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Aggressive maiden fifty ruffles England attack, before Smith, Labuschagne cement advantage

Tristan Lavalette05-Dec-2025

Jake Weatherald made his maiden Test fifty off 45 balls•Darrian Traynor/AFP/Getty Images

After Travis Head had hogged the attention in the build-up, fellow opener Jake Weatherald emerged from his shadow with a rollicking maiden Test half-century as Australia capitalised on a ragged England bowling and fielding effort in the day-night second Ashes Test.Australia ended day two well on top after half-centuries from Weatherald, Steven Smith and Marnus Labuschagne. It was the first time in a decade that Australia put on 50-plus stands for the first four wickets in a Test innings but no batter has yet been able to kick on for a big score.Just a fortnight ago, England hustled Australia for 132 in Perth with hostile pace bowling that evoked peak West Indies but they have been undisciplined since and conceded 5.17 runs an over so far in this innings.Related

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On the back of Weatherald setting the tone with 72 off 78 balls, including 59 in the first session, Australia moved into a powerful position at 291 for 3 and just 43 runs behind England’s first innings.Under major pressure after their first-Test humiliation, England appeared to be wilting amid a totally lacklustre bowling effort until Cameron Green and Smith succumbed in the same over to a short-ball ploy from Brydon Carse, who had been very expensive to that point.Leeds-born Josh Inglis was later clean bowled by indefatigable skipper Ben Stokes as England mounted an unexpected fightback after a totally underwhelming day. But Alex Carey and Michael Neser benefited from sloppy fielding – amid five dropped catches by England so far in the innings – as they finished with an unbroken 49-run partnership to steady Australia.After England were dismissed for 334 in their first innings early on day two, with Joe Root finishing unbeaten on 138, the focus immediately turned to Head following his extraordinary century in Perth as a makeshift opener.

With veteran Usman Khawaja ruled out due to a back injury, Head is playing this match as a specialist opener – a role he had only occupied previously in South Asia.There was intrigue over how he would approach the situation on a ground where he bagged a king pair in the day-night Test against West Indies in January 2024.Head had no troubles negotiating the first delivery, with Jofra Archer spraying down the leg side in a sign of things to come for England’s attack. Archer could not find the right length but Head and Weatherald were circumspect as the innings started with three maidens.Weatherald was unruffled and smacked a boundary in the fourth over to open Australia’s account and the runs soon flowed. Crouching very low, watching intently and talking to himself as the bowler approached, Weatherald was compact early before growing in confidence with a trio of boundaries off seamer Gus Atkinson.Head, meanwhile, made a watchful start and did not score until his 15th delivery. He had only made 3 of Australia’s 30 runs when Archer finally got his length right and produced a cracking back-of-a-length delivery that angled in and nipped away to catch the outside edge.But wicketkeeper Jamie Smith, playing his first day-night match, was wrongfooted and dropped a straightforward chance much to the delight of an increasingly rowdy contingent of Australian fans in the terraces.Head crawled to 4 off 29 balls before finally scoring his first boundary in the 10th over, followed by a six off the wayward Carse. It ignited Head whose trademark cavalier style returned and he was matched by Weatherald as they knocked England’s quicks off their lengths. England were either too short or full with Weatherald punishing modest bumpers with several belligerent uppercuts.Jofra Archer reacts to a dropped catch•Gareth Copley/Getty Images

