Category Uncategorized

Hosts sneak home despite efforts of young spinners Lenham and Foreman

ECB Reporters Network02-Aug-2024Glamorgan kept their perfect record in this year’s Metro Bank One Cup in tact thanks to a remarkable one-wicket win over Sussex Sharks at the Gnoll in Neath.Sussex had reached a total of 200 all out thanks to a brilliant eighth-wicket stand between Archie Lenham and Bertie Foreman and the two youngsters were also remarkable in tandem with the ball as Sussex came so close to claiming a thrilling win.Glamorgan’s chase had started brightly but a top-order collapse brought Sussex back into it. Eddie Byrom made the highest score of the match with his 51 and Billy Root made 48 batting with the tail. But it was the last-wicket pair of Andy Gorvin and Jamie McIlroy who took them home.Glamorgan now sit at the top of Group B with four wins out of four and Sussex remain winless in this year’s tournament having lost by one wicket for the second time this season.As was the case with Wednesday’s match on this ground against Notts Outlaws, Glamorgan won the toss and chose to bowl. And once again the Glamorgan seamers were on top from the very start of the match. It took 23 balls for Sussex to score their first runs as Timm van der Gugten and McIlroy got appreciable movement with the new ball.Van der Gugten has been extremely miserly in this competition so far, with 11 of his 37 overs being maidens. He made the first breakthrough when he had Tom Clark caught behind for 14. That wicket brought together Tom Haines and Henry Rogers, who put on 59, the highest stand of the Sussex innings.Haines fell for 44 off the bowling of Dan Douthwaite and that began a collapse that saw Sussex lose five wickets for 15 runs. It was Douthwaite and van der Gugten who were the chief destroyers as they claimed seven Sussex wickets between them. Douthwaite’s return of 4 for 44 was the second best in his List A career.When Daniel Ibrahim was caught at slip off a ball from Ben Kellaway that the ambidextrous spinner sent down with his left arm Sussex had stumbled to 130 for 7.The partnership of 51 between Lenham and Foreman brought some respectability to the total before another cluster of wickets saw Sussex bowled out for 200.The Glamorgan innings started brightly, and they made steady progress towards their target with the first 10 overs bringing 65 runs for no loss. Byrom, who made a career best 123 not out on this ground on Wednesday, raced past 50 from just 41 balls as he looked to attack an inexperienced Sussex attack.It looked as if Glamorgan would be heading towards a straightforward win and with drizzle in the air they were a long way ahead of the DLS score.As was the case in Sussex innings, a flurry of wickets changed things. Glamorgan lost five wickets for 42 runs with Ibrahim bowling Tom Bevan and Kiran Carlson from consecutive balls the moment when this contest became very interesting.Billy Root took on the responsibility of holding things together for Glamorgan in the face of some excellent spin bowling from Lenham and Foreman. The pair combined for 20 overs that went for 60 runs and claimed four wickets and they were the ones who kept the pressure on throughout this Glamorgan innings.When Root fell for 48 the match was on a knife edge and it took a nervy last wicket stand between McIlroy and Gorvin for Glamorgan to sneak over the line.

Glasgow Rangers have had their takeover officially confirmed, with Andrew Cavenagh and 49ers Enterprises taking a 51% stake, and the investment group have put £20m in to begin with.

New sporting director Kevin Thelwell has also officially started his job at Ibrox, having joined from Everton, and he will assist with finding the club’s next head coach to replace Barry Ferguson after his interim spell came to an end.

Despite there still not being any official word on who the next manager is going to be, work will be going on in the background to identify targets to bolster the squad.

The summer transfer window opened for business on Sunday and the Light Blues will be looking at players who have the potential to improve the team ahead of next season.

49ers eyeing first Rangers signing

Cyriel Dessers ended the 2024/25 campaign with a return of six goals in his last five matches in the Scottish Premiership, yet his goal burst did not stop him from underperforming against his xG.

The Nigeria international scored 18 goals from 19.73 xG in the Premiership and three goals from 5.3 xG in the Europa League, which shows that he consistently underperformed over the course of the season.

This may be why, according to the print edition of the Daily Mail (2 June, page 69), as relayed by IbroxNews, the 49ers are interested in a deal to sign Jamie Vardy this summer.

The report claims that the Gers are one of a number of clubs to have expressed an interest in signing the former England international on a free transfer, after he confirmed his exit from Leicester City.

Transfer Focus

It remains to be seen, however, whether or not the Foxes legend would be willing to make the move up north to Ibrox to have a crack at Scottish football.

If the 49ers can make Vardy the first signing of the new era in Glasgow, though, then the next Rangers manager could have an upgrade on Dessers on their hands.

Why Jamie Vardy would be an upgrade on Cyriel Dessers

The Leicester icon, who was described as a “living legend” by manager Ruud Van Nistelrooy, may appear to be at the wrong end of his career, at the age of 38, but the striker still plundered nine Premier League goals this season.

Vardy ended his Leicester career with 200 goals in 500 matches, including 145 in 342 games in the Premier League, which shows that he has been prolific throughout his time in England.

The experienced marksman scored 145 goals from 142.02 xG in the top-flight, illustrating how clinical he is in front of goal, whilst finishing chances efficiently has clearly been a problem for Dessers with his xG underperformance.

Appearances

35

xG

17.07

Goals

18

Minutes per goal

99

Big chances missed

16

Assists

2

As you can see in the table above, Vardy played for a Leicester team chasing the title in the 2023/24 Championship season and led them to the trophy with 18 goals from 17.07 xG.

This suggests that, despite his age, the prolific attacker is still at the top of his game as a finisher and has the potential to be a lethal forward option for Rangers in the Scottish Premiership next season.

