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Stats highlights from day one of the second Australia-India Test match in Adelaide

Sampath Bandarupalli06-Dec-20243 Instances of India winning the toss, batting first, and getting bowled out for 180 or less in 2024. Only one team has been bowled out for 180 or less more often in a calendar year after electing to bat – five times by India in 1959.6 for 48 Mitchell Starc’s bowling figures in India’s first-innings are his best in Tests. It was also Starc’s maiden five-wicket haul against India in Tests, after 51 wickets in his first 19 matches against them.3 Instances of Starc taking a wicket off the first ball of a Test match. He and Pedro Collins are the only bowlers to strike with the first ball of a Test on three occasions.Starc previously dismissed Dimuth Karunaratne in the 2016 Galle Test and Rory Burns in the 2021 Brisbane Test on the first ball. He became the first bowler to take a wicket off the first ball of a day-night Test match by dismissing Yashasvi Jaiswal on Friday.ESPNcricinfo Ltd50 Wickets by Jasprit Bumrah in Tests in 2024. He is only the third India fast bowler to achieve this milestone in a calendar year, after Kapil Dev (74 in 1979 and 75 in 1983) and Zaheer Khan (51 in 2002). Bumrah is also the first fast bowler to take 50-plus wickets in a calendar year since Pat Cummins in 2019.4 Five-wicket hauls for Starc in day-night Test matches. No other bowler has taken more than two. Starc has played 13 day-night Tests so far, the joint-most by any player.53 Test wickets for Starc at the Adelaide Oval. He is the third bowler to reach the milestone of 50 at this ground, after Nathan Lyon (63) and Shane Warne (56). Starc’s bowling strike rate of 34.9 in Tests at the Adelaide Oval is the third best among the bowlers with 50-plus Test wickets at a venue.ESPNcricinfo Ltd8 of the nine dropped catches by wicketkeepers off Jasprit Bumrah’s bowling in international cricket have been by Rishabh Pant. Pant has taken 34 catches off Bumrah out of 42 chances, at a percentage of 80.95. That number goes up to 92.42 against other fast bowlers, off whom he has only dropped only ten out of 132 chances.6 Sixes by Nitish Kumar Reddy across his three innings in this series. Five of those have come against fast bowlers, the most by any Indian in Tests in Australia. Zaheer, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane and Pant have hit three each.

Has the ship already sailed? Will it ever happen for Federico Chiesa at Liverpool?

The forgotten man last season, the Italian winger has again been rather luckless this time around, having been unable to use the Mohamed Salah situation to his benefit this week.

Indeed, even with the Egyptian having been left out for the trip to San Siro, Chiesa could not pounce on that potential opening in the right-wing berth, having been forced to miss the meeting with Inter Milan through illness.

Almost halfway through his second season at Anfield, the ex-Juventus man – signed for a bargain £13m fee – remains bound to the periphery, featuring for just 29 times across all competitions in total.

Notable moments, like his crucial ‘winner’ against Bournemouth on the opening day, have seen the 28-year-old secure cult hero status on Merseyside, although the jury is out on whether he can truly emerge from the shadows.

Latest on Federico Chiesa's future

In truth, the Reds claimed Premier League glory last term without the impact of any new signing, with Chiesa – the only senior addition that summer – having been restricted to just six league outings all season.

Games

6

10

Starts

1

0

Goals

0

2

Assists

0

1

Big chances missed

1

1

Big chances created

0

1

Key passes*

0.3

0.1

Pass accuracy*

93%

74%

Successful dribbles*

0

0.1

Possession lost*

2.2

3.7

Frequently overlooked by Slot in 2024/25, even increased influence this time around has not altered his standing in the attacking pecking order, with all of his ten top-flight appearances coming from the bench.

The man who intervened to deny Wilson Isidor from securing a potential winner for Sunderland not too long ago, there is a will for Chiesa to do well, not least with options not exactly brimming on the flanks.

