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The opener made 81, while Rodrigues chipped in with a 15-ball unbeaten 28 to help India out-bat Nepal

Srinidhi Ramanujam23-Jul-2024

Shafali Verma blitzed her way to a 26-ball fifty•Getty Images

Shafali Verma’s career-best 81 and a disciplined bowling effort propelled India into the semi-finals of the Women’s Asia Cup 2024 with an 82-run win over Nepal. With three wins from three games, India topped Group A. Pakistan, who defeated UAE earlier in the afternoon, were the second team to advance to the knockouts, with two wins out of three.Opting to bat first, the Smriti Mandhana-led India posted 178 for 3 thanks to Shafali’s breezy knock and a solid opening stand with D Hemalatha. It was an uphill task for Nepal, who don’t play under lights and, against an in-form bowling attack, they could only manage 96 for 9 in 20 overs.Shafali blazes away but Hemalatha scratchyWith the semi-final spot almost in the bag, India rested their regular captain Harmanpreet Kaur and allrounder Pooja Vastrakar and gave some game time to S Sajana and Arundhati Reddy. There was also a change at the top of the order, with India promoting Hemalatha to open with Shafali. The openers took their time to assess the conditions and several loose deliveries went unpunished early on. But soon enough Shafali found her feet and accelerated. The same cannot be said of her opening partner on the day.D Hemalatha scored her T20I best of 47 in a 122-run opening stand with Shafali Verma•Getty ImagesAfter an unbeaten 41 against Bangladesh in April in her comeback game, Hemalatha had crossed 30 only once in the next eight innings across ODIs and T20Is before Tuesday. This however was a golden opportunity for Hemalatha to cement her spot in the XI, batting against an Associate team on a slow surface. She did get a few good shots away thanks to a strong bottom hand, but in general struggled to find her timing in a 42-ball 47.Shafali, on the other hand, capitalised on the Nepal bowlers’ struggle to find the right line and length. She used her feet and wrist well to flick, hit straight drives down the ground, slog sweep to deep midwicket and, overall, played with good intent. India finished the powerplay on 50 for 0 and Shafali brought up her tenth T20I fifty in the eighth over, off just 26 balls. At the halfway stage, India were 91 for 0 and looked set to breach the 200-run mark again.India finish strong despite a brief stutterHowever, Nepal’s experienced left-arm spinner Sita Rana Magar pulled things back and removed Hemalatha and Shafali in the 14th and 16th over respectively. Shafali ended her knock with 12 fours and a six, and the duo’s 122-run partnership was the highest opening stand across editions of the Women’s T20 Asia Cup and the second-highest for any wicket.Sita Rana Magar was the pick of the Nepal bowlers•Getty ImagesIndia’s scoring rate slowed down when the new batters came in but Jemimah Rodrigues’ clever batting, which fetched her five fours in her 15-ball 28 not out, helped India get close to 180. Sajana, like Hemalatha, also struggled in her 12-ball stay. Whether India persist with Hemalatha or give more opportunities to Sajana at No. 3 is something to keep an eye on, leading up to the T20 World Cup in October.Reddy grabs her opportunityAn injury to Titas Sadhu opened the door for Reddy to get back with the Indian squad, following impressive performances in domestic cricket and the WPL. In the limited opportunities she has got since her comeback against South Africa last month, Reddy has stepped up to the challenge. Against Nepal, she delivered again, picking up 2 for 28 in her four overs. Having worked on her variations and the ability to swing the ball both ways in the last 12 to 15 months, Reddy struck off her fourth delivery, bowling opener Samjhana Khadka. She went for 11 runs in her second over, but fought back to dismiss Magar for a 22-ball 18 with a delivery that seamed back in to hit the middle stump.Nepal were rocked early in the chase, and never really recovered.

