Tag Futebol

Sai Kishore and Rashid Khan turned the tide as GT picked 6 for 58 in the last 9.3 overs

ESPNcricinfo staff06-May-2025

The Gujarat Titans (GT) bowling that allows them to bat conventionally shone again to restrict Mumbai Indians (MI) to just 155 for 8 after they had been 97 for 2 at one point, thanks to three dropped catches. Rashid Khan bounced back from his analysis of 3-0-50-0 in the last match, with 4-0-21-1, and R Sai Kishore took the wickets of Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya. The last 9.3 overs brought GT 6 for 58 despite an 18-run final over.It wasn’t just the spinners, though. Mohammed Siraj removed Ryan Rickleton in the first over, Arshad Khan renewed Rohit Sharma’s troubles with left-arm seam, and Prasidh Krishna strengthened his grip on the purple cap, taking his 20th wicket. It was the three dropped catches – Will Jacks twice and Suryakumar once – that gave MI their only fruitful phase.Suryakumar went past 25 for a 12th straight time in men’s T20s – the record is 13 – and Jacks registered his first half-century for MI as the two added 71 in 7.1 overs. However, they were not always in charge of the spinners. Rashid came desperately close to getting Jacks out lbw on more than one occasion, drew five false shots out of him in nine balls, and eventually had him caught at deep square leg.Sai Kishore had to fight tougher odds as Suryakumar kept going inside-out against him. Eventually, he went over the wicket, cramped Suryakumar and drew a catch at long-off. GT welcomed Hardik with a slip and a short leg, and Sai Kishore responded to his captain’s aggressive fields with immaculate length and dip. Hardik tried to hit out, but only managed a top edge on the slog sweep.Prasidh and Gerald Coetzee drove home the advantage with hard lengths, taking the wickets of Tilak Varma and Naman Dhir in quick succession. Rashid underscored his return to form with an excellent 18th over for just four runs. Corbin Bosch took MI past 150 with two sixes off Prasidh in the last over.

Kelly Castle and Sophie Luff, the old guard of domestic women’s cricket, are now at the vanguard of a new era

Andrew Miller22-Apr-2025Unless you were deeply invested in the rise of English women’s cricket, you could be forgiven for not having previously heard of Kelly Castle and Sophie Luff. At the ages of 27 and 31 respectively, each has been a county cricketer for more than a decade already – providing solid, dependable presences in the previously amateur ranks of Essex and Somerset, including six years each as captain. However, throughout that time, neither player has come especially close to international recognition nor, in Castle’s case, attracted the attentions of the Women’s Hundred.Now, however, Castle, Luff and their ilk are at the vanguard of a brand-new era for their sport. Last April, Essex and Somerset were chosen as two of the eight initial Tier 1 women’s professional set-ups, and this week each player will be helping to launch her county’s Metro Bank One-Day Cup campaign: Castle, up at Chester-le-Street, where Essex take on Durham, and Luff down at Beckenham for Somerset versus Surrey.How each player fares individually will be of less relevance than what they represent. At a time when the depth of English women’s cricket is under scrutiny like never before, amid the failings of the national team at the T20 World Cup and the Ashes, the rebooted county game is intended to create the sort of pyramid structure that has never previously existed within the sport.And what that may entail – more urgently even than the identification of a new golden generation to challenge the current stars of the international set-up – is the expansion of this middle tier of “solid pros”: the likes of which have shored up the men’s game for generations but which, due to the fast-tracked nature of the women’s elite game, have not yet had a chance to take proper root among their female counterparts.”I’ve been here for a long time, so it’s cool to see a full-circle moment,” Castle tells ESPNcricinfo ahead of a transformative season. “For a lot of us girls, no matter where we played, we didn’t know if we could play professional cricket, unless we got to international level. So now, it’s great to see that it can be a career and, for that to happen at the club that I’ve grown up playing at, is pretty cool.”The professional experience isn’t brand-new to either player: in 2020, both were among the initial tranche of 41 regional players to be handed groundbreaking full-time contracts. And yet, seeing as Castle had been one of just five initial pros within the now-disbanded Sunrisers squad, and Luff one of six at Western Storm, even that seminal step-up was limited compared to the opportunity that awaits the women’s game this summer.”I never envisaged I’d be a professional cricketer first and foremost, particularly not at domestic level,” Luff, who has been named as Somerset’s first professional captain, tells ESPNcricinfo. “It just wasn’t an option when I was growing up. I chased the England dream for a long time and that ship’s probably sailed. But the fact that I can be a domestic professional cricketer, playing in front of a lot of people and getting paid pretty well, it’s come an awful long way, and I think it’s only going to grow.”When I first started at Western Storm there were three professional players on a retainer, then it went to six in the first winter. Now we’ve got a full squad of players, some of whom are rookies obviously. But the fact that we’ve got a full squad of girls in training week in, week out, makes a huge difference. I’m really excited to see what difference that makes moving into the season.”Those rookie contracts, worth £20,000 for this first year, will have a crucial part to play in the expansion of that pyramid. Notwithstanding the growth of the women’s game in recent years, there’s still a significant element of chance that dictates the ability of young players to rise through the sport’s existing ranks, as Castle’s own story relates.Sophie Luff will be Somerset’s first professional women’s captain•Getty ImagesHad it not been for the fact that her primary-school teacher in Southend was Australian, Castle says she would never have got a taste for the sport in the first place. And thereafter, having followed the familiar path of being a token girl in the local boys’ cricket team, she made her first appearance for Essex as a 13-year-old in 2011, and so was in position to ride the wave as the first stirrings of professionalism began.”I remember thinking, if I’m not playing for England by the time I’m 15, then I’ll need to give up, which is crazy,” Castle recalls. “And then, there was always something else that just kept me going, until I’m 17 … until I’m 19 … I was in my third year of university when there were murmurs around professional cricket happening, and because I’d always worked in cricket, I managed to transition in when I’d finished. I still do a lot of coaching on the side, just to keep myself busy. It feels as though the sport is getting there, but there’s still a lot of stuff to do.”To judge by the new narrative that surrounds the county game, however, the changes this season have already been stark. The ethos of one club, two teams has been a feature of the formative years of the Hundred, but already that seems to have been adopted across the board.Wherever you look, there’s a new recognition of the importance of the women’s set-up, whether it’s Surrey factoring a bespoke women’s changing room into their plans for a multi-million pound redevelopment of the Kia Oval pavilion, or Essex talking excitedly about their plans for expansion at Chelmsford, a project that simply could not have been possible when the club only catered for its men’s team.”We get to come to the same place every day for work,” Luff says of the experience down at Taunton. “The girls have a familiarity around where they’re coming to train and the infrastructure here has been brilliant, the way that we’ve been welcomed into the club.”The one thing that I really took away from our first week here was we met every department,” she adds. “It felt like Western Storm in the previous era was just a cricket team that existed as cricket players and cricket staff – whereas coming here, there’s a lot more that goes into a county cricket club than just the cricket on the pitch.Related

