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James Sales’ maiden List A century sets up Northamptonshire’s first win of the campaign

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay15-Aug-2025Northamptonshire 321 for 8 (Sales 117, Robinson 63, Broad 59) beat Durham 171 (Raine 31*, Chahal 3-30) by 150 runs A superb maiden List A century from James Sales – 117 off 110 balls – set Northamptonshire Steelbacks up for a first Metro Bank One-Day Cup win in four games this season, by 150 runs at the expense of Durham at the Banks Homes Riverside.The young Steelbacks side kick-started their Group B campaign following a No Result and two defeats as they successfully defended a commanding 321 for 8 total. Durham, meanwhile, suffered their third defeat in five to threaten their chances of a top-three finish for knockout qualification.Having elected to bat, Northamptonshire were advanced by centurion Sales, who was well supported by New Zealander Tim Robinson’s well-paced 63 off 69 balls and Justin Broad’s more aggressive 59 off 45.Durham then lost early wickets and never realistically threatened. They were bowled out for 171 inside 32 overs. Indian Yuzvendra Chahal finished with 3 for 30 from six overs of leg-spin.Sales, who hit his three sixes down the ground off spin and seam, was strong on both sides of the wicket as he accelerated through his innings having come to the crease at 31 for 1 in the ninth over.The 22-year-old right-hander batted through until the 48th over when he holed out to wide long-on against Ben Raine’s seam.New-ball duo Mitchell Killeen and Paul Coughlin struck twice apiece, but Durham relinquished control of the innings from 35 for two in the 10th over.Killeen had bowled captain Lewis McManus, Coughlin had Ricardo Vasconcelos caught behind by debutant 17-year-old wicketkeeper Robbie Bowman.Sales shared century partnerships for the third and fourth wickets with overseas Robinson and Broad en-route to his fifty off 65 balls and his century off 101.He dwarfed his previous List A best score of 35, though has three Championship hundreds to his name through last season and this.Durham, missing linchpin wicketkeeper-batter Ollie Robinson because of a family funeral, failed to gain control with the ball on the same pitch used for Tuesday’s defeat to Middlesex when the visitors chased an English List A record 388.This pitch was good, but it wasn’t the absolute featherbed of a couple of days ago.The home side lost Coughlin to a suspected shoulder issue having bowled nine overs.The Steelbacks were excellent having failed to reach 230 in either of the first two games played, and they continued their good work when it came to the defence, reducing Durham to 49 for four inside 11 overs.Left-arm quick Liam Guthrie struck twice, as did Luke Procter with his seamers. Alex Lees, Will Rhodes and Colin Ackermann all fell.But the headline dismissal was the first – four for one at the start of the second over – when ex-Northamptonshire opener Emilio Gay was trapped lbw stuck on the crease for a second golden duck in as many matches following disappointment against Middlesex.This was Gay’s first appearance against Northamptonshire since leaving Wantage Road late last summer.And when South Africa Test batter David Bedingham, on 30, miscued Broad’s fifth ball to mid-off, it felt like a decisive blow at 78 for five in the 15th over.Debutant Bowman encouraged for 27 and George Drissell bettered that with 30. But they fell to the spin of Rob Keogh and Yuzvendra Chahal as the score fell to 150 for seven in the 29th.Chahal forced a discomforted Coughlin to miscue to cover before bowling Killeen as he struck twice in the 31st over.Seventeen-year-old debutant off-spinner Nirvan Ramesh then wrapped things up with his maiden first-team wicket, Archie Bailey caught behind. He bowled a tidy 4.2 overs for 23.