Papua New Guinea captain Assad Vala said that their batters couldn’t adjust to the Providence Stadium pitch against Uganda on Wednesday. PNG were bowled out for 77, their lowest total in T20Is, and eventually suffered their second defeat at the T20 World Cup 2024. in what turned out to be a low-scoring encounter.Hiri Hiri’s 15 was the top score for PNG, while only two others reached double figures. They succumbed to Uganda’s pace bowlers first, and then the spinners took grip of their batting. Vala, who fell in the first over for a duck, felt that there were too many soft dismissals in their innings.”Because it was a new wicket, we didn’t have a target set,” Vala said. “We said to give ourselves a few overs then see how we go from there. As the game progressed, I think we didn’t do that. I think the batters that played today really let ourselves down. We didn’t do as we planned.”We had a lot of soft dismissals. I think anything just over 100 was a good score on that wicket. It was a challenging wicket to bat on. They bowled really well but a lot of soft dismissals from us put them on top. They never gave us any chance to get back into the game. So, credit to them as well.”Alei Nao got the early breakthroughs for Papua New Guinea•ICC via Getty Images

Vala however lauded his bowlers who reduced Uganda to 6 for 3 in the third over. They further slipped to 26 for 5 before Riazat Ali Shah and Juma Miyagi restored the Uganda innings with a 35-run stand. Riazat enjoyed some luck in his crucial 33, surviving an easy dropped chance by fielder Charles Amini on 8; that was one of two dropped chances let off by PNG in their defense of a small target.”I thought that the effort from the bowlers really brought us back into the game,” Vala said. “There weren’t enough runs on the board for them to defend. We started really well with three early wickets.”You need everything to go your way in a small total. We created the opportunities at the same time. When we need to take those chances, I don’t know what to say anymore. It is a disappointing effort from us.”Vala doesn’t want his troop to drop their shoulders yet. They have matches against Afghanistan and New Zealand next, so he wants to see the energy levels they displayed against West Indies in their opening game.”We are coming up against two Full Member nations in Afghanistan and New Zealand in the next two games in Trinidad. I think we need to be up for that,” he said. “We don’t get the opportunity to play against those teams so when the opportunity is in front of us, we need to make the best of it.”I think we need to have the full energy, determination and attitude towards playing against top teams. We got outplayed today, to be honest. We didn’t play as well as we did against West Indies so we need to have the right attitude in the next two games.”

Tottenham Hotspur have now held direct talks to appoint an “outstanding” manager, with Ange Postecoglou heading for the exit door, according to a report.

Ange could be set to leave despite Europa League triumph

One year ago, INEOS arguably made the mistake of keeping Erik ten Hag in the Manchester United job after the Dutchman led them to victory in the FA Cup, and it appears as though Daniel Levy doesn’t want to make the same error this summer.

Indeed, widespread reports are now suggesting that Levy is set to sack Postecoglou, despite the historic Europa League triumph against Manchester United last month, which puts captain Son Heung-min among some esteemed company.

It may be a divisive decision to sack the manager responsible for leading Spurs to their first trophy in 17 years, but appointing a top-quality replacement could go some way to getting the fans back on side, and contact has now been made with a coach who could be in that category.

According to Foot Mercato journalist Santi Aouna on X, Tottenham have now made “direct contact” with Brentford manager Thomas Frank, who spoke about his project and potential targets for the summer transfer window.

Top target: Tottenham set to hold talks for "unbelievable" £68m forward

Spurs are planning to enter negotiations with the agents of a forward, who is one of their key summer targets.

ByDominic Lund Jun 2, 2025

Several candidates are said to be under consideration as potential replacements for Ange, but Frank is believed to be “high” on the list, and Spurs have now made their first move to appoint the Danish manager.

In another report from France, it is detailed that Ange’s future remains very much up in the air, with talks to discuss his position as manager due to take place at some point in the next week.

Frank could be "outstanding" Ange replacement

Deciding whether to sack the 59-year-old will no doubt be a difficult decision for Levy, given that Tottenham’s torrid Premier League form cannot be ignored, finishing 17th as a result of collecting just 38 points across the entire 2024-25 campaign.

However, the former Celtic boss has suggested his side’s first experience of success will make them more eager to make sure they’re in the same position again, saying: “I also wanted us to think about what’s next, you know — don’t settle for this. We’ve got a taste of it now. My players have got a taste for it. The club’s got a taste for it. Well, let’s make sure we’re back here again.”

