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Although Ireland scored their second-highest T20I total against South Africa, they did not have enough

Firdose Moonda27-Sep-2024South Africa completed the highest successful chase in Abu Dhabi and notched up a win in the first T20I to keep their unbeaten record against Ireland intact.It was officially a home fixture for Ireland but was played at the Zayed Cricket Stadium to solve cost and infrastructure challenges in Ireland. Ironically, South Africa seemed to be more familiar with conditions. After spending last week playing Afghanistan on dry, slow pitches in Sharjah, South Africa had adapted to the demands of the heat, and unlike in Sharjah, where the bounce was low, there was good bounce and carry in Abu Dhabi. Full, slower balls proved to be best wicket-taking options and South Africa understood that while Ireland struggled with dew and moisture in the field.South Africa’s strikes in the powerplay and at the end of Ireland’s innings meant that although Ireland scored their second-highest T20I total against them, they did not have enough. Ireland were pegged back after almost every acceleration but a fourth-wicket stand of 59 runs off 41 balls between Curtis Campher and Neil Rock anchored the innings.In reply, Reeza Hendricks and Ryan Rickelton shared in South Africa’s third-highest opening stand, and highest away from home, in T20Is and reached important milestones of their own. Hendricks scored his first fifty in 15 T20I innings and Rickelton registered a career-best 76, which was also his first international half-century. They complemented each other well, with Rickelton hitting high and hard over the leg side and Hendricks playing the classy off-side shots he has become known for. Neither stayed to the end, but South Africa got there with 14 balls to spare.Push and pull in the powerplayRoss Adair, not due to play this game until Lorcan Tucker was injured in training, made the first statement of intent when he hit a Lizaad Williams short ball over mid-on for the first boundary of the innings. He went on to take another 10 runs off Williams’ first over on the tour, after he missed out on the ODIs against Afghanistan, and hit Wiaan Mulder over his head for four before South Africa struck back. With Ross Adair’s strength down the ground, Aiden Markram placed Tristan Stubbs on the long-on boundary and he was in a good position to take the catch that dismissed the batter, who tried one big shot too many. Then it was the turn of another overlooked player from the Afghanistan matches, Ottneil Baartman, who struck with his third ball when he bowled Paul Stirling with a delivery that angled in and sailed through the bat-pad gap. But South Africa could not claim the early advantage.Campher, playing in his 100th international for Ireland, took five balls to get his eye in and then drove Baartman through mid-off and for two more fours to get his run-scoring underway. At the end of powerplay, Ireland finished on 63 for 2, their second-best against South Africa, after scoring 67 for 2 in Bristol in 2022.Peter’s timely breakthroughIn his third T20I, legspinner Nqabayomzi Peter had to wait until the 11th over to be called on and it was a fairly tough introduction. Campher and Neil Rock were settled, South Africa were rattled after they dropped Campher on 17 at the end of the ninth over and then misfielded to allow four at the end of the 10th. Rock hit Peter for four in an over that cost eight and he was replaced by Bjorn Fortuin and allowed to change ends. And then he struck. Peter bowled Rock with a delivery that straightened as he tried to sweep and ended a partnership that was threatening to take the game away. That wicket would prove crucial in the target Ireland ended up setting South Africa.File photo: Patrick Kruger took four wickets•AFP/Getty ImagesDeath-bowling heroics from Williams and KrugerAt 163 for 5 after 18 overs, Ireland would have been eyeing a total over 180 but an excellent last couple of overs from South Africa’s seamers kept them to 171. Williams bowled the 19th over and, with a wide slip in place, stuck to a selection of wide yorkers. All Ireland managed were singles off every ball in that over. Then it was over to Patrick Kruger, who took pace off with immediate success. Dockrell played a swipe too early and was caught behind. Off the next ball, Fionn Hand tried to ramp Kruger but could only get the ball as far as short fine leg. Kruger’s hat-trick ball missed everything and cost a bye. His penultimate delivery brought another wicket as Mark Adair tried to hit him over the off side and was caught by Wiaan Mulder. Kruger finished with a triple-wicket maiden and South Africa only conceded eight runs in the last two overs.Hendricks, Rickelton redeem themselves and South Africa’s battingThe big picture of South Africa’s batting woes against Afghanistan aside, the opening batters had questions over their form going into this game. Hendricks had only gone past 30 in three of his last 12 T20Is while Rickelton had a top score of 27 from eight white-ball internationals. Were they the best combination sans Quinton de Kock? Yes, they said, as they grabbed the chase by the scruff of the neck in the powerplay. Rickelton got the ball rolling with back-to-back boundaries off Mark Adair and showed his ability against the short and full balls. Hendricks only faced four balls in the first three overs but when given more of the strike, he made the most of it. He smashes four fours in six deliveries, to bring up 2000 runs in T20I cricket. Rickelton finished off the powerplay hitting Hand for two enormous sixes and South Africa were 58 for 0 in the powerplay. Two overs later, Rickelton reached his fifty off 30 deliveries. South Africa were 97 without loss at the halfway stage and the horse had bolted.

