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The South Australia captain made 103 as the home side were only able to pick up four wickets on the third day

Tristan Lavalette30-Oct-2025

On the opposite bank of the Swan River from where he made his Test debut nearly 12 months ago, South Australia captain Nathan McSweeney returned to form with a classy century to set up an intriguing final day at the WACA where Cameron Green and Brendan Doggett loom large.Trailing by 92 runs on the first innings, South Australia dominated day three on a flattening surface with McSweeney, batting at No. 3, making 103 off 168 balls and sharing a 153-run second-wicket partnership with Henry Hunt.Having scored just 73 runs from his previous four Shield innings, McSweeney is not deemed to be in the Ashes selection mix on the back of a tough start to his Test career last summer.After receiving a life early in his innings, McSweeney was in complete command and showed why he is so highly rated among Australia’s hierarchy.”Any cricketer wants to play for Australia and playing in that Baggy Green is an awesome feeling,” McSweeney said. “For me, it’s just about trying to play my best cricket, win games for South Australia, make hundreds and hopefully one day I get another crack.”Whether it be this series [Ashes], or whenever the time comes, I’ll be ready to go.”McSweeney and Hunt put South Australia in a position where they can dictate with a declaration likely early on day four. There will be spotlight on Doggett and Green as selectors mull over Australia’s Ashes squad.Returning from a hamstring injury, Doggett overcame a rusty start to finish with six wickets in WA’s first innings, including dismissing Green for a duck. Green is playing this match as a specialist batter with a return to bowling likely during WA’s next Shield game against Queensland starting on November 11.There is the threat of damp weather spoiling the finish of this match, with rain forecast on Friday afternoon.The third day finished in sunshine after the start was delayed by 45 minutes due to rain. Hunt and Conor McInerney dug in against a WA pace attack that had run rampant in the first innings.McInerney had started to find his rhythm with a couple of lovely boundaries down the ground. Having toughed out the first 18 overs, McInerney fell in tame fashion after being knocked over having not offered a shot to a straight delivery from offspinner Corey Rocchiccioli bowling around the wicket.While WA’s quicks struggled to penetrate, Rocchiccioli caused problems with his trademark bounce as he tried to once again be the talismanic figure of the attack.But he was thwarted by McSweeney, who started to lift the intensity with sharp footwork as the game went through a lull towards lunch. Out of nowhere, McSweeney on 19 lost concentration and hit quick Cameron Gannon to mid-on but Liam Haskett spilt the catch.The game went back in its shell after lunch until the unusual sight of a swarm of bees hovering over the field caused a five-minute delay. Having reached his 50 off 128 balls, Hunt decided to up the ante on resumption and whacked Rocchiccioli for a towering six into the part of the ground undergoing major redevelopment.McSweeney was in fluent touch and drove superbly, trusting the surface which had shown little of the sharp bounce from earlier in the match. WA captain Sam Whiteman resorted to left-arm spinner Cooper Connolly, whose only two wickets of his first-class career had come during Australia A’s recent tour of India.But Connolly has a knack of making things happen and claimed his maiden Shield wicket when he had Hunt caught behind with a lovely flighted delivery that bounced sharply off the surface.There was no stopping McSweeney, who reached his first century this season with a six over mid-on but he fell shortly after when wicketkeeper Joel Curtis claimed a superb catch diving to his left.WA players wore black armbands as a mark of respect for Ben Austin, a 17-year-old club cricketer in Melbourne who died after being struck on the neck by a ball at training on Tuesday.

Newcastle United are masters at adapting and overcoming adversity. Hurdles have sprung up and sent Eddie Howe’s side tumbling in recent years, but each time the Magpies get themselves airborne once again.

They must prove this mentality remains intact, having struggled to make things click in the Premier League this season.

One ray of light through this up-and-down period has been Nick Woltemade, who has swerved a number of those hurdles to establish himself as one of the most exciting young forwards in Europe.

Could he be the Toon’s most talented player?

Why Nick Woltemade is thriving at Newcastle

Newcastle signed Woltemade from Stuttgart for a club-record £69m fee in August before Alexander Isak had completed his record-breaking move to Liverpool, signalling in all but confirmation the Swede’s looming departure.

