Manchester United are closely monitoring an “unbelievable” star who’s a strong Ballon d’Or contender, and they have the means to make a tempting offer in the summer, according to a new report.
Ratcliffe opens up on United's financial issues
In a recent interview with Gary Neville, Sir Jim Ratcliffe went into detail about the extent of Man United’s financial issues, stating the club would have run out of money if radical action hadn’t been taken to cut costs.
Ratcliffe also confirmed United will still be required to shell out money on previous signings this summer, including Jadon Sancho and Antony, who have been shipped out on loan after failing to adapt to life at Old Trafford.
As such, you would perhaps expect a quiet summer on the transfer front, but a new report from Caught Offside has suggested Man United have the capability of making a huge offer for Barcelona star Raphinha.
FC Barcelona'sRaphinhacelebrates scoring their third goal
The Red Devils are closely following the forward, who has put in some fantastic performances this season, and there is a feeling they could be able to tempt Barca into a sale, given the poor financial situation at the Camp Nou.
Liverpool are also deemed to be capable of making a tempting offer for the Brazilian, while there is further interest from clubs in the Saudi Pro League, so there could be plenty of competition for his signature in the summer.
Man Utd could now move for "outstanding" £84m striker instead of Osimhen
The Red Devils have identified a potential alternative to the Nigerian.
ByDominic Lund Mar 11, 2025 "Unbelievable" Raphinha vying for the Ballon d'Or
It is little wonder Man United could be interested in a summer move for the left-winger, given that he has recently been identified as a strong contender to win the Ballon d’Or by Barcelona manager Hansi Flick.
Thierry Henry has also tipped the former Leeds United man as one of the favourites to win the award, in the wake of yet another impressive performance in the Champions League.
Remarkably, the Brazilian star is now on 46 goal contributions in all competitions this season, adding to his total last night by picking up two goals and an assist against Benfica to help his side progress to the Champions League quarter-final.
Having also been lauded as “unbelievable” this season, there is no doubt the 28-year-old, who was most recently valued at £67m, would be a top addition to Ruben Amorim’s squad.
However, it seems very unlikely Raphinha would be willing to make the move to Old Trafford, with Man United in their current state, and the £67m valuation may well have risen in recent times, which could make him unattainable.
Sophie Devine, Harmanpreet Kaur, Meg Lanning and Heather Knight on how the players plan to deal with this “awkward” situation
Firdose Moonda04-Feb-2023
The captains pose with the trophy with the Table Mountain at the back•ICC/Getty Images
The world’s elite female cricketers will have to find a way to manage their expectations and emotions when the Women’s T20 World Cup collides with the Women’s Premier League auction on February 13. About 45 players (including the entire Indian squad) competing in the ICC tournament, which starts on Friday, could be picked in the WPL. Up to seven overseas players, of which one must be from an Associate nation, can be picked per team and all of them could enjoy the biggest payday of their careers. Understandably, there will be some distraction.”It’s the elephant in the room,” Sophie Devine, the New Zealand captain, said at the T20 World Cup captains’ pressers. “It’s a really unique experience. It’s enormous. You talk about glass ceilings and I think the WPL is going to be the next stage. I am really excited about it. As female cricketers, this is something we have never been through before. On every scale, it’s going to be awkward. That’s the word we have spoken about.”The difficulties could come from the amount of money on offer, which has not been seen in the women’s game before. The WPL teams will have a purse of INR 12 crore (US $1.46 million approx.) – which is around eight times smaller than the last men’s IPL purse of INR 95 crore (US $11.5 million approx.) – but promises to hand some players a substantial financial boost. Conversely, it will also let others down.Related
Devika Vaidya has fought her fears, beaten them, and is now a step away from her World Cup dream
WPL player auction – who could be the big buys, and all other questions answered
Charlotte Edwards to coach Mumbai's WPL team
WPL: Rachael Haynes joins Gujarat Giants as head coach
All you need to know about the 2023 Women's T20 World Cup
“Some people are going to get picked up; some people won’t,” Devine said. “And you are going to get a value attached to what you are worth which, as human beings, is not the nicest [thing], to be perfectly honest. But it’s also a job and it’s what we’ve put our names in for.”Devine called it an “enormous step for women’s cricket”, but admitted that one would be “naive to think that it’s not going to be a distraction”. New Zealand would have played their tournament opener two days before the auction and will be gearing up for their second match on the auction day. How the players deal with that, Devine said, is “going to be up to each individual”.Australia, who are New Zealand’s opponents on February 11, are not in action on the auction day and are looking forward to following the event while also hoping to avoid being overly attached to any outcomes.”Personally, I’m really excited about it and I know the girls are as well,” Meg Lanning, the Australia captain, said. “We are focusing on what we are trying to do here, which is the most important thing. There’s no right or wrong way to go about it. Everyone will deal with it as they wish.”We’ve spoken as a team about letting people deal with it how they feel is best because, as Sophie said, it’s a little bit awkward and it’s just trying to embrace that and understand that it’s actually a really exciting time and