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And has anyone made a higher percentage of a team’s score in a T20I than Romania’s Rebecca Blake?

Steven Lynch15-Aug-2023What records did Prithvi Shaw set during his double-century for Northamptonshire the other day? asked Mumtaz Hussein from India

Prithvi Shaw smashed 244 from 153 balls against Somerset in the Royal London Cup 50-over match against Somerset in Northampton last week. It was the highest score in List A cricket for Northamptonshire, beating Wayne Larkins’ unbeaten 172 against Warwickshire in a 40-over Sunday League game in Luton in 1983, and the second-highest in the English domestic competition, behind Alistair Brown’s 268 in a 50-over match for Surrey vs Glamorgan at The Oval in 2002.Including Brown’s innings, there have been only five higher individual scores in List A matches, three of them by Indian batters: 277 by Narayan Jagadeesan (Tamil Nadu vs Arunachal Pradesh in Bengaluru in 2022-23), the ODI-record 264 by Rohit Sharma (India vs Sri Lanka in Kolkata in 2014-15), and 248 by Shikhar Dhawan (India A vs South Africa A in Pretoria in 2013). The other one was D’Arcy Short’s 257 for Western Australia against Queensland at the Hurstville Oval in Sydney in 2018-19.Shaw reached 200 in 129 balls, the seventh-fastest on record, and the second-quickest in England behind Ben Duckett’s 123 balls for England Lions against Sri Lanka A in Canterbury in 2016. The only three List A double-centuries faster than Duckett’s were Jagadeesan’s (see above), which came up in 114 balls, and two by Travis Head for South Australia: from 114 deliveries against Queensland at the Karen Rolton Oval in Adelaide in 2021-22, and 117 against Western Australia in Sydney (Hurstville Oval) in 2015-16.Shaw’s 244 was his second double-century in List A matches, following an undefeated 227 for Mumbai against Puducherry in Jaipur in 2020-21, when he reached 200 from 142 balls. He’s the fourth man to score more than one List A double, after Rohit (three), Brown and Head, but the first to make them in different countries.Roy Swetman, who died recently, was capped by three different first-class counties. Was he the first to achieve this? asked James Farrell from England

Wicketkeeper Roy Swetman, who died last month aged 89, was capped by Surrey in 1958, Nottinghamshire in 1966, and Gloucestershire in 1972. Neat and unflashy behind the stumps, Swetman played 11 Tests for England, the first after being selected for the 1958-59 Ashes tour even though he wasn’t Surrey’s regular keeper at the time. He should perhaps have played more often but, as his Surrey team-mate Micky Stewart recalled, “He enjoyed his time off the field too much. He’d start off the season in good nick, but after a few weeks back he wouldn’t be so sharp. He didn’t have the strength and stamina to maintain that lifestyle. It was sad, really.”Swetman was actually the second player to be capped by three counties, back in the days when movement between them was much less frequent than now. The first was the slow left-armer Bob Berry, by Lancashire in 1950, Worcestershire in 1957, and Derbyshire in 1961. Like Swetman, Berry also played for England, in two Tests against West Indies in 1950.In case anyone is unfamiliar with the term, county caps are usually awarded to someone who has become a regular player. It used to be an important stage in a player’s career – for a start it meant he would be paid more. Some counties, however, have discontinued this long-established tradition, and award caps (or sometimes “colours”) to anyone who appears for their first team.Mohammad Rizwan made a catch as a substitute in a recent Test, then joined the match as a concussion replacement and made another dismissal. Has anyone ever done this before in a Test? asked Hafeez Ahmed from Pakistan

