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As good as Chandimal, de Silva and Mendis looked on day four, it was all ultimately futile

Andrew Fidel Fernando30-Nov-2024The temptation is to throw a big sheet over the whole thing.People tend not to watch sports for the purpose of wallowing in misery. Cricket is supposed to exist in the realm of fun.On the other side of the ledger, you trounce a team, and tend not to want them to drink too deeply from the self-loathing cup. Their failing to believe in themselves cheapens your own achievements, and in elite, professional sports, you want to celebrate every win. The team you beat were just lying down to be beaten? That’s no fun.Related

Kandamby backs experienced SL to make a strong comeback: 'We've been in these situations before'

Chandimal takes on No. 3 challenge 'for the future of Sri Lankan cricket'

Sri Lanka hit the snooze button on destiny

Jansen stars with 11 wickets as SA complete thumping win

Coetzee picks up groin niggle, in doubt for second Test

Test cricket, especially, perhaps among all sports, can be exceptionally forgiving. Its narrative arc is long, and allows for all manner of mad comeback scenarios. You got shot out for 185 batting first? Chin up, one of your opening seamers has one of their greatest days, and you skittle the opposition for 160. Not so bad now, no? Oh, you’ve given up a 130-run first-innings lead? That’s okay, one of your openers rocks a fast century, and you’re back on level terms. So you’re chasing more than 300 in the last innings? Turns out that’s easier to do in modern Tests than ever before.With Kingsmead, the temptation is to say, okay, Sri Lanka were behind the game and fought back in the fourth innings. And that if you rolled up to the ground on the fourth morning, threw a big sheet over the scoreboard, and watched Dhananjaya de Silva drive, or Dinesh Chandimal cut and pull, and Kusal Mendis sweep, perhaps this was sufficient evidence of competitive cricket. South Africa were being made to work.The truth is, actually, quite simple. Test cricket, for all its largesse, cannot forgive this. It cannot forgive a 42 all out.Every action that followed that Sri Lanka first innings was doused in what it meant for a team to get bowled out for 42.South Africa had been jolted by being dismissed for 191, but they were soaring after those 13.5 overs, having established a 149-run lead. The sun shone on a soft Kingsmead pitch on day two, and so when they went out to bat again, better batting conditions were in the making. Hang tight, hunker down, play safe. You lose an opener for 17, but you’re already almost 200 runs ahead. It’s fine.Dhananjaya de Silva played his shots freely on his way to 59•AFP/Getty ImagesWiaan Mulder, the seam-bowling allrounder who had fractured his hand, volunteered to bat at No. 3, so he could make the ball a little older for the batters to follow while he could still hold a bat. If Sri Lanka had surged to 200 all out, for example, South Africa would have been less likely to take these decisions. Batting for 50 overs, instead of just 13.5, may have meant that Mulder would have had to volunteer on the next day, when his hand was likely in worse shape.And in that scenario, promoting an injured No. 7 to No. 3 would have felt like a more serious risk, with the advantage in the match on the line. Mulder ended up facing only 31 balls., and making 15, so perhaps his effect on the game was minimal. And yet this was a higher score and a greater number of balls faced than any combination of the two that Sri Lanka’s batters had managed in their first innings.The next day, Temba Bavuma and Tristan Stubbs batted on a pitch much muted, under beating sunshine. If 42 all out had been 200 all out, Sri Lanka could have attacked for longer, their bowlers better refreshed from a break longer than 13.5 overs. Attacking fielders could have stayed in place, and bowling speeds may have dropped less than they did. Bavuma and Stubbs may still have prospered. But they were almost certain to have faced greater challenges. The opposition being three down for 200 is an entirely different proposition than their being three down for 50. The tendency, in this data-driven age, is to admit only quantitative data, and ignore the qualitative stuff.In public, Sri Lanka’s bowlers said that a collapse such as 42 all out was just “one of the things that can happen in cricket.” But they are humans. Inwardly, they were likely seething.It carried even into the fourth innings, where South Africa had so many runs on the board that they merely needed to keep catching positions in play, and continue to bowl attacking lines. There were few considerations towards keeping the runs down. Chandimal cut and pull. De Silva drove, and Kusal swept. They hit boundaries in favoured areas, but there was no serious consideration to closing those gaps. Sri Lanka needed to play dozens more of those shots, over dozens more overs, to even rustle up a scare for South Africa.There was no sense that South Africa were ever in danger, that a moment of misfortune, or half a dozen, could turn this match.A Test match arc is long, and it can be forgiving. But it could not forgive 42 all out.

