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Mikel Arteta faces being without an Arsenal star until 2026, with the Spaniard dealt a serious blow after an injury update from N5.

Arsenal title hopes fading after more dropped points at Forest

The Gunners are already having to face the notion of this Premier League title race possibly being over, considering Liverpool are now 13 points clear after what has become a disastrous week for Arteta’s side.

£130k-per-week striker dreams of playing for Arsenal as Ayto prepares bid

The Gunners are chasing a centre-forward this summer.

By
Emilio Galantini

Feb 25, 2025

Liverpool travelled to English champions Man City and secured a vital victory at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday before easing past Newcastle on Wednesday evening, taking full advantage of Arsenal’s fumble at home to West Ham followed by a 0-0 draw at Nottingham Forest.

Arsenal’s upcoming Premier League games	Date
Man Utd (away)	March 9th
Chelsea (home)	March 16th
Fulham (home)	April 1st
Everton (away)	April 5th

Arsenal’s lack of a striking option was on full display once again on Wednesday as they failed to break Forest down time and time again, with makeshift front man Mikel Merino registering their only shot on target after Riccardo Calafiori had hit the post.

Arteta’s best hopes of winning a first piece of major silverware since their FA Cup triumph in 2020 lie in Arsenal’s Champions League campaign, with interim sporting director Jason Ayto planning summer recruitment ahead of a potentially more successful Premier League title challenge next term.

Following long-term injuries to both Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus, some reports have even suggested that Arsenal could look to sign two strikers before 2025/2026.

RB Leipzig starlet Benjamin Sesko is apparently a top target for Arteta, with a move for Newcastle United star Alexander Isak appearing too difficult, while it is also believed that Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins remains on Arsenal’s radar after their failed January bid.

Arsenal could be without Gabriel Jesus until 2026

Now, according to journalist Steve Kay, the need for a new centre-forward or two is made all the more prevalent by the extent of Jesus’ injury. The £265,0000-per-week striker was just hitting a rich vein of form, before rupturing his ACL during Arsenal’s FA Cup third round defeat to Man United, and it appears he could be out for the foreseeable.

Kay, speaking on KS1 TV, says that Jesus could be out injured for Arsenal until 2026, with the Brazilian facing a leave of absence for the rest of this calendar year in a major blow for the Gunners and Arteta.

“Yeah, with Ollie Watkins. I had a conversation today with the main man, and Arsenal aren’t going away from Ollie Watkins,” said journalist Steve Kay.

“Because of the injury to Gabriel Jesus, he may not be expected back until possibly into 2026, maybe November, late, late. I’ve been told that Ollie Watkins is still on the agenda because they need two strikers.

“That £40m will stay on the table and if Watkins is happy to come, he will come. I’ve also been told this will not affect going in for a main striker like a Sesko. It won’t be any more than £40m. £40m is the only number I know of, it may be a bit lower than that because it’s another year.”

Former New Zealand batter Lou Vincent can resume being involved in domestic cricket or any level below that with immediate effect, after the ECB revised the life ban imposed on him in 2014 for corruption.In a media statement on Friday, the ECB’s Cricket Discipline Commission (CDC) said it was revoking the life ban having received from Vincent “compelling evidence demonstrating the very highest levels of contrition and remorse and the very best efforts to make amends wherever possible”.The CDC’s decision comes in response to a “clemency” appeal by Vincent. In 2014, the ECB had imposed a life ban on Vincent barring him from playing cricket at any level, entering any cricket ground, or coaching the game in a professional capacity after he admitted in an open letter that he was a “cheat”. Vincent had been handed 11 life-bans relating to events that occurred during his time at Sussex in 2008 and seven offences committed at the 2011 Champions League Twenty20.Related

• Nearly 17 years later, Lou Vincent receives special 100th ODI cap

• Vincent deserves clemency for speaking out, says McCullum

• Vincent's letter: 'My name is Lou Vincent and I am a cheat'

