Among the batsmen, New Zealand captain Suzie Bates overtook her counterparts Meg Lanning and Mithali Raj to claim the No. 2 spot
ESPNcricinfo staff21-Mar-2018Australia left-arm spinner Jess Jonassen has climbed to the No. 1 spot in the ICC ODI rankings for women bowlers after she took eight wickets in three matches against India recently. Jonassen’s team-mate and opening quick Megan Schutt rose to No. 2 as the duo overtook Marizanne Kapp and Jhulan Goswami, who are third and fourth respectively.Jonassen has a career-best 676 points after she ended as the leading wicket-taker in the 3-0 series win in Vadodara. Right behind her was legspinner Amanda-Jade Willington with five wickets who is yet to break into the top 20.”Coming over to India as a spinner is always an exciting time. For me, I’m just happy I’ve been able to contribute to the team’s success,” Jonassen said.Schutt, on the other hand, took four wickets but was the most economical bowler in the series, conceding only 3.87 runs per over with four maidens overall.”She’s been our strike bowler. She really sets the tone for us early. She’s playing on a different wicket at times. She just puts so much pressure on the batters,” team-mate Ellyse Perry said.Among the batsmen, New Zealand captain Suzie Bates overtook her counterparts Meg Lanning and Mithali Raj to be placed at No. 2, just behind Perry. In the three ODIs against West Indies at home, Bates scored 89, 101* and 44 in their series whitewash to also go past 4000 ODI runs. She batted in the series with a strike rate of 102.18 but was behind her opening partner and vice-captain Sophie Devine for both strike rate and on the runs charts. Devine scored 261 runs compared to Bates’ 234 and had a strike rate of 103.57.Australia opener Nicole Bolton jumped nine places to fourth spot right behind Perry, Bates and Lanning by scoring 195 runs against India, including an unbeaten 100 in the first ODI. She was named the Player of the Series in her first series in India, where she played the spinners and pacers with equal ease. Harmanpreet Kaur dropped to ninth place, Smriti Mandhana, who scored two half-centuries, went up to 14th place whereas Alyssa Healy rose to 16th spot with her maiden international hundred in the third ODI.
Brighton & Hove Albion host Bournemouth this weekend and it's something of a unique Premier League fixture. After all, how many top-flight fixtures do you get these days where they've mainly met in the third tier?
That's the case here, though. Brighton and Bournemouth have undergone transformations over the last decade, rapidly climbing up the leagues and meeting one another along the way.
They met in League One as recently as 2011. Now they're ready for meeting number nine at the Premier League level.
So as they prepare for that, we at Football FanCast have had a little look into the history books to see what you can expect. Here's everything you need to know about Brighton vs Bournemouth.
Brighton vs Bournemouth: What's their head-to-head record?
While this is a relatively new Premier League fixture, the two clubs do have a history that dates a little way back. Only to 1988, mind, but there's at least something to look at here.
That first meeting as an FA Cup clash that saw Brighton run out 2-0 winners. They'd meet in the league for the first time the following season – in the old Division Two. Eight games came in what's now the Championship before the pair crossed paths in League One back in 2001.
That's the division where they've played most of their fixtures, 10 in total, so it's up to you whether you count them as particularly relevant ahead of the weekend's game.
By 2017, though, both were Premier League sides and that's where the really relevant stuff comes in. But these are two clubs who have competed five domestic competitions – and 30 times in total.
Their record is very even, too, with Brighton picking up 11 wins and Bournemouth 13. That leaves six draws, of course.
Brighton wins
11
Draws
6
Bournemouth wins
13
Brighton vs Bournemouth: What's their record at Brighton?
Brighton have only actually won 50% of their home games against Bournemouth – 7 of 14. Bournemouth have picked up three wins there in response.
Historically, then, you're just as likely to see Brighton drop points at home to Bournemouth as you are to see them win. That's not the case for the Cherries' home fixtures (which we'll get to in a minute).
