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Waite Hoyt pitched for seven MLB teams over the course of a 21-year career from 1918 to '38, and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1969. Diego Rivera was one of 20th Century art's towering figures—the Mexican icon who brought mural art onto the world's biggest stages.

On the surface, these facts would seem to be unrelated—but on Wednesday, they fused together to create a financial windfall.

A painting given to Hoyt by Rivera as a thank-you for baseball tickets in 1932 has sold at auction for $190,000, according to a Thursday morning report from Larry Holder of .

The painting is titled , which roughly translates to . According to a blurb written for Sotheby's by Tim Manners—the co-author of Hoyt's posthumous memoir, released in 2024—the pitcher and Rivera are said to have crossed paths in 1932, when Hoyt was playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers and Rivera displayed the fresco at what is now 30 Rock.

Citing "family lore," Manners wrote that Hoyt gave Rivera tickets to see the Dodgers and Rivera—learning that Hoyt had begun painting extensively in retirement—gifted him in 1951.

Collaborations between baseball and fine art are rare, but they do happen. Banksy and Shohei Ohtani, we're ready when you are.

Kartikeya, Jain created a late collapse that skittled South Zone after a 192-run stand

Ashish Pant14-Sep-2025For close to two sessions, Ankit Sharma and C Andre Siddarth kept Central Zone waiting on the fourth day of the 2025-26 Duleep Trophy final. But a frenetic last half an hour, where South Zone lost their last four wickets for 12 runs, which included Ankit falling on 99, saw them get bowled out for 426, leaving Central Zone 65 to chase on the final day.Having reduced South Zone to 222 for 6 before lunch, leading by 140 runs, Central Zone were in pole position to inflict an innings defeat. But a stunning rearguard action from Ankit and Siddarth, where they added 192 runs for the seventh wicket, ensured the final went into day five.Resuming on 129 for 2, Ricky Bhui showed intent straightaway, jumping down the track and lofting Saransh Jain over long-off on the fourth ball of the day. While Ravichandran Smaran was prepared to graft it out, Bhui continued to attack. Smaran, though, did cut Deepak Chahar through point when he was offered width.C Andre Siddarth scored a patient fifty•PTI Bhui’s sprightly knock ended on 45 when he chased a harmless fuller-length delivery from Chahar and edged a comfortable catch to Shubham Sharma at first slip. Smaran, meanwhile, reached his half-century off 70 balls with a clip to deep midwicket.Mohammed Azharuddeen had an enterprising 40-ball stay in the middle. He was dropped twice – once by Patidar at short cover and then by Danish Malewar at first slip, who failed to latch on diving to his right. He also got Central Zone to burn a review when Chahar thought he had the South Zone captain strangled down leg.In between, Azharuddeen clubbed Aditya Thakare through midwicket and smashed Jain over mid-on, but failed to carry on. Kumar Kartikeya dropped one short with the ball holding up a touch and Azharuddeen, early into his shot, top-edged a pull to Kuldeep Sen at midwicket.Salman Nizar took the aggressive option immediately, sweeping Jain through square leg and then pulling him through midwicket. But he soon fell, when his across-the-line miscue off Kartikeya was held brilliantly by Patidar running to his left from mid-on. Ten balls later, Kartikeya struck again, sending back Smaran, who swept a fuller-length ball straight to deep square leg, for 67.With South Zone still well behind in the game, Ankit took his chances early. He launched Kartikeya straight over long-on second ball before working Jain through midwicket for four. Siddarth was more circumspect. He twice went after Kartikeya before lunch, punching him past mid-on and then through point off the back foot.South Zone folded quickly after Kumar Kartikeya got Ankit Sharma•PTI While Siddarth was largely unhurried, Ankit looked a bit fidgety after lunch. As Sen went short to him, he would often clear his front leg, looking to hack across the line. He got a few top-edges which fell safely, but once he got a hang of the surface, his defence got tighter.With the pitch having flattened out, the fast bowlers did not get any movement even with the new ball as Ankit reached his 13th first-class fifty by thumping Sen over mid-off. It was an attritional afternoon session, where South Zone added 86 runs in 23 overs.Siddarth and Ankit upped the scoring rate after tea, with Siddarth also finding the boundaries regularly. He jumped down the track, lifting Jain over mid-on to reach his fifty before Ankit took South Zone into the lead in the 99th over, paddling Shubham to the fine-leg fence.Ankit swiftly moved through his 80s and 90s but lost focus, one short of his century. With the field up, he tried to mow Kartikeya across the line, got a top edge, and Patidar at short midwicket did the rest.It was a quick end thereafter. Jain sent back Gurjapneet Singh, while MD Nidheesh was run out. V Koushik was the last wicket to fall, with Jain getting him stumped, leaving Siddarth unbeaten on 84.If Central Zone manage to chase down the 65-run target on the fifth morning – which they should – it will be their first Duleep Trophy win since the 2014-15 season.