Mohammad Rizwan pulled off this unusual double during Pakistan’s recent Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo. In Sri Lanka’s first innings, Rizwan took a catch at point to dismiss Kusal Mendis while on as a substitute fielder. Later he replaced Sarfaraz Ahmed, who was suffering from concussion; in the second innings Rizwan – by now a fully fledged member of the team – stumped Ramesh Mendis as Pakistan approached victory.It was indeed the first time a player had made dismissals for the same side as a substitute in a match he was playing in, which has only been possible since concussion replacements have been allowed. But in the early days of Test cricket, when teams often did not have spare players handy, there were three instances of a man taking a catch as a substitute against his own side. The first to do it was Australia’s captain Billy Murdoch, who caught his team-mate “Tup” Scott against England at Lord’s in 1884. He was fielding in place of WG Grace, who had injured a finger. This was actually the first substitute catch in any Test; Scott had top-scored for Australia with 75.Murdoch was followed by two more Australians in Ashes Tests. Affie Jarvis caught his team-mate Fred Spofforth in Melbourne in 1884-85. He’d only just been dismissed himself, six overs earlier, but England were short as Billy Barnes was injured. A few seasons later, in 1886-87, Charles “The Terror” Turner caught Reginald Allen in Sydney. He’d just sent down 64.1 (four-ball) overs, after 53 in the first innings, so must have been delighted to be asked to field for the opposition! He was needed as England’s Billy Gunn had been pressed into service as an umpire on the final morning, in the absence of one of those appointed. None of this trio of Aussies took a catch for their own side in the same match (even though Jarvis kept wicket in his game), so Rizwan is unique in that regard.Rizwan dismissed Kusal Mendis as a substitute fielder and stumped Ramesh Mendis later in the Test when he replaced the concussed Sarfaraz Ahmed•AFP/Getty ImagesRebecca Blake made around 70% of Romania’s runs in a recent T20I – was this a record? asked Geoffrey Harrison from England

Romania’s Bucharest-born captain Rebecca Blake scored 135 not out in her team’s 20-over total of 197 for 4 against Malta in Ilfov County last week. That’s 68.52% of the total – which, as this table shows, currently comes in third place for a women’s T20I (counting only all-out innings, or those where the full quota of overs was used).Top of the list is Sindhu Sriharsha, who made an unbeaten 74 out of 103 for 3 – 71.84% – for United States against Bangladesh in Abu Dhabi in September 2022. Next comes Deandra Dottin, with 112 out of 159 for 6 – 70.44% – for West Indies vs Sri Lanka in Coolidge (Antigua) in October 2017.The men’s T20I record is 75.10% – 172 in a total of 229 for 2 – by Aaron Finch for Australia against Zimbabwe in Harare in July 2018.Which player’s life story is told in the book The Globe-Trotting Cricketer? asked Keith McKenzie from Australia

This is the much-travelled Australian-born cricketer Bert Kortlang, who played first-class matches for Victoria in Australia before the First World War, and for Wellington in New Zealand afterwards. But that wasn’t the end of it: he travelled far and wide, and played minor cricket in many far-flung places, including Argentina, Canada and the United States. Back in Australia, he became a journalist and a friend of Don Bradman, who was the godfather to one of Kortlang’s children. Pelham Warner, the former England captain who was later closely involved with cricket as a journalist and administrator, compared him to the Scarlet Pimpernel: “We hear of him here; we hear of him there; the beggar pops up everywhere.”Kortlang died in 1961, aged 80, but his life story was reassembled by the New Zealand writer Rob Franks, in a book for the Cricket Publishing Company that came out in 2022. Not many were printed, so it’s rather hard to find, but it is beautifully produced and a very good read.And there’s an addition to last week’s question about the players who made their international debuts in all three formats in the shortest time frame, from Mike Halliwell from Australia, among others

“There’s a name to add to the list: the Australian legspinner Alana King completed her set in 14 days, the same as Mukesh Kumar, during the 2021-22 women’s Ashes series. King made her T20I debut in Adelaide on January 20, won her first Test cap in Canberra on January 27, and played her first ODI in Adelaide on February 3.”Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

We can calculate how effective a batter or bowler is against a specific type of opponent in each phase of a game

Himanish Ganjoo17-Apr-2021In the 54 matches in which he has bowled for England in a T20, Adil Rashid has opened the bowling four times. All four were in the recently concluded five-match series against India. While opening with a spinner in the powerplay is no longer novel in the shortest format, this move was prompted by specific knowledge: googly-wielding legspinners spell trouble for members of India’s top order.In the first T20I, Virat Kohli holed out to a rash shot against Rashid. In the third, Rashid’s googlies kept Rohit Sharma circumspect in the very first over. In the fourth game, he had Kohli stumped, and in the fifth, he troubled Sharma with the wrong’un once again.Rashid’s promotion to open the bowling to counter Kohli and Sharma was the most recent instance of match-ups being used in T20 cricket. In Tests, each strategic play unravels over a long time. In contrast, because time is so limited as a resource in T20, each ball is a substantial determiner of the result. Teams look to optimise every moment to squeeze out the tiniest advantage, making T20 the format where gameplay is most closely “managed”.Related

