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Australian was halfway through four-year contract, Marcus Trescothick will take over on interim basis

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Jul-20242:32

Miller: Mott was most dispensable of an uninspiring pairing

Matthew Mott has stepped down as England Men’s white-ball head coach with immediate effect.Mott was halfway through a four-year contract, during which time he presided over triumph at the 2022 T20 World Cup as well as the side’s failure to defend that title this year or the 50-over crown they won in 2019 at the 2023 edition, where they won just three of their nine games.He will be replaced by assistant coach Marcus Trescothick on an interim basis for the rest of the home summer, which includes three T20Is and five ODIs against Australia in September.Related

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Key, Mott in spotlight as England white-ball team reaches crossroads

On Sunday, Mott met with Rob Key, ECB managing director of England men’s cricket, to gauge his view on the last nine months as part of a review into the drop in team’s limited-overs performances.”I am immensely proud to have coached the England Men’s team; it has been an honour,” Mott said. “We have put everything into trying to achieve success over the past two years, and I am incredibly proud of the character and passion that the team has displayed during that period, including a magnificent T20 World Cup victory in 2022.”I would like to thank the players, management, and everyone at the ECB for their commitment, support, and hard work during my time. I leave with many great friendships and incredible memories. Finally, I would like to thank the England fans, who have always backed us and given us fantastic support wherever we have travelled around the world.”Appointed in May 2022, Mott also led England to white-ball series victories against Australia, Bangladesh, Ireland, Netherlands, New Zealand and Pakistan. But it appears that England’s most recent campaign, where they were knocked out of the T20 World Cup in the semi-finals by eventual winners India, was pivotal to the decision.Matthew Mott was halfway through his contract•Getty ImagesKey said the search for a full-time replacement would begin immediately. He believed the rapport between Trescothick and white-ball captain Jos Buttler “will help us maintain continuity and stability”.”On behalf of everyone connected to England cricket and me personally, I would like to thank Matthew for all he has done for the team since his appointment,” Key said. “He can be proud of his achievements as he leaves his post as one of only three coaches who have won a Men’s World Cup with England.”After three World Cup cycles in a short space of time, I now feel the team needs a new direction to prepare for the challenges ahead. This decision was not made lightly, but I believe it is the right time for the team’s future success. With our focus shifting towards the Champions Trophy early next year and the next cycle of white-ball competition, it is crucial that we ensure the team is focused and prepared.”Trescothick, added: “England cricket is in a strong position, and the potential is huge, given the quality we have available. It is about harnessing that potential and developing the work that has already been put in place by Matthew Mott and the rest of the set-up. I’m excited about the challenge and shaping how we want to play.”Eoin Morgan, England’s former World Cup-winning captain who now works as a commentator, recently dismissed reports that he could replace Mott as nothing more than “speculation”.Other names such as Andrew Flintoff, currently in his first coaching role with Northern Superchargers in the men’s Hundred, Mike Hussey, who was part of the coaching staff for the successful 2022 T20 World Cup campaign, and Kumar Sangakkara have also been touted for the role. However, it is understood no prospective successors to Mott have been sounded out at this juncture.

Warwickshire lose Alex Davies after being set 498 to win late on the third afternoon

