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Seamer will bolster T20 squad after departures of Xavier Bartlett and Wes Agar

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Jul-2024

Tom Rogers has spent the last two BBL season with Melbourne Renegades•Getty Images

Kent have signed Melbourne Renegades seamer Tom Rogers for the second block of Vitality T20 Blast group games.Rogers, 30, has several years’ experience in the Big Bash League with Renegades and Hobart Hurricanes but this will be his first stint in county cricket. In all T20 cricket, Rogers has taken 60 wickets at 24.78 with an economy of 8.38.”We’re pleased to have got Tom on board to sure-up our bowling options going into the ‘business end’ of this South Group stage,” Kent’s director of cricket, Simon Cook, said. “He has a lot of experience and has skills that will be useful to us with both the ball and the bat, too.”Rogers will reinforce Kent’s bowling in the Blast, with Xavier Bartlett having only been made available for the first eight group games and Wes Agar returning to Australia early due to a shoulder injury.Kent are currently second from bottom in the South Group, having won two games, but could still fight their way into contention for a top-four spot.”I’m grateful for the opportunity to play in the Vitality Blast and I’m excited to be joining Kent,” Rogers said. “We know that every game is vital for us now, and I want to do my part in getting results as a Spitfire in the near future.”

Premier League football has very much taken a backseat at Manchester United with the upcoming Europa League final a huge match for everyone associated with the Red Devils.

Of course, the season wouldn’t be seen as an overwhelming success story even if Ruben Amorim’s men do lift the trophy over Tottenham Hotspur, considering his side sit in a depressingly poor 16th spot in the top-flight, but a memorable win out in Bilbao would be a much-needed ray of sunshine nonetheless.

Alongside restoring some pride, adding the Europa League into the decorated Old Trafford trophy room would also see Champions League football return to the Theatre of Dreams.

Off the back of that potentially occurring, United could be able to lure some top talents to England, with a whole host of interesting names already being linked with a summer switch to the red half of Manchester.

Man United preparing whopping £113m transfer

On top of the added bonus of being potentially back in the illustrious Champions League, the Red Devils are an attractive club to come to based on past prestige alone.

That’s a possible explanation as to why Matheus Cunha reportedly remains keen on a move to United over sticking it out with Wolverhampton Wanderers, alongside Sporting goal machine Viktor Gyokeres being linked with an Amorim reunion.

But, there is another blockbuster move reportedly in the works that could trump both of these statement deals, with reports from Spain now suggesting that United have lodged a mammoth bid of £113m to try and land RB Leipzig star Xavi Simons.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Amorim’s bruised giants would really show they mean business after such a turbulent campaign if they were to land the services of the dynamic Dutchman and it’s stated that they are ‘desperate’ bring him to Old Trafford.

How Simons could be Fernandes 2.0

There is a hope that Simons could come into the English game and be as dazzling as Bruno Fernandes has been in the attacking midfield positions since leaving Portugal behind.

Whilst Simons will be expected to achieve big things on his arrival – especially at that steep £113m price-tag – it’s unlikely he will come into the building aiming to directly surpass Fernandes during his Old Trafford stay.

After all, Fernandes is now up to a mighty 184 goal contributions across 288 games donning United red, with a very impressive 38 of those being notched up just this season, even as Amorim’s side sink to grim new lows.

But, Simons will still strive to be the club’s next version of Fernandes in time, with the Leipzig number 20 equally as skilful and goal-and-assist heavy as his experienced Red Devils counterpart when at the peak of his powers.

Indeed, just this campaign alone, the £113m-rated attacker has managed to pick up a blistering 11 goals and eight assists from 33 appearances, meaning he could slot in as another bright spark from the midfield areas like the Portuguese ace.

24/25

Leipzig

33

11

8

23/24

Leipzig

43

10

15

22/23

PSV

48

22

11

The pair could even link up alongside each other in Amorim’s system – with Simons also capable of playing down either the left or right wing.

Yet, it’s obvious when looking at the numbers above that the 22-year-old could go on to reach Fernandes’ lofty heights regardless of what the future United XI looks like, with a crazy 77 goals and assists amassed by Simons over the last three seasons.

