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Twitter reactions to Kuldeep Yadav’s memorable first day in Test cricket, on which he took 4 for 68

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Mar-2017In a series filled with surprises, India sprang another one in Dharmasala by handing a debut to left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav. His former state team-mate Mohammad Kaif had no doubt it was the right move.

Prediction – Kuldeep Yadav will have a great debut. Aussies should struggle to read him. Best wishes to Team India.#IndvAus

— Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif) March 25, 2017

After Australia raced to 131 for 1 at lunch, another expert Aakash Chopra placed his faith in Kuldeep.

Kuldeep is my Man for this innings…hope he starts after lunch and gets an extended spell. #IndvsAus

— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) March 25, 2017

Kuldeep responded in the second session with some ripping deliveries that earned him praise from some of the greats of the game. First he dismissed David Warner to end a rapid century stand with Smith, then he got one to drift away before spinning in to have Peter Handscomb bowled and followed that up with a perfect wrong ‘un to send back Glenn Maxwell.

I am impressed with @imkuldeep18's variations and the way he has started. Keep going strong, this can be your match to shine.

— sachin tendulkar (@sachin_rt) March 25, 2017

This has been a magnificent spell of bowling from the young man Kuldeep

— Michael Clarke (@MClarke23) March 25, 2017

The uncommon sight of a left-arm wrist spinner showcasing control and an array of variations had many excited.

New mystery guy in the house @imkuldeep18 #Magical. On the other hand brilliant hundred from smith.

— Rohit Sharma (@ImRo45) March 25, 2017

Wonderful beginnings for a debutant.. 2 very good wickets &the way he has bowled.. Way to go.. God bless #KuldeepYadav

— Kartik Murali (@kartikmurali) March 25, 2017

This is a fairy-tale debut for Kuldeep Yadav. Always something extra with the wrist spinner. And he can bat!

— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) March 25, 2017

Superb spell by @imkuldeep18 , emphasises the importance of a wrist spinner on batting tracks. Brilliant

— Deep Dasgupta (@DeepDasgupta7) March 25, 2017

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Feb-2016Mohammad Amir picked up from where he left off against India, finding early swing to knock off Muhammad Kaleem’s off stump•Associated PressUAE were reeling at 12 for 3, but Shaiman Anwar almost single-handedly dragged his team to a competitive total, stroking 46 off 42 balls•Getty ImagesUAE swung wildly in search of runs after Anwar’s dismissal, but were greeted by quick wickets. Amir returned at the death to bowl Muhammad Usman out•Getty ImagesIt meant he ended with match figures of 4-1-6-2, the second-most economical spell in T20Is•Associated PressPakistan needed just 130 for victory, but they suffered early setbacks in the chase, with the captain Amjad Javed striking thrice•Getty ImagesThose blows seemed to tilt the contest UAE’s way, with Pakistan struggling at 17 for 3•Getty ImagesUmar Akmal, though, played a calm ahead, hitting a vital half-century to put his team back on track•Getty ImagesShoaib Malik, too, found form with a 49-ball 63, as the pair’s unbroken 114-run partnership eventually took Pakistan home with eight balls to spare•Getty Images

Less flashy, more substantial, maybe a little boring – Tillakaratne Dilshan has matured into one of Sri Lanka’s most reliable run-scorers

