Category Uncategorized

Deafeat in a T20I they should have won in New Zealand was a “fire-starter” for England, captain says

Valkerie Baynes16-Jul-2024The seed was planted in Nelson back in March, when a bungled run-chase saw England squander the chance to go 3-0 up in a T20I series against New Zealand.England ended up winning 4-1 and, while the White Ferns threw on some fertiliser with a consolation win in the last of three ODIs, England captain Heather Knight believes the root of her team’s domination of the return tour can be traced back to that third T20I.Now, England are on the cusp of securing an undefeated home summer at Lord’s in the fifth and final T20I after sweeping the ODIs against New Zealand 3-0 and beating Pakistan 3-0 and 2-0 in T20I and ODI series respectively.Related

Dunkley earns back England T20I place for New Zealand series

England to drop World Cup hints during New Zealand T20 series

Capsey feeling 'in control' of her game after taking a step back

Glenn steps up as England look to shed reliance on big names

Gaur withdraws from Women's Hundred due to side strain

“That T20 that we lost in New Zealand, Amy Jones actually spoke brilliantly after that and talked about her fears in T20 chases, and actually made a conscious effort to address that mentally and how she wants to go about chasing,” Knight said at Lord’s on Wednesday.”She spoke really well in front of the group around that, and I think that was quite infectious really, and was a bit of a fire-starter for us wanting to be a bit more ruthless and really nail teams when we are on top. That’s something that’s going to be so important in tournament cricket.”I think our skill level has continued to improve as well. That New Zealand loss in the T20 series where we didn’t chase down a score that we should have was a bit of a catalyst for us to ultimately not let that happen again, and when we’re really on top, to really nail teams.”Against Pakistan, the ‘nailing teams’ objective remained beneath the surface with England winning but without the ruthless streak that has blossomed while hosting New Zealand.England went unbeaten against Pakistan and can do the same against New Zealand•Getty Images”A lot of people have said to me, ‘New Zealand haven’t been great’. But I think we’ve been awesome,” Knight said. “I think the way we’ve kept their key players quiet probably needs a little bit more credit, to be honest.”The way we’ve played and put them under pressure, and been relentless when we’ve been on top and trying to keep them quiet has been great. We are desperate to finish this summer unbeaten. It’s not something we’ve done very often. It’s our last game of the summer and we want to continue what we’ve done.”The White Ferns’ batting has let them down against England’s top-class bowling attack, led by spinners Sophie Ecclestone, Sarah Glenn and Charlie Dean. That has coincided with the hosts showing off the depth of their line-up, with several batters finding form. It has also left England with some difficult selection decisions ahead of the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in October.Maia Bouchier appears to have secured an opening berth alongside Danni Wyatt, with both having rested at various stages of the T20I series to give Sophia Dunkley a chance to show her improvement after losing her place following the tour of New Zealand and rediscovering her touch in regional cricket.In both matches she has played, Dunkley has made solid starts with 35 and 26 and her versatility in being able to bat up and down the order could earn her a place in the squad as the spare batter.”She’s looked completely at home again,” Knight said. “She’s got us off to some brilliant starts in the two games that she’s played and that is something that Sophia does give us when she’s at her best. For me, it looks like she’s back towards her best. That decision is pretty tricky around the players that we have and that’s a really good place to be.”Sophia Dunkley has won her place in the squad back•ECB via Getty ImagesMahika Gaur, England’s teenage left-arm seamer, has thrown up another conundrum after missing the early part of the summer to complete her high school exams, then picking up a side strain which has kept her out and prompted her to withdraw from the Hundred to continue her rehabilitation.”It’s tricky,” Knight said. “She hasn’t played a huge amount for England because of her exams and then injury. We were hoping she could get a few games in this series, but that side issue has obviously come back and I think the thing with young players, you have to be really careful – particularly young, fast bowlers – with how you manage them and not push them too far.”She’s not completely out of our plans, but it does make it harder for us to pick her now obviously with those seamers that we’ve got performing really well.”England look set to take a spin-heavy attack to Bangladesh. Lauren Filer offers raw pace to offset her relative inexperience at international level, fellow seamer Lauren Bell is starting to see the benefits of changing her action and Nat Sciver-Brunt is increasing her bowling load after a knee problem. Freya Kemp, who has added to England’s batting depth, is also returning to her allrounder role after a back injury.If Pakistan and New Zealand’s performances have made putting England’s into context difficult, it’s worth looking back to their tour of India late last year, where they lost the Test but won the T20I series 2-1, and last year’s Ashes, where England won both white-ball series in a drawn campaign after Australia won the Test.”I guess we’ve proved in the last 12 months that we can beat anyone on our day,” Knight said. “The Ashes series last summer showed that, particularly in the white-ball series, how we played, winning those series 2-1.”But ultimately we’re just trying to keep improving as well. That’s been a really pleasing thing: [not just] the way we’ve played, but also the fact that as individuals, we’re still trying to get better, we’re still trying to work on things.”We know other teams around the world are going to be doing that. We can only look after ourselves as a team and try and keep moving the game forward and playing how we want to. Bangladesh will be a tough test to see if we can do that in a big tournament as well.”

Perhaps the sheer wealth of activity since then has played its part, although Trent Alexander-Arnold’s exit from Liverpool now feels almost like old news, with the Anfield side far too busy looking ahead to reflect on their local hero turned villain.

