Brave’s elder stateswoman hopes to bow out on a high, just as 18-year-old challenger comes of age

Valkerie Baynes31-Aug-2025Sophie Devine has kept very few secrets about where she’s at.A month before New Zealand launched their ultimately victorious campaign at last year’s T20 World Cup, Devine – who turns 36 on Monday – announced she would step down as their captain at the end of the tournament.In June, Devine revealed that the upcoming 50-over World Cup would comprise the last ODIs of her career.Then she goes and produces a body of allround work across this year’s Hundred that has twisted all that clarity about a player in the twilight of her career out of shape, to lead an undefeated Southern Brave directly into Sunday’s Final at Lord’s.”I wish I would’ve done it at the start of my career,” Devine says with typical dry, self-deprecating humour.Speaking on a call set up by KP Snacks, who are celebrating the achievement of installing over 100 grass root community pitches in England and Wales, Devine continued: “I’m just really enjoying my time down at the Southern Brave.”I’m just really enjoying my time and contributing. That’s the biggest thing for me, especially, I guess, at this phase of my career, it’s about passing on my knowledge and helping out whoever I can.”The fact that we’ve managed to get a fair few wins on the board is nice, but we all know that it doesn’t really mean too much unless you bring the trophy home at the end, so there’s still a lot to go.”Davina Perrin celebrates her 42-ball century•Philip Brown/Getty ImagesFortunately for New Zealand – and for cricket – Devine plans to keep playing T20Is and franchise cricket for “probably how long people can handle me and put up with me”.There’s that humour again from a player who has earned the right to call the shots on her career in her own time.With 12 wickets at 14.08 and an economy rate of 6.54, she is the third-highest wicket-taker in the Hundred women’s competition. Her 3 for 15 against Northern Superchargers was one of four Player-of-the-Match performances in the space of five games for Devine. Brave team-mate and England seamer Lauren Bell is the leading wicket-taker with 19 at 7.47 and an economy of 5.35.Devine scored an unbeaten 41 off 42 balls at No. 4 against Trent Rockets in the other game during that stretch. While that remains the best of her eight innings so far with an average of 28.40 and strike rate of 109.23, having an even bigger impact with the bat in the final would ice an outstanding tournament for her.So it was with beautiful symmetry that, in the Eliminator at the Kia Oval on Saturday, the 18-year-old Davina Perrin announced she was coming for Devine and her Brave team-mates with the second-fastest century across the history of the men’s and women’s competitions.Perrin tees off during her matchwinning innings•Philip Brown/Getty ImagesPerrin’s 42-ball ton was just one ball short of Harry Brook’s record, set in 2023, and propelled Northern Superchargers into the title decider via an emphatic 42-run win over last year’s champions, London Spirit.Her 101 runs led Superchargers to 214 for 5, the highest total in the women’s competition to date – there has been just one total higher in the men’s – and ultimately sealed a second final for her team.Superchargers lost to Southern Brave in the final of the 2023 women’s competition after Brave had been runners-up to Oval Invincibles in the first two editions.Beyond a “bloody belter of a deck” at The Oval on Saturday, Perrin credited a lap round the outfield on match eve with Lisa Keightley, the former England Women’s head coach now guiding Superchargers, and a net session with assistant Liam Simpson for the best innings of her young career. Chiefly it was their advice to “puff your chest out, take the helmet off, let it flow” that was on her mind as she struck five sixes and 15 fours in a remarkable show of power and poise.”For me, I’ve got to back that up, for the team, we’ve got to back that up tomorrow,” Perrin said. “We’ve got a big game coming up and that’s where our minds are at now.Related

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“Whatever’s happened today, we take the token of confidence but we also park it, we move on. New game, new ground, new conditions, different team. We’re going to take whatever’s thrown at us… I guess I have made some sort of impact but a bigger impact will be the job that we do tomorrow.”Perrin’s knock impressed all who saw it, including London Spirit wicketkeeper Georgia Redmayne, who had tried to get in the youngster’s head by drawing her attention to her looming century, before scoring an unbeaten fifty in a losing cause herself.”She didn’t get too distracted,” Redmayne said. “It was very impressive and I’m excited to see how she goes in the future. It’s going to be tough for her to back it up tomorrow but I’d love to see some more striking like that in the future… hopefully not against us!”But in terms of potentially catching the eye of England Women’s head coach Charlotte Edwards, Perrin was happy to let her “bat do the talking”.”I just look to go out there and have fun,” Perrin said. “I don’t think about the rest of the stuff, that’s just noise. It’s all noise and the only noise I’m listening to when I’m batting is the sound of the ball flying off the bat – when it’s a good day!” KP Snacks, the Official Team Partner of The Hundred, are celebrating the installation of over 100 new community cricket pitches across England and Wales. To find out more and search for your nearest pitch, visit: www.everyonein.co.uk/pitchfinder