Vardy also offers a physical presence in the centre-forward position, having won 48% of his ground duels and 48% of his aerial duels in the Premier League this season. Whereas, Dessers only won 34% of his ground battles and 31% of his aerial contests in the Premiership.

This shows that the English star would provide the team with a better outlet in the number nine position, as he is better than the Nigerian lightweight when it comes to duelling with opposition centre-backs.

Rangers eye manager who Arne Slot said creates top build-up and pressure

Is he the perfect man for the job?

ByHenry Jackson Jun 2, 2025

Therefore,

The age of the home side is a major talking point but they remain formidable while England have come full of strokemakers and genuine pace

Andrew Miller and Andrew McGlashan07-Nov-20257:23

Will Joe Root finally score his first hundred in Australia?

Top order

Australia Usman Khawaja, Jake Weatherald, Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green

England Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Jacob BethellTheir displays in the New Zealand ODIs may beg to differ, but England’s batters arrive in Australia with a rare clarity of purpose, thanks to three years of constant backing from the selectors and an overarching licence to be proactive. In Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett, they boast Test cricket’s standout opening partnership since 2019, and if doubts persist about Crawley’s overall returns, then Australians will need little reminding of his 189 at Old Trafford in the 2023 series. How the diminutive Duckett tailors his game to Australia’s bouncier surfaces could be one of the subplots of the series.Related

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England’s obvious issue is the identity of their No. 3 batter, although the debate may prove to be a red herring. Ollie Pope tends to start series very well, and in averaging a notch below 39 since 2022, he is a long way from being a lame duck at first-drop. His removal from the vice-captaincy will make a switch to Jacob Bethell easier if England so choose, but it seems unlikely they will take that option just yet.Their opponents, by contrast, still don’t know which order they will be lining up in, even if the personnel for Perth are now in place. Jake Weatherald’s impending debut could enable Marnus Labuschagne to slot back into his favoured No. 3 berth, but while his Sheffield Shield form is a significant boost, Usman Khawaja’s struggle for meaningful runs remains a worry as he enters what could be the final stretch of his international career. To highlight Australia’s recent uncertainties at the top, if Weatherald debuts, he will be Khawaja’s sixth opening partner since David Warner retired.It could yet be that Cameron Green retains the No. 3 position if he doesn’t play as a full allrounder. He adapted impressively in the Caribbean, but England won’t mind seeing him there.Who comes out on top? England, if the pitches are flat; Australia, if hanging tough is required

Middle order

Australia Steven Smith, Travis Head
England Joe Root, Harry BrookHere lies the engine room, not just of the respective teams, but arguably the series itself. A pair of all-time great batters on either side, in Steven Smith and Joe Root, and two other brilliant contemporary performers in Harry Brook and Travis Head, with a string of match-seizing displays in their repertoire.A big Ashes ahead for Steven Smith?•AFP/Getty ImagesAll eyes are on Root going into this campaign. As the current No.1-ranked batter in the world, he could not ask for better circumstances as he seeks that elusive maiden hundred in Australia – the only significant void in his immense repertoire. His counterpart, by contrast, has 18 already on home soil and, as he showed in racking up two more hundreds in an overall off-colour series against India last summer, Smith’s muscle memory is liable to kick in at any given moment.Brook, currently No. 2 on the rankings, showcased some startling strokeplay in the New Zealand ODIs last week, and as vice-captain, he has an added layer of responsibility going into a seminal series. But his record in Australia is undeniably limited – at international level he’s made just 69 runs at 9.85 in the country, all during England’s T20 World Cup win in 2022, while his solitary BBL campaign for Hobart Hurricanes realised 44 runs at 6.28. It’s unlikely to remain that fallow for long, but it’s a reminder of the magnitude of the Ashes stage.Head, meanwhile, has eight of his nine Test hundreds on home soil, and plays with a freedom that will take England’s own game back to them if he is allowed to get on a roll. Stokes kept him relatively quiet in 2023 with a persistent short-ball ploy, and while he certainly has the pace at his disposal to do so again, it’s a draining method to deploy across five Tests. Smith, for his part, declared he was “ready” before he had had a proper hit back with New South Wales.Who comes out on top? Australia, purely through weight of prior experience

Allrounders

Australia Cameron Green, Beau Webster
England Ben Stokes, Will JacksThis category might as well be Ben Stokes versus himself, given the inordinate importance of England’s captain to… well, every aspect of his team’s challenge. Four years ago, he rushed back to action before he was mentally or physically ready; four years before that, he was the spectre at Australia’s feast as England were devoured in his post-Bristol absence. Now, he’s back as their strategic kingpin, a full 12 years after he alone emerged with a reputation enhanced from the 2013-14 whitewash.Ben Stokes could be the key to it all for England•Martin Rickett/PA Photos/Getty ImagesIt hardly needs mentioning what “the Headingley heartbreaker”, as one Aussie paper described him last week, can achieve with bat in hand. But his break-glass-in-emergency bowling could yet be the crucial aspect of his performances. He’d scarcely featured as an allrounder for two years until his 15-wicket display against India last summer but, between his knack for partnership-breaking and his willingness to take on the old-ball donkeywork, he could prove vital in keeping his quicks fresh and firing.Green, who could slip back to No. 6, has yet to sprinkle the stardust in quite the same way as Stokes, but he still shapes as a pivotal cricketer for Australia over the next ten years. At full fitness, he is, like Stokes, a genuine pace-bowling option and as a batter could easily be the long-term No. 4 when Smith is done. He struggled with the turnaround from IPL to Test cricket in 2023, eventually being dropped for the final Test, and given he’s a rhythm player, his lack of recent cricket could be a telling factor.Beau Webster, meanwhile, has done little wrong in the allrounder role since debuting against India, although England probably won’t lose sleep over him. If Green is fully fit to bowl, he shapes as the fall guy.Who comes out on top? England, if Stokes doesn’t break himself in the process