Gerard Elias, representing the CDC, said that it had heard not just Vincent before it’s decision to revise the ban but also the ICC, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) and the ECB. Elias said that “cogent and compelling” reasons were needed for the life ban to be downgraded, something Vincent provided. “In particular, this decision was taken in the light of Mr Vincent’s conduct following his sanction,” Elias said, “Namely: full and frank admissions and the fullest disclosures; immediate and total co-operation with cricket and civil authorities in various parts of the world; and, participation in anti-corruption education programmes for NZC and the ECB. I am satisfied that these factors justify an amelioration of the original sanction at this time.”In his first reaction to the relaxation of the life ban, Vincent, who’s now 45, said he was “very fortunate” to be able to return to cricket. “I made a terrible mistake many years ago, which I’ll deeply regret for the rest of my life, and I remain very sorry for the harm I caused,” Vincent said in a statement issued by NZC. “Being able to return to the cricket environment means the world to me and I feel very fortunate to again have that opportunity.”In the years after being banned, Vincent, who last played for New Zealand in 2007, started a new life as a builder in the small town of Raglan, a surfing destination in the Waikato region of New Zealand. Now, one of the things Vincent said he will look forward to is attending cricket matches with his family, something he was barred from during the life ban.Vincent thanked NZC and the New Zealand Players Association (NZPA), as well as his lawyer Chris Morris, for providing support and paving the way for his return. Heath Mills, the NZPA CEO, said Vincent had played a big hand in educating players in all sports about the evils of match-fixing, something the CDC had recognised. “The penalties have been particularly hard on Lou and he’s shown a lot of humility in owning his mistakes and setting about making amends,” Mills said. “I’m pleased the authorities have recognised his contribution to the fight against match-fixing and, also, his ongoing efforts to educate players and administrators around the world on anti-corruption.”NZC CEO Scott Weenink said though Vincent had “made a mistake… he’s given a lot to the game, not least in helping spread the anti-corruption message over the past decade, and it’s good and right that he can be more involved again.”

New Zealand are looking to make it three wins from three and will have captain Kane Williamson back against Bangladesh

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Oct-20231:39

Moody: This Australian team is far from the previous champion sides

–Fixtures | Squads | Points table | Tournament IndexTop Story: Quinton de Kock leads South Africa’s rout of AustraliaIf South Africa really do want to move through this 2023 World Cup under the radar, they must do better than this. Because in wiping the floor with Australia in Lucknow, winning by a mammoth 134 runs for their second victory in as many games, they have put out one hell of a statement that is impossible to ignore.As ever, Quinton de Kock made the most noise, crashing 109 up top as South Africa put up 311 for 7 having been asked to bat first. Australia’s decision at the toss, and the moves to reinforce their batting with Josh Inglis and Marcus Stoinis drafted in for Alex Carey and Cameron Green, came to nothing. A lack of impetus with the ball and errors in the field spilled into their chase – dead and buried as early as the 18th over at 70 for 6. Two straight defeats mean they can afford little room for error in the remaining seven games of the league stage.Click here for the full reportMatch analysis: Flying under the radar or not, South Africa seem to have figured themselves outSouth Africa were not strongly tipped heading into the World Cup but things are clicking for them•Getty ImagesSouth Africa are also demonstrating qualities of adaptation that are needed in a long tournament across various venues. In Delhi, they picked four seamers and a spinner, in Lucknow, they opted for a three-two combination on a surface that was expected to, and did, offer some turn. By the time Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi were called on, the bulk of the damage was already done and there may still be questions over how quickly they cleaned up the Australian tail. For Kagiso Rabada, South Africa played ‘pretty much the perfect game.”Over the last seven years, they have an exceptional record against Australia and had beaten them in 15 out of 20 ODIs before today, including winning a recent home series 3-2. That was the only competitive cricket South Africa played between April and this World Cup.Australia, on the other hand, have competed in an Ashes, a white-ball series in England and South Africa and played ODIs in India before the tournament and could, understandably, be spent. Their fielding performance suggested as much and the crowd kept a tally of their missed chances and displayed them on a banner to remind them how much they were getting wrong. It would also be that given the recent results, South Africa have figured Australia out. But there’s another option here. It could also be that South Africa have finally figured themselves – the squad that came to this World Cup – out.Read the full analysis from Firdose Moonda in LucknowMust Watch: Dissecting the Steve Smith lbw1:51

Should Smith worry more about the type of dismissal than the decision itself?

News headlines Australia were left asking questions of the third umpire after two controversial decisions in their crushing defeat against South Africa. They were left shocked by Steve Smith’s lbw and confused as to how Marcus Stoinis had been given caught behind.
Chris Woakes has revealed he has been working on a new set of slower deliveries to ensure he is as effective as possible in Indian conditions.
What is going on with ticket sales at this World Cup? Answers have been hard to come by.Match previewBangladesh vs New Zealand, Chennai (2pm IST; 8.30am GMT; 7.30pm AEST)5:38

Kane Williamson on his ACL rehab: ‘A series of really small steps’