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Using the bowler who takes the ball away from a batter, or sending a left-hander in ahead of schedule to counter a certain bowler can be the ten-run difference that massively tilts a match in your team’s favour.In Tests, “how” you execute is important, while in T20 the “what” and “when” gain equal importance because each play has a major bearing on the course of the game.With match-ups attaining ubiquity in the T20 landscape, it is important to look at statistics contextualised by various batter-bowler combinations. It is well known that the ball turning in to the batter is advantageous for him. Do the numbers bear that out? If you look at the baseline run rate and dismissal numbers from the last three years of the IPL, they do.The following table shows you the run rate (runs per ball) and dismissal rate (probability of being dismissed) for left- and right-hand batters against different styles of bowling. (Left-arm wristspin is excluded because of very small sample sizes.)Himanish Ganjoo/ESPNcricinfoFor left-hand batters, their overall dismissal rate facing offbreak bowlers is 4.3 compared to just 3.6 versus slow left-arm. The run rate is also lower against offspinners, by 0.26 runs per ball. Similarly, for right-handers, the runs-per-ball figure is almost 0.1 runs higher when facing offspinners as compared to against legbreak bowlers and slow left-armers, both of whom take the ball away from right-handers.Legspinners concede fewer runs to right-handers and are also likelier to get left-handers out. This can be illuminated by further splitting their performance by innings phase. Phase one is the powerplay (overs 1-6), phase two the middle overs, and phase three the death overs (17-20).Himanish Ganjoo/ESPNcricinfoThe table above shows that right-handers play legspinners more conservatively in the middle overs, possibly “playing out” the dangerous match-up while conserving wickets for the end overs. Left-handers try to utilise the advantageous match-up by going harder in the middle overs – scoring quicker but also getting out more often.It’s a similar story when you look at slow left-arm numbers by phase. In the powerplay, right-handers score much slower compared to left-handers and get out more frequently. In the middle overs, they moderate their approach, scoring slowly while preserving wickets. In comparison, left-handers score faster but get out slightly more often.Himanish Ganjoo/ESPNcricinfoThe data shows that match-ups work in a broad sense, but what happens when you look at players individually? Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar are both classified as right-arm fast bowlers, but they execute their skills very differently. A right-arm seamer is expected to perform at a certain level versus right- and left-hand batters, but how much does an individual deviate from that baseline?This can be quantified by dividing their rates of conceding runs and taking wickets by the average runs per ball and wicket probability for each match-up. For example, right-hand seamers overall concede 1.27 runs per ball to right-hand batters in the powerplay while picking up wickets 3.61% of the time. In comparison, Bumrah concedes only 1.1 runs per ball and 4.1% of his deliveries get wickets. We can condense these facts into two simple ratios that tell us how well a bowler (or a batter) performs compared to a particular match-up in a given phase of the innings.Match-up Run Index (MRI) = (runs per ball by a player for given match-up) / (overall runs per ball for given match-up)Match-up Dismissal Index (MDI) = (dismissal rate for a player for given match-up) / (overall dismissal rate for given match-up)An MRI value of 1 means a bowler is as expensive as the average bowler of his kind for a given match-up. A value lower than 1 means he is economical. On the contrary, a higher MDI value than 1 means he is more likely to pick up wickets given that match-up. Continuing from our example, for Bumrah in the powerplay, the MRI is 0.86 (1.1/1.27) and the MDI is 1.14 (4.1/3.61). Here is a breakdown of Bumrah’s performance on these metrics:Himanish Ganjoo/ESPNcricinfoFrom a strategy perspective, this shows that Bumrah is exceptionally miserly versus left-handers in the powerplay but not a great wicket-taking option. He is exceptional against both batting styles in the middle overs, and especially effective against left-handers in both run-saving and wicket-taking skills.Because spinners work with lateral deviation off the pitch, match-up indices are much more relevant for assessing their roles. Here is the same match-up-based performance table for Yuzvendra Chahal, which shows that he is a defensive option compared to other legspinners in the powerplay, but a wicket-taking one in the middle overs, with MDI values of more than 1 against both left- and right-handers, which means he is better at taking wickets than the average legspinner against both batting styles. In terms of economy he is almost as expensive as the average leggie to both kinds of batters (MRI values close to 1), but he is a lot more expensive against right-handers in the death overs.Himanish Ganjoo/ESPNcricinfoSplitting open a batter’s performance in terms of MRI and MDI is also useful – it shows their relative strengths against particular bowling styles. For instance, here is Kohli’s record in the powerplay and middle overs the last three years:Himanish Ganjoo/ESPNcricinfoEngland’s decision to bowl Rashid to Kohli is vindicated, albeit with a small sample size. Kohli scores at the par rate for a right-hander facing a legspinner in the powerplay, as