Also: the most matches in each format without experiencing a win. And is there a player with the initials LBW?

Steven Lynch24-May-2016Has any England bowler managed a cheaper ten-for in a Test than James Anderson’s 10 for 45? asked Malcolm Roberts from England

James Anderson’s 10 for 45 against Sri Lanka at Headingley last week comes in sixth overall on this particular list. The table is headed by Australian left-arm spinner Bert Ironmonger, who was nearly 50 when he took 11 for 24 on a helpful pitch against South Africa in Melbourne in 1931-32. In second place, with scarcely credible match figures of 33-21-27-10, comes Glenn McGrath, against West Indies in Brisbane in 2000-01. The only cheaper ten-fors for England both came against South Africa, in some of their earliest Tests: Johnny Briggs took 15 for 28, with no help from a fielder, in Cape Town in 1888-89, while George Lohmann scalped 15 for 45, with 8 for 7 in the second innings, in Port Elizabeth in 1895-96.There were nearly three Test-free months before England’s series against Sri Lanka. Was this a record for recent years? asked Daniel Gerrard from England

The last Test before England and Sri Lanka got under way at Headingley last week was the one between New Zealand and Australia in Christchurch, which finished on February 24. That gap of 84 days, caused mainly by the World T20, was the longest since… last year, when there were 93 days without a Test between early January and mid-April, thanks to the 2015 World Cup. There have been some other gaps longer than the recent one during the build-up to and playing of World Cups and World T20s.In the last 50 years, the longest period without a Test somewhere was in 1970, when the cancellation of South Africa’s tour of England (and its replacement with an unofficial series against the Rest of the World) meant there were no official Test matches between mid-March and the end of November, a total of 262 days. The next-biggest gap soon followed: there were 176 days between the last Test in England in 1971 (India’s historic win at The Oval) and the first match of New Zealand’s tour of the West Indies, in February 1972.There have been two long barren spells caused by world wars: there were no Tests for nearly seven years between March 1914 and December 1920, and another long gap between September 1939 and March 1946. Apart from that, the longest gap between matches since Test cricket began in 1877 is 849 days – about two years and four months – between the end of the Ashes series in England in August 1899 and the start of the next one Down Under in December 1901.Who has played the most matches in each of the three international formats without ever winning? asked George Richardson from New Zealand

A New Zealander leads the way here in Test matches: Bert Sutcliffe, one of their greatest batsmen, played 42 Tests between 1949 and 1965 without ever finishing on the winning side. New Zealand did win the odd match during his time, but he always managed to miss those games. The Zimbabwean left-arm seamer Bryan Strang comes next – he played 26 Tests without ever winning one. Three Bangladeshis head this sorry list in one-day internationals: Al Sahariar played 27 ODIs without winning one, Sanwar Hossain 27 and Hannan Sarkar 20. Next comes Bermuda’s Malachi Jones (12), then three players on 11 – Travis Dowlin (West Indies), Alester Maregwede (Zimbabwe) and Roland Lefebvre (Netherlands). The (non) record-holder in T20Is is Zimbabwe fast bowler Kyle Jarvis, who played nine T20Is without winning one; Jeffrey Vandersay has so far taken part in six for Sri Lanka without tasting victory.Mohammad Azharuddin is the only non-Australian to score centuries in his first and last Tests•John Macdougall/AFPMohammad Azharuddin scored a century in his first and last Tests – has anyone else done this? asked Krishnan from India

Mohammad Azharuddin made 110 in his first Test, against England in Calcutta in 1984-85, and 102 in his 99th and last match, against South Africa in Bangalore in 1999-2000. Only three other batsmen have done this, all of them Australians: Reggie Duff scored 104 on debut in Melbourne in 1901-02, and 146 in his final Test, also against England, at The Oval in 1905; Bill Ponsford made 110 in his first Test, in Sydney in 1924-24, and 266 in his last, also against England, at The Oval in 1934; and Greg Chappell started with 108 against England in Perth in 1970-71, and finished with 182 against Pakistan in Sydney in 1983-84. Another Aussie, Shaun Marsh, is also on this list, probably temporarily – although he has not appeared since being dropped after hitting 182 against West Indies in Hobart last December (he made 141 on debut, against Sri Lanka in Pallekele in 2011-12). This excludes the unfortunate pair of Andy Ganteaume (West Indies) and Rodney Redmond (New Zealand), who scored centuries in their only Test appearances.I was marvelling at the Sri Lankan players’ initials, and wondered if any bowler ever had the initials LBW? asked Henry Porter from England

There hasn’t (yet) been an international bowler with these promising initials. The huge Cricket Archive database – which includes many minor games – does throw up two: LBW Taylor, who played for Otago’s youth teams in New Zealand, and LBW de Grooth from the Hague CC in the Netherlands. Taylor didn’t do any bowling in the matches that have made it into their records, but happily Luwe de Grooth did. And in the Flamingo Juniors tournament final in Deventer in August 2000, the equally splendidly named S Wolf was lbw LBW de Grooth for 5.In connection with last week’s question about Test debutants sharing the same birthdate, how often has it happened in any Test? asked Michael Sutcliffe from England

Apart from the debut one mentioned last time – Nat Thomson and Ned Gregory in the very first Test of all in Melbourne in 1876-77 – there have been only nine other instances of two players in the same Test side sharing the same date of birth. There are no prizes for guessing that the Waugh twins head the list: they played 108 Tests together after Mark’s debut in 1990-91. Men’s Test cricket’s other twins – Hamish and James Marshall from New Zealand – played five matches together in 2005. The unrelated same-day pairings, with the number of matches they played together in brackets, are David Boon and Dave Gilbert (eight for Australia), Greg Blewett and Matthew Hayden (six for Australia), Patsy Hendren and Ernest Tyldesley (five for England), Naved-ul-Hasan and Yasir Hameed (five for Pakistan), Jack Crapp and Jack Young (four for England), Ashok Malhotra and Shivlal Yadav (three for India), Al-Amin Hossain and Rubel Hossain (three for Bangladesh), and Bobjee Narasimha Rao and Yashpal Sharma (two for India). The one that caused the question in the first place – Jake Ball and James Vince – didn’t happen last week, after Ball was left out of the 12 for the first Test against Sri Lanka at Headingley.Send in your questions using our feedback form.

