Superman was created in Cleveland, and in 2025 he will return there.
Much of —the forthcoming James Gunn-directed reboot of the ancient superhero franchise—was shot in and around the Forest City. Accordingly, when the first trailer for the movie was released Thursday, viewers were quick to spot several city landmarks—including Progressive Field.
The home of the Cleveland Guardians can be seen at 1:58, decked out in mock-up "Metropolis Meteors" livery. Superman is shown brawling briefly with an unidentified foe to a slowed-down version of John Williams's "Superman March."
Fans and observers made more than their fair share of jokes about the cameo apperance.
Some wondered whether the Guardians themselves would appear in the film.
A few fans were reminded of the Pittsburgh Steelers' memorable 2012 cameo in .
Age-old attendance jokes abounded…
…as did jokes about Cleveland's perpetually low payroll.
After leaving out Jasprit Bumrah, losing the toss, and waiting out a storm on the morning of day five, India beat England by 336 runs in this second Test, squaring the series 1-1 and winning their first Test at Edgbaston.Fittingly, it was Akash Deep, Bumrah’s “replacement”, who capped off India’s dominance. A maiden five-wicket haul of 6 for 99 dismissed England for 271 in their second innings. He took ten in the match, becoming only the second Indian bowler since Chetan Sharma in 1986 to use English conditions to such devastating effect.Related
Stats – India's first win at Edgbaston and it's by a record margin
Shubman Gill: 'The game loses its essence' without help for bowlers
Stokes' batting in focus as England count cost of Edgbaston errors
Breaking Baz – India cook up the perfect new-ball formula
'We ran second for five days' – McCullum admits England got the toss wrong
The glory of a record-breaking Test for Shubman Gill has been enhanced ten-fold. His remarkable batting exploits – centuries in both innings, the first a double, 430 runs all in – have come in his first win as Test captain. Fittingly, Gill took the catch for the final wicket, off Akash Deep, both celebrating wildly themselves before meeting for a hug before they were engulfed by gleeful team-mates.The scale of defeat made a mockery of the notion England might have fancied chasing a target of 608. At no point were they in with a shout.Akash Deep’s 21.1 overs were an exhibition of unerring accuracy, use of the crease, and some devastating seam movement, stating his case for a starting berth of his own come Lord’s. Arriving into Sunday with Ben Duckett and Joe Root already in his back pocket, both bowled from the Pavilion End, he skittled a third from the City End when Ollie Pope defended onto his stumps 19 balls into a delayed morning session.A handful of storms pushed the start time to 12.40pm, losing ten of Sunday’s allotted 90 overs. By 1.04pm, India had the second of the seven wickets they arrived needing, when Harry Brook was pinned on the inside left knee, plumb in front.The nip off an amenable final-day surface was vicious enough to have the England No. 5 limping out of his crease having been given out lbw by umpire Chris Gaffaney. Encouraged by Ben Stokes, Brook reviewed, which only served to offer a few slow-motion close-ups on the big screen of just how far Akash Deep had decked the ball in. Five days of cricket had created enough wear and tear on a pitch that had produced 1692 runs and Akash Deep kept hitting the cracks ruthlessly to gain the kind of movement that left the batters looking terribly unprepared. Brook was a case in point.4:11
Stokes: We weren’t able to deliver our skills when needed
It was then that Jamie Smith arrived, with the score 83 for 5, one run shy of the score when he walked in on day three on his way to a staggering 184 not out. Yet again, he put his team-mates in the shade, top-scoring with an 88 that was controlled, even with its pockets of assault, right until an attempt to strike Akash Deep for a third consecutive six on the leg side fell into the hands of Washington Sundar at deep-backward square-leg.That was Washington’s second involvement on the fourth innings scorecard. His first came at the back end of a settling partnership between Smith and Stokes. A sixth-wicket stand had made it to 70, and almost to a very late lunch, before the tall offspinner struck. Around the wicket to the England captain, on 33, gorgeous drift was followed by enough turn to clip the edge of the left-hander’s pad as he pressed forward to defend. Stokes’ review of umpire Sharfuddoula’s on-field decision was more out of hope than expectation.England did at least successfully overturn one decision, with Smith given out to Prasidh Krishna on 71, only for the projected path to show the ball was expected to clear the top of the stumps by a distance. Prasidh, nevertheless, had a first wicket of the innings when Chris Woakes failed to keep a pull shot down.
