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A spate of records fell by the wayside as Shane Watson unleashed his fury on the hapless bowlers. A look at some of the major landmarks from Watson’s 96-ball unbeaten 185

S Rajesh11-Apr-2011 Fifteen sixes in an innings is easily a new ODI record; the previous best was Xavier Marshall’s 12 against Canada during an unbeaten knock of 157. Marshall needed 118 balls for his 12 sixes; Watson’s 15 came off only 96, which means he averaged nearly one six per over. Apart from 15 sixes, Watson struck as many fours, which means 150 of his 185 runs came in boundaries. That’s a record too, bettering Herschelle Gibbs 126 runs in boundaries during the course of his 175 in against Australia in Johannesburg. Watson’s score surpassed Matthew Hayden’s unbeaten 181 to become the highest in ODIs by an Australian. It’s also the highest by any batsman in a run-chase, edging ahead of MS Dhoni’s unbeaten 183 against Sri Lanka in 2005.In fact, of the top 21 ODI scores by Australian batsmen, only three have come when batting second, and all of them belong to Watson – he also scored an unbeaten 161 out of a team total of 297 against England less than three months ago, and 136 not out against the same opposition in the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy in 2009. The highest in a run-chase by an Australian other than Shane Watson is 133 not out by Mark Waugh.Not surprisingly, Watson averages 32.81 in the first innings in ODIs, and 64.30 in the second. Five of his six hundreds have come in run-chases. Watson’s century came off 69 balls, which the third-fastest by an Australian, after Matthew Hayden’s 66-ball effort against South Africa, and Adam Gilchrist’s hundred off 67 against Sri Lanka. Watson finished with a strike rate of 192.70, which is the highest for an ODI innings of at least 70 deliveries. A total of 6791 innings make the 70-ball cut, but only five of them have strike-rates of more than 160. His average of 3.2 balls per four or six is also the best among these innings – Virender Sehwag is next for his 70-ball 100 against New Zealand in Colombo, when he averaged 3.5 deliveries per boundary. Of Watson’s 185 runs, only 38 were scored on the off side, while 148 came on the leg side. All 15 of his sixes were scored in the arc between square leg and long-on, while only six of his 15 fours were struck through the off side. A break-up of Watson’s stats against each bowler further illustrates how helpless Bangladesh’s bowlers were: Watson’s lowest strike rate was against Shakib Al Hasan, and he conceded 26 off 20. Against Suhrawadi Shuvo, Watson slammed 39 off 11, including four sixes in an over. Shuvo went for 46 off three overs, which is among the most expensive for a bowler who’s bowled at least three overs in an ODI: only Dolar Mahmud and Sreesanth have done worse.

Watson against Bangladesh bowlers

BowlerRunsBallsStrike rate4s/ 6sAbdul Razzak5128182.144/ 5Suhrawadi Shuvo3911354.541/ 5Rubel Hossain3724154.165/ 1Shakib Al Hasan2620130.000/ 3Shafiul Islam2511227.275/ 0Mahmudullah72350.000/ 1The table clearly shows that Watson was brutal against left-arm spin, but there was perhaps one trick that Shakib could have tried, if only out of sheer desperation. Watson was continuously slog-sweeping and pulling the spinners to leg, but the left-armers continued to bowl from round the wicket, instead of switching to over the wicket and forcing Watson to hit against the angle of the delivery. From the four deliveries that the left-arm spinners bowled over the stumps – all by Shakib, in the 17th over of the innings – Watson scored only a single; off the 55 deliveries bowled from round the stumps, he scored a staggering 115 runs, including 13 sixes.

Watson v left-arm spin, over and round the wicket

Delivery angleRunsBallsRun rate4s/ 6sOver the wicket141.500/ 0Round the wicket1155512.545/ 13 Thanks to Watson’s blitz, Australia won with 144 balls to spare, which is the second-quickest chase for a 200-plus score.

