All posts by h716a5.icu

Nine Hong Kong batters finished with single-digit scores, going down by 94 runs in the Asia Cup opener

Alagappan Muthu09-Sep-20251:36

Mukund: Dropped catches a concern for Afghanistan

There was a contest between man and nature to see who was hotter and in the end, try as the elements could, they couldn’t match Azmatullah Omarzai’s fire. Even in 41°C heat, he burned brighter, scoring Afghanistan’s fastest T20I fifty and just kept going from there.Omarzai was responsible for one of two blink-and-you’ll-miss-it run-outs, which, coming on the back of a Hong Kong fielding performance that included three dropped catches, was cricket working a little too hard to highlight the gulf between the two sides. Full Member Afghanistan made 188 for 6. It was 94 too many for their Associate nation opposition.Sediqullah’s three livesSediqullah Atal looked a real good player. Stood nice and tall in his set-up, seemed competent playing shots off both front foot and the back foot, and crucially, he was able to cope with the lack of pace in Abu Dhabi. He is only 24, but already showing signs of what players more experienced than him are known for. The bit between the ears. Atal was 26 off 17 with five fours at the end of the powerplay when the other end had contributed only 14 off 19 balls with one six.Hong Kong slowed Atal down with spin but were never able to capitalise on the pressure they created. Yasim Murtaza gave him two lives – dropping him on 4 off 3 in the first over, then on 46 off 38 off his own bowling and finally had to watch Ehsan Khan put down a clanger just after Atal had raised his third T20I fifty. A man who should’ve been dismissed in the first over batted through the innings to score 73 off 52.Azmatullah the game changerAfghanistan were 119 for 4 after 16 overs. Hong Kong’s spinners – Murtaza in particular – provided a challenge that is rarely seen in modern T20 cricket. He pulled pace off the ball, going as low as 70kph at times to deny scoring opportunities. Kinchit Shah, bowling from the other end, got the wickets. The five overs they bowled between the 10th and the 14th yielded two wickets for just 24 runs.As good as that period was for Hong Kong, it also brought Omarzai to the crease and he was so game aware. The fast bowlers returned in the 17th over and it was go time. The next 18 balls yielded 60 runs. Omarzai went 6, 6, 6 and 4 against Ayush Shukla to bring up his half-century off just 20 deliveries. From the simple, clear-the-front-leg slog to the cheeky ramp past the keeper, the Afghanistan allrounder showed impressive range on a difficult batting pitch.2:26

Mukund impressed by Afghanistan’s on-field trial

Hong Kong punishedHong Kong’s mishaps continued with bat in hand as well. They gave up a wicket for no reason – and one run on the board – when Anshuman Rath was ruled caught behind but replays showed several inches of daylight between bat and ball. Zeeshan Ali, the non-striker, had seemingly persuaded Rath from challenging umpire Virender Sharma’s decision. Then they had to watch as Rashid Khan ran out Nizakat Khan for 0 off 0 balls because he took too long to realise there was no run off a Babar Hayat hit to cover.Two overs – and two dropped catches later, apparently Afghanistan were happy to give themselves a handicap – Azmatullah had Kalhan Challu run-out off his own bowling when the batter strayed out of his crease after pushing the ball down the pitch. The Hong Kong captain had high hopes for Challu at the toss, instead his wicket for 4 off 8 was a cruel reminder of the quality of cricket at this level.Hong Kong went joint-second for most wickets (four) lost by a team in the powerplay in the men’s T20 Asia Cup. Only two of their batters got to double-digits. None of them managed to score at a run a ball. Their focus at 63 for 6 had shifted to playing the overs out and they did that to finish on 94 for 9.

Liverpool scouts have just been spotted keeping an eye on a defensive star in the Champions League, according to recent reports, as they set their sights on a transfer battle against Arsenal.

The Reds’ defensive frailties were on show once again against Manchester City at the Etihad, and they’re fortunate that it’s Virgil van Dijk’s disallowed goal which has stolen the headlines. For the umpteenth time this season, the champions came undone all too easily as Pep Guardiola eased to a 3-0 victory in his 1000th game as a manager.

