Jobe Bellingham was given a hero's welcome by Borussia Dortmund fans when the ex-Sunderland man was unveiled to them at Signal Iduna Park.
Bellingham signs for DortmundGiven hero's welcome by club's fansPrimed to make first-team debutFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
The midfielder swapped Sunderland for Dortmund earlier this summer, but the 19-year-old had not played in front of the German team's fans on their patch until their pre-season friendly with Juventus on Sunday. Before the match, the England Under-21 international was given a raucous reception by the club's home faithful.
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Much is expected of the teenager, particularly as his older brother Jude had such a successful stint at the German giants before joining Real Madrid in 2023. The youngster may not be as good as his sibling but it is clear the fans are keen to get behind him as he prepares for life in the Bundesliga.
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New recruit Bellingham, who has been described as "extraordinary" by Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke, played in his new team's 2-1 friendly loss to Juventus at the weekend. He will hope for a better result in the first round of the DFB-Pokal away to Essen next Monday as their season begins.
Teams coming to India shouldn’t just focus just on the spinners, they should prepare for the quicks as well
Karthik Krishnaswamy in Ranchi22-Oct-201911:14
How did South Africa go from bad to worse?
Prepare for the quicksTeams touring India know the drill. They send over their A team in advance. They scuff up the practice pitches back home. They go to the UAE on training camps. They hire an Indian batting consultant, or spin consultant.South Africa prepared hard for the challenge of facing India’s spinners, and it showed at various points during the series – the centuries Dean Elgar and Quinton de Kock scored in Visakhapatnam, the fifties by du Plessis and Zubayr Hamza, the dogged lower-order partnerships. R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja never once ran through South Africa.But Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav did, repeatedly. They looked unplayable at times, but could South Africa – their top order, in particular – have been more ready for the challenges they posed? They could have, and future teams touring India will no doubt imbibe the lesson South Africa learned the hard way.Faf du Plessis hears the death rattle behind him•Associated PressLearn from India’s quicksKagiso Rabada had a pretty decent series, in patches, and his lengths improved with every Test he played, until he delivered a truly outstanding new-ball spell in Ranchi. But he wasn’t at the batsmen constantly in the way Shami and Umesh were, nor did he use the bouncer as effectively. And he was the best of South Africa’s quicks.The others were a disappointment. Vernon Philander was accurate, but lost most of his sting after the ball lost its shine, Anrich Nortje was quick but raw, and Lungi Ngidi was disappointingly down on pace in Ranchi after sitting out the first two Tests for fitness reasons.When they go back home, South Africa will need to figure out why the gap between the two pace attacks became so wide. Do they play too much of their home cricket in overly seam-friendly conditions, and are their quicks at a loss, therefore, when they come across pitches where you need to do a little extra to get any purchase? Should South Africa look into their domestic cricket for fast bowlers who attack the stumps more? Do their seamers need specialised coaching – like their batsmen had on this tour – from a subcontinent expert?Vernon Philander reacts in the field•BCCIPick your best specialistsHamza has a 50-plus first-class average at both provincial and franchise level, and when he got a game in Ranchi, you could see why. There was an effortless simplicity to his batting during his first-innings half-century, with his mind seemingly unclouded by the uncertainty that can strike visiting batsmen in the subcontinent. His defence looked secure, but he was always looking for scoring opportunities, and his control percentage was in the 90s before he paid the price for trying to cut Jadeja off his stumps.Why didn’t Hamza play the first two Tests? South Africa had Theunis de Bruyn at No. 3, and you could see why they wanted to give him a couple of games, he’d scored a century in Sri Lanka from that position. But they also played an allrounder, Senuran Muthusamy, at No. 7.There was an earnest doggedness to Muthusamy’s batting, and he wasn’t dismissed in either innings in Visakhapatnam, but he seemed a pretty limited player in comparison to Hamza. More than that, though, what he offered with his left-arm spin was clearly not enough to compensate – he lacked the control to be a viable fifth-bowling option, and there was a half-tracker every two overs that the Indian batsmen ruthlessly put away.Senuran Muthusamy had a rough first day in Test cricket•BCCIPlaying a spin-bowling allrounder is a temptation other touring sides have succumbed to in India. It’s a way to hedge your bets. England played Ian Blackwell in Nagpur in 2006 (it was his only Test) and Samit Patel in