The struggling New York Yankees got off to another rough start during Sunday's game against the Houston Astros, and tempers flared early for manager Aaron Boone.

Boone was issued a one-way ticket to the locker room after he was ejected during the third inning for arguing balls and strikes with home plate umpire Derek Thomas. Boone hadn't even made his way onto the field before Thomas issued him a warning, and he ejected soon after as Boone continued to air his grievances.

It was only after he was ejected that Boone left the dugout to give Thomas an earful, but that proved to be difficult as third base umpire Jordan Baker came forth to separate the pair by standing in between them. After a while, Thomas, seemingly ready to move on from the incident, wasn't even looking in Boone's direction, though that didn't stop the Yankees manager from continuing to bark at him.

The ejection was Boone's fifth of the season, which leads MLB.

The pitch that set Boone off was a low called strike against Ryan McMahon. After Thomas signaled for a called strike, the broadcast mics overheard someone from the Yankees dugout, likely Boone, shouting in disagreement.

New York was trailing 2–0 at the time of Boone's ejection, having surrendered a solo home run to Jose Altuve in the first inning and an RBI double to Christian Walker in the third.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Botafogo voltou a vencer o Boavista neste domingo (31), dessa vez no Estádio Nilton Santos e por 2 a 0, e conquistou o título da Taça Rio do Campeonato Carioca. Tchê Tchê, cobrando pênalti, e Kauê foram os autores dos gols da partida. Assista aos melhores momentos do jogo no vídeo acima.

continua após a publicidade

➡️ Tudo sobre o Fogão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso canal Lance! Botafogo

Tudo sobre

BoavistaBotafogoCampeonato Carioca

One of the most exciting bets to place in Major League Baseball is on a player to hit a home run, but it’s important to find the right matchups – and a hot hitter – to do so. 

With several games in action in MLB on Thursday afternoon, I’ve narrowed down my picks to two players, one lefty and one righty, to get the job done against some struggling starters. 

Can we cash in on these plus-money bets? I’m confident that these two players have a solid edge on June 20. 

Best MLB Home Run Picks for Thursday, June 20Alec Burelson to Hit a Home Run (+700)Teoscar Hernandez to Hit a Home Run (+235)

Alec Burelson to Hit a Home Run (+700)

St. Louis Cardinals youngster Alec Burelson has become a mainstay in the lineup this season, hitting 10 home runs and posting a .268/.298/.434 slash line in 228 at bats.

He’s not the flashiest player to take to go deep – hence the +700 odds – but he has a great matchup against Keaton Winn and the San Francisco Giants. 

Winn has allowed eight home runs in 11 starts this season, giving up at least one home run in each of his last four outings. To top it off, the Giants bullpen – which will follow Winn up – has been awful, putting up a 4.42 ERA and allowing 36 homers (third most in MLB) in 2024. 

Burelson has five homers this month, and he’s mashed right-handed pitching (.294/.327/.469 slash line with seven homers) so far this season. He’s worth a shot at these odds against a struggling pitching staff. 

Teoscar Hernandez to Hit a Home Run (+235)

Teoscar Hernandez isn’t nearly as big of a long shot in this market, but I love him any time he’s facing a left-handed pitcher – like Colorado Rockies starter Ty Blach. 

The Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder has hit 18 home runs in 2024, including eight against left-handed pitching in just 79 at bats. That means Hernandez has hit a home run in 10.1 percent of his at bats against lefties in 2024. 

How could we not bet on him tonight?

Blach has struggled this season, posting a 1.41 WHIP and 4.65 ERA. He’s been especially bad as of late, allowing a home run in three straight games while giving up 25 hits in 15.2 innings of work. 

With this game being played at Coors Field, I expect there to be a few home runs on Thursday.

“Leave the football before the football leaves you” was the message that Jamie Carragher handed to Manchester United midfielder Casemiro in early 2024.

It was one of the aggressive forms of criticism we’ve seen on Sky Sports in recent years and it was arguably deserved.

