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Hundred under the hammer – Richard Madley teases ‘historic moment for UK sport’

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The Hundred’s landmark player auction could go down as an “historic moment for UK sport”, according to the man responsible for bringing down the hammer on every deal.

Auctioneer Richard Madley will oversee the bidding in what is a first for any professional sport in this country and knows exactly what it means to be there at the start of a new chapter.

As well as being known for his role in daytime television favourite Bargain Hunt, Madley was the frontman for the inaugural Indian Premier League auction in 2008 – a watershed moment for the game that peaked with MS Dhoni fetching a then unthinkable 1.5million US dollars from Chennai Super Kings.

“I said that was the day that cricket changed forever and I stick by it. When I brought the hammer down on Dhoni, things were never the same again,” Madley told the Press Association.

“I’ve got a feeling about this one too. It’s an historic moment for sport in the UK. Once people realise what is happening, that we are selling athletes on the open market, it could be a day that is remembered as setting a blueprint for the future.

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“It could become a feature on the sporting calendar here. I have been approached to work in golf, in rugby and heaven forbid if football caught on to it.”

The women’s auction takes place on Wednesday, followed by the men’s teams on Thursday, with both events taking place at Piccadilly Lights in central London and a total of 425 names in the hat.

And while the numbers will not hit IPL levels of excess, the involvement of new private investors has seen a considerable leap in available funds. Women’s squads now have a total of £880,000 to spend, with the kitty swelling to £2.05million for the men’s teams.

The biggest earners have already taken a chunk of that as direct signings – Harry Brook leading the way with a £465,000 deal at Sunrisers Leeds, while Nat Sciver-Brunt and Lauren Bell have negotiated £140,000 contracts with Trent Rockets and Southern Brave, respectively.

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But Madley believes there is plenty of intrigue around how teams choose to deploy their resources, with major overseas stars available alongside leading English names including Joe Root, Adil Rashid, Tammy Beaumont and Davina Perrin.

“I’ve seen some of these guys are the bidding tables in Mumbai, Bengaluru, Cape Town and the UAE. There’s a lot of noise in the run-up, I hear the whispers, but I think you can read the room and anticipate who’s up for it,” he said.

“Could we see a player earning £350,000? Indeed. But it’s a high-risk strategy and you end up with egg on your face if you get to the end and you’ve run out of cash or you can’t find £50,000 for a player.

“I’ve got a job to do and it’s not about generating the highest prices, it’s making sure the teams leave with a complete squad.”

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Madley recalls with fondness the time Andrew Flintoff bought him a beer after securing a bumper payday with CSK in 2009 and is happy to continue as the face of cricket’s free market frontier.

“The antiques market is on the wane and cricket is still on the way up, so I prefer selling cricketers,” he said.

“We’ve also introduced total transparency. We disclose the base prices, who is bidding, how much much for and who against. That never happened when I sold impressionist art at Christie’s.”

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Josh Frey’s 2026 NFL Draft Guide: Toledo Safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren

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Toldeo safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren in 2023
Dec 30, 2023; Tucson, AZ, USA; Toledo Rockets safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren (22) against the Wyoming Cowboys in the Arizona Bowl at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports.

This year’s safety class has become all about Caleb Downs.

Rightfully so as the Ohio State product has all the tools to become a starter at the NFL level. However, there is another defensive back prospect out of Toledo who has begun catching the eyes of many as the 2026 NFL Draft approaches. That player is Emmanuel McNeil-Warren.

Background

Oct 25, 2025; Pullman, Washington, USA; Washington State Cougars quarterback Zevi Eckhaus (4) is tackled by Toledo Rockets safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren (7) in the second half at Gesa Field at Martin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images

Statistics

  • 2022: 7 tackles, 1 forced fumble (13 games)
  • 2023: 69 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 3 passes defended, 2 interceptions, 4 forced fumbles (14 games)
  • 2024: 61 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks, 5 passes defended, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble (8 games)
  • 2025: 77 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks, 5 passes defended, 2 interceptions, 3 forced fumbles, 2 fumbles recovered (13 games)

Measurables

  • Height: 6′ 3 1/2″
  • Weight: 201
  • Hand Size: 9 1/4″
  • Arm Length: 32 1/8″
  • 40-Yard Dash: 4.52
  • 10-Yard Split: 1.58
  • 20-Yard Shuttle: N/A
  • Vertical: 35.5″
  • Broad Jump: 10′ 2″
  • 3-Cone: N/A
  • Bench: N/A

Experience is not an issue for McNeil-Warren heading into the NFL. He began making starts during his sophomore season in 2023 before taking over the role fully during his junior year. While his 2024 season was cut short due to an undisclosed injury. That didn’t seem to hamper him in 2025 though as he bounced back and had another fantastic season for the Rockets.

Strengths

Sep 14, 2024; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs wide receiver Kevin Coleman Jr. (3) runs the ball against Toledo Rockets safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren (7) during the second quarter at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-Imagn Images

McNeil-Warren is an absolute demon at the safety position against the run. He is not afraid of contact and uses his size to deliver massive hits, hence why he forced nine fumbles over his four years in college, including a MAC-leading four during his sophomore year in 2023. His ability to drive downhill on running lanes in the box and bring some pop is a special trait that NFL defenses will crave.

