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And among openers who have played at least 50 Tests, who has the highest average?

Steven Lynch03-Dec-2024Jacob Bethell batted at No. 3 for England on his Test debut in New Zealand. When was the last time England had a debutant No. 3 who had not scored a first-class century? asked Nick Stephens from England

The 21-year-old Warwickshire left-hander Jacob Bethell made his Test debut at No. 3 against New Zealand in Christchurch last week – and hit the winning run as England won by eight wickets.Bethell was the first specialist batter to play a Test for England before scoring a first-class hundred since Mike Gatting in Pakistan in 1977-78. But Gatting (who eventually scored 94 first-class tons) went in at No. 5 then. It’s quite rare for an England debutant to bat at No. 3: as far as I can see, England have never before selected someone without a first-class century to his name to bat at No. 3 in their first Test. The use of nightwatchers means that occasionally the person who actually went in at No. 3 did not have a three-figure score at the time – fairly recent examples of this are Ian Salisbury in 1992 and Neil Williams (who never did reach three figures) in 1990 – but no specialists.For the full list of England debutants who batted at No. 3, click here. Several of them went in as nightwatchers, so were not selected to bat there.India won the Perth Test by 295 runs. Was that their biggest win away from home? asked Ricky Dooley from Scotland

India’s win in the first Test against Australia in Perth last month was their third-biggest by runs away from home: they beat West Indies by 318 runs in Antigua in August 2019, and walloped Sri Lanka by 304 in Galle in July 2017. Their previous biggest win in Australia was by 222 runs in Melbourne in 1977-78.India have also had 12 innings victories away from home, the biggest by an innings and 239 runs over Bangladesh in Mirpur in May 2007, while they beat Sri Lanka by an innings and 171 in Pallekele in August 2017. They have also won three away Tests by ten wickets.Kraigg Brathwaite played his 86th successive Test in Antigua. I think I heard that this was a record – who did he beat? asked Misha McKenzie from Barbados

The Barbadian opener Kraigg Brathwaite has been ever-present in the West Indies team since June 2014, and the second Test against Bangladesh in Kingston was his 86th in a row (he had played a few before this run started, so now has 96 in all). The record he broke was the most consecutive Tests for West Indies without missing one, previously held by an even more distinguished Barbadian, Garry Sobers, who did not miss any of their 85 Tests between April 1955 and April 1972. Desmond Haynes played 72 successive Tests for West Indies, and Brian Lara 64.Brathwaite has a long way to go to match the overall record: Alastair Cook played 159 successive Tests for England between May 2006 and his international retirement in September 2018. Five other men have played 100 or more consecutive Tests.Herbert Sutcliffe averaged 61.10 as an opener, the highest of all openers who have played at least 50 Tests•Getty ImagesOpening is considered to be the most difficult batting position, and having an average above 50 for a Test opener is rare. Who are the top openers from a minimum of 50 Tests? asked Nikhil Dugar from India

You’re right that it’s a difficult place to bat: only 28 men who opened in at least 50 Tests have an average of 40 or more when doing so. Top of the list is the England opener of the inter-war years, Herbert Sutcliffe, who averaged 61.10 from 54 matches. He’s ahead of two other England greats, Len Hutton (56.47) and Jack Hobbs (56.37). Of those who played in the current century the leader is Australia’s Matthew Hayden (50.73). Sunil Gavaskar and Virender Sehwag of India both also averaged over 50.I thought 50 Tests was rather a lot, so tried lowering the qualification to 20. Sutcliffe stays top on that list, but the obdurate South African Bruce Mitchell (56.90) pushes Hutton and Hobbs down a place. And the leading “modern” becomes Australia’s Usman Khawaja, who averaged 52.25 from 34 matches as opener before the second Test against India.Ivory Coast were bowled out for only seven by Nigeria in their T20 international the other day. Was this the lowest completed team total in any international? asked Madhav Gokhale from New Zealand

Ivory Coast made a reasonable start to their reply to Nigeria’s 271 in their recent match in Abuja – they had four runs on the board before the first wicket went down, but the rest managed only three between them. There were six ducks (and a 0 not out) in the final total of 7, which is a new low for men’s T20Is: there had previously been two cases of 10 all out, by Mongolia against Singapore two months previously, and the Isle of Man vs Spain in February 2023. The lowest by a Test-playing nation is West Indies’ 45 against England in St Kitts in March 2019.This was not, however, the lowest score in all international cricket. In women’s T20Is, Mali were skittled for 6 by Rwanda in Kigali in June 2019, and six months later Maldives matched that with 6 all out against Bangladesh during the South Asian Games in Pokhara (Nepal). As this list shows, Maldives were bowled out two days later for 8 by Nepal, while the Philippines were skittled for 9 by Thailand in Phnom Penh (Cambodia) in May 2023.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

