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
‘Don’t want to be fined for making statements about ball change’
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.
The reason for cancellation is not yet clear, but it is the second time in as many games Pakistan have scrapped their customary pre-match media duties
Danyal Rasool20-Sep-2025
Salman Agha speaks with the team manager•AFP/Getty Images
Pakistan have cancelled another scheduled pre-match press conference, this one ahead of their Super Fours game against India on Sunday. According to the schedule the Asian Cricket Council released, a Pakistan player or member of the coaching staff was scheduled to do a press conference at 6pm local time on Saturday. The team was also slated to train from 6pm onwards for three hours at the ICC Academy in Dubai. ESPNcricinfo has learnt that training is set to go ahead as scheduled.The reason for cancelling the press conference is not yet clear. It is the second time in as many games Pakistan have scrapped their customary pre-match media duties. They had declined to hold a press conference ahead of their must-win game against UAE, while the handshake saga with match referee Andy Pycroft raged on.Meanwhile, Pycroft has been confirmed as the match referee for the India vs Pakistan game on Sunday too.Related
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In the days since, that feud has largely been put to rest after the ICC organised a meeting between Pycroft and Pakistan’s coach, captain, media and team managers where Pycroft offered his regrets for the way events at the toss against India had unfolded. He had told Salman Ali Agha there would not be a handshake with the India captain Suryakumar Yadav, which Pakistan had interpreted as Pycroft’s failure to uphold the ICC’s code of conduct and demanded his “immediate removal” from the tournament.The meeting before the UAE game appeared to have placated the PCB somewhat; they put out a short video of it, with no audio, and said in a statement that Pycroft had apologised. That, in turn, appeared to have angered the ICC, who took exception to the recording of that video, writing a strongly-worded e-mail to the PCB, saying the board had breached protocol by filming without consent in the Players and Match Officials Area (PMOA). There is no official confirmation that the PCB ever responded to that email.India will not hold a press conference on Saturday either. As is customary for sides who play their next game after only a day’s gap, they held an embargoed press conference looking ahead to the Pakistan clash, following the conclusion of their game against Oman on Friday night.Sunday will be both sides’ first game in the Super Fours stage.
The current WTC system is weighed in favour of bowler-friendly pitches. Here’s one that aims to incentivise longer Test matches that end in an outright result
Kartikeya Date01-Dec-2025The World Test Championship points system awards 12 points for a Test win, four points for a draw, and none for a Test defeat. This makes a Test win significantly more valuable compared to a draw.Consider two hypothetical three-match series, where in the first, the winning side wins 2-1, earning 24 points to the losing team’s 12. In the other, the winning side wins 1-0, earning 20 points (12 for the win, four each for the draws), while the losing side earns eight. In terms of raw points, the side winning 2-1 earns more points than the side winning 1-0. It also earns a higher percentage of the available points (24 out of a possible 36, or 66.7%) compared to the 1-0 winning side (20 points out of a possible 36, or 55.6%). This is significant because a team’s position on the WTC table is decided based on the percentage of available points that they collect.It is fair to say that the WTC points system disincentives draws in Test cricket. Only 26 of the 216 Test matches (one in eight) in the WTC era have been drawn. It would not be fair to say, however, that the WTC system singularly has caused teams to chase results. That tendency precedes the championship.In the 214 Tests just before the WTC era, 32 were drawn. It is also not the case that the more successful teams in the WTC era play fewer draws. In the last two editions of the championship (2021-23 and 2023-25), the top four teams in the final table played at least as many, if not more, draws than the bottom four teams.Nevertheless, Test matches have been getting shorter. This is partly because scoring rates have been rising, and consequently, dismissals are occurring more frequently than they used to. This is also due to the DRS. Other interesting causes are evident in the record, but those are best left for a separate discussion. For now, let’s focus on the cause that keeps attracting much discussion every time a short Test match is played – the pitch.Home teams have the privilege of producing pitches of their choice in Test cricket. Different parts of the world have different types of soil, weather and traditions, and produce a variety of pitches, all of which are not equally well suited to the same styles of bowling. The ICC’s pitch and outfield monitoring process acknowledges this reality. In the WTC era, all home teams have produced bowler-friendly, result-oriented, pitches.Home teams cannot produce pitches that make only their own victory more likely, especially when the visiting team has sufficient quality and variety in bowling, as New Zealand, South Africa, England, India, Australia and Pakistan invariably have had for