Should Levy decide to sack Ange, there are signs Frank could be a fantastic replacement, having been lauded as an “outstanding” manager by Troy Deeney, while leading Brentford to a very respectable 10th-placed finish last season.

Having transformed the Bees from a Championship club into a solid Premier League side, the 51-year-old, who utilises a 4-3-3 formation, has earned the opportunity to prove himself at the top level, showing a knack for turning attacking talents into some of the biggest stars in their division.

Said Benrahma, Ivan Toney, Ollie Watkins and Neal Maupay all thrived under his guidance, with only Watkins able to replicate that form elsewhere, while current forwards Yoane Wissa (19) and Bryan Mbeumo (20) combined for nearly 40 top flight goals this season.

Football pundit Micah Richards believes a Leeds United target who the 49ers have made an approach for will “light it up” should he leave Man City this summer, according to a new report.

James McAtee’s Man City career could be coming to an end amid Leeds links

James McAtee has been at the Etihad for his entire football career, but he has yet to nail down a regular starting spot. The 22-year-old has played just 34 times for City in total, 15 of which have come this season in the Premier League.

He'd be Farke's next Buendia: Leeds make enquiry to sign special £35m star

Leeds United have already wasted no time in making a move to land one Premier League star this summer.

1 ByEthan Lamb May 15, 2025

McAtee’s most successful time in recent seasons came on loan at Sheffield United, where he was a regular starter and thrived in the second tier.

After his latest spell with the Blades, City decided to keep hold of McAtee, but it is a move that has seen his career stall, as he’s struggled to win over Pep Guardiola, and it’s now been reported that he is ready to leave the Etihad.

The attacking midfielder is out of contract in 2026, and given his situation at the Etihad, Premier League-bound Leeds United have made an enquiry over the possibility of securing a transfer for McAtee this summer.

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The Whites are not the only team chasing McAtee, as Nottingham Forest are also keen on landing the England under-21 international. It could be a costly deal for the Yorkshire side, as City are said to value the midfielder at around £35 million.

Micah Richards: McAtee will "light it up" should he leave Man City

The latest development in McAtee’s situation at Man City saw the midfielder left out of their FA Cup final squad on Saturday, and according to pundit Micah Richards, McAtee would “light it up” should he leave the Blues.

Former Newcastle United striker Alan Shearer believes McAtee needs to leave City if he wants to play regularly. Speaking on the latest episode of ‘The Rest Is Football’, via Leeds Live: “He [McAtee] is not getting in their team. He’s another one that is going to have to leave.”

Richards went on to agree with Shearer’s comments and added that “he’s got something special” and will “light it up” in a new team.

McAtee has played 48 times in the Premier League, scoring six goals in the process, and if Leeds do sign him, they will hope his experience of the division, even though it is limited, will help them next season, and he can be a creative force in their forward line.

Celtic are pushing on with their hunt for another domestic treble, but they will also be planning ahead for the summer window to navigate potential incomings and departures.

Celtic expecting movement in both directions this summer

The Bhoys only require three more victories at a maximum to guarantee a fourth successive Scottish Premiership title and travel to St Johnstone this weekend hoping to hasten the process ahead off taking on Kilmarnock next Saturday.

Brendan Rodgers could also secure the Scottish Cup should he navigate past the Perthshire side at Hampden later in the month followed by either Hearts or Aberdeen in the final. Still, the Irishman will have one eye on a summer transfer window that is set to produce incomings and outgoings at Parkhead.

Notably, Kieran Tierney will complete an emotional return to Celtic on a free transfer once his contract at Arsenal officially expires. Expected to be joined by plenty of new faces, the Scotland international is likely to become the preferred choice at left-back ahead of next season’s Champions League qualifiers.

Honing in on the engine room, the Hoops also have Augsburg midfielder Elvis Rexhbecaj on their radar and the Kosovo international may be attainable for a fee between £3 million and £3.5 million.

