'The Bundesliga Tax'. It's a phrase that has become more prominent amongst supporters over the past decade or so, used to describe the growing trend of players who have lit up the German top-flight who have been sold to Premier League clubs for big money, only to fail to replicate that same form when arriving in England.

The debate over how well performances in the Bundesliga translate to the Premier League has reared its head again in the early weeks of this season following the struggles of Florian Wirtz and Xavi Simons at Liverpool and Tottenham, respectively. The pair combined for 40 league goals and assists last term, but have mustered just the solitary assist between them in 17 Premier League appearances thus far despite being sold for almost £170 million ($191m).

Former Bayer Leverkusen playmaker Wirtz has struggled to find a suitable role at Anfield, which has led to him being benched on numerous occasions by Arne Slot, while Simons suffered the ignominy of being substituted against Chelsea on Saturday despite having only entered the game off the bench himself earlier in the piece.

There remain question marks, too, over how Benjamin Sesko, Jamie Gittens and Jeremie Frimpong will fare in the Premier League following their summer arrivals from the Bundesliga, and while plenty of players do arrive into England from Germany and thrive – see Erling Haaland, for one shining example – the list of individuals who fail to live up to the hype is in danger of growing to the point that some fanbases will actively call out their clubs for fishing in such an unreliable pond.

GOAL, then, looks back at the most high-profile transfer flops to have arrived into the Premier League from the Bundesliga in recent years:

Getty Images SportJadon Sancho

Borussia Dortmund plucked a 17-year-old Jadon Sancho out of the Manchester City academy back in 2017 and instantly handed him a first-team role. Over the next four years, he became one of the most exciting wingers in Europe, registering 107 goal involvements in just 137 appearances, while also getting his hands on a DFB-Pokal winners' medal alongside fellow young stars Haaland and Jude Bellingham.

In the summer of 2021, United made Sancho the second-most expensive English player ever when luring him away from Signal Iduna Park, and then-manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer confidently predicted the winger would "bring tremendous pace, flair and creativity to the team". Unfortunately, though, Sancho never made good on those words.

He has only scored 12 times for United to date, and has made more headlines for fallouts with managers than his exploits on the pitch. Sancho was exiled by both Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim, and after temporary spells with former club Dortmund and Chelsea, now finds himself on loan at Aston Villa with no guarantee of regular minutes. Despite possessing all the talent in the world, Sancho's attitude and lack of physicality have prevented him from making any meaningful impact in the Premier League, and he's seemingly been stricken by fear in a way he never was in Germany.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportChristopher Nkunku

Christopher Nkunku has all the qualities a forward needs to succeed on the elite stage: pace, intelligence, immaculate technique and ruthlessness. RB Leipzig saw all of that between 2019 and 2023, as the Frenchman blasted in 70 goals in all competitions to become their talisman, and when Chelsea snapped him up for £52m ($68m) in June 2023, it was seen as a major coup.

But the step up in intensity from the Bundesliga to the Premier League proved too much for Nkunku. He was unable to build any sort of rhythm at Stamford Bridge due to a series of injuries, and after the emergence of Cole Palmer, he was restricted to a bit-part role. 

Nkunku left for AC Milan in the summer of 2025 with a respectable goals tally of 18 from 62 appearances, but few Chelsea fans were sad to see the back of him. Despite flashes of brilliance, the former Leipzig frontman wasn't robust enough for the rigours of English football and too often stood on the fringes of games instead of grabbing them by the scruff of the neck.

GettyKai Havertz

Kai Havertz was on the radar of almost every top club in Europe after a stunning rise to prominence at Leverkusen, where he recorded a combined total of 77 goals and assists after breaking out of their academy ranks. Chelsea eventually won the race for his signature at the end of the 2020 summer window, and some were even billing the Germany playmaker as the next Mesut Ozil despite it not being immediately clear how he would fit into the Blues' starting XI.

Leverkusen put Havertz's versatility to good use in No.8 and No.10 roles, but he was deployed predominantly upfront for Chelsea, and looked like a fish out of water. Indeed, his first season at the club yielded just four Premier League goals, and was only salvaged by his winning strike in the 2021 Champions League final against Manchester City.

