Real Madrid came from behind but were unable to get over the line in a frustrating 1-1 draw with a well-drilled Girona. Kylian Mbappe's second half penalty cancelled out a well-worked opener from the La Liga strugglers, yet Madrid couldn't find a second – and stay one point off the top in La Liga in another twist to the title race.
Madrid probed for opportunities early on, but were left rather exposed on the break. Thibaut Courtois responded, though, producing a couple of good saves to keep the visitors level. Los Blancos thought they had taken the lead when Mbappe slotted home, but his goal was correctly chalked off when VAR determined there was a handball in the build-up. The visitors were then made to pay for a major defensive lapse. Girona were allowed to work the ball down the right, before Azzedine Ounahi swept one past Courtois from the top of the box after a well-timed feed from Viktor Tsigankov.
Los Blancos had their chances to start the second half. They had the ball in the net again on the hour mark, but saw it ruled out again after Vinicius Junior was in an offside position when he poked home. Madrid got their equalizer from the spot after 65 minutes. Vinicius scampered around his man and was brought down inside the box. Mbappe coolly tucked the penalty into the bottom corner to ease Xabi Alonso's nerves on the touchline. Madrid came close numerous times after. Vinicius missed a couple narrowly. Mbappe was denied from close range.
But there was never a second. Girona were resilient at the back, and Madrid lacked a crucial bit of quality needed to put the game away. This can be considered nothing other than a chance to go top wasted, with Barcelona holding the initiative at the La Liga summit.
GOAL rates Real Madrid's players from Estadio Montivili…
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Goalkeeper & Defence
Thibaut Courtois (7/10):
Made a few silly saves. Could do nothing about the goal. Denied a second.
Trent Alexander-Arnold (6/10):
A very Trent performance. Did some ridiculous things with the ball but failed to track his man on the goal.
Eder Militao (7/10):
A composed performance on his return to the side. Good on the ball and effective in the air.
Antonio Rudiger (6/10):
First appearance since late August, and he was a little mixed. Solid on the ball but a little slow to react – and handed Girona a good chance as a result.
Fran Garcia (6/10):
A surprise to see him start at left back. Scampered up and down the left but his final ball was lacking.
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Midfield
Aurelien Tchouameni (5/10):
Offered plenty of control at the base of midfield, but didn't get across to track the runner on Girona's opener.
Jude Bellingham (8/10):
Dropped a little deeper and did plenty of dirty work in the first half. Pushed up more in the second. Madrid's most consistent performer throughout.
Federico Valverde(6/10):
Full of legs and industry, clean on the ball, but rather stripped of his attacking nous in this role.
Arda Guler (5/10):
Used in a No.10 role in the opening exchanges, but saw his influence wane. Removed at the break. It's been a tough few games.
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Attack
Kylian Mbappe (7/10):
Unfortunate to have a goal ruled out for an unlucky handball. Buried his penalty with ease. Not his most involved game, but got on the scoresheet, regardless.
Vinicius Jr (8/10):
Won the penalty thanks to a lovely bit of skill. Put a couple of others narrowly wide. Very good without being at his scintillating best.
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Subs & Manager
Eduardo Camavinga (7/10):
Introduced at the break and gave Madrid some much-needed energy and balance in midfield. Seriously impressive thus far this year.
Rodrygo (6/10):
A late introduction as Madrid chased a winner. Barely involved.
Alvaro Carreras (N/A):
No time to make an impact.
Gonzalo Garcia (N/A):
No time to make an impact.
Xabi Alonso (5/10):
Rotated a bit, making changes at left back and centre-back. His side were a bit lacklustre, though, and unconvincing at both ends.
After finishing 17th in the Premier League last season, it was vital that Tottenham Hotspur bounced back and rose up the table in the ongoing campaign.
Thomas Frank was handed the responsibility of leading the charge, after Ange Postecoglou was handed his marching orders despite winning the Europa League.
The Dane was appointed on a three-year deal in North London, but it was crucial that the supporters gave him time to make the changes he desired to the first-team squad.
He’s now 11 games into the 2025/26 campaign, with the Lilywhites currently occupying fifth place going into the third international break of the current season.
However, there are still improvements to be made across the squad, that’s despite Frank massively changing the fortunes of the squad in one area during his opening months at the helm.
Spurs’ biggest improvement since the 2024/25 campaign
During the 2024/25 Premier League campaign under Postecoglou, Spurs certainly had a year to forget, as they finished just one place above the relegation zone.
The Lilywhites conceded a staggering 65 goals in their 38 league outings, an average of 1.7 per 90, subsequently resulting in a total of 22 league defeats.
TottenhamHotspur managerAngePostecoglu applauds fans after the match
Such a tally was the highest of any side who have survived in England’s top-flight, with the club lucky not to have dropped into the Championship under Postecoglou.
However, Frank’s arrival has stemmed the flow of goals at the back, with his men only conceding 10 goals in the first 11 outings – the fourth best record of any side in the division.
They have also kept a total of four clean sheets in the process, with the likes of Micky van de Ven certainly deserving credit for his part in the defensive solidity.
The Dutch international has started every league game to date, registering a total of 1.2 tackles won per 90, along with 1.1 interceptions per 90 – with the latter ranking him in the top 20% of all players in the league.
He’s also thrived in playing out from the back, as seen by his tally of 92% passes completed, arguably being one of the best centre-backs in the division at present.
Van de Ven has been joined at the heart of the backline by Cristian Romero, with the Argentine international striking up an excellent partnership with the Dutchman.
The pair have operated together in eight of the 11 outings – but have only suffered defeat once in that time, with the loss coming against Bournemouth back in August.
The 27-year-old has ranked in the top 4% of all players in England’s top-flight for tackles won, whilst also placing in the top 15% for duels won per 90.