All the key numbers as a masterclass performance from Root enabled the home side to haul in a 300-plus target

Sampath Bandarupalli02-Jun-20257082 Runs scored by Joe Root in his ODI career. He is the first batter to aggregate 7000-plus runs for England in the format. Root became their leading run-scorer on Sunday, surpassing Eoin Morgan’s tally of 6957 runs.166* Root’s score in the chase on Sunday is his highest in the format. It is the second-highest score for England in an ODI chase, behind Jason Roy’s 180 against Australia in 2018.Root’s 166* is overall the fifth-highest individual score for England in men’s ODIs and their highest against West Indies.ESPNcricinfo Ltd6 Number of hundreds by Root in the 300-plus target chases in ODIs, the second-most by any batter, behind Virat Kohli’s nine. Four of those six tons by Root came in successful chases.9 Total hundreds for Root in ODIs in England, the most by any batter, going past Marcus Trescothick, who had eight.5 Centuries for Root in ODIs against West Indies, the joint second-most by any batter, behind Kohli’s nine hundreds. Root also went past 1000 runs against West Indies in ODIs on Sunday, the first batter with the milestone for England.15 Number of successful 300-plus chases for England in ODIs, the second-most by any team, going ahead of Australia (14) and only behind India (19).143 Partnership between Root and Will Jacks, the second-highest for the sixth wicket for England in ODIs, behind the 150 by Michael Vaughan and Geraint Jones against Zimbabwe in 2004.176 Runs that England needed in the second ODI after the fall of their fifth wicket. These are the most target runs that England have successfully chased in a men’s ODI after losing their fifth wicket. The previous highest was 167 runs against Pakistan in Birmingham in 2021, where they chased down 332 from 165 for 5.3 Hundreds for Keacy Carty in his last four ODI innings. Only Desmond Haynes (in 1984), Phil Simmons (in 1992) and Chris Gayle (in 2002 and 2008) had scored three centuries in the space of four ODI innings for West Indies before him.269 Total runs scored by Carty and Root while batting at No. 3 in Cardiff, the fourth-highest aggregate by the No. 3s in a men’s ODI. The highest is 339 by Ricky Ponting (164) and Herschelle Gibbs (175) at Johannesburg in 2006.

Left out, written off, then crowned Player of the Final in a tournament Shafali Verma wasn’t even meant to play. If that’s not destiny, what is?

Sruthi Ravindranath03-Nov-20258:05

‘What dream? We’re living it’

If there’s one place where destiny writes its most dramatic scripts, it’s the sports field. For Shafali Verma, the story unfolded on one of the most historic days in Indian cricket.It wasn’t supposed to be Shafali’s tournament. She wasn’t part of the 15-member World Cup squad, and she didn’t even make the reserves. For a player whose name has been synonymous with fearless strokeplay, her omission raised eyebrows when the squad was announced.Yet, in Navi Mumbai on Sunday, fate had other plans for her. Shafali had made the tournament hers. She finished as India’s highest scorer in the final and, remarkably, also picked up two wickets – the same Shafali who had bowled just six times in her 31-match ODI career – earning the Player-of-the-Match award and cementing her place in World Cup lore.Related

