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BBC News
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Revamped T20 Blast ready to ignite
History will be made in the 2025 T20 Blast as women's teams have officially become "fully aligned" with the men's game for the first season will include 52 double bills of men's and women's matches played back-to-back, of which all 18 first-class counties will host at least one and nearly 30 venues in total will see 20-over Off weekend will kick off the new-look competition, beginning on Thursday in Manchester, where 2015 winners Lancashire Lightning host 2018 winners Worcestershire Rapids, and Lord's, where Middlesex and Sussex Sharks meet in a double men's champions Gloucestershire begin with a home game against Kent at Bristol on women's side will continue to play as The Blaze, having beaten South East Stars to win the Charlotte Edwards Cup final last June before the women's domestic game changed for this also start on Friday against the Bears, who have dropped Birmingham from their name, as part of a double header at Trent Oval will stage the first Women's Finals Day on Sunday, 27 July, while Men's Finals Day will be on Saturday, 13 September - again at Edgbaston, for the 17th time in the 23 years of T20 and the 13th straight year. How the teams are divided Blast Men's Competition:North Group: Bears, Derbyshire Falcons, Durham, Lancashire Lightning, Leicestershire Foxes, Northamptonshire Steelbacks, Notts Outlaws, Worcestershire Rapids, Yorkshire Group: Essex, Glamorgan, Gloucestershire, Hampshire Hawks, Kent Spitfires, Middlesex, Somerset, Sussex Sharks, Women's Competition:Bears, Durham, Essex, Hampshire Hawks, Lancashire Thunder, Somerset, Surrey, The Women's League 2:North Group: Derbyshire Falcons, Leicestershire Foxes, Northamptonshire Steelbacks, Worcestershire Rapids, Group: Glamorgan, Gloucestershire, Kent, Middlesex, Sussex here for the full fixture list What happened in 2024? Gloucestershire won their maiden T20 Blast title in glorious style last September as they beat holders Somerset, comprehensively outplaying their West Country rivals to claim their first trophy in nine Cameron Bancroft, up against his former county, and Miles Hammond both hit half-centuries at Edgbaston as they won by eight wickets with 31 balls to winning just one of their opening five matches, Gloucestershire came from nowhere to squeeze through in fourth in the Southern Group and then followed it up by beating North Group winners Birmingham Bears in the quarter-final, the third straight season the Bears had fallen in the last eight, on their way to claiming their first knockout trophy since beating Surrey in the One-Day Cup at Lord's in became the 14th side to win the T20 - leaving Yorkshire, Durham, Derbyshire and Glamorgan as the only four sides not to have done so in its 22 coach Anthony McGrath hopes the start of this year's T20 Blast, with Northants first up at Headingley on Friday, can bring a change of fortune after a torrid start to their campaign in Division One of the County Championship."It's a new competition, and it is about starting well," he told BBC Radio Leeds. "We have done a lot of planning, but again, that counts for nothing; it is the performances. I'm looking forward to seeing how we react on Friday evening."This group is dying to do well, but you need more than that. At the highest levels of sport, it is not about skill; it is about what's in your head."It is a competition we know we have to get better at, but it is about us going out there and getting momentum and improving." Ashes reunions in women's competition A number of international stars are set to line up in the women's batter Laura Harris will play for Bears, who have lost Amy Jones to The Blaze and Eve Jones to Thunder this season, but the spin of captain Georgia Davis might again prove crucial to their have signed New Zealand international Suzie Bates to complement a line-up featuring England players Mady Villiers, skipper Hollie Armitage, Lauren Filer and Bess have brought in Australian all-rounder Maddie Penna and evergreen keeper Lauren Winfield-Hill from Yorkshire for the Blast and can rely upon captain Grace Scrivens but will miss strike-bowler Sophie Munro through Hawks have seen a number of players depart this season, but skipper Georgia Adams has Australia international Charli Knott and England's Maia Bouchier at her disposal, while Ellyse Perry is set to arrive in July for the final six games of the campaign and Finals Day, should the Hawks get Thunder became the first winners of the new Vitality T20 Women's County Cup with a 32-run victory over Surrey in the final at Taunton on Sunday, with England's Sophie Ecclestone claiming 4-12 to smother the Surrey Ellie Threlkeld has brought in batter Eve Jones, quick bowler Grace Potts and spinner Darcey Carter to bolster her ranks, while Australian batter Katie Mack will play the first three games of the campaign before being replaced by compatriot, superstar leg-spinner Alana King, for the remainder of the Luff bolstered her Somerset line-up with the addition of England all-rounder Charlie Dean before the season, and Australian leg-spinner Amanda-Jade Wellington is also back, having played last season under their old Western Storm identity, boosting a squad which already boasts former England skipper Heather Smith might have seen her Surrey side – formerly South East Stars – fall short in the County Cup final, but with England's Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Sophia Dunkley and Alice Davidson-Richards in her squad and Australian bat Grace Harris arriving in June, hopes will be high of challenging for a fourth final in five years in this year's Charlotte Edwards Cup winners, The Blaze, might just be the team to beat, with skipper Kirstie Gordon able to call upon Maddy Green of New Zealand in the opening four matches before Australia's Heather Graham arrives for the final 10, with Gordon's Scotland team-mates, sisters Kathryn and Sarah Bryce, back for another tilt at silverware. Global stars jet in for Blast A host of global white-ball talent will be jetting over to take part in the men's GroupBears were dealt a blow on the eve of the tournament as Beau Webster will now miss out after being called up by Australia for the World Test Championship, while Hasan Ali will be unavailable for the first three games after being given a central contract by have signed Australian leg-spinner Lloyd Pope after countryman Ashton Agar was ruled out through injury. Pope was named in the team of the tournament in the Big Bash earlier this year, while South Africa batter Matthew Breetzke is also have signed New Zealand all-rounder Jimmy Neesham. The left-hander is a veteran of 83 T20 internationals and 76 ODI games for the Black who also bowls right-arm seam, will play for his sixth county after previous stints with Derbyshire, Essex, Kent, Leicestershire and have also signed New Zealand seamer Zak Foulkes, who was with Bears last summer, for the group stages, still have South Africans David Bedingham and Codi Yusuf around and taken Somerset bowling all-rounder Kasey Aldridge on loan for a paceman Ben Dwarshuis has returned to Worcestershire Rapids, having taken 15 wickets in 2021, and will be joined by Kiwi seamer Jacob Duffy for the first eight games, while Leicestershire can call on Dutch all-rounder Logan van Beek and will welcome Pakistan's Shan Masood, formerly of Yorkshire and Derbyshire, for the have signed Australian all-rounder Ashton Turner, previously of Durham, to join compatriot Chris Green, while Notts Outlaws have brought in their compatriot Daniel Sams, who has spent the last three domestic seasons with Essex, scoring more than 2,000 runs and taking 214 wickets in T20 cricket, and veteran Aussie all-rounder Moises Henriques, who has previously played for Surrey and batter Alex Hales will not, however, feature this 36-year-old is the club's all-time T20 run-scorer with 4,285, and he has won five titles across different formats, having made his debut in the format 17 years will instead represent the Knight Riders franchise in both Major League Cricket and the Caribbean Premier have signed New Zealand quick Will O'Rourke and Australian all-rounder Will Sutherland for the group stage while Derbyshire can call on Australian batter Caleb Jewell and teenage Afghan spinner Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar, while Kiwi quick Blair Tickner is also around for the group GroupAustralia batter D'Arcy Short has joined defending champions left-hander, who can also bowl spin, has played for his country in both white-ball formats and has twice been named 'Player of the Tournament' in Australia's Big Bash. Short joins fellow countryman Cameron Bancroft with The have brought back Australian seamer Riley Meredith, who took 14 wickets at an average of 22.78 as Somerset reached the final last season, and welcome back New Zealand's Matt Henry, who was the leading wicket-taker in the 2023 Blast with 31 and was player of the match in the final as Somerset went on to win the have re-signed Pakistan pace bowler Mohammad Amir. The 33-year-old, who previously played for the club from 2017 to 2019, has taken 371 wickets in 322 T20 games around the world and will join South African Simon Harmer in the Essex Hawks have young South African batters Lhuan-dre Pretorius and Dewald Brevis to call on, along with the return of James Vince to look forward have signed Kiwi white-ball skipper Mitchell Santner for the campaign, where he will link up with fellow New Zealander Nathan Smith, while neighbours Middlesex can boast Kane Williamson in their ranks for 10 group stage games and also have Ireland quick Josh Little to call have signed Australian all-rounder Hayden Kerr, who played for Derbyshire in 2022, until the end of July and can call upon the evergreen South African Colin Ingram, while Sussex Sharks have Australians Daniel Hughes and Nathan McAndrew among their ranks and might also opt to utilise their compatriot seamer Gurinder Sandhu, who will remain with the club for red-ball cricket after the paceman Wes Agar and bowling all-rounder Tom Rogers are back with Kent Spitfires after impressive turns in 2024, while Sam Billings will skipper the side and Fred Klaassen is also available.
Time Business News
26-05-2025
- Business
- Time Business News
Robert Leslie Stencil Calls On President Donald J. Trump: To Finish What Was Started and Cement America's Energy Legacy
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – May 25, 2025 Washington, D.C. — In the wake of President Donald J. Trump's recent executive actions aimed at revitalizing America's energy sector—including renewed support for nuclear, the rollback of restrictive environmental regulations, and efforts to dismantle wasteful government subsidies—Robert Leslie Stencil is calling on the President to seize the moment and support General American LNG, the largest privately funded clean energy initiative in American history. A Vision Aligned with 'America First' General American LNG is not just another energy project—it is a fully designed, shovel-ready blueprint for energy independence, job creation, and economic prosperity. Suppressed under the Obama-Biden administration, this project is now being revived with the support of everyday Americans, conservative thought leaders, and industry advocates. It aligns completely with President Trump's promise to put America First. Key Project Highlights: Job Creation: Over 244,000 new jobs projected across a 30-year horizon—without burdening the taxpayer. Infrastructure Expansion: Development of 5,000+ natural gas fueling stations nationwide. Fleet Modernization: Annual conversion of 500,000 light-fleet vehicles to clean-burning Compressed Natural Gas (CNG). Educational Investment: Launch of a college-level training curriculum to prepare a skilled workforce in the CNG transportation sector. Energy Independence: Expansion of LNG exports to free-trade and non-free-trade nations, driving global demand for American gas. No Burden on Taxpayers: The entire plan is 100% privately funded through LNG export profits—not government subsidies. > Robert Leslie Stencil built this plan for the American people, and he's handing it to President Trump as a thank-you—for standing up against the corruption, waste, and rigged systems that have held America back. A Direct Appeal to Conservative Leaders President Trump, this is the legacy project that cements your energy dominance agenda. This is the cherry on top. But it can't move forward without your support. We are calling on YOU—and on the conservative movement—to act. We urge the following conservative news leaders and organizations to help carry this message forward: Matthew Boyle, Chief Political Correspondent, Breitbart News Glenn Beck, Founder, The Blaze Charlie Kirk, Founder, Turning Point USA Steve Bannon, War Room host Jesse Watters and Laura Ingraham, Fox News Tucker Carlson, The Tucker Carlson Network A Challenge to Energy Industry CEOs: Step Up The natural gas industry has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to support a national infrastructure and energy plan that won't cost taxpayers a dime and will expand markets for your own product. We call on the following leaders to publicly rally behind this effort: Nick Dell'Osso, CEO, Chesapeake Energy Joseph Dominguez, CEO, Constellation Energy Bernard Looney, CEO, BP plc Marshall McCrea, Co-CEO, Energy Transfer LP John Christmann, CEO, APA Corporation Robert Phillips, CEO, Crestwood Midstream Partners Now is the time to rise, unite, and push this project back into motion. Why It Was Suppressed—And Why That Ends Now This project was intentionally suppressed by the Obama-Biden administration. The DOJ was weaponized against Stencil because he spoke out against government subsidies that forced Americans to pay for projects they didn't benefit from. Americans never received equity or return on those investments—but were still forced to buy the end products. Stencil's refusal to play the game—his demand that projects be funded by profit, not public money—was met with brutal resistance: He was charged with 41 felonies, later reduced to 38, in an effort to bury him and kill the project. Four federal judges involved in the case violated financial ethics rules by holding stock in energy companies that benefited from his conviction. Exculpatory evidence was withheld. His release was denied during COVID, despite prison approval. This was lawfare before lawfare had a name. The same system that targeted Trump targeted Stencil first. President Trump, you're dismantling that system now. This is the moment to set things right. Media Inquiries: Leslie Defense Fund and Group 15807 Sitting Bull Street Victorville, California 92395 Email: help@ Contact: Jerry Stencil: 704-661-5574 Peter Smithj: Text Line: 770-322-4819 Follow & Support the Cause: Website: Facebook: Twitter/X: Truth Social: GiveSendGo: President Trump, this is your moment. The question is not whether America can lead— the question is, will you bless the plan that puts your name on the largest private energy project in U.S. history? The American people are watching. So are your enemies. Let's finish what you started. Set Robert Leslie Stencil free, and bless his projects president Donald j Trump. TIME BUSINESS NEWS
BBC News
20-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Elwiss steers Blaze to win despite injury
All-rounder Georgia Elwiss defied the pain from an injured hand with a match-winning unbeaten 75 as The Blaze beat Somerset by four wickets with an over to spare in the women's One-Day skipper Sophie Luff struck 72 from 76 balls, backed up by a half-century from opener Rebecca Odgers and a swashbuckling 25-ball 48 from Australian all-rounder Amanda-Jade Wellington as Somerset set their opponents a tough challenge by posting 304-7 in their 50 Zealand batter Maddy Green hit 12 boundaries in a 90-ball 97 as The Blaze responded, sharing a 125-run second-wicket stand with Kathryn Bryce (59) before they slipped to 33-year-old England all-rounder Elwiss brought all her experience into play as she and skipper Kirstie Gordon (25) shared an unbroken 67-run partnership to clinch victory at the Haslegrave Ground in who hit eight fours and faced 68 balls, batted despite suffering an injury fielding off her own bowling and spent the last 19 overs of the Somerset innings off the field receiving treatment. Odgers and opening partner Emma Corney earlier put on 88 for the first wicket as Somerset's innings got off to a flying start. They were not parted until the the 17th over, when Odgers was unlucky to be run out after Corney changed her mind over a was the 22-year-old Cornish-born batter's second fifty in two innings in Somerset colours, making a good impression again after her 60 against Durham earlier in the Josie Groves was expensive but picked up an important wicket when Corney was stumped and Elwiss was rewarded for an excellent spell by having Fran Wilson (28) caught at mid-off from a slower ball prior to suffering her Ballinger castled Katie Jones for eight but skipper Luff was the fulcrum for Somerset, the 69 added with Alex Griffiths (28) in 11 overs for the fifth wicket giving Somerset a platform to was bowled when she missed a slog-sweep and Luff was caught at short fine leg, having hit seven fours and a six. But then came a flurry of hitting by Wellington, seven of whose nine boundaries before she was run out off the final ball came in Ballinger's last three overs, which cost 37 Blaze struggled for early momentum in response, with Georgie Boyce running herself out looking for a single that Green understandably once Green and Kathryn Bryce found their range in the last three overs of the powerplay, turning 19-1 from seven into 50-1 from 10, Somerset suffered until Olivia Barnes, the former Kent left-arm spinner, claimed her maiden wicket for her new county as Bryce was bowled attempting to partnership had added 125 in 18.4 overs, Bryce's fourth half-century of the competition having come off 47 balls with eight fours, Green's first for The Blaze also containing eight fours off the momentum shifted back to Somerset. A tidy spell from seamer Alex Griffiths was rewarded when Sarah Bryce, whom she had dropped on two in her follow-through, was bowled behind her though Green and Elwiss, at times in obvious pain from her injury, added another 47 for the fourth wicket, Somerset achieved the breakthrough they had been looking for when the former - in touching distance of a fifth List A hundred in this calendar year - was bowled by the returning Ellie loss in the next over of Ella Claridge, whose top-edged sweep gave 18-year-old Barnes a second wicket, left The Blaze 203-5 in the 36th, still 102 short of their target, Wellington striking a further blow when the leg-spinner removed Michaela Kirk leg despite her discomfort, Elwiss took the responsibility for seeing her side over the line, a superbly judged innings giving her a third half-century for the Blaze as she and Gordon completed the Reporters' Network supported by Rothesay
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bears sign opener Harris for women's T20 Blast
Warwickshire have signed Australian opening bat Laura Harris for the inaugural women's T20 Blast, which begins next month. The 34-year-old will join Bears Women, the name the club are using for the short-format competition, before the opening game against The Blaze at Trent Bridge on 30 May. Harris has played 123 games in Australia's Big Bash T20 competition and has previous experience in English conditions, having appeared for three different teams in The Hundred. "Her aggressive batting approach and proven experience at the highest level of franchise cricket will undoubtedly strengthen our side," said director of cricket Laura MacLeod. "She perfectly aligns with our ambitions and the style of cricket we aim to showcase." Warwickshire are one of eight fully professional teams playing under a new format for the domestic women's game, replacing the former regional structure. Their first home game in the T20 Blast will be against Durham on 31 May in a double header with the two men's teams. Get cricket news sent straight to your phone
BBC News
20-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Bears sign opener Harris for women's T20 Blast
Warwickshire have signed Australian opening bat Laura Harris for the inaugural women's T20 Blast, which begins next 34-year-old will join Bears Women, the name the club are using for the short-format competition, before the opening game against The Blaze at Trent Bridge on 30 has played 123 games in Australia's Big Bash T20 competition and has previous experience in English conditions, having appeared for three different teams in The Hundred."Her aggressive batting approach and proven experience at the highest level of franchise cricket will undoubtedly strengthen our side," said director of cricket Laura MacLeod."She perfectly aligns with our ambitions and the style of cricket we aim to showcase."Warwickshire are one of eight fully professional teams playing under a new format for the domestic women's game, replacing the former regional first home game in the T20 Blast will be against Durham on 31 May in a double header with the two men's teams.
