Scott McTominay delivered yet another commanding Champions League performance as Napoli beat Qarabag 2-0. But beyond the goal, the dominance, and another Man of the Match award, the midfielder turned the spotlight toward Napoli’s unsung behind-the-scenes heroes, further showing why his influence under Antonio Conte goes far beyond the pitch.
They beat Sri Lanka and Bangladesh respectively, but not in the most convincing ways
Valkerie Baynes05-Oct-20244:01
Takeaways: Australia and England off to winning starts
Australia and England safely navigated their opening contests of the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 but the path ahead shimmered into perspective in the Sharjah heat with neither side fully exerting their dominance and both left with some work to do.India’s shock loss to New Zealand on Friday night had fuelled Australia’s status as trophy favourites and England’s as their closest challengers.And while Australia defeated Sri Lanka by six wickets with 34 balls to spare, they were less polished in the field than has been their trademark for eons and Beth Mooney’s unbeaten 43 off 38 balls represented the bulk of their successful 94-run chase.Related
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Wyatt-Hodge, Smith to the fore as England grind past Bangladesh
England enjoyed the better of the conditions in their night game against Bangladesh, who restricted them to 118 for 7 before succumbing to a four-pronged spin attack in which Linsey Smith and Charlie Dean took two wickets each and Sarah Glenn one with spearhead Sophie Ecclestone going wicketless.England’s 21-run victory put them at the top of Group B with a superior net run rate to South Africa, who thumped West Indies by 10 wickets on Friday. Australia remained behind New Zealand on net run rate at the top of Group A.England team in a huddle ahead of the chase•ICC/Getty ImagesIt took England until the fourth over to find the boundary at the vast Sharjah Stadium. But when Danni Wyatt-Hodge struck two fours in three balls from Fahima Khatun and Maia Bouchier added back-to-back fours immediately before she was dropped on 16 slicing Marufa Akter to point, it looked like England’s attacking style was coming to the fore.By the end of the powerplay, England were looking good at 47 without loss but Bouchier fell in the seventh over. And while Wyatt-Hodge’s 41 at slightly better than a-run-a-ball propped up the innings, the loss of 5 for 37 in 8.2 overs gave Bangladesh a chance.Left-arm spinner Smith, in her first appearance at a World Cup since 2018, took 2 for 11 from her four overs and ran out Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana while off-spinner Dean accounted for top-scorer Sobhana Mostary, who made 44, and opener Dilara Akter.”First game out, a few nerves with the bat, I thought we adapted quite early, which was good,” Wyatt-Hodge said. “Then with the ball, I thought the girls did a fantastic job. Linsey Smith was outstanding, her first game for England in a World Cup for a while, really happy for her.”Hopefully we can kick on, learn from tonight and put out another display the next game.”
“It was warm out there, it’s tough. And we probably could have done that a little easier with the bat, but conditions were tough out there.”Megan Schutt
For Australia, Megan Schutt opened with a maiden and by the end of the third over, Sri Lanka had only six runs on the board – half of them because Schutt overstepped twice – for the loss of one wicket, Vishmi Gunaratne pinned in front on the last ball of Schutt’s second over.Then Ashleigh Gardner struck with her eighth ball of the match to remove great hope Chamari Athapaththu, whose lean tournament with the bat continued when she fell lbw for just 3, having scored only 6 in Sri Lanka’s first loss to Pakistan.Australia’s start wasn’t blemish-free. Having opted for the pace of Darice Brown over another spin option, she endured a torrid first over with three front-foot no-balls, a wide and clubbed for four through extra cover by Harshitha Samarawickrama.After seven overs, Sri Lanka were 27 for 3 and it could have been more after 12 had Alyssa Healy not missed a chance to stump Samarawickrama and had Brown not put down the same batter running in from extra cover.Schutt led the way with 3 for 11 including back-to-back wickets in the final over but it was a less-than clinical performance in the field by Australia’s standards in an innings punctuated by soft dismissals.The early loss of Healy, and Georgia Wareham had Australia looking shaky but then Mooney marshalled their pursuit expertly, although she was dropped on 22 to Athapaththu’s disgust.Megan Schutt now has the joint-most wickets in Women’s T20 World Cups•ICC/Getty ImagesSchutt described New Zealand’s win against India, which came off the back of Australia’s 3-0 sweep of their series with New Zealand last month, as “pretty cool”. Australia play New Zealand next up on Tuesday back in Sharjah.”It opens up the tournament completely and shows if you have a lot of intent at the start, what that can do in the powerplays,” Schutt said. “It’ll be a great match. Obviously we’ve just come off a series against them in Australian conditions, so it’ll be even a tougher match-up here.”Defending champions doesn’t really mean anything in a new tournament. The slowness of the pitches brings in every single team to this tournament. It actually evens it out really nicely.”It was pretty exciting to go out there. We were pretty nervous to play at 2pm in terms of the heat and I think we handled that really well. We probably worked ourselves up a little bit more than what it was out there. The breeze was lifesaving. So I think we’ve acclimatised nicely to that and now we’ve moving into night game, which should be much more pleasant.”Australia also understood they had work to do ahead of their next game.”We probably could have been cleaner in the field,” Schutt said. “It was warm out there, it’s tough. And we probably could have done that a little easier with the bat, but conditions were tough out there and credit to them for getting the job done.”