Smith would fall three overs later, having already pulled the chord on some retaliatory boundaries. With 272 in the match, he now has the record for the most runs in a Test by an England wicketkeeper.The real glory, however, was with those donned in Indian creams, and the majority of the 18,000 strong crowd, who by now were partying in the stands knowing the end was nigh.It might have come sooner had KL Rahul hung onto a chance at slip off Brydon Carse, or Mohammed Siraj hung on to a skier from the same batter, even though Siraj had taken a spectacular catch at midwicket to see off Josh Tongue six balls earlier. Shoaib Bashir then successfully reviewed a catch to slip off Ravindra Jadeja, who, like Akash Deep earlier in the day, was making use of the uncertain bounce from the City End. But that only allowed the ideal finale of ‘caught Gill, bowled Akash Deep’ as Carse holed out to cover.India were smarting after they had done the running for the first four days in Leeds, only to lose on the day that mattered most. Here in Birmingham, they nailed every single one.
تحدث عمر جابر، قائد الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي الزمالك، عن مواجهة بيراميدز في نصف نهائي بطولة كأس السوبر المصري، المقرر إقامتها غدًا الخميس في دولة الإمارات.
ويواصل الزمالك استعداداته لمواجهة بيراميدز، غدًا الخميس، في موقعة ينتظرها عشاق الكرة المصرية، حيث يسعى الفريقان لخطف بطاقة التأهل إلى نهائي السوبر المصري، في العاصمة الإماراتية أبوظبي.
وقال عمر جابر في تصريحاته خلال المؤتمر الصحفي: “نادي الزمالك عندما يتواجد في أي بطولة يكون دائمًا المرشح الأول للفوز بها، وقد أثبت ذلك في إفريقيا، نسعى لإسعاد جماهيرنا، وندرك جيدا قيمة خصمنا”.
طالع | الزمالك: أولى صفقات يناير محسومة.. لا أزمة في القيد وهذا موقفنا من تجميد حسام عبد المجيد
وتابع: “دوري كقائد لنادي الزمالك صعب ويحمل مسؤولية كبيرة، لكنني فخور باللاعبين الموجودين معنا فنيًا وأخلاقيًا، وبالجهاز الفني المحترم الذي يعد من مشجعي الزمالك قبل أن يكونوا مدربين، وهذا يمنحنا الثقة والدافع القوي”.
واختتم: “هدفنا هو إسعاد جماهير الزمالك وتحقيق بطولة السوبر المصري، مع كامل احترامنا لفريق بيراميدز الذي نعلم أنه فريق قوي”.