The Brazilian was one of the best midfielders in the world at Real Madrid. He was a serial winner, a Champions League legend.

At Old Trafford, however, his career has started to wane. Who could forget Casemiro’s tired and laboured display against Crystal Palace at the back end of 2023/24?

He was dribbled past a remarkable eight times during that game. For no context, no player in the whole of that Premier League campaign was dribbled past on more occasions in one match.

Since then, however, Casemiro has enjoyed something of a revival under Ruben Amorim in 2025/26. Long gone are the days of Erik ten Hag fielding the veteran at centre-half. He looks like a proper midfielder again.

The Brazil international has been one of United’s most consistent players this term, scoring three goals and supplying an assist. Yet, that should not distract supporters from the fact that he is still a problem.

He’s now 33 years of age and cannot be trusted to play for 90 minutes. Because of that, the transfer chiefs at United are considering launching a big-money move for a new midfielder in 2026.

The search for a Casemiro heir at Man United

While many problems linger in the air at Old Trafford, the biggest arguably lies at wing-back and in the centre of midfield.

United bolstered their attacking line significantly in the summer with the additions of Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha but the midfield went untouched. That needs to change in January or next summer.

There are three players who appear to be at the forefront of their minds. Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson would appear to be the dream target but he is also being chased by rivals Manchester City and could cost a fortune.

Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton is another long-term target and could finally make his big move in 2026. He gave Casemiro the runaround during United’s 2-1 win on Sunday. Samuel Luckhurst noted that the Brazilian looked “haunted” by his experience at Selhurst Park just a couple of years ago.

The other target is Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba but his form has taken a downturn in 2025/26 and he doesn’t look like a player worthy of a previous £100m price tag.

Touches

48

Accurate passes

23/29 (79%)

Key passes

1

Accurate crosses

1/3

Shots

1

Tackles won

3/3

Interceptions

1

Clearances

2

Recoveries

7

Duels won

5/7

Anderson and Wharton would be the ideal solution to United’s woes and according to the numbers, it’s the former who should be the priority target.

He’s a bigger threat in the final third but he doesn’t shirk his defensive duties. He’s won more duels and made more ball recoveries per 90 minutes this season than his England colleague. According to Thomas Tuchel, he’s “one of the best midfielders in the Premier League”.

Yet, what if United had already signed their answer to Wharton and Baleba?

Man United have found their own Wharton and Baleba

United have taken a vested interest in improving their youth ranks since INEOS completed their takeover of the club.

Towards the beginning of 2025 they signed young Malian midfielder Sekou Kone in a bargain deal and while he is yet to appear for the first-team just yet, he has endured an injury-hit first few months at Carrington and looks a real superstar in the making.

There is also left wing-back Diego Leon, the young defender who looks well set to replace either Patrick Dorgu or Diogo Dalot in that position before too long.

The latest talent who looks set to arrive is a 17-year-old midfielder by the name of Cristian Orozco.

It was reported last week that United were set to complete a move to sign the teenager, with Orozco flying to the UK over the weekend to formalise a $1m move from Colombian side Fortaleza.

So, who is the budding youngster? Well, he’s notably been compared to both Casemiro and Moises Caicedo. Already it’s clear to see why comparisons are also being made to Baleba, the man Brighton actually tasked with replacing Caicedo at the Amex.

Having captained Colombia at U17 level, he already boasts natural leadership skills but it’s his skillset in and out of possession that makes him so exciting.

Como scout Ben Mattinson has outlined that Orozco is capable of ‘controlling the game from deep in midfield’. His best attributes are his press resistance and footwork to turn past defenders, while he’s ‘so composed under pressure’ and is capable of ‘recycling possession’ superbly well.

On that evidence, it’s easy to see why comparisons to Wharton are being made. The Palace midfielder is one of the most press-resistant midfielders in the English top-flight and that was clear for all to see when he supplied the pass that led to Palace’s penalty on Sunday. He evaded his marker with ease and then picked out a punchy forward pass.