Celtic’s upcoming fixtures as run-in begins for Brendan Rodgers

St Johnstone (A)

Scottish Premiership

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Scottish Premiership

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Scottish Cup semi-final

Optimism is high in Glasgow’s east end over new signings, though several key stars may be linked with moves elsewhere following an excellent campaign for all involved at Parkhead. Reo Hatate, Nicolas Kuhn and Daizen Maeda are all players Rodgers will be desperate to keep hold of heading into 2025/26.

Nevertheless, the former Liverpool boss may be forced to part ways with one of his established core in the off-season, per recent developments.

Dinamo Zagreb table significant offer to sign Celtic's Greg Taylor

According to The Daily Record, Dinamo Zagreb have put forward a contract offer to Celtic star Greg Taylor that is deemed to be a ‘significant increase’ on his current £15,000 weekly pay packet at Parkhead.

The Scotland international has also attracted interest from Major League Soccer, which isn’t dead in the water, but a switch Croatia’s reigning champions appears to be his likeliest port of call. Rodgers previously emboldened him to extend his time at the club, though has now publicly conceded defeat on that front.

Celtic have already signed incredible Taylor replacement & it's not Tierney

Celtic have already found their dream replacement for Greg Taylor and it is not Kieran Tierney.

ByDan Emery Apr 2, 2025

Taylor has gone on to become a valiant servant for Celtic since arriving from Kilmarnock back in 2019, registering nine goals and 32 assists in 208 appearances across all competitions.

Playing his part in the Bhoys claiming ten trophies, the Greenock-born man has earned respect from his peers north of the border after seeing off the likes of Boli Bolingoli, Diego Laxalt and Alexandro Bernabei for the first-choice left-back slot in Glasgow.

However, all good things come to an end, and it appears that Tierney’s arrival from Arsenal has prompted Taylor to look elsewhere as he approaches the prime of his career.

Their onslaught left CSK resorting to Plan B and Plan C pretty quickly and even start thinking about Plan D, head coach Fleming said

Hemant Brar11-May-20242:37

Review: Who was better – Gill or Sudharsan? Did CSK get overseas combination wrong?

Shubman Gill generally celebrates his hundreds by bowing down with a smile on his face. There is some wholesomeness to it. But Friday was different. After reaching the three-figure mark against Chennai Super Kings in Ahmedabad, he jumped, threw an air punch and let out an expletive.It was an outburst of pent-up anger after his lean form and Gujarat Titans’ three successive losses that had left them on the verge of elimination from IPL 2024.In a season where every other batting unit has been pushing the envelope, GT, the 2022 champions and 2023 runners-up, seemed to be stuck in the past. Before this game, their scoring rate in the powerplay was 7.23 and in the middle overs 7.70 – both the worst in this IPL.It reflected in the results too: four wins in 11 games. A loss against CSK would have knocked them out in front of their home crowd. But Gill and Sai Sudharsan changed the script and smashed a hundred each to keep their faint hopes alive.Related

Stats – Shubman Gill and B Sai Sudharsan take IPL century count past 100

All the records that Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan broke

Gill and Sai Sudharsan break IPL records and hurt CSK's playoffs chances

Until then, it had been a mixed season for Gill. He had started well, scoring 255 runs in the first six games at an average of 51.00 and a strike rate of 151.78. In the next five, though, he could manage only 67 runs at a strike rate of 101.51. Three times he was dismissed in the single digits.Gill’s opening partner, Wriddhiman Saha, was struggling even more. In nine games, he had an average of 15.11 and a strike rate of 118.26. The lack of runs and momentum at the top of the order regularly exposed GT’s brittle middle order.Sudharsan, their No. 3, was scoring runs but at a strike rate of 131.67. In IPL 2024, that was on the lower side even for an anchor, especially when your openers were not firing.On Friday, though, everything fell into place for GT. Saha was out with a niggle, so Sudharsan got an opportunity to open the innings with Gill. The left-right combination benefitted GT in two ways. First, it meant one batter always had the shorter boundary to his leg side. Second, it did not allow CSK to use their spinners the way they would have liked.Gill and Sudharsan took advantage and plundered 210 in just 104 balls, the joint-highest opening stand in the IPL. At one stage, it was more of a contest between Gill and Sudharsan than between GT and CSK. After 16 overs, both batters were on 96 off 48, and the race to score the 100th IPL hundred was on.2:11