all conditions in recent times. The best home teams can hope for is that even against a fairly complete opponent, their own quality and depth in bowling on their pitches will outgun that of the visitors in the long run. The Australians, for instance, successfully made this bet when India toured in 2024-25. They lost the first Test, in Perth, on a very quick, seaming pitch, but in the end, their superior fast-bowling depth and quality told on five fast-bowler-friendly surfaces. In a short series, there isn’t always time for this type of benefit to play out. But even there, as we have seen above, 1-1 is a better result than 0-0 under the WTC points system.In the 865 non-WTC Test matches since the start of 2000 that were not played at neutral venues, the median game lasted 1982 balls. Of the 432 Tests that were completed in 1982 balls or fewer, the home team won 255 and lost 129 (or 59 wins and 30 defeats per 100 Tests). Of the 432 Tests that lasted more than 1982 balls, the home team won 170 and lost 122 (or 39 wins and 28 defeats per 100 Tests). Longer Tests make winning less likely but don’t reduce the frequency of defeat; they increase the probability of draws.Under the current points system, matches less than about 300 overs long fetch the home team 60% of available points, while longer ones produce 56%. Which makes home teams interested in risking defeat chasing victory with bowler-friendly pitches•Gallo ImagesIn the WTC era the median Test has lasted 1765 balls. Of the 109 matches that lasted 1765 balls or fewer during this period, the home team won 61 and lost 40 (or 56 wins, 37 defeats per 100 Tests). Of the 106 matches that lasted more than 1765 balls, the home team won 53 and lost 34 (50 wins and 32 defeats per 100 Tests). Matches have become shorter in the WTC era; longer WTC matches (those longer than the median) produce 18 draws per 100 Tests, compared to nine draws per 100 Tests in shorter matches. But under the WTC points system shorter matches produce 59% of available points for the home team (56 wins, nine draws), while longer matches produce 56% of available points for the home team (50 wins, 18 draws). So it is in the interests of the home team to risk defeat chasing victory in the WTC era by preparing more bowler-friendly pitches.The general understanding that better batting pitches increase the probability of the draw by reducing the likelihood of winning more than they reduce the likelihood of losing, precedes the WTC era. It is no surprise that England sought old-fashioned English pitches after losing by 405 runs to Australia in the Lord’s Test of the 2015 Ashes. The cost of an English fast bowler’s wicket in England dropped from 29.1 runs in the 2011-2015 period (including that Lord’s Ashes Test), to 23.9 runs from the end of that 2015 Test to the start of the Bazball era in June 2022. The 2011-15 period was already a strong era for England, with Stuart Broad and James Anderson forming a great seam-bowling new-ball pair.India’s desire for turning pitches at home has a much longer history in modern cricket. Most Indian captains have sought such conditions, believing (correctly) that, (a) in the long run, their superior depth and quality of spin bowling will mean they will win a lot more than they lose, and (b) that a turning pitch mitigates consequences arising from the outcome of the toss.The conventional wisdom, which has found new voice following India’s defeat at Eden Gardens – that better wickets will amplify India’s spin bowling quality – is not borne out by the record. Since the start of 1993, India have played 151 Tests at home, won 90 and lost 24. Anil Kumble played his first home Test against England in January 1993, marking the start of a prolonged period of Indian spin domination at home. India’s median home Test in this period has lasted 2059 balls. Of 75 home Tests that lasted 2061 balls or fewer, India won 55 and lost 11. Of the 75 that lasted longer than 2061 balls, India won 35 and lost 12. While it is true, as Himanish Ganjoo has showed on these pages that, relative to better batting pitches, bowler-friendly pitches reduce India’s batting average more than they do the opposition’s (since the visiting team’s batting average is lower to begin with), this does not, in the long run, translate to more frequent defeats for India.If the current points system rewards bowler-friendly pitches because teams don’t want to risk draws, how might a points system that aims to produce longer Test matches without incentivising draws be devised? Such a system would, for instance, reward a win in 400 overs more than it does a win in 280 overs. The requirement is for a system that makes the choice less obvious for home teams when it comes to preferring result pitches. It will do this by finding a way to penalise shorter Tests (and consequently, pitches at the bowler-friendly end of the spectrum) without rewarding draws. Rewarding draws is likely to encourage home teams to ask for featherbeds.The current WTC points system also does not consider the balance of play; it only considers the result. A draw is a draw, and teams get the same number of points whether it is a team hanging on by one wicket in a thrilling finish or a Test in which only 21 wickets fall over 400 overs of play.A few years ago I proposed a method of measuring the dominance of a Test team. It is sensitive to the outcome of every delivery in the match. Under that system, the two teams in the Kanpur and Ahmedabad Tests above would not finish on an equal