A quality four-pronged spin attack propelled Melbourne Renegades to a thumping eight-wicket win over Sydney Thunder at Drummoyne Oval.Chasing a miserly 65 for victory, the defending WBBL champions hit the winning runs on the first ball of the 12th over, but the win was set up earlier when their quartet of tweakers demolished a meek Thunder batting line-up.Charis Bekker, Georgia Wareham, skipper Sophie Molineux and England’s Alice Capsey bowled stump to stump and took wickets at regular intervals, assisted by some poor shot choices by Thunder’s batters.Molineux opened in the chase and finished unbeaten on 29, finishing alongside player of the match Capsey.The win sees Renegades jump into outright second on the WBBL ladder with four wins from their opening six matches, now just two points behind competition leaders, Hobart Hurricanes. With four regular season games to play, Renegades are in a great position to go deep into the finals again.In the first innings Renegades were on top right from the opening ball, restricting Thunder to 19 for 2 in the powerplay, and when in-form opener Tahlia Wilson became crafty left-arm orthodox spinner Bekker’s second wicket, the home side were struggling at 21 for 3.By the end of the 10th over they were in even more trouble at 48 for 5. Former England captain Heather Knight appeared their only hope of getting anywhere near triple figures, but when she fell lbw to Wareham topping 100 was never on the cards.Their 64-run total was the third-lowest in the competition’s 11-season history.Thunder star Georgia Voll, who struck consecutive boundaries before being dismissed by Milly Illingworth, wasn’t making excuses.”That’s obviously not what we rocked up here thinking that was going to happen,” Voll said on the player mic during the broadcast. “Obviously it’s pretty disappointing, to be honest.”[The wicket] was a little bit tacky early on, but I don’t think it was enough to be rolled for 65 probably, just some poor shots all around and not adapting to the conditions quick enough.”Thunder went into the game off the back of two wins that had followed losses in their first three matches. They now sit in sixth with the job ahead of them to turn their season around and qualify for the finals.

كشفت تقارير صحفية عن إمكانية رحيل أحد لاعبي فريق برشلونة الإسباني، خلال سوق الانتقالات الشتوي في شهر يناير المقبل، بسبب منافسات كأس العالم 2026.

وتقام بطولة كأس العالم 2026 في شهر يونيو المقبل، حيث تستضيفها الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية، كندا، والمكسيك، في ملف مشترك.

ويسعى اللاعبون للمشاركة باستمرار وانتظام مع أنديتهم، لإثبات جدارتهم بالتواجد في قوائم منتخبات بلادهم، من أجل حلم المشاركة في المونديال.

وذكرت صحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو” الإسبانية نقلاً عن “سبورت بيلد” الألمانية، أن حارس مرمى برشلونة، مارك تير شتيجن قد يغادر صفوف الفريق خلال انتقالات يناير.

تير شتيجن يغيب عن المشاركة مع برشلونة منذ أشهر بسبب الإصابة، وقد خضع لجراحة في الظهر ويواصل اللاعب تعافيه استعدادًا للعودة للعب بصورة طبيعية.

ويشير التقرير إلى أن تير شتيجن من المقرر أن يحصل على التصريح الطبي لمباراة برشلونة ضد أوساسونا، والمقرر خوضها يوم السبت المقبل.

ورغم عودته الوشيكة، من المرجح أن يواجه تير شتيجن صعوبة في الحصول على دقائق لعب كافية، خاصة وأن المدرب هانز فليك أكد أن خوان جارسيا هو الحارس الأساسي للفريق.

اقرأ أيضًا | كوبي: أزمة خطيرة.. لاعب برشلونة قد لا يلعب مرة أخرى مع الفريق

ومن أجل ضمان التواجد مع منتخب ألمانيا في المونديال، قد يتجه تير شتيجن للرحيل في انتقالات يناير، للحصول على فرص كافية للمشاركة مع أحد الأندية.

وتشير المصادر إلى أن أندية تركية مهتمة بالتعاقد مع حارس مرمى برشلونة، على الرغم من عدم تقديم أي عروض حتى الآن.

يذكر التقرير أيضًا أن الوضع الشخصي لتير شتيجن، والتواجد مع طفليه، يُمثل عاملاً حاسماً في تحديد مستقبله.

