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Southampton have now opened talks over a deal for a £12m Championship star, who could be brought in as a replacement for Mateus Fernandes, according to a report.

Fernandes' future remains up in the air

Unlike some other high-profile players, Fernandes has not downed tools in order to force a move this summer, featuring in the opening two Championship games, even though the Saints’ midfielder has been attracting serious interest from the Premier League.

Indeed, West Ham United have now submitted an offer for the 21-year-old, while there has also been interest from elsewhere, with the likes of Manchester United and Aston Villa also being named as potential suitors.

Given that the Hammers’ most recent offer was deemed unacceptable, it remains to be seen whether the Portuguese midfielder moves on this summer, but Will Still’s side have already made a move for a potential replacement.

That is according to a report from The Daily Mail, which states Southampton have now opened talks over a deal for Middlesbrough’s Finn Azaz, with an offer worth up to £12m currently under discussion.

The negotiations for Azaz got underway straight after West Ham made an offer for Fernandes, and given that the 24-year-old excels in both attacking and central midfield roles, it seems as though he is being targeted as a direct replacement for the youngster.

However, the need for Still to bring in a new attacker is also exacerbated by the interest in Tyler Dibling, with a number of Premier League clubs still keen on signing the young winger.

Azaz could be exciting replacement for Fernandes

Fernandes has featured in the Saints’ opening three games this season, most notably scoring the winner after starting and finishing a move against Northampton in the EFL Cup.

As such, Still will be disappointed if he loses an important player, but there are signs that Azaz could be a top-quality replacement, having received very high praise from former manager Michael Carrick last season.

Carrick said: “We know his quality, his eye for a pass and for finding spaces to create for others. He’s an intelligent player and he can score goals as well. He did so before he came here and it was one the reasons we bought him. He’s got the whole package really.”

Romano: Southampton now open talks to sign "physically strong" £4m striker

The Saints have now entered negotiations to sign a new forward.

ByDominic Lund Aug 19, 2025

The Championship star was very impressive from an attacking point of view last term, chipping in with 23 goal contributions in 45 league outings for Boro, which suggests he would be very capable of slotting straight into Still’s promotion-chasing Southampton side.

Losing Fernandes would be tough to take, but it would not be a surprise if the starlet is eager to return to the Premier League, and Azaz could be the ideal replacement.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Santos não conseguiu sair do 0 a 0 contra o Audax Italiano, na 2ª rodada da Copa Sul-Americana. Em uma partida mais comentada pela presença de Neymar na Vila Belmiro do que pelo futebol praticado pelas equipes, Messias agradeceu o camisa 10 da Seleção Brasileira pela aparição e pela educação com os jogadores do clube.

Além disso, o zagueiro santista disse estar focado e projetou o duelo contra o Atlético-MG, no próximo domingo (23), pelo Brasileirão. Confira no vídeo acima:

+ ATUAÇÕES: Santos vacila em casa, não fura defesa do Audax Italiano e tropeça na Sul-Americana

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasSantosSantos emite nota de repúdio contra racismo sofrido por Ângelo e Messias na Vila Belmiro; assista ao atoSantos21/04/2023SantosOdair Hellmann admite frustração com empate do Santos na Sul-Americana e elogia Meninos da VilaSantos20/04/2023SantosLucas Lima revela cobrança de Neymar por conta de empate do SantosSantos20/04/2023

افتتح المصري أحمد حسن كوكا، المحترف ضمن صفوف الاتفاق السعودي، أهدافه مع الفريق بعدما أحرز الهدف الأول أمام الباطن، في المباراة المقامة بين الفريقين اليوم الأحد، في منافسات كأس خادم الحرمين.

ويلتقي الاتفاق مع الباطن، ضمن منافسات دور الـ 32 من عمر مواجهات بطولة كأس خادم الحرمين الشريفين للموسم الحالي 2025-2026.

وسجل أحمد حسن كوكا، هدف الاتفاق الأول أمام منافسه الباطن، عند الدقيقة 18 من عمر الشوط الأول للمباراة، وجاء الهدف بمتابعة لكرة عرضية وضعها كوكا في المرمى.

