تقدم منتخب عمان بالهدف الأول، أمام منافسه البحرين في المباراة المقامة بينهما اليوم السبت، في نهائي بطولة كأس الخليج “خليجي 26”
ويلتقي منتخبا البحرين وعمان في المباراة النهائية لبطولة كأس الخليج 2024 “خليجي 26” المقامة في الكويت.
وسجل عبد الرحمن المشيفري هدف عمان الأول في الدقيقة 16 من عمر الشوط الأول للقاء.
طالع | مباشر بالفيديو.. مباراة عمان والبحرين في نهائي كأس الخليج “خليجي 26”
وجاء الهدف من رأسية قوية بعد تلقي ركلة ركنية من الجهة اليسرى وضعها المشيفري على يسار حارس البحرين. هدف عمان الأول أمام البحرين في نهائي كأس الخليج “خليجي 26”
وكان منتخب عمان تأهل إلى المباراة النهائية بعد الفوز على منتخب السعودية بنتيجة (2-1)، بينما جاء تأهل البحرين بالفوز على منتخب الكويت بنتيجة 1-0.
West Ham United have reportedly agreed personal terms with a forward who has been compared to Manchester City star Jack Grealish.
West Ham want more wingers after Luis Guilherme
The Irons and Julen Lopetegui have already added to their attacking ranks this summer, with winger Luis Guilherme officially becoming the first signing of the era. Technical director Tim Steidten was the one who pushed a deal for the 18-year-old and was delighted at securing Guilherme’s services, giving West Ham fans an idea of what to expect from their new signing.
“He is technically very gifted, but also has very good physical qualities – great pace, strength and stamina, and these are traits that will help him to adapt to the demands of the Premier League and English football.
“Luis is obviously still very young, but we have no doubt that he is ready to make an impact in the first team here. He is coming to a great environment, where he will be surrounded by other exciting young players and good people who will support him every step of the way.”
After Guilherme, West Ham, who have also signed goalkeeper Wes Foderingham on a free transfer, look like they want more additions in the final third.
West Ham also hoping to clinch deal to sign "monster" this week
A move could cost £45m.
ByCharlie Smith Jun 27, 2024
The Hammers recently made bids to sign former Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha, who is now at Galatasaray, and Fluminense forward Jhon Arias. More recently, West Ham have held talks to sign Lille striker Jonathan David and have also made it clear they are willing to sign Genoa forward Albert Gudmundsson.
Hull City winger Jaden Philogene appear to be on the radar too, and one player who was linked previously was Vitoria Guimaraes star Jota Silva, who has been described as the “Portuguese Jack Grealish” because of his looks and similar playing style.
West Ham agree terms with Jota Silva
According to reports in Turkey, relayed by West Ham Zone, the Hammers have agreed personal terms with Silva, who has a €20m (£17m) release clause in his Vitoria Guimaraes contract. Turkish media cover the report as Jose Mourinho, now manager of Fenerbahce, are also keen on the player, but it looks as if there is an agreement between the Irons and the forward.
Jota Silva
Silva, a two-cap Portugal international, is primarily a left-winger but can also play on the right or as a striker, so would offer plenty of versatility to Lopetegui. That is something that caught the eye of Portugal boss Roberto Martinez, who has previously praised the 24-year-old's versatility and work ethic:
"Jota is a different player. I like his versatility, he works hard, he is competitive. This shows his journey, going through the second division gives different qualities. I watched his last game very closely. In football, you also need luck. I believe he is in a very good moment and deserved to be called up.
"When you are in a team that is playing well and has a good dynamic. Jota represents that and is an example for players who did not make it to the youth national teams. Now he is at a level that deserves to be in the national team. He is a good example."
