The home side were bundled out for 128 at the SCG to put Victoria course to make it four wins from four

Andrew McGlashan11-Nov-2025

Steven Smith played a lone hand for New South Wales as the home side endured a forgettable day against Victoria at the SCG.Smith batted on a different level to his team-mates as NSW were bundled out for 128 with Sam Elliott, who represented Australia A during the winter, taking a career-best 5 for 26 in his first Sheffield Shield game of the season after Scott Boland had removed Sam Konstas for the sixth time.”It’s a bit surreal, to be honest,” Elliott said of bowling to Smith for the first time in first-class cricket. “The cricket nuffy in me sort of pinched myself a little bit…you watch him play for Australia growing up and see all those innings that he plays. I mean, today, his bat looked like it was five times wider than everyone else.”Related

England and Australia Ashes squads compared: who comes out on top?

Starc fires up after search for rhythm but Handscomb hits 'special' hundred

NSW’s collapse meant that Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood had only 50 overs of rest with Victoria opting to build on their 254-run lead rather than enforce the follow-on. After his opening-day century Peter Handscomb had noted there were signs of cracks that could open and there were occasional indications of some variable bounce during Tuesday’s play.Victoria had extended their first innings to 382, where Nathan Lyon finished with 4 for 82, and the NSW openers made it through to lunch unscathed but it all went badly wrong from there as all ten wickets fell for 102 and the last seven for 57.Offspinner Todd Murphy started the slide when he had Ryan Hicks, who was subbed into the game yesterday in place of the injured Will Salzmann, taken at slip from a leading edge.Konstas, meanwhile, had battled through 58 balls for 12 runs when Boland produced a beauty which nipped back between bat and pad. It was a familiar manner of dismissal for Konstas but an excellent ball that would have removed plenty of batters.Murphy claimed his second when he found the edge of Kurtis Patterson. The left-hander had advanced down the pitch but was beaten in the air. Ollie Davies looked far from pleased with his lbw decision when an inswinger from Fergus O’Neill took him on the back leg.Steven Smith drives through the off side•Getty Images

All the while Smith, who was warmly applauded to the crease, batted serenely having opened his account with a strong clip off the legs. He started his season with 118 against Queensland and again looked in excellent touch.”Smithy is Smithy, isn’t he?” Lyon said. “He trusted his defence and allowed himself time to get in the game. He would have faced close to 100 balls. In my eyes, if you allow yourself to get in and face as many balls as you can, that’s when you give yourself the opportunity to score runs. That’s what Pete [Handscomb] and Smithy have done.”Smith and Josh Philippe tried to stabilise the innings but shortly before tea Elliott started to have his impact when Philippe and then Jack Edwards were taken in the slips. The end came swiftly after the break. Sean Abbott spooned to point, giving the pitch a stare as he made his way off, and Starc was taken in the gully off Boland.Next ball, Smith decided it was time to cut loose but could only spoon to mid-on and Elliott completed his five-wicket haul when he bowled Hazlewood.Faced with a huge deficit, Starc removed Harry Dixon for the second time in the game, and appeared to offer a few words to the batter, then Campbell Kellaway was brilliantly caught by Josh Philippe, diving low to his left but Victoria were handsomely placed to make it four wins from four.

He wanted to continue batting but was taken off the field by India A coach and the physio

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Nov-2025Rishabh Pant gave India a brief injury scare ahead of next week’s first Test against South Africa in Kolkata by having to retire hurt while batting for India A against South Africa A at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.During the first session of the third day, Pant was struck three times – on his body and helmet – by fast bowler Tshepo Moreki, forcing him to retire hurt on 17 off 22 balls in the 34th over of India A’s second innings.However, he allayed fears of serious injury by returning to bat in the final session, after Harsh Dubey put on 184 for the sixth wicket with Dhruv Jurel, who made an unbeaten 127. Pant took on the spinners, racing to a half-century before declaring India A’s innings on 382 for 7. He was dismissed for 65 when he top-edged a slog sweep off left-arm spinner Kyle Simmonds to the wicketkeeper.Pant had walked out to bat at No. 5 in the third over of the day after overnight batter KL Rahul was bowled for 27 – he added just one to his overnight score – by an inducker from Okuhle Cele. Pant didn’t take long to get going, his first three scoring shots were 4, 4 and 6 – all off Cele – but a series of short deliveries left him wincing in pain.Related

Dhruv Jurel makes case for India Test spot with twin hundreds against South Africa A

Kamboj, Suthar take India A home after Pant 90

Rishabh Pant returns to India's Test squad

While Pant was keen to continue batting, he had to be taken off by India A coach Hrishikesh Kanitkar and the physios as a precautionary measure. He was grimacing in pain every time the ball thudded into his bat, and his range of motion was limited due to some taping on his elbow after being hit there.The first blow Pant suffered was to the helmet when he attempted a reverse pick-up shot off Moreki, who had bowled a short ball from around the stumps. Pant was off balance at the point of impact and immediately fell to the ground, forcing the physios to conduct a mandatory concussion test. Once cleared, he pulled out from his stance to take his helmet off and gather himself before taking strike.The second blow had Pant groaning as the ball thudded into his right elbow as he shaped to play a short-arm jab. This time, the physio administered some pain-relief spray and taped the elbow. The third blow to the abdomen from a delivery that cut back in off the seam eventually forced the management to take Pant off the field.Having proved form and fitness with a 90 in the second innings of the first four-day fixture that India A won last week, Pant has had a more challenging time in the second game. In the first innings, he was rapped on the glove by a short ball from Moreki and caught at slip for 24.At the toss of the second game, Pant had kept an exact count of the number of days he’d been away for – 98 – while recovering from a fractured toe after being hit by Chris Woakes during the fourth India-England Test in Manchester in July.He spent two months in rehab at the Centre of Excellence following surgery, and resumed training in early September before playing for India A to get some match time ahead of the South Africa Tests. In his absence, Dhruv Jurel kept wickets during the two home Tests against West Indies as well as the fifth Test at The Oval, which India won to level the five-Test series at 2-2.India play two Tests against South Africa from November 14 in Kolkata, and then from November 22 in Guwahati, a city that will be hosting Test cricket for the first time. India are currently third in the World Test Championship table with 61.90% points; South Africa, meanwhile, are fifth with 50% points.

Big picture – Can India end rotten luck with the toss?

The last time India lost both the Test and ODI series as part of the same bilateral tour was in South Africa in 2021-22. At home, though, India haven’t lost both the series of a tour since Pakistan beat them 1-0 in Tests and 5-1 in ODIs in 1986-87.South Africa go into Vishakapatnam with a chance of achieving that rare double. It is evident by now that it could well come down to the toss. The dew anyway plays a big part in ODIs in India, which is now getting accentuated by use of only one ball from overs 34 to 50. The side bowling in the afternoon gets the advantage of using an older, softer ball, which gets nullified in the dew in the night. South Africa won the last ODI despite being 35 behind India at the 34-over mark, which is when the fielding side gets to choose one of the two balls to bowl the rest of the innings with.Given such a premium on the toss, India will be desperate that they finally win one after 20 straight losses. The last time India won a toss in ODIs was in the semi-final of the last World Cup, and we are already talking about combinations for the next World Cup.The teams will have no option but to maximise the new ball in the afternoon and go for an above-par total for the conditions they are batting in. And then maximise the new ball in the evening before it stops moving. India managed to do both of those things in Ranchi, but only one in Raipur. It will be interesting to see if South Africa have capability to do both, but for that India will have to win the toss.

Form guide

India: LWWLL
South Africa: WLLWLMarco Jansen is staking claims to becoming a genuine allrounder•Associated Press

In the spotlight: Virat Kohli and Marco Jansen

Virat Kohli has gone back to back with centuries 11 times in his career. He has converted one of those into a hat-trick. Three centuries in one week. One of them came at his favourite venue, Vishakapatnam, where he comes back with four ODI hundreds and one Test ton to his name. He averages 97.83 there in ODIs at better than a run a ball. He has also scored 299 Test runs there for three dismissals. The form that he seems to have hit, you won’t want to bet against another hat-trick of ODI hundreds.Marco Jansen, who is staking claims to becoming a genuine allrounder, will still want to do more in his core discipline of bowling than four wickets at an average of 34.75 and an economy rate of 6.95. If Nandre Burger doesn’t recover in time, he could get the new ball and look to play a role in controlling Kohli and Rohit Sharma.Related

