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He has the form and the record, and he’ll need to lead the attack with Rabada and Shamsi both absent

Deivarayan Muthu13-Mar-2020In his first press-conference on his return to India, South Africa captain Quinton de Kock was asked if the inexperience in the line-up on this tour was a “weak link”. De Kock countered that question, replying that they still have the likes of Faf du Plessis and David Miller, who have vast experience in these conditions, having been regulars in the IPL. On the bowling front, however, South Africa are without Kagiso Rabada, who is still recovering from injury, and Tabraiz Shamsi, who is on paternity leave.In the absence of their No.1 quick and No.1 spinner, South Africa will look to Lungi Ngidi to step up once again. The 23-year old had led the attack admirably against Australia at home, his 6 for 58 in Bloemfontein wrapping up the series for the hosts. During the process, Ngidi became the fastest South African to 50 ODI wickets, getting there in his 26th match.Ngidi is just over three years old in international cricket, and has had his fair share of injuries during this period, but has already grown into a well-rounded white-ball bowler. He’s adept at bowling in the Powerplay as well as at the death, something that was on bright display during the home summer. In the second ODI against Australia, Ngidi hit hard lengths in the early exchanges and later returned at the death to snip off the tail with his variations.South Africa’s dominance, though, did not seem as likely when David Warner was in charge. He had used the extra pace and bounce of Anrich Nortje to his advantage, cracking the tearaway for 25 off a mere 12 balls. Where Nortje offered width, Ngidi immediately cut that off and took down Warner with his third ball. Ngidi hit a length that was neither cuttable nor pullable, on off stump, and although Warner had made some room of his own by backing away, he could only spoon a catch to cover.Then, after the Powerplay, Ngidi got rid of both Steven Smith and Marnus Labuschange by steadily building up pressure. By the time Ngidi had returned for the 34th over, Australia had recovered to 181 for 4, but Ngidi rocked them with another triple-strike. His offcutters gripped in the tiring Bloemfontein surface and proved too good for Australia’s lower order.Lungi Ngidi dismisses Moeen Ali•Getty ImagesThese variations and the scrambled seam had also scrambled the minds of England’s batsmen in the T20I series opener at Buffalo Park, helping Ngidi defend seven off the final over. Overall, in the death overs in T20s, Ngidi has picked up 27 wickets at an economy rate of 8.01.He has done the job at the death in the ODIs as well, giving up just 203 runs off 194 balls while claiming 19 wickets at an economy rate of 6.27.India’s lower-middle order has been strengthened by the return of Hardik Pandya, but South Africa can count on Ngidi and his good friend Andile Phehlukwayo, who also has some canny variations in his repertoire, to deal with India.It’s also worth noting that Ngidi has a decent ODI record against India: eight wickets in four games at an economy rate of 6.18. However, he has just played a solitary international in India – the Ranchi Test last year, where he not only went wicketless in 20 overs but also leaked over four runs an over.So, the question is can Ngidi be as effective in India as he is on the juicier tracks in South Africa? Ngidi can draw confidence from IPL 2018, where he emerged as an unlikely hero for Chennai Super Kings, especially at the death. He even fronted up to the Powerplay, and in the end his smart economy rate of 3.77 was by far the best among 42 bowlers who had bowled at least 25 overs in the tournament.Ngidi wasn’t selected for the first seven games that the Super Kings played in IPL 2018, but then the franchise had their home games shifted to Pune and they adapted on the fly, understanding the value on his pace – and sometimes the lack of it. Against Kings XI Punjab on a spicy Pune pitch, Ngidi repaid Super Kings’ faith and bagged a career-best 4 for 10 to knock them out of contention.Ngidi then missed the following IPL season and suffered multiple injuries that year, but he’s now back to his best. In South Africa’s last ODI series in India, Rabada denied MS Dhoni at the death and closed out the match skilfully. There’s no Rabada on this tour, and there’s no Dhoni either for India, but Ngidi has it in him to lead South Africa’s attack and extend their resurgence.

