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With eight wickets in the T20I series, Glenn is the joint-leading wicket-taker with fellow spinner Sophie Ecclestone

Valkerie Baynes14-Jul-20240:54

Glenn: We’ve shifted to a resilient, aggressive style without forcing it

It seems whenever the England men’s football team play a big match, Sarah Glenn brings her A game.In England Women’s opening T20I against New Zealand, the footballers were about half an hour into their Euro 2024 clash with Switzerland – which England won on penalties to reach the semi-final – when Glenn walked off the field at Southampton with a crucial 3 for 16 to her name as the hosts went 1-0 up in the five-match series.On Saturday, some 24 hours before England face Spain in the Euro final, she sat in the post-match press conference at The Oval with 4 for 19 from yet another victory over New Zealand, who go into Wednesday’s fixture at Lord’s with one last chance to return home with a solitary win from eight matches.Glenn is the joint-leading wicket-taker in the T20I leg of New Zealand’s visit with fellow England spinner Sophie Ecclestone. Glenn has eight wickets at a better average of 6.87, and her economy rate of 4.34 is the best across both teams. Charlie Dean, the other prong to England’s enviable spin trio, was rested on Saturday as part of her side’s rotation policy throughout this series, but Glenn and Ecclestone – six of New Zealand’s eight wickets fell between them – had it covered.Ecclestone and Glenn are ranked No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, in the ICC’s T20I bowling rankings and Dean is at No. 8. Ecclestone has held the top spot since February 2020 but England now find themselves in a position where they have enough players in form with bat and ball to experiment ahead of the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in October.That is a testament to the depth they have been building, which appears to be peaking at the right time. It was only in May, after two home white-ball series against Pakistan that ended in victory for England but lacked the ruthlessness they have shown against New Zealand, that England head coach Jon Lewis suggested his squad faced a challenge keeping up with the standards of big stars Ecclestone and Nat Sciver-Brunt.Suzie Bates leaves the field after being bowled by Sophie Ecclestone on Saturday•Getty Images”Everyone’s performing at some point,” Glenn said. “I feel like we’re not kind of relying on big names anymore. Everyone has taken their turn to step up and I think that’s so exciting, especially the young ones and every single player. You could pick any XI at the moment, from not just this squad but also back into the regional teams. Everyone’s performing really, really well and pushing for their place. It’s really exciting.”New Zealand’s reliance on big names – Suzie Bates, Sophie Devine and Amelia Kerr – has left them looking toothless on this tour. That was emphasised by the fact that the closest they have got to beating England was when Devine reached a first half-century for any of those three in the T20Is with 58 in the third game in Canterbury. There, England won by six wickets with just four balls remaining after Alice Capsey’s 67 not out.In both of Glenn’s pivotal performances, she has claimed wickets in clusters. She took three in an over in Southampton and had two double-wicket overs on Saturday. She bowled Georgia Plimmer with a straight delivery that crashed into middle stump, then sent down a half-tracker that Amelia Kerr slapped straight to Capsey at midwicket, a dismissal Glenn admitted she would take but wasn’t keen to see on replay.Glenn also bowled Jess Kerr and had Maddy Green caught at mid-on, the latter saying: “They’re a world-class spin attack and Sarah has been able to come in and change the game. Unfortunately, we haven’t played it very well. She’s bowling well and we need to be at our best to compete with the likes of Sarah Glenn and their spin attack. We just weren’t at that today unfortunately and that sort of swung the momentum of our innings pretty crucially.”Against the backdrop of a football game that will grip the country on Sunday night, Glenn was asked how she prepares for big occasions.”I think it’s just that balance of switching on and switching off,” she said. “We set meetings to chat through fields or certain batters on their team, for example, so we put those in place just to have those chats and clear our heads before the game. And then in between that, switch off. We’re in the changeroom, got the tunes on, chatting a lot of rubbish, to be honest. It’s just that real balance of being really clear on what we want to do before and giving ourselves the best chance to win, but also enjoying it and playing with a smile on our face.”For the record, Ecclestone is the dressing room DJ, and Glenn believes “it absolutely is” when asked, “Is it coming home?” That makes sense, given that the team bus has had “It’s coming home” written in lights above the windscreen, where the destination would normally show. Even though this series hasn’t produced a big-game occasion – despite a healthy crowd at The Oval playing their part – soon enough England will be preparing for just that, and hoping the destination is the same.

India broke their own record to put up the fastest 100 in men’s Test cricket in Kanpur against Bangladesh

Sampath Bandarupalli30-Sep-20241 – India’s hundred came in just 10.1 overs, making it the fastest team hundred in men’s Tests (where data is available).India broke their own record by 2.1 overs – they had taken only 12.2 overs against West Indies in last year’s Port of Spain Test.24.2 Overs needed for India to reach the 200-run mark. It is the fastest-recorded team 200 in men’s Tests, bettering Australia’s record, who got there in 28.1 overs in their second-innings against Pakistan in 2017 in Sydney.India also broke the record for fastest team 150 and 250. The previous fastest team 150 was also by India off 21.1 overs against West Indies in 2023, while the previous quickest 250 came in 34 overs by England in their 2nd innings vs Pakistan in 2022 in Rawalpindi.3.0 – Overs that India needed to get to fifty. It is also the fastest recorded team fifty in men’s Tests, bettering England’s record – 4.2 overs against West Indies in Nottingham and in Birmingham earlier this year.0 – Instances of India completing their fifty inside the first 20 balls of the innings in men’s internationals (all formats) before Monday. Their previous fastest fifty was in 3.4 overs, also against Bangladesh, in last year’s Asian Games (T20I).ESPNcricinfo Ltd8.22 India’s run rate during their 285 for 9 in Kanpur is the highest in men’s Test innings (minimum 200 balls). The previous highest was 7.36 by England against Pakistan when they made 264 for seven in 35.5 overs in the 2022 Rawalpindi Test.No team had a run rate of eight in a Test innings where they scored 100-plus runs, before India on Monday.14.34 – The scoring rate during the 55-run opening partnership between Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma, which came in only 23 balls.It is the fastest fifty partnership in men’s Tests in terms of run rate (where data is available – complete FOW data is available only since 1998).The previous highest run rate for a partnership of 50-plus runs was 11.86 by Ben Duckett and Ben Stokes, who added 87 off 44 balls against West Indies in Birmingham, earlier this year.5 Number of Indian batters to have scored 20-plus runs while striking at 100 and more in the first-innings in Kanpur, the joint-most in a men’s Test innings. England also had five batters scoring 20-plus runs at a strike rate of 100 and more in their first innings against Pakistan in Rawalpindi in 2022.96 – Sixes hit by India batters across the eight Test matches they have played in 2024. These are the most sixes hit by a team in a calendar year in Test cricket, bettering England’s tally of 89 in 2022.Rohit Sharma came out all guns blazing•BCCI4 – Recorded instances of a player hitting the first two balls they faced in a Test innings for sixes, including Rohit off Khaled Ahmed in Kanpur.Foffie Williams against Jim Laker in the 1948 Barbados Test was the first.Two other India batters have also done it – Sachin Tendulkar off Nathan Lyon in the 2013 Chepauk Test and Umesh Yadav off George Linde in the 2019 Ranchi Test.4.5 Overs in which Hasan Mahmud conceded 50 runs in India’s first innings. Only two bowlers had conceded 50 runs in fewer overs in a men’s Test innings since 2002 – 4.2 by Graeme Cremer against South Africa in 2005 and 4.4 by Murali Kartik against Australia in 2004.34.4 Overs batted by India before declaring, the fifth shortest declared first-innings in men’s Tests. The total of 285 for nine is also the lowest-ever declaration total for India in the first innings.

And which bowler has the most fourth-innings wickets?

Steven Lynch19-Nov-2024Which bowler has taken the most wickets in the fourth innings of Tests? Is it Jimmy Anderson? asked David Wilkinson from England

Jimmy Anderson is in the top ten here with 91 fourth-innings wickets, one more than his old sparring partner Stuart Broad. But leading the way, with 138 fourth-innings victims, is Shane Warne.There is some danger of a change at the top, however: in second place at the moment with 119 is another prolific Australian spinner, Nathan Lyon. Three others took more than 100 fourth-innings wickets: Rangana Herath (115), Muthiah Muralidaran (106) and Glenn McGrath (103). R Ashwin currently has 99, so should join them soon.If you restrict the qualification to fourth-innings wickets in Test victories, Warne still leads the way with 106, ahead of Herath (98), Lyon (94), Ashwin (86) and McGrath (84).Goa’s innings in the Ranji Trophy the other day included two triple-centuries. Has this happened before in a first-class match? asked Ashwini K Patel from India

In something of mismatch in last week’s Ranji Trophy Plate group, Goa ran up 727 for 2 declared in Porvorim, either side of bowling Arunachal Pradesh out for 84 and 92. Kashyap Bakle (300 not out) and Snehal Kauthankar (314 not out) both scored their maiden triple-centuries, and shared an unbeaten third-wicket partnership of 606, which has been beaten in all first-class cricket only by the 624 of Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene for Sri Lanka against South Africa in Colombo in July 2006.There has been only one other innings that contained two triple-centuries – also in the Ranji Trophy, although oddly enough it was against Goa, who did it this time. Back in January 1989, in Panaji, Tamil Nadu’s 912 for 6 declared included 313 from WV Raman and 302 not out from Arjan Kripal Singh.Has a T20I innings ever contained two centuries, before last week? asked Taral Khasiya via Twitter/X

The match last week was in Johannesburg, where Sanju Samson hit 109 not out and Tilak Varma 120 not out as India piled up 283 for 1 against South Africa. They shared an unbroken stand of 210, and hit 19 sixes between them.There have been two other T20I innings that contained two individual centuries. One of them happened earlier this year, in Mong Kok (Hong Kong) in February, when Lachlan Yamamoto-Lake scored 134 not out and Kendal Kadowaki-Fleming 109 not out for Japan against China. But the first such instance in a men’s T20I took place in 2022, when Sabawoon Davizi and Dylan Steyn scored hundreds for Czech Republic against Bulgaria in Malta.*It’s a rare achievement in all men’s T20 cricket: there have been only six other instances in senior matches, three of them in the IPL.There have been five cases in women’s T20Is, including two in three days by Argentina against Chile in October 2023.Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma’s twin hundreds in Johannesburg was only the second instance of two battters scoring hundreds in the same T20I innings•AFP/Getty ImagesI noticed that Lee Germon top-scored in both innings of his debut Test, and was also the captain. Has anyone else done this? asked Prasenjit Chatterjee from India

The New Zealand wicketkeeper Lee Germon achieved this unusual feat on his Test debut, with 48 and 41 against India in Bengaluru in October 1995. He’s actually the only one to top-score in both innings of his debut while also being captain, which is a pretty rare achievement in itself.Eighteen other players have top-scored in both innings of their Test debut, but were not captain. The most recent instance was by Alick Athanaze, for West Indies against India in Roseau (Dominica) in July 2023, and before that Shreyas Iyer did it for India vs New Zealand in Kanpur in November 2021 .The famed 1948 Australian team scored 774 against Gloucestershire, and there were five hundred partnerships in the innings. Was this a record? asked Tony Mountford from England

The 1948 Australian “Invincibles”, captained by Don Bradman, went through that long tour without being defeated. In the match against Gloucestershire in Bristol, even though Bradman himself didn’t play, the Aussies’ 774 for 7 declared included successive partnerships of 102, 66, 136, 162, 63, 140 and 105. Opener Arthur Morris made 290, and Sam Loxton 159 not out from No. 6.At the time, that was the fourth instance of five hundred partnerships in a first-class innings (the Australians had also done it in England in 1938, against Oxford University), and there have been two more cases since: by Sialkot (666 for 7) against Hyderabad in Sialkot in November 2007, and Sri Lanka A (749 for 5 declared) vs South Africa A in Potchefstroom in 2008.But there’s a runaway leader in this category. There has never been a first-class innings with six hundred partnerships, but there has been one with seven: when Holkar ran up 912 for 8 declared against Mysore in the Ranji Trophy semi-final in Indore in March 1946, they had successive stands of 184, 4, 111, 172, 110, 125, 106 and 100.And there’s an update to last week’s question about Mominul Haque being out twice in the same session of a Test, from Charles Davis in Australia

“On the subject of two dismissals in a short interval, if we widen the search to include any score, the fastest appears to be by Percy Sherwell for South Africa against Australia in Sydney in March 1911. Sherwell was the last man out in the first innings, and when the follow-on was enforced he kept the pads on and opened, only to be first out for 14 in the fourth over. There were 11 minutes’ playing time and 27 minutes’ elapsed time between the two dismissals.”Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

With a Test debut looming in New Zealand, wicketkeeper suffered the cruellest break, but he’s ready to bounce back

Andrew Miller26-Mar-2025How long can a hungry young player stay hungry – or young for that matter – when the fates seem so cruelly conspired against him? Five years have passed since Jordan Cox, then 19, announced his talents with a startling double-century for Kent in the Bob Willis Trophy, and four years since his Player-of-the-Match performance in their T20 Blast triumph at Edgbaston in 2021.Three years have passed since Cox’s first England call-up, as an unused squad member on the T20I tour of Pakistan in 2022, and two years since a “disgusting” broken finger stopped him in full flow for Oval Invincibles in the Hundred, and left him facing surgery while his inevitable England debut was deferred yet again.It’s been a year since he relaunched his county career at Essex, and six months since he finally broke into an England first XI, for five admittedly underwhelming white-ball appearances against Australia and West Indies last September and October. Nothing, however, compares to the agonies he endured on the Test tour of New Zealand the following month, just when it seemed that there was nothing left that could slow down an ambitious young man in a palpable hurry to succeed.There Cox was in the nets in Queenstown, with the first of three guaranteed Test caps tattooed into his schedule: Christchurch, November 27. Cox was England’s designated wicketkeeper while Jamie Smith was away on paternity leave, and flavour of the month with Brendon McCullum, who felt his crashingly confident attitude would fit right in with his ethos.But then, at the precise moment that McCullum was bigging up his impending debutant in a chat with the travelling media, Cox wore a lifter in the nets on his right thumb, and that was the end of his tour. “I knew then and there, I was buggered … sorry for my French,” Cox says. “Absolutely gone … and it was absolutely devastating.”It’s probably been the hardest winter I’ve ever had. To get picked to make your debut is something that you dream of as a kid. From the age of seven, when I started playing cricket, to getting my opportunity at 23, I was thinking, I’m the luckiest guy alive.”I had known about it two months before. Baz was like, ‘just to let you know, you’re going be playing, you’re going to keep, you can play all three Tests. Smudge is going to have his kid. I want you to go out there and have a bit of fun’.”The injury occurred just three days before the Test, which was just enough notice for Cox to get in an emergency phonecall to his family, who were already at Heathrow preparing to fly out and witness his proudest moment.”My dad was in the queue at Heathrow about to leave [when I called him], and I was like, you can just turn around. There’s no point in you coming.”My girlfriend ended up coming out, more for support, as I was going to have an operation straight away. But the surgeon said it could be quite risky, and the thumb may not move exactly how you want it to. With my body being young and healthy, we decided – as a family and as Essex – to leave it and let it naturally heal, and it has, which is so, so lucky. But it’s been a crazy, crazy winter.”Cox smashed a brisk 70 for Gulf Giants in the ILT20 but felt ‘horrific’ after his injury•ILT20The injury itself is only part of the setback to Cox’s ambition, however. Every bit as relevant is the development of the team in his absence. While Ollie Pope took one for the team and shifted down the order to take over as wicketkeeper, Jacob Bethell breezed into the breach at No.3 to seize Cox’s mantle as England’s coming man. With Smith due to slot back in this summer, and Pope still the designated vice-captain, there are no obvious vacancies looming as England set their sights on a seismic six months against India and Australia.”This game is an absolute, you know … nasty word,” Cox says. “It’s so difficult. There’s so many quality players out there, and they’re trying to work out who is fitting where. They’re not going to promise you something and then go back on it, so for me personally, I want to score as many runs as I can for Essex. And if that gets me an opportunity, that gets me an opportunity. If it doesn’t, that’s okay with me, because I know that I’m doing as much I can to win a Championship for Essex.”Cox did at least find a positive in his predicament, as he turned his recuperation into an extended holiday with his family in Australia – much of it, he says, on Bondi Beach – but he doesn’t deny that he’s fallen off the radar a touch with regards to the England squads and, in particular, their newly installed head coach across formats.”He’s been the world’s busiest man, hasn’t he?” Cox says of McCullum, whose grim first foray as white-ball head coach resulted in ten defeats in 11 matches in India and Pakistan, including the Champions Trophy, and culminated in the resignation of his captain, Jos Buttler. In such circumstances, Cox accepts that checking in on his recuperation is not exactly a priority.”I understand … he sent me a message the day I left the group, just saying: ‘really sorry what happened, mate, it’s absolutely devastating … it’s so sad’. But unfortunately, that’s life and that’s sport. He’s not going to be a parent and text me every other day.”[The whole squad] sent me a lovely message, hoping I recover well, which was really nice to take in. Obviously it would have been nicer for them to have all gone ‘well done on this series. You did really well’. But hopefully that’s around the corner.”Instead, there’s scant little for Cox to look back on with any great fondness – least of all his comeback stint with Gulf Giants at the ILT20 in January, where he made a total of 186 runs in ten innings, with a solitary half-century.”I can probably say it now, because I’ve been paid, but I was a month too early,” he says. “I got told I was supposed to have three months off. So I had two. I felt like I needed to play because I hadn’t been paid all winter, apart from a bit with England.Cox has been part of Oval Invincibles’ back-to-back Hundred titles•Getty Images”I got one score [of 70] and I felt horrific, as if I hadn’t played cricket in years. It’s a weird feeling, going from playing every day and feeling amazing, to then having three months off, and sitting on Bondi. You go to hit a ball and you’re like, oh my God, I feel bad.”He possibly felt something similar in his most recent England opportunity: the three-match ODI series in the Caribbean in October, in which he batted at 3 but made an underwhelming total of 22 runs in 56 balls. He did receive an utter snorter in the third of those matches, a vicious lifter from Alzarri Joseph, but two poor strokes in the first two ODIs would have undermined his claim to a Champions Trophy berth, even before his injury.Cox, however, has already rationalised that experience. Like so many of his English peers, he has barely played a List A game since making his professional debut against Pakistan’s tourists in 2019, and his cause wasn’t helped by his long stint on the England sidelines, running drinks during the Sri Lanka Test series.Related

