Stokes faces both offspinners in floodlit nets session as England consider change to all-pace strategy

Vithushan Ehantharajah01-Dec-2025Around 20 punters watched England’s first evening net at the Gabba ahead of the day-night Ashes Test starting on Thursday.The outdoor facilities at this historic but ageing colosseum are the most amenable in the world for observers, offering a behind-the-batter view of what it’s like to face the fiercest bowlers going. There were plenty of eyes on the lane closest to Main Street, as Jofra Archer, Brydon Carse and Gus Atkinson steamed in with the pink Kookaburra ball.But it was the net furthest away that had the most immediate interest ahead of the second Test. Both Shoaib Bashir and Will Jacks were bowling their offspin to England captain Ben Stokes, duking it out for what seems, at this juncture, the last available spot in the XI.Related

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Mark Wood has been ruled out – England are optimistic his heavily strapped left knee will get adequate rest to ensure he is back in the mix for Adelaide – but the other 10 starters from the defeat in Perth are likely to be rolled out again.Josh Tongue is the most like-for-like replacement if the tourists want to repeat their all-pace attack from Perth. But they are understood to be trending more towards spin in their bid to come back from 1-0 down, with the expectation that the pink Kookaburra will soften earlier than the red one.The pair have had very different routes to these Ashes. Bashir has been the captain’s go-to spinner since a shock call-up to the India tour at the start of 2024, with 68 wickets in 19 caps to date. His traits – a high release-point, revs coming from over the top of the ball – were deemed better suited to Test pitches (particularly Australian ones) compared to traditional English, doorknob-turning finger spinners.Jacks, an allrounder, was the first conventional offspinner picked by Stokes, drafted on the tour of Pakistan in the winter of 2022 for his only two Test caps after developing as Surrey’s primary spin option. He took 6 for 161 in his first go on debut – the first Test at Rawalpindi – and showed his dexterity as a batter by slotting in at No. 3 in the second innings of the next Test in Multan to give Ollie Pope extra rest after keeping. That he is on this tour owes as much to his batting – destructive qualities, and comfort filling in any top six position – and his tall action and ambition with the ball.Bashir is understood to be the one in pole position, though it was Jacks who seemed to have the better of it on Monday night, before padding up. Nets can only tell you so much, of course. Stokes and the rest of England’s batters were focused on getting attuned to the shift from day to night, and then how the floodlights transformed the grass beneath their feet. They will have one more hit in similar conditions on Wednesday before they get going in their attempts to square the series.Visiting spinners have had very little success with the pink ball over here, collectively managing just 28 wickets at 64.03. Joe Root’s three in the Adelaide Test on the 2021-22 tour has him joint-second on that list (with Yasir Shah); Dawid Malan is joint-fourth with two picked up from that same game. R Ashwin sits top with six at 20.66.England would not be wrong to look at Nathan Lyon’s impressive record of 43 dismissals at 25.62 from his 13 day-night home Tests and surmise spin is a must. But they may take more meaningful notes from Kevin Sinclair’s cameo in Australia’s one and only pink ball defeat.That came here at the Gabba last year. Sinclair – also an offspinner – struck a vital 50 and then 14 not out, both from No. 7, in a tight eight-run win. He bowled just eight overs, all in Australia’s first innings which sandwiched his batting efforts, but was able to snare Usman Khawaja for 75. Replicating Sinclair’s impact rather than Lyon’s is a far easier task and would favour Jacks.It will be these cues from day-night affairs in Australia, and England’s own learnings from the seven they have played, that will continue to be disseminated among the group over the coming days. The entire top five played in England’s last pink-ball Test – against New Zealand at Mount Maunganui in 2023 – but Jamie Smith, for instance, will be playing his first of any kind.”We’ve spoken with the guys who have played some pink-ball games, and had a look at some of the pink-ball games that have been played in Australia in the past four or five years,” Carse said. His only day-night match happened to be in this country for England Lions against Australia A at Melbourne in January 2020.”On an evening, it does seem to do a little bit more, especially if you have a slightly newer ball, which I’m sure we’ll take into consideration throughout the game. It’s going to be exciting. I’m expecting a massive crowd, a hostile crowd. The guys are really looking forward to it.”I think looking back at a couple of highlights of previous games played in Australia, it’s certainly very admirable how their new-ball bowling goes. You know, they strike early and I think that’s going to be important, whether that’s certain lines we’ll be bowling or maybe bowling a touch fuller to let it swing. They’ve played some really good cricket with a pink ball. So, yeah, I’d like to say that we’ve had a look at some of the stuff that they’ve done over the previous years.”

