McBrine resisted with fifty but it wasn’t enough as Ireland folded for 254 in the second innings

Mohammad Isam14-Nov-2025Bangladesh sealed an innings-and-47-run win over Ireland inside four days in Sylhet, a victory built on Hasan Murad’s four-wicket haul and commanding centuries from Mahmudul Hasan Joy and captain Najmul Hossain Shanto. It was a team effort with almost everyone contributing to the win.Ireland’s only solace, perhaps, was keeping the home side waiting until 45 minutes after the lunch break on the fourth day, particularly after having lost half their side on the third evening. Andy McBrine struck a patient half-century, adding 66 runs for the seventh wicket with Andy Balbirnie, who came in at No. 8 due to a finger injury.Nahid Rana gave Bangladesh the breakthrough they wanted with the second ball after lunch. He banged one in slightly short, which McBrine went to pull, only to find Murad at midwicket. The left-hander fell for 52, having struck five fours in his 106-ball stay.Barry McCarthy and Jordan Neill kept the visitors alive briefly with a 54-run ninth-wicket stand. Neill made 36 with seven fours, while McCarthy, the last man out, struck a six and two fours in his 25.Earlier, the first session revolved around reviews that ultimately went Ireland’s way. It began with Matthew Humphreys in the day’s first over, overturning a decision through DRS. Taijul Islam removed him soon after, caught off a top edge at backward square-leg.McBrine survived twice in the same over against Mehidy Hasan Miraz, both by slim margins. Balbirnie enjoyed similar luck, though Murad eventually trapped him lbw for 38, the dismissal upheld on umpire’s call as the ball was projected to partially hit leg stump.McBrine reached his fifty just before lunch, capping off a fine session for the visitors.Ireland began their second innings facing a deficit of 301 runs. They lost five wickets on the third afternoon, although Paul Stirling fought hard for his 43, which included seven boundaries. But when the experienced right-hander was run out following a moment of hesitation, Ireland slipped further in the final hour. Harry Tector and Lorcan Tucker were trapped lbw by Taijul and Murad respectively, while Shadman Islam’s excellent catch at cover ended Curtis Campher’s stay. It left Ireland with a mountain to climb on the fourth day.

South Africa coach Shukri Conrad has clarified that he did not intend “to cause any malice,” when he said his team wanted to make India “grovel” during the Guwahati Test.Speaking to the media for the first time since he made that statement, Conrad stopped short of an apology but indicated he regretted his choice of words as South Africa worked their way to a 2-0 Test sweep.”On reflection, it was never my intention to cause any malice or not be humble about anything. I could have chosen a better word because it left it open for people to put their own context to it,” Conrad said after South Africa’s 2-1 ODI series loss in Visakhapatnam. “The only context I ever intended it to be was that we wanted India to spend a lot of time in the field and make it really tough for them. I’ve got to be careful what word I use here now because context could be attached to that as well.”Related

• 'Wanted them to really grovel' – SA coach Shukri Conrad on keeping India on the field

• Jaiswal, Rohit, Kohli lead India to 2-1 series win

Conrad had made the comment after the fourth day’s play of the second Test, when South Africa batted deep into their second innings and set India a target of 549. When asked why they didn’t declare earlier, Conrad had said: “We wanted the Indians to spend as much time on their feet out in the field, we wanted them to really grovel, to steal a phrase, bat them completely out the game, and then say to them, ‘come and survive on the last day and an hour this evening.'”South Africa won the match on day five to hand India their heaviest home defeat and complete a first series win in India in 25 years. But Conrad’s use of the word “grovel,” which was heavily loaded because it was used by Tony Greig when referring to the West Indies team in 1976, spoilt some of South Africa’s victory. Conrad was criticised by former Indian and South African players, including Sunil Gavaskar and visiting commentator Dale Steyn.Conrad made no public comment since then but Test and ODI captain Temba Bavuma twice fielded questions about the use of the word. On both occasions, Bavuma said it was an issue for Conrad to address. Meanwhile, Conrad was in communication with a “network of people that I trust, family back home, and people on our staff,” and concluded he had done some damage, which he needed to repair.”It’s really a pity. Maybe what it did do was spice up the ODI series, and especially with India winning that now, the T20 series becomes even more so,” Conrad said. “The unfortunate thing is, with all the noise that that word caused, I still think it’s a perfectly good English word, but I just left it open to too many interpretations. What it did was take away the gloss of what was a really special win for our Test team. It’s unfortunate, but there was definitely no malice intended.”In his nearly three years as Test coach and almost six months as all-format coach, Conrad has emerged as a popular, witty figure who does not mince his words. Notably, he asked his team to “show-off more” a few months ago as they put out strong performances on the world stage, but has based his philosophy on the opposite of that and expects humility from everyone including himself.”Being humble is a cornerstone of our Test team and all our teams for that matter,” he said. “It’s unfortunate that the noise and the talk became around the coach. People shouldn’t really even know who the coach is. It should be about the players. That’s the unfortunate bit, and I’d like to think that it’s going to be put to bed now.”ESPNcricinfo understands Cricket South Africa was not amused by Conrad’s use of the word “grovel,” not least because they maintain a strong relationship with Indian cricket, but left it up to him to decide if or when he wanted to address the issue. CSA has made no comment or statement about the coach’s choice of language.