Her promotion to No. 6 raised a few eyebrows, but she showed her finishing chops with a match-winning, unbeaten 62 in the first ODI
Shashank Kishore17-Jul-2025There’s little doubt that Deepti Sharma could walk into India’s ODI squad as a bowler alone. Her three five-wicket hauls – the most by an India player in Women’s ODIs – speak volumes of her bowling pedigree. Her batting, however, has often been a subject of debate – not over her ability but her approach.Across 92 ODI innings, Deepti’s strike rate sits at a modest 67.91. For someone who usually bats in the lower middle order, there’s a general sense that she hasn’t quite unlocked her full potential, despite being nearly a decade into her international career.She has struck at 77.74 since the start of 2022, but that’s still in the bottom half (35th) of the 57 batters to have scored at least 500 ODI runs in this period.Related
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Which is why eyebrows were raised when she was promoted to No. 6, ahead of Richa Ghosh and Amanjot Kaur, in the first ODI against England on Wednesday in Southampton. India were 127 for 4 in the 28th over, with the required rate already nudging six an over.Deepti responded with an unbeaten 64-ball 62, forging crucial partnerships with Jemimah Rodrigues (48 off 54) and Amanjot (20* off 14) to help seal a four-wicket win with 10 balls to spare.”Whatever matches I’ve played, I’ve batted in similar situations,” Deepti said at the post-match press conference. “I knew the calmer I am, composed I am… that was the turning point. The focus was on building a partnership with Jemimah. I knew if we worked on the partnership, we could take the game close.”Deepti turned the strike and kept milking runs along with Rodrigues, with the pair adding 90 for the fifth wicket off just 86 balls. Deepti had only hit two boundaries until her 32nd ball – when she gave Lauren Bell the charge and walloped a six over deep midwicket – but had made 29 off her first 31 deliveries with largely risk-free cricket.Deepti hit three fours and this one-handed six over midwicket•Getty Images”I was not nervous because I’ve played in these kinds of situations earlier,” Deepti said. “I knew if I play till the end with Jemi, we can take the game deep. I was confident that if I was there till the end, I could finish the game. I was focusing on that. If Jemi hadn’t got out we could’ve finished the game earlier. After that, Richa and Aman played well, finishing the game with two boundaries. Credit to her.”Deepti spoke of communicating well with Rodrigues during the partnership. One of the plans was to be prepared for Lauren Filer’s bristling pace and potential short-ball tactics. Filer, easily the quickest bowler in sight in the first ODI, extracted lift off the surface every time she hit hard lengths.The ball she bowled to dismiss Rodrigues in her second spell – her sixth over – didn’t come out of the blue. Rodrigues attempted a scoop behind the wicket but only managed a tickle to the keeper with Filer finding extra bounce with her short ball. At that stage, India still needed 45 off 51 with five wickets in hand.Filer continued to trouble the batters – Deepti got lucky on 53 when she got cramped for room and sent a top-edged pull flying to the boundary – but England couldn’t quite exert pressure from the other end. And Deepti’s pragmatism helped India ride the wobbles.”We knew she’ll have to bowl in the end, and we planned really well for that,” Deepti said of the tussle with Filer. “We knew she’ll bowl short balls. We were pretty ready. The fields she put behind the stumps, it was clear. We were clear of our plans.”The win marked India’s fourth straight ODI victory in England, building on from their 3-0 sweep in 2022. They are building momentum heading into the World Cup, which they will host from September 30, but Deepti isn’t looking that far ahead yet.”As a team we’ve done some really good things, in Sri Lanka [where India won the tri-series in April] and here also. The World Cup is a little too far. We’re not thinking about that. We’re just thinking one match at a time.”