Thomas Frank has enjoyed an impressive start to his tenure at Tottenham Hotspur, only losing three of his first 14 competitive games in charge of the club.

However, many fans still aren’t convinced by the Dane, especially after the defeat against Newcastle United in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night.

The 51-year-old only made four changes to his starting eleven, but one of which proved to be a huge mistake – with Mohammed Kudus dropping down to the substitutes bench.

The Ghanaian has been the Lilywhites’ shining light in 2025/26, as seen by his tally of one goal and four assists within his first nine Premier League outings.

Such creativity was hugely lacking against the Magpies, with the £55m leaving the responsibility down to one of the other big-money names to move to North London this summer.

Xavi Simons’ best game in a Tottenham shirt

After spending £52m on the signature of attacking midfielder Xavi Simons, huge excitement was generated within the Spurs fanbase – but it’s safe to say he’s failed to live up to such expectations.

The Dutch international has registered just one assist and failed to score a single goal in any of his 11 outings, further backing up his lack of impact in North London.

However, his showing against Newcastle was arguably one of his best for the club, with Frank finally starting to utilise the 22-year-old in his natural attacking midfield role.

Simons featured for the entirety of the defeat, subsequently creating three chances for his teammates – but none of which resulted in a goal for Frank’s men.

Richarlison was often the man on the end of his chances, but the Brazilian’s wasteful nature was highlighted in his own tally of two big chances missed.

There’s no doubt he’s been unlucky during his opening few months in England, but the manager can certainly solve such an issue during the next couple of matches.

The Spurs player who can finally get Simons firing

In Spurs’ nine Premier League matches throughout 2025/26, the side have already netted 17 goals – subsequently averaging nearly two goals per game in England’s top-flight.

The goals have been spread around the first-team squad, as seen by centre-back Micky Van de Ven’s tally of three goals, which puts him joint-top of the goalscoring charts.

Richarlison has also netted the same number of goals, but has been called into question over the last few weeks for his inability to find the back of the net.

The Brazilian has failed to score in any of his last eight outings for the Lilywhites, often being wasteful within the final third – as seen by his misses against the Magpies.

Dominic Solanke has been unavailable over recent months due to an ankle issue, with Frank needing to hand fellow centre-forward Randal Kolo Muani the chance to impress.

The Frenchman joined on a season-long loan from PSG on deadline day, but has only started one game to date as he builds up match fitness after a stop-start pre-season.

However, despite his minutes off the substitutes bench, the 26-year-old has still demonstrated glimpses of his quality, which could see him handed a needed run of games as a regular starter.

He was even brought on with 25 minutes remaining at St James’ Park earlier this week, making an immediate impact with his direct run through the midfield, halted by referee Chris Kavanagh.

Kolo Muani, who’s been dubbed “phenomenal” by one analyst, may have failed to score for the Lilywhites to date, but his temporary spells elsewhere have showcased his clinical nature.

