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Chelsea are through to the last 16 of the Club World Cup and remain in contention to win the tournament, but off the field, BlueCo are making plans to reinforce Enzo Maresca’s squad further ahead of his second season in charge.

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New signing Liam Delap scored his first goal for the club during their 3-0 win over ES Tunis this morning, with their opponents failing to register a single shot on target as Tosin Adarabioyo and Tyrique George also rounded off a routine victory for the Blues.

Cole Palmer

7.33

Moises Caicedo

7.02

Enzo Fernández

6.95

Nicolas Jackson

6.88

Noni Madueke

6.82

via WhoScored

Chelsea will now face Portuguese heavyweights Benfica in the first knockout round, and there is every possibility that Maresca’s side can go on to lift the trophy whilst securing a massive £97 million financial windfall for the club.

“The performance, for me, was good,” said Maresca after Chelsea’s win over ES Tunis.

“It was not easy and until we scored the first goal, it was difficult to break their defensive line down. We were quite patient, and when we scored the first goal, the game became a little more open and a little easier for us.

“It’s impossible not to rotate players because playing every three days in these conditions means it’s not possible for them to play every game. The ones that played were good, and we’ve given some rest to Moi, Trev, Levi, Cucu, Cole, Pedro, many players. It’s important to recover the energy and try to win the next game.”

Chelsea have been plying their trade in near unplayable weather conditions, with the American heat causing major issues for Maresca’s side and other teams competing at the CWC.

To help lighten the load, Chelsea could take advantage of a unique player registration period. From June 27 to July 3, Chelsea are allowed to add players to their CWV roster, including new signings, on the condition they haven’t already featured for another team at the tournament.

This would rule out Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens, who is reliably believed to be closing in on a move to Chelsea, but Sporting CP’s Ousmane Diomande could link up with the squad if they advance on a deal for the Ivorian.

Chelsea looking to negotiate cut-price Ousmane Diomande move

TEAMtalk reported in the last few days that Maresca is a “huge fan” of Diomande and has him near the top of Chelsea’s target list for defenders.

The 21-year-old’s contract includes a £68 million release clause too, but according to an update from CaughtOffside, the west Londoners don’t fancy paying this fee.

Indeed, it is believed that Chelsea are “looking to negotiate” a lower fee with Sporting to sign Diomande, and they reiterate how convinced Maresca is by the African defender’s quality.

They’re said to be “very” keen on signing the Primeira Liga starlet, and Sporting are open to considering a bid slightly beneath his clause. However, amid interest from Newcastle United and Real Madrid, Maresca faces stiff competition for one of his top targets.

Ahead of Vitor Pereira’s first summer in charge, Wolverhampton Wanderers are now reportedly moving to seal their move to sign a South American talent at their manager’s request.

Pereira already requesting Wolves incomings

With Matheus Cunha reportedly on his way to Manchester United this summer, it should come as no surprise that Pereira has requested attacking reinforcements in the coming months. Recent rumours have indicated that the Portuguese manager is a particular fan of Corinthians forward Yuri Alberto and has now asked Wolves to make a reunion happen between himself and his former star.

Yuri Alberto in 24/25	Record (via Transfermarkt)
Appearances	34
Goals	13
Assists	1

Having worked with the Brazilian before, Pereira will already know all about Alberto’s potential. At 24 years old, he has shown consistent promise at Corinthians over the years and only added to his goal tally this season – scoring 13 in 34 games.

The Portuguese manager also knows just how important it is to get recruitment right at Wolves in the coming months, having told reporters when asked about the summer transfer window back in April: “I expect to go with Wolves to the next level, the next step. This is what I’m thinking about.

“We don’t need a lot of money, we just need to make the right decisions and have a plan. My focus is on this team and trying to get the best results possible until the end of the season.

“Keeping almost all of the players (is important) because we have a very good group. I want to work for another level, I want to take the next step with this club.”

Signing South American talents seems to be the manager’s chosen route towards that next step, too, with another promising talent now reportedly on Wolves’ radar ahead of the summer window.

Wolves moving to seal Araujo deal

According to reports in Brazil, as relayed by Sport Witness, Wolves are now moving to seal their deal to sign Evertton Araujo, who has a release clause worth as much as €40m (£34m) at Flamengo. Whilst such a price may seem steep, reports suggest that Pereira has requested the arrival of the midfielder and the Midlands club have already made contact over a potential deal.

Pereira’s request should come as no shock and Wolves, themselves, are no strangers when it comes to signing Brazilian talents after welcoming Andre last summer.

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Described as “strong” and “composed” as well as “aggressive” by analyst Ben Mattinson, Araujo could go on and make the same impact as Andre if he followed him to the Midlands in the coming months. Wolves’ transfer strategy has seemingly taken them towards Brazil once again and that should be seen as no bad thing.

Last night was not the game or result Arsenal would’ve been hoping for ahead of their Champions League semi-final next week.

Mikel Arteta’s side lined up against Crystal Palace, who happen to have an FA Cup semi-final this weekend, and put in one of their most lacklustre and underwhelming performances of the entire season, which saw them pick up their 13th Premier League draw of the campaign – the second most in the competition.

From David Raya between the sticks to Raheem Sterling in attack, there were dire displays across the pitch for the Gunners.

However, there was at least one player who put in yet another impressive showing, a player who has made himself undroppable and is starting to resemble Granit Xhaka in certain ways.

The story of Xhaka's redemption at Arsenal

Arsenal paid Borussia Mönchengladbach around £30m for Xhaka in the summer of 2016, and while he wasn’t particularly poor, it would probably be fair to say he underwhelmed for the first few seasons of his career in North London.

However, it was clear from the get-go that he was a passionate player and that, combined with his seniority, saw him handed the captaincy by former manager Unai Emery in September 2019 following a vote from his teammates.

Unfortunately, the team’s results nosedived soon after and, following an unsