Their bowling attacks are similarly matched but the difference could come in the spin department, where New Zealand look stronger

Firdose Moonda04-Mar-20251:39

Do South Africa have the best attack in the tournament?

Big picture: Run fest awaits SA, NZ

Here we are again. South Africa and New Zealand, the two best sides to have never won a World Cup, meet in a knockout match. Both have had their hands on trophy all the way back when it was called the ICC Knockout and possibly meant something else in terms of its significance in the global game. So make no mistake: winning this will not take away the desire for the big one but it will help to tide things over until 2027, when South Africa co-host the event with neighbours Zimbabwe and Namibia.Quietly, South Africa know they are actually building for that but the pressure to return home with something other than disappointment is ever-present. This is another chance to change that. New Zealand, after coming so close to the trophy at the 2019 World Cup, also carry scars but somehow seem less burdened by them. Perhaps a smaller population, with fewer socio-economic fractures that can be plastered over with sporting success helps them; maybe they’re just good at stoicism. Those are things to ponder later in the week when one of these two teams will play a final against a yet-to-be-decided opposition at a yet-to-be-decided venue. For now, they’ve both probably got the knockout they wanted.Facing each other, rather than India or Australia, appears to give them both a better chance of progressing to the final. And doing it in Pakistan, though both teams travelled from Dubai at different times on Monday, likely suits them more. Conditions are good for run-scoring and both have line-ups capable of posting big scores which suggests fans will be in for a run-fest. Their attacks are similarly matched to the point where both were hit by injury-enforced absences amongst the quicks. Some of the more interesting narratives could be around which of the tall men – Marco Jansen and Kyle Jamieson – can extract the most with their height or which of the attacking bowlers, Kagiso Rabada or Matt Henry, has the most success.Related

• Mitchell Santner goes from supporting role to main actor, to NZ's benefit

• Glenn Phillips' divine intervention puts tournament rivals on notice

• South Africa take 'crazy 18 hours' before semi-final in their stride

• South Africa call up Linde as cover for injured Markram

A difference could come in the spin resources, where South Africa have chosen to operate with only one specialist in Keshav Maharaj but New Zealand have both captain Mitchell Santner and offspinner Michael Bracewell in their best XI. Maharaj had previously indicated he sees a spinners role as a more defensive one at this event so their economy rates are the numbers to watch here.Overall, this match promises an even contest without the hype that comes with playing a big three nation even though there is plenty of history. New Zealand dumped South Africa out of both the 2011 and 2015 World Cups and though the likes of us will talk about it, it’s worth remembering that the last of those was ten years ago and much cricket has been played since.Then, particularly for South Africa, the results seemed seismic. Now, ICC events happen annually and teams are dusting themselves off and starting again with much greater frequency. Does that mean it matters less if you lose at a crucial stage or even if you win? Ask one of these two, who have both spent the best part of the last three decades trying to win a major trophy and they’re likely to say no. Only one of them will have the chance to do it this time.

Form guide

South Africa: WWLLL (last five completed matches, most recent first)

New Zealand: LWWWW

In the spotlight: David Miller and Kane Williamson

No one has quite said it yet but could this be the last time 35-year-old David Miller plays in an ODI tournament for South Africa? And if so, what kind of say will he have on it? He has limited opportunity in the tournament so far. He came to bat in the 43rd over against Afghanistan only to smash the winning runs against England, but has had almost-decisive knocks in both South Africa’s previous white-ball knockout games. At the 2023 ODI World Cup, Miller’s century gave South Africa something to defend in the semi-final after they were reduced to 24 for 4; at the 2024 T20 World Cup, he was looking good on 21 off 17 balls before being spectacularly caught on the boundary which could have taken South Africa within touching distance of the trophy. Miller has shown he enjoys the big occasion and has also indicated he is taking things year by year, so chances to play in knockouts are likely becoming fewer. After all his efforts, he will want to play a role in South Africa winning one.2:46

Latham: Scheduling is out of our control

Kane Williamson has back-to-back ODI centuries against South Africa, albeit they were scored six years apart. He made 106* against them in Birmingham in June 2019 and 133* against them at this venue in the tri-series that preceded this tournament, though that was not against a full-strength South African side. Overall, Williamson averages 57.35 against South Africa, his best against any opposition other than Zimbabwe. Though New Zealand have a line-up of creative and crafty hitters, Williamson’s role in New Zealand’s side continues to be of utmost importance as evidenced by his 81 against India in Dubai, where he kept New Zealand in the fight in what was ultimately a losing cause.Like many of the more experienced players at this event, at 34, Williamson may not get another opportunity to win an ODI trophy and will want to make the most of this one.