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Melbourne26-Feb-20152:06

‘We have to come back strong’ – Dilshan

There is nothing in the world more like Tillakaratne Dilshan than the shot he brought to cricket in 2009. Like the man, the stroke treads the line between daring and embarrassment. If he wears the ‘Dilscoop’ on the helmet, nothing looks so foolish. If he connects, he sends stadiums into raptures. It’s a shot that has the feel of a heist. Modern captains have never put men behind their wicketkeeper. They probably never will. By hitting to this part of the ground, Dilshan is almost cheating.In some part of his mind, though, this roguish, dashing 2009 version of himself still exists, because Dilshan still talks a big game. “If you compare my performance with the others,” he said recently, “I have a better batting average in ODI cricket.” The “others” in that sentence are Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, and the statement is not quite true; Sangakkara outstrips his average year-on-year.But what is important is that Dilshan himself believes it. The facts about Dilshan’s batting are not nearly so important to his team as the bluster that underpins him. In 2011, Dilshan became captain and ditched the designer beard and bad-boy gold chains, only to enter some of the leanest months of his career. In 2014, he launched a clothing line, the advertisements for which featured himself, shirtless, in a quarry, lying suggestively on a pile of jeans and abseiling on a rock face. That year, he hit more than a thousand runs.But his head is perhaps the only place where bad-boy Dilshan still exists, because the batsman who was reformed in 2009, has now been refined again in the least thrilling fashion imaginable. Sometime in the last two years, and perhaps unbeknown even to himself, Dilshan has become a steady hand. He’s an engine-room player, when he used to be a sports car with switchblade doors and a spoiler.Tillakaratne Dilshan has pared back his batting as he has got older•Getty ImagesMuch of his 161 not out off 146 balls against Bangladesh was everything an ageing one-day opener should produce. The beginning was not quite sedate, but it was measured. While Lahiru Thirimanne, no attacking batsman by nature, was sliding out of his crease to the quicks and aiming big blows to the legside, Dilshan pinned himself in the crease. Only the half-volleys and half-trackers went to the fence. Of Sri Lanka’s first 50 runs, Dilshan had scored 15 (though that was partly due to having had less of the strike as well).The Dilshan of the past outmatched partners shot for shot. His feet flitted about where now they plod. Sri Lanka were not exactly motoring after 18 overs, having scored at 4.61 an over, but Dilshan was startlingly unambitious as Taskin Ahmed delivered a maiden to him in the 19th. No booming drives came after the first few dot balls. There was no self-chastisement when he failed to pierce the field.His pace quickened soon after, but Sangakkara made better use of Bangladesh’s wayward bowling. Not so long ago, Sangakkara was the more reticent of the two, while Dilshan flashed away. Only at the death did Dilshan find the top gear Sangakkara had been in since he arrived at the crease.”Just after taking a start, I want to bat as long as possible,” Dilshan said. “The thing is I know that in the last 10 overs, I can catch up easily, especially with the four fielders outside. I started very slowly, but caught up with Kumar in the last five overs. In the last 10, we took more than 120 runs. We know if we keep wickets in hand, we can score more than 100 the last 10. I think that’s why we got 300 plus today.”All through the recent series, those halting starts have been fruitful for Dilshan. This knock was his highest score, and the record at a World Cup for Sri Lanka, but he also has four tons in his last 10 innings. Among those outings is an 81 and a 44. For so long, Dilshan was a flagbearer for Sri Lanka’s attacking tradition at the top of the order but, in his new avatar, he is almost an ’80s throwback.All three Sri Lanka seniors have hit hundreds at this World Cup now, suggesting the batting experience will begin to pay off in matches to come, though the bowling remains wayward. It will almost certainly be Dilshan’s last World Cup – his energy and optimism notwithstanding – in addition to Sangakkara and Jayawardene’s, and he is playing like a man who knows that.Dilshan is taking stock of options. He’s playing percentage cricket. He’s mature. He’s 38. He’s a little boring. And he’s probably never been better.