Having risen up through the youth ranks, the 26-year-old – dazzled by the lights of the Bernabeu – shunned the opportunity to cement a legacy for himself on Merseyside, instead opting to become the latest Galactico signing at Real Madrid.

A leader and a figurehead under Jurgen Klopp, and then Arne Slot last season – alongside the likes of Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk – the Englishman is now just one of many at Madrid. A talented, albeit dimmed cog in a far mightier machine.

Alas, for better or worse, the rampaging right-back is now basking in the Spanish sun, with those at Liverpool, meanwhile, basking in a month of business that has already seen Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez join the party.

For all that positivity, however, the talk of potential outgoings may well sour the mood somewhat.

Latest on Liverpool's outgoings

Many a club may well have rested on their laurels after romping to the Premier League title last season, but not Liverpool. No, the Reds are acting ruthlessly in the market, both in terms of arrivals and departures.

In terms of the latter category, Caoimhin Kelleher has already moved on to Brentford, with Jarell Quansah heading for his own exit amid an imminent move to Erik ten Hag’s Bayer Leverkusen.

While Luis Diaz may well stay put, despite lingering interest from Saudi Arabia, his South American colleague, Darwin Nunez, appears to be inching ever closer to a switch to Napoli.

Transfer Focus

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

The Uruguayan could well be followed out the door by England U21 star Harvey Elliott, if reports are to be believed, with journalist Graeme Bailey revealing that the aforementioned Klopp – now overseeing things at RB Leipzig – is personally pushing to bring the playmaker to Germany.

As per Bailey, while a raft of Premier League clubs have made an enquiry regarding the 22-year-old, there is also interest from abroad, with Klopp keen to be reunited with his former signing at Leipzig.

The suggestion is that Elliott is in fact open to the move, albeit with Liverpool looking to rake in more than £40m, if they are to sanction a sale. Is cashing in the right decision, however?

Why Elliott sale would be a bigger blow than Trent

The fury surrounding Alexander-Arnold’s free transfer exit was somewhat eased by the subsequent £10m agreement for his involvement in the Club World Cup, albeit with there still likely to be a lingering frustration over not raking in a fee for a player deemed to be worth £64m, as per Transfermarkt.

That said, as a product of their academy, Liverpool have more than reaped the rewards of the right-back’s progression, with the creative machine racking up 92 assists in 354 games in all competitions. Just consider what a player of that talent would have cost to buy in the first place?

Over an extended period, the Reds have witnessed Trent blossom, seen his vital role in securing a plethora of major honours. Now, he’s flown the nest.

In the case of Elliott, however, there remains a real intrigue over his talents, an undoubtedly skilled individual who has simply been lost among a pool of other high-class forwards and midfielders at Anfield.

As pundit Joe Cole has stated, perhaps the former Fulham man – who left Craven Cottage as a mere 16-year-old – is almost a “victim of his own skills” as he can “play anywhere”.

Games (starts)

6 (6)

Goals

5

Assists

0

Big chances created

0

Key passes*

1.7

Pass accuracy*

82%

Tackles & interceptions*

1.2

Balls recovered*

4.0

Successful dribbles*

0.7

Described as an “explosive” talent by England youth boss, Lee Carsley, the silky left-footer has been unable to find a settled role for himself at club level, having been restricted to just two starts in the Premier League last term.

Losing such a talent, amid Leipzig’s interest, may not be too great of a mistake with that considered, although as he has showcased on the international stage, Elliott is a potential superstar in the making. Just look at his semi-final winner against the Netherlands in the U21 European Championships.

Back at club level too, he also ranks among the top 1% of attacking midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for non-penalty goals per 90, as well as in the top 14% for assists and the top 2% for progressive passes, as per FBref. In essence, when he is given a chance to impress, he typically takes it.

The match-winner in the first-leg triumph over Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, Elliott appears deserving of a more prominent role, be it at Anfield or elsewhere, with Slot risking seeing him go on to sparkle elsewhere.

And therein lies the difference with Alexander-Arnold. The England senior star has made his mark on Merseyside already, with Liverpool getting plenty out of him over the last decade or so.

In the case of Elliott, he remains an unknown quantity, a player whom the club could live to regret if he does dazzle at another Premier League or European outfit. Liverpool already know the heights of Trent’s talents – Elliott’s gifts are yet to be truly discovered…

Wirtz will make him world-class: Liverpool getting ready to bid for £85m ST

Liverpool may yet welcome a new centre-forward to Arne Slot’s fold.

6 ByAngus Sinclair Jun 27, 2025

Incoming sporting director Kevin Thelwell is now pushing Rangers to replace Barry Ferguson with a “genius” manager, according to a report.

49ers eyeing manager as takeover edges closer

Last week, it was confirmed that Thelwell is set to take over as sporting director upon the expiration of his contract with Everton, and it could be a summer of major change at Ibrox, with the 49ers now edging closer towards acquiring ownership of the club.

As such, the prospective new owners have started to work on appointing a new manager to replace interim boss Fergurson, and a move for former boss Steven Gerrard is now being considered, alongside recently sacked RB Leipzig manager Marco Rose.

There have also been suggestions the 49ers could move for Leeds United manager Daniel Farke, as there is doubt over the German’s future at Elland Road, despite leading his side to promotion from the Championship this season.

