A first day batting collapse cost Hampshire Young Cricketers the chance of a place in the ECB Under-17 County Championship final.With Kevin Latouf at the helm, Hampshire were cruising along nicely against Middlesex at 95-2 at the half-way point of the innings.Drizzle and low cloud cover however turned previously favourable batting conditions into a bowler’s paradise – Hampshire losing seven wickets for 76 runs in a torrid spell immediately before and after lunch.Concentrating hard and defying a painful neck injury, Latouf (78) eased Hampshire to 169-9 before Shanklin’s Dave Griffiths (39) added a precious 32 for the last wicket with Matt Hooper.Hampshire’s disappointing 201 appeared a daunting total when Chris Wright (two) and David Wheeler ripped out the top order to have Middlesex rocking at 31-3.But the impressive Stefan James, who earlier took 5-43 with a splendid spell of left-arm spin bowling, turned the match around.Although Andover spinner Matt Hooper took 3-41, James used perfect second day batting conditions to his advantage, hitting an undefeated 81 to earn Middlesex a four-wicket win.
Black clouds scudding over New Road put another dampener on Worcestershire’s slender hopes of escaping to victory over Second Division champions Northamptonshire.Needing a win to have any chance of promotion, the home side could ill afford a complete wash-out for the second day in succession following downpours overnight and again this morning.Already facing an uphill task at 50 for five in reply to Northants’ 260, they were close to accepting their promotion challenge is over when the umpires abandoned the third day after lunch.Coach Bill Athey said: “It’s looking less and less likely because we really needed a couple of batting bonus points as well as a win.”The bad weather also knocked Glenn McGrath’s prospects of becoming the leading wicket-taker in the County Championship.Tied on 68 with Shane Warne after the first innings here, he lost ground when his Australian team-mate struck twice in Yorkshire’s second innings at Southampton on Thursday.
England 172 for 8 (Buttler 33, Afridi 3-15) beat Pakistan 169 for 8 (Plunkett 3-33) by three runs Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsEngland withstood a late assault from Pakistan’s batsmen to secure the T20I series against Pakistan with a match to play.With 18 balls left of this match, it appeared England were certain of victory: Pakistan, with six wickets down, required 47 to win and the new batsman had only reached double-figures once in his last seven T20I innings.But that batsman was Shahid Afridi. And though the powers may be waning, he remains a dangerous player. Inspired by a full house audience, he thrashed Chris Woakes for three sixes – one of them off a no-ball – in five deliveries to revive his side’s hopes.While he then fell, slicing a drive to third man where he was well held by a nerveless Liam Plunkett, Sarfraz Ahmed took up the challenge. With 25 required from the final two overs, he swept David Willey for four before, in attempting to complete a quick two from the next delivery, he saw the fielder’s throw defeclt off his bat and scurry away for four overthrows. It left 11 required from the final over.Woakes held his nerve, though. Sarfraz, attempting to sweep a yorker pitched well outside off side, dragged the ball on to his stumps and while Sohail Tanvir clipped his first ball for four, he was unable to maintain the strike. With four required for victory from the final ball – and three for a super over – Anwar Ali heaved at a length ball outside off stump and failed to make contact. England had, for the second time in as many days, won in Dubai.Despite the result, this was a much-improved performance from Pakistan. Boosted by the return of Ahmed Shehzad, who missed the first game due to illness, and Shoaib Malik, who missed it with a finger injury, they set their highest ever T20I Powerplay score – 54 for 1 – in the UAE.They were led from the front by Afridi. Introducing himself into attack during the Powerplay, he claimed the wicket of Alex Hales, surprised by Afridi’s pace, first ball and later brought himself back to deal with the dangerous James Vince. He finished with 3 for 15 from four overs of rapid spin bowling.Perhaps they were unlucky, too. Certainly Umar Akmal, well caught down the leg side by Jos Buttler, looked unfortunate to be given out as replays suggested the ball made contact only with his leg.But there were still those familiar errors in the field. Tanvir dropped two catches – one of which he parried for six – and there were too many times that England were able to steal a single or turn a one into a two. The addition of six wides to the England total also proved crucial.The first of Tanvir’s drops was off Vince. For the second match in succession, he looked a player with the skill and composure to enjoy a good future at this level and here he punished the error by going on to contribute the highest score of the match. To rub salt in the wound, he hit the next three deliveries he received after the drop for six, four and four.There were several other important contributors in the England order. Jason Roy skipped down the wicket to thrash two sixes over the top in the opening overs, while Buttler hit three – a vast pull, a huge drive and a top-edged hook – in his cameo.This was a fine game for Buttler. Captaining for the first time in international cricket – England made four changes to the side that won the first game as they sought to take a look at more players ahead of World T20 selection – he ensured his side just about held their nerve towards the end and completed two neat stumpings and claimed one fine catch.England will be delighted, too, that despite rotating their squad – Eoin Morgan, Moeen Ali, Chris Jordan and Reece Topley were all omitted from this side – they showed they had the skill and composure to beat a Pakistan side