After all, the modern-day United great was once just an electric performer out in Europe himself with Sporting, before going on to be given an opportunity in the Premier League to expand his game even more.

Once branded as “exceptional” by Bayern Munich sporting director Christoph Freund for his excellent exploits in Bundesliga, it could now be time for Simons to make that same leap to England, with United needing to splash the big bucks to begin their major summer overhaul.

Man Utd's own Frimpong: INEOS plotting move to sign "phenomenal" £30m star

Manchester United could be about to land a star who could nail down one key position in Ruben Amorim’s squad.

ByEthan Lamb May 16, 2025

Everton are planning for a busy summer, with The Friedkin Group willing to back David Moyes as he whips his side into shape.

The Scottish manager has been brilliant since replacing Sean Dyche in the dugout, but there’s only so much he can do without investment across numerous positions, angling the Toffees toward a state of confidence and coherence, capable of competing at the upper end of the Premier League.

There’s no question the Merseysiders need more goals as they step into the Bramley-Moore Dock Stadium, and Moyes appears to have found his man already, with Everton joining the race for a Serie A striker.

Everton join race for new striker

It’s no secret that Everton are in need of a new centre-forward, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin approaching the end of his current contract, while Chelsea loanee Armando Broja is likely to return to his parent club.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

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With that in mind, Caught Offside report that Everton have joined the hotly-contested race for Valentin Castellanos, a 26-year-old striker plying his trade for Lazio.

The reliable goalscorer would be allowed to leave if Lazio received a fee of around £30m, although in truth, suitors may well be put off by such demands.

In any case, Everton know they have their work cut out with this one: Nottingham Forest, West Ham United and Wolverhampton Wanderers are all eager to make their move this summer.

What Castellanos would bring to Everton

Castellanos, a two-cap Argentina international, played out the early years of his career in his homeland before transferring to the MLS in 2018, where he would remain in the Big Apple with New York City F.C. until moving on loan to Girona in 2022.

A prolific season in Spain led to a permanent move to Lazio, and after scoring just four Serie A goals last season, Castellanos has now posted 14 across 39 appearances this term, supplying eight assists.

There’s an athletic grace to his football that would certainly add a dimension to Moyes’ attack, contrasting with the powerful strides of Beto and Calvert-Lewin’s target man style, should the veteran forward renew his contract.

As per FBref, Castellanos ranks among the top 9% of centre-forwards across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for shots taken, the top 12% for goal-creating actions and the top 20% for progressive carries per 90, praised for his “extraordinary” technical ability by Lazio boss Marco Baroni.

The nine’s performances in the Europa League this year have also led the data-driven platform to compare him to Richarlison, Everton’s former talisman who left for Tottenham Hotspur in a £60m deal back in 2022.

It’s difficult to analyse the Brazilian’s performances from this term, for his availability has been limited due to injury, but Richarlison did enjoy heightened success under Ange Postecoglou’s wing last year, with his energy, versatility and snapping bite making for an intriguing option.

League Stats – Castellanos vs Richarlison

Stats (* per game)

Castellanos (24/25)

Richarlison (23/24)

Matches (starts)

28 (27)

28 (18)

Goals

10

11

Assists

3

4

Shots (on target)*

3.6 (1.4)

2.2 (0.9)

Big chances missed

13

7

Pass completion

70%

71%

Key passes*

1.0

0.6

Dribbles*

0.6

0.4

Duels won*

4.8

2.9

Stats via Sofascore

It’s an option Castellanos could provide for Moyes to have an even greater effect.

Richarlison’s tenacity and ability to add a direct threat while using his movements and physicality to upset defenders differentiates him from the rabble of forwards across the continent. Fitness setbacks have been his nemesis in recent years, but his underlying talent level remains strong.

However, while Everton might be interested in completing a deal, it doesn’t make sense to take a backwards step when every aspect of the club is currently angled forward, to a new beginning.

Castellanos could be the man to lead Everton over the coming years, bearing Richarlison’s prolific quality and multi-facetedness.

