Legspinner explains his thought process after picking up the first hat-trick of the 2022 T20 World Cup

Alex Malcolm18-Oct-2022It’s not often that you find a player beaming after his side has been thumped by 79 runs in a T20 World Cup game, but nothing could wipe the smile off Karthik Meiyappan’s face following his hat-trick against Sri Lanka.Karthik, the 22-year-old UAE legspinner who was born in Chennai and has trained with both Royal Challengers Bangalore and Chennai Super Kings in the past, put his name up in lights in Geelong with three magical deliveries in three balls to join Brett Lee, Curtis Campher, Wanindu Hasaranga and Kagiso Rabada as just the fifth man to take a hat-trick at a T20 World Cup.”It still hasn’t sunk in, the fact that I’ve got a hat-trick in a T20 World Cup, and to become the fifth bowler to do so,” Karthik said after the match. “It is really a proud moment and feels amazing. But, like I said, it would have been much greater and much better for me if we had won the game tonight.”He was genuine in his disappointment with the result. But Karthik, who moved to the UAE in 2007 when his father began working there, could not have done any more to help his team. He bowled a superb spell of four overs for just 19 runs, including 12 dots. His hat-trick came in his third over, the 15th of the innings, to stall Sri Lanka’s momentum after they had cruised to 117 for 2 with more than five overs to go on a difficult batting surface.

“That is something I don’t know about. But I hope they do”Karthik Meiyappan on the possibility of a call-up from Chennai Super Kings

Even more impressive than the three deliveries he bowled to dismiss Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Charith Asalanka and Dasun Shanaka was the clarity of his plans in the moment, and his execution. He was happy to talk everyone through the plans, too.”First up against Rajapaksa, the leg side was the long boundary for him,” Karthik said. “I thought he would take me down the deck as I think he was 5 or something that and… I tried to push it away bowling a wrong’un and he tried to go over covers but he sliced it.”When Asalanka walked in, that was a no-brainer for me: I was going to bowl a wrong’un straight up and Vriitya [Aravind, the wicketkeeper] took an amazing catch.”And then Dasun walked in, again I was just going through my motions being the hat-trick, but all I wanted to do was bowl on the stumps and whatever happens after that it is out of my hands. But, again, I just bowled a wrong’un and I think he picked it as a leggie.”He was asked after the match if he thought he might get a call from Chennai Super Kings again, this time for a bit more than bowling in the nets.”That is something I don’t know about,” Karthik said with a smile. “But I hope they do.”

Lea Tahuhu, Georgia Plimmer named in T20I squad only; Hannah Rowe, Molly Penfold picked just for ODIs

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Nov-2022New Zealand are set to hand a debut to Wellington wicketkeeper-batter Jess McFadyen in the upcoming home series against Bangladesh, after she was named in the 15-member squad for the three T20Is and ODIs. McFadyen’s selection in place of fellow wicketkeeper Izzy Gaze, who is India with the Under-19 team, was the only change to the squad that had recently toured the West Indies.Coach Ben Sawyer said playing Bangladesh would be a great opportunity for McFadyen, especially with the T20 World Cup to be held next year.”Debuting for your country is always a special moment, so we’re delighted to be welcoming Jess into the side for what will be an exciting series,” Sawyer said. “Jess brings great energy – when we worked together at the Commonwealth Games, I was really impressed with what she brought to the team environment – and she has good experience with the bat, especially in that middle order.”McFadyen, 31, had been picked in the New Zealand squads earlier for last year’s tour of England and the Commonwealth Games this year but didn’t get to play.”We used the recent series in the West Indies to try different combinations with bat and ball and we also want to do that with the wicketkeepers; we want to see what Jess can bring to the team,” Sawyer said. “We’re also in a fortunate position that we have a New Zealand Development team touring India, which Izzy (Gaze) is involved in, so we’re able to give both players experience in different conditions and against different opposition.”McFadyen herself was eyeing a spot for the T20 World Cup, looking to “put her name forward” for the big tournament after missing out on a debut in the Commonwealth Games in England.”Ben was there as well… to be in that environment, see how he wanted to run things and to spend time with the established players – they are world class,” McFadyen said. “I am lucky to be playing for [Wellington] Blaze, and have a dozen of them around me for training. [I am] super lucky to have those experiences.”Both the T20I and ODI sides will be led by Sophie Devine, with pace bowler Lea Tahuhu and batter Georgia Plimmer named in the T20I squad only, while seamers Hannah Rowe and Molly Penfold picked just for the ODIs.It will be New Zealand’s last official series before the T20 World Cup next year in South Africa.”Over the last couple of months we’ve put together a blueprint of how we want to play, particularly in the T20 format, with an eye on the World Cup next year,” Sawyer said. “This tour will be a great opportunity to continue working and refining those plans and making any necessary adjustments.The series against Bangladesh begins with the first T20I on December 2 in Christchurch, with Dunedin and Queenstown to host the other T20Is. The ODIs begin on December 11 in Wellington, before Napier and Hamilton stage the last two matches of the tour. The series will be the first time Bangladesh play a bilateral series in New Zealand but will be their second visit this year, following the World Cup in March.Squad: Sophie Devine (capt), Suzie Bates, Eden Carson, Lauren Down, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Hayley Jensen, Fran Jonas, Amelia Kerr, Jess Kerr, Jess McFadyen, Molly Penfold (ODIs only), Hannah Rowe (ODIs only), Georgia Plimmer (T20Is only), Lea Tahuhu (T20Is only)