that, before this series, were unbeaten in six T20I games. Joe Root, Willey and Woakes all came back into the side alongside Buttler.It was another good game for Plunkett, too. He took three wickets, an important catch and again bowled with impressive pace to suggest he will be hard to overlook for the World T20 squad.It was noticeable that, each time Buttler required a wicket, it was Plunkett to who he turned. He responded by having Mohammad Hafeez caught off a leading edge, before Shoaib Malik misjudged a well-disguised slower ball and pulled to deep midwicket.When Pakistan’s openers made a bright start, it seemed England were 10 or so short. But the introduction of spin slowed Pakistan’s progress – they managed only 11 for two wickets in the first four overs when Adil Rashid and Stephen Parry combined – and with Rashid bamboozling Sohaib Maqsood with a googly and conceding just 18 in his fours overs, Pakistan had left themselves too much to do by the time Afridi strode out to the middle.
William Kamanyi, the former Uganda coach, has replaced Tom Tikolo as the new East African Development Officer, a role in which he will oversee cricket in Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and his home country Uganda.”I received my ticket to South Africa yesterday but I cannot start the celebrations yet because I have not been given any official written documents,” Kamanyi the . “But I will reinstate all the regional tournaments soonest if this news is true.”Kamanyi’s credentials for the job, which was advertised last year by the Africa Cricket Association (ACA), are impressive: a former cricketer, he also represented Uganda in the long-jump during the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. He has also been in sports administration for a number of years.
Mahela Jayawardene played an innings of immense class, skill and fortitude as Sri Lanka made huge strides towards chasing down an imposing fourth-innings target and sewing up the series 2-0. Set a target of 352 after Muttiah Muralitharan’s 7 for 97 helped restrict South Africa to 311, Sri Lanka rode on Mahela’s unbeaten 77 and Sanath Jayasuriya’s 73 to finish the fourth day on 262 for 5, needing only 90 more for victory.Over the first three days, fortunes ebbed and flowed for both teams, and that trend continued on the fourth. Muralitharan equalled his own record of ten or more wickets in four consecutive matches and grabbed his 56th five-for, but Mark Boucher neutralised the Murali effect somewhat, striking an enterprising 65 to ensure that South Africa’s lead topped 350. Sri Lanka then got off to a scorching start after losing an early wicket, but just when they seemed to be running away with it, Nicky Boje struck three crucial blows in the middle, only for Mahela to thwart South Africa with a resolute 61-run stand for the sixth wicket with the other Jayawardene, Prasanna.South Africa didn’t have everything going their way, but they stuck to their task through the day: Makhaya Ntini’s effectiveness was drastically reduced by a hamstring injury, while Hashim Amla spilled a regulation chance off Jayasuriya, who returned to form after a lean spell just like Herschelle Gibbs, the South African opener, had in their second innings. The most crucial lapse, though, was from Gibbs himself – when Mahela was on 2, he cut Andrew Hall hard but straight to gully, where Gibbs failed to latch on. Both the dropped catches happened in a particularly enthralling 15-minute passage of play, during which period the South Africans had appealed for handled the ball against Jayasuriya as well.That neither team could take charge was also because of the pitch, which the ICC could probably preserve as the ideal pitch for Test cricket. The bounce remained largely consistent, ensuring that the batsmen could go through with their strokes, but there was plenty of turn and bounce for Boje, while Dale Steyn – who bowled one particularly fiery spell in the last session, consistently topping 140kmph – and Hall got the ball to zip through to the keeper with good pace and carry.The one batsman who held it all together for Sri Lanka and stood between them and defeat was Mahela. Over the last few months he has been in a rich vein of form, and that continued here, with an exhibition of outstanding calm and serenity in the face of extreme pressure. He did play his trademark elegant shots – the standout ones being the inside-out lofted extra-cover drives off Boje, which twice went for sixes – but more than that, his composure and defensive technique were impeccable. His partnership with Prasanna – who showed excellent technique and temperament for the second time in the match – he added crucial runs for the sixth wicket which kept South Africa at bay just when they seemed set to snatch the initiative.The other big contribution to the Sri Lankan run-chase came from Jayasuriya. His last ten Tests had fetched him just 237 runs at an average of 15.80, but here he was intent on taking the fight to the South Africans. After a relatively quiet start in which he allowed Kumar Sangakkara to dominate, Jayasuriya took over, smashing Steyn for two fours through the off side before taking apart a listless Shaun Pollock. The lack of pace in Pollock’s deliveries allowed Jayasuriya to do what he liked – he first pulled and drove to the fence, and then rubbed it in by sashaying down the pitch and depositing the ball over long-on for six. Though Pollock got some measure of revenge when he nailed Sangakkara, he continued to be a pale shadow of his usual self, and was eventually reduced to bowling offspin from a few paces.A fourth-innings target of more than 350 has never been successfully chased in Sri Lanka – the highest is the 326 that Sri Lanka chased against Zimbabwe in 1997-98 – but clearly no-one mentioned that to Mahela. As long as he remains at the crease, Sri Lanka will fancy their chances on the final day.