Poor (or no) planning, a shambolic DRS set-up, player misconduct – it was another forgettable season of the BPL

Mohammad Isam15-Feb-2023Shakib Al Hasan’s prediction that the BPL was headed downwards has turned out to be true.Shakib’s comments on January 4 became quite talked about because he referenced the Hindi-language movie while explaining how the issues in the BPL could be fixed quickly, but the substance of what he said wasn’t lost on anyone – he was, after all, talking about issues that have plagued the BPL for the last few seasons: the delayed players’ draft and poor broadcast quality among them, plus the new one, the clash with other (new and richer) T20 leagues. He had also criticised the (non) marketing of the BPL as being ineffective. While there are no exact figures for TV ratings or stadium attendance, the lack of enthusiasm was reflected by low turnouts in most matches.Sylhet and Chattogram usually have big crowds but apart from the odd weekend game or evening game, it has been sparsely attended. The same was true for the playoffs in Dhaka where the ground was usually half-full. The BCB forgetting to inform the media and public about changed match timings on the tournament’s first day or the lack of clarity about match tickets added to the overall chaos. Not to forget the average cricket and poor player behaviour, and we had another sub-par tournament this year.’BPL is always a last-minute tournament'”BPL is always a last-minute tournament in terms of preparations,” Tahmeed Huq, chief executive of former franchise Rajshahi Kings, said of the situation. “There was nothing different this year. DRS is essential to a tournament like the BPL. I read about the controversies due to the absence of DRS but I didn’t see any improvements.”A fully functional DRS set-up is the bare requirement in major tournaments, but for the league stage, all the BPL had were glorified replays for the TV umpires to use. But even outside of that, there was a general lack of competitiveness on show, which was disappointing.The bottom three teams – Chattogram Challengers, Dhaka Dominators and Khulna Tigers – were knocked out of reckoning for the playoffs with eight matches left in the league stage. Teams for the knockout stages have never been confirmed this early in the BPL. They have usually gone down to the last two or three matches to decide at least one of the playoff spots.

“I came here two days before the first game, so that’s not great for me to see the players. Not enough time. A week with the team would have been really good. You get to know the players’ characters and the roles that they could play”Julian Wood, Chattogram Challengers coach

Dominators, Challengers and Tigers were also the worst hit in terms of quality overseas players. Of the eight overseas batters who scored 200-plus runs in last year’s BPL, only Benny Howell, who played for Challengers last year, appeared in two games for Rangpur Riders in this year’s league phase. Fortune Barishal’s Andre Fletcher, who played for Tigers last year, and Moeen Ali also appeared only in the knockout stage after playing in other T20 leagues.Even for the teams that made the playoffs, availability of overseas players was a serious issue. Those relying heavily on imports had to change their strategy when the Pakistani players, making up the bulk of the overseas quota in the BPL, left for the PSL. In the case of Barishal, even Bhanuka Rajapaksa’s form or big-hitting reputation couldn’t guarantee success. Riders managed to bring in Dwayne Bravo and Sam Billings, but only for just the last couple of games.Add it all up, and we have to go back to what we said before the tournament began, that the BCB just wasn’t moving fast enough. Rather than selling the franchises early and allowing them time to get the best players, they waited till November to organise the players’ draft, allowing the BBL, SA20 and ILT20 to take away the best T20 players.Related