The wheels were quickly falling for England, reminiscent of many horror shows at this graveyard site for them, but they had a brief respite when Head on 33 threw away his wicket, holing out to mid-on in a rare bright spot for Carse.Head’s wicket did not slow down the momentum of Weatherald, who notched his half-century off 45 balls – the fastest in a Test at the Gabba in a decade.Stokes resorted to spinning allrounder Will Jacks before the 40-minute tea break but his solitary over went for nine runs. After some soul searching, England’s quicks bowled better on resumption and were rewarded when Archer trapped Weatherald plumb lbw with a fierce full delivery that hit flush on the toe.Lacking support, Archer pushed through with a seven-over spell but could not produce another breakthrough as Labuschagne and Smith built a formidable partnership.Both reached their half-centuries in 67 balls with Labuschagne judging the length superbly and unfurling the pull shot when required as he became the first batter to reach 1000 runs in day-night Tests. But he fell tamely to Stokes when he feathered an attempted cut close to the body, ending his bid for a first Test century since the 2023 Ashes.Smith, sporting black adhesive stickers on his cheekbones, looked in control and combined in another half-century stand with Green, who batted one spot higher at No. 5 than in Perth.England hoped to rally under the lights but wickets looked unlikely until Carse, who sported macabre figures of 1 for 92 from 12 overs to this point, bluffed Green by bowling a full delivery that rattled the stumps after the batter had been backing away against the short ball.Carse then delivered a brute of a delivery that hit Carey on the glove but was dropped at gully by Ben Duckett. England’s spirits quickly lifted when Smith on the next delivery was brilliantly caught at deep backward square by Jacks as Stokes threw his cap in the air in celebration.But England’s momentum was halted by sloppy fielding and they appear to be staring down the barrel.England had started the day’s play in considerably better shape after a momentum-swinging last-wicket partnership between Root and Archer. Making Australia’s weary bowlers back up amid stifling humidity, England hoped to add more invaluable runs to their overnight total of 325 for 9.With his century jinx on Australian soil over, Root looked to cross 150 but was content in taking singles and there was no need for anything outlandish like his reverse scoop off Scott Boland that registered his first ever Test six in the country.In a madcap final stretch of play on day one, Archer zoomed past his highest Test score of 30 and his bid for a maiden Test half-century started well when he cracked a superb drive through the covers off Mitchell Starc. But Archer fell on 38 when a diving Labuschagne took a blinder of a one-handed catch at deep backward square to end the 70-run stand – the highest 10th wicket partnership for England on an Ashes tour since 1951.

The upcoming tour of West Indies, which starts a new WTC cycle, could prove a line in the sand

Andrew McGlashan14-Jun-20252:00

Hayden: ‘Defensive Cummins missed a trick’

As a rule, Australia don’t lose ICC finals. Only once in ten deciders since 1996, when Sri Lanka famously overcame them in another seismic result, had they fallen short – the 2010 T20 World Cup against England in Barbados. Therefore, the defeat in the World Test Championship (WTC) final at Lord’s is significant and likely to lead to the first stages of regenerating the side for the next cycle when the squad reaches the West Indies.Australia were favourites coming into the final against South Africa – although not perhaps by as big a margin as some perceptions – and also lost from a position of strength: 102 runs ahead on the second day with ten wickets in hand, before losing 7 for 45 as they were unable to navigate the South Africa quicks as the clouds came over. Australia didn’t earn the right to have more batting under sunshine on Friday, the third day of the Test. That had followed being 67 for 4 in the first innings, which ended with a collapse of 5 for 20.Australia played some excellent cricket to reach the WTC final, prevailing in numerous tight situations along the way over the two years, and they do not suddenly need a complete rebuild. It does not need a national enquiry, but it does warrant some introspection.Related

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The biggest questions heading into the game were around the top three. Though the selectors were clear on the fact that this was being treated as a one-off occasion, and that decisions made here did not have to link to what’s to come, Australia leave Lord’s arguably less clear of a path forward than before.”We always knew this was going to be a one-off – it’s pretty specific conditions over here,” captain Pat Cummins said after the defeat. “Losing the toss on day one and being sent into bat is never going to be easy for the top three. I think there are probably quite a few people in the line-up that kind of wish they could have done a little bit more. The top three was an obvious one in this game.”It’s not to say that had Australia managed to defend 282, the key issues wouldn’t have been addressed, but there is often a reluctance to change a winning team. Although there remains uncertainty over the strength of the bowling attack which England will be able to bring to Australia later in the year, coach Andrew McDonald has already acknowledged that the hosts will need a settled opening pair by then. Now the tour of the West Indies, which begins on June 25, could prove a line in the sand.”I don’t particularly know why, but it does feel like a little bit of a fresh start,” Cummins said, “Fast forward a couple of years, you start maybe thinking about who’s going to win. Hopefully we make the final, who’s going to win that, and maybe do we want to get some games into them?2:11

Should Khawaja’s pattern of dismissals worry Australia?