Visitors ensure third-placed finish, while Kent pick up the wooden spoon
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Luis Reece’s five-wicket haul completed a crushing win for Derbyshire•Getty Images
Derbyshire 698 for 6 dec (Reece 211, Madsen 198, Andersson 85, Donald 55, Dal 52*) beat Kent 271 (Ekansh 71, Dawkins 61, Morley 5-99) and 198 (Compton 65, Evison 53, Reece 5-63) by an innings and 229 runsDerbyshire routed Kent by an innings and 229 runs in their final Rothesay County Championship match of the season at Canterbury.Luis Reece, who scored 211 in Derbyshire’s only innings, took 5 for 63, while Ben Aitchison and Zak Chappell both took two wickets apiece as the visitors sealed third place in Division Two. Ben Compton was Kent’s top scorer with 65 but the home side already knew they would finish bottom, regardless of the outcome.Kent began day four on 135 for 5 in their second innings, 291 behind, and their tissue-paper thin hopes of avoiding defeat faded when they lost Harry Finch in the fourth over of the morning, lbw to Aitchison for 14.Aitchison, whose sister Holly is in the England squad for today’s Rugby World Cup final with Canada, then got the key wicket of Compton, again lbw and although Corey Flintoff hung around for 35 balls, he eventually pulled Chappell straight to Aneurin Donald at square leg and was caught for 11.Grant Stewart gave a sparse crowd some entertainment, hooking Chappell for six, but the bowler than had Matt Parkinson caught by Donald at short leg for a six-ball duck.The visitors concluded a win that had looked inevitable for the best part of three days when Michael Cohen flashed at Reece and was caught by a diving Brooke Guest, also without scoring. The wicket meant Reece became only the 51st person worldwide to score a double-century and take five wickets in a first-class match.
The battle to partner Usman Khawaja in Perth begins with an Australia A series in India ahead of three Shield rounds before the first Ashes squad is picked
Alex Malcolm14-Sep-2025Sam KonstasIt can be easy to forget that 19-year-old Konstas is actually the incumbent Test opener. It is also worth remembering that his name was not on anyone’s lips when a similar debate was happening 12 months ago around who should open in the Border-Gavaskar series, which proves how quickly things can change and how redundant this list of contenders may be come November.Konstas gets the opportunity to throw down an early marker in India as the only one of the true contenders to be sent on the Australia A trip, which is more of a development tour for 2027 and beyond than truly Australia’s second best XI. Bailey said in August that conditions in Lucknow will likely have no “great read through” to the Ashes and that Shield runs will be of more value. But a century or two, particularly against Mohammed Siraj in game two of the series, will do Konstas no harm.However, given his performances in the Caribbean and his overall first-class record, he would need to do a lot in the first three Shield games against WA at the WACA, Victoria at the Junction Oval and Queensland at the Gabba to prove that he is the right choice for the Ashes. The repeatability of his method and the tempo of his batting will again be examined closely as much as the runs he scores.Related
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Marnus LabuschagneIt is hard to believe that a 31-year-old with a Test average of 46.19 and 11 centuries from 58 Tests is not an automatic starter in Australia’s XI for Perth. But Labuschagne’s decline has been alarming and it is the reason he was left out in the Caribbean. He has not scored a Test century since July 2023 and has not scored a century in any of his last 42 international or domestic innings across all three forms. He has just one half-century in his last 16 which was in the Shield final in March.He has been scoring centuries and half-centuries in club T20 and state 50-over practice matches in the last fortnight. It is likely he has the least to do to prove his case for the Ashes. The selectors and coaching staff need only to see a version of the old busy and reliable Labuschagne in the early Shield rounds and or the ODIs against India. A couple of two-hour-plus innings, showcasing the technical work he did with batting coach Michael Di Venuto during the Caribbean tour, could be enough to get him picked in the first Test.There will be no concerns with him opening rather than batting at No. 3 despite limited experience. He has more first-class opening experience (17 innings), and as many hundreds (two) in the position, as both Konstas and Nathan McSweeney did when they were selected to open against India last year. The main concern may come with pairing he and Khawaja together in terms of their respective scoring rates. There is a world where Labuschagne could also return to No. 3 but that would probably require he and another contender to be in red-hot form, Cameron Green to be flying with the ball and Beau Webster’s batting form to tail off significantly before the first Test.Jake Weatherald is the most in-form uncapped domestic batter in Australia•Getty ImagesJake WeatheraldThe left-hander has the best chance of any uncapped player to earn a debut in the Ashes. He has been the most in-form domestic batter, let alone opener, in first-class cricket in Australia over the past 12 months. At 30, he is playing the best cricket of his life and enjoying it more than ever after