Arne Slot, whilst reflecting on the defeat, took the time to have his say on Van Dijk’s disallowed header – telling reporters that he believes Andy Robertson was not interfering with Gianluigi Donnarumma’s view.

PGMOL chief refereeing officer Howard Webb has since issued a response to Liverpool’s complaints, saying that it was “not unreasonable” to rule Van Dijk’s effort out on Sunday afternoon.

Alas, as the argument continues, Liverpool remain in a difficult position and as low as eighth in the Premier League. No one saw it coming from a side who comfortably strode towards the title last season, but Slot must now find a permanent solution.

Not Wirtz or Isak: Liverpool's "nervous wreck" at risk of becoming Nunez 2.0

Liverpool have fallen by the wayside under Arne Slot’s leadership this season.

ByAngus Sinclair Nov 12, 2025

Whether that means returning to the transfer market is the big question, especially in search of defensive reinforcements.

Liverpool and Arsenal scouts watching Wilfried Singo

As reported by Turkish outlet Sabah, Liverpool scouts were spotted watching Singo in Galatasaray’s dominant 3-0 win against Ajax in the Champions League last week.

The Gunners also had officials present to check on the right-back’s progress as they seek support for Jurrien Timber, with Ben White’s injury issues making him an unreliable deputy for the Dutchman.

And the Ivorian played his part as his side kept a clean sheet and made it three wins from four Champions League games, in a run of form that includes a win against Liverpool.

The Reds felt Singo’s quality in full as he kept Cody Gakpo quiet down their left-hand side and Galatasaray held on to secure a famous 1-0 victory at the end of September.

Singo enjoyed an excellent game against the Reds, losing possession just once, making four recoveries and winning over half of his aerial duels. Gakpo, meanwhile, was limited to just three touches in the Galatasaray box and made just one pass into the final third.

The 24-year-old has been on the rise for a few years now and interest from both Arsenal and Liverpool should come as little surprise. Described as “intelligent” by former AS Monaco teammate Thilo Kehrer, Singo could be destined for the Premier League in 2026 in what would be the biggest move of his career so far.

Liverpool's "generational" Doku regen is destined to take the #11 from Salah

Curtis Jones says Liverpool are "in the sh*t" after their demoralising 4-1 loss to PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League. Defeat at Anfield condemned the Reds to their worst run of form in 71 years, with many scratching their heads at how they can arrest this slide. While some players will have kept their anger for the changing rooms, Jones gave a brutally honest post-match interview.

Liverpool's plight is 'unacceptable'

Following Liverpool's 4-1 loss to PSV on Wednesday night, which came days after a 3-0 home defeat to Nottingham Forest, midfielder Jones held nothing back when analysing his side's woeful run of form. The England international said their results have been "unacceptable" and that everyone needs to do better.

He told RTE: "I don’t have the answers. Honestly, I don’t. I’m saying that to everybody. It’s just unacceptable. I don’t even have to wait to think about it. I’m past being angry inside. I’m at the point now where I just don’t have the words. It’s hard because I’m playing for the team I support. I’m a fan, and I’ve seen this club all my life. In a long, long time, I haven’t experienced a Liverpool team going through a period like this with results like these. But at the end of the day, we still have that badge on our chest. And until that badge is gone, we’re always going to fight. We’re going to try and get this team back to where it needs to be, show everyone again what this club is about and why people call it the best team in the world. But right now, we’re in the s***, and it needs to change."

AdvertisementLiverpool 'too nice' now

The 24-year-old also believes that the fear factor once associated with Anfield is nowhere to be found. He also thinks that the Liverpool team are being a bit too "nice" and should be pressing sides like "absolute dogs".

He also told CBS: "You just want to be a man out there and you just want to tackle someone and just be a dog out there. It’s got to be on me and the rest of the lads to change this around to not be so nice where teams are coming here thinking, ‘We’re gonna win here and score two, three, four goals’. This used to be a place that you hated to come – with the fans and how we’re going to play and how we’re going to press and be absolute dogs. Now we hardly even play. There’s times where we do play but off the ball stuff… I think that is the stuff that has to change."

