Category Uncategorized

Head coach Ryan Harris says South Australia have talked about still hunting ahead of the domestic season after last summer’s memorable scenes

Andrew McGlashan16-Sep-2025

Head coach Ryan Harris completed the domestic state double in his first season•Getty Images

Having waited 13 years for a one-day title and 29 for the Sheffield Shield, somewhat like London buses they came along at once for South Australia last season during an incredible few weeks for a state that, especially in four-day cricket, had for so long propped up the table.So now they head into the 2025-26 season as double defending champions; their One-Day Cup campaign starts on September 20 against New South Wales and the Sheffield Shield on October 4 against Victoria.The message from head coach Ryan Harris during pre-season has been a simple one: that was great, but we need to do it again.Related

Sheffield Shield preview: Ashes selection race adds intrigue

Doggett 'definitely ready' if Ashes reinforcements needed

South Australia still soaking in 'unreal' Sheffield Shield scenes

“We spoke about what lies ahead of us,” Harris told ESPNcricinfo. “We want to make sure that we don’t get comfortable in what we’ve done because, although we’ve had a great achievement last year, we haven’t achieved much at all yet.”We have mentioned that we don’t want to be the hunted. Obviously, when you win, people want to beat you, no doubt. Our terminology is we are still hunting. We’ve had one year of great achievements, [but] we haven’t really achieved anything yet. If we sit here in three or four years’ time and we’ve won a few more, then we’ve been a pretty good team.”[The players] like the feeling of winning. Obviously, we haven’t had a lot of it for a while. The boys really enjoyed it. They knew it was hard work. We had a little bit of luck go away last year, but we hadn’t always had a lot of luck go away in the past. You need a little bit of luck to win. They’ve trained as if they’re preparing to win again.”The scenes at Karen Rolton Oval on March 29 when the winning runs were scored went viral around the world as thousands swarmed onto the ground. South Australia had hoped to host the final at Adelaide Oval – where they will begin their Shield defence in October – but couldn’t reach an agreement with the Australian Football League (AFL).Fans mobbed Jason Sangha after he hit the winning runs last season•Getty Images

Perhaps, in the end, it was the ideal outcome: a boutique venue packed out in late summer sunshine as Jason Sangha played the innings of his life and Alex Carey produced one of the finest hours to rebuild a chase of 270 from 28 for 3.”I remember ushering the boys to the corner of the first level of Karen Rolton,” Harris recalled. “And when they came around the corner and saw the field and how many people were out there, I think it took them a little bit by surprise.”They always knew how important this was to win but, obviously with a few guys that are out-of-towners, that are not necessarily born in South Australia, I think it was that moment that they actually realised big it was. They knew it was big, but they didn’t realise it was big.”Sangha has recently spoken about how that day is still talked about around Adelaide, and Harris is happy for his players to delve back into the special memories if it helps them prepare to go again.”I’ve got no problem drawing on the feeling that they had, the success, and obviously the confidence that they have in their own games,” Harris said. “If they need to think back to a game or two or a final to realise where they are and what their gains are, then I’ve got no problem with that.”Again, it’s not about we’ve done it, we’re going to relax and just let it happen again. It’s the hard work that counts, and I can guarantee that they’ve worked hard again. If someone or all of them need to draw on that feeling and that memory of all those people and how popular it was down here, they can do it as long and as much as they want, but they know obviously going forward that that is a moment in time and now it’s time to do it all again.”A lot needs to go right to win titles in any sport, and backing up success is tough. Four-day cricket tests squad strength, injuries are inevitable, and Australia call-ups have to be factored in. Carey is keen to play as much as possible ahead of the Ashes, but it’s yet to be confirmed what South Australia will see of Travis Head.Captain Nathan McSweeney is with Australia A for the four-day leg of their India tour but will be back for the start of the Shield, however allrounder Liam Scott is in both squads. Jake Fraser-McGurk, who faces a crucial season, is in the one-day squad for that tour but was unlikely to find a place in the Shield XI to start the season.Injury-wise, the list isn’t too long for Harris. Left-arm quick Spencer Johnson is out until at least the New Year – “[he’s] not in a great way at the moment,” Harris said – while spin-bowling allrounder Ben Manenti is recovering from a foot niggle and seamer Nathan McAndrew returned from the UK with an inner infection so may miss the start of the one-day competition.”We didn’t have too many bad injuries [last season],” Harris said. “If a bowler missed out, then we had another bowler to come in and take his spot and we’re hoping that we can have that this year. We’ve been challenged in a good way in terms of Australia A selection. That’s obviously a great thing [for them], but we’ll definitely miss those guys.”Last season McSweeney vaulted into Test contention and ended up opening against India while Sangha is back on the radar of the selectors after averaging 78.22 in the title success and has since made a career-best double century for Australia A. At this stage, neither are expected to feature at the start of the Ashes, but Harris knows things can change and as a domestic coach there is the dual challenge of producing international cricketers, who will then be called away, and also wanting to win competitions.”Jason’s been told he just needs to go and do what he did last year, the same [with] Nathan, just find that form that got him in the Test set up,” he said. “That’s one of those things we’ve spoken about, but we don’t talk a lot about because we know that George [Bailey] can ring me and say, no, we’re not looking at you right now. Then [the player] goes out and makes two or three hundreds in the first two or three games, then all of a sudden someone else has failed and he’s in. I’d rather lose them to [a Test call] than injury.”