ECB Reporters Network25-Jun-2024Warwickshire 254 and 40 for 1 need a further 458 to beat Hampshire 298 and 453 for 6 dec (Vince 166*, Dawson 120, Hannon-Dalby 3-65)James Vince and Liam Dawson harvested merciless centuries as Hampshire piled pressure on Warwickshire on the third day of their Vitality County Championship match at Edgbaston.Vince scored an unbeaten 166 off 197 balls, his 29th first-class century, and Dawson 120 (157 balls), his 15th, in a sixth-wicket partnership of 255 in 53 overs as the visitors amassed 453 for 6 declared.That set the home side a victory target of 498 in a day and 12 overs and Warwickshire reached 40 for 1 by the close. Both teams will enter the final day with a chance of victory, but a draw is much the likeliest outcome on a pitch that is flattening out by the hour.It remains to be seen whether Hampshire’s pragmatic approach on the third day proves successful. They plumped for steady accumulation, only very belatedly showing some aggression after tea when Vince and Dawson were each past 100. That policy of attrition may well transpire to have asked too much of their bowlers to force victory in such batter-friendly conditions.When Hampshire resumed on 88 for 2, Nick Gubbins and Felix Organ took no risks. They extended their partnership to 50 in 19 overs before Gubbins, having struck just three fours in 202 minutes, edged Danny Briggs to slip.Vince lifted his second ball, from former team-mate Briggs, over long-on for six, but thereafter the pattern of defending and nurdling resumed and continued throughout a turgid morning. Organ’s stubborn defiance ended when he was slickly caught at point by diving substitute Che Simmons off Olly Hannon-Dalby.The former Yorkshire seamer then trapped Ben Brown lbw and at 184 for 5 further quick wickets would have left Warwickshire scenting their first Championship victory of the season, but Vince and Dawson took full advantage of the easing conditions. They batted through the afternoon for 139 runs in 34 overs, Vince reaching his first century of the season from 185 balls, against an attack which persevered nobly but impotently.When, deep into the last session, the lead passed 450 a declaration appeared overdue, but Vince and Dawson stayed to turned the screw on a tiring attack under the broiling Birmingham sun. They passed Hampshire’s previous highest sixth-wicket stand against Warwickshire – 251 by Phil Mead and Jack Newman at Bournemouth in 1928 – before Dawson swung Dan Mousley to deep midwicket where Will Rhodes judged the catch well. After James Fuller raised the 450 with the sixth six of the innings, over long-off off Jake Bethell, the declaration at last arrived.Hampshire had 12 overs to get into Warwickshire’s top order and they struck an important blow in the ninth of them when Kyle Abbott’s first ball trapped Alex Davies lbw. The home side have a lot of batting to do to get safe on the final day – but very favourable conditions in which to do it.

Only local pride at stake with Derbyshire confirmed as wooden-spoonists

ECB Reporters Network28-Sep-2024After two days lost to the weather, Leicestershire finished on 264 for eight after their season-ending Vitality County Championship with East Midlands neighbours Derbyshire at last saw some action.With Derbyshire’s 17th Championship wooden spoon confirmed by Glamorgan’s victory over Gloucestershire, this match has little at stake beyond local pride, although Leicestershire could overtake Northamptonshire to finish fourth in Division Two.Leicestershire opener Sol Budinger will remember it at least for a career-best 87. There was a half-century, too, for Liam Trevaskis.Derbyshire’s spinners prospered in the final session of an 80-over day. Mitch Wagstaff, in his sixth first-class match, finished with two for 24 from his leg breaks, his best figures so far, with skipper David Lloyd picking up three wickets from his offies.Glamorgan and Gloucestershire, similarly hit by the late-September rain, forfeited an innings each to facilitate a positive result in Cardiff. For there to be a winner here, it may need a similar arrangement.After the downpours of the first two days, the start of day three was delayed until noon. On a green-tinged pitch, Derbyshire opted to bowl first after the toss had gone their way and should have had early wickets to show for it.But catching has not been their strong suit this season – not much has, by the evidence of the table. Ian Holland, on three and again on nine, plus Budinger on 42 were given lives in the hour of play before lunch.All three chances were created at the pavilion end. Holland was spilled by wicketkeeper Brooke Guest off Zak Chappell, before Martin Andersson saw Aneurin Donald give Holland his second let-off at gully and Budinger put down by Lloyd at first slip in his next over.At the other end, Budinger had profited from five boundaries in the same over as the 17-year-old pace prospect Harry Moore struggled to find the right length and Leicestershire were 54 without loss at the first interval.Holland, his luck plainly in, enjoyed a third escape not long after the restart, Guest again unable to cling on down the leg side as the former Hampshire all-rounder top-edged a pull on 28, Moore having returned at the more favourable end.They were not inexpensive mistakes. Budinger, a left-hander with natural ball-striking talent, reached 51 from 40 deliveries with his ninth four and went on to pass his previous first-class best of 72 with his 14th boundary. A maiden century looked his for the taking until, 13 runs away from it, he shaped to drive the left-arm seamer Luis Reece but somehow managed to spoon the ball into the hands of the bowler.The wicket was all-rounder Reece’s 200th in all formats for Derbyshire to go with more than 8,000 runs. He is the first to achieve both those milestones for the county since Dominic Cork in the 1990s.Budinger’s partnership with Holland, which was worth four at the moment of the first dropped catch, had put on 120. Reece picked up his second wicket in the same spell when Holland cut straight to the man at backward point for 44.Lewis Hill, in his first appearance since announcing he would step down as captain at the end of the season, twice cut Chappell to the boundary before driving him handsomely down the ground for another but was adjudged leg before to Chappell – Derbyshire’s player of the year – just before tea.Harry Swindells, making only his second Championship appearance of the season, helped Trevaskis take the total beyond 200 but departed in comically dreadful fashion, ballooning an awful full toss straight to mid-on as Wagstaff took a wicket with his fourth delivery.Trevaskis completed his second half-century of the season before being bowled by Lloyd for 57, before Ben Mike and Ben Green were both caught behind to give the two spinners another wicket apiece, Lloyd picking up his third as Tom Scriven was leg before sweeping.