number of points. That system also avoids arbitrary thresholds (for instance, the WTC system prescribes a 3:1 ratio for wins to draws). How points are allotted using this hypothetical system is shown below with the examples of two recent Tests. (Note, the intermediate figures are rounded to three decimal places here. In the actual calculation, they are not.)1. India vs South Africa at Eden Gardens, 2025 Result: SA won by 30 runs SA: 312 for 20 in 654 balls IND: 282 for 18 in 584 ballsRuns per wicket for the match (312 + 282) / (20 + 18) = 15.63IND batting points: 282 / 584 = 0.483IND bowling points: 20*15.63 / 654 = 0.478 SA batting points: 312 / 654 = 0.477 SA bowling points: 18*15.63 / 584 = 0.482 IND total points: 0.959 SA total points: 0.961Since South Africa won outright, they get a win bonus – equal to the average number of points each team earned in the match – which in this case is 0.960 (0.959 + 0.961) / 2South Africa’s total points for the match: 0.961 + 0.960 = 1.919, and India’s total points for the match: 0.959. So South Africa has +0.960 points net.2. India v England at Edgbaston, 2025 Result: India won by 336 runs IND: 1014 for 16 in 1404 balls ENG: 678 for 20 in 946 ballsRuns per wicket for the match: 47IND total points: 3.200 ENG total points: 1.252 IND net points: 1.948In draws, each team’s final points tally is simply the sum of their bowling and batting points. For instance, in the 2023 Ahmedabad Test referenced above, India collected 1.008 points and Australia 0.934 points. In other words, India collected a net 0.069 points and Australia a net -0.069 points.This method of assessing teams in Test matches is sensitive to the outcome of each delivery, and to the margin of victory (or even the margin of the draw). For the hypothetical WTC version of this system, I propose scaling the winning team’s points by a match-length factor to arrive at the win bonus for outright wins.The average outright result in WTC Tests takes 1738 deliveries. So we divide the number of deliveries in a match by 1800 (300 overs), or the average length. If a match lasts 2000 deliveries, the match length factor is 2000 / 1800. The consequence of this method of deriving the win-bonus figure is shown in the graph below, which compares the net points teams earn in all the outright results in WTC Tests using this modified system to their net points in the original system. The net points decrease for shorter matches and increase for longer matches.Kartikeya DateThe calculation of the net points per match for each team in the 2021-23 WTC Test cycle is below. This comparison is difficult to make because pitch preparation is shaped by the points system at work. If pitches that last five days give teams a chance to earn more points than quicker victories on more precarious pitches, then pitches will become less bowler-friendly. The comparison also depends on which matches a team loses and which it wins. For instance, the average Test match won by South Africa in the 2021-23 WTC cycle lasted 1703 balls, while the average Test they lost lasted 1319 balls. Five of their six defeats in this cycle came in New Zealand, England and Australia. The sixth was a defeat to India in the 2021 Boxing Day Test in Centurion.
Under the proposed system, a team that wins a Test match by one wicket, scoring 301 for 19 in 600 balls and conceding 300 for 20 in 600 balls earns a net points tally of 0.704, using a 300-overs threshold. Using the same threshold, a one-wicket win achieved scoring 601 for 19 in 1200 balls and conceding 600 for 20 in 1200 balls earns a net points tally of 1.379. It is worth nearly two wins of the first kind.By making the outcome of each ball count in the final net points tally (since it is calculated from the runs, balls and wickets for each team), this new points system shifts the focus to the management of resources. For instance, if a team reaches 400 for 4 in this system, there is an incentive to declare, to deny the opposition the opportunity to take a few cheap wickets and acquire some extra points.The proposed approach raises the possibility of an interesting perverse incentive. If a team, say, like Australia in the Perth Test of the current Ashes were to have reached 162 for 1 in 25 overs, chasing 205, and wondered whether it was worth blocking a few overs and taking, say, 40 overs to score the last 43 runs, instead of 20 balls as they did, how much would their points tally improve?In the match as it occurred, Australia finish with 1.248 net points under the new system. In the alternative match, where Australia chased 205 in 68 overs instead of 28, they would end with 1.254 net points (given an otherwise identical eight-wicket margin of victory). The points system rewards quick runs and a greater number of runs. It also rewards efficient management of resources. The proportion in which it does this can be adjusted by weighting the match length-scale factor.If the fans and the authorities want to see Test cricket on pitches that are gentler to the batter, then the competitive incentives need to be shaped to make home teams amenable to it. A points system that is sensitive to these competitive instincts and can reward winning on the fifth day more than it rewards winning on the third is necessary.The system proposed in this article attempts to pursue each of these ends. It is sensitive to the outcome of each delivery. And it rewards wins in longer Tests more than it rewards wins in shorter ones. It (or something like it) should be adopted in the WTC.