Team news

Openers Temba Bavuma and Tony de Zorzi have both recovered from the illness that kept them out of the England game and are expected to be available for selection, but de Zorzi is expected to make way for Aiden Markram, who passed his fitness test on Tuesday. George Linde has been called up as a travelling reserve. The bowling make-up – two allrounders, one specialist spinner and two quicks – is expected to be unchanged.South Africa (possible): 1 Temba Bavuma (capt), 2 Ryan Rickelton, 3 Rassie van der Dussen, 4 Aiden Markram, 5 Heinrich Klaasen (wk), 6 David Miller, 7 Wiaan Mulder, 8 Marco Jansen, 9 Keshav Maharaj, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Lungi NgidiMitchell Santner and Temba Bavuma shake hands•AFP/Getty Images

New Zealand’s only question will be which one of Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Devon Conway or Daryl Mitchell they will leave out. Conway sat out the India match for Mitchell, who played against Pakistan but not Bangladesh. Young and Ravindra both have centuries to their names at this competition which suggests the decision is between Mitchell and Conway, who has scores of 30 and 10 from his outings in the tournament.New Zealand: 1 Will Young, 2 Rachin Ravindra/Devon Conway, 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Daryl Mitchell, 5 Tom Latham (wk), 6 Glenn Phillips, 7 Michael Bracewell, 8 Mitchell Santner (capt), 9 Matt Henry, 10 Kyle Jamieson, 11 Will O’Rourke

Pitch and conditions

In five ODIs this year, the average first innings score is 316.5 and results have been shared between the team batting first and the chasing team. It’s expected to be another belter for the batters and tough outing for bowlers. While Heinrich Klaasen mentioned some drizzle on South Africa’s arrival in the city on Monday, the forecast is mild and clear for the semi-final.

Stats and trivia

• South Africa and New Zealand have played no bilateral white-ball cricket against each other since 2017 but played each other at the 2019 and 2023 World Cups and won a game a piece and the Pakistan tri-nation series, in a match which New Zealand won. In ICC tournaments, they have met 11 times, and New Zealand have won seven of those games.
• South Africa are the only country to have qualified for the knockouts of all of the last seven ICC events – across men’s, women’s and Under-19 tournaments. That includes the 2023 men’s ODI World Cup semi-final, the 2024 men’s T20 World Cup final, the 2025 World Test Championship final, the 2024 men’s Under-19 World Cup semi-final, the 2024 women’s T20 World Cup final and the 2025 women’s Under-19 final.

Quotes“Scheduling is an issue all around but when you do have time to rest and recover, you should. One day cricket can be quite exhausting on the body, and for us, it might be about making sure bowlers are ready for tomorrow. I don’t think they’re going to be doing much today in training.”
New Zealand travelled back to Pakistan from Dubai early on Monday morning and will use Tuesday to recuperate rather than train heavily according to captain Mitchell Santner. “We’ll approach it as we normally would. We obviously want to play our best cricket. We understand New Zealand will obviously come with a certain challenge and we’ll have to prepare accordingly but I think Marco [Jansen] said it, it’s just another game for us. Yes, it’s important but we definitely won’t be blowing it out of proportion. It’s the semi-final, we want to play our best cricket.”

Ange Postecoglou could have been handed a major boost in his bid to overhaul the Tottenham squad this summer after it emerged that a top talent is open to a north London move.

Postecoglou eyeing Spurs reinforcements

After a disappointing end to their Premier League season, Tottenham will have to settle for Europa League football next season, and Postecoglou is keen to make changes in his ranks to cater for the added European football. The Spurs boss has already highlighted his desire to add to his attacking ranks this summer, while a new centre-back is also thought to be on the radar.

"It's no secret [we need a new attacker]. You saw the way we finished the season. We obviously lost Richy and Timo as well with injuries but we're fairly light in that area. We started last season with Manor [Solomon] and [Ivan] Perisic and we were quite healthy in that front third in terms of numbers, but as the year went on it became pretty evident that we need to bulk up.

Spurs must sell Conte signing who's earning more than Van de Ven & Porro

He’s had his moments in Lilywhite but this star must be ruthlessly ditched this summer.

ByAngus Sinclair May 26, 2024

"We're in Europe as well next year so we'll have more games and it's definitely an area of the park we'll need to strengthen. You always understand that things can change really quickly but we've got a plan in place that I'm really comfortable with in terms of incomings and outgoings. Whether that all comes together you just never know but having clarity about what we need to do I think helps the process."

Timo Werner's long-term future at the club remains unclear, while they have also been credited with an interest in Nottingham Forest winger Callum Hudson Odoi this summer, but a striker is also thought to be high on their wishlist with the likes of Santiago Gimenez and Benjamin Sesko under consideration.

Now, the club have been offered a boost to bring in a new star man to lead the line at Tottenham.

Toney ken on Tottenham move

That comes in the form of Brentford striker Ivan Toney, who Thomas Frank has already conceded is likely to leave the Bees this summer as he heads into the final year of his contract with the club.

It was thought that the Englishman would attract attention from London giants Arsenal and Chelsea, but they were put off by Brentford's hefty £100m demands in January and their interest has since cooled.

The striker, dubbed a "monster" by Frank for his ability to play through pain, is now likely to be available for far less than that proposed fee, and Tottenham News report that the Englishman would "jump at the chance" to move to Spurs, with his favoured move to Arsenal now off the table.

How Ivan Toney compares to Tottenham's current strikers 23/24

Ivan Toney

Richarlison

Heung-Min Son

Appearances

17

28

35

Goals

4

11

17

Mins per goal

362.5

135.5

172.6

Shots on target per 90

1.3

1.51

1.17

Aerial duels won %

47%

30.5%

23.8%

It remains to be seen whether Spurs will be able to make an offer that will satisfy Brentford's desire for a big sale, but a move for Toney would certainly bolster their frontline and allow Postecoglou's side to finally replace the focal point of their attack that they lost with Harry Kane's departure.

