Oliver Glasner has criticised the football authorities over Crystal Palace's impending fixture pile-up. The Eagles booked their spot in the next round of the EFL Cup on Wednesday night as they eased past an inexperienced Liverpool at Anfield. An Ismaila Sarr first half brace and Yeremy Pino's late strike set up a fifth-round clash with Arsenal as Palace secured a 3-0 win on Merseyside.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Palace face prospect of 5 games in 10 days

  However, in progressing to the quarter-finals of the competition, Palace now face the prospect of five games in the space of just 10 days, and three games across five days, in the lead up to Christmas as the Eagles take on Manchester City on December 14th, Arsenal in the EFL Cup on December 16th and KuPS in the UEFA Conference League on December 18th.

  UEFA fixtures cannot be rescheduled, which has already forced the EFL to play the third round ties across a two-week period to accommodate the increase in European matches. And it looks as though they will have to reschedule again in order for Palace to fulfil their fixtures in what is already one of the most hectic periods of the season.

  Palace's victory at Liverpool kicked off a run of four games in a nine-day period as the Eagles gear up for meetings with Brentford, AZ Alkmaar and Brighton between now and the international break.

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• 'This will be irresponsible for the players'

  And Glasner has called on football's governing bodies to prioritise safety to collaborate on their schedules to protect players from injuries. "Honestly, I can’t believe that this will be fixed in this way. I think this will be irresponsible for the players," Glasner told reporters on Friday.

  "We have a responsibility for the players and have to look after their welfare. That is our main responsibility, and not just ours here at the club. When I heard it the first time yesterday, I couldn’t believe that they are considering this, but I am really upset.

  "In the summer, in the offseason, there are people who have to work on the schedule, and I would really prefer if they worked together. It would be nice if UEFA, Premier League, FA, and EFL talk together because it is not so surprising that this can happen. This is what really makes me upset and anxious.

  "Of course, it also affects Arsenal and all our opposition, which is why I say wait until the draw is done and then fix it and find the best solution for the players’ welfare. Not for Oliver Glasner, not for Crystal Palace, for the players’ welfare. That is their job, it is what they get paid for, this is what I expect."

• AFP
  

  'I’d have the easiest job'

  Glasner continued by pointing out that FIFA's call for players to have mandatory rest periods between games has been disregarded by football's governing bodies.

  "We could play every single day, I’d have the easiest job. You don’t have to plan the training, just give a team talk and let’s go. What we need to investigate is common sense," Glasner added.

  "There was a meeting in July in New York where FIFA met different players’ organisations, and there was a suggestion that FIFA, the highest organisation in football, they suggest a mandatory 72 hours between two competitive games.

  "Now, here in England, they say they don’t care what they are telling us. Just wait till the draw, and then fix the games. I really don’t understand. I really push very hard and strong that they don’t let us play three games in four days, because again, it is irresponsible."

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• Festive period already jam-packed

  The festive period is already one of the busiest periods in the football calendar. While a number of leagues across Europe have a break in player, the Premier League play across Christmas and into the New Year.

  In addition, teams will be hit by the Africa Cup of Nations, which takes place in Morocco between mid-December and mid-January. Palace may only lose two players to AFCON with Sarr, who bagged a brace in midweek, and summer signing Christantus Uche potentially representing Senegal and Nigeria, respectively, at the end of the year.

Bangladesh are searching for a 3-0 series clean sweep; Pakistan are looking for fixes

Danyal Rasool23-Jul-2025Big picture: Can Bangladesh make it 3-0?Bangladesh set aside Pakistan’s pseudo-paternalistic concerns about their home pitches not helping them away on Tuesday. After all, this series is taking place in Bangladesh, and in the corresponding one six weeks ago, Pakistan prepared surfaces designed to suit their own game; it hasn’t exactly helped them away in Bangladesh, either.A dominant bowling performance helped Bangladesh wrap up the three-match T20I series at the earliest opportunity, with the visitors grateful for a counterattacking knock from Faheem Ashraf that staved off sharper embarrassment, though not defeat.Coming a day after the tragic events of a plane crash into a school that took many lives, an emotional crowd in Dhaka were given something to cheer by a home performance which oscillated between steel and swagger. The former was required when Pakistan’s bowlers punctured Bangladesh’s top order repeatedly in the powerplay and beyond; Jaker Ali and Mahedi Hasan stanching the bleeding and keeping alive their hopes in the contest. The fast bowlers then lit the stadium up in a scarcely believable powerplay where they took five wickets.Related

Hesson slams 'unacceptable' Mirpur pitch

Bangladesh seal first T20I series win against Pakistan

Jaker: 'I only count match-winning runs, the rest doesn't register'

Even more satisfying, perhaps, for Bangladesh is the well-roundedness of their displays this series. They showed, in the first game, an ability to hunt down a low-scoring total with ease despite early pressure, before defending one in the second, holding their nerve in a tight finish. They even rested two of their best performers in the second contest – Tanzid Hasan and Taskin Ahmed – without leaving them too exposed in these conditions. At just about every stage in each game, they have found themselves ahead of Pakistan, and fittingly, that’s where they are guaranteed to stay.When Pakistan trounced this opposition at home a few weeks earlier, captain Salman Agha had said he would judge his team by intent more than results. However, that intent – particularly on Tuesday after Pakistan lost a heap of early wickets – was lacking for large periods. The asking rate ballooned to a point where, even in a low-scoring game, Pakistan scored 78 off the last 45 balls and still end up short. Salman himself scratched around for 23 balls, managing just nine.However, one thing going for Pakistan is that they have a large number of T20Is over the rest of the year. If they find themselves unable to implement the fixes they have so publicly promised they are seeking, it won’t be for lack of match practice. The final game against Bangladesh may offer a window into how quickly those fixes can begin to be implemented.Form guideBangladesh: WWWWL
Pakistan: LLWWWMustafizur Rahman returned outstanding figures of 4-0-6-2 in the first T20I•BCBIn the spotlight: Mustafizur Rahman and Hasan NawazMustafizur Rahman has tormented Pakistan this series, using his famous offcutters on a surface designed to make them impossibly difficult to play. The pace-on variation makes that weapon even more deadly, and Bangladesh have wrapped up the series before Pakistan have figured out how to handle him. Across two games, he boasts an economy rate under five and has taken three wickets, including the one that finished Pakistan off on Tuesday. Should Bangladesh play him with the series already done, there’s little to suggest Pakistan won’t struggle similarly against him.Hasan Nawaz intersperses big scores and impactful innings with a string of low ones, and he’s in the latter cycle right now. He’s faced ten deliveries this series, but he’s yet to score, dismissed for a duck each innings. It’s been a story that’s repeated itself throughout his brief career so far; the T20I series against New Zealand in March saw him score one century but add just a solitary run in the other four innings. It is that explosiveness that Pakistan use to justify his selection, and what they will bank on as they try and avoid a series whitewash.Team news: Farhan, Muqeem to get a chance?Bangladesh may rest the odd player or two with the series done, but there are no new injury concerns.Bangladesh (probable XI): 1 Tanzid Hasan, 2 Parvez Hossain Emon, 3 Litton Das (capt), 4 Towhid Hridoy, 5 Jaker Ali (wk), 6 Shamim Hossain, 7 Mahedi Hasan, 8 Rishad Hossain, 9 Tanzim Hasan Sakib, 10 Mustafizur Rahman/Shoriful Isman, 11 Taskin AhmedWill Sufiyan Muqeem come into the side for the third T20I?•AFP/Getty ImagesSahibzada Farhan is yet to get a game this series, as is Sufiyan Muqeem. The inclusion of either won’t be a surprise, though Pakistan’s weakened bowling attack means they will continue to be forced to turn to part-timers to run through an innings.Pakistan: (probable XI): 1 Fakhar Zaman, 2 Saim Ayub/Sahibzada Farhan, 3 Mohammad Haris (wk), 4 Hasan Nawaz, 5 Salman Agha (capt), 6 Khushdil Shah, 7 Abbas Afridi, 8 Faheem Ashraf, 9 Ahmed Daniyal, 10 Salman Mirza, 11 Abrar Ahmed/Sufiyan MuqeemPitch and conditionsMirpur has stayed dry even amidst heavy monsoon rain in Dhaka of late. There’s an afternoon shower forecast, while the pitch – a subject of such focus this week – is unlikely to be significantly different.Stats and triviaRishad Hossain is two wickets away from becoming the sixth Bangladeshi man to reach 50 T20I wicketsBangladesh have won two T20I series 3-0 against Full Members – once at home against England in 2023, and one in the West Indies last year

