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Big picture: Threat of 3-0 overshadows Southee fanfare

From whitewash to whitewash? It would be quite a humbling for New Zealand, after their exploits in India – though there is still time to salvage some pride. While they have been blanked at home by Australia on several recent occasions, those have tended to be two-Test series. Only twice have they lost three out of three in New Zealand: against Australia in 1999-2000, and England in 1962-63.We are not there yet, but it has been a lacklustre series for Tom Latham’s side, their performance marred by dropped catches in Christchurch and a tentativeness that allowed England to run away with the game in Wellington, despite being inserted in ideal seam-bowling conditions. As is the New Zealand way, the response has been measured ahead of the third Test, with a return for Will Young, not a result of selectorial axe-wielding, but to allow Devon Conway time off for the birth of his first child.Young was Player of the Series in India and perhaps he can help them rediscover their mojo from that tour. While their shock 3-0 win kept alive hopes of another World Test Championship appearance, those have now been extinguished, and the sense of a team in transition is likely to continue. Of the XI that beat India in the 2021 WTC final, only Latham, Conway, Kane Williamson and Tim Southee have been involved against England. Conway may return, despite only averaging 21.44 in Tests this year, but Southee is already in the departure lounge after signalling that this series would be his last.It has not been the farewell Southee would have hoped for, despite the romantic notion of bowing out against the same opposition as when he started. His debut in Napier almost 17 years ago coincided with England’s last Test series win in New Zealand, but there was no doubting that Southee was a talent to watch after claiming a five-for then hammering 77 off 40 in a doomed run-chase. Plenty of neutrals will hope that he can summon something fittingly impactful on his last appearance at his home ground, Seddon Park, where the Pavilion End has been temporarily renamed the Tim Southee End for this match.Tim Southee prepares for his farewell match at Seddon Park•Getty Images

For England, while there may be a sense of “job done”, having taken the series with one to play, there is the clear incentive to finish an up-and-down year in Tests with a 10th win from 17. Much of the discussion around the team has been about rebooting and retooling for the challenges ahead – namely India at home next year followed by the Ashes in Australia – but they go into this game with Ben Stokes emphasising the need to take each challenge as it comes.And with more than five months until their next assignment, against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge, England’s final outing of 2024 has the potential to linger in the memory. Can Zak Crawley end his bizarre hoodoo against New Zealand? Will Jacob Bethell produce the definitive performance that says he is here to stay in the Test side? Is Chris Woakes quietly becoming a reliable overseas option at the grand old age of 35? This may be a dead rubber in the old sense, where even WTC points will be inconsequential, but there are still points to prove on both sides.

Form guide

New Zealand LLWWW
England WWLLW

In the spotlight: Tim Southee and Zak Crawley

Tim Southee‘s record this year (15 wickets at 61.66) certainly suggests that the time has come, but perhaps the announcement should have been saved for nearer the curtain call. He has been a passenger in the series, repeatedly coming under attack from England’s batters and relegated to batting at No. 11 at Basin Reserve, where he suffered the added ignominy of being the concluding wicket in Gus Atkinson’s hat-trick. Southee’s record for New Zealand speaks for itself but he probably wouldn’t mind his numbers doing the talking (in a good way) one last time.Zak Crawley has experienced more ups and downs than a toaster in an elevator during his time as an England player, and has long since learned to stay level. Whether he is even aware that he averages 10.15 from 10 Tests against New Zealand, across five separate series dating back to his debut at Seddon Park in 2019, is up for debate – and doubtless England won’t factor it into their thinking at all next summer. But just for his own satisfaction, he would surely like to lay a glove on Matt Henry, who has dismissed him four times in 19 deliveries without conceding a run this series.

Team news: Young in for Conway

Young will slot in at opener – having most recently batted at No. 3 – while New Zealand could also opt to bring in Mitchell Santner as a frontline spin option in place of Nathan Smith.New Zealand: 1 Tom Latham (capt), 2 Will Young, 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Rachin Ravindra, 5 Daryl Mitchell, 6 Tom Blundell (wk), 7 Glenn Phillips, 8 Mitchell Santner/Nathan Smith, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Matt Henry, 11 Will O’RourkeEngland’s players filtered into Hamilton under their own steam on Wednesday and were not due to train until Friday. Woakes has been spared a third Test back to back, with Matt Potts coming in for his second appearance of the winter.England: 1 Zak Crawley, 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Jacob Bethell, 4 Joe Root, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Ollie Pope (wk), 7 Ben Stokes (capt), 8 Gus Atkinson, 9 Brydon Carse, 10 Matt Potts, 11 Shoaib Bashir

Pitch and conditions: Green from the outset

There has been plenty of rain in the build-up – New Zealand’s training was cut short after 30 minutes on Thursday – and the pitch has largely been under covers. But a glorious Friday meant the pitch was opened up to bright blue skies, and with a balmy weekend forecast, the pitch is likely to get baked. Seddon Park has been something of a stronghold for New Zealand, who have won seven of their last nine Tests there. Most recently, against South Africa in February, the ground saw three scores of under 250 before flattening out for the hosts to comfortably chase 267 three down in the fourth innings. The weather could play a part through the Test, with showers forecast on day three.