Out of all the promoted sides that came up at the end of the enthralling 2023/24 season in the Championship, Ipswich Town will believe they have the best possible chance of staying up in the Premier League past this campaign.

At the moment, they boast the best points total when weighed up next to Leicester City and Southampton at 15, whilst also being fresh off an unexpected 2-0 victory over Chelsea right at the end of 2024 that will have given them some much-needed confidence.

Still, there will be many twists and turns ahead that will test Ipswich’s resolve, meaning this January transfer window could be key in enabling them to add more quality to a squad desperate to survive.

If the top-flight underdogs could pull off this rumoured swoop, Kieran McKenna would no doubt feel more self-assured that his team stands a fighting chance at remaining put in the elite division.

Ipswich targeting move for Premier League starlet

As per Sky Sports presenter Dharmesh Sheth on X, Ipswich are interested in picking up Jaden Philogene-Bidace at some stage this month.

Of course, in the summer, the Tractor Boys had actually agreed a deal to snap up the tricky winger from Hull City, only for the Villans to reign supreme last minute.

His lack of game-time at Villa Park – which has seen him make just two starts in the Premier League – could mean he’s allowed to leave Unai Emery’s men on a loan basis very soon, with Ipswich keeping an eye on the situation subsequently in case he is let go of.

What Philogene could offer Ipswich

Once noted for having “ridiculous” ability on the ball by ex-Hull boss Liam Rosenior, this could be a move that gets fans out of their seats at Portman Road on an even more regular basis, with the deal also perhaps seeing Ipswich pick up another star in a similar mould to Omari Hutchinson.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Ipswich supporters would certainly be hoping for the same magic Hutchinson provided on a regular basis last season as a loanee from Philogene, with the electric 22-year-old an absolute star for the Tigers in the Championship.

Away from the audacious strike above that saw him be in the running for a Puskas award, Philogene would fire home a further 11 goals for Hull before Villa came calling, alongside picking up six assists as a nuisance for second-tier defences to try and thwart.

Stat – per 90 mins*

Philogene

Hutchinson

Games played

32

44

Goals scored

12

10

Assists

6

5

Shots*

3.6

1.5

Big chances missed

6

4

Big chances created

7

7

Hutchinson operated in a similar way for Ipswich when the club were also situated in the Championship, with the now-permanent Tractor Boys man bagging ten goals and picking up five assists on the way to promotion being achieved.

Arguably, his counterpart’s numbers are more impressive, however, when you consider the Tigers fell just short of the playoff picture, but the 22-year-old managed to still shine so brightly.

Therefore, if given more opportunities to impress in the top flight away from the stifling environment of Emery’s camp, he could well be a success, much like Hutchinson has been in spurts.

The Ipswich number 20 even fired home against Chelsea last time out to get the better of his old employers, with McKenna left licking his lips at the prospect of playing Hutchinson down the right wing, whilst Philogene gets the nod down the left.

