The two American Chivas stars helped Chivas overcome multiple rallies by Atlético de San Luis

Chicharito did not featureThe match saw multiple lead changesCowell scored his first Liga MX goal since November 2024Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED?

Chivas pulled off a dramatic 4-3 victory over Atlético de San Luis thanks to goals from USMNT winger Cade Cowell, a brace by Armando González, and an own goal by Juan Manuel Sanabria – an action in which dual-national Richard Ledezma played a key role. With the win, Gabriel Milito’s side earned their first points of the Apertura 2025.

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took a 2-0 lead into halftime after Sanabria’s own goal, which came following a spectacular play by Ledezma, whose curling shot was denied by visiting goalkeeper Andrés Sánchez. On the rebound, Sanabria got to the ball just before Ledezma, but still sent it into his own net. Right before the break, Cowell made it 2-0 with his first Liga MX goal since November 2024.

What seemed like a comfortable win quickly turned into a nightmare for Chivas in the second half, as goals from Eduardo Águila in the 50th minute, Joao Pedro in the 69th minute, and Benjamín Galdames turned the score around, putting San Luis ahead 3-2 in the 75th minute. But in a thrilling finish, Armando González emerged as the hero, scoring in the 84th and 90th minutes to secure an emotional comeback win for

Getty Images SportDID YOU KNOW?

Javier "Chicharito" Hernández has yet to play in the Apertura 2025 due to injury. He will also not be part of Chivas’ squad for the group stage of the Leagues Cup, the club confirmed.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR CHIVAS?

Chivas will kick off their Leagues Cup campaign on Thursday against the New York Red Bulls.

A heart-wrenching incident stole the spotlight during the Club World Cup quarterfinal between Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain, as Jamal Musiala suffered a horrific injury late in the first half. The young German midfielder had to be stretchered off the pitch after a painful collision with PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.

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• Musiala seemed to twist his ankle
• Had to be taken to the hospital for medical treatment
• Donnarumma shared a message for Musiala on Instagram

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  As Musiala raced to the byline, he found himself sandwiched between PSG defender Willian Pacho and the onrushing Donnarumma. In an attempt to secure the ball, the Italian goalkeeper launched himself forward, but in the process, Musiala’s leg was caught awkwardly underneath Donnarumma’s body.

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  As Musiala hit the ground, his foot appeared to be unnaturally twisted at the ankle, a sight that left the players terrified. Medical personnel rushed to the scene while Bayern players stood frozen in disbelief.

  Perhaps no one was more emotionally affected than Donnarumma himself. The 26-year-old goalkeeper appeared devastated by the accidental nature of the collision. Cameras captured him on one knee with tears streaming down his face, his gloves covering his expression as team staff tried to console him on the sidelines.

• WHAT DONNARUMMA SAID

  Shortly after the match, Donnarumma took to Instagram to extend his heartfelt support.

  "All my prayers and well wishes are with you @jamalmusiala10 🙏🏽," he wrote.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR DONNARUMMA?

  While PSG ultimately claimed a place in the semifinals with a gritty performance, the match result seemed like a footnote to the seemingly awful injury to Musiala that followed. They will next face the winner of Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund in the last four on July 9. On the other side of the bracket, Brazilian outfit Fluminense is set to meet Chelsea a day earlier.

Mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy, who last played a T20I in 2021, has been recalled

