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Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez scored in either half as Chelsea closed the gap on Premier League leaders Arsenal in a tight 2-0 victory over Burnley at Turf Moor. Enzo Maresca’s Blues moved up to the second in the table with a performance which saw Andrey Santos shine in place of Moises Caicedo, who was rested ahead of Tuesday’s mouth-watering Champions League clash with Barcelona.

Roared on by their home supporters, Burnley started the better of the two teams on Saturday afternoon, forcing Chelsea trio Trevoh Chalobah, Santos and Tosin Adarabioyo into making last-ditch blocks on the counter attack. Lacking rhythm in the opening 30 minutes, Chelsea soon sparked into life, taking the lead when Jamie Gittens’ teasing cross was headed home by Neto. Retaining his place in the starting eleven, Liam Delap then fired past the post as Maresca’s men carried their lead into the interval.

In the second half, Chelsea retained possession far better but their attacks were often let down by a lack of conviction from forwards Joao Pedro and Delap. However, the west Londoners shone whenever they found Neto, who struck the post with a powerful, low strike just after the hour mark. In a rare opening, in-form Burnley striker Zian Flemming wriggled free from substitute Benoit Badiashile but he blazed over from inside the penalty area.

While Burnley made a host of changes to try and force their way back into proceedings, Scott Parker’s side huffed and puffed but Chelsea eventually put the game to bed when Fernandez latched onto substitute Marc Guiu’s pass before powering the ball beyond Clarets goalkeeper Martin Dubravka. The result means Chelsea have now won eight of their last 10 games in all competitions heading into the titanic fixture with Barcelona at Stamford Bridge next week.

GOAL rates Chelsea's players from Turf Moor…

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Robert Sanchez (5/10):

  The goalkeeper's distribution was shaky at times, drilling a clearance straight at the back of team-mate Fernandez's head in the first half.

  Reece James (5/10):

  Brought back into the starting XI, the skipper produced a quiet first-half performance before being substituted at half time. The full-back was pictured smiling after the interval, which suggests he has avoided suffering an injury.

  Tosin Adarabioyo (7/10):

  Another introduction to the starting lineup, the centre-back made a terrific block to prevent Burnley's Jaidon Anthony opening the scoring. He was then influential in Neto's goal, playing a lofted ball towards Cucurella, who recorded the pre-assist.

  Trevoh Chalobah (6/10):

  Occasionally finding himself up against Burnley livewire Loum Tchaouna, the defender showed great composure in the battle, biding his time to get a good block in. However, he was fortunate not to concede a penalty in the first half when he put his hand on what looked like a restart from goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, though the referee thought otherwise.

  Marc Cucurella (7/10):

  The Spain international was heavily involved in the build up to Neto's header, keeping Adarabioyo's lofted pass alive before feeding Gittens with a pass.

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  Midfield

  Andrey Santos (8/10):

  Given the unenviable task of filling in for the benched Moises Caicedo, the youngster was excellent, providing a solid shield in front of Chelsea's goal.

  Enzo Fernandez (8/10):

  The Argentina midfielder created the space for Neto's back-post header, making an unselfish run which attracted Burnley left-back Quilindschy Hartman. And in the dying moments of the game, he then rattled home Chelsea's second after some brilliant work from team-mate Guiu.

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  Attack

  Pedro Neto (8/10):

  Electric once again, the winger almost teed up Gittens with a teasing cross before meeting his team-mate's ball in with a super header. The former Wolves ace almost got a second after the break but his effort hit the post.

  Joao Pedro (5/10):

  Fielded in his favoured No. 10 position, the forward struggled in the first half, with Chelsea shining out wide rather than through the middle. The Brazilian saw more of the ball after the break but he often failed to sort his feet out.

  Jamie Gittens (7/10):

  The England Under-21 winger almost put Chelsea ahead, thwarted at the last minute by Kyle Walker's superb clearance, before curling in the cross for Neto's opener.

  Liam Delap (6/10):

  In a hot and cold performance, the striker occasionally showed good hold-up play, though – at times – he should have been quicker to play in his team-mates.