Wicketkeeper

Australia Alex Carey, Josh Inglis
England Jamie SmithJamie Smith travels to Australia as one of England’s great white hopes. A batter of proven power and untapped potential who ought to thrive on bouncy surfaces. His counterattacking methods and calmness when batting with the tail make him an ideal No.7 in… whisper it… the mould of Adam Gilchrist. Much like Brook, however, the theory has not yet met the reality of Australia’s cauldron-like venues.Jamie Smith could be a game-changer in the middle order•Getty ImagesIn Alex Carey, Australia now have a tried and tested international career. Four years on from his hasty debut, he has become a fulcrum of the side. Events at Lord’s in 2023 will, no doubt, get a few airings during this series and for a time after that, he did struggle. But over the last 18 months, he has been outstanding with an average of 41.89 along with some excellent glovework, until a few drops in the West Indies earlier this year.Who comes out on top? A tight one to call. Experience vs youth. If the series becomes relatively low-scoring, it could be a defining head-to-head.

Fast bowlers

Australia Sean Abbott, Scott Boland, Brendan Doggett, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc
England Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Matthew PottsHere’s where things get interesting. Pat Cummins’ absence – at least for the first Test – is perhaps the first indication of mortality in an awesome Australia seam attack that has ruled the roost for a decade. Josh Hazlewood, who has bowled magnificently in early-season white-ball matches and is five away from 300 Test wickets, and Mitchell Starc remain formidable performers, while Scott Boland has his 6 for 7 in the 2021-22 Ashes as proof of his credentials.Mitchell Starc is a great of the game but will age finally weary him?•Randy Brooks/Associated PressBut age is not on their side, and given England’s determination to go after their opponents – Boland has already been earmarked as a target in some quarters, which promises a fascinating duel – it seems inevitable that one of the lesser lights in Australia’s seam ranks will be pitched onto centre stage at some key moment, although it may yet be Cummins himself who plays the super sub role.England have their own concerns, of course. Mark Wood is edging back to operational fitness for what will surely be his own last hurrah, while the excitement surrounding Jofra Archer’s miraculous return to all-formats action should be tempered by the four years of frailty that preceded it. If either suffers a setback mid-match, it would be a disaster.And yet, for the first time since 2010-11, England are primed to hit Australia with a battery of 90mph/145kph quicks, all of whom can expect to make an impact no matter how spicy (or otherwise) the Australia pitches turn out to be. They might conceivably miss the old-school skills of James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes, but their recent record down under suggests otherwise.Who comes out on top? This is nip and tuck, even in Cummins’ absence. It could come down to further injuries. England need Wood and Archer to stay fit.

Spinners

Australia Nathan Lyon
England Shoaib BashirProven GOAT-tier offspin on the one hand; high-ceiling-ed optimism on the other. On paper, there’s hardly a contest in this department, as Nathan Lyon lays his 562 Test wickets on the table against Shoaib Bashir’s 20 months of on-the-job training. Who knows if Bashir will even feature in the series’ early exchanges – Perth, then a pink-ball Test, might encourage an extra seam option, or even the part-time spin of Will Jacks to enable extra batting depth. But when he does, we shall see whether England’s defiantly biomechanical selection policy stands up to its acid test.England have invested a lot in Shoaib Bashir•PA Images/GettyThe logic has long been that Bashir has the ability to drive his offbreaks into the pitch from a high release point and provide a wicket-taking threat that others, notably Jack Leach, would have lacked in Australian conditions. He’ll be backed up, too, by Stokes’ unfailingly positive captaincy – a few swings for the fences won’t deter England’s captain from persisting in his quest for breakthroughs. Nevertheless, of all the aspects of England’s battle plan, this one feels the most fraught with danger. Not least because of the thrum of inevitable quality twirling down from Australia’s side.One thing is certain, though, and it’s that England won’t let Lyon settle. That was clear in 2023 before Lyon’s series-ending injury, which highlighted how vital he remains to the balance of their side, although the role he plays could be determined by conditions.Who comes out on top? Australia. Surely.

England are amused by the reaction to Robinson’s comments but they will want a big performance at Lord’s

Vithushan Ehantharajah26-Jun-2023Ollie Robinson only took up bowling pace at the age of 16. Despite being a promising offspinner, taking a hat-trick aged five for Thanet Districts Under-10s, it didn’t scratch his competitive itch. Fingerspin lacked the aggression he craved. As he explained a couple of years ago, “You can’t bowl bouncers, can you?”On an England Lions tour of Australia in 2019-20, as the squad made their way to the team bus following a training session at Hobart, they passed Australia’s Test captain Tim Paine having a net. Most walked by without acknowledgement, but Robinson decided to have a few words, and none of them were particularly complimentary.During the Test series away to India at the start of 2021, Robinson – a few months out from his debut in the home summer – had a handful of stints as the designated 12th man. On one occasion, having run drinks out to England’s batters, he decided to engage Virat Kohli, who had not been short of chat himself. It is an unwise move to butt heads with Kohli at the best of times, but doing so in a bib when you’re not even playing feels particularly foolish. Robinson thought otherwise.Related

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As you can tell, Ollie Robinson has always wanted the smoke. Whether switching up his bowling or going out of his way to seek it with various heads of state before he had even reached their level, something about the gnarl between bowler and batter calls to him. Drives him. Guides him. And if you did not know that before, you certainly do now.Since the culmination of the first Ashes Test, former Australia cricketers have been lining up – more or less in batting order – to take swings at Robinson. Michael Clarke is the latest, urging the seamer to “shoosh” and suggesting he’d be playing club cricket if England did not have so many injuries among their quicks. It was a variation of Matthew Hayden’s comments a few days earlier, which he concluded by labelling Robinson “a forgettable cricketer”, after his old opening partner Justin Langer used his column in the to warn the 29-year-old he was in danger of being “ripped apart” if he continued his antagonistic ways.Robinson is Australia’s new public enemy number one. A tag he has assumed in typically Bazball fashion – going harder with every new media engagement.”Maybe he sees it as a compliment,” joked England vice-captain Ollie Pope at Lord’s on Monday. “He gets in the battle and sometimes, in a big series like this, emotions take over while you are on the pitch. But he’s a top guy.”It’s worth a quick refresher on how we got to this point. To work backwards – the Wisden column on Australia’s unwillingness to go toe-to-toe with England (despite winning the match); the mid-match press conference calling out Ricky Ponting’s on-field behaviour as a player; the sweary send-off to Usman Khawaja, which led to those questions about Robinson’s conduct, dismissed as nothing more than Ashes fervor by the man himself.

