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Mason Miller is ready for whatever role his new team has in store for him.

The Athletics shipped the 26-year-old reliever to the San Diego Padres in a blockbuster deal before the MLB trade deadline and his role is set to change. The All-Star closer has now moved into a setup role for another All-Star closer, Robert Suarez.

The Padres had three relievers on the National League All-Star team this year and have now added Miller, so things could get crowded in the team's bullpen. That's fine with Miller.

During an appearance on , Miller said he's open to whatever the Padres have in mind.

"So far we've had discussions and I think everybody has kind of came to the same conclusion that everybody has the same goal of wanting to make it to October and make a deep run and compete for a World Series," Miller said. "And whatever that role is, I'm prepared to do that. I know that these guys have had a lot of success here, so it's kind of figuring out how I fit into that equation while also keeping everybody fresh."

The big question since the Padres landed Miller is whether or not he'll remain in the bullpen for the rest of his time with the team. He is under team control for another four years after the 2025 season, and came to the big leagues as a starting pitcher. Given the haul San Diego surrendered to acquire him and the team's glut of high-end relievers, a move to the starting rotation would make sense.

Maharaj produced his best ODI figures yet to help down Australia, showing he still has plenty to offer

Firdose Moonda19-Aug-2025If you thought Keshav Maharaj was done trying to make a point about his ability, think again. And watch how he responded to being left out of South Africa’s T20 squad.In his first white-ball game since being overlooked in the shortest format, Maharaj scooped career-best figures of 5 for 33 and his entire haul came in the first 17 overs of Australia’s innings. In helpful conditions, Maharaj produced some of his best work: a consistent stump to stump line, clever use of his angles especially from around the wicket and just the right amount of spin to show off his skills. Asked if that performance was good to remind the coaches of what he can do, Maharaj giggled awkwardly but could not hide that he “definitely,” enjoyed the statement he made.”I want to play all three formats, so I was a bit disappointed (to be out of the T20Is). But I think the coaching staff felt a certain way,” he said to reporters after the first ODI in Cairns. “It’s nice to put in a performance to show that I can do it in the shorter formats of the game. Whatever is meant to be, will be at the end of the day, I’m just focussing on my cricket and enjoying my cricket and I want to try to win games for my country.”Related

• Australia set to face another trial by spin but Subrayen won't play

• Road to 2027: Questions for Australia and South Africa

• Maharaj's masterful maiden ODI five-for hands South Africa 1-0 series lead

• Rabada ruled out of Australia ODI series with ankle inflammation

The “certain way” head coach Shukri Conrad (who was operating as sole selector but will now choose squads with convenor of selectors Patrick Moroney) felt was that he needed bowlers who could also offer something with the bat. As a result, allrounders George Linde and Senuran Muthusamy made the T20 squad with the understanding that Maharaj does not have the same batting ability, more so recently. Since rupturing his Achilles in 2023, Maharaj has been open about how his batting may have suffered further, because of the work he needed to put into recovering enough to bowl. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t want to be a better batter, he has just had to prioritise where he puts his focus.For the last year, that has largely been on the longest format, where he played a key role in South Africa’s run to the World Test Championship (WTC) crown. In the 2023-2025 cycle, Maharaj was South Africa’s second highest wicket-taker (41 wickets at 20.95) and is also the only South African spinner with more than 200 Test wickets to his name.

“A lot of people ask me what’s next? And even though I’m 35 years old, I believe in my journey. I’m always learning. The day I stop learning is the day that I have to walk away from the game”Keshav Maharaj believes he is a ‘scholar of the game’

