Ben Stokes’ shedding of a couple of layers was a welcome sight, and it was encouraged by what had happened around him

Vithushan Ehantharajah26-Jul-2025

Ben Stokes brought up his century on the fourth morning•AFP via Getty Images

It was a celebration dripping with relief.The clenched fist as Ben Stokes crossed for a single he did not need as the ball scuttled to the fine-leg boundary. The smile – when was the last time he smiled for a century, by the way? Or saluted all four corners of the ground?The look up to the heavens, where he aimed the four-finger salute in honour of his late father – folding down his left middle finger, referencing the digit Ged Stokes amputated to prolong his rugby league career – was long, and full of feeling. Stokes sighed, as if being embraced from above. There was one last look upstairs, and one last word to his old man, before putting back on his helmet to resume an innings that eventually reached 141.Related

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Ged used to be his son’s harshest critic, particularly when it came to batting, as far back as his Merivale Papanui Cricket Club days growing up in Christchurch. He would have been buoyed to see his son break a two-year duck and get that 14th Test century, and proud as he became only the fifth player – and first Englishman – to register a hundred and a five-wicket haul as captain in the same match.As much as the relief and emotion attached to the landmark made perfect sense, it was not something we have seen from Stokes since he became captain. Batting played second fiddle to leadership during his early years in the job. Now, having rediscovered his zeal with the ball in this series – day four of this fourth Test being an exception to the rule – it sits third.This moment to indulge, to enjoy a little personal glory, was made possible by the fact that Stokes’ holistic duty had reached the desired conclusion.For the most part, it has been about setting agendas rather than just scoring runs. In the early days, it was about getting them to park fear and push their limits, which he led by striking at 78.74 (at times recklessly) across his first ten Tests as captain in 2022. His last century in 2023 – dipping into his box marked “miracle knocks” and pulling out a hellacious 155 at Lord’s against Australia – while in vain, snapped his teammates to wise up and win two of the next three Tests to tie the series.ESPNcricinfo LtdWhisper it, but there was a hint of doing it for himself here. Batting is selfish pursuit marketed as selfless, and Stokes’ shedding of a couple of layers was a welcome sight. And it was encouraged by what had happened around him.At 157.1 overs, this was the longest batting innings of the Bazball era, for 669, now England’s fifth-highest total in Test cricket. They skipped along at 4.25 an over, but with a more mature slant on their previously cavalier ways.There were 123.2 overs between England’s first six – Zak Crawley skipping down to Ravindra Jadeja – and the second, when Stokes cut loose after reaching three figures, carving Washington Sundar over long-off in the 149th.2:53

Trescothick: Need to limit the overs Stokes bowls

There has been a lot of self-correction over the years. Even in the last week, batters made productive use of the seven-day gap between the end of the match at Lord’s and Monday, when they reported for the first training session ahead of the fourth Test.On Sunday, Ollie Pope netted alone at the Kia Oval, with a self-feeding bowling machine and a desire to find the rhythm he had lost after starting the series with a century at Headingley. A first fifty-plus score in 34 days duly came with 71 in the first innings.Crawley went away and did similar. Those privy to his work behind the scenes say they have never seen anyone hit as many balls as he has this summer. But he arrived in Manchester with a clearer head after a mental fix to stop pre-meditating deliveries, which resulted in a tidy 84. Ben Duckett, who self-deprecatingly felt his first Test exploits of 62 and 149 would be followed by a miserly run – a duck followed, then 60 in the next three innings – took back the narrative with 94.It was that sort of innings from Ben Stokes•AFP/Getty ImagesEven Harry Brook, despite scoring just three – the only member of the top six to not make it past 70 – had identified the need to get out of a funk that was exacerbated by his failed scoop off Akash Deep in the first innings at Lord’s. A mild dressing down from batting coach Marcus Trescothick – disguised as a pep talk – led to an intense couple of days training in Manchester. The fruits of that could be seen in the fifth Test at the Kia Oval. Nevertheless, Brook is still averaging 45.28 from seven innings.Stokes, of course, is no stranger to the grind, and, having got his bowling in the day before the Test after Monday’s session was rained off, followed that with a long batting stint. The pride of being a functioning allrounder has meant he has been acutely aware his batting has been on the wane. Questions on that dip have been treated with great disdain over the last few weeks.Heading into the second Test at Edgbaston, his batting average had dipped to 35.12, the lowest it has been in six years. Now it has jumped to 35.69.1:25

‘Very few cricketers in history with the ability of Stokes’

“There’s various things that everybody is working upon,” Trescothick said of the batters. “And it’s like, when you get in those moments and you see success, then great. Ben is no different to that just because, obviously, the length of time that they’ve played him and Joe [Root] or the senior guys. And it’s good to see him performing back, you know, to where he wants to be.”In many ways, Stokes’ century was the last piece of a puzzle that will never truly be finished. The last member of the top seven to register three figures this summer, where only Root has found any peace.That Stokes has not bowled at all in India’s second innings so far, despite being the standout bowler in the series, highlighted the problem with pinning so much on one man. And though no one can match his tactical acumen on the field, or his effectiveness with the ball, there are others in the batting line up, beyond Root, who are pulling their weight.That this was the slowest of Stokes’ three centuries suggests he might finally settle into an actual role. One that is more than just pumping up those around him.

As the only Omani national in their Asia Cup squad, he faced different challenges on his way to the top

Shashank Kishore14-Sep-2025For Sufyan Mehmood, 33, playing in the Asia Cup carries an extra layer of pride. He is the only Omani national in the current squad, a distinction that fills him with great honour.A seam-bowling allrounder known for his accuracy and lower-order hitting, Mehmood would have been in the UK studying – perhaps he might have even had a corporate career – if his father had his wishes. But Mehmood chose to decline an admission to Loughborough University to pursue business administration because he wanted to play cricket.”Unlike others who come to Oman to make a career, I didn’t have those challenges,” Mehmood told ESPNcricinfo. “I had all the comforts, and didn’t have to worry about building a life. But my challenges were different.Related

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“Everyone in my family were academically inclined. My older brother is a dentist at the health ministry, my younger brother is a petroleum engineer, [and] my younger sister is also a dentist who runs a private practice. My father grew up the ranks from being a salesman to now being CEO of a company he joined nearly 30 years ago.”Now, I guess you can understand what my challenges were: how to convince my family I wanted to play cricket in a country that didn’t have a culture. But ever since I started, I saw kids in school taking up this new sport, and wanted to play it.”Mehmood first made the Oman Under-15s, he said, in “2005 or 2006 – I can’t remember”. What he does recall, though, is that on his first tour, to Thailand, he was the Player of the Match in just his second outing. “It was against Iran, I was 14 years old.”From there, he made the Under-17s, and was finally part of the national squad in 2009. “The depth wasn’t as much, so if you did well in one or two games, you could progress,” he said. “Straight off that Under-19 tour, I played for the senior team.”Sufyan Mehmood: “Domestic cricket in Oman is basically corporate cricket”•Sufyan MehmoodThat must have been a massive moment in his young career, but because games were far and few, the significance of that moment dissipated very quickly.”When I started playing cricket, I didn’t know that we would play a World Cup one day,” he said. My parents wanted me to study. So after rejecting my offer from Loughborough University, I enrolled in an Omani university that was affiliated to another UK university – at least temporarily my dad was pacified,” he said with a laugh. “I would manage my classes, speak to my professors, tell them I had matches, and cover it up later. They supported me well.”But staying back in Oman meant figuring out an alternate career too, outside of cricket.”Domestic cricket here is basically corporate cricket,” he said. “Companies will have their teams in the premier division, they will hire you and give you a job.”In my first year, I couldn’t find any job, so I just found one job outside cricket, in an event management company. I played after working [for] hours. After that year, I got an offer from Enhance, who had a cricket team. I worked for them for four-five years in the HR department before moving to Renaissance Services, where I lead the cricket side. We’ve won two trophies in the last two years under me.””Against India in the Emerging Asia Cup [in October 2024], I took Nehal Wadhera’s wicket and got him bowled”•Sufyan MehmoodIn 2015, Mehmood had his first big taste of top-flight cricket when he was part of the Oman squad that qualified for the 2016 T20 World Cup in India. In 2021, too, he was part of the squad when Oman hosted the first leg of the tournament. In last year’s T20 World Cup, Mehmood was part of the reserves. That he was in the reserves is because much of his 2023 went in recovering from a meniscus tear, which meant he didn’t have much game time.”And I didn’t have enough form to carry with me in the limited games,” he said. “In Oman, most doctors told me to get operated. But I went to Mumbai to meet Dinshaw Pardiwala, the same doctor who had treated Rishabh Pant after his accident. He told me I didn’t need surgery. I just had to do strengthening, and be meticulous with my physiotherapy and rehab for two-three months. I followed his advice, and I was fine.”Through all this, Mehmood held on to one belief: never give up. “It would have been easy for anyone to give up at any stage I went through, both career-wise, [and] cricket-wise – especially in a country where cricket is not a national sport,” he said.

“After the World Cups, they saw cricket was growing in Oman. Now they ask me how much I scored, [and] how many wickets I took. They might even come [to] watch me in the Asia Cup. They are excited.”Sufyan Mehmood on his family getting interested in cricket

Even now, the Asia Cup feels like a new chapter. “The last year has been really good. In the ODI series in the USA [in the Cricket World Cup League 2], I scored 72 against them and took three wickets. Against India in the Emerging Asia Cup [in October 2024], I took Nehal Wadhera’s wicket and got him bowled.”Against Pakistan, I dismissed Umair Bin Yusuf, and hit a six off Imran Khan Jr. I even spoke to players like Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma. Just sharing thoughts on cricket felt special.”His family, once hesitant, is now firmly behind him. “After the World Cups, they saw cricket was growing in Oman,” he said with a smile. “Now they ask me how much I scored, [and] how many wickets I took. They might even come [to] watch me in the Asia Cup. They are excited.”For Mehmood, being a cricketer is no longer about proving anyone wrong. As the only Omani-born player in the team, he knows what his presence means.”See, it feels great because I know how much struggle I went through to reach this stage, not the typical struggle to settle and be financially independent, but the struggle to prove myself and get an identity. I never had a proper coach, [and] no real facilities. I learned by watching YouTube videos. That is why I am proud of this journey.”

Stubbs, who scored 49 from No. 3 on the opening day, says he prefers to bat there “more than anywhere else”

Firdose Moonda22-Nov-20252:42

Is extreme seam movement as difficult to face as extreme spin?

On a day when the shortest Ashes Test in more than a century was completed in Perth, we know that Test cricket can still be a slow burn. Guwahati showed us that.We also know now that the Barsapara Cricket Stadium, which is hosting its first Test, can prepare a pitch worthy of the occasion. Unlike Eden Gardens, where bounce was variable from the outset, this surface has something for everyone and, in particular, seems good for batting.And we know that South Africa did not take full advantage of that. For the first time in Test history, each of the top four scored at least 35 without anyone going on to make 50. Tristan Stubbs, back at No. 3, came closest with 49. Even though he didn’t manage a milestone, we know now that he is batting in the spot he “prefers more than anywhere else”, as he told the broadcasters afterwards. Of all the things we know from today, that could be South Africa’s most significant.Related

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Over his 14-match Test career, Stubbs has been shifted around South Africa’s line-up from No. 3 to No. 7, which he described as “not the easiest” situation to navigate. Even though he was officially given the No. 3 spot last August, he was only there for four and half Tests before it became something of a rotating door with the likes of Ryan Rickelton, Wiaan Mulder and Tony de Zorzi all batting there. We know that was necessitated by South Africa having strong top-order batters and that Stubbs’ reputation as a white-ball finisher means he could be moved around. What we didn’t know was how he felt about that. Now we do and we also know that he worked hard to try and make the spot his own.”It’s not the easiest moving around, but whatever the coach asks [I’ll do]. I’m just happy to be in the team,” he said at the post-match press conference. “I’ve worked a lot on my defence. I had to, coming in as a white-ball player and then being asked No. 3, so I grafted hard on the defence. I find that at No. 3 you can afford to be a little bit more defensive, whereas at No. 5 and 6, you have to come in and take the game on a bit earlier.”

“I’ve worked a lot on my defence. I had to, coming in as a white-ball player and then being asked No. 3, so I grafted hard on the defence”

Stubbs described the adjustment he had to make as “not so much technical, but more mental” and said he looked at “tightening my game plan, especially if it’s doing a bit up front and reining in your scoring options.”That explains why Stubbs has been ultra-cautious in the way he has played. Against Pakistan in Rawalpindi, for example, he scored 13 runs off the first 60 balls before going on to finish with 76 off 205. Here, against a more challenging attack, he was 13 off 37 before he trusted his footwork enough to take on Kuldeep Yadav and hit him down the ground for six. That was one of six attacking shots he played in an innings that was characterised by conservativeness.Stubbs spent a lot of time getting on the front foot to block Kuldeep and later on Jasprit Bumrah, whom he kept at bay successfully. In total, 25 of the 32 balls Stubbs faced from Bumrah were dots and only one of them actually beat him. Stubbs was compact, left no gap between bat and pad, and used his feet well. What he didn’t do as much as he might have liked was look for more run-scoring opportunities, partly because India made it too difficult but also because he is still learning about the tempo of a Test innings and he knows that.”You can bat time, but you look up and the scoreboard’s sort of gone nowhere,” Stubbs said. “They bowled quite well, their seamers especially, just kept bowling a straight line to attack the stumps.”Temba Bavuma and Tristan Stubbs added 84 together•AFP/Getty ImagesStill, his 84-run stand with Temba Bavuma is the highest of the series, albeit the slowest of the match, with a run rate of 2.77. But it showed the kind of guidance Stubbs can thrive under if he can bat more with the top order. Bavuma was more proactive than usual, was scoring quicker than Stubbs, and pushed him for singles. At one point, Bavuma called Stubbs through and ran to the danger end himself as he tried to inject energy into the innings. Stubbs has only played 30 first-class matches, almost half of them Tests, so he has not had many opportunities to build big partnerships with someone of the experience of Bavuma, who has 178 first-class caps to his name.Though Stubbs was ultimately frustrated because neither he nor Bavuma could kick on, what he would have learnt in their time together in this match could be both valuable for his development and instructional for South Africa in how they use him going forward. It’s worth saying that South Africa didn’t play another Test for almost 11 months after this and it also can’t be known if Stubbs will still feel the same way about where he wants to bat. So plans could change but this innings feels important for what it showed about Stubbs’ ability.For now, what’s more pressing is what South Africa do with the four days they have left in this series, given that they ceded some of the early advantage. With five of the top six dismissed by a build-up pressure leading to poor shots, Stubbs owned their errors. “All of us had opportunities and no one kicked on, so we can take that on ourselves,” he said. “When you get in, you don’t want to give it away ever and four or five guys got starts. Ideally, you want one, maybe two, to go on to make big hundreds and then at the end of play, we would maybe have been three down. If you ask any of the batters, they’ll take that on themselves. It’s not nice to score 30 or 40.”All South Africa’s specialist batters have been dismissed, all of the XI can contribute with the bat and the current pair, Senuran Muthusamy and Kyle Verreynne, have had success in the subcontinent. Muthusamy has a career-best 89 not out in Pakistan and Verreynne a century in Bangladesh, and Stubbs suspects South Africa will need something significant from them because on a pitch that is expected to deteriorate, as he said, “first innings runs are gold”.

The Tampa Bays Rays are bulking up their bullpen ahead of the MLB All-Star break.

As first reported by Robert Murray, the Baltimore Orioles are trading relief pitcher Bryan Baker to Tampa. They will receive the No. 37 overall pick (Competitive Balance, Round A) in next week's 2025 MLB draft in return.

With the O's set for a 12:05 p.m. EST first pitch against the Mets on Thursday, Baker was in the clubhouse—alongside reporters—as he learned of his departure. According to the Jacob Calvin Meyer, the reliever was "in shock".

“It’s been everything," Baker said of his time in Baltimore. "They gave me an opportunity to get established in the big leagues."

Baker has appeared in 42 games for the Orioles this season, sporting a 3.52 ERA over 38.1 innings pitched. He's also logged 49 strikeouts while walking just nine batters and allowing 15 earned runs.

The 30-year-old now heads to a Tampa Bay team who has won just three of their last 10 games as they fight for a Wild Card spot in the American League. The Rays begin a four-game series against the Red Sox in Boston on Thursday night.

Fifties from Ross Whiteley, Amrit Basra and Caleb Jewell see Derbyshire rack up 341 for 8

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay10-Aug-2025A destructive innings from Ross Whiteley inspired Derbyshire Falcons to a crushing 127 run victory over Notts Outlaws in the Metro Bank Group A One-Day Cup match at Derby.Whiteley hit eight fours and four sixes in a 52-ball 80 to propel the Falcons to 341 for 8 at the Central Co-op County Ground, their highest List A score against the visitors.After Caleb Jewell’s 60 established a platform, Amrit Basra scored 72 from 54 balls, his maiden List A fifty, which helped lead a recovery from 161 for 5 before Whiteley and Zak Chappell launched a savage onslaught. Chappell smashed a 26-ball 47 as the seventh wicket pair plundered 100 from 46 deliveries with 72 coming off the last six overs.Only Brett Hutton with 1 for 40 from his 10 overs escaped relatively unscathed and despite 58 from former Derbyshire opener Ben Slater, the Outlaws came up well short on 214 with Ben Aitchison taking 4 for 34.Jewell gave a taste of what was to come by driving James Hayes for three fours in his second over. But Hutton again showed his nous and experience in a typically tight opening spell that brought the wicket of Harry Came who sliced a big drive to deep backward point in the ninth over.Jewell and Yousaf Bin Naeem added 56 before over-ambition proved their downfall in the space of four overs. Bin Naeem pulled Lyndon James for six but when he tried to repeat the shot was caught behind and Jewell got a bottom edge trying to pull a ball that was too close to him.A stunning one-handed diving catch by Tom Moores removed Brooke Guest and when Martin Andersson missed a slog sweep at Joe Pocklington, the Falcons were wobbling. But the promise of Basra combined with the proven one-day quality of Whiteley to revive their fortunes.Basra impressed in the opening match at Cheltenham and he played with confidence from the start, pulling Hayes for six and driving James for another maximum. The pair added 72 from 54 balls before Basra sliced Rob Lord to third man but Whiteley and Chappell demolished the bowling in a display of brutal hitting.Lord’s last six balls went for 31, the most scored by Derbyshire from a single over in a List A game, with the Outlaws helpless to stem the tide of runs until Whiteley skied Daniel Sams to cover.By then, the damage was done and the Outlaws pursuit of a distant target became even tougher when Haseeb Hameed edged Aitchison to first slip in the fourth over. Slater and Jack Haynes found the ropes with regularity until Haynes edged a pull at Chappell and with the asking rate steadily climbing, Sam Seecharan skied Andersson to long-off.James sliced to third man and when Slater and Moores went in the space of four overs, the game was up for the Outlaws.

Manchester United have now entered concrete talks to sign AIK Fotboll striker Kevin Filling, and a move could be possible in the January transfer window.

Man United have a reputation of bringing through young players, having named at least one academy graduate in every first-team squad since October 1937, and they have continued to rely on youngsters in the early stages of the new Premier League season.

Senne Lammens appears to have taken Altay Bayindir’s shirt and established himself as the new starting goalkeeper, with Ruben Amorim also regularly calling upon the likes of Leny Yoro, Amad Diallo and Benjamin Sesko.

Sesko’s arrival at the club was met with scepticism, given that on paper the Slovenian looked like another Rasmus Hojliund-type signing, considering he is just 22-years-old and arguably doesn’t have the experience to lead the line for a club like United.

However, after taking a while to get going, the striker has now started to prove his worth, picking up two goals and an assist in his last four matches, most recently setting up Bryan Mbeumo’s first goal in the 4-2 win against Brighton & Hove Albion.

Man Utd enter talks to sign Kevin Filling

According to Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg on X, Man United are now in “concrete” negotiations to sign another young striker, entering talks to sign AIK Fotboll’s Filling, who is valued at around €3m (£2.6m).

The “talented” youngster could be on the move as early as this winter, suggesting the Red Devils could get a deal done in the January transfer window, but there may be competition for his signature, as some unnamed Bundesliga clubs also find the centre-forward “interesting”.

At just 16-years-old, the striker is very much one for the future, but he has already made a breakthrough at senior level with AIK Fotboll, chipping in with two Allsvenskan goals in seven appearances so far this season.

The young Swedish forward has also started to make an impression at international level, making three appearances for Sweden U18s, and he netted a brace in an international friendly against Wales U18s earlier this month.

Of course, at just 16-years-old, Filling is likely to be some way off first-team level at a club like Man United, so it would make sense if he was sent back on loan to his current club or perhaps a smaller English club to gain more experience.

However, at around just £2.6m, it is definitely a risk worth taking for Man United, who should definitely try to get a deal done this winter.

Manchester United are also showing interest in Bayern Munich star Harry Kane £86m striker who Harry Maguire called "world-class" now key target for Man Utd

A top striker has now emerged as one of the Red Devils’ main targets.

ByDominic Lund Oct 16, 2025

The big names join Valkerie Baynes and Firdose Moonda to reflect on their performances so far

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Oct-2024