In a sentence that would have seemed outrageous last week, three-time All-Star Rafael Devers belted his first home run as a member of the San Francisco Giants against the team he was employed by just six days ago before the trade that sent shockwaves through MLB.

Facing Red Sox righthander Brayan Bello in the bottom of the third inning at Oracle Park on Saturday, Devers took a four-seam fastball down the middle for strike one, then saw the same pitch in almost the exact same location. This time, Devers crushed it 105.5 MPH the other way to left field for a 370-foot home run.

It would have been a home run in 25 out of 30 ballparks, including Devers's former home, Fenway Park. Devers currently has a home run, a double, three RBI and a pair of walks in five games with the Giants.

The 8-time Ballon d'Or winner had a hand in all three goals as Inter Miami saw off Vancouver Whitecaps to win its first MLS Cup

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla – There it is. 

That is what the footballing world wanted, and what MLS perhaps needed. Messi has his first MLS Cup. If there was ever a shred of doubt about Messi’s MLS legacy – if the records, the MVP award (with another likely on the way), and the résumé weren’t convincing enough – then Saturday offered the definitive answer.

The biggest trophy this league can give now sits in his hands, and soon after, above his head. Florida has its first MLS champion. 

And it was deserved. The Argentine provided three decisive moments of magic in a 3-1 win over a resilient Vancouver Whitecaps side.

Give Vancouver some credit here. They are a good football team that plays the game in the right way. But this was Miami’s day. There are such things as narratives in soccer. They seldom pan out. But this was one that came together handsomely. Miami steadily improved over the course of the season. They lost, sometimes embarrassingly, and learned from those defeats. And when it came to it, an otherwise flawed and inexperienced manager in Javier Mascherano, made some gutsy and correct decisions. For that, he deserves immense credit. Still, in the final game at a strange skeletal stadium that they have called home for three years, Miami claimed the thing that they have coveted since the second Messi stepped his foot in the United States. 

This was also about Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, who ended their careers, appropriately, with trophies. It might also be the end for Luis Suarez – at least in Miami, who proved in omission that he may not be needed here anymore. Yet the lasting image will be of Leo, lifting that trophy, a beaming smile across his face. Legacy secured.

GOAL breaks down the Winners & Losers from Chase Stadium…

Getty Images SportWINNER: Lionel Messi

Sometimes the narrative just has to win. Messi had one of those late-career Messi games. 

For long stretches, you barely noticed him, and he was rarely involved. He spent most of his time strolling around and shielding passing lanes as Vancouver controlled possession. However, there were two decisive moments in the game, and Messi set up both. He was instrumental in the first goal with his shuffle and through ball to Allende. He set up the second with a silly feed. And he provided the pass for the killer third, too. It was his 63rd goal contribution for Miami this season. This was major trophy number 48, and it wasn't the easiest. Vancouver made it tough. But it is the Argentine's prerogative to decide games. And he managed to make that happen yet again. 

AdvertisementGettyLOSER: Edier Ocampo

Football can be so, so cruel. Ocampo has been the model of consistency for the Whitecaps this season, playing almost every game and being just about as solid a full back as MLS can offer. He keeps it tidy, seldom makes mistakes, and offers stability for a well-balanced side. But finals are decided in moments, and Ocampo was on the wrong end of two of them. The obvious slip-up was his ill-timed dart across the box to cover Allende's pass. Instead of cutting it off, he deflected the ball into his own net. He was also slightly culpable on the Miami third, failing to hold the defensive line and allowing Allende to run in behind and seal the game for good. One to forget, on the biggest of stages. 

GettyWINNER: Rodrigo De Paul

He's always been far more than just "Messi's bodyguard." De Paul has far more attacking quality and soccer smarts than he gets credit for. That is partially, of course, because his role is so distilled to the idea of simply protecting Miami's main man. Yet De Paul showed off all sides of his game here. This was a scrappy one, full of hard tackles that didn't get called, and cheeky shoves that did. De Paul was up for both. He kept his composure on the ball, sprayed it around when needed, and, crucially, scored the winning goal.