“Australia’s focus remains narrow, while Robinson’s cross-platform content continues a theme from the lead-up to this series: England have done most of the talking”

We could go back even further. Back in March, he set the content machine in motion when stating he wanted to give Australia “a good hiding”. The beauty of that soundbite was the setting: at half-time of Brighton against Crystal Palace at the Amex Stadium. Robinson was in attendance in a social capacity and bumped into sports reporter Adrian Harms, who also covers Sussex (Robinson’s county). Asked for a quick chat with BBC Radio Sussex about the summer ahead, Robinson was happy to oblige more out of courtesy than contractual obligation before firing the first shot.Behind closed doors, England are broadly amused by the scale of reaction towards Robinson. His belligerence has long been regarded as a strength – by no means a unique trait in professional sport. And there is admiration by how unfazed he seems that some of the game’s modern greats are gunning for him.Those who played against him in the County Championship have first-hand experience of his confrontational nature with ball in hand. Earlier this season, he told one Division Two batter exactly what was going to happen in his first spell of the match: “I’m going to get you out, and you’re going to put the picture on your Instagram feed.” He was right – about the first part, at least.There’s also the time in the Covid-19 bubble at the Ageas Bowl in the 2020 summer when, during a game of darts, Robinson made a comment to James Anderson that sent those within earshot into silence. That was broken by laughter from Anderson. Moments later, Phil Scott, England’s strength and conditioning coach, told Robinson: “I think he likes you. He likes the fact you took the piss out of him.””Which of us is public enemy No.1 in Australia now?” Ollie Robinson and Stuart Broad walk to the nets at Lord’s•Getty ImagesWhat similarity there is with the various perceived missteps this last week only go so far. Anderson took the comment with good grace because, even then, he knew Robinson was a highly skilled seamer with enough about him to succeed at Test level. And while Hayden’s mention of Robinson’s “nude nuts” has added to the game’s lexicon – essentially, deliveries with nothing on them – it is not really accurate. His 71 Test dismissals have come at an average of 21.15 across 17 caps, nine of which have come away from home. And though the 2021-22 tour of Australia ended with Robinson publicly admonished for a lack of fitness – and that notorious spell of offspin in Adelaide with sunnies on – he still finished with 11 wickets at 25.54.It’s worth noting Australia’s current pros are not all that bothered. When you’re 1-0 up, you can afford to let these kinds of things slide. Indeed Mitchell Starc was the closest we have got to a retort when asked in his press conference if Robinson had set off the starter pistol for a mouthier Ashes than anticipated. “Is that how I play my cricket?” Starc responded. “Probably not. He can talk all he likes.”Australia’s focus remains narrow, and you could argue Robinson’s cross-platform content, supplemented by – but not limited to – Zak Crawley’s prediction of a 150-run win in the second Test this week, continues a theme from the lead-up to this series. England have done most of the talking.That the second act in an already gripping production is to take place at Lord’s adds a little more on Robinson. Two years ago, he debuted against New Zealand – a day which started with pride and ended with addressing offensive social media posts made between 2012 and 2013. He understands those tweets, and the conclusions they elicit of him as a person, will never really go away. His indulgence in this phoney Ashes war has seen that resurface.Maybe that’s why he has no qualms about speaking his mind when staying quiet may be a bit easier. Returning from such a low ebb to become a de facto leader of this attack – despite Clarke’s intimation – has no doubt thickened his skin and strengthened his resolve.Given the nature of a game as humbling as this, the question to ask is whether Robinson’s mouth is writing cheques he can’t cash. He seemingly does not think so. But there is no doubt he is stepping into this week with the most significant target he has happily donned on his back. In his most high-profile series to date, England need their biggest performance from him if they are to overturn a 1-0 scoreline.The smoke is only getting denser. We are about to find out just how much Robinson wants it.

And how many teams have won a T20 despite four or more of their batters bagging ducks?

Steven Lynch26-Oct-2021If you multiply the number of runs Ian Botham scored in the Golden Jubilee Test in Bombay in 1979-80 (114) by the number of wickets he took (13) you get 1482. He almost beat it at Headingley in 1981 with 1393 (199×7). Does anyone surpass this in a Test? asked Vin de Silva from the United States

