He capped the occasion with an unbeaten 44 that earned him the Player-of-the-Match award

Mohammad Isam28-Oct-2025

Rovman Powell marked his 100th T20I in style, sticking to his “batting template” of a late surge to guide West Indies to a 16-run win over Bangladesh in the first T20I in Chattogram. On Monday, he became only the third West Indian to reach the milestone of 100 games, capping the occasion with an unbeaten 44 that earned him the Player-of-the-Match award.Powell, however, didn’t make a great start to his innings against Bangladesh. He couldn’t time the ball properly, striking just one four as he made 18 runs off his first 22 balls. It was in the 19th over when Powell finally struck his first six – a mow across the line against Mustafizur Rahman.Then, when he got the strike in the final over, he hammered Tanzim Hasan for three sixes in a row, ending up unbeaten on 44 off 28 balls. He made 26 runs in his last six balls. The late momentum took West Indies to 165 for 3 in 20 overs, before their bowlers helped dismiss Bangladesh for 149.Related

Seales and Hosein boss powerplay as West Indies go 1-0 up

“I am very happy,” Powell said. “It is not always that someone gets to play 100 T20Is, especially for West Indies. It shows the hard work that I have done in the duration of my career. A lot of credit goes to my family and friends, and the players with whom I have played these 100 matches. It is very special to get Man-of-the-Match award in my 100th game.”I think it’s a batting template that I have used in the last year or two. I have had good success with it. I try to get a start and get into the last five overs when I try to hit as many sixes as possible.”Powell also noted that heavy dew affected the West Indies’ bowling effort. He added that they would have felt pressure had Bangladesh kept wickets in hand towards the end of the 166-run chase.”If one of the main Bangladeshi batters had stayed at the wicket for longer, we would have been under pressure,” he said. “It was very wet in the end. Having said that, a lot of the credit goes to our bowlers. They stuck to their plans and picked up wickets at critical times.”We had information about the ground but we didn’t know it would get this wet. Maybe that’s something that we keep in consideration.”Instead, Bangladesh lost four wickets in the powerplay and lost all their frontline batters by the 12th over. Fast bowler Tanzim Hasan Sakib top-scored for Bangladesh, making 33 runs.Tanzim said that Bangladesh could have done with a better powerplay and with specialist batters in the final overs.”Of course, when there was dew, the ball came on to the bat more easily,” Tanzim said. “If we had one set batsman at that stage, the game would’ve been much easier. In the last couple of overs, a settled batsman always keeps you in the game. We lost four wickets in the powerplay. Even if it had been two, the chase could still have been managed.”Powell, meanwhile, looked forward to a series win for West Indies on Wednesday. He said that they have the opportunity to get over their recent T20I record – they have lost their last seven T20I bilateral series – if they can win the second game against Bangladesh to clinch the series.”Whatever the stats say, it doesn’t leave a good taste in our mouth. Myself and the guys are eager to turn that around. Being 1-0 up against Bangladesh will provide the opportunity for us to turn it around. Bangladesh are a tough side at home. We will see if we can continue improving to win the series in the next game.”.

The Mets are adding to the back end of the bullpen by making a major splash in free agency. New York has reportedly agreed to a three-year, $45 million contract with reliever Devin Williams, according to multiple reports.

The deal includes $5 million in deferred money each season ($15 million total) and a $6 million signing bonus that will be prorated across the three years, per MLB insider Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

Williams, 31, spent the 2025 season with the Yankees. He was a marquee offseason acquisition by the organization, who got him in a trade with the Brewers last winter. Williams failed to live up to his lofty expectations for the Yankees, recording a -0.3 bWAR with a 4.79 ERA, 90 strikeouts and 18 saves in 60 2/3 innings.

Prior to his down year in ‘25, Williams, a two-time All Star, had three consecutive seasons with a sub-2.00 ERA while dominating in a late-innings relief role in Milwaukee. In his career, he owns a 3.02 ERA with a 14.1 K/9 and 86 saves across 308 appearances.

