Saudi Arabia's efforts to make waves in the sporting world look set to continue when the wealthy Gulf nation hosts the 2034 World Cup. But a football stadium 350 metres off the ground seems ambitious even for them following the viral emergence of concept designs for a brand new venue dubbed the NEOM Stadium. A list of 15 host stadia complete with concept art was first revealed in the summer of 2024.

'Most unique stadium in the world'

It's certainly out there to want to construct a football stadium in the sky, but fans on social media can't get enough of the idea. The so-called NEOM Stadium could, one of 11 new venues planned for construction over the next eight years to complement four existing stadiums that will be renovated already has a big reputation to live up to.

Saudi Arabia's bid book submitted to FIFA stated: "Neom Stadium will be the most unique stadium in the world. With a pitch situated more than 350m above ground, stunning vistas and a roof created from the city itself, the stadium will be an experience like no other.

"Within The Line, mass transport and personal transport will be enabled by a network of tram-like Autonomous Rapid Transit vehicles and Personal Rapid Transit, operating on five primary horizontal transport corridors."

'The Line', announced in 2021, is a proposed smart city in a single long building measuring 170km by 200 metres and up to 500 metres high, designed to have no cars, streets or carbon emissions, and be big enough to house nine millione people, a quarter of Saudi Arabia's existing population. Although already under construction, full completion of the city itself is not actually expected until 2045, 11 years after the World Cup.

What isn't clear is if the new concept images doing the rounds are part of any official plans, as the stadium doesn't appear to be incorporated into what 'The Line' would look like.

AdvertisementAFP350m in the air

NEOM Stadium proposes to accomodate 46,000 fans from is vantage point 350 metres above the ground. The other proposed venues for the World Cup will be spread across four existing cities: Riyadh, Jeddah, Al Khobar and Abha. But all are set to incorporate unique architecture and themes, including one dazzling with colour, another made up of crystal-like shards and another built specifically from locally-sourced materials.

Saudi Arabia stood unopposed in bidding process

Saudi Arabia was confirmed as host nation for the 2034 World Cup during an Extraordinary FIFA Congress on December 11, 2024. Despite FIFA lowering the existing stadium capacity requirements from seven with 40,000+ to just four, there were no other bidders. FIFA's rotation policy, which ensures that World Cup tournaments are spread evenly around the planet, meant that only bids from Asia or Oceania would be accepted anyway. Potential hosts were also given just 25 days to express an intent to host, which only Saudi Arabia did.

It will be the third World Cup in Asia in the 21st century, following from South Korea and Japan's joint effort in 2002, and Gulf neighbour Qatar in 2022. Saudi Arabia will actually end up being the first single host nation since Qatar by the time 2034 rolls around, due to 2026 being jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, and 2030 being the shared responsibility of Spain, Portugal and Morocco, with games also being staged in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay as part of FIFA's World Cup centenary celebrations.

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gettyWorld Cup plans between now and 2034

Saudi Arabia still has the best part of a decade to plan and build and/or renovate its venues for the World Cup. But the eyes of the world are unlikely to pay too much attention until much nearer the time. For now, the 2026 World Cup in North America is just over seven month away from its opening match on June 11. As many as 48 countries will compete for the first time following the tournament's expansion, including debutants Jordan, Uzbekistan and Cape Verde, but fans will need to wait another five weeks until December 5 for the group stage to take place and the fixture list be revealed.

2026 could very likely be the last dance at the World Cup for both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is reportedly a massive admirer of one France international star, who sporting director Andrea Berta has already led an approach to sign, according to a new report.

Arsenal make Premier League return away to Fulham

Arsenal return to Premier League action this weekend with a trip to Fulham, a fixture that offers the Gunners a golden chance to extend their impressive seven-game unbeaten run and solidify their position at the top of the table.

Since their narrow 1-0 defeat at Liverpool earlier in the season, Arsenal have been near-unstoppable, navigating all competitions without tasting defeat – a testament to their growing maturity under Arteta.

This unbeaten streak has been built on a foundation of solid defensive performances and a willingness to battle to the end, with Arsenal’s blend of youthful energy and experienced leadership helping to power them through tough fixtures.

Arsenal’s dramatic 2-1 win away to Newcastle was testament to this, with defender Gabriel clinching all three points through a last-minute header which silenced the boisterous St. James’ Park crowd.

Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest

Premier League

Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Arsenal

Champions League

Arsenal 1-1 Man City

Premier League

Port Vale 0-2 Arsenal

Carabao Cup

Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal

Premier League

Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos

Champions League

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

Premier League

Arteta’s side now sit pretty at the Premier League summit, taking advantage of big-spending Liverpool’s slip in momentum, but Marco Silva’s Fulham won’t be pushovers this weekend.

The West Londoners will be looking to spoil Arsenal’s rhythm on their home turf. Silva’s men have shown resilience this season, despite finishing last summer’s transfer window as the top flight’s lowest-spending team.

Team

Spent

Received

Net Spend

Brentford

£85,000,000

£134,000,000

-£49,000,000

Brighton

£69,000,000

£133,000,000

-£64,000,000

Crystal Palace

£47,000,000

£63,000,000

-£16,000,000

Aston Villa

£37,500,000

£47,000,000

-£9,500,000

Fulham

£34,500,000

£9,000,000

£25,500,000

via Every Premier League Club’s Net Spend

In truth, Silva has worked wonders on a shoe-string budget during his time at Craven Cottage, and Arsenal have won just one of their last four meetings against Fulham — including a draw and a defeat the last two times they travelled to play them.

As Arteta prepares for a tough test, Berta is working on the club’s squad long-term.

The Italian has already tied down Gabriel and William Saliba to long-term contracts since his arrival in March, with talks held over extensions for Bukayo Saka, Jurrien Timber, Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard.

Berta, despite a big-spending summer, could also enter the transfer market once again.

Arteta is a "huge" fan of Khephren Thuram with Arsenal approach made

According to journalist Graeme Bailey, as written in a piece for TBR Football, Arteta is personally a “huge” fan of Juventus star Khephren Thuram, who’s worked his way into the France national team squad after an excellent start to the season in Turin.

The 24-year-old is now deemed “untouchable” by Igor Tudor’s side alongside Kenan Yildiz, with Bailey reporting that Arsenal had a summer approach knocked back for Thuram as well.

The former Ligue 1 sensation racked up 10 goal contributions in 35 Serie A appearances for Juve over his debut season, leaving little wonder that the Old Lady are desperate not to lose him.

Even though Berta has already signed Martin Zubimendi and Christian Norgaard to bolster Arsenal’s midfield, the latter will stay for a maximum of three years before potentially returning to Brondby in Denmark, as confirmed by the player himself.

Thuram would be an exceptional long-term replacement for Norgaard, and amid reports Arsenal are looking at signing another midfielder to challenge Zubimendi, perhaps Berta could test Juve’s resolve in 2026.

Thomas Frank’s appointment as Tottenham Hotspur boss generated huge excitement amongst the fanbase this summer, with the Dane having the chance to build on the Europa League triumph.

He spent seven years in charge of Brentford before his arrival, often relying upon talents such as Bryan Mbeumo to provide the goods within the final third across the capital.

The Cameroonian international thrived under Frank’s guidance in the Premier League, netting 20 times in the top-flight last season, subsequently making him one of the division’s hottest properties.

After the 51-year-old took charge of the Lilywhites, a real sense of excitement built at the prospect of the Dane bringing the 26-year-old with him in an attempt to sustain the recent European triumph.

However, despite interest in his signature, Mbeumo would move to Manchester United in a £71m transfer – a huge amount of money and potentially a slight overpay.

As a result, the new boss has had to rely on another summer addition and one player already on the books to try and provide the impact he desires within attacking areas.

Kudus & Johnson’s start to the 2025/26 season at Spurs

After missing out on Mbeumo’s signature, Spurs forked out £55m for the services of Mohammed Kudus from West Ham United to try and hand the manager his next version of the Cameroonian.

Such a deal may have been an expensive one, but it’s a transfer that has been worth every penny to date, with the Ghanaian already registering one goal and four assists in his first ten outings.

His first goal for the Lilywhites came in the recent triumph over Leeds United, subsequently highlighting his ability to pop up with crucial goals when the side need him most.

Kudus isn’t alone in falling into that category, with teammate Brennan Johnson also able to score key goals for the Lilywhites, as seen by his winner in the Europa League final last campaign.

Whilst he’s already scored three times across all competitions, the Welsh international has failed to start a single league game since the end of August and has rapidly fallen down the pecking order.

The 24-year-old will likely be disappointed with his lack of action, which has potentially been impacted by the arrival of Kudus during the recent transfer window.

Whilst both are hugely talented players, it remains to be seen if any can reach the levels produced by Mbeumo in recent times, but one other star already in the ranks could achieve such a feat, given the similarities in their careers.