The allrounder’s return of 5 for 124 on a placid Ranchi pitch meant he went past R Ashwin’s tally of first-innings wicket this season

Karthik Krishnaswamy in Ranchi17-Mar-2017Before India began their 2016-17 home season, it was widely believed that visiting teams would face their sternest first-innings test from R Ashwin’s flight and guile, and that Ravindra Jadeja would mostly play a holding role before coming into his own in the second innings, when the pitches break up and amplify the danger of his accuracy and natural variations.As it has turned out, on what have largely been traditional subcontinental pitches that have started out as good batting surfaces, Jadeja has outbowled Ashwin in the first innings. On Friday, his 5 for 124 on a placid Ranchi surface helped him leapfrog Ashwin to the top of India’s first-innings wicket charts for the season. Jadeja increased his tally to 36, at an average of 26.13 and a strike rate of 61.0 while Ashwin has 34 at 32.52 and 69.6.Their roles have been reversed significantly in the second innings: Ashwin has destroyed teams, taking 43 wickets at 18.90 and striking once every 38.6 balls. Jadeja has been a force of constriction in the second innings, with an economy rate of 1.98, but has taken far fewer wickets – 27 – and far less frequently, once every 60.8 balls, at a slightly worse average – 20.18 – as well.Jadeja’s evolution into a subtler and more multi-dimensional bowler is possibly one reason for this unusual development. Another reason is that Jadeja’s traditional strength of tireless accuracy is an excellent first-innings weapon too.On the second morning in Ranchi, Jadeja came on after a slightly loose start from Umesh Yadav and Ishant Sharma, who had given away 23 in the first five overs of the day. In the process, Steven Smith and Glenn Maxwell had stretched their overnight partnership to 182.Smith was on 123 when Jadeja came on, and Maxwell on 98. Jadeja bowled three straight maidens to them, two to Smith and one to Maxwell, via his time-tested method of bowling a stump-to-stump line, on a good length or just short of it, while getting some balls to go straight on, some to turn just a bit, and one ball to really, really rip off the pitch.It’s a familiar moment for Indian spectators, that one ball from Jadeja that turns square and transforms him from persistent to, if not predatory then, certainly problematic. Maxwell faced it, on 99, tried to defend it, and was beaten by a long way, doing well not to follow the turn with his hands.Jadeja had turned a few on the first day, but nothing to this degree.On the first day, Jadeja had bowled 154 balls to Smith and Maxwell, conceding 67 runs, of which 38 had come in singles, twos and threes. On the second morning, the runs had evaporated. Part of this had to do with India’s field, set to save singles rather than in-out as they had been for large parts of day one. A lot of it, though, was down to Jadeja finding a spot on the pitch that was reacting interestingly to the impact of the ball, and hitting it, or the general area around it, over and over.”The wicket, there were a few areas where it was a little bit dry. He kept on hitting around it and they reacted differently,” Maxwell later said. “You saw a couple of times I got beaten on the outside by him. I missed them by a fair margin.”I was in. If I’m in and missing them by that far you can tell it’s not that easy at that stage. He was hitting a consistent spot where if it skidded on straight it was hitting the stumps and if it spun you had a chance to nick it. It was just an awkward length. It took him a while to find that length against us. We were able to find singles and manipulate the field a bit yesterday afternoon, but today he was pretty accurate.”Ravindra Jadeja’s evolution has made him a force even on placid pitches•AFPIn his fourth over of the morning, Jadeja finally broke through; causing an explosion of dust with a delivery that Maxwell looked to punch off the back foot. Sharp turn, bounce, an edge through to Wriddhiman Saha, and Australia, having last lost a wicket at 140, were now 331 for 5.Smith continued to score runs, and found a couple of lower-order allies in Matthew Wade and Steve O’Keefe to push Australia past 400. Jadeja, though, kept hitting that awkward length Maxwell spoke of.He got Wade to stretch forward twice in two overs to balls landing in the rough outside the left-hander’s off stump. Both times, he didn’t get close enough to the pitch of the ball to smother it. The first one turned, hit the inside edge and pad, and looped up wide of forward short-leg. The second one bounced just as much, but didn’t turn, and Wade nicked it behind.Pat Cummins was next in; he had only just flown to India, and had probably heard about the method the other Australian right-handers were trying to use against Jadeja on this trip; play for the one that doesn’t turn, don’t mind too much if it does turn and beat the outside edge.Unfortunately for Cummins, this was a lesson for turning pitches, and not this first-innings Ranchi surface. The first ball he faced landed on a firm spot on the pitch, on a middle-and-off line, and turned, albeit not extravagantly. No puff of dust this time. Cummins, stretching forward, played inside the line of it, missed, and heard his off bail drop off its perch.Once again, it was the length that did Cummins. It drew him forward and still left him a long way from the pitch of the ball. The same length brought Jadeja his fifth wicket as well; extra bounce inducing Nathan Lyon to pop a catch to silly point.Jadeja ended the innings with figures of 5 for 124 in 49.3 overs. The other Indian bowlers finished with combined figures of 4 for 307 in 88 overs.Batting first in India, Australia have posted nine 400-plus first-innings totals including this one. They’ve done it six times before this in this millennium, and of those six matches, they’ve won one, drawn one, and lost four times.Australia’s first-innings totals in those four matches were 445, 428, 478 and 408. In Ranchi, they made a total within that range – 451. Without Jadeja plugging away on that perfect length, they might have made a whole lot more.