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Sep-20243:00

Takeaways: A first look at Mayank Yadav

Fast bowler Mayank Yadav, who lit up IPL 2024 with his searing spells of 150kph-plus pace, has earned his maiden India call-up. He has been named in the squad for the three-match T20I series against Bangladesh, which begins in Gwalior on October 6.Mayank’s electric speeds during the early part of IPL 2024 – where he won two Player-of-the-Match awards in the four matches he played – created a buzz around him. The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) fast bowler bowled only one over in his third game of the season before walking off with pain in his abdomen. He was soon ruled out of the IPL with a side injury. While he recovered from that injury, he picked up a separate injury while bowling in the BCCI’s National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru.Mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy, who last played a T20I in 2021, has been recalled, following a resurgence in IPL 2024, during which he was the highest wicket-taker for champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), with 21 wickets in 14 bowling innings.On the whole, India have named a fresh-looking squad of 15 for the three T20Is, which will be played between the ongoing Test series against Bangladesh and the Test series against New Zealand that starts on October 16. Given their workload, players part of India’s Test squad, such as Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, Axar Patel and Mohammed Siraj – who were all part of India’s most recent T20I assignment in Sri Lanka – have been rested.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

This has opened up space for a number of young faces. Nitish Kumar Reddy, Abhishek Sharma, Jitesh Sharma and Harshit Rana, who were all part of the squad for the tour of Zimbabwe in July, are back after missing the Sri Lanka tour. Jitesh will compete with Sanju Samson for the wicketkeeper’s slot.No vice-captain has been named in the squad, which will be led by full-time T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav. Other regulars in the squad include Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Rinku Singh, Ravi Bishnoi and Arshdeep Singh.Arshdeep, Rana and Mayank will make up the seam options alongside allrounders Hardik, Dube and Reddy, while Bishnoi, Varun and Washington are the main spin options with Abhishek and Riyan Parag as part-time options. Abhishek is the only regular opening batter in the squad, which leaves Samson as his likely opening partner.The three T20Is will be played in Gwalior, Delhi and Hyderabad on October 6, 9 and 12 respectively.India T20I squad for Bangladesh seriesSuryakumar Yadav (capt), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Riyan Parag, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Mayank Yadav

Celtic missed out on the chance to secure a domestic treble on Saturday after they lost on penalties to Aberdeen at Hampden Park in the final of the SFA Cup.

The Hoops had already won the Scottish Premiership and the League Cup earlier this term, but they failed to make it three out of three with a win over the Dons.

Captain Callum McGregor, who lost his first-ever domestic final with the club, and right-back Alistair Johnston both missed from the spot to hand Aberdeen the win.

Why Kasper Schmeichel will be disappointed

McGregor and Johnston were not the only players to blame for Celtic not winning the SFA Cup, though, as the game only went to penalties in the first place because it was a draw in regulation time.

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Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Kasper Schmeichel will be particularly disappointed with the role that he played in Aberdeen’s equaliser, after an own goal from Alfie Dorrington had put the Hoops ahead.

The Danish titan tried to anticipate where the cross was going to land by diving out into the box to palm the ball away, only to inadvertently palm the ball backwards and into his own net for an own goal.

Schmeichel was given a 6/10 player rating by 67HailHail, who described his part in the equaliser as a ‘rare, but terrible, mistake’ from the goalkeeper.

The veteran goalkeeper, however, was not the player who ultimately cost Celtic the treble, because Daizen Maeda had the chance to make up for the shot-stopper’s mistake in the dying embers of injury time.

Why Daizen Maeda cost Celtic the treble

The Japan international cost Brendan Rodgers the treble with his huge miss in injury time at the end of the 90 minutes, as he raced clear through on goal with a chance to make it 2-1.

Aberdeen would have had very, very, little time to find an equaliser had the forward taken his chance, but he fired a fairly tame effort at Dimitar Mitov after going through for a one-on-one opportunity.

Maeda, who BBC commentator Liam McLeod stated “reminds you of a wasp” because of his buzzing presence as a pressing forward, worked ever so hard during the game to close down defenders and make life difficult for Aberdeen.

However, the striker, who was given a 5/10 player rating and dubbed ‘wasteful’ by 67HailHail, let his side down in the crucial moment with a huge miss that ultimately cost Celtic the treble.

Appearances

34

Goals

16

Big chances missed

17

Conversion rate

28%

Goals from shots inside the box

16/55

Goals from shots outside the box

0/2

As you can see in the table above, Maeda’s finishing has been fairly inconsistent throughout the season, with more ‘big chances’ missed than goals scored in the league, so his miss at Hampden Park may not have come as the biggest surprise.

