تمكن فريق برشلونة من تسجيل الهدف الثاني في شباك نظيره ريال سوسيداد، في مباراتهما الجارية حاليًا في بطولة الدوري الإسباني لكرة القدم.
ويستضيف ملعب “مونتجويك” مباراة برشلونة وريال سوسيداد، في الجولة السابعة من الدوري الإسباني لذلك الموسم (لمتابعة البث المباشر من هنا).
ونجح برشلونة في تسجيل الهدف الثاني أمام خصمه ريال سوسيداد في مباراتهما الجارية في الوقت الحالي.
جاء الهدف عن طريق النجم روبرت ليفاندوفسكي، بعد تمريرة من النجم لامين يامال الذي دخل كبديل، ومرر كرة ناحية البولندي، الذي سددها برأسه في الشباك.
بعد لحظات من دخوله أرض الملعب، لامين جمال يقدّم تمريرة ساحرة لليفاندوفسكي الذي سجّل هدف التقدّم لبرشلونة 🤩⚽#الدوري_الإسباني | #برشلونة | #ريال_سوسييداد pic.twitter.com/MNCaglCKOf — beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) September 28, 2025
The left-arm spinner helped keep South Africa to a 34-run lead on day one, after Bangladesh were bowled out for just 106
Srinidhi Ramanujam21-Oct-2024Sixteen wickets fell on an eventful opening day of the first Test between Bangladesh and South Africa in Dhaka. At stumps, the visitors managed to take a lead of 34 runs despite Taijul Islam returning a five-wicket-haul on a surface that has helped spinners to grip and turn the ball. Kyle Verreynne and Wiaan Mulder’s unbeaten knocks took South Africa to 140 for 6 before bad light stopped play six overs short.South Africa dominated the first two sessions but Bangladesh came back into the contest in the final session when conditions became difficult for scoring. Tony de Zorzi looked comfortable against spin and consumed the most of number of balls among the South Africa batters but Taijul sent him back for a 72-ball 30 in the last session to dent South Africa. This was after Taijul induced a top edge of David Bedingham for his second wicket. From a comfortable position of 65 for 2 post tea, South Africa slipped to 108 for 6.Debutant Matthew Breetzke exposed his stumps expecting the ball to turn away but the ball skidded on to clean him up, and that wicket made Taijul only the second Bangladeshi bowler to reach 200 Test wickets after Shakib Al Hasan, who was forced to miss his farewell Test game due to security reasons.Earlier, South Africa got into the act quickly with Mulder, Kagiso Rabada and Keshav Maharaj ripping through Bangladesh with three wickets each to skittle them out for just 106 inside two sessions.Kagiso Rabada dismissed Mushfiqur Rahim and Litton Das on the way to 300 Test wickets•AFP/Getty ImagesThe majority of the damage was done by the two fast bowlers in the morning session when they left Bangladesh six down and hurt them in hazy Mirpur after Najmul Hossain Shanto decided to bat first. Mulder and Rabada utilised the grass cover on the surface for extra movement off the surface while also finding early swing to leave Bangladesh reeling at 60 for 6. Mulder was exceptional in his six-over opening spell, taking three wickets and bowling three maidens. Rabada picked up two in the morning to cross 300 wickets in Tests.Maharaj spun a web around the lower middle order and had Mehidy Hasan Miraz lbw at the stroke of lunch. Mahmudul Hasan Joy was patient in his 97-ball 30 before offspinner Dane Piedt bowled him to end Bangladesh’s chances of redemption.Mulder’s third wicket was set up nicely when he removed the left-hand Shanto going around the wicket after four balls only for the batter to get a tame leading edge to Maharaj at extra cover when he tried to work through midwicket against the angle.Rabada, after bowling four overs in his first spell, came back and dismissed Mushfiqur Rahim straightaway when he got one to zip through the gap between his bat and pad to rattle the stumps. A few overs later, he hit the hard length and forced Litton Das to edge one to a flying Stubbs at gully.Taijul and Nayeem Hasan put on 26 runs for the ninth wicket – also the highest stand of the innings – but Rabada came back in the second session to remove Nayeem. Bangladesh added 46 runs and lost four wickets post lunch.Poor shot selection and good bowling saw Bangladesh being bowled out for a small total. South Africa have also lost half the side on the wicket that’s turning and bouncing but by gaining a small lead, they are slightly ahead at the end of day’s play.