A three-day session in January with Pravin Amre helped him fine-tune his technique and be more balanced while responding to different types of deliveries
Nagraj Gollapudi02-Jun-20251:53
Moody: Shreyas identified key moments to go into the fifth gear
Since his last-minute inclusion in the first match of the home ODI series against England in February, Shreyas Iyer has been playing match-winning, as well as impact, innings both for India and, in the past two months, in IPL 2025 where he is captain of Punjab Kings. The latest example of that came on Sunday evening in Ahmedabad, where Iyer batted like a man possessed: his undefeated 87 helped PBKS make only their second IPL final, and the first since 2014. It was a remarkable effort as Iyer responded under pressure to bring down five-time champions Mumbai Indians.Iyer was the second-highest run-scorer in both the England ODIs as well as the Champions Trophy, and is now sixth among the leading run-makers in IPL 2025. His success is not by accident.About a week prior to the first ODI against England, played in Nagpur on February 6, Iyer had a three-day session in his hometown of Mumbai with former India batter Pravin Amre, who has been his long-term coach, since when he was 12. The primary focus, Amre said, was to tinker with the basic set-up in Iyer’s stance and make him more balanced to respond to any type of delivery.Related
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“His issue was his base. His back [right] leg was collapsing in his trigger movement,” Amre told ESPNcricinfo in April.As a result of the leg collapsing, Amre pointed out, the head followed automatically, and Iyer lost his balance. What would also end up happening was that his right heel would be dragging outside leg stump and, with his head falling away, Iyer was vulnerable to all threats including failing to play the short delivery well.The challenge, though, was how to adapt to the new technique Amre was suggesting: how could he change something that had been lodged in his muscle memory?Amre assured Iyer that the purpose was not to “disturb” his overall technique, but it was to “add” something that would enhance his batting.”I had to undo that [the set-up]. The word I used was correction. I told him I’m correcting you to get you in better position, so that you get a better feel with the bat while playing the strokes.”While the general impression from outside is that Iyer had opened up his batting stance, allowing him to better tackle the shorter ball, which has been his Achilles heel forever, Amre said that the change was not recent. It was about a year ago when Iyer moved from a side-on to a more open stance. Amre said that had allowed Iyer to watch the ball better and with the tweaked stance, it allowed Iyer to stand tall and respond confidently. “Previously the ball was dominating him; now he can dominate the ball.”2:46
Iyer vs Hazlewood the match-up to watch out?