The local boy got three wickets in an over as West Indies were bowled out for 140

Alagappan Muthu13-Nov-2025

“A beautiful summer’s day,” Jacob Duffy said as the tree tops and the cloud cover exchanged high-fives and the temperature just about strayed out of single digits. Dunedin was a picture postcard, provided you were a fast bowler.The West Indies players in the dugout were all bundled up. Those that ventured into the middle were just bundled out. Duffy finished with 4 for 35, and in the process became the third-fastest New Zealand bowler to 50 T20I wickets and the primary force that led his team to a 3-1 series win.Bang, bang, bangWest Indies were put in and bowled out for 140, having lost four wickets in 11 balls in the powerplay. A batting line-up that was focused on making the most of the field restrictions was undone on a pitch with live grass, so in addition to the overheads that almost ensured swing, there was pace and bounce.Duffy harnessed all that help in the third over when he dismissed Shai Hope (top-edging a pull), Ackeem Auguste (bowled by the ball moving in late) and Sherfane Rutherford (caught behind trying to charge him).The first of those wickets took Duffy’s T20I tally to 50. This was his 38th match. Only Trent Boult (36) and Lockie Ferguson (37) have got there quicker. One of the Southland’s own now sits among New Zealand’s elite.His spell on Thursday also left Duffy with a strike rate of 13.8, the very best among the 20 Black Caps bowlers with at least 20 T20I wickets, and an average of 17.05, the second-best of that same group.New Zealand beat West Indies 3-1 to win the T20I series•Getty Images

West Indies’ sinking feelingWest Indies have a long and powerful batting line-up. Over the course of this series, they’ve added 277 runs at a strike rate of 176 going six down. So emerging from the powerplay at 47 for 4 wasn’t exactly the end of the world.But there was a tipping point when Rovman Powell, who threatened an incredible rearguard just last week by helping his side recover from 93 for 6 to get within touching distance of a 208-run target, fell in the seventh over.Roston Chase and Jason Holder eventually conceded to discretion being the better part of valour, putting on a partnership of 42 in 34 balls. But both set batters fell within five balls of each other and Matthew Forde joined them soon enough, leaving the score 94 for 8 in the 14th over.West Indies tried. They tried to plug the leak but all they did – on land reclaimed from a lake in old Pelichet Bay – was sink.Tim Robinson again started in a hurry•AFP/Getty Images

Robinson evokes McCullumNew Zealand had their own trials as the ball kept jagging around all day. But with the target as modest as the boundaries either side square of the wicket – 63m each – the jeopardy was reduced.Tim Robinson came out and nailed his Brendon McCullum impression, right down to the cock of the wrist just as the bowler releases the ball and the addiction to hitting up in the air. He made 45 in 24 balls with five fours and three sixes, though the shot of the day belonged to Romario Shepherd, who first cleared long-on, then the stands, and almost what remains of the old Dunedin art gallery.Devon Conway was content to go at a slower pace, bringing up 1000 T20I runs at home, and eventually sealing victory with eight wickets and 26 balls to spare.

رد الدولي الفرنسي كيليان مبابي، لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ريال مدريد بقوة على سؤال أحد الصحفيين بعد مباراة أولمبياكوس ضمن منافسات دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وحل ريال مدريد ضيفًا على أولمبياكوس في اليونان، في الجولة الخامسة لمرحلة الدوري، دوري أبطال أوروبا 2025-2026، على ملعب “جورجيوس كارايسكاكيس”.

وانتصر ريال مدريد بقيادة مدربه تشابي ألونسو على حساب أولمبياكوس برباعية مقابل ثلاثة أهداف، أمس الأربعاء.

المباراة شهدت تسجيل كيليان مبابي لـ أربع أهداف “سوبر هاتريك” بقميص ريال مدريد أمام أولمبياكوس ضمن منافسات دوري أبطال أوروبا.

اقرأ أيضًا | مبابي بعد السوبر هاتريك: دخلت قائمة الأساطير.. وفينيسيوس صعب مواجهته

واستطاع مبابي تسجيل 3 أهداف “هاتريك” في 6 دقائق و42 ثانية، إذ سجل على الترتيب في الدقائق (22، 24، 29) ليصبح بذلك ثاني أسرع هاتريك يُسجل في تاريخ دوري أبطال أوروبا.