'Cannot continue like this'

Naturally, Slot cut a dejected figure after yet another history-making loss. Reds legend Jamie Carragher does not think the club should sack Slot but even the Dutchman is increasingly doubting his own competency. 

He said: "I'm not questioning the players, because I know that we have very good players. Their mentality after us going 1-0 down was also what I was hoping for, but also what you have to expect if you are a Liverpool player. So it's something normal for me that you're questioning your line-ups, you're questioning your tactics, you're questioning the substitutions you make, but that's also what you do if you don't lose every single time. But it's normal for me to question the choices I make, because I've said many times that I'm responsible for this situation. But the players have so much quality that this cannot continue like this."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images SportWhat comes next for struggling Liverpool?

After a run of nine defeats in their last 12 games in all competitions, on top of losing six of their last seven in the Premier League, Liverpool will be low on confidence heading into a clash with lowly West Ham this weekend. The Hammers have picked up their form in recent weeks and will be hopeful of causing another upset. After that, the Reds take on Sunderland and struggling Leeds United as a huge run of matches beckons.

Arsenal are now prepared to break the bank to sign Vinicius Jr, amid a major new update on the forward’s future at Real Madrid.

The Gunners should be well-positioned to start competing for the signatures of some of the world’s best players once again, having announced themselves as serious contenders for the Premier League title as a result of the 4-1 victory at Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

Signing the Real Madrid star would certainly be a major statement of intent, given that he is still regarded as one of the best wingers in world football, despite narrowly missing out on the 2024 Ballon d’Or, finishing as runner-up behind Manchester City star Rodri.

Interestingly, an exciting new report has now suggested that the move could be a realistic possibility, following a major new update on the Brazilian’s future at the Santiago Bernabeu…

Arsenal prepared to break the bank for Vinicius Jr

According to a report from Spain, Arsenal are now prepared to break the bank to sign Vinicius Jr, with the Emirates Stadium now one of his most likely destinations, having informed Real Madrid chairman Florentino Perez he does not currently wish to sign a new contract.

The winger’s unwillingness to put pen to paper on a new deal stems from a difficult relationship with manager Xabi Alonso, and negotiations have now stalled, which could open the door for a move to north London, and Stan Kroenke & co clearly mean business.

However, the Gunners may need to be willing to make the Brazil international one of their highest earners to get a deal over the line, given that he has been demanding a very high salary to extend his stay with the Spanish club.

In truth, the 25-year-old isn’t having the greatest of seasons, failing to score or assist in his last 10 matches for club and country, so it is no surprise he has fallen down the pecking order at Madrid, most recently being benched for his side’s 2-2 draw against Elche.

The forward’s attacking output has been very impressive previously, however, having contributed a whopping 111 goals and 87 assists in 339 matches for Real Madrid, and Liverpool manager Arne Slot sung his praises earlier this month.

With Arsenal looking to lift the Champions League for the first time in their history this season, it would make sense to bring in Vinicius Jr, who has won the competition twice, and ranks very highly in the 2026 Ballon d’Or Power Rankings…

Where Vinicius Jr ranks in the 2026 Ballon d'Or Power Rankings Ballon d'Or 2026 Power Rankings

Who will be lifting the individual honour in 2026?

ByCharlie Smith Nov 6, 2025

Both were masterly on a pitch that had enough to keep them interested, but not enough to give maximum results for their efforts

Sidharth Monga10-Jul-20250:57

What explains England’s ‘Blockball’ approach?

This Test is being played more on an upside-down ground than merely a sloped one. England are the toss and batting at home for only the second time since the start of 2022. Jasprit Bumrah’s deliveries aren’t carrying to the wicketkeeper. Nitish Kumar Reddy’s are surprising everyone with the extra bounce. Reddy is India’s highest wicket-taker in the game at the moment. England are playing according to the conditions and the bowling, and are Bazwalling at 3.02 an over.For a moment, it seemed the gods sent locusts out 20 minutes after the scheduled close of play to deliver judgment on what could be seen as an immoral day’s play in times of moral victories. Thankfully, they were just black ants, arguably the most threatening form of non-human life in England. Some argued they were ladybugs.Whoever they were, hopefully they stayed back to watch two masters at work. Also, the complaints about the ball and the eventual change around the 42nd-43rd over lent bits of normalcy to proceedings. It was only the last bits of it, but Bumrah and Joe Root were masterly on a pitch that had enough to keep them interested, but not enough to give maximum results for their efforts.Related