Ebadot Hossain returns to the Bangladesh team for the first time in almost two years, after being named in the 16-man squad for the two Tests against Sri Lanka later this month. He has recovered from an ACL surgery after he was injured during an ODI against Afghanistan in July 2023. Litton Das also returns to the Test side after he was given time off during the Zimbabwe series in April.The selectors, meanwhile, have dropped Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Tanvir Islam and Tanzim Hasan for the Sri Lanka Tests. Taskin Ahmed couldn’t be fit in time for the Test series as he recovers from an ankle injury.Ebadot’s return, however, is good news. He played 27 competitive matches in the 2024-25 season including three first-class matches. He played one of those against the visiting New Zealand A side last month. The 31-year-old Ebadot has taken 42 wickets in 20 Tests so far.Left-arm spinner Hasan Murad returns to the Test side too, after he was in the squad against South Africa and West Indies last year. Murad played only three first-class matches in the past season, as he was touring with the senior team during the 2024-25 National Cricket League.Bangladesh and Sri Lanka will kick off the 2025-27 World Test Championship cycle. Bangladesh drew their last Test series, against Zimbabwe at home, in April.Bangladesh are likely to arrive in Sri Lanka on June 13, with their first Test in Galle from June 17. The second Test is at the Singhalese Sports Club Cricket ground in Colombo from June 25. The Tests are followed by three ODIs and three T20Is, with the tour ending on July 16.IN: Litton Das, Hasan Murad, Ebadot Hossain, Khaled AhmedOUT: Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Tanvir Islam, Tanzim Hasan SakibBangladesh squad: Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), Shadman Islam, Anamul Haque Bijoy, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Das, Mahidul Islam, Jaker Ali, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Hasan Murad, Ebadot Hossain, Hasan Mahmud, Nahid Rana, Khaled Ahmed
A “talented” England international is now interested in completing a move to Aston Villa, should the Villans like the idea of bringing him in.
McGinn happy after "important" Aston Villa win
Unai Emery’s side got back to winning ways on Thursday evening, winning 1-0 at home to Bologna in the Europa League, courtesy of John McGinn’s strike.
Speaking after the game, the Scot was in positive spirits, as Villa look to build on the victory heading into Sunday’s Premier League clash with Fulham at Villa Park.
“It was important. We got a bit nervy towards the end. They play mental football, man-to-man, and it reminds me of (Marcelo) Bielsa when he was at Leeds. It’s tough and you need to be concentrating because they leave a few players up. You need to be clean going forward with the ball and I don’t think we were.
“I thought we were a little bit rusty going forward, but we created chances and we could have won by more. I thought we played better in the first half than the second, but the important thing was to get the win with a very important clean sheet with a good save from Marco at the end.”
New signings could be needed in January, or at least next summer, in order for Villa to keep improving, and they have now been linked with a move for a 10-cap England international.
England international "open" to Aston Villa move
Speaking to Football Insider, former scout Mick Brown claimed that Ruben Loftus-Cheek is “open” to joining Aston Villa from AC Milan, although no approach has been made for him.
“He’s always showed a lot of promise and at his best he can be excellent, but for me he’s never quite hit the levels people expected of him, even though he’s clearly got a lot of talent. Since his move to AC Milan, he’s done well, and Tuchel obviously sees something in him.
“The qualities he’s got could be an asset to a lot of sides, there’s no doubting that, it’s just about whether he’s going to perform consistently enough. There’s been some talk of a move to Aston Villa, but I’m not sure he’s the player they need right now, he might be better off somewhere else.
“I think it’s something he’s open to, he wants to come back to the Premier League, to compete and potentially put himself in the [England] manager’s thinking. I’m sure if Aston Villa came calling, it’s a move he’d like to make, but I am doubtful about whether they’d push for that one at the moment.”
Loftus-Cheek, thoguht to be valued at £17m, could be a shrewd signing by Villa, having been hailed as a “talented” player by Owen Hargreaves in the past, especially if he has the hunger to win his place back in the England squad before next summer’s World Cup.
Journalist reveals how Monchi leaving will impact Emery's Aston Villa future
A journalist has explained how the recent off-field issues at Villa could affect Unai Emery.
ByDominic Lund Sep 25, 2025
At 29, he is still young enough to enjoy three or four good years at Villa Park, and his pace and power in midfield areas could be a weapon for Emery, also adding depth in the middle of the park.
On the pitch, the Hoops were ignominiously dumped out of Champions League qualifying by Kairat, ousted on penalties in Almaty after over three and a half hours of drab, goalless football, before the most dull Old Firm derby in history at Ibrox last Sunday.
Supporters would argue that this is the metaphorical chickens coming home to roost, concerned all summer long about the Celts’ lack of attacking quality, given that Kyōgo Furuhashi, Nicolas Kühn and Matt O’Riley have not been sufficiently replaced.
