Columbus Crew manager Wilfried Nancy is reportedly being considered for the vacant Celtic FC job following Brendan Rodgers’ departure last month. The Scottish club has appointed Martin O’Neill as interim boss but is expected to move quickly to secure a permanent head coach. Nancy, who has led Columbus since 2023, is among the names on their shortlist.
The hosts will be without three first-choice players in Wellington, where they have lost their last two Test matches
Vishal Dikshit09-Dec-2025
Can West Indies sustain the magic of Christchurch through this three-Test series?•Getty Images
Big PictureWest Indies came to Christchurch having lost each of their last five Tests, and having last won a Test in New Zealand in 1995. They seemed set to lose again. Then came the most audacious of efforts: they batted for 26 minutes shy of 12 hours – or nearly two full days – in their second innings, even raising hopes of chasing down an unthinkable 531 against a depleted New Zealand attack, despite having reeled at 277 for 6 at one point.West Indies will have their tail up going into the second Test in Wellington, where New Zealand have lost their last two Tests by big margins: by 323 runs to England and by 172 runs to Australia, both in 2024. The hosts have a long injury list, with Matt Henry and Nathan Smith out of the rest of the series and wicketkeeper Tom Blundell out of the second Test, with Mitchell Hay set to debut on Wednesday. They have, however, been bolstered by the returns of Glenn Phillips and the now-fit Daryl Mitchell, while Kyle Jamieson gets closer to Test-match fitness in the Plunket Shield.As their rejigged pace attack tries to find its bearings in Wellington, New Zealand will also hope their batters can fire as a collective. Tom Latham and Rachin Ravindra scored centuries in the second innings in Christchurch when the conditions had flattened out, and Kane Williamson returned to Test cricket with a 52 in the first innings, but there were no other 50-plus scores in either innings. New Zealand would especially want their less-experienced batters to also step up and not leave all the heavy lifting to the big names.West Indies have even less experience, with only three members of their squad – Shai Hope, Roston Chase and Kemar Roach – having played more than 30 Tests each. But they’re making something of a habit of throwing surprise parties on the road. Their lower order did it in Multan earlier this year, Shamar Joseph (currently injured) did it at the Gabba in 2024, and debutant Kyle Mayers did it with a double-century in Chattogram in early 2021.Christchurch only continued that trend. Can West Indies sustain that magic through the rest of this three-match series?Form guideNew Zealand DWWWL (last five matches, most recent first)
West Indies DLLLLIn the spotlightTwenty-five-year-old Mitchell Hay from Canterbury will get his New Zealand Test cap on Wednesday, having already debuted in T20Is and ODIs over the last 13 months. He has an ODI 99* against Pakistan to his name as well as the T20I record for the most dismissals in an innings, with five catches and a stumping against Sri Lanka in Dambulla. He boasts a first-class average of 48.58, with 1895 runs in 29 games including a century and 17 fifties. If he can bring that level of performance to the top level, New Zealand will have the ideal back-up for Blundell, who turned 35 this year.In his last match before this tour, John Campbell scored his maiden Test hundred in Delhi, a second-innings 115 full of authoritative sweeps and slog-sweeps. He has endured a difficult time on this tour so far. He followed scores of 4, 4 and 26 in the ODIs with a 68 in the warm-up game before the Tests, but he only managed 1 and 15 in Christchurch, where he was caught in the slips in both innings. West Indies will hope for more from the opener in Wellington.New Zealand are set to replace Michael Bracewell, who bowled 55 second-innings overs in Christchurch, with Glenn Phillips•AFP/Getty Images
Team newsNew Zealand will be forced to make at least three changes to their XI, with Blundell, Henry and Smith all out injured. They have called up right-arm quicks Kristian Clarke and Michael Rae to their 14-man squad, which also includes the returning Phillips and Mitchell, who fielded as a substitute in the first Test but wasn’t available for the whole game. Captain Tom Latham has confirmed that Phillips will come into the XI for Michael Bracewell, who sent down 55 overs in the second innings in Christchurch. Mitchell, meanwhile, could slot in for Will Young in the middle order while Blair Tickner and either Clarke or Rae come in for the injured fast bowlers.New Zealand (probable): 1 Tom Latham (capt), 2 Devon Conway, 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Rachin Ravindra, 5 Will Young/Daryl Mitchell, 6 Mitchell Hay (wk), 7 Michael Bracewell/Glenn Phillips, 8 Zak Foulkes, 9 Kristian Clarke/Michael Rae, 10 Blair Tickner, 11 Jacob Duffy.Shai Hope had an issue with his eye in the first Test and is “back to normal,” according to West Indies captain Roston Chase. West Indies may not feel the need to tinker too much with their combination, though they could bring in the tall Anderson Phillip for Johann Layne, who went for 127 runs in his 24 overs in the first Test.West Indies (probable): 1 John Campbell, 2 Tagenarine Chanderpaul, 3 Alick Athanaze, 4 Shai Hope, 5 Roston Chase (capt), 6 Justin Greaves, 7 Tevin Imlach (wk), 8 Kemar Roach, 9 Johann Layne/Anderson Phillip, 10 Jayden Seales, 11 Ojay Shields.Pitch and conditionsThe Wellington track is known to offer movement and bounce for the quicker bowlers, particularly early on. “There have been times when it’s been challenging to bat here first,” New Zealand captain Latham said on the eve of the Test. The team winning the toss at the Basin Reserve has opted to bowl first in each of the last 17 Tests here; the last side choosing to bat was New Zealand against Pakistan back in January 2011. Chilly weather is expected through the Test with temperatures ranging between 13 and 19 degrees Celsius. Clear skies and sunshine are expected through all five days, with minimal chance of rain.Stats and trivia The Christchurch Test was the first draw in New Zealand since November 2019, ending a streak of 21 matches with a decisive result. New Zealand will play a highly inexperienced attack in Wellington. The last time they fielded a Test XI in which no bowler had 50-plus Test wickets was the 2012 Kingston Test against West Indies. It was the first Test match featuring all three of Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Neil Wagner. West Indies have not lost the opening match of an away Test series only twice since 2014 (17 away bilateral series outside of Bangladesh and Zimbabwe). Those two series are the current one and the one in England in 2020, which they lost 2-1 after winning the first Test. Shai Hope has made 140, 56 and 103 in his last three Test innings. Before this run, he had not scored a fifty in 31 Test innings over six years. He scored 505 runs in those 31 innings at an average of 16.83, with a top score of 48.Quotes”Yes, they haven’t necessarily had the results from a Test point of view but any international cricketer can front up on any day and we certainly saw that over the last couple of days at Hagley [Oval] where whatever we threw at them, they just had an answer for.”
“The guys have settled well. The Test match that we played is going to give us a lot of confidence going in the series, knowing that we can actually compete and [having] come close, almost having a chance of winning the first Test match. So the spirits are high and very, very, very, very believing right now.”
Arsenal have announced that teenage starlet Max Dowman has been dropped from their Champions League squad and will not be eligible to play in the competition again until February 2026. The Gunners have replaced Dowman in their European squad by calling-up fit-again striker Gabriel Jesus. The Brazilian is back in action after a lengthy spell on the sidelines with a knee injury.
Teenage debutant made history
Dowman made history earlier this season when he featured for Arsenal in their Champions League game against Slavia Prague in November. The wonderkid became the youngest player ever to feature in the competition at the tender age of just 15 years and 308 days, breaking the record previously held by Borussia Dortmund’s Youssoufa Moukoko. Dowman played 18 minutes of the 3-0 win and drew praise from manager Mikel Arteta afterwards. He told reporters: "What he's done on the pitch is that he comes in, the first ball he takes, he takes people on, he starts to dribble, and gets a foul. That's personality, that's courage and that you cannot teach that. You have it or you don't, and it doesn't matter what his passport says. You throw him in this context and he's ready to adapt and have a good performance. So, I'm really happy with that."