“Do we feel like now’s the right time to change, or do you hold with the team that got us to the final? We’ve got a couple of weeks before the first Test of the West Indies, so we’ll sit down and have a bit of a think after we digest this game. For me, I think a new WTC cycle in some ways does feel like a bit of a reset.”The clearest option with a view to the next generation is Sam Konstas, who hasn’t featured since his first two Tests against India. It’s hypothetical to ponder how he would have fared at Lord’s – and there’s no guarantee he’ll be the immediate answer after just 17 first-class matches – but even before Steven Smith’s nastily dislocated finger, it was difficult to see how he wouldn’t get an opportunity in Barbados. Josh Inglis is another who will to be given serious consideration.The immediate change is unlikely to be dramatic, or, beyond Konstas, especially youthful. Inglis, should he get a chance, is 30; the reserve quicks are 36-year-old Scott Boland and 31-year-old Brendan Doggett, although they will be key if the selectors decide the time is right for more rotation of the big three quicks to keep them fresh. However, the overall next WTC cycle could see a more significant remaking of the team.”In white-ball series, a lot of the time you build on four-year cycles around World Cups for ODIs,” Cummins said. “I think maybe it’s an opportunity in a Test match to do something similar. Everyone gets thrown back into the conversation, and it’s a little bit of a reset for that first half.”The biggest questions heading into the WTC final were around Australia’s top three•PA Photos/Getty ImagesQuestions may also be asked of Australia’s build-up where they opted for centre-wicket and nets. It’s worth noting they did the same in 2023, when they beat India in the final. South Africa hoped to have four days of cricket against Zimbabweans, but rain reduced that to one.There was no clear pattern to draw between how players prepared and their output at Lord’s: Usman Khawaja hadn’t played since March and struggled, Cameron Green churned out runs for Gloucestershire and failed twice, and Smith had three months without batting and made 66 in tricky conditions in the first innings.”I thought we got it spot on,” Cummins said. “I think the weather helped us out as well in that lead-in. I thought the fast bowlers, particularly, from the medical staff as well – they did fantastically well to make sure everyone was firing all cylinders from basically ball one.”It remains a fantastic bowling attack, but this time that wasn’t enough. They were excellent on the fourth morning, but when South Africa began the final day requiring another 69 runs to win, it would have needed something extraordinary for Cummins to continue his winning run in ICC finals.Now it all starts again, and events over the last four days at Lord’s have meant it will be an intriguing time for Australia’s Test team.

Marnus Labuschagne fell cheaply while Matt Renshaw couldn’t convert a start

AAP30-Oct-2025

Usman Khawaja spent valuable time in the middle•Getty Images

Usman Khawaja produced his best innings of the season just three weeks out from the Ashes, with a timely 87 for Queensland against New South Wales in the Sheffield Shield.In a match that appears destined to for a draw, Queensland went to stumps on day three at 238 for 4 in reply to NSW’s first-innings score of 429 for 7 dec.Related

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Matt Renshaw missed out on a chance to further press his Test claims on Thursday when bowled for 29, while Marnus Labuschagne was also out for 4.But there were at least positive signs for Khawaja, with the veteran’s form looming as crucial for Australia this summer. While all eyes have been on who will partner him at the top against England, Khawaja only averaged 15.37 in four Tests last winter.The 38-year-old has had scores of 69, 46 and 0 in the Shield for Queensland, before looking in good touch at the Gabba on Thursday. Khawaja hit three boundaries in one over early from Ryan Hadley, while his shot of the day was a lovely drive down the ground off the quick later in his innings.He also looked at his laconic best clipping Test team-mate Nathan Lyon for two more boundaries through the legside, after sweeping the spinner for another. But with a century in sight he fell in common fashion, edging a Charlie Stobo ball that was angled across his stumps and swung away.Renshaw also gave himself the foundation to produce a score befitting his Test claims, before attempting to leave a Jack Edwards ball and edging it onto his stumps.Australia’s selectors will name an extended squad for the first Test in Perth after this Shield round, with Renshaw likely battling with Jake Weatherald for a spot in the group. Whether either plays will likely depend on if Beau Webster and Cameron Green are both included in the XI, or if one makes way and a specialist opener is preferred.Labuschagne looks certain to be there in Perth after a hot start to the summer, with the only question being if he is used as a makeshift opener or in his normal role of No. 3. He was out when he glanced Hatcher straight to a deep leg gully, before Hatcher also had Lachlan Hearne caught in the slips for 9.But Jack Clayton’s unbeaten 81 has all but killed off NSW’s hopes of victory after a washed-out opening day. They would theoretically need to bowl Queensland out for under 280 on Friday, enforce the follow on, and then knock them over again.

