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Australia were able to field an unchanged frontline Test attack last season and Cameron Green could be key to them doing it again

Andrew McGlashan19-Aug-20241:12

Cummins: ‘I’ve been off bowling for close to two months’

Pat Cummins expects Cameron Green to have a greater workload with the ball against India this summer with Australia’s allrounders set to play a key role in ensuring the first-choice pace attack can sustain through five Tests in little more than seven weeks.Australia were able to field an unchanged frontline attack through the seven Tests they played last season against Pakistan, West Indies and New Zealand. None of the matches went into a fifth day and in only three of the innings did Australia need to bowl more than 78 overs which aided in keeping Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood fresh.Related

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Green gave Australia an additional bowling option when he returned to the side against West Indies following David Warner’s retirement but was only needed for 42 overs across four Tests.”It’s been huge [having the allrounders],” Cummins said. “In some ways we haven’t had to use them as much as we thought we would. Which is a great thing. The last couple of summers have been pretty light [with] quick Test matches.”I suspect this summer might be a bit different at time. We’ll be drawing on Cam Green and Mitch Marsh a bit more. Even someone like Cam basically started in Shield cricket as a bowler but hasn’t had to bowl heaps in Test matches. Now he is a few years older, I think we will be leaning on him a bit more.”Pat Cummins gives out some bowling tips•Getty Images

Green, who has taken 35 wickets at 35.31 in Tests, slotted back into the side at No. 4 earlier this year and scored a magnificent 174 not out against New Zealand in Wellington. There remains some uncertainty over the structure of Australia’s top six against India with Steven Smith’s opening role set to be an ongoing debate over the next few months. Still, barring injury it is all-but certain Green will be joined by Mitchell Marsh in the top six.”The first point is they both absolutely make the top six on their batting alone which is a luxury,” Cummins said at the launch of Play Cricket week. “We’re really lucky that Nathan Lyon bowls plenty of overs, so you don’t necessarily have to have an allrounder, but it makes a big difference to have that fifth bowling option. And with someone like Cam and Mitch we have six bowling options. It’s a really nice thing to have. Top six should always make the team on their batting.”Cummins’ fellow bowlers have also said that having a bowling captain has helped manage their workloads. “It’s nice of them to say that, they’d never say it to my face,” Cummins joked. “When I’m at the top of their mark asking them to do something, they know I’m also doing it down the other end and wouldn’t ask for something I can’t do myself. Maybe there’s a bit of built-up trust over the last decade or so.”Cummins is currently early in a two-month stretch without bowling having been left out of the limited-overs tour of the UK. He is focusing on fitness work to ensure he can get through another condensed period of Test cricket – Australia fly to Sri Lanka a couple of weeks after the India series finishes – although is keen to play the ODI series against Pakistan in early November alongside potentially one Sheffield Shield match for New South Wales. He confirmed it’s unlikely he will feature for Sydney Thunder in the BBL.Should Australia need additional fast-bowling resources, they have a healthy stockpile behind the big three led by Scott Boland. Michael Neser toured New Zealand while Western Australia quick Lance Morris featured in squads last summer although is currently working his way back from a stress reaction in his back. Xavier Bartlett was handed a central contract earlier this year after bursting onto the scene in white-ball cricket while the selectors retain hope that Jhye Richardson can overcome his injury problems.

South Africa suffered an innings defeat in the last Test they played earlier this year, while India beat England and Australia in December

Sruthi Ravindranath27-Jun-2024Big picture: Can South Africa challenge upbeat India? It’s been a while but women’s cricket finally returns to Chennai. Both teams are unfamiliar with the conditions: India haven’t played here since a Quadrangular Series in 2007; South Africa have only played one match in Chennai, a T20 World Cup game in 2016.But India are coming into this match not only having played a Test against England and Australia last December, but also comprehensively beating both those top sides. India’s spinners were key in those wins, and that will also be a big advantage for the home team going into this Test in what are expected to be spin-friendly conditions.Related