Orozco, however, isn’t just about making things look pretty. Further labelled as “a midfield destroyer with leadership maturity far beyond his age” by one analyst on social media, he also brings the best of Baleba who is more defensively minded than Wharton.

United’s new signing is unlikely to provide them with too much threat in the final third but like Wharton he’ll evade the press and manoeuvre the ball nicely. Like Baleba, he’s also capable of sitting in front of the defence and breaking up play.

The teenager certainly isn’t ready for first-team football just yet but INEOS could well save themselves a fortune in the transfer market here.

Not just Zirkzee: Man Utd star who was a "waste of time" is now undroppable

This Man Utd player starred in their 2-1 win away to Crystal Palace

1 ByJoe Nuttall Nov 30, 2025

It's good to be the Boston Red Sox right now. They're currently riding an MLB-best seven-game win streak, just extended their top rookie in Roman Anthony, and they now have a rallying cry to get them through the latter portion of the 2025 season.

Boston's current streak began the day a rocky flight into Minnesota last Tuesday—and has since sparked a dugout celebration where players mimic an airplane. They've now taken said celly to the next level, making t-shirts that say "Turbulence" across the front with two silhouettes on each side of Wally the Green Monster.

Here's a look at shortstop Trevor Story rocking the new T, via Tim Healey:

Whatever works, right?

Boston will look to continue their win streak tonight at Fenway Park, aiming to complete a series sweep of the Royals. Newly-acquired righty Dustin May will take the bump for the Sox, while Michael Wacha will start for Kansas City. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. EST.

Bo Bichette is having a phenomenal season and is heading into free agency, but one MLB insider is skeptical of his future position.

's Ken Rosenthal explained that the Blue Jays All-Star isn't viewed as a long-term shortstop by many in baseball. That will be a huge hit to his potential value moving forward.

"The shortstop market this winter is very thin. You've got Bo Bichette out there. But Bo Bichette in the eyes of many in the industry, should not be at shortstop, or at least not for much longer," Rosenthal said.

Bichette is currently slashing .310/.354/.478, with 17 home runs, 88 RBIs and 74 runs scored. He has an OPS of .832 with a wRC+ of 130, which would be a career-high for a full season. His xwOBA of .363 is also a career-best mark.

The issue for the 27-year-old is that he currently ranks 34th among MLB shortstops with -13 outs above average defensively. That's dead last among qualifiers at the position, and the next worst is Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe at -8.

It's like Bichette moves to second base in the future, which will significantly reduce his value. The one thing he has going for him is, as Rosenthal mentioned, the incredible weakness of the shortstop crop this coming offseason. Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story can opt out, as can new Braves addition Ha-Seong Kim, while bargain options like Miguel Rojas, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Amed Rosario will also be available.

We'll see how that impacts Bichette, but Rosenthal clearly thinks he won't get the kind of money he's looking for.

An end to your season is one thing, but falling in 15 innings during a winner-take-all postseason game is another.

Tigers fans suffered that unfortunate reality Friday when they fell 3-2 to the Mariners in Seattle in a marathon Game 5 of the American League Division Series. Seattle will now face the Blue Jays in the AL Championship Series. And the Tigers, well, they're joining David Ortiz with the Yankees in Cancún.

It was a heartbreaking end of the season for Detroit, who couldn't capitalize on another strong outing from their ace Tarik Skubal, although nobody could have expected the game would have lasted a full nine innings after his night was done. The game bled early into Saturday morning on the East Coast as the Mariners earned their first trip to the ALCS since 2001. Tigers play-by-play man Dan Dickerson was on the radio call, and captured the emotions of every Detroit fan as he was caught on a hot mic after the devastating loss.