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  Subs & Manager

  Benoit Badiashile (5/10):

  Replacing club captain James at half time, the former Monaco man lost Burnley's Flemming on one occasion, before receiving a yellow card for wrestling with defender Maxime Esteve.

  Malo Gusto (6/10):

  Replacing Delap in the second half, the Frenchman made a good impact, forcing Burnley shot-stopper Dubravka into a save late on.

  Marc Guiu (7/10):

  Brought on with 15 minutes of normal time to play, the young striker showed magnificent strength to set up Fernandez's late strike.

  Enzo Maresca (7/10):

  Shuffling his deck by making four changes to the side that beat Wolves 3-0, he made the brave decision to rest Caicedo and start Santos, which worked wonders. The Italian also gave minutes to striker Guiu, who played a key role in helping Chelsea wrap up all three points.

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca seems to have pulled a major U-turn over one of his axed stars as a photo from Cobham training reveals his surprise change of heart.

The Blues are back to winning ways after suffering a shock 2-1 home defeat to newly-promoted Sunderland in October, with Chelsea winning three out of their last four in all competitions and briefly climbing to second in the Premier League table.

The in-form Joao Pedro scored Chelsea’s only goal of the game to seal a dominant 1-0 victory over London rivals Tottenham, maintaining Chelsea’s impressive derby record, and followed that up with a comprehensive 3-0 triumph over bottom-side Wolves in their last match before the international break.

The victory came despite Maresca making eight changes from their midweek 2-2 draw with Qarabağ in the Champions League, continuing his rotation policy that has seen a grand total of 93 starting eleven changes in all competitions so far this season — the most of any Premier League side.

Their plethora of injury problems throughout the campaign, which has seen Levi Colwill, Cole Palmer, Benoit Badiashile, Enzo Fernández, Pedro Neto, Dario Essugo, Liam Delap, Reece James, Wesley Fofana, Tosin Adarabioyo, Andrey Santos and Josh Acheampong all sidelined at various points, has forced Maresca’s hand in this regard.

Chelsea also have 25 players in their squad who’ve been given at least 45 minutes of playing time this term, with only Nottingham Forest and West Ham (24) coming anywhere close to that number.

Two of the only Chelsea players who’ve not seen a single minute thus far are ‘bomb squad’ outcasts Raheem Sterling and Axel Disasi.

Both men, after failing to secure moves away in the summer, are training in isolation, with Sterling causing quite a stir when he posted an image of him training alone and very late at night in what looked like a barren training complex.

This social media post even prompted the PFA to intervene and ensure that Chelsea weren’t treating the duo unfairly, coming after Maresca previously stated there was no way back for either man and they’d continue training away from the group.

When asked if they could play their way back into the first team, Maresca’s reply was brief, and it was a resounding ‘no’ (The Mail).

Sterling, who spent last term on a failed loan spell at Arsenal, has been linked with a move to Celtic ahead of the January window. Disasi, meanwhile, was surprisingly spotted training with the first team this week — despite Maresca previously saying there was no way.

Enzo Maresca pulls U-turn over axed Axel Disasi as Cobham photo reveals surprise call

In a twist, The Mail have shared a photo from Cobham of Disasi tussling with Liam Delap in an international break session, with Maresca now going back on his word and allowing the Frenchman to compete with his squad after all.

While there was still no sign of Sterling, Disasi’s recall to first-team training makes for an intriguing development, and one which will make on-lookers wonder whether he’s done enough to earn back Maresca’s favour.

After playing only 18 per cent of available Premier League minutes under Maresca last term, Disasi failed to establish himself as a regular starter domestically, despite captaining them in the Conference League and largely playing as an emergency right-back.

Aston Villa sealed his loan signing for the remainder of 2024/2025 last January, coming after Disasi reportedly rejected a loan to Tottenham, insisting on competing with Unai Emery’s side in the Champions League instead.

Disasi’s brief flashes ultimately failed to convince Villa to make the move permanent, and when the summer transfer window opened, Disasi found himself back in Chelsea’s notorious bomb squad alongside Sterling.

