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A round-up of the reactions on Twitter to Ben Stokes being given out obstructing the field

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Sep-2015

Usually I hate to be a fence-sitter but I really do think you can make a good argument either way on that obstructing call #engvaus

— Brydon Coverdale (@brydoncoverdale) September 5, 2015

Think what went against Stokes was that he moved his hand to bring it in line. Umpire had to decide if deliberate or in defence. Tough call

— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) September 5, 2015

The more you look at the Stokes dismissal, the more out it looks. No way of knowing intent, you have to judge the action, the movement.

— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) September 5, 2015

Third umpire should have been shown that in real speed. Difficult to determine it was wilfully done, as per the Laws

— Jonathan Agnew (@Aggerscricket) September 5, 2015

In real time would Stokes really have had time to think about deflecting ball from the stumps? Stand by for bowlers hurling ball at batsmen

— Jonathan Agnew (@Aggerscricket) September 5, 2015

Only shocking thing re Stokes' dismissal is that he didn't cling on to it..!

— mark butcher (@markbutcher72) September 5, 2015

Fielders believe they have been denied a run out, batsman avoiding being hurt!!Both have valid points! Who'd be an Umpire ????

— Mark Stoneman (@mark23stone) September 5, 2015

Replays don't really confirm whether Stokes was protecting himself or his stumps. So it's just a matter of opinion.

— Lawrence Booth (@the_topspin) September 5, 2015

Still at least Stokes wasnt out in as silly a way as last time he was batting at Lords… #engvaus

— Innocent Bystander (@InnoBystander) September 5, 2015

Hand ball and penalty. #ENGvAUS

— Iain O'Brien (@iainobrien) September 5, 2015

Common sense would tell you @benstokes38 was taking evasive action & was not obstructing the field. Smith should have withdrawn the appeal

— Alec Stewart (@StewieCricket) September 5, 2015

MCC may have just crossed off one name from their possible list of speakers at next years Spirit of Cricket Cowdrey Lecture!!

— Alec Stewart (@StewieCricket) September 5, 2015

Something poetic about the laws being enforced – correctly – at the home of said laws, and the fury of the crowd within. #EngvAus #Stokes

— Izzy Westbury (@izzywestbury) September 5, 2015

This whole stokes starc brouhaha was worth it just for that Merv Hughes reaction! #ENGvAUS

— Gaurav Kalra (@gauravkalra75) September 5, 2015

I've just seen #BenStokes dismissal there is no doubt he should of been given out.The ball was feet away from his face.

— Paul Nixon (@Paulnico199) September 5, 2015

That moment not good for what has been a hard fought summer of cricket. Had time to think about it and should have withdrawn his appeal.

— Ashley Giles (@Gilo) September 5, 2015

Mishra and Bishnoi also played their part in strangling Sunrisers on a slow, low Ekana surface

Hemant Brar07-Apr-2023On a slow, low and dying black-soil surface at the Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow Super Giants’ spinners starved Sunrisers Hyderabad of runs to set up a five-wicket win.After winning the toss, Aiden Markram opted to bat but his side could post only 121 for 8. Super Giants were without Mark Wood (flu) and Avesh Khan (injured) but Krunal Pandya, Ravi Bishnoi and Amit Mishra ensured their absence wasn’t felt. The trio picked up 6 for 57 in their combined 12 overs, with Krunal inflicting the most damage with the wickets of Mayank Agarwal, Anmolpreet Singh and Markram.KL Rahul and Kyle Mayers kicked off the chase by adding 35 in 4.3 overs. Mayers and Deepak Hooda fell in back-to-back overs but Krunal hit a 23-ball 34 to kill the game. When Nicholas Pooran hit the winning six, Super Giants still had four overs left.KL Rahul top-scored for Super Giants with 35•BCCI

Impact Player strategy

Sunrisers started with three overseas players – Markram, Harry Brook and Adil Rashid – giving themselves the option to use either Heinrich Klaasen in case of a collapse, or one of Marco Jansen or Fazalhaq Farooqi to beef up their bowling in the second half. At 55 for 4 after nine overs, it looked like they would have to bring in Klaasen. He was padded up in the dugout but Sunrisers didn’t lose another wicket until the 18th over. Eventually, Farooqi replaced Rahul Tripathi at the start of the chase.Super Giants followed a more straightforward route, swapping Mishra with Ayush Badoni after the 19th over of the first innings.

Krunal’s three-for dents Sunrisers

Just after two overs of seam, it was clear that this pitch was tailormade for spinners. Rahul duly brought Krunal on in the third over, and the left-arm spinner had Mayank Agarwal chipping one to extra-cover. Anmolpreet Singh and Rahul Tripathi took some time to get used to the slowness of the surface, and then hit four fours in eight balls to take the side to 43 for 1 at the end of the powerplay.Krunal, though, dragged them back by dismissing Anmolpreet and Markram off successive balls. Anmolpreet was trapped lbw by a quicker one and Markram done in by turn. Playing his first game of the season, Markram looked to drive a full ball only to get beaten and have his off stump uprooted.In the next over, the ninth of the innings, Bishnoi set Brook up nicely. After bowling two googlies, he anticipated Brook’s advance down the track and slipped in a wide legbreak. Brook did exactly what the bowler anticipated, ended up nowhere near the pitch of the ball, and was stumped by some distance.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Sunrisers struggle to break away

While Tripathi and Washington Sundar ensured Sunrisers didn’t lose another wicket for the next seven overs, the scoreboard moved at a glacial pace – just two boundaries came from overs 7 to 16. Tripathi tried to ramp Yash Thakur in the 18th over but failed to clear Mishra, who dived full-length to his left at short third to take the catch. Mishra picked up two himself in the next over, tossing the ball up to Washington and Rashid and having them caught down the ground. Only Abdul Samad’s unbeaten 21 off 10, which included two sixes off Jaydev Unadkat in the 20th over, took Sunrisers past a run a ball.

Rahul, Krunal boss the chase

With Quinton de Kock available, there was some intrigue over whether he or Mayers would open the innings alongside Rahul. But Super Giants stuck with the same batting line-up, leaving de Kock out to the surprise of many. And even if Mayers couldn’t repeat his heroics of the previous two games, he and Rahul gave the side a breezy start.Farooqi had Mayers pulling one straight to deep square leg in the fifth over, and from the other end, Bhuvneshwar Kumar took a low, one-handed return catch to his left to send Hooda back. But Super Giants had the advantage of knowing their target.Krunal joined Rahul at the end of the powerplay, and without taking much risk, the pair picked up a boundary in each of the next five overs. Krunal was the aggressor during the third-wicket stand of 55 in 6.2 overs, scoring at a strike rate of 147.82. Super Giants reached 100 in the 13th over before Krunal nicked Umran Malik behind. Rashid then had Rahul and Romario Shepherd lbw off successive deliveries, but the result was a formality by then.

Newcastle United earned a last-gasp point against Premier League leaders Liverpool on Wednesday night. It was a hectic game, which ebbed and flowed with both sides leading at different stages. However, the Magpies managed to get themselves a crucial late point at full-time.

It was the Magpies who took the lead, thanks to a thumping strike from Alexander Isak. The Swedish attacker picked up the ball midway inside the Reds half, carrying it forward and firing an effort past Caoimhin Kelleher.

The visitors hit back five minutes into the second half, with England international Curtis Jones dragging his side level, teed up by Mohamed Salah.

Newcastle retook the lead just 12 minutes later, thanks to an Anthony Gordon strike, but that did not last long. Unsurprisingly, it was Salah who thought he had won the game for Arne Slot’s side, scoring in the 68th and 83rd minute, both of which were set up by the ever-creative Trent Alexander-Arnold.

However, all was not lost for the Magpies, who managed to claw things back in the dying moments and equalise through Fabian Schar. It was a satisfying result against a high-flying Liverpool side, but the Magpies might be frustrated they didn’t earn all three points given they led twice. There were certainly some standout players in Eddie Howe’s side.

Newcastle’s best players vs. Liverpool

One of the standout players on the night for the Magpies was undoubtedly Isak. He got a goal and an assist, providing Gordon with Newcastle’s second of the night. It was a vintage performance from the Sweden international.

He received a commendable 9/10 rating from Shield Gazette journalist Dominic Scurr. The journalist described Isak’s performance as ‘outstanding’, noting he was a ‘real creative force’ on the night. It was certainly an impressive showing.

Gordon also excelled and was a constant threat to the Liverpool backline all night long. The England international had some eye-catching stats at full-time on Sofascore. He completed three from five dribbles and created three chances, as well as making a nuisance of himself without the ball. The attacker won nine out of 13 ground duels.