Havertz continued to be a fixture in the Chelsea side over the next two seasons, but never properly silenced his doubters, and the Blues jumped at the chance to offload him when Arsenal came in with a £65m ($85m) bid in June 2023. It's been a similar story for Havertz at the Emirates Stadium, with consistency remaining largely elusive, and the 26-year-old's career has essentially been on hiatus in 2025 due to serious injuries.

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GettyChristian Pulisic

Chelsea initially signed Christian Pulisic from Dortmund in January 2019, with ex-United States star Taylor Twellman describing the deal as a "watershed moment for the American soccer player". Borussia Dortmund were sad to lose a "characteristically flawless footballer", as their sporting director Michael Zorc put it, but Pulisic closed out his time at the club in disappointing fashion, losing his place to Sancho amid struggles for fitness.

That led to claim Pulisic, then only 21 years of age, had "stagnated" and insist Chelsea were "mad" to spend so much money on him. Over the next four years, the German outlet was proven right. Although the USMNT star would pick up Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup winners' medals in west London, and deliver some memorable moments (including a hat-trick against Burnley and a brilliant solo goal against Manchester City), he was dogged by physical setbacks and hampered by Chelsea's chaotic transfer policy.

Pulisic gradually fell down the pecking order as competition for places in attack increased and never recovered. Chelsea eventually accepted a £36m ($47m) loss on the Dortmund academy product when shipping him off to Milan, where Pulisic has since replenished his confidence stocks.

"I felt pressure that I needed to do more when I did get on the pitch," he admitted to when looking back on his time at Stamford Bridge last December. Bad luck also played a part, but Pulisic buckled under that pressure, and it remains to be seen whether he gets another chance at the very highest level, with standards at Milan no longer as high as in Serie A's golden years.

Danny Rohl has officially arrived and, with that, Rangers have already reportedly joined the race to secure his first signing in the form of a talented midfielder.

Charlie Austin: Rangers should be "excited" by Rohl

After Russell Martin’s disastrous 123-day spell in charge, Rangers fans are understandably apprehensive when it comes to welcoming a young manager with open arms. Rohl arrives at just 36 years old and with just one permanent managerial role under his belt. According to former Premier League striker Charlie Austin, however, the Gers should be excited by his appointment.

In terms of the tactics that Rangers can expect, they can forget the slow build-up that Martin demanded his side to play. Rohl is far more about counter-pressing in what has become synonymous with German football over the years.

The young coach has worked with some fantastic attacking managers, including Barcelona’s Hansi Flick and Ralph Hasenhuttl when his Southampton side were at their very best.

He wasn’t their first choice, but Rohl may yet turn into the best choice at Rangers. Up first, he has the task of getting the Gers back to winning ways on the European stage against Brann, before travelling to face Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premiership.

Meanwhile, as another manager arrives, Kevin Thelwell and the 49ers have already reportedly joined the race to hand him his first Rangers signing.

Rangers battling to sign David Watson

As reported by TeamTalk, Rangers are now battling to sign David Watson to hand Rohl his first signing. The Kilmarnock midfielder is on course to leave as a free agent when his contract expires at the end of the season and has attracted interest from those at Ibrox as a result.

That said, the Gers aren’t alone in their pursuit. Joining them, shock league leaders Hearts have also set their sights on signing the young Scot at the end of the season. A league title could certainly hand them an advantage over Rangers for the first time in a long time.

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It’s no surprise that the top clubs are after Watson’s signature, either. The 20-year-old is one of the best young talents in Scotland and has been involved in four goals in eight league games so far this season.

Earning plenty of praise amid that form, Kilmarnock vice-captain Robbie Deas told reporters: “Davey’s fantastic, honestly. He’s one of the hardest workers you’ll ever meet. He’s absolutely fantastic. You see that today, and he’s putting those tackles in later on.”

Signing a young midfielder to match a young manager with lofty ambitions would be an ideal way for Rangers to commence the Rohl era. To do so, though, they’ll have to fend off plenty of interest.

