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Leeds United have their eyes on a new centre-back signing and one who could come in to replace Pascal Struijk.

Leeds return to top of Championship with win over Middlesbrough

The Whites and Daniel Farke managed to get back to winning ways in the week after a run of just one victory in their previous six Championship games with a 1-0 triumph over Middlesbrough.

Dan James’ early goal proved to be the winner, although Ao Tanaka and Patrick Bamford both had goals wrongly ruled out for offside.

Leeds’ win, coupled with both Burnley and Sheffield United dropping points, ensured that they’d return to the top of the table with just five games remaining.

Talking after the game, Farke said: “I’m proud of my boys. It was a tough game, overall an excellent advert for the Championship. Both sides had periods, but in the end we found a way to win this game and it was crucial today to return to our clean sheet behaviour.

“We had to dig in, had to deal with a couple of injuries and had one day less in between games, and Middlesbrough were in red-hot form. “We had to dig in and show steel and togetherness and spirit to bring this over the line in a hard-fought game and a well-deserved win.”

Leeds (85 pts)

Sheffield United (83 pts)

Burnley (85 pts)

Preston North End (h)

Plymouth Argyle (a)

Norwich City (h)

Oxford United (a)

Cardiff City (h)

Watford (a)

Stoke City (h)

Burnley (a)

Sheffield United (h)

Bristol City (h)

Stoke City (a)

QPR (a)

Plymouth Argyle (a)

Blackburn Rovers (h)

Millwall (h)

Leeds won at the Riverside without Pascal Struijk, with the left-footed centre-back suffering an injury against Luton Town. There is a concern that Struijk may have a fracture in his foot and could be out for the season, which resulted in Ethan Ampadu filling in at centre-back.

Now, a transfer target has emerged on the Elland Road radar who could prove to be a replacement for Struijk.

Leeds keen on signing Modibo Sagnan

According to reports in France, relayed by Sport Witness, Leeds and the 49ers are interested in signing Montpellier HSC centre-back Modibo Sagnan.

Like Struijk, Sagnan is a left-footed defender and could be on the move this summer with Montpellier bottom of Ligue 1. Leeds could take advantage of their potential relegation with a move for the Mali international.

Sagnan, 25, can also turn out as a left-back as well as a centre-back and has played for the likes of Real Sociedad, Lens and FC Utrecht before joining Montpellier.

Over the last 12 months, Sagnan has ranked in the top 10 percentiles when compared to centre-backs in the big five European leagues for both goals and take ons – he has scored five times in 39 games for his current employers.

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Struijk also has an eye for goal with Leeds, but by the looks of things, should Leeds win promotion, a move for Sagnan could be one to watch.

All the big numbers from South Africa’s collapse to 106 against Afghanistan in Sharjah

ESPNcricinfo stats team18-Sep-20244 Totals lower than South Africa’s 106 for which Afghanistan have bowled out a current Full Member side in ODIs. They have bowled out Zimbabwe under 100 three times in the format and Ireland for exactly 100 once. South Africa’s total in this match is the lowest against Afghanistan by one of the first eight Full Member teams in ODIs. The next lowest is West Indies’ 149 in Gros Islet in 2017.7 Wickets lost by South Africa inside their first 10 overs. This was the first time they had lost as many inside the first 10. Their previous worst (where information is available) came when they lost their seventh wicket inside 13 overs against India in Johannesburg last year.0 Lower scores at which South Africa have been seven down in an ODI. South Africa were 36 for 7 in this match. This was also the first time they had lost seven wickets before getting to 50 in ODIs. Their previous worst had come against Australia in 2002, when they lost their seventh wicket at the score of 50.ESPNcricinfo Ltd2 Lower totals than today’s 106 by South Africa while batting first in ODIs. Their lowest totals batting first are 83 against England at Trent Bridge in 2008 and 99 against India in Delhi in 2022.32 Runs scored by South Africa’s top six in this match – their lowest in an ODI when all of them have been dismissed. Their previous lowest was 45 against Australia in 1993-94 in Sydney.0 Fifty-plus scores in 43 innings in international cricket by Wiaan Mulder before his fighting 52 in this match. Coming in at 29 for 5, Mulder scored nearly 50% of South Africa’s total. In fact, South Africa’s 106 is the second-lowest all-out total in ODIs with at least one individual fifty. The lowest is their own 101 against Pakistan in 1999-00 when Herschelle Gibbs top-scored with 59.102 Wickets by Fazalhaq Farooqui in international cricket. He became just the third seamer from Afghanistan to take 100 wickets when he dismissed South Africa’s captain Aiden Markram in this match. Dawlat Zadran and Gulbadin Naib are the other two Afghanistan seamers with 100 or more international wickets.144 Balls that went unused in Afghanistan’s first ever win in international cricket against South Africa. This was Afghanistan’s fifth-biggest win in terms of balls remaining in ODIs and third biggest against a Full Member team. For South Africa, this ranks as their tenth-worst defeat in ODIs.1 Full-member teams Afghanistan haven’t yet beaten in international cricket. Post their win against South Africa, India are now the only team they haven’t defeated yet. They have come close twice, though. The first instance was a tied ODI during the 2018 Asia Cup. The second instance came earlier this year in a T20I in Bengaluru, where they lost in the second set of Super Overs.