That being said, Slot – such is his neglect of the one-time Fiorentina star – appears to have other ideas, such has been the winger’s limited game time, with a January exit still being mooted according to recent reports.

As reported by The Athletic, the Euro 2020 hero is said to have a ‘number of admirers’ with the winter window now looming, albeit with it said to pose a potential ‘risk’ if Liverpool do let him depart, considering their relatively small pool of attacking alternatives.

That said, Chiesa himself may wish to push for a move, should his standing not improve, with reports last month suggesting that his agent was in talks over a possible switch, amid hopes of forcing his way back into Italy’s plans ahead of the World Cup qualifiers in March.

A desire to depart would be no surprise considering his lack of use over the last 18 months, with Liverpool perhaps left to reflect on the wisdom of signing off on such a deal.

That said, Chiesa isn’t alone in that department…

Liverpool's pointless signing belongs in the Rodgers era

As harsh as it may be, the minimal impact of Chiesa would force anyone to come to the conclusion that he has been an almost pointless signing, with Slot showcasing little appetite to hand a regular role to the albeit injury-hit forward.

Chalkboard

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

Rightly or wrongly, ‘pointless’ may be the word that springs to mind at present regarding this summer’s marquee signing, Alexander Isak, with the misfiring Swede again looking off the pace against Inter.

Hooked on the 68-minute mark, having made just 25 touches and registered just a solitary shot, the ex-Newcastle United man was again largely a bystander to proceedings at San Siro, with the excuse of his lack of pre-season now beginning to wear thin.

With just two goals in all competitions for his new side, following that controversial, club-record switch from St James’ Park, the 26-year-old has already entered disaster signing territory, with Slot and co in need of a drastic improvement heading into 2026.

There is also a sense that, while depth is needed, was this a move that FSG truly needed to make, considering they had already plucked Newcastle target Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt?

While Isak has toiled, the young Frenchman has dazzled, scoring eight times already from just 22 appearances, rubberstamping the belief that he should be the starting striker.

As for Liverpool’s actual number nine, Isak looks like following in the footsteps of the notable transfer misfires of the Brendan Rodgers era, echoing the post-Luis Suarez world that saw the likes of Rickie Lambert, Mario Balotelli and Christian Benteke all flatter to deceive at Anfield.

The summer of 2014, in the wake of Rodgers’ near miss with regard to the title, was particularly egregious, with that centre-forward pairing of Lambert and Balotelli ultimately scoring just seven times between them during their forgettable, brief stays on Merseyside.

Perhaps a better comparison lies with Benteke though, signed a year later, with the Belgian – like Isak at Newcastle – looking prolific in the Premier League at Aston Villa, having scored 49 goals in 101 games for the Midlands side.

Just ten in 42 would follow under Rodgers and Jurgen Klopp.

It might be too soon to write Isak off just yet, and throw him in with that trio of disastrous Rodgers signings, although on current evidence, he is looking like the Benteke of 2015.

Hopefully Ekitike can prove to be the Roberto Firmino…

Fewer touches than Alisson & only 10 passes: Liverpool flop must be dropped

Liverpool returned to winning ways in Italy but it wasn’t all positive for Arne Slot.

1 ByMatt Dawson 2 days ago

Rashid picked up his sixth five-for in ODIs after Zadran’s 95 helped Afghanistan to 190

