Australia captain Matthew Wade called his side’s capitulation in the final T20I against Bangladesh “not good enough for an Australian cricket team” and said it was down to the batters to find ways to score runs in tough conditions.The series concluded with Australia bowled out for 62, their lowest T20I total, having made a high score of 121 across the five matches.While echoing Dan Christian’s remarks that the surfaces were unlike any he had played T20 cricket on, and did not expect them to be replicated at the T20 World Cup, Wade noted how Bangladesh had been able to wrangle their way to enough runs in four out of the five matches and that spin had also caused problems in the West Indies where Australia also lost 4-1.Related
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“There’s not a lot of positives to take out of it, to get beaten in the fashion we did, especially tonight, was not good enough from an Australian cricket team regardless of the personnel we’ve got here,” Wade said. “The reality is we need to get better at spin, myself included. There’s a lot of players in this team who need to find a way to score runs in these conditions.”[Bangladesh] are a terrific team in their own conditions, their spinners bowled really well, and they still found a way to find the extra runs and that’s something we can definitely get better at doing. Whether they came a little harder at the front and that is something we maybe needed to do earlier.”Wade was confident the less experienced batters among the group would not carry baggage away from this tour and laid the blame for the run-scoring woes to the more senior figures.”I do not blame the young players one bit,” he said. “Myself, Moises [Henriques], Dan Christian, we are all experienced players and we needed to do better. Those [younger] guys got the opportunity to experience these conditions and if they take it as a learning opportunity to become better players, as we all should, then at least we’ve learnt something.”I’ve played a lot of cricket and they are certainly the most challenging T20 international pitches I’ve ever played on. What they’ve seen out here will be very valuable going forward but it’s on the senior batting group, we needed to get more runs. If the batters can go back and find a way to get those extra runs in challenging conditions that will hold us in good stead.”The final lead-in to the World Cup for Australia remains to be confirmed with talk of a potential series against Afghanistan and West Indies in Sri Lanka which would overlap with the resumption of the IPL. Wade said he expected all the players who opted out of this tour due to bubble fatigue to be available for selection. Steven Smith was kept out with an elbow injury and how someone of his skill was missed in Bangladesh.
One of the common occurrences at Manchester United since Erik ten Hag has been in charge of the club is to sign players directly from, or with a connection to his former club Ajax. This has happened on multiple occasions, with the Dutchman regularly turning to his former club in order to bring in some familiar faces.
In total, Ten Hag has made 16 signings across four windows as United boss, with four of them having direct links to Ajax, and a further four having some kind of connection to Dutch football; Mason Mount had a loan spell at Vitesse, Tyrell Malacia came through the academy at Feyenoord, Sofyan Amrabat his former player at Utrecht and Wout Weghorst playing for several Dutch clubs.
Then, there are those with direct links to Ajax. Christian Eriksen played for Ajax earlier in his career before moving to Tottenham. Both Lisandro Martinez and Antony played under Ten Hag during his final seasons at the Dutch giants, and Andre Onana was a part of the hugely successful 2018/19 Champions League run where they made the semi-finals.
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag speaks toAntony
Now, Ten Hag is once again linked with a former Ajax player, who was a teammate of Onana’s during their remarkable Champions League campaign in 2018/19.
Man Utd target Dutch defender
The player in question here is Bayern Munich and Netherlands defender Matthijs de Ligt. After leaving Ajax in 2019 to join Juventus, the Dutchman now finds himself at the German giants but could depart the club this summer.
Indeed, that is according to journalist Florian Plettenberg, who reports that the Red Devils “have started internal discussions” over the potential signing of De Ligt. As per the report, this is “primarily” to do with De Ligt’s former boss, Ten Hag, showing interest in adding his former captain to the United squad.
De Ligt
The report from Plettenberg does not include any other interested parties, meaning United could have a clear and unopposed run at the 24-year-old Netherlands international. However, he does specify that there have not been “any concrete moves” as of yet and that United are merely “in the process of gathering more information” about a transfer.