The goal tally is surprisingly even, too. Brighton's 22 sees 19 Bournemouth goals in reply, which is as narrow as it gets over 14 games. Neither side really gets close to averaging two there but both comfortably push past one.
Brighton wins
7
Draws
4
Bournemouth wins
3
Brighton vs Bournemouth: What's their record at Bournemouth?
As we mentioned, Bournemouth tend to do a little better as the home side. They've played two games more in this fixture at home, thanks to cup ties, with 16 in total.
And they've won 10 of those. It means that historically – and unlike Brighton – you are more likely to see the Cherries win this one at home than for the Seagulls to get anything.
Brighton do have more wins as the away side, however. They've got four, albeit having played as the away side more often. It leaves only two draws – this one nearly always provides a positive result for someone.
Brighton wins
4
Draws
2
Bournemouth wins
10
Brighton vs Bournemouth: What's their Premier League record?
The entire top-flight history of this fixture has come under the Premier League banner and all have been since 2017. It's a relatively new one, then, certainly by the standards of some that date back to the late 1800s.
Instead, the history here is all just about relevant. Both clubs have players who have been around since that first meeting, even if the fortunes of both have changed.
Brighton, of course, have consistently progressed since 2017. They're now competing up in the European places, having just beaten Manchester United with style. Bournemouth, in contrast, are attempting to consolidate their place in the league after promotion in 2022.
What's quite surprising here, then, is that despite Brighton's rise and Bournemouth's fall, it's the Cherries who boast the better Premier League record. In eight meetings, they've won four to the Seagulls' three.
They've also scored a lot more goals – 14 to Brighton's nine. It means while Bournemouth are close to averaging two goals per game here, their opponents barely average one.
Brighton wins
3
Draws
1
Bournemouth wins
4
Brighton vs Bournemouth: What's the biggest win margin?
Once again, it's Bournemouth who come out on top here. They hold the record win in this fixture and it's still relatively fresh in the memory, too.
It happened in 2019 and, quite remarkably, was at Brighton. They traveled up there that April and absolutely smashed the hosts, winning 5-0.
And as is always nice, they did it with five different scorers. Dan Gosling, Ryan Fraser, David Brooks, Callum Wilson and Junior Stanislas all found the net in an emphatic win.
Brighton vs Bournemouth: What are the recent results?
Bournemouth's promotion in 2022 means only two results are really relevant here and that's last season's. Those certainly give us an idea of how these two teams match up – though, even then, Bournemouth have changed manager since then.
But these two met twice last season and Brighton came out on top both times. In fact, they didn't even concede a goal to Bournemouth.
The first was in February earlier this year and an 87th Kaoru Mitoma goal settled things at 1-0. They met at Bournemouth two months later and, once again, Brighton picked up a win. Evan Ferguson and Julio Enciso both scored in a 2-0.
Including further fixtures means going back to the 2019/20 campaign – one where these two were slightly different sides. They split the points that time out, with both teams winning by two goals at home (Brighton 2-0, Bournemouth 3-1).
Brighton vs Bournemouth: How have they started the season?
Brighton have gone into this campaign with some big question marks on them. Alexis Mac Allister and Moisés Caicedo – key players from last year's charge into the European places – both left the club. Rebounding from that was never going to be easy.
But five games in, they have done. Brighton have beaten Luton Town 4-1, Bournemouth 4-1, Newcastle United 3-1 and Manchester United 3-1. The only blip was a disastrous performance against West Ham that saw the Seagulls lose 3-1.
They're conceding goals at a rate they won't like, of course – zero clean sheets. But Brighton appear to be a force once again this season. Three points off the top of the Premier League and the competition's top scorers after five games. Can't ask for more.
Bournemouth have come into this season differently, of course. They're looking to consolidate a place in the league under a new manager. Exactly how well they've started isn't clear.
They're yet to actually win a game – one of five teams to fail in that regard. Losing 3-1 to 10-man Liverpool was a blow, too, especially after taking the lead. However, a 2-0 defeat against Tottenham just is what it is.
Those are the only defeats and Bournemouth have drawn three times already. That's the joint-most, alongside Brentford, and it does suggest the Cherries just need a little more luck for things to look quite rosy.
Brighton vs Bournemouth: Who are the favourites?
Brighton & Hove Albion'sEvanFergusoncelebrates scoring their fourth goal
Brighton will go into this one as favourites, certainly, given their current standing. There's a sense that they'll firmly compete for the European places this season, while Bournemouth will hope to finish a solid 13th or 14th.
But there is one factor here that must be accounted for – Brighton in Europe. They've never played in European competition before and will debut in the Europa League on Thursday. Exactly how their squad handles Thursday-Sunday football is anyone's guess – but it's a fixture list that can spring up some surprising results.
If Brighton don't handle the extra game well, then Bournemouth will fancy their chances of getting something. Possibly even their first Premier League win of the season.
Brighton vs Bournemouth: When is it?
Brighton host Bournemouth at 14:00 UK time on Sunday, September 24th. It'll be each side's sixth game of the Premier League season and one where a win would mean a lot for both teams.
Brighton will want to recover quickly from their European debut on Thursday. Beating Bournemouth will set them up with confidence that they can handle the extra football for the rest of the season. On the other hand, losing or drawing could cause a bit of a mental block – they certainly wouldn't be the first team to suffer from that.
Bournemouth don't have too much to lose. Few expect them to get a result and even just a point would feel very positive. They are still searching for their first win of the season, however, and could really do with that streak ending quickly. Sunday would be perfect.
This should be an interesting one, then. Either way, one of these two teams is making a little bit of a statement.
While Newcastle United have strengthened midfield and attack this summer with the additions of Sandro Tonali and Harvey Barnes, injury to star defender Sven Botman has left them short on options defensively.
Despite bringing in Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall, who are hot prospects at full-back, the Magpies felt adding quality cover at centre-back wasn't a priority, and they are already paying the price.
Newcastle were outclassed by Brighton on Saturday evening, and they were torn to shreds by teenage sensation Evan Ferguson, who became only the fourth player in Premier League history to score a hat-trick at 18-years-old.
With the Seagulls inflicting a third defeat in four matches on Eddie Howe's side, the most alarming issue to come from the match was how easily they were cut apart defensively, leaving them fearing the worst ahead of their Champions League campaign.
The devastating injury to Botman meant Howe had to shuffle Dan Burn into a more familiar role at centre-back, partnering Fabian Schar, but on the evidence of his performance, Newcastle's unwillingness to strengthen that position has cost them.
How did Dan Burn perform against Brighton?
Having starred as a left-back throughout last season, Burn's return to centre-back was unsuccessful as the 6 foot 6 colussus struggled to live with Brighton's attacking trio of Koaru Mitoma, Solly March and Ferguson.
The Seagulls' agile and quick forward line exploited Burn's immobility by launching a number of attacks down the right flank while the piercing runs of March in behind dragged him out of position with Ferguson taking full advantage of the space afforded to him centrally.
Burn's struggles defensively were highlighted in several departments as the 31-year-old only won one of his seven ground duels, committed four fouls, lost possession five times and was dribbled past twice, according to Sofascore.
While this performance is a cause for concern moving forward, it also lays as a reminder that Newcastle could rue not moving for one of their defensive targets and one of those was Bayer Leverkusen's Edmond Tapsoba, who would have been a huge upgrade on Burn.
How good is Edmond Tapsoba?
Newcastle were in the race to sign centre-back Tapsoba earlier on in the summer as Leverkusen slapped a £50m price tag on their star defender, who was deemed as a long-term successor to Fabian Schar.
The 24-year-old has risen to prominence as one of the Bundesliga's brightest talents and having starred in his side's run to the Europa League semi-final last season, it is clear to see why clubs are circling for his signature.
Edmond Tapsoba
Tapsoba excelled against his positional peers when comparing various parts of his game across last season, including his ability to carry the ball long distances, defend in one-vs-ones and provide an exquisite passing range to his side.
The £43k per-week "monster", as lauded by scout Antonio Mango, ranked in the top 2% for ball recoveries (8.46), top 10% for progressive passes (5.30), top 13% for progressive carries (1.25) and top 14% for successful take-ons (0.50), all per 90 via FBref.
Despite playing at left-back last season, Burn falls well below Tapsoba in each of those key metrics, recording 4.8 ball recoveries, 3.41 progressive passes, 0.84 progressive carries and 0.32 successful take-ons.
Newcastle are transitioning into a side that has more possession as confirmed by their average of 49.5% this season and Howe needs players who are comfortable in possession, but at present, they don't currently have that, especially in defence.
Without ball-playing defender Botman in their side, Burn is attempting to fill a void that he isn't capable of filling, especially when it comes to progressing play from deep, spraying long passes and driving his team forward.
For the short-term, while the Netherlands international is absent, Newcastle are going to be held back by their inability to build from the back and having already suffered for their defensive misunderstanding against Brighton, ignoring their need for defensive cover is costing them.
Although signing Tapsoba would have cost upwards of £50m, he would have brought his ball-playing capabilities and European experience to the party, placing Newcastle in good stead for their Champions League challenge.
Rashid Khan endured a difficult captaincy debut, getting out for a first-ball duck and conceding 68 in nine overs as Scotland chased down 256 with 16 balls to spare
ESPNcricinfo staff04-Mar-2018IDI/Getty ImagesIt only took one match to affirm the wide-open nature of the World Cup Qualifier. In a spectacular opening-day heist, Scotland downed Afghanistan by seven wickets, with Calum MacLeod scoring his sixth ODI hundred and subjecting Rashid Khan, the world’s No. 1 ODI bowler, to one of his worst days as an international cricketer.Chasing 256, Scotland got there with 16 balls to spare, with MacLeod scoring an unbeaten 157 off 146 balls. He scored 108 off 118 against Afghanistan’s other bowlers, and 49 off 31 against Rashid’s legspin, off which he hit eight of his 24 boundaries. Rashid finished with figures of 1 for 68 in nine overs – this was the first time he had ended up with an economy rate of above 7 in his 38-match ODI career. He also scored a first-ball duck. All this happened on a day when, at 19 years and 165 days, he became the youngest man to captain an ODI side.MacLeod came in with Scotland 16 for 1; they lost their other opener two overs later to slip to 21 for 2. Both wickets had fallen to the mystery spin of Mujeeb Ur Rahman. It was here that Richie Berrington joined MacLeod. The two proceeded to add 208 in 223 balls, with MacLeod by far the dominant partner, Berrington scoring 67 off 95 balls before falling lbw to Rashid in the 43rd over of Scotland’s innings. By then, they only needed 27 off 44 balls, a task MacLeod and George Munsey completed with ease.Sent in to bat, Afghanistan made a plodding start, losing three wickets – two to Berrington’s medium-pace – while only scoring 49 in their first 15 overs. Berrington picked up his third wicket in the 19th over, getting Mohammad Shahzad out for an uncharacteristic 30 off 54 balls, leaving Afghanistan 71 for 4.Afghanistan needed to stop losing wickets, but they also needed some urgency. Mohammad Nabi and Najibullah Zadran achieved both, putting on 149 for the fifth wicket in 136 balls. At the end of the 41st over, Afghanistan were 219 for 4, and a total in the 280-300 range seemed within reach. But both set batsmen fell off successive balls, Najibullah for 67 off 69 balls and then Nabi – run out – for 92 off 82.The back-to-back wickets were a body blow to Afghanistan’s innings, their lower order collapsing in a heap to Safyaan Sharif and Brad Wheal. In all, the last six wickets fell while adding only 35 runs in 51 balls, leaving Scotland a far smaller target than they might have envisioned chasing at one point.
Liverpool did not stick to the narrative and left Eddie Howe's side bedraggled after coming from behind to sink Newcastle United 2-1 at St. James' Park in the Premier League, scoring in the dying embers despite playing the lion's share of the clash with ten men.