South AfricaNicky Boje c P Jayawardene b Muralitharan 15 (280 for 8) Dale Steyn lbw b Muralitharan 0 (282 for 9) Mark Boucher c Dilshan b Muralitharan 65 (311 all out) Sri LankaUpul Tharanga c Gibbs b Ntini 0 (12 for 1) Kumar Sangakkara c Amla b Pollock 39 (94 for 2) Sanath Jayasuriya c Amla b Boje 73 (121 for 3) Tillakaratne Dilshan c Gibbs 18 (164 for 4) Chamara Kapugedera c de Villiers b Boje 13 (201 for 5)
Chaminda Vaas has warned that county cricket is bad for fast bowlers. Vaas, who is an injury doubt for the one-day game against India on Saturday after straining a hamstring during the second Test against West Indies, has been a regular for Worcestershire this season, when international commitments have allowed.”For a batsmen it’s okay playing county cricket,” he told The Daily News in Sri Lanka. “You learn a lot of things and get a lot of opportunities. But for a fast bowler it is not easy. Two or three months is okay, but more than that I wouldn’t recommend.”Vaas is Sri Lanka’s second-highest wicket-taker in international cricket behind Muttiah Muralitharan, with 613 wickets in an 11-year career, but he has been feeling the strain in his season on the county treadmill. “”Out of seven days, we play five days of county cricket. I couldn’t train at all. That’s the reason I picked up the injury.””I am not sure whether I will play county cricket the next year or again as it is my concern for Sri Lanka cricket,” he added. “I want to play more for Sri Lanka. I would love to play for my country as long as I can so I will stick to what I can do.”
Dave Orchard is among six umpires named by Cricket Australia in their national panel for the 2004-05 season. The 55-year-old Orchard represented South Africa in the ICC’s elite panel and has officiated in 44 Tests – including two matches in the recently concluded series between Sri Lanka and Australia – and 107 one-day internationals. However, he has been an Australian resident for the past seven years and is expected to be granted Australian citizenship soon. His contract with the ICC ended earlier this year.The appointment makes Orchard eligible to officiate in Pura Cup, ING Cup, and national second XI competitions, and also in some international fixtures like Australia A games and tour matches.A left-handed batsman and a right-arm medium-fast bowler, Orchard scored 1634 runs and took 47 wickets in a first-class career which lasted 11 years, before he took to umpiring. Over the years, he gained a reputation for being among the less conservative umpires, often giving batsmen out lbw when they stretched forward to spinners without offering a stroke.Orchard’s exit means that Rudi Koertzen is the only South African currently in the elite panel. Meanwhile, Australia have three of them – Darrell Hair, Daryl Harper and Simon Taufel – while three more, Steve Davis, Peter Parker and Bob Parry, are in the international panel. The international panel umpires are allowed to officiate in one-day internationals, and can also, if required, provide back-up to the elite panel by officiating in Tests during the peak season.