Stats and trivia

• New Zealand haven’t lost a Test at Seddon Park since South Africa beat them by nine wickets in 2012.
• Kane Williamson averages 94.26 at the ground, with six hundreds – including a career-best 251 against West Indies in 2020.
• England have played two Tests in Hamilton: a high-scoring draw in 2019 and defeat by 189 runs in 2008, which precipitated the dropping of Steven Harmison and Matthew Hoggard for James Anderson and Stuart Broad.
• Having lost 2-0 to Australia earlier in the year, New Zealand could equal their worst losing sequence of five in a row at home, set in 1955-56.
• Joe Root needs 114 runs to become the fifth man to 13,000 in Tests. Gus Atkinson is two wickets shy of 50.

Quotes

“Any Test match you play for New Zealand, it’s another opportunity to perform your skills as best you can. We certainly don’t need any motivation for what we’re trying to do. The crowds that we’ve had, we know we haven’t played to our potential the last couple of games, but hopefully we can put a good show on for the fans. We really appreciate their support.”
“Seventeen [Tests] in a year is a lot when you add the other cricket, long tough slog but a really good year. Played some good cricket, found some extraordinarily talented players who have shown they’re capable of delivering big performances on the biggest stage, which is playing for your country. So overall, really happy.”

Cricket Australia’s CEO Nick Hockley has defended the selectors’ decision to rest Australia’s Test players from the series-deciding ODI loss to Pakistan in Perth, but has revealed that CA is looking closely at the travel schedule for next summer’s white-ball series against India prior to Ashes to try and ensure Australia can field its best XI more often.CA and Australia’s selectors have faced some public criticism in the aftermath of Sunday’s ODI series loss when Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, Steven Smith and Marnus Labuschagne were all rested from the trip to Perth to freshen up before the first Test, despite an 11-day gap between the last ODI and the first Test, which is also in Perth, from November 22.But it is understood it had been long-planned from when the schedule was announced that the fast bowlers in particular would rest from the final ODI ahead of the Test series with a massive summer including seven Tests across the Border-Gavaskar series and the Sri Lanka tour, followed by the Champions Trophy.Related

• Pakistan quicks set up famous series win in Australia

• When Pakistan turned the land down under into upside-down land

Australia’s strength and conditioning and medical staff have strong historical data that suggests that their fast bowlers are at huge risk of injury off a one-day break with a lengthy flight included, as was the case with the third ODI in Perth scheduled on Sunday, just two days after the second ODI in Adelaide. Australia experienced a very recent example of that issue in the UK when they lost six fast bowlers to injury, even without the issue of lengthy domestic flights included.It is understood that even if the third ODI was in Sydney, it is unlikely the three quicks would have played all three matches in any case although the match that they rested may have changed.”The amount of planning and work that goes into into squad selection and preparation across three formats, it is incredible in the detail they go to,” Hockley said at the MCG on Tuesday.”Certainly, in terms of the Test players, we want to get them through what’s effectively seven Test matches, kind of back to back, and then for the all-format players into the Champions Trophy. It was felt on this occasion it was in the best interest of the overall priorities for the summer that they miss out on the third ODI.”Hockley said the lessons of last week will be fresh in the mind when CA finalises the schedule for next summer’s white-ball series against India, which leads into the Ashes.”I think we will have a look at that,” Hockley said. “I think what this schedule has really shone a spotlight on is that the travel schedule into such a big series is critical again. This is about thinking ahead and getting players through in the best possible condition. So, yeah, as we look to the schedule for next year, we’ll get right into the detail to make sure that the travel schedule is optimised so we can continue to put our best possible XI on the field.”The major issue is that the commercial needs do not necessarily match those of the team. In an ideal world, Australia believe they could field their full-strength XI in all three games of a week-long ODI series if they were spaced out evenly with three-day gaps in between each game. But such a scenario would mean that the middle game of the series would fall on a Wednesday in early November while the work and school year were still in full swing in Australia, which is sub-optimal for broadcasters and venues to maximise viewers and crowd numbers. As a result, there is a preference for Friday and Sunday games on the same weekend with the teams travelling in between.Pakistan played the same XI in all three games, with their four quicks backing up a superb performance in Adelaide with an even better display in Perth. But none of the four played in the last two Tests against England before the tour to Australia, and Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah will both be rested from Pakistan’s upcoming tour of Zimbabwe, which follows this week’s T20I series, to further illustrate the difficulties all countries have of fielding full strength XIs for every international game.”We often have been criticised in the past for not giving new players an opportunity to come in,” Hockley said. “There was a plan in place, and that plan was really to make sure that our all-format players were in absolutely peak condition for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar series.”This was obviously a massively disappointing result, but I think a really good opportunity to expose some of the talent that’s coming through to the pressures of international cricket. And on this occasion, I think they were they were found wanting by a very competitive and spirited Pakistan.”