How did Newcastle play vs Liverpool?
Having dismantled Aston Villa 5-1 in their first match on Tyneside this term, the Magpies' remarkable ascent took a hit as Liverpool dug deep and weathered the storm after a calamitous opening period saw the enterprising Anthony Gordon took advantage of Trent Alexander-Arnold's mistake to bypass Alisson's goal.
Mere moments later, the cacophonous Newcastle stadium was sent into a deafening din as Virgil van Dijk was adjudged to have clattered Alexander Isak, who was barging through on goal – resulting in the Reds skipper receiving red to compound the Merseyside outfit's woes.
Newcastle were slick and cohesive, implementing their high-pressure, high-octane approach and stifling Klopp's gameplan.
As the match lagged on and United could not double their lead, Liverpool grew into the game and were rewarded handsomely for their optimism as Darwin Nunez fired in a snatch-and-grab brace after entering the match action in the 77th minute.
While Newcastle have been tremendous over the past 18 months or so, Howe will be concerned over several defensive performances, especially with Champions League football now on the horizon.
How did Schar perform vs Liverpool?
Despite making a remarkable resurgence since Howe's managerial appointment in November 2021, central defender Fabian Schar's performance today against an incisive and ruthless Liverpool attack emphasised the importance of levelling up on the Swiss if the club are to continue their remarkable rise.
Newcastle centre-back Fabian Schar.
Playing 36 matches in the Premier League last season, the 31-year-old recorded an average Sofascore rating of 7.13, keeping 12 clean sheets, making 3.8 clearances per game and winning 65% of his total duels, with the Toon actually concluding the campaign with the division's joint-best defence alongside Manchester City.
He has not entered the current season with the same level of imperiousness, however, and his performance against Liverpool was evidence that there are better options out there for a team boasting the affluence of Newcastle, particularly if they are to endure or even enjoy greater tests at Europe's top table.
While statistics do not paint the full picture, Schar's lowly match rating of 6.3 – the worst of any starting Newcastle player – highlighted the issues the player was plagued with on the evening.
Despite producing a largely crisp ball-playing display, completing 90% (86/96) of his passes, Schar was not the tenacious and hardy presence to rebuff the opposition advances, losing 80% (4/5) of his duels as the likes of Nunez, Jota and Salah pushed forth in the second half.
He also failed to make a single tackle, clearance or interception, despite drawing a foul, serving as further evidence that with links to centre-backs such as Edmond Tapsoba and the prodigious Antonio Silva this summer, Newcastle must prioritise issuing an upgrade when possible.
Dan Burn was another defender culpable for a poor performance against a dogged Liverpool side, and given that the 6 foot 6 colossus was dribbled past twice against a rampaging Salah, who at times gave him a torrid afternoon, the argument for defensive reinforcements when possible is only strengthened.
The Chronicle's Lee Ryder gave Burn with a 6/10 rating, remarking that he was 'left in a spin' after Nunez's last-gasp strike – the United defence have been just that for so long: unified, cohesive, working as one, with a collective understanding, like a hive mind.
But with the multifarious scope of Liverpool's attacking talent, the chinks in the armour were exposed and Burn is another player who will not provide the answer every time, especially with the return to Champions League football, against the very best talent Europe has to offer.
Schar is also within the final year of his contract on Tyneside. A stalwart for the club after his efforts under Howe's stewardship, perhaps a departure next summer would be a move fit for all parties.
Journalist John Gibson once called the £40k-per-week defender a "walking mistake", and while such criticism seems harsh now, Newcastle's inability to exert their authority and calmly control the match against Liverpool is evidence that there is work still to be done.
