Harry Brook to shelve franchise cricket as England captain
Vithushan Ehantharajah Apr 9, 2025, 01:09 PM ET Open Extended Reactions Harry Brook says no amount of money will get between him and giving his all as England’s new limited-overs captain, as he pledged to put franchise cricket on the backburner for the good of English cricket. Brook, 26, was named as Jos Buttler’s successor […]
Harry Brook says no amount of money will get between him and giving his all as England’s new limited-overs captain, as he pledged to put franchise cricket on the backburner for the good of English cricket.
Brook, 26, was named as Jos Buttler’s successor on Monday, a role which will furnish one of the team’s premier all-format batters with extra responsibility by putting him in charge of a much-needed refresh. After a challenging period in the ODI and T20I formats, with T20 World Cup and Champions Trophy disappointments in the space of nine months, the first year of Brook’s tenure will require clarity alongside sharp improvement, with another T20 World Cup to come next February in India and Sri Lanka.
Running parallel to Brook’s first year as captain are major Test series against India and Australia. A vital cog in the red-ball side – Brook is No.2 ranking in the ICC’s Test batting rankings, behind fellow Yorkshireman Joe Root – he will be integral to those challenges. It speaks to where Brook’s head is at that, even with his new role, he ranks success in this winter’s Ashes above lifting next year’s T20 World Cup.
The Ashes tour is viewed as integral to the legacies of Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes with the Test side, wtih Brook fully in alignment as vice-captain.
have played more international cricket during this period.
During this stretch, he sat out a home T20I series against Australia and the eight-match white-ball tour of the Caribbean which bled into the New Zealand Test tour at the end of 2024. And though Brook anticipates further gaps will have to be created in his schedule, finding them will be tougher as captain.
England’s summer comprises six Tests (starting with a one-off meeting with Zimbabwe ahead of the India series) and 12 white-ball fixtures (against West Indies and South Africa) before an ODI tour of Ireland in late September. After two to three weeks off, a limited-overs tour of New Zealand begins in late October, ahead of the five-match Ashes, followed by a white-ball warm-up tour of Sri Lanka leading into the T20 World Cup.
The vast quantity of cricket gives Brook plenty of sympathy for his predecessor, Buttler, who often led weakened squads during the busiest parts of the calendar. “It was hard on Jos. I think he didn’t really have the best players at all times, and hopefully we can have that moving on forward.”
As one of those “best” players whose availability was scuppered by all-format demands, Brook’s biggest challenge will be balancing his workload alongside leadership. The Ireland series, for example, made up of three matches across five days in September, has already been earmarked as one to sit out. But Brook concedes these could provide valuable opportunities to further instil his standards and methods early in his reign.
“That Ireland series, potentially [is one to miss], but I might want to play. Because it’s my first year, I might want to keep around the lads and keep them in high spirits.
“It’s a lot of cricket. And I’m looking forward to it. The Ashes is going to be mega. But we’ve got a lot of cricket before that. That’s probably where the odd week off here and there, maybe missing the odd series, wouldn’t be a stupid thing.”
Domestically, Brook confirmed he will play in the Hundred, as captain of Northern Superchargers, and “a game or two” for Yorkshire in County Championship in May ahead of the Zimbabwe Test, which begins at Trent Bridge on May 22. A training session at Headingley on Wednesday morning was only his second since returning from the Champions Trophy at the start of March.
As for his own form, could captaincy help Brook overcome a lean patch that culminated in just 47 runs from three innings at the Champions Trophy? He certainly thinks so, pointing to last September’s five-match series against Australia in which he averaged 78 as an example of stepping up as a leader.
“This might sound a little bit stupid, but I think when you’re captain it almost wants to make you win a little bit more. That’s not me saying when I’m not captain I don’t want to win. I’m a very competitive person anyway, I hate losing at anything. Hopefully, I can bring that competitiveness and have it in a good way around the group.”
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Geneva, Ohio- In his third and final Track and Field Championship appearance, senior hurdler Ari Skolnik came up short in qualifying for the 110m hurdles. Skolnik ran a 14.87 in heat two for sixth place in his heat and the 16th fastest time overall. He finished his Big Red […]
Geneva, Ohio- In his third and final Track and Field Championship appearance, senior hurdler Ari Skolnik came up short in qualifying for the 110m hurdles. Skolnik ran a 14.87 in heat two for sixth place in his heat and the 16th fastest time overall. He finished his Big Red career as a three-time All-NCAC finisher, a two-time NCAC Champion, and a three-time All-Region honoree.