Azmatullah Omarzai and Khaled Ahmed helped Rangpur Riders successfully defend a total of 151 – by one run – against Hobart Hurricanes.Rangpur, the defending champions, now sit at the top of the GSL 2025 points table with wins in both their games. Hurricanes are third with a 1-1 win-loss record.Mohammad Nabi top-scored for Hurricanes with a 36-ball 44 and almost completed a stellar recovery but was dismissed by Omarzai off the final over’s fourth ball. Earlier in the over, his six had brought the equation down to six runs off the last five balls. Opener Ben McDermott (34) and No. 7 Odean Smith (20) played useful hands but Hurricanes were plagued by regular wickets through the middle overs, Iftikhar Ahmed picking up two of those for 13 runs.Hurricanes let the chase meander, hitting only one four and two sixes in the last 30 deliveries. When they needed three off the final ball, they could get only one run, with Billy Stanlake run-out looking to tie the game. Khaled collected consecutive four-fors in GSL 2025 by taking 4 for 26 as a follow-up to his 4 for 36 against Guyana Amazon Warriors.Rangpur’s batting performance also had its share of wobbles but No. 3 Kyle Mayers’ unbeaten 42-ball 67 held the innings together. He was involved in a partnership of 34 for the second wicket with Ibrahim Zadran (43), who had done most of the hitting in the powerplay.Usama Mir’s 3 for 15 in four overs, though, had strangled Rangpur’s scoring through the middle overs and it needed the big hits from Mayers in the back end to post a total that eventually turned out to be just enough. His innings comprised eight fours and two sixes, with the majority of those coming in the last five overs where Rangpur added 54 to their total. In comparison, Hurricanes scored only 40 in their final five.

Pakistan have dominated Bangladesh in T20Is, but the hosts will take confidence from their series win over Sri Lanka

Mohammad Isam19-Jul-2025

Big picture: Pakistan could be in for a surprisePakistan hold a 19-3 head-to-head record against Bangladesh in T20Is and will look to extend their dominance in Dhaka, starting with the first T20I on Sunday.Pakistan swept the corresponding T20I series in Lahore in May, and the last match of that contest featured a beautifully timed chase by them, which left little doubt as to the gulf between the two sides.Bangladesh, though, have picked themselves up since, and won the T20I series in Sri Lanka earlier this month – their first against the opponents. They also have good memories of playing against Pakistan at the Shere Bangla National Stadium than anywhere else. Two of Bangladesh’s three wins in T20Is against Pakistan have come at this venue, with the only other one coming in Hangzhou in the Asian Games in 2023.Related

