Category Uncategorized

Howe can fix Gordon blow by unleashing Newcastle "monster" in new position

by h79snht.top Uncategorized

Newcastle United’s win over Athletic Bilbao in the Champions League on Wednesday evening was much-needed, but Eddie Howe knows his side have not yet responded to the bitter Premier League defeat at West Ham United last weekend.

Now, they have the opportunity to do that against Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium. This is a tough match, with Keith Andrews’ side rallying after a difficult summer transfer window and defying a few by easing away from the relegation pack so far this season.

The Bees have lost just one of their five home fixtures in the Premier League this term, a 1-0 defeat to Manchester City, and, alarmingly, United have not won away from St. James’ Park, losing three in a row in the top flight. They do, however, have a strong recent record against the Londoners.

Newcastle Recent Record vs Brentford

Season

Competition

Result

24/25

Premier League (H)

2-1 win

24/25

Carabao Cup (H)

3-1 win

24/25

Premier League (A)

4-2 loss

23/24

Premier League (A)

4-2 win

23/24

Premier League (H)

1-0 win

Data via Transfermarkt

With the November international break looming large, this is the perfect opportunity for the Toon to prove they have what it takes to establish consistency both on Tyneside and on the road.

However, they will have to do this without Anthony Gordon, who has been ruled out after injuring his hip in midweek.

The latest on Anthony Gordon's fitness

Gordon has not been in great form for a while. Across his past 19 Premier League outings, the England international has failed to score or assist a goal.

But the 24-year-old is still one of the most talented wingers in the country, and he will be missed against a resilient Brentford outfit.

Howe intimated in his pre-match press conference that Gordon will be unavailable, having suffered a recurrence of the hip injury that has plagued him this year after about an hour of action in the Champions League.

Of course, we can’t ignore the frustrating watch that preceded the setback. Chronicle Live gave Gordon a 5/10 match rating and commented that he didn’t look right down the left channel.

Gordon will be sidelined for this one, but Howe may well have considered replacing him anyway after a tough spell.

Harvey Barnes is the most likely candidate to move onto the left wing, but there’s an even more left-field option that the manager may want to consider, especially after Joelinton found form in the centre of the park several days ago.

Howe can unleash Gordon replacement in new role

Newcastle have enough resources available to find that elusive away win without Gordon in the mix. But it will require a big performance, with players stepping up and kick-starting their season.

Among these is Jacob Ramsey, who joined Newcastle from Aston Villa for £39m plus £4m in add-ons this summer. The Boyhood Villa fan has struggled with injuries over the past few years, but he was a popular and talented figure in the Midlands, and there’s a sense from Newcastle’s rivals that they have lost a potential superstar.

Fitness issues have plagued him at the start of his career in a new setting, and because of this, Ramsey has only featured seven times across all competitions, with just one start in the Premier League.

It was a dour day in the capital for Newcastle last weekend, but Ramsey showed something of his quality when entering the fray after the interval, with Sofascore recording that he completed two dribbles, made three recoveries and won four of six duels throughout the second half.

Given the robustness of Newcastle’s central engine room, it would be foolish to unleash Ramsey in the ten berth against tough-tackling Brentford. However, he has the dribbling ability and creativity to service Woltemade from the left, leaving Howe to pick one of Barnes or Jacob Murphy to play from the right flank.

The former Villan played like a man with a desire to nail down a starting spot at the London Stadium, and while his efforts were to no avail, his commitment cannot be questioned.

This is a versatile playmaker whose skills could damage the home side from the wing. When played out wide, Ramsey has historically had something of a penchant for an evenly spread output.

Jacob Ramsey – Career Stats by Position

Position

Apps

Goals (assists)

Left midfield

70

12 (12)

Central midfield

67

11 (4)

Attacking midfield

59

17 (10)

Left wing

8

1 (2)

Right midfield

4

0 (0)

Centre-forward

2

2 (0)

Data via Transfermarkt

Hailed as a “monster” of an attacking midfielder by analyst Ryan McKeown, Ramsey’s pace, fluid movement and impressive athleticism – when at full fitness – now need to be channelled into something prolific. Howe signed the player with a vision in his mind, and now he must put that plan into action.

After all, despite a tough year on the Englishman’s part, he has shown his quality through his underlying data, with FBref revealing he ranks among the top 5% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past yerar for pass completion, the top 9% for tackles and the top 6% for success rate when taking on opponents per 90.

Now, the impetus is on building up match fluidity and avoiding another injury setback. Should Ramsey succeed in this, he might even come to pile pressure on Gordon for a place on the left flank.

Newcastle have options as they prepare to take on Brentford at the Gtech, and after signing a talent such as Ramsey for a hefty fee this summer, surely this is the perfect time for him to announce himself in the Premier League under Howe’s wing.