Ahmedabad six years later. Cameron White is a pretty good batsman, but in his only Test series for Australia, in India in 2008, he played as a spin-bowling allrounder at No. 8.This idea, of trying to create a credible spin-bowling allrounder out of nowhere, has never worked, but teams keep trying it. Don’t do it unless you actually have a Jadeja or a Shakib Al Hasan.Don’t play spinners for the sake of itThis was a lesson South Africa failed to imbibe even after they had learned it the hard way. Dane Piedt played as one of two frontline spinners in Visakhapatnam, and went for 209 runs across the two innings, at 5.81 per over, while only picking up one wicket.An extra seamer in Visakhapatnam could have given South Africa a little more control, and they seemed to learn from that experience when they went to Pune and played a third seamer. When Keshav Maharaj missed the third Test with a shoulder injury, South Africa could have played four seamers, but instead they left out Philander and went back to Piedt as one of two spinners, and India – Rohit Sharma in particular – toyed with him once again.Dane Piedt sends one down•BCCIPiedt ended the series with the worst economy rate of any bowler in a series in Asia (minimum 200 balls bowled), and South Africa could have been much better served with a seamer bowling all the overs he sent down.Keep the faithHowever awful a tour someone has had, don’t jettison the player unless they’ve clearly shown (like Piedt, maybe) that they may not be that good in the first place. If you’ve identified someone as a player for the future, and they’ve shown enough glimpses of that ability, stick with them, and they’ll learn from this experience.Aiden Markram had a nightmarish tour, where he simply couldn’t get into double figures, and ended it by breaking his hand lashing out at a “hard object”. Maharaj bowled well in patches, but struggled for consistency and ended up with unflattering numbers. These are the kinds of players who could come back to India in 3-4 years’ time, and show that they’ve improved in terms of both skill and mentality.Elgar and du Plessis have proved this. Both had horror tours of India in 2015, and came into this series with poor records across all their Asia tours, but they both looked a lot better this time around, especially against spin.R Ashwin hits Aiden Markram’s stumps during the Visakhapatnam Test•BCCITry not to overhaul your coaching staff two months before the next tourAfter a disappointing World Cup in which they went out at the group stage, South Africa restructured their entire coaching staff, which meant Ottis Gibson was out after two years in the job, and Enoch Nkwe was in as interim team director.Nkwe is young and ambitious, and may well go on to have a bright future in the job, but is a tour of India – one of the hardest assignments not just in cricket but in all sport – really the ideal time to bring in a new coach, that too one untested at international level?It’s one thing to throw people in at the deep end, but this was throwing someone in when you could see shark fins poking out of the pool’s surface.
It has been a strong season for Enzo Fernandez in a Chelsea shirt. The Argentina international, who joined the club in 2023, has largely been a key player under his namesake, Enzo Maresca, this term, despite a period where he was not first choice in midfield at the start of the campaign.
In all competitions, he’s made 44 appearances, scoring seven goals and registering 13 assists. Of those goal involvements, 13 have come in 35 Premier League appearances. He has also been the Blues’ captain this term, leading them in 29 appearances in total.
These impressive performances have clearly been eye-catching, with Fernandez now linked with a shock move away from Stamford Bridge this summer.
The latest on Enzo Fernandez’s future
It will be an interesting couple of weeks for Fernandez, who is reportedly a key target for one of Europe’s biggest clubs Real Madrid.
The former Benfica star was first linked to Los Blancos back in March by TeamTalk, who said they ‘are considering a move’ for him. Fernandez was reportedly ‘very interested in a move to Madrid if the opportunity presents itself’ this summer.
In recent days, there has been more positive news for fans of the West London club to hear. Highly reputable journalist Fabrizio Romano said that Todd Boehly and co are desperate to keep the World Cup winner, after interest from the Santiago Bernabeu.
In a news article from one Spanish outlet, it seems that a potential price tag for Fernandez this summer has been revealed. It is an eye-watering amount that the Blues would ask for, specifically £102m, if Madrid want a deal to get over the line.
Although Romano suggests Chelsea do not want to lose their vice-captain, there could be a ready-made replacement in the pipeline and ready to step if he does depart.
Chelsea’s in-house Fernandez replacement
It is not often midfielders are described as a “complete” midfielder at just 21 years of age, but that is exactly what football analyst Ben Mattinson said about Andrey Santos.
The Brazilian – who signed for a fee in the region of £18m in January 2023 – is still on Chelsea’s books, but is currently on loan at French side Strasbourg.