AdvertisementGetty Images SportArsenal drop Dowman from European squad
However, Dowman will now have to wait for another appearance in Europe's premier club competition. Arsenal have confirmed that the teenager can not play again in the tournament until next year. A club statement read: "Gabriel Jesus has replaced Max Dowman on our UEFA A list with immediate effect. Therefore, Gabby is eligible to play in our match against Club Brugge in Belgium on Wednesday night. Max, who picked up an ankle injury playing for our under-21s on Saturday, will be added to our UEFA B list in January, but will not be permitted to play in any UEFA competitions for 60 days from today (February 6)."
The teenager's injury will be a blow as he has been making waves this season. The 15-year-old has already made five first-team appearances for Arteta's side in all competitions and has been likened to Barcelona star Lamine Yamal by team-mate Cristhian Mosquera.
Jesus on the comeback trail at Arsenal
The update means that Jesus is now eligible to play for Arsenal in their next Champions League match against Club Brugge on Wednesday in Belgium, although it remains to be seen if he will see any minutes in the game. The Brazil star has not played a competitive Champions League match for the Gunners for a year due to injury but was in action at the weekend for the Under-21s in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Manchester United at St George's Park. Jesus has spoken out recently about his long spell out and desire to get back out on the pitch. He told Arsenal's matchday programme: "I'm feeling great, my knee is responding very well. I'm looking forward to being around the team again soon, to come back to do what I love to do. It's been too long … this one is the biggest injury I've had in my life. An injury like this, one that is so long, you split up the recovery periods into smaller timings. So now I'm at the stage where I need to hold myself back a little bit because I'm doing great work off the pitches, but it's tricky because I need to not rush myself too hard over the line. When you can see the end it's important you don't push too hard, keep my feet on the floor, and then as soon as the time comes, I will be ready."
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Getty Images SportClub Brugge in crisis ahead of Arsenal visit
Arsenal head to Club Brugge aiming to bounce back from a last-gasp defeat to Aston Villa in the Premier League on Saturday. Yet the Gunners will come up against a club plunged into crisis ahead of the match as head coach Nicky Hayen was dramatically sacked on Monday after a run of two wins in seven games. Arsenal have been perfect in the competition so far, picking up five wins from five games, and will be favourites to maintain their 100 per cent record on Wednesday night.
Things are looking up for Chelsea.
Despite a couple of poor results earlier in the season, Enzo Maresca’s side are second in the Premier League, with a chance to cut Arsenal’s lead to just three points on Sunday.
Then on Tuesday night, they showed the continent just how dangerous they are by beating Spanish champions Barcelona 3-0.
One of the stars of that game, and of Chelsea’s season, was Estevao, and so fans should be excited about reports linking them to someone who could be seen as the original version of the wonderkid.
Chelsea target the original Estevao
The transfer window is still over a month away from opening, but that has not stopped Chelsea from being linked with a host of potentially game-changing signings.
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Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
For example, Nottingham Forest’s man-mountain Murillo has been touted for a £79m move to Stamford Bridge, as has Athletic Bilbao’s £62m Nico Williams.
However, as talented as those two are, neither one can accurately be described as the original Estevao, unlike Vinícius Júnior.
Yes, according to a recent report from Football Insider, Chelsea are one of a couple of teams interested in signing the Real Madrid superstar.
In fact, the report goes further, revealing that should the Brazilian be up for sale in the summer, the Blues will be one of the frontrunners for his signature, alongside Manchester City.
However, the report has confirmed that, even though he’d have just a year left on his deal, Los Blancos would demand a fee of around £80m.
Even so, Vini Jr is a genuinely world-class player and someone Chelsea should be happy to break the bank on, especially as he’s the original Estevao.
Why Vini Jr is the original Estevao
Now, when it comes to the similarities between Vini Jr and Estevao, there are a few that are quite obvious and somewhat surface-level.
For example, they’re both exciting wide players, they’re both Brazilian, and now they’ve both played for the national team.
However, what makes the Madrid star the original version of the Chelsea star is how they were both spoken about prior to their big-money moves to Europe.
The Blues ace, for example, was labelled a “future Ballon d’Or winner” by respected analyst Ben Mattinson a few months before his deal was agreed.
Likewise, when the 25-year-old arrived in Spain over seven years ago, president Florentino Perez said: “He’s a player who is already considered one of the great hopes of Brazilian and world football.