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India’s resources have only increased in the last several months. They handed maiden call-ups to several players and have had four players train at the National Cricket Academy exclusively for the red-ball format, boasting depth in both batting and bowling departments. Their offspin-allrounders Sneh Rana and Deepti Sharma played match-winning hands in the December Tests, while their batters posted two 400-plus totals in the first innings of both matches. Most of the international players also played in the Senior Women’s Inter-zonal multi-day series in March-April.India will also take confidence from the ODI series win against South Africa into the Test. Their mainstay Smriti Mandhana showed superb form, while the likes of Deepti and Arundhati Reddy shone with the ball.South Africa, on the other hand, will be playing their second Test of the year, having suffered an innings defeat against Australia in February in Perth. They also don’t have quality preparation with the red ball heading into this Test. The format is not part of their domestic system and South Africa also had only a couple of days to adjust to the conditions. They did have long net sessions over the last two days against Tamil Nadu’s Under-14 and Under-16 boys teams, facing more spin than pace.Laura Wolvaardt has called for South Africa women to play more domestic red-ball cricket•PTI South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt said on the eve of the Test that adapting to the ball “staying low and turning a bit” will be the “biggest challenge”. They do have a left-arm spin option in Nonkululeko Mlaba, while Marizanne Kapp said Sune Luus, who bowled offspin in the second ODI, will also bowl.All things considered, it is advantage India going into the only Test.Form GuideIndia WWD (last three matches, most recent first)
South Africa LDLIn the spotlight: Deepti Sharma and Laura WolvaardtDeepti Sharma has been in brilliant all-round form lately. In the Test against England, she picked up a match haul of 9 for 39, which included superb figures of 5 for 7 in the first innings. She also scored a 67 in that game in a dominant Indian batting display. Deepti followed that up with a score of 78 and two wickets against Australia. She was in peak form in domestic cricket as well, taking 27 wickets and scoring 157 runs in three games in the Inter-zonal multi-day Trophy for East Zone.Deepti Sharma has been in excellent all-round form lately•BCCICaptain Laura Wolvaardt has been a force at the top of the order for South Africa for a long time. But she’s been batting at a different level since last year: she averages 68.21 in ODIs with five centuries and three fifties, and 49 in T20Is with seven half-centuries. She scored 135* and 61 in the last two ODIs against India and will be a key player for South Africa in the Test as well.Team news: India likely to go with Shubha at No. 3Satheesh Shubha, who played the England Test in December, is likely to slot in at No. 3. Renuka Singh was rested for the last two ODIs against South Africa but had a bowl at the nets on the eve of the Test. Harmanpreet Kaur said that India would keep Renuka’s “workload in mind”.India (probable XI): 1 Smriti Mandhana, 2 Shafali Verma, 3 Satheesh Shubha, 4 Jemimah Rodrigues, 5 Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), 6 Richa Ghosh (wk), 7 Deepti Sharma, 8 Sneh Rana, 9 Pooja Vastrakar, 10 Rajeshwari Gayakwad/ Saika Ishaque, 11 Renuka SinghKapp, who did not play South Africa’s Test against Australia earlier this year, is likely to slot back in. She, however, did not bowl in the ODI series last week. Wolvaardt said at the press conference that Kapp was “managing her workload and taking it on a day-to-day basis” with the T20 World Cup around the corner. Sinalo Jafta, who did not play the last two ODIs after she suffered a mild concussion, has trained all week and is available for selection.South Africa (probable XI): 1 Laura Wolvaardt (capt), 2 Anneke Bosch, 3 Marizanne Kapp 4 Sune Luus, 5 Tazmin Brits, 6 Delmi Tucker, 7 Nadine de Klerk, 8 Sinalo Jafta (wk), 9 Nonkulueko Mlaba, 10 Masabata Klaas, 11 Tumi SekhukhunePitch and conditions: Expect spin to play a big roleThe Chepauk surface is traditionally known for being slow and spin-friendly. A red-soil strip will be used for the match, and Harmanpreet expects it to start spinning “from the second or third day”.There was a cloud cover on the eve of the Test but there’s no rain threat to the game.Stats that matter: Mandhana in sight of a milestoneMandhana is just 20 away from scoring 500 runs in Tests. She’ll be the ninth women’s batter from India to achieve that milestone if she gets thereDeepti has played four Tests and has a fifty in each of those. She averages 63.40 with the bat and 13.75 with the ball. The average difference of 45.65 is the second best among allrounders with 300-plus runs and 15-plus wicketsChennai has hosted only one women’s Test before this – India vs West Indies in 1976Kapp made her Test debut when the two teams last played each other – in 2014 in Mysore. That was one of the only two Tests she would play in ten years

The Premier League has had some of the best passers in recent history, such as Paul Scholes, Xabi Alonso and David Beckham.

Pass completion percentage is now a big part of the modern day’s data-driven analysis, with possession-based styles being adopted by more and more managers.

But who was statistically the best passer in England’s top flight during the 2024/25 season? Using data from football analytics site FBref, we’ve listed the top 10 Premier League players by pass completion rate. (Note: players have to have played at least 30 minutes per match to be counted.)

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Data correct as of 25th May 2025

Rank

Player

Club

PL pass%

1

William Saliba

Arsenal

94.3%

2

Manuel Akanji

Man City

93.6%

3

Ruben Dias

Man City

93.5%

4

Curtis Jones

Liverpool

93.1%

=5

Andre

Wolves

92.9%

=5

Ezri Konsa

Aston Villa

92.9%

7

Jan Bednarek

Southampton

92.7%

8

Mateo Kovacic

Man City

92.6%

9

Leny Yoro

Man Utd

92.4%

10

Jack Stephens

Southampton

92%

Here's a detailed look at the top 10 Premier League passers in 2024/25… 10 Jack Stephens (Southampton) 92% pass completion

Southampton defender Jack Stephens, though the centre-back had an injury-impacted campaign as he only started 17 times.