Schar was another player who stood out against the Premier League leaders. Not only was his last-minute goal important, but he made some vital defensive contributions. Scurr gave him a 7/10 for his efforts, praising the fact he ‘kept things tight at the back’ for the Magpies.

It was certainly not a perfect showing from every player in Howe’s side, however, with Schar’s late goal bailing out a few teammates, including winger Jacob Murphy.

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

Murphy’s stats vs. Liverpool

29-year-old winger Murphy had a tough night at the office against Slot’s men. Not only did he miss a couple of big chances, but the London-born star was sloppy for Liverpool’s second goal, losing the ball cheaply in the build-up.

Indeed, his chance that rattled the woodwork in the first 45 minutes was a golden opportunity to give the North East outfit the lead. Murphy was played in over the top of the Liverpool defence by Isak, but although his shot went past the outstretched hand of Kelleher, it could only clip the post.

The 29-year-old’s disappointing stats from the game show just how tough of a night it was against the Reds. He was sloppy on the ball, completing just 64% of his passes and losing possession 12 times. Murphy also won just one duel from five attempted.

Murphy received a disappointing 6/10 rating from Scurr, who was slightly critical of the fact he ‘gave the ball away cheaply’ in the lead-up to the visitors’ goal, noting his missed chances on the night, too.

Murphy will certainly be relieved that Schar managed to draw the Magpies level late on, given some of his errors on the night. It certainly leaves Howe with some selection issues, although he could well decide to drop the winger from the side ahead of a tough away trip to Brentford.

Watch out Miley: Newcastle have one of the "best prospects in the world"

Newcastle’s academy keeps getting better, with an even bigger talent than Lewis Miley coming through.

By
Angus Sinclair

Dec 2, 2024

Much like with the belated sale of Matt O’Riley this time around, there was no doubt a sense of just how would Celtic cope without the devastating brilliance of Portuguese wizard, Jota, following his move to Saudi Arabia in the summer of 2023.

As it happens, life after the winger – who scored and assists 54 goals for the Old Firm side in just 83 games – has been relatively smooth, with Brendan Rodgers steering the club to a domestic double last term, with further dominance looking set to follow in the current campaign.

Meanwhile, Jota himself has perhaps realised that the grass isn’t always greener elsewhere, with the 25-year-old’s £25m switch to Al-Ittihad going down like a lead balloon, culminating in a swift exit to Ligue 1 side Rennes this summer.

Now part of a side that is staring relegation in the face in France’s top-flight, the one-time Benfica man has scored just once in seven league games this term, having endured a simply wretched 18 months or so.

Back at Parkhead, Jota’s remarkable impact in a Hoops shirt certainly hasn’t been forgotten, although there are likely to be few who yearn for his return to Glasgow, such has been the statement showings of Rodgers’ current attacking crop…

Celtic's attacking record this season

For much of last term, it looked as if Luis Palma would be the man to fill the Portuguese’s void on the flanks, with the Honduran ending the season with ten goals and ten assists to his name in 36 appearances in all competitions – albeit with just four of those goal involvements coming his way between January and May.

The 24-year-old is now something of a bystander to proceedings, in truth, with Rodgers preferring the relentless presence of Daizen Maeda down the left, the Japanese star taking his goal tally to ten for the season following his fine, curling effort against Club Brugge earlier this week.

On the opposite side, January arrival Nicolas Kuhn continues to tear it up both domestically and in Europe, with the German sensation chalking up 11 goals and a further 11 assists from just 19 appearances.

Interestingly, the former Rapid Vienna star is well on the way to bettering Jota’s best return in a Celtic shirt, with the latter man ‘only’ reaching 27 total goal involvements in each of his two seasons in Glasgow. Kuhn is already at 22, in November.

Rodgers’ new talisman is then not the new Jota, but – dare we say it – even better, should his rampant form be maintained.

It could be said that another Jota is, however, brewing elsewhere in the Hoops squad…

Celtic have a new Jota brewing

The Lisbon-born genius first arrived in Scotland on a season-long loan deal from Benfica, prior to eventually joining permanently in the summer of 2022, for a reported fee of just £6.5m.

That initial temporary swoop certainly proved to be a fruitful one for all concerned, with the hope being that young Alex Valle can follow in those footsteps over the next few months.