Karim Benzema has admitted he is unsure whether he will stay at Al-Ittihad beyond this season, confirming European offers are on the table while insisting he has no intention of retiring any time soon. As he approaches 38, the 2022 Ballon dOr winner wants clarity over the club's sporting plans before deciding where he will play next, as he remains determined to continue for at least two more years.

Benzema's future uncertain amid Al-Ittihad's struggles

Benzema is entering the final stretch of his current Al-Ittihad contract, and the uncertainty around the club's future plans has left the veteran striker weighing up his next move. Recent speculation has ranged from a contract extension to a possible exit and even retirement, but none of those scenarios has yet been agreed or ruled out officially. His situation has drawn major interest from European clubs keen to bring him back closer to the elite level he dominated for over a decade with Real Madrid.

The Frenchman remains valued highly by Al-Ittihad, who see him as both a sporting leader and a marketing icon, but their early season struggles in the Saudi Pro League have frustrated his competitive ambitions. While he remains settled off the pitch, Benzema has made it clear he does not want to see out his final years without challenging for major silverware. With his deal only running until 2026, any decision will depend on whether the club can fairly urgently present a project that convinces him to stay.

For now, he remains focused on contributing to this season and staying in peak condition as he nears his 38th birthday in December. His message is that he is far from finished physically or mentally, but he wants his final chapters to match his ambitions.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportFormer Ballon d'Or winner opens up on future

Benzema opened up about the crossroads he faces in a recent interview with AS, confirming he will not be rushed into a decision. "It's true that my contract here is coming to an end. I can't say yet what I'm going to do, whether I'll stay or leave – it depends on a lot of things. In December, I'll be 38. I still see myself playing football for another two years."

He emphasised that he wants a long-term vision, not a short extension just for the sake of it. "We'll see what happens, what the club thinks. I like to talk face-to-face and then see what they think. The best thing for me would be to continue here, but not just for one or two more years. I don't want to do that."

Benzema also confirmed offers from Europe remain active, though comfort and respect matter as much as the level of competition. "It's true that I have offers from Europe. I need to consider everything, choose wisely, and see where I feel good, not forgetting that I feel comfortable here and receive everyone's affection. In any case, I'm not going to stop playing football or competing in six months."

Benzema has offers from Europe with contract ending in 2026

Benzema has repeatedly stated that he still feels in strong physical condition despite his age and the demands of the Saudi Pro League. He continues to work rigorously in training, confident that his technical ability and football intelligence allow him to remain decisive in key moments. His affection for Al-Ittihad's fans and the respect he receives in Saudi Arabia remain key parts of why staying is still an attractive option.

Yet the pull of Europe, and especially the Champions League, has never left him. He has openly admitted he continues to watch Real Madrid matches and the top European competitions, describing them as "magical" and a constant reminder of the highest stage. Fenerbahce had reportedly placed the former France international on their wishlist for January; however, are going to be unlikely to actually make a move.

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AFPCan Benzema actually return to Europe?

Talks with Al-Ittihad leadership are expected to take place soon, as both sides seek clarity before the second half of the season. If the club can present a convincing project, Benzema could renew his commitment in Saudi Arabia and aim for one last push for titles. Failure to do so, however, would open the door for a dramatic late-career return to European football.

European interest will likely intensify as the summer window approaches, especially with top-level clubs monitoring both his availability and his fitness. Retirement is not being considered in the short term, and Benzema himself has set a clear timeline by projecting his goodbye closer to 2028.

حلل أسطورة نادي ريال مدريد فوز فريقه السابق على أولمبياكوس أمس الأربعاء، حيث لعبت المباراة في منافسات بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا في مرحلة الدوري.

ريال مدريد استطاع استعادة عافيته وحقق انتصارًا بشق الأنفس على أولمبياكوس بأربعة أهداف مقابل ثلاثة، ضمن الجولة الخامسة من مرحلة الدوري في مسابقة دوري أبطال أوروبا.

ويعاني ريال مدريد الأمرين خلال الفترة الأخيرة من هذا الموسم، حيث تراجعت نتائج الفريق الملكي ومستوى الفريق كذلك خلال المباريات الأخيرة.