Having rejected moves to Crystal Palace and West Ham among others, and despite rumoured interest from clubs in Turkey and Saudi Arabia, Disasi snubbed multiple opportunities, leaving him stranded at Stamford Bridge.

With the January window looming, Maresca could well be planning to hand the 27-year-old some minutes as a way to drive up interest from suitors, but we’re purely speculating here.

With the 2025 MLB trade deadline upon us, there are some teams expected to take bigger swings than others as they look to gear up for a postseason push.

Different front offices face different amounts of pressure to improve their rosters in the pursuit of success. Some teams are stuck in a lengthy World Series drought that fans are eager to see end, while others have the make-up of contenders and are simply missing a piece or two.

Regardless of why, there will be a few front offices in the market for a seismic move, and we'll take a look at what organizations may be feeling the most pressure to make a big splash before Thursday's deadline.

New York Yankees

New Zealand have decided to move Devine to the middle order so that she can finish off games for them

S Sudarshanan03-Oct-2024Heading into Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, New Zealand had ten games against England – five at home and five away – and three against Australia. Playing two top T20I sides, their preparation could not have been any better, one would think. At the end of it, though, New Zealand have 13 T20I losses to show. This is the most un-winningest they have been heading into a T20 World Cup.Yet, alarm bells are not ringing in the New Zealand camp. The experience in the squad – only wicketkeeper Isabella Gaze is playing her first World Cup – is enough to maintain calm. The core of the unit has been the same for the last few years. And yet, they decided to make a tweak ahead of last year’s World Cup – separate the opening pair of Suzie Bates and Sophie Devine. On the list of the most successful opening partnerships in T20Is, Bates and Devine – known as the Smash Sisters – sit pretty at third. New Zealand needed Devine’s power and hitting prowess in the middle and latter part of the innings and hence decided to make the switch.Georgia Plimmer has partnered Bates at the top after Bernadine Bezuidenhout’s retirement earlier this year but is yet to have the desired effect. It is no surprise because Plimmer is only 20, and facing some of the world’s best bowlers is no easy task. Wouldn’t New Zealand be better off with Devine at the top?Related

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“We see Sophie in particular as an absolute world-class ball-striker and having the power a little bit later in the innings is something that we think is really, really important,” New Zealand head coach Ben Sawyer told ESPNcricinfo.”We flip that [question] a little bit: when there are four [fielders] out and you’re asking someone to go at eight or tens an over and the game’s on the line, who better to have than Sophie Devine? That’s the way we’ve looked at it. To have Sophie up the top is amazing but we also think having Soph in the middle and finishing off games for us is amazing.”We are not expecting Sophie to be able to bat up top, get through a powerplay, do it at a really high strike rate, then bat through the middle and also finish the game off for us. That’s a lot to ask of one player. Getting off to a great start in the powerplay is really important but we also feel that finishing off the game is really important. We’d love to have Soph bat the whole way through, or any other world’s greats bat the whole way through, but it doesn’t tend to happen.”Katey Martin: “The biggest challenge for Sophie in the middle order will be to face spin”•Getty ImagesSince February last year, Devine has opened the batting for New Zealand just once. She has scored two fifties in this period, both at No. 4. In both the warm-up matches ahead of the tournament proper, though, she batted at No. 3, a position she last batted in a T20I at in 2018.”I like Sophie opening because I think the best players want to face the most number of deliveries,” former New Zealand wicketkeeper Katey Martin, who retired in 2022, told ESPNcricinfo. “But I understand the decision around why they see her through their middle order – to elongate the batting order. The biggest challenge for Sophie going from opening to a middle-order role is that you face spin quite regularly [in the middle order]. It’s you might face one over of spin early in the powerplay, but you’re actually facing more spin throughout that middle when you start and what are your options around that?”She is always a slower starter anyway. So it’s not like you’re going to get her exploding when she’s betting in the powerplay. It’s just the fact the number of deliveries she gets to face. For New Zealand, she is such a key weapon and I think maybe the fact that she batted at No. 3 in that warm-up game was to say that a floating role maybe when New Zealand chase. If she is going to bat in that middle order, [the challenge] is how the top three set up the game, so that they are enabling her to be as effective as she can, but also hitting a strike rate that they need in terms of their role.”Since last year’s T20 World Cup, New Zealand have scored 140 or more in an innings only seven times in 22 matches. Their collective batting average in this period is only 19.39; only Scotland and Bangladesh average lower among teams at this T20 World Cup. Their batting strike rate in the same period is 105.47; only Scotland, Pakistan and Bangladesh fare worse.