Like Jota, the youngster was plucked from an elite European outfit – Barcelona – over the summer on a loan deal, having previously made 29 appearances in Spain’s second tier for Levante in 2023/24.

While the 20-year-old, unlike Jota, operates in a left-back berth, he does possess a creative spark akin to that of the former Parkhead hero, having already chalked up four assists from his first ten appearances under Rodgers thus far.

With speculation still rumbling on over Greg Taylor’s future, with just over six months left to run on his existing deal, now could be a perfect time for a changing of the guard.

In a way, Wednesday’s stalemate with Brugge showed that very scenario occurring, with young Valle immediately making his mark off the bench after replacing Taylor, having teed up Maeda for the crucial equaliser with a neat, threaded pass.

It wasn’t just that early moment alone in which the Barca starlet impressed, however, having regularly looked to get forward down the left flank, while cleverly winning a foul for his side late on with a surging run through the centre.

The assured and confident nature of his play really is a joy to behold, with the only concern resting in the fact that the player and his entourage reportedly rejected the inclusion of an option-to-buy clause as part of the loan move.

Chalkboard

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

Maybe he harbours a future for himself back in the first-team at Camp Nou, but on the evidence of his bright start in Scottish football, Celtic should be doing all they can to try and engineer a permanent capture at the end of the campaign.

Like with another loan superstar in the form of Jota, snapping up Valle for the foreseeable could result in securing a sizeable profit later down the line. Get him signed!

Celtic express interest in signing "incredible" Adam Idah repeat in January

He’d be quite the coup…

1

By
Tom Cunningham

Nov 27, 2024

Tharindu Kaushal’s ripping, wrist-spun offbreak and self-belief were on full display as he spun his way to a five-wicket haul that promised good things for Sri Lanka in years to come

Andrew Fidel Fernando25-Jun-2015Mohammad Hafeez, playing Tharindu Kaushal for the first time in a match, offered a genial handshake, but the ball that got him out leant in for the kiss on both cheeks. Hafeez was back in his crease, prodding at what he thought would be a regulation offbreak. The ball pounced at the wickets instead, took the inside half of the bat, then wriggled onto leg stump.Sri Lanka has not witnessed a five-for from this kind of spin in Tests for a while. Rangana Herath has been a weaver of webs, a quick-witted conjurer, a subtle illusionist. Kaushal’s is rockstar spin, dipping suddenly, gripping both pitch and spectator. He’s an offspinner bowling to right-handers, and it is the inside-edge that he’s beating. Asad Shafiq was caught dead in front, the ball quickening to beat his on-side swipe. Misbah was run out, but he might not have been if it had been his bat that made contact with the ball, instead of his front pad.Soon, with a scare in the Pakistan dressing room, even Kaushal’s poor balls were were being mishit. The full tosses were poked to infielders. The sweeps found the men in the deep. Pakistan had prepared for Herath. They had picked his plots apart in Galle. But now, faced with charisma rather than control, maybe they panicked. They did so well to avoid the rip current, only to be eaten by a shark.Herath, meanwhile, whom his captain had bowled, and bowled and bowled in 2014, until the cartilage in his knees resembled the consistency of his teammates’ batting, was needed only for a few waddling chases around the outfield. He is an odd choice for a specialist fielder, but given his work rate over the last few years, Herath deserves more mellow days such as this.If he and Kaushal play together more often, there will be other days when Herath is required to pinch the flow of runs. For all the revs and talent, Kaushal still sends down loose deliveries in abundance, which is why his international debut had been delayed, despite him making a Test squad back in 2012.”When I was picked in 2012, I didn’t have that much experience,” Kaushal said after stumps on the first day. “I’d only played one club season. Now that I’ve played three, I know a bit more of what cricket is about at a high level. I’m very happy about the five wickets.”Hafeez’ dismissal brought a leap and pumping fists from Kaushal, perhaps because his first wicket in this Test came so much easier than his first ever scalp, on debut. In the Boxing Day Test last year, Brendon McCullum had smeared Kaushal around Hagley Oval before succumbing to him in sight of a double ton. Yet, even on that day Kaushal suggested he was the kind of bowler who could turn Tests in an afternoon. McCullum had bludgeoned him relentlessly. His first 14 international overs had cost 104 runs. Still the ball was being thrown up on the green surface. McCullum’s slow-burn triple hundred had cemented his coming-of-age as a batsman. Kaushal was still too raw to know any route but attack.Smelling blood at the P Sara, Kaushal went on the hunt for a big haul, cleaning up the lower order that had set the Galle Test ablaze. Sarfraz Ahmed was cajoled into a booming drive following a series of sweeps, but the floating ball dived and jived, collected his inside edge, then popped up off the pad to slip. Wahab Riaz tried the sweep, but was out to a ball that slipped beneath his shot. Yasir Shah holed out, mishitting a doosra to Kumar Sangakkara, who has been pushing for Kaushal’s Test inclusion for at least a year.That Kaushal even ventures in the doosra at a time unorthodox spinners are being tracked down, tagged, and kept in domestic captivity, says something about his self-belief. As a wrist-spinning offbreak bowler, he is probably in a subset of two. In a steel and plaster brace, Muttiah Muralitharan did prove after all that the doosra could be delivered with nearly zero degrees of flexion, much less than the allowed 15.”Murali was my favourite bowler,” Kaushal said, confirming the suspicion almost anyone who has watched him bowl would arrive at. “My run-up is not like his, but I like his bowling. The turn he got and the doosra he bowled – maybe it’s because I saw him that I learned something similar. My biggest hope was to bowl well at this level. I performed in club cricket, but this was where I really wanted to make an impact.”He will not have five-wicket hauls come so easily in the time to come. Batsmen will study him. They will learn the shapes his fingers make, and formulate plans to unsettle him. But for now, it’s nice to know Sri Lanka continues to produce players like him. It’s nice to know cricket heresy lives on.