Games played

22

Goals scored

10

Shot on target accuracy

55%

Goals per shot on target

0.4

Key passes made

1.4

Take-ons completed

1.5

Carries into opposition box

1.2

Aerials won

1.2

He scored 10 goals in just 22 appearances with Juventus last campaign, even managing to put 55% of the shots he took on target – highlighting his accuracy in front of goal.

Such numbers would allow Simons to increase his own tallies in North London, with his incredible defence splitting passes falling into the path of a clinical talisman.

Creativity has been the Dutchman’s strong point prior to his move to England, but it’s been massively neglected given Richarlison’s inability to find the back of the net.

However, that could all be about to change if Frank decides to start Kolo Muani, with the pair having the talent to make the 2025/26 campaign one to remember for the Lilywhites.

Forget Kudus: Spurs star is rapidly becoming one of the "best in the world"

Tottenham Hotspur now have a world-class talent on their books under Thomas Frank.

ByEthan Lamb Oct 29, 2025

Mexico have revealed the jersey they’ll wear at the 2026 World Cup, marking a return to the traditional green that fans have long associated with El Tri. Inspired by the nation’s cultural roots, the kit features subtle Aztec motifs and will debut on Nov. 15 against Uruguay in Torreón – months before Mexico open the tournament on home soil.

@MiSeleccionMXBack to tradition

After experimenting with darker and alternative tones in recent years, and Adidas have unveiled a home kit that brings back one of the country’s most recognizable colors while paying homage to Mexican heritage.

The jersey features the brand’s signature three stripes across the shoulders, an embossed holographic crest, and a central pattern inspired by the Piedra del Sol – a nod to the design worn during the 1998 World Cup in France. Red and white details on the collar and sleeves complete the classic look, while the phrase “Somos México” is printed on the back of the neck.

Advertisement@MiSeleccionMXConnecting with Mexican culture and pride

“Every design starts from the idea of connection – with the people, with culture, with pride,” said Rafael Pereira, Adidas’ sports marketing director, in an interview with . “We wanted a shirt that feels iconic, that makes Mexicans proud of their identity.”

Mexico will debut the new uniform on Nov. 15 in a friendly against Uruguay in Torreón, Coahuila, before wearing it again four days later against Paraguay – closing out their 2025 calendar ahead of the World Cup.

@MiSeleccionMXDebut date set

The full kit includes white shorts and red socks with green and white accents, evoking memories of Mexico’s classic World Cup look. Fans, however, are already divided on social media – many have praised the design’s cultural tribute, while others expected something bolder for a host nation’s kit.

The fan version of the home jersey will retail for $107, while the authentic “player” edition will cost $161. Long-sleeve and goalkeeper versions will range from $107–172.

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@MiSeleccionMXMexico gears up for opening day

Mexico are set to open the 2026 World Cup on June 11 at Estadio Banorte in Mexico City, where the team is expected to take the field in their new green uniform – a symbolic moment marking both a return to tradition and a celebration of national identity.

Borussia Dortmund manager Niko Kovac is considering resting star striker Serhou Guirassy for the DFB-Pokal clash with Eintracht Frankfurt amid a month-long Bundesliga goal drought. While hinting at a "creative break," Kovac offered his full support to his "attack leader" and provided a positive injury update on other stars like Emre Can and Julien Duranville.

• Kovac considers resting misfiring striker for cup clash

  Kovac has confirmed he is considering giving Guirassy a "creative break" after the Guinean international's Bundesliga goal drought extended to over a month.

  Speaking ahead of Dortmund's DFB-Pokal second-round clash against Eintracht Frankfurt, Kovac addressed the forward's recent struggles in front of goal but offered his full backing, highlighting the 29-year-old's importance as the team's "attack leader." Guirassy's last league goal came on 13 September, and his dip in form is a growing concern for the club.

  With Dortmund set to visit Frankfurt on Tuesday evening, Kovac was asked directly about his plans for his number nine. The manager admitted that a rest is a genuine possibility as he weighs up the best way to help his striker rediscover his prolific early-season form.