you don’t have a lot of control over it. We’ve just got to wait and see.”All eyes will, of course, be on the Indian players who will play Pakistan on the eve of the auction, which remains their immediate concern. “Before that [the auction], we have a very important game and we are just going to focus on that,” India captain Harmanpreet Kaur said.But she could not avoid mentioning the magnitude of the auction, for Indian players in particular. “It’s a really big day for all of us because we have been waiting for years and years now. The next two or three months are very important for women’s cricket. We have seen how the WBBL and the Hundred have helped their countries improve their cricket. Hopefully, the same will happen for our country.”Harmanpreet, who has played in the Kia Super League, WBBL and Hundred, said she was looking forward to seeing young Indian talent share the dressing room with overseas stars.”That is something which has a very different feeling. When I got that opportunity, it was the biggest life-changing moment. Other girls will also experience this. It will be a great opportunity to improve cricket and grow the game.”Before any of that happens, India want to double up on their trophy count after their Under-19 women’s team won the inaugural age-group World Cup last week. “The World Cup is more important than anything else,” Harmanpreet said. “Our focus is on the ICC trophy. These things will keep coming, and as a player, you know what’s important for you and how you need to keep your focus. We are all mature enough and know what is important for us.”Harmanpreet Kaur: “When I got that opportunity [to share the dressing room with overseas players, it was the biggest life-changing moment”•Getty Images
International cricket could retain pride of place in the women’s game, according to England’s skipper Heather Knight, who has recently completed a masters degree in leadership in sport. Knight’s dissertation focused on the rise of franchise cricket and though she hasn’t “got my grade yet so I don’t know if it’s going to be any good so I could be talking rubbish”, she hopes that the women’s game can find a “nice dynamic between the franchise leagues and international cricket”.Knight pointed to the men’s game, where clashes between franchise and international duty are becoming more common, and said that while she supports the growth of leagues she hopes the women’s game can find a “sweet spot” to balance them with bilateral series.”Franchise cricket and these tournaments are a really good thing but what’s the dynamic to make international cricket and domestic cricket thrive? That’s the sweet spot,” she said. “You’ve seen in the men’s game, [franchises] started to take over a little bit. I think in the women’s game you can have a really nice dynamic between the franchise leagues and international cricket. International cricket needs a bit of help to be able to do that but it’s a hugely exciting time. I am hugely excited for the future of the game and the opportunities that are developing not just for players. You see Rachael Haynes has been picked as a coach and I think a lot of where the game has got to, and those past players and how they’ve contributed to where the game is at.”Like Devine, Lanning and Harmanpreet, Knight also couldn’t hide her enthusiasm for the WPL and believed it would change the landscape of the women’s game. “It’s an exciting time in women’s cricket and things are changing very fast,” she said. “There are lots of franchise competitions popping up. and it’s going to create a really interesting dynamic. I think it’s absolutely brilliant for the game. The women’s IPL is going to be a complete game-changer. The money that’s going to come in and the perceptions of the women’s game around the world as well – other boards will look at it and think they’ve got to catch up here.”I really hope this accelerates the shift in a lot of different countries.”
A good striker normally indicates that a side will do well in any given season, but they are notoriously hard to come by. Though putting the ball in the net sounds like the easiest job in the world, the likes of Romelu Lukaku, Rasmus Hojlund and Darwin Nunez have proved that doing it on a regular basis in the Premier League is far from simple.
But on the other end of the spectrum, there are players whose careers have been built in England’s top flight, and whose eye for goal is invaluable for their side as the margins continue to shrink in football.
Below, we’ve rounded up 10 of the best marksmen around, including players across the division.
A striker’s currency is goals, and it will be no surprise to see plenty of those towards the top of the goalscoring charts in this list, but our list of criteria also includes things like conversion rate (shots per goal), goals per 90 minutes and also a nod towards the difficulty of scoring goals for different sides (would Erling Haaland have scored 19 goals at Ipswich Town?).
Kane, Gyokeres, Mbappe: Ranking Europe's top 12 goalscorers in 2024
With the likes of Harry Kane scoring goals for the fun, only one can claim to have scored the most in 2024.
ByHenry Jackson Jan 2, 2025
So without further ado, let’s jump into this not-at-all-controversial top 10 (note: stats correct as of 17th February 2025):
10 Raul Jimenez (Fulham) 9 goals, 179 minutes per goal
Enjoying a late renaissance in his career after a sickening injury, Raul Jimenez continues to impress leading the line for Marco Silva’s Fulham at Craven Cottage. The Mexican has found the net nine times this season, as well as grabbing three assists.
His goals come from his sheer volume of shots, with his conversion rate (13%) the lowest of the players on this list, but it is his goals that have Fulham firmly in the hunt for European football rather than scrapping in the bottom half of the division.
Out of contract this summer, the Cottagers will be hoping to tie him down once more in a bid to guarantee goals in west London for seasons to come.