The Barmy Army celebrate England’s ascent to Number 1, Nagraj Gollapudi records the moment

Nagraj Gollapudi at Edgbaston15-Aug-2011Tom Cruise came in as Maverick from . Elvis came. Spiderman came. Robocop came. Kiss came. Mr Blobby came. Santa Claus came. The Native Americans came. The various versions of Shane Warne came. Liz Hurley was not far behind. Young blondes wearing white chef’s, or Cook’s, hats with the number 294 printed on them came. Indians wearing the Gandhi came. The penguins, too, jumped in. Even the naked apes came. Everyone except God came.The Eric Hollies Stand at Edgbaston was a universe of its own last Saturday. The occasion was the coronation of England as the world’s No.1 Test team. And the sights, sounds, colours and noises made sure the new kings were feted in grand fashion. The choreographers for the show were the Barmy Army. When Bill ‘the Trumpet’ Cooper blew his instrument as Big Graham, the leader of the chorus, sang the ‘Last Post’ at the fall of the ninth Indian wicket, the noise reached a crescendo. It was a moment when even the England players acknowledged that they ruled the Test world.”It was just a fantastic feeling when the last Indian wicket fell. We have not always been the best team in the world but we have always had a great time. To be No.1 in the world and see it on the rankings and Australia No. 5 is amazing. That is phenomenal,” David Peacock, one of the Barmy Army’s founding members, gushed in his soft voice, clutching a half-empty glass of beer on the terrace of the Australian pub Walkabout in the heart of Birmingham. Groups of Barmy Army fans were scattered at various drinking holes, some across the canal that overlooks the Walkabout.”It doesn’t really matter that we are Twenty20 champions,” Peacock said. “We are not worried about the one-day World Cup. For us in England, Test cricket is what matters. I am 44 years old and this is one of the best days of my life.”About 400 Barmy Army members were present at the ground when England were crowned the No.1 team. The Edgbaston Test had already been earmarked as the first Barmy Army Arms reunion since the Ashes triumph in January.”Not in the same league. Long way behind,” Peacock said when asked to compare England’s ascent to the top of the rankings to the Ashes victory. “India, let’s be honest, their preparation was so poor. It is embarrassing. Look how we prepared for the Ashes – proper warm-ups, serious cricket, everything was geared up for us to peak.”The Barmy Army’s charm has always been that it was a team of joyful, enthusiastic supporters of a team that did not really deserve them. When they first started in Australia in 1994-95, during the fifth Test in Perth, they had a banner that said “who are these cricketers who keep following us around?”As a child, Peacock, like thousands of English cricket fans, would dream about travelling to Australia. Growing up, he never thought he would ever be able to. But Peacock, who works as recruitment director for the fan club in London, has been to Australia five times. To begin with, he, like various England sides, suffered pain inflicted by the dominant teams of Allan Border, Mark Taylor, Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting.”The worst was to go to Australia and be done 5-0. But in hindsight we were outclassed by probably the best Test side [ever]. It is very hard to go halfway round the world, spend £10,000 and come back having lost 5-0,” Peacock said. “But actually people do not understand the beauty of following your team and the fun you have following England on tour. Even if we lost we had the best time in our lives. We just saw a great team beat us in 40-degree heat. We all know we are privileged. My dream was to see England win in Australia and then give up. But now that I have seen it once I never want to give up.””It is a funny thing. We are not used to it,” Cooper, the trumpeter, said over the phone from London. “We have seen England play some poor games over the years but now to see them become the No.1 is a fantastic feeling. We thought India were going to be a big test but to beat them so comprehensively, it has been a bit of a strange feeling. We are not used to dominating teams like that.”We are not used to singing songs like ‘We are the champions, we are the No.1’,” Cooper said. He plays the trumpet for a living and had toured for the first time with the Barmy Army on the Caribbean tour of 2004.The first time Cooper played the ‘Last Post’, a tune he plays very rarely, was when England lost the Ashes in 2007. “It was a very sad day,” he said. “But to have the crowds at Edgbaston singing ‘We are the champions’ was fantastic.”England are only days old in the top seat but already their followers want them to chart a path of dominance in the years to come. “Tonight we are the best team in the world. And we beat India, who were the best team in the world. We need to win the ODI World Cup. We need to dominate overall,” said Steve Butt Fish, an automotive engineer from the Midlands who has been with the Barmy Army for 10 years.Fish, who was sitting in the grand stand when England sealed the victory, was disappointed that Sachin Tendulkar did not get his 100th century. “We all wanted Tendulkar to get his hundred. He is such a great batsman, a great sportsman; so why shouldn’t he?”Peacock also expects more from England in the future. For him winning away from home is the real test, and he wants to see England win in India. “There is a massive difference,” he said. “To see England win in Australia was better than becoming No.1. But it is nice to be No.1. India have not shown up. We have got to beat them in India. That will be a big series win. We have got to win away from home; those are the hard yards. We go halfway around the world to watch England play. So for me the away victory carries a lot of meaning.” The Andrews in the England team – Flower and Strauss – better listen.