Having paid dearly for dropped chances in their previous game, they almost did so again
ESPNcricinfo staff28-Sep-2020
Washington Sundar celebrates after dismissing Rohit Sharma cheaply•BCCI
Dropped chances cost Royal Challengers Bangalore dearly in their match against Kings XI Punjab last week. On Monday night, the Royal Challengers dropped three more catches, including one regulation chance – the substitute Pawan Negi putting down Kieron Pollard at deep extra-cover – that could have proven just as costly.At that point, Mumbai Indians needed an improbable 76 to win off 23 balls, with Pollard batting on 15. He would go on to score an unbeaten 60 off 24 balls and, in partnership with Ishan Kishan, help Mumbai pull off a last-gasp tie. According to ESPNcricinfo’s Luck Index, that chance cost the Royal Challengers 22 runs.The Royal Challengers eventually prevailed in the Super Over to pick up two precious points, and their captain Virat Kohli reflected that they could have wrapped up the game in a far more routine way had the chances stuck, and hoped the team’s catching would pick up through the tournament.Here are excerpts from his interview at the post-match presentation.On Mumbai’s comeback I think we batted really well in the first innings to get us past 200, and then the start with the ball was outstanding as well. And then I think they [Mumbai] played really well, patiently, in the middle overs, waited for the dew to kick in and obviously with that power at the back end, with Pollard and Hardik [Pandya]… we got Hardik out, but still, for Pollard and Ishan to bat the way they did was outstanding to keep them in the game.On the catching We tried to execute the things that we wanted to – again fielding is something that we have to keep working on, because those [dropped] catches are going to be costly. If we’d taken our catches again tonight, probably it wouldn’t have been so close, so look, we’ve got a close victory, and, as I said, these little things on the field we are not capitalising on right now – it’s something we really need to focus on.On Navdeep Saini restricting Mumbai to 7 in their Super Over Outstanding Super Over from him, bowling against Hardik and Pollard. I think the longer boundary helped him gain some confidence for his yorker, because he’s got the pace, and he was using the wide yorker well too. I think the guys showed real good composure to get these two points in the bag, and they’re very very crucial points at the early stage of the tournament.Yuzvendra Chahal shows his frustration as Mumbai Indians went berserk at the death•BCCI
On facing the Super Over alongside AB de Villiers Well, look, I thought about it, to be honest, but then I thought, okay, Jasprit [Bumrah]’s going to bowl, he’s going to use the longer boundary – who are the two guys that can probably run the first four balls for two, and that was me and AB. So AB said ‘I’m going’, I said ‘I’m coming with you.’ Yeah, look, it was all about just stepping onto the field, taking responsibility for the team, and yeah, we got a boundary each and got the job done.On facing Bumrah Yeah, it was interesting. I think it was a good match-up with Jasprit being the best bowler they have, and [against] AB and myself, I think he would have been under a bit of pressure as well, to defend eight [runs], so good contest. We both felt that he’s in the game, we’re in the game, and that’s what people love watching, and that’s what this competition is all about – top-quality cricket, games going down to the wire, and exciting games like this is good for the people to watch, but not for the captains involved in it. We can take lessons out of this and try and close the closer games much better in the future.On the three changes in the Royal Challengers line-up I think the changes that we made – making Washy (Washington Sundar) bowl in the Powerplay, which is his strength, paid off; I think Isuru [Udana] was really good as well, and to be honest Gurkeerat [Singh] didn’t get a chance with the bat, but these changes gave us more balance in the side. I think [Adam] Zampa was good as well, apart from that last over where Polly (Pollard) went after him. I think the guys showed good character, they were positive through the innings, and when you’re playing against top-quality sides they’re going to hurt you at some stage.On picking up two wins from the first three games of the season Yeah, pretty different from the past, isn’t it? Feels good. Feels good to get the points on the board. As I said, this should boost us forward in a better way. Plug in those gaps, be more professional with our performances, and then, you know, keep accumulating those points.ALSO SEE: Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bangalore live score, September 28 2020
With the regular season behind us, all eyes are on Germany as Euro 2024 gets underway.
This year's tournament will see the homes of Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Hertha Berlin play host to games this summer.
England will be hoping to mark Gareth Southgate's tenure as England manager with their first major trophy since 1966, while France will be hoping to right their World Cup final defeat from 2022.
Goalscorers are also set to make their mark, and with the third 24-team finals getting underway, we could see a record number of goals in a European Championship tournament.
But who has scored the most goals since the competition began in 1960? Football FanCast has looked at the top 12 all-time goalscorers in Euros history to find out.
For this list, players are ranked by overall goals at the tournament's finals, followed by number of appearances, penalties scored and minutes played where necessary.
