Dodgers Pitcher’s Embarrassing Error Stunningly Led to Everyone Circling the Bases

The Los Angeles Dodgers continued their recent struggles Tuesday night with an ugly 10-7 loss at home to the Minnesota Twins. It was their 11th loss in their last 14 games and one ugly play in the top of the seventh inning summed up how things have been going for them lately.

The Twins had the bases loaded with one out when Royce Lewis hit a slow grounder up the first base line. Dodgers reliever Edgardo Henriquez ran over and scooped up the ball and then turned a made a horrible throw to first.

MORE: Dodgers fan makes sweet catch on Ohtani's HR

How bad was it? The ball ended up bouncing off the wall in deep right field, which allowed three runs to score and sent Lewis all the way to third base.

This was something straight out of a Little League game:

The Dodgers are still in first place in the NL West with a 59-43 record but they haven't been able to get out of their own way lately.

“Tonight, it just wasn’t pretty,” manager Dave Roberts told reporters after the game. “When you’re walking guys and the defense is spotty and things like that, it wasn’t a good one.”

It certainly wasn't.

Napoli ready to activate Hojlund clause and now want £87k-p-w Man Utd star

Rasmus Hojlund is thriving out on loan at Napoli currently and a new update claims that a permanent switch there from Manchester United is already close.

The £87,000-a-week Dane found it tough to shine in a Red Devils shirt after joining in a big-money move from Atalanta, proving to be one of many disappointing young signings at Old Trafford in recent years.

Last season, Hojlund only managed four goals in 32 appearances in the Premier League, not offering enough consistency leading the line, and it felt right for him to enjoy a new challenge.

The 22-year-old was shipped out on loan to Napoli during the summer transfer window, and he is enjoying a far more fruitful time of things in Germany, already netting twice in five Serie A outings, and also bagging a couple of goals in the Champions League.

It remains to be seen if Ruben Amorim sees a long-term future for Hojlund at United, but a new update suggests that a permanent exit is far more likley than him returning to Old Trafford.

Napoli close to permanent Hojlund move and now want Mainoo

According to a key claim from Caught Offside‘s Mark Brus, Napoli now want to trigger the buy clause in Hojlund’s Manchester United contract once this season comes to an end. Talks have been held and a deal looks set to be finalised ready for the summer.

“Napoli are confident. They’re in a strong position with the buy clause and they’re ready to activate it. Talks have been taking place and it should be finalised soon, ready to formally go through at the end of the season.”

It is also stated that Napoli want to sign Man Utd midfielder Kobbie Mainoo in the January transfer window, with the England international “likely to push for a move away” from the club.

There is a certain risk in United allowing Hojlund to leave, considering he is still young, but they now have Benjamin Sesko in their ranks, suggesting that they have moved on from the Denmark international.

With all due respect to Serie A, it is a weaker division than the Premier League, so he is naturally standing out more – Scott McTominay was arguably the best player in the whole league last season, which speaks volumes – and he has struggled with the pace of English football.

Hojlund may simply be one of many transfers that just hasn’t worked out for United, but that’s not to say he can’t still enjoy a strong career for club and country. He possesses plenty of attributes, from speed to power, but his finishing is inconsistent and the Red Devils need a far more prolific figure to lead the line.

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Granted, Sesko is still finding his feet and hasn’t exactly been perfect yet, but the likes of Amorim and Jason Wilcox seem to be confident in him being an upgrade on Hojlund, and they need to be trusted after this recent improved run of form.

As for Mainoo, on just £25,000-a-week, it would be a shame to see such a talented homegrown player leave, but if United’s manager doesn’t see him as an important part of his plans, a move away may be best for all concerned.