"We'll be back to talk about it after this on the Detroit Tigers radio network," Dickerson said before he thought he was off the air. The broadcast stayed on the air and a hilarious rant ensued at what was after 1 a.m. in the morning in Detroit. "I don't have to do a game [recap], ah f—. F— this game recap. Oh, I'm sorry, was that out loud?" He continued on the airwaves.

Listen to Dickerson's quick rant after the wild loss below. Note, the clip does include profanity:

Although his comments appeared that they weren't supposed to hit public ears, it perfectly encapsulated the night for the Tigers as their offense slowed once again other than Kerry Carpenter. Hopefully Dickerson was able to get some rest after he gave the unwanted game recap.

Well, the Blue Jays got off to a fiery start with back-to-back home runs on Wednesday night in Game 5 of the World Series vs. the Dodgers.

The pregame music had barely stopped before Blake Snell threw his first pitch of the game to Davis Schneider, who was in the leadoff spot for the first time this series with George Springer out for the second consecutive game. Schneider hit Snell's 96-mph fastball for a 373-foot home run to start off the game. There were still plenty of empty seats in Dodger Stadium as fans had just started trickling in for the matchup.

Then, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. walked up to the plate. It took him just two pitches to then hit a home run off of another 96-mph fastball thrown by Snell, this time a 394-foot homer to the outfield to hand Toronto a quick 2–0 lead.

This is the first time in World Series history that a game has begun with back-to-back home runs, per Sportsnet's Ben Nicholson-Smith. What an incredible way to start off Game 5. We'll see if the Blue Jays can keep this momentum going before they head back to Toronto on Friday.

With reviews infrequently used in bilaterals, poor use of the system in high-stakes events like the Women’s T20 World Cup have cost teams dearly

Raf Nicholson04-Mar-2020It’s the eighth over of Sri Lanka’s group-stage match against Australia at the T20 World Cup, and the visitors have the reigning champions well on the back foot at 30 for 3. Suddenly, Meg Lanning swipes at a wide one outside off stump and edges the ball to the keeper. As one, the Sri Lankans go up: they know they have their woman.Sadly, the umpire doesn’t agree. Even worse, Sri Lanka have already burned through their one DRS review, having made the baffling decision to try and overturn a not-out call for caught behind four overs earlier, also against Lanning, with replays showing that her bat had hit the gloves of the wicketkeeper, not the ball.Lanning goes on to score an unbeaten 41 not out; Australia win the game by five wickets, with just three balls remaining. Not for the first time, poor use of the DRS has quite possibly cost a team a memorable win.

World Cup group-stage DRS stats

Successful reviews: 14
India 1, New Zealand 1, England 1, Pakistan 1, Sri Lanka 1, Thailand 1; Australia 2, Bangladesh 2, West Indies 2, South Africa 2
Unsuccessful reviews: 18
Bangladesh 4; India 3, New Zealand 3, England 3, Sri Lanka 3; Thailand 1; South Africa 1; Australia 0, Pakistan 0, West Indies 0

Within men’s cricket, DRS has been a fixture for over a decade, since it was officially introduced in Tests in November 2009. Its adoption has been much slower in the women’s game. The ICC requires both ball-tracking and a sound-based edge detection system (like UltraEdge) to be in place if DRS is to be used. That isn’t cheap, coming in at a price tag of more than US$13,000 per match. When the system was first used in women’s cricket during the 2017 World Cup in England, it was only put in place for the ten games that were broadcast: the teams contesting the 21 remaining matches went without.Only recently has the ICC been prepared to spend its cash on adopting it wholesale at standalone women’s tournaments: it was in use for every match of the 2018 Women’s T20 World Cup in the Caribbean, reflecting the fact that all 23 games were broadcast live; and it is once again available in every match of this current World Cup.That should be a good thing, right? DRS is, at its heart, about overturning bad umpiring decisions and thus making match results fairer. It also (in theory) levels the playing field with the men’s game: if review technology is available in men’s cricket, basic equality says it should also be available for the women’s game.