Jasprit Bumrah was rested while Shreyas Iyer and Hardik Pandya continue to recover from their injuries

Shashank Kishore23-Nov-20253:52

Rishabh Pant vs Tilak Varma for Shreyas Iyer’s middle-order spot

India batter KL Rahul will captain the side in the three ODIs against South Africa starting on November 30. Rahul steps in with regular captain Shubman Gill still recovering from the neck injury he suffered during the first Test in Kolkata earlier this month.Rishabh Pant was back in ODI mix as the second wicketkeeper, having last played the format in August 2024. Jasprit Bumrah was rested having featured in all four home Tests this season, the T20 Asia Cup as well as the ODIs in Australia over the past two months. Shreyas Iyer too wasn’t in the squad as he continues to recover from a lacerated spleen.With Shreyas unavailable, a middle-order spot opened up for Tilak Varma, the left-hand batter, who featured in a recent one-day series against South Africa A in Rajkot.ESPNcricinfo LtdTilak has so far played four ODIs with modest returns, but has established himself as a regular in the T20I set-up. He could compete with Pant for a spot in the middle order that also has Virat Kohli, Rahul as well as Ravindra Jadeja, who was rested for the Australia ODIs. Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar are the other allrounders in the mix. There was no spot for Axar Patel.In Gill’s absence, Yashasvi Jaiswal is expected to open the batting with Rohit Sharma. Ruturaj Gaikwad, who was in sparkling form for India A during the one-dayers against South Africa A is the reserve opener. Gaikwad, who last played in an ODI two years ago, made scores of 117, 68* and 25 during India A’s 2-1 series win.Mohammed Siraj has been rested, presumably to manage his workloads after he featured in each of the four home Tests, with Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna and Harshit Rana as the frontline pace bowlers. The squad also comprises Dhruv Jurel as the back-up middle order batter.Hardik Pandya, meanwhile, is undergoing the final phase of his rehab for a quadriceps injury at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. He has been named in Baroda’s squad for the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20s that start on November 26, and could play the first three rounds of matches before the selectors take a call on him for the T20I series against South Africa. Hardik, who was part of the Champions Trophy wining squad in March, missed India’s previous ODI assignment due to the injury he picked up during September’s Asia Cup.The three ODIs against South Africa will be played on November 30 in Ranchi, December 3 in Raipur and on December 6 in Visakhapatnam.India’s ODI squad for South Africa seriesRohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, KL Rahul (capt & wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh, Dhruv Jurel

The Miami Marlins were able to beat the Toronto Blue Jays, 5-3, on Sunday to avoid being swept at home. After the game the pitcher who closed it out, Tyler Phillips, gave one of the most intense interviews you'll ever see that left the team's sideline reporter a bit scared.

Phillips pitched a perfect ninth inning for the Marlins while not allowing a ball to leave the infield. A groundout to first, a grounder back to the pitcher and a popup to second sealed the deal and gave the Marlins their 61st win of the season.

Stephen Strom, who works for the Marlins radio broadcast, was the reporter who got to talk to Phillips right after his outing and this was easily one of the best interviews you'll ever see.

Some highlights:

Strom: "Tyler you threw 32 pitches yesterday. When did you know you were going in tonight?"

Phillips: "When they called down."

Strom: "And you were ready to go?"

Phillips: "They call down, I’m pissed off. I’m ready to go."

Strom: "Why do you get so pissed off?"

Phillips: "I don’t like hitters."

Strom: "How did you get through that ninth?"

Phillips: "Throw the ball over the plate."

Strom: "How long does it take you to cool down after a win?"

Phillips: "I never cool down."

Strom, on Phillips slapping himself while making his entrance: "And the slapping. What was the level of slapping when you came on?"

Phillips: "Pretty hard. My face is hot."

Strom: "Great win, you’re scaring me. Go to the clubhouse. Thank you very much."

Here's that interview:

Here's Phillips slapping himself while entering the game:

You gotta love baseball. And, if you're Phillips, hate hitters.