ووجه أحد الصحفيين سؤالًا إلى كيليان مبابي، بعد المباراة عن اعتماد ريال مدريد عليه وحده لكنه رفض سؤاله ورد بقوة: “لا أريد أن أكون غير محترم، لكن هذا سؤال سيئ”.

وأكمل: “لكل فرد دوره في الفريق، دوري هو تسجيل الأهداف ولكن يمكنني القول إنه بدون لاعبين آخرين لا نفوز بالمباريات”.

وأضاف: “كل فريق لديه لاعبون لديهم دور يقومون به ولكن لا أعتقد أن هناك أي اعتماد على لاعب واحد بمفرده أو ما شابه، أعتقد أن الأمر من صُنع الصحفيين أو جهات خارجية”.

💥A Kylian no le gusta que se hable de Mbappé-dependencia en el Real Madrid… pic.twitter.com/i3s8zTh4lN — MARCA (@marca) November 26, 2025

Chelsea have now entered negotiations over a deal to sign a rapid new centre-back, and an opening offer is set to be made within weeks.

Blues looking to sign new centre-back despite Cahill comments

With Levi Colwill suffering an ACL injury back in August, the Blues’ offer centre-back options have had to step up to the plate this season, and Gary Cahill has been very impressed with their performances, so much so that he believes his former club don’t need to sign a new defender.

Cahill said: “There has been a lot of noise around this for a long time, but I think the lads that are there are doing a very good job of proving that they don’t need to add to this position,”

“I’ve been very impressed with Wesley Fofana since he’s come back. Touch wood that he stays fit.

“Trevoh Chalobah: look at the job he’s been doing – he’s a bit of an unsung hero. Trevoh is probably the most underappreciated player at Chelsea.

However, while a senior centre-back may not be required, BlueCo are always keen to bring in exciting up-and-coming prospects, and they have now entered negotiations over a deal for Gremio defender Luis Eduardo.

That is according to a report from AS (via Sport Witness), which states Chelsea have now entered talks to sign Eduardo, alongside Premier League rivals Manchester United, with opening offers set to be made in the coming weeks.

The Blues are now trying to ‘accelerate’ their pursuit of the centre-back, given that scouts have been left impressed with his performances, with the 17-year-old well-known for his pace, having reached 38 km/h for Gremio earlier this year.

The speedster has a €60m (£53m) release clause included in his contract with the Brazilian club, although it is unclear whether BlueCo would be willing to shell out such a big fee on a very young player.

Related Chelsea now ready to trigger £44m release clause for "unstoppable" striker

The Blues are looking to sign a new centre-forward, who has been in fantastic form so far this season.

Posts ByDominic Lund Nov 30, 2025 Luis Eduardo impressing at youth level

The teenager is yet to establish himself as a regular starter for Gremio, having made just one appearance for the senior team, but he has put in some eye-catching performances for both club and country at youth level.

Despite being a centre-back, the Corrente-born ace managed to score two goals in seven appearances for Gremio U20s in 2025, while he has also netted three goals in 13 appearances for Brazil U17s.

Eduardo could be one for the future, but Cahill is correct in his assessment that Chelsea don’t need to worry about bringing in a new centre-back anytime soon, given Chalobah’s recent form, most recently netting the opening goal in the 1-1 draw with Arsenal.

Enzo Maresca also has Josh Acheampong and Benoit Badiashile at his disposal as back-up options, and with Colwill still to return, the manager is well-stocked at centre-back.

Losing Robert Lewandowski to Barcelona in the summer of 2022 was a bitter blow for Bayern Munich. The Pole had scored 344 goals in just 375 appearances for the club, after all. Replacing him was never going to be easy, but it ended up taking Bayern more than a year to find a worthy successor, as Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting rather unsurprisingly didn't exactly prove himself up to the task.

It's funny to think about it now, but there were those that questioned the decision to sign Harry Kane to belatedly fill the considerable hole left by Lewandowski in the Bayern attack. Club legend Lothar Matthaus felt that the €100 million signing from Tottenham, who had just turned 30, was "too old and too expensive". Now, though, the German says he doesn't "see a better striker in the world".