Those numbers make it easy to forget what he does with the white ball, so let’s remind you. At the 2023 ODI World Cup, he had South Africa’s best economy rate of 4.15 and was their third highest wicket-taker. At the 2024 T20 World Cup, he was their joint third-highest wicket-taker and he was in the top five wicket-takers in the SA20 last season, when he led Durban’s Super Giants to the final.It might be that because he has already done all these things, and is now 35 years old that it seems as though Maharaj’s career is winding down but he has always rejected that. He previously told ESPNcricinfo, he’d like to consider the age of 40 as the time to step away but was willing to push that further out as long as he was still contributing. His first ODI five-for, which came in his 49th match is proof of what he still has to offer and that he has it in him to keep improving.”There’s a lot more that I want to learn and a lot more for me to sort of achieve in my career, especially with the team. I want to try to win more trophies together as a nation,” he said. “Hopefully I can keep raising that bar for spinners coming through in our system. A lot of people ask me what’s next? And even though I’m 35 years old, I believe in my journey. I’m always learning. The day I stop learning is the day that I have to walk away from the game. I’d like to think I’m a scholar of the game. I watch a lot of cricket. I’m always bouncing ideas, even from the younger generation. Because it’s nice to see how the difference in thinking works. I’d like to think I’m getting better as age goes on.”How Keshav Maharaj went through Australia•ESPNcricinfo LtdThere’s no better a place for Maharaj to have done that than Australia, the country where he made his international debut in the Test side, nine years ago. Then, his rise was a credit to seasons of commitment to fitness and a fine-tuning of his craft and his first match in Perth marked the start of an incredibly successful long-format career. Now, he hopes being back in Australia is a new beginning of sorts as he also tries to re-establish his white-ball credentials amid changes in thinking.”Australia is the place where I came to debut, so it’s a wonderful, nostalgic feeling coming back here and getting my first ODI five-for,” he said.While he celebrated his first four wickets with the usual gusto of screams and prayers for his late grandmother, his fifth – Aaron Hardie, who was bowled – was commemorated in a less demonstrative way. Maharaj eventually bowed to the earth, in his own time, and allowed himself to fully absorb the significance of what he had done.”I’m not someone who bowls for five-fors. I’m a process-driven person, so I judge myself on my consistency and my length so it was more a sigh of relief to finally tick the box,” he said. “You dream of playing international cricket, you dream of putting in match winning performances, and the dreams keep building. But to be able to tick the box of getting a five-for will always be special.”It may also be one of the reasons South Africa turn back to Maharaj when their T20 World Cup planning resumes.

Devonshire suffered a laceration on her bowling hand in training

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Oct-2025New Zealand’s left-arm spinner Flora Devonshire has been ruled out of the ODI World Cup with an injury to her bowling hand. Seamer Hannah Rowe has been approved as Devonshire’s replacement.Devonshire, 22, was set to feature in her maiden ODI World Cup campaign but suffered a laceration on her left hand during a training session. Her injury will need two to three weeks to heal.”We’re all feeling for Flora,” head coach Ben Sawyer said. “She worked hard to earn her spot in this squad and it’s a real shame her tournament is ending early.”Rowe has played 60 ODIs so far and will now feature in her third ODI World Cup. She will not be available for New Zealand’s game against South Africa on October 6 and will join the following day.”We’re pleased to be able to call up a senior player in Hannah Rowe,” Sawyer said. “Hannah’s obviously not a like-for-like replacement for Flora, but she offers an all-round skillset and has experience in sub-continent conditions.”New Zealand lost the opening game of their campaign to Australia by 89 runs. After facing South Africa on October 6 in Indore, New Zealand fly to Guwahati to face Bangladesh on October 10.

Simon Jordan just revealed that he put a “consortium” together in a bid to buy Sheffield Wednesday, revealing his next steps in the takeover race.

Mike Ashley submits offer to buy Sheffield Wednesday

It’s set to be a busy week for Sheffield Wednesday as they close in on their soft deadline of December 5. The Owls have not been short on interest and are now reportedly set to whittle that interest down to serious bidders.

A number of names have been mentioned along the way on that front, including John McEvoy and Ryan Howsam, but it’s Mike Ashley who’s reportedly submitted an opening bid.

The former Newcastle United owner has supposedly tabled an offer worth £20m, only to be turned down by administrators who have had bids in the region of £30m.

With so much interest, Sheffield Wednesday must ensure that they’re not simply accepting the highest bid, however. They’ve already had to tell Sheffield United where to go amid rumours that their American owners were set to propose a shock merger and must take that same stance with any other unacceptable proposals.

That said, if Ashley does return with an offer to match the £30m bid set by others, then he should be someone to consider. The 61-year-old was often criticised at Newcastle, but there’s no denying that he brought financial stability – clearing their debts – and that’s exactly what Sheffield Wednesday need.