So, following protests at a charity match against Manchester United legends on Saturday, the club issued an official statement that did nothing to quell dissenting voices, with the names of no individuals attached to the rambling statement, taking no accountability or responsibility for a transfer window many believe to be the club’s worst in modern times.
Thus, Brendan Rodgers has been left massively short ahead of a Europa League campaign that begins against Crvena zvezda in Belgrade later this month, so how he must wish the Hoops hadn’t sold Celtic’s “god of goals” for just £4m.
Celtic's catastrophic striker situation
On deadline day, having failed to replace Kyōgo, who departed in January, Celtic sold their only remaining centre-forward Adam Idah to Swansea City for around £7m, representing a £2.5m loss on the Irishman in just 12 months, but they actually did well to recoup such a large amount, following an underwhelming campaign.
As reports of this sale emerged, supporters thought that the Celtic hierarchy must have a replacement lined up, or at least that’s what one would assume.
The Hoops number one target was Kasper Dolberg but, after haggling over the price, Anderlecht instead sold him to Ajax for a reported fee of €10m (around £8.7m), with the Denmark international re-joining the Amsterdam-based giants.
The window then duly slammed shut, and Celtic did not have a striker, meaning they had 24 hours to secure a free agent, if they were to be included in their UEFA squad.
Emmanuel Dennis and Patrick Bamford were among the underwhelming names mentioned, but they instead secured Kelechi Iheanacho, albeit only after Sevilla had terminated his contract to facilitate the move, emphasising how wanted he was in Southern Spain.
The Nigerian actually scored against Celtic for Manchester City back in December 2016, as the pair drew 1-1 in the Champions League.
Once highly rated, Iheanacho’s career has essentially fallen off a cliff in recent years, scoring just 26 goals across the last four seasons, having netted 19 times during the 2020/21 campaign prior to this decline.
So, how Celtic supporters must wish they still had the forgotten goal machine from the Postecoglou era.
Kelechi Iheanacho at Leicester.
Celtic's "god of goals"
Giorgos Giakoumakis was not at Celtic for a long time, but he certainly made his mark in Glasgow.
In just 57 appearances in hoops, the Greece international scored 26 goals, averaging a goal every 97 minutes, winning the Premiership golden boot during his only full season at Parkhead.
Former Celtic forward Giorgos Giakoumakis.
However, unable to secure a regular starting spot due to Kyōgo’s presence, imagine having depth like that now, he was sold to Atlanta United for around £4m in March 2023.
Since then, Giakoumakis has become something of a globe-trotter, leaving Atlanta after less than 18 months in MLS, sold to Cruz Azul for $10m (around £7.4m), albeit he did not live up to expectations in Mexico City, returning to his homeland this summer by signing for PAOK on loan.
Where Are They Now
Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast’s Where Are They Now series.
Well, he has made an immediate impact in Thessaloniki, on target off the bench during a 5-0 victory over HNK Rijeka last month, a victory at Toumba Stadium that secured PAOK’s place in the Europa League.
Following Giakoumakis’ arrival in Major League Soccer, Jaime Uribarri labelled him the “Greek God of goals”, while Tom Bogert simply noted that, wherever he goes, the striker “just scores goals”, a useful skillset for a centre-forward to possess.
So, let’s assess how his recent seasons compare to Celtic’s latest centre-forward Iheanacho.
2025/26
0
1
2024/25
4
9
2023/24
6
5
2022/23
8
28
2021/22
8
17
2020/21
19
29
Total
45
89
As the table documents, across the last five seasons, and the start of this one, Giakoumakis has scored almost twice as many goals as Iheanacho, who hasn’t reached double figures in a single campaign since lockdown when he was at Leicester.
