Crystal Palace intensify talks to sign 18 y/o gem already making waves

Looking to ensure that their wait for silverware is far less than the years before winning this season’s FA Cup, Crystal Palace are now reportedly intensifying talks to sign an 18-year-old prospect who is already making waves.

Crystal Palace set to celebrate FA Cup in style

After upsetting the odds to defeat Manchester City in the FA Cup final, Crystal Palace have confirmed that they will be enjoying an open-top bus parade through south London this Monday.

The Eagles released a message to the fans to reveal the celebrations that are planned, saying on the official club website: “It’s the day you’ve long been waiting for: Palace’s open-top bus parade will transport your FA Cup winning heroes, and the historic trophy itself, down the SE25 streets starting at the top of Whitehorse Lane from 12:45.

“The parade route will see the bus start at the top of Whitehorse Lane, turning into Park Road and then down Holmesdale Road; this is expected to last approximately 45 minutes. Be there to bring the noise, and celebrate with Oliver Glasner’s outstanding Eagles as they show off our legendary prize.”

Crystal Palace's Joel Ward and MarcGuehicelebrate with the trophy after winning the FA Cup

For many, they will deem Palace’s victory a once-in-a-lifetime moment, but Steve Parish and the rest of those at Selhurst Park will be desperate to make sure that such celebrations become more than just a rarity. And Glasner will be a big part of that.

The job that the Austrian has completed in south London deserves immense praise, but he may just be getting started. Crystal Palace are now a Europa League club and have the chance to create more moments of history with Glasner at the helm.

With European football to offer too, Palace could beat Premier League rivals Fulham to the arrival of an impressive 18-year-old midfielder this summer.

Crystal Palace intensify talks to sign Bongeli

According to Africa Foot, as relayed by Sport Witness, Crystal Palace are now set to intensify talks to sign Faveurdi Bongeli from TP Mazembe this summer. The 18-year-old midfielder is reportedly already making waves and has attracted the interest of the Eagles alongside Fulham and German Bundesliga side Borussia Mönchengladbach.

With plenty of competition for his signature, it’s no surprise that Palace have seemingly stepped up their efforts to win the race for Bongeli’s signature. Though still a teenager, the Palace target has already been making his mark on senior football, starting three of Mazembe’s five CAF Champions League games and winning once.

Crystal Palace jostling to sign "complete" midfielder in deal worth £30m

The Eagles could swoop in ahead of rival clubs.

ByTom Cunningham May 24, 2025

Despite that, it must be said that he still has a long way to go before he is capable of breaking into Glasner’s Palace midfield. Whether those in south London will be willing to take a chance on an unproven young player remains to be seen, in what could be a frustrating blow for Bongeli.

A player with plenty of potential, even despite his lack of experience, it will certainly be interesting to see whether Palace decide to give rivals a free run at a young star. Bongeli, meanwhile, could have the most important decision of his career to make in the coming months.

Man Utd could now be offered £135k-p/w star in exchange for Rasmus Hojlund

Manchester United could now be offered the chance to sign a “strong” Juventus star in exchange for selling striker Rasmus Hojlund, according to a recent report.

Amorim determined to keep key man at United

United are all set to play the second leg of their Europa League semi-final tie against Athletic Bilbao, knowing they are in a very good position to seal their place in the final. Leading up to United’s biggest game of the season, there has been talk about Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal wanting to sign talisman and captain Bruno Fernandes.

Hojlund upgrade: Man Utd could see £34m bid accepted for "incredible" star

Man Utd are in desperate need of a new striker this summer, whatever happens in the Europa League

ByRobbie Walls May 8, 2025

Al-Hilal are said to be prepared to pay a British record transfer fee and also pay the Portugal international more than £1 million a week to get him out of Old Trafford. However, that may not be an easy task for the Saudi team, as Ruben Amorim has once again confirmed that he wants Bruno to stay at the club, as he is “one of the top players in the world”.

Amorim said in his pre-match Bilbao press conference: “Our idea didn’t change. We want to keep the best players – and Bruno is clearly one of the top players in the world. We want Bruno here.

“It is easy to understand [his importance] – not just because of the numbers but the way he plays and the importance he has during his five years here.

“It’s normal; a lot of clubs want a player like Bruno. He is a leader, and he’s the captain, so he’s really important. He is a top player; we need top players.”

Man Utd could be offered £135k-p/w star in exchange for Hojlund

While Amorim makes it clear he wants Fernandes to stay, he may be open to the idea of letting other players leave, in particular Hojlund, and the Red Devils could now be offered an intriguing player swap. According to Tuttosport, Juventus could be prepared to offer Douglas Luiz to Man United in exchange for Hojlund.

The report states that the Serie A giants are leading the race to sign Hojlund this summer and have taken steps to move towards a deal. There is talk that Dušan Vlahović, who Juventus are open to selling this summer, could be a part of a deal for Hojlund, but it also mentions that Luiz is an ‘important card to play’ in the negotiations for the United striker.