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“You have to work out a balance of playing matches and training. I’d been facing bowlers and facing sidearm, so I’d been getting ready. But was I match-match ready? Probably not. But also, I wouldn’t know if I would be, because the only 50-over games I’ve played is against Pakistan, my debut, and against Sri Lanka for England A, because I’ve been lucky enough to play in the Hundred.”It’s not something I’m going to get into because, I love the Hundred. I think it’s the best format that we’ve produced in the country. Test cricket’s obviously incredible, and it’s always the pinnacle. But for people that don’t have five days spare watching, you’re telling me the Hundred’s not the best thing? Cricket in England will have to change, and I feel like it will. But I also feel like I don’t know how long 50-over is going to last.”Nothing’s going to change in a hurry, however, so Cox simply has to be ready to hit the ground running next week, when Essex face Surrey in a tasty Championship opener. He will not, however, be ready to keep wicket in red-ball cricket just yet – a setback which further dents his value to England should they be looking at options for their four-day Test against Zimbabwe in May.He knows, however, that he just has to keep his frustrations under wraps, and trust in the processes that have got him noticed previously.”I got close enough once before, so I don’t need to do anything different,” he says. “They make you feel a part of it, that’s just Baz’s way, though I don’t think I ever felt at ease as such… I was absolutely bricking it before the warm-up game [in New Zealand], just knowing that I’d have Joe Root standing to my right, Brooky and Duckett waffling and giggling at each other, talking about golf, and Stokes at mid-off looking at me. But it was absolutely incredible.”Everyone’s human, they go through the same emotions, the same ups and downs, all that sort of stuff. People are going to have dips, but for the good players, they’re only a couple of innings. I hope I hit the ground running, and I can’t see why I wouldn’t. I’ve prepared as best I could for the season to start. If it started tomorrow, I’d be ready.”

With several senior players rested, and Maharaj to lead, rising stars like Brevis, Breetzke and Pretorius eye key roles in the road to 2027

Firdose Moonda26-Jun-2025South Africa’s young squad to play in Zimbabwe in a two-Test series starting on Saturday provides a window into their next-best, with regular captain Temba Bavuma out injured and five other regulars being rested. They will be without their top order as Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton and Tristan Stubbs have been given time off and their new-ball pair of Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen, while Lungi Ngidi will only join the squad for the second Test.That presents an opportunity for those just on the fringes of selection for the first XI to make their case to play for the Test champions, ahead of a tough next cycle. These matches do not form part of the 2025-2027 World Test Championship (as Zimbabwe are not a WTC-playing country) so South Africa’s title defence starts in October with an away series in Pakistan, followed by a two-Test series against India in India in November. They will not play home Tests until they host Australia in October 2026. The cycle also includes home series against England and Bangladesh and two Tests in Sri Lanka. Coach Shukri Conrad has cast the net wide as he seeks to build depth, starting in Zimbabwe. So who are the new and newish faces? We’ve got the cheat sheet (and what a possible XI could look like, in batting order) here:1. Tony de Zorzi or Lesogo Senokwane The regular opener for the bulk of the last WTC, Tony de Zorzi suffered a thigh injury ahead of the New Year’s Test this year, where Ryan Rickelton scored 259, lost his place in the final. In isolation, that would seem an unfortunate set of circumstances which should see de Zorzi back in the frame as the incumbent but he will have to work to get his spot back. Before the niggle, de Zorzi had scored 44 runs in six innings, a deflating return at home after his career-best 177 in Chattogram. His dismissals have exposed a defensive shortcoming, especially against the full ball on the drive and he will want to show that has tightened up. Another option would be to use Lesogo Senokwane in his preferred opening spot. Senokwane was the fourth-leading run-scorer in the first-class competition and could make his debut in Zimbabwe.Related

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2. Matthew Breetzke or Lhuan-dre Pretorius With one Test (and no runs) to his name, but a reputation for aggressive stroke play, this is Matthew Breetkze’s opportunity to show what he can do at the top of the order. He is 83 runs away from 3,500 in first-class cricket, including eight hundreds. So the pedigree is there but he may also be looking over his shoulder at the likes of Lhuan-dre Pretorius, who could leapfrog him in the national plans. At just 19 and with only seven first-class caps to his name, Pretorius is being fast-tracked but not without proof. He scored three hundreds in seven first-class matches last summer, including an under-pressure knock in the final.3. Wiaan Mulder or Zubayr Hamza This is the least certain position in South Africa’s Test XI and Wiaan Mulder did not appear a convincing solution in the WTC final. His 50-ball 27 in the second innings has repeatedly been described by Conrad as crucial to stabilising South Africa’s chase but there’s little doubt more will be expected of him in that position going forward. Either Mulder will be given the Zimbabwe series to try and make the spot his own or it will be given to a more traditional No.3, like Hamza, who played eight Tests between 2019 and 2024, and averages 46.73 in the spot.4. Dewald Brevis Arguably, the most exciting of the batting prospects, it is a matter of when, not if, Dewald Brevis will play for South Africa. He made good on the reputation he carried from finishing as the leading run-scorer in the 2022 under-19 World Cup last summer when he was the second-highest run-scorer in the first-class competition, where he averaged 47.75 and appears ready for the next step. Sidenote: He (and we) have dropped the “Baby AB” moniker as Brevis looks to make his own name.Dewald Brevis appears ready for the next step•Titans/ Gallo Images5. David Bedingham Much like Mulder, this is the series for Bedingham to really take ownership of his spot. He scored a composed 45 in the first innings of the WTC final and was there, on 21, at the end but a Test average of 35.55 with one hundred does not do justice to his first-class numbers. Bedingham has over 8,400 runs at an average of 50.38 and with extensive experience on the county circuit, is seen as someone South Africa can build a batting line-up around.6. Mulder/Senokwane/Pretorius One of the top-order batters may have to move down to No.6, where they will have to play a slightly different but equally challenging role. Mulder may be the most likely, especially if he has a big workload with the ball and is being considered for a spot lower down the order in the next WTC cycle.7. Kyle Verreynne South Africa’s regular wicketkeeper was not given the series off and comes in as a senior player. With 25 Test caps, he is second only to Keshav Maharaj in experience and also the most in-form batter of the squad. Verreynne scored three centuries in the last WTC cycle and hit the winning runs in the final and heads to Zimbabwe with major confidence.8. Keshav Maharaj Bavuma’s unavailability has opened the door for Maharaj to captain South Africa, a lifelong dream for the left-arm spinner. He has led his domestic team, Dolphins, in seven matches and South Africa in seven ODIs and five T20Is and though it’s unlikely he will ever do the job long-term, it reinforces his role as part of the leadership core. Maharaj will have a massive role to play in the subcontinent in this cycle and this series is a good tune-up.Prenelan Subrayen has been preferred over Senuran Muthusamy•SA209. Prenelan Subrayen With the number of matches in the subcontinent in mind, offspin-bowling allrounder, Subrayen has been picked ahead of Senuran Muthusamy. Subrayen has 242 wickets at 27.94 and was the second-highest wicket-taker in the first-class competition in the 2024-25 season. He took 34 wickets in seven matches at 23.17, including two five-fors and will play a part in South Africa’s next WTC cycle.10 and 11. Corbin Bosch or Kwena Maphaka or Codi Yusuf Zimbabwe, and especially Bulawayo, is known to be slow and low and difficult for pace bowlers so whoever South Africa pick can expect to be challenged. Corbin Bosch has played one Test and was part of the WTC final squad and is likely to play. He brings express pace (140kph plus) and will lengthen the batting line-up. Kwena Maphaka, who is 19 and also has a Test cap, offers the left-arm angle South Africa are missing with Jansen out but his workloads will have to be managed, especially as he is expected to feature heavily across formats. Codi Yusuf is certain to debut, and could play both matches, after a breakthrough home summer. He was joint-fifth in the first-class competition bowling charts and has taken 17 wickets in four matches for Durham in the County Championship, including two four-wicket hauls.

Regarded as one of the fastest bowlers in New Zealand, 25-year-old Matt Fisher is ready to make the most of a surprise call-up

Deivarayan Muthu27-Jul-2025Matt Fisher wasn’t supposed to be in New Zealand’s Test squad for the upcoming two-match series in Zimbabwe. Having just worked his way back from injury, the 25-year-old Northern Districts fast bowler was building up his loads for the New Zealand A tour of South Africa, which begins next month, instead.But, with a number of the top-rung fast bowlers away in T20 leagues and county cricket over the winter, Fisher was called up to New Zealand’s preparatory camp in the lead-up to the Zimbabwe tour as a net bowler, and new head coach Rob Walter was so impressed with his raw pace – he can hit 140kph and is regarded as one of the fastest in New Zealand – that he fast-tracked Fisher into the Test squad, Walter’s first since taking charge. Walter had also previously coached Fisher on an A tour to India in 2022 and has been quite big on out-and-out fast bowlers.”Yeah, he [Walter] just pulled me aside for a chat. He said he was going to have a chat with me at the start of the camp,” Fisher recalled after winning his first call-up. “Had a bit to do with him with the A tour to India a couple of years ago, so I thought he was just going to catch up and see how my body was and just have a yarn.Related

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“And then just said he was interested in taking me to Zimbabwe and, yeah, to be honest, it’s probably just a blur from there. But, nah, it’s pretty epic stuff!”With tearaway Ben Sears injured, Fisher has been called up to provide New Zealand’s attack with express pace. Walter believes that Fisher can be an “X-factor” bowler.”Raw pace is highly regarded everywhere in the world, and generally it brings a point of difference to your team,” Walter said. “So, for me, that’s the main thing. We’ve got Will O’Rourke, who’s probably the top end of speed in our team, and to have someone who can then come and back him up if needs be is very important from a squad point of view. But, as we build a battery of fast bowlers, we’re very blessed in the country at the moment to have a large number of really good, strong fast bowlers.”And we’re just adding Fish into that mix now, giving them a little bit of touring experience, a bit of taste of what it means to be part of the Black Caps, and that just bodes well for our stable of fast bowlers.”Like Sears’ career, Fisher’s has been a litany of setbacks, from back issues and ankle injuries to shin splits more recently. Fisher played just three matches for Northern Districts in the 2024-25 Plunket Shield, taking 14 wickets at an average of 17.71. But New Zealand’s coaches and his team-mates see potential and a high ceiling. Overall, Fisher has picked up 51 wickets in 14 first-class matches at an average of 24.11.Matt Fisher is regarded as one of the fastest bowlers in New Zealand• Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images”Great to see Fish [in the Test side]. He’s had his injury troubles in the past, but, you know, in the last couple of seasons, at least for ND, he’s been bowling really quick and with great control,” Mitchell Santner, the New Zealand ODI captain and Fisher’s team-mate at Northern Districts, said. “I think he really impressed the boys back in New Zealand with that. When he arrives [in Zimbabwe], he will be pretty fired up and ready to go. For someone to be able to bounce back from injuries and potentially make a Test debut will be pretty cool for him.”Fisher’s emergence is a positive sign for a New Zealand attack that is in transition following the Trent Boult-Tim Southee era. With Kyle Jamieson also on a personal break for the birth of his first child, New Zealand have included two uncapped quicks in their squad. Apart from Fisher, Jacob Duffy is the other new face in the Test side. From having grown up watching Boult, Southee and Neil Wagner lead New Zealand’s line over the years, Fisher could potentially take his first step towards emulating his heroes in Zimbabwe.”Yeah, I grew up watching Bolt, Southee and Wags [Neil Wagner] and they’re just kind of all I remember,” Fisher said. “Probably started watching [them] when I was a teenager and just loved watching them bowl. You know, they’ve all different skill sets. They all just slotted in and, I suppose, worked with each other beautifully.”Yeah, they’re the reason why the Black Caps have the name they do now. I think they’re the backbone, as any cricketer, fast bowler would say. They are the engine room of the team. So, yeah, if I could have half the career they had, I’d be more than happy.”Fisher was part of the 2018 New Zealand Under-19 batch that has produced the likes of Rachin Ravindra and Finn Allen. Fisher was New Zealand Under-19s’ second-highest wicket-taker, with seven strikes in six games in that World Cup.Matt Fisher was New Zealand’s second-highest wicket-taker in the 2018 Under-19 World Cup•ICC via Getty ImagesThen came the injuries. Fisher was dealing with a stress fracture in his back through much of his time in Dunedin, where he studied law at the University of Otago. He has been contracted to Northern Districts since 2018. Over the years, Fisher has evolved, and has learnt to deal with the highs and lows of life as a fast bowler.”You’re getting injured some days. You don’t feel good some days. Everything’s going for four or six and I suppose you’re just chasing those good days,” he said. “So, in cricket, you have more bad days than good. So, I think it’s just that thought that each time you go out and play, you’re going to have a good day and, like, ‘it’s going to be your day’ and you’re going to prove yourself.”So, yeah, I love it. I wish I was a batter as well, but there’s no better feeling when you’ve got a new ball in hand and you’re just feeling nice, wind behind you, and trying to bowl fast and break the game open for your team.”It’s been five months since Fisher had experienced that feeling in a competitive game. Fit and firing at the New Zealand nets, he is now ready to make the most of his unexpected Test call-up.