Mohammad Isam11-Oct-2025Afghanistan completed their third successive ODI series win against Bangladesh, all in the last three years, as they defended a modest 190 in the second ODI in Abu Dhabi. It was the lowest first-innings total at the Zayed Cricket Stadium but in response, Bangladesh folded for a mere 109.Just like the first ODI, the Azmatullah Omarzai and Rashid Khan combination wrecked Bangladesh. Omarzai took three early wickets before Rashid’s 5 for 17 blew away the Bangladesh middle and lower order. It was his sixth five-wicket haul in ODIs.Afghanistan’s series win is a comeback after their early exit from the Asia Cup and the 3-0 loss in the T20I series against Bangladesh. Even though they dropped a few experienced players for the series, they had plenty of top performers in the side.Ibrahim Zadran’s 95 was an invaluable contribution, especially when the rest of their batters couldn’t muster up enough runs. Omarzai failed with the bat but showed his worth by contributing with the ball. He did the early damage by having Tanzid Hasan caught at fine leg when the left-hand opener top-edged in the first over. Najmul Hossain Shanto was next to go, run out trying to complete a second run.Saif Hassan once again threw away a good start. He made 22 off 23 balls but having hit Omarzai for a four and a six of the previous two balls, he went for the uppercut and was pouched by Bashir Ahmad at the deep third. Omarzai’s third wicket was Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who was trapped lbw for 4.Ibrahim Zadran top-scored with 95 off 140 balls•Afghanistan Cricket Board

Towhid Hridoy offered a semblance of hope before playing a needless slog sweep against Rashid to be bowled in the 17th over. He made 24 with four boundaries, but the dismissal betrayed his earlier approach. Nurul Hasan played the same shot in the 23rd over and missed the googly. He, too, was bowled.Next ball, Rashid had Tanzim Hasan Sakib lbw. Rishad Hossain used the review to deny Rashid the hat-trick after he too was ruled out lbw. Jaker Ali fell in the following over as Bangladesh lost three wickets without adding a run. Tanvir Islam fell for a duck, lbw to Rashid, before Rishad was stumped in the 28th over.Earlier, Zadran held Afghanistan’s innings together after they decided to bat. He made 95 off 140 balls with only four boundaries while wickets kept tumbling at the other end. He started with a straight six off Mehidy before hitting two more fours within the first 13 overs. His only other boundary came in the 30th over but his strike rotation kept Afghanistan going for most of the innings. He fell in the 44th over when Mehidy had him caught at deep midwicket.Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Sediqullah Atal paid for their aggression, falling inside the first nine overs. Rahmat Shah’s calf injury, too, disrupted Afghanistan. Hashmatullah Shahidi and Omarzai also fell cheaply, and in quick succession, to leave Afghanistan at 79 4.Mohammad Nabi and Nangeyalia Kharote offered a bit of support to Zadran before No. 10 AM Ghazanfar, whose 22 consisted of two fours and a six, helped the side get closer to 200.

Manchester City are expected to be active in the market over the near future and could now beat rivals Manchester United to sign a teenage sensation who has excelled at the Under-17 World Cup.

Pep Guardiola will hope his side can strike up a bid to claim the Premier League title this season. However, they suffered a setback on the road to potential glory after falling to a defeat against Newcastle United on Saturday evening.

Harvey Barnes’ double cancelled out Ruben Dias’ equaliser at St James’ Park, albeit the Citizens were off colour in front of goal and were made to rue their missed chances, something Guardiola pointed out when speaking after the match.

He said: “Newcastle is a top side, top players, top manager, so unfortunately tonight we could not make the momentum that we had. It was an entertaining game, we both had chances, and then there was a momentum shift, and ultimately we couldn’t win.”

Ultimately, there is plenty of football still to be played and twists will occur before the Premier League title race starts to take a clear course. Still, Manchester City are now sitting adrift of Arsenal and Chelsea, which is something that needs to give over the next few weeks.

Man City’s upcoming fixtures – all competitions

Bayer Leverkusen (H)

Champions League

Leeds United (H)

Premier League

Fulham (A)

Premier League

Sunderland (H)

Premier League

Real Madrid (A)

Champions League

Nico O’Reilly’s emergence into the Citizens’ first-team and Matheus Nunes slotting in at right-back show that solutions are there to be stumbled upon for Guardiola, though you get the feeling January will be an important month to conclude meaningful business.

While bringing in senior players will be the priority, there may also be a focus on acquiring stars of the future at the Etihad Stadium amid recent developments.

Man City keen to sign Under-17 World Cup star Mohamed Zongo

According to Africa Foot, Man City are keen to sign Tenakourou Academy star Mohamed Zongo, who is also on the radar of Manchester United, Villarreal and Anderlecht after giving an excellent account of himself at the Under-17 World Cup.

