England believe that the chaotic final half-hour at the Gabba swung the opening day of the second Ashes Test in their favour, after Joe Root and Jofra Archer’s unbroken tenth-wicket stand of 61 took them to 325 for 9 under lights.At the scheduled 9pm close, England were 269 for 9 after 68 overs, with Root unbeaten on 111. It was a remarkably similar situation to the opening day of the 2023 series between these teams in Edgbaston, when Ben Stokes declared with Root on 118 to give England four overs to bowl at Australia before the close.The added element of the pink ball – and the opportunity to bowl at Australia under floodlights – strengthened the case for a declaration, prompting David Warner on Fox commentary to say he was “absolutely baffled” that Stokes had not pulled the plug on England’s innings.Related

• Root ton, Starc six as England reach 325 for 9 on opening day in Brisbane

• Crawley settles the nerves as he bounces back from Perth pair

• Starc on left-arm wickets record: Wasim still the GOAT

Steven Smith, who had floated the prospect of opening the batting with two nightwatchers in such a scenario, was at pains to slow the game down as much as possible, and Root remonstrated with umpire Sharfuddoula at Australia’s apparent time-wasting when Travis Head got padded up to spend a single ball under the helmet at short leg.But Root and Archer seized the opportunity to tee off, adding 56 runs in the final six overs of the day in a partnership that Zak Crawley said had changed the mood of the day for England’s players, who watched on from the viewing gallery outside the away dressing room. “We definitely won that last hour,” Crawley said. “We’re positive going into tomorrow.”Joe Root and Jofra Archer added an unbeaten 61 off 44 balls before stumps•Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

Archer, batting at No. 11 for only the second time in Test cricket, started the carnage by charging Scott Boland and swiping him over square leg for the first six of the day off the first ball of an over that cost 19 runs. He then swung Mitchell Starc’s full toss over the sprawling Brendan Doggett at long-on, and Root reverse-scooped Boland over deep third in the following over.By stumps, Archer had registered a new Test best of 32 not out, while Root reached 135 overnight. Their stand was England’s first half-century partnership for the tenth wicket since Jonny Bairstow and James Anderson added 66 in the drawn Old Trafford Test in the 2023 Ashes, and their first in Australia since Norman Cowans and Derek Pringle in 1982.Starc, whose six wickets had put Australia firmly on top, was exasperated not only with the state of the old pink ball, but with his team-mates’ lack of situational awareness. “If you have a look at that ball, it’s basically bowling with a tennis ball,” he told SEN radio. “They chanced their arm, there were a few that dropped short. I think there’s a little bit of tactical nous in there as well.

“Hopefully, we take that tenth one early tomorrow and get batting with the sun out. We saw that it [the ball] didn’t do a whole lot, and day two is generally a good day to bat on. If we can get stuck into batting early tomorrow when there’s sun on the wicket – and their balls go soft as well – it could be a good day’s cricket.”Crawley, who had briefly changed back into his whites in anticipation of fielding, said that the situation had been “perfect” for England. “There was no talk of a declaration,” he said. “We were just saying, ‘Go really hard,’ and it was a win-win: if it comes off, then we’ll get 50 runs like we did, or if you got out, then we could have a crack at them under lights.”They’re valuable runs and it would’ve worked out either way… We were pretty happy with [being bowled out for] 260 and having an hour at them at that point, to be honest. We were quite optimistic about that last hour, and then it turned out we batted for all of it. It felt like it was a great chance for us either way – with bat or ball – to seize that last hour.”Australia only bowled 74 overs out of the scheduled 90 on the first day, which Simon Katich described as “an absolute joke”. They risk being docked World Test Championship points if they fail to bowl England out inside 80 overs. “The over rates are what they are,” Starc said. “If we keep taking the wickets, they won’t worry about it.”