In short, the West Londoners’ new prospect looks to be following in the footsteps of the former Flamengo ace, and they’ll certainly hope he continues.
After all, despite having a slow start to life in the Spanish capital, the São Gonçalo-born monster has now amassed 340 appearances for the biggest club in the world, during which he has scored 111 goals and provided 89 assists.
Appearances
340
Starts
267
Minutes
24,291′
Goals
111
Assists
92
Points per Game
2.15
Moreover, he’s helped the club win everything there is to win in the game, including two Champions Leagues, three La Ligas and one Copa del Rey.
Finally, he also has some sensational underlying numbers to his name, with FBref ranking him in the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s top five leagues for progressive carries, the top 3% for successful take-ons, the top 6% for shot-creating actions and more, all per 90.
Ultimately, with all that in mind, it’s hard to disagree with Ronaldo’s assertion that Vini Jr is “the best player in the world,” and therefore, Chelsea should be doing all they can to sign him next year, especially as he could help Estevao’s development.
Chelsea have already signed another exciting star who's "just like Estevao"
Chelsea have already signed another youngster who could become another Estevao for Enzo Maresca.
ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 26, 2025
It has not been the start to the season that many Chelsea fans were hoping for in the summer.
Enzo Maresca’s side are not necessarily playing poorly, but as things stand, they are ninth in the Premier League and have lost three of their last five in the competition.
The good news is that they have progressed to the next round of the League Cup, and Jamie Gittens finally put in a sensational performance against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
His three goal involvements in that game should take some of the heat off him, although with him starting to perform, another summer signing is looking even more perplexing, a signing who could be the new Jadon Sancho.
Sancho's record at Chelsea
Contrary to what many non-Chelsea fans believe, the Blues did, at one point, intend to sign Sancho upon the completion of his loan last season.
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The deal they agreed with Manchester United the previous summer included an obligation to buy for £25m or a fee of £5m to send him back, and so initially, the club looked to keep him on a permanent basis.
However, according to reports, the reason they eventually paid to send him back to Old Trafford was because the Englishman refused to accept a pay cut to his massive weekly wage of up to £300k-per-week.
Such an astronomical salary would have been a ludicrous waste of money, as while the former Borussia Dortmund star had his moments here and there, he never blew anyone away during his time at Stamford Bridge.
For example, in 41 appearances across all competitions, the 25-year-old was only able to score five goals and provide ten assists.
That comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.73 games, which is hardly the output of someone who can demand the wages he did.
Moreover, those numbers start to look even worse when you dig a little deeper.
Sancho’s Chelsea record
Games
41
Goals
5
Assists
10
Goal Involvements per Match
0.36
All Stats via Transfermarkt
For example, two of his goals and five of his assists came in the Conference League, and while it was great that the club won the competition, the opposition they faced to do so were subpar at best.
In all, while it seemed like a good idea at the time, signing Sancho on loan last season was probably not worth it for Chelsea, and it looks like they made a similar mistake this summer.
Chelsea's Sancho repeat
While they haven’t all settled in just yet, it would be fair to say that Chelsea made several quite exciting signings this summer.
However, one signing that baffled fans and pundits alike at the time, and remains even more confusing, is that of Facundo Buonanotte.
The Blues signed the Argentine ace from Brighton & Hove Albion on a season-long loan with no option or obligation to buy, and while it’s not a terrible signing, there are a few reasons which make it a poor one.
For example, and this is a crucial one, he didn’t exactly light the world alight last season.
In his 35 appearances for Leicester City, the supposedly “magnificent” youngster, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, scored six goals and provided three assists, with seven of those goal involvements coming in the league.
Such a middling return just makes the Blues’ decision to bring him to the club on a short-term basis all the more baffling, as it’s not like he was an output machine last year.
This leads to the second problem with the move, which is that, if he’s only meant to play the less important games, why couldn’t the club give their own academy products that chance?
Surely it makes more sense to build up the experience of your own prospects over that of Brighton’s.
Finally, when he has actually played for Maresca, he’s not impressed.
In his five appearances thus far, the Pérez-born gem has scored a single goal, and that came against the mighty Lincoln City in the League Cup.