He still scraped into the top 10 come the end of the season, squeezing ahead of Premier League-winning captain Virgil van Dijk in the process.

9 Leny Yoro (Man Utd) 92.4% pass completion

Manchester United may have endured a dreadful season, but one of the brighter elements of the campaign perhaps came in the form of Leny Yoro’s emergence in the first team.

The Frenchman took time to make his mark at Old Trafford after getting injured soon after signing, but ended the season as one of their most reliable players – made all the more remarkable given his age of 19.

Interestingly, another new signing was United’s next-best passer – Matthijs de Ligt clocked an average of 89.9% successful passes throughout 2024/25.

8 Mateo Kovacic (Man City) 92.6% pass completion

With numerous injuries at the Etihad Stadium, Mateo Kovacic was able to get more game time with Man City than he was perhaps expecting last season. He took his opportunity, whether that be in the form of scoring goals or his general all-round play.

As to be expected in a Guardiola side, Kovacic is tidy on the ball played a big role in the absence of Rodri.

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Posts ByBarney Lane Oct 28, 2024 7 Jan Bednarek (Southampton) 92.7% pass completion

Southampton’s possession-based style saw Saints centre-back Jan Bednarek end up in the top 10.

The Saints may not have got anywhere near enough points on the board, but Bednarek’s pass completion rate was a rare positive sign at St Mary’s.

6 Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa) 92.9% pass completion

Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa has been a regular under Unai Emery and offers the versatility of being able to play at right-back and centre-back.

The Englishman has now made over 200 appearances for Villa and is clearly comfortable on the ball.

5 Andre (Wolves) 92.9% pass completion

Arguably a surprise name on the list is Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Andre.

The Brazilian midfielder arrived from Fluminense ahead of the 2024/25 season but wasn’t a nailed-on starter under Gary O’Neil. He had been in and out of the starting lineup, but started more regularly under Vitor Pereira, showing his true worth to the Old Gold during this time.

4 Curtis Jones (Liverpool) 93.1% pass completion

One of the players who starred under Arne Slot during his first season as Liverpool manager was midfielder Curtis Jones.

Jones had the best pass completion rate of any Reds star and started 19 games last term as his rise in the first team continues.

3 Ruben Dias (Man City) 93.5% pass completion

Another Man City star on the list is Ruben Dias, with the Portugal international a mainstay in the Man City side.

Dias has found himself in the opposition half for plenty of City’s Premier League games due to their dominance, and he’s kept possession most of the time when on the ball. In fact, both of City’s centre-backs were exceptional last term…

2 Manuel Akanji (Man City) 93.6% pass completion

The top Man City passer last season was Manuel Akanji, who also occasionally chipped in at right-back as injuries bit hard at the Etihad Stadium.

The Switzerland international has seemingly nailed down a centre-back role under Pep Guardiola, becoming a trustworthy player in the absence of John Stones and Nathan Ake – particularly on the ball, if these stats are anything to go by.

1 William Saliba (Arsenal) 94.3% pass completion

Topping the charts this season is Arsenal star William Saliba, reaching over 94%.

A guaranteed starter for the Gunners under Mikel Arteta, Saliba’s place at the top of the game for some time is all but assured. Part of the reason for that is his calmness in possession, as evidenced by his high pass success rate.

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Manchester United fell heavily by the wayside under Erik ten Hag, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer before him; Jose Mourinho, previously, left hot under the collar after his progress unravelled like a spool of string in the wind.

Ruben Amorim has suffered a turbulent time at Old Trafford since replacing his hard-pressed predecessor, but he’s starting to turn a corner. His tactics are sinking in.

Just imagine how high the Portuguese tactician could reach should INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe equip him with a perfect spread of new signings this summer.

However, United have their financial difficulties and will need to sell in order to buy. Signing a striker is among the priorities for the Red Devils, but luckily, neither of Amorim’s recognised centre-forwards have proved they deserve a star role in the years to come at the Theatre of Dreams.

Man United's striking woes

United claimed a point in Sunday’s Manchester derby, which was very much emblematic of the issues presented to both neighbours right now.

Chiefly, the stalemate highlighted glaring deficiencies in attack, especially for the hosts’ part. Rasmus Hojlund toiled once again, replaced by Joshua Zirkzee in the second half. The Dutchman, who was signed from Bologna last summer for £36.5m, “offers a lot more” than his teammate, according to The United Stand’s Beth Tucker.

Even so, he’s not the long-term solution as the star focal frontman.