What a season it has been for the former Vasco da Gama midfielder, who was born in Rio de Janeiro. He has featured in 34 games across all competitions from the middle of the park, scoring 11 times and registering five assists.
In Ligue 1 for a Strasbourg side who impressed throughout the campaign, he managed to hit double-figure goals, one of only two players from his club to do so. The tenth was a special strike in the final game of the season, in a 2-2 draw with Le Havre.
Between Fernandez and Santos, Chelsea have two players of very similar profiles. Just look at the position they have played this season. Fernandez has played as a number eight for the most part, playing 28 times in that role, also playing 11 times as a number six. As for the Strasbourg star, he has played 24 times as an eight and ten as a six.
In fact, when looking at their stats from this season, their profiles seem to align well. They are all-action midfielders who can pop up with a regular goal, create chances and also put in some impressive shifts without the ball.
Andrey Santos
There are numbers on FBref that reinforce the fact they are so similar, with Santos arguably better. For example, he averages 0.32 goals and 5.93 ball recoveries per 90 minutes compared to 0.19 goals and 4.83 ball recoveries each game for Fernandez.
Goals
0.32
0.19
Passes into final third
4.45
5.24
Progressive carries
0.91
1.86
Tackles and interceptions
4.48
2.46
Ball recoveries
5.93
4.83
Described as a “monster” in that midfield by Mattinson, it certainly seems like Santos could hold his own in the Chelsea side and replace Fernandez, should the need arise. He beats him in several key stats and has more combined goals and assists this season.
If Boehly and co do lose Fernandez, Chelsea fans must surely feel in safe hands, with Santos ready to step in at any given moment and help fill the void of such an important player in their side.
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Bhui, Padikkal and Bharat also scored fifties as India D ended the opening day on 306 for 5
ESPNcricinfo staff19-Sep-2024
File photo: Sanju Samson hit form with an unbeaten 89•Sportsfile via Getty Images
Shreyas Iyer bagged his second duck in as many Duleep Trophy games but half-centuries from Sanju Samson, Devdutt Padikkal, KS Bharat and Ricky Bhui helped India D gain the upper hand against India B in Anantapur.Samson stayed unbeaten on 89 off 83 balls at stumps, taking India D to 306 for 5 in 77 overs. He had Saransh Jain for company on 26.After India B had elected to bowl, their bowlers were in for an early toil with Padikkal and Bharat stitching a 105-run stand for the opening wicket in 31.1 overs. Padikkal having scored fifties in both Duleep Trophy games so far added a third during a knock in which he hit eight fours. Bharat, who was promoted up the order, also cashed in stroking 52 off 105 balls with nine fours.Padikkal was the first to depart edging Navdeep Saini through to the wicketkeeper. Bharat followed suit soon after, caught behind off Mukesh Kumar. Nishant Sindhu and Ricky Bhui then added a 53-run stand for the third wicket but when Rahul Chahar struck twice in quick succession, India D found themselves in a spot of bother.The legspinner first had Sindhu caught in the 47th over. In his very next over then, he sent back Iyer for a five-ball duck as India D slipped to 175 for 4.Bhui, fresh from a fourth-innings 113 in the previous match, continued his good form to become the third half-centurion of the innings. But like his other team-mates, he also fell in the fifties with Chahar grabbing his third wicket of the day. Bhui departed for 56 off 87 balls with nine fours.Samson, however, made sure to carry on. He struck ten fours and three sixes in his quick half-century, dominating an unbroken 90-run stand off 109 balls with Jain.For India B, Chahar was the most successful bowler picking up 3 for 60 in 13 overs while Mukesh and Saini chipped with a wicket apiece.