Plettenberg reports that a fee of around €50m (£42m) could be enough to sign De Ligt this summer, which is perhaps a surprising amount, given it would see Bayern make a loss. They paid £65.6m back in 2022 to acquire his services from Italian giants Juventus.
Why De Ligt would be a good signing
There is no doubt that United need to make at least one addition at centre-back this summer. Legendary Frenchman Raphael Varane has departed the club upon the expiration of his contract, with Red Devils icon Jonny Evans’ deal also up in a few weeks.
United have had an offer for one centre-back rejected already this summer. Everton turned down a bid for Jarrad Branthwaite, worth £35m, with the BBC reporting that they want closer to £80m. Thus, for half of the price, De Ligt could be a perfect alternative or rival.
Looking on a pure statistical front, De Ligt’s in-possession numbers stack up very well against the England international, as per FBref. The Dutchman averages 6.36 progressive passes per 90 minutes, compared to Branthwaite’s 2.14, and has a far better pass completion rate of 93.9% compared to Branthwaite’s 79.8%.
The 24-year-old’s ball-carrying stats are also slightly better than Branthwaite's. Whilst it is not necessarily a key feature of his game, De Ligt averages 1.04 progressive carries per 90, with Branthwaite’s just 0.06.
However, defensively the Everton man trumps De Ligt. Branthwaite averages a higher aerial win rate of 68.6% compared to De Ligt’s 59.4%, more ball recoveries per 90, specifically 5.23 compared to the Dutchman’s 4.74 and more tackles and interceptions made, with 3.35, with De Ligt slightly lower at 2.21 per 90.
In signing De Ligt, United would still be adding a quality defender to their squad, who is a more than capable box defender. Whilst not as mobile or adept at defending wide areas as Branthwaite, the former Ajax man is still a great defender.
The 24-year-old struggled with injuries all too often last season. He played just 30 times in all competitions, missing 20 games for both club and country with various injuries, notably a knee ligament issue. He worked hard to get himself in favour with outgoing Bayern Munich manager Thomas Tuchel, however, and became an integral player at the end of the season.
De Ligt's record under Ten Hag
With that being said, perhaps a move to United is a smart idea to help his career get back on the right track. De Ligt first made a name for himself playing under Ten Hag, and he is the manager he has played under the most in his career.
De Ligt record under Ten Hag
Competition
Games
Minutes
Clean Sheets
Eredivisie
48
4320
21
Champions League Qualifiers
6
540
3
Champions League
11
990
3
Dutch Cup
5
378
3
Total
70
6228
30
Stats from Transfermarkt
The United boss clearly thinks highly of him, having resigned to a sale of De Ligt in 2019, explaining that there was “zero chance” of him staying at Ajax, to which he was later proved right when he moved to Juventus. He attributed Ajax’s ability to play courageous and creative football “because De Ligt is our captain”, very high praise from your manager aged just 19. Not only that, Ten Hag noted his former captain’s love for the “art of defending” as a real strong point in his game.
Matthijs de Ligt
Indeed, De Ligt’s leadership that he could bring to United to help fill the void of the soon-to-depart Varane. In the past, the World Cup winner’s leadership has been highlighted by several notable figures in French football. His captain in that successful 2018 tournament, Hugo Lloris, explained that Varane is a “leader in our team”, and former Real Madrid boss and one of France’s all-time greats, Zinedine Zidane, noted that on many occasions Varane has the “ability to be a leader”.
Manchester United's Raphael Varane.
Bringing in a player who Ten Hag both views and values so much as a leader would go a long way to helping United fill the Varane void. Not only that, he helps save money on the Branthwaite deal, which are funds that can be reinvested elsewhere into the squad. On the face of things, it seems like a deal United should strongly consider, especially for the rumoured £42m fee.
Ratcliffe must axe Man Utd ace who earns 4x more than Branthwaite
The Man Utd man only made 12 starts last season in the Premier League.