It, therefore, shouldn't come as that much of a shock to learn that Barcelona have come to the same conclusion as Bayern two years ago: that there isn't a better Lewandowski replacement on the market right now than Kane.

Getty Images SportHaaland too costly

Back in 2023, it was rumoured that part of the reason why Lewandowski wanted out of the Allianz Arena was Bayern's alleged attempt to convince Erling Haaland to move to Munich rather than Manchester that same summer. Lewandowski insisted that Norwegian No.9 had absolutely nothing to do with his desire to swap Bavaria for Barcelona, but it's nonetheless amusing to read reports that Blaugrana president Joan Laporta is 'obsessed' with signing Haaland.

It's obviously not going to happen – at least not yet. It's going to take at least another year for lever-pulling Laporta to balance the Blaugrana's books – let alone put them back in a position to sign the most valuable players on the planet. With a little more creative accounting, though, Barca could well be in a position to land Kane at the end of the season.

According to , the England captain has a €65m (£57m/$76m) buyout clause in his contract that can be activated next summer provided the striker notifies Bayern of his desire to leave by the end of January. The Bundesliga champions are, however, reportedly relaxed about the situation for the simple fact that Kane is currently content, on and off the field at the Allianz Arena.

AdvertisementAFPBest team in Europe

From a purely sporting perspective, things certainly couldn't be going any better for Kane and his club. Unbeaten Bayern have made a record-breaking start to their 2025-26 campaign and are presently top of both the Bundesliga and the Champions League. Kane is the principal reason why, having scored an utterly ludicrous 24 goals in just 18 appearances in all competitions – more than any other player in Europe's 'Big Five' leagues.

The man himself may have had understandable misgivings about the size of Vincent Kompany's squad at the start of the season – but they've made light of the absence of Jamal Musiala through injury thanks to the exciting emergence of 17-year-old sensation Lennart Karl, Luis Diaz's incredible impact since joining from Liverpool and Michael Olise elevating his game to an even higher level after a wonderful debut season in Germany.

The net result is that Bayern are the best team in Europe at the moment – as they underlined by maintaining their 100 percent in the Champions League with a mightily impressive 2-1 victory over titleholders Paris Saint-Germain at Parc des Princes during which they showcased both their attacking prowess and defensive diligence.

Getty Images SportSettled in Munich

Crucially, Kane's family are also loving life right now – and not just because he's enjoying the most prolific spell of his stellar career.

When he first made the move from his native London to Munich, there were external concerns over how Kane and his family would deal with the change of city, country and culture. However, Kane has repeatedly brought up just how "comfortable" he, his wife Kate and their children feel in Germany, where they are reportedly afforded more privacy than they were back in England.

"The way the people here welcomed us was extraordinary," the striker said earlier this year. "It touched us deeply as a family – not just me, but all of us. We love it. We truly appreciate every second."

In that context, one cannot but take Kane at his word when he says that he's even open to extending a contract that expires in 2027.

"We can certainly talk about that," he said in September. "I have almost two years left, so it's not like I'm in the final year of my contract and anyone is panicking. I'm fine. The club is fine. I think they're happy with me, and I'm happy with them. Those discussions can take place."

He doubled down on that when directly questioned about the Barcelona links ahead of his return to north London with Bayern on Wednesday when they face Arsenal in the Champions League, telling : "I haven't had any contact with anyone, nobody has contacted me. I feel very comfortable in the current situation, even though we haven't yet discussed my situation with Bayern. There’s no rush. I'm really happy in Munich. You can see that in the way I'm playing. If there’s contact, then we'll see. But I'm not thinking about the new season yet. First up is the World Cup in the summer. And it’s very unlikely that anything will change after this season."

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Getty Images SportEdging towards the exit

There's no denying, though, that Kane would give serious consideration to a serious bid from Barca, who, for all of their financial troubles, retain an almost mythical status even among elite-level footballers. There are few more attractive destinations on the planet, and what No.9 wouldn't want to play in the same forward line as Lamine Yamal? All things considered, Kane would find an offer from Barca very difficult to turn down, particularly if they resolve their registration problems in 2026.

