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Charlie Stobo was nearly the hero for New South Wales, as Victoria held on in the last over for their first one-day win of the season.Stobo, batting at No. 8, made 47 from 41 balls in a riveting finish, after NSW had collapsed again at Junction Oval in the wake of last week’s Sheffield Shield loss.Stobo’s impressive knock, which included 19 off the penultimate over from Todd Murphy, brought them to within five runs of a comeback win, before he holed out to Murphy at mid-off off the bowling of seamer Sam Elliott with four balls left.”It was a cracking game in the end … obviously very happy with the result,” said Elliott, who is back from an Australia A white-ball tour of India. “Anyone who says they don’t get nervous is a liar. I was definitely nervous at the end there.”Luckily, we’ve played a lot of cricket together now. Being able to have that clear communication towards the end, that definitely does help.”The game had been shortened to 36 overs per side because of morning rain.The visitors were well on their way at 97 for 3 in the 21st over. Young quick Austin Anlezark then struck twice in three deliveries and part-time spinner Campbell Kellaway took another wicket in the next over to wrest control from NSW.Kellaway starred with 2 for 25 from seven overs with his left-arm spin after anchoring the Victorian innings at No. 3 with 43.Captain Will Sutherland top-scored with 46 from 44 balls after NSW won the toss.Stobo top scored for NSW with four fours and a six in his rearguard knock after taking 3 for 32 to lead their attack.Sam Konstas and Kurtis Patterson gave NSW a solid start with their opening stand of 54, before wickets fell steadily.On Friday, Victorian Test paceman Scott Boland rifled through the NSW tail with five wickets to decide their Sheffield Shield match.”A frustrating week – we were in the game, both games, and we let it slip,” said NSW captain Jack Edwards. He [Stobo] held his nerve, gave us a chance. He showed in the last game as well, what he can do with the bat – he’s a very handy cricketer.”It’s a shame he couldn’t get over the line there. We need to be more ruthless if we want to be a good side. We let them back in the game, they take the opportunity and run with it.”NSW are 2-2 in the One-Day Cup after Monday’s loss, with Victoria 1-3.NSW will regain Test star Steve Smith for their next Shield game from October 28, against Queensland at the Gabba.

Manchester United and Sir Jim Ratcliffe are now ready to take drastic action to move Jadon Sancho on from the club in 2026.

Sancho struggling on loan at Aston Villa

The Red Devils winger is under contract until the end of the season, although there is an option to extend that by a further 12 months to protect his value after joining for £70m.

Sancho has not played in the Premier League for Man Utd since 2023 and has had loan spells at Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea and now Aston Villa, where he is for the 2025/26 season.

However, the 25-year-old has struggled to make an impact at Villa Park, playing just 69 minutes of top flight football in the current campaign.

Sancho did come on for Villa in the first half in the recent 1-0 win against Man City, although he was then substituted in the closing stages by Unai Emery, who said it was “embarrassing” for the attacker.

Yet to start for Villa in the Premier League, Man Utd will soon have a decision to make, extend Sancho’s contract until 2027 or allow him to leave for free.

Man Utd ready to let Sancho leave for £0

As reported by talkSPORT, Man Utd and Ratcliffe are resigned to losing Sancho for free in 2026 instead of triggering the clause in his contract to protect his transfer value.

The Red Devils are willing to cut their losses on Sancho one year ahead of schedule, saving £200,000-a-week in wages which works out at more than £10m for the 2026/27 season.

Of course, that means United won’t receive a transfer fee next year for the “crazy talent”, bringing to an end what has been a woeful Old Trafford stint.

Sancho has scored 12 goals in 83 appearances for Man Utd, registering six assists and playing just over 5,000 minutes in a Red Devils shirt.

Earlier in 2025, Ratcliffe called Sancho a “thing from the past” alongside the likes of Antony, Andre Onana and Rasmus Hojlund, players who INEOS were still “buying” after their transfers under the Glazers.

