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England set to show faith with Jonny Bairstow behind stumps
Ashes series can turn on moments like these. Three balls into Usman Khawaja's second innings at Edgbaston, James Anderson angled a ball into him from around the wicket which squared him up and took his outside edge - only for it to trickle harmlessly down to the boundary between wicketkeeper and first slip.
He could have been out for 5 off 3 balls. Instead, Khawaja settled in for the long haul once more, repelling everything England threw at him. He eventually fell to Ben Stokes' legcutter with Australia still 72 runs short of their target, but only after grinding out 65 off 197. As it proved, his contribution was enough to set up Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon's clinching partnership.
It was one of several chances that Bairstow missed behind the stumps. He took five catches - one in the first innings, four in the second - but also dropped Alex Carey twice, once off Moeen Ali and once off Anderson. He also missed a stumping chance when Cameron Green skipped down the pitch to Moeen and was beaten in the flight.
And despite suggestions that Bairstow's missed chances might prompt England to reconsider their choice of wicketkeeper, they will not budge from their current balance either at Lord's next week or, barring injury, across the series; Brendon McCullum made that much clear after the first Test at Edgbaston.
"I thought they were pretty tough mistakes, to be honest," McCullum, England's Test coach, said. "I've kept over here before: it's not the easiest place to keep, and when the ball is spitting and bouncing out of the rough, it can be quite difficult - and when you've got to stand a little bit closer on a wicket which is a bit slower and can hurry [you] a little bit, there is a risk that… those sharp edges can be a little bit more difficult."
The Edgbaston Test was only Bairstow's fourth first-class match behind the stumps since recovering from his leg-break and he improved as the game progressed, delivering a near-faultless performance with the gloves on the final day.
"I actually thought Jonny kept really well, right throughout," McCullum added. "If you look at the way he progressed throughout the game as well, I think he found a natural rhythm, especially today [Tuesday], and I thought he did a really good job. And we know what he offers with the bat. Him coming in at No. 7 is a real weapon for us as well, so I think he'll be better for the run."
Bairstow's first innings of the match was evidence of that edge: walking out at 176 for 5, he crashed 78 off 78 balls, the third-highest score of the match. It was the sort of innings that Foakes, for all his admirable qualities, simply could not have played: he is, by his own admission, a more restrained batter, as shown by strike rate under McCullum and Stokes of 51.81.
When he was coaching Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL, McCullum used to say: "If you can't change a man, change the man." For all Foakes' qualities with the bat, he was the odd man out in England's ultra-attacking batting line-up: "I'm not, as you'd say, Bazball," he admitted earlier this year.
Once England decided that they were sticking with their established top order, rather than promoting a middle-order batter to open, their choice came down to Foakes versus Brook, with Bairstow's return a non-negotiable on the back of his stunning summer with the back last year. Nobody who has watched England closely over the past 12 months was surprised that they opted for Brook.
And unless injury strikes, they will continue to back the same top seven over the next five-and-a-half weeks. Even if Bairstow puts down the occasional catch that Foakes might have taken, selecting any other batting line-up would amount to an abandonment of the principles that have informed England's success under this regime.
Matt Roller is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo. @mroller98
Leask 91* trumps Campher 120 to give Scotland an improbable win
Scotland 289 for 9 (Leask 91*, McBride 56, Adair 3-57) beat Ireland 286 for 8 (Campher 120, Dockrell 69, McMullen 5-34) by one wicket
The penultimate over, bowled by Josh Little, went for eight runs. With eight needed from the final over, Leask - helped by Harry Tector's misfield at the long-on - hit a boundary off Mark Adair on the first ball. However, Safyaan Sharif was dismissed off the third ball and then Chris Sole played out a dot, before Leask scampered through for a bye on the fifth. With two needed off the final ball, Leask swung hard and got a thick inside edge that beat the wicketkeeper and sent the Scotland players into an absolute frenzy.
