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The Apertura 2025 Liguilla is officially set, and once again the Play-In delivered more noise than impact. For the third straight year, the top eight teams from the regular-season table advanced, reaffirming criticism of a format that never allowed ninth or 10th place to break through. With Liga MX preparing to scrap the Play-In in 2026, attention now shifts fully to the quarterfinals and Toluca’s bid for back-to-back titles.

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  What is at stake?

  Tijuana, Juárez, Pachuca, and Pumas battled for the final two postseason spots, but the decisive matchup only reinforced the existing hierarchy. Juárez earned its first-ever Liguilla berth by beating Pachuca – though the Bravos were already eighth in the table – adding to the belief that the Play-In has created more fatigue than competitive balance. This will be the final tournament using the format before the league returns to a traditional top-eight qualification system in Clausura 2026.

  With the bracket set, the quarterfinals begin Wednesday, Nov. 26: FC Juárez vs. Toluca, Rayados vs. América, Tijuana vs. Tigres. On Thursday, Nov. 27, Chivas vs. Cruz Azul closes the first legs.

  The second legs follow on Saturday, Nov. 29, before Cruz Azul vs. Chivas wraps the round on Sunday, Nov. 30.

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  No 1. Toluca vs. No. 8 FC Juárez – The most uneven quarterfinal duel

  Juárez’s qualification came with a dramatic 2-1 win over Pachuca, but the Bravos now face the tournament’s most dominant side. Toluca enter the Liguilla as the reigning champions, top of the table, and overwhelming favorites.

  The clubs have no Liguilla history between them; their only knockout meeting was a Repechaje won by Toluca. Their most recent league match ended 2-0 for the Diablos at Estadio Olímpico Benito Juárez, with goals from Paulinho and Juan Domínguez.

  Toluca – Key to Success

  Long rest may be their only concern. With 18 days since their last official match, rhythm could be an issue. Otherwise, Antonio Mohamed’s team has been a powerhouse all season. Over two legs, they remain heavy favorites.

  Player to Watch: Paulinho

  The Portuguese striker claimed his third consecutive Liga MX Golden Boot and formed a dangerous partnership with Alexis Vega.

  FC Juárez – Key to Success

  Juárez enter as a pure underdog. To shock the champions, they must contain Paulinho and Vega at the Nemesio Díez – something few clubs have managed.

  Player to Watch: Óscar Estupiñán

  Eight goals in 13 matches made him Juárez’s primary threat. He’ll need a near-perfect series.

  GOAL's Pick: Toluca advance comfortably.

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  No. 2 Tigres vs. No. 7 Tijuana – Ángel Correa vs. Gilberto Mora

  Tigres and Tijuana have met only once in Liguilla history, a matchup won by Tigres. Their regular-season meeting also went to Tigres, 2-0, with goals from Gignac and Correa.

  Tigres – Key to Success

  Guido Pizarro’s side had the league’s best away record (four wins, four draws, no losses) and the best defense (16 goals conceded). They were also the second-best attack. Maintaining those standards should be enough.

  Player to Watch: Ángel Correa

  The World Cup winner has adapted seamlessly and is central to Tigres’ attack alongside Brunetta, Lainez, and Gorriarán.

  Xolos – Key to Success

  Sebastián Abreu’s side looked sharp in the Play-In but now face one of Liga MX’s toughest teams. Xolos must take advantage of the first leg at home to have any chance.

  Player to Watch: Gilberto Mora

  The 17-year-old showed confidence with a Panenka against Juárez, but Xolos need more than just him to pull an upset.

  GOAL's Pick: Tigres move on.

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  No. 3 Cruz Azul vs. No. 6 Chivas – A matchup that promises plenty

  Cruz Azul and Chivas have met three times in Liguilla play, with Guadalajara winning two series. Their most recent match came on Matchday 7, a 2-1 Cruz Azul win at Estadio Akron.

  Cruz Azul – Key to Success

  Nicolás Larcamón’s team secured third place and turned Estadio Olímpico Universitario into a fortress. If they maintain their defensive consistency, they enter as favorites.

  Player to Watch: Gabriel Fernández

  Unexpectedly retained, Fernández delivered with seven goals in the tournament.