TottenhamHotspur's CristianRomeroreacts
Given their partnership together, they are undoubtedly one of the best duos in Europe’s top-five leagues, with the defensive improvement under Frank certainly down to their performances.
The Spurs player who’s now becoming one of the best in the world
Alongside Van de Ven and Romero, Spurs have had numerous players who have managed to catch the eye and contribute to their impressive start to 2025/26.
Central midfielder Lucas Bergvall has shown qualities way beyond his tender teenage years, even cementing his place at the heart of Frank’s side in recent months.
The Swedish international has featured in nine league outings this season, even registering his first Premier League goal in the 3-0 victory over West Ham United.
He’s ranked in the 97th percentile for successful dribbles to date, whilst also winning 2.8 tackles per 90 – showcasing his ability to operate in a box-to-box role in North London.
However, he’s not the only player to have cemented his place within the starting eleven, with full-back Djed Spence resurrecting his career with the Lilywhites.
He joined the club in a £20m deal from Middlesbrough back in the summer of 2022, but had to massively bide his time in making an impact in the first team.
The 25-year-old endured three unsuccessful loan spells at Leeds United, Rennes and Genoa, with many supporters undoubtedly expecting a cut-price transfer away from North London last summer.
However, the injury crisis within the squad last campaign handed the Englishman a rare opportunity to stake his claim for a regular spot in the first-team ranks.
He racked up a total of 35 appearances across all competitions in 2024/25, even scoring his first Premier League goal against Ipswich Town – ending the year on a total of five goal contributions.
A little over a year on, it’s evident that Spence has taken full advantage of the chance pushed in his direction, with the full-back now one of Frank’s most important players.
He’s featured in all but one league outing in 2025/26, with his underlying stats highlighting how pivotal he’s been to the Lilywhites’ impressive defensive numbers.
Djed Spence – PL stats (25/26)
Statistics (per 90)
Tally
Games played
10
Minutes played
761
Pass accuracy
82%
Tackles made
1.5
Duels won
3.8
Aerials won
47%
Recoveries made
3.4
Dribbles completed
1.8
Stats via FotMob
Spence has made an average of 1.5 tackles per 90 this season, whilst also coming out on top of 3.8 duels per 90 – often posing as a real solid defensive full-back.
The 25-year-old has also come out on top in 47% of the aerial battles he’s entered, whilst also making 3.4 recoveries per 90 – with his pace allowing him to get back and prevent the opposition from creating clear-cut opportunities.
In possession, the defender has been just as impressive, subsequently ranking in the top 20% of all defenders for dribbles completed – with one analyst labelling him as one of the “best in the world”.
As a result, he’s now a full England international, with Thomas Tuchel trusting him to be a key member of the squad ahead of the World Cup in the USA next summer.
His rise in North London over the last 12 months has been nothing short of remarkable, with the player deserving huge credit for his ability to get himself off the canvas.
Alongside Van de Ven and Romero, he certainly is part of one of the division’s best back fours, with the fans needing to enjoy every moment the trio spend together in North London.
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Winner joins India in Super Four round from Group A; loser exits the Asia Cup
Danyal Rasool16-Sep-20253:21
Mukund: ‘Pakistan go in as clear favourites’
Big pictureThere may not have been handshakes in Pakistan’s most recent game at the Asia Cup, but in the one coming up, there will certainly be a goodbye.One of the two teams – either UAE or two-time champions Pakistan – will be eliminated on Wednesday. Both sides beat Oman comfortably and lost to India heavily, making their fixture in Dubai a knockout game: the winner joins India in the Super Four, while the loser exits.Pakistan are favoured to win, having beaten UAE twice over the past fortnight, during the recent tri-series in Sharjah. However, there were moments in both those games where UAE appeared to have the upper hand, and it was their inability to sustain these sparks that separated the Associate team from the Full Member one.Pakistan have also had consistency issues. Against India on Sunday, they had what their coach Mike Hesson called a bad day. But there is a suspicion that Pakistan might have become flat-track bullies. They have racked up wins against inferior opposition over the past few months, but were outmatched against India from the first ball. Questions have intensified since about whether their positive results against weaker oppositions reflect an uptick in quality, or are just a reflection of their kind schedule.Either way, Pakistan should have enough skill and power to defeat UAE. Their slower bowlers might be what separates the two sides: Pakistan have played two wristspinners, as well as Saim Ayub and Mohammad Nawaz, in each of their previous two fixtures, as well as the final of the recent tri-series. The good news for them is they appear to have settled on an eleven that should see the job through with little fuss.Related
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The UAE, meanwhile, have seen their stature grow in the past few games. A poor showing against India aside, they ran both Pakistan and Afghanistan close in the tri-series. They defeated Oman, racking up a significantly higher total than Pakistan managed against the same opposition. Their slightly wayward bowling attack will need some quick fine-tuning ahead of their final group fixture, but they would have taken a one-match shootout against a bruised Pakistan at the start of this tournament.UAE’s top-heavy batting order is the key to their success. Captain Muhammad Waseem has settled into a good run of form, scoring a 54-ball 69 against Oman. Since Muhammad Zohaib has been replaced by Alishan Sharafu at the top of the order, Waseem has not needed to play the quick-scoring role alone. Sharafu also scored a half-century in his 88-run opening stand with Waseem against Oman, while Asif Khan’s promotion up to number three of late rounds out their menacing top order.The UAE, too, will need their