With Yoane Wissa also brought in but sidelined before he could make his bow with a knee injury, Woltemade, 23, has assumed quite the heavy load.

But this hasn’t thwarted him.

The striker has scored six goals from his first 13 matches in black and white. Rangy and seemingly a throwback type of frontman, the German is endowed with much technical grace, with reporter Andy Sixsmith hailing him for “mesmerising” link-up ability.

Woltemade is surpassing expectations at number nine for Newcastle, and he is indeed playing like a man in a contest with Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali for the crown as the club’s best player.

But there’s an up-and-coming prospect who might be the cream of the crop, albeit one who requires work over the next few years.

Newcastle's bigger talent than Woltemade

Newcastle have transformed their first team in the four years under Howe’s wing, but PIF have quietly been assembling a youth force to be reckoned with down the line.

And, right at the top of this pack is Vakhtang Salia, who joined St. James’ Park from Dinamo Tbilisi this summer despite rival interest from European heavyweights such as Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.

Injury has kept the 18-year-old from featuring for the Toon yet, but he played 57 senior matches for his former Georgian side, scoring eight goals and supplying four assists.

Salia hasn’t quite worked out his best position at this nascent stage of his career, but that’s okay. He is fast and has the mark of a clinical player down the line, and in this, he could one day surpass Woltemade.

This is a bold claim to make, but the respective forwards are at wholly different points in their careers, and his “very high work-rate”, as has been said by Genk scout Mikha Gabechava, suggests he has the drive to match his talent with a tenacious approach.

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Because, after all, the Georgia U21 star has been described as “one of the best teenage prospects in the world” by journalist Graeme Bailey, and this without yet proving himself in a top division. The hype is very much real.

The sales of prospects like Yankuba Minteh and Elliot Anderson mark a cautionary tale for the Tynesiders as they look to go from strength to strength once again. Salia’s signature must be held onto, and he must be allowed to develop into a polished Premier League star.

With the right work over the coming years, he could even prove to be a bigger talent than Woltemade.

Newcastle star was set to be sold, now he's one of their "standout" players

This Newcastle star is still performing for Eddie Howe’s side.

ByAngus Sinclair Nov 7, 2025

The game is moving from the Captain Roop Singh Stadium, the site of many memorable matches, to the shiny new Shrimant Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Stadium

Daya Sagar05-Oct-2024When an international cricket match was last held in Gwalior, Sachin Tendulkar scored the first double-century in men’s ODIs. Fourteen years after that historic game, international cricket is set to return to the Madhya Pradesh city.However, cricket is not back at the historic Captain Roop Singh Stadium but at the newly built Shrimant Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Stadium, where the first T20I between India and Bangladesh will be played on Sunday. The Captain Roop Singh Stadium, though, is inextricably linked to cricket in the city.When you arrive at the old stadium, located near the railway station in the heart of the city, it feels like you have arrived at a single-screen cinema hall in a small town. Built in the shape of a hexagon, it doesn’t look like a cricket stadium from the outside. There are no cricket-related hoardings, no floodlight towers visible from a distance.Related