“She [Devine] is always a slower starter anyway. So it’s not like you’re going to get her exploding when she’s betting in the powerplay. It’s just the fact the number of deliveries she gets to face”Katey Martin on Sophie Devine

Prima facie it does seem like batting is a concern for New Zealand, especially in conditions that may be tough to bat in.”Batting is an area that hasn’t necessarily been developed through a period of time for years in New Zealand and it’s not specifically the batting,” Martin said. “It’s just the development of batters within our domestic game. And you’re not challenged as much [in domestic cricket] as you are internationally, which goes without saying. When you get an opportunity early in your career, not playing too many domestic games going straight away and playing international cricket, you get exposed so much quicker. And that’s not the fault of the players by any stretch of the imagination. It’s just the position that New Zealand cricket is in around developing those youngsters.”While it’s a concern in terms of that, the numbers aren’t necessarily there, when you look at the way that the team are playing, you still see them inventing, you see them moving around, you see them making the effort. So I don’t think it’s a lack of effort. It is a concern, but I still think that they’re trending in the right way.”You look at Australia, they’re all domestic contracted full-time players and they’re playing A tournaments, India A as well. There’s a lot of competition at that lower level below the international stage. WPL, WBBL, the standards, the pressure, the experience is allowing those players to develop a lot quicker. And you’ve seen a number of Indian and Australian domestic players perform at their international stage because they’ve learned that domestically. So that’s just a continued focus around how to develop the players so that they’re prepared for international cricket and prepared in a way that they can be successful straight off the bat rather than having to develop on their international stage.”

Bayern Munich are optimistic about retaining their star defender Dayot Upamecano beyond 2026, president Herbert Hainer has said. Talks are already underway with the French centre-back as the German giants look to ward off interest from Real Madrid, who are considering a free transfer for the 27-year-old.

• Bayern aim to resolve Upamecano's contractual situation

  Upamecano could leave the German giants after five years with the club as his contract comes to an end next summer. The defender has been a key force in their back line, further establishing himself as one of the finest defenders in the Bundesliga following his €40 million (£35m/$46m) transfer from RB Leipzig. 

  With Bayern pushing to tie him down to a new contract, negotiations have slowed over wage demands, with the Frenchman’s camp pushing for a salary package closer to €15m (£13m/$17m) per year and a significant signing bonus. With other teams interested, the German club may have to bow to his demands or risk seeing him follow David Alaba's example by leaving for one of their European rivals.

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  Hainer optimistic of Upamecano's renewal

  Hainer believes the French defender is comfortable at Bayern. The Bavarians are in lightning form under Vincent Kompany this season, and Upamecano's stature in their defence has been of good help to the Belgian's strategy so far. The 71-year-old president commented in an interview with "We are in the process of speaking with Upamecano. I believe he feels comfortable in Munich. It's obviously an important decision for him as well. In principle, he likes it very much at Bayern. We would like to keep him. I am cautiously optimistic."

• Real Madrid interested in defender

  Since Xabi Alonso's tactical takeover from Carlo Ancelotti this summer, Real Madrid have made it a priority to sign defensive reinforcements. In the summer, they acquired the services of young Spanish defender Dean Huijsen from Bournemouth. However, another addition seems mandatory with Antonio Rudiger possibly leaving at the end of the current campaign. Their focus appears to have shifted to Germany for Upamecano with talks reportedly already in progress. The Bavarians' sporting director, Christoph Freund, has already declared that retaining the French international is their prime objective. For him, it is no surprise that clubs like Madrid or even Liverpool from the Premier League are interested in Upamecano. 