“If you look at the players we are buying this summer, that we didn’t buy, we’re buying Antony, we’re buying Casemiro, we’re buying Onana, we’re buying Hojlund, we’re buying Sancho. These are all things from the past, whether we like it or not, we’ve inherited those things and have to sort that out.

“For Sancho, who now plays for Chelsea and we pay half his wages, we’re paying £17m to buy him in the summer. It takes time for us to move away from the past into a new place in the future.”

Fergie said Man Utd flop would reach Neville's level but he left for £2.5m

Manchester City are closely monitoring Ezri Konsa, with it being revealed Aston Villa may now be forced to cash-in on the defender.

Despite the 1-0 loss against Villa last time out, Bernardo Silva was impressed by City’s performance in possession of the ball, but the attacking midfielder made it clear he thought they struggled at the opposite end of the pitch.

Silve said: “I would say we played quite well with the ball. Our offensive concepts were quite good. Even if we didn’t score, we had chances. We made them defend deep, and they struggled in some moments. On the other side of the game, we were really bad defensively.”

That performance may have been a one-off, considering the Blues have conceded just two goals in their last five matches in all competitions, while also keeping a total of seven clean sheets already this season, which suggests they are relatively strong at the back.

However, John Stones is well-known to be injury-prone and Abdukodir Khusanov struggled against Swansea City in the EFL Cup on Wednesday night, making one error leading to a shot and receiving a 6.1 SofaScore match rating, the lowest of any Man City player.

Man City now closely monitoring Ezri Konsa

Consequently, it could make sense to bring in a new centre-back, and City are now closely monitoring Konsa, according to a report from Caught Offside, which states Aston Villa may be forced to cash-in on the centre-back due to financial issues.

Villa are reluctant to sanction the departure of one of their key players, but PSR regulations may force them into a sale, at which point they would be looking to receive a fee of around £40m – £45m.

A whole host of Premier League clubs are in the race for the England international, however, including Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea, so there may be fierce competition for his signature.

The centre-back recently put himself in the shop window with a solid performance against City, keeping a clean sheet and bringing Erling Haaland’s remarkable 12-game scoring streak to an end in his side’s 1-0 win at Villa Park.

The 28-year-old made 12 defensive contributions, the joint-highest number of any player, which kept Haaland at bay, while also recording a pass-completion rate of 95%, indicating he could be an ideal fit in a Pep Guardiola system.

The Villa star, who is also capable of playing at right-back, received high praise from Jamie Redknapp last year too, with the Sky Sports pundit saying: “I think he’s shown he’s a versatile player. He’s got a great appetite for the game. He’s also got a lot of desire, tremendous work ethic.”

Konsa, who is represented by the same agent as Omar Marmoush, could be a solid addition to Man City’s backline, but there are doubts over whether he would be a necessary signing, given that Guardiola already has the likes of Stones, Khusanov, Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol to choose from.

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By
Dominic Lund

Oct 28, 2025

Benfica presidential candidate Joao Noronha Lopes has sensationally confirmed that he has been in talks with Manchester City star Bernardo Silva “for a long time” about a return to his boyhood club. Speaking during a campaign debate ahead of November’s decisive election, Lopes reiterated his promise to bring the Portuguese international back to Lisbon if elected.

Benfica presidential candidate aims to sign Silva if elected

Benfica’s presidential race has taken another dramatic turn as Noronha Lopes doubled down on his ambitious pledge to re-sign Manchester City superstar Silva. Speaking during a televised debate on Thursday, the 54-year-old businessman confirmed that he has been in direct contact with the Portuguese midfielder “for a long time” regarding a possible homecoming. The revelation comes just days after Rui Costa narrowly edged the first round of voting, with neither candidate securing a majority and a run-off now scheduled for November 8.