McClenaghan praises Sai Sudharsan’s maturity

It was Gill who had that honour. Facing his 50th ball, he got a full toss from Simarjeet Singh that he duly flicked to the square-leg boundary. On the last ball of the same over, Sudharsan also brought up his hundred, and he too got there in 50 balls.While the two finished similarly, they had started their innings in contrasting manners, with Gill doing the bulk of the scoring in the powerplay.CSK had opted to bowl hoping the red-soil pitch would help spinners early. Gill disrupted that plan in the opening over itself. Facing his first ball, he hit Mitchell Santner for four. Two balls later, he sashayed down the track and launched the spinner for a straight six. By the end of the third over, he had raced to 20 off eight balls.Gill’s intent took GT to 58 for no loss at the end of the powerplay. It may not sound a lot – Sunrisers Hyderabad have breached 100 twice in the first six this season – but it was the second-best start for GT.Meanwhile, Sudharsan was on 39 off 29 after eight overs. It was looking like yet another anchor-ish innings from him but then he pressed on. In the next three balls, he slogged Ravindra Jadeja for a four and a six to bring up his fifty.He followed it up with successive sixes off Simarjeet and successive fours off Daryl Mitchell. With a slog-swept six off Santner, he moved to 92 off 44 balls, leaving Gill far behind, on 66 off 34.Gill narrowed the gap, and then overtook Sudharsan, by hitting three sixes in four balls off Mitchell. The second of those sixes came via a drop from Deshpande who parried the ball over the long-off boundary.The CSK bowlers had no reply to Shubman Gill and B Sai Sudharsan’s onslaught•Associated Press”I think we were through Plan B and Plan C pretty quickly and maybe started getting into Plan D,” CSK head coach Stephen Fleming said after the match. “It was the batting of high calibre. Sometimes you have to doff the cap and say well played, and on this occasion, I thought those two were great.”We were pretty shell-shocked and even our fielding, which has been good over the years, was put on the back foot. There were catches dropped and that was a little bit unusual for us.”CSK did make a comeback towards the end, conceding only 22 in the last three overs. But Gill and Sudharsan had caused irreparable damage by then.

All three have proven to be more than competent openers, but with only two slots available, who will make way for the T20 World Cup?