These first-time auction buys could become key movers for their franchises if they are played this season

Sreshth Shah19-Sep-2020Josh Philippe, Royal Challengers Bangalore
Philippe, a wicketkeeper-batsman from Australia, was one of the stars of the Big Bash League’s 2019-20 season. He started the tournament with a bang, hitting 81 not out against Perth Scorchers and ending the game with a massive six that landed on the roof of the SCG pavilion. He went on to score four more fifties for Sydney Sixers in the tournament, including one in the final. Philippe, 23, has shown both impeccable timing and a 360 game in his short career. RCB were lucky to pick him up for just Rs 20 lakh (about US$27,000) in the last auction, which was before the BBL season. Philippe was recently included in the Australia squad for the ODI and T20I series in England, though he did not make his international debut. He has earned high praise from big names – Adam Gilchrist has said he could be a “catalyst for change” in Australia’s white-ball squad, while RCB team-mate AB de Villiers has said he sees some of his younger self in Philippe.Ishan Porel, Kings XI Punjab
Porel, 22, is a seamer who can consistently hit the 140kph mark. He first drew attention during India’s successful campaign at the 2018 Under-19 World Cup, in which he took 4 for 17 in the semi-final, against Pakistan, and then bowled a tight opening spell in the final, against Australia. Since then, he has become the de facto leader of the Bengal bowling line-up and helped Bengal reach the 2019-20 Ranji Trophy final. He was part of the India A team that toured New Zealand in January 2020 and took eight wickets in three games. Porel began as a back-of-a-length bowler, but over the past few years he has learned to swing the ball and begun bowling fuller to succeed in Indian conditions.Tom Banton, Kolkata Knight Riders
At 21, Banton is already one of the most talked about batsmen on the T20 circuit. In 40 T20 matches, he has an average of nearly 30 and a strike-rate of 154.16. Banton rose to prominence during the 2019 English summer, when he scored 454 runs for Somerset in the Royal One-Day Cup, including 112, 59 and 69 in the three knockout games. He also scored 549 runs in the Vitality Blast, including a hundred and four fifties. He was then picked up by franchises for both the BBL and the Pakistan Super League and had impressive innings in both competitions. He has also become a regular member of England’s white-ball squads. Banton grew up playing field hockey and that helps him play outrageous reverse-sweeps and scoops, which makes him an entertaining batsman to watch.Ravi Bishnoi, Kings XI Punjab
A modern-day legspinner who prefers his googly to the traditional legbreak, Bishnoi was the leading wicket-taker at the 2020 U-19 World Cup, collecting 17 scalps in six games at an average of 10.64. He admires Rashid Khan and Yuzvendra Chahal, and his fast run-up allows him to get extra zip and bounce. It will help Bishnoi, still just 20, that Kings XI Punjab’s head coach is Anil Kumble, the former India legspinner. Bishnoi recently said he had been learning to bowl the flipper from Kumble.Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rajasthan Royals
Jaiswal, an 18-year-old left-hand batsman from Mumbai, was the Player of the Tournament at the 2020 U-19 World Cup, in which he scored 400 runs at an average of 133, including four fifties and a century. By then, Jaiswal had already impressed for the Mumbai senior team – he scored three centuries, one a double, for Mumbai in the 2019-20 Vijay Hazare Trophy. Jaiswal’s consistency and aggression made him a hot commodity at the auction, and he was sold for Rs 2.4 crore (about US$338,000). With Ajinkya Rahane no longer at Rajasthan Royals, there’s a good chance Jaiswal will be one of their first-choice openers.