He was worse than Schmeichel, though, because the striker had the opportunity to seal the game and atone for the goalkeeper’s mistake by scoring his huge chance, and failed to do so.

Celtic have been backed to make stunning move for 20 y/o "superstar"

This would be a great piece of business.

ByHenry Jackson May 24, 2025

There is no doubt that Maeda had a phenomenal campaign, scoring 33 goals in all competitions, and it is a shame that it has come to an end on a bit of a sour note with that performance that cost Rodgers a first domestic treble since returning to Parkhead.

Imraan Khan, one-time Test cap in 2009 and Dolphins coach for the last five years, has been appointed the new batting lead at Cricket South Africa. Imraan is currently with the Test team in the West Indies, where he will work under national red-ball coach Shukri Conrad. He replaced Ashwell Prince, who was unavailable for personal reasons, as batting coach for this tour, and will now assume a more overarching role at CSA.In addition, CSA has also named former South Africa left-arm wristspinner Paul Adams as the new bowling lead with both appointments effective from September 1. Adams, 47, played 45 Tests and 24 ODIs and has been the spin-bowling coach for the South Africa Under-19 and Emerging men’s teams since 2023. He has previously assisted the South Africa A side and has domestic coaching experience with Cape Cobras, and more recently the Division 2 side Eastern Cape Iinyathi.Imraan has had a successful run as a provincial coach in South Africa’s top tier and has overseen the Dolphins to two four-day series titles – in 2020/21 and 2022/23 – a shared one-day cup in the 2020/21 season and to three CSA T20 Challenge finals.Under him, the Dolphins have produced several national players including Sarel Erwee, Keegan Petersen and Ottneil Baartman and Keshav Maharaj has developed into a competent leader. Imraan spent his entire professional career at the Durban-based union, where he played for 15 years.Related

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As a top-order batter, Imraan was best known for his long-format feats. He earned 161 first-class caps, scored 9,367 runs, including 20 centuries and averaged 36.58. His only Test cap came in 2009, against Australia, where he partnered Prince at the top of the order. He also featured in 121 List A matches and 51 T20s.”I want to thank the KZN Cricket Union for all their support,” Imraan said, in a statement. “It’s been an incredible journey, and I’ve loved starting my coaching career at the union that has been my home for many seasons. This is an exciting step in my path as a coach, but Kingsmead will always be home, and I will miss everyone here.”The Dolphins have yet to announce a replacement for Imraan, with the domestic season set to start with the T20 competition in late September.

تحدث روبن أموريم مدرب مانشستر يونايتد في مؤتمر صحفي قبل مواجهة ليفربول، يوم الأحد المقبل على ملعب أنفيلد في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وبدأ أموريم المؤتمر الصحفي بالحديث عن دعم إدارة مانشستر يونايتد في تصريحات نشرتها “مانشستر إيفنينج نيوز” البريطانية: “يخبرونني بذلك طوال الوقت”.

وأضاف: “أحياناً أتلقى رسالة بعد المباريات، لكني وراتكليف نعلم أن كرة القدم ليست كذلك، الأهم هو المباراة القادمة، لا يمكنك التحكم في اليوم التالي من كرة القدم لذا أعرف ذلك، من الجيد سماع ذلك بسبب الضوضاء التي تحدث، يبلغوني في الإدارة بالدعم طوال الوقت”.

وسئل أموريم عن رؤية مانشستر يونايتد ودعم مجلس الإدارة: “أولاً أشعر بهذا الدعم، هو ليس مجرد حديث من الناس، لكني أشعر به كل يوم، أحياناً أضع ضغطا على نفسي وعلى الفريق أكبر بكثير مما يتحملونه، أعلم أن الأمر سيستغرق بعض الوقت لكنني لا أريد أن أفكر بهذه الطريقة كما قلت العام الماضي”.