  "It's possible, of course, that Serhou will get a little creative break," Kovac stated during his pre-match press conference. "But I still have a bit of time to think about tomorrow's game and the next games."

  The consideration comes after another frustrating outing for Guirassy in Dortmund's late 1-0 victory over Koln at the weekend, where Maximilian Beier scored the decisive goal.

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• getty
  

  Guirassy's goal drought analysed

  After a blistering start to his Borussia Dortmund career following his €18 million (£15m/$21m) summer transfer from Stuttgart, Guirassy has hit a difficult patch. His last goal in the Bundesliga came in a 2-0 win over Heidenheim on 13 September.

  Since then, he has failed to find the net in four consecutive matches across all competitions. His season tally remains respectable, with four goals and one assist in seven Bundesliga appearances, and one goal in three Champions League fixtures. In total, he has scored six goals in 11 appearances for the club. However, the recent lack of production has become a prominent talking point, particularly as Dortmund look to compete on multiple fronts.

• 'He's our attack leader' – Kovac offers full support

  Despite acknowledging the slump, Kovac was unequivocal in his support for Guirassy, praising the striker's work ethic and overall contribution to the team's attacking play. The manager stressed that a goal drought is a normal part of any forward's career and that the player's role remains central to his plans.

  "Of course, I also see that he's not scoring any goals at the moment. But I still see how hard-working he is, that he's giving his all," Kovac explained. "It happens in the life of a striker that you don't convert balls that you would normally score. He's our attack leader—he's the one who initiates everything there. That's why I'm supporting him."

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• Can and Duranville recovery progressing

  Aside from the striker situation, Kovac provided a positive update on two long-term absentees, captain Can and winger Duranville. Both players are making good progress on their respective roads to recovery, but neither will be available for selection until after the upcoming international break in mid-November.

  Kovac insisted the club will not rush their returns, prioritising their long-term fitness. "But no pressure: We really want to have 100 percent healthy and fit players," the manager emphasised.

West Ham have a new preferred choice to take over from Graham Potter, with the Englishman’s dismissal appearing inevitable after a poor start to 2025/2026.

Graham Potter on the verge of leaving West Ham

Potter’s nine-month tenure in the Hammers dugout has been one to forget so far.

Under his leadership, West Ham have recorded their second-worst win percentage of the Premier League era, behind only Avram Grant, who led them to relegation in 2011.

The mood around East London is already sour, with supporters poised to stage protests against West Ham’s ownership at every Saturday home game this season (The Telegraph), and Potter’s side aren’t exactly helping matters.

Their hugely frustrating opening five Premier League games are best summed up in one word — fragile.

They’ve leaked 13 goals already, more than any other Premier League side, with seven of them coming directly from corner kicks. Rivals are taking serious advantage of West Ham’s set-piece weakness right now, and that is on the manager to fix.

Whether that be Potter, or far more likely a replacement, West Ham are staring relegation in the face if they cannot plug their gaping holes – a fact not lost on critics like Wayne Rooney.

Reports suggest Potter could stay on at West Ham until after the Arsenal game, depending on how they fare at Everton, with ExWHUemployee suggesting that the hierarchy want to give any new boss the best possible chance of a good start at home to Brentford on October 20.

Out of every linked manager, Nuno Espírito Santo has been tipped as the favourite to take over from Potter at West Ham, and there are suggestions that he’s “close” to agreeing a potential deal if the latter does depart (ExWHUemployee).

However, while Nuno is most likely as things stand, insider Claret & Hugh has claimed that they’d actually prefer someone else.

West Ham would prefer Marco Silva over Nuno Espírito Santo

Indeed, that man is Fulham boss Marco Silva, who has done an excellent job at Craven Cottage with very limited resources for years.

The former Everton and Hull City manager had Fulham briefly contending for a European spot last season, with Silva’s side also making a solid start to 2025/2026 — losing just one of their opening five Premier League matches.

The Whites have won three games on the bounce in all competitions, and Silva is yet again doing very solid work in West London despite spending the least money of any Premier League side last summer.

