Forget Dorgu: Man Utd flop is becoming their biggest liability since Onana

Manchester United’s failings in the Premier League over the last couple of years have been there for all to see, with the fans undoubtedly growing frustrated by the lack of success.

The side have now failed to win the league in each of the last 12 campaigns, with Sir Alex Ferguson the last manager in charge to lift the league title at Old Trafford.

However, Ruben Amorim will be hoping that he can be the man to end such a drought, but it’s safe to say his time in the role to date has failed to lift off in recent months.

He was only able to secure a 15th-place finish in England’s top-flight last time around, with the hierarchy already spending over £200m on new additions since his arrival.

The manager has already made some bold calls on the future of some players at the Theatre of Dreams, including one player who massively failed to deliver in 2024/25.

The stats behind Andre Onana’s struggles in 2024/25

During the 2024/25 campaign, numerous players have failed to deliver in the Premier League – but none more so than goalkeeper Andre Onana, with the shot-stopper costing the side in key moments.

The Cameroonian joined the Red Devils in a £47.2m deal back in the summer of 2023, with such a move potentially going down as one of the worst in the club’s history.

Andre Onana in action for Manchester United.

He maintained the number one shirt for the majority of the campaign, but Amorim made the decision to offload him during the recent summer transfer window.

Onana left to join Turkish side Trabzonspor on a season-long loan after the arrival of Senne Lammens from Royal Antwerp, a decision that proved to be the right one given his struggles in 2024/25.

The 29-year-old featured 50 times across all competitions last campaign, but made nine direct errors that led to goals, many of which came in key moments.

He could only muster a 67% save percentage in England’s top-flight last season, whilst also failing to impress in possession – as seen by his pass accuracy of just 68%.

Manchester United'sAndreOnana

However, one player within the current side has taken over from the goalkeeper in terms of failing to deliver, which could leave the manager with a huge call to make in the months ahead.

Man Utd's biggest liability since Onana

Patrick Dorgu has certainly been a player who has left fans frustrated at United over the last couple of months, especially after the excitement generated around his move 11 months ago.

The Danish international arrived in a £30m deal from Italian side Lecce, with real promise that the youngster could provide a long-term solution to their left-back issues.

However, in 2025/26 alone, he’s massively struggled with the demands of the Premier League, as seen by his tally of just seven league starts out of a possible 13.

His underlying stats in and out of possession this season showcase his struggles, with the manager taking the right call to drop him from his starting eleven in recent weeks.

Dorgu has completed just 72% of passes in 2025/26, whilst also making just 3.4 ball recoveries – with both stats ranking him in the bottom 20% of players in the division.

However, despite the Dane’s struggles, fellow full-back Diogo Dalot has also been under fire as of late and rightfully so given his poor form under Amorim for the Red Devils.

The Portuguese international, who’s usually a right-sided full-back, has often been called upon to feature in a left-wing-back role, which has no doubt affected his performances.

During his seven-year stint at Old Trafford, he’s been known to be more dominant out of possession rather than with the ball at his feet – with Amorim needing to take responsibility for his continued selection.

The recent victory over Crystal Palace may have been an impressive win for the side, but it didn’t stop Dalot from being able to fall below the standards expected of him once again.

Minutes played

90

Touches

68

Passes completed

71%

Dribbles completed

0

Crosses completed

0

Long balls completed

0

Shots on target

0

Tackles won

1

He featured for the entirety of the victory at Selhurst Park, but was unable to complete any of his attempted dribbles, whilst also failing to find a teammate with any of his crosses.

Dalot’s struggles continued in attacking areas, subsequently being unable to direct any of his two shots on target – something which he’s been unable to do all season long.

However, he also failed to deliver when trying to stop the opposition, as seen by just one tackle won and one interception made – resulting in Adam Joseph labelling him “toothless”.

It’s evident that the 26-year-old is massively unsuited to his current wing-back role, but Amorim has made no efforts to try and resolve the current situation at hand.

The first team have massively struggled for quality in wide areas since the manager’s arrival 12 months ago, with such an issue rearing its head right before the January window.

As for Dalot, he’s constantly proving to be an unreliable figure, with the defender potentially emulating Onana’s failures if no change is made in the near future.

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Lionel Messi's forgotten World Cup-winning Argentina team-mate returns to action for second-tier club after two-year doping ban

Lionel Messi's former World Cup-winning Argentina team-mate, Alejandro Gomez, has finally returned to action for an Italian second-tier club after serving a two-year doping ban. Gomez, who was part of Argentina's triumph in Qatar three years ago, has not touched a football since October 2023 after testing positive for a banned substance. He last played for Monza in Serie A.

Gomez returns to action after two years

Also known as Papu Gomez, the 37-year-old midfielder tested positive for terbutaline, a banned B2-adrenergic substance similar to salbutamol, after taking a cough syrup intended for his child. He was on the books of Sevilla at that time and the Spanish giants immediately terminated his contract following the case, leading Gomez to a short spell with Monza. He served a two-year suspension that ended on October 18, 2025. 

Gomez returned to action on Saturday as his new club Padova faced Venezia in a Serie B clash. He came on as a substitute in the 58th minute amid a warm welcome from the fans but he could not stop his side from losing the clash 2-0.

AdvertisementGetty Images Sport'I didn't come here to sightsee'

After making his first appearance in over two years, Gomez sent out a defiant message to his fans and the world as he said: "I didn't come here to sightsee. My ambition is to take Padova as high as possible."

Gomez was furious after learning about doping ban

At the time of his suspension, Gomez had shown frustration as he felt he was harshly punished. The World Cup winner told Corta: "You take cocaine, smoke a joint, and you get six months. I got two years for taking my son's cough syrup. Who gets that in their head? But hey, I got it and here I am, still going strong. Yes, I was really angry, really furious. I had a hard time watching football at first; I turned off the television. For me, football was dead. I isolated myself and started working with a psychologist because it was a cycle I couldn't get out of." 

The Argentine also reflected on the emotional toll of being sidelined right after the greatest triumph of his career, lifting the World Cup in Qatar with Argentina: "The first few months were tough because I didn't understand why this was happening to me, at the peak of my career, after having won a World Cup. But life sometimes gives you these surprises and blows. It kept me going, like: 'Why do they have to retire me from football like this if I don't want to and it's not my time?' Why should two or three people in suits and ties, who've never played sports, decide when I should retire?"

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AFPGomez angered Messi at World Cup

Captain and legendary Argentina star Messi was reportedly left furious after Gomez allegedly made an inappropriate comment about his wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, during the World Cup in Qatar. A panellist on the 'A La Tarde' programme on Tartu TV alleged that as the Argentina players celebrated in the dressing room following one of their games, Gomez made the comment. The panelist said: "Everyone is happy because they progressed, everyone in the locker room starts to sing. What does Alejandro El Papu say? 'Hand over Antonela!' "Imagine Messi's laser eyes… Immediate red card!"

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Forget Spence: Frank has a future superstar who can end Porro's Spurs career

Tottenham Hotspur have only won one of their last four matches in all competitions after a last-gasp goal meant that they had to settle for a point against Manchester United on Saturday.

The Lilywhites turned the game around from 1-0 down to lead 2-1, but they were unable to get the three points over the line, as they were napping in stoppage time to allow Matthijs de Ligt to head in at the back post.

Spurs have only won one of their last four matches in the Premier League after that result, which has seen them drop out of the top four in the division.

Thomas Frank will surely be disappointed with the nature of the two goals that were conceded, because they were both unmarked headers inside the box that should have been dealt with.

The former Brentford head coach should look at his full-backs and demand more from them defensively, as Destiny Udogie was on the scene for the second goal and Pedro Porro was caught out for Bryan Mbeumo’s header.

In fact, Porro is one player who may be on borrowed time in the starting line-up under Frank, because his defending has come into question on multiple occasions.

Why Pedro Porro should be dropped

The Spanish right-back’s marking, or lack thereof, for Mbeumo’s goal was simply not good enough. He was not aware of arguably the biggest United threat in the box, and allowed him to have a free header to score past Guglielmo Vicario.

To his credit, though, the former Manchester City youngster did react to a comment from a supporter after the match and acknowledged that he was not at his best against the Red Devils.