And just like that, Tottenham Hotspur miss out on another chance for silverware.

Ange Postecoglou’s side travelled to Anfield for the second leg of their League Cup semi-final last night, and while they did so with a 1-0 advantage, they won’t be heading to Webley Stadium next month.

The North Londoners were unable to keep Liverpool at bay and never looked even remotely like scoring themselves, so while the hosts eventually ran out 4-0 winners, it could have easily been more.

With all that said, the Lilywhites have to now dust themselves off and go again, as they still have two more chances to win a trophy this season, although to give the team the best chance of doing so, Postecoglou must drop one of his star players for new boy Mathys Tel.

Why Tel has to start

So, while Tel did get his first run out in a Spurs shirt late into the first half last night, the main arguments for why he should be starting the FA Cup game on the weekend, and the Premier League games after that, do not stem from his somewhat underwhelming performance.

In fact, they don’t even really come from what he did with Bayern Munich prior to his move this season, as Vincent Kompany hardly gave him any game time. Instead, they stem from his outrageously impressive form last season.

For example, despite still only playing 1406 minutes of first-team football across 41 appearances, the young Frenchman racked up a brilliant haul of ten goals and provided six assists.

Appearances

41

Starts

10

Minutes

1406′

Goals

10

Assists

6

Goal Involvements per Match

0.39

Minutes per Goal Involvement

87.87′

That means that, in a season in which he was just 18 years old at the start, the player Spurs believe to be a “generational” talent, per journalist Graeme Bailey, maintained an average of a goal involvement every 2.56 games, or every 87.87 minutes.

Moreover, according to FBref, which compares players in similar positions across Europe’s top five leagues, the Champions League and the Europa League, the Sarcelles-born ace sits in the top 9% of attacking midfielders and wingers for total shots, the top 13% for successful take-ons, the top 14% for assists and more, all per 90.

In short, the Bayern loanee is an exceptionally exciting attacker who could and would inject some much-needed dynamism into Spurs’ frontline, and therefore, he must start in place of a veteran for the foreseeable future.

The Spurs star Postecoglou must drop

The unfortunate reality of last night’s dismal display is that you could probably make a case for why most of the starting lineup shouldn’t keep their place for the game against Villa on the weekend.

However, the manager is not blessed with the squad depth to make wholesale changes and, stars like Dejan Kulusevski have shown earlier this season that, at his best, he’s unplayable.

Therefore, the player that Postecoglou should be looking to drop in place of Tel is none other than club captain Son Heung-min.

The South Korean superstar is an icon of both the team and the league, but last night was yet another game that seemingly passed him by, as while he rattled the crossbar in the dying embers, he was unbelievably ineffective for practically the entire match.

It might sound harsh, but it’s an opinion shared by the Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick, who gave the winger a 4/10 match rating at full-time, writing that he ‘struggled to make any inroads’ against the Reds’ steadfast defence, which is also borne out in his statistics.

Minutes

93′

Goals

0

Assists

0

Shots on Target

0

Dribbles (Successful)

2 (0)

Passing Accuracy

10/17 (59%)

Key Passes

0

Touches

29

Crosses (Accurate)

3 (0)

Long Balls (Accurate)

1 (0)

Ground Duels (Won)

5 (1)

Aerial Duels (Won)

1 (0)

Lost Possession

13

Dribbled Past

2

In his 93 minutes on the pitch, the former Bayer Leverkusen star failed to have a single shot on target, failed in 100% of his attempted dribbles, maintained a dismal passing accuracy of just 59%, played no key passes, took just 29 touches, failed in 100% of his crosses and long balls, lost four of five ground duels and 100% of aerial duels, lost the ball 13 times and was dribbled past twice.

Ultimately, it was a diabolically poor performance from the captain, and given the fact he’s set to turn 33 in the summer and research carried out by The Athletic revealed that wingers see a dramatic decline in their ability to take players on at 30, it seems incredibly unlikely that we’ll ever see him back to his best.

Therefore, to give the team the best chance of finally lifting some silverware this season, Postecoglou must drop Son from the starting lineup and replace him with the incredibly dynamic, unpredictable and exciting Tel, especially ahead of Villa on Sunday.

Alongside Kinsky: Spurs ace who lost 10/12 duels ruined their trophy hopes

Spurs were thumped at Anfield as their dreams of Wembley faded away.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Feb 7, 2025

You only have to look as far as Arsenal’s current first-team squad to see how many quality young talents the club possesses, with all of them undoubtedly having a huge role to play in North London.

Bukayo Saka has been the shining light for the Gunners in the final third over the last couple of years, often single-handedly winning games for Mikel Arteta in their quest to end their two-decade wait for a Premier League trophy.

The Englishman has registered 67 goals and 73 assists in just over 250 appearances for his boyhood club since making his debut, registering a goal contribution every 1.7 matches, highlighting his impact in front of goal.

However, Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly are just two of the latest prospects to come through the Hale End Academy, with chances frequently falling their way and grabbing them with both hands as the pair got on the scoresheet in the 5-1 win against Manchester City last weekend.

It’s safe to say not all the youngsters who feature at the Emirates go on to have a successful time in North London, with numerous failing to make the grade over the last few years.

Arsenal's failed Hale End youngsters

Folarin Balogun was seen as one star for the future by many in North London after his superb goalscoring form in the youth ranks, especially in the U18 Premier League.