The New Zealand juggernaut rolled into Chennai but in typical Kiwi fashion, it was a quiet entrance. New Zealand comfortably knocked over England and Netherlands, and will now take on a Bangladesh side smarting from a big loss against England. The only saving grace for Bangladesh is a Chennai pitch that is likely to help the spinners, but many of the New Zealand players have IPL experience to count on, so they will know what to expect at this venue.Bangladesh’s big defeat against England undid a lot of their good work against Afghanistan in the first match. The pitch certainly differed between the two games in Dharamsala, but Bangladesh didn’t really adapt to the conditions. Their insistence on bowling outside off stump hurt them as they went wicketless going for that bowling line. Taskin Ahmed bowling just six overs, Shakib Al Hasan finishing his ten early and the overuse of offspin against left-handers were the sort of rigid tactics that Bangladesh will not want to repeat.Full previewTeam newsNew Zealand (probable): 1 Devon Conway, 2 Will Young, 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Rachin Ravindra, 5 Tom Latham (wk), 6 Daryl Mitchell, 7 Glenn Phillips, 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Mark Henry, 10 Lockie Ferguson/Ish Sodhi, 11 Trent BoultBangladesh (probable): 1 Tanzid Hasan, 2 Litton Das, 3 Najmul Hossain Shanto, 4 Shakib Al Hasan (capt), 5 Towhid Hridoy, 6 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 7 Mehidy Hasan, 8 Mahedi Hasan, 9 Taskin Ahmed, 10 Shoriful Islam, 11 Mustafizur Rahman/Nasum AhmedFeature: Just like that, Williamson is back, bringing the warm glow of the familiarNew Zealand have brought to this World Cup a squad that allows them to bat differently in different conditions, and they’ll be thrilled at the timing of Kane Williamson’s return. They won their first two games while rattling away at well over a run a ball on flat surfaces in Ahmedabad and Hyderabad, but Chennai promises to be different. It’s here, perhaps, that they will most need Williamson’s skillset.You don’t need reminding of all the times Williamson’s staying power has won New Zealand World Cup games, but here’s a recap anyway. Auckland, where Mitchell Starc looked all but unstoppable. Birmingham, where Williamson masterminded a seesawing chase of 242. Manchester, where he turned 7 for 2 into a total of 291. Manchester, again, where he scrapped away in seaming conditions to give New Zealand a total they could bowl at.Read the full feature from Karthik Krishnaswamy

Ibrahim Zadran became Afghanistan’s first World Cup centurion but his effort in the end went in vain

Deivarayan Muthu07-Nov-20234:00

Harmison on Maxwell’s 201*: ‘It has to be the greatest innings in ODI cricket’

At one point, Australia were 91 for 7 chasing 292. Then Glenn Maxwell Glenn Maxwelled his way to a double-century and not only did they win the game, they also sealed their place in the World Cup semi-finals.After Ibrahim Zadran became Afghanistan’s first-ever centurion in World Cups, Naveen-ul-Haq and Azmatullah Omarzai shredded Australia’s top order as they threatened to script a famous win at the Wankhede. But Maxwell intervened with a sensational 201 not out, 179 of which were scored in an unbroken 202-run partnership with his captain Pat Cummins, to flip the script. The result confirmed Australia’s place in the final four, along with hosts India and South Africa, and left Afghanistan heart-broken.The chase wasn’t the only thing that got tighter and tighter towards the end. Maxwell, having fielded the 50 overs in the Mumbai heat, began cramping up badly. It was his legs. They’d just stopped working. He looked in agonising pain in the 41st over, prompting the next batter, the No. 10, Adam Zampa to wait by the boundary-line while the physio patched him up to keep him going.And go he did. Batting without ever moving his feet, Maxwell kept clobbering sixes until he brought home the Australian miracle. Two-hundred and one unbeatean runs in just 128 balls with 21 fours and 10 sixes. It was one of the all-time great ODI innings.Related

Maxing it like Maxwell: Ten other great solo ODI batting performances

Jonathan Trott rues key lapses as Glenn Maxwell teaches Afghanistan a bitter lesson

Stats – Glenn Maxwell, Australia's first men's ODI double-centurion

Glenn Maxwell stands tallest in adversity to deliver Australia their knock-out blow

Pat Cummins hails Glenn Maxwell's 201 not out as 'the greatest ODI innings that's ever happened'