Barcelona have reiterated that they will not “fuel controversies or speculation” when it comes to a possible playing return to Camp Nou for Lionel Messi. The Liga giants are still planning the most “beautiful tribute” to their all-time leading goalscorer, but the Argentine GOAT is under contract in MLS with Inter Miami and appears unlikely to grace European football again.

• American dream: Messi has signed new contract with Inter Miami

  Messi severed career-long ties with Barca in 2021 when joining Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent. An emotional farewell was bid to Catalunya once it became apparent that the funds were not there to hand him a new contract.

  Two years were spent in France before chasing the American dream. Messi, his wife Antonela and their three sons are now settled in South Florida. An extension to lucrative terms has been agreed through 2028.

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  Loan move? Messi sees Camp Nou return mooted

  There remains the possibility that Messi could return to Barca during the MLS offseason, before their calendar is changed, with the 2026 World Cup fast approaching. Messi is eager to ensure that he is fit and firing for Argentina’s global title defence.

  Barca have, however, played down loan talk and club president Joan Laporta continues to distance the Blaugrana from speculation regarding a potential ‘Last Dance’ for Messi in familiar surroundings.

  Quizzed on that topic again at the Foros de Vanguardia forum, Laporta told reporters: “I'm not going to fuel controversies or speculation about things that aren't realistic. Everyone is entitled to their opinions. Leo will always be in the collective memory of Barcelona fans. Leo has a contract with a football club.”

  Laporta added on Barca’s plans for Messi, with an exhibition or friendly match having been mooted for some time: “The tribute should take place at a time when we can thank him for everything he's done for Barca. A tribute with a full Camp Nou, with 105,000 Barca fans thanking Messi for everything he's done for the club, could be a beautiful thing.”

  He went on to say of immortalising Messi in statue form, potentially alongside other Barca icons: “People can understand each other by talking. I don't see any problem. We've thought about giving him the most beautiful tribute ever given, and a statue alongside players who have made history. Kubala, [Johan] Cruyff, Messi and Ronaldinho also come to mind. Leo has defined an era and is the best player in history and in Barca's history.”

• Will Messi grace the field at Camp Nou again?

  Messi recently took in a surprise visit to Camp Nou, after seeing that iconic venue enjoy a serious facelift. He posted on social media: “Last night I returned to a place I have missed with all my soul. A place where I was extraordinarily happy, where a thousand times you made me feel like the happiest person in the world. I hope one day I can come back, and not just to say goodbye as a player, as I never got to.”

  Messi has since revealed that he and Antonela are planning a return to Barcelona at some stage. That is not, however, expected to see him grace a legendary No.10 jersey again.

  Sporting director Deco has said of the Messi transfer rumours: “I don't think it's possible because Leo is under contract and it was never even considered. Leo is always Leo, and he could still contribute something; he's a great player, but it's not something we're going to talk about. The current situation is entirely speculative.”

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  Messi's record: Games & goals ahead of MLS Cup final

  Messi made 778 appearances for Barca after stepping out of their fabled La Masia academy system. He scored 672 goals, winning 10 La Liga titles and four Champions League crowns. It was during that time that he cemented a standing as one of the greatest to ever play the game.

  He now has eight Ballons d’Or to his name and is the most decorated player in history. An opportunity to land another major honour will present itself on Saturday when Inter Miami face Vancouver in the 2025 MLS Cup final.

Everton manager David Moyes has aimed a cheeky dig at Chelsea’s spending power, saying there was a billion pounds worth of difference between the two sides in Saturday’s clash at Stamford Bridge. The Scot made the remark after watching his spirited side fail to make the most of their chances en route to suffering a 2-0 defeat in the Premier League.

