Liverpool's season crashed to a new, depressing low with a 3-0 home defeat by Nottingham Forest at the weekend. The defending champions currently sit 11th in the Premier League table following a sixth defeat in seven matches and now boss Arne Slot has come in for a huge amount of stick over comments after the damaging loss at Anfield.
Australia are still in control of the game, but the clouds of doubt have reappeared on the horizon for them
Alex Malcolm28-Dec-20241:31
Boland: ‘We’re still in a pretty strong position but could’ve been better’
In the glorious sunshine on a Saturday morning in Melbourne, Australia were in control of the game. Nathan Lyon had just pinned Ravindra Jadeja lbw to leave India 221 for 7, 253 behind with two days and two sessions remaining.Five hours later, Nitish Kumar Reddy walked off the MCG to a standing ovation from 83,073 people, unbeaten on 105 and India’s innings still 116 runs behind but alive and kicking, as the dark clouds of a rainstorm rolled in to end play early.From the brightness of the horizon to the impending gloom was an apt metaphor for Australia against India in recent years.Related
'Bahubali' NKR is a box-office hit at the MCG
Nitish Kumar Reddy's MCG century – in numbers
'Stupid, stupid, stupid' – Gavaskar criticises Pant's shot selection
Smith finds his old self and Cummins finds a new batting spot
Nitish Kumar Reddy's dramatic 105* leads India's rearguard
They are still in control of the game, with two full days of set fair weather to come. But the clouds of doubt have appeared. They shouldn’t be there, but they are because they have seen this movie before. In Brisbane in 2021 and in Delhi in 2023 they were in control of the game, until lower-order century stands dragged India back into the contest and to eventual victory.It was noted yesterday after Steven Smith and Pat Cummins’ exemplary stand, that Australia had only produced four century stands for the seventh or lower wicket in the last ten years. India have produced four in the last four years against Australia alone. Only one other team, England, have managed one in that time against this Australian attack.The same man has been involved in two of them. Washington Sundar named his dog after the Gabba, having made 62 on debut in a 123-run seventh-wicket stand with Shardul Thakur that turned that game India’s way.Can you call a second dog MCG? He could do whatever he likes if India win from here following his 50 in a 127-run eighth-wicket stand with Reddy.The other lower-order century stands were produced by Axar Patel and R Ashwin in Delhi in 2023 and Thakur and Ajinkya Rahane in the World Test Championship final at The Oval only months later against this exact Australian bowling quartet of Cummins, Lyon, Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland. The only difference is that Mitchell Marsh is the allrounder at the MCG in place of the injured Cameron Green. That was the only one of the four that hasn’t cost them the game so far.2:10
Washington: Nitish’s hundred ‘will be remembered forever’
This one shouldn’t either. But how and why it keeps happening should be concerning to this Australian side.To be fair to Australia, they did exactly the same with the bat on day one. Two lower-order century stands, both against the second new ball, might point to an excessively flat pitch. But a man who knows MCG pitches would disagree.”I think it started off with a fair bit of nip in it, still a little bit of nip there at the moment,” Boland said. “Not as consistent as I’d like as a bowler, but I think it’s going to be a pretty good Test match wicket.”Boland knows a truly flat MCG pitch when he sees one, having played Sheffield Shield cricket in the pre-Matt Page era. The ongoing issues he manages in his left knee could well have resulted from slamming it repeatedly into the slab of concrete that used to sit underneath the drop-in trays here prior to 2018.Australia’s bowlers have been doing the heavy lifting for the team in recent times, but the repetitive nature of these stands against this opponent speaks to a couple of issues.India’s ability to nullify Lyon is a major reason why the tail continues to frustrate Australia. Against every other opponent, Lyon can lock down an end when the hardness of the new ball wears off. His frugality, and his ability to threaten batters with spin and bounce in Australian conditions allows Cummins to set and forget and rotate his three quicks in short bursts at the other end to ensure they sustain their pace and quality.Ravindra Jadeja was trapped by a quicker one from Nathan Lyon•AFP/Getty ImagesBut Lyon has been almost completely shut out of this series so far. He has five wickets at 53.60, striking at 114. Two of those bookended the stand between Reddy and Washington. In between times, Reddy scored 44 off 60 against Lyon including three fours and a six.It meant Cummins had to manage his bowlers differently and he made some odd decisions. Boland, who had easily been Australia’s best having removed Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant, was hardly used in the early part of Reddy’s innings. He went from 1 off 2 to 56 off 90 before Boland returned to the attack.Straight after an hour-long rain delay, the likes of which had enabled Cummins and Starc to continue to bowl in Brisbane, Marsh bowled a three-over spell in tandem with Starc, instead of Cummins or Boland, when the pitch had become more difficult to bat on according to Washington.”Coming off that break we tried to take them a bit wider with the ball,” Boland said. “We obviously set a seven-two field and try to see if they want to flash their hands outside the off stump.”Marsh conceded just four runs. But it only served to massage his figures from 0 for 24 from four overs to 0 for 28 from seven. Since taking 2 for 12 in the first innings of the series in Perth, Marsh has figures of 25-1-1-125.There were some slightly odd bowling changes on Pat Cummins’ part•Associated PressIt was no surprise then to see Starc grimacing with some back soreness as he shouldered the load at the other end. He never left the field and continued to bowl at high pace despite getting the physio to check his back at fine leg between overs.Starc was part of a three-man attack that took 20 wickets in Adelaide, and a three-man attack that did all of the bowling in Brisbane after Josh Hazlewood broke down.”He’s okay,” Boland said. “I think he just had a bit of a niggle somewhere in his back or rib, I don’t know. But he came out after the break and was bowling 140kph so I think he’s going to be fine. I think he’s underrated for how tough he is.”Four years ago, Australia’s quicks got to the line in the fourth Test having shouldered a heavy load in Melbourne and Sydney, only to run out of gas in Brisbane.”We’re leading by 115 runs, so in a pretty strong position,” Boland said. “Obviously, it could have been better, but I think that’s Test match cricket. It ebbs and flows. Yeah, hopefully tomorrow morning, we get that first wicket, and then put on a really nice lead and see how the game plays after that.”There shouldn’t be cause for alarm in Australia’s dressing room. But no one could blame them if there wasn’t a looming sense of déjà vu.
The India fast bowler recalls an epic Test tour of England, and reflects on the challenges life has thrown his way
Shashank Kishore and Daya Sagar26-Aug-20254:33
Breaking down where Akash Deep can improve
In the weeks leading up to India’s recent tour of England, Akash Deep had one thought weighing on him: “How do I survive five Tests?”For over two months, Akash Deep had spent several nights in hospital, attending to his sister Jyoti who was undergoing cancer treatment. Diet and sleep had become luxuries. His training was haphazard. Cricket wasn’t the most important thing in his life at that time.It’s why Akash Deep spontaneously remembered Jyoti and dedicated his 10-wicket haul in his first Test of the series to her, after India made it 1-1 in Birmingham.”It was tough,” he says while in Bengaluru, where he is preparing for India’s home international season. “As such, a five-Test series is not easy. Especially if you’re a fast bowler. And at a time when I had to prepare, I was dealing with a lot of things.”Being in and out of hospital, your diet and sleep often go for a toss. I was actually wondering how do I survive five Tests because even during the IPL because of my sister’s treatment, my training was haywire for one, one-and-a-half months. Luckily, I got time in the lead-up to the series thanks to the India A tour, where I had 10-15 days of preparation. I used that time to prepare well.”It’s been three whirlwind weeks since Akash Deep’s return from England, where he played an important role in India drawing the series 2-2. After a dash home to see his family, he was away on a pilgrimage for ” (peace of mind),” and then visited his ‘AB Cricket Academy,’ which he had begun last year in his hometown Sasaram in Bihar.”When I was growing up, there was nothing here,” he says. “No ground, no practice facility. I didn’t even see a red ball until I was 17-18. My thinking was when I have some money and resources, I’ll try and help kids who aren’t from financially sound backgrounds. So that they don’t have to go too far away to train.”Not being financially strong should not come in the way of living your dreams of playing the game or getting opportunities. I’m glad I’ve been able to realise my dream [of building an academy]. I have a team that looks after most things, but I guide them and insist, if there are kids coming forward from disadvantaged backgrounds and have the talent, they should be prioritised.”Akash Deep took 13 wickets on the tour of England•Getty ImagesAkash Deep’s story is one of courage. Sharing a 150 square feet room with eight others in Kolkata, surviving on (lemon tea) to play club cricket, staying with his cousin in Durgapur in search of opportunities, losing his father and brother in the span of a couple of months, he has seen it all. It’s why he treasures every moment on the field. “If you find even a little happiness amid all your problems, it’s enough to bring a smile.”He wasn’t smiling on that tense final morning at The Oval when he dropped Gus Atkinson at long on and palmed the ball over the boundary for six. England needed 11 after that to win the series, India needed one wicket to draw it.”Maybe I could have tried to palm the ball in to save the six,” he says. “But I went to take the catch. Luckily in the next over (two overs later) we got the wicket [of Atkinson]. Immediately after I dropped the catch, there was really no time to dwell on it. Maybe if something else had happened I may have been thinking about it. Luckily I didn’t have to worry much.”I ran really quickly to Siraj [laughs] once we took the final wicket.”That was just one of several memorable moments involving Akash Deep on the tour. Earlier in the fifth Test, he had put his arm around England opener Ben Duckett and said a few friendly words after dismissing him in the first innings.”He had been out four-five times to me. Before coming out to bat in that innings, he said, ‘this time you won’t get me out’. I got him out and then said, ‘bro, now go and rest please’,” he says with a laugh.There’s a memory from Birmingham that stands out. He’s watched replays of that dream wicket on loop.”Joe Root,” Akash Deep says with a smile. “The way I got him (bowled). Set him up, and got him out exactly the way I wanted to.” For those who don’t remember, he pitched on a good length and angled the ball in, before getting it to nip away and beat the outside edge of Root’s defence to hit the top of off stump.0:42
Tendulkar: Akash Deep to Root at Edgbaston was ‘ball of the series’
Apart from his 13 wickets in the series, he also made a vital contribution with the bat, scoring a half-century after coming in as a nightwatcher in India’s second innings in the fifth Test at The Oval. Akash Deep made 66 in his partnership of 107 with Yashasvi Jaiswal for the third wicket, helping India set a match-winning target of 374.”Everyone expects me to contribute with the bat, but I haven’t been able to do it to all the time,” he says. “That innings, I learnt a lot. It taught me to not take my batting casually. When the team needs me, that time I’m motivated.”He also recalls his innings in Brisbane in 2024, when he helped India save the follow-on, to explain what he needs to motivate himself at times. “I think I should put extra pressure on myself as a batter to contribute,” he says. “That’s what it (The Oval innings) taught me. I was just thinking of building a partnership with Yashasvi.”They [his team-mates] were happy because the batters used to taunt us in a friendly way, ‘kabhi toh kuch kardo (can you also contribute once in a while)’, ‘dus to bana do, bees to bana do (make 10 or 20 runs at least)’, so I felt they’ll keep quiet now for some time [laughs].”Akash Deep is now at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, gearing up for the two-Test series against West Indies from October 2. For the first time in months, he has the mental space to breathe, train, and focus on his game. He doesn’t have to go to the hospital at present and he’s enjoying the luxury of being able to stay in the moment and do what he loves most.
However, if he’s picked in India’s squad for the Asia Cup, Shubham Rohilla will replace him for the zonal tournament
ESPNcricinfo staff07-Aug-20252:40
Gill: England-India series a great learning curve for me
India’s Test captain Shubman Gill will lead North Zone in the 2025-26 Duleep Trophy, which will kick off the domestic season in Bengaluru later this month.Seamers Anshul Kamboj and Arshdeep Singh, who were recently part of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, were also named in the North Zone squad. Harshit Rana, who made his Test debut in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy last year, will add more depth to North Zone’s seam attack.However, if Gill, Arshdeep or Harshit get picked in India’s squad for the Asia Cup, Shubham Rohilla, Gurnoor Brar and Anuj Thakral will replace them for the Duleep Trophy. The Asia Cup, which will run from September 9 to September 28 will overlap with the Duleep Trophy, which will start on August 28, with the final scheduled between September 11 and 15.Ankit Kumar, who was the top scorer for Haryana with 574 runs in 14 innings at an average of nearly 59 in the previous Ranji Trophy season, was appointed North Zone’s vice-captain. His Haryana team-mate Nishant Sindhu, the left-arm spin-bowling allrounder, also found a place in the squad.Apart from Harshit Rana, Yash Dhull, the former India Under-19 World Cup-winning captain, and Ayush Badoni are the only Delhi players in the squad. The trio is currently in action in the second season of the Delhi Premier League T20 tournament.Related
Kuldeep, Khaleel in Jurel-led Central Zone squad for Duleep Trophy
Tilak Varma to lead South Zone
Iyer, Sarfaraz in West Zone squad
Mohammed Shami in East Zone squad
Five players from Jammu & Kashmir made the cut for the Duleep Trophy, including opener Shubham Khajuria and seamer Auqib Nabi, who was the second-highest wicket-taker in the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy, with 44 wickets in eight matches at an outstanding average of 13.93.Services’ Ravi Chauhan and Chandigarh’s Nishunk Birla are among the stand-bys.The Duleep Trophy has reverted to its traditional format of a zonal contest after a season where four teams – A, B, C and D – comprising players in the Test fray were picked by the Ajit Agarkar-led senior men’s selection committee. Teams for this year’s tournament will be picked by zonal selection committees, comprising one member from each of the state sides from the zone.North Zone will play the domestic season’s opening game against East Zone from August 28 at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.North Zone squadShubman Gill (capt), Shubham Khajuria, Ankit Kumar (vice-capt), Ayush Badoni, Yash Dhull, Ankit Kalsi, Nishant Sindhu, Sahil Lotra, Mayank Dagar, Yudhvir Singh Charak, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Anshul Kamboj, Auqib Nabi, Kanhaiya Wadhawan (wk)Replacements: Shubham Rohilla to replace Gill, Gurnoor Brar to replace Arshdeep and Anuj Thakral to replace Harshit in case of any India commitments during the tournament.Stand-bys: Shubham Arora, Jaskaranvir Singh Paul, Ravi Chauhan, Abid Mushtaq, Nishunk Birla, Umar Nazir, Divesh Sharma
Reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano has shared what Aston Villa “will” do in January to back manager Unai Emery.