طالع | ترتيب الدوري السعودي بعد فوز النصر على الرياض هدف أحمد حسن كوكا في مباراة الاتفاق والباطن بـ كأس خادم الحرمين

🎥 الهدف الأول لـ @Ettifaq ⚽️
⏰ ’18 أحمد كوكا#الباطن_الاتفاق 0 – 1 #عزّنا_بطبعنا 🇸🇦 | #أغلى_الكؤوس
pic.twitter.com/UXVJQTsTkG — كأس خادم الحرمين الشريفين (@KingCupSA) September 21, 2025

وكان أحمد حسن كوكا، انضم إلى صفوف الاتفاق السعودي، في بداية الموسم الحالي، في صفقة مجانية بعد انتهاء عقد اللاعب من الفريق الفرنسي لوهافر.

وتشير النتيجة، في مباراة الاتفاق والباطن، الآن عند الدقيقة 65 من عمر اللقاء، إلي تقدم الاتفاق على الباطن بهدفين مقابل هدف.

تعرض أحد لاعبي الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي الأهلي، للإصابة خلال مواجهة سيراميكا كليوباترا الجارية الآن ضمن منافسات مسابقة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

ويلتقي الأهلي مع سيراميكا كليوباترا، على أرضية استاد القاهرة، في إطار لقاءات الجولة السابعة من الدوري المصري.

وأصيب أحمد رمضان بيكهام، وغادر المباراة في الدقيقة 62 من عمر اللقاء وحل مصطفى العش بدلًا منه.

وتشير النتيجة إلى تقدم الأهلي بهدف نظيف سجله محمود حسن تريزيجيه سجله في الدقيقة 28 من عمر المباراة.

طالع.. فيديو | بـR2 رائعة.. تريزيجيه يسجل هدف الأهلي الأول أمام سيراميكا كليوباترا

الأهلي قبل هذه المباراة يحتل المركز السادس عشر في جدول الدوري برصيد 6 نقاط، بعدما خاض 5 مباريات، حقق الفوز في مباراة وتعادل في 3، وتلقى هزيمة واحدة.

Is it set to be a busy summer at Celtic?

After missing out on the treble, beaten on penalties by Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup Final, the Hoops are expected to heavily reinforce their squad this summer.

Well, with a crucial Champions League play-off tie circled in red on the calendar, taking place at the end of August, Brendan Rodgers will want his summer business to be done early, so are the Premiership champions about to land a new recruit?

Celtic targeting a new midfielder

Defenders are certainly the order of the day for the Celts this summer with Kieran Tierney’s return to Parkhead one of Scottish football’s worst-kept secrets.

However, the full-back isn’t the only player who could be closing in on a move to Paradise according to reports.

As per Portuguese outlet A Bola, Celtic have ‘opened initial talks’ to sign midfielder Demir Ege Tıknaz.

They outline the fact that the 20-year-old spent this season on loan at Rio Ave from Beşiktaş, and the Portuguese club have an option to make this move permanent for €5m (around £4.2m).

However, given interest from Celtic, as well as Lille, Rio Ave are preparing to make a quick profit on Tıknaz, placing a €10m (around £8m) price-tag on his head.

So, would he be a good signing for the Scottish champions, and which former Celt is he reminiscent of?

Demir Ege Tıknaz: the next Nir Bitton?

Writer Ryan McGinlay believes that Tıknaz’s ‘resemblance in play-style to Nir Bitton is uncanny’ and, should he arrive, if the Turkey international had even half as successful a Celtic career, he’d be doing well.

Bitton signed from FC Ashdod in 2013 and would remain at Celtic for nine years, making 271 appearances and winning 18 major trophies.

Naturally a defensive midfielder, the Israeli international would frequently fill in at centre-back too, with Kieran Devlin of the Athletic praising Bitton’s ‘reading of the game’ and ‘composure in possession’, with Joe Sullivan labelling him ‘versatile and highly reliable’.

So, could Tıknaz be something similar?

Well, analyst Ben Mattinson believes the Turkiye U21 international ‘reads the game well’ allowing him to ‘step up and intercept​​​​​​​’, praising his ‘timing of tackles​​​​​​​’ and ability to ‘steal the ball’, adding that he possesses a ‘decent passing range’ too.

Meantime, in an interview with Sarah Shephard of the Athletic, Tıknaz​​​​​​​ himself says he has a similar playing style to that of Sergio Busquets, stating “I always want to have possession… I’m kind of a playmaker… I can play box-to-box too”.

Well, according to Aryan Suraj Chadha of Goal, the Turkish youngster is one of the most ‘sought-after talents across Europe’, so let’s assess his statistics in the Primeira Liga this season.