“My strength is to turn the ball, to get it to dip. I strayed from that itself [in the last game],” says the legspinner

Hemant Brar15-Jun-20224:18

Jaffer: Wristspinners need to be brave and Chahal was

It’s often said that if you keep doing the same thing over and over again, you cannot expect different results. But if you want the same results, you should perhaps keep repeating the same thing. That’s what Yuzvendra Chahal found out in the third T20I against South Africa in Visakhapatnam.Chahal came into the series as India’s lead spinner. He had an excellent IPL 2022, where he topped the wickets chart with 27 scalps in 17 outings. But the returns of none for 26 from 2.1 overs and 1 for 49 from four in the first two games in the ongoing series left a lot to be desired.Related

• Harshal, Chahal ensure India stay alive in the series

In the second match, especially, Chahal consistently pushed the ball through instead of looking to turn it. That allowed the South Africa batters to hit him through the line with little worry.After the game, Chahal sat with the coaching staff to figure out what he could do differently. The answer was he should revert to what had previously worked for him.So on Tuesday, Chahal was back to his tried and tested method – bowling more legbreaks and varying the pace. The desired results were back too as he picked up 3 for 20 and helped India register their first win in the series.Chasing 180, South Africa lost their openers, Temba Bavuma and Reeza Hendricks, inside the powerplay. But for India, it was their middle order that had been a thorn in the flesh – Rassie van der Dussen and David Miller in the first match and Heinrich Klaasen in the second.Chahal, though, ensured there was no repeat. Perhaps expecting dew later on, which didn’t prove to be the case, Rishabh Pant introduced Chahal into the attack as early as the fifth over.Yuzvendra Chahal claimed 3 for 20 in his four overs•BCCIChahal gave away only two runs in his first over. In his next, he got Rassie van der Dussen caught behind as the batter went for a cut. Dwaine Pretorius too fell in the same manner, trying to cut a fast legbreak only to edge it to Pant.That left South Africa on 57 for 4 after the ninth over but Klaasen was still in the middle.Before Tuesday, Klaasen had ransacked 74 runs off 28 balls against Chahal, at a strike rate of 264.28. In the second T20I, he smashing 30 off 13 balls against Chahal was a big point of difference after Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s three early wickets had put South Africa on the back foot.But here, Chahal kept Klaasen guessing by varying his line. When he returned in the 15th over, he tossed one up wide outside off. By then the asking rate had touched 15 and Klaasen had no other option than to go after it. He ended up miscuing and Axar Patel, backpedalling from extra-cover, held onto the catch. The match went on till the 19th over but the contest was over with Klaasen’s wicket.”In the last game, I was bowling a lot of sliders, and I was also bowling a bit faster,” Chahal said at the post-match presentation. “So even when I was bowling good balls, I wasn’t getting any turn. It was going like a flipper.”My strength is to turn the ball, to get it to dip. I strayed from that itself. So it became very easy for batsmen as the ball was just going straight.”Tonight I changed the seam position and bowled fast legbreaks in order to get some help [from the pitch]. I tried to vary my line too so that the batsmen cannot predict.”The plan was to just bowl to my strength. I was anyway going for runs, but if I bowl to my strength and still go for 40-45 runs, I would pick up at least three wickets too, which didn’t happen in the last game. And when you dismiss two batsmen in the middle order, the pressure shifts on the batting side.”If India are to secure the series, they must win the remaining two games as well. Chahal could play a big part in that, perhaps by doing more of the same.