Chelsea duo Palmer & Gusto score as Everton's winning run ends

After putting together a fantastic run of results which brought about four wins in six league games, Everton travelled to Chelsea in high spirits at the weekend. Before stepping onto the field in west London, Moyes’ side had recorded impressive victories over Fulham, Manchester United, Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest, while drawing with Sunderland and suffering a solitary reverse against Newcastle United.

However, in a match which saw in-form midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall forced off with a first-half injury on his return to Stamford Bridge, Everton were then put to the sword by goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto. Moyes’ men created several chances in both halves, with Iliman Ndiaye hitting the post towards the end of the game, but Everton were made to a rue their missed opportunities as they travelled back to Merseyside empty-handed.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportMoyes was unable to snap Stamford Bridge hoodoo on Saturday

While Everton’s recent win at Manchester United saw Moyes secure his first league victory as an opposing manager at Old Trafford, he was unable to snap a similar hoodoo at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. 

The 62-year-old was in charge when Everton defeated Chelsea on their patch in the 2011 FA Cup, though he has never won at the same venue in the league, across spells in charge of the Toffees, Sunderland, and West Ham.

And perhaps in a sign of frustration at the end of the match, Moyes fired a cheeky jibe towards Chelsea’s luxury of being able to spend vast sums of money on new players. Since co-owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital – led by Behdad Eghbali – completed their takeover of the club in May 2022, the six-time champions have spent £2 billion on transfer fees, according to the .

When asked if Everton's defeat simply came down to fine margins, Moyes said in his post-match press conference: "Maybe a billion-pound difference? Possibly, you know what I mean?"

Scot 'disappointed' with Everton's result but not performance

Speaking to before his dig at Chelsea, Moyes said: "Losing Kiernan [Dewsbury-Hall] was a blow to us but I thought we adapted quite well. I know we've come away with a disappointing result but it wasn't a disappointing performance. We did a lot of really good things today.

"Maybe we played one of our best games away from home, we've had some very good results away from home. But we couldn't finish it off, we just dropped a couple of runners at times when they showed quality. We pushed them close and that's what we have to try and do. Jack [Grealish] had a great chance to make it one each, then we crossed one right into the goalie's arms, he distributes it quickly and they get the goal from it right on half-time.

"It felt a bit unfair on us because I thought for long periods we did well. I wouldn't say dominated because Chelsea had a lot of the ball as well. We played well, I've no complaints from the players except the final third stuff – if you don't take the chances you don't win the game. We stuck at it, we were never out of the game and were always a threat. We'll go away, look at it and hopefully do better next time."

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Getty Images SportChelsea manager Maresca bemoans 'worst 48 hours' in charge of club

Meanwhile, Chelsea counterpart Enzo Maresca also raised eyebrows with his post-match comments. The Italian head coach described the build up to his side’s win over Everton as his "worst 48 hours" in charge of the club, citing a lack of support in that time. It is not clear if the former Leicester City boss was talking about owners Boehly and Eghbali, having also said he "loves" Chelsea supporters in the same tirade.

Speaking in his post-match press conference, Maresca said: "This is the reason why I praise the players because with so many problems they are doing very well after a complicated week. Since I joined the club the last 48 hours has been the worst 48 hours since I joined the club because many people didn’t support us. So very happy for Malo (Gusto) in that moment that the effort from Malo and the rest showed that they are all there and want to help this club."

Chelsea are back in action when they travel to League One leaders Cardiff City in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday. Everton, on the other hand, play host to Arsenal in the league next Saturday.

Thursday's game between the Tampa Bay Rays and Baltimore Orioles was delayed after pitcher Hunter Bigge was hit in the head by a foul ball while watching from the dugout. Bigge received medical care and gave a thumbs-up as he left the field on a stretcher.

The scary moment happened in the top of the 7th with Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman at the plate. During a nine pitch at-bat, Rutschman fouled off three straight pitches before earning a walk. One of those foul balls was pulled hard into the Tampa Bay dugout down the third baseline and hit Bigge.

You can see the foul ball that hit Bigge here.

Bigge has not pitched since May 1 and was recently on the 15-day IL in May.

Pete Crow-Armstrong got off to a hot start in July with four hits in eight at-bats during two Chicago Cubs wins over the Cleveland Guardians at Wrigley Field. It was the kind of performance that deserved a proper tribute from the home crowd and PCA got it on Thursday when he showed up at the ballpark to find 19 fans lined up in a row with his full name painted on their chests.