Another major plus of this deal would be the fact the wantaway Villa attacker can also play down the right if needed, having played here 11 times for Hull, with Hutchinson also versatile enough to play in a number ten spot.

Whilst it might seem strange that Ipswich would target new reinforcements going forward, considering the firepower already present, adding in the 5 foot 11 ace could help McKenna’s men pick up even more scalps to push away from the bottom three.

Ipswich could sign a perfect Delap replacement in "sharp" EFL star

Ipswich Town will be searching for new strikers in case Liam Delap leaves this month.

ByKelan Sarson Jan 1, 2025

Since his return to Parkhead in the summer of 2023, Brendan Rodgers has been backed by the Celtic board in the transfer market in all three windows so far.

The biggest show of faith from the board so far has been the decision to break the club’s transfer record in an £11m swoop for Augsburg star Arne Engels.

However, his signings in his first window back at the club have not been hugely successful as a collective in their first 18 months or so in Glasgow.

Paulo Bernardo, who was on loan last term before joining permanently this summer, is the only one who remains a regular fixture in the side in the present day.

Celtic's 2023 summer signing woes

Per Transfermarkt, Maik Nawrocki, Gustaf Lagerbielke, Luis Palma, and Odin Thiago Holm were the four most expensive signings in that transfer window, all costing £2.5m or more.

Nawrocki, Lagerbielke, and Holm combined for just 13 starts in the Scottish Premiership during the 2023/24 campaign, and none of them have started a game in the division this season, with Lagerbielke currently on loan with FC Twente.

Palma started well at Celtic, with five goals and nine assists in his first 16 league games, but has only produced two goals and zero assists in 16 Premiership matches in 2024.

One signing that may have gone under the radar as a flop from that summer of recruits has been Australia international Marco Tilio, who was brought in for a fee of £1.5m from Melbourne City.

Marco Tilio's Celtic struggles

Shortly before his official unveiling, Football FanCast suggested that Tilio could have been Rodgers’ own version of Manchester City star Phil Foden, as a diminutive, left-footed, attacking midfielder, who can play centrally or out wide.

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig had named Foden as a “similar” type of player to the then-Melbourne star and listed dribbling, technique, and ball control among the £1.5m signing’s strengths, after a return of ten goals and five assists in 25 A-League starts in the 2022/23 campaign.

Tilio, however, arrived with an injury and was not fit until September 2023, which meant that he was already down the pecking order by the time he was available.

The winger went on to play just 28 minutes across two games against Hibernian and Motherwell in November and December 2023, as the winger failed to break into the starting XI, with the likes of Palma, Hyun-jun Yang, Daizen Maeda, Kyogo Furuhashi, Hyeon-gyu Oh, and James Forrest ahead of him in the forward areas.

Tilio was then sent out on loan to Melbourne City for the second half of the season and scored one goal in four matches, whilst missing nine games through injury, before returning for a second loan there in the summer transfer window.

As you can see in the table above, the 23-year-old attacker scored one goal in three matches at the start of the 2024/25 campaign, but he has been out with a hamstring injury since November and is expected to be back at the end of December.

So far, it has been £1.5m wasted for Celtic as they have only got 28 minutes of action from him in what will have been two years by the end of his current loan with Melbourne.

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Celtic were linked with an interest in the impressive winger in the summer transfer window.

By
Dan Emery

Nov 19, 2024

His form in Australia, along with his continued injury issues, does not suggest that he is likely to return to Parkhead and live up to being their own version of Foden.

Tilio’s contract with Celtic does not expire until the summer of 2028, though, and there is still time for him to overcome his struggles, but it currently looks as though it was £1.5m wasted by the Scottish side.

MatériaMais Notícias

da esport bet： Após o empate em 2 a 2 com o RB Bragantino, pelo Brasileirão, o Palmeiras se reapresentou na Academia de Futebol e iniciou a preparação com foco total no duelo decisivo na volta da semifinal da Libertadores.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeiras36,8 mil ingressos já foram vendidos para Palmeiras x Athletico-PR pela LibertadoresPalmeiras04/09/2022PalmeirasDefesa mostra fragilidade, e Palmeiras tem maior sequência sem vitórias da temporadaPalmeiras04/09/2022PalmeirasLeila Pereira, presidente do Palmeiras, é considerada a quinta mulher mais rica do BrasilPalmeiras04/09/2022

da dobrowin： GALERIA

>ATUAÇÕES: Danilo tem desempenho sofrível, e Merentiel é herói

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> Clique e confira a tabela completa e simulador da Libertadores!