Pakistan has only to blame itself for being in a between-the-devil-and-the-deep-blue-sea situation in this World Cup. As Waqar Younis’ men go into the crucial match against India, all they have to show are a string of poor performances. What’s more, the momentum is with India; Sourav Ganguly’s men have somehow regained their lost confidence and are peaking at just the right time.Pakistan, then, will have to play at a level they have not reached before in this World Cup to upset their great rivals at Centurion, as a loss will almost certainly end their dreams of winning the cherished Cup.Having said that, there is another vexing question that comes to mind – how can the Pakistan skipper trust a batting line-up that keeps crashing like a pack of cards? It was not just a disappointing batting performance against England at Cape Town; it was disgusting to see the experienced batsmen disappear after making brief appearances in the middle.Time is, then, running out for the Pakistan batsmen and possibly even for their cricket management. If they don’t get their act together by the time they take on India, they are bound to draw a lot of flak.Even against the Netherlands, the batting was least impressive despite the superb efforts of the Pakistan bowlers. However, it is not that they are incapable. Inzamam-ul-Haq, for instance, is one player who can actually counter anything that Sachin Tendulkar come up with. Inzamam has a lot more talent in him than he realises, though, sadly, his recent poor form has meant that even teams like Namibia and Holland did not have a problem in removing him.None of the other batsman too seem to be at the top of their game. Saleem Elahi played good hands against Australia and Namibia, and I think he should bat high in the order. There were also glimpses of the Yousuf Youhana we all know about in the game against the Netherlands. Rashid Latif has been chipping in with some runs. But all said, it is worrying that the man whose primary reputation is that of being the fastest bowler in the world, Shoaib Akthar, heads the averages purley due to his never-say-die temperament!Indeed, the Pakistan batting so far has been a disgrace. With India’s seam bowlers attacking with a renewed enthusiasm after what Nehra and Co did to England, there is a serious danger of our batting falling woefully short of requirements.There might be people who will try to explain it all away with the argument that it is all down to the fact that Pakistan cricket is riddled with politics. But I have been watching the body language of the boys over the last few games; they are indeed playing as a team. The communication within the side on the field looks spot on, and Pakistan should not be worrying about these peripheral issues. What they should rather be worrying about is getting their batsmen refocused on the job.India’s strength is their batting, and if they win the toss, in all probability they will decide to bat first. Pakistan’s strength, in contrast, is their bowling and I expect Wasim, Shoaib and Waqar to be at their very best against India. If we can break the dangerous opening partnership of Tendulkar and Sehwag, then things get a bit easier. Wasim and Shoaib can give Sourav Ganguly a real work out, given the Indian skipper’s distinct dislike for a short-pitched delivery. What they must ensure is that they have a clear plan for every Indian batsman, which they can put into practice.There was a time in the past, when every time Pakistan took on India, we held the whiphand. Things have changed now and we are the underdogs going into Saturday’s match. But we need to remind ourselved that this is a game that we just cannot afford to lose. If every player in the Pakistan XI digs deep inside and finds the inspiration and motivation required to beat India, then Pakistan stands a chance. It takes outstanding courage and determination to win a game against India, when the odds are stacked against you. One brilliant individual performance is all Pakistan needs to get fired up and get through.
The Deodhar Trophy matches will be played in the North Zone fromFebruary 20 to 27. Four of the games will he hosted by the PunjabCricket Association and two each by the Haryana Cricket Association,Delhi and District Cricket Association and Himachal Pradesh CricketAssociation.According to the fixtures, North Zone will take on West Zone onFebruary 20 at Amritsar in their first encounter while they will meetEast Zone on Febuary 22 at Ludhiana. They will then play Central Zoneon February 24 at Una and finally South Zone on February 27 at NewDelhi.Central Zone will meet East Zone on February 20 at Jalandhar in itsfirst match. West Zone will play its three other league matchesagainst South Zone on February 22 at Jalandhar, against East Zone onFebruary 26 at New Delhi and against Central Zone on February 27 atFaridabad.South Zone will take on East Zone on February 24 at Mandi and willmeet Central Zone on February 26 at Faridabad in its other two leagueencounters.The following are the fixtures:February 20: North vs West (Amritsar), Central vs East (Jalandhar),February 22: West vs South (Jalandhar), North vs East (Ludhiana),February 24: South vs East (Mandi), North vs Central (Una),February 26: West vs East (New Delhi), South vs Central (Faridabad),February 27: West vs Central (Faridabad), North vs South (NewDelhi).
It’s very rare in the modern professional game that footballers can spend a decade at the same club, but Heung-min Son managed just that for Tottenham Hotspur.