But there are only 17 letters in Pete Crow-Armstrong you might be thinking. Well, they not only had a hyphen, but they also had someone with no shirt playing the space between his first and last name.

Angelo Mathews has never been the kind who seeks out drama, but it seemed to follow him around at many points in his career

Andrew Fidel Fernando21-Jun-2025Life isn’t perfect. Sri Lanka cricketers’ careers are even less so. Angelo Mathews knows this better than most.Long cricketing lives, the likes of which Mathews has had, rarely pass without incident. But in Sri Lanka, they are further enlivened by fights with the board, fights with coaching staff, galling accusations from ex-players, invites from sleazy politicians, the meddling incompetence of sports ministers, summary sackings from one group of selectors, and summary reappointments when the selectors themselves get sacked. If you’ve gained a little weight, Sri Lanka fans also do irreverence so casually that they will call you fat right to your face.Mathews has never been the kind who seeks out drama. In fact, he feels like an exceptionally uncomplicated player of 119 Tests and captain of 34. He seethes personally, of course – we all do. But usually, he was the guy who was getting sucked into the gravity well of Sri Lankan cricket controversy against his will. The vibe tended to be “why do I have to deal with this?”Related

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Sri Lanka salvage draw in Mathews' farewell Test

And yet, occasionally, there were fires that burned through the ice. The most memorable occasion was one that made the context of his farewell Test a little spicy. We are not going to re-litigate the incident today, but the summary is that in a 2023 World Cup match, Mathews became the first international cricketer in history to be timed out, in what he felt were unacceptable circumstances. In response he poured no little scorn on the Bangladesh team, calling their behaviour “disgraceful” and accusing them of stooping low. It was, by his standards, ludicrously incendiary.But time heals, people mature, and life forces you to move on. Though there had been a little fallout over that timed-out incident in last year’s Sri Lanka tour of Bangladesh, Mathews already seemed to have got over it.Angelo Mathews and Mushfiqur Rahim had a little bit of banter going•AFP/Getty ImagesAnd in this match, the Bangladesh players could not have been sweeter to him, or more gracious. They didn’t quite form two separate guards of honour – one per innings – as Misbah-ul-Haq’s Pakistan (miss those guys) did for Mahela Jayawardene. But they spent many moments of the past five days patting him on the back, shaking his hand, smiling in his direction, speaking glowingly about his achievements, smiling some more.The vibes peaked on day five, while Mathews was playing his final Test innings, batting for a draw. Off the 43rd ball he faced, Bangladesh raised a big lbw appeal, and while they were reviewing the not-out decision, Mushfiqur Rahim came over to Mathews, and had a long, playful conversation, which ended with Mathews stroking Mushfiqur’s beard. After play, Mathews revealed what had been said.”Mushfiq kept chirping, and he wanted me to go for big shots,” Mathews said. “I said, ‘no, Mushfiq, I’ve played with you since Under-19s and I know you very well – and this is not the time for me to go for big shots; obviously, we want to draw this game’.”The subtext to Mushfiqur’s suggestions was that Mathews should be throwing his bat a little bit as this was his final innings. He should be having fun. In the first innings, Mathews had got down into a one-handed sweep that went all the way for six, which felt like a vintage Mathews moment – the kind of shot he would have nailed ten years ago. But here, Sri Lanka’s chances of victory were so remote after the first two wickets fell, the dressing room had wanted caution, and Mathews – maybe the last Sri Lanka cricketer to retire with more than 100 Tests to his name – spent his final afternoon in the format defending.Angelo Mathews meets and greets fans after his final Test•AFP/Getty ImagesIt was fitting in its own way. Where other batters, particularly the younger ones, had developed their attacking games first, Mathews’ aggression always seemed to stem from having a solid defensive technique. His playing of the bouncer was a case in point. Although he was one of the most natural pullers and hookers of the ball in Sri Lanka’s Test history (behind only Aravinda de Silva, perhaps), Mathews was equally good at ducking, weaving, dead-batting steepling bounce, swivel-pulling away for singles, and fending rib-crushers into space.In fact, one of the great low-key cricket (as opposed to Big Three cricket) battles of the past 15 years was Mathews vs Neil Wagner. That short ball was basically the reason for Wagner’s cricketing existence, particularly when New Zealand were hunting for second-innings wickets on pitches that had lost their juice. Mathews was that rare South Asian batter who enjoyed facing short-pitched bowling. One time, in a Dunedin Test in 2015, Wagner out-thunk him – peppering him with nasty short ones before slipping a full one in at the stumps, which Mathews, incredibly, tried to pad away. He got bowled instead. Three years later, Wagner spent all day trying to break through Mathews’ defence on a Wellington track that offered good bounce, but couldn’t, as Mathews and Kusal Mendis defied them in a 109.1-over unbeaten partnership.On his final day of Test cricket, Mathews did not have much short, fast bowling to defuse but did need to see out some spin. Of the potential 222 balls Sri Lanka had to face, Mathews soaked up 45 – about 20%. No one is about to pretend these are great numbers. But life isn’t perfect, Sri Lankan careers even less so, and Mathews knows this.Still, there were the fans who thronged the banks and stuck around to high-five him when he came around after the presentation, the former greats who have paid him public tribute, plus the long (cobra) kite that went up over Galle fort’s ramparts bearing Mathews’ name and jersey number. A Lankan cricketing life is not without its own delights. For a man as averse to drama as Mathews has been, he has lived out an especially storied one.