El Tri has already confirmed friendlies against Switzerland and Turkey for the June FIFA dates

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• Japan became the first team to qualify for the 2026 World Cup this week

• Javier Aguirre requested preparation matches against Asian opponents

• The "Vasco" was coach of the Japan national team 2014-15

• (C)Getty Images
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Mexican and Japanese national teams have begun negotiations to face each other in a friendly during the September FIFA dates in the United States. Both federations see the match favorably as part of their preparations for the 2026 World Cup.

  The Japanese became the first team to qualify for the World Cup this week after defeating Bahrain 2-0. Both Japan's head coach, Hajime Moriyasu, and Mexico's coach, Javier Aguirre, have expressed interest in making this match happen, so the federations of both countries are working on it.

  The "Vasco" knows the Japanese national team well, as he coached them from 2014-15. Japan has been recognized as one of the countries with the greatest development in football, having established a competitive league.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The Mexican national team aims to arrive in top form for the 2026 World Cup, where they will be one of the host nations. With the matches against Switzerland and Turkey confirmed for the June FIFA dates as preparation for the 2025 Gold Cup, the Federation is now working to finalize a friendly match against Japan.

• (C)Getty Images
  

  WHAT HAJIME MORIYASU SAID

  "Playing against higher-ranked opponents is essential for the growth of the players," Japan manager Hajme Moriyasu said.

  Currently, Japan is ranked 15th in the world, while Mexico 19th, surpassed by countries such as Iran, Senegal, the United States, and Morocco.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  DID YOU KNOW?

  Mexico and Japan have faced each other five times, with the first encounter in 1998 and the most recent in 2020. On all occasions, El Tri has defeated the Asian side, scoring a total of nine goals and conceding only three.

  In the 1968 Mexico Olympics, Japan defeated Mexico for third place, while in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, El Tri won 3-1 to claim the bronze medal.

An exemplary fielding performance and a perfectly executed 19th over help Australia eke out a narrow win

Valkerie Baynes24-Feb-20232:45

Baynes: Australia’s death bowling the difference

India needed 18 runs off nine balls when Ellyse Perry sprinted to her right from deep-backward square leg, threw herself into the air and flicked the ball back before tumbling over the boundary rope to save two runs. That moment epitomised what makes Australia tick. Every piece of effort is given at 100% and forms part of the whole juggernaut, which even when pushed by India in the T20 World Cup semi-final prevails by five runs.At the time, left-arm spinner Jess Jonassen – who hadn’t played since their opening match as Australia opted for legspinner Alana King for the next three games – was in the middle of executing the perfect 19th over, conceding just four runs when India needed 20 from 12 balls, and pegging Sneh Rana’s leg stump back with the last ball.With India left to get 16 off the last over, the eventual Player of the Match Ashleigh Gardner gave away only ten and claimed her second wicket as Perry again held her nerve and settled under a skier, by Radha Yadav, at long-on to allow Australia to snatch a berth in their seventh successive T20 World Cup final.Related

• The anatomy of India's heartbreak

• Australia clinch thriller to make seventh straight final

• Harmanpreet rues luck, missed chances after semi-final exit

After the win, Gardner said the victory ranked “pretty high” on Australia’s unmatched list of triumphs.”I think at the ten-over mark in India’s batting innings, everyone had probably written us off, but I think that just shows our character within our side and that’s why the best teams win in those types of positions,” she said.”What we speak about is when our backs are up against the wall, we always try and find a way, and today we probably had no right to win at one point there. They were cruising and then we found a way to get some wickets and ultimately came out on top.”It was similar to last year’s Commonwealth Games gold-medal match, which Australia had won by nine runs. That, combined with Thursday’s performance at Newlands, suggests the gap might be closing somewhat compared to the 85-run thumping they had dished out to India in the final of the T20 World Cup back in 2020.India, on the other hand, squandered their chances with crucial drops of Beth Mooney and Meg Lanning, Australia’s two biggest run-scorers on this occasion, as well as leaking runs through numerous misfields and overthrows.”We showed our class today in the field and we always speak about as a group being the best fielding team in the world, and I think today really showed that,” Gardner said. “Ellyse Perry was elite on the boundary. Whether it’s dropped catches, [or] missed opportunities in the field, those ultimately add up to quite a lot of runs and I think we took those moments when we really needed to.Player-of-the-Match Gardner contributed 31 off 18 balls with the bat and followed that with two wickets•ICC/Getty Images

“I certainly think Pez is probably the blueprint for our side going forward – certainly on the boundary. At the end of the day, that could have been the difference between us and them.”Gardner, who had also contributed an excellent 31 off 18 balls with the bat, revealed it was no accident that Australia are so strong in the field.”We have KPIs and there are markers that show us whether we’re positive or negative in the field,” she said. “So there’s a pretty clear indication of how we’ve fielded. We just know how to push each other. In our training sessions, there are always really high-pressure situations, and as athletes, we all push each other – whether it’s on the field or off the field, whether it’s in the gym, running.”That’s something we really pride ourselves on is being fit, being strong, and ultimately that’s one of the things that has an impact in the field.”India captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who overcame illness to put her side in a winning position before being run out when her bat got stuck in the pitch, acknowledged that the difference in fielding was the key.”The Australian side, they always field very well; and from our side, we made some mistakes,” Harmanpreet said. “But again, we have to just learn [from] whatever mistakes we have made. But obviously, the Australian side is better than us. They always field well, and today also, after I got out, their body language completely changed. The way they stopped two-three boundaries, that also made a huge difference.”Jemimah Rodrigues, India’s second-highest run-scorer on the day, agreed: “When you lose, you always find a lot of reasons. You can blame anything… but yeah, that is one aspect. As an Indian team, we know that we need to improve our fielding and our running between wickets. Today the running between was really good but I think there’s so much to learn from.”Gardner, Jonassen and Mooney all said that competing under pressure in franchise tournaments such as their own WBBL and England’s much-newer Hundred had contributed to Australia’s strength, which is encouraging for India ahead of their inaugural WPL season, which starts next month.”It probably comes back to the exposure of those sorts of situations,” Jonassen said. “Having such a quality domestic set-up, having the WBBL, having some of the best international players coming over every year – that plays a significant part. Then we’re almost primed for those same situations on the international stage.”We’ve had a few young players making debuts in different formats this season as well that have come from those competitions, and we’re always looking to try and improve, and try and push each other to that next level and try and get the most out of each and every person because ultimately we know if we can gain an extra one or two percent individually, then the team’s collectively going to be better off.”And such is Australia’s depth that Jonassen jokingly revealed her disbelief when head coach Shelley Nitschke told her after training on match eve that she was back in the side.”I had to get her to repeat it because I had walked about ten laps after training yesterday, sort of getting my head around how I would mentally deal with if I missed out again,” Jonassen said. “I’ve got my partner and my mum who have flown over, so I was pretty disappointed up until today that I wasn’t able to play a game in front of them. Hopefully one more and it’s another successful one.”One more will mean a contest for the trophy against either hosts South Africa or England. Besides India at this World Cup, only England have looked capable of threatening Australia. Whoever it is will need to do more than just threaten, as India found out.

