Ahmed stars as Rockets edge past Superchargers

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The Hundred men’s competition, Nottingham

Northern Superchargers 124-9 (100 balls): Brook 45 (30), Stoinis 2-0

Trent Rockets 128-5 (96 balls): Banton 37 (25), Wasim 3-19

Trent Rockets won by five wickets

England’s Rehan Ahmed produced an all-round performance as Trent Rockets beat Northern Superchargers by five wickets to maintain their unbeaten start in the men’s Hundred.

The 20-year-old collected 2-23 as the Superchargers were restricted to 124-9, before scoring 31 (26) as the Rockets completed their chase with four balls to spare.

The hosts had looked in control of a routine chase with Tom Banton (37) and Joe Root (20) sharing a 57-run opening stand.

However, they came unstuck against the Superchargers’ spinners, Imad Wasim (3-19) removing both openers in quick succession before Adil Rashid had Max Holden caught in the deep for a laborious 8 (11).

With 41 needed from the final 30 balls, Ahmed and Tom Alsop smacked 31 off 15 for the fourth wicket and while the pair were removed by Rashid and Wasim, respectively, Marcus Stoinis and Adam Hose saw the Rockets safely over the line.

Earlier, Northern Superchargers slumped to 18-3 inside the powerplay, Akeal Hosein striking twice in three balls to remove openers Dawid Malan and Zak Crawley before Michael Pepper slashed a routine catch to Root.

Dan Lawrence became the fourth member of the Superchargers’ top five to depart without reaching double figures when he was bowled by Ahmed.

Captain Harry Brook, who top-scored with 45 (30), and Graham Clark (36 off 22) looked to have dragged their side back into the match with a 56-run fifth-wicket stand but when Stoinis removed Brook and Wasim with consecutive deliveries, their innings faltered.

Brave cruise to victory over struggling Phoenix

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The Hundred men’s competition, Southampton

Birmingham Phoenix 106-7 (100 balls): Clarke 36 (27); Bracewell 3-10

Southern Brave 109-1 (81 balls): Du Plooy 48* (39); Howell 1-17

Southern Brave won by nine wickets

England’s Jofra Archer took 2-16 as Southern Brave comfortably beat struggling Birmingham Phoenix by nine wickets in the men’s Hundred.

Archer and New Zealand spinner Michael Bracewell, who took 3-10, restricted Phoenix to 106-7, with Joe Clarke’s 36 and Ben Duckett’s 20 the only contributions of note.

It was a formidable performance from Brave’s bowling attack, led by the pace of Archer and Chris Jordan, as they were in control throughout after winning the toss.

Duckett was caught behind off Jordan, Jacob Bethell was bowled by Bracewell for one before Archer removed Liam Livingstone for 12 and had Clarke caught at mid-off with eight balls remaining to end Phoenix’s hopes of posting a competitive total.

Brave started their chase cautiously, reaching 28-0 after the 25-ball powerplay, but increased their run-rate before James Vince was dismissed for 41 from 30 having added 75 for the first wicket with Leus du Plooy.

Du Plooy finished unbeaten on 48 from 39 balls with former England opener Jason Roy adding 18 as they cruised to their below-par target with 19 balls to spare.

What is happening on Monday?

Defending champions of the women’s competition London Spirit look to continue their winning run as they take on Manchester Originals at Old Trafford, starting at 15:00 BST.

The men’s game follows at 18:30 with Originals searching for their first win of the campaign.

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‘Sell up, you plonker’ – how Sheff Wed fans united against owner

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As Sheffield Wednesday fans sang outside Leicester City’s King Power Stadium, a plane circled overhead.

Behind it was a banner with the message “Dejphon Chansiri Out”.

Inside, another banner had already been laid across empty seats, urging the owner to sell.

Wednesday supporters have united against a figure they now widely consider a common enemy, a decade after he arrived with grand plans of a Premier League return. Their goal is to force owner Chansiri to find a buyer and to leave Hillsborough.

While around 2,000 fans waited outside, a flag with Chansiri mocked up to look like Del Boy from Only Fools and Horses was on show.

