Rangers chairman Andrew Cavenagh has revealed 49ers Enterprises interviewed two mystery manager candidates to take over at Ibrox.

New Gers head coach Danny Rohl has begun to make additions to his backroom staff, as Sascha Lense has joined the club as first-team performance manager and Matthias Kaltenbach as assistant coach.

Lense most recently worked alongside Rohl at Sheffield Wednesday and was previously part of Ralf Rangnick’s backroom team at Manchester United. Kaltenbach came through the coaching ranks at Hoffenheim, where he had a six-year spell as assistant coach, working alongside current Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann. He joined Ajax’s first-team set-up in 2022 as assistant coach to Alfred Schreuder.

The duo joined first-team training on Wednesday morning ahead of the trip to Norway for the Europa League game against Brann on Thursday night. Rohl, who was appointed as Russell Martin’s successor on Monday, is expected to bring in another coach with Rangers connections.

As many know, things could have been so different had the Gers completed their moves for Steven Gerrard or Kevin Muscat, but it appears there were also two further options in the mix who are yet to be named.

Rangers now battling to sign "fantastic" midfield talent in first signing for Rohl

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ByTom Cunningham Oct 21, 2025 Rangers had two mystery candidates alongside Rohl, Gerrard and Muscat

Cavenagh defended several of the 49ers Group’s decisions in a fan meeting on Tuesday, including signings like Youssef Chermiti, but his most interesting comment came in an interview with Sky Sports, where he revealed there were actually five manager targets.

Just who those names were may never see the light of day, but there were suggestions in the media during the international break that talks had been held with Ole Gunnar Solskjær, who is a free agent after a brief spell with Turkish club Besiktas.

Rohl will likely be afforded time to show he was indeed the best of the club’s five candidates, with Cavenagh also suggesting there will be money available to the former Sheffield Wednesday boss in the January transfer window.

Rangers currently sit in sixth place in the Scottish Premiership, 13 points off the summit and eight points behind rivals Celtic.

Sunderland, after returning to the Premier League in 2025 for the first time in eight years, splashed the cash in the transfer market.

The Black Cats spent more than £150m on new players, however, they also cashed in on a couple of Stadium of Light stars.

Sunderland's most expensive signings of all time

Who is the Black Cats’ record addition?

ByCharlie Smith Sep 5, 2025

Here’s a look at Sunderland’s 20 biggest sales of all time, with a detailed view of the top 10.

1

Jobe Bellingham

£27.8m

Borussia Dortmund

2025

2

Jordan Pickford

£25m

Everton

2017

3

Jordan Henderson

£20m

Liverpool

2011

4

Darren Bent

£18m

Aston Villa

2011

5

Jack Clarke

£15m

Ipswich

2024

6

Patrick van Aanholt

£12m

Crystal Palace

2017

7

Simon Mignolet

£11m

Liverpool

2013

8

Tom Watson

£10m

Brighton

2025

9

Connor Wickham

£9m

Crystal Palace

2015

=10

Kenwyne Jones

£8m

Stoke

2010

=10

Ross Stewart

£8m

Southampton

2023

=12

Wahbi Khazri

£6m

Saint-Etienne

2018

=12

Asamoah Gyan

£6m

Al-Ain

2012

14

Stephane Sessegnon

£5.5m

West Brom

2013

15

Fabio Borini

£5.3m

AC Milan

2017

=16

Pierre Ekwah

£5m

Saint-Etienne

2024

=16

Paddy McNair

£5m

Middlesbrough

2018

=16

Don Hutchison

£5m

West Ham

2001

=16

Michael Bridges

£5m

Leeds

1999

20

Sebastian Coates

£4.25m

Sporting CP

2017

10 Kenwyne Jones £8m to Stoke, 2010

Starting the top 10 list is Kenwyne Jones, who moved to the Stadium of Light in 2007 from Southampton.

The powerful forward made just over 100 appearances for the Black Cats, scoring 28 times, and he appeared to love playing in red and white stripes, as the Trinidad and Tobago striker would go on to join Stoke City.