Crucial innings points to more settled future for player overlooked in last round of ECB contracts
Vithushan Ehantharajah25-Sep-20241:23
Watch: Do England need Jacks for better balance?
Will Jacks was in no doubt that Tuesday’s 84 at Chester-le-Street was his best batting display for England to date.Granted, it is not a particularly crowded field. There have only been four half-centuries across 31 international innings. And though one of those is a 94 against Ireland, it is no slight on them to suggest this knock against a strong Australia attack (albeit shorn of Adam Zampa) trumps that one.England were 11 for 2, chasing 305. Jacks, having arrived in the third over at 7 for 1, set about a blockbuster stand of 156 with Harry Brook that got the hosts comfortably ahead of the DLS par before the rain ended proceedings. Though it was Brook who cashed in for his first ODI century, Jacks was the headliner in their partnership (82 runs to 68).The pace of Jacks’ innings – 23 off 30 balls after the Powerplay, half-century up off 55, then a hurry-up after taking the returning Mitchell Starc for 14 from four balls in the 23rd over – warrants special praise. Like the rest of the squad bar Adil Rashid, Jacks has been learning on the job. This third ODI means exactly half of the Surrey allrounder’s 32 List A appearances have come for England and the England Lions. Half of his four fifties in the format have come in this series.With bilateral ODI series losing their appeal to broadcasters, and the Hundred relegating the domestic One-Day Cup to a glorified 2nd XI competition, this shoe-horned tussle with Australia is not a total inconvenience. Jacks regards it as a welcome opportunity to get to grips with the format.”With the lack of 50-over cricket that we play now, finding the tempo can be difficult,” Jacks said. “Me and Ducky [Ben Duckett] found it in the first game but you can only get it by spending time in the middle. The position me and Brooky were in at 11 for 2, we almost had to dig in a little bit and give ourselves some time. It shows once you get a partnership how easy it is to rotate strike and score at six an over comfortably.Will Jacks celebrates after dismissing Marnus Labuschagne•Getty Images”The schedule only allows what it allows and that’s for people above us. We just go where we’re told. I think when you’re leading up to a major event you are going to play more but, with the way TV is now…that’s out of our control. When you play more together as a group you get back into the flow naturally. This is our first time together as a squad so it’s going to take time to get there. We’re progressing every game and hopefully when we come back next time, we’ll be one step further.”A five-game series is nice. It’s the first time I’ve played in one. Playing the same opposition you get in a nice rhythm, the team gets time together and this squad is growing.”That Jacks is part of this new era of English white-ball cricket, not least as the designated offspinner following Moeen Ali’s retirement, and thus a balancing allrounder, is no surprise. What is surprising is that it is only now that he is being regarded as part of the solution, even if the timing could not be better with Brendon McCullum taking the limited overs reins in the new year ahead of February’s Champions Trophy.It is two years ago this week that Jacks made his first international appearance on England’s T20I tour of Pakistan, before returning with the Test squad and taking 6 for 161 on debut in the first Test at Rawalpindi. At the time, he felt like the coming man across all formats, yet he has still not fully arrived as an England cricketer.That’s not squarely on him. That 2022-23 winter, the ECB sent Jacks on something of a wild goose chase. Those twin trips to Pakistan were followed by a stint at the SA20 at the start of 2023, before a Test tour of New Zealand. Not only did not play a game, but he was then seconded to Bangladesh as a reinforcement for a patchy ODI squad, in a series that began after the end of the final Test in Wellington.Related
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Jacks ended up injuring his hip flexor in Bangladesh – something he attributes to taking 40 flights over the off-season – which ruled him out of what would have been his maiden IPL stint with Royal Challengers Bangalore. By the end of that summer, not only had he missed out on selection for the 2023 50-over World Cup, but he was left off the ECB’s central contract list – something he only discovered over social media. This despite being given the impression he would receive one before a last-minute change.That will likely be rectified in the next round of contract offers, which are due to be ratified next week. Jacks replied with a simple “no” when asked if he knew of a prospective offer from the ECB.There is certainly no need to state his case in the press. Since missing out last year, he went on to star for Pretoria Capitals in the SA20 and RCB in the IPL, with a stint at BPL franchise Comilla Victorians sandwiched in between. Deal or no deal, Jacks has not lacked money or status in this cycle.He did at least make the cut for England’s 2024 T20 World Cup squad earlier this summer. The issue from the ECB’s perspective is that last year’s price is not this year’s price.Securing Jacks’ immediate future will be expensive. But last night, the last week and indeed the last nine months have shown the outlay for the 25-year-old is probably worth it.