On the biggest stage within his age group, the 15-year-old registered two goals and three assists from an attacking midfield role, and the Citizens have now initiated talks alongside the trio mentioned.

Labelled “magic” by Under-23 football scout Antonio Mango, he may become the next exciting gem in a long line at Manchester City, though no club has reached an agreement after his exploits at the youth World Cup.

Either way, beating Manchester United to his signature would be a signal of intent by Manchester City as they build for the future at the Etihad Stadium.

Man City & Pep now keen on Real Madrid star with Erling Haaland swap possible

Precocious 42-ball century breaks London’s spirit to book place in Sunday’s final at Lord’s

Valkerie Baynes30-Aug-2025Northern Superchargers 214 for 5 (Perrin 101, Litchfield 35, Carey 31*) beat London Spirit 172 for 9 (Redmayne 50*, Knott 40, Ballinger 3-22, Sutherland 3-40) by 42 runsJust one delivery stood between 18-year-old Davina Perrin and a personal piece of history, but that became a mere detail when her astonishing 42-ball century powered Northern Superchargers to a record total and into Sunday’s Hundred final against Southern Brave at Lord’s.Perrin fell just short of Harry Brook’s 41-ball record for the fastest century in the competition, but her precocious efforts were more than enough to settle Saturday’s Eliminator against London Spirit at The Kia Oval, as Superchargers won by a thumping 42 runs.”One ball? Damn,” was Perrin’s response to Sky Sports immediately after the Superchargers’ innings ended on 214 for 5, the highest total of the women’s Hundred competition to date. “I’d better hit the gym so I can send those sixes a bit further.”But this was not a moment to dwell what her remarkable innings was not. This is what the women’s Hundred is about, unearthing a star of the future in a show that had first-time viewers and loyal fans transfixed.Perrin usurped the only other century in the history of the women’s competition, scored by Tammy Beaumont off 52 balls in 2023. Ending on 101 off 43, Perrin propelled Superchargers well beyond the previous team best of 181 for 3, set up for Welsh Fire by that Beaumont ton. And Perrin played the leading hand in knocking defending champions London Spirit out of the tournament.Perrin was part of the Birmingham Phoenix squads in 2022 and 2023 without playing a game, before moving to Superchargers last season, scoring 33 runs across four matches. Her previous innings of note this year had been an unbeaten 72 in her second match of the campaign as Superchargers defeated Trent Rockets by eight wickets in Nottingham.Her latest knock was impeccable. Perrin reached fifty off just 25 balls, including three sixes, over deep square leg, over long-off and then long-on all in the space of 13 deliveries.Perrin dominated a 105-run opening stand•ECB/Getty Images