Bumrah uses money in the bank for Lord's honours

For Crawley and Pope, the struggle gets real

Root holds the fort with 99* as India put brakes on Bazball

England sweat on Ben Stokes as spectre of injury looms

Curiously, Root faced just 21 balls from Bumrah. That’s just 21 out of 72 that Bumrah bowled with Root at the wicket. It included Root facing just one ball from Bumrah’s first spell after lunch. Only Washington Sundar bowled less often to him.If it was a conscious thing that Root did, it is another masterful thing for a master batter to do, letting poor Ollie Pope face the brunt of a red-hot Bumrah. During that ten-over period, Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj gave away just 15 runs. All told, Root faced just 24 balls in those ten overs. Pope later said it wouldn’t be so smart if it were a conscious move. Ollie, Joe did you in there.Through the day, Bumrah drew 34 false shots. That’s about two per over. That deserves more than the one wicket, but the Pavilion End, the one that alpha bowlers of every team take at Lord’s, hardly had any bounce. The first ball he bowled to Ben Duckett took the edge but didn’t carry to slip. Immediately, he asked everyone behind the wicket to move up. He bowled just four overs in that spell, and moved to the Nursery End, which had more bounce.1:12

Manjrekar: Reddy looked like India’s best seamer

Through the day, there was more swing and seam available than on any of the first days of the three Tests so far, but the lack of pace and bounce made it hard work to take wickets. The lack of pace gave batters time to adjust to the movement, and if they did edge them, they hardly ever carried. Except, of course, when Reddy bowled great balls of fire.It also took away one of the more profitable scoring avenues for Root: the dab behind square on the off side. He kept middling those dabs, but they just didn’t have enough pace on them to go past gully. That showed in his strike rate, and in the number of inside edges that missed the stumps. That’s the little luck you deserve as a Test batter when you are batting at 86% control on a pitch doing a bit.Bumrah tried both ends but had little luck even though he, and India, stuck to good lengths and kept testing the batters. Movement in the pitch notwithstanding, India’s fast bowlers remained on the good length 54% of the time as opposed to England’s 37% on the first day in Leeds and Birmingham. That has been the general trend in the series. India will have reason to feel good about their work, having kept England down to 251 on a day on which only four wickets came about.1:21

What makes Root a special batter?

After tea, Bumrah went back to the Pavilion End, where by now the length to hit the top of stumps had shortened by a metre as compared to the first session. If Ben Stokes felt Birmingham was subcontinent-like, this was subcontinent-like with seam. Just what Bumrah needed then to bowl the ball of the day: one that swung away 2.5 inches and then nipped back in about six inches to hit the top of Harry Brook’s off stump.Root kept doing his work like a busy bee at the other end. Against Bumrah, even he played six false shots in 21 balls. Against others, he accumulated in peace, even though it never looked as easy as milking them.If Root had an asterisk of struggling against Bumrah, India had an asterisk of not hitting the stumps enough. But they did improve as the day progressed: 5.33% in the first session to 10.6% in the second to 15.79% in the third.It was the best first day of the series, even though it was the slowest. There were no clear winners or losers, both sides could be pleased with their work with room for improvement still, and there was a promise of more to come should the pitch deteriorate in the 28-degree heat that is making everything fall apart in England. Of course, the flying ants saw only bits of it.

This is not news, but the NFL runs sports, runs the country and runs most of our lives. Sundays are sacred and all the numbers prove this.

According to Sports Media Watch, NFL game windows averaged 20.5 million viewers through the first three weeks of the season, up 10% from last year.

The NFL also knows how to market itself better than any company in existence. On the flip side, Major League Baseball is absolutely horrific at marketing itself.

So, allow me to help MLB with a marketing issue. The final day of the regular season needs to be pushed to Monday in order to get away from going head-to-head with the NFL.