Maxwell had walked in to face Omarzai’s hat-trick ball in the ninth over, when Australia were 49 for 4 in pursuit of 292. He was then involved in a mix-up, which cost Australia the wicket of Marnus Labuschagne for 14. When Marcus Stoinis and Mitchell Starc fell soon after, leaving Australia at 91 for 7, the game looked done. Except it wasn’t. Maxwell soldiered on and Cummins stuck to him limpet-like, contributing just 12 runs (off 68 balls) to a double-century partnership.With 21 needed off the final four overs for Australia’s win and Maxwell’s double-hundred, he went 6,6,4,6 against Mujeeb Ur Rahman to provide the double coup de grâce.Mujeeb could’ve cut Maxwell’s innings short on 33 had he not dropped a sitter at short fine. Maxwell then went about doing Maxwell things. He mowed Noor Ahmad over midwicket. He shanked Mujeeb over his head and carted Mohammed Nabi over midwicket too. The reverse-sweep and other trick shots were also on display in Mumbai as he surged to a hundred off 76 balls. He then needed just 52 balls for his second hundred. At the other end, Cummins defended resolutely. That was all he needed to do.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Maxwell’s 201* is the highest score ever by a batter at No. 6 or lower in 4696 ODIs. This is also the first double-hundred by an Australian in men’s ODI cricket and the third double-ton in men’s World Cups. Maxwell’s unbroken 202-run stand with Cummins is also the highest for the eighth wicket or lower in ODI cricket.Rashid Khan was the only Afghanistan bowler to escape the one-man wrecking crew that was Maxwell. Afghanistan had picked four spinners for this match, but it was Naveen and Omarzai who inflicted severe damage on Australia’s chase. They bowled Test-match lines and lengths, and swung the new ball both ways, under lights. Naveen first ripped out Travis Head with an outswinger before pinning Mitchell Marsh lbw with an inswinger. Naveen could’ve also dismissed David Warner on 4 had Rahmat Shah not dropped a difficult chance at gully. Warner added 14 to his tally before Omarzai floored his off stump with an inswinger.Omarzai is only 23 and was playing his 20th ODI, but he’s so skillful that he can construct Warner’s dismissal. After hitting a hard length and bowling a maiden to Warner, he went fuller and stormed through his defences. Having bossed the powerplay during his Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) stint earlier in the year, Omarzai showed the wider world that he could do the job in international cricket too. The next ball was an outswinger to Josh Inglis, who edged to first slip. The next ball was another outswinger, but Maxwell denied Omarzai the hat-trick and the rest is now history.After finishing off three successful chases in a row, Afghanistan might have had a temptation to do the same on Tuesday. But Hashmatullah Shahidi resisted that and backed his batters to put runs on the board on a slightly atypical Wankhede track, which was on the drier side. Ibrahim led the way and batted through the innings on a hot afternoon to stay unbeaten on 129 off 143 balls. The highlight of his innings was a ramped four straight over the wicketkeeper, off Cummins, in the 14th over. Later in the slog overs, he along with Rashid, who hit an unbeaten 35 off 18 balls, laid into Australia’s attack. Ibrahim and Rashid smashed 58 together off just 27 balls to lift Afghanistan to 291, but their joy turned into disbelief and then helplessness in the night.

Chelsea have been offered a Real Madrid transfer target by intermediaries, but Enzo Maresca’s side will face a very stern battle as the hotly-contested race for his signature heats up ahead of the summer window.

Chelsea thrash Southampton 4-0 in the Premier League

The west Londoners sealed a much-needed Premier League win with their convincing 4-0 thrashing of Southampton at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday evening, with goals from Christopher Nkunku, Pedro Neto, Levi Colwill and Marc Cucurella rounding off a superb display.

Chelsea could offer Trevoh Chalobah in swap deal for £80m-plus player

The west Londoners may attempt to bring his price down.

2 ByEmilio Galantini Feb 25, 2025

Maresca was attracting serious criticism in the build up to their clash with the Saints, and supporters were pictured protesting BlueCo’s ownership just before kick-off, but these three points will ease some pressure surrounding the club as Chelsea solidify their chase for Champions League qualification.

Leicester City (home)

March 9th

Arsenal (away)

March 16th

Tottenham (home)

April 2nd

Brentford (away)

April 5th

Ipswich Town (home)

April 12th

After their victory over Ivan Juric’s strugglers, Maresca also sent a message to Cole Palmer, in a show of support following a recent downturn in form.

“Very happy. We said already that from now on every game is important. And if we get three points it’s even better,” said Maresca after Chelsea’s 4-0 win over Southampton.

“First of all, every game is tricky and anything can happen. We have to embrace that and we started the game in the right way. This is the worst game because everyone takes it for granted. It’s dangerous.

“I think the performance was there. Even the last game against Aston Villa the performance was there.

“We said since we start we cannot rely on Cole [Palmer] for every game. He has to continue to work, continue to be happy, continue to laugh they way he does. We are completely happy with him. It is normal to go through a moment where you struggle to score but it doesn’t matter. Just continue and you are going to score many goals.”

In the background, Chelsea apparently have plans to go “big” on a new centre-back in the summer transfer window.

That is according to reliable journalist Simon Phillips, Chelsea are expected to make a serious push for Bournemouth defender Dean Huijsen, with The Boot Room now sharing an update.

Chelsea offered Bournemouth defender Dean Huijsen

According to their information, from reporter Graeme Bailey’s sources, it is believed that Chelsea have been offered Huijsen by intermediaries, who are pushing to find suitors for the Spaniard ahead of next season.

The 19-year-old’s exceptional performances alongside Illia Zabarnyi at the heart of Bournemouth’s backline have also placed Huijsen on Real Madrid’s radar, with fellow European big-hitters Atlético Madrid, Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen also keen on him.

Alongside Chelsea, it is claimed that the teenage defender’s camp have contacted Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa and Newcastle United. A move for him is made all the more tempting by his widely reported £50 million release clause, which is set to become active this summer, so we can expect a lot of competition for his signature.

حسم التعادل الإيجابي بنتيجة 1-1 مباراة الجزائر وجنوب إفريقيا، التي جمعت بينهما اليوم ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا للمحليين.

والتقى منتخبا الجزائر وجنوب إفريقيا، على ملعب مانديلا الوطني، ضمن منافسات الجولة الثانية من دور المجموعات لبطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا للمحليين.

وتقدم عبد النور إيهاب بلحسيني بالهدف الأول للجزائر في الدقيقة 29، بتصويبة صاروخية من على حدود منطقة الجزاء سكنت الشباك مباشرةً.

طالع أيضًا.. فيديو | منتخب الجزائر يفوز على أوغندا بثلاثية في كأس أمم إفريقيا للمحليين

وأدرك منتخب جنوب إفريقيا التعادل في الدقيقة 45 من عمر الشوط الأول، عن طريق تابيسو كوتوميلا بتسديدة من داخل منطقة الجزاء سكنت يسار حارس مرمى الجزائر.

ويتواجد منتخب الجزائر في المجموعة الثالثة من بطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا للمحليين، رفقة منتخبات جنوب إفريقيا وغينيا والنيجير وأوغندا.

يذكر أن منتخب الجزائر حقق الفوز على أوغندا في المباراة التي جمعتهما ضمن منافسات الجولة الأولى بثلاثة أهداف دون مقابل، بينما جنوب إفريقيا لم يلعب الجولة الأولى.

بتلك النتيجة، يحتل منتخب الجزائر صدارة ترتيب المجموعة برصيد 4 نقاط، بينما تتواجد جنوب إفريقيا بالمركز الثالث، ولديه نقطة وحيدة. أهداف مباراة الجزائر وجنوب إفريقيا اليوم في كأس أمم إفريقيا للمحليين

With the summer transfer window well and truly back open, Aston Villa have a huge few weeks ahead.

After failing to qualify for the Champions League after defeat against Manchester United on the final day of the season, the West Midlands side find themselves in the Europa League.

That surely makes them less appealing to top players they are looking to sign, and also means they have less money, which could make it tough to turn the loan moves of Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford into permanent deals. Spain international Asensio did not have a buy clause in his loan from Paris Saint-Germain, and it is unclear if he will come back.

Well, if it turns out that Asensio doesn’t re-sign for Villa, they seemingly have a replacement in mind.

Villa's potential Asensio replacement

It would certainly be a huge blow for Villa if they were to lose Asensio, who had a great impact and brought lots of technical quality in attacking areas to their squad. However, they seem to be targeting a fellow Spaniard to replace him.

According to a newspaper in Spain, via Caught Offside, Unai Emery and his side are seemingly targeting a move for Real Betis attacker Jesus Rodriguez. He reportedly has a release clause worth £30m in his current deal, but Betis are negotiating a new contract with the view of increasing the price of that release clause to around £43m.

Of course, the release clause makes this a complicated situation, and on top of that, Betis are thought to be set on keeping Rodriguez.

However, Villans’ sporting director Monchi ‘is determined to sign’ the attacker, and ‘will be leading negotiations to get the deal done’ this summer.

Why Rodríguez would be a good signing

Despite being just 19 years of age, Rodriguez had a strong second half of the campaign with Betis, after breaking into the first team under Manuel Pellegrini following a stint in the youth team until December.

The Seville-born sensation played in 32 senior games last season for the club, scoring three times and grabbing one assist. He played a lot of first-team football, too, notching up 1739 minutes, the equivalent of 19 full 90-minute games. If anything, that shows the trust Pellegrini has in him already.