Shweta Sehrawat, Priya Punia among first picks in the four-team inaugural women’s DPL
ESPNcricinfo staff03-Aug-2024
The first edition of the Delhi Premier League will have 40 matches – 33 games for the men, and seven for the women•DDCA
Rishabh Pant, Ishant Sharma, Ayush Badoni and Harshit Rana were among the key picks at the player draft of the inaugural Delhi Premier League (DPL) on Friday. The draft featured 270 players from across Delhi including those who played for India’s senior and Under-19 teams and the IPL. A notable absentee in the player draft was fast bowler Mayank Yadav, who impressed with his pace for Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2024 but was ruled out due to injury.Purani Dilli 6 picked Pant and Ishant while North Delhi Strikers drafted Rana in and Badoni was the first pick for South Delhi Superstars. Central Delhi Kings drafted in former India Under-19 captain Yash Dhull and legspinner Prince Choudhary.Rana returned 19 wickets in 13 matches of IPL 2024, representing title-winners Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). He also received his maiden call-up for the ODI series on India’s tour of Sri Lanka. Apart from Rana, North Delhi Strikers also selected KKR spinner Suyash Sharma, who was Delhi’s leading wicket-taker in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2023, as well as Kshitiz Sharma, the allrounder who Chennai Super Kings (CSK) picked in the auction ahead of IPL 2018.Pant and Ishant aside, Purani Dilli 6 also drafted in offspin-allrounder Lalit Yadav, who played for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2024, batting allrounder Shivam Sharma and right-arm fast bowler Prince Yadav.Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) wicketkeeper Anuj Rawat and CSK fast bowler Simarjeet Singh were the first couple of picks for East Delhi Riders. Fast bowler Navdeep Saini and former Mumbai Indians spinner Hrithik Shokeen were the first two picks for West Delhi Lions. Priyansh Arya, who was the leading run-scorer for Delhi in the Syed Mustaq Ali Trophy last year, was drafted by South Delhi Superstars, who also got left-arm fast bowler Kuldip Yadav as their second pick. Kuldip made his IPL debut in 2023 for Rajasthan RoyalsShweta Sehrawat will play for South Delhi Superstars in the inaugural DPL•ICC/Getty Images
Sehrawat leads the pick for womenBatter Shweta Sehrawat, who was India’s vice-captain in the inaugural Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup early last year, was the top pick for South Delhi Superstars while opener Priya Punia, who made her ODI comeback this year in Bangladesh, will play for East Delhi Riders.Wicketkeeper Laxmi Yadav, who was with UP Warriorz in the Women’s Premier League (WPL), was drafted by Central Delhi Queens while hard-hitter Ayushi Soni and seamer Soni Yadav were picked by North Delhi Strikers.The top four bidders for teams in the men’s franchise auction also secured the teams for the women’s DPL.The inaugural DPL will be played from August 17 to September 8, 2024 with all matches at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. The men’s competition will consist of 33 games while the women’s competition will have seven matches.Men’s Delhi Premier League squadsSouth Delhi Superstars: Ayush Badoni, Kuldip Yadav, Priyansh Arya, Sumit Mathur, Divij Mehra, Kunwar Bidhuri, Digvesh Rathi, Tejaswi Dahiya, Raghav Singh, Saurabh Deswal, Sarthak Ray, Lakshay Sehrawat, Tarun Bisht, Shubham Dubey, Vision Panchal, Dhruv Singh, Mayank Gupta, Anshuman Hooda, Anindo Naharay, Deepanshu GuliaEast Delhi Riders: Anuj Rawat, Simarjeet Singh, Himmat Singh, Himanshu Chauhan, Harsh Tyagi, Vaibhav Sharma, Mayank Rawat, Samarth Seth, Pranav Pant, Sujal Singh, Hardik Sharma, Raunak Waghela, Agrim Sharma, Shantanu Yadav, Bhagwan Singh, Ansh Choudhary, Sagar Khatri, Shivam Kumar Tripathi, Rishabh Rana, Lakshaya SangwanCentral Delhi Kings: Yash Dhull, Prince Choudhary, Hiten Dalal, Jonty Sidhu, Lakshay Thareja, Yogesh Sharma, Money Grewar, Keshav Dabas, Shaurya Malik, Saurav Dagar, Aryan Rana, Siddhant Bansal, Rajneesh Dadar, Sumit Kumar, Kaushal Suman, Deepesh Balyan, Vishant Bhati, Dhruv Kaushik, Ajay GuliaNorth Delhi Strikers: Harshit Rana, Suyash Sharma, Pranshu Vijayran, Vaibhav Kandpal, Kshitiz Sharma, Vaibhav Rawal, Yash Dabas, Pranav Rajvanshi, Manan Bhardwaj, Yash Bhatia, Yatish Singh, Aman Bharti, Yajas Sharma, Sarthak Ranjan, Anirudh Choudhary, Shivam, Yatharth Singh, Sidhhartha Solanki, Dhruv Chauhan, Yuvraj