Silva, a Benfica academy graduate who made only three senior appearances before leaving for Monaco in 2014, has long been regarded as one of the club’s great lost talents. Despite enjoying a glittering career in England under Pep Guardiola, where he has won multiple Premier League titles and the Champions League, the idea of finishing his career back at the Estadio da Luz has remained close to his heart. Noronha Lopes has made the midfielder’s return a central promise of his campaign, declaring it a “symbolic” move that would represent a new era for the club.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportNoronha Lopes claims he is in contact with Silva

Lopes reiterated his position at Thursday’s debate, insisting that his communication with Silva has been consistent and genuine. “I really want to bring him back,” he said [h/t SAPO Portugal]. “I’ve been talking to him for a long time. I repeat what I said at the beginning of the campaign, and I’ll say it again now: with me, the president will return. I’m not setting deadlines. He’s someone I admire; he’s a great Benfica supporter.”

He continued by stressing his respect for Silva’s current commitments at Manchester City, saying he understands why the player has not spoken publicly on the issue. “Bernardo makes his own decisions,” Lopes added. “I perfectly understand that he doesn’t take a public position regarding the elections.”

The Benfica presidential hopeful’s comments follow previous claims from September, when he revealed that a contract offer for Silva was already “waiting.” While Manchester City have no immediate plans to sell their vice-captain, the Portuguese international’s contract runs until June 2026, making a deal theoretically possible.

These latest remarks echo his earlier interview with A Bola in September, where Lopes claimed that a formal contract was already in place. “Yes, I can confirm that a contract is waiting for Bernardo Silva,” he told the outlet. “And I really want to bring him in in January. He embodies everything I want for Benfica: identity, a winning culture, and he’s a true Benfica fan. And I can assure you that we won’t stop here.”

Bernardo Silva and his boyhood Benfica dream

Silva’s story is deeply entwined with Benfica’s history. Born in Lisbon, he joined the club’s youth academy at just eight years old and spent over a decade rising through the ranks, earning acclaim as one of Portugal’s brightest prospects. However, despite winning the Segunda Liga Breakthrough Player of the Year award with Benfica B, his first-team chances were limited to three domestic cup appearances before leaving for AS Monaco in 2014. It was there that his career exploded, with his creativity and intelligence helping Monaco claim the 2016–17 Ligue 1 title and reach the Champions League semi-finals.

His brilliance soon attracted Manchester City, who signed him in 2017 for €50 million. Under Guardiola, Silva became one of Europe’s most complete midfielders — a tireless, technically gifted player, capable of dictating games from almost any role. His honours list includes six Premier League titles, four League Cups, two FA Cups, and the club’s first-ever Champions League crown in 2023.

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AFPSecond round of Benfica presidential election scheduled for November 8

The next step in this saga hinges on Benfica’s presidential election, which will take place on November 8 following a tightly contested first round. Rui Costa, the incumbent president, remains the favourite after leading the initial vote, but Noronha Lopes’ vow to bring Bernardo Silva home could yet swing public opinion. The promise has captured the imagination of supporters craving both ambition and nostalgia — qualities Lopes believes Silva perfectly embodies.

Should Lopes triumph, immediate discussions with Manchester City are expected, though the financial challenge would be significant. Silva remains under contract until next summer and continues to play a vital role in Guardiola’s squad, meaning any approach would likely have to wait until the summer.

أعلن لويس دي لا فوينتي مدرب منتخب إسبانيا قائمة اللاروخا التي تستعد لمواجهتين في تصفيات أوروبا المؤهلة لكأس العالم 2026.

وسيلتقي منتخب إسبانيا مع جورجيا يوم السبت 15 نوفمبر، ثم يواجه منتخب تركيا يوم الثلاثاء 18 نوفمبر في مباراتين متتاليتين.

وشهدت القائمة استدعاء لامين يامال الذي عاد للمشاركة والتألق مع برشلونة بعد أن غاب عن قائمة منتخب بلاده بسبب مشكلة في العانة.

اقرأ أيضاً.. وكيل لامين يامال: لديه مشكلة بسيطة ولا أفهم سبب الضجة حوله قائمة منتخب إسبانيا في التوقف الدولي القادم:

في حراسة المرمى: آوناي سيمون- دافيد رايا- أليكس ريميرو

خط الدفاع: لابورت – فيفيان- جريمالدو- ماركوس ليورنتي – مارك كوكوريلا – باو كوبارسي- دين هويسن- بيدرو بورو

خط الوسط: فابيان رويز- زوبيمندي- ميكيل ميرينو- أليكس جارسيا- بابلو باريوس- أليكس باينا- بابلو فورنالس

خط الهجوم: أورايزبال- يريمي- داني أولمو- فيرمين لوبيز- لامين يامال- فيران توريس- سامو- بورخا إيجليسياس.

Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman has been ruled out of the upcoming T20I series in Pakistan because of a thumb injury that he suffered during IPL 2025. Khaled Ahmed has been named his replacement.Mustafizur was hit on his left hand while playing for Delhi Capitals against Punjab Kings on May 24 while attempting a caught and bowled off Josh Inglis. According to the Bangladesh physio Delowar Hossain, the injury could take up to three weeks to heal.”Mustafizur suffered a clip fracture on his left thumb while playing his last match of the Indian Premier League yesterday,” Hossain said. “This injury requires a period of rest and rehabilitation. As per our current assessment, he will be unavailable for selection for the next two to three weeks. We will conduct a follow-up evaluation after two weeks to monitor his recovery progress.”Related

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Mustafizur is the third player to become unavailable for the series that begins on May 28 in Lahore. Nahid Rana had withdrawn for personal reasons, while Soumya Sarkar injured his back and was replaced by Mehidy Hasan Miraz.Mustafizur’s replacement Khaled has had a productive 2024-25 season, taking 77 wickets at 21.74 in all formats of competitive cricket. He took 20 wickets at an average of 21.55 in the recent BPL season.Bangladesh play Pakistan in three T20Is in Lahore on May 28, 30 and June 1, having just lost a T20I series 2-1 to UAE in Sharjah.

يستعد فريق بيراميدز لخوض مواجهة قوية مساء اليوم أمام نظيره التأمين الإثيوبي، في إطار منافسات ذهاب الدور التمهيدي (دور الـ 32) من بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا، وذلك على استاد الدفاع الجوي بالقاهرة.

ويدخل بيراميدز اللقاء بمعنويات مرتفعة بعدما نجح في تحقيق لقب السوبر الإفريقي للمرة الأولى في تاريخه، عقب الفوز على نهضة بركان المغربي بهدف دون رد، أحرزه المهاجم الكونغولي فيستون ماييلي.

ويأمل بيراميدز في استكمال سلسلة نجاحاته القارية، وقطع خطوة مهمة نحو دور المجموعات من البطولة الأغلى في القارة، وتكرار الإنجاز التاريخي بعد الفوز بلقب النسخة الماضية.

طالع أيضًا | الفرق المتأهلة إلى دور المجموعات من دوري أبطال إفريقيا (محدث باستمرار) قائمة بيراميدز لمباراة التأمين الإثيوبي في دوري أبطال إفريقيا

في حراسة المرمى: أحمد الشناوي – شريف إكرامي – محمود جاد.

خط الدفاع: محمود مرعي – أحمد سامي – محمد الشيبي – محمد حمدي – علي جبر – طارق علاء – كريم حافظ.

خط الوسط: مصطفى فتحي – مهند لاشين – وليد الكرتي – أحمد عاطف قطة – أحمد توفيق – محمود دونجا – محمود زلاكة – مصطفى زيكو – إيفرتون داسيلفا – بلاتي توريه.

خط الهجوم: فيستون ماييلي – مروان حمدي – دودو الجباس. موعد مباراة بيراميدز والتأمين الإثيوبي اليوم

من المقرر أن تنطلق مباراة بيراميدز والتأمين الإثيوبي اليوم الأحد في تمام الساعة السادسة مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، على ملعب الدفاع الجوي، ضمن منافسات ذهاب الدور التمهيدي من بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

ومن المنتظر أن يخوض بيراميدز اللقاء بهدف تحقيق نتيجة إيجابية تمنحه أفضلية قبل مباراة الإياب في العاصمة الإثيوبية أديس أبابا، في ظل رغبة الجهاز الفني في مواصلة الانتصارات والحفاظ على النسق التصاعدي للفريق منذ بداية الموسم.