Manchester United have a huge task on their hands this summer if they are to be successful in the Premier League throughout the 2025/26 campaign.

The Red Devils ended the previous season in a measly 15th place, with Ruben Amorim unable to transform the club’s situation after taking the reins at Old Trafford.

If he is to be a success during his time in the role, he will need to receive backing from the hierarchy, with all areas of the pitch in desperate need of investment.

Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha have already made the move to join the Amorim revival, adding needed talent and depth into the forward line after netting 35 combined league goals last season.

However, if the side are to stand the best chance of rising up the Premier League in the near future, further signings will need to be made between now and the end of the current window.

The latest on United’s hunt for new signings this summer

Ollie Watkins is a player who’s been firmly on United’s radar over recent weeks, unsurprisingly so given his record of 16 league goals for Aston Villa last season.

A £60m price tag has been quoted for the 29-year-old’s signature this summer, potentially a figure that’s too high given he’s entering the back end of his professional career.

However, another name has been thrown into the mix over recent days, with Juventus star Dušan Vlahović firmly in their sights this summer, according to the Daily Mail.

They claim that the Red Devils have already been in talks with the Serie A side over a deal to land the Serbian international after he netted 17 goals across all competitions last time around.

The report also states that a deal could also see Jadon Sancho depart in the opposite direction, with the Italian outfit still interested in a move for the winger.

Why United’s latest target would be a better signing than Sesko

Alongside Watkins, RB Leipzig forward Benjamin Sesko has also been touted with a move to join United, potentially costing the Red Devils a pretty penny in the process.

The Slovenian international has been one of Europe’s hottest talents, with the forward highlighting the quality he possesses last season despite his tender age.

He managed to net 21 goals for the Bundesliga side across all competitions, helping Ole Werner’s men end the 2024/25 campaign in an impressive seventh position.

However, given he’s just 22, the German outfit are currently demanding a fee in the region of £67m for his signature, a price tag which may put United off, given their heavy spending already this window.

As a result, the likes of Vlahovic have also been taken into consideration, with the Serbian subsequently handing Amorim’s side a cheaper alternative to Sesko.

Despite his cheaper valuation of just £15m, the 25-year-old would also be a better on-field addition, as he managed to better the Leipzig star in various key areas throughout 2024/25.

Vlahovic, who’s been labelled “world-class” by Bologna boss Vincenzo Italiano, may have registered fewer combined goals and assists, but because of his tally of fewer games played, he’s actually registered more contributions per 90.

Games played

29

33

Goals & assists

14

18

Goals & assists per 90

0.71

0.68

Shots on target

1.3

1.1

Pass accuracy

69%

67%

Carries into opposition box

0.9

0.5

Key passes made

0.8

0.7

He also registered more shots on target per 90, highlighting the threat he possesses with the ball at his feet in front of goal, potentially putting an end to United’s dismal run in front of goal.

The former Fiorentina talent’s dominance is further reflected in his higher tallies of passes completed and more key passes per 90, subsequently having the tools to provide others around him with opportunities in the final third.

Given the difference in price tags and also the stats produced, it’s evident that Vlahovic would be an excellent addition for United during the current window.

If he can replicate his form from Serie A in England, it would be a sensational signing and one that could allow them to forget about any expensive deal for Sesko.

Better than Sesko: Man Utd in talks to sign "one of the best STs in Europe"

Manchester United could be about to forget about Benjamin Sesko with another move elsewhere.