The best examples of the success of the January work with Amre were the successive sixes Iyer hit off Jofra Archer in the Nagpur ODI. Jos Buttler stood at short leg, so Iyer was aware of the short-ball plan. But when Archer pitched on a hard length on the fifth-stump line, Iyer quickly got in line to pull the ball high over deep midwicket. Next ball, Archer ramped up the pace to nearly 143kph, but it was once again wide outside the stump, so Iyer moved closer to it and, on raised toes, cut hard over the deep-third boundary.Probably because of the new set-up, one distinct change between the 2024 and 2025 IPL seasons is that Iyer is now playing the ball later, especially against fuller and good-length deliveries. According to HawkEye data, his average interception point with the ball in 2024 was 1.65m in front of the stumps. This year, it is 1.50m.During the January sessions, Iyer also fine-tuned his backlift. Unlike the traditional backlift, where the bat comes straight down, Iyer’s bat is now coming down more from the direction of gully. Amre said it was similar to the loop used to hit a forehand in tennis, essentially to derive more power. While it is still work in progress, over the last few months Iyer has dealt with the short ball in white-ball cricket more effectively, including in the IPL, as the numbers below show.ESPNcricinfo Ltd”That is why now you can see he hits the short ball more powerfully.”Amre, who was with Delhi Capitals (DC) until IPL 2024 for nearly a decade, has seen Iyer from his pre-teen years, and has coached him at his academy at Shivaji Park. It was Amre who had convinced the DC thinktank to recruit Iyer as he felt the Mumbai batter, uncapped then in the IPL, could become a long-term player for the franchise. Iyer did lead DC from halfway through the 2018 season and paired successfully with then head coach Ricky Ponting to take the franchise into the playoffs in 2019 and then the final in 2020.During his time as coach at Seattle Orcas in MLC in 2023, Amre noticed how baseball players derived maximum power with a static base. He felt he could utilise some of those observations in his work with Iyer.2:24
Iyer on Ponting: ‘I’ve never seen his emotions go up and down’
“Without momentum, the baseball hitters generate great power and the ball goes far. One factor is they work more on the core muscles,” Amre said. “With Shreyas, I wanted him to get optimum power behind his strokes, specifically against spinners, so he could clear the boundary.”To strengthen the core, Amre got Iyer to hit against weighted balls, also known as sandballs, which can weigh between 150-350 grams – as compared to the 163-gram limit set by the MCC for cricket balls – and are harder to hit far. But with practice, batters start to get the power and can hit through the line of the ball farther with faster hand-speed.According to Amre, to enhance the power-hitting ability, he told Iyer to imagine Kieron Pollard was standing at long-on, and the challenge was to clear him. Pollard was among the best fielders in those hot zones where he could intercept boundaries using his height as well as his highly athletic body. “The idea was to help Shreyas in not being afraid to hit over Pollard despite him being the world’s best fielder.”Amre sees himself as a craftsman who will continue to chisel at his work, in this case Iyer, to make him a better batter. And the reason he knows he is doing the right thing is because of what Iyer told him at the end of the January sessions. “I was very happy when Shreyas said, ‘Sir, now I can take on anybody’.”
Chelsea restored some of the pride they lost in their Champions League thumping at the hands of Barcelona last season with a creditable 1-1 draw with the Spanish giants. After a chastening 8-2 semi-final aggregate loss to Barca, the Blues had a point to prove and were on track to do that with Ellie Carpenter's piledriver. But Ewa Pajor's strike ensured the spoils were shared on Thursday.
After a bright start from the visitors, a determined Chelsea took the lead in the 16th minute when Carpenter emphatically smashed the ball into the top corner from the edge of the box. Barcelona's Pajor nearly hit back straight away when she slotted past Livia Peng, only for her effort to be ruled out for offside, but the Polish striker wouldn't be denied in the 24th minute when she fired through a crowd of bodies after the Blues failed to clear a corner.
Barca stopper Cata Coll did well to keep out Wieke Kaptein's lofted shot following a defence-splitting pass from Erin Cuthbert and then the Netherlands international rattled the post after a neat layoff from Alyssa Thompson. Just as the hosts' grip on the contest – which was delayed for a while due to a power cut – started to loosen in the second half, substitute Catarina Macario expertly headed in a free-kick, only for her effort to be ruled out for just straying offside by the narrowest of margins.
Chelsea should have been 2-1 with 10 minutes to go when a brilliant move ended in Carpenter smacking the ball wide when it seemed easier to score from eight yards out. The result saw Barcelona go top of the tournament's league table, whereas Chelsea are sixth after four matches. While this may appear to be a good result, this was a missed opportunity for Sonia Bompastor's side.
GOAL rates Chelsea's players from Stamford Bridge…
AFPGoalkeeper & Defence
Livia Peng (6/10):
The summer signing is in for the injured Hannah Hampton and was competent enough in between the sticks for Chelsea.
Lucy Bronze (7/10):
The veteran pulled off a number of important clearances, along with the odd powerful surge into the opposition's half.
Nathalie Bjorn (6/10):
Was solid if unspectacular in Chelsea's backline. If Millie Bright is to return to the starting XI, her place in the team may be under threat if Naomi Girma continues to excel in defence.
Naomi Girma (8/10):
Made a brilliant, last-ditch tackle to keep the scores level early on and some of her recoveries at the back were very impressive. Started ahead of Bright, and it seemed to have been the right call.
Sandy Baltimore (9/10):
Was solid and smart at the back and was a right nuisance going forward. She linked up well with Thompson down Chelsea's left and was arguably their best player.