To this day, the American sits as the third top scorer in the division’s history, registering a total of 34 goals in just 33 appearances, potentially becoming their star number nine after such a run of form.

However, he would only make a total of ten appearances for the Gunners’ first team, banking a hefty profit when joining Monaco in 2023, but ultimately unable to make the impact at his boyhood club.

1. Chido Obi-Martin

37

2. Ellis Simms

36

3. Folarin Balogun

34

3= Reo Griffiths

34

5. Oakley Cannonier

32

Serge Gnabry also had high hopes of being a success at the club but was prematurely sold, now starring for Bayern Munich, featuring over 250 times since moving to the Bundesliga outfit back in 2018.

He’s not the only youngster who’s moved away from the club in recent years and starred elsewhere, with Arteta potentially living to regret his decision to allow the star to leave.

The midfield star who Arsenal may regret offloading

French midfielder Mateo Guendouzi joined Arsenal back in the summer of 2018 for a fee of £7m from French side Lorient with high hopes for the future.

However, he would make an immediate impact at the Emirates, featuring 48 times in all competitions during his debut season at the club, including 33 league outings.

His second and final year as a first-team member would see a slight drop in minutes, making just 34 appearances before an infamous bust-up with fellow Frenchman Neal Maupay ultimately saw him lose his place at the Emirates.

Guendouzi would endure two separate loan spells at Hertha Berlin and Marseille before joining the latter on a permanent basis for just £9m – banking a profit, but failing to reach the heights many expected due to his off-the-field antics.

2020/21

24

2

1

2021/22

56

5

8

2022/23

43

5

5

2023/24

50

0

1

2024/25

29

1

3

Total:

202

13

18

He’s since moved to Lazio in Serie A, a move which has catapulted his career for the better, making 75 appearances in the last two seasons, with his market value skyrocketing as a result of his consistent showings.

The Frenchman, who’s previously been dubbed as “phenomenal” by CBS football correspondent James Benge, is now valued at €45m (£37m) by CIES Football Observatory, a rise of 311% on the fee they sold him for just a couple of years ago.

It’s a shame that it didn’t work out for the 25-year-old at the club, but evidently, there was never going to be a way back for Guendouzi after his attitude problems which tarnished his relationship with Arteta.

However, his current form could’ve benefitted the Spaniard who is yet to see the best from another midfielder in Mikel Merino. Perhaps they may rue their decision to cash in so cheaply.

Arsenal must regret selling Martinelli replacement who's a "joy to watch"

Arsenal have been beset by a series of injuries that have disrupted their campaign.

1 ByAngus Sinclair Feb 9, 2025

Tottenham Hotspur have endured their fair share of frustration this season, with Ange Postecoglou’s ambitious project stunted by an unrelenting surge of injuries.

It’s left Spurs stranded in 14th place in the Premier League, with the poor and lasting form eradicating any hopes of qualifying for European competition next season through the top flight.

However, Postecoglou’s side are still in the FA Cup, meeting Aston Villa at Villa Park later today, and finished fourth in the league phase of the Europa League, bypassing the additional knockout round.

There’s hope yet that an exciting finish to the campaign could be forged from the scalding flames of recent months, with Son Heung-min captaining the side and eyeing a maiden piece of silverware.

The skipper is now 32 and has come under fire for some of his performances this term, but he’s still a major influence capable of driving the Lilywhites forward.

Every 2024/25 Premier League club's most underrated player

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ByBarney Lane Feb 6, 2025 Son Heung-min's season in numbers

In 2015, Tottenham signed Son from Bayer Leverkusen for a reported £22m fee when he was 23 years old. The dynamic forward has since forged a fine career for himself in England, posting 172 goals and 92 assists across 440 appearances and being hailed for his “world-class” quality by Postecoglou last season.

Having taken the armband from the departed Harry Kane at the beginning of Ange’s tenure, Son has been the standout attacker, and even though he’s discernibly on the decline in regard to athleticism and energy this term, he’s still scored 10 goals and supplied 8 assists across 32 matches in all competitions.

Son’s still got enough in the tank to play a big part for his long-served side, but there’s no doubt that he’s struggling, and the recruitment to aid him on the left flank hasn’t been good enough.

Timo Werner is playing in his second successive loan spell at the club and was singled out for his lack of fight and determination by Postecoglou in December, with the Australian manager saying it was “not acceptable”.

Moreover, Wilson Odobert is dealing with a long-term injury after joining from Burnley for £25m last summer – the 20-year-old only featured three times in the league, failing to hit the target or create a big chance while also failing with 68% of his dribbles, as per Sofascore.

Rewarded for his loyalty with a new contract in January, the veteran forward needs to be playing with a higher calibre of support, more energy and impetus. He can’t play twice a week to the same level anymore, and given that Spurs are struggling for players to compete with Son, our mind is cast back to Steven Bergwijn.

Spurs must rue losing Steven Bergwijn

Son is still a potent attacking force. Technically, the South Korean captain is still one of Postecoglou’s best players and his goal record reflects his value.

1

Brennan Johnson

32

12

2

Dominic Solanke

29

11

3

Son Heung-min

32

10

=4

James Maddison

31

9

=4

Dejan Kulusevski

38

9

However, his underlying energy has been diminished, with pundits such as Sky Sports’ Jamie Redknapp picking up on the changes.

With Son’s aforementioned positional peers struggling to impose themselves, Bergwijn’s particular approach could have gone down a treat in this Postecoglou system.

Plainly, Son is a victim of the system crashing this season and would have benefited greatly from a more stable, less injury-affected campaign, but instead, he’s toiling.

Bergwijn, 27, is now playing his third season since leaving the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but his energy and potency in front of goal would have been the perfect mix to lessen Son’s load and play off the left flank when he tires in Ange’s fast-paced team.