Now, C&H report that Silva is West Ham’s preferred managerial choice over Nuno, but the latter is still in pole position.

Sullivan and Karren Brady aren’t too keen on paying up to £10 million in compensation to take Silva off Fulham’s hands, meaning that Nuno is still the favourite to replace Potter as things stand.

This search for a new manager also comes amid increasing concern from West Ham shareholders over a potential drop to the Championship, so whether they move for Silva or Nuno, the board needs to get this appointment spot-on — especially amid growing unrest among the fanbase.

A bombshell report reveals Barcelona's own technical experts rated Camp Nou constructors Limak as the worst option for the job. Club management overruled the 'non-binding' report, prioritising a deadline that has since been missed, with significant delays now hitting the iconic stadium's reopening and contractual penalties going unenforced.

• Barca's own experts rated Limak's bid as the worst

  Barcelona awarded the €960 million (£832m/$1.12 billion) Camp Nou renovation contract to Turkish construction firm Limak despite the company receiving the lowest score in a technical evaluation conducted by the club's own expert team, according to a bombshell report from . The team of engineers, architects, and financiers rated Limak's bid below 50 out of 100, placing it last behind consortiums led by Ferrovial and FCC. The report cited Limak's inability to justify its proposed construction schedule and its requirement of around €200 million in initial financing, compared to just €12 million requested by its competitors.

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• AFP
  

  Management overruled 'non-binding' technical report

  Despite the damning assessment from their internal experts, Barcelona's Espai Barça management, led by director Joan Sentelles, dismissed the report as "consultative and non-binding." Two days after the technical team's evaluation, a final binding report prepared by Sentelles and Technical Office Director Lluis Moya declared Limak the winner. The club has officially insisted that "the opinion that prevails and is legally binding is the assessment issued by the senior manager." This decision caused significant internal strife, leading to the resignation of Jordi Llaurado, the board director in charge of Espai Barca, who felt the process lacked transparency.

• 'Impossible' deadline proves the decisive factor

  The key reason for overriding the technical advice was Limak's aggressive timeline. The Turkish firm was the only bidder to guarantee a return to a partially reopened Camp Nou by November 2024, a deadline that competing firms, with extensive stadium-building experience, described to the club as "impossible." The final report acknowledged that the tight timeframe was the primary "factor that influenced the contractors' assessments." However, as of October 13, 2025, the project is already 317 days behind schedule, with the partial return now not expected until mid-November 2025 and the final completion pushed back to the 2027-28 season, validating the initial fears of Limak's competitors.

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• Club not enforcing penalty clauses despite significant delays

  The contract between Barcelona and Limak contains specific financial penalties for each day of delay. However, the club has so far failed to execute these sanctions. Club officials have attributed the delays to external factors, such as a lack of materials. This contradicts a clause in the contract, which explicitly states that "any delay due to a lack or delay in the supply of materials" is the contractor's responsibility and not grounds for an extension. The contract also stipulates that unilateral termination is possible if penalties exceed 10% of the total budget – around €96m.

CSK’s 12 possible overs of Ashwin, Noor and Jadeja could well decide the outcome with the RCB batters happier bashing pace than spin

Sidharth Monga27-Mar-20251:32

Pujara: Kohli should utilise powerplay to set the base for RCB

Big picture: CSK vs RCB, a one-sided but high-voltage rivalryThis should be a dream match for the hype machine. Two of the three teams that have created a ferociously loyal fanbase at the grounds and on the internet. They represent capital cities of neighbouring states that share a river, often acrimoniously; whose rulers traversed boundaries repeatedly before the borders as we know them came to exist; whose people now build their lives in each other’s states. Both states are given to hero-worshipping their film stars and politicians. Now they have accepted MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli for worship even though they are neither from there nor live there.It might still not matter to the ratings, but as cricket rivalry it needs Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to catch up. They are 11-22 against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) overall, and 1-8 in Chennai. The last time RCB beat CSK in Chennai was in 2008, the IPL’s first year. The last time these two sides faced each other, RCB were so ecstatic at winning and making it to the playoffs that they didn’t shake hands with the opposition. Cue more storylines.Related

