It’s officially deadline day in baseball. The trade market has been slow to heat up this season, but there were finally some major moves pulled off Wednesday with the Phillies acquiring Twins closer Jhoan Duran, the Mets trading for Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley and more. It seems we’ve moved past the quiet into the storm.

We’ll grade every major move in the hours leading up to the deadline as teams take advantage of their last chance to make significant upgrades ahead of the stretch run.

Astros Reunite With World Series Champ in Deal With Twins

Astros acquire: INF Carlos Correa
Twins acquire: LHP Matt Mikulski, $30 million

Carlos Correa is headed back to Houston in a deal that reunites him with the team he won a World Series with in 2017. The Astros, currently sitting at 62–47 and leading the American League West, sent lefty pitching prospect Matt Mikulski along with $30 million cash to Minnesota in exchange for the veteran, who will shift to third base for the first time in his career to fill in for the injured Isaac Paredes.

The trade of Correa bookended what was a complete teardown for the Twins, who shipped out nearly a dozen players at the deadline. Dealing the 30-year-old was a salary dump more than anything, as they’re now out from under the remaining three-plus years of the six-year, $200 million contract he signed in 2023.

Astros grade: A-
Twins grade: C+

Padres, Land O’Hearn, Laureano From Orioles in Massive Deal

Padres acquire: OF Ramon Laureano, 1B/DH Ryan O’Hearn
Orioles acquire: LHP Boston Bateman, RHP Tanner Smith, INF Cobb Hightower, INF/OF Victor Figuero, RHP Tyson Neighbors, INF Bandon Butterworth

A.J. Preller doesn’t stop. The Padres general manager finally upgraded his lineup with a positively massive deal. Left field has been brutal for the Padres this season and they get a major upgrade in Ramon Laureano. The 31-year-old is slashing .290/.355/.529 with 15 home runs, 46 RBIs and a 144 wRC+. He has a cheap team option for 2026. O’Hearn is having a breakout campaign, slashing .283/.334/.427 with 15 home runs, 59 RBIs and a 134 wRC+. He will be a free agent after the season. 

In return, the Orioles got a boatload of prospects, headline by Bateman, a 19-year-old 6’ 8” lefty who was a second-round pick in 2024. He has good velocity, a great curveball and earns top marks for his makeup. He’s the Padres No. 4 prospect. Hightower is the Padres’ No. 6 prospect., he was their third-rounder in 2024 and had team evaluators excited about his bat-to-ball ability and overall game. Neighbors looks like a future closer, Butterworth has been a breakout prospect this year, and Figueroa has a 1.008 OPS at two levels this season. There’s a lot to like about this return. The Padres filled big lineup needs and the Orioles got back an impressive haul.

Padres grade: B+
Orioles grade: A-

Padres Pay Hefty Price For Catching Upgrade

Padres acquire: C Freddy Fermin
Royals acquire: SP Stephen Kolek, SP Ryan Bergert

The Padres have needed to improve their catching situation all season, with Elias Diaz and Martin Maldonado leading a group that has combined to produce -1.7 WAR in 2025. They were desperate for help, so they landed Fermin from the Royals. That said, he may not be much help. The 30-year-old veteran backup is slashing .355/.309/.339 with three home runs and 12 RBIs in 67 games this season. He has produced 1.2 WAR in that time, which is an upgrade over San Diego’s current pairing. 

Unfortunately for the Padres, to make the deal they had to surrender two young starting pitchers with a ton of team control. Kolek transitioned to a starting role from the bullpen and has been solid this season. The 28-year-old is 4–5 with a 4.18 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP. Bergert debuted this season and the 25-year-old has been surprisingly effective. In 11 appearances (seven starts) he’s 1–0 with a 2.78 ERA, a 1.18 WHIP and 34 strikeouts in 35 ⅔ innings. 

The fact that the Royals turned a light-hitting backup catcher into two backend starting pitchers is a big win.

Padres grade: C-
Royals grade: B+

Mets Fill Centerfield Void With Cedric Mullins Trade

Mets acquire: CF Cedric Mullins
Orioles acquire: RHP Anthony Nunez, RHP Raimon Gomez, RHP Chandler Marsh

The April injury to Jose Siri left a void in center field that the Mets struggled to fill, as New York’s center fielders have amassed -0.2 WAR, 17th in MLB. Enter Mullins, who has belted 15 home runs, swiped 14 bases and has rated as an above-average center fielder defensively in Statcast’s Outs Above Average. He figures to slot in towards the bottom of the Mets batting order, which has been unproductive thanks to injuries and inconsistencies. And the best part? Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns didn’t have to surrender any top-10 prospects to import the speedy outfielder. 

Meanwhile, while it’s fair to wonder if Baltimore’s prospect return was a bit paltry, it’s also true that Mullins’s early-season struggles made it seem unlikely that he’d be dealt come July, But the Orioles’ front office was able to net three prospects—righthanders Anthony Nunez, Raimon Gomez and Chandler Marsh—all relievers who have showcased the ability to miss bats at various levels. While they’ll all need to polish their control of the strike zone, the Orioles have addressed the farm system’s biggest weakness: its pitching. 

Mets grade: A-
Orioles grade: B-

Yankees Land Bednar in Trade With Pirates

Yankees acquire: RP David Bednar
Twins acquire: C/1B Rafael Flores, C Edgleen Perez, OF Brian Sanchez

The Yankees' bullpen has been utterly atrocious of late, so bringing in a steady arm like Bednar is a move the team simply couldn't afford to miss out on. They'll part ways with some valued prospects, but Bednar should give them the reliable option in late innings that they've been lacking in their current tandem of Luke Weaver and Devin Williams. 

This move was a necessity for the Yankees. It didn't come cheaply, but the market for relief pitching is absurdly high at this point, so no deal for a quality late-innings pitcher would've been easy to pull off. New York gets one of the best relievers in the sport and holds onto all of its top five prospects in the process. Not bad at all.

It feels as if the Pirates could've gotten a slightly improved haul for Bednar, though adding two of New York's top 15 prospects is certainly solid for a reliever with only one additional season of control. It certainly addresses an area of need for the Pirates, who, despite drafting Henry Davis with the No. 1 pick in 2021, are without a single catching prospect inside their top 20, per MLB Pipeline.

Yankees grade: A-
Pirates grade: B+

Phillies Add Much-Needed Right-Handed Bat

Phillies acquire: OF Harrison Bader
Twins acquire: OF Hendry Mendez. RHP Geremy Villoria

The Philadelphia Phillies addressed their biggest trade deadline need at the beginning on Thursday when they landed Minnesota Twins closer Jhoan Duran to shore up the back-end of the bullpen. After getting one deadline deal done with Minnesota, Philadelphia figured they’d go back to the well and trade for a much-needed outfield bat in Harrison Bader. In return, the Phillies sent two more prospects back to Minnesota in outfielder Hendry Mendez and RHP Geremy Villoria.

The 31-year-old Bader was one of the biggest outfield bats on the market this year, as he’s slashed .258/.339/.439 with a 111 OPS+ and 12 home runs in 96 games this season. While he has served primarily as the starting left fielder in Minnesota, he’s likely to support the Phillies’ outfield in a platoon role given his penchant of mashing left-handed pitching in his career. The fit between Bader and Philadelphia was an obvious one when it became apparent that the Twins were selling, and this seems like a tailor-made fit for both parties as the Phillies pursue a World Series.

As for Minnesota, given the interest in Bader on the open market, the Twins did well on their return here in landing Mendez, who was a top-20 prospect in the Philadelphia system, along with a developmental arm in Villoria.

Phillies grade: A
Twins grade: B+

Padres Sell the Farm for Mason Miller

Padres acquire: RP Mason Miller, SP JP Sears
Athletics acquire: SS Leodalis De Vries, P Braden Nett, P Henry Báez, P Eduarniel Nuñez

The Padres have never been afraid to make a deal at the deadline, and their move on Thursday was as bold as they come.

San Diego parted ways with shortstop Leodalis De Vries—the top prospect in their farm system and the No. 3 prospect in all of MLB—in order to add another phenomenal relief arm in Miller, and a serviceable starting arm in Sears.

Like any other trade, if the move works and the Padres make a run, all will be forgiven. Also, it’s possible that this move looks a bit different by the end of the day depending on what other moves the Padres decide to make at the deadline as one of the teams in the murky position of being both buyers and sellers.

All that said, the Athletics landed two of the Padres top three and four of the Padres top 20 prospects. For a team that is far from looking to contend right now, it’s a move for the future, and a good one. The Athletics are gearing up for their big move to Las Vegas, and putting themselves is a good position to make a splash when they open up their new home.

Padres grade: C-
Athletics grade: A+

Eugenio Suarez Boomerangs Back to the Mariners

Mariners acquire: 3B Eugenio Suarez
Diamondbacks acquire: 1B Tyler Locklear, P Hunter Cranton, P Juan Burgos

The rise of Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh as a league-leading slugger is one of the biggest surprises of the baseball year, and one that has Seattle right in the thick of the playoff hunt.

Already with a solid starting rotation, the Mariners decided to add another bat to the lineup, bringing back third baseman Eugenio Suarez in a trade with the Diamondbacks just a little over a year after shipping him off to Arizona. He was the best bat on the market, and the fact that he’s already familiar with the Diamondbacks organization comes as a bonus.

Giving up three players for a rental is never risk-free, but the Mariners by no means raided their own farm system to pull this deal off, and with Seattle clearly down to strike while the iron and Raleigh’s bat are both hot, this was an easy move to make—the Mariners wanted another bat, and got the best one on the market.

Mariners grade: A
Diamondbacks grade: B-

Phillies Address Biggest Need at Steep Price

Phillies acquire: RP Jhoan Duran
Twins acquire: SP Mick Abel, C Eduardo Tait

The Philadelphia Phillies added a major piece to the back end of their bullpen, agreeing to acquire standout closer Jhoan Duran from the Minnesota Twins in a blockbuster trade on Wednesday.

The Phillies haven't had a true closer this season, splitting the role between various late-innings relievers including Jordan Romero, Jose Alvarado and Matt Strahm, all of whom have six or more saves. Duran provides them with a stable closer and a dependable option in the ninth inning, having enjoyed a sensational 2025 season.

It wasn't a cheap trade for Philadelphia to execute, though. The Twins were able to pry two of their top prospects away in exchange for Duran, acquiring catcher Eduardo Tait and right-handed starting pitcher Mick Abel.

Abel, 23, has already pitched in the majors this season and has shown flashes of brilliance in his first taste of the big leagues. He's the No. 6 prospect in Philadelphia's farm system, per MLB Pipeline, and should develop into a solid MLB starter. Though he had a 5.04 ERA in his first six starts, he was sensational in his debut, striking out nine batters while surrendering five hits and no runs against the Padres. His upside his high, and he won't be as under as much pressure to perform right away with the Twins not contending just yet.

