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Big picture: Contest between two good pace attacks

The Sabina Park will host its first Test in more than three years, but it’s a favourite venue of the hosts, and they play there regularly in one format or the other. Which gives them a great chance to put together another strong performance to send Bangladesh back with a 2-0 defeat. If it happens, it will be West Indies’ first Test series sweep since July 2022, and Bangladesh were the opponents then too.Given how fragile their batting has been of late, West Indies will be particularly pleased with the way they batted in the first innings in the North Sound Test. They had two big – 140 runs, each time – partnerships, the first involving Alick Athanaze and Mikyle Louis, who both got out in the 90s. Even though they missed their maiden Test centuries, they batted with responsibility and showed discipline. The same was the case with Justin Greaves, who did get to his first Test century. What was also heartening was the way Kemar Roach supported Greaves in their stand for the eighth wicket.Related

• Alzarri wraps WI's win with twin strikes on fifth morning

West Indies also bowled with discipline, the four-man pace attack not giving Bangladesh that odd spell when run-scoring becomes easy. Jayden Seales is the attack leader. Shamar Joseph and Alzarri Joseph bowl in fiery bursts. Roach banks on his huge experience, and the years of dominance over Bangladesh helps.Pace bowling was Bangladesh’s only positive in the first Test, too. And it could well be the only thing that they can bank on in the second Test.Taskin Ahmed led the way with eight wickets in the match, including a six-for in the second innings, where West Indies scored 152 in 46.1 overs. It was Taskin’s first five-wicket haul in Test cricket. The performance, coupled with Hasan Mahmud and Shoriful Islam showing consistency, kept Bangladesh going in the Test. In Jamaica, Nahid Rana could get a look-in too, making the attack that much more potent.But what about Bangladesh’s batting? It has been one collapse after another, wherever they have played, for a while now – the main reason they have now lost their last five Tests after the big 2-0 win in Pakistan. They showed a bit of patience in their first innings at North Sound, lasting 98 overs – Jaker Ali and Mominul Haque got fifties, while Litton Das made 40. There was little more on offer from the group outside of that, except a bit of fight from Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Jaker in the second innings.One thing that both teams need to improve is their catching. There were plenty of dropped catches right through the match. Mominul dropped two in a short span before West Indies dropped four during Shamar’s first spell on the fourth day. It was a blot on an otherwise good game.Taskin Ahmed picked up his first five-wicket haul in Test cricket in North Sound•BCB

Form guide

West Indies WLDLL
Bangladesh LLLLL
Both West Indies and Bangladesh are out of the running for a spot in the World Test Championship final.

In the spotlight – Justin Greaves and Jaker Ali

It took Justin Greaves ten years to become a Test cricketer since his first-class debut, but after the debut series in Australia earlier this year, he was dropped. Then it took him another ten months to return to the Test side, but this time, he made it count. He showed restraint and enterprise, especially when batting with Roach late in the script. West Indies will expect a similar showing with the bat from Greaves in Jamaica.Jaker Ali showed character under pressure, unlike most of his team-mates. Jaker now has fifties in his first two Tests, which is rare for a Bangladesh batter. He is a fighter, and constantly encourages his batting partners, particularly the lower-order batters. Jaker himself is slowly opening up as a batter, and can expect a bit more responsibility in the Bangladesh batting line-up in Jamaica.

Team news – Expect changes in Bangladesh XI

West Indies are unlikely to change their playing XI barring any injuries.West Indies (probable): 1 Kraigg Brathwaite (capt), 2 Mikyle Louis, 3 Keacy Carty, 4 Alick Athanaze, 5 Kavem Hodge, 6 Justin Greaves, 7 Joshua Da Silva (wk), 8 Kemar Roach, 9 Alzarri Joseph, 10 Jayden Seales, 11 Shamar JosephJustin Greaves batted for over six hours as he scored a century in the first Test•Cricket West Indies

One or both of Shadman Islam and Mahidul Islam could expect a call-up for the second Test after Mahmudul Hasan Joy and Zakir Hasan failed in the first. Nahid could also feature as Bangladesh tend to rotate their fast bowlers.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Mahmudul Hasan Joy/Shadman Islam, 2 Zakir Hasan/Mahidul Islam, 3 Mominul Haque, 4 Shahadat Hossain, 5 Mehidy Hasan Miraz (capt), 6 Litton Das (wk), 7 Jaker Ali, 8 Taijul Islam, 9 Hasan Mahmud, 10 Taskin Ahmed, 11 Shoriful Islam/Nahid Rana

Pitch and conditions

Sabina Park has seen big scores in T20Is this year, but it has also traditionally been a good pitch for both fast bowlers and spinners in Tests. Weather, however, could play a part as rain is in the forecast for all five days in Kingston.