Mulder explains why he declared SA’s innings when he was unbeaten on 367 at lunch on day two

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Jul-2025

Wiaan Mulder brought up the second-fastest triple-century in Test cricket•Zimbabwe Cricket

Wiaan Mulder had a shot at overhauling Brian Lara’s world-record 400* when he went to lunch at 367* on day two of the second Test against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo. Mulder, the stand-in captain, though, declared the innings at the break, and stopped short of the record because he felt “Lara keeping that record is exactly the way it should be”.”Well, first things first, I thought we’ve got enough, we need to bowl. And secondly, Brian Lara is a legend, let’s be real,” Mulder told Shaun Pollock during the post-day interview with SuperSport. “He got 401 [400*] or whatever it was against England. And for someone of that stature to keep that record is pretty special. I think if I get the chance again, I’d probably do the same thing. I know I was speaking to Shuks [coach Shukri Conrad].”He kind of said to me as well, like ‘listen, let the legends keep the really big scores’. You never know what’s my fate or whatever you want to call it, what’s destined for me. But I think Brian Lara keeping that record is exactly the way it should be.”Related

Mulder: Lara told me I should have gone for the record

Gayle on Mulder's 367* declaration: He 'panicked and blundered'

Dominant South Africa wrap up 2-0 sweep inside three days

Stats – Wiaan Mulder breaks records and Zimbabwe with 367*

Mulder's 367* headlines SA's day of domination

Mulder, though, broke a number of other records and Zimbabwe’s attack on the day. He became only the second South Africa player after Hashim Amla to score a triple-hundred went on to surpass Amla’s 311*. And he did it while humming away to himself.”I mean, there was a lot of thoughts,” Mulder said. “In the end, it’s just singing my song between balls and trying to keep myself natural and trying to keep myself present. Kept feeling my shoes, that type of thing, to make sure I’m in the moment and not too far ahead.”And, to be honest, when I went past Hash’s score, I didn’t really notice what actually happened until I looked up. I was on 312. I was like, ‘oh, wow! I was just on 300’. I don’t know how I got there, but yeah, it was truly special.”In Bangladesh, it was an Afrikaans song that I got to my hundred with and I lost it a little bit along the way. And in this song, in this game, it was by The Cranberries. So I just sing .”

“The way he constructed his innings, session by session, was a masterclass in temperament and shot selection. It’s the kind of performance that anchors a team and sets the tone for the entire match. We’re incredibly proud of what he’s achieved today”Shukri Conrad

Mulder had made his international debut for South Africa in an ODI in 2017, when he felt that he wasn’t well-equipped to deal with the pressure and ruthlessness of top-flight cricket. He has since evolved as an allrounder, thanks to playing three seasons of county cricket at Leicestershire.”I think when I started playing with South Africa, I was nowhere near good enough, to be honest with you,” Mulder told Pollock. “It did offer me a lot of opportunities to learn from great players who have retired now, and some guys are still playing. But going to England really gave me a chance to understand what type of batter I want to be as well and figure out some technical things.”I think I came across the ball for a very large portion of my career. And in England, if your front pad’s in the way, you kind of get exposed quickly. So those were lessons. I mean, there’s many more I can name, but those were lessons that I continuously kept learning in England as well as in South Africa.”Batting at the Wanderers is pretty difficult. So, yeah, I think it’s all put me in a good place. The head coach, Justin Sammons of Zimbabwe, played a massive role in my batting. In particular, playing the short ball. So, I mean, there’s a lot of growth that’s happened over the last couple of years.”ESPNcricinfo LtdAll of those lessons helped Mulder dictate terms against Zimbabwe in the second Test and put South Africa on the path to an innings win. In response to South Africa’s 626 for 5 declared, Zimbabwe folded for 170 in their first innings and went to stumps on 51 for 1 in their second after being asked to follow-on.”Yeah, it’s pretty special,” Mulder said. “I’ve never even dreamt of getting a double-hundred, never mind a triple hundred, but super special. The most important thing is to put the team in a good position to hopefully win this Test.”South Africa head coach Shukri Conrad was full of praise for Mulder’s knock.”Wiaan’s innings was nothing short of extraordinary,” Conrad said in a CSA statement. “Being the captain, then batting at No. 3, where he had to absorb early pressure and face the new ball, which he did with immense composure and control – it was unbelievable.”The way he constructed his innings, session by session, was a masterclass in temperament and shot selection. It’s the kind of performance that anchors a team and sets the tone for the entire match. We’re incredibly proud of what he’s achieved today.”

