The six-foot-six cricketer talks about how he evolved from a chubby kid to a death-overs specialist

Firdose Moonda09-Oct-2025If you’re interested in gaining height, Zimbabwe’s Richard Ngarava, who stands at 1.98 metres, is willing to let you in on his secret.”Anyone who asks me how I got tall, I tell them I only ate vegetables,” Ngarava says, the day after he helped Zimbabwe qualify for next year’s T20 World Cup. He is, of course, not being entirely serious, but his growth spurt from a “chubby and short” young teen to a lean, lanky one coincided with him deciding to take his health seriously.”I put myself on a diet, and I don’t even know why I did it,” he says. “At that time I was a batter and I bowled a bit of spin but in Grade Nine everything just changed. For close to four years, I was on a diet and I made sure I didn’t miss any gym sessions. As a young boy, I loved pizza and fried chicken but I cut those out and told myself I am going to eat fruits and vegetables, and drink water only. That’s when I became tall.”Related

• Namibia, Zimbabwe qualify for 2026 men's T20 World Cup

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• Zimbabwe seal Sylhet thriller to complete first away Test win since 2021

At the time, Ngarava was a student at Churchill School but playing club cricket in the area he grew up in, Harare’s Highfield, which is home to the famous Takashinga Cricket Club. Also part of the club was Blessing Muzarabani, presumably born tall and currently 2.07 metres. The pair became friends. “We went to different schools but we both played for the same Takashinga age-group team. We’ve been pushing each other since we were Under-12s,” Ngarava says.There was one important difference between the Ngarava and Muzarabani of the early 2000s and the players they are now. “Back then, Blessing was a legspinner and I was mostly a batter,” Ngarava says.Also, incidentally the first time he came to international attention it was, in fact, for something that happened when he was batting. At the 2016 Under-19 World Cup, Ngarava was run-out at the non-striker’s end by Keemo Paul of West Indies. Zimbabwe needed just two runs to win that match when Ngarava was dismissed. The run-out put West Indies in the quarter-final and sparked a debate about the spirit of cricket.”When it happened, I thought it was a ruse,” Ngarava says. “I was not really happy when I walked off the field and everyone else was not happy in the dressing room. We later understood that it was part of the game. But what I didn’t like about the situation was, there was no warning from anyone.”While bowlers are not obliged to warn batters who are backing up too far, and there is no rule against running out a batter at the non-striker’s end, in some circles it is thought of as polite to give a batter a warning. This has been at the heart of some of cricket’s culture wars in recent times.Has Ngarava ever thought of running a non-striker out while bowling? “At some point maybe. But then I figured, nah, I just want to play normal cricket. I don’t want to mess with people’s moods.”Ngarava got into fast bowling looking to hurt people but then realised he liked taking wickets more•AFP/Getty ImagesAgain, not entirely true, because Ngarava says he turned to fast bowling as a teenager because he quite enjoyed just hurting people. Slowly he started to change that outlook. Under the guidance of his school coach George Tande he discovered an ability to swing the ball. “I actually like taking wickets more than hurting people,” he realised.He made Zimbabwe’s age-group sides in his mid-teens and continued to represent Takashinga and was part of their first team. He credits them with his growth, particularly the club’s trips to Uganda, where they played that country’s national side. “We didn’t look at those as just normal games or club games, we looked at them as international games because we were playing Uganda,” he says.One day, when he was around 18, he received a call while he was in Uganda. It was his international call-up.Ngarava made his debut against Afghanistan in an ODI in 2017, and two and a half years after that, played his first T20I. Though he was always comfortable opening the bowling, he soon became interested in bowling at the end of an innings. “I wanted to be the best death bowler in the team,” he says. “But I ended up developing more skills as I played more games. I used to enjoy just bowling yorkers and short balls but I’ve now added some other skills to my game.”The appointment of Charl Langeveldt to Zimbabwe’s coaching staff in the middle of 2024 was a game changer for Ngarava. It was around then that he developed an important weapon.”The wobble seam has done so much for me,” he says. “Sometimes you don’t really know what the ball is going to do [with a wobbly seam] but I just want to target that fifth-stump line or fourth-stump line and whatever the ball is going to do there, I’m quite happy with it.”It’s different from the normal seam, where you can actually see the seam from the hand and it’s easy to pick. I’ve seen the English bowlers are doing it now more often, where they’re wobbling the ball. It’s also different from Jimmy Anderson, where he actually had to make sure that his seam is up for him to swing the ball.”Ngarava got a first hand-hand look at the English bowlers when Zimbabwe toured there earlier this year to play a first Test in that country in over two decades. He was named in the starting XI and bowled nine overs in the first innings but could play no further part in the match after suffering a back injury on day one.Ngarava is ferried off the field after he hurt his back in the Test against England earlier this year•PA Photos/Getty Images”It’s not a nice feeling to get injured and still get to hang around the ground and see the boys playing,” he says. “It was really disappointing considering it was historic. We hadn’t played England for so long and I also wanted to perform,” he says. “I felt bad for the team and I asked myself, ‘Is this the right time to get injured?’ even though I knew I couldn’t control it. I tried to hide those emotions and didn’t show them to anyone.”The issue was caused by a bulging vertebral disc and Ngarava has not played in any of Zimbabwe’s four Tests since. That has been tough because he says playing the longest format is “something that I really want to do”. Of course, Zimbabwe are not part of the World Test Championship, and for now, their focus is on the next two major white-ball tournaments: the 2026 T20 World Cup and the 2027 ODI World Cup. They will co-host the latter with South Africa and Namibia.Getting to the first of those was crucial for maintaining the relevance of Zimbabwe cricket, after they were the only Full Member to miss out on the 2024 T20 World Cup because they lost to Uganda in the qualifiers. This time, Zimbabwe beat Uganda easily, Ngarava removed their best batter Raizat Ali Shah and also finished as the joint leading bowler at the event. In the process he also became the first Zimbabwean to 100 T20I wickets.Ordinarily you would expect a team and one of their key players to celebrate under the circumstances, but Zimbabwe and Ngarava are just relieved. “It was quite nice to qualify in front of the Harare fans but everyone is not really expressing the way they feel,” he says. “Maybe guys are still not sure that we actually qualified. Everyone is just calm about it because we’ve got that understanding of us wanting to actually play for the team more than individual performances.”But there is also excitement. “I can’t wait to be on that plane to India and Sri Lanka and then also play the 50-over World Cup, and hopefully we will do something for the fans.”Ngarava already has some experience of Sri Lanka from his time in the Lanka Premier League in 2023 and on two tours there for Zimbabwe. His LPL appearance was the first of several league gigs, including the BPL and the ILT20, though he hasn’t yet played a game in those last two leagues. Most recently he picked up a deal at Sharjah Warriors in the ILT20, for whom he hopes to play in the UAE ahead of the T20 World Cup. His new-ball partner, Muzarabani, will also be there, for Gulf Giants, as the two bowlers’ journeys continue to mirror each other.”It’s funny how we’re both now seam bowlers,” Ngarava says. “I don’t really know how it happened,” But he does. They’re both very, very tall and he knows how that helps. “Before talent or before anything else, having good height as a fast bowler gives you an extra advantage.”