Quem atuou por mais de 45 minutos em Bragança Paulista-SP realizou somente atividades regenerativas no centro de excelência do Verdão. Vale lembrar que o meia Raphael Veiga se recupera de uma entorse no tornozelo direito e ainda não se sabe se estará à disposição do treinador na terça.

Os demais atletas fizeram um trabalho técnico-tático sob comando de Abel Ferreira e com ênfase em marcação e transições. Alguns jovens do grupo de apoio do Sub-20, inclusive, fizeram parte do treino.

Apesar da diminuição dos casos de Covid-19 e da flexibilização das medidas de restrição por conta da pandemia, o Verdão ainda não liberou a presença de jornalistas nos treinamentos. Assim, as informações são fornecidas pela assessoria de imprensa do clube.

O Palmeiras foi derrotado por 1 a 0 no jogo de ida da semifinal, disputado na Arena da Baixada, e precisa vencer o Athletico-PR por dois ou mais gols de diferença para avançar no tempo regulamentar. Qualquer triunfo por um tento leva a decisão para os pênaltis.

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Joshua Kimmich stole the show as Germany stormed back against Italy to win 2-1 and take charge of their Nations League quarter-final.

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• Sandro Tonali put Italy in front under 10 minutes
• Germany scored twice in the second half to complete a comeback
• Kimmich put on a stellar show at San Siro

• Getty Images Sport
  

  TELL ME MORE

  Julian Nagelsmann's troops started the first half as the more dominant side but found themselves trailing, almost against the run of play, as Sandro Tonali took just nine minutes to break the deadlock. Nicolo Barella started the move by releasing Matteo Politano down the right flank who pulled back at the nick of time for Moise Kean. However, Jonathan Tah flicked it away which fell perfectly for an onrushing Tonali, who made no mistake in burying the ball into the net.

  Despite falling behind, Germany continued to dominate possession but it were the hosts who looked more threatening in attack. Tonali continued to be in the thick of action as he tested Oliver Baumann with another teasing effort but the keeper was equal to the task. A couple of minutes later, Keane unleashed a volley at the near post and the Hoffenheim keeper dealt with the danger to prevent Italy from getting their second.

  The German team lacked imagination in attack and Nagelsmann made two changes at half-time to inject fresh impetus with Tim Kleindienst and Nico Schlotterbeck being thrown into the mix. And with his very first touch, the Monchengladbach striker levelled the score after beating his marker to head home an inch-perfect cross from Kimmich. With the scores level, the match turned into an end-to-end affair with both teams giving their all to get their noses in front. Italy were denied twice by Baumann with both Keane and Raspadori failing to beat the keeper in close succession. But the visitors made Italy pay for their profligacy as Leon Goretzka's glancing header off a Kimmich corner beat Gianluigi Donnarumma to help his team take a slender lead into the second leg.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE MVP

  Bayern Munich star Kimmich hardly put a foot wrong at the San Siro and had two assists to show for his efforts. It was one of his teasing crosses from the right that allowed Germany to claw their way back into the game and his delivery from set-pieces was top-notch as well, which ultimately made the difference between the two old foes.

• THE BIG LOSER

  Luciano Spaletti will be furious with his defenders as they were caught napping during both the Germany goals. Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Alessandro Bastoni failed to mark Kleindienst during the equaliser while the latter lost Goretzka again which allowed the Bayern midfielder to score the winner.

• WHAT COMES NEXT?

  Italy have their work cut out as they can hardly afford any further defensive lapses at Signal Iduna Park on Sunday evening in the second leg to keep their Nations League ambitions alive.

Pep Guardiola has paid tribute to Jack Grealish after seeing the Manchester City star dedicate a Premier League goal to his late brother.

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England international handed rare start by CityRegistered first Premier League goal since December 2023Netted on 25th anniversary of brother's passingFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The England international lined up for City against Leicester as he was handed just a seventh top-flight start of the season. Grealish needed less than two minutes to get on the scoresheet.

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Said effort was Grealish’s first in the Premier League since December 2023 and came on the 25th anniversary of his brother Keelan’s passing. Grealish was just four when losing his sibling in April 2000.

WHAT JACK GREALISH & PEP GUARDIOLA SAID

He pointed to the sky after finding the target against the Foxes, in an emotional celebration, and posted on social media afterwards: "With me always, especially this day. That was for you, Keelan."

Guardiola said: "Jack is an incredible human being. I didn't know [about the anniversary]. I can't imagine how tough it can be for mum and dad, his sister and all the family. It's good that this day he remembers him. I'm pretty sure they remember every single day. He scored a goal and made a good game."

AFPDID YOU KNOW?

Grealish was moved into a playmaking No.10 berth against Leicester, rather than being asked to line up on the flanks, and Guardiola added on the 29-year-old’s performance: "He likes to play in the middle. He's a guy who used to play free. He's comfortable playing on the side. Always between the lines he has ability. I'm happy for him. I know it's not easy when you don't play regularly. Last game in the FA Cup he played really good."

The promotion of Rehan Ahmed to the Test squad might have seemed a bit last-minute. But a day after Ahmed was informed by head coach Brendon McCullum of his selection for the tour of Pakistan, men’s director of cricket Rob Key revealed that that had been the plan all along.A 15-man Test squad was picked in October without Ahmed’s name, which instead appeared in the Lions squad. A training camp in Dubai, and involvement in the ongoing warm-up match in Abu Dhabi between the Test squad and the Lions, was to be followed by a secondment on the Test tour to continue his development.And while that would not necessarily have prevented Ahmed from being selected, particularly under captain Ben Stokes whose tenure has involved changing the way things used to be done, the fact that his call-up has been made official in this manner, a week out from the first Test, is due to careful, necessary planning.”The plan for Rehan was that we always looked to bring him into the squad,” Key said in Abu Dhabi on Thursday. “This is the best way to aid his development. He is a serious talent, but he might be four or five years off being the finished product. He is nowhere near the finished article at the moment.”But we just hope that being involved with the Test squad, with McCullum and Stokes and the mentality they have … bowling at Joe Root. He becomes a full member of that squad, he’s not just a net bowler. If needed, we believe he can play and do a good job for us with bat and ball. It’s a chance to put him on a path that will get the best out of him.”Credit to the Test set-up, we feel that is the best group of people to aid his development and get him to where we think he can be quicker, by being involved with not just the captain or Brendon, but every one of those players has a part to play in his development.”Having sent down eight wicketless overs for 73 runs as the Test “XI” racked up 501 for seven on day one of this mooted three-day tune-up at the Tolerance Oval, Ahmed helped provide the exclamation mark of the Lions’ reply. His brisk 26 off 10 deliveries included three fours and two sixes, both off Liam Livingstone, who responded in the same over by feigning a run-out at the non-striker’s end, before eventually bringing about his end by more conventional means. It meant that the Lions closed day two on 411 for nine. Haseeb Hameed’s composed 145 and 82 from fellow opener Tom Haines provided the guts of the innings.Ahmed’s innings – bold, care-free, very much what you’d expect from an 18-year-old teeming with confidence – can perhaps be extrapolated to the impression he has made on McCullum, who was understood to be reticent about selecting Ahmed before he had seen or fully interacted with him. He has evidently been impressed over the last 48 hours.Nevertheless, the duty of care towards a kid with just three first-class appearances for Leicestershire, who only turned 18 in August, was always part of the consideration.Rob Key (right) and Brendon McCullum, who has evidently been impressed by Ahmed since his arrival in the UAE•Getty Images

“How we’ve done it, we wanted it to be more of a soft launch, rather than just announcing him in a squad and away you go, with all the media speculation,” Key revealed. “He has been able to come out here, we have had a look at him. Mo Bobat [ECB performance director and head coach of the Lions] knows him very well and has had a big part in his development since being a young kid. Every one of these young players has come through that pathway with Bobat, David Court [Player ID Lead]. They have a good read on these people, they have been in touch with the families and all that stuff. That was the best way we felt we could have that soft launch, so he was around a bit before he finds out he’s been picked in the squad.”There is another, intriguing element to Ahmed. Even with a century and five-wicket haul with the red ball, both picked up in a County Championship match against Derbyshire at the end of the 2022 season, his white-ball game is clearly a little further developed. So much so, that he had offers for franchise cricket this winter. Had the schedules aligned differently, he would have almost certainly played in England’s ODIs in Australia that immediately followed the T20 World Cup, having trained with the limited-overs squad during the summer.Key cedes Ahmed “is going to have decisions going forward in his career and life”, around which colour ball takes his fancy at various points of the year. And he has no qualms in admitting this exposure to Test cricket can sow a sizeable seed in Ahmed’s head.”He arguably could be thinking about franchise cricket but we’ve given him an offer he can’t refuse really – a chance to be involved in Test cricket as the pinnacle. If you can play this form, you can play anything.”That last bit is a principle Key swears by, and forms the basis of his work so far at the head of the English game, as far as on-field matters are concerned. Even from his days in the commentary box with Sky Sports and others, he has long held a view the old and new worlds can sit comfortably together, with a little give and take along the way.Jofra Archer is a more developed example of this. Having made a return to bowling in a match for the first time since July 2021, he will play in the SA20 franchise competition for MI Cape Town. The stint forms part of the gradual build-up of Archer’s workload – he will then move on to the ODI series in South Africa – and is probably the most open indication of co-operation between two entities with differing priorities, at least on the face of it. And, no doubt, it was set in motion following a chat in the summer between Key and Graeme Smith, commissioner of the SA20.Haseeb Hameed made a century for England Lions in Abu Dhabi•ECB Images

“He’s a wildcard pick,” Key said. “You talk to the franchise owners and you come up with a plan so we are aligned. They want the same thing, which is Jofra Archer not getting injured again for a long period of time. It’s handy that he can bowl four overs in two games for them, then go into the 50-over stuff, so he has competitive cricket and a build-up. The way the world works now, you have to work with these teams and all you have to be aligned and want the same thing, to make sure Jofra can play to his potential for as long as he can. The only way it works is if you all work together.”You could extend all this to include the employment of Luke Wright as England selector. Wright will begin his tenure in March 2023, once he fulfils his contractual obligations with Auckland Aces as their performance and talent coach.At 37, and having just retired from a playing career primarily with Sussex across 20 years as a professional, he is wired into the game, both with contacts and his understanding of an ever-evolving ecosystem. He has experience across the world, in a variety of domestic and franchise competitions. Beyond his undoubted personability, Key will lean on his rare nous.Related

• Ben Stokes puts prep over precedent as England ease towards Pakistan challenge

• Mark Wood in doubt for first Test after World Cup hip injury

• Liam Livingstone and Will Jacks in England Test squad for Pakistan tour

• Luke Wright looks the right fit as England selector after career on T20 front lines

• Jofra Archer on return to England action: 'A small day but a big day'

“Things like shaping central contract decisions, all those things he’ll be involved with, and he understands better than I do because he’s played franchise cricket and knows what it’s like to be a player, and the decisions they’ve got to make because these decisions are coming now for the players. They’re not coming in five years’ time. This is coming now. Which franchise do they want to play for? What format do they want to play? Do they want to play in that series or is it going to collide with something else? Luke Wright’s across all of that.”Of course, a lot of this is a very English luxury, be it guaranteed interests in Test cricket from participants and punters, or simply the finances to ring-fence their assets to a point. Key acknowledges all of that, especially at a time when franchise competitions are only growing in number and pull.”We are so lucky in English cricket but our summer doesn’t get decimated by all of these leagues. You can see why Rahul Dravid said how they can’t let their players play in these franchise leagues, because all these leagues would just decimate the Ranji Trophy.”We’re in a very fortunate position but we’ve got to realise that we’ve got to work these people and put ourselves in the player’s shoes and think about ‘what decision would I make here?’ You’ve got to be fair and make sure everyone benefits. As expected, it’s just come quicker than I thought.”

Though there wasn’t much cricket on the fourth day at Headingley, New Zealand’s astonishing scoring rate ensured some interesting numbers

S Rajesh01-Jun-201553.53 BJ Watling’s average in the third innings of a Test match, which is the highest among all New Zealand batsmen who have scored at least 500 runs in the third innings. In 16 innings, Watling has scored three hundreds; among New Zealand batsmen, only Martin Crowe has scored more.4.92 New Zealand’s run rate over the entire Test, which is the highest for any team which has played at least 150 overs in a match. The next-highest is 4.60, by Australia against South Africa in Adelaide in 2012.454 New Zealand’s score in their second innings, which is their second-best in the second innings of an overseas Test. Their best was also in England, 84 years ago, when they made 469 for 9 declared at Lord’s. Four of their six best second-innings totals are in England.6.12 Stuart Broad’s economy rate of the entire Test. He followed his first-innings figures of 5 for 109 from 17.1 overs with second-innings stats of 2 for 94 from 16 overs, leaking 42 runs in three overs on the fourth morning. They are the third-most expensive match figures for an England bowler who’s bowled at least 20 overs in a Test. The most expensive match figures are by his new-ball partner James Anderson, also against New Zealand, in Napier in 2008: in 24 overs, he returned figures of 1 for 153.1-9 Win-loss record at Headingley when teams have been set a fourth-innings target of 300 or more, since 1950. The only successful chase was by England against Australia in 2001, when Mark Butcher’s unbeaten 173 helped them chase down a target of 315 for the loss of just four wickets. By then, though, Australia had already wrapped up the series by winning the first three Tests. The only other successful chase of a 300-plus target was by Australia in 1948, when they made 404 for 3, with big hundreds for Arthur Morris and Don Bradman.3 Number of times England have survived more than 100 overs in the fourth innings at Headingley. The most recent instance was last year against Sri Lanka, when they batted for 116.5 overs to score 249, only to lose the Test by 100 runs with two balls remaining. The most they’ve batted in the fourth innings here is 142.1 overs, against South Africa in 1955.1-3 England’s win-loss record in their last five Tests at Headingley: they’ve lost to Sri Lanka, Australia and South Africa, but beat New Zealand by 247 runs in 2013.

Plays of the day from the World T20 game between South Africa and Afghanistan in Mumbai

Firdose Moonda20-Mar-2016The one-handed maximumSouth Africa dazzled with an array of boundaries in the first six overs but the most eye-catching one came when Faf du Plessis took on Mohammad Nabi. The offspinner dropped one short, du Plessis gave himself room by stepping outside leg stump, went deep into his crease, took his top hand off the handle of his bat and carved the ball over cover using just one hand.The mix-up Quinton de Kock knew Faf du Plessis had his dancing shoes on, so when du Plessis jabbed Amir Hamza into the covers, de Kock thought a quick run was on. Then de Kock saw Mohammad Nabi swooping in and realised it was too risky so he turned back. At the other end, du Plessis had already responded but soon saw it was wiser to turn back. He was late to undo his steps and Nabi’s throw came in quickly for Mohammad Shahzad to catch the South African captain short of his ground.The drop AB de Villiers had just started to threaten when he offered Afghanistan a chance. He sent a Samiullah Shenwari delivery straight back to him. Shenwari had to react quickly in his follow through and got his hands up in time but then it all became too much. He could not hold on as the ball burst through his hands and de Villiers got his 27th run. He would go on to score 37 more.The placementHis ability to hit the ball anywhere he wants had already been on display but to further emphasise the point, AB de Villiers bisected the gap between the stands in the middle of his assault on Rashid Khan. After hitting him through midwicket twice and straight down the ground, de Villiers smeared a short ball straight into the daylight that peeped through a gap in the stand at midwicket. That also brought up fifty for him, off 24 balls.The poser Mohammad Shahzad probably knows he is not model material but that did not stop him from striking a pose after a perfect lofted drive. As the Kyle Abbott delivery was sent cleanly over long-on, Shahzad held his stance: head down, bat straight, elbows high. And there he stood.The misfield Faf du Plessis had specifically asked for discipline from his attack but he may need to extend that to include his fielders. Mohammad Nabi sliced David Wiese to short third man, where Imran Tahir was stationed. Tahir failed to move quickly enough to his left and by the time he got there, the bounce had the better of him. Tahir could not even get a hand to the ball as it disappeared past his legs and onto the boundary. Wiese’s figures were already mangled, but that didn’t help.