Board is hopeful of creating a demographically-reflective national men’s team by the 2027 ODI World Cup
Firdose Moonda25-Jul-2024
South Africa made the T20 World Cup final for the first time during the 2024 edition•Robert Cianflone/Getty Images
Cricket South Africa [CSA] will host a three-day diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) Indaba (conference) from Friday, with the main aim of identifying a roadmap to ensure a demographically-reflective national men’s team by the 2027 ODI World Cup at home.They will also address issues of representation in the game overall but have changed the labelling of the event from Transformation to DEI to reflect an agenda that addresses the cricketing infrastructure in totality and is not entirely focused on a particular race group.”It is not only about black players but about building a diverse structure,” Mudutambi Ravele, CSA board member and DEI Chairperson told ESPNcricinfo. “For example, we have looked at the data from the Kwa-Zulu Natal (KZN) province and seen that the number of players of Indian heritage has got less and less. We want to address that. We have looked at Limpopo and there are no white players. We can’t have that. We want to address the issues holistically.”The cases explained above are important when contextualised against the backdrop of South Africa’s history, demographics, and national representation in cricket. While 84.8% of the population is black African, before readmission in 1992, South Africa fielded all-white national sides. Since then, efforts have been made to reflect the country’s other, and most significantly, majority race group, but there was only one black African player in the T20 World Cup 2024 squad – an issue that raised concerns and makes the timing of this conference important.Related
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While CSA has expressed concerns with the lack of black African international players, they also hope to develop the game holistically, especially in places where they can identify gaps in the talent pool such as in Ravele’s examples. The KZN province is the area in the country with the largest percentage of people of Indian descent – 9.3% compared to 2.7% countrywide – while Limpopo, the northernmost province of the country, has a 97.3% black African population but still around 2% of white citizens. Both those race groups have historically high participation in cricket and CSA will seek to understand why those numbers have dipped.However, even their more wide-reaching approach does not take away from the key problem which is the lack of black African representation, that could set CSA back on the agreed annual targets with the country’s sports ministry. In 2016, failure to meet targets saw CSA, and three other sporting federations, banned from hosting major events and with 2027 in mind, CSA is keen to demonstrate a strong commitment to change.When asked why Kagiso Rabada was the only black African in the T20 World Cup squad, South Africa’s white-ball coach Rob Walter pointed to the domestic system and asked it to “really up the ante”. Broadly, CSA agrees with him. At the time, they recognised that “various initiatives that have been pursued over the years have not yielded the desired results,” and now, Ravele said they continue to look at the domestic system to identify where it is lacking.”We want to look at the pool of players who are available and how we can support them to stay in the pool. There are a number of social issues that affect players from disadvantaged backgrounds.”CSA has also launched a specialised program for black African batters since this is an area of particular need.Walter will be present at the DEI , where he will be part of a panel of a discussion with black African batter Khaya Zondo, women’s international bowler Tumi Sekhukhune and former selector Patrick Moroney, who served on South Africa’s last panel under Victor Mpitsang.The selection committee was done away with when Walter and Test coach Shukri Conrad (who will not be in attendance as he readies the squad to leave for a two-match series in West Indies) were appointed last January. As head coaches, they were given sole decision-making powers over their squad selections. This is likely to change with some inside CSA pushing for the return of a panel, which Ravele supports. “A panel helps a lot because there are different views and people can think more broadly. There are more ideas,” she said.If the re-introduction of a selection panel emerges as one of the recommendations from the , it will still need to be ratified by CSA’s board but will ultimately take away Walter and Conrad’s independence.Kagiso Rabada was the only black African in South Africa’s T20 World Cup squad•ICC/Getty Images
The squad Walter picked for the T20 World Cup 2024 was South Africa’s most successful and reached the final for the first time, but Ravela would not be drawn into conflating their success with the issue of representation. “The squad did really well, but did they do well because they didn’t have black players? I think we should view their performance as a matter of progress, as they have been to the semi-finals several times before.”She stressed that CSA will not revert to stipulating a quota for XIs, as they have done in the past, but remain set on average goals. “For the national teams, we don’t put a number of players per event. We want to develop a plan for the year and ask what combinations of players can be used to make sure we are fielding diverse teams.”As things stand, South Africa’s national teams are required to field, on average over the course of a season, at least six players of colour of which two must be black African. At the provincial level, the same target is expected to be met but at least three of the six players of colour must be black African.The SA20, in which CSA owns the majority share although teams are privately owned, has no transformation target or even expectation imposed on it and will remain untouched. Ravele hoped that the franchise owners would keep South Africa’s segregated history and attempts at redress “in the back of their minds,” but so far, the competition is the least representative domestic event. In 2024, there were 13 black African players listed across the six squads, with one – the Pretoria Capitals – having none at all. Of those, only Rabada (MI Cape Town), Junior Dala, Tony de Zorzi (both Durban’s Super Giants), Lungi Ngidi, Andile Phehlukwayo (both Paarl Royals) and Sibonelo Makhanya (Joburg Super Kings) played more than one match for their team.