• Shadowing the king: When Gaikwad matched Kohli shot for shot

• When South Africa and India went off the scale

• Gaikwad: 'I was pretty much confident' of batting at No. 4

Team news: Eyes on Burger, de Zorzi

India will have no reason to make any changes in the XI that has won one and narrowly lost the second despite losing both tosses. Especially after Ruturaj Gaikwad scored a hundred that almost matched Kohli shot for shot. Prasidh Krishna is going at 8.48 an over, but India don’t have a replacement bowler in the squad. And they won’t replace a specialist bowler with an allrounder.India (probable): 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 Rohit Sharma, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Ruturaj Gaikwad, 5 KL Rahul (capt. & wk), 6 Washington Sundar, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Harshit Rana, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Arshdeep Singh, 11 Prasidh KrishnaSouth Africa had two players go down with hamstring injuries in the second ODI. Neither of them played any further role in the match. Hamstrings don’t heal this quickly so expect Burger and Tony de Zorzi to be replaced by Ottneil Baartman and Ryan Rickelton.South Africa (probable): 1 Aiden Markram, 2 Quinton de Kock (wk), 3 Temba Bavuma (capt.), 4 Matthew Breetzke, 5 Ryan Rickelton, 6 Dewald Brevis, 7 Marco Jansen, 8 Corbin Bosch, 9 Keshav Maharaj, 10 Lungi Ngidi, 11 Ottneil Baartman

Pitch and conditions

The last two ODIs represent the extreme of the conditions in Vishakapatnam. India went from scoring 387 against West Indies in December 2019 to being bowled out for 117 against Australia in March 2023. With no weather challenges in the pitch preparation, expect more of the former. The temperature should be warmer than Ranchi and Raipur, but still pleasant for cricket.

Stats and trivia

• Kumar Sangakkara holds the record for more centuries in consecutive ODI innings: four. A host of others, including Kohli, have managed three in a row.
• The last team to beat India in India despite losing the toss was South Africa in October 2022.

Jamie Carragher has blasted Liverpool’s "disconnected" online fans that are struggling to see the bigger picture when it comes to Mohamed Salah’s explosive outburst against the club. In the opinion of an Anfield legend, "those who dedicate their life to supporting the team" will always side with a title-winning manager during any dispute with a disgruntled player – regardless of the status that said performer enjoys.

• Dropped after explosive rant: Salah's state of play at Anfield

  Salah is a modern day legend on Merseyside, with the Egyptian superstar registering 250 goals for the Reds. Over the course of eight memorable years, he has captured two top-flight crowns, savoured a Champions League triumph, won four Golden Boots and three PFA Player of the Year awards.

  The talismanic 33-year-old has, however, accused his current employers of throwing him under the bus in a disappointing title defence. He has also admitted to seeing his working relationship with head coach Arne Slot break down.

  Slot took to dropping Salah from his squad for a Champions League clash with Inter, with many supporting that stance as the Dutch tactician sought to ensure that his authority at Anfield is not undermined. Fans at San Siro backed their manager with chants from the terraces.

Advertisement

• Getty/GOAL
  

  Salah vs Slot: Who do Liverpool supporters favour?

  Carragher saw that as no surprise, with the former Liverpool defender saying in his column for : "In a choice between a title-winning Anfield manager and a multi-title-winning footballer, the coach wins every time. The relationship between a successful Liverpool boss and the Kop is, through my eyes at least, unique. The fans have a banner that displays the faces of all the most revered managers in the club’s history. Slot’s face was added this year. What other fanbase would back a manager who has only been at the club 18 months over a superstar who has delivered every honour in the game for eight years?"

