Zimbabwe name uncapped Musekiwa and Maposa for T20 World Cup regional qualifier

Trevor Gwandu returns to the 15-man squad for the T20 World Cup Africa Sub-Regional Qualifier B

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Oct-2024

Trevor Gwandu has played two T20Is so far•Zimbabwe Cricket

Zimbabwe have named the uncapped duo – allrounder Tashinga Musekiwa and fast bowler Tinotenda Maposa – for the T20 World Cup regional qualifiers to be played in Kenya this month, to try and earn a spot for the main tournament in 2026. The selectors also recalled fast bowler Trevor Gwandu in the 15-man squad which sees 11 players from the series against India in July.Zimbabwe go into the six-team T20 World Cup Africa Sub-Regional Qualifier B under new head coach Justin Sammons with a young squad with an average age of 26, a Zimbabwe Cricket release said. The team will be led by the experienced Sikandar Raza. The qualifier also includes Gambia, Kenya, Mozambique, Rwanda and the Seychelles. The top two sides from these will progress to the regional final to be joined by Namibia and Uganda.Musekiwa, 24, has just 21 T20s to his name – apart from one first-class game and 29 one-dayers – for Mid West Rhinos. His T20 high score is an unbeaten 38 and his best figures are 3 for 24 out of his total wickets tally of 10. He most recently played for Zimbabwe Emerging against the South Africa Emerging side in two one-dayers, and scored an unbeaten 51 in the second.Maposa, 21, has featured in five first-class games for 14 wickets and is yet to play white-ball games in domestic cricket. His last series was the Logan Cup in which he played four red-ball games for Matabeleland Tuskers in January-February for 12 wickets with one five-for.”We have picked a young squad that is good enough to make us qualify and I am confident they will deliver in Kenya,” convener of selectors David Mutendera said in the release. “If you look at the direction we are taking, with the 2026 T20 World Cup and the future in mind, we have been blooding in youngsters who will definitely do the job like they did in winning single matches against Bangladesh and India in our last two series.”Raza is still there for now, but we had to start the process of building a younger team for the future.”Gwandu makes a return having last played for Zimbabwe in December 2023, against Ireland at home. After playing the domestic T20 competition for Southern Rocks in March this year, he too played for Zimbabwe Emerging, but in the African Games in Accra, Ghana, where Zimbabwe won the tournament.Zimbabwe squadSikandar Raza (capt), Faraz Akram, Brian Bennett, Ryan Burl, Trevor Gwandu, Clive Madande, Wessly Madhevere, Tinotenda Maposa, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Wellington Masakadza, Brandon Mavuta, Tashinga Musekiwa, Blessing Muzarabani, Dion Myers, Richard Ngarava

Full nominations lists for BBL and WBBL draft

See every player who has put their name forward and their availability

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Aug-2024Below is the complete list of 432 BBL and 161 WBBL nominations for the draft which will take place on September 1. In the tables you can search by name, country or availability to find players. You can also click through the pages of the BBL version, or expand the WBBL list.BBLFollowing players can be retainedAdelaide Strikers: Adam Hose, Jamie Overton, David Payne
Brisbane Heat: Paul Walter, Tom Banton
Hobart Hurricanes: Corey Anderson, Sam Hain
Melbourne Renegades: Joe Clarke, Jordan Cox, Mujeeb Ur Rahman
Melbourne Stars: Dan Lawrence, Imad Wasim, Liam Dawson, Olly Stone, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf
Perth Scorchers: Zak Crawley, Stephen Eskinazi, Laurie Evans, Tymal Mills
Sydney Sixers: Izharulhuq Naveed, Rehan Ahmed, James Vince
Sydney Thunder: Alex Hales, Zaman Khan, Tom Kohler-Cadmore

WBBLFollowing players can be retained:Adelaide Strikers: Georgia Adams, Laura Wolvaardt
Brisbane Heat: Bess Heath
Hobart Hurricanes: Shabnim Ismail, Bryony Smith
Melbourne Renegades: Eve Jones, Harmanpreet Kaur
Melbourne Stars: Alice Capsey, Sophia Dunkley
Perth Scorchers: Amy Jones, Lauren Winfield-Hill, Danni Wyatt
Sydney Sixers: Suzie Bates, Sophie Ecclestone, Jess Kerr, Chloe Tryon, Linsey Smith
Sydney Thunder: Heather Knight

Hudson-Odoi upgrade: Nottingham Forest ramp up move for "ruthless" star

Nottingham Forest have acted swiftly in the 2025 summer transfer market. With European football taking place at the City Ground for the first time this century, Nuno Espirito Santo is eyeing deals for Jair Cunha, Cuiabano, and Igor Jesus from Brazilian side Botafogo.

This certainly appears to be a wonderful piece of business for the club, especially given the success of South American talents such as Murillo and Danilo at the City Ground.

Santo won’t be resting on his laurels, however, especially with the chance to attract high-profile players this summer.

With that in mind, he will be keen to recruit smartly. As such, might the former Wolves boss be looking at someone who shone in the Championship last term?

Nottingham Forest eyeing Championship star

According to Football Insider, Forest are now looking to ramp up their interest in Norwich City winger Borja Sainz during the summer transfer window.

Porto and Athletic Club are also eyeing a move for the 24-year-old sensation, suggesting Santo has plenty of competition, after his performances in the Championship.

While signing players from Brazil and further afield appears to be the club’s philosophy, there is some value to be had from the second tier of English football.

Of course, success in the second tier doesn’t mean a player will explode in the Premier League. Sainz, however, does look like he could be a fine addition to most clubs in the top flight.

Might he even be an upgrade on Callum Hudson-Odoi?

Why Nottingham Forest must sign Borja Sainz

Hudson-Odoi played all but seven Premier League matches for Forest last term, scoring five goals and grabbing three assists in the process.

Solid, if unspectacular, numbers by the former Chelsea sensation. Could these be improved upon next season?

Comparing Hudson-Odoi and Sainz last season

League level

Hudson-Odoi

Sainz

Goals

5

18

Assists

2

4

Big chances created

3

9

Successful dribbles per game

1.2

2.4

Key passes per game

1.5

1.2

Total duels won per game

2.8

6

Last season for Norwich, Sainz netted 19 times and registered four assists across 43 matches for the Canaries in all competitions. This works out as a goal contribution every 1.8 matches.

These sorts of numbers would give Santo a major boost on the left wing, as the aforementioned statistics suggest that he has the potential to deliver even more quality than Hudson-Odoi in the final third as both a scorer and a creator of goals.

Borja Sainz for Norwich City.

Sainz also created nine big chances for his teammates last term, along with averaging 1.2 key passes per match and succeeding with an impressive 2.4 dribbles per game for the Canaries.

As such, he was dubbed “ruthless” by pundit Don Goodman, who also said: “You could see there was a really good player in him last season, despite scoring six goals and registering just two assists.

“He’s gone to another level this season, though.”

When compared to his positional peers in the second tier last term, Sainz ranked in the top 3% for both non-penalty goals (0.45) and successful take-ons (2.47), but he also ranked in the top 6% for total shots (2.94) per 90.

Another level indeed. Compare this to Hudson Odoi’s stats, and there is a clear difference. The Englishman fails to rank in the top 30% for any of the statistics listed above.

Of course, Sainz’s were recorded in the Championship, but if given the chance, he can sparkle in the top flight, no doubt about that.

Nottingham Forest now rivalling Chelsea to sign "complete" £25m midfielder

He’s a wanted man…

By
Tom Cunningham

Jun 20, 2025

He's like Grealish: Leeds are brewing as big a talent as Harry Gray

This time last year, Leeds United were full to the brim with nerves as a Championship playoff final awaited the Whites at Wembley.

Thankfully, no such heartache on the biggest stage is plaguing Daniel Farke’s men currently, with any loss to Southampton now a distant memory, considering the second-tier title was wrapped up in style this season by the West Yorkshire giants.

One downside to Leeds winning promotion could come in the form of Harry Gray’s development being hindered, with so much already anticipated of the teenager at Elland Road despite the attacker only being 16 years of age.