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Keira Walsh (7/10):
The former Barcelona ace plugged some gaps in Chelsea's midfield and linked up well with her team-mates.
Wieke Kaptein (7/10):
Was so close to grabbing a brace but a mixture of the Barcelona keeper and some bad luck kept her at bay.
Erin Cuthbert (8/10):
The captain led by example with a typically industrious and committed performance. She also threaded some nice through balls to her team-mates in the final third.
AFPAttack
Ellie Carpenter (7/10):
Scored a quite brilliant goal in the first half but was guilty of being a bit sloppy in possession and some of her passing was errant. Plus, she missed a glorious opportunity late on to win it.
Aggie Beever-Jones (7/10):
Held the ball up well and brought others into play. She is working her way back to fitness but got an assist for Chelsea's goal and did herself proud.
Alyssa Thompson (8/10):
Her pace and trickery kept Barcelona's backline honest, both on the left and right wing. Sometimes she takes a touch too many when there are better options available but she is a big talent.
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Catarina Macario (8/10):
It looked like she scored with her very first touch with a sublime header but VAR ruled it out. Was very impressive off the bench.
Sonia Bompastor (7/10):
After last season's drubbing in this competition, the Frenchwoman's team gave a much better account of themselves, particularly in defence. They also created clearer-cut chances and were well organised.
Tottenham Hotspur face Manchester United this weekend, looking to return to winning ways in the Premier League after losing to Chelsea on home soil last weekend.
The clash against Ruben Amorim’s outfit will likely have an added sprinkle of excitement, given the latest meeting between the two top-flight clubs back in May.
The Lilywhites claimed a sensational 1-0 win over the Red Devils in the Europa League final in Bilbao, subsequently ending their 17-year wait for a piece of silverware.
Other meetings in 2024/25 saw Spurs claim a 4-3 triumph in North London in the Carabao Cup, with the previous encounters highlighting the excellent battles that have unfolded between the sides.
The club are also on a seven-game unbeaten run against the Red Devils across all competitions, with their last defeat in such a contest coming way back in October 2022.
If Thomas Frank is to inflict further pain on the Red Devils, he will likely need to keep one player quiet – with the manager knowing him extremely well, given his previous experience managing him.
How close Spurs came to signing Mbeumo
Bryan Mbeumo is a player who has been able to reach phenomenal levels under the guidance of Frank, with the pair thriving together during their time at Brentford.
The Cameroonian international spent six years under the Dane at the Bees, amassing just shy of 250 appearances in the process – with his best year undoubtedly coming in 2024/25.
The 26-year-old featured 38 times in the Premier League, scoring 20 goals in the process – ending the season as one of just five players to achieve such a feat.
After Frank’s appointment with the Lilywhites, rumours were swirling over a potential move to North London for Mbeumo – understandably so given his previous under the manager.
It was even reported at one stage that an offer was made for the winger’s services, but no deal ever came to fruition, with the forward subsequently joining United instead.
Brentford's Bryan Mbeumo celebrates after the match
Amorim’s side forked out a staggering £71m for Mbeumo’s signature, with the Cameroonian already making an immediate impact during the early stages of his spell at Old Trafford.
The 26-year-old has already netted four Premier League goals this campaign – more than any current Spurs player – showcasing the threat he poses within the final third.
His other tallies, such as 1.4 shots on target and 2.1 chances created per 90, highlight the all-round threat he carries – no doubt providing the biggest threat to the Lilywhites this afternoon.
Frank will no doubt know the talent the attacker possesses, with the manager needing to silence him in North London to allow the club to get back to winning ways in England’s top-flight.
The Spurs star who can silence Mbeumo against United
Since Mbeumo’s move to United in the summer, he’s had to operate in a slightly unconventional number ten position alongside Matheus Cunha at Old Trafford.
It’s evidently not stopped him from starring, as seen by his recent form in the Premier League, with Frank desperately needing to silence him in North London this afternoon.
The central midfield department has been an area brought into question over the last few weeks, with the manager yet to work out his best partnership at the base of the side.
The likes of Rodrigo Bentancur, Pape Sarr and Lucas Bergvall have all occupied such roles, but none have been able to cement a regale starting role with the Lilywhites.
However, if Spurs are to have the best chance of silencing Mbeumo today, Frank should look to recall Joao Palhinha to his starting eleven after being dropped to the bench against Copenhagen on Tuesday.