After the allrounder picked up three wickets to limit Zimbabwe to 170, the opener hit an unbeaten 84 to wrap up the chase
The Report by Mohammad Isam15-Jan-2018 Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsGetty ImagesAfter a see-saw 2017, Bangladesh ushered in 2018 with an eight-wicket win over Zimbabwe, in the first match of the tri-series also involving Sri Lanka. After the bowlers, led by Shakib Al Hasan and Mustafizur Rahman, bowled out Zimbabwe for 170, Tamim Iqbal struck an unbeaten 84 to wrap up the chase with 129 balls to spare.Sikandar Raza resisted with 52 off 99 balls but Zimbabwe needed a bigger score from him to challenge Bangladesh at home. Shakib took three wickets, including two in the first over of the match, while seamers Mustafizur, Rubel Hossain, and Mashrafe Mortaza picked up five wickets among them.Zimbabwe’s bowlers, on the other hand, struggled with their lines and lengths in the chase. Shakib and Tamim cashed in, adding 78 runs for the second wicket, after opener Anamul Haque, who was playing his first ODI since the 2015 World Cup, holed out for 19 off 14 balls. Shakib was trapped lbw by Raza for 37, but Tamim and Mushfiqur completed the chase with an unbroken 63-run stand.Shakib, batting at No. 3 for only the third time in his ODI career, rotated the strike smartly and also hit five fours. He is set to play at No.3 in ODIs, starting with this tri-series. He was hit on the pad in the 20th over, and umpire C Shamshuddin turned down the lbw appeal but had to eventually overturn it after a successful review from Zimbabwe.Tamim had been given out caught behind by umpire Sharfuddoula in the previous over but he reviewed it and survived with replays showing no contact. It was eventually deemed a leg-side wide. Tamim continued to bat steadily and brought up his fifty off 66 balls. He then cut loose after the landmark and hastened Bangladesh’s win. He struck eight fours and a six in his 93-ball knock.Bangladesh, however, might be perturbed with Anamul’s dismissal. The returning opener tried one slog too many, and was caught at the edge of the mid-wicket boundary after having struck four breezy boundaries.Zimbabwe’s bad day got worse when debutant Blessing Muzarabani bowled four no-balls in the 28th over. The chase was completed in the following over.Earlier in the day, Zimbabwe struggled to deal with Bangladesh’s consistent bowling. Shakib took the new ball and immediately put the visitors under pressure by removing Solomon Mire and Craig Ervine. Mire was stumped after he was left overbalanced by a leg-side wide while Ervine chipped a catch to short midwicket. Hamilton Masakadza and Brendon Taylor then nicked off to the wicketkeeper, leaving the side at 51 for 4.Malcolm Waller was dropped twice – on 4 and 13 – before edging to slip off Sunzamul Islam for 13. Raza then arrested the slide with a 50-run partnership with Peter Moor. Raza batted slowly as Zimbabwe tried to last the full fifty overs but he fell to a mix-up in the 40th, after hitting two fours and two sixes.Moor and Graeme Cremer then added 30 more to the total before Zimbabwe lost their last three wickets for nine runs. Rubel Hossain dismissed Moor and Tendai Chatara off successive balls before Mustafizur bowled Muzarabani to wrap up the innings in 49 overs.
Burnley are reportedly eyeing their next acquisition, as manager Vincent Kompany looks to make way for his 14th summer arrival in the bid to make the Clarets’ return to the Premier League a memorable campaign.
Despite being without a game last weekend due to Luton Town’s ground, Kenilworth Road, undergoing improvements to keep up with their meteoric rise to the top, it came to light that the new arrivals to the top-flight had beat Manchester United 3-0 in a fixture behind closed doors.
After comfortably winning the Championship last campaign, Burnley have seen multiple squad changes, with rumours speculating that further additions could be welcome to Turf Moor before the close of the window.
Who could Burnley sign this summer?
This week, the Clarets welcomed former Aston Villa midfielder Aaron Ramsey to the side marking Kompany’s 13th new addition, with rumours building that another arrival may be in the pipeline.
Earlier this week, journalist Dominik Schnieder took to social media to report that the Lancashire outfit are making a “push” to sign Sporting Lisbon B midfielder Renato Veiga, with FC Basel and Standard Liege also holding interest.
The reporter also relayed that a fee in the region of £5.5m to be paid in three instalments has been put on the table by the Premier League side, and a five-year contract for the 20-year-old starlet to consider.