Tottenham signed Bergwijn from PSV Eindhoven for a fee in the region of £25m in January 2020, but the electric-paced winger only managed to score 8 goals across 83 matches for the north Londoners.

Embroiled in the thick of Antonio Conte’s downfall, Bergwijn was set up to fail.

Now playing for Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League, Bergwijn has enjoyed a healthy return of seven goals and seven assists over 24 matches this season, though his athletic metrics further underscore the quality that Tottenham are missing on their left flank.

He has averaged 4.3 successful duels, 1.8 dribbles and 1.2 tackles per game in the league this term, as per Sofascore, perfectly illustrating the kind of robust style of play that would be so well suited to Postecoglou’s free-flowing and high-octane football.

Moreover, the 27-year-old has been hailed as a “big-game monster” in the past by journalist John Cross – something that Spurs could have done with, for example, at Anfield earlier this week, with Son branded with a 5/10 match score by Football.london’s Alasdair Gold after his performance, where he was singled out for his inability to get on the ball against Liverpool.

The saving grace is that Tottenham were able to recoup £26m for the failed signing, who fled back to the Dutch Eredivisie to sign with Ajax in July 2022.

However, given that Spurs turned their transfer cannon toward Richarlison, signing the Brazilian for a whopping £60m fee, it’s perhaps less satisfactory.

Ultimately, Bergwijn was “unlucky at Spurs” – a comment made by pundit and ex-Spurs goalkeeper Paul Robinson – and it’s quite possible that in different circumstances, perhaps under Postecoglou, he would have enjoyed far greater success in the Premier League.

He’s still firmly in his ostensible prime years, and thus, the likes of Daniel Levy must have some big regrets about letting him leave, for he could have been the perfect option to mitigate Son’s struggles at present.

He's worth far more than Tel: Spurs hit the jackpot with "world-class" star

The incredible international could become a legend at Spurs.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Feb 8, 2025

19-Aug-2016Dean Elgar was snuffed out three overs later while attempting a drive of Doug Bracewell, which he nicked to second slip•AFPHashim Amla calmed things down in JP Duminy’s company to take South Africa to 94 for 2 at lunch•AFPNew Zealand struck back immediately after lunch. First, Neil Wagner did Duminy in with a short delivery, before Boult removed Amla with an inside edge that was caught by BJ Watling•AFPFaf du Plessis and Temba Bavuma then blunted 22.4 overs for 54 runs…•Getty Imagesbefore du Plessis was sent back courtesy a blinder at gully by his opposite number Kane Williamson.•AFPQuinton de Kock joined Bavuma to add 48 more for the sixth wicket, but South Africa’s late fightback ended when Mitchell Santner removed both batsmen in the same over.•AFPWith his fellow pacers left a mark, Tim Southee went wicketless after 18 overs of toil•Getty ImagesNeil Wagner was New Zealand’s best bowler, taking 3 for 47; South Africa were placed at 236 for 8 before bad light ended play prematurely•AFP

Manchester City’s winter spending spree is underway.

On Monday, the Sky Blues unveiled Abdukodir Khusanov, joining from Lens for a reported fee of £34m.

This week, the Citizens are also expected to complete the signings of Vitor Reis from Palmeiras and Omar Marmoush of Eintracht Frankfurt, but Pep Guardiola is not done yet, now eyeing up a move for one of the most exciting English talents currently playing abroad.

Man City chasing a new winger

According to a report from Spain, Manchester City, alongside Chelsea and Bayern Munich, are set to ‘compete’ for the signing of Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens.

Fabrizio Romano adds that Liverpool are also “monitoring the situation”, with Florian Plettenberg and Patrick Berger of Sky Sports Deutschland believing the 20-year-old is valued at around €100m (£85m).

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The Englishman spent time in both Chelsea and Manchester City’s academy set-ups, but ditched the Sky Blues for Borussia Dortmund at the age of 16, taking a similar path to that established by Jude Bellingham and Jadon Sancho.

Since making his senior debut against Wolfsburg in April 2022, Gittens has scored 16 goals and provided 14 assists in just 84 outings for die Schwarzgelben, registering a goal involvement every 132 minutes on average.

So far this season, despite the fact Nuri Şahin’s side are struggling in general, the youngster has gone to another level, scoring seven times in the Bundesliga and four times in the Champions League, most notably on target against Real Madrid at the Bernabéu in October, as well as in November’s Klassiker draw at Westfalenstadion.

You may know this player as Jamie Bynoe-Gittens however, at the start of this season, he decided to shorten his name following a discussion with his father, the pair agreeing it would be ‘easier to pronounce’.

What Jamie Gittens would bring to Manchester City

Regardless of what is on the back of his shirt, he’s certainly a player to watch, with data analyst Ben Mattinson on X particularly enthused by his “electric pace”, while Sebastian Stafford-Bloor of the Athletic believes his “two-footed finishing and blazing speed” will be impossible for new England manager Thomas Tuchel to ignore.

The 20-year-old is certainly attracting attention from clubs in England, so could we soon see him gracing the Premier League?

Guardiola has plenty of wingers at his disposal already, namely Jack Grealish, Bernardo Silva, Savinho and Jérémy Doku, but keeps on chopping and changing in search of a winning formula.

Will Unwin of the Guardian has praised Doku’s “maverick tendencies”, saying they provide Man City with something different, which is in stark contrast to Grealish, who Richard Jolly of the Independent believes is no longer “exciting”, with Guardiola’s over-coaching responsible.

Thus, stylistically, the Man City player Gittens is most similar to is certainly Doku, so let’s see how the duo compare.

As the table, using data since the start of last season outlines, Gittens and Doku are very similar players.

Gittens ranks higher for both goals and shots per 90, while Doku has the slight edge when it comes to assists, progressive carries and take-on success %.

Nevertheless, across Europe’s top five leagues this season, Gittens ranks second for attempted take-ons (118), behind only Lamine Yamal, who’s not bad, while the young Englishman also sits eighth for goals – xG, with an impressive tally of +4.6, bettered only by one Bundesliga player, that being Marmoush, who’s already on his way to Man City.

What is clear is that Gittens is a future superstar, so if the Sky Blues, or anyone else for that matter, get the chance to secure his services, they should certainly take it.

Worth way more than Marmoush: Pep has struck gold on Man City "superstar"

Man City have a youngster in the squad who is worth more than Omar Marmoush

By
Ross Kilvington

Jan 18, 2025

Russell Domingo’s time as South Africa coach has been hard to decipher, even for the man himself. What is clear is that CSA seems intent on replacing him

Firdose Moonda08-Aug-2017Russell Domingo may (or may not) have taken charge of South Africa for the last time. He has (or has not) said goodbye to the men he has mentored for the last four years. He can (or cannot) take stock.Nobody knows, not even Domingo himself, whether he remains South Africa’s head coach. All he knows is that his contract expired when the tour of England ended, that the five-man panel, who were due to recommend a candidate for the new coach were delayed in their work, that the English media have reported Ottis Gibson has been approached and Cricket South Africa (CSA) remains loudly silent. And that has been the case for months.This is the kind of uncertainty Domingo has operated under since January 28, when he found out mid-game along with the rest of the world, that his position would be advertised. Whatever your opinions of Domingo as a coach are, you will have to agree that that is unfair on him and the squad he has to work with. They have been on two full tours in that time and to a major tournament and as much as they’ve insisted the lack of clarity has not affected them, it must have. Just think about it: they have played this entire year not knowing whether the coach will remain the coach.When news that Domingo would not have his contract roll over for a fourth time first broke, AB de Villiers said it was a “bitter pill to swallow,” and that there would be “a few sad hours in the change room”, instead of celebrations post their victory over Sri Lanka. De Villiers made it sound like it was a done deal that Domingo would be gone after the England tour.In the days that followed, it was revealed that opening applications might have been a mere formality, put in place to meet corporate governance requirements. Domingo had has his deal extended three times since he was appointed in June 2013 and another automatic extension could bring complications for CSA in labour-law terms. The board clarified that Domingo was welcome to reapply for the role. But Domingo’s nose was put out of joint and he told the media he would need to think about whether he wanted to carry on before he made any firm decisions.Domingo’s reaction was understandable. CSA had already had their chance to get rid of him mere months before, when they conducted a wide-ranging review after the disappointments of the 2015-16 summer. South Africa lost Test series to India away and England at home and slipped from No. 1 to No. 7 on the rankings. They were booted out of a triangular ODI tournament in the Caribbean in the first-round and heads needed to roll. They didn’t. The review went in Domingo’s favour and he stayed. And he succeeded.

South Africa’s results over the last three months have not been a sterling endorsement for Domingo, with just four wins out of 13 fixtures in England

South Africa went through a redemption of sorts in the 2016-17 season. They beat New Zealand at home, they became the first ODI side to whitewash Australia 5-0, they beat Australia in a Test series away, they wiped the floor with Sri Lanka in a Test series at home and , CSA decided Domingo might need to be replaced. As far as timing goes, it was worse than being through a pull shot only to realise the ball is about to hit you in the nose.Given the state Sri Lanka were in on their tour to South Africa, dealing with them for the rest of the series did not take too much out of South Africa. They didn’t need to be high on morale or strong in character. They could just win.It was different in New Zealand, where conditions were challenging and very different in England, where everything was challenging. South Africa needed to be entirely focused on performance and have everyone to be pulling in the same direction. Instead, they had de Villiers’ indecision over his future – a subject that has dominated headlines since December 2015 – being linked to the future of the coach. The only thing everyone agreed on was that they wanted Domingo to stay. At various stages of the England tour, players like de Villiers, Faf du Plessis, Dean Elgar and Vernon Philander said so. And at some point midway through the tour, someone on the board or the five-man panel CSA appointed to recommend a suitable candidate for the coaching job also thought so.After spending months without knowing what – if any – process he needed to follow to reapply for his job and not having found out anything further a week before the deadlines for applications closed, Domingo had a sudden change of heart and put his name in the hat. He returned home to South Africa during the T20s because his mother had been involved in a car accident and it was there that he was interviewed at the 11th hour, seemingly because the panel were not convinced of any the candidates they had been presented with.Among them was Geoffrey Toyana, the Lions coach who was thought to be the frontrunner for the post. Toyana has had a successful run at domestic level with four trophies in five seasons and has had many of the current crop of internationals – Kagiso Rabada, Quinton de Kock, Temba Bavuma and Chris Morris – come up under his watch. Now it seems likely that if the Gibson deal comes through, Toyana, or Malibongwe Maketa from the Warriors, may be signed on as his assistant. Leaving Domingo completely out of the picture.Take the fact that this saga has dragged on for eight months out of it, and that seems reasonable. South Africa’s results over the last three months have not been a sterling endorsement for Domingo. They return home empty-handed, having won just four out of 13 fixtures in England. The manner in which they exited the Champions Trophy – an implosion under pressure amid a tragicomedy of run-outs – suggests that even Domingo, the only coach who has won a World Cup knockout match with South Africa, is not the man who can break the major tournament trophy drought.Domingo operated under uncertainty for most of his stint as a coach•Getty ImagesThough he has seen the Test side climb back up to No. 2 – no easy feat considering the players they have lost to retirement (Graeme Smith, Jacques Kallis and Alviro Petersen), Kolpak deals (eight, including Kyle Abbott and Rilee Rossouw), seen less of due to injury (Dale Steyn and Philander) and sabbatical (de Villiers) in Domingo’s time – they now appear stuck. They need new ideas and fresh eyes.So even if Domingo was not under pressure in January, and his contract had not been a topic of conversation since, he would have returned home to scrutiny after these results and rightly so. Now CSA has to ask itself how many of these results are a consequence of the fact that Domingo has been under pressure since January? How much additional pressure was on the squad to perform, knowing that was the only way they could make a case for Domingo? How many of them only want to continue their careers under Domingo? How many of them have spent the last eight months anxious;y awaiting communication from CSA, even if that communication was only to confirm that Domingo was done?Du Plessis confirmed there was some talk early on, when the players were asked if they were happy with Domingo. “We said we were,” he said. “The panel’s decision was to see if there was someone out there to take the team forward and I said Russell was doing a good job but if there was someone out there who can challenge the team more then, by all means, have a look.”Since then, there have been no follow-ups. The least CSA could have done was tell the players they were having a look and let them know where Domingo stood before the tour ended, if only so he and his support staff could plan their futures. While assistant coach Adrian Birrell is understood to be keen on moving on, the bowling coach Charl Langeveldt, batting coach Neil McKenzie and spin coach Claude Henderson all seem to have done solid work with individuals in the squad and their future is also up in the air.The new coach would do well to hold on to some of them, especially since they already have relationships with the squad and du Plessis has identified man-management as the biggest task that awaits Domingo’s successor (if there is to be one).Like many, du Plessis anticipates it will be Gibson who will take over and has done some homework. “I have asked the England team and they have given me positive feedback,” he said. “The players are good judges and they will give honest opinions on the reflections of a guy who will work as head coach. If he is going to be the guy then we’ll have to learn about each other and that relationship will take time.”Everything now seems to hinge on whether CSA will buy Gibson out of his ECB contract. If they do, he may (or may not) have taken charge of the England attack for the last time, he might (or might not) have said goodbye to men he mentored for two stints, and can (or cannot) start to take stock of what lies ahead.

Lachlan Ferguson flew all the way from London to Hobart to watch his brother make his Test debut. What he saw caused him to rush to the exit in exasperation

Daniel Brettig in Hobart12-Nov-2016Let’s say you live in London. You get a call to say that your older brother Callum Ferguson, after years of trying and a pair of serious knee injuries, has been added to the Australian squad for a Test match for the very first time. You don’t know for sure if he’ll be playing, but you book a flight to the far side of the world anyway, just in case.You take the journey, around 20 hours in the air from London to Melbourne, followed by a short hop of around an hour from there to Hobart. On arrival, you find that your brother is actually going to play, making the trip worthwhile but also filling you with plenty of nerves.So you sit and watch things unfold alongside your father. You see your brother presented with a baggy green cap he has been chasing for well over a decade, handed over by his old Redbacks teammate Greg Blewett. You see the coin toss and the news that Australia are to be sent in to bat. You notice the green grass on the pitch, the lushness of the outfield, the dull light and sprinklings of rain. You’re reminded of the country you’ve just flown from.Your brother is set to bat at No. 6, so you don’t expect to be seeing him out there particularly soon. You settle in to watch the openers David Warner and Joe Burns trot out to the middle to start the innings. You see Vernon Philander at the top of his mark, looking calm but eager, in conditions tailored beautifully for his seam and swing.After the first five balls, you think Warner has handled things well enough, but then you see Philander spray his sixth delivery well wide of the stumps, out almost near the return crease. You’re half expecting the umpire to signal wide, but instead you see Warner’s arms outstretched instead, trying vainly to reach the ball and succeeding only in snicking a catch behind and gifting his wicket to Philander. You hear exclamations of surprise and annoyance around you.Next you watch Burns being sized up by Kyle Abbott, a seam bowler who had success against the Australians in the ODI series in South Africa. You know that Burns has just been recalled to the team after being dropped in Sri Lanka, and that his Gabba education should help on tough days for batting against pace. Then you see Abbott jag one back off the seam, much as he did to Aaron Finch in Port Elizabeth a few weeks ago, and see Burns struck on the pad in front, his bat not straight, his head falling over to the off side. You feel slightly nauseous as the umpire’s finger goes up – not all to do with the jetlag.David Warner chased at a wide one from Vernon Philander to start Australia’s collapse•Getty ImagesYou watch Usman Khawaja and Steven Smith scratch around for a while, letting numerous balls sail perilously close to the stumps either side of a brief rain delay. You start to think they might be getting through the worst of it, with just eight runs on the board, when you see Khawaja squared up by a Philander delivery that rears off the pitch and caught in the slips.Not far from where you’re sitting, Adam Voges walks out to the middle. This time last year, you followed the scores from a Test in Hobart against the West Indies, and saw Voges collar 269 not out against a benighted Caribbean side. Now you see Voges take guard, ready himself, then stand motionless at the crease after edging the most perfect of leg cutters from Philander. You don’t think there’s much more he could have done, but then you realise your brother will now be coming in to face a hat-trick ball, with the scoreboard reading 4 for 8.You’re tense and struggling to sit still as Philander rolls in for that ball, sending down a delivery on target that your brother gets enough bat on to keep out. The ball is seaming treacherously, and your brother lets one delivery go that passes more or less over the top of middle stump. The febrile environment in the middle is shown when Steven Smith and Philander collide during the middle of an LBW appeal, sending the bowler off the field for treatment.Watching Philander leave the field with South Africa’s physio, you think that might be a chance for the Australians to find some breathing room. But then your brother, facing his 12th ball, knocks one down into the gully where the substitute fielder Dane Vilas misfields. You sense the adrenaline coursing through your brother’s veins as he turns to try to force a second run, but you also see Vilas’ rapid recovery in chasing after the ball.In a moment that seems to take an age but is barely a couple of seconds, you see Vilas gather, turn and throw in one motion. You see your brother realise he’s suddenly in trouble and shape to dive for the crease. You see the ball fired in low and hard towards the stumps, hitting them as Quinton de Kock jumps up in exultation. You see your brother sprawled on the ground, short of his crease and out in the most maddening way possible. You see an Australian innings in utter chaos, and a team bereft of method or confidence to deal with the prevailing conditions.You’ve seen enough. You throw your hands in the air in total exasperation, stand up and rush past your dad, and walk out through the entrance to the Ricky Ponting Stand – a scene captured by television cameras. You cannot believe your journey around the world has ended in this awful scene, watching the total collapse of a team your brother was rushed into in an effort to fix problems that seem more systemic than personnel-based. You’re not alone.

Ahead of the Ranji season, ESPNcricinfo takes a look at six players who are on the periphery of the Indian Test team

Sreshth Shah05-Oct-20171:54

Aakash Chopra’s top 5 picks for the Ranji season

Abhinav Mukund
The Tamil Nadu opener averaged 65.30 in the Ranji Trophy last year and was his team’s highest run-scorer. Lurking as the fourth-choice opener since he made his international debut in 2011, Abhinav replaced the injured KL Rahul for the first Test of the Sri Lanka series in July this year. He walked in with an average of just 18.91 from his previous six Tests, but a career-best of 81 in the second innings in Galle might have done just enough to keep Abhinav in the selectors’ radar during the upcoming season.Despite being in good touch during last year’s Ranji, where he scored four centuries and three fifties in ten games, Abhinav will aim to better his record from last season when he finished as the ninth-highest run-getter. He would also hope that he gets a longer run if and when he gets the next Test call-up.The selectors would want: Consistency and fitness.
Karun Nair
His 303* made him only the second Indian to record a triple-century after Virender Sehwag. However, Nair’s next-highest Test score is 26. Since being dropped after the Dharamsala Test against Australia this March, following a string of poor scores, Nair led India A’s four-day teams for the tour of South Africa and in the home series against New Zealand A.In eight first-class innings for the ‘A’ team, Nair scored only one half-century and in the four 50-over games, he made only 95 runs. Nair possesses both technique and temperament, but the pressure of expectations after the triple-hundred seems to have affected him. With mentors like Rahul Dravid around him, he will know the path back is about converting starts, showing the hunger, focus and determination. There is no other remedy.The selectors would want: Nair to return to scoring big.
Shreyas Iyer
Iyer is competing for the same slot as Nair, but the numbers are in his favour. The 22-year old from Mumbai is in the best form among batsmen fighting for a middle-order slot. Iyer has scores of 82, 108 and 65 in his last three first-class innings, and had made an unbeaten 202 against Australia in the tour match, for India A, earlier this year. He also showed promise on the India A tour, where he scored an unbeaten 140 against South Africa A in the final of the one-day tri-series. An aggressive batsman, Iyer is working hard at learning the right skills from Dravid as well as his personal coach Praveen Amre.The selectors would want: For him to stay consistent in the Ranji season and make use of the India A opportunities.
Parthiv Patel flays one through the off side•BCCIParthiv Patel
Parthiv Patel’s played a big role in Gujarat’s Ranji Trophy win last year. Runs at the top, followed up by sharp wicketkeeping, saw Parthiv get a Test call-up during England’s tour last year as a makeshift opener and a replacement for Saha. He repaid the selectors’ faith with two important fifties in three Tests.Recently, Parthiv was called as a replacement for Rishabh Pant for India A’s matches against New Zealand A in Vijayawada, where he scored 65 in the only innings he played in the series. At the moment, he seems to be doing everything right, and has vastly improved behind the stumps as well; what also goes in his favour is that Parthiv can double up as India’s Test opener as well. He remains a favourite if India need a back-up wicketkeeper for tours abroad.The selectors would want: Parthiv to stay fit and in form.
Shardul Thakur
Thakur recently had a whiff of international cricket, playing the last two ODIs in India’s whitewash of Sri Lanka last month. In two matches, he took only one wicket, but the selectors have made it clear that the fast bowler remains high on their list.His in-your-face attitude, coupled with tight lines, has helped Shardul emerge as the country’s premiere quick in domestic cricket. And while Thakur took only 27 wickets in last year’s Ranji season, his wicket-taking abilities in the two seasons prior brought him in the radar. He was part of the five back-up players named by India during the Champions Trophy in England, and took six wickets in two first-class games against New Zealand A recently.His consistency over the past few seasons has seen him develop as India’s back-up in ODIs; Thakur will now aim to make a mark in the first-class circuit.The selectors would want: Thakur to improve and stay consistent with his pace, bowl longer spells
Shahbaz Nadeem
The highest wicket-taker of the last two Ranji seasons, Nadeem is at the top of his game at the moment. Nadeem took 14 wickets in two first-class matches recently against New Zealand A, which followed 11 wickets in two away matches against South Africa A, to make a strong case for Test selection.Nadeem bowls a nagging line, and his spin – or sometimes the lack of it – can get the better of batsmen who begin to lose their patience. He finished with 13 wickets more than the second-highest wicket-taker last season in the Ranji Trophy, and is the highest-rated spinner among those playing the trade in domestic cricket.The chances of India looking beyond R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav remain slim, especially abroad. He is likely to face competition from Karn Sharma, who also is on the selectors’ radar, and could be a more attractive option as a legspinner. However Nadeem can only continue to believe.The selectors would want: For him to carry his current form forward and bowl match-winning spells.