Though the Argentine could perhaps be a bit more clinical with his shooting, there’s enough about his overall game that Moyes would delight in working with him, adding a layer to an Everton team firmly rooted in structure and solidity and purposeful pragmaticism.

After renewed promise since the harsh winter of Dyche’s final days abated, Everton have got an appetite for a new level of success.

Showing intent and bringing players such as Castellanos into the fold, instead of returning for a former star in Richarlison, who has flattered to deceive since leaving, is surely the way forward.

Related Imagine him & Ndiaye: Everton could see £12m bid accepted for PL midfielder

Everton are ready to make a series of signings for David Moyes this summer.

Posts ByAngus Sinclair May 19, 2025

With Arsenal’s adventures in Europe taking priority at the back end of the season, Mikel Arteta has used the last two Premier League games as opportunities to rotate his side.

The title will not be heading in the direction of the Emirates Stadium this season and the manager has clearly realised that too, opting to give his biggest stars some time off with that crunch tie with Real Madrid in mind.

Despite drawing 1-1 with Everton a week ago, that strategy certainly paid off in midweek after that remarkable victory over Real Madrid.

After two appearances as a sub, Bukayo Saka looked revitalised. His return to club action has been managed well.

That said, the club’s league form does leave much to be desired, winning two of their last seven league fixtures. It’s hardly a surprise the title is now but a dream.

So, with another 1-1 draw with Brentford this weekend amid more rotation, those on the fringes didn’t do a whole lot to stake their claim for more regular starts.

Arsenal's biggest underperformers against Brentford

It’s safe to say that Arsenal’s draw with Brentford was rather more sedate than the rip-roaring success of Tuesday night against Madrid.

That was summed up by the sheer number of changes to the Gunners’ teamsheet. In came the likes of Leandro Trossard, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Kieran Tierney and Ethan Nwaneri, while goalscorer Thomas Partey started at right-back.

Nwaneri wasn’t able to dazzle as we know he so often can, but it wasn’t a bad performance. Tierney lasted just over an hour, scoring a memorable disallowed goal in the process, and coped well with the threat of Bees talisman Bryan Mbeumo.

However, as for Zinchenko and Trossard, they really did disappoint.

The latter did his best to get on the ball and create opportunities but he lacked goal threat and proved why Arteta has favoured Mikel Merino in that central striker berth since Kai Havertz’s injury.

Trossard did find the net against Everton a week ago but that marked his first league goal since the north London derby back in January.

Trossard had just five touches in the box on Saturday, far fewer than Gabriel Martinelli’s 11, with his display summed up well by GOAL who noted that it was another ‘ineffective display’, hence his 5/10 match rating.

Still, at least he wasn’t as ineffective as Zinchenko.

Zinchenko's performance in numbers vs Brentford

This has been a challenging and difficult season for the Ukrainian who hasn’t earned much game time at all.

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Indeed, the 28-year-old has only actually played 11 times in the Premier League despite being in the squad on 25 occasions. He’s only started three league games too.

That’s hardly a surprise really when you consider Riccardo Calafiori’s arrival last summer and the emergence of Hale End superstar Myles Lewis-Skelly.

As a result, Zinchenko’s last two appearances have actually come in midfield. He starred in that position against PSV in the Champions League, starting in the Odegaard role and scoring a brilliant long-range effort in the first half.

While he dominated against the Dutch side, his influence was poor against Brentford. His display was rather summed up by a succession of first-half corners that he and Nwaneri wasted down the right.

Insistent on playing things short, the ball was played into Zinchenko who ultimately failed to really take control of the situation on more than one occasion.

His lack of influence was summed up by the fact that his touch count of 36 was nine fewer than goalkeeper David Raya’s tally. Grim reading indeed.

To make matters worse, the former Manchester City star failed to provide a key pass, register a cross or complete a dribble.

Minutes played

62

Touches

36

Accurate passes

26/29 (90%)

Key passes

0

Completed crosses

0

Long balls completed

0

Shots on target

0

Shots off target

1

Successful dribbles

1/1

Duels won

3/4

Possession lost

5x

Tackles

0

Interceptions

0

While the PSV game was a reminder of his qualities, this was a reminder of why Arsenal must cash in on him in the summer. GOAL handed him a 5/10 rating, noting that he was ‘rather quiet’.