Stats and trivia – Brathwaite set to go past Sobers

• Kraigg Brathwaite is currently equal with Garfield Sobers on 85 Tests, the most consecutive appearances for West Indies. Sobers played non-stop from 1955 to 1972, while Brathwaite has been a West Indies constant from 2014.
• Bangladesh have now played 18 Tests without drawing one. Their previous record is 21, between 2001 and 2004.
• At North Sound, Mominul struck his first half-century in the West Indies since 2014. He aggregated only 20 runs across three matches in the two Test series there in 2018 and 2022.
• The last time West Indies played a Test match in Jamaica, in 2021, Phil Simmons was their head coach. Now he is Bangladesh’s head coach.

da bwin： West Ham United have now been backed to secure a “top” signing in January as they look to add more firepower to Julen Lopetegui’s ranks in the winter window.

West Ham low on striker options

da wazamba： A life-threatening car crash has left West Ham without the services of Michail Antonio for what is likely to be the remainder of the Premier League campaign. The Jamaica international crashed his car last week, and was rushed to hospital, where he underwent surgery on his leg. He is expected to remain in hospital for weeks, and Lopetegui admitted that he felt it was a “miracle” that the forward had survived the crash.

“The best news about Michail Antonio was that he was able to talk with us before the [Wolves] match – [because] looking at the car crash, it was one miracle [he was OK]. Now he is strong, he is recovering himself in the next months to be a man first and then a player.”

In practical terms, it leaves West Ham low on resources at the top of the pitch, with their all-time record goalscorer in the Premier League having started 11 of the 14 games before his injury.

Summer signing Niclas Füllkrug remains sidelined with an injury of his own, while 32-year-old Danny Ings has started just a single Premier League game this season, with Lopetegui preferring to play Jarrod Bowen as a striker against Wolverhampton Wanderers rather than trust the former Liverpool striker to lead the line.

West Ham’s striker options for the remainder of 2024/25

Game played

Goals/Assists

Niclas Füllkrug

4

1

Danny Ings

9

2

Jarrod Bowen

15

8

Now, they are ready to make a move in January to address their forward issue, whether or not Lopetegui remains at the helm.

West Ham tipped to sign Premier League striker

That comes as former Premier League scout turned insider Mick Brown has tipped the east London side to complete a loan move to sign Evan Ferguson in January.

The Republic of Ireland striker burst onto the scene with Brighton and received plenty of plaudits for his early performances, with football analyst EBL dubbing him “utterly insane” just 18 months ago, adding that his style is like “Wayne Rooney and Erling Haaland rolled into one”.

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Meanwhile, Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig described him as a “top talent”, but since the arrival of Fabian Hurzeler at the AMEX Stadium, Ferguson has not had the chance to show his worth. The 20-year-old has managed just two starts in the Premier League, returning just a single goal, and is expected to leave the club on loan in January in search of first team football. And Brown has backed West Ham to complete a deal to sign him.

“He’s got a very good reputation as a young player, but he’s at a stage where he needs to prove himself”, he told Football Insider.

“If he’s not going to play regularly in the Brighton team, he’s got to go somewhere where he can play first-team football and show what he can do. From what I understand, West Ham would be prepared to offer him that opportunity.

“Ferguson is spoken about very highly and there is a lot of interest in him. But he fits the bill for West Ham with his style of play, and he’s a big lad as well, not afraid to get stuck in. That’s what they want in Antonio’s absence.”

He added that “I’m expecting him to leave Brighton and I’m expecting West Ham to make a move”. Could Ferguson and West Ham be a perfect match for the second half of the season?

Aston Villa’s start to the Premier League season has been anything but smooth.

Off-the-field uncertainty dominated their summer, and the hangover has been felt on the pitch.

The club only recorded their first league win of the season against Fulham on Sunday, lifting them out of the bottom three and into 16th place.

Their negative goal difference reflects a side still finding its rhythm, and the early results suggest that pressure is quickly building on Unai Emery’s squad.