India have staged draws and even wins after conceding big first-innings totals at home. But this team is in transition, with Gill out injured

Karthik Krishnaswamy23-Nov-20254:46

How can India bounce back in Guwahati?

Innumerable hurdles remain, but India have crossed the first one. Their openers have survived the 6.1 overs they had to endure in fading light with nothing to gain and everything to lose. It’s the one thing they’ll feel thankful for after a bruising second day in Guwahati.India know how much worse it could be. The last time they played a home series against South Africa, in 2019-20, the shoe had been entirely on the other foot – theirs. They had won three tosses out of three, made three massive first-innings totals, and made South Africa’s top order bat in the same sorts of end-of-day-two situations.South Africa’s scores after those mini-sessions: 39 for 3 in 20 overs in Visakhapatnam, 36 for 3 in 15 overs in Pune, and 9 for 2 in five overs in similarly fading light in Ranchi, another city in the east of the country.At least it isn’t as bad as that.Related

• Muthusamy ton, Jansen 93 put SA in dominant position

• Muthusamy comes out of the wilderness and stuns India

Regardless, India find themselves at the foot of the steepest of uphill trudges. They are 1-0 down in a two-Test series. Lose or draw from here, they lose the series. They are replying to a South Africa total of 489. No visiting team has posted a first-innings total that big and lost a Test in India.Steep as their task may be, though, it remains within the realms of possibility. The transition from the Virat Kohli era to this one is now almost complete, but India’s dressing room still contains two men, Ravindra Jadeja and KL Rahul, who played through the home season of 2016-17. During that season, India – on pitches not dissimilar to this one in Guwahati – lost the toss and conceded 400-plus totals three times to England and once to Australia, and came out of those four Tests with wins in Mumbai and Chennai, and draws in Rajkot and Ranchi. In both drawn Tests, day five began with an India victory still possible.Those results came on the back of marathon efforts from India’s top-order batters: two hundreds from M Vijay, two from Cheteshwar Pujara including a double in Ranchi, a double from Kohli in Mumbai, and, in Chennai, a 199 from Rahul and a triple from Karun Nair.In Guwahati, India will begin day three with all ten wickets in hand and a line-up of serious depth, but most of their batters haven’t faced this sort of situation in a home Test. And India are without Shubman Gill, their regular No. 4 and perhaps their best-equipped middle-order batter for a challenge that involves both batting long and scoring briskly.Conditions, though, most likely will not have changed much from day two, during which South Africa’s last four wickets added 243 runs.”Personally, I felt yesterday [day one], first session, there was a bit of moisture in the wicket, so I got a little bit of turn,” Kuldeep Yadav, who took 4 for 115 in 29.1 overs, said of the conditions. “After that, it was very good to bat on. There wasn’t any turn yesterday as well as today. Today was much better to bat, because I mean I hardly got any turn; even me and Jadeja, we have been talking about it, but the wicket was very good to bat on.”1:10

Kuldeep: ‘We’re not thinking about day four or day five’

For all the partnerships running South Africa’s innings, India’s bowlers kept control of the scoreboard for much of their innings, with South Africa’s run rate still under three an over when they lost their seventh wicket in the 121st over. A 91-ball 93 from No. 9 Marco Jansen, however, ensured South Africa ended up with close to 500 on the board.That Jansen was batting so far down the order was down to South Africa’s selection. When they brought in the spin-bowling allrounder Senuran Muthusamy – who batted at No. 7 and scored his maiden Test hundred – they had to choose between two seam-bowling allrounders to leave out. They kept the batting allrounder Wiaan Mulder in the side and left out the bowling allrounder Corbin Bosch.That depth contributed not just to the size of South Africa’s total but also the time their first innings took out of the Test match. When India took their seventh wicket in the second session of day two, did they have some sort of number – both in terms of South Africa’s total and when their innings would end – in mind for feeling like they were still in with a good chance of winning?”To be very honest, we knew that this was not a track [where you can roll a team over] very easily,” Kuldeep said. “We have to keep disciplined lines and be patient, and we tried, but yeah, as everyone knows, Marco Jansen and Muthusamy batted well. There wasn’t any number that we thought, okay, we [should] get them all out for 400 or 350.”South Africa’s selection, though, could also leave them lacking bowling depth, with Mulder sharing the new ball and Muthusamy, playing his first Test of the series, as one of two left-arm orthodox spinners against a line-up full of left-hand batters. Muthusamy comes into this Test match on the back of a Player-of-the-Series display in Pakistan, but the pitches he bowled on there were far more helpful than this one in Guwahati is likely to be.5:06