Ultimately, Buonanotte’s lack of impact last season, his underwhelming displays so far this season, and the fact that he could be blocking the pathway for a Cobham graduate just make his loan move more baffling with every passing gameweek.
Maresca can soon unleash "phenomenal" Delap upgrade at Chelsea in 2026
Delap’s place in the Chelsea side could soon be under threat.
1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Oct 31, 2025
أعلن المدير الفني لمنتخب مصر، حلمي طولان، عن قائمة البدلاء استعدادًا لمواجهة الكويت اليوم الثلاثاء، في افتتاح مشوار الفراعنة ببطولة كأس العرب 2025.
وتُقام المباراة على استاد البيت، أحد الملاعب الرئيسية للبطولة، في مجموعة تضم إلى جانب مصر والكويت، منتخبي الإمارات والأردن. يسعى الفريقان لتحقيق انطلاقة قوية تضعهما على طريق المنافسة على التأهل من الدور الأول.
ويأمل منتخب مصر في استثمار خبرات لاعبيه الشباب والقدامى تحت قيادة طولان، لتقديم أداء متميز منذ البداية، مع التركيز على حصد النقاط الثلاث وضمان الانطلاقة المثالية في البطولة العربية.
في المقابل، يدخل منتخب الكويت المباراة بمعنويات مرتفعة بعد تأهله من مرحلة الملحق، ويطمح إلى مواجهة الفراعنة بقوة وإثبات قدرته على المنافسة في واحدة من أبرز مباريات اليوم.
طالع أيضًا | تشكيل منتخب مصر الثاني أمام الكويت في كأس العرب.. شريف يقود الهجوم بدلاء منتخب مصر أمام الكويت اليوم في كأس العرب
علي لطفي، محمد عواد، أحمد هاني، كريم فؤاد، كريم العراقي، محمود حمدي “الونش”، هادي رياض، محمد مجدي “أفشة”، ميدو جابر، محمد مسعد، حسام حسن، مروان حمدي.
ويُمكنكم متابعة أحداث مباريات اليوم لحظة بلحظة من مركز المباريات من هنــــا
MatériaMais Notícias
O Santos venceu de virada a Inter de Limeira por 3 a 2 neste sábado (9), na Vila Belmiro, pela última rodada da fase de grupos do Campeonato Paulista. Os gols do Peixe foram marcados por Julio Furch (2x) e Cazares. Quirino (2x) anotou para os visitantes.
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➡️ Tudo sobre o Peixe agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Santos
Com o resultado, o Peixe assegurou a segunda melhor campanha na fase regular do torneio estadual e encara a Portuguesa nas quartas de final da competição. A equipe do interior, por sua vez, enfrenta o Bragantino, em Bragança Paulista.
⚽COMO FOI A PARTIDA?
O Santos encontrou dificuldades para criar oportunidades na primeira etapa e viu Quirino, atacante rival, abrir o placar. No lance seguinte, Furch marcou de cabeça e igualou o marcador. Bem na partida, a equipe visitante viu Quirino vencer o duelo contra a zaga do Peixe e marcar seu segundo gol no duelo.
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A segunda etapa foi de domínio total do time de Fábio Carille. Furch. De pênalti, Furch igualou o marcador, e Cazares, nos minutos finais, virou a partida.
✅O QUE VEM POR AÍ?
Nas quartas de final do Paulistão, o Santos encara a Portuguesa, no domingo (17), na Vila Belmiro.
✅ SANTOS 3 X 2 INTER DE LIMEIRA
Campeonato Paulista – Primeira fase – Décima Segunda Rodada
Data e horário: Sábado, 9 de Março de 2024, às 18h00 (de Brasília)
Local: Vila Belmiro, Santos (SP)
Árbitro: Matheus Delgado Candançan
Assistentes: Luiz Alberto Andrini Nogueira e Mauro Freitas
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⚽ ESCALAÇÕES
SANTOS
João Paulo; Hayner, Joaquim, Gil e Felipe Jonatan; Nonato, Rincón e Cazares; Otero, Pedrinho e Furch. Técnico: Fábio Carille
INTER DE LIMEIRA
Max; JP Galvão, Jussani, Mancini e César; Émerson, Lima e Bochecha; João Felipe, Albano e Quirino. Técnico: Júnior Rocha
Tudo sobre
Campeonato PaulistaFutebol Nacional
West Ham United are keen on a January swoop for an “unbelievable” striker, who now wants a move to the Premier League.