9 Connor Wickham £9m to Crystal Palace, 2015

Connor Wickham made more appearances for Sunderland than any of the other 10 clubs he represented during his career, with the forward spending four years in the north east.

Signed for around £8m, Wickham was sold to Crystal Palace in 2015 but would struggle with numerous injuries on the books at Selhurst Park.

8 Tom Watson £10m to Brighton, 2025

Sunderland’s playoff hero at Wembley against Sheffield United was Tom Watson, who’s last kick as a Black Cats player was a stoppage time winner to send the club up.

A deal with Brighton was already done which saw Watson head south for £10m.

7 Simon Mignolet £11m to Liverpool, 2013

Simon Mignolet’s first taste of English football came with Sunderland, with the goalkeeper costing just £2m back in 2010 from Club Brugge.

Steve Bruce was in charge at the time, and Mignolet would go on to make over 100 appearances before being sold for a tidy profit to Liverpool.

6 Patrick van Aanholt £12m to Crystal Palace, 2017

Two years after sealing a deal for Wickham, Crystal Palace called Sunderland again, this time to sign left-back Patrick van Aanholt.

After coming through at Chelsea, Sunderland was Van Aanholt’s next permanent home, costing under £2m. Three years later, the Black Cats made £10m on the speedy Dutch full-back.

5 Jack Clarke £15m to Ipswich, 2024

Jack Clarke got his career back on track at Sunderland following a failed move to Tottenham from Leeds.

The winger initially helped the Black Cats win promotion from League One and would spend two full seasons at the Stadium of Light before Ipswich Town offered him Premier League football in a deal worth £15m.

4 Darren Bent £18m to Aston Villa, 2011

Scorer of that beachball goal against Liverpool in 2009 at the Stadium of Light, Darren Bent netted 24 Premier League goals in his first season as a Sunderland player.

Costing an initial £10m from Spurs, Sunderland would only have Bent for 18 months, and after handing in a transfer request, was sold to Aston Villa for £18m.

3 Jordan Henderson £20m to Liverpool, 2011

Boyhood Sunderland fan Jordan Henderson came through the club’s academy and would go on to captain the Black Cats, making 79 appearances prior to his move to Liverpool.

The Reds paid £20m for the midfielder, who would go on to captain at Anfield, lifting the Premier League and Champions League.

2 Jordan Pickford £25m to Everton, 2017

Another Black Cats supporter who came through Sunderland’s academy to earn the club big money was goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.

England’s number one only made 35 first team appearances at the Stadium of Light and was loaned out to six different sides as a youngster before Everton came in and offered £25m.

1 Jobe Bellingham £27.8m to Borussia Dortmund, 2025

Top of the list as Sunderland’s record sale is Jobe Bellingham, who followed in the footsteps of his brother Jude by joining Borussia Dortmund.

Bellingham made 90 appearances for the Black Cats, the last of which was the playoff final, and he scored 11 goals, leaving for just under £28m at the age of 19.

Tottenham Hotspur won for the first time in three matches in all competitions when they travelled to the Hill Dickinson to beat Everton 3-0 on Sunday.

The Lilywhites found themselves 2-0 up at the break, thanks to two goals from two set-pieces from Micky van de Ven, in what was a battling performance from the away side.

After weathering a bit of a storm from the hosts in the second 45, substitute Pape Matar Sarr wrapped up the victory with a late goal of his own to make it 3-0.

Despite scoring two of Tottenham’s three goals in the impressive victory on Merseyside on Sunday, it was not a perfect performance from van de Ven.

Why Micky van de Ven was not perfect against Everton

The central defender deserves plenty of plaudits for his attacking play against the Toffees, as he was in the right place at the right time to score two goals in the first 45 minutes.

However, there were several nervy moments defensively where his play in his own box left a little bit to be desired, and he was either bailed out by his teammates or an Everton player failing to get on the end of a pass or cross.