The turbulence began with financial concerns. Villa’s transfer activity was clouded by PSR restrictions, which made it unclear whether they could reinforce without significant sales.

Star goalkeeper Emi Martínez came close to leaving for Manchester United, while Ollie Watkins also attracted interest from other top-flight clubs.

Somehow, Villa kept hold of both – as well as their brightest talent, Morgan Rogers – but the distractions were evident.

Rogers himself did little to dampen speculation, hinting in one interview that a move could be on the horizon.

Late in the window, Villa scrambled to bring in reinforcements, completing deals for Harvey Elliott and Jadon Sancho on deadline day.

It was a clear attempt to steady the ship and add creativity ahead of a campaign that will also see them compete in the Europa League.

A sixth-place finish last season raised expectations, but early form suggests off-field issues have seeped into the squad’s performances.

Why Morgan Rogers is synonymous with the malaise

No player better symbolises Villa’s current struggles than Rogers.

The 23-year-old attacking midfielder enjoyed a breakthrough last season, making 54 appearances across all competitions, including 37 in the Premier League, where he produced eight goals and 11 assists.

That form subseuqently saw him win the PFA Premier League Young Player of the Year award.

His European contribution was also vital: four goals and three assists helped Villa reach the Champions League quarter-finals.

That productivity feels like a distant memory this term. Rogers has looked short on confidence and, crucially, short on decisiveness in possession.

In the defeat to Bologna, he played the full 90 minutes but registered 50 touches, completed just ten of 24 passes, and failed to record a shot on target. He attempted two dribbles and succeeded with neither, while losing possession a staggering 29 times.

For a player once celebrated for his dynamism and flair, those numbers are the starkest evidence yet of his current malaise.

The sense among supporters is that Rogers has become too predictable. Opponents now know his threat and actively look to smother him.

Some Villa fans have called for him to be dropped, suggesting that a spell out of the spotlight might help him rediscover his spark.

His recent form for England, where he registered an assist against Serbia, shows the talent is still there, but he has not been able to translate that into club form.

Aston Villa's Rogers replacement waiting in the wings

Waiting in the wings is Jadon Sancho.

The 25-year-old winger arrived on loan from Manchester United on deadline day, carrying a market value of around £25m.

This is a long way from the £125m peak valuation that this “crazy talent” – in the words of scout Jacek Kulig – held in 2020.

Matches Played

26

Goals

8

Assists

11

Progressive Carries

114

Progressive Passes

178

His fall from grace has been steep.

At Chelsea last season, his loan spell ended so unconvincingly that the club even paid United to release them from the obligation to make the move permanent.

Now at Villa Park, Sancho has featured three times, though he was an unused substitute in the win against Fulham.

This loan could represent the last chance for him in English football.

He will hope to reignite his career under Emery, with the Europa League providing additional opportunities for minutes and form.

His past record shows what he is capable of: a £73m transfer to Manchester United in 2021 was fuelled by dazzling performances at Borussia Dortmund, where his creativity and ball-carrying made him one of Europe’s hottest properties.

Internationally, Sancho still harbours ambitions of returning to the England setup, having already been capped 23 times.

With Thomas Tuchel putting together his squad for the World Cup, a run of form at Villa could put him back in contention.

More immediately, his arrival puts direct pressure on Rogers. If Emery decides to rotate, Sancho could step straight into the starting XI, offering pace, invention, and – if he can recapture even some of his Dortmund-era form – a cutting edge Villa desperately lack.

For now, Emery has been cautious, perhaps waiting for Sancho to fully adjust.

But the contrast between Rogers’ wastefulness and Sancho’s potential upside is difficult to ignore.

In many ways, Sancho embodies Villa’s gamble: if he thrives, he could spark their attack into life; if he fails, it could be another symbol of a club whose questionable off-field decisions continue to cloud their season.

Aston Villa heading for Benteke repeat over "top talent" & it's not Watkins

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ByWill Miller Sep 22, 2025

For so many years, the Europa League offered Rangers supporters a safe space away from their domestic trials and tribulations, but even that is no longer the case.

On Thursday night, Russell Martin suffered yet another defeat, with his side defeated 1-0 at the hands of Genk in their league phase opener.

Only 38,000 were in attendance at Ibrox, around 12,000 below capacity, as supporters voted with their feet against the manager and CEO Patrick Stewart, considering the Gers currently sit second bottom of the Scottish Premiership table, ahead of Sunday’s trip to Livingston.

In the Europa League meantime, former Celtic striker Oh Hyeon-gyu was the main character of the evening, seeing a penalty saved by Jack Butland, missing at least two guilt-edged opportunities, before eventually scoring the only goal of the night, poking home at the back post, getting on the end of Patrik Hrošovský’s ball across.

From a Rangers perspective, most of the heat will be on the under-fire manager, but many of his players simply aren’t pulling their weight, one in particular not having any discernible positive impact on the night’s proceedings.

Mohamed Diomandé's costly red card

Rangers are finding winning football matches difficult enough right now with the full complement of 11 players, let alone ten.

In the quarter of an hour before half time, referee Matej Jug took centre stage, making three key decisions that all went against the home side.

The most outcome-altering was of course the red card, with Mohamed Diomandé dismissed for a foul on Zakaria El Ouahdi.

The Ivorian did win the ball, but his foot then bounced off the top of the ball and into El Ouahdi’s calf, thereby deemed a dangerous tackle.

Mere moments before, the Ibrox faithful thought their side were going to be given a penalty, Joris Kayembe seemingly set to be penalised for a handball, but the referee instead adjudged that James Tavrnier had committed a foul, which Ally McCoist said, speaking on commentary for TNT Sports, was the “biggest cop out you’ll see all night… he’s invented a shove there to take the easy way out”.

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Even after the sending off, there was still time for Jug to award Genk a penalty in first-half injury time, following video review, but Oh’s attempt was saved by Jack Butland, eliciting the loudest cheer of the night.

Nevertheless, they were never truly able to recover from the loss of Diomandé and, even though he clearly didn’t mean to put in a dangerous challenge, he did ultimately, as McCoist put it, “cost his team”.

However, another Rangers starter offered even less on Thursday night, bringing into question why so much was paid for his services.

Rangers' anonymous attacker

Martin made just one change to his Rangers team that beat Hibs in the League Cup quarter-finals on Saturday, with Bojan Miovski, who actually scored his first goal for the club in that one, dropping to the bench, with Youssef Chermiti handed a first start for the club.

The 21-year-old joined the Light Blues for a reported fee of £8m, potentially rising to £10m, from Everton on deadline day, despite having scored zero goals in 24 appearances for the Toffees.

In fact, his most recent senior goal came for Sporting CP against Paços de Ferreira on 7 May 2023, underlining why this enormous fee raised so many eyebrows.

Well, as Chermiti seeks to change public perception of him in Glasgow, he didn’t do a very good job of it against Genk, as the table below outlines.

Shots

Zero

6th

Accurate passes

10

12th

Key passes

1

3rd

Duels contested

15

2nd

Duels won

5

4th

Possession lost

10

4th

Touches

24

11th

Sofascore rating

6.3

14th

As the table documents, Chermiti essentially had no impact on Rangers as an attacking force on Thursday, touching the ball a mere 24 times, nine fewer than the dismissed Diomandé, as well as five less than Oliver Antman, who was introduced as a half-time substitute. That return was also less than the aforementioned Butland, who recorded 45 touches.

Of course, it isn’t easy playing the role of a lone striker, especially when your side are down to ten men, but the Portuguese youngster lost possession ten times, as well as winning only five of 15 duels, not mustering a single shot, which simply isn’t good enough.

It is obviously unfair on the youngster, but when you cost as much as Chermiti has, big things are expected.

That fee will only prove to be value for money if he fires Rangers to league titles and scores crucial goals in European competition, so the fact that it is over two years since the striker scored a goal for anybody has to be alarming.

The most galling fact is that Martin left a proven goalscorer in Miovski, one who literally scored a goal less than a week ago, in reserve, watching on like the rest of the Rangers support, wondering how on earth this team are ever going to score a goal.

Reports suggest Martin now has three games to save his job, all away from home, facing Livingston, Sturm Graz and then Falkirk on the road in the next ten days, so, if he is to remain in situ during the international break, he must ditch Chermiti and get Miovski back up front.

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With Russell Martin under intense pressure as Rangers boss, the 49ers should make a future “elite manager” their top target to replace him at Ibrox.

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Washington traps Stokes on the stroke of lunch on the fifth day with the visitors needing four more wickets

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Jul-2025

Akash Deep produced a lion-hearted performance at Edgbaston•Getty Images

Akash Deep’s early double strike and Washington Sundar’s dismissal of England skipper Ben Stokes on the stroke of lunch have India on the verge of a series-squaring victory in this second Test at Edgbaston. England, trailing by 455, having not quashed talk of a potential record chase last night, will be up against it to even draw this match to preserve their 1-0 lead.Akash’s removal of Ollie Pope and Harry Brook inside the first 25 minutes of the first session gave way for a stand of 70 between Stokes and Jamie Smith. But midway through Washington’s second over, a gorgeous amount of drift and enough turn clipped the left-hander’s front pad ahead of the bat. Stokes’ review was in vain.Akash picked up where he left off on Saturday evening, pocketing another two wickets in a six-over morning spell. Pope was undone by steep bounce from a delivery full of a length, which reared up and forced the No.3 to defend into the ground and onto his own stumps. And then, Brook was left hobbling – and trapped in front – with a wicket delivery that seamed in and caught him on the inside of his right knee.Akash could have had more – and thus a maiden five-wicket haul – when another big seaming delivery cut through Smith (on 9 at the time) only to miss leg stump. Smith had arrived on 83 for 5, a run shy of the score when he came to the crease in the first innings before unfurling a stunning 184 not out. He remains unbeaten on 32.Shubman Gill seemed to be targeting Stokes’ wicket more keenly, particularly with Ravindra Jadeja operating from the City End, replacing Akash after the drinks break. The England captain looked to have been given a life on 18, as he turned the left-arm spinner around the corner, only for the catch to drop shot of Gill at leg slip.But Stokes was soon undone by Washington, given a cursory couple of overs in the lead-up to the break.On the evening of day four, England assistant coach Marcus Trescothick had ceded that, of course, a draw would be regarded as a positive result for England. That became a lot more attractive to the hosts following the morning showers which took 10 overs out of the day, even if the required rate to clear the remaining 536 runs was “only” 6.7 an over. Now, a third 400-plus defeat for Stokes and McCullum’s England looms.

Victory against England in Mumbai would draw MS Dhoni level with India’s most successful Test captain

Sidharth Monga22-Nov-2012This Test is right up MS Dhoni’s alley. This is – and it needs little reminding – Virender Sehwag’s 100th Test. While all eyes will be on the maverick, who debuted with a hundred in seaming Bloemfontein and will want to join Gordon Greenidge and Javed Miandad as men with centuries in both their first and 100th Tests, if Sehwag does continue to steal the limelight it will only help Dhoni quietly sneak up as the joint-most successful Test captain for India. And that’s the way Dhoni likes to operate. Quietly.Ahmedabad was Dhoni’s 20th win as India’s Test captain. Sourav Ganguly led India to 21 wins. Ganguly captained India in 49 Tests, Dhoni has taken 40. It will of course be mentioned here, and reminded again and again, that under Dhoni India have won just three Tests outside Asia, and have endured two of the worst series defeats. If you take out Zimbabwe, even under Ganguly India won just three Tests outside Asia. However, this cannot be a direct contest of numbers. Ganguly was building a team and a new culture; Dhoni is carrying it on.These things, though, hardly bother Dhoni now. He famously lives in the moment. Dhoni’s mind right now is focused on enjoying the upper hand at home, and also warding off some criticism alleging he wishes to “doctor the pitches”.Dhoni was neither apologetic about his criticism of the Ahmedabad pitch nor was he going to revisit his stance. “I was just trying to take the equation of the toss out,” Dhoni said. “I was doing the good part, but different people have different opinions.”Unsure if he will ever get a pitch with turn and bounce, Dhoni said he will resort to public criticism again, should the one at Wankhede Stadium behave similarly to the one at Sardar Patel Stadium in Ahmedabad. “The wicket looks good,” he said. “As it is the case in reviewing the decision, I have delayed it by five days. If this pitch also does not help our spinners, then I will again come and criticise it. But it looks like a good wicket to start off.” This is one area of his captaincy where he has chosen to take an aggressive stance, and there must be good reason for his doing so.Dhoni said teams might have a problem with his demands for pitches with turn and bounce because they have become used to flat tracks in India. “People talk of different challenges when it comes to playing in England, New Zealand, West Indies, Australia and South Africa,” Dhoni said. “When they come to India, they get flat wickets. So maybe that is why they don’t like it when the ball turns.”All this he said with a wide grin on his face. This is a far cry from the days in Australia when his comment that he will have to retire from one format of the game before World Cup 2015 drew the ire of, among others, Ganguly. Dhoni was at pains to explain how he meant his body might not be able to take the stress of all formats until Australia 2015, and he didn’t mean to suggest he wasn’t committed to Test cricket, but the timing of that comment remained questionable, coming as it did during India’s worst year in Test cricket.At some time during this home season – there are seven Tests to go still – Dhoni should join Ganguly at the top. However, Dhoni will want to make sure he does it to double the series lead, and not to regain it or level a series. He doesn’t want to take England lightly after their fightback in Ahmedabad, despite their first-innings failure.”The fact remains that the start of the second Test is always a fresh day,” Dhoni said. “You have to start from scratch. There will be quite a few positives that the English side will take out of the last game. They will be coming with a positive mindset. I don’t think it is very difficult to get out of the loss now because the T20 format has taught us to be in the same state of mind irrespective of whether you have lost or won the game.”