• Taking sides: Carragher sees true fans backing Slot

  Not everybody is on Slot’s side in his row with Salah – who has reacted angrily to being benched of late – but Carragher believes that true fans know where their allegiance lies. He added: "There will be those reading this column, or more specifically commenting on it online, who will vehemently argue against my submission that the die-hard supporters are overwhelmingly behind Slot on this issue. Like many clubs’ fanbases, Liverpool’s is divided between those who dedicate their life to supporting the team – the familiar faces you see and hear even as players at home and away – and those who spend their time on social media and are disconnected from the mood in and around the city and the stadium itself.

  "After I spoke on the Salah situation on Monday Night Football, I was alerted to those who disagreed with my take. I couldn’t care less, because I intuitively know I am on the same page as those supporters who were at San Siro on Tuesday night. I am in touch with enough of them to be able to measure if my mood reflects theirs. The day I no longer believe that to be true is the day I stop commenting on Liverpool.

  "There is a newer generation of supporters who follow players more than a club. If Salah had left two years ago or last summer, they would have taken their allegiance with him. I would go so far as to say that there are some who would have happily seen Liverpool lose to increase the prospects of Salah staying and Slot leaving.

  "This issue was never going to be just about Slot versus Salah, or even Salah versus Liverpool’s executives. To those who understand Liverpool, it is about their perception of what the club stands for and how those representing it should behave. They see the manager as the embodiment of their values. Once that connection is established – and Slot secured his in his first year – the bond is reinforced when someone threatens it. For all the poor recent performances, questionable tactics and contentious substitutions, for those supporters who are the true lifeblood of the club, Slot always had an ace up his sleeve; he is a Premier League-winning manager."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

• Getty
  

  Salah future: Liverpool stay or Saudi Pro League transfer?

  The big question now is: Does Salah have a future at Liverpool? On that subject, Carragher said: "There might be no way back for Salah now he is heading to the Africa Cup of Nations, but I genuinely hope there is. Even though I have been furious about what he said last weekend, it would be an absolute travesty if that interview is remembered as his last meaningful act for Liverpool. He has done too much for the club for that to be so. He owes it to himself to make sure he is afforded a farewell fit for a legend – whenever that might be. If that means he has to apologise, so be it.

  "As things stand, it would be no surprise if Liverpool sold Salah to fund another spree in January because the lack of resources on the substitutes bench in midweek was extraordinary given how much was spent last summer. That was a key takeaway from another dramatic Anfield week. Slot’s squad is weaker than it should be."

  Salah, who signed a two-year contract extension in April, is already being linked with teams in the Saudi Pro League. Slot has confirmed that internal talks will be held ahead of a Premier League clash with Brighton at Anfield on Saturday – a contest which may become a farewell event for one of the Reds’ brightest stars.

Burnley midfielder Hannibal Mejbri has been hit with a four-game suspension and a £15,000 fine after the FA found him guilty of spitting at or towards Leeds United supporters during October’s six-pointer Premier League clash. The Tunisia international admitted the charge, with an independent commission issuing the ban as Burnley continue fighting to escape the drop zone.

Burnley's Mejbri handed four-game suspension

Mejbri has been suspended for four matches following an FA misconduct charge relating to a spitting incident during Burnley’s 2-0 win over Leeds United on October 18.

Burnley have now lost Mejbri at a critical stage of the season, with the club sitting 19th in the Premier League after a run of five straight defeats. The 22-year-old will miss league fixtures against Newcastle, Fulham, Bournemouth and Everton, ruling him out until the end of December. Mejbri has made over 50 appearances for Burnley since arriving from Manchester United in 2024, but this latest setback adds pressure to a club already battling for survival.

The midfielder’s ban also comes during a period in which Burnley desperately need stability, having struggled to replicate last season’s Championship-winning form. With just three wins from their first 14 matches, they are locked in a relegation fight where discipline and consistency are more valuable than ever. Mejbri’s absence will force manager Vincent Kompany to reshape his midfield amid growing scrutiny over results.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportFA reveal Mejbri admitted to the allegations

An FA regulatory commission outlined the misconduct charge in a formal statement, explaining: “An independent Regulatory Commission has sanctioned Burnley's Hannibal Mejbri for misconduct during their Premier League game against Leeds United on Saturday, 18 October. It was alleged that the player acted in breach of the laws of the game and/or in an improper manner and/or used abusive and/or indecent behaviour by spitting at or in the direction of Leeds United supporters around the 67th minute.” The statement confirmed that Mejbri had admitted the allegation and accepted responsibility for the incident. It added that “the Regulatory Commission imposed a four-match suspension and £15,000 fine following a hearing,” and that written reasons for the decision will be published in due course.