تلقى نادي الزمالك انفراجة بشأن مستحقات لاعبيه الأجانب، بعد الأزمات الأخيرة المتعلقة بإنذارات بعض النجوم، وسط محاولات الإدارة لتوفير الأجواء المناسبة لاستمرار الفريق في المنافسات المختلفة دون أي عقوبات أو مشاكل قانونية.

وفي خطوة دعم للنادي، تبرع هاني برزي عضو مجلس إدارة الزمالك بمبلغ مالي ضخم، يهدف لسداد مستحقات اللاعبين الأجانب.

اقرأ أيضًا.. اتحاد طنجة عن عبد الحميد معالي بعد فسخ عقده مع الزمالك: حالته النفسية ممتازة

ووفقًا لمصادر بطولات، فإن المبلغ الذي قدمه برزي يصل إلى 25 مليون جنيه حوالي 400 ألف دولار، كقرض حسن للنادي، بحيث يتم الاتفاق لاحقًا على إعادته دون أي فوائد، مما يسهل على النادي التعامل مع مستحقات اللاعبين.

واللاعبون المستفيدون من القرض مثل خوان بيزيرا، محمود بنتايج، شيكو بانزا، عدي الدباغ وآدم كايد، الذين أنذروا النادي رسميًا مع التهديد باللجوء للفيفا حال عدم السداد.

وتسعى إدارة الزمالك عبر هذا الدعم المالي لتفادي أي أزمات قانونية أو خصم نقاط محتملة من الدوري، مع محاولة استعادة الانضباط المالي للفريق قبل انطلاق المنافسات المقبلة.

مصادر مقربة من النادي أكدت أن الاتفاق مع هاني برزي سيضع إطارًا محددًا لإعادة المبلغ في موعد لاحق، مع التأكيد على أن القرض سيكون دون فوائد، لتجنب أي عبء مالي إضافي على خزينة النادي.

الخطوة جاءت بعد تصاعد التوتر داخل الفريق بسبب المستحقات المتأخرة، وتعد بمثابة حل مؤقت يسهم في استقرار الأجواء مع اللاعبين الأجانب.

The American League All-Star pitching staff will look a little bit different on Tuesday night in Atlanta.

New York Yankees lefthander Max Fried has been replaced on the roster by teammate and fellow southpaw Carlos Rodon, MLB announced Friday.

Fried, who in all likelihood would have pitched an inning in the game, is scheduled to start for the Yankees on Saturday against the Chicago Cubs, meaning he'd be pitching on just two days rest in the Midsummer Classic. In taking his place, Rodon, Friday's scheduled starter for the Yankees, would be pitching on three days' rest in the All-Star Game.

The two southpaws have headlined New York's Gerrit Cole-less starting rotation, helping to stabilize the club's pitching staff in the wake of Cole's season-ending surgery in March. Fried leads the MLB in wins and ranks third in the AL with a 2.27 ERA. Meanwhile, Rodon has pitched to a 3.30 ERA and has recorded the sixth-most strikeouts in baseball with 127.

Fried and Rodon are joined by fellow Yankees Aaron Judge and Jazz Chisholm Jr. on the AL roster. The All-Star Game is at 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday night.

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Na Arena Castelão, o Maracanã e Fortaleza empataram em 1 a 1, na partida de ida da semifinal do Campeonato Cearense, neste domingo (10). Veja os melhores momentos da partida no vídeo acima.

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