  "It's no secret that our main goal is to extend Upamecano's contract," he said. "It's also not surprising that many clubs, I don't know which ones, are interested in Upamecano because he's simply performing really, really well, is a great guy, and one of the best centre-backs in the world." 

  The 27-year-old is at the peak of his career and club legend, and former CEO Oliver Kahn believes it could be 'very expensive' to perform such an extension. 

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  Bayern's recent mind-boggling form

  Bayern enjoyed a record-breaking start to the 2025-26 campaign, managing to win all of their first 16 competitive matches before that run was halted by Union Berlin in their latest Bundesliga encounter. The game saw the Bavarians go down in the 27th minute before Luis Diaz scored the much-needed equaliser before the end of the half. In the 83rd minute, Doekhi completed his brace, only to see Harry Kane restore parity in the 90th minute to save Bayern's night and help them leave the pitch with a point. 

  This draw comes as a setback to Kompany's side just before the international break. When they return to the pitch, they will have crucial fixtures in the form of Freiburg and St. Pauli in the Bundesliga. Between these two games, they'll need to travel to London to take on Premier League giants Arsenal in a much-awaited encounter in the Champions League. 

  Bayern sit top of the European table, but Arsenal and Inter are level on points with them, while Pep Guardiola's Manchester City linger two behind.

A report into the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, which claimed the lives of 97 Liverpool supporters, has stated that 12 police officers would have faced gross misconduct proceedings had the case been handled properly. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) report has detailed how "fundamental failures" and "concerted efforts" to blame fans led to justice never being served.

• Why no legal action can be taken

  Former South Yorkshire Police (SYP) chief constable Peter Wright and Ch Supt David Duckenfield are among the officers who would have had a case to answer had they been brought before the courts.

  The latest report has also upheld or unearthed new misconduct cases in 92 complaints. Those at the centre of said findings will not face any legal action as they had all retired by the time that investigations were opened again in 2012. Regulations were changed in 2017 and retired officers can now face misconduct charges, although laws cannot be applied retrospectively.

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  Revealed: Findings of IOPC report

  Representatives of the families that lost loved ones at Hillsborough have stated that it is a “bitter injustice” that nobody can be held to account for what happened on that fateful day in Sheffield.

  Lauren Poultney, the current South Yorkshire Police chief constable, said she was “deeply sorry for the pain and heartbreak caused” by the “litany of failures” that rumbled on for over two decades. She added: “There is nothing I can say today which can take away the years of pain and hurt caused by the force I now lead.”

  The IOPC report is said to have exposed “a system that has allowed officers to simply walk away, retiring without scrutiny, sanction or consequence for failing to meet the standards the public has every right to expect”.

  Key findings from the 366-page document, as covered by the , include how the late Mr Wright “would have faced a case over 10 alleged breaches of the Police Disciplinary Code regarding his actions in the aftermath of the disaster”.

  Former Ch Supt David Duckenfield, who was match commander, would also have faced 10 alleged breaches for “failures in decision making and communication in relation to managing the build-up to the game” as well as “key failings” relating to crowd control.

  Eight other SYP officers would have had cases to answer, while former WMP Assistant Chief Constable Mervyn Jones and Det Ch Supt Michael Foster would have needed to explain their roles in leading the initial investigation carried out into the disaster, with it claimed that they showed “alleged bias towards police and against supporters”.

• Victims and their families were failed by the system

  IOPC deputy director general Kathie Cashell admits that those hit hardest by the tragedy, which saw 97 lives lost, have been repeatedly let down. She said: “What they have had to endure over more than 36 years is a source of national shame.”

  Ms Cashell revealed a watchdog investigation has ended up costing £88 million ($116m), while Operation Resolve will add a further £65m ($86m) to that tally. Only six people have faced criminal charges in the wake of the disaster, with only former secretary of Sheffield Wednesday Football Club, Graham Mackrell, being convicted.