The FA communication reiterated that the independent panel had reviewed the full evidence before determining the sanction applied. The FA emphasised that incidents involving spitting at or towards spectators fall under serious misconduct within the governing body’s disciplinary framework. 

Leeds fans' reported the incident to Lancashire Police initially

The episode comes at a difficult moment for Mejbri, who joined Burnley from Manchester United in a deal worth up to £9.4 million and had quickly become a feature of the club’s midfield. Before this suspension, he had made 53 appearances in all competitions for the Clarets and established himself as a hard-working, combative presence in central areas. His disciplinary record had not been a major concern previously, making this misconduct charge a notable departure from his otherwise steady development.

The investigation into the incident began after a Leeds supporter in the away section reported the matter to Lancashire Police, who reviewed footage and statements before passing it into the FA’s jurisdiction. While the police did not proceed with charges, the FA concluded that the laws of the game had been breached and handled the matter independently through sporting disciplinary channels. Burnley were fully informed throughout the process, though the club has made no public comment on the suspension.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

Getty Images SportMejbri will return to action on December 30

Burnley will now prepare for a defining stretch of fixtures without Mejbri, needing to find solutions that stabilise their form ahead of the new year. The midfielder will be sidelined for four key matches, against Newcastle United, Fulham, Bournemouth and Everton, that could shape the club’s survival prospects heading into January. Mejbri will be eligible to return against the Magpies on December 30 in the return clash of tomorrow's clash at St. James' Park.

It was a night to remember at the dish for New York Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger, who belted three home runs for the first time in his career in his club's 11-0 win over the Chicago Cubs on Friday night at Yankee Stadium. But Bellinger's three-homer night was very nearly a four-homer night.

After homering twice, Bellinger stepped to the plate in the bottom of the seventh inning and drove a sinker from Cubs lefthander Jordan Wicks to the right field wall. The ball looked to be his third homer of the game, but Cubs outfielder Kyle Tucker leaped in the air and snatched the ball in his glove before it traveled over the wall.

But Bellinger indeed got his third homer of the game in his final at-bat in the eighth inning, a ball that a Yankees fan snagged in his glove just out of reach of Cubs centerfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong. After the game, Bellinger said he had met the young fan, whom he thanked for keeping the ball out of the park.

"I didn't know," Bellinger said when asked if he wasn't sure if his last homer was leaving the yard. "I've seen PCA rob so many homers. He's a freak athlete out there. I just met the kid who caught it, I just gave him some love to take it out of PCA's glove right there. I think he would have had it."

Bellinger said he got the career milestone ball back from the young fan, who also gave the Yankees outfielder bragging rights in the dugout.

"It feels great," Bellinger said of his three-homer game. "Yeah I knew I didn't have one [a three-homer game]. The boys were giving me a hard time after he [Tucker] robbed it. Booney [Aaron Boone] was giving me a hard time. So, my next at-bat, not trying to do too much. I'm glad the fan caught it before PCA could grab it."

On the strength of a seventh-inning rally, the Red Sox stormed back to seize Game 1 of the American League wild-card series against the Yankees on Tuesday night. The seventh inning will largely be remembered for two things: Yankees manager Aaron Boone's decision to remove ace Max Fried from the game, which drew criticism, and reliever Luke Weaver's implosion.

But something else happened in that seventh inning, which flew a bit under the radar. With one out in the inning, Weaver walked Red Sox outfielder Ceddanne Rafaela, bringing second baseman Nick Sogard up to the plate. Sogard lined a 1-1 pitch to right center, then decided to make a critical decision.

"It kind of took a while to field it and it was Judge fielding it, and I just tried to challenge the arm in that spot," Sogard told Ian Browne of MLB.com.

