Eddie Howe said he doesn’t have “a rabbit I can pull out of the hat” when quizzed on Newcastle United’s early-season injury problems.

Newcastle are enduring their perennial teething problems during the first months of the campaign, but there are certainly signs of new life stretching sunward from the squad, who have been rattled and turned during the summer transfer window but are coming off the back of big performances in the Champions League and Premier League as we pause for the October international break.

Nick Woltemade, in particular, is the talk of the town after his fast start to life at number nine. Four goals from seven games and a penalty to behold during Sunday’s win over Nottingham Forest.

There’s work to be done, but the 23-year-old is showing signs of significant potential. And while Alexander Isak has left for Liverpool, this talented frontman could be a dream partner for Anthony Gordon over the coming years.

Gordon's new Isak

Gordon and Isak formed quite the partnership over the past two years at Newcastle. The England winger even described Isak as being “the best in Europe” back in January, with the striker having scored nine in seven in the Premier League.

Isak is undoubtedly an elite goalscorer, having notched 27 in all competitions last year. His pace and potency and intelligence worked wonderfully with Gordon’s own rip-roaring style, with the duo each dominating the headlines across the past two Toon terms.

For Gordon, this is a striker who might even surpass his connection with Isak – and what a duo that was. The 24-year-old even remarked after Sunday’s victory, “My style suits playing with that style of striker because I can run off them.”

Woltemade’s rise coincides with Yoane Wissa’s injury-ruined start to life on Tyneside, and now, Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento face extended spells on the sidelines themselves.

There’s a blow to Newcastle’s flanks and transitional play. Still, Howe’s system has many times overcome obstacles of similar shapes and sizes, and the manager has crafted a new partnership to ease any defensive issues.

They might even be the best since Isak and Gordon were at their best.

Newcastle's new Isak & Gordon

The beauty of Howe’s Newcastle tactics is the stability of it, the way it roots players down and allows them to grow into top talents capable of challenging at the higher end of the Premier League and compete for silverware.

And that’s not restrictive to any one position or personality. Flashy forwards like Isak and Gordon can achieve big things, but so can those at the other side of the field.

Sven Botman and Malick Thiaw bear testament to that.

While the full-back injuries have pulled Dan Burn back into his wide berth, this flowering connection between two terrific centre-backs has led captain Bruno Guimaraes to hail them as “the future of this club”.

Since joining in 2022, Botman has been widely regarded as Newcastle’s most talented centre-half, but he’s been blighted by injuries.

Burn and Fabian Schar formed a strong alliance at the rear last season, but the £35m signing of Thiaw from AC Milan speaks of evolution. Hailed as a “monster in the air” by journalist Martino Puccio, the German is also confident and high-quality when on the ball, and athletic besides.

Across the past three top-flight fixtures, Botman and Thiaw have kept two clean sheets, only foiled during that exasperating defeat by Arsenal at St. James’ Park.

Indeed, Botman has now completed three successive 90s in the Premier League, a feat he achieved not once last season. As his fitness improves and his partnership with Thiaw develops, Newcastle fans truly might be in for a return to sustained iron-clad protection but with a technical flair added in.

25/26

5 (4)

340′

24/25

8 (6)

415′

23/24

17 (15)

1,378′

22/23

36 (35)

3,129′

Journalist Mark Douglas has noted that Thiaw is “a Rolls-Royce driving one of the best defences in the Premier League.” It is understood that the summer acquisition was the culmination of two years of scouting.

Newcastle, time and time again, have their wits about them in the transfer market. They know when to pounce on an earmarked target, and Howe knows how to develop them.

Newcastle have a few fitness problems at this early-season stage. But they are adapting, and they are evolving. Woltemade is he new attacking poster boy, but in Botman and Thiaw, there is a budding partnership fit to rival Isak and Gordon as the finest Tyneside has seen in modern years.