At 16, the wicketkeeper-batsman wasn’t sure he would ever hold a bat again. Now he’s sharing a dressing room with the likes of Quinton de Kock and Faf du Plessis

Firdose Moonda30-May-2020Kyle Verreynne knew he wanted to become a professional cricketer the day he couldn’t play anymore.”When I was 16, I broke my hand during a hockey match. It was a really bad break, from my wrist to the knuckles – the bones had basically snapped in half,” he says. “I had to have surgery and had four metal plates put into my hand, and I missed out on selection for the school cricket side, which I really wanted to be a part of.”Verreynne’s main concern at the time was whether he would still be able to keep wicket, like his role model Quinton de Kock. A few months later, Verreynne tried. To his surprise, there was no discomfort at all. “I was lucky because it could have gone very differently, and that’s when I realised I couldn’t take risks in other sports, so I put hockey on the back-burner because I really wanted to play cricket.”Less than two years later he was part of the national Under-19 side that toured and hosted Bangladesh in preparation for the age-group World Cup in 2016. Verreynne played in that tournament and finished as South Africa’s second-highest run scorer, with 158 runs in his six matches, including two fifties. By then he had finished his final year at school and had begun a bachelor of commerce degree in business management, as a back-up to his cricket career. But there was one problem.”Quinny started playing when I was 14 or 15 and I looked up to him, but then I realised he was quite young and was kind of in the spot I would be hoping to be in, so it could be difficult for me.”That’s where the coaching staff at Newlands came in. Under the guidance of Faiek Davids at Western Province and Ashwell Prince at the Cobras, Verreynne was made to understand that if he was serious about playing international cricket, it would have to be in a different role to de Kock. “Ashwell was the one who told me if I want to play for South Africa, I would have to be able to make sure I can get picked purely as a batsman.”

“The value the MSL has had for me and other young cricketers is underrated. In the first season I was with guys like Dale Steyn and Anrich Nortje. That’s how you learn”

And so he started racking up the numbers. Verreynne was ninth on the provincial three-day run charts, broke into the franchise team in the 2017-18 summer, averaged over 40 in the 2018-19 season and over 50 in 2019-20. He was also the second-highest run scorer overall in the 2019 franchise one-day cup, secured a contract for the inaugural Mzansi Super League (MSL), and was mentored by some of the biggest names in the game, starting with Hashim Amla.Verreynne and Amla shared a change room briefly at the Cobras (and played together in one first-class match in 2017). It was time enough to pick the brain of one of the country’s calmest. “I learnt a lot about his mental state,” Verreynne said. “To the public he might come across as shy or within himself, but he is always willing to share information and be supportive, and I saw that if your emotions can be level across success and failure, you can do well.”Verreynne soon experienced those two opposites first-hand. While his first MSL stint didn’t go badly, he also didn’t shoot the lights out, and his 107 runs in five matches at 35.66 for the Cape Town Blitz was not enough to get him a deal for the second season. He was not picked up in the draft (he said he “didn’t expect to be”) and only came in as an emergency replacement for Aiden Markram at Paarl Rocks.Rocks’ captain Faf du Plessis was understood to have had a strong hand in picking Verreynne, whose name was doing the rounds on the local circuit as an aggressor. And in du Plessis, he found someone else to look up to. “I was really nervous [to meet him] and I wanted to make an impression,” he said. “And then when we met, Faf pulled me aside and said, ‘Welcome to the team, we are happy to have to have you’ and I relaxed. He is genuine and down to earth and has said it’s in his agenda to help the younger guys, which you can really see.”Verreynne made his ODI debut for South Africa earlier this year, scoring 48, 3 and 50 across three matches against Australia•Getty ImagesVerreynne only played in four of the Rocks’ 12 matches, including the final, where he did not bat, but has only good things to say about the experience. “At first, I wasn’t playing much, and during that period, it was about developing my game. And then when I did play, I tried to make sure I did my bit.”His most memorable showing was a 20-ball 36 in the match in Paarl that secured the home final for the Rocks. They ended up winning the trophy, Verreynne’s “first professional cup, which was pretty cool”, and he is one of many who speak of the tournament as an important part of the local landscape. “The value the MSL has had for me and other young cricketers is underrated,” he said. “In the first season I was with guys like Dale Steyn and Anrich Nortje. That’s how you learn.”He was also in the same side as de Kock, although the pair began to form a proper relationship later, when Verryenne was part of the South Africa ODI squad over the past summer. Again, he found someone else he could seek advice from. “He really helped me with my batting. I was doing quite a lot of it with Jacques Kallis and Mark Boucher, mostly to do with my footwork and how I was holding the bat, and Quinny could see I was struggling a bit, so he just gave me a few pointers.”That’s not all Verreynne took from his time with de Kock. “I looked at his attitude. He backs himself and he is not too worried about how he looks or what people are saying. I try and do that too.”Verreynne is not as easy on the eye as other batsmen from the Cape, like Kallis, JP Duminy, and more recently Zubayr Hamza, but he strikes the ball with great power. That is a feat in itself, considering that he once thought he would never be able to hold a bat again. The metal plates that were put into his hand when he had surgery as a teenager are still there but they aren’t stopping him from dreaming, or hitting, big.”Next season, at the Cobras, we have a lot of new guys, so I want to take a leadership role, and then in three years’ time I really want to be establishing myself in the Test and ODI side,” he said. “Playing at the 2023 World Cup is one of my goals.”

