Stats – Sri Lanka's lowest-ever Test total, and the second-shortest Test innings ever

Stats highlights from Sri Lanka’s first innings in Durban where they were bundled out for 42

Sampath Bandarupalli28-Nov-202442 Sri Lanka’s total in Durban is their lowest in Test cricket. Their previous lowest was 71 all out against Pakistan in Kandy in 1994.It is also the second lowest by any team in the World Test Championship, behind India’s 36 all out against Australia in 2020.ESPNcricinfo Ltd13.5 Overs batted by Sri Lanka during their 42 all out. It is the second-shortest all-out innings in the history of Test cricket, behind the 12.3 overs by South Africa during their 30 all out against England in the 1924 Birmingham Test.41 Number of balls bowled by Marco Jansen for his seventh wicket against Sri Lanka, the joint-fewest bowled by any bowler for their seventh wicket in a men’s Test innings. Hugh Trumble also bowled 41 balls against England in the 1904 Melbourne Test, finishing with seven for 28 in the 6.5 overs bowled in the fourth innings.ESPNcricinfo Ltd1 Sri Lanka’s 42 all out is the lowest total by any team against South Africa in Tests. The previous lowest was 45 all out by New Zealand in the 2013 Cape Town Test.It is also the third-lowest total in Tests by any team in South Africa, behind the home team’s 30 all out in the 1896 Gqeberha Test and 35 all out in the 1899 Cape Town Test, both against England.13 Runs conceded by Jansen for his seven-wicket haul. Only three bowlers conceded fewer runs in a men’s Test innings while bagging seven or more wickets. The fewest is by George Lohmann, who took 8 for 7 against South Africa in 1896.7 Jansen dismissed all seven batters for single-digit scores. Only two other bowlers have dismissed seven or more batters for single-digit scores in a men’s Test innings since 1970 – Stuart Broad against New Zealand in the 2013 Lord’s Test and Mitchell Johnson against England in the 2013 Adelaide Test.

5 Sri Lanka batters with ducks in the first innings in Durban, the joint-most for them in a Test innings. Five Sri Lankans bagged ducks in a Test innings against India in the 1990 Chandigarh Test and against New Zealand in the 2006 Wellington Test.149 South Africa’s first-innings lead in Durban, the highest for any team after being bowled out below 200 while batting first. The previous highest was 118 for Australia in the 1981 WACA Test against Pakistan. Australia got bowled out for 180 while batting first in that Test but restricted Pakistan to 62.17 Tests Prabath Jayasuriya has taken to complete 100 wickets. He is the joint second-fastest to reach the milestone in terms of matches taken. George Lohmann, who got there in 1896, remains the quickest, needing only 16 Tests. Charlie Turner, Sydney Barnes, Clarrie Grimmett and Yasir Shah all got to 100 wickets in their 17th Test.

Don't rule out a 25-crore buy at the IPL 2025 mega auction

A look ahead to the auction, highlighting a few significant trends that could be in play at the event

Nagraj Gollapudi23-Nov-202412:15

Pant? Rahul? Which Indian player will get the big bucks at the auction?

Will there be a 25-crore buy?

Following the record bids at the IPL 2024 mini auction by KKR and SRH to buy the Australian pair of Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins respectively, there is an anticipation that the INR 25-crore ceiling might be broken this time.There are two likely reasons this could happen. Firstly, Rishabh Pant. Pant is listed in the first set of marquee players that will ring in the auction on Sunday. He will be among the most sought-after players because several teams are on the lookout for an Indian captain-cum-wicketkeeper. Pant is the first big-name India player to come up in an auction in a long time, and the expectation is that the teams with the biggest purses – PBKS (INR 110.5 crore), RCB (INR 83 crore) and LSG (INR 69 crore) – will bid for him.Then there is DC (INR 73 crore), the franchise Pant played for since 2016 and led since 2021 until last season. Pant opted to head to the auction after retention talks with DC failed, which he recently clarified had nothing to do with money. DC still have the option to buy him back as they have two right-to-match (RTM) options available. And it is the modified RTM rule that might just escalate the bids.

How will the modified RTM rule impact the bidding?

When it has been used in the past, the RTM option allowed franchises to buy back a player by simply matching the price at which that player was sold at the auction. But in the modified RTM rule, which will be in play at this mega auction, if the previous franchise wants to use the RTM card, the franchise that makes the final bid will be given an additional opportunity to raise their bid. In case that happens, the original franchise will need to match that bid using the RTM card to secure the player.Related

  • Iyer, Pant, Rahul among marquee players to kick off auction

  • IPL retention FAQs: What is the modified RTM rule?

  • Pant, Starc, Rahul and others in line to earn big

  • England players in the auction: Five things to look out for

For example, say any franchise apart from DC has made a final bid of INR 18 crore for Pant. DC decide to use the RTM. The other franchise then decides to hike their final bid to INR 25 crore. DC, to buy back Pant, will need to match that price or lose out.Officials at franchises have pointed out that the new RTM rule gives no assurance that a team can get back a player at a fair price. Consequently, several franchises have retained at least five, or in the case of KKR and RR, the maximum of six players.ESPNcricinfo has learnt that a few franchises suspect the RTM rule is also responsible for some big-name players opting to head to the auction after receiving an assurance from another franchise that they would be paid a bigger price.

Impact Player – a hot buy

The Impact Player rule was a significant factor in record totals being smashed in IPL 2024. Most Impact Players were predominantly Indian. Many of those were also uncapped. In 2023, Dhruv Jurel announced himself initially as an Impact Player at RR. In 2024, the success of Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma at PBKS, or the massive INR 8.4 crore CSK paid acquire power-hitter Sameer Rizvi, were examples of how seriously franchises were paying attention to having a player who can be earmarked as the Impact Player.Sameer Rizvi could get a lot of attention at the mega auction•BCCIThis time around, too, franchises will be on the lookout for uncapped Indian names for the role. A few players that could potentially attract a significant bid include Ashutosh and Rizvi, who are back at the auction, Jharkhand wicketkeeper-batter Robin Minz, and Karnataka batter Abhinav Manohar.

Uncapped players that could attract strong bids

The quality and importance of uncapped Indian players have grown as franchises have been investing in scouting and in helping these players grow. Importantly, the players are now looked at from a long-term perspective. The success stories of Rinku Singh (KKR) and Tilak Varma (MI) are the two recent examples of uncapped players graduating into top performers, who now play for India.In addition to the names listed for Impact Player role, here’s a short list of uncapped players who are likely to fetch strong bids at this auction: Harpreet Brar, Nehal Wadhera, Anshul Kamboj, Rasikh Salam, Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Gurjapneet Singh.

Darwin Test return looms in CA's 'ideal' scenario for Bangladesh series

The two-match series is due to take place next August with venues in northern Queensland also in the running to host

AAP and ESPNcricinfo staff29-Aug-2025Darwin is in the box seat to host its first Test in 22 years with Cricket Australia keen to split next year’s Bangladesh tour between the Territory and North Queensland.Players are understood to have been impressed with international cricket’s return to Darwin this month, as part of the white-ball series against South Africa.More winter internationals are scheduled for next year with Australia set to host a two-Test series against Bangladesh which is part of the World Test Championship (WTC) in the Top End. Mackay, Cairns, Townsville and Darwin all loom as options to host, which would double as the first winter Tests in Australia since 2004.But Darwin is the most likely to secure one of those Tests with Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg keen to spread the series across more than one state.”Ideally [we will],” Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg said. “We want to make sure we continue to play cricket in lots of different locations, so the next generation of kids can see their stars.”I spent some time with the Chief Minister there and they’ve got a strong appetite for more cricket, as have we, to play more cricket there. The conditions up there are amazing when you take out the biggest variable we have in cricket, which is weather, and you have nothing to worry about.”The Bangladesh Tests had originally been scheduled for March 2027 but the 150th anniversary contest between Australia and England at the MCG has meant the series needed to be moved. Afghanistan had been due to tour Australia next July and August for a one-off Test and three T20Is, but CA has suspended bilateral cricket with them.Darwin last hosted Tests against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in 2003 and 2004 respectively, before largely falling off the cricket calendar for the past two decades.Australia A played out two draws in unofficial Tests against Sri Lanka A in the city in July, before this month’s T20Is against South Africa at TIO Stadium.Mackay looms as the more modern regional venue in Queensland with the Great Barrier Reef Arena upgraded in 2023 and having hosted regular WBBL matches.Players were also buoyed by the wickets in the T20I and ODI against South Africa there this month, which doubled as Australia’s first men’s internationals there.A Test would be the first in Mackay’s history with Cairns having previously hosted two in the early 2000s before last week’s ODIs in the northernmost city. Townsville is the other option after hosting ODIs in 2022, but issues such as lighting have seen it drop behind Cairns and Mackay as an option in recent years.A match at any Queensland venue would also count as the state’s Test for the 2026-27 summer, given the Gabba has missed out on a red-ball match with the touring New Zealand.CA is open to the idea of more winter internationals in the Top End, as a way of extending the season and easing the load on the main part of the summer.”We had such good support [in the white-ball games], we were sold out in almost every stadium we played in,” Greenberg said. “Playing on each of the shoulder parts of the season [works].  Our Australian women’s team will play a Test match in mid-March in Perth this year. International cricket is played 12 months of the year.”

Not just Simons: "Terrible" Spurs dud must be on borrowed time under Frank

Tottenham Hotspur’s latest defeat against Chelsea in the Premier League was one of the worst of the Thomas Frank era, with the fans starting to get frustrated after the latest showing.

The Dane’s side have huge expectations to impress, especially after their European triumph last season and £100m+ spending spree sanctioned by the hierarchy.

However, his men fell to a 1-0 defeat against their city rivals last night, producing a measly xG of just 0.05 – the lowest in the club’s top-flight history since records began.

Such a result was the third time the Lilywhites fell to a defeat in the league, with all their losses coming on home soil – showcasing the struggles endured over the last few weeks.

However, one player massively failed to deliver in North London, which has led to numerous supporters voicing their concern over the form of one first-team member.

The stats behind Xavi Simons’ struggles at Spurs

Xavi Simons joined Spurs in a £52m transfer during the summer transfer window, with real expectations from the fanbase to provide the needed quality in the number ten position.

The Dutch international’s tally of 19 combined goals and assists last campaign only fuelled the excitement in North London, but his form over recent weeks has been nothing short of embarrassing.

He’s made a total of 12 appearances across all competitions to date, but he’s only been able to notch a single assist and has yet to find the back of the net since his big-money transfer.

Simons was named as a substitute for the defeat against Chelsea, but he was called upon just minutes into the encounter after Lucas Bergvall suffered a concussion.

He featured for a total of 66 minutes, but was hugely wasteful with the ball at his feet – as seen by his tally of 14 times possession lost from his total of 55 touches.

The 22-year-old also only registered two passes into the final third, subsequently failing to create any chances for his teammates – further showcasing his lack of impact against the Blues.

As a result of his showing, Simons was subsequently substituted in the 73rd minute, with the Dutchman enduring a moment to forget after being replaced despite being brought on himself.

However, despite the showing from the attacker midfielder, one of his teammates also had an evening to forget, with the talent now needing to be on borrowed time under Frank.

The Spurs star who should be on borrowed time under Frank

The 17th-placed Premier League finish under Ange Postecoglou last season was unacceptable for Spurs supporters and understandably so, given the huge money spent in recent years.

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou

Frank has been the man tasked with turning the ship around in North London, with the Dane’s side showing glimpses but often letting dismal displays get the better of them.

Their tally of three league defeats in just five top-flight matches showcases the problem at present, especially considering their unbeaten record away from home – which is the best record of any side in the division.

It’s becoming apparent that the 51-year-old is still unsure of his best starting eleven, with numerous different partnerships being utilised within attacking areas of the pitch.

The centre-forward department has been one that has been brought into question, with the central midfield area also one that’s up in the air, as seen by Simons’ lack of form.

Rodrigo Bentancur is just one of the Lilywhites players who has been a regular starter since Frank’s arrival – as seen by his tally of eight starts in the first ten outings in the Premier League.

The Uruguayan international was selected to start against Chelsea alongside Joao Palhinha in a deeper role, with the duo often struggling to feature alongside one another.

However, the former of the duo once again failed to deliver in North London, showcasing why he should be on borrowed time under the current management team.