Providing the Londoners see off Madrid again in a few days, it’s likely Arteta will ring the changes regularly in the Premier League but Zinchenko shouldn’t start again.

At left-back, Tierney staked more of a claim to feature when Calafiori or Lewis-Skelly aren’t selected while the midfield still has plenty of options who could be chosen ahead of him.

This may well have been his last start in Arsenal colours.

100% duels won, 94% passing: Arsenal star is now as undroppable as Rice

Arsenal failed to overcome Brentford on Saturday evening.

2 ByMatt Dawson Apr 13, 2025

Also: was Sri Lanka’s 531 the highest Test total to not feature an individual century?

Steven Lynch09-Apr-2024There were six half-centuries but no hundreds in Sri Lanka’s first innings at Chattogram. Was this a record? asked Sudarsan from India
As has been widely reported, Sri Lanka’s 531 in the second Test against Bangladesh in Chattogram last week was the highest Test total not to include an individual century. The previous-highest was India’s 524 for 9 declared against New Zealand in Kanpur in 1976-77, when the highest score was Mohinder Amarnath’s 70.That Kanpur innings was the first to contain six half-centuries but no hundreds; Sri Lanka’s effort in Chattogram was the sixth. The previous time it happened was in 2017, when six England batters reached 50 against West Indies at Headingley, but no one made it to three figures – the highest individual contribution then was Moeen Ali’s 84.There were only 21 dot balls in Sunrisers’ recent record IPL total. Was this the fewest dots for any T20 innings? asked Nikhil from India
Sunrisers’ 277 for 3 against Mumbai Indians in Hyderabad last month was indeed the highest total in IPL history, beating Royal Challengers’ 263 for 5 against Pune Warriors in Bengaluru in April 2013. And the 21 dot balls was also a record in a full (20-over) innings in the IPL; there were 23 (11 by Andre Russell) in Delhi Capitals’ 228 for 4 against Kolkata Knight Riders in Sharjah in October 2020, and 24 in Sunrisers’ 207 for 3 against Kings XI Punjab in Mohali in April 2017.We don’t have ball-by-ball details for many T20 matches, so it’s impossible to identify the overall record. But 22 is definitely not the fewest: there were only 19 dot balls in Melbourne Stars’ 273 for 2 in their Big Bash League match against Hobart Hurricanes at the MCG in January 2022. Note that the ESPNcricinfo database counts dot balls from the bowlers’ perspective – so a no-ball that doesn’t produce any runs off the bat doesn’t count, as the penalty runs go against the bowler (unlike byes or leg-byes). In the recent Sunrisers’ innings there was one no-ball (by Gerald Coetzee) that wasn’t scored from, so by some interpretations the innings included 22 dot balls.Sam Northeast’s innings the other day means he has scored quadruple- and triple-centuries in first-class cricket, but no doubles. Is there anyone else with such a record? asked Robert Jenkins from England
That innings of 335 not out by Glamorgan’s captain Sam Northeast against Middlesex at Lord’s last week was the highest individual first-class innings at Lord’s, beating the 333 of Graham Gooch for England against India in a Test in 1990. There have been only four other first-class triple-centuries at Lord’s.Northeast also scored 410 not out for Glamorgan against Leicestershire at Grace Road in 2022, but you’re right that he hasn’t yet made a score of between 200 and 299. He did come close, with 191 for Kent against Derbyshire in Canterbury in June 2016, and 190 a few weeks later against Sussex at Tunbridge Wells.None of first-class cricket’s other quadruple-centurions (there are only eight of them) failed to record a double-century, although Aftab Baloch came close: apart from his 428 in 1973-74, his next-highest score was exactly 200 not out the following season, also against Baluchistan. Apart from him, Archie MacLaren and Bhausaheb Nimbalkar also never made a triple-century to go with their 400s, but they did reach 200.Among batters who have played a minimum of 25 innings in the IPL, KL Rahul has the highest batting average of 46.26•BCCIWho has the best batting average in the IPL? asked Conrad Stephens from South Africa
Given a minimum of 25 innings, there are only two batters who average over 40 in the IPL. Both are current players, so this may change, but as I write KL Rahul averages 46.26, and David Warner 41.57. Heinrich Klaasen currently averages 42.56 from 20 innings, and Sai Sudharsan 45.28 from 16.Devon Conway, who has not featured in this year’s IPL, averages 48.63 from 22 innings. And if you don’t have any qualification at all, Vivrant Sharma had one innings for Sunrisers last April, and scored 69 against Mumbai Indians. For the full list, which is regularly updated, click here.I noticed that Paul Stirling recently became the first Irishman to appear in 300 international matches. Who’s the next closest to 300 from outside the top Test-playing nations? asked Peter Blundell from Australia
Paul Stirling played his 300th official international for Ireland against Afghanistan in Sharjah last month, and has now reached 304. Mohammad Nabi, who was on the opposing side that day, has now played 285 international matches.The leader among the non-Test nations is Scotland’s Richie Berrington, with 202; Collins Obuya, who retired recently after a long career for Kenya, played 179. For the list, which includes players from recent Test nations Afghanistan and Ireland but not the longer-established ones, click here.Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