Minutes played

71′

19′

Goals

0

0

Assists

0

0

Touches

15

11

Shots (on target)

0 (0)

2 (1)

Accurate passes

7/9 (78%)

4/6 (67%)

Key passes

0

0

Dribbles

0/0

0/0

Duels won

1/4

1/2

Hojlund, Man United’s £72m number nine, was a non-entity once again. At least Zirkzee, replacing him with just under 20 minutes left to play, sought to make things happen, sought to take some initiative.

With just three goals from 26 Premier League appearances this season, Hojlund, who is 22, is apt for sale this summer, especially when considering that he’s averaging 0.8 shots per game.

How much Man United could recoup for a player like Hojlund, who is clearly talented but has endured a torrid time of it this year, remains to be seen.

However, the Dane will need to part with his red shirt if things are going to improve. United, for that matter, have identified the perfect replacement for Hojlund, and only by selling him will they be able to pounce.

INEOS make bid for new striker

As per Spanish sources, Man United are very much in the running for Sporting Lisbon’s Viktor Gyokeres, who has been one of the most prolific players in Europe over the past couple of years.

The Athletic confirmed last week that Arsenal have bumped him up to the top of their wish-list given Newcastle United are staying firm on their £150m valuation of Alexander Isak, but INEOS will hope that Amorim’s connection with the Portugal champions could see a bid from United hold sway.

Gyokeres, 25, is the gold standard, and the Red Devils know it. In fact, the report suggests that they have already offered a €75m (£64m) figure to take him off Sporting’s hands and reunite him with his former gaffer, albeit with Chelsea in the same boat.

Why Man United should sign Viktor Gyokeres

For what it’s worth, former Tottenham star Rafael van der Vaart remarked that Gyokeres is “a better version of Haaland,” owing to his more complete and dynamic skill set.

The data, in fairness, takes a step toward backing such an audacious claim up. As per FBref, Gyokeres ranks among the top 2% of forwards across Europe over the past year for goals scored, the top 5% for pass completion and shot-creating actions and the top 4% for progressive carries per 90.

So then, you see why he’s such a covetous man right now. Given that he fronted Amorim’s system at Sporting, posted 66 goals and 23 assists across just 68 matches for the young manager, you begin to see why INEOS are so desperate to bring him over to Manchester this year.

Such a powerful, precise and imposing number nine must leave Bruno Fernandes giddy at the thought of playing with him. Man United’s skipper, the all-inspiring talisman and all-embracing leader, has been the brightest light to emerge from a dreary campaign, popping up with big moments and providing creative support and defensive relief in nearly every fixture he competes in.

The 30-year-old is so many things for his team, but his chance creation is quite literally second to none, surely something that may tempt Gyokeres to move to Old Trafford and lead the line for Amorim’s side, charged as he would be by Fernandes’ consistent playmaking.

1.

Bruno Fernandes

30

74

2.

Cole Palmer

30

71

3.

Mohamed Salah

31

70

4.

Dejan Kulusevski

27

62

5.

Enzo Fernandez

29

60

While he wouldn’t come cheap, Gyokeres is the perfect profile for United and if signing a striker is neglected this summer, it’s hard to see how Amorim is going to close the huge gap between his team and their rivals.

There’s all the Sweden international’s clinical nature to consider. Sofascore record that he has missed 22 big chances across Liga Portugal and Champions League campaigns this season, scoring 36 goals across the two competitions.

That’s an insane level of composure and success in the ball-striking department. Truly, if such prowess can be translated to the Premier League, United could return to the forefront of the division, especially with Fernandes pulling the strings from behind.

Make no mistake, this is a player of greatness, a player who, in different circumstances, would be heralded with more effusive praises. Instead, he has remained committed to the United cause.

Fernandes has tasted a few pieces of silverware since walking through the gates, but if partnered with Gyokeres in a purring Amorim system, there’s no telling how high this club might reach.

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What must it be like to bowl fast in Tests for a non-Big Three nation? Just ask Asitha and Vishwa

Andrew Fidel Fernando25-Jun-2025If you are a seam bowler specialising in Tests, and hail from a non Big-Three nation, as Asitha Fernando and Vishwa Fernando do, you are charting one of the most difficult and least-rewarding courses in international cricket.Most difficult, because fast bowlers must put their own bodies on the altar of this sport in far more profound ways than batters, spinners, or even wicketkeepers. With every delivery there is the steaming in from dozens of metres away, the ridiculous force that goes through the front leg at the point of delivery, the shoulders, spines, obliques, groins, glutes, calves, feet, all being required to contribute some power to the occasion, and a follow-through that must be navigated safely. If any one of these sectors of your body is even slightly injured, it incapacitates a seam bowler more than similar injuries do for batters or spinners.Related