She clubbed Eva Gray for a second six in one set of five – Perrin’s fourth of five in all – brilliantly over long-on again to leave Spirit in no doubt that hers was the wicket they needed. But she looked unstoppable when she cleared the boundary once more with an 82-metre slog over deep midwicket off Charli Knott.When Alice Davidson-Richards was run out attempting a second run, it ended a 49-ball opening stand worth 105.With the fastest century in the competition in sight, Perrin pulled Sarah Glenn to deep midwicket, the ball landing millimetres short of hitting the boundary cushion on the full, and she followed up immediately with another four cut expertly through backward point.Phoebe Litchfield chimed in with six, four, four off Dean as she built a handy 35 in 19 balls.While extra cover denied Perrin a run off the 41st ball she faced, that did nothing to dampen her celebrations off Gray’s next ball, as a superb late cut for four brought up her century.And she couldn’t remove the smile from her face as she strode off the field amid warm handshakes from her opponents and a standing ovation from the crowd when she was run out off a deflection from bowler Knott, after Annabel Sutherland had driven hard back down the pitch.”It felt pretty brilliant,” Perrin said. “It’s not every day you get to find yourself in that state of flow and in the zone. I’m not thinking a lot when I’m in a state of mind like that. I’m typically looking at taking every ball as it comes.”There was a time when the keeper turned to me and went, ‘Have you thought about your hundred yet?’ and I was like, ‘What, as in the competition?’ Then I was like, ‘Oh no, the hundred.’ That was the first time I glanced up at my score and I thought, ‘Ooh, this is going alright actually.'”Perrin’s innings took her into fourth place on this year’s run-scorers’ list with 243, behind only former Australia captain Meg Lanning, current Australia regular Litchfield, and England skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt.Grace Harris, now sixth on that list after an explosive start to the tournament, had a day to forget. Her only set of five, the last of Superchargers’ innings, went for 22 runs as Nicola Carey powered her way to an unbeaten 31 off just 12 balls.Harris was then bowled for a second-ball duck as Grace Ballinger put an early dent in Spirit’s response with the first of her 3 for 22 in 20 balls. Ballinger followed with the wicket of Dani Gibson, bookending Kate Cross’s dismissal of Kira Chathli as Spirit slumped to 12 for 3 after 12 deliveries.Knott offered a fighting 40 off just 16, which included a 63-run stand for the fourth wicket with Cordelia Griffith, who was caught by Davidson-Richards to give Sutherland the first of her three wickets, and Georgia Redmayne raised an unbeaten 50 off 29. But Perrin had long since broken London’s spirit.

Joao Neves' claims the Lyon players 'forgot' to mark him as the 19-year-old Portuguese midfielder cinched a header to drive Paris Saint-Germain to a 3-2 win in stoppage time, sealing his side’s return to the top of Ligue 1. But the win came amid chaos, with Nicolas Tagliafico’s red card moments earlier leaving Lyon furious and reigniting debate over refereeing consistency in France.

PSG edge Lyon in fiery five-goal thriller

PSG reclaimed the Ligue 1 top spot with a thrilling 3-2 victory over Lyon, but it was far from straightforward. Luis Enrique’s side dominated possession and looked in control early on, with Warren Zaire-Emery opening the scoring. Lyon fought back valiantly as Afonso Moreira levelled before Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s strike restored PSG’s advantage. Ainsley Maitland-Niles then unleashed a thunderbolt from distance to make it 2-2, setting up a dramatic finale.

It was Neves who ultimately stole the show. Rising unmarked in stoppage time, the midfielder met Vitinha’s corner with perfect timing, nodding home the decisive goal.

Enrique praised both Neves and the team’s resilience, saying afterwards: “He has high ambitions. Every player on our team is important, especially if they can score. I hope to have many players back soon so we can finally have a normal training session. Since the start of the season, nothing has been normal.”

Neves, still smiling after the match, reflected on his unlikely match-winner with a touch of humour, saying that defenders had “forgotten about him” in the box. He admitted it had been a tough, high-paced battle but stressed that what mattered most was the victory.

AdvertisementAFPNeves jokes that Lyon defenders didn't expect him to score header

After the game, Neves reflected on his goal with maturity and humour. Asked about his goal, the 21-year-old said: "Because I'm small, they forgot about me. For me, heading the ball is a strong point. It was difficult, a very complicated game for us. I think we still have things to improve, but we won and that's the most important thing. It was an important game, high-paced, with tough duels. We were prepared, we did almost everything well, but there are things to improve."

The Portuguese midfielder has just returned from a left hamstring injury that sidelined him through October. However, he wasted no time reasserting himself in PSG’s midfield. Since returning to full fitness, he's now scored four goals in six Ligue 1 appearances, including key strikes against Bayern Munich and now Lyon. Beyond numbers, Neves’ control and composure have given PSG’s engine room a renewed sense of balance, proving vital amid the team’s injury woes.

Tagliafico’s red card sparks outrage from Lyon

Lyon’s heartbreak was compounded by controversy. Just moments before Neves' winner, Lyon left-back Tagliafico was shown a straight red card for a reckless tackle on Vitinha during a PSG attack. The decision infuriated Lyon’s bench, who argued it was excessively harsh and changed the outcome of the game.

