Australia allrounder Neser joins for County Championship stint, while Lehmann agrees two-year deal as local player

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Dec-2025

Hampshire have announced the signings of Australians Michael Neser and Jake Lehmann. Neser, who claimed his maiden Test five-for against England at the Gabba last week, will join for the first six rounds of the County Championship in April-May, while Lehmann has agreed a two-year contract as a locally registered player using his UK passport.Neser, 35, had a previous stint with Hampshire in 2024, playing seven games in the Blast alongside one Championship appearance. He has also enjoyed success with Glamorgan, taking 80 first-class wickets at 23.00, as well as recording his highest score of 176 not out.Lehmann, 33, the son of former Australia batter and coach, Darren, has never been capped but is a steady performer for South Australia in the Sheffield Shield. He was the competition’s third-highest run-scorer as South Australia won the 2024-25 Shield, with 750 at 44.11, and is currently leading the way for his state in the current season down under.Related

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Hampshire will be his third county, having played for Yorkshire (in 2016) and Lancashire (2019).”I’m excited to join Hampshire on a two-year deal, it’s great to return to county cricket,” Lehmann said. “Hampshire has a fantastic history of Australian players and to follow in the footsteps of Shane Warne, Matthew Hayden and the like is really special.”I look forward to joining up with the team at Utilita Bowl and hopefully contributing to the trophy cabinet.”Although Lehmann is likely to have to give up his status as a domestic player in Australia to qualify as a local in county cricket, states are allowed to play one overseas player in a Shield XI.Hampshire narrowly avoided relegation on the final day of the 2025 County Championship, thanks to Durham’s defeat to Yorkshire. They will go into the new season with Russell Domingo as head coach, with the South African taking over from long-serving Adi Birrell.Giles White, Hampshire’s director of cricket, said: “In Michael Neser and Jake Lehmann, we have two players who have the ability to make a significant impact. Michael brings valuable runs alongside his quality with the ball – he will partner Kyle Abbott as one of our overseas players.”Jake is in outstanding form and is the leading run scorer in Shield cricket over the past 18 months. With a British passport, he is eligible to play as a locally qualified player, allowing flex in strengthening the squad.”Both players possess a great attitude and bring quality and experience; it’s a big boost as we look to finalise our plans ahead of 2026.”Gloucestershire bring in Australia A allrounder ScottLiam Scott celebrates his maiden Shield century•Getty Images

Another Australian heading to the UK in 2026 is allrounder Liam Scott, who has signed to play for Gloucestershire in the T20 Blast. Scott, 25, will also be available for two rounds of the County Championship in June.Scott was a team-mate of Lehmann’s in the South Australia side that won the 2024-25 Sheffield Shield. He has also played for Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash, and been capped for Australia A. Last week, he scored his maiden first-class hundred, an innings of 147 off 171 balls that helped set up a ten-wicket win.Jon Lewis, Gloucestershire’s director of cricket, said: “Liam is an exciting young allrounder from South Australia who plays for the Strikers in the Big Bash. He’s a cricketer whose stock is on the rise and is highly regarded across Australia. We’ve done extensive research into the best young allrounders available, and adding a third overseas player with a different skillset will help balance our T20 squad throughout the tournament.”We’re really excited to welcome him over. We’ve heard so many positive things and look forward to seeing him join the group.”Liam will also be available for two County Championship matches at the height of the summer. We’ve had a number of impressive Australian allrounders with the club in recent years, and we’re confident Liam has the ability to be the next big overseas star for Gloucestershire.”

In one of the most high-profile releases in IPL history, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have decided to let go of their star allrounder Andre Russell ahead of the auction for IPL 2026.Russell has been a constant for the franchise since IPL 2014 and was among five players retained by the franchise ahead of the 2025 mega auction. Though Russell had cost KKR INR 12 crore, releasing him has given the franchise an additional INR 18 crore for the auction, since he was Player 1 in KKR’s list of retainees last year, worth INR 18 crore, and that amount gets credited to the team’s purse now.A bona fide T20 great, Russell is also an IPL GOAT. Only two players in IPL history have scored over 2000 runs and picked 100 wickets. One of them – Russell – has been released, and the other – Ravindra Jadeja – has been traded, making the 2026 retention window among the most headline-making ones.Related