As for Tait, he's the Phillies' No. 4 prospect and while he's still a few years from making his debut in MLB, he certainly seems promising at age 18. At Single A and A+ ball, Tait has a .753 OPS with 11 home runs and 57 RBIs across 82 games, while boasting a great arm behind the plate.

The price was steep, but Philadelphia managed to hold onto prized pitching prospect Andrew Painter. Duran is electric, with a flamethrower of an arm and a pristine 2.01 ERA with 16 saves on the year. He's struck out 53 batters in 49 1/3 innings and has surrendered just one home run all season. He won't hit free agency until 2028, either, so the Phillies now have themselves a closer for the present, and for the future.

Minnesota's farm system was lacking a top right-handed pitching prospect, and they received just that in Abel, as well as a developmental piece in Tait who could potentially be an everyday catcher in the majors down the line.

Phillies grade: A-
Twins grade: B+

Mets Overhaul Their Bullpen With Two Deadline Deals

Mets acquire: RP Tyler Rogers, RP Ryan Helsley
Giants acquire: RP Jose Butto, OF Drew Gilbert, P Blade Tidwell
Cardinals acquire: SS Jesus Baez, P Nate Dohm, P Frank Elissalt

While this was technically two different deals, we’re going to examine them as one large move the Mets made in order to overhaul their rotation of relievers ahead of closer Edwin Diaz.

The Mets are landing plenty of talent. Rogers, a submariner, is enjoying what might be his best season in the big leagues. He's 4-3 with a 1.80 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, and 38 strikeouts against only four walks in 50 innings. He gets people out.

Meanwhile, Helsley is the reigning NL Reliever of the Year, and while he hasn't reached the same highs this season, he still sports a solid 3.00 ERA, alongside a 1.39 WHIP, and 41 strikeouts in 36 innings.

Both moves will undoubtedly add some much-needed firepower to the Mets bullpen, but New York had to give up a good amount of talented prospects in order to pull off the two deals, both of which are rentals with Rogers and Helsley set to become free agents after the year.

We won’t know the true value of this deal until either the Mets make a run at the World Series, or some of the prospects they parted ways with start making an impact in the big leagues. For now, it feels like a pretty solid deadline deal for all parties involved.

Mets grade: B
Giants grade: B+
Cardinals grade: B+

With nine games of the Premier League season now played, it’s difficult to predict just how Manchester City will do this year.

On the one hand, Erling Haaland remains a lean, mean goalscoring machine and could end up firing them to glory.

Yet, on the other hand, the rest of the attack are struggling to set up, and it’s starting to look like, for all his incredible ability, Bernardo Silva is starting to wind down somewhat.

Fortunately, Man City already have a player who could be the perfect long-term heir, and no, it’s not Phil Foden – it’s someone out on loan.

Man City's stars out on loan

As with most clubs of their size, Man City have several players out on loan this season, some who are very promising indeed, and some who are less so.

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For example, while Jack Grealish is an incredible player who helped the club win the treble, it seems incredibly unlikely that he will return from his spell with Everton, even if he’s already chalked up four assists and a goal in ten games.

Sverre Nypan, on the other hand, is someone that the club has very high hopes for, and while he’s not lit the world alight at Middlesbrough, he’s one to watch.

Nypan’s Rosenborg record

Appearances

70

Starts

55

Goals

14

Assists

11

All Stats via Transfermarkt

For example, despite still only being 18 years old, the Trondheim-born gem, whom respected analyst Ben Mattinson has described as an “all-phase midfielder with the ability to control the pace of the game,” was able to rack up a tally of 14 goals and 11 assists in 70 games for Rosenborg before his move in the summer.

Another promising City youngster out on loan this season is Vitor Reis.

The Brazilian centre-back joined the Citizens in January, but was then sent to Girona in the summer to play more games and further develop, so he can hopefully compete for first-team minutes at the Etihad next season.

Described as a defensive “monster” by members of the Brazilian media, it might take some time before fans see his true potential, but it certainly feels like he’s going to be a star.

With that said, there is another unreal City talent out on loan this season, someone who could beat out Foden to become Bernardo’s long-term heir.

Man City's Bernardo's heir

Now, there are a few other City players out on loan this season, but when it comes to a seriously exciting prospect, there is just one more: Claudio Echeverri.

The Citizens paid River Plate around £12.5m to sign the young Argentine last January, and due to him being just 18 at the time, he spent the rest of the year in his home country.

In his final year with River Plate, the “future superstar,” as dubbed by Mattinson, managed to rack up an impressive tally of four goals and six assists.

Upon his arrival in Manchester towards the end of last season, the 19-year-old made just three appearances for Pep Guardiola’s side, totalling 64 minutes, but did open his account against Al-Ain in the Club World Cup.

With it clear that he’s not quite ready to play regular first-team minutes in a title-chasing side, it was decided that the Resistencia-born maestro would be sent to Bayer Leverkusen on loan this season, where he has now made six appearances and already provided an assist.

With all that said, what’s most exciting is that, according to Mattinson, the youngster is currently looking like he could be the “ideal successor to Bernardo.”

One of the reasons for this is that, while he likes to play in attacking midfield, he has already spent some time out wide, and while his numbers aren’t exceptional, it’s still very impressive that he’s been able to impact senior games at such a young age.

Finally, like the Portuguese international, the Argentine’s “awareness of space and how to create is exceptional”, and he’s more than capable of making “off the ball runs” and “carrying the ball into space,” per Mattinson.