Luiz, who has been dubbed “strong” by Aston Villa sporting director Monchi, only joined Juve in the summer but has struggled to nail down a regular starting spot, featuring in just 17 Serie A games and mostly from the bench. Despite being under contract until 2029, Juventus may look to use Luiz in a deal for Hojlund to bring United’s price down.

Apps

17

Starts

3

Minutes per game

30

Touches per game

29.4

Passes per game (accuracy)

21.2 (90%)

Key passes per game

0.9

Tackles per game

0.7

Balls recovered per game

1.7

Hojlund, who earns £85,000 a week at Old Trafford, has struggled in front of goal all season for United, and it could be that the Red Devils do move him on, so it allows them to bring in a suitable replacement. However, it is unclear if the Premier League side would be interested in doing a deal which sees them sign a new midfielder in Luiz, who earns a staggering £135,000 a week at Juventus despite barely making an impact. If there is going to be a player swap, United may want a striker for a striker instead of a new midfielder.

Veteran Naib flexes muscles as Afghanistan exorcise ghosts of Mumbai 2023

There was a Maxwell scare, and Cummins also had his moment, but this time Afghanistan would not be denied

Andrew McGlashan23-Jun-2024The memories of Mumbai. What role would they play? As Glenn Maxwell was finding his stride, depositing Rashid Khan over long-on, when both the spin of the ball and direction of the wind were against him, the “scars” that he had talked of from a game Rashid admitted kept him awake at night, looked like they were there for Afghanistan.Another six, straight down the ground off Gulbadin Naib, took Maxwell to his fifty and as Naib began his next over, the 15th of the innings, Australia needed 44 from 36 balls with five wickets in hand.

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When the third ball of the match from Ashton Agar spun past the bat of Rahmanullah Gurbaz and flew through the vacant slip for four byes, there was a sense of a fascinating contest brewing on a pitch that had been all the talk in the lead-up. After three overs there had been two scoring shots off the bat, one an inside edge by Gurbaz off Josh Hazlewood, and Australia’s quicks were also extracting awkward, inconsistent bounce. But Afghanistan’s openers played it superbly; they waited and did not panic.Related

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The scoreboard read 11 for 0 off 3.5 overs when Gurbaz launched Pat Cummins straight down the ground for six. The next over from Hazlewood went for 12, including another Gurbaz six, and in the end, the powerplay registered a healthy 40 without loss. The running between the wickets by Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran was superb, something later Rashid singled out.The century stand, their third of the T20 World Cup 2024 and a new record, came up in the 14th over and their individual fifties followed in consecutive overs. Australia had never waited so long to take a wicket in a T20I when Marcus Stoinis eventually had Gurbaz taken in the deep – that was a rivalry which appeared to have a little bit of feeling.

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Australia’s poor fielding display against Scotland was put down to a team who knew they were safely in the Super Eight. Saturday’s may have cost them a chance of a semi-final.Agar bowled tidily after being recalled in place of Mitchell Starc to provide another spin option, but he had a day to forget in the field. He let through a boundary at deep square leg, over-ran another at long off, and dropped a difficult, but catchable chance in the penultimate over. He wasn’t alone, although none of the chances were sitters.Ashton Agar had a forgettable day on the field•Associated PressAdam Zampa can be excused for his flying attempt at deep third when Zadran upper-cut Cummins and a return catch to Stoinis by the same batter wasn’t easy. But Matthew Wade could have stumped Gurbaz on 41 and Travis Head reached a running catch that then burst through his hands, although Rashid fell without addition.Australia were able to finish the innings on a high when Cummins claimed his second hat-trick in three days – he was denied four in four when David Warner spilled another catch in the deep – although a last-ball boundary from Mohammad Nabi took Afghanistan to 149 which always felt competitive. Mitchell Marsh later rated it 20 above par.

****

In November, at the Wankhede, Naveen-ul-Haq had Head caught behind second ball from around the wicket. In Kingstown on Saturday, it took him one ball more, and he did it all by himself as the stumps were splayed. In that game he then had Marsh lbw after he had cantered to 24 off 11 balls. This time a superb slower ball had the low-on-runs captain lofting a drive to mid-off after a couple of boundaries had suggested things may have turned for him.Warner, who has been in excellent touch this tournament, was starved of the strike in the powerplay and top-edged a sweep off Nabi. Australia were 32 for 3. It had been something of a surprise to see Afghanistan wait until the sixth over to use spin, it was also a surprise to see left-arm spinner Nangeyalia Kharote, playing his first game of the tournament, bowl the seventh. Fourth ball, Maxwell reverse swept him for four and two deliveries later launched him over deep midwicket for six. Rashid’s first over only went for three, but Noor Ahmad’s cost 11. In the over before drinks, Maxwell drove Rashid through the covers with calculated precision.