• CSK to release Matheesha Pathirana

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• Faf du Plessis, Jake Fraser-McGurk on Delhi Capitals' release list

• RR trade Samson to CSK for Jadeja and Curran

While the development will surprise many, including KKR fans, the franchise had deliberated releasing Russell ahead of the 2025 mega auction before deciding to stall that call. Russell, who is 37, had retired from international cricket in July, having only played the T20 format after the 2019 World Cup.Russell, who was the Player of the Tournament in IPL 2019, was part of the KKR’s title-winning teams in 2014 and 2024. Russell also won 16 Player-of-the-Match awards at KKR and is only behind the other KKR great Sunil Narine. A powerful batter who is known to take bowlers apart, especially in death overs, Russell has hit the joint-seventh most sixes (223) in the IPL.It is understood that more than one franchise sought out Russell in trade. KKR, though, will have the biggest purse, INR 64.30 crore, at the auction and could look to even buy him back. The teams will also pay attention to Russell’s form in the 2025 season. With the bat in ten innings, Russell hit 167 runs at a strike rate of 163.72, including a 50. His bowling numbers, though, were under par: eight wickets in nine innings at an average of 27.12 and an economy of 11.94.

Mohammed Shami, Mayank Markande, Nitish Rana, Donovan Ferreira and Arjun Tendulkar will also play for new teams in IPL 2026

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Nov-2025Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have finalised the player trade that will see Sanju Samson headed to CSK in exchange for allrounders Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran, the IPL confirmed on Saturday morning.It is one of the most high-profile player trades in IPL history. Samson, who led RR from 2021 until the previous season, had been retained for INR 18 crore ahead of IPL 2025. CSK had also retained Jadeja for the same amount, while they had acquired Curran in the auction for INR 2.4 crore. Samson will go to CSK for the same fee, but Jadeja’s fee has been revised to INR 14 crore. Curran’s fee remains the same.”Rajasthan Royals gave me my first platform and my first taste of victory,” Jadeja said in a RR statement. “Coming back feels special – it’s not just a team for me, it’s home. Rajasthan Royals is where I won my first IPL, and I hope to win more with this current group of players.”Samson spent 11 years at RR, but had indicated after IPL 2025 that he was looking for a change and wanted to be released by RR.For Jadeja, it is a return to the franchise with whom he started his IPL career, in the inaugural season in 2008. Jadeja had been with CSK since 2012 barring the 2016 and 2017 seasons when the franchise was suspended, and was even appointed captain in 2022 but handed the captaincy back to MS Dhoni after a poor start to the season.For Curran, it will be a third IPL franchise, having shuttled between CSK and Punjab Kings between 2019 and 2025.”Jadeja coming back to the Royals is incredibly special for all of us. He understands the franchise and the fans, having been part of RR’s IPL-winning campaign,” Kumar Sangakkara, RR’s director of cricket, said. “Over the years he has grown into a player who can influence the game in every department. His experience, composure, and competitive edge will add immense value to our group.”Sam brings a different but equally important dimension. He’s fearless, adaptable, and thrives in pressure situations with both bat and ball. Together, Jadeja and Sam give us balance, leadership, and the kind of match-winning depth we want as we build for the future.”Letting go of Jadeja and Curran was done after consultations with the players, CSK managing director Kasi Viswanathan said. “The decision was taken with mutual understanding with both Jadeja and Curran. We are deeply grateful for Jadeja’s extraordinary contributions and the legacy he leaves behind. We wish both Jadeja and Curran the best for the future. We also welcome Sanju Samson, whose skill-set and achievements complement our ambitions. This decision has been made with great thought, respect, and a long-term vision.”Nitish Rana will now turn out for Delhi Capitals•BCCIShami, Nitish Rana, Ferreira, Tendulkar tradedAs reported by ESPNcricinfo on Friday, Mohammed Shami will turn out for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in IPL 2026 after being traded by Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). Shami, the second-most expensive acquisition for SRH ahead of the IPL 2025 season at INR 10 crore, will move to LSG at his existing fee.Some of the other updates on the day were those involving Mayank Markande, Arjun Tendulkar, Nitish Rana and Donovan Ferreira.Rana, who has featured in over 100 IPL games and has even led Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), moves from RR to Delhi Capitals (DC), and will continue at his existing fee of INR 4.2 crore.For Markande, it’s a return home of sorts, as he returns to his original team Mumbai Indians (MI) from KKR. He will also be at his existing fee of INR 30 lakh.Ferreira, the South African allrounder, returns to his first team, RR, after being traded out by DC, that too with a salary hike. His fee has been revised from INR 75 lakh to INR 1 crore.Tendulkar, meanwhile, travels from MI to LSG at his existing fee of INR 30 lakh.