The majority of teams only ever get the chance to use the system every two years, during World Cups; Thailand, playing in their first world tournament, have never had access to it before

The stats suggest that women’s teams have overall used DRS reasonably well during this tournament. Across 20 group-stage matches, the DRS success rate stands at 44%: of 32 reviews, 14 have been successful, while 18 have seen the original on-field decision upheld. That doesn’t compare too badly with the men’s game: in the men’s World Cup last year there were 34 successful reviews out of 93 called for – a 36.5% success rate.Unfortunately, as ever, it is the reviews that go wrong that are remembered, over and above the times when sides have correctly chosen to use the system. With the eyes of the world on the women’s game, the use of DRS so far this tournament has generated a lot of comment, much of it negative. During India’s opening match against Australia, one fan on Twitter described India’s decision to review an lbw call against Beth Mooney that had pitched well outside leg stump as the worst use of DRS he had ever seen.Noticeably, teams have often appeared to have poor decision-making processes in place. For example, South Africa captain Dane van Niekerk, given out lbw to Pakistan’s Diana Baig, chose to review instantly but then began walking off the pitch, seemingly convinced she was actually out (in fact, ball-tracking eventually granted her a reprieve). Failing to review where they should have has also cost teams big: the most infamous example came in West Indies’ group-stage match against Pakistan, when Hayley Matthews was given out lbw first ball, once again to Baig. By the time Matthews decided to query the decision, it was too late: the available 15 seconds had expired. Had she made up her mind a bit quicker, the on-field decision would have been overturned, and West Indies might have avoided an embarrassing defeat.When West Indies captain Stafanie Taylor was asked if there had been processes put in place back home for her side to practice use of DRS in world tournaments, she said: “No, none.”West Indies are not alone. England lays claim to one of the best-resourced set-ups in the women’s game, yet an ECB spokesperson confirmed that they have no facilities in place to allow them to practise the use of the DRS. Their preparation for the tournament has relied on the team watching videos of previous dismissals.Hayley Matthews’ 15 seconds of hesitation bought her a golden duck in the very first ball of the match•Getty ImagesThe pertinent fact here is that the DRS is not currently in regular use in women’s bilateral cricket. Though New Zealand have utilised it on occasion – notably in their ODI series against India in January 2019 – the majority of teams only ever get the chance to do so every two years, during World Cups. Thailand, playing in their first world tournament, have never had access to it before. And outside of real-time match situations, it is extremely difficult to “rehearse” use of DRS in the same way you can practise other aspects of your game.Within the men’s game, DRS was not introduced at a World Cup until 2015, at a point when it had already been tried and tested by the majority of participating nations in bilateral series, with (generally) much less at stake. To thrust sides into using it only when the eyes of the world are upon them, at just the point when a spot in a global semi-final or final might be at stake, seems rather topsy-turvy. (There is a similar issue for qualifying men’s Associate sides, who often enter World Cups having never used the DRS before.)The ECB says that it is hopeful that future women’s bilateral series held in England will feature the DRS, a decision made after intense criticism surrounding some of the umpiring decisions during the 2019 Women’s Ashes series – notably a horrendous lbw call that went against Fran Wilson in the first ODI. However, its use in other countries is likely to remain uneven. The ICC states that it has no plans to make the DRS compulsory in future bilateral series: “Until it’s used a little bit more widely, it will remain optional, like it is for men’s bilateral ODIs or T20Is,” says Geoff Allardice, the ICC’s general manager of cricket. “It’s up to each board. They can use it – it just comes down to the level of coverage that they mount for the women’s matches.” Host boards, meanwhile, are likely to argue that the associated costs would be prohibitive.The issues we have seen in this tournament with the use of the DRS, then, are unlikely to go away anytime soon. Can anything be done? One possible solution might be to have two DRS reviews per side per innings available in women’s tournaments, instead of one. This would give teams that have little practice at using the system outside of World Cups another chance, should things go awry early in the match.It might be argued that this would only serve to create another point of difference with men’s cricket, but in the case of DRS – with so many more opportunities to practice its use available for men than women – levelling the playing field isn’t always as straightforward as simply making the playing regulations the same. Until the DRS is available more widely to women’s teams outside of world tournaments, an extra review could provide a temporary solution to the eternal cricketing dilemma of how to ensure that as many correct umpiring decisions are made as possible.