He only took six wickets in the two Tests against Sri Lanka, at a 30-plus average, but don’t let that fool you

Andrew Fidel Fernando10-Dec-2024Exhale. Switch off for a minute. Remind yourself that you need to keep your technique tight. Thank whichever god(s) you believe in that he was too fast for you to edge the balls you poked your bat at in the last over. And pray that that was the last over of his spell.This, roughly, is what would have gone through the mind of any Sri Lanka batter who had had to face a new-ball over from Kagiso Rabada over the past two weeks. He didn’t go hunting for wickets. There was no desperation in his bowling. In the channel outside off stump, on a good length or just short of it, and almost always quicker than 140kph – this is where he lived. And the man never left the house.Related

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The best you can really do is survive him. Other bowlers have weaknesses. Rabada has more than 300 Test wickets at an average of less than 22. He will never stop coming at you. Second spell in the day, his speeds are still up. Third spell, those balls are still zipping through in the channel. They are whizzing away sometimes, jagging back at other times, and you play at your peril.He’s been around for so many years, and is already a grandmaster of his craft. The only reason it feels weird to say this is because hasn’t hit 30.If you looked at his return in this series you might surmise he’d been off the boil a little. He picked up only six wickets at an average of 32.33. Four of those wickets were of Dimuth Karunaratne, whom Rabada took out in every innings. If you didn’t watch a single ball of the series, or know anything about Karunaratne, you might wonder if that stat was a flex or a crutch.But take a look at Rabada’s economy rate of 2.77 – the best for any bowler who took at least one wicket all series. In fact, his economy rate of 2.93 in this World Test Championship cycle is the best among its top 17 wicket-takers. Also, Karunaratne is by far the most prolific opening batter Sri Lanka has produced, and has played nearly 100 Tests. He plays spin much better than he plays fast bowling. But the man has made at least five year-end ICC Test XIs. This is not a soft target.Rabada has the best economy rate among the top 17 wicket-takers in this WTC cycle•AFP/Getty ImagesMarco Jansen and Dane Paterson claimed more wickets than Rabada in this series, and both took five-wicket hauls. Good for them. They bowled well, and deserved their big moments. And yet neither was as relentless or as accurate as Rabada. You look through his spells for the series, and you can’t remember a bad one. There was one occasion in this series when he bowled a six-over spell, conceded 33 runs, and took only one wicket. During that period, he’d had a batter dropped at second slip, and at least two of the fours he gave away came off edges. That was as bad as it got.Some bowlers, it is said, have a high ceiling. Rabada also has a very high floor.”I think it’s just one of those series where I guess the balls that he was bowling were unplayable,” South Africa captain Temba Bavuma said, trying to explain Rabada’s lack of wickets. It’s hard to disagree here; there was no shortage of plays-and-misses against him.”I never know what to really say to KG,” Bavuma admitted. Bavuma is as thoughtful a captain as Test cricket has right now, and he’s hinting at a profound reality. How do you instruct a cricketer of such vast and obvious greatness? “All he wants to know is when is he bowling and how many overs I see him bowling. And the rest, I mean, he reads the game.” To some extent, you envy Bavuma. What a joy it must be to have a bowler this uncomplicated to call on. One of Rabada’s other superpowers, by the way, is that he breaks down infrequently for a quick who bowls as fast as he does.If you are tempted to wonder whether Rabada is losing his gift for taking wickets, please consider that in this World Test Championship cycle, the man averages 17.07 and has a strike rate of 34.8. If South Africa make the WTC final next year, as they seem likely to do now, no player has contributed more to that feat than Rabada. And across Test cricket’s vast history, there has never been a more penetrative great bowler. Among players with more than 150 Test wickets, Rabada has the all-time best strike rate, of 39.1.It may be true what Bavuma says. Rabada is so good that sometimes even the best batters struggle to as much as edge his deliveries.

أعلن نادي برشلونة إصابة لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بعد مباراة تشيلسي ضمن منافسات دوري أبطال أوروبا ومدة غيابه.