****

Naib, who had been the eighth bowler handed the ball, all by the 11th over, had already removed the in-form Stoinis with a delivery that climbed off a length and trapped expert-finisher Tim David lbw with a stump-trimmer. But one figure still loomed in front of Afghanistan. Maxwell was on 59 off 39 balls.Three balls into his third over, Naib claimed one of the most significant wickets of a career which goes back to the very earliest days of Afghanistan’s evolution as a cricket nation. As Maxwell so often likes to do he, went to slice the ball through backward point but couldn’t keep it down and 19-year-old Noor, who had not been given another over, took a brilliant low catch. Maxwell let out a scream of anguish. Naib roared and flexed his muscles.Gulbadin Naib flexes his biceps after getting the big wicket of Glenn Maxwell•ICC/Getty ImagesTwo balls into the next over, Rashid removed the last specialist batter in Wade. But off the last ball of the over, the final one of Rashid’s spell, Cummins – the other half of the nightmare in Mumbai – was able to scamper a single from a misfield by Noor. Rashid made his frustrations clear. Maxwell wasn’t there, but the tension still was.Naib, who bowled his four overs straight in what will go down as one of the great T20 spells, put them a step closer when he defeated Cummins with a slower one. On the boundary Afghanistan’s bowling consultant Dwayne Bravo, who played 573 T20 matches, lived and breathed every moment. Head coach Jonathan Trott outwardly betrayed few emotions, much like when he batted, barring an occasional wrinkle of his nose.Naib had one more moment in him, diving full length to his left at cover to remove Agar. Afghanistan were one wicket away. Somehow they managed not to have enough fielders in the ring for the last ball of the 19th over so gave up a no-ball and free hit, but this one wasn’t going to slip away.Two balls into the last over, Zampa swiped Azmatullah Omarzai in the air to long-on where underneath it was Nabi, who like Naib has been there from the start. Australia were the 45th side he has won against in international cricket, and none will have been sweeter. Bravo, with a turn of pace, led the surge onto the outfield in celebration. Naib was given a piggyback off the field.

****

A defeat to Australia and Afghanistan’s ODI World Cup was over. Now a win over Bangladesh could be enough for a semi-final. At the very least, they will know the sums of what they will need to do as they play second, again in St Vincent, after the Australia-India match. Their storied cricket journey has another chapter, and more could yet follow.”I think I can sleep better now,” Rashid a few minutes after the historic moment. “I didn’t sleep the whole night [in Mumbai]. I feel like tonight because of the happiness I won’t be able to sleep.”

Age-defying James Anderson still fabulous at 40

As the England quick celebrates a milestone birthday, S Rajesh looks at how incredibly well he’s aged as a bowler

S Rajesh30-Jul-2022It is likely that sometime in the next couple of months, James Anderson will become the first bowler to take 400 Test wickets after turning 30. Already, he is only the second player to play 100-plus Tests after 30 – Alec Stewart was the first, with 107 – but Anderson’s feat is remarkable at several levels.ESPNcricinfo LtdFor starters, he is a fast bowler, and fast bowlers aren’t supposed to go on as if age is just an irrelevant number. Currently, Anderson has 389 wickets from 101 Tests after turning 30; since turning 35, he has taken 177 from 47 matches. Among fast bowlers, only Courtney Walsh, with 180 from 39, has more wickets beyond 35. Only six other fast bowlers have managed even 200 wickets after the age of 30, but Anderson is moving towards 400, and seemingly, quite effortlessly.

It isn’t only the fact that he is taking wickets as frequently as he used to; his bowling average and strike rate are actually the older he gets. In the period from 25 to 29, he averaged 28.47; between 30 and 34, it improved to 25.45; since turning 35, his average is an incredible 21.39. And his overs per Test has dropped only marginally post 35 – from 36.4 in the previous period to 34.2.Given this inverse relationship between his age and his bowling average, any guesses for what his average will be when he is 50?

This reverse-ageing isn’t normal in sports, especially in fast bowling. Anderson’s post-30 haul of 389 accounts for 59% of his career tally of 657. Among the 36 bowlers who have taken 300-plus wickets in Tests, only five have a higher percentage. And remember, Anderson isn’t done yet, so by the time he hangs up his boots in the long format, the percentage will go up even higher.Related

Thank you, England, for redefining Test cricket over the last ten months

Swing when you're winning

At the top of this list is Sri Lanka spinner Rangana Herath, who took a scarcely believable 398 out of his career total of 433 wickets after he turned 30. Herath’s was an unusual career though – he came into his own only after Muthiah Muralidaran’s retirement. Among fast bowlers, Walsh, Allan Donald and Richard Hadlee are all in the mid-60s. For Anderson to go past their percentages, though, he will need to take another 125 wickets, which looks a tall order even for him.

Anderson’s 177 wickets after turning 35, though, is even more impressive. Among fast bowlers with 250-plus wickets, only Walsh has a higher percentage of wickets after turning 35. The top six in this table is a stellar list of some of the best fast bowlers to ever play the game.

Anderson’s improving average with age also means his ratio of post-35 to pre-35 is among the very best. Before turning 35, Anderson took 480 wickets at 28.20; since then he has averaged 21.39. That’s a ratio of 1.32 between these two averages. Among the 20 bowlers who have taken 50 or more wickets before and after 35 – the length of this list itself shows how unusual this achievement is – only two have a better ratio, and both finished their careers more than 100 years ago.