This is not the first time that Porro’s defensive qualities have been called into question. Last year, former Ireland international Keith Treacy said: “Pedro Porro is a good footballer, obviously, he plays in the Premier League, he’s a decent footballer, but he’s not a good right-back, he can’t defend.”

The former Blackburn star added: “If I was a coach going up against Spurs I would say to isolate him, run at him all day long.”

Back in 2023, former Spurs manager Tim Sherwood said that Porro was “all over the place” because he “just wants to run forward” and play as a winger. The Tottenham defender later reacted to those comments by saying that he is not a “machine” who could integrate straight away, as he had only just joined the club from Sporting.

On top of the long-standing question marks over his defensive capabilities, the 26-year-old full-back has also been incredibly wasteful with the ball at his feet in the last two Premier League matches.

Minutes

73

67

Tackles won

0

1

Duels won

3

3

Error led to shot

2

0

Key passes

0

0

Crosses completed

0/5

1/12

Possession lost

24x

29x

Pass accuracy

58%

64%

As you can see in the table above, Porro has lost possession of the ball a staggering 53 times in the last two league games, without creating a single chance for his teammates, and creating two chances for the opposition with errors that led to shots.

This shows that the Spaniard has been dismal defensively and offensively of late for the Lilywhites, which is why Frank should ruthlessly ditch him from the starting XI after the international break for the North London derby.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

The obvious solution in the short-term would be for Udogie, who assisted Mathys Tel’s goal on Saturday, to come in at left-back and Djed Spence to move over to right-back.

However, the long-term plan that could put an end to Porro’s career in North London could be for Archie Gray to eventually nail down a place in the team as a right-back.

Why Archie Gray can end Pedro Porro's Spurs career

The England U21 international is currently sidelined with a calf injury that he sustained at the end of last month, and he is expected to be back in action around the end of this month or at the start of December.

Gray signed for the Lilywhites from Leeds United for a fee of £40m in the summer of 2024, with Joe Rodon heading back the other way, but he has failed to establish himself in one position since his move to the club.

The English youngster had to fill in at centre-back far too many times under Ange Postecoglou because of the injury crisis in that position, with the likes of Radu Dragusin, Micky van de Ven, and Cristian Romero all picking up injuries last term.

Centre-back

20

Right-back

9

Defensive midfield

8

Left-back

6

Central midfield

3

As you can see in the table above, Gray’s second-most played in position at Spurs has been right-back, which is where he played the majority of his first-team football with Leeds, despite coming up through the academy set-up in West Yorkshire as a central midfielder.

The young defender played 44 out of 46 league matches for Leeds in the Championship in the 2023/24 campaign, mainly as a right-back, and earned the Championship Young Player of the Year award.

Gray, who was hailed as “ridiculous” by Como scout Ben Mattinson, showcased his defensive quality as a right-back in that second tier season with the Whites, winning 92 tackles and 186 duels in total.

Per FotMob, he ranked within the top 7% of full-backs for tackles won and the top 14% for duels won, whilst also ranking in the top 7% for ball recoveries (196), which shows that he was one of the best defensive full-backs in the division, for a team that finished third in the league.

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These statistics suggest that he has the defensive resolve to eventually nail down a place at right-back as a reliable defender for Spurs in the future, which is why he could end Porro’s career at the club by offering Frank a steadier presence than the Spaniard, who has struggled on and off the ball.

It is now down to Gray, though, to return from injury and deliver quality performances when called upon to show that he can be better than Porro defensively week-in-week-out, which would leave Spence free to compete with Udogie at left-back.