The Under-19 World Cup hasn’t gone to plan for the England spin-bowling allrounder, but it hasn’t stopped him from dreaming big

Sreshth Shah04-Feb-2022During the 2017 Champions Trophy, the ICC had a ticket giveaway – for one lucky person and a family member – to watch the India vs Pakistan game. There were entries from all over the world. The winner was 13-year-old Fateh Singh, whose name had been entered by his father Gurj Landa. Cheering for India was an “unreal experience” for Fateh, and the day was capped with India defeating Pakistan rather convincingly in that group-stage fixture.Fast forward five years, and Fateh is in another ICC tournament. But everything about this one is different. The India blue from 2017 has been replaced by the England blue. He is in the middle, not in the stands. Most importantly, the allrounder has played a key role in his team’s first appearance in the final of an Under-19 World Cup in 24 years.Related

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It hasn’t been a smooth ride, though. The first challenge was after joining the Nottinghamshire academy as a left-arm seamer who had the potential to become an allrounder. Given his height, or lack thereof, Fateh was told quite early by coach Andrew Jackman that he might be better off trying out left-arm spin instead. The rise has been steep since.”It was tricky, but I adapted to the change,” Fateh tells ESPNcricinfo. “After that I watched videos of Yuvraj Singh, Daniel Vettori and Monty Panesar. When I bowl, my plan is to stay with my stock ball as long as possible. And if I get hit, then I adapt and change my course.”That obstacle, of transitioning from seamer to spinner, however, was just one of many for Fateh.In 2015, Fateh was diagnosed with alopecia universalis, an autoimmune disease that causes loss of body hair. One’s hair is part of one’s identity, more so for a Sikh, the community Fateh belongs to.Two years later, his mother had to move away from the family and shift to an assisted-living facility because of her own health complications, which still continue.

“Moeen is fearless, a natural ball-striker. He’s been through quite a bit in his career, so for him to get to the top and captaining England [in four T20Is] too is quite inspirational”