In a smart, but risky, baserunning move, Sogard pushed for second base and beat the throw from Judge, putting the go-ahead run in scoring position. His decision loomed large one batter later, when pinch hitter Masataka Yoshida lined a ball to center, scoring both Rafaela and Sogard, giving Boston a lead it would not relinquish.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said that Sogard's decision to test Judge's arm boiled down to "preparation", according to Jorge Castillo of ESPN.

Judge missed 10 games during an injured list stint that began in late-July due to a flexor strain in his right elbow. The 2024 AL MVP returned to the lineup on Aug. 5, but as the designated hitter and was still in the midst of what was ultimately a six-week throwing rehab program.

During mid-August appearances on WFAN and the podcast, Boone, in what may have been a Freudian slip, said he doubted that Judge would be able to get back to "throwing like he normally does at any point this year." Judge offered some healthy pushback and Boone later walked back the comments.

In Judge's first game back in right field on Sept. 5, the Blue Jays proceeded to test the Yankee captain's throwing arm—and the 6'7" slugger appeared unwilling to throw at full force. Judge went on to downplay any injury concerns after the game, but it became increasingly clear that he was either unable or unwilling to turn his arm loose as he had pre-injury.

Judge, whose throws from the outfield are regularly clocked in the 90-mph range, has made just two throws that have exceeded 80 mph since returning to the field. His throw to second base on Tuesday night? It registered at just 73.2 mph, according to Yes Network.

"Yeah I'm trying to get in there and make a play," Judge said when asked if that's how hard he can throw a ball right now. "I definitely don't want to overthrow it. He’s quick. He's pretty quick. He got in there and yeah, just trying to make a play."

Ultimately, Judge's compromised throwing arm became another Yankees weakness that the Red Sox were able to exploit in a postseason game, where the margins for error become razor thin. New York, on the brink of elimination, must win Game 2 on Wednesday night.

Kagiso Rabada’s performance at Lord’s was exactly what is expected of a big player in a big match

Firdose Moonda11-Jun-20251:11

Steyn: Why Rabada proved key to Australia’s collapse

Kagiso Rabada insisted he would not be “Mr I Apologise too much” after his recreational drug ban and showed he has nothing to be sorry about when it comes to his bowling. His performance at Lord’s was exactly what is expected of a big player in a big match: intimidating, incisive, and laced with unplayable deliveries that cut through the opposition.In the immediate aftermath of day one of the WTC final, you may read that line and think it’s more suited to the Australia attack given the way things ended, but save some headspace for a nod on how it started.Rabada set the tone with the very first ball. It jagged away from Usman Khawaja and beat his outside edge. For the next three overs, Khawaja did not even attempt to score a run as Rabada tested him with “pace, bounce and movement”, the three things the man himself says are his best attributes. The trick is not simply having them, it’s “doing those things consistently”, as Rabada put it in the post-match press conference.Related

Alex Carey has another eventful outing at Lord's

South Africa's trial by paralysis epitomises the Bazball fallacy

Rabada sorry but 'won't be Mr-I-Apologise too much'

Australia's quicks follow Rabada's start as wickets tumble

He didn’t concede a run until his 20th ball when Marnus Labuschagne managed to tuck him away to square leg. Next ball, Rabada squared Khawaja up, drew his edge, and David Bedingham took a fine catch at first slip. Rabada was away. Three balls later, Cameron Green went the same way and South Africa, through Rabada, were bossing the early exchanges.The wickets are what will get him on the honours board but it was some of the deliveries in between that really wowed. In the second over of his second spell, Rabada bisected Beau Webster with a ball that hit the seam, snuck through his bat-pad gap, and passed just over the top of the middle stump. Then there was the wicket which should have been. Full and fast, Rabada hit Webster, on 4, on the back pad and half-appealed with no support.South Africa must have heard a hard sound, as Webster hit his own pad, and thought it was an inside edge. They didn’t push the issue but replays showed it was plumb.Rabada found out moments later. “Corbin Bosch came down to fine leg and he said it was out and I was like, ‘oh man’. It is a bit annoying,” Rabada said. “He didn’t start off too well there. It looked like he was going to get out any ball, but his positive intent got him through. Cricket’s a funny game.”1:45