Player
Nation
Goals
Cristiano Ronaldo
Portugal
14
Michel Platini
France
9
Alan Shearer
England
7
Antoine Griezmann
France
7
Ruud van Nistelrooy
Netherlands
6
Patrick Kluivert
Netherlands
6
Alvaro Morata
Spain
6
Romelu Lukaku
Belgium
6
Wayne Rooney
England
6
Thierry Henry
France
6
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Sweden
6
Nuno Gomes
Portugal
6
Euro 2024 tournament guide: Teams, matches, dates, TV channels, odds & more
Football FanCast has put together a guide for all things Euro 2024, with venues, fixtures, tables, stadiums and more all covered here.
The former Benfica – and one-time Blackburn Rovers – striker just sneaks his way onto our list at number 12. Of course, he has scored the same number of goals as some other players who feature later on in this list, but Nuno Gomes has had more than his fair share of Euros matches.
He has scored six goals across 14 appearances in all, the majority of which came in Euro 2000 where he returned an impressive four goals across his five matches as Portugal made the semi-finals.
But following his first Euros tournament, Gomes was only able to provide a further two goals across nine further showings.
11 Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden) 6 goals
Appearances
13
Goals
6
Tournaments played
2004, 2008, 2012, 2016
Best performance
Quarter-finals (Euro 2004)
From Nuno Gomes to one of the all-time greats in Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The Sweden international will feature in a lot of goalscoring lists following a stunning domestic career.
And despite not playing for one of the international powerhouses, he makes this list. The legendary striker provided a steady return of two goals each at Euro 2004, 2008 and 2012.
However, he did not find the back of the net in Euro 2016 and was unable to feature at Euro 2020 as a result of a knee injury.
Despite his consistent form in front of goal, Ibrahimovic was unable to guide Sweden past the quarter-final stage, which they last reached at Euro 2004, losing on penalties to the Netherlands.
10 Thierry Henry (France) 6 goals
Appearances
11
Goals
6
Tournaments played
2000, 2004, 2008
Best performance
Winner (Euro 2000)
From one legend to another, Thierry Henry comes in on this list as the first player to actually get his hands on a winner's medal.
It was Euro 2000 – Henry's first taste of the tournament – where the former Arsenal striker was able to lift the trophy. And he certainly played his role in helping them to triumph.
Henry returned three goals in that tournament, including France's first goal in their 2-1 semi-final win over Nuno Gomes' Portugal.
France's top international goalscorers of all time
France have had some wonderful players over the years – here are the very best goalscorers for Les Bleus…
Romelu Lukaku remains one of the players on this list who may yet improve their standing by the end of the tournament, the forward's Belgium side set to be heavy favourites in a group involving Slovakia, Romania and Ukraine.
Indeed, the forward, now once again seeking an exit from Chelsea at club level, will be leading the line for the Red Devils this summer having netted 14 goals in their seven qualifying games.
No one scored more than the Belgian in qualifying, which could mean he's the man to stop as his side seek a first international honour. However, to do that, he will have to lead Belgium to the semi-finals for the first time in his career – a stage not reached since 1980, when they were beaten in the final by West Germany.
Lukaku has only played in two Euros tournaments and the 2020 edition proved a fruitful one for the 31-year-old, who netted four times – including against the eventual winners, Italy.
Belgium's group stage draw and their form under Domenico Tedesco could give the ex-Everton forward a great opportunity to be in the running for the Golden Boot.
Euro 2024 Group E: Teams, players, fixtures and venues
Everything you need to know about Belgium, Slovakia, Romania and Ukraine ahead of Euro 2024.
ByStephan Georgiou Jun 10, 2024 8 Wayne Rooney (England) 6 goals
Appearances
10
Goals
6
Tournaments played
2004, 2012, 2016
Best performance
Quarter-finals (Euro 2004 & Euro 2012)
The first entry for the Three Lions comes in the form of England's former all-time record goalscorer, Wayne Rooney. Although Rooney provided six goals, the furthest he reached was the quarter-finals.
Four of the former Manchester United star's goals came in his first tournament, Euro 2004. This tournament ended in disaster for the Englishman, however, as he was forced off in the quarter-final against Portugal due to a metatarsal injury – who knows how things would have panned out had he stayed fit?
In his final six Euros appearances, Rooney was only able to provide England with two goals – one in each of the 2012 and 2016 editions.
He just pips Lukaku here, having played 753 minutes compared to the Belgian's 845, though he could well be overtaken by the end of this year's tournament.