Sam Whiteman struck a century for Western Australia but the home side paced their chase perfectly on the final day

AAP07-Dec-2025

Blake Macdonald scored his maiden first-class century•Getty Images

Victoria secured a memorable Sheffield Shield victory over Western Australia, pulling off a tricky run chase of 195 late in the final session at the MCG.Unheralded opener Blake Macdonald posted his maiden first-class century to guide Victoria home by six wickets in the final minutes of day four on Sunday.Related

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The 27-year-old, who grew up in Canberra and played for New South Wales before moving to Melbourne, capped off a breakout Shield performance to finish unbeaten on 109 off only 116 balls.Macdonald also top-scored with 79 in Victoria’s first innings of 255 to comfortably claim player of the match honours.Victoria fell into early trouble in their chase at 46 fir 3 when captain Peter Handscomb was knocked over for a duck. But Macdonald combined with Australia white-ball batter Matt Short for a 137-run stand to steer Victoria to their fifth win from six Shield matches this season.With time against them going into tea at 99 for 3, Victoria scored at five runs an over to motor to the target and avoid a draw. Going into the BBL break, they are well clear on top of the ladder and in the box seat to qualify for the final.It was only Macdonald’s second Shield match for the season, since he was dropped after scoring 45 and 30 against South Australia in October. He was averaging 26.23 with a top score of 61 in seven Shield matches before this game.Earlier, an outstanding century from captain Sam Whiteman appeared to go a long way towards helping Western Australia avoid defeat.After slumping to 52 for 4, still trailing Victoria on day three, WA were on track for a heavy defeat. But with rain halting Victoria’s charge on Saturday, Whiteman stepped up to score his 17th first-class century early on the final day.Whiteman fell for 103, while valuable contributions from veteran Hilton Cartwright (43), allrounder Aaron Hardie (33) and wicketkeeper Joel Curtis (28) helped WA to 255.Victoria seamer Sam Elliott worked tirelessly as he enjoyed one of the best games of his first-class career.It was a forgettable return to Shield cricket for Mitchell Marsh, with the Australia white-ball star making only 4 and 9. Marsh had been hoping to press his case for a Test recall, with Australia considering using him for shock value at the top of the order in the Ashes.WA will remain on the bottom of the ladder until at least the Shield’s resumption in February, virtually already out of contention for the final with four matches remaining.

England have already booked their spot at the 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico and USA, with Thomas Tuchel’s side looking impressive in the qualifying stages.

The Three Lions didn’t even concede a goal in the six wins that guaranteed their place on the biggest stage, and attention will soon turn to who will be on the plane looking to win England’s first World Cup since 1966.