BJ Watling has announced he will retire from all cricket at the end of New Zealand’s upcoming Test tour of England. This will mean that form and fitness permitting, he will end his career with two Tests against England at Lord’s (June 2-6) and Edgbaston (June 10-14), followed by the World Test Championship final against India, which is scheduled to be played from June 18 to 22 in Southampton.”It’s the right time,” an NZC release quoted Watling as saying. “It’s been a huge honour to represent New Zealand and in particular wear the Test baggy. Test cricket really is the pinnacle of the game and I’ve loved every minute of being out there in the whites with the boys.”Sitting in the changing rooms having a beer with the team after five days’ toil is what I’ll miss the most. I’ve played with some great players and made many good mates. I’ve also had plenty of help along the way for which I’ll always be grateful.”Related
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The 35-year-old Watling will end his career as arguably New Zealand’s greatest-ever wicketkeeper-batsman in Test cricket. He has scored more runs (3381) than any other wicketkeeper from his country, and at a better average (39.77) than any New Zealander to have kept wicket in at least ten Test matches. He also has more dismissals (257) than any other New Zealand keeper, apart from ten catches as an outfielder.”My wife Jess has been a constant source of stability and support and I’m certainly looking forward to being able to spend more time with her and the kids,” Watling added. “I also owe a big thanks to my mum for steering me in the right direction early on and always being there for me.”Although I’ve had to make this announcement ahead of the tour to England, my focus is very much on the three Tests ahead and preparing to perform in them. This tour will be a challenge on a few levels and we know as a team we will need to be at the very top of our game if we want to succeed.”Overall, including his eight Tests as a specialist batsman, Watling has played 73 Tests and scored 3773 runs at an average of 38.11, with eight hundreds, including a highest score of 205 against England at Mount Maunganui in November 2019.BJ Watling has 257 dismissals behind the stumps in Tests, a New Zealand record•Getty Images
Known for his nuggety, hard-to-dislodge style with the bat, Watling was involved in two of Test cricket’s three highest partnerships for the sixth wicket, both coming at the Basin Reserve in Wellington: 352 alongside Brendon McCullum against India in January 2014 and an unbroken 365 with Kane Williamson against Sri Lanka a year later. Both stands turned their respective Test matches around, earning New Zealand a series-clinching draw and a win, respectively.”BJ turned games around,” NZC chief executive David White said. “I can’t think of another player who reacted so positively, and who was successful in the face of adversity. His ability to wring every possible run out of the tail was unmatched; his work behind the stumps tireless and efficient. He has a quiet, unassuming and undemonstrative manner that belies the huge appetite he has for the contest and the challenge.”BJ’s been a huge part of the success of the current Black Caps team and on behalf of NZC, I want to wish him well for the upcoming Tests in England and life after cricket.”New Zealand coach Gary Stead was effusive in his praise for Watling too.”BJ is a wonderful player and a great bloke,” Stead said. “He works really hard on his game to get improvements and always puts the team first. You just have to look at the respect he’s held in by his teammates and the opposition to appreciate his standing in the game.”The records speak for themselves and he’s been such a crucial cog in the Test team’s rise over the past decade. That double hundred he scored at the Mount in 2019 was one of the best innings I’ve ever seen and epitomised BJ Watling as a player, really.”The attitude and fight he brings to every day and every session of a Test is what has made him such a valued member of the Black Caps. He is without a doubt one of our best ever wicketkeeper batsmen.”
