Ollie Robinson and Craig Overton put in strong showings ahead of the first Test at Lord’s on August 17

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Aug-2022Not so long ago, there were doubts over Aiden Markram’s place in the South African Test XI. His struggles – largely as opener – had become so profound that a batter once tipped to be the next big thing spent large portions of the last 12 months averaging about 10 runs an innings.South Africa were unwilling to let one of their prized assets go by like that. So the coach Mark Boucher decided to push him down the order. T20 cricket proved that the experiment was worthwhile – to the point that the player is confident of his place in the upcoming World Cup. And now, batting at No. 4 in four-day cricket, Markram made the highest score out of the South African line-up in the tour game against England Lions in Canterbury. He came in to bat with his team 20 for 2 in the fifth over, trailing by 253 runs, and made and unbeaten 88 off 169 balls. It wasn’t enough to ward off defeat but it does put the team in better stead going into the first Test at Lord’s on August 17.The England Lions’ performance mirrored the senior side under Brendon McCullum as they piled up a first-innings total of 672 at nearly a run a ball. And as pleasing as that must be, Craig Overton picking up a five-wicket haul in the first innings and the returning Ollie Robinson finishing with 3 for 29 in 11 overs in the second innings will be significant as well. Both players may well be fighting for the third seamer’s spot in the Test XI – currently held by the English summer’s biggest find Matthew Potts.South Africa may yet be happy with their work in the warm-up game. Their lower-middle order bailed them out from a position of considerable strife, taking the score from 129 for 5 in the first innings up to 433 with Khaya Zondo (86) Rassie van der Dussen (75), Kyle Verreynne (62) and Marco Jansen (54) contributing heavily.Their collapse in the second innings does raise a concern about the top order though. They were five-down for 100-odd again only this time there was no counterattack. Markram, who had earlier picked up a six-for with his offbreaks, found a way to survive but the rest crumbled; bowled out for 183. Robinson picked off three of the top five while 23-year old Derbyshire seamer Sam Conners ran through the tail, finishing with a four-for of his own.

Nuno Espirito Santo was delighted after a hard fought 1-0 win for his Nottingham Forest side over Premier League champions Manchester City

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Forest four points clear of City in the tableHudson-Odoi's late winner the differencePep's men boss possession but can't convertFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Callum Hudson-Odoi's 83rd minute strike was enough to take all three points in a game which could have significant ramifications for Champion's League qualification. The game appeared destined to end in a stalemate until the winger neatly controlled a cross-field pass from Morgan Gibbs-White before cutting inside and beating Ederson at his near post.

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Third-placed Forest now sit four points ahead of City in fourth after Saturday's result. Chelsea can overtake the champions if they beat strugglers Leicester City on Sunday.

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The Forest boss said: "It was a tough game, everybody saw how good Manchester City are, they had us on the ropes but the boys worked very hard. Of course they were going to have chances, but it was then about us taking ours.

"[Beating City] shows the progress but there is so much football still to be played. Let's focus on the journey and move on to the next one."

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City bossed possession but couldn't find the opening they desperately needed at the City Ground. Pep Guardiola's side enjoyed 69 per cent of the ball, and strung together 603 passes, more than doubling Forest's output of 262.

Stuart Broad said he hoped that a packed Oval ground had enjoyed a “celebration of the Queen’s life” on an emotional and extraordinary opening day of the delayed third Test against South Africa, but defended England’s batting on a pitch that he claimed had proven “too bowler-friendly” after two extra days under the covers.England reached the close on 151 for 7 in their first innings, with a lead of 36, having earlier shot out South Africa for 118 inside two sessions. The advantage could still be handy in a wicket-laden contest, but it might not be as decisive as it could have been with a bit of circumspection, with Joe Root and Ben Stokes particularly culpable for giving their wickets away with a surfeit of aggression.Broad, however, was unapologetic about carrying on with the methods that have taken England to five wins out of six this summer, all of them while batting second and reacting to a score already on the board from their opponents.Stuart Broad removed Khaya Zondo as South Africa struggled at The Oval•Getty Images

“We’re very comfortable chasing a score, to be honest,” Broad told Sky Sports. “Our mindset is we need to play in a way that gives us the chance to take 20 wickets, and if bowling first we get 20 wickets, we’ll win the game.”If we bowl again tomorrow and put South Africa under pressure, we could be could be batting on a day-three Oval pitch, which you’d argue could be the best time to bat,” he added. “Our mindset was we want a result either way in this game. We need to play in a style that is going to create a result and, after day one, we’re looking at either a win or a loss, and in our mind, that’s a win.”They certainly could not have done much more to accelerate a contest that had already been delayed by two days, through a combination of rain on Thursday, and Friday’s day of respect following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.After little more than an hour’s play, South Africa were reeling on 36 for 6, with Ollie Robinson four wickets into the third five-for of his career, and by the time they had been bowled out for 118, Broad had picked up 4 for 41, to move alongside his childhood hero Glenn McGrath, on 563 career Test wickets.”Earlier this morning it was too bowler-friendly, but you know I’d never really say that!” he said. “But it seamed a lot when I first came on as a first-change bowler. I was surprised, it was nipping three or four balls an over. We were happy to bowl South Africa out for a cheap score, but we also knew that we had some work to do.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“It’s not our mentality to prod and poke around, we knew that runs were going to be at a premium, so we had that mindset that we had to go out and put the South African bowlers under pressure. Because there’s a good ball in that pitch, and if it continues to nip like it did today, we’ll see a few more wickets.”Broad was coy about the achievement of matching McGrath, a player he sought to emulate as a kid, and the only other seamer besides James Anderson to have taken as many wickets.”He’s a hero of mine,” he said. “I feel like I don’t really deserve to be in that sort of category, to be honest, and obviously he’s played a lot less games [124 Tests to 159]. He was great, one of the greatest bowlers of all time in my opinion, but it feels very special to hopefully get one more and join my mate Jimmy as a one-two in that list of seamers.”Long after the clatter of wickets have been forgotten, however, the day will be remembered for the spine-tingling ceremony before the start of play, as the players lined up for a minute’s silence in memory of the Queen, followed by two unforgettable renditions of the national anthems, including the first airing of “God Save The King” at a sporting event since 1952.After the uncertainty surrounding the future of the game, which had been up in the air until an announcement from the ECB on Friday afternoon, Broad said he had been honoured to take part in such a moving occasion.Related

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“It was incredible to be a part of,” he said. “Walking down the stairs you could hear a pin drop. The respect shown by everyone in the stadium was incredible and to be able to sing the national anthem, with a full house, was brilliant. It felt like a celebration of the Queen’s life today and it felt good to be out there representing the badge like we did today.”Asked if he had wanted or expected to play on after the death of the Queen, at the age of 96, Broad said: “You have to give it some thought, though ultimately it was never in the players’ hands.”I must admit, when I saw the Premier League were postponing their fixtures for the weekend. I thought, oh, that might play a role in in our game. But I was really pleased when I heard the news that we were continuing, and then you get your mind on making sure you put in the performance to entertain the public.”We knew it was only going to be a three-day game. So we had to play some entertaining stuff. And I think everyone will leave pretty happy tonight.”

Stats highlights from another day when Australia were utterly dominant, with both bat and ball

S Rajesh06-Nov-20154.26 Australia’s run rate through their innings of 556 for 4 declared – they got there in 130.2 overs. Among the 105 innings that have lasted at least 100 overs at the Gabba, only one has a higher run rate: last year against India, Australia galloped to 505 off 109.4 overs, a rate of 4.60.4 Instances that Australia have declared their innings, out of the last six times that they have batted first at the Gabba. This innings was similar to their effort against Sri Lanka in 2007, when they declared at 551 for 4; they then bowled Sri Lanka out twice to win by an innings and 40 runs.1993 The last time Australia’s first four wickets added more than 556 runs in a Test innings; that was in the Ashes Test at Lord’s, when the top three all got hundreds, and Nos. 4 and 5 passed 75. Overall, this is only the 12th instance of Australia’s top four wickets combining to score 500-plus runs.174 Usman Khawaja’s score, which is more than twice his previous-best in Tests; in 17 previous innings, he had never made more than 65. This century has lifted his career average from 25.13 to 34.43.5 Instances of a No. 3 batsman scoring more than 174 in a Gabba Test. Three of those innings were by Don Bradman, who also has the highest score here by a No. 3 batsman – 226 against South Africa in 1931. The last time a No. 3 scored more at the Gabba was nine years ago, when Ricky Ponting made 196 against England.1 Fifty-plus scores for Kane Williamson in Tests against Australia. Before this innings, his best in four innings against Australia was 34, and he’d scored 72 at an average of 18.2 Spinners whose economy rates in Test cricket are worse than Mark Craig’s 3.66, among those who have bowled at least 400 overs. The only ones are Moeen Ali (ER 3.90) and Ian Salisbury (3.70). In the Australian innings, Craig’s economy rate was 5.03, which is already the fourth time in his 11-Test career that he has gone at five or more runs an over (when he has bowled 15 or more overs in an innings).31.75 Ross Taylor’s average in 12 Tests since the beginning of 2014: in 22 innings during this period he has only one century. In the two previous years – 2012 and 2013 – he had averaged 62.40 in 20 Tests, with six hundreds in 35 innings.

تحدث لاوتارو مارتينيز، نجم فريق إنتر ميلان، عن خسارتهم المهينة في نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا أمام باريس سان جيرمان، مساء أمس في مدينة ميونيخ الألمانية.

واستضاف ملعب “أليانز آرينا” مباراة الفريقين في نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا، حيث فاز باريس سان جيرمان بخمسة أهداف دون رد.

وحقق باريس سان جيرمان بذلك لقب دوري أبطال أوروبا للمرة الأولى في تاريخه.

اقرأ أيضًا.. لاعب إنتر ميلان يرفض الانضمام إلى المعسكر الدولي بعد خسارة دوري أبطال أوروبا

وقال لاوتارو مارتينيز، في تصريحات نشرها الموقع الرسمي للنادي: “كانت أمسية لم نتمكن فيها من فعل أي شيء أعددناه، تهانينا لـ باريس سان جيرمان”.

وأضاف: “لقد قدم باريس سان جيرمان أداءً استثنائيًا، لم يرتكبوا أي أخطاء واستحقوا الفوز، أنا فخور بالفريق والمدرب وزملائي والنادي”.

وواصل: “الآن علينا أن نستعيد توازننا، هذا هو المطلوب، لقد قدمنا ​​موسمًا ممتازًا رغم أننا لم نفز بأي لقب، هناك مرارة ورغبة في العودة أقوى”.

واسترسل الأرجتيني: “بذلنا قصارى جهدنا وفعلنا كل ما في وسعنا، تعرضنا لهزيمة مؤلمة، لكنني فخور”.

da dobrowin： Sunderland are now without a win in their last six games in the Championship after a Friday night defeat to new league leaders Sheffield United.

da apostaganha： The 1-0 loss that closed out a drab November for the Black Cats also meant that Regis Le Bris’ men had fired blanks in four out of six league contests in the harrowing month, as the strain of being near the top of the second tier pile continues to trouble the Wearside outfit.

Ultimately, the Frenchman will hope this is just a blip on the way to Sunderland rediscovering their best form down the line, as he attempts to get more out of his young squad across a hectic December.

The best of Sunderland's young team this season

Sunderland boasted the youngest average age of a lineup this season in the Championship, with the Black Cats XI that took to the field against Burnley at the end of August having an average age of just 22.7.

This approach of fielding up-and-coming youngsters paid off at the start of the campaign too, with the second-tier side’s only goal of the game against the Clarets coming courtesy of Romaine Mundle, as the 21-year-old went about breathing life back into his Sunderland playing days.

The former Tottenham Hotspur man has ended up being a shrewd replacement for Jack Clarke, with Mundle equally as tricky and slick for Le Bris’ men as their former star once was, having amassed four goals and two assists in the league before a recent injury setback.

Mundle has also been joined in midfield this season by Chris Rigg and Jobe Bellingham – who are only 17 and 19 years of age respectively – but are important parts of the jigsaw under the former Lorient boss’ guidance nonetheless.

That amazing back-heel finish is just one of three strikes Rigg has managed in Championship action, whilst Bellingham has two goals and one assist next to his name as another dangerous midfield presence.

Le Bris could be looking at what he has at his disposal in the U21 fold soon to try and uncover another young gem at the Stadium of Light, with a striker potentially the next in line for a senior opportunity.

Sunderland's next Maja is ready to be unleashed

Of course, unlike the examples above where Sunderland have managed to keep hold of the cream of the crop that come up the ranks, Josh Maja is one that left the Stadium of Light before he had fully blossomed.

The now 24-year-old departed Wearside in the summer of 2019 after an explosive vain of form saw him net 15 strikes during the 2018/19 season in League One from just 24 encounters, with his golden touch in front of goal not letting up this campaign for West Bromwich Albion.

Maja has ten strikes next to his name from 18 second-tier contests, with Wilson Isidor five goals off that total at the moment in league action as one of Sunderland’s main outlets.

Therefore, Le Bris might well want to experiment with his options up top and chuck 17-year-old Trey Samuel-Ogunsuyi in at the deep end soon, hoping he can be the club’s goalscoring sensation from the academy, just like Maja.

Samuel-Ogunsuyi’s goal record for Sunderland

Age bracket

Games

Goals scored

U18s

25

9

U21s

16

7

Senior team

0

0

Sourced by Transfermarkt

Appearing on the bench here and there under the Frenchman, his first-ever appearance in the senior fold might well come about shortly, with Samuel-Ogunsuyi helping himself to eight goals from his last seven games playing for both the U18s and the U21s.

With Maja also helping himself to seven goals for the U21s before being bumped up to the first team, that could be what comes next for the “super” youngster – as he was labelled by football talent scout Antonio Mango recently.

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Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke will be pleased with where his team currently is in the Championship table, after they moved to the top on Sunday.

A dramatic 4-3 win over Swansea in Wales, thanks to a stoppage-time winner from Wilfried Gnonto, ensured that the Whites moved above Sunderland and Sheffield United on goal difference.

However, the German boss could still have some decisions to make when the January transfer window opens for business in around five weeks.

There is one player in the squad who should be ruthlessly cashed in on ahead of the second half of the season, despite once being an exciting talent who was hailed by Marcelo Bielsa.

The Leeds talent who Marcelo Bielsa loved

In November 2021, the Argentine tactician brought teenage talent Joe Gelhardt into his Premier League squad and said that he was not surprised by his integration.

The former Wigan Athletic starlet’s finishing was described as “very good” by Bielsa, who also claimed that the forward “always creates danger” in matches.

Gelhardt, who pundit Jamie Redknapp dubbed a “wrecking ball” and hailed as “really exciting”, featured in 20 matches in the 2021/22 Premier League season and contributed with two goals and two assists as a teenage prospect.

He then played 15 times and provided two assists under Jesse Marsch in the Premier League the following term before being sent out on loan to Sunderland in January 2023.

Gelhardt scored three goals and assisted a further three in 18 appearances at Championship level for the Black Cats during that spell, before returning to Elland Road upon Farke’s arrival last year.

First Impressions

What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast's 'First Impressions' series has everything you need.

Why Joe Gelhardt should be sold

In the 18 months or so since then, the 22-year-old forward has failed to do enough to suggest that he has what it takes to kick on and become a regular in West Yorkshire.

The left-footed attacker was rarely used during the 2023/24 campaign. He finished with zero goals and zero assists in ten appearances and two starts in the Championship, which shows that Farke did not trust him to play regularly in the second tier.

Gelhardt also scored one goal in three outings in the cup competitions, with a strike in an EFL Cup win against Shrewsbury Town, but that was not enough to earn more game time in the league.

This season, the young centre-forward has only played three times and amassed 73 minutes of action across all competitions for the West Yorkshire outfit.

Per Capology, Gelhardt earns as much as both Mateo Joseph and Joel Piroe, on £15k-per-week. This suggests that the Whites are not getting value for money, as Joseph has scored two goals and provided three assists whilst Piroe has scored six and assisted two.

The former Wigan prospect, who was loved by Bielsa in his early days at Elland Road, has simply not kicked on since his early success in the Premier League under the Argentine boss.

He has failed to break into Farke’s team in the Championship and, now, must be ruthlessly ditched from the squad when the January transfer window opens, due to his lack of impact on the pitch.

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Mitchell Swepson made inroads into NSW’s second innings to leave them struggling to save the game

AAP20-Oct-2022

Matt Renshaw and Queensland allrounder Michael Neser posted their highest scores in first-class cricket in a match-turning sixth-wicket stand to crush New South Wales on day three of their Sheffield Shield clash.Opener Renshaw made a masterful unbeaten 200 and Neser a whirlwind 136 as the duo combined in a 257-run sixth-wicket stand at Sydney’s Drummoyne Oval.When Neser departed, Queensland declared on 6 for 477 and NSW were 4 for 96 at stumps when bad light stopped play.Neser and Renshaw came together in the first over of the day after Jimmy Peirson was dismissed. The Queensland pair blitzed the bowling attack to score at more than five runs per over in a powerful partnership.Neser’s previous best was an innings of 121 in the Shield two seasons ago.  The 32-year-old, who played one Test for Australia last season, brought up his ton with a cut shot to deep point from Australia spinner Nathan Lyon and then went into overdrive.Matt Renshaw brought up a marathon double century•Getty Images

Renshaw’s knock could have ramifications beyond this match.  Five of his 15 boundaries were sixes and he showcased an array of attacking strokes which sent a message to Test selectors that his game has developed hugely.His knock surpassed the 184 he made for Australia against Pakistan in 2017. The century was his first as an opening batter for Queensland since 2017-18 and continued the form he displayed for Somerset in English county cricket this year where he twice passed the hundred mark.Renshaw batted in the middle order last season but captain Usman Khawaja moved him back to his former position at the top of the list to benefit Queensland, and with the hope of revitalising his Test career.Renshaw played the last of his 11 Tests in 2018 but with current Australia openers Khawaja and David Warner nearing the end of their careers he has reminded the selectors of his ability to now change gears with a match-defining innings in challenging conditions.Queensland legspinner Mitchwell Swepson was the pick of the bowlers and also ran out opener Blake Nikitaris.

Newcastle United are believed to have stepped up their interest in completing the signing of an “astonishing” player with a huge release clause in his contract.

Newcastle transfer news

Magpies supporters will want to see plenty of transfer business conducted in the next couple of transfer windows, following a relatively quiet time of things during the summer. One report has claimed that Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford is being lined up as a replacement for Martin Dubravka between the sticks, potentially pushing Nick Pope to be the future No.1 at St James’ Park in the process.

Another intriguing rumour that has emerged has seen Newcastle linked with a move for Paul Pogba, whose career has fallen apart in recent years, following drugs charges that ended up leading to an 18-month ban, reduced from four years. He is available to play again from next March, however, and the Magpies are apparently eyeing a move in January, though take that one with a pinch of salt.

More realistically, Las Palmas winger Alberto Moleiro is also seen as a transfer target for Eddie Howe’s side, with sporting director Paul Mitchell sending scouts to watch him in action. Arsenal are also in the mix to snap up the 21-year-old, though, so competition for his signature could be strong.

Newcastle step up interest in "astonishing" ace

According to a new report from Caught Offside, Newcastle and Mitchell are pushing to sign Sporting CP forward Geovany Quenda, stepping up their interest in him. He has an £84m release clause in his current deal, highlighting his ability. That said, the Magpies are far from alone in showing an interest, however, with Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City, Bayer Leverkusen, RB Leipzig, Juventus and Chelsea all mentioned as suitors in the update.

Quenda is a player with an immense amount of potential, so it is no surprise to see many huge European clubs competing to acquire his signature. If Newcastle were able to pip others to the signing of the 17-year-old, it would feel like a major statement of intent, with Portugal manager Roberto Martinez saying of him: “A player who loves to create imbalances. Technical quality, but a quality that is not normal for someone at 17 years old.

“He had an excellent European Championship with the U17s. He has stepped into the first team of Sporting and demonstrated an astonishing personality. And now he has shown that he is ready for the national team. Great news for Portuguese football.”

Despite still only being 17 years of age, Quenda has already made 18 senior appearances for Sporting, scoring and assisting twice apiece, and he has been capped by Portugal at both Under-21 and Under-17 level, scoring six times for the latter.

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The Portuguese clearly wouldn’t be signed by Newcastle as a polished player who can immediately be a star man, but his long-term potential is vast, and he should be seen as a primary target who could grow into a future hero at St James’.

Warner will be able to apply to a three-person review panel to have his lifetime leadership ban modified

Alex Malcolm21-Nov-2022David Warner can now formally apply to have his lifetime leadership ban modified after Cricket Australia’s board amended its code of conduct policy.Warner was previously unable to hold a captaincy position in Australian cricket after being handed a lifetime ban as a result of 2018’s ball-tampering scandal and under the previous code of conduct, players do not have the right to have a sanction reviewed once it has been accepted.But the CA board requested a code of conduct review at the October board meeting to be conducted by CA’s head of integrity Jacqui Partridge.CA released a statement on Monday outlining that the recommendations of that review have been accepted and granted formal approval, with Warner now able to apply to have his ban modified.Related

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“Under the changes, players and support staff can now apply to have long-term sanctions modified,” the statement said.”Any applications will be considered by a three-person Review Panel, comprising independent Code of Conduct Commissioners, which must be satisfied that exceptional circumstances exist to justify modifying a sanction.”These circumstances and considerations will include whether the subject of the sanction has demonstrated genuine remorse; the subject’s conduct and behaviour since the imposition of the sanction; whether rehabilitation programs have been completed undertaken (if applicable) and the length of time that has passed since the sanction was imposed and whether sufficient time has passed to allow for reform or rehabilitation.”The code of conduct states this process: ‘Acknowledges that Players and Player Support Personnel are capable of genuine reform or rehabilitation and is intended to provide the Player or Player Support Personnel with an opportunity to resume their previously held positions or responsibilities in specific circumstances.'”The hearing of an application is not an appeal, or a review of the original sanction imposed.”Warner, 36, has been keen on returning to a leadership role having captained in the IPL since his CA leadership ban. He spoke recently about being keen to help Sydney Thunder in a leadership capacity on his return to the BBL.Warner also hinted that he was keen to play international cricket through until the 2024 T20 World Cup, with Australia likely to need a new T20I captain for that tournament.