Danyal Rasool02-Feb-2022October 24, 2021. (For many, that date already needs no further context to be instantly recognisable.) India had set Pakistan 152 for victory in the sides’ first game of the T20 World Cup. It was a strong recovery from the middle order after Shaheen Shah Afridi had blown the openers away, but nonetheless, a below-par target. Out strode Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam, two immoveable forces of nature who have cemented themselves as the first truly undisputed Pakistani opening partnership since Saeed Anwar and Aamer Sohail broke up.In 17.5 unforgettable overs, they picked apart the Indian bowlers, keeping up the scoring rate without appearing to take any risks. In a performance for the ages, Pakistan cantered to the target, without losing a single wicket. Who in their right mind would ever question these openers? Where were all those baying for Fakhar Zaman to open now?Two weeks and four days later, Pakistan are in the semi-finals, unbeaten and vying against Australia for a spot in the final. Pakistan are batting first this time, and Babar and Rizwan strike up another significant partnership. They produce 71, but this time, the fluency of the India game appears to be missing. The 71 comes in 9.5 overs, and Babar himself holes out to long-on after a scratchy 39 off 34 balls at a strike rate of 114.70. Rizwan, as everyone knows, had found himself in hospital the night before, but soldiers through on a muggy evening to 67 off 52 at a strike rate of 128.84. Fakhar ends up facing just 32 deliveries, finishing unbeaten on 55 to power Pakistan to 176. Strike rate? 171.87.It seems par, perhaps even slightly above, but there’s only so much damage that can be undone in just half a T20 innings. Pakistan appear to be sealing Australia’s fate with regular wickets, but unlike Pakistan, they keep attacking. By the halfway mark, they’ve managed 89 and the platform is set for one famous lower-order partnership to knock Pakistan out. What were Pakistan thinking, coasting along at just over seven in the first ten?The question of how to fit three into two at the top of the T20I order is a thorny one for Pakistan. But as Fakhar’s form with the Lahore Qalandars this season – and Babar’s own struggles with Karachi Kings – attest, it’s one that may acquire greater urgency as they head into this year’s T20 World Cup. For all the records that Babar and Rizwan have broken over the last year, the concerns about the way those partnerships are paced have never really gone away. And while worrying about ironing over what appears a mild crease seems like a luxurious problem, the profligacy of not utilising a bludgeoner like Fakhar doesn’t always appear sustainable.Irresistible as Babar looks creaming drives through tightly packed fields in the powerplay, he lags behind Fakhar in that phase. In all T20s since January 2020, Fakhar scored 7.64 runs per six powerplay balls, nearly a full run per over ahead of Babar’s 6.68. (Rizwan, incidentally, is well ahead of both at 8.44). Limit that to T20Is, and the difference between Fakhar and Babar is starker: Fakhar hits 7.80 runs per powerplay over, with Babar straggling well behind at 6.55. Rizwan is bang in the middle of both at 7.15.ESPNcricinfo LtdThe case for Fakhar opening isn’t just made through the comparison with Babar, but also around the most efficient way to use the left-hander. Fakhar’s strike rate drops to just 123.02 when he bats at number three in T20Is, well below the 136.24 as opener. And while it’s fair to say Fakhar the Lahore Qalandars opener is much more consistent than Fakhar the Pakistan opener (his average with Lahore is nearly 12 runs higher than his T20I average), the strike rates are fairly similar – 139.04 and 136.24 respectively. In all T20s since Jan 2017, for all openers who’ve scored at least 1000 runs, Fakhar has the second highest SR [139.55] for a Pakistani opener – behind only Kamran Akmal.In that case, you’d expect the solution to be fairly straightforward: ditch Babar as opener, and link Rizwan with Fakhar for Pakistan. But you’d be forgiven if bits of your brain feel these numbers don’t quite tell the full story. For one, it’s because some numbers suggest there isn’t a huge difference between Babar and Fakhar as opener at all. Babar’s career strike rate as T20I opener, after all, is 132.61, which is not a world off Fakhar’s 136.24, and he averages almost twice as much.The reliability that Babar’s partnership with Rizwan has provided Pakistan means they can guarantee a solid platform pretty much every game. The costs of breaking that up, and effectively overhauling the innings construction method, should not be taken lightly because, plainly put, Fakhar cannot hope to match the pair’s consistency.Run that India game in your head again. As a Pakistan supporter, would you really want anyone besides Babar and Rizwan opening in that particular chase? Had Pakistan rolled the dice with Fakhar and he’d fallen for under 25 – as he has in 28 of his last 36 T20I knocks – the swing of momentum, coupled with the weight of history, could well have made that a much cagier chase.And it isn’t just below-par totals they’re prolific at chasing. Hark back to the 3rd T20I in Centurion, where South Africa amassed 203. The scoring rate required of Babar and Rizwan was well above their average T20I strike rates, but set a target, both rose to the challenge. Babar smashed 122 off 59, and Rizwan an unbeaten 73 off 47 as Pakistan ran the runs down with two overs to spare. It didn’t seem to matter then that Fakhar needed to face only two balls that innings.ESPNcricinfo LtdBut again, that’s not an excuse to stick with the status quo. Think of the T20I just two days before that Centurion epic, when in Johannesburg, an off-colour Babar limped his way to a run-a-ball 50 as Pakistan crawled to 140, which South Africa chased in 14 overs. Indeed, across the three T20Is that series either side of that hundred, Babar managed just 88 in 87 balls. Cast your mind back to that semi-final against Australia again, where Babar’s strike rate was the lowest for any batter who faced more than ten balls. Reflect on his three innings for Karachi Kings this season, when, batting first, he’s managed a collective 96 runs at a strike rate of just 105.49 with his side failing to put enough runs on the board each time.The common theme across most of those Babar innings is that Pakistan batted first. And while Babar has proved the master of the chase, it’s not at all clear he’s the best judge of a good first-innings total. Since January 2020 in all games for Pakistan or Karachi Kings, Babar’s strike rate batting first is 122.32. In a chase, that jumps to 134.49. The average, too, swells from 36.65 to 63.75.For all the extremities to which sides have gone to wring out every little advantage in a T20 game, none has yet adopted specialist openers depending on whether a total is being set or chased. But the key dynamics of the way Babar and Fakhar’s games work would appear to suggest one obvious solution: move Fakhar up to open when Pakistan bat first while sticking with the present combination in pursuit of a score.