Assistant coach Jorge Maciel vented his frustration: “There’s a real problem with consistency in the refereeing. Everyone saw the fouls we suffered; there were no cards. Then we lose a player for one challenge. It’s incomprehensible.”

Corentin Tolisso echoed the sentiment, saying: “It’s infuriating to lose like that. We played a good match, but refereeing needs to improve, there are mistakes every weekend.”

Lyon head scout Matthieu Louis-Jean went even further, calling referee Benoit Bastien’s performance “a disaster,” insisting that crucial calls “consistently favoured PSG.” Lyon’s players left the pitch furious, feeling robbed of a hard-earned result in a game that had showcased their fighting spirit.

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Getty Images SportInjuries, fatigue and the road ahead for PSG

Despite the win, Enrique’s challenges are far from over. PSG’s squad has been ravaged by injuries – Achraf Hakimi is out with ankle sprain and is ruled out long-term, Ousmane Dembele is facing calf strain, Nuno Mendes out with knee sprain, and Desire Doue is in rehabilitation and will remain sidelined. Their absences have disrupted rhythm and preparation, as Enrique admitted: “Since the start of the season, nothing has been normal. It’s difficult to prepare like this.”

However, adversity has opened the door for PSG’s younger talents. Senny Mayulu and Kang In Lee have impressed in extended roles, bringing energy and creativity to a side adapting on the fly. Winger Ibrahim Mbaye also registered his 10th appearance of the season for PSG coming off the bench in the Lyon game.

The upcoming international break offers a welcome pause before the French side heads towards a difficult schedule with matches against Le Havre and Rennes in the league and Tottenham in the Champions League. 

Liam Scott made his maiden first-class century and Jake Lehmann also made a ton as South Australia dominate Tasmania

AAP06-Dec-2025Liam Scott had the finest day of his cricket career, scoring a maiden first-class century and helping South Australia to a commanding position over Tasmania.After team-mate Jake Lehmann also made a ton, Scott plundered 147 as the home side surged to 426 and a first-innings lead of 231 at Adelaide Oval.Tasmania then went to stumps at 73 for 3 in reply, still trailing by 158 runs at the end of day two after being all out for 195 on Friday.A win would be vital for South Australia, who entered this round in fourth spot on the ladder, just behind Tasmania.And their dominance was best summed up by Scott’s innings, with the bowling allrounder having shown talent with the bat since his debut in 2019-20.The 24-year-old fired from the moment he arrived at the crease, attacking Billy Stanlake and cutting him for five separate boundaries. He also took to the spinners, bringing up his century and pumping the air in joy after one of two slog-sweeps that went for six off Ruwantha Kellepotha.Another six came when he used his feet and hit Nivethan Radhakrishnan back down the ground, before he later took Jackson Bird and Gabe Bell over the legside boundary.Scott’s innings came with Lloyd Pope (36) offering support in a 76-run ninth-wicket stand that completely took the game away from Tasmania.It came after Lehmann reached his second century of the summer, continuing on a late-career resurgence that began at the end of last season.He reached 100 from 96 deliveries, before being bowled next ball when chopping onto his own stumps off Brad Hope.After being put to the sword in the field Tasmania then slumped to 42 for 3 early in their second innings, with Jordan Buckingham removing both Radhakrishnan and Hope.

“Had the call gone our way, there was every chance the outcome of the match could have been different,” Fahima Khatun said

S Sudarshanan07-Oct-2025

Shorna Akter’s catching attempt wasn’t deemed good enough•Getty Images

Third umpire Gayathri Venugopalan’s decision to reprieve Heather Knight against Bangladesh came under the scanner after England escaped to a four-wicket win in their women’s World Cup 2025 match in Guwahati.In the 15th over of England’s chase of 179, Knight chipped legspinner Fahima Khatun to the covers, where Shorna Akter dived to her right and seemed to have taken a low catch. Knight started walking, but the on-field umpires referred it to the TV umpire, who felt that the fielder did not have her fingers under the ball and ruled it not out. Knight was on 13 at that point. She went on to finish unbeaten on 79 off 111 balls, taking her side home with 23 balls to spare.”At first look, I thought it was out,” Knight said after the match. “I thought it carried and thought it was a fair catch and walked off. But the TV umpire decided otherwise. I certainly had a bit of luck today. But probably with the year I have had, I deserved a little bit of luck. I tried to ride it and really make it count.”Related

