Michael Powell hit 70 n.o. to put Warwickshire in a strong position in theirchampionship match against Sussex at Edgbaston. They finished 259 runs ahead at 165-2. Powell was not unsettled by interruptions for showers which took 64 overs out of the day’s play and increased his scoring rate. Dominic Ostler (66 n.o.) provided firm support and in so doing became the season’s leading championship run-scorer.The showers seemed to affect Sussex more than the batsmen. Yet there is still some to go for Warwickshire to consolidate their lead in Division Two especially if they encounter the wet conditions of today. Sussex captain Chris Adams, who had been ill earlier, resumed his place in the side after tea. It was in the final hour that Powell and Ostler plundered the bowling to take their third-wicket partnership to 131.
Tottenham Hotspur crashed out of the FA Cup to lower league opposition and it was another game in which Heung-min Son flattered to deceive.
In a game of very few chances, it was Championship outfit Middlesbrough that ran out victors at the Riverside Stadium on Tuesday night, thanks to a goal from teenage substitute Josh Cobern, who netted an extra-time winner to remove Spurs’ final hope of silverware in 2021/22.
“When you play this type of game, you have to be very good from the start,” manager Antonio Conte said after the defeat. “We had the chances to score and to kill the game but we didn’t take them.”
The South Korean attacker was one of those wasteful players as he failed to find the net from four shots on target. His tally alone accounted for 66.6% of the Lilywhites’ total efforts on target, so it’s no wonder they never found the net across 120 minutes.
You’d have expected Son to deliver based on his performance against Leeds United at the weekend but that may have proved to be an anomaly in a tough run of form for the 29-year-old as he went missing up at Burnley, a result that left Conte questioning his future at the club.
He had zero shots on target that day, so this time, he was just more lacklustre with his attempts, having been given a chance to change the game. Again, though, he let his manager and the side down.
Elsewhere, he proved to be one of the most ineffective players on the ball, failing to register a single successful dribble from three attempts. A poor return up against a Championship backline and considering his top-flight average of 1.7 successful attempts per game.
He also lost possession 24 times, more than anyone else on the pitch, effectively handing the ball back to the opposition all game, so not only was he fruitless in front of goal but he was also careless and quite the liability.
Son was weak in his battles, too, having won only four duels from 13 attempts (30.7%).
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It was a display that Press Association journalist Jonathan Veal described as “shocking”, whilst football.london reporter Rob Guest claimed he had “a wretched evening” up at the Riverside.
Plenty of stars took the flak on social media, including Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Ben Davies, but none were as wasteful, ineffective and weak as Son, who once again failed the Italian head coach in what has been a lacklustre run of form lately.
AND in other news, Left for £0, now worth £16.2m: Levy will regret Spurs howler on “explosive” 27 G/A gem…
Anrich Nortje was just about finishing his pre-match media press conference ahead of South Africa’s fourth T20I against India in Lucknow when he received word that the city is also his new IPL home.Nortje was picked up by Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the IPL mini-auction for his base price of 2 crore (US$220,000 approx) and moves from Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), where he played two games last season. “This is news to me,” Nortje said, on being told he would be seeing a lot more of the Ekana Stadium. “I’ll see you guys soon then. I’m very happy.”The new IPL deal comes on the back of a challenging year for Nortje, who has only played 13 matches in 2025 and had not played international cricket for 17 months before this series. He played no cricket from October 2024 to May 2025 after suffering a back injury and missed both the SA20 and the Champions Trophy. He then appeared in two IPL 2025 matches before another stress reaction ruled out him of action for almost six months with a recurrent stress reaction. It was only last month, when he made his domestic comeback for the Dolphins, that Nortje was able to get consistent game time. He has since earned an international recall albeit without a wicket yet.Nortje’s four overs in the opening match of the T20I series in Cuttack cost 41 runs as he struggled to find rhythm but maintained speeds close to 150kph. He was rested in new Chandigarh and had a much better return of 0 for 14 in three overs in Dharamsala where the only boundary he conceded was an edge off Shubman Gill. Again, Nortje reached top speeds and appeared more comfortable with his disciplines as he found his way back at highest level.Related
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“It’s nice to be back, I really missed it and really enjoying my time here,” Nortje said. “I’m sort of happy with the progress. There’s still a lot of cricket to play. For me, it’s just to try and focus game by game, day by day, and just try and get better every day but I’ve really been enjoying the time back and it’s been great to be with the team.”This is Nortje’s first South Africa assignment under all-format coach Shukri Conrad, who was originally considering Nortje for a Test comeback last summer when Gerald Coetzee was injured against Sri Lanka. Nortje, who is no longer nationally contracted by his own choice, was then also sidelined with a niggle. Now that he has the opportunity to work with Conrad, much like another player who has returned – Quinton de Kock – he finds the environment welcoming and fun with a focus on playing with freedom.”With a new coach and how he’s been going about things, it seems to be going really well,” Nortje said. “I’m happy to be here. The team’s been doing unbelievably well the last year or two. There’s some fresh faces, there’s some old faces and guys have been sort of on the fringes for a while, are getting to play more cricket more consistently. Coming in and seeing how basic they keep things, trying to be as basic as possible, let the moment play out, assess on the park what to do. Guys are jamming really well, getting along very well, and everyone knows their role in the team. And I think that’s very important.”Under Conrad, South Africa have worked on creating depth around the national squad and adopted a horses-for-courses selection approach which has widened the pool of players that appear for the national side. That’s why Nortje came into consideration when express quick Coetzee was injured. It’s also why Nortje won’t play every match in the ongoing series as South Africa look for their best T20I bowling combination.”There’s a lot of competition as well, which creates opportunity and also creates a little bit of pressure for guys in the team, which is good. It’s what you want,” Nortje said. “That’s something that’s built up over the last year or two and it just puts guys under pressure, and a lot of guys have to fight for a spot, which is great. All in all, it’s just a lot of things coming together.”In the current T20 squad, Nortje is one of six seamers alongside Lungi Ngidi, Ottneil Baartman, Lutho Sipamla and allrounders Marco Jansen and Corbin Bosch. Add the injured Kagiso Rabada, Kwena Maphaka and Nandre Burger into the mix – along with the likes of Coetzee and Lizaad Williams – and South Africa have an impressive pace battery that will leave them spoilt for choice when they select the T20 World Cup squad. Given that Nortje was their standout performer in the last edition of the tournament, in 2024, it would seem likely that, if fit, he’d be a shoe-in but the man himself is not so sure.”We go back into SA20 as well, which is quite a few games back-to-back, so I’m just trying to focus on every game and improve as much as I can, but obviously be realistic as well. So far I’ve been really happy with the progress,” he said. “Hopefully I can be in the squad but if not, for me it’s just to try and focus game by game, day by day, and just try and get better.”Nortje will play for Sunrisers Eastern Cape (SEC) in this year’s SA20, after being part of Pretoria Capitals (PC) for the first three seasons.
Mohammad Kaif will lead a new-look Uttar Pradesh team in the Ranji Trophy and Suresh Raina will be the vice-captain.UP go into the season without left-arm seamer Shalabh Srivastava, Ali Murtaza and Avinash Yadav, who have all joined the Indian Cricket League (ICL). Srivastava has been a consistent performer for UP over the last few years. Moreover, the experienced trio of Rizwan Shamshad, Ashish Winston Zaidi and Gyanendra Pandey retired from first-class season last season. Pandey will coach the side this season, and Zaidi will be the team manager.Left-hand batsman Shivakant Shukla, left-arm spinner Praveen Gupta, and wicketkeeper Amir Khan, who were all tipped to join Railways this season, have chosen to stay behind and are all selected.Kaif and Raina, the two most important batsmen in the team, will look for support from youngsters Shukla, Ravikant Shukla, who captained India at the Under-19 World Cup, and Tanmay Srivastava, another India U-19 player.The bowling in the absence of RP Singh and Praveen Kumar, both representing India, and Srivastava, is without a spearhead. For Piyush Chawla, the first few matches will be crucial as he would look to draw his way back to the Indian team.Squad: Mohammad Kaif (capt), Shivakant Shukla, Ravikant Shukla, Tanmay Srivastava, Piyush Chawla, Amir Khan (wk), Rohit Prakash, Rahat Ilahi, Ratnesh Mishra, Praveen Gupta, Suraj Pratap Singh, Sudeep Tyagi, Tahir AbbasReserves: Parvindar Singh, Anshul Kapoor, Raj Singh and Abhishek Tiwari
69 – The third-wicket partnership between Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar. It’s the highest for that wicket for India against South Africa in Tests, beating the unbeaten 60 the same pair put together at Kolkata in 2004.14.88 – India’s average partnership for the third wicket in Tests in South Africa, with just two half-century stands in 17 tries.22.77 – The average Indian opening-wicket stand in Tests in South Africa. In 18 partnerships they’ve only managed two fifty-plus scores, with a highest of 9044 – Tendulkar’s score in the first innings, his highest in nine Test innings in 2006. If he fails to get at least a half-century in this Test and the next, it’ll be the first time since 1991 that he’ll have gone an entire year without a fifty-plus score in Tests. (Click here for Tendulkar’s career summary in Tests.)0.86 – Rahul Dravid’s scoring rate against Shaun Pollock. In 28 balls, he managed just four runs. Pollock ended the day with 1 for 14 from 12 overs, an economy rate of 1.16 runs per over40 – The number of deliveries left alone by the Indian batsmen in the morning session of 14 overs