Tottenham Hotspur took a stride forward last season but Ange Postecoglou is searching for improvements across the board as he looks to take his team further, with patchy form pulling Spurs away from the Premier League's top-four, settling for the Europa League.

Is this a cloaked blessing? Postecoglou has been adamant that the Champions League will not define success as he continues to build, but Europe's elite club competition attracts the finest players, provides the firmest footing.

A defensive midfielder is coveted but, equally, Tottenham are hoping to sign a versatile wide forward to strengthen and dynamise the existing options. The Londoners might have found a big boost in that regard.

Spurs lining up talented forward

According to Tutto Juve, Tottenham are set to tussle with Manchester United and Newcastle United for the signing of Samuel Iling-Junior, who has been transfer-listed by Juventus for €15m (£13m).

The 20-year-old left winger broke into the Serie A side's first team this season but has been deemed expendable as the Old Lady seek to strengthen this summer.

For such a cheap price, it would almost be foolish not to at least lodge an offer and enter formal discussions; Iling-Junior is highly talented and might even have the perfect skill set to partner up with another summer target.

Dream Eberechi Eze partner

Speaking of Iling-Junior's qualities, former Chelsea and Tottenham academy coach Saul Isaksson-Hurst said in 2022: “Samuel brings the full package to the party, he has got everything. He is almost like a street footballer with his skill and balance. He brings almost everything to the table. He can play seven, eleven, a 10 or even in central midfield.”

Iling-Junior featured 27 times across all competitions, scored one goal and added two assists, with his "explosive" ability – as described by analyst Ben Mattinson – making him a tailor-made prospect for an ambitious Premier League outfit, and he could be the perfect partner for fellow Spurs target Eberechi Eze, someone who would no doubt be an exciting acquisition for the Londoners.

The Juve starlet is a maverick, ranking among the top 6% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions, the top 10% for progressive carries and the top 19% for tackles per 90, as per FBref. Pace, power, creativity, and combativeness all feature prominently in Iling-Junior's game.

The former Chelsea youth product, furthermore, has also been praised for his "high energy and work volume as well as dreamy ball skills" by journalist Antonio Mango, suggestingly that he is exactly what Postecoglou needs to add a layer to his left side.

And if Daniel Levy matches Postecoglou's ambition with incisive action and secures Eze's signature this summer, who, as per the Daily Mail, has a £60m release clause in his contract and is attracting interest from Tottenham, then a wonderful new partnership could be born.

Both players favour the left but Eze played regularly as a No. 10, attacking midfielder, last season, scoring the lion's share of his goals when central. Moreover, the Eagles phenomenon averaged 2.6 dribbles and five ball recoveries per top-flight match and thus would bring the energy needed to succeed at Spurs and bounce off the facets of Iling-Junior's game.

With Richarlison among those mooted for a departure this summer and Heung-min Son featuring prominently at centre-forward – which may maintain its regularity even if a new striker is signed – Iling-Junior could find himself earning ample opportunity to impress down the wing, with his playmaking skill leading him to be described as an "assist machine" by journalist Michele Neri.

Attacking midfield

17

8

5

Left winger

8

3

1

Right winger

1

0

0

Left midfield

1

0

0

This would prove especially beneficial in regard to his partnership with Eze, who brings a host of attributes to the table but notably thrives through his goalscoring, actually ranking among the top 6% of attacking midfielders and wingers for non-penalty goals scored and the top 5% for shots taken per 90.

To nail the point home, the aforementioned Mattinson has even predicted that Iling-Junior, England U21 international, could become a “[Bukayo] Saka rival” for England, offering the kind of snap and style in his athletic play to rival that of the Arsenal star, who scored 20 goals and supplied 14 assists in all competitions last term for Mikel Arteta's elite side.

Saka, while catching the eye with his clinical touch, solidifies his position as one of the Premier League's finest with remarkable underlying numbers, ranking among the top 9% of attacking midfielders and wingers for shot-creating actions and the top 10% for tackles per 90. It's for this reason that Spurs' transfer target could successfully imitate his countryman.

Tottenham undoubtedly lack an element of pace down the left, and when athletic full-back Destiny Udogie found himself sidelined in the later stretch of the campaign, this was accentuated and then some, with Brennan Johnson pulled away from his favoured right side to try and inject some speed, proving to be less effective however.

With the requisite natural prowess and the ever-improving ability in important moments, Iling-Junior would be a credit to Postecoglou's project and would add the depth and skill needed to impress across multiple fronts next year.

Postecoglou will demand silverware of his players and without signing the likes of Iling-Junior, the Lilywhites simply won't have the firepower to maintain the charge across these different roads of the campaign.

What Spurs' starting lineup could look like after £201m spending spree

Spurs will want to give Postecoglou everything he needs to build a successful side this summer.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jun 9, 2024

da marjack bet： Tottenham are actively pursuing more new summer signings before deadline day on September 1, as new manager Thomas Frank gears up for his first-ever campaign in charge of a ‘big six’ Premier League side.