As their chase to sign Joao Pedro continues, Newcastle United have reportedly turned their focus towards an alternative option who already has a hat-trick to his name at St James’ Park.
Newcastle chasing Joao Pedro deal
After sitting out of the last two transfer windows due to PSR concerns, Newcastle are reportedly going full steam ahead with potential incomings this summer – setting their sights on Anthony Elanga from Nottingham Forest and Joao Pedro from Brighton & Hove Albion. Both options would undoubtedly add extra quality to Eddie Howe’s side, who will need all the strength in depth they can get now that they’re back in the Champions League.
Pedro would particularly hand the Magpies a much-needed solution whenever they find themselves without Alexander Isak. When both Callum Wilson and the Swede have struggled on the injury front, it’s been Anthony Gordon who was forced to step up out of position. The arrival of Pedro would quickly end that problem and perhaps even bridge the gap on quality to Isak.
Starts
23
34
Goals
10
23
Assists
6
6
Expected Goals
8.9
20.3
Whilst the Brazilian struggled to keep up with Isak for goals – as did a fair few forwards last season – he was always clinical when given an opportunity in front of goals, having outperformed his expected goals. So the potential is certainly there for those numbers to increase and in a side like Newcastle, Pedro’s opportunities in front of goal would only increase.
He could be better than Mbeumo: Newcastle enter race for £38m "future icon"
Newcastle need a new forward this summer.
ByAngus Sinclair Jun 14, 2025
The Brighton man won’t come cheap, however. The Seagulls are reportedly demanding as much as £60m to sell Pedro this summer which could leave Newcastle assessing their options. If that does prove to be the case, it’s then that they could turn their attention towards another Premier League rival.
Newcastle keen to sign Justin Kluivert
According to Caught Offside, Newcastle are now keen to sign Justin Kluivert from Bournemouth this summer in a transfer battle against Manchester United. Unlike Pedro, the Dutchman’s price tag reportedly sits at around €55m (£47m), handing those in Tyneside the chance to land a cheaper alternative and one who already has a hat-trick to his name at St James’ Park.
If Newcastle wanted to take a look at Kluivert’s quality then they certainly received the closest opportunity to do so. By the time that last season came to an end, the forward had scored two hat-tricks and taken his Premier League total to 12 goals in a fine campaign.
Earning plenty of praise as a result of his hat-trick against Newcastle, Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola told reporters when asked about Kluivert: “I think Justin is obviously playing with confidence. For me the first goal is key, it’s a good transition but he had options to play both sides and he decides to take the shot. And it’s a great decision, a great finish.
Bournemouth's JustinKluivertcelebrates scoring a goal
“He also scores an amazing goal after that is disallowed, but this was a lovely, lovely goal. And the assist to Dango. Apart from the job that he normally does in our press, he’s adding numbers that is always very nice.”
Arsenal could hijack a Man United deal for one of their “special” transfer targets, according to reports, as his representatives schedule talks with the Gunners.
Mikel Arteta looks ahead to summer after trophyless Arsenal season
With the 2024/2025 season yielding little in the way of honours, after Arsenal were knocked out of the Champions League semi-finals by PSG earlier this week, manager Mikel Arteta and sporting director Andrea Berta will now be looking ahead to the summer window.
Arsenal hold talks to sign £21m star who prefers Gunners over Man United
Mikel Arteta’s side are more appealing than Old Trafford.