Litton, Charles help Comilla Victorians to fourth Bangladesh Premier League title

Shanto, Hridoy, Mahmud headline ESPNcricinfo's BPL XI

BCB backs TV umpire following controversial ADRS decision

Shakib's scathing criticism of BPL: 'Huge failure of marketing'

In the clutter of T20 leagues, BPL has fallen behind

“I came here two days before the first game, so that’s not great for me to see the players,” Julian Wood, the Challengers coach, said. “Not enough time. A week with the team would have been really good. You get to know the players’ characters and the roles that they could play.”I think they need to look at when they run the competition. You have the BBL, ILT20 and SA20 so you’ve got four tournaments at the same time. You want the best players in the world to play in your tournament. Find a window, maybe November next year [season]. We had six days when we didn’t do anything, so I think you can try to squeeze it in a bit more.”Challengers finished in last place.The lack of preparation, the lack of time, and lack of quality international cricketers is a big worry mainly because Bangladesh don’t really have the greatest T20 talent going around. It’s reflected in their T20I cricket too. As a result, the BPL franchises are heavily reliant on finished products from overseas. This season, no rookie or unknown from the domestic circuit really made a splash.Limited DRS, poor player conductAnd then we come to player misconduct. Many of the incidents this year were due to the Alternative DRS system – a watered-down version with just a few technologies for TV umpire, who had to rely on basic replays and a “pitching zone” that didn’t seem consistent – in place.Soumya Sarkar’s refusal to accept a DRS decision during the third game of the tournament led to incidents of players misbehaving with the on-field umpires.Shakib had a go at the square-leg umpire later on the same day, and then ran on to the field to argue with the umpires when fielding captain Nurul Hasan switched bowlers after seeing which batter was taking first strike. In that same match, Anamul Haque had an argument with the umpires when given out via DRS.Comilla Victorians coach Mohammad Salahuddin was fined for criticising the umpires after Jaker Ali was given out lbw despite the ball pitching outside leg stump in a game. Even when the conventional DRS was put in place during the knockouts, Sylhet Strikers batter Najmul Hossain Shanto argued when given out lbw in the second qualifier.The BCB’s decision to stick with the (not quite) DRS system during the 42-match league phase was disappointing. Fans generally want a free-flowing tournament, but the BPL has been anything but. At the start of the tournament, the BCB explained that they couldn’t bring the personnel to run the DRS equipment, although the equipment has been in their stadium storage unit.Does the BCB have a vision for the BPL at all?Tahmeed, a former cricketer who is recognised as a marketing expert in Bangladesh, said that the lack of proper long-term planning, particularly with no revenue-sharing system with the teams, could put off the franchise owners soon.”Franchises were given three-year contracts but already Barishal have said that they are not coming back next year,” he pointed out. “It gives the wrong impression about the BPL. Compared to other leagues, I don’t see proper, organised planning in place. What is the BPL’s vision? Where does it go from here?”We need to understand the vision of those who are organising this tournament. It has to be a business case,” he said. “Otherwise franchises will say like Barishal that we won’t play next time. It doesn’t give them any benefit, in terms of profitability.”But things can be fixed, they aren’t completely broken, Tahmeed suggested.”The BPL has a future. But it has to improve in a lot of areas,” he said. “Production value has to be better. Wickets were better this year. Consumer-wise, Bangladesh’s market is second only to India. If we cannot use this potential in such a market, then it is our failure.”There will always be competition, which will urge improvement. If you look at the telecom industry in Bangladesh, three compete with each other to improve services. Definitely BPL has a future and potential, but the product has to be attractive. It has to be so much better than other leagues, not just money-wise, but in terms of other factors too.”The difficulty for BPL is the almost water-tight future tours programme drawn up by the cricket boards. It means that the BPL can only be held at a set time for the next five seasons, which will continue to clash with other leagues. There’s no way out in that sense, but the BCB could arrange for a more advanced plan so that franchises are better prepared, and then ensure DRS and other facilities are in place. The BPL has hit rock bottom this year but, as always, it means the only way now is up.