Taunton surface falls foul of ECB regulations after 35 wickets fell in two days of Durham fixture in July

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Sep-2025

Somerset have been deducted four points in the Rothesay County Championship for a breach of ECB Pitch Regulations.The charge pertains to Somerset’s Division One fixture at against Durham in July which saw 35 wickets fall in just five sessions. Lord Ian Botham, Durham’s honorary president, accused his former county of deliberately preparing a playing surface that “reduces the game to a farce”.Match referee Simon Hink subsequently rated the Taunton pitch “below average”, with standing umpires Ian Blackwell and Martin Saggers noting the excessive turn across days one and two. The Pitch Regulations apply to all counties, with regulation 4.1 stating pitches must be prepared to provide “an even contest between bat and ball, and must allow all disciplines in the game to flourish”.Following an investigation by the Cricket Regulator, which included statements from players and coaches of both clubs, the Cricket Discipline Panel (CDP) has handed Somerset a sanction of eight points, of which four are suspended until the close of play of the last day of the 2027 season. The immediate deduction means their season points tally drops to 175, though they remain third in Division One.While conduciveness to spin and the result – Somerset won by five wickets – were deemed aggravating factors, the tribunal acknowledged the club had sought to prepare the best possible pitch, and that the “substandard pitch rating” was their first in the last 24 months.The tribunal also deemed it “inherently unlikely” that Somrerset deliberately prepared a poor surface given the hosts bowled first after winning the toss, exposing themselves to batting last when conditions would have been at their toughest. It also noted the voluntary steps the club has already taken to trial alternative loam to improve its pitches at Taunton, and their co-operation throughout the process.”Whilst we are disappointed by the outcome, we are pleased that the tribunal rejected any suggestion that the Club deliberately sought to produce a substandard wicket,” said Somerset chief executive Jamie Cox in a statement released by the club. “We would also like to thank the CDP for their clarity and transparency throughout the hearing process.”Somerset County Cricket Club will always aspire to produce the best possible pitches which will ensure an enthralling contest between bat and ball.”

Tottenham winger Mohammed Kudus was forced to sit out their last match in the Champions League after picking up a knock, with supporters understandably hoping that he doesn’t also miss their crunch clash with Man United this weekend.

It is perhaps the worst time to face Ruben Amorim’s side right now, with the Red Devils winning three out of their last four Premier League games and starting to look fairly solid after months of topsy-turvy form.

Spurs’ face-off against United will be the first time both sides have met since the Lilywhites’ historic Europa League final triumph in May – a match which gifted Tottenham their first piece of major silverware since 2008 and granted them a pathway into Europe.

The stats heavily favour Thomas Frank, with the north Londoners standing out as United’s major bogey team of the last 24 months.

Tottenham have won five and drew two of their last seven meetings in all competitions, and if they beat them again on Saturday, it’ll be the first time any Spurs side has won three consecutive league games against United since the 1959/1960 season.

That being said, Tottenham’s home form is a real cause for concern right now. No side has lost more Premier League home games than Spurs in 2025 (9), and Frank’s team is currently ravaged by injuries.

Kudus, who’s dazzled as their key attacking star since joining from West Ham for £55 million in the summer, even drawing comparisons to Mousa Dembele, joined their extensive absentee list earlier this week after missing training prior to Tottenham’s 4-0 rout of FC Copenhagen.

Not having the winger available for their looming clash with United at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium would be a bitter blow for Frank, but they’ve now been handed a positive update.

Tottenham given Mohammed Kudus update after four-word Man United statement

The African was left out of Spurs’ squad to face Copenhagen but was in attendance to watch his side triumph, and he was questioned about his condition in the mixed zone after full-time.

When asked if he would be fit to face United, via Standard Sport, Kudus replied:

This comes as a very encouraging update as Kudus strongly suggests that he could be ready for selection, but Frank will provide an even more definitive update in his pre-match press conference.

The Ghanaian has been a revelation under Frank, averaging more successful takes-ons per 90 than any other player in the top flight according to WhoScored, with Kudus chalking up five goal contributions to boot.

The 25-year-old is poised to play a key role for Tottenham as they chase more major silverware and Champions League qualification this season, and having him return could be vital as Frank looks to put last weekend’s dismal home performance against Chelsea behind him.

Kudus’ creativity, dribbling, close control and one-v-one ability have been a nightmare for opposing full-backs so far this term, with the former Ajax star and Joao Palhinha standing out as the club’s best buys of the summer.

Kudus already boasts one goal and an assist in three total outings against Man United, so Amorim knows all about the threat he poses.

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O Palmeiras não saiu do 0 a 0 contra o San Lorenzo, na noite desta quinta-feira (30), no Allianz Parque. Por fim, sobrou a irritação da torcida palmeirense, que não poupou críticas ao trabalho de Abel Ferreira. Confira!