ScorecardIan Bradshaw grabbed five wickets and Travis Dowlin marked his return to first-class cricket with a responsible half-century as Guyana and Barbados shared honours on the opening day of their first-round Carib Beer Series match at the Everest Cricket Club.Bradshaw took four wickets in the post-tea session, including the important scalp of Dowlin who made 73 and stabilised the Guyana innings after they ran into early trouble on winning the toss. They were eventually dismissed for 241 and Barbados replied with 2 without loss in the one over they faced before the close.After Guyana slipped to 12 for 2 after an hour’s play, Dowlin pulled the home team around with partnerships of 53 for the third wicket with Krishna Arjune, who played solidly for more than two hours in making 37, and 62 for the fourth wicket with Andre Percival, who hit 39 on his recall.Dowlin, who was overlooked by the Guyana selectors for the previous two seasons, batted patiently and struck six fours and a six off 188 balls in 277 minutes’ batting before he miscued a pull off Bradshaw and was caught at midwicket. Bradshaw finished with 5 for 50 off 23 overs and was backed up by Ryan Nurse, who took 3 for 60 off 21 overs. Mahendra Nagamootoo, who averted a hat-trick after Bradshaw dismissed Dowlin and Neil McGarrell in successive balls, lashed an attacking unbeaten 42 off 45 balls that helped to beef up Guyana’s total. McGarell was brilliantly caught left-handed by the diving wicket-keeper Patrick Browne, who had an outstanding day behind the stumps with four dismissals.
“I hope to be going to Bangladesh.” The words hit you in the gut. They signified a passing of time; a marker between eras. A flurry of statements is to be expected. Of course John Wright will go to Bangladesh, they will announce. But Wright’s thoughts betrayed an uncertain future. These are uncertain times in our game, and furtive glances have been cast at the men who were chosen to give Indian cricket new direction only a presidential term ago.After a long while, there is intrigue again. It says much about Wright and Sourav Ganguly. Dark shadows poised over Indian cricket showed no signs of receding four years ago when the task fell on them. Tough words were satisfyingly followed by tough deeds. India had turned an invisible corner and stepped out of the shadows into light that only became brighter. But blinded by the limelight of the last season, they seemed to have stumbled into another dark alley.If a man’s darkest moments are the sternest test of his character, these have not been glorious days for Indian cricket. The word `greenwicketitis’ was invented after Ganguly was declared unfit for the last two Tests against Australia. A victory on a morbid pitch followed. It served no one’s purpose besides giving fleeting cheer to a victory-sapped public. Then more turners were asked for. Now the coach is vague about his future. There’s something very wrong here.It’s too familiar for comfort. Wright’s reign was supposed to end with a ceremony, where he crowned the next-in-line, a worthy who carried on his good work – a bit like Australia, where succession has been more or less smooth. Instead, the murky future has hit home hard because it’s a feature of Indian cricket that we believed was dead and buried, at least when it came to national team. India were to have moved ahead when the coach changed, not taken a step back. Wright went all the way…nearly.It was only spring when India beat Pakistan. So what changed so drastically? Nothing. It was pure bad timing that India went into a collective slump this season. After two years of persistence, a quality Wright imbued in the side, India simply derailed. It went against his commitment to see the team move forward, and he recently admitted that each time India lost, he wondered if he was good enough. Not many people think that way and admit it. India took more catches under him, were fitter, ran harder, and even began smiling again. It was the `love and care’ approach before Ray Jennings put it in words. It’s exactly what India needed.His quiet steel and Ganguly’s temperament came together at the right time. Some would call it fate. Others will claim it was a calculated move. Whatever, it worked. Out went the dainty Indian image, replaced by the sight of a miffed Steve Waugh waiting at the pitch for the toss. It was rude and tough. The approach was so unIndian, it was shocking at first, but the acceptance came. The players were not only expected to give it back, but to sledge some as well. In a sense, the approach applied by Wright and Ganguly appealed to India as a country. It was a happy turn of events.He demanded intensity from every member of the side. He understood the pitfalls of success in India, and asked the team to keep themselves motivated even when they weren’t playing. No namby-pambying for superstars here. That he and Ganguly changed India in such a short span of time is a wonder. Having exceptionally talented players helped, but then you could say that the early 90s team with Tendulkar, Azhar and Kambli was just as talented. It’s just that one team was more driven.When the camera turns to him, he’s mostly behind a laptop. Not the most unique thing, but before Wright, which Indian coach would rely on technology to help? Pre-Wright, you had the Javed Miandad-ish `fergit technology, I’ll teach ya what to do’ approach. Wright pulled India out of a comfort zone and got them to work on their game. It was the clearest indication of direction in a long time.It is tragic that this season will be added as an afterthought, an asterisk, when Wright is spoken about. But it comes with the territory, and Wright is already mentioned fondly. He will be recalled as one of the architects of a tougher India where a work ethic was applied and the value of the team was emphasised. He’ll be reminisced about for being there when India and Australia played two great series. He’ll also be remembered as the one man who made Ganguly hurry between wickets.