Clash of North Group’s top two puts Lancashire on the verge of quarter-final berth

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay13-Jul-2025

Chris Green starred with bat and ball as Lancashire Lightning won the battle of the top two in the Vitality Blast North group to put themselves on the verge of qualification for the quarter-finals, while defeat leaves Durham fighting it out for one of the remaining top four spots with two games left.Colin Ackermann with 42 and Ollie Robinson (35) were the mainstays in Durham’s 155 for 7 but a vital contribution of 20 off the final two overs from Matthew Potts and Will Rhodes also gave their innings an important late boost.Green, who earlier had taken 3 for 15 for the Lightning, came in with the hosts struggling on 107 for 5 needing 49 runs from 37 balls on a slowish pitch. The Australian all-rounder hit 31 off 16 balls including two sixes and three fours, gaining good support from Tom Hartley (7 not out) that finally turned the game in Lancashire’s favour with the Lightning finishing on 156 for 7, skipper Keaton Jennings making 42, to win a tense encounter with eight balls to spare.Lancashire lost Phil Salt for 2 in the first over, but Jos Buttler and Jennings combined to take 17 runs from Parkinson’s second over, Buttler reverse-sweeping a six, to get the Lightning reply swiftly up and running.Potts hit back with the big wicket of Buttler for 21, in the sixth over with the hosts taking 47 for 2 from the powerplay.Luke Wells hammered Nathan Sowter for consecutive sixes in the eighth over but then perished for 17 when trying to repeat the shot off Parkinson at the start of the ninth.Jennings and Ashton Turner steadied the innings, reaching the ten-over mark on 83 for 3 with Turner taking consecutive fours off Kasey Aldridge, and the pair had progressed nicely adding 42 from 32 balls when off spinner Sowter struck twice in the space of three balls.Jennings was stumped by Robinson for 42, while Michael Jones fell for a second-ball duck to leave Lancashire on 107 for 5 needing 49 off 37 balls.Green hit his second and third balls for four, with 17 runs chipped off the target before Turner skied a return catch to Neesham for 27 who then had Jack Blatherwick lbw for 0 two balls later with 27 required off 21 balls.Green pulled Potts for six, Tom Hartley drove Neesham for four and Green finished the game in style with another pulled six off Neesham.Lancashire enjoyed early success, taking three wickets in the first seven overs after Durham opted to bat.Graham Clark was nicely caught by James Anderson at mid-off diving to his left off Luke Wood for 13, David Bedingham was neatly stumped down the leg side by Jos Buttler for 12 off Chris Green who next took a return catch to send back Alex Lees for 11 leaving the visitors in early difficulties on 46 for 3.Ackermann and Robinson advanced that to 73 for 3 at halfway, Robinson hitting Blatherwick over extra cover for six and Ackermann taking 10 runs from the same 12th over as the pair posted their 50 partnership from 29 balls.But the visitors suffered a double setback losing both well-set batters in quick succession.Having added 68 in seven overs for the fourth wicket, Robinson pulled Hartley to Blatherwick at long-on for 35 (off 22 balls) while Ackermann deflected a Wood delivery onto his stumps attempting a leg side ramp after making 42 from 35 balls, leaving Durham 119-5 midway through the 16th over.Jimmy Neesham (4) and Kasey Aldridge (3) followed before Will Rhodes (11 off 13 balls) and Potts (17 off 7) hit 21 off the final two overs to lift Durham to a much more challenging 155 for 7.

The M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru is ill-equipped to host large-scale events in a safe manner. This is the finding of the Justice John Michael D’Cunha Commission, appointed by the Karnataka government to investigate the stampede that caused the death of 11 people and injuries to more than 50 during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) victory celebrations.In its report, the commission stated that the stadium’s “design and structure” are inherently “unsuitable and unsafe” for mass gatherings. It further warned that continuing to hold high-attendance events at the venue would pose “unacceptable risks to public safety, urban mobility, and emergency preparedness”.The report, which was shared with the Karnataka government and has been seen by ESPNcricinfo, indicted RCB, the franchise’s event partners DNA Entertainment, and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) for their role in the tragic stampede on June 4.Related