واستضاف ملعب “ستامفورد بريدج” مباراة الفريقين، إذ حل برشلونة الإسباني ضيفًا على تشيلسي، في الجولة الخامسة من مرحلة الدوري في دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وخسر برشلونة بثلاثية نظيفة أمام تشيلسي في لقاء ظهر فيه رجال فليك بأداء باهت للغاية على عكس المتوقع، كما نال قائد الفريق رونالد أراوخو، بطاقة حمراء في آواخر الشوط الأول مما أثر تأثيرًا كبيرًا على أداء البلوجرانا.

وتوقف رصيد برشلونة عند 7 نقاط في جدول ترتيب دوري أبطال أوروبا بالمركز الـ15، فيما رفع تشيلسي رصيده لـ10 نقاط محتلًا المركز الخامس.

اقرأ أيضًا | برشلونة يتلقى أنباءً سعيدة قبل مواجهة ديبورتيفو ألافيس

وكشف برشلونة أن فيرمين لوبيز، لاعب خط وسط الفريق الأول لكرة القدم قد أصيب إصابة طفيفة في عضلة ربلة الساق اليُمنى.

وفقًا لصحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو”، عانى فيرمين من آثار الضربة التي تلقاها في مباراة السبت الماضي بالدوري ضد أتلتيك بلباو، إثر تدخل سانسيت الذي أدى إلى طرده.

وبذل فيرمين جهدًا كبيرًا لمساعدة الفريق في مباراة تشيلسي إذ بدأ المباراة أساسيًا ثم استُبدل ولم يُظهر نفس التألق الذي يتميز به دائمًا.

وتصل مدة غياب فيرمين إلى أسبوعين، وسوف يغيب عن مباريات ألافيس، أتلتيكو مدريد، ريال بيتيس وآينتراخت فرانكفورت.

Vital display in adversity at Mount Maunganui gives showcase for hard-hitting, hard-bowling credentials

Cameron Ponsonby27-Oct-2025So this is what a Jamie Overton is.Through little fault of his own, Jamie Overton has cut a curious figure in England colours over the past 12 months. Seemingly destined to retire with one international cap to his name – coming in 2022 when he made 97 on Test debut against New Zealand – he has since been the designated square peg to fit any round-hole problem England has faced.On his ODI debut 12 months ago – a full five years after he had last played a List A match – Overton was selected at No.8 as a specialist batter. “It felt a little bit like I shouldn’t be there,” he said at the time.A couple of months later against India, in his lone appearance of the series, he was picked as the side’s out-and-out all-rounder to bat at No.7. And then after seemingly switching his attention to white-ball cricket, he was picked for the series decider in the Anderson-Tendulkar trophy at The Oval. He announced his red-ball retirement shortly after.But after six weeks away from cricket where he was able to take a breath, he showed why England have valued him so highly at Mount Maunganui with 46 crucial runs, a probing – albeit wicketless – spell with the ball, and two pieces of high-quality fielding. There’s a reason England like Overton so much. It has just taken until now to put it all together.”100%,” Overton said after play at the Mount. “At No.8 I want to be contributing runs whatever the situation. And in the middle overs keep hammering the wicket and make those breakthroughs. Then in the field, I feel like I’m a good fielder, so get in those hotspots, and take the catches and the run-outs when they come.”Unusually for a fast bowler, Overton is a fantastic slip fielder. His catch to dismiss Rachin Ravindra was completed long before it reached his hands. He was denied the same courtesy in return when Joe Root put down Michael Bracewell off his bowling on two. Overton would later run Bracewell out himself, completing a diving one-handed pick-up-and-throw from midwicket.Overton’s success at Adelaide Strikers came after his batting had attracted the franchise’s initial interest•Getty ImagesDropped catches happen, but it would have stung Overton more than most. For the first time in his international career, there is a genuine settled role on the table. England have their opening bowlers sorted through a combination of Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer and whoever else may be available when fit (see Saqib Mahmood), but the role of middle-overs enforcer is up for grabs and an area that Harry Brook specifically noted as one that England need to improve.”We’re still trying to learn how to take wickets in the middle stage,” Brook said after his team’s four-wicket defeat to New Zealand. “We’ve bowled really well in the powerplay in the games I’ve captained, so I don’t feel that’s as much of an issue as the middle overs. We’ve got to try and find a way of taking wickets through there and not just rely on Rash [Adil Rashid] to have a bit of wizardry.”Related