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Once inside, there is a gallery that leads you past some offices and the scorecard featuring the details of Tendulkar’s historic knock. With the exception of some VVIP seats towards the pavilion end, all the seats – the stadium has a capacity of around 20,000 – are in the form of cement steps. At both ends stand small floodlights, erected in the lead-up to the 1996 World Cup.Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association (MPCA) scorer Sunil Gupta’s eyes light up as he recalls Tendulkar’s double-century. According to him, it feels like yesterday, when Tendulkar played Charl Langeveldt past point and achieved an “impossible historical feat”.”We couldn’t believe we had seen something that was almost impossible in one-day cricket at that time,” Gupta says. “This match was accidentally moved from Kanpur to Gwalior 20 days earlier. Our pitch and ground were ready, but international cricket requires a lot more preparation. Our association completed these preparations in a very short time and what happened after that, the whole world knows it now.”Gupta, who is a believer in destiny, says, “That is why it has been said that on every grain is written the name of the one who eats it. We were destined to watch the double-century of [God] and when he waved his helmet and bat in the air, many people, including me, had tears in their eyes. These were tears of joy.”The entrance to the Captain Roop Singh Stadium in Gwalior•Daya Sagar/ESPNcricinfoThe stadium has played host to many other memorable ODIs too, including the India-West Indies match in the 1996 World Cup, the fourth India-Pakistan ODI in 2007, India’s win against Australia in the TVS Cup months after their 2003 World Cup final defeat to the same opposition, Kenya’s first win over India in an international match, and two ODIs against England in 1993 on consecutive days. The 1997 Ranji Trophy final was also held in this stadium, the only day-night Ranji Trophy final till date.”At times, this stadium has come in handy for the BCCI during crises,” Gupta says. “When the first India-England ODI was cancelled in Ahmedabad due to riots in 1993, two ODIs were held on this ground on two consecutive days. This is the only ground in the India where ODI matches have been held on consecutive days.”Apart from this, in 2010, when the preparations were not deemed to be complete in Kanpur, we were given an ODI match in a hurry. At the same time, when we did not have that much funds for the 1996 World Cup, we made smaller floodlights on three stands instead of four, so that day-night matches could be organised.”The stadium once hosted ODIs regularly, with a match every two or three years in the 1990s and 2000s. But as the facilities became dated, this stadium, which has hosted 12 ODIs, gradually faded into the background.The stadium belongs to the Gwalior Municipal Corporation, and was leased by the Gwalior Division Cricket Association (GDCA) for 25 years; the lease ends in 2025. So the MPCA decided to build its own stadium in Gwalior. Named after former BCCI president Madhavrao Scindia, plans for the new stadium were laid out in 2011 and it was completed in 2024 and inaugurated by BCCI secretary Jay Shah and former India captain Kapil Dev.Gwalior scorer Sunil Gupta with the scorecard from Sachin Tendulkar’s ODI double-century•Daya Sagar/ESPNcricinfoLocated on the outskirts of Gwalior, on around 30 acres of land near the Mumbai-Agra highway bypass, surrounded by the hills of Chambal, the new stadium has all the modern frills: towering floodlights, the latest drainage system, indoor-training facilities, plush dressing rooms, a separate practice ground, nine cricket pitches, a gym equipped with new machines, a TV broadcast control room, a closed and air-conditioned media centre, and PVC seats for spectators.But like the new stadium in Mullanpur in Punjab, the stadium is still open, with canopies for the stands to be installed only later. At present, the capacity is 30,000, with an increase to 50,000 planned by the MPCA. This is why there are exposed pillars on both sides of the square boundary – to allow for another round of construction later on.India vs Bangladesh will be the first top-level match at this stadium – not a single domestic match has been held here yet. In June this year, however, the Madhya Pradesh Premier League was held here and, in a total of 12 matches, a lot of runs were scored.How many runs are scored on Sunday remain to be seen, but off the field security will be tight. Prohibitory orders – aka Section 163 – have been imposed in the city, which means that more than five people cannot gather and hold any demonstration. The orders were passed after right-wing organisations called for a boycott of this match in the wake of media reports of violence on Hindus in Bangladesh. There had been similar calls for a boycott of the Kanpur Test.The effects of these developments are visible in the preparations for the match. The road to the stadium, which is located around 8km from the city, has already been blocked by a barricade at about the 4km mark, with only those working inside the stadium and the media allowed access to the stadium. Section 163 will remain in place even after the end of the match, until October 7, when both teams leave for Delhi for the second match of the series.For now, though, Gupta is happy that the cricket is back, after a 14-year “exile” from his city. He is ready to score another historic match in the annals of Gwalior cricket.

Having played in the shadow of Shakib Al Hasan for a long time, he has now surpassed his hero’s wickets tally