The 19-year-old attacker performed well in the UEFA Conference League last season, too. Although Betis lost in the final to Chelsea, he had an important role in their quest to the final, playing eight games and scoring against Polish side Jagiellonia Bialystok.

There is no doubt about it, Rodriguez stepping into Asensio’s shoes at Villa Park would be no mean feat. Not only is he ten years younger and therefore far less experienced, but the impact he had at Villa would be tough to recreate.

Even Asensio himself struggled to continue the form he showcased during the early part of his career in the West Midlands. He scored eight times and grabbed one assist in 21 games, but after a rapid start, couldn’t keep up his hot run of form past the start of April.

When looking at the underlying stats on FBref last season for both Rodriguez, a Spain U21 international, and Asensio, there are some numbers that stack up well against each other. One of those is goal-creating actions, in which the Betis man averaged 0.41 per game compared to the Villa loanee’s 0.66, showing they are both involved in their team’s goals regularly.

Described as an “explosive” player by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, Rodriguez will certainly bring dynamic ball-carrying to Villa Park, more so than Asensio of the stats are anything to go by. The 19-year-old averaged 4.31 progressive carries each game last season, compared to Asensio’s 2.72 per 90 minutes.

Rodriguez and Asensio key stats compared
Stat (per 90)	Rodriguez	Asensio
Goal-creating actions	0.41	0.66
Progressive carries	4.31	2.72
Carries into penalty area	3.17	0.93
Take-ons completed	2.44	1.06
Ball recoveries	4.72	3.05
Stats from FBref

It is not hard to see why Rodriguez will be Emery’s new Asensio. Not only are they both Spanish attackers who can play across the frontline, but he has the technical quality of the former Real Madrid star, combined with the habit of being involved in goals, even if that is not directly.

This seems like a deal Monchi wants to get over the line, and for £30m, the value of his current release clause, it could be an excellent piece of business for the Villans.

He's scored at Villa Park: Aston Villa racing to sign "fantastic" £42m star

Only Jacob Murphy, Mohamed Salah and Anthony Elanga assisted more goals than him last season…

1

By
Tom Cunningham

Jun 12, 2025

And how many players have outscored the opposition on their own in a Test innings?

Steven Lynch19-Oct-2021In a recent IPL game, Kieron Pollard was Player of the Match though he only meaningfully participated in 14 deliveries in the entire game. What’s the lowest number by someone who received the award in a T20 match? asked Nathan from Australia

You’re right that Kieron Pollard was only actively involved in 14 deliveries during Mumbai Indians’ IPL victory over Punjab Kings in Abu Dhabi on September 28 – he faced seven balls, bowled one over, and took one catch. Pollard was the third man to win the award having been involved in only 14 deliveries in an IPL game, after Nuwan Kulasekera, for Chennai Super Kings against Pune Warriors in Chennai in 2012, and Munaf Patel, for Mumbai Indians against Pune Warriors in Mumbai in 2011.But they’re not top: there are two cases of 13 by IPL match award-winners – Mark Boucher for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Kolkata Knight Riders in Durban in 2009, and James Faulkner for Rajasthan Royals against KKR in Abu Dhabi in 2014. Boucher faced 13 balls and didn’t take a catch, but he was keeping wicket, so would undoubtedly have been actively involved in rather more deliveries.The record for all T20 matches, as far as we can establish, is active involvement in just eight deliveries before lifting the match award. This was achieved by the South African David Wiese, for Titans against Dolphins in Centurion in 2012-13, and Dinesh Karthik for India vs Bangladesh in the Nidahas Trophy final in Colombo in March 2018. The scorecard for Yorkshire against Leicestershire at Headingley in 2014 suggests that Adam Lyth was involved in only eight deliveries, but he shared the award in that match with Aaron Finch after a spectacular relayed boundary catch – and since Finch ended up with the ball, Lyth doesn’t feature on the scorecard. But he thus played a major role in at least one other ball in addition to the eight he faced while batting.There are a few caveats with these figures. First, we only have full statistics for around 70% of T20 games. Most significantly, we can only consider scorecard entries – so a player who, for example, received the award in part for outstanding fielding wouldn’t show up. We’ve also ignored matches reduced by rain or other reasons. So Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team had a fun time totting up the rest!What’s the highest Test score by a batter outside his home country? asked Kevin Millard from England