It's also clear that the Blaugrana are going to have to replace Lewandowski sooner rather than later. The Poland international is still scoring goals – no Barca player has scored more in La Liga this season (eight) – but he's 37 now and he's had three muscular issues since April, suggesting that his body is starting to betray him.

It certainly feels significant that talks have yet to begin over a new deal for Lewandowski, who will be out of contract at the end of the current campaign and free to talk to other clubs from January 1.

When asked about his next move while on Poland duty last week, Lewandowski admitted to reporters, "I still don’t know the answer. That’s why I’m not in a hurry. I’m at peace with myself, and that is the most important thing. Even if, for example, the club contacted me now, I still wouldn’t answer that question, because I also have to feel what’s best for me. But, for now, I’m calm, I’m not in a hurry and, at the moment, I don’t expect anything else."

Any doubts about Newcastle United’s quality have been extinguished by a run of October form that has led to six wins from seven matches in all competitions.

Newcastle are making headway in the Champions League and have set themselves back on track in the Premier League with a last-minute winner against Fulham at the weekend. St. James’ Park roared, and then cheers in concert once again when Tottenham Hotspur were dumped from the Carabao Cup on Wednesday evening.

Still, Eddie Howe’s side are hardly firing on all cylinders, and that especially applies to the final third. However, Nick Woltemade has been nothing but brilliant since completing his club-record £69m transfer over from Stuttgart in August, and the German striker is spearheading the fight for silverware and retention of this seat at the top European table.

Woltemade's prolific start at Newcastle

Woltemade’s crisp header to seal the victory over Tottenham marked his sixth of the campaign, just 11 matches into his Newcastle career.

Alexander Isak’s record-breaking transfer to Liverpool felt like it could have a detrimental effect on the Toon project, but Newcastle have kept on moving forward, with the rangy centre-forward dovetailing into the system.

He loves a header, the German does, but that’s hardly the full scope of his game. Lanky at 6 foot 6, Woltemade has no right to be as technically graceful and intuitive in the tight spaces as he is, ranking among the top 9% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for successful take-ons and the top 5% for shot-creating actions per 90.

And yet he is mesmerising when on the ball. BBC Sport analyst Raj Chohan has even said that “there’s no striker on the planet who moves the ball like Woltemade.”

With this in mind, the Tyneside frontline should be firing on all cylinders, but this isn’t the case. Anthony Gordon is seemingly saving his best displays for the continental front at the moment, while Harvey Barnes and Jacob Murphy make up solid, if unspectacular, parts of the unit.

But there’s another man who has left much to be desired, and must be frustrated with his tough start to life in black and white as Woltemade thrives beside him.

The Newcastle star being saved by Woltemade

How often have we seen a player struggle to impress after switching clubs in the Premier League? It’s not an uncommon experience, to be sure.

And for Anthony Elanga, this is the reality as he still searches for his first direct goal involvement as a Magpie, having joined Newcastle from Nottingham Forest for £55m in August, one year after Howe’s first bid to snatch him from Evangelos Marinakis.

It’s been an inauspicious start to life in Howe’s squad, it must be said. Elanga has played 14 times in all competitions and has yet to register a goal or an assist.

Still, the Sweden international is one of the fastest players in the Premier League, and while his playmaking success has dried up of late, he ranks among the top 8% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for assists per 90.

And there’s a good reason that the big bucks were spent on his signature. For Nottingham Forest, the 23-year-old was a menace, with his fleet-footedness and tendency to directly take on his man playing to the strengths of Howe’s counter-attacking system.

However, deeper statistical analysis would suggest that even across his two terms with the Tricky Trees, Elanga left something to be desired. He is not the most active in taking on his opponent, despite his pace, and does not dribble with the intensity of frequency that perhaps his physique suggests is within his capacity.