experiencing significant ups and downs both on and off-field in his first decade as a professional.Unlike Konstas and Labuschagne, his game is not in a state of flux. Weatherald is well past tinkering with his technique, method, and preparation. He is also scoring at the fastest rate of his career, having struck at 67.23 in his last 20 innings while piling up 1143 runs, including four scores of 145-plus. From a tempo and style perspective, he is the perfect fit in a top four that has a tendency to absorb rather than put pressure back on the bowlers. A continuation of his spectacular form last summer in the early Shield rounds against Queensland, WA and potentially a Scott Boland-led Victoria attack would make him difficult to ignore.Marcus HarrisHarris is a perennial contender and remains in the selectors’ thoughts despite not playing a Test match since the 2021-22 Ashes and only averaging 25.29 from 14 appearances. There are several factors in his favour. The selectors know the cauldron of the Ashes won’t be an issue for him. He played four of the five Tests in 2021-22 and top-scored with 76 in his third last Test innings on the worst pitch of the series at the MCG against James Anderson, Mark Wood and Ben Stokes. He is also coming off scoring 1027 runs at 60.41 in the County Championship for Lancashire, including three centuries and five half-centuries.Factors counting against Harris are that he is 33 and all of those Championship runs came in Division Two batting at No. 4 and 5. He has also averaged just 34.20 in 55 Shield innings since his last Test appearance, with three of his four centuries coming at the Junction Oval. He averages less than 32 at all of Australia’s Test grounds in that time. His strike-rate has also dropped to 46.49 over that period, compared to his career rate of 53.09. Harris would need to return to the fluent, high-scoring player that he was when first selected in 2018-19 in order to jump to the top of the queue. There is a chance he may bat at No.3 for Victoria but that is unlikely to affect his chances should he score heavily.
Matt RenshawRenshaw would need a lot to go right to be in the Ashes mix but Australia’s selectors have not put a line through him given he was picked for Australia A’s white-ball team in the winter, albeit he was not considered for the red-ball games against Sri Lanka A. At 29, Renshaw could be experiencing a strong sense of both deja vu and empathy watching Konstas’ journey from afar. His early career arc was eerily similar. He was a similarly speculative pick to open in Test cricket off limited first-class experience as a 20-year-old. He made 184 in his sixth Test innings against Pakistan, but then a severe form slump saw him left out of the 2017-18 Ashes and that started a rollercoaster career that has seen him twice picked and dropped by Australia since.He has also lost his place for Queensland and batted down the order at times with a lot more success than he has had opening. In his last two Shield seasons he has averaged 34 and 29 respectively. His List A 50-over form by contrast has been outstanding and he is very close to cracking Australia’s ODI team as a middle-order option. Several big Shield scores opening for Queensland at the start of the summer would attract attention.Cameron BancroftTwelve months ago Bancroft was in the same position Weatherald is in now. He had scored 2021 runs at 54.62 from his last 42 Shield innings with nine centuries and the was the public favourite to open against India. But he then endured a torrid run with returns of 0, 0, 8, 2, 0, 16, 3, 0, 12 and 11 before the first Test which led to the selection of McSweeney.Bancroft’s coming off an excellent winter for Gloucestershire where he scored runs in all forms, but would need to pile up some big scores at the start of the season to put himself realistically in the frame. However, his WA captain and opening partner Sam Whiteman believes he is capable of playing Test cricket again. “He’s been a prolific run scorer for the past decade so as a good mate, I’d love to see him get one more crack at Test cricket because I feel like he’s such a better player now than he was when he was playing,” Whiteman said.Campbell Kellaway is viewed as one of the bright stars of the next generation•Getty ImagesThe long shotsCampbell Kellaway had a great finish to the domestic season last summer and will likely open alongside Konstas in India. Some big scores for Victoria at the start of the season would put him in the conversation if others falter.McSweeney will also feature in India and can’t be discounted after being selected last year but he needs some runs at No. 3 for South Australia.Josh Inglis’ name is continually raised publicly but it seems highly unlikely he would be considered to open in Test cricket in Australia. He would be one of the first picked for a middle-order role if an injury were to occur as it did with Smith in the Caribbean.Kurtis Patterson was selected for Australia A last summer and during the winter after an excellent return to form for New South Wales. He is seen more as a middle-order option but more runs at No. 3 for NSW won’t be ignored if others aren’t performing.The likes of Whiteman, Tim Ward, Caleb Jewell, and even Jayden Goodwin would have to do something spectacular at the start of the Shield season to vault into contention. But Konstas was in the same position 12 months ago, so the door is very much ajar for anyone to step through.