With age, Anderson has also added more weapons to his arsenal and become a more complete and canny bowler. He isn’t only reliant on seaming and swinging conditions to be effective – though he is still obviously more deadly when these are on offer.A comparison of his bowling average in each country before and after turning 35 shows he has better numbers everywhere, save for India where the averages are similar. The biggest improvements, of more than 40%, are in Sri Lanka, West Indies and the UAE.

In Sri Lanka, the average has almost halved, but apart from the average, the improvement in economy rate points towards his control and mastery over his craft: since turning 35, he has conceded 2.09 runs per over in Sri Lanka (3.30 before 35), and 1.87 in the UAE (2.30 before 35). His 6 for 40 from 29 overs in Galle last year encapsulates all of those phenomenal qualities – not least his fitness – in his age-defying journey.

Who scored a double-century on first-class debut and a hundred in his first Test?

And what is the highest individual repeat score in Tests at the same venue?

Steven Lynch30-Jun-2020I see from his player page that Don Bradman hit only six sixes in Tests. Who were the unfortunate bowlers? asked Paritosh Bhatt from India

You’re right in thinking that only 36 of the 6996 runs Don Bradman made in Tests came from sixes – he preferred to keep the ball on the ground, and hit well over 600 fours. A statistical oddity is that all six sixes came from left-arm bowlers, three off England’s Hedley Verity.Bradman’s first six in a Test came during the 1932-33 Bodyline series, in Adelaide, when he on-drove Verity over the boundary: he was caught and bowled next ball for 66, as Australia slid to a heavy defeat in a bad-tempered game.Two-thirds of the Don’s Test sixes came in the next Ashes series, in England in 1934. During his 304 in the fourth Test at Headingley he hit two sixes late on the second day – another off Verity to reach 244, and one off the medium-pace cutters of Len Hopwood to advance to 268. He added three more runs that night before the close, giving him 102 runs in all in the final session: such was his dominance of the England bowlers that a wag in the crowd shouted “Put on Dolphin!” – Arthur Dolphin, the old Yorkshire wicketkeeper, was one of the umpires.Then in the final Test at The Oval, Bradman hit Verity for six again to reach 234 of his eventual 244 in the first innings – he was out before the end of a first day on which Australia amassed 475 for 2 – and hooked left-arm seamer Nobby Clark, who was bowling with something like a Bodyline leg-side field, into the crowd when he had nine of his second-innings 77.Bradman did not hit another six in Tests for nearly 14 years, before tucking in to another slow left-armer, India’s Vinoo Mankad, in Adelaide in 1947-48. Bradman’s sixth Test six took him to 144, and he was out around an hour later for 201, the last of his dozen Test double-centuries: more than 70 years later, no one has matched this number.Herbert Sutcliffe scored 161 against Australia at The Oval in 1926, and again in 1930 – is this the highest repeat score at the same venue? asked Daren Fawkes from Australia

There are actually two higher such doubles than Herbert Sutcliffe’s twin 161s for England in Ashes Tests at The Oval in 1926 and in 1930. Mahela Jayawardene scored 167 twice in Galle – for Sri Lanka against New Zealand in 1998 and against South Africa in 2000. But on top of the list is Greg Chappell, who made 182 not out for Australia against West Indies in Sydney in 1975-76, and added 182 in his final Test, against Pakistan at the SCG in 1983-84.The highest repeat score in Tests, not at the same venue, is 203 not out, which, remarkably, was achieved by two different batsmen. Shivnarine Chanderpaul did it for West Indies against South Africa in Georgetown in 2004-05, and against Bangladesh in Mirpur in 2012-13. This mirrored the feat of Pakistan’s Shoaib Mohammad, who made 203 not out against India in Lahore in 1989-90, and repeated that score against West Indies in Karachi the following season. Shoaib’s father, Hanif Mohammad, scored 203 not out against New Zealand in Lahore in 1964-65.Gundappa Viswanath is the only batsman to make a double-century on first-class debut and follow it up with a century on Test debut•Getty ImagesWho scored a double-century on first-class debut and a hundred in his first Test? asked Gordon Brine from South Africa

The only man to complete this notable double is the stylish Indian batsman Gundappa Viswanath, who made 230 on his first-class debut, for Mysore against Andhra in Vijayawada in 1967-68, then two years later, in the first of his 91 Tests, made 137 against Australia in Kanpur. He received a little bit of help: “I committed another of my costly fielding errors, this time acting as fairy godmother to GR Viswanath in his Test debut,” remembered Australia’s opener Keith Stackpole. “Following a duck in the first innings, he was on 98 when I stopped a shot from him at point. He took off, and I threw the ball too high, giving him his hundred.”Who has played the most Test matches without taking a catch? asked Jeremy Nicholson from Australia