Every Premier League player out of contract in summer 2025
A look at every single player who is set to become a free agent at the end of the season.
ByBen Browning Feb 14, 2025 9 Kai Havertz (Arsenal) 9 goals, 205 minutes per goal
A striker as frustrating as he is enjoyable, Kai Havertz found the net nine times for Arsenal, earning him a spot on this list despite his recent season-ending injury.
However, recent high-profile misses have laid bare the need to upgrade on the German in north London if they are to lift serious silverware in the seasons ahead. While his work rate, hold-up play and eye for a goal are admirable, Arsenal will need more to challenge at the very top.
8 Liam Delap (Ipswich) 10 goals, 186 minutes per goal
Ipswich Town'sLiamDelapapplauds fans after the match
A proper old-school No 9, any hopes Ipswich Town have of surviving in the Premier League this season are on the shoulders of Liam Delap. Still just 21 years old, the ex-Manchester City youth graduate has hit the net 10 times already in his debut top-flight campaign, and has also won plaudits for his hold-up play and willingness to press.
With a goal every other game for a side that look destined for the second tier, it is little surprise to see clubs like Chelsea linked with a move for the Englishman, and a full national team debut cannot be too far away should he continue to find the net at Portman Road.
10 wildcard players Thomas Tuchel could call up for England
The new era under the German begins in March, but could he spring a surprise in his first squad selection?
ByCharlie Smith Feb 13, 2025 7 Jean-Philippe Mateta (Crystal Palace) 11 goals, 178 minutes per goal
Jean-Philippe Mateta
Crystal Palace signed Eddie Nketiah for a massive fee in the summer, but such has been the form of Mateta that the ex-Arsenal man has barely had a chance for a run of games.
Fresh from earning an Olympic silver medal, Mateta has hit double figures again for the Eagles as he powers them away from the relegation zone after a horror start to the season, earning links with the likes of Manchester United and Lyon in the process.
His goals have come from just 50 shots – only Chris Wood has scored more from fewer attempts – underlining just how clinical in front of goal the 27-year-old has become at Selhurst Park.
6 Matheus Cunha (Wolves) 12 goals, 164 minutes per goal
In truth, it is difficult to place Matheus Cunha on the pitch, with the Brazilian roaming all over the place for Wolves and undoubtedly the man they look to for some magic in the final third.
So far, that is working, with the Brazilian having grabbed 12 goals for his side this season as they look to beat relegation.
His tally of 77 shots so far this season is behind only Erling Haaland on this list, while he converts those to goals roughly 16% of the time, the second-lowest on this list.
Such were his performances in the first half of the season that he was linked with a move to a bigger club in January, only to pen a new deal until 2029 which includes a release clause available to be activated in the summer.
5 Yoane Wissa (Brentford) 11 goals, 160 minutes per goal
Criminally underrated, Yoane Wissa has been overshadowed at Brentford by Ivan Toney and Bryan Mbeumo, but continues to dazzle at the Gtech under Thomas Frank’s tutelage.
Now 28 years old, Wissa has hit the net 11 times this season (none of them from the spot) and is scoring a goal every other game, while his 21% goal conversion is better than the likes of Erling Haaland (20%).
Capable of playing across the front three, Wissa has now hit double figures for a second successive year and looks set to continue to improve in the years to come.
Every 2024/25 Premier League club's most underrated player
These players don’t get the credit they deserve.
ByBarney Lane Feb 6, 2025 4 Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa) 11 goals, 158 minutes per goal
Off the back of a record-breaking season last year, Ollie Watkins remains one of the Premier League’s best strikers, but he has struggled to replicate his form so far for Aston Villa this season.
He has found the net 11 times for Unai Emery’s side, grabbing five assists in the process too, in what has still been a very strong season for the 29-year-old Englishman.
Stat
2023/24
2024/25
Appearances
37
24
Goals
19
10
Assists
13
5
Minutes per goal/assist
101
110
It is easy to see why he was linked with Arsenal in January, such has been his sustained form in the top flight, but Villa will be hoping that the sale of Jhon Duran allows them to keep hold of their talisman for a while longer yet as he aims to fire them back into the Champions League.
3 Chris Wood (Nottingham Forest) 18 goals, 112 minutes per goal
Be honest, no one saw Chris Wood becoming a killer top-flight striker at Nottingham Forest. Yet that is precisely what the gangly forward has done, spearheading his side towards a shock spot in the Champions League next season.
The 32-year-old has scored 18 goals this season, including 15 non-penalty efforts from an expected goals total of just 10.4 (as per FBref), while he is converting at a mammoth 39%, putting him among the best in Europe.
His form across the 2023/24 campaign could have been attributed to fluke, but to repeat it once more this season demonstrates that there is a seriously talented striker leading the line at the City Ground.
2 Erling Haaland (Man City) 19 goals, 116 mins per goal
Erling Haaland in action for Manchester City
Since his arrival at the Etihad Stadium, Erling Haaland has broken just about every goalscoring record, and even as he and Manchester City struggle this season he has managed to find the net 19 times.
He continues to hit the net at a rate of 0.76 goals per game, and strikes fear into defenders with his sheer speed and power, while also possessing an unteachable knack of being in the right place at the right time.
Having just signed a new deal in Manchester, defenders have another 10 years of trying, and ultimately failing, to stop him from finding the net in the top flight.
Appearances
133
Goals
117
Assists
17
Minutes per goal/assist
81.7
1 Alexander Isak (Newcastle) 17 goals, 111 mins per goal
Perhaps now slightly numb to Haaland’s ridiculous scoring rate, we’ve opted to dethrone the Norwegian marksman and replace him with Alexander Isak.
Isak may trail Haaland by two goals in the goalscoring charts at the time of writing, but his 111 minutes per goal is actually better than Haaland’s 116, and so too are his goals per 90 minutes (0.81 v 0.77).
Playing for a slightly inferior side in Newcastle United, Isak has also managed a better conversion rate (26% vs 20%) than Haaland, and is carrying the Magpies towards European football once more, catching the eye of clubs across the world in the process.
Erling Haaland
Alexander Isak
Games
6
6
Goals
5
5
Assists
2
1
The apple of every Newcastle fan’s eye, they will be praying that they can keep hold of him this summer.
Queensland were able to declare just before stumps on day two of the Sheffield Shield clash with Western Australia at the Gabba after the top three all made accomplished fifties.Openers Matt Renshaw and Joe Burns put on 116 together before No. 3 Bryce Street top-scored with 85.Queensland captain Jimmy Peirson declared leaving Western Australia to face four overs before the close, which they negotiated to be 0 for 18 at stumps.Renshaw had plenty on his mind when he went out to bat on Friday morning with wife Josie set to give birth to the couple’s first child.”She is full term now so she could do any day. It is just a waiting game,” Renshaw told AAP. “I’m trying to tell her not to go until Monday but unfortunately that is not how things work. Hopefully we can try and get the win in this fixture first. It is just a really exciting time in my life.”The first day’s play at the Gabba was washed out and Western Australia captain Sam Whiteman sent Queensland in to bat after winning the toss.Western Australia left-armer Joel Paris was the pick of the bowlers with his seam and immaculate line and length a feature.Lance Morris enhanced his reputation as the fastest bowler in Australia with a fiery spell after tea. He struck Jack Clayton under the armpit with one lifter which threw the batter off-balance as he spun around and hit his wicket with his bat.One Morris thunderbolt hit Street on the helmet and went for four leg byes and then he dismissed Peirson with another quick bouncer.Paris, Morris, Matthew Kelly and Aaron Hardie tested the openers with probing early spells but Renshaw and Burns showed all of the experience and class that earned them Test cricket honours.Both left the ball with aplomb and put away the bad deliveries. Renshaw returned to the side after making 81 and 101 not out for the Prime Minister’s XI against the West Indies.The left-hander is making a strong case for a recall to the Australia side. He was caught at midwicket trying to up the ante but the manner of his innings showcased his calm temperament and grit.Left-hander Street impressed with his composure before opening up late in his innings.
Wade and Zampa put up a fight, but Australia couldn’t overcome disadvantage of batting first in truncated game
Hemant Brar23-Sep-20223:21
Jaffer: ‘India won’t miss Jadeja the bowler in the World Cup’
Rohit Sharma smashed four fours and as many sixes in his unbeaten 20-ball 46 to help India overhaul Australia’s 90 for 5 in an eight-over contest in Nagpur. The win meant the series is now levelled 1-1 with the final T20I to be played in Hyderabad on Sunday.A wet patch in the outfield, thanks to Thursday’s rain, delayed the start by two and half hours. Even when the umpires decided to go ahead, they did so by saying “although the conditions are not perfect, they are safe to play”.India, bolstered by the return of Jasprit Bumrah, put Australia in after winning the toss. With each bowler allowed up to two overs, they didn’t need a sixth bowling option. So they decided to strengthen their batting, bringing in Rishabh Pant for Bhuvneshwar Kumar.Aaron Finch’s 15-ball 31 and Matthew Wade’s unbeaten 20-ball 43 took the visitors to a competitive total despite Axar Patel conceding only 13 from his two overs. India, however, had the advantage of knowing the target. While Adam Zampa threatened to derail their chase with three quick wickets, Rohit stayed calm to see his side through.Finch blazes away, Wade ensures strong finish Hardik Pandya, bowling the first over of the innings, found some movement in the air. But as one would expect in a shortened game, Finch paid little attention to the conditions and scooped the second ball over the keeper’s head for four.In the second over, Cameron Green was run-out going for a quick single before Axar pinged Glenn Maxwell’s middle stump with an arm ball. The left-arm spinner would do the same to Tim David in his next over to keep Australia in check.Aaron Finch was knocked over by a searing yorker•Associated Press
Finch managed to hit Yuzvendra Chahal for a straight six in between Axar’s two overs but he had no answer to a searing yorker from Bumrah that flattened his leg stump. In fact, Finch ended up applauding the bowler after the dismissal.Wade took some time – he was 7 off 7 – before hitting Harshal Patel for two fours in the sixth over. But it was the final over that really lifted Australia as Harshal struggled to get his length right. Wade contributed 18 of the 19 runs scored off the last six balls, pulling two short ones over the leg-side boundary and carving a high full toss over deep cover.Rohit pulls it off for India Chasing 91, Rohit and KL Rahul were quick off the blocks. Rohit pulled Josh Hazlewood for two sixes in the opening over and Rahul capped it with a flicked six of his own. In the next over, Rohit hooked Pat Cummins for another six, leaving India needing 62 from six overs.Zampa pegged them back by picking up three wickets – Rahul and Virat Kohli were bowled, and Suryakumar Yadav was lbw for a first-ball duck. But Rohit found back-to-back fours off Sean Abbott to keep the asking rate under control.Hardik fell for a run-a-ball 9 but Rohit steered the last ball of the seventh over, bowled by Cummins, behind point. With India requiring nine from the final over, Karthik slogged Daniel Sams behind square leg for six and then pulled a slower short ball between deep midwicket and deep square leg to seal the win.