Celtic and Rangers race to sign "brilliant" 11-goal Scotland international

The Bhoys are looking to beat their rivals to a deal…

By
Sean Markus Clifford

Apr 30, 2025

According to a report from Football Insider, Thelwell has been put in charge of overseeing the search for a new manager, and he is now pushing for Rangers to appoint Sean Dyche, who is available after being sacked by Everton earlier this season.

Ferguson is not expected to be handed the job on a permanent basis, with Thelwell currently exploring his options, and he has informed the club’s hierarchy that he believes Dyche would do a brilliant job as manager.

The sporting director has experience working with the 53-year-old, having spent time together at Goodison Park, but there have been suggestions they didn’t have a good relationship, so it is unclear whether he would be interested in taking over at Ibrox.

"Absolute genius" Dyche could excel at Rangers

In the Englishman’s most recent roles, he has been tasked with keeping teams in the Premier League, rather than pushing for a spot higher up the table, but he did a stellar job to ensure the Toffees retained their top-flight status after replacing Frank Lampard.

The job at Ibrox is very different, given that Rangers fans expect to compete for the Scottish Premiership title every season, but there are signs the former Burnley boss could be up to the task, having led the Clarets to two automatic promotions from the Championship.

The Kettering-born manager may be famed for his defensive approach, but it is an understandable mindset when taking Burnley to places like Anfield and Old Trafford, and his promotion-winning side were the Championship’s joint-top scorers in 2015-16.

Having also been lauded as an “absolute genius” by former Burnley academy coach Lee Waddington, there are plenty of signs that Dyche could be a success north of the border.

Crystal Palace have now joined Manchester United in the race to sign a “magnificent” £19 million playmaker who could replace Eberechi Eze, according to a recent report.

Eze edges closer to Crystal Palace exit after FA Cup triumph

It was a weekend to remember for the Eagles as they secured their first major trophy in their history by winning the FA Cup and, in the process, also secured Europa League football for next season.

This achievement will likely see Palace spend some money this summer, as Oliver Glasner looks to build a squad which is capable of competing in Europe and domestically.

Related Viana now moving to sign £59m Crystal Palace star who destroyed Man City

He’s been in sensational form as of late.

Posts ByTom Cunningham May 18, 2025

Despite securing European football, it appears it hasn’t done much in terms of them retaining the services of Eberechi Eze for next season. The Englishman, who got the only goal of the game over the weekend, has been a standout performer this season and is now wanted by several clubs from the Premier League.

Not long after beating Man City in the final, it was reported that incoming City sporting director Hugo Viana has made a move to sign Eze for the Blues. Eze is thought to have a release clause worth around £68-70 million, and the Etihad hierarchy are ready to activate it.

But City are not the only team ready to activate Eze’s release clause, as a report from Spain has stated that Chelsea are also lining up an offer for the exciting attacking midfielder. The fact that Eze has a release clause means the likelihood is that Palace will lose their talisman this summer unless he downright demands to stay, and therefore, a replacement may well be needed.

Crystal Palace in race to sign Rayan Cherki

The Eagles appear to already have a player in mind when it comes to replacing Eze, as according to a report from Spain, Crystal Palace are interested in signing Rayan Cherki from Lyon, who are desperate to sell their midfielder.

The report states that Lyon’s financial situation means they are having to consider letting players leave the club this summer. It goes on to add that the French side are looking to improve their accounts quickly and therefore are willing to sell Cherki for around 22 million euros, which is roughly £19 million, and they hope an offer will arrive soon.

Rayan Cherki’s 24/25 league stats compared to Eze

Cherki

Eze

Apps

30

32

Starts

22

30

Goals

8

7

xG

5.0

10.2

Assists

11

8

Progressive carries

106

67

Palace are not the only team chasing the 21-year-old, as Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur are also keen on the Frenchman, as well as Manchester United, who have been contacted with the chance to sign Cherki.

The right-winger, who can also play in a more central position, has been dubbed “magnificent” by scout/writer Jacek Kulig, and he could be seen as a player who could fit perfectly into Eze’s playmaker role.

Fabrizio Romano has even reported that Lyon have confirmed Cherki will be leaving the club this summer, and were Palace to sign him and lose Eze, it would represent a good bit of business for the South Londoners from a financial perspective, as much as it would hurt to see their cup final hero walk out the door.

Smarts? Check. Innovation? Check. Banter? Yes sir. It was all so familiar that it took until he brought up three figures for the reality of his arduous comeback to sink in

Alagappan Muthu21-Sep-2024This was a really chill day in Chennai. Literally – some people had come in wearing winter caps – and figuratively.India were already 308 runs ahead. Bangladesh didn’t exactly see the point of being active participants in this Test anymore. In a weird way, it made sense. This game was deep in declaration territory. Might as well preserve their bowlers for the next one. Or maybe they were worried about the over rate. In any case, under overcast skies, after early-morning rain, on a fast-bowling pitch (though there wasn’t as much movement as earlier), Mehidy Hasan Miraz delivered twice as many overs as any of his team-mates in the morning session of day three. The spread-out fields added to the batters’ sense of comfort. They were walking singles.Related