Los Angeles Dodgers star Mookie Betts has had a tough 2025 campaign.

Heading into L.A.'s return to Dodger Stadium after a long road trip Monday against the St. Louis Cardinals, Dodgers fans rallied together to show Betts that they have his back. As he stepped to the plate for his first at-bat of the evening, the crowd roared as many stood to their feet to give Betts a tremendous ovation amid his recent struggles.

A plan for the ovation picked up steam across social media over the past day. And once some fans at Dodger Stadium began the louder than usual cheers, you knew others would follow.

Heading into Monday, Betts has a career-low .664 OPS through 102 games. He has never finished a season with an OPS lower than .800. His current batting average (.233), on-base percentage (.305) and slugging percentage (.358) are all career-low numbers, too. Over the Dodgers' last four games, he is 0-for-16 at the plate. He began Monday's game against the Cardinals 0-for-2.

Before the game, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Betts will remain in his No. 2 spot in the lineup despite the difficult season and recent stretch. “I’m going to continue to believe in him and trust that he’s the best option," he said pregame, via Fox's Rowan Kavner.

Even with the prolonged slump, Dodgers fans wanted their star shortstop to know they remain by his side.

Get up to speed with all you need to know as the clock ticks down to the first ball in Perth

Alan Gardner19-Nov-2025So this Ashes is a big deal, is it?
As the oldest rivalry in cricket (yes, we are deliberately overlooking USA vs Canada) the Ashes is always a big deal. But the 2025-26 series has been amped up to what feels like a new level – and this despite England’s woeful record in Australia, which reads P15 W0 L13 over their last three tours of the country.Why’s everyone so excited then?
There are a number of factors at play. Foremost is the style of cricket England have adopted – dubbed “Bazball” by one of ESPNcricinfo’s own – and the sense that they will come and have a go in a manner than few English teams in Australia have managed this century. There is also the hangover from the last Ashes, in England in 2023, which ended 2-2 but sparked all sorts of back-and-forth over “moral victories” and who really came out on top.Related

Will this Ashes be the making of Bazball 2.0?

The Ashes: the sun is hot, the spiders are large, the trash talk is garbage

England's Ashes squad have pace in abundance, but do they have the miles?