Related Tottenham tipped to sign "very impressive" Son replacement in last-gasp deal

His club need to sell.

Posts 1 ByEmilio Galantini Jul 29, 2025

da brwin： So far, Spurs’ only major high-profile deal comes in the form of a £55 million move for Mohammed Kudus, and chairman Daniel Levy will be very keen to ensure the Ghanaian isn’t their sole highlight of the window.

Tottenham’s best-performing regulars in the Premier League – 2024/2025

Average match rating

Son Heung-min

7.00

James Maddison

6.98

Pedro Porro

6.95

Dominic Solanke

6.84

Dejan Kulusevski

6.83

via WhoScored

The Lilywhites were intent on completing a blockbuster £115 million double deal for both Kudus and Morgan Gibbs-White at one point, but Nottingham Forest blocked the latter’s move to N17, threatened legal action and convinced him to pen a brand-new £150,000-per-week deal at the City Ground.

After this shock turn of events over the last fortnight, Spurs are back to square one in pursuit of another star attacker who can inject some proven creativity into Frank’s side.

However, as one door closes, another one opens in the form of Real Madrid star Rodrygo – who England star Jude Bellingham called their most “underrated” player.

The versatile Brazil international, who can play on both wings and as a centre-forward when needed, could leave the Bernabeu this summer with his future looking uncertain under new manager Xabi Alonso.

Rodrygo is yet to make a final decision as of now (Fabrizio Romano), but as the former Santos star ponders life away from Madrid, it is believed that Los Blancos have confirmed to his representatives that they’re open to letting him leave.

“They [Rodrygo’s agents] already had a meeting last week [with Madrid] to just present their own position,” said Romano on his YouTube channel recently.

“In that meeting, from what I’ve heard, Real Madrid confirmed that they are open to letting Rodrygo go. Now it’s Rodrygo, together with his agents, who has to decide what he wants to do – stay and fight for a spot or leave and explore all the options.”

Tottenham are reportedly keen to sign Rodrygo and make him the centrepiece of Frank’s new-look Spurs side (AS), whilst other reports suggest that the 24-year-old hasn’t ruled out a move to north London behind-the-scenes.

Fabio Paratici holds talks with Rodrygo about joining Tottenham

Now, journalist Ben Jacobs has shared another update on the situation.

The reporter, via We Are Tottenham TV, claims that unofficial Tottenham advisor, Fabio Paratici, has held talks with Rodrygo’s camp over a move to England. However, Jacobs also provides a note of caution.

“When Rodrygo makes up his mind he’ll understand who actually wants him and who doesn’t,” Jacobs said.

“The only conversation that has taken place between the Rodrygo camp and somebody connected to Tottenham is via Fabio Paratici. Not Daniel Levy, nobody who is at the moment a full-time staff member. I don’t see this one developing, the player may prove to be open to the Premier League, but we’ll have to wait and see.”

Rodrygo netted 14 goals and 11 assists in 54 outings across all competitions last season, owing to his obvious quality, but the player may not be allowed to leave on the cheap.

Tottenham will likely have to break their transfer record to agree any deal for the South American, with Real currently demanding around £78 million – a valuation which Levy and co are keen to reduce (AS).

There is also the matter of Rodrygo’s significant salary of around £207,000-per-week, which would make him Spurs’ highest-paid player.

Majestic batting from Nat Sciver-Brunt, middle-overs acceleration from Hayley Matthews, and power-hitting from Harmanpreet Kaur helped Mumbai Indians post a daunting total of 213 in the Eliminator. That proved to be too much to chase down, and Mumbai’s 47-run win extended their head-to-head dominance over Gujarat Giants to 7-0 and powered them into their second WPL final in three years. On Saturday, they will face Delhi Capitals in a repeat of the 2023 finale.Giants were without Deandra Dottin for their first knockout game in three WPLs after the allrounder hurt herself only five minutes before the toss, and was replaced by England’s Danielle Gibson. Giants didn’t do themselves any favours as they misfielded through the innings and put down four catches that cost them heavily. In the run chase, they lost their three top-scorers this season – Beth Mooney, Harleen Deol and Ashleigh Gardner – in the powerplay as Mumbai held on to their catches and effected run-outs.Phoebe Litchfield scored a quickfire 31 off 20 balls, but once she was stumped off Amelia Kerr, Giants were all but out of the chase at 107 for 5, with the asking rate above 13 an over.

Matthews, Sciver-Brunt set solid platform

Put in to bat, Mumbai went back to opening with Yastika Bhatia, but it didn’t change her fortunes. After collecting three boundaries in her 14-ball stay during a sedate powerplay in which MI didn’t take too many risks, Bhatia pulled Gibson to midwicket to fall for 14.The wicket brought out the in-form Sciver-Brunt, who didn’t bat an eyelid to get going alongside Matthews, who started with only 17 runs off her first 22 balls before taking off. Sciver-Brunt took the aerial route straightaway. She ended the seventh over with consecutive boundaries, which Matthews followed up by smacking three of her own off the next three balls from Priya Mishra to power the run rate past eight an over. Three of those five consecutive fours came off short deliveries, a length the Giants bowlers often bowled and got punished for.Their sloppy fielding didn’t help either, leading to a number of boundaries. The first came in the ninth over when Sciver-Brunt drove to deep cover, where Simran Shaikh let the ball go through her. Soon after, Sciver-Brunt reverse paddled Gardner for her fifth boundary in 12 balls. Kashvee Gautam then let one through at point when Matthews cut one square. By then, Matthews had started to find her A game, and a six off Tanuja Kanwar’s short ball brought her fifty up off 36 balls, and the team’s 100 in 11 overs.With Mumbai at 111 for 1 after 12 overs, Meghna Singh and Mishra brought some sort of balance back by conceding only 13 runs in two overs. But from the cushion of 124 for 1 with six overs to go, it was time to floor the pedal.Harmanpreet Kaur smashed 36 off just 12 balls•BCCI

Harmonster demolishes Giants again

Harmanpreet already had her helmet on in the dugout, and was shadow-practicing her big swings while waiting for her chance. Sciver-Brunt deposited Gibson over deep midwicket and long-on to raise a 29-ball fifty. Giants, meanwhile, continued their wretched run on the field when the reliable Gardner dropped Matthews on 57 straight down the ground.Matthews made them pay immediately, hitting Mishra for back-to-back sixes over long-on and cover with deft footwork. Such was Mumbai’s luck that even a top-edge off the next ball went for four. But that luck ran out when Matthews edged Gautam behind for 77 off 50 balls, and Mooney took a sharp catch standing up.Harmanpreet averaged nearly 79 against Giants before this game, and the number could have fallen had Mishra held on to a catch at midwicket when she was on 1. But Mishra didn’t, and Harmanpreet became Harmonster. She went deep in the crease and opened her stance to cart the ball around, whether it was in the slot or not.Harmanpreet started the 18th over by hammering Kanwar for 6, 4, 4 – even that sequence included a misfield – before ending the over with her trademark slog-sweep for six. That over went for 22 in all. Sciver-Brunt also got a life in the next over – sandwiched between two boundaries off Gibson – when Kanwar made a mess of a skier. Giants were punished yet again next ball, but finally ended the partnership when Litchfield caught one at deep midwicket, leaving Sciver-Brunt seven short of 500 runs this season, and three short of 1000 in the WPL overall.Harmanpreet was gifted two balls in the slot at the start of the last over, and she happily collected sixes off both. Meghna, however, finished well, giving away just two off the next three balls before nailing a yorker that led to Harmanpreet being run out for 36.Danielle Gibson’s dive wasn’t enough for Amanjot Kaur’s flat throw from the deep•BCCI

Mumbai’s fielders show how it’s done

It took only five balls for the hosts to show their superiority in the field on the night, despite the presence of dew. When Shabnim Ismail drew Mooney’s edge, Matthews leapt to her right from first slip to grab the ball with both hands. When Harleen Deol and Gibson got into a mix-up in the fifth over, 20-year-old Sanskriti Gupta put in a dive at point and hurled the ball quickly to the wicketkeeper to find Deol short. And just before the halfway mark, Gibson also fell short when attempting a second run, and her dive wasn’t enough to beat Amanjot Kaur’s flat throw from the deep.In between, Gardner lost her off stump against Matthews, which meant Giants were 43 for 3 in the powerplay. Litchfield was their only hope and she used her feet regularly against Kerr and struck two boundaries against Ismail that showed her class on either side of the wicket. But when Litchfield ventured out of the crease against Kerr once again and missed, Bhatia did the rest to leave Giants 107 for 5.

Another run-out and Giants go down

Giants hardly had any steam left in their tank, and their poor running added to their misery. Next to fall short was Gautam, who was sent back when she hurried out for a quick single after drilling the ball to cover, from where Harmanpreet fired the ball back for the sixth wicket.With another 102 runs to get from the remaining 42 balls, and their top five back in the hut, Giants’ only hope of getting anywhere close to their target was Bharti Fulmali. She started with a straight six off Amanjot, dispatched Kerr to the leg-side boundary, and flayed Matthews for consecutive boundaries behind square. But when Fulmali backed away looking for a third boundary in a row, Matthews beat her attempted cut and knocked the stumps over.Mumbai continued their stellar fielding display as Harmanpreet took a diving catch to send Shaikh back, and Sciver-Brunt ran to her left at deep midwicket to seal victory in the last over.

ESPNcricinfo presents the plays of the day from Pakistan’s encounter with New Zealand