The 28-year-old featured for just an hour of the defeat, even being lucky not to have seen red for his ankle-high and late challenge on Blues star Reece James.

During his display, he only achieved a total of 39 touches, losing the ball on nine occasions – matching Simons in being wasteful when in possession in North London.

He also failed to complete any of his attempted dribbles, and was unable to create any chances – further showcasing his inability to impress with the ball at his feet.

Minutes played

60

Touches

39

Passes completed

83%

Possession lost

9x

Dribbles completed

0

Chances created

0

Interceptions made

1

Duels lost

50%

Out of possession, he was just as ineffective, only making one interception and losing 50% of the duels he entered – leading to one journalist describing him as “terrible”.

After such a showing, it must be clear to Frank that he can’t rely upon Bentancur to produce the goods in midfield – especially in a trio with Palhinha and Simons alongside him.

He must be on borrowed time in North London, with the manager needing to consider other options at the heart of the side if they’re to be successful and transform their dismal home form.

As bad as Simons: Frank must drop Spurs dud who lost the ball 23 times

Tottenham Hotspur laboured to a dismal 1-0 defeat against Chelsea.

3 ByMatt Dawson Nov 2, 2025

Siraj vs Head: The send-off that turned Adelaide Oval into the Colosseum

It was raw, it was visceral, and it may well become the defining image of this Border-Gavaskar series

Alagappan Muthu07-Dec-20245:02

Head: ‘Disappointed with my reaction but also going to stand up for myself’

At 6.51 pm in Adelaide, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy took a back seat to a cheap, and therefore very human, thrill. Mohammed Siraj had just picked up a wicket. India have roamed all over this planet in search of it. London. Ahmedabad. Here. So it wasn’t relief the bowler felt when he picked it up. It was something more.Siraj punched down on the air with both fists. He screamed. And as the batter was walking off, with 140 off 141 against his name, Siraj averted his eyes, as if he was sick of the sight of him. If he had stopped there, it would have all been fine. But he sent him off. Twice.Related

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Australia scorch India after Head ton and Boland-Cummins spells

South Australia is not the place to be seen working against Travis Head. He is one of their own and he is everywhere. He is on their buses inviting them to the BBL. He is on their shirts. He is, forever, sitting on that olive green chair, wearing his ODI World Cup winner’s medal, flashing those double finger guns.”Booooooooooooooooooo.” One single syllable from the throats of 51,642 people sounds a little like a Roman amphitheatre. And these guys have had a lot of practice backing up their players, and pulling down their rivals. Aussie Rules Football takes care of that. Back in the day, the Victorian team would arrive into the airport to signs and T-shirts that said “Kick a Vic” over a picture of Football Park.Author and football historian Francis Doherty told , “That parochial South Australian Football Park crowd, if you’ve ever been there and experienced it first-hand, it’s probably one of the most parochial crowds if not the most scary place [for] an opposition supporter to be, in the whole of Australia.”Mohammed Siraj sends off Travis Head in front of his adoring home crowd•Getty ImagesIndia were behind enemy lines. When Mitchell Starc came out as the new batter and hit Siraj for four first ball, the crowd, too busy getting on the bowler’s case as he ran up, were caught unawares. This time the roar was illegible. Two emotions stitched into one.”Boooooooooooyyyaaaaaaaaayyyyyy”Siraj spent that whole over being public enemy No. 1. When it ended, Harshit Rana and Rishabh Pant came over to congratulate him on taking the wicket, to remind him that he had done a good thing.Siraj was preparing to go down to deep third and prepare to field. The boos rang out again, getting steadily louder with every step he took towards the rope. India heard it and pulled him up to field at point. South Australians aren’t the only ones who know how to get behind their man. All of this happened at the back end of a period where India were losing control of the game. There were even a few torturous minutes where their biggest hope to win this series, Jasprit Bumrah, went down clutching his groin and needed several minutes’ attention from three different people to be set right enough to bowl again. There were dropped catches. There were edges that flew into gaps because slip was too wide. The second ball with the new ball had produced a play and miss from Head where his feet retreated to leg and his hands hung outside off and the hundred that he was on looked like a typo.The hometown hero soaks in Adelaide Oval’s adulation•Getty ImagesIndia’s plan was to stay in the game on Saturday; to be careful and balance attack with defence. But every time they run into Head, it seems they just can’t do anything right. When the entire country was still heaving a sigh of relief at seeing Bumrah back on his feet, Head was busy depositing him for four wide of mid-on.Rana in Perth did the impossible and recorded possibly the first instance of an Indian fast bowler actually enjoying beating Head’s outside edge because this time the ball didn’t just wobble on through to the keeper, it crashed into off stump. Rana in Adelaide (16-2-86-0, economy rate 5.37) was flogged all over the park. Head and Marnus Labuschagne hit him for three fours in an over each. And they were really playing the same shot over and over.India bowling coach Morne Morkel felt there were other options that the team could have taken once they fell behind in the game. “I felt as soon as the ball got a little bit softer this afternoon in terms of maybe going defensive, more defensive for a longer period of time, it was maybe an option to consider, but we want to play that aggressive brand of cricket and credit to Travis, I don’t want to take anything away from a great hundred. He really put us under pressure and he got the runs.”Head also got the crowd back on Australia’s side and his send-off gave the fast bowlers one more reason to run in that little bit harder at India in the night session. At 6.51 pm, this Border-Gavaskar Trophy might just have got its defining moment. This series may just feel a whole lot different going forward.

Owen earns ODI call-up to face South Africa, Labuschagne retained

Travis Head and Josh Hazlewood return to both the T20I and ODI squads as does the fit-again Matt Short

Andrew McGlashan30-Jul-20251:29

David, Owen pepper the stands with sixes

Mitchell Owen has earned his first ODI call-up to face South Africa in northern Australia next month following his successful start in the T20I side and fast bowler Lance Morris has been recalled to the 50-over squad.Travis Head and Josh Hazlewood return to both the T20I and ODI groups after being rested for the West Indies series while Matt Short has recovered from the side strain that ruled him out of those T20Is. Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc will miss both series as they continue to rest ahead of the home summer with Mitchell Marsh assuming the ODI captaincy.Related

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Owen made 125 runs at a strike-rate of 192.30 against West Indies including a half-century on debut in Jamaica as he took on a middle-order finishing role. In last season’s One-Day Cup he struck an astonishing 149 off 69 balls for Tasmania against South Australia.As flagged by head coach Andrew McDonald during the West Indies tour, Marnus Labuschagne keeps his place in the ODI side following his omission from the Test team in the Caribbean.From the squad that completed the 5-0 sweep of West Indies, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Cooper Connolly and Xavier Bartlett won’t feature in the T20Is against South Africa. However, Bartlett has been included for the three ODIs.Fraser-McGurk was a late addition to the squad after Short’s injury and only played one game while Connolly made 13 and 0 in his two innings alongside claiming one wicket. Hardie put in two useful performances at the end of the series, including steering the final chase home to secure the whitewash.Lance Morris brings more pace to Australia’s ODI side•Getty Images

“As we build towards the T20 World Cup the flexibility and depth shown in the West Indies, outside of the obvious results, has been a huge positive,” chair of selectors George Bailey said. “The flexibility within the batting order and ability of bowlers to bowl in different stages of the innings were particularly pleasing to see.”Mitch Owen and Matt Kuhnemann making their respective debuts and the preparation and work done by Nathan Ellis to allow him to play all five matches were highlights.”From Australia’s last one-day squad at the Champions Trophy in March, Fraser-McGurk, Connolly, Hardie, Sean Abbott and Tanveer Sangha drop out as does the injured Spencer Johnson. The matches against South Africa will be the first ODI series since the retirements of Steven Smith and Glenn Maxwell from the format.Morris, the Western Australia fast bowler who holds a Cricket Australia central contract, made his previous ODI appearance against Pakistan last November. He has been carefully managed due to a history of back injuries, but the selectors retain confidence he can be an all-format option. Last season he took 13 wickets at 20.84 in four Sheffield Shield matches and 15 in eight BBL outings for Perth Scorchers.”The smaller squad for a home series, along with the return of Travis Head and Josh Hazlewood, see some players not part of the squad for this Top End series, but all remain in the frame moving forward and we feel the entire group embraced every opportunity,” Bailey said.”We expect that to continue through this series, and the New Zealand and Indian series later this year, as we balance continued opportunities for players and the preparation for the Test summer.”The South Africa tour starts with the first two T20Is in Darwin on August 10 and 12 before the final match of the series is played in Cairns on August 16 where the first ODI will also be played on August 19. The 50-over series then concludes with two matches in Mackay on August 22 and 24.Australia T20I squad vs South Africa Mitchell Marsh (capt), Sean Abbott, Tim David, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matt Kuhnemann, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Owen, Matthew Short, Adam ZampaAustralia ODI squad vs South Africa Mitchell Marsh (capt), Xavier Bartlett, Alex Carey, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Lance Morris, Mitchell Owen, Matthew Short, Adam Zampa

Erling Haaland's Man City "escape route" as striker's opinion about Real Madrid shared

Erling Haaland reportedly has an “escape route” out of Manchester City to Real Madrid, in a hugely concerning development for Pep Guardiola.

On current form, Haaland is arguably best player in the world, with the Norwegian in genuine unstoppable form so far this season, scoring 11 goals in just nine Premier League appearances.

He is a priceless figure for City, holding the key to Guardiola’s side’s title challenge, and at just 25, he is still such a young player, despite already achieving so much in his career.

Incredibly, Haaland is contracted at City until the summer of 2034, having committed his long-term future to the club, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a threat of losing him at some point.

Madrid have been linked with a move for the City superstar, with the Spanish giants so often eyeing up the best footballers on the planet, and now a worrying update has dropped regarding their pursuit of him.

Haaland has "escape route" out of Man City

According to journalist Jorge Picon [via Sport Witness], Haaland has an “escape route” to Madrid in a release clause at Manchester City, and is keen on making a move there.

It goes without saying that City losing Haaland would be the biggest blow imaginable, with the striker an irreplaceable figure who has been lauded as a “phenomenon” by Pat Nevin, with Guardiola saying he is in the form of his life back in September.

“Erling has been incredible. This season, he is better than ever. I would say it’s better than the treble season. Very dynamic. We want him to score goals and to help us.”

The lure of Madrid is great for so many players, and it is only natural that Haaland may like the idea of playing alongside the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior at the Santiago Bernabeu, but he appears to be loving life at City, and has committed his future to the club.

Man City closely monitoring Ezri Konsa as Aston Villa may now be forced to sell

Pep Guardiola is looking to bolster his options at the back, having identified Konsa as a target.

ByDominic Lund Oct 31, 2025

Players in the modern game often don’t see out their contracts, so there will always be a risk of Haaland moving on, but it would be a shock if he suddenly stressed a desire to leave for Madrid so soon after signing such a long contract extension at the Etihad.

Where does Erling Haaland rank among Man City's highest-earning players?

Newcastle ready £60m+ bid to sign Camavinga with Real Madrid's position clear

Newcastle United are reportedly preparing to launch a stunning big-money offer to sign Eduardo Camavinga and Real Madrid have now made their stance on selling the Frenchman clear.

The Magpies could certainly do with the statement that signing such a player would create. Eddie Howe’s side have been incredibly inconsistent so far this season, particularly going forward, and were made to pay for that against a struggling West Ham United side on Friday.

After suffering a 3-1 defeat, Howe told reporters: “The dynamism wasn’t there. The physicality and the energy were missing. We scored early and could have grabbed hold of the game but we didn’t and let it slip away.

“It didn’t look like a Newcastle team that we’ve seen in recent seasons. The body language, the collective spirit on the pitch, loads of little things weren’t there. It was a by-product of us just not being where we needed to be mentally.”

Those at St James’ Park are now facing the consequences for a chaotic summer in which they lost one of the world’s best strikers, Alexander Isak. Whilst his replacement, Nick Woltemade, has made an impressive start, it’s clear that Newcastle’s attack in its entirety is still struggling to click again.

0 tackles won: Newcastle duo must now never start together again for Howe

Eddie Howe must never select this Newcastle United duo together again after their disastrous performances against West Ham United.

By
Kelan Sarson

Nov 3, 2025

The eventual return of summer signing Yoane Wissa may still help things, but Newcastle sit as low as 13th in the Premier League as things stand – six points adrift of top four.

The January transfer window could also provide the Magpies with some much-needed solutions. The likes of Elliot Anderson and Hayden Hackney have already threatened to steal the headlines on that front, with Anderson particularly one to watch.

Whether it’s the Nottingham Forest star, Hackney or perhaps even Camavinga, it seems clear that those in Tyneside are attempting to overhaul their midfield with the future in mind.

Newcastle readying £60m+ Camavinga offer

It’s not just Anderson and Hackney who find themselves on the list of targets at St James’ Park. According to reports in Spain, Newcastle are now readying an offer to sign Camavinga worth as much as €70m (£62m).

Camavinga has started just two of Real Madrid’s 11 La Liga games so far this season, but the Spanish giants are reportedly maintaining their position that they won’t sell the France international without welcoming an adequate replacement.

Xabi Alonso’s recent praise reflects that position, handing Newcastle a frustrating obstacle to overcome if they want to secure the midfielder’s signature.

The dynamism that Alonso mentioned would be vital for Newcastle. It would take Howe’s midfield from robust to controlling and that change would only help bridge the gap on the Premier League’s top sides.

PIF have the money to spend and Camavinga would certainly start in Tyneside. Whether Real Madrid are willing to change their sale stance remains to be seen, however.

Newcastle star is "all over the place" after West Ham defeat

Yankees Prospect Was Turning Heads As 'Best Player' at MLB Futures Game

The New York Yankees may have themselves a future star within their ranks.

During Saturday's MLB All-Star Futures Games, shortstop George Lombard Jr. stole the show and impressed scouts in attendance. In fact, Lombard was even called the game's "Best Player" by Baseball America, thanks to his impressive defensive performance.

Lombard smoked a double and showed solid plate discipline by drawing a walk in a 1-for-2 performance in the game. He handled everything that came his way at shortstop, too.

As of its latest update, MLB Pipeline ranks Lombard as the No. 35 prospect in baseball, and the No. 10 shortstop. He's the No. 1 ranked Yankees prospect, and is currently the only player in the organization rated inside the top 100.

At 20 years old, it could be another year or so until Lombard gets his shot at the big leagues. Across two minor league levels this season, he's slashing .239/.382/.356 with three home runs, 30 RBIs and 25 stolen bases. He's struggled a bit at the plate since arriving at Double-A Somerset, but he'll have plenty of time to turn things around as he continues to develop.

Lombard was a first-round pick in the 2023 MLB draft, selected at No. 26 pick by New York.

Alianza Lima x Fluminense: onde assistir, horário e escalações do jogo pela Libertadores

MatériaMais Notícias

O Fluminense visita o Alianza Lima, do Peru, nesta quarta-feira (3), pela primeira rodada da fase de grupos da Copa Libertadores. A bola rola a partir das 21h30 (de Brasília), no Estádio Alejandro Villanueva, em Lima (PER) com transmissão de Globo (RJ e NE), Globoplay e Paramount+ (streaming).

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Confira abaixo todas as informações que você precisa saber sobre o confronto entre Alianza Lima e Fluminense (onde assistir, horário, escalações e local).

✅FICHA TÉCNICA
Alianza Lima x Fluminense
1ª rodada – Grupo A – Libertadores

Data e horário:quarta-feira, 3 de abril de 2024, às 21h30 (de Brasília)
Local:Estádio Alejandro Villanueva, em Lima (PER)
Ondeassistir:Globo (RJ e NE), Globoplay e Paramount+ (streaming)
Árbitro: Andrés Matonte (URU)
Assistentes: Nicolas Tarán e Carlos Barreiros (URU)

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⚽ PROVÁVEIS ESCALAÇÕES

ALIANZA LIMA (Técnico:Fábio Matias)
Ángelo Campos (Franco Saravia); Jiovany Ramos, Carlos Zambrano e Renzo Garces; Sebastián Rodriguez, Catriel Cabellos, Jesús Castillo, Kevin Serna e Juan Freytes; Cecilio Waterman e Hernán Barcos.

FLUMINENSE (Técnico:Fernando Diniz)
Fábio; Samuel Xavier, Manoel (Thiago Santos), Felipe Melo e Marcelo; André, Martinelli e Renato Augusto (Ganso); Marquinhos (Douglas Costa), Jhon Arias e Lelê.

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