National League Division One Glamorgan 198 for 3 beat Warwickshire 196 all out by seven wickets at Sophia Gardens Scorecard Only Trevor Penney (64) made a real impression with the bat as Warwickshire struggled against the bowling of Adrian Dale – 3 for 16 – and Dean Cosker (3 for 44). Glamorgan’s run-chase was a formality once Robert Croft blazed his way to 71 at the top of the order. Matthew Maynard and David Hemp then administered the last rites.Leicestershire 90 for 4 beat Essex 212 for 6 by six wickets (D/L method) at Grace Road Scorecard Andy Flower held the Essex innings together with a superb 103 (113 balls), but it wasn’t enough to edge out Leicestershire in a truncated match at Grace Road. With the innings reduced to 43.3 overs, Flower combined with Darren Robinson (35) and Aftab Habib to post a competitive total. Phil DeFreitas and Darren Stevens got Leicestershire off to a good start, but the D/L target became stiffer with the fall of wickets. Needing 89 from 16 overs, they got there with two deliveries to spare.National League Division Two Derbyshire 163 for 4 beat Sussex 160 for 6 by six wickets (D/L method) at the County Ground Scorecard Mohammad Kaif and Dominic Hewson combined to guide Derbyshire to a six-wicket victory, with seven balls remaining. Kaif made 55 from 62 balls, and Hewson chipped in with a 29-ball 39. Sussex’s total owed much to a 55-ball 60 from Matthew Prior, but good bowling from Graeme Welch (2 for 27) and Dominic Cork (2 for 34) restricted them to a below-par total in another match interrupted by rain.Middlesex 210 for 8 beat Durham 203 for 6 by 7 runs at Lord’s Scorecard Middlesex eked out a narrow victory thanks largely to Tim Bloomfield’s superb bowling (4 for 36). Ed Joyce and Simon Cook had almost single-handedly taken Middlesex past 200, after Neil Killeen – who bowled a beautiful spell to finish with 5 for 33 – and Mark Davies cut through the top order. Durham’s response was anchored by Gary Pratt (63*), but despite contributions from Nicky Peng (41) and Gordon Muchall (44), it was Middlesex, and Bloomfield, who had the final word. Hampshire 335 for 6 beat Somerset 219 all out by 116 runs at the County Ground in Taunton Scorecard Simon Katich, who cracked a magnificent 106 from 88 balls, and John Crawley – with a far from sedate 92 (64 balls) – were instrumental in this comprehensive rout of Somerset. John Francis made 50 too, as Somerset’s bowlers – the exception being Nixon McLean, who took 3 for 51 – were taken apart. Chaminda Vaas then got Jamie Cox fourth ball to start Somerset’s slide to defeat. Ian Blackwell (43) and Keith Parsons were the only ones to offer any resistance as Hampshire wrapped up the innings with 8.5 overs to spare. Shaun Udal finished with 3 for 36.