So where does Russell’s exploits with the ball in the match rank in terms of Bowling Impact?

ESPNcricinfo stats team13-Apr-20211:44

Dasgupta: Krunal and Chahar brought MI back into the game

It’s not often that a five-for ends up being the subplot in a T20 game. Andre Russell’s record-equaling five-for in 12 balls was among the quickest five-wicket hauls taken in the IPL, but it was Mumbai Indians’ Rahul Chahar who was adjudged the Man-of-the-Match for throwing Knight Riders’ chase in disarray with a four-wicket haul.ESPNcricinfo LtdESPNcricinfo’s Smart Stats endorses Chahar’s impact on the game. Chahar earned 117 impact points for his bowling efforts (he earned six points for his valuable 8 with the bat). His impact on the game was 31 points clear of the next most impactful performance in the match. Chahar came on to bowl in the ninth over with the Knight Riders firmly in control of the chase. Each of his four overs produced a wicket: the top four of the Knight Riders’ batting order, including the in-form Nitish Rana. According to Smart Stats, Chahar’s four wickets in the game were worth 6.34 smart wickets. Smart Stats gives each wicket an impact value based on the quality of the batsman and the stage of the innings at which he is dismissed.ESPNcricinfo LtdIn contrast, four of Russell’s five victims were lower-order batsmen. Three of those wickets came in the last over of the innings, when the damage the Mumbai tailenders could’ve done was limited. Kieron Pollard’s wicket was the most valuable wicket that Russell took considering the context of the game. There were 17 balls left in the innings when Pollard was dismissed potentially stopping him from playing a match-changing innings. Pollard’s wicket fetched Russell 1.57 smart wicket value. However, his other four wickets contributed just 1.83 smart wicket value. In all, Russell’s five wickets in the match considering the match situation (based on the impact the batsmen dismissed by could’ve had) was worth 3.4 Smart Wickets. In fact, Russell’s exploits with the ball in the match ranked fifth in terms of Bowling Impact. Pat Cummins’ 2 for 24, Krunal Pandya’s 1 for 13 and Trent Boult’s 2 from 27 were considered more impactful than Russell’s given the context of the game.ESPNcricinfo LtdOverall, Suryakumar Yadav’s 36-ball 56 had the second-highest impact on the match with 92.4 points, followed by Krunal Pandya’s efforts with the ball and the bat, which fetched him 79.9 impact points.

Tottenham boss Thomas Frank is in danger of repeating a fatal Ange Postecoglou mistake as new co-sporting director Fabio Paratici looks to spare his blushes.

Thomas Frank given clear Tottenham issues to solve as unbeaten streak ends

Last Sunday, Unai Emery’s Aston Villa stole all three points from a Spurs side who seriously lacked cutting edge in the final third.

The Lilywhites looked to be in dreamland when midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur opened the scoring with just five minutes on the clock, but they failed to press their advantage and allowed Villa a route back into the game.

Wonder strikes from Morgan Rogers, who is reportedly on Tottenham’s radar as a transfer target, and Emiliano Buendia ended Spurs’ brief unbeaten streak that was largely down to the grit and resilience of their defence.

It took two deflected efforts from Mathys Tel and Mohammed Kudus to hand the north Londoners a scrappy 2-1 win at Leeds just prior to the international break, while Frank’s men only just managed to escape from Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League with a draw after late drama.

The same can be said for their previous Premier League home game against bottom side Wolves, with summer signing Joao Palhinha’s side-footed screamer in added time ultimately sparing their blushes against inferior opposition.

While there is a case to be made that Spurs have displayed a solidarity which was largely absent from Postecoglou’s final season in charge, concerns surround their lack of creative spark.