There are four men who have played ten Tests without holding on to a catch. The first to do so was the unorthodox Australia left-arm spinner Chuck Fleetwood-Smith in the 1930s. He has since been joined by the Sri Lankan spinner Jayananda Warnaweera, the tall Indian seamer Abey Kuruvilla, and the Pakistan paceman Mohammad Imran Khan, who played his most recent Test in November 2019, so may yet get off this list (or rise to the top of it).Tendai Chatara, the Zimbabwe seamer, has so far played nine Tests without taking a catch. Pakistan fast bowler Ata-ur-Rehman made no fewer than 30 one-day international appearances without taking a catch. Another seamer, West Indies’ Oshane Thomas, has so far played 20 (and a record 32 internationals all told). The Afghanistan spinner Amir Hamza Hotak played 31 T20Is without taking a catch.Bangladesh won their recent Test against Zimbabwe by an innings. Was this their first innings victory in Tests? asked Craig Marshall from England

Bangladesh’s win, by an innings and 106 runs, over Zimbabwe in Mirpur in February was their 14th Test victory overall – but the second by an innings. Their previous win, over West Indies in Mirpur in November 2018, was by an innings and 184 runs. They still have a fair bit of ground to make up: Bangladesh have so far lost 89 Tests, 43 of them by an innings.Use our
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No more Mr Nice Guy, as Woakes shows his inner steel

England’s attack leader endures a luckless day with DRS but still prises out two key wickets

Matt Roller02-Jul-2025

Chris Woakes trapped Yashasvi Jaiswal in front, and the batter survived on umpire’s call•PA Images via Getty Images

“That is a f***ing joke,” Chris Woakes was caught muttering to himself on Edgbaston’s giant screen, after umpire Sharfuddoula’s on-field decision of not out was upheld via umpire’s call by the DRS. It was out of earshot, but reflected both a rare outward glimpse of Woakes’ inner steel and his disbelief that he would end a faultless opening spell with a solitary wicket to his name.It was also a moment that summed up England’s mood on the first day, as their attack toiled hard with some success only to walk off at the close with India slightly ahead of the game after being sent in. Woakes was the clear pick of the attack, although his figures of 2 for 59 from 18 overs failed to reflect the problems that he caused, particularly with the new ball.The specific source of Woakes’ chagrin was an lbw shout against Karun Nair that he was convinced should have been given out. Nair shouldered arms to a ball delivered from wide on the crease, which ball-tracking projected would have gone on to hit some – but not enough – of his off stump. It left him seething to the extent that he even called for a law change.Related

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“I need to be careful: I’ve had some [decisions] go my way over the years,” Woakes said. “In general, DRS has been good for the game. A lot more right decisions are given [than before]. The only thing I would like to come in is that if a batsman decides to leave the ball and it’s still hitting the stumps, I think that should be out – regardless if it’s clipping or not.”It was the second umpire’s call lbw in three overs that went against him, and the first could have changed the course of the day. Woakes told his team-mates in the huddle that the ball – from over the wicket to the left-hand batter – had “100 %” pitched in line and was vindicated by the DRS, but HawkEye projected a bail-trimmer, which meant Yashasvi Jaiswal survived on 12.”We could have easily had them 30 for 3,” Woakes said. “It was a pretty frustrating morning, really. Obviously emotions run high when you are desperate to do well for the team, do well for yourself, and it would’ve been nice… had those decisions gone our way, the day looks completely different, but that is Test cricket and we move on.”His first wicket came between the two referrals, and was the culmination of a severe working-over for KL Rahul. Woakes’ lengths were far more consistent at Edgbaston than they had been at Headingley last week, and his line was immaculate. Rahul played out consecutive maidens but, after two tight leaves, chopped the ball on to his stumps while defending off the back foot.2:06

‘Frustrating’ – Woakes on the DRS decisions that went India’s way

Woakes celebrated with a look to the skies, in memory of his late father Roger, who died last May. Woakes has a new tattoo dedicated to his father and has felt his absence keenly at his home venue. “He’s always on my mind, that’s for sure,” he said, his voice wavering. “There are moments where you certainly think about him. He loved his cricket; he would’ve loved this week.”But his plan to Nair eventually paid dividends against another batter: in his third spell, after a change of ends – and umpires – Woakes went wide on the crease, convincing Nitish Kumar Reddy to leave the ball alone. It nipped in off the seam to take out his off stump, highlighting Woakes’ adjustment to a slow pitch where bowled and lbw were the main modes of dismissal.”It felt like the stumps were in play all day,” Woakes said. “It didn’t feel like a massive nick-off wicket, to be honest; it didn’t feel like it had the pace in it for that… It was something which we were looking for. Basically, it was trying to find the right length that allowed you to be full enough not to get driven, but still bring the stumps into play.”0:53