Harshit Rana had aggressively pointed to the dressing room after getting rid of Dewald Brevis in the first India vs South Africa ODI

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Dec-20252:05

Harshit Rana: ‘Don’t care about outside noise; focus is on cricket’

Harshit Rana has been pulled up and has had a demerit point added to his disciplinary record for his gesture at Dewald Brevis after dismissing the batter, which was a breach of the ICC’s code of conduct, in the first India vs South Africa ODI in Ranchi on Sunday.In a statement on Wednesday, the day of the second ODI, ICC said Rana’s gesture “breached Article 2.5” of the code, which relates to “using language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batter”. It was Rana’s first offence in a 24-month period.A level 1 breach such as this carries a minimum penalty of an official reprimand, a maximum penalty of 50% of a player’s match fee, and one or two demerit points.Related

Harshit takes the first step in fast bowlers' race for 2027 WC

The incident took place in the 22nd over of South Africa’s chase of India’s 349, when Rana dismissed Brevis caught at deep point by Ruturaj Gaikwad and pointed in the direction of the dressing room.Brevis fell at a crucial juncture in the game when South Africa were 130 in the 22nd over and he was in a strong-looking partnership with Matthew Breetzke, who was South Africa’s top-scorer with 72. Rana had earlier sent back Ryan Rickelton and Quinton de Kock and finished with 3 for 65. Virat Kohli had earlier scored 135 in 120 balls – a record 52nd ODI century for him – to headline India’s batting effort after South Africa had won the toss and inserted them.Rana admitted to the offence after the charge was levelled by on-field umpires Jayaraman Madanagopal and Sam Nogajski, third umpire Rod Tucker and fourth umpire Rohan Pandit.

Everton boss David Moyes opened up on Jack Grealish's injury fear after Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall's blow during the Chelsea clash. The Toffees went down 2-0 against the Blues at Stamford Bridge on Saturday as Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto were on target for the hosts. This was Everton's sixth defeat of the Premier League season as they dropped to eighth in the league.

• Palmer stars in Chelsea's win

  Chelsea and English star Palmer scored his first goal for the Blues since September as the attacker returned from injury to help his side beat Everton 2-0 in the Premier League on Saturday. Amid an injury-hit season, the Blues talisman opened the scoring before the excellent Malo Gusto doubled the hosts' advantage. The Toffees barely laid a glove on Enzo Maresca's team as they claimed their first victory in five matches in all competitions.

  Reacting to his performance against the Toffees, Palmer told BBC Sport after the match: "The game is never finished. We had many chances, we missed. But overall I'm happy with the clean sheet and the performance. We said many times with Cole [Palmer] we are a better team. Unfortunately, he was out for many games for us, but now he's back and for sure he will help us. 

  "Maresca was also quick to laud the performances of Reece James and Malo Gusto – who scored and bagged an assist against Everton. They are good players and when they are good players they can play in every position. They can play full-back and midfielder. [Malo Gusto] took the chance and his assist for Cole, so I am very happy for Malo. If we are not able to win, win, win that still doesn't mean we're not ready to compete for titles. When you don't concede it's not just about one player, it's about all the team. Joao Pedro's press, Alejandro Garnacho's press."

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  Moyes opened up on injury problems

  Everton dealt with a couple of injury blows during Saturday's clash, starting with Dewsbury-Hall's injury as he was forced off the ground in the 16th minute and was replaced by Carlos Alcaraz. Star winger and Manchester City loanee Grealish also complained about a hamstring after the full time whistle.

  Providing an update on Grealish's condition, Moyes said: "Jack felt his hamstring so we just need to be careful with these boys."

  On Dewsbury-Hall's situation, Moyes added: "It disrupted us for about 10, 15 minutes. “I thought we'd started the game well. In that period we just lost the goal… it’s hard to be disappointed with a lot of the stuff we've done. But I'm disappointed because we didn't win, disappointed because we've got a couple injuries, but not disappointed with how the players are going about it."

• Maresca analyses Chelsea's performance

  Speaking on his team's performance against Everton, manager Maresca told reporters: "This is the reason why I praise the players because with so many problems they are doing very well after a complicated week. Since I joined the club the last 48 hours has been the worst 48 hours since I joined the club because many people didn’t support us. So very happy for Malo in that moment that the effort from Malo and the rest showed that they are all there and want to help this club. Worst 48 hours since I joined the club because people didn’t support me and the team. The Chelsea also boss was then asked if the issue was an internal problem or related to supporters and explained: In general. I love the fans and I am very happy with the fans."

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  Chelsea's hectic December schedule

  Chelsea still have four games to play before the end of the calendar year, starting on Tuesday with a Carabao Cup quarter-final tie at Cardiff City. The Blues then finish off 2025 with Premier League fixtures against Newcastle, Aston Villa and Bournemouth.