Rishabh Pant, and a Test return 629 days in the making

Gill, Pant and Ashwin boss day three at Chepauk

After a point, Rishabh Pant couldn’t take it anymore. “,” he cried out, beseeching Bangladesh to make a change. “. One fielder here. Midwicket.” He’s been out of Test cricket for two years. He must have missed it a lot. Enough that on the third day of his comeback, he started playing not just for his team but the opposition as well.A Pant century is never short of highlights and this one was no different. There were so many scoop shots, and a crowd that is used to the culture of repeat viewings – you need to schedule some soul searching if you’re a Chennaite and you’ve watched a major movie just once – really appreciated that. There was also a straight six which he only managed by letting his bottom hand go off the bat. He played that once in the IPL three years ago, against Chennai Super Kings in Dubai, and Matthew Hayden on commentary dispelled the notion that the ball clearing the boundary was a fluke.He has all the party tricks, but he can do soft hands too•AFP/Getty Images”He’s nowhere near that. Now if he had two hands on his bat, that wouldn’t have gone half-way to the boundary. But he actually gets the extension through his hands which carries the bat out in front of him, and therefore he gets the distance towards the short side of the ground, granted, but what a shot!”Pant’s scoops have the same counterintuitive quality about them. He is perfectly happy to stay in line with the ball. Other players – like Jos Buttler for example – make an effort to get outside of it because the biggest thing preventing them from accessing that gap at fine leg is their own body. Pant just bends his torso away at the last instant and clearly that’s more than enough. He has an instinctive understanding of shot-making mechanics and that knowledge seems to be expanding.When he made 39 on the first day of the Chepauk Test, and the conditions were considerably harder to bat in, Pant thrived by playing the ball with really soft hands. It is easy to forget – because of his inextricable association with all things outlandish (like making his name as a babysitter first, batter later) – that he has this skill too. At the Gabba in 2021, he was content with just one boundary off his first 48 balls. He had a reason to bat that way. A Test match was on the line. Here, there were no big-picture constraints. He was 30 off 65 because he was being thorough. It is possible he might be growing out of his impulse-driven strokeplay phase.Why two hands when one will do?•BCCIThe fun that followed – Pant scored 19 off his first 39 balls against spin, then 64 off his last 48 – kept the crowd on their feet, and Shubman Gill on his toes. They had to celebrate a lot of boundaries and each time Pant seemed to insist on a routine. Two punches of the glove and, simultaneously, two taps of the bat. It resembled the secret handshake between Troy and Abed, from the hit series Community, and looked pretty cool but…”I was telling him to not to [do that],” Gill said, “Because I’m playing with a bat that I played the England series [with]. My bat is quite old actually. And he was hitting my bat so hard, I was telling him you know, I’m trying to save my bat. And if he didn’t middle it while in the middle, he would say no let’s do it again. I was like, bro, calm down.”There’s a chance that India have discovered a fun new partnership to follow with one of their old ones watching on with great interest. Rohit Sharma was sat in the dressing room, waiting for it. Virat Kohli had hit the nets at lunch, but he made sure to be back for it. Pant brought “it” with an effortless push to long-off. He only needed one more for his century. Gill thought he’d settle for that and soak in the moment. But Pant insisted on the second. Then he walked off to the side just a little. He must have had so many complicated feelings. Maybe his mind even went to that night on December 30, 2022. To come back from that, alive, is a lot to take in. To be good enough to play cricket again is a lot to take in. To score a hundred in his first Test back?Those two or three seconds just before he raised his bat, when the reality of what he’d done set in on Pant, might be one of the only known stretches of time in which he has ever looked overwhelmed.

Starring Dean Elgar, Virat Kohli, Jonny Bairstow and an England team playing a fierce and fun brand of the game

Mark Nicholas30-Dec-2022As the New Year of 2022 broke in South Africa, one champion team and an opponent up for the fight were locked in the most enthralling three-match battle. To briefly set the scene, we must return to 1991 and the end of South Africa’s two decades of isolation. India were the first to invite the South Africans through their door, and across three memorable one-day matches Mohammad Azharuddin and Clive Rice led their players on a groundbreaking mission of friendship and goodwill.It was to be the only international cricket Rice ever played. A generation of exceptional talent was lost to the apartheid policy pursued by the South African government of the day. Rice was a ferocious cricketer who could do many things but melting hearts was not often among them. His meeting with Mother Teresa made for one of cricket’s most remarkable and endearing images.Soon after, India travelled to South Africa for a series of Test and one-day matches, cementing a relationship that remains strong to this day. In 2009, when the IPL could not be staged in India because of the general elections, South Africa opened their doors to the most glamorous cricket event on earth.Related

Ben Stokes hails England's fun factor after 'releasing the fear of failure'

England share the burden and the glory in Ben Stokes' crowning victory

Ben Stokes' England hurl themselves into riotous embrace of Baz-ball

Control and clarity stand out in Rishabh Pant's personality-defining Newlands century

Go, Jonny go. And just keep going

Give and take off the field, nip and tuck on it – these two great countries, whose inherent problems had not been so dissimilar, could not get enough of each other. Late in 2021, Covid-19 lingered rotten in the air but India honoured their commitment to an old friend, albeit under strict pandemic regulations. The first Test of three was delayed until Boxing Day, when the players stepped out in Centurion to an empty stadium but hugely enthusiastic television audiences both at home and away.India won it, not quite at a canter but with something to spare. Virat Kohli led his men with a demonic eye and an overwhelming passion; Dean Elgar with inner steel and outward calm. There seemed to be only one winner. Not so. Not at all.Fire and spice: Jansen and Bumrah’s contest brought the sparks•AFP via Getty ImagesAt the Wanderers, Elgar played the innings of his life to see his team over the line in the gutsiest of fourth-innings chases. It was the first time that India had lost at the Bullring. The pitch had spite within but the South Africa captain took the blows and jabbed back like a man born to that, or any other, ring. Alongside him, and close to serene in pursuit of 240, were Aiden Markram, Keegan Petersen, Rassie van der Dussen and Temba Bavuma, each of whom reaped the seed sown by the fire and craft in an attack led magnificently by Kagiso Rabada and enhanced by the new kid in town, Marco Jansen. Young, gifted and willing, the quietly spoken Jansen mixed it with Rishabh Pant and Jasprit Bumrah to bring an edge that South Africans enjoyed almost as much as the victory.So to Cape Town and the denouement: the first of the three best Test matches I have seen this year, and one that squeaks past the seven-wicket win in Johannesburg for its sealing of the series against the odds. Kohli had missed the second Test with a back spasm but returned for what – and you would never have picked it – was to be his last match as captain of India. Far from in his best form for a long while, he batted as if his life depended upon his time at the crease, and he inspired a very different India from the one that freewheeled at Centurion. It was as if the players were reeling from defeat in the second Test, and to recover, reached for their deepest, most competitive instinct. This had been on view at Lord’s the previous summer, when Kohli and Co tore into England’s spirit and grabbed victory from the spectre of defeat. In Cape Town, they could not quite muster such effect but they tried their damnedest.Looking back now, it feels as if South Africa’s win was preordained by an external force. Even as Pant took the sword to Rabada’s band of bowlers in a thrilling second-innings hundred, the South Africans kept their shape.In short, it goes like this: India won the toss, batted obdurately against good bowling for 223, which South Africa almost matched. India batted again – the Pant show – but finished short of 200, which left the homesters 212 to win. No problem… for the same fellows who guided the team home at the Wanderers. Result: another seven-wicket win for South Africa, which wrapped up a 2-1 series triumph.In Cape Town, Kohli struggled to score against the South Africa bowling attack, falling first to Rabada, then Ngidi•AFP/Getty ImagesLet’s do the people. Kohli faced 201 balls for 79 runs in the first innings. His pride collected most of those, along with his desire to see India consistently win abroad. Kohli is not often shackled, never drawn, but here he was tamed, as much by his own determination as by the tricky pitch and superb bowling. Rabada had him eventually and three others too. The tall, slim and slippery quick Jansen had three of his own. There was press-box talk of South Africa’s finest and where KG sat among them; the talk of Jansen brought comparisons in two parts, with Glenn McGrath and Bruce Reid. Those are high bars.Bumrah then claimed five local scalps, three of which were in the top four of the batting list. Mohammed Shami hustled around him, a cricketer blessed with the smarts. There has not been one like Bumrah, though Jeff Thomson had a short-step approach, long levers and a whiplash release too. Imagine one at either end on a bouncy pitch.Kohli then batted 143 balls for 29 and Pant 139 balls for his unbeaten hundred. That was it, really, along with 28 extras. The match was ongoingly tense, the teams understandably less matey than their administrators, the head-to-heads raw. Rabada and Jansen took seven more between them and Lungi Ngidi three, which included Kohli. He picks up wickets that matter, does that Ngidi. Each session had its sound and vision locked in: it was cricket for the strong of heart and mind.Bumrah and Shami threw themselves at the SA order; Shardul Thakur tucked in behind them; Kohli exhorted; Pant encouraged; Ajinkya Rahane advised. Markram sweetly timed four boundaries in his 22-ball 16; Elgar just three in his 96-ball 30. Such is cricket, a game for all men and women.KP was the one what done it. Petersen made scores of 72 and 82, to go with 62 and 28 in Johannesburg. There is a beauty in his play that derives from grace in movement and minimal exertion in strokeplay. He appears first at the crease as a shrinking violet but blossoms as a rose, a man armed with thorns to remind the careless of his power. Small in stature, narrow of shoulder and gait, he is David over Goliath. Help came again from Bavuma, who has worked long hours on his forward play to the extent that, once troubled in his footwork by the full-pitched ball, he is now able to take advantage. Bavuma, a man at once both humbled and haunted by the single Test match hundred he made in 2016 and that he has not been able to improve upon, played tight and hard in this series. More hundreds will surely come.There was a squabble on the second-last afternoon, when India got stroppy about Hawk-Eye’s interpretation of an lbw shout by R Ashwin and then fired some shrapnel at the TV coverage in general. These matches are draining affairs and as India felt their grip slip, so their minds searched for reasons outside of the cruel bubble in which they had lived for so long. The overarching spirit of the series was good, the respect between the players evident. India remain the game’s greatest asset.The Indian team’s frustrations boiled over into the stump-mic incident•Gallo Images/Getty ImagesThe 111 required on the last day came easily enough; the eight wickets in hand providing a soft cushion as, increasingly, India looked spent. Kohli was generous in summary and quick to recognise that the batters had been below par. South Africa’s unbridled joy in beating such a strong opponent was no more celebrated than it should have been. It is a proud land, especially so when sport is the stake. After Centurion, little hope was given by even the keenest supporters. At the end of Cape