Per Sofascore, van de Ven lost four of his six physical duels throughout the game, which shows that Beto and Thierno Barry got the better of him too often, and he was dribbled past once without making a single tackle in 90 minutes.

The Netherlands international has only won 50% of his aerial duels in the Premier League this season, per Sofascore, and that is an area of his game that he may look to improve on in the months to come.

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

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Whilst the Dutchman was still a net positive for Spurs, with his two goals, it was Guglielmo Vicario who was the most important player on the pitch for Spurs, yet again, and is quickly becoming Thomas Frank’s most important player.

Why Guglielmo Vicario is Tottenham's most important player

The Italy international, who earned an 8/10 player rating from SpursWeb, produced another fantastic performance to keep a clean sheet in goal for Spurs, days after his 10/10 Sofascore rating against Monaco in the Champions League.

Vicario prevented 2.68 xG through eight saves against the French outfit in the week, and followed that up with 0.96 xG prevented through two brilliant saves against Everton on Sunday.

Possibly the pick of his two saves, although both were brilliant, was his instinctive close-range stop to deny Beto from finding the back of the net with his overhead kick.

The Italian shot-stopper showed incredible reactions and strength to stop the Portuguese centre-forward from getting Everton back into the match, and it is not the first time that his goalkeeping has saved Spurs.

Top performing Premier League goalkeepers

25/26 season

Goals prevented

Goals conceded

Robin Roefs (Sunderland)

2.94

7

Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace)

2.93

9

Guglielmo Vicario (Spurs)

2.77

7

Nick Pope (Newcastle)

2.29

8

Senne Lammens (Man Utd)

1.97

3

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Vicario is one of three goalkeepers who have prevented around three goals more than expected based on xG in the Premier League this season, alongside Robin Roefs and Dean Henderson.

These statistics show that Tottenham currently have one of the most impactful goalkeepers in the division, with the Italian star, which illustrates just how important he is to the team.

Without his incredible shot-stopping, Spurs may have conceded way more goals than they have, given that he has prevented 2.77 goals in the Premier League and 1.89 goals in the Champions League, across 12 appearances in both competitions combined.

He is currently saving some of his defenders when they slip up and give up chances to the opposition, with his phenomenal stops, and that is why he is Frank’s most important player at this moment in time.

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Vicario is the backbone of the team, as the last line of defence, and his imperious performances are providing Spurs with a platform to excel throughout the rest of the pitch.

With nine games played in the 2025/26 Premier League campaign, we’ve already seen the champions’ crown slip, two sackings from one club and one Manchester United fan may just be closing in on a much-needed haircut.

But there’s still plenty more to come and an AI Supercomputer has now predicted how the final table will look come May, using data from the first nine game-weeks to predict every result and the final standings.

Relegation battle

It’s been a refreshing season down at the bottom. As things stand, none of the three promoted sides sit inside the bottom three and all have reached 10 points or above already.

For context of just how important that achievement is, Southampton finished bottom with 12 points after 38 games last season, whilst it took Ipswich and Leicester City all season to reach 22 and 25 points respectively. Sunderland have particularly thrived and sit as high as fourth in the Premier League with 17 points to their name. After nine games, it’s hard to see a world in which they don’t avoid the drop.

The Supercomputer seems to agree with how impressive the promoted sides have been so far this season and believes that, for just the fifth time in Premier League history, all three will avoid the drop. That leaves West Ham United, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Nottingham Forest – the current bottom three – in the dropzone at the end of the season.

15

Fulham

40

16

Leeds United

34

17

Burnley

33

18

Nottingham Forest

30

19

Wolves

27

20

West Ham

26

Bottom half

Away from relegation trouble, the supercomputer has predicted some comfortable campaigns for Brentford, Everton, Brighton & Hove Albion and Crystal Palace. Opinions will differ around those clubs whether a mid-table finish would be satisfactory, but Brentford should certainly take hold of that with both hands.

In their first season without Thomas Frank in the Premier League, many predicted the Bees to go down and although there’s still every chance that happens, victory over Liverpool proved just the positive direction that Keith Andrews is taking them. Not only has he steadied the ship, but he has also added his own pragmatic style in West London.