Ultimately, while it is still very early in his career, it looks like City have a future superstar in Echeverri, and someone who could eventually replace Bernardo.

Related Man City have "Rashford-like" 17-year-old star who can surpass Savinho

Manchester City have an unbelievable 17-year-old starlet who could soon surpass Savinho.

Posts ByKelan Sarson Oct 29, 2025

Abhimanyu Easwaran, Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana and Prasidh Krishna all made compelling cases for selection

Vishal Dikshit26-Oct-202411:45

‘Bold move to pick two youngsters in Reddy and Harshit’

Abhimanyu Easwaran

The 29-year-old opening bat from Bengal has been part of India’s Test squads in the recent past after grinding it out in domestic cricket for over a decade. Abhimanyu Easwaran has the body of work to instil confidence in the team management – and himself – if he needs to open in the absence of Rohit Sharma in Perth or Adelaide early on in the five-match series. An old-school batter, Abhimanyu is already in Australia for two India A games and would have played 100 first-class games by the time the Test series starts.Abhimanyu Easwaran has scored a century in each of his last four first-class games•Hindustan Times via Getty ImagesHe has over 7600 first-class runs while averaging nearly 50, and his recent form probably helped him pip the likes of B Sai Sudharsan, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devdutt Padikkal for the reserve opener’s slot. Abhimanyu has scored a century in each of his last four first-class games, against a variety of bowling attacks at that, starting with 157* and 116 in the Duleep Trophy followed by 191 against Mumbai in the Irani Cup before starting the Ranji Trophy season with a second-innings 127* against Uttar Pradesh. India will hope he can continue this streak into the ‘A’ series while facing the likes of Scott Boland, Michael Neser and Todd Murphy, Test cricketers all of them.

Washington Sundar

Back in the Test circuit after over three years, Washington Sundar proved in Pune that he deserved to brought into the Test XI from the Ranji Trophy.His stifling offbreaks, delivered from close to the stumps, fetched him seven wickets – of which six were bowled or lbw – in the first innings before he picked up another four in similar fashion in the second. It’ll be a surprise if he plays a Test in Australia ahead of Ravindra Jadeja or R Ashwin, but if either of them is unavailable, Washington will fit right in – and his batting will help him push his case.2:32

Will India play a spin-bowling allrounder at No. 8 in Australia?

He came into the Pune Test against New Zealand on the back of a 152 for Tamil Nadu from No. 3 – even if on a flat deck against an inexperienced and injury-hit Delhi attack – but his classy 62 at the Gabba on India’s previous tour of Australia and his unbeaten half-centuries against England at home in early 2021 are proof that he can do it against better bowling too.His height could fetch him extra bounce on the Australian tracks and his previous experience of playing there in 2021 bodes well for him, if India need an offspin-bowling allrounder.

Nitish Kumar Reddy

One of the key players for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in their run to the IPL 2024 final earlier this year, the seam-bowling allrounder earned a T20I debut earlier this month against Bangladesh. Just 21, Nitish Kumar Reddy’s batting exploits in the middle order have been on show for a while now, first while rescuing SRH with blazing knocks in the IPL and then the 74 off 34 in the second T20I against Bangladesh, where he also picked up two wickets while opening the bowling.1:04

Will Nitish Kumar Reddy get into the playing XI?

His performances in the Duleep Trophy before the India debut didn’t inspire much confidence, though. Reddy bagged two ducks in five innings with a high score of 40 not out and picked up only two wickets across 48 overs.However, he has the ability to swing the ball both ways in the mid-130s, as he has shown for Andhra in the domestic circuit with a fairly new ball, being their top wicket-taker in the last Ranji Trophy season with 25 wickets at 18.76. That tally featured a five-for against Mumbai, including the wickets of Ajinkya Rahane and Shreyas Iyer, and the India team management will hope he gets some overs under his belt in the ‘A’ series before the Tests.Called “awesome” by his SRH captain Pat Cummins, Reddy’s inclusion for Australia shows the faith the selectors have shown in a young allrounder over the established Shardul Thakur, who is back playing domestic cricket after an injury layoff and had contributed with seven wickets and a valuable knock of 67 in Brisbane in 2021.

Prasidh Krishna

Prasidh Krishna is also returning from injury but he got himself a Test berth, unlike Thakur, after proving his fitness with four first-class games at the start of this domestic season. Even though he returned unimpressive numbers in his two Tests in South Africa in 2023-24, leaking runs at more than 4.60 an over in his 28 overs for just two wickets, it’s his height that works in his favour. He can draw extra bounce, is accurate, and bowls with the sort of pace that India are hoping will come handy in Australia, especially if they need to change the combination – because of workload or injuries – in a long series.2:13

Manjrekar: Surprised Prasidh and not Dayal was selected

Prasidh is also with the India A squad for the two first-class games to be played in Mackay and Melbourne, and India will want him to stay fit. And also find some form. Since his comeback in September, he has picked up just seven wickets in as many innings across the Duleep Trophy, the Irani Cup and the eight overs he bowled in a Ranji Trophy game for Karnataka.