“It doesn’t affect your health physically, it just affects your hair,” Fateh said of his own condition. “Truth be told, I didn’t know how to deal with it. It was a new thing. As I got older, it got harder, but I started to accept me for who I am. So, regardless of what anyone says, this is me and I am okay with that.”It is something that has attracted attention, though. Fateh has learnt to live with it. “People put cricket and alopecia together and say ‘it is crazy how well you’ve done despite it’. But for me, it’s normal. It doesn’t bother me,” he says. “It is one of the first things people ask me about and I’m more than happy to answer questions regarding it because I know people are curious about it and I could inspire them.”But I just don’t like it that people turn sympathetic towards me. I just dislike when someone feels like they feel sorry for me.”Eventually, though, it’s what you do in the field that matters most. On that front, Fateh’s record is outstanding, from being a nine-year-old in the county’s Under-11 side, or his first Nottinghamshire century at 11, or being the club’s Under-13 captain.He was also a net bowler for England when India toured in 2018 for the Test series, and by the time the 2021 season was over, his 28 wickets for the Under-18s at an average of 11.57 resulted in call-ups to the county second XI and into the England Under-19 squad.”I was a net bowler during India vs England in 2018. And Moeen Ali was so approachable,” Fateh says. “And I was a stranger to Moeen, but he took out time outside training to give me advice, which I really appreciated.”I am a bit like Moeen, to be fair, and by far he is my favourite cricketer. He is fearless, a natural ball-striker. He’s been through quite a bit in his career, so for him to get to the top and captaining England [in four T20Is] too is quite inspirational.”Fateh Singh has played only two matches at the Under-19 World Cup, for just one wicket, and hasn’t batted at all•ICC via GettyThe World Cup, however, has been below-par for him so far. He has been a part of only two starting XIs even as his team has won five games in a row, and he hasn’t had a chance to show off his batting chops. At 3.15, he has been England’s most economical bowler, but the side has preferred Rehan Ahmed, the attacking legspinner, ahead of him. “In my last game, I bowled seven overs for only 12 runs. But did not get a wicket,” Fateh says. “I would have wanted to play more, but it’s a team game.”That, though, hasn’t stopped him from dreaming.”After the World Cup, I want to make the first team, which is a good challenge since Notts have a very strong side,” he says. “I have a two-year contract, so I hope to renew it. I don’t think too far ahead, want to stay in the present. But my white-ball skills are my strong suit right now.”To be the leading Test wicket-taker would be nice, but for me, a nice one would be to play in the IPL and be the leading wicket-taker in a season and take more [wickets] than anyone has done before.”I used to always watch Mumbai Indians. That’s when Sachin Tendulkar used to play. My family is from Punjab, so obviously I love Punjab Kings. But I’d watch any team play, like when Virat [Kohli] and AB [de Villiers] are batting together for RCB. I’d love to give the IPL a crack.”It’s ambitious, but it’s best to not bet against Fateh Singh. Fateh means “conquest”. The young man has done some of that already. And he is keen to live up to his name.

حرص محمد مجدي أفشة لاعب الأهلي ومنتخب مصر الثاني، على توجيه رسالة لجماهير الكرة المصرية، بعد خروج الفراعنة من بطولة كأس العرب.

وفشل منتخب مصر في التأهل من دور المجموعات في بطولة كأس العرب، بعدما حقق تعادلين وخسارة ليحتل المركز الثالث في المجموعة ويودع مبكرًا.

وكتب أفشة عبر حسابه على منصة التواصل الاجتماعي انستجرام: “قبل أي كلام يتقال لازم يكون أوله جملة واحدة بس”.

طالع.. خالد الغندور: ما حدث في كأس العرب “كارثة”.. ودفعنا ثمن خلاف حسام حسن وطولان

وأضاف::آسف جدًا جدًا، مهما حصل ومهما اتقال اسم مصر كبير وكان فيه أفضل من كده أنا عن نفسي بعتذر وحزين جدًا ومش بهرب من أي مسؤولية”.

وأكمل: “اللعب باسم منتخب مصر مينفعش فيه الأداء اللي حصل ومفيش تبرير ولا كلام أكثر من كلمة آسف جدًا كان لازم أفضل من كده، حقكم بصراحة، آسف مرة واحدة مش كفاية آسف مليون مرة”.