ByEthan Lamb Jul 25, 2025

Jordan Cox’s absence through illness keenly felt as challengers slump to 145-run loss

ECB Reporters Network03-Jul-2024Tom Lawes was Surrey’s last-day hero with four for 26 as they bowled out Essex for 215 to complete a 145-run victory over their nearest rivals at the Kia Oval and increase their lead at the top of the Vitality County Championship table.Dean Elgar scored a typically defiant 60 but Surrey’s quicker bowlers chipped away relentlessly once morning rain had cleared, with 21-year-old tyro Lawes first taking two wickets in successive balls and then returning after tea to break further Essex resistance from Paul Walter and Michael Pepper.Surrey’s 20-point win, their sixth from nine Division One matches so far this season, was completed with 25.5 overs to spare and they remain on course for three championship titles in a row. In support of Lawes, Jordan Clark finished with three for 56 and Dan Worrall two for 71.Second-placed Essex, rightly, will be sore that they effectively had to play a vital top-of-table fixture with ten men due to the absence virtually throughout of Jordan Cox, who left the field early on day one feeling unwell. Cox has since had an operation to remove his appendix but ECB regulations allow a substitute only for concussion victims.Perhaps Cox’s full involvement might have made little difference, particularly on a well-grassed pitch that encouraged the seamers throughout, but the 23-year-old came into the game heading Essex’s championship batting averages with 763 runs at 69.36. Losing him to illness was unfortunate enough, but not be able to replace him with another batsman in such circumstances meant Surrey also had to take just 18 wickets overall, not 20.Resuming their second innings on 21 for two, Essex would have been aiming only for survival, rather than an improbable chasing down of a 361-run win target, and a two-hour bad weather interruption early in the day certainly helped their cause.Only 13 balls were bowled at the start, Essex moving quickly to 38 for two as Westley took two fours from Clark’s opening over, before rain ruled out a resumption until after an early lunch at 1.10pm.Elgar and Westley then initially flourished – once Westley had survived a huge early shout for leg-before when a Worrall outswinger squared him up and thudded into his back pad – and the pair took their third wicket alliance to 69 before Lawes’ introduction dramatically swung the contest back in Surrey’s favour.Worrall had been taken for three offside fours in one over by Elgar, while Westley off drove Clark elegantly for four before flicking Worrall away for further boundaries to fine leg and then off his pads to square leg.But, with his second ball, after replacing Worrall at the Vauxhall End, Lawes had Elgar dropped by Dom Sibley at second slip on 36 before, in his second over, removing both Westley and Matt Critchley.Each time Ben Foakes dived to his right to take good catches as perfectly-pitched outswingers took the edge of both Westley and Critchley’s forward defensive bats and, suddenly, Essex were 86 for four with Lawes on a hat-trick.He had to wait until the first ball of his third over for the hat-trick opportunity, only to see Elgar clip away a full ball to deep mid wicket for three to complete his half-century.Lawes’ six-over spell of two for 18 had, however, seriously damaged Essex’s hopes of batting out the day for a draw and, when Worrall returned to replace Lawes in the attack and tempt Elgar into hooking a short ball straight into deep mid wicket’s hands it looked as if the end was nigh for the visitors.Walter and Pepper, though, added 64 until Lawes struck again with the sixth ball after tea to have Pepper held at second slip for 26, and the young fast bowler then bowled Walter for 56 – via an ugly under-edged pull to a ball that was not there for the shot – to leave Essex 194 for seven.Simon Harmer (7) hung around bravely for 42 balls before edging Worrall to Foakes and the next ball, Clark’s first of the following over, pinned Shane Snater lbw for seven to wrap up Surrey’s win.An overall attendance for the match of 13,706, meanwhile, boosted considerably by the 6,300 who turned up to support the club’s Festival of Red Ball Cricket initiative on day one – when the Oval concourses were offering a wide variety of family-friendly activities – is a ground record for a Surrey championship fixture this century.

Birmingham City’s move for a “technical” player is now as much as “95%” complete, according to a positive update from journalist Sebastiao Sousa-Pinto.

Who do Birmingham want to sign?

The Blues know the importance of building on their League One title win and cementing their place in the Championship next season, with new signings required to take Chris Davies’ side to the next level, perhaps following Ipswich’s lead after their back to back promotions.

The financial influence of Tom Wagner and Tom Brady has aided Birmingham greatly in recent years, and supporters are understandably excited to see what the next step will be at the club this summer.

Luton Town centre-back Teden Mengi has been linked with a move to St Andrews in recent days, following a solid 2024/25 season from the former Manchester United player that saw him average 3.9 clearances per game across 20 Championship appearances.

Meanwhile, NEC winger Sontje Hansen has also been mentioned as an exciting target for Birmingham in the summer window, with the 23-year-old representing the Netherlands across five different youth age groups, winning a combined tally of 46 caps. Now, it looks like one player is very close to securing a move to the Midlands.