Town, a new expectation was born.On the subject of expectation, we now sail across oceans to England; to Ben Stokes, Brendon McCullum and to Jonny Bairstow. On the afternoon of 14th June, I was at home in front of the telly. Sky were showing highlights of the day’s play during the tea break. Much had happened since, for various reasons, I had checked out of Nottingham the night before. Not least, New Zealand bowled out for 284, which left England 299 to win in 72 overs. Thirty-six for one at lunch and 139 for 4 at tea left it seeming unlikely, but a mug of Yorkshire Gold and chicken sandwich to hand, I settled into the sofa.Sixteen overs later it was all over. The match, that is; the sandwich remained untouched by its wide-eyed maker. Bairstow flayed the most disciplined attack in the world. He hooked and cut and drove and thrashed any ball, everywhere. He went to a hundred in 77 of them, just two measly deliveries short of England’s fastest ever – if only he had known that Gilbert Jessop needed just 76 balls at The Oval back in 1902! At the other end, his captain looked on in astonishment. They hugged at the end, Bairstow one of the boys at last.I remember that afternoon for the innings, of course, and for the texts that pinged in on top of one another. “Are you watching?” “Can you believe this?” “What’s the fastest hundred ever?” (McCullum – 54 balls against Australia, seven years ago in Christchurch.) “This really is a New England.” “What a difference a captain makes!” “Have you ever seen a more brilliant innings?” “Told you, JB should never have been left out.” “They won’t mess Bairstow around anymore now!” “If only we’d played like this in Australia” “…Or the West Indies.” “Are Stokes’ England the real deal?”Jonny Bairstow embodied England’s new Test approach at Trent Bridge•AFP/Getty ImagesYes is the answer. Not that Trent Bridge conclusively proved as much by itself, just that consistent messaging from the moment the new captain and coach took over has been backed up by the amazing results – talk the talk, walk the walk. Trent Bridge was an assault on the senses. A match fought with mind every bit as much as muscle. Five hundred and fifty-three (after Stokes had put New Zealand in to bat) played 539 on the first-innings tally. That’s more often than not a dead end. But England’s score had come in under 129 overs, and thus, time remained in the match for the bowlers to chip away at third innings wickets, and for Bairstow. In all he blazed 14 fours and seven sixes. “It was do or die,” said JB, “So you’ve got to do.”England won six of seven home Tests this past summer and based the template on bowling first, scoring quickly and knocking off whatever was required. The bowlers were encouraged to search for wickets rather than to bowl “dry”; everyone else was encouraged to break free of whatever constrained them. The fear of failure was banished: a wasted emotion. There was to be no recrimination in this adventure, only fun. It went better than even the Stokes-McCullum axis might have hoped.But Rawalpindi was something else again. Rawalpindi was perhaps England’s greatest Test match win ever. In the modern era, there is ridiculous Headingley 1981; Karachi in the dark, 2000; Edgbaston’s chewed fingernails in 2005; dazzling Mumbai in 2012. There were some good’uns in the 1950s and 1960s, of course there are. There is the Golden Age. But Rawalpindi in 2022, well…To understand and appreciate we must go back to Rawalpindi in early March, when Pakistan and Australia slugged it out for five days, during which time a total of 14 wickets fell: four belonging to the hosts and ten to the visitors. Some pitch, huh? A bowler’s graveyard. Nine months later, England’s players turned the accepted reality of playing on that pitch into something almost fictional of their own.Stokes cemented his reputation as a talismanic player, and now captain, for England in the course of the Rawalpindi Test•Matthew Lewis/Getty ImagesFor a start, Stokes picked a couple of T20 ball-strikers and bit-part spinners. Then he won the toss and chose to bat. But you have to hear what happened next! England attacked 64% of the balls they faced – a T20 attack-dog rate – and left only 13 balls alone. By amassing 506 for 4 they broke the record score for the opening day of a Test. In the two innings they scorched the turf and peppered the stands for a total of 921 runs in 136.5 overs – about four and half sessions of play. That leaves a lot of time to take wickets, like ten and a half sessions.Except it doesn’t, because bad light almost always intervenes after 75-80 overs each day. For all the glory of the batters, England’s bowlers had found ways to take 20 wickets in every one of their victories since Stokes took the reins. Rawalpindi, the graveyard, was to be no exception. Will Jacks – heard of him? – claimed six in the first innings; Ollie Robinson and Jimmy Anderson four each in the second. Stokes rotated his bowlers like the ringmaster brings out his acts. Neither the opponent nor the audience were allowed to settle. Fielders were positioned in funny places, boundaries were left unprotected, bouncers were bowled to bodyline fields, spinners looped to tease with the field up and the space behind them vacant. The mind of the viewer boggled and rejoiced. Stokes declared England’s second innings with a lead of 342 at tea on the fourth day. That’s four sessions in which to get 343 on the flattest deck in the hemispheres. With minutes to go Jack Leach trapped Naseem Shah lbw. Got ‘im! Pakistan all out 268.”A win for the ages,” wrote Michael Atherton in the of London. No kidding.Remember, the match might not have started, so unsure were England about raising 11 fit men. A virus shook them about and led Stokes to tour the rooms at the hotel, urging guys like Leach from their sick bed. See, it’s all fiction. Except it isn’t. It was all conceived by the best captain you will ever see, leading a team full of optimism and ambition.Stokes can change Test match cricket, not necessarily for all those who simply want to copy him, but by opening the eyes of the world to what is possible. Malcolm Marshall used to say “Don’t worry about the pitch, just find a way to play well on it.” Stokes has that short sentence set deep in his philosophies, which are further enhanced by his license to thrill. The accepted ways have been discarded for the adventurous ways. He will lose and he will win some more. From here, the next fascination will centre around the adaptability of the players when the novelty wears off and the chips are down. But he doesn’t care about that. He cares that we care and that tickets sell and that cricket is a part of the national conversation and that cricket delights young people and old people in equal measure. He has stripped the game back to its origins: a ball, a bat and some fun. It is enough.More in our look back at 2022