Man Utd flop Rasmus Hojlund has seen value fall £20m since Amorim was hired

'I was truly dead' – Christian Pulisic reveals battle against flu after 'really ill' USMNT star fires AC Milan past Torino with dazzling two-goal display

Christian Pulisic says that he was “truly dead” a couple of days prior to delivering two-goal heroics for AC Milan in their dramatic win over Torino. The USMNT star stepped off his sick bed and the substitutes’ bench to make a decisive contribution to a contest that has taken the Rossoneri back to the top of the Serie A table – level on points with defending champions Napoli.

Bagged a brace: Pulisic settles dramatic clash with Torino

Milan were unsure whether talismanic forward Pulisic would be available to them when planning for a trip to Turin. The United States international has been nursing a nasty bout of flu, with illness limiting his involvement in training sessions.

The 27-year-old was, however, prepared to push himself for the good of the collective cause. He was required in the second-half of a clash with Torino, as Milan found themselves trailing 2-1 just past the hour mark.

Pulisic was introduced in place of Davide Bartesaghi in the 66th minute. Inside 60 seconds, he found the target and dragged the Rossoneri back into a contest that was threatening to get away from them. He then went on to grab a match-winning effort 10 minutes later.

AdvertisementCaptain America: Pulisic steps off sick bed to inspire Milan

‘Captain America’ admits that his involvement in the game was touch and go at one stage, but is delighted that he recovered enough to inspire Milan to three priceless points in their ongoing title challenge.

Pulisic told afterwards: “Two days ago I was truly dead, today I felt much better. I'm happy to have come here to help the team. Yesterday we didn't know if I could play, but this morning I felt much better.

“I'm happy with the goals, but the important thing was to win the match. I’m always happy when I can help. I want to score more goals and assists. This is my job and I’m happy with the three points.”

Pulisic now has nine goals to his name this season through 12 appearances in all competitions, with untimely injuries having prevented him from raising that bar even further.

Golden Boot race: Pulisic level with Inter striker Martinez

Milan are hoping that he will remain available for the foreseeable future, with Massimiliano Allegri’s assistant, Marco Landucci, saying of the American’s value: “We also have to praise the medical staff because Pulisic was really ill, yet he came and gave us a huge hand. [Pulisic] is a strong player, he's very calm in the locker room, but on the pitch he's nasty and in front of goal, he's a sharpshooter.”

Milan have moved onto 31 points from 14 games, the same return as Napoli and one better than arch-rivals Inter. Pulisic, who is tied with Inter star Lautaro Martinez on seven goals in the Serie A Golden Boot race, added on the need to maintain high standards from here: “It's a season in which we aren't seeing Milan dominate games a lot. I still need to find more rhythm. The team is doing very well this year. We're taking it game by game.”

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GettyFuture call: Why has Pulisic not signed new Milan contract?

While Pulisic continues to impress when fit, questions are being asked of his future at San Siro. That is because a contract offer that has been on the table for some time remains unsigned.

Former USMNT goalkeeper Brad Friedel told GOAL recently of why no extension has been agreed: “I think it suggests that he is leaving his options open. When I was at clubs, I always wanted to sign my contracts when I was happy at places. I can only go on personal experience, I liked having multiple years on the contract – you never know with injuries around the corner. If I was truly happy at a place, I really enjoyed having two or three years on a contract.

“There are only two reasons for not signing. One, you are not happy with the contract. Two, you are keeping your options open. Maybe he has given a verbal commitment. I would assume that he is keeping his options open. If you are happy somewhere and you are happy with the numbers, you sign the contract.”

Milan, with no European football on their agenda this season, will be back in Serie A action on Sunday when taking in a home date with Sassuolo.