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Let’s take Lahiru Kumara as one example. He was the highest wicket-taker against Bangladesh in the away Test series last year, claiming 11 dismissals at an average of 12.63. The man had not played a single international since his last Test in early February, but had played most of a season of domestic cricket since then, and had been in good shape to make an impact on this home series against Bangladesh. But a week out, he busted a hamstring while fielding at training, and was ruled out of the series. He doesn’t get picked in many international white-ball XIs, so this injury will be taking a pretty serious playing opportunity out of his hands. And with a further 11 months before the next Sri Lanka Test is to be played, he has to show substantial willpower to stay in the game till then.(Side note: Lankan seam-bowling hamstrings in the last two decades have had artists’ temperaments. They are capable of jaw-dropping wonders like Dhammika Prasad’s spell on the fourth evening at Headingley, or Lasith Malinga’s rip-snorters. But if hamstrings had ears or lovers, Lankan fast bowling hamstrings are the type that would cut off their own appendages, or fall apart completely after a break up. They are sublime as part of a creative flow state, but absolutely never to be relied upon.)Asitha Fernando toiled hard on a surface not suited to his style•Sri Lanka CricketLeast-rewarding because, three league stints in a year (they don’t even really have to be the fancy leagues) will probably net you more money, for way less work. Plus, you know, the promotional dinners, and the parties. Non Big-Three Test cricket tends not to have a lot of parties. Why train your body to bowl 15-20 overs a day, when you can focus on being at peak performance for four?Matheesha Pathirana, as another example, is very likely the fastest bowler Sri Lanka has ever produced. But at this stage, seems unlikely to ever to play a Test. Chennai Super Kings’ scouts got to him before the Sri Lankan cricket system really had, and CSK have genuinely played a role in developing that talent, and have essentially called dibs. Not to put too fine a point on it, but if at the end of his career, Pathirana is remembered most for his IPL exploits, he will probably have earned more money by several orders of magnitude than he would if his career ends with Sri Lanka performances being the highlight.So pretty soon, it starts to feel like bowling 15-20 overs a day in Test cricket is like getting a several-year loan to buy a reliable Toyota for your family, only for some Crypto kid to pull up next to you at the colour-light in their fully paid-for Bugatti.Cricket slavishly follows the money now, rather than any other kind of value, and yet the likes of Asitha and Vishwa are still out here doing Test cricket justice by bringing everything they have to it. Asitha has bowling figures like 0 for 110, and 0 for 77 on his record, and yet somehow his work has never felt like “toil”. The word implies a physical limpness that Asitha has simply not allowed to enter his cricketing consciousness.Vishwa Fernando struck twice on the first day•Sri Lanka CricketHe may be a limited bowler in terms of height, pace, and skill, but to watch him operate in Tests is to watch naked and more-or-less relentless ambition. He took 2 for 43 on day one, on an SSC track not especially suited to his bowling (it was a bit slow for a seamer who tends to skid it on). He had had Anamul Haque dropped before he eventually took that wicket in his second over. Late in the day, he got one to pitch on a length, seam away, and hit the top of Nayeem Hasan’s off stump. He was pumped. But then he usually is.Vishwa, meanwhile, has always had the more laidback temperament. His mode of operation has been swing and seam, and he wiled his way through day one, less physically domineering than Asitha, but no less relentless, no less intense in the challenges he poses to batters. He moved it a little into the left-handers early on, but the seam movement had disappeared by the time a ball in the channel drew Najmul Hossain Shanto’s outside edge. Vishwa, a less-than-six-feet medium-pace bowler, will point to the bouncer he bowled the previous ball as a perfect set-up delivery to the wicket-taking one. You could doubt that explanation, but there’s no doubting figures of 2 for 35 off 16 overs – that economy rate being 2.18. There is almost no scorecard in the world in which those are not good figures.Sri Lankan Test seam bowling doesn’t necessarily have so rich a tradition, only three of their quicks (Chaminda Vaas, Malinga, and Suranga Lakmal) have ever taken more than 100 Test wickets. But as Test cricket appears to be winding down in several of its markets, it feels like Asitha and Vishwa are now partakers of a separate, global club of Test bowlers, who have trained their bodies to bowl 15-20 overs a day, and find themselves less valued than bowlers who send down only four.In this group, there are players such as Chris Martin, who took 233 Test wickets for New Zealand and was taking university courses (presumably to broaden job opportunities) well into his 30s, while sharing a dressing room with the likes of Brendon McCullum and Ross Taylor – each IPL millionaires. Others like Kemar Roach, owner of one of the most vicious inswingers in world cricket, has watched other careers take off into the T20 league stratosphere, while his remained moored to a middling West Indies Test side. Mohammad Abbas, Neil Wagner, Ebadot Hossain, Vernon Philander, Blessing Muzarabani – all these bowlers belong to this genre.Chris Martin leads a pack of Test fast bowlers who are valued lesser than T20 ones•Associated PressFor many in the non Big-Three sphere, it has begun to feel as if the publicity gained from “Saving Test Cricket” has become more profitable than the saving of Test cricket. This is why Bazball is able to equate the health of this format to scoring at between 4 and 4.5 per over, for example, while England has not hosted Bangladesh in the last 14 years, or Zimbabwe in more than 20 until the current summer. Australia have, in previous administrative eras, been hesitant tourists to South Asia. India’s modern top players play roughly half their Tests against the other Big Three teams. Jasprit Bumrah has played 59% of his 46 Tests against Australia and England.Still, what is happening at the SSC is Test cricket too, at least under current definitions. And increasingly Test cricket feels like a concept divorced from merit. Two of the three World Test Championship winners are sides with ailing Test programmes. Cricket has no serious will to fix that.The likes of Asitha and Vishwa will never have the chance to develop their Test-bowling skills as much as bowlers from nations that have stronger cricketing economies do. These are the margins of Test cricket that are most at-risk. If Asitha and Vishwa don’t make it, then who is going to inspire the next generation of Lankan red-ball bowlers?But at least in 2025, these two are still here, still putting their bodies through the seam-bowling rigours, and still taking important wickets. Test cricket is lucky to still have them.