PIF's "massive overpay" is quickly becoming the new Almiron at Newcastle

Newcastle have struggled to get the best out of this star this season.

ByAngus Sinclair Nov 7, 2025

How lucky were India on their last tour of Australia? A statistical model tells us

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

An analysis of expected runs and wickets, based on false shots played by batters

Kartikeya Date24-Oct-2024Rishabh Pant made 146 in 111 balls against England in India’s first innings of the Test at Edgbaston in 2022. It remains the second-quickest three-figure innings by an Indian batter in Test cricket since records for deliveries faced became available. The quickest was Mohammed Azharuddin’s 109 in 77 balls against South Africa in November 1996.How good was Pant’s innings? This is a difficult question to answer well, mostly because it is under-determined. For instance, it is not difficult to imagine that if Cheteshwar Pujara played the same 111 balls that Pant faced, he would make different choices and score a different (and almost certainly smaller) number of runs. Would Pujara be more or less likely than Pant to survive for those 111 deliveries? More generally, if the average batter made the choices that Pant made on those 111 deliveries, how many runs would result? And how many times would the average batter be dismissed, having made those choices? What are the expected runs and expected dismissals for the choices Pant made?The answer, according to the model that is described below, can be as follows.Of the 111 balls Pant faced, 73 were from right-arm quick bowlers and 38 from finger spinners. A summary of the shots Pant attempted is in the table below. xR is the expected runs for the average left-hand batter against the given bowling style when playing a specific shot.For example, Pant attempted to pull the right-arm fast-medium bowler nine times (eight of those deliveries were legal) and scored 16 runs. In the record, a left-hand batter has been dismissed 54 times in 485 false shots on the pull against the right-arm pacer. A false shot on the pull for this match-up produces 358 runs off 473 deliveries, while a successful pull shot produces 2464 (off 996). Pant played two false shots in those nine attempts. The expected wickets (xW) for those nine attempts is 0.23 (2*54/485). The expected runs (xR) figure is 18.2.Summing this up for all the shots that Pant attempted against each bowling style, and applying those to the average left-hand batter, it turns out that the average left-hand batter would have scored 97.5 runs off 111 balls and been dismissed 2.4 times, against bowlers of the type Pant faced in that innings.

The model used in this article relies on the ball-by-ball record collected by ESPNcricinfo, which lists what shot was attempted off which delivery and whether or not the batter was in control. The model also considers what style the bowler was bowling, and whether the batter is a right-hander or a left-hander. It is illustrated using examples in the table below.

When the left-hand batter sweeps the offspinner and is in control, 2.09 runs are scored per shot. When the left-hand batter successfully sweeps the slow left-arm orthodox bowler, 1.81 runs result per shot. When the left-hand batter is not in control of the sweep shot against the offbreak bowler, 0.118 dismissals occur; the corresponding figure against the slow left-arm orthodox bowler is 0.097 dismissals.To round out the information in the table, the average left-hand batter fails to control the sweep against the offspin bowler 33.5% of the time (1686 out of 5025 attempts fail), while 30.8% of sweeps against the slow left-arm orthodox bowler (1244 out of 4039) fail. For comparison, when the left-hand batter attempts to drive the offbreak bowler, the expected-runs figure is 0.89, the expected dismissals 0.141, and 9% (2354 out of 26109) attempts fail. The sweep involves greater risk, greater reward, and is more difficult to pull off than the drive. This is also why, typically, the field is set to defend the drive more often than it is to defend the sweep.Readers will note that when the ball is turning more, the drive and the sweep both carry greater risk than usual. It would be reasonable to think that the expected-dismissals figure for the drive or the sweep on a turning pitch should be higher than it would be on a flat pitch.The way the model used in this article accounts for the conditions is through the false shots record. On a turning pitch, the batter is likely to play false shots more often. For example, suppose that a left-hand batter attempts the sweep ten times against an offspin bowler on a flat pitch, and plays two false shots, instead of the expected three or four. The expected runs for these ten attempts would be 17.7. The eight successful attempts would generate 16.72, and the two failed attempts 0.94. The expected dismissals would be 0.24.On a turning pitch, the batter is likely to miss more sweeps. Let’s say the batter misses five sweeps. In this case, xR would be 12.8 runs, and xW would be 0.59. In this way, the xR and xW for every ball, and therefore for every batter and every bowler in every innings, can be estimated. The essential intuition here is that it is the false shot that makes a dismissal possible. When false shots from a particular shot type are more frequent, dismissal from that shot category is more likely too. The conditions only matter to the extent that they modify the likelihood of the occurrence of the false shot. In other words, conditions are easy or difficult depending on how often false shots occur in them.The same can also be said for bowlers. Facing James Anderson (right-arm fast-medium, under ESPNcricinfo’s classification) is a more daunting proposition than facing the average right-arm fast-medium bowler in a Test match. Anderson is more daunting because he challenges the middle of the bat more often than the average right-arm fast-medium bowler does. By evaluating expected dismissals based on the occurrence of false shots, the model accounts for this distinction. For instance, in England, Anderson induces a false shot every 4.9 balls, while the average right-arm fast-medium bowler does so every 5.1 balls. In Australia, Anderson induces a false shot every 6.4 balls, while the average right-arm fast-medium bowler does so every 6.2 balls. The model will return a higher expected-wickets figure than average against Anderson in England, and a lower xW than average against Anderson in Australia.R Ashwin induces a false shot every 5.4 balls in India, while the average offspinner does so every 6.2 balls. Outside India the gap is narrower (6.9 balls per false shot against Ashwin, 7.2 balls per false shot against the average offspinner). The model is able to accommodate these distinctions.The table below lists the 15 Test innings since 2014 with the highest xW. These could be considered the 15 most unlikely Test innings, in terms of their size and length, in the last ten years.

The table below lists the 15 unluckiest match bowling efforts in Test cricket since 2014. Mohammed Shami collected 182 for 2 at The Oval in 2018. He induced 107 false shots in the match. Over the 10,770 deliveries Shami has bowled in his Test career since the start of 2014, his xW/xR is 228.5/5775.0. He actual figures are 212/5896. His expected career bowling average since the start of 2014 is 25.7; his actual bowling average since then is 27.8.Jasprit Bumrah’s 0 for 92 in the 2021 World Test Championship final also features in the list below. He induced 55 false shots in that match without getting a wicket. This was one of only four instances of a bowler going wicketless in a Test since 2014 while producing an expected wickets total in excess of five wickets. Of the 339 instances since 2014 when a bowler has bowled at least 15 overs in a match and gone wicketless, the average expected wickets for such a bowler have been 1.77. Over his 37-Test career so far, Bumrah’s xW/xR is 168.3/3498.0. His actual career haul is 164/3365. His expected career average (20.8) closely matches his actual career average (20.51).

Only 1.6% of individual Test innings involve an xW of 3.5 or more. About 5% of Test innings involve 2.5 xW or more (see the graph below). The average individual three-figure score in a Test match involves 2.72 xW. The average innings where the xW is 1.0 (that is, between 0.50 and 1.49) produces 31.2 runs. The distribution of all innings and centuries in the graph below shows how much luckier a batter has to be than average to reach a century.Of the 792 Test hundreds scored since the start of 2014, only 41 have come in innings where the expected average (xR divided by xW) of the rest of the batters in the innings is less than 20 runs per wicket. Only eight have come in innings where xAve for the rest of the batters is less than 15 runs per wicket. These are:1.Aiden Markram’s 106 (103 balls) against India in Cape Town, 2024
2.KL Rahul’s 101 (137) against South Africa in Centurion, 2023
3.Steven Smith’s 109 (202) against India in Pune, 2017
4.Dimuth Karunaratne’s 107(174) against India in Bangalore, 2022
5.Ajinkya Rahane’s 103 (154) against England at Lord’s, 2014
6.Dimuth Karunaratne’s 158 not out (222) against South Africa in Galle, 2018
7.Dean Elgar’s 136 (228) against England at The Oval, 2017
8.Dinesh Chandimal’s 119 (186) against West Indies in St Lucia, 2018
Kartikeya DateThe xR and xW models extend the intuition underlying the control measurement to specify risks. For instance, India’s infamous 36 all out innings had an expected wickets/runs of 3.2/47.1 from those 128 balls. India’s fourth innings in Sydney on that tour lasted 786 balls from which they scored 334 for 5. The expected wickets/runs from those deliveries were 13.5/376.1.England made 420 all out in 613 balls in the third innings in Hyderabad in January this year. The expected wickets/runs from those 613 balls were 15.7/391.3. Over the course of the series, the Indian batting produced an expected average of 42.2 (their actual average in the series was 39.7), while England’s expected average was 26.0 (actual, 25.6). The figures belie the idea that it was a close series and that England were close to winning it. India were only 28 runs away from a 5-0 result.In Australia in 2020-21, India were decidedly the luckier of the two sides. Their expected average with the bat was 29.3 (actual 30.4). Australia’s expected average was 37.0 (actual 29.3). Essentially, enough Australian batters fell to early mistakes to nullify the difference in quality between the Australian and Indian attacks. The gap between the two attacks was narrower in the first two Tests (Australian batting: 32.7 xAve, Indian batting: 27.4 xAve) in 2020, than it was in the last two Tests, played in 2021 (Australian batting: 40.0 xAve, Indian batting: 30.0 xAve) after India had lost several players to injuries.The model could be modified, for instance, to consider the innings of the match in which the shot is attempted, to add greater texture. For a right-hand batter sweeping the slow left-arm orthodox bowler, the expected-wickets figure from innings one through innings four is 0.110, 0.111, 0.136, 0.123. In other words, the chance of a dismissal for a false shot on the sweep is between 11% and 14%. The conversion rate of false shot to dismissal is only marginally affected by the innings in the match.The temptation to build ever more elaborate sets of categories should be resisted. The larger the number of categories, the smaller the number of deliveries in each category, and consequently, the less stable the average expectation from each category. With more categories, it also becomes more difficult to keep them apart and ensure that they do not describe overlapping features. For example, ESPNcricinfo’s classification includes four categories of right-arm seam bowlers – right-arm medium, right-arm medium-fast, right-arm fast-medium, and right-arm fast. It becomes difficult to distinguish between the middle two. But it is also, on the other hand, easy to see why these categories might be useful. Consider, for instance, Colin de Grandhomme (medium), Chaminda Vaas, especially after his injury (medium-fast), Glenn McGrath (fast-medium), and Brett Lee (fast). The speed gun readings suggest that fast-medium bowlers fall back into the medium-fast category at times during Test matches, especially in flat batting conditions, when there’s a lot of bowling to be done. If anything, having a two-pronged classification of seam bowlers – fast and medium – would be sufficient. Ideally, an expected runs/wickets model would include the trajectory of the delivery and the batter’s control as its inputs. Absent this, the categories provided by ESPNcricinfo offer a usable proxy.This expected runs/wickets model is relatively easy to implement. They provide a baseline expectation and make it possible to measure both the relative quality of the teams involved in a match as well as relative good (or bad) fortune enjoyed by each. A model along the lines described in this article should be available in the coverage of every Test match. The figures used in this article include Tests completed on or before September 25, 2024

Roland-Jones six-for leads Middlesex fightback

by csb10.top Uncategorized

Toby Roland-Jones led Middlesex’s fightback with his best Rothesay County Championship bowling figures of the season after promotion rivals Derbyshire had threatened to dominate with the bat on the opening day at Lord’s.Caleb Jewell and Harry Came both hit half-centuries as they forged a century partnership to give the visitors a strong platform at 124 for one before Roland-Jones struck back with four wickets in the space of 27 balls.The former Middlesex captain eventually finished with six for 77, while Ryan Higgins and Zafar Gohar shared the other four wickets evenly as Derbyshire, who began the day with a 24-point gap to second-placed Glamorgan, were bowled out for 283.In reply, Middlesex openers Sam Robson and Josh de Caires trimmed that deficit slightly prior to stumps, reaching 12 without loss.The Seaxes’ pace attack included two red-ball debutants in the shape of Olly Stone, signed on a short-term loan from Nottinghamshire, and 18-year-old Sebastian Morgan – yet there were slim pickings for either when the visitors won the toss and chose to bat on a benign surface.Higgins achieved the solitary breakthrough of the morning session, pinning Luis Reece in front of his stumps with a ball that nipped back down the slope, but Jewell and Came batted through to lunch largely untroubled.The Australian was quick to punish anything loose outside off stump, dispatching an early short ball from Roland-Jones to the cover fence before handing the same treatment to a Stone half-volley.Came settled in following an uncertain start, when Stone beat his outside edge a couple of times and began to take advantage of the short boundary on one side, keeping pace with his partner.It was Jewell who reached his half-century first, nudging a single from the opening ball of the afternoon session, while Came’s arrival at that landmark was more eye-catching as he pulled Stone into the Mound Stand for six.The pair extended their partnership to 105 before it was eventually broken by Higgins, returning for a second stint from the Nursery End and knocking back the left-hander’s off stump for 56.Derbyshire skipper Wayne Madsen, marking his 500th overall appearance in the county’s colours, was soon up and running with two quick fours off Higgins, but his side’s momentum was stemmed by a destructive spell from Roland-Jones.Came was first to go, caught behind off an inside edge for 64 and Brooke Guest was castled having misjudged the line before Roland-Jones got another delivery to rear back and trap former Middlesex man Martin Andersson leg before.Roland-Jones claimed the prize wicket of Madsen in identical fashion to leave Derbyshire apparently wilting at 177 for six, only for Anuj Dal and Zak Chappell to mount a recovery with their stand of 48.Dal eventually departed on the stroke of tea, succumbing to a thin edge off Gohar and the spinner also picked up the wicket of Chappell, but Ben Aitchison’s watchful 36 secured his side a batting bonus point.However, Roland-Jones wrapped up the innings by having both Aitchison and Jack Morley caught behind with the new ball and Middlesex successfully negotiated the day’s remaining seven overs without alarm.

Fabrizio Romano reveals Lisandro Martinez return date in "boost for Man Utd"

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Manchester United have been boosted by the news that key centre-back Lisandro Martinez has returned to full training after a long injury absence.

After a concerning start to the season, things really feel like they are falling into place for the Red Devils, following three wins in a row in the Premier League, including memorable victory away to rivals and champions Liverpool.

Ruben Amorim has overcome a hugely testing period and now feels like the right man to take United forward, and having as many players available as possible can only be a good thing, with one game a week this season and no European football helping in that respect.

One player who Amorim has had to do without for many months is Martinez, with the Argentina World Cup winner not featuring since damaging knee ligaments at the beginning of February, in a cruel blow for the defender.

The 27-year-old is arguably United’s strongest centre-back, so not having him available for such an extended period of time has been far from ideal, but ahead of the trip to Nottingham Forest on Saturday afternoon, some great news has emerged regarding his fitness.

Martinez to return to Man Utd action in November

Taking to X on Thursday, Fabrizio Romano confirmed that Martinez is now back in training for Manchester United, aiming for a return on the pitch in November.

This is fantastic news for anyone of a United persuasion, with Martinez’s tenacity, quality and winning mentality such a loss over the past eight months or so. It has also left Amorim delighted, with the manager saying: “It’s really good. He gives use that edge in every training session, that is also really good for us.”

The Argentine is a hugely popular figure at Old Trafford, playing with so much passion, and Casemiro has heaped praise on him as a character.

“Licha is on the final straight. He is a soldier who works so hard. He is always in the gym working hard. He is a machine that works so hard. He is one of those players that loves to work hard. It is a pleasure to have him here, he works so much. We arrived [today] at 9am and it is now 4pm and he continues working.”

Where Lisandro Martinez ranks among Man Utd's highest-earning players

It is clearly going to take Martinez some time to get back to his very best, given the severity of his injury, but assuming he makes a full recovery and returns as the player of old eventually, he can continue to be a huge player for United for years to come.

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Dominic Lund

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He is tailor-made to thrive in Amorim’s back three, bringing the ball out with quality and purpose, and he even has the characteristics to potentially be a future captain of the Red Devils if Bruno Fernandes moves on before him, endearing himself to the fans with his love for the club.

Switch Hit: Black Caps and Pat's back knack

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

England have arrived in New Zealand for their white-ball tour, but all the noise is about the upcoming Ashes. Alan Gardner is joined by Andrew Miller and Matt Roller to catch you up on the latest

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Oct-2025England have started out on their winter touring commitments, arriving in New Zealand for T20I and ODI series ahead of the Ashes in Australia. On this week’s pod, Alan Gardner is joined by Andrew Miller and Matt Roller to talk through the latest – notably the increasingly urgent updates from Australia on Pat Cummins’ fitness. Also on the menu: T20 World Cup preparations, Jacob Bethell’s mission to impress, and the start of the Ashes phoney war.

Better than Calvert-Lewin: 9/10 hero had his best game for Leeds vs Chelsea

by z3u9t.icu Uncategorized

Leeds United pulled off an impressive victory to get back to winning ways in the Premier League on Wednesday night. Daniel Farke’s side beat Chelsea 3-1 at Elland Road to pick up a huge three points.

It was the perfect start for the Whites in front of a packed-out home crowd. After an intense first five minutes or so where they dominated, Leeds broke the deadlock.

It came from a corner, with defender Jaka Bijol making a brilliant run to the front post and emphatically heading home.

Chelsea didn’t really threaten much and eventually paid the price. Leeds doubled their lead right on the stroke of half-time, through a brilliant strike by Ao Tanaka.

The Whites won the ball back on the edge of the visitors’ penalty area, with Jayden Bogle finding Tanaka in space. The Japanese international fired home a strike from range to put them 2-0 up.

Chelsea did pull one back with just 50 minutes on the clock, thanks to substitute Pedro Neto at the back post. Yet, Leeds managed to keep them at bay, and with 18 minutes to go, capitalised on a defensive error to secure all three points.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored their third, a goal which capped off a brilliant performance.

Calvert-Lewin’s stats vs. Chelsea

Calvert-Lewin’s goalscoring form has begun to improve in recent games. He bagged against Manchester City last weekend, and again against Chelsea on Wednesday night, although that strike was certainly easier.

It was a mistake from Blues defender Tosin Adarabioyo which led to the goal, with the centre-back playing a sloppy pass to Robert Sanchez.

The Spaniard was immediately under pressure, with the ball crocheting off his body and into the path of Calvert-Lewin, who tapped home from two yards out.

However, it was not just his goal which impressed about the former Everton striker’s performance.

He was a nuisance throughout for the Chelsea defence, with Graham Smyth of the Yorkshire Evening Post awarding him a 9/10 rating, explaining that he ‘brought others into play’ superbly.

Indeed, the statistics back up what was a superb showing from Calvert-Lewin. He only had 37 touches but made an impact with most of those, winning an impressive 11 duels, managing three shots and, of course, bagging Leeds’ third goal.

Chalkboard

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

However, the Whites’ number nine was not the only one of their players to stand out against Chelsea.

Leeds’ other standout player vs. Chelsea

It was a huge win for Leeds on Wednesday night, which took a huge effort across the board. One of the best players was midfielder Anton Stach, who ran the game in midfield and was impressive defensively, too.

The numbers from the game reflect a controlled midfield performance from Leeds’ summer signing. He had 50 touches and completed 19 out of 24 passes, creating a superb four chances, one of which teed up Tanaka for his goal.

Off the ball, Stach made four recoveries and won three duels.

Touches

50

Passes completed

19/24

Chances created

4

Ball recoveries

4

Duels won

3

Clearances

3

Assists

1

The 27-year-old German was a “revelation” in the centre of the park, according to journalist Adonis Storr. That is something Smyth seemed to agree with, also giving him a 9/10 rating post-match, calling that showing his ‘best Leeds performance’.

Indeed, it is easy to see why Smyth is of that opinion. For the German to put in a showing like that against a side competing in the Champions League and that are pushing Arsenal at the top of the Premier League is a colossal effort.

He was everywhere against one of the strongest sides in the top flight, and the chances he created added that creative spark in the final third. He played a huge role in Leeds’ attacking play, which ultimately helped get them over the line.

Stach proved why he could be considered an undroppable member of this Leeds side. This was a much-needed win, and he was right at the heart of it.

Calvert-Lewin’s goals recently have been key, but Stach’s performance in midfield is exactly what is needed for them to beat the drop.

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Hope conquers Dhaka as West Indies prevail in Super Over

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

The visitors bowled spin for all 50 overs of their innings in Dhaka, keeping Bangladesh to 213

Mohammad Isam21-Oct-2025
West Indies won the Super OverWest Indies prevailed over Bangladesh in the Super Over, beating the home side in Dhaka by one run. Akeal Hosein delivered an imperfect final over in extra time, defending ten runs, but he kept Bangladesh in check with several dots mixed with wides and no-balls. Saif Hassan, Soumya Sarkar and Najmul Hossain Shanto couldn’t do the job for Bangladesh, and so, the series is now 1-1.West Indies had earlier scored ten runs in their Super Over, with captain Shai Hope getting a boundary off the last ball, after Mustafizur Rahman had removed Sherfane Rutherford with his second ball.This was Bangladesh’s first tie in 814 men’s international matches.Hope carried West Indies in regulation time, getting the only half-century of the game. West Indies needed five runs off the 50th over to complete a chase of 214. Saif Hassan bowled two dot balls before conceding a single. Hope got on strike and even though he only had Hosein at the other end – the No. 10 batter playing his first game on tour – he chose to take another single.Saif punished Hope for that, bowling Hosein between his legs. Khary Pierre, the last man in, needed to get three off the final ball, but his top edge spun towards square leg. Wicketkeeper Nurul Hasan ran for the catch, but he dropped the chance. He also couldn’t pass the ball on in time to Mustafizur, who was stood by the stumps, as Pierre and Hope completed two runs, tying the match.West Indies became the first team to bowl spin for all 50 overs of an ODI. The visitors overhauled a record that had stood since 2004, when Sri Lanka plied Australia with 44 overs of slow bowling. Bangladesh topped that tally up with 42 overs from their own spinners, pushing the match aggregate to 92 overs of spin – another record in this format.Rishad Hossain came good with the bat again•AFP/Getty Images

When West Indies’ chase began, Nasum Ahmed removed Brandon King in the first over. Alick Athanaze and Keacy Carty batted solidly during the powerplay, with Athanaze hitting Mehidy Hasan Miraz over covers, followed by a straight drive off Nasum. He also struck two more fours, before Rishad Hossain trapped him lbw. Athanze missed with a sweep after connecting with one earlier in the over.Carty was Rishad’s next victim when he missed his reverse sweep, and the ball snuck through and hit his back leg. Debutant Ackeem Auguste swept Tanvir Islam straight to Rishad at square leg, falling for 17. Sherfane Rutherford was given out lbw next, in the 27th over, as West Indies lost half their side with 103 on the board.Gudakesh Motie and Hope tried to keep West Indies afloat, but they were separated six overs later. Rishad struck with a full ball that Motie went after with a wild slog, falling for 15. Roston Chase, batting at No. 8, followed soon after, caught behind off Nasum.From 133 for 7, Hope added 44 runs for the eighth wicket with Justin Greaves. The latter got run out trying to take a quick single, with Mehidy effecting a direct hit to get the crucial wicket. Hope handled most of the strike but Hosein struck a six, to take West Indies closer. Needing just 14 off 12 balls, it looked unlikely that they would let the game go into a Super Over.Earlier, Bangladesh struggled to get going for most of their innings after deciding to bat first. Saif was dismissed after hitting a six, while Towhid Hridoy and Shanto got out to poor shots. Hridoy top-edged a slog, while Shanto got caught at short midwicket, unable to time Athanaze’s long hop.Sarkar played some gorgeous shots in between a lot of dot balls. He made 45 off 89 balls with three fours and a six, before holing out in the deep in the 31st over. Bangladesh were 103 for 5, and looked in danger, until Nurul slammed a six and two fours for his 23, leaving Rishad to do the finishing. He struck three fours and as many sixes in his unbeaten 14-ball 39, all of which came in the last 2.1 overs of the Bangladesh innings.Athanaze was West Indies’ best bowler with figures of 2 for 14 from his ten overs, while Hosein, who flew into Dhaka on the day before the match, also picked up two wickets. Motie took 3 for 65, his figures spoiled by Rishad’s last burst of boundaries.

England player ratings vs Albania: Harry Kane is unstoppable! Captain steps up again while Dean Henderson makes his case as Three Lions complete historic World Cup qualification campaign

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Harry Kane made the difference yet again with two late goals as England beat Albania 2-0 in their final World Cup qualifier and made history in the process. The captain broke the deadlock from close range in the 74th minute then netted a header eight minutes later to ensure Thomas Tuchel's side became the first European team to win every game in a World Cup qualification campaign without conceding a goal.

The Three Lions produced an unflattering display overall in a match which had nothing riding on it as they had secured qualification last month while Albania were already assured of a play-off spot. Dean Henderson did his part in keeping the all-important eighth consecutive clean sheet with an excellent display, especially in the second half, before Kane got the breakthrough goal in

The striker turned in a Bukayo Saka corner in the 75th minute and seven minutes later he nodded home a cross from substitute Marcus Rashford. It was far from a statement performance, but it means England head to North America as one of the teams to beat.

GOAL rates England's players from Air Albania Stadium…

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Dean Henderson (8/10):

Put under the cosh early in the second half and dealt with it well, making an impressive stop from Hoxha before coming out of his area to make a vital tackle on Laci. His first clean sheet in a third England start and a happier occasion than his last game against Senegal.

Jarell Quansah (6/10):

A competent albeit unremarkable debut from the Bayer Leverkusen defender. Didn't show loads of ambition going forward although dealt well with the danger coming down his side.

John Stones (6/10):

Played an advanced role, frequently pushing into midfield and rotating with Wharton. He gave England extra presence going forward but it didn't help them break down Albania for much of the game.

Dan Burn (5/10):

Struggled at times, particularly when Albania made a good start to the second half. A display which underlined why he is a squad player more than a starter.

Nico O'Reilly (7/10):

A positive second start for England after making his debut on Thursday, getting forward frequently and looking hard to beat. Looks a strong contender to be the first-choice left-back at the World Cup right now.

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Declan Rice (6/10):

Far from his most memorable England display as he didn't influence the play or have his usual attacking input, and yet still did little wrong.

Jude Bellingham (7/10):

A lively performance which was a reminder of how important he can be for England all over the pitch, even if things didn't quite come off for him going forward.

Adam Wharton (6/10):

Made his long-awaited first start for England, and although he didn't do much wrong, he didn't quite live up to the hype around him or give Anderson too much to worry about.

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Jarrod Bowen (6/10):

Had England's best chance of the first half when he forced Strakosha to fly across goal and turn away his shot. 

Harry Kane (7/10):

It was the story of much of his England career. Did very little of note over the 90 minutes but came up with the goods thanks to his sheer know-how in the penalty area and then added an impressive second with his head.

Eberechi Eze (5/10):

A disappointing display as a starter, not looking on the same page as Rice and fluffing his only chance when he failed to beat Strakosha from close range. Replaced by Saka in the 62nd minute.

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Phil Foden (6/10):

Gave England a bit more spark in attack with his movement, albeit without having much tangible impact.

Bukayo Saka (6/10):

Botched one half-chance and one great opportunity after replacing Eze, but went some way to making up for it by putting in the delivery for the crucial opening goal.

Marcus Rashford (8/10):

An excellent impact from the bench as he energised England's left side and put in a perfect cross for Kane as well as flashing a shot just wide.

Elliot Anderson (N/A):

Introduced in the 75th minute and helped England win a sixth consecutive game he has participated in.

Morgan Rogers (N/A):

Replaced Bellingham in the 84th minute.

Thomas Tuchel (6/10):

Made seven changes from the Serbia game and it showed as his side had their lowest expected goals total of his tenure in the first half. The overall performance highlighted a lack of strength-in-depth, but his substitutions helped get the job done and he has his own little piece of history to hold on to no matter what happens next summer.

A's Rookie Nick Kurtz Makes MLB History With Unbelievable Four Home Run Game

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Athletics rookie Nick Kurtz is on a tear unlike anyone across Major League Baseball. And he's only 22 years old.

Kurtz's heater continued Friday night with an unbelievable four home run game against the Houston Astros. He became the 20th player in MLB history to hit four homers in a game, and the first to ever do it as a rookie.

Here's every dinger he hit in the record-setting night:

He didn't just hit the long ball either. On the night, he finished a perfect 6-for-6 at the plate with eight RBIs in addition to the four homers. Of the base knocks that didn't leave the park, he had a double and a single. The A's smashed the Astros 15-3 thanks to their rookie star's historic game.

Kurtz joined Arizona Diamondbacks slugger Eugenio Suárez as the only players in baseball to hit four homers in a game this season. Suárez accomplished the feat in April against the Atlanta Braves.

The massive night Friday continued what's been an incredibly hot stretch for Kurtz. He went 3-for-5 Thursday and last homered Monday against the Texas Rangers. Per the A's, he's leading the major leagues in nearly every batting stat over the month of July, including batting average, OPS, home runs and RBIs.

He now has 23 homers in his rookie season after the A's selected him with the No. 4 pick in last year's MLB draft. Now, he has achieved a big piece of MLB history in remarkable fashion.

Simmons happy with Bangladesh's 'exciting, aggressive' style of play against Afghanistan

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

The Bangladesh coach singled out the middle order and bowling line-up in his praise after they sealed the series against Afghanistan

Mohammad Isam04-Oct-2025Bangladesh coach Phil Simmons is happy with the “exciting, aggressive” cricket his side has been playing in the T20I series against Afghanistan, adding he was particularly impressed with batting contributions from the lower middle order.Bangladesh are 2-0 up in the three-match series, successfully chasing down totals despite batting collapses. In the first match, they struggled against Rashid Khan, losing six wickets for just nine runs before Nurul Hasan and Rishad Hossain finished the game. In the second, they lost three wickets inside the powerplay and were saved by the middle order, Nurul again contributing with a 31 not out.”The good thing about winning close games is that you gain confidence when you are coming to a close game,” Simmons said. “It’s good that we are doing that, but it’s not good for any of us our hearts. Yesterday the openers showed what they are made of, and today, the lower middle order showed what they are made of.”The way we want to play is exciting, aggressive cricket, and that’s what we’ve been doing. We played their spinners well, at least today. That’s their strength. Yesterday we didn’t do that very well, but today we played their spinners a lot better. We did what we came to do today. ]Nurul] played a really great knock and brought us back from a stage. Jaker [Ali] and Shamin [Hossain] started it, and Nurul finished it for us. That’s what we have been asking our batsmen to do: make sure that they take responsibility when they get the chance.”Related

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Bangladesh finally see the power of hitting sixes

With ball in hand, Nasum's bouncebackability on show again

Nurul Hasan, Shoriful Islam pull off tense chase as Bangladesh clinch series

Simmons also said he was not concerned about Jaker’s form. The Bangladesh captain reached double figures for the first time in four innings, hitting 32 off 25 balls, and struck his first six in seven innings.”When you look around the world, international batsmen fail a couple of times. I don’t see any problem; he had a couple of bad games, and that’s normal with batsmen. Cricket is like that.”Bangladesh’s bowlers have stepped up in both games, with Shoriful Islam, Nasum Ahmed and Mohammad Saifuddin bowling tight spells. Bangladesh gave away 35 runs in the powerplay and just 40 runs in the last five overs to restrict Afghanistan to a below-par score in the second T20I.”I think our bowling has been improving consistently, and it is at a stage now where we know we can depend on our bowling, whatever combination we use,” Simmons said. “I think our bowling has been that good over the last five, six, or seven weeks. It is part of our growth.”The bowling has put us in this position for the last two games. Yesterday, they started really well, and we pulled them back. Today, they started well, but we bowled well in the middle and especially at the end.”

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