And who will accompany Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami in the bowling department?

Sidharth Monga14-Dec-2020As India travel from Sydney to Adelaide, a few selection questions will be on top of their minds. The middle-order batsmen – Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane and Hanuma Vihari – and the two fast bowlers – Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami – select themselves, but the other five positions are open with equally reasonable arguments for the various options available.OpenersMayank Agarwal and Prithvi Shaw are the incumbents, but India didn’t get a single significant partnership at the top the last time India played a series, in New Zealand. The outsider is Shubman Gill, who will be making his Test debut should he play. All three have batted positively in the warm-ups even though Shaw managed just one decent knock in four innings. The last time they batted, Agarwal and Gill both looked good for hundreds, but the SCG pitch had eased out significantly by then.WicketkeeperAt least for the first Test, the middle order is sealed. Rishabh Pant is India’s incumbent wicketkeeper and No. 7 as India have preferred him to Wriddhiman Saha in series outside Asia. The logic for Saha’s inclusion in home Tests is to provide the spinners with a more accomplished gloveman. Pant has been India’s wicketkeeper on their last three tours outside Asia: England, Australia and New Zealand. On the last of those tours, Saha was fit and available. However, Pant has been losing favour gradually this year. It will be interesting to see if that extends to Tests too.Last two bowlersBumrah and Shami are sure to play, leaving the final two bowling slots open. R Ashwin has started India’s last three tours outside Asia and should be the favourite, except there is a fair chance India might not play a spinner. Spin has averaged 49 runs per wicket in day-night Tests in Australia, and that is despite a superlative average of 25 for the home spinner Nathan Lyon. So it won’t be unreasonable if India choose not to play one. If India do play, Ravindra Jadeja is out of the equation, and Ashwin’s competition is left-arm wristspinner Kuldeep Yadav, who took a five-for the last time he played in Australia, prompting the coach to say he was the No. 1 choice in overseas Tests.Umesh Yadav has to be the favourite as the third fast bowler: he looked good in the first tour game, has been the No. 4 behind Ishant Sharma, Bumrah and Shami for a long time now and has the experience of bowling in a day-night Test before. The other options are Navdeep Saini and Mohammed Siraj, both yet to play a Test.

The Los Angeles Dodgers may have just gotten another terrible piece of injury news.

During the sixth inning of L.A.'s matchup with the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday, All-Star first baseman Freddie Freeman was hit in the left wrist area by an 88 mph sinker from Jose Quintana. He immediately took himself out of the game.

Video is below.

The Dodgers officially called it a "wrist contusion."

We'll see what happens and there's a chance this was precautionary, but the Dodgers have been on the wrong side of injury luck all season. A number of key pitchers have missed significant time, including Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Roki Sasaki and Clayton Kershaw. Meanwhile, Max Muncy has been out for weeks with a knee injury and now Freeman may be hurt.

Here's hoping a Freeman injury isn't certain.

The summer transfer window saw Arsenal enjoy one of the most exciting transfer windows in their illustrious history.

Edu had left the club and Andrea Berta had arrived. The job he performed was incredible during his first window in charge of recruitment.

Viktor Gyokeres was the marquee addition but the likes of Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke have bolstered the forward line and ensured that Mikel Arteta can afford to rest and rotate a little bit more.

The defence was also strengthened, of course it was. Arteta loves a defender. Although, with both William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes currently out injured, it’s probably just as well Cristian Mosquera and Piero Hincapie signed.

So, what could January hold?

Where Arsenal could strengthen in January

Given the mass spending over the summer, it’s quite unlikely that Berta signs anyone throughout the winter.

That being said, with injuries ravaging the squad, it would not be a total surprise to see even more depth added.

Transfer Focus

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

It’s in the forward line where another player could arrive. Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo and Juventus winger Kenan Yildiz have both been linked, as has someone from Real Madrid.

According to Caught Offside, both Liverpool and Arsenal are ‘preparing their bids’ for Brazilian winger Rodrygo.

The Gunners were linked with the Madrid star right throughout the summer window but he ultimately ended up staying at the Bernabeu.

A few months on and rumours of a Rodrygo move to north London are gathering pace again. Caught Offside state that as a result of the attacker’s limited game time this season, they are willing to sanction his exit if a bid of around £78m is made.

Liverpool and Arsenal both currently lead the race but you would sense a move to Anfield is more likely given the Gunners already have plenty of options in wide areas.

Why Rodrygo would be a good signing for Arsenal

How we judge Rodrygo is a tricky one. This season, the 24-year-old has played 16 games but has only started three times in LaLiga. He’s failed to score and only registered two assists. It’s pretty evident why he’s searching for a way out of Madrid this winter.

Last term was a better one for the Brazilian, scoring 14 and supplying 11 goals for his teammates. That said, he failed to score in his final 13 league outings. Worrying signs.

At his best, however, he is “one of the best wingers in the world” in the words of analyst Spencer Mossman. He’s also a “world-class superstar” in the eyes of former Ballon d’Or winner Luka Modric. He’s certainly seen a few greats come and go in the Spanish capital.