Leeds United pulled off an impressive victory to get back to winning ways in the Premier League on Wednesday night. Daniel Farke’s side beat Chelsea 3-1 at Elland Road to pick up a huge three points.
It was the perfect start for the Whites in front of a packed-out home crowd. After an intense first five minutes or so where they dominated, Leeds broke the deadlock.
It came from a corner, with defender Jaka Bijol making a brilliant run to the front post and emphatically heading home.
Chelsea didn’t really threaten much and eventually paid the price. Leeds doubled their lead right on the stroke of half-time, through a brilliant strike by Ao Tanaka.
The Whites won the ball back on the edge of the visitors’ penalty area, with Jayden Bogle finding Tanaka in space. The Japanese international fired home a strike from range to put them 2-0 up.
Chelsea did pull one back with just 50 minutes on the clock, thanks to substitute Pedro Neto at the back post. Yet, Leeds managed to keep them at bay, and with 18 minutes to go, capitalised on a defensive error to secure all three points.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored their third, a goal which capped off a brilliant performance.
Calvert-Lewin’s stats vs. Chelsea
Calvert-Lewin’s goalscoring form has begun to improve in recent games. He bagged against Manchester City last weekend, and again against Chelsea on Wednesday night, although that strike was certainly easier.
It was a mistake from Blues defender Tosin Adarabioyo which led to the goal, with the centre-back playing a sloppy pass to Robert Sanchez.
The Spaniard was immediately under pressure, with the ball crocheting off his body and into the path of Calvert-Lewin, who tapped home from two yards out.
However, it was not just his goal which impressed about the former Everton striker’s performance.
He was a nuisance throughout for the Chelsea defence, with Graham Smyth of the Yorkshire Evening Post awarding him a 9/10 rating, explaining that he ‘brought others into play’ superbly.
Indeed, the statistics back up what was a superb showing from Calvert-Lewin. He only had 37 touches but made an impact with most of those, winning an impressive 11 duels, managing three shots and, of course, bagging Leeds’ third goal.
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However, the Whites’ number nine was not the only one of their players to stand out against Chelsea.
Leeds’ other standout player vs. Chelsea
It was a huge win for Leeds on Wednesday night, which took a huge effort across the board. One of the best players was midfielder Anton Stach, who ran the game in midfield and was impressive defensively, too.
The numbers from the game reflect a controlled midfield performance from Leeds’ summer signing. He had 50 touches and completed 19 out of 24 passes, creating a superb four chances, one of which teed up Tanaka for his goal.
Off the ball, Stach made four recoveries and won three duels.
Touches
50
Passes completed
19/24
Chances created
4
Ball recoveries
4
Duels won
3
Clearances
3
Assists
1
The 27-year-old German was a “revelation” in the centre of the park, according to journalist Adonis Storr. That is something Smyth seemed to agree with, also giving him a 9/10 rating post-match, calling that showing his ‘best Leeds performance’.
Indeed, it is easy to see why Smyth is of that opinion. For the German to put in a showing like that against a side competing in the Champions League and that are pushing Arsenal at the top of the Premier League is a colossal effort.
He was everywhere against one of the strongest sides in the top flight, and the chances he created added that creative spark in the final third. He played a huge role in Leeds’ attacking play, which ultimately helped get them over the line.
Stach proved why he could be considered an undroppable member of this Leeds side. This was a much-needed win, and he was right at the heart of it.
Calvert-Lewin’s goals recently have been key, but Stach’s performance in midfield is exactly what is needed for them to beat the drop.
Leeds summer signing has been their biggest waste of time since Augustin
This summer signing has been Leeds United’s biggest waste of time since the signing of Jean-Kevin Augustin.