That’s a nice, simple way of looking at the all-round contribution to a Test. By this calculation Ian Botham’s performance in that special Test in Bombay (now Mumbai) in 1979-80 comes in fifth, level with Garry Sobers (247 runs and six wickets) for West Indies vs England in Georgetown in 1967-68.Above them come South Africa’s Aubrey Faulkner with 1608 (201×8) against England in Johannesburg in 1909-10, George Giffen of Australia with 1616 (202×8) against England in Sydney in 1894-95, and West Indies’ Denis Atkinson with 1673 (239×7) against Australia in Bridgetown in 1954-55. But out on top is England’s Bill Edrich with 1704 (213×8) against South Africa at Old Trafford in 1947. Edrich scored 191 plus 22 not out and, after opening the bowling, took 4 for 95 and 4 for 77.There have been seven further instances of more than 1300 in a Test, including Mushtaq Mohammad twice and Botham and Sobers once more each. The others are Shakib Al Hasan, Jacques Kallis and Alan Davidson.So they didn’t feel left out, we did a similar calculation for wicketkeepers. Two South Africans lead the way here. Denis Lindsay is way out in front with 2008 (251 runs and eight dismissals) against Australia in Johannesburg in 1966-67, when he scored 69 and 182 and took eight catches in the match. In second place is AB de Villiers, with 1474 (134×11) against Pakistan in Jo’burg in 2012-13. Next come Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara (1464 against Pakistan in Lahore in 2001-02), Budhi Kunderan of India (1380 against England in Madras in 1963-64) and England’s Jonny Bairstow (1260 against Sri Lanka at Headingley in 2016). There have been eight other instances of a keeper registering more than 1000, with Quinton de Kock responsible for three of those and BJ Watling two.The IPL elimination final was won by Kolkata Knight Riders despite four of their batters bagging ducks. Has any other team done this in the IPL? asked Michael McKenzie from Ireland

Kolkata Knight Riders won that eliminator against Delhi Capitals in Sharjah – and qualified for the IPL final – despite a stunning collapse from 123 for 1 to 130 for 7, with Nos. 5-8 in the order (Dinesh Karthik, Eoin Morgan, Shakib Al Hasan and Sunil Narine) all being out for ducks. It was only the second such occurrence in the IPL. In Mumbai in 2012, MI defeated Chennai Super Kings even though Ambati Rayudu, Robin Peterson, Harbhajan Singh and Lasith Malinga were all out for 0 as they almost made a mess of chasing 174 after being 147 for 2 in the 17th over.In men’s T20Is, Zimbabwe (105) beat West Indies (79 for 7) in Port-of-Spain in 2009-10, despite no fewer than six of their batters being out for 0. Two West Indians also bagged ducks: the total of eight was a record for any T20I until August 2019, when there were nine in the match between the Czech Republic (one duck) and Turkey (eight) in Ilfov County in Romania.There have also been two women’s T20Is which contained nine ducks. Mali suffered all nine in their first such match, when they were bowled out for six by Rwanda in Kigali in June 2019, and Maldives did likewise when flattened for eight (nine ducks, a single run off the bat and seven extras) by Nepal in Pokhara six months later.Who are the youngest and oldest men to score a triple-century in a Test? asked Mark Modrington from Australia

The youngest Test triple-centurion remains Garry Sobers, who was seven months past his 21st birthday when he made 365 not out for West Indies against Pakistan in Kingston in 1957-58. He was about three months younger than the only other 21-year-old Test triple-centurion, Don Bradman, in his 334 for Australia against England at Headingley in 1930. England’s Len Hutton was 22 when he amassed 364 against Australia at The Oval in 1938, and Hanif Mohammad 23 for his 337 for Pakistan vs West Indies in Bridgetown in 1957-58.The oldest man to get there was England’s Andy Sandham, who was 39 when he made 325 – the first Test triple-century – against West Indies in Kingston in 1929-30 (he added 50 in the second innings of what turned out to be his final Test). Graham Gooch had just turned 37 when he hit 333 for England against India at Lord’s in 1990, while Kumar Sangakkara was a year younger when he made 319 against Bangladesh in Chattogram in 2013-14. Both Gooch and Sangakkara added another century in the second innings for good measure.Andy Sandham was 39 when he made his triple-century against West Indies•Getty ImagesWho or what is the “Sardar of Spin”? asked Mehmet Ali from the United States

This is a nickname often bestowed on the former Indian captain Bishan Bedi, who took 266 wickets with his mesmerising left-arm spin between 1966-67 and 1979. Originally used for important Sikh leaders, “sardar” is still widely used by Sikhs to denote a respected man, in India or elsewhere. A book of tributes to Bedi was published recently to mark his 75th birthday, entitled The Sardar of Spin.Which post-war county seamer took ten wickets in an innings when he was 35, and made his Test debut for England shortly afterwards? asked Andrew Sponder from England

This late developer was the Sussex opening bowler Ian Thomson. He turned 35 early in 1964, then in May took 10 for 49 against Warwickshire in Worthing. It was a sporting pitch, and although Thomson took five more in the second innings (finishing with match figures of 15 for 75), Sussex nonetheless lost after being skittled for 23 in their second innings.England were touring South Africa that winter, and Thomson was a late addition to the touring party after Yorkshire’s Tony Nicholson (another uncapped seamer) withdrew with an injury. Thomson played all five Tests on that trip, during which he celebrated his 36th birthday. He died in 2021, aged 92: he was England’s oldest player at the time, a distinction that passed to his county colleague Jim Parks.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

Harshit Rana has been pulled up and has had a demerit point added to his disciplinary record for his gesture at Dewald Brevis after dismissing the batter, which was a breach of the ICC’s code of conduct, in the first India vs South Africa ODI in Ranchi on Sunday.In a statement on Wednesday, the day of the second ODI, ICC said Rana’s gesture “breached Article 2.5” of the code, which relates to “using language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batter”. It was Rana’s first offence in a 24-month period.A level 1 breach such as this carries a minimum penalty of an official reprimand, a maximum penalty of 50% of a player’s match fee, and one or two demerit points.Related

• Harshit takes the first step in fast bowlers' race for 2027 WC

The incident took place in the 22nd over of South Africa’s chase of India’s 349, when Rana dismissed Brevis caught at deep point by Ruturaj Gaikwad and pointed in the direction of the dressing room.Brevis fell at a crucial juncture in the game when South Africa were 130 in the 22nd over and he was in a strong-looking partnership with Matthew Breetzke, who was South Africa’s top-scorer with 72. Rana had earlier sent back Ryan Rickelton and Quinton de Kock and finished with 3 for 65. Virat Kohli had earlier scored 135 in 120 balls – a record 52nd ODI century for him – to headline India’s batting effort after South Africa had won the toss and inserted them.Rana admitted to the offence after the charge was levelled by on-field umpires Jayaraman Madanagopal and Sam Nogajski, third umpire Rod Tucker and fourth umpire Rohan Pandit.