With the summer transfer window well and truly back open, Aston Villa have a huge few weeks ahead.

After failing to qualify for the Champions League after defeat against Manchester United on the final day of the season, the West Midlands side find themselves in the Europa League.

That surely makes them less appealing to top players they are looking to sign, and also means they have less money, which could make it tough to turn the loan moves of Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford into permanent deals. Spain international Asensio did not have a buy clause in his loan from Paris Saint-Germain, and it is unclear if he will come back.

Well, if it turns out that Asensio doesn’t re-sign for Villa, they seemingly have a replacement in mind.

Villa's potential Asensio replacement

It would certainly be a huge blow for Villa if they were to lose Asensio, who had a great impact and brought lots of technical quality in attacking areas to their squad. However, they seem to be targeting a fellow Spaniard to replace him.

According to a newspaper in Spain, via Caught Offside, Unai Emery and his side are seemingly targeting a move for Real Betis attacker Jesus Rodriguez. He reportedly has a release clause worth £30m in his current deal, but Betis are negotiating a new contract with the view of increasing the price of that release clause to around £43m.

Of course, the release clause makes this a complicated situation, and on top of that, Betis are thought to be set on keeping Rodriguez.

However, Villans’ sporting director Monchi ‘is determined to sign’ the attacker, and ‘will be leading negotiations to get the deal done’ this summer.

Why Rodríguez would be a good signing

Despite being just 19 years of age, Rodriguez had a strong second half of the campaign with Betis, after breaking into the first team under Manuel Pellegrini following a stint in the youth team until December.

The Seville-born sensation played in 32 senior games last season for the club, scoring three times and grabbing one assist. He played a lot of first-team football, too, notching up 1739 minutes, the equivalent of 19 full 90-minute games. If anything, that shows the trust Pellegrini has in him already.

The 19-year-old attacker performed well in the UEFA Conference League last season, too. Although Betis lost in the final to Chelsea, he had an important role in their quest to the final, playing eight games and scoring against Polish side Jagiellonia Bialystok.

There is no doubt about it, Rodriguez stepping into Asensio’s shoes at Villa Park would be no mean feat. Not only is he ten years younger and therefore far less experienced, but the impact he had at Villa would be tough to recreate.

Even Asensio himself struggled to continue the form he showcased during the early part of his career in the West Midlands. He scored eight times and grabbed one assist in 21 games, but after a rapid start, couldn’t keep up his hot run of form past the start of April.

When looking at the underlying stats on FBref last season for both Rodriguez, a Spain U21 international, and Asensio, there are some numbers that stack up well against each other. One of those is goal-creating actions, in which the Betis man averaged 0.41 per game compared to the Villa loanee’s 0.66, showing they are both involved in their team’s goals regularly.

Described as an “explosive” player by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, Rodriguez will certainly bring dynamic ball-carrying to Villa Park, more so than Asensio of the stats are anything to go by. The 19-year-old averaged 4.31 progressive carries each game last season, compared to Asensio’s 2.72 per 90 minutes.

Rodriguez and Asensio key stats compared
Stat (per 90)	Rodriguez	Asensio
Goal-creating actions	0.41	0.66
Progressive carries	4.31	2.72
Carries into penalty area	3.17	0.93
Take-ons completed	2.44	1.06
Ball recoveries	4.72	3.05
Stats from FBref

It is not hard to see why Rodriguez will be Emery’s new Asensio. Not only are they both Spanish attackers who can play across the frontline, but he has the technical quality of the former Real Madrid star, combined with the habit of being involved in goals, even if that is not directly.

This seems like a deal Monchi wants to get over the line, and for £30m, the value of his current release clause, it could be an excellent piece of business for the Villans.

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Only Jacob Murphy, Mohamed Salah and Anthony Elanga assisted more goals than him last season…

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By
Tom Cunningham

Jun 12, 2025

Former Bears left-armer helps Hampshire establish first-innings lead with ninth five-wicket haul for the club