The addition of Williams doesn’t take the Mets out of the running to re-sign Edwin Díaz, who hit free agency this offseason. New York remains interested in bringing Díaz back even after shoring up the bullpen with a three-year contract for Williams, per MLB.com’s Anthiny DiComo.

The Blue Jays are one game away from winning the 2025 World Series after beating the Dodgers in Game 5 on Wednesday night.

Following a brutal loss in Game 3's marathon thriller, Toronto quickly rebounded with a win in Game 4 to even up the series at two games apiece. Heading into Game 5, each team knew that the result could heavily tip the scales in one side's favor—as Dodgers minority owner Magic Johnson so astutely put it before first pitch.

On Wednesday, the Blue Jays played spoiler for the second straight time during the Dodgers' homestand with rookie pitcher Trey Yesavage's historic start and Toronto's big-time bats helping to secure a pivotal 6-1 win, and now they stand on the precipice of their first World Series title since 1993. Meanwhile, the Dodgers are teetering on the brink of elimination, their first taste of do-or-die baseball since the 2024 NLDS.

If history is any indication, the odds are very much in Toronto's favor.

In a best-of-seven series tied 2-2, the winner of Game 5 has won the series 46 of 68 times (67.6%), according to MLB's Sarah Langs.

In series which have a 2-3-2 format (like this one), teams who take a 3-2 lead by winning Game 5 on the road before returning home for Game 6 and 7 have gone on to to win the series 20 of 27 times (74.1%).

The Last Time Winner of Game 5 Clinched the World Series

The last two World Series were decided in five games, so they don't apply in this situation. In the 2022 Fall Classic between the Astros and Phillies, with the series tied 2-2, the Astros took Game 5 in Philadelphia before going on to clinch the title two days later at home in Game 6's 4-1 win.

With Game 6 at Rogers Centre on Friday night, the Blue Jays own the clear advantage and will also get to hear their home fans cheering them on in the same building they won their repeat championship in '93. Facing a Dodgers team that doesn't seem to have any answers at the plate this series, the Blue Jays will have sole control of their destiny.

Trent Alexander-Arnold has revealed his frustration after the Real Madrid star was ruled out for around two months with a thigh injury sustained against Athletic Club. The 27-year-old has endured an injury-hit first season in the Spanish capital, making just 11 appearances in all competitions. This latest injury setback makes his diminishing World Cup hopes look all the more at risk.

• Alexander-Arnold reacts after latest injury lay-off confirmed

  Alexander-Arnold took to Instagram to share his thoughts with fans after it was confirmed on Friday that the former Liverpool man is set to be out until at least February with a thigh injury which was sustained early in the second half of Los Blancos’ 3-0 win in Bilbao, the very same night that the Englishman had registered his first La Liga assist for his new club.

  It has been a difficult adaptation period for Alexander-Arnold following his high-profile move from Anfield to Madrid in the summer, not least because of a series of injury concerns and rotation with Dani Carvajal when the pair have both been available. Federico Valverde has even been used in the right-back position ahead of Alexander-Arnold in recent weeks, including on Real’s trip to Liverpool as the boyhood Scouser was reunited with his former club.

  The 27-year-old has not played for Thomas Tuchel’s England since his move to Madrid, and his chances of making the plane for North America next summer now look even slimmer.

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• Trent speaks after devastating injury blow

  Alexander-Arnold told his 16.2 million Instagram followers: “Absolutely gutted about this one. The timing of it hurts but I will work hard to come back stronger and better! See you in 2026 Madridistas.”

• Alexnder-Arnold has endured a challenging start to life in Madrid

  This latest injury for Alexander-Arnold represents another problem in a challenging few months for new head coach Xabi Alonso. The Spaniard has had to contend with injury problems and conflict with key members of his squad such as Vinicius Jr, who has reportedly said he will not sign a new deal with the club while Alonso is boss.

  Los Blancos find themselves a single point behind Barcelona in La Liga, gaining 36 points in 15 matches including victory in El Clasico in October.

  But marquee signing Alexander-Arnold has not had the desired impact thus far since his arrival, playing less than 500 minutes for the club across the league and Champions League. The fact that he played nearly as many minutes during the Club World Cup reflects the issues he has faced. But just as he had taken a step in the right direction with a maiden La Liga assist, another injury setback has arrived for the England international.