Aaron: Marked improvement by the English bowling unit

Woakes made an inauspicious start to this series, taking 1 for 148 across 43 overs at Headingley, and had been noticeably struggling for rhythm. It was no surprise that he looked sharper on Wednesday, in only his fourth first-class appearance of 2025 – “I’ve always been better for overs under the belt,” he has previously said – not least given the venue.”Across a career, you don’t get that many games at your home venue: this is my fourth Test match here. They are really special weeks. You have a lot of friends and family in the ground, and I’ve got a lot of love for Warwickshire, which goes deep. It’s all I’ve ever known… There’s a lot of people behind the scenes who support you through the good times and the bad.”Woakes spent 18 months either injured or out of favour between the end of Joe Root’s tenure as captain and the 16th Test of the Stokes-McCullum era, but has since become an integral part of England’s attack again. They have only lost once with him in the side in the last two years, and at 36, he has finally emerged from James Anderson and Stuart Broad’s considerable shadows.A hard-earned reputation as one of cricket’s good guys has sometimes worked against Woakes, making it relatively easy for coaches to leave him out – or for umpires to turn down his appeals. But today his obvious exasperation reflected a self-evident truth: reaching this level of sport demands talent, but staying there for as long as Woakes has demands tenacity, too.

Who Is New Lakers Owner Mark Walter? Walter's Wealth, History Explained

The Buss family reportedly is entering an agreement to sell the majority share of the Los Angeles Lakers to Mark Walter at a valuation at approximately $10 billion, Shams Charania reported on Wednesday. This marks the largest sale of a sports franchise in American history, and a sale that values the team at nearly $4 billion more than any other American sports team.

Though Jeanie Buss will remain the Lakers' governor and run the team for several years, the future of the Lakers lies in Walter's hands.

So, who is Mark Walter? Here is what to know about the new Lakers owner.

How Mark Walter Acquired the Team

Walter initially purchased a minority share of the Lakers in 2021, buying Phil Anschutz's 26% stake, per Ramona Shelburne. With this stake, Walter was also granted the first right of refusal if the Buss family were to sell their 66% stake in the franchise, helping put him in position to eventually purchase the majority stake in the Lakers. About four years later, Walter is now taking majority ownership of the franchise.

The Background and Wealth of Mark Walter

Walter was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, spending his childhood in the Midwest and as a fan of the Chicago Cubs. He would remain in the Midwest through college, going on to get his Bachelor's degree in business at Creighton University and then earn a law degree at Northwestern University in 1985.

After graduating from law school, Walter worked at a law firm and then for First Chicago Capital Markets, but eventually left to become a co-founder of the Liberty Hampshire Company, an investment management and personal financing company.

During that time, Walter met J. Todd Morley, who introduced him to Peter Lawson-Johnston II, a descendant of the Guggenheim family. The three would go on to start Guggenheim Partners, which now has more than an estimated $330 billion of assets under their management. The Guggenheim Partners later found diversified holding company TWG Global, which Walter owns a 21% stake in and is the CEO of.

Walter has kept private and is known for being lowkey, but an insider with knowledge of the businesses told in 2012 that Walter is "one of the great financial minds of our time."

What Is Mark Walter's Net Worth?

There are varying estimates of Mark Walter's net worth. Forbes listed Walter's net worth this year at $6.1 billion, while Bloomberg has his net worth estimate at more than double that figure at $12.5 billion.

Full Portfolio of Mark Walter's Sports Ownership

Along with his portfolio in finance and business, Mark Walter has invested greatly in professional sports. Walter is most well-known as the controlling owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, leading Guggenheim Baseball Management to purchase the team for a then-record $2.15 billion in 2012. Walter owns 27% of the team, and has mostly taken a hands-off approach to his ownership. Since 2013, the Dodgers have made the postseason in every season, won two World Series, and accrued many big-name talents including Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman.

Outside of baseball, Walter has made great investment into women's sports. He owns a sixth of the Los Angeles Sparks as part of the team's six-person ownership group. He is also the owner of the Professional Women's Hockey League, and the winning team each year receives a trophy named after him, the Walter Cup.

Beyond these sporting investments, Walter additionally holds ownership stakes in Chelsea FC and the Cadillac Formula 1 team.

Chase: 'There is obviously a struggle in the Caribbean for finances'

Roston Chase has voiced concerns about the “infrastructure problems” and the continuous “struggle for finances” in the Caribbean, but said that he didn’t want to use that as an excuse for West Indies’ poor performances in Test cricket in recent times.West Indies have lost five of their six Test matches this year. This includes being bundled out for 27 in the third Test against Australia in July. On Saturday, they went down by an innings and 140 runs to India on the third day of the opening Test in Ahmedabad.”I think the systems in the Caribbean are a bit poor in terms of training facilities and stuff,” Chase said after the game. “I am not using that as an excuse or something to hide behind for poor performances that we’ve been putting out lately. I still think that the onus is on the players to find some way to churn up runs and wickets and stuff.Related