With the series in the bag, the only dampener for the hosts in the third and final T20I in Auckland could be rain
Mohammad Isam31-Mar-2021Big PictureNew Zealand are about to end their all-win home summer that has stretched seven series. They have hosted 21 international matches, the most by any country since the Covid-19 pandemic. It is regarded as an administrative success, particularly given their country’s stringent quarantine protocols. The only dampener is likely to be the rain in the forecast in Auckland for the season finale, the third T20I against Bangladesh.A major strength for New Zealand has been their newcomers turning in superb contributions even after they have been put under pressure. In the second T20I in Napier, it was Glenn Phillips whose unbeaten half-century got them out of trouble and into a total that proved too much for Bangladesh amid confusion over the DLS-determined target. Daryl Mitchell helped Phillips in an unbroken 62-run sixth-wicket stand that came off just 27 balls.In the first match, it was Devon Conway and debutant Will Young who got them into a position of strength. New Zealand will also be pleased with how Ish Sodhi has continued his good form throughout the summer despite playing only T20Is. During the ongoing T20I series in particular, Tim Southee’s captaincy has also stood out.Come the third and final T20I on Thursday, they wouldn’t mind Martin Guptill getting a big score as he has been in threatening form since the ODI series against Bangladesh with his quick starts. Finn Allen, too, would be eyeing a sizeable score having made just 17 across two innings so far in this series. There’s going to be an opportunity to see who among Adam Milne, Lockie Ferguson and Hamish Bennett get to pair up in Auckland.Related
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Bangladesh have had a few positives during this tour but their players have been somewhat inconsistent. Nasum Ahmed bowled well in both T20Is, particularly opening the bowling, although he has only two wickets to show for so far. Soumya Sarkar’s half-century in the second T20I should help him get out of a trough.Mohammad Naim has shown glimpses of his impressive strokeplay in both games, albeit without a big score. Afif Hossain made 45 in a losing cause in the first game, in Hamilton, while Shoriful bounced back with an economical spell in Napier after a disastrous debut in the series opener.Mohammad Saifuddin has been expensive with the ball in both games, Liton Das has scored only 50 runs on this tour while Mohammad Mithun and Mahedi Hasan haven’t converted their promise from the ODI series.Form guide(last five completed matches) New Zealand WWWLL Bangladesh LLWWLIn the spotlightGlenn Phillips has been unbeaten in his last three international matches, with all three being pivotal to New Zealand wins. In the second T20I, his 58 came off 31 balls, his big-hitting prowess on show as much as his diligence in building partnerships during a tricky passage of play.It’s hard to predict which Soumya Sarkar might turn up in Auckland. He averaged 9.5 on the tour until his quickfire 51 in Napier. It contained an array of special shots but his dismissal sparked a batting collapse. Perhaps getting back to form is important but for a batsman with 129 international matches under his belt getting the team to winning positions is his main job.Team newsOnly Todd Astle is yet to get a game in this series while the pace combination of Lockie Ferguson and Adam Milne may also come to fruition.New Zealand (probable) 1 Finn Allen, 2 Martin Guptill, 3 Devon Conway (wk), 4 Will Young, 5 Glenn Phillips, 6 Mark Chapman, 7 Daryl Mitchell, 8 Tim Southee (capt), 9 Ish Sodhi, 10, Adam Milne, 11 Hamish BennettBangladesh may not want to tweak the starting XI that to some degree tested New Zealand in the previous game unless Mushfiqur Rahim is fit.Bangladesh (probable) 1 Liton Das (wk), 2 Mohammad Naim, 3 Soumya Sarkar, 4 Mohammad Mithun, 5 Mahmudullah (capt), 6 Afif Hossain, 7 Mahedi Hasan, 8 Mohammad Saifuddin, 9 Shoriful Islam, 10 Nasum Ahmed, 11 Taskin AhmedPitch and conditionsThe series-ender will be the first day-night T20I at the Eden Park in five years. Short boundaries and an expected flat pitch hint at a high-scoring game in the offing. There’s rain in the forecast, though.Stats and trivia Martin Guptil’s 582 runs at Eden Park makes him the only player to score 500-plus T20I runs in a single venue. Mahmudullah is set to play his 55th consecutive T20I for Bangladesh, currently the fourth longest in the all-time list. Essentially, he hasn’t missed a T20I since November 2015.Quotes”I have been ridden with injuries in the last three years, so I want to be injury-free, firstly. I am just going to try to keep my body in the park and play consistent cricket.””We haven’t done well in all three departments in one particular game. We have bowled well and batted well in separate matches. We need to bring it all together to win a game.”