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For those who have followed her journey since she burst on to the scene at 15 as India’s youngest T20I debutant, this felt like fate merely catching up. The same confidence, the same audacity and the same ability to bend a game before anyone realised it. But this innings showed something more: a new calm beneath the aggression, a maturity that didn’t need much recklessness to dominate. And it arrived, fittingly, on the biggest stage.After being left out of the white-ball squads last year, Shafali had returned to domestic cricket, searching for the rhythm that once made her India’s most feared opener. She fought her way back into the T20I side but not ODIs. Then came the bittersweet twist.An untimely injury to Pratika Rawal opened a door for her return to the ODI squad. It was right before the World Cup semi-final. “I think it’s all destiny, I really believe in that. We didn’t want her to feel that she [Shafali] came in under an injury cloud,” Harmanpreet Kaur said at the press conference after the final. Shafali played the semi-final without much impact but on Sunday, she turned it around.When Shafali walked out to bat, she was unmistakably herself – a brisk jog to the crease, a look around the field, a slight adjustment of the helmet, that familiar swagger. The first few strokes carried intent and authority: coming down the track to slice, drive and flick boundaries that sent South Africa’s fielders sprinting to the rope. After a crisp cover drive, she strolled down to Smriti Mandhana, shaking her head with a smile that probably meant “we’ve got this”.Shafali Verma hit seven fours and two sixes•AFP/Getty ImagesWhen the field spread after the powerplay, Shafali miscued one playing across the line and Mandhana gestured towards her, seemingly urging patience. For a moment, it seemed the young opener would heed the advice. There was a period where she did not hit a single boundary for 20 balls.But could Shafali really be contained for long?Waiting and watching had never quite been her thing.When Nadine de Klerk returned to bowl, Shafali advanced down the pitch and lifted her straight back over the head for six. She held the pose – a picture of audacious control – as she walked down the pitch, eyes following the trajectory of the ball. The Navi Mumbai crowd roared twice as loud for her as for anyone else that night. Many had perhaps only heard tales of her boldness; now, they were seeing it in front of them.It wasn’t a century, but her 87 – scored at better than a-run-a-ball – was pure Shafali. It powered India to 298 and set the tone for what would happen.Then came the twist no one saw coming. In the 21st over of South Africa’s chase, with Laura Wolvaardt in full flow and Sune Luus finding rhythm, Harmanpreet threw the ball to Shafali. India’s spinners had toiled without much success. But the gamble didn’t just come out of instinct, it was part of a plan, as Harmanpreet later revealed.Shafali had been bowling regularly in domestic cricket. She has eight wickets in seven games in the 2024-25 Senior Women’s One-Day Trophy, another eight in six innings in the recent domestic T20 Trophy, both tournaments where she also finished as the top run-getter. But this was a World Cup final.Shafali Verma celebrates with her captain after delivering a breakthrough•ICC/Getty ImagesHer first delivery was a 95kph dart, and the next, a teasing 84.2kph offbreak. Luus, looking to work it fine, ended up chipping it straight back. Shafali was smiling even before the ball settled in her hands. The stadium erupted, and soon, chants of “Sha-fa-li, Sha-fa-li” echoed throughout.In her next over, she produced one that spun back into Marizanne Kapp, who edged to the keeper. The breakthrough shifted momentum in India’s favour – the crowd roared, the team surged, and once again, Shafali was at the heart of it all, revelling in the moment.”When Shafali joined the team, we were missing the overs from Pratika,” Harmanpreet said. “So, when Shafali came in, we saw that she was bowling a lot of overs in domestic cricket. So, [Amol Muzumdar, head coach] sir and I spoke to her about it, and she [Shafali] said, ‘Sir, I’m ready for ten overs.’ That shows how confident she was to bowl.”Today, when that partnership started in the middle, suddenly I got the thought that I should give Shafali a try to see what happens. It was a gut feeling. I thought it could be risky too, but at the same time, I was positive because she had shown confidence when we spoke to her. I didn’t want to go back to the room later thinking, ‘Why didn’t I try?’ because they were looking good. And when I gave her that over and she got back-to-back breakthroughs, that was the turning point for us.”Shafali Verma was the Player of the Final after not being in the original squad•ICC/Getty ImagesIt was a night that defied any script. A match-winning knock, a game-changing spell, and a Player-of-the-Final performance in a tournament she wasn’t even meant to play. If that’s not destiny, what is?What remains to be seen is where Shafali will fit into India’s ODI plans once Rawal returns from injury. Will it be at the top of the order, or a more flexible role, or someone who contributes more frequently with the ball? In all of this, one thing is certain: Shafali has stamped her authority, and India will have to find a way to fit her in without disrupting the cohesion that carried them to the trophy.During the victory lap, Shafali trailed just behind her captain, grinning, waving to the crowd that refused to leave. When her turn came to hold the trophy, she lifted it as though it had been waiting for her all along.Her World Cup call-up wasn’t planned. Her performance in the final wasn’t planned. Even India’s title wasn’t planned with her in mind. But she wasn’t just a late replacement who rose to the occasion. She was, in every sense, destiny’s child, summoned when the team needed her most and crowned on a night India will never forget.