1970

Quarter-finals

1974

Did not qualify

1978

Did not qualify

1982

Second group stage

1986

Quarter-finals

1990

Fourth place

1994

Did not qualify

1998

Round of 16

2002

Quarter-finals

2006

Quarter-finals

2010

Round of 16

2014

Group stage

2018

Fourth place

2022

Quarter-finals

While there are some stars who are guaranteed to be on the way to North America, such as captain Harry Kane, Tuchel still has a lot to think about between now and June.

Of course, a lot could change between now and the summer, however, here is Chat GPT’s prediction of who will make England’s 26-player squad in Canada, Mexico and USA.

Goalkeepers Jordan Pickford, Dean Henderson, James Trafford

Providing he remains injury free, Jordan Pickford looks set to continue as England number one in 2026 for the ninth successive year.

Providing back up to the Everton star, according to ChatGPT, will be Crystal Palace’s Dean Henderson and Man City’s James Trafford.

Defenders Trent Alexander-Arnold, Reece James, Myles Lewis-Skelly, John Stones, Marc Guehi, Ezri Konsa, Dan Burn

One of the big decisions Tuchel made early on was to drop Trent Alexander-Arnold, however, Chat GPT feels the Real Madrid right-back will win his place back in the 26.

Chelsea’s Reece James and Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly are the other full-back options, with John Stones, Marc Guehi, Ezri Konsa and Dan Burn at centre-back.

Tottenham’s Djed Spence had been a regular in Tuchel’s squad, however, there’s no place for the full-back in the 26.

Midfielders Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice, Adam Wharton, Elliot Anderson, Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers, Eberechi Eze

Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson have been a regular in Tuchel’s midfield and could be the partnership that begins the World Cup campaign, backed by Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton.

Further forward, Jude Bellingham has been tipped to return to the squad after being left out recently due to fitness issues.

Chelsea, Arsenal and Aston Villa stars Cole Palmer, Eberechi Eze and Morgan Rogers make up the seven man midfield selection, with no room for the likes of Morgan Gibbs-White or Jordan Henderson.

Forwards Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka, Phil Foden, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Gordon, Noni Madueke

Interestingly, ChatGPT thinks Tuchel will go with just one out-and-out centre-forward in captain Harry Kane. Marcus Rashford could also play centrally if required and his ‘revival in form’ at Barcelona sees him included.

Meanwhile, Anthony Gordon’s ’growing importance’ under Tuchel sees him included, alongside Arsenal stars Bukayo Saka and Noni Madueke and Man City ace Phil Foden.

Notable exclusions from Chat GPT’s forward line include Jarrod Bowen and Ollie Watkins.

A previously undiagnosed injury is now set to leave one Newcastle United star sidelined for the majority of December in a frustrating blow for Eddie Howe.

Howe demands fresh "consistency" ahead of Tottenham clash

It’s been one step forward and two steps back for Newcastle all season, but their convincing victory over Everton may yet be the turning point for their campaign. The Magpies brushed the Toffees’ aside to bounce back from Champions League defeat, but Howe is now demanding more “consistency” from his side.

Any change in fortunes would certainly be well-timed ahead of the January transfer window, too. Those at St James’ Park endured a chaotic summer window, before eventually adding reinforcements to Howe’s squad, but are still targeting a number of fresh faces to end unfinished business.

That could yet include a move for James Trafford. The England international chose Manchester City in the summer, but has since been forced to watch on from the bench following Gianluigi Donnarumma’s arrival. Now, he’s reportedly been allowed to leave the club in January, with Newcastle among his admirers.

The goalkeeper position has been a hot topic of debate in Tyneside as of late and the availability of Trafford, plus Pope’s recent injury may yet see Newcastle make their move.

Newcastle learn extent of Nick Pope injury

As reported by Sky Sports’ Keith Downie, Newcastle are now set to be without Pope until Boxing Day at the earliest after a specialist diagnosed his groin injury.

It’s frustrating news for Howe, who told reporters in the build-up to his side’s game against Tottenham that Newcastle were still trying to get a “proper diagnosis”.

Without the towering goalkeeper, Newcastle will turn towards summer signing Aaron Ramsdale. Whether he can make a claim to become their No.1 on a permanent basis remains to be seen, however.