spinners to be pitch perfect. Haider Ali is the spin pack’s obvious leader and he demonstrated during his spell of 2 for 22 on Monday. Waseem has also talked up right-arm offspinner Dhruv Parashar’s ability.For the UAE, this upcoming encounter is their biggest game of the year so far, and they will feel they have the tools to spring this Asia Cup’s most dramatic surprise.Muhammad Waseem is crucial to UAE’s chances•Ryan Lim/AFP/Getty ImagesForm guidePakistan: LWWWL UAE: WLLLLIn the spotlightThere are days when Fakhar Zaman is impossible to rein in. Though they are less frequent than they used to be, he had one of those the last time these sides faced each other. Stuck at 80 for 5, Pakistan needed someone to take them through the second half of their innings, and Zaman delivered, smashing an unbeaten 77 off 44.Zaman has had an interesting couple of months with the T20I side. While deemed to have suffered a loss in form, he has found a way to contribute just about every time through high-impact cameos. He has scored 17 or more in eight of his last nine innings, even if seven of those ended between 17 and 28. Though his match-winning potential remains alive, UAE will sense his vulnerability at the top of the order.Asif Khan announced himself to the wider cricketing public when he blew Pakistan’s spinners away at the end of August, smashing six fours and six sixes en route to his 35-ball 77. Since then, however, he has not been able to use his unquestionable power with the bat. His 40 against Afghanistan in a dead rubber was the only other meaningful knock he has played since, with the other four innings producing a combined 12 runs. In a side that lacks power outside the top three, UAE cannot afford to have one out of form for a game of this magnitude.Fakhar Zaman has had starts but not many big scores recently•Associated PressTeam newsHesson made clear the defeat to India was not a personnel issue. Pakistan have played the same XI in each of the past three games, and changes are unlikely.Pakistan (possible): 1 Sahibzada Farhan, 2 Saim Ayub 3 Fakhar Zaman 4 Salman Ali Agha (capt) 5 Hasan Nawaz 6 Mohammad Haris (wk) 7 Mohammad Nawaz 8 Faheem Ashraf 9 Shaheen Afridi 10 Sufiyan Muqeem 11 Abrar AhmedUAE also have a settled XI that produced a clinical win over Oman on Monday. Expect them to give the same combination one more crack at glory.UAE (possible): 1 Alishan Sharafu, 2 Muhammad Waseem (capt), 3 Muhammad Zohaib, 4 Asif Khan, 5 Harshit Kaushik, 6 Rahul Chopra (wk), 7 Dhruv Parashar, 8 Haider Ali, 9 Muhammad Rohid Khan, 10 Muhammad Jawadullah, 11 Junaid SiddiquePitch and conditionsThere are no signs of the hot and humid weather abating in the UAE. The pitch is expected to continue offering plenty of assistance to the slower bowlers.Stats and triviaPakistan have lost six matches across the men’s T20 Asia Cups – the second most defeats for any team in the tournament, with only Hong Kong losing more. Across all formats of the Asia Cup, Pakistan’s 26 defeats are also the second most, surpassed only by Bangladesh’s 44. UAE captain Muhammad Waseem brought up 3000 T20I runs on Monday, more than any current Pakistan player. Fakhar Zaman, who has 2144, is the only Pakistani in the side with more than 1000.
The former Australia batter relives the adventure of a lifetime, on and off the field
Vishal Dikshit28-Oct-2025It’s not too long now before the champions of Women’s World Cup 2025 will take home an unprecedented USD 4.48 million. Rewind to 1997, the second time the tournament was held in India, when Australia became the champions for the fourth time. When they returned home with the trophy, Lisa Keightley came back with food bills she had footed worth nearly AUD 2,500.The 1997 World Cup existed in a world that barely intersected with the five-star hotels and top-notch facilities that international players now expect in India. The BCCI was yet to take Indian women’s cricket under its wing, and the ICC was yet to take over the organisation of Women’s World Cups.Keightley, a top-order batter who was 26 at the time, had never ventured out of Australia and New Zealand when she was called-up for her maiden World Cup with the experience of just 14 ODIs.Related
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“It was just exciting, it was new, it was hustle and bustle,” Keightley says of her first India impressions, speaking to ESPNcricinfo. “It was just very different from Australia, and when we catch up with the players I played with in that ’97 World Cup, some of our funniest stories and experiences are what we had on that tour.”Over the course of the tournament, Australia voyaged almost all across India, playing their league games in Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Nagpur and Lucknow.”Our accommodation was really poor. I remember people getting sick and it was definitely a lot different than it is now,” Keightley says. “I remember my first accommodation when we got off the plane. I went into my room, I went to turn the shower on, and the shower taps were cemented and they didn’t move. I think the bath taps worked but the water was brown and then I went to turn on the telly and it just didn’t work. And the beds had looked like they’d been there for a very long time.”But I suppose it brings a group together. We definitely didn’t let that stop us from wanting to win the World Cup and, I suppose, sticking together as a group and enjoying each other’s company. I think that was a trip where you could say that drew us together.”Keightley was among the less-experienced members of the side and she sat out Australia’s first two games. She was, however, among the best-prepared players, even for some of the off-field eventualities. She carried an extra bag to India stuffed only with food items from back home, but she probably hadn’t accounted for her team-mates, who soon began lining up outside her room. They soon gave her a new nickname.The victorious Australia squad pose with the World Cup trophy•Craig Prentis/Getty Images”I was called the Tuckshop, which in Australia is a place where you go and get sweets,” she says. “So my little bag was full of sweets and lollies and chips and all the stuff that we felt we wouldn’t get in India. And people used to barter with me because I had such a big array of options, they were getting sick of theirs. So they’d say, ‘I’ll give you a muesli bar if you give me whatever.'”Navigating