Mohammad Isam22-Nov-2025To grasp Taijul Islam’s big moment, you have to get as close to the pitch as possible. You can’t sit in a cushy, soundproof press box to get a feeling of the height he has scaled. As a Bangladesh fan, the best you can do is witness the moment at the Shere Bangla National Stadium’s grandstand. A seat in the lower part of the grandstand could be useful, given how close it is to the action. It is a side view, though, so you might miss the nuances of Taijul’s bowling, but it is about moment.Bangladesh declared their second innings shortly after the lunch break on the fourth day in the Dhaka Test. Taijul broke Shakib Al Hasan’s record of most Test wickets for Bangladesh in the sixth over of Ireland’s chase. The Ireland captain Andy Balbirnie, trying to work the ball away towards square leg, was undone by a slightly quicker delivery. The huge appeal was followed by the raised finger, before Balbirnie called for the review.The small crowd cheered. Taijul ran a little bit with his clenched fist. Mushfiqur Rahim, the man of the moment in Dhaka, tried to pick him up to take the celebration to the next level. Taijul would have none of it, as he politely asked to be let down. After the TV umpire confirmed the three reds, Taijul calmly walked back to his mark. If you blinked, you would have missed his smile.Related

Taijul, Murad leave Bangladesh four wickets away from 2-0

In terms of Test wickets, Taijul has now surpassed the man who has practically built Bangladesh cricket. Shakib is someone he looked up to before he made his Test debut, and in whose shadow he became a top-class operator. If you peel back another layer, Taijul now rightfully wears the crown of the best Bangladesh bowler – the one that has come down from Mohammad Rafique, the first bowler to take 100 Test wickets for the country, and, of course, Shakib, the first to 200 Test wickets.According to Taijul, though, he never really targeted records but wanted to play for Bangladesh for a long time. He said that he understands what he needs to do at the highest level, although he doesn’t enjoy the “underrated” tag. “I always wanted to have a long career,” he said. “I never really thought that I would be on top of the wicket-takers’ list. You just don’t plan that way, especially when you are starting a Test career.”I think around the time [I got to 200 wickets], I probably had the consistency and experience to convince myself that I can serve Bangladesh cricket for a longer time. I think it was around this time that I considered that I might get a few more wickets. It is not about proving myself to anyone. I think performance is the most important aspect at the highest level. I am always tagged as an underrated bowler, but I think it’s only the media that considers me as underrated.”Seven of Taijul’s 17 five-fors have come in wins•Associated PressTaijul was Shakib’s understudy and played second fiddle to him for a long time. He wasn’t always an automatic choice outside the subcontinent. And if you consider his celebration on Saturday, he is an unassuming person who doesn’t have glamour or a glitzy social-media following.But he is reliable, and bowls tirelessly. He has made contributions, big and small and mostly impactful, in his 11 years at the highest level. Seven of his 17 five-wicket hauls and one of his two ten-wicket hauls have come in Bangladesh’s wins.His 10 for 184 in Bangladesh’s 150-run win against New Zealand in Sylhet in 2023 is probably his greatest moment. He took Kane Williamson’s wicket in both innings. When the chips were down, as was the case in Bangladesh’s first day-night Test in Kolkata in 2019, Taijul was the 12th man who had to step up as a batter as Nayeem Hasan’s concussion substitute. He took Ajinkya Rahane’s wicket and took a splendid catch of Virat Kohli. He batted bravely too.There were numerous times when Taijul stepped up when Bangladesh ran into trouble. Still, he is the one who has to prove his worth to the selectors often.Taijul took on the mantle of being the lead spinner in the attack in 2017, since Shakib became irregular in Tests. Ten of his 17 five-fors have come in the last five years, a period in which Bangladesh have increasingly played more Tests, and mostly without Shakib.”The national team is where you have to keep performing,” he said. “Look at Shakib – he was No. 1 in the world for a reason. He was always performing. That was his quality. We remember his suggestions. He would always share his experience with us.”Even in private conversations, Taijul doesn’t really stick out for his big proclamations. He will enjoy a quiet dinner with friends. His dry sense of humour will stick out from time to time. He will make his point, smile and enjoy the conversation. But at the same time, he is serving as a good example of hard work for the next generation. The good news is that finally, many are not only noticing him but also following him.

The 49ers and Rangers are now reportedly considering an approach to hire a 42-year-old replacement for Patrick Stewart, who they recently sacked.

Rangers sack Thelwell and Stewart

Despite a recent turnaround on the pitch courtesy of Danny Rohl’s arrival, the 49ers have remained in ruthless mood and recently sacked chief executive Stewart and sporting director Kevin Thelwell. It follows a disastrous summer of decisions, which instantly failed to get fans at Ibrox onside.