Playing international cricket after two months, Hardik batted as if he had never been away and also chipped in with the ball

Deivarayan Muthu10-Dec-20251:28

Why did it feel like Hardik batted on a different pitch?

Abhishek Sharma crumpled to the floor after an inducker from Marco Jansen stopped on him and smacked him on his midriff. Tilak Varma swished and missed. Both Shubman Gill and Suryakumar Yadav popped up catches to infielders without any timing.The dampness and slowness in the Cuttack surface made every India batter look silly except Hardik Pandya. On a difficult pitch where even South Africa’s batters struggled later in the evening, Hardik conquered the conditions and proved to be the difference-maker, clattering an unbeaten 59 off 28 balls, with four sixes. The entire South African batting line-up failed to top his tally of sixes, though the conditions seemingly turned friendlier for batting in the chase.Hardik had been away from international cricket for over two months with a quadricep injury. However, he batted as if he had never been away. He started with two no-look sixes in his first four balls and never looked back.Related

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Hardik has turned six-hitting into an art where he hardly ever mis-hits, and times the ball beautifully with the stillest of heads and smoothest of bat-swings. Even on this damp pitch. Against both spin and pace. Dale Steyn, who was doing commentary, said he was “frightened for his life.”Anrich Nortje may have experienced a similar feeling when Hardik charged at him and brutally belted a 149kph delivery straight past him. Then when Nortje banged one into the deck at a similar rapid pace, Hardik coolly ramped it over deep third for six more. It was his 100th T20I six – he became the fourth Indian to the landmark in men’s T20Is after Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar and Virat Kohli.”I mean, I had to back my shots,” Hardik said after winning the Player-of-the-Match award. “At the same point of time, I realised that the wicket had a bit of spice. I had to be a little bit gutsy and it was more about timing the ball and not trying to break the ball. Yeah, I was very satisfied with the way I was batting.”Hardik Pandya celebrates his fifty•Getty ImagesWhen Hardik had walked out to bat at 78 for 4 in the 12th over, India were staring at a below-par total. He somehow made a bad situation better for India by carrying them to 175 for 6. Then, with the ball, he turned a great situation even greater by having David Miller nicking behind off the inside edge for 1. South Africa eventually folded for 74, their lowest T20I total.The presence of a fit Hardik opens up endless possibilities for India. He could slot in anywhere in the middle order and ensure batting depth all the way down to No. 8. With the ball, he allows India to have six genuine bowling options, including three attacking ones – on Tuesday, it was Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh and Varun Chakravarthy. On drier pitches, Kuldeep could come in place of Arshdeep and Hardik could take the new ball. Since the start of 2024, India have won 26 of their 29 T20Is outright with Hardik in the side. Without him, India have nine wins, two losses and two ties.”As a cricketer, I don’t think I have ever been fussy about what roles I have in the game,” he said. “I’ve always been very motivated all the time to make sure that it does not matter what Hardik Pandya wants; it matters what India wants. And whenever I get opportunities, I come and try to do my best.

“I realised that the wicket had a bit of spice. I had to be a little bit gutsy and it was more about timing the ball and not trying to break the ball”

“Some days are good, some days are not. But at the same point of time, it’s the mindset which helps me. And I think it’s been [the same way] throughout my cricketing career. I’ve always tried to put my team first, the nation first and whichever team I have played for. I think that’s my biggest USP and that’s what has always helped me.”Hardik’s absence leaves India scrambling for balance, though there’s no dearth of white-ball talent in the country. For example, in the 2023 ODI World Cup, an ankle injury to Hardik messed with India’s combination. They had to make two changes with Suryakumar coming in as a batter and Mohammed Shami replacing Shardul Thakur. India were forced to compromise on batting depth, with Shami slotting in at No. 8. It didn’t work out for them in the end.It didn’t work out for India more recently this October when they were shot out for 125 in Hardik’s absence in the Melbourne T20I.Tuesday’s game in Cuttack reminded everyone that everything works out for India when Hardik is fit and that they are unbeatable when he is both fit and firing.