Harshit Rana

The least experienced of the 21 players – including the reserves – picked for the tour with just nine first-class matches, Harshit Rana is a tall and bustling fast bowler from Delhi who made his IPL debut, for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), before his senior domestic debut. Rana, too, featured in the Duleep Trophy at the start of the season and collected two four-fors while opening the bowling. He was KKR’s best fast bowler – with 19 wickets and an economy rate of 9.08 – in their victorious IPL 2024 campaign and would have been closely watched by Gautam Gambhir and Abhishek Nayar, who have both moved from the KKR dressing room to India’s.Harshit Rana is inexperienced, but has a lot of qualities that make him an exciting prospect•AFP/Getty ImagesWhile it was his variations and death-overs exploits that shone through in the IPL, Rana has also proven himself with the red ball in a fledgling career, and at times given the ball a good bash down the order. He bagged 21 wickets in five Ranji Trophy games in 2022-23, smashed an unbeaten 122 off 86 balls in the Duleep Trophy next year, and then toured South Africa with the India A side in 2023-24.Despite the lack of experience, it’s his promise that got 22-year-old a Test spot ahead of Mukesh Kumar and Navdeep Saini, who are in the reserves. He was called up for the T20Is against Zimbabwe and Bangladesh but is yet to make his international debut.Rana was part of the India Test squad for the New Zealand series initially as a reserve, before turning out for Delhi in the third round of the Ranji Trophy where he started with three early wickets against Assam on Saturday morning.

His match-winning 92 trumps centuries by James Bracey, Ben Charlesworth

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay26-Aug-2025Hampshire 315 for 5 (Middleton 92, Gubbins 76, Orr 52, Albert 52) beat Gloucestershire 313 for 7 (Bracey 104, Charlesworth 104, Barker 3-52) by five wickets Fletcha Middleton scored a match-winning half-century as Hampshire beat Gloucestershire by five wickets at Bristol’s Seat Unique Stadium to secure a quarter-final berth in the Metro Bank One Day Cup.The Winchester-born batter top-scored with 92 from 95 balls, struck six fours and two sixes and staged a crucial third-wicket partnership of 115 with Toby Albert, who made 52, as the visitors reached a victory target of 314 with eight balls to spare.The country’s leading scorer in the 50-over competition this season with 658 at an average of 131.6, captain Nick Gubbins made 76 from 60 deliveries, accrued 12 fours and staged a superb opening stand of 112 in 11.2 overs with Ali Orr, who contributed a quickfire 52 from 35 balls to set up Hampshire’s successful run chase.Put in to bat on a flat track, Gloucestershire posted 313 for 7 in a match reduced by rain to 49 overs a side, James Bracey and Ben Charlesworth both scoring 104. Bracey’s innings spanned 85 balls, included 12 fours and three sixes and took his tally for the campaign to 572 at an average of 71.5.He dominated stands of 81 and 118 with Ollie Price and Charlesworth for the second and third wickets respectively. Charlesworth proved equally destructive, facing 83 deliveries, with eight fours and four sixes and staging an alliance of 90 for the fourth wicket with Jack Taylor.But Hampshire withstood the pressure and Keith Barker, making his first appearance since completing a 12-month ban for a drug offence, returned figures of 3 for 52 from 10 overs to prevent Gloucestershire from posting a really big total.Victory secured Hampshire a second-place finish behind Worcestershire in Group A and a home quarter-final tie against Warwickshire on Thursday, while Gloucestershire will face a West Country showdown against Somerset at Taunton on the same day.Hampshire won the toss, elected to bowl and put Gloucestershire under pressure with the new ball, Eddie Jack producing a brilliant delivery to bowl Cameron Bancroft in the first over. Price was then fortunate to survive on nought, slicing Barker to point where Middleton spilled a straightforward chance.Bracey and Price overcame a testing examination and a short break for rain to post a 50 partnership from 58 balls. Acceleration followed when Bracey twice cut Jack for four and then pulled him for six as Gloucestershire posted 52 for 1 in the powerplay.Price succumbed to an ugly dismissal, bowled by a high full toss from slow left armer Andrew Neal, initially standing his ground in the expectation of no-ball being called before departing for a 31-ball 36.But there was no stopping the indomitable Bracey, who went to his fourth 50 in eight innings from 47 balls. He found an able ally in Charlesworth and these two put Hampshire spinners Felix Organ and Neal under sustained pressure during the middle overs, raising 50 from 41 balls in just 21 minutes as Gloucestershire advanced to 141 for 2 after 25 overs.Bracey’s second 50 occupied just 35 balls, the 28-year-old going to his fifth List-A hundred from 82 deliveries. Warming to his task, Charlesworth plundered 18 off an over from teenager Manny Lumsden to push the rate above six an over for the first time and the 100 partnership arrived via 86 balls as the third wicket pair put the visitors under the pump.Hampshire desperately needed a breakthrough and the returning Barker obliged, persuading Bracey to hit to Ben Mayes at deep mid-wicket in the 33rd over.Charlesworth picked up the pace thereafter, scoring a run-a-ball half century. In dominant form, the left hander went to his first List-A hundred in fine style, hoisting Barker high over midwicket for six to eclipse his previous highest score of 99 not out, made against Hampshire at Bristol in 2021.Having dominated an aggressive stand of 90 for the fourth wicket with Jack Taylor, Charlesworth hit Barker to long-off with the score 290 for 4 in the 45th.Despite not being at his fluent best, Taylor raised 38 from 42 balls. But he was bowled by Neal, after which the home side managed a mearge 17 runs off the last 20 deliveries as Hampshire seamers Jack and Lumsden kept things tight at the death.A lingering impression that Gloucestershire might have fallen short began to take hold when Hampshire openers Gubbins and Orr staged a chanceless 50 partnership in just 5.2 overs, new ball spearhead Josh Shaw going for 39 in three overs as the visitors seized the initiative. The pair raised 97 from the powerplay, registering 13 fours and two sixes between them and forcing the home side to resort to spin after only seven overs.Gubbins and Orr both went to 50 from 31 balls as Gloucestershire’s bowlers continued to allow them to cut and pull with impunity. Progress was smooth until Orr, attempting to sweep Price, top-edged to Shaw at short third and departing for 52. Middleton arrived at the crease with a further 202 required at 5.4 an over.Gloucestershire hardly helped their cause by missing an opportunity to dismiss Gubbins on 59, Graeme van Buuren putting down a sharp chance off his own bowling to allow the competition’s top scorer a life. The home side’s disappointment was compounded when Middleton hit the ground running, scoring at a run a ball and lifting Price effortlessly over long-on for six as the second-wicket partnership realised 48 in quick time.When Gubbins attempted to reverse sweep van Buuren, offered a catch behind and departed for 76 with the score 160 for 2 in the 21st, Hampshire still needed 154 to win and Gloucestershire supporters were afforded a glimmer of hope. But Middleton helped settle any nerves, posting a chanceless half-century from 54 balls as Hampshire advanced to 183 for 2 at halfway.Gloucestershire lacked a cutting edge with the ball and Middleton and Albert were able to move comfortably through the gears in a partnership which served to ease Hampshire’s path. With victory within sight, Albert opened his shoulders, pulling Jack Taylor for six to bring up an assured 50. He was dismissed lbw by Matt Taylor soon afterwards, while Middleton was brilliantly caught by Tommy Boorman on the deep backward point boundary off the bowling of Shaw as Gloucestershire refused to lie down.Ben Brown was then bowled by Matt Taylor with 23 still needed from 24 balls, but Mayes and Organ remained calm under pressure to see the job through.