Plays of the Day from the Super Eights match between South Africa and Pakistan in Colombo

Abhishek Purohit at the Premadasa28-Sep-2012The double surprise
With Saeed Ajmal, Umar Gul, Shahid Afridi, and himself available, Mohammad Hafeez opened the Pakistan bowling with the young left-arm spinner Raza Hasan, playing his first game of the tournament. As if that wasn’t enough of a surprise for South Africa, he gave the second over to bowling allrounder Yasir Arafat. As if even that wasn’t enough, Hasan and Arafat went on to bowl the first five overs.The departure from modernity
South Africa were trudging at below five an over around the halfway stage of their innings. With Ajmal bowling the 12th over, Pakistan were confident enough to have no sweeper cover or deep point, a position modern captains love to have even in Tests. Farhaan Behardien used the largesse to cut through the region for a four.The delayed déjà vu
Umar Gul was carted all around the Pallekele stadium during the group stage by New Zealand and Bangladesh. With Pakistan’s spinners squeezing South Africa right from the start, Hafeez brought on his premier fast bowler as late as the 18th over. It changed little. First ball, AB de Villiers lofted him over wide long-on for six. Gul got de Villiers next ball, but went for 19 in two overs. He was to later hit South Africa back, with the bat though.The height of predictability
Shahid Afridi in. Spinner on. First ball. Long-off? Long-on? Sweeper cover? Swung straight to long-off, this time. Sigh.The presence of mind
Gul fell off the last ball of the 19th over after a blinder. Even as sweeper cover ran in to take the catch, Gul sprinted down the pitch for a possible run. The non-striker Umar Akmal was wise enough to stop, and also told Gul to, ensuring they didn’t cross. It proved to be decisive as Umar Akmal took strike for the final over and swung the second ball over deep square leg for six to all but ensure Pakistan’s win.The maiden – I
Raza Hasan, 20, beginner in international cricket to Jacques Kallis, 36, legend in international cricket. He even beat Kallis a couple of times in the over.The maiden(s) – II
South Africa responded with consecutive maidens, one each by Robin Peterson and Johan Botha, who also bowled Kamran Akmal during his.

Wagner will remain active as a player in county cricket in England

Deivarayan Muthu28-Mar-2025Neil Wagner, 39, will end his domestic career in New Zealand after playing for Northern Districts (ND) in the final round of the four-day Plunket Shield, which will begin on March 29. Wagner will have a fairytale finish if he can win the game and secure the Plunket title for ND.Heading into the final round, his team ND are currently on top of the table with 89 points from seven games. Wellington (82) and Canterbury (80) are the other two teams in the running for the title.Wagner, though, will continue to remain active as a player in county cricket in England.Wellington seamer Ian McPeake, meanwhile, will retire from all professional cricket after their final-round Plunket Shield game against Canterbury at the Basin Reserve.Wagner’s emotional reaction – he was almost in tears – after ND had lost to Canterbury in the Super Smash Eliminator last month suggested that his career was nearing its end. At the post-match presentation, ND captain Jeet Raval refused to reveal if Wagner had played his last competitive match in New Zealand. As it turned out, Wagner returned for the Plunket Shield, his match haul of four wickets helping ND snatch the lead with a narrow win over Wellington.In a twist of fate, Wagner’s final game in New Zealand will come against his former team Otago in Dunedin. Wagner had played his maiden first-class match in New Zealand for Otago vs ND back in 2008 at the same venue.

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