West Ham United are expected to make a fresh January bid for one Champions League striker who’s been in sensational form this campaign, with manager Graham Potter on the hunt for another centre-forward after devastating injury blows.
West Ham eye up late January striker signing
The winter transfer window shuts in a matter of days, and West Ham are still yet to confirm the arrival of a prolific centre-forward who can ease the pressure on Danny Ings’ shoulders.
West Ham likely to bid for once-£100m player in the final days of January
The Hammers are looking set to be busy.
ByEmilio Galantini Jan 30, 2025
Ings is Potter’s only natural striking option right now, with both Niclas Füllkrug and Michail Antonio set to be sidelined for extended periods after suffering serious injuries. West Ham’s need for another body in that area was evident before Fullkrug and Antonio were ruled out, but the duo’s absences have exacerbated their desire for a quality forward even more.
Chelsea (away)
February 3rd
Brentford (home)
February 15th
Arsenal (away)
February 22nd
Leicester City (home)
February 27th
Newcastle United (home)
March 10th
Brighton starlet Evan Ferguson is a primary target for West Ham during these latter stages of the window, which shuts on February 3rd, with the Republic of Ireland international potentially available on a loan deal.
West Ham did make a serious attempt for Ajax striker Brian Brobbey as well, even shaking hands on personal terms worth £100,000-per-week (talkSPORT), but the finances involved in a deal for the Dutchman proved to stall talks for the time being.
Potter’s side, as per reliable media sources like Fabrizio Romano, have also seen a bid rejected for PSV Eindhoven star Ricardo Pepi.
The USA international, a scorer of 18 goals in all competitions so far this season, also bagged one against Liverpool in the Champions League on Wednesday evening – helping them to a 3-2 win over Arne Slot’s Premier League frontrunners.
West Ham expected to make fresh Ricardo Pepi bid
While their opening proposal was swiftly turned away, the Hammers recruitment team have not given up on luring Pepi to the London Stadium.
Ricardo Pepi for PSV Eindhoven.
According to ED reporter Rik Elfrink, via X, West Ham are expected to make a second bid for Pepi worth around £29 million – but it remains to be seen whether this will be enough to convince PSV to part with their superstar attacker.
“Fireworks on the transfer market expected at PSV in the coming week,” said Elfrink.
“West Ham United will return with 35 million [euros] for Pepi, is the expectation.”
The Texas native is also a proven scorer at international level, bagging 13 in 33 caps for the US, and you could make a good case that a player of his ilk is exactly what West Ham are crying out for as one of the English top flight’s lowest-scoring teams right now.