Opener hits unbeaten 72 off 40 balls to keep Rockets winless

ECB Media10-Aug-2025

Davina Perrin lofts down the ground during her stylish half-century•Nathan Stirk/ECB via Getty Images

Eighteen-year-old Davina Perrin continued her impressive domestic form with a sparkling 42-ball 70 to overpower Trent Rockets in The Hundred.It was Perrin’s first half-century in The Hundred, and the second-highest score by a female English player uncapped at international level. More importantly for Perrin and Northern Superchargers, it took them to the top of the table with two wins from two.”I had a conversation with one of the coaches before and he said: ‘What are you going to do when you go out?’ And I was like: ‘have fun,'” Perrin said. “It was a pretty decent deck, it was coming onto the bat nicely, so it allowed me to lean into it and just try and play strong shots. It’s nice to do it front of so many people and on a decent ground, so happy days.”It was a dominant performance from the team in purple, who were on top straight away and rarely let their foot off the gas, save some customary excellence from Trent Rockets skipper Ash Gardner.The Superchargers had Rockets at 5 for 3 after 18 balls and right up against it, Gardner did her thing to fight back with a 32-ball 61 but it was essentially a lone hand and her side’s eventual total of 128 felt light at a sun-dappled Trent Bridge.Ash Gardner forces one away through the off side•Warren Little/Getty Images

Perrin dominated the opening partnership of 62 with Alice Davidson-Richards and entertained the crowd throughout, with strong shots all around the wicket and even a one-handed scoop. Phoebe Litchfield matched her stroke for stroke with her 10-ball 22 and Annabel Sutherland finished things off in a fittingly creative way, reverse-sweeping through the off-side.It was a performance of great promise from the Superchargers who will feel they’re laying down a marker, for Rockets the need to get a win on the board is getting ever greater.

Also, who was the fastest bowler to 300 Test wickets by time?