From over 11 to 40, Ireland not only scored 145 but lost just one more wicket. That foundation enabled them to ransack 107 in the last ten to get to 286, a total that looked sufficient until Leask and Watt got together.
This was not a spotless Scotland display, however. Their decision-making, at times, was questionable. McMullen, who picked up three wickets in the powerplay, did not bowl in the middle overs at all. When he returned, he bagged two more to complete his five-wicket haul. He was then taken out of the attack for the last over of the innings, in which Scotland ended up conceding 18. Their bowlers gave away 18 wides, and their fielders put down three chances - the most expensive being of Dockrell when he was on 4.
Middlesex lead queue to sign Derbyshire's Leus du Plooy
Derbyshire gave du Plooy his first opportunity in county cricket in 2019 and he has become one of their senior players during his five seasons at the club. He was appointed captain earlier this year but his contract expires at the end of the season, meaning other counties have been allowed to approach him for the last three weeks.
ESPNcricinfo understands that several counties have been in contact with du Plooy but Middlesex have emerged as frontrunners. He would be a vital player for them in both the County Championship and the T20 Blast, and is understood to be keen to test himself in Division One.
Mickey Arthur, Derbyshire's head of cricket, has been trying to convince du Plooy to sign an extension with the club and he is expected to make a decision in the next few days. If he chose to leave, he would be the second consecutive Derbyshire captain to leave the county after a single season in charge, following Shan Masood.
Du Plooy is not a household name but has an excellent record as a middle-order batter across formats and his stock is on the rise in franchise cricket. He played for Joburg Super Kings in the inaugural SA20 earlier this year and impressed coach Stephen Fleming so much that Fleming signed him for Southern Brave at the top salary of £125,000 in March's Hundred draft.
He qualifies as a local player in county cricket thanks to a Hungarian passport and pre-settled status in the UK, and at 28, he retains ambitions to play international cricket. He is expected to qualify for England next year, telling the Cricketer magazine earlier this year: "I'd love to play for South Africa if I could, and I'd love to play for England if I could."
Worcestershire recently confirmed the appointment of Ashley Giles as their chief executive, and convincing some of the county's best young players to extend their contracts appears to be his most pressing task.
Alyssa Healy nervous but excited for 'most hyped Women's Ashes'
"A sense of nervousness but I think at the same time it's mainly excitement," Healy said. "This is probably one of the most hyped Women's Ashes series that I've been a part of over here and especially off the back of yesterday [Australia Men's Test victory at Edgbaston] it's a really exciting time to be out here to play cricket. From that sense, me and the whole entire group are just ready to get out and get underway and see what's going to unfold."
Kim Garth, who played 85 white-ball matches for Ireland before moving to Australia in 2019, could make her Test debut and lead the pace attack with Darcie Brown, having been the pick of Australia's bowlers in the Leicester warm-up. Meanwhile, left-arm spinner Jess Jonassen scored an unbeaten 173 for Australia A in their warm-up against England in Derby. A closer examination than the weather allowed on Tuesday of a pitch bearing patches of green grass was set to inform the decision, but Healy was full of praise for Litchfield regardless.
"She did a fantastic job for us, she looked the goods that's for sure in the three-day match against England A," Healy said. "She's a great option for us at the top. There's been a lot spoken about the opportunities up there and she looks like a brilliant international cricketer for Australia and I can't wait to see what she can do.
"If you look at the make-up of our squad, we've got two legspinners so naturally, looking at the balance of our side and potentially the conditions out there is probably going to dictate where we lean on that. But other than that, I think we're pretty much settled, it's just a couple of calls here and there and what it probably what it looks like from a line-up perspective as well."
England revealed their team the day before the match with Danni Wyatt, one of the most attacking batters in the women's game, to make her Test debut after 245 white-ball games for her country. She joins the likes of Nat Sciver-Brunt, Sophia Dunkley and Amy Jones in an aggressive middle order.
England also named uncapped quick Lauren Filer alongside seamers Lauren Bell, who made her international debut a year ago, and the experienced Kate Cross with one frontline spinner, left-armer Sophie Ecclestone as they set out to win the Women's Ashes for the first time since 2013-14 by taking the four points on offer for a Test victory in the multi-format series.
"I think for the first time there's probably a sense of unknown about both sides," Healy said. "It's sort of like a next gen are banging on the door and giving us a glimpse into what the Ashes series could look like for the next 10 years moving forward, which is really exciting.
"It looked like Filer bowled really well in that three-day game and Jess Jonassen in our squad gave us some good insight into that regard. But she sounds like a really exciting prospect for the future and we're excited to face that challenge of that bowling attack but also having to counteract the aggressive nature of that top six in particular."
As of Tuesday, 14,500 tickets had sold for the Test, played over five days for only the second time in women's cricket history and the first time on English soil.
"Five days ultimately could present a result but there's draws in five-day men's games as well," Healy said. "I think over time, if women's Test cricket does become more popular in the calendar, there's certain nuances to our game that are slightly different from the men and how you prepare a wicket for a women's Test match might be a little bit different and that will probably become clearer, with more and more cricket on the calendar as to how that might look to potentially get a result.
"We're obviously not as big as the blokes, we don't make as many marks in the wicket so we might just have a little creative think about how we can make that happen. But five days here could be really interesting. It's probably just a mental battle and there could be a bit of trench warfare at times but I think we're willing to see how that goes."
Valkerie Baynes is a general editor, women's cricket, at ESPNcricinfo
Zaka Ashraf not happy with hybrid Asia Cup model but will 'honour the commitment'
During a media interaction on Wednesday, Ashraf had said that he "rejected" the hybrid model, sparking discussion about whether negotiations around the specifics of the Asia Cup would have to resume. But later he told ESPNcricinfo that "the decision has been made, so we have to go with it"
"In my personal opinion, this whole hybrid model isn't beneficial for Pakistan and I didn't like it," Ashraf said. "Being a host, Pakistan should have negotiated better to make sure that the entire tournament should have played in Pakistan. Sri Lanka taking the bigger lot of games, leaving Pakistan with only four games, isn't in the best interest of our country.
"But I see the decision has been made, so we have to go with it. I will not block or have any intention not to comply with the decision. I cannot do much about it but to honour the commitment. But going forward, every decision we make will be made for and in the interest of the country."
The 2023 Men's Asia Cup was originally meant to be held entirely in Pakistan but after the BCCI said India would not travel there, Sethi proposed the hybrid model, which was then approved by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC). The model sees four, possibly five, of the tournament's 13 games being played in Pakistan. The rest will be played in Sri Lanka including all the India-Pakistan games and the final if India qualify.
Apart from Sri Lanka, the UAE was in the running as a neutral venue but Bangladesh raised concerns over the extreme weather there in September. After weeks of extensive discussions, the ACC accepted the PCB's proposal of the tournament being played in two countries.
Sources: Barca sign Gundogan on 2-year deal
Barcelona have reached an agreement with Manchester City to sign Ilkay Gundogan as a free agent when his contract expires on June 30, sources confirmed to ESPN.
Gundogan, 32, has agreed a two-year deal with Barca with an option for a third year, turning down an offer to extend his seven-season stay at City as well as proposals from Premier League side Arsenal and clubs in Saudi Arabia, sources said.
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The deal is pending the results of a physical, which Gundogan underwent on Wednesday, sources said.
Barcelona's ongoing financial issues meant they explored the free agent market, and in March ESPN revealed that Barca were in talks with the Germany international.
Sources told ESPN that City were unwilling to match Barca's financial offer, and would only extend a contract for one year with an option for a second.
Andreas Christensen and Franck Kessie both arrived on free transfers last summer, while sources have told ESPN that defender Inigo Martinez is also set to join Barca following the expiry of his contract with Athletic Club this month.
Gundogan arrives at Barca after coach Xavi Hernandez expressed a desire to improve the side's creativity and goal count from midfield after missing out on Lionel Messi, who will join Inter Miami.
Xavi felt Barca struggled last season when Pedri was injured, and Gundogan is seen as someone who can help take the load off the young Spain midfielder.
Barca value the former Borussia Dortmund player's versatility in the middle of the pitch, particularly his ability to operate in a deeper role -- although sources have said the club would still prefer to bring in a direct replacement for the departing Sergio Busquets.
Gundogan is calling time on his spell at City after captaining the English side to a historic treble, culminating in their first Champions League trophy earlier this month.
The midfielder scored 11 goals in 51 appearances this season, including a brace in the FA Cup final against Manchester United. He leaves City after winning five Premier League titles and 14 trophies in total.
Sources: NBA eyes increases in salary cap, tax
The NBA informed teams Wednesday that it has updated its salary cap projections for the 2023-24 season, sources confirmed to ESPN.
In a memo sent to teams, the league said the salary cap is projected to be $136 million and the luxury tax is projected to be $165 million -- higher by $2 million and $3 million, respectively, than initial projections sent in September before the season began.
The league stressed that both numbers are still projections and that the final figures won't be determined until the NBA's annual financial audit is completed later this month before the new league year begins June 30.
Under the new collective bargaining agreement with the National Basketball Players Association, which goes into effect starting next season, the salary cap can rise a maximum of 10% per season.
With the 2022-23 salary cap being set at $123.655 million, the maximum the cap and tax could be for the 2023-24 campaign will be $136.021 million and $165.294 million, respectively.
Hornets eye two players with No. 2 pick, GM says
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- General manager Mitch Kupchak said the Charlotte Hornets likely will use the No. 2 pick in the NBA draft on one of two players, but he also didn't totally rule out trading down.
Kupchak didn't identify the two players, but ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported earlier this week that the Hornets are down to Alabama forward Brandon Miller and G League Ignite guard Scoot Henderson, both of whom were in Charlotte for a private workout Monday.
"I anticipate that we would take the pick at 2, but I'm not going to rule out the possibility that we wouldn't trade the pick," Kupchak said Wednesday at a pre-draft news conference. "It's a very coveted pick in our league right now. You would be surprised at some of the phone calls and players that I believe would be available.
"So up until the last minute, we are going listen, but at this moment I do expect to take the pick at 2."
Miller is believed to be the better fit for the Hornets' roster because Henderson plays the same position as LaMelo Ball, the No. 3 overall selection in 2020. Kupchak said however that the Hornets, who haven't made the playoffs since 2016, aren't focused on fit.
"I don't think we're at the stage where we're good enough to focus on fit," he said. "Next year, knock on wood, we're healthy, we might be getting close where we could look a little bit more to fit.
"But right now, it's about adding the best player that we could possibly add to the team. ... We're going to take the player that we feel is best for this organization going forward."
Kupchak said he didn't gain a lot more insight getting a second look at Miller and Henderson on Monday, when outgoing owner Michael Jordan also was present.
"I've been looking at these players the whole year," he said. "The second time around, they were much more familiar with what we were going to do and they gave us their very best in these workouts.
"In these one-on-zero workouts, there's a lot of pressure, and then when Michael walks in, there's even more pressure. For me, I was comfortable with where I was a week ago, but it's always good to get a second look if you can."
Kupchak would not speak about a specific player when asked whether the Hornets perceived any character issues with Miller, who brought Alabama teammate Darius Miles a handgun that was used in January to kill a woman earlier this year in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, according to police.
A police officer testified that Miles texted Miller asking him to bring Miles' gun in the early-morning hours of Jan. 15, the day of the shooting. Miller was not charged with any crime, and the university has described him as a cooperating witness.
"Certainly, at the 2 pick, you're going to have a lot of intel that you've done," Kupchak said. "Whoever we take at No. 2, we're going to be very comfortable with anything that might not be isolated to the basketball court."
Kupchak didn't get into specifics of potential trade partners, but the Hornets have been linked to interest in New Orleans Pelicans star power forward Zion Williamson, the top pick of the 2019 draft whose NBA career has been marred by injuries and missed playing time.
Kupchak also clarified he doesn't anticipate a trade at No. 2 happening while Charlotte is on the clock.
"The No. 2 pick will be made," he said. "There'll be no activity -- nothing's going to happen an hour or 15 minutes before the draft. I don't see that."
Sources: Nuggets to get 1st-rd. pick from Pacers
The defending champion Denver Nuggets will acquire the 29th and 32nd overall picks in Thursday's draft in a trade with the Indiana Pacers, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
The Nuggets will send a 2024 first-round pick and the 40th overall pick in this year's draft to Indiana in the deal, sources said.
The 2024 first-rounder going to the Pacers was acquired by the Nuggets in a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder made during the NBA Finals. It will be the least favorable among the 2024 first-round picks owned by the Thunder, which includes Oklahoma City's, the LA Clippers', Houston's (if 5-30) or Utah's (if 11-30), according to ESPN's Bobby Marks. The Nuggets acquired that pick, as well as the 37th overall pick in this draft, for a protected 2029 first-round pick in the recent deal with Oklahoma City.
Denver, which is preparing for the possibility of losing sixth man Bruce Brown in free agency after he declined his $6.8 million option for next season, will now draft at Nos. 29, 32 and 37 on Thursday as general manager Calvin Booth continues to attempt to find young role players who can contribute during the franchise's window as contenders. It's critical for the Nuggets to have contributors on rookie contracts to fill out a roster that features two-time MVP Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. on maximum contracts.
Christian Braun, the No. 21 pick last year, was a rotation player as a rookie. The Nuggets are optimistic that Peyton Watson, the No. 30 overall pick last year who played sparingly as a rookie, will be ready to fill a rotation role next season.
The Pacers still own four picks on Thursday night (Nos. 7, 26, 40 and 55) and remain active in trade discussions with other teams, sources said. Indiana, whose promising young core is headlined by All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton and All-Rookie shooting guard Bennedict Mathurin, now owns two first-round picks in the 2024 draft.
Ex-scouts file age discrimination lawsuit vs. MLB
A group of former Major League Baseball scouts sued commissioner Rob Manfred, the league office and all 30 teams on Wednesday, contending age discrimination, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The suit was filed in U.S. District Court in Denver and contends MLB "blacklisted" older scouts and used the pandemic and the trend toward analytics as a "pretext for coordinated and systemic discrimination based on age."
The lawsuit alleges MLB and the teams violated the federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act and age discrimination laws in 12 states.
"We believe the commissioner and the owners colluded to eliminate veteran personnel because of salaries," Rick Ingalls, who was a scout for 37 years, told the Times.
Named as plaintiffs in the suit are 17 former scouts between the ages of 55 and 71. All but one had at least 24 years' experience. The plaintiffs are seeking class-action status that could grow the case to involve more than 100 "older" scouts and a request for at least $100 million in lost wages and damages.
Per the Times, the suit contends that MLB stopped posting notices when scouts became available to hire, listed older scouts who shouldn't be hired and used the pandemic as "an opportunity to terminate an entire class of older employees."
Ingalls told the Times that some of the scouts are in financial straits.
"These guys, when they're let go, they're not given a year of severance, they have no health insurance, no paycheck," Ingalls said. "A lot of guys who are 55-60 when they're fired can't take pensions without penalties until they're 65. They can't get Social Security until they're 62. They have no health insurance.
"A lot of these guys who we're fighting for are losing their homes. They have kids, and the cost of [health] insurance is off the charts."
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