Explaining the decision, Andrew Cavenagh said: “Paraag and I have analysed the club’s needs, and as we reflect on what the club needs today, and where Kevin and Patrick are, we think we need something different.

“Our focus the first part of this season, the first part of our ownership period, has been on the sporting side and that’s where all of our attention went to for obvious reasons.

“With Danny coming in, he has started to improve the on-pitch performance, and that has created the space to allow Paraag and I to look at other parts of the club with new eyes and assess what we need going forward.

“I think responsible change has to be measured. I don’t think you can come in and tear something completely apart all at once. You’re likely to get something wrong.”

It’s certainly a big decision from the 49ers, but one that will please Rangers fans who particularly aired their frustrations at Thelwell in recent months.

Just who they turn to now is the big question. Potential candidates are already being mentioned, and that includes James Taylor who reportedly has internal support at the club amid a potential promotion.

Rangers considering James Taylor approach

According to the Scottish Sun, Rangers are now considering an approach to hire Taylor in the CEO role. The 42-year-old has already impressed as their Chief Financial Officer and played a huge part in recording a record revenue of £94m for the year. Now, he could get the chance to step up to the CEO role.

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Ben Gray

Nov 28, 2025

Whilst he’s not the only name on the list, Ibrox chiefs are reportedly fans of Taylor and that will undoubtedly help him along the way in the interview process.

It almost goes without saying that it would be a big step up for the current Rangers chief, but he has more than proven his worth at the club in the last year.

Whether the Gers decide to make a decision as soon as possible or remain patient for the right candidate is the question. In a season of so much change, they desperately need to get things in order ahead of the January transfer window both on and off the pitch.

Rohl must bin Chermiti for Rangers star who was the SPFL's "best player"

Elche head coach Eder Sarabia has still not gotten over the 2-2 draw against Real Madrid at the weekend, which saw Xabi Alonso's men come back twice from behind. Los Blancos equalised just three minutes from the end of normal time thanks to Jude Bellingham, but controversy erupted during and after the game as the Elche players and manager blasted the officials for what they believed to be an incorrect decision.

• Madrid held to a draw by Elche after controversial Bellingham goal

  Real Madrid endured yet another frustrating evening at the Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero on Sunday, as they were held to a 2-2 draw by the newly-promoted but daring Elche. The result stretched their winless run across competitions to three games. 

  After a goalless first half, former Real Madrid youth player and Elche captain Aleix Febas fired the hosts into the lead just eight minutes after the restart, capping off a brilliant team move that cut Madrid open. Dean Huijsen then pulled things back, scoring his first goal for Los Blancos in the 78th minute. However, Sarabia's troops didn't budge. Substitute Alvaro Rodriguez, a La Fabrica product who has featured in several games for Madrid, scored a great individual goal just six minutes later to restore Elche's lead.

  That wasn't the end of the drama. In the 87th minute, Madrid came back from behind for the second time in the game, courtesy of a Bellingham equaliser. Controversy, however, ensued, as the Elche players religiously protested Vinicius Junior's challenge on goalkeeper Inaki Pena, which left the latter bleeding from his nose. 

  The pleas from Elche players could only go in vain. The goal stood, and the match finished all-square, leaving the home team's head coach furious after the game.

  "It's a clear foul. Not a normal part of the game. That's what VAR is for. It's a very clear foul; it hits the goalkeeper and even draws blood. It's crystal clear," ranted Sarabia. "It's to Inaki's credit that he said it was a normal part of the game, but it really wasn't. It's a clear foul.

  "I'm not at all happy with the result, especially considering the decisive moments of the match. Vinicius's foul for the 2-2 equalizer was crystal clear. Inaki didn't see the play, but it wasn't just a normal part of the game, it was a clear foul. It makes me angry to waste time on these things, but you take the lead twice and you feel that there were factors that influenced the final result. It makes you angry."

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  Sarabia takes his anger to social media

  Sarabia took to his official account to express his contempt over the controversial refereeing over the weekend. He wrote: "My apologies to those who make decisions, but for more than 25 years now, "voluntariness/intentionality" has been removed from the regulations (except for hands). Therefore, the fact that an action is "fortuitous" is not a correct argument for deciding whether it is an infraction or not." 