RathiWest Delhi Lions: Hrithik Shokeen, Navdeep Saini, Dev Lakra, Deepak Punia, Shivank Vashisth, Akhil Chaudhary, Ayush Doseja, Krish Yadav, Anmol Sharma, Yugal Saini, Ankit Rajesh Kumar, Vivek Yadav, Aryan Dalal, Masab Alam, Ekansh Dobal, Shivam Gupta, Yogesh Kumar, Suryakant Chauhan, Tishant Dabla, Abrahim Ahmad MasoodiPurani Dilli 6: Lalit Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Arpit Rana, Shivam Sharma, Prince Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Mayank Gusain, Sanat Sangwan, Ankit Bhadana, Yug Gupta, Keshav Dalal, Ayush Singh, Kush Nagpal, Sumit Chhikara, Arnav Bugga, Vansh Bedi, Manjeet, Yash Bhardawaj, Sambhav Sharma, LaxmanWomen’s Delhi Premier League squadsSouth Delhi Superstars: Shweta Sehrawat, Medhavi Bidhuri, Tanisha Singh, Ekta Bhadana, Manju Godara, Sumiti Soni, Nishika Singh, Nidhi Mahto, Riya Soni, R Priyadarshini, Mitali, Aarti Kumari, Anshu Nagar, Shivani Yadav, Vrinda, Chelcy Yadav, Neha Puri, Chhavi GuptaEast Delhi Riders: Priya Punia, Priya Mishra, Pratika Rawal, Madhu, Mallika Khatri, Pragya Rawat, Kashish, Saachi, Vanshika Lila, Ishika, Nilanchal Nerwal, Priya Gaur, Shivani, Jyoshi Nain, Ashmeet Kaur, Shreya Sharma, Himanshi Rai, Anushka SinghCentral Delhi Queens: Laxmi Yadav, Parunika Sisodia, Mayuri Singh, Ria Sharma, Vandana Chaturvedi, Shivi Sharma, Mahi Chauhan, Deeksha Sharma, Meenakshi Vashishat, Armeet Kaur, Akanshi Singh, Mitali R, Neha Chillar, Sonia, Rishika, Taniska Rana, Aujasvie, ChanchalNorth Delhi Strikers: Soni Yadav, Ayushi Soni, Nazma, Bharti Rawal, Riti Tomar, Riya Shokeen, Monika, Antra Sharma, Riya Kondal, Upasana Yadav, Goyinka Sharma, Mansi Sharma, Urvashi Gupta, Reshika Beniwal, Kritika Gaghda, Sonia Lohia, Aashi Saxena, Sonia Khatri
Fighting century and two wickets on bowling comeback condemn Pakistan to heavy defeat
Andrew Miller29-May-2024
Nat Sciver-Brunt made a return to bowling at Chelmsford•Getty Images
Nat Sciver-Brunt declared herself sore but satisfied after a formidable allround performance at Chelmsford, as England’s women signed off from their Pakistan series in style with a 178-run victory in the third and final ODI.Sciver-Brunt top-scored in England’s innings of 302 for 5 with a mighty 124 not out from 117 balls, then signalled a return to bowling after a long-standing knee niggle with two wickets in her designated five-over spell, including Pakistan’s top-scorer, Muneeba Ali, for 47.She left the field immediately after her spell with a slight hamstring niggle, with England’s substitute fielder Sophia Dunkley claiming the series-sealing catch at long-off. But afterwards she insisted it was “nothing a rest-day tomorrow can’t fix”.”I had a great time, and it’s a great way to finish the series,” Sciver-Brunt said during the post-match presentation. “The body is pretty sore! It’s probably not my quickest five overs ever, but I was happy to bowl in a consistent area.”England’s bowling performance was set in motion by two wickets for Lauren Bell in the powerplay, then sealed by the spin of Sophie Ecclestone, whose 3 for 15 included her 100th ODI wicket in a women’s record 64 matches.But the batting rested almost entirely on Sciver-Brunt’s ninth ODI hundred, and her fourth in her last nine innings. Danni Wyatt was England’s next-highest scorer with 44 from 42 balls, and though Alice Capsey finished strongly with 39 not out from 42 at No.7, run-making was never quite as easy as Sciver-Brunt made it look in the final analysis.”I’m pretty happy with the level of skill, but the mental game of it as well,” she said. “I managed to get through those tougher patches today and communicate well with my batting partner. I felt pretty natural going onto the back foot, it’s probably more that I’ve worked on manipulating the field [with paddles and sweeps] and getting fielders into places to make it easier for my more comfortable shots.”After arriving at the end of the 11th over following the loss of England’s openers, Sciver-Brunt negotiated the further loss of Heather Knight for 12 before playing second-fiddle to the forceful Wyatt, who took the initiative in a fourth-wicket stand of 79 in 13.2 overs.After reaching her fifty from a measured 58 balls and her century from 110, it wasn’t until the final throes of the innings that Sciver-Brunt truly cut loose, with consecutive sixes off Diana Baig as she and Capsey added 47 runs in the final three overs.”That probably tells you it was more situational, rather than how I was feeling in that period around 80 