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“But what I would say is yes, there is obviously a struggle in the Caribbean for finances. So whatever help we can get, if they are planning to get the help, I hope that we do get it so that we could strengthen the infrastructure for cricket.”While West Indies still have good fast bowlers in their set-up, their batting has been in freefall. In their last 15 innings in Test cricket, they have crossed 250 only once. Tagenarine Chanderpaul’s first-class average of 34.80 was the best among the top six batters in the West Indies’ XI for the first Test against India. Chase attributed the low averages to the pitches in the Caribbean not being batting-friendly.”Yeah, that is some of the infrastructure problems that we do have,” he said. “The pitches in the Caribbean are not really batsman-friendly. So guys don’t really bat for long periods and score those big scores. And then, too, the outfields in the Caribbean are really slow. When you hit the ball in the gaps, you probably end up struggling to get two. Those are just some of the problems that we are faced with in the Caribbean.”That’s why you see guys averaging so low. If you look at the past series we had against Australia, I think that was the first time I’ve ever played an international series where a batsman never scored a hundred in three matches. Obviously, we had a poor batting display. This has been something that has been plaguing us for the past two series.”In Ahmedabad, West Indies won the toss and batted first. They were bowled out for 162 in 44.1 overs in their first innings, and for 146 in 45.1 in their second.”We’ve not been able to at least bat 80 overs, bat a day or even get at least 250 or 300 runs on the board,” Chase said. “Anytime you win a toss in a Test match and bat and you don’t bat out the first day, you’re always going to be in trouble.”We saw the wicket. Although it had a bit of moisture, we still thought that it was a good wicket to bat first on. We thought that once we batted well and the openers went out there and just softened that moisture, then it would have been a good wicket to bat on, as we did see coming on later into the first day. But we didn’t start well and we never really put any partnerships in place. We never really got back into the game.”Chase suggested the only way for the batters to improve was to tighten and trust their defence. “We gifted some of the wickets too easily,” he said. “For me, it was a bit of rough and some balls were spinning up the rough. But there wasn’t any devils in the wicket. I still thought that it was a wicket that you could stand up and bat on as shown by the Indian batters.”But we need to trust in our defence a bit more. I can’t say that we weren’t scoring because the run rate was still good. But I just think that we need to be a little more solid in our defence.”West Indies are missing two of their three main fast bowlers in the series against India•AFP/Getty Images

While West Indies’ batting has been an issue, they are also missing two of their key fast bowlers in Shamar Joseph and Alzarri Joseph through injuries. Jason Holder also declined to be a replacement, citing a planned medical procedure. Players picking and choosing formats has also been an issue with West Indies, but Chase said that “a guy is going to try to earn his living”.”I can’t really speak on another man’s body,” Chase said. “One thing I can say is that there’s a lot more cricket being played. There’s not a lot of rest for a player, especially if he’s playing all formats of the game. And then, especially with the leagues around the world, guys are looking to earn their money. They’re not really resting, getting adequate rest that their body may need.”But if they can try to stay as fit as possible and do a lot of gym work and not get too bulky but be strong enough that they can handle the load or in the case where they can pick and choose certain formats of the game and be available, I think that would be obviously better for us. But it is what it is. A guy is going to try to earn his living.”So I can’t really fault a guy for trying to go there and be available for whatever cricket it may be that he’s given the opportunity to play.”

فيديو | ماذا قدم محمد صلاح في مباراة ليفربول ونوتينجهام فورست بـ الدوري الإنجليزي؟

خاض نجم فريق ليفربول، محمد صلاح، مباراة اليوم ضد نظيره نوتينجهام فورست، في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، موسم 2025/26.

واستضاف ملعب “الأنفيلد” مباراة فريقي ليفربول ونوتينجهام فورست، في إطار منافسات الجولة الثانية عشر من الدوري الإنجليزي، حيث سقط حامل اللقب بثلاثة أهداف دون رد.

وشارك محمد صلاح في مباراة ليفربول اليوم كأساسي، وخاضها حتى النهاية، ولكنه لم يتمكن من ترك بصمته المعهودة. ملخص لمسات محمد صلاح في مباراة ليفربول ونوتينجهام فورست

وانطلق محمد صلاح من الجهة اليمنى في الدقيقة الثامنة وحاول الضغط على منطقة نوتينجهام فورست، قبل أن تُقطع الكرة بفضل دفاع الخصم، وتتحول إلى ركنية، نفذها المصري بنفسه.

وقدم محمد صلاح مهارة فردية رائعة، في الدقيقة 15، بعدما راوغ دفاع نوتينجهام فورست بطريقة مميزة، ومرر كرة ناحية كيركيز، ولكنها سددها أعلى المرمى.

وتحصل محمد صلاح على رمية تماس بعد اقتطاع كرته من جانب أحد لاعبي فريق نوتينجهام فورست، في الدقيقة 29.

وانطلق محمد صلاح بطريقة رائعة من الناحية اليمنى وسدد كرة، في الدقيقة 45، وتصدى لها حارس مرمى نوتينجهام فورست، لتتحول إلى ركنية.

وعانى محمد صلاح من الرقابة الدفاعية في الشوط الثاني، خاصة بعدما عزز نوتينجهام فورست تفوقه على ليفربول بعدما سجل الهدف الثاني.

وسدد محمد صلاح الكرة ناحية المرمى في الدقيقة 59 ولكن أحد لاعبي نوتينجهام فورست شتت الهجمة، قبل أن يسدد كرة أخرى في الدقيقة 62 ومرت بجوار المرمى.