• Fear of change stalks women's Hundred after five years of progress

• Tough choices and taking chances, Katie Levick relishes Durham debut

• A new era begins for women's county cricket

• Ellyse Perry joins Hampshire for Vitality Blast and One-Day Cup

• Suzie Bates joins Durham as maiden women's overseas professional

“We’ve had great access to the facilities. Our changing rooms have been upgraded. We’ve got lockers in, the gym’s been extended to accommodate more people basically. And I think the men have probably seen some benefits from us coming in as well, which is nice.”However, it’s not simply the Tier 1 teams that have got the memo. As Beth Barrett-Wild, the ECB’s Director of Women’s Professional Game, noted earlier this month, some of the most interesting dynamics are set to occur within the new Tier 2 set-up, where a lot of ambitious amateur players will be seeking to make a name – and maybe ultimately a career – for themselves this summer.At Middlesex, for instance, where there was initial “shock” and “frustration”, according to their head of women’s cricket, Marc Broom, at the club’s failure to secure Tier 1 status, there has been a determination to prove the ECB’s decision-making wrong.”We’re going to treat you like professional cricketers, and we want you to act, train and play and think like professional cricketers,” says Broom, whose players stormed out of the blocks in their opening fixture earlier this week, bowling Kent out for 66 at Radlett en route to an eight-wicket victory.”Everything we’re going to be able to provide you is what we would try and provide a professional cricketer. The difference is your contact time with coaches is going to be less than a pro. The money you receive back is going to be less than a pro, and the time you’ve got available to commit to this is going to be less than a pro.”That would sound like an unpalatable prospect to most amateur players, were it not for the new incentives that the tiered structure has put in place.”My job is to create the best environment for these players and set them on the right journeys,” Broom says. “If, at the end of this year, every single player in this squad got signed by a Tier 1 county, I would be holding my hands up saying, ‘I’ve done my job’.”Additional reporting by Valkerie Baynes

Doom and gloom aside, Sri Lanka’s recent track record and international-cricket journey offers promise

Madushka Balasuriya18-Sep-20232:02

Maharoof: Sri Lanka exceeded the expectations of many by reaching the final

At any other point in Sri Lanka’s history, crumbling to 50 all out in an Asia Cup final would’ve left the captain standing on extremely shaky ground. Especially if he’s managed only two double-digit scores in his last 11 innings.Dasun Shanaka’s form with the bat is difficult to ignore. But there is more than meets the eye in this story.”Dasun works so hard on his game,” Sri Lanka head coach Chris Silverwood said on Sunday. “And as we know he’s a great man. So from my point of view we’re just trying to put confidence into him. We know what he’s capable of. He can be a very destructive batter, and we’ve seen in this tournament that he’s more than a useful bowler. So for me he’s one score away from flying again,” he said speaking after Sunday’s Asia Cup final.Related