evidenced by his MRI of 1, but with an MDI of 1.15, he is likelier to get out than the average right-hander.But a closer comparison within Kohli’s own record split by match-ups reveals that his real kryptonite might be offbreak bowling. In both the powerplay and the middle overs, he scores slower and gets out slightly more frequently than the average right-hand bat versus offspinners. He falters in a match-up that should be advantageous to him.Last year AB de Villiers, Kohli’s partner in the Royal Challengers Bangalore middle order, was shunted down the line-up to avoid facing legspinners, but he has an MRI of 1.09 and an MDI of 0.79 facing that style of bowling in the middle overs in the past three seasons, which signals that he is less likely to lose his wicket to them compared to the average right-hander.Sharma, Kohli’s partner in the Indian top order, has scored nine runs for two dismissals against legspin in the powerplay, but plays it much better when he’s settled in the middle overs, with an MRI of 1.06 and an MDI of 0.55.Different varieties of spin to differently handed batters are match-ups often used by bowling sides. To find out who is the best at run-scoring and wicket preservation for a match-up, we can calculate the MRI and MDI values for each batter in every phase and take a weighted average of these values to find a combined MRI and MDI for a batter.For instance, the following graphic shows the average MRI and MDI values for all batters who have faced 60 or more balls from legspinners in the last three IPL seasons. The average MRI and MDI account for the match-up and the expected scoring rates in each phase of the innings. Both batting hands can be combined on one plot because the MRI and MDI already account for match-up strength.Himanish Ganjoo/ESPNcricinfoAn MRI of over 1 and an MDI of under 1 are better for a batter; a value of 1 means the player is average.The best batters are in the lower-right quadrant. Nicholas Pooran with his middle-overs aggression and Chris Gayle with his disdainful six-hitting are the best against legspin. A bunch of right-hand openers, Mayank Agarwal, Prithvi Shaw and Robin Uthappa, form a high-risk high-reward group in the top-right quadrant with high MRI and MDI values. Surprisingly, Krunal Pandya occupies the dreaded top-left quadrant, which implies slow scoring and a high risk of losing your wicket.How do batters do against offspin? David Warner outshines his left-hander peers in terms of strike rate and preserving his wicket, while fellow southpaws Gayle and Ishan Kishan are weaker than the average left-hander against offspin when it comes to striking the ball. Hardik Pandya is in a league of his own, with a high MRI and low MDI. MS Dhoni manages to not get out too often, but fails to score against offspin, his numbers heavily influenced by his match-up against Sunil Narine, who himself perches on the far right of this plot, fulfilling his role as an attacker of spin who does not need to value his wicket too highly.Himanish Ganjoo/ESPNcricinfoPlotting the MRI and MDI values summed across phases for a bowler can tell us the kind of role he should play in a bowling attack. As an example of how this can be used, the following plot shows the aggregate MRI and MDI values for spinners who have bowled more than ten overs to left-hand batters in the last three seasons of the IPL. A higher MDI and a lower MRI is better for a bowler.Himanish Ganjoo/ESPNcricinfoPlayers in the bottom-left quadrant are holding bowlers who concede fewer runs than one would expect given the match-ups they face, but who are less likely to get wickets. Such a bowler could be brought on as a defensive play to stem the flow of runs and force the batter to “play out” his overs, as teams have tended to do against Rashid Khan.The tactic of using Washington Sundar as a run-stopper in the powerplay is another great example visible on the plot. Moeen Ali has a small sample size of 108 balls over three seasons, but his high MDI indicates he fares well in comparison to the average offspinner against left-handers.Here is the same plot for spinners bowling to right-handers:Himanish Ganjoo/ESPNcricinfoSurprisingly, R Ashwin is better bowling to right-handers than to left-handers in T20, opposite to his Test bowling strengths. Narine too fares better against right-hand batters. The four best legspinners – Rashid Khan, Chahal, Rahul Chahar and Amit Mishra – are expectedly in the top-left quadrant. Krunal Pandya was slightly high on the wicket-taking MDI against left-handers, but becomes a run-saving bowler facing right-handers.This method of summing MRI and MDI values over different phases is an attempt to integrate context into raw cricket numbers. The aim is to split the ball-by-ball records of each batter or bowler by the phase of the innings and the match-up, and then scale their run rate and dismissal rate by the par rates for that “context”.This adjusts rudimentary statistics by accounting for what the average player does against the same type of bowler. We can then take averages of these scaled numbers to find combined statistics, and then calculate MRI and MDI values for each combination of phase and match-up. We can then add these numbers up across phases and batting styles to get overall MRI and MDI values for each player. This pair of numbers tells us their run-scoring/saving and wicket-preserving/taking ability while accounting for the handedness of the batters and the style of bowler.The concluding plots show aggregate MDI and MRI values for both batters and bowlers in the last three seasons.Himanish Ganjoo/ESPNcricinfoHimanish Ganjoo/ESPNcricinfo