Matches (starts)

36 (25)

38 (31)

Goals

5

6

Assists

9

11

Shots (on target)*

1.5 (0.6)

1.1 (0.6)

Pass completion

75%

78%

Key passes*

0.9

1.3

Big chances created

14

9

Dribbles*

0.8

0.7

Tackles + interceptions*

1.1

0.7

Duels (won)*

2.9 (44%)

3.0 (45%)

With just four Premier League starts in a Newcastle shirt this season, it’s perhaps premature to analyse the data on a wider scale, but we can observe that Elanga is currently averaging only 1.8 successful duels per game, completing just 18% of his dribbles besides.

With a nominal amount of shots unleashed each game and not a big chance yet created, it’s not difficult to see why he’s struggling.

But Elanga needs only take a leaf from Anthony Gordon’s book. After all, the Three Lions star flattered to deceive after completing a £45m transfer from Everton in January 2023, then clicking into gear in 2023/24, winning the Newcastle Player of the Year award after posting 11 goals and ten assists in the top flight.

Gordon has yet to fully spread his wings this season, but he’s tenacious and talented and undoubtedly the focal point out wide for Newcastle. Elanga will use him as inspiration.

Now, Gordon is one of the most prominent wingers in the Premier League, seemingly Thomas Tuchel’s preferred pick on the Three Lions’ left flank as the 2026 World Cup looms ever closer.

While Elanga’s sticky form continued with a 6/10 display against Tottenham, as noted by the Shields Gazette, there is a wide recognition of the winger’s talent, and he will improve as he continues to develop under Howe’s wing.

This is all to say that fans would be silly to give up on Elanga after only a few months at St. James’ Park. There’s a real player in there, a star who the club scouted extensively.

Perhaps he’s mimicking a former version of Gordon, but if that is the case, then the best is yet to come.

New Tonali: Newcastle's 8/10 ace has been an "incredible piece of business"

Newcastle have proved their skill in the transfer market once again this summer.

ByAngus Sinclair Oct 30, 2025

India’s bowling coach also talked up Nitish Kumar Reddy’s ability to chip in with the ball

Shashank Kishore11-Jun-20253:42

Morkel: Reddy can ‘bowl that magical ball’

India bowling coach Morne Morkel has been “blown away” by Jasprit Bumrah’s rhythm and intensity in the three sessions the team have had so far on their tour of England, but reiterated that the management would be “smart” in managing him through the summer.Prior to departure, head coach Gautam Gambhir said it was likely Bumrah would play in just three of the five Tests, as part of his workload management given his history of back injuries. But India are yet to take on call on which Tests he’ll play – that will depend on the state of the series and how Bumrah is holding up.Related

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“Bumrah knows how to get himself ready, he knows how to prepare,” Morkel said on Wednesday. “I was blown away to see the energy on the ball the last three days. That’s very exciting to see. I’m happy his body is in good shape at the moment.”We’ll manage him with that. We’ll be smart with him because he’s obviously key for us, but in terms of the first three net sessions, lot to be excited watching him bowl with the Dukes ball.”The Indians will tune up for the series-opener at Headingley in Leeds from June 20 by playing a three-day intra-squad fixture from June 6 in Beckenham. The match is expected to be a closed-doors affair, with the teams drawn from players in the Test squad as well as those from the India A team that played two four-day matches against the England Lions.The make-up of India’s bowling attack will be a key focus area in the lead-up to the first Test. Apart from Bumrah, India have Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna and Akash Deep as their frontline pace options, with Shardul Thakur and Nitish Kumar Reddy as the seam-bowling allrounders.Jasprit Bumrah prepares to bowl at the nets in Beckenham•Bipin PatelIt remains to be seen if India will prefer Thakur or Reddy as their fourth seamer, if they are inclined to include a seam-bowling allrounder instead of a specialist fourth quick or a second spinner. Thakur and Reddy looked rusty in both India A games, and neither seems certain to start at Leeds.Morkel, though, has high expectations from Reddy.”The more bowling options we can have, that’s great. He’s skillful. He’s a guy that can bowl that magical ball, so for him it’s about creating that consistency, it’s something we want to work on, it’s important for his game as well,” Morkel said of Reddy. “I’ve had conversations where I’ve challenged him to bowl a bit more.”I want to see the ball more in his hands, we all know what he can do with the bat. For a team, if we can have the bowling options especially in these conditions, I think he’ll be exciting and can complement this bowling attack.”Morkel believes the key for India to start well will be for their bowlers to hit the ground running immediately against an aggressive England line-up that will look to take toll of errors ruthlessly.”England – the brand of cricket they play, we need to be on top of our game,” he said. “We can’t afford to find our feet in this series. That’s one of the things that has impressed me so much in the two days, the few sessions we’ve had.”The guys have stepped up by themselves, they’ve taken the ownership and responsibility, they’ve realised it’s going to be a tough tour. That’s the pleasing thing for us as coaches, to see guys taking that leadership and ownership at practice.”

“Temba is tough,” says Ashwell Prince after crucial partnership carries South Africa towards finishing line

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Jun-20252:56

Hayden lauds Bavuma’s ‘champion effort’

South Africa contemplated the need for captain Temba Bavuma to retire hurt on the third day at Lord’s after he suffered a hamstring injury early in his second innings. But with the urging of Aiden Markram, they opted not to disrupt a partnership that went on to carry them to the brink of the World Test Championship title.Bavuma was on 6, two overs before tea, when he pulled up with the hamstring injury which initially required lengthy treatment on the outfield before he made it through to the interval. He was clearly hampered when running between the wickets – which was one of the key factors the South Africa hierarchy discussed – but in the end, there were few alarms with the running, which even raised the question of whether Australia had pressurised Bavuma enough.”We had to make a big call whether he continues to bat and how it will affect his strokeplay, how that might affect Aiden’s rhythm,” Ashwell Prince, South Africa’s batting coach, said. “If twos are being turned into one [or] they can’t run the twos or the threes. Both of them were adamant that Temba was going to continue. He wanted to continue.Related

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Markram and Bavuma put South Africa in sight of glory

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“Aiden was adamant that the partnership is the key. Obviously, had [Tristan] Stubbs gone in, we would have still had Temba’s wicket intact, but you start a new partnership. They were feeling pretty good and they wanted to continue.”Aiden was well aware that he’ll have to curb his intensity just in terms of running between the wickets to allow Temba to ease his way through it.”By the close, the two were still unbeaten together with a stand of 143, with Markram having brought up a masterful century, although there was a question mark over how Bavuma would pull up after the night’s sleep and the body having cooled down. It was hard to see, however, a situation where South Africa’s captain wouldn’t emerge on the fourth morning.”Temba is tough,” Prince said. “Aiden has great respect for Temba. In fact, I think this team’s greatest strength is the unity that they have in this camp… they are well aware that South Africa have had much greater individual players, but they’ve got something special going on in that dressing room, and that sort of helps them to drag each other along.”But with the task not quite finished, Prince was reluctant to be drawn into discussing the wider narrative of what could unfold for Bavuma on Saturday. “He’s had to fight throughout his career, and this could be a defining moment for his career,” he said. “I believe it’s the biggest stage of in terms of Test cricket. Maybe I should answer the question after the game.”

علق ثروت سويلم المتحدث الرسمي باسم رابطة الأندية على أزمة منتخب مصر الثاني وتضارب مواعيد بطولة كأس العرب مع مواجهات بيراميدز في كأس الانتركونتيننتال.

وقال سويلم عن تلويح حلمي طولان مدرب المنتخب الثاني بالاستقالة حال عدم تأجيل مباراتين لـ بيراميدز: “نحن في بداية وضع الجدول لم يكن هناك تخطيط لأي تأجيلات لأي ناد، ألغينا الهبوط بموافقة الأندية وفي وجود كبير الكرة في مصر هاني أبو ريدة وأحمد دياب رئيس الرابطة، القرارات تم اتخاذها من أجل حتى الثلاثة مواسم المُقبلة”.

وتابع في تصريحات لبرنامج الكلاسيكو على قناة أون إي: “أهم ما في القرارات هو عدم تأجيل أي مباراة، رابطة الأندية كانت تتهم بالمجاملة عندما يتم تأجيل مباريات، رغم أنه لم تكن هناك مجاملات”.

طالع.. محمد عمر: حلمي طولان محق في تصريحاته. وشخص وحيد قادر على حل أزمة المنتخب الثاني

وكشف: “لن يكون هناك مؤجلات وهذا هو الوضع القائم، وافقنا على وجود منتخب مصر الثاني بهذا الوضع، وهو قبل بذلك من البداية، ولا أعتقد أن حلمي طولان يلوح بالاستقالة، ممكن لا يكون قد قال ذلك، لأنه قبل بهذا الوضع من البداية، وهو وافق على هذا الوضع”.

وبسؤاله هل هاني أبو ريدة تواصل مع أحمد دياب لحل الأزمة؟، أضاف: “الموضوع لا يُحل في مقابلة، هذه القرارات تم اتخاذها في القرعة، وأبو ريدة كان مؤيدًا لها، لذلك لا نريد العودة للوراء، لو فتحنا هذا الباب كل ناد سيطلب التأجيل.. إذًا الموضوع محسوم لا توجد مؤجلات، وحلمي طولان سبق ووافق على الوضع القائم”.

وبسؤاله في حالة استقالته من يقود المنتخب؟، ورد: “أنا لا أريد أن أتكلم في هذا الأمر لأن حدث موقف وحلمي طولان زعل مني، لكن أنا أقول إنه سيستمر وإذا أصر على الاستقالة فمصر مليئة بالكوادر الموجودة التي تتمنى هذا المنصب”.

MatériaMais Notícias

Sem poder contar com Caio no último sábado (1), na vitória do São Paulo contra o Fluminense, Patryck foi o titular da posição na partida. Este foi o nono jogo do atleta como profissional na temporada e o quinto como titular. O jogador, por sua vez, chamou atenção de Dorival Júnior.

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Patryck começou a ser relacionado entre os profissionais em 2022, sob o comando de Rogério Ceni. Inclusive, sua estreia na categoria aconteceu justamente em um jogo contra o Fluminense. Neste partida em questão, jogou apenas os primeiros 30 minutos. Antes do intervalo, o técnico Rogério Ceni sacou o novato e promoveu a entrada de Wellington, explicando o motivo após o confronto.

– Naquele momento do jogo, a gente precisava de alguém mais ofensivo. Estava pensando em fazer no intervalo já. Se o Jandrei não precisasse sair, eu não iria trocar ele também. Tinha hora que ele tinha que adiantar na linha de quatro e ele esperava. Mas isso não é culpa dele. É culpa do pouco tempo que temos para treinar os jogadores. Não é culpa do garoto. Foi a necessidade – disse o ex-comandante tricolor.

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Nesta temporada, sem Welington, Patryck se tornou o reserva de Caio, que assumiu a titularidade na posição. Contra o Fluminense, neste jogo mais recente, deu conta do recado – e inclusive, mostrou as características ofensivas citadas por Ceni.

Após a partida, Dorival Júnior não poupou elogios. O treinador chegou a se referir ao atleta como ‘promessa’. Dorival destacou que Patryck está passando por uma boa evolução, crescendo e encontrando maturidade.

– Com exceção da primeira partida contra o América-MG, nas demais partidas o Patryck cresceu demais, encontrando uma maturidade. Marcou um dos principais atacantes do Campeonato Brasileiro, não lhe deu espaços, não permitiu nenhuma ação, estava sempre presente, encurtando espaços, obrigando e criando um desconforto para o Arias, que tem uma facilidade, uma mobilidade impressionante – explicou.

Porém, sobre o futuro do atleta, destacou que é importante ‘ter calma e tranquilidade’, muito pelo jogador estar ganhando maturidade e demonstrando cada vez mais potencial. Mas destacou: é animador.

– É um garoto que promete muito. Temos que ter calma, tranquilidade. Está ganhando maturidade, está ganhando confiança para poder jogar também chegando por trás, fazendo jogadas de fundo. Tudo é questão de tempo e que ele mantenha essa condição que ele vem apresentando. É bem jovem e já demonstra um potencial desses. É animador – concluiu.