Jewell, Came make half-centuries, but Olly Stone goes wicketless at start of loan spell

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay08-Sep-2025Toby Roland-Jones led Middlesex’s fightback with his best Rothesay County Championship bowling figures of the season after promotion rivals Derbyshire had threatened to dominate with the bat on the opening day at Lord’s.Caleb Jewell and Harry Came both hit half-centuries as they forged a century partnership to give the visitors a strong platform at 124 for one before Roland-Jones struck back with four wickets in the space of 27 balls.The former Middlesex captain eventually finished with six for 77, while Ryan Higgins and Zafar Gohar shared the other four wickets evenly as Derbyshire, who began the day with a 24-point gap to second-placed Glamorgan, were bowled out for 283.In reply, Middlesex openers Sam Robson and Josh de Caires trimmed that deficit slightly prior to stumps, reaching 12 without loss.The Seaxes’ pace attack included two red-ball debutants in the shape of Olly Stone, signed on a short-term loan from Nottinghamshire, and 18-year-old Sebastian Morgan – yet there were slim pickings for either when the visitors won the toss and chose to bat on a benign surface.Higgins achieved the solitary breakthrough of the morning session, pinning Luis Reece in front of his stumps with a ball that nipped back down the slope, but Jewell and Came batted through to lunch largely untroubled.The Australian was quick to punish anything loose outside off stump, dispatching an early short ball from Roland-Jones to the cover fence before handing the same treatment to a Stone half-volley.Came settled in following an uncertain start, when Stone beat his outside edge a couple of times and began to take advantage of the short boundary on one side, keeping pace with his partner.It was Jewell who reached his half-century first, nudging a single from the opening ball of the afternoon session, while Came’s arrival at that landmark was more eye-catching as he pulled Stone into the Mound Stand for six.The pair extended their partnership to 105 before it was eventually broken by Higgins, returning for a second stint from the Nursery End and knocking back the left-hander’s off stump for 56.Derbyshire skipper Wayne Madsen, marking his 500th overall appearance in the county’s colours, was soon up and running with two quick fours off Higgins, but his side’s momentum was stemmed by a destructive spell from Roland-Jones.Came was first to go, caught behind off an inside edge for 64 and Brooke Guest was castled having misjudged the line before Roland-Jones got another delivery to rear back and trap former Middlesex man Martin Andersson leg before.Roland-Jones claimed the prize wicket of Madsen in identical fashion to leave Derbyshire apparently wilting at 177 for six, only for Anuj Dal and Zak Chappell to mount a recovery with their stand of 48.Dal eventually departed on the stroke of tea, succumbing to a thin edge off Gohar and the spinner also picked up the wicket of Chappell, but Ben Aitchison’s watchful 36 secured his side a batting bonus point.However, Roland-Jones wrapped up the innings by having both Aitchison and Jack Morley caught behind with the new ball and Middlesex successfully negotiated the day’s remaining seven overs without alarm.

Over the summer, Ange Postecoglou was relieved of his duties as manager of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club.

He had promised supporters that season three is always the best. Alas, Spurs fans swiftly saw him exit the club, replaced by Thomas Frank.

While Postecoglou had guided the Lilywhites to the Europa League, thus engineering plenty of credit in the bank, they did ultimately finish 17th in the Premier League.

A major trophy was won but their league form was inexcusable. The same could now be said of Spurs under Frank.

Things started off rosy but they have unravelled in recent months. It’s all beginning to become rather Ange, isn’t it? The lack of ability to create goal-scoring opportunities and play attractive football is not rubbing off well on supporters.

Spurs could replace Frank already

As of 30th November 2025, the Dane has only been in charge of Spurs for 171 days. Yet, after a matter of months, Frank is already feeling the heat.

A week ago, the north Londoners put in a drab performance against rivals Arsenal, conceding four in the process. A few days later, while they did look more threatening in attack, they shipped five against European champions PSG.

A defeat against two of the continent’s very best is hardly a surprise, but their 2-1 loss to Fulham only rubbed further salt in the wounds.

This has been a terrible week for Tottenham and it’s hardly a surprise that Fabio Paratici and Co have been told to earmark possible replacements.

Manager Focus

Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast’s Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.

According to reports in Spain, one name to have emerged on the club’s shortlist is former Barcelona player and manager, Xavi.

While the Spaniard is also on the radar of Manchester United, it’s thought that the Spurs board are considering making a change in the dugout if things have not improved by the end of December. In that eventuality, they will look to speak with Xavi about the job.