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Overton has played eight ODIs for England, of which they have lost six and won two. He has only bowled more than six overs on one occasion: a statistic that is a symptom of an underperforming team who are defending meagre totals. A critic, however, would point out that Overton has only taken three middle-over wickets of top six batters across that time. To take Liam Plunkett’s final eight ODIs as a comparison, he took 11 top-order wickets in those middle overs, and bowled more than six overs on all but one occasion.It is cruel to compare any one player to the standard of a predecessor that no-one has yet been able to emulate. But that is what England are looking for. Overton should have both the remaining matches of this series to stake his claim. A run of games he has so far been denied in his brief, multi-hatted career.His batting will buy him extra time. When his two stress fractures in 2023 and 2024 forced him to take a break from bowling, it gave him extra time in the nets and allowed him to develop his game to the point where he was playing as a specialist batter in the Blast for Surrey and the Hundred for Manchester Originals. It even got him a deal with the Adelaide Strikers.”I spoke to one of the analysts halfway through the tournament,” Overton said last year of his time in the BBL. “And he was like, ‘Yeah, we didn’t really pick you for your bowling.”At Mount Maunganui, he arrived at the crease in the 12th over and added 87 with Brook as they went blow-for-blow. That he was able to strike at close to 100 even with England in the depths is a big tick in his favour. So too was his on-the-spot decision to move away from his natural gameplan of standing still at the crease, and instead copy his captain Brook in moving around to disturb New Zealand’s lengths.”There were times when I was thinking ‘what am I doing here?'” Overton said of his innings. “I normally don’t move around. Whereas today I feel like because the wicket was doing a lot to try and move across or step back, and it’s one of those which was trial and error. I actually found out today it will suit my game going forward.”Two boundaries off Nathan Smith, the first backing away and hitting through cover, followed by a whip through mid-wicket after walking across his stumps, proved his point.For a year now, Overton has been a nice-to-have for England. A multi-talented cricketer capable of fitting in wherever and whenever. But with two games to go in the series and a spot up for grabs, Overton has the opportunity to prove to England he is no longer a nice-to-have, but a must.

Manchester United are now advancing in talks to sign AZ Alkmaar midfielder Kees Smit, with it being revealed that a formal offer is in the works…

With Casemiro’s contract due to expire at the end of the season, and Kobbie Mainoo’s future still in doubt, having already held talks over a January exit, it is little wonder Ruben Amorim is keen to bring in a new central midfielder, and a Premier League player recently joined the shortlist.

With Carlos Baleba Man United’s dream target and an approach recently being made for Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson, there is no shortage of exciting options to choose from, although it was recently revealed Amorim wants to bring in two midfielders before next season.

Recruiting from the Premier League in the summer has served United well so far this season, with the likes of Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha becoming key players, but a move for a slightly more left-field central midfielder is now gaining traction.

Man Utd advancing in talks to sign Kees Smit

That is according to a report from Spain, which states Man United are progressing in talks with AZ Alkmaar over a deal for Smit, with an opening bid in the works, and the deal could be finalised when Amorim’s side formalize their ‘definitive’ offer.

The 19-year-old has caught the eye due to his passing and ability in transition, and there is a belief he would be able to adapt to life in the Premier League, despite still being relatively inexperienced.

The midfielder is valued at just €25m (£22m), meaning a deal wouldn’t break the bank, and there could be money left over to pursue the likes of Baleba or Anderson, with Alkmaar also willing to sanction a departure.

Lauded as a “duel monster” by scout Ben Mattinson, the teenager has already established himself as a key player for Alkmaar, amassing two goals and four assists in all competitions this season, while his performances last term indicate he could be the future of the Netherlands national side.

There may be some concern over the fact the Dutchman is yet to prove himself outside his home country, but a deal would be relatively inexpensive at just £22m, so it would certainly be a low-risk move.

Smit is extremely comfortable in possession of the ball, placing in the 90th percentile for both successful take-ons and progressive carries per 90 over the past year, and it would be fantastic if Man United were able to beat the likes of Liverpool and Barcelona to his signature.