• Injured Chameera and Hasaranga miss out, Shanaka to lead Sri Lanka at the World Cup

• Silverwood: 'A kick up the rear end not the worst thing going into a World Cup'

• Coach Silverwood wants Shanaka, Dhananjaya 'to provide firepower' as finishers

• ESPNcricinfo's Asia Cup team of the tournament

• Siraj donates Asia Cup final prize money to groundspersons

“There’s more to being the captain than just scoring runs. Dasun is very good at it. He has the respect of everyone in the dressing room. He understands the players and shows them a lot of love and support as well. And that love and support is returned to him as well. But he’s not alone in there. He’s got a lot of support in that dressing room.”Shanaka took over the reins in early 2021. It was a change in leadership that coincided with a youth-driven overhaul of Sri Lanka’s white-ball sides – set in motion by the Pramodya Wickramasinghe-led selection committee and emboldened by the now-defunct technical advisory committee headed by Aravinda de Silva – one that culminated in that most unlikely of Asia Cup wins in 2022.That win might have set unrealistic expectations for the T20 World Cup later that year, but after another Asia Cup final, this time in ODIs, it’s hard to argue that this isn’t a side moving in the right direction. It just so happens that the setbacks thus far have been particularly brutal.But does that warrant tearing up the blueprint completely? Especially when that blueprint had accounted for such setbacks? Speaking to ESPNcricinfo prior to last year’s T20 World Cup, consultant coach Mahela Jayawardene had acknowledged as much.”The players know what their roles are in this team. What is being asked of them to do, that is important. But it’s very difficult for new guys to come in and straight away do that,” he said.”We have to give some time to cultivate that within the group, and you will see that they trust each other out there. They don’t blame each other for mistakes, they take their mistakes as a group not as individuals, and they move on.”For much of cricket’s history, the idea of player roles was anomalous – you simply played your best squad, be it in Test or ODI cricket. However, the advent of T20 has gradually ushered in the era of specialists, not just in formats but in positions. Jayawardene has long been a passionate advocate of role clarity, something he had identified as a key point to address even prior to joining Sri Lanka’s coaching set-up in an official capacity.Dasun Shanaka followed up Sri Lanka’s Asia Cup win with an appearance in the final•AFP/Getty Images”We had to be more prepared, the players needed more direction in terms of role clarity. There was a lot of things we needed to do, in terms of getting them to play a certain brand of cricket and giving them the freedom to express themselves.”The perception is that the pursuit of this new set of goals has set Sri Lanka up for pain in the short term, but the numbers don’t actually support that. Sri Lanka’s win-loss ratio has hardly budged over the past few years and even compares well with the halcyon days of 2007-2014.In terms of win percentage, Sri Lanka’s under Shanaka’s captaincy stands at 58% with 23 wins in 39 ODIs. How does that compare with previous regimes? Well, the longest in recent memory is Jayawardene’s, with his 129 games seeing 71 wins (55% win rate). In terms of best win rate, Kumar Sangakkara got up to 60% in 45 games. Angelo Mathews won 49 of his 106 ODIs as captain (46%). So Shanaka is generally par for the course, and even if you take Sri Lanka’s golden period in 2007-2014, their ODI win rate stood at 52%.Given that, a large part of the current malaise surrounding the team could be down to big-game performance. Despite that 52%, Sri Lanka would make a deep run in nearly every major tournament between 2007 and 2014, culminating in that 2014 World T20 win (their T20I win percentage in this period was 62.5%). Shanaka meanwhile has won 45% of T20Is under his captaincy, but since that includes an Asia Cup win, his record in the shortest format is viewed fairly favourably.Why, then, does this Sri Lanka side feel so much worse than those of yesteryear? Simply put, the opposition has gotten better.A fun aside surrounding Sri Lanka’s debacle against India: the entire ODI lasted 129 deliveries, putting it third in the list of the shortest completed men’s ODIs. The second, fourth and fifth spots in that list also include Sri Lanka – it’s just that on these occasions, they were the ones handing out the hammerings.Of those three thrashings, Zimbabwe were at the receiving end of two. Entire Bangladesh top orders have been ransacked by Chaminda Vaas alone. Even India have felt the burn that a red-hot Sri Lanka can inflict and social media was full of posts reminiscing about the good old days.This is at the heart of Sri Lankan cricket’s identity crisis at the moment. A string of wins in the qualifying tournament to a World Cup has been written off as minnow-bashing and losses to supreme white-ball outfits like India and England were viewed as conclusive evidence of Sri Lankan cricket’s downfall.The reality, though, isn’t quite so bleak. It is just that it seems so by comparison. There was a time when Sri Lanka could go toe-to-toe with even the best sides in major tournaments. It stings that they can’t do the same right now; that they’ve been left behind.Addressing this is where Sri Lanka are investing their energy. They’re trying not to make hasty decisions, and in that sense, the willingness to persevere with Shanaka might just be a signal of a greater shift in the mindset of those tasked with taking Sri Lanka cricket back to where they feel they ought to be.Perhaps then it’s time we stop pining for what Sri Lanka were and relearn to love them for what they’re trying to be.