ByDan Emery Dec 1, 2025
He will finish as Sri Lanka’s third-highest run-getter, and their fourth-most capped player in Tests
Shubh Agarwal16-Jun-2025Angelo Mathews has called time on his Test career. Sri Lanka’s first Test against Bangladesh, starting in Galle on Tuesday, will be Mathews’ last. Irrespective of his performance in his farewell Test, Mathews will finish as the third-most prolific Sri Lanka batter in Tests, behind Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene. No other batter from the island country has accumulated over 8000 runs in the format.Mathews’ tally of 119 Tests will also be the fourth-highest for Sri Lanka, after Jayawardene (149), Sangakkara (134) and Muthiah Muralidaran (132).Most Test runs for Sri Lanka•Getty ImagesReliable away from homeAt present, Mathews has 4323 runs in Sri Lanka, the third-highest for a Sri Lanka batter, and 3844 runs away from home (including neutral venues), also the third-highest from his country – both only behind Sangakkara and Jayawardene.Among batters with over 6000 Test runs for Sri Lanka, Mathews has the third-highest proportion of runs away from home (47.07%), only behind Dinesh Chandimal (52.11%) and Aravinda de Silva (48.28%).Mathews is also among the only three Sri Lanka batters to average over 40 away from home (minimum 1000 runs outside Sri Lanka), and is just behind Sangakkara. Nine of Mathews’ 16 Test centuries came outside Sri Lanka, joint-third-most alongside Aravinda, and only behind Sangakkara (16) and Jayawardene (11).All four of Mathews’ Player-of-the-Series awards came away from home: against Pakistan in the UAE (2013-14), in England (2014), in Zimbabwe (2020), and in Bangladesh (2022). In 2014, Mathews got 306 runs, including two hundreds, in two Tests on the tour of England, where he led Sri Lanka to their first series win in the country (barring the one-off Test win in 1998).Angelo Mathews’ Player-of-the-Series awards in Tests•Getty ImagesLove affair with NZ, Pakistan and BangladeshAmong the eight countries against whom Mathews played at least five Tests, he averaged 50-plus against three: Bangladesh (55.38), New Zealand (51.21) and Pakistan (50.03).In terms of host nations, Mathews averaged 73 in Bangladesh, with two hundreds – including an innings of 199 in 2022. In New Zealand, Mathews averaged 51.38 for his 668 runs, the most runs for a Sri Lanka batter in the country. That included a knock of 120* in Wellington in 2018, as the match resulted in a draw after a marathon partnership of 274 off 655 deliveries between Mathews and Kusal Mendis.Mathews played six Tests against Pakistan in the UAE, where he averaged 73.37, with one hundred and four fifties. In Pakistan, however, he averaged only 21 across two Tests.The Purple PatchMathews averaged 40-plus as a Test batter for five years in a row from 2011-15. However, he was even more productive from 2013-15, when he surpassed Sangakkara (2355 runs) as Sri Lanka’s highest run-scorer by amassing 2378 runs.Mathews averaged 74.6 in 2013, and 77.33 in 2014. After the second Test against Pakistan at home in 2014, he was ranked as the No. 3 Test batter in the world. In 2015, Mathews averaged 42.25 and notched up three tons, as many as he did in the previous two years combined. Mathews also averaged 138.5 in 2020, but played only two Tests that year. His 50-plus average years in 2022 and 2023 included three out of four hundreds against Bangladesh and Ireland.In the three years from 2013-15, Mathews was also the most prolific No. 5 and 6 batter in Tests, scoring 2201 runs at an average of 57.92. Only Misbah-ul-Haq had more 50-plus scores than him (21).In this span, Mathews averaged 121 against South Africa (two Tests), 79.9 against Pakistan (eight Tests), 76.5 against England (two Tests) and 56.5 against India (three Tests).The misfortune in the 90sMathews is the only batter in the world to be dismissed on both 99 and 199 in Tests. He was run-out on 99 in his seventh Test, against India in 2009-10, while trying to come back for a second run to complete what would have been his first Test hundred. Mathews then had to wait for nine more Tests to bring up his first Test century: 105* vs Australia in 2011.Overall, he has so far been dismissed in the 90s five times, the second-most for a Sri Lanka batter, after Jayawardene (six times).Mathews also missed out on what would have been his second double hundred in Tests, when he was out for 199 against Bangladesh in 2022. That made him the second Sri Lanka batter to be out on 199, after Sanath Jayasuriya in 1997. Sangakkara, meanwhile, was left stranded on 199* against Pakistan in Galle in 2012.Steve Waugh has a 99* and 199 to his name.The part-time Test bowlerAn occasional bowler, Mathews picked 33 Test wickets. Younis Khan was his favourite batter to bowl to, as he dismissed him four times while averaging only 24 runs per dismissal. Two of those wickets came in Mathews’ debut Test in 2009.Mathews’ medium-pace seam bowling contributed to Sri Lanka’s win in the Headingley Test in 2014. Before his 160 with the bat in the second innings, Mathews bagged 4 for 44 in the first innings, including the wickets of Gary Ballance and Joe Root.