Gray's incredible rise at Leeds

Plenty of the hype surrounding Gray does come from his notable namesake, with his brother Archie now on the books of Tottenham Hotspur and a Europa League winner after exploding into life in the senior game with the Whites.

Farke was heavily responsible for the 19-year-old’s sudden rise in the first team, considering he gifted the versatile Spurs number 14 his first senior opportunities at Elland Road, with history now amazingly repeating itself.

Indeed, with Leeds’ promotion virtually wrapped up, the German would start to name the 16-year-old sensation amongst his substitutes, with his first official appearance for his boyhood employers coming against Stoke City last month.

With 11 goals next to his name playing for both the U18s and U21s too, this could well be the early beginnings of a future icon in West Yorkshire. After all, he has already been described as “one of England’s best prospects in his generation” by data analyst Ben Mattinson.

Gray might not be the only rising star that could soon work his way into Farke’s regular first team picture, though, with this fellow Thorp Arch product possessing the potential to be as big a talent as the much-talked-about striker if given time.

The Leeds youngster who could be as impressive as Gray

It isn’t the biggest shock in the world to see the Leeds conveyor belt continuing to churn out more and more top-drawer youngsters with the likes of Kalvin Phillips once beginning his journey with the Whites.

Sam Chambers could be the next prodigy to rise the ranks and make an impression; therefore, with the exciting 17-year-old also gaining his first meaningful senior opportunities this season when given a cameo late last year versus Plymouth Argyle in the league, alongside an FA Cup chance against Millwall in 2025.

These rare slices of senior action would follow on from Chambers thumping home this effort in pre-season action for Farke’s men, with the promising Scotman really catching the eye at a youth level for the Whites for his versatility all across the attacking positions.

Indeed, his ability to maraud down the wings or play as a number 10 has even seen his ever-improving game be compared to that of Jack Grealish and Tyler Dibling by SCOUTED editor Llew Davies, who stated that Chambers “breaks open games, beats presses, creates positive attacking situations. He’s a little bit like Grealish, Emile Smith Rowe and Dibling.”

AM

20

2

3

CM

5

1

0

CF

4

1

1

LM

3

0

0

RW

1

0

0

LW

1

0

0

RM

1

0

0

Chambers will aim to follow in both Grealish’s and Dibling’s footsteps, therefore, as the electric duo were both raw gems themselves once upon a time at Aston Villa and Southampton before their big breaks.

If he can go on to live up to these lofty comparisons, he could even be a bigger talent than Gray, with the future looking very bright at Elland Road as Premier League football returns, alongside yet another generation of stars coming through that look extremely encouraging.

Farke's next Tanaka: Leeds lining up move for "unbelievable" £10m star

Leeds United may be about to sign a star who could follow in Ao Tanaka’s footsteps at Elland Road.

1 ByEthan Lamb May 21, 2025

Liverpool make contact with £150,000-a-week star over new Anfield contract

After tying both Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah down to new deals, Liverpool are now reportedly set to offer another star man a fresh contract in the hope that he stays put.

Liverpool still trying to convince Alexander-Arnold

Although the Reds have plenty to celebrate with Van Dijk and Salah staying put before they sealed their status as Premier League champions last weekend, there still remains questions to be answered in the coming weeks. And the first on everyone’s mind will undoubtedly surround Trent Alexander-Arnold and his future at the club.

Yet to follow in his teammates’ footsteps by putting pen to paper, it seems likely at this stage that the academy graduate will be off to Real Madrid as a free agent when the summer arrives. Liverpool, however, are reportedly yet to give up hope and after Alexander-Arnold received a reminder of what Anfield glory truly feels like, perhaps they are right to hold onto that belief.

Alexander-Arnold, himself, chose to remain reserved when questioned about his future following his winning goal against Leicester City, meanwhile. He told reporters: “I have said all season that I am not going to speak on my situation. I am not going to go into the details.

“But days like today are always special. Scoring goals, playing games, winning games, winning titles — they are special moments for me and I am glad to do my part.”

Revealed: The "exciting" 9-goal winger Liverpool chiefs have enquired about

The Premier League champions could swoop in…

By
Tom Cunningham

Apr 29, 2025

With that said, the right-back isn’t the only Anfield star who has found himself at the centre of contract headlines, with one of Liverpool’s most important players now reportedly set to be offered a fresh deal in Merseyside.

Liverpool set to offer Ryan Gravenberch fresh contract

According to The Boot Room, Liverpool have now made contact with Ryan Gravenberch’s camp over a fresh deal at the club, as they look to tie down yet another one of Arne Slot’s key men.

The Dutchman, who is currently on £150,000-a-week has been a revelation under Slot, converting from a struggling midfielder to Liverpool’s unlikely solution in the No.6 role – replacing Fabinho at long last.

The Liverpool boss has rarely hidden his admiration for the former Bayern Munich star either, telling reporters earlier in the campaign after his side drew against Fulham: “Impressed, like everyone who was in the stadium or saw the game. Ryan did outstanding again today.

“Without the ball, he was mostly in our last line, had to play sometimes against a nine, against wingers who are really fast. And with the ball, he came into the midfield. An outstanding performance from him.”

With three years left on his current deal, it looks as though Liverpool are keen to ensure that Gravenberch is at the heart of their midfield for years to come and even beyond those three years.

Club hold major talks to sign £6m+ per year Man Utd player who isn't happy

Manchester United are still yet to determine their fate ahead of next season, but may now have a surprise proposal to consider at Old Trafford under Ruben Amorim, per reports.

Man Utd's transfer business hinges on Europa League outcome

Nerves are slowly starting to kick in as the Red Devils prepare for their two-legged Europa League semi-final against Athletic Club, a competition that remains their only viable route to Champions League qualification.

Ruben Amorim wasn’t dealt the best hand at Old Trafford after replacing Erik ten Hag and will be given an extended grace period to piece together a squad of his own making. Still, Manchester United have hardly been convincing on Premier League duty.

Manchester United manager RubenAmorim

Ultimately, the importance of the Portuguese boss bringing Europa League silverware back to English shores cannot be understated, especially considering the finances involved.

As a reward for such an achievement, Manchester United could launch a significant bid to sign Southampton’s Tyler Dibling to offer a new dimension between midfield and attack.

However, without the £85.8 million prize pot on offer for winning the Europa League and subsequently qualifying for the Champions League, there may be limited scope for big-money deals to take place.

6 players Manchester United should sign this summer

United are in need of a revamp in the summer.

2 ByBarney Lane Feb 4, 2025

Taking PSR regulations into account, selling one or two star assets could be a scenario the Red Devils will have to consider to ensure their books remain in check.

Manchester United could sell Rasmus Hojlund to kickstart a chain of movement in both directions, though he is unlikely to be the only one at risk of being let go to breathe new life into the club.

Now, Amorim may have another proposal to consider once the summer window opens for business, per recent developments.

Andre Onana in major talks to leave Man Utd for Saudi Arabia

According to Foot Mercato, Saudi club Neom SC have started major discussions over a move for Andre Onana and the Cameroon international is open to leaving Old Trafford for a new challenge in the Gulf region.

Earning over £6 million a year at Old Trafford, the former Inter Milan stopper is said to be ‘unsettled’ in his current surroundings, which isn’t a major surprise when taking into account his patchy form this term.

Andre Onana’s patchy Man Utd form this season – Premier League (26/04/25)

Save percentage

67.7%

Goals conceded

42

Clean sheets

9

Penalty saves

1

Pass accuracy

70.2%

High claims

21

In turn, Manchester United are close to signing Freddie Woodman on a free transfer from Preston North End to populate their goalkeeping pool of talent.

Admittedly, the former England Under-21 international is likely to be brought in to strengthen their homegrown quota, but it may be a sign of changes to come between the sticks as Amorim searches for added security.

Onana is evidently a talented stopper and has enjoyed plenty of highs alongside the lows he has experienced at Old Trafford. Still, it feels like a clean break could be best for all parties.

Does Pat Cummins have the best Test bowling figures of any captain?

And how many visiting players have played their one and only Test at Lord’s?

Steven Lynch17-Jun-2025Both No. 1 openers in the WTC final were out for ducks. How often has this happened? asked Kirsty Grosvenor from Australia

You’re right that Usman Khawaja, No. 1 on the Australian scorecard, was out for 0 (from 20 balls) on the first day of the World Test Championship final at Lord’s last week, and he was followed later in the day by South Africa’s Aiden Markram (six balls; he did rather better in the second innings).This was only the tenth time in all Tests that the batters at the top of the order for both teams were out for 0 in the first innings of the same match (only considering the man who faced the first ball). There was no such double in the first 100 years of Test cricket: the first instance was in the match between Australia and India in Melbourne in 1977, when the rival No. 1s, Sunil Gavaskar and John Dyson, both fell for 0 in the first innings.The most recent occurrence before last week was in Hobart in the final Ashes Test in 2022, when David Warner and Rory Burns both collected ducks at the top of the order. Here’s the full list, of No. 1s being out for 0 in the first innings of a match.Does Pat Cummins now have the best bowling figures by an Australian captain (or any captain!) in a Test? asked Dane Kristoffer from Australia

Pat Cummins took 6 for 28 in South Africa’s first innings in the World Test Championship final. They were the best figures by a captain in the 147 Tests at Lord’s, beating Bob Willis’ 6 for 101 for England against India in June 1982.Cummins’ figures are the fourth-best by an Australia captain in a Test, behind the 7 for 44 of Ian Johnson against West Indies in Georgetown in 1955, Allan Border’s unlikely 7 for 46 vs West Indies in Sydney in 1989, and Monty Noble’s 7 for 100 against England in Sydney in 1904.The best bowling figures by any captain in a Test match are 9 for 83, by Kapil Dev for India against West Indies in Ahmedabad in 1983. Here’s the full list of best bowling performances by Test captains.Apparently Australia had played South Africa at Lord’s in a Test before – when was this? asked Stephen Bashenga from South Africa

Last week’s World Test Championship final was indeed the second time Australia and South Africa had met in an official Test at Lord’s. The first one was in 1912, during an ambitious Triangular Test tournament that was rather spoiled by the weather. In the match between Australia and South Africa at Lord’s – the fifth of the tournament’s nine games – Charlie Kelleway and Warren Bardsley made centuries and the Australians won by ten wickets.Fionn Hand’s only Test to date came at Lord’s two years ago•AFP/Getty ImagesAustralia also played a Test against Pakistan at Lord’s in 2010, as security concerns at the time precluded playing in Pakistan. Steven Smith made his debut in that one, which means he’s played Tests at Lord’s against three different opponents, a record for an overseas player. He’s also the leading Test run-scorer among visitors to Lord’s.How many people have played their one and only Test at Lord’s? I mean visiting players – I imagine there have been lots of Englishmen… asked Matthew Rowell from South Africa

If you’re only going to play one Test match, it would be special to do it at Lord’s… and, rather to my surprise, there are currently only three overseas players who fit the bill. The first two did it for India: Lall Singh, the Malaysia-born batter (and superb fielder) who played in their inaugural Test, in 1932, and opening batter Ghulam Parkar, who made two single-figure scores in a defeat in 1982. The third man might yet play again: Fionn Hand won his only Test cap for Ireland so far at Lord’s in 2023.A total of 14 England players have won their only Test cap at Lord’s, the most recent being legspinner Matt Parkinson, who stepped in as a concussion substitute against New Zealand in 2022. For the record, the others are Stanley Christopherson (1884), Walter Mead (1899), John King (1909), Alf Dipper, Jack Durston and John Evans (all in 1921), Harry Smith (1928), Johnny Arnold (1931), Jim Parks senior (1937), Frank Smailes (1946), George Pope (1947), Alec Coxon (1948) and Simon Brown (1996).In last week’s question about players who had appeared in every edition of the IPL, did you miss out Ravi Jadeja? asked Brij Mohan Mahagaonkar from India

You worried me there – I knew that Ravindra Jadeja featured in the inaugural IPL, in 2008 – but actually he missed the third one, in 2010, after running into contractual problems. He therefore just failed to emulate MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Manish Pandey and Rohit Sharma in playing in them all so far.Jadeja is one of five players who have appeared in 17 of the 18 editions of the IPL. Three of the others featured in every season until the most recent one: Shikhar Dhawan, wicketkeeper-turned-commentator Dinesh Karthik, and another keeper, Wriddhiman Saha. The other man is Ajinkya Rahane, who did not play in 2010. R Ashwin, Piyush Chawla, Amit Mishra and Jaydev Unadkat have all appeared in 16 IPLs.Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

Usama Mir owns this glorious night in Manchester

It was a performance of ups and downs that further endears you to a cricketer

Vithushan Ehantharajah07-Aug-2023The sun shone throughout the evening in Manchester, and it’s important to put that on the record given the last few weeks here.An entire men’s Ashes was ruined by two days of rain at the end of the fourth Test, followed by a Manchester Originals home opener against London Spirit scuppered in both competitions. The blokes managed to get on for 80 balls, of which Jos Buttler thrilled for 32 of them. Ultimately, it was for nothing.Proximity to such an engaging seven weeks of England and Australia duels means the Hundred needs to thrive more than ever. Even before the parallel men’s and women’s Ashes, there was an understanding at HQ this third season had to harness the power of what was always likely to be a public-enrapturing block of international cricket. And while pockets of the country remain untouched by the harsh, bright hues of the Hundred’s colour palette, the cities exposed to this flash jamboree needed to make it count.Part of that requires attachment. And for the longest time, before the Hundred even got off the ground, you wondered how those in the stands could truly vibe with nebulous concepts. Yet as Emirates Old Trafford welcomed an eventual 11,692 for the men’s portion of this doubleheader, the parochialism from the stands hit you like grapes on Ricky Ponting.The cheers for Buttler’s boundaries were loud. The palpable disdain when replays of the direct hit run out from Moeen Ali showed Buttler might have grounded his bat over the line even louder. They chuntered when Phoenix opener Ben Duckett inadvertently got in the way of a shy at the stumps after popping one into the leg side during the third set of the chase. Moeen, cheered to the rafters here three weeks ago when gliding to a half-century in whites for his country, was jeered off after being trapped by a vicious yorker from local boy Richard Gleeson. They even booed Kane Richardson simply for being Australian.Related

Moeen Ali, England's silent warrior, gloriously walks into sunset once more

Rain frustrates Originals and Spirit after Buttler's fireworks

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Usama Mir overshadows England stars with bat and ball to lead Originals win

But it was Usama Mir, one of Originals own as of, well, a few weeks ago, that was the most evocative presence this Monday night. Most of it good, some of it bad, all of it endearing. A performance of ups and downs that further endears you to a cricketer, if it is even possible to have greater admiration for one who fizzes leg spin and smokes boundaries.Uncapped in T20s for Pakistan, and with just six appearances in ODIs, Mir essentially undertook an overseas Vitality Blast gig with Worcestershire with a view to breaking into the Hundred. A route in looked tricky given only domestic players can be Wildcard picks, but 19 wickets in 11 matches at an economy rate of 7.29 impressed Buttler enough to ratify his inclusion after Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga pulled out for the second year in succession.”We had Hasaranga down to come, and Usama Mir was playing for Worcester and doing brilliantly, so bring him in,” said Buttler at stumps, after a 49-run win had been banked thanks to the 27-year-old’s 32 off 14 and 2 for 27.It felt like Originals – and the competition more broadly – fell on their feet when Usama came out at 105 for 6 with 24 balls to go. A tournament that relies on highlight reels has another walking one, it seems.Usama Mir interacts with fans after the game•ECB/Getty ImagesThe wily Benny Howell dipped into his box of tricks and pulled out a slower, length ball he had to go fetch after it was carted over cover. Richardson was then swung over mid off before being short-arm flayed over midwicket for six two deliveries later. Even Adam Milne, who can usually get by on fear of his pace when bowling to the lower half of a batting order, was reverse-ramped twice. At times it looked like Mir had extra joints in his arms, such were the angles created and areas accessed.That feel for the game did not quite carry onto the field, at least not straight away. Will Smeed was shelled on six, after skying a pull around the corner off Josh Little, leading to Mir running back and failing to take over his shoulder. The fall to the ground, as he attempted to clasp it a second time, was comical.The second drop – Jamie Smith on 15 – was even worse, looping to him off a regulation edge after a smart cutter from Paul Walter. An error compounded by the fact Smith had carted Usama’s second and third deliveries for six. But Walter got his man with the very next delivery – caught long on. And when Mir trapped Dan Mousley lbw followed by Shadab Khan, his rival for Pakistan’s leggie allrounder spot, we knew whose day it was. Particularly given Mousley did not review his decision despite impact outside the line after the umpires had made an error in chalking off Phoenix’s review when Moeen’s unsuccessful one came back with an umpire’s call.That review was only reinstated with 25 balls to go, by which point this game was long gone with 75 runs still to get. The deficit would eventually be whittled down to 49 runs, with subdued glee from the Originals “faithful” as Phoenix were dismissed for 111. In a season primarily of rain and tight finishes, we have our second blowout.Ironically, it was one of Lancashire’s own, Liam Livingstone, who was likeliest to make this tighter than it was. It was at this corresponding fixture in the 2021 season – the first Hundred match at Emirates Old Trafford – that Livingstone was booed. This time around, the man who carried the inaugural season on his back managed just 27 off 25, before county team-mate Tom Hartley dismissed him caught-and-bowled. Those cheers carried a genuine sense of a dangerman snared, rather than a pantomime villain vanquished.Through surprise packages and familiar faces, something is brewing among the Originals. It might be that local fans are feeling this new competition. It might be that Manchester just likes its cricket. It might be that it wasn’t raining.The next fixture here is in 13 days (the derby with Northern Supercharges), immediately followed by another three days after versus Southern Brave – the last two fixtures of the group stage. By then, we will know whether Originals are in it to win. And maybe also if this local support is something real.

Stats – The many rescue acts of Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah

The pair has aggregated 771 runs in 13 ODIs whenever Bangladesh lost four or more wickets with the score yet to touch three figures

Sampath Bandarupalli29-May-202199 and 74 – Bangladesh’s scores at the fall of the fourth wicket in the first two ODIs against Sri Lanka when Mahmudullah joined Mushfiqur Rahim at the crease. Partnerships of 109 and 87 between them put the hosts in a dominant position on an ever-slowing Dhaka track. The middle-order batters could not deliver for the third time in a row, on Friday, chasing 287.Only three times has the target of 240-plus been chased down at this venue across 20 attempts in the last seven years. However, Rahim and Mahmudullah finished among the top three contributors in the unsuccessful chase, continuing their pattern of holding the fort, and pushing Bangladesh to their maiden series win over Sri Lanka in any format.Rahim-Mahmudullah to the rescueESPNcricinfo LtdThe recent series was an example of what Rahim and Mahmudullah have got used to, as they paired up 13 times in ODI cricket whenever Bangladesh lost four or more wickets with the score yet to touch three figures. They have aggregated 771 runs in such situations, only behind the 915 runs by the Indian pair of MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina. But the Bangladesh pair has a superior average and the same number of fifty-plus stands despite having made five fewer appearances.The Dhoni-Raina pair is ahead of Rahim-Mahmudullah in the list of most partnership runs for the fifth and lower wicket in ODI history. Across 51 innings, the Bangladesh duo together added 1891 runs at 41.10 per dismissal. All four century stands between them in ODIs have been for the fifth wicket, the joint-second most by any pair in the format. The pressure they often deal with might not be evident from the partnership numbers as the average score at the entry point is only 149.4 and no more than one specialist batter to follow them.ESPNcricinfo LtdThe partnership in the series opener was the third time Rahim and Mahmudullah shared a century stand when Bangladesh were four down under 100. Only two other pairs have had as many century stands in these situations – Angelo Mathews with Lahiru Thirimanne of Sri Lanka and Rahim with Shakib Al Hasan.Rahim’s big impactIn all, Rahim has been part of eight 100-run stands in ODIs whenever his team lost four or more wickets inside 100 runs on the board, behind only Dhoni, who was part of 14 such partnerships. Batting at No. 4 post the 2015 World Cup, the Bangladesh wicketkeeper has aggregated 589 runs in 16 instances whenever Bangladesh lost two wickets inside 25 runs on the board. Rahim has the clear edge ahead in terms of runs in this list but has been a consistent feature at No. 4 only from 2017.ESPNcricinfo LtdDuring this period, he scored 2275 runs in ODIs at No.4, standing only behind New Zealand’s Ross Taylor (2755). Though the average in the mentioned situations reads only 36.8, Rahim got two of his eight ODI centuries, including his career-best 144 against Sri Lanka in Asia Cup 2018, after Bangladesh lost two wickets in the very first over. No player batting at No.4 scored more in an ODI innings, coming in when the team score is 1 for 2 or worse.The silent warriorMahmudullah often stays under the radar in a line-up comprising Iqbal, Shakib, Rahim and Mashrafe Mortaza. The first-ever centurion of Bangladesh in the World Cup has got used to rescuing the team from early collapses, ever since he settled to lower middle-order (in 2017). Since the start of 2017, Mahmudullah has walked out to bat with the team’s total has been 132.8 runs at an average, which drops down to 122.8 runs whenever he turns up at No. 6.Coming to bat with four or more wickets down inside 100, Mahmudullah has scored 553 runs across 14 outings in the past four years, averaging 50.3. He played a cricial role in Bangladesh’s road to the knockouts in the Champions Trophy 2017, when he put up a 224-run stand for the fifth wicket with Shakib. In pursuit of a 266-run target against New Zealand, the chasing team lost four wickets for 33 runs, only to be rescued by the twin tons.ESPNcricinfo LtdOnly one player has scored a century during a successful ODI chase batting at No. 6 or lower, coming in with the team total lower than 33 – Jos Buttler, 110* against Australia in 2018 at Manchester when England were 27 for four. The luxury of Rahim and Mahmudullah in the middle order has made Bangladesh a team to beat in their backyard, as they have the best win record in bilateral ODIs at home since World Cup 2015.

تشكيل ريال مدريد أمام سيلتا فيجو في الدوري الإسباني.. موقف فينيسيوس

أعلن نادي ريال مدريد تشكيل الفريق لمباراته أمام سيلتا فيجو، في بطولة الدوري الإسباني موسم 2025-2026، حيث يلتقي الفريقان مساء اليوم الأحد.

ويستقبل ملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو” مباراة الفريقين، حيث يحل سيلتا فيجو ضيفًا على ريال مدريد، في مباراة بالجولة السادسة عشر للدوري الإسباني “الليجا”.

ويدخل ريال مدريد المباراة وهو في المركز الثاني بجدول ترتيب الدوري الإسباني، ويملك في رصيده 36 نقطة، ويتواجد سيلتا فيجو بالمركز الثالث عشر، ولديه 16 نقطة.

طالع موعد والقناة الناقلة لمباراة ريال مدريد وسيلتا فيجو اليوم في الدوري الإسباني.. والمعلق

وحقق برشلونة فوزًا أمام ريال بيتيس بالجولة ذاتها وتغلب على خصمه بنتيجة 5-3، ليرفع رصيده في صدارة ترتيب الليجا للنقطة 40. تشكيل ريال مدريد أمام سيلتا فيجو اليوم

حراسة المرمى: تيبو كورتوا.

خط الدفاع: فران جارسيا، ألفارو كاريراس، إيدير ميليتاو، راؤول أسينسيو.

خط الوسط: أردا جولر، تشواميني، فالفيردي.

خط وسط مهاجم: جود بيلينجهام.

خط الهجوم: كيليان مبابي، فينيسيوس جونيور.

البدلاء: لونين، سيرجيو ميستري، كامافينجا، إندريك، رودريجو، جونزالو، داني سيبايوس، إبراهيم دياز، أنطونيو روديجر، ماستانتونو، خوان مارتينيز.

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