Also: who has played the most Tests since 2005 without appearing in a T20I?

Steven Lynch07-Dec-2021How many New Zealanders have taken ten wickets in an innings, as Ajaz Patel did in Mumbai? asked Vernon Smithson from New Zealand
Slow left-armer Ajaz Patel’s superb return of 10 for 119 in Mumbai at the weekend made him only the second New Zealander to take all ten in an innings in all first-class cricket. The other one did so a long time ago, on his debut: English-born Albert Moss took 10 for 28 for Canterbury against Wellington in Christchurch in 1889-90. The Dunedin-born legspinner Clarrie Grimmett took 10 for 37 for the Australians against Yorkshire in Sheffield in 1930, but was well established in the Aussie Test side by then. He had moved to Australia in his early twenties, around 1914, in search of better cricket opportunities (New Zealand was not a Test-playing nation then).Patel was the third bowler to take all ten wickets in a Test innings, after Jim Laker, with 10 for 53 for England against Australia at Old Trafford in 1956, and Anil Kumble, who claimed 10 for 74 for India vs Pakistan in Delhi in 1998-99. Patel was thus the first to do it in an overseas Test – but, since he was born in Mumbai in 1988, he was also the first to do it in the city of his birth!In a recent newspaper column, Shane Warne criticised Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon for their averages against top-six batters. I should think everyone’s average against the top six is higher than their overall average – but how do Starc and Lyon fare, and what were Warne’s? asked Pete Lehmann from Australia
This is a difficult query, complicated in Warne’s case by the fact that ESPNcricinfo only has full ball-by-ball data since 2001, which covers only about half his career. Overall, Mitchell Starc has taken 255 Test wickets at 27.12, with 158 of these coming from the top six at an average of 33.01. Nathan Lyon has 399 wickets overall at 32.10, with 169 at 40.78 against the top six. In the matches for which we have details, Shane Warne took 332 wickets at 23.83, with 169 at 32.51 against the top six.Warne’s difference (8.67) in the matches we know about is higher than the other two – Starc’s is 5.89 and Lyon’s 8.66 – but his averages are better. It should be borne in mind that while Starc almost always starts bowling at the top six, Warne and Lyon would usually bowl later, perhaps with one or two batters already established, so you might expect all spinners’ averages to be slightly higher. All in all, I think the jury is still out!Overall, looking at bowlers with at least 100 Test wickets since 2001, Pakistan’s Mohammad Asif has the lowest difference between top six (24.96) and overall (23.74), with Glenn McGrath just behind (22.91 vs 20.98; his figures are also incomplete). Another Australian, Pat Cummins, is currently fourth by this yardstick, with 23.87 vs 21.06 (so Warne is right if he thinks Cummins is better against the top six than Starc). The leading spinner by difference is England’s Graeme Swann, who took 162 top-six wickets at 33.13, in an overall bag of 255 at 29.94.Since T20Is began early in 2005, who has played the most Tests without appearing in one, and who has played the most ODIs? asked Elamaran Perumal from the United States
Since the official first T20I, in Auckland in February 2005, Cheteshwar Pujara has played 92 Test matches for India without being chosen for a T20 game; he’s just ahead of Azhar Ali, who has played 90 Tests for Pakistan. Next, with 74 apiece, come Dimuth Karunaratne and Kraigg Brathwaite, the rival captains in the Test series between Sri Lanka and West Indies that finished last week. Brathwaite has never played a senior T20 match of any kind.Turning to one-day internationals, Rahmat Shah of Afghanistan has so far played in 76 ODIs without making the cut for a T20 international. Azhar Ali features again, with 53 ODIs. Karunaratne has played 34; he’s next to two West Indians, Alzarri Joseph (37 ODIs but no T20Is) and Jonathan Carter (34).Cheteshwar Pujara has now appeared in 92 Tests without once playing a T20I•BCCII noticed that Kris Srikkanth took only 25 wickets in ODIs, but had two five-wicket hauls. Is this the smallest number of wickets to include two five-fors? asked Divyanand Valsan from India
The attacking India opener Kris Srikkanth didn’t often get the chance to display his bowling talents in one-day internationals – only 33 spells in his 146 matches – but you’re right that he often made it count when he did get a chance. His 25 wickets included 5 for 27 against New Zealand in Visakhapatnam in December 1988, and 5 for 32 against them five days later in Indore. Apart from that his best figures were 3 for 12, in the Asia Cup final against Sri Lanka in Dhaka a few weeks before.The only bowler to finish his ODI career with two five-fors but fewer wickets than Srikkanth was the Australia left-arm seamer Gary Gilmour, whose 16 wickets included 6 for 14 against England in the 1975 World Cup semi-final at Headingley and 5 for 48 against West Indies in the final at Lord’s a few days later. Another left-arm seamer, Namibia’s JJ Smit, has so far taken 20 wickets in his ten ODIs, including 5 for 26 against Oman in Windhoek last month, and 5 for 44 against them in Al Amerat in January 2020.In which Test were the most individual centuries hit? asked Mohit Patel from India
There were a record eight centuries in the drawn Test between West Indies against South Africa in St John’s in Antigua in 2005. This was equalled in the match between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh – unsurprisingly, also a draw – in Galle in 2012-13. For the full list, click here.The first-class record is nine individual centuries in a match, which has happened twice, both times in India: by Bombay and Maharashtra in the Ranji Trophy semi-final in Poona (now Pune) in 1948-49, and by West Zone and South Zone in the Duleep Trophy final at the Wankhede Stadium in 1986-87.Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