Steven Lynch29-Oct-2024New Zealand have just won a Test series in India. Have they ever done that before, and how often have India been whitewashed at home? asked Michael O’Sullivan from New Zealand
New Zealand had never previously won any of their 12 Test series in India, and indeed had won only two previous Tests there – in Nagpur in October 1969, and in Mumbai in November 1988. That first win enabled them to draw the series 1-1, and a two-match rubber in 2003-04 was drawn 0-0; India won the other ten. New Zealand have done much better at home, winning six series (and ten Tests overall).India might have lost the series after their defeat in Pune, but there’s still another Test to come so it’s too early to talk about a whitewash. The only time they have ever lost every match of a series (more than one Test) at home was in 1999-2000, when South Africa won both matches. They did lose three-match series 2-0 to England in 1933-34 (the first Tests in India), Australia in 1956-57 and West Indies in 1966-67. As this list shows, India have lost three matches in five longer series at home, which included 3-0 defeats to West Indies in 1958-59 (five Tests) and 1983-84 (six).I saw that Kagiso Rabada was the fastest to reach 300 Test wickets in terms of balls bowled, but who got there fastest by time? asked Andy Johnson from England
You’re right that Kagiso Rabada was the fastest to reach 300 Test wickets by balls bowled – he got there when he dismissed Mushfiqur Rahim during South Africa’s recent Test against Bangladesh in Mirpur. That wicket came with Rabada’s 11,817th legal delivery in a Test, 132.3 overs quicker than Waqar Younis (12,602), who himself was three balls quicker than Dale Steyn.The fastest in terms of time was Shane Warne, who got there in six years and three days from his debut against India in Sydney in January 1992. R Ashwin ran Warne close, reaching 300 in November 2017, six years and 21 days after his debut. Rabada played his first Test in November 2015, so is well down this particular list, in 15th place.Was Zimbabwe’s 344 the other day a T20 international record? asked Burton Mugambwa from Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe ran up 344 for 4 in their match against Gambia in Nairobi last week, during the African qualifying tournament for the next T20 World Cup. It was not only the highest in a T20 international, but the biggest in any senior men’s T20 match, beating Nepal’s 314 for 3 against Mongolia in the Asian Games in Hangzhou (China) in September 2023. As mentioned two weeks ago in this column, there have been higher totals in women’s T20 internationals.Zimbabwe won by 290 runs, another record for men’s T20s, beating Nepal’s 273 in the match mentioned above. Argentina’s women won successive games against Chile in October 2023 by 364, 281 and 311 runs.Sikandar Raza reached his century – Zimbabwe’s first in T20s – against Gambia in just 33 balls, putting him joint-second in men’s T20 internationals behind Sahil Chauhan’s 27-ball onslaught for Estonia against Cyprus in Episkopi in June 2024. That’s also the fastest in all men’s T20 matches.Sydney Barnes’ 189 wickets came in just 27 Tests, an average of seven wickets a Test•PA PhotosPrabath Jayasuriya currently has 97 wickets in 16 Tests – that’s more than six a match. Has anyone else had a higher average? asked Nishantha de Silva from Sri Lanka
Slow left-armer Prabath Jayasuriya currently averages 6.06 wickets per Test, a rate he’ll have to sustain for a long time to stay ahead of Muthiah Muralidaran, who took 800 wickets in his 133-Test career, at the rate of 6.01 per match.Leading the way is the great England bowler Sydney Barnes, who took 189 wickets in just 27 Tests, an average of exactly seven per match. Among those who took 50 or more Test wickets, the only others above six are three 19th-century bowlers in Jack Ferris (6.77 wickets per Test), Tom Richardson (6.28) and George Lohmann (6.22). Lohmann is the only man to have more wickets after 16 Tests (101) than Jayasuriya’s 97.The only other current bowler who averages more than five wickets per Test is R Ashwin, who stood at 5.12 per match after the second Test against New Zealand in Pune.Saim Ayub opened the batting and the bowling in Rawalpindi. How often has this happened in a Test? asked Abdul Hameed Majeed from Pakistan
Offspinner Saim Ayub took the new ball for Pakistan in the third Test against England in Rawalpindi – a one-over spell before Noman Ali returned! He’d earlier opened the batting, and became the 70th man to do both in the same Test. There are now 154 instances in all, and two Indian allrounders lead the way: Manoj Prabhakar did it no fewer than 22 times, and ML Jaisimha 13. Next come Pakistan’s Mudassar Nazar (nine times) and Abid Ali of India (six).The most recent instance before Saim Ayub was by Solomon Mire, for Zimbabwe against West Indies in Bulawayo late in 2017; the previous year Dilruwan Perera did it for Sri Lanka against Australia in Colombo. Perhaps the most surprising name on the list is another Indian, Budhi Kunderan, against England at Edgbaston in July 1967 – he was usually a wicketkeeper!Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

With Pant, Rahul and Iyer back in the auction pool, IPL 2025 will witness a leadership shake-up

Dustin Silgardo31-Oct-20241:19

Moody: Pant will break the IPL auction record

Teams focus on Indian players

Retention split: Indians: 36, Overseas: 10As might have been expected, the majority of players retained (78.26%) are Indians. Just two teams have retained more than one overseas player: Sunrisers Hyderabad, who have retained three, and Kolkata Knight Riders, who have retained two. Several teams have retained just one overseas player, while Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings have retained only Indian players.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Batters still dominate retentions

Retention split: Batters: 28, Allrounders: 7, Bowlers: 11
As has historically been the case, teams have focused on retaining batters over bowlers. Notably, Rajasthan Royals have just one bowler, Sandeep Sharma, among their six retentions. Similarly, SRH have just Pat Cummins as a frontline bowler. MI and Chennai Super Kings have slightly better balance since they each have a death bowler (Jasprit Bumrah and Matheesha Pathirana) and an allrounder (Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja). The two teams that have invested heavily in bowlers are Lucknow Super Giants, who have retained Mayank Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi and Mohsin Khan, and KKR, who have kept Harshit Rana and Varun Chakravarthy in addition to allrounders Sunil Narine and Andre Russell.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Eight teams go for uncapped players

In 2022, just four teams had used the option of retaining an uncapped Indian player for INR 4 crore. This time around, eight of the ten teams have done so. Only MI and SRH have not retained an uncapped player. KKR, PBKS, GT and LSG have each retained two uncapped players, the maximum allowed. DC and RCB have retained one each, while CSK and RR have made use of the new rule of players who have not played international cricket for five years being classified as uncapped. CSK have retained MS Dhoni for INR 4 crore while RR have retained Sandeep Sharma for the same amount. A total of 12 uncapped Indian players have been retained.