Chasing 194, they were bowled out for 38, the lowest total against a Full-Member team
Sidharth Monga02-Sep-20222:27
Arthur: Associate teams can find it tough on skiddy pitches
Pakistan made it to the Super 4s with a 155-run win over Hong Kong, who were bowled out for 38, the lowest total against a Full Member in T20 internationals. It will sound silly at the end of it all, but there were moments of concern when Pakistan were put in and found themselves stuck against Hong Kong’s slower bowlers on a low and slow pitch. However, Fakhar Zaman and Mohammad Rizwan read the conditions well, and steered Pakistan towards a safe total. They then scored 129 in the last 10 overs and 77 in the last five to get to a well-above-par total, with some help from a Khushdil Shah assault.Pakistan’s quality with the ball then proved too much for Hong Kong, none of whose batters could make it to double figures, losing out to 10 extras. Naseem Shah and Shahnawaz Dahani set the tone with their high-pace spells before Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz took seven wickets in 4.4 overs between them to set up Pakistan’s biggest T20I win. This was also Hong Kong’s lowest total.Shadab Khan finished with figures of 4 for 8•AFP/Getty ImagesPakistan under pressure Hong Kong went in with the same philosophy as against India: bowl at the stumps, give the batters no pace to work with, and build up dots. Pakistan, though, were in a must-win situation against a side that didn’t have much to lose. Early doors – as Babar Azam fell in the third over and Rizwan struggled for timing – it was apparent even 150 might be enough for an attack as good as Pakistan’s, but you can never say if two batters go for it and have a good day.Rizwan and Fakhar, though, didn’t look too hassled. They were happy to knock the ball around when the spinners were on. Fakhar looked to give the charge once in a while but the wily Yasim Murtaza kept him in check with slow pace and mastery over length. Rizwan kept trying to sweep, but struggled to find the right line for it. When they went into the drinks break halfway into the innings, neither Fakhar nor Rizwan was going faster than a run a ball. There might have been questions about their approach but this was not for want of trying. The conditions were difficult and the bowling good from a side that plays its home cricket on low, slow surfaces.Khushdil Shah’s unbeaten 15-ball 35 helped apply the finishing touches for Pakistan•AFP/Getty ImagesThe counter After the drinks break, more used to the pace of the pitch, both batters started taking on the spinners. Rizwan skipped down to the tall legspinner Mohammad Ghazanfar to hit him over long-on. He kept attacking spin to break away from Fakhar and bring up his fifty off 42 balls. In the 15th over, Fakhar found his timing, and when he did, he hit a six and a four off left-arm spinner Murtaza in a 13-run 16th over.Fakhar got out soon after getting to his fifty, but the military medium of Ayush Shukla and Aizaz Khan was cannon fodder for Khushdil in the 18th and 20th overs. He ended the innings with four successive sixes off Aizaz.Bowling too good The Hong Kong batters never looked at ease. They stayed deep in the crease to even full balls from the quicks, and looked to stay leg side of the ball. The first wicket was a result of that: captain Nizakat Khan looked to drive with his weight back, got no power into the shot and offered an easy catch off Naseem. Babar Hayat played three dots and heaved at one to be bowled top of off stump. Dahani hurried Murtaza up with a quick short one for a top-edge on the hook.The powerplay ended at 25 for 3, but Hong Kong’s troubles were only just beginning. Their batters failed to pick Shadab’s wrong’uns, and he proceeded to have fun with them. Three of his four wickets were bowled off wrong’uns: the first one on the cut, the second behind the legs, and the third off a big slog. Nawaz didn’t have to work hard either as the batters kept falling on the sweep. Zeeshan Ali tried to hit a six down the ground but found long-on.The end came as swiftly as the Shadab flipper to get No. 11 Ghazanfar lbw pad first.
Jasprit Bumrah has climbed up five spots to become the No. 1-ranked ODI bowler, following his career-best 6 for 19 against England at The Oval on Tuesday. Trent Boult is now second, with Shaheen Shah Afridi, Josh Hazlewood and Mujeeb Ur Rahman rounding off the top five.Bumrah ran through the England line-up in the first ODI, dismissing Jason Roy, Joe Root, Liam Livingstone and Jos Buttler along the way. After picking up 4 for 6 in his first four overs, he returned to pick up two for none in seven balls at the death, finishing with India’s third-best figures in men’s ODIs.
Full rankings tables
Click here for the full team rankings
Click here for the full player rankings
Mohammed Shami, Bumrah’s new-ball partner, also moved up three places to joint-23rd – with Bhuvneshwar Kumar – on the back of his three-wicket haul against England.As for Shikhar Dhawan, who scored an unbeaten 31 in that ten-wicket win over England, he moved up one spot to equal 12th on the batters’ rankings. His captain Rohit Sharma top-scored for India in the chase with an unbeaten 76, but remained at No. 4.From the ODI series between Ireland and New Zealand, Harry Tector, who scored his maiden ODI century in the opening game, rose ten places to No. 34 among batters.ESPNcricinfo Ltd
Suryakumar Yadav, meanwhile, jumped a whopping 44 spots to achieve his career-best No. 5 ranking in T20Is following his century against England in the third T20I. Suryakumar, who also achieved a career-high rating of 732, is now India’s highest-ranked T20I batter. Having made his T20I debut only last year, Suryakumar has quickly become an important part of India’s T20I set-up, scoring four fifties and a century in 17 innings with a strike rate of 177.22.Bhuvneshwar’s Player-of-the-Series performance in the T20Is against England has taken him back into the top ten among T20I bowlers. He is the only Indian in the top ten in a list led by Hazlewood.Over in the Test rankings, Dimuth Karunaratne and Dinesh Chandimal climbed after their match-winning performances against Australia in the second Test in Galle.Karunaratne’s first-innings 86 took him to 782 rating points [his personal best] and the No. 7 spot among Test batters, while Chandimal’s unbeaten 206 took him 19 positions up to No. 29.