11

Crystal Palace

50

12

Brighton

48

13

Everton

47

14

Brentford

42

Top half

Look away now Chelsea fans, because your top four spot is up for grabs. According to the Supercomputer, the Blues are in for another frustrating campaign after spending big once more in the summer.

Despite impressing at times, Enzo Maresca’s side have largely remained inconsistent and that could leave them scrapping away to stay in the top six altogether. The same can be said for Newcastle United, who have impressed defensively but remained blunt going forward in the absence of one of the world’s best forwards in Alexander Isak.

Manchester United, meanwhile, have been on the up lately and are just two wins away from five on the bounce. After finishing in the bottom half last season, the Supercomputer believes that Ruben Amorim’s side will earn their place back inside the top six and above Chelsea.

5

Man Utd

65

6

Chelsea

63

7

Aston Villa

62

8

Bournemouth

60

9

Newcastle

59

10

Sunderland

52

Top four and Premier League winners

From the glory of champions, the most glaring prediction that the Supercomputer has made centres around Liverpool’s fall from grace. It does believe that the Reds will finish inside the top four, but as many as 17 points behind league leaders Arsenal in a title defence to forget for Arne Slot. Given that they’re currently winless in four league games, however, the Dutchman may just take that final table.

As for Tottenham Hotspur, from the chaos of Ange-ball, they’re expected to rise to as high as third in the league under Frank. The Lilywhites have started in excellent fashion under the Dane and could yet continue that to earn their way back into the top four.

For the Gunners, meanwhile, glory may finally be on the horizon. They’ve waited over two decades to lift the Premier League title again and have been forced to applaud both Liverpool and Manchester City in recent years. Now, at long last, it could finally be Mikel Arteta’s year. The Supercomputer has even gone as far as to predict that they’ll win it by 13 points.

1

Arsenal

89

2

Man City

76

3

Tottenham Hotspur

74

4

Liverpool

72

حقق فريق النصر الفوز على نيوم، بنتيجة 3-1، ليحقق انتصاره الثامن على التوالي في منافسات بطولة الدوري السعودي “دوري روشن” للموسم الحالي.

والتقي النصر مع نيوم، في الجولة الثامنة من عمر منافسات بطولة الدوري السعودي، على استاد مدينة الملك خالد الرياضية في مدينة تبوك.

وسجل هدف النصر الأول أمام نيوم البرازيلي أنجيلو جابرييل في الدقيقة 47، والثاني سجله البرتغالي كريستيانو رونالدو من ركلة جزاء في الدقيقة 65.

طالع | ترتيب هدافي الدوري السعودي بعد هدف جواو فيليكس أمام نيوم

وأضاف الثالث، البرتغالي جواو فيليكس، في الدقيقة 86، بينما جاء هدف فريق نيوم، عن طريق اللاعب أحمد عبده في الدقيقة 84. أهداف مباراة النصر ونيوم اليوم في الدوري السعودي

أهداف مواجهة #نيوم_النصر ⚽️🎥@NEOMSportsClub 1️⃣ – 3️⃣ @AlNassrFC#دوري_روشن_السعودي pic.twitter.com/bAEELLdjfP — رياضة ثمانية (@thmanyahsports) November 8, 2025

وشهد اللقاء، غياب المدافع المصري أحمد حجازي للإصابة، الذي يلعب ضمن صفوف فريق نيوم السعودي منذ بداية الموسم الحالي.

وبذلك الفوز، يواصل فريق النصر تصدره لجدول ترتيب الدوري السعودي برصيد 24 نقطة من 8 انتصارات متتالية.

وعلى الجانب الآخر، فريق نيوم يحتل المركز السابع في ترتيب الدوري السعودي، برصيد 13 نقطة.

Wayne Rooney has sought to bring an end to his supposed feud with Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk. The Manchester United legend has found himself caught up in a war of words with the Netherlands international, with the pair coming face-to-face during an awkward television exchange after Van Dijk helped Liverpool to a Champions League win over Real Madrid.

• Van Dijk's reaction to 'lazy criticism' from Rooney

  Ahead of that game, with the Reds having endured a testing run in the 2025-26 campaign, Rooney suggested that Van Dijk is among those to have allowed lofty standards to slip in a Premier League title defence. He is not the only prominent figure at Anfield to fall into that category.

  The commanding centre-half is, however, club captain on Merseyside and is expected to lead by example – calling in-house meetings if required in a bid to get to the bottom of why a run of six defeats in seven was allowed to happen.

  Van Dijk responded to comments from ex-England captain Rooney by saying: "I didn't hear him last year. It doesn't hurt me. Just to come back to this particular player, obviously a legend, a big player of the game who inspired so many, I can say only positive things but I feel that comment is just I would say it's a bit of a lazy criticism."

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• AFP
  

  Liverpool captain sent out for post-match press duty

  Rooney doubled down on his claims, only to then be confronted by Van Dijk after the Dutchman was sent out for post-match press duty with after Liverpool battled to a 1-0 victory over Real Madrid in European competition. He said when picking up a microphone next to Rooney, with team gatherings at Anfield being addressed: "It is easy to say now because we won twice in a row that it helped pretty well but in a world of chaos you have to try and stay calm and take perspective of things. In that meeting the time was October, so much football to be played, so many twists and turns that can happen and I think at times the noise was a lot (said with a small smile on his face). I think it is very important to put things in perspective, keep your head down and work and get out the situation because the quality we have, that is not the issue. It is about keep working and keep going."

• Rooney responds to awkward exchange with Van Dijk

  Rooney looked slightly uncomfortable when being faced with Van Dijk, but told his podcast for : "I thought he was good that night, and I had loads of people say, 'Oh, when he came up to you,' I think fair play to him for coming out. We didn’t know he was coming out. It was meant to be [Dominik] Szoboszlai, I think, to come to the table. But I think fair play to him, he came out and he put his point across.

  "Listen, Virgil van Dijk over the last five, four years has been one of, if not, the best centre-backs in the world, and his performances have dipped over the last few weeks.

  "I’ve had my opinion on that; he has his own, which you have to respect. But when you’re the Premier League champions, teams are coming for you, and when you don’t win one game, people ask questions. So, when you don’t win four games in a row, of course, there are questions of the captain. I think I said it a few weeks ago on here, what he should be and he will be doing is getting the players together.

  "I think he said that he got the players together and took them for a meal or something, trying to bring that chemistry back, and that’s what I was saying he should be doing as a captain, and he’s done that. It certainly seemed to help in the Madrid game. He’s a fantastic player, but he hasn’t started the season great. You want to see good players playing well, and he performed well [against Real Madrid]. So, for him, I’m sure for Liverpool, he hopes that continues."

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• AFP
  

  Liverpool fixtures: Man City clash next up for the Reds

  Rooney added after being asked when it became apparent that Van Dijk would be joining him for an on-air discussion: "When he was there, and I think it's great. No disrespect to Szoboszlai, but I'd rather speak to Van Dijk."

  He went on to say: "I think the issue is, when you don't play well and you're not winning games, as Premier League champions, everyone's going to have an opinion. And, of course, when you're not playing well or you're not winning games that opinion, they're going to look at why and give their thoughts why. Liverpool can use this in two different ways: they can let it affect them or they can use it to spur them on.

  "You look at Man United over the last few years, the criticism that they've had. I played the game, I was captain of England, captain of Man United. I got criticised for for all kinds. That's part of being a top player. You have to deal with that. You have to accept it at times. Listen, I was unfair with my comments, I'd be the first to hold my hands up. Same way I did with Man United when I had a rant about them and then they won games, and I come back on that. If I was unfair, I'd be fair to hold my hands up."

  Rooney maintains that his comments were fair, with it the role of a pundit to offer opinions that may not be universally well received, and he will be an interested observer on Sunday when Van Dijk and Liverpool head to the Etihad Stadium for a heavyweight showdown with old adversaries Manchester City.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Vila Nova irá receber no Estádio Onésio Brasileiro Alvarenga o Botafogo-SP na quarta-feira (11). A partida irá valer pela 32° rodada da Série B do Campeonato Brasileiro e está programado para às 21h30. Ambos os times vão entrar em campo com objetivos semelhantes, já que a equipe de São Paulo está apenas duas posições abaixo do adversário.

RelacionadasNotíciasSérie B: como foram os últimos jogos entre Vila Nova e Botafogo-SP?Notícias11/10/2023Fora de CampoApós acesso para a Série B, dirigente do Paysandu faz open bar com mais de 10 mil latinhas de cervejaFora de Campo09/10/2023Futebol NacionalEm jogo emocionante, Sport busca o empate contra a Ponte Preta e segue na cola dos líderes da Série BFutebol Nacional09/10/2023

Vindo de um empate por 1 a 1 junto ao Guarani, o Vila Nova se encontra agora na décima posição na tabela, com 48 pontos. O time goiano precisa vencer para continuar em busca de se aproximar do G-4. Lisca vai poder contar com Léo Duarte, que volta de suspensão.

+ Você quer trabalhar no seu clube do coração? Matricule-se no curso Gestor de Futebol e entenda como!

Já o Botafogo-SP, chega a Goiânia após ser derrotado por 1 a 0 pelo Avaí e conta hoje com 40 pontos, 10 pontos de vantagem para o Z-4. O time de São Paulo vai em busca de ter um bom desempenho nas próximas rodadas para se garantir na competição.

+ Em jogo emocionante, Sport busca o empate contra a Ponte Preta e segue na cola dos líderes da Série B

VILA NOVA X BOTAFOGO-SP

Data: quarta-feira, 11 de outubro
Horário: 24h30
Local: Estádio Onésio Brasileiro Alvarenga, Goiânia, Goiás
Onde assistir: SporTV e Premiere

+ Série C tem final definida e acessos garantidos; confira

Provável escalação do Vila Nova: Dênis Júnior, Léo Duarte, Rafael Donato, Eduardo Doma, Marquinhos Pedroso, Sousa (Cristiano), Igor Henrique, Lourenço, Juan Christian, Caio Dantas e Guilherme Parede
Técnico: Lisca

Provável escalação do Botafogo-SP: Matheus Albino, Ericson, Diogo Silva, Marcio Silva, Thassio, Guilherme Madruga, Tárik, Ivonei, Jean Victor, Lucas Cardoso e Edson Carioca
Técnico: Marcelo Chamusca

Australia fielded a four-pronged pace attack, leaving out a fit Lyon for the first time since 2013

Andrew McGlashan12-Jul-2025

Australia left out a fit Nathan Lyon for the first time since 2013•Associated Press

Nathan Lyon’s shock omission for the final Test against West Indies at Sabina Park was based on “exceptional circumstances” created by the pink-ball day-night encounter, but Australia selector Tony Dodemaide admitted that Lyon had been disappointed by the decision.Aside from the three Tests he was injured for in the 2023 Ashes, Lyon has been ever present in the side since the 2013 tour of England when he was initially overlooked in favour of Ashton Agar. He claimed six wickets in Grenada leaving him one behind Glenn McGrath’s tally of 563 as the second-most for Australia in Tests.Dodemaide said the call “didn’t come naturally for everybody” but further examination of the limited data available from pink-ball Dukes matches, evidence from Australia’s training sessions, and the fact daylight goes quickly had persuaded them spin would play a limited role.Related

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“It’s something that wasn’t front of mind, certainly a difficult [decision], but we thought the exceptional circumstances justified having the four quicks so that we could rotate those guys and keep the pressure on,” Dodemaide said. “On a well-grassed surface and a hard surface with lots of night time play hours, that was the best way to win the game.”Dodemaide also referenced the 2018 pink-ball Test between West Indies and Sri Lanka in Barbados which was played with a Dukes and saw the spinners have very limited impact. However, for this match the home side recalled their frontline spinner Jomel Warrican in place of seamer Anderson Phillip. Overall in pink-ball Tests, Lyon has 43 wickets at 25.62.”But the key in here is it’s a conditions-based decision to go with the four quicks,” Dodemaide said. “What we found here with the limited data that we have on particularly the pink Dukes ball… [is] that it actually behaves a little differently to the Kookaburra one. It doesn’t go as soft.”The Kookaburra one tends to have a trough when it doesn’t move so much in those middle overs. That’s not the case with the Dukes one, the history tells us that, and that’s been our live experience when we’ve been here for the past couple of days in terms of the practice sessions that we’ve had. We’ve seen out here in practice the last couple of days that the ball does, big ball does a lot and it’s very difficult for the batters.”The last time Australia fielded an all-pace frontline attack was during the 2023 Ashes at Old Trafford when they left out Todd Murphy, using three frontline quicks alongside Cameron Green and Mitchell Marsh. To find a four-pronged pace attack without a spinner goes way back to 2012 against India at the WACA.Lyon’s omission means he won’t be on the field for the 100th Test of his close friend Mitchell Starc, with the pair having featured in 94 Tests together.”They’re great mates,” Dodemaide said. “He’s disappointed because he wants to play every game. He’s a great competitor and he believes he can be effective in any conditions. But he’s a team man as well and understands the right thing for the team and he’ll do his best to support the guys. But it’s a one-off. It’s no reflection on performance for Nathan. It’s simply the best way we think we can win this game.”This is Australia’s first day-night Test overseas having won 12 of the 13 played at home. They were only able to get their hands on the pink Dukes balls when they arrived in Jamaica earlier this week and had one training session under lights.

Litton and Shamim bring the power with the bat before Rishad and the seamers skittle the hosts

Madushka Balasuriya13-Jul-2025
Bangladesh snapped their six-game losing streak in dominant fashion as they handed Sri Lanka a 83-run defeat in front of a packed house in Dambulla, and with it levelled the three match series 1-1.Litton Das’ 76 off 50 – he put to rest a 13-match run without a fifty – headlined Bangladesh’s innings, but it was Shamim Hossain’s destructive 48 off 27 that shifted the winds in Bangladesh’s favour.Chasing 178, Sri Lanka’s top order failed to fire – unlike in Kandy – and an excellent Bangladesh effort with the ball and in the field ensured the Sri Lanka middle and lower order were not able to bail them out either.To the crowd’s credit they hung around as wicket after wicket fell, but as early as the 12th over the droves began to filter out, as the last recognised batter – Dasun Shanaka – fell with just 73 runs on the board. Sri Lanka’s innings lasted just 15.2 overs.The Shamim showIt was the 12th over of the Bangladesh innings that shifted the game in the visitors’ favour, as it brought Shamim to the crease earlier than might have initially been planned. At the time though, the innings looked anything but redeemable.The openers had thrown their wickets away in what might be described as cosplay efforts of aggression on a good batting surface, while Litton and Towhid Hridoy’s efforts at consolidation had helped their side avert a collapse.However, when Towhid sliced one to short third and Mehidy Hasan Miraz scooped another to short fine leg, it looked as if all that consolidation had gone to waste. But Shamim’s entry changed the dynamics of the innings, and indeed the game.Off just second ball he faced he cut one away from close to the stumps. A couple of deliveries later the pace was taken off, but Shamim responded with a bat swing that was even more rapid. Shamim’s next boundaries came against Sri Lanka’s death-bowling specialists – three off Nuwan Thushara, and one each off Maheesh Theekshana and Binura Fernando.But the expert ball-striking and placement was only a small part of Shamim’s innings. Across his 27 deliveries faced, only five were dots. Shamim was then at the heart of disrupting Sri Lanka’s chase, effecting the run out of Kusal Mendis and holding on to running catch in the deep to remove Avishka Fernando.His energy was infectious, and even if his eagerness for singles might have eventually led to his – and Jaker Ali’s – downfall in the final over as they sought to steal runs to the keeper, the momentum he had created would create the conditions for Bangladesh’s ultimate victory.Litton’s lifelinesLitton hadn’t come into this game in any great form. He’d scored a pair of 40s this year, but his last 50-plus score in T20Is had come all the way back in June 2024. Even his coach had to acknowledge prior to the game that his skipper wasn’t in the best of form.So, when Litton sauntered down the track and missed a wide one from Jeffrey Vandersay, it seemed inevitable that lean run was destined to continue. Kusal Mendis, however, was unable to gather this wide legbreak that spun even wider, and Litton survived. He was on 30 at the time.Had he fallen then, perhaps Sri Lanka might have pressed home their advantage further. But in reality, the more painful missed chance came some six overs later, with Litton shanking an attempted sweep on 56, only to be dropped by Theekshana at mid-off in the 16th over.By the time Theekshana had dismissed Litton three overs later, he had added a further 20 runs to his total and the momentum had decidedly shifted in Bangladesh’s favour.SL’s middle order fails the testIn the first T20I, the chase was effectively killed inside the powerplay by the sheer belligerence of Kusal Mendis and Pathum Nissanka. In those two, Sri Lanka have power-hitters to rival some of the best in the world, but the question lingered around the capabilities of the rest of the batting.In Dambulla, that question was put to the test. Kusal was run out early, and some tight bowling by Bangladesh’s revamped bowling attack – both Mustafizur Rahman and Shoriful Islam were drafted in for this game – meant Nissanka was kept quiet for long periods before eventually falling tamely.But at the first time of asking this series, the collective grade was a resounding ‘F’. None of Avishka Fernando, Kusal Perera or Charith Asalanka were able to provide the sort of counterpunch demanded in such scenarios. Though the lower-order enforcers in Chamika Karunaratne and Shanaka fared little better, the chase was always beyond Sri Lanka’s reach. Such was Bangladesh’s hold on the game.

Akash Deep’s early double strike and Washington Sundar’s dismissal of England skipper Ben Stokes on the stroke of lunch have India on the verge of a series-squaring victory in this second Test at Edgbaston. England, trailing by 455, having not quashed talk of a potential record chase last night, will be up against it to even draw this match to preserve their 1-0 lead.Akash’s removal of Ollie Pope and Harry Brook inside the first 25 minutes of the first session gave way for a stand of 70 between Stokes and Jamie Smith. But midway through Washington’s second over, a gorgeous amount of drift and enough turn clipped the left-hander’s front pad ahead of the bat. Stokes’ review was in vain.Akash picked up where he left off on Saturday evening, pocketing another two wickets in a six-over morning spell. Pope was undone by steep bounce from a delivery full of a length, which reared up and forced the No.3 to defend into the ground and onto his own stumps. And then, Brook was left hobbling – and trapped in front – with a wicket delivery that seamed in and caught him on the inside of his right knee.Akash could have had more – and thus a maiden five-wicket haul – when another big seaming delivery cut through Smith (on 9 at the time) only to miss leg stump. Smith had arrived on 83 for 5, a run shy of the score when he came to the crease in the first innings before unfurling a stunning 184 not out. He remains unbeaten on 32.Shubman Gill seemed to be targeting Stokes’ wicket more keenly, particularly with Ravindra Jadeja operating from the City End, replacing Akash after the drinks break. The England captain looked to have been given a life on 18, as he turned the left-arm spinner around the corner, only for the catch to drop shot of Gill at leg slip.But Stokes was soon undone by Washington, given a cursory couple of overs in the lead-up to the break.On the evening of day four, England assistant coach Marcus Trescothick had ceded that, of course, a draw would be regarded as a positive result for England. That became a lot more attractive to the hosts following the morning showers which took 10 overs out of the day, even if the required rate to clear the remaining 536 runs was “only” 6.7 an over. Now, a third 400-plus defeat for Stokes and McCullum’s England looms.