Boult also went past Richard Hadlee for the most five-fors for New Zealand in an action-packed first innings at The Oval

Sampath Bandarupalli13-Sep-2023182 Ben Stokes’ score against New Zealand is now the highest for England in ODI cricket, surpassing Jason Roy’s 180 against Australia in 2018 at the MCG.ESPNcricinfo Ltd1 Number of individual scores higher than Stokes’ 182 while batting at No. 4 or lower in ODIs. Viv Richards’ unbeaten 189 against England in the 1984 Manchester ODI remains the highest, which came while batting at No.4.2 Players with a higher individual score against New Zealand in ODIs than Stokes’ 182. Shubman Gill scored 208 at the start of the year, while Sachin Tendulkar made an unbeaten 186 in 1999, both in Hyderabad.ESPNcricinfo Ltd1 Stokes’ 182 is also the highest individual score in ODIs at The Oval, surpassing Evin Lewis’ 176 not out against England in 2017. The previous highest score for an England batter at the venue was Roy’s 162 against Sri Lanka in 2016.Related

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• Stokes smokes England-record 182 to beat New Zealand by 181 runs

84 Runs scored by Stokes in the midwicket region with eight fours and five sixes. Out of his 182 runs, 141 came on the leg side including 12 fours and eight sixes.368 England’s total against New Zealand is the second-highest all-out total in the men’s ODIs, behind West Indies’ 389 all-out against England in 2019.ESPNcricinfo Ltd2 England’s total of 368 is also the second-highest in ODIs at The Oval, behind New Zealand’s 398 for 5 against the hosts in 2015.31 Runs aggregated by England’s bottom six batters (6-11) in the third ODI. It is their lowest in an all-out innings in ODIs since the 2015 World Cup game against New Zealand, where the bottom six batters collectively scored only nine runs.6 Five-wicket hauls for Trent Boult in ODIs, the most by any bowler for New Zealand in the format, going past Sir Richard Hadlee’s five five-fors. It was also Boult’s maiden five-wicket haul away from home.6 Instances of a batter scoring 150-plus runs and a bowler taking five-plus wickets in the same ODI innings. Stokes’ 182 is the highest individual score in an ODI where an opposition bowler has taken a five-wicket haul.

Thirty-five years on, a look back at the last-ball six that marked a high point in Pakistan’s cricket history

Osman Samiuddin18-Apr-2021The mid-pitch conference at Sharjah lasted at least twenty seconds. Javed Miandad, one hand on hip, one on bat, lush moustache dominating face, now remembers remarkably little of it. ‘It was one of those nothing ones, where you just hang around, catch a breath,’ he says. The conference the ball before had been, he believes, the crucial one. ‘That was when I had told him that we have to take a single, no matter what.”Him’ remembers it differently, as perhaps he would. Tauseef Ahmed–no off-spinner so resembled Lionel Ritchie–wasn’t even supposed to be there. The wicketkeeper Zulqernain had been sent above Tauseef, after Ramiz Raja told captain Imran Khan that he hit big sixes in club games in Lahore. He could, but he didn’t–despite Tauseef telling him to go for a single to get Miandad on strike just before he went out–and when he was bowled attempting one of those sixes, two balls were left, five runs needed.Tauseef’s memory is sharper, and in it, he inverts what Miandad wrote in his autobiography. Perhaps his children believe him. ‘I told Javed when I came out that we simply had to take a run no matter what, even if the ball went to the wicketkeeper. Javed asked me whether I was sure, and I said we don’t have a chance otherwise.’ So Tauseef bunted towards cover and ran. Mohammad Azharuddin, one of the world’s best fielders, ran in, picked up and missed the stumps from no more than four feet.Related