• Venkatesh Prasad elected Karnataka cricket chief

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• No police clearance yet for Chinnaswamy to host Maharaja T20

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• Karnataka High Court orders state government to disclose RCB stampede report

Citing “systematic limitations”, the commission has also “strongly recommended” that large-scale events be relocated to venues that are “better suited” to handle significant crowds. “Any future venue should adhere to international standards,” the report stated.This leaves the future events at the venue in the lurch. The Chinnaswamy Stadium is scheduled to host a number of “high-attendance” events in the next few months, including the opening game, a semi-final and potentially the final of the Women’s ODI World Cup between September and November 2025. For now, the KSCA has said that the upcoming Maharaja Trophy, the state’s franchise-based T20 competition, starting on August 11, will be played behind closed doors.The report outlined several key requirements that the Chinnaswamy Stadium, among the older venues in the country (built in 1974), doesn’t have a provision for, like “purpose-built queuing and circulation areas separated from public roads, sufficient entry and exit gates to manage mass ingress and egress, integrated access to public transport and nearby tourist hubs, comprehensive emergency evacuation plans in line with global safety norms and adequate parking and drop-off facilities to accommodate large volumes of attendees”.The panel also recommended action against KSCA chief Raghuram Bhat, ex-secretary A Shankar, ex-treasurer ES Jairam – both of whom resigned citing “moral responsibility” in the aftermath of the incident – RCB vice-president Rajesh Menon, DNA Entertainment Networks MD T Venkat Vardhan and VP Sunil Mathur.It also said that police officers B Dayananda, Vikash Kumar, Shekhar HT, C Balakrishna and AK Girish – all were removed from their posts by the chief minister after the incident – were responsible for being part of the arrangement.The Karnataka government, led by chief minister Siddaramaiah, who called for celebration on the steps of the Vidhana Soudha in a post on X after the victory, is expected to decide on the recommendations at the next cabinet meeting.

Former Cincinnati Reds manager David Bell reportedly has a new home in baseball.

Sportsnet's Shi Davidi and Ben Nicholson-Smith reported Friday that the Toronto Blue Jays hired Bell as vice president of baseball operations and assistant general manager.

Despite being signed to a contract extension in 2023, the 52-year-old Bell was fired by the Reds in late September after a disappointing season in which Cincinnati finished 77–85 and missed the playoffs for a fourth straight year.

Over six seasons as the Reds' manager, Bell registered a 409–456 record (.473 winning percentage) and received votes for the NL Manager of the Year award twice.

Bell played 12 seasons in the big leagues from 1995 to 2006 for six different teams. He began his coaching career as the manager of the Reds' Double-A affiliate in 2008 and worked his way up to Triple-A in '11. After stops with the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals coaching staffs, Bell served as the San Francisco Giants' president of player development from 2017 to '18.

Bell now will work alongside general manager Ross Atkins in the Blue Jays' front office as Toronto attempts to rebound from its 74–88 campaign in 2024.

The biggest bullet point on the New York Yankees' offseason checklist is retaining Juan Soto by giving him a new deal.

The Yankees took the first step by meeting with Soto on Monday in California, which included him speaking with chairman and managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner, team president Randy Levine, general manager Brian Cashman, manager Aaron Boone and senior adviser Omar Minaya. Steinbrenner said it was a "good meeting" that had "very honest back-and-forth dialogue." He didn't offer many other details. Soto told the Yankees how he thinks the team could improve in the future.

But it sounds like Steinbrenner and the rest of the Yankees front office hope to have Soto return to the Yankees lineup in 2025.

"Our fans really enjoyed having him in New York," Steinbrenner said, via ESPN's Jorge Castillo. "He's definitely a significant part of why we got to the World Series. I've got ears. I know what's expected of me. So, look, it's been a priority. We wouldn't have gone out to the West Coast if it wasn't."

Steinbrenner said he had "no idea" if the Yankees were confident in retaining Soto, but that "we'll be in the mix. I'll leave it at that."

The Yankees aren't the only team vying for a chance to sign Soto this offseason. Soto has met with the New York Mets, the Boston Red Sox and the Toronto Blue Jays. He is expected to meet with the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers this week, and the Philadelphia Phillies are also interested in meeting with him.