ECB Reporters Network24-Jun-2024Hampshire 298 and 88 for 2 (Middleton 58, Gubbins 24*, Mousley 1-0) lead Warwickshire 254 (Bethell 69, Mousley 57, Barker 6-74) by 132 runs Keith Barker reminded Warwickshire’s fans of the skills they lost in 2018 as he bowled Hampshire into control on the second day of their Vitality County Championship match at Edgbaston.Barker’s left-arm swing earned him 14 hauls of five wickets or more as a Warwickshire player. He bagged his ninth for Hampshire with 6 for 74 to give them the upper hand in a gripping contest in the Birmingham sunshineIn reply to 298, Warwickshire were dismissed for 254 by Barker and Kyle Abbott (3 for 64) despite impressive resistance from young batters Jake Bethell and Dan Mousley.A lead of 44 is handy in conditions which have given the seamers some encouragement and Hampshire built on it in the final session to reach 88 for 2 as Fletcha Middleton struck his second half-century of the match.After Warwickshire resumed on 51 for 2, the ground echoed to perhaps the earliest ever cry of ‘get on with it’ when, at 11.01am, a long delay ensued while the ball was inspected and then changed. Barker wielded the replacement to spectacular effect with a burst of 3 for 17 in 25 balls. He trapped Danny Briggs lbw, had Sam Hain superbly caught by Ben Brown, standing up, and hit Ed Barnard’s off-stump.From 83 for 5, Mousley and Bethell applied themselves diligently. Destructive batters in the Blast (Bethell smashed 50 from 15 balls last week – this time he scored just two from his first 15), they showed they also have the technique to dig in against good bowling. They added 74 in 22 overs before Mousley was lured into driving away from his body at Barker and edged behind.Michael Burgess joined Bethell to add 64 in 21 overs before Barker returned to strike twice more. Bethell edged a big drive to first slip where James Vince accepted that catch and another two overs later when Chris Woakes edged a footwork-free waft.Craig Miles smote three quick fours but then played down the wrong line to Abbott. Mohammad Abbas finally collected a deserved wicket when Burgess chopped on.With the evening session to enlarge their lead, Hampshire began badly when Toby Albert edged Olly Hannon-Dalby’s second ball to slip, but then advanced meticulously. Middleton continued his good form from the first innings to reach a 60-ball half-century and Nick Gubbins (24 not out in over two hours) unfurled an innings of low entertainment for the spectators but high value to his team as the advantage ticked upwards.Middleton edged Mousley behind 14 balls before the close and though Hampshire are well on top, Warwickshire are very much still in the game. This intriguing match may have a fascinating second half in wait for those spectators, particularly those who are connoisseurs of threes. With a very long boundary on the Pershore Road side of the ground, this has been a veritable festival of threes – there have been 15 already.

It’s safe to say that Liverpool fans will have very little care for the ongoing Club World Cup in the United States of America. In fact, not many football fans in general have tuned in for proceedings just yet.

Chelsea’s opening game with LAFC was played in front of a minuscule crowd considering how big the stadium actually was.

Despite that, there are some talking points on the pitch, none more so than Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Real Madrid got their campaign underway against Saudi side Al Hilal on Wednesday and could only manage a 1-1 draw. Perhaps the gap to Saudi’s top sides isn’t as big as we may think.

How the media world reacted to Trent’s debut

It doesn’t feel like long ago now that Alexander-Arnold announced to the fanbase that he’d be leaving his boyhood club behind in favour of the Spanish capital, Madrid.

After he let it be know that he’d be departing; the right-back was understandably greeted with a chorus of boos. For one of the club’s most infamous academy graduates, this was surprising.

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Yet, once all was said and done, the right-back didn’t actually end up leaving on a free transfer.

Before the aforementioned Club World Cup got underway, there was a frenzy in the transfer market as a plethora of teams tried to get early deals over the line.

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At Chelsea, it was striker Liam Delap arriving while Manchester City confirmed the additions of Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Rayan Cherki. Not bad at all.

As far as Madrid were concerned, they ended up parting ways with around £8m in order to bring Alexander-Arnold to the club in time for the beginning of this summer’s tournament in the USA.

Well, after his debut on Wednesday evening, Florentino Perez and Co may well be wishing he hadn’t officially signed yet.

This clearly wasn’t Madrid at full strength but it was a horrible afternoon for the Merseyside defender.

He was slapped with a 5/10 match rating from one Real-based outlet, who noted the full-back had ‘some problems’ in the first half and was rather ‘discreet’ throughout.

Another Spanish publication, Football Espana, weren’t too kind either, also giving Trent a rating of 5/10. They were also damning of his abilities, writing that it was an ‘underwhelming’ debut where he was ‘not at his best defensively’. Now, isn’t that a surprise?

Closer to home, 90min gave the new signing a 4/10 rating, making note of how he ‘sometimes forgot’ his marking duties.

How Trent compares to Huijsen on debut

Also making his debut for Madrid in the game with Al Hilal was Dean Huijsen.

The Spaniard was the subject of interest from a plethora of Premier League clubs before the window got underway with the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool in particular chasing their signature.

The Reds were reportedly one of the favourites to prise him away from Bournemouth but like Alexander-Arnold, Madrid was an offer he could not refuse.