‘Pretty cool to have it in the home changeroom’ – Rabada on his 5-fer

In the next over, Rabada beat Webster’s inside and outside edges and he’s right in saying it looked as though a nick-off was imminent. It came, but only much later. That Webster survived that spell from Rabada makes his 72 even more deserving and asks questions of whether the change bowlers in South Africa’s attack, especially Lungi Ngidi, backed up their new-ball pair well enough.Ngidi’s eight overs cost 45 runs and he looked rusty. That South Africa picked him over Dane Paterson, who came off an excellent home summer and has 180 wickets at an average of 23 for Nottinghamshire, remains questionable but Rabada was never going to be the one to answer for that. Asked if he’d have any advice for Ngidi, he said he would, “just tell him to have a good night’s sleep, have a nice steak and a nice milkshake, watch a movie and come back tomorrow”.Rabada didn’t say it, but he and Ngidi will hope they don’t have too much to do on the second day. If they do, they will want to do it more like Rabada did.ESPNcricinfo LtdHis final riposte was to run through the Australia tail with precision. He got one to straighten on Pat Cummins, who exposed his off stump and was bowled, removed Webster, and bowled Mitchell Starc to complete his second successive five-for at Lord’s.Rabada was received by former captain Graeme Smith, who is working as a commentator, on the boundary edge and was hugged before he was interviewed. The emotion was obvious. Rabada described his achievement as “really special” and quickly deflected the attention off himself and on to the bigger picture. “It means a lot for me to play for South Africa, I give my all each and every time.”Does it mean more than equalling Allan Donald on South Africa’s Test wicket-takers’ list? Though Rabada called Donald “a legend” when speaking to Smith and said afterwards that he was “inspired by those who’ve come before”, there is a distinct sense that this will mean a lot less if South Africa don’t walk away with something from this game. Especially as they got themselves off to an excellent start and sent hope soaring in what felt like a home crowd.Kagiso Rabada acknowledges the crowd’s support after his five-for•ICC via Getty ImagesWith South Africans filling the stands, Rabada received applause and his own version of the Seven Nation Army chant. Ninety minutes later, there was silence as Wiaan Mulder and Temba Bavuma barely scored a run. That swing in South Africa’s fortunes has already made this Test gripping.”In Test cricket there’s always nerves,” Rabada said. “Dealing with it is about understanding what the bottom line is, and the bottom line is if you’re a bowler, try to bowl a good line and length; as a batter, it’s about keeping the good ball out and scoring off it or scoring off balls that are not quite there and missed executions from the bowler. That’s the bottom line. So everything else is just noise.”South Africa’s bottom line at the end of day one is that even after Rabada did Rabada things, they were 169 runs behind and four of their top five have been dismissed. The captain and the lower-middle order have a massive task on their hands on a surface that is doing a lot, and seemed to do more once the clouds had cleared. All Rabada can do now is look for reasons that might change, for his batters’ sake.”The ball was nipping quite a bit and at times moving off the slope quite a lot, but I still felt like batters could get in,” he said. “If you just bowled well and got more balls in the right area for a long period of time, then that’s when you could create chances. But with this ball getting older, hopefully we can score some runs.”

This week has been a strangely newsy one for the Montreal Expos, a Major League Baseball team that has not taken the field since 2004.

The release of a Netflix documentary examining the team's demise—entitled —was long planned. However, the filmmakers probably didn't count on Canada's younger MLB team—the Blue Jays—reaching the World Series and throwing an even bigger spotlight on baseball in the Great White North.

Like many of baseball's more famous relocations—the Dodgers', the Giants', or (more recently) the Athletics'—the Expos' defection to Washington to become the Nationals marked the culmination of a long and arduous process. It was also unique in that it involved a quasi-ownership "trade" that influenced the fate of a franchise thousands of miles away from Quebec.

Here's a look at how Canada's second-largest city lost its team.

How did Jeffrey Loria buy the Expos?

Liquor magnate Charles Bronfman and five partners founded the Expos in 1969—a time when Montreal was still widely known as Canada's cultural capital (Toronto wouldn't jump it in population until Canada's 2001 census). The Expos found sledding tough in their early years, making just one playoff appearance (1981) despite numerous winning seasons. Bronfman sold the team to Claude Brochu in 1991, and after a tumultuous decade, Brochu sold a controlling stake to art dealer Jeffrey Loria in 2001.