Mhatre breaks records for Mumbai, Shaw shines on captaincy debut

A brief recap of the second round of games in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025-26

Shashank Kishore28-Nov-2025

Ayush Mhatre’s unbeaten 53-ball 110 took Mumbai to a seven-wicket win against Vidarbha•Tanuj/UPCA

Mhatre’s maiden ton studs Mumbai winAyush Mhatre continued his exciting initiation into top-flight cricket with a 53-ball 110 in Mumbai’s convincing win over Vidarbha as they made it two in two. Mumbai chased down 193 with 13 balls to spare and seven wickets in hand.Named India Under-19 captain for the Asia Cup earlier in the day, this was Mhatre’s maiden T20 century. His knock contained eight fours and eight sixes. Mhatre’s knock paved the foundation, while Suryakumar Yadav (35 off 30) and Shivam Dube (39 off 19) polished off the chase. Mhatre’s century made him the youngest man (18 years, 135 days) to get hundreds in first-class, List-A and T20s, shaving more than a year from Rohit Sharma’s record (19 years, 339 days). He also became the third-youngest to hit a men’s T20 century, after Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Vijay Zol.Dube also continued to be relied on as a handy seam option, picking up 3 for 31 off his four overs. He has now bowled seven overs across two matches for four wickets.Shaw half-century gives Maharashtra first winPrithvi Shaw marked his captaincy debut for Maharashtra with a sparkling 36-ball 66 in an eight-wicket win over Hyderabad. It was Maharashtra’s first win in the competition, as they hunted down 192 with eight balls to spare. Arshin Kulkarni anchored the chase superbly, finishing unbeaten on 89 off 54 deliveries to seal victory.Samson misses out; Kerala loseKerala stumbled against Railways, losing by 32 runs after failing to chase down a modest 150 in Lucknow. Sanju Samson, who opened the tournament with a half-century, was out for 19 off 25 balls, while Rohan Kunnummal, his opening partner who made an unbeaten 60-ball 121 in Wednesday’s win over Odisha, managed just 8.Chahal, Sindhu shine; Haryana clinch Super OverHaryana edged out Punjab in a tense Super Over finish to claim their first win of the tournament. Punjab’s chase of 208 was driven by Anmolpreet Singh’s 37-ball 81, but Yuzvendra Chahal turned the tide with a vital double-strike, removing Salil Arora and Nehal Wadhera in quick succession.Related

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Punjab’s chase grew increasingly chaotic: Gurnoor Brar was retired out after a scratchy 8 off 10 balls, before Sanvir Singh (30* off 16) and Harpreet Brar (10* off four) somehow stretched the game into a Super Over. There, Punjab mustered only a single run while losing Abhishek Sharma and Sanvir. Haryana needed just one delivery in response, striking a boundary first ball to clinch a dramatic win.Nishant Sindhu top-scored for Haryana in regulation time with a 32-ball 61. He had also played a key role in their opening game, hitting a cameo 33 while also picking up 2 for 28.All-round Anukul stuns KarnatakaAfter returning figures of 2 for 13 in three overs to restrict Karnataka to 157 for 9, Anukul Roy, the left-handed allrounder, single-handedly took Jharkhand home in a tense final-over finish.With no other batter scoring more than 15, Jharkhand’s chase came down to how long Anukul could steer the innings, and he did that by scoring an unbeaten 95 in 58 balls. Wickets kept tumbling around No. 5 Anukul, with seven batters returning single-digit scores, but his nine fours and five sixes earned Jharkhand their second win in two games to move atop Group D.Venkatesh shines; Jitesh, Suryavanshi fall cheaplyReleased by KKR after being bought for a hefty INR 23.5 crore last year, Venkatesh Iyer offered a timely reminder of his value in the middle order with an unbeaten 55 off 34 balls in Madhya Pradesh’s 62-run win over Bihar. This was their first win in the competition.Set 175, Bihar collapsed for 112. Fourteen-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi, almost certain to feature in the upcoming Under-19 World Cup, has so far made 14 and 13 in his two outings. With one win from two matches, MP will also be lifted by the return of Rajat Patidar for their third game on Sunday.Vaibhav Suryavanshi started SMAT 2025 with a couple of low scores•PTI

Meanwhile, Jitesh Sharma’s stint with his new team Baroda hasn’t started the way he would’ve liked. After making 4 on debut in a defeat against Bengal, he managed just 5 in Friday’s loss against Puducherry. Baroda have now lost both their games. Adil Ayub Tunda, the fast bowler from Jammu and Kashmir who has impressed several talent scouts, picked up 4 for 30 for Puducherry.