Chelsea’s scouts have now reportedly been spotted keeping close tabs on a Premier League star ahead of making a potential move in 2026.

Chelsea's January transfer plans

Enzo Maresca is gradually beginning to discover the best formula for success at Stamford Bridge. Without the injured Cole Palmer, the likes of Moises Caicedo and summer signing Joao Pedro have all stepped up – replacing one of the best players in the Premier League in the process. But, there is still something missing before the Blues can become serious title contenders.

As impressive as they are in midfield and going forward at times, Chelsea’s backline still needs work. Amid a number of suspensions and ill-timed injuries, their lack of quality at centre-back has been particularly exposed.

Wesley Fofana, Tosin Adarabioyo, Trevoh Chalobah and Levi Colwill all represent solid options, but it’s difficult to pick a leader out of any of those four players. That must change in 2026. Instead of setting their sights on yet another offensive addition, BlueCo should look to land a major defensive upgrade.

On that front, a number of players have already been linked with moves to West London. Among them is Ronald Araujo, whose Barcelona future continues to be thrown into doubt.

Chelsea offered "world-class" Barcelona player on loan in "fascinating" development

The west Londoners have a chance to bolster a key area.

ByEmilio Galantini Oct 25, 2025

If the Blues are looking for a defensive standout then signing of La Liga’s finest certainly wouldn’t be a bad idea. Araujo would offer fresh experience to Maresca’s backline whilst still performing at the peak of his powers at 26 years old.

He’s not the only name mentioned in recent reports, however. The West London club have also been linked with a Premier League option, who shares an agent as Liam Delap.

Chelsea scouts spotted watching Ezri Konsa

As reported by The Boot Room’s Graeme Bailey, Chelsea scouts have now been spotted watching Ezri Konsa, who has attracted interest from across the Premier League thanks to his performances at Aston Villa.

The England international is one of a number of players who could yet leave to ease Villa’s PSR problems and, if that does prove to be the case, Chelsea could be lying in wait.

Minutes

3,149

2,936

Progressive Passes

131

90

Tackles Won

34

18

Successful Aerial Duels

121

97

Questions must be asked as to whether Konsa would solve Chelsea’s problems, however. When compared to Colwill last season, it is the Blues’ current star who stands out both in possession and out of it. The last thing that Maresca needs is simply a like-for-like player rather than an upgrade.

That said, the Villa defender has still earned plenty of praise over the years, including from former Manchester City star Micah Richards.

The Sky Sports pundit had nothing but positives after Konsa’s England performance against Switzerland at Euro 2024, saying: “Can you control your nerves? Can you do the basics very well?

“And he has done all of these things. I just think his overall game has been fantastic. He has been excellent, he really has.”

Marseille’s Champions League hopes have been hit hard by injuries, and Roberto De Zerbi made no effort to hide his frustration ahead of Wednesday’s clash against Atalanta. The Italian manager admitted that his squad is stretched to its limits, with several key players sidelined and little time to recover between games.

• Injury crisis deepens for struggling Marseille

  Marseille had hoped to welcome back a few players for Wednesday’s game, but De Zerbi confirmed in Tuesday’s press conference that there would be no returns. Timothy Weah, Bilal Nadir, Leonardo Balerdi, Facundo Medina, Amine Gouiri, Hamed Junior Traore and Geoffrey Kondogbia are all ruled out of the European clash against Atalanta. To make matters worse, Nayef Aguerd’s availability remains doubtful after his late withdrawal before last weekend’s win over Auxerre. Emerson Palmieri is suspended, while Pol Lirola and Neal Maupay are not included in Marseille’s UEFA list, leaving De Zerbi with very few options.