وجاء فوز ريال مدريد على أولمبياكوس ليكسر إحصائية سلبية للميرنجي تمثلت في عدم فوز الفريق في ثلاث مباريات متتالية.

ويرى مانولو سانشيز، أسطورة ريال مدريد، أن الفريق الملكي يعاني بالفعل من مشاكل في دفاعه، موضحًا أن خط دفاع النادي الإسباني أصبح نقطة ضعف حقيقية.

أقرأ أيضًا .. تطورات هامة بشأن موقف فينيسيوس جونيور من التجديد لـ ريال مدريد وقال سانشيز في تصريحات نقلتها صحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو”: “هذه مباراة ستمنحك فيها النتيجة بعض الطمأنينة لكنها تحتاج إلى الكثير من التحليل، لأن هناك أموراً جيدة، ولكن هناك أموراً أخرى تحتاج إلى تصحيح، لو كان الخصم مختلفاً يلعب نفس المباراة، لما كانت النتيجة هي نفسها”.

وأضاف: “أعتقد أن الجهاز الفني واللاعبين بحاجة إلى معالجة نقطة ضعف أصبحت تمثل نقطة ضعف وهي الجانب الدفاعي، ليس فقط الدفاع بل النظام الدفاعي بأكمله”.

وأوضح: ”أحيانًا يخترق لاعبو خط وسط الخصم بسهولة مما يخلق مساحات كبيرة في الخلف، نستقبل الكثير من الأهداف من الكرات الرأسية والألعاب الهوائية، خاصةً وأن لدينا لاعبين طوال القامة ومتميزين أيضًا في الكرات الهوائية”.

واختتم: “أفتقد شخصًا ينظم الأمور عندما تكون هناك فوضى في منطقة الجزاء في ريال مدريد، شخصًا يصرخ ويضع اللاعبين في أماكنهم ويمنح كل واحد منهم مسؤوليته”.

The Dodgers took both games in Milwaukee to start the National League Championship Series, getting out to a 2-0 lead on the Brewers.

As Milwaukee faces an uphill battle, their manager Pat Murphy still believes his group can beat the odds and advance to the franchise's first World Series since 1982. After the franchise's 5-1 loss in Game 2 Tuesday, he said his team "has been counted out a lot this year" and thinks they still have some fight left in them.

Murphy's 10-year-old son Austin shares that sentiment, as he perfectly explained why he thinks the Brewers can claw back into the series when asked as he sat with his dad during a press conference Wednesday in a sweet moment.

"Well, the guys respond back really good," Austin said into the microphone via the 's Curt Hogg. "They started the season 0-4, those games were not good, but they responded with the best record in baseball so I believe they can do it."

The Brewers manager smiled wide with a proud head nod, then thanking the reporter for asking the question. Murphy's interviews are always fun, often sitting next to his kids and even breaking out snacks from his pocket to munch on during the discussion.

Dodger Stadium hosts Game 3 of the NLCS Thursday as the Brewers, who owned Major League Baseball's best record over the regular season at 97-65, try to get on the board in the series. Nobody expected the Brewers to put up baseball's best record this season, just like no one expects them to get back from a 2-0 hole. Those who know the team best have seen them bounce back before, though.

Coach played key role in developing Stokes as a teenager, along with other future England stars

