Weep for Colorado Rockies fans.

With Thursday's 2–0 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies, the Rockies were swept in four games, falling to 8-42 this season. That is the worst 50-game start in the modern MLB era, which dates back to 1901.

But that's not all.

In order to find a worse 50-game start in MLB history, you have to go all the way back to a time when sustained, engine-powered airplanes didn't exist and starting pitchers routinely threw 600 innings per season.

The 1895 Louisville Colonels, who started 7-43, are the only team in recorded MLB history to compile a worse record through the first 50 games of a season, according to .

The 2024 Chicago White Sox set the modern-era record for the most losses in a single season, with 121. But the Rockies are unfortunately cratering past the White Sox, as Colorado is on pace for 136 losses, which would surpass the 1899 Cleveland Spiders, who lost more games (134) than any team in MLB history.

The Rockies on May 11 fired manager Bud Black one day after losing by 21 runs to the San Diego Padres, with team owner, chairman and CEO Dick Monfort stating his belief that the club is "capable of playing better."

The Rockies are 1–9 in the 10 games since firing Black and turning managerial duties over to third-base coach Warren Schaeffer.

Colorado's next nine games are against the New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs and New York Mets—clubs that boast a combined .575 winning percentage this season.

Juan Soto's first season with the New York Mets has gotten off to a bit of a rocky start, with the slugger struggling a little at the plate and also being called out for not hustling in certain situations. The Mets, meanwhile, haven't been playing great recently and have dropped to second in the NL East.

This all comes after Soto signed a historic 15-year, $765 million deal with the Mets this past offseason. That move came after Soto spent just one season with the Yankees.

Former Red Sox great Pedro Martinez has seen Soto struggling and he offered the 26-year-old some really good advice, tweeting on Tuesday:

"I was once the highest paid player and it took me a while to adjust. Nobody thinks about the human inside the uniform. There are things that can get you distracted. We forget how young he is."

While it's easy for fans to blast Soto for his struggles, those words from Martinez should carry a lot of weight because this is something he has been through and understands more than almost anyone else will.

MLB fans loved hearing that from Martinez:

Hopefully Soto got that message from Martinez and it will help free him up and allow him to go back to being one of the most dominant players in the game.

Mets fans sure hope that will happen.

Celtic were saved by their captain yet again on Saturday night when they were heading for a drab 0-0 draw away at St Mirren before Callum McGregor stepped up with seconds remaining.

The Hoops skipper picked the ball up from range in the 95th minute and unleashed a screamer of a shot that nestled in the top corner to secure all three points for the visitors.

Up until that point, Martin O’Neill’s side had struggled to show much in the way of quality against St Mirren, despite holding 73% of the possession, per Sofascore, which is why the game was tied with seconds remaining.

The hosts even created a ‘big chance’ from one of their 13 shots on goal, but, thankfully, they were unable to convert any of the opportunities that they created on the night.

Celtic, meanwhile, did not create a single ‘big chance’ from their 16 efforts against St Mirren, per Sofascore, which is why they needed a long-range strike from their captain to win the match.

Whilst McGregor’s sensational strike from distance bailed the club out in general, the skipper also bailed out several of his underperforming teammates on the night.

Celtic's worst performers against St Mirren

It would be remiss of us to speak about the worst performers on the night without starting with the player who was withdrawn from the match after 45 minutes, Johnny Kenny.

The Ireland international, who scored four goals in four matches for Celtic before Saturday’s game, won just one duel and lost possession six times from 17 touches in the first half, per Sofascore, as he failed to provide a focal point up front.

Kenny’s withdrawal meant that Daizen Maeda moved into the centre-forward role, after starting out wide. However, he ended the 90 minutes with two out of seven duels won, no key passes, and no shots on target, per Sofascore, which illustrates his ineffectiveness in the final third.

Celtic’s starting wingers vs St Mirren
Stats	Sebastian Tounekti	Daizen Maeda
Minutes	67	90
Shots on target	0	0
Key passes	1	0
Big chances created	0	0
Dribbles completed	2/6	1/2
Duels won	3/11	2/7
Possession lost	14x	12x
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Sebastian Tounekti and Maeda both struggled out wide, and the latter up front in the second 45, throughout the game against St Mirren.

These statistics show that all three of the forwards who started on Saturday night failed to do enough to suggest that O’Neill should keep them in place for the club’s trip to play Feyenoord in the Europa League on Thursday evening.