Just three specialist spinners retained

In recent years, teams have been reluctant to spend big on spinners who don’t also add value with the bat, and that trend continues. Among the 46 retentions, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi and Varun Chakravarthy are the only three retained purely for their spin bowling. Ravindra Jadeja, Rashid Khan, Axar Patel and Sunil Narine are four spin-bowling allrounders among the retentions. Among the experienced spinners going into the auction are Yuzvendra Chahal, R Ashwin, Maheesh Theekshana and Rahul Chahar.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Five teams release their captains

LSG, DC, RCB, PBKS and defending champions KKR have all released their captains. While LSG might look at Nicholas Pooran as a leadership option and RCB may go back to Virat Kohli as captain, it is likely KKR, DC and PBKS will be looking for captains during the auction. This could increase the value of players with captaincy experience. Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, Faf du Plessis, Aiden Markram, Steven Smith and Nitish Rana are among the auction-bound players with prior captaincy experience. Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes, who have captained England, may also be in demand.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Captains sacrifice pay

In addition to the five captains released, three others have agreed to stay at their franchise as second retentions. Hardik Pandya will be paid INR 16.35 crore (less than Jasprit Bumrah), Shubman Gill INR 16.50 crore (less than Rashid Khan), and Pat Cummins INR 18 crore (less than Heinrich Klaasen). The only two captains who are their team’s joint-top retentions are Ruturaj Gaikwad (INR 18 crore) and Sanju Samson (INR 18 crore).Other marquee players have also agreed to lower price slabs to help their teams balance their purses. MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma are notable among them, but Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Axar Patel and Suryakumar Yadav have also agreed to amounts less than what they might have earned in the auction.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

KKR and DC spend less than deductions

KKR and DC are the only teams who have chosen to pay their players less than the total amount they will have deducted from their purse. KKR have spent just INR 57 crore on their six retentions but will have INR 69 crore deducted from their purse since they have retained four capped players, which means a deduction of INR 61 crore, and two uncapped players, which means a deduction of INR 8 crore. Rinku Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Sunil Narine and Andre Russell have all agreed to amounts less than the retention slabs set by the IPL. Delhi Capitals are also paying their capped players less than what they will be deducted for them. Axar Patel will be paid INR 16.50 crore instead of INR 18 crore, Kuldeep Yadav INR 13.25 crore instead of INR 14 crore, and Tristan Stubbs INR 10 crore instead of INR 11 crore.All the other teams have balanced the amounts paid to their retained players so that none, except Punjab Kings, have gone over the minimum deduction. While SRH have paid Heinrich Klaasen INR 5 crore more than the maximum slab, they have saved that amount by paying Nitish Kumar Reddy INR 6 crore instead of INR 11 crore. Similarly, RCB and LSG have saved the extra INR 3 crores they are paying Nicholas Pooran and Virat Kohli by paying their other capped retentions less. Shubman Gill has agreed to be Gujarat Titans’ second retention, at INR 16.50 crore, and the extra INR 2.50 crore spent there has been balanced by paying Sai Sudharsan INR 8.50 crore instead of INR 11 crore. CSK and MI have split their purse too, with Rohit Sharma being paid less than Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav.

Wayne Rooney believes Paul Pogba is among Manchester United's three strangest signings before INEOS bought a stake in the club. The former forward delivered a scathing assessment of the club's transfer strategy before Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Co were onboarded, with their recruitment branded as 'horrendous'.

• Woodward’s chaotic years under the microscope

  Before INEOS’ partial takeover in late 2023, football operations at United were largely overseen by Ed Woodward, who held the executive vice-chairman role from 2012 until his resignation in 2021. His tenure coincided with United’s steady decline from domestic dominance to a club struggling to recapture its identity. Rooney’s comments reflect the frustration felt by fans who watched millions poured into signings that never fully delivered. Pogba’s then-world-record £89 million ($117m) return from Juventus, Romelu Lukaku’s £75m ($99m) switch from Everton, and even the short-term arrival of Zlatan Ibrahimovic on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain have now been framed as decisions which show a lack of footballing vision.

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  Signs of change under INEOS

  Things have started to shift under Ratcliffe and his INEOS group, who assumed control of football operations after buying a 25 per cent stake in the club. Unlike the scattergun approach of previous years, United’s recent transfer strategy has focused on players with Premier League experience or emerging talents from abroad. This summer’s arrivals, like Bryan Mbuemo, Matheus Cunha, and Belgian goalkeeper Senne Lammens, have injected both energy and stability into the side. Each has already cemented a place in Ruben Amorim’s first-team plans, helping United climb to seventh in the Premier League table, unbeaten in their last five matches and sitting on 18 points.

  Speaking on , brought to fans by Sky Bet, Rooney said: "The recruitment at Manchester United before last summer was horrendous. They were just bringing big names in – you look at Lukaku, Zlatan, Pogba – they're good players but they were just bringing names in and spending enormous amounts of money. It's going to take a bit of time to get over those mistakes."

• Amorim's Red Devils finding form

  United’s recent performances suggest a team rediscovering its rhythm. After a shaky start to the 2025–26 campaign, the Red Devils bounced back with three consecutive Premier League wins in October, beating Sunderland, Liverpool, and Brighton. And Rooney believes that the Red Devils could qualify for the Champions League next season.

  "If you look at Manchester United over the last ten years, the players have been absolutely battered," he continued.  "Now they've got a couple of results and you can see a bit of confidence coming back. You can even say that in the manager. They're gradually getting better, there's definitely been some improvement. It's been really tough for Ruben Amorim and I've been critical of him. We are seeing them improve though and players are getting to know each other a bit better. There's some promising signs and although they're not going to win the league they could possibly sneak into the top four."

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  Head coach calls for growth and grit

  But as has so often been the case at Old Trafford, progress has been fragile. November brought back-to-back 2-2 draws against Nottingham Forest and Tottenham, exposing lingering defensive frailties. Speaking to after the Tottenham draw, Amorim acknowledged the mixed emotions.

  He said: "During the game we felt like the three points were there to take home. But then with everything that happened, Harry Maguire and Casemiro coming off and conceding two goals… we scored again and it's a point. When you cannot win you don't lose, once again we did that. We have so much to grow as a team, because today was our day to win this game.

  "We need to look at ourselves, we were not pressing with the same intensity, we felt comfortable but we need to understand that if we had more bravery we kill the game. But sometimes this happens, you have a better first half than second. We believe in our capacity to score goals until the last minute. It's a little frustration, but also pride at the response of the players at the response to second goal of Tottenham. This is the tip of the iceberg, we are at the beginning of becoming a strong team, so we have a lot to do."

  United will return from the international break with a crucial clash against Everton on Monday, November 24. 

Bangladesh coasted home in just 13.1 overs, achieving their third-quickest T20I chase

Abhimanyu Bose01-Sep-2025Bangladesh surged to a 2-0 lead in their three-match series against Netherlands with another comfortable win in the second T20I in Sylhet. Netherlands’ batting failed once again, failing to punish the hosts for some sloppy fielding, and seven of their batters were dismissed for single-digit scores as they slumped to 103 all out.Nasum Ahmed, who replaced Rishad Hossain for this game, finished with three wickets, while Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman continued their wicket-taking form with two apiece.Tanzid Hasan then hit an unbeaten half-century as Bangladesh romped to victory in 13.1 overs, making it their third-quickest chase in T20Is (where overs weren’t reduced).Nasum deals early double-blowEven though Max O’Dowd flicked the first ball for a boundary, it was a cagey start for Netherlands, including a missed run-out chance when Mahedi Hasan failed to collect a throw cleanly at the non-striker’s end in the first over with Vikramjit Singh short of his crease.Nasum’s introduction in the third over brought Bangladesh their first breakthrough, and then another.It was more poor execution of shots than the quality of bowling that brought about the wickets, as O’Dowd skied a half-tracker to mid-on and Teja Nidamanuru miscued a cut off another short ball to short third to give Nasum two in two.Vikramjit kept the boundaries coming, cover-driving Mahedi and sweeping Nasum fine before punching the left-arm spinner through point.But he tried to ramp a slower ball from Taskin in the sixth over, got cramped for room, and ended up spooning a catch to short third.Bangladesh sloppy in the fieldTaskin could have had his second off the next ball when Shariz Ahmad skied the ball attempting a swipe across the line but Tanzim Hasan Sakib, who had taken a good catch off the previous delivery, slipped at deep third and spilled the chance.Bangladesh’s sloppiness in the field continued next over, when they failed to capitalise on a mix-up: Towhid Hridoy first tried to run to the stumps from extra-cover, with the ball, and then sent an underarm throw off-target.But Netherlands couldn’t capitalize as Scott Edwards failed to clear mid-on in the ninth over, with Parvez Hossain Emon taking a good catch running back to give Mustafizur his first wicket.Where Bangladesh let simpler chances go, Saif Hassan produced a moment of brilliance to leave Netherlands five down in the tenth over. He dived to his right to stop a flick from Shariz, leaving non-striker Noah Croes, who had set off for a single before turning back, short of his ground with a direct hit.Taskin Ahmed was among the wickets again•BCBDutt resists, but bowlers have final sayFive became six next ball as a Tanzim bouncer cramped Shariz, who could only glove it behind down the leg side.Sikander Zulfiqar, brought into the XI to bolster Netherlands’ batting, made just two before Mustafizur hit the top of his off stump for his second wicket of the evening.Taskin and Nasum then added to their tallies before Aryan Dutt hauled Netherlands past 100, hitting the only six of the innings off Taskin in the process. But he bottom-edged Mahedi onto his stumps as he tried to go for another big shot, ending Netherlands’ innings on 103 with 2.3 overs left unused.Dutt top-scored with 30 and was one of only three Netherlands batters to record double-digit scores.Emon navigates tricky powerplayBangladesh openers rode their luck in the first couple of overs, with Emon top-edging a reverse-sweep over the keeper and missing out on a conventional sweep.But they enjoyed pace on the ball, with both Emon and Tanzid launching medium-pacer Kyle Klein over mid-off for boundaries.Emon was given out lbw off Paul van Meekeren, but he survived upon reviewing and responded by whipping him behind square leg for four and launching him down the ground for Bangladesh’s first six.However, Klein struck in the final over of the powerplay as Emon lost shape trying to hit a length ball down the ground and ended up edging behind.Tanzid, Litton finish the jobEmon’s wicket came during a spell of 15 balls without a boundary, and Litton broke it with a reverse-sweep behind point off Daniel Doram.When O’Dowd was introduced in the ninth over, Tanzid welcomed him with a six down the ground. In the next over, Tanzid tried to go down the ground again off Doram and was given a life with O’Dowd spilling the chance at long-on.Tanzid slogged O’Dowd over midwicket for a four and a six in his next over, the 12th of the innings, and brought up his half-century off 39 balls in the 13th. The rest of the chase was a formality, and Tanzid sealed the win with a slap down the ground.

Could Daniel Farke be the next Premier League manager in line to face the sack?

While Leeds United have picked up a promising three wins so far in the Premier League, fans of the Elland Road giants will also feel that there’s been a lot of other games this season where their side have been outplayed, with their 3-0 defeat at the hands of Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday falling into this category.

The Seagulls tallied up 14 shots on Lucas Perri’s goal compared to Leeds’ weak five on Bart Verbruggen’s largely untested net, as Fabian Hurzeler’s confident hosts never looked in danger of slipping up throughout their comfortable 90 minutes.

Farke will surely have to ring the changes for Leeds’ next Premier League clash away at Nottingham Forest to try and lift his side to bounce back, and to also save his skin, with Brenden Aaronson at risk of dropping out despite scoring a week prior.

Aaronson's poor performance vs Brighton

Aaronson wanted to kick on in the Whites’ first team picture away at the Amex, having been an exhilarating watch throughout Leeds’ 2-1 home win against West Ham United, with his bundled-in opener after three minutes nearly upstaged by an insane solo strike sailing in.

Yet, the Jekyll and Hyde American was way off it on the South Coast to add to Leeds fans’ frustrations surrounding his inconsistent performances.

Come the close of the match on Saturday, Aaronson failed to complete one single successful dribble from two attempts, failed to hit a single meaningful shot at the home side’s goal, and also only won a weak three duels from the ten he attempted.

It’s night and day from his high-octane showing against Nuno Espirito Santo’s men, where he was 100% successful with all his dribbles, on top of winning a hefty eight duels.

Patience must be extremely thin; therefore, when it comes to Farke choosing to pick Aaronson week in week out, knowing that an unbelievable display is often followed up by the number 11 putting in a disastrous no-show.

But, Aaronson is not the only underperformer in the German’s bad books.

Farke must drop 4/10 Leeds star

Brighton ran the Leeds defence ragged all afternoon long, as Jayden Bogle continually failed to lay a glove on the rampaging Diego Gomez, who would finish the one-sided match with two Premier League goals next to his name.

Joe Rodon also looked way below his usual standards, but the Welshman definitely has enough credit in his bank this season alone to demand he’s still in the first team frame, having popped up with two goals from the back.

Bijol’s performance in numbers
Stat	Bijol
Minutes played	90
Goals scored	0
Assists	0
Touches	81
Accurate passes	73/78 (94%)
Tackles won	0
Interceptions	0
Clearances	3
Blocked shots	0
Ball recoveries	6
Total duels won	1/3
Stats by Sofascore

On the contrary, his centre-back partner on the South Coast in Jaka Bijol, is yet to establish himself as a fan’s favourite, and he certainly won’t have endeared himself to the hardened West Yorkshire masses with his ropey showing against Hurzeler’s runaway hosts.

Indeed, away from spraying the ball about with some assurance, the brand-new Leeds’ number 15 struggled to contain the likes of Danny Welbeck throughout, leading to just one duel being won.

On top of that, Bijol would also fail to go in for a single tackle, leading Brighton to find it easy when carving open the away side’s frail defence at will.

Moreover, the former Udinese man very much lacked the pace and determination to track back when Yankuba Minteh and the aforementioned Gomez ran riot, with Pascal Struijk perhaps the better-suited centre-back option for this showdown.

Leeds fans had been crying out for their £15m summer recruit to start more games, but after his 4/10 afternoon against Brighton – which is the low score that was handed to him post-match by Leeds Live’s Isaac Johnson – he will surely be dropped back down to the bench, for the Dutchman to return to the XI.

Farke will pray that the changes that are made spur his team on to a rare away win against Nottingham Forest next, with a loss at the City Ground only pulling Leeds even closer to the relegation zone.

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Tottenham Hotspur recorded possibly their most impressive win of the season on Tuesday night as they beat Copenhagen 4-0 with ten men in the Champions League.

Thomas Frank’s side hit a seasonal high of eight ‘big chances’ created throughout the game, which shows that they were incredibly effective offensively.

Micky van de Ven scored the pick of the goals with his incredible solo run from one box to the other to score his sixth goal of the season, making him the club’s top goalscorer in all competitions.

Randal Kolo Muani led the line for Spurs as their number nine and was unable to get on the scoresheet, but he did provide an assist for Wilson Odobert’s goal.

The PSG loanee has yet to score in seven appearances for the club, per Sofascore, and has missed three ‘big chances’ in front of goal in that time.

It, therefore, remains to be seen whether or not he will be able to retain his starting spot once Dominic Solanke is fit and available for action.

Why Dominic Solanke may be on borrowed time at Spurs

The England international has been out of action since August with an ankle injury, and is expected to be back and available for selection by the end of November.

Solanke will have to compete with Richarlison and Kolo Muani for a place in the starting line-up when he is back, and he may need to improve upon his form from his first season with the club.

The Lilywhites made him their club-record signing for a fee of £65m when they signed him from Bournemouth in the summer of 2024, but he has yet to justify that outlay.

Solanke scored 16 goals in 45 appearances in all competitions in the 2024/25 campaign, per Sofascore, which was a decent return. However, his performances in the Premier League left a little bit to be desired.

24/25 Premier League

Dominic Solanke

Appearances

27

Starts

25

xG

10.97

Goals

9

Big chances missed

12

Minutes per goal

245

xA

1.15

Assists

3

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the English centre-forward underperformed his xG by roughly two goals and missed three more ‘big chances’ than goals scored.

A goal every 245 minutes for a club-record signing, who should be in the prime of his career at 27, does not suggest that Spurs have had much value for money so far.

Football Insider recently reported that Frank has been disappointed with the striker’s performances and injury problems, which does not bode well for his future in North London.

That report and Solanke’s underwhelming statistics, given the money paid for him, suggest that he may be on borrowed time with the Lilywhites.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

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Kolo Muani’s start to life in England has been fairly unimpressive, with no goals in seven games, but Spurs do have another striker on the way who could end Solanke’s career in North London.

18-year-old centre-forward Mason Melia is due to arrive at the club to complete his move from St. Patrick’s Athletic when the January transfer window opens for business, after a deal was agreed in February before his 18th birthday.

Why Mason Melia could end Dominic Solanke's Spurs career

Frank will have a decision to make on the teenage marksman for the second half of the season, because he will have the option to bring the Irishman into the first-team squad.

Given that the Danish head coach is reportedly unimpressed by Solanke, the January transfer window would also provide Spurs with an opportunity to shuffle the pack by attempting to move their club-record signing on from the club.

With Kolo Muani and Richarlison already at the club, Melia’s arrival at the start of 2026 would mean that Frank has enough options in the number nine position to part ways with the English striker.

Whether or not Melia is ready to make the step up to the Premier League with Spurs remains to be seen, but his performances at a young age in Ireland have been impressive.

The 18-year-old marksman, who only turned 18 in September, has scored 25 goals in 98 appearances in all competitions for St. Patrick’s Athletic at first-team level to date, per Transfermarkt, which shows that he has plenty of senior experience despite his age.

Melia’s composure in the clip above for one of his goals against Cork City is evidence that he has maturity and composure that belies his years. This suggests that he may be able to handle the pressure that would come with stepping into the first-team with Spurs next year.

2025 Premier Division

Mason Melia

Appearances

35

Starts

29

Goals

13

Minutes per goal

199

Conversion rate

15%

Big chances created

5

Assists

3

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the teenage centre-forward has scored 13 league goals for his club in the 2025 campaign, averaging a goal every 199 minutes, which is more impressive than Solanke’s aforementioned minutes per goal rate last season in the Premier League.

Melia, who was described as “relentless” and a “hidden gem” by analyst Ben Mattinson, has yet to prove himself in a major league, like the Premier League, but his goal output and composure at such a young age in Ireland are incredibly promising.

Tottenham clearly saw big potential in him, hence why they agreed to sign the forward in February, and Frank will have the chance to assess him up close in January when he arrives in North London.

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If Melia is able to impress the manager and fight for a place in the first-team squad, it could be the end of Solanke’s career at North London, for all the reasons mentioned above.

The NWSL has seen remarkable growth in its second season on ESPN platforms, with viewership reaching record levels. According to Nielsen’s Big Data + Panel, the league’s average viewership for the 2025 regular season rose 61 percent compared to the previous year, while Spanish-language broadcasts grew by an impressive 109 percent from the 2024 average audience.

Getty Images SportRecord-breaking audience numbers

The 17-match schedule broadcast across ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN+, Disney+, and ESPN Deportes averaged 228,000 viewers (P2+), a sharp increase from 141,000 during the 2024 season – the NWSL’s inaugural year on ESPN.

This surge reflects the broader rise in women’s sports viewership across ESPN platforms, joining record-setting audiences for both the WNBA and NCAA Women’s Basketball. The league’s partnership with presenting sponsor Ally has further bolstered its media presence, ensuring consistent visibility across multiple broadcast and streaming outlets.

AdvertisementESPN expands playoff coverage

The 2025 NWSL Playoffs kicked off with expanded coverage on November 7, highlighted by a special edition of , ESPN’s weekly studio show dedicated to professional women’s soccer.

Hosted by Cristina Alexander and featuring expert analysis from former USWNT defender Ali Krieger, the program included an exclusive one-on-one interview with Portland Thorns midfielder Olivia Moultrie as she prepared for her club’s quarterfinal clash against the San Diego Wave.

ImagnQuarterfinal matchups showcased league's competitiveness

The 2025 NWSL quarterfinals concluded with four teams advancing to the semifinals and several closely contested matches highlighting the league’s parity. Top-seeded Kansas City Current (21-3-2) were eliminated in a major upset by No. 8 seed NJ/NY Gotham FC (9-8-9), marking the first time in league history that an eighth seed has won a playoff match.

Three of the four quarterfinal games were decided by a single goal or required extra time, with only one ending in a two-goal margin. The results underscored the competitiveness across the league and set the stage for an evenly matched semifinal round in the race for the 2025 NWSL Championship.

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Viewership growth reflects momentum

The surge in NWSL viewership comes during a transformative period for women’s sports broadcasting, driven by ESPN’s expanded investment and dedicated programming. With playoff audiences typically surpassing regular-season figures, ESPN expects strong postseason numbers leading up to the 2025 NWSL Championship on Nov. 23.

Opener’s century came alongside a fine all-round performance from Luc Benkenstein

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay17-Aug-2025Essex 321 for 8 (Critchley 103, Benkenstein 75, Westley 53, Holland 3-34) beat Leicestershire 261 (Masood 103, Benkenstein 3-53) by 60 runsAfter losing their opening three Metro Bank One-Day Cup matches, Essex backed up Friday’s emphatic victory over Surrey by defeating Leicestershire Foxes by 60 runs, dealing a blow to the latter’s chances of qualifying for the knock-out stages of a competition they won two years ago.A maiden List A century from opener Matt Critchley, supported by a 52-ball 75 by Luc Benkenstein, skipper Tom Westley’s 53 from 58 and Simon Harmer’s vigorous unbeaten 41 off 24 enabled Essex to rack up 321 for 8.Ian Holland (3 for 34) was excellent with the ball for the Foxes but Critchley’s solid 103 from 116 balls empowered Benkenstein and Harmer in particular to cut loose, the two hitting four sixes apiece. With no spinner in their side, the home attack lacked variety but did not help themselves by bowling 12 wides.Shan Masood (103 from 127) made the first century of his spell with Leicestershire but, with Roman Walker’s List A career-best 44 the next best against an Essex attack that had four spinners, the home side were bowled out for 261. Benkenstein took 3 for 53 with his leg breaks.After opting to bowl first on a green-tinged pitch, Leicestershire were rewarded in the fifth over when Robin Das nibbled at an outswinger by Holland and was caught behind.Ben Mike troubled Tom Westley early on but with Rishi Patel left out due to poor form with the bat and with no other spin option available after Liam Trevaskis pulled out through injury, the Foxes struggled to make inroads as Westley and Critchley added 99 in just under 19 overs. Westley survived a difficult chance to cover on 42 but hit seven boundaries in reaching 52 from 56 balls.He soon departed, superbly caught on the square leg boundary by Tom Scriven. Sol Budinger’s direct hit ran out Charlie Allison, but Critchley found another assertive partner in 20-year-old Benkenstein, who hauled Chris Wright and Wood over the rope at deep midwicket before ramping Roman Walker for another six in a 37-ball half-century, having escaped a chance to backward point on 39.The fourth-wicket pair added 127, Critchley overtaking his previous best of 64 not out as he collected nine fours in his hundred. Benkenstein hammered Mike down the ground for his fourth six but reached for a wide ball and was caught at short third.Ireland international Curtis Campher, after his debut unbeaten 123 against Surrey, was yorked first ball, after which Holland dismissed Critchley and Simon Fernandes. Scriven bowled Jamal Richards but Harmer cleared the rope four times in the last three overs.A testing target quickly became tougher as Jamie Porter removed both the Foxes’ openers in his first three overs without conceding a run, clipping Budinger’s off stump and striking Holland’s back pad in front. Lewis Hill edged Charlie Bennett to slip, leaving Leicestershire 16 for 3 in the sixth.Masood and skipper Peter Handscomb brought a wealth of experience but they needed not only to bat deep but score briskly with the required rate creeping up. They added 73 in 15 but then Handscomb found Allison on the legside boundary. New man Ben Cox was soon leg before to Westley’s off spin, leaving the home side 92 for 5.Masood completed a fifty from 70 balls but Harmer bowled Scriven for 15, after which Mike was out to Benkenstein’s leg spin without scoring.Walker batted nicely as he and Masood added 98 for the eighth wicket, Masood numbering 11 fours before he was lbw to Critchley’s leg spin, but the Foxes by then were well beaten, Benkenstein adding two more wickets as Walker and Wright found men on the boundary.