First Ruben Amorim came for Marcus Rashford but Manchester United fans did not speak out because they had also questioned his commitment and performances. Then he came for Alejandro Garnacho and still they did not speak out as the winger’s attitude had become unbearable. But then he came for Kobbie Mainoo and there was total uproar, enough to finally push the patient supporters over the edge.

In Amorim's very first interview as Manchester United manager with the club's website, he said the most important thing was not to get his players to adapt to his new formation but to go back to the basics of what it meant to play for the Red Devils.

"The most important thing is the feeling of belonging of the club. And we have history in that department," Amorim said after his first week working at Carrington.

"I think it's important because a lot of people now talk about the 3-4-3 and the 4-3-3 and all that stuff. But when I think as a player or as a team-mate of Manchester United, it is not a system or formation, it's like the character of the players, the way they see the club. The most important thing for me at this moment is to create the principles, the identity and the character that we had in the past."

Ask any United fan what the club's identity is and two themes will come up: bold, attacking football and young players, particularly homegrown young players. Amorim has given little priority to either principle.

While United fans have been remarkably patient with the coach that presided over their worst campaign in 51 years, continuing to sing that the Portuguese will "turn the Reds around" at matches, his sparse use of Mainoo, who is the only academy graduate in the squad with a first-team appearance to his name, is severely testing their faith…

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  Twelve minutes per game

  United’s fans’ feelings towards Mainoo could be seen in the rapturous applause he got when he came off the bench against Wolves on Monday. But the timing of his arrival said all about his lack of importance in the team. It was the 78th minute and United were already 3-1 up against the worst team in the league, perhaps in Premier League history. 

  It was hard not to think back to when Mainoo appeared at Molineux for the first time little more than two years ago, playing the whole game and scoring a last-gasp winner with a jinking run and low curled finish right into the bottom corner. There was tangible excitement about Mainoo then after scoring his first Premier League goal against Wolves, which he followed with a stunning curler against Liverpool and then finished off an incredible team goal which proved to be the winner in the FA Cup final against Manchester City. 

  His rapid ascension into the England team to play six games at Euro 2024 seemed to cement his rise but his career is now at a crossroads as he is still waiting for his first Premier League start of the season. The most he has played was 45 minutes against Burnley in August when Mason Mount got injured. He is averaging 12 minutes per Premier League game.

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• No laughing matter

  Amorim started Mainoo in eight of his first 13 Premier League games, mostly in the double midfield pivot alongside Manuel Ugarte. The most eye-brow-raising moment was when he started him as a false nine against Crystal Palace, a game United lost 2-0. He then suffered an injury in training which kept him out for two months and when he returned Casemiro had re-established his place in the midfield two, with Mainoo only starting when Amorim wanted to rest players for the Europa League knockout rounds. 

  Mainoo’s brilliant goal against Lyon kept United in the competition but he was not rewarded with a bigger role and in the final against Tottenham he was brought on in added time. But it was still a surprise to see him not start any of the team’s first three Premier League games and his continued absence from the line-up four months into the season has led to Amorim, understandably, being frequently asked why he has used Mainoo so little. 

  And when Mainoo’s name was mentioned in a press conference in the aftermath of the limp 1-1 draw at home to West Ham, Amorim let out a snigger, stunning journalists in the room and angering many fans watching online. To the coach, it would seem, Mainoo had become something of a joke.

  "I understand what you are saying – you love Kobbie, he started for England," he said. "But that doesn't mean that I need to put Kobbie [in] when I feel that I shouldn't put Kobbie [in], so it's my decision. I just want to win, I don't look who it is, I don't care about that, I'm just trying to put the best players on the pitch."