The highest individual score away from home in a Test remains Hanif Mohammad’s epic match-saving 337 – in a record 970 minutes – for Pakistan against West Indies in Bridgetown in 1957-58. That just edged out Wally Hammond’s 336 not out for England against New Zealand in Auckland in 1932-33.In all, there have been 11 triple-centuries by batters in overseas Tests, two of them by Don Bradman at Headingley, in 1930 and in 1934. (There are 12 if you count Azhar Ali’s unbeaten 302 for Pakistan against West Indies in a “home” Test in Dubai in 2016-17.)How often has a player scored a hundred and a duck in the same Test? asked Bevan McAllister from New Zealand

In all, this has now happened 172 times in Test matches. The most recent instance involved Najmul Hossain of Bangladesh, against Sri Lanka in Pallekele in April. The first time it happened was in the first ever Test in England, at The Oval in 1880, when Australia’s captain, Billy Murdoch, made 0 and 153 not out.Two men have done it three times: Shivnarine Chanderpaul for West Indies, and England’s Andrew Strauss. A further 22 batters managed it on two occasions.Wisden records the 11 leaders given honorary MCC life membership in 1946•WisdenI noticed that Matthew Hayden outscored Pakistan’s match aggregate on his own in his only innings of a Test in 2002. Has anyone else done this? asked Abdul Shabeer from India

Matthew Hayden was the fifth man to exceed the opposition’s aggregate score on his own in his only innings of a Test with a definite result: Pakistan made 53 and 59, while Hayden hit 119 for Australia in Sharjah in 2002-03. The others to achieve this were Bobby Abel (120) for England against South Africa (43 and 47) in Cape Town in 1888-89, Len Hutton (364) for England vs Australia (123 and 201) at The Oval in 1938, Don Bradman (185) for Australia vs India (98 and 58) in Brisbane in 1947-48, and Inzamam-ul-Haq (329) for Pakistan vs New Zealand (73 and 246) in Lahore in 2002.For batters who went in twice, Justin Langer (191 and 97) outscored Pakistan (179 and 72) in Perth in 2004-05, while Gordon Greenidge (134 and 101) made more than England (71 and 126) managed at Old Trafford in 1976, as did Patsy Hendren (169 and 45) vs Australia (122 and 66) in Brisbane and Dimuth Karunaratne (158 not out and 60) vs South Africa (126 and 73) in Galle.I read that Dwight Eisenhower was the only American president to attend a Test match. But is it right that he was also a member of MCC? asked Syed Iliyas Hussain from England

President Eisenhower witnessed at least part of a somewhat somnolent day’s play in the third Test between Pakistan and Australia in Karachi in 1959-60. During the day, which was uninterrupted apart from a break while the teams were introduced to Eisenhower, Pakistan scored 104 for 5 in 65 overs, so it’s unlikely the distinguished visitor was terribly excited.This was the last Test played on a matting pitch. Australia’s captain in that match, Richie Benaud, in his book Willow Patterns, wrote that Eisenhower “made the remark that he thought this cricket game was supposed to be played on grass rather than mat. The Pakistan president [Mohammed Ayub Khan] then said, ‘This is the last time a Test match will be played on matting in this country’, and he gave orders to that effect.”It’s also true that Eisenhower was a member of the Marylebone Cricket Club, although it wasn’t because of any particular liking for the game. General Eisenhower, as he then was, was one of 11 leaders given honorary life membership of MCC in 1946, in recognition of their efforts in the Second World War. Eisenhower was the only American; the other ten were all British. Winston Churchill, the wartime prime minister, was one of those honoured, along with the top brass from the army, navy and air force. Arguably the most famous of the others were Field Marshal Montgomery of Alamein, and Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten, the Queen’s second cousin and uncle of the Duke of Edinburgh.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

يستأنف برشلونة مشواره في الدوري الإسباني لكرة القدم، بعد الخسارة أمام ريال مدريد في الجولة العاشرة في الكلاسيكو بهدفين لهدف واحد.

وقد ارتفع رصيد ريال مدريد للنقطة 27 في صدارة ترتيب الدوري الاسباني لكرة القدم، بينما تجمد رصيد برشلونة عند النقطة 22 في الوصافة.

وكان كيليان مبابي قد افتتح التسجيل لصالح ريال مدريد في الدقيقة 22، بعد أن تلقى تمريرة رائعة من زميله الإنجليزي جود بيلينجهام.

وتعادل فيرمين لوبيز لصالح برشلونة في الدقيقة 38 من أحداث الشوط الأول، بصناعة من الإنجليزي الآخر في برشلونة ماركوس راشفورد.

اقرأ أيضاً.. خبير تحكيمي: حكم الكلاسيكو اتخذ قرارًا خاطئًا في مباراة ريال مدريد وبرشلونة

وقبل نهاية الشوط الأول في الدقيقة 43 أحرز جود بيلينجهام هدف ريال مدريد الثاني بعد أن تابع كرة من داخل منطقة جزاء برشلونة.