India struck a familiar, unavoidable chaos fueled by jangling nerves to lose from a winning position
Shashank Kishore14-Oct-20244:18
Takeaways: Australia block out the noise, India’s fielding in focus again
Long before the pall of gloom set in, it felt like a dream you hoped would last longer. The fans – nearly 15,000 of them in Sharjah – came rushing in through the turnstiles as the sun went down, boisterous and full of joy, chanting, singing, waving and doing just about anything to get the attention of Jemi, Harry or Smriti.The days of packing a stand with school kids handed out free sandwiches, it seemed, were long gone. With all that indifference and systemic apathy (only somewhat) behind us, it felt like the start of a new era. All it needed now was that fuel to propel the rocket into orbit.India needed that push to go from being contenders to champions. And for that, they needed to play like one, against the real ones, who know how to close out games from impossible situations, even if their captain happens to be hobbling on crutches and moonwalkers. India couldn’t have asked for a more grander stage.Related
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The noise, buzz, colour, madness – it was mayhem, but it was glorious. Never before had security guards used to seeing four administrators and five ground staff guffaw over endless cups of Irani chai been put to this kind of last-minute riff-raff, where every pre-match drill, including elaborate security mechanisms, needed rehearsing.This was India vs Australia, billed as the match of the tournament, not without reason. The grandness of it all deserved a thriller. And we got one. Inevitably though, it felt like the rockstars who everyone was here to watch, were leaving their performance midway. Unless Pakistan play the match of their lives on Monday night.Australia clinically disarranged India’s jigsaw, leaving them with several questions and fewer answers, a heartbroken captain, Harmanpreet Kaur, who looked spent, physically and emotionally, gasping for breath in unforgiving October humidity.For all the dropped catches and missed run-out chance and the chaos surrounding Asha Sobhana’s one-leg hobble just prior to the start, which no one seemed to think was serious enough initially, India had Australia on the ropes, like they’ve had them on a few occasions. Think back to last year’s T20 World Cup semi-final in Cape Town or more recently last December’s T20I series in Navi Mumbai.Despite India’s top-order wobble, with Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues all gone, Australia briefly wobbled. Harmanpreet and Deepti Sharma – a contrasting pair – brought India within 53 runs of victory. With two set batters at the crease and 30 balls to play and with six wickets in hand, this was India’s chance to nail it. But they struck a familiar, unavoidable chaos – the story of their evening – fueled by jangling nerves.In the space of four balls, they lost two wickets. Deepti holed out to the 59-metre pocket at deep midwicket, and Richa Ghosh, their biggest six-hitter who has seemingly been batting a position lower than ideal, run out stealing a non-existent single to cover. All that might and muscle that had gone into preparation reduced to zilch thanks to a split-second’s indecision. Halfway through the run, Richa was hoping against hope Phoebe Litchfield would miss. She hit bull’s eye to send the hugely partisan Indian crowd into a state of shock.Phoebe Litchfield’s direct hit ran Richa Ghosh out•ICC/Getty ImagesAs the LED bails lit up, Renuka Singh’s jaws dropped, hands on head. Shreyanka Patil was in disbelief, glaring at the replays on the giant screen, Mandhana was staring aimlessly into the distance and Rodrigues glum. The shock told you a story. The unraveling was rather swift, but not too unfamiliar. Especially in crunch moments.You only have to go back to Cape Town last year, or maybe the Commonwealth Games. India have lost from winning junctures. The deep wounds of the past even had them engage a sports psychologist for moments like these. And when it didn’t come off, the sense of shock was palpable.All said, this was peak Australia, doing Australia things. A team that knows how to conjure magic when pushed to a corner. Like Megan Schutt bowling a 17th over that went for just one run with India needing 41 off 24. Or Litchfield hitting a crucial last-ball six in her cameo 15. Or Annabel Sutherland killing the game by picking up two wickets off her first three balls in the final over.All of which is incredible, but perhaps not more than Australia completing their spectacular defence without needing to bowl Ellyse Perry or Grace Harris, even Tahlia McGrath. Or having to play without their chirpy, intimidating captain and gun opener Healy, who knows what it is to deflate India in a world final with 86,000 people watching live. It was simply a testimony of Australia’s depth and resolve.The end was so utterly predictable that fans who couldn’t wait to get in made a quick beeline for the exit, long before the final ball was bowled. From Mexican waves and wild cheering to every Bollywood chartbuster until half an hour earlier, there was momentary silence that reflected the glum in India’s change rooms.Monday may or may not throw up surprises. But long after the dust settles, India must do some soul-searching. With a 50-over World Cup to look forward to within a year, India need to “learn from the disappointment and experience” – head coach Amol Muzumdar’s assessment – to go from being contenders to becoming champions.