Chelsea’s opening goal in the 1-1 draw against Arsenal on Sunday should have been disallowed under IFAB Law 11.

Arsenal unable to take all three points against ten-man Chelsea

With Moises Caicedo being shown a straight red card after fouling Mikel Merino in the first half, the Gunners would’ve been expecting to pick up what could be a crucial three points at Stamford Bridge, but the hosts refused to lie down.

In fact, Trevoh Chalobah opened the scoring for Enzo Maresca’s side just after half-time, although the north Londoners were ultimately able to come away with a point, as Mikel Merino was able to level things up just over ten minutes later.

Speaking after the game, Maresca made it clear he had no problem with Caicedo being given his marching orders, although he did question why Tottenham Hotspur’s Rodrigo Bentancur was not sent off for a similar challenge last month.

However, Mikel Arteta may have complaints of his own, with VAR being accused of going “completely blind” and missing Enzo Fernandez in an offside position during Chalobah’s opening goal.

IFAB’s Law 11 describes offside offences, and Fernandez’s position battling against Cristhian Mosquera certainly meets the criteria for ‘interfering with an opponent’.

A player in an offside position at the moment the ball is played or touched* by a team-mate is only penalised on becoming involved in active play by:

interfering with play by playing or touching a ball passed or touched by a team-mate or interfering with an opponent by: preventing an opponent from playing or being able to play the ball by clearly obstructing the opponent’s line of vision or challenging an opponent for the ball or clearly attempting to play a ball which is close when this action impacts on an opponent or making an obvious action which clearly impacts on the ability of an opponent to play the ball

However, the goal stood and Maresca’s side managed to hold out for a draw, despite having ten men for most of the game, so Arteta arguably has a right to feel aggrieved the Gunners were unable to extend their lead at the top.

Arsenal should have taken three points regardless

Although there is a case to be made that Chalobah’s goal should’ve been ruled out, Arsenal will be kicking themselves, given that Caicedo’s early red card presented them with a golden opportunity to pick up a victory.

Arteta concurs that it was two points dropped, saying after the game: “I think overall it’s been a really positive week because the difficulty was immense.

“But I have this flavour that today we should have and we could have won the game and we haven’t. That’s a learning point from it.”

Arteta must drop 4/10 Arsenal star who lost every single duel vs Chelsea

Arsenal were not at their free-flowing best as they drew with Chelsea.

ByMatt Dawson Dec 1, 2025

That said, the north Londoners shouldn’t be too disheartened, as getting a point at Stamford Bridge is still a good result, and they have a healthy lead at the top of the Premier League table, currently sitting five points clear of Man City.