Frank must drop Bentancur to unleash Spurs star who's just "like Modric"

Tottenham Hotspur face PSG in the Champions League tonight, looking to inflict revenge on the French outfit after the UEFA Super Cup final back in August.

The Lilywhites boasted a two-goal lead in such a clash but ultimately conceded twice late on, resulting in a penalty shootout – with Luis Enrique’s side coming out victorious.

However, tonight’s meeting at the Parc des Princes presents Thomas Frank with the chance to make amends and help bolster their standing in the league table.

His men are unbeaten in their four outings in Europe to date, previously avoiding defeat against a Ligue 1 outfit, having drawn 0-0 against Monaco back in October.

However, if the Lilywhites are to claim all three points and defeat the reigning champions, the manager will desperately need to make changes after Sunday’s defeat to local rivals Arsenal.

Why Frank needs to revert to a 4-3-3 against PSG

In the clash with the Gunners on Sunday afternoon, Frank decided to swap to a 5-4-1 system, a decision that massively restricted their ability to create chances in the final third.

He started Rodrigo Bentancur and Joao Palhinha together at the base of the midfield, but the pair were far too defensively minded and unable to progress the ball into dangerous areas.

The pair could only complete one pass into the final third during the clash at the Emirates, with the manager needing to drop the Uruguayan international and revert to his usual system.

Throughout the campaign, the Dane has most commonly utilised a 4-3-3 system, with Palhinha operating at the base with two box-to-box options ahead of the loanee.

Apart from Bentancur, the manager has numerous other high-profile youngsters in his ranks, with many deserving of the opportunity to star at the heart of the side again.

Alongside the former Juventus star, Kevin Danso should be sacrificed to allow two of the aforementioned youngsters to have the chance to impress once again.

The Spurs star who should start against PSG

Archie Gray has previously been utilised in midfield by Frank over recent times, with the Spurs star having huge expectations after his £40m move from Leeds United last summer.

He’s only made six appearances across all competitions, even being named on the bench against Arsenal, but unfortunately for him, there are two other impressive options ahead of him in the pecking order.

Pape Sarr has been a key first-team member in North London this season, as seen by his tally of 11 appearances out of a possible 12, but Frank made the decision to start him on the bench last weekend.

He came on with just 24 minutes remaining in the contest, subsequently registering 100% of the passes he attempted – even managing to have an impact despite the embarrassing defeat.

As a result, the Dane must start him ahead of Palhinha in Paris this evening, but he must also introduce Lucas Bergvall to the side to complete the three-man midfield.

The Swedish youngster joined the Lilywhites for just £8m last summer, with many supporters expecting the teenager to link up with the club’s academy system at first.

However, the injury-hit campaign in 2024/25 allowed the 19-year-old to stake his claim for a regular starting role – already racking up a total of 60 senior appearances for the club.

He’s been out with a concussion over the last few weeks, with Bergvall only making one appearance in November after being replaced after just seven minutes of the meeting with Chelsea.

The Swede was an unused substitute against the Gunners last weekend, but this evening should be the game in which the manager recalls him to his starting eleven.

Bergvall has already impressed in the Premier League this campaign, with his underlying stats showcasing he’s able to produce the goods on the big occasions.

The teenager, who’s been dubbed just “like Modric” by The Athletic’s JJ Bull, has completed 2.1 successful dribbles to date – with such a figure ranking him in the top 4% of all players in the division.

Lucas Bergvall – PL stats (2025/26)

Statistics (per 90)

Tally

Games played

9

Goals & assists

2

Pass accuracy

83%

Dribble success

75%

Tackles won

2.8

Duels won

6.8

Recoveries made

3.8

Shots taken

1.2

Stats via FotMob

He’s also made 2.8 tackles and won 6.8 duels per 90, with both of the aforementioned tallies ranking him within the top 25% of all other midfielders in England’s top-flight.

Such numbers highlight why he’s the perfect box-to-box option, with Frank needing to utilise him alongside Sarr if the club are to be victorious later on tonight.

It’s evident that the 5-4-1 system failed to catch the eye against Arsenal on Sunday, which should see the Dane match up with Enrique’s men in the Champions League this evening.