Matches

12

Wins

6

Draws

3

Losses

3

Points

18

Points per game

1.75

Summer signing Xavi Simons has also been criticised for his lack of goal involvement since joining from RB Leipzig, in a deal which could cost Tottenham a whopping £125 million if he stays for the length of his potential seven-year contract (Paul O’Keefe).

James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski remain out for Spurs too, as Frank looks to solve their central creativity problem, but that is something new director Paratici could assist with.

Paratici, after months of reports linking him with a return to N17, was confirmed as the club’s co-sporting director last week, and he’ll be working alongside Johan Lange as the pair take on the same title with two different roles.

Lange is responsible for the data-driven recruitment side of things, including scouting, while Paratici is Tottenham’s ‘dealmaker’, who’ll be tasked with getting big-money signings over the line (Michael Bridge).

Paratici's new 'major priority' as Frank looks to avoid fatal Ange mistake at Tottenham

As relayed by TEAMtalk, signing a “difference-maker” in the engine room, one who can link defence to attack, is rapidly becoming a “major priority” for Paratici at Tottenham.

Man United’s Kobbie Mainoo, Rangers star Nicolas Raskin and Crystal Palace sensation Adam Wharton are apparently three options on their radar ahead of 2026, with Frank looking not to repeat one of his predecessors’ fatal errors.

So far, Bentancur and Joao Palhinha have impressed individually since the start of this season, especially the latter, who’s been their star man since joining from Bayern Munich on loan with a £26 million option to buy.

However, the pair arguably struggle to influence the creative side of things as deep-lying, tough-tackling anchors — even if they did link up for Tottenham’s opener against Villa.

Much like how Postecoglou often deployed one of Yves Bissouma or Pape Sarr with Bentancur last term, Frank appears to be replicating that ineffective mistake with Palhinha and the latter this time around.

It is a tough conundrum for Frank to solve, as Palhinha is essentially undroppable right now, and Bentancur has equally proved his worth at times. However, as a pairing, they may not offer enough going forward.

Raskin is in the final two years of his contract and reports suggest that Rangers could sell him for around £20-25 million in January, so the Belgian could be an option to partner Palhinha in Frank’s midfield.

Mainoo, whose deal also expires in 2027, could well entertain a January move considering his lack of game time under Ruben Amorim and the World Cup looming next year.

In any case, Paratici is growing increasingly keen on signing another creator for Tottenham’s midfield, and it will be interesting to see whether Frank himself tinkers the team in-house or urges the board to solve this problem through a winter transfer.

If Chelsea’s draw against Arsenal showed them at their best, the last week of results has shown them at their worst.

Enzo Maresca’s side were just six points off the Premier League leaders after their match against them, but a defeat away to Leeds United and a draw away to Bournemouth now sees them eight points adrift and in fifth place.

It’s been a frustrating week for the Blues and one that has shown that, for all their talent, they are still vulnerable and have more than a few week links.

In fact, one of those weak links could be Chelsea’s biggest liability since Tiémoué Bakayoko.

Tiémoué Bakayoko's Chelsea career

In the 16/17 season, AS Moncao shocked the world by mounting a surprising and successful title charge, their first to end in glory for well over a decade.

Chalkboard

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That side was full of incredible players who’d go on to have glittering careers, like Kylian Mbappé, Bernardo Silva and Fabinho.

However, instead of signing any of them, Chelsea opted to splash north of £40m on Bakayoko, who, to be fair to the club, did look like a star in the making at the time.

Unfortunately, once he arrived in England, it was clear that he was anything but.

The Frenchman made 43 appearances across the 17/18 season, but very rarely, if ever, looked convincing, be that in possession or out of it.

The midfielder’s most notable performance in Blue just so happened to also be his worst, when, against Watford in February 2018, he was sent off just 30 minutes into the game.

In all, while he was once a hugely promising midfielder, Bakayoko is now known as a flop in England.