Not Woltemade: Newcastle star is "one of the signings of the summer"

Nick Woltemade may not be Newcastle’s best signing of the summer.

ByWill Miller Oct 7, 2025

UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall has revealed his favourite Premier League club and named the footballer he wants to train MMA with.

Aspinall preparing for first undisputed heavyweight title defence

Jon Jones earned a reputation as a ‘duck’ after showing little interest in defending his UFC heavyweight title, with the American ultimately opting to retire back in June rather than fight interim heavyweight champion Aspinall.

Consequently, the English fighter was named undisputed champion in anti-climactic fashion, with Dana White making the announcement after a UFC fight night in Azerbaijan.

While still a remarkable achievement, the Salford-born fighter would no doubt have been hoping to make a statement by defeating Jones for the belts, rather than simply being awarded them outside the octagon.

The whole saga has been extremely frustrating for the 32-year-old, who hasn’t fought since defeating Curtis Blaydes via a first-round knock-out way back in July 2024.

However, the Englishman is finally set to return to action this weekend, taking on French heavyweight Ciryl Gane at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, in what will be his first title defence.

The 6 ft 5 heavyweight is also a football fan, although he revealed he was a latecomer to the sport, being convinced to start following Manchester City at the age of 30, due to his son being a supporter.

Ahead of his upcoming fight against Gane, Aspinall was asked which Man City player he would choose to train MMA with at his gym, and Erling Haaland, of course, was the first name that sprang to mind.

Haaland continues to smash records at Man City

In his first season in the Premier League, Haaland broke the record number of goals in a season, scoring 36 in 35 games, and the Norwegian striker is currently in the form of his life, having found the back of the net in 12 matches on the spin.

Aspinall will no doubt be hoping City can reclaim their Premier League crown this season, having won their last three matches, and the 25-year-old, who is regarded as one of the world’s best strikers, will be key to their chances.

The centre-forward’s injury record may be a concern, having suffered ankle and knee problems last season, but if he stays fit (and avoids training in MMA!), anything is possible for Pep Guardiola’s side.

Newcastle United struck victory late on against Fulham to escape from the lower levels of the Premier League and build on the Champions League victory over Benfica, which reminded fans of their attacking quality.

Though injury-hit Fulham proved pests at St. James’ Park on Saturday, nearly escaping with the spoils shared before Bruno Guimaraes’ late goal, slotted smoothly into the net after fine work from substitute William Osula, Benfica were outclassed, and Eddie Howe is beginning to get a tune out of his side.

The Magpies are all about evolution, and the rise of Sandro Tonali and Lewis Miley’s newfound confidence have seen the midfield refashioned, a glimpse of things to come shown over these past few weeks.

But evolution may come at some players’ expense, and Joelinton’s place in the Tyneside engine room is not quite so nailed-on as it once was.

Joelinton's Newcastle future

Joelinton’s is one of the most rousing success stories in the Premier League. Written off after his first couple of seasons in Newcastle as the club’s record signing, the wasteful striker has been repurposed as a physical beast of a midfielder, combining strength and smartness to bulldoze through to the final third.

But the 29-year-old has lacked clarity this season, and Miley’s form at number six and Jacob Murphy’s hints of promise in a dynamic midfield berth suggest the Brazil international may not be quite as indispensable as he once was.

Indeed, United blogger Thomas Hammond has even gone as far as to suggest that Joelinton might have reached “the start of the end”, still as crafty and physical as ever, but undoubtedly the weakest link in a midfield also comprised of Guimaraes and Tonali.

Joelinton has played 11 matches in all competitions this season, and he has only scored twice, both strikes coming against Bradford City in the Carabao Cup.

This is a natural part of any footballer’s career. Joelinton has plied his trade for the club for five years, and he has been an instrumental part of the rise.

But he’s not the only one who might be on borrowed time. In fact, there’s a mainstay who’s been on Tyneside for even longer, and he too is in danger of being replaced.