Raheem Sterling has been warned he may have to settle for a place on the Arsenal bench this season following his loan move from Chelsea.
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Sterling joined Arsenal on loan from Chelsea
Has made two substitute appearances so far
Lawrenson doubts he will be a major player
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WHAT HAPPENED?
After being frozen out at Chelsea, the winger made a surprise deadline day move to north London and came on as a late substitute against Tottenham last Sunday and then again in the Champions League against Atalanta on Thursday.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
The England international will have his mind set on breaking into Mikel Arteta's starting XI, but ex-Liverpool and Ireland defender Mark Lawrenson says he will likely have to settle for making an impact off the bench.
WHAT LAWRENSON SAID
"At Arsenal, I think Raheem Sterling will solely be used for squad depth, I don’t see him breaking into the starting team," he told . "I’d imagine that the manager will have already told him that he’ll be a 25-minute man each week and that will be it, unless he does well when he gets a chance."
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WHAT NEXT FOR STERLING?
The 29-year-old may be given another chance to impress under Arteta when they come up against his former team Manchester City in the Premier League on Sunday.
Saqib Mahmood helps reduce Northants to 59 for three, still needing 366 runs on final day
Paul Edwards17-Apr-2021When this morning’s play began Lancashire had a lead of 188 over Northamptonshire and all their second-innings wickets in hand. By the time the long day closed at 7.20pm they had reduced the visitors to 59 for 3 and a victory target of 425 appeared merely fantastical. A good day for the Red Rose, you might think, and you would be correct. Yet much of their batting had been so careless that it might have been designed to have their head coach, Glen Chapple, emulating Bertie Wooster’s Aunt Agatha and hopping about with a hatchet.The one player exempted from Chapple’s ire was Steven Croft, whose unbeaten century will have had Lancashire supporters smiling in shared pleasure. Croft’s love for the county of his birth is undoubted. When he pulled Nathan Buck for six to reach his hundred, thereby prompting a declaration, the home dressing room erupted in noisy acclamation. Croft was hugged by Tom Hartley, his batting partner, and he raised his arms towards his team-mates, some of whom may still have been watching Peppa Pig when he first played for Lancashire.The century had been the product of careful workmanship rather than effortless style. There were pulls to square leg, nudges through the slips and leg glances but only seven fours. The one concession to modernity, albeit Croft has kept his place in Lancashire’s T20 team, was the reverse sweep, which he now plays as easily as Robert Browning once produced rhyming couplets. He could have gone for three early in the morning session had Adam Rossington clung on to a right-handed diving catch but Croft has long been careful to make the most of such opportunities, for he has no clue how many more he might get.Three years ago he thought he would not get another contract with Lancashire but the coaches opted to give him another season, then one more, then another. There was nothing indulgent about these decisions. Although not the five-furlong favourite he once was, Croft can still do a job anywhere in the field and held on to two slip catches as Northants subsided this evening.Related