Scotland allrounder Bryce takes two wickets and hits unbeaten fifty in ten-wicket triumph

ECB Media19-Aug-2025Kathryn Bryce starred with bat and ball and Sophie Ecclestone was at her parsimonious best as Manchester Originals cruised to a 10-wicket victory over Trent Rockets at Trent Bridge and moved third in the table.Having taken 2 for 19 to help restrict the hosts to 111 for 7, Bryce steered the chase with an unbeaten 61 from 45 deliveries, receiving strong support from Aussie star Beth Mooney, who made 47 not out from 37 balls.Their clinical opening stand secured victory with 18 balls to spare as Originals claimed a third straight win to boost their chances of progressing through the group stage.Earlier, Rockets had made a bright start after being put into bat, Natasha Wraith stroking 17 from 14 before a canny piece of bowling from Ecclestone (2-12) saw her stumped by Mooney. Bryony Smith was also in punchy form, moving to 17 from 12 only to have her innings ended by a peach of a legcutter from Bryce.Nat Sciver-Brunt (34 from 26) played nicely to leave the Rockets well-placed at 78 for 2 but Ecclestone produced a moment of brilliance to swing the game in Originals’ favour, ripping a sharp-turning delivery past the England skipper’s outside edge before Mooney effected another superb stumping.The hosts lost their way thereafter, the impressive Lauren Filer taking the key wicket of Ash Gardner as the Rockets mustered just 33 runs from their final 37 deliveries, stuttering to a below-par total and ultimately falling to a fourth defeat in five matches.Ecclestone, named as the Meerkat Match Hero, said: “It’s nice to take a few wickets and be able to contribute. I feel like we bowled so well as a group. We identified the pitch was quite slow and we bowled so well to keep them to that total.”Mooney actually said we just needed one partnership and she stuck to her guns and did it, fair play to those two. We need to keep winning as much as possible and hopefully get into the Eliminator.”

MLB fans hoping to learn which players were selected to the 2025 All-Star Game were met with a suprise Sunday afternoon.

ESPN's MLB All-Star selection show aired almost10 minutes later than expected thanks to a cornhole tournament on the network's airwaves.

The Camping World Pro Tour's Pro Doubles Final featured a spirited matchup in which Tony Smith and Mark Richards topped Cheyenne Bubenheim and Jordan Power. It was scintillating action all the way until the end. And in all likelihood it supremely annoyed a whole lot of people.

Below is what viewers tuning in for the selection show saw:

Look, I'm not trying to tell them their business or anything, but maybe that wasn't ESPN's best programming decision.

In the end, the rosters were unveiled and all was well, but not before a doubles cornhole tournament got its moment in the sun.

MatériaMais Notícias

De virada, o Atlético-MG derrotou o Cruzeiro por 3 a 1, neste domingo (7), e conquistou o título do Campeonato Mineiro 2024. Matheus Vital abriu o placar para a Raposa, mas Saravia, Hulk e Scarpa foram os responsáveis, pelo troféu do Galo.

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➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

Com o resultado, Gabriel Milito conquistou seu primeiro troféu desde que virou treinador profissional. Além disso, o Atlético-MG amplia sua vantagem sobre o rival com 49 títulos contra 38 taças do Cruzeiro.

⚽COMO FOI A PARTIDA?

Apesar da vantagem do empate, o Cruzeiro não se omitiu do jogo na etapa inicial, mas o Atlético-MG foi quem teve a melhor chance. Paulinho foi lançado em profundidade, saiu cara a cara com Rafael Cabral, mas bateu por cima da meta. A Raposa teve a melhor oportunidade em uma cobrança de falta de Matheus Pereira, que cobrou por debaixo da barreira e tirou tinta da trave.

No segundo tempo, o confronto esquentou. Logo após Paulinho desperdiçar grande chance, Matheus Vital recebeu um cruzamento de Matheus Pereira e abriu o placar para o Cruzeiro. No entanto, o Atlético-MG igualou o marcador com Saravia sendo lançado na área, passando por trás da defesa e cabeceando para o fundo das redes. Na reta final, Hulk converteu um pênalti cometido por Lucas Silva, e Scarpa foi servido por Paulinho em contra-ataque, driblou Rafael Cabral e estufou as redes para dar números finais do duelo nos acréscimos.

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✅O QUE VEM POR AÍ?

Na quarta-feira (10), o Atlético-MG recebe o Rosário Central, pela 2ª rodada da fase de grupos da Libertadores. Por outro lado, o Cruzeiro encara o Alianza Petrolera, pela Copa Sul-Americana, na quinta-feira (11).

Tudo sobre

Atlético-MGCampeonato MineiroCruzeiro

Manchester United now hold an advantage in the race to sign Sporting CP star Morten Hjulmand, with the midfielder being targeted as a replacement for Casemiro.

Casemiro has repaid Ruben Amorim’s faith in him with some fantastic performances this season, most recently picking up a goal and an assist in the 4-2 victory against Brighton & Hove Albion, while also making a number of other important contributions.

Statistic

Number completed

Tackles

3

Interceptions

2

Ground duels (won)

6 (4)

The Brazilian was lauded by Amorim after the match, with the 40-year-old suggesting he should be a role model for the other United players, saying: “I think he gives a lot of experience,

“He’s so important for us. Today he run a lot. He had to press so high and then return, and he’s doing that. So, I’m really pleased with him. And the other guys need to look at Casemiro.”

However, the 33-year-old’s long-term future at Old Trafford remains up in the air, given that his contract is set to expire next summer, and the Red Devils are now lining up moves for new midfielders, with Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson emerging as a target.

A deal for Anderson could be on the expensive side, however, with it being reported Forest could hold out for £120m, and the England international is not the only target on the shortlist…

Man Utd hold advantage in race for Hjulmand

According to a report from Football Insider, Man United hold an advantage in the race for Sporting CP midfielder Hjulmand, given his links with Amorim, with the Portuguese manager signing the Dane from Lecce back in 2023.

The central midfielder has a £70m release clause in his contract, but there is now a feeling he could be available for the cut-price fee of £50m, which will also be welcome news for the Red Devils.

Amorim is known to be a big fan of the 26-year-old, but there may be competition for his signature, with Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City also in the race.

With it also being revealed that United don’t plan to trigger the extension clause in Casemiro’s contract, the Sporting star could be brought in as a replacement, and he may be a solid option, having impressed for club and country.

The Denmark international displayed his ball-striking ability with a fantastic goal against England at Euro 2024, and there are signs he could have a positive influence in the Man United dressing room, having been dubbed a “leader” by sporting boss Rui Borges.

It would be a shame to see Casemiro depart, but the 33-year-old is on massive wages, raking in £350k-a-week, so it could make sense to sign a younger midfielder this summer, and Hjulmand, who’s made 12 Champions League appearances, may now be ready to test himself at a top club.

Find out the latest on Man Utd's move for Conor Gallagher Man Utd set to push for "amazing" English signing, £52m bid in the works

The Red Devils have identified a new top target in midfield, and they could make a move in the January transfer window.

ByDominic Lund Oct 28, 2025

Ben Charlesworth top-scores as experience counts at Guildford

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay08-Aug-2025

Ollie Sykes struck a defiant 97 off 94 balls but Surrey were still overpowered by a far more experienced Gloucestershire at Guildford in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup.Ben Charlesworth hit four sixes and top-scored with an 83-ball 80 in Gloucestershire’s 293 for 9, before Josh Shaw spearheaded an excellent collective display with ball to restrict Surrey to 208 all out in reply.Fast bowler Shaw produced a five-over new ball spell of 3 for 19 as Surrey slumped initially to 33 for 3, but 20-year-old Sykes – in just his eighth List A game – belied his youth to counter-attack with two sixes and 12 fours and add 99 for the fourth wicket with Josh Blake.Blake top-edged Graeme van Buuren’s slow left arm to short fine leg on 26 to leave Surrey 155 for 5 in the 31st over and Sykes’ departure four overs later made it just a matter of time before Gloucestershire wrapped up the lower order.Ollie Sykes (file photo) fell just short of three figures•Getty Images for Surrey CCC

Van Buuren and Ollie Price, bowling his offspin cannily, had built pressure on Sykes for several overs and their reward was a charge down the pitch to what became a legside wide from van Buuren and an easy stumping for keeper James Bracey.Surrey’s innings had begun with Ryan Patel skying a catch to backward point off Shaw, who then saw Tommy Boorman fling himself to his right at short fine leg to cling on to a full-blooded flick off his pads by Rory Burns.Burns made 15, Patel 16 and debutant Nikhil Gorantla was soon gone for a third ball duck, athletically caught and bowled by Shaw in his follow through inches from the turf.Adam Thomas was then held in the cover roles for 6 and Shaw finished with 3 for 29 and Jack Taylor, who cleaned up Surrey’s tail, 3 for 16.Gloucestershire’s total, a decent effort on a used pitch, was built around Charlesworth’s superbly-judged innings, which ended when he was fifth out in the 39th over.At halfway, on 125 for 3, there was a danger that Gloucestershire would post a below-par score for a ground with such short square boundaries but Charlesworth was joined in a timely 54-run partnership in ten overs by van Buuren once Jack Taylor had been brilliantly caught in the outfield by a diving Thomas off Steel.Van Buuren’s 33 was then followed by further useful late-innings knocks from Boorman (22), Daz Ahmed, who launched two sixes in a 21-ball 29, and Matt Taylor’s hard-hit 27 from 11 balls.Taylor thumped a six and four fours in the closing overs, topping off an innings which had begun with Bracey driving Yousef Majid’s left-hand spin for two straight sixes but which looked like losing its way once Bracey (24) had been spectacularly caught by a sprawling Gorantla at backward point.Cameron Bancroft was bowled for 18 by a beauty from James Taylor, Surrey’s stand-out bowler with 3 for 42 from his ten overs, and Price fell for 26 when he was bowled by Majid.

Celtic are currently searching for their long-term successor to Brendan Rodgers after the manager tendered his resignation at Parkhead at the start of last week.

The Northern Irish head coach left the Glasgow giants after successive losses to Dundee and Hearts in the Scottish Premiership, which left them eight points adrift of Hearts in first place.

Rodgers won four trophies and only lost 20 of his 123 games in charge during his second spell, which shows that it was far from a disastrous return to the club.

However, he clearly felt that the time was right for a change, and Martin O’Neill has been brought in to be the interim manager until a successor can be found.

The experienced manager has overseen wins over Falkirk in the Premiership and Rangers in the semi-final of the League Cup at Hampden Park in his first two matches in the dugout.

It remains to be seen how long O’Neill will be in interim charge, though, as one pundit has told the club to swoop for a former Premier League winner.

Celtic told to swoop for Premier League-winning manager

Speaking on The Warm Up, former Celtic central defender Charlie Mulgrew has told the Scottish giants to go and persuade Jurgen Klopp to make the move to Parkhead.

Mulgrew stated: “I would go all out and get Jurgen Klopp in the door.”

After laughs from Kris Boyd and Steven Naismith, the former Hoops man added: “Why not? £7million a year. Give him it. Jurgen Klopp in the door. What’s your argument against it? I know it’s unrealistic, right.

“But could Dermot Desmond go, ‘Do you know what? We’re going to bounce back after Rodgers here and we’re going to go big.”

Klopp is currently the Head of Global Soccer for Red Bull GmbH, which means that he is not managing a club at this moment in time, but he is in a job and would need to be tempted to leave it.

There has been no suggestion, beyond Mulgrew’s comments, that Celtic are considering a move for the German manager, or that he is interested in returning to management in the short term.

As you can see in the table above, the former Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool head coach has had an illustrious career, winning plenty of high-profile titles and trophies, which is why he would be a huge coup for the Hoops.

However, for the aforementioned reasons, a move for Klopp does not seem to be very realistic, which is why the club should be looking to find their own version of the 58-year-old tactician.

Klopp once described his own style of play as “heavy metal” because of how intense he likes his teams to make games, and there is one reported Celtic managerial target who could deploy a similar philosophy.

Manager Focus

Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast’s Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.

It was recently reported that Dermot Desmond and the board have Bodo/Glimt head coach Kjetil Knutsen on their radar as a possible replacement for Rodgers and, more immediately, O’Neill.

The 57-year-old manager is seemingly one of the names on the club’s shortlist, and they could unearth their answer to Klopp by bringing him to Parkhead in the coming days or weeks.

Why Celtic should appoint Kjetil Knutsen

Parking results and trophies aside for a moment, Knutsen would be Celtic’s answer to Klopp because he also plays an extreme brand of football with his teams, which is why Desmond should swoop to appoint him.

Former captain Bodo/Glimt Ulrik Saltnes described his playing style as “kamikaze”, due to the intense forward-thinking nature of the performances and style of play.

Like Klopp, Knutsen typically deploys a base 4-3-3 formation, per Transfermarkt, and looks to play aggressive and intense “kamikaze” football to dominate opponents and score plenty of goals.

The statistics in the table above show that he has successfully coached his team to score plenty of goals throughout his time in charge of Bodo/Glimt, with their 103 goals in 30 league matches in the 2020 campaign a particularly eye-catching achievement.

Knutsen may not have won the Premier League, the Bundesliga, or the Champions League in his managerial career, as Klopp has, but he has had plenty of success with Bodo/Glimt in the Eliteserien.

As you can see in the table above, he has won the league in four of the last five seasons, whilst his team are currently one point off first place with three matches left to go in the current campaign.

On top of his domestic success with the Norwegian outfit, Knutsen also led Bodo/Glimt to the semi-finals of the Europa League last season, whilst Rodgers never even reached the last 16 of the Europa League or Champions League at Celtic.

The Norwegian tactician also reached the quarter-finals of the Conference League in the 2021/22 campaign, and has won 39 of his 78 European games in charge of his side in total, per Transfermarkt.

O’Neill, who is in interim charge, has not reached past the group stage in a European competition as a manager since he reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup with Celtic in the 2003/04 season.

He'd revive Reo Hatate: "Insanely talented coach" is keen on the Celtic job

This manager who is interested in the Celtic job could revive Reo Hatate at Parkhead.

1

By
Dan Emery

Nov 4, 2025

Therefore, Knutsen could come in as an upgrade on both Rodgers and O’Neill in terms of what he can achieve on the continent, whilst also having the potential to deliver domestic success and a Klopp-esque style of play, if Desmond swoops to appoint him.