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  Changes to the law as a result of Hillsborough disaster

  Ms Cashell added: "The 97 people who were unlawfully killed, their families, survivors of the disaster and all those so deeply affected, have been repeatedly let down – before, during and after the horrific events of that day.

  "First by the deep complacency of South Yorkshire Police in its preparation for the match, followed by its fundamental failure to grip the disaster as it unfolded, and then through the force's concerted efforts to deflect the blame onto the Liverpool supporters, which caused enormous distress to bereaved families and survivors for nearly four decades.

  "They were let down again by the inexplicably narrow investigation into the disaster conducted by West Midlands Police, which was a missed opportunity to bring these failings to light much sooner."

  As changes are made to the legal system, in the wake of what happened on the terraces at Leppings Lane, the Public Office Accountability Bill – known as the Hillsborough Law – will introduce a legal duty of candour for all public officials.

Calling home runs on Independence Day is a little bit played out, but the Chicago Cubs truly earned such a comparison this year.

By the end of the seventh inning, Chicago was leading the St. Louis Cardinals at home 11-1 on the Fourth of July off a slew of home runs from the bats in the lineup.

Two players hit multiple home runs, Michael Busch with three and Pete Crow-Armstrong with two. But the real highlight was the franchise record being set: The eighth home run from the Cubs off the bat of Busch broke the previous team record of seven home runs in a game.

Seiya Suzuki, Dansby Swanson and Carson Kelly all added dingers as well.

Just stunning stuff from the Northsiders.

Chicago leads the NL Central by several games and is in a flirtatious spot with the top seed in the National League. Coming into the day third in home runs with 131, the Cubs will launch all the way to first in MLB, pending the results of the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers games this afternoon and tonight, the two teams ahead of Chicago.

The Cubs also join the Yankees as the only other team to hit eight or more home runs this year. New York hit nine home runs in March, breaking its own franchise record in that game.

The Cardinals attempted to rally back, scoring two runs in the top of the ninth inning, but the deficit was too much. Chicago won 11-3.

The record for most home runs in an MLB game is 10, set by the Toronto Blue Jays in 1987. The only other team to hit eight or more home runs on the Fourth of July is the Boston Red Sox in 1977.

Mary Earps has posted a message to her personal Instagram account following her return to Old Trafford, thanking the Manchester United fans for their "warm welcome", despite receiving a mixed response from the home fans during her PSG side's 2-1 defeat. The former Sports Personality of the Year was booed throughout, however, some fans continued to cheer for the shot stopper.

• Miserable Manchester United return for Earps

  Earps' return to Old Trafford came amidst the ongoing reaction to the contents of her recently released autobiography. Along with the revelations around her relationship with her Lionesses replacement Hannah Hampton, the 32-year-old also expressed her displeasure with how her tenure at United came to an end. 

  It's likely the furore contributed to her reception at the Theatre of Dreams. While Earps was applauded by the fans that came to watch the two teams warm up, she was jeered by a section of the Old Trafford faithful throughout. The majority of the crowd counteracted with cheers, with the keeper receiving applause as she left the pitch after her side's third defeat in the Champions League this season. 

  Earps twice had to pick the ball out of her own net, with Melvine Malard opening the scoring and Fridolina Rolfo bagging the winner on the hour mark. 

  Despite the mixed return to her former employers, the former Lionesses hero still put out an upbeat message on her personal Instagram account. She posted: "Not the result we wanted but it was truly special to be back at Old Trafford last night. Thank you for the warm welcome back, it meant more than you know. Good luck for the rest of the season." 

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  Earps' comments on her United departure

  Earps wrote that she hoped to finish her career at Manchester United. She joined the club from Wolfsburg in 2019, before leaving on a free transfer in 2024. 

  It seems her issues with the Red Devils leadership stems from their failure to invest properly in the women's side. After Euro 2022, the club promised to relocate the women's side to their Carrington base, alongside the men's squad. However, Earps and her colleagues were only moved into their new women's and academy building on the campus in the summer of 2023. She said the unfulfilled commitment made the players feel like the announcement had been little more than a "publicity exercise." 