Baseball is smart in having every game on the final day of the season begin at 3 p.m, ET. The sport should keep that concept. Move the final day of the regular season to Monday, having every game begin at 4 p.m. ET, leading into , to create a mega sports day.

The shortsighted take against this change is that people have to work on Mondays.

First off, it’s much easier to compete with someone’s job than the NFL. Secondly, in this day and age of streaming, everybody can watch games on their phones, computer, tablets, etc. Being at work isn’t the hindrance it once was.

Get a bunch of games on that Monday on as many national outlets as possible.

Using this year as a guide, here’s how the final day of the season would look next season if I was in charge of baseball’s TV situation. 

Mets vs. Marlins would air on Fox.

Reds. Vs. Brewers would air on NBC.

Rays vs. Blue Jays would air on ESPN.

Orioles vs. Yankees would air on MLB Network.

Tigers vs. Red Sox would air on ESPN2.

Rangers vs. Guardians would air on Peacock.

Those were the games that had the most on the line this past Sunday. Think about the juice and buzz baseball would’ve had if those four games aired Monday at 4 p.m. with all them being available across the networks, leading into a  doubleheader.

Instead, baseball played these games at the worst possible time on Sunday—right in the middle of the NFL day. To make matters worse, the games began during the "Witching Hour," as Mike Francesa coined the 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. window, when the 1 p.m. games go haywire.

I can assure you that most people who were watching the ending of Chargers-Giants or Eagles-Bucs weren’t thinking about baseball’s final day of the season at 3 p.m. on Sunday. 

Move the finale to late Monday afternoon, leave Tuesday open in case you have to play some tie-breaker games and begin the playoffs on Wednesday. Play the best-of-3 wild card on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Give teams Saturday and Sunday off. Begin the Division Series on Monday. It’s a no-brainer.

Enzo Fernandez is staking a claim to be Lionel Messi’s successor with the Argentina national team. The Chelsea midfielder is not looking to become the Albiceleste’s next iconic No.10, but admits that he would welcome the opportunity to inherit captaincy duties from his iconic countryman. That position will soon be up for grabs, with Messi building towards what would be his last World Cup.

Messi's Argentina record: International caps and goals

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner is yet to confirm that he will form part of Argentina’s global title defence in the United States, Canada and Mexico next summer – having already taken in a final international outing on home soil – but the expectation is that he will.

Messi will skipper his country at another major tournament, having previously led them to two Copa America crowns and World Cup glory at Qatar 2022. He has earned 196 caps and scored 115 goals.

AdvertisementGettyNext skipper: Who will take the armband from Messi?

The day will come when Messi walks away, with somebody else needing to step up and lead by example in his absence. Fernandez, who has filled the armband at Chelsea on occasions, believes that he is ready to take on that responsibility.

The combative 24-year-old told of his personal ambition: “On a personal level, of course, I dream of captaining Argentina, but that decision doesn’t come down to me. It’s up to the coaching staff. Of course, I dream of being the Argentina captain.

“I don’t know when it might be. Time will tell, and it’s up to the coaching staff to make the decision. It’s certainly one of my dreams, and I’d be honoured to wear the captain’s armband.”

Back-to-back: Argentina ready for World Cup title defence

Fernandez starred alongside Messi as Argentina savoured World Cup glory in 2022, with best young player of the tournament honours coming his way at 20 years of age. He is ready to go back-to-back in the World Cup-winning stakes.

The Chelsea midfielder added: “We’ll try to defend it and win it again, which is what this national team must do. The Argentine people are so passionate and we always want more. Our mentality is that we deserve to defend our World Cup crown and have a great tournament, which means winning it.”

A second World Cup success would help to cement Messi’s legacy as the greatest of all-time, with Fernandez and Co aware that they are witnessing the end of a truly remarkable career. They are determined to deliver one more wild celebration.

Fernandez said: “Winning the World Cup is in the past now, and we are focused on what lies ahead. We know it could be Messi’s last World Cup, so we’ll aim to defend our crown from Qatar as a team. We’ll do our best to retain it.”

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

GettyWill Messi play for Argentina at the 2026 World Cup?