the streets of India might have been a challenge, but negotiating with her team-mates came naturally to Keightley.”Usually, I got a lot more than what they got. So I could get two and three of theirs and it was quite harsh. And I’d just give them like a packet of chewing gum or they would choose what they wanted. And then I had the choice of saying, ‘well, okay, one’s not going to cut it for a packet of chewing gum. I would like two muesli bars and a packet of chips’, or something like that.”I had this caramel-coated popcorn that was very popular. And that was just so different from anything we get in India. So that went for a high price. I usually got a few good things for the popcorn.”Keightley made her maiden World Cup appearance when Australia got to Hyderabad, where they bundled Pakistan out for 27, still among the lowest totals in women’s ODIs. With some spare time in hand before heading to Mumbai for their next fixture, Keightley, Mel Jones and wicketkeeper Julia Price thought it was a good time to go shopping before leaving Hyderabad. They journeyed to the old city, famous for its jewellery.”So we had put our luggage in the hotel, jumped in tuk-tuks, went to this strip where you could buy gold. And when we went to leave, we had no idea of what our hotel name was!” Keightley laughs. “And we had to go to a police station, then they helped us find where we were staying. Then they took us home in the police car.”In Mumbai, Denmark suffered the ignominy of watching Australia amass 412 for 3, only the second ODI total that had breached the 400 mark, with captain Belinda Clark scoring a record 229* and becoming the first double-centurion in women’s ODIs. Keightley played second fiddle, scoring 60 in a first-wicket stand of 168 with Clark. Denmark were rolled over for just 49, losing by a gargantuan 363 runs.Belinda Clark scored a double-century against Denmark and 52 in the final•Getty Images”I remember it was really hot,” Keightley says. “And Belinda was one of the fittest players going around in the Australian team. So to score that many runs was amazing. I do remember there was a tree on the ground in one of the corners and the boundary came in and around the tree. Yeah, she makes my small little 60 look insignificant, doesn’t she?”We just took a picture of the scoreboard. And congratulated Belinda and took a lot of photos. And that was probably about all we did, really. I don’t think we realised at the time that it was the record until the game finished. And then we thought, ‘oh, we better take a picture of the scoreboard and have something to remember it by.'”Australia were on a hot streak. They bundled England for 95 in Nagpur, hammered Netherlands by 115 runs in Lucknow, and were set to take on India in the semi-finals. All this while they sustained on ” bread, Vegemite, and eggs.” They almost left Jones and Price behind in a plane before realising they were sleeping in the last row and also survived a bomb threat on a flight before getting the all-clear with no bomb found in the luggage.They made it to Delhi for their semi-final on Christmas Eve, and the accommodation, once again, left something to be desired.”We lived in where they played the Delhi Open (an ATP tennis tournament), they had rooms around the tennis court,” Keightley said. “And someone was cooking from the kitchen, and across the road, there was the Hyatt. I do know I came back from that tour with an expensive food bill, because we all started to get a bit sick, so we’d go and eat in the five-star hotel wherever we were.”So I came back with a AUD 2000-2,500 food bill, but we did all take different options in food.”Keightley paid all of that out of her own pocket. She was working at the time with Cricket New South Wales, her home state, who granted her paid leave to play the World Cup.”I was one of the lucky ones,” she says. “Not everyone had that opportunity. I just went home and paid my bill and got on with life. It was just the way we did it back then. Usually, you didn’t get allowances. And if you did, it was very, very small and it didn’t cover too much. So usually we would finish the tour with an expensive bill.”A game in Delhi in winter usually means plenty of fog and bad light, and the semi-final was reduced to 32 overs a side.”We ended up playing the semi-final in an army barracks where there was a ground,” Keightley says of the Harbax Singh Stadium that was then the home ground of the Services team in men’s domestic cricket. “And we had no crowd because of a late change in venue. And I remember it being very, very close.”A large number of women and girls thronged Eden Gardens for the 1997 World Cup final•Craig Prentis/Getty ImagesIndia fell short by 19 runs and Australia were off to Kolkata to play the final against New Zealand at Eden Gardens, which could cradle nearly 100,000 people at the time. And there was something to celebrate off the field too.”We loved the final because we went to a five-star hotel and were there for about seven days, for five days or so before the final,” Keightley says. “And it was amazing compared to what we had been staying in. And we loved it because we had time and we went shopping and we went to the market. Obviously, we trained as well. And then it was probably the first time we got to play in one of the main stadiums in India. And the change rooms had fans and the toilets were nicer than we had.”And when we got there, we heard that they were going to try and do a record of the most females watching cricket in a ground. So they shipped in all these schoolgirls to watch the game. And you could not hear a thing. It was so loud. And we had never experienced anything like it.”I suppose it’s very similar to the WPL when you play RCB. That’s what it felt like for us. You had to yell. So, it was our first experience of, ‘wow, this is what the men would experience every time they play against India and Australia.’ We definitely enjoyed that.”It turned out to be a record crowd, ranging between 60,000 and 70,000, among them a 15-year-old ball girl named Jhulan Goswami. Watching the likes of Clark and speedster Cathryn Fitzpatrick kindled in Goswami the dream of taking up the sport as a profession and fast bowling as a passion.Australia kept New Zealand to 164 and took home the trophy with a five-wicket win, along with memories, anecdotes and experiences of a lifetime. Who wanted a million dollars?