Sheffield Wednesday respond to £20m takeover bid as Mike Ashley plots next step

The former Newcastle United owner has made his move.

By
Tom Cunningham

Nov 27, 2025

Alas, Ashley’s not the only ex-Premier League owner who’s had interest in the club since they’ve entered administration. Former Crystal Palace chief Jordan has now revealed where he stands in the race to buy the club.

Jordan reveals "consortium" to buy Sheffield Wednesday

Speaking to talkSPORT, Jordan revealed that he put together a “consortium” to buy Sheffield Wednesday, before deciding to drop out of the race to complete a takeover amid concerns that he’d be “rewarding” Dejphon Chansiri.

With Jordan out of the race, Sheffield Wednesday have seen their options whittled down even further ahead of the deadline, but there’s no doubt that they’ve still got enough interest.

Whether that means they’ll turn towards Ashley is the big question. He has experience in the world of football, yet he is behind in the bidding war as things stand.

Sheffield-born takeover candidate makes key contact in race to buy Sheffield Wednesday

A former Saudi Arabian sports minister has unleashed a withering assessment of the Saudi Pro League, claiming Cristiano Ronaldo is the only foreign player in the competition justifying their wages. Prince Abdullah bin Mosaad lauded Ronaldo's unparalleled ability to bring global exposure to the league. The 40-year-old extended his stay in the country when he signed a new two-year deal with Al-Nassr in the summer.

• Former minister claims Ronaldo only player to justify wage

  Bin Mosaad served as the country's sports minister between 2014 and 2017, before Mohamed Bin Salman's administration began heavily investing in sports projects including the SPL.

  The politician was speaking on Arab-language channel Al-Arabiya, when he was asked about his opinion on record-chasing striker Ronaldo. Bin Mosaad was effusive in his praise of the 40-year-old Portugal star, while also taking a swipe at his well-paid peers. 

  Ronaldo joined Al-Nassr in January 2023, after his second spell with Manchester United ended in acrimony. His high-profile switch to the Gulf state paved the way for a host of prominent players such as Karim Benzema, Sadio Mane and Riyad Mahrez to leave European football for the promise of higher wages.

  The former Real Madrid and Juventus star's stay in the kingdom was extended earlier this year, with Ronaldo signing an improved deal worth a reported $211m-per-year.

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  Ronaldo's global impact for Saudi Pro League praised

  "Ronaldo is the only foreign player worth what he earns because of the global exposure he brings to the league and the country. Many others are paid far more than they deserve," said Bin Mosaad.

  "The international renown that Ronaldo brings is unparalleled. He is the only foreign player whose impact justifies the level of his salary. No one else has done that for the league."

  Prince Abdullah's words reflect the fact that Ronaldo is more than simply a footballer in Saudi Arabia, he is a sporting icon and an ambassador for the SPL and the nation's push for sporting excellence as a whole. The levels of sponsorship and commercial revenue that the Portuguese frontman brings to the country are impossible to match, and, on top of all of that, he continues to do the business and justify his salary on the pitch, too.

• Ronaldo continues to star in Saudi in twilight of career

  The 40-year-old stunned fans once again last weekend as he scored a stunning bicycle kick to put Al-Nassr 4-1 up on Al Khaleej in the Saudi Pro League. He has already struck 11 goals in 12 matches this campaign, backing up Prince Abdullah's claims. But even the great man Ronaldo himself concedes that he is reaching the latter stages of his illustrious career.

  He recently said: "I'm really enjoying the moment right now. As you know, in football, when you reach some age, you count the months very quick. I feel very good in this moment. I score goals, I still feel quick and sharp. I'm enjoying my game in the national team. But of course, let's be honest. What I mean by soon is probably one or two years."

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  Ronaldo counting down to World Cup

  Bin Mosaad's comments reflect the fact that Ronaldo is a global icon of the sort that the Saudi Pro League has never seen before and might never see again. He continues to appear head and shoulders above opponents and will hope to show his world-class ability again for what could be the last-ever time at the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

  The Portugal captain has avoided a ban for the start of the competition, following the confirmation that his red card against the Republic of Ireland during the most recent international break will not carry over into the tournament. Next summer's edition is set to be Ronaldo's sixth World Cup, with the trophy representing the elusive major honour that the great man has failed to secure in his career to date. His red-hot form in Saudi will stand him in good stead as he aims to make a massive impact on the tournament.