How did Jeffrey Loria get out of his deal with the Expos?

For much of Montreal's existence, the team faced one overarching question: how would the team replace Olympic Stadium? The oft-derided building long overstayed its welcome for the 1976 Summer Olympics, and Loria quickly sought public funding for a new park. As attempts to replace Olympic Stadium dragged, MLB attempted to fold the Twins and Expos—a move only stopped by a successful court challenge. Amid this turmoil in Montreal, Loria sold the team to MLB and used the money to buy the Marlins—taking the Expos' resources with him.

How did the Expos get to Washington?

MLB's purchase of the team was effectively the ballgame for Montreal, but the years leading up to the team's relocation produced a slew of interesting what-ifs. First, in 2003 and 2004, the Expos split their home games between Montreal and San Juan's Hiram Bithorn Stadium—routinely drawing better in Puerto Rico than in Canada. Along with San Juan, several non-Washington cities circled the Expos, with Charlotte and Portland discussed as contenders. Ultimately, the American capital won the Expos sweepstakes, and the team took on the name of several early Washington teams—the Nationals.

What is the legacy of the Expos' final years?

For many years, the legacy of the Expos' messy relocation seemed to be MLB's eagerness to avoid a repeat—but the Athletics' widely reviled, slow-motion departure from Oakland appears to have scuttled that. Montreal retains an appetite for baseball, as the Expos live on as a nostalgia item—"The DNA is still here even though they’re gone," documentary director Jean-François Poisson told 's Matthew Roberson Thursday. If expansion one day brings baseball back to Quebec, the Expos—as ever—will likely need to do something about Olympic Stadium, which somehow still stands on the eve of its 50th anniversary.

استكمل الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي برشلونة حصصه التدريبية استعدادًا لباقي مباريات الموسم بعد لقاء أوساسونا ضمن منافسات الدوري الإسباني.

وحقق برشلونة فوزًا مهمًا بثنائية نظيفة على نظيره أوساسونا في المباراة التي جمعتهما مساء أمس، السبت.

واستضاف ملعب “كامب نو” مباراة برشلونة وأوساسونا ضمن منافسات الجولة السادسة عشر من بطولة الدوري الإسباني “لا ليجا”.

بعد هذا الفوز، زاد برشلونة من رصيد نقاطه في صدارة جدول ترتيب الدوري الإسباني برصيد 43 نقطة، مبتعدًا عن ريال مدريد صاحب الوصافة برصيد 36 نقطة.

وتواجد فوتشيك تشيزني، حارس مرمى الفريق في تدريبات اليوم الصباحية وتدرب بشكل طبيعي ويتعافى بشكل جيد من المرض.

اقرأ أيضًا | إريك جارسيا: لاعب برشلونة يحل كل شيء معقد في الملعب

كان تشيزني قد غاب عن مباراة السبت ضد أوساسونا في اللحظات الأخيرة بسبب شعوره بـ التهاب المعدة والأمعاء.

وبرغم عودته، لا يزال من غير الواضح ما إذا كان سيتمكن من المشاركة في مباراة دور الـ32 من كأس ملك إسبانيا يوم الثلاثاء المقبل بين برشلونة وجوادالاخارا.

لكن ومع ذلك، يسود تفاؤل كبير داخل غرفة الملابس للفريق الكتالوني حيث يعتقدون أنه سينضم إلى قائمة المباراة.

على الناحية الأخرى، سيكون روبرت ليفاندوفسكي جاهزًا تمامًا للمشاركة في المباراة المقبلة، إذ لم يلعب مهاجم بايرن ميونخ السابق دقيقة واحدة أمام أوساسونا بسبب معاناته من شد عضلي طفيف في أوتار الركبة.

الإصابة لم تكن خطيرة حيث كان على مقاعد البدلاء وكان سيشارك لو تطلبت المباراة ذلك لكن فليك أراحه لتجنب أي مخاطر وسيكون قرار إشراكه في تشكيل المباراة المقبلة قرارًا تكتيكيًا، وليس بسبب الإصابة.