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Croft played in the side that won the Championship in 2011 and he skippered the team that won the T20 Blast in 2015. He is 37 in October yet it is an offence against nature to think of him as a veteran. Like schoolboys with a favourite master, supporters honour him with a nickname, although ‘Crofty’ is hardly in the class of ‘Rhino’, the name the boys at Thursgood’s gave to Jim Prideaux. This was his first Championship century since 2017 but there have been more than enough valuable innings in the meantime to reassure supporters wondering if a much-loved cricketer might have hung on a season too long.Application and an awareness of responsibility are often made particularly noticeable by their absence elsewhere and Lancashire’s other batsmen probably made Croft’s effort appear a little better than it was. Both openers were dismissed in the first nine deliveries of the morning, Keaton Jennings playing around an inswinger from Ben Sanderson and Alex Davies pushing forward just enough to edge Tom Taylor to Ricardo Vasconcelos at first slip. But the worst was yet to come.Having driven the Northants seamers for three of the pleasantest boundaries we will see this season Josh Bohannon played skew-whiff at a well-flighted off-spinner from Rob Keogh and inside-edged the ball onto his leg stump. Given that he had been presented with a good opportunity to collect a cheeky 80 runs or so, Bohannon’s 22 must have frustrated the coaches. But Lancashire were still well placed on 162 for 3 at lunch. On the resumption sanity left the stadium.In the first over of the afternoon session Dane Vilas played the ball to square leg and called Croft for an absurd single. The daftness of the exercise was plain almost immediately but not soon enough to save Lancashire’s skipper. Two overs later Croft clipped the ball in a similar direction only to see Rob Jones scampering down the wicket as if escaping a lunatic with a sharp knife. Emilio Gay threw the ball to the non-striker’s end and someone noted that five of Lancashire’s last 18 wickets had been lost to run outs. For the only time since last August one was grateful spectators were not present.The rest of the innings was less deranged. Luke Wood and Tom Bailey helped Croft take Northamptonshire’s target beyond that scored by any side in the fourth innings to beat Lancashire and the visitors’ job was made even harder by Saqib Mahmood’s magnificently hostile five-over spell with the new ball from the James Anderson End. The fast bowler beat both Ben Curran and Gay for pace and is clearly well suited to the short burst Vilas gave him. He will be steaming in again in the morning and then Matt Parkinson will send down some leg spin. Northants have form when it comes to foxing the bookies but one cannot like their chances.
Tensions are running high in Game 7 of the 2025 World Series.
In the bottom of the fourth inning Saturday night, Dodgers reliever Justin Wrobleski hit Blue Jays shortstop Andrés Giménez with a 96.4 mph four-seam fastball in the forearm.
Giménez dropped his bat and held his arms out wide while staring at Wrobleski on the mound. The reliever took a few steps toward Giménez, and that’s when chaos ensued on the field.
Both the Dodgers’ and Blue Jays’ benches cleared, and even the relievers in the dugout did their ceremonial trot down to the field to get closer to the confrontation.
Despite showing the early signs of a fracas, no shoves or punches were thrown, and every player remained in the game. Wrobleski struck out Nathan Lukes and got Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to line out to center field to get out of the fourth inning without giving up a run.
Through five-and-a-half innings of Game 7, the Blue Jays lead the Dodgers 3–2.
يلاقي فريق برشلونة الإسباني خصمه آينتراخت فرانكفورت الألماني، مساء اليوم الثلاثاء، ضمن مباريات بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا للموسم الجاري.
ويستقبل برشلونة خصمه آينتراخت فرانكفورت، في إطار مباريات الجولة السادسة لمرحلة الدوري لدوري أبطال أوروبا موسم 2025-2026.
كان برشلونة قد تعرض لهزيمة قاسية من تشيلسي الإنجليزي في الجولة الماضية بدوري أبطال أوروبا، بثلاثة أهداف دون مقابل على ملعب “ستامفورد بريدج”.
ويملك برشلونة في رصيده بـ دوري أبطال أوروبا، 7 نقاط ويحتل المركز الثامن عشر في جدول الترتيب، أما آينتراخت فرانكفورت يتواجد بالمركز 28 ولديه 4 نقاط.
وتعرض برشلونة لهزيمتين خلال مرحلة الدوري، وتعادل في مباراة وحقق الفوز في مواجهتين، وفرانكفورت تعرض للهزيمة في 3 مبارايات بنفس المرحلة، وحقق الفوز في واحدة وتعادل بأخرى. موعد مباراة برشلونة وآينتراخت فرانكفورت اليوم
تنطلق المباراة في تمام الساعة العاشرة مساءً بتوقيت مصر، الحادية عشر مساءً بتوقيت السعودية. القناة الناقلة لمباراة برشلونة وآينتراخت فرانكفورت اليوم
تذاع المباراة عبر قناة beIN sports HD 2. معلق مباراة برشلونة وآينتراخت فرانكفورت اليوم
يعلق على المباراة، علي محمد علي.