Messi has told of representing Argentina next summer, with the evergreen 38-year-old concerned that he may not be in the best possible shape while plying his club trade in MLS for Inter Miami: “I don't want to be a burden, so to speak. I want to feel physically fit, to be sure I can help and contribute to the team. Our season is different from the European one. We'll have a pre-season in between, with few matches leading up to the World Cup, and we'll see how things go day by day to see if I really feel physically fit enough to be where I'd like to be and be able to participate.

“But obviously, I'm aware that it's a World Cup, and it's special, and that the World Cup is the biggest competition there is. So, I'm excited, but I'm taking it one day at a time.”

Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni has left the door open for Messi to play on for as long as he wants, with the iconic No.10 never going to be forced into international retirement. He has shown with Inter Miami in 2025, having helped them to a historic MLS Cup final appearance, that he has lost none of his match-altering magic.

He was sharp on the field, making batters overthink, and off the field, spoke out against petty-minded administrators

Suresh Menon25-Jun-2025At a Rolling Stones concert in Bengaluru many years ago, Dilip Doshi, then an ex-India cricketer, spotted Rahul Dravid, a current player, and escorted him towards the stage. Mick Jagger, Doshi’s good friend, was performing. I was sitting with my family nearby and saw this as entirely natural. Doshi was a team man and saw colleagues as family.It was the attitude that saw him stand up for Dilip Vengsarkar after a misunderstanding at Sharjah airport in the 1980s that led to Vengsarkar being deported to India. A bunch of Indian stars who were with the team then didn’t raise any objections. It was a commentary on the times in which Doshi played his cricket in India: it was every man for himself and the devil was assisted in his effort to take the hindmost.Of the left-arm spinners who had the misfortune to play under the huge shadow of Bishan Singh Bedi, Doshi was probably the most gifted and understood his craft better than most. He made his debut at around the same age that Bedi played his last Test (past 30) and still claimed over a hundred wickets, a tribute as much to his competitiveness as his resilience. It helped that he played first-class cricket in England; it kept him fit and saw him bowl to the best batters on the international circuit.Related

Dilip Doshi – The man apart (2006)

Doshi: 'Spin bowling is a battle of wits' (2008)

Dilip Doshi, former India left-arm spinner, dies aged 77

His strike rate (81.7) was only a whit behind Bedi’s (80.3), but in the era of Bedi, Erapalli Prasanna, Bhagwat Chandrasekhar and Srinivas Venkataraghavan, it was generally considered sacrilege to look beyond the quartet. Every spinner who followed was expected to combine the aesthetics and effectiveness of that generation.Doshi was his own man. He gave the ball a rip that spun it alarmingly on helpful wickets and confused batters on good ones – batters who were taken in by the apparent effort. In this he was a bit like Clarrie Grimmett, who spun it the least when he seemed to be putting in the most effort. As that great left-arm spinner Wilfred Rhodes said, it is enough if the batter it’s spinning. Doshi was not only a thinking bowler himself, he was the cause for overthinking in batters.With his thick glasses and slightly distracted air, Doshi reminded many of the absent-minded professor who knew he had found the solution to the problem the previous day but couldn’t recall where he had left his work. But in fact, he was sharp and knew exactly what was happening around him. Some of his powers of observation found release in his autobiography Spin Punch, which earned praise from the likes of Garry Sobers, but didn’t find too many cheering in his own team.Doshi was not afraid to speak his mind, even during his playing career•AFP/Getty ImagesHe played for India at a time when the authorities kept players in check by injecting individuals with large quantities of insecurity. You had to be in the right camp, support the right official, and engage in public-relations work all the time. Doshi was unafraid to speak his mind. In Spin Punch, he went public with how team meetings were invariably about money and how much could be made how; cricket was discussed if at all only incidentally. He saw the BCCI as a self-aggrandising body, and his one-time friend Sunil Gavaskar as a “petty tyrant”.I am not sure he wanted to play a role in Indian cricket after his retirement, but if he did, he had trodden on too many toes for that to happen. Toes, his own, played an important role in the Doshi legend, when, bowling with broken ones that needed much medication, he bowled India to victory in the Melbourne Test of 1981. Fans love a performer who cuts through the pain barrier, and for a while Doshi, India’s leading spinner, became a national hero despite the fact that he was not Bedi.Yet, in the end, Doshi might have echoed Jagger to sum up a career that gave “Satisfaction” as much to himself as to lovers of the game of which he was a shining representative.