Minutes

1,976

107th

Completed passes

826

82nd

Pass completion %

85.1%

45th

Passes into the final third

99

34th

Progressive passes

96

62nd

Tackles

35

15th

Interceptions

47

3rd

Ball recoveries

132

21st

​​​​​​​

Worth stating first and foremost that, according to a study by Bernd Frick, Tommy Kweku Quansah and Markus Lang, the Primeira Liga is one of the ‘least balanced leagues’ in European football, so the fact that Tıknaz was playing for Rio Ave, who finished 11th, makes his statistics all the more impressive.

The Turkish midfielder ranks highly for metrics both in and out of possession, sat third when it comes to interceptions, while also registering noteworthy numbers when it comes to his pass completion percentage as well as passes into the final third.

Thus, all available evidence suggests Tıknaz is a high-quality, high-potential player, one that Celtic should absolutely be looking to snap up.

​​​​​​​

Celtic could strike for "excellent" 85-goal hero who wants Parkhead return

The Bhoys are on the lookout for more firepower.

5 BySean Markus Clifford Jun 7, 2025

Ipswich Town have agreed a deal to sign a new teenage midfielder ahead of Premier League side AFC Bournemouth.

Ipswich set for relegation as Tractor Boys prepare for summer

Kieran McKenna’s side could officially be relegated from the top flight this weekend as they travel to Newcastle United on Saturday afternoon. Meanwhile, 17th place West Ham travel to Brighton & Hove Albion.

Anything but five straight wins for Ipswich, coupled with five straight defeats for West Ham and a 20-goal swing in goal difference will relegated the Tractor Boys.

When asked about the lessons he’s learned in the Premier League, McKenna recently said: “There’s a whole list of things. But there’s plenty of time for that in the summer, the season is still strong.

“Of course, we’ve been reflecting and having discussions as we’ve gone along. Most of those reflections will stay in-house, to be honest, because I think it’s the right way, but I think it’s fair to say that most of them are regarding the unique challenge that we came into this year.

“They are not necessarily the finer details of football, they are more about the scale and the challenge of bringing up a football club so quickly from where it was to compete in the best league in the world – in this, a very, very difficult season in that league.

“As a football club, from the manager to every staff member to the board here, we will all have learned an awful lot about that scenario. I still have a lot of pride and belief in how we’ve tried to tackle that challenge.”

Ipswich now pursue new deal for £27,500-a-week star amid Burnley interest

Burnley and Leeds are once again going head-to-head but this time off the pitch.

By
Brett Worthington

Apr 24, 2025

Heading into the summer and a likely Championship campaign, Ipswich could lose a number of star players, including striker Liam Delap who will have his release clause lowered to £30m after relegation.

In regards to incomings, Ipswich have been linked with a plethora of players, some of which have been teenagers. Sheffield United forward Ryan One has been identified as a potential replacement for Delap, whereas 17-year-old defender Corbin Mthunzi, formerly of Brighton, has penned professional terms after a successful trial.

Now, another teenager has followed Mthunzi in signing at Portman Road.

Ipswich sign young midfielder on three-year contract

As relayed by TWTD, it has been announced by agency Dominance Sports Group that 17-year-old midfielder Charlie Wood will sign for Ipswich Town on July 1st after a three-year deal was agreed.

Taking to Instagram, Dominance Sports Group: “Charlie Wood has completed his transfer to Premier League side Ipswich Town from National League North side Needham Market, signing a three-year professional contract. Subject to FA & League approval on 1st July 2025.”

Wood is almost 6 foot tall and is a central midfielder who has also been on an extended trial with Bournemouth this season. It was his displays with the Cherries that caught the eye of Ipswich, who have now made their move for his services.

Previously of Needham Market, Wood has played first-team football in non-league and his next challenge will be to break into the first-team picture with the Tractor Boys with a deal until 2028.

Tottenham Hotspur are now ready to make a £75m bid for an “unbelievable” striker, but there is set to be fierce competition from their Premier League rivals, according to a report.

Spurs fall to disappointing defeat at Molineux

It was yet another afternoon to forget for Tottenham at Molineux this weekend, with Wolverhampton Wanderers prevailing 4-2 and exposing the defensive issues Ange Postecoglou’s side have been plagued by for much of the campaign.

With Spurs now languishing in 15th place, it is virtually impossible to take any positives from the match, but Postecoglou will be pleased Richarlison and Mathys Tel were amongst the goals, with the latter scoring his second in three games.

Richarlison and Dominic Solanke appear to have put their injury problems behind them, while Tel is set to make his loan move permanent in the summer, which leaves the Lilywhites well-stocked in the striker department, having been short on options at times this season.

Tottenham want to sign "brilliant" £30m left-back who could replace Udogie

Tottenham have now joined the race to sign “one of the best left-backs in Europe”.

ByDominic Lund Apr 13, 2025

However, Solanke hasn’t exactly been prolific in his debut campaign in north London, netting seven Premier League goals, and there is a feeling a new striker could be brought in this summer.

According to a report from Spain, Tottenham are now vying to sign a forward who was on the scoresheet at Molineux yesterday afternoon, namely Wolves’ Matheus Cunha.

Such is Spurs’ level of interest, they are willing to make a £75m offer for Cunha, and they are now ready to make a move, but there is set to be fierce competition for his signature.

Newcastle United, Arsenal, Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest and Manchester United are also interested in signing the Brazilian, given how impressive he has been for Wolves this season, most recently bagging the fourth goal in his side’s 4-2 victory on Sunday.

Tottenham Hotspur’s upcoming fixtures

Date

Eintracht Frankfurt (a)

April 17th

Nottingham Forest (h)

April 21st

Liverpool (a)

April 27th

West Ham United (a)

May 3rd

Crystal Palace (h)

May 10th

"Unbelievable" Cunha impressing for club and country

At one stage this season, Wolves’ Premier League status was in serious doubt, but the 25-year-old’s goals have played a major role in propelling them to safety, netting 16 times in all competitions, with 14 of those coming in the league.

Teammate Mario Lemina was seriously impressed by the Brazil international’s performances earlier this season, lauding him as “unbelievable”, and having led Wolves to safety, he has now earned a move to a top club.

Not only that, but the Wolves star has also started to make an impact at international level, having been described as the best Brazil player on the field against Argentina, scoring his country’s only goal in a 4-1 defeat.

Having impressed for club and country, Cunha could be a fantastic signing for Tottenham, but it could be very difficult to win the race for his signature if they don’t have Champions League football on offer next season.

He was done with South African cricket, wasn’t aware of the SA20 vs Test cricket issue, and now has a chance to claim a piece of Test history

Firdose Moonda14-Feb-20242:30

‘A lot of pride’ – Piedt reflects on his Test comeback

A text message to a retired player with an offer to make a comeback became the stuff of legend after Ben Stokes persuaded Moeen Ali to turn out for last year’s Ashes series. But when Dane Piedt received a similar SOS from Shukri Conrad, he did not quite believe what he was reading.Unlike Moeen, Piedt was not living in the same country he was being asked to represent, had not played a red-ball match in almost four years (Moeen’s absence was less than two years), and had no knowledge of the situation developing in South Africa, where the majority of the Test team would be unavailable for a series in New Zealand.”I was sitting out in the US and Shukri sent me a message to ask me if I was keen for New Zealand. To be honest, I thought he was lying,” Piedt said in Hamilton, where he took a career-best 5 for 89 against New Zealand on Wednesday. “He told me ‘I am being dead serious’. I didn’t know of anything that was going on [in South Africa] at the time.”Related

• Bedingham century and O'Rourke five-for leave contest in the balance

• A 'weird' dismissal, a rare decision, and a fight from SA

• Dane Piedt five-for triggers New Zealand collapse to give South Africa handy lead

Piedt was in North Carolina, playing in the newly formed American league structure, unsure if his decision to try and qualify for the USA was ever going to materialise but determined to try and make the most of his move. He relocated in lockdown shortly after getting married, and his wife, Misha, had given up her occupational therapy practice in Cape Town for a new life. A year into the move, they had a son, Dax, and though adjusting to another country had its challenges – such as driving far longer distances than the ten-minute commute from his previous home in Kenilworth to Newlands – they were settling in.Conrad’s call, which came only because he was set to be without his first-choice players for the Test tour due to SA20 obligations, threatened to have the opposite effect. For Piedt to be considered for the Test squad, he would have to return to South Africa and play in the domestic circuit. Except that no-one in the top division would have him.All eight provincial teams in the top tier said they either didn’t have the money or the space for Piedt, so he had to settle for a spot with a recently relegated division two side – Knights. His first match was against Limpopo, a team that was only given first-class status in October 2022, and he bowled 24 overs in the first innings and went wicketless. At that point, no-one would have blamed Piedt for turning around and heading back to his American life. But he stayed.Dane Piedt recorded his career-best figures in Test cricket in Hamilton on Wednesday•Getty ImagesA second innings five-for bowled his team to an innings win and six wickets in the next game against Northern Cape was enough for Conrad to draft Piedt into the South Africa A squad to play West Indies A. Those matches were effectively dry runs for the team Conrad would put out in New Zealand – and even that was derailed by Tony de Zorzi getting a late SA20 deal – and Piedt stepped up. He finished as the leading wicket-taker in the three-match series (15 at 15.00) to vindicate Conrad’s out-of-the-box approach and roll back the years to repay a long-time mentor.Conrad was Piedt’s coach in 2008, when he joined Western Province after excelling in South Africa’s Under-19 cricket week, and oversaw his progression to first-class debut in 2010. Dane Paterson was in the same XI that Piedt played the red-ball game in. Coming back to the set-up was coming home. “It felt like 2008, bowling with Dane Paterson. We’ve come a very long way. Those are the types of memories you think about,” Piedt said. “It’s come full circle.”Except this is not 2008, but 2024, with South Africa 1-0 down and facing the possibility of losing a series to a side they have never been beaten by before. This is 2024, and the club versus country debate has come to a head and left Piedt as the most-capped bowler in a South African Test XI, in his tenth Test and first in five years.This is 2024, but Piedt was bowling like its 2014 when he topped the first-class wicket chart and earned his first national call-up.

“Williamson, in my opinion, is the best player in the world at the moment. Having to watch him from the side in Mount Maunganui, the way he goes about his business, that one for me was the best one. It’s always nice getting the big fish”Dane Piedt

Despite a total of only 242 to work with, Piedt didn’t mind the batters taking him on a touch. Tom Latham hit his tenth ball over mid-on for six and Kane Williamson sent his 15th over square leg for four. As the pair attacked, Piedt kept his lines fairly consistent outside off stump but made small adjustments to his lengths until he got full enough for Latham to stay back when he should have gone forward and the ball turned past the outside edge to bowl him. Once he found what worked, he stuck to it and some extra bounce forced an error from Williamson, who flicked a ball on to his pads and it popped up for a catch to short leg. Of the batters Piedt wanted to get the better of, Williamson was on top of his list.”I bowled a beauty of a delivery to Tom Latham, no disrespect to him, but Kane Williamson, in my opinion, is the best player in the world at the moment,” he said. “Having to watch him from the side in Mount Maunganui, the way he goes about his business, that one for me was the best one. It’s always nice getting the big fish but it will mean nothing if we don’t get over the line in the end.”The end is a long way away and South Africa will still have to bat well on a surface Piedt doesn’t “foresee getting easier”. But they have a handy lead and the comfort that their team selection – which includes two spinners as opposed to New Zealand’s all-seam plus Rachin Ravindra attack – appears to be well thought out. Piedt was partly responsible for that. “I said it looks a bit bare compared to the Mount in Tauranga. We thought there was less covering on the pitch,” he said. “That’s worth the risk and fortunately it’s paid off. And yesterday, when we saw Rachin bowl beautifully, with a couple spinning, we said it’s the right decision and we just tried to pounce on that opportunity.”Dane Piedt’s Test debut came in 2014 – he is likely making his comeback and final bow all at the same time•AFPAnd it will be their challenge to keep doing that as the game goes on. South Africa are well aware that in terms of experience and reputation, they are nowhere near New Zealand’s calibre and they accept that handicap. “This New Zealand team is a quality Test team. We’ve seen this. They’re actually a proper cricket team. They are not just going to give it away to you,” Piedt said. “We know we are on the back foot all the time and we try to take those windows of opportunities.”But they also know that in terms of fighting spirit, they are among the best in the world and that is what they will be drawing on. “We’ve been quietly going about our business. The camaraderie has been really good. It’s a tight knit team and when pressure situations come you can lean on the next guy,” Piedt said.Most of all, for someone like Piedt, who is more than likely making his comeback and final bow all at the same time, it’s a chance to do something special and claim a piece of Test history that will be remembered far longer than an out-of-the-blue text. That’s what Piedt is playing for, and for Misha and Dax, who were in attendance and all smiles to watch him live his Test dream. Again.

After the make-believe atmospheres of first two Tests, this was a day for the home supporters

Cameron Ponsonby24-Mar-2022It was almost the perfect day for West Indies. Winning the toss and bowling, they dismissed England for 204. And how could that possibly be bad?But the order in which things happen matter. This was an innings reminiscent of those reverse poems that, when read forward, mean something completely different to when read backwards. West Indies bowling England out on day one is undoubtedly a good news story. But, oh, England were 90 for 8. And England’s No.10 Jack Leach scored 41 not out. And England’s No.11 Saqib Mahmood scored 49. His highest ever first-class score? Which included his first ever first-class six? Oh.”For me and I think for the team, it’s a bit of bittersweet”, Jayden Seales said after the game. “Because if someone had come to us and said we’ll bowl England out for 204 we’d be very pleased. But on the other hand if someone told us they’d be 110 for 9 and they get to 200 you’re disappointed in yourself. So it’s just a matter for us of, once we’re getting into these positions, to close off the game and get the job done.”It was a desperate end to what had been an otherwise fantastic day in the spectacular settings of Grenada. Opting to go for an all-seam attack by replacing spinner Veerasammy Permaul with all-rounder Kyle Mayers, West Indies took three wickets before lunch before reducing England from 53 for 3 to 67 for 7 in the afternoon. Their decision to leave out the spinner had been justified. Even more so that Mayers took the first two wickets of the day by having Zak Crawley caught at cover before getting Joe Root to edge behind for a duck. To make matters even more emphatic, Mayers didn’t even concede a run from his opening five-over spell.What followed was a combination of high-class bowling and mediocre batting. Where Ben Stokes will curse himself for a poor pull shot that ended up back in the hands of bowler Alzarri Joseph, the likes of Ben Foakes, Craig Overton and perhaps even Jonny Bairstow will acknowledge they were dismissed by bowlers operating at the top of their game. The delivery from Kemar Roach to clean bowl Overton seamed in viciously from back of a length and would likely have dismissed any batter, on any day, anywhere in the world. It was fantastic bowling in a fantastic part of the world.Because this is a comically beautiful island. The hills are steep and the views are vast. Houses stick out of hillsides that appear accessible only via jetpack. In fact, everything in Grenada is steep. To take a pew in the top row of the main stand is to sign up to a healthy dose of vertigo, which is made that much worse by the rusted barrier which is all that’s separating you from becoming a much flatter version of yourself. It probably holds your weight. But I wouldn’t recommend trying to find out.”It has to be up there, top two for me [after Sabina Park, Jamaica] I’d say”, Seales explained after play, with Sabina only getting the nod due to Seales’ heroic past performances there. “I’d never played here before and it’s a beautiful island.”Related

• Lawrence shaping up as the homespun hero of Root's new England

• Root praises England progress as Kraigg Brathwaite takes pride in resilience

• West Indies name unchanged squad for third Test against England

• Leach seeks attacking mindset after growing back into England role

• Robinson ruled out once more as England hand reprieve to Woakes

The day was noticeable also for the much larger percentage of local fans in attendance. Don’t let the TV cameras fool you, just because there are plenty of empty seats doesn’t mean this wasn’t an event. Grenada is an island of 112,000 and this stadium has a capacity of 20,000. To expect it to be anywhere close to full is nonsensical. And yet here, for the first time in the series, sizeable cheers were accompanying moments of West Indian success.Schoolchildren were scattered around the ground in their uniforms, a local fan berated Jason Holder for not going around the wicket, another yelled “pressure” relentlessly as England began to crumble in the afternoon session. It was Caribbean cricket as opposed to cricket being played in the Caribbean.”We knew coming into this game that there would be a big local support for the team,” Seales said. “And every time we got a wicket you could feel the energy and the buzz coming from the locals. It was really good to see the fans out.”The sight of 8,000 Barmies taking over Bridgetown last week was spectacular, but much in the same way that Disneyland is spectacular – it was quite the spectacle, but it wasn’t exactly real. This, however, is the recommendation given to you by a local where all your dreams do actually come true. And for West Indies, they so nearly did.

Cal Raleigh is re-writing the record books once again—this time for the Mariners.

Raleigh hit his 57th home run of the season off Astros pitcher Framber Valdez on Saturday, and now passes Mariners legend Ken Griffey Jr. for the franchise's single-season home run record.

Griffey Jr., a Hall of Famer and 13-time All-Star that played for Seattle from 1989-99 and 2009-10, hit 56 home runs in a season for the Mariners in both 1997 and 1998. Now, Raleigh has passed that mark and his 57 long balls are tied for the 17th-most in a single season by any player in MLB history.

Earlier this week, Raleigh tied Griffey Jr.'s record and also broke Mickey Mantle's record for the most home runs in a single season by a switch-hitter. Mantle hit 54 home runs in 1961 to set the record, and over 60 years later, Raleigh has broken that mark and become the second switch-hitter to surpass 50 home runs in a season.

Along with these records, Raleigh previously broke Salvador Perez's record for most home runs in a season by a catcher. Perez hit 48 home runs in 2021, and Raleigh surpassed that nearly a month ago.