David Miller’s ability to hit boundaries in clusters on his way to a 38-ball century led to panic among the RCB bowlers

Abhishek Purohit07-May-2013A sense of inevitability had come over the PCA Stadium midway through the Kings XI Punjab chase. Sitting in the dugout, Adam Gilchrist, amid helpless glances at the scoreboard, was complaining about poor umpiring decisions his side had received over the season. Royal Challengers Bangalore were bowling and fielding with the look of a side that puts up a monstrous total in a Twenty20, strikes early in the chase and then waits for the remainder of the game to play itself out. The usual questions were being asked. Did Kings XI have the pace to bowl short at Chris Gayle? Was it possible to stop AB de Villiers at the death?David Miller hit many of his boundaries in the ‘v’•BCCIRoyal Challengers had reason to feel safe. The last proper batting pair was at the crease, to be followed by a bowling allrounder who had had about the worst tournament debut you could imagine with the ball. Situations can approach the improbable quickly in T20. Nearly 14 an over needed from the last seven. What do you do? If you are David Miller, you hit the cover off the ball, mostly in the ‘V’, and hand out rhyming threats to bowlers – V, tree, arc, park. If you are Royal Challengers, you do not drop him.Miller had taken 14 off his previous three deliveries when Virat Kohli missed a skier and copped a blow to his jaw. Soon, the RCB big three were feeling the pressure. De Villiers, of all fielders, fumbled in the deep to allow a second, and his throw arrived exactly in the middle of the pitch. Gayle took a couple of steps and floated his first delivery down the leg side. Kohli argued with the umpire about calling a no-ball that wasn’t.Hard as it was to take your eyes off Miller’s assault, you couldn’t ignore the panic spreading like wildfire among the RCB bowlers. Three successive boundaries hemmed in by two dropped chances were enough to start it.Allan Donald had said that Gayle’s 30-ball century left his Pune Warriors players scared. That was the first innings of the game and Gayle went after Warriors without a care in the world. This was a chase that began at nearly ten an over. Royal Challengers were not far away from getting into the Kings XI tail. Instead, within a few minutes, theirs was between their legs.The more RP Singh caves in under pressure, the farther he seems from the bowler who shone briefly in India colours. The more Vinay Kumar bowls short with absent venom, the harder it seems to fathom how Praveen Kumar continues to get ignored.Perhaps Royal Challengers were unlucky to run into Miller on the night he finally pulled off what he had been threatening to in the past couple of games. He had half-centuries in unsuccessful, but close, chases against the might of Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings. He was Man of the Match when Kings XI chased 186 in Mohali against Warriors, coming in at 58 for 3 and blasting 80 off 41. It hadn’t been all power-hitting, though. He’d also guided a modest, but tricky, chase against Delhi Daredevils with an unbeaten 34. In August last year, he almost single-handedly clubbed Yorkshire to the Friends Life t20 title.Miller has this ability to hit boundaries in clusters. It can quickly unnerve the fielding side, as Royal Challengers found out. Not only does it make the bowlers lose their lengths and feed Miller, but the odd good delivery also gets taken for runs. There was nothing wrong with a shortish Ravi Rampaul ball on off, but amid all the straight sixes, Miller was able to wait on it and guide it very late past short third man. By the time RP Singh came on, Miller had hit the zone. When you can stand in the crease and drive a short of a length ball for six over long-off, you are really killing it. “Killer Miller” fittingly read a placard in the crowd.It’s been three years since Miller made his international debut for South Africa. Though always noted for his big-hitting, he is not exactly a regular yet. He wasn’t part of the squad for the World Twenty20 last year but has made it to the Champions Trophy side in the absence of Jacques Kallis.Tonight, he used his father’s advice about hitting in the V to make a hundred in 38 balls and dedicated it to his cousin on her birthday. Yusuf Pathan took one delivery less to make one in 2010, an innings that drew extraordinary praise from his captain Shane Warne . Gayle took eight less to get one, and a cartoon suggested a radical new field setting, with players flying around quidditch-style on brooms to stop Gayle’s monster sixes. That won’t be out of place for Miller, too, only the area above the V would be crowded with flying brooms.