TV umpiring slip-ups come under the scanner at Women's World Cup

Shining Knight sweeps in to rescue England

Knight scraps to help England overcome Bangladesh scare

The tricky bit about these non-dismissals was that the TV umpire gave her ruling while saying the replays available to her were “inconclusive”. In the first instance, of the caught behind, an on-field decision of out was overturned on “inconclusive” evidence, which might have gone against Bangladesh. In case of the “catch” in the covers, too, replays seemed to suggest that the fielder had her fingers under the ball, but the on-field umpires hadn’t really given the batter out to start with.But so convinced was Knight of the legality of the catch that she had reached the boundary line before walking all the way back.Fahima, who finished with 3 for 16 from her ten overs, certainly felt the catch-that-wasn’t affected the final result.”It was a disappointing decision for us,” she said. “Every player in our team felt it was a clear dismissal. The decision was overturned after being given out, which was disappointing. We all know how crucial that wicket was. Had the call gone our way, there was every chance the outcome of the match could have been different.”This was one of the three reprieves for Knight, who was batting for the first time in international cricket since her return from a hamstring injury. She was ruled out caught behind on the first ball she faced. But a review saved her, after replays showed that Marufa Akter’s inswinging delivery had missed her inside edge and brushed the front pad instead. The impact, as it turned out to be, was well outside the line of off too. Then, in the seventh over, she was given lbw but used the DRS successfully once again. Ball-tracking showed that this time, the ball would have bounced over the stumps.”It was the first time I was out three times in an innings and had them overturned, that’s for sure,” Knight said. “It was a case of refocusing. I knew I didn’t hit the ball, and it was tricky conditions as well. It was swinging quite a lot, [which] can make it tricky for the umpires as well. But that’s the joy of DRS, isn’t it? It’s great to have that in place.”

New Zealand legend on novelty of coaching England’s men and trying to dismiss them in same summer

Matt Roller18-Aug-2025Tim Southee grinned as his team-mates engulfed him. After two-and-a-half months in England training gear in his role as bowling coach – or, officially, “specialist skills consultant” – he was back in playing kit for Birmingham Phoenix. More pertinently, he had just cleaned up Trent Rockets’ Joe Root with the first ball he had bowled to him, which crashed into his leg stump.It was a wicket that epitomised cricket’s gig economy. Southee, 36, retired from Test cricket after New Zealand’s home series against England last year and is still working out his next steps. He spent the start of the year at the ILT20 in the UAE, and is now juggling franchise contracts with his first steps into coaching in an arrangement he describes as “the best of both worlds”.It led to the unusual sight of Southee bowling long spells in the nets to England’s batters during their recent series against India to prepare himself physically. “A few opportunities presented themselves in the nets, especially the day before a game where bowlers don’t bowl a lot,” he explains. “I had to get through some overs at some stage, having not played since January.”Related

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Southee joins England set-up as 'special skills consultant'

Southee: 'It's exciting. It's sad … but life moves on'