Gloucestershire’s rearguard falls short despite OIlie Price fifty on final day at Lord’s

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay27-Sep-2025Middlesex 634 for 9 dec (du Plooy 263, Morgan 97, Cracknell 64, Geddes 60, Hollman 55, Singh Dale 5-108) beat Gloucestershire 286 (Bracey 60, Gohar 5-53, Cornwell 4-58) and 281 (Price 61, Roland-Jones 4-47) by an innings and 67 runsToby Roland-Jones claimed four wickets to round off Middlesex’s Rothesay County Championship campaign in winning fashion as they ground down Gloucestershire on the final day at Lord’s.The 37-year-old seamer finished with 4 for 57, ending the campaign as Division Two’s second highest wicket-taker behind Derbyshire’s Luis Reece to dismiss the visitors for 281 in their second innings, despite Ollie Price’s knock of 61. Former Gloucestershire duo Zafar Gohar and Ryan Higgins backed up Roland-Jones with three and two wickets apiece as the Seaxes sealed an innings victory with 22 overs unused.The result meant Middlesex finished fourth in the final table, 11 points short of the promotion places, with Gloucestershire in sixth.Gloucestershire began the final day with nine wickets standing and rarely looked in danger of losing any more during the opening hour and a half where the ball swung, but not enough to cause genuine problems for Price and Joe Phillips.Having dispatched Roland-Jones for two early boundaries and survived Noah Cornwell’s appeal for a catch down the leg side, Price settled into the groove, advancing to his half-century from 91 balls.It was teenage seamer Sebastian Morgan who eventually made the breakthrough, sending down three tight overs before switching to the Pavilion End and gaining immediate reward as he tempted Phillips to drive to gully. Morgan might also have removed Miles Hammond, who edged just short of second slip, but the left-hander quickly gained rhythm with a series of fours as he and Price guided their side through to lunch.However, Price’s return to the crease after the interval lasted one ball – a Roland-Jones delivery that kept low, nipped back and clattered into his off stump and, when James Bracey glanced Higgins behind without scoring, Gloucestershire were suddenly on the back foot again.Having escaped when Morgan, leaping to his right at gully, could not cling onto a difficult chance, Hammond eventually perished to a similar stroke off Higgins to leave the visitors five down.Graeme van Buuren, having taken 17 balls to get off the mark, sprang to life with a trio of boundaries off Roland-Jones and pounced on anything wide outside off stump as he and Jack Taylor added 49.Gohar came on to dismiss his former county captain for 46, with Ben Geddes plunging forward at short leg to take a bat-pad catch, but the Taylor brothers steered their side into the final session.Middlesex’s hopes were lifted again by the new ball, which brought Roland-Jones the wickets of Matt Taylor – and then his elder brother, one short of his half-century – both snapped up at second slip. With Ajeet Singh Dale falling to Gohar, there was still time for Marchant de Lange to launch a brief, defiant counterattack against the spinner, hitting 14 from three deliveries before he was caught behind.

We’ll never forget the beautiful offseason chaos that occurred on Dec. 8, 2023.

At the time, the biggest storyline in all of sports was where two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani and his adorable puppy Decoy were going to sign in free agency. Ohtani had just wrapped up his sixth season with the Angels and had two MVP award and three All-Star nods to show for it.

There was no question that Ohtani was going to sign the biggest free-agent contract in baseball history—and likely, North American sports history. The question was … where?

As we all know, Ohtani ended up signing a record-breaking 10-year contract with the Dodgers worth $700 million, a contract that included $680 million deferred for a decade. Although Ohtani spending his next 10 years starring at Dodger Stadium seemed like a foregone conclusion that offseason, there were other serious contenders to sign the two-way superstar, including the Blue Jays. In fact, on Dec. 8, 2023, there were inaccurate reports swirling around the internet that Ohtani was on a private flight heading to Toronto—interpreted as an indication he was going to sign with the Blue Jays.