Klaassen, Linde and Stewart claim two wickets each to seal comfortable win
Sam Dalling10-Jun-2022
Jordan Cox scored 94 off 47 balls•Getty Images
Sick of the sight of him. That’s what Somerset will be when it comes to Jordan Cox. One suspects they won’t be the last county either.Cox broke Somerset hearts in the 2021 Blast Final with an unbeaten 58 from 28 and a candidate for catch of, well, cricket. This time he had a Taunton crowd scuttling for cover with 94 off just 47 balls, a statistician-pleasing strike-rate of 200, and, most importantly, Kent’s title defence belatedly up and running.Kent posted 202 for 7 all in and, in response, Somerset stumbled to 44 for 3 in the powerplay. Will Smeed, Tom Banton and Rilee Rossouw had all been and gone: thereafter they were simply limping and waiting to be put down.As the Group stages near halfway, meaningful glances can be had at the table. Kent fans will wince: this was just their second victory of the season. But this format is all about momentum: if the Spitfires can find it, reaching the quarter-finals is not impossible. Somerset had theirs checked but are still excellently placed.Cox was afforded one lifeline en-route to a career best, Lewis Gregory putting down a chance that ought to have been taken. Cox had 53 then and should have been the latest Ben Green victim.But this was a supreme knock. Kent were looking sub-par relatively late in the innings but Cox was unflustered. The first of his six sixes came in the 12th over. It was a remarkable shot off Craig Overton, released from the England Test squad. Cox danced inside a short ball, swivelled and disturbed the graves t’other side of Gimblett’s Hill.Back into his shell he went, until over 18 which – by the way – started with Kent 148 for 5. From deep in his crease, Josh Davey was struck effortlessly down the ground. A wide later came a charge and a loft over cover. The over cost 26, George Linde also helping himself to a four and a six.Related
Brad Wheal, Chris Wood take Hampshire to four on the spin
Sussex lose 8 for 23 as Gloucestershire seal stunning comeback win
Feroze Khushi cracks 67 as Middlesex lose fifth in a row
Then came Green’s punishment. Tom Abell deployed more protection for the leg-side perimeter than is seen at many top-flight football matches. It mattered not: three times the ball sailed towards the Fan Zone with 47 off overs 18 and 19.Cox first came to the attention of those outside Canterbury and its surrounds in 2020. A 423-run stand with Jack Leaning saw Cox make an unbeaten 238 from 570 balls (with 50 boundaries). Not out overnight, Cox had spent the morning warm-ups asking each team-mate for details of their respective first-class bests. He also informed them they would be surpassed, and in several cases that came true. Swagger then, but also the goods to back it up.The Cox drop was not the only catch Somerset shelled. It was a rare off night in the field for them. Overton, usually with hats like buckets, found a hole in them and gifted Alex Blake six. When the following delivery was rifled towards the Taunton flyover, Overton avoided Davey’s gaze. Then redemption: Blake smashed in Overton’s direction again. Only fools make the same mistake twice.Kent’s start was stodgy, just 13 taken in the opening trio by Joe Denly and Tawanda Muyeye as both struggled to circumnavigate fielders.Then came Overton and Denly hit him over the top. Next, Muyeye performed an audacious flick over his head for six. Overton’s nostrils flared. But Muyeye immediately drove straight at Abell. Out wandered Grant Stewart and, having miscued one straight up, he was caught by Roelof van der Merwe.Denly and Cox were steady but struggled for fluency. Even so, on a small ground they ticked over nicely enough. They had added 89 for the third wicket when Overton returned. Abell regularly turns to his leading man when a partnership needs breaking and break it he did with Denly on 41 off 36 balls.Overton now has 35 T20 wickets for Somerset since 2019 began and 25 of those have seen off top-three batters. Oddly neither he, nor Gregory completed their spells.Post-interval Smeed took just two off Fred Klaasen’s opener. Unused to being tied down, Smeed eyed up cow corner and was bowled off his back thigh pad by Linde. An over later, Klaassen had his 50th T20 victim for Kent, Banton edging behind having just hit back-to-back boundaries.Then the big one. And it was a gamble from Sam Billings who threw Leaning the ball in over four. Rossouw – who had scored six from his first ball from Linde – swept, missed and was done. A cursory glance back at the stumps only reconfirmed that they had shattered.From there it was a near impossible task. Abell made a typically brisk 43. When he fell, van der Merwe wandered out. Surely, he couldn’t do it twice in a row? An unbeaten 48 from just 15 balls to win Thursday’s west country derby remained fresh in the memory. No. It was not for lack of trying though.There was still time for another Overton moment. Leaning felt he had fairly caught Green on the boundary off Matt Milnes. Umpire Hassan Adnan shot across to his colleague Russell Warren to suggest Leaning had crossed the line. Overton almost did in remonstrating with Billings, before signalling six much to the crowd’s delight. Eventually, Green stayed put and six was indeed added.Billings later thought he had caught Green off Stewart but Green was given not-out and again Overton gesticulated with his bat. Later in the same over, an Overton top-edge went up and up and Billings covered much ground to claim the catch, before shushing the crowd.Green ended with 40 from 28 but the final ten overs were simply going through the motions as Kent claimed an emphatic victory, the wickets shared: Klaassen, Linde and Stewart each with two.
Runs throughout the top-order for Durham as they rack up imposing first-day total
David Hopps05-May-2022
Sean Dickson scored a century as Ben Stokes’ return to action was made to wait•Getty Images
Just as people who come to Worcester to watch cricket routinely extol the magnificence of the cathedral, but barely notice the spire of St Andrew’s further along the skyline, so Sean Dickson knew that he would be overshadowed the moment Ben Stokes came to the crease. But Stokes’ first innings since being appointed England captain, and only his third Championship innings for Durham in four years, was put on hold until the second day as Durham piled up 339 for 3 and the plaudits were Dickson’s as he registered his third Championship hundred of the season.Stokes is batting at No.6 here which in many ways sounds a little low but it is eminently logical. It is least disruptive to a very strong Durham top-order – he replaced Ben Raine, who normally comes in around eight – and he will get into the rhythm of batting four-down as he intends to do for England.”He is just nestling in to his England role I think,” Dickson said, “and it is a good opportunity for others to make runs before the man himself comes in. He has such an aura about him. He brings such a great energy into the squad.”It is one of the oddities of cricket that a game can be suspended with a batter on 99 – which is a bit like wandering off for a cup of tea before taking a six-foot putt on the 18th, or attempting to convert a penalty kick. Dickson has been required to do it twice this season and, on both occasions, has survived unscarred.Nobody wants to leave the field, one short of a century, concentration shelved for the next 20 minutes, while the cherished tones of Dave Bradley, on the Worcester PA system, turns attention to the virtues of the Playfair Cricket Annual, on sale now in the club shop, and the array of cakes in the Ladies’ Pavilion.”I think it’s some maturity showing through,” he said. “I think in the past I would have panicked and thought ‘I want to get it before tea’ but there is so much time left in the game. What difference is me going into tea on 99 or 100 in terms of the game? There is no difference. Just go into tea, get my protein shake in, and be more ready for that extra run than I was beforehand.”Back on guard shortly afterwards, the attractions of Playfair presumably overlooked, Joe Leach set him two backward points, offered him an over of balls outside off stump and almost had him caught at cover, the ball falling agonisingly short of Adam Finch. Ed Barnard seemed more accommodating as Dickson lay back to cut him to the boundary in the next over but only for a moment. Barnard then dismissed him for 104, edging a back-of-a-length delivery that left him a shade to first slip.This was Dickson’s third hundred of the season, the previous coming against two of Division Two’s weaker counties, Leicestershire at Chester-le-Street (the scene of his first nervous 99 at tea), and Sussex at Hove. It is fair to say that he will have sterner challenges ahead because this was a benevolent pitch and Worcestershire’s attack has had better days, but he appears to be as settled in this opener’s role as at any time in his red-ball career. The crowd behind the arm gave him out on 57 when they burst into prolonged applause for an imagined catch at the wicket off Leach, but the umpire remained unmoved, and some of them sighed slightly before returning to their conversations.Related
New England captain Ben Stokes calls for team of 'selfless cricketers' to revive Test fortunes
Ben Stokes carries wisdom of experience into ultimate England honour
Tom Alsop, Ali Orr give Sussex the edge against Middlesex
Rishi Patel, Hassan Azad star for Leicestershire before late Glamorgan fightback
Durham, who expected to be pushing hard for promotion, have had a slow start to the season, but they could be in business here. Two weeks ago, Worcestershire racked up 491 against Sussex and went on to win by an innings. The moisture content of this pitch is reportedly identical, as is the grass cut. And heavy cloud cover is forecast for late on the second afternoon, about the time Worcestershire can expect to be batting. They have had some tough bowling days and will probably feel they are due a bit of swing.Dickson, like St Andrew’s Spire, was worthy of attention. The church itself was demolished in the 1940s, to be replaced by a shopping centre which has become the modern religion, although perhaps not for much longer to judge by the day’s economic forecasts.Dickson’s county career hit an uncertain phase when he joined Durham on loan from Kent (with a full contract promised) and only made one Championship half-century in his first eight matches, but he has always possessed a limited-overs threat and he is embedded in the Championship opening spot this season.His century had been backed up from all parts by the close. Keegan Petersen bagged a stylish half-century before becoming a first victim for the debutant Ben Gibbon, a sturdy left-arm seamer from Cheshire who showed up well, and Scott Borthwick and David Bedingham had forced home Durham’s advantage by the close.Stokes sat, pads on, until the close, but the grand entrance of the man Dickson referred to as “the king” never happened. As gentle evening sunshine flooded upon this most pastoral of setting, and the cathedral changed to an inviting hue of Ecclestical Bronze (a Farrow & Ball colour if ever there was one) he might have felt that this was his final relaxation before the fray begins.