The South Korean joined the Lilywhites from Bayer Leverkusen back in the summer of 2015 as an unknown quantity to many supporters, but it’s safe to say he’s now one of the Premier League’s best-ever attackers.
The winger racked up over 450 appearances between 2015 and 2025 in North London, scoring 173 times, which ranks him fourth in the club’s all-time goalscoring charts.
However, Son would leave the side this summer in a £20m deal, subsequently joining MLS outfit LAFC, leaving new boss Thomas Frank with the mammoth task of replacing the fan-favourite.
He’s utilised numerous players in unfamiliar roles to try and soften the blow of his departure, but it could lead to a return to the transfer market to finally fill the void.
Spurs considering more for top-level left-wing talent
Over recent weeks, rumours have been circling over a potential deal for Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo after his incredible tally of eight goals and three assists this season.
However, the Ghanaian international is currently massively in demand, with Manchester City and Manchester United keen on triggering his £65m release clause.
Frank’s men were one of the sides also in the race to land the 25-year-old talent, but have since pulled out of the race, due to concerns over his lack of interest in a move to North London.
As a result, other targets have had to be considered in recent weeks, which has led to rumours over a deal to land Ajax star Mika Godts ahead of the January window.
According to TEAMtalk, the Lilywhites are very interested in signing him and have now been spotted scouting the Belgian over recent weeks. He’s one of Europe’s hottest prospects, registering seven goals and six assists in his 15 Eredivisie appearances.
The report also states his current employers want to keep hold of the 20-year-old, but they could be powerless if an acceptable offer presents itself in the coming months.
Why Godts would be a bigger talent than Semenyo for Spurs
Given the record produced by Semenyo in the Premier League this season, there’s little doubt that many Spurs fans will have wanted to secure a deal for his signature.
However, given his rejection over a move to North London, it’s crucial that the hierarchy act quickly on other targets to avoid suffering the same fate in the months ahead.
As previously mentioned, the left-wing position has been a huge issue in 2025/26, with Frank and the club desperately needing a solution in the upcoming window.
Whilst he features on the opposite side of the pitch, winger Brennan Johnson also looks set to depart the Lilywhites, which would no doubt further fuel the need for added reinforcements.
As a result, a deal for Godts this window could make perfect sense, with the 20-year-old being the ideal option for the immediate and long-term future in North London.
Whilst it’s unclear how much he would cost Frank’s men this window, he’s showcased his talents already this campaign, with his numbers highlighting the quality he possesses.
He’s even managed to outperform Semenyo in numerous key areas throughout 2025/26, which no doubt makes him a bigger talent for the years ahead.
Godts, who’s been described as a “huge talent” and as “one of the most interesting creative wingers in Europe” by scout Jacek Kulig, has registered more combined goals and assists to date, whilst also posting a better goal per shot on target rate.
Such numbers undoubtedly make him a bigger threat in front of goal than the Cherries star, something which the Lilywhites have desperately lacked – with only one player scoring more than five league goals this season.
How Godts & Semenyo compare in 2025/26
Statistics (per 90)
Godts
Semenyo
Games played
15
16
Goals & assists
13
11
Pass accuracy
75%
70%
Progressive passes
5.6
3.5
Key passes
2.6
1.4
Progressive carries
4.7
3.6
Take-on success
47%
37%
Carries into final third
2.4
1.6
Crosses completed
2.6
1.3
Stats via FBref
The Belgian has also completed more progressive passes per 90, with more of his efforts being labelled as key passes – which could hand those around him the perfect chance to bolster their own tallies.
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Godts best asset is undoubtedly his dribbling, which is demonstrated in his domination over Semenyo, subsequently registering more carries into the final third, whilst achieving a better take-on success rate.
He’s also added an end product to his game, as seen with his higher tally of crosses completed, which has no doubt allowed him to reach his incredible assist tally in 2025/26.
Whilst it’s unclear how much a deal for Godts would cost the Lilywhites board this winter, it’s clear that they would be landing an incredible talent in their quest for success.
Missing out on Semenyo will no doubt be a bitter blow, but it could prove to be a blessing in disguise if they are able to complete a deal for the Belgian in the coming weeks.
At just 20, he truly does have the world at his feet, with a move to the Premier League the perfect step to allow him to progress and develop into a world-class talent.
He's like Semenyo: Spurs looking at "one of the best wingers in the world"
Tottenham Hotspur look set to make a move for one incredible winger ahead of the January window.