Carlos Baleba's stance on leaving Brighton to join Man Utd How £100m Carlos Baleba now feels about leaving Brighton to join Man Utd

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His two wickets on the opening day slowed down Pakistan’s progress and helped South Africa go to stumps after an “even day”

Danyal Rasool20-Oct-2025It may not have seemed that way when Pakistan were 146 for one, but by stumps, South Africa had clawed back enough into the Test for Keshav Maharaj to call it an even day. The left-arm spinner – who did not play the first Test owing to a groin injury – began South Africa’s comeback when he dismissed crowd favourite Babar Azam early on in his innings. In the final session, Maharaj struck once more when he drew Shan Masood into a sweep, which he could only drag to Marco Jansen at square leg. By the end, there was time for Kagiso Rabada to snag a fifth wicket, forcing Pakistan to see off the final half hour cautiously. They finished on 259 for five.”I think it was an even day,” he said. “We managed to control their run rate. When the ball gets softer – which happens quite quickly because the wicket’s quite hard, we managed to just go to old-fashioned Test cricket… I felt if we got one more wicket at night, we’d probably have had a little bit of an upper hand.”Related

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• First day in Pindi = first day in Lahore

• South Africa, Pakistan share opening-day honours after Masood 87

The first two sessions were shaping up to tell a different story, using the same, frustrating script for the visitors. Having lost the toss and being inserted to field once more, they were sloppy, putting down five catches – just as they had on the first day in Lahore. Abdullah Shafique was the primary beneficiary, with South Africa spurning three opportunities to dismiss him. Earlier, Marco Jansen had nipped one in that Shafique left. The ball had kissed the off stump, only for the bails to be left undisturbed.”As a collective we know how important catches are, not just in the subcontinent. No one means to drop catches; it was nice to see the guys bounce back and take the catches that they did. Bit frustrating but no one means to drop chances.”Simon Harmer bowled 23 overs of spin to complement Maharaj•AFP/Getty Images

The fielding tide for South Africa began to turn when Tony de Zorzi took an excellent catch, which sent Babar on his way. South Africa have placed a lot of faith in their leading offspinner; he bowled 31 overs – the most for any bowler on a day this series. Harmer bowled 23 further overs of spin, but Senuran Muthuswamy, the leading wicket-taker in Lahore, sent down just four.Maharaj, who said he regretted being unable to play in Lahore, called the decision to use Muthuswamy more sparingly “tactical”. “We saw that the wicket didn’t play like Lahore and we felt like we just wanted to try and restrict the Pakistani batters. I don’t think there was an issue. Sen came back nicely with the second spell that he bowled.”In the end, Pakistan scored 54 fewer runs than they did on day one in Lahore, with South Africa drying up the runs, giving the final session a slightly different tinge to the first day they had during the first Test. They will be further encouraged by the knowledge that Pakistan have a collapse in them, something Masood highlighted following the first Test. In the first Test, Pakistan lost their last five for 16 in the first innings, and their last six for 17 in the two innings. One more wicket, and South Africa will know there are opportunities to run through the lower order.”Tomorrow’s an important day,” Maharaj said. The first sessions in the series so far have been quite action-packed. “Hopefully, we can make inroads tomorrow morning. The main thing is to try bowling as many dot balls as we can. We saw for a period of time when we did do it, that it brought us a little bit of reward, and we created opportunities. I think it’s important we start really well tomorrow. Hopefully we can get Saud and Agha early in the morning and open up an end with the lower-order batters. But it’s about just trying to bowl our best balls for long periods of time.”

A hot topic of conversation amongst Premier League fans is which stadium generates the best atmosphere.

Having a raucous home crowd can even help change the flow of a game, with an intimidating home support helping suck the ball into the net.

For visiting players, some grounds can be a nightmare to go to. However, there are other stadiums which are relatively quiet and less intimidating to visit.

Premier League Player Power Rankings 2025/26

So, for the 2025/26 Premier League season, here is every stadium ranked for atmosphere, taking into consideration noise levels and capacity.

Rank

Club

Stadium

1

Newcastle

St James’ Park

2

Liverpool

Anfield

3

Sunderland

Stadium of Light

4

Aston Villa

Villa Park

5

Leeds

Elland Road

6

Crystal Palace

Selhurst Park

7

Nottingham Forest

City Ground

8

Everton

Hill Dickinson Stadium

9

Arsenal

Emirates Stadium

10

Man Utd

Old Trafford

11

Tottenham

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

12

Man City

Etihad Stadium

13

Chelsea

Stamford Bridge

14

Burnley

Turf Moor

15

Brentford

Gtech Community Stadium

16

Brighton

AMEX Stadium

17

West Ham

London Stadium

18

Wolves

Molineux

19

Fulham

Craven Cottage

20

Bournemouth

Vitality Stadium

20 Vitality Stadium Bournemouth

Starting off at the quieter stadiums in the division, AFC Bournemouth’s ground holds just over 11,000, something which hinders the atmosphere.