Birmingham's move for midfielder "95%" done

Speaking on his YouTube channel [via Sport Witness], Sousa-Pinto claimed that midfielder Kanya Fujimoto’s move to Birmingham from Gil Vicente is nearly complete, with the Japanese set to join on a free transfer.

“I’m talking about Kanya Fujimoto, the midfielder whose contract with Gil Vicente ended and who is now a free agent and, as far as I can tell, 90%, 95%, has been agreed with Birmingham City. The clock is still ticking to seal the deal. We’ll have to keep waiting, but the feeling has been very positive for a few weeks now.

“The feeling is still very positive for the transfer to be completed, but we’re still taking it one step at a time until we can close this deal, and Kanya Fujimoto can then join the Championship team as a free agent, once again after his contract with Gil Vicente ended.”

This is great news for anyone of a Birmingham persuasion, with Fujimoto a player who has now proven himself at a high level, making 156 appearances in the Primeira Liga.

The 25-year-old has scored 12 goals and registered 20 assists in Portugal’s top league, while analyst Ben Mattinson has hailed his “technical” quality.

Fujimoto has represented Japan in six age groups, further highlighting his pedigree, and he is a player who could be an instant hit for Birmingham, adding so much quality in midfield areas.

Japan Under-20s

5

0

Japan Under-19s

3

0

Japan Under-18s

6

0

Japan Under-17s

9

0

Japan Under-16s

10

0

Japan Under-15s

1

0

It’s been another quiet week at Ibrox for Rangers, although is that about to change?

So far, the most noteworthy Rangers event of the past few days was Cyriel Dessers’ goal for Nigeria, on target on Wednesday in a friendly tournament against West African rivals Ghana.

Elsewhere, on Tuesday, Rangers confirmed they will face Club Brugge and Middlesbrough in pre-season friendlies at Ibrox in July but, for now at least, there’s still no news as to who will be in charge for those games, or indeed, more importantly, the start of Champions League qualification either.

Well, 95 days on from Philippe Clement’s sacking, could the 49ers finally be about to land their new manager?

Rangers ramping up managerial hunt

A whole host of names have been linked with a move to the Ibrox dugout in recent months, with fierce speculation suggesting Steven Gerrard could be on his way back to Scotland after a failed stint in Saudi Arabia.

Also of interest to the Rangers hierarchy are the likes of Russell Martin and Brian Priske. Yet, there’s another name who looks like he may be edging closer to filling the vacancy.

Manager Focus

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According to a report by Guillem Balague for BBC Sport, the Rangers hierarchy have ‘held fresh talks’ with Davide Ancelotti this week, adding that ‘further discussions’ are scheduled to take place ‘over the next few days’.

Davide has been a long-time assistant to his father Carlo, working at Bayern Munich, Napoli, Everton and Real Madrid.

This month, Carlo left los Blancos by mutual consent to become the new Brazil manager and, at his unveiling, he confirmed “Davide is currently in negotiations with a European team… if he goes to a club, I wish him the best, and if not, he can come back to us.”

Now, it appears increasingly likely that Ancelotti will become the new Rangers head coach, with former Rangers manager Mark Warburton saying that, should he take the job, it would be a “huge step up”, going from being an assistant to occupying the “number one role”.

Well, speaking to STV, Guillem Balague believes Davide to be one of the “most sought-after assistants” in world football, firmly believing he will be a success at Ibrox, so would his arrival be great news for a certain Rangers stalwart?

Why Ancelotti can reignite Tavernier's Rangers career

When James Tavernier joined Rangers from Wigan Athletic for a reported £200k in 2015, the Light Blues were still an SPFL Championship club.

Fair to say, a lot has changed in the subsequent decades, and this has proved to be, inarguably, one of the bargains of the century.

To date, Tavernier has made 513 appearances for the club, only ten men have accumulated more in a Rangers jersey, as the table below outlines.

Rangers players with the most appearances

Players

Career

Appearances

John Greig

1961-78

755

Sandy Jardine

1964-82

674

Ally McCoist

1983-98

581

Sandy Archibald

1917-34

580

David Meiklejohn

1919-36

563

Dougie Gray

1925-46

555

Derek Johnstone

1970-86

546

Davie Cooper

1977-89

540

Peter McCloy

1970-85

535

Ian McColl

1945-60

526

James Tavernier

2015-present

513

All information courtesy of Fitba Stats

Tavernier captained Rangers to the Premiership title in 2020/21, subsequently lifting the League Cup and Scottish Cup too, as well as being the talismanic figure en route to the Europa League Final three seasons ago, scoring seven times during the knockout phase.

However, he has come in for some criticism this season, with Nick McPheat of BBC Sport questioning if he is ‘no longer first choice’, while interim manager Barry Ferguson trialled him as both a centre-back, as part of a back three, as well as at wing-back.

Nevertheless, if Davide’s playing style is at all akin to that of his father, a fluid approach that encourages maximum creativity, this appointment could reinvigorate Tavernier.

Right-back Dani Carvajal was such a prominent attacking figure for Real Madrid, so let’s asses how he compares to Tavernier, with the caveat that the Spanish international has not featured since rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament against Villarreal in early-October.

James Tavernier vs Dani Carvajal

Statistics

Tavernier

Carvajal

2024/25 season

Goals

5

1

Assists

13

1

Big chances created

20

0

2023/24 season

Goals

24

6

Assists

12

5

Big chances created

19

4

2022/23 season

Goals

18

0

Assists

10

5

Big chances created

14

4

2021/22 season

Goals

18

1

Assists

17

4

Big chances created

18

7

Stats courtesy of Transfermarkt and Sofascore

As the table outlines, Tavernier’s attacking output has been absolutely off the scale, notably registering 52 assists since the 2021/22 campaign. Taking you back to that point about an Ancelotti side favouring creativity and you can begin to see why he could take quite a liking to the Gers captain.

While Carvajal’s’s numbers are not quite so astronomical, Tobi Peter of Breaking the Lines documents that his ‘attacking contributions are crucial’ for Real Madrid.

So, with the incoming Ancelotti likely to want his full-back to operate high and wide, this could be exactly the appointment 33-year-old Tavernier needs to reinvigorate his career in Govan.

Related Same agent as Gerrard: Rangers want cheap deal to sign £1m int'l defender

He could arrive with the potential new manager.

Posts ByTom Cunningham May 28, 2025

Sheffield United’s automatic promotion dream is now over with Burnley and Leeds United confirmed as Premier League-bound on a disappointing Easter Monday for the Blades.

Earlier in the day, before United’s pivotal showdown with the Clarets, Leeds resoundingly thumped Stoke City 6-0 in the Championship, with Daniel Farke and Co then needing Chris Wilder’s men to slip up and lose to seal a return to the top-flight.

Their wish would come true to the dismay of the away side at Turf Moor, with their pain only intensified when you consider the hosts also clinched a dramatic passage back up to the top-flight when beating the visitors 2-1.

Anel Ahmedhodzic suffered from a rare off-day in Lancashire, with his clumsiness right before the half-time whistle gifting Josh Brownhill the decisive spot-kick that sent the Clarets up a league.

Ahmedhodzic's off-day at Turf Moor

Ultimately, United’s dismal run of four losses from their last five Championship outings has cost them the glory of automatic promotion, but the Bosnian brute certainly didn’t help matters when putting in a rare bad performance.

The number 15 was definitely fired up for the crunch contest, but it resulted in his overall game looking rash and hot-headed rather than focused, culminating in him clattering into Hannibal Mejbri to gift the home side a golden penalty.

Brownhill would calmly tuck away the opportunity to juxtapose Ahmedhodzic’s reckless approach, with the out-of-sorts 26-year-old going on to commit four fouls in total, on top of uncharacteristically winning just 33% of his duels.

Wilder will need his usually reliable colossus to be more switched on ahead of some huge playoff clashes to come, but whilst Ahmedhodzic did cost his team dear, there was one underperformer for the Blades who was just as bad as the defender in offering very little throughout.

The Blades dud who was just as bad as Ahmedhodzic

It was always going to be a tough ask for the Blades to get the better of a dogged Burnley side, considering the stern hosts have only shipped 15 strikes all season long.

Tom Cannon did manage to break his goalscoring duck at Turf Moor to raise a smile, but it was the efforts of Ben Brereton Diaz down the right wing that would have worried away spectators, irrespective of the ex-Leicester City man managing to salvage some personal pride.

Brereton Diaz’s performance in numbers
Stat	Ben Brereton Diaz
Minutes played	60
Goals scored	0
Assists	0
Touches	16
Shots on target	0
Accurate passes	5/9 (56%)
Total duels won	0/4
Stats by Sofascore

The numbers from the table above do make for some dire reading, with the Chilean only managing a meagre 15 touches of the ball from his forgettable 60-minute stint.

On top of that, Brereton Diaz also failed to register a single on-target effort at James Trafford’s formidable goal, alongside only managing to muster up a weak five passes of the ball that found their intended target.

Whilst Ahmedhodzic was notably poor, he did manage to at least win three of his duels during the contest, with Brereton Diaz then unsurprisingly hooked off by Wilder for Jesurun Rak-Sakyi to gain a run-out.

After all, Rak-Sakyi had at least bagged in United’s last away contest before this miserable outing to Lancashire, with his late efforts at Turf Moor seeing him conjure up one successful dribble among other promising moments.

If the Blades are to bounce back from this agonising promotion near-miss, Wilder could now have to axe Brereton Diaz from his forthcoming lineups, knowing full well that lethal displays are needed in the lottery of the playoffs.

Sheffield United sold a star for £2m, now he's way better than Cannon

The former Sheffield United striker is now way better than Tom Cannon.

By
Dan Emery

Apr 16, 2025

All the stats highlights from India’s win against Pakistan in the Asia Cup final

Sampath Bandarupalli28-Sep-20253:17

Which Indian spinner had the biggest impact?

9 – Asia Cup titles for India, the most for any team. The 2025 edition is India’s second Asia Cup title in the T20 format, following their previous win in 2016. They have seven titles in the ODI format – in 1984, 1988, 1990, 1995, 2010, 2018 and 2023. Sri Lanka have won six titles (five ODIs and one T20) at the Asia Cup, while Pakistan have won two (both ODIs).9-0 – India’s win-loss record while chasing against Pakistan in T20Is. These are the most matches for a team with a 100% chasing record against an opponent. It also extended the unbeaten streak of the chasing team winning in India vs Pakistan T20Is played in Dubai. Of those six meetings, India have won four and Pakistan two.127 – Runs India needed at the fall of their third wicket. It’s the second-highest they have successfully chased in a T20I after losing three wickets. The most is 134, also against Pakistan, at the 2022 T20 World Cup, where they were 26 for 3 in a chase of 160.113 – Pakistan’s total at the fall of their second wicket, the highest from which any team have been bowled out for under 150 in men’s T20Is. The previous highest was 112 by Cayman Islands against Bermuda earlier this year, when they were bowled out for 142.33 – Runs added by Pakistan’s last eight partnerships, the fewest by the team in a men’s T20I. Pakistan’s previous fewest was 56 against Australia in Hobart last year.Kuldeep Yadav got three wickets in an over•Asian Cricket Council5 – Four-wicket hauls for Kuldeep Yadav in T20Is, the joint most for India alongside Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Three of Kuldeep’s four wickets on Sunday came in his last over, the fifth instance of him taking three (or more) in an over. Only Rashid Khan (6) has done it more often than Kuldeep in men’s T20Is (where data is available).69* – Tilak Varma’s score against Pakistan on Sunday. Only four players have scored more from No. 4 or lower in a men’s T20I final. It is also the second-highest individual score in the T20 Asia Cup finals.36 – Wickets for Kuldeep in Asia Cup across ODI and T20 formats. It’s the most by a bowler, surpassing Lasith Malinga’s 33. Kuldeep has taken 17 of them in T20 Asia Cups (all in this edition), the joint-most by any bowler.3 – Sixes hit by Sahibzada Farhan off Jasprit Bumrah in T20Is – the most by any batter against Bumrah. Farhan scored 51 runs off 34 balls against Bumrah across three innings this Asia Cup. No Pakistan batter had hit a six off Bumrah in the 14 overs he had bowled against them in T20Is before this tournament, but they hit four across 11.1 overs through this tournament.

A recap of what’s happened with the pink ball at the Gabba, and someone overall numbers for Australia in day-night Tests

Andrew McGlashan24-Jan-2024 vs Pakistan, 2016-17Asad Shafiq almost pulled off a miracle for Pakistan, getting them to within 40 of what would have been a world-record chase. Adding 71 with Yasir Shah into the final afternoon, Australia were getting nervous before a brute of a delivery from Mitchell Starc removed Shafiq for a brilliant 137.For the majority of the game, it never looked like being so close. Australia were in the early stages of rebuilding their batting order after the series loss to South Africa a few weeks earlier. Peter Handscomb had scored a maiden Test century in a stand of 172 with Steven Smith, while fellow newcomer Matt Renshaw made 71.In reply, Pakistan were blown away under lights on the second evening as Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Jackson Bird wreaked havoc. Hazlewood was on a hat-trick when he removed Babar Azam and Younis Khan.After opting not to enforce the follow-on Australia quickly built their lead before leaving a target of 490. There was more top-order resistance this time, but at 220 for 6 a comfortable victory was on the cards, particularly with another night session to come. That wasn’t how it worked out.vs Sri Lanka, 2018-19Pat Cummins and Jhye Richardson enjoyed themselves against Sri Lanka five years ago•Getty ImagesDespite Australia coming off a series defeat to India, Sri Lanka were predictably overwhelmed by their pace attack. Pat Cummins led the way with what remains his career-best match figures while Jhye Richardson made a mark on his Test debut.It was Nathan Lyon who claimed the first wicket of the Test, but from then on it was the home side’s quicks who got to work. Sri Lanka were bundled out in little more than two sessions on the opening day, although Australia didn’t initially have it all their own way with the bat.Early on the second day they were 82 for 4 before Marnus Labuschagne and Travis Head – at the time junior members of the team – added 166 for the fifth wicket.Cummins struck with the final ball of the second day and Australia did not even need the assistance from the night-time session to complete victory with Cummins taking the first four wickets of the innings.Key statsAll of Australia’s bowlers have formidable records with the pink ball, led by Starc in terms of the wicket tally.Australia have never lost a day-night Test with their batters finding a way to score enough runs, and sometimes filling their boots. Labuschagne and Head have been particularly profitable.Although the sample size is small with just the two matches, the third session of the day has the lowest bowling average in day-night Tests at the Gabba. In Adelaide, which has hosted seven day-night Tests, it’s the first session of the day.

ESPNcricinfo’s Sri Lanka correspondent tries to make sense of the latest mismatch between these two teams

Andrew Fidel Fernando06-Mar-2022A scene from a principal’s office, somewhere in IndiaAh yes, you. Come. Come. Sit down, please.You know why you’re here, no?, please. Of course, we both know why we’re here.It is fine for you to be good at cricket. Something to be proud of even. That we can understand and allow. But why must you always take it to this extent? Why can you not sense when enough is enough?What do I mean? WHAT DO I MEAN? Thrashing that poor Sri Lanka team is what I mean. This is not the first time. Or the second time. Don’t think we have not noticed.Related

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Look here. Nagpur 2017 – an innings and 239 runs. Pallekele 2017 – an innings and 171 runs. Galle 2017 – ah, there you won only by 304 runs. Verrry kind. Do I have to go on? Ah, you want me to check the ODI file?You know what Sri Lanka has to deal with, don’t you? This, you should know by now. Their home circumstances…Lowers voice. Listen, they haven’t kept a coach for more than two years. It’s a very pathetic situation. More than ten coaches in ten years. Like a revolving door only…Let’s not even talk about their board. In this match, you hit 574 runs in the first innings. Between all of their top-level officials, they can’t even muster that many brain… I feel so unkind to even say these things. But you get the picture.And your Ravindra Jadeja. My god. By himself, he is scoring 175 not out. You’re not letting them score even that much for the whole team in the first innings. As if that wasn’t enough he takes nine wickets. NINE. Can you imagine? In more than 129 overs, all of Sri Lanka took eight, . Can you possibly explain this behaviour? These people are your neighbours. Some dignity they must have, no?Scoring all these runs even after they obviously chose the wrong attack for this pitch, and their fast bowler Lahiru Kumara broke down on the first day. Three times in the last three years he has injured himself in the middle of a Test. For years we know they’ve had these problems, no? Did you know they have banned bum-pats in their team because they are worried they will do a career-ending injury?What are India going to do after this? Throw rocks at puppies? Please stop•BCCIHey. Do not laugh. Do NOT laugh. This is not funny.We have also got news today from our sister school that the women’s team has also thumped a neighbour today. Niiiice little operation you have got going between the two of you, no? Well done.Look, just have some mercy, no? Even your No. 8 has five Test centuries. Their No. 7 – this Dickwella fellow – has collected four more ICC demerit points than centuries.Look at your attack, also . You have R Ashwin who is the best offspinner India have produced. You have this crazy Jadeja fellow. Then if that’s not enough this wicked Bumrah character who will bowl full overs full of yorkers, and send some nasty bouncers, and if that wasn’t enough, bowl his vicious little cutters and slower balls. What a twisted mind this fellow must have. And fast-bowling uncle Shami to skid balls into the pads also. You saw, no? How he bowled one at off stump and got the Sri Lankan captain – their best batter – into such a tangle he edged it to the keeper?What will you do after this match? Go and throw some rocks at some puppies? Get together and poke fun at chubby children? Please stop. Please, please know when to stop.What?You’re doing what in the next week?You’re going to play them in a pink-ball Test?!With your attack? Against their top order? Get out. I can’t bear the sight of you. Get out of my room immediately.