1
By
Emilio Galantini
May 9, 2025
It is set to open in a matter of weeks, specifically from June 1 to June 10, before reopening again from June 16 to September 1.
Arsenal’s final Premier League games
Date
Liverpool (away)
May 11th
Newcastle United (home)
May 18th
Southampton (away)
May 25th
Luckily for Arteta, much of the groundwork has already been laid in regard to some key transfer targets, with Real Sociedad star Martin Zubimendi reliably expected to be joining Arsenal (BBC).
Alongside Zubimendi, some media outlets are reporting that Arsenal are making very significant progress on a deal for Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres, with all parties aligned on the contract package he’d get in north London (Football Transfers).
Unfortunately for the Gunners, news emerged that Wolves star Matheus Cunha, who was widely believed to be a target as well, appears more likely to make the move to Old Trafford instead.
The Brazilian, who has a £62.5 million release clause in his contract, boasts 17 goals and six assists from 33 appearances, and he can also play in a variety of attacking positions.
However, while United are the standout favourites for his signature, Arsenal haven’t entirely lost hope yet.
Matheus Cunha schedules talks over joining Arsenal
That is according to talkSPORT and their reporter, Alex Crook, who claim that Cunha’s representatives have scheduled talks over joining Arsenal, with Newcastle United also keen, as the former Atlético Madrid star keeps his options open.
New sporting director Andrea Berta actually signed Cunha for Atlético during his time at the La Liga club, so perhaps the Italian could still have a say here.
Wolverhampton Wanderers' MatheusCunhacelebrates scoring their first goal
TalkSPORT adds that United are fearful of a potential late hijack, so the Red Devils intend to move quickly as the summer window opens soon.
“He is a special player. He can do things that can make the difference in small details,” said Wolves boss Vitor Pereira about Cunha, summarising why clubs are so keen on the 25-year-old.
“We try his corner because we want the swing inside to explore this. But you can work a lot and in the end nothing happens. With this kind of player, this can happen. I think it is not about work, it is about quality, his individual quality.
“Matheus Cunha is a player, in my opinion, who can reach high standards in this league. I hope not [elsewhere] because we need him.”
In what could see one player make his return to the Premier League, Everton have now reportedly made their first contact to sign a former Arsenal defender this summer.
Everton looking to bounce back from defeat
Like every side sandwiched inside the Premier League’s bottom half, Everton have the luxury of playing without the pressure of relegation in the coming weeks, with the drop now confirmed for all three of Ipswich Town, Leicester City and Southampton. What that should hand them the chance to focus on is handing Goodison Park the farewell it deserves and that should start with bouncing back from defeat.
Friedkin now serious about dream Everton move to sign "fantastic" forward
A signing that would certainly make a statement…
ByTom Cunningham Apr 29, 2025
With nothing left to play for, the Toffees have suffered back-to-back defeats against Manchester City and Chelsea in two narrow games, much to the frustration of those on Merseyside who’ll be hoping to end the season strongly.
Manager David Moyes reacted to defeat against Chelsea last time out, telling reporters: “We were perhaps fortunate to only be 1-0 down at half-time, but we stuck at it and grew into the game and played very well in the second half.
“We were just lacking quality to get a finish on the end of some of our play. The substitutes made a big difference. It looked like we had more energy and were more creative.”
David Moyes
It’s the type of quality that the Everton boss will hope to see his side find in their penultimate game at Goodison Park this Saturday, which will see them square off against Ipswich Town.
It’s a game that the Toffees will be expected to win, especially at Goodison Park, and one that they should use to make a statement of intent as they prepare to enter a new era at the Bramley-Moore Dock stadium.
Meanwhile, away from the pitch, ahead of that new era, Friedkin have already reportedly set their sights on their first summer signing.
Everton express interest in signing Tavares
According to Sky Sports’ Gianluca Di Marzio, Everton have now expressed interest in signing Nuno Tavares from Lazio this summer. The left-back has spent the season on loan at the Serie A club this season in a move that will become permanent at the end of the current campaign. Any move away from English football may be short-lived, however, amid interest from Everton.
Praised for an “incredible season” and described as “talented” by U23 scout Antonio Mango during his loan spell at Marseille last season, Tavares has only reached more impressive levels at Lazio – assisting nine goals in all competitions.