He is expected to take a month to recover after the surgery

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Feb-2025

India wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson has undergone a surgery on his finger, but is expected to be fit in time for the IPL, where he will lead Rajasthan Royals (RR). It is understood that Samson will take around a month to recover after his surgery took place on Tuesday. That gives him enough time for be ready for the IPL, which will start in the March 21-22-23 weekend.Samson picked up the injury during the fifth T20I against England earlier this month when he was hit by a Jofra Archer delivery early in the game. Samson scored 16 off seven and was later subbed out because of the injury and Dhruv Jurel kept wickets in his place; he went on to take three catches in India’s massive 150-run win.The injury forced Samson miss Kerala’s quarter-final in the Ranji Trophy, against Jammu & Kashmir in Pune from February 8.Samson didn’t have a great T20I series against England, scoring just 51 runs in five games to average 10.20, while striking at 118.60.He last played an ODI in December 2023 – when he scored a century against South Africa – and after India played just three ODIs in 2024, he was left out of Kerala’s one-day squad in the Vijay Hazare Trophy after he failed to show up for their preparatory camp in the lead-up to the tournament.Samson’s next assignment will be leading RR in IPL 2025. RR made the playoffs under his captaincy last season but were beaten by Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the second Qualifier.

أكد بيدري جونزاليس، نجم نادي برشلونة، على سعادته الكبيرة بمستواه في الوقت الحالي، موضحًا أنه يعيش واحدة من أفضل فتراته كلاعب كرة قدم.

بيدري انفجر مستواه بشكل ملحوظ خلال الموسم الماضي، وذلك عقب وصول هانز فليك لتدريب برشلونة خلفًا لتشافي هيرنانديز الراحل عن منصبه بنهاية موسم 2024.

وأصبح بيدري من بين أفضل لاعبي خط الوسط على مستوى العالم، وكذلك من بين أفضل اللاعبين في العالم، حيث يعول عليه فليك بشكل دائم في التشكيلة الأساسية لبرشلونة.

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وقال بيدري في تصريحات نقلتها “بي إن سبورتس”: “أعيش بالتأكيد واحدة من أفضل لحظات مسيرتي الكروية ومررت بأوقات عصيبة، لكن كل ذلك أصبح خلفي الآن، أشعر بالثقة وهذا كل شيء بالنسبة للاعب، هذه الثقة هي ما تساعدني على تقديم أفضل ما لدي”.

وكشف بيدري، أن فيران توريس هو أقرب لاعب له في برشلونة، حيث أضاف: “أنا دائمًا بجانبه ولقد كان بجانبي في الأوقات الصعبة وخلال الإصابات. يقدم لي النصائح ويوبخني عند الحاجة ويحفزني. نتبادل المزاح كثيرًا وهذا يساعدنا على الضحك ويسهّل علينا كل شيء”.

وعن طقوس بيدري قبل بداية كل مباراة أجاب: ”أخضع دائمًا لجلسة علاج طبيعي يوم المباراة ثم أرتاح وأتحدث مع عائلتي، وأمي دائمًا ما تجبرني على الحلاقة وإن لم أفعل توبخني، أذهب إلى اجتماع الفريق قبل عشر دقائق تحسبًا لتعطل المصعد، نعم ما زلت أشعر بالتوتر قبل المباريات”.

وعن علاقته بجماهير برشلونة اختتم بيدري: “منذ اليوم الأول لي أظهروا لي الكثير من الحب، أرى دائمًا لافتات تحمل اسمي ولا أملك ما يكفي من القمصان لأهديها، أحاول فقط أن أكون على طبيعتي وأرد لهم السعادة التي يمنحونني إياها”.