to 90,” she said. “I did a lot of thinking about my innings whilst I was out there, just trying to be really present.”I was taking my time because, at times, I didn’t feel very free-flowing. But I guess that ebb and flow of the innings is something that I could get through today, which I was really happy with. Hopefully I can use that next time I’m in a bit of strife out there, or it’s not coming out that good. It’s something to fall back on.”Despite the self-proclaimed scratchiness of her innings, Sciver-Brunt’s only clear-cut chance came on 86, when she was dropped by the wicketkeeper Najiha Alvi after charging and missing an attempted whip to leg off Nashra Sandhu.Related
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“I felt like I wanted to get on with it a bit quicker, but I probably could have done that with just getting off-strike,” she said. “I was probably [looking to score] a few more boundaries at that point. So, on reflection I probably didn’t need to do that too much. Or if I was going to, keep hitting straight.”The extent to which Sciver-Brunt had to battle chimed with Heather Knight’s pre-series assessment that England needed to get better at managing the moments that can crop up over the course of a full 50-over innings.And though the 20-over World Cup is the team’s immediate priority, the 50-over version is approaching quickly in 2025, and Sciver-Brunt acknowledged that adapting between formats was something that all the players would have to do better in an ever-more-crowded professional era.”At the end of the day, the skill is pretty much the same,” she said. “It’s just elongated, or you might use different things in your armoury at different times. But international cricket is a bit like a merry-go-round. It’s evolved massively since I started playing, so individually, it’s about working out your freshest mindset for whatever tournament comes up next.”You used to have two or three months to work on your skills, then go into a tournament or series. But actually learning on the job now is so important, and that’s something that we’ve realised as a group. You don’t have that luxury of two months working on a skill, you have to do that live in games. It’s something we’re a bit more used to now.”
Stokes has dark days. But he has climbed back up and, on the biggest occasions, when his team need him most, it was Stokes who always his hand up
George Dobell at Lord's15-Jul-2019A few weeks ago, in a hotel in Jaipur, Ben Stokes spoke publicly for the first time about the aftermath of night in Bristol.He was, in many ways, frustrated to revisit an episode from which he had moved on. And from which he thought everyone else should have moved on too. He had been exonerated, after all. Stokes’ main point was, in essence, that he didn’t want to be defined by it. As he put it, “I don’t want to be remembered as the guy who had a fight in the street. I want to do things on the field to be remembered for. If we win the World Cup, that becomes the first paragraph [of his ESPNcricinfo profile].”He didn’t want to be remembered for night in Kolkata, either. England’s men’s side haven’t won many global tournaments: to have one snatched away in such dramatic fashion as occurred that night in April 2016 hurt for a long time. More importantly, it could have scarred many cricketers and made them avoidant of similar high-pressure moments. As Eoin Morgan put it: “A lot of careers would have ended after what happened in Kolkata.”Yet here was Stokes, once more at the helm when a match had to be decided. And not just any match. A World Cup final. A game that represented the culmination of four years’ work and would define the reputation of this England side. A game upon which the game in England and Wales hoped to win many new supporters. The stakes could not have been higher. And when his team needed someone to be there at the end, it was Stokes putting his hand up.It was no surprise. For it has been telling that, in his last five innings of the tournament, Stokes has scored between 79 and 89 four times. Just as it was telling that it was Stokes who provided the late-innings acceleration against India (he scored 79 in 54 balls), and Stokes who stood unbeaten (with 82) when the lower-order collapsed (England’s last six batsmen contributed 32 runs between them) in the defeat against Sri Lanka. His 89 in the group game against Australia at Lord’s went in vain, but it was noticeable that he was the only man in his side to reach 30 in the