West Ham United haven’t been shy of spending money in recent transfer windows; just ask Julen Lopetegui after his first summer at the London Stadium.

Their spending stretches back several years but the 2022/23 season was one of the most notable, shelling out around £179m, making nine new signings, eight of which came in the summer transfer window, and one of which was made in January; Danny Ings.

The Hammers continued to try and find a reliable talisman, signing Gianluca Scamacca from Sassuolo for around £35.5m. The Italian went on to make just 27 appearances for the club, scoring just eight goals and totalling 1,342 minutes.

However, the biggest move of the window was bringing in Lucas Paqueta, signing the talented Brazilian from Lyon for around £51m, a club-record fee still yet to be broken.

Lucas Paqueta's time at West Ham

Since joining the club for a record fee, Paqueta has made 97 appearances, scoring 15 goals and supplying 14 assists across 7,321 minutes on the pitch.

He has been a key man for both Moyes and Lopetegui in his time at the club and is seen as one of the Hammers’ most important players.

The 27-year-old is an attacking midfielder with an eye for a pass, looking to use his creativity in deep areas to get West Ham out of sticky situations, and then higher up the pitch to create chances for his teammates, while chipping in with goals himself.

So far this season, Paqueta has made 13 appearances, managing two goals in 877 minutes.

However, the Brazil international has attracted interest from the likes of Manchester City in the past, and there are still murmurs that his future could be up in the air.

West Ham's possible Paqueta replacement

According to reports by The Sun, West Ham are considering a swoop for Manchester City’s, James McAtee. This comes after some doubts about Paqueta’s future at the club, as the Hammers may have to replace the Brazilian.

The reports suggest McAtee could be landed for around £20m, which could prove to be good value for the 22-year-old attacking midfielder. A “special” talent in the eyes of scout Jacek Kulig, he has already had a loan spell with Sheffield United in the Premier League, scoring five goals and providing four assists in his 33 games in all competitions.

So, how do the two players compare? We’ve got the answer from a statistical point of view.

Said to be “like Odegaard” by BBC Sports’ Carl Asaba, you can see when watching the midfielder that he has the tight space control and creativity to match the comparison, and his metrics begin to tell that story too.

Making 1.39 key passes per 90, completing 2.72 progressive carries and 2.52 progressive passes per 90, the 22-year-old has already showcased his ability on the ball whilst on loan at a relegation-battling side, and these numbers could improve further if in a better team on a consistent basis, with the freedom to express himself.

Whilst Paqueta’s numbers are better in many areas currently, the age gap is five years between the two, and if the City gem is afforded time to develop, whilst being trusted and given a platform to grow, he could easily hit the heights of West Ham’s star man and prove to be an excellent acquisition for the Irons.

Antonio axed for £30m signing in West Ham's dream XI after January

Here’s what West Ham’s starting XI could look like after a window of spending.

By
Joe Nuttall

Nov 17, 2024

Plays of the day from the match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore at Eden Gardens

Abhishek Purohit11-Apr-2015Starting stutters
Royal Challengers Bangalore were the eighth and last franchise to begin their 2015 campaign, and for the opening over, their fielding was all over the place. Robin Uthappa began the match with a quiet steer to third man, and no more than a single was on as Abu Nechim bent to make a regulation stop. However, the ball slipped through Nechim’s grasp to gift Uthappa a four. Two balls later, Harshal Patel slid awkwardly to his left at midwicket and failed to prevent a Gautam Gambhir clip from racing for four. Two balls later, Uthappa was gifted an overthrow to add to an easy single to mid-on.Look who dropped it
This one was remarkable not only for what happened but also for the reactions that followed. On 31, Gambhir pulled Nechim flat and straight to deep square leg for the most takrable of catches, even for someone without the reputation of the man stationed in the position: AB de Villiers. But the South African did the unthinkable: he grabbed at the ball a touch too much and it popped out of his grasp. The habitually intense captain Virat Kohli was stunned enough to smile in disbelief. The disbelief was greater in de Villiers’ long, hard stare into blank spaces.You or me?
Bursts of confusion continued to appear in Royal Challengers’ fielding performance. In the 19th over, Andre Russell top-edged a slog off Harshal over cover. Sean Abbott and Varun Aaron ran after it from the inner circle. It stayed up in the air long enough for the men to have ideally decided who was to go for it. Abbott started to pull away as it came down, implying that Aaron was to be the man. Only, Aaron was nowhere near the ball as it plopped into the ground. He was closer to it than Abbott, though, and had to sheepishly pick it up.Mystery strikes back
Knight Riders’ latest mystery spinner, KC Cariappa, had already taken some punishment from Chris Gayle when de Villiers went after him. Cariappa was bowling a bit too full to make the batsman think about which way it was going to turn, and de Villiers hit him for a couple of fours and a six in the space of five deliveries. De Villiers jumped out to the last ball of the over, but this one was much flatter and zipped past the batsman. Uthappa did not deny his fellow Coorgi and pulled off a sharp stumping.