As Ashley Young edges closer to retirement too, welcoming fresh competition for Vitalii Mykolenko would be no bad idea for Everton this summer, and Tavares would offer exactly that.
In one swift move, the left-back could find himself on his way back to the Premier League not long after turning his loan move permanent at Lazio this summer.
Sophie Devine took her time to get going, and then took time off to play hockey, but built up a remarkable body of work in ODI cricket before calling it a day
Shubh Agarwal26-Oct-2025Built to lastIt’s been almost two decades since Devine made her international debut as a 17-year-old in 2006. She finishes with the second-longest ODI career for a New Zealand cricketer, male or female. Only Suzie Bates, Devine’s long-time team-mate, has had a longer career, having made her debut seven months before Devine.In between, Devine had paused her cricket career for two years (2011-2012), when she featured for the New Zealand women’s hockey team.ESPNcricinfo LtdThe fixture against England is Devine’s 159th ODI, the second-most for a New Zealand woman, only behind Bates’ tally of 178. Remarkably, she also stands as the only New Zealand cricketer – and just the third women overall – to achieve the rare double of 4000 runs (4256 before her final ODI) and 100 wickets (110) in the format.ESPNcricinfo LtdDevine has the third-highest runs for New Zealand in women’s ODIs and is one among only three bowlers to pick up over 100 wickets.The emergence of the batterDevine actually did not bat much at the start of her career. She batted at No. 8 on her T20I debut and was run out without facing a ball. Four days later, she batted at No. 11 on her ODI debut, making an unbeaten 6 off 29 deliveries.However, things changed after 2013. It was the first time she averaged over 30 with the bat in a calendar year and she didn’t look back after that. It was also the time when she started batting in the top five consistently.But, at the same time, her bowling workload took a backseat.Since then, Devine has not only been among New Zealand’s most consistent run aggregators but also has the best strike rate among those who have at least 1000 runs in this period, also playing 40 of her 108 innings in this period at the tricky No. 4 spot.The batting numbers have spiked since then.In 2015, she was promoted to open the innings, which she has done 34 times in her career. In fact, she is one among only five players to have batted at all 11 batting positions in women ODIs.ESPNcricinfo LtdDevine shone in the opener’s role too. She scored five hundreds as an opener, the second-most for New Zealand with only Bates ahead with 12 centuries.Overall, her total of nine ODI hundreds, four of them as captain and six away from home are all second only to Bates’ numbers.Her 2470 runs away from home are also the second- most for a New Zealand woman cricketer.In the 2017 World Cup clash against Pakistan, Devine smashed nine sixes – a women’s ODI record later matched only by Chamari Athapaththu in 2023. Devine’s 93 off 41 balls came at a strike rate of 226.82, the highest for a 50-plus score in New Zealand’s ODI history.Before her final ODI, Devine had 75 sixes – the second-highest in women’s ODIs, behind only Deandra Dottin’s 91.Defiance in defeatWhile New Zealand’s campaign at this World Cup has been marred by poor weather and some mediocre cricket at times, Devine has stood tall as their highest run-scorer: she has amassed 289 runs at an average of 57.8.In New Zealand’s first fixture, she scored a valiant 112 walking out at 0 for 2 while chasing 327 against Australia. It was her third World Cup century, the second-highest for New Zealand. She followed it up with scores of 85 and 63 with wickets falling around her.Yet, she couldn’t save New Zealand from an early exit in this World Cup, a familiar script for a batter who has the second-highest runs in defeats in ODI history.