ولم يظهر برشلونة بمستواه المعهود في مباراة اليوم، وفشل في الخروج بنقطة من ملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو” متأثراً بالعديد من الغيابات والإصابات في صفوفه. موعد مباراة برشلونة القادمة بعد الخسارة أمام ريال مدريد في الدوري الاسباني

يلتقي برشلونة ضد إلتشي، على ملعب مونتجويك، يوم الأحد 2 نوفمبر، في الجولة الحادية عشر من الدوري الاسباني لكرة القدم، في تمام الساعة السابعة والنصف مساءً بتوقيت مصر.

da realsbet： It’s all changing at Tottenham Hotspur at the moment.

da heads bet： Ange Postecoglou may have led the club to their first trophy in a generation, but a 17th-place finish in the Premier League was enough for Daniel Levy and Co to send him on his way.

In his place, former Brentford manager Thomas Frank has been tasked with dramatically improving the club’s domestic form next season, and one way to make that happen is by adding genuine quality to the squad.

Fortunately, recent reports suggest the North Londoners may be closing in on a signing who’d be a more exciting addition to the team than Mathys Tel.

Tottenham transfer news

The transfer window may have only just opened again, but Spurs have recently been linked with many talented attackers, such as Bryan Mbeumo and Yoanne Wissa, who thrived under Frank’s management.

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Moreover, to ensure the squad aren’t left short on numbers in attack next year, Levy and Co have also re-signed Tel on a permanent transfer.

The young Frenchman did well enough in spells last season, and the potential is certainly there, but based purely on what we saw from him this year, it’s hard to describe his £30m signing as particularly exciting.

The good news is that the Lilywhites now appear to be advancing in talks to sign someone who certainly would be an exciting signing: Antoine Semenyo.

According to a recent report from TEAMtalk, the Spurs are incredibly interested in the Bournemouth star and are ‘growing in confidence in striking a deal’ with the South Coast side.

The report does not mention how much the Ghanaian international could cost the North Londoners, but reports from earlier this month claim that a fee of up to £70m should be enough.

Now, that is certainly a lot of money, but given Semenyo’s ability and experience, it’d be worth it for Spurs, especially as he’d be a more exciting signing than Tel.

Why Semenyo would be a more exciting signing than Tel

Okay, so the first thing to address is that Semenyo has an inherent advantage here in that the newest attacking signings are going to be more exciting than a club re-signing someone they’ve had on loan before purely for the fact that they’ll represent something fresh and relatively unknown.

However, while this is undoubtedly the case here, there are other significant reasons why the Bournemouth star would be a far more exciting addition to the team than Tel, starting with their output.

In 20 appearances for the North Londoners, totalling 1257 minutes, the Sarcelles-born attacker was able to score three goals and provide a single assist, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every five games, or every 314.25 minutes.

In stark contrast, the Cherries ace scored 13 goals and provided seven assists in 42 appearances, totalling 3562 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.1 games, or every 178.1 minutes.

Moreover, while the Frenchman can play off the left or up top relatively easily, the Chelsea-born ace can play off either flank, up top or even in midfield, thanks largely to the fact he’s ambipedal.

Finally, on top of everything else, the 25-year-old “monster,” as dubbed by respected analyst Ben Mattinson, also comes out way on top when we take a look under the hood at their underlying numbers.

For example, he comes out on top in almost all relevant metrics, such as non-penalty goals plus assists, shot and goal-creating actions, key passes, successful take-ons and many, many more, all per 90.

Semenyo vs Tel

Statistics

Semenyo

Tel

Non-Penalty G+As

0.45

0.23

Progressive Passes

3.06

2.31

Progressive Carries

3.93

2.62

Shots

3.51

2.47

Shots on Target

1.12

0.85

Passing Accuracy

73.4%

74.4%

Key Passes

1.29

1.15

Passes into the Final Third

1.38

1.31

Passes into the Penalty Area

1.26

1.38

Live Passes

29.5

27.8

Shot-Creating Actions

3.71

2.47

Goal-Creating Actions

0.37

0.31

Successful Take-Ons

1.94

1.62

Ball Recoveries

4.44

3.62

Aerial Duels Won

1.85

0.38

All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 EPL Season

Ultimately, while Tel is a talented player who could develop into something special, Semenyo is streaks ahead of him and would be a far more exciting signing for Spurs.

Related A better signing than Mbeumo: Spurs enter talks to sign "unbelievable" CF

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Posts 1 ByEthan Lamb Jun 16, 2025