The Spurs star who could be Frank’s next Mbeumo

Over the last couple of seasons, Spurs have splashed the cash to try and compete with teams around them, as seen by the respective deals to land Kudus and Johnson.

Around £400m has been spent in recent years to catapult the club to the needed success, with such spending undoubtedly helping them claim European glory back in May.

Various recruitment strategies have been in place over recent times, often signing a mixture of youth talent for the future, or players entering their prime and able to make an immediate impact.

However, players sometimes cross over both categories, as seen by the arrival of attacker Wilson Odobert from Burnley back in the summer of 2024.

A deal for the Frenchman certainly came out of nowhere, with the Lilywhites hierarchy paying £25m for his signature after the Clarets suffered relegation back to the Championship.

Whilst the 20-year-old has only made 30 appearances throughout the injury, he’s still managed to impress in North London and show glimpses of his potential and talents.

Odobert, who’s been dubbed “phenomenal” by one analyst, has already scored three times for the club, two of which came during their Europa League-winning campaign in 2024/25 – already highlighting his ability to produce the goods in key moments.

Whilst his goalscoring tally isn’t as impressive as Mbeumo’s, the similarities are there for everyone to see, with the Frenchman moving to England from Troyes.

The now Man Utd talent did the exact same upon his transfer to Brentford back in the summer of 2019 – subsequently needing time to make a huge impact in England.

Games played

16

Goals & assists

1

Pass accuracy

85%

Successful dribbles

1.3

Chances created

0.9

Shots taken

1.4

Touches in opposition box

4.1

Recoveries made

3.6

He struggled to register double figures in goals for each of his first three top-flight campaigns, but the Bees’ patience was certainly rewarded, as seen by his tallies and fee generated in recent times.

Odobert could do the exact same for the Lilywhites in the years ahead, with the club and fanbase needing to support the winger in his attempts for success in North London.

At just 20, he has bags of time to live up to the potential he arrived with, but it’s crucial that Frank works his magic once again to create another world-class attacker.

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Should he get anywhere close to Mbeumo’s level, it would be a sensational piece of business and one that could help the Lilywhites sustain their recent success in Europe or even domestically.

Celtic have endured a fairly disappointing start to the 2025/26 campaign across all competitions so far, in the Scottish Premiership and in Europe.

The Hoops sit second in the league table, behind Hearts, with five wins and two draws, whilst they are still looking for their first win on the European stage.

Brendan Rodgers has overseen one point from two Europa League matches after his team were beaten by Kairat in their Champions League play-off clash.

There have been several players in the squad who have not performed to the best of their ability this season, including central midfielder Reo Hatate.

Why Reo Hatate's form is a concern

The Japan international has gone eight matches without a goal or an assist to show for his contributions on the pitch, which is concerning for a player who typically provides creativity and quality on the ball in midfield.

Hatate delivered ten goals and created 14 ‘big chances’ for his teammates in 37 appearances in the Premiership last season, per Sofascore, but he has failed to provide the same kind of quality at the top end of the pitch in the current campaign.

Reo Hatate (Premiership)

24/25

25/26

Appearances

37

5

Goals

10

1

Minutes per goal

241

373

Key passes per game

1.2

0.6

Big chances created

14

0

Assists

4

0

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Japanese star’s output as both a scorer and as a creator of goals has decreased for the Hoops in the Premiership.

This is concerning because it shows that Hatate is not as influential or effective as he once was for the Scottish giants, but it has also provided other players with a chance to step up and shine.

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Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

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One star who has stepped up and is now looking like a Reo Hatate-type player is summer signing Benjamin Nygren in the middle of the park for Celtic.

Why Benjamin Nygren looks like Celtic's new Reo Hatate

The left-footed star was signed from Nordsjaelland for £1.3m in the summer and may have been expected by some to play on the right wing, as that was where he played the majority of his football last season and Nicolas Kuhn left to sign for Como.

Despite that, Rodgers has played Nygren as part of his midfield three more often than not, essentially taking Arne Engels’ spot in the starting line-up from the 2024/25 campaign.

The Sweden international, who was described as “fearless” by Alexander Isak, has started five of the club’s seven matches in the Premiership, which shows that the manager already trusts him to start consistently.

Nygren has also shown that he can be a difference-maker at the top end of the pitch from a midfield position with four goals in five league starts, whilst no other Celtic player has scored more than two league goals for the club.