He survived a few close calls before showing the mettle that had been missing in his Test-match game
Alagappan Muthu04-Feb-20241:15
Manjrekar: ‘India needed someone to score big and Gill did it’
One way to play spin is to smother it. To reach out to where the ball pitches and squeeze all the life out of it. A lot of batters try it this way. Shubman Gill is one of them.Except something strange happened to start the 21st over. The ball is full, which is usually the invitation that Gill cannot resist. He was supposed to lunge forward. It’s a very black-and-white way of dealing with spin.Shreyas Iyer does it a little differently. He keeps his options open. He doesn’t fall for the length. He accounts for trajectory. Simply by not overcommitting on either foot. There were multiple instances of this on Sunday in Visakhapatnam. It is why he had a strike rate of 56 even though he hit only three boundaries.Related
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Sometimes it is better to let the ball spin. Because at that point, the bowler has no control over it. It’s all you.That’s why the single that took Gill from 27 to 28 seemed like a sign of growth.He was taking throwdowns after stumps on Saturday evening, a time when half the world was still hungover on Jasprit Bumrah. He hadn’t even changed out of his whites. Gill had trained himself to the ground in the lead-up to this game too. During the mandatory practice session on Wednesday, he kept going and going and going, and when he ran out of team-mates to run in and bowl to him, he turned to a couple of net bowlers who couldn’t have been more than half as tall as he is. Dude was doing everything short of offering ritual sacrifice to get back into form. Although, considering the luck he had out there…Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer have contrasting methods to play spin•BCCILooking stone dead when a ball from Tom Hartley became best friends with his front pad seven balls into his innings, and needing DRS to realise that he’d actually hit it. That’s how out of form Gill has been, and if it wasn’t for a last-minute, might-as-well kind of review, with the clock running out, a score of 4 would’ve been added to a sequence of 12 innings in which he’d only once gone past 35.He was later saved by umpire’s call when James Anderson seemed to have trapped him in front. That was 4 for 2. And it could have been 21 for 3 had a dream delivery for a left-arm spinner from Hartley got the ticks across the board that it deserved. It came from wide of the crease, angling in, drawing the batter forward, but never letting him reach the pitch. Then it straightened just enough to take the edge but England had placed their first slip wide.It was around this time that Iyer was getting set at the other end and he was doing this thing where he was backing himself against the spin. He was letting balls pitch and do whatever they liked and then he was responding to them in whatever way he liked. This was possible because Visakhapatnam wasn’t turning square. It also wasn’t turning quick. So when he pressed forward, he did so lightly, giving his hands a range of motion that allowed him to milk singles both in front of and behind square. Even when he would commit and run at the bowler, he was still loose enough to not be caught off guard. Shoaib Bashir tried to sneak one down the leg side and get him stumped, but Iyer simply slowed himself down and spread himself out so he would be a bigger target, blocking the ball that threatened him with ignominy.Being loose and being mobile is crucial to being at ease against spin. Gill, though, just kept getting locked up. Until, of course, the first ball of the 21st over when he too took a smaller stride forward to a ball that was noticeably full and by virtue of that he had the room he needed to bring his hands down on top of the ball and use his wrists to decide its fate. Earlier, he was just lunging to straight-bat them, or stepping out to whack them, blocking out all other scoring opportunities.Shubman Gill celebrated his third Test century without much fanfare•Getty ImagesThe stats bear it out beautifully. His 104 off 147 balls included 29 singles and five twos against spin. The only other times he had been that successful at rotating strike were when he had the benefit of two of the flattest pitches in the universe.Of course, this little trick won’t work everywhere. On surfaces with a little more bounce and sharper turn, Gill and for that matter, all other batters will need a better solution because then the gap you leave between yourself and the ball is the difference between being caught at leg slip and staying unbeaten for another ball. Considering the amount of work he’s been putting in behind the scenes, and the way he found himself in a rough patch in the middle of an innings with considerable jeopardy only to will himself out of it, Gill has shown the mettle that was missing in his Test-match game. The challenges that await him in the future may not consume him to the extent they did throughout this series.By the end, he was even having fun, playing the kind of shots seasoned pros do. In the 41st over, he only came down the track at Rehan Ahmed after the legspinner had let the ball go, opening up his hips because that’s what you do against bowlers coming around the wicket to smack them straight down the ground for six. The next ball was a slog sweep because once again, it pitched outside leg and he went low to high because there were no fielders in the deep. Finally, he nailed an against-the-turn flick through midwicket by making sure his feet were nowhere near the swing of his bat. He was in tune with the game now. He wasn’t getting locked up. He was seeing the greys.A Shubman Gill century usually comes with a showman’s bow but all through this innings, he was very stoic. It was as if someone had hit the mute button on him. He barely acknowledged his fifty and seemed to raise his bat upon getting to a hundred only because the crowd – his father was in there watching – wouldn’t let him skate by like that once again. Gill’s smile came back yesterday when he took those four catches. The runs have come today. What does tomorrow hold?
And is Mumbai Indians’ eight consecutive losses the worst start to an IPL season by any team?