MatériaMais Notícias

O Flamengo está dando passos importantes nos planos de construção de um estádio próprio. Na última semana, o clube apresentou a Caixa o projeto para erguer sua nova casa. Após o sorteio dos grupos da Libertadores, o presidente rubro-negro, Rodolfo Landim, conversou com a imprensa e deu detalhes da situação.

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➡️ Tudo sobre o Mengão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Flamengo

– É público que o Flamengo vem fazendo análises para compra daquele terreno (perto do Viaduto do Gasômetro). Já tivemos reuniões com a Caixa Econômica Federal, que é a gestora do fundo que é dono do terreno. Já demonstramos nosso interesse, existem trabalhos adicionais que ficaram de ser feitos ao longo dos próximos dias, em reuniões para demonstrar alguns pontos que defendemos junto à Caixa – afirmou o presidente do Flamengo.

– É um trabalho em andamento. Eu espero que acabe tendo sucesso, porque lá é o terreno que nós escolhemos como nossa prioridade. Existem duas outras opções que a gente tem. Mas de fato lá é nossa primeira opção, se, por ventura, a gente não conseguir lá, vamos passar para a segunda opção – completou Landim, sobre o projeto do estádio.

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O terreno o qual o Rubro-Negro planeja construir sua arena é avaliado em R$ 250 milhões. Caso queira adquirir o local, o Flamengo precisaria apresentar uma proposta de compra do terreno, que possivelmente deverá ser por meio de uma PPP (Parceria Público-Privada) entre o clube carioca e a Caixa Econômica. Essa fase ainda não aconteceu.

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Back-to-back wins for Tottenham Hotspur. What is this? Yes, we know, shock horror, right?

Thomas Frank’s time in charge of the Lilywhites has not been smooth sailing so far and prior to Spurs’ win over Brentford last weekend, they had not won a game of football since the end of October.

November was a horror month for Frank, one that already raised questions about his future. However, the north Londoners are now on the right track again and they have Xavi Simons to thank for two inspirational displays in the last two games.

Xavi Simons' Spurs turnaround

While Simons’ goal against Slavia Prague in their 3-0 win on Tuesday came from the penalty spot, this has been a much-improved few days for the Dutchman who appears to be coming good in Spurs colours at long last.

Simons also found the net in the win over Brentford on Saturday and appears to be a lot happier with how things are going now.

Speaking after the game, the Netherlands international said: “It is really nice to score the goals, but feeling great on the pitch, that is the most important for me and I’m enjoying it. So, really happy to be in this moment.”

Also making an appearance at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Tuesday was club legend, Son Heung-min.

The South Korean left Spurs behind in the summer for a new adventure with LAFC in MLS and he was back in England this week to finally wave goodbye to fans after a decade of service.

Simons commented: “I didn’t meet Son (before) personally and now a little bit. He is a big legend for the club and it’s a real pleasure for me to take this number and build my own legacy, so really happy to meet him.”

Son waves farewell to Spurs

Son scored 173 goals in 454 appearances for Spurs, with his final competitive appearance in the historic Europa League triumph over Manchester United back in May.

The South Korean paraded the trophy around the stadium days after that victory in Bilbao, but left in pre-season to sign for LAFC. Thus, he did not have the chance to say goodbye until this week.

An emotional evening started with Son’s mural being unveiled on the High Road before he spoke to the crowd and promised, “I will always be Spurs.”

Speaking to Korean media after, he stated: “First of all, I’m happy to be back in a place where I spent my youth and is like a home. I’m so grateful that so many fans welcomed me and cheered for me. It was a little hard (on Monday) because the flight time was longer than I thought, but I had a really happy day. Thank you so much.”

Mathys Tel, who was only drafted into Spurs’ Champions League squad this week as a replacement for the injured Dominic Solanke, was delighted to see Son.

Tel added: “Sonny is like my big brother. He is always texting me, his support is always behind me, so back in the Champions League, we won and Sonny was there… a lot of good things. Sonny is a big legend at Tottenham, so when a guy like Sonny comes after he did everything, you give everything for him.”