Aston Villa emerge as title contenders after Arsenal triumph
Villa catapulted themselves into legit Premier League title contention following Emiliano Buendia’s dramatic 95th minute winner against Arsenal on Saturday.
Buendia’s last-gasp strike secured a pulsating 2-1 victory over the league leaders at Villa Park, with the substitute’s stoppage-time goal representing far more than just three points.
It also confirms Villa’s extraordinary recent transformation under Emery into genuine challengers.
They now sit third, merely three points behind Arsenal, losing just two of their last 16 games in all competitions whilst recording seven straight wins on the bounce.
Matty Cash opened the scoring with a thunderous back-post finish, capitalising on Eberechi Eze’s defensive lapse to arrow the ball through David Raya’s legs.
Villa thoroughly dominated the opening period, with Ollie Watkins spurning an excellent early opportunity before Cash’s breakthrough rewarded their superiority.
Aston Villa could launch attack to sign £44m striker who's outscoring Watkins
The Villans are looking to bring in a new centre-forward.
ByDominic Lund 4 days ago
Arsenal responded seven minutes after the interval through substitute Leandro Trossard, who converted from close range following Emiliano Martínez’s parried save from Bukayo Saka’s cross.
The Belgian’s equaliser marked his 50th Premier League goal, becoming only the fifth Belgian to reach that milestone.
Both goalkeepers produced exceptional saves to maintain the stalemate, with Martinez spectacularly denying Martin Odegaard’s 20-yard drive whilst Raya repeatedly frustrated Villa’s attacking threats.
The contest appeared destined for a draw until Buendia’s late intervention sparked wild celebrations amongst the Villa faithful.
It was a day to remember for the Villans, with Youri Tielemans also putting in a Player of the Match display against Arsenal after dominating midfield.
With Emery’s side now tipped to challenge the likes of Arsenal and City for top spot, January could prove pivotal after an underwhelming summer window blighted by a lack of spending and PSR concerns.
Taking that into account, Emery has truly worked wonders to guide Villa to this position after their slow start to 25/26, where it even took four Premier League matches to finally score their first goal of the season.
Fabrizio Romano shares exciting January transfer update out of Aston Villa
That lowly run of form and uninspired summer feels like a lifetime ago now, but it is still up to NSWE to provide Emery with the needed support to maintain their lofty status.
Speaking to GiveMeSport, the ever-reliable Romano has some very encouraging news in that regard.
He reports that Villa chiefs are set to back Emery in the January transfer market, and work has already begun behind-the-scenes.
Villa ended last summer as the Premier League’s lowest spenders, investing just £28 million into new additions, but that simply has to change if Emery’s side are serious about competing for major trophies.
In terms of their rumoured targets, it is believed that a striker is on the agenda, with Villa reportedly targeting Man United forward Joshua Zirkzee among other names.
كشف ممدح الساعاتي، وكيل أعمال اللاعبين، حقيقة وجود اهتمام ومفاوضات من النادي الأهلي مع اللاعب السوري بابلو الصباغ، المحترف في صفوف سوون الكوري الجنوبي.
بابلو الصباغ يلعب في نادي سوون الكوري الجنوبي منذ يناير الماضي معارًا من نادي لاكويداد الكولومبي حتى نهاية ديسمبر 2025.