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Despite Pope’s recent mistakes, Howe was quick to describe the 33-year-old as “outstanding” after the Marseille game, but will now be forced to kick on without him.

As the fixtures come thick and fast, and Newcastle seek consistency, the absence of one of their most experienced men couldn’t have been timed much worse.

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Managers being hired and fired is very much a part of life in football, and the managerial merry-go-round is in full swing during the 2025/26 season.

There have already been sackings in the Premier League and Championship, with Ange Postecoglou’s 39-day tenure in charge of Nottingham Forest arguably the main managerial story of the season.

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Here is a full list of dismissals from the Premier League and EFL.

Manager

Club left

Date

Nuno Espirito Santo

Nottingham Forest

9th September

Ruben Selles

Sheffield United

14th September

Mike Dodds

Wycombe Wanderers

18th September

Michael Flynn

Cheltenham Town

20th September

Graham Potter

West Ham

27th September

Steve Bruce

Blackpool

4th October

Matt Bloomfield

Luton Town

6th October

Paulo Pezzolano

Watford

8th October

Ange Postecoglou

Nottingham Forest

18th October

Darren Ferguson

Peterborough United

25th October

Noel Hunt

Reading

26th October

Vitor Pereira

Wolves

2nd November

Will Still

Southampton

2nd November

Liam Manning

Norwich City

8th November

Alan Sheehan

Swansea City

11th November

David Hughes

Newport County

15th November

1 Nuno Espirito Santo Nottingham Forest

Nuno Espirito Santo was the first manager sacked in the top four leagues, despite leading Nottingham Forest to Europa League football.

A breakdown in relationship with those above him at the City Ground resulted in his departure, with Nuno taking the West Ham jobs weeks later and Forest not having any luck with his replacement.

2 Ruben Selles Sheffield United

After parting ways with Chris Wilder, Sheffield United brought in Ruben Selles, believing he was the man to take the Blades back to the Premier League.

However, Selles lost all six of his games in charge and was out the door in mid September, with Wilder returning shortly after.

3 Mike Dodds Wycombe Wanderers

Former Sunderland assistant Mike Dodds was in charge of Wycombe for seven months. One win and five defeats in their opening eight League One games saw Dodds depart, with Michael Duff being named as his replacement.

4 Michael Flynn Cheltenham Town

Michael Flynn was sacked by Cheltenham Town in September after losing nine matches from 12 across all competitions.

Rock bottom of the 72 EFL sides at the time of his dismissal, Flynn was replaced by Steve Cotterill, who managed the Robins between 1997-2002.

5 Graham Potter West Ham

After taking over at West Ham at the beginning of 2025, Graham Potter couldn’t see the year out at the London Stadium after a woeful start to the 2025/26 season.

Sacked on a Saturday two days before a game, the Hammers moved quickly to appoint Nuno Espirito Santo.

6 Steve Bruce Blackpool

Steve Bruce’s return to management with Blackpool lasted 12 months, with the experienced former Premier League boss losing seven of 11 League One games in 2025/26.

The 64-year-old was replaced by Ian Evatt, who spent seven years as a player at Bloomfield Road.

7 Matt Bloomfield Luton Town

Matt Bloomfield couldn’t keep Luton Town in the Championship in the 2024/25 season, and a poor start to the League One campaign resulted in his sacking.

The Hatters moved swiftly after parting ways with Bloomfield, bringing in former Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere.

8 Paulo Pezzolano Watford

It is very rare these days that Watford go through a season without making a managerial change, so Paulo Pezzolano’s departure wasn’t exactly a shock.

The Hornets, in one post on X, shared the news of Pezzolano’s exit and the return of Javi Gracia.

9 Ange Postecoglou Nottingham Forest

Ange Postecoglou’s time in charge of Nottingham Forest was short and not so sweet at all, failing to win any of his eight games.

After a 3-0 defeat to Chelsea and just 39 days in charge, Evangelos Marinakis brutally parted ways with his second manager of the season, bringing in Sean Dyche days later.

10 Darren Ferguson Peterborough United

Darren Ferguson’s fourth spell as Peterborough United manager came to an end in October after winning three of the Posh’s opening 13 games.

He previously won four promotions with the club but had the club bottom of League One at the time of his departure.

