Warwickshire win with three balls to spare after Jake Lintott’s quickfire 50 and contributions from Kai Smith, Rob Yates, Zen Malik and Hamza Shaikh

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay17-Aug-2025Warwickshire 310 for 7 (Lintott 50, Yates 47) beat Somerset 309 for 8 (Lammonby 100, Rew 81) by three wicketsTom Lammonby’s maiden List A century was not enough to save Somerset from a three-wicket Metro Bank One-Day Cup defeat by Warwickshire at the Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton.The hosts posted 309 for 8 after losing the toss, opener Lammonby scoring 100 from 111 balls, with nine fours and two sixes. James Rew contributed 81, while younger brother Thomas made a rapid 41.In reply, Warwickshire reached 310 for 7 with three balls to spare, Taunton-born Jake Lintott ensuring victory with a quickfire 50 after important contributions from Kai Smith (45 not out), Rob Yates, Zen Malik and Hamza Shaikh.Somerset, who created a party atmosphere by arranging several events to mark their 150th anniversary season, made a solid start to their innings, Lammonby and Archie Vaughan taking the score to 42 in the 11th over before the latter was bowled for 20 attempting to drive a ball from Michael Booth.It was 69 for 2 when Lewis Goldsworthy was also bowled trying to slog-sweep Taz Ali in the young leg-spinner’s first over. But Lammonby was already looking in dangerous form as he moved confidently to a half-century off 65 balls.At the halfway stage of their innings, Somerset were 102 for 2. It was then that Lammonby and James Rew began to cut loose, the two left-handers delighting home supporters with some glorious stroke-play on both sides of the wicket in a partnership of 143 in 21.2 overs. Both cleared the ropes in the same over from off-spinner Yates.Skipper Rew cruised to a 46-ball fifty, with five fours and two sixes before Lammonby reached three figures with a single to the leg side off Oliver Hannon-Dalby. It was an innings of numerous sweetly-timed cover drives and very few errors.The scoreboard read 212 for 3 in the 38th over. Without a run added Lammonby top-edged a pull shot off a slower-ball bouncer from Ed Barnard to be caught at short fine leg. Rew quickly followed, bowled aiming across the line to a ball from Booth having faced 69 deliveries, and Somerset’s hopes of reaching 300 looked in jeopardy.They got there thanks to some quality hitting from Thomas Rew, including two reverse-swept sixes in the same Ali over, and a career-best 30 not out from Alfie Ogborne off just 16 balls. Josh Thomas, Ben Green and Jack Leach fell cheaply, but JT Langridge cracked 11 off four balls to end the innings with a flourish.Warwickshire’s reply had reached 36 when Ogborne struck with the last ball of the sixth over, Barnard pinned lbw on the back foot for 14.Batting was looking straightforward in the bright sunshine as Yates and Malik brought the hundred up in the 17th over. Yates had moved comfortably to 47 off 52 balls when caught behind looking to drive Green, who struck again soon afterwards when Malik offered a low return catch, having hit six fours and a six in moving smoothly to 44.It continued to be Lammonby’s day when his left-arm seam accounted for Alex Davies, who edged a pull shot through to wicketkeeper James Rew having made 17. At halfway in their innings, Warwickshire were 144 for four.Shaikh and Smith looked to be tilting things the way of the visitors with a solid half-century stand, but Shaikh became their third player to fall in the forties when caught behind off Langridge to make it 205 for 5 with the required run-rate around eight an over.Vaansh Jani pulled a flat six off Ogborne, who responded by having him caught by the diving James Rew in the same over. That brought in Lintott, who wasted no time clearing the ropes off Green.Smith was content to play a supporting role in a match-clinching stand of 65 in 8.1 overs, which saw Lintot race to a maiden List A fifty off 34 balls, with seven fours and a six, before falling with just two runs needed.

They had beaten Pakistan in the 2022 World Cup and in a Super Over in late 2020. Zimbabwe would want to repeat it in the upcoming ODIs

Danyal Rasool23-Nov-2024Perhaps even an attempt to preview this series is a bit of false advertising, because it implies a wider context in which a three-match ODI series between Zimbabwe and Pakistan is placed. It is not. It was a series earmarked to happen in the Future Tours Programme (FTP), so a window had to be found, and the last week of November sounded just about the right time for it.There is, after all, no logical planning sequence that takes anyone directly from Hobart to Bulawayo, a journey much of this Pakistan squad has made. Just last Monday, they wrapped up the final game of a six-match white-ball tour with a T20 in Hobart, with another six matches now scheduled over the next fortnight in Zimbabwe. Unlike that tour, where each game was played in a different city, Pakistan will not leave Bulawayo at all on this tour.Zimbabwe’s calendar is much more open for obvious reasons. A romp through a T20 World Cup sub-regional Africa qualifier last month is their most recent international engagement. It caused something of a murmur on the wider cricketing stage due to a record-breaking rout Zimbabwe inflicted over Gambia, totting up the highest T20I score and the biggest win in the format’s history.Related

• Aaqib: Pakistan's main focus is ODIs and Champions Trophy

• Zimbabwe pick three uncapped players for Pakistan ODIs

• Babar, Afridi, Naseem rested for Zimbabwe tour

A win over India in the opening game of a T20I series in July, though, is the more impressive result, even if a Test defeat at Ireland’s hands is more indicative of the true position Zimbabwe’s cricket is currently in. They all might have been different formats, but with a shallower player pool to draw from, it is safer to map Zimbabwe’s results cross-format than it is with most Full Members.It’s also necessary, because Zimbabwe have no recent ODIs to read into, anyway. Their most consequential 50-over games came in the summer of 2023, when, for the second consecutive qualifying campaign, they were among the two best teams of the tournament only for one damaging loss to keep them out of the World Cup proper. They followed that up with a pair of losses against Ireland and Sri Lanka either side of the turn of the year, their last ODIs.They do have a familiar-looking squad, though. The batting stalwarts include captain Craig Ervine, Sean Williams and Sikandar Raza, with fast bowlers Blessing Muzarabani and Richard Ngarava also part of the side; all five were part of the team that beat Pakistan after a Super Over in an ODI in November 2020. Flashy top-order batter Brian Bennett has been in decent List A form in Zimbabwe of late, while Tadiwanashe Marumani has shown sparks.With no Champions Trophy involvement ahead, this series will be a big deal in itself for Zimbabwe, a chance to test themselves against a vastly superior opponent, but one they have the canny ability to spring surprises upon from time to time.Pakistan come in with new head coach Aaqib Javed, who earlier this week declared ODI was the most important format for them at the moment. The Champions Trophy is a home tournament for Pakistan, who are also defending champions, so making sure the 50-over side is perfectly fine-tuned matters more to them than most. They come fresh off the back of a commanding ODI series win in Australia, their only 50-over cricket to date since the 2023 World Cup. But this series is part of that rare bounty of ODI cricket that now tends to cluster around a big 50-over tournament; they follow it up with three such games in South Africa, followed by a home triangular series that New Zealand and South Africa will also play in.While Aaqib said Pakistan wouldn’t tinker too much with the ODI side, there are a few departures from their full-strength team. Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah have all been rested. With Fakhar Zaman also missing owing to a mix of disciplinary and fitness issues, it means some unfamiliarity both at the top and tail of the innings.Captain Mohammad Rizwan may have to shoulder more batting responsibility, while Abdullah Shafique and Saim Ayub have opportunities to make the opening slots theirs. How Pakistan balance the side is also a point of interest after they went into the Australia ODIs playing just four specialist fast bowlers, planning on simply bowling Australia out in 40 overs. It’s likely Pakistan go with a less gung-ho approach on tracks that may not offer the same zip, with spinners Abrar Ahmed and Faisal Akram getting chances to showcase their skills against perhaps less storied opposition.And that’s that, really. There’s the risk of the odd shower for much of the next week; Zimbabwe tends to get seasonal rain around this time of year. Bulawayo will offer a nice atmosphere; Zimbabwean fans always tend to make sure of that. The relationship between these sides is convivial, and for Pakistan, it’s one of very few places where they will not be thronged by local media or supporters. It’s not the highest-profile cricket tour in the world this week, but it’s a laid-back one in a country that enjoys its cricket. If that sounds like your sort of thing, that’s really all the context that matters.

“If I don’t get a chance in PBKS, then MI or CSK are good options. I like both those teams very much,” Jitesh says of the IPL mega auction

Rajan Raj06-Nov-2024Jitesh Sharma could well have been the next big thing for India in T20I cricket, till IPL 2024, where there was little sign of the exhilarating run-scorer from the two previous seasons. From the outside, it feels like he has slipped down the pecking order, though the T20Is in South Africa give him a chance to recover lost ground.Part of the problem for his dry run, he says, is that he had “started thinking too far ahead” after IPL 2023 and his international debut and was “thinking of the [2024] T20 World Cup team”. He has course-corrected but, as he says, there were other reasons for his turn in fortunes too.”I know I play very high-risk cricket. There are a lot of risks in my shot selection,” Jitesh told ESPNcricinfo. “My batting number also kept changing… though that is not that important in T20 cricket. However, apart from all this, I had started thinking too far ahead. About IPL 2024, and the T20 World Cup team. Before that, I never used to think that far ahead. I used to think about one match at a time, and now I have started doing that again.”Related

India call up Ramandeep, Vyshak, Dayal for SA T20I tour

Rinku and Jitesh in a race to be India's World Cup finisher

Jitesh took his time coming into prominence, but when he did, after prolific back-to-back IPL seasons for Punjab Kings in 2022 (234 runs at a strike rate of 163.64) and 2023 (309 runs at a strike rate of 156.06), he made it count. He was in the India T20I side for the tour of Sri Lanka, and though he didn’t get a game there, he did at the Asian Games in Hangzhou and then in bilateral series at home against Australia and Afghanistan, and away against South Africa.Then came that period when he got ahead of himself, as he put it, and IPL 2024 came and went without much from his bat. All Punjab Kings, who finished ninth on the table, got from their vice-captain was 187 runs in 12 innings, and the strike rate had dipped to 131.69. He isn’t wrong about his batting position – he went out everywhere from Nos. 4, 5, 6 and even 7.”In T20s, as a batsman, you cannot say you will play only at four or five or whatever. You can assume that in a match, if there is a very good partnership between the openers and they bat for 16 overs, then the next batsman to come will definitely be a finisher,” Jitesh said. “In T20s, the overs remaining are more important than a batsman’s batting position. If wickets fall in the third, fourth or fifth over itself, then you go with the normal order. But if wickets fall late, then you go with the finisher.”However, I can definitely say this about myself, or any batsman, that if I know after how many overs I have to go to bat and I am given good clarity about my role, then it is better.”In the seven T20I innings he did play, between October 2023 and January 2024, Jitesh scored quickly, at 147.05, but aggregated just 100 runs. He understands that he didn’t do enough when he got his chance.

“I am looking forward to doing well in the longer format of the game as well. I know that if I am used with good strategy in this format, I can perform. If I get a chance in the middle order or lower-middle order, perhaps I can prove useful”Jitesh Sharma

“A lot has changed since joining the Indian team,” Jitesh said. “I’m trying to be more calm than before. By watching the senior players of the team, I always try to learn how to keep myself calm. Now I feel more humble and grounded than before. I am taking each of my practice sessions more seriously than before. In the end, there is no substitute for hard work, and that applies to everyone. Whatever you try to achieve, hard work is the only way that will take you forward.”Maybe I have made it to the Indian team, maybe one of my dreams has come true, but it is very important to stay grounded. Making a place in the team is a different thing but to remain in the team, three things are very important: stay humble, stay grounded, and work harder than ever.”There was no Jitesh in the India squad for the T20 World Cup 2024, but he came back soon after, for the T20I series against Bangladesh. But he did not get a game. The way the team management treated Sanju Samson, though, has given him confidence.”It feels good to see the way the team has backed him [Samson],” Jitesh said. Samson scored 29 and 10 in the first two T20Is, and then hit 111 in 47 balls in the final game, to perhaps buy himself a long rope in the T20I line-up. “The message from Gauti sir [Gautam Gambhir, the head coach] and Surya [Suryakumar Yadav, the T20I captain] is quite clear. They tell us clearly what they expect from any player in the team.”If a player is being backed today, then it is certain that in the future, when my chance comes, I will also be backed in the same way.”Jitesh Sharma wouldn’t mind being part of CSK or MI if he got the chance, he said•BCCI… and there is an IPL auction to think aboutJitesh would very likely have been one of the players retained by Punjab Kings if the mega auction had come a year before. After IPL 2024, though, he has been offloaded – which is not to say the franchise won’t want to get him back – with Punjab Kings retaining only Shashank Singh and Prabhsimran Singh from their previous roster.Again, though, Jitesh isn’t looking too far ahead.”It is a mega auction, so nothing can be said,” he said. “A player must be ready to go to any team. But if I don’t get a chance in PBKS, then MI [Mumbai Indians] or CSK [Chennai Super Kings] are good options. I like both those teams very much.”After his impressive run in 2022 and 2023, Jitesh was made vice-captain in 2024, and led in a couple of matches too. He wouldn’t mind giving it another go if he is asked to.”I like this kind of responsibility very much,” he said. “I have always loved captaincy and am always ready for it. I feel like when I have this pressure on me, I am able to read the match better. If I get this opportunity, I am completely ready for it.”A T20I specialist’s red-ball ambitionsFor someone who made his first-class debut in 2015, just 18 games in the format suggests a lack of quality against the red ball.He has played just one game in either of the last two Ranji Trophy seasons for Vidarbha, with a 69 against Gujarat in January 2023 his best effort in these. It was a great effort, to be fair. The top score for his team in the second innings in a match they went on to win by just 18 runs. Opportunities have been scarce, though, and it’s not because he hasn’t been available. When it comes to the 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy or the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy, he has been more of a regular for Vidarbha.”Like every season, this season is also very important for me. If I get a chance, I will definitely try my best to prove my worth in the Ranji Trophy also,” he said. “I am looking forward to doing well in the longer format of the game as well. I know that if I am used with good strategy in this format, I can perform. If I get a chance in the middle order or lower-middle order, perhaps I can prove useful.”

The Detroit Tigers made a splash ahead of Thursday's trade deadline, shoring up the bullpen in a deal with the Washington Nationals.

The Tigers are finalizing a trade to acquire closer Kyle Finnegan from the Nationals, according to multiple reports.

Finnegan, 33, has 20 saves this season and owns a 4.38 ERA, though his underlying metrics suggest he's been unlucky in that regard as his 3.60 FIP is considerably lower. He's struck out 32 batters in 39 innings, surrendering just three home runs on the year.

Finnegan didn't make his MLB debut until age 28, but he's in his sixth season with Washington and has racked up 20 or more saves in each of the last three years.

In exchange for Finnegan, the Tigers are reportedly sending a pair of right-handed pitching prospects to the Nationals; Josh Randall, who ranks as the team's No. 15 prospect, and R.J. Sales.

It's an important addition for Detroit, who was needing some fortifications to the back end of its bullpen. Finnegan can help handle late innings duties with Will Vest, who leads the Tigers with 16 saves.

Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan have not been selected in Pakistan’s T20I squad for the upcoming Asia Cup in the UAE. Fakhar Zaman, who suffered a hamstring injury in the first week of August, has recovered and is part of the side.Salman Agha will lead the 17-member squad, which will also participate in the tri-series against UAE and Afghanistan in the lead-up to the Asia Cup.Babar last played a T20I in December 2024. In PSL 2025, he scored 288 runs in ten innings for Peshawar Zalmi. It included knocks of 56*, 53* and 94 but his overall strike rate was 128.57. He was part of the recent ODI series against West Indies where he had scores of 47, 0 and 9.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Rizwan, like Babar, has not been part of Pakistan’s recent T20I squads for the home and subsequent away series against Bangladesh, followed by the T20Is in the West Indies. He made 53 in the opening game of the ODI series against West Indies, followed by scores of 16 and 0.Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson said Babar had been challenged with improving his T20 game. I think it’s really harsh to challenge a player on their form on three games,” he said at a press conference. “Babar played nicely in the first ODI but missed out on the next two. There’s no doubt Babar’s been asked to improve in some areas around taking on spin and in terms of his strike rate. Those are things he’s working really hard on.”But at the moment, the players we have have done exceptionally well. Sahibzada Farhan has played six games and won three Player of the Match awards. A player like Babar has an opportunity to play in the BBL and show he’s improving in those areas in T20s. He’s too good a player not to consider.”Shaheen Afridi, who had also found himself out of favour in T20 cricket of late, retained his place for the tri-series and the Asia Cup, though Naseem Shah missed out once again. Naseem is currently in action in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL).Lahore Qalandars fast bowler Salman Mirza, who was Pakistan’s leading wicket-taker with eight against Bangladesh in the away T20I series, was included in the side. Ahmed Daniyal, who also impressed briefly, though was not part of the squad. Both specialist wristspinners – Abrar Ahmed and Sufiyan Muqeem, kept their place.The squad is something of an amalgamation of the sides that have played T20I cricket under Hesson in the three T20I series over the summer. The recent ODI series – which Pakistan lost 2-1 in the Caribbean – appears not to have influenced decision making either way. Hesson said he intended to stick to the aggressive top-heavy approach he has championed in the format, and repeated that Pakistan’s game was suited to such a style.”We were challenged with three different surfaces [in each of the three series]” Hesson said. “In Lahore, the surfaces were flat and the batting excelled. We went to Bangladesh where they were incredibly challenging and low-scoring games. Our top order sets the game up. All the games we won the top order performed really well. The third game in the West Indies, our openers put on 140 [138]. We need that at a run rate that gets us ahead of the game. T20 is all about setting the game up and being ahead of the game all the time in case you get yourself out. From a batting point of view we’ve got a line-up that can continue to do that.”The tri-series in the UAE between the hosts, Afghanistan and Pakistan will serve as a warm-up to the T20 Asia Cup, which will begin on September 9. Pakistan have never won the T20 version of that tournament; they reached the final when it was last played in 2022.

Pakistan squad for the UAE tri-series and Asia Cup

Salman Agha (capt), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem

India’s complaint over gestures made by Farhan and Rauf will be heard on Friday

Shashank Kishore25-Sep-2025Suryakumar Yadav, India’s T20I captain, has been told to refrain from making comments that could be construed as political following an ICC hearing conducted by match referee Richie Richardson on Thursday in Dubai. It’s not yet clear if Suryakumar faces any other sanctions.An official hearing was necessary because the Pakistan team management had filed a complaint alleging that Suryakumar made political remarks following India’s Asia Cup group-stage win over Pakistan on September 14, which the PCB’s top brass had pointed out at a press conference in Lahore last week.Related

• Suryakumar found guilty of breaching code of conduct; verdict on Rauf and Farhan awaited

• The Pakcroft drama: everything, everywhere, all at once

• BCCI lodges complaint with ICC against Farhan and Rauf

ESPNcricinfo understands Suryakumar’s use of the term “Operation Sindoor” – a term coined by the Indian government during the military skirmish between the two countries that followed the Pahalgam terror attacks in April – was one of the PCB’s points of objection.Suryakumar had used the term at the post-match press conference following that September 14 match, while dedicating the win to the victims of the terror attacks as well as India’s armed forces.That match also caused another controversy, with Pakistan lodging a “formal protest” against match referee Andy Pycroft because he had “requested the captains not to shake hands during the toss”. At the time, the PCB had demanded Pycroft to be taken off the roster for their matches, which the ICC rejected.That incident threatened to snowball into something bigger when Pakistan didn’t arrive on time for their match against UAE. They eventually relented after Pycroft apologised for the “miscommunication” over the handshake incident.Meanwhile, India’s complaint to the ICC over gestures made by Sahibzada Farhan and Haris Rauf during their Super Fours clash will be heard on Friday since Pakistan were involved in a match on Thursday evening against Bangladesh.The gestures were made on the field during a tense game where the two sets of players exchanged words multiple times.At a press conference ahead of Pakistan’s match against Sri Lanka on Tuesday, Farhan had been asked about his machine-gun celebration after reaching his half-century against India. “That celebration was just a moment at that time,” he had said. “I do not do a lot of celebrations after scoring fifty. But, it suddenly came to my mind that let’s do a celebration today. I did that. I don’t know how people will take it. I don’t care about that.”

It was a complete team effort by Nepal, who outplayed the two-time world champions in every facet of the game

Hemant Brar27-Sep-2025

Nepal created history as they beat West Indies by 19 runs in Sharjah for their first-ever win against a Full Member across formats. They had beaten Afghanistan in a T20I in 2014, but Afghanistan were an Associate back then.Even if you keep the win aside for a moment, it was a historic occasion for Nepal. It was their first T20I against West Indies and the start of their first bilateral series against a Full Member. They made it even more special by outplaying the two-time world champions in every facet of the game. It was a complete team effort by Nepal: six of their batters hit at least one six, six of their bowlers took at least one wicket, and their fielding was top-notch.Leading a second-string West Indies side that featured four debutants, Akeal Hosein opted to field after winning the toss. Nepal did not start well and both their openers were back in the pavilion by 3.1 overs. Kushal Bhurtel was beaten by an arm ball from Hosein and was stumped. Aasif Sheikh stepped out to Jason Holder but miscued the lofted shot and was caught by a backpedalling mid-on.Until the final over of the powerplay, Nepal had hit just two boundaries. Their captain Rohit Paudel doubled that count with back-to-back fours off debutant Ramon Simmonds in the sixth over, but it was Kushal Malla who provided the real momentum. He first smashed Fabian Allen to the long-on boundary for a four and then, in the spinner’s next over, deposited one into the stands for the first six of the innings.Malla hit another six, off Obed McCoy this time, to take Nepal to 68 for 2 at the end of ten overs. He and Paudel added 58 off 45 balls before both holed out against debutant legspinner Navin Bidaisee. Gulsan Jha and Dipendra Singh Airee tried to keep the momentum going, but Bidaisee struck again, getting rid of Jha to finish with 3 for 29 from his four overs. Then, in the 19th over, Holder picked up three wickets. But thanks to West Indies’ catching that oscillated from jaw-dropping grabs to face-palming drops, Nepal had a fighting 148 for 8 on the board.File photo: Rohit Paudel top-scored for Nepal with 38 off 35 balls•AFP/Getty Images

Kyle Mayers kicked off the chase with a first-ball four. But it all went downhill for West Indies from there. It started with Bhurtel’s direct hit to run Mayers out in the second over of the chase. Ackeem Auguste, another debutant, hit two delightful sixes but he too fell inside the powerplay.Still, West Indies were placed fairly well at 40 for 2 after six overs. But the Nepal spinners spun a web around the West Indies batters from which they could not come out. Paudel and Lalit Rajbanshi gave away only 16 in the next four overs while picking up a wicket each.With West Indies needing 93 from the last ten overs on a pitch where the shot-making was not easy, Nepal were the favourites. Three overs later, Airee’s brilliance in the field sent back Keacy Carty. Carty had set off for a non-existent single after pushing the ball towards covers. His partner sent him back but he could not beat Airee’s bullet through to the wicketkeeper.After that, West Indies depended heavily on Holder but he could manage only 5 before holing out to deep midwicket off Bhurtel. Bidaisee, Allen and Hosein tried to keep the fight on with their big hits but they could not keep up with the asking rate. West Indies needed 70 from the last five overs, and 49 from the last three.In the 18th over, the otherwise flawless Nepal fielders dropped Hosein twice in two balls. The first one went for a four and the second for a six. But Karan KC removed the West Indies captain in the following over, leaving Allen to score 28 from the 20th. He could not pull that off.

Head coach Rob Walter keeps tabs from New Zealand as contenders make their cases

Firdose Moonda13-Jan-2025Spectators at all six SA20 venues have had the opportunity to watch the action first-hand in this opening week, with all the teams playing at least once at their home grounds. Four of the six were sell-outs, and the other two rain-affected but well-attended anyway, so it’s fair to say anyone who has the inclination to watch a game and is close enough to be able to do so, will. But even some of those who are not anywhere near the tournament are tuning in, including South Africa’s white-ball coach Rob Walter, who lives in New Zealand.On Monday, Walter admitted to waking up in the early hours to watch “all games live”, and he would have had a particular interest in the evening fixture between MICT and Paarl Royals at Newlands. Five of the 15 players he named in his Champions Trophy squad were in action, as well as three who narrowly missed out on selection. Just about all of them gave Walter something to think about.Top of his mind would have been Lungi Ngidi, who was named in the national squad despite not playing any internationals this summer and is on the comeback from a groin injury. At 5.30am, Walter may not have been best pleased to see Ngidi bowl well below his usual pace (in the low 120s, not the high 130s) and concede 25 runs in first two overs. But his coffee may have gone down a little easier when Ngidi deceived George Linde with a very slow ball (at 114kph) and then pushed it up to 133kph. Ngidi finished with figures of 1 for 43 in four overs and has conceded 85 runs in eight overs in the two matches he has played so far. There’s some reason to be concerned.Related

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How South Africa's Test team became the sum of its exceptional parts

On Saturday at Boland Park, the absence of pace in the surface may have contributed to Ngidi’s strategy to send down slower balls. It was also his first game in three months, so any assessment of him on that day will be lenient. Two days later, on a quicker surface, Ngidi might have been expected to have some zip back, even if his speciality is the offcutter. His first two overs were laboured, and he offered too much width. Even when he changed ends and took the wicket, Ngidi never looked like a constant threat, especially not in the way Kagiso Rabada later did.After an intense summer of Test cricket and with only one match off to recover, Rabada has barely missed a beat. After taking 2 for 10 against Joburg Super Kings at the weekend (which included bowling Jonny Bairstow with a legcutter as the rain that ended the match came down), Rabada took 2 for 0 in his first two overs at Newlands.HIs first wicket was a gift as Joe Root played straight into short fine leg’s hands but the rest of the over was pace-perfect. Rabada bowled fast and full and Sam Hain could not get him away. He took pace off and Lhuan-dre Pretorius went hard but could only get it as far as deep third. Rabada closed out a second over without conceding a run and became the first bowler in the tournament to deliver back-to-back maidens in the Powerplay.Reeza Hendricks impressed with the bat, although South Africa may have moved on•SportzpicsGeorge Linde, who, as a spin-bowling allrounder, may have had an outside chance at a Champions Trophy spot, had Mitch van Buuren and David Miller caught on the boundary in successive overs. Linde’s 3 for 15 is his SA20 best and comes a month after he made his national comeback, against Pakistan. He also outshone Bjorn Fortuin, the other left-armer who could have claimed a place in the national squad, and continues to impress with the new ball. Fortuin took 1 for 24 today but, despite an ability to keep things tight, South Africa decided they did not need another spinner at the Champions Trophy.Instead, they’ve loaded the squad with batters and Walter will be watching to see where the runs come from, especially in the top order. Since Quinton de Kock’s ODI retirement at the 2023 World Cup, South Africa have not settled on an opening partner for Temba Bavuma. For the Champions Trophy, Tony de Zorzi, who does not have an SA20 deal, will likely start but Ryan Rickelton is another option. His previous innings, also at Newlands, resulted in a career-best 259 in the second Test against Pakistan. This time, in his return from a hamstring strain, he managed a run-a-ball 8.A third option would have been Reeza Hendricks but the ODI squad seem to have moved past him, even though he served up a reminder of what they might be missing. He top-scored with 59 in an innings laced with wristy flicks and powerful cuts to prove he is still a presence at the top of the order. But, at 35, it’s unlikely Hendricks will find his way back. Instead, South Africa may soon look to Lhuan-dre Pretorius. The left-hander announced himself with 97 on debut on Saturday and kept going at Newlands. He scooped Trent Boult for six, slammed Rashid Khan for back-to-back fours through deep backward square and ramped him for four more and got the Royals out of the blocks in double time. His hard-hitting was cut short by a bowler who outsmarted him, but he will learn. Oh, and did we mention he keeps wicket as well? One person who knows all that is Walter.

A renovated Santiago Bernabeu has played host to the first-ever NFL match played at the stadium, helping to elevate its status to a multi-purpose stadium and, Impressed with the revamped stadium, UEFA are reportedly planning to host a Champions League final at the Bernabeu in the near future.

First NFL game in Spain

A revamped Santiago Bernabeu hosted an NFL game between the Miami Dolphins and the Washington Commanders on Sunday. The game, which the Dolphins won 16-13, saw a huge turnout from locals as well as from fans abroad. As per a report from Defensa Central, the governing body of European football, UEFA, were surprised by the stadium's transformation. Despite having a not-so-healthy relationship with the club in recent times, UEFA did not shy away from admiring Real Madrid's innovative new-look stadium. They have also indicated a potential Champions League final taking place at the iconic stadium; however, nothing has been made official yet. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportPerez's plan is successful

Back in 2023, Florentino Perez had pointed out how the renovation would pan out, explaining: "The investment in technology has been increased in all the areas of the Bernabéu Tour. The Museum will be much bigger and the spaces have been modified to make them more attractive. The traditional Tour has been extended with 2 new routes. The turf maintenance lighting has also been changed from fixed to variable spectrum, which allows the full range of natural light colours to be used, and this is the first time it has been used anywhere in the world with spectacular results. The increase in investment has also been allocated to improving the gastronomic services of the bars, which will represent a qualitative leap in the offer to members and fans. All this involves an enormous effort in the development of infrastructures, which, in addition to providing a better gastronomic experience, will serve to optimise the generation of income through this activity. In order to address all these additional investments and expenses, we have decided to finance ourselves on a long-term basis to avoid having to impact the activity and the club's outstanding balance sheet in the short term. The budget for these new investments is €370 million. Thanks to the financial solvency that Real Madrid enjoys, this will allow us to obtain financing under very favourable conditions, as we have obtained an A-rating, equivalent to that of the Kingdom of Spain."

Barriers which can prevent a Champions League final at the stadium

There is only one barrier that might prevent the stadium from hosting a Champions League final, and that is the club's will. In order to get hosting rights, the club will need to submit a bid, and as per the report, Los Blancos are in no mood to do so. Moreover, they are looking at this project to be one that generates a huge revenue. As per Defensa Central, this NFL game generated more than €80 million once ticket sales apart from other commercial activities and hospitality in the city. 

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Getty Images SportWhen do Real Madrid again play at the Bernabeu?

Real Madrid have taken a major step in the reformation of the stadium, and that is to remove the name of Santiago from it. From now on, the iconic venue will be known as only Bernabeu and necessary changes will also be made to the logo, as per Diario AS. The stadium was named after legendary Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid player Santiago Bernabeu de Yeste in 1955. Notably, Bernabeu also performed the duties of a club president for Los Blancos. With the change in name, the legacy is not expected to diminish. But Madrid are currently not playing any home fixtures, with a return scheduled for December 7, when they take on Celta Vigo in the Spanish top flight. 

Chelsea have now been handed a major boost in the race to sign Juventus star Kenan Yildiz, but there could be competition from a number of Europe’s top clubs.

The Blues made a number of additions in attacking areas during the summer transfer window, and Alejandro Garnacho has now started to find his best form, putting in a top performance in the 3-0 victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers prior to the international break.

The winger was a constant threat, registering two assists and setting Malo Gusto up for the first goal of his career with a pinpoint cross from the left early in the second half.

Jamie Gittens, on the other hand, hasn’t been quite as impressive, having been unable to record a single goal contribution in his opening nine Premier League games, although it is still very early days for the Englishman, who is just 21-years-old.

However, the Blues have now set their sights on bringing in a new winger, and there has been a positive development in their pursuit of Yldiz, after submitting a proposal to the forward’s agent at the end of October.

Chelsea now receive major boost in Kenan Yildiz race

Chelsea have now received a major boost in the race to sign the Juventus winger, with a report from Caught Offside revealing talks over a new contract with the Italian club have recently stalled, given that the salary he is demanding has been deemed to be too high.

There could be fierce competition for the Turk’s signature, however, with a number of top clubs from across the continent now lining up for a possible bidding war, including Real Madrid and Arsenal.

Should the Serie A giants be unable to agree a new deal, they will look to hold out for a fee of €100m (£88m), which would make the 20-year-old one of the most expensive signings in the Blues’ history.

A deal for the youngster is likely to break the bank, but he is certainly exhibiting promising signs in Serie A, having made an impressive start to the campaign, chipping in with three goals and four assists in 14 matches across all competitions.

The starlet is also an impressive dribbler of the ball, averaging 2.25 successful take-ons per 90 over the past year, which places him in the 89th percentile, when compared to his positional peers.

Scout Jacek Kulig has waxed lyrical about the young forward’s dribbling ability too, saying he has “high on-the-ball bravery to make spectacular solo runs”, so it would make sense for Chelsea to pursue a deal, if Gittens continues to flatter to deceive.

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