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O Fluminense ficou no empate em 2 a 2 diante do Red Bull Bragantino na noite de sábado (13), mas o volume ofensivo apresentado pela equipe é de animar o torcedor. Na estreia do time no Brasileirão 2024, o Tricolor superou dificuldades apresentadas em partidas recentes e criou diversas oportunidades de gol, quebrando, inclusive, marca importante sob o comando de Fernando Diniz.

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➡️ A boa do Lance! Betting: vamos dobrar seu primeiro depósito, até R$200! Basta abrir sua conta e tá na mão!

Contra o Massa Bruta, o Fluminense finalizou 26 vezes no total, com 11 chutes ao gol. O número é o maior da equipe durante a segunda passagem de Diniz como treinador, desde 30 de abril de 2022. Os dados são de OptaJoao, perfil especializado em estatísticas do futebol na rede social X (antigo Twitter).

O volume ofensivo do Tricolor na estreia do Brasileirão foi superior ao apresentado em partidas recentes na temporada. Contra o Colo-Colo, na última terça-feira (9), o time de Fernando Diniz finalizou nove vezes, acertando a baliza em apenas três. Antes, contra o Alianza Lima, foram 11 chutes totais, com míseros dois no gol adversário.

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Sobre o desempenho do ataque diante do Bragantino, Diniz afirmou, em entrevista coletiva, que este sempre foi o objetivo do plano de jogo. Além disso, citou os chutes de fora da área – recuso muito utilizado pelo Fluminense na partida, sobretudo no primeiro tempo.

– Na realidade, meu pedido (de finalizar mais) é desde sempre, só que contra determinados adversários temos mais dificuldades. Com características de alguns jogadores temos mais possibilidades de chutar de fora da área – disse o treinador tricolor.

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Após o empate com o Red Bull Bragantino Bragantino, o Fluminense volta a campo na próxima terça-feira (16), às 21h30. A equipe enfrenta o Bahia fora de casa, na Arena Fonte Nova, pela segunda rodada do Brasileirão 2024.

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Lamine Yamal believes that "special nights" are coming ahead of Barcelona's long-awaited return to Camp Nou. The teenager has become a Blaugrana sensation in recent years and he has done that while barely playing at the Catalan outfit's iconic stadium. But the countdown to being back at their hallowed home ground has very much begun, and the Spaniard is clearly very excited.

• Yamal excited for Camp Nou return

  In May 2023, Barcelona said goodbye to Camp Nou as the stadium began a huge redevelopment initiative. After many delays and some controversies involving workers, the giant ground is preparing for a staggered reopening later this month. The defending La Liga champions have been given the light by the local council to host around 23,000 fans when competitive games return to this venue, which has already seen 23,000 supporters watch an open training session earlier this month. Incidentally, Yamal has played just a handful of times at Camp Nou after making his first-team Barca debut in April 2023. Now, the 18-year-old has taken to social media to express his delight about playing at this famous stadium.

  In an Instagram story, he wrote: "Special nights are coming," before zooming in on Camp Nou with his phone camera.

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  When will Barcelona play at Camp Nou again?

  For much of the past two years, while the Camp Nou works have gone on, Barcelona have played at Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, which holds upwards of 50,000 fans. Reports suggest that Barca are waiting for a 1B license to be granted to them, which will allow them to open up another stand and host 45,401 supporters at Camp Nou. Now, Barcelona executive Joan Sentelles says he is hopeful they can play at their iconic home, with its reduced capacity of under 30,000, against Athletic Club on November 22 in La Liga.

  He told Esport3: "Our goal is to have it ready in time for the match against Athletic Club. As soon as we obtain the 1B license, we’ll open the Lateral Stand, which will already give us a capacity similar to the Olympic Stadium. At that point, it wouldn’t make sense to continue playing there – all our matches will be here."

  Sentelles added that they hope to nearly triple their current limit by the end of 2025.

  "The goal is to have the entire stadium open to 62,000 spectators before the end of the year," he revealed.

• Yamal an injury concern

  While it will be an emotional return to Camp Nou for Barcelona players and fans alike, there is no guarantee that Yamal will line up for this upcoming fixture. The youngster has been suffering with a groin problem known as pubalgia, something he has played through for club and country for a while now. There has been a war of words between Barca boss Hansi Flick and Spain manager Luis de la Fuente over Yamal's playing time, with the former concerned about him being overplayed. Moreover, in the past week, the Spanish Football Association (RFEF) expressed its "surprise and dismay" at seeing Yamal undergo an "invasive procedure" that led to his withdrawal from the latest La Roja squad. 