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Gabriel Agbonlahor has criticised Thomas Frank and a Tottenham Hotspur star in the wake of the 2-1 defeat against Fulham on Saturday afternoon.

Frank under major pressure after Fulham defeat

Spurs remain without a Premier League win on home soil since defeating Burnley 3-0 on the opening day of the season, following the 2-1 loss against the Cottagers at the weekend, which saw Frank’s fall down to 12th place, having now lost as many games as they’ve won.

The Dane is under major pressure after the latest setback, with it being revealed that former Barcelona manager Xavi is now under serious consideration as a replacement, and a move could be made if there is not an improvement in results by the end of this month.

Thomas Frank’s Tottenham record

Games

21

Wins

8

Draws

5

Losses

8

Points per game

1.38

That said, some of the blame has to lie with the players, according to Agbonlahor, who recently said live on talkSPORT that Frank’s men need to start stepping up to the plate, and the pundit was particularly unimpressed with the start Xavi Simons has made to life in north London.

The former Aston Villa striker said: “A lot’s got to change, Jeff. Players have got to start turning up. Xavi Simons has got to come to the table and start performing.

“You never know what Spurs’ starting team is going to be. Looks very confused doesn’t he? Sometimes it’s five-at-the-back, then it looks like it’s a diamond, then now it’s Bergvall off the left.”

Simons needs to step up sooner rather than later

Of course, any player in their debut Premier League season should be given time to adapt, but Simons needs to start showing signs of improvement very soon, given that he is yet to score for Tottenham, and has registered just two assists in 15 matches in all competitions.

The Dutchman was benched against Fulham, but didn’t make much of an impact after replacing Richarlison on the hour mark, failing to register a single key pass or create a big chance.

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The summer signing was one of many underwhelming performers.

Posts 1 ByEmilio Galantini Nov 29, 2025

Some Spurs players are also already starting to have doubts about Frank, as they believe the 52-year-old makes too many changes to his attack and focuses on the opposition too much, and the manager will need to start improving results quickly before he loses the dressing room entirely.

It is still early days for the former Brentford boss, but things certainly haven’t worked out so far, with £52m summer signing Simons flattering to deceive, and things don’t get any easier, with Spurs set to travel to St. James’ Park to take on an in-form Newcastle United side on Tuesday night.

On Saturday the San Diego Padres defeated the Atlanta Braves, 1-0, to stay undefeated and sweep the Braves for their first series win of the young MLB season. Jake Cronenworth was the winning run, getting driven in by Yuli Gurriel in the bottom of the seventh inning. Cronenworth was in a position to score thanks to one of the strangest doubles you'll ever see.

In the bottom of the seventh Cronenworth was at the plate facing a full count with two outs. He swung at a sinker from Braves reliever Aaron Bummer and got just enough wood on the ball that it flew off the bat as a low liner. Then things got weird.

The ball hit Bummer and careened off the field of play past the third-base line into the dugout. Cronenworth was rewarded with a double. It was a ridiculously unlikely sequence.

It was already very unlikely that Cronenworth hitting a ball off the pitcher would result in a hit. It's even more unlikely that the ball would hit off the pitcher and end up going down the dugout stairs. It's not a very wide entrance to the dugout! But that's exactly what happened. Cronenworth got just enough contact to get the bounce he needed, got himself in scoring position, and wound up the game-winning run.

Baseball is back.

Former Liverpool winger Jordan Ibe has signed with Bulgarian side Lokomotiv Sofia. The 29-year-old will represent the club until 2027. The sensational switch comes just two weeks after Ibe put pen to paper at Kent-based side Sittingbourne. Once considered a future star of English football, the nomadic midfielder has bounced around non-league football in recent years.

Ibe looks to revive career in Bulgaria

The 'Railway Workers' announced the deal on their Facebook account earlier today. 

Ibe had signed with Sittingbourne, currently playing in eighth tier of the English football pyramid, on October 31. He said he hoped the deal would help him "rediscover his love of football", after a switch to the Swedish second division with Umea fell through in the summer due to work permit issues. The ex-Bournemouth star has been open about his struggles with depression in the past few years. 

AdvertisementJordan Ibe: Future Liverpool star to football nomad

Ibe's move to Bulgaria is adds another chapter to a nomadic career that started with immense promise. He first caught the attention of the football public as an academy star with Wycombe Wanderers. In 2011, he joined Liverpool's youth setup and was widely tipped to be a future regular in the England team. During his tenure at Anfield, he made 58 appearances, scoring four goals and logging seven assists. 