As it happens, the centre-back enjoyed a far better maiden game in Real colours, handed a 7/10 rating by Football Espana.

They wrote that, ‘in contrast to Alexander-Arnold, Huijsen looked assured in his debut. He helped a lot in build-up, which would have pleased Alonso.’

Trent vs Huijsen – Real Madrid debuts

Trent

Stat

Huijsen

65

Mins played

90

2

Clearances

3

1

Interceptions

1

0

Tackles

3

57

Touches

80

89%

Accurate passes

87%

1

Key passes

1

1/4

Ground duels won

6/6

0/1

Aerial duels won

2/4

Stats via Sofascore.

Despite the setbacks of not signing Huijsen and losing Trent, Liverpool appear to be in a good place, having confirmed the arrival of Jeremie Frimpong and reportedly on the verge of signing Florian Wirtz in a British record deal and Milos Kerkez.

Therefore, it’s unlikely they’ll be losing too much sleep over the Alexander-Arnold situation now.

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Tottenham Hotspur face the very real prospect of losing a key member of their squad when the summer window reopens, despite their Europa League triumph last week, with an elite club set to open imminent talks over his signature.

Tottenham preparing for summer with Ange Postecoglou future uncertain

The main topic at N17 right now is manager Ange Postecoglou and his long-term future.

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The Australian guided his side to a first European trophy since 1984, ending their 17-year wait for any major trophy in the process and securing a spot in the Champions League for next season – which comes as an almighty transfer boost for the Lilywhites.

However, Postecoglou’s domestic campaign told an entirely different story.

The 59-year-old oversaw Tottenham’s largest number of Premier League defeats in a single season (22), with the north Londoners finishing just one place above the relegation zone.

Tottenham’s best-performing regulars in the Premier League – 2024/2025

Average match rating

Son Heung-min

7.00

James Maddison

6.98

Pedro Porro

6.95

Dominic Solanke

6.84

Dejan Kulusevski

6.83

via WhoScored

2024/2025 was an extremely mixed bag for Postecoglou, and if they hadn’t narrowly squeezed past a lacklustre Man United side in the Europa League final, it’d be a no-brainer that the tactician should be given his marching orders.

The joyous celebrations and emotions that come with the end of Tottenham’s trophy drought have given Levy some serious thinking to do, with Spurs chiefs currently ’50/50′ about sacking Postecoglou, according to some reports.

A decision must be made soon, as this summer’s first mini-transfer window opens in just three days.

Tottenham have been handed a significant financial windfall from their qualification from the Champions League, not to mention more pull in the transfer market overall, with Spurs suddenly a more appealing destination for out-of-contract Bayern Munich star Leroy Sané (Sport Bild).

There is a consensus within the club that they need to bring more experienced players in to bolster their young squad (Sami Mokbel), and while their Europa League glory will help in that aspect, there is still a very real possibility that they lose some imperative stars as well.

Atletico Madrid to open imminent talks for Cristian Romero

According to Sky Sports reporter Lyall Thomas, Tottenham defender Cristian Romero remains high on the agenda of Atletico Madrid heading into June 1.

The Argentine played a crucial role in helping to deliver Spurs their Europa winners’ medal, being crowned the tournament’s Player of the Season, all while putting in a Man of the Match display against United in the final.

However, Spanish media sources believe Romero still has every intention of leaving Tottenham this summer, despite their memorable night in Bilbao, following other previous reports that the £165,000-per-week centre-back is keen to quit the club for Atletico (Marca).

Postecoglou’s side value him at around £60 million, and won’t sell for any lower than £44 million (Marca), even if the La Liga side wish to negotiate an agreeable fee.

Following these reports, Thomas has claimed that Atletico could open talks for Romero as early as this week, with Diego Simeone’s side competing in next month’s Club World Cup and potentially wanting to get business done early.

Given the “underrated” Romero’s importance to Tottenham, and Levy’s well-known stubbornness when it comes to negotiating transfers, we don’t expect this saga to be resolved quickly.

Crystal Palace are believed to be interested in completing the signing of a “wonderful” player in the summer transfer window, according to a new report.

Crystal Palace set for busy summer

The Eagles will hopefully finish this season by winning the FA Cup, with Oliver Glasner’s side preparing to take on Manchester City in the final later this month, but either way, a busy summer is expected at Selhurst Park. Young Eintracht Frankfurt defender Tamiou Kpebane has been linked with a move to Palace at the end of the season, likely being seen as one for the future rather than an immediate key player.

With Eberechi Eze potentially moving on in the summer, a top-quality replacement could be needed for the Englishman, and Lyon star Rayan Cherki has been mentioned as a target. The 21-year-old has scored 29 goals and registered 44 assists for the Ligue 1 side.

Burnley have sealed promotion from the Championship to the Premier League, incredibly conceding just 16 goals in their 46 league matches, and centre-back Maxime Esteve has been a big reason for the Clarets’ success. Palace are said to be interested in signing the 22-year-old, as Glasner looks to bring in defensive reinforcements.

Crystal Palace set to move for "wonderful" Jobe Bellingham

According to The Boot Room, Crystal Palace ‘will push’ to sign Sunderland star Jobe Bellingham once the window opens in the coming weeks, with Manchester United also battling to acquire his signature. His current club are demanding at least £20m for him.

The 19-year-old has enjoyed a superb season for the Black Cats, helping them reach the Championship playoffs and winning the league’s Young Player of the Season award.

Bellingham stands out as a hugely exciting option for Palace, as the teenager looks to forge his own impressive career alongside his brother Jude.

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At just 19, he already has 87 appearances to his name for Sunderland, performing with maturity at the heart of their midifeld and being hailed by teammate Luke O’Nien.

“Listen, Jobe’s a wonderful player. I’m one of his biggest fans, more than his dad. Don’t tell him that. I think Jobe’s wonderful. He’s a wonderful addition. He even comes in at half-time to give his perspective. That’s how much he’s grown into the game. Even though he’s not playing, he’s in at half-time. We’re asking for his perspective on the game because he’s a leader in our team.”

If Palace could pip United to Bellingham’s signature, it could be a major coup, with the midfielder having the potential to be a key man for the next decade, even though future interest could admittedly emerge from huge clubs.

Australia thumped 13 sixes to two against South Africa despite slumping to 75 for 6 after batting first for the first time in their new power-based era

Alex Malcolm11-Aug-2025

Tim David launched eight sixes in his 83•AFP

. It hasn’t been an edict that has been formally declared either internally or publicly by Australia’s T20I team, but the actions of their batters are speaking loudly at the moment. No matter the scenario, no matter the number in the wickets column, Australia’s batters are trying to hit their way to victory with spectacular results so far.On Sunday in Darwin, Australia’s foot-to-the-floor method was put to its sternest test to date, having not batted first in any of the games in the Caribbean.Mitchell Marsh, with a moon shot that might as well have been a bat signal, launched the first ball of the match for six over mid-off to set the agenda for the night.When they lost two wickets in three balls across the second and third overs, Marsh kept going. When Marsh fell to leave Australia 30 for 3 after 3.1 overs, Cameron Green and Tim David showed no sign of slowing. David skipped down the track to his second ball from Kagiso Rabada and lofted him straight for six. Green smashed four fours and three sixes in a 13-ball 35. When he skied one, Australia were 70 for 4 after 5.5 overs.Related