Worcestershire reliant on top-order fireworks after back-to-back finals

Matt Roller26-Aug-2020

Birmingham Bears

Last year: 8th in North Group
Captain: Will Rhodes
Coach: Jim Troughton
In a nutshell: Hopeless last year with 19 players used and no obvious strategy with bat: dropping firestarter Ed Pollock after four failures to accommodate Dom Sibley as a second anchor in the top three was a fatal error. Chris Green was due to captain but is playing in the CPL instead, but the majority of last year’s squad will be available throughout.Pollock was left out after four games of last season’s T20 Blast•Getty ImagesStar: Pollock’s omission was a source of frustration to sporting director Paul Farbrace last year, and he should get a chance to play all ten group games at the top of the order. He is the fastest-scoring batsman in the world, and told ESPNcricinfo during lockdown of his intentions to turn “flashes in the pan” into the sort of innings “that make someone go: ‘we want him'”. With his contract up at the end of the season, the pressure is on.One to watch: Henry Brookes was the Bears’ leading wicket-taker last year and proved particularly effective at the death: in 11.4 overs at the back-end, he took eight wickets and went at only 7.45 runs per over. He brings genuine pace to the attack, with Olly Stone missing the start of the tournament through injury.Verdict: Decent side on paper but need to hit the ground running
Bet365: 16/1

Glamorgan

Last year: 9th in South Group
Captain: Chris Cooke
Coach: Matt Maynard
In a nutshell: Rock-bottom last year, and winless until the final game of the group stage. Colin Ingram, who has been their key man with the bat in recent seasons, is “unlikely” to arrive due to travel restrictions, according to Mark Wallace, the director of cricket, but otherwise availability is fairly good.Andy Balbirnie sweeps•Getty ImagesStar: With Ingram absent and David Lloyd injured, much of the run-scoring burden with fall on Ireland captain Andy Balbirnie, a late overseas signing for the competition. A useful anchoring batsman, Balbirnie is likely to bed in at No. 3 and hold the innings together, generally ticking over at a strike rate around 140. He is no stranger to Wales, having attended Cardiff Met back in his university days.One to watch: Callum Taylor was given four games to impress at the end of last year’s tournament, but it is his red-ball form that suggests he could be a useful inclusion this year, after he thrashed 106 off 94 balls on first-class debut this week. His form in the Second XI T20 has been patchy over the last two years, but he should get a decent run in the side.Verdict: Few obvious signs that last year was an outlier
Bet365: 25/1

Gloucestershire

Last year: 2nd in South Group, quarter-finalists
Captain: Jack Taylor
Coach: Richard Dawson
In a nutshell: Until they forgot to turn up in the home quarter-final against Derbyshire, Gloucestershire had an impressive 2019 in the Blast, and were only narrowly pipped to top spot in the South Group. Much-loved captain Michael Klinger misses the Blast for the first time since 2012 after his retirement, but that could be a blessing in disguise after his slow-scoring became a hindrance last summer.Benny Howell wheels away in celebration•Getty ImagesStar: Slower-ball specialist Benny Howell had his tournament cut short by a hamstring injury sustained at The Oval last year, and has not made a professional appearance since then. In 2019, he had 10 wickets and a miserly economy rate of just 6.65 before his injury. He will miss out on the early stages due to a suspected calf tendon tear but hopes to return for the back end.One to watch: James Bracey has spent the summer wearing blue latex gloves and carrying the drinks for England in the Test bubble, so will be desperate to get onto the field in the Blast. He could open alongside Miles Hammond this year in an anchoring role, and is a useful player on difficult pitches.Verdict: Often written off, usually wrongly
Bet365: 16/1