CSK vs RCB: The good, the bad, the silly and the ugly

'He wanted to work on one more shot' – Karthik backs Kohli against spin-heavy CSK

In numbers – IPL 2025 gets off to turbo-charged start

Noor Ahmad's wristspin is art in fast forward

Hazlewood: 'Probably the freshest I've been in a long time'

You see, the lack of cricketing closeness doesn’t really matter to the ratings when it comes to CSK and RCB. You expect CSK to start as overwhelming favourites in home conditions, which are ignoring the memo that asks for even higher scoring rates than the last year.CSK have put together Noor Ahmad, Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin; it is no surprise they put together a game where they completed a chase of 156 in the last over. RCB have built themselves up for higher scores, which showed in their emphatic chase of 175 in the tournament opener. But the Chennai conditions are going to be as big a challenge for them in IPL 2025 as any.New loyaltiesJosh Hazlewood’s last team in the IPL before the break last year was RCB, but for some reason, you picture him in yellow when you think of the IPL. Possibly because his reinvention as a limited-overs bowler began at CSK in 2020 and 2021. He has made a great start for RCB this year with figures of 4-0-22-2.2:56

Cricinformed: Kohli, Patidar and who? Spin trial awaits RCB at Chepauk

Team news and likely XIIsCSK love their allrounders, but it won’t take long for question marks to appear over Sam Curran if he doesn’t improve drastically from his start this year where he could bowl just one over and scored 4 off 9. This is in keeping with the dip in his form overall, which has resulted in his exit from the England team. As an overseas player, he keeps out Matheesha Pathirana, although a direct switch means Dhoni has to bat at No. 7, which CSK or Dhoni don’t quite fancy.Chennai Super Kings (probable): 1 Rachin Ravindra, 2 Ruturaj Gaikwad (capt), 3 Rahul Tripathi, 4 Deepak Hooda, 5 Shivam Dube, 6 Sam Curran, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 MS Dhoni (wk), 9 R Ashwin, 10 Nathan Ellis, 11 Noor Ahmad, 12 Khaleel AhmedBhuvneshwar Kumar missed the previous game with a reported niggle. RCB will want him in if he is fit. They could think about legspinning allrounder Mohit Rathee or left-arm spinner Swapnil Singh if the pitch is expected to be heavily spin-friendly.Royal Challengers Bengaluru (probable): 1 Virat Kohli, 2 Phil Salt, 3 Rajat Patidar (capt), 4 Devdutt Padikkal/Mohit Rathee, 5 Liam Livingstone, 6 Jitesh Sharma (wk), 7 Tim David, 8 Krunal Pandya, 9 Rasikh Salam/Bhuvneshwar Kumar/Swapnil Singh, 10 Josh Hazlewood, 11 Yash Dayal, 12 Suyash SharmaBig questionHow do RCB handle the possible 12 overs of Noor, Ashwin and Jadeja? Mumbai Indians (MI) went 5 for 70 in 11 overs against them. Captain Rajat Patidar will be the key because around him are batters that can be shut down by slow bowlers.In the spotlight: Noor Ahmad vs Rajat PatidarThis is the contest that could direct the whole match. Noor Ahmad has started off beautifully for CSK with figures of 4-0-18-4 against MI. RCB are a team of pace-hitters. If Rajat Patidar can attack Noor, he can set the cat among the pigeons, which could even result in Jadeja not bowling out. If Patidar gets out early, CSK could choke RCB.Pitch and conditionsChennai is one of the venues that works in synergy with the franchise. So expect the conditions to continue helping the slower bowlers.1:12

Cricinformed: Patidar, a menace for spinners

Key stats Ashwin vs Kohli is a fascinating contest between two alphas of Indian cricket. You can see neither wants to lose: only one dismissal in 147 balls but a strike rate of only 123.12. Despite being a left-hand batter, Rachin Ravindra averages 11.63 and strikes at 120.75 against orthodox left-arm spin. That makes Krunal Pandya important.Next three fixturesCSK will travel to Guwahati on Saturday and play Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Sunday before they return home for Delhi Capitals (DC) and then travel to Mullanpur to play Punjab Kings (PBKS).RCB’s next match will be their first of the season at home, against Gujarat Titans (GT). Then MI at Wankhede Stadium and DC at home. Three high-voltage and potentially high-scoring matches to follow.