  After the 2023 World Cup, in which Earps won the Golden Glove award and England lost in the final, Arsenal reportedly made a bid of £100,000 for her services. United turned down the offer without contacting her. She described the situation as "dizzying". 

  Despite receiving an initial contract extension in 2023, the club did not pick up talks with Earps until the end of the 2023/2024 season. Despite tabling a significant offer, she said United were no closer to their goal of winning the Champions League, while the club had also failed to tell her the women would be required to move out of their base to accommodate the men's side during renovations at Carrington. She would eventually sign a two-year deal with Les Parisiens. 

• Skinner tells Earps to take care of herself

  Despite her comments over her time with the club, United boss Mark Skinner complimented Earps. He also shared the words of advice he imparted on her when they spoke after the final whistle. 

  "I said to her at the end I said, 'Look after yourself', because we have already spoken about mental health and how people can be affected," he explained.

  "Mary is a really intelligent woman and she has been the world's best. She understands the world she is playing in, but I thought it was a lovely atmosphere and she got a cheer as she walked down the side at the end of the game. Hopefully that will help her in her situation and how she feels. After the game, it was always going to be friendly with Mary, because she has been a big part of what we do and we shall never forget that."

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  Will United return mark an end to Earps scrutiny?

  The last month has been a firestorm of media reaction for Earps. Perhaps the return to her former employer can form a natural bookend, as news cycles move on and the eye of the media look elsewhere. She has spoken of how overwhelming the response to her book has been. 

  The 32-year-old needs to be on top form and with full concentration on her game if Les Parisiens are to save their Champions League campaign. They face a daunting trip to Bayern Munich on November 20. A defeat would likely spell the end of their time in the competition for this season. 

It will be a test for Sri Lanka, whose T20 success this year has largely come at home, against a New Zealand team without several regulars

Madushka Balasuriya27-Dec-2024While most of the world’s attention will be on the Boxing Day Tests in Australia and South Africa – both with strong ramifications on the World Test Championship final – there’s still plenty on the line for New Zealand and Sri Lanka ahead of this three-match T20I series starting Saturday. Here are some of the key talking points to keep an eye on over the next week.Can Sri Lanka break their New Zealand hoodoo?“The bounce and seam movement – that’s the main difference.” That was Sri Lankan captain Charith Asalanka’s succinct analysis of the conditions they’re about to face. In tours gone by, Sri Lanka’s batters have struggled to come to terms with these sort of conditions, while their bowlers have been unable to extract the same assistance as the home side. But this Sri Lanka side might have a better chance than most.”If you look at their team, it’s probably one of the best teams they’ve produced as a collective,” stated New Zealand white-ball captain Mitchell Santner ahead of the first T20I.Related

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• Hard-hitter Jacobs gets maiden New Zealand call-up for SL T20Is