innings. Whatever the need, whatever the occasion, he has adapted his game the best he can to serve his team.And he delivered. He held his nerve, he oversaw a testing run chase, and he saw – just about – his side over the line. He is now a World Cup winner. More than that, he has a Man-of-the-Match award in the first World Cup final England’s men team have won. It was Stokes who brought cricket home. His rehabilitation is complete. His legacy assured. This is what fulfilment looks like.Stokes’ reputation, with the bat at least, is probably that of an audacious strokemaker. And as he showed when slog-sweeping Trent Boult for six in the final over of England’s chase, he can play some remarkable shots. He was the only man in the England innings who hit a six, and from a point of apparent hopelessness, he made 32 from his final 13 deliveries to earn the Super Over.Ben Stokes – a fine cricketer, and a fine role model•Getty ImagesBut that reputation sells him a bit short. For he is also an intelligent, calm cricketer with fine technique. He has made Test centuries in Perth and Rajkot, against pace and spin, and timed this chase with calm precision. It took him 81 balls to reach his half-century here – an age in England’s modern ODI history – after he reasoned his side could not afford to lose him. He has developed into a thoughtful, versatile cricketer who can adapt his game to suit his side’s needs. He is now averaging 54.31 at a strike rate of 87.16 since he came back into the ODI side.That’s just as well too. For while many of us expected this tournament to be contested upon the flat, high-scoring wickets on which England built their reputation, they have actually been contested on surfaces offering bowlers far more assistance. As a result, the batsmen who have excelled are, on the whole, those who have adapted. And adaptation has not always been the area in which England have been strongest.It’s not just with the bat he has adapted either. Having accepted that other bowlers were better suited to the role of wicket-taker in this tournament, he became England’s second most economical bowler in the campaign – he conceded 4.83 runs per over; Jofra Archer conceded 4.57 – while also finishing with his team’s highest batting average (66.42) and passing 50 five times. Not even Joe Root or Jason Roy managed it more often. “He really carried the team and our batting line-up,” Morgan said.Don’t forget his fitness, either. He had already covered much ground in the field, bowled a few overs and batted for two and a half hours before the Super Overs started. Yet he was the man Morgan chose to bat again; a decision Stokes justified with eight from three balls and some demanding running between the wickets. And of course he pulled off one of the catches of the World Cup, in the opening match against South Africa. “Superhuman” was Morgan’s description of his efforts; it seems about right.That this result was achieved, in part, by a moment of incredible fortune – a throw deflecting for four overthrows off Stokes’ bat – was cruel for New Zealand. Stokes looked genuinely mortified to be the unwitting beneficiary. He apologised to Kane Williamson at the time – an apology that was graciously accepted – and admitted it “wasn’t the way I wanted to do it”. There was, though, perhaps something fitting about England winning on the basis of hitting more boundaries. Such big-hitting has been the bedrock of their approach over the last four years or so, after all.Perhaps there may be some consolation that Stokes has New Zealand heritage too. He lived in the country until he was 12 – his parents and brothers still do – and he has Maori ancestry, which some in his family think contributes to his unquenchable spirit. Maybe, in a way, the people of New Zealand will take pride in his success. And maybe, in a way, they will take pride in the manner in which England have adopted New Zealand’s approach to the game. New Zealand’s influence has changed cricket for the better. It won’t feel like it right now, but in its own way maybe that matters more than trophies.Certainly the people of England and Wales should be proud of Stokes. He has been knocked down. He has known dark days. But he has climbed back up and, on the biggest occasions, when his team-mates needed him most, he has always taken responsibility and very often delivered. He is a fine cricketer, a fine team-mate, and yes, a fine role-model. Ben Stokes: World Cup final match-winner. That’s his reputation now.