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  Academy culture war

  Amorim, though, was missing a crucial point: it does matter that Mainoo is the only academy player left and he is barely part of the team any more. It led to heated conversation between the coach and BBC journalist Simon Stone, who suggested Amorim did not “trust” players from the academy. "Why?" was the coach’s tetchy response, only to be told "because you never pick any players from it". To sum up the dire situation, Amorim mentioned Mainoo as one academy player he does pick.

  Mainoo’s lack of playing time has partly led to a large focus falling on Shea Lacey, the 18-year-old from Liverpool who has been named in the squad for the last four matches.

  The mention of Lacey led to more incredulity from Amorim, who reasonably explained that Amad Diallo and Bryan Mbeumo were more reliable options than the untested teenager. United fans are not really up in arms about Lacey’s lack of minutes. It is the absence of Mainoo, who started a European Championship final and scored in an FA Cup final, and who many believe could make his stop-start team better, that people find hard to understand.

  And for all Amorim talks about wanting to win, his team are not doing it regularly enough.

  In the coach’s defence, he has far fewer games in which to give opportunities to young players than last season, when Chido Obi, Toby Collyer, Tyler Fredricson and Harry Amass all got their chances. Mainoo, though, had already proven himself but is a victim of Amorim’s rigid system and his insistence on playing two midfielders. It means that he is directly competing with Bruno Fernandes, who just happens to be United’s most important player and someone who never gets injured.

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  'Got to get out of there'

  Amorim has been unable to give any assurances that Mainoo will play more when Mbeumo and Amad head to the AFCON. And while an obvious solution is to play Fernandes further forward to replace Mbeumo in attacking midfield and bring Mainoo back in, it is more likely that Mason Mount will get a greater run in the team and the 20-year-old will stay in the shadows.

  For Mainoo to get his career going again, seeking a loan move in January is obligatory. The fact that he does not want to leave permanently, or at least not yet, shows that he is still committed to the club and does not want to jump ship, especially with Amorim’s long-term future at the club far from secure. But now prominent former United players are urging him to leave.

  "If I think about it and put myself in Kobbie Mainoo’s shoes I’m out of there, I’ve got to," said Rio Ferdinand on his Youtube channel. "He has just wasted 18 months of his career now at Manchester United. He’s probably been there six months longer than he should’ve been. He should’ve just gone and I think his agent and more importantly his family around him have to protect him."

England's World Cup 2026 kick-off times and venues have been finally confirmed as Thomas Tuchel's Three Lions are set to face Croatia, Panama and Ghana in the group stage next summer. England learned their opponents during the 2026 World Cup draw in Washington, DC, on Friday evening. The European Championship runners-up side will play their three group games in three different cities.

England learn World Cup match venues and kick-off times

A day after England learned that they are clubbed in Group L alongside Croatia, Panama and Ghana, the Three Lions have been informed about their match venues and kick-off times. Thomas Tuchel's side will endure a complicated commute as they are set to play their first match against Croatia at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Dallas on June 17.

Their next match will be six days later against Ghana at the Gillette Stadium in Foxborough and their final match will be held at New York's MetLife Stadium on June 27 against Panama. 

The fans, who will watch the matches from back home in the UK, will have to tune in at 9 pm for the first two matches, while the final Panama clash will kick off at 10 pm. 

AdvertisementGettyTuchel shares opinion on England's draw

Speaking about his team's 2026 World Cup draw, Tuchel claimed that it was a tricky one as he told reporters: "We have Croatia and Ghana, two regulars in World Cups, and we have Panama. I don’t know much about Panama, but we will know everything about them when the tournament starts. For me personally, even in the Champions League, you have to focus on the group – the group is always the most difficult, and we want to escape, and we want to win the group. It’s a tough one.

"No one should be underestimated. Of course, Croatia is the standout name [and] the highest-ranked team from Pot 2 that we got into our group. It’s a difficult opener against Croatia. We take it from here." 

The German coach added: "Ghana is always full of talent and can always surprise, and has a big history in World Cup football," he said. "Also, Panama will try to make the most of the underdog role. No one can be underestimated – everyone deserves the fullest respect, and we will show that."