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Wrapping up the weekend in Geneva is fellow senior, thrower Chris Slater. Slater enters the hammer throw championships seeded fifth with a mark of 61.85. Hammer throw is slated to begin on Saturday, May 24, at 1:45 p.m.
Hard work allows Lowell to overcome loss of 14 seniors
Every Saturday morning, it’s the same calculated and intentional routine. Stretch. Laps. Rotate between four high-intensity stations – core, weights, stairs and jump ropes – for an hour. And then, after the Lowell boys volleyball team is good and tired, the Red Raiders get to the volleyball. Knowing the battles the tight Merrimack Valley Conference […]
Every Saturday morning, it’s the same calculated and intentional routine.
Stretch. Laps. Rotate between four high-intensity stations – core, weights, stairs and jump ropes – for an hour. And then, after the Lowell boys volleyball team is good and tired, the Red Raiders get to the volleyball.
Knowing the battles the tight Merrimack Valley Conference presents on a nightly basis, longtime head coach Paul McCarthy and assistant coach Brandon Seng emphasize the exhaustion players will face in fourth and fifth sets, and the need to be able to deliver through it. The Red Raiders didn’t enter the season as the reigning MVC champs for the first time in two years, and they wanted to take the title back. Every match mattered.
Well, despite graduating 14 seniors and starting an entirely different unit with little varsity experience, Lowell (16-2) edged Methuen and Chelmsford to do just that. The revolving door of rock fights in the MVC forced the Red Raiders to at least a fourth set in 11 of its 18 games, and they fought off fatigue with a 9-2 mark.
Junior standout setter Vitou Seng – who Brandon Seng credits as the central stabilizing force – feels those Saturday practices are the X-factor for them this year. Sophomore standout libero Logan Uy echoes that by attributing the success to the hard work in every practice.
The proof is in the pudding.
“It’s a breath of fresh air for me,” McCarthy said. “These kids have put so much enthusiasm into their work. They just love the game, they feed off of that. It’s great to see them (commit). Saturday morning practices are not (easy), and they’ve had good attendance all year long. They’ve made the commitment to the program.”
The Lowell boys volleyball team celebrates a 3-0 win over Westford Academy. The Red Raiders went on to win the MVC. (James Thomas for the Lowell Sun)
There was plenty of chatter in the area over the offseason about how vulnerable Lowell would be this year, having just four seniors – two in the rotation – and significantly little returning varsity experience. McCarthy, who always puts a great respect and admiration on the challenge of winning the MVC, even said in the preseason that Lowell could be headed to a total rebuild this year. Losing 14 seniors is quite a turnover.
Needless to say, he’s been pleasantly surprised – and proud.
After a five-set loss to Div. 1 threat Cambridge, Lowell didn’t drop a set over the next four games. Against a loaded Chelmsford group that entered the year as the MVC favorite, the Red Raiders took the match in four. Three games later against Methuen, they overcame a 2-1 deficit to edge out a 3-2 win, bolstered by a 30-28 fourth set. They won 13 straight games up until Chelmsford took a match back on May 14, but a 3-1 win over Methuen two games later avoided a three-team tie and sealed the highly-coveted title.
“We kind of took the (rebuild narrative) to heart, so we kept practicing every day,” said Vitou Seng. “We used it as motivation. … We kept striving, we never gave up. We just kept fighting.”
“We knew (we could do it) since the beginning of the season,” Uy added. “We knew who we were going up against, we knew what we had to do to beat those teams. … Just working hard every single practice.”
Filling in the shoes of graduated All-Scholastic setter Tyrell Lout at setter was a tall task, but Vitou Seng – who got a little time behind him last year on varsity – has excelled with 32.8 assists per game (591 total). Uy has gotten the ball to him effectively with 36.3 digs per game (654 total), which Seng has dispersed among a deep lineup of hitters.
Sophomore Aundre Rivera has stood out with a team-best 11.9 kills per game (215 total) this year, as well as 16.4 digs (295 total). Seniors Ian Mao (168 kills, 212 digs) and Gianni Rodriguez (131 kills) are right behind him, while middles Angel So (41 blocks) and Bobby Pappaconstantinou (39 blocks) have led the defense at the net – along with Seng (21 blocks).
Brandon Seng said after the first win over Methuen that these players just wanted to write their own story in the program’s decorated lore, and to prove themselves.
They’ve been preparing for this even well before this year, through countless hours of pick-up volleyball and the junior varsity program.
“For this group to go where they have at this age is how we take our time and coach the JV team,” Brandon Seng said. “We treat them as one, not as two different programs. That’s how I feel like these guys were ready to go. … And once they experienced the winning (at the varsity level), it was just contagious.”
Unity has been at the heart of this year, too, throughout the entire program.
“For these guys to pick it up as a new core together is really impressive,” Brandon Seng said. “They have the same mindset and goal. It’s tough to get eight to 10 guys to have the same mindset, that want to win, that want to do good. And they push each other every day.”
“I think we’re all on the same page because we all want to win state’s,” Vitou Seng added. “Last year, we went to state’s but we lost to Brookline. This is a major factor because all of us were on JV just watching … (knowing) this is where we’re going to be (this) year.”
Lowell was only ranked No. 12 in the last set of MIAA Div. 1 power rankings before tournament pairings drop on Tuesday, but there’s a state-wide belief that the path to at least the state quarterfinals is parity-ridden.
The Red Raiders already proved themselves once. They’re excited for the challenge of doing it again.
One Cleary to another
Until graduating last year, former star outside hitter Mason Cleary was instrumental in helping lift the BC High program to new heights.
Younger brother Ben Cleary has followed suit.
By notching 26 kills on Friday, Ben snapped Mason’s single-season kills record (304) – reaching 321 with the state tournament still on the horizon. Ben became the fastest in program history to reach 500 career kills, anchoring an 11-7 group with potential to make some noise in the tourney.
“He’s transitioned into a full-time six rotation outside hitter and has really stepped up his offensive production,” said BC High head coach James Chen. “He puts the team on his back in every big moment – leading by example. You can see his passion for the game and how he wants the team to succeed.”
Rosa making mark with Whalers
New Bedford head coach Ben Kaeterle felt in the preseason that his group could have a special year with all the growth and experience it returned from a 21-1 season last year.
Nick Rosa is one of the central figures Kaeterle referred to, and the outside hitter has soared within an 18-2 mark against a stronger schedule. His 500th career kill came in a 3-0 sweep of Barnstable to avenge a surprising earlier loss, and now his 626 career kills are 37 away from breaking the longtime program’s all-time mark.
The Whalers ended the regular season on an 11-game win streak, which Rosa has led the attack within on just about a nightly basis.
“(Rosa) has been a go-to hitting option (and) has developed into a composed and mature volleyball player,” Kaeterle said. “He’s freakishly athletic and taken his overall game to the next level this year – front row and back row.”
Two Johnnies Finish Third Nationally, Two Others Qualify for 100-Meter Final
By: Ryan Klinkner, SJU Athletic Media Relations Director
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Day 2 Results GENEVA, Ohio – Two Saint John’s senior track and field student-athletes earned All-America honors with third-place finishes and two others qualified for Saturday’s 100-meter dash final at the second day of the 2025 NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships […]
By: Ryan Klinkner, SJU Athletic Media Relations Director
Day 2 Results
GENEVA, Ohio – Two Saint John’s senior track and field student-athletes earned All-America honors with third-place finishes and two others qualified for Saturday’s 100-meter dash final at the second day of the 2025 NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships on Friday, May 23, at the SPIRE Institute.
SJU is currently seventh on the team leaderboard with 11.5 points.
Senior Max Lelwica (Brainerd, Minn.) took third – the Johnnies’ best finish in the event at nationals – out of 22 student-athletes in the decathlon with 6,848 points, 68 from Kale Hobart of Central (Iowa) in second (6,916) and 270 from Wisconsin-Oshkosh’s Charlie Nolan, the national champion at 7,118.
Lelwica’s best events of the day were a pair of fourth-place finishes in the pole vault – a personal-best height of 4.30 meters – and 1,500 meters (4:41.68). He earned All-America second-team honors with a ninth-place finish nationally in the heptathlon at the 2025 NCAA Indoor Championships.
The 2025 NCAA indoor runner-up and a 2024 outdoor All-American (eighth place) in the high jump, senior Jackson McDowell (Centennial, Colo./Arapahoe) tied for third with an SJU outdoor record of 2.11 meters on his third and final attempt in the series. The third-place spot on the podium was SJU’s best in the event.
McDowell broke the program’s indoor record with a mark of 2.14 meters to finish as the national runner-up in March and earned his first All-America honor with an eighth-place finish at the 2024 NCAA Outdoor Championships.
A pair of Johnnies, senior Kevin Arthur (Champlin, Minn./Champlin Park) and freshman Max Reis (West Fargo, N.D./Spectrum), qualified for Saturday’s 100-meter dash final at 12:05 p.m. CT. Arthur won the third and final prelim with a time of 10.41 seconds, the second-fastest among the 22 sprinters, while Reis was second in the first heat and fifth overall with a time of 10.54 seconds. Wisconsin-La Crosse’s Sam Blaskowski recorded the top prelim time at 10.28 seconds. The winner from each of the three prelims plus the next best six times qualified for the final.
Reis earned All-America second-team honors yesterday (May 22) with a ninth-place finish of 7.09 meters in the long jump, 3/4 inch from Illinois College’s Dylan Doss in eighth place (7.11 meters) and first-team distinction. Reis recorded the mark of 7.09 meters on his second attempt of the day and was the ninth and final distance to advance to the final, where he scratched on all three jumps. He qualified for the 60-meter dash at the NCAA Indoor Championships in March and finished 17th with a time of 6.84 seconds, 0.002 of a second from 16th place and second-team All-America honors.
Arthur and Reis have a busy Saturday as the duo joins senior Emanuel Popoca (Minneapolis, Minn./Bloomington Kennedy) and sophomore Kieran Murnan (Lakeville, Minn./Holy Angels) in the 4×100-meter relay final at 12:05 p.m. CT. The relay tied the program record yesterday (May 22) with a time of 40.28 seconds to take second in the prelims’ second heat and third overall.
Arthur also competes in the 200-meter dash final at 2:40 p.m. CT. He won Thursday’s third heat and finished second overall with a time of 21.07 seconds. Blaskowski was first in 20.56.
Paly Track and Field season Recap 2025 – Viking Magazine
As the 2025 season comes to a close, the Paly track and field team has much to be proud of. Across invitationals, dual meets, and league finals, the Vikings consistently showcased talent, depth, and determination. The boys’ team delivered a strong campaign, capped off by a fourth-place finish at the De Anza SCVAL Finals, earning […]
As the 2025 season comes to a close, the Paly track and field team has much to be proud of. Across invitationals, dual meets, and league finals, the Vikings consistently showcased talent, depth, and determination.
The boys’ team delivered a strong campaign, capped off by a fourth-place finish at the De Anza SCVAL Finals, earning 54.5 points among eight competitive schools. Senior Jorell Clark led the charge with strong finishes in individual events. “We fought hard today, and though we didn’t finish at the top, we gave everything we had,” Clark said. “This sets us up well for the next challenges.”
Middle-distance runner Tristan Kippes also made key contributions, helping keep the team in the top half of the standings. “We have a lot of talent, and this result shows we can be competitive at the highest level,” he said.
Earlier in the season, junior Lilia Kuzmicheva notched a personal best in the 200m. “It was a major confidence booster,” she said, noting it marked a turning point in her season. Daniel Rainey, battling through a back injury, clocked a solid 55.42 in the 400m, underscoring the team’s grit.
The Vikings now look to build on this foundation. With strong senior leadership and emerging underclassmen, the future of Paly track and field appears promising. As Clark said, “We’ve come a long way, but we’re not done yet.”
Geraets Ends Gustavus Career at NCAA Championships
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Day 2 Results
Day 1 Recap
GENEVA, Ohio – Gustavus senior Megan Geraets (Mankato, Minn.) ended her collegiate career with her preliminary race in the 400-meter on the second day of the 2025 NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships […]
GENEVA, Ohio – Gustavus senior Megan Geraets (Mankato, Minn.) ended her collegiate career with her preliminary race in the 400-meter on the second day of the 2025 NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships held on Friday, May 23, at the SPIRE Institute.