Advertisement

• AFP
  

  De Zerbi frustrated by mounting injuries

  In the pre-match press conference, De Zerbi opened up about the club's mounting injuries and didn’t hide his disappointment with the current situation.

  "Do you think I'm happy to play a Champions League match with eight or nine injured players, plus a suspended one? No, not at all," the Italian manager said. 

  "In analysing the situation, you have to consider everything. Great things often happen in adversity. The victory in Auxerre, where we didn't play well, came at a time when we were in serious trouble. The sun will shine again when Traore, Gouiri, Balerdi, Weah, Kondogbia, and all the injured players return. It will be a little easier. It's in the midst of problems that you have to give your best."

• Marseille boss fumes over tight schedule

  The Italian manager also voiced his frustration with Marseille’s packed run of fixtures, saying the constant turnaround between games has left his squad exhausted. The 46-year-old revealed that before the Auxerre match, the team could only hold a walking session because they had played just two days earlier. 

  "We did it walking because we had only played two days earlier. It was a way of saying that we had prepared for the match without the intensity of a normal training session. You can't prepare for a match 24 hours in advance," he added.

  "I like controversy, that's part of why I came here [to Marseille]. When you ask questions, it pleases me because you're always looking for a sharp retort. It's not about controversy, it's about truth. I have many flaws, but lying isn't one of them; I'm telling you the truth. We played poorly against Angers, but we lost two points in the 95th minute. We played poorly against Auxerre, but I see that some teams are doing less than us to win. From the match against Lorient – where we brought in six key players – until now, Marseille would be top of the table. I'd like to play better, but some of the criticism is a bit disastrous and harsher than reality."

  With only a few days to recover before facing the Serie A club, De Zerbi admitted the situation remains far from ideal. "It's a difficult time, so we need to be a bit tougher and more determined. If we can get through tough times like these, things will get better."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• AFP
  

  Marseille hit a rough patch after a bright start

  The injury pile-up has clearly taken its toll on Marseille’s rhythm. After that explosive 6-2 win where Mason Greenwood stole the show with four goals, things have gone downhill fast. They have since lost to Sporting CP and Lens, drawn 2-2 with Angers, and managed a sluggish 1-0 win over bottom-placed Auxerre.

  Still, Marseille haven’t let PSG run away with a big lead. They sit second in Ligue 1, just two points behind Luis Enrique’s side, who are also battling their own injury crisis. But with the schedule piling up and key players missing, it’s no surprise De Zerbi’s men look a little worn down juggling both league and European nights.

  While De Zerbi has urged his players to dig deep, the coming weeks will be a real test for the squad. After facing Atalanta, Marseille host Brest before a tricky away trip to Nice, followed by another demanding Champions League clash against Newcastle at home. De Zerbi will hope his patched-up squad can rediscover their form despite a deep injury crisis.

Thomas Frank’s appointment as Tottenham Hotspur boss generated huge excitement amongst the fanbase this summer, with the Dane having the chance to build on the Europa League triumph.

He spent seven years in charge of Brentford before his arrival, often relying upon talents such as Bryan Mbeumo to provide the goods within the final third across the capital.

The Cameroonian international thrived under Frank’s guidance in the Premier League, netting 20 times in the top-flight last season, subsequently making him one of the division’s hottest properties.

After the 51-year-old took charge of the Lilywhites, a real sense of excitement built at the prospect of the Dane bringing the 26-year-old with him in an attempt to sustain the recent European triumph.

However, despite interest in his signature, Mbeumo would move to Manchester United in a £71m transfer – a huge amount of money and potentially a slight overpay.

As a result, the new boss has had to rely on another summer addition and one player already on the books to try and provide the impact he desires within attacking areas.

Kudus & Johnson’s start to the 2025/26 season at Spurs

After missing out on Mbeumo’s signature, Spurs forked out £55m for the services of Mohammed Kudus from West Ham United to try and hand the manager his next version of the Cameroonian.

Such a deal may have been an expensive one, but it’s a transfer that has been worth every penny to date, with the Ghanaian already registering one goal and four assists in his first ten outings.

His first goal for the Lilywhites came in the recent triumph over Leeds United, subsequently highlighting his ability to pop up with crucial goals when the side need him most.

Kudus isn’t alone in falling into that category, with teammate Brennan Johnson also able to score key goals for the Lilywhites, as seen by his winner in the Europa League final last campaign.

Whilst he’s already scored three times across all competitions, the Welsh international has failed to start a single league game since the end of August and has rapidly fallen down the pecking order.

The 24-year-old will likely be disappointed with his lack of action, which has potentially been impacted by the arrival of Kudus during the recent transfer window.

Whilst both are hugely talented players, it remains to be seen if any can reach the levels produced by Mbeumo in recent times, but one other star already in the ranks could achieve such a feat, given the similarities in their careers.

The Spurs star who could be Frank’s next Mbeumo

Over the last couple of seasons, Spurs have splashed the cash to try and compete with teams around them, as seen by the respective deals to land Kudus and Johnson.

Around £400m has been spent in recent years to catapult the club to the needed success, with such spending undoubtedly helping them claim European glory back in May.

Various recruitment strategies have been in place over recent times, often signing a mixture of youth talent for the future, or players entering their prime and able to make an immediate impact.

However, players sometimes cross over both categories, as seen by the arrival of attacker Wilson Odobert from Burnley back in the summer of 2024.

A deal for the Frenchman certainly came out of nowhere, with the Lilywhites hierarchy paying £25m for his signature after the Clarets suffered relegation back to the Championship.

Whilst the 20-year-old has only made 30 appearances throughout the injury, he’s still managed to impress in North London and show glimpses of his potential and talents.

Odobert, who’s been dubbed “phenomenal” by one analyst, has already scored three times for the club, two of which came during their Europa League-winning campaign in 2024/25 – already highlighting his ability to produce the goods in key moments.

Whilst his goalscoring tally isn’t as impressive as Mbeumo’s, the similarities are there for everyone to see, with the Frenchman moving to England from Troyes.

The now Man Utd talent did the exact same upon his transfer to Brentford back in the summer of 2019 – subsequently needing time to make a huge impact in England.

Games played

16

Goals & assists

1

Pass accuracy

85%

Successful dribbles

1.3

Chances created

0.9

Shots taken

1.4

Touches in opposition box

4.1

Recoveries made

3.6

He struggled to register double figures in goals for each of his first three top-flight campaigns, but the Bees’ patience was certainly rewarded, as seen by his tallies and fee generated in recent times.

Odobert could do the exact same for the Lilywhites in the years ahead, with the club and fanbase needing to support the winger in his attempts for success in North London.

At just 20, he has bags of time to live up to the potential he arrived with, but it’s crucial that Frank works his magic once again to create another world-class attacker.

Spurs have signed an incredible "freak talent" who could be their new Bale

The sensational gem could become Tottenham Hotspur’s new Gareth Bale.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Oct 8, 2025

Should he get anywhere close to Mbeumo’s level, it would be a sensational piece of business and one that could help the Lilywhites sustain their recent success in Europe or even domestically.

There was a “significant technical failure” at the stadium, an official statement said

ESPNcricinfo staff08-May-2025Thursday evening’s IPL 2025 match in Dharamsala between Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Delhi Capitals (DC) has been called off midway “due to a significant technical failure” at the stadium.”Due to a power outage in the area, one of the light towers at the HPCA stadium malfunctioned. BCCI regrets the inconvenience caused to the in-stadium attendees,” an official statement said.Only 10.1 overs of the first innings had taken place in the game, after PBKS had opted to bat. Openers Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh had put on a century opening stand in that time, and Arya had just been dismissed for 70 off 34 by T Natarajan before the match was halted as three floodlight towers went off around 9.29pm IST. Around 11 minutes later, it was learnt that the match had been called off.The toss and start of the match had also been delayed by rain. The toss took place at 8.15pm IST, instead of 7pm, and the game started at 8.30pm IST, but without any overs lost.PBKS’ next match against Mumbai Indians (MI) has been moved from Dharamsala to Ahmedabad.

Abhishek Nayar has returned as a member of Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) support staff for IPL 2025, just days after his contract as an assistant coach with the India men’s team was terminated by the BCCI.Before his latest stint with KKR, Nayar was part of their backroom staff from 2018 to 2024 in the IPL. In July 2024, Nayar was appointed as an assistant to head coach Gautam Gambhir in the India men’s side. He became the first major casualty of the review carried out by the BCCI to assess India’s poor run in Test cricket late last year that included a 0-3 defeat at home against New Zealand and the 1-3 defeat in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.Related

• Harshit Rana missing Gambhir's 'aura' at KKR

• BCCI terminates India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar's contract