Tuchel's dig at World Cup draw

The Three Lions boss did not appreciate the long draw ceremony which dragged on for a long time. Before the actual draw, the United States President Donald Trump received the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize, with FIFA president Gianni Infantino designating it for a person who has "taken exceptional and extraordinary actions for peace" and "united people across the world". Trump was given a large gold trophy, a medal, and a certificate, while Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand was also heavily involved in the draw. 

Going by the England boss' comments, he didn't appear to be a fan of the whole affair. He told : "I do not, not like it but we could have done it like, without all of this. I don't need it. But of course, it's a huge stage and it's big entertainment. I was very well aware that it's not about the deep insight of football today."

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Getty Images SportWhich team did Tuchel prefer as possible group opponent?

Further sharing his thoughts on the draw and the opponents England will face, Tuchel added: "I had no preference because why would I worry? I cannot influence. The legends took the draw and this is what we get and what we have to deal with now. We know now our opponents, we know we will start late in the tournament if players are involved in European finals, hopefully. We didn't desire anything we just handled the situation as it is. You get a little more days before and then you get a condensed schedule later in the tournament. Everything comes with in upside and downside."

Over a month after Rafael Devers was traded from the Red Sox to the Giants—in part because he was unwilling to step in at first base—he will now make his debut at first for San Francisco, per Shayna Rubin of .

Before Devers was surprisingly traded to the Giants this season, he was a long-time third baseman for the Red Sox. His position was challenged during spring training when the Red Sox signed Alex Bregman and decided to play him at third base instead. This upset Devers, but he eventually agreed to serve as the team's designated hitter before Opening Day.

In May, Devers was asked to play first base following an injury to first baseman Triston Casas, but Devers refused. When Devers got traded to the Giants a month later, he notably said he was willing to play whatever position the team asked of him. Now, Devers will officially try out first base in Tuesday's game against the Atlanta Braves.

Devers did explain last month after the trade that he did not want to play first base for the Red Sox because he felt he had earned respect for his play with the team, and the request was made in the middle of the season. He maintains that if Boston asked during spring training, he would have been willing to play first base.

"I would say that I had some good numbers over at Boston, and I think that I do feel that I have earned some respect," Devers said in June. "If they would had asked me at the beginning of spring training, yes I would have."

When Devers arrived in San Francisco, the Giants brass spoke to him at the beginning about playing first base. They also did not rush him, and gave him over a month to learn the position and be the team's designated hitter in the meantime. That transparency and time to prepare appear to have been key for Devers now being open to playing first base for the Giants.

فجرت تقارير صحفية مفاجأة حول ريال مدريد بعد خسارته المفاجئة أمام سيلتا فيجو بهدفين نظيفين على ملعب سانتياجو برنابيو في الدوري الاسباني لكرة القدم.

ونجح سيلتا فيجو أن يحقق فوزه في مباراة اليوم بواسطة فيليوت سفيدبيرج الذي أحرز ثنائية في الدقائق 54 و 93 من الوقت بدل الضائع من أحداث الشوط الثاني.

وتتردد الكثير من التكهنات حول المدرب السابق لريال مدريد والأسطورة الفرنسية زين الدين زيدان أنه قد يعود لتولي مسؤولية الفريق خلفاً للمدرب الحالي تشابي ألونسو.

أقرأ أيضاً.. انتكاسة قوية لنجم ريال مدريد بعد إصابته أمام سيلتا فيجو

ووفقاً للصحفي “بيبي ألفاريز”، فإن ريال مدريد سيسمح للأسطورة الفرنسية زين الدين زيدان بالجمع بين دوره المرتقب في تدريب منتخب فرنسا وكذلك الفريق الملكي، حيث سيمنحه صلاحيات كاملة.

وكانت تقارير صحفية إسبانية قد أكدت الشهر الماضي أن زين الدين زيدان يستعد للعودة للتدريب بعد نهائيات كأس العالم 2026 لتحقيق حلمه وقيادة منتخب فرنسا والذي حقق معه كأس العالم 1998.

ويحتل ريال مدريد وصافة جدول ترتيب الدوري الاسباني ب36 نقطة، خلف برشلونة صاحب المركز الأول ب40 نقطة.