England seamer shows she belongs after four-year wait to make her England debut

Valkerie Baynes23-May-2025Em Arlott’s player-of-the-match performance in just her second game for England felt like a long time coming, but the two well-documented false starts to her international career are just part of the story.Arlott took 3 for 14 in a remarkable four-over spell at Hove, including 18 dot-balls that helped reduce West Indies to 81 for 9 in the second T20I. After their nine-wicket victory, however, she revealed that she had been battling anxiety for years. So much so that, had she been handed her cap on either of the two previous occasions she was called into the England squad, she wasn’t sure how she would have handled it.”Everything’s kind of happened at the right time,” Arlott said. “With where I was at before, it’s probably not quite a publicly known thing, but I’ve struggled with anxiety in the past and probably, if I played before, I think I would have been a different person and player on the pitch. Whereas now I feel like I’ve really worked on that away from the game. I am coming into this with a lot more confidence and actually believing that I’m good enough to be here.”Arlott made her international debut aged 27 on Wednesday, taking 1 for 28 in the first T20I in Canterbury.In her latest match, she accounted for West Indies’ strongest batters, Hayley Matthews – who scored 100 of her side’s 146 in that opening game – and former captain Stafanie Taylor, returning from injury to bolster the line-up. At one point in her spell, Arlott had three wickets for seven runs in the space of 14 balls, with the two big names falling either side of Zaida James, well caught by Sophia Dunkley at short midwicket.Arlott also took a catch off spinner Charlie Dean to remove Shemaine Campbelle, who was also returning from injury as West Indies tried to find support for Matthews with the bat.Her debut had come after call-ups to England’s squads to face India in 2021 and South Africa the following year, when she had to leave the camp before the series began because she was suffering the after-effects of Covid. That last near-miss left her fearing that the chance to play for her country might have passed her by.Arlott’s latest call-up came off the back of a strong start to the domestic 50-over competition. Her 14 wickets for Warwickshire has her joint-second on the Metro Bank One Day Cup wicket-takers list, while her pivotal 130 against Essex didn’t go unnoticed by Charlotte Edwards, the new England Women’s head coach who has placed increased emphasis on domestic form as a selection tool. Personally, Arlott said a stint with Western Australia in the WNCL over the winter had also played a key role in getting her to this point, along with a lot of work to manage her anxiety.Related

• Charlotte Edwards banishes 'F-word' in bid to turn England's image around

• The names in the frame as England women's new era begins

• Charlotte Edwards to introduce new fitness standards for England Women

• Dunkley, Knight seal redemptive win as England outdo Matthews' brilliant 100*

• Em Arlott makes up for lost time as England romp to nine-wicket rout

“I had to reflect a lot on what I could control in my life,” she said. “The last time I came into this environment, I don’t think I believed I was good enough so I didn’t really expect anybody else to believe that I was good enough. I’ve always struggled going into newer teams and not knowing people and having to adjust. The teams that I’ve played for at regional level have both been based in Birmingham, so I’ve been quite fortunate that I haven’t really gone anywhere else.”I just challenged myself. In the winter, I went to Perth and I didn’t know anybody and just made myself have to do something uncomfortable. Actually it’s been really nice that a lot of people have come up to me being like, ‘you’re a different person than you were 12 months ago’, I think in terms of confidence and – not necessarily cricket, but just as a person – I think I’m more content with who I am, and not really caring how people take that.”I’m really proud of myself getting to this point. It has been a long old journey to get here and it was never promised that I would even get here. I’ve just tried to control what I can in my life, my career. I felt like if I just kept working hard, then hopefully when I got that break I would take it with both hands, and run with it and not look back.”Arlott paid tribute to her team-mates for their support, as well as Edwards after a slightly awkward phone call to confirm her selection to both the T20I and ODI squads for West Indies’ visit .”I’ve just bought a puppy and he was being a nightmare, and bit me two minutes before she called me, so I was a bit flustered,” she said. “I’m not going to lie, I cried because he bit me really hard. So he was being a nightmare and then she obviously popped up on my phone and I was like, ‘what the hell is this about?’ She said some really nice things about how I’ve been going. I didn’t really respond, I was a bit flustered because of the dog, but I didn’t want to tell her that. It was all just a wild five minutes.”But she’s been great and it was nice that I’ve been rewarded for being consistent. I just kept chipping away at regional level because, for a long time, I felt like it went unnoticed no matter how well I did or didn’t do it. It was really nice that she’s come in and I’ve had a couple of years to almost prove myself and actually be able to sit there and go, that’s enough, which is nice.”Arlott said the focus on domestic form was a marked turnaround under Edwards’ leadership.”It makes people feel like, ‘why can’t it be me?’,” she said. “It’s always been contracted players and you can guess the squad that’s going to get picked and probably one or two extras that are doing well. It just means that people are getting picked that are in form, rather than necessarily contracted, which can only be good for us. Maybe squads look different from series to series, but I think that’s great and it shows how far we’ve come.”The true test of how far England have come since the Ashes defeat that sparked so many changes – including Edwards’ appointment as Jon Lewis’s successor – might have to wait until India arrive later in the season. But the distance Arlott has travelled is now clear to see.