Tounekti, Maeda, and Kenny were not the only underperforming Celtic players who failed to provide enough quality on the pitch against the Saints, though, as one Hoops flop is now looking like the new Luis Palma.

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Supporters will likely remember Palma, who is currently on loan at Lech Poznan, as a player who made a fast start to life in Glasgow before falling off and eventually being deemed surplus to requirements.

The Honduras international produced seven goals and nine assists, with 14 ‘big chances’ created, in 28 Scottish Premiership games during the 2023/24 campaign for the club, per Sofascore.

Unfortunately, though, the winger followed that up with a return of zero goals and zero assists in eight league matches the following season before being sent out on loan to Olympiacos for the second half of the campaign.

Whilst his fall-off this term may not be quite as drastic as Palma’s was, Celtic central midfielder Reo Hatate appears to be heading in the same direction.

Why Reo Hatate should be dropped by Celtic

The Japan international was a sensation in the middle of the park for the Scottish giants in the 2024/25 campaign with a return of nine goals and 14 ‘big chances’ created in 37 outings in the Premiership, per Sofascore.

Hatate provided regular quality at the top end of the pitch with his ability to make a difference as both a scorer and a creator of goals, as evidenced by his statistics, and that made him a vital player for Brendan Rodgers.

This season, however, the 28-year-old star has failed to deliver consistent quality in midfield for Celtic, with the clash against St Mirren being his latest underwhelming performance, which is why he should be ruthlessly dropped by O’Neill.

The Japanese midfielder, who was described as “sloppy” by ex-Hoops boss Neil Lennon during the game against Sturm Graz in the Europa League, ended the night with no shots on target, no ‘big chances’ created, and a duel success rate of 20% (1/5), per Sofascore.

This shows that his performance was lacking in both quality and physicality, as he lost 80% of his physical tussles without providing any moments of genuine quality on the ball, and that has not been a rare occurrence for him this season.

Reo Hatate – Premiership	24/25	25/26
Appearances	37	10
Goals	9	1
Minutes per goal	241	708
Conversion rate	14%	10%
Big chances created	14	2
Assists	4	1
Dribble success rate	70%	57%
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Hatate’s performances have dropped off since the end of last season, as he is scoring and creating goals far less frequently for the Premiership champions.

The Japan international’s last league goal for the club came against Aberdeen on the 10th August, and he has only produced two goals – including one penalty – and one assist in 18 appearances in all competitions this term, per Transfermarkt.

His concerning drop-off in form this season suggests that he may be on the road to becoming the next Palma, as a once supreme talent who now looks too inconsistent to be reliable to the Celtic manager.

Therefore, O’Neill should ruthlessly drop the central midfielder from the starting line-up to face Feyenoord away from home, as the Hoops may need quality and physicality to beat their Dutch opponents, and Hatate did not show either against St Mirren.

Nancy can forget Maeda by making £325k-per-week star his 1st Celtic signing

Celtic’s potential new manager could forget about Daizen Maeda by signing this reported transfer target.

By
Dan Emery

Nov 18, 2025

They might have blown a two-goal lead on Saturday, but things are looking up for West Ham United.

Following a dire start to the season and a poor start to his tenure, Nuno Espírito Santo has now picked up seven points from the last three Premier League games.

This has seen the East Londoners pull themselves out of the relegation zone, and one of the club’s best performers during this uptick in form has been Callum Wilson.

However, even though the Englishman is in fine form, reports have started to link West Ham with someone who could be a dream replacement.

West Ham target Wilson upgrade

The transfer window is still over a month away, but that hasn’t stopped West Ham from being linked with a number of interesting players from across the country and beyond.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Fulham’s Adama Traoré, for example, has been heavily touted for a move to the London Stadium in January, as has Norwich City’s Josh Sargent.

However, the Hammers are now interested in another, arguably more exciting goalscorer.

At least that is according to a recent report from Claret & Hugh, which claims that West Ham are keen on signing Promise David.

In fact, the report goes further, revealing that the Hammers have already made enquiries about the Union SG gem, who is valued at up to £17m.

The Canadian international might not be a known name in England, but his form in recent seasons and potential make this a deal West Ham can’t ignore, especially as he could be a perfect Wilson upgrade.

How David compares to Wilson

While it sounds simplistic, probably because it really is, the first place to start when comparing two centre-forwards is their raw output.

After all, the most important thing a striker is generally going to do is score or assist a goal, especially when it comes to a side like West Ham, who need to do all they can to build a buffer between them and the relegation zone.

Unfortunately for Wilson, even with his recent flurry of goals, this is an area in which he comes out second best.

For example, in ten appearances this season, he has scored four goals and failed to provide any assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.5 games.

In contrast, the “outstanding” Canadian, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has scored eight goals and provided no assists in 19 appearances, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.37 games.

Games

19

10

Goals

8

4

Assists

0

0

Games

41

22

Goals

24

1

Assists

5

0

The comparison is even more one-sided when last season is taken into account, as the former Newcastle United forward scored just a single goal in 22 appearances for the Toon.

The Union SG ace, on the other hand, racked up a stellar haul of 24 goals and five assists in 41 appearances, which comes out to a goal involvement every 1.41 games.

With numbers like these, it’s easy to understand why Canadian reporter Ben Steiner claimed the 24-year-old “just can’t stop scoring.”

However, it’s not just output that would make the eight-capped international a wise signing, but the fact that he’s still just 24 years old.

In other words, he’s someone who could come in as an upgrade and then become the long-term striker option the Hammers have needed for some time.

Ultimately, given his consistently impressive output, age and relatively low price, West Ham should do what they can to sign David in January.

Forget Guilherme: Nuno can fix Summerville blow with West Ham academy star

Nuno might already have the perfect solution to West Ham’s Summerville problem.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 25, 2025

The Premier League is finally back tomorrow, and Arsenal continue their campaign with the North London Derby on Sunday afternoon.

However, it could be a more challenging game than last year, as even with Martin Odegaard back in training, Mikel Arteta’s side could be without several key players.

The manager wouldn’t say whether the likes of Viktor Gyokeres, Noni Madueke, Kai Havertz or Gabriel Martinelli were back in contention, for example, but one player who is sure to be out is Gabriel Magalhaes.

The Brazilian centre-back is set to be out for at least a few weeks, and while that’s a massive blow, the solution could be to move another defender into a different position.

Arsenal's record against Spurs

Arsenal’s game against Spurs on Sunday afternoon will be the 212th competitive meeting between the rivals.

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Their first encounter came all the way back in November 1896, when the Gunners were still south of the River, and ended in a 2-1 Arsenal victory.

Since then, while the Lilywhites have had periods of dominance, it’s the red side of North London that have had the better of the rivalry, winning 89 games, drawing 55 and losing 67.

Unsurprisingly, Arteta’s side have been even more dominant than that in recent years, losing just two of the last ten meetings, drawing one and winning the other seven.

Moreover, the title chasers are undefeated in their last six games against their old enemy and, despite being in a spot of bother form-wise at the time, won the most recent meeting 2-1.

Arsenal’s recent record v Spurs

Season

Home/Away

Result

22/23

Away

2-0 (W)

23/24

Home

2-2 (D)

23/24

Away

3-2 (W)

24/25

Away

1-0 (W)

24/25

Home

2-1 (W)

What makes that win all the more impressive is that Son Heung-min actually opened the scoring for the visitors in the 25th minute.

However, Arsenal were back in front just 19 minutes later, thanks to a Dominic Solanke own goal and a brilliant effort from Leandro Trossard.

With all that said, even though Arteta has consistently gotten the better of Spurs, the game on Sunday will be a tough one, but he might already have a solution to Gabriel’s injury.

Arteta's solution to Gabriel's injury

The good news for Arsenal is that there are a few ways Arteta can go about replacing Gabriel.

For example, he could bring Cristhian Mosquera back into the side, play Ben White there or even hand a start to Piero Hincapie.

However, the former is right-footed, White hasn’t played at centre-back in a long time, and the Ecuadorian is still unproven in this team, so throwing him into a derby might be unwise.

Therefore, while it might not be the most popular decision, Arteta should move Riccardo Calafiori from left-back into the Brazilian’s position.

Now, there are a few reasons for this, and the first is that, like the injured star, the Italian international is left-footed, and while that might not seem all that important at first, it really is.

It gives the defence some real balance and makes it easier for him to play out from the back when going up the left-hand side of the pitch.

The second reason the dynamic defender should be moved into the back two is that he’s already got plenty of experience playing there.

For example, during his time with Bologna, he made 29 appearances at centre-back and only six as a full-back. Moreover, during pre-season, he once again played there when Gabriel was out with the injury he picked up against Fulham last season.

