New Zealand overcame a blitz from centurion Harry Brook to beat England by four wickets on Sunday in the opening game of their three-match one-day international series, with Daryl Mitchell and Michael Bracewell scoring half-centuries.

The hosts wobbled chasing 224, losing four quick wickets, including former captain Kane Williamson for a first-ball duck in his first match for the side since March, but Mitchell took them home with an unbeaten 78 after being dropped on 33.

Bracewell also earned a reprieve early on and ran himself out for 51 to open the door for England after the initial burst from Brydon Carse (3-45), but New Zealand got back on track thanks to Mitch Santner’s 27 and prevailed in 36.4 overs.

“There was still a lot in the wicket,” skipper Santner said.

“We lost a couple more than we would have liked in the chase but the intent was great … Daryl and Michael’s partnership was massive for us.”

England recovered from a disastrous start as captain Brook bludgeoned 135 from 101 balls and Jamie Overton made 46 to help their side finish on 223 all out in 35.2 overs for a fighting chance in the contest.

Asked to bat first at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui, England were rocked early by New Zealand’s seamers as Zak Foulkes (4-41) and Matt Henry (2-53) reduced the tourists to 56-6 within 12 devastating overs in helpful conditions.

‘Great start’

“Yeah it was tough work in the end, but I think the way we started off, with wickets in the powerplay, it’s always a great start,” Santner said.

“We know Matt can do that and then Zak was outstanding, the way he swung it.

It looks like a nightmare facing him. Obviously long spells, but we knew wickets were massive because even when they’re four or five down they’ve got (batsmen).

“Getting Brook earlier would have been nice but he was outstanding today.”

Brook went into attack mode despite the carnage around him and brought up his fifty in 36 balls with a top-edged six off Nathan Smith, before Overton took his team’s total to three figures with another big hit off Jacob Duffy (3-55).

Overton shrugged off being hit on the helmet by Smith and closed in on his own half-century, but departed four runs short after a fine catch on the second attempt by Mitchell that ended the 87-run seventh-wicket partnership.

Consecutive sixes

Duffy removed Carse with the very next ball to leave England teetering again on 143-8, but Brook took control following Adil Rashid’s fall shortly afterwards, reaching his ton with three consecutive sixes and taking his side past 200 runs.

A belligerent Brook continued to deal in big shots, swelling his tally of sixes to 11, but was snared trying to sweep Santner out of the park as New Zealand stopped the bleeding to stay on top in the series opener.

“I felt I was in good touch,” man of the match Brook said.

“Obviously we didn’t get off to a great start and I tried to take it up on myself to have a counter-punch. Thankfully it came off today.

“I’ve done it a few times actually, it’s a do-or-die moment. I managed to get us a decent score to defend. We started nicely with the ball, but we just struggled to take wickets throughout the middle.”

The second game takes place in Hamilton on Wednesday, with New Zealand seeking another victory after losing the preceding rain-hit Twenty20 series between the teams 1-0.

Source link

Liverpool’s hold on their Premier League title continued to weaken as they went down 3-2 at Brentford on Saturday, their fourth successive league defeat leaving them sixth in the table.

Manchester United climbed up to fourth with a roller-coaster 4-2 home win over Brighton & Hove Albion while promoted Sunderland are in dreamland after a 2-1 win at Chelsea lifted them to second place.

Newcastle United sealed a late 2-1 victory at home to Fulham thanks to an 89th-minute goal by Bruno Guimaraes.

Liverpool, who appeared to have emerged from their slump with a 5-1 Champions League win at Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday, suffered more misery in London after recent defeats at Crystal Palace and Chelsea.

They have lost four league games in a row for the first time since 2021 and could find themselves seven points behind leaders Arsenal if they beat Crystal Palace on Sunday.

“What I have to do is look at what we do wrong and what we do right. I have a clear idea of where we have to improve but that hasn’t been the case in other games,” Liverpool manager Arne Slot said.

“We didn’t do the basics right today.”

Dango Ouattara volleyed Brentford in front following a long throw-in by Michael Kayode was flicked on and Kevin Schade went through to make it 2-0 in the 45th minute.

Milos Kerkez replied for the visitors in first-half stoppage time with his first Liverpool goal from Conor Bradley’s cross.

But Igor Thiago restored Brentford’s two-goal advantage from the penalty spot and although Mohamed Salah gave Liverpool hope with a clinical finish, they could not force an equaliser in 10 minutes of stoppage time.

Man United earn third league win in a row

Manchester United are beginning to show signs of consistency, with Matheus Cunha, Casemiro and a Bryan Mbeumo double helping them secure a third successive league win for the first time since Februsry 2024.

Cunha arrowed home a sublime 24th-minute strike into the bottom corner and Casemiro doubled the lead 10 minutes later with a deflected shot before Mbeumo’s well-taken third put the hosts in complete command.

Danny Welbeck pulled one back for Brighton with a free kick, however, before Charalampos Kostoulas’s stoppage-time header ensured a nervy finish.

With Brighton committing everyone forward in search of the equaliser, however, Mbeumo fired a fine strike into the roof of the net to confirm United’s win.

“I enjoy it a lot here,” Mbeumo told Sky Sports.

“It hasn’t been easy at the start. It’s a new environment, a new expectation but I think with the link up with the team, everything is going the right way.”

Talbi’s late Sunderland winner

Sunderland shocked Chelsea when substitute Chemsdine Talbi curled in a winner deep into stoppage time.

The visitors had gone behind in the fourth minute when Alejandro Garnacho claimed his first goal for the London side, but the lead was cancelled out by Wilson Isidor in the 22nd minute.

The game appeared to be heading for a draw until Talbi collected a pass from fellow substitute Brian Brobbey and placed his low shot perfectly to grab his first goal for Sunderland.

“It’s a good performance, especially after the early goal,” Sunderland coach Regis Le Bris said.

“We won three points. We are happy with the way we played. It is important to grab this opportunity when possible.”

Chelsea’s loss left them eighth in the table.

Newcastle were heading for a frustrating draw before captain Guimaraes scored at the death. William Osula drove to the edge of the box, but his shot was parried into the path of the Brazilian who poked the ball home from close range.

Jacob Murphy had scored for the Magpies in the 18th minute, before Sasa Lukic levelled after halftime.

“Late goals don’t just affect the game you’ve won, they affect mood and belief going forward,” Newcastle manager Eddie Howe said.

“It can have a big knock-on effect. We’ve had heartbreak the other way. This felt like a massive moment for us. We found a way to win.”

Newcastle climbed to 11th in the table and Fulham fell to 16th. Brentford are 10th.

Source link

TORONTO: Australian Mollie O’Callaghan broke the short course 200m freestyle world record for the second time in a week on Friday, winning in 1min 49.36sec at the World Cup stop in Toronto.

O’Callaghan sliced 41-hundredths of a second off the world record of 1:49.77 she set in Westmont, Illinois, just six days earlier — a victory that made her the first woman to break 1:50 in the event.

Hungarian Hubert Kos and Canadian Josh Liendo followed up world record swims on Thursday with victories.

One day after posting a world record of 1:45.12 in the 200m backstroke, Kos won the 50m back in 22.67sec.

The Olympic gold medallist remained unbeaten in backstroke competition in the three-meet World Cup series.

Canadian Josh Liendo continued his scintillating form in front of home fans with a 100m freestyle victory in 45.30sec.

Liendo, who won 100m butterfly silver at the Paris Olympics, had set a short course world record of 47.68 in the 100m fly on Thursday — when he also won the 50m free.

Published in Dawn, October 26th, 2025

Source link