It was debunked an hour or so later, but what a time that was to be online.

Less than two years later, the baseball gods provided us with a storyline almost too good to be true—Ohtani’s Dodgers will attempt to defend their World Series title against the Blue Jays, the team that came oh-so-close to signing the two-way superstar.

Ahead of Game 1 on Friday night, let’s take a trip down memory lane and revisit the flight to Toronto that never was:

Setting the stage: Ohtani’s finalists

As early as the All-Star Game in July 2023, Ohtani’s pending decision dominated the headlines. At the time, Tom Verducci considered the Dodgers the favorites to land Ohtani, followed by—in order—the Padres, Giants, Mariners, Rangers and Mets.

In the months following, the Blue Jays crept their way into the Ohtani sweepstakes and surged past the other contenders. By December, Verducci reported the Blue Jays were one of two serious finalists for Ohtani along with the Dodgers, and the Cubs and Giants were “hanging in there.”

Could the Blue Jays actually pull it off and outspend the Dodgers? Well, uh …

Dec. 8, 2023 at 4:01 p.m. ET: The Report

MLB Network’s Jon Morosi broke the internet.

At 4:01 p.m. ET on Dec. 8, 2023, Morosi reported, citing sources, that Ohtani was “en route” to Toronto and his agent would not comment when asked about his travel plans. Morosi made sure to note that as that flight left the ground, Ohtani had not signed any contract with an MLB team.

Earlier that week, it was reported that Ohtani was touring the Jays’ spring training facility in Dunedin, Fla. There was also a rumor floating around Toronto media circles that Blue Jays pitcher Yusei Kikuchi made a Friday night reservation for 50 people at a sushi restaurant near Rogers Centre. Certainly, a private jet flying from Southern California to Toronto reportedly carrying the two-way superstar meant he intended to sign with Toronto. Right?

Dec. 8 at 5:11 p.m. ET: The Rebuttal

Well, not so fast.

’s Bob Nightengale—in perhaps the defining moment of his reporting career—shut it down.

“Shohei Ohtani is NOT in Toronto,” he wrote in an X post published at 5:11 p.m. ET. “Ohtani is NOT on a flight to Toronto. Ohtani is at home in Southern California.”

After Nightengale swatted the rumors of a Toronto flight, other reporters confirmed that, in fact, Ohtani was still in the Los Angeles area and not headed north across the border. Morosi, to his credit, issued a heartfelt apology later that night for getting it wrong.

But here’s the thing: There a private flight in the air traveling from Southern California to Toronto. And it was carrying a celebrity—just not a two-way baseball phenom.

Dec. 8 at 5:54 p.m. ET: Jumping the shark

Robert Herjavec, the Canadian billionaire best known for his role on the hit show , boarded flight N616RH out of John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, Calif., and headed to Toronto on Dec. 8, 2023.

Traveling with his two sons, Herjavec had no idea fans and journalists alike were tracking Flight N616RH through the air. When Herjavec landed in Toronto and was welcomed by a sea of Canadian media, he was beyond confused. He was even asked by a Canadian customs agent whether Ohtani was on the plane.

Just before 6 p.m. ET, a CBC photographer on site at the airport reported that Flight N616RH was carrying Herjavec, not Ohtani.

Later that night, Herjavec himself posted to social media and confirmed the news.

“I’d like to thank the @bluejays organization for signing me today!” Herjavec wrote in an Instagram post. “All joking aside—I’m not @shoheiohtani and he was not on my plane today! Not sure how it all started but I’m calling the jays and seeing if they’ll sign my 5 year old for 600 mil (he WAS on the plane and throws a mean pitch).”

The very next day, Ohtani signed his lucrative contract with the Dodgers. He led Los Angeles to a World Series in his first season with the club, defeating Aaron Judge and the Yankees in five games.

But if Ohtani is going to add a second World Series ring to his trophy case, he’ll have to go through the Blue Jays—the organization that will forever be linked to his free-agent decision.