Its message was to the point: “Sell the club you plonker!”

This was a good-natured protest. Former loanee Shea Charles was mobbed when he arrived – his brother Pierce is the Wednesday goalkeeper.

But the gathering of Wednesday supporters was one that underlined the fear that lurks among them and around the club.

The fans waited until the fifth minute to take their seats – the sight of an empty away end designed to signify the depth of feeling.

Once inside, especially when Wednesday took the lead in what became a spirited 2-1 Championship defeat, only Owls fans were to be heard as they called for Chansiri to leave.

For those not aware of the ownership of the two clubs, the contrast could not be greater.

As Wednesday fans protested, about 50 yards away two Leicester fans had earlier brought flowers to pay tribute at the statue of former Foxes owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, who died in a helicopter crash in 2018.

Two Thai owners treated very differently, with Leicester’s Khun Vichai loved and revered for not only bringing the Premier League title to the club but for his work in the community. In 2016 he pledged £2m to help build a new children’s hospital.

Compare that to the recently silent Chansiri, who so far this summer has refused to engage with supporters, with the 57-year-old now despised by many.

“It’s killing the club. The only positive which has come out of it is a lot of supporters have come together. They just want rid of him,” said Ian Bennett, chairman of Sheffield Wednesday Supporters’ Trust.

Sheffield Wednesday's players and manager look disappointed after defeatGetty Images

How did Wednesday get here?

Chansiri, whose family owns seafood company Thai Union Group, bought Sheffield Wednesday from Milan Mandaric in 2015 but has overseen a decline.

In 2020, Wednesday were given a 12-point penalty – reduced to six on appeal – for breaching EFL profitability and sustainability rules.

The Owls were relegated from the Championship and returned in 2023 but were also put under a transfer embargo later that year because of payments owed to HMRC.

Wednesday’s plight has only got worse, with head coach Danny Rohl and most of his staff leaving this summer. Rohl’s assistant Henrik Pedersen was appointed his successor.

The North Stand has been closed at Hillsborough because of concerns around its structural integrity, while players have issued the club with their notices. Fifa regulations allow them to do so if they have not been paid as they should have been for two consecutive months.

Two of the players, Josh Windass – who scored the goal to send Wednesday up in 2023 – and striker Michael Smith, joined Wrexham and Preston respectively, with winger Djeidi Gassama sold to Rangers for £2.2m.

The EFL charged the club and owner Chansiri in June for repeatedly paying the players and other members of staff late, while PFA chief executive Maheta Molango told BBC Sport last month the situation was “shocking”.

The union remains in contact with the squad, who boycotted their final pre-season friendly against Burnley, and remains committed to helping them.

“We are in touch with them. It’s not an easy situation as you can imagine, because ultimately, you know, people need to be paid,” said Molango in July.

“Particularly for me it’s a bit shocking because normally this is stuff you see in other countries I have played in, but not in England.”

It is important to recognise it is not just the players who have been affected. Club staff have been in tears and worried about their own futures with important bills to pay.

The Sheffield Wednesday Supporters’ Trust has a fund to help financially stricken staff who can anonymously apply for a £500 grant, with the first few doing so last week.

“For low-paid people, three or four months with either some contribution or no wages at all?” said Bennett.

Nathaniel Chalobah celebrates his goal at LeicesterGetty Images

So what now?

The introduction of the independent football regulator cannot come soon enough for Wednesday.

It was signed into law last month and will be officially launched later this year, with the Football Governance Act granting powers to a body independent from government and football authorities.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said in July: “This is a huge moment for football fans because we’ve had far too many clubs including mine, Wigan Athletic, at risk from poor ownership and finances.

“This is the moment football fans can breathe a sigh of relief because we are fixing the foundations of football and putting fans back at the heart of the game where they belong.”

Yet while those at Wednesday wait, there is little that can be done via that route.

“I know the secretary of state and sports minister, they both understand the scale of the problems at Wednesday and need for urgency in this,” said Clive Betts, MP for Sheffield South East and a lifelong Wednesday fan who travelled to Leicester.