The Los Angeles Dodgers held their championship parade on Friday in Los Angeles, just two days removed from capturing their second World Series title in the last five seasons.

It was an interesting call to hold the parade on a Friday, especially on a notoriously bad traffic day in any metropolitan area, but especially in Los Angeles, which is one of the worst cities for traffic on the globe.

Why is this relevant? Well, on Friday morning, the Dodgers' championship parade got off to quite a slow start, as several of the team's victory buses got stuck in Los Angeles traffic within minutes of the convoy beginning.

At least they still had drinks and nice weather and could enjoy themselves.

The $1.2 billion winter, the roster stocked with perhaps the most impressive collection of talent ever assembled, the dream season for the most superlative player who ever graced a baseball field—all of it came down, in the end, to the 30-year-old, twice-repaired, still-swollen right arm of Walker Buehler. 

As one of the most preposterous games this sport has ever seen thundered into the ninth inning, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts considered his options. His starter had collected four outs. He had already used all six of the relievers he trusted. The Dodgers were three outs away from their seventh championship, their second this decade and first in a full season since 1988. 

So with a 7–6 lead in Game 5 of the World Series, Roberts summoned his Game 3 starter, Buehler. Once the team’s top prospect, and then its ace, Buehler had missed 22 months after undergoing his second Tommy John surgery. He returned to the mound in June and struggled so badly that he took a month away from the team, trying to fix his delivery. But he has long said that being a big-game pitcher is “kind of the only thing I care about,” and on Wednesday, he trotted in from the bullpen for the biggest game of his life.

He induced a grounder to third from shortstop Anthony Volpe, the hero of Game 4. Buehler struck out Austin Wells swinging. He took a deep breath. Then he did the same thing to left fielder Alex Verdugo. 

Buehler flung his arms in the air as his teammates rushed the mound. There was DH Shohei Ohtani, the Japanese superstar whose $700 million, 10-year deal kickstarted that record-breaking offseason. There was right fielder Mookie Betts, the stud who keyed that 2020 title. There was first baseman Freddie Freeman, who won World Series MVP on one good leg after spraining his right ankle in September. All got them there. But it was Buehler, pitching on two days’ rest, who got them home.

This was the sort of grit Roberts exhorted them to display six weeks ago, when he felt them feeling sorry for themselves, and the sort they made their identity three weeks ago. They were the best team in baseball, and it was time they started acting like it. 

Their confidence reached its nadir in the middle of September. The roster constituted perhaps the most impressive collection of talent ever assembled—four former MVPs, tied for the most in history on one team—but the Dodgers also led the league in days spent on the injured list. They had already weathered three months without righty Yoshinobu Yamamoto and three months without Buehler. Lefty Clayton Kershaw’s season would soon end prematurely (bone spur in his left big toe), as had righty Emmet Sheehan’s (Tommy John surgery), righty Dustin May’s (esophageal tear), top prospect River Ryan’s (Tommy John surgery) and, most frustrating of all, righty Tyler Glasnow’s (elbow tendonitis). 

After a month of trying to return, Glasnow told the team in September that “something was just not right in my arm” and shut it down. 

In the wake of that news, Roberts did something he never does: He called a team meeting. He could tell that his players seemed deflated. So he challenged them to reconsider that attitude.

“We’ve gone through a lot this year,” recalled third baseman Max Muncy. “We’ve had a lot of injuries. We were supposed to have a starting rotation of All-Stars, Hall of Famers, and that just didn’t happen. You’re talking about the guy who was supposed to be your ace gets dealt a blow that he’s done for the year? That was a kick in the gut. We had to have a meeting. Because you could tell, everyone was down. Everyone was like, ‘Man, not again. We had another injury.’ You have a meeting and say, ‘Guys, look around. We still have Hall of Famers in this room. We still have All-Stars in this room. We have guys who are getting paid a lot of money in this room. We can still do this.’ You get every single guy to look around and see everybody—yeah, that made a big difference for us.” 

The members of the best team in baseball did something almost more impressive than romping through October: They convinced themselves that nobody believed in them. 