• For T20 sensation Jacobs, things seem to happen sooner than expected

“They’ve got all bases covered. The fast bowlers are a challenge, and the spinners we know how good they are. Their top six is dangerous all the way through.”I think the group they’ve got together can take them forward for a number of years.”High praise, and rightly so, considering the year Sri Lanka have had, T20 World Cup aside. But a majority of Sri Lanka’s good results over the past year have come at home, and it’s been their red-ball side that’s been doing the travelling. But this tour finally affords the white-ball unit the chance to test themselves in unfamiliar conditions and perhaps finally come away with a white-ball series win in New Zealand.New Zealand continue their rebuildRachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell and Matt Henry are all back in the white-ball fold – which already makes this a stronger squad than the one that toured Sri Lanka – but with the likes of Lockie Ferguson, Finn Allen, Adam Milne, Tim Seifert, Kane Williamson and Devon Conway all away on franchise duty, and Tom Latham, Will Young and Will O’Rourke rested for the T20 leg, this is still a fairly green New Zealand outfit.But with an even greener bunch having come away with a commendable 1-1 series draw in Sri Lanka, there will be some quiet optimism of further improvements in front of home support.While fast-bowling allrounder Zakary Foulkes will be looking to build on an impressive showing in Sri Lanka, others like Mitchell Hay and Tim Robinson – both of whom struggled for runs on the slower subcontinental surfaces – will no doubt be hoping to justify their selections in more familiar conditions – and potentially put their name in the hat for the 2026 World Cup.The exciting Bevon Jacobs could make his New Zealand debut•New Zealand CricketBevon Jacobs’ rising stockAn IPL contract and now a maiden call-up to the national side, life is good if you’re Bevon Jacobs.Had things gone to plan Sri Lanka might have had a chance to get an early look at him, as he was part of the tour game in Lincoln, however, he never went in to bat.That might work out favourably for Jacobs and New Zealand though, with the opposition having limited information to prepare against him.And with a quick outfield and pristine overhead conditions expected at Mount Maunganui, all eyes will no doubt be on the powerful middle-order batter should he make his debut as expected.Will settled Sri Lanka experiment?One of the hallmarks of Sanath Jayasuriya’s term as head coach has been Sri Lanka’s willingness to give players a long rope – a well founded strategy in terms of giving underperforming players a chance to find form while rewarding those that perform. But it also has meant those on the fringe have been afforded limited opportunities.The home series against New Zealand provided just such an opportunity, with the visitors sending an under strength side. However Sri Lanka opted to go with a full strength squad and forego the chance to offer some younger players invaluable international experience.This has given rise to the unusual scenario of Dinesh Chandimal being selected for successive squads but yet to play a T20I since 2022, while Chamidu Wickramasinghe had been picked on the back of an impressive LPL, but has barely played a game. Questions also abound about Asitha Fernando’s workload management, with the seamer having played nearly every game he has been available for.For this tour, Sri Lanka have once more gone with a strong squad, but if the likes of Chandimal or Wickramasinghe are to get game time, Sri Lanka will need to be willing to disrupt a settled XI – something they have thus far been hesitant to do.

“He wishes to utilise this period to build endurance, body resilience and work on his fitness,” BCCI secretary says

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Sep-20255:11

Aaron: If Iyer says he has back issue, you have to believe him

Shreyas Iyer has requested the BCCI for a six-month break from red-ball cricket due to concerns about his back, which the board has approved*. ESPNcricinfo learned that Iyer sent an email to the board to that effect and pulled out of the ongoing four-day match between India A and Australia A in Lucknow.Confirming the update on Thursday morning, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said in a press statement that Iyer “has informed the BCCI of his decision to take a six-month break from red-ball cricket”. “Having undergone back surgery in the UK and managed his recovery well, he has recently experienced recurring back spasms and stiffness while playing the longer format,” Saikia wrote. “He wishes to utilise this period to build endurance, body resilience and work on his fitness. In view of his decision, he was not considered for selection for the Irani Cup.”Iyer was the India A captain in the first four-day game against Australia A, but withdrew from the second. He was likely to have been picked in the Rest of India squad to play defending Ranji Trophy champions Vidarbha in the Irani Cup, but will now miss that game.Before scoring 8 in his only innings against Australia A last week in Lucknow, Iyer had played the Duleep Trophy semi-final for West Zone against Central Zone in September at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence on the outskirts of Bengaluru. He made 25 and 12 in that outing, his first competitive match since the end of IPL 2025.Iyer had problems with his back in December 2022 and the injury flared up during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series at home in March 2023, after which he had surgery in April and missed the IPL that year. He returned for the Asia Cup in September and was a key part of India’s unbeaten run to the 2023 ODI World Cup final in November.He continued to have issues with his back, though, and skipped some first-class matches for Mumbai, as a result of which he was omitted from the BCCI’s central contracts list in February 2024. Iyer was back on the list of contracted players the following year. More recently, in February-March this year, Iyer was India’s highest run-getter (243 in five innings) and the second-highest run-getter overall in the run to the Champions Trophy title, after which he led Punjab Kings to the final of IPL 2025.