“They get the political downside if there’s just-passed legislation but the regulator isn’t able to do anything yet and is sat on their hands as a major football club falls over.”

There is confidence Wednesday will survive, although the will of the people is not enough on its own.

The club received a solidarity payment from the Premier League this week, allowing them to pay off debts to staff, players and other clubs, but that money will not last long. The closure of the North Stand and fan boycott denies the club crucial revenue.

Wednesday are no longer under a transfer embargo, but they cannot pay fees for players – permanent or on loan – until 2027 as they had surpassed 30 days of late payments to clubs.

The EFL has said it is in “advanced discussions” with Chansiri over the sale of the club and former Crystal Palace co-owner John Textor has said he is monitoring the situation, while a US-based consortium told BBC Sheffield in June it had two bids rejected.

But the Sheffield Wednesday Supporters’ Trust, who paid around £2,500 for the plane and stadium banner, are not waiting around, with plans for a phoenix club already in the works.

“I don’t think we will get to that, but being a responsible supporters’ trust we are putting those plans in place,” said deputy chairman James Silverwood.

“It’s not something you want to be doing under crisis conditions.

“There can be a brighter future. The problem at Sheffield Wednesday is not a lack of credible buyers; the problem is a credible seller.

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Love Island winner hits out as he returns to normal job after reality TV fame

Love Island winner Nathan Massey has hit out at the government over his taxes as he says, ‘We are all really getting our pants pulled down and all I can do is laugh’

Nathan Massey’s rant about taxes as he returns to his normal job

Nathan Massey, winner of the second series of Love Island, has hit out at the government and revealed that he has returned to his normal job following his fame.

The 33-year-old star met his now wife Cara De La Hoyde, on the ITV show, and the couple quickly shot to fame. They have since welcomed two children together, seven-year-old Freddie and five-year-old Delilah, and work as social media influencers, however, Nathan also works as a carpenter.

In a recent Instagram rant, Nathan revealed that he has now returned to his previous job as a carpenter when his work online is slow, however, despite his efforts to make more money, he is being taxed a ‘worrying’ amount. It comes after Princess Andre says she’s ‘independent’ from parents as she breaks silence after Katie Price row.

READ MORE: Katie Price worries fans with appearance in family photo after explaining weight loss READ MORE: Taylor Swift sparks engagement rumours as fans spot Travis Kelce’s lock screen

The 33-year-old star met his now wife Cara De La Hoyde, on the ITV show
The 33-year-old star met his now wife Cara De La Hoyde, on the ITV show(Image: Getty Images for Asda)

After a visit from his accountant, Nathan shared his frustrations with his followers, where he said ‘all I can do is laugh’. The father of two captioned the post: Rant alert …. We are all really getting our pants pulled down and all I can do is laugh … worrying times”.

The reality star went on to say: “It’s just hit me how much tax that we are paying. Like, don’t get me wrong, we do okay, we’re not multi-millionaires by any stretch of the imagination, I wish I were, but we’re not, we do OK.

“I’m back on the tools, I work on the tools when I can, when we’re not doing our bits on social media, etc, and it’s just hit me how much we are getting taxed, and the VAT and everything we’ve got to pay is worrying.”

Nathan added: “Genuinely, how is anyone in this day and age supposed to get ahead of the game? It’s like, catch up, catch up, catch up. You know, it’s really a dark timing in in our history. I think it’s wowed me, I’m not gonna lie.”

After a visit from his accountant, Nathan shared his frustrations with his followers
After a visit from his accountant, Nathan shared his frustrations with his followers(Image: YOUTUBE)

Fans were quick to comment on the post and praise Nathan for being so relatable.

One person wrote: “Glad someone’s talking out about this!”, while another added: “Couldn’t agree more this country has lost its way and what pressure it brings on families … my grandad would be turning in his grave to know what is going on in the Uk right now ..”

A third wrote: “I feel your pain, absolute joke for the working class”, while another said: “It’s utterly ridiculous, isn’t it! I’m pretty sure after the amount of tax, corporation tax and vat we pay, people that don’t work are better off, our whole system is backwards”.