Osman Samiuddin and Brydon Coverdale in Pallekele 08-Mar-2011Birthday gift of the day
Ross Taylor turned 27 today. Then he came across Kamran Akmal, who gifted him two lives in three balls, on 0 and 4. Then he got a career-best hundred. Happy birthday Ross.Sign of the day
At least one fan in the crowd was prepared for Taylor’s big day, with a computer print-out that was held up as a sign. There was only one problem. It read: “Happy birthday Rose Taylor”. Ah well, a Ross by any other name would smell as sweet.Opening of the day
Pakistan: land of strapping, wicket-taking fast bowlers who blow through you with the new ball and clean up with the old? Perhaps not. Shahid Afridi chose to open with Abdur Rehman for the second over of the innings, the time a spinner had bowled one of the first two overs for Pakistan in an ODI since April 1998, when Mohammad Hussain – another left-arm spinner – did so. And until his last two overs went for 34, he hadn’t done such a bad job of it.Communication failure of the day
The Powerplays often create headaches for captains, but it was even more so for Shahid Afridi during New Zealand’s innings. After 10 overs, he seemed to believe the bowling Powerplay had started, but one ball into the over was in an animated discussion with the umpire Nigel Llong, who had not given the signal. At the start of the next over, Afridi made it clear to the other official, Daryl Harper that he wanted the Powerplay to begin. Remarkably, the same thing appeared to happen with the batting Powerplay. Afridi had only three fielders outside the circle for the first two balls of the 41st over, apparently under the impression New Zealand had taken the Powerplay. Again, Llong clarified matters, and at the start of the next over, Afridi watched closely as Harper signalled that finally the batting Powerplay was under way.Atmosphere of the day
It’s to be expected that not all the neutral matches in this World Cup will be well attended, but the crowd at Pallekele was wonderful. Not for nearly a decade has Kandy hosted a one-day international, and the city’s only international cricket in more than three years was the horribly rain-affected Test against West Indies last year. The locals have clearly been craving the game. A big crowd turned out and cheered vociferously for both teams, roaring their support of Taylor late in the New Zealand innings. No doubt the solid numbers were helped by the price of tickets – the cheapest were only 30 rupees, which equates to approximately 27 US cents.

The former New Zealand captain sees the current WTC structure as “not ideal”

Matt Roller31-Mar-20253:42

Williamson: Current WTC structure ‘not ideal’

Kane Williamson has backed calls to introduce designated windows for international cricket, which he believes could help to turn the World Test Championship (WTC) into a “more level competition”.The ICC’s cricket committee will consider proposals to tweak the WTC’s format when it meets in Zimbabwe later this month ahead of the start of the 2025-27 cycle. ECB chair Richard Thompson is among those calling for “a fairer, better competition” after criticism around uneven schedules and a points system that Ben Stokes has described as “utterly confusing”.Williamson, who captained New Zealand to the inaugural WTC title in 2021, described the current structure – which sees Australia, England and India play far more fixtures in a cycle than anyone else – as “not ideal”. He also backed the concept of four protected 21-day international windows per year, an idea proposed by the World Cricketers’ Association (WCA) last week.Related

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“It comes back to scheduling,” Williamson told ESPNcricinfo. “I love Test cricket and I’d love to see it stay and I’d love to see it be a pathway for young cricketers still, alongside the T20 format… If you can prioritise windows where teams are playing each other consistently and somewhat evenly, then I think it just makes it [the WTC] a slightly more level competition.”The context now in Test cricket has certainly increased the effort and results. We don’t see draws any more, basically, in Test cricket, so every team’s pushing for a result when there’s something on it. For us as a country, winning the inaugural Test Championship final, it was really special and a great moment in our history.6:00

Williamson on how T20 leagues have changed cricket

“You put a tournament in front of somebody or a team, and they’re always quite keen to win it… Context is something that’s been spoken about for a while now, and it is great to see that there’s an effort to do that. It’s just how you keep tinkering it because there’s so many different opinions with teams, who they play and how you sort of continue to make it level.”South Africa reached June’s WTC final against Australia at Lord’s after playing only 12 Tests in the 2023-25 cycle, the joint-fewest of any team, and their route to the final has prompted some criticism over the WTC’s unequal schedule.”[Teams] get the cards that they are dealt and they try to make use of what’s in front of them, and take those opportunities,” Williamson said.”Naturally, the fact that it’s different for each team is not ideal. Any time you get the opportunity to review after a two-year Test Championship window, to try and tweak it a little bit, that’s fine. It’s still in its infancy, really, as a competition, so you’re always going to look at those things… It’s tricky though: there’s 12 months in a year, right? That’s difficult.”Williamson believes that 50-over cricket has already “given way” as a format. “I still think the ODI World Cup is at the top of the list in terms of an international event to win. When I first started, you’d have a tour for six weeks… Now, you tend to go from one thing to the next, and so it [50-over cricket] may well be the thing that gives way.”He also believes that the rapid and continued growth of franchise cricket poses significant challenges for national boards outside of the ‘big three’ of Australia, England and India, with financial incentives often drawing young players away from Test cricket.”We’re a small country and a smallish economy, certainly relative to some of the big, big nations,” Williamson said.”You mentioned the big three, and the focus on the five Test-match series that they have, and I’m a fan of watching those too. But [the question is] where that leaves everybody else, not just in terms of how they fit in their international cricket, but how we end up playing each other, or how you can still get that even competition across the board. And not just that, but [how you] still create that pathway for young players to see their heroes perhaps playing for their country.Despite giving up a central contract, Kane Williamson is eager to play for New Zealand•Getty Images