A £15m transfer to Bournemouth in 2016 was supposed to accelerate his development, however an inconsistent four-year spell on the south coast ended in his release in 2020. Ibe made 92 appearances for the Cherries in all competitions. 

A year on the books at Derby County resulted in just one league appearance, as Ibe revealed he was suffering from depression. The club and player agreed to terminate his contract by mutual consent. 

After a few months in Turkiye with Adanaspor, Ibe would spend the next few years bouncing around non-league outfits, making appearances for Ebbsfleet United, Hayes & Yeading United, Hungerford Town and Sittingbourne. 

Lokomotiv Sofia's statement on Ibe's arrival

Lokomotiv Sofia currently sit in 11th place in Bulgaria's First League. Originally founded in 1929, the club was wound up in 2015 due to insolvency, with a phoenix club founded in the resulting year. The original club won four league titles and four Bulgarian cups, and is historically considered one of the country's biggest clubs. 

A club statement announcing Ibe's arrival read: "After a few difficult seasons, Jordan is ready to revive his career, and we all believe that this will happen at Lokomotiv.

"The management of Lokomotiv wishes Jordon Ibe much health, happiness and success with the red and black jersey."

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Lokomotiv SofiaWhen will Ibe make his Lokomotiv Sofia debut?

Due to a lengthy winter break, Lokomotiv have already played half of their 30 league fixtures this season. The club has just four league games left this year, before play pauses until the first week in February, giving Ibe little time to get games under his belt if he's not deemed fit enough to start immediately. The Railway Workers' season continues with an away trip to Cherno More on November 22, with a home game against Arfa on November 28. 

Jamie Vardy rolled back the years with a superb solo goal for Cremonese against Juventus – something that sent the home fans in the Stadio Giovanni Zini into a 'frenzy'. The 38-year-old scored his second goal in three Serie A games, but it wasn't enough to prevent his team from falling to a 2-1 defeat. However, the veteran still showed he can deliver at the highest level with his clinical effort.

• Vardy thriving in Serie A

  The former England international ended a 13-year spell at Leicester City over the summer, before moving to newly-promoted Cremonese on a free transfer in a switch that surprised many. After a couple of substitute outings for the Italian team, Vardy bagged his first goal for his new club in a 1-1 draw against Atalanta last month, and on Saturday, he scored again, this time at home to Juventus. The arch poacher showed he is still a handful on his day when he shrugged off Juve centre-back Federico Gatti, before holding off the recovering defender and slotting past goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio in the 83rd minute. Cremonese came away with nothing, however, as goals from Filip Kostic and Andrea Cambiaso secured all three points for the Old Lady. But Vardy's display shows he has more to give in the game.

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• Vardy an 'agent of chaos'

  The striker, who was watched by his wife Rebekah and his four children, received mixed reviews from the Italian press following his goal against Juve. gave him a 6.5/10 but stressed that he is still very capable of producing moments of magic.

  They wrote, "Encouraged by his small tribe (wife Becky and four children), squeezed by the Juventus vice, fails to make an impact. Then, with seven minutes to go, he burns Gatti and sends the stadium into a frenzy."

  Meanwhile, hailed him as his side's best player.

  "The experienced English forward picks up his second goal of the season, with a fine finish after a counterattack to give the hosts a glimmer of hope late on. Worked hard tonight and showed the hunger to pick up his goal," they wrote.

  Meanwhile, talked up his evergreen capabilities. 

  The fanzine wrote, "Jamie Vardy scoring against Juventus in the year 2025? Really now? But Vardy is Vardy and will forever be Vardy as long as he’s playing. He’s scored so many damn goals like the one he did against Juventus during his time in England. He’s out here counting how many seconds Michele Di Gregorio had the ball in his hands while also standing right next to him and barely giving him any room to actually kick the ball upfield. That’s just Vardy being Vardy, folks. He is an agent of chaos if there ever was one in this game."

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  What comes next for Vardy?

  Vardy, who turns 39 in January, will hope to continue his good form when Cremonese travel to relegation-contenders Pisa in a battle between 17th and ninth respectively in Serie A on Friday. If results go their way in the next round of league fixtures, Vardy's side could jump into the European football qualification spots.

While it wasn’t the perfect weekend for Manchester City, it wasn’t far off.

The Citizens claimed all three points in what was a relatively routine win over Everton, while Liverpool lost at home to Manchester United.

So, while they are still three points behind Arsenal, Pep Guardiola’s side are now a point clear of the Reds in second place and look set to mount a proper challenge for the Premier League title.