After their combined tally of eight runs in four innings at Perth, it proved to be a day of revived fortunes at the Gabba for two of the most scrutinised batters in England’s ranks. While Joe Root secured the plaudits for his magnificent maiden century on Australian soil, Zak Crawley’s bounce-back from a first-Test pair proved a similarly cathartic display.Though he fell when well set, gloving a pull off Michael Neser shortly after the first interval, his 76 from 93 balls was nonetheless a crucial contribution, coming as it did after his first-Test nemesis Mitchell Starc had again struck hard with the new ball, dismissing Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope for ducks in his first two overs.Crawley, by then, had already driven Starc through the covers for four, to bring up his first runs of the series, and he carried on in a similar vein, picking off a total of 11 boundaries, the majority coming when Australia’s bowlers strayed into his arc.”I did feel good, to be honest,” Crawley told TNT Sports at the close of the first day’s play. “I felt much better than Perth. I was just trying to keep it simple, just trying to score straight on the leg side, and then if it was really full, maybe on the off side. Yeah, I was happy with my knock.”Crawley’s relative watchfulness outside off was the key feature of his innings, and a tribute to the hours in the nets that England have put in (in between some notable moments of downtime) since their two-day defeat in the series opener.”I think it’d have felt a long break if I’d have got two hundreds, to be honest,” he said. “It was big old gap after a two-day game. But yeah, it’s a good chance to get some practice in. And I felt comfortable. I felt calm today, and managed to settle the nerves. So I was pleased with how I played.”I had a clear plan and I stuck to it. There were still a couple of loose shots in there, as I tend to do, but got away with them, and I played nicely down the ground as well. By trying to score on the leg side, that made me leave a bit better outside off with the extra bounce today, and then when I got in, the ball started doing a bit less.”England’s close-of-play score of 325 for 9 looked significantly more healthy thanks to an unbeaten tenth-wicket stand of 61 between Root, who finished unbeaten on 135, and Jofra Archer, whose 32 not out was his highest Test score, in just his second innings at No.11.Until Australia have batted, it will be hard to tell how good that score actually is, but after the groundstaff had given the pitch a final trim to 3mm of grass before the match, Crawley knew it had been a good toss for England to win, notwithstanding their early collapse to 5 for 2.Related

• Lyon 'absolutely filthy' after being left out of consecutive pink-ball Tests

• Rip me up and start again: cricket's most thrilling art is also the most self-destructive

• The world where Lyon doesn't play at the Gabba

• Wood set to miss second Test after long road back from injury

“The last few days, it’s been really green here. So we all thought it’s going to be a green nipper again. And they obviously shaved it this morning, so it looked like a great wicket to bat on, with the overheads as well.”I was gutted to get out when I did, the pitch was just getting a bit flatter there,” he added. “But obviously we finished the day well with Rooty and Jof at the end there. So it’s good day.”At 264 for 9 with approximately half an hour of the day remaining, there had been some speculation that England might declare to insert Australia under the lights, much as they had done in their previous pink-ball Test against New Zealand in Mount Maunganui two years ago. But with Root going strong, and with memories of England’s infamous declaration at Edgbaston in 2023, Crawley said a repeat scenario had not been on the cards.”No talk of declaring,” he said. “We were talking about boys going really hard, and if they got out, then it was kind of a win-win situation. So they went hard, and they came off, and there’s a valuable 50 runs there for us.”Root will be on strike when day two gets underway, and will have the chance to extend England’s innings into the morning session, with six overs to come until the new ball is due. For now, though, he will have a chance to savour a significant landmark in his career, and one that may just confirm his credentials as England’s greatest Test batter.”I’m chuffed for him,” Crawley said, after Root’s 40th Test hundred and his first in Australia. “He hasn’t been speaking about it at all to us, that’s just the outside noise. He’s just very focused on just getting whatever score is needed on the day, and proved to be a hundred today.”But he’s the best player I’ve ever played with, or probably against as well. And he’s a champion bloke. I’m chuffed to bits for him.”

Dietmar Hamann has said Liverpool boss Arne Slot has "lost control of his team", and that the Dutchman's "end" is near. The Champions League winning midfielder suggested Reds fans will be longing for the sensational return of Jurgen Klopp, after Slot's side fell to their ninth defeat in 12 games with a chastening 4-1 home loss to PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League.

• Hamann lambasts Slot over poor Liverpool run

  Hamann, who played 280 games for Liverpool in a seven year stay on Merseyside, did not hold back in his assessment of Slot's performance in his column for

  The ex-Bayern, Newcastle and Manchester City midfielder suggested the Reds will have major problems breaking into the Premier League's top four, and that the problems within Anfield cannot be resolved quickly. While he did caveat his criticism by acknowledging the difficulty in integrating the many marquee signings made by the club in the summer, and the ongoing psychological burden of grieving for their teammate Diogo Jota, Hamann said the remaining credit Slot enjoyed for winning the title in his debut season has now run out. That prompted the 2002 World Cup finalist to float the sensational return of his compatriot Klopp to the top job at Anfield. 

Advertisement

• AFP
  

  Hamann: "Slot's end is near"

  Hamann wrote: "Liverpool's 1-4 defeat against Eindhoven was their ninth loss in the last twelve games  I believe Arne Slot has lost control of the team. It's falling apart, everyone is doing what they want, like Salah before PSV's second goal.

  "Liverpool will have major problems finishing in the Premier League top four. I don't believe these problems can be solved quickly or easily. The situation is so complex that the club will certainly be discussing the manager's position.

  "Slots' end is near. I never thought it would come to this after the brilliant season he had lasted, but I believe his credit has now run out.

  "They've spent a fortune on players, but none of them have made an impact. After Diogo Jota's death, it wasn't easy to break into a team that had just lost a teammate. The question is, how long can you keep using that as an argument?

  "Many are already longing for Jürgen Klopp's return. If you ask the fans, many will surely say: 'That would be something!'