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Oct-2025

John Windows, the long-standing director of Durham Men’s academy, is stepping down from his role for health reasons, after a 27-year stint in which he helped to develop the careers of a range of the club’s greatest players, including Ben Stokes, Mark Wood and Liam Plunkett.Windows, 49, started out as a batter in Durham’s second XI, but with the club still relatively new to the first-class scene, the focus on developing home-grown players became a means to fast-track the team’s long-term viability. He became an academy coach in 1999, under the leadership of Geoff Cook, and progressed to the role of academy Director in 2007.On his watch, the academy became one of the most prolific pathways for young talent in the country. Steve Harmison, Paul Collingwood and Graham Onions were among the first graduates to forge successful international careers, while more recent successes include Brydon Carse, Matthew Potts and Ben McKinney, the former England Under-19 captain.Windows himself was instrumental in recruiting Stokes as a raw 17-year-old, utilising the strong relationships that he had helped to build with neighbouring counties, including Cumbria, where Stokes’ family had lived after arriving from New Zealand in 2003.In a statement, however, he revealed that a recent medical diagnosis had left him needing to step away from his hands-on role at the academy. He will remain involved with the club in a mentorship capacity.”It is with great sadness and regret that I am having to stand down from my role as men’s academy director,” Windows said. “I have enjoyed every day of my coaching career at Durham, it has been a privilege to work with such a great club and contribute to its success.”Unfortunately, I no longer have the physical capacity to support our young talent. The role is multi-faceted but to do it successfully I have always felt you need to be active on the shop floor as well as working strategically behind the scenes.”Stepping back from a full-time role will give me more time to recharge my batteries and look after myself. I feel this is essential if I am going to maintain any sort of ‘normal life’.”Marcus North, Durham’s director of cricket, said: “John has decided that now is the right time to step away from his role as men’s academy director, due to his ongoing medical condition.”Over the course of nearly 30 years with the club, John has played an extraordinary role in shaping the journeys of hundreds of young cricketers, many of whom have become professional and international players.”His vision, passion, dedication, and care for developing players have left a lasting mark on our pathway and on the club as a whole.”Although he will no longer be leading the academy, we are delighted that John will continue to be part of the club and share the wisdom and experience that have inspired so many.”I would like to personally thank John for everything he has given to the club, and for the remarkable commitment and energy he has put into making our men’s academy the best in the country, a legacy that will live strong for future generations.”

Gary Stead has rejoined New Zealand Cricket (NZC) as the high-performance coach, just over three months after he had stepped down as the national men’s head coach after a seven-year stint – he ended as the team’s most successful coach. His new role will be “supporting player and coach development, as well as high performance programmes”, an NZC statement said.”New Zealand cricket’s very much been at my heart for the past 30 odd years and to be able to keep contributing to the game I love is really special,” Stead said. “I’m still passionate about coaching and trying to help people learn and improve. If I can pass on some of my skills and experiences to the wider cricket network and in turn help the BLACKCAPS and WHITE FERNS win on the world stage – than that would be really satisfying.”I’m also appreciative of the opportunity to work outside of NZC to broaden my skills and experiences and hopefully I can bring what I learn back into our cricket environment.”Related

• Stead calls time on seven-year tenure as NZ coach

• Stead appointed as Andhra head coach for 2025-26 season

• Interview: Gary Stead did it his steady way

One such opportunity is to work with the Andhra Cricket Association in India as the head coach of the men’s team, which will continue. Stead also provided interim coaching support to Otago Cricket over the winter pre-season and has been involved in a New Zealand Under-19 camp this month.”Gary’s knowledge and experiences in cricket is immense and the fact he’s still passionate and motivated to give back to the game in this country speaks volumes about his character,” NZC chief high-performance officer Daryl Gibson said. “His role, which is a commitment of three days a week on average over the year, will see him work across much of the high-performance network, allowing our national and domestic coaches, players and staff to tap into his expertise and IP.”Gary is also able to work outside of NZC, such as his recent part-time appointment to the Indian domestic side Andhra for their upcoming four-day competition, an experience which will allow him to further grow his knowledge and experience.”Stead’s highlights as the head coach of the men’s national team included winning the inaugural World Test Championship (WTC) title in 2021 and sweeping India 3-0 in India in a Test series last year.Stead first joined NZC as a coach development manager (2004-2009), before becoming an assisted coach at the NZC Academy (2005-06), New Zealand Women’s head coach (2009-12), and Canterbury head coach and director of cricket (2012-18), before he joined the men’s senior team in 2018.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers is under pressure after the 3-1 defeat away to Hearts on Sunday.