West Ham have become more difficult to beat since the arrival of Nuno, having lost just one of their last six Premier League games, but they will be disappointed they were unable to hold on against Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday.
The Hammers were in the lead until stoppage time, before Georginio Rutter netted a controversial late equaliser, which Nuno believes should’ve been ruled out, saying: “It was a handball, wasn’t it, and a high foot. No need to speak with the referee. I think it was the main factor.”
Picking up three points against an in-form Brighton side would’ve been an impressive result, but it wasn’t to be, despite Jarrod Bowen putting in an impressive performance, netting his fourth Premier League goal of the season after starting in a central role.
Callum Wilson came off the bench to assist Bowen’s goal, with the former Newcastle United man now up to five goal contributions this season, but with his contract due to expire in the summer, the Irons are looking to provide their captain with some additional support in attack.
That is according to a report from Hammers News, which has provided a new update on West Ham’s Ivan Toney pursuit, stating Nuno’s side are keen on signing the striker in the January transfer window.
The Hammers have already explored a deal for Toney, having been impressed by his performances in England for Brentford, and the centre-forward now wants to make a return to the Premier League ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
However, it is unlikely the east Londoners will be able to get a deal over the line, given the Al-Ahli star’s huge wage demands, which could be a major obstacle.
West Ham now lining up concrete January move for £80k-a-week Chelsea player
The Hammers are looking to sign a “leader” in the upcoming transfer window.
By
Dominic Lund
4 days ago
Despite West Ham being difficult to beat in recent weeks, they are still in real trouble, currently sitting two points from safety and inside the relegation zone.
The former Brentford striker has proven he has what it takes to help fire the Hammers to safety, maintaining a fantastic attacking record across his three seasons in the Premier League with the Bees.
|
Season |
Premier League appearances |
Goal contributions |
|
2021-22 |
33 |
17 |
|
2022-23 |
33 |
24 |
|
2023-24 |
17 |
6 |
Former manager Thomas Frank also waxed lyrical about the Englishman upon his departure, saying: “It’s been a pleasure to work with Ivan over the last four years. He has averaged more than one goal every two games, which is an unbelievable number.”
With West Ham at real risk of relegation, they definitely need to make some new additions in the January window, and Toney is exactly the calibre of signing they should be looking to make.
The WBBL match between Adelaide Strikers and Hobart Hurricanes was abandoned at Karen Rolton Oval after a cricket ball was accidentally rolled into the pitch by the heavy roller during the innings break creating an irreparable hole.The pitch was being rolled during the innings break, as per normal WBBL rules, when a ball from a nearby fielding warm-up went under the roller on the pitch and was rolled into the surface.The heaviness of the roller pressed the ball into the pitch and created a ball-shaped hole in the middle of the surface. Strikers released a statement on their Instagram explaining why the match was abandoned after the hole was created.”As a result, the pitch conditions were changed significantly,” the statement said. “After consultations between the match referee and the umpires, it was considered unreasonable to expect the Hurricanes to bat in conditions that were materially different than those the Strikers had experienced. Both team captains were consulted by the officials and were accepting of the decision.”Hurricanes, who had already qualified to host the final after winning seven of their first nine games, were preparing to chase Strikers’ total of 167 for 4 before the match was abandoned. Madeline Penna had made 63 not out off 51 for Strikers, batting through the innings to set up the total. Wickets were shared by Hurricanes bowlers.The abandonment was another blow to Strikers’ finals hopes as it is their third no result for the season. They now sit sixth with one game left against Sydney Sixers. They need to win that to be assured of a place in the finals.