A trio of Palhinha, Sarr and Bergvall is the best option at the manager’s disposal, with such a partnership potentially allowing the side to get back to winning ways.

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'Lamine Yamal lit a fire' – Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois lifts lid on Clasico clash with Barcelona wonderkid

Thibaut Courtois admits that Lamine Yamal “lit a bit of a fire” under the latest Clasico clash between arch-rivals Real Madrid and Barcelona. Said contest took place at Santiago Bernabeu on October 26. Ugly scenes unfolded at the end of a 2-1 victory for the hosts, with teenage wonderkid Yamal attracting plenty of attention during the post-match skirmishes.

What Yamal said ahead of Clasico clash at the Bernabeu

Yamal had stirred the pot ahead of an age-old rivalry being rekindled. Clasico flames rarely require any added fuel, but they got it in the form of a surprising jibe from the hottest of prospects in Catalunya.

Speaking during a Twitch broadcast of the Kings League, Yamal made a tongue-in-cheek comment. Asked by Ibai Llanos whether his Porcinos FC side remind him of Real, the 18-year-old said: “Yes, of course, they steal, they complain…”

While those words were delivered in jest, they did not go down well in the Spanish capital. Yamal was made aware prior to kick-off that he should ready himself for some rough treatment. That was eventually delivered when the final whistle brought an end to a chaotic finish at the Bernabeu – with Pedri being shown a red card in the 100th minute.

Angry words were exchanged by players from both teams, with tempers boiling over. Real ‘Galacticos’ Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham became caught up in the scuffles. Courtois was, along with Dani Carvajal, among those to make a beeline for Yamal – as he was reminded of the need to do less talking away from the pitch.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWhy Real Madrid players targeted Yamal after Clasico

Discussing those scenes with and why they unfolded, experienced Belgian goalkeeper Courtois said: “Lamine Yamal spoke in a certain way and lit a bit of a fire under the match, and of course the press took advantage of the topic. I saw that he was talking with Carvajal, and of course if you start saying something, I’ll say something too. But as I said before, we’re in an atmosphere of high tension and adrenaline, and sometimes you say things that weren’t necessary afterward.

“I think the Clásico is like that; sometimes we need this kind of vibe. Last season we lost four times, and I think we need a bit of this excitement again. Barcelona is a rival and we have to go face them; when they won, they didn’t respect us either.”

Fierce foes: Courtois claims no feud with Yamal

While being sure to get his opinion across to Yamal, with the youngster considered to have stepped out of line, Courtois insists that no long-standing feud has been sparked. Both men are considered to have spoken and acted in the heat of the moment.

Courtois went on to say: “I don’t think there’s any problem with Lamine. This is something that happens on the field, and off the field there’s nothing. If I see Lamine in a restaurant tomorrow, I’ll greet him. I think there’s no problem between him and me, and these are football matters.

“But as I said, what he did was a kind of fuel. For us, it was useful to be motivated for the Clasico. The Clasico always motivates, but sometimes hearing things like that increases the motivation even more.”

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GettyBarcelona vs Real Madrid: When is the next Clasico?

Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong believes that Real stars were out of order in targeting Yamal. He said after an eventful contest: “When the referee blew for full-time, several Madrid players went straight for Lamine. It was over the top. If Carvajal wanted to talk to him, he could’ve done it privately. Making gestures on the pitch just fuels the fire. Lamine never said Madrid cheats, I never heard that.”

A return date between Barca and Real at Camp Nou – which will have reopened by then – is not scheduled to take place until May 2026. At the moment, the Blancos sit three points clear of the Blaugrana at the top of the Liga table through 12 rounds of fixtures – with both set to return to domestic action this weekend after the latest international break.

