Saudi Arabia impress with the bat in Quadrangular series but lose out to brilliance of Virandeep Singh

Saudi Arabia’s senior men’s cricket team have had a busy three days in the Malaysia Quadrangular Series in Kuala Lumpur. (X/@cricketsaudi)
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Updated 26 April 2025
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Saudi Arabia impress with the bat in Quadrangular series but lose out to brilliance of Virandeep Singh

  • Openers Abdul Waheed and Faisal Khan, who have each struck a T20I century for Saudi Arabia, gave the team a flying start against Singapore

KUALA LUMPUR: Saudi Arabia’s senior men’s cricket team have had a busy three days in the Malaysia Quadrangular Series in Kuala Lumpur. They comfortably beat Thailand and Singapore before being involved in a gripping contest against Malaysia, the highest ranked team in the tournament.

The Saudi batting did not quite fire in the first match against Thailand but the lower order kept going strongly so that they reached a total of 156. This was far too much for Thailand, who were bowled out for 90 as Hisham Shaikh took four for 15 and Zain Ul-Abidin three for 13, seven wickets falling for only 20 runs.

Openers Abdul Waheed and Faisal Khan, who have each struck a T20I century for Saudi Arabia, gave the team a flying start against Singapore. Each batter hit three sixes and shared an exhilarating opening partnership of 98 in just 8.3 overs. Waheed made 55 in 34 balls and Faisal 62 from 28 balls in a brutal display of boundary hitting.

The innings tailed off to 178 for eight in 20 overs but Singapore soon collapsed to 33 for eight. Usman Khalid claimed three for 13 and Saudi Arabia won by 96 runs. Malaysia had also won their opening two matches by convincing margins so Saturday’s contest between two unbeaten teams was eagerly anticipated. It did not disappoint in any way.

Saudi Arabia were again given a flying start by their two powerful openers as Abdul Waheed and Faisal Khan shared a stand of 84 in 7.3 overs. After the latter was dismissed for 48 from 25 balls, Waheed went on to reach 82 from 52 balls. A total of 182 for seven did not quite make the most of the electric start, though it set up a competitive chase.

Ghayour Ahmed’s first over in international cricket went for 21 runs, Malaysia rushing to 65 for one after the first six overs. The run-rate was checked in the middle overs, captain Waji Ul-Hassan claiming two wickets to keep Saudi Arabia just ahead. Batter number three, Virandeep Singh, is a quality batsman and he paced his innings to perfection.

Thirty runs were still needed from the last two overs. Aided by a no ball, which he hit for six over mid-wicket, Singh scored all the necessary runs and Malaysia gained victory by five wickets with a ball to spare.

Saudi Arabia had largely been beaten by one man as Virandeep Singh had earlier taken four for 26 to keep the Saudi total under 200. His final 30-run flourish with the bat took him to an unbeaten 93 from 57 balls, containing eight fours and four sixes.

Now, there will be a second round of matches, so Saudi Arabia will face Malaysia in one more league match. On current form, they look likely to meet again in the final, so everybody following this series should be in for a cricketing treat in the coming days.


Reed, 4Aces enter final round on top of leaderboard at LIV Golf Dallas

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Reed, 4Aces enter final round on top of leaderboard at LIV Golf Dallas

  • On a challenging Maridoe Golf Club course, Reed moved to 9 under and takes a three-shot lead after two rounds

CARROLLTON, Texas, US: Since joining LIV Golf, Patrick Reed has 11 top-5 finishes, including five podium results. He has also celebrated seven team victories with his 4Aces GC, including the inaugural 2022 Team Championship, and has twice finished inside the top six in the season-long points race.

But he has yet to win an individual LIV Golf title in his first 41 regular season starts, making him arguably the best league player without a win. And he has yet to win a professional tournament in his home state of Texas, where he was born and still lives.

Now he is 18 holes away from changing both narratives on Sunday at LIV Golf Dallas presented by Aramco.