Stobo the first injury replacement under CA’s new trial rule after Abbott split the webbing on his right hand while fielding in his follow through
Alex Malcolm15-Oct-2025
Sean Abbott was the first man subbed out for an injury in Shield cricket•Getty Images
New South Wales seamer Sean Abbott became the first player to be subbed out of a Sheffield Shield match for an injury other than concussion under Cricket Australia’s new trial rule after he split the webbing in his right hand while fielding a ball off his own bowling on the opening day against Victoria at the Junction Oval in Melbourne.Charlie Stobo was subbed in as the first-ever injury replacement player under the new rule that is being trialed across the first five rounds of the 2025-26 Sheffield Shield competition.Abbott, who is among the contenders to be part of Australia’s extended Ashes squad if Pat Cummins is ruled out of the early part of the series, split the webbing in his right hand while stopping a firmly struck straight drive from Victoria batter Peter Handscomb in the 43rd over of the opening day.Related
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Abbott left the ground immediately, and team-mate Ryan Hadley completed the over. After being assessed in the rooms, New South Wales made an application to the match referee to have Abbott replaced by another bowler and that request was immediately granted.Stobo bowled his first over of the match immediately after tea having warmed up during the interval.Handscomb is not a fan of the new rule which CA hope will provide insights for the ICC who are considering subs for international cricket.”Not really,” he said after play on Wednesday. “I think first-class cricket and Test cricket is a game of attrition. And if you pick a team and then you can just sub a bloke out halfway through, it takes that factor away.”This is a bloody hard game for four days, and you’ve got to keep backing up and fronting up and doing everything. So I’m all aboard the concussion sub. I think that’s a really good rule. But injuries are part of the game. I think unfortunately, you just kind of have to deal with them and they haven’t.”New South Wales fast bowler Liam Hatcher didn’t mind the new rule. “I’d much rather have Stobes in than be a man down, especially when you get a flat wicket and stuff that’s out of your control like that,” he said. “Yeah, I don’t mind it.”As part of the new rule, Victoria also now have the opportunity to make a tactical substitution of one like-for-like bowler if they feel they need to but can only do so before stumps on day two of the match.”That’s an interesting one, because we’ve got one free hit basically,” Handscomb said. “A bowler gets to bowl his heart out and then we can sub them out if we want to. But we’ve obviously gone into this game under the assumption that we’re going to use just the 11 players and everyone’s ready to go. We know how we can rotate our bowlers through.”We’ve got four seamers and a spinner. Unless something really drastic happens, I’m not sure we’ll be using it and we’ll just be backing in the guys that we picked first up.”The injury to Abbott is untimely. He had missed out on Australia’s ODI squad to face India in part to give him the chance to play a rare first-class game to press his Ashes case before being part of Australia’s T20I squad.As part of the injury substitution rule, Abbott has to undergo a mandatory 12-day non-playing period from the start of day three of the match he was subbed out of, which is October 17, before being allowed to play again. It means he would still be available for Australia’s first T20I against India in Canberra on October 29 provided his hand has recovered in time. But if he was not in the T20I squad he would not have been eligible to play in New South Wales’ next Shield game against Queensland which starts at the Gabba on October 28.”He’s got a few stitches in it, but I think he’s fine,” Hatcher said.Abbott had bowled very impressively in the first session on day one at the Junction Oval in seam-friendly conditions. He picked up the wicket of Victoria opener Harry Dixon caught behind. He also ruffled Handscomb with some hostile short balls with one gloved over the keeper and another glancing off his shoulder and helmet.
Opener hits 158 off 167 balls as hosts edge closer to mathematical safety
ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay25-Sep-2025Essex 295 for 2 (Walter 158, Elgar 111*) trail Somerset 433 (Goldsworthy 100, Overton 60, Porter 3-66, Bennett 3-73) by 138 runsPaul Walter exerted total mastery over Somerset’s flagging bowlers as his highest first-class score of 158 eased Essex closer to safety in Division One of the Rothesay County Championship.The left-hander was barely troubled as he combined perfect timing with seeing everything clearly and early while spraying the ball around Chelmsford with an air of supreme confidence. For much of his 167-ball innings he outscored his opening partner, the former South Africa captain Dean Elgar, two to one as the first-wicket pair compiled a stand of 277 in 61 overs. At the close Essex were 295 for 2.Elgar, too, reached a second century of the season but was content to play second fiddle while Walter pulled, drove and flicked with nonchalant ease 21 fours and three sixes. Elgar contributed 16 fours and a six in his unbeaten 212-ball 111.Somerset’s first-innings 433 had looked formidable until Essex made mincemeat of it in an emphatic response. That Somerset had achieved as many as they did was latterly down to Lewis Goldsworthy’s four-hour and 21-minute century that took 193 balls. He was last man out, a third wicket on debut for seamer Charlie Bennett, who finished with 3 for 73.When it was their turn, Somerset struggled to get any response out of a docile pitch and had tried seven bowlers to no avail by the 29th over. They spent two sessions literally chasing shadows on a sunny autumn day.Essex survived two overs before lunch and immediately afterwards Elgar punched back-to-back drives past mid-off for fours off Craig Overton. It set the tone for the rest of the day as they rattled along at above four-and-a-half runs an over.Walter was the most aggressive from the start, at one point lofting Archie Vaughan straight down the ground for four and cutting Lewis Gregory for another to reach a 54-ball fifty. An off-drive for his 13th boundary took Essex to three-figures in only 21 overs.Walter motored along at more than double the rate of his fellow left-hander. His dominance was summed up when he launched Jack Leach for six over long-off and next ball rocked on to his back foot to drive the spinner through the covers for four.When Walter reached his century from exactly 100 balls just before tea, having plundered 16 fours, Elgar was stuck on 49 from 10 balls more. It took Elgar a further dozen balls after tea to reach his fifty, courtesy of an angled shot backward of square off Kasey Aldridge and celebrated by lofting Vaughan straight back over the bowler’s head for six. Walter could not resist following suit and bounced down the wicket in the same over for another maximum.Walter’s third six, pulling Leach over square leg, took him past his previous highest score. His 150 took 154 balls, while Elgar’s 54th first-class century was reached in 184 balls.Walter eventually departed seven overs from stumps to a stupendous tumbling catch at midwicket by Goldsworthy off Overton, who also accounted for nightwatchman Simon Harmer before the close.To emphasis the unresponsiveness of the hybrid wicket, it took Essex an hour and three-quarters to winkle out the last four Somerset wickets while conceding a further 94 runs. Overton recorded a second successive fifty, and a third of the season, from the 54th ball he faced. But he fell to a ball in Harmer’s first over of the day that spun past his outstretched leg and bowled him between bat and pad after a partnership with Goldsworthy worth 98 in 20 overs.Another bowling change prefaced another wicket when Leach nibbled at one from Bennett to provide substitute wicketkeeper Simon Fernandes with a fourth catch. Gregory swept Harmer for six during a brief appearance but attempted a repeat next ball and top-edged to short fine leg.Goldsworthy made it to three-figures just in time, pushing a quick single off Harmer, but departed two balls later when he swung Bennett to deep square leg.
Newcastle United are now ready to battle Real Madrid and Barcelona in the race to sign a teenage sensation who’s been compared to Kevin de Bruyne, according to recent reports.
The Magpies are looking to bounce back off the pitch following a disastrous start to their Premier League campaign. Eddie Howe’s side have won just three of their opening 11 games and their 3-1 defeat at the hands of Brentford was their most damning yet.
For the first time during his time at the club, Howe is under pressure to turn things around and admitted there is “no excuse” for how his side performed in West London last weekend.
The international break comes at a good time for those at St James’ Park, but they must use it well to find a solution for their current problems. In the space of six months, they’ve gone from a top four side to the bottom half of the Premier League in dismal fashion.
With the January transfer window now less than two months away, the solutions could also come courtesy of the market. Newcastle endured the most chaotic summer possible before eventually landing on record signing Nick Woltemade and the now-injured Yoane Wissa, but a smoother winter window could result in some much-needed improvement.
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To that end, new sporting director Ross Wilson has already reportedly identified targets such as Everton’s James Garner and now a young midfield sensation who’s attracting the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Newcastle ready to join Kees Smit race
As reported by the Daily Mail’s Craig Hope, Newcastle are now ready to join the race to sign Kees Smit alongside some of Europe’s biggest clubs. Some in the Netherlands are expecting the 19-year-old to leave AZ Alkmaar next summer and his £20m value could see those at St James’ Park land an undeniable bargain.
Whilst Smit has been compared to De Bruyne by those in his home country, Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman recently likened him to Barcelona’s impressive star, Pedri – saying: “He has the awareness to receive in tight spaces and move the ball forward. That is something we value.
“The resemblance people see (with Pedri) is in how he positions himself and his decision-making under pressure. Big clubs follow players with these characteristics. That is normal. What is important is that he continues developing where he is, playing regularly.”
Como scout Ben Mattinson also went as far as to describe Smit as “aggressive” and dubbed him a “duel monster” back in March. The fact is, the more that the midfielder features, the better he looks and he now looks destined for a big move as a result.
Newcastle must regret signing £100k-p/w flop who's cost £3.2m per game
A four-day defeat loomed until Greaves and Hope dug in to give West Indies some hope against New Zealand’s tired attack
Shashank Kishore05-Dec-2025A depleted New Zealand attack – effectively reduced to just two-and-a-half frontline bowlers – was made to toil as a defiant West Indies rearguard stretched the contest into a fifth day on an increasingly docile Hagley Oval surface.Forced off the field on day three by an eye infection, Shai Hope returned with sunglasses under his helmet to compile an unbeaten 116. It followed his first-innings 56 and marked his second century in three innings, a seamless extension of the defiance he showed while stonewalling India for long periods in New Delhi in October.If Hope was the fulcrum, Justin Greaves was the anchor beside him. He reined in his instincts to play a composed, almost uncharacteristically restrained hand to finish 55 not out off 143 balls. His unbroken fifth-wicket partnership with Hope was worth 140 as New Zealand’s attack toiled under the blazing Christchurch sun.Related
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Nathan Smith did not come out to bat and spent the entire innings off the field with a side strain. When Matt Henry left the field after the 35th over – later heading to hospital next door for scans – with West Indies 92 for 4, New Zealand may have hoped to finish off the game quickly.But with his bowling resources rapidly thinning, Tom Latham – already standing in with the gloves due to Tom Blundell’s torn hamstring that ruled him out of not just this Test but the next – was left to lean heavily on Rachin Ravindra and Michael Bracewell’s part-time spin around pacer Jacob Duffy. On a surface that only got easier to bat on against the old ball, Hope and Greaves settled in and applied themselves admirably.Having begun with positive intent, Hope was tested periodically with the short ball, Duffy setting a square leg halfway to the rope along with a short leg and fine leg for the pull. Hope mostly swayed and ducked out of harm’s way, and on the rare occasions he was tempted into the shot, he did well to keep it down. He brought up his fourth Test century off 139 deliveries.Duffy employed a similar plan to Greaves, whose natural game is far more instinctive. But to his credit, Greaves appeared to take a cue from Hope, choosing restraint instead. He played only when the ball was at his body, using his height to ride the bounce and fend safely. While he was a lot more enterprising against spin, the fundamental of his knock was crease occupation.Justin Greaves played a composed knock of 55 not out off 143 balls•Getty ImagesHope and Greaves laid down the template for those who perished prior to their arrival. Tagenarine Chanderpaul and John Campbell were put through a stern new ball test by Foulkes and Henry as they repeatedly tested both their edges in an engaging first spell. Chanderpaul’s propensity to shuffle across got him into trouble more often than not, and was out to a short ball that he inside-edged to the keeper for 6 off 45 balls.Campbell – out an over earlier – was taken out by Foulkes as he jabbed at an away-swinger with no feet movement as Bracewell took a superb low catch at second slip. In the overs prior to his dismissal, Campbell wore a blow on his boot as he smashed one back off an inside-edge, making him groan in discomfort. This may have eventually had a hand in his dismissal.Alick Athanaze never got going, and the frustration of being unable to score had him attempt a pull, only to be rushed into the stroke by Bracewell. He only managed to toe-end a pull to mid-on. And when Roston Chase fell in eerily similar fashion to his dismissal in the first innings – nibbling at a Henry away-swinger while being rooted to the crease – West Indies were collapsing swiftly and were 72 for 4.A four-day defeat loomed until Greaves and Hope dug in to give West Indies some hope even as New Zealand’s tired attack wheeled away in the hope of a mistake. That wasn’t to come, as West Indies took the fight into the final day even though hopes of scaling down the 531-run target they were set seem just a pipe dream for now.Earlier in the morning, New Zealand surprised many by choosing to bat on. Perhaps this was to give their bowlers more rest on a placid surface, considering the slew of injuries. Kemar Roach picked up three of the four wickets to fall, finishing with figures of 5 for 78 to take his wickets tally to 290.
Saved for the Lord’s Test with a long break on this tour, Bumrah took his 15th five-wicket haul on the second day to make his place on the honour’s board
Sidharth Monga11-Jul-2025
Jasprit Bumrah picked up his first five-for at Lord’s•Getty Images
Jasprit Bumrah’s favourite phrase is “money in the bank”. Not sure he follows professional wrestling, but in WWE, “Money In The Bank” is a briefcase that contains a contract entitling the holder to a title shot anytime, anywhere. So the champion could have just survived an hour-long Iron Man and you could cash in at that moment and beat him.Bumrah walks around with the air of a man carrying an invisible briefcase that guarantees wickets anytime, anywhere. Or he has the air of a man who knows he is a genius fast bowler.In Bumrah’s world, money in the bank is days when he bowls well without results. He believes the results will show up sooner or later. Unlike Money In The Bank in WWE, which can be cashed in anytime, money in the bank in cricket depends on various elements not in a bowler’s control: luck, batter’s intent and conditions, to name a few.Related
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Bumrah respects the occasional disconnect between effort and outcome in cricket and bides his time. He hardly goes searching because he believes he deserves more wickets in a certain spell or on a certain day. He doesn’t risk releasing pressure and ruining it for the bowlers who follow.His body, though, is beginning to test his patience. There is this whole unfortunate scenario in the aftermath of his back stress reaction at the start of the year. He is playing only three of the five Tests in this series. There has been too much focus on “will he, won’t he”. It is not the kind of attention he wants.Bumrah has not been pleased with all of it. His demeanour has been a little testy, only a little. There have been suggestions he wanted to play at Lord’s, and so did not play at Edgbaston despite India trailing 1-0 in the series and having more than a week off before that Test. The matches he plays and misses is not his call alone but that of the team in discussion with him.Jasprit Bumrah picked up his first five-for at Lord’s•Getty ImagesAs India won without Bumrah at Edgbaston, two curious but eventually shallow bits of stats did the rounds: Mohammed Siraj’s bowling average improves from 33 to 26 in his absence, India’s win percentage goes up from 40 to 70.It is in this context that the first day of money in the bank at Lord’s becomes a little curious. Bumrah started it by drawing an edge with the first ball he bowled to Ben Duckett only to see it not carry. He swung the ball bewitchingly late, paired it with nip off the pitch, and made a few batters look incredibly silly. He induced a false shot once every three deliveries, sprayed the ball a little on a few occasions, and ended with just one wicket in 18 overs. You wondered if he took this day with the same equanimity and considered it more money in the bank.A teaser of what was to follow was seen late on day one when Bumrah went for the mightiest of tricks in fast bowling: swing one way, seam the other way, and hit the top of off. It is arguable whether it is physically possible for batters to react to this kind of movement. Mostly they hope the ball misses the stumps. The beauty of that Harry Brook dismissal was that Bumrah had tried each end without luck. He then went back to the end with lower bounce, and bowled the exact length needed to hit top of off, which had shortened by a metre since the first session. That is the extent of how soft the balls are going.2:43
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On the second morning, Bumrah repeated the trick twice from the bouncier Nursery End with the second new ball. He made the length adjustment again. To Ben Stokes, he went slightly closer on the release from around the wicket. To Joe Root, he swung the ball away a lot, pitched it up, then found seam movement against that angle; it would have just missed off but the inside edge took it on to uproot middle stump.With three swipes of genius, he ripped out the heart of England’s batting. Then came the ball change, which resulted in a quiet period with the replacement ball. He came back after lunch, went closer on the release to Jofra Archer, got awayswing and then seam back in, and hit the stumps three-fourths of the way up.Patient as Bumrah is, this five-for – his 15th in 47 Tests – had a bit of “I’m cashing in” than relying on circumstances to change while he keeps bowling good length and line. He still hit the good length with 54% of his deliveries but went into the 6-7metre band 30% of the time, which is slightly high for him. Perhaps he was just a little impatient. Perhaps he wanted to hit the stumps more often: eight times in 18 overs on day one to seven times in nine overs on day two.The attention will remain on Bumrah. Whatever the result at Lord’s, as the fourth Test in Manchester approaches, people will start asking which of the remaining matches he will play. And if it is 2-2 after Old Trafford, and he’s already played three Tests, there will be questions about whether he should push himself and play the finale. There is no way around it. The good thing is, Bumrah still has plenty of money in the bank, and not the WWE version, which you lose when you cash it in for a title shot.
Matthews has had a patchy season with the bat, but found her form in a 133-run stand with Sciver-Brunt
Sruthi Ravindranath14-Mar-2025Bat in the top three, bowl four overs, and do all of it consistently well. That’s a dream player for any T20 side. Mumbai Indians (MI) have not just one, but two of them.Nat Sciver-Brunt has been in an extended purple patch with the bat. Coming into the WPL Eliminator against Gujarat Giants (GG), she had been averaging close to 70 after eight innings with a strike rate of over 150. So GG’s plans might have centred on how they were going to attack Sciver-Brunt.But there was also Hayley Matthews. For most parts this season, she had looked scratchy with the bat. Her strike rate was around 119, and she had two fifties, but she was getting off to slow starts. She started similarly on Thursday. She also got a life when on 5 off nine balls in the second over. GG would have wanted to quickly make up for that.Related
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But then a bit of that purple from one rubbed off on the other, and GG’s plans just fell through.It started as soon as Sciver-Brunt came to the crease. A few fours had been hit till then, but MI had made only 31 off their first five overs. Only two runs had come off Tanuja Kanwar’s first five balls in the sixth over, but when she dished out a tossed-up delivery on length, Sciver-Brunt shuffled across and swatted the ball behind square. It was a shot that showed she had got her eye in.It was Danielle Gibson’s turn to bowl next. Gibson and Sciver-Brunt have played together for England. She probably knew how well Sciver-Brunt plays the short ball and that she wouldn’t let a freebie go unpunished. She bowled it anyway, and was pulled solidly between square leg and fine leg, while the slot ball was lofted over mid-on.Sciver-Brunt has always been a reliable player, but she’s also been getting off to stronger starts this season. She has mostly gone out to bat earlier than usual given the opening pair hasn’t clicked for MI this season. Before the Eliminator, she was striking the ball at 145 in the powerplay as compared to the 2023 season where her strike rate in this phase was 130. In this match, despite the openers – Yastika Bhatia was the other – scoring a few boundaries, MI were 37 for 1 in the powerplay but Sciver-Brunt took them to 89 for 1 at the end of ten overs along with Matthews.Matthews was on 17 off 22 balls at the end of seventh over. The two convened for a chat in the middle after that over and fist bumps were exchanged. And the first three balls of the next over off Priya Mishra were dispatched to different parts of the ground for fours with ease by Matthews.”Apart from this tournament, I haven’t really batted with Hayley, but we seem to click pretty well from the first year,” Sciver-Brunt said after the match. “So today she probably wanted to get off to a bit of a quicker start, but it was good that she stayed there and didn’t give her wicket away because we know how powerful she is. We had the time-out and then she probably did time it a little bit better after that. So [I was] just reassuring her that she only needed to time it, [there was] no need to absolutely whack it.”Nat Sciver-Brunt was quick out of the blocks•BCCIBefore this game, Matthews had also lost her wicket to spinners five times in eight innings this WPL; Priya Mishra and Kanwar had dismissed her cheaply the last two times these teams met. But Matthews looked better against spin on the day, having hit both Ashleigh Gardner and Kanwar for boundaries upfront. Gardner also didn’t bring herself on to bowl after her first two, despite her lesser experienced spinners being taken to the cleaners.Mishra was once again at the receiving end of Matthews’ brutal hitting, being taken for 6, 6 and 4 in the 16th over, just two balls after the batter was dropped a second time.Power and timing aside, Matthews also showed off her excellent footwork frequently to access all parts of the ground. It was only fitting that she deposited a short ball from Kanwar over deep midwicket to complete her fifty. The two came together to bump their fists once again, this time with big grins on their faces.Sciver-Brunt said after the match that the pitch was not as batting-friendly as it had looked, and that the pair had relied on their power to work around it.”I could see that it [the ball] probably wasn’t coming on as well because we played the other day and it came on a bit nicer,” she said. “But I felt like it was a bit stoppy. So I guess that played into our hands with the back-foot shots, that are both mine and Hayley’s strengths, I guess. As soon as we worked that out, it probably unlocked us a little bit more. Yeah, working together to get to that point was important.”Hayley Matthews contributed with bat and ball•BCCIIn between those overs, Sciver-Brunt had settled in comfortably and GG’s bowlers were only making her life easier. The pull is one of Sciver-Brunt’s go-to shots and they gave her several chances to play it. This season in the WPL, she’s scored 123 out of her 493 runs playing the shot. Since January 2023, she has averaged 125.75 playing the pull in T20s and has been dismissed playing it just four times in those 65 games. It was Gibson who was punished again, when she bowled two consecutive short balls to her which were dispatched for sixes, the first of which also gave Sciver-Brunt her fifth fifty of the season. Before the match against RCB the day before, Sciver-Brunt had hit 61 fours and no sixes. Her four sixes this season have come in the last two games.”I’ve stuck to my strengths quite a lot and played what’s in front of me,” Sciver-Brunt said. “The quick outfields have helped, and they are nice wickets to bat on as well. I’m really happy that I’m taking advantage of those conditions. Because form goes up and down, that feeling when you’re not so confident isn’t that nice. So taking advantage of it when you are is good.”To top it off, Matthews also picked up three wickets to take her tournament tally to 17, the most for any bowler in a season of the WPL. She dismissed the dangerous Gardner in the powerplay, the big-hitting Bharti Fulmali in the 16th over, and ended GG’s innings getting Meghna Singh out in the 20th over – effective in all phases of the games.”I think I tried to just control one side of the field really well and vary my pace, which is something that I’ve been working on a lot,” Matthews said at the presentation ceremony. “I think the last time we played GG, we were bowling in their hit zone quite a bit and they punished us for it. Definitely a lot of learnings from that. Glad I was able to execute better today.”MI had perhaps been over-dependent on one star allrounder through the season, but they had yet another of them step up on the day, and they have one more in their ranks – Amelia Kerr – who is yet to have her best season with the bat. They will have to prep for the final in less than 48 hours, and will hope that some of that purple off on Kerr too.