  "How likely is it that he'll return to Liverpool? I have no idea. But it would be the story of the decade. The club will already have considered alternative managers. I assume they've spoken with Klopp."

• Pressure on Slot ramps up after PSV debacle

  While criticism of Slot was rife before the calamitous defeat to PSV on Tuesday, shipping four goals at home to the Dutch outfit has intensified the scrutiny even further. Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher believes Slot "has a week to save his job" after his latest loss. 

  One German reporter has warned Slot to "watch out" as Klopp is eyeing a return to Merseyside, with speculation mounting the club has approached their former coach about a spectacular return.  

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Crucial week ahead for Slot

  If Hamann is correct, and the remaining credit for last season's title win has run out, then his ex-teammate Carragher could well be spot on too. This really is a crucial week for Slot's tenure as Liverpool coach. 

  First, the Reds travel to east London to take on West Ham on Sunday. The Irons are unbeaten in their last three league games, scoring eight goals in that run. Given Liverpool's defensive woes, that again could present a major problem to Slot's side. 

  Following that, Liverpool host this season's surprise package Sunderland on December 3. Regis Le Bris' side are tough to break down, conceding less than a goal per game upon their return to the top flight. 

  It's testament to the lose of confidence by Liverpool's players that these look to be tricky assignments for the Reds. These are two sides that Liverpool would have expected to blow off the park just a few months ago. Can Slot regain control of his team in time to save the Reds' season, and possibly, his job? 

Everton are reportedly exploring a move to sign James Ward-Prowse, who has been frozen out at West Ham United ever since the arrival of Nuno Espirito Santo.

The Toffees are making a habit of offering transfer lifelines, having welcomed Jack Grealish on loan from Manchester City in the summer and since been linked with Manchester United’s Joshua Zirkzee.

Their decision to sign Grealish on loan in the summer has so far gone as well as they could have wished. The Premier League winner has been back to his very best form for the most part and is likely to play a crucial part in the outcome of Everton’s season.

Full of praise for his summer arrival, Everton boss David Moyes recently told talkSPORT: “Jack’s been really good. He’s helped us maintain the ball more, we’re up on numbers in terms of possession.

“His goals have been huge, I’m sort of driving home to him that it’s good being an assist maker but it’s even better being a goalscorer. He’s given us a real strength in how he plays.

“He and Iliman Ndiaye have played really, really well and probably changed the way we are, we wanted to evolve and become better and both those players give us that opportunity.

Everton hatch striker plan as Moyes moves for star with 18 goals this season

The Toffees’ strikers have struggled to convert and they now have a clinical star in their sights.

BySean Markus Clifford Nov 9, 2025

“He’s an incredible character, loves his football, watches and listens, which a lot of the modern players don’t so much, but Jack loves his football and Tuchel’s got a really difficult job [picking the squad].”

With Zirkzee already linked with a similar move from Man United and now Ward-Prowse emerging as a target, 2026 could be all about the revival of impressive players in Merseyside.

Everton now exploring Ward-Prowse move

As reported by TeamTalk’s Dean Jones, Everton are now exploring a move to sign Ward-Prowse in January. The midfielder has been given the cold shoulder by Nuno ever since the manager arrived at West Ham and is now almost “certain” to move on from the London club.

A reunion with Moyes could, therefore, be on the cards. Ward-Prowse played 51 games under the Scot during their time together at West Ham, scoring seven goals and assisting another 11 in an impressive run. Now frozen out in London, his former manager could hand him a much-needed lifeline.

It’s easy to forget the quality that the former Southampton star can offer these days, but it’s worth remembering that Ward-Prowse is only one free-kick goal away from equalling David Beckham’s Premier League record of 18 direct goals. That’s the unique quality that he could offer Everton, who would suddenly take their set-pieces to a whole new level.

Moyes knows all about Ward-Prowse’s specialty, having been full of praise for the midfielder at West Ham – telling reporters in 2023: “We could have scored four or five from corner kicks.

“We’ve been a decent side from set pieces, maybe without the word “specialist”, but I think we’ve got a specialist now in Ward-Prowse. He’s contributing to us and our results at the moment.”

Joshua Zirkzee now a priority target for Everton as Arsenal refuse Gabriel Jesus sale

Real Madrid have now set their sights on signing Dominik Szoboszlai in another blow for Liverpool, with the Reds working to set up obstacles to prevent the move.

It’s been a disastrous season for those at Anfield. After spending over £400m and breaking their transfer record twice to welcome Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz, the Premier League champions have looked a shadow of their best. Sat as low as eighth as the November international break begins, the pressure is growing on Arne Slot for the first time in his Liverpool tenure.

Last Sunday’s 3-0 defeat at the Etihad against Manchester City was another game in which Liverpool were physically outmatched, and that’s a major concern. That’s the one thing that they could never be accused of under Jurgen Klopp, but Slot’s technical side simply haven’t been able to compete out of possession.