MatériaMais Notícias
Nas enquetes do canal do Palmeiras no WhatsApp do Lance!, os torcedores elegeram Raphael Veiga o protagonista e Weverton o pior em campo na vitória por 3 a 1 sobre o Liverpool-URU. O Verdão conquistou sua primeira vitória na Copa Libertadores no Allianz Parque.
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Veiga esteve diretamente envolvido nos três gols anotados pelo Palmeiras contra o Liverpool. O camisa 23 deu assistência para os gols de Aníbal Moreno, Flaco López e Estevão. Foi a primeira vez que Veiga deu três passes para gols em uma partida pelo Verdão.
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Ao contrário de Veiga, Weverton, na opinião dos torcedores do Palmeiras, falhou no gol sofrido pela equipe. Aos dois minutos do primeiro tempo, Rodríguez cobrou direto para o gol, o goleiro do Verdão espalmou para o meio da área e Rosso aproveitou o rebote e estufou as redes. O bandeirinha havia flagrado impedimento na jogada e, após seis minutos de revisão, o VAR não viu irregularidades e validou o gol.
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O próximo compromisso do Palmeiras será no domingo (13), contra o Vitória, pela primeira rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro, no Barradão. Tanto Veiga quanto Weverton devem ser titulares na partida.
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Mitchell Owen says he will not change anything about his batting approach as he prepares to make his ODI debut for Australia later this month following a stunning debut T20I series in the Caribbean.Owen, 23, was an eye-catching inclusion in Australia’s new-look ODI squad for the three home ODIs against South Africa to be played in the northern Queensland towns of Cairns and Mackay starting on August 19. The ODI series follows a three-match T20I series against the same opponents in Darwin and Cairns starting next week, with Owen remaining in the squad following a successful debut series against West Indies where he made scores of 50, 36 not out, 2 and 37, striking at a phenomenal 192.30 batting at No. 6 across the series.Despite his BBL success opening the batting, Owen’s power and poise in the middle and death overs in the Caribbean, as well as his ability to chip in with some medium pace, saw him added to the ODI squad as Australia begins their build towards the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa in the aftermath of the retirements of Steven Smith, Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis following the Champions Trophy.Related
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Owen revealed he had not been given any indication of where he will bat in the ODI team if he gets a chance, but he said his approach won’t differ from what he showcased in the Caribbean.”If I am opening the batting or if I’m batting down the order, not much will change,” Owen said in Hobart on Monday. “Not much really changes in any form of my cricket. I just try and hit the ball and I feel like if I sort of think ‘defend’, I go into my shell a little bit and it just doesn’t work. So yeah, I’ll be keeping that same mindset.”Owen has only played 17 List A matches for Tasmania. He batted at No. 7 in his first 10 with a highest score of just 16. Tasmania, with the same coaching staff as Hobart Hurricanes, shifted him to open in the Dean Jones Trophy (Australia’s domestic one-day cup) last summer, partly in preparation for him making the same move in the BBL.It was post his BBL success where he really found another gear in 50-over cricket, smashing 48 off 19 and 149 off 69 to set up two winning chases against eventual finalists Victoria and South Australia respectively to end the season.However, as was the case with his T20I debut, Owen is highly likely to get his ODI opportunity in the middle order despite his domestic success at the top. The loss of Maxwell in particular robs Australia of finishing power given Marnus Labuschagne and Alex Carey are set to retain their middle-order roles. Australia will need to re-jig their top four with ODI acting captain Mitchell Marsh and Cameron Green returning after missing the Champions Trophy through injury. Matthew Short also returns to the squad after missing the semi-final against India through injury