Thanks to a solid 4-under 68 on a challenging Maridoe Golf Club course, Reed moved to 9 under and will take a 3-shot lead entering the final round. This is his first 36-hole lead since joining LIV Golf for the league’s first US event in Portland in 2022.

“To get my first LIV victory as well as doing it in my home state would mean a lot,” said the Houston resident, who was born in San Antonio. “But really, at the end of the day, instead of trying to focus on what happens on the 54th hole, it’s stay in the moment. Stay in the present.”

His 4Aces team also hope to stay in the present as they seek a first victory since the 2023 tournament in London. The club, captained by Dustin Johnson, has a four-shot lead over Jon Rahm’s Legion XIII and Bryson DeChambeau’s Crushers GC, who have won the previous two LIV Golf team titles. No other team is within 13 shots of the lead.

Reed, meanwhile, has plenty of pursuers, many of whom — like Reed himself — are hungry to win their first individual LIV Golf title.

The Crushers’ Paul Casey shot a 5-under 67 and is tied for second at 6 under with Fireballs GC’s Abraham Ancer, who shot a second consecutive 69. In a four-way tie for fifth at 5 under are Cleeks GC’s Richard Bland, Fireballs’ David Puig, 4Aces’ Harold Varner III and Legion XIII’s Tyrrell Hatton, who produced the low round of the day with a 65. His captain Jon Rahm is alone in eighth at 4 under.

Four of the top seven players have yet to win an LIV Golf tournament — Reed, Casey, Bland and Puig. And Puig is the only player who ranks inside the top 20 in driving distance average this season. Maridoe, despite its 7,533-yard layout, is rewarding the shot-makers this week in the Texas heat.

“If you’re not in the fairway, you’re going to struggle,” Ancer said. “You’re going to make big numbers. Bogeys come really, really quickly, even if you’re in the fairway.”

Ancer should know. He had a rollercoaster round that included seven birdies — including four in a row on his first nine — along with four bogeys and one up-and-down par after an approach shot bounced off the flagstick and rolled off the green at the eighth hole. “I felt like I stayed in it mentally really well,” said the San Antonio resident.

Casey’s round had less drama and ended on a high note with three consecutive birdies. Hatton’s round, on the flip side, started with three straight birdies.

Reed also produced three consecutive birdies and was among the steadiest of performers, hitting 78 percent of his greens in regulation. His challenge on Sunday will be to stay focused on the task at hand.

“The golf game feels pretty solid,” Reed said. “Everything seems to be tight and where I want it to be. The biggest thing is going out there and not trying to press, not trying to force anything and really just go out and try to win the day as if it’s a Monday qualifier.”

And his chasers?

“Looking like the way he’s playing, he’s not going to go backwards,” Bland said. “We’ve got to go get him.”

Team scores

LIV Golf’s new scoring format this season means all four scores count in every round in the team competition. Here are the results and scores for each team after Saturday’s second round of LIV Golf Dallas presented by Aramco.

 4ACES GC -12 (Reed 68, Pieters 71, Varner 72, Johnson 74; Rd. 2 score: -3) T2. LEGION XIII -8 (Hatton 65, McKibbin 71, Rahm 72, Surratt 72; Rd. 2 score: -8)

 T2. CRUSHERS GC -8 (Casey 67, Howell III 71, DeChambeau 72, Lahiri 73; Rd. 2 score: -5)

 T4. STINGER GC +2 (Burmester 71, Grace 71, Oosthuizen 71, Schwartzel 74; Rd. 2 score: -1)

 T4. FIREBALLS GC +2 (Ancer 69, Puig 69, Garcia 74, Ballester 76; Rd. 2 score: E)

 CLEEKS GC +7 (Bland 69, Rottluff 70, Meronk 72, Kaymer 74; Rd. 2 score: -3) TORQUE GC +14 (Niemann 66, Munoz 70, Ortiz 70, Pereira 79; Rd. 2 score: -3) T8. RIPPER GC +15 (Leishman 70, Herbert 71, Smith 71, Jones 75; Rd. 2 score: -1)