Litton Das and Salman Agha steel themselves for Dhaka's surprises

Bangladesh name unchanged squad for T20Is against Pakistan

Mahedi was Litton's 'first name in the line-up' for Colombo T20I

Shadab, Rauf to miss Pakistan's T20I tour of Bangladesh

Their batting came together in the last two games in Sri Lanka, when captain Litton Das, Shamim Hossain, Towhid Hridoy and Tanzid Hasan got important runs. For Litton, especially, it was a welcome return to form after a prolonged slump. Tanzid came into his own in the third T20I with a sparkling 73 not out. Rishad Hossain and Mahedi Hasan got among the wickets, while Mustafizur Rahman stepped up as the senior fast bowler.Bangladesh, though, are still some way from finding consistency, and it won’t be easy on the slow and low pitches in Mirpur. The aggressive Parvez Hossain Emon, for instance, could be the one having to make the biggest adjustment. The fast bowlers Tanzim Hasan and Shoriful Islam also have to bring back their A games after a bit of an up-and-down time in the last few months.Pakistan, meanwhile, would want to continue with the same approach that worked for them in Lahore. Their batters wasted little time in attacking the Bangladesh bowlers, while their bowlers and fielders gave an improved showing in the three-match series.Sahibzada Farhan will be one to watch out for in Pakistan’s top order•Associated Press

Head coach Mike Hesson and captain Salman Agha are trying to get the team to follow the T20I trend of trying to get as many runs as possible in the first six overs, and Pakistan have batters suited for this approach. The likes of Saim Ayub, Mohammad Haris and Salman himself are known for their aggressive style, while Fakhar Zaman will be expected to blaze his way through the bowling. Sahibzada Farhan and Hasan Nawaz will also be expected to go big in both ends of the innings.Shadab Khan’s absence could hurt their balance, and Khushdil Shah and Faheem Ashraf will have to step up as the allrounders.Five of Pakistan’s squad in Bangladesh also have recent local knowledge, having played in the BPL in the last couple of seasons. Khushdil has played 12 matches in Mirpur, the most among the Pakistan players, while Mohammad Haris, Faheem, Abrar Ahmed and Abbas Afridi have also played in the competition.Pakistan are starting this series as the favourites, but Bangladesh usually thrive when they have a few wins under their belt, so this is unlikely to be a cakewalk for the visitors.Form guideBangladesh WWLLL
Pakistan WWWLLIn the spotlight: Tanzid Hasan and Mohammad HarisTanzid Hasan is like a breath of fresh air in the Bangladesh top order. He struck six sixes in his unbeaten 73 in the last game against Sri Lanka, and that led the team’s 133-run chase. Each time Tanzid lofted the bowlers down the ground, there was little doubt that it would go for six. His loft over the covers was a standout shot, after which he switched to hitting down the ground. In that game, Tanzid also became the fastest to five T20I half-centuries for Bangladesh, in just 27 matches.Mohammad Haris hit a hundred in his last match against Bangladesh•PCB

Mohammad Haris became the first Pakistani non-opener to hit a T20I century, in the last match between these two teams on June 1. It was a breathtaking effort from the Pakistan No. 3, who had been threatening a big one in the two previous innings as well. Haris was aggressive like the rest of the Pakistan line-up but he maintained the approach with proper shots, which stood out. Haris will be confident of doing well in Dhaka, where he has intimate knowledge of the pitches through his recent BPL stints.Team news: Pakistan could pick a rookieBangladesh are likely to field the same XI that beat Sri Lanka earlier this week.Bangladesh (probable XI): 1 Parvez Hossain Emon, 2 Tanzid Hasan, 3 Litton Das (capt, wk), 4 Towhid Hridoy, 5 Shamim Hossain, 6 Jaker Ali, 7 Mahedi Hasan, 8 Rishad Hossain, 9 Tanzim Hasan, 10 Shoriful Islam, 11 Mustafizur RahmanPakistan could pick Hussain Talat and the uncapped Salman Mirza in place of Shadab Khan and Hasan Ali, who aren’t available.Pakistan (probable XI): 1 Sahibzada Farhan, 2 Saim Ayub, 3 Mohammad Haris (wk), 4 Hasan Nawaz, 5 Salman Agha (capt), 6 Khushdil Shah, 7 Hussain Talat, 8 Faheem Ashraf, 9 Abbas Afridi, 10 Salman Mirza, 11 Abrar AhmedPitch and conditions: Will it be a T20 or a T20I pitch?The BPL pitches at the Shere Bangla National Stadium produce an average of 150 in night matches. But will the curator opt for the slow and low pitches they have usually prepared for T20Is, where around 125 is more common? Wet weather is in the forecast on Sunday.Stats and trivia: Pakistan’s changed T20 approach Only two Pakistan batters played more than 40 balls in an innings during their last T20I series against Bangladesh – Farhan and Haris. Mahedi has 30 wickets at a strike rate of 15.90 in powerplays in T20Is, the most for any spinner since January 2021. West Indies’ Akeal Hosein is second on 29 wickets. Shakib Al Hasan holds the all-time record with 44 wickets. This is only the third time T20Is are being played in Bangladesh in the month of July. The last two occasions were in 2015 and 2023.Quotes”The two uncapped players are very exciting. Both are fast bowlers, and I am very excited to see them. They are very good fast bowlers, and I’m happy for them to be here and very, very excited.”