It’s stated that Spurs and United see Xavi as ‘an ideal coach to lead a new phase’, largely thanks to the fact that he has ‘modern ideas’ and ‘believes in young players’.

Why Xavi would be perfect for Spurs

Spurs have been there and done it before with a big-name manager. Antonio Conte’s spell ended in tears, as did Jose Mourinho’s. He steered them to a League Cup final at Wembley but was remarkably sacked on the eve of that big game.

As a result, caution must be heeded here. Is Xavi really the best port of call? Fears that another Conte or Mourinho situation could play out are understandable.

Yet, the fact of the matter is that Spurs have tried everything now. The relatively untested route of Postecoglou did end with a trophy but his spell was incredibly topsy-turvy. They’ve also been there and done it with a Premier League-proven manager. Nuno Santo ended poorly and the Frank regime is hardly going well, is it?

It’s rather sad. Frank is a nice man. He’s likeable. The first few months saw something of a revival too. Postecoglou’s defence was a total mess but the former Brentford manager had sorted that out.

Across Tottenham’s first seven games under Frank’s stewardship, they kept five clean sheets. There was better organisation and defensively they were far more resolute. Job done, right? The biggest problem under Ange was fixed. Think again.

The honeymoon period is now over. Spurs have won just one of their last seven games in all competitions. Across that time, they have shipped 15 goals. It’s far from ideal.

Wins

5

1

Draws

1

1

Defeats

1

5

Goals scored

14

11

Goals conceded

3

15

Data excludes European Super Cup

So, why would Xavi represent an upgrade? Well, in the words of Barcelona president, Joan Laporta, the former midfielder is “the best manager in the world.”

Whether or not you agree with that sentiment, the experience he boasts is extraordinary. As a player, he won the World Cup, two European Championships, eight LaLiga titles and four Champions Leagues.

As a manager, he navigated Barca through choppy waters. Under financial pressure, the Spanish giants still won LaLiga and while they did spend big on the likes of Raphinha and Ferran Torres, a lot of the work done in the transfer market was bringing in players on a free transfer.

Xavi was also the boss who gave a certain Lamine Yamal his debut aged 15. He also handed a first-team debut to Fermin Lopez, now a regular in the Barca team and to centre-half Pau Cubarsi.

Speaking about the Spanish manager’s philosophy, Arsene Wenger once said: “Personally, I like Xavi, and I give him credit for having the courage to bring these young players on board. That’s the difficult thing. He believed in them and gave them a chance to play. It’s true that he didn’t win the league last season, but he did win it the season before that. So I think he did a good job.”

The fact of the matter is that the Spaniard trusts young players and this couldn’t be more perfect for a Spurs squad boasting some of the finest young talent around. Take the likes of Lucas Bergvall, Archie Gray, Luka Vuskovic and Luca Williams-Barnett as prime examples. The 45-year-old could be game-changing for players like that.

Born and bred in La Masia, it’s hardly a surprise that Xavi also favours attractive and possession-based football. Frank, on the other hand, does not.

Sure, Spurs were more organised during the opening months of the Frank regime but as manager of Tottenham, the fans expect to see exciting football too.

While the Londoners have enjoyed 53.8% of the ball this season, the sixth-best tally in the division, they have struggled big time with their creativity. Their 9.5 shots per game is the third-lowest tally in the entire Premier League. Only Wolves and Burnley are below them. Remarkably, they are also registering no through balls per game. No other team is worse in that regard.

As a consequence, they sit 16th in the league for expected goals, with a record of 14.33 xG.

To put some of those numbers into context, when Xavi won the league with Barca in 2022/23, they enjoyed the most possession in the league (64.8%), and had the second highest volume of shots per game (15.1).

While Xavi had a better team in his armoury, he is clearly a better tactical coach and the fact that he’s won some of football’s biggest honours puts him on a pedestal far above Frank.

He’s played under the likes of Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique, he’s certainly been able to learn a thing or two. Spurs would certainly be better off should they seal the remarkable capture of Xavi heading into 2026.

As bad as Vicario: Frank must finally bin 5/10 Spurs flop after Fulham

Tottenham were condemned to a third defeat in six days as they were overcome by Fulham’s early flurry.