ويمكنكم مطالعة مواعيد ونتائج جميع المباريات لحظة بلحظة عبر مركز المباريات من هنا.
South Africa ensured their first series win in India in 25 years by building on their lead for nearly five hours. While the declaration, setting India more than they have ever been set at home, seemed a touch conservative, the visitors went to stumps needing eight wickets on the final day to take away all 12 WTC points from this Test and consign India to their second whitewash at home in 12 months after 12 years of spotless series record.As it often happens in such match situations, the same pitch that South Africa batted on, looking untroubled for 70.3 overs, began to look unplayable in the 15.5 India got to play. Marco Jansen didn’t even bother with swing and seam, and began to bounce Yashasvi Jaiswal before getting him out on the cut shot. Simon Harmer, who has out-bowled the home spinners, continued his dream series with a dream offbreak to bowl KL Rahul through the gate, and came desperately close to getting B Sai Sudharsan out lbw.The day began with curiosity around how much South Africa valued the 12 full points from this match vis-a-vis ensuring they give India no chance to threaten their series lead. Turns out they were in no mood for adventure. Especially as the ball started to turn more consistently in the first session of the fourth day than it had done at any point before. Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar got long spells in. Jadeja got Ryan Rickelton caught at extra cover, but then India did what they have struggled to do all Test: get wickets on defensive shots. Jadeja beat Aiden Markram’s outside edge and hit the off stump, Washington got one to bite at Temba Bavuma’s glove and settle in the hands of backward short leg.As three wickets fell for 18 runs, South Africa remained slightly cautious. Tristan Stubbs and Tony de Zorzi, though, managed to keep the threat of spin out with their sweeps and reverse sweeps. After Rishabh Pant missed a stumping off Stubbs, the No. 3 batter limited his options to just the sweeps whenever he wanted to force the pace.3:49
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Stubbs and de Zorzi added 101 for the fourth wicket, 41 of those in sweeps and reverse sweeps. Like Stubbs in the first innings, de Zorzi fell one short of a fifty, beaten on the sweep for a change. It was mid-afternoon and South Africa led by 466, but they still continued to bat at normal pace.Related
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Only after the lunch break did Stubbs get a move-on to try to complete a Test hundred, but even this charge was not frenetic. The team management gave him all the time as he scored 32 from the last 19 balls he faced, taking the lead past the 542 that Australia attained in Nagpur in 2004. He slog-swept Jadeja to go from 88 to 94, but Jadeja slowed the ball down to beat a repeat attempt. Stubbs still was the highest run-getter in the series (163), and would need a big effort from someone in the final innings to be eclipsed.That effort wasn’t coming from the openers. India have done this to many a visiting side – just when everybody thought they had been too conservative with the declaration, the pitch would magically change its nature and wickets would start falling.Something similar happened when Jansen ran in and started bowling short. In the first over itself, he had Jaiswal fending uncomfortably. One didn’t pop up, the other landed just short of second slip. While Jaiswal managed to ramp him once, he fell to his favourite cut shot again. Since Jaiswal’s debut, nobody has scored more Test runs with the cut off fast bowlers than his 291, but no one has got out as often as his seven times. Nobody has played as many false shots as he has on the cut to the fast bowler: 68. He averages 41.57 on the cut against fast bowlers, but has fallen to this shot four times in his last eight innings.3:19
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Rahul was more traditional in the route he took to fight for a draw. He scored just 6 off 30 balls, but the 30th was a bewitching dipping, drifting delivery, which had him playing well away from where he thought it would originally pitch. In panic, he turned his drive into a flick, but it wasn’t enough to plug the gap created between his body and his bat. Harmer was again level with Jansen for most wickets in the series: 12.Harmer came extremely close to taking the lead when he appealed for lbw against Sai Sudharsan. In all likelihood, the on-field call for not-out was down to an inside edge, but the replay showed the ball had hit the pad first. However, the ball tracking returned an umpire’s call on impact, saving Sudharsan to fight another day.India somehow survived the rest of the day but it looked like a wicket could fall anytime. South Africa now have six hours to take eight wickets because the light has consistently dipped by 4pm, not allowing any extra play.