  Alonso recently said of Trent ahead of Real’s visit to Girona: "Trent is a top player, and we need him. It's his first year, and this adjustment period is normal. He's also demanding of himself, and we have to support him through this significant change."

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  World Cup comes nearer but Trent appears further away than ever

  After Friday’s 2026 World Cup draw, the tournament now appears closer than ever. It is almost time for fans and players to begin visualising how things will pan out, as England have been confirmed to face Croatia, Ghana and Panama in the group stage.

  But for Alexander-Arnold, that dream now looks a distant one and the Real Madrid star will need to put in a lot of work to ensure he is ready to compete for Tuchel’s squad in the USA, Canada and Mexico next summer.

  Reece James has been the regular first-choice right-back for former Chelsea boss Tuchel but the fact that Trent offers something completely different is undeniable. His delivery and attacking threat from the right-back position are matched by few and could prove a significant weapon at the tournament.

  But after the two-time Premier League winner’s inconsistent performances in midfield in Euro 2024, he will face a fight on his hands to force his way into the squad in time for the finals. Matters in Madrid are to contend with first, and he will hope to come back stronger and help his side compete across all fronts when he returns for the latter months of the campaign.

All you need to know about the SA20 2025-26 auction

Firdose Moonda08-Sep-2025The SA20 is avoiding the word mega (because that belongs to the IPL) but the auction of season four is big. Very big.Almost two-thirds of the player pool is up for grabs, with 84 of the 114 player spots across the six franchises available. The teams were permitted no more than six retentions or pre-signed players and were also allowed to sign a wildcard player, who falls outside the R41 million (approx USD 2.31 million) salary cap.There is no rookie draft in place anymore to prevent a high turnover of young players and instead, franchises must sign a minimum of two under-23 players in their final squads.Related