Former Chelsea midfielder Oscar is reportedly set to retire after collapsing during a training-ground exercise test with Sao Paulo and later being diagnosed with vasovagal syncope, a condition affecting heart rate and blood pressure. The 34-year-old, who returned to his boyhood club last December, has now informed Sao Paulo of his intention to end his career following the frightening incident.

Former Chelsea star hospitalized after collapsing in training

Oscar was hospitalised after collapsing while using an exercise bike during an interval test at Sao Paulo’s training facility, prompting immediate admission to the ICU for monitoring. Subsequent examinations confirmed he had suffered vasovagal syncope, a condition that causes a sudden drop in heart rate and blood pressure. Following discussions with the club, Oscar has now expressed his desire to retire, as reported by Brazilian outlet Globo, with a formal announcement expected soon.

Advertisement(C)Getty ImagesOscar set to retire just a year after return to Brazil

The shock news brings a dramatic halt to a career that began at Sao Paulo, peaked at Chelsea, and saw an unexpected rebirth in China before his emotional return to Brazil last year. His comeback season had already been disrupted by a fractured vertebra, during which early signs of a potential heart issue were reportedly detected. This latest episode has underlined the long-term health risks involved, leading the midfielder to prioritise personal wellbeing over continuing his professional journey. Oscar wrote on Instagram, "Everything will be alright, God willing,” to reassure his followers following his hospital admission.

Oscar's storied career…

Oscar had joined Sao Paulo last December on a three-year deal after nearly eight years in China, where he became one of the league’s standout performers both statistically and in silverware. Earlier in his career, he made 203 appearances for Chelsea, scoring 38 goals, winning two Premier League titles, the Europa League and the League Cup before completing a record transfer to Shanghai in 2017. His time in China saw him collect major trophies and amass substantial earnings, but his return to Brazil has unexpectedly ended on medical grounds rather than sporting terms.

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Getty ImagesOscar's official retirement to be announced soon…

Sao Paulo are now expected to collaborate with Oscar and his medical team to finalise the formal retirement announcement and outline the next steps in his transition away from the pitch. The player, who reassured supporters following his hospitalisation, will likely focus on recovery and long-term health management as he adjusts to life after football.

There was definitely some magic in the air at Great American Ballpark on Friday night.

The Milwaukee Brewers, powered by Christian Yelich and his custom Bob Uecker bat, a perfect tribute to the late former MLB catcher and announcer, stormed back to erase an 8-1 deficit and win a franchise record-tying 13th straight game with the 10-8 win over the Reds. And while the victory was undoubtedly one of the Brewers' most improbable of the season, there was never any doubt, particularly among Yelich.

Down 8-1, the 2018 National League MVP looked at his manager Pat Murphy in the dugout and firmly guaranteed his club would emerge victorious.

"… He told me on the bench, straight up, it was 8-1, he said, 'We're going to win this game,’" Murphy said, via Adam McCalvy. "How do you make that statement? He looked at me and said, 'We're going to win this game.'

"And then—it happened."

Yelich himself confirmed that his bold declaration also happened.

"Yeah," Yelich said when asked if he had said that to Murphy, via the . "We've been in that situation before. We seem to always kind of make it close. Just with the way our team is, I knew we weren't going to get our doors blown off. We were going to find a way to get back into that thing. Just kind of a room full of fighters and guys that don't care what the scoreboard says…

Spurred by a Yelich RBI double and Andrew Vaughn three-run homer, Milwaukee put up a five-spot in the top of the third inning to quickly cut into the deficit, then tied the game in the top of the fourth inning thanks to—guess who—Yelich.

A never-surrender type attitude certainly was paramount to the Brewers' victory, but it would be naive to think that there wasn't a little Uecker magic going on at the ballpark. Yelich, who was dealing with an injury last summer, was unable to use the blue Louisville Slugger, which featured a picture of the iconic announcer, a tribute to his signature play-by-play call and was designed for MLB's Players' Weekend.

But there he was on Friday night, using the bat en route to a 4-for-5 performance at the plate, the perfect tribute to Uecker, who passed away in January.

"…When it comes to that guy [Uecker], nothing surprises me," Yelich continued. "You guys have been around him a lot too. Stuff like that, that's just part of 'Ueck. If you know 'Ueck, you know crazy things like that are going to happen when he's involved. It just adds to how special tonight was with the guys and the comeback win… Just a pretty cool, full-circle moment."

Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Luis Ortiz is under investigation by MLB, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN. While MLB did not initially specify details of the investigation, sources told Ken Rosenthal and Zack Meisel of that the league's probe is related to gambling.

The Guardians confirmed the news of the investigation in a statement on Thursday, adding that Ortiz, 26, was placed on paid leave.

"The Guardians have been notified by Major League Baseball that Luis Ortiz has been placed on leave per an agreement with the Players' Association due to an ongoing league investigation," the team said in the statement. "The Guardians are not permitted to comment further at this time, and will respect the league's confidential investigative process."

Ortiz was slated to make his 17th start of the season against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on Thursday. Joey Cantillo will start in place of Ortiz for the Guardians.

Ortiz has recorded a 4.36 ERA and 96 strikeouts in 88 2/3 innings pitched in 2025. Last year, Ortiz racked up 3.1 WAR and pitched to a career-best 3.32 ERA as a starter and swingman out of Cleveland's bullpen.

After being considered "hour-to-hour" by coach John Schneider on Tuesday (via MLB reporter Keegan Matheson), the Blue Jays revealed outfielder George Springer's status for Game 4 just under two hours before the first pitch vs. the Dodgers.

Springer was not included in Toronto's initial lineup vs. Los Angeles. The Blue Jays star left Monday night's marathon 18-inning game in the seventh inning, hours before the game actually ended.

It was determined Springer left with right side discomfort, per MLB, and that he would be undergoing an MRI to learn the severity of the injury. Springer left the field after fouling off a pitch from Dodgers reliever Justin Wrobleski in the top of the seventh inning and did not return.

Springer normally leads off for the Blue Jays, so in his absence, Nathan Lukes will take the leadoff spot for Toronto in an important Game 4. The Dodgers now hold a 2–1 lead over the Blue Jays after the 6–5 win on Monday night. The Blue Jays will need to win on Tuesday night to even out the series and avoid being on the brink of losing.

Through the postseason thus far, Springer has registered 14 hits, 13 runs and four home runs, including a three-run homer that helped the Blue Jays win the ALCS over the Mariners in Game 7. He's averaged .246/.323/.561 through 14 postseason games.

استقر الاتحاد المصري لكرة السلة، على تغيير الصالة المستضيفة لمباراة الأهلي والاتحاد السكندري في نهائي كأس السوبر المصري.

وعلم بطولات من مصادر خاصة، أن اتحاد السلة استقر على تغيير صالة نهائي السوبر المصري لكرة السلة بين الاهلي والاتحاد السكندري.

طالع.. الأهلي يتوج بدوري المرتبط لكرة السلة بعد انسحاب الاتحاد السكندري

ويدرس اتحاد كرة السلة إقامة المباراة في صالة أخرى غير صالة هيئة قناة السويس بالإسماعيلية مراعاة لرغبة الاهلي والاتحاد.

يذكر أن الأهلي قد توج ببطولة دوري المرتبط، بعد انسحاب الاتحاد عقب أزمة مع الجماهير خلال واحدة من المباريات.

MatériaMais Notícias

Ex-técnico do Botafogo, Tiago Nunes foi anunciado como novo treinador da Universidad Católica, do Chile. O brasileiro assinou contrato até o fim de 2024 com a nova equipe.

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➡ CHANCE DUPLA! Aposte R$200 na Lance! Betting e ganhe R$350 se o Brasil empatar ou vencer a Inglaterra

O comandante deixou o Alvinegro há algumas semanas após um melancólico final de 2023, além de um início ruim na atual temporada. Além disso, o treinador entrou em polêmicas com parte do elenco do Glorioso e externou publicamente sua insatisfação com alguns processos.

No Chile, Tiago Nunes terá a missão de conduzir a Universidad Católica para competições continentais. Na fase preliminar da Sul-Americana, o clube foi eliminado para o Coquimbo Unido e disputa apenas o Campeonato Chileno.

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No Brasil, Tiago Nunes conseguiu ter sucesso no comando do Athletico-PR, onde conquistou os títulos da Copa do Brasil e Sul-Americana. Além disso, o comandante tem experiência fora do país, uma vez que já trabalhou no Sporting Cristal, do Peru.