But more valuable than all of that, perhaps, were the seconds squeezed out of the game in between. He stayed down for a few extra moments after every heavy challenge. He took his time on throw-ins. He picked up – and then miraculously recovered from – a series of injuries over the course of the 90 minutes. De Paul is always the unsung hero. Today felt more like main character energy. 

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Getty Images SportLOSER: Vancouver

How things can change in a year. This time in 2024, the Whitecaps had fired a popular coach in Vanni Sartini and were in the process of selling the team. This was a broken side dealing with rumors of a potential relocation. Yet the Whitecaps rallied, generated a real energy behind a city that seemed to have forgotten, at times, that it has a soccer team. They made it to multiple finals and the fanbase was reinvigorated once again. Then the club was buoyed by the arrival of a global star in Thomas Muller. 

This is, in fact, a bit cruel. The Whitecaps gave pretty much everything for their city. Canadian soccer still deserves its third MLS club. Yet the team is for sale; their lease at BC Place is up. Vancouver certainly has enough passion to embrace a team. This one just might not be around for much longer. 

Gary Neville has delivered his advice for Arsenal after their lead at the top of the Premier League table was cut to two points on Saturday afternoon. The Gunners are the favourites to win the title for the first time in over 20 years but their recent wobble means rivals Manchester City are now breathing down their necks as Arsenal look to improve upon three successive second-placed finishes.

• AFP
  

  City cut lead at the top to two points

  Arsenal fell to a 2-1 loss to Aston Villa on Saturday as Emiliano Buendia's late winner saw the Gunners crash to just their second league defeat of the season. The result at Villa Park means the north London side have now won only two of their last five league matches following draws with Sunderland and Chelsea and wins over London pair Tottenham and Brentford.

  However, the downturn in form has been capitalised upon by City, who are now just two points behind Arsenal following Saturday's action. Goals from Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol and Phil Foden saw City claim a 3-0 home triumph over Sunderland at the Etihad Stadium as the Cityzens powered their way to a third successive league victory.

  And despite City's recent upturn in results, Neville says he "wouldn't be panicking" if he was Arsenal even as City breathe down their necks at the top of the table.

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• Not the time to panic, claims Neville

  Speaking on , the former England and Manchester United right-back said of the Villa loss: "That's a game you can lose. I wouldn't be panicking at all if I was Arsenal off the back of that. You're going to lose a game or two, you just are, and you're going to win a lot of games.

  "They could sit there and think that Manchester City are a couple of points off them but they've had a tough week, Arsenal. You could argue it's been Arsenal's toughest week of the season [facing Chelsea away, Brentford home, Villa away].

  "They'll realise that Manchester City have got those types of weeks coming at points in the season as well. I don't think it's a time to panic but they're certainly going to feel that breath on the neck of Manchester City and Pep Guardiola and I think City will think, 'If we can stay this close until April, May, let's see what they're made of'.

  "That's what Manchester City have to do, they have to hang in there and sit on their shoulder and see what they're about and see what they're made of and see what they're like in a real title race again."

• AFP
  

  'Christmas is an important period'

  Neville also noted City's own vulnerabilities and believes that the team that can hold their nerve over the festive period will put themselves in the best position to go the distance. "Man City give you a chance. The teams of Manchester City that won the league all those years on the run didn't give you much of a chance at all," Neville added.

  "[But now] every time I've watched them I think, 'yeah you've got a chance of scoring goals [against them]. They'll get a bloody nose from a time or two. But Arsenal are going to have to be reliable and consistent as they have been in the first part of the season to win the league.

  "This is the season of inconsistency. Everybody's all over the place. We've seen it with Liverpool, Chelsea [against Leeds], Manchester United on Thursday… The teams that you would have expected to be in around the top six – Tottenham – they're all over the place. Villa were down at the bottom couple of months ago now they've risen. So everything's really strange.

  "Christmas is an important period. There's loads of points to play for. Massive month, December, with more Premier League games than ordinarily in any other month. City should be encouraged but I still think that Arsenal are favourites – but not as much as I did maybe a week or so ago!"

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• Premier League pair in Champions League action in midweek

  Both Arsenal and City are in European action in midweek as the pair look to follow up contrasting weekend results with another three points in the Champions League. The Gunners travel to Belgian giants Club Brugge on Wednesday night, while the Cityzens face La Liga powerhouse Real Madrid.

  And Arsenal are next in league action against winless Wolves next Saturday as they seek to get their title push back on track. Pep Guardiola's side, meanwhile travel to Crystal Palace next weekend as they aim to keep the pressure on the north London side.

The Seattle Mariners were able to rally past the Houston Astros in 11 innings on Saturday and they benefited from one of the weirdest RBIs you'll ever see.

Trailing by a run in the bottom of the 10th and having runners on second and third, Josh Hader's inside pitch looked to get a piece of Dylan Moore. The ball then bounced in front of the plate and Seattle's Cal Raleigh ran home and crossed the plate.

On closer look, the ball didn't hit Moore; instead, it hit the bottom of his bat. Raleigh's heads-up base running paid off as it was ruled the ball was in play and that the run counted.

Houston challenged the call but it stood after replays showed the ball clearly hit Moore's bat.

The announcers were rightfully really confused at first, but it ended up being the right call.

After tying the game on that play, the Mariners won it on Cole Young's RBI single in the 11th. Seattle improved to 53-45 on the year and now sit just three games back of the Astros in the AL West.

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يلاقي فريق ريال مدريد نظيره سيلتا فيجو، مساء اليوم الأحد، ضمن مباريات بطولة الدوري الإسباني لموسم 2025-2026.

ويستقبل ريال مدريد خصمه سيلتا فيجو، بملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو” في مباراة من الجولة السادسة عشر للدوري الإسباني “الليجا”.

ويأتي ريال مدريد في المركز الثاني بجدول ترتيب الدوري الإسباني، ويملك في رصيده 36 نقطة، بعدما فاز في المباراة الماضية على أتلتيك بلباو بثلاثية نظيفة.

ويتواجد سيلتا فيجو بالمركز الثالث عشر في جدول ترتيب الدوري الإسباني، حيث يملك في رصيده 16 نقطة.

ويتصدر برشلونة ترتيب الدوري الإسباني برصيد 40 نقطة، وقد حقق الفوز بنتيجة 5-3، مساء السبت أمام خصمه ريال بيتيس. موعد مباراة ريال مدريد وسيلتا فيجو اليوم

تنطلق المباراة في تمام الساعة العاشرة مساءً بتوقيت مصر، الحادية عشر مساءً بتوقيت السعودية. القناة الناقلة لمباراة ريال مدريد وسيلتا فيجو

تذاع المباراة عبر قناة beIN SPORTS HD1. معلق مباراة ريال مدريد وسيلتا فيجو

يعلق على المباراة، علي محمد علي.

ويمكنكم مطالعة مواعيد ونتائج جميع المباريات لحظة بلحظة عبر مركز المباريات من هنا.

The Los Angeles Angels' game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday largely went smoothly, as the Angels sent their fans home happy with a 10-5 victory.

But the Angels fans weren't happy for the entirety of the victory at Angel Stadium—and in one particular instance, their annoyance may have been warranted. Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suarez, who had already homered earlier in the game, stepped up to the plate in the top of the fourth inning and belted the second pitch of the at-bat over the wall for his second long ball of the night—and 31st of the season.

Apparently, whoever was in charge of the pyrotechnics for the Angels was excited for the Diamondbacks third baseman, as fireworks were launched while Suarez ran around the bases. Angels fans were not pleased to see the that the honor usually reserved for Los Angeles hitters who leave the yard was accidentally utilized for the visiting Diamondbacks slugger.

So, some boos were heard as Suarez rounded the bases.

Of course, Angels fans couldn't be too mad about the fireworks mishap, for the club stormed back to score three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning and a take a lead they would not relinquish en route to victory. Plus, three-time American League MVP Mike Trout collected the 395th home run of his career as he inches closer to the milestone mark of 400.

Hard to be too mad after those things occurred.

Chelsea have been offered a Barcelona star who Spain legend Carles Puyol previously called one of world football’s best in his position, according to a new report.

Chelsea prioritise new centre-back for January transfer window

Enzo Maresca, after seeing his wish for a new centre-back unfulfilled last summer, is in agreement with the Blues that they need to bring one in when the winter window opens.