  Chivas – Key to Success

  Gabriel Milito’s side closed the season strongly with a three-match winning streak. However, they ranked low among qualifiers in goals scored and need Armando González to continue his breakout form.

  Player to Watch: Armando González

  The 13-goal scorer shared the Golden Boot and is essential to Chivas’ chances.

  GOAL's Pick: Cruz Azul in a tight series.

The Tigers finally did it.

For the first time since Sept. 14 and for just the second time in the last two weeks, Detroit won a baseball game Thursday night, defeating the rival Guardians 4-2 at Progressive Field. The victory halted an eight-game losing streak for the Tigers and finally cooled off Cleveland, which has soared back into the postseason picture by winning 17 of its last 20 games.

The Tigers, who had a 10.5-game lead in the AL Central on Sept. 1, entered the night one game behind the Guardians after dropping the first two games of the series. With the win, Detroit climbs back into a tie for first place with Cleveland with an 86-73 record.

The Guardians, however, clinched the tiebreaker over the Tigers by winning their head-to-head series this season. If the two teams end the 162-game schedule with the same record, Cleveland will be crowned AL Central champs.

Before Thursday night's game, Fangraphs gave the Tigers a 70.6% chance to make the playoffs and an 18.6% chance to win the AL Central. But after the win, Fangraphs estimates the Tigers now have an 84.1% chance to make the playoffs and a 33.5% chance to win the division.

A huge, huge win.

Elsewhere in the American League, the Mariners officially clinched the AL West on Wednesday night—their first division title since 2001. The Blue Jays and Yankees have both secured playoff berths, but the AL East is still up for grabs, with Toronto holding the tiebreaker.

Toronto took care of business Thursday night, defeating the Red Sox 6-1, while the Yankees beat the White Sox 5-3. The Red Sox remain in the second of three AL wild-card spots, sandwiched between the Tigers and rival Yankees. The Astros, who beat the Athletics 11-5 earlier Thursday afternoon, sit one game back of the Tigers for the final wild-card spot.

Here's how everything looks after Thursday's slate of games:

American League Playoff PictureAL DIVISION LEADERS

TEAM

RECORD

Toronto Blue Jays (AL East)

91-68

Seattle Mariners (AL West; clinched)

89-69

Cleveland Guardians (AL Central)

86-63

AL WILD CARD

TEAM

RECORD

GB

New York Yankees

91-68

+5

Boston Red Sox

87-72

+1

Detroit Tigers

86-73

—

—

—

—

Houston Astros

85-74

1

Bangladesh have also dropped Mohammad Naim after a string of low scores

Mohammad Isam22-Aug-2025The Bangladesh selectors have recalled wicketkeeper-batter Nurul Hasan and allrounder Saif Hassan in the senior men’s squad for the Asia Cup next month. There was however no place for Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Mohammad Naim, who were both part of the Bangladesh side that beat Pakistan 2-1 last month.The same 16-member squad will play in the three-match T20I series against the Netherlands starting on August 30. Mehidy would have missed the Netherlands matches due to personal reasons, but he also lost his place for the Asia Cup. Mehidy, the new ODI captain, returned to the T20I side after Bangladesh’s 2-1 defeat against UAE, but didn’t make a big impact. He has been named among the four standby players.Bangladesh squad for Asia Cup•ESPNcricinfo LtdNaim couldn’t convert his domestic T20 form into international runs. He had scores of 32*, 3 and 10 in the three T20Is against Pakistan. Naim also didn’t perform well enough for Bangladesh A side in the Top End T20s in Darwin, Australia.Nurul’s last T20I was in the World Cup in 2022, when he made just 41 runs in five innings. He gained better form during the 2024-25 season in which he scored 513 runs at a strike rate of 132.90 across the Bangladesh Premier League, National Cricket League and the Global Super League. The 31-year-old Nurul had also led Rangpur Riders to the inaugural GSL title in 2024.Both Nurul and Saif are playing the Top End T20s. Saif struck a half-century against the Pakistan Shaheens, and 45 against the Melbourne Stars Academy. Nurul got couple of thirties in the five matches.Related

No Babar, Rizwan in Pakistan squad for Asia Cup

Vikramjit back in Netherlands squad for Bangladesh T20Is

Asia Cup: India-Pakistan set to go ahead after Indian government clarifies stance

Soumya Sarkar, Tanvir Islam and Hasan Mahmud are the others on the standby list.Bangladesh will play the three T20Is against Netherlands on August 30, and September 1 and 3. Their Asia Cup campaign starts against Hong Kong in Abu Dhabi on September 11.Bangladesh squad for Asia Cup and Netherlands T20Is:Litton Das (capt, wk), Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Saif Hassan, Towhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali, Shamim Hossain, Nurul Hasan, Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Tanzim Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Mohammad SaifuddinIN: Saif Hassan, Nurul Hasan
OUT: Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Mohammad Naim

Liverpool fans have been impressed after hearing club legend Steven Gerrard share his thoughts on the current Mohamed Salah saga. The Egyptian star has been critical of the club and manager Arne Slot after being benched in recent games for the Reds. Former defender Jamie Carragher has hit out at Salah for his comments, but Liverpool fans think Gerrard's analysis of the situation is far more accurate.

• Salah in the spotlight amid Liverpool struggles

  Salah's future at Liverpool is in the spotlight after he gave an explosive interview in the wake of being left out of the Liverpool starting XI for the third successive game against Leeds United. The Egyptian star accused the club of 'throwing him under the bus' and claimed his relationship with Slot had broken down. Salah was subsequently left out of Liverpool's next game against Inter in the Champions League, and it's not clear yet if he will feature against Brighton next time out before heading to the Africa Cup of Nations with Egypt. Television pundit Carragher has since made headlines by sharing his thoughts on the saga and has been very critical of Salah, calling the Liverpool star's comments a "disgrace." Another Liverpool legend, Gerrard, has now shared his thoughts on the row and has had some sympathy for Salah.

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  Gerrard gives his verdict on Salah

  Gerrard told : "He's obviously really upset he's not playing, which I respect. He won’t sit out of the team, which I respect. The couple of lines about throwing people under the bus [is] wrong. He needs to reverse a little bit away from that. He needs to deal with that with the manager. This needs Virgil van Dijk to go, 'How are we sorting this out for the benefit of not the club, or the team, but the fans?' I've seen this and I've lived it. I lived it with [Luis] Suarez when he fell out with Brendan [Rodgers]. I've seen it all.  I've been there myself from a personal point of view. I did the Salah statement in 30 seconds against [Manchester] United when I got sent off. So no-one's perfect. We've all had head losses as players. We’ve all done emotional things. And I know in time when this all calms Mo will go, 'I shouldn't have said that, I maybe shouldn't have said that, I was a bit emotional, I was a bit hasty.' But at the end of the day, Liverpool football club needs Mo Salah, back playing well, back scoring goals, because he is the best player, the best scorer and he will help them get out of this. If this goes on this is bigger than what we all know and what we see."

• Liverpool fans blast 'imposter' Carragher

  Some Liverpool fans have reacted on social media to Gerrard's comments and feel he has a far better grasp on the situation than Carragher.

  Liverpool and Salah supporter @Corballyred posted on X: "That's how a real legend talks about the Salah situation and not someone with a clear agenda against Salah like Carragher."

  Another fan @PauluzRFRM added: "Situations like this tell you who's truly wise and who's not but Carragher can't relate."

  And @DivvyBet agreed, posting: "Listen to a real legend talk, not that imposter on Sky."

  @AFC_Beeb added: "This is another sensible comment from Steven G unlike @Carra23 whose comment came out like hatred for Mo. Carragher you should learn a thing or two from Gerrard and Henry with their comments."

• Getty Images Sport
  

  What next for Salah and Liverpool?

  Salah's future at Liverpool remains uncertain following his outburst and with Saudi Pro League clubs reportedly willing to try and tempt him away from Anfield in the January transfer window. Slot is yet to confirm if the winger will play any part in Liverpool's next game against Brighton at Anfield on Saturday, and his team sheet for the game will make for interesting reading. Salah is then due to join up with the Egypt squad for AFCON and will miss a host of games for the Reds. If Egypt do manage to make it all the way to the final, then he will not be able to return until January 19 at the earliest

Arsenal and Mikel Arteta have been handed a fairly concerning injury update on the condition of Kai Havertz, who was rumoured to be in contention for this weekend’s looming North London derby against Tottenham at the Emirates Stadium.

After losing star defender Gabriel Magalhaes to a thigh injury earlier this week, which cut short his international tour of duty with Brazil, the last thing Arteta needs is another injury setback.

Arsenal, who top the Premier League table after a sensational run of form and haven’t lost a single game since their 1-0 defeat to Liverpool in August, have done extraordinarily well to cope without a plethora of key attackers lately — including Martin Odegaard, Noni Madueke, Gabriel Martinelli, Viktor Gyokeres, Gabriel Jesus and Havertz.

Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest

Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 1-1 Man City

Port Vale 0-2 Arsenal

Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

Fulham 0-1 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-0 Atlético Madrid

Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace

Arsenal 2-0 Brighton

Burnley 0-2 Arsenal

Slavia Prague 0-3 Arsenal

Sunderland 2-2 Arsenal

Odegaard, Madueke, Havertz and Jesus have been on the treatment table for extended periods, with the latter last in line to return to action after he ruptured his ACL against Man United at the start of 2025.

Madueke is racing to be fit for this weekend’s clash with Tottenham after impressing Arsenal rehab staff in his recovery from a knee problem, with Odegaard in the same boat according to reliable media sources like Standard Sport.

Havertz was believed to be in contention as well, but an update from Nagelsmann threatens to cast some doubt over his involvement against Spurs on Sunday.

The 26-year-old was sidelined in the opening week of the Premier League campaign and required surgery on a knee issue, having only just returned from a hamstring injury which kept him out for months.

It’s been a frustrating time for Havertz, and while reports suggest he’s been excelling in his Arsenal rehab similar to Madueke, Nagelsmann has actually made a suggestion to the contrary.

Julian Nagelsmann makes Kai Havertz injury claim in worry for Arsenal

Speaking to reporters this week, the Germany boss made an interesting prediction, stating that he expects Havertz to return “towards the end of the year”.

This comes after the £280,000-per-week star also suffered a “minor relapse” of his knee injury, though Nagelsmann has moved to say that Havertz is “doing well” all things considered.

While this doesn’t mean that Havertz is definitively out for this weekend’s all-important derby clash, it doesn’t exactly paint a certain picture of his involvement either, so Arsenal could have another injury worry on their hands here after a few scares over the international break.

Luckily for Arteta, while Gabriel is a major doubt to face Tottenham, Riccardo Calafiori has been given the all-clear to play this weekend, according to Fabrizio Romano.

If Havertz does turn out to be ready for Sunday, with uncertainty surrounding him right now, it would come as an almighty boost.

Gyokeres is another Arsenal player who could miss the derby, so a return for Havertz would undoubtedly do wonders to alleviate the Swede’s absence, otherwise Mikel Merino is in line to start his third successive game as Arteta’s makeshift striker.

Tottenham Hotspur head coach Thomas Frank needs to find a way for his team to create more chances on a consistent basis after some struggles in the Premier League of late.

The Lilywhites created a staggering eight ‘big chances’ against Copenhagen in the Champions League last week, per Sofascore, but they have been unable to showcase that level of creativity on the domestic stage.

Spurs created 0.92 xG in their 2-2 draw with Manchester United in the Premier League on Saturday, per Sofascore, after creating 0.10 xG in their defeat to Chelsea at home in their previous top-flight clash.

Per FBref, Tottenham rank 14th in the Premier League for xG, with 11.0 in 11 matches, which shows that they are far away from being one of the most creative teams in the division.

The former Brentford head coach, therefore, needs to adjust his system or work harder with the players on the training pitch to ensure that they start creating more chances.

One team selection move that Frank could make to add more creativity to the team in the short-term could be to unleash Wilson Odobert from the start after his excellent cameo on Saturday.

Why Wilson Odobert should start for Spurs

The former Burnley forward came off the bench to make a significant impact against Manchester United, as he provided the assist for Richarlison’s goal with a shot that turned into a cross.

Irrespective of whether it was intended as a shot or a cross, Odobert set himself brilliantly with a perfect first touch and struck the ball superbly, with an effort that may have gone in even if Richarlison had not made contact with the ball.

The France U21 international came on at half-time for Randal Kolo Muani and added directness and excitement to the Tottenham attack with his willingness to take players on with the ball at his feet.

Vs Man Utd

Wilson Odobert

Minutes played

45

Shots

1

Key passes

3

Big chances created

2

Dribbles completed

2/2

Pass accuracy

100%

Duels won

4/4

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Odobert created two ‘big chances’ in 45 minutes of action, whilst being incredibly efficient as a dribbler, as a passer, and in his duels.

That impressive cameo against the Red Devils came after he started and scored in the 4-0 win over Copenhagen, which means that the forward has registered goal contributions in successive matches for the first time in his Tottenham career.

This shows that the French youngster is finally finding his feet in North London and is building positive momentum with his performances, which is why Frank should reward him with a start against Arsenal on the other side of the international break.

His direct play and invention with the ball at his feet could improve Tottenham’s creativity and go some way to solving some of the issues that they have had, creatively, in the Premier League this season.

Chalkboard

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

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Of course, a player will have to be dropped from the starting line-up in order to facilitate Odobert’s return to the XI, and that unfortunate man could be summer signing Xavi Simons.

Why Spurs should drop Xavi Simons

The Netherlands international created three ‘big chances’ and registered an assist in the 4-0 win over Copenhagen in the Champions League last week, delivering a brilliant through ball for Brennan Johnson to score.

Football FanCast published an article after that match suggesting that it was the kind of performance that could kickstart his season, as it was a reminder of the kind of quality that he can provide at his best.

Unfortunately, the Dutchman, who was signed from RB Leipzig for £52m in the summer transfer window, played 79 minutes against Manchester United on Saturday without creating a single chance for his teammates, per Sofascore.

Unlike Odobert, Xavi was unable to build on his Champions League performance by following it up with productivity in the Premier League, which has been an issue for him throughout the 2025/26 campaign.

After the 2-2 draw with United, content creator Ronaldo Brown claimed “Xavi Simons is the master of taking “one touch too many” which has gotten him swallowed in the Prem”, and it is hard to disagree with that assessment.

The 22-year-old attacking midfielder has no goals and one assist, which was a corner for Pape Matar Sarr to score, in eight appearances in the Premier League so far this season, since his move from the Bundesliga.

25/26 Premier League

Xavi Simons

Percentile rank vs AMs

xG

0.31

Bottom 22%

Shots on target

1

Bottom 11%

Goals

0

Bottom 3%

Chances created

6

Bottom 46%

xA

0.64

Top 47%

Assists

1

Top 49%

Touches in opposition’s box

9

Bottom 18%

Stats via FotMob

As you can see in the table, Xavi ranks among the worst attacking midfielders in the Premier League in a host of key metrics, aside from his one assist, which was from a set-piece.

The Dutch playmaker is yet to show the kind of quality that saw him deliver 21 goals and 21 assists in two seasons with RB Leipzig in Germany, per Sofascore, which is why Frank should ruthlessly ditch him from the starting line-up for now.

Unfortunately, Xavi is not delivering enough quality at the top end of the pitch when given chances by Frank, whilst Odobert showed on Saturday that he can impact games in the Premier League at this stage in his development.

Related Frank must never start £130k-per-week Spurs duo together ever again

Tottenham ended up drawing a frenetic Premier League clash against Manchester United this weekend.

Posts ByAngus Sinclair Nov 9, 2025

Therefore, the Spurs head coach should ditch the Netherlands international from the XI to play Odobert in a central position, where he can drive forwards and make things happen for the Lilywhites.

When San Francisco Giants pitcher Justin Verlander was coming up, the pitching win was still an object of romance.

Verlander won 17 games in 2006, and those wins bought him an American League Rookie of the Year award. He lost 17 in 2008 to lead MLB in a lost season, and then won 24 in 2011—one of the great individual campaigns of this century.

In the present day, the pitching win is a rustic statistic mostly useful for trivia—science having long since provided more effective means of player evaluation. The fact that Verlander started his first 16 games in '25 without winning, however, vexed the baseball world anyway.

On Wednesday, he finally entered the win column, with the Giants besting the Atlanta Braves 9–3 to capture the 263rd win of his career.

Verlander was shaky, but the three-time Cy Young winner was still in there somewhere. He ended his outing with a hit, five walks and three strikeouts in five shutout innings to move to 1-8 on the season.

The surefire future Hall of Famer is MLB's active wins leader, and is two victories shy of cracking the top 40 in history.

It was the latest in South Africa’s list of unlikely wins, and the hero of the hour was Nadine de Klerk, not usually the first name that comes to mind when thinking of game-changing players

Vishal Dikshit10-Oct-20253:14

Review – You ain’t seen Nadine yet!

South Africa take a lot of pride in turning things around.England, for example, know this. Three years ago, South Africa had been handed a 6-0 thrashing on their white-ball tour of England. Seven months later, at the T20 World Cup, South Africa – far from being the favourites – edged England by six runs for a historic maiden World Cup final appearance.Coming into this World Cup, their recent record of five straight ODI losses to India in subcontinent conditions wouldn’t have given them much confidence for the game on Thursday. And the memory of the 69 all out against England at the start of the tournament would have still been pretty fresh. But South Africa found a way, once more, somehow, under pressure, against the home team, and when they were again far from being the favourites, to win the game, and win it in the last ten overs.Related

• Tryon grinds it out, just like South Africa needed her to

• South Africa eye NRR boost against Bangladesh

• De Klerk upstages Ghosh as South Africa win thriller

The performance that turned the tables on India came from a player who is hardly the most celebrated or feared or the best-known in the South African camp. Nadine de Klerk. She did take a three-for against Australia in the 2020 T20 World Cup semi-final, but she’s hardly the player oppositions mark as among the first few to target.On Thursday in Visakhapatnam, de Klerk was thrown perhaps the biggest challenge of her career so far. In India’s home World Cup, with nearly 13,000 Indian fans thronging the stands, she walked out with the score at 142 with South Africa’s top six gone. The equation was a stiff 110 to get from 85 balls. The Indian spinners were tightening the strangle in the middle overs. When de Klerk joined Chloe Tryon in the middle, they knew their best shot was to take the game deep, even with ten runs an over to get in the last four-five overs.But, to get there, de Klerk didn’t take the safest or most cautious of routes. She swept away the worries against left-arm spin by putting away Shree Charani for four and followed it with a fearless shimmy out of the crease to find the gap on the leg side for the same result.Nadine de Klerk found ways to pierce gaps that few players are able to•Associated PressDe Klerk has trained herself for a power game that requires her to go for big hits. She has featured in T20 tournaments around the world and mastered the skill of hitting powerful sixes. Being a multi-sport athlete, she has kept herself fit physically and mentally to keep up with the rigours of being an allrounder, even if it means performing day-in and day-out, as South Africa had to do on Thursday after travel from Guwahati to Indore to Visakhapatnam for their third match. She has been given the job to “finish games off”, and now she was planning her way through it.She decided to “take the game on” and her experience of being a former hockey player helped her “hit those awkward gaps where normally there are no fielders”. If mid-on and mid-off were in the circle, she went over them; if they were dropped back, she dispatched the ball square for more runs to make the Indian team sweat.”I think today it was just about not trying to overhit the ball,” she said after the game. “I think simplicity is everything. I think today was just about really backing myself and not trying to overhit it and just time the ball. It was quite a good wicket.”

“I guess when it comes to the back ten [overs], you can really start backing yourself and try and take the game on. And if it does come off, that 70 or 80 runs in the last ten makes a massive difference in these totals”Nadine de Klerk

She and Tryon brought it down to 60 from 36 – ten an over in the last six like they had planned – but now, Tryon started to face issues in her heavily strapped left leg. She got treatment after hobbling around for a while and the onus, naturally, fell on de Klerk, who took down Sneh Rana for a six and a four at the start of the 46th over to make it 42 off 28 before Rana trapped the struggling Tryon lbw on 49.”Yeah, I think it obviously got a little bit more tricky when she [Tryon] got out, but I think even though her leg gave her a bit of problems, I think she’s probably one of the best finishers in world cricket,” de Klerk said. “We know she can clear any boundaries. I think when we were batting together, we were still pretty confident to chase the score. I guess it’s just about the belief and the character at the end of the day, and we just wanted to stick it out and fight really hard because we knew how important this game was for our team.”With India now into South Africa’s tail, de Klerk thought it was best to target the quick bowlers as pace was easier to work with under the lights with some dew around, and she went after India’s most inexperienced, Kranti Gaud. There was the punch on the Protea emblem on her jersey with her left glove, right hand holding the bat aloft after launching Gaud well beyond the deep-midwicket boundary to get to her third ODI fifty. That was followed by a straight six that deflated the Indians further, having brough the equation down to 23 from 18 with. It was an 18-run over.And the celebrations begin…•ICC/Getty Images”I think the most important part is, and we’ve seen it in this World Cup, is you just have to stick it out,” de Klerk said. “Doesn’t matter if you’re batting No. 8 or 9, if you give yourself a chance. I mean, Richa [Ghosh] did it today for India as well. Just try and bat time. And I guess when it comes to the back ten [overs], you can really start backing yourself and try and take the game on. And if it does come off, that 70 or 80 runs in the last ten makes a massive difference in these totals.”With Ayabonga Khaka at the other end, de Klerk farmed the strike and took it upon herself to wipe out almost all of the remaining runs, with two mighty sixes in three balls against Amanjot Kaur finishing things off.A day before this game, de Klerk had said there were “going to be a lot of ups and downs” in this World Cup and “this World Cup is all about fight and character at the end of the day”. Who knew those words would narrate her own story a day later and reverberate so loudly in a stadium with thousands of Indian fans gone quiet after she hit the winning runs, before being mobbed by her team-mates.And South Africa’s record against India in the last three World Cups? Three-zero. Try turning that around.

The calendar has moved forward a week from the Lahore Test, but you’d be forgiven for thinking the clock has stopped. In an almost exact replica of day one at Gaddafi Stadium, Pakistan established a position of control in Pindi, moving to 259 for 5, after choosing to bat on a surface that is already tough, and will get tougher.The major difficulty, at this stage, is the lifelessness of the track, which is not offering significant spin (yet) but there have been signs of deliveries keeping low. South Africa also benefited from reverse swing with the older ball. Pakistan’s top and middle order navigated the challenges well, albeit not quickly. Their scoring rate remained under three an over as they batted conservatively and will be happy to have only lost five wickets on a day where many more could have gone down.South Africa put down four clear chances: Abdullah Shafique on 0, 15 and 41, on his way to a sixth Test half-century, and Shan Masood on 71 but also created several others. They found the edge several times with balls falling short of the slips or short leg on at least seven other occasions and will know they could have Pakistan in a much tighter spot.Their innings was built largely on the 111-run second-wicket stand between Shafique and Masood, and Masood went on to top score on 87. Saud Shakeel added a handy 42 and remained unbeaten overnight.Keshav Maharaj was South Africa’s most effective bowler•AFP/Getty Images

South Africa should have had a wicket in the first over when Kagiso Rabada found Shafique’s outside edge, but Tristan Stubbs at third slip dropped the chance. Shafique immediately got his revenge as he pushed the ball past point for the innings’ first boundary. Rabada then also found Imam-ul-Haq’s edge twice, but both fell short of the cordon.Left-armer Marco Jansen shared the new ball and beat Shafique’s inside edge as the ball touched the stumps but did not dislodge the bails. Another early opportunity went down when Shafique got a leading edge back to Keshav Maharaj, but he could not hold on to the return catch. In his next over, Maharaj spun the ball away from Shafique and found the edge, but the chance did not carry.Just as South Africa may have wondered if anything was going to go their way, Simon Harmer’s third delivery turned past Imam’s outside edge and bowled him. Harmer then almost had Masood caught at short-leg but the ball didn’t carry to Tony de Zorzi.With all that was happening, Pakistan’s progress was sedate for the first 16 overs, in which they only managed a scoring rate a shave about 2.5 runs an over. By the start of the 17th, Masood had enough – he charged down the track to hit Harmer for six at the start of his next two overs, and then meted out similar treatment to Senuran Muthusamy.Abdullah Shafique scored a half-century as well•AFP/Getty Images

Pakistan went to lunch on 95 for 1 and progressed slowly but steadily in the afternoon. Shafique continued to provide chances when he came forward to defend against Maharaj, and got an edge which deflected off Kyle Verreynne’s gloves to Aiden Markram at slip. Markram went left instead of right. By the time he readjusted, he was not able to hold on. Riding his luck, Shafique got to a patient fifty off 120 balls, but would only add seven more runs before he followed Harmer down leg and got a fine edge through to Verreynne.Babar Azam announced himself when he smashed Harmer through the covers but almost lost Masood the over later. The Pakistan captain was on 71 when he swept Maharaj to Muthusamy at short fine. He had to make some ground to his right and was in an awkward position trying to take a two-handed catch and put it down. With Babar spanking another two poor balls for fours, South Africa’s desperation grew and they decided to review a Maharaj lbw shout against him. Babar had come forward to defend and the ball seemed close to the bat, which was confirmed on UltraEdge.After four drops and four more that didn’t carry, South Africa’s moment of magic came. Babar lunged forward to defend the last ball of Maharaj’s over and the ball lobbed up in the air. De Zorzi, at silly mid-off, dived one-handed to his right and took the catch inches off the turf. Pakistan were 177 for 3 at tea.Markam bowled himself for an over before the break and three after, raising questions over why Muthusamy was being so sparingly used before Maharaj took over. The first ten overs after tea brought 31, largely untroubled runs, before Jansen was given a 72-over old ball and a license to see what it could do. He found reverse swing and beat Saud Shakeel several times and there was growing anxiousness among the batters. Masood, in search of his century, tried to sweep Maharaj over square leg but top-edged to Jansen.Jansen could have had Mohammad Rizwan three overs before the second new ball was due, but the edge fell short of Harmer at wide slip. Muthusamy finally returned in the 80th over and South Africa did not take the second new ball until the 85th, when it worked for them. Rabada, with his fifth ball, jagged one back in and hit Rizwan on the knee roll. Shakeel and Salman Agha took Pakistan to the close on a day when 91 overs were bowled in the scheduled time.

Middlesbrough have made a manager with “an impressive CV” a top target to replace Rob Edwards, and it would be a “significant coup” if they can get a deal done.

Edwards confirmed as Wolves boss as Middlesbrough receive £3m

Wolves confirmed the appointment of Rob Edwards as their new head coach on a three-and-a-half year deal on Wednesday.

The 42-year-old left the Riverside and agreed a contract until 2029 with Wanderers after they sacked Vitor Pereira earlier this month. It is reported Boro will receive around £3million in compensation after Edwards only joined them in June on a three-year contract.

Edwards, who managed Luton in the Premier League, begins a fourth spell at Wolves after making 111 appearances as a player as well as enjoying time as a coach and interim boss. He will be joined by assistant head coach Harry Watling after the pair worked together at Middlesbrough, with the rest of his backroom staff to be confirmed in the near future.

Wolves chairman Jeff Shi said: “I know Rob very well and I have seen his growth in different jobs. He’s a very good person, he knows the club very well, he knows the city, the fans and he is very talented.

“When he was a youth coach here, he showed his tactical awareness, but after he took first-team jobs he started to grow his own identity, character and leadership.

“We need to refresh the whole club with a new coach’s philosophy, bringing his own identity and ideas, and we can build on that. We are at a new chapter for the club and Rob will be a key piece of that.”

For Boro, it is now about finding a swift replacement as they aim to continue their Championship promotion push without Edwards.

Middlesbrough make Steven Gerrard a top manager target

As reported by Rousing the Kop and journalist Graeme Bailey, Steven Gerrard is among the top targets for Middlesbrough to replace Edwards.

Steve Gibson is a long-term admirer of the former Rangers and Aston Villa boss, who is out of work after leaving Al-Ettifaq in January.

Gerrard almost returned to Ibrox last month and is open to a return to the dugout, with a move to the Riverside something that could appeal to him.

Gerrard has never managed in the Championship, with his most successful period as a manager coming in Scotland, winning the league title with Rangers.

Club

Games

Points per game

Rangers

192

2.15

Aston Villa

40

1.18

Al-Ettifaq

55

1.33

The 45-year-old primarily plays an attacking 4-3-3 system and is closing in on 300 games as a manager. Could that benchmark come at the Riverside?