كما سدد محمد صلاح كرة سهلة في يد حارس مرمى نوتينجهام فورست، في الدقيقة الثانية من الوقت المحتسب بدلًا من الضائع للشوط الثاني.

Revealed: How Pep Guardiola's 'running like dogs' training sessions saw Man City starlet QUIT football and attend Oxford University instead

A former Manchester City starlet has revealed how intense first-team sessions under Pep Guardiola contributed to him walking away from professional football entirely, choosing instead to study law at Oxford University. Former England youth international Han Willhoft-King, once tipped for a Premier League breakthrough, says he stopped enjoying the sport and wanted a more fulfilling future beyond football.

Wilhoft-King's footballing rise and sudden end

Willhoft-King’s decision to leave football at just 19 came as a shock to those who followed his development closely. The midfielder had spent over a decade progressing through Tottenham Hotspur’s academy before joining Manchester City’s Under-21 setup in 2024, with his career path seemingly destined for first-team football. He had been coached by Premier League icon Yaya Toure, trained with Antonio Conte’s Spurs, and became part of the first-team training group at City. 

But his journey never followed a smooth trajectory. A series of injuries, including a long setback shortly after arriving at the Etihad, disrupted his momentum and left him increasingly frustrated by the stop-start nature of his development. Despite earning England youth caps and working alongside some of the best players in the world, he never found the consistent rhythm needed to flourish at the highest level.   

Alongside physical hurdles, the teenager struggled with lifestyle and motivation as a young player. The daily routine of training, recovery, and inactivity between sessions left him bored and unstimulated, even while living a dream many aspire to. Rather than becoming hungry to push on, Willhoft-King began to feel that professional football no longer offered the fulfilment he craved — ultimately triggering a life-changing decision.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportGuardiola's training intensity played part in Wilhoft-King's decision

Speaking to The Telegraph, Willhoft-King reflected on first-team sessions under Guardiola, he said: “Tottenham is a good team but Man City is another level. De Bruyne, Haaland … these are the best players in the world. But you also realise they are normal people. They have a bit of banter, they call each other out for making mistakes. And seeing Pep … he is just so, so animated. The energy he brings, the hand gestures, raising his voice. It’s actually pretty remarkable.” 

However, the experience quickly became mentally challenging: “Then … I don’t want to say disillusioned but you realise … well, training with the first team became a thing that no one was really looking forward to, strangely enough. Because you would just be pressing. We would be running after the ball like dogs for half an hour, 60 minutes. It’s not a very pleasant experience, especially when you are trying to press De Bruyne or Gündogan or Foden. You can’t get near them, so the feeling of not wanting to do this overcomes being starstruck.” 

Speaking about how he ultimately fell out of love with the day-to-day reality of life as a young pro, the Englishman added: “I wasn’t enjoying it. I don’t know what it was, maybe the environment. I’m bored often, as well. You’d train, you’d come home and you wouldn’t really do anything. If you contrast it to now … I’m struggling to find hours in the day.” 

He also described his career outlook beyond football: “I always felt understimulated in football. Don’t get me wrong. I still loved it. But I always felt I could be doing more. I was wasting hours of the day. I needed something different and Oxford excited me; the people, too. I guess that’s the reason.  

“Say I had a career in League One or the Championship … you make good money. But how much would I enjoy it? In my head I wasn’t sure. Also, best-case scenario – you’ll play for 10, 15 years and after that, what? I thought going to university would provide a platform for me to do something at least for longer than the next 10 to 15 years. So, it’s a bit of a long-term thing, as well.”

Wilhoft-King's decision to pivot to new career path

Willhoft-King had been regarded as a standout prospect from a young age. Tottenham scouted him from grassroots football, where he shared the pitch with future Arsenal talents Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri. His technical ability, intelligence and composure in midfield made him one of the most highly regarded players in his age group.

Despite that status, he frequently questioned whether football alone would satisfy his ambition. With a family upbringing rooted in education, including a father who worked in academia, he always felt the pull of a more intellectually demanding future. Balancing A-levels with academy football, he excelled academically and achieved three A* grades. 

When Manchester City offered him a contract in 2024, he accepted to avoid a lifelong “what if?”, but injuries and squad depth limited his opportunities. After experiencing elite performance environments at Spurs and City, he recognised that football’s intensity did not align with his personal goals or happiness. That prompted him to pivot — successfully — toward a different path.

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Getty Images NewsWilhoft-King continues to play football at Oxford University

Willhoft-King is now focused on fully embracing his new chapter at Oxford University’s Brasenose College, where he is studying for a law degree. He continues to play football at the university level, representing the first team and competing in the varsity rivalry against Cambridge, but without the pressures of professional development. The transition has provided him with greater daily fulfilment and social balance.   

Meanwhile, his departure serves as a reminder of the unseen psychological challenges young players face in elite football environments. His story highlights that talent alone does not guarantee happiness or career satisfaction, even at the highest level of the sport. Whether his future leads to a legal career, sports administration, or another industry entirely, Willhoft-King insists he made the choice that keeps him motivated — and that is the ultimate goal.

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