SA ended a 13-year wait for silverware on Saturday and are also leading the Sheffield Shield

AAP02-Mar-2025

Jane Jones, Phoebe Jones and Augusta Jones present Nathan McSweeney with the Dean Jones Trophy•Getty Images

South Australia’s triumphant cricketers are setting their sights on an historic double. After soaking up their success in winning the one-day title, Nathan McSweeney’s team now want a long-elusive Sheffield Shield.McSweeney led SA to its first one-day title in 13 years with a comprehensive 64-run defeat of Victoria at Adelaide Oval on Saturday night. The double of a winning a one-day crown and the Shield in the same season has been achieved 11 times – but never by SA.Related

Morris set for rare back-to-back Shield games as WA press for another final

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McSweeney, Scott and Thornton end South Australia's 13-year trophy wait

Western Australia (five times), NSW (four times) and Victoria (twice) have completed the double. But McSweeney knows his adopted state, for so long the proverbial whipping boys of the domestic scene, may never have a better chance than now.”It’s a little bit of a monkey off the back,” McSweeney said after collecting the inaugural Dean Jones Trophy. “We’ll enjoy it but there’s a bigger picture – there’s a Shield final to play. Everyone loves winning. And for us to get a taste of it, hopefully it kick-starts us – I don’t think we’ll get sick of it.”SA haven’t won a Shield since 1995-96 but currently lead the four-day competition and are in prime position to host the final. With two games remaining, offering six points for each win, McSweeney’s team hold an 11-point break from next-best NSW. And McSweeney believes SA’s 50-over success will feed into the four-day format.States to complete domestic double

Western Australia: 5 (1976-77, 1977-78, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24)

New South Wales: 4 (1984-85, 1992-93, 1993-94, 2002-03)

Victoria: 2 (1979-80, 2018-19)

*Domestic one-day tournament started in 1969-70

“It has obviously been a long time between titles,” he said. “The players we’ve got in our stable now have shown over the last couple years that we can do it.”It’s just, unfortunately, we had a bad hour in a Shield game or we had a bad hour in a one-day game and it has taken us out of the competition. We’re getting a little bit more consistent, as seen in the Shield table as well. So hopefully it’s the start of some strong years and it’s not just a one-off.”McSweeney said Ryan Harris, who replaced Jason Gillespie as SA’s head coach for this season, deserved much credit.”Something Ryan Harris has brought in to us is the belief,” he said. “We have defended 160 twice this year in the one-day comp. We got bowled out for 90 in the last Shield game and won. From positions that we shouldn’t be winning, we are. It’s a massive hats off to Ryano and the coaching staff.”

da apostaganha： Leeds United do not yet know what division they will be competing in during the 2024/25 campaign as they prepare for the Championship play-off final on Sunday.

da bwin： The Whites will face off against Southampton in the showpiece event this weekend as both teams fight to return to the Premier League at the first time of asking, having both been relegated from the top-flight last year.

Daniel Farke's men ran out 4-0 winners against Norwich in the semi-finals of the play-offs, with all four of their goals coming in the second leg at Elland Road, and they will now take on the Saints, who beat West Bromwich Albion 3-1 on aggregate.

However, despite not yet knowing what league they are recruiting for, work is reportedly already underway behind the scenes to identify targets for the upcoming summer transfer window.

Preparation may have already begun to ensure that Leeds are not playing catch-up on their rivals, who already know they will be in the Premier League next term, if they do beat Southampton on Sunday.

Leeds United's interest in EFL star

According to the printed edition of The Sunday Mirror (19/05, p70), as relayed by Leeds United News, the Whites are lining up a summer swoop for Norwich City star Josh Sargent.

The report claims that the Whites are keen to secure a deal to bring the USA international to Elland Road if they come out on top in the play-off final this weekend.

It states, however, that it will be an expensive move to get over the line as his current contract at Carrow Road is not set to expire until the summer of 2028.

The Sunday Mirror adds that Leeds are not the only team interested in the former Werder Bremen marksman, as three Premier League teams are keeping tabs on his situation.

Fulham, Brentford, and Bournemouth are all in the running to land the Canaries dynamo, which suggests that the Whites could face a battle to land his services if they decide to go in with an offer to sign him in the coming weeks or months.

The Pink'Un have added that Farke, who signed Sargent for Norwich in the summer of 2021, eyed up the centre-forward to bolster his Leeds squad last summer, but a move never materialised for the attacker.

He now looks set to go back in for the striker ahead of next season and it could be a fantastic addition for the club, as the forward could thrive alongside Georginio Rutter in attack.

Why Leeds should sign Josh Sargent

The American number nine has been a star in the EFL this season when fit and has showcased his ability to lead the line with great effect for the Canaries.

Journalist Darren Witcoop claimed Farke is a "big fan" of the player, which makes sense when you consider that he signed him for Norwich in the Premier League, wanted him at Elland Road last summer, and is now keen to snap him up this year.

Sargent did not enjoy his best performance against Leeds in the play-offs but it has since been revealed that the forward, who was taken off at half-time at Elland Road, has suffered a reoccurrence of an ankle injury that kept him out for much of the first half of the campaign, which seemingly affected his display.

The USA international missed 22 matches between August and December 2023 with an ankle issue but showed off his quality in front of goal either side of that lengthy spell on the sidelines.

Sargent, who scored 13 league goals for Norwich in the 2022/23 campaign, scored an eye-catching 16 goals in 24 starts in the Championship despite his injury woes.

23/24 Championship

Josh Sargent

Patrick Bamford

Joel Piroe

Appearances

26

33

45

Goals

16

8

13

xG

12.07

9.52

12.74

xG differential

+3.93

-1.52

+0.26

Minutes per goal

116

188

216

Assists

2

1

3

Duel success rate

46%

40%

38%

As you can see in the table above, the 24-year-old poacher has been considerably better in front of goal than Leeds' two recognised strikers, outperforming his xG by almost four.

These statistics show that the Yellows ace is a clinical forward who rarely passes up on a good opportunity to find the back of the net. Whites supporters may not believe that after his failed one-on-one against Illan Meslier last week, but the subsequent reveal of his ankle injury could explain that.

Therefore, he could be an upgrade on Farke's current number nines and thrive alongside the team's best creator – Rutter – at the top end of the pitch.

Why Josh Sargent would thrive with Georginio Rutter

Sargent would love to play with the French attacking midfielder as the former Bundesliga starlet has consistently showcased his ability to create high-quality opportunities for his teammates in front of goal.

Signed from Hoffenheim at the start of last year, Rutter earned himself a place in the Championship Team of the Season with his impressive creative skills throughout the campaign.

23/24 Championship

Georginio Rutter

Appearances

45

Goals

6

Assists

15

xA

10.52

Big chances created

22

Key passes per game

1.9

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the right-footed wizard almost created a 'big chance' every other match on average and did manage to rack up an impressive 15 assists – at least six more than any other players in the Whites squad could produce.

Rutter also ranked within the top 2% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the division for shot-creating actions per 90 (4.41), the top 2% for assists per 90 (0.39), and the top 2% for Expected Assisted Goals per 90 (0.29).

This shows that the 22-year-old ace, who also ranked within the top 3% for progressive passes per 90 (4.46), was one of the most creative players in his position in the league during the regular season.

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He has the quality to consistently split open opposition defences to create high-quality openings, whilst Sargent's xG overperformance suggests that he has the ability to make the most of Rutter's incredible creativity.

Therefore, they could be a match made in heaven for Leeds, whether that is in the Championship or the Premier League, and that is why Farke must push ahead with his plans to land the American star.

The 2023/24 season has been a frustrating campaign for Manchester United. They currently sit in sixth in the Premier League table and are mathematically unable to qualify for the Champions League next season.

In Europe, their misery continued, with the Red Devils getting eliminated from the Champions League in record-breaking fashion. As per Opta Joe, the 15 goals they conceded on the way to bottom of the group elimination was the most goals a Premier League side has ever conceded in the group stage.