وقال الساعاتي خلال تصريحات عبر قناة “أون سبورت” لبرنامج “ملعب أون”: “أنا على علم بقصة بابلو الصباغ من أولها لأخرها منذ شهر أكتوبر الماضي وأرسلته للأهلي، هو لاعب حر، كنا نسوقه كلاعب حر، وفجأة وجدته يبلغني أنه سيوقع مع نادي كوري لتقاضي نصف العقد”.
وأضاف: “ما وصلني من النادي الكوري أن الأهلي قدم عرضًا لضم اللاعب”.
وتابع: “اللاعب يطلب مليون دولار سنويًا، النادي الكوري قال إن اللاعب إذا كان سيباع في كوريا، سيكون بمقابل مليون و750 ألف دولار، أما خارج كوريا فسعره مليوني دولار”.
طالع.. فيديو | أسيست علي معلول.. محمد بن رمضان يسجل هدف تونس الأول أمام قطر
وأكمل: “وصلنا مع النادي الكوري لمليون ونصف المليون دولار وأرسلنا لسيد عبد الحفيظ ومحمود الخطيب، أن يكون المبلغ بالتقسيط على دفعتين، ولا أعرف ما الذي وصلا له، لأن الأهلي يتواصل مع النادي الكوري مباشرة وليس من خلالي”.
وأتم: “الصباغ إذا انضم للأهلي لن ياخذ مكانًا في القائمة، سيقيد كلاعب أجنبي كفلسطيني أو سوري ومعه الجنسية الكولومبية”.
Shohei Ohtani continued his convincing campaign for a second straight National League MVP award by hitting his 54th home run of the season in style against the Diamondbacks on Thursday.
In the top of the fourth inning with one on and one out, Ohtani belted a 1-1 changeup deep into right center and straight into the pool beyond the outfield wall at Chase Field. It was the Arizona equivalent of a splash home run, and Ohtani's 54th of the season, tying his own 2024 record for the most long balls in a single season in Dodgers history.
But the homer also led to something unlikely: Ohtani received MVP chants in Arizona.
Admittedly, a lot of those chants are coming from Dodgers fans who made the trip to Arizona in the hopes of seeing Los Angeles clinch the NL West title, which they can do with a win over the Diamondbacks. But it's still impressive to hear MVP chants on the road for a visiting player, regardless of the circumstances.
Ohtani leads the NL in OPS, ranks second in home runs and has racked up 62 strikeouts in 47 innings pitched, recording a sparkling 2.87 ERA in his return to the mound in 2025. Ohtani, along with Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber, is among the favorites to take home the NL MVP. Should he go on to win it, Ohtani will have been an MVP in four of the past five seasons between his time with the Dodgers and Angels.
After being put into administration last week, Sheffield Wednesday have reportedly received first contacts from American billionaire John McEvoy.
Despite all the consequences that come with being put into administration, including a 12-point deduction, the mood has been relatively positive around Sheffield Wednesday. The era of Dejphon Chansiri has finally come to an end and fans flocked to the club shop in support of their side when the news emerged.
The future is finally looking up even if it does immediately start in League One next season and a number of potential owners have already emerged.
Kris Wigfield, joint administrator with insolvency firm Begbies Traynor provided an update about the Owls’ takeover on BBC Five Live’s Wake Up to Money programme.
Among those in the running to buy the club is McEvoy. According to The Telegraph, the American billionaire has asked questions about the club and is one of the early candidates that could yet complete a takeover.
Whilst everything is still at a very early stage, McEvoy is someone to keep an eye on. The interested candidate has made investments in baseball, ice-hockey and music in an impressive portfolio. Now, he could be on his way to Hillsborough.
Who is Sheffield Wednesday candidate John McEvoy?
So, who is McEvoy? Most will know him for his minority stakes in NHL side Nashville Predators and MLB side Colorado Rockies, but any music fans will also be well aware of Various Artists – a talent agency which manages the likes of Mel C and Tom Grennan.
Interestingly enough, that same talent agency manages Reverend and the Makers, who are fronted by famous Sheffield Wednesday fan John McClure – someone that McEvoy has reportedly already spoken to about buying the club.
Sheffield Wednesday administrator reveals "four or five" buyers and "criteria" they must meet
The Owls are rooted to the bottom of the Championship.
ByBen Goodwin Oct 27, 2025
This is also not the first time that the American has shown an interest in English football. In 2022, reports claimed that he was considering a bid for Coventry City and even attended a game before a takeover failed to materialise.