The Newcastle "legend" on borrowed time

Newcastle have signed some corkers over the past four years, but Howe’s brilliance can be found in the rebirth of several existing stars.

Joelinton is one, while Jacob Murphy is a marvel in polishing his skillset and becoming a purposeful player in a European squad. But Fabian Schar’s rise is just as impressive.

Once hailed as a “walking mistake” by journalist John Gibson, the 33-year-old arrived on a three-year deal from Deportivo La Coruna in 2018 for a nominal fee and ebbed and flowed through those first years on Tyneside.

But he kept working and won Howe over when the English tactician was appointed, not only with 237 total appearances in black and white to his name, but with 21 goals and ten assists and only Guimaraes above him on the outing tally since Howe’s arrival.

1

Bruno Guimaraes

164

2

Fabian Schar

160

3

Dan Burn

159

4

Jacob Murphy

145

5

Joelinton

139

But for all this experience, Newcastle’s newbies are starting to shine. Take Malick Thiaw, who arrived from AC Milan in a £34m deal this summer and has won Tyneside over with strong and dynamic defensive performances. The 24-year-old exudes composure and style on the ball.

A continuation of these five-star displays may make Schar’s berth in the team somewhat redundant. The Swiss international, after all, had sat through three of his past four available fixtures on the bench before being used as a second-half substitute during the weekend win over Fulham.

For Schar and Dan Burn to have forged such a steely alliance at the back is quite the thing. Below you see the partnership listed among the division’s greatest, and that duo have worked wonders in spite of injuries to the likes of Sven Botman.

As things stand, Schar, hailed as a “true legend of the club” by one Newcastle content creator, is among the list of ageing Newcastle players who face the end of their Toon careers come the close of the campaign.

Howe has rooted his project in the experience and intelligence of his mature squad, but with the likes of Guimaraes and Tonali and Botman all younger but cultured members of the squad, it may be that veterans such as Schar could depart having given so much to the city, and leaving at the right time at that.

Everton

19

28.0

Aston Villa

23

27.9

Newcastle

21

27.5

Fulham

22

27.5

Burnley

22

27.0

Whether the defender pens another extension on his current deal remains to be seen, but there’s no question that his significance in Howe’s squad is diminishing after many years of tireless service.

He is less than two months away from his 34th birthday, and while there’s a sense he could still play a part in Newcastle’s journey, Schar may grow warm to the prospect of trying his hand somewhere new before the autumn years of his career.

like Joelinton, Schar might be on borrowed time, with signs that he is falling from a once-untouchable position in Howe’s line-up. But, as with Joelinton, the Switzerland native has worked so hard over the past several years, and if he is approaching the final stretch, he would leave with his head held high and with silverware in tow.

Newcastle's “outstanding” talent can help Woltemade reach Shearer levels

Eddie Howe has an outstanding star at his disposal at Newcastle United who can help Nick Woltemade reach Alan Shearer levels.

ByKelan Sarson Oct 28, 2025

عبر جيريمي دوكو جناح مانشستر سيتي عن سعادته بفوز فريقه أمام ليفربول بثلاثية نظيفة، خلال اللقاء الذي جمع الفريقين على ملعب الاتحاد في الدوري الانجليزي الممتاز.

بهذا الفوز الذي حققه فريق بيب جوارديولا يكون مانشستر سيتي قد ارتفع رصيده للنقطة 22 في المركز الثاني، بينما تجمد رصيد ليفربول عند النقطة 18 في المركز الثامن.

وقال دوكو في تصريحات نشرتها “بي بي سي” البريطانية: “أعتقد أن المباريات الكبيرة دائماً ما تكون معرضة أكثر للخطر، أنا سعيد بالمباراة وأداء الفريق”.

أقرأ أيضاً.. روبن دياز: أعدنا بناء مانشستر سيتي.. وسعيد من أجل جوارديولا

وأضاف في رسالة شكر موجهة لزملائه: “ما يعزز ثقتي بنفسي أنني أمتلك لاعبين رائعين حولي، هناك روبن دياز الذي يقوم بدفعي كل يوم لأنه يؤمن بي”.