The wristspinner has barely played any first-class cricket since his Test debut, and he’s looking to make up for it now, playing for India A

Varun Shetty at the Chinnaswamy04-Sep-2018It is the third day of India A’s first unofficial Test against Australia A, and Kuldeep Yadav goes round the wicket to Marnus Labuschagne. He pushes cover a few yards back, to where the 30-yard circle would be in limited-overs cricket, and pushes long-off back onto the boundary. Labuschagne, Australia A’s No. 6, has been driving freely all through his innings of 37.Now, Kuldeep’s loopy trajectory brings Labuschagne forward, looking to pick up a single into the open straight field on the off side. The ball dips and lands half a yard short of the batsman’s stride, and spins through the gate to knock back his stumps.In that moment is contained all the skill and nous Sachin Tendulkar might have been referring to around a month ago when he said Kuldeep was ready for Test cricket.But how often does Kuldeep get the chance to engineer a wicket like that? The answer? Not much at all.When Kuldeep played the Lord’s Test a couple of weeks ago, it wasn’t just his first Test since August 2017, but also his his first red-ball match in that period. India got through an entire domestic season between those two Test matches. Kuldeep’s previous first-class match before that August 2017 Test in Pallekele, meanwhile, was his Test debut against Australia in Dharamsala, in March 2017.To put it simply, before this unofficial Test in Bengaluru, Kuldeep’s last three first-class games were all Tests, spread over nearly a year-and-a-half. It was the period in which he became a regular in the India limited-overs teams, when he was involved in series against Australia, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, South Africa and England. With that packed schedule, he might well not have had the chance to join his state side in the Ranji Trophy. It shouldn’t be a surprise at all, then, that Kuldeep with the red ball isn’t yet as threatening as Kuldeep with the white ball.By his own admission, Kuldeep thinks he needs more game time in this format.”You have to change your mindset when you come to play with the red ball,” he said at the end of the day’s play. “You need to be very patient. You’re not going to take wickets every time you come up to bowl. For me it’s very important to be patient and not to try too much.”And that was the brief given to him when he was released from the Test squad before the fourth Test in England.”I spoke to MSK [Prasad, chief selector] sir and Ravi [Shastri] sir. They wanted me to play a lot of cricket. I went there [England] and played one Test match. It was likely that only one spinner would be able to play over there so there wasn’t much of an opportunity there. Here I had the opportunity to play. There was no advantage to sitting on the sidlelines.”I was itching to go out and play because you only improve when you have match time. The growth is much slower when you’re sitting on the sidelines. So this game and the next one are really important to me. This is all adding to my experience. The more I bowl with the red ball, the quicker I get used to it. And West Indies is going to come over to play as well. So if I find my rhythm here, it’ll be easier for me to perform in that series. This is a good step for me. Personally, I’m very happy with the move of playing here. “The return to India hadn’t begun too well. On the first day of the match, when Mohammed Siraj picked up an eight-wicket haul, Kuldeep had struggled to hit consistent lengths and trouble the visitors’ top three, which consisted entirely of left-handers. He had come on first change that day, and was largely ineffective even with the older ball, often dropping the ball too short or pushing it through too quickly. Though he was the only other bowler apart from Siraj to pick up wickets, he was the most expensive of India A’s five frontline bowlers.”For me it’s very challenging to transform to red-ball cricket,” Kuldeep said after the third day’s play. He had taken two late wickets, including the one of Labuschagne, as Australia A pushed to set a fourth-innings target.Associated Press”Mentally you’ve to adjust a little – the conditions were very different in England. It was a Duke’s ball. The wickets are quicker,” Kuldeep said. “Back here in India, the SG ball gets much softer and tougher to bowl with. So those are the challenges. But after practising for a couple of days, I got used to it. I wasn’t that comfortable in the first innings, but with every over, it got better.”If you’re playing white-ball regularly and suddenly you’re selected for Test team and start bowling with the red ball, then it’s challenging. In this match, I bowled around 30-plus overs, and now I’m feeling much better. I’m getting in the rhythm and really enjoying bowling right now.”Kuldeep career is somewhat peculiar in that he has, in a short span of time, oscillated between being the big hope for the future and a work in progress. Before Tendulkar’s comments, Ravi Shastri had proclaimed that Kuldeep, the “tough little nut”, had arrived as a player. After a string of impressive limited-overs performances, so much was expected from India’s left-arm wristspinner that Virat Kohli, long before the start of the Test series in England, had said Kuldeep was making a case for red-ball selection.It might have put Kuldeep in a bit of a spot, then, all these expectations, when he did make it into the XI for the Lord’s Test. Not only had he pipped Ravindra Jadeja to the role of second spinner, but he’d also replaced a seamer in the most seam-friendly conditions of the series. Having not played any red-ball cricket in nearly a year, Kuldeep stood little chance of shining in gloomy London. He ended up with three significant zeroes in that match, two with the bat, and one in the wickets column.There’s no doubt Kuldeep has the ability to bowl well in the longest format, as he showed on his debut in Dharamsala. But he needs regular exposure to red-ball cricket, and bowl a lot of overs, to find his rhythm and maintain it.In the second innings against Australia A, Kuldeep started off tight, then grew a little wayward, and then regained his control. In contrast to the first innings, he appeared to have a plan at all times on the third day. Early on, he eased nicely into a containing role, which his older team-mate K Gowtham had been trusted with in the first innings. Kuldeep hit a good length more often than in the first innings and appeared, overall, to be bowling a lot slower as well. As he grew more confident through the day, he even began going round the wicket to the right-handers. From that angle came the beautifully set up wicket of Labuschagne.The 36.5 overs he has sent down in the first unofficial Test should hold Kuldeep in good stead when he bowls in the second game against Australia A. By the time that match is done, he should be fairly well prepared for West Indies’ arrival. This is how India should nurture their most promising wristspinner. He cannot be learning the craft sporadically and directly at Test level. Few have survived trying to do that.

وجه مجلس إدارة نادي الزمالك، برئاسة الكابتن حسين لبيب، رسالة شكر وتقدير لإدارة الكرة بالفريق الأول لكرة القدم، بقيادة جون إدوارد المدير الرياضي، وعبد الناصر محمد مدير الكرة، ويانيك فيريرا المدير الفني والجهاز الفني.

ويستعد الزمالك لمواجهة فريق الجونة، مساء غدًا الثلاثاء، في المباراة التي تجمع بينهما ضمن لقاءات الدوري المصري.

طالع | لاعب الزمالك يغيب عن مباراة الجونة في الدوري للإصابة

وجاء بيان مجلس إدارة الزمالك، قائلا: “يتوجه مجلس إدارة نادي الزمالك برئاسة الكابتن حسين لبيب بالشكر لإدارة الكرة بالفريق الأول لكرة القدم  بقيادة جون إدوارد المدير الرياضي، وعبد الناصر محمد مدير الكرة ، ويانيك فيريرا المدير الفني وجهازه المعاون واللاعبين على الروح التي أظهرها الجميع منذ بداية الموسم”.

وأكمل: “تجلت هذه الروح في المواقف الصعبة التي يمر بها الزمالك لاسيما سحب أرض النادي بمدينة السادس من أكتوبر مما أثر على التدفقات المالية الخاصة بمنظومة كرة القدم”.

وواصل: “ويُقدر مجلس الإدارة نجاح جهاز الكرة في عزل الفريق عن هذه الأزمة، والتحلى بالعزيمة والإصرار من عناصر منظومة الكرة لتحقيق الهدف الذي تم وضعه منذ بداية الموسم وهو الدفاع عن شعار الزمالك بكل إخلاص مهما كانت التحديات والمعوقات”.

وأردف: “كما يُشيد مجلس إدارة الزمالك، باحترافية وإخلاص اللاعبين خلال الفترة الماضية وتحملهم الظروف التي يمر بها النادي، ويؤكد المجلس أن العمل جاري على حلها من خلال القنوات الشرعية وانهاء تلك الأزمة مطلع الشهر المقبل بصورة نهائية”.

وأتم: “ويطالب مجلس إدارة الزمالك الجهاز الفني واللاعبين بمواصلة العمل الجاد وبذل كل نقطة عرق من أجل القلعة البيضاء، لتحقيق طموحات جماهيره في كل مكان”.

Mumbai Indians captain Harmanpreet Kaur believes her wicket was the turning point that led to a five-run loss that eliminated them from WPL 2024. Mumbai were in the driver’s seat while chasing 136, when they needed 16 runs off 13 balls with Harmanpreet and Amelia Kerr batting and seven wickets in hand.But once Harmanpreet holed out to long-on at the end of the 18th over, the rest of the Mumbai line-up failed to score the remaining runs which became 12 off six after Sophie Molineux conceded just four in the 19th over and dismissed S Sajana.”In 12 balls we just needed one boundary and we were not able to get it,” Harmanpreet said after the match. “That is what this game always teaches you. It puts you under pressure and you have to keep learning from it.”When we lost my wicket, after that our batters could not hold their nerve, that was the turning point.”Related

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Mumbai had restricted RCB to 135, a total that looked chasable in the conditions, especially when Mumbai were 60 for 2 at the halfway mark and required 76 from 60. Harmanpreet and Kerr steered them once Nat Sciver-Brunt fell in the 11th over with a steady partnership of 52 that saw them strike regular boundaries after the 15th over. From 43 off 30, they reduced it to 20 off 18 when Harmanpreet survived a stumping chance off Shreyanka Patil when Richa Ghosh failed to collect the ball cleanly. But five balls later Patil had Harmanpreet caught by Sophie Devine at long-on.”We fought really hard,” Harmanpreet said. “This season has been a little up and down for us. Last season as a team we did really well but this time our performance was little up and down. But we learned a lot this season and hopefully next season we prepare really well and come [back] hard.”Harmanpreet, however, praised Sajana who had hit a stunning six off her first ball of the WPL in the opening game of the season to register a last-ball win against Delhi Capitals.”We got SS (Sajana) during this tournament, she is someone who can hit the ball really hard,” Harmanpreet said of their find of the year. “And that is what we want the WPL to do, to create more young players and it’s good to see young girls are coming and giving their 100%.

As Manchester United prepare to take on Newcastle United at St James’ Park this afternoon, it could be argued that the trip to Tyneside is merely an unwanted obstacle for Ruben Amorim’s side, with all eyes on next week’s Europa League tie with Lyon.

The Red Devils certainly won’t throw in the towel on the domestic front, yet left residing in the bottom half of the Premier League table, there truly is little to play for in the top-flight – other than pride, of course.

That scenario should ensure that the Portuguese coach is ready to ring the changes for today’s encounter, albeit with there an argument to be made that alterations need to be made regardless.

Indeed, the Daily Mail’s Chris Wheeler has already reported that Andre Onana could be dropped following his midweek blunders, while Rasmus Hojlund could be in the firing line after another limp outing which saw him register just 11 touches on Thursday night.

Alongside the goal-shy Dane, Alejandro Garnacho is another perhaps in need of a rest as his woes continued in front of goal away in Lyon, with the 20-year-old arguably outclassed by young Rayan Cherki for the hosts.

As such, it might be time for Amorim to trial a fresh new attacking lineup, considering the return of a number of high-profile talents.

Man Utd team news for Newcastle

As Amorim revealed in his pre-match press conference on Friday, the 40-year-old should have a similar squad available to the one that made the trip to France earlier this week, with squad depth gradually beginning to improve in the Old Trafford ranks.

Indeed, that latest outing saw Kobbie Mainoo finally make his return to action off the bench, with compatriot Mason Mount also stepping up his return to fitness after now featuring as a substitute in each of United’s last three games in all competitions.

Elsewhere, fellow England star, Luke Shaw, has also been back in contention of late, albeit with the versatile defender still waiting to make his first appearance since early December. A first start, meanwhile, could be on the cards for the first time since February 2024.

Chido Obi could also be in the mix again, with the teenage striker ineligible to feature in Europe, albeit with Toby Collyer and Mathijjs de Ligt likely to be absent once again, having joined the likes of Amad Diallo, Ayden Heaven and Jonny Evans on the treatment table.

Thankfully, however, there does not appear to be any fresh injury blows, with Lisandro Martinez – who is likely to be out for much of 2025 after rupturing his ACL – seemingly the only long-term absentee at the Theatre of Dreams.

Chalkboard

That growing list of options should ensure that Amorim now has the chance to shuffle his pack against the Magpies, with both Garnacho and Hojlund among those who could make way.

How Man Utd's attack could look against Newcastle

There could be worse ideas than to drop Garnacho and Hojlund back to the bench, thus taking the pair out of the firing line and allowing them the chance to potentially make an impact as a substitute late on.

Minutes played

63′

Touches

11

Shots on target

1

Shots off target

1

Passes completed

2/3

Key passes

2

Ground duels

0/3

Aerial duels

N/A

Possession lost

3x

Fouls

1

As Thursday’s 2-2 draw showcased, the Red Devils do now have the luxury of increased alternatives in the attacking ranks, with the introduction of Joshua Zirkzee on the hour mark proving particularly fruitful.

While the Dutchman may not be the out-and-out striker that United are craving, his late header did showcase his growing impact in a United shirt, having now scored on the road against both Real Sociedad and Lyon.

With Hojlund toiling, Zirkzee may have to lead the line from the off this time around, thus marking a real full circle moment, considering he was jeered off against today’s opponents just a matter of months ago.

The 23-year-old could be joined in the front line by the aforementioned Mount, with the former Chelsea man having looked lively during his late cameo in midweek, emphasising just why Amorim has hailed him as a “proper footballer”.

Mount, 26, has been among the few who the former Sporting CP boss has repeatedly singled out for praise during his brief tenure thus far, although now is the time for the Englishman to walk the walk.

With the £55m man joining Zirkzee in the starting lineup, the final number ten berth could be taken up by the returning Mainoo, with the 19-year-old playing his part in the second goal in France, as it was his brave header which found Bruno Fernandes.

The FA Cup final hero has endured a rocky season due to injury and the failure to nail down his best position in the 3-4-3, although it does appear he could earn a regular role for himself as part of the front three, having scored and assisted in that berth against FCSB back in January.

As Amorim has stated, the Red Devils “need to be careful” with the teenager amid his injury woes, although it would be a waste not to utilise a player of his talents, with the United boss stating that Mainoo is “really good near the opponent’s box”.

With Fernandes potentially replacing Manuel Ugarte by dropping into a deep-lying berth, the opening is there for the academy graduate to take his chance as one of the two number tens.

There could be a lack of pace if Amorim does opt to deploy Mainoo alongside Mount and Zirkzee, although that £375k-per-week trio could make up an exciting, new-look forward line at St James’ Park.

64 touches, 93% passes: Man Utd's 8/10 star is now as important as Bruno

Manchester United could only secure a 2-2 draw with Lyon in the Europa League last night.

ByEthan Lamb Apr 11, 2025

KKR handed Capitals a thrashing to make it three wins in three and go to the top of the table with a massive net run rate boost

Sidharth Monga03-Apr-20242:21

Moody: ‘Raghuvanshi’s hands, bat path similar to Gill’

Last Wednesday at the IPL, Sunrisers Hyderabad set the record for the highest IPL score: 277. What should have been a once-in-a-decade effort was very nearly taken down by a marauding Kolkata Knight Riders batting unit tonight in Visakhapatnam. Sunil Narine plundered his personal best in T20s – 85 off 39 – almost home-grown Angkrish Raghuvanshi matched him with 54 off 27, and Andre Russell added the finishing touches with 41 off 19.A searing yorker from Ishant Sharma to get Russell in the last over prevented the record being broken, but the 272 KKR put up was more than enough to register a comfortable win – by 106 runs – and join Rajasthan Royals with three wins from three matches at the top of the table. In taking four wickets in the powerplay, two each for Vaibhav Arora and Mitchell Starc, KKR ticked another box in a season in which they have presented themselves as serious title contenders.Pant fined for slow over-rate again

Rishabh Pant, the Capitals captain, has been fined after his team maintained a slow over-rate against KKR in their 106-run loss in Visakhapatnam. As it was Capitals’ second offence of the season – in just four matches – Pant was fined INR 24 lakh, while the rest of the members of the playing XII, were each fined either INR 6 lakh or 25% of their respective match fees, whichever is lower.

Narine, Raghuvanshi hammer CapitalsKhaleel Ahmed and Ishant Sharma set Capitals’ win in the previous match in Vizag with swing early on. Here, though, probably because of Narine’s presence, both of them started slightly short of a length. The one ball that Khaleel pitched up swung to beat Narine.It seems ridiculous now but Narine took six balls to get off the mark. Capitals had managed to keep Narine quiet, but had they missed the small window of swing to try to get him out? Another chance would arrive soon to a short-of-a-length delivery, but neither Ishant Sharma nor Rishabh Pant heard the edge. No appeal, no review.Narine and Phil Salt had got down to work by then, but Capitals could still have got Narine for 24 off 13 had they listened to Mitchell Marsh and reviewed. Then again, reviews were not the only thing they were getting wrong. They kept offering Narine room, when they went short they didn’t get it high enough, and the ball had stopped swinging by now.Sunil Narine smacked seven fours and as many sixes in his 39-ball innings•AFP/Getty Images

Anrich Nortje got rid of Salt in the fifth over, but Raghuvanshi, trained from the age of 11 by KKR’s own Abhishek Nayar, walked out and laced fours off the first two balls he faced. Mukesh Kumar is not express, but his injury has left DC with even less of a pace threat. Narine jumped on Rasikh Salam’s medium-pace in the last over of the powerplay, hitting him for three fours and a six to bring up his half-century in just 21 balls. Their 88 for 1 in the powerplay was the highest by any team so far at IPL 2024.The end of the powerplay brought DC relief only for one over, bowled by Sumit Kumar, but Narine ended any threats of variations in the attack by hitting two sixes off Axar Patel, who wouldn’t bowl again. Raghuvanshi matched him with a reverse-pull over short third for a six. Their 135 for 1 was the third-highest 10-over score in the IPL – all three have come this season.Wickets fail to slow KKR downEventually it was the short ball from Marsh that got the better of Narine, but it wasn’t just one short ball. He kept bowling short and wide outside off with changes of pace. Narine still ended with a boundary every two-and-a-half balls, and the wicket came too late anyway. The 13th over was the right point of entry for Russell, and he punished the samey attack. Capitals didn’t go back to spin despite right-hand batters at the wicket, and Nortje was the only one who presented the batters with an inbuilt challenge.Andre Russell and Rinku Singh smashed 32 runs off 11 balls for the fifth wicket•AFP/Getty Images

Russell was too good for the rest, and when Nortje started the 19th over with one fewer fielder on the fence because of a poor over-rate, Rinku Singh got stuck into him, taking 25 off the over.Ishant then produced a beauty that drew an applause from Russell himself and prevented Capitals from ending up on the wrong side of the record.Arora announces himselfOne of the two tall domestic fast bowlers in the KKR stable, Arora came on as the Impact Player and found inswing immediately. It wasn’t just swing, though. He mixed it up with accurate bouncers. Prithvi Shaw fell to the inswinger before Abhishek Porel top-edged a bouncer.Vaibhav Arora took 3 for 27 in KKR’s clinical win•BCCI

At the other end, Starc took care of his Australia team-mates, Marsh caught trying to square-drive and Warner playing on immediately after slogging him for a six. These were his first wickets this IPL after his eight overs in the first two matches had gone for 100 runs.At 33 for 4 in the fifth over, even batting for net run rate would need heavy hitting and risks. For a while Pant and Tristan Stubbs managed to score quickly. Pant was especially pleasing as he continues his return from a life-threatening accident, but their fifties were never going to be enough to deny KKR a third consecutive win – the first time they have started a season with three wins in three in their history.

Former Pakistan captain’s lawyers set to appeal the sentence at the High Court

Danyal Rasool30-Jan-2024

Imran Khan, the former Pakistan captain and Prime Minister, has been sentenced to ten years in prison by a special court in Pakistan. He stands accused of not returning a diplomatic document after he was removed from the office of Prime Minister in 2022. He has been in prison since August 2023 on a separate charge, and though that sentence was suspended, he was still not released.Imran was charged under the Official Secrets Act, a British era law, with a special court convened to hear his case, as well as that of Shah Mahmood Qureshi, a senior figure in Imran’s political party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). Qureshi also received a ten-year sentence.The PTI’s official Twitter account issued a statement, calling the ruling “a sham trial and a complete mockery and disregard of law”.Imran has consistently alleged that the no-confidence vote to remove him from power was undertaken at the behest of the United States of America, and that the document in question contained proof of American diplomatic pressure to get rid of him. This allegation gained further momentum when the US news organisation published an article after purportedly gaining access to the classified document. The article said the US State Department threatened Pakistani isolation if Imran wasn’t removed, and that if he was indeed removed, “all would be forgiven”.In Pakistan, public discussion of that classified document, known as a cypher, has led to the possibility of being charged with a violation of the Official Secrets Act. The charges of both Imran and Qureshi have had to do with discussing the contents of the document in public.This latest flashpoint comes just nine days before Pakistan goes to the polls. Opinion polling in the lead-up to the elections has been non-existent, but the most recent independent polls have shown Imran to be the most popular politician in the country.When he was arrested by paramilitary security forces in May 2023, violent uprisings took place throughout the country that led to an internet blackout that lasted several days; tens of thousands of his political supporters were also arrested. The party that Imran had led to power in the 2018 elections has been barred from contesting these elections, with Imran personally banned from running for any political office for five years.Imran and Queshi’s lawyers said they would appeal this sentence in the High Court.