Who is Renato Veiga?
Born in Lisbon, the versatile defensively-minded machine has risen through the ranks at Sporting where he is now a member of the side’s B team.
In January, the 20-year-old gem got his first taste of playing the top-flight, endeavouring on a half-season loan to FC Augsburg, where in which he made 13 appearances in the Bundesliga.
Deployable at both centre-back and left-back, the combative starlet is most prominently fielded in defensive midfield at his boyhood club, however, his versatility was exploited in Germany, where he was positioned in central defence.
Having been lauded as a “terrific footballer” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, the midfielder could be the perfect capture for Kompany at Turf Moor, as he braces for potential change in the midfield areas before the end of the summer.
Josh Brownhill has been linked to a host of clubs in both the Championship and Premier League, including Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leeds United, and after three-and-a-half years could leave the claret and blue this window.
Josh-Brownhill
The Englishman has been used in defensive midfield by Kompany, making a potential swoop for Veiga a smart one should the 27-year-old indeed move onto pastures new.
The Portuguese starlet is a defensively competent player, as highlighted by his averages in the Bundesliga last term, in which he averaged 1.27 tackles, 2.82 blocks and a mammoth 4.08 clearances, via FBref, suggesting the dominant presence he could bring to the Premier League.
While Brownhill is more of a progressive player, the Englishman’s departure along with the potential capture of the Sporting B sensation could give Kompany the freedom to juggle his midfield, with new arrival Sander Berge having a pass to roam with the assurance of an anchor.
In signing the 20-year-old, the Belgian manager can have a young and versatile star at his disposal, in a player that could prove to be a secret weapon for the Clarets due to his ability to take on a variety of tasks on the pitch.
“I wasn’t quite sure how I was going to go after a winter of rehab and a bit of hard work. I’m not going to lie, it was pretty tough,” the fast bowler said after his 4 for 55 in Whangarei
ESPNcricinfo staff21-Dec-2017It didn’t seem like Doug Bracewell, coming off a knee injury and a 100-hour community service sentence following a drink-driving offence, and Todd Astle, who described his ODI debut as a “dream come true”, hadn’t played international cricket for the last year. They found their rhythm from the outset, and combined to take seven wickets in the first ODI, leading New Zealand to a five-wicket win in Whangarei.”The first couple of games I was nervous and I guess anxious at the same time,” Bracewell said after his 4 for 55 in the first ODI. “I wasn’t quite sure how I was going to go after a winter of rehab and a bit of hard work. I’m not going to lie, it was pretty tough. I was quite sore but I managed to get through and now it seems to get better each day.”Since slipping in a domestic match last December, Bracewell said he has been working on improving his knee as well as his batting. “It’s one of those things that we’ve got to manage and monitor,” he said. “But it’s improved a hell of a lot over the last couple of weeks. There’s definitely positive signs there.”It’s (batting) something I’ve been working pretty hard at lately. I’ve been given the opportunity for Central Districts to go out and sort of play with some freedom at six or seven and I’ve managed to have a good start for the season so I’m feeling really good with the bat. I’m hoping I can show I’ve got the ability down at No 8, No 7.”Astle, on the other hand, said his focus was on developing variations with his legspin to improve his repertoire. “Any little bit of doubt you can create, that’s what I’m trying to bring with bowling those variations and wrong ‘uns,” Astle said. “You’re only going to be unknown for a certain period of time. There will now be lots of video footage, so it’s just trying to stay one step ahead.”New Zealand will be without Kane Williamson and Tim Southee, who have been rested, for the remainder of the ODI series. Tom Latham will lead New Zealand in Williamson’s absence. The next ODI is on Saturday in Christchurch.
Heart of Midlothian suffered an agonising 2-1 defeat to Greek side PAOK in their Europa Conference League qualifier on Thursday evening.
With the match finely poised at 1-1, Lawrence Shankland scored a stunning goal which looked to have given Hearts the lead. It was chalked off, however, and Andrija Zivkovic netted the winner 15 minutes from time with a wonderful strike.