وختم الجناح البلجيكي صاحب الهدف الثالث في مباراة اليوم أمام ليفربول: “هذا أيضاً يمنحني شعوراً ببذل مزيد من الجهد كل يوم، وجود زملاء مثله يسهل علي الأمور”.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot addressed talk of him losing his job amid the Reds' torrid run of form as pressure cranks up on the Dutch manager. The reigning English champions got off to a flying start in their title defence campaign but are now struggling for form as they have lost six out of their last seven matches across all competitions and are already seven points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal.

• Liverpool's torrid run of form continues

  The Reds spent heavily in the summer transfer window to rebuild their title-winning squad as they broke the British transfer record twice in the same window to sign big names like Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen and Alexander Isak from Newcastle United. Slot further bolstered his attack by securing a transfer for Hugo Ekitike, while he replaced Real Madrid-bound Trent Alexander-Arnold with Jeremie Frimpong.

  Liverpool got off to a flying start with seven wins in a row as they looked set for a successful title defence. However, since their Premier League clash against Crystal Palace on September 27, Slot's side has lost six out of seven matches, including four consecutive defeats in the league. They have fallen to seventh position in the table and are as many points behind league leaders Arsenal.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Slot addresses sack talk

  Amid the club's poor run of form, there has been speculation over Slot's future at Anfield and the Dutchman has now addressed talk of him getting sacked.

  "For me they say similar things," the Liverpool head coach said. "I speak mainly to Richard and once in a while to the others (Edwards and FSG). They also see similar things as what I see. For me the conversations haven’t changed a lot. We always talk about the game and it’s always nicer to talk about the game if you have won than if you have lost.

  "[I feel supported] not only in this period but also when things go well. I'm a firm believer all the squads I had were 20-21 players that can play because if you have too many it's already a struggle to make a squad. But then you have to keep them fit. Tell me if I’m wrong but I think during the week [the reaction] was about when I said something about the squad we are having, and that could have been seen as criticising or an excuse? 

  "What I meant was, if these players are all fit we have so much quality. This club is in such a good place when you look at the quality we have for the short-term future and the long-term future. But – I’ve used Alex (Alexander Isak) as an example but I don’t want to go into every single player because players sometimes don’t like it when they are named as being fit or not – not all of them were ready from the start to play three games in seven days.

  "And then when you get four injuries like we have at the moment, it is a struggle going into a programme like this. I used this to explain my line-up on Wednesday. I didn’t use it as an excuse for losing against Brentford or the loss before or the loss before. I did it because Ibou (Ibrahima Konate) and Virgil (van Dijk) had to play a lot. Joe Gomez missed out on the whole of pre-season. Macca (Alexis Mac Allister) missed out on the whole of pre-season."

• 'Let us first start to win again'

  When asked about the potential for a contract extension rather than an exit, Slot added: "That is the last question I was expecting. I think my focus can be completely on getting Liverpool back to winning ways. That’s my first answer. The second answer is that contract talks, if they are even there, we never speak about this here. But let us first start to win again, that’s where my main focus is."

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• AFP
  

  Difficult set of fixtures

  Slot's men are scheduled to face Aston Villa at home on Saturday, before they host Real Madrid in the Champions League on November 4 and then take on Manchester City five days later at Etihad Stadium. The English champions will hope to get back to winning against Unai Emery's men before approaching the crunch games against the two giants of European football.