The Portuguese international joined on a season-long loan from Bayern Munich in the summer transfer window, but such a deal was frowned upon by the supporters at first.
In their hunt for a new number six, many wanted a younger and more progressive option to help add a new dimension to the first-team squad in the 2025/25 campaign.
However, it’s safe to say the 30-year-old has proved many of his doubters wrong, with the loanee now becoming one of the club’s most important players at present.
Palhinha has made the deep-lying midfield spot his own, especially given the eye-catching numbers he’s produced over the last couple of weeks in the Premier League.
The Portuguese international, who’s been dubbed “phenomenal” by one analyst, has already won 44 tackles in his just 10 league outings this campaign – an average of 5.1 per 90 – highlighting the talent he possesses without the ball.
Joao Palhinha’s PL stats at Spurs (2025/26)
Statistics (per 90)
Tally
Games played
10
Goals & assists
3
Pass accuracy
82%
Tackles made
44
Tackles per 90
5.1
Duels won
8.5
Aerials won
1.8
Duel success rate
63%
Interceptions made
1.9
Stats via FotMob
Such numbers would make him the perfect man to silence Mbeumo, with no player making more tackles in England’s top-flight during the current season.
Other figures, such as 8.5 duels won per 90 and 1.8 aerials won per 90, further showcase his dominance out of possession, with such a skillset able to disrupt the Cameroonian’s chances of making a positive impact.
Whilst he’s been brought to North London for his defensive attributes, Palhinha has already impressed in the final third, notching a total of six combined goal contributions across all competitions – two of which came off the bench on Tuesday night.
Progressing the play may not be his strong point at present, but his ability to break up the opposition’s flow is certainly an area which could come in handy against Mbeumo this afternoon.
His ability to get on the scoresheet is just an added bonus, but his main responsibility today must be to prevent Mbeumo from haunting Spurs and former boss Frank in North London.
Should the experienced midfielder manage to do just that, it could be another memorable afternoon for the Lilywhites faithful against the Red Devils – subsequently putting an end to Amorim’s recent unbeaten run at Old Trafford.
Forget Palhinha: Spurs star is fast becoming their best player since Kane
Tottenham Hotspur have hit the jackpot on one player who is becoming as crucial as Harry Kane.
Kian and Michael Blignaut, twins and sons of former Zimbabwe allrounder Andy Blignaut, also feature in the squad
ESPNcricinfo staff09-Dec-2025Simbarashe Mudzengerere has been named the captain of Zimbabwe’s 15-member squad for the men’s Under-19 World Cup, which takes place from January 15 to February 6.Mudzengerere, a right-hand batter and medium pacer, has captained the Under-19 national side since making his debut for them against Ireland, in Harare, on April 10 this year. He bowled a tidy spell of 1 for 28, before returning to make 37 from the middle order in a successful chase.Their squad also features Kian and Michael Blignaut, who are twins and the sons of former Zimbabwe allrounder Andy Blignaut.The U-19 coach, Elton Chigumbura, said: “We are going in with a winning mindset. This group can compete with, and beat, the best teams. Success will come from executing our processes, staying disciplined and sticking to our roles. If we do that consistently, we give ourselves a real chance to go all the way.”Zimbabwe are co-hosts of the tournament, alongside Namibia. Harare Sports Club and Takashinga Cricket Club in Bulwayo, and the Queens Sports Club in Harare, will be hosting matches played in the country. On the pressures of playing at familiar venues, Chigumbura said: “Playing at home is an advantage – we understand the conditions and we will have great support behind us.”The tournament features four groups, consisting of four teams each, with each side facing the three others as part of their group stage fixtures. Zimbabwe have been placed in Group C: they will be playing Scotland on 15 January, England on 18 January, and Pakistan on 22 January. After a Super Sixes stage, the top four teams then face off in the semi-finals on February 3 and 4, before the winners play in the final at Harare on February 6.Zimbabwe begin their preparation with warm-up matches against United States of America on January 10, followed by New Zealand at Masvingo Sports Club on January 12.Zimbabwe squad for U-19 World CupSimbarashe Mudzengerere (c), Kian Blignaut, Michael Blignaut, Leeroy Chiwaula, Tatenda Chimugoro, Brendon Senzere, Nathaniel Hlabangana, Takudzwa Makoni, Panashe Mazai, Webster Madhidhi, Shelton Mazvitorera, Kupakwashe Muradzi, Brandon Ndiweni, Dhruv Patel, Benny Zuze