McEvoy made a large share of his billions from founding a San Diego-based mobile device distribution company and could now use those billions to welcome Sheffield Wednesday into a new era.
On paper, he ticks the box for experience in the world of sports investment and the credentials to avoid the same problems that Chansiri handed the Owls.
John Textor makes contact with Sheffield Wednesday
The Milwaukee Brewers are placing closer Trevor Megill on the 15-day injured list with a flexor strain in his right throwing arm, according to a report from ESPN's Jeff Passan.
The September injury to Megill is a critical blow to Milwaukee's bullpen, just weeks away from the start of the postseason.
The good news for the Brewers is that it is a low-grade strain for Megill, but it will take him some time to get back to full health, putting his availability—especially early in the postseason—in question.
Megill is 5-3 with a 2.54 ERA and 30 saves in 49 relief appearances this season for Milwaukee. He was named to his first All-Star team last month.
The Brewers hold the best record in baseball at 83-50 entering Wednesday's action and hold a 6.5-game lead in the NL Central over the Chicago Cubs.
Durham 322 for 7 (Bedingham 93, Raine 87*, Rhodes 50) vs Yorkshire South Africa Test batter David Bedingham hit a season’s best 93 off 195 balls to steer an impressive Durham recovery from early strife against fellow relegation candidates Yorkshire on day one of the final-round Rothesay County Championship clash at Headingley.Durham, having elected to bat, slipped to seven for two inside five overs, bringing Bedingham in. He determinedly batted through until late evening and shared in a series of crucial partnerships, chiefly 101 for the fourth wicket either side of lunch with Will Rhodes, 50.The second-bottom visitors closed on 322 for seven from 96 overs. They will be delighted with the outcome, especially considering Ben Raine’s counter-attacking 87 not out off 85 late in the day. His was also a season’s best score.Yorkshire came into this fixture seventh in the table on 146 points, Durham ninth on 140. Sandwiched in between, Hampshire on 142.The White Rose need 10 points to assure survival – they have gained two today – while it is looking likely that Durham will have to win to stay up after Hampshire started strongly at home to Surrey.Just before play, a minute’s applause in memory of the late Dickie Bird was observed.England Test captain Ben Stokes, here working on his fitness following a shoulder injury, paid his respects from the Dickie Bird Players’ Balcony alongside fellow international Brydon Carse. Both then bowled at lunch.Yorkshire made a start their former president Bird would have been proud of, reducing Durham, who elected to bat, to that aforementioned seven for two as new-ball seamers Matt Milnes and Jack White struck on a lovely late summer’s morning.Alex Lees and opening partner Emilio Gay were caught at third slip by Fin Bean, the former defending at one he could have left alone and the latter driving at one he also needn’t have gone after.Ben McKinney and Bedingham tried to steady through a 44-run stand. But George Hill broke their alliance when McKinney was caught behind pushing forwards – 51 for three in the 20th over.A couple of catches went down at first slip, including Rhodes on 17 shortly after lunch.But, by and large – against an attack who kept things tight – Bedingham and Rhodes turned the tide very impressively.During the heart of the afternoon, both reached their fifties. Bedingham’s came first off 105 balls before Rhodes got there off 96. By that stage, the visitors were in a much healthier state at 152 for three after 50 overs.However, trouble was just around the corner as Rhodes miscued the off-spin of Dom Bess to midwicket in the next over and Ollie Robinson offered no stroke to Hill in the 54th and was bowled – 155 for five.Bedingham’s contribution was clearly key to keeping Durham afloat and was a far cry from his regular aggression, surviving as Yorkshire chipped away at the wickets on what looks to be a placid, hybrid pitch.The 31-year-old is playing only his sixth Championship match of the summer, owing much to Test commitments.This, his sixth season at Durham, could yet be his last given no deal has been finalised for next season and beyond.Bedingham, particularly strong on the back foot, also added 48 for the sixth wicket with Graham Clark, who was trapped lbw for 27 playing to leg in the early stages the evening, leaving the score at 203 for six in the 72nd over.Raine hoisted Bess for a couple of sixes, the first drilled over long-off and the second slog-swept over midwicket.He shared 42 with Bedingham, who fell to a beauty of a catch from Hill running back from first slip towards third-man following a top-edged pull against White.That left Durham at 245 for seven in the 83rd over.Raine reached his fifty off 58 balls inside the day’s final 10 overs and cleared the ropes twice more amidst an unbroken 77-run stand with Matthew Potts, 23.