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The athletic ability should not be slept on either. McNeil-Warren has an innate ability to pick the right lane through blockers and turn his hips to make seamless direction changes, sniffing out the football along the way. His ability to make open field tackles is extremely impressive.

On top of that, among FBS safeties with at least 200 coverage snaps in 2025, he was PFF’s top graded player with a coverage grade of 92.0. He was targeted just 15 times this season, and he gave up just six receptions for 116 yards with five pass breakups.

Weaknesses

2026 NFL Draft Toledo safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren
Aug 30, 2025; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats running back Dante Dowdell (2) jumps over Toledo Rockets safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren (7) during the third quarter at Kroger Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Much like Quinyon Mitchell a couple years ago, many of the concerns stem from the level of competition McNeil-Warren went up against in college. It’s easier to make plays when you’re one of the fastest players on the field, but that speed will become the norm at the NFL level.

While tackling has been a strong suit throughout his career, there seemed to be some lapses in focus during his senior season. He more than doubled his missed tackle numbers from six in 2024 to 13 in 2025. H0pefully, that won’t become a trend as a pro.

2026 NFL Draft Projection

Sep 14, 2024; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs wide receiver Kevin Coleman Jr. (3) is tackled by Toledo Rockets safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren (7) and Toledo Rockets safety Maxen Hook (25) during the second quarter at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-Imagn Images
  • NFL Draft Projection: Day 1-Day 2 (Mid-Round 1 to Early Round 2)
  • Team Fits: Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears, Pittsburgh Steelers

McNeil-Warren may end up falling a bit further in the draft because of where he played his college football, but at some point, talent is talent. The man is an extremely fun football player to watch, brings tons of energy and physicality, and he has the potential to be a cornerstone for a defense in the NFL.


Editor’s Note: Statistics from Pro Football Focus helped with this article.

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Josh Frey is a senior writer at both PurplePTSD.com and VikingsTerritory.com, with a fascination for the NFL Draft. To … More about Josh Frey

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What is Impossible Difficulty datapack for Minecraft?

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Impossible Difficulty datapack for Minecraft is a unique mod that drastically increases the game’s difficulty to bizarre levels. The hardest vanilla difficulty is the hardcore mode. In hardcore mode, you will lose the world once you die. While the Impossible Difficulty datapack does not feature the hardcore mechanic, it adds all kinds of other dangers that you cannot even imagine.

Here are more details about the Impossible Difficulty datapack for Minecraft.


Features and download guide for Impossible Difficulty datapack for Minecraft

What does the Impossible Difficulty datapack for Minecraft offer?

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When you enter a Minecraft vanilla world, you start by punching a tree to get some wood and create a crafting table to make basic tools. However, in the Impossible Difficult datapack for Minecraft, you will not even be able to punch a tree without danger.

When you try to punch a tree, the entire tree will explode and kill you instantly. If you manage to get wood and create a crafting table, the block will terrifyingly convert into a killing machine, with a bazooka and two cutting discs. If you finally defeat all the hostile mobs in a structure and open chests to loot, a custom shulker mob will appear from it and kill you with a laser gun.

Villages will not be safe as well, as villagers will turn into masked serial killers, running towards you with chainsaws. Creepers can randomly multiply all around you, trapping you in a massive explosion, furnace block will become a flamethrower while smelting items, and much more.

In various other bizarre and hilarious ways, the Impossible Difficulty datapack for Minecraft makes the game almost unplayable. Despite all this, the unique ways in which the modder has increased the game’s difficulty are worth checking out at least once.

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Below are some of the settings you can change using commands. Make sure to go into creative mode in order to use these commands:

  • /trigger difficulty set <1-3>
  • /trigger dragon_difficulty set <1-3>
  • /trigger toggle_armor_slowdown
  • /trigger toggle_chest
  • /trigger toggle_endermen
  • /trigger toggle_flashbang
  • /trigger count_features

How to download and install the Impossible Difficulty datapack for Minecraft?

Both the Impossible Difficulty datapack and resourcepack need to be installed (Image via CurseForge/McMakistein)Both the Impossible Difficulty datapack and resourcepack need to be installed (Image via CurseForge/McMakistein)
Both the Impossible Difficulty datapack and resourcepack need to be installed (Image via CurseForge/McMakistein)

Here is a guide to download and install the Impossible Difficulty datapack for Minecraft:

  1. Make sure you have Minecraft 1.21.1 installed from the official launcher. You can do so by going into Java Edition’s “Installations” tab, create new installation, and selecting 1.21.1.
  2. Download both the Impossible Difficulty Resourcepack and Datapack. As of now, it is only compatible with 1.21.1. The modder might create updated versions in the future.
  3. Once downloaded, open the Minecraft directory, which should be here for every player: C:\Users\{your username}\AppData\Roaming\.minecraft.
  4. In this folder, find or create “datapacks” and “resourcepacks” folders, and transfer Impossible Difficulty files to both.
  5. Open the Minecraft launcher again and open the 1.21.1 game version. Create a new world, and start enjoying the extra difficulty.

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