His mastery of angles from over the wicket and around keeps left-handed batters on their toes
Matt Roller24-Jul-2025
Jofra Archer has enjoyed bowling to left-handers in this series, and his career•Getty Images
It was a sight to make any fast bowler purr: a stump lodged in the outfield like a javelin after being uprooted and sent cartwheeling towards the wicketkeeper. It was made even better for Jofra Archer by the fact that it was the batter’s off stump, and better still that the batter in question was Rishabh Pant.Pant’s wicket on the second afternoon of the Manchester Test was Archer’s seventh of the series, and all seven had been left-handers. That was not a coincidence, but a wider trend of Archer’s career: he has bowled just over 30% of his deliveries in Test cricket to left-handers, but they account for more than 40% of his wickets.He did finally dismiss a right-hander for the first time this series when he had Jasprit Bumrah caught down the leg side on review, but the story of Archer’s return to England’s Test team has been his threat against lefties. He now averages 35.48 against right-handers in Tests compared to 21.66 against left-handers, and the trend extends across formats.Related
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Eight years, five PMs and one pandemic later, Dawson returns with a wicket
The ball that accounted for Pant was the archetypal left-hander’s dismissal to a right-arm seamer in the modern era: angled in from around the wicket on a good length, before shaping away late to hit the off stump. It was once the angle of last resort but in 2025, more than 70% of balls from right-arm seamers to left-handers have been from around the wicket.But Archer’s threat to left-handers is exacerbated by the fact that he is just as comfortable bowling over the wicket to them, as he proved in his first over of the second morning. He created two chances in three balls to Ravindra Jadeja – the first dropped at gully, the second taken at second slip – which highlighted his great strength of keeping tight to the stumps.Compared to most right-arm seamers, Archer’s angle across left-handers from over the wicket is much less pronounced. The result is not only that he never offers enough width to be cut, but that he can keep multiple modes of dismissal in play with a single ball: his stock ball pitches in line with leg stump, unlocking the lbw, then shapes away off the seam to challenge the edge.
JOFRAAA!!
Archer flirts with the outside edge a few times, then gets the nick!
Harry Brook holds on and Ravindra Jadeja is gone for 20.
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— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 24, 2025
It was a similar ball to the one that brought him a wicket with the third ball of his comeback at Lord’s. Yashasvi Jaiswal’s natural instinct was to turn Archer into the leg side when he pitched a fraction short of a good length, but his natural angle and shape across him left him closed off and edging straight to Harry Brook at second slip.As a general rule, Archer uses that angle early to left-handers in an innings – when there is more lateral movement on offer – and goes around later on. The same pattern was obvious at the IPL this year, where he took the new ball for Rajasthan Royals and bowled a contender for ball of the tournament, finding accentuated seam movement to hit Priyansh Arya’s off stump.It was Stuart Broad who popularised the around-the-wicket angle with England’s seamers, dating back a decade. Advised by Ottis Gibson before the 2015 Ashes that his record was far worse against left-handers, Broad experimented with his angle and was lethal: his average against them was 41.11 before that series and dropped to 24.85 thereafter.During Archer’s first spell, Broad suggested that he had benefited from scarcity value. “Left-handed batters, when I started [to bowl around the wicket], had faced a lot more from over the wicket,” he said on . “All their training would have been over the wicket. As soon as bowlers came around the wicket, it was a less-practised angle… [they] didn’t line up as well.”ESPNcricinfo LtdIn fact, Archer may be benefitting from the fact that the pendulum has swung the other way: it is now so common for right-armers to come around the wicket that most left-handers train to face that angle much more often than from over the wicket. It is the cricketing equivalent of Newton’s third law of motion: for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.But Archer has already demonstrated within three innings back that he is good enough to challenge left-handers from both angles, and to adjust his plans according to a situation. At Lord’s, he squared up Jaiswal from over the wicket in one innings, and bounced him out from around in the other – and the same was true of Washington Sundar.His next challenge will be to offer the same threat against right-handers, with KL Rahul and Shubman Gill both winning their individual battles with Archer to this point. But India’s line-up features more left-handers (five) than any in their Test history – and England’s next opponents, Australia, picked five in their more recent Test XIs, too.Archer is still finding his way back as a red-ball bowler, as evidenced by the fact that his dismissal of Bumrah was only his 50th Test wicket. It was a stark reminder that, even at 30, his injury history means he is learning his trade in this format.