Marnus Labuschagne responds after Cameron Green's epic 251

There was more toil for the bowlers at the Gabba with Hilton Cartwright also making 96

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Mar-2021Bat continued to dominate at the Gabba with Cameron Green’s maiden double century followed by a productive start from Queensland’s top order as Marnus Labuschagne neared a hundred.It was another day where just three wickets fell and two of those came late in Western Australia’s innings. As Queensland reached 1 for 183 at the close it was shaping as the type of match where further declarations could be needed to open up a result,Green did not need long to take his overnight 182 to a double, having fallen for 197 earlier in the season, with consecutive boundaries off Xavier Bartlett although he later admitted there was a hint of edge involved in the shot that brought the landmark.He continued to feast on the Queensland attack before finally picking out long-off for 251 – the seventh-highest Sheffield Shield score for a player 21 and under – which ended a fourth-wicket stand of 192 with Hilton Cartwright.Cartwright closed in on a century for himself before lofting a catch into the deep as the declaration loomed.Cameron Gannon broke the opening stand against his former team when Joe Burns edged to second slip but proceedings then reverted to type as Labuschagne and Bryce Street put on a stand worth 131 by the close.

Howard Webb denies claim elite match official was demoted after complaining that a male coach 'manhandled' her

Referees' chief Howard Webb has denied that a former staff member lost her role as an international football official because she complained a coach "manhandled" her. Lisa Benn alleges she was threatened and grabbed by an assistant referee coach and unfairly lost her post on FIFA's international officials list because the 34-year-old submitted her grievance.

  • 'He felt superior'

    Earlier this week, Benn told an employment tribunal in London that Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) coach Steve Child "forcefully pushed her" back in March 2023 during a training tournament organised by the body. During the game in question, which was used to train staff on VAR, she alleges that Child instructed a fourth official to "kill the game", to which she replied, "Don't tell me how to referee" and directed an expletive at him. 

    She told the tribunal on Monday: "I am a trusted referee, I referee at the highest level – this was an under-19s game. He felt superior, he felt like he could come on and tell me how to referee, he manhandled me onto the field of play – he would never have done that to a male referee."

    When asked if she had seen Child act that way with other referees, she replied: "I have to female referees, yes. I haven't to male referees."

    PGMOL reportedly investigated the complaint but found Child's behaviour did not meet the threshold for disciplinary action. She added that after when she raised the complaint, PGMOL did not recommend her as highly as in the past, and that cost her a place on FIFA's international referee list. 

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    Referee coach refutes accusations

    On Wednesday, Child said in his tribunal witness statement, via BBC Sport: "100 per cent I did not grab her," it was a "guiding arm if anything," but "I don't recall putting any physical contact on her". The former Premier League referee added that he put an arm across her back in a sense of "let's go". Child also refuted Benn's claim that his treatment of her was because she was a woman. 

    He also denied intimidating Benn in the hotel reception at a training camp they attended in August 2023, saying: "I think that might be a confusion on Lisa's part."

    Moreover, Child insisted it was not true that he grabbed Benn a second time and said: "Your card has been marked," after a mass brawl broke out at the end of a youth game. 

  • Webb denies allegations

    After this incident, the tribunal heard that Benn dropped from fifth to sixth on FIFA's international officials list, with the governing body only accepting the top five officials on their women's game list. However, the panel was told the PGMOL had asked for them to take on a sixth for that season. 

    Webb said at the hearing that Benn received a lower ranking because she was outperformed by others. 

    "It was our honestly held belief that she would be accepted," said Webb. This was because the growth of the women's game and the "noises we were hearing" from sports bodies. 

    The ex-Premier League referee added: "Unfortunately, highly regrettably, it wasn't, but unfortunately, compared to the other officials in this ranking, she was correctly placed sixth, based on the performance factors listed and the holistic view we've gone through. This is a competitive world in which we work and we need to rank officials against each other. We produce a lot of other really good officials in this country and we are in the difficult task to have to rank them against each other."

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    The trial continues

    Before the tribunal finished for the day, Webb stressed the importance of officials airing their complaints. 

    He said: "Of course, we want to know what is on the minds of our officials and for them to speak to us openly and confidently. We want our officials out on the field and performing.

    "They treasure this badge, they really, really do. We had a view that a sixth position was really, really quite likely. I think the growth of the women's game is pretty incredible, and we think it's important to serve the demand."

    The hearing will return on Friday.

England get the result they needed – never mind the process

Salt and Brook conjure miracle win but doubts about selection and approach persist

Cameron Ponsonby16-Dec-2023Failure is an orphan, but success belongs to Phil Salt and Harry Brook, as an innings of a lifetime from Salt, and a Tarantino level cameo from Brook, gave England a dramatic and much-needed victory.England needed this. Yes, the idea is that they’re a new team here to learn as much as win. But lose five out of six for your local five-a-side team and you might be giving the WhatsApp call for next week a miss, let alone if you’re an international athlete with a career and a dream on the line.Publicly, the message was that morale was still high and that a group of great mates were sticking together. But privately, it was that a group of great mates were sticking together, but feeling the heat.Related

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“It is a big boost and it shows our words have weight behind them,” Salt said in the moments after his maiden T20 hundred had helped get England over the line. “There is no sports team in the world that is happy with losing games. It is tough out here. We’ve been under the gun a little bit but they are a hell of a side, the West Indies, they have some players and the way they hit the ball is incredible. With the series in the balance today to come out and play the way we did I am over the moon.”With England needing 29 off nine balls, the match was as good as finished, with Salt’s final act lumping a six over long-off before taking a single out to deep midwicket. The equation was 22 off 7, with the reins handed over to Brook, who at the time was on 6 off 1.Brook took a single of the final ball of the penultimate over to leave 21 needed off the last for victory. A figure that has only been achieved once before in the history of T20I cricket. “We can talk about what I did,” Salt said. “But what Brooky did was probably more important.”Five balls later and England had won, as Brook hit two balls over the rope and one out of the stadium. As the last ball of the match sailed over deep third for six, Brook held his arms aloft in victory and Salt came charging towards him leaping not once, but twice. An initial outburst of emotion that simply wasn’t enough to capture the joy of the moment. Two lads, out in the middle, winning a cricket match for England.”There is no more special feeling than walking off a ground in an England shirt, winning the game,” Salt said. “Jos said that in the dressing room after the last game and we were looking for someone to put their hands up and do that in this series. I am pleased it’s me, but I am more pleased with the win.”This can, and should, be celebrated as a sporting achievement in isolation. A jaw-dropping display of batting that should be allowed to wash over lovers of the game without getting into the weeds of what’s next or what’s come before it.Salt drives through the covers during the powerplay•Associated PressBut that England’s turnaround relied on two batting miracles, one on the Damascus scale of things in Salt’s innings, the other of hitting a run of green lights in a row in Brook’s, is the perfect summary of where this team is. A group with incredible individual talent that has been underperforming.It would be harsh to look for the negatives in victory, but just as teams can dismiss defeats as a failure of result not process, so too can victories be criticised as a failure of process not result.Regardless of how it finished, this fixture saw a third change in balance for England, let alone XI, in as many matches.In match one, the barrage of Bridgetown prompted England to swap Ben Duckett out for the extra bowling option in Moeen Ali. And when that didn’t work, England abandoned their batting deep blueprint in favour of bringing in Gus Atkinson and Reece Topley for Rehan Ahmed and Chris Woakes. Batting heavy, then bowling heavy, and then a preference for seam over spin.England started this tour with Sam Curran at No. 8 and Atkinson at 11 in the ODIs. In the last 48 hours, Curran has batted No. 4 and Atkinson has been listed at 8.”I feel like the make-up of the side we have put out in each match has been spot on,” Salt said in response. “There are always going to be different make-ups for different surfaces, no two wickets are the same so it is up to the coaches.”Nevertheless, England have prided themselves for years on the mantra of giving players one too many chances rather than one too few. A policy that prompted Salt earlier this tour to say that at one point he felt he “could do anything and still not get in the team”.The new era has preached that same patience, so would Duckett not feel in his rights to feel bemused that he was removed after one match? Does Atkinson, having been brought in and conceded 33 runs in two overs, fear for his spot on Tuesday? And what of Curran? Who opened the bowling in the first game, bowled first change in the second and fourth change here.Everyone knows that you can’t read too much into a single T20 result because we are told as much by the players and coaches who know the game better than the rest of us. But if this tour is as much a learning exercise for the World Cup as it is a pursuit of victory in isolation, then what A Levels are we leaving with if England are changing every game?Far from a team bereft of ideas, England, even in victory, appear to be a team with too many. With the move to spin-heavy Trinidad set to require even more. Trust the process, not the result, is what we’re always told. Unfortunately for England, it isn’t quite clear what that is.

Every Liverpool game that Jeremie Frimpong will now miss after latest injury

It’s been a miserable month for Liverpool and things have now been made worse by another injury to Jeremie Frimpong. The summer signing, for the second time this season, is set to be sidelined for a number of games.

Defensive injuries are the last thing that Arne Slot needs. The Liverpool backline has been at its most vulnerable in recent weeks, with the right-back spot proving to be particularly inconsistent as Frimpong and Conor Bradley fail to make the position their own.

Given the form of new signing Milos Kerkez hasn’t exactly been consistent on the other side either, it’s clear that Slot desperately needs to change things up in search of a solution.

Saturday’s game against Aston Villa is simply a must-win for the Reds. A fifth-straight defeat in the Premier League is unheard of for the Premier League champions, but that’s what’s waiting for those at Anfield if they don’t provide an answer to their problems this weekend.

Despite his side’s disastrous run of form, Slot remains confident that they will turn things around. The Dutchman told reporters ahead of Aston Villa’s visit: “The thing that gives me the most confidence is the quality of the players we have and the amount of chances they are creating. This will lead to these players scoring more goals than we have done.”

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Whether the solution really is that simple remains to be seen, however. So far, the Liverpool manager has stuck to this season’s new system and stuck with struggling arrivals such as Kerkez, which could eventually lead to major consequences.

Meanwhile, after complaining about his squad depth in midweek, the news of Frimpong’s injury couldn’t have come at a worse time for Slot.

Every Liverpool game that Jeremie Frimpong will miss

Replacing Trent Alexander-Arnold was always going to be a difficult task, but the fact that Dominik Szoboszlai has played a more prominent role at right-back than Frimpong says it all. The Dutchman simply hasn’t got going amid an earlier injury and now his latest hamstring blow.

According to the Daily Mail’s Lewis Steele, Frimpong will now be sidelined for around six weeks after limping off with a hamstring injury against Eintracht Frankfurt. This means that he’ll miss games against both Real Madrid and Manchester City in the space of a week as well as several other games.

Liverpool vs Aston Villa

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Liverpool vs Real Madrid

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04/11/25

Man City vs Liverpool

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09/11/25

Liverpool vs Nottingham Forest

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22/11/25

Liverpool vs PSV

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26/11/25

West Ham vs Liverpool

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30/11/25

Liverpool vs Sunderland

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03/12/25

Leeds vs Liverpool

Premier League

06/12/25

An “important” player under Xabi Alonso, according to the manager himself at Bayer Leverkusen, Liverpool are yet to see Frimpong’s ability in full amid such a disrupted campaign that will only continue in the next six weeks.

Revés para a Ponte Preta gera protesto com pichação no CT do CRB

MatériaMais Notícias

da bet7k: Mesmo atuando como visitante no último domingo (7), o revés por 1 a 0 para a Ponte Preta (equipe que briga na parte baixa da tabela na Série B) parece ter pesado bastante para trazer alta dose de irritação a parte de torcedores do CRB.

RelacionadasFutebol NacionalPonte Preta vence o CRB e ganha fôlego na luta contra o rebaixamento na Série BFutebol Nacional07/11/2021Futebol NacionalNa base da insistência, CRB vence o Sampaio Corrêa e volta a ‘colar’ no G4 da Série BFutebol Nacional04/11/2021CRBUm dos destaques do CRB, Jean Patrick que encerrar ano com acessoCRB02/11/2021

da premier bet: >Aplicativo de resultados do LANCE! está disponível na versão iOS

E uma das situações que deixou essa impressão mais clara foi a manifestação através de pichações que foram feitas no portão de entrada do CT Ninho do Galo com palavras em tom de absoluta pressão como “ou joga por amor ou joga por terror”, “Time pipoqueiro” e “diretoria amadora”.

Segundo informação publicada pelo portal ‘ge’, o clube está tomando as devidas providências no sentido de apurar quem foram os responsáveis por depredarem o patrimônio do clube localizado na cidade de Barra de São Miguel, região distante apenas 30 quilômetros da capital, Maceió.

Apesar da demonstração de revolta, o CRB segue vivo na briga para entrar no G4 da Série B onde tem 54 pontos na sexta colocação e terá como oponente na próxima rodada o Londrina. A partida em questão acontecerá na quarta-feira (10), às 21h30 (de Brasília) no Rei Pelé.

Ashwell Prince: De Kock's presence has 'similar effect' as Rohit and Kohli's

Quinton de Kock reversed his white-ball retirement earlier this year, and scored 239 runs at 119.5 during three ODIs in Pakistan

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Nov-2025

Quinton de Kock averaged 119.5 during his return ODI series•Associated Press

Quinton de Kock has had a little bit of fun already in his second stint as an ODI cricketer. Having initially retired after the World Cup in 2023, he made himself available for South Africa again earlier this year and had a good run in Pakistan, scoring 239 runs in three matches at an average of 119.5.”I think he’s big, he’s massive,” South Africa batting coach Ashwell Prince said. “With Rohit [Sharma] and Virat [Kohli] coming to the Indian team, I think Quinny probably has a similar effect coming into our team with his experience, with his quality that we saw in Pakistan.”His presence definitely boosted the dressing room and we got quite a few young left-handers and just quite a few young players in the team. For them to sit around and have a few conversations with him and also be out with him in the middle and bat with him, I think that does a lot for their growth – being able to bat with him out in the middle. So he is a big influence for us.”Related

Tests lost, India look to feel at home as ODIs against South Africa begin

'Look forward to enjoying responsibility' – Rahul steps into the hot seat

South Africa are also looking forward to seeing the heights Marco Jansen can reach after the allrounder played a starring role in helping them beat India 2-0 in the Test series. Prince broke down key elements of Jansen’s contributions in Guwahati – 93 off 91 with the bat, and 6 for 48 with the ball.”I think what’s important for Marco is clarity about how he bats. When you’re batting at No. 8, No. 9, generally you don’t have a lot of partners. So for him… once he gets in, he needs to score quickly, because he’s only got one or two partners to come. So playing an aggressive role is something that we discussed.And then to follow that up with the ball in the way that he did. Again, we talk about assessing the conditions. When we come to India, we don’t expect the pitches to bounce as much as that one did. So we assess this communication between our batters and our bowlers. And our batter’s feedback was that the bounce is quite steep. Maybe we should look to use the bounce more than what we anticipated. And the bounce was quite steep and it was difficult to handle… Therefore, we say adapting to what is in front of us is the most important thing.”

This is not over, you have been warned, David Warned

The end of Warner’s Test career is only the beginning of another one – or five

Alan Gardner16-Jan-2024So, farewell then, David Warner. Although bringing down the curtain on a storied Test career is really only the start of the long goodbye for Australia’s best-loved bad-boy-turned-good, a man who seemed to epitomise what the country is really all about: looks cuddly, might kill you.There was, predictably, plenty of emotion swirling around the SCG as Warner doffed his baggy green for the final time (that after the cap had mysteriously resurfaced at the team hotel, presumably with the toerag who had pinched it having realised his grave mistake). Australians love a good send-off – and we’re not just talking about the Merv Hughes variety – so don’t be surprised if there’s plenty more lovey-Davey stuff to come between this international retirement and the next instalment or two.Warner himself has places to be and has never been afraid to take the aerial route – as evidenced by a transparent attempt to skip the speeches at his brother’s wedding. But what does the future hold, beyond T20 leagues and stints in the commentary box? The Light Roller looks at some likely options…Related

David Warner is polarising opinion till the very end

Smith to open, Green to bat No.4, Renshaw added to squad

Hafeez says 'inconsistent umpiring' and 'technology curse' cost Pakistan the MCG Test

When did we all start loving David Warner?

Warner: I want to be remembered as exciting and entertaining

Head honcho at X/Twitter
Once known for playing fast and loose on social media, Warner has become something of a guru. He TikTok-ed his way into everyone’s good books during the first Covid lockdown and recently admitted that he lets his wife check over his tweets before he presses send – which sounds like the sort of wisdom Elon Musk could benefit from.The next James Bond
Why not upgrade that licence to thrill? There was a glimpse of Warner’s box-office appeal in the aforementioned helicopter dash to BBL duty – although, disappointingly, he missed the opportunity to parachute out of the chopper and into the stadium Daniel Craig-style. Can probably already handle a Walther PPK, not so sure about a British accent. Famously used to instruct players mixing the drinks during Test matches that he liked his shaken, not stirred.Social Justice Warner
The Aussies are all about being woke these days, but we should have realised back when he was taking Joe Root to task in a Birmingham Walkabout for mocking people with beards that Warner has long been on the side of the righteous. His chequered past – Usman Khawaja’s mum calls him “Shaitan”, and he has been reformed more times than a pack of supermarket ham – arguably makes him uniquely qualified to lecture us on where we’re going wrong.Bluey x Davey
Once the attack dog in Australia’s attempts to ruffle their opponents in the field, Warner is now perfectly placed to join ‘s cast of family-friendly cartoon canines. Loves his daughters? Check. Adept at coming up with wacky and heartwarming ways to pass the time? Check. Good for a game of backyard cricket? Check. The guy who does the voice of Bandit should start getting worried.Opens chain of hardware stores
Seriously, if he’s going to get sledged about sandpaper for the rest of his career he might as well try to earn a crust from it. The marketing material practically writes itself: “Warner’s Premium Grade – erases even the most regrettable errors.”

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After math: Smith crunches the numbers on the FTP and it’s not looking good•Getty ImagesTalking of Australia openers, Steven Smith has taken his first-in-the-nets-last-out approach to its logical conclusion by successfully petitioning to be Warner’s replacement. Smith, it seems, was bored of sitting around talking to his team-mates and pretending to like crosswords before a couple of wickets fell and he could fidget his way out to the middle, so decided to seek a new challenge. For a man whose problem-solving approach to batting has long had a touch of Zack Galifianakis math about it, this makes sense – but we can’t help but wonder if Smith’s not-inconsiderable cricketing acumen might be put to better use. Never mind dealing with new-ball swing and fullish lengths, couldn’t Smith challenge himself by trying to fix the international calendar or discover the true meaning of Matthew Hayden?

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. No, that is not the latest Pakistani rip-off of the Indiana Jones franchise – although there were some epic feelgood lolz about their recent tour down under. Pakistan played good cricket, Pakistan played bad cricket, Pakistan gave gifts to their hosts at Christmas (and that’s before we get to dropping all those catches or resting their star bowler). But it was Hafeez, the new team director, who veered back into more traditional territory by blaming “inconsistent umpiring and technology curse” for his side’s defeat in the second Test, at the MCG. That and the dropped catches, of course. He went on to conclude: “When you factor in all the booby traps, implacable supernatural forces and time-travelling Nazis, it’s fair to say we never stood a chance.”

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