• Alonso reflects on Madrid's poor form

  Real Madrid head coach Xabi Alonso addressed the media after the game and assured that the team is not in a crisis. "We haven't fallen apart," he told reporters. “That’s football. After a good run, we’re now getting results that aren’t what we wanted. But we still know what we want. We have to keep moving forward.

  “We're not happy because we know perfectly well that we always want to win, and when we don't, we can't be happy. There are still many games left before the end of the year, and we have to start thinking about the next one by analysing what we've done today.  

  “The team never gave up. We’re still competing. We know that the context of each game is different. Obviously, the result could be better. We're aware of that and we're self-critical, but the direction is clear, the spirit remains good and we have to respond in the face of adversity. This is Real Madrid and every unfavourable result attracts criticism, which we have to live with. We want to improve. The team never gave up.

  “The connection is improving because we have more time, we interact more and we're getting to know each other better. We're all in the same boat, everyone together in the same direction. We celebrate victories, we suffer, as we did today, and we're not happy when we don't get the desired result. The connection is good, the day-to-day is good. We need to turn this moment around a little bit and we have the opportunity to do so starting in Athens.”

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  Olympiacos and Girona up next for Madrid

  Despite their recent woes, Madrid hold a one-point lead over rivals Barcelona in La Liga and are in a strong position to secure a top-eight spot in the Champions League. They will visit Greece on Wednesday to lock horns with Greek champions Olympiacos in Europe's premier club competition, followed by another away game against Girona in the league this weekend.   

Still searching for their next manager, Middlesbrough are now reportedly serious about hiring Swiss manager Raphael Wicky, who has emerged as an early candidate to take the job.

Unlike other managerial vacancies in the Championship, coaches would be walking into a fairly healthy environment at Middlesbrough. The Teesside club currently sit second in England’s second tier and five points behind leaders Coventry City. As things stand, they will be earning promotion to the Premier League come May.

A lot can still change, however, and Boro must get their next manager right whilst they are in such a positive position. Just who that next manager is remains the question. Steven Gerrard, Tony Mowbray and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink have all been mentioned as early candidates, with Gerrard the most interesting option of the three.

The former Rangers boss recently rejected the chance to return to Ibrox, but is keen to make a return to the dugout for the right job. With Boro on course to fight for automatic promotion in the Championship, it’s tough to pick out a reason why most managers of Gerrard’s calibre wouldn’t want to walk straight into the job before the end of the international break.

Replacing Rob Edwards, who chose to leave for Wolverhampton Wanderers, will be no easy task for any potential candidate. As much as he has ruined his reputation with those in Teesside, the former Luton Town boss certainly steered the club in the right direction and attempted to explain his decision in a recent statement.

Boro fans are unlikely to forgive or forget any time soon, however, and must instead hope that the club’s next appointment continues their push for automatic promotion.

Middlesbrough get serious about appointing Raphael Wicky

As reported by Sports Boom, Middlesbrough are now serious about appointing Wicky after he impressed Riverside chiefs with an unofficial presentation. The Swiss manager is currently a free agent and will be easier to convince as a result, but that’s not to say the 48-year-old isn’t an impressive candidate.

During his time in Switzerland, Wicky won the league and cup double with BSC Young Boys and his 4-4-2 diamond system proved to be incredibly successful. If Middlesbrough fail to hire the likes of Gerrard, then the former Young Boys manager is someone who’d offer them similar experience and success.

Related Middlesbrough keen on Championship title-winning manager alongside Gerrard

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Posts 1 ByCharlie Smith Nov 13, 2025

The manager’s style also includes an exciting high press, which could yet help Boro bridge the gap on an exciting Coventry side at the top of the Championship.

The fact is, although they run the risk of getting their next appointment wrong, Riverside chiefs could also take their side up another level entirely if they get things right.

As things stand, the battle seems to be between Gerrard and Wicky for the job. With both holding similar reputations though, it remains to be seen which direction Middlesbrough head towards.