Northamptonshire

Last year: 7th in North Group
Captain: Josh Cobb
Coach: David Ripley
In a nutshell: Neutrals’ favourites and two-time winners, Northants have had three poor years in the Blast since their memorable title charge in 2016. There are reasons for optimism this year: their likely top four of Richard Levi, Paul Stirling, Josh Cobb and Adam Rossington packs an almighty punch, with Alex Wakely set to bat at No. 5. The big question is whether they have the bowling attack to compete.Brandon Glover lets out a roar to celebrate his first wicket•Peter Della PennaStar: Josh Cobb has a point to prove after surprisingly missing out on selection in last year’s Hundred draft, and will lead the side again this season. He warmed up with 80 off 45 and 33 off 14 in back-to-back practice fixtures against Leicestershire, and his offbreaks are a valuable early weapon in the first six overs.One to watch: South African-born seamer Brandon Glover was joint-second in the wicket-taking charts in the T20 World Cup qualifier for Netherlands last year, and hits a hard length at good pace. He was particularly effective in the middle overs in that tournament, but may be required at the death in the Blast.Verdict: Dark horses for the title
Bet365: 25/1

Somerset

Last year: 6th in South Group
Captain: Lewis Gregory/Tom Abell
Coach: Jason Kerr
In a nutshell: Had competition’s two leading run-scorers last season in Babar Azam and Tom Banton, while Tom Abell enjoyed a breakout T20 campaign that won him a £100,000 deal in the Hundred. But they were let down by their bowling attack, and with question marks over key players’ availability this year – Banton and Lewis Gregory will miss at least the first few games due to England inclusion – it may be another disappointing year.

Well worth checking out this catch from @MaxTCWaller again! #WeAreSomerset pic.twitter.com/Jz5zhlgyVk

— Somerset Cricket (@SomersetCCC) August 31, 2019

Star: He will miss the first few games due to Pakistan’s T20I series against England and the club are yet to confirm his availability, but it is understood Babar is likely to play a handful of group games at the very least. In a tournament short on overseas quality due to restrictions on international travel and budgets, he should be just as dominant as he was in 2019.One to watch: The Blast’s leading legspinner over the last five seasons (66 wickets at 25.63), Max Waller rarely attracts much attention outside of Somerset, but is a proven operator and has been particularly useful with the new ball in recent years (10 Powerplay wickets with a 6.31 economy rate since 2017). He could be the best fielder in county cricket, too, as his one-handed screamer off AB de Villiers last year demonstrated.Verdict: Belligerent at Taunton but attack lacks bite
Bet365: 9/1

Worcestershire

Last year: 4th in North Group, runners-up
Captain: Moeen Ali/Ed Barnard
Coach: Alex Gidman
In a nutshell: 2018 champions were one dot ball away from repeating their triumph in last season’s final, but fell at the final hurdle. Wayne Parnell is a big miss, while Pat Brown misses the first handful of games on England duty and Moeen is unlikely to feature at any stage. Canny allrounder Ed Barnard has been handed the captaincy in his stead.Riki Wessels belts one down the ground•Getty ImagesStar: Nobody has scored as many Blast runs as Riki Wessels since 2014 (2656 at 35.89, 146 SR) and his runs were vital last season in a more restrained role than the one he used to play at Nottinghamshire. He looks set to open alongside Hamish Rutherford, one of the competition’s few overseas players, in a partnership that should score the bulk of Worcestershire’s runs between them.One to watch: Daryl Mitchell found himself languishing down the batting order last season but has reinvented himself as a cutter specialist, rarely reaching 70mph with his medium pace and proving difficult to hit with Ben Cox stood up to the stumps. Last season, he conceded just 6.41 runs per over across the Blast, and is a brilliant option on slow wickets.Verdict: If Brown is released after England’s Pakistan series, knockouts should be within reach
Bet365: 12/1