Marizanne Kapp showed she is an all weather, all-conditions and all-situations match-winner yet again with a player-of-the-match performance in Sydney that took South Africa over the line against Australia for the first time in their ODI history, and she knows the significance of this result.”It’s a proud moment,” Kapp said, “not only for me but for South African cricket as a whole. We all know we’ve never beaten Australia in a one-day game. So, to be able to perform and help my team over the line is a massive achievement for me.”It wasn’t straightforward as South Africa’s innings was hit by a couple of rain breaks in the middle overs, after they were sent in to bat. Kapp wasn’t always comfortable but that didn’t stop her from grinding away to 75 off 87 balls, which carried the visitors to a healthy total of 229 in a shortened 45-over innings.Related
Kapp's stunning all-round display secures South Africa another famous win
“At first it was okay,” she said, “but then I probably got a little bit annoyed because I was worried that the wicket might get too wet and it might make things difficult later on. I definitely felt like at the back end when I batted it got really tough, one or two balls really sprung at me especially off a length.”I knew It was gonna be tough. In saying that, I knew Australia would have to bat on it as well. So it was something that went both ways.”But this was Australia, a team that has sustained long-term excellence thanks to their talent and professionalism. However, this was also a team in transition. They no longer had Meg Lanning, who had led them from the front for nearly a decade. And while they still boasted a strong side, they didn’t carry that air of invincibility. There’s another side to the story though, and it’s not all that bad.”There’s definitely a change and I’ve mentioned it previously as well,” Kapp said of Australia. “Losing someone like Lanning, you’re never going to be able to replace her, not her captaincy and I don’t think her batting as well. I remember too many games where we had Australia in trouble and she came in to bat and she saved them. So, yeah, I think everyone’s catching up a bit around the world. Even your Associate teams are picking up against your lower-ranked teams. It’s good for the women’s game. It’s a lot more challenging and, hopefully, this can continue.”Ayanda Hlubi dismissed Ellyse Perry for her first ODI wicket•Getty Images
South Africa themselves are an evolving side looking to fill the void left by Shabnim Ismail, who drew curtains on a 16-year-old career last year. Apart from Kapp and Nadine de Klerk, no bowler in their side has picked up more than five wickets with an average below 30 since her retirement. It led to some introspection and soul-searching within the side.”We had a [the] odd chat,” Kapp said. “I feel like, a lot of times, we don’t wanna speak straight and say it as it is, and we had that chat. We asked the whole squad to just to go to your room, look at yourself a bit and come back with [answers]. It’s always easy to say, ‘it was tough conditions or they really bowled well,’ but we also bowl well. You have to try things and you have to be positive. I feel like, today, we were a little bit better at that.”After a thumping in Adelaide, they brought in young blood to strengthen their bowling despite the series being on the line. Nineteen-year-old Ayanda Hlubi was handed an ODI debut and 21-year-old Eliz-mari Marx came in as well. The duo repaid the team’s faith by sharing four wickets, including big guns Ellyse Perry and Ashleigh Gardner.”I’m relieved, I’m not gonna lie.” Kapp said of the two youngsters joining the attack. “It meant I could ease off a little bit. They’re two upcoming youngsters. I love the way they bowl. I’ve seen them in the nets. It’s a big thing to come for them in their career.”It obviously helps when you get a wicket like this to bowl on. But they’ve been been brilliant. I feel like they have massive careers ahead of them. For now, it’s big boots to fill. We all know how good Shabi is and she is missed, I’m not gonna lie, she is missed, but it’s good to see different bowlers picking up their hands.”The conditions were tricky and South Africa managed to get over the line this time. What if it happens again in two days’ time in the series decider? Kapp not only dismissed those concerns but also welcomed the challenge.”I think it’s probably the rain that made it so tough,” she said. “I think it’s usually a flat wicket, it’s very good for batting. It was one of those days where it got a little bit too wet and it moved around a bit. So I feel like it’ll probably be a little bit flatter the next game. But that’s cricket. Look, as an allrounder I get so annoyed when we keep on playing on these flat and low wickets. You want wickets like this where you need a little bit more skill and it brings the bowlers into the game as well.”
Shoaib Malik will rejoin the Fortune Barishal squad on February 2, after leaving the BPL abruptly last week. He will be available for the team’s last game of the Sylhet leg, against Khulna Tigers on February 3.It was not clear initially why Malik had left. Later, he tweeted: “I would like to address and dismiss the recent rumours circulating about my playing position with Fortune Barishal. I had a thorough discussion with our captain, Tamim Iqbal, and we mutually planned the way forward. I had to leave Bangladesh for a pre-committed media engagement in Dubai.”In his three outings for Barishal so far, Malik batted at No. 6 and scored 7, 5* and 17*. He bowled one over in each of the first two games but didn’t get to bowl in the third.There was a storm around Malik on social media during the second game, against Khulna Tigers in Mirpur. Bowling the fourth over of the innings, he overstepped three times and leaked 18 runs as Fortune Barishal failed to defend 187.Malik is the only spinner to overstep three times in an over in men’s T20s (where data is available with ESPNcricinfo). Only Miguel Cummins bowled more front-foot no-balls in an over, when he overstepped five times in a CPL 2014 match.Barishal are currently fifth on the points table with two wins from five games.