ByAngus Sinclair Nov 30, 2025

Mitch Killeen bowls outstanding opening spell to take 3 for 15 from 10 overs and restrict Spitfires

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay10-Aug-2025Emilio Gay hit a brilliant century as Durham coasted to a seven-wicket win over the Kent Spitfires in the Metro Bank One Day Cup at Beckenham.Gay carried his bat to finish on 119, from 110 balls, including a six and 12 fours, alongside Colin Ackermann who was unbeaten on 38 at the end.Earlier, Mitch Killeen bowled an outstanding opening spell to take 3 for 15 from 10 overs as Kent were held to 238 for 8. Ben Compton made 55 before Jack Leaning hit 68 from 50 to give the hosts something to defend, but it never looked like being enough and the visitors won with 10.4 to spare.Kent chose to bat on an oppressively hot day at the New County Ground, but struggled to cope with a stifling display in the field by Durham.Although Killeen missed a caught-and-bowled chance off Jaydn Denly off the seventh ball of the innings, he failed to cash in and was caught at mid-on by Scott Borthwick in Killen’s next over for six.Joey Evison was his next victim, caught by George Drissell at point for a duck and Chris Benjamin went in almost identical fashion in Killeen’s next over for 1.At 25 for 3 in the eighth over Kent had little choice other than to drop anchor for a while, but it might have been worse for the Spitfires, as the former Kent all-rounder Ollie Robinson fumbled the chance to run out Harry Finch when he and Compton were stranded in the middle.They put on 60 for the fourth before Finch, who took 71 balls to make 28, was out cutting Paul Coughlin straight to Borthwick, and Compton was then bowled by Will Rhodes.It took the hosts 41 overs to get to 150. As soon as they did Ekansh Singh hit Rhodes back over his head for six, but he tried to repeat the trick two balls later and was caught by Codi Yusuf for 45.Mohammed Rizvi made an enterprising 17 from 14 but was bowled middle stump by Luke Robinson and Durham were into the tail.Fred Klaassen hit Rhodes straight to Drissell for a duck but Leaning’s late pyrotechnics, including a six that was dropped onto the rope in the final over, and a single taken when Borthwick dropped him off the final ball, at least made the target seem challenging.Not for long, however. Durham got off to a rapid start, with Ollie Robinson racing to 26 before he chopped on to Fred Klaassen. Gay and Rhodes put on 98 for the second wicket before the latter was lbw to Parkinson for 32.David Bedingham went in the same fashion for 8 but Ackermann was on three when he skied Parkinson and Ekansh couldn’t take a simple catch.By the time Gay took two from Parkinson to reach three figures any tension had evaporated and he fittingly he the winning run when he scrambled a single of Evison.

South Africa’s run-scoring success in Bangladesh didn’t just happen; it has been in the making and is getting to where it needs to

Firdose Moonda01-Nov-2024A willingness to be brave when batting in unfamiliar conditions underpinned South Africa’s run-scoring success in Bangladesh, in the opinion of Test coach Shukri Conrad.”Teams go to the sub[continent] better prepared and they are less fearful because they have found different ways of skinning the cat here, either through a power game or through an upskilling,” Conrad said after South Africa swept the Test series 2-0 in Bangladesh. “Guys don’t come here in a defensive mindset anymore. They actually look at scoring options rather than trusting their defence, as was the old adage.”For the first time since 2016, South Africa had more than two centurions on an away tour and they finished this series with four, three of them first-time centurions. They also topped 300 in both first innings and posted their third-highest total in Asia with their 575 for 6 declared in Chattogram. All that is a result of clearer plans and more confident players, who don’t carry the ghosts of tours past.Related

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Only one of the playing XI across both matches, Aiden Markram, had been involved in a Test in Asia before this tour, which meant South Africa went in with a distinct lack of experience. That they did not even play a tour match in Bangladesh only added to the newness of the occasion, but Conrad explained that they chose to prepare at home, because they felt they would have more control over conditions.Although South Africa could not exactly replicate a Mirpur or Chattogram pitch, Conrad said they “created extreme conditions in Pretoria”, which had benefitted them more than playing an opposition side on a surface that might not have resembled the Test pitches at all. And then they worked on their mindset. “We kept talking around the mentality that we want this group to have and for them to back what they’ve got and to show their character in everything they do. We want to create an environment where it is okay to make mistakes.”Read that again and there are sprinkles of Bazball in it: a willingness to be more attacking than usual, a focus on proactiveness, an acceptance that trying these may not work. Where South Africa are different to England is that they have so much more to lose. They play far fewer Tests than England, especially in this cycle where they are on a reduced schedule as they prioritised the SA20, and so every match is a must-win. That means they can’t be quite as carefree in their batting approach. But because there is pressure to get results, they also can’t be as conservative as teams of old.