It was only back in 2022/23 that Rodrygo, still a spring chicken in the world of football, scored 19 goals. He’s a goal threat and a creative outlet too. He’s rather similar to Eze in that regard.

While Rodrygo can play on either flank, it’s on the left, one of Eze’s best positions, where he’s most at home. Both fabulous ball carriers and comfortable in tight spaces, they are particularly alike with regard to their flair and the excitement they offer in the final third.

Goals

0.31

0.37

Assists

0.19

0.21

Expected goals

0.32

0.36

Shots on target

1.18

1.17

Key passes

1.93

1.95

Progressive passes

4.08

3.72

Shot-creating actions

4.64

4.42

Successful take-ons

2.32

2.47

Analysing their numbers over the last two and a half seasons, it’s clear to see just how alike the two dynamic forwards are.

Over several metrics they’ve been registering near identical numbers, specifically when it comes to shots on target, key passes and shot-creating actions.

Eze has been a breath of fresh air since joining Arsenal from Palace. That hat-trick against Spurs will go down in history as one of the most memorable moments from a north London derby. To sign a similar player in Rodrygo, therefore, is sure to delight supporters.

Creative, capable of scoring goals and fleet-footed, another Eze could be on their way to north London.

Arteta must drop Arsenal star who had fewer touches than Raya vs Brentford

It was a game to forget for the Arsenal star on Wednesday night.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Dec 4, 2025

West Bromwich Albion are currently competing to climb back up the Championship table in an attempt to join the race to gain promotion to the Premier League this season.

A 3-2 win over Swansea last time out has the Baggies in 12th place in the table, four points off the play-offs, and there is plenty of football left to be played.

Aune Heggebo, who joined the club in the summer, scored twice to take his tally to six goals in the Championship this season, per Sofascore, and he is currently one of the most valuable players in the squad.

West Brom's most valuable players

Per Transfermarkt’s valuation system, West Brom’s current first-team squad has a combined value of roughly £71m, and Heggebo contributes to around £5m of that total.

The most valuable player in the squad, unsurprisingly, is central midfielder Isaac Price, who has scored five goals and provided two assists for the Baggies in the league, per Sofascore.

Transfermarkt value the Northern Ireland international at around £10.5m and there have been no recent reports to suggest how much the club value him at internally, amid reported interest from Leeds and Crystal Palace.

West Brom’s most valuable players

Player

Market value

Isaac Price

£10.5m

Samuel Iling-Junior

£8.8m

Josh Maja

£7.9m

Aune Heggebo

£5m

Toby Collyer

£4.4m

Market values via Transfermarkt

As you can see in the table above, loanees Samuel Iling-Junior and Toby Collyer both rank within the top five most valuable players in the squad, whilst Josh Maja, who has only started four league games this season, ranks in third place.

Whilst the Baggies appear to be lacking in highly valuable players who could be sold for big money in the future, there is a former player who could be sold for more than the combined worth of the current squad in January.

The former West Brom player who is now worth more than the entire squad

In the summer of 2019, 16-year-old forward Morgan Rogers opted to move on from The Hawthorns at the end of his contract to sign for Manchester City.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast’s Where Are They Now series.

Expand Collapse

The Cityzens reportedly paid a compensation fee of near £4m to sign the England youth international, who had made one first-team appearance for the Baggies in the FA Cup against Brighton.

That outing in the FA Cup made Rogers the fourth-youngest player in the club’s history, and the youngest ever in the FA Cup, per Transfermarkt, and Manchester City clearly took note of that.

West Brom’s youngest-ever players

Player

Season

Age

Izzy Brown

2013

16 years, 3 months, 27 days

Jonathan Leko

2015

16 years, 4 months, 30 days

Kane Wilson

2016

16 years, 5 months, 12 days

Morgan Rogers

2019

16 years, 6 months, 11 days

Bobby Hope

1960

16 years, 7 months, 5 days

Via Transfermarkt

Things did not work out for the attacking midfielder at The Etihad, unfortunately, but he has since made his way to Aston Villa, via Middlesbrough, and is now a fully-fledged England international.

Rogers has scored 20 goals and provided 21 assists in 89 appearances for Villa, per Transfermarkt, and has scored one goal in 12 caps for the Three Lions.

Because of his impressive form for club and country, the former Baggies youngster is attracting interest from elsewhere and has been given a mammoth valuation.

TEAMtalk reported in November that Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United, PSG, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, and Tottenham have all registered interest in the attacker and claimed that Villa offered Rogers a new deal with a £100m release clause, shortly before it became official that he had put pen to paper on an improved contract.

Towards the end of November, The Mirror reported that the Villans are said to value the England international at a whopping £100m, although they did not mention it as part of a release clause.

Whether you take it to be a release clause or how much Villa will demand from any interested clubs, Rogers appears to be valued at nine figures by the Premier League club, whilst West Brom’s squad is only worth around £71m between every first-team player.

There is no guarantee that he would have gone on to fulfill his potential at The Hawthorns, but it must be bittersweet for the club to see that one of their former players, who they lost for £4m, is now being valued at a staggering £100m, whilst their most valuable player is valued at just over a tenth of that.

Related Mason must now bin West Brom star who earns more than Heggebo & Johnston

Ryan Mason must now axe this West Bromwich Albion high earner for good.

Posts ByKelan Sarson Nov 26, 2025

The Baggies can only hope that they are able to persuade the next Rogers, should such a talent come through the academy again, to stay at the club, rather than pursue a move elsewhere.