The upper stories of Taipei 101—a 101-story skyscraper in Taiwan, the tallest of the region—feature a massive 660-ton sphere that counteracts earthquake tremors to keep the building stable. It is a marvel of human engineering and ingenuity making a skyscraper of this size possible in an earthquake-heavy region.

Recently, the building welcomed a similarly fawned-after sphere, albeit 660 tons lighter.

Taipei 101 is the new home of Shohei Ohtani's 50th home run of the 2024 MLB season, the ball that established the 50/50 club (50 home runs, 50 stolen bases). A private investment firm in Taiwan purchased the ball for $4.4 million and has put it on public display in the skyscraper's observation deck.

NHK reports the investment firm that owns the ball lent it to the exhibition for free. In an opening ceremony, the chief of the investment firm "said he hopes the ball will inspire the dreams and hopes of children in Taiwan and help further deepen exchanges between Japan and Taiwan," according to NHK.

The biggest uncertainty surrounding the Los Angeles Dodgers heading into the postseason was the strength of their pitching. Despite a slew of key pitchers sidelined with injuries, the Dodgers' depleted pitching staff has been sensational in October, and over their last three games in particular.

After defeating the New York Mets, 9-0, in the opener of the NLCS on Sunday night, L.A. has tied the all-time MLB record for the most consecutive scoreless innings in postseason history. They have not surrendered a run in 33 innings, going all the way back to the second inning of their Game 3 NLDS loss against the San Diego Padres.

Since then, it's been smooth sailing on the mound for the Dodgers, who blanked the Padres in the last two games of that series and delivered another scoreless outing during Sunday's Game 1 against the Mets.

Not only have they tied the record previously held by the Baltimore Orioles, who threw 33 straight scoreless innings in the 1966 World Series, the Dodgers have set the record for the most consecutive scoreless frames in National League postseason history.

Jack Flaherty toed the rubber on Sunday night, throwing seven scoreless innings with six strikeouts. He passed the baton to Daniel Hudson and Ben Casparius who handled the final two innings of the contest.

L.A. will look to continue its prolific pitching run on Monday when they host the Mets in Game 2.

أوضح الإعلامي أحمد شوبير آخر التطورات بشأن العروض المقدمة للاعبين في صفوف نادي الزمالك، مع توضيح موقف القلعة البيضاء من هذه الأنباء المتداولة على وسائل التواصل الاجتماعي.

وقال شوبير في تصريحات عبر برنامجه الإذاعي صباح اليوم الثلاثاء: “تداولت بعض منصات التواصل الاجتماعي أخبارًا تفيد وجود عروض خليجية عديدة للاعب خوان بيزيرا”.

وأضاف: “لكن وفقًا لما أكده نادي الزمالك، لم يصلهم أي عرض رسمي للاعب، وبالتالي أصدق ما يقوله النادي أكثر من الشائعات المتداولة على السوشيال ميديا”.

طالع أيضًا | مصدر بـ الزمالك يكشف لـ “بطولات” حقيقة رحيل حسام عبد المجيد في يناير

وتابع: “أما في حال وصول عرض رسمي، فسيتم دراسته بعناية، وإذا كان العرض مناسبًا فهذا يعد خطوة احترافية جيدة، ومن الممكن أن يكون اللاعب قد استفاد من تجاربه السابقة وتعلم من أخطائه”.

وواصل: “ناصر منسي لديه بعض العروض، خصوصًا وأن هناك لاعبين مثل عدي الدباغ وسيف الجزيري وعمرو ناصر وعمر فراج وأيضًا أحمد شريف وشيكو بانزا، وكلهم مهاجمون وأدوارهم مهمة”.

واختتم: “بالنسبة للعروض فهناك عرضين من الاتحاد السكندري ومن البنك الأهلي لـ ناصر منسي، ولا يزال النادي يدرس إمكانية استمرار اللاعب أو إعارته أو بيعه”.

Cristiano Ronaldo was filmed launching into a sarcastic tirade against the referee during Al-Nassr’s 3–1 victory over Neom in the Saudi Pro League on Saturday. The Portuguese forward always played with his heart on his sleeve and couldn't hide his frustrations despite scoring as his team continued their perfect start to the new league campaign in 2025-26.

Ronaldo’s anger caught on camera

The incident happened after the referee blew for half-time with the score still locked at 0-0. Ronaldo was visibly frustrated that the referee had halted a promising Al-Nassr attack. While walking towards the tunnel, he approached the official and delivered a pointed message that was dripping with irony, as reported by .

Ronaldo was heard saying: “Well done, well done. Keep going like that, you’re doing a good game – very good game you do.”

Ronaldo is chasing the once-seemingly impossible dream of 1,000 career goals, and he delivered when it mattered most. A penalty was won after Joao Felix was shoved in the back while chasing the rebound from Ronaldo’s own blocked effort. This gave the captain the perfect chance to settle the contest. Ronaldo stepped up to do the honours from 12 yards and, facing his compatriot Luis Maximiano in goal, he made no mistake from 12 yards to convert his attempt. He fired low and precise into the corner to bring up his 953rd career goal, which was also his 83rd strike in the Saudi Pro League since joining Al-Nassr in early 2023.

AdvertisementGettyDominant Al-Nassr extend perfect start

Ronaldo’s penalty doubled Al-Nassr’s lead after Angelo Gabriel opened the scoring just two minutes into the second half. Neom were already struggling to keep pace, and imploded further when Luciano Rodríguez was sent off for a reckless elbow midway through the second half. The red card effectively ended their resistance, and Al-Nassr cruised home with their eighth straight league victory. Since arriving in Riyadh, Ronaldo has scored 35 goals in his first full season, followed by 25 last year, and is now on course to surpass both tallies in his third campaign. Only Felix has outscored him this season as the 25-year-old added a late goal against Neom, which was his 10th of the campaign. 

Ronaldo shared a defiant post-match message

After the final whistle, any hint of irritation was gone. On social media, he posted a typically cryptic message, which read: "Working on our dream." The Saudi giants are hunting their first domestic crown under Ronaldo’s captaincy, and at this rate, few would bet against them.

Even at 40, Ronaldo’s appetite for goals is undiminished. In 2025 alone, he has averaged better than a goal per game, bringing him within touching distance of the mythical 1,000-goal milestone. Behind him on the Saudi scoring charts is Aleksandar Mitrovic, whose 47 league goals since 2023 look modest compared to Ronaldo’s astonishing 83. 

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Getty Images SportInternational duty beckoning Ronaldo

Away from domestic duties, Ronaldo’s focus now shifts to international football. He will link up with Portugal this week for their World Cup qualifying campaign, with upcoming fixtures against Ireland in Dublin and Armenia in Lisbon. Ahead of those games, he revisited a question that has followed him for years, whether he needs a World Cup to complete his legacy?

"If you ask me, ‘Cristiano, is it a dream to win the World Cup?’ No, it’s not a dream," Ronaldo said to . "To win the World Cup, nothing will change my name in the history of football, I’m not going to lie. One thing that I’m sure of [is] that I will enjoy the moment. The moment is the most important thing that we have. We are not qualified already. Enjoy the moment.

"In my mind, I’m not thinking in that way. Of course, you want to win, yeah. When you compete, you want to win… for me, [winning the World Cup] is not going to change the way I see things. We won three titles for Portugal. Before, Portugal had never won [anything]. Portugal have never won a World Cup. ‘Yeah, but they can win.’ Yes, we’re going to fight for that. But [using it to] define [me] at 40 years old, 41? To define what? To define if I’m one of the best in history? To win one competition, six games, seven games? You think it’s fair? It’s not fair."

After he returns from international duty, Ronaldo will face sixth-placed Al-Khaleej on November 23, followed by an AFC Cup tie against Istiklol.

Nottinghamshire 511 for 6 (Haseeb 208, James 72, Haynes 70) lead Somerset 438 (Rew 166, Abell 156, Abbas 3-60) by 73 runs Haseeb Hameed made a superb double-hundred but his Nottinghamshire side’s chance of denying Surrey a fourth consecutive Division One title are receding with their Rothesay County Championship contest with Somerset almost certain to end in a draw.With half-centuries from Jack Haynes (70) and Lyndon James (72), Nottinghamshire finished day three at 511 for six in their first innings for a lead of 73. Yet the combination of a dead pitch and the Kookaburra ball seems to have left no realistic route to a positive result on the final day.They began this round – the 11th of the 14 – a point behind Surrey but the latter’s victory against Durham at Chester-le-Street puts clear daylight between them and the chasing pack, although Nottinghamshire still have to go to the Kia Oval in September. Somerset, in third place, arguably need nothing less than a win here to maintain their outside chance.Unless Nottinghamshire can rapidly extend their lead to a couple of hundred on the final morning, and then bowl out Somerset, which seems highly improbable, all four of Nottinghamshire’s matches using the Kookaburra ball will have ended in stalemate.Somerset’s verdict on the conditions was made evident by skipper Lewis Gregory’s decision not to bother with the second new ball, spinner Archie Vaughan bowling the final delivery of the day with a ball that was 151 overs old.Hameed’s 208 – which ended, to his misfortune, when he was run out responding to a team-mate’s call – takes his tally for the season to 1,108 as the leading runscorer in the Rothesay County Championship.A day that will not stay long in the memory began with Nottinghamshire cutting 82 runs from an overnight deficit of 249 and losing one wicket when Joe Clarke chipped Gregory to short midwicket for 42.The afternoon was a little more entertaining, mainly for Craig Overton assuming the role of pantomime villain in his efforts to unseat Hameed, largely by bowling a legside line, often banging the ball in short.Frustrated when the Nottinghamshire skipper was almost out on 137 immediately after lunch – edging wide enough for wicketkeeper James Rew to reach the ball with his fingertips but not catch it – Overton had metaphorical steam emerging from his ears when Hameed’s failed attempt to pull him on 152 ended with the opener desperately trying to kick the ball away from his stumps as it dropped over his shoulder.Hameed survived again. He had gone past 150 in an innings for the fourth time in his career and appeared as temperamentally unflappable as ever.Amid all this, his counterpart Gregory appeared to have decided that taking the second new ball would aid only the batting side in providing more pace on to the bat from a pitch that itself had none to offer.Nonetheless, the fourth wicket partnership of Hameed and Haynes were able to achieve enough acceleration to claim three batting bonus points within the 110-over specified time, giving them five from the match to Somerset’s four, Haynes then becoming the sole casualty of the afternoon, his dismissal to Gregory almost a duplicate of Clarke’s.They had added 123, and with James, a double centurion himself only last week, now at the other end, Hameed might have envisaged another profitable alliance as Nottinghamshire sought to end the day with the upper hand.In the event, after lifting Vaughan gloriously over long-off to complete his third career double-ton with a 23rd four to go with two earlier sixes, Hameed was soon gone, although through no fault of his own, run out brilliantly by the combination of Tom Lammonby and Rew after James had called him through for a single to extra cover.James played nicely again, adding 88 with Liam Patterson-White for the sixth wicket before he was caught on the midwicket boundary.

From 25 for 3, James Rew and Tom Abell set a new Somerset record for the fourth wicket

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay29-Jul-2025

Somerset 338 for 4 (Rew 162*, Abell 156, Abbas 3-49) vs Nottinghamshire Centuries from James Rew and Tom Abell in a county record partnership enabled Somerset to take an opening-day advantage over Nottinghamshire in the clash between second and third in Division One of the Rothesay County Championship, closing on 338 for four.Rew (162 not out) and Abell, who fell for a career-best 156 moments before the close, added 313 in 81 overs, overtaking the 310 shared by Peter Denning and Ian Botham against Gloucestershire at Taunton in 1980 as Somerset’s biggest fourth-wicket stand.It was all the more impressive for Somerset having been two wickets down in three overs without a run on the board when Rew walked to the crease, and 25 for 3 when he was joined by Abell.Pakistan seamer Mohammad Abbas – who reached the milestone of 800 first-class victims – took all three wickets in a difficult first hour for the visitors after losing the toss but they were the only successes for the Nottinghamshire attack until the final minutes of the day.Rew earned a call-up to the England squad for the one-off Test against Zimbabwe in May after two centuries in the first month of the season. The 21-year-old did not make the cut on that occasion but senior international recognition must surely come in time.Nottinghamshire began this round of matches – the 11th of 14 – a point behind leaders and defending champions Surrey, with Somerset third after their victory over Durham last week.Somerset’s painful beginning to the day saw Abbas remove Lewis Gregory and Tom Lammonby in his first and second overs, the captain leg before offering no shot to a delivery he clearly judged would slide harmlessly past his off stump before Lammonby, with only defensive intent, nicked to second slip.Under heavy cloud cover after a damp early morning, conditions looked ideal for the veteran Abbas. Haseeb Hameed, the Nottinghamshire captain, duly gave him an extended spell while the Kookaburra ball retained its hardness.He was rewarded again, finding the outside edge of Josh Davey’s straight bat. With this dismissal, Abbas totalled 800 first-class wickets, 284 of them in the English county game.Somerset were in some trouble, but Rew had already shown a glimpse of his class when he drove Abbas to the cover boundary and pulled him for four in the same over with two high-quality strokes. More would follow.As batting became easier, Abell began to look as assured as his partner, the two adding 65 in what remained of the opening session, which proved to be a platform from which they dominated the afternoon.Rew, who reached 51 from 75 balls with his first scoring shot of the afternoon, lofting left-arm spinner Liam Patterson-White clear of the straight boundary in front of the currently shrouded pavilion, went to a century – his third of the season – from 138, adding two more sixes to the shorter side of the playing area off Calvin Harrison, the leg spinner. Other than an edge off Patterson-White on 92, the ball looping out of even the tall Harrison’s reach at slip, he had looked in complete control.By tea, Abell having completed his first hundred of the year, Somerset had added 137 for no loss to be 227 for 3 and Nottinghamshire, though there had been signs of turn, needed some inspiration.Thereafter, Rew’s touch seemed a little less sure, both batters comparatively quiet as the Nottinghamshire spinners gained some control.They attacked the second new ball with some success, although Rew, cutting vigorously, survived a half-chance to second slip off Brett Hutton on 148 before going to 150 from 239 balls.Abell in turn reached 151 from 245 balls, setting the partnership record with two into the offside off Dillon Pennington, before falling to a top-edged pull off the same bowler, after which only two more deliveries were possible before failing light forced the players off 15 balls before the scheduled close.