100 T20Is and counting for Virat Kohli, making him the second cricketer to complete the treble
ESPNcricinfo stats team, Mathew Varghese, illustration by Kshiraja K28-Aug-2022ESPNcricinfo LtdNote: Stats updated till the end of the India-Pakistan Asia Cup game on August 28.
England have so far played two different pace attacks and are expected to rotate throughout the summer
Andrew Miller21-Jul-2020Excluding the ubiquitous Ben Stokes, England have used two completely different seam attacks in their first two Tests of the summer, and with four more Tests to come in the next five weeks, there’s sure to be a further shaking-up of the resources. But how does the current pecking order look with the West Indies series tied at 1-1? Stuart Broad (6 wkts @ 18.00)Words and deeds collided in some style in Manchester, as Broad channelled his righteous indignation after being dropped for the opening match of the summer. His rampage through West Indies’ batting came in two crucial spells, spanning the back end of their first innings and the top of their second. Six of West Indies’ designated top-seven fell in that time, with his fourth-evening burst of 3 for 1 in 14 balls deemed the match’s key moment by Phil Simmons, West Indies’ coach. England seem to have been planning for life after Broad for almost as long as his eight-year run of 51 home Tests in a row – the same one that came to an end at the Ageas Bowl. But he’s simply not ready to surrender his status just yet.Chris Woakes (5 wkts @ 15.20)Seventy-five wickets at 22.90 in 20 appearances. Stick that on a good length and snick it. Not even James Anderson, England’s Duke of the Dukes, can boast a better home Test average than the man dubbed England’s “Mr Dependable” by Joe Root. And if that sounds like damnation with faint praise compared to Root’s assessment of Ben Stokes as “Mr Incredible”, then Woakes’ landmark of 1000 runs and 100 wickets at Old Trafford was a quietly significant reminder of his merits. Neither Stokes nor Andrew Flintoff got to that mark in fewer Tests than Woakes’ 34. Nor, shockingly, did Garry Sobers.Jofra Archer (3 wkts @ 35.33)The England management has made the right noises about standing by their errant player during his self-isolation period, but the fact remains that the squad is all in this together, putting up with an unusually tedious off-field regime for the greater good of the sport, and Archer’s actions were a breach of trust as much as a breach of protocol. Nevertheless, he’s likely to slot straight back into the team from which he had to be dropped last week, because England know how good he could be when he gets the measure of Test cricket. Archer’s stats did not flatter him at the Ageas Bowl, but he shares with Stokes an ability to be the bowler that England need for any given situation: hit the seam with subtle movement in helpful conditions; hit the deck and the batsman in equal measure when the game needs a shake. He’s averaged 28.12 in his first year of Test cricket without yet getting on the sort of roll that you know he’ll produce sooner or later.James Anderson appeals•Getty ImagesJames Anderson (3 wkts @ 34.66)Jimmy, Jimmy … what’s to be done with Jimmy? Objectively speaking, there’s no quibbling with his status as England’s enduring attack leader. In his last three completed home seasons, Anderson has hoovered up 102 wickets at 15.84, including seven of his England-record haul of 28 five-fors and one of his three ten-fors. His mastery of seam and swing is unparalleled, and his hunger to keep pushing on beyond his next landmark of 600 Test wickets is tangible. And yet, it’s increasingly hard to make any exceptions for a man who is now a week shy of his 38th birthday, and whose body is beginning to protest at his 152-Test workload. Anderson has featured in just four of England’s last 14 Tests, and broke down midway through the third of those in South Africa after Christmas. If England were not so laden with options, you’d be tempted to bowl him until he drops. Right now, however, there’s simply no need.Sam Curran (3 wkts @ 33.33)Sam Curran “makes things happen”. Check Twitter if you don’t believe it. That search term alone will keep you scrolling for the duration of the third Test. His left-arm irritants are a set batsman’s nightmare – every ball on a skiddy full length, demanding a decision, risking a misjudgement if it nips off the seam, or tails through the air, or does none of the above and just thuds straight on. Picking a player as a specialist No. 8 and fourth seamer may seem hard to quantify, but Curran has won each of his eight home Tests since 2018, and is one of the four 22-year-olds in the current team on whom the next decade could be built. His stock continues to rise, even if his current opportunities do not.Mark Wood (2 wkts @55.00)England’s “jam tomorrow” selection. Hindsight suggests that Wood’s inclusion on a sluggish deck at the Ageas Bowl was a mistake, but then again, he’d been Man of the Match in two of his previous three overseas Tests, and in the process served up some of the most scorching exocets ever unleashed by an England bowler. It would have sent a curious message to omit him. Besides, this is squad with big ambitions for the coming years, not least England’s return to Australia to avenge their drubbings on their last two Ashes tours. Wood’s form and fitness will be a critical factor in that campaign. The latter can and will be managed with due care, but the former does require him to feature in the interim, even on surfaces that might not always suit his methods.Ollie Robinson/Craig Overton/Olly StoneOf the trio of unused quicks in England’s ranks, Robinson came the closest to a call-up in the second Test, as he was drafted into the squad but didn’t make the final cut. He impressed with his deck-hitting discipline in the intra-squad warm-up, and could yet be trialled as the sort of third-seam option that England haven’t really replicated since Toby Roland-Jones went lame before the last Ashes tour. Craig Overton cut his teeth on that trip in Roland-Jones’ absence, but has perhaps impressed with his Test-match temperament more than his actual performances to date. Stone, the quickest of the trio, may have to wait until Wood has another of his periodic niggles before he gets a run-out.
Shohei Ohtani is a man that wears many hats.
In his start for the Dodgers Wednesday evening, that came to a head after he walked off the mound and had to hit leadoff shortly thereafter. Ohtani threw five innings and struck out nine batters when he got the ball against the Reds. When his outing was over, he tried to catch his breath after recording the longest start since his return to the mound this year.
He couldn't do that though, as he had to quickly grab his batting gear and take some practice swings before he stepped up to the plate. Ohtani seemed to momentarily forget he was up to bat to lead off the Dodgers' half of the fifth, quickly realizing and picking up his pace to go grab his bat and helmet. You can watch the hilarious moment below:
The true problems of being one of baseball's best hitters while simultaneously starring on the mound.
Ohtani's dominant start Wednesday is a welcome sight for Dodgers fans, especially after he took a line drive in the leg in his previous start against the Rockies. Luckily, it wasn't serious and he didn't have to miss any time on the hill. He seemed to come back better than ever, striking out a season-high nine batters, one better than the eight punchouts he recorded in four innings against the Cardinals earlier this month.
At the plate, he has hit 45 home runs this season, tied for the National League lead with Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber. He's slashing .278/.389/.612 with 85 RBIs in addition to the 45 homers.
Leeds United secured a superb 3-3 comeback against Liverpool at Elland Road last night to make it four points in the space of a week against big six opposition.
Daniel Farke’s men fell two goals behind just minutes after the break after a Hugo Ekitiké double, but it only seemed to spur the side on to get back into the Premier League clash.
Goals from Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Anton Stach restored parity before Dominic Szoboszlai’s 80th-minute effort looked to have finally handed the visitors three points.
However, it wasn’t meant to be, with the Whites’ never-say-die attitude rewarding them a point, after Ao Tanaka beautifully volleyed home from a corner in the 96th minute.
Despite the impressive fightback against the Reds in Yorkshire, numerous players struggled to impress throughout the clash, which could put their starting roles at huge risk.
Leeds’ poor performers against Liverpool
Jayden Bogle has been Leeds’ number one right-back so far this campaign, but his showing against the Reds was arguably one of his worst of the season to date.
The Englishman was withdrawn with just a minute left in the clash, after giving possession away 11 times, with two occasions coming when trying to take on an opponent.
He also failed to win any tackles against Cody Gakpo, whilst only coming out on top in 25% of the ground and aerial duels he entered against the defending champions.
Bogle wasn’t alone in struggling within the back five, with centre-back Joe Rodon having an uncharacteristically poor performance in the Premier League.
The Welsh international’s misplaced pass handed the ball on a plate for Ekitike to fire home and help the visitors establish their two-goal cushion early in the second half.
He also only managed to win 50% of the aerial battles he entered in the defensive third, but thankfully, he was bailed out by Tanaka for his struggles in stoppage time.
The Leeds star who needs to be dropped after Liverpool
If Leeds are to stay up in the Premier League this season, their ability to get themselves off the canvas on a regular basis could play a massive role in any successful survival attempt.
Few sides in the league would be able to get themselves back within striking distance of sides who possess the quality of Liverpool, with Farke deserving huge credit after such a result.
The German wasn’t afraid of making key changes at crucial parts of the game, with his triple change in the 65th minute seeing Tanaka score, whilst Wilfried Gnonto won the penalty for Calvert-Lewin’s strike.
Brenden Aaronson was also on hand to provide the goods, with the American registering the assist for Stach’s strike – which restored parity for the first time in the meeting.
However, Noah Okafor was just one of the players sacrificed for the aforementioned trio, with the attacker potentially now fearing for his starting role in Yorkshire.
The Swiss international lasted just over an hour before being replaced, but his stats from his time on the pitch showcase how lacklustre his showing at Elland Road was.
He was only able to complete a total of five passes in his 65-minute showing – an average of one every 13 minutes – with his small frame unsuited to the counter-attacking nature in the first half.
Noah Okafor – stats against Liverpool
Statistics
Tally
Minutes played
65
Touches
14
Passes completed
5
Dribbles completed
1
Aerials won
0
Shots on target
0
Possession lost
4x
Fouls committed
1
Stats via FotMob
The 25-year-old tried his best to make an impact on the transition, but largely struggled against the Reds’ backline – as seen by his tally of just one dribble completed.
Okafor also failed to win any of his aerial battles, something which is hardly a surprise given his stature – but also coming up against the likes of Virgil van Dijk.
To top off his disappointing display, he only registered a total of 14 touches during the draw, with goalkeeper Lucas Perri making nearly three times more with his tally of 43.
After such a performance, Farke will be left with no choice but to drop the Swiss international, with the trio off the bench certainly deserving of a start after their impact in the second half.
It’s certainly not a bad call for the manager to make, especially with the recent form creating competition for places – something that will be vital if they are to secure survival.
Leeds now make contact over signing "powerful" star who's been likened to Odegaard
He’s a wanted man.
ByTom Cunningham Dec 6, 2025
Liverpool are in a dire rut of form at the moment and the pressure only ramped up on Arne Slot following their 3-3 draw with Leeds United on Saturday evening.
As if Slot didn’t think things could get any worse, what hasn’t helped is Mohamed Salah’s remarkable interview after the game.
The Egyptian has been on the substitutes bench for the last three games and according to reports, will not travel to Milan when the Reds face Inter in the Champions League this week.
What Mo Salah has said about his Liverpool future
Salah was in conversation with reporters after Liverpool’s dismal draw with Leeds at the weekend and it’s safe to say he did not cover Slot and Co in glory.
“‘I’m very disappointed, Salah began. “I’ve done so much for this club – everyone can see that – over years, especially last season, sitting on the bench I don’t know why. It seems like the club has thrown me under the bus. That’s how I feel it.”
The Liverpool great continued: “It’s very clear that someone wants me to get all the blame. Club promised me a lot in summer. So far I I’m on bench three games, so can’t say they have kept those promises.
“I say many times I had a good relationship with the manager and all of a sudden we don’t have any relationship, I don’t know why. It seems like someone does not want me in the club.
“But again this club, I always support it. my kids will always support it. I love the club so much and I will always do. I called my mum yesterday because I knew I wasn’t going to start and told my mum and dad to the Brighton game [next Saturday].”
How Salah trained on Monday
Salah smiled and chatted with his teammates on Monday as he attended the club’s first training session since his outburst over the weekend.
He arrived on the training pitch in conversation with French striker Hugo Ekitike. Salah listened as Slot addressed the squad and then took part in a series of warm-up and passing drills, interacting with the likes of Curtis Jones, Virgil van Dijk and Dominik Szoboszlai.
The session was overseen by Slot who is really up against it now. Who the Liverpool board decide to side with, Salah or the Dutchman, will be very interesting.
Vitor Matos now reportedly wants to take the Swansea City job in a major boost for the Championship club, who are preparing to trigger his big-money release clause.
It’s been a chaotic search for a new manager in Wales. The Swans decided to sack Alan Sheehan at the same time that Southampton, Norwich City and Middlesbrough all moving on from their own coaches – sending the Championship into a managerial merry-go-round.
Ultimately, it was Swansea who were made to pay for their timing, with top target Kim Hellberg now heading to Boro to replace Rob Edwards and send his first admirers back to square one.
With the Championship set to make a return from the international break this weekend, Swansea remain without a manager and will be led by Darren O’Shea on an interim basis.
Up against Bristol City on Saturday afternoon, Swansea will be looking to avoid a fifth-straight game without a victory and avoid dropping down to as low as 20th in the Championship.
Just when they’ll have their next permanent manager in charge is the big question. The Jacks head straight from their game against Bristol into a Tuesday night clash against Derby County and with the fixtures coming thick and fast, they need a permanent appointment sooner rather than later.
According to some recent reports, however, they could be in for some good news in their chase to sign Matos, who has made his decision.
Swansea preparing to trigger Matos release clause
According to reports in Portugal, as relayed by Wales Online, Swansea are now ready to trigger Matos’ release clause following rumours that the Maritime manager has decided to take the job if the opportunity comes his way.
Meanwhile, although other reports have claimed that Maritime are not willing to enter negotiations under any circumstances, those in Portugal have revealed that Matos has a release clause worth €1m (£900k) in his current contract – allowing Swansea to bypass club-to-club talks.
It’s good news for Swansea that the 37-year-old is keen to take the job, but there’s no denying that hiring him would be a gamble. The former Liverpool coach is incredibly inexperienced and the Swansea job would be his first as a manager in England.
Jurgen Klopp would be the first to hand the 4-3-3 coach rave reviews, but even the German is yet to see Matos in a potential relegation scrap. Those in Wales currently sit just seven points clear of the Championship’s dropzone and simply cannot afford to get their next appointment wrong in the coming weeks.
Instant blow for Matos as "one of Swansea's key players" could now leave
Manchester United are now reportedly leading Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona in the race to sign Kennet Eichhorn, who’s been compared to the legendary Toni Kroos.
The Red Devils are gearing up for another frantic year of recruitment, with Ruben Amorim’s midfield seemingly taking the focus after INEOS already improved the manager’s frontline last summer.
On that front, names such as Elliot Anderson have already threatened to steal the headlines and there’s no doubt that he’d be an excellent signing. The Nottingham Forest star has recently taken Adam Wharton’s place in Thomas Tuchel’s best England side and is proving to be one of few standouts in a season to forget at the City Ground.
Champions League qualification is of course the aim at Old Trafford this season, but the fact that United proved they can lure top talents to the club without it should be seen as a huge boost in pursuit of Anderson.
He’s not the only one on their reported shortlist, however. Brighton & Hove Albion’s Carlos Baleba is still on United’s radar after they failed to secure his signature in the summer.
The impressive defensive midfielder would solve a problem that Amorim has had since he’s arrived, with Manuel Ugarte failing to live up to expectations and Casemiro edging past his consistent best.
It is also worth noting that, as ever, those at Old Trafford also have an eye on future talent. The task for INEOS is not just to turn United around as soon as possible, but to then avoid another major collapse. And the pursuit of the next Kroos would go a long way towards doing just that.
Man Utd leading race to sign Kennet Eichhorn
As reports relayed by Caught Offside, Man United are now in pole position to sign Eichhorn from Hertha Berlin ahead of PSG and Barcelona after sending scouts. The 16-year-old midfielder is one of the hottest prospects around and has even been dubbed the next Kroos thanks to his ability to dictate play from a deeper role.
Amorim wants to keep him: Man Utd star in January exit talks with deal "likely"
Amidst discussions over his future, will Kobbie Mainoo move away from Old Trafford?
ByJames O'Reilly Nov 7, 2025
The impressive teenager is yet to even turn 18, but is already playing an important role at Hertha, having started six of their 11 2.Bundesliga games so far this season. This early experience in itself has only highlighted the talent that the German club have on their hands.
It’s little surprise that Eichhorn has been the talk of Europe and scout Jacek Kulig is one of many to have praised the midfielder – describing him as “technically sharp”, “intelligent on the ball” and “fearless”.
Man Utd offered Vlahovic in January as Juventus name bargain price
The New York Yankees spent all year talking about how close this team was, so you have to give them credit for pulling together to lose the World Series as a group. In the deciding Game 5, which they lost 7–6 to the Los Angeles Dodgers, it wasn’t the shaky starting pitching or the undermanned bullpen or the feast-or-famine offense that doomed them. It was the problem that plagued them all season: They were astonishingly talented, and at times they played like astonishing knuckleheads.
Just about everyone contributed: It was the first World Series game ever in which a team committed a balk, two field errors and a catcher’s interference.
“Just a couple mistakes along the way that hurt us,” said center fielder and captain Aaron Judge. He was referring to the fifth inning, when they committed three defensive blunders to open the door to five Dodgers runs, but he could have been describing the season. It’s hard to say that a team that won 94 games and the pennant played bad baseball, but the Yankees often did. Their outfield defense ranked in the bottom third of the league and no team ran the bases worse this year, according to Statcast, which does not track “plays that make you wince.”
The Yankees had three of those in the fifth inning of Game 5 to open the door to five Dodgers runs—and eventually close the door on their season. It was all the more frustrating for how well things were going. Four batters into the bottom of the first, the Yankees led 3–0. They tacked on another run in the second. Gerrit Cole took a no-hitter into the fifth inning. They seemed well on their way to becoming the first team to go down three games to none in a World Series and force a Game 6. Then the Yankees turned back into the Yankees and the Dodgers turned back into the Dodgers.
Dodgers center fielder Kiké Hernández singled to open the fifth. Shortstop Tommy Edman lofted a ball to shallow center, where Judge let it clank off his glove. “Just didn’t make the play,” he said. Five pitches later, catcher Will Smith grounded to shortstop Anthony Volpe, who threw awkwardly to third and failed to collect the out. “I was trying to make a play,” Volpe said. “I just pulled the throw.” Two plays that could have resulted in three outs instead resulted in zero and left the bases loaded.
Cole struck out second baseman Gavin Lux and DH Shohei Ohtani, but when right fielder Mookie Betts grounded to first, Cole failed to back up the bag—at the same time that first baseman Anthony Rizzo failed to charge the ball.
“I took a bad angle to the ball,” Cole said. “Wasn’t sure really off the bat how hard he hit it. I took a direct angle to it, as if to cut it off, because I just didn't know how hard he hit it. And by the time the ball got by me, I was not in a position to cover first.”
Rizzo diplomatically called it “a miscommunication on coverage” before acknowledging that “pitchers are always taught to get over no matter what.” In any case, Betts beat the ball out. A run scored.
The next hitter was first baseman Freddie Freeman, whose only disappointment this week was that he snapped his record streak of World Series games with a home run at six. He singled to center to score two more. As the sellout crowd of 49,263 fell silent, left fielder Teoscar Hernández crushed a cutter off the center field wall to tie the game. The final numbers on the inning: three extra outs, five runs, all unearned.
The Yankees retook the lead on a sacrifice fly in the sixth, but the Dodgers did the same in the eighth. Ohtani, who partially dislocated his shoulder in Game 1 and had not had a hit since, took a hack at the first pitch. Catcher Austin Wells knocked into his bat, and the home plate umpire Mark Ripperger awarded Ohtani first base. On the next pitch, Betts flied to center to plate the go-ahead run. In the ninth, just for good measure, closer Luke Weaver took a third disengagement—pitchers are allowed two per at bat—and was punished with a balk. It was the most careless performance by a group of New Yorkers since Eric Adams’s aides failed to delete their text messages.
After it was over, the Yankees milled around a quiet clubhouse, saying their goodbyes. This team could look very different next year. Right fielder Juan Soto will be a free agent and is expected to command more than half a billion dollars. Second baseman Gleyber Torres, left fielder Alex Verdugo and setup man Clay Holmes will be free agents. The team holds a $17 million option on Rizzo. Perhaps some turnover could be good for this group. In the Judge Era, New York has never won a playoff series against an opponent outside the AL Central.
In the wake of this latest disappointment, the Yankees offered little explanation and little path forward. “Just gotta limit the mistakes,” Judge said. Asked how one does that, he paused. “It’s hard to do,” he admitted. “Don’t let it happen. I don’t have a good answer for you.” He has a long offseason to think about it—three days longer than he wanted.
Everton are now reportedly keeping tabs on an “unbelievable” player who has enjoyed significant recent success at international level.
Moyes upbeat despite Everton loss
The Blues were beaten 2-0 away to Manchester City in the Premier League on Saturday, with the visitors unable to contain the in-form Erling Haaland.
Despite the result, Everton manager David Moyes still managed to feel positive about what he saw, with defeats at the Etihad never too concerning.
“I’m pleased with how we played. We were a bit disappointed when we lost the first goal. It was only 1-0 but to give them a second goal quickly was a killer for us. But there are a lot of good things we could talk about and what we’ve done well. We’ve come here and given them a bit of a game.
“Maybe we’d like to do better, but we’re only growing at the moment and we’re still trying to get better. We missed a couple of big chances in the first half, which might have altered things the way we were playing. We needed any opportunities we got to go in or to certainly get us something more positive than we did. So, look, no real problems with the performance overall – most of it.”
Everton have made a solid start to the new season, but that’s not to say that new signings in the January transfer window wouldn’t go amiss.
Everton eyeing move for "unbelievable" defender
Speaking to Everton News, journalist Graeme Bailey talked up the idea of Everton completing the signing of Toulouse centre-back Charlie Cresswell in January.
“Charlie Cresswell is doing very well in France, and this comes after a very good showing at the Euros. Everton are very much in the market for new defenders in 2026 and I am told that he is one they have watched. He certainly fits the profile of player David Moyes likes, and is one to keep an eye on.”
Cresswell has enjoyed an excellent year, winning the European Championships with England’s Under-21s and proving to be a key man, starting three matches.
The 23-year-old is also impressing in France with Toulouse, being hailed as “unbelievable” by presenter Joe Wainman, and he stands out as an excellent option for Everton.
While James Tarkowski remains a great player for the Blues, both in terms of quality and leadership, he is now 32 and a long-term successor needs to be found.
Not just Beto: Moyes must drop 5/10 Everton star who made just 17 passes
Beto isn’t the only problem in David Moyes’ Everton side.
ByKelan Sarson Oct 19, 2025
If Everton managed to entice Cresswell to the club, he could be Jarrad Branthwaite’s centre-back partner for years to come, also enhancing his chances of forcing his way into the senior England setup at the same time.
MatériaMais Notícias
O lateral-esquerdo Marçal avaliou a maneira como o Botafogo vem se preparando para retomar a rotina de jogos no Campeonato Brasileiro. Em entrevista divulgada pela Botafogo TV, o camisa 21 destacou que o momento é do grupo se empenhar para voltar com fôlego novo.
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Aos seus olhos, o momento é de reunir forças de olho na reta final do Brasileirão.
+ Já pensou em ser um gestor de futebol? Participe da nossa Masterclass com Felipe Ximenes e descubra oportunidades
+ Já pensou em ser um gestor de futebol? Participe da nossa Masterclass com Felipe Ximenes e descubra oportunidades
– Jogo é sempre bom, quando tem jogo atrás do outro é bom porque, apesar do pouco tempo de descanso, a gente já está embalado, fica focado em jogar, eu prefiro sempre quando tem muitos jogos. Mas, sem dúvida nenhuma, essa pausa é muito importante principalmente para recuperar jogadores que vinham jogando vários jogos e tinham um pouco de desgaste, é bom para recarregar a bateria da rapaziada – disse.
O lateral traçou um panorama do confronto com o Atlético-MG, marcado para sábado, às 21h, na Arena MRV.
– Sabemos que será um jogo difícil lá, o Atlético-MG está com um novo estádio, vem de vitória no jogo que teve em casa. É um time difícil, com bons jogadores, temos que estar focados para ir lá e buscar os três pontos. É um jogo difícil em Minas, mas tenho certeza de que com essa semana cheia para trabalhar vamos conseguir o objetivo – afirmou.