Chelsea’s lack of options was laid bare during their 2-1 win over Liverpool at Stamford Bridge just prior to the international break, with Trevoh Chalobah suspended and missing the clash alongside the injured Wesley Fofana, Tosin Adarabioyo and Levi Colwill.

While Fofana and Tosin are expected to be available for Chelsea’s Premier League return against Nottingham Forest this weekend, alongside Chalobah, who’s served his one-match suspension after being sent off against Brighton, the centre of defence needs to be solidified with proven quality.

Chelsea tried to sign Dean Huijsen from Bournemouth before the Spaniard’s move to Real Madrid, and internally discussed the possibility of a new centre-back later in the summer after Colwill’s ACL injury.

However, after failing to source the right profile, Chelsea ultimately didn’t move for one, with Maresca and Stamford Bridge chiefs now set to prioritise defensive reinforcements in January (Pete O’Rourke).

Chelsea also wanted another goalkeeper, as evident by their summer talks for AC Milan’s Mike Maignan and links to Gianluigi Donnarumma, with Cobham academy graduate Marc Guehi also mentioned as a BlueCo target for 2026.

Chelsea are believed to be assessing targets right now, and they’ve got their eyes on a few key men from Barcelona.

Chelsea offered Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo

One of them, according to journalist Graeme Bailey, is £208,000-per-week defender Ronald Araujo.

The Uruguay international, who’s captained Hansi Flick’s La Liga champions each time he’s started a game this season, is under contract until 2031 and will likely command a premium price tag.

He’s also not overly keen on leaving Catalonia as things stand either, but Bailey has told TBR Football that Chelsea have been offered the chance to sign Araujo regardless, potentially by Barça themselves, considering their well-documented financial problems.

The 26-year-old was in and out of Flick’s starting eleven last term, and missed the first half of 2024/2025 with a serious hamstring injury.

Despite injuries thwarting his momentum across Flick’s debut campaign as Barcelona boss, Araujo has now worked his way back into being a firm regular, and his top-level experience could be exactly what Chelsea need.

During his time at Barça, Puyol has also lavished Araujo as one of the best centre-backs in world football.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank has been left unimpressed by one of the players he inherited, and may look to replace him in the January transfer window.

Spurs move up to third after victory at the Hill Dickinson

With Tottenham finishing 17th in the Premier League last season, Frank was always going to have a tough job on his hands trying to turn the north London club back into contenders at the top end of the table, but the Dane has made a solid start.

Courtesy of the 3-0 victory against Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Sunday, Spurs are now up to third in the Premier League table, with the manager taking the time to praise his side’s performance after the match.

Micky van de Ven secured the first brace of his career in the 3-0 victory, meaning the centre-back is now tied with Richarlison as the Lilywhites’ top goalscorer in all competitions this season, with the Brazilian also on three goals.

However, two of the Brazilian’s goals came on the opening day of the campaign against Burnley, with the 28-year-old failing to find the back of the net on a regular basis, while Dominic Solanke has had a different problem since moving to the capital.

The striker has suffered consistent injury issues since arriving in north London, making just two substitute appearances in the Premier League this season, and Frank is now unimpressed by the former AFC Bournemouth man.

That is according to a report from Football Insider, which claims the Tottenham boss doesn’t fancy Solanke, with the manager now deciding he wants to sign a new striker, and the Englishman could be replaced in the January transfer window.

Having suffered an ankle injury, the 28-year-old is set to spend a prolonged period on the sidelines, which could be an issue, given that Mathys Tel isn’t exactly flourishing, having scored just one Premier League goal in seven appearances.

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Spurs have taken the lead in the race for an “intelligent” midfielder

ByDominic Lund Oct 26, 2025 "Fantastic" Solanke needs to put injury problems behind him

If Frank is questioning the three-time England international due to his injury record, he may have a point, given that he has spent a lot of time on the treatment table over the course of the past two seasons.

Season

Games missed due to injury

2024-25

14

2025-26

12

However, should the centre-forward be able to overcome his issues, he could be a better option than the likes of Tel and Richarlison, having amassed 21 goal contributions in all competitions last term, in what was an impressive debut campaign.

Once described as a “fantastic footballer” by Ange Postecoglou, Solanke, who rakes in £140k-a-week, could re-emerge as an important player for Tottenham, and it would be a little hasty for Frank to sanction a departure in the January transfer window.