 overs of their chase, RR seemed set to break their three-match losing streak. But with 25 needed off 18, Avesh got his execution dead right in a double-wicket over that went for just five. He first dismissed a well-set Yashasvi Jaiswal for 74 when he backed away to scythe a yorker-length delivery behind point. Then, four balls later, Riyan Parag’s attempt to play a cheeky scoop to a full ball that reversed in to strike his toe caught him plumb in front.RR went into panic mode, and stumbled at the finish line as LSG celebrated a jailbreak that didn’t seem possible.

The last-over drama

Four nights ago in Delhi, RR failed to knock off the two runs they needed off the final ball. Here, they needed four. Shubham Dubey had just been dropped off the previous delivery by David Miller at long-on. This was his shot at redemption, but Avesh stuck his left arm out on his follow-through to stop a straight hit.But there was more to the final over than just those last two deliveries.