 T8. HYFLYERS GC +15 (Steele 69, Tringale 73, Mickelson 74, Ogletree 78; Rd. 2 score: +6)

 MAJESTICKS GC +16 (Horsfield 72, Stenson 73, Westwood 75, Poulter 78; Rd. 2 score: +10) RANGEGOATS GC +18 (Campbell 70, Watson 73, Uihlein 75, Schniederjans 78; Rd. 2 score: +8) T12. SMASH GC +22 (Gooch 70, Kokrak 74, McDowell 74, Carrera 77; Rd. 2 score: +7)

 T12. IRON HEADS GC +22 (Kozuma 70, Lee 76, Jang 79, Na 79; Rd. 2 score: +16)

 Wildcards: C. Lee 71, A. Kim 74


Lucky number 3? 76ers bring V.J. Edgecombe to Abu Dhabi as a new era dawns

Updated 29 June 2025
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Lucky number 3? 76ers bring V.J. Edgecombe to Abu Dhabi as a new era dawns

  • The NBA Abu Dhabi Games 2025 host the New York Knicks and the Philadelphia 76ers twice at Etihad Arena on Yas Island

DUBAI: For the Philadelphia 76ers, the No. 3 pick in the NBA Draft has proven to be a lucky number.

It was at No. 3 in 2014 that the Sixers selected Joel Embiid, a decision that reshaped the franchise. Embiid went on to become the face of the team and the NBA’s Most Valuable Player in 2023. More than a decade later, Philadelphia is again looking to strike gold at No. 3 with the selection of V.J. Edgecombe, made during last night’s NBA Draft.

The Sixers are expected to bring the new addition to the international stage in October when they head to Abu Dhabi for two preseason games.

The National Basketball Association and the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi have officially announced that The NBA Abu Dhabi Games 2025 presented by ADQ will feature the New York Knicks and the Philadelphia 76ers. The two teams will meet on Thursday, Oct. 2 and Saturday, Oct. 4 at Etihad Arena on Yas Island.

These games will offer Philadelphia an opportunity to test their revamped lineup and start building chemistry for the upcoming season. More importantly, it is a chance to see if Edgecombe can continue the Sixers’ No. 3 draft tradition of finding franchise-changing talent.

Edgecombe, selected third overall in the 2025 NBA Draft, arrives in Philadelphia with high expectations. Many believed the Sixers would trade out of their draft position, but when top prospects Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper were taken early, and Ace Bailey canceled his workout, Philadelphia stayed put and took the dynamic guard from Baylor.

At just 19 years old, Edgecombe brings elite athleticism, strong defensive instincts, and plenty of long-term potential. He averaged 15 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.2 assists during his freshman season and is known for his explosive finishes at the rim and impact in transition. While his shot creation still needs development, his energy and defensive presence make him a key addition to the Sixers’ backcourt.

Edgecombe also carries deep Bahamian pride.

“It’s crazy because my island is only seven miles long. I don’t think anyone on that island would dream of playing in the NBA, let alone making it. It would just sound so crazy, being able to make it. I’m just truly blessed to be in that position.” he said.

Edgecombe believes he will complement the Sixers’ lineup well.

“I feel like I’ll be able to play off them,” Edgecombe said. “They’re great players. Embiid is the MVP of the league … I just feel like I fit in well with them. And even coach (Nick) Nurse. He’s a defensive-minded coach. And I feel like I play a lot of defense.”

The Abu Dhabi Games will give Philadelphia the chance to test their chemistry and rotations in a high-profile international setting, while giving Edgecombe valuable time to play off the 76ers’ stars and build his defensive presence, as they face the Knicks, who reached the Eastern Conference Finals this year but fell short against the Indiana Pacers in a tough six-game series.

With history on their side and team chemistry still taking shape, the No. 3 pick could again define Philadelphia’s future and push them closer to championship contention.