The Cherries have performed well on the south coast, however, a visiting player probably doesn’t fear a trip to the Vitality Stadium.

19 Craven Cottage Fulham

Next on the list is Fulham, with Craven Cottage previously having a mixed section for home and away supporters.

Now expanded to a capacity of just under 30,000, the Cottagers can create a good atmosphere, especially in a London derby, however, on the whole, it is one of the more relaxed stadiums to visit in the top flight.

18 Molineux Wolves

Wolves fans have not had much to shout about in recent years, and that has come across in the flat atmosphere at Molineux.

Regular defeats and flat performances have left home supporters with nothing to cheer or get behind, whereas it is arguably the worst viewpoint for away fans on the side of the pitch.

17 London Stadium West Ham

Even West Ham fans may even argue that the London Stadium should be further down this list after swapping the cauldron that was Upton Park for their current 62,500 stadium.

Built for the 2012 Olympics, it is evident that the ground was not made for football and that often comes across from the stands, with seats too far away to feel on top of the players.

16 AMEX Stadium Brighton

An impressive ground to visit, the AMEX Stadium has been home to Brighton & Hove Albion since 2011 and has been a Premier League stadium since 2017.

The Seagulls have had plenty of success and memorable moments at their home, which has created a solid atmosphere, especially behind the goal.

15 Gtech Community Stadium Brentford

Brentford moved into their new stadium in 2020 and have enjoyed plenty of success in the Premier League since.

However, the Gtech Community Stadium which holds more than 17,000 isn’t exactly a daunting place to go. A game under the lights can often generate the best atmosphere, though, as we saw in their 2-1 win over Liverpool.

14 Turf Moor Burnley

An old school traditional stadium, Turf Moor sees supporters close to the pitch with stands that rise steeply.

Holding just under 22,000 when at full capacity, the Clarets can generate a solid atmosphere but arguably cannot compete with some of their Premier League rivals and their grounds.

13 Stamford Bridge Chelsea

Chelsea’s atmosphere has been described as dull and lethargic and Joe Cole said in 2025 that it’s the “worst” he’s seen in all his years supporting, playing or visiting Stamford Bridge.

Despite this, the Blues often show in a big game that the noise can be generated, but they just don’t do it regularly enough.

12 Etihad Stadium Man City

Manchester City’s home support has been a running joke for a number of years now, however, the Etihad Stadium can generate an excellent atmosphere at times, especially for the big Premier League games.

The consistency isn’t there, though, with home supporters often leaving early despite seeing Pep Guardiola’s side run riot more often than not.

11 Tottenham Hotspur Stadium Tottenham

Even though Tottenham have one of the newest stadiums in the division, which includes a South Stand capacity of 17,500, Spurs’ home support is often flat.

Performances and results haven’t been there in recent years, but the 62,850 stadium doesn’t produce the atmosphere it should.

The American League All-Star pitching staff will look a little bit different on Tuesday night in Atlanta.

New York Yankees lefthander Max Fried has been replaced on the roster by teammate and fellow southpaw Carlos Rodon, MLB announced Friday.

Fried, who in all likelihood would have pitched an inning in the game, is scheduled to start for the Yankees on Saturday against the Chicago Cubs, meaning he'd be pitching on just two days rest in the Midsummer Classic. In taking his place, Rodon, Friday's scheduled starter for the Yankees, would be pitching on three days' rest in the All-Star Game.

The two southpaws have headlined New York's Gerrit Cole-less starting rotation, helping to stabilize the club's pitching staff in the wake of Cole's season-ending surgery in March. Fried leads the MLB in wins and ranks third in the AL with a 2.27 ERA. Meanwhile, Rodon has pitched to a 3.30 ERA and has recorded the sixth-most strikeouts in baseball with 127.

Fried and Rodon are joined by fellow Yankees Aaron Judge and Jazz Chisholm Jr. on the AL roster. The All-Star Game is at 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday night.