“There’s so much cricket happening in the world, and so many different opportunities for players… The interesting part is what messages that sends to your young players, and what they aspire to be now. You can only say that’s gone from […] a pure Test focus, where that was the start of my career as a youngster, to maybe looking at playing in the IPL, or playing in some of these other big leagues, and country vs franchises and all that sort of discussion.”Williamson has played more than 350 times for New Zealand across a 15-year international career but his priorities are slowly shifting aged 34. He is still active across international formats but turned down a central contract for the 2024/25 season in order to play in the SA20, and is due to feature in the PSL, the T20 Blast and the Hundred later this year.”At the moment, there’s no clear windows that meet everybody’s needs, and that’s the tough part,” Williamson said of the global calendar. “If you do have clear windows, and you do allow that full focus… then you can just take your attention there. What we’re seeing a lot is players having to make decisions [themselves] and that takes away a little bit from one part, whether it’s the international or the franchise space.”Things are moving quickly… It’s quite interesting, but I still absolutely love playing for New Zealand and I’m looking forward to doing that again in the future. But it is nice: there are some other options you can have, and with a young family as well, it’s nice that they can have me around a little bit.”

Crystal Palace are enjoying a spectacular end to the Premier League season under new coach Oliver Glasner.

The Austrian has seen his side beat Newcastle United, West Ham United and, most impressively, Liverpool in the last four games, and since he was appointed in February, the Eagles have lost just three league games, one of which was against Manchester City.

In all, things look to be on the up and up at Selhurst Park, and one of the players benefiting most from the club's change of fortune is French striker Jean-Philippe Mateta, who is more than repaying his manager's faith in him and making the wages paid out to previous strikers at the club look absurd.

Jean-Philippe Mateta's Palace career in numbers

The Eagles first signed Mateta on an initial 18-month loan from Bundesliga outfit Mainz in January 2021 but made the deal permanent for around £9m in February the following year.

While the 6 foot 4 forward hasn't ever been particularly bad for the South Londoners, it would probably be fair to describe much of his time at Selhurst Park as underwhelming. Before this season, he had scored just ten goals and provided a single assist in 67 appearances.

However, this year, the 26-year-old has finally shown the kind of form that piqued Palace's interest in the first place, scoring 14 goals and providing five assists in 36 games, meaning that he's averaging a goal involvement every other game.

This reliable output has seen him become Glasner's first choice in attack, and he's started every game following the former Eintracht Frankfurt boss' arrival, more than justifying his £50k-per-week wages in the process, which isn't something that can be said about a former Palace striker and flop.

How much Connor Wickham cost Crystal Palace

The former striker in question is 31-year-old Connor Wickham, who joined Alan Pardew's Palace for around £9m in August 2015 following a mixed – if not underwhelming – season for Sunderland in which he scored six goals and provided one assist in 40 appearances.

Despite his mediocre return for the Black Cats, the Englishman was handed a relatively hefty wage packet worth around £60k-per-week, making him the joint third-highest earner at the club for the 2015/16 season, behind only Emmanuel Adebayor and Yohan Cabaye.

The Hereford-born forward's first season in red and blue was a mixed one. His return of six goals and three assists in 24 appearances wasn't too bad, but he would miss 17 games through injury, and unfortunately for all involved, he would continue to be plagued by injury for the rest of his time south of the river.

In all, the former Ipswich Town gem would miss a whopping 143 games across the six years he spent as a Palace player – including the season he spent on loan with Sheffield Wednesday – while scoring 11 goals and providing five assists in 50 appearances.

Therefore, when adding his £9m transfer fee to the £16.8m he earned in wages during the five seasons he spent at Selhurst Park, he cost Crystal Palace £25.8m, or £516k-per-appearance, £2.3m-per-goal, or £5.1m-per-assist.

Ultimately, while Wickham was undeniably unlucky when it came to injuries, it would be impossible to describe his time at Palace as anything other than a failure, and by extension, his transfer was a flop.

Why Nottingham Forest will regret missing out on Oliver Glasner

The club made a huge mistake not hiring him…

By
Ethan Lamb

May 1, 2024

نجح فريق بايرن ميونخ في تحقيق الفوز على نظيره يونيون برلين، في مباراتهما مساء اليوم السبت، في بطولة الدوري الألماني لموسم 2024/25.

واستضاف ملعب “أليانز آرينا” مباراة الفريقين في الجولة التاسعة من الدوري الألماني، حيث فاز بايرن ميونخ بثلاثة أهداف دون رد. أهداف مباراة بايرن ميونخ ويونيون برلين في الدوري الألماني

كان هاري كين قد سجل هدف بايرن ميونخ الأول في الدقيقة 15 من عمر الشوط الأول، من ضربة جزاء.

وتمكن كينجسلي كومان من تسجيل الهدف الثاني لأصحاب الأرض، بايرن ميونخ، في الدقيقة 43.

وعاد هاري كين إلى زيارة شباك يونيون برلين، ليسجل الهدف الثاني له والثالث لـ بايرن ميونخ، في الدقيقة 51.

وارتفع رصيد هاري كين إلى 11 هدفًا في صدارة قائمة هدافي الدوري الألماني لهذا الموسم، بفارق هدف عن النجم المصري عمر مرموش، لاعب آينتراخت فرانكفورت.

بتلك النتيجة، ارتفع رصيد بايرن ميونخ إلى 23 نقطة في المركز الأول، بينما تجمد رصيد يونيون برلين عند 15 نقطة في المركز السادس.