Steven Lynch26-Apr-2022Mumbai Indians just crashed to their eighth defeat out of eight this season. Is this the worst start to any IPL campaign? asked Narendra Vohra from India Mumbai Indians’ horror start to the 2022 IPL does indeed turn out to be the worst yet: defeat to Lucknow Super Giants in Mumbai on Sunday meant they had lost all eight of their matches up to that point. Two other teams started an IPL season with six straight defeats – Delhi Daredevils in 2013, and Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2019.Apparently there was a suggestion online that Kings XI Punjab lost their first eight games in 2010, but that’s incorrect: their sequence included seven defeats and a Super Over win after a tie.There have been four cases of a streak of nine consecutive losses mid-season, by Kolkata Knight Riders in 2009, Pune Warriors in 2012 and 2013, and Daredevils in 2014. The record straddling seasons is 11 straight defeats, by Pune Warriors in 2013 and 2014, and Delhi in 2015-16.There were three double-centuries in the recent County Championship game between Derbyshire and Sussex. Has any match had more? asked Robert Sponder from England The three double-centuries in that match in Derby earlier this month came from Shan Masood, with 239 for Derbyshire, and the Sussex pair of Tom Haines (243) and Cheteshwar Pujara (201 not out). I was slightly surprised to discover that this equalled the first-class record: there had been ten previous instances of three double-hundreds in the same game, the most recent two coming in India’s Ranji Trophy in 2016-17, in the matches between Delhi and Maharashtra in Mumbai and Baroda and Punjab in Delhi.The first such instance was by Barbados and Trinidad in Bridgetown in 1943-44, and it happened again two years later in the same fixture in Port-of-Spain (Frank Worrell reached 200 in both). It’s happened twice in Tests – by Australia and West Indies in Bridgetown in 1964-65, and Pakistan vs Sri Lanka in Karachi in 2008-09.Which bowler has the worst strike rate in Test cricket? asked Michael Robertson from England Given a minimum of 50 Test wickets, the worst strike rate belongs to the former West Indian captain Carl Hooper, whose 114 victims came at a strike rate of 121 balls per wicket – that’s more than 20 overs for each one. Next comes Australia’s miserly medium-pacer Ken “Slasher” Mackay, who went for well under two runs an over but didn’t take many wickets: his 50 came at a rate of one every 115.8 balls. The worst among those with more than 200 wickets is another West Indian captain, Garry Sobers, whose 235 came at a strike rate of 91.9.Ben Compton became the 12th opener to bat through both innings of a men’s first-class match•Andrew MillerBen Compton batted through both innings of Kent’s recent Championship match against Lancashire – has anyone else ever done this? asked Norman Davidson from England Kent’s new opener Ben Compton carried his bat for 104 in the first innings of the recent Championship match against Lancashire in Canterbury, and was last out in the second innings for 115. This was the 12th instance of a man batting throughout both innings of a first-class match, the first since Derbyshire’s Luke Sutton (140 not out and 54) did it against Sussex in Derby in 2001.Surrey’s Harry Jupp did it twice – against Hampshire in 1866 and against Yorkshire in 1874, both at The Oval. The only instance in a Test was by Desmond Haynes, for West Indies against New Zealand in Dunedin in 1979-80; he was the last man out in both innings, after making 55 and 105.Thanks to an odd-looking lbw decision, Compton was deprived of the distinction of carrying his bat through both innings – a feat achieved just six times in first-class cricket, most recently by Andhra’s Sudhakar Reddy against Kerala in Calicut (now Kozhikode) in 1991-92, and Jimmy Cook for Somerset vs Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge in 1989.Sunil Narine was run out without facing from the first ball of a recent IPL innings. How often has this happened? asked Josh Willmott from England Opening with Aaron Finch for Kolkata Knight Riders, Sunil Narine was run out without facing against Rajasthan Royals in Mumbai last week. He was actually the fourth batter to collect what some call a “diamond duck” in the IPL, following Karan Goel for Kings XI Punjab against Royals in Cape Town in 2009, and M Vijay for Chennai Super Kings against Delhi Daredevils in Delhi in 2012 (both from the first ball of the match), and Colin Munro for Delhi against Royals in Jaipur in 2018, which like Narine’s dismissal was from the opening delivery of the chase.In all T20 cricket there have now been 22 instances of a batter being run out without facing from the first ball of an innings – rather neatly, 11 from the first ball of the match and 11 from the opening ball of the second innings.Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions