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Haris Rauf shines as Melbourne Stars rout Sydney Thunder to top BBL standings
Haris Rauf’s impressive bowling helped Melbourne Stars climb to the top of the Big Bash League (BBL) 15 standings with a nine-wicket win over Sydney Thunder at Manuka Oval on Sunday.
Rauf set the tone with the ball, finishing with impressive figures of 3 for 29, as the Thunder struggled to gain momentum after being sent in to bat.
His pace and accuracy dismantled the middle order, ensuring the Stars kept their unbeaten run intact this season.
Chasing a modest target of 129, the Stars made light work of the task, reaching the total with 36 balls to spare.
Joe Clarke led the charge with a fluent 60 off 37 deliveries, while Sam Harper remained unbeaten on 29 and Glenn Maxwell added a brisk 39 not out off just 20 balls to seal the win in style.
Earlier, the Thunder’s innings never truly took off. Openers Sam Konstas and Matt Gilkes offered a brief spark, racing to 23 without loss after two overs, but both fell in quick succession — Gilkes eventually undone by Rauf after surviving two close chances.
David Warner briefly entertained the crowd with a towering six onto the Manuka Oval roof but was dismissed off the very next delivery as the Thunder slumped to 64 for 4 at the halfway mark.
Rauf struck again to remove Sam Billings just as the Englishman looked to settle, and later claimed his third scalp when Chris Green flicked a catch straight to short fine leg.
New recruit Mitchell Swepson provided excellent support, picking up 2 for 18, including wickets with his first ball and trapping Cameron Bancroft lbw.
The Thunder failed to recover from the early blows and closed on a below-par total, suffering their first defeat of the campaign after three wins, while the Stars continued their dominant start to the season.
LOS ANGELES — Alijah Arenas has practiced for the first time with Southern California’s basketball team as he continues recovering from a knee injury he suffered last summer.
“It feels great to be back,” Arenas said. “I’ve been longing for it. I’m not getting off the court now.”
The freshman guard has been meeting with the coaching staff daily to learn USC’s plays and discuss strategy while rehabbing. The knee injury, diagnosed in July, required surgery.
“It was great to have him back with the rest of the guys,” coach Eric Musselman said Friday. “He’s got such a great basketball IQ and brings a tremendous amount of energy. It looked like he had been a part of practice for quite some time.”
Arenas is aiming to make his collegiate debut in mid-January.
The son of former NBA player Gilbert Arenas was involved in a car crash that led to him being placed in an induced coma in April. He spent six days in the hospital following the single-car crash in which Arenas hit a tree but didn’t suffer major injuries.
Plus, Drake Maye makes his MVP case, the Eagles’ defense once again saves their offense, and the Raiders close in on the No. 1 pick.
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New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye made his case for the NFL MVP award on Sunday as he threw five touchdown passes in the team’s demolition of the New York Jets.
Four of Maye’s five touchdown passes came in the first half.
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New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye warms up before an NFL football game against the New York Jets, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
He found tight end Austin Hooper on a 2-yard touchdown pass to start the game. Then, he lit it up in the second quarter. He connected with Rhamondre Stevenson, Stefon Diggs and Hunter Henry for touchdown grabs as the Patriots took a 35-3 lead into the locker room at the half.
Before he was taken out of the game, Maye found Efton Chism III for a 10-yard touchdown grab.
Maye finished the game with a perfect passer rating (157.0). He was 19-of-21 with 256 passing yards and was only sacked once. Joshua Dobbs subbed in for Maye before the game was over.
NFL LEGEND MAKES BOLD TRAVIS KELCE PREDICTION AS CHIEFS STAR MULLS FUTURE
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) is run out of bounds by New York Jets linebacker Jamien Sherwood (44) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin)
Patriots won the game, 42-10.
Maye became the first Patriots quarterback to throw five touchdown passes since Tom Brady did it in 2017. Brady did it in a win against the Houston Texans on Sept. 24, 2017. Brady had 378 passing yards in that game.
Unlike Brady, Maye isn’t putting up 300-plus yards through the air regularly. He only had one this season despite being a contender for the MVP. He did it for the first time last week against the Baltimore Ravens. He was 31-of-44 for 380 yards and two touchdowns in the 28-24 win.
The Patriots moved to 13-3 on the season with the convincing win over the Jets. It’s the first time they’ve reached at least 13 wins in a single season since the 2016 season. Brady led the Patriots to a Super Bowl victory that year.
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New England will wrap up the season at home against the Miami Dolphins next week.
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