However, he'll always have his dazzling performance against Croatia in 2004 to look back on…
7 Alvaro Morata (Spain) 6 goals
Alvaro Morata celebrating a goal for Spain.
Appearances
10
Goals
6
Tournaments played
2016, 2020
Best performance
Semi-finals (Euro 2020)
Another player who will have the opportunity to add to his tally is Spain and Atletico Madrid striker Alvaro Morata. He will arrive in Germany following an impressive 2022 World Cup display for Spain where he scored three goals in four appearances.
And his return in his two Euros tournaments have also been fairly impressive, with three goals netted at Euro 2016 and Euro 2020.
On top of all of this, Morata has shown some impressive form thus far in La Liga under Diego Simeone, which will surely have him as Spain's go-to striker ahead of the summer. He is La Roja's captain, after all.
He places ahead of Lukaku and Rooney, with none of his goals being penalties.
Euro 2024 Group B: Teams, players, fixtures and venues
Everything you need to know about Spain, Croatia, Italy and Albaniaahead of Euro 2024.
ByCharlie Smith Jun 9, 2024 6 Patrick Kluivert (Netherlands) 6 goals
Appearances
9
Goals
6
Tournaments played
1996, 2000
Best performance
Semi-finals (Euro 2000)
Patrick Kluivert first featured at Euro 96, where the Dutchman was able to get his name on the scoresheet in his side's group stage game against England.
However, it was the 2000 tournament where Kluivert came into his own and provided the Netherlands with five goals; three of those came in the quarter-finals against Yugoslavia. He finished as the tournament's joint-top scorer alongside Savo Milosevic.
Kluivert went to Euro 2004, but he did not play a single minute and was forced to watch from the bench.
5 Ruud van Nistelrooy (Netherlands) 6 goals
Appearances
8
Goals
6
Tournaments played
2004, 2008
Best performance
Semi-finals (Euro 2004)
It is back-to-back entries for the Netherlands, with former Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy coming in fifth spot. Across his club career, Van Nistelrooy was able to net a staggering 331 goals across all competitions.
And he was equally impressive for his country, for whom he returned six goals in the Euros despite playing just 741 minutes of football.
Euro 2004 was the Dutchman's first real taste of the European tournament and he wasted no time in finding the back of the net as he provided four goals in his opening three games.
Although he never got further than the semi-finals, Van Nistelrooy went out in style with a goal against Russia in 2008 (at around 12:00 in this highlight video). Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to see the Oranje progress, despite seeing off France and Italy in the groups.
4 Antoine Griezmann (France) 7 goals
Appearances
11
Goals
7
Tournaments played
2016, 2020
Best performance
Runner-up (Euro 2016)
Despite lifting the World Cup, Antoine Griezmann has not been able to get his hands on the Henri Delaunay trophy. He will have the opportunity to add that to his list in the summer, though.
In 2016, the Atletico Madrid forward ended the competition as the top scorer having netted a stunning six goals in France's journey to the final – which ended in heartache against Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal at the Stade de France.
Perhaps the standout goals at that tournament for Griezmann came when he bagged a brace in the semi-final against Germany; the only two goals of the game.
Euro 2020 was not quite as impressive, however. Griezmann was only able to score once and will surely be looking to put this right in the summer when he plays in Germany.
Every Player of the Tournament at the European Championship
Since its inception in 1996, UEFA has handed out an award for the best player at the European Championship. But who has been given the accolade?
England's wait for another trophy goes on, but it hasn't been through the want of trying over the years, with the likes of Alan Shearer providing an impressive return at the European Championship.
The Premier League legend retired with a solid return of seven goals in nine appearances, with the 1996 tournament in his home country proving to be his best.
Indeed, the former Newcastle United striker was able to provide England with five goals that summer and ended the tournament as the top scorer. It is difficult to pick a favourite from his entire career, but his finish against the Netherlands during the group stage is surely one of his best for England on one of Wembley's greatest days.
England: Every European Championship campaign
Football FanCast has taken a look back at England’s past Euro campaigns.
Real Madrid forward Rodrygo has admitted he was "upset" after being left off the final 30-man Ballon d'Or shortlist.
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Rodrygo snubbed from Ballon d'Or list
Won Champions League and La Liga last season
Seven Real Madrid team-mates nominated
WHAT HAPPENED?
