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The Australia captain could be in doubt, having missed two matches with a calf strain

S Sudarshanan29-Oct-20254:35

Krishnamurthy: ‘X-factor Shafali can put India ahead’

Big picture – How will Shafali-Mandhana bat?The stakes couldn’t be higher.Australia are here with a clean slate. They have been pushed back multiple times during this World Cup, and they’ve found a way back each time. Two of their batters, Alyssa Healy and Ashleigh Gardner, have scored two centuries each. Two of their bowlers, Annabel Sutherland and Alana King, have taken more than ten wickets each. And apart from everything else that makes them such intimidating opponents, Australia have not lost an ODI knockout game since they lost to India in the the semi-finals of the 2017 World Cup.Related

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India are riding a wave of emotion. They recovered from a three-game losing streak to sneak into the semi-finals. In their last full game, played at the same venue, they posted their record World Cup total. No team has pushed Australia harder than India in recent times. And they are now two wins away from doing what no India women’s team has ever done.Their key player Smriti Mandhana has scored 105, 58, 117, 125 and 80 in her last five ODIs against Australia. But she’ll start from 0 again, and this time she’ll have an adjustment to make, with her usual opening partner Pratika Rawal, with whom she added a record 212 against New Zealand, ruled out of the World Cup. Mandhana is all set to open with Shafali Verma, and the new combination could have an effect on how she bats.In ODIs involving Shafali, Mandhana averages 51.83 and strikes at 85.55. When these two opened together, Shafali was usually the early aggressor. Mandhana took on that role when Shafali went out of the side, however, as her numbers in matches involving Rawal suggest: an average of 62.65, a strike rate of 108.75. How will the new (old) opening combination bat on Thursday?For Australia, there is a fair bit of intrigue around Healy’s availability. A minor calf strain sidelined her ahead of the game against England, and she missed two matches subsequently. Australia would not want to be reminded of the T20 World Cup semi-final from last year; Healy missed the clash and South Africa romped to an eight-wicket win.The second semi-final, for which the cheapest tickets were priced at INR 150 (as opposed to INR 100 for the Guwahati semi-final), is a sell-out. You can expect all of Navi Mumbai to cram itself into the DY Patil Stadium. They could get to witness an epic.Shafali Verma waits for her turn at the nets•ICC/Getty Images

Form guideAustralia WWWWW (last five completed ODIs, most recent first)
India WLLLWIn the spotlight – Phoebe Litchfield and Deepti SharmaPhoebe Litchfield loves playing India. She has one century and four fifties in just eight ODI innings against them, and averages 63.50. She has a wide range of sweeps that could potentially upset the rhythm of India’s spinners. After a pair of low scores against England and South Africa, Litchfield may feel she is due some runs too.Deepti Sharma has been India’s leading wicket-taker at this World Cup with 15 at 22.46. There will be a lot of focus on her during this game, because she has a fine record against Australia’s middle-order batters. She has dismissed Beth Mooney and Ashleigh Gardner twice each in ODIs, while going at less than a run a ball against both, Ellyse Perry three times, and Tahlia McGrath five times in nine innings. Only Perry and Annabel Sutherland from the current side have managed to hit Deepti for a six in ODIs.Team news – Australia sweat on Healy’s availabilityWhile Healy batted and kept wicket during Tuesday’s training session, she opted out of optional training on Wednesday, with Georgia Voll batting in partnership with Litchfield. Head coach Shelley Nitschke said Australia would give Healy “as much time as she needs” and will take a call on her participation on Thursday. That aside, expect Sophie Molineux to come back into the spin attack for Georgia Wareham, who played against South Africa but did not get a chance to bowl.Australia (probable): 1 Alyssa Healy (capt & wk), 2 Phoebe Litchfield, 3 Ellyse Perry, 4 Annabel Sutherland, 5 Beth Mooney, 6 Ashleigh Gardner, 7 Tahlia McGrath, 8 Sophie Molineux, 9 Alana King, 10 Kim Garth, 11 Megan Schutt.Shafali is likely to swap straight into India’s XI in Rawal’s place at the top of the order. Richa Ghosh, who was rested against Bangladesh after injuring her finger during the match against New Zealand, did not look in any discomfort during her keeping drills and batted a fair bit on Tuesday. Sneh Rana and Kranti Gaud, both of whom were also rested against Bangladesh, could come back into the XI.India (probable): 1 Smriti Mandhana, 2 Shafali Verma, 3 Harleen Deol, 4 Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), 5 Jemimah Rodrigues, 6 Richa Ghosh (wk), 7 Deepti Sharma, 8 Sneh Rana, 9 Kranti Gaud, 10 N Shree Charani, 11 Renuka Singh.2:15

Australia coach Nitschke: Not underdogs, but also not favourites’

Pitch and conditionsThe game will be played on the pitch on which Sri Lanka played Bangladesh. That track was devoid of grass and had a bright brown look to it. It is expected to be a high-scoring game. There has been rain in Navi Mumbai in the lead-up to the match, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issuing a yellow alert for Wednesday and Thursday, but the forecast for matchday has cleared up somewhat. The match will go into a reserve day should it not finish on Thursday.Stats and trivia Mandhana and Shafali have opened together 25 times in ODIs, adding 893 runs at an average of 37.20 and a run rate of 5.38. Mandhana and Rawal, who have opened together 23 times, are India’s most successful opening pair in ODIs, having put on 1799 runs at 78.21 and 6.06. Alana King’s average of 34.63 and economy rate of 5.93 against India are her worst by a distance against any opposition in ODIs. Mandhana (160.00), Harleen Deol (116.66), Harmanpreet Kaur (114.58), Jemimah Rodrigues (113.23) and Deepti Sharma (105.40) have 100-plus strike rates against the legspinner. Australia are on a 15-match winning streak in ODI World Cups. They had also won 15 in a row across the 1997 and 2000 editions. Megan Schutt is one wicket away from becoming the leading wicket-taker for Australia in ODI World Cups. She has 39 now, on par with Lyn FullstonQuotes”Ash [Gardner] has been unbelievable. We all know what she’s capable of with the bat, but to take her game to the next level, and do that in a World Cup, has been fantastic. She’s someone who is very diligent in everything she does; she’s a hard worker. When she’s at her best, it’s about making sure that she’s enjoying the game and enjoying the environment and she’s getting in the contest.”
“I was playing domestic cricket and was in good touch. [Semi-finals] are not something new for me because I’ve played many semi-finals before. It’s just a matter of keeping my mind clear and giving myself confidence. I’ve been in such situations earlier, so it’s nothing new. I’ll keep telling myself to stay calm and believe in myself. So absolutely, I’ll do well, 200%.”

When the Giants shocked Major League Baseball by acquiring Rafael Devers from the Red Sox on June 15, many believed the team had found its missing piece. That dream pairing has turned into a nightmare.

Already possessing an excellent pitching staff, conventional wisdom suggested the Giants needed to add some thump to their lineup, preferably from the left side of the plate. They landed one of the game’s best players who fit that description, yet somehow it hasn't worked.

The 28-year-old Devers is a three-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger who helped the Red Sox win a World Series in 2018. His relationship with the franchise soured considerably over the offseason, as the team’s signing of fellow third baseman Alex Bregman rubbed its incumbent star the wrong way. That eventually led Boston to trade its best bat to the Giants for a considerably light return.

On the date of the trade, San Francisco trailed the Dodgers by just two games in the National League West. The deal looked like a game-changer. Devers appeared to be the power bat San Francisco has lacked for years—no Giants slugger has topped 30 home runs since Barry Bonds in 2004. Plugging Devers into the middle of the lineup was supposed to wake the offense up. Instead, the team went cold, collapsed and sold off key pieces at the trade deadline.

San Francisco's pitching staff has largely held up its end of the bargain. Since June 15, Giants pitchers rank fifth in baseball in FIP (3.88) and eighth in xFIP (3.96), though they are only 16th in fWAR (3.5). A decent offense combined with that staff should have produced a winning formula. Yet the bats have disappeared, as have the team’s playoff chances.

We’re going inside the numbers to see just how this happened.

0.0 — Devers’s fWAR since his first appearance with the Giants on June 17.

5 — Home runs for Devers in 43 games since joining the Giants. He had 15 in 73 games for the Red Sox.

107 — Devers’s wRC+ since joining the Giants, 18th among designated hitters.

.318 — Devers’s wOBA with the Giants, significantly lower than his career wOBA of .359.

.715 — Devers’s OPS since joining the Giants, which would be the worst of his career, and nearly 200 points lower than the .905 mark he had before the trade. It’s also 156 points lower than his mark from 2024.

3 — Regulars with a wRC+ above 100 for the Giants since Devers joined the lineup on June 17. Willy Adames (155), Devers (107) and Casey Schmitt (106) are the only hitters with more than 50 plate appearances to top that mark. Jung Hoo Lee just missed at 99.

4.2 — fWAR for Giants hitters since Devers joined the lineup, 22nd in baseball in that time.

9.5 — Percent playoff odds for the Giants currently, per FanGraphs, down from 65% on June 16, the day after the Devers trade.

17 — Wins for the Giants in 43 games since the Devers trade. That 17–26 record works out to a .395 winning percentage. They were at .569 before the deal.

39 — Team home runs since adding Devers, tied for 26th in baseball.

96 — wRC+ for the Giants as a team before Devers joined the team, 18th in baseball.

97 — wRC+ for the Giants since Devers joined, 21st in MLB.

172 — Runs scored by the Giants since adding Devers, dead last in baseball.

.235 — Giants’ batting average since Devers joined, 27th in MLB.

.304 — Giants team wOBA with Devers, 24th in baseball.

.376 — Giants team slugging percentage with Devers, 27th in baseball.

250 Million — The approximate amount of money left on Devers’s contract after this season. There are eight years left on the 10-year, $313.5 million contract he signed with the Boston Red Sox in January of 2023. Boston did retain some of the salary this season. The deal also carries $75 million in deferred money.

It’s not all doom and gloom for the Giants. Devers has a long track record of success and will improve at some point. The bad news is that he’s gone from an extreme hitters’ park in Boston to an extreme pitchers’ park in San Francisco. Fenway Park has a park factor of 105, the second-highest in baseball, while Oracle Park is at 96, tied for the second-lowest. That will undoubtedly hurt his numbers.

Barring a miracle turnaround, the Giants appears done this year. The franchise will need to regroup and build around Devers moving forward. Somehow, Buster Posey and Co. need to find a way to give their offense a pulse. They thought their big, shocking trade would do it.

Back to the drawing board.

Why is the tournament being staged in the UAE amid the October heat, you ask? Read on to have this and other questions you might have answered

Shashank Kishore01-Oct-202415:17

Runorder: Can Australia be stopped at the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024?

Another Women’s T20 World Cup this soon?
Covid’s knock-on effects forced the 2023 edition in South Africa to be held a year later than originally planned. And so the smallish gap between both editions.Right. Why the UAE – weren’t Bangladesh slated to host?
The tournament has had to find a new home at short notice. It was originally slated to be held in Bangladesh, but anti-government protests leading to hundreds of deaths in July-August forced several countries, including Australia, England and India, to issue advisories against travelling to the country. This meant the ICC had to look for a Plan B, eventually deciding to host the tournament in the United Arab Emirates.Isn’t it going to be scorching hot?
It will be, but it’s not unusual for cricket to be played there at this time of the year; October is officially the start of the cooler months in the country, though day-time temperatures are still in the mid-30s on average. The men’s T20 Asia Cup in 2022 was held here in August-September. The men’s T20 World Cup in 2021 was held in October-November.Teams will be tested, as there are seven double-header days scheduled during the group stage of this World Cup, with games to be played at 2pm and 6pm. You can check out the full schedule here.Related

• ICC launches AI tool for Women's T20 World Cup to protect teams from 'toxic content'

• Catching in focus as Women's T20 World Cup enters the ring of fire

• The Devine dilemma – to open or not to open?

• Alyssa Healy: 'Not here to defend the title, here to win it'

• Coach Leigh, spinner Kasperek: Scotland to New Zealand, twice over

Why was UAE chosen despite the testing weather?
In a way, the UAE emerged as the best option because India rejected ICC’s offer to host, citing their hosting of next year’s 50-over women’s World Cup. Sri Lanka wasn’t a viable option due to the monsoons. Zimbabwe stepped in with a late offer to host, but the ICC dialled the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB), who will work closely with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). The games will be played across two venues: Dubai and Sharjah.Don’t the hosts play? So will we see UAE at the World Cup?
No, they will not gain automatic qualification here, since Bangladesh qualified as hosts long before the tournament was moved. Six other teams – Australia, South Africa, India, England, West Indies and New Zealand – made it on the basis of finishing in the top six at the T20 World Cup in South Africa last year. Pakistan were the next-best team from the ICC T20I women’s rankings, while Scotland and Sri Lanka made it through the Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifiers, where they pipped Thailand and UAE – their closest competition – to take the final two spots.Right. So that’s how many teams participating?
Ten – same as in 2023. The only change is Scotland will replace Ireland, whom they pipped at the Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifiers earlier this year. This will be Scotland’s maiden appearance at a women’s global event.What is the format?
Teams are divided into two groups of five and will play the others in their group in a round-robin format, with the top two from each group qualifying for the semi-finals. India have a pre-decided semi-final venue (Dubai, on October 17), should they qualify. The second semi-final is slated for October 18 in Sharjah. The final will be played on October 20 in Dubai. All the knockout games have a reserve day.Give me a few interesting facts about this World Cup.

• This will be the first women’s T20 WC at a neutral venue.
• Dubai hasn’t hosted any of these ten teams in a women’s T20I previously.
• An Indian team – men or women – will be playing in Sharjah for the first time in nearly 25 years.
• This will be the first women’s global tournament since ICC announced equal prize money for both men’s and women’s tournaments. The winners will receive USD 2.34 million, an increase of 134% over what Australia were awarded for winning in 2023.


23:04

Who makes it to ESPNcricinfo’s best women’s T20I XI?

Let’s talk teams now. Can anyone challenge Australia?
Yes. But whether they can put it past them under pressure is the bigger question. India have shown they can dominate them – like their Test win in Mumbai or a nine-wicket hammering in the first of three T20Is this January. They’ve been working extensively with a sports psychologist as part of their tournament preparation, to help them get over the mental barrier.England are coming off a strong summer, having completely outclassed New Zealand and Pakistan. But they were given a reality check last year by Sri Lanka, easily among the most improved sides, who beat England for the first time in a T20I series. Sri Lanka also put one past India to clinch their maiden women’s Asia Cup title in July. So the field is narrowing, even though it does appear Australia are still clearly a cut above.What are some of the games I simply must not miss?
If you watched the women’s Asia Cup, you’d know why Pakistan vs Sri Lanka is a big rivalry. That game will be played at 6pm (local time) on the opening day (October 3). On a slow pitch in Sharjah, don’t miss Sri Lanka taking on Australia on October 5 – who knows, there could be an upset loading…Then there’s India vs Pakistan on October 6, which isn’t as big a rivalry as it is in men’s cricket but is nevertheless a broadcaster’s favourite. England vs South Africa – which was the semi-final fixture in the previous World Cup (October 7), Australia vs New Zealand (October 8), and India vs Australia (October 13) are some of the other big games.

It has been learnt that Rashid will not be available for the entire ILT20 and is likely to be around until December 20 before leaving for SA20

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Dec-2025Afghanistan legspinner Rashid Khan has replaced England allrounder Jordan Thompson in the MI Emirates squad for the ongoing ILT20 2025-26. Thompson has been ruled out for the rest of the season due to injury.Rashid, 27, is no stranger to the MI franchise. He is the captain of MI Cape Town in SA20 and led them to their maiden title earlier this year against Sunrisers Eastern Cape. He has also played for MI New York in Major League Cricket (MLC) in 2023 and 2024, but opted out this season. Rashid played two games for MI Emirates back in 2023, where he took four wickets.It has been learnt that Rashid will not be available for the entire ILT20, which runs till January 4, 2026 and is likely to be around until December 20 before travelling to South Africa for SA20 2025-26, where MI Cape Town play the season opener against Durban’s Super Giants on December 26.MI Emirates, the ILT20 2024 champions, will start this season against Gulf Giants in Dubai on December 4. Led by Kieron Pollard this season, they have reached the playoffs in each of the previous three seasons.The current season began on December 2, with Desert Vipers beating last year’s champions Dubai Capitals.

Tottenham Hotspur’s efforts in the Champions League against PSG last night were a vast improvement from the North London Derby, but it still wasn’t enough to claim all three points.

Luis Enrique’s men secured a 5-3 triumph at the Parc des Princes, but the night could have been a lot better for Thomas Frank’s side at one stage.

The Dane’s side twice took the lead against the reigning Champions League winners, with Randal Kolo Muani and Richarlison putting the Lilywhites ahead before and after the break.

However, numerous moments of madness from numerous players subsequently cost the side all three points, with Frank’s side now winless in their last three outings.

During such fixtures, the first team have shipped a total of 11 goals, many of which have been down to failures of one player – as demonstrated in Paris once again yesterday.

Cristian Romero’s dismal display against PSG yesterday

After Frank’s arrival as manager over the summer, he made an immediate impact by naming numerous first-team members as part of his Spurs leadership group.

Centre-back Cristian Romero was named as part of the group, with the Argentine wearing the armband in every one of his starts for the Lilywhites this campaign.

That was no different on Wednesday night, but the 27-year-old did nothing short of lead the side to a positive result, with his various errors costing the side against PSG.

His questionable pass into the feet of Pape Sarr saw the Senegalese star robbed of possession, which led to Fabian Ruiz firing the hosts into the lead for the first time.

Romero also charged down Vitinha on the edge of his 18-yard box, but his sliding effort saw him block the Portuguese international’s strike – which resulted in a penalty and all but killed off the game.

His underlying stats also showcase his lack of positive impact at the Parc des Princes, with the defender losing 50% of the duels he entered – subsequently being dominated by the opposition’s frontline.

The Spurs star who was as bad as Romero against PSG

After the manner of the Derby Day defeat on Sunday, it was clear that manager Frank needed to make various changes to try and avenge such a disappointing result.

As a result, the Dane made five changes to his starting eleven, which also saw a switch from a five-back to a more familiar four-back system – one which Romero was at the heart of.

The likes of Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray were handed rare starts at the heart of the side, with the duo often linking up with intricate play in large spells of the first half.

With both players aged under 20, there’s no denying that they will have huge parts to play in the immediate and long-term future for the Lilywhites in their quest for success.

However, there will certainly be question marks over a few of the other starters, with Pape Sarr one player who was unable to take full advantage of his recall to the squad.

The 23-year-old was named as a substitute against Arsenal, but was given the chance to stake his claim for a starting role again last night – but he may look back on the game as a missed opportunity.

Sarr certainly wasn’t solely to blame for the host’s third goal, but his lack of awareness after Romero’s pass saw him lose possession in the build-up to Luiz’s emphatic finish.

He also could have done more to prevent Willian Pacho’s strike, with the Senegalese international unable to get ahead of the defender to clear the loose ball in the penalty area.

The youngster’s underlying stats were just as poor, with the midfielder only able to win 50% of the tackles he entered, whilst also being dribbled past twice.

Sarr’s lack of positive impact was highlighted in his tally of possession lost, as he gave the ball back to the opposition on seven separate occasions – often presenting a careless figure in possession.

There’s little denying he put in a shift when out of possession, but he did so to little avail, ultimately leading to journalist Alasdair Gold handing him a 5/10 match rating upon the final whistle.

After such a showing, it’s evident that Bergvall and Gray are both ahead of him in the pecking order, with Sarr needing a huge reaction in the upcoming matches to dislodge the pair.

As for Romero, it was yet another evening to forget, but given his role as captain, he must pick himself and the rest of the team up ahead of Saturday’s clash with Fulham.

New Kane & Son: Paratici plotting to sign two mega-money forwards for Spurs

Tottenham Hotspur appear to be making huge strides in completeing a deal for a new deadly partnership.

By
Ethan Lamb

Nov 26, 2025

The New York Yankees have had a poor week, dropping their last four games. Getting back one of baseball's best players will help.

The Yankees are formally activating right fielder and designated hitter Aaron Judge from the 10-day injured list, they announced Tuesday afternoon. Judge has not played since July 25, when he went 0-for-3 in a 12–5 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies.

"It’s Aaron Judge—we know what he means to our lineup, to the guys in the room,” New York manager Aaron Boone said via Dave Sessions of MLB.com. “So to get him back, we’re certainly excited about that. And then hopefully, shortly thereafter, he’s back out in the field, too.”

Judge's return comes amid a four-game losing streak that has left a bitter taste in Yankees' fans mouths. The team was swept by the Miami Marlins and dropped its series opener against the Texas Rangers on Monday.

In 103 games this season, Judge is slashing .342/.449/.711—all three of which lead Major League Baseball—with 37 home runs and 85 RBIs.

MatériaMais Notícias

Exatamente daqui uma semana, o Palmeiras enfim retornará ao Allianz Parque após mandar cinco jogos na Arena Barueri, por conta da reforma no gramado sintético da belíssima arena alviverde localizada na Pompéia, bairro da zona oeste da cidade.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasPromessa do Palmeiras celebra renovação com o Verdão: ‘Transformou a vida da minha família!’Palmeiras21/03/2024PalmeirasAgora zagueiro no Palmeiras, Marcos Rocha fala sobre mudança: ‘Foi difícil aceitar’Palmeiras20/03/2024Campeonato PaulistaPalmeiras, Santos… Saiba datas, horários e onde assistir às semifinais do PaulistãoCampeonato Paulista20/03/2024

➡️ Tudo sobre o Verdão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Palmeiras

Por conta da ausência do Verdão no bairro que cresceu em torno dele ao longo dos seus mais de 109 anos de história, muitos lojistas e comerciantes que dependem dos jogos pra sobreviver estão passando apuros neste início de temporada.

Segundo apuração do Lance!, em relação as lojas que vendem artigos oficiais do clube, a queda no faturamento em fevereiro e março chegou a quase 50%, e bares da região também sofrem com a queda de receita, inclusive um estabelecimento teve a água cortada pela Sabesp por falta de pagamento.

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– Os jogos movimentam muito a região, principalmente nessa época do ano, com lançamento de produtos, camisas de jogo e a linha de treino e viagem que foi lançada agora. O entorno vive em função do Palmeiras, e os jogos são essenciais para a sobrevivência das lojas, bares e restaurantes. Jogos por aqui despertam até a curiosidade em turistas que visitam São Paulo – disse um funcionário de uma loja que não quis se identificar.

Entre os cinco jogos que o Palmeiras teve que mandar em Barueri neste período, entre eles teve um clássico contra o Corinthians, um dos jogos em que o entorno do Allianz Parque mais fatura durante toda a temporada.

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– Tive uma queda de mais de 60% do meu faturamento. Os jogos do começo do ano são o nosso carro chefe, ficar sem esses jogos não foi fácil. A expectativa agora é a gente conseguir retomar, esperamos que o torcedor volte com muita sede e que o Palmeiras classifique pra final do Paulista – disse o dono de um bar na rua Caraíbas.

O retorno do Palmeiras para o Allianz Parque está marcado para a próxima quinta-feira (28), quando o Verdão encara o Novorizontino, pela semifinal do Paulistão 2024.

Pat Cummins is a chance of making a stunning comeback to Australia’s XI for the second Test against England at the Gabba with a final decision to be made by selectors on Wednesday afternoon following a further inspection of the pitch.Australia’s stand-in captain Steven Smith did not confirm the final XI on Wednesday’s press conference, with an update later in the day saying it would be named at the toss, keeping the door open for Cummins to return as captain and also leaving open the possibility of Australia excluding their sole specialist spinner Nathan Lyon for the second day-night Test in a row.Australia also need to replace injured opener Usman Khawaja, and Josh Inglis appears the favourite to come into a middle-order role ahead of Beau Webster, with Travis Head to shift up to open. But Smith could not confirm that either.Related

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“A whole heap of things I think are on the table,” Smith said. “We’ll wait and see what the wicket looks like, and from there we’ll determine a playing XI.”Cummins’ inclusion would be a surprise given he was not named in Australia’s 14-man squad for the Gabba Test when it was announced last Friday. However, he was never officially ruled out because of how well he had been bowling in the nets in Perth and Brisbane after recovering from the bone stress injury in his lower back.”He looks pretty good to me the way he’s bowled in the nets,” Smith said. “Obviously, games are a different intensity, for sure, but he’s tracking really nicely. He knows his body well, and yeah, we’ll wait and see.”There is a possibility that he could replace Brendan Doggett in the XI but that would come with risks regarding his workloads. Given he has not played any cricket since July, there would be more comfort among Australia’s medical staff if he played in an all-pace attack given his bowling loads would likely be less in such a scenario if Australia’s selectors decided Lyon was surplus to requirements in the pink-ball game.0:46

McGlashan: An unfortunate end if Khawaja’s Test career is over

Lyon was left out of Australia’s most recent day-night Test in Jamaica in July and only bowled one over in last year’s pink-ball Test in Adelaide against India. He also did not bowl a ball in Australia’s last Ashes day-night Test in Hobart in 2022. He only bowled two overs in the first Test in Perth, both of which came in the first innings, as England only batted for 67.3 overs across the two-day Test.Lyon did bowl 50 overs in the last day-night Test as the Gabba in 2024 but Smith wasn’t sure if he was assured of his place.”I’m not sure,” Smith said. “We’ll look at the surface, as I said, and we’ll sum things up from there. And I think here’s a place where Nathan’s done really well in the past. He’s a quality bowler. But we’ll weigh up the options and we’ll see how we go.”The Gabba surface has looked very green from afar in the build-up to the Test match. There is warm, dry weather expected in Brisbane for the first three days of the game.”It’s still quite grassy, a little soft,” Smith said. “It’s obviously going to bake under the sun again today, and I think [the curator] is going to take a little bit off it, so might look a little bit different in a couple hours’ time.”

Mitchell, Bracewell half-centuries seal four-wicket win in series opener in Mount Maunganui

Andrew Miller26-Oct-2025New Zealand 224 for 6 (Mitchell 78*, Bracewell 51, Carse 3-45) beat England 223 (Brook 135, Overton 46, Foulkes 4-41, Duffy 3-66) by four wickets There was a strong westerly wind blowing across the Bay Oval on Sunday afternoon. If you happened to cock your ear to the breeze during the first hour of play, you would have heard – clear as day – the sound of mocking laughter, floating across the Tasman Sea and down through the shires of Hobbiton.In a contest billed as the official start of the Ashes phoney war, England’s Australia-bound top-order produced a stunning false start. Jamie Smith, Ben Duckett, Joe Root and Jacob Bethell – Ashes bankers, bolters and, as the Aussies might now contend, bottlers – all found themselves caught up in a catastrophic collapse of 10 for 4 in 5.1 overs that was precisely as serious as the discourse that it will generate.Related

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• Switch Hit: Rainy, phoney, baloney

• 135/223 – Harry Brook rewrites record books with one-man show

Jos Buttler soon joined the procession at 33 for 5, and it was a measure of the nonsensical scenario that – when Sam Curran nicked off at 56 for 6, to become the fourth wicket of Zak Foulkes’ remarkable maiden spell in ODI cricket – the time back home in the UK, thanks to the peculiarities of daylight-saving, was 1.59am: in other words, one minute prior to the contest’s original start-time.New Zealand duly wrapped up victory with time to spare as well, by four wickets and with 80 balls left unused, thanks to Michael Bracewell’s run-a-ball 51 and a 91-ball 78 from Daryl Mitchell that had to surmount its own dicey circumstances at 24 for 3, courtesy of Luke Wood and Brydon Carse’s new-ball breakthroughs – including a first-baller on his return to action for the great Kane Williamson, his first in 15 years of ODIs.Harry Brook carried England’s innings on his shoulders•Getty Images

And yet, the game would scarcely have outlasted one of last week’s rained-off T20Is had it not been for Harry Brook – England’s white-ball captain, Test vice-captain-elect, and a man in no mood to let circumstance dictate his game-plan. His response to his team’s extreme adversity was a startling lone-wolf innings of 135 from 101 balls that turned an impending humiliation into an almost serviceable total of 223 in 35.2 overs.It was Brook’s fourth century in the country, following his three hundreds across two previous Test tours, and – given the circumstances – it was more extraordinary even than his 186 at Wellington in 2023 which, for those who witnessed that onslaught, is saying something.Brook scored each of his first 36 runs in boundaries, en route to a total of nine fours and 11 sixes. The latter included three in a row off Jacob Duffy to reach his hundred from 82 balls, and four more thereafter, as he juiced 80 runs from England’s final two wickets in an innings in which just one other batter scored more than 6.That man was Jamie Overton, who contributed 46 from 54 balls in a seventh-wicket stand of 87 that wrested the momentum back from New Zealand, after Foulkes and Matt Henry had rumbled their way through 15 new-ball overs in a row. His performance had distinct echoes of a previous tussle with New Zealand – on Test debut in 2022, when he had arrived at a near-identical 55 for 6 and partnered Jonny Bairstow with a career-best 97.Once again, Overton fell short of a milestone in this innings, as he chipped a Duffy slower ball to cover, whereupon Carse joined the procession of Ashes-bound players by cutting his first ball straight to the returning Williamson at point. Brook, by then, had had one key let-off on 63, when Rachin Ravindra dropped a fast-travelling slog-sweep at square leg, but the power and clarity of his subsequent onslaught took the breath away.And to think Mitchell Santner hadn’t even been sure whether bowling first was the sensible option. Henry’s first ball of the match immediately laid any doubts to rest as he wrecked Smith’s first outing of the winter with a perfect stump-rattling inducker, one that deserved to rouse a few memories of Rory Burns’ catastrophic start to the 2021-22 Ashes proper.Brydon Carse removed Kane Williamson for his first golden duck in ODIs•Getty Images

Foulkes then ripped into the contest with the first-over wickets of Duckett, caught flinching outside off for 2, and Root, who stepped into a wild drive and was also bowled by lavish seam movement. Two Foulkes overs later, Bethell too had his off stump plucked out by a jaffa, and there seemed no earthly way for England’s innings to pull out of its death spiral.Brook, though, had other ideas. His 135 out of 223 comprised 60.53% of England’s innings, a new record that outdid Robin Smith’s legendary 167 not out against Australia in 1993 – which, coincidentally was another mighty knock that was unable to stave off ultimate defeat.England gave it a good crack, mind you. Carse, a star of last year’s Test-series win in New Zealand, matched Foulkes with two wickets in his opening over as Will Young was bowled by an inswinging yorker for 5 before Williamson snicked a first-ball snorter through to Buttler behind the stumps.Luke Wood then did for a free-flowing Ravindra, well caught by Overton at second slip as the bowler – remarkably – claimed his first List A wicket since 2019. And when Carse fired a wobble-seam delivery into Tom Latham’s shin for 24, New Zealand were 66 for 4 and in clear danger of frittering away their unbelievable start.Bracewell and Mitchell turned the tide in a fifth-wicket stand of 92, though they needed some luck along the way. Bracewell was dropped at slip on 2 by Root, in Overton’s opening over, while Mitchell had an even more glaring let-off on 33, when Wood at backward point dropped a sitter of a reverse-sweep off the legspin of Adil Rashid.With the requirement under control, however, New Zealand were able to play well within themselves – at least until Bracewell needlessly ran himself out with 66 still needed, whereupon Mitchell ramped New Zealand’s first six over fine leg to signal the final charge. Santner added two more in quick succession off Rashid before holing out to long-on for 27, but Mitchell launched the winning hit over backward square.The fireworks, and the talking points, however, had long since been and gone.

No play possible on third day with contest evenly poised

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay10-Sep-2025Day three of Sussex’s Championship game against Hampshire at Hove was abandoned without a ball bowled – the first day’s play to be lost this season.Morning showers delayed the start to day three at the 1st Central County Ground and when more persistent rain arrived at lunchtime umpires Nigel Llong and Rob White called play off at 2.15pm with puddles forming on a saturated outfield.Both teams will be hoping for an improvement in conditions tomorrow with Sussex needing 241 runs and Hampshire nine wickets to claim a victory that would ease any fears both counties have of being dragged into a relegation battle.