As well as being an impressive goalscorer, the summer signing ranks second in the squad for ‘big chances’ created (two) and first for key passes per game (2.6) in the Premiership.

These statistics show that Nygren has hit the ground running at Parkhead as both a scorer and a creator of goals from a central midfield position, taking on the role that Hatate played last season with his ten goals and 14 ‘big chances’ created.

The Japan international has not been at his best in the current campaign, as evidenced by his aforementioned form, but the Swedish star has stepped up to carry the team on his back at times.

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There is still plenty of football left to be played this season, but the left-footed star’s form for Celtic suggests that he can be the new midfield star in the final third moving forward.

Celtic confirmed their place in the last four of the League Cup on Sunday afternoon with a comfortable 4-0 win over Partick Thistle away from home.

The Hoops strolled to a victory that was never in any serious doubt throughout the 90 minutes, thanks to goals from Hyun-jun Yang, Liam Scales, Sebastian Tounekti, and Luke McCowan.

After a promising debut against Kilmarnock last time out, creating four chances (per Sofascore), Tounekti caught the eye once again with his performance on the left flank.

Why Sebastian Tounekti is already a star player for Celtic

Brendan Rodgers handed the Tunisia international another start after his bow in the Scottish Premiership last weekend, and was rewarded with an impressive display.

Tounekti was a constant threat down the left side, particularly in the first half, and Premier Sports pundit Michael Stewart described him as the “danger man” for Celtic, because he “unsettles” defenders.

He was heavily involved in the opening goal for the Hoops with his excellent pass in behind for Benjamin Nygren to cross to the far post for Yang, as shown in the clip below.

The left-sided attacker then showed his quality in front of goal by scoring after a one-two with Kelechi Iheanacho, which is why the forward should be considered a star player for the team already, as he can create, he can dribble, and he can score goals.

Tounekti was far from the only impressive performer on the park for the Scottish giants, though, as Iheanacho showed that he is a player for the fans to be excited about.

Why Celtic fans should be excited about Kelechi Iheanacho

After the disappointment of deadline day, it would be hard to blame any supporter for not being too excited by the arrival of the Nigeria international on a free transfer after Sevilla were willing to terminate his contract.

The left-footed striker only scored four goals in 26 appearances in all competitions in the 2024/25 campaign, per Sofascore, for Middlesbrough and Sevilla combined, which did little to help the lack of excitement around his signing.

However, Iheanacho’s first two performances have shown that he is a player who the supporters should be excited about, after scoring a 96th-minute penalty against Kilmarnock on his debut last weekend.

Minutes

20

Touches

9

Shots

3

Goals

1

Passes completed

3/5

Duels won

0/2

The former Manchester City striker was rewarded with his first start for the club for this clash with Partick Thistle and delivered an impressive centre-forward showing.

Premier Sports commentator Rory Hamilton claimed that Iheanacho and Tounekti are players “to be excited about” moving forward this season, and both players combined for the third goal in the match for Celtic.

As you can see in the clip above, the Celtic striker did brilliantly to flick the ball round the corner to tee the winger up to score, showing great awareness, creativity, and technical ability.

That was not a one-off for Iheanacho in the match. He consistently held the ball up and produced impressive flicks to find teammates making advances towards the opposition’s box.

The 28-year-old star, who was handed a 7/10 player rating by GlasgowWorld, was a fantastic facilitator for his teammates with the creativity and reliability in his hold-up play, against Partick Thistle defenders who wanted to get tight and physical with him.

Iheanacho was as good as Tounekti, as both players showed that they were too good for the opposition to deal with, and supporters must now be excited about what the forward can produce over the course of an entire season if he can stay fit.

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Hopefully, Rodgers will select both players in the starting line-up when Celtic kick off their Europa League campaign against Red Star Belgrade on Wednesday night.

U.S. international Timothy Weah set up Mason Greenwood to give Olympique de Marseille an early lead against RC Lens, but OM eventually fell 2-1. The American winger’s first-half assist highlighted another strong showing in his growing role with the club. His club, however, fall to third following the result.

• AFP
  

  Weah's playmaking shines early

  The breakthrough came in the 17th minute when Weah combined in transition, driving into the final third before threading a decisive pass that Greenwood converted to open the scoring.

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• AFP
  

  RC Lens produce a comeback to win 2-1

  Despite Weah’s contribution, Lens hit back quickly as Odsonne Edouard equalized from the penalty spot just six minutes later. They continued to press after the break and found a winner through a Benjamin Pavard own goal eight minutes into the second half. Marseille dominated possession late on but struggled to create clear chances, ultimately falling short.