The Brewers punched their ticket to the NLCS by following the same formula that earned them a league-high 97 wins this season—timely hitting, dominant pitching and elite defense. Unfortunately for Milwaukee, its offense didn’t make the trip to the league championship round.

Milwaukee was held to exactly one run yet again in Game 3, falling 3–1 to the Dodgers on Thursday night in Los Angeles. The Brewers, trailing 3–0 in the series, are now just one loss away from being swept out of the NLCS, a round they’ve reached just four times in franchise history.

It’s not difficult to pinpoint where the Brewers have gone wrong. Through three games, Milwaukee has scored a total of three runs while batting .101 as a team with just nine hits. According to TNT Sports, the Brewers have the fewest hits (nine) through three games of a playoff series since the White Sox in 1906.

No, that is not a typo. The White Sox had just nine hits in the first three games of the 1906 World Series against the Cubs.

It is worth noting the White Sox won that World Series in six games—although they were able to take two of the first three games, unlike the Brewers, who could be packing their bags for the offseason as early as Friday night in Game 4.

Who needs to step up for the Brewers?

Is “everyone”a suitable answer?

Christian Yelich led the team with 29 homers and a .795 OPS in the regular season, but he’s batting just .200/.294/.233 in the postseason and an even worse 1-for-11 (.091) in the NLCS. Young stars Brice Turang and Jackson Chourio are a combined 2-for-23 against the Dodgers, and Andrew Vaughn—a hero in the NLDS—is still looking for his first NLCS hit.

Milwaukee’s best bat this series has been Caleb Durbin, a bottom-of-the-order option in manager Pat Murphy’s lineup who has three hits in nine at-bats against Los Angeles.

“We’re in a big hole,” Yelich said Thursday after the Game 3 loss. “Our goal right now should be to get the series back to Milwaukee. And worry about the rest later. We can’t look at it as we’ve got to win four in a row. Obviously we do, But we can’t win four [games] without winning one or without winning two.”

The Brewers will try to keep their season alive Friday night with the second game of the NLCS at Dodger Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 8:38 p.m. ET.

Benjamin Sesko’s agent has delivered an update on the injured Manchester United striker, as he prepares to rejoin the fold at Old Trafford, while backing Ruben Amorim to deliver a Premier League title challenge. The Red Devils remain a work in progress for now, but £74 million ($99m) frontman Sesko forms part of ambitious short and long-term plans.

• Sesko injury: When Man Utd striker was ruled out

  United invested heavily in Slovenia international Sesko when prising him away from RB Leipzig during the summer of 2025. Various alternative options were also considered, but the 22-year-old forward is now charged with the task of filling what has been a problematic No.9 role for Premier League heavyweights.

  Sesko has registered two goals for United through 12 appearances – in back-to-back outings against Brentford and Sunderland – but has been stuck on the sidelined since limping out of a 2-2 draw with Tottenham on November 8.

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  When will Sesko be available to Man Utd again?

  He is closing in on a return to action, as the likes of Bryan Mbeumo and Amad prepare to head off on Africa Cup of Nations duty, with representative Elvis Basanovic saying to Slovenian broadcaster : “Benjamin feels very good, his rehabilitation is going according to plan. He can’t wait to get back on the pitch. He’s missing matches, he’s a little impatient and we hope that he will return soon, to be where he feels best again.

  “It’s hard to say exactly [when he will return], it will ultimately be decided by the medical service and the coach. I think we will see him on the pitch very soon. Maybe sooner than it seems at the moment.”

  Basanovic added on Sesko adjusting to life at Old Trafford, with more minutes required alongside his fellow attackers in order for telepathic understandings to form: “I must say he (Amorim) received Benjamin excellently. I think Ruben is first of all, an excellent person with fantastic charisma, extremely intelligent, emotionally intelligent and I think he knows what he’s doing.

  “I believe he’s in a difficult situation. It’s not easy to build such a project that requires enormous knowledge and amount of time. United is one of the biggest clubs in the world, if not the biggest and people don’t understand you need time.

  “But I think every team being built needs time. Just look at [Matheus] Cunha, Mbeumo and Sesko: they have played very few matches together. And I think that they especially need games and they need to develop certain automatisms because then it’s much easier. When you have these automatisms, you don’t need to think where a player is or runs but that you start automatically. Then the results come and everything looks much better.”

• Title challenge: Amorim backed to deliver Premier League crown

  Sesko has seen United rise to sixth in the table without him, with the plan being to climb much higher than that. Co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has stated a desire to see the Premier League title captured again by the time the club’s 150th anniversary is celebrated in 2028.

  Basanovic can see that happening, adding: “What it’s extremely difficult to explain in such a big club – because nobody wants to give you time at Manchester United and similar clubs – because everyone wants immediate results. But I simply think that this team and Ruben deserve time. We already saw progress.

  “I know that every player, every fan wants United to be champions right away but we see progress compared to last year. I believe this year will be significantly better than last year. I believe next year will be even better and then maybe in the third year we can realistically expect to challenge for the Premier League title. I don’t think it’s realistic to expect that this season. He simply needs to be given time.”

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  Man Utd fixtures: Next up for the Red Devils

  United are back in the hunt for Champions League qualification, having missed out on European competition entirely last term, and will return to domestic action on November 15 when playing host to a Bournemouth side that have gone six games without a win.

Two of India’s best young players ticked off a few records in the second Test against West Indies in Delhi

Sampath Bandarupalli11-Oct-20255 Test hundreds for Shubman Gill in 2025, the most by a player in the year they first began captaining their country. Gill also equalled the Indian record for most Test hundreds as a captain in a calendar year, held by Virat Kohli with five tons each in 2017 and 2018.12 Innings for Gill to score five hundreds as Test captain. Only two players took less time to get to this mark – Alastair Cook (nine innings) and Sunil Gavaskar (10). In terms of matches, Gill took the same as Don Bradman (seven) to score five Test hundreds as captain, while Cook (five) and Gavaskar (six) got there quicker.ESPNcricinfo Ltd84.81 Gill’s average as captain, second only to Bradman’s (101.51) among those who have led their teams at least seven times in Test cricket. This Test against West Indies in Delhi is Gill’s seventh Test as captain.5 Number of 150-plus scores for Yashasvi Jaiswal in Test cricket. Only Bradman (8) had more 150-plus scores before turning 24.7 Hundreds for Jaiswal in his 26-match Test career, the joint-most by an opener before turning 24. Graeme Smith also had seven tons as an opener before his 24th birthday.Overall, only Bradman (12), Sachin Tendulkar (11) and Garry Sobers (nine) scored more than seven hundreds in Test cricket before turning 24.Yashasvi Jaiswal has turned five of his first seven hundreds into 150-plus scores•AFP/Getty Images2 Number of players before Jaiswal to convert five of their first seven Test hundreds into 150-plus scores – Bob Simpson and Brian Lara.3 Instances of India having a fifty-plus stand for each of the first five wickets in a Test innings. The previous two instances were against England in 1993 in Mumbai and against Australia in 2023 in Ahmedabad.518 for 5 India’s first-innings total in Delhi is the highest in Test cricket without a bye or leg bye. The previous highest such score was 513 by Bangladesh against Sri Lanka in Chattogram in 2018.ESPNcricinfo LtdIndia’s innings featured only two runs through extras – both being wides – the second-fewest in a Test total of 500-plus. Australia’s 549 for 7 against South Africa in 1950 featured only one extra run, a bye.318 Balls were bowled by West Indies’ pace bowlers in India’s first innings without taking a wicket. Only twice before had West Indies’ pacers gone wicketless in a Test innings despite bowling 300-plus balls – against New Zealand in 1972 at Georgetown (540 balls*) and against Pakistan in 2016 at Dubai (432 balls).*Sobers, who bowls spin and seam, bowled 42 wicketless overs in addition to the 540 balls at Georgetown

Chelsea are now ready to trigger the £44m release clause to sign an “unstoppable” striker, who has been in fantastic form so far this season.