Rodgers critical of Hearts' approach vs Celtic

The Scottish Premiership champions were soundly beaten over the weekend, allowing Hearts to pull eight points clear at the top of the table, with Chris Sutton ripping into Celtic after the defeat..

Rodgers was clearly a frustrated figure after the game too, admitting that he could never choose to adopt the hosts’ more direct style of play at a club like Celtic.

“The approach, I think, when you’re at a club like Celtic, people talk about plan A, plan B, but Celtic is a club whose DNA is about playing football. We’ll never lose that. When we play to that identity, it’s totally different.

“Hearts, it’s a different DNA here. The ball’s direct. The supporters love that. It’s a second ball fight. It’s set pieces, all that. Celtic hasn’t become winners in that way. Our DNA is to play a fast-attacking game of football, whatever the system is. The systems are relevant. You can play whatever system you want, but your style of football and the style of Celtic is fast-attacking football.”

Boyd lays into Rodgers' comments

Speaking on Sky Sports after the game, former Rangers striker Kris Boyd didn’t hold back in his criticism of Celtic boss Rodgers, calling his comments “disrespectful” to Hearts in a 14-word atatck on the Irishman.

Boyd also added: “To question the way Derek McInnes’ or Hearts’ teams play, because Celtic didn’t come here and dominate and win. They got bullied. Deal with it. You’re talking about fast, attacking football – that’s not their DNA. Winning is Celtic’s DNA. To have a go at Derek McInnes for the way they played, it’s so disrespectful for me.”

In truth, Rodgers’ comments do sound a little on the bitter side, with Hearts just feeling like the hungrier of the two sides at Tynecastle on Sunday lunchtime.

Celtic are not firing at all at the moment, and haven’t done all season by their high standards, and they now have a genuinely big challenge on their hands when it comes to retaining the Scottish Premiership title next May.

Granted, it is still early days and there is every chance that the Hoops find their feet, and Hearts begin to feel the pressure at some point, but their rivals have still only dropped two points in 2025/26 to date, which is worthy of respect.

“Shambles” – Sutton names the 3 ways Celtic were poor against Hearts

The Bhoys were defeated in Edinburgh today to cap another dismal day at the office.

BySean Markus Clifford Oct 26, 2025

Rodgers has cut a disgruntled figure throughout the campaign, not helped by a frustrating summer in the transfer market, and his latest comments feel like those of a manager who is feeling the heat. He has proved that he is a winner in the past, though, and he remains the right man to take Celtic forward for now.

كشف وليد الركراكي مدرب منتخب المغرب، عن موقف أشرف حكيمي من اللحاق بالمشاركة مع منتخب بلاده في كأس أمم إفريقيا 2025.

وكان أشرف حكيمي قد تعرض لالتواء خطير خلال لقاء باريس سان جيرمان وبايرن ميونخ، ويسابق الزمن منذ ذلك الوقت لتقصير مدة غيابه المتوقعة.

ويأمل مدرب منتخب المغرب وليد الركراكي في عودة أشرف حكيمي ظهير باريس سان جيرمان، في المباراة الافتتاحية ضد جزر القمر يوم 21 ديسمبر.

وقال الركراكي في تصريحات لإذاعة “مونتي كارلو” الفرنسية عن حكيمي: “إنه يسير بشكل جيد ويؤدي واجبه على أكمل وجه”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. مجموعة المغرب في كأس العالم 2026

وأضاف: “إنه مجتهد ومتحمس للتواجد في المباراة الأولى، لقد عمل بقوة منذ إصابته، لا يتوقف أبدًا ويحافظ على ثقته بنفسه بروح رياضية عالية”.

واختتم مدرب منتخب المغرب عن الفائز بجائزة أفضل لاعب في أفريقيا: “إنه قائدنا وصاحب جائزة الكرة الذهبية الأفريقية ونأمل أن يكون حاضرًا في المباراة الأولى”.