West Indies secured a place in the LG Abans triangular series final afteranother poor performance by Zimbabwe’s batsmen and a pyrotechnic battingdisplay by Chris Gayle at Asgiriya International Stadium on Sunday.Beaten so convincingly by Sri Lanka on Saturday, West Indies won in anequally emphatic manner today, as they bowled out Zimbabwe for 154 and wonby eight-wickets, reaching their target with 16 overs to spareGayle started his tour of Sri Lanka with a brilliant unbeaten hundred inMatara in the second warm-up game, but flopped in the Test series, recordingthree ducks in his last three innings.The one-day series started badly too, with another duck in West Indies firstgame and a highest score of 21. But today, in front of a small Sunday crowd,he provided rich entertainment on an otherwise soporific days cricket.He started slowly, taking 15 balls to get off the mark, and scoring justnine runs in the first ten overs after losing his opening partner, DarenGanga, cheaply.But, from the 13th over, he went berserk, clattering the bowlers all roundthis small hill station stadium. Travis Friend was pummeled for 16 in theover and Henry Olonga for 20 in the next. He brought up his fifty with a sixoff Gray Brent’s first and last ball of the series, before smacking themedium pacer for four boundaries in his following over.Particularly ruthless square on the off-side, where he hit the ball withawesome power, Zimbabwe’s bowlers paid dearly for offering the left-handertoo much width.He added 106 runs for the second wicket with Ramnaresh Sarwan, who scoredjust 14 of them, before Olonga gained some revenge for his earlier bruisingwith a stinging catch in the covers.But, by then, West Indies were well ahead of the game and his dismissalsimply delayed the inevitable, as Sarwan (30 not out) and 20-year-olddebutante, Ryan Hinds (16 not out) sedately knocked off the remaining 35runs.During the morning, after Carl Hooper had won the toss and elected to bowlfirst, Zimbabwe’s top order had failed miserably, for the second time in theseries. For a while they looked unlikely to reach three figures, as theyslumped to 53 for seven.They had no one to blame but themselves after a succession of loose shots.Grant Flower (3) played down the wrong line, Stuart Carlisle (1) flashed ata wide delivery, Craig Wishart (6) was run out and Trevor Gripper (4),playing his first and last game of the series, wafted speculatively.Only Dion Ebrahim, trapped lbw by good ball from Corey Colleymore thatjagged back into the right-hander and Andy Flower, also trapped lbw, wereblameless.Medium pacer Darryl Brown, one of three changes to the side that lostyesterday, started his international career well with three for 21 in themiddle of the innings, capturing the key wicket of Flower.Heath Streak and Friend did show some belated resistance, as they added 60runs for the eighth wicket, with Streak scoring 57 before he holed out atlong off.West Indies now travel to Colombo to prepare for the final on Wednesdayagainst Sri Lanka. Hooper said afterwards he had a “strong feeling” that hisside could upset Sri Lanka.They will be without Brian Lara, who returned from the hospital to the teamhotel last evening after dislocating his elbow and will stay with the teamuntil the end of the tour. His arm will remain in a sling for two weeks andthe management is hopeful that he can be back playing in 5-6 weeks.Zimbabwe will now start preparations for a tough series against Sri Lanka,starting on 27 December. They have a three-day practice match starting 21December.
Manchester United ran out comfortable 1-0 winners in the opening game of the Premier League season against a lacklustre Tottenham side.
An unlucky own goal courtesy of Kyle Walker was the difference, but Spurs never really looked like competing despite a late push in the final minutes and United barely got out of second gear while beating the north London side.
But after a mere 90 minutes of Premier League football done and a long way to go – just what have we learnt..?
1. Daniel Levy’s moth-riddled wallet is going to have to come out eventually
Daniel. Please. I know you don’t like spending money but just LOOK at this starting XI. Tottenham could do with strengthening in a number of different areas. Another striker. A central midfielder. Hell anyone who’s actually world class.
They can’t continue to rely on Eriksen and Kane to pull them out of the mire every weekend and Poch must be crying out for a blank cheque to go out and get reinforcements. Do the right thing Daniel, it’s not that painful I promise.
2. Manchester United are genuine title contenders
After a slow start United ran out comfortable winners against a Tottenham side devoid of ideas, but that doesn’t make their performance any less impressive.
The Red Devils have the strength in depth to mount a serious title challenge, and with mercurial new signing Memphis Depay and Wayne Rooney back in his preferred central striker role, there’s no reason why they can’t push Chelsea and Arsenal all the way.
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3. Anyone would think Bastian Schweinsteiger is basically Jesus Christ resurrected the amount United fans were going on about him
I mean just look at this lot, haven’t these people got got families?