Geraets, the top seed in the event, just missed the cut for finals (winner of each of the three heats plus the next best six times). She finished fourth in her heat with a time of 55.54, good for 11th overall. The final qualifying time was 55.30, achieved by MIT’s Marina Miller, who was seeded seventh and finished just ahead of the Mankato native in heat one.
MIAC competitors Ariella Rogahn-Press (Macalester) and Shalom Sulungaine (Bethel), who finished second and third behind Geraets at the MIAC Championships on May 10, each finished first in heats two and three, respectively. Rogahn-Press led the qualifiers with a 53.88. Geraets earned the top seed heading into the meet with a 53.87.
Her 11th-place finish helped her achieve her eighth All-America honor and second of the weekend, as the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) added the All-America second team in 2024 to include individuals placed ninth through 16th, as well as members of ninth- and 10th-place relays.
“Megan ends her career as one of the most decorated athletes in school and conference history,” said head coach Aaron Lund. “It takes record breaking performances just to get here now, and all of the competition is really tough. She had great effort and execution of her race in another cold and windy day. Just barely missing out on finals again is a tough way to end it.
“I am so proud of her and everything she has accomplished. Megan has elevated our program in so many ways and has inspired her teammates to work even harder and set their goals higher. We are all so proud of the amazing woman she has become.”
In her career, Geraets was an eight-time All-American (one first team, seven second) and a 15-time USTFCCCA All-Region selection between the indoor and outdoor seasons. She was the 2025 MIAC Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year, just the third Gustie to receive the honor, and was nine times named a MIAC Athlete of the Week between field and track events, including six this season. She earned her and the program’s first USTFCCCA Division III National Athlete of the Week in the outdoor season on May 12, and collected 15 MIAC event championships in her career.
Eastern Mass. boys’ volleyball Players of the Week for May 15-22
Newton 6/10/2024 Natick’s Branch Barnes serves to Newton North during the MIAA Division 1 boys’ volleyball state semifinal at Newton South High School, Monday, June 10, 2024. Ken McGagh for The Boston Globe Ken McGagh for The Boston Globe Branch Barnes, Natick — The versatile hitter directed a senior day sweep, his first win over […]
Newton 6/10/2024 Natick’s Branch Barnes serves to Newton North during the MIAA Division 1 boys’ volleyball state semifinal at Newton South High School, Monday, June 10, 2024. Ken McGagh for The Boston Globe Ken McGagh for The Boston Globe
Branch Barnes, Natick — The versatile hitter directed a senior day sweep, his first win over Bay State power Needham and the program’s first since 2019, with 11 kills, 2 assists, and 2 aces. He also put up 14 kills, 3 blocks, and 2 aces against Cambridge.
Marcio Castro, Woburn — The senior rocked 19 kills, helping the Tanners close out a four-set nonleague victory over Greater Lawrence with a 26-24 final set.
Woburn senior Marcio Castro slammed 19 kills to beat Greater Lawrence.Billy LaTores/Woburn High School
Ben Cleary, BC High — With a staggering 41 kills in a five-set victory over Catholic Conference rival St. John’s (Shrewsbury), the junior surpassed 500 in his career and is approaching his brother Mason’s single-season record.
BC High’s Ben Cleary isn’t bothered by a triple block.JOSH REYNOLDS FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE/Josh Reynolds for The Boston Globe
Parth Pawar, Acton-Boxborough — The Revolution needed all 54 of the senior’s assists to outlast Winchester in a nonleague five-set victory.
Aundre Rivera, Lowell — The sophomore hitter has been vital for the Red Raiders in reclaiming the Merrimack Valley title, finishing the job with 18 kills against Methuen to earn a 3-1 win.
Gabe Ugoji, Latin Academy — The Dragons’ only senior made the most of his senior day, smacking 13 kills on 22 swings and adding six blocks to take down nonleague foe Newton South in a back-and-forth five-setter.
Latin Academy’s Gabe Ugoji (center) is equally dangerous blocking and hitting at the net, as Newton South recently found out. Barry Chin/Globe Staff
Kris Vaivars, Brookline — Being tested by Lexington, the Warriors relied on their senior star to put up 27 kills in the four-set triumph, the team’s biggest nonleague test of the season.
AJ Traub can be reached at aj.traub@globe.com. Follow him on X @aj_traub and Instagram @ajt37.