They led the league in attendance, boasted four of the 20 most popular jerseys (those four MVPs: Ohtani, No. 1; Betts, No. 4; Freeman, No. 18; Kershaw, No. 19) and seemed to announce a sponsorship from a Japanese company every 15 or 20 minutes. But when they found themselves down two games to one in the National League Division Series against the San Diego Padres three weeks ago, they began to fancy themselves underdogs. The Dodgers were tired of letting playoff runs evaporate when their opponents played with more passion than they did. They were tired of watching worse teams celebrate in front of them. They were tired of falling short. 

“I think the last couple years, other teams just out-fought us,” Roberts said this week. “And I think that we weren’t going to let that happen.”

Kasey Aldridge claims four wickets as Northants’ meagre total is overhauled

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay26-Aug-2025

Somerset 240 for 2 (Vaughan 109*, Lammonby 83) beat Northamptonshire 238 (Robinson 69, Aldridge 4-54) by eight wickets Archie Vaughan’s maiden List A century paved the way for Somerset to cruise into the knock-out stages of the Metro Bank One-Day Cup with a thumping eight-wicket Group B victory over Northamptonshire at the Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton.The visitors posted a moderate 238 all out after winning the toss, Tim Robinson top-scoring with 69, while James Sales contributed 45 and Justin Broad 38. Kasey Aldridge claimed four for 54.One run was added to the Somerset target because the game was 8.5 overs old when reduced to 47 per side by an early shower. It mattered little as the hosts raced to 240 for two to win with 4.3 overs to spare, Vaughan leading the way with an unbeaten 109, off 122 balls, and sharing a first wicket stand of 168 with Tom Lammonby, who made 83.The Steelbacks were never able to gain much momentum to their innings on a good batting track. They had progressed to 31 in the seventh over when Ricardo Vasconcelos miscued a pull shot off Jake Ball and skyed a catch to wicketkeeper James Rew.Rain interrupted play at 39 for one. The resumption saw Ravi Bopara depart for nine with the total on 50, pulling a delivery from Ben Green to deep mid-wicket where Fin Hill took a good catch diving to his left.Robinson was dropped on ten by Ball at mid-on off Aldridge as he and opener Sales added 53 for the third wicket before the latter was run out by a direct hit from Archie Vaughan at the bowler’s end, attempting a quick single to mid-on off Lammonby.Robinson hit the first six of the game in moving to a half-century off 50 balls. He celebrated with two more maximums before perishing with the score on 163, Hill taking another catch at deep mid-wicket off Aldridge, tossing the ball in the air as his foot crossed the boundary before neatly collecting it again inside the rope.It proved a turning point as the innings fell away, three of the wickets falling to Aldridge, with only Broad and Stuart van der Merwe, who made 27, offering much resistance. Both hit two fours and a six, but their efforts failed to significantly improve a well below par score.There was decent pace in the pitch and Lammonby and Vaughan were soon peppering the ropes with sweetly-timed strokes. They raised 50 in eight overs, each smacking 5 fours, as the hosts went for a swift kill.Lammonby has excelled with bat and ball in the competition. He reached fifty with a crunching back-foot shot through the leg side for four off Bopara, his ninth boundary in facing 53 deliveries. The century partnership soon followed off 17.4 overs.Vaughan looked equally comfortable in reaching his half-century off 60 balls, with six fours. The pattern continued in depressing fashion for the Steelbacks as the stand reached 150 in the 29th over. At 156, it became Somerset’s highest ever List A opening partnership against Northamptonshire, beating the 155 put together by current club chief executive Jamie Cox and Marcus Trescothick at Northampton in 2001.With 13 more runs added, Lammonby finally made an error, driving a diving return catch to van der Merwe, the sixth bowler called upon by the Steelbacks. He had faced 96 balls and extended his boundary count to 12.With victory almost assured, Lewis Goldsworthy struck the first six of the innings. He fell for 26 to a catch at mid-wicket off Dominic Leech, but Vaughan went past his previous highest List A score of 95, made against Yorkshire this season, and reached three figures with a pulled four followed by a single off Leech.The 19-year-old son of former England Ashes-winning captain Michael Vaughan celebrated with a clenched fist. He had faced 110 balls and hit 12 fours.