“We’re almost coming into a bit of a sweet spot now. That’s probably the most important part, that Shukri [Conrad, the red-ball coach] is picking the right characters. That’s what you’re seeing – because of that character, there’s a freedom to express yourself when you play”Kagiso Rabada

Perhaps the best illustration of that is their scoring rate in Chattogram: 3.98 runs per over in their only innings. There were times, such as early on when Markram and Tony de Zorzi enjoyed batting against the new ball and, later, as Wiaan Mulder and Senuran Muthusamy rushed to the declaration, that South Africa were scoring at close to or more than five an over. But there were also times when the run rate dipped to under three, boundaries dried up, and they had to bide their time. A final analysis of a shave under four runs an over is not slow enough to cause stagnation and quick enough to keep things moving.The changes in the pace of the scoring is something that has been noticed and appreciated by their bowlers. “The guys are being more open as to scoring and you can see there’s a whole lot of scoring options,” Kagiso Rabada said. “And those scoring options are being executed well.”Rabada, who has played Test cricket for nine years and had not been part of a South Africa team to win a series in the subcontinent until now, has also seen a change in the batters’ belief, which he traces back to last summer. “There is a confidence because of the performances that the guys have put in. I was actually very impressed when India came to South Africa. That’s when it really struck me,” he said. “The wickets were spicy. But you had guys like Beddders [David Bedingham] and Tony de Zorzi, they put their hands up in that series and conditions were tough to bat.”Shukri Conrad: “We want to create an environment where it is okay to make mistakes”•Cricket South AfricaDe Zorzi also identified the India series – which was drawn 1-1 – as a turning point for the way South Africa’s line-up approached their game. He was in his second series and contributed just 28 runs in the first Test and three in the second, but spent an hour and 48 minutes in the middle at SuperSport Park fending off the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj. By the time, Bedingham, on debut, came out to bat, there was something to build on. He scored a half-century. Of course, it cannot be ignored that South Africa’s win in that Test was a result of the now-retired Dean Elgar’s 185, but from what the current players are saying, they learnt something from batting around him and against a quality attack. Since that match – and the New Zealand series which South Africa went to with an under-strength side – South Africa have only been bowled out for under 200 once in seven innings. Consider that they went through a period in 2022 where they were dismissed for under 200 for seven successive innings, and it’s a good way of picking up the difference.For Rabada, the batting turnaround also completes a transition phase that has lasted throughout his career. “We went through a transition phase when all the GOATs retired,” he said, referring to the period between 2012 and 2023, when South Africa had a big-name retirement every year. It started with Mark Boucher, Jacques Kallis and Graeme Smith between 2012 and 2014, and moved to AB de Villiers, Faf du Plessis, Hashim Amla and Elgar in the last three years. Throw in names like Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Vernon Philander and you can see how much ground South Africa have had to cover in moving from some of the best the game has ever seen to a new group.Tony de Zorzi and Tristan Stubbs were among three first-time century-makers in Chattogram•AFP/Getty Images”We’re almost coming into a bit of a sweet spot now,” Rabada said. “That’s probably the most important part, that Shukri is picking the right characters. That’s what you’re seeing – because of that character, there’s a freedom to express yourself when you play.”Maybe the most important thing in reading between the lines is that South Africa are a happier and more cohesive team than they have been in several years. That could be thanks to a more stable governing body, it could be because they have dealt with a messy past through the Social Justice and Nation Building hearings. Or it could just be the way generations change.”We play for each other. And the main thing is the badge. Because you’re only here for a limited amount of time. So we respect each other. Everyone’s allowed to be who they are,” Rabada said. “But then we also draw the line on what we agree upon in terms of playing and how we want to conduct ourselves as a team. But everyone is trusted in doing what they do. And there is a real camaraderie.”I mean, it’s not like we hold each other’s hands everywhere we go but we’re together. We’re together and we’re willing to take anything on. We win as a team, we lose as a team, and everyone is buying in.”