Shohei Ohtani is making his coveted return to the pitcher's mound on Monday, set to serve as an opener for the Los Angeles Dodgers in their home game against the San Diego Padres.

Ohtani hasn't pitched since his days with the Los Angeles Angels in 2023, having undergone Tommy John surgery in September of that year. In his first season with the Dodgers, Ohtani served solely as the team's DH.

Now returning to the mound after more than a year's absence, Ohtani will achieve a rare bit of National League history, becoming the first player since Al Dark of the Brooklyn Giants in 1953 to start a game on the mound and also hit leadoff in the same game. The only other player since 1900 to do that was New York Giants player Jim Jones back in 1901.

The last time Ohtani pitched and hit in the same season, he was extremely effective at both. In 2023, Ohtani launched 44 home runs and 95 RBIs to go with a 1.066 OPS, all while making 23 starts with a 3.14 ERA and 167 strikeouts.

Although Dodgers fans are excited to see him take the mound in their uniform for the first time, he won't be pitching very long on Monday night as he works his way back from the lengthy absence.

First pitch for Monday's game is scheduled for 10:10 p.m. ET from Dodger Stadium.

The MLB season is officially here and it's time to play ball.

It's been a busy offseason in baseball with lots of player movement, but all will be chasing the defending World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers in 2025, who bolstered their roster by adding the likes of former Cy Young winner Blake Snell and Japanese star pitcher Roki Sasaki. 

Somehow, the Dodgers got better than the team that waltzed through the postseason en route to a World Series, and the betting market is giving no breaks on betting the team at the onset of the season. 

Teams are vying for contention, including the New York Mets, who lost in the NLCS to the Dodgers last season. The Mets made the splashiest move of the offseason, signing Juan Soto away from their cross-town rival New York Yankees, which dramatically improved their World Series odds.

The Yankees, who lost in the World Series to the Dodgers, responded by bolstering their rotation by signing former Braves star pitcher Max Fried. Unfortunately, they lost their other ace, Gerrit Cole, for the season due to Tommy John surgery and their World Series odds took a dip as a result.

There is plenty of competition outside of New York as well, with a pair of NL East teams, the Braves and Phillies, primed to contend this season as well as the upstart Baltimore Orioles, who hope to break through with their young core. 

Other teams lingering on the oddsboard appear to be the always-dangerous Houston Astros as well as the 2023 World Series champs Texas Rangers. 

Get ready for the season by getting acclimated with the odds for each team to win the World Series below! 

2025 World Series Odds

• Los Angeles Dodgers +240
• Atlanta Braves +850
• New York Yankees +900
• Philadelphia Phillies +1000
• New York Mets +1100
• Baltimore Orioles +1600
• Houston Astros +1800
• Boston Red Sox +1800
• Texas Rangers +1900
• Chicago Cubs +3000
• Seattle Mariners +3000
• Minnesota Twins +3000
• Detroit Tigers +3000
• Arizona Diamondbacks +3300
• San Diego Padres +3300
• Cleveland Guardians +3500
• Kansas City Royals +4000
• Tampa Bay Rays +5000
• Milwaukee Brewers +5000
• Toronto Blue Jays +6500
• Cincinnati Reds +7500
• San Francisco Giants +10000
• St. Louis Cardinals +14000
• Los Angeles Angels +15000
• Pittsburgh Pirates +15000
• Athletics +16000
• Washington Nationals +30000
• Miami Marlins +50000
• Colorado Rockies +50000
• Chicago White Sox +50000

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