Smith puts the skids on South Africa to ignite World Cup campaign

Left-arm spinner has had to wait for her chance but has seized it at first opportunity in Guwahati

Valkerie Baynes03-Oct-2025Four months into her ODI career, four overs into her maiden 50-over World Cup, Linsey Smith made quite the impact, wrecking South Africa beyond repair as her England side secured an emphatic 10-wicket win in their opening match.Smith, the 30-year-old left-arm spinner, walked off the Barsapara Stadium field at the innings break – which arrived after 20.4 overs – with the stunning figures of 3 for 7 from four overs. She dismissed the usually formidable top-order of Laura Wolvaardt, Tazmin Brits and Marizanne Kapp as the Proteas collapsed to 19 for 4, before being bowled out for just 69.Smith was the pick of the England bowlers, who capitalised on lacklustre batting from a South African line-up devoid of footwork and thoughtful shot selection where only Sinalo Jafta, promoted to No.6, reached double figures with 22.Almost as impressive was Nat Sciver-Brunt’s 2 for 5 from three overs as she joined Lauren Bell in a two-pronged seam attack, having bowled just 9.3 overs in warm-up games since the WPL final in mid-March owing to an Achilles tendon injury.Bell dismissed Sune Luus, South Africa’s other top-order batter, while spinners Sophie Ecclestone and Charlie Dean took two wickets apiece.Smith’s performance was made all the more impressive given what had gone before.Amy Jones and Tammy Beaumont mopped up England’s 10-wicket win over South Africa•ICC/Getty ImagesHaving made her T20I debut in 2018, Smith played her first ODI against West Indies in Derby in May and took a five-for. That was after she had been recalled to England’s T20I squad for last winter’s tour of New Zealand. Her absence of nearly five years told of her struggle to break into a squad boasting the world’s best left-arm spinner, Ecclestone.Smith earned a place at last year’s T20 World Cup, six years after her previous appearance at the tournament, and held her own in what was a disappointing campaign for England. Ahead of that event, she told ESPNcricinfo that she had feared her chance had passed her by.She played in only one T20I during the ill-fated Ashes tour of Australia in January then, during the 2025 home summer, she was the leading wicket-taker in three ODIs against West Indies with seven at 9.00 and an economy rate of 3.15. Against India, however, she played just two of the three ODIs, taking three wickets at 34.00 and 6.80, before just one more in three T20Is, which left her feeling on edge.”I definitely felt the pressure and the nerves coming into this,” Smith said. “But to start the competition how I have, and put in a performance for the team to get a big win, is something I’m really happy with.”England’s captain, Scvier-Brunt, opted to field first, hoping the pitch would improve for batting under lights, then called on Smith to open the bowling on a surface that ultimately didn’t offer huge assistance to spinners or seamers.That was proven when Amy Jones and Tammy Beaumont navigated the meagre run-chase with an unbeaten 40 off 50 balls and a 34-ball 17 not out respectively.No stranger to opening the bowling at domestic level or in T20Is, where she has done it six times in 22 appearances for England, the decision for Smith to share the new ball with Bell was premeditated, and paid off handsomely as the pair defied South Africa, Smith with drift and Bell with swing.Sune Luus loses her stumps to Lauren Bell•ICC/Getty Images”I found out yesterday, which was nice, a bit of a heads-up,” Smith said. “It’s nothing that I’m too surprised by, I think it suits my bowling well. I enjoy the competition and the toughness of it and I’m glad that it came off today.”The conversations I had with Nat and Lottie (head coach Charlotte Edwards) was just about backing what I’ve done well over the years in domestic cricket. That’s, more often than not, try and hit the stumps and put a lot of pressure on the batters that way.”Smith took centre stage with her second delivery, in the second over of the day – a straightforward caught-and-bowled, as Wolvaardt sent a leading edge straight back to her with a shot indicative of the South African batting to come.Wolvaardt’s fellow opener, Brits, had made back-to-back ODI centuries against Pakistan just over a fortnight ago, but Smith splattered her leg stump with the first ball of her next over, finding devastating drift to slip through the gate.Bell then bowled Luus with an inswinger before Smith brought that drift to the fore again to beat Kapp’s forward defence and smash middle stump.Sciver-Brunt entered the attack in the eighth over and struck with first ball in each of her first two, trapping Anneke Bosch – preferred to Annerie Dercksen at No. 5 – directly in front of middle and leg stumps and enticing a leading edge from Chloe Tryon which went to Alice Capsey at mid-on.With leg-spinner Sarah Glenn on the bench, Ecclestone and Dean played their part.Ecclestone drew an attempted drive from Nadine de Klerk with one that straightened, Heather Knight gratefully accepting the catch at slip, and removed a charging Jafta, who took a wild swing at a slower ball that crashed into off stump.Related

  • Spin-heavy Bangladesh look to challenge England in rare meeting

  • Wolvaardt on South Africa's defeat: 'We are much, much better than 69 all out'

  • Charlotte Edwards takes confidence from England's strong warm-up displays

  • Heather Knight: Hamstrung no longer after slow road to recovery

  • Smith and Jones set seal on England's rout of South Africa

Dean twice beat the bat to rattle off stump as Masabata Klaas played for some non-existent turn and Nonkululeko Mlaba swung through thin air to one that angled in, consigning South Africa to their lowest ODI total against England and their second-lowest total at a World Cup, after their 51 all out against New Zealand in 2009.The diminutive Smith chose not to question her elevation to opening bowler in this format, relishing the opportunity just as she has done with her ODI career.”I don’t know why Lottie made the decision to be honest, but that was what she went with, and I was happy be the one that they turned to,” she said. “I’m not your most traditional spinner. I’m not going to get the turn and bounce that necessarily Sophie gets, which is why I think we work well together in the team. But for me it was just about trying to hone in on the stumps as much as possible.”I’m not the tallest so I won’t get much bounce, which I think can help in these conditions. A few kept low today as well, which suited me. It’s early days in my ODI career, which is something I’ve really strived towards, so I’m just delighted I could help the team win today.”

'At first look, I thought it was out' – Knight on the catching reprieve

“Had the call gone our way, there was every chance the outcome of the match could have been different,” Fahima Khatun said

S Sudarshanan07-Oct-2025

Shorna Akter’s catching attempt wasn’t deemed good enough•Getty Images

Third umpire Gayathri Venugopalan’s decision to reprieve Heather Knight against Bangladesh came under the scanner after England escaped to a four-wicket win in their women’s World Cup 2025 match in Guwahati.In the 15th over of England’s chase of 179, Knight chipped legspinner Fahima Khatun to the covers, where Shorna Akter dived to her right and seemed to have taken a low catch. Knight started walking, but the on-field umpires referred it to the TV umpire, who felt that the fielder did not have her fingers under the ball and ruled it not out. Knight was on 13 at that point. She went on to finish unbeaten on 79 off 111 balls, taking her side home with 23 balls to spare.”At first look, I thought it was out,” Knight said after the match. “I thought it carried and thought it was a fair catch and walked off. But the TV umpire decided otherwise. I certainly had a bit of luck today. But probably with the year I have had, I deserved a little bit of luck. I tried to ride it and really make it count.”Related

  • TV umpiring slip-ups come under the scanner at Women's World Cup

  • Shining Knight sweeps in to rescue England

  • Knight scraps to help England overcome Bangladesh scare

The tricky bit about these non-dismissals was that the TV umpire gave her ruling while saying the replays available to her were “inconclusive”. In the first instance, of the caught behind, an on-field decision of out was overturned on “inconclusive” evidence, which might have gone against Bangladesh. In case of the “catch” in the covers, too, replays seemed to suggest that the fielder had her fingers under the ball, but the on-field umpires hadn’t really given the batter out to start with.But so convinced was Knight of the legality of the catch that she had reached the boundary line before walking all the way back.Fahima, who finished with 3 for 16 from her ten overs, certainly felt the catch-that-wasn’t affected the final result.”It was a disappointing decision for us,” she said. “Every player in our team felt it was a clear dismissal. The decision was overturned after being given out, which was disappointing. We all know how crucial that wicket was. Had the call gone our way, there was every chance the outcome of the match could have been different.”This was one of the three reprieves for Knight, who was batting for the first time in international cricket since her return from a hamstring injury. She was ruled out caught behind on the first ball she faced. But a review saved her, after replays showed that Marufa Akter’s inswinging delivery had missed her inside edge and brushed the front pad instead. The impact, as it turned out to be, was well outside the line of off too. Then, in the seventh over, she was given lbw but used the DRS successfully once again. Ball-tracking showed that this time, the ball would have bounced over the stumps.”It was the first time I was out three times in an innings and had them overturned, that’s for sure,” Knight said. “It was a case of refocusing. I knew I didn’t hit the ball, and it was tricky conditions as well. It was swinging quite a lot, [which] can make it tricky for the umpires as well. But that’s the joy of DRS, isn’t it? It’s great to have that in place.”

Wayne Madsen, Luis Reece reach centuries as Derbyshire pile on runs

Opener Reece bats all day for unbeaten on 123 while Madsen ends 147 not out, having passed 1,000 runs for summer

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay24-Sep-2025Derbyshire 389 for 2 (Madsen 147*, Reece 123*, Donald 55) vs Kent Wayne Madsen and Luis Reece both made centuries as Derbyshire piled on the runs in their Rothesay County Championship match with Kent at Canterbury, reaching 389 for 2 at the end of day one.Opener Reece batted all day and was unbeaten on 123 while Madsen was 147 not out, having passed 1,000 runs for the summer. By stumps their partnership was 231, a Derbyshire record for the third wicket against Kent.Reece’s fellow opener Aneurin Donald chipped in with 55 as the home bowlers struggled to make any impact.It says something about the way Kent’s season has gone that the loudest applause of the day came midway through the afternoon session, when it was announced the coffee machine in the Lime Tree cafe had been fixed.Third-placed Derbyshire chose to bat against a side guaranteed to finish bottom of Division Two and the morning session went to form, with the visitors reaching 108 for 1 at lunch.The sole victim was Donald, who was bowled leg-stump by Michael Cohen, shortly after he’d driven him through the covers to bring up his 50.When play resumed Reece tickled a Grant Stewart delivery down the leg side for four to reach his half-century and although Matt Parkinson had Harry Came stumped by Harry Finch for 35 at the start of the next over, Madsen joined Reece and reached four figures for the first-class season, the eighth time he’s reached that milestone.Kent were docked six points for a slow over rate in their last game with Leicestershire but despite, or perhaps because of this, there was widespread incredulity when the tea interval was taken on time, for the first time it what seemed like an eon, with the visitors on 238 for 2.Madsen took a single off Cohen to reach 50 and then dumped Jaydn Denly over cow corner for six.Reece scampered a single off Parkinson to reach his century, before he played a dreadful shot to the very next delivery, skying Parkinson straight to Ben Dawkins, who somehow dropped him.Madsen took two from a Stewart no ball to get to three figures, then overtook his partner before hitting a six off Corey Flintoff that broke Derbyshire’s record stand for the third wicket, the 202 put on by Chris Adams and Dean Jones at this venue in 1997.Madsen nearly perished in the final over when he hit Parkinson to long on, but Stewart couldn’t pick the flight of the ball and the chance went begging.

Bracey 186 leads Gloucs to thumping win

Highest individual score of 2025 competition confirms knockouts spot

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay22-Aug-2025Gloucestershire 343 for 7 (Bracey 186) beat Nottinghamshire 291 (Hameed 80, Haynes 57) by 52 runs Gloucestershire confirmed their qualification for the knockout stages of the Metro Bank One-Day Cup, making it six wins from six matches after James Bracey pummelled Notts Outlaws with a magnificent 186, the highest individual score of the 2025 competition to date.The 28-year-old wicketkeeper-batter – dropped on 58 – numbered six sixes and 20 fours in an exhilarating 150-ball innings and though no other Gloucestershire batter made fifty, with skipper Cameron Bancroft’s 46 the next highest score, the Group A leaders still piled up 343 for 7 in their 50 overs.It was 52 too many for the Outlaws, bowled out for 291 in the 48th over, their qualification chance hanging by the thinnest of threads, if not mathematically dead. Matt Taylor, Jack Taylor and Craig Miles took two wickets each.Rob Lord (2 for 60) was the pick of the home attack but it was with the bat that the Outlaws needed to shine. Skipper Haseeb Hameed made 80 from 88 balls and Jack Haynes continued a good run of form with 57 from 66 but a relatively inexperienced batting line-up needed more from both.Bracey’s score is the second highest in his county’s List A cricket history – bettered only by his own unbeaten 224 against Somerset two years ago. He led partnerships of 121 for the first wicket with Bancroft and 101 with Ollie Price for the second.The left-hander looked sharp from the outset, punishing Lord with a pull for six and three back-to-back fours as Gloucestershire cruised to 50 without loss in 10 overs.After reaching 51 from 51 balls, his one big moment of good fortune came shortly afterwards as Ben Slater put him down at long-off and a breakthrough for the home side did not happen until the 23rd over when Bancroft was taken at mid-off. He and Bracey had shared their second three-figure opening stand of the campaign.Bracey completed his fourth List A hundred, the first of this season, from 98 deliveries, needing only another 30 to turn it into 150. His partnership with Price ended when the latter top-edged to mid-off for 34 but at 256 for 2 with 10 overs left, Gloucestershire had the platform for a substantial score.In the event, the home attack landed a few blows, Lord taking two in two to dismiss Ben Charlesworth and Miles Hammond, James Hayes deflecting Graeme Van Buuren’s drive into the stumps to run out Jack Taylor and having Daaryoush Ahmed caught on the boundary.Bracey was ultimately caught at short fine leg reversing James, who conceded 20 from his last over towards a total that looked daunting enough.An early wicket apiece for Matt Taylor and Josh Shaw did not improve the outlook for Notts as Slater was caught at slip and Ben Martindale chipped to mid-on.It left much responsibility on the shoulders of Haynes and Hameed. Haynes responded with his fifth half-century in seven innings in the competition but was caught behind off the glove attempting to pull Miles, by which time Gloucestershire’s bowlers were applying the squeeze.James was caught on the cover boundary off Ahmed, the right-arm seamer who is the least experienced of this Gloucestershire bowling attack and with the required rate pushing towards 11 an over, Sammy King perished for 21, caught at the second attempt by Ahmed behind square on the leg side off Miles, before van Buuren picked up a well-deserved wicket on his 35th birthday as Hameed miscued to extra cover.Jack Taylor removed Joe Pocklington and Dane Schadendorf (28 off 22), Matt Taylor dismissed Lord (27 from 18) and Price wrapped up the win as Brett Hutton was caught on the long-on boundary.

NSW chair joins Trent Rockets board as Hundred deals near completion

Surrey and Reliance intend to finalise Oval Invincibles deal imminently after lengthy process

Matt Roller07-Oct-2025

Joe Root has played for Trent Rockets since the franchise’s inception•Matt Lewis/ECB via Getty Images

An influential administrator in Australian cricket has been appointed to the Trent Rockets board, with the Nottingham-based team becoming the seventh of eight deals to be finalised in the Hundred’s private investment process.John Knox, the chair of Cricket New South Wales, is also a partner and head of Australia/New Zealand at Ares Management, one of two private equity firms who agreed a £40 million deal to buy a 49% stake in Rockets earlier this year. Their deal to run the franchise as a joint venture with majority partners Nottinghamshire was formalised last week.It means that Surrey’s partnership with Reliance – the owners of Mumbai Indians – to run Oval Invincibles is the only deal that remains to be finalised. ESPNcricinfo understands that the involvement of over a dozen lawyers in the process has slowed progress, but that both parties hope to sign contracts later this week.Related

End of the beginning as change looms for the Hundred

Hundred squads face 2026 'reset' in bid for competitive balance

Flower replaces Langer as London Spirit men's coach

The ECB said in July that the remaining two deals were “set for formal completion at a later date” after investors were “offered the option of completing later” than initially planned. The process of finalising arrangements has dragged on far longer than first anticipated, when the board set an eight-week ‘exclusivity period’ at the end of the auction process in early February.ESPNcricinfo understands that Knox’s new role on the Rockets board is independent from his role at Cricket NSW, which he has held since 2018. Knox was considered influential in the removal of Earl Eddings as Cricket Australia chair in 2021, and successfully pushed for the Cricket NSW board to assume gender diversity targets last year.Knox’s involvement at the Rockets comes at a time when Cricket Australia are actively exploring private investment in the Big Bash League. He told the earlier this year that he considers cricket to be his “life’s passion” and that he views T20 cricket as a “tremendous… growth opportunity”.John Knox has served as Cricket New South Wales chairman since 2018•Cricket New South Wales

He will serve as one of three directors on the Rockets board from the new investors’ side. Knox will be joined by Jonathan Goldstein and Joe Stelzer, who are Cain’s chief executive and senior managing director respectively. Nottinghamshire’s four board seats will be filled by senior figures at the club including director of cricket Mick Newell, who doubles as Rockets’ general manager.Rockets suffered a blow last week when Andy Flower, who has coached their men’s team throughout the Hundred’s first five seasons, signed a multi-year deal to take over from Justin Langer at London Spirit. They have not yet lined up a successor, and identifying the right replacement will be an early priority for the new board.The sale of stakes in the eight Hundred franchises raised over £500 million which will be split across the English game and help to ensure the survival of all 18 first-class counties. Gloucestershire announced last week that they had cleared all debts after “more than 20 years” of borrowing, which treasurer Nick Bryan said was a “seminal moment” for the club.

Palmeiras 'acorda' no segundo tempo, vence a Portuguesa e assume melhor campanha do Paulistão

MatériaMais Notícias

Com força máxima, o Palmeiras venceu a Portuguesa por 2 a 0, em duelo atrasado da 5ª do Paulistão. Flaco López e Gabriel Menino, no segundo tempo, fizeram os gols no Canindé.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasPalmeiras reduz dívida milionária com a Crefisa; veja valoresPalmeiras28/02/2024PalmeirasLembra da última vez? Palmeiras volta a enfrentar a Portuguesa 10 anos depoisPalmeiras28/02/2024PalmeirasVai voltar? Gabriel Jesus responde sobre possível retorno ao PalmeirasPalmeiras27/02/2024

➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

Com a vitória, o Verdão chega aos 24 pontos, ultrapassa o Santos e fica com a melhor campanha geral do Paulistão. Já a Lusa estaciona nos sete pontos e permanece na segunda colocação do Grupo A.

⚽COMO FOI A PARTIDA?

O Palmeiras controlou a posse de bola no primeiro tempo, mas foi a Portuguesa quem criou a melhor chance, após Weverton se redimir e salvar um possível frango depois de cobrança de falta.

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O Verdão cresceu na segunda etapa e foi soube explorar os lados do campo. Foi assim que nasceu o gol de Flaco López. Com um jogador a menos, a Lusa não conseguiu ameaçar o goleiro Weverton. No final, Gabriel Menino sacramentou a vitória.

➡️ Veja os grupos e datas dos confrontos no Paulistão

O que vem por aí?

O próximo compromisso do Palmeiras é no domingo (3), em clássico contra o São Paulo, no Morumbi, pela penúltima rodada da fase de grupos do Paulistão, às 16h. No dia anterior, às 18h, a Portuguesa recebe o Mirassol.

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✅ PORTUGUESA 0 X 1 PALMEIRAS
Paulistão – 5ªRodada

Data e horário:quarta-feira, 28 de fevereiro de 2024, às 19h30 (de Brasília)
Local:Estádio do Canindé, em São Paulo (SP)
Árbitro:Thiago Luis Scarascati
Assistentes:Fabrini Bevilaqua Costa e Evandro de Melo Lima
VAR:Adriano de Assis Miranda
Cartões amarelos:- (Portuguesa) / – (Palmeiras)
Cartões vermelhos:

Gols: Flaco López e Gabriel Menino (Palmeiras)

⚽ ESCALAÇÕES

PORTUGUESA
Thomazella; Quintana, Robson e Patrick; Douglas Borel, Tauã, Dudu Miraíma, Giovanni Augusto e Eduardo Diniz; Paraizo e Felipe Marques.Técnico:Pintado

PALMEIRAS
Weverton; Garcia, Naves, Luan e Vanderlan; Fabinho, Gabriel Menino e Raphael Veiga; Caio Paulista (Lázaro), Breno Lopes e Rony. Técnico: Abel Ferreira

Tudo sobre

Futebol NacionalPalmeiras

The art of Jadeja: subtle genius hiding in plain sight

Jadeja’s game has turned him into a globally respected cricketer who remains somewhat under-analysed, and whose nuts and bolts remain somewhat underappreciated

Karthik Krishnaswamy09-Oct-20255:13

Jadeja on vice-captaincy, batting higher and playing without Ashwin

Sometimes, great bowlers bowl balls of high quality at such frequency that the viewer doesn’t quite realise how good they are. Take the ball Ravindra Jadeja bowled to dismiss Brandon King on day three of the Ahmedabad Test between India and West Indies. The trajectory drew the batter forward, and the length didn’t let him get near the pitch of the ball.Having put King in that position, the ball could have had him in trouble no matter what it did next. On this occasion, it turned sharply to find the outside edge of the sticker on King’s hesitantly prodding SS bat.It may have looked, to the viewer, like this ball hung momentarily above King’s eyeline – and it did – but it still left Jadeja’s hand at 91kph. Generations of visiting left-arm orthodox spinners have watched Jadeja bowl ball after ball on Indian pitches with this combination of pace, trajectory and fizzing revolutions, and watched him do this with a run-up and delivery style that looks utterly natural, and utterly effortless. They’ve all tried to match him, and most have only discovered how difficult it is to do what he does.Ask Jomel Warrican. He has a terrific record in every other Asian country. In nine Test matches in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, he has 52 wickets at an average of 19.92, with two five-wicket hauls. West Indies have won three of those nine Tests.Related

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In India, however, Warrican has taken four wickets in three Tests – including one against Afghanistan – at 67.25. While those numbers might have looked better had he had the chance of bowling on the dustbowls India have prepared in many of their series in recent years, all his Tests against India in India have come on true, traditional Indian pitches.On pitches like that, you need Jadeja’s combination of pace, revolutions, trajectory and accuracy to make an impact on batters.Throughout India’s innings in Ahmedabad, Warrican struggled to achieve the full combination. He naturally bowls at a slower pace than Jadeja, typically in the 77-81kph range, and like so many visiting spinners before him, he tried to bowl quicker: this was how he began his first spell. But his lengths suffered, and his fields, even at the start of his spell, suggested he was aware this might happen, with deep point back on the boundary for damage control on the occasions when he dropped short.Ravindra Jadeja celebrates his sixth Test century•Associated PressWhen he came back for his later spells, Warrican mostly bowled at his natural pace, and his lengths immediately improved. But the slower pace gave India’s batters time either to go deep in their crease or step out to get to the pitch of the ball, so the better lengths did not trouble them unduly.And to one of India’s batters, the lengths simply didn’t seem to matter. That batter, of course, was Jadeja, who stepped out gleefully to Warrican and launched him for five big sixes, hitting cleanly and with the turn, on his way to a breezy, unbeaten 104.Given how dominant India were, Warrican didn’t do all that badly: 29 overs at an economy rate of 3.51, and the wicket of KL Rahul achieved via a clever change of pace and line. India’s other batters scored 55 off 105 balls off Warrican. Jadeja knocked him around for 47 off 69.Put yourself in Warrican’s shoes. You’re a left-arm spinner who’s trying extremely hard to do what Jadeja does with the ball. You do an honest job, within your limitations. Then Jadeja himself comes along, bat in hand, and makes you look utterly ineffectual.ESPNcricinfo LtdQuite naturally, Jadeja ended the Ahmedabad Test with the Player-of-the-Match award. It was his 11th in Test cricket; since his debut, only Joe Root, Steven Smith (both 13) and Ben Stokes (12) have won more. If that’s elite company, how about this three-man club he’s 10 runs away from joining? Or this one-man club that’s also, quite possibly, within his reach? Jadeja and Kapil Dev. We are going to hear a lot of conversations involving both those names.That’s the level of cricketer Jadeja is, while being a batter and bowler of deceptively simple processes that are all about repeatability and percentages. The high level at which he executes these processes, ball after ball, isn’t immediately apparent to the viewer, and the subtleties of his craft, such as his clever use of the bowling crease to vary his angles, only really come alive from watching him over long periods. He doesn’t make any special effort to illuminate his methods to his fans, and he routinely tells mediapersons at press conferences – often framing this in humour – that he doesn’t want to give away his secrets.All this has turned him into a globally respected cricketer whose game remains somewhat under-analysed, and whose nuts and bolts remain somewhat underappreciated. So go watch that ball to King again, and give it the reverence it deserves. Go back and watch all those other seemingly routine dismissals of all those batters from all those teams over all those years, and marvel. You’ll miss the inevitability of Jadeja’s excellence when it’s no longer running live on your screen.

£100m Trossard upgrade: Arsenal set plan to sign “one of the world’s best”

While this season is shaping up to be a spectacular one for Arsenal, Sunday was a disappointment for Mikel Arteta and Co.

The Spaniard’s team looked second best in their Premier League game against then-second-placed Chelsea, and then failed to capitalise when the Blues went down to ten men.

With that said, while it was a poor showing from the Gunners, they were without a number of the best players, like William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhães and just as important, Leandro Trossard.

The Belgian has been in scintillating form for Arsenal in recent months, and yet, if reports are to be believed, the club are looking to sign someone who’d be a significant upgrade.

Arsenal target Trossard upgrade

During the summer, it looked like Trossard would be leaving Arsenal, as he didn’t have a great campaign and was linked with clubs like Bayern Munich.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

However, the former Brighton & Hove Albion gem stayed, was handed a pay rise, and since then has played like a man possessed.

For example, it was his thunderous effort against Sunderland that ensured the Gunners left with a point, and then against Tottenham Hotspur, he scored and assisted a goal.

However, even with performances such as these, it looks like the North Londoners are looking to sign an upgrade on the 30-year-old.

At least that is according to a recent report from TEAMtalk, which claims Arsenal are interested in Michael Olise.

In fact, the report goes further, revealing that the club have placed the Frenchman at the top of their wishlist for next year and, with Sporting Director Andrea Berta, are already laying the groundwork for the deal.

However, it won’t be a cheap transfer to get over the line, with the report claiming that it will cost in excess of £100m to convince Bayern Munich to sell their star attacker.

Even so, given Olise’s immense ability and further potential, this is a deal Arsenal should be going all out for, especially as he’d be a significant upgrade on Trossard.

How Olise compares to Trossard

So the first thing to get out of the way is that, yes, Olise is primarily a right-sided player, and Trossard plays mostly on the left.

However, Arteta has made it quite clear with the signing of Noni Madueke that he is more than happy to play wingers on the opposite flank, and given the Frenchman’s immense ability, it feels like he should have no problem playing out there.

Moreover, when the former Chelsea ace has played in the team, he and Bukayo Saka have swapped sides back and forth during games, which suggests the manager has almost moved beyond the idea of a wide player starting and sticking to a position as matches progress.

With all that said, why would the former Crystal Palace star, who shone with Eberechi Eze in South London, be an upgrade on the Belgian?

Well, the first and most important reason is the simple fact that he is a far more potent goal threat, be that through scoring or assisting them.

A “magician” – according to Bayern teammate Dayot Upamecano – in 20 appearances this season, totalling 1583 minutes, he’s scored nine goals and provided ten assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.05 games, or every 83.31 minutes.

In contrast, the former Brighton star has scored five goals and provided five assists in 16 appearances, totalling 948 minutes, which averages out to a goal involvement every 1.6 games, or every 94.8 minutes.

The second reason is that, at just 23 years old, the 13-capped international has far more upside than the 30-year-old and should even improve in the coming seasons.

Finally, on top of his better output, the former Reading man also comes out on top when you take a look under the hood at their underlying numbers.

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

1.00

0.38

Progressive Carries

5.70

2.63

Progressive Passes

6.40

3.63

Shots on Target

1.99

0.62

Passing Accuracy

81.4%

69.3%

Key Passes

2.60

1.38

Shot-Creating Actions

6.68

3.25

Goal-Creating Actions

1.10

0.37

Successful Take-Ons

2.40

0.88

For example, he comes out ahead in the most critical metrics, such as non-penalty expected goals plus assists, progressive passes and carries, successful take-ons, goal and shot-creating actions and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, Trossard is a brilliant player, but Olise is clearly superior in practically every way and more than justifies Oliver Glasner’s claim that he’s “one of the best talents in the world.”

Therefore, even if it costs a king’s ransom, Arsenal should do all they can to sign him in 2026.

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Man Utd must sell £120k-p/w flop who was "one of the best in the world"

It’s become a running joke that players who arrive at Manchester United with a notable reputation tend to see their stock plummet, with Old Trafford having been a graveyard for the best and brightest over the last decade or so.

From Angel Di Maria to Alexis Sanchez, the signings of perceived ‘world-class’ talent have spectacularly backfired, with the pursuit of glamour names and marketing opportunities rarely equating to on-field glory.

Thankfully, it does appear that there has been a change in tack under the new INEOS regime, with Jason Wilcox and co having gone for young and hungry figures like Senne Lammens and Benjamin Sesko, alongside Premier League-proven talents in Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha.

With potential future captain Matthijs de Ligt now starting to shine at the heart of the defence, while veteran warrior Casemiro is enjoying a midfield renaissance, a strong spine is finally beginning to emerge under Ruben Amorim.

As defeats to the likes of Grimsby and Brentford have showcased this season, however, this new-look United side are far from the finished article, with it likely to take a succession of transfer windows for Amorim to be able to build a title-challenging squad again.

Investment in new recruits is certainly needed, although there is also a sense that there still remains plenty of ‘deadwood’ to be shifted too.

The players Man Utd need to sell in 2026

Whether it is in January or next summer, United face another pivotal year with regard to squad-building, with ruthless decisions needing to yet again be made in order to take this club where it needs to go.

In the most recent window, for instance, Amorim oversaw departures for the likes of Antony, Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford, with the Portuguese having taken a particularly strong stance on those latter two names.

When next summer rolls around, it would be no surprise to see further peripheral figures also sent packing, with both Joshua Zirkzee and Manuel Ugarte surely at risk, amid reports that Omar Berrada wishes to implement a two-year rule for new signings.

In essence, those brought in have a maximum of two years to make their mark or face the axe, with Zirkzee – who has played just 90 minutes this season – certainly out in the cold right now, while Ugarte was reportedly the subject of a dressing down from his former Sporting CP boss at the end of last term.

Question marks also remain over the futures of the aforementioned Casemiro and Harry Maguire, amid their expiring contracts, with the Brazilian – for all his importance – regularly unable to last the 90 minutes, having been subbed off on seven occasions in the top-flight this time around.

Long-serving defender Diogo Dalot also appears another player at risk, amid the change to a 3-4-2-1 system, with the orthodox right-back having come under fire this season for his struggles on either flank.

What is clear is that the likes of Amorim and Wilcox aren’t afraid to make the big decisions, a fact that was also evident with the handling of another former world-beater over the summer.

The Man Utd flop who finally needs to be sold

Signed for just £18m, Lammens looks like one of the bargains of the season in Premier League terms, with the Belgian ‘keeper still yet to taste defeat in his new surroundings, following a near faultless five games in the United goal to date.

The 23-year-old Belgian will, as is the fact of life for a goalkeeper, make a mistake at some stage, although his strong early impression has already won over the Old Trafford faithful, with supporters and pundits alike willing him to be the second coming of Peter Schmeichel.

Getting people onside early on is particularly key in a position that Gary Neville regularly describes as the “most difficult position in English football”, with Lammens’ predecessor Andre Onana having failed to do just that upon his arrival in 2023.

Formerly part of Erik ten Hag’s famed Ajax side that reached the Champions League last four in 2019, Onana was reunited with the Dutchman four years later, joining from Inter Milan on a £47.2m deal.

The Cameroon international – who was actually available on a free transfer in 2022 – departed the San Siro having starred amid their surge to the Champions League final in his solitary campaign in Italy, producing an eye-catching display even amid defeat to Manchester City in the showpiece.

Speaking ahead of that eventual 1-0 win for the Etihad side, Pep Guardiola even hailed Onana as “one of the best in the world right now”, with it looking as if United had acquired a perfect replacement for the departed David De Gea.

Frustratingly for all concerned, the erratic ‘keeper looked a poor fit from the off, memorably lobbed from the halfway line on his Old Trafford debut against Lens in July 2023.

The sight of the £120k-per-week stopper tangled in his own goal set the tone for what was to follow, having also escaped punishment for a late punch against Wolverhampton Wanderers on his Premier League bow, before producing a string of blunders during United’s dismal European run.

In that 2023/24 Group stage alone, he made two errors leading to a goal, having followed that up with a further five errors across the 2024/25 season in the Premier League and Europa League, as per Sofascore.

Onana vs Lammens – 24/25 League

Stat

Onana

Lammens

Goals against

1.29

1.10

Save percentage

68.9%

81.3%

Save % (penalties)

25%

66.7%

Clean sheet %

26.5%

20.7%

Touches

40.32

41.59

Launch %

29.7%

32%

Crosses stopped

5.5%

11.2%

Defensive actions (outside area)

0.68

0.72

Stats via FBref

Perhaps the final straw came away at Lyon last term, with Onana engaging in pre-match verbals with Nemanja Matic, who branded him one of the “worst keepers in Manchester United’s history”.

Desperate to prove him wrong, United’s number 24 went on to play his part in both of Lyon’s goals, the second coming at the death just minutes after he had appeared to rile the home crowd by taking an age over a goal-kick.

The woes of Altay Bayindir did ensure he was subsequently reinstated, but the die was cast, with Amorim shipping out his previous first-choice stopper to Turkish side Trabzonspor late in the window.

With no buy option included as part of that deal, the 29-year-old – who has actually conceded just seven goals in eight Super Lig games in Turkey – will have to return to Manchester next summer, with INEOS swiftly needing to find a buyer for their exiled flop.

The problem is, the Red Devils will likely have to take a sizeable hit on their initial investment, with CIES Football Observatory deeming him to be worth a maximum of just €15m (£13m), even less than what United paid for Lammens.

Getting something for him is better than nothing, however, with the Red Devils needing to try and swiftly move on from this costly transfer mistake.

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