Athapaththu took three wickets and there was one run-out in the 50th over as Bangladesh lost five wickets in their last nine balls

Madushka Balasuriya20-Oct-2025

Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images

A tournament lacking in genuine tight finishes has now produced two in two days, as Bangladesh and Sri Lanka played out a low-scoring thriller in Navi Mumbai. But in truth this game should have never got to that stage, as Bangladesh nursed their chase of 203 only to stumble at the last and fall to a seven-run defeat. The result means, Bangladesh are eliminated from semi-final contention, while Sri Lanka live to fight another day.This was a chase that Sri Lanka were behind for around 48 overs, but in a tantalising final dash they picked up five wickets and gave away two runs off the final nine deliveries, as Bangladesh were unable to close out a game that they had controlled for large parts.Madara pulled up

Sri Lanka’s Malki Madara has been reprimanded for breaching Level 1 of the ICC’s code of conduct during the match against Bangladesh on Monday. Madara was found to have breached Article 2.5 of the code, which relates to “using language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batter upon his/her dismissal during an international match.”
The incident in question took place in the 11th over of Bangladesh’s innings when Madara, after dismissing Fargana Hoque, celebrated “excessively in close proximity to the batter”.
In addition, one demerit point has been added to Madara’s disciplinary record – it was her first offence in a 24-month period.

The final scorecard will read that Chamari Athapaththu picked up figures of 4 for 42, but three of those came in a game-stealing final over, where Bangladesh lost four wickets off the first four deliveries – a run-out in the middle ensuring it wasn’t an Athapaththu hat-trick.Up until then Nigar Sultana had anchored the chase, if not expertly then at least safely. Her 77 off 98 came mostly as part of two major partnerships – the first 82 off 120 with Sharmin Akhter and the second 50 off 58 with Shorna Akter – during which Sri Lanka were like passengers aboard a rudderless ship, just merely on for the ride.To stick with the analogy, this was not a ship moving particularly swiftly. With a pretty chaseable target of 203 on the board, Bangladesh were guilty of being overly cautious – perhaps bearing in mind their poor batting efforts earlier in the tournament – as they inched along.On a pitch, not offering much for the many spinners they picked, Sri Lanka were resigned to simply keeping things tight, unable to really impose themselves on the game with the ball until the dying moments when everything seemed to happen all at once.Hasini Perera scored her first ODI half-century•Getty ImagesEarlier however, it was Sri Lanka who had been slowed to a crawl, after a stunning mid-innings collapse had halted them. Hasini Perera struck a maiden international fifty in her 143rd match, a shining light (85 off 99) in and otherwise disjointed batting effort and was one of only three batters – Athapaththu (46) and Nilakshika Silva (37) the other two – to reach double-digits.Both Athapaththu and Hasini brought up milestones – 4000 and 1000 ODI runs, respectively – during their knock as well, while Hasini was eventually named Player of the Match.Shorna once more proved decisive – despite only being introduced at the halfway point of the innings – as she picked up figures of 3 for 27, including the crucial wickets of both Hasini and Nilakshika. The rest of the wickets were spread out, with only Ritu Moni going wicketless.Bangladesh were sloppy in the field, missing several chances, including run-outs and stumpings, but they were also spot on with their reviews. Despite this, Sri Lanka had at several points been on the up – in control, even. There was the 72-run stand between Athapaththu and Hasini after the fall of that first wicket, which had Sri Lanka romping along at nearly run-a-ball.Related

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Scenarios – Four teams fight for one spot

On a wicket with few demons, Athapaththu’s 46 off 43 included six fours and two sixes. For the most part she looked unfazed by what Bangladesh threw at her so when she was trapped lbw by one that snuck past her forward defence, it was against the run of play.After this point Sri Lanka were both unfortunate and architects of their own demise. A fledgling partnership of 15 between Harshitha Samarawickrama and Hasini was brought to an end after the former called for a non-existent second run and found herself a metre short.If that was self-inflicted, the next wicket was pure unadulterated bad luck. Kavisha Dilhari chopped an attempted cut into the ground, as the ball promptly bounced past the stumps, struck keeper Sultana, and bobbled on to the stumps. Bangladesh went about their business after this, the fielders even getting back into their positions, but the third umpire was alert and used the Smart Replay system in effect at this tournament to inform the on-field umpires of a possible stumping.And as it turned out, Dilhari’s back foot had momentarily lifted off the ground as she searched for balance. It was in that moment the bails had lit up – a fitting tribute to the Diwali celebrations around the stadium.As Bangladesh celebrated wildly, Sri Lanka had suddenly stumbled from 72 for 1 to 100 for 4, a worrying blip with them being a batter light after replacing allrounder Piumi Wathsala with seamer Udeshika Prabodani. Thankfully for the Lankans, in Hasini and Nilakshika they had the exact counterattacking pair the occasion called for.Shorna Akter ran through Sri Lanka’s middle order•ICC/Getty ImagesTogether they strung a 74-run stand off just 75 deliveries. It was a period in which batting seemed the easiest, with both players finding boundaries with regularity. If there was one criticism – and this would be one across Sri Lanka’s innings – it would be their lack of strike rotation.Despite the pair hitting nine boundaries (including three sixes) across their partnership lasting a shade over 12 overs, they were unable to usher in a run rate above six an over. This was a problem that would plague Bangladesh’s innings as well, later on.Perhaps it was their awareness of the lack of batting to follow that kept them in check, but it was unusual to see so many tossed up deliveries of spin dead-batted away. As it transpired, Nilakshika’s innings came to an end prematurely, as she shanked an on-side heave off Shorna to short third.This wicket proved to be a catalyst for Sri Lanka’s most devastating collapse, losing their next three wickets for just eight runs – Shorna getting two of them.From then on, Sri Lanka’s innings slowed to a trickle as they sought to bat time, before eventually being bowled out with eight deliveries remaining. Their final 103 balls saw 28 runs scored and six wickets fall, a feat somehow surpassed by Bangladesh.

A shocking stat has suggested that Chelsea have no chance of beating Arsenal in the Premier League title showdown. The Blues arrive at the Emirates on Sunday with an opportunity to cut Arsenal’s lead at the Premier League summit, but history and numbers paint a grim picture for Enzo Maresca’s resurgent side, who have only beaten their rivals once in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge in the last seven years.

• A high-stakes London derby framed by bleak statistics

  The Blues have climbed into second place after stitching together three consecutive league wins, yet they remain six points behind a near-faultless Arsenal team who have dropped points only twice all season. Mikel Arteta’s side have recorded 14 victories and two draws in their last 16 matches, a run of form that would intimidate anyone, let alone a Chelsea team seeking only their second win over Arsenal in seven years at Stamford Bridge. However, one headline stat is damning as Chelsea have won just one of their last 11 Premier League meetings with Arsenal. For a fixture that once swung like a pendulum, the balance has tipped dramatically in one direction and refuses to budge back.

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  The derby dominance that should terrify Chelsea

  Arsenal’s record in London derbies under Arteta has reached staggering levels. Since the beginning of the 2022-23 campaign, they have lost only three derbies in the league, and just one away from home, at Fulham nearly two years ago. They have swept all four derby fixtures this season, including last weekend’s dismantling of Tottenham. This will be the fifth time Arsenal have faced Chelsea while sitting top of the table. The Gunners won the previous four in 2003, 2004, 2007 and most recently in the 5-0 demolition at Stamford Bridge in April 2024. Hence, the trend is unmistakable. Chelsea once made the Bridge a nightmare for Arsenal, beating them six times in seven visits between 2013 and 2018. But Marcos Alonso’s winner in 2018 marks the last time the Blues claimed three points at home against their London rivals. Since then, Arsenal have built a remarkable unbeaten run of six league games at Stamford Bridge, three wins and three draws. For a side looking to mount a title challenge, Chelsea must shatter a curse that has hardened over nearly a decade.

• Arteta praises Chelsea, but refuses to declare them contenders

  Arteta suffered his first defeat as Arsenal manager against Chelsea in December 2019, just days into the job. Since then, he has turned the London rivalry on its head. He has won seven of the last 11 meetings, boasting a 58.3 per cent win rate that stands behind only Pep Guardiola and Kenny Dalglish among managers who have faced Chelsea at least ten times.

  Asked whether Chelsea deserve to be considered genuine title rivals, Arteta chose diplomacy over provocation.

  The Spanish manager said: "I think we are all there, and they are there because they fully deserve what they have done in the last few years. I think the squad that they assembled, the numbers that they have, the quality that they have, the number of coaches they have it makes sense that what is happening there is very, very positive and they deserve to be there."

  When asked if he still views Chelsea as the league's best attacking force, he replied: "They were [the best last season], the sample now this season is early, so it's difficult to say. But it is one of the teams that I enjoy the most watching and they have a lot of fluidity, they have a lot of threat, they have a lot of individual talent, they are very clear what they want to do and that's why they are very tough."

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  Arsenal’s star men carry a psychological edge

  Chelsea supporters may cling to hope that Martin Odegaard, the man who has tormented them more than any other, misses out through injury on Sunday. The Norwegian has seven goal contributions in eight league matches against Chelsea and, remarkably, has never lost a Premier League game to them. Gabriel Magalhães shares that unbeaten streak, and only Patrick Vieira, who faced Chelsea ten times without defeat, boasts a longer run in the division. Meanwhile, Leandro Trossard remains another Arsenal weapon sharpened specifically for this fixture. The Belgian has scored four Premier League goals against Chelsea, and another on Sunday would make him only the fifth Belgian to reach 50 goals in the competition. 

Raza, Muzarabani and Evans shared eight wickets among them to never give the visitors a sniff

Andrew Fidel Fernando06-Sep-2025

Sri Lanka never recovered from a terrible start•Associated Press

Sri Lanka crashed to their second-lowest T20I total ever, going down for 80 inside 18 overs, as Sikandar Raza, Brad Evans, and Blessing Muzarabani shared eight wickets between them. At no point in their batting innings did Sri Lanka stage even a mild recovery. There was a 26-run partnership for sixth wicket, but even that appeared laboured, and had multiple close calls.Zimbabwe’s top partnership was also worth just 26, but they strung greater periods of batting competence together, even in the face of some penetrative bowling from Dushmantha Chameera. Tashinga Musekiwa’s assured 21 not out off 12 balls helped the hosts stroll to victory in the 15th over.Muzarabani and Evans boss the powerplayMuzarabani took 2 for 10 from two overs in the powerplay. Evans claimed 2 for 14 from his two. Sri Lanka were 37 for 4 by the end of it. It takes lower-middle order miracles to salvage good batting performances from there.The first wicket was off a poor ball, truth be told. Muzarabani had been expensive in the last match and bowled a wide bouncer that Kusal Mendis tried to punish, only to toe-end aerially to deep third. But then Muzarabani was back to bowling the tight, testing lines he had delivered in the ODI series. He’d have Nuwanidu Fernando caught at mid-off in the fifth over and concede only two boundaries in the powerplay.Blessing Muzarabani took two wickets in the powerplay•Zimbabwe Cricket

Evans, meanwhile, took the prize wicket of Pathum Nissanka with a shortish ball on the pads which Nissanka struck to deep square leg. Evans also sent Kamil Mishara’s stumps flying with a yorker. He later wrapped up Sri Lanka’s innings by having Maheesh Theekshana hole out to cover.Muzarabani took 2 for 14 in the end. Evans’ haul was 3 for 15.Raza’s middle-overs rampageThe seamers delivered Sri Lanka’s middle order on a platter for Raza and he duly gobbled them up. With so many wickets having fallen, Sri Lanka’s batters were watchful, and Raza did not conceded a single boundary through his four overs.He got the dangerous Kamindu Mendis out for a fourth-ball duck. In his third over, he dismissed Charith Asalanka and Chameera in the space of three deliveries. He finished with 3 for 11 off four overs, and was player of the match for these efforts.Chameera dents Zimbabwe’s small chaseIt never seemed likely that Sri Lanka could defend this, but Chameera gave it a chance. He was too quick for Tadiwanashe Marumani and Sean Williams, who had his off stump knocked out of the ground. He then had Raza drag onto off stump. Chameera would have had a fourth wicket had Asalanka held a sharp chance offered by Musekiwa, at short midwicket.

Can Viktor Gyökeres now kick-start his Arsenal career?

On Tuesday night, having been nine appearances for club and country without a goal, the Swedish striker scored twice in two minutes as the Gunners demolished Atlético Madrid 4-0 in the Champions League, named man of the match.

This takes Gyökeres’ tally to five goals for the club, all coming in home wins, now hoping this will be the start of a scoring spree, given that their upcoming opponents are Crystal Palace, Brighton, Burnley, Slavia Prague and Sunderland, before the small matter of a North London derby.

So, which teammate could truly get the best out of the man who proudly wears number 14 on his back, perhaps recreating Arsenal’s best-ever attacking partnership?

Dennis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry's Arsenal legacy

Gooners of a certain vintage may well argue that they had the pleasure of watching the club’s two best attackers of all time play together, a key reason why Arsène Wenger’s side won the double in 2002 and were Invincible two seasons later.

Dennis Bergkamp spent over a decade in North London after arriving from Internazionale in 1995, scoring 120 goals and registering 116 assists for the club.

The non-flying Dutchman, a nickname given to him due to his aviophobia, was the archetypal number ten during a period where second strikers were on the rise in English football, with Eric Cantona at Manchester United and Gianfranco Zola at Chelsea.

Bergkamp was renowned for his impeccable first touch and mind-blowing technical quality, with Wenger praising his “exceptional brain” while Ian Wright believes that “Dennis changed the DNA” of the whole club, transforming from a defensive long ball team known as ‘boring boring Arsenal’ into the free-flowing side they would become, because Bergkamp was so good “you couldn’t bypass him”.

He would, of course, form a formidable partnership with Thierry Henry, who remains the Gunners’ all-time leading goalscorer with 228, the pair combining for a total of 18 Premier League goals during the 2003/04 season alone.

Unlike Arsenal’s current number 14, Henry was capable of producing magic moments all by himself, albeit it didn’t half help having Bergkamp, Robert Pirès, Freddie Ljungberg and others supplying him.

So, as Gyökeres looks to emulate Henry, now only 223 goals behind his all-time record, which may prove just out of reach, who could be his Bergkamp, thereby getting the best out of the Swede?

Arsenal's new Dennis Bergkamp

As already alluded to, the arrival of Dennis Bergkamp three decades ago was viewed as transformational, the only good thing Bruce Rioch did as manager, and the Gunners are now hopeful that Eberechi Eze’s move from Crystal Palace could have a similar effect.

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Well, the aforementioned Ian Wright certainly believes this could be the case, asserting that the move was “like when Bergkamp came”, adding “we need a player that has got a little bit more maverick… he’s a game-changer”.

Seemingly set to move to fierce rivals Tottenham, the last-minute U-turn which saw the boyhood Arsenal fan return home in August will forever remain a highlight of this season for supporters, irrespective of what the actual football delivers, emphasised by the reception he got when he was unveiled prior to the 5-0 demolition of Leeds.

So far, the England international opened his Arsenal account against Port Vale in the EFL Cup, while bagging his third assist for the club in mid-week, setting up Gyökeres to score the third during the demolition of Atlético Madrid.

The table below documents Eze’s influence over his new team.

Minutes

613

9th

Goals

1

8th

Assists

3

1st

Shots

16

4th

Shots on target

6

2nd

Big chances created

3

2nd

Key passes

7

7th

Shot-creating actions

23

5th

Goal-creating actions

4

2nd

Successful take-ons

10

2nd

As the table outlines, despite generally limited minutes, Eze’s creative influence has been on show so far, notching three assists, the joint-most of any Arsenal player, while also ranking second for big chances created and goal-creating actions.

Last season at Crystal Palace, he registered eight assists and created 11 Opta-defined big chances in the Premier League, hence why Mikel Arteta and Andrea Berta pushed the boat out to sign him,

So, have there been signs that Eze and Gyökeres could work well in tandem?

Well, exhibit A in that regard would be the second goal during September’s 3-0 victory over Ange Postecoglou’s Nottingham Forest, with Eze putting the ball on a plate for Gyökeres to fire home from mere picometers out.

As has been well documented, unlike Henry, Gyökeres is a striker very much reliant on others for service, touching the ball only 26 times on Tuesday, but scoring two goals, which is what he is in the team to do; to paraphrase Roy Keane, that’s his job!

With Ødegaard sidelined for another few weeks at least, much of the creative burden will fall on Eze, but he is more than capable of shouldering this responsibility.

While the pair have got a long way to go to be anywhere near as good as Bergkamp and Henry, they might just be able to fire the Gunners to a first Premier League triumph since those glory years.

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