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Mitch Owen tried to launch his fourth ball out of Darwin. Glenn Maxwell tried to do the same with his fifth. Australia were 75 for 6 in the eighth over and in danger of being bowled out for under 100.David got a little more selective as the lone specialist batter left standing when he was joined by Ben Dwarshuis. But with Dwarshuis good enough to feed him the strike with minimal risk, David was able pick his match-ups and club eight sixes in total to score 83 from 52 and help Australia post a match-winning total of 178.”It’s obviously not the team plan to be four down within six overs, but that happens at times,” David said post-game. “We’ve got what we believe is a great calibre of batters in our batting order, and we back each guy to make the right decisions.”We’ve been playing together as a group now for a while, so there’s not a great deal of instruction from the coaches. They trust the players. We trust ourselves to go out there and we understand the game situation and we make decisions on the fly, because that’s the nature of T20 cricket.”I think if you’d watched our guys bat over the last period, wherever they bat around the world and when they play for the Australian team, it’s close to all guns blazing. So, yeah, you can probably expect to see that a little bit from our team. That’s how we think we play best.”Start as you mean to go on: Mitchell Marsh hit the first ball of the match for six•Getty ImagesThe sight of David turning down singles with plenty of balls left in the innings, and a capable batter at the other end just as he had done in the Caribbean, might have looked odd at the time. But there is a clear method to it. David believes that even two sixes, three dots and a single off the last ball in an over where he faces all six deliveries is a better use of his talent and a better mathematical outcome than five singles and one six in the over.Australia struck 13 sixes in total to South Africa’s two on Sunday. And while South Africa faced 13 fewer dot balls during their chase – 46 to Australia’s 59 – the net outcome was a 17-run win to the home side. In the Caribbean, they hit 64 sixes to West Indies’ 53 across the series to win 5-0. They hit more sixes in three of the five games, were level in one and one short in another, but also never faced the full allotment of overs compared to West Indies given they chased in every game.This is not a new method of playing T20 cricket. Australia aren’t proclaiming to have reinvented the wheel. But it is a different method for a team that has been traditionally quite conservative in the shortest form and it’s led them to nine-straight T20I wins, a record for Australia in the format.They took lessons from the most recent T20 World Cup in the Caribbean, where the batting fell well short of the mark. The retirement of David Warner, who had become a T20 anchor in his latter years, and the non-selection of Steven Smith have led to a clear shift in method. There was once a desire to have a left-hander, like the retired Matthew Wade, permanently positioned in the middle-order for fear of being exposed by a legspinner or a left-arm orthodox, and that conservative thinking has also been shelved.Cameron Green has shown his power in the middle order•Randy Brooks/AFP via Getty ImagesPacking the middle order with long levers and brute power to the point where Maxwell was listed at No. 7 on Sunday has been eye-opening. Green’s intent at No. 4 has been jaw-dropping. David has made his two highest T20I scores for Australia in his last three matches since moving to No. 5, including a 37-ball century and facing the most balls he ever has in a T20 game against South Africa. Owen has applied his successful powerplay hitting from the BBL into a new role at No. 6 without changing a thing.It is no coincidence too that the style is similar to what Sunrisers Hyderabad have done in the two recent IPLs, given Australia’s bowling coach Daniel Vettori is Sunrisers head coach, Pat Cummins is their captain and Head is their opening batter. Vettori is not with Australia in this series as he is coaching Birmingham Phoenix in the Hundred, another team that has pushed to be a higher boundary percentage batting unit than their opponents at various stages in recent years.If the coming T20 World Cup were to be played on Australia’s bouncy pitches and huge boundaries, it might be a method that could leave them vulnerable more often as it did last night. But Australia are looking at the conditions in India and believing this is a method that will bring them the success they crave. The 2021 T20 World Cup title currently sits as a one-off. Australia did not advance beyond the group stage or the Super Eights in the two editions since.The major question, as it was with Sunrisers and Phoenix in 2024, is can it stand up in knock-out finals? The other question that Australia are keen to find an answer to is whether it translates to lower-scoring spinning surfaces in Sri Lanka, given they could be drawn to play there more often in the World Cup compared to some of the pristine batting surfaces in India.They’ll find out at some point. In the meantime, it’s all guns blazing.

He was happy with the batters’ progress as the series went on, but said “it was an eye-opener for the bowling unit”