‘Extremely tactical’ hitting from Jansen

If India bat out day three without too many wickets lost, they could put this South Africa attack under pressure. Their batters, albeit with Gill absent, are certainly capable of doing this, as they showed on the recent tour of England.But through that tour and during the home series against England last year – the last time India played a strong opposition on good batting pitches at home – the batters also showed a tendency for dismissals against the run of play, to attacking shots, often close to breaks in play. These dismissals came at a high cost, particularly in Hyderabad, in Leeds, and at Lord’s, where strong India positions quickly turned to parity, and thereafter to England gaining a decisive advantage. These sorts of moments even happened during South Africa’s innings in Guwahati, with Temba Bavuma and Mulder out caught at mid-off on day one.India will have to guard against these lapses, but sometimes they’re par for the course with inexperienced line-ups. Scoring big hundreds is often about finding a rhythm against a particular bowler, sticking to it, and getting comfortable with a certain level of monotony. Gill has certainly learned to bat like this, as he showed while scoring 269 and 161 in his two innings in Birmingham, and will be a particularly big miss in this regard. Of India’s other batters, Yashasvi Jaiswal is the one proven scorer of big hundreds.As much as India will need to bat time, though, they’ll also need to do it at a good tempo. A draw is of little use to them, while it will suit South Africa perfectly. They can pack the off-side field and bowl wide of off stump if they want, or ask their left-arm spinners to bowl over the wicket and pitch outside the right-handers’ leg stump. Early finishes for bad light won’t hurt them unduly.India will have to do all the running. They’ll need to establish firm foundations, but they’ll also need to find ways of scoring quickly if they are to get close to South Africa’s total, or get beyond it, with enough time still left for their bowlers to force a result. While most of their batters can bat in different gears, Rishabh Pant has an extra gear that’s all his own. More than ever, and on captaincy debut, he could be an utterly key player.This has been a thankless series for India. They lost the first Test after losing the toss on one kind of Indian pitch, and they’re in this unenviable position in the second, after losing the toss on an entirely different kind of pitch. If their long-held belief that tosses matter too much on flat home pitches seemed like paranoia when they were losing on extreme turners, this Test has shown it wasn’t unfounded.The truth, quite simply, is that no pitch can guarantee winning, and that India, as formidable as their record was until last year, have no god-given right to win home Tests. They know this. They know they are in transition. They know their own past successes have contributed to oppositions becoming smarter with selections and preparation for India tours.For all that, this Test match is still alive; India will have to believe this, at any rate, and believe they have the players to pull it off.

Glasgow Rangers are currently enjoying the last international break of the year before their season runs through until March 2026, which means that Danny Rohl has two weeks to assess his start to life at Ibrox.

The German head coach came in to replace Russell Martin in the dugout, after the Scottish boss endured a dismal tenure in Glasgow, and was thrust straight into action with a Europa League clash against Brann within a couple of days.

Rohl has already managed six matches as the Gers head coach, winning three of them, and this international break is his first chance to settle down and take time to plan for the future.

The January transfer window is less than two months away and it will be interesting to see what moves the former Sheffield Wednesday boss wants to make with the squad.

It has already been reported that Genk central defender Mujaid Sadick is a target for the Scottish giants, with an enquiry having been made, which suggests that Rohl wants a new centre-back to bolster his backline.

Whilst incoming signings will be on the agenda, it will also be interesting to see who the head coach decides to part ways with when the January transfer window opens for business.

Rangers players whose futures may be in doubt

There are several players in the first-team squad whose futures at Ibrox are in doubt because of their lack of minutes on the pitch in the 2025/26 campaign.

Per Transfermarkt, Clinton Nsiala has not played a single minute of football under Martin, Stevie Smith, or Rohl, and that may put his future into doubt unless that changes in the next few weeks.

Football FanCast recently published an article suggesting that the 21-year-old centre-back should be given an opportunity to shine, after the Gers won seven of the 11 matches that he played in the Scottish Premiership last season.

So, whilst his future may be in doubt, Rohl should look to provide the French talent with an opportunity to impress before making a final decision on his situation.

Attacking midfielder Nedim Bajrami is another player who may be considering his future at Ibrox ahead of the January transfer window, due to his lack of minutes on the pitch this season.

The Albania international, who was signed from Sassuolo in the summer of 2024, has only played 170 minutes across ten appearances in all competitions in the 2025/26 campaign, per Transfermarkt.

As you can see in the table above, the former Serie A playmaker has rarely been used in the Premiership this season, with zero minutes under his belt under Rohl in the division.

It was reported that there were offers on the table for Bajrami in the summer transfer window, which suggests that there may be enough interest in January to finally cash in on him.

First Impressions

What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast’s ‘First Impressions’ series has everything you need.

Whilst rarely-seen players like Nsiala and Bajrami may be moved on in January, rightly or wrongly, Rohl and Thelwell should also look to cash in on a player who is currently considered a first-team star, Mohamed Diomande.

The central midfielder was compared to Zidane by Turkish legend and TV pundit Nihat after the 3-1 win against Fenerbahce in the Europa League in March of last season.

After an assist in the win for the Gers, Nihat said: “Mohamed Diomande was brilliant – like the best of Zinedine Zidane – thank God they substituted him.”

However, eight months on from that incredible comparison to the Real Madrid and France legend, Rangers should ruthlessly cash in on the midfielder in January.

Why Rangers should cash in on Mohamed Diomande

Turkish side Besiktas reportedly made an offer of £10m to sign the Ivorian midfielder from the Light Blues during the summer transfer window, but that was not enough to tempt them into selling. He was also linked with a possible move to Premier League side Everton.

This suggests that there are teams who are interested in signing the left-footed star from the Gers, which means that there could be an opportunity to cash in on him when the January transfer window opens for business.

If a team are willing to pay £10m or more for the central midfielder in January, it would represent a great deal for the Light Blues because they only paid £4.3m to sign him from FC Nordsjaelland in the summer of 2024.

The 24-year-old star did impress in the 2024/25 campaign, with six goals and nine assists in all competitions (Transfermarkt), including a goal against Celtic at Parkhead in March.