One Philadelphia Phillie definitely showed up to his team's playoff opener against the New York Mets Saturday afternoon: pitcher Zack Wheeler.

Wheeler was superb for seven innings, allowing one hit and zero earned runs while striking out nine and walking four. When he left Game 1 of the NLDS, however, the Phillies' lead was just 1–0.

Fortunes reversed spectacularly in the eighth inning, when the Mets put up five runs on their way to a 6–2 victory. After the game, Philadelphia's lack of production left first baseman Bryce Harper fuming.

"What can you say, man? (Wheeler) threw the crap out of it again," Harper said. "Every time he goes out there, he gives us a very good chance to win."

Wheeler made his second All-Star team in 2024 on the heels of a sixth-place finish in the National League Cy Young voting in 2023. He went 16-7 with 224 strikeouts and a 2.57 ERA this seaosn.

"I feel like as an offense we wasted that start," Harper continued. "It's the same thing, man. Chasing balls in the dirt… didn't work deep into counts like we should have. We've got to understand what they're trying to do to us and flip the switch as an offense."

The Phillies will attempt to right the ship Sunday with Cristopher Sanchez toeing the rubber, while righty Luis Severino will go for New York.

Hosts remain second-from-bottom but close the gap to mid-table rivals with six-run win

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay04-Jul-2025Durham completed the double over Somerset in the Women’s Vitality Blast by beating their winless West Country visitors by six runs at the Banks Homes RiversideHaving been asked to bat first, Durham made 154 for four in their twenty overs with Suzie Bates making 48 and skipper Hollie Armitage 41. Despite Bex Odgers celebrating the award of her first contract by making 54, Somerset finished on 148 for seven with Mia Rogers making three stumpings and Phoebe Turner taking one for 15 from her four oversBates and her opening partner, Emma Marlow attacked almost from the first ball of the Durham innings and had put on 50 in 5.2 overs before Marlow was immediately caught at long-on off Chloe Skelton for an 11-ball 20.Undaunted by this reverse, Bates and Hollie Armitage ensured Durham were well placed on 78 for one after ten overs of their innings before the New Zealand batter was caught at short third by Odgers off Alex Griffiths when two short of her third Durham half-century.The departure of their marquee signing in no way deterred her colleagues. Armitage and Mady Villiers brought up the hundred in the 13th over and the home side’s ascendancy was epitomised by Villiers lifting Griffiths for a big six over long-on.Armitage was unluckily run out for 41 at the bowler’s end when Skelton deflected Villiers’ fierce drive into the stumps and Durham’s momentum was also slowed by Erin Vukusic, who conceded only 29 runs from her four overs.Emily Windsor was run out on her county debut for five and Durham finished on 154 for four, only 35 runs coming from the last five overs. Villiers finished unbeaten on 39 but Skelton took one for 26 from four overs and Amanda-Jade Wellington nought for 23 in a plucky fightback from the visitors, who did not bowl a wide in their 20 overs.Encouraged by their bowlers’ resistance, Somerset’s openers began in expansive fashion, Bex Odgers taking 16 runs off Grace Thompson’s first over and 37 coming off the opening 20 balls before Niamh Holland was leg before to an off-spinner from Villiers for 11.Fran Wilson was caught and bowled by Phoebe Turner for four in the next over but Odgers smacked Villiers for six over square leg and the visitors ended the powerplay three runs better placed than Durham, albeit having lost one more wicket.A significant setback followed for Somerset, though, when their skipper Sophie Luff was run out for three off her own bowling by Phoebe Turner after a mix-up with Odgers.If that wicket disturbed Odgers, she did not show it. Instead, she reached her half-century off 35 balls but was stumped by Mia Rogers off Katie Levick for 54 two balls later. Durham’s spinners put the brakes on Somerset’s progress following the opener’s dismissal and 40 runs were still needed off the final five overs.It proved too stiff a task. Despite Jess Hazell’s enterprising strokeplay, Phoebe and Sophie Turner choked off the runs with tight medium pace bowling and 19 runs were needed off the final 12 balls. Amanda-Jade Wellington was stumped by Rogers off Sophie Turner for 12 in the 19th over and with eleven needed off the final over, Mady Villiers conceded just four, Hazell finishing unbeaten on 38.