• An up and down season for Weah

  Weah’s assist against Lens arrives after an eventful opening months at Marseille. The American has made 11 appearances for the Ligue 1 side but has only contributed to two goals so far, including his assist against Lens and his stunner against Real Madrid. 

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  Looking ahead

  Marseille will look to turn their momentum around in their upcoming league fixtures as they'll face Angers and then Auxerre in the Ligue 1 on Oct. 29 and Nov. 1, respectively. 

أسفرت قرعة دور المجموعات من بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا، عن مجموعة الأهلي، التي سينافس من خلالها على لقب المسابقة القارية.

وكان الأهلي قد وصل إلى دور المجموعات من بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا، عقب تخطي عقب إيجل نوار البوروندي، في دور الـ32 من البطولة.

وأقيمت قرعة دور المجموعات من بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا، في تمام الساعة الثانية ظهر اليوم الإثنين، في جوهانسبرج بجنوب إفريقيا.

يذكر أن القرعة أسفرت عن وقوع النادي الأهلي في المجموعة الثانية من دور المجموعات من بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا لهذه النسخة

طالع.. قرار مُفاجئ من ييس توروب قبل سفر بعثة الأهلي إلى الإمارات

ويشارك في دوري أبطال إفريقيا، لهذه النسخة ناديا الأهلي وبيراميدز ممثلان عن مصر. مجموعة الأهلي في دوري أبطال إفريقيا

وتضم مجموعة الأهلي في دوري أبطال إفريقيا كلا من:

1- الأهلي 

2- شبيبة القبائل الجزائري 

3- الجيش الملكي المغربي 

4- يانج أفريكانز التنزاني

جدير بالذكر أن بيراميدز هو حامل لقب بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا في النسخة الماضية على حساب صن داونز الجنوب إفريقي

ويعد النادي الاهلي هو أكثر أندية إفريقيا، حصولا على لقب دوري أبطال إفريقيا، حيث توج بها 13 مرة. 

 

 

MatériaMais Notícias

O momento no qual o Botafogo lidera o Campeonato Brasileiro tem trazido algumas repercussões também a profissionais do clube. Após Vítor Silva ser chamado para fotografar a Seleção Brasileira que, sob o comando de Fernando Diniz, disputou as partidas contra Bolívia e Peru pelas Eliminatórias da Copa do Mundo, novos integrantes da comissão alvinegra foram “convocados”.

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O médico Gustavo Dutra integrará a comissão técnica da Seleção Brasileira que disputará os Jogos Pan-Americanos em Santiago. O preparador de goleiros Ricardo Herrera foi designado para fazer parte da equipe sub-17, ajudando nos amistosos preparatórios para a Copa do Mundo da categoria.

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Gustavo Dutra falou sobre a oportunidade de fazer parte da Seleção que disputará o Pan. Ele representará o Brasil, assim como o botafoguense Matheus Nascimento.

– Estou muito feliz por ser chamado para a Seleção Brasileira, ainda mais por ter a oportunidade de representar as cores desse clube tão tradicional. Esse feito é mais uma amostra do quanto o Botafogo é forte em todos os âmbitos. Sou muito grato por todo o suporte que o clube me dá. É realmente muito especial – disse ao site oficial.

Herrera também demonstrou otimismo em relação a fazer parte da comissão técnica da Seleção Sub-17.

– É uma honra ver que meu trabalho no Botafogo rendeu essa oportunidade única. É um orgulho e uma responsabilidade enorme representar esse clube com tanta tradição em uma competição tão importante. Somos atuais campeões e tenho certeza que faremos um bom torneio – afirmou.