Blues stepping up striker pursuit despite Delap scoring first goal

The Blues upgraded their forward line considerably during the summer, bringing in Joao Pedro and Liam Delap, and the latter is now finally off the mark in front of goal, having scored the third in the comprehensive 3-0 victory against Barcelona in the Champions League.

Pedro has been more prolific, chipping in with four goals and three assists in the Premier League this season, and the Brazilian has also displayed his versatility by featuring at both centre-forward and in attacking midfield.

With the former Brighton man able to play in a slightly deeper role, there may be room in the squad to bring in another, more natural centre-forward in the January transfer window, and the Blues are now stepping up their pursuit of a Bundesliga star.

That is according to a report from Spain, which states Chelsea are now ready to trigger the €50m (£44m) release clause in Serhou Guirassy’s Borussia Dortmund contract, having identified the striker as a priority target.

Manchester United are also in the race for Guirassy, who is open to a move to the Premier League, with Dortmund powerless to prevent a departure if one of the interested English clubs stumps up the requisite £44m.

The Guinean forward is enticed by the projects on offer at both Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge, and his performances so far this season suggest he would be able to hit the ground running in the Premier League.

"Unstoppable" Guirassy tearing it up in the Bundesliga

Lauded as “unstoppable” by scout Antonio Mango, the 29-year-old has already amassed 13 goal contributions across all competitions this season, particularly catching the eye for Dortmund in the Champions League.

The France-born striker has averaged 0.61 non-penalty goals per 90 over the past year, which places him in the 86th percentile compared to other forwards, while he is also impressive in the air, placing in the 82nd percentile for aerials won, having averaged 3.48 per 90.

As such, the Dortmund star clearly has the talent to succeed in the Premier League, but there may be some concerns about his age, given that BlueCo are known for wanting to sign younger players, and he is set to turn 30 in March.

Chelsea considering £120m double deal to sign two players from the same club

They’ve now become ‘top targets’.

By
Emilio Galantini

Nov 29, 2025

That said, with a potential title race on the cards, Guirassy could be a real difference-maker, and £44m would be a reasonable fee, given the level of his performances so far this season.

Kim Garth picked up four wickets in her two overs to trigger a collapse

AAP20-Nov-2025Meg Lanning has produced one of the greatest innings in WBBL history, with a vintage century leading Melbourne Stars to a rain-affected 111-run flogging of Sydney Sixers.In a stunning reminder of why Australia’s former captain was for a long time the world’s best bat, Lanning hit 135 from 74 balls at North Sydney Oval. Her knock help Stars to the third highest total in the competition’s history of 219 for 4, before Sixers were all out for 42 in reply with Kim Garth taking 4 for 3.Sixers were only saved from the biggest defeat in WBBL history by rain wiping out 10 overs and threatening to deny Stars with the target reduced to 154. But this was still Sixers’ lowest ebb: their biggest defeat and lowest total.Stars’ victory came after Hobart Hurricanes beat the Melbourne Renegades in Thursday’s earlier game, putting Hurricanes two wins clear at the top of the ladder.But no matter how much rain fell, there was no denying this was Lanning’s night as she scored three-times as many as the entire Sixers side.The 33-year-old’s innings marked the highest of her 280-game T20 career, and the third highest in WBBL history. And in terms of pure stroke-play, there have arguably been no better knocks in the 11 seasons of the competition.Lanning hit 22 boundaries and cleared the rope another four times. Her placement was precise, regularly manipulating the balls into small gaps. Sixers fed Lanning with balls outside off stump. She responded with an array of late cuts, square drives and cover drives that all went to the boundary. She took 41 balls to bring up her half century, but from there exploded with her final 82 runs coming from 33 balls and a boundary every two deliveries.Now two years retired from international cricket, Lanning has scores of 60, 90 not out, 3 and 135 to start this WBBL season and remains one of the best batters in the world.Garth then killed off any faint Sixers hopes, bowling Sophia Dunkley, Ellyse Perry and Elsa Hunter. Rhys McKenna was the other hero for the Stars, with her 50 coming as part of a159-run opening stand with Lanning.