YouTuber Jake Paul cruises past Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.

Updated 29 June 2025
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YouTuber Jake Paul cruises past Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.

  • YouTuber-turned-boxer dominated from the outset to win by unanimous decision
  • Influencer has earned millions from a string of lucrative contests in his ring career

ANAHEIM, United States: YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul cruised to victory over Mexico’s Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. on Saturday in a one-sided cruiserweight bout in California.

Paul, whose last fight was a controversial clash with 58-year-old former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson in November, dominated from the outset to win by unanimous decision.

The 28-year-old influencer, who has earned millions from a string of lucrative contests in a ring career that has spanned 13 fights, had too much speed and power for Chavez Jr.

The three judges at ringside scored the 10-round fight 99-91, 97-93, 98-92 in Paul’s favor.

Chavez Jr., the 39-year-old son of Mexican boxing great Julio Cesar Chavez, barely looked capable of mustering a response during a one-sided bout.

Chavez Jr. failed to land a single punch in the opening round, a pattern that followed the remainder of the contest, with Paul easily outscoring the veteran of 63 professional fights.

Paul, who reportedly pocketed around $40 million for his made-for-Netflix fight with Tyson last year, received around $300,000 guaranteed from Saturday’s bout.

However the American is expected to earn around $8 million-$10 million from the fight once earnings from pay-per-view and sponsorships are taken into account.


Chelsea overcome Club World Cup weather delay, set up Palmeiras quarter-final

Updated 29 June 2025
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Chelsea overcome Club World Cup weather delay, set up Palmeiras quarter-final

  • The London club were grateful to extra-time goals by Christopher Nkunku, Pedro Neto and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to give them a 4-1 victory over Benfica

PHILADELPHIA: Chelsea beat Benfica in a game which went on for close to five hours at the Club World Cup on Saturday to set up a quarter-final showdown with Brazilian side Palmeiras at the tournament in the United States.
The London club were grateful to extra-time goals by Christopher Nkunku, Pedro Neto and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to give them a 4-1 victory over Benfica.
Their late burst of scoring settled a last-16 tie which took four hours, 39 minutes to complete at Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium in North Carolina after a near two-hour weather delay.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca was left satisfied with his team’s victory but slammed the delay that turned the tie into a near five-hour marathon.
“I think it’s a joke, it’s not football,” Maresca said.
“For 85 minutes we were in control of the game. We created enough chances to win the game. Then after the break, the game changed — for me personally, it’s not football.”
Earlier, Chelsea had been seemingly poised for victory after Reece James’ opportunistic second-half free-kick had left them 1-0 up with four minutes of regulation time remaining.
But just as Chelsea began to think about their quarter-final assignment, the arrival of a storm over Charlotte triggered local safety protocols which required the game to be halted.
It marked the sixth occasion during the Club World Cup that a game has been disrupted by a weather warning.
When play resumed just under two hours later, a revitalized Benfica grabbed an injury-time equalizer after Chelsea substitute Malo Gusto was adjudged to have handled in the penalty area following an intervention by the Video Assistant Referee.
Benfica’s Argentine veteran Angel Di Maria stepped up to roll in an ice-cold penalty, sending the game into extra time.
An end-to-end first half of extra time saw Benfica, reduced to 10 men following Gianluca Prestianni’s second yellow card at the end of regulation, threaten to take the lead as they chased an improbable victory.
But instead it was Nkunku who fired Chelsea back in front, the French international bundling in from close range after Moises Caicedo’s low shot squirted underneath Benfica goalkeeper Antoliy Trubin.
As the game opened up, Benfica were increasingly vulnerable on the counter-attack and Chelsea pounced.
Neto made it 3-1 with a nerveless finish after going clean through on goal in the 114th minute, and three minutes later Dewsbury-Hall completed the rout to send Chelsea through to the last eight.
They will now return to Philadelphia, where they played two games in the group stage, to play Palmeiras in the quarter-finals on Friday.
The Brazilian club were grateful to an extra-time winner by substitute Paulinho as they edged domestic rivals Botafogo 1-0 in a battle of attrition earlier Saturday at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
The winger came on at the same time in the second half as Palmeiras coach Abel Ferreira withdrew teenage sensation Estevao Willian, a move that appeared baffling in the moment but ultimately proved inspired.
The tie had reached the 100th minute without a goal when Paulinho collected a pass by Richard Rios on the right flank and was afforded the time and space to come inside into the box before slotting a low shot into the far corner.
That sparked wild celebrations among the Palmeiras fans who made up the vast majority of the 33,657 crowd, and the side from Sao Paulo held on to win the tie despite having captain Gustavo Gomez sent off late on.
“That is why he came, so he could play for long enough to decide a game. He is going to have to stop again after the tournament,” Ferreira said of Paulinho, who has struggled with injury since signing for Palmeiras at the start of the year.
Winners of the Copa Libertadores in 2020 and 2021, Palmeiras will now hope to match the feat of their Brazilian rivals Flamengo, who defeated Chelsea during the group stage.
The last-16 action continues on Sunday when European champions Paris Saint-Germain take on Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami in Atlanta. Later on Bayern Munich face Flamengo in Miami.