However, the central midfielder’s form has taken a nosedive in the current season, unfortunately, and it may be the right time to cash in on him at the start of next year.

As you can see in the table above, Diomande’s performances in and out of possession in the Premiership have declined significantly, as he has struggled in all phases of play in the league this term.

On top of his struggles domestically, the central midfielder has started one match in the league phase of the Europa League this season and was sent off for a challenge on Genk’s El Ouahdi.

Because of his inconsistency, from last season to the current one, and his dismal performances in the Premiership, it could be the right move for Thelwell and Rohl to part ways with the midfielder in January.

Selling Diomande in January could avoid a situation where his performances continue to decline and he is worth even less in the future, and it would provide the new manager with funds to bring in his own players.

Not Gassama: Future "superstar" is Rangers' biggest talent since Tillman

This future superstar is Glasgow Rangers’ biggest talent since Malik Tillman was at Ibrox.

1

By
Dan Emery

Nov 10, 2025

Of course, the risk is that the Ivorian could recapture his best form elsewhere, but this could be the best course of action given what has happened so far in the 2025/26 campaign.

Pair join Northern Superchargers after Pakistan players were snubbed in draft earlier this year

Matt Roller04-Aug-2025Mohammad Amir and Imad Wasim have signed contracts with Northern Superchargers, assuaging concerns that Pakistani players would be locked out of the Hundred under new Indian owners.The ECB insisted earlier this year that the identity of new investors – four out of eight are based in India, and a further two are Indian-American – would have no effect on the involvement of Pakistani players in the Hundred. “We’re aware of that in other regions,” Richard Gould, the ECB’s chief executive, said in February, “but that won’t be happening here.”Eyebrows were raised when no men’s players were signed at March’s draft, in contrast to previous seasons. But the snub could also be explained by the unavailability of Pakistan’s white-ball squads (due to a tour of West Indies and a tri-series in the UAE), their recent struggles in T20Is, and the late pullouts of Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah last year.Related

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Then, on Monday, Amir and Imad became the first two Pakistan players to sign deals for the 2025 season, as late replacements at the Superchargers for Ben Dwarshuis (full season) and Mitchell Santner (two games) due to international duty. The Superchargers’ incoming owners are Indian media tycoons the Sun Group, who will assume operational control on October 1.Amir and Imad will link up with Ben Stokes in the Hundred, who revealed on Monday that he will play an informal, mentoring role at the Superchargers as he starts his rehabilitation from the shoulder injury that ruled him out of England’s fifth Test with India. Stokes opted out of the Hundred earlier this year, but will support Andrew Flintoff and Harry Brook.”You will see me knocking about the Hundred, not in a playing way,” Stokes said. “I had to make a decision in January if I would participate in the comp, but that was after my hamstring surgery. I said I’d still like to be a part of it, so I will be milling about. I won’t have a notebook and pen. I said I would come and give my time to the team. I will be cracking on with my rehab.”Most of England’s Test batters will be available throughout the Hundred, though most of their fast bowlers will be resting. London Spirit have roped in John Simpson as their wicketkeeping to face Oval Invincibles in Tuesday’s curtain-raiser, with Ollie Pope and Jamie Smith both rested, while Glamorgan allrounder Dan Douthwaite has also signed a short-term deal.Mark Chapman and Farhan Ahmed have replaced Rachin Ravindra (international duty, four games) and Marchant de Lange (injury, full tournament) at Manchester Originals, while West Indies allrounder Akeal Hosein will deputise for South Africa’s George Linde at Trent Rockets for two matches.

The Hundred replacements:

London Spirit: John Simpson and Dan Douthwaite to replace Jamie Smith and Ollie Pope for August 5
Manchester Originals: Mark Chapman to replace Rachin Ravindra (August 6-13), Farhan Ahmed to replace Marchant de Lange; Amuruthaa Surenkumar to replace Ella McCaughan
Northern Superchargers: Imad Wasim to replace Mitchell Santner (August 7-10); Mohammad Amir to replace Ben Dwarshuis
Trent Rockets: Akeal Hosein to replace George Linde (August 10-14)

Tottenham Hotspur have now expressed an interest in signing a “world-class” forward, who Thomas Frank approved signing during the summer transfer window.

Spurs looking to sign new forward amid Tel and Odobert concerns

Frank strengthened his forward line during the summer transfer window, with Mohammed Kudus arriving from West Ham United, and the 25-year-old has emerged as a key player so far this season, chipping in with one goal and five assists in the Premier League.

However, there are concerns about the performances of some of the players who were already at the club, with journalist Andreas Vou particularly critical of the decision to bring in Mathys Tel and Wilson Odobert, rather than making one statement signing in attack.

The duo were benched for the 3-0 victory against Everton on Sunday, having picked up just one top-flight goal between them this term, and the Lilywhites have now set out to sign another new forward.

That is according to a report from Spain, which reveals Tottenham have now expressed an interest in signing Real Sociedad star Takefusa Kubo, who has been put up for sale by the La Liga club ahead of the January transfer window.

Kubo is now expected to leave Real Sociedad this winter, which could open the door for a move to N17, and there is a feeling he could now be available for the relatively affordable fee of €40m (£35m).

Manchester United and Everton are also in the race for the winger, and there are indications that Frank could be keen too, having already approved a move back in the summer transfer window.

"World-class" Kubo may need fresh start

The Japanese forward is clearly very talented, having received plaudits from former Barcelona boss Xavi in the past, who said: “(Takefusa) Kubo is a world-class footballer. Not just with the ball, but also without it.”

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Spurs have taken the lead in the race for an “intelligent” midfielder

By
Dominic Lund

Oct 26, 2025

The 24-year-old has also impressed at times over the past year, particularly catching the eye with his dribbling ability, ranking in the 94th percentile for successful take-ons per 90, when compared to other attacking midfielders and wingers.

That said, there may be concerns about some of the Japan international’s recent performances, given that he has provided just one goal for Real Sociedad in La Liga this term, while failing to pick up a single assist.

Kubo may simply need a fresh start in a new league, having been in La Liga since the 2019-20 campaign, so a move to Tottenham could be ideal, although his recent form means he would be a risky signing.