Middlesbrough make "impressive" manager top target to replace Edwards

Reece Topley carved his first ball and the penultimate ball of the match for four to take Southern Brave to a dramatic and unexpected one-wicket win against Manchester Originals in the Hundred.Last man Topley walked out with three runs needed from two balls, after Craig Overton (18 not out off 8) and Tymal Mills (8 off 4) had wrestled the game back from the home team’s grasp with a vital 25-run partnership.The equation was 28 needed from 13 when Scott Currie (4 for 28) had Michael Bracewell caught behind, and the smart money would have been on Manchester Originals. Indeed, Phil Salt might wonder how his team didn’t get over the line, across an innings that saw both 43-year-old James Anderson (0 for 36) and 17-year-old Farhan Ahmed (0 for 8 off five balls) make their debuts in the competition.Reece Topley and Craig Overton were the unlikely heroes with the bat•Joe Prior/Getty Images

“We managed to somehow get ourselves in a position where it was in our hands, one hit away,” Mills said. “Credit to Manchester Originals, they bowled really well for the best part of the innings but Craig pulled out some big hits at the end. It’s always good to win close games like that and it stands us in good stead for the rest of the season.”Bat on ball was the main thing. We needed to hit every ball and scamper as best we could, and obviously we managed to get a couple of boundaries in there as well – that was a brilliant knock from Craig. We just wanted to take it as deep as we could and Toppers finished it off brilliantly.”Mills was awarded Meerkat Match Hero partly for his efforts with the bat, but he had earlier taken 3 for 22 – with the wickets of Salt, Jos Buttler and Heinrich Klaasen – as Originals made 132 for 4. Salt was the stand-out for the home team, making a 41-ball 60 and overtaking James Vince to become the all-time leading run-scorer in the men’s Hundred as he did so.Tymal Mills dismissed Phil Salt, Jos Buttler and Heinrich Klaasen•Joe Prior/Getty Images

Mark Chapman added some late impetus to the Originals batting effort and the home faithful would have been confident throughout much of the Brave’s reply that their total would be enough to see them to a winning start, but they weren’t counting for the late intervention of Overton, Mills and Topley.”I think it was a wicket that rewarded you for hitting the pitch hard,” Mills added. “We saw in the Powerplay that we were perhaps a little bit full, but once we dragged our lengths back and hit the pitch hard there was a little bit of bounce there and we saw that when Manchester Originals were bowling as well. We were happy halfway with that score, and we were confident of chasing it, but we probably made a little bit more hard work of it than we would have liked.”

Former Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan has reversed his retirement from Tests and T20Is, and has said that he wishes to play all three formats. Shakib has not played international cricket in over a year and had announced his retirement from Tests and T20Is last year.”I am officially not retired from all formats,” Shakib said on the podcast, which features Moeen Ali, on Sunday. “This is the first time I’ll be revealing that. My plan is to go back to Bangladesh, play one full series of ODI, Test, and T20, and retire.”I mean, [I can] retire from all formats in a series. So it can start from T20I, ODI and Test, or Test, ODI, T20I. Either way, I’m fine, but I want to play a whole series and retire. That’s what I want.”Related

• BCB says door still open for Shakib to play for Bangladesh

• Bangladesh sports advisor won't 'allow Shakib to wear Bangladesh jersey' again

• Shakib on his illegal action: 'I was doing it a little bit intentionally'

Shakib hasn’t returned to Bangladesh since May 2024, once the Awami League government was dethroned on August 5. Shakib was an MP for that party. He was named in an FIR in an alleged murder case, although he was not in the country at the time. He then went on to play Tests in Pakistan and India. The second Test against India in Kanpur was his last international game.When asked whether he will return to Bangladesh, Shakib said, “I am hopeful. That’s why I’m playing [T20 leagues]. I think it will happen.”Shakib further said that he will not be burdened by results and he wants to “give something back to the fans” for years of support in a home series.”I think when a player says something, they try to stick to their words,” he said. “They normally don’t change it all of a sudden. It doesn’t matter if I play well or not. I might play a bad series after that, if I want to play. But I don’t need to do that.”I think this is enough. It’s just a nicer way to say bye to the fans that they supported me always, give something back to them, playing a home series.”Shakib Al Hasan last played a Test in late 2024•AFP/Getty Images