Understrength Sussex never threatened a target of 211 and were dismissed for 162

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay18-Jun-2025

Mitchell Santner took 3 for 26•Getty Images

Surrey joined Somerset at the top of the Vitality Blast South Group after cruising to a 48-run win over Sussex Sharks at the Kia Oval.Sussex themselves could have gone top with victory but an understrength side missing three of the team that had only lost one of their first six games never threatened a target of 211 and were dismissed for 162 in the final over when top scorer Danny Lamb was bowled by Chris Jordan.Although this season’s leading run-scorer, Jason Roy, failed to add to his 265 runs after falling for a second-ball duck, Dom Sibley (45), Will Jacks (43) and Sam Curran (38) made good contributions before 20-year-old left-hander Ollie Sykes thrashed 44 off 18 balls – including three sixes in an over from left-arm spinner James Coles – as 66 from the last four overs took Surrey to an imposing 210 for 6.Without the injured Harrison Ward and Tom Alsop, scoring at 11 an over looked a tall order for Sussex, even more so when Reece Topley picked up two wickets to quickly reduce them to 14 for 3. Lamb made a career-best 49 and left-hander Tom Clark scored 45 but slow left-armer Mitch Santner spearheaded an impressive performance by Surrey’s attack with 3 for 26.Openers Jacks and Sibley added 52 in the first five overs after Surrey had been put in. Jacks was caught at deep midwicket trying to hit Tymal Mills for a third six in the over.In the next over Roy was held at deep extra cover off left-armer Brad Currie but Sibley and skipper Sam Curran had little difficulty adding 61 from 44 balls for the third wicket before Sussex took three wickets in 15 deliveries to check Surrey’s progress.Sam Curran was caught and bowled by Coles off a leading edge, Sibley clipped Henry Crocombe to deep backward square and in the next over Nathan McAndrew claimed his 14th wicket in this season’s Blast when Laurie Evans holed out to deep midwicket.But Sykes soon wrested back control for Surrey, hitting four sixes and two fours in an impressive display of ball-striking as his sixth-wicket partnership with Tom Curran yielded 50 runs from 21 balls.Sussex needed to make a good start but instead lost three wickets in the first three overs. Debutant George Thomas, signed from Somerset in the winter, lost his off stump to Topley’s sixth ball which Thomas played around, Dan Hughes dragged a widish delivery from Tom Curran onto his stumps and Topley struck again courtesy of a superb diving catch in the deep by Sykes to remove Coles.Clark and skipper John Simpson gave Sussex hope with a stand of 62 from 35 balls for the fourth wicket but the experienced New Zealander Santner had Clark and Simpson (21) caught on the leg-side boundary by Jacks in successive overs. Santner picked up Jack Carson in his final over and Topley finished with 3 for 34. Lamb’s 49 from 34 gave Sussex some solace on a night when they were well beaten.

Four India A batters scored half-centuries in the second dig after Lions took a 30-run first-innings lead

Nagraj Gollapudi02-Jun-2025In the end, the first unofficial Test in Canterbury was mostly an extended batting session for both teams with bowlers toiling hard on a benign pitch. After England Lions were bowled out on the cusp of the lunch break on Monday having taken a 30-run lead, four India A batters scored brisk half-centuries before the teams agreed to a draw an hour after tea.Those picking some easy runs included the India A opening pair of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Abhimanyu Easwaran, as well as Dhruv Jurel and Nitish Kumar Reddy. Jaiswal and Abhimanyu got off to aggressive starts and got to the 50-mark without breaking much sweat. While Jaiswal would be slightly disappointed about playing a loose stroke for the second time in the match, he did not berate himself on his way out like his captain did.For Abhimanyu, tour matches are a sort of litmus test. He might have played for India A for several years, might have played 100-plus first-class matches, might have been picked in the India squad many times over the last few years, but his Test debut still remains a fair distance away. On the first day, after being asked to bat, Abhimanyu was back in the dressing room about half-hour into the morning, trapped lbw for 8. On Monday, he clipped a four off his legs and looked determined to score quickly and score big.Abhimanyu Easwaran played a stroke-filled innings•Bipin PatelLunging forward, he would hit successive fours through the covers against Lions’ seamer Zaman Akhter to move close to a half-century, which he reached with a steer for a single. On 68, though, Abhimanyu attempted to reverse a delivery from legspinner Rehan Ahmed, who pitched it outside leg. It was an erroneous decision as he saw his leg stump uprooted.Jurel, who walked in at one-down, and Reddy enjoyed some batting time before the game was called off. Both players are in the fray for spots in the first Test in Leeds starting June 20. Having missed out on the century by a mere six runs on the first day, Jurel once again showed his free-flowing strokeplay, and is likely to be competing against Karun Nair for a specialist batter’s position in the middle order.Reddy, on the other hand, will look to build on his bowling in the second match against Lions that starts in Northampton from June 6. Though cleared to play in March by the BCCI medical staff after he suffered a side strain, Reddy started to bowl only in the past few weeks and has been since then gradually building his workload. He bowled 14.5 overs in Canterbury while picking up one wicket, that of tailender Eddie Jack.