Club legend Jamie Carragher shared a similar view on the Overlap Fan Debate, claiming that Slot’s attempts to build a more entertaining side have come just when the tide is changing in the Premier League.

It’s difficult to pick out many players who have still thrived for the Reds in recent months, but Szoboszlai is certainly one of them. He has had no trouble adjusting to this so-called new version of the Premier League and his form has not gone unnoticed.

Real Madrid now targeting Dominik Szoboszlai

According to reports in Spain, Real Madrid are now targeting Szoboszlai in a move that could cost them as much as €80m (£71m). Given that they’re already linked with a move for Ibrahima Konate, it would be a major blow for the Reds if they lost their star midfielder alongside the Frenchman in 2026.

After Isak: Liverpool's "next Michael Owen" is destined to be the club's #9

Arne Slot has an emerging 17-year-old star at Liverpool who could take Isak’s number nine shirt off him.

ByKelan Sarson Nov 12, 2025

Unlike in Konate’s case, however, Liverpool have handed Real Madrid an obstacle in the way of Szoboszlai’s signature in the form of his contract, which doesn’t expire until 2028, and have already opened talks over a new deal with the Hungary international.

Those at Anfield know more than most just how much the Spanish giants love a free deal, but it looks as though they’ll have no choice but to offer a premium fee if they want to sign the midfield star.

That said, after Slot dubbed Szoboszlai “unbelievable” back in August, it seems unlikely that he will be going anywhere anytime soon.

Liverpool star is quickly becoming their biggest "disaster" since Keita

Youngsters rule the roost as visitors hold nerve to defend 290 in close-fought contest

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay24-Aug-2025

Ralphie Albert, the England Under-19 allrounder who is grandson to snooker star Jimmy White, fell just four runs short of a rampant century in his first innings at any level for Surrey as the visitors posted 289 for 8 against Notts Outlaws in their Group A Metro Bank One-Day Cup match at Trent Bridge.It was his side’s highest ever individual score for a maiden List A innings and helped bring victory by ten runs. This still looked unlikely, however, when, in reply, the Zimbabwean Dane Schadendorf and locally-raised Sam King both made their first fifties in any Notts cricket in an 85-run third-wicket partnership.But Albert, bowling left-arm spin, struck twice in 13 balls as Schadendorf fell for 51, caught behind sweeping, and Ben Martindale, returning with a runner after retiring hurt in the sixth over, soon drove him to mid-off. Seven balls later Albert took the catch that left Notts six down, needing 104 from 86 balls.Wicket-taker Ollie Sykes added two more successes in his next nine balls, King out for 67, and Notts now seemed certain of defeat. But No.9, Bob Lord, hammered a late bravura unbeaten 72, batting with a runner, almost to suggest a miracle, until 23 from the last over proved just too much.Earlier, with an onslaught of 146 at seven per over, Surrey’s List A record for the sixth wicket, Albert and wicket-keeper Josh Blake, who made 72, belatedly roused their own innings after stagnation had threatened on 102 for 5 from 26 overs.If Albert couldn’t quite clear the table in the family tradition he enhanced with the bat the promise shown as a spinner during England’s youth Tests against India U-19s last month.In their reply the Outlaws soon faced trouble when two of their bare trio of first-team regulars, Ben Slater, driving loosely, and Haseeb Hameed, caught behind glancing, went in South African Ari Karvelas’s first four new-ball overs. In between, Ben Martindale, who’d suffered cramp when bowling, retired hurt.The last of the regulars, Jack Haynes, left for 38, neatly stumped by Blake as Yousef Majid, another left-armer, spun one past the bat. Soon after, exactly 200 were required from the last 31 overs but it had become only 127 from 19.4 before Albert’s second intervetion, this time with the ball.When Surrey batted first it proved a dream start on Notts first-XI debut for Tom Giles as the 19-year old fast bowler claimed two England Test batters in his opening 18 balls. Raised in Brumby on the outskirts of Scunthorpe, where he plays his club cricket, Giles induced a bottom-edge from Rory Burns, bowled for 25 cutting, and found a beauty for Ben Foakes who lost off stump for 20.Cricket had already proved fickle for Adam Thomas after he followed 162 at Derby on Friday, a List A score only ever bettered by five Surrey batters, with just eight and when Surrey skipper Sykes followed the two Test men for ten, his side were 69 for 4 in the 17th.With Nik Gorantla driving to cover for 21, it was not until 33 overs had gone that Surrey suddenly picked up the tempo with vengeance. Blake’s fifty arrived in 56 balls, Albert’s in 53 and in all 187 were plundered from final 17 overs, Giles not escaping the brutality in his second spell. Dropped on 77, Albert selflessly fell in the deep with 11 balls to come after Blake was leg-before.