More recently, the Nigerian international endured a miserable loan spell at Middlesbrough this time last year, before scoring just three goals for Sevilla, all of which came in the Copa del Rey, bagging a brace against fifth-tier Las Rozas, before also scoring against UE Olot of the fourth division, but bagging no goals in La Liga.
Having worked with him before, Rodgers will believe he can resurrect Iheanacho’s form and confidence, but this is certainly a gamble, while Giakoumakis guarantees goals, so what a difference the Greek striker would make to this current Celtic side.
Celtic can unearth their own Dolberg in 18-year-old who's "some talent"
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers may unearth his own version of Kasper Dolberg with this academy talent.
Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank identified a “superstar” as a priority target after Randal Kolo-Muani, with a late approach being made on deadline day.
Spurs tried to sign another forward after Kolo-Muani
In one of the surprise moves of deadline day, Spurs got Kolo-Muani through the door, with the Frenchman joining on a straight loan deal from Paris Saint-Germain.
Frank has since explained why he decided to bring in the PSG forward, who has predominantly featured at striker throughout his career to date, rather than signing a new winger.
The Tottenham manager said: “He’s a good age, in the prime of his career, has good qualities that will suit both us and the Premier League,”
“He gives us a different option in the final third, being able to play out wide and through the middle. Randal is a quality player who has proven himself over a number of years, playing for big teams in the Champions League and also with good experience for the France national team.”
However, while Frank was clearly delighted to get Kolo-Muani through the door, the Dane identified another forward as a priority target in the final hours of the transfer window.
Tottenham Hotspur managerThomasFrankcelebrates after the match
That is according to a report from GiveMeSport, which states the manager was eyeing Atalanta’s Ademola Lookman as his top target, but Tottenham were ultimately unable to come to an agreement with the Italian club.
It is revealed that Spurs wanted to sign Lookman on a straight loan, rather than forking out the £43m it would’ve taken to get a deal over the line, meaning they have now missed out on his signature.
With the forward’s proposed move to Bayern Munich also falling through, he could be set to remain at Atalanta until January, at which point the Lilywhites may have the opportunity to make another approach, given that he is well-known to have fallen out with his club.
"Superstar" Lookman could've been quality signing for Spurs
Tottenham were clearly reluctant to splash the cash on deadline day, having also signed Kolo Muani on a straight loan deal, which includes no option or obligation to buy, and they may have missed out on a top player.
Sold for £6.7m: Spurs must regret selling star who's outscoring Kolo Muani
After Tottenham signed Randal Kolo Muani on deadline day for a €5m loan fee, should Spurs regret selling a striker who has outscored the Frenchman?
1 ByBen Gray Sep 2, 2025
Lauded as a “superstar” by 90min’s Sean Walsh, the 27-year-old has taken his career to new heights since arriving in the Serie A, picking up a very impressive 52 goals and 25 assists in 118 appearances for the Italian club.
As such, the Nigeria international may now be ready to test himself in the Premier League once again, despite not setting the world alight during previous stints with Fulham, Leicester City and Everton.
Wayne Rooney has revealed how bitter a rivalry led him to lock wife Coleen out of the house after he fell victim to a brutal prank at his family home. Wayne Rooney grew up supporting Everton and spent 13 glorious years at Manchester United, while his wife Coleen is known to be a supporter of Liverpool and has always been vocal about her support for the Reds.
Rooney welcomed with Liverpool flags
Rooney recalled the incident from five years ago when Liverpool finally ended their wait and won the Premier League under Jurgen Klopp's tutelage in 2020. Rooney was managing Derby County at that time. Following the Reds' triumph, one day when Rooney returned to his family home, he was shocked to see Liverpool flags all around his home, a prank that Coleen pulled on her husband.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportRooney "locked" Coleen out
On podcast, the United legend narrated the entire incident, as he said: "When Liverpool won the Premier League a few years ago, I came home, I was at Derby at the time, and Coleen's got Liverpool flags up outside the house.