They didn’t manage to Bazball Australia at home, then?
No, but they did come back from 2-0 down, and were arguably only denied victory in the series by rain in Manchester. But let’s not go over all that again. England have been planning for the next campaign down under ever since, and have assembled what might be their fastest-ever bowling attack in a bid to win in Australia for the first time since 2010-11.So should Australia be worried?
Not on the face of it, given England have rarely even come close to winning a Test in the (Un)Lucky Country in the intervening period – and have particularly painful memories of a grueling visit, wreathed in Covid regulations, in 2021-22. Australia, meanwhile, have won five of their last seven Test series, including four in a row, and last experienced defeat in India in 2022-23. At home, they haven’t been beaten since 2020-21 (again by India). They also reached the final of the World Test Championship, although lost out on the mace to South Africa.I sense a ‘but’ coming here…
You guessed it. But Australia, who have picked a squad with only one player under the age of 30, are in the rare position of having significant question marks over their XI. Notably, it looks like they will field a debutant opener, while the man at the other end, Usman Khawaja, might be on borrowed time. They have also been beset by untimely injuries: captain, Pat Cummins, will miss the first Test as he continues to rehab from a back stress reaction, while another of Australia’s “Big Three” seam attack, Josh Hazlewood, is out with a hamstring strain.All eyes are on when Pat Cummins could play a role in the Ashes•Getty ImagesSo England will be taking on a weakened opposition?
On paper, yes, although Scott Boland (Test bowling average in Australia: 12.63) is a more than capable back-up for Cummins, while Brendan Doggett, another likely debutant, has both form and pedigree after his long wait for a baggy green. Steven Smith won’t miss a beat as stand-in captain, either. Whether this is the “worst Australia side since 2010-11” is up for debate, but their selection quandaries have certainly added to the intrigue around the build-up.Ah yes, the old ‘phoney war’…
As daft as ever, and impossible to get away from. But at least it’s almost time to take out the trash talk.Any other reasons for optimistic Englishmen to stay up through the night?
Well, Australian pitches have certainly made for entertaining viewing over recent seasons and might help level the playing field. Whether England have brought the right attack for the conditions is another debate.Will this be Joe Root’s Ashes?•Getty ImagesThey do arrive with the No. 1 and No. 2-ranked Test batters, Joe Root and Harry Brook (the latter for the first major Test of his supreme away record), as well as a fit Ben Stokes, after a shoulder tear sustained during the English summer. They’ve been lucky with injuries (so far), with Mark Wood surviving his own hamstring-knack scare over the weekend. And the only major talking point around their batting order – the identity of No. 3 – was put to bed during the warm-up game against England Lions by Ollie Pope making scores of 100 and 90.All aboard the Bazball bus, then!
At least until the wheels fall off. The series starts in Perth, where England have only ever won once (at the old WACA Ground) – with Optus Stadium hosting an Ashes Test for the first time. Then it’s on to the pink-ball day-night game at the Gabba in Brisbane, followed by Adelaide, which last hosted England for a daytime Test in 2013-14. If the Ashes are still alive come the Boxing Day Test at the MCG, we should have a series on our hands.Sounds like the chances are good?
Let’s see. It’s certainly their best shot in a long while. At the very least, it’s to be hoped that England won’t have conceded the contest inside 12 days’ cricket.Fingers crossed! Anything else I should know?
Regardless of whether England can be competitive/win a Test/not suffer complete embarrassment, let’s hope that Root finally scores a hundred on Australia soil. Otherwise Matthew Hayden’s middle stump is going for a walk – and not in the good way.

Curtis and Rocchiccioli shared a 52-run ninth-wicket stand for WA to get them within seven runs of victory before Meredith and Bird took the last two wickets to seal Tasmania’s win

AAP18-Oct-2025Tasmania have pulled off one of the tightest wins in Sheffield Shield history, taking two late wickets to claim a remarkable three-run victory over Western Australia.On a brief but thrilling final morning in Hobart, Western Australia got the margin down within seven runs of their target of 259 with two wickets in hand.But after appearing as if he would be the hero for the visitors, left-hander Joel Curtis was adjudged lbw on 50 by a Riley Meredith ball that stayed low from around the wicket.Jackson Bird then trapped No.11 Liam Haskett lbw with an in-swinging yorker, ending Western Australia’s chase to have them all out for 255.Tasmania’s win is the equal-second closest margin in the Shield’s 134-season history in terms of runs, and comes after Western Australia held just a one-run advantage in the first innings.It also follows Tasmania’s narrow loss to South Australia last summer, when they were beaten by two runs in Hobart.The Bellerive Oval scoreboard after Tasmania’s three-run win•Getty ImagesFor much of Saturday morning it appeared as if Western Australia would pull off an unlikely victory. Needing 44 to win at the start of the day, Curtis and Corey Rocchiccioli appeared to have the game under control with a 52-run ninth-wicket stand.Curtis had done his best to shield Rocchiccioli from the strike for parts of Saturday morning, but when the No.10 was exposed he still managed to thrive.He clipped one Bird ball to the midwicket boundary off his pads and cut the first delivery of Meredith’s spell for four when Tasmania brought the quick on.Curtis did have one near-miss before his dismissal with a bottom-edge to a cut shot from Gabe Bell narrowly evading off stump and running away to the boundary.But just as the pair got the margin required to single figures and began to look confident of victory, it was Meredith and Bird who turned the game on its head.The result leaves Western Australia with two losses after the opening two rounds, while Tasmania’s win comes after they drew with Queensland in their season opener.