SA20: Six retentions per team for next season

Cape Town to host SA20 final; playoffs in Durban, Centurion and Johannesburg

Pretoria Capitals name Ganguly head coach, Pollock assistant coach in SA20

Anderson, Shakib headline 549-player SA20 auction list

Squad composition is unchanged from the previous three seasons, with 19 players per squad and a maximum of seven overseas players. Here’s the lowdown before the first gavel hits.Who has what going in?
Pretoria Capitals, who will be under a new coach in Sourav Ganguly for season four, have the biggest purse of R32.5 million (approx USD 1.85 million) and most number of spots to fill – 16. They are also the only franchise with two Right to Match (RTM) cards available to them. Similar to the IPL, the RTM can be used to buy back a player who was part of a franchise in the previous season by matching the winning bid. All three of Pretoria’s current players – Will Jacks, Sherfane Rutherford and wildcard Andre Russell – are overseas players so they only have four international spots left.Durban’s Super Giants have R29.5 million (approx USD 1.68 million) and 15 spots available with one RTM card. They also have four overseas places available after pre-signing Sunil Narine and Jos Buttler and retaining Noor Ahmed. Heinrich Klaasen is their wildcard.Sunrisers Eastern Cape and Joburg Super Kings both have R21.5 million (approx USD1.2 million) and 14 player spots available, four for overseas players, with one RTM card each. Paarl Royals have R14.5 million (approx USD826,000) and 13 spots, including five overseas while MI Cape Town have R11.5 million (US$650,000) and only 12 places to fill but four for overseas players. Neither Paarl nor MICT have an RTM card. What do the base prices look like?
The base prices range from R200,000 (approx USD11,400) to R1.5 million (approx USD85,500), which is what some of the high-profile international names such as Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Mustafizur Rahman, Moeen Ali, Jason Roy, Maheesha Theeksana and Johnson Charles have set for themselves. A further 32 players including James Anderson, Shakib Al Hasan, Reece Topley, Craig Overton, Logan van Beek, Corey Anderson and Bhanuka Rajapaksa have set their base prices at R1 million (approx USD57,000).In-form Matthew Breetzke is among players expected to attract big bids•AFP/Getty ImagesMost of the 549 players on the auction list have opted for the lowest base price but South Africa’s premier bowlers have rated themselves slightly higher with a host of them opting for base prices of R500,000 (approx USD 28,500). Among them are a resurgent Lungi Ngidi, who has maintained fitness across formats, teenage left-arm seamer Kwena Maphaka, Gerald Coetzee, who only played one match for JSK last year as he battled with injury, Anrich Nortje, who has not played any cricket since the IPL, Lizaad Williams, who has recovered from knee surgery and was awarded a national contract in this cycle, left-armer Nandre Burger and allrounder Wiaan Mulder.Leading spinners Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi, and veteran Imran Tahir have also opted for a R500,000 base price alongside experienced batters Aiden Markram, Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks and Rassie van der Dussen. Dewald Brevis, who has enjoyed a breakthrough year across formats, is also at R500,000.Will someone cross the R10 million mark?
Unless you’re South African this number may not mean anything but it’s considered the high-water mark for this auction after Tristan Stubbs was picked up for R9.2 (approx USD 525,180) million in the first auction in 2023. Should a player command a R10 million price tag, that would be worth more than half a million US dollars, (around USD 570,000) which, for anyone, is a tidy payday.Some of the favourites to attract that kind of money include South Africa’s T20I captain and two-time title-winning SA20 captain Markram (but he has only scored 20 or more twice in his last ten T20I innings), Maharaj and in-form batters Matthew Breetzke and Brevis.Are there any overseas names to look out for?
The absence of England’s Test players, who will be involved in the Ashes, is the biggest talking point of this season after Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow were two of the major catches in the previous edition but there is still a strong contingent at the auction. Headlined by Anderson, who had three matches in the Hundred this summer, there are 96 English names on the auction list. Contrastingly, there are only two Australians – D’Arcy Short and Peter Hatzoglou.James Anderson will have a base price of R1 million at the auction•Getty ImagesWest Indies have 28 players in the auction list, Sri Lanka 24 and Afghanistan, who have historically had a strong contingent of players in the SA20, have 19, followed by Bangladesh with 15 and New Zealand with six. Of the other Full Members there are five Zimbabweans – Brian Bennett, who was schooled in the Eastern Cape, Ryan Burl, Richard Ngarava, Sean Williams and Brad Evans – and five Irish players have thrown their names into the hat.Notably, there are no Pakistan players in the auction list. While the SA20 has always said it remains open to players from across the cricketing world, all six franchises are owned by IPL team owners.From Associate nations, 16 players from the USA, eight Netherlands players including former South African international Roelof van der Merwe, six Scottish players, four Namibians including captain Gerhard Erasmus, four from the UAE, and one Nepal player Dipendra Singh Airee are in the list. When and where is the auction?
The auction will take place on Tuesday, September 9 from 2pm South African time (5.30pm IST) and will be held in Johannesburg.

West Ham are willing to take a significant financial hit by selling a mainstay player who hasn’t done enough to impress Nuno Espírito Santo, according to a new report.

West Ham enjoy mini Nuno revival ahead of Aston Villa clash

West Ham supporters have witnessed encouraging signs of recovery under Nuno, with the Hammers suffering just one defeat across their previous six fixtures as they prepare to face Aston Villa on Saturday afternoon.

The Portuguese’s impact has gradually manifested following a nightmare start that saw West Ham collect merely four points from nine Premier League matches.

West Ham’s results in the Premier League so far

Sunderland 3-0 West Ham

West Ham 1-5 Chelsea

Nottingham Forest 0-3 West Ham

West Ham 0-3 Tottenham

West Ham 1-2 Crystal Palace

Everton 1-1 West Ham

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

West Ham 0-2 Brentford

Leeds 2-1 West Ham

West Ham 3-1 Newcastle

West Ham 3-2 Burnley

Bournemouth 2-2 West Ham

West Ham 0-2 Liverpool

Man United 1-1 West Ham

Brighton 1-1 West Ham

Recent performances suggest Nuno has successfully identified solutions, with his side demonstrating renewed resilience.

Their latest outing saw them salvage a dramatic 1-1 draw at Brighton on Sunday, with Jarrod Bowen’s exceptional sliding finish almost securing all three points before Georginio Rutter’s controversial stoppage-time equaliser denied them.