"It was our old house, so outside the front door there's a little balcony thing and the flag was outside the window there, so I told her to go and get it down. She went up and you had to actually climb out the window to get it down, so she went up and I locked her out."
Rooney, however, did not drag the prank for too long and he soon allowed Coleen back in the house.
Rooney's lavish 40th birthday celebration
Coleen is planning a lavish celebration to mark her husband's 40th birthday on October 24, where she wants her fellow WAGs Victoria Beckham, Abbey Clancy, Toni Terry and Alex Gerrard to attend.
ENJOYED THIS STORY?
Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting
Getty Images SportMerseyside derby to kick off gameweek five
Gameweek five of the Premier League will kick off on Saturday with Merseyside rivals Liverpool and Everton locking horns in a derby clash at Anfield.
O Palmeiras goleou o Goiás por 5 a 0, neste domingo, em Goiânia e assumiu a vice-liderança do Brasileirão. Com direito a quebra de jejum de Dudu e do reencontro de Endrick com a rede, o Verdão aproveitou as superioridades técnica, númerica e no placar para dominar a partida e sair da casa do adversário com três pontos na bagagem. Artur, Sidimar (contra) e Raphael Veiga completar o o marcador na Serrinha.
continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasCom a janela fechada, Palmeiras deve ter ‘reforço’ do sub-20 para substituir MuriloPalmeiras07/05/2023
+ Veja tabela e classificação do Brasileirão-2023 clicando aqui
Verdão domina as ações e abre o placar com lance típico
Apesar de o Goiás ter sido o mandante da partida, quem tomou as iniciativas foi o Palmeiras, que durante os primeiros minutos controlou a posse de bola e não teve pressa para definir as jogadas. Não demorou muito para, em cobrança de escanteio, Raphel Veiga cruza na cabeça de Zé Rafael, que desviou para trás e encontrou Artur, que só teve o trabalho de cabecear para abrir o placar na Serrinha. O Esmeraldino buscou um sufoco logo em seguida para tentar o empate, mas esbarrou na defesa adversária, que afastou os perigos.
Palmeiras diminui o ritmo, e Goiás explora deficiências, mas vai para o intervalo com um a menos
Sem necessidade de “tirar o pé”, o Verdão aproveitou a vantagem no placar para administrar a partida ainda no primeiro tempo. Enquanto isso, o Esmeraldino explorava o lado direito da defesa palmeirense, que se salvava pela consistência de todo o sistema. Nos contra-ataque, a equipe de Abel Ferreira tomava decisões erradas, mas em um deles Rony sairia cara a cara com o goleiro e foi parado com falta dura de Lucas Halter. O VAR solicitou a análise do árbitro de campo, que decidiu expulsar o zagueiro. Na cobrança de falta, Veiga quase fez um golaço, mas Rangel fez milagre.
continua após a publicidade
Verdão volta do intervalo e amplia o placar
Não demorou muito para o Palmeiras conseguir seu segundo gol. Em jogada pelo lado esquerdo, Piquerez tentou cruzar para a área e Sidimar acabou desviando para a própria meta, cedendo o tento para o adversário. Com um a mais e a vantagem no placar, o Verdão deu alguns vacilos defensivos desnecessários, mas seguia com chances de buscar mais gols. Dudu, por exemplo, teve duas boas oportunidades, mas não conseguia encerrar seu jejum em 2023. Nesse meio tempo, Abel Ferreira começou a mexer no time e poupar algumas peças.
Palmeiras controla o jogo e passa a ser mais assertivo para golear
Com as mudanças e o placar praticamente definido, o Verdão parecia apenas refinar a conclusão de suas jogadas para fazer mais gols. E foi isso que aconteceu na reta final. Primeiro Veiga aproveitou saída errada de bola do Esmeraldino para fazer o terceiro gol. Depois foi a vez de Piquerez, de novo, cruzar para a área e achar Endrick, que de cabeça colocou para dentro. Eram três partidas que o garoto não entrava em campo. Ainda teve tempo para Dudu quebrar seu jejum. Piquerez, novamente, cruzou para a área e o camisa 7 completou para o gol. 5 a 0 e fecha a conta.
continua após a publicidade
E agora?
Com a vitória, o Palmeiras vai a dez pontos no Brasileirão e atinge a segunda posição na tabela, atrás apenas do Botafogo, que tem 12 pontos. Enquanto isso, o Goiás fica com apenas três pontos e ocupa a 18ª posição na classificação, ou seja, no Z4 da competição. Na próxima rodada, o Alviverde paulista recebe o Grêmio, na quarta-feira, no Allianz Parque, às 21h30. Já o Esmeraldino vai até o Maracanã pegar o Flamengo, às 20h.
FICHA TÉCNICA GOIÁS 0 x 5 PALMEIRAS Local: Hailé Pinheiro, em Goiânia (GO) Data-Hora: 7/5/2023 – 18h30 (de Brasília) Árbitro: Wagner do Nascimento Magalhães (Fifa/RJ) Assistentes: Kleber Lucio Gil (SC) e Thiago Henrique Neto Correa Farinha (RJ) VAR: Rodrigo D’Alonso Ferreira (SC) Público: Não disponíveis Cartões amarelos: Dieguinho, Bruno Melo (GOI) Endrick, Zé Rafael, Gustavo Gómez, Piquerez, Raphael Veiga e Mayke (PAL) Cartões vermelhos: Lucas Halter, aos 40’/1ºT (GOI) Gols: Artur (9’/1ºT) (0-1), Sidimar (contra) (2’/2ºT) (0-2), Raphael Veiga (32’/2ºT) (0-3), Endrick (37’/2ºT) (0-4), Dudu (44’/2ºT) (0-5)
GOIÁS: Marcelo Rangel; Guilherme Marques, Lucas Halter, Bruno Melo e Sander; Zé Ricardo (Alesson, aos 35’/2ºT), Morelli, Dieguinho e Palacios (Dodô, aos 35’/2ºT); Vinícius (Diego Gonçalves, aos 13’/2ºT) e Matheus Peixoto (Apodi, aos 13’/2ºT). Técnico: Émerson Ávila.
PALMEIRAS: Weverton; Mayke (Garcia, aos 20’/2ºT), Gustavo Gómez, Luan e Piquerez; Zé Rafael (Fabinho, aos 25’/2ºT), Gabriel Menino (Richard Ríos, aos 20’/2ºT) e Raphael Veiga (Jhon Jhon, aos 33’/2ºT); Artur, Dudu e Rony (Endrick, aos 20’/2ºT). Técnico: Abel Ferreira.
Gloucestershire 109 for 2 (Bracey 49*, Bancroft 39) beat Sussex 106 (Carson 26, M Taylor 3-25, Smith 3-25) by eight wicketsGloucestershire booked themselves a West Country showdown with local rivals Somerset in the Vitality Blast final, to give themselves a shot at their first silverware for close to a decade, as well as their maiden title in this competition, after a crushingly effective eight-wicket victory over Sussex in the second semi-final at Edgbaston.After being asked to bowl first on a drying pitch that was likely to offer increasing grip for the spinners – and having watched Somerset’s bowlers put the squeeze on Surrey in the opening contest – Gloucestershire made sure that the conditions would be academic come the sharp end, by routing their previously high-flying rivals for 106 in 18.1 overs. Matt Taylor and Tom Smith grabbed the lion’s share of the wickets with twin figures of 3 for 25, but David Payne’s 1 for 9 in four overs was the epitome of their performance.After that, the result was never truly in doubt. Despite the early loss of Miles Hammond, Cameron Bancroft and James Bracey broke the back of the chase with a second-wicket stand of 54, and Sussex’s grim day was summed up when Ollie Robinson dropped an utter sitter at mid-on, as Bracey went for broke with just six runs needed. He got it right two balls later, however, with a mighty drill over long-off to wrap up the chase with 38 balls unused.Sussex hadn’t had a prayer with so few runs to play with. Tymal Mills, doubtless ruing his call at the toss, tried to frontload his strike bowling, with Robinson relatively misery but wicketless in his four overs for 23, while the only other successful bowler was James Coles, whose 1 for 17 in three overs will count as further experience banked at the end of a breakthrough campaign.Payne and Taylor boss the powerplay Payne’s harnessing of swing in the powerplay is his “super-strength”, as he told ESPNcricinfo in the build-up, and with metronomic inevitability he proved true to his word once again. His 21st powerplay wicket of the campaign, and tournament-leading 30th overall, was the whopper that Gloucestershire needed above all others.With 595 runs at 42.50 going into Finals Day, Daniel Hughes had been the rock of Sussex’s batting all season long, but he’d extended his tally by just one more run when Payne outfoxed him in his second over. With a hint of shape from over the wicket, he lured Hughes across his crease then beat his intentions with some extra bounce, the under-edge deflecting into his own stumps.Five balls – and no runs – later, Sussex’s innings was officially in the soup. Matt Taylor’s low full toss wasn’t quite the yorker he was aiming for, but then nor was Harrison Ward’s leading-edged response. Hammond snaffled the low deflection that somehow carried to mid-on, and though James Coles then cracked three of Taylor’s next four balls for four, he too fell to the fifth, as Bancroft intercepted at short midwicket.Taylor’s third and final wicket, however, was a true collector’s item. Round the wicket, perfect line and length, it gripped the dry pitch and ripped and bounced like a legbreak through Tom Alsop’s half-formed defences. His hat-trick ball was too full to trouble John Simpson – “you greedy boy!” joked James Bracey over the stump mic, but at 35 for 4 at the end of the powerplay, Sussex were scrambling for anything competitive.Cameron Bancroft makes a dent in Gloucestershire’s small target•Getty Images
Price is right for middle overs Ollie Price’s first two balls weren’t the most auspicious. Five wides first-up, then four more byes as a very tight appeal for lbw deceived both batter and keeper. His third ball, however, was bang on the money. Round the wicket to the left-handed Tom Clark, and straightening just enough out of the footholes to peg back his off stump as Clark missed his sweep.And, after a solitary over for his brother Tom, Ollie made it two wickets in as many overs as Fynn Hudson-Prentice, one ball after finding the stands at deep midwicket, found the fielder there instead, as he got too greedy on a dragged-down delivery, and picked out Hammond’s safe hands once more to depart for a run-a-ball 13.No let-up through the back end Five balls was enough for Tom Smith to prise out Sussex’s last realistic hope of a defendable total. Simpson also succumbed to the sweep as he was nailed on the full, just in line with off stump, leaving Sussex beached on 64 for 7 in the tenth, with little option but to bat out the overs and take whatever they could muster.Robinson and Jack Carson obliged for a time, adding a run-a-ball 37 to drag the total past 100. But back came Smith, tossing it above Robinson’s eyeline to lure a hack to deep mid-off. One ball later, he and Bracey combined for a moment that might have been designed as Jack Russell-Mark Alleyne tribute act, as Smith fired a faster delivery past the pads of the incoming Mills, and the unsighted Bracey whipped off the bails for a stumping that would have graced the club’s trophy-winning glory days at the turn of the 2000s.With options aplenty and only the resolute Carson resisting, Payne bowled out in the 18th over, conceding just nine runs in total in another stellar display, before Josh Shaw – scarcely any less frugal – mopped up the resistance with 11 balls left unused. It had been a performance to match their magnificent defence of 139 on his same ground in the quarter-final against Birmingham Bears. On this evidence, there was little reason to believe Gloucestershire couldn’t make it three Edgbaston wins in a row by the end of cricket’s longest day.