Moreover, with Erling Haaland back to his very best, there is no reason they couldn’t overtake the Gunners, especially when another of Pep’s best signings is playing so well.

Pep's best Man City signings

On top of revolutionising the way the game is played in this country, Guardiola has also signed some of the very best players to grace the Premier League.

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For example, while he was already performing at a high level for Tottenham Hotspur, it would be hard to deny that Kyle Walker massively improved during his time in the North West.

During his time with the club, the Burnley ace made 319 appearances, during which he scored six goals, provided 23 assists, averaged 2.33 points per game and won everything there is to win in the club game, including a Champions League and six league titles.

Appearances

319

Starts

286

Minutes

25710′

Goals

6

Assists

23

Points per Game

2.33

Another stalwart of Pep’s best sides has been Rodri, as before his injury problems last season, he was one of the very best players in the world.

After all, the Spaniard is the only defensive midfielder to ever win the Ballon d’Or.

Moving on from defensive players, it’s hard to look past Bernardo Silva when it comes to the iconic manager’s best City signings.

The former AS Monaco dynamo moved to Manchester in the summer of 2017 and has since made an astounding 417 appearances across all competitions, in which he has scored 72 goals, provided 74 assists and dazzled fans all over the country with his mercurial abilities on the ball.

Finally, it would be impossible to talk about some of Guardiola’s best signings and not bring up Haaland.

The former Borussia Dortmund star made his way to the Etihad in the summer of 2022, and to say he has been a successful signing would be a laughable understatement.

Appearances

156

Starts

148

Minutes

12774′

Goals

138

Assists

22

Goal Involvements per Game

1.02

Minutes per Goal Involvement

79.83′

Points per Game

2.12

At the time of writing, the Leeds-born force of nature has scored 138 goals and provided 22 assists in 156 games for the club, totalling 12774 minutes.

In other words, the 25-year-old monster has averaged 1.02 goal involvements per game, or one every 79.83 minutes since joining City.

In all, it would be fair to say that Guardiola has signed more than his fair share of stars over the years, and it looks like he might have just landed his best since Haaland.

Guardiola's best signing since Haaland

Fortunately, there are a few players who could claim this title, from Josko Gvardiol to Savinho, but in this instance, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to look past Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Yes, the Italian international only joined City this summer, but he is already putting in brilliant performances for the club.

And while some may say he lacks the ball-playing ability of Ederson, he more than makes up for it with his shot-stopping, which is surely what matters most with a goalkeeper.

His game-saving abilities were on full show in the match away to Brentford, when he came out on top from a one-on-one situation with Igor Thiago.

Moreover, while it is still early on in his time at the Etihad, the numbers are already showing that he should be in the same conversations with the very best in the league.

For example, he has conceded just two goals, which works out to 0.40 per 90 and puts him just behind David Raya who many would consider to be a part of the best defensive unit in the league, if not the world.

Finally, on top of the promising start to his time in the North West, there are also plenty of examples of him putting in game-saving performances for Paris Saint-Germain and Italy over the years.

For example, in the Champions League semi-finals last season, he prevented 2.09 goals across both legs against Arsenal, which was enough to send the Parisians through and see Italy legend Alessandro Costacurta label him “the best in the world.”

Ultimately, so long as Donnarumma can keep up the form he is already showing this season, and replicate some of his incredible performances of seasons prior, then it might soon be a commonly held opinion that he’s City’s best signing since Haaland.

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Erick, atualmente no Ceará e futuro reforço do São Paulo para 2024, compartilhou uma foto nas redes sociais acompanhando o duelo entre o Tricolor e o Flamengo pela final da Copa do Brasil, no Maracanã.

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O jogador postou a foto em seu story no Instagram. No registro, está em um hotel acompanhando o duelo. O atacante deve chegar ao clube apenas em janeiro de 2024. O vínculo do jogador com o Vozão se encerra no fim deste ano e, por isso, assinou um pré-contrato com o Tricolor para a próxima temporada.

Erick foi umpedido do próprio Dorival Júnior, que trabalhou com o jogador no Ceará em 2022. Na visão da comissão técnica, o jogador seria a opção ideal para suprir a ausência de um atacante de velocidade, capaz de quebrar linhas de marcação com o drible.

+ Já pensou em ser um gestor de futebol? Participe da nossa Masterclass com Felipe Ximenes e descubra oportunidades

As tratativas com o atleta estavam acontecendo desde julho. Assim, a expectativa é que tudo seja concretizado pensando na temporada que vem.

Veja a foto postada por Erick nas redes sociais: