Major League Baseball decided to continue testing the automatic balls and strikes (ABS) challenge system during Tuesday night's All-Star Game at Truist Park in Atlanta. The league tested the system in spring training. Now, the Midsummer Classic provides a new, bigger stage for a potential rule change MLB is clearly mulling over.
For ABS challenges Tuesday, the same process as spring remained in place. Each team is allowed two challenges, with the ability to keep them if they are successful. The pitcher, catcher, and batter are the only three who can call for a challenge, which must happen immediately after a pitch. No outside help from the dugout is allowed.
All-Star Game starter and Tigers ace Tarik Skubal got to put the system to work during the first inning, which was his only on the hill. He was ahead 0-2 on San Diego Padres star Manny Machado when he threw what was initially called a ball. The pitch was down in the zone and pretty nicely framed by Mariners catcher and new Home Run Derby champion Cal Raleigh.
Skubal and Raleigh agreed it was a strike and quickly signaled to initiate an ABS challenge. The two happened to be mic'd up on the FOX broadcast at the time, so fans got to see and hear the whole scene play out. Skubal asked Raleigh how he thought he did since "Big Dumper" called for the challenge first.
"I think it's a strike," Raleigh said as the crew went to the ABS system. The pitch was clearly in the zone, which meant Machado was called out on strikes and brought out a big laugh from Skubal.
"Hey, you take 'em any way you can get 'em boys," Skubal said.
The reversed call brought a huge smile and laugh out of Dodgers and National League manager Dave Roberts, too.
Skubal finished his one inning Tuesday with two strikeouts, including the one thanks to the challenge. He let up three hits and two earned runs, though, as the NL got out to an early 2-0 lead.
The ABS challenge system could be implemented at the major league level as soon as next season. The league's competition committee will formally meet to discuss the measure later this summer. If it does become implemented across the board, at least we were able to get used to it a bit early.
Sean Williams, the veteran Zimbabwe batter, will not be considered for national selection and his central contract will not be renewed after Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) said he disclosed to them that he has been struggling with drug addiction.In a statement, ZC referred to “a history of disciplinary issues and repeated unavailability, which has impacted team preparations and performance”.Williams, 39, has played 273 matches for Zimbabwe across all formats in an international career spanning more than 20 years, but ZC confirmed that his contract will not be renewed beyond the end of 2025.Related
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Williams had most recently withdrawn from the Zimbabwe squad on the eve of the Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Qualifiers, citing “personal reasons”. On Tuesday, ZC revealed that they had conducted an internal investigation to understand the reason for his unavailability, after which Williams had disclosed to the board that he has been struggling with drug addiction, and had voluntarily entered into rehab.”ZC expects all contracted players to uphold the highest standards of professionalism, discipline and compliance with team protocols and anti-doping regulations,” the board said in its statement. “While ZC commends him for seeking rehabilitation, withdrawal from team commitments under circumstances involving potential testing raises serious concerns regarding professional and ethical standards.”Since making his international debut in 2005, Williams has scored more than 8000 runs across all formats for Zimbabwe. He was most prolific in ODIs, making 5217 runs at an average of 37.53, with eight hundreds and 37 fifties. Earlier this year, he overtook James Anderson to become the longest-serving active international cricketer.Williams, however, was also never far from controversies or from a fractured relationship with ZC. Although he led the U-19 side in the World Cup in Sri Lanka in February 2006 – the highlight being a win over England – there were rumours both before and after the tournament that he was not happy with the board. Williams subsequently turned down a central contract the following month, opting to look for a more settled career overseas. However, he changed his mind three months later, thus returning to play for Zimbabwe. The on-off farrago resurfaced in 2008 when he again quit for a contract in South Africa, only to return weeks later.In late 2014, despite being one of Zimbabwe’s best players of spin, Williams was not considered for the tour of Bangladesh after interruptions in his involvement in a training camp, and an aborted disciplinary hearing.”ZC sincerely acknowledges and appreciates his immense contribution to Zimbabwean cricket over the past two decades,” the board said. “Williams has played a pivotal role in some of the most significant moments in our recent history, leaving a lasting legacy both on and off the field. ZC wishes him strength in his recovery, and every success in his future endeavours.”
أدلى مارتن كيون نجم آرسنال السابق، برأيه حول مصير آرني سلوت بعد هزيمة ليفربول المذلة بثلاثية نظيفة ضد نوتينجهام فورست، يوم السبت.
وألحق نوتينجهام فورست بالفريق المضيف الهزيمة السادسة في سبع مباريات بالدوري الانجليزي، بفضل أهداف موريلو ونيكولو سافونا ومورجان جيبس وايت.
وقال كيون في تصريحات نشرتها “مترو” البريطانية: “يجب أن نشيد بفورست على ما يقدمونه ولكن الآن آرني سلوت في وضع حرج”.
وأضاف: “من الواضح أن هذا كان فريق يورجن كلوب وقد حاول إجراء تغييرات لكنه أنفق 450 مليون جنيه إسترليني على اللاعبين والفريق يتراجع”.
اقرأ أيضًا.. فان دايك بعد الهزيمة أمام نوتينجهام: علينا النظر في المرآة.. ولن أحكم على الجماهير
وواصل: “لقد هزموا ببساطة، لا أعلم إن كانت أزمة لكن خسارة ست مباريات من أصل سبع تمثل مشكلة كبيرة للمدرب، أمر لا يصدق”.
ولا يعتقد كيون مع ذلك أن آرني سلوت معرض لخطر الإقالة، حيث إنه يمتلك رصيد بما يكفي للاحتفاظ بمنصبه في الوقت الحالي.
وختم: “لا أعتقد أنه من الممكن الفوز بالبريميرليج ثم الإقالة في العام التالي، ما نراه مع ليفربول مثيرًا للدهشة، تراجع مستواهم وخسروا هذا العدد من المباريات وتأخرهم بثماني نقاط عن المتصدر، أمر لا يصدق”.
Home skipper remains unbeaten on 171 after day one run-fest at Lord’s
ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay24-Sep-2025
Leus du Plooy made another century for Middlesex•Ray Lawrence
Middlesex 394 for 5 (du Plooy 171*, Cracknell 64*, Geddes 60) vs GloucestershireMiddlesex skipper Leus du Plooy’s 24th first-class hundred gave the hosts the upper hand on the first day of the their final County Championship Division Two clash of the season with Gloucestershire at Lord’s.The South African-born left-hander passed the landmark of the third time this season, remaining unbeaten with 171 in an innings sprinkled with 15 fours as Middlesex piled up 394 for 5.Du Plooy shared stands of 127 with Luke Hollman (55), 121 with Ben Geddes (60), and an unbroken 112 with wicketkeeper Joe Cracknell, who had 63 by the close.Ajeet Singh Dale kept the visitors in the contest with 4 for 88, including wickets with successive balls in the afternoon session, while Graeme Van Buuren bowled a frugal spell of spin to return 1 for 35 from 18 overs.Despite the 10:30am start, du Plooy chose to bat on winning the final toss of the campaign and the hosts made a quick start thanks to some wayward offerings from Gloucestershire’s new-ball attack.It was a similarly innocuous delivery from Singh Dale which brought the breakthrough, a leg-stump half-volley which Sam Robson sent straight to square leg. If that was fortuitous, Singh Dale produced a useful fourth stump ball in his next over that Josh De Caires nicked through to wicketkeeper James Bracey.It would be the last success for some time as the bowlers erred in line and length again and du Plooy and Hollman feasted accordingly. Three Hollman fours in one Matt Taylor over raised the 50, while du Plooy was quickly into stride, driving confidently in the mid-off/extra-cover arc. A back foot drive through cover from the skipper was the shot of the morning and he moved to his half-century from 56 balls shortly before lunch.The hundred partnership came up in the first over following the resumption and while Singh-Dale was finding hints of both swing and seam from the Nursery End, the pair carried the score to 161 relatively untroubled. It took a piece of brilliance from Bracey – who claimed a Gloucestershire record 11 victims against Middlesex in the corresponding fixture last season – to break the stand, grabbing a ball that was dying off the inside edge of Hollman’s bat, giving Singh-Dale a third wicket.Higgins followed to his next ball, harshly adjudged lbw to one heading over the top, but Geddes joined his skipper in the middle as and the hosts quickly regained the upper hand.Geddes, impressive in his first season in Middlesex colours, employed the pull shot to great effect, sending one short one from Singh Dale into the Grandstand, before a square drive took du Plooy to a chanceless century.Van Buuren put the breaks on either side of tea and was rewarded with the breakthrough when Geddes was pinned in front. Du Plooy however, had set his heart on a daddy hundred and while the boundaries briefly dried up he glided his way past 150.Cracknell proved a valuable ally, clearing the ropes with a thunderous pull shot and unfurling some pleasing cover drives in becoming the fourth home batter to pass 50 in the late autumn sunshine.Before the start of play there was a poignant minute’s silence in memory of beloved umpire Harold ‘Dickie Bird,’ who passed away on Monday aged 92.
India captain says the team had not been prevented from looking closely at the pitches at any other venue in this series
Nagraj Gollapudi30-Jul-20252:40
Gill: Levelling series with a young squad will be a big achievement
India captain Shubman Gill has said it was “absolutely unnecessary” for Lee Fortis, the Surrey head groundsman, to prevent the visitors from having a look at The Oval pitch from close quarters during their training session on Tuesday.Tempers flared when India head coach Gautam Gambhir got into an argument with Fortis, who was concerned by the heavy footfall as well as the presence of training gear on the main square, and reportedly told the Indians that they should view the pitch standing 2.5 metres away from the strip.Gambhir was seen wagging his finger at Fortis and telling him that he was “just a groundsman”.Related
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“What happened yesterday, I thought was just absolutely unnecessary,” Gill, who was not at the venue during the incident, said on the eve of the fifth Test at The Oval. “It’s not the first time that we were having a look at the wicket, we have been there for almost two months. A coach has every right to be able to go close quarters and have a look at the wicket and I didn’t think there was anything wrong with that. I actually don’t know why the curator would not allow us to go have a look at the wicket.”Gill said no curator at the four previous venues in the series – Headingley, Edgbaston, Lord’s and Old Trafford – had imposed restrictions on viewing the pitch or the square.”As long as I remember, we had never got any instructions. As long as you are wearing rubber spikes or [are] barefoot, you can see the wicket from near,” he said. “We have played four matches already in this series, and nobody stopped us from watching the pitch.”All of us have played so much cricket, we have gone to the pitches so many times, including the coaches and captain, I don’t know what the fuss was about.”0:35
Watch – Gambhir’s heated exchange with Surrey groundsman
With India trailing 2-1 in the series heading into the final Test, Gill was asked whether the pressure of a must-win game could have provoked Gambhir’s reaction.”Not really,” Gill said. “If a pitch curator is going to come and ask us to not look at the wicket and look at the wicket from three metres behind, that’s not something that has happened to us before. We’ve been [playing] cricket for such a long time […] That’s the job of the coach and the captain.”Despite there being several heated moments between the teams since the third Test at Lord’s, Gill said relations between England and India remained strong. He said he had “no regrets” at the way he and his team had behaved during the incidents.”The relation is fantastic, but when you are on the field, you are trying to win a game at the end of the day, and both the teams have been very competitive and sometimes when you are competitive in the heat of the moment, you do or say things that you might not do [otherwise],” he said. “But once the match is over, there is mutual respect between both teams.”
Tottenham Hotspur maintained their unbeaten record in the Champions League this season after securing a 0-0 draw against Monaco in France last night.
Thomas Frank’s side failed to capitalise on any of the chances that fell their way within the final third, subsequently only registering two shots on target within the 90 minutes.
However, they may have been lucky to walk away with just a point, as the hosts racked up a total of 23 shots, with eight of the attempts being placed on Guglielmo Vicario’s goal.
The Lilywhites’ display will no doubt have disappointed the manager, with his side showing no real bounce back after Sunday’s defeat against Aston Villa.
After such a showing, there’s no disputing that the Dane desperately needs to make changes to his squad ahead of the weekend’s clash against David Moyes’ Everton.
Spurs’ poor performers against Monaco last night
Rodrigo Bentancur was kept within the Spurs midfield last night, but such a decision proved to be the wrong one, given his lack of impact in the South of France.
The Uruguayan international failed to win a single tackle against the Ligue 1 outfit, whilst also losing 100% of the ground duels he entered – showcasing he was often dominated by the opposition.
Other stats, such as one foul committed and seven times possession lost, further highlight his inability to make a positive impact on the European encounter.
However, he wasn’t alone in being disappointing against Sebastien Pogognoli’s men, with Lucas Bergvall also producing a rare disappointing performance.
The Swede was subsequently replaced after an hour, after completing just six passes – subsequently finding a teammate just once every ten minutes.
He also failed to win a single tackle and was even dribbled past twice, with the Lilywhites’ midfield often being overran and leading to their inability to claim all three points.
Despite the showing of the aforementioned duo, one other player once again struggled to prove why the manager has stuck by him throughout the 2025/26 campaign.
The Spurs player who needs to be dropped after Monaco
Even though Spurs have only lost two games across all competitions since Frank’s arrival, they have struggled to impose themselves in numerous outings.
Last night’s showing was another one to forget for the Lilywhites, leaving the side with five points from a possible nine in this season’s edition of the Champions League.
Whilst the side have kept two clean sheets in their three matches, the frontline has massively disappointed – scoring just three goals, two of which were own goals.
Micky van de Ven is currently the only Lilywhites player to find the back of the net in Europe – further showcasing the issue Frank currently has in that department.
One of the players in that area of the pitch that has massively struggled is centre-forward Richarlison, with the Brazilian unable to match his early-season form.
The 28-year-old has now gone six games without a goal across all competitions, with his last effort coming in the draw with Brighton & Hove Albion over a month ago.
His showing against Monaco last night was yet another to forget for the £60m addition, subsequently putting his starting role into serious question.
Richarlison – stats against Monaco
Statistics
Tally
Minutes played
70
Touches
20
Passes completed
6
Shots taken
1
Dribbles completed
0
Possession lost
8x
Duels lost
4
Fouls committed
1
Stats via FotMob
Richarlison featured for 70 minutes last night, but like Bergvall, he only completed a total of six passes and registered a solitary effort on the opposition goal.
He only managed a total of 20 touches during his performance – a tally fewer than goalkeeper Vicario, who notched 49 – whilst also failing to complete any of his attempted dribbles.
The Brazilian subsequently gifted possession back to the hosts on eight separate occasions, leading to one analyst labelling his showing against the Ligue 1 side as “shocking”.
As a result of his showing, the striker was handed a measly 4/10 match rating by The Standard’s Matt Verri – further showcasing his lack of positive impact against the French outfit.
Frank has been lenient with his centre-forward over the last couple of weeks, but it’s desperately clear the 28-year-old needs to be dropped from the starting eleven.
Richarlison has constantly struggled to match the expectations placed upon him over the last couple of months, with Mathys Tel deserving of a recall against Everton this weekend.
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Borussia Dortmund are ready to make rare contract compromises to keep Karim Adeyemi, with talks ongoing between sporting director Sebastian Kehl and super-agent Jorge Mendes. The German forward's new deal could include a release clause and a higher salary as Dortmund push to extend his stay beyond 2027.
Dortmund could bend their long-standing no-release-clause rule
According to , negotiations between Dortmund and Mendes are moving fast as both sides look for common ground on a new long-term deal for the German international. The club are pushing for an extension beyond 2027, potentially running until 2030 or even 2031. However, securing that agreement could mean breaking one of the club’s long-standing policies.
Mendes is reportedly expected to insist on a release clause as part of the renewal, something the German giants have historically avoided. The Bundesliga side has only made exceptions for big names like Erling Haaland and Serhou Guirassy. With Adeyemi now represented by one of football’s most powerful agents, Dortmund might have no choice but to compromise if they want to lock in the 23-year-old for the long term.
AdvertisementAFPAdeyemi’s salary still a talking point
For Dortmund, securing Adeyemi’s future remains a key part of their long-term plan. Sporting director Kehl has made the forward’s renewal a priority and hopes to finalise it before next summer, when the German enters the final two years of his current deal.
The 23-year-old currently earns around €6 million per year, already placing him among Dortmund’s top earners. A new contract would likely see that rise to about €7m, putting him on par with Gregor Kobel and Guirassy. The club values Adeyemi’s growing impact after his strong performances in both the Bundesliga and Champions League, but also wants to keep the overall wage structure balanced as talks with Mendes continue.
Adeyemi continues to impress
Adeyemi has been one of Dortmund’s brightest performers this season, with three goals and three assists to his name. His thunderous strike against Juventus in Europe and a winner against Wolfsburg in September showed exactly why the club are so eager to keep him. Since joining from Red Bull Salzburg in May 2022, Adeyemi has added pace to Dortmund’s attack. He has 28 goals and 21 assists from 113 appearances for the German club and currently ranks fourth in the Bundesliga with a top speed of 35.78 km/h, continuing to cause problems for defenders across Germany.
Kehl knows that interest in Adeyemi is growing after his strong start to the season, and Dortmund wants to protect their position by securing his future early. A new contract would also send a message of stability, showing that the club, which struggled to attract their targets in the summer transfer window, can still hold on to their best talents despite increasing competition from Europe’s big clubs, including Juventus. Notably, the Serie A giants showed a strong interest in signing Adeyemi this summer, and were lining up a bid worth up to €50m (£43m/$58m).
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Getty Images SportWhat's next for Adeyemi and Dortmund?
Talks with Mendes will continue in the coming months, and the club hopes to finalise an agreement before Adeyemi enters the final two years of his contract. In the meantime, the German international remains focused on the pitch. The 23-year-old is expected to feature again when Dortmund face Augsburg on Friday, as the club looks to secure a fourth consecutive win across all competitions. The German club have rediscovered their rhythm after a disappointing 2-1 defeat to rivals Bayern Munich, bouncing back with wins over Copenhagen, Koln and Eintracht Frankfurt.
After failing to impress once again as Liverpool suffered their first defeat of the season against Crystal Palace, Jamie Carragher has pinpointed “another problem” that Florian Wirtz is having at Anfield.
Slot: Liverpool "have to go back" to set-piece strength
In what is becoming quite the trend, Liverpool were undone by two set pieces against Crystal Palace as the Eagles shocked the Premier League champions late on at Selhurst Park. Eddie Nketiah’s late strike was the fourth goal that Liverpool have conceded from set pieces this season in a record that Arne Slot admitted must change.
The Dutchman said in his press conference ahead of the Galatasaray game: “Last season I said many times, the reason we hardly conceded was that 11 players worked incredibly hard to make it difficult for the other team to even create a chance.
“That’s what we have done this season many times as well, but you can work as hard as you want but a set-piece is almost a different game inside a game. That was, by the way, one of our main strengths last season, that we hardly conceded from set-pieces.
“We have to go back to that, we haven’t changed our set-up, we haven’t changed anything, so we have to prove in the upcoming weeks and months that we were maybe a bit unlucky in conceding some set-pieces.
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“That can happen in five or six games [and can be] difficult to see it for the long term. We definitely have to improve because I also see teams in the Premier League that win games by set-pieces, and we lose games because of set-pieces.”
It’s not just set pieces that Liverpool should be concerned with, however. £116m arrival Wirtz is yet to make his mark and many have had their say as to why that is, including former player Carragher.
Carragher pinpoints "another problem" for Wirtz
Without a goal or assist since the Community Shield, there’s no denying that Wirtz is struggling to adapt to life at Anfield. The German has looked a shadow of the player that many know he is capable of becoming at Anfield and Saturday’s defeat has welcomed some uncomfortable questions.
Taking the chance to have his say on Wirtz’s struggles, Carragher actually told Monday Night Football that the form of Alexis Mac Allister is causing the midfielder “another problem”. The Argentine has faced injury struggles since the end of last season and has endured his own poor form on the pitch as a result.
There’s plenty of truth to that statement. In Wirtz’s most impressive Premier League display, he only showed signs of life against Arsenal when Mac Allister was replaced by Curtis Jones and no longer occupying similar spaces to the former Bayer Leverkusen star as a result.
The big question for Slot this summer revolved around how he would get both Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak in his side. As it turns out, however, his biggest problem could be fitting both Mac Allister and Wirtz into his midfield.
Barcelona are working to repair their reputation and relationships after the controversial European Super League plan, which promised elite clubs guaranteed participation and massive revenues but quickly collapsed under widespread backlash. Under president Joan Laporta, the club is now focusing on rebuilding trust with UEFA, European Football Clubs (EFC) chief Nasser Al-Khelaifi, and the wider continental football community.
The Super League saga
The European Super League (ESL), announced in April 2021 by 12 top clubs including Barcelona, promised guaranteed spots and significant financial rewards, estimating over €10 billion (£8.7bn/$11bn) in solidarity payments and bonuses. But the plan faced immediate opposition from fans, players, UEFA, FIFA, governments and most clubs.
The backlash severely damaged Barcelona’s reputation and threatened their relationship with UEFA. The club have since abandoned the project and are actively seeking to mend ties with European football authorities, emphasising cooperation, dialogue and trust-building.
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Barcelona seeks to mend bridges
Barcelona president Laporta attended a meeting in Rome organised by Paris Saint-Germain president Al-Khelaifi, who sits at the head of the EFC (formerly known as the European Club Association) and UEFA chief Aleksander Ceferin, signalling the club’s intent to reconcile.
“Nasser, the president of the EFC, invited us. We graciously accepted; there's a very good relationship. With FC Barcelona, we're in favour of pacifying European football; we want an agreement and a return to UEFA. By coming here, we want to build rapport and for this agreement to be reached. They're behaving very well, they're showing us a lot of respect. We have to do everything necessary to reach an agreement. Barça is on this path; it was our role to build bridges, both with Nasser and Ceferin,” said Laporta.
Fallout and lessons from the Super League
The ESL’s announcement triggered massive protests from fans, who viewed it as a greedy and elitist betrayal of football values. Players and coaches voiced strong opposition, emphasising sporting merit and competitive fairness, while UEFA and FIFA threatened sanctions against clubs and players.
Most founding clubs quickly withdrew under pressure, leaving Barcelona and Real Madrid as the main defenders. The collapse highlighted the risks of undermining domestic leagues, damaged club reputations, and forced UEFA to revamp its competitions, ensuring financial and competitive stability while reducing incentives for breakaway leagues.
Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was strongly against the ESL, warning that changing the game in a way that benefits only a few would harm football. Former Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, also opposed the plan, highlighting that it would move away from 70 years of European club football and create a closed shop at the top level.
UEFA President Ceferin criticised the ESL organisers, noting that supporters were being treated as consumers, fans as customers, and competitions as products, with greed and money taking precedence over solidarity and glory.
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Moving forward in European football
Having formally distanced itself from the Super League, Blaugrana are focused on cooperation within UEFA frameworks and positive engagement with European clubs. The Rome meeting represents the first step in rebuilding relationships. Barca aims to restore trust and emphasise merit-based competition signaling a new chapter in European football.
Sussex declined to set up a contest on the final day after Tom Alsop’s unbeaten 82
ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay07-Apr-2025
Tom Alsop scored an unbeaten 82 as Sussex batted their way to safety•Getty Images
Sussex 528 (Simpson 181*, Clark 140) and 313 for 7 dec (Alsop 82*) drew with Warwickshire 454 (Yates 115, Barnard 82, Davies 66, Mousley 63) and 104 for 2 (Yates 65*)Warwickshire and Sussex banked solid points from a draw after their high-scoring Rothesay County Championship Division One match drifted up the predictable cul-de-sac at Edgbaston.Sussex declined to set up a contest on the final day, batting themselves safe before finally declaring their second innings on 313 for 7 after Tom Alsop’s unbeaten 82 from 131 balls. That set the home side a notional target of 388 in a minimum of 44 overs.Warwickshire closed on 104 for 2, Rob Yates ending unbeaten on 65 to complete his excellent start to the season with 180 runs for once out, three wickets and a catch in the match.If the fourth day offered less than thrilling fare for the spectators, there was plenty of satisfaction from the match for both teams – Sussex on their return to Division One and Warwickshire having narrowly avoided relegation last year – at making a solid start to the season.After Sussex resumed on the final morning on 126 for 3, James Coles soon lifted Yates for a handsome straight six but the spinner hit back with his third wicket when nightwatcher Jack Carson scooped to Vishwa Fernando at short fine leg.Coles was on the threshold of his second half-century of the match when he became Fernando’s first victim for Warwickshire, caught down the leg side by wicketkeeper Kai Smith.In the hour before lunch it became clear that the match was going nowhere as Alsop and John Simpson plodded through a partnership of 47 from 15 overs. Simpson fell lbw to Dan Mousley just before the interval, after which Alsop continued to put his first innings first-baller firmly behind him by moving to a compact 100-ball half-century.Alsop and Fynn Hudson-Prentice added 71 in 15 overs before their alliance ended in slapstick fashion. The batters were on different wavelengths over the merits of a third run and found themselves at the same end, the latter run out for 30 off 53 balls. The declaration soon followed.Warwickshire reached 27 without loss at tea at which point they faced the tempting challenge of scoring 361 from 36 overs in the last session. They resisted the temptation.Jayden Seales pinned Alex Davies lbw with the first ball of the evening session and Carson bowled Hamza Shaikh with a beauty for the second time in the match. Thereafter, Yates and Sam Hain saw out time as the match petered out in a similar way to Sussex’s first ever Championship visit to Edgbaston in 1905 (the famous match in which Bradford-born left-arm spinner Albert Cordingley made his 15th and last appearance for Sussex).