Finally, the 23-year-old “wild horse,” as dubbed by the Telegraph’s Sam Dean, has already played plenty of football this season, so he should be far more familiar with the tactics than one of the other options. And while he did return early from international duty, there is a good chance he is ready to play.

Ultimately, while Arteta has several options to replace Gabriel on Sunday, he should go with the £120k-per-week Calafiori.

Related Arsenal handed another injury doubt for Tottenham clash after twist and Gabriel blow

It could see the recall of an exciting talent.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini Nov 21, 2025

West Ham are looking at signing Fulham winger Adama Traoré in the January transfer window, but they’ve now been told to avoid a deal by someone who’s worked with the player.

Nuno Espírito Santo knows Traore very well from their time together at Molineux, and it was at Wolves where the 29-year-old made a serious name for himself.

Traore was near-unplayable in the 2019/2020 season especially, finishing the Premier League campaign as their best performer statistically, all whilst completing a truly incredible five successful dribbles on average per game (WhoScored).

By comparison, the best dribblers in the Premier League right now are far short of that number, with both ex-West Ham winger Mohammed Kudus and Man City’s Jeremy Doku averaging 3.4 and 3.1 take ons per 90 respectively.

Sunderland 3-0 West Ham

West Ham 1-5 Chelsea

Nottingham Forest 0-3 West Ham

West Ham 0-3 Tottenham

West Ham 1-2 Crystal Palace

Everton 1-1 West Ham

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

West Ham 0-2 Brentford

Leeds 2-1 West Ham

West Ham 3-1 Newcastle

West Ham 3-2 Burnley

Jurgen Klopp famously branded Traore’s speed as being ‘undefendable’ at times, but that being said, the 19/20 campaign was now over half a decade ago.

Since Nuno’s departure from Wolves, Traore hasn’t managed to re-live those heights on a consistent enough basis, even despite flashes of brilliance at Fulham last term. Traore finished 24/25 with two goals and nine assists in all competitions, making 41 appearances in total, but only managed a modest 1.3 successful take-ons per 90 in the Premier League.

Despite the forward’s best days appearing behind him, the obvious link to Nuno has prompted multiple reports that West Ham are keen on a winter move for Traore, who could also be available for a cut-price fee given his contract expires in 2026.

Following these claims, ex-Everton and Aston Villa CEO Keith Wyness has explained exactly why West Ham need to swerve a deal for Traore this January.

West Ham told exactly why they need to swerve Adama Traore deal in January

Speaking to Football Insider, after having sold the player at Villa, Wyness explains that Traore’s lack of end product really doesn’t serve West Ham in the slightest — urging David Sullivan not to do a deal for the ex-Barcelona man out of respect for the fans.

The winger would attract mixed reviews if he did move to the London Stadium in two months, but if anyone can get the best out of him, it is definitely Nuno.

West Ham’s manager is believed to be personally keen on a reunion with Traore, and given how Nuno has finally managed to steady the ship with back-to-back victories, it is imperative that the club show faith by backing him with desired signings mid-season.

As well as Traore, West Ham want a new defender, midfielder and striker, with AC Milan’s Santiago Gimenez and Al-Ahli’s Ivan Toney rumoured to be on their agenda.

Glasgow Rangers made two huge decisions on Monday as they announced that both CEO Patrick Stewart and sporting director Kevin Thelwell had been removed from their posts at Ibrox.

Chairman Andrew Cavenagh revealed to Sky Sports, in the post below, that the Gers need different people in those two leadership positions moving forward in order for the club to be successful.

The Rangers chief was careful not to throw mud at Stewart and Thelwell for their work at Ibrox, but suggested that it was down to their performance in their respective roles, as he stated that they still aligned with the overarching project.

Given that Russell Martin’s tenure lasted 17 matches and several summer signings do not look up to scratch, it is hard to disagree with the club’s decision to part ways with both of them, particularly Thelwell.

Looking at the list of summer signings in the graphic above, it is easier to pick out the players who have flopped or struggled than it is to pick out the successes from the summer transfer window.

The summer signing that Thelwell may go on to be infamous at Ibrox for is Youssef Chermiti, as he arrived from his former club Everton in a big-money deal.

Why Rangers should not have signed Youssef Chermiti

To preface this, supporters and those at the club will, of course, be hoping that the Portugal U21 international goes on to prove everyone wrong and becomes a consistent goalscorer for the Light Blues.