James, Tongue push Worcestershire to the brink as Notts scent crucial win

Visitors need 96 more runs on final day to potentially take control of title race

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay10-Sep-2025

Lyndon James and Haseeb Hameed celebrate a wicket•Getty Images

Nottinghamshire advanced to the threshold of a vital Rothesay County Championship victory over Worcestershire on a heavily rain-affected third day at Visit Worcestershire New Road.The visitors’ seam attack excelled for the second time in the match as the home side followed their first innings 182 all out with 160. Lyndon James took five for 35, passing 100 first-class wickets in the process, and Josh Tongue added four for 52 (seven for 111 in the match).That left Nottinghamshire needing just 136 for victory and they reached 40 for one among the showers before yet more rain lopped off the last 21 overs. On a seamer-friendly pitch, the small target is no formality, but Haseeb Hameed’s side should, weather permitting, close out the win on the final day.Nottinghamshire made the prompt start they wanted on the third day as the weather allowed play to begin on time, but they were kept waiting for a breakthrough. Gareth Roderick and Ethan Brookes extended their partnership for another 56 minutes.The sixth-wicket pair added 52 in 26 overs before the impressive James struck with successive balls. Brookes drove a wide delivery straight to cover where substitute fielder Joe Pocklington (on for Mohammad Abbas who had suffered a bask spasm) took a smart catch. Matthew Waite was pinned lbw.Tom Taylor survived the hat-trick ball, but seven overs later endured a candidate for most aggravating minute of the season. A short ball from Dillon Pennington rose only knee high to torpedo the batter lbw. Taylor then watched in angst as rain arrived immediately and everyone else followed him back to the pavilion.To Nottinghamshire’s delight, the rain cleared to allow play after an early lunch and they quickly polished off the innings. Tongue had Ben Allison caught at first slip and James completed his third first class five-for by hitting Khurram Shahzad’s off-stump. Roderick was left unbeaten on 37 from 116 balls. The Durban-born wicketkeeper-batter has had a terrific match with 98 runs for once out in a low-scoring contest and five catches with power to add.When Nottinghamshire launched their pursuit of their small but ticklish, Worcestershire made the perfect start. Taylor bowled Haseeb Hameed for the second time in the match to leave Nottinghamshire’s captain with a pair against the Pears.Rain soon returned and in the fragments of play which followed, Ben Slater and Freddie McCann, the latter playing with considerable panache in the gloom, avoided further mishap to advance their side to within touching distance of a potentially momentous victory.

Devine upstages Capsey as Scorchers seal victory

The NZ allrounder followed figures of 2 for 16 with 46 off 24 balls

AAP27-Nov-2025Alice Capsey’s four wickets – including three in an over – were not enough as Sophie Devine led Perth Scorchers to a WBBL win over Melbourne Renegades.Scorchers survived a dramatic collapse to beat Renegades by four wickets and deny the home side a share of top spot on the WBBL ladder.Chasing 150 on Thursday at Junction Oval, Scorchers were cruising at 116 for 2 in the 13th over.After taking two wickets, Sophie Devine had been promoted to open and her blazing innings had put Scorchers in what appeared to be an impregnable position.But first Georgia Wareham bowled Maddy Darke for 15 and two balls later, Alice Capsey had opener Beth Mooney stumped for 41. The English spinner stunningly snared another two wickets in the same over to leave the Scorchers in major strife at 118 for 6.But Freya Kemp (18 not out) and Lilly Mills (15 not out) stopped the rot, guiding Perth to 151 for 6 with eight balls left.Capsey snared 4 for 14 from her three excellent overs of offspin.Earlier, Devine had taken the key wicket of Renegades No.3 Sophie Molineux for only 5 before Renegades were all out on the last ball of their 20 overs.The New Zealand star then moved up the order and belted the Renegades attack around Junction Oval, hitting six fours and two sixes in her knock of 46 from just 24 balls that ultimately proved the difference.The Renegades would have joined Hobart Hurricanes at the top of the ladder with a win. Instead, they stayed third ahead of Saturday’s big local derby against the second-placed Melbourne Stars.Chloe Ainsworth claimed two wickets in the 13th over of the Renegades’ innings and they were struggling at 94 for 7.Nicola Faltum and Sarah Coyte then had a quickfire stand of 46 for the eighth wicket that meant the home side posted a competitive score.Coyte was run-out for 24 from 18 balls and Fulton top-scored with an unbeaten 41 off 28 deliveries, with six fours.Ainsworth returned a miserly 2 for 17 from her four overs and Amy Edgar also claimed two wickets.

Gambhir wants bounce and carry on Indian pitches

India head coach also says Shubman Gill “has done phenomenally well” as Test captain

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Oct-2025Head coach Gautam Gambhir has called for more bounce and carry from pitches in home Tests, after India spent 200 overs on the field across two West Indies innings on their way to a seven-wicket win in the second Test that ended on Tuesday.India have responded to last year’s 3-0 defeat to New Zealand by departing from the previous trend of square turners and moving towards pitches with greater balance between bat and ball. India made big first-innings totals in both Tests against West Indies, but while their bowlers got plenty of help from the Ahmedabad pitch for the first Test, they had to work extremely hard to take 20 wickets in Delhi, particularly after enforcing the follow-on.”I thought that we could have had a better wicket here,” Gambhir said in his post-match press conference. “Yes, we did get the result on day five, but again, I think nicks need to carry. I think there has to be something for the fast bowlers as well. I know we keep talking about spinners playing an important role, but when you have got probably two quality fast bowlers in your ranks, we still want them to be in the game as well.Related

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“And it is okay if there is not enough [turn], but there has to be carry. So where we all saw [that] carry wasn’t there, [it] was a bit alarming, and I think going forward, [I hope] we can get better wickets in Test cricket, because all of us have the responsibility of keeping Test cricket alive. I think the first and foremost thing to keep Test cricket alive is playing on good surfaces.”Gambhir felt West Indies’ fightback with the bat in Delhi augured well for their future, after they had come into the Test match on a prolonged run of low totals.”I have always believed that world cricket needs West Indian cricket,” Gambhir said. “That is something which is very important. It was very nice to see them fight. And obviously, they are an inexperienced team and there are a lot of changes that have happened there, but the way they fought in the second innings will give them a lot of confidence.”Shubman Gill won his first Test series as captain•BCCIWith this series wrapped up, India now go to Australia for a white-ball tour before returning home for a full series of Tests, ODIs and T20Is against South Africa. While some of India’s players face the challenge of constant switching between formats, some are currently only part of the red-ball set-up; Gambhir felt it was important for them to tune up for Test series by playing domestic cricket.”I thought that the best thing that happened in the [West Indies] series was the way the Test guys prepared before the series. Going to play the India A game against Australia [A], it was very, very important. And playing Ranji Trophy before the South Africa series is going to be equally important as well.”I thought that is something which this group of players have done exceptionally well. They are preparing themselves really well for the Test series, and that is where you could see the results as well. So, for me, I think sometimes it is difficult, but that is what professionalism is all about: try and use the days to the best of their ability, because we know that there are very quick turnarounds.”Especially, from here to one-day cricket, then T20 cricket and then, what, after four days, back to Test cricket. But again, the guys [who] were just part of Test cricket. I think for them to prepare and play domestic cricket is very, very important, rather than just going to NCA [the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, formerly the National Cricket Academy] and working on their skills. I think the more they play [domestic games] before the Test matches, it is very important for them.”The win over West Indies continued an impressive start to Test captaincy for Shubman Gill, who led India to a 2-2 draw in England in his first series in charge. Gill has now been appointed ODI captain as well.”No one has done him a favour by appointing him Test captain or now one-day captain,” Gambhir said. “I think he deserves every bit of it. He has worked hard and he ticks all the boxes. And for me as a coach, I think someone who is saying the right things, doing the right things, working hard, work ethics, commitment, putting his body on the line, being the first guy on the field, what more can a coach ask for?”And I know it is tough for him. It was tough and I have said it many times that England was probably the toughest Test cricket. Five Test matches over a course of two, two-and-a-half months, against a quality England side, intimidating batting line-up, inexperienced Indian team, what more could he have faced?”But then again, the way he has handled himself and more importantly, the way he has handled the team, and more importantly, the way the team has responded to him. I think sometimes we only keep talking about the captain, but the way the team has responded to him and to his leadership is equally important. You have got to give credit to the entire group in that dressing room.”Yes, you do earn respect by scoring runs, but you also earn respect by saying the right things and doing the right things. I think your actions should be more than any other thing, not just the performances. I think he has done phenomenally well and so has the team.”

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