The 23-year-old bagged 17 goals and nine assists for Real Madrid last term as they won the Champions League and La Liga, but was not recognised for his efforts as part of the Ballon d'Or shortlist. Rodrygo has since spoken out on his omission, claiming he "deserved" to be nominated while expressing his frustration.
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WHAT RODRYGO SAID
Speaking to ESPN, the Brazil star said: "I was upset, I think I deserved it. I don't want to belittle the players who are there, but I think I had a place in the 30. It was a surprise… But there's not much I can do, I'm not the one who decides these things."
Rodrygo also suggested that his versatility may have counted against him in the voting process, adding: "Often, I'm just filling spaces. Is someone missing there? Put Rodrygo in. Is someone missing on the right? Rodrygo. Is someone missing as No. 9? Rodrygo. That's it. It may get in my way a little, but I'm a team player."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
In a team full of superstars, it can be difficult for Rodrygo to stand out. But the 28-cap Brazil international has a point. Under Carlo Ancelotti, he has become a regular starter with arguably just as much importance to the team as Vinicius Junior, who often starts on the opposite flank.
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WHAT NEXT FOR RODRYGO?
Having earned the Man of the Match award for his efforts as Brazil beat Ecuador in their recent World Cup qualifier, Rodrygo will be looking to have an impact again when they travel to Paraguay on Tuesday. He is then due to return to Real Madrid for their next La Liga outing against Real Sociedad on September 14.
Several pillars of the USMNT were left home, meaning multiple new faces could get their chances against Canada
Though he has reportedly agreed to become the next U.S. men's national team head coach, Mauricio Pochettino has not yet been officially named to the role. Yet he is likely watching the team's September camp closely.
There have already been a few significant changes with the squad selection under interim coach Mikey Varas. Several pillars of the USMNT under Gregg Berhalter were left at home, for varying reasons. Multiple new faces have been brought in. There have been little shifts to set the table for the next USMNT coach.
So what does that mean for these September friendlies? The audition process has already started for the members of the USMNT, and these friendlies are a chance to make a good first impression.
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First up is a match with Canada. The U.S. will likely take it extremely seriously. After this summer's Copa America failure, the USMNT won't want another embarrassing moment against a CONCACAF rival so, knowing that, it's safe to expect a strong team against Jesse Marsch and Co. Even so, there are some big players missing, making Saturday's starting XI an interesting one to predict. Here's a look at how the USMNT could line up on Saturday against Canada in Kansas City.
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GK: Matt Turner
We know. The world wants to see Diego Kochen or Patrick Schulte in this spot. Maybe we'll see Schulte, in particular, against New Zealand. This is a big-ish game, though, and Turner is still the No. 1.
He needs the minutes, too, even after his move to Crystal Palace. Turner is set to be the No. 2 at Palace, making minutes hard to come by there, too. At some point, Pochettino will have to make a call: continue to give Turner minutes to keep him sharp or pull the plug and hand the job over to someone new.
We're not there yet. For now, Turner is still the guy.
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LB: Kristoffer Lund
There's no Antonee Robinson in camp, which really does open up this left-back spot. Does Mikey Varas go with a slightly more familiar face like Lund or a rising star like Caleb Wiley?
We'll go with Lund, just because he's been around the team a bit more over the last year or so. Wiley should get his chance, though, either as a defender or on the wing, at some point during this September window.
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CB: Tim Ream
The time will come to move on from Tim Ream. This particular game against Canada is not that time.
Ream still provides a valuable presence at the back, particularly with this centerback pool still sorting itself out. By this time next year, the hope will be that there are two other centerbacks locking down starting spots. For now, though, Ream can set the tone before taking a seat in a more experiment-friendly game against New Zealand.
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CB: Chris Richards
Chris Richards, the Crystal Palace defender basically locked up a starting spot under the previous regime but, once again, it's all up for grabs. That makes every game important, both for club and country.
Richards had ups and downs during the Copa America, but that's behind him now. At 24, it's now about taking that leap from young defender to leader of the backline as the U.S. inches closer and closer to the World Cup.
ESPNcricinfo staff01-May-2020Surrey have cancelled D’Arcy Short and Shadab Khan’s contracts for the T20 Blast season following the competition’s postponement.The ECB announced last week that no professional cricket would be played in England and Wales until July 1 at the earliest due to the Covid-19 pandemic, with the Blast likely to be pushed back to the final months of the season.Surrey said in a statement: “Given the postponement of [the Blast] and the current uncertainty around the makeup of the domestic season… it was mutually agreed that the players’ contracts would be cancelled.”The club had previously cancelled Michael Neser’s contract, following the initial suspension of the first seven rounds of County Championship fixtures.Both players were also due to play in the inaugural season of the Hundred, which has been pushed back to 2021.Alec Stewart, Surrey’s director of cricket, said: “I would like to thank both Shadab & D’Arcy and their management companies for their understanding of the current situation and the impact these testing times are having on our game.”While we continue to prepare for cricket at The Kia Oval this summer, uncertainties around restrictions and scheduling across the world and here in the UK means this is the most sensible decision for both the players and the club for now.”
England overcame a late collapse to share the one-day series spoils by denying South Africa victory on Pink Day for the second time in the event’s seven-year history. Cruising at 232 for 4 after 36.3 overs, leaving just 25 runs required, the wicket of Joe Denly, holing out to deep extra cover, sparked a wobble of four wickets for 20 runs, but Moeen Ali – in his first international appearance in six months – provided the cool head required to see them over the line.The hosts have now lost consecutive ODIs at the Wanderers, after being defeated by Pakistan last January. On both occasions, South Africa were unable to post a competitive enough total to defend, even though they fell just nine runs short of the average first innings score of 265, today.Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow’s opening stand of 61 runs in 6.2 overs meant England got away early in the reply and Joe Root and Denly ensured South Africa could not catch them. Denly scored second his half-century of the series, to finish as England’s highest run-scorer, and second overall.But the match was won in the first half, where England’s spinners made major breakthroughs and kept South Africa relatively quiet. Moeen, making his first England appearance since the first Ashes Test last August, Adil Rashid and Root bowled 27 overs between them, conceding 136 runs at just over five an over and took four wickets, leaving South Africa well short.Under clearing skies, Eoin Morgan chose to bowl first and Tom Curran and debutant Saqib Mahmood justified that call. Their opening spells kept South Africa to 36 runs in the opening Powerplay, with Mahmood claiming his maiden wicket when he bowled Reeza Hendricks. South Africa’s hopes of a recovery came from Quinton de Kock and Temba Bavuma, who injected energy into the innings. Their partnership reached a sprightly 53 off 58 balls before spin was introduced and they were stalled.In a comical period of play, Rashid had an lbw appeal against Bavuma turned down and another, off his next ball, given out. Bavuma reviewed the decision, unsuccessfully. Though replays showed the ball was hitting the top of middle and leg stumps, UltraEdge was not working so, despite an obvious gap between Bavuma’s bat and pad, technology could not confirm that he hadn’t hit the ball. As a result, South Africa retained their review, which was used on the next ball when Rassie van der Dussen was given out to a Rashid googly and informed he could refer the decision. Van der Dussen survived, but only for seven more balls before he was bowled by Moeen. South Africa were reduced to 94 for 3 and de Kock had the responsibility of anchoring the innings.ALSO READ: DRS process under scrutiny after UltraEdge malfunctionThe South Africa captain brought up his 25th ODI half-century and formed a solid 46-run stand with Jon-Jon Smuts but was also undone by spin. Rashid took out his leg stump with a delivery that gripped and spun as de Kock tried to slog. That transferred the main job to David Miller, who had yet to bat in this series, but had 19.3 overs to show what he could do.Miller was not immediately able to get going and was involved in the run-outs of Smuts and Beuran Hendricks but led a strong finish. South Africa scored 78 runs in the last 10 overs, which included 48 in the last five, as Miller took a particular liking to Chris Jordan. He hit Jordan for 34 runs off the 16 balls he faced from, including a trio of sixes over midwicket.What Miller could do, England’s openers could do better and they were merciless against an out-of-rhythm Lungi Ngidi, whose first two overs cost 29 runs. Ngidi was punished for anything too short while on the other end, Beuran Hendricks paid the price for overpitching, then going short and then trying the slower ball. Bairstow did the majority of the big-hitting and raced to 43 off 23 balls and could have brought the afternoon to an early end if he hadn’t popped a simple catch to midwicket, giving Lutho Sipamla his second ODI wicket. Roy also caused his own downfall when, in the next over, he pulled Hendricks to short fine leg.South Africa’s hopes of a comeback swelled with Morgan popped a catch back to Hendricks in his follow-through and England were 86 for 3 but Root quickly squashed that. His 76-run stand with Denly kept England ticking along and appeared to blunt the Tabraiz Shamsi threat until Root was caught at leg slip, trying to turn Shamsi around the corner, on 49. England still needed 95 runs when Root was dismissed, but with almost half their overs left to bat, they were not in any realistic trouble.Denly, whose leg-side game was particularly strong and brought him 55 off his 66 runs, took them to 25 runs of the win. That was close enough so that South Africa’s late surge of 4 for 20 was nothing more than a false dawn. In much the same way as their win in the first Test, and their victory in the first ODI, South Africa’s next step is to find consistency, while England have proved themselves more than capable of playing catch up.
Wolverhampton Wanderers slumped to another Premier League defeat over the weekend, this time dropping points to West Ham United.
Gary O’Neil will have been aggrieved Max Kilman had an injury-time equaliser disallowed in extremely contentious fashion which would have salvaged a point, but the damage had already been done.
Pablo Sarabia opened the scoring, but the Irons netted twice in the final 13 minutes to take all three points. Despite this, there were some positive performances among the starting XI.
Wolves manager Gary O'Neil before a Premier League game.
Rayan Ait-Nouri was unleashed in an unfamiliar attacking midfield slot in what was a surprising move by O’Neil, but the youngster shone for the Old Gold, even if he did leave the field through injury.
Rayan Ait-Nouri’s game in numbers vs West Ham
With the Old Gold still missing a few key players, O’Neil deployed Ait-Nouri alongside Tommy Doyle as the two attacking midfielders behind Sarabia, who was unleashed in a more advanced role.
The Algeria international provided a key attacking threat throughout the match, succeeding with four of his eight dribble attempts, taking two shots and also winning the penalty for the opening goal.
Rayan Ait-Nouri vs West Ham
Accurate passes
29/29
Touches
48
Total shots
2
Ground duels (won)
17 (8)
Dribble attempts (successful)
8 (4)
Via Sofascore
Ait-Nouri even had a 100% pass success rate during his time on the pitch, displaying his wonderful passing range along with winning eight ground duels and being fouled three times.
The youngster had to be taken off after just 56 minutes due to suffering a calf injury and O’Neil will be hoping the injury isn’t too serious, especially with this display proving he is certainly undroppable.
Rayan Ait-Nouri’s statistics for Wolves this season
Although he was used as an attacking midfielder over the weekend, Ait-Nouri has typically been deployed on the left of a four-man midfield in recent months, allowing him to express his creative talents.
Indeed, across 27 Premier League matches, he has scored twice and grabbed an assist, while creating two big chances and averaging 0.8 key passes per game. The defender has also succeeded with two dribbles per game, showcasing his desire to always take on opposition players in a need to get into the final third.
Rayan Ait Nouri
Defensively, Ait-Nouri has won a staggering 6.4 total duels per game, made two tackles per match and is dribbled past on just 0.6 occasions per outing, indicating that his defensive skills are also excellent.
He is swiftly emerging as one of O’Neil’s prized assets following a series of excellent performances, and it is perhaps no surprise to see other clubs being linked with a move for him this summer.
Chelsea are just one side who are reportedly showing some interest in the 22-year-old ahead of the summer transfer window.
If his injury isn’t serious, and he can return to the first team within the next couple of weeks, it will give the player an ideal opportunity to further demonstrate his talents in the top flight.
With two years left on his current contract, the Molineux outfit could potentially secure a major profit on the player who they signed for just £9.5m back in 2021 following a successful loan spell at the Old Gold.
Just when you’re about to change that stupid lock and ask them for that key, England turn up at your door with a bottle of wine and bunch of roses.That’s how it felt by the close of day three in Centurion. For as awful as England had been at the start of the day – and truly, the morning session was probably their worst in the field for a long time – by stumps they had reminded you of the good times. And as virulent as the bug sweeping through their squad may be, it isn’t as contagious as hope.Let’s be clear: England still require something close to a miracle to win this match. They not only need to exceed the record fourth-innings chase at this ground by more than a hundred, they need to set a new England record in this format of the game. But Rory Burns, who would have been dismissed for a pair in this game had it not been for the introduction of the DRS, underlined his growing stature as a Test batsman to take them to stumps with hopes intact. The performance in Leeds, just four months ago, showed what was possible.Certainly that was the view of Graham Thorpe. Thorpe, one of England’s assistant coaches, admitted after play that England had made life “very hard for ourselves”. And while he conceded that victory remained “a long shot”, he felt England had given themselves “a fighting chance” with their batting on their third evening.”There’s a lot of runs to get but there is belief in our dressing room and maybe that’s because of what the players achieved in the summer,” he said. “We’ll keep fighting all the way and if we have a good first session they’ll become nervous and then who knows?”We’ve been inconsistent with bat and ball. We’ve made it very hard for ourselves with the way we batted in the first innings. It’s a long shot and we’ll have to play well, but we’ve given ourselves a fighting chance.”It appeared that that chance had disappeared at lunch. While Ben Stokes had suggested before play that England’s hope was to finish off the South African innings within the first hour of the day, instead they added 125 in the session with England becoming an increasingly frustrated and ragged outfit.It was another tough day as captain for the unwell Joe Root•Getty Images
There are few agonies in cricket to compare with the inability to dislodge a nightwatchman. And as Anrich Nortje, a No. 11 with a first-class average of 15, helped Rassie van der Dussen add 91 for the fifth wicket, England’s frustration became clear to see. For a while they descended into something approaching chaos.It seemed reasonable to open the bowling with Sam Curran and James Anderson. The ball was only 20 overs old, after all. But when it refused to swing, England quickly reverted to a short-ball attack that failed to make use of the uneven bounce exploited by the South African bowlers the previous day.And when that didn’t work – and to be fair to England, there were moments when it was hard to understand how Nortje survived – they were guilty of over-pitching in a bid to force the breakthrough. It was an odd performance from a team containing bowlers as experienced as Stuart Broad and James Anderson and, not for the first time, the thought occurred that a quality spinner would have been a major help.Jofra Archer’s five-wicket haul – the fourth most expensive (in terms of economy rates, not overall runs) in Test history – probably provided reflection of exactly where he is in his career: a hugely talented, very raw young man who is learning his craft in the public eye.Credit, too, must go to the batsmen. Nortje, with his fierce pace and brave batting, looks a terrific character. You imagine the English counties are eyeing him as a Kolpak recruit as a lion looks at a zebra. It looked here as if he were having far too much fun to take such an offer at this stage.In truth, England had probably wasted the new ball on the second evening with too much short-pitched bowling. And then, having fallen behind the game, they were guilty of chasing it on the third morning. So while it was a relief when Stokes came on and took two quick wickets with traditional length balls that may have left the batsmen, it was also galling: such a tactic should surely have been tried some time earlier.ALSO READ:South Africa ponder selection issues after attempted Archer take-downThere are extenuating circumstances for England. For a start, the pitch seemed to offer less assistance for bowlers of both sides on day three. One theory was that the cooler weather had prevented the cracks from widening on the pitch, another was that the bowlers of both sides, given little time to recover by the frenetic pace of play, are simply a bit weary. And it’s a theory which would apply to England, in particular. Coming into this game suffering from illness and a lack of preparation, their batsmen gave them just 53.2 overs between innings.To their credit, England are trying not to use the illness sweeping through their squad – Pretoriarrhoea, as it should perhaps be known – as an excuse. But as Jos Buttler and Joe Root became the latest members of the side to feel the effects, it became clear that it has played havoc with their performance and preparations.Root forced himself to stay on the field as much as he could on day three – which was not all the time by any means – but the England management later confirmed that he would not have been able to bat on the third evening as required. Stokes was padded up to come in at No. 4. The extra night’s rest earned for them by the fortitude of Burns and co. may yet prove to be crucial. We probably have to take into account Root’s predicament when evaluating his captaincy on day three, at least.Thorpe probably has a point about South Africa’s potential for nerves, too. They have lost their last five Tests, after all, including the Kusal Perera-inspired miracle of Durban. England probably do present another potential choking hazard. This would be quite a heist if they can pull it off.”We know we haven’t been at our best,” Thorpe admitted. “And we’re not going to hide away from our first-innings batting. We know first-innings runs are important and we wanted to get a lead.”So we’re going to have to do it the hard way now. It’s still a long shot, but we do have a chance to do something really special. We’ll keep fighting.”