Archive August 25, 2025

The Kia Oval and The Hundred Men’s Competition

London Spirit 152-7 (100 balls): J Overton 31 (18), Higgins 28 (15), Smith 28 (15), Sowter 2-23

Oval Invincibles 153-4 (78 balls): Cox 47 (27), Jacks 45 (27), Dawson 2-30

Six wickets separated Oval Invincibles.

Oval Invincibles defeated London Spirit at The Oval to effectively seal their place in Sunday’s men’s half-finale.

Although Northern Superchargers and Trent Rockets can share their 24 points with victories on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively, it is highly unlikely for them to overtake them as the table’s four-point favorites are now.

Therefore, they stay away from Saturday’s elimination match between Superchargers and Rockets.

Invincibles won the game by easing a 153-pound chase while batter Jordan Cox kept his excellent form.

Tawanda Muyeye was caught for a first-ball duck when the right-hander confidently struck 47 from 27 balls to put his lead at the top of the run-scoring chart at its feet.

With 22 balls left, his team won when he was bowled in the reverse sweep to Jamie Overton, but only 26 were required at that point.

Although the hosts did not play the ball well, they still held off their London rivals by 152-7.

As they pursue a third title after the first, Invincibles appear to have covered every base.

Will Jacks, the opener, also hit three sixes in a 27-ball 45, along with Cox, who brutally flogged anything short over the leg side.

Strong finisher Donovan Ferreira hit a 24 from just nine balls to win the game, but both fell before he could only manage one more.

Ferreira has the best strike-rate in the tournament, despite Cox’s 63 runs clear of Cox’s 63 runs.

Although batting is their strongest trait, skipper Sam Billings always has a choice given the range of pace attacks they use.

Since Rashid Khan left for international duty with Afghanistan last week, leg-spinner Nathan Sowter has excelled as the only spinner.

After Jamie Smith opened the scoring with 28 from 15, and Overton added 31 from 18, which increased the score, he took 2-23.

Invincibles is in talks with the 33-year-old over a one-game deal, and Sowter may be paired with Australian spinner Adam Zampa for the final.

On Sunday, Northern Superchargers take on Manchester Originals, a local rival.

In the women’s match, Originals needs a significant win to surpass Spirit in terms of net run-rate and maintain their hopes of winning the eliminator.

After Harry Brook’s Superchargers, Jos Buttler’s Originals effectively face off in second place.

Both BBC Two and BBC iPlayer will allow you to watch both games live.

Strasbourg rejected a £30.2 million deal for French international Dilane Bakwa for Nottingham Forest.

The 22-year-old is hopeful that the transfer will be revived and wants to relocate to the City Ground.

Strasbourg requests an initial fee of at least £30 million along with add-ons, whereas Forest’s offer was £23.7 million plus £6.5 million in add-ons.

Since moving from Bordeaux in 2023, Bakwa has 11 goals and 20 assists in 69 games for Strasbourg, a club that has the same BlueCo ownership as Chelsea.

The France Under-21 international, who can play either on the wing or up front, has attracted interest from Premier League newcomers Leeds and Sunderland.

The future of manager Nuno Espirito Santo is uncertain as a result of Forest’s application.

The 51-year-old admitted on Friday that their relationship with property owner Evangelos Marinakis “has changed” and that they “are not as close.”

Despite eight players joining the club this summer, the club’s transfer activity contributed to the majority of the unhappiness.

Dan Ndoye, James McAtee, Omari Hutchinson, Arnaud Kalimuendo, and Douglas Luiz start the 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace on Sunday, along with winger Dan Ndoye and other players.

To strengthen his squad, Nuno wants to sign another goalkeeper and two full-backs, who will also compete in the Europa League.

Despite finishing seventh in the table and qualifying for Europe last year, sources have informed BBC Sport that Nuno’s position is not entirely secure. According to sources, the playing squad has now grown more unsure.

Max Dowman, 15, a winger for Arsenal, is “so refreshing” to watch and reminds Theo Walcott of Lionel Messi.

At the age of 15, 234 days, Dowman, who is the club’s second-youngest player, made his Gunners debut in Saturday’s 5-0 Premier League victory over Leeds.

And Walcott claims that the teenager’s play reminds him of Messi from Argentina, with his quickness with the ball and low center of gravity making defenders “tired”

Walcott, who joined Arsenal in 2006 for 12 years, said, “What’s really fascinating is that Arsenal manager] Mikel Arteta will allow him to do that because that’s his strength.”

He moves with the ball more quickly and carries it. He resembles Messi. Messi is slow, and when I remember playing against him, I remember him being off the ball. I may be a faster person than most, perhaps.

He would simply glide past people and easely pass me when he had the ball. Doowman has that, he has the stop-start.

Walcott added, “He has ability where you can’t teach it, because he plays with that freedom.”

We discuss football’s love, which can sometimes be boring to watch. He’s not boring to watch, as you can tell.

He consistently exhibits such a positive attitude, which is what I admire about these players who are only positive. It’s very refreshing.

Walcott, who made his Premier League debut for Arsenal at age 16 and England a year later, is well aware of the pressure Dowman will encounter.

He acknowledged that the “main key” to his progress was having a strong support network close to Dowman.

On BBC Radio 5 Live’s Monday Night Club, Walcott stated, “The biggest challenge is the outside noise and how he copes with even his school life, that balance between walking out on the street and recognising him.”

Madison Keys, the Australian Open champion, was humiliated by Renata Zarazua from Mexico in the first round of the US Open, making up for her error-filled performance.

In a 6-7 (10-12), 7-6 (7-3) 7-5 defeat, the sixth seed’s first home major as a Grand Slam champion did not go as planned.

Keys made 37 unforced errors in just the first set, but the world champions did so after world number 82 Zarazua wasted five set points.

Keys took a 3-0 lead in the next set, but the 2017 runner-up in New York lost four games straight.

The underdog only needed one set point, but Keys’ 13th double fault of the day gave Zarazua three before the set was broken when she was able to bring the set to a tie-break.

The American’s play remained erratic despite Keys’ coach and husband Bjorn Fratangelo’s constant guidance and support.

The eighth game saw Zarazua break before Keys and Zarazua broke, but the decision-making set continued.

Keys, 30, would have been aiming for a long run after her first major in Melbourne at the beginning of the year.

After falling 6-3, 6-2 to 2024 Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova, Victoria Mboko’s fairytale 2025 did not have the perfect ending.

The 18-year-old defeated four Grand Slam winners earlier this month to claim the Canadian Open, which puts her in the 23rd place in the world after starting the year in 333rd.

However, her inconsistent behavior cost her at Louis Armstrong Stadium as the teenager struggled on second serve and committed 10 double errors.

After falling to 62nd in the rankings during a year of injuries, Krejcikova now appeared much like her former self.

Elena Rybakina, the ninth seed, delivered a harsh lesson to Julieta Pareja, who is currently playing in the Grand Slam for the first time, winning 6-3, 6-0 in one hour and two minutes.

The 2022 Wimbledon champion, who had previously hoped to advance past the US Open third round, held her own in the opening round, but the world junior number one quickly lost.