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Tiago NunesUniversidad Católica

As Monday’s historic, World Series Game 3 marathon began its descent into silly territory, Blue Jays manager John Schneider received a message from his Game 4 starter: Shane Bieber wanted his skipper to know, in the 11th inning the night before he was scheduled to take the mound, that he was ready to start warming up.

As it turned out, Bieber didn’t get the call to enter the 18-inning affair (which the Dodgers won, 6–5). Instead, he’d wait one more night to save Toronto’s season.

Facing the possibility of going down 3–1 in the series and armed with a bullpen running on whatever comes after fumes, Bieber turned in 5 1/3 innings of one-run ball to spearhead a 6–2 Blue Jays win in Game 4 of the World Series, evening things up at two games apiece.

It was just the latest contribution from a player who has quickly surged up the list of most impactful Blue Jays, despite beginning the season still recovering from Tommy John surgery while wearing a different uniform.

Bieber didn’t make his debut for his new team until Aug. 22, nearly 17 months from his most recent big-league game. But despite the injury and uncertainty about how he would perform after a lengthy rehab, the Blue Jays made him a priority at the trade deadline, along with several additional role players who have made crucial contributions to getting Toronto this close to the franchise’s first championship in more than 30 years.

“It's not an easy thing to do, get traded from the only team you've been with and then just have your life kind of flipped upside down in a new country and things, with a family,” Schneider said after Game 4. “But he just settled in really well, and these are the spots that we acquired him for.”

Bieber’s night was far from dominant. He allowed three of the first seven batters he faced to reach base, and gave up the game’s first run on a sacrifice fly from Kiké Hernández in the bottom of the second. He generated just five whiffs on 34 swings (14.7%).

But he kept a powerful Dodgers lineup in check, allowing just four hits (all singles) and pitching around traffic. He stymied Game 3 star (and Tuesday night’s opposing starting pitcher) Shohei Ohtani, walking him to lead off the game before striking him out twice. Less than 24 hours after reaching base nine times, Ohtani finished the game 0-for-3.

From being out of major league action for a year and a half, to changing teams and countries of residence, to winning a World Series outing, it has been a whirlwind few months for Bieber, the 2020 American League Cy Young Award winner and two-time All-Star. But he has quickly made himself feel at home with his new team while pitching on the game’s biggest stage.

“[It was] the first time I’ve ever been traded, so I didn't know exactly what to expect,” Bieber said of the transition. “Ultimately I feel like the organization, the families within it, my teammates, their families, have helped my wife and I acclimate better than I ever expected … I couldn’t be happier.”

Bieber’s not alone as a recently-arrived Blue Jay who’s stepping up in the postseason. Relief pitchers Louis Varland and Seranthony Domínguez—acquired at the deadline from the Twins and Orioles, respectively—are now vital high-leverage arms Schneider relies upon to bridge the gap between his starting pitchers and closer Jeff Hoffman.

Varland, for his part, has appeared in 13 of Toronto’s 15 games this postseason, striking out 16 batters in 14 innings. He has thrown at least 20 pitches seven times during that span.

“He's kind of a different animal,” Schneider said of Varland. “It's not normal to put a guy in as much as I have and have his stuff be consistent. I was talking to [GM] Ross [Atkins] at the deadline. He was one guy that I really wanted to acquire. There were a lot of big arms out there, big available arms, and the combination of his stuff and just kind of knowing his personality a little bit … he’s been nothing short of amazing. It’s not easy to do what he’s doing, pitching this much and in high leverage. But I trust the hell out of him.”

The Blue Jays have gotten help on the margins, too, from less-heralded acquisitions on the position player side. Veterans Ty France and Isiah Kiner-Falefa have each been called into duty after injuries to Toronto’s regulars. France made his postseason debut during Monday’s extra-inning affair, going 1-for-3 off the bench, and had an RBI groundout on Tuesday to add an insurance run in the seventh inning. Kiner-Falefa has appeared in 13 playoff games (eight starts) and went 5-for-15 during the final four games of the ALCS to help the Blue Jays erase an 0–2 series deficit.

Add it all together, and the moves point to an organization that has successfully prioritized culture fits and niche roster needs over chasing big names.

“You have to give some credit to the front office there,” infielder Ernie Clement said. “They didn’t just get really, really good baseball players, they got really, really good people who fit right in in the locker room. It felt like all those guys came over and just fit right in immediately.”