Cena beats Punk to retain WWE Undisputed Championship title in chaotic showdown at ‘Night of Champions’ in Riyadh

Updated 29 June 2025
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Cena beats Punk to retain WWE Undisputed Championship title in chaotic showdown at ‘Night of Champions’ in Riyadh

  • Victory sets stage for blockbuster SummerSlam rematch with Cody Rhodes in the US
  • Jade Cargill continues to impress, overpowering Asuka to claim the Queen of the Ring title

RIYADH: WWE’s Night of Champions delivered a dramatic spectacle in Riyadh on Saturday night, headlined by John Cena retaining his undisputed WWE Championship title against CM Punk in their first singles clash in 12 years.

In a highly anticipated bout, Cena and Punk revisited their storied rivalry with the championship on the line. But what promised to be a classic was thrown into chaos as Seth Rollins, Bron Breakker, Bronson Reed, Penta and Sami Zayn all made appearances, interfering throughout the match.

Despite the disruptions, Cena prevailed, setting the stage for a blockbuster SummerSlam rematch with Cody Rhodes at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, US.

A view of the packed Kingdom Arena in Riyadh during Saturday's WWE Night of Champions. (AN photo by Jafer Alsaleh)

Earlier in the night, Rhodes booked his ticket to that championship match by capturing the King of the Ring crown, defeating Randy Orton in a hard-fought tournament final. It was the second consecutive year Orton fell short at this stage, while Rhodes celebrated a milestone victory and immediately declared his SummerSlam intentions.

On the women’s side, Jade Cargill’s rise continued as she overpowered Asuka to claim the Queen of the Ring title. Cargill is now in line for a championship opportunity at SummerSlam, although the situation remains fluid with Tiffany Stratton currently holding the title, Naomi possessing the Money in the Bank contract, and the Evolution all-women’s event on the horizon.

In the only title change of the evening, Solo Sikoa dethroned Jacob Fatu with the help of JC Mateo, a returning Tonga Loa, and debutant Hikuleo, who made a striking first appearance in WWE after a stint in New Japan Pro Wrestling.

Fans react as action take place inside the packed Kingdom Arena in Riyadh during Saturday's WWE Night of Champions. (AN photo by Jafer Alsaleh)

Elsewhere on the Riyadh card, Rhea Ripley defeated Raquel Rodriguez in a street fight — a first for any WWE show in the Kingdom — while Sami Zayn earned a crowd-pleasing victory over Karrion Kross.

The 11th edition of Night of Champions confirmed Riyadh’s growing reputation as a key stop on WWE’s global calendar, setting the stage for an electrifying road to SummerSlam later this summer.