Prior to that, West Ham fought back to claim a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford against Man United, with Soungoutou Magassa’s late intervention sending the travelling contingent into raptures.

The mini-revival includes other positive results against Newcastle, Burnley and Bournemouth, with only the 2-0 home defeat to Liverpool interrupting their momentum.

That defeat was largely self-inflicted, as Lucas Paqueta received a bizarre red card for dissent that arguably cost them the game.

Saturday’s clash at home to Aston Villa represents another significant test. Unai Emery’s side currently sit third, just three points behind Arsenal following their recent victory over the Gunners, and some suggest they could well be outside title challengers.

Villa are also on a formidable run of form, winning seven of their last seven games in all competitions, with Emery’s last defeat coming at the very start of November.

Related West Ham 'set to sign' prolific Tottenham starlet as Mark Noble seals 'coup' of a deal

The Hammers sporting director played a key transfer role.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini 6 days ago

It is a tall order for West Ham to upset the applecart, especially with Villa buoyed by their dramatic weekend win over the league leaders, so they’ll need every man at their very best.

That includes £40 million defender Max Kilman, who’s attracted criticism this season.

West Ham ready to take huge loss on Max Kilman

However, according to club insider Claret & Hugh, the Englishman might not be relied upon for very long.

It is believed that West Ham are willing to green-light Kilman’s departure for £25 million in January, representing a substantial £15 million loss on their record defensive acquisition signed just 18 months ago.

The 28-year-old arrived from Wolves last year as part of Julen Lopetegui’s extensive recruitment drive that witnessed ten players secured for £145 million.

However, few acquisitions from that recruitment spree have justified their substantial price tags.

Recent speculation linking Kilman with Crystal Palace has been dismissed by C&H sources close to the London Stadium hierarchy as fabricated transfer gossip.

Nevertheless, insiders have also confirmed that West Ham would immediately accept any legitimate £25m proposal, highlighting their eagerness to recoup finances on the struggling defender.

Kilman featured regularly under both Lopetegui and Graham Potter, establishing himself as an ever-present selection despite underwhelming performances.

The same can be said under Nuno, with the centre-back starting 13 out of West Ham’s 14 league matches this season and playing the third-most minutes out of any player in their squad.

However, Kilman has apparently ‘failed to impress’ Nuno in that time, and reports suggest that West Ham are in the market for a new centre-back next month.

Toulouse defender Charlie Cresswell, who was ‘close’ to joining in the summer, is believed to a top target for the club in that regard (ExWHUemployee).

The Australia legspinner claimed three wickets in the opening game of the season the Hobart Hurricanes produced a superb chase

AAP and ESPNcricinfo staff09-Nov-2025

Danni Wyatt-Hodge dominated Hobart Hurricanes’ chase•Getty Images

Danni Wyatt-Hodge and Nicola Carey shared a Hobart Hurricanes record stand as they opened the season with their highest successful chase in the WBBL.Sydney Thunder’s middle order all scored rapidly, but the 143-run third-wicket partnership off just 82 balls between Wyatt-Hodge and Carey ensured Hurricanes could get home with three balls to spare, and in reality it was a little more comfortable than that with Shabnim Ismail doing well to force it into the final over.Wyatt-Hodge launched three sixes in her 52-ball 90, her highest score in WBBL, and might have been able to reach a century with 12 needed when she fell to Sam Bates. Carey finished unbeaten on 58, placing the ball expertly throughout her innings after Hurricanes had been 27 for 2 following the early losses of Lizelle Lee and England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt.Unlike Hurricanes, Thunder didn’t have a batter build on their start. Tahlia Wilson and Georgia Voll added 55 for the first wicket before falling in the space of five deliveries. Phoebe Litchfield played a stunning reverse sweep and raced to 16 when she fell to Molly Strano.Overseas duo Heather Knight and Chamari Athapaththu both played useful hands while Laura Harris, in her first game for the club, cracked 20 off just seven balls but fell with 21 balls remaining when she could have done some serious damage.