However, at this moment in time, it looks like a deal that the Scottish giants should not have done, particularly for the reported money that was involved in the move.

Thelwell signed Chermiti for Everton from Sporting in a deal worth up to £15m in the summer of 2023, but he did not score a single competitive goal for the Toffees in two years during his time in England.

Then, after moving to Rangers in April, the sporting director signed the centre-forward for a second time, splashing £8m to bring him to Ibrox, in the most expensive Gers deal since Tore Andre Flo joined for £12m in 2000.

It is fair for supporters to expect a player to make an immediate impact in Glasgow when signed for that kind of money, as Chermiti is the club’s most expensive player in 25 years, but that has not been the case.

The former Everton marksman has scored one goal in 13 appearances in all competitions for the Light Blues, per Sofascore, which shows that the forward has failed to deliver much in the way of quality in the final third.

Starts

4

xG

1.29

Goals

0

Big chances missed

4

Big chances created

0

Assists

0

Pass accuracy

59%

Duel success rate

35%

As you can see in the table above, Chermiti has been incredibly underwhelming in the Europa League so far this season, failing to score from 1.29 xG after starting all four of his appearances in the competition.

The 21-year-old striker’s dismal form for the club so far suggests that Thelwell made a mistake when he signed the forward for £8m, because he has not made the kind of impact that Rangers should expect from such an expensive signing.

Chermiti, though, is not the only one of the summer signings you could argue that Thelwell should not have signed because of their performances in the 2025/26 campaign.

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The former Rangers sporting director swooped to bring in Jayden Meghoma on loan from Brentford to bolster Russell Martin’s full-back options, as the ex-Gers boss had worked with the youngster during their time together at Southampton.

Why Rangers should not have signed Jayden Meghoma

During the summer window, Thelwell decided to cash in on the two senior left-back options at Ibrox, selling Jefte to Palmeiras and Ridvan Yilmaz to Besiktas.

Whilst those respective sales were not horrendous decisions in isolation, this issue is that Meghoma was the only signing brought in to replace those two senior players.

4 Lads Had A Dream covered Ally McCoist’s claim that Rangers have “downgraded” across the pitch since last season, and referenced Meghoma in comparison to Jefte as one of the areas in which the team have failed to improve.

It is not the 19-year-old defender’s fault that he has been brought in to be a first-choice option for a team that is expected to win consistently and compete on the European stage, when his experience last season was playing 12 matches on loan at Preston in the English Championship.

Meghoma, unfortunately, does not look ready to be a first-choice left-back at this level at the moment, as evidenced by his statistics in comparison to Jefte’s at Scottish Premiership level.

Appearances

33

9

Key passes per game

1.0

0.7

Assists

4

1

Tackles + interceptions per game

3.3

3.3

Clearances per game

2.9

1.3

Duels won per game

5.5

4.0

Aerial duel success rate

57%

25%

Error led to shot or goal

1

2

As you can see in the table above, the Brazilian defender’s performances in the league last season were far more impressive than what the English teenager has produced in the division this term, offensively and defensively.

These statistics back up the claim that Rangers have “downgraded” by selling Jefte to sign Meghoma on loan, which adds more fuel to the fire surrounding the criticism of Thelwell’s summer recruitment.

Like Chermiti, it seems like Meghoma has been signed to fill a role that he is not ready to fill at this point in his development. They are both young players who have time to develop and improve, but neither of them look ready to be key players for Danny Rohl in the present.

Therefore, the signing of Meghoma was one of Thelwell’s worst clangers of the summer, alongside Chermiti, because he has failed to adequately replace Jefte at left-back, and it remains to be seen if either of them will end up being good enough this season.

Thelwell signing is a bigger waste of time than Chermiti & Miovski at Rangers

This Glasgow Rangers flop is a bigger waste of time this season than both Bojan Miovski and Youssef Chermiti.

ByDan Emery Nov 24, 2025

تحدث بيب جوارديولا مدرب مانشستر سيتي في مؤتمر صحفي حول آخر استعدادات فريقه لمواجهة ليدز يونايتد غداً على ملعب الاتحاد في الدوري الانجليزي الممتاز.

وسئل بيب عن جاهزية رودري لمباراة ليدز يونايتد، في تصريحات نشرتها “مانشستر إيفنينج نيوز” البريطانية: “لن يشارك، لا تزال لديه مشكلة في أوتار الركبة وهو ليس بعيداً”.

وقال بيب عن هداف مانشستر سيتي القادم بعد هالاند في الدوري الإنجليزي: “ليس هذا الشيء الذي يشغلني بشكل رئيسي، بشكل عام وباستثناء المباراة الأخيرة حققنا العديد من الأشياء الجيدة، وبالطبع هالاند مهم للغاية والآخرون أيضاً”.

اقرأ أيضاً.. شيرر ردًا على تصريحات كاراجر: حديث محمد صلاح خارج الملعب غير مهم

وحول مستقبل برناردو سيلفا، علق بيب: “أريد الأفضل له وإذا أراد البقاء سأكون أكثر من سعيد ولكنني لا أجرى هذه المحادثات معه، قضى تسع سنوات هنا وأتمنى الأفضل لعائلته وفي النهاية سيقرر القرار الأفضل مع النادي”.

وأكد بيب حول الخسارة أمام باير ليفركوزن: “كنت أثق ثقة باللاعبين، مازالت أقدرهم كلاعبي كرة قدم، وربما يكون تقديري لهم أعلى من تقديرهم لأنفسهم، لقد كان درسا جيدا لي، حتى مع خبرتي الواسعة كمدرب، كان درسا جيدا للمستقبل”.

واختتم عن آرسنال وفارق النقاط معه: “سنرى، أعلم أن الفارق موجود بالفعل وآرسنال قوي جداً، بدأنا نرى كيف نتحسن كفريق وسنرى”.

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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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.

England took on Boland two years ago on home soil and could look to take a similar approach this year

AAP12-Oct-20257:05

Advantage England if Cummins misses first Ashes Test?

Australia coach Andrew McDonald has warned England that Scott Boland will be a different prospect at home, and any belief they have figured the Victorian out is based on a false economy.Boland’s role for this summer’s Ashes is now appearing increasingly important, with concerns over how many Tests Pat Cummins will be able to play throughout the series.The 36-year-old Boland debuted against England four years ago on Boxing Day, with his 6 for 7 in the second innings catapulting him into cult-hero status.Related

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The one blip in Boland’s Test career remains the 2023 Ashes, where England went after him and messed with his lengths at Edgbaston and Headingley.Boland’s career average of 16.53 also remains the best of any bowler in the past 100 years, while his economy-rate of 2.75 makes him the most miserly of any regular seamer since his debut.But he took just two wickets at an average of 115.5 in the 2023 Ashes, as England’s batters walked at Boland and took him for 4.91 runs an over in his two Tests.That alone prompted former England captain Michael Atherton to state this week Cummins’s back injury was a massive boost for the tourists given they had no fear for Boland. Not that Australia’s coach is buying into the suggestion.”Scotty was challenged with some lack of bounce in the benign conditions in England,” McDonald said. “I think conditions sort of conspired a little bit against him. I know there’s been some press around that England have worked Scott Boland out.  But when he comes back into the Australian conditions, he gets bounce, hits the deck, he’s a handful.Will it be a big Ashes for Scott Boland?•Getty Images

“And as we saw last year against India, I think Rohit Sharma rated him the best of that series. That’s a huge compliment from an opposing captain.”McDonald pointed to two overs Boland sent down under heavy cloud at Edgbaston during the 2023 Ashes as proof the situation may have been conditions-dependent.”We did get the overheads there for that short snippet at the end of day three,” McDonald said. “And when he bowled a few overs under the cloudy skies, he looked like he was going to get a wicket every ball.”So we’re confident and comfortable that Baz can get the job done in Australia, which he’s done over a long period of time. And bounce will be his friend.”McDonald also insisted there was enough depth in Australia’s pace-bowling stocks to cover if injuries struck. He has not had to call upon a frontline quick other than Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood or Boland since December 2022.Cummins will have a clearer picture later this week on whether he is a chance to play in the first Test, with the captain needing at least four-and-a-half weeks of bowling in the lead up.Tight turnarounds between the final three Tests could also cause workload-management headaches, particularly if the third Test in Adelaide was to go the distance.”It’d be nice if we sat back at the end of the summer and said there were only four fast bowlers used,” McDonald said.  “But we’ve got some good options in [Brendan] Doggett, [Sean] Abbott, [Michael] Neser.  Jhye Richardson is potentially coming back around that midpoint of the series.”So I feel like we’ve got some good options if we do get stretched, which is one of the great things of domestic cricket.”