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Cara and Nathan appeared on the show in 2016, 10 whole seasons ago and Cara recently told The Mirror that it has changed so much since her day. She said: “It’s changed so much. I don’t think I could handle it today – it’s more ruthless and scary now.”

Trump video calls Forrest after Nexo Championship

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Nexo Championship – final round leaderboard

-8 G Forrest (Sco); -4 J Dean (Eng); -3 JS Olesen (Den), J Parry (Eng), K Reitan (Nor); -2 J Smith (Eng); -1 T Clements (Eng).

Selected others: level E Pepperell (Eng); +2 M Warren (Sco); +4 M Penge (Eng)

Scotland’s Grant Forrest received a video call from Donald Trump after triumphing at the Nexo Championship, played over the US President’s golf course in Aberdeenshire.

The 32-year-old won by four shots at Trump International Golf Links in Balmedie, and after collecting the trophy, spoke to Trump, who was himself out playing golf at the time.

“Your name’s going to be on the board for a long time Grant,” Trump said in the call, shared on X by the DP World Tour.

“I watched it, he’s some player. I look forward to playing with him – in fact I will play with him tomorrow if he could get on a plane.

“Get on a plane and come over here Grant.

“We all watched you play. We just came out, what a round of golf. What three rounds of brilliant golf.

Forrest, who lifted his maiden European Tour title at St Andrews almost exactly four years ago, took control of windy conditions over the weekend but saw his three-shot overnight advantage trimmed to two after Todd Clements’ birdie on the opening hole.

However, when Forrest birdied the fourth and Clements carded a triple-bogey eight at the same hole, the Scot led by five and never looked back.

The world number 294, who double-bogeyed the last, added two more birdies and a dropped shot in a closing 72 to finish with an eight-under-par total.

“It’s amazing, just speechless,” Forrest said. “I think it is the same week as I won four years ago on the calendar so just amazing, that must say something about this week and being at home.

“I just can’t believe it. It’s been such a tough year on the golf course. It’s just a crazy game that you can go and come out and do this, with what feels out of nowhere.

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Trump video-calls Forrest after Nexo Championship

Getty Images

Nexo Championship – final round leaderboard

-8 G Forrest (Sco); -4 J Dean (Eng); -3 JS Olesen (Den), J Parry (Eng), K Reitan (Nor); -2 J Smith (Eng); -1 T Clements (Eng).

Selected others: level E Pepperell (Eng); +2 M Warren (Sco); +4 M Penge (Eng)

Scotland’s Grant Forrest received a video call from Donald Trump after triumphing at the Nexo Championship, played over the US President’s golf course in Aberdeenshire.

The 32-year-old won by four shots at Trump International Golf Links in Balmedie, and after collecting the trophy, spoke to Trump, who was himself out playing golf at the time.

“Your name’s going to be on the board for a long time Grant,” Trump said in the call, shared on X by the DP World Tour.

“I watched it, he’s some player. I look forward to playing with him – in fact I will play with him tomorrow if he could get on a plane.

“Get on a plane and come over here Grant.

“We all watched you play. We just came out, what a round of golf. What three rounds of brilliant golf.

Forrest, who lifted his maiden European Tour title at St Andrews almost exactly four years ago, took control of windy conditions over the weekend but saw his three-shot overnight advantage trimmed to two after Todd Clements’ birdie on the opening hole.

However, when Forrest birdied the fourth and Clements carded a triple-bogey eight at the same hole, the Scot led by five and never looked back.

The world number 294, who double-bogeyed the last, added two more birdies and a dropped shot in a closing 72 to finish with an eight-under-par total.

“It’s amazing, just speechless,” Forrest said. “I think it is the same week as I won four years ago on the calendar so just amazing, that must say something about this week and being at home.

“I just can’t believe it. It’s been such a tough year on the golf course. It’s just a crazy game that you can go and come out and do this, with what feels out of nowhere.

Related topics

  • Golf