Former India opener will explore “new opportunities in the world of cricket and the business side of it”

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Jan-2023M Vijay has called time on his international career to explore “new opportunities in the world of cricket and the business side of it”.Vijay played 61 Tests, 17 ODIs and nine T20Is in an international career that began in 2008 when he replaced Gautam Gambhir in India’s XI for the final Test of the 2008-09 Border Gavaskar Trophy in Nagpur. He last turned out for India in the Perth Test in December 2018, and last played first-class and List A cricket, for Tamil Nadu, in late 2019. His last appearance in professional cricket was in the IPL, in September 2020.A classical Test opener, who, when at his peak, had a solid technique and immense patience against the new ball – his ability to leave the ball earned him great praise during India’s tour of England in 2014 – Vijay finished with 3982 Test runs in 105 innings at an average of 38.28. He made 12 centuries and 15 half-centuries, with a best of 167 against Australia in Hyderabad in 2013.Related

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“I am excited to announce that I will be exploring new opportunities in the world of cricket and the business side of it, where I will also continue to participate in the sport that I love and challenge myself in new and different environments,” 38-year-old Vijay said in a statement. “I believe this is the next step in my journey as a cricketer and I look forward to the new chapter in my life.”

Will Vijay explore opportunities in overseas T20 leagues?

In June last year, speaking at an event to launch the 2022 edition of the Tamil Nadu Premier League, Vijay had said he wanted to “play as long as possible”. While he hasn’t said if he would be pursuing opportunities in T20 leagues around the world, Vijay’s retirement note didn’t make a mention of retirement from anything apart from international cricket.Not long ago, in fact, he had hinted at playing outside India. “I am almost done with BCCI and am looking for opportunities abroad,” Vijay had told former India batter WV Raman on Wednesdays With WV, a weekly show on . “After 30 in India, it’s a taboo. I think people see us as 80-year-olds walking on street.”The media should also address it differently. I feel you are peaking in your 30s. Sitting here right now, I feel I can bat the best way I can. But, unfortunately, the opportunities were less, and I had to search for chances outside. I honestly feel as a person, you can only do what’s in your hand. You can’t control the uncontrollable. Whatever happened, happened.”M Vijay had his best years in the IPL with Chennai Super Kings, winning the title in 2010 and 2011 with them•BCCI

Vijay was a key member of India’s Test squad for a five-year period between 2013 and 2018. From December 2013 to January 2015, when India played all their Test cricket away from home – in South Africa, New Zealand, England and Australia – Vijay faced the most balls and scored the second-most runs for the team. He was also one of only three players to average more than 40.Though a Test opener in the classical mould, Vijay also featured in 106 IPL games and led two franchises: Delhi Daredevils (now Capitals) and Punjab Kings. However, much of his success came for Chennai Super Kings, with whom he won two IPL titles, in 2010 and 2011. The triumph in 2011 was particularly special as Vijay earned the Player-of-the-Match award for his 52-ball 95 in the final against Royal Challengers Bangalore. Overall, he scored 2619 runs in the IPL, with two centuries and 13 half-centuries, scoring his runs at a strike rate of 121.87.Vijay also had short stints with Essex and Somerset in the English county championship.”My journey from 2002-2018 has been the most wonderful years of my life,” he wrote in his retirement note. “It was an honour representing India at the highest level of sport. I am grateful to the opportunities provided by the BCCI, Tamil Nadu Cricket Association, Chennai Super Kings and Chemplast Sanmar [the corporate that runs Jolly Rovers, Vijay’s club team in the TNCA league].”