Victory keeps mathematical hopes of quarter-finals alive, although results must go their way

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay17-Jul-2025

Worcestershire Rapids retained their sliver of a hope of Vitality Blast qualification with a 45-run win over Notts Outlaws at Visit Worcestershire New Road.The Rapids amassed a hefty 206 for seven thanks to punchy contributions from the top five, led by Ethan Brookes (57 from 20 balls) and Brett D’Oliveira (46, 36). Dillon Pennington took 3 for 34.The Outlaws replied with 161 all out (Tom Moores 57 from 29, Matt Montgomery 47 from 22, Brookes 3 for 30) to suffer a defeat which leaves their qualification hopes also hanging by a thread. The Outlaws must beat Lancashire Lightning tomorrow and hope that Warwickshire Bears and Leicestershire Foxes lose. The Rapids, meanwhile, their group games over, need the Bears, Foxes and Outlaws to lose, accompanied by the required seismic shift in net run-rate.Both sides require a highly unlikely cocktail of results from the final round of games. After their erratic campaigns, it’s highly likely that neither will figure in the quarter-finals.The Rapids were put in but Isaac Mohammed (27, 15) delivered a vibrant start before he was superbly held on the deep mid-wicket boundary by Calvin Harrison, so close to the Ladies Pavilion that he could have had a cake.D’Oliveira and Kashif Ali kept the tempo high with a stand of 62 from 39 balls. Kashif (34, 21) lifted Liam Patterson-White to long-on and D’Oliveira steered Pennington to slip but Brookes and Adam Hose bashed 59 from 28 balls.Hose (33, 21) lifted Pennington to long off but Brookes struck the ball beautifully to thunder to an 18-ball half-century. He took his side past 200 with 16 from three balls from Sams in the final over.The Outlaws’ chase suffered early damage when Freddie McCann sliced a slog at the eighth ball, from Khurram Shahzad, to cover and Jack Haynes was brilliantly caught by Blast debutant Ben Gibbons at long on. Gibbons took a simpler catch from a failed Joe Clarke scoop off Shahzad and when Moises Henriques skewed Brookes to backward point, The Outlaws were 49 for four and in a pickle.Montgomery kept his side in contention by flailing a six and nine fours. The South African was starting to worry the home fans and had taken 19 from a Ben Allison over before lifting the last ball of it to deep cover.Brookes’ happy day continued when he had Sams and Patterson-White caught off successive balls. Moore peered through the gloaming to biff a 27-ball half-century but his departure, to another fine boundary catch, this time by Hose, effectively ended the content.Both these teams still harbour a vestigial hope of qualification but both are likely to be sitting at home in quarter-final week pondering what might have been with a bit more consistency.

MatériaMais Notícias

Internacional e Santos se enfrentam neste domingo (22), às 16 horas, no Beira-Rio. A partida é válida pela 28ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro. Veja onde assistir e as escalações dos times.

+ Veja tabela do Campeonato Brasileiro-2023 clicando aqui

O Inter busca voltar a pontuar após deixar os pontos escaparem contra o Bahia. Para o confronto, a equipe Colorada conta com a volta de jogadores que estavam nas suas seleções.

+ Garanta a sua vaga no curso que formou craques como Pet, Dante e Léo Moura! Cupom: LANCE1000

Enquanto isso, o Peixe quer vencer a terceira seguida fora de casa. O clube da Vila Belmiro terá que lidar com os desfalques importantes de João Paulo e Jean Lucas, que receberam o terceiro amarelo na derrota para o Bragantino, e de Soteldo, que foi punido pelo Superior Tribunal de Justiça Desportiva (STJD).

No primeiro turno, Santos e Internacional ficaram no empate em 1 a 1, na Vila Belmiro. Na ocasião, Luiz Adriano e Lucas Lima marcaram os gols do duelo.

INTERNACIONAL X SANTOS
CAMPEONATO BRASILEIRO – 28ª RODADA

Local: Estádio Beira-Rio, em Porto Alegre (RS)
Data/Horário: 22/10/2023, às 16h (de Brasília)
Árbitro: Paulo Cesar Zanovelli da Silva (MG)
Assistentes: Bruno Raphael Pires (FIFA – GO) e Felipe Alan Costa de Oliveira (MG)
VAR: Rodolpho Toski Marques (FIFA – PR)
Onde assistir: Globo e Premiere. O Lance! transmite o duelo em tempo real

INTERNACIONAL

Rochet; Bustos, Vitão, Mercado e Renê; Johnny, Maurício, Aránguiz e Wanderson; Alan Patrick e Valencia. Técnico: Eduardo Coudet.

Desfalques: Hugo Mallo (lesão muscular na coxa esquerda); Gabriel (dúvida); Thauan Lara e Matheus Dias (convocados para o Pan); Lucca (suspenso).

SANTOS

Vladimir; Joaquim, João Basso, Dodô; Lucas Braga, Lucas Lima, Dodi, Tomás Rincón e Kevyson; Marcos Leonardo e Silvera (ou Mendoza). Técnico: Marcelo Fernandes.

Desfalques: Jean Lucas e João Paulo (suspensos); Soteldo (punição do STJD); Felipe Jonatan, Sandry e Alison (rompimento do ligamento cruzado do joelho); Alex (fratura no tornozelo); Alfredo Morelos (lesão na panturrilha).

While Arshdeep hurt his bowling hand while training, Akash Deep has picked up a groin niggle

Nagraj Gollapudi20-Jul-20252:22

What can we expect from Old Trafford?

India’s preparations for the fourth Test in Manchester have taken a hit with two of their fast bowlers, Akash Deep and Arshdeep Singh, picking up injuries that are likely to rule them out of the match. ESPNcricinfo has learned the selectors have decided to add Haryana fast bowler Anshul Kamboj as cover for the final two Tests of the five-match series.While Arshdeep hurt his bowling hand in his follow through during a training session in Beckenham on Thursday, Akash Deep has picked up a groin niggle. The fourth Test, which starts on July 23 at Old Trafford, is vital for both teams as India could either draw level with England or lose the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, in case there is a result.Related

India mull option of Jurel as keeper, Pant as batter

Chappell: Gill must define the sort of team he wants India to be

India 'leaning towards' playing Bumrah at Old Trafford

India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate had pointed out on Thursday that Arshdeep’s injury would impact India’s planning, and the team’s concerns have now deepened with doubts over Akash Deep. The right-arm quick played a key role in India drawing level in Birmingham with a 10-wicket match haul. In the next Test at Lord’s, he picked up just one wicket, struggling to find rhythm from the Pavilion End. He also walked off the field on the fourth afternoon to get some treatment, though it could not confirmed at the time what the issue was.At training in Beckenham, Akash Deep did not bowl or bat, but did fitness drills under the observation of trainer Adrian Le Roux. Whether the injuries are serious or not will only be known by Monday when India will have a media briefing, but both Akash Deep and Arshdeep travelled to Manchester from London on Saturday.Arshdeep Singh has suffered an injury to his bowling hand•Bipin PatelAs he started to bowl at training, Arshdeep, who is still uncapped in Tests, was heard saying: “I’ll bowl a lot today, cover all the work of a week, and then go and shop.” A little while later, though, he walked out and had his bowling hand taped. It could not be ascertained if he has received stitches, but Arshdeep would have counted himself in contention for the Old Trafford Test in case Akash Deep was ruled out.India now find themselves in a tight spot, and the question of Jasprit Bumrah’s participation in Manchester becomes more critical. Ten Doeschate had admitted that, with the with the series on the line, India would be “leaning towards” playing Bumrah in the fourth Test, but his selection would come down to several other factors including the weather in Manchester and the fitness of the other bowlers.Mohammed Siraj, the only India fast bowler to have played all three Tests in this series, has already bowled the most overs for the visitors and ten Doeschate said his workload would need to be carefully managed too. Prasidh Krishna, who played the first two Tests, is the other specialist fast bowler in the squad, apart from the bowling allrounder Shardul Thakur who played the first Test in Leeds.Kamboj, 24, is a stocky right-arm fast bowler who can be skiddy as well as hit the deck hard on occasion. He was part of the India A squad that played two unofficial Tests prior to the England Test series and picked up four wickets in the second match in Northampton, including twin strikes in one over in the second innings. Prior to that, Kamboj also shared an unbroken 149-run stand with Tanush Kotian in the same match, which ended in a draw.England lead the series 2-1 after their thrilling 22-run win at Lord’s, sealed in the final session of the final day.

Grace Harris’s sparkling 63 not out from 33 balls led Surrey to a five-wicket win over the Bears as they became the inaugural Vitality Blast Women’s champions in front of their home fans at the Kia Oval.The Australian all-rounder grabbed hold of a final which needed a heroine, striking two sixes and seven fours to steer the home side to victory. Fittingly, Southwark-born Kira Chathli, who watched her heroes here as a child, made the winning hit with 20 balls to spare. Amu Surenkumar and Em Arlott took two wickets apiece.Earlier, The Bears struggled to build partnerships with player of the match from the semi-final Issy Wong top scoring with 31 and Laura Harris Sister of Grace a typically ferocious 25 from 11. Phoebe Franklin was the pick of the Surrey attack with 2-16, while two superb runouts helped to further restrict the Bears.Meg Austin caressed the first ball of the innings for four only for Alexa Stonehouse to bowl her with an in-swinger.Davina Perrin’s miserable day with the bat was completed when Capsey castled her for nought and it was hero of the eliminator Issy Wong who gave the powerplay momentum with four boundaries and a five from an overthrow.Stonehouse ended her fun with another ball that hit the stumps and Sterre Kalis was run out by a magnificent throw from the deep by Ryana MacDonald-Gay.Natasha Wraith played nicely for 23 but she and Surenkumar fell in the space of four balls, the latter to a lightning quick stumping by Kira Chathli off Franklin.Laura Harris, was dropped early on and went on the offensive, twice clearing the ropes. Three other boundaries took the Australian to 25, but going for another big hit off Dani Gregory she found the hands of Franklin in the deep.Franklin removed the dangerous Emily Arlott too, but Millie Taylor (20 not out) marshalled the tail, leaving Surrey 154 for the title.Surrey’s chase suffered an early setback when Danni Wyatt-Hodge, prolific in the competition, lost the chance to be leading run-scorer as she holed out in the deep.Skipper Bryony Smith swept and pulled strongly, but fell to the last ball of the powerplay from Surenkumar and when Wraith whipped off the bails to stump Capsey off Hannah Baker, Surrey were floundering at 42-3.Three Sophia Dunkley boundaries from Millie Taylor’s opening over raised hopes for the side playing on their home ground and the England international hit Baker back over her head for six in the next.That was as good as it got for Dunkley who overbalanced trying to hit Surenkumar over the top, Wraith’s fast hands doing the rest.Grace Harris though took up the baton to play the match-defining innings, driving fours cleanly through cover and mid-off.Emily Arlott was dispatched to the sightscreen for six and swept for four, but Paige Scholfield perished in the deep trying to imitate the shot to give the bears renewed hope.Harris though remained to reach 50 at a strike rate of 200, before clubbing Taylor into the seats at midwicket as Surrey scampered home.

Last season, Luis Arráez became the first hitter in MLB history to win a batting title in the American League and National League in consecutive years. It was always going to be hard for the majors’ best contemporary contact hitter to deliver a follow-up act, but he found a way to over the last 38 days.

Arráez struck out Monday night for the first time in 141 plate appearances. It was the longest any MLB hitter had gone in 23 seasons between punchouts and the fifth-longest streak in the last 40. While it’s not the longest streak in MLB history—Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn owns the longest streak (170 plate appearances) in the expansion era—it may be the most impressive, considering how common strikeouts are in the modern game due to the increased velocity and spin rates hitters must face.