  After he was released from the national squad ahead of World Cup qualifiers against Georgia and Turkey, the RFEF said: "The Medical Services of the RFEF wish to express their surprise and discomfort after learning at 13:47 on Monday, November 10, the day of the start of the official training camp with the national team, that player Lamine Yamal had undergone an invasive radiofrequency procedure for the treatment of his pubic discomfort that same morning. This procedure was carried out without prior communication to the medical staff of the National Team, with knowledge of the details only through a report received at 22:40 last night, which indicated the medical recommendation of rest for 7-10 days. Given this situation, and prioritising at all times the health, safety and well-being of the player, the Royal Spanish Football Federation has made the decision to release the athlete from the current call-up. We are confident that he will recover well and wish him a speedy and full recovery."

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  What comes next for Yamal and Barcelona?

  Meanwhile, De la Fuente said Yamal was "very sad" to not take part in these games for his country.

  "Lamine is sad. He’s a player deeply committed to the national team and very well-liked," he said. "He left very sad; he was looking forward to playing these matches. He wants to have a great season with his club, and he also has the Finalissima and the World Cup etched in his memory. He’s the one who suffers the most. He always wants to come. He left sad and hurt. Anyone who says otherwise is lying or has bad intentions. I spoke with him. When we received the report last night, we let him rest. We went to his room and I spoke with him. I told him it was the first news he'd heard from the national team; I don't know if he had any information about Barcelona. He was incredibly sad and hurt. He was fine when he arrived. We didn't know anything until last night."

  When the international break ends, Barcelona take on Athletic Club, Chelsea, and Alaves in the space of a week to round off the month. It is hoped that Yamal will feature in those encounters despite his ongoing pubalgia issues.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider is really happy. Not just for himself, but for his team and the country he now calls home. After the Blue Jays beat the Mariners to win the American League Championship Series and advance to their first World Series in more than 30-years, Schneider was interviewed by Sportsnet's Hazel Mae, who for the second straight night found herself in an iconic Toronto television moment.

On Sunday she was interviewing Vladimir Guererro Jr. when Sportsnet did a sweet 360-degree shot to soak in the atmosphere after a win in Game 6. Tonight it was just holding the microphone so Schneider could drop a couple F-bombs after a win in Game 7.

"This f—ing unbelievable for me," said Schneider. "This is my 24th year with this organization and I f—ing love it here. These fans, this country, you deserve all of this. It's not about me. It's about every single one that's behind me and I couldn't be happier to represent this team."

Schneider was drafted by the Tigers in 2001, but didn't sign and was then drafted by the Blue Jays in 2002. He spent five years in the Blue Jays' farm system before he retired and started coaching. He worked his way up through the ranks until he got to Toronto in 2019. By 2022 he was named interim manager and now he's led them to their first World Series since he was a kid in New Jersey.

اعترف بول ميرسون، النجم السابق لنادي آرسنال، أنه سيتفاجأ إذا تصرف المدرب آرني سلوت بطريقة ما تجاه المصري محمد صلاح، في مباراة يوم الأربعاء ضد سندرلاند في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

ويستضيف ملعب “الأنفيلد” مباراة فريقي ليفربول وسندرلاند، في إطار منافسات الجولة الرابعة عشر من بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، موسم 2025/26.

وحقق ليفربول فوزًا على وست هام بهدفين دون رد على ملعب “لندن الأولمبي” يوم الأحد الماضي، في الجولة الثالثة عشر، في مباراة غاب عنها محمد صلاح الذي تواجد على دكة البدلاء.

اقرأ أيضًا.. تاونسند يحذر من رد فعل محمد صلاح بعد استبعاده من تشكيل ليفربول

وقال بول ميرسون، في تصريحات نشرتها شبكة “rousingthekop” الإنجليزية: “سأُصاب بالصدمة إذا قرر آرني سلوت إعادة محمد صلاح إلى تشكيلة ليفربول في هذه المباراة، هذا ليس القرار الصائب، لقد تم استبعاده (من مباراة وست هام) لسبب وجيه، وفاز ليفربول”.

وأضاف: “يحتاج محمد صلاح إلى الجلوس على مقاعد البدلاء ليستعيد مستواه المعهود، لا يمكن اختيار اللاعبين بناءً على أدائهم السابق، اتخذ سلوت القرار الصائب باستبعاد صلاح في المباراة الأخيرة، وعليه الالتزام به”.

وواصل: “من المستحيل أن ينهي ليفربول الموسم خارج المراكز الأربعة الأولى، أتوقع فوزهم في هذه المباراة بنتيجة 2/1 وحصد ثلاث نقاط إضافية”.