having made a vital 63 off 66 while opening alongside Travis Head in Australia’s record chase against England in Lahore. Cooper Connolly opened the batting in the semi-final but has not been retained in either the T20I or ODI squads for the South Africa series.There will be a squeeze on for spots in Australia’s T20I side with Head and Short returning after missing the Caribbean series. Australia will likely start to bed their best available top seven against South Africa ahead of next year’s T20 World Cup. It means Maxwell, who opened in four of the five T20Is in the Caribbean will return to the middle order as he forecast, with Head likely to partner Marsh at the top while Josh Inglis looks set to remain locked at No. 3 unless Short is trialed there which would change the balance of the middle order.Mitchell Owen has a strike rate of 145.53 in his 17 List A matches•AFP via Getty Images
Green was the Player of the Series at No. 4 while Tim David made a century at No. 5 in St Kitts and Owen looked a ready-made T20I No. 6. With Maxwell being added into the mix, Australia look primed to have a power-packed middle order but who bats where in their first-choice combination remains to be seen. Stoinis is not in the squad for the South Africa T20Is just as he wasn’t in the Caribbean, in part due to his Hundred commitments, but he too is understood to still be in consideration heading towards the T20 World Cup with Australia set to play two more T20I series in October against New Zealand and India where some Test batters like Head and Green might be rested at different stages.Owen will join the squad in Darwin on Wednesday after a rare few days in his own bed. Since the start of April, Owen has played 26 T20s in five different countries across the PSL, IPL, MLC and his international debut.He said he has learned a lot about his own game after experiencing the T20 franchise merry-go-round for the first time in his career.”What I learned was that I have to find my own process and my own training methods to get ready for each game, because you don’t have those chunks of training time to upskill your game, or try new things,” Owen said. “You’ve got to be ready to play every couple of days. So for me, I learned a lot about that and a lot about what I need to get ready. And then obviously, on the different wickets, sometimes you don’t know what you’re going to get, but I think going to the subcontinent for Pakistan and India that held me in good stead for some of the wickets in the MLC and some of the wickets in the West Indies. It’s all just experience and knowledge that I’ve been able to sort of bank.”
حسم خوان لابورتا رئيس برشلونة الجدل حول فكرة تسمية ملعب سبوتيفاي كامب نو بـ ملعب ليونيل ميسي، كما أشار لموقف النادي من دخول سوق الانتقالات الشتوية المقبلة.
وكانت تقارير صحفية قد ترددت أن هناك اقتراحات تتعالى في برشلونة بشأن مزيد من إعطاء التقدير والتكريم للأسطورة الأرجنتينية بتسمية ملعب الكامب نو الجديد باسمه.
وقال لابورتا في تصريحات نشرتها “Barca Universal”: “لن نطلق اسم ميسي على الملعب، لا أعتقد أن هذا هو الخيار الأمثل، سيبقى الملعب سبوتيفاي كامب نو”.
وحول تكريم ميسي بمنحه تمثالاً في ملعب الكامب نو: “ليس هناك قرار نهائي ونهتم بأمور أخرى، لن يفتتح تمثال ميسي خارج الكامب نو إلا عندما يكتمل الملعب بالكامل، يجب إنجازه بدقة وليس بشكل سريع”.
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ودعم لابورتا مدافع برشلونة رونالد أراوخو بسبب الأزمة النفسية التي يمر بها: “أراوخو شخص حساس وعاطفي ويحتاج للدعم، لعب وهو يعاني من الألم والآن علينا مساعدته على التعافي نفسياً وجسدياً”.
وسئل لابورتا عن فكرة تعاقد برشلونة مع صفقة من العيار الثقيل: “برشلونة مستعد للتعاقد مع لاعب من الطراز العالمي ولكن فقط إذا كان ذلك ضرورياً حقاً، إن وجود عدد كبير من النجوم الكبار في نفس الفريق فكرة غير ناجحة وهناك أمثلة حية على ذلك من حولنا”.
وأشاد لابورتا بالمدرب هانز فليك: “هو مدرب صريح ومباشر للغاية ويستحق احترام اللاعبين، لا يتوقف عن البحث عن حلول، شخصيته تناسب هذا الفريق تماماً”.
وأكمل حول ما تردد عن طلبات فليك لتدعيم برشلونة في سوق الانتقالات الشتوية: “يريد التعاقد مع جناح، نحتاج لبدائل ولكن فقط بالمواصفات المناسبة”.
وأتم رئيس برشلونة تصريحاته عن روبرت ليفاندوفسكي ومصيره بعد نهاية عقده هذا الموسم: “يجب أن نتحدث مع ديكو حول وضعه، ليفاندوفسكي عانى من تراجع مستواه لكنه يسجل مرة أخرى، لدينا لاعب مخضرم يرشد الشباب وتأثيره مهم جداً في غرفة الملابس”.