Ahead of the Kanpur Test in September last year, Shakib announced he wasn’t going to play T20Is anymore, while expressing his desire to play his last Test in the home South Africa series that was scheduled for October.There were some protests and clashes around the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka ahead of the Test series, after which Shakib issued an apology for his silence during the students-led protest which led to hundreds of deaths in July and August.The BCB then dropped Shakib for the Tests against South Africa, mainly because Bangladesh’s interim government couldn’t guarantee his safe exit from the country.Earlier this year, a BCB official said that Shakib was welcome to return to the Bangladesh team. In September, Bangladesh’s sports adviser Asif Mahmud declared that Shakib would not be allowed to play for the country after Shakib wished former prime minister Sheikh Hasina on her birthday.Shakib, who was elected as an MP from his hometown Magura in January 2024, also suggested that he wasn’t done with his political career when he was asked what legacy he wants to leave. “[I have] done my cricketing part. Maybe political side is left,” he said. “It’s something I want to do for the people of Bangladesh and people of Magura. That was my intention, and it is still my intention. Let’s see where Allah takes me.”

It might not seem like it outside, but inside the Motera stadium, it was palpable this was the eve of a big match

Sidharth Monga31-May-20258:30

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Hotel rooms are easily available in Ahmedabad, there is no random crowd outside the Motera stadium, touts are not to be seen, although there is talk of one arrested on Friday for trying to sell 60 tickets at INR 5000 each. The general air is different to what it was even during an England-New Zealand game in the 2023 ODI World Cup, when you couldn’t find accommodation at a decent price. Or even during the Gujarat Titans (GT) vs Chennai Super Kings (CSK) IPL final earlier that year.It is much quieter and saner in Ahmedabad around these two final games of IPL 2025. However, the teams involved in Qualifier 2 are making up for it with their urgency. Mumbai Indians (MI) finished their win in the Eliminator and went straight to the airport to be flown into Ahmedabad by 4am on a chartered flight. In the evening, their coaches and medical staff were at the stadium for an unscheduled visit to look at the pitch and, more importantly, give their injured fast bowler Deepak Chahar a fitness test.Reece Topley was the only other player who made it to the stadium. It could be a sign that Richard Gleeson might not make it to Qualifier 2. If Chahar’s injured left leg doesn’t take the strain well, Topley could well get his MI cap.Related

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Punjab Kings (PBKS), their opponents, have been in the city for longer as they were done with New Chandigarh on Thursday. They had a relaxed training session out in the middle during which all signs pointed to a return to fitness for legspinner Yuzvendra Chahal, who last played on May 18 before an injury to the right wrist sidelined him. He wore protection on the wrist during the training session, played football, took catches, threw balls and then bowled a couple of overs in the empty net. Most of the PBKS bowlers practised in an empty net with a shoe on either side of the crease to aim their yorkers at.Three spells of mild drizzle were unable to pause PBKS’ training session, but proved to be a frustration for MI, who turned up even though they were not scheduled to. Mahela Jayawardene and Kieron Pollard wanted to take a look at the pitch, but the whole square had been covered by the time they arrived.ESPNcricinfo LtdThe real action for MI was Chahar’s fitness test. They are desperate to get him ready. He had padding both under and above his left knee. He started with sideways movements with a resistance band around his legs. Then gentle jogging with breaks in between. Then short sharp sprints. All into a pretty stiff breeze.Chahar walked off all right without a grimace, but Ahmedabad is among the worst venues if you have anything resembling an issue with a hamstring. The climb to the dressing room is a long one. If you need to take the elevator, you might need to get out of the Players and Match Officials Area. However, he didn’t need to go up to the change room on the eve of the match. Still, he was careful to get support taking the odd step up even on the ground level. Now it possibly depends on how he wakes up on Sunday after this workout.Jayawardene did eventually get to look at the pitch: No. 7 on the 11-pitch square, which makes it just off centre. This is a red-soil pitch on which GT successfully defended 217 against Rajasthan Royals (RR) and CSK successfully defended 230 against GT. They were both big wins, which might suggest batting first is an option. Neither team was able to collect any intel on dew because of the drizzle, although dew has generally not been a factor in Ahmedabad.The covers came off for barely five minutes. The groundsmen were no less urgent. In the stands, dancers rehearsed their performance to . It might not seem like it outside, but inside the Motera stadium, it was palpable that this was the eve of a big match.