اقرأ أيضاً.. كاراجر يوضح أسباب تراجع أداء محمد صلاح مع ليفربول: يجب أن ينهي الجدل

وقال: “من الجيد أن يحدث هذا الدعم وأسمع عن ذلك، هذا يساعد جماهيرنا على فهم أن الإدارة تعلم أن الأمر سيستغرق بعض الوقت لكنني في الوقت نفسه لا أحب ذلك لأنه سيعطي شعوراً بأنه لدينا وقت لترتيب الأمور مرة أخرى، لذا لا أريد ذلك في نادينا، من الجيد أن تشعر بالدعم لكنك بحاجة لأن تشعر الناس بأنك تدرب نادي كبير وأننا مستعدون للفوز بالمباريات”.

وحول تاريخ المواجهات ضد ليفربول قال أكمل أموريم: “أتذكر أننا لعبنا بشكل جيد في مباراة انتهت بالتعادل، لقد شعرت بخيبة أمل كبيرة في نهاية المباراة لأننا أثبتنا قدرتنا على مواجهة أي خصم، اعلم أن هذا أمر ليس خاصا بنا لأنهم يتنافسون باستمرار على الألقاب وأعلم ما تعنيه هذه المباراة للجماهير ولكن مجدداً أؤكد أنها مجرد مباراة واحدة علينا إثبات أننا نلعب بشكل أفضل وعلينا الفوز”.

وأتم أموريم عن النتائج ضد الأندية الكبيرة: “ربما تكون التوقعات عند الفوز ومسؤولية الفوز أصعب بكثير من اللعب بطريقة ما، لهذا السبب عندما تدرب الأندية الكبرى، عليك الفوز في كل مباراة، خاصة عندما يتوقع الناس منك الفوز،قد نواجه بعض الصعوبات مع ذلك عندما تتوقعون ألا يفوز مانشستر يونايتد، ربما يكون أسهل على اللاعبين أن يقدمون أداء أفضل وعلينا تغيير ذلك، لتغيير ذلك نحتاج لمزيد من الثقة للفوز بالمباريات وحصد مزيد من النقاط واللعب بحرية أكبر”.

وحول مصابي مانشستر يونايتد أجاب أموريم: “ليساندرو لن يلعب، هو اقترب من المشاركة معنا، هو عاد مؤخراً للتدريبات، مزراوي لا أعرف، بقية اللاعبين الدوليين جاهزين، برونو لعب 62 دقيقة وسندير ذلك، نحاول موازنة كل شئ ليكون الجميع جاهز”.

وجدد أموريم الإشادة بحارسه لامينز: “لا شيء مستحيل، عليك أن تثبت جدارتك كل أسبوع، ولكنه بالطبع قدم أداء رائعًا، من الممكن أن يلعب أساسياً ضد ليفربول، الانطباع الأول مهم جداً والحفاظ على مستواه أهم بكثير، إنه ليس بمستوى شمايكل بعدن هو شاب موهوب وقوي ونال إعجاب الجماهير وعليه أن يثبت أكثر في ما هو قادم”.

واختتم عن المنافسة بين ليفربول ومانشستر يونايتد: “أحياناً تتغير الأمور بسرعة كبيرة ولكن عندما تنظر لتاريخ كلا الناديين، يمكنك أن ترى أحد الناديين يمر بفترة سيئة، يمكن الفوز في أي مباراة وإذا فكرنا في الفوز بالمباراة القادمة، سنفوز، إذا أردنا أن نكون بنفس مستوى ليفربول في المستقبل فأنا لست متأكد من المدة التي سنستغرقها لتحقيق ذلك”.

They replace Jaiswal, Dube and Samson, who will return to India with the rest of the T20 World Cup-winning squad before flying out to Zimbabwe for the last three games

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Jul-2024B Sai Sudharsan, Jitesh Sharma and Harshit Rana have been drafted into India’s 15-member squad for the first two (of five) T20Is in Zimbabwe starting later this week. They will replace Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube and Yashasvi Jaiswal, all of whom will return to India with the rest of the T20 World Cup-winning squad before flying out to Zimbabwe for the last three games.The victorious T20 World Cup squad was expected to land in India on Monday, but their arrival has been delayed because of Hurricane Beryl, which led to the airport in Barbados being shut down. ESPNcricinfo understands that Samson, Dube and Jaiswal will be part of a felicitation ceremony in India before they travel to Zimbabwe.Rinku Singh and Khaleel Ahmed, who were part of the reserves for the World Cup, are likely to join the squad in Harare directly from the Caribbean. Shubman Gill, who has been named captain of the squad in Zimbabwe, is set to join the squad directly from the USA, where he was on holiday after being released from India’s touring reserves at the end of the group stage.Sai Sudharsan, who made his international debut on the tour of South Africa last December, is currently playing for Surrey in Division 1 of the County Championship and is likely to join the squad in Harare on July 4 after the conclusion of Surrey’s ongoing fixture against Essex. Sai Sudharsan had re-signed with Surrey last month after an impressive maiden stint with the team last year. It’s Sai Sudharsan’s first call-up with the India T20I side.For Jitesh, the call-up is a lifeline of sorts after he fell out of favour with the selectors following a disappointing IPL 2024, where he scored just 187 runs in 12 innings at a strike rate of 131.69.Rana, for whom this is a maiden India call-up, was part of the victorious Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at IPL 2024. Rana had been at the BCCI’s National Cricket Academy till late last month as part of a conditioning camp for rising fast bowlers. He was the joint-second-highest wicket-taker for KKR (19 wickets at an average of 20.15), the same as Andre Russell and only behind Varun Chakravarthy, who had 21.The series kicks off on July 6, followed by matches on July 7, 10, 13 and 14. All matches will be played at the Harare Sports Club.India’s squad for 1st and 2nd T20Is vs ZimbabweShubman Gill (capt), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Abhishek Sharma, Rinku Singh, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Riyan Parag, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Kumar, Tushar Deshpande, Sai Sudharsan, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Harshit Rana

Amid doubts over Marc Guehi’s future at the club, Crystal Palace are now reportedly racing to sign a Serie A defender who they’ve already scouted throughout the current campaign.

Crystal Palace in form ahead of Wembley

In a week that could yet end in history, Crystal Palace couldn’t be in better form heading into this weekend’s FA Cup final against Manchester City. The Eagles haven’t tasted defeat in any of their last five games and looked a class above Tottenham Hotspur last time out as they eased to a 2-0 victory against their London rivals.

Oliver Glasner is well aware that victory over Tottenham was just a good start in an all-important week, however, after revealing how Crystal Palace will prepare for the FA Cup final this week.

The Austrian told reporters: “Yes, we will meet tomorrow (Monday). The players who started (against Spurs) will recover, the others will have a good and intense session.

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“Then there will be Tuesday off. The players deserve to recover, and, of course, the staff have already started to prepare. We will watch a few Man City clips as well, and Wednesday will be the start with the preparation for Man City.

“But we can’t do something different. It also makes no sense (to do that). It’s (about) showing what we can (do), who we are on our best level, and this is how we will enter the final, and then let’s see. Then, it’s football and everything can happen.”

Meanwhile, amid the chaos of potential silverware, Crystal Palace have also had to keep one eye on the fast-approaching summer transfer window. Amid reports that Guehi is set to be at the centre of interest from the likes of Newcastle United yet again, the Eagles have reportedly set their sights on a potential replacement.

Crystal Palace scout Bologna defender Lucumi

According to The Boot Room, Crystal Palace are now looking to sign Jhon Lucumi from Bologna this summer after Steve Parish sent scouts on a fresh mission to watch the defender. Racing alongside the likes of Liverpool and Leeds United, those at Selhurst Park should push to sign the Serie A star as soon as they can, especially if Guehi does depart.

League stats 24/25 P90 (via FBref)	Jhon Lucumi	Marc Guehi
Starts	27	34
Progressive Passes	3.56	3.94
Tackles Won	1.04	1
Ball Recoveries	6.04	4.26

As the numbers show, Lucumi would be capable of stepping in and replacing Guehi in South London. What instantly stands out is how the Bologna defender has outperformed the Crystal Palace star when it comes to tackles and ball recoveries whilst almost matching him for progressive passes per 90.

Described as “ridiculously impressive” by analyst Ben Mattinson last year, Lucumi looks destined for a move away from Italy. Whether that means a move to Crystal Palace is set to take place remains to be seen, however. It’s clear that he is talented enough for the Premier League, though.

Wells was released by Sussex and did not play a game in the Bob Willis Trophy this summer

Matt Roller18-Nov-2020Luke Wells’ association with Sussex spans far longer than his 10 years on the club’s books as a professional. He played for their age-group teams since he was a boy, while his father Alan and uncle Colin scored nearly 30,000 first-class runs for the county between them.As such, it is no surprise that it is still yet to sink in that he is now a Lancashire player. “In 2019, we played them and they completely killed Sussex,” he recalls via Zoom, before tailing off and correcting himself. “I need to get used to saying ‘we’. completely killed Sussex.” It may be some time before that becomes second nature.It can only be hoped that the nature of his exit will not ruin Wells’ memories of his time at Hove. He scored 18 first-class hundreds in a Sussex shirt, all of them in first-class cricket. While the runs dried up somewhat in his final years at the club, it is only so long since he was being talked up as a potential England opener.”I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed with the manner in which it ended,” he admits. “I know the financial situation was difficult and tough decisions had to be made [but] it potentially could have been handled a bit better. But look, I’ve been associated with the club since forever. I’ll always have a connection with this place, and I’ll always remember the good times.”ALSO READ: Luke Wells signs for Lancashire on two-year deal after Sussex releaseIf the response on social media was anything to go by, then Wells’ release came as a surprise to many. “Surely someone must sign Luke Wells,” tweeted Rob Key. “Proper player,” noted Jofra Archer, “and can bowl too.”

“I felt quite helpless and stuck. It was challenging, there’s no doubt about it. My fiancée and I have got a little boy who will be three in February, and there’s mortgages and all the normal stuff”Luke Wells didn’t play a game for Sussex in the Bob Willis Trophy

In fact, he had seen it coming a long way off. At the start of lockdown, Wells had raised his concerns to this website about the possibility of the whole season being lost, knowing that after two lean years, he was not guaranteed a contract extension. “Normally it’s black and white: you’re judged on performance, runs and wickets are your currency,” he said. “But if we play no red-ball cricket whatsoever, what happens?”Three months later, in the days before Sussex’s first Bob Willis Trophy game, he was asked to come into training earlier than usual. “I had a sit-down meeting on the square with Ben Brown, Jason Gillespie, Jason Swift and James Kirtley,” he recalls. “I was basically told I wasn’t playing and the numerous reasons why – technical, and all sorts of other things.”That was only for the first game, but there was no second-team cricket this year. I was coming to the last year of my contract and hadn’t gone that well previously, so I needed an opportunity to prove myself. I asked: ‘What can I do to get back into the team? Am I in your plans?’ I was told: ‘Unfortunately, with such a short season, we’re unlikely to change the team’.”I felt quite helpless and stuck. It was challenging, there’s no doubt about it. My fiancée and I have got a little boy who will be three in February, and there’s mortgages and all the normal stuff [to worry about]. The lack of control and not knowing what would happen was the most difficult thing. You’re planning for when it ends, but when your career is potentially cut in half in the midst of the economic situation we’re in now, it’s scary and stressful.”Luke Wells shovels into the leg side•MI News/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesWells is studying for a history degree at the Open University and doing his coaching badges, but had not banked on the prospect of finding himself without a club at the age of 29. Various counties were interested in signing him before Lancashire ramped up their pursuit, but there were stumbling blocks due to the obvious financial uncertainty.”I was staring down the barrel of having played my last game, given the situation with Covid, all the uncertainty, finances, budgets… A lot of counties were coming back to me saying: ‘We’d love to have you, but finances [are the problem]. After staring the reality of not playing again in the face, I’m so excited now to be able to continue doing what I love for a living.”Wells would normally be playing grade cricket in Melbourne at this time of year, but has instead been packing boxes ahead of his move up north at the end of this week. His first day in pre-season training is on Monday, and after signing a two-year deal, he has some level of security at the club.He will have something to prove when he pulls on the red rose for the first time. After piling on over 1,200 Championship runs in 2017, Wells averaged in the mid-20s in both of the following two seasons, and admits that his performances “haven’t been at the level I would expect of myself”.He recalls a “eureka moment” in the nets while out of the Sussex side this summer, when he worked out that a technical flaw had crept in, and insists he can get back to his best after becoming “potentially a bit stale, without really realising it”. Following two seasons without a white-ball appearance, Wells’ cause may be helped by the anticipated absence of several Lancashire players during the One-Day Cup next season due to their involvement in the Hundred, and his legspin could come in useful, too.But for now, he is simply looking forward to playing the game again. “I don’t usually say stuff like ‘things happen for a reason’ – I’m not that type of guy. But I suppose going through something like this will, hopefully, give me a fresh lease of life and a challenge to embrace at Lancashire.”It’s very doubtful that I could come across a more stressful year than what this one has been, so I’m just going to try and enjoy every moment: the ups and the downs.”

Sri Lanka became the first Asian team to beat South Africa at home

Bharath Seervi23-Feb-20191:22

Sri Lanka in South Africa: Cricket’s biggest upset?

1- Sri Lanka became the first Asian side to win a Test series in South Africa. To put that in context, teams from the subcontinent have played 21 times in this country before this series, losing 19 series and drawing two.* This was Sri Lanka’s sixth series in South Africa and their first win.3- Teams that have won a Test series against South Africa in South Africa. Sri Lanka joined England and Australia in achieving this.242- The total Test match experience of the 11 Sri Lanka players in this series; South Africa’s combined figure is 555. To establish the mismatch further, the Sri Lanka batsmen have, in total, 21 centuries to their name. Hashim Amla alone has 28. Sri Lanka’s bowlers, meanwhile, have four five-wicket hauls to their name. South Africa have 56.

Combined Test experience of the players

Team	Players	Mats	Runs	100s	Wkts	5-fors
South Africa	12	555	25556	57	987	56
Sri Lanka	11	242	13004	21	203	4

1- This is the first time Sri Lanka have won more than one Test in a series outside Asia (excluding Zimbabwe). Also, before this tour, Sri Lanka had won only one out of 13 Tests in South Africa.1 – Sri Lanka are the only team in the last six years to have won an away Test after losing the toss, fielding first and falling behind in the first innings. They have done so twice: against West Indies last year and against South Africa just now7- Consecutive home series wins for South Africa, before this 2-0 defeat. Their last home series defeat was against England in 2015-16. When Sri Lanka last toured South Africa two years ago, they were thrashed 3-0.1994- The last time South Africa lost by eight or more wickets in a home Test. That was against Australia in Cape Town, having set target of 91.52.33- Kusal Mendis’ average in the fourth innings of Tests, which is the best among all Sri Lanka batsmen who have batted at least 10 innings. He has made five fifties and a century in 15 innings while chasing.163*- Partnership between Mendis and Oshada Fernando, Sri Lanka’s second-best in a successful run-chase. The only higher stand was the unbroken 189 between Aravinda de Silva and Arjuna Ranatunga for the sixth wicket against Zimbabwe in Colombo in 1998.6- By overcoming a target of 197, Sri Lanka also recorded their sixth-highest successful chase in Test cricket. In the first Test, they had completed their fourth-highest chase.*