History is completely in favour of the hosts but New Zealand will fancy their chances against an Australian team trying to cope with multiple injury worries

Madhusudhan Ramakrishnan30-Nov-2011The Trans-Tasman rivalry, in contrast to many other famous ones in international cricket, has been extremely one-sided. Except for the mid 1980s, when Richard Hadlee’s superlative bowling helped New Zealand win home and away series, Australia have been by far the more consistent and dominant team, winning 26 matches and losing just seven (win-loss ratio of 3.71). Stunningly, the last Test defeat for Australia against New Zealand came way back in the 1992-93 series in New Zealand. In Australia, it was 26 years, and 17 Tests ago.Since then, Australia have gone on to win 13 out of 18 matches. In 50 Tests played over between the two teams, Australia have a batting average of 38.94, compared to New Zealand’s 27.07. The gulf is even wider in matches played in Australia, where the difference in averages is 14.40. Five of New Zealand’s seven wins have come at home, and the last time New Zealand won a Test in Australia was way back in the 1985-86 season.That was the period when Australia were on the wane following the retirements of most top players while New Zealand were in the middle of their best run. New Zealand won their first series in Australia in 1985-86 and went on to win two home series in the next four years. Statistically, this was the only phase that New Zealand matched and often bettered Australia. In the ten years between 1984 and 1994, both teams won five matches each and Australia were only slightly ahead on averages. However, since then, during an outstanding period of success, Australia have completely dominated New Zealand. The difference in averages between the teams has been a massive 19.55 in Tests since 2000, and 26.87 in the last four series. Although Australia have done well in their last two series in Sri Lanka and South Africa, New Zealand will fancy their chances of troubling the hosts, who are beset with multiple injury problems.

Australia v New Zealand in Tests

PlayedAustraliaNew ZealandDrawnW/L ratioAustralia (avg)New Zealand (avg)Avg diffOverall50267173.7138.9427.0711.87In Australia26142107.0041.6927.2914.40In New Zealand2412572.4036.2226.829.401980-199926106101.6635.1128.456.662000-2011151104-46.3726.8219.55Last four series9801-51.5424.6726.87A surprising stat is that New Zealand have played just 17 Tests since the beginning of 2009. This is far fewer than most teams have played in the same period. Australia have fallen from their perch but have still managed to maintain a fairly healthy win-loss ratio of 1.50, which is behind only those of England and India. While their batting average of 36.14 is fifth on the list, their bowling average (32.88) is second only to that of England. Their average difference of 3.34 is slightly better than India’s (2.82) but lower than England (13.74) and South Africa (6.33).New Zealand’s position in the table is quite the opposite. They have a terribly low win-loss ratio of 0.37, which is only marginally better than West Indies’ 0.25. Their only Test win against a major Test-playing nation came against Pakistan in 2009. New Zealand have a better batting average than Pakistan and West Indies but on the flip side, they also have a bowling average of 42.23. This has meant that their average difference (-9.80) is the second-lowest among top Test teams.

Batting and bowling stats of teams since January 2009 (except Bangladesh and Zimbabwe)

TeamPlayedWonLostW/L ratioBat avgBowl avgAvg diffEngland362054.0044.4930.7513.74India311472.0040.5237.702.82Australia3115101.5036.1432.883.34South Africa20771.0039.6933.336.36Sri Lanka26661.0040.5741.46-0.89Pakistan277110.6330.2433.44-3.20New Zealand17380.3732.4342.23-9.80West Indies283120.2529.7639.90-10.14Australia go into the first Test with a new opening pair following the injury to Shane Watson. Watson and Phillip Hughes shared a 174-run opening stand in the second Test in Johannesburg. This was the first century opening stand for Australia since the one between Simon Katich and Hughes against New Zealand in 2010. In the last two years, Ricky Ponting’s poor form has meant that the partnership average for the second wicket has also fallen. New Zealand, on the other hand, have continuously had problems at the top of the order against major teams. Their average for the first two wickets (28.39 and 29.44) is well below par. While the fifth-wicket averages for both teams are very similar, the numbers for Australia are much better for the fourth and sixth wicket.

Partnership stats since January 2009 (Avg, 100/50) – excluding Bangladesh/Zimbabwe

Partnership wicketAustraliaNew Zealand150.82, 7/2028.39, 2/3241.33, 7/829.44, 1/2337.39, 4/1336.29, 2/6445.75, 7/1132.44, 1/2542.21, 6/942.48, 4/2650.06, 5/1538.92, 2/6Michael Clarke, who took over the captaincy in Sri Lanka, has had a fairly successful start leading the side. He scored a fighting century in the final Test in Sri Lanka and followed it up with an outstanding 151 on a difficult pitch in Cape Town. He has also had tremendous success against New Zealand, scoring over 476 runs at an average of 79.33. Michael Hussey had a poor tour of South Africa, but has been Australia’s stand-out batsman since the Ashes series. He, however, has struggled against New Zealand, scoring 198 runs at an average of 33.00 with just two fifties. Ponting has been fighting for runs recently, and has had his problems against New Zealand too, averaging only 28.16 in his last four Tests against them.For New Zealand, Ross Taylor and Brendon McCullum have impressive stats against Australia, and will need to maintain that form for their team to do well. They also ave fine records in Tests over the last three years, averaging more than 45. Jesse Ryder, another vital player in New Zealand’s batting line-up, averages over 42 since the beginning of 2009 but is yet to demonstrate any form in Tests against Australia.

Batting stats of batsmen for both teams (matches, average, 100/50)

BatsmanSince January 2009v New Zealand (since 2006)Ricky Ponting29, 35.76, 2/144, 28.16, 0/1Michael Clarke31, 43.88, 7/94, 79.33, 2/2Michael Hussey31, 44.98, 6/134, 33.00, 0/2Ross Taylor17, 48.74, 3/104, 45.75, 1/1Brendan McCullum17, 47.46, 4/74, 44.14, 1/2Jesse Ryder10, 42.61, 3/22, 17.50, 0/0In the absence of Mitchell Johnson and the impressive Pat Cummins, Australia’s attack could be tested. While Johnson has 24 wickets at 16.57 in four Tests against New Zealand, Cummins bowled with great pace and aggression in his debut game against South Africa in the recently-concluded series. Peter Siddle, who will play New Zealand for the first time, will lead the inexperienced pace attack.New Zealand’s pace line-up is likely to be led by Chris Martin and Tim Southee. Martin, one of only four New Zealand bowlers with 200-plus wickets in Tests, has barely troubled Australia in the past. In his last four Tests against Australia, he has picked up just seven wickets at an average of 68.71. Doug Bracewell had an excellent debut against Zimbabwe picking up a five-wicket haul in New Zealand’s close 34-run win. Daniel Vettori is easily the most experienced bowler for them, but even he has fairly ordinary stats in Tests in Australia, averaging almost 40 per wicket.Brisbane, the venue for the first Test, has been Australia’s stronghold. They have not lost a single Test at the venue since their defeat against West Indies in 1988. Brisbane’s bouncy conditions have generally favoured Australia’s attack and the result percentage has been fairly high. However, in the recent Ashes series, the pitch at the Gabba was completely out of character as the match ended in a dull draw with England scoring over five hundred runs for the loss of just one wicket in their second innings. While the batting averages in the first and third innings in Brisbane have been high, the corresponding numbers for the second and fourth innings are much lower. Pace bowlers, who have 240 wickets at 34.29, have easily outperformed the spinners, who have just 64 wickets at 42.56.Hobart, on the other hand, has played host to just four Tests since 2000. As in Brisbane, the batting averages are high in the first and third innings. The venue, however, has been a far more successful one for spinners, who have picked up 37 wickets at 37.91. In contrast, pace bowlers have struggled picking up 61 wickets at an average of 47.91.

Venue stats for Brisbane and Hobart (matches since 2000)

VenueMatchesResult %1st inns2nd inns3rd inns4th innsPace (wickets,avg)Spin(wickets,avg)Brisbane117342.7831.5940.9525.18240, 34.2964, 42.56Hobart47557.0332.3244.8833.0461, 47.1437, 37.91

A century after his birth the debate about Bradman and Australian identity rumbles on

Stephen Fay09-Nov-2008
The myth of Sir Donald Bradman is still potent enough to persuade an Australian publisher to bankroll an updated version of to celebrate the 100th anniversary of his birth. The myth is of an infallible cricketer who survived a dark imperial plot to destabilise him (Bodyline), and then led a team of Invincibles whose brilliant exploits helped to forge a national identity. Graeme Wright, the editor of the collection, argues that the myth is redundant. “[It] no longer applies in an Australia able to assert its own identity as a nation,” he writes. But it is taking an unconscionable time dying.The Bradman shining through these pages is a sensational batsman (a report of each of his innings is plucked from and he gets a hundred every three visits to the crease). He was fastidious about his image when he was alive and his admirers, known as Bradolators – led by the former prime minister John Howard – kept the protection intact after his death. RC Robertson-Glasgow, who watched Bradman play, had fewer illusions: “There are no funny stories about The Don. No one ever laughed about Bradman. He was no laughing matter.”Australians still find it hard to make an unsentimental historical assessment of their hero. Professor Carl Bridge heads the Menzies Centre for Australian Studies at King’s College London. “The prevailing hagiography does not do Bradman’s life and character justice,” he writes. “He needs to be rescued from the naïve nationalist reductionism of the Bradolators.”But Professor Bridge concludes with a streak of pure Bradolatory: “Whatever the odd revisionist might unearth, [he was] without doubt Australia’s greatest son.” Hold on a minute. What about General John Monash, who led the best-organised army on the Western Front in 1918, or Charles Kingsford Smith, who piloted the first flight from the United States to Australia, or the Nobel Prize winners Howard Florey, who developed penicillin, and Patrick White, the epic novelist? Or even Rupert Murdoch? After all Don Bradman was only a cricketer. Bradman in Wisden
edited by Graeme Wright
Hardie Grant Books £19.99

The allrounder tweaked his back during against West Indies and will miss the final series before the World Cup

Alex Malcolm17-Feb-2024Marcus Stoinis has been ruled out of Australia’s three-match T20I series in New Zealand due to a back issue with fellow West Australian allrounder Aaron Hardie called in for Australia’s last series before the T20 World Cup in June.Australia vice-captain and wicketkeeper Matthew Wade is also set to miss game one of the series on Wednesday in Wellington due to the impending birth of his third child but is expected to be available for the final two games in Auckland on Friday and Sunday.Stoinis tweaked his back in the warm-up of the second T20I against West Indies in Adelaide last Sunday but was still able to play. He made 16 off 15 with the bat but played a role in feeding the strike to Glenn Maxwell in an 80-run stand before picking up 3 for 36 to continue his excellent bowling form.Related

• Hardie ruled out of NZ with Johnson called in

• Smith, back-up pacer and other questions Australia need to answer in New Zealand T20Is

• Neser recalled for New Zealand tour, Renshaw retains reserve batting spot

• Boult back in New Zealand T20I squad; Williamson on paternity leave

But after the long flight to Perth, he missed Tuesday’s third match against West Indies and has subsequently been ruled out of the T20I series against New Zealand having not fully resolved the back complaint. Stoinis is expected to be fit for the IPL which begins in late March.Hardie is currently playing for Western Australia in a Sheffield Shield match against Tasmania in Hobart and did not travel with the squad on Saturday but will join the squad before the opening match.Stoinis remains a key figure in Australia’s T20I set-up despite losing his place in the ODI side for the World Cup semi and final last year. He was one of Australia’s most important players in the T20 World Cup triumph in 2021, playing match-winning hands against South Africa and then Pakistan in the semi-final. He also made a stunning half-century against Sri Lanka in the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia. His bowling has been important for Australia as well, having become a key wicket-taker over the past year in both the powerplay and middle overs.But his injury issues remain a concern for both he and Australia’s hierarchy. Australia have been reluctant to bowl him in back-to-back games due to his history and he missed games in the lead-up to and during the ODI World Cup because of several different soft tissue injuries.Australia’s other allrounders also have their bespoke injury concerns with captain Mitchell Marsh’s ankle requiring ongoing management as does Maxwell’s previously broken leg.Spin bowling allrounder Matthew Short also has an injury cloud heading to New Zealand after suffering a low-grade hamstring injury in the ODI series against West Indies which forced him to miss the T20Is.Hardie gets his chance to put forth a case for the T20 World Cup as a back-up allrounder who can bat in the middle-order if Stoinis has more injury trouble at the tournament proper. Cameron Green was not considered to be called into the New Zealand series with Australia’s selectors preferring him to remain red-ball focussed ahead of the New Zealand Test tour. Green will then play a full IPL with Royal Challengers Bangalore to push his case for the World Cup squad.Fast bowler Nathan Ellis returns from a rib injury and looms as Australia’s preferred back-up quick behind Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins, who will all play in the New Zealand series.Sean Abbott and Jason Behrendorff are on standby for the New Zealand series although Abbott is still managing a shoulder issue that ruled him out of the final two T20Is against West Indies.Steven Smith and Travis Head both return to the T20 side for the New Zealand tour after resting from the West Indies series and look likely to be given several opportunities each in the top three as Australia tries to bed down their best side for the World Cup.

Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has revealed that Real Madrid No.1 Thibaut Courtois sent him a voice note giving his verdict on Senne Lammens. Courtois believes that his Belgium understudy will be a good fit for the Premier League after the goalkeeper's £18 million ($24m) move to Manchester United from Royal Antwerp.

• Courtois' voice note to Ferdinand revealed
• Real Madrid star backs Lammens to shine in PL
• United signed Lammens on deadline day

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  United, who have been in the market for a new No.1 throughout the summer, finally secured a move for highly-rated goalkeeper Lammens on deadline day as they agreed on a deal worth £18m with Belgian Pro League side Royal Antwerp. 

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  The Red Devils were also closely linked with a move for World Cup-winning Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, but never submitted a formal bid for the Aston Villa star. Instead, they worked on a deal for Lammens and eventually sealed the transfer, prioritising potential over proven Premier League pedigree. United also got approval from Real Madrid and Belgium No.1 Courtois, who heaped praise on his compatriot in a message to Ferdinand.

• WHAT FERDINAND SAID

  Speaking on his YouTube channel, United icon Ferdinand said: "Just so you know, that voice note was from Thibaut Courtois. He let me know about Lammens because he’s a Belgian player, and he was just giving me the heads up as to what he’s like. He said he’s a huge talent, obviously not experienced yet but he thinks his style will be well-suited to the Premier League as well.

  "So that’s a recommendation from probably one of the best three goalkeepers in the world, Thibaut Courtois, so I’ll take that. I keep seeing people talk about the talent and whatnot, but the problem is – can Man United afford to wait for talent to develop at this point in time? That’s the question."

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  The former England defender went on to admit he was pulling for United to sign Martinez to solve their long-standing goalkeeping issues. "What I would say is I was all-in on Emi Martinez," he added. "I just think his experience, he’s got the personality, the character, plays for Argentina where the pressure is absolutely immense, he’s won a World Cup, he was one of the reasons they won the World Cup, the save in the final, a big moments man. Man United need as much personality as they need ability coming through that door and I think he fits the bill in that sense completely."

Liverpool new boy Florian Wirtz insists his record-breaking £116 million ($154m) price tag “doesn’t matter” as he just wants to “play football”.

Most expensive player in British footballWill not be weighed down by price tagLooking forward to Premier League testFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Germany international Wirtz has become the most expensive player in British football after completing a big-money transfer to Anfield from Bundesliga giants Bayer Leverkusen. The 22-year-old playmaker has a lot to live up to on Merseyside.

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An immediate impact will need to be made in order to avoid inevitable questions being asked of his value to the Reds cause, but Wirtz is adamant that he will not be wasting energy worrying about factors that are outside of his control.

WHAT WIRTZ SAID

Wirtz told when asked if a historic transfer fee will weigh heavy around his neck: “No, I don’t think about this. I just want to play football and how much money the clubs pay between each other, it doesn’t matter.

“The big challenge is to take the title again and it is the most difficult thing, so I try just to create chances and also work against the ball because I can also run a lot and I will try to bring this to the team. Then, with the ball, I hope I can make the team better and bring my team-mates into better situations.”

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Wirtz accepts that he has much to learn in England, but added on facing those challenges head on: “I have not played a match in the Premier League, but I am looking forward to it and that is why I came.

“To be honest I don’t know [how it will be]. There will be some differences to the German league but I think that is also something I can learn and make me better so I am really looking forward to it. They tell me it’s more intense and more physical, every player is really strong, really fast. That is what everybody is telling me – and I’m aware of that.”

The middle-order batter has enjoyed a standout Sheffield Shield season when runs have been hard to come by

AAP14-Mar-2024

Ollie Davies has had an outstanding Shield season•Getty Images

Emerging New South Wales star Ollie Davies has been compared to greats including Steve Smith and David Warner after playing a key role in his team’s five-wicket Sheffield Shield victory over Queensland.Chasing 130 for victory, NSW sealed victory on Thursday in 28.2 overs courtesy of a blazing knock from Daniel Hughes. Davies contributed a handy 25 after NSW had suck to 91 for 4.Related

Buckingham's five secure South Australia upset victory over Tasmania

Western Australia surge to home Sheffield Shield final in quest for hat-trick of titles

Bartlett, Peirson hold up NSW after Davies' attacking century

But it was Davies’ first-innings score of 131 off 147 balls that proved the difference – helping lift NSW to 316 and earning him player-of-the-match honours. Davies finished his Shield campaign with 670 runs at an average of 67 – the fourth-highest run tally of the season.Beau Webster (914), Cameron Bancroft (778) and Nathan McSweeney (762) finished above him, but they all played 10 matches compared to Davies’s seven.NSW captain Moises Henriques is tipping a bright future for Davies.”I’ve been playing cricket professionally for 19, 20 years, and I’ve been lucky enough to see a lot of young, special batters come through the NSW ranks,” Henriques said. “Ollie seems to be another one of those guys. He’s very hard to stop. He’s always moving the scoreboard forward.”He reminds me a lot of a mix between Steve Smith, David Warner and even Phil Hughes – they’re always looking to score runs. They’re able to score runs in areas that other batters maybe can’t.”For him to come out and score three hundreds in seven games this season in bowler-friendly conditions – it just shows that mindset of always scoring runs and putting the bowlers under pressure.”NSW started their season with two losses and a draw – extending their winless run in the red-ball format to 15 matches. But a 10-wicket win over Western Australia in November sparked a charge up the table, with NSW ending the season in third spot with four wins, three draws and three losses.For Queensland, it’s a case of back to the drawing board after finishing last on the ladder with just two wins and two draws from 10 matches.They started the final day against NSW at 287 for 8, and were bowled out for 301 despite the best efforts of Xavier Bartlett.NSW wanted to make light work of the run chase, and Hughes went into T20 mode as he cracked six fours and two sixes on the way to a 29-ball half-century.His departure a short time later left NSW at 75 for 3, and there were some nerves at 91 for 4 after Matthew Gilkes was dismissed for 6. But steady knocks from Henriques and Davies eased NSW to victory. Kurtis Patterson had batted at No. 3 after being called in as a concussion sub for Sam Konstas who was injured on the third day.Debutant Queensland bowler Callum Vidler snared 3 for 38, following on from 2 for 50 in NSW’s first innings.”It’s not the result you want on debut, but it was cool to be out there,” Vidler said.