The Delhi Capitals (DC) seamers shared seven wickets between them before Jess Jonassen’s unbeaten 61 off 32 balls made short work of the chase to give her side a six-wicket win over Gujarat Giants (GG). The result lifted DC to the top of the WPL points table, at least for the time being. They now have three wins from five outings. GG remain rooted to the bottom with one victory from four matches.When Meg Lanning put GG in after winning the toss, she was hoping for early wickets. Marizanne Kapp and Shikha Pandey did not disappoint their captain. They picked up two each in the powerplay and reduced GG to 20 for 4. Soon it became 60 for 6, and it looked like GG might not even cross 100. But Bharti Fulmali’s 40 not out off 29 balls from No. 8 steered them to 127 for 9.DC lost Lanning early in the chase but Jonassen, promoted to No. 3, and Shafali Verma added 74 in just 6.1 overs to kill the contest. When Kapp hit the winning boundary, there were still 29 balls left in the match.

Kapp, Pandey leave Giants gasping

As she often does, Kapp got the ball to shape away from right-hand batters consistently. Harleen Deol, opening the innings, nicked one such delivery but the edge fell just short of Lanning at first slip.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Deol could not enjoy her luck for long, as Kapp induced another outside edge in her next over. This time the ball carried comfortably into the gloves of Sarah Bryce. Phoebe Litchfield, who had replaced Laura Wolvaardt in the XI, lasted just three balls; Kapp trapped her lbw for a duck.Kapp’s double-wicket maiden left GG on 16 for 2 after four overs. In the next over, Pandey made it worse for them with wickets off back-to-back deliveries. Beth Mooney had started the over by crunching Pandey through the covers for four. Pandey switched to around the wicket and found immediate success as Mooney’s pick-up shot landed in Niki Prasad’s hands at long leg.Pandey and Prasad combined once again on the next delivery to see the back of Kashvee Gautam, whose attempted pull from well outside off skied towards deep midwicket. Prasad ran in and dived forward to complete a low catch.For the hat-trick ball, Pandey went short again. She beat Deandra Dottin on the pull and hit her on the helmet. After a concussion check, Dottin flat-batted the next ball down the ground for four. In the next over, she repeated the shot against Kapp for the same result. Those boundaries lent the score some respectability as GG finished the powerplay on 31 for 4.Bharti Fulmali scored an unbeaten 40 off just 29 balls•BCCI

Fulmali leads the fightbackIn the ninth over, Titas Sadhu castled Ashleigh Gardner, GG’s captain and their in-form batter, for 3 off 9 balls. Two overs later, Annabel Sutherland put an end to Dottin’s counter-attack. But Fulmali, playing her first game of the season, led the fightback. In the 15th over, she pulled Minnu Mani over deep square-leg for the first six of the innings. Along with Tanuja Kanwar, she added 51 in 40 balls for the seventh wicket and steered the side past 120.

Lanning’s diminishing returns

Lanning is the second-highest run-getter in the WPL. But apart from her 69 against UP Warriorz, she has struggled this season. Tuesday was no different. After being beaten by Dottin in the opening over, she tried to pull Gautam. But the ball came back in sharply to flatten her off stump. She made 3 off 13 balls.It has been a case of diminishing returns for Lanning. In the 2023 season, she scored 345 runs at an average of 49.28 and a strike rate of 139.11. The following season, while her runs tally remained almost the same, her strike rate dropped to 123.04. This time, her numbers read: 109 runs from five innings at an average of 21.80 and a strike rate of 103.80.Shafali Verma struck a few boundaries in the powerplay•BCCI

Jonassen, Shafali kill the contest

DC’s move to send Jonassen at No. 3 paid off handsomely, especially with one square boundary being significantly shorter than the other – 51 metres vs 63 metres. When the shorter boundary was on Jonassen’s leg side, she scored 23 runs off eight balls in that region, including both her sixes. She was aggressive against every bowler. Her lowest strike rate was against Gautam, off whom she scored 15 off nine at 166.66.Shafali preferred the leg side irrespective of which side the shorter boundary was on. Of her 44 runs off 27 balls, 32 came on the leg side. When Gardner trapped her lbw in the ninth over, DC had already reached 88.Jonassen brought up her maiden WPL fifty off 26 balls. Even though DC lost Jemimah Rodrigues and Sutherland cheaply, their win was never in doubt.

Newcastle United suffered a late defeat to Liverpool on Monday as Rio Ngumoha scored on his debut to make it 3-2. However, the loss of that point is only the second biggest problem to come out of the game for Eddie Howe.

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It looks certain that four of Monday’s starting 11 will be unavailable for their next Premier League fixture against Leeds on Saturday, as Anthony Gordon was sent off for a late challenge on Virgil Van Dijk and is currently facing a three-game suspension.

The other three absences are all injuries, with Fabian Schar having to be taken off due to a concussion. He is the most likely of the four to be available for the Leeds match, but that will depend on his recovery over the coming days.

The bigger injuries were suffered by midfield duo Sandro Tonali and Joelinton. Tonali had to be removed due to an apparent shoulder injury, and Joelinton followed ten minutes later with a muslce problem.

Post-match, Howe was asked about both injuries and said it “doesn’t look good” and “they both look threatening for us in the sense they could be out for a while”. Due to this, Newcastle are considering drastic action in the transfer market and bringing in a replacement midfielder in the final few days of the window.

Newcastle one of six Premier League teams considering Gallagher

Newcastle are considering signing Atlético Madrid midfielder Conor Gallagher as a replacement for the injured Tonali and Joelinton. Graeme Bailey of TBR Football spoke about a number of teams showing interest in Gallagher but told fans “don’t rule out Newcastle” and “keep an eye on Newcastle”.

Gallagher appears to have been on Newcastle’s radar prior to this week but their interest has intensified following the injuries. How much Atlético would want for the 25-year-old is currently unknown, but they paid £33 million for him last summer.

On the personal side of things, Gallagher is reportedly on just over £150,000 a week, and Newcastle have a working relationship with his agency, Elite Management Agency, as they also represent centre-back Dan Burn.

Gallagher is receiving interest from multiple clubs hoping to bring him back to the Premier League before the transfer window ends – Newcastle and Everton currently look the most likely to make a move, but West Ham, Crystal Palace, Tottenham and Manchester United are all also considering the England midfielder.

Gallagher can ease long term depth concerns

While several clubs are interested in signing Gallagher, they’re all looking to replace slightly different midfielders. It speaks to his versatility that the six different clubs see him as a potential solution to their problems.

Manchester United and Tottenham are considering Gallagher as a typical defensive midfielder, with Tottenham considering him if Yves Bissouma moves on. Last season, he was in the top 15% of players for defensive recoveries and tackle success rate, making him more than capable of breaking up play and supporting the defence.

Crystal Palace may be looking at Gallagher as a replacement for Eberechi Eze following his move to Arsenal, in which case, he would be a far more attacking signing. During his season on loan at Crystal Palace, Gallagher registered 13 goal involvements in 39 games, demonstrating his attacking acumen when properly utilised.

Newcastle’s typical midfield of Joelinton, Tonali and Bruno Guimarães are all players who can perform both defensively and offensively. With various suitors wanting Gallagher for both of these attributes, it makes him the perfect replacement if it turns out that both injuries are long-term, also providing depth behind all three when the trio are fit and firing.