Following a slew of loans, he joined Lorient in 2023 before moving to PAOK last summer, and is now without a club at just 31 years old.

Unfortunately for Maresca, he might now have Chelsea’s biggest liability since the Frenchman in his current squad.

Chelsea's biggest liability since Bakayoko

Now, there are a few players Chelsea need to sell as soon as possible, but if you were to ask fans who in the first team needs to go first, most would likely land on Tosin Adarabioyo.

The Blues signed the Englishman for free after his contract with Fulham expired last summer, and while he has been a useful stand-in at times, it has become increasingly clear this season that he’s a problem.

For example, in the last five games he has started, the West Londoners have conceded 11 goals and won just two, drawing one and losing the other two.

Moreover, while the entire backline should be held to account for some of those goals, the 28-year-old has made some high-profile and almost comical mistakes.

Against Leeds United, for example, Dominic Calvert-Lewin only scored his goal because the Englishman lost control of the ball within the Blues’ penalty area.

It was a mistake Chelsea fan and content creator Tom Overend branded “utterly embarrassing”, and while that might sound harsh, it’s hard to dispute.

Tosin vs Leeds

Minutes

96′

Tackles

1

Ground Duels (Won)

4 (1)

Fouls

2

Errors Leading to a Goal

1

Touches

121

Shots

1

Key Passes

0

Expected G+As

0.07

All Stats via Sofascore

It’s not just the eye-test where the defender fails, either: according to FBref, he ranks in the top 43% of centre-backs in Europe’s top five leagues for tackles won and in the bottom 4% of dribblers tackled, all per 90.

In other words, he’s not proactive enough at the back, and even when he is, he isn’t very effective.

Ultimately, it’s clear that Tosin is not good enough to play for Chelsea, and therefore, the club should look to move him on as soon as possible, for everyone’s sake.

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Posts ByKelan Sarson Dec 8, 2025

Liverpool are waiting for this nightmare to end, rediscovering the form of last season under Arne Slot’s wing that led to the Premier League title and a summer of sweeping changes.

The signings made this summer were completed after meticulous research, but, nonetheless, the Reds have been dismal this year, lacking identity and inspiration. Even in victory have Liverpool given their opponents plenty of optimism.

It’s worth noting that Liverpool were far better defensively than has so often been the case this term, but this has done little to calm the anxieties of supporters who have been forced to accept a bleak new norm.

Among the bitter pills swallowed has been the form of captain Virgil van Dijk, the centre-back very much at the core of Liverpool’s problems this season and lacking solutions so often provided across his illustrious career at the club.

Virgil van Dijk's drop-off this season

Liverpool’s monster has been made mortal by the tailspin of Slot’s system this season. Ibrahima Konate’s struggles have no doubt been exacerbated by the slow recession of Van Dijk’s indomitability.

He is 34 years old, 35 at the end of the season. It is only natural that the Netherlands skipper should begin to wind down. However, it presents Michael Edwards and sporting director Richard Hughes with quite the conundrum as Konate edges toward the expiry of his £70k-per-week contract.

Liverpool signed Giovanni Leoni from Parma for about £27m this summer, but the 18-year-old Italian tore his ACL on his debut against Southampton and is not expected back until the start of next season.

The Italian would have offered a much-needed dimension over the past few months, allowing Slot to enforce more rotation, with Konate having started each of his side’s Premier League fixtures this season despite his rut. Van Dijk is now foundering beside him.

Change is needed, and with the winter transfer window approaching, it’s clear that Liverpool need a centre-back.

Liverpool targeting centre-back this January

As per TEAMtalk, Liverpool are set to table a bid for Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi this winter, having reopened direct communications this week with the player’s agents after fumbling a deal to sign him in August.

Guehi is out of contract at Selhurst Park at the end of the season, and while Liverpool had a clean shot at the 25-year-old at the start of the season, notably even agreeing personal terms with the player, rival interest is now sure to be thick, with Bayern Munich and Real Madrid considered suitors.

Sources suggest FSG are willing to offer around £25m for Guehi’s signature in January, paying something of a premium for one of the best centre-backs in the Premier League.

What Guehi would bring to Liverpool

Guehi could well be plying his craft for Liverpool right now, but it wasn’t to be as sporting director Richard Hughes gambled and left it late, Palace barring the door at the eleventh hour after failing to find a replacement.

It’s a real shame. Guehi is a seasoned Premier League star who just keeps on evolving. He has been hailed as a “monster in defence” by Palace reporter Bobby Manzi, but he is so much more.

As per data-driven site FBref, Guehi ranks among the top 7% of central defenders across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for through balls, the top 6% for assists and shot-creating actions, and the top 15% for tackles won per 90.

If Liverpool succeed in completing a deal for the two-footed centre-half this winter, it could carry the weight of that one-time signing of Van Dijk, who joined from Southampton midway through the 2017/18 season for a £75m fee.

Van Dijk needs no introduction. He is one of the greatest defenders in Premier League history, a titan of the game.

He dovetailed into Jurgen Klopp’s exciting team and reinforced it with steel. He was the mortar which filled in the cracks and created a superteam.

Big boots to fill, but Guehi has been extensively profiled and could emulate the Netherlands man by arriving at the season’s midpoint, providing that dearly desired relief.

After such incredible success in recent years, it is staggering that Liverpool have plummeted so far beneath their expected level. This borders on a crisis, and one signing won’t stop the rot for good, but Guehi has the combative, confident defensive style to help put the Reds back on track, with his quality in the build-up something that Konate simply doesn’t possess.

It’s Van Dijk-esque, and given that Guehi would be arriving in January after previous attempts to sign him, this could have the much-needed echoes of that euphoric deal.

Fewer touches than Alisson & only 2 passes: Liverpool flop must be dropped

Arne Slot has a huge call to make about one player after his showing for Liverpool last night.

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By
Ethan Lamb

Dec 4, 2025

The Cleveland Guardians had the tying runs on base against the San Diego Padres in the fifth inning of their Monday night tilt . A disastrous bit of baserunning turned a golden opportunity into two outs and no one on as Gabriel Arias got caught trying to swipe third base, then got physical with Manny Machado to earn an interference call.

The bizarre play caused Guardians manager Stephen Vogt to come out and plead his case that a balk should have been called or perhaps that a runner should be allowed to tackle the third baseman—anything that would have improved the situation.

The Padres would get out of the inning without giving up a run and proceed to not give up another run en route to a 7–2 victory.

They say one sees something new every day in baseball which is fun but also a reminder that one's team can, at any second, do something to hurt their chances of winning in ways never even conceived of before it happened.

MatériaMais Notícias

Eduardo Coudet explicou as mudanças que realizou no Internacional durante a vitória contra o Cruzeiro por 2 a 1 neste domingo (5). Durante a coletiva de imprensa, o treinador também rebateu as críticas que recebeu por ter sacado Alan Patrick.

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O treinador disse que, a partir do momento que a Raposa começou a pressionar mais, sua estratégia foi entrar com atletas ‘mais combativos’ para tentar matar o jogo. Com a vitória, o Internacional chegou aos 42 pontos e está na luta para conquistar sua vaga na Copa Sul-Americana na próxima temporada.

– Tenho cinco substituições e fizemos um grande esforço. Tiramos os jogadores mais de jogo com a bola e entrou gente de característica mais combativa, de fechar o jogo. E acho que deu certo – explicou.

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

Sobre Alan Patrick, Coudet assumiu um tom mais incisivo. Ao ser questionado sobre o motivo de ter sacado o atleta, esclareceu que foi uma opção técnica.

– Tirei outra vez Alan Patrick. Na última vez, brigamos. Brigo muito bem e ele não pôde comigo. Brigamos outra vez. Sempre perguntam por que tiro os jogadores, mas eu o coloquei também – disse.

Agora, o Internacional se prepara para enfrentar o Fluminense na quarta-feira (8), no Beira-Rio.

Smriti Mandhana, ranked No. 1 among batters in the ICC ODI rankings for women, has gone past Tahlia McGrath to move to No. 3 on the T20I table after her match-winning 62-ball 112 against England in the first match of the series. The other big mover after the match was Lauren Bell, the England quick who returned 3 for 27. She moved up to No. 4, pushing team-mate Sophie Ecclestone and India’s Renuka Thakur down.Mandhana’s 112, her first T20I century in what was her 149th appearance in the format, also gave her the best rating of her career – 771 points. No. 2 Hayley Matthews is just three rating points in front, and well within Mandhana’s reach when England India play their second T20I on Tuesday, but table-topper Beth Mooney is quite a distance away, with 794 points.

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Shafali Verma, who returned to India’s T20I XI and partnered Mandhana at the top in the first game after last having played a T20I in October 2024 after which she was dropped, also moved up a spot to No. 13 after scoring 20 in 22 balls and looking fairly rusty.Harleen Deol also re-entered the rankings at joint-86th after she scored 43 in 23 balls. Deol had last played a T20I in July 2023 and had dropped out of the rankings.Bell’s rise in the bowlers’ rankings has created something of a traffic jam at the top of the table. Pakistan’s Sadia Iqbal is the No. 1 with 746 rating points, but Bell – with Australia’s Annabel Sutherland (736 points) and India’s Deepti Sharma (735) above her – is just 19 points behind. In fact, Deepti, Bell and Ecclestone (725) are all a good performance or two away from getting to the top of the table.

Manchester United are now eyeing a “sensational” £52m Kobbie Mainoo replacement, having received the green light from Ruben Amorim.

Mainoo heading for the exit door amid Keane criticism

Amorim has been extremely reluctant to give Mainoo game time this season, but the Man United manager has the backing of Roy Keane, who recently suggested the midfielder hasn’t done enough in substitute appearances to force his way into contention.

Keane said: “He’s had opportunities recently and when he’s come on and got opportunities, he just looks a bit short for me. I wouldn’t be scratching my head thinking: why is he not in the team? I can see why he is not picking him at this moment in time.”

However, with an opportunity to play for England at the 2026 World Cup at stake, the 20-year-old cannot afford to sit on the bench for the entire season, and it has now been revealed that he is close to sealing a January exit.

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Napoli are now leading the race for the central midfielder, with the Italian club advancing in talks in recent days, and the academy graduate’s departure could exacerbate the need for Amorim to sign a new midfielder this winter.

As such, the United manager has now given a move for Atletico Madrid’s Conor Gallagher the green light, according to a report from Football Insider, which states the former Chelsea man is being targeted as a direct replacement for Mainoo.

The Red Devils are closely monitoring Gallagher ahead of the January transfer window, as club chiefs believe he would be a better fit in Amorim’s system than Mainoo, but there may be competition for his signature.

Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur are also credited with an interest in the 25-year-old, although a deal could be expensive, considering he was recently valued at the £52m mark.

"Sensational" Gallagher could be solid Mainoo replacement

It would be sad to see Mainoo leave, given that the youngster progressed through the youth ranks, but Amorim clearly isn’t totally convinced by the Stockport-born ace, who has featured for just 118 minutes across six Premier League appearances this season.

In an ideal world, Man United would sign one of the best midfielders in the world to replace the starlet, but the Atletico Madrid maestro could be a solid option, given his previous exploits in the Premier League and battle-tested mentality.

During his time with Crystal Palace in the 2021-22 campaign, the Epsom-born midfielder displayed his attacking prowess, chipping in with eight goals and three assists in the top flight, while he is also solid defensively.

Indeed, Gallagher places in the 96th percentile for interceptions per 90 over the past year, when compared to his positional peers, proving that he is a well-rounded midfielder.