Seam bowler desperate to resume rivalry with Australia as veteran of 2013-14 series win

Valkerie Baynes10-Jan-2025

Kate Cross says she is doing all she can to be fit for Sunday’s opening Ashes fixture in Sydney as she continues her return from a back injury.Cross, England’s hugely experienced and reliable seamer, broke down with back spasms during the third ODI in South Africa last month and missed the subsequent Test. Further scans upon returning home revealed a slightly bulging disc and she sat out of the sole Ashes warm-up, against a Governor General’s XI, which was washed out in the 29th over on Thursday, to continue building up to a return to play.”It’s been a bit of a frustrating one and I’m the kind of person that’s not used to having injuries,” Cross told ESPNcricinfo when asked how her recovery was progressing, and whether she was on track to play the first ODI at North Sydney Oval.”!t’s been a bit of a tough period but it’s just one of them. I’ve just got to take it day by day, taking each day as it comes really, and seeing what I can and can’t do. But obviously the Ashes is such a huge series, I’m desperate to play a part in it, so just working really hard.”Cross is one a handful of players remaining from the England squad which last won the Ashes on Australian soil in 2014 alongside Danni Wyatt-Hodge, captain Heather Knight, Nat Sciver-Brunt and Amy Jones.As such, she can provide a wealth of advice to England’s younger players but she would obviously rather help out on the field. Making her Test debut at Perth during the 2013-14 series, she played a key role by taking three wickets in each innings, including three for none in seven balls in Australia’s fourth innings, as they ultimately fell 61 runs short of their 185-run target.Related

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Cross who is part of the ODI and Test squads for this series, bowled in the nets at Cricket Central in Sydney on Thursday and Jon Lewis, England Women’s head coach, expected some clarity on her fitness to play in the coming days.”I had another scan when I got back to the UK and there was a tiny, tiny, tiny little disc bulge in my back and a little bit of fluid in there,” Cross said. “I had an epidural over the Christmas period to try and settle it all down. Back injuries can be a little bit unpredictable so I’m just working through it all each day.”It’s always frustrating to have an injury and especially an injury that that stops me doing my job. When it’s something that physically keeps you from bowling, then that’s what I’ve found a little bit more difficult.”I’m still really lucky that we’ve got the best science and medicine team available and I’m out in Australia working really hard to try and get as fit as possible as quickly as possible. If I get to play some cricket, brilliant. If I don’t, then I’m hopefully still able to contribute off the pitch as well and help what is quite a youngish bowling attack.”A key part of that young attack is quick Lauren Filer, who endured a difficult outing during the warm-up game at a soggy North Sydney Oval, losing her footing multiple times in delivery. But Cross was confident the problem was more about the conditions than Filer’s rhythm or action.”I’ve not spoken to her but it was just so wet,” Cross said. “I think it probably goes to show that we shouldn’t have started in those conditions, especially so close to an Ashes series, starting on Sunday on the same ground.Cross played a vital role in the 2013-14 Ashes Test win•Getty Images

“We were really aware that, every time it rained, the pitch for Sunday was getting wet. So I think it was the literal footing underneath her. I don’t think it’s anything to do with rhythm or her run-up or anything like that. I think it was just the conditions on the day. She’s a bit like Mark Wood anyway, isn’t she? She sometimes finds herself on the deck, so I’m sure she’ll be absolutely fine.”Filer’s raw pace surprised Australia at times on her international debut in the 2023 Ashes Test but, in the prevailing conditions, it was England’s spinners who did all the damage this week.Left-armer Sophie Ecclestone, the leader of England’s spin attack, claimed three wickets, crucially breaking a 91-run opening stand between Australia captain Alyssa Healy and newcomer Georgia Voll, the latter impressing with a half-century to further press her case for selection in a packed top order.Voll was outstanding on debut against India in December while Healy was nursing a knee problem. Healy was expected to test her ability to keep wicket during the Governor General’s game but Australia didn’t get a chance to field. Instead, she was put through her paces in a practice session after the match was called off, navigating that exercise unscathed.