Coping with injury issues has been a struggle for Erik ten Hag's side this season, and they have had over 60 separate cases of injury and illness throughout the course of the entire campaign. With that being said, their tough season can not be solely blamed on that.

New signings such as Rasmus Hojlund and Andre Onana have taken time to bed into the squad, and the likes of Marcus Rashford and Casemiro have not had the easiest season of their career.

According to reports, Brazil captain Casemiro is one man who could leave Old Trafford this summer. The 32-year-old, who joined the club in August 2022 from Real Madrid for £70m, could well be set to leave Old Trafford at the end of the season, with United already thought to be eyeing up a replacement.

Man Utd looking to sign Dutch midfielder

The player in question here is Feyenoord and Netherlands international midfielder Mats Wieffer. The 24-year-old has been linked with a move away from Feyenoord this summer, with a whole host of elite European clubs rumoured to be interested.

According to reports in Spain, United are one of five sides said to be chasing Wieffer’s signature next summer, which includes Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle and Liverpool.

Indeed, this may be a deal that is easiest for Liverpool to do; their new head coach is set to be Wieffer’s current manager at Feyenoord, Arne Slot, who will take over from Jurgen Klopp at the end of the season.

The Netherlands international, who has nine caps and one goal for his country, has become a key player under Slot this season. He has made 29 Eredivisie appearances so far, scoring five times and registering three assists, as well as notching up two goal involvements in the Champions League, in six appearances.

Despite the fact that Liverpool could well be favourites to secure Wieffer’s signature, United are likely to still pursue a deal for the midfielder, who is set to cost much more than the £512k Feyenoord paid for him in the first place.

Why Wieffer would be a good signing

Should United manage to sign Wieffer, the in-demand talent might be the perfect replacement for Casemiro. Not only that, he could also be the perfect partner in midfield for Kobbie Mainoo, and the pair could form a midfield partnership for many years to come.

The former Excelsior man was described as having "shades of Declan Rice" on X by football Analyst H, before explaining the way he uses his “long legs in duels and when covering ground” is similar to the England international.

This is certainly reflected in Wieffer’s stats, with the midfield machine's numbers off the ball impressive. According to Fbref, he makes 4.56 tackles and interceptions per 90 minutes, which places him in the top 7% of midfielders and makes 7.46 ball recoveries per 90 minutes, which ranks him in the top 14%.

Standing at 6 foot 2 also means that Wieffer is good in the air, and he averages 3.05 aerial duels won per 90 minutes, which ranks him in the top 2% of midfielders in Europe. Not only that, the Dutchman’s average aerial duel win rate of 62.2% is among the best in Europe, ranking him in the top 9%.

Whilst he is wonderful out of possession, Wieffer is also a progressive player on the ball. He averages 7.77 progressive passes per 90 minutes, which ranks him in the top 7%, and 6.77 passes into the final third per 90 minutes, which ranks him in the top 8%.

Having a ball-winner in the centre of midfield who can then progress play forwards would certainly be a breath of fresh air for United since it is something that Casmeiro can struggle with at times. Whilst the Brazilian can be effective as a ball-winner, he averages just 6.02 progressive passes per 90 minutes, which ranks him in the bottom 24%, as per Fbref.

Another post by H over on X explains how Wieffer and Mainoo would “thrive” together in midfield. Indeed, Mainoo is certainly not best utilised as a sitting midfielder, but as someone who has a licence to get forward and impact the game in the final third, as shown by his two goals this season. Having Wieffer sitting in front of the back four, spraying passes to help kick-start United’s attack gives Mainoo that aforementioned licence to get forward.

The 19-year-old is a super ball carrier, which compliments the skillset of Wieffer excellently. In fact, Mainoo averages 2.43 attempted take-ons per 90 minutes and 1.27 successful take-ons per 90 minutes, which, as per Fbref, ranks him in the top 14% of midfielders in Europe this season.

There is little doubt that Mainoo and Wieffer would come together to make a hugely complimentary midfield pairing for United. They are both progressive players in possession, and both good ball-winners, although Wieffer’s ability to screen the defence allows Mainoo to get forward and impact the game in the final third.

Not only that, they have age on their side. Mainoo is just 19, and Wieffer is just 24. In theory, they could be lining up together in United’s midfield for the next decade, a mouth-watering prospect for United fans.

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This is a deal that certainly makes sense for the Red Devils to get over the line. Whilst Wieffer’s price is unclear at the moment, it seems a very smart investment and will massively improve their team both in possession and out of possession, whilst also bringing the best out of Mainoo.

أعلن المدير الفني لفريق ليفربول، آرني سلوت، التشكيل الأساسي لمباراة بولونيا في بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا، مساء اليوم الأربعاء.

ويستضيف ملعب “أنفيلد” مباراة الفريقين، في إطار منافسات الجولة الثانية من دوري أبطال أوروبا، موسم 2024/25.

اقرأ أيضًا.. موعد والقناة الناقلة لمباراة ليفربول وبولونيا اليوم في دوري أبطال أوروبا.. والمعلق

ويخوض ليفربول تلك المباراة بعد فوزه في الجولة بثلاثية مقابل هدف أمام ميلان على ملعب “سان سيرو”.

وحسبما نُشر، يتواجد الدولي المصري محمد صلاح في التشكيل الأساسي لفريق ليفربول الليلة. تشكيل ليفربول اليوم أمام بولونيا في دوري أبطال أوروبا

حراسة المرمى: أليسون بيكر.

خط الدفاع: ترينت ألكسندر أرنولد – ابراهيما كوناتي – فيرجيل فان دايك – أندي روبيرتسون.

خط الوسط: ريان جرافنبيرخ – أليكسيس ماك أليستر – دومينيك سوبوسلاي.

خط الهجوم: محمد صلاح – داروين نونيز – لويس دياز. بدلاء ليفربول أمام بولونيا في دوري أبطال أوروبا

كيليهر، جاروس، جو جوميز، واتارو إندو، جونز، كودي جاكبز، تسيميكاس، نيوني، كوانساه، مورتون، برادلي.

The Reds to take on Bologna 📋👊 #UCL — Liverpool FC (@LFC) October 2, 2024

Shaheen Shah Afridi and Imad Wasim will join Pakistan team-mate Babar Azam in this year’s Vitality T20 Blast, after confirming deals with Hampshire and Nottinghamshire respectively.Hampshire have been in discussions with Afridi’s agent ever since the Blast’s fixtures were confirmed, and have confirmed his availability for their seven remaining group games, plus the knockout stages should they qualify.His availability is a major boost to their bowling attack in the absence of Kyle Abbott and Fidel Edwards due to travel restrictions, and with Liam Dawson out for the season with an Achilles injury.Hampshire won their first game in the competition on Monday against Essex, and Afridi will debut against Surrey at The Oval on Thursday evening.Unlike Afridi, Wasim had never officially signed for Nottinghamshire this season, but did play seven Blast games for them last year, taking 10 wickets – including the crucial scalp of AB de Villiers in the quarter-final win against Middlesex – and conceding just 6.64 runs per over. They have won two of their first three games – the other was washed out – in this year’s Blast, despite the absence of Harry Gurney through injury.Wasim has gone straight into the squad to play second-placed Lancashire at Liverpool on Tuesday afternoon, meaning he could play two T20s in the space of 24 hours after appearing in the third T20I against England on Monday night.Azam is set to play seven group-stage games for Somerset this season, plus the knockouts if they qualify, after topping the run charts last year. His first game will be Somerset’s televised game against Worcestershire at Edgbaston on Wednesday.

A decision would need to be made about the value of a global event behind closed doors

Andrew McGlashan04-May-2020

The Australia v New Zealand ODI on March 13 was played to empty stands at the SCG•Getty Images

The fate of the men’s T20 World Cup in Australia, slated for later this year, could yet come down to the likely absence of crowds rather than the challenge of getting teams into the country.The shape of the 2020-21 season in Australia remains in significant doubt, but there have been a few positive indications in recent days that the scheduled cricket may yet be able to take place with Australia being one of the countries managing to effectively tackle the Covid-19 pandemic.The strongest indications revolve around the visit by India – the cancellation of which could cost Cricket Australia A$300 million [US$192 million approx.] – but there also remains a chance of the T20 World Cup still happening. At its recent meetings, the ICC said that preparations were still on for the 16-team tournament due to start on October 18 with a final decision not expected to be taken until August.Discussions continue between CA and the federal government about what needs to be put in place for international cricket to take place later in the year, and on Friday the Australian Institute of Sport published a framework for the return of sport at all levels in the country.While a bilateral series has huge logistical and bio-security challenges to overcome in the current climate – the first indication of how they are tackled could come in the English season – they are multiplied many times over for a 16-team world event, some from countries severely hit by the pandemic. However, the Australian government sports minister, Richard Colbeck, believes a solution could be possible, meaning a decision would need to be made about the value of a global event behind closed doors.”I’d love to see an Australia-India Test series this summer and I’d really like to be able to see the World Cup go ahead, but that will be quite a complex protocol to bring that number of countries in from around the world,” Colbeck told SEN Radio. “The issue [for the World Cup] is not so much the teams as the crowds and that’s probably one of the hurdles we really have to consider and probably one that world cricket will look at pretty closely as well.”We all know the difference in atmosphere when you see a filled stadium verses one that’s empty… they will be some of the broader considerations, but in a team sense I’d like to think that we can build some protocols with the cooperation of the sport and the players, that’s going to be extremely important, with appropriate quarantine and bio-security protocols to see if we can make the competition go ahead.”In one of the first signs in sport that the overall situation is improving in Australia, the Warriors rugby team from New Zealand arrived in Tamworth, New South Wales, on Sunday to prepare for the resumption of the NRL later this month. However, New Zealand has also had significant success tackling Covid-19, to the extent that the country recorded zero new cases on Monday. Expanding travel exemptions to a wider spread of nations would need to be a careful process.”Those conversations are being had, discussions about what the protocols might look like,” Colbeck said. “They will be difficult because one of the things that has been a key part of our success is that we limited access to Australia from areas where there were significant outbreaks of Covid-19 and that’s contributed to the low rate of spread we have now. But we would have to be prepared to consider appropriate plans put forward by the various codes.”Asked more broadly about crowds returning to sports events when social-distancing regulations are eased, Colbeck said it was hugely reliant on being able to trace possible cases. “Our capacity to be able to open up sport to crowds and all those sorts of things is going to be really dependent on our capacity to track and trace then quarantine community spread.”Australia and New Zealand played an ODI behind closed doors at the SCG in March shortly before restrictions were ramped up. Players have spoken about how it was a strange experience, but are confident that it would not detract from the spectacle if it meant a chance to resume the sport.”If this is the case and we have to play behind closed doors, the more and more that happens we’ll get more used to it and understand it,” Marnus Labuschagne said. “I don’t think it takes anything away from the actual game. For us it’s just about being ready and making sure that we’re ready to make any sacrifices that we can to get cricket back on TV and cricketers back out there playing.”

رد الاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة القدم “كاف” على طلب الأهلي بشأن تسلم درع الدوري المصري أمام جورماهيا الكيني.

الأهلي سيلتقي مع جورماهيا يوم السبت المُقبل الموافق 21 من سبتمبر الجاري، في إياب دورالـ32 من دوري أبطال إفريقيا، بعد الفوز في مباراة الذهاب بثلاثية دون رد. 

وفي خبرٍ سارٍ لجماهير النادي الأهلي، أعلن الاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة القدم “كاف” عن موافقته على تسليم درع الدوري المصري الممتاز للمارد الأحمر عقب مباراة العودة أمام فريق جورماهيا الكيني في دور الـ32 من بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

وبذلك، ستشهد مدرجات استاد القاهرة الدولي احتفالًا جماهيريًا كبيرًا بتتويج الأهلي بلقب الدوري، وذلك يوم السبت الموافق 21 سبتمبر الجاري.

جاء قرار “كاف” استجابةً لطلب رسمي قدمه الأهلي، والذي يسعى من خلاله إلى الاحتفال بهذا الإنجاز التاريخي مع جماهيره.

ومن المتوقع أن يشهد هذا الاحتفال حضورًا جماهيريًا كبيرًا، حيث ستتوافد الجماهير الحمراء إلى الاستاد لتهنئة فريقها باللقب الجديد.

طالع أيضًا | محسن صالح: الحديث عن تغيير نظام الدوري مضيعة للوقت.. والأندية تشارك بالبطولات الجديدة “عشان السبوبة”

هذا التتويج يعد تتويجًا لمسيرة حافلة بالنجاحات والإنجازات للفريق الأحمر، والذي استطاع فرض سيطرته على الدوري المصري الممتاز هذا الموسم.

وكان الأهلي قد توج بلقب الدوري المصري لموسم 2023-2024 ورقم 44 في تاريخه، بعد منافسة قوية مع بيراميدز انتهت بحصد المارد الأحمر لـ85 نقطة، بينما السماوي حل وصيفًا بـ79 نقطة، وجاء الزمالك في المرتبة الثالثة بـ 56 نقطة.

It is hard to remember an occasion when England have gone into their first Test of the home summer with five different spinners all pitching a case for inclusion in the side, but these are unprecedented times.England’s spin cadre have worked closely with Richard Dawson in the nets over the past week, and all have had the opportunity to bowl in this week’s intra-squad warm-up match.Amar Virdi looks the least likely to play at the Ageas Bowl next week, having been parachuted into Team Buttler at the last minute when Sam Curran went down with a suspected diarrhoea and vomiting bug, while Matt Parkinson’s relative inexperience may count against him, despite him luring Ben Stokes into a false shot on the stroke of tea on Thursday to have him stumped.That leaves Moeen Ali, Dom Bess and Jack Leach: all three of them fingerspinners, with similar batting returns in recent years despite Moeen’s greater pedigree. All three have strong claims to the role, but it appeared instructive that it took 68 overs for Moeen to be brought into the attack on the first afternoon. When he did come on, newcomer Dan Lawrence found it easy to knock him about, and a 27-ball 5 on the second day did little to further his case.Seemingly, then, England have a choice next week between Leach and Bess, the Somerset team-mates: the former was first-choice going into the winter before his various illnesses, while the latter took his unlikely opportunity with both hands in South Africa.In this warm-up match, it has been Bess who has impressed more. Leach went wicketless across 15 first-innings overs while Bess took two in his 20 on Thursday; Leach also conceded 3.8 runs per over compared to Bess’ 3.0, and bowled one maiden compared to Bess’ six.Bess and Leach: Somerset team-mates, England rivals•Getty Images

But the make-up of the West Indies batting line-up poses an interesting conundrum, given that there are 13 right-handers and only two left-handers in their 15-man squad. One of those lefties, Raymon Reifer, looks unlikely to play the first Test, while John Campbell is an opening batsman, whom England will hope to dismiss before the spinners come on.It may be a simplification to look at fingerspinners only through the lens of whether they turn the ball into or away from a batsman, but raw statistics help illustrate the point. Across the last five English Test summers, offspinners average significantly more bowling to right-handers (37.58) than left (28.38), while the disparity is only slightly smaller among slow left-armers (36.42 to left-handers, 30.87 to right-handers).What’s more, the players in West Indies’ middle order that a spinner may well be relied upon to dismiss have substantially better records against offspinners than slow left-armers, in particular the engine room of Jason Holder, Shai Hope and Shane Dowrich.