The Hundred has been a challenge for him, with three expensive wickets in five appearances compared to 14 cheap ones in nine games last season. But he has enjoyed the “Kiwi flavour” at Phoenix, with head coach Daniel Vettori recruiting Southee’s long-term new-ball partner Trent Boult for the 2025 season, joining Adam Milne in an all-New Zealand fast-bowling attack.As the Hundred started, New Zealand’s next generation of fast bowlers were spearheading a dominant 2-0 Test series win in Zimbabwe, and Southee has helped to oversee a similar transition with England’s seamers in the world after James Anderson and Stuart Broad. Their depth and resilience was tested in the 2-2 draw with India, but Southee was impressed.”There’s a lot to be excited about,” he says. “You’ve got to also realise that the guys like Brydon Carse, Gus Atkinson and Josh Tongue, they’re very new to Test cricket still. Someone like Brydon Carse feels like he’s played a lot of cricket – he has, across three formats in the last 12 months – but he’s still very, very new, very raw in his Test career.”Gus Atkinson has achieved so much in his first 10 [13] Test matches: a 10-for, a hundred, a hat-trick… Josh Tongue as well, you see how exciting he is when he gets it right: he’s got pace, bounce, skills. Combine that with the way that Ben Stokes is bowling… and throw in the likes of Mark Wood, Jofra Archer. It’s pretty hard not to get excited about that group of bowlers.”He was particularly impressed by Carse’s gruntwork, believing he bowled much better than a series haul of nine wickets at 60.88 might suggest. “He didn’t have a lot of success on some pretty tough surfaces… But [I loved] the way that he kept coming, his attitude towards it, his ability to reach 90mph at his peak but also operate in a pretty skilful way.”Southee believes that the dramatic final day of the series at The Oval will make England “a little bit hungrier” when they return to Test cricket in three months’ time: “It was a disappointing way to finish, but there’s still plenty of good things to take out of the series.” Does he believe they have the resources to take 20 wickets regularly in the Ashes this winter? “Yeah, I certainly do.”Southee and Brendon McCullum played together in 170 internationals for New Zealand•Mike Egerton/PA Images via Getty ImagesClearly, Stokes’ recovery from his latest injury – a torn shoulder muscle – will be a key determinant. “He put a lot of hard work in to get himself back for such a big series… The more he does it, the more he believes in his body and knows that he can do extraordinary things… For him to have an impact with the ball is massive for the side. Hopefully, that can continue.”Incredibly, after a Test career spanning 17 years, this was the longest series that Southee had been involved in. “We looked forward to three-match series,” he recalls. “A lot of them were two-match series… It was awesome to experience. This is the first time I’ve been part of a five-match series, and I loved every second of it.”Southee’s role was primarily the result of a long-standing relationship with Brendon McCullum, his long-term New Zealand captain and now England’s coach. His short-term contract expired after the fifth Test at The Oval but he is “working through” the prospect of renewing down the line: “There’s a couple of leagues I’m still playing in, but this is an opportunity that I’ve loved.”He has been a long way from his home in Hamilton. His family visited for four weeks during the India series – “to escape the winter back home and enjoy what’s been a lovely summer over here” – but he has spent much of the summer racking up hotel loyalty points. “I’m used to living out of a suitcase. That’s nothing too new to me.”Southee is unlikely to be involved in England’s Ashes staff – he is due to return to the ILT20, which clashes – but has caught the coaching bug. “It’s probably come a little bit quicker than I would’ve expected… It’s a game I love and a game that has given me so much. If I’m able to give back and help other people enjoy the game as much as I did, then hopefully there’s that opportunity there.”But more immediately, he has another head-to-head with Root to worry about next week. “Sharing a dressing room with the English guys, and getting to know them, makes playing against them slightly different… He’s such a great player: any time you get him out, it’s always a nice feeling. Nothing’s been said backwards and forwards. We’ll wait for the rematch.”

Kieron Pollard and Nicholas Pooran’s whirlwind half-centuries helped Trinbago Knight Riders extend their dominance at the top of the points table with a 12-run win against St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in Tarouba on Monday.Sent in, Knight Riders found themselves in early trouble, reduced to 27 for 2 in the fifth over and then 78 for 3 in the 11th. But Pollard and Pooran launched a massive counterattack, adding 90 runs in 8.1 overs to take them to 179 for 6. Patriots started the chase strongly, but soon withered away with seamer Nathan Edward picking up 3 for 30 in 3.2 overs and Mohammad Amir returning 2 for 29.