Firdose Moonda03-Sep-2023The South African season is only five days old but they have already seen how much work they need to do to match up to the top teams in the world.Yes, South Africa were testing some new combinations, but they were blanked 3-0 in the T20I series by an experimental Australian side. After the third match, their white-ball coach Rob Walter admitted “our next best have got work to do”.”The game is riddled with risk,” he said of the T20 format. “Sometimes it’s going to pay off and other times it isn’t. I was happy with the progress we made.”That statement applied specifically to the batting: after being bowled out for just 115 in the first T20I, South Africa made 164 for 8 and 190 for 8 in the second and third, respectively. But across the three matches, Reeza Hendricks was the only South Africa batter to make a half-century; Australia batters scored five, two of them by their new captain Mitchell Marsh. Still, Walter saw “some light at the end of the tunnel” in terms of how South Africa went about their innings in the third T20I, specifically in the way they recovered from 12 for 2.But, the only newcomer to contribute with the bat was Donovan Ferreira, who struck 48 off 21 balls on debut, while Matthew Breetzke (one innings) and Dewald Brevis (two innings) scored five runs each. Brevis’ much-anticipated arrival to the international stage, after he topped the run charts at last year’s Under-19 World Cup, did not go as expected. He holed out in the opening game looking to clear long-off and was caught behind for a first-ball duck in the second before being benched for the third.Walter, however, is looking forward to his future involvement with the senior side.”Dewald didn’t get many runs in his two opportunities but there is no doubting his quality and ability,” he said. “The positive was to give him an opportunity to test the waters in international cricket, so he has now got a good sense of playing a good team – what does that feel like.”Breetzke, who came out to bat in the first over on Sunday – after Temba Bavuma got a first-baller – and fell trying to take on the boundary fielder, also received praise from Walter for his approach.Donovan Ferreira made an impressive debut•Gallo Images/Getty Images”Matthew didn’t get many runs but it was great to give him an opportunity to make his debut,” he said. “Watching him go through his work and his training throughout this series, I am excited about what he has to offer. Even his dismissal – the courage to make a play in that situation is sometimes worth more than the actual result.”Ferreira’s knock was the standout as he “showed something special on debut”, as Walter put it. “To play like that and to hit the ball like that – it is exciting if we have these types of players in the ranks.”South Africa’s only bowling debutant was Gerald Coetzee. He has already been capped at Test and ODI level, but here he had a tough time. He picked up three wickets in as many outings but conceded 10.98 per over.By contrast, Australia’s new caps all impressed individually, starting with 21-year-old legspinner Tanveer Sangha. He took 4 for 31 on debut, barely more than 24 hours after arriving in South Africa, and was the joint second-highest wicket-taker in the series despite sitting out the second game. Matthew Short scored a match-winning 66 off 30 balls in the second match as Australia chased down a target of 165 with 31 balls to spare. Spencer Johnson took 2 for 33 in the first match and was the most economical bowler on either side in the third.The difference in the quality of contributions from the younger players was not lost on Australia’s batting coach Michael di Venuto. “Maybe our fringe players are slightly ahead of where the Proteas players are at the moment,” he said, but quickly cushioned his answer with a confidence booster for the hosts. “That’s not to say they can’t catch up quickly. I wouldn’t be panicking if I was in their dressing room.”Among the mitigating factors for South Africa appearing undercooked is that they have not played international cricket in almost five months since hosting West Indies at the end of last summer. It’s oft-repeated that what takes place in training cannot replicate the intensity in the middle, and this series was further proof of that. Though South Africa’s batting line-up was the most untested department, it was their bowling attack that struggled to consistently threaten Australia despite its experience.Lungi Ngidi, the leader of the attack in the absence of Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje, went wicketless across the series. His variations proved ineffective as he ended up with an economy of 13.78. Lizaad Williams, Coetzee, Marco Jansen, Tabraiz Shamsi and Bjorn Fortuin all conceded more than ten an over; Aiden Markram (8.33) was the only one from the South African camp to go for less than ten. As a result, the bowling attack never looked like one that could win a series, and Walter did not shy away from that reality.”There’s no running away from it – their batting skill was better than what we had to offer with the ball,” he said. “We got a hard lesson in terms of not executing our skills. It was an eye-opener for the bowling unit.”South Africa are yet to appoint a bowling coach for their white-ball outfits after using former internationals Rory Kleinveldt and Quinton Friend in bit-part capacities but Walter confirmed that Eric Simons will accompany them through the ODI series and the World Cup. Simons is a former national coach and has years of experience with Chennai Super Kings in the IPL and their franchise subsidiaries across the world, and South Africa will lean heavily on his knowledge of subcontinent conditions as they prepare for the ODI World Cup.Their squad for the tournament will be named on Tuesday.

A look back at the day-night matches at the ground, which has hosted the most number of such fixtures

Andrew McGlashan13-Dec-2021Australia vs New Zealand, 3rd Test, 2015
A new era dawned (or was lit up) with an intriguing Test full of unknowns that produced a tight, bowler-dominated contest, although Australia’s chase was perhaps a little more comfortable than the final margin suggested. But it could have been very different for New Zealand if Nathan Lyon had been given out caught at slip via a sweep onto his arm, on 0, when Australia were still 84 behind – the third umpire deemed Hot Spot inconclusive and there was no mark on Snicko. A combination of seam and spin had brought New Zealand back into the game after Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood had shared six first-innings wickets. However, after Lyon’s reprieve, him and Starc, who was injured and did not bowl in the second innings, helped Peter Nevill add 108 runs for the last two wickets. In the absence of Starc, Hazlewood shouldered the burden and claimed six wickets while Mitchell Marsh nipped out three to set up the chase. When Steven Smith was lbw to Trent Boult, Australia were wobbling on 66 for 3, but Shaun Marsh made a superb 49 while there were vital hands from Adam Voges and Mitchell Marsh to bring the target in sight.Related

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Australia vs South Africa, 3rd Test, 2016Usman Khawaja’s magnificent 145 put Australia on course for victory – after the team had undergone a clear out following a series-deciding thrashing in Hobart – and cancelled out equally fine centuries from Faf du Plessis and Stephen Cook. Hazlewood continued to show his craft with the pink ball as his four wickets reduced South Africa to 161 for 7 on the opening day before du Plessis turned the innings around with the lower order for company. Then, having noticed David Warner was off the field and would be unable to open, he declared late on the first day to try and catch out Australia’s top order. It didn’t work, and the promoted Khawaja played one of his finest innings, while half-centuries for Smith, debutant Peter Handscomb and Starc secured a strong lead. South Africa could never quite form the substantial partnerships needed second time around with Cook the last man out to give Starc his fourth wicket. Warner, Smith and the obdurate Matt Renshaw ensured the chase was always in hand.Jonny Bairstow was bowled to confirm Australia’s victory by 120 runs in the second Test in 2017•Getty ImagesAustralia vs England, 2nd Test, 2017Australia took hold of this match with a hefty first innings, having been put into bat by Joe Root, but England hauled themselves back into the contest as James Anderson showed his mastery under lights before the batting failed again. Shaun Marsh’s century was the cornerstone after the early hard work of Warner, Khawaja and Smith on a stop-start opening day. England were then largely dismantled in daytime conditions with Lyon backing up the work of the three quicks, but Smith decided against the follow-on even though the night session loomed. That gave England a glimmer with Anderson and Chris Woakes often unplayable as Australia slipped to 50 for 4. The pair ended up sharing nine wickets with only Khawaja and Starc making it to 20. Still, 354 was a huge chase. When Root and Dawid Malan were adding 78 for the fourth wicket, taking the runs required below 200, there were thoughts of a grandstand finish; but Cummins struck late on the fourth night and the final morning was a procession.Australia vs Pakistan, 2nd Test, 2019Tough for batters against the pink ball? Warner make a mockery of that with the second-highest individual score for Australia in Test cricket (behind Matthew Hayden’s 380) as Pakistan were overwhelmed despite finding an unlikely century-maker. Warner, who was caught off a no-ball on 226, and Marnus Labuschagne, feasted on some awful bowling to add 361 in 80 overs for the second wicket with Tim Paine declaring when Warner passed Mark Taylor’s mark and as the lights took hold. Pakistan’s top order was blown away by Starc, but on the third day, Australia’s fielding went to pieces while Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan counterattacked in a 105-run stand. Babar fell short of an elegant hundred, but Yasir brought up an unexpected milestone. Still, Paine was able to enforce the follow-on just as another night-time session took hold amid stoppages for rain, and the quicks again made inroads. In daytime on the fourth day, Lyon mopped up the rest.India bat in the dying moments of their horror innings against Australia in Adelaide in 2020•AFP/Getty ImagesAustralia vs India, 1st Test, 2020The match hurtled to a conclusion on an extraordinary third morning when India were bowled out in 21.2 overs with none of their batters making double figures. It turned what had been a nip-and-tuck contest – with India in front after two days – into an Australian cakewalk done by mid-afternoon. There had been a dramatic start with Starc striking with the second ball of the Test, but Virat Kohli was masterful to lead India to the relative strength of 188 for 3 when the innings turned on a run-out created by Hazlewood’s athleticism and an awful mix-up with Ajinkya Rahane which exposed the middle order under lights. However, India’s 244 was enough for a handy lead, with R Ashwin taking out the middle order, and it would have been more without one of the best innings of Paine’s Test career. Though Prithvi Shaw again fell early, the talk was of India building a lead of somewhere around 250. Those ideas disappeared amid a flurry of edges against Hazlewood and Cummins in a scarcely believable 15 overs on the third day. It did not, however, define the series.

Oliver Peake, the left-hand batter, played a key innings in the 2024 final against India and has since represented Australia A

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Dec-2025Victoria batter Oliver Peake will captain Australia Under-19s at next year’s World Cup in Namibia and Zimbabwe as they look to defend their title.Left-hand batter Peake was the youngest member of the side that defeated India in the 2024 final, where he made an unbeaten 46, and has already represented Australia A, and travelled with the Test squad to Sri Lanka earlier this year as a development player.He made 92 against Sri Lanka A in Darwin in July and guided Victoria to victory in their first Sheffield Shield game of the season with a composed 70 not out against South Australia. He is also contracted to Melbourne Renegades for the BBL but the World Cup means he will miss the second half of the tournament.Peake is the only player from the previous World Cup to be part of this edition.The Australia squad includes three uncapped players: Naden Cooray, Nitesh Samuel and William Taylor, who are all from New South Wales. Samuel was Player of the Tournament at the recent U-19 National Championships where he was the leading run-scorer with 364 at 91.The squad will be coached by Tim Nielsen, the former Australia head coach, with support from Luke Butterworth and Travis Dean.”We’re delighted to announce a strong and well-balanced squad for the ICC Under-19 World Cup,” Nielsen said. “Our focus has been on selecting a group with complementary skill sets that provide the best chance of success in tournament.”The players named have impressed with their performances during the U-19 series against India in September and at the recent National U-19 Championship in Perth.”It’s an exciting group, some have already experienced senior training environments, while others are progressing rapidly through our pathway. The World Cup is a fantastic opportunity for these young cricketers to showcase their talent and test themselves against the best in the world.”From Australia’s 2024 U-19 World Cup squad, Sam Konstas has already played Test cricket while fast bowler Mahli Beardman has been part of ODI and T20I squads.Australia’s most recent one-day series saw them lose 3-0 to India in September. They have been grouped with Ireland, Japan and Sri Lanka for the first round of the World Cup.Australia Under-19 World Cup squadOliver Peake (capt), Kasey Barton, Naden Cooray, Jayden Draper, Ben Gordon, Steven Hogan, Thomas Hogan, John James, Charles Lachmund, Will Malajczuk, Nitesh Samuel, Hayden Schiller, Aryan Sharma, William Taylor, Alex Lee Young