It wasn’t the result Steven Naismith would have hoped for, yet it showed that there wasn’t much between the two teams, and given how many young talents he has at his disposal such as Alex Lowry, Hearts could respond well next week.
How has Alex Lowry performed at Hearts?
The young midfielder joined on loan from Rangers, and it could turn into a stroke of genius from Naismith.
He has played five times so far and grabbed two assists while demonstrating glimpses of his vast talent during his two appearances in the Premiership.
Averaging just 45 minutes per game, the 20-year-old has taken 33 touches per match while making one key pass and one tackle per match, suggesting that he is comfortable getting on the ball and trying to make things happen, while also looking to win the ball back.
Having burst onto the scene in January 2022 by scoring on his Gers debut in the Scottish Cup, he couldn’t quite become a regular starter last term due to injury issues, and a loan spell looked like the best option.
There is no doubt a move to Hearts will aid his development. Naismith will only benefit from his presence for a year – however, could he perhaps unearth his own Lowry with a teenage starlet from the B side in Callum Sandilands?
Who is Callum Sandilands?
The 17-year-old joined the Gorgie side back in 2021 following his release from Rangers, and was previously lauded by John Rankin, who was the Hearts U18 manager at the time.
He said: "Callum first came in on trial back in June and really impressed us.
"He’s a goalscoring midfielder who brings so much energy to the team and he can also play in a number of positions across midfield.
"He’s got good vision and technical ability and, equally as important, has a fantastic attitude.
"I believe Hearts is the perfect place for him to continue his development and I look forward to seeing him progress over the coming months and years."
High praise indeed for someone so young, and his time in Edinburgh has enabled him to gain some crucial game time for the B team.
He has played across a few positions over the previous two seasons, most notably in an attacking-midfield role, yet the teen can also operate wide on the right or slightly deeper if required.
Like Lowry, Sandilands is a goalscoring midfielder who tends to push forward as often as possible, and across 41 matches for the B side, he has racked up an impressive 18 goals and four assists.
Yet to make his senior bow, Naismith could change that this term, especially if they do make the group stages of the Europa Conference League, with squad rotation vital to keeping the starting XI fresh.
The manager should enjoy Lowry for the single campaign he will spend at Tynecastle, but in Sandilands, he could unearth his very own wonderful talent who could go on to emulate what Lowry has already achieved.
The two boards are yet to confirm the dates and venue of the match, but India are likely to host it before they leave for their tour of Australia in late 2018
Nagraj Gollapudi11-Dec-2017Afghanistan will play their inaugural Test match against India in 2018. Rahul Johri, the BCCI chief executive officer, confirmed that India would host Afghanistan, and that the two boards would work out the venue and the dates shortly.Since being inducted as an ICC Full Member in June, alongside Ireland, Afghanistan have been looking for an opponent to play their maiden Test match against.Ireland have already confirmed that they will play their first Test against Pakistan in May 2018.Afghanistan will become the fourth side to play their first Test against India•ESPNcricinfo LtdInitially, Zimbabwe were scheduled to play Afghanistan in the UAE before travelling to Bangladesh early next year. However, Zimbabwe Cricket informed the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) that it wanted to focus on the World Cup Qualfiers in March and therefore not increase its players’ workload.This October the ACB, led by its chairman Atif Mashal and CEO Shafiqullah Stanikzai, met Johri in Mumbai, requesting India to consider playing against Afghanistan. “The ACB requested us to play their first Test match,” Johri said, after attending the BCCI’s special general meeting in Delhi on Monday. “The BCCI has agreed.”It is understood that both boards will meet in a week’s time in Dubai to finalise the schedule. With India travelling overseas for most of 2018, the Afghanistan Test is likely to be scheduled ahead of India’s trip to Australia in late 2018.For the moment, the ACB is excited. “It will be a historic Test match,” Stanikzai said. “We would like to thank the BCCI for granting this opportunity to us and accepting our request.”