Arráez fittingly went down in a lengthy at-bat, as it took Astros starter Spencer Arrighetti nine pitches to send the San Diego Padres designated hitter back to the dugout (a 3–2 curveball did the trick.) The 27-year-old’s last strikeout before Monday night came during his second at-bat against Miami Marlins starter Roddery Muñoz on August 10, covering a span of 30 full games and parts of two others. In his time between those strikeouts, Arraez hit .386 with a .434 on-base percentage and slugged .455. He had 51 hits in that time, including 44 singles, six doubles and a home run (off of New York Mets hurler Paul Blackburn).

Arráez now leads the National League in batting average at .323. He's 21 points clear of Atlanta Braves designated hitter Marcell Ozuna (.302) and looks locked in for his third consecutive batting title.

But that's not all that happened in the past month-plus. A lot has changed across baseball and the world. Here's a look at some other things that have happened during Arraez's streak.

On August 10, the Baltimore Orioles were 70–48 and had MLB's best record, leading the New York Yankees in the American League East by one game. They have struggled since, going 14–18 and falling to the seventh-best record in MLB (1). They're now three games behind New York in the AL East.

The Chicago White Sox are having one of the worst seasons in baseball history. During Arraez's streak, they went 8–24 (hilariously, a better win percentage than their season mark) and suffered a 12-game losing streak (2). They were shut out five times and posted a run differential of -56. Oh, and three of those wins occurred since Saturday, giving the White Sox their first three-game win streak since June.

The Seattle Mariners were tied with the Astros for the AL West lead and three games back in the wild-card race. They went on to lose eight of their next 10 games, prompting a manager change from Scott Servais to Dan Wilson (3). They now trail the Astros by four games in the division … but have slightly improved their wild-card standing, sitting two games out of a playoff spot.

Elly De La Cruz enters Tuesday's games leading MLB in strikeouts with 201. During Arraez's streak without a K, the electric Cincinnati Reds shortstop played in 34 games and made 150 plate appearances. He struck out 46 times (4).

Shohei Ohtani continued his inevitable march toward the National League MVP award and continued his pursuit of becoming the sole member of the 50–50 club. During Arraez's streak, Ohtani hit 12 home runs and stole 16 bases (5). He also struck out 36 times.

Pittsburgh Pirates rookie phenom Paul Skenes took the mound six times in that stretch. He went 4–1 with a 1.59 ERA, a 1.06 WHIP, and racked up 43 strikeouts against 12 walks in 34 innings (6). He surrendered only six earned runs and one home run in that time.

Baseball wasn't the only sport happening during the last month-plus. The closing ceremonies for the 2024 Summer Olympics (7) took place on August 11, the day after Arraez's streak began. Yeah, it was that long ago. Additionally, the entire 2024 Paralympic Games (8) took place. The event began on August 28 in Paris and ended on September 8 after 549 events in 22 sports.

There were four-plus weeks of NFL football between the start of Arraez's streak and the end. The last games from Week 1 of the preseason happened on August 11. Two preseason weeks and two full weeks of regular season football (9) were played between his strikeouts.

Florida State went 0–3 (10), , during the streak.

There have been four full weeks of Premier League action (11), with Manchester City racing to the top of the table. The Citizens are 4-0-0 with an 11–3 goal differential.

San Marino, the last-place team in FIFA's soccer rankings, won its first match in 20 years (12) by beating Liechtenstein.

During Arraez's streak, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 2,124.54 points (13) from 39,497.54 to 41,662.08. Is Luis Arraez displaying a keen eye at the plate good for the U.S. economy? It's hard to argue against the evidence.

The Boeing Starliner finally returned to Earth (14) after being stuck in space for three months. It was floating in the stars for 26 days during the streak.

Beetlejuice returned to screens in and racked up more than a quarter billion dollars at the box office.

won 18 Emmys (16), the most ever for a show in a single year.

"A Bar Song (Tipsy)" by Shaboozey (17) spent the entire length of Arraez's streak at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. So I guess not everything has changed.