Six and done – Javed saves the best for last

Miandad seals it with a six

Then came the mid-pitch conference. ‘He came to me and asked me, “What do you think he’ll try to do?”’ continues Tauseef. ‘I said he’ll definitely go for a yorker. Javed said, “Yes, and that means it could also become a full toss if he doesn’t get it right.” In any case, Javed was standing out of his crease a little.’Chetan Sharma bowled perhaps the world’s best-known yorker gone wrong•Adrian Murrell/Getty ImagesNineteen years later, on a train ride from Visakhapatnam to Jamshedpur, a group of Indian and Pakistani journalists sat in a berth with Chetan Sharma, once cricketer of India and planner of that yorker, then reporter for Zee TV. The journey was twenty-seven hours in the middle of a hectic tour, so talk naturally could be of one thing alone. A few beers down, surreptitiously consumed as if he was doing so in a dorm at boarding school, Sharma was the entertainment. Story after story came out, achievements and disappointments, selectorial slights, a*****e teammates, of what is wrong with everything in Indian cricket, the media, the world. Journalists being journalists, especially Pakistani ones, and fond of dealing in misery, there was only one story everyone wanted to hear. It wasn’t about Sharma’s unexpected ODI century as a pinch-hitter against England. It wasn’t even about a World Cup hat-trick. After a cigarette break, it was decided that the question would finally be asked; having held out for five hours, the great, stinking big elephant in the room would have to be poked. Two hours in, an outsider walking by recognizing Sharma, had stepped in excitedly wanting to chat; the journalists felt could’ve been the moment but he merely asked about Sharma’s hat-trick and left.Finally, the man from Reuters asked: ‘Chetan bhai, tell us one thing… what were you…’ Sharma interrupted. He knew this question. He had probably answered it to himself a million times over. ‘Arrey yaar, I just wanted to bowl a yorker.’He wanted to, but he didn’t. After the mid-pitch chat, Miandad stood at his wicket looking around the field. He needed four somewhere. He counted fielders around the ground–perhaps hoping it had swallowed a few–and took guard. Had Miandad successfully petitioned God for the ideal delivery, he could not have conjured up a better one; a thigh-high full toss, swinging in to his legs. He put it somewhere in the region of the stands at midwicket, arms raised almost in one motion from finishing the shot, and off he ran. Iftikhar Ahmed, the TV commentator, waited three seconds before concluding: ‘It’s a six … and Pakistan have won … unnnnbelievable win by Pakistan …’ He was calmer than many could hope to be and certainly more than the strangled screech heard just before his voice, a more manic subcontinent predecessor to Budweiser’s ingratiating ‘Waazzzup’; that it came from the short, round Mushtaq Mohammad, only nominally an impartial expert in the commentary box, is unsurprising.Like cartoons running away from a building on fire, Miandad and Tauseef hurtled to the pavilion from where a sizeable crowd was already pouring out. Smartly, Miandad–just behind Tauseef–curved away off-screen, while Tauseef went straight into the fans. He was greeted by fast bowling teammate Zakir Khan just before a , local police, seemed to knock him down with his baton, trying to control the crowd. ‘No, no, he didn’t hit me,’ Tauseef busted one enduring comic myth, ‘he just bumped into me and knocked me over.’Going downtown again: Miandad smacks one in a Benson and Hedges Cup game in Perth in 1987•Associated PressThat one shot was like a mince grinder in reverse. Into that burst went every strand of the transformation Pakistan had undergone over the preceding decade and half; the emergence of a superstar core, the spread of the game, the growing power of the player, the administrative vision of Abdul Hafeez Kardar and Nur Khan, the birth of departmental cricket, the rise of TV, more money. On the other side came out one solid lump of a golden age, the most golden age, in fact, Pakistan has ever had.Until came the logical conclusion in 1992 of the World Cup triumph, Pakistan were arguably the best side in the world alongside the West Indies. They lost just one Test series till 1993 (and only three in the decade between 1985 and 1995) and won a host of ODI tournaments, not least in Sharjah itself. Until 1999, by which time they had fallen–but still only lost six series from thirty-six–they remained one of the top sides in the world.To Miandad, describing the innings is dependent on his mood and bearing. Sometimes it is a simple gift from God. ‘Let’s take it from the start,’ he begins, and he really does. ‘I believe in Quran and its verses. I read it right? So I used to always pray to God that in my own field, help me do this one big feat that will always be remembered. This was my prayer.’I saw there were bigger players before me, who weren’t remembered. So I always prayed that I do something big. I used to tell myself, even if I die in the field, I don’t care. It’s like a soldier dying on duty. It is (martyrdom). That innings was like a gift to me. I didn’t play cricket like that, ever. That match … it was like a film. When I dream, it was like a film whose story has been written and now the film is being made. You cannot imagine one of the best fielders, from a few yards away missing three stumps, that you went in such crisis, wickets are falling, you are saved from a run-out, one four is stopped in last over, last ball finish, where the match was and where it went. This is a gift. To describe it is impossible. This was a gift from God.’Sometimes he takes recourse in rationality. ‘When I started, we’d already lost a few wickets, so the plan was to bat till the end so that even if we lost, we did with some dignity. Gradually, I started taking chances. Mostly I took risks with the running, but I’d hit a boundary and then stop for a few overs, before trying it again. We got to the last 20 overs still needing 9 or 10 per over. That was when I started actively working it out in my head, what we needed every over, where to get it, who to work with. By the time the last ball was to be bowled, I had become a computer: I knew exactly what Chetan was going to do, so I stood well out of my crease. He tried a yorker but being that far out, it became a high-ish full toss and I just swung. As soon as I connected, I knew it was gone.’

Elly De La Cruz is a first-time All-Star this season and among his experiences this week, meeting his favorite player will probably rank at the top.

On Monday night, as De La Cruz sat at Fox's baseball desk for an interview, he revealed his favorite player was sitting there with him. The 22-year-old Cincinnati Reds shortstop said, "I grew up as a [Derek] Jeter fan. He was my favorite player growing up." At that, Jeter reached across and shook his hand.

That's an incredibly sweet moment. A young star and a Hall of Famer connecting on the field at the 2024 MLB All-Star Game. Beautiful.

De La Cruz is one of baseball's brightest young stars. He finished the first half slashing .256/.346/.483 with 17 home runs, 43 RBI, a .830 OPS, 3.2 WAR and an MLB-best 46 stolen bases. He's electric and seeing him turn into a fanboy in the presence of Jeter was great.

تمكن مسئولو النادي الأهلي، من حسم صفقة جديدة خلال الساعات القليلة الماضية لتدعيم أحد صفوف الفرق الرياضية بالنادي.

ويواصل مجلس إدارة النادي الأهلي، برئاسة محمود الخطيب، التحركات من أجل تدعيم الفرق الرياضية بالنادي لاستمرار المنافسة على البطولات.

طالع.. الزمالك ينهي اتفاقه مع صفقة جديدة لتدعيم صفوفه

وعلم بطولات من مصادر خاصة، أن الأهلي أنهى الاتفاق مع آيه النادي نجمة منتخب مصر للكرة الطائرة للتوقيع في صفوف الفريق حتى نهاية الموسم.

ونجح الأهلي في حسم الصفقة بعد صراع كبير مع الزمالك حسمته رغبة اللاعبة لصالح القلعة الحمراء.

An “elite” midfielder has now risen to the top of Ruben Amorim’s shortlist, with Manchester United very keen to strengthen in the engine room.

Man Utd eyeing new midfielder amid Mainoo's lack of minutes

Kobbie Mainoo has played just 171 minutes across nine Premier League matches this season, most recently being brought on in stoppage time to help Man United close out a 2-1 victory at Crystal Palace.

Falling down the pecking order is far from ideal for the Englishman, who will have ambitions of going to the World Cup next summer, having played a vital role in the Three Lions reaching the final of Euro 2024.

The Devils’ Advocate co-host Joe McGrath has now claimed United should sanction a loan move this winter, saying: “We had a player worth – and is still worth – £80m or £90m. A young England international. He’s so good. We can’t let his standards drop and we need to let him go on loan.

Should that happen, the Red Devils will need to bring in a replacement, and Nottingham Forest star Elliot Anderson has now emerged as Amorim’s top target, with a report from TEAMtalk revealing the 23-year-old is their ‘clear favourite’.

There are a number of other options on the shortlist namely Adam Wharton, Joao Gomes, Conor Gallagher and Morten Hjulmand, with United clearly determined to bring in a midfielder.

Signing Anderson is now Amorim’s priority, however, even though it could take a huge bid to get a deal over the line, with the Tricky Trees planning to hold out for around £100m.

"Elite" Anderson would be statement signing for Man Utd

A number of top Premier League clubs are now queuing up to sign the England international, including Manchester City and Liverpool, so Man United would be making a real statement if they were able to win the race for his signature.

Man Utd copying Chelsea model as INEOS line up double new signing

INEOS have taken a page out of BlueCo’s book…

ByBen Goodwin Dec 2, 2025

It is no surprise so many teams are eager to sign the Forest star, given the impression he’s made for both club and country, with Thomas Tuchel recently lauding the central midfielder as “elite”.

The former Newcastle United man has also been in top form in the Premier League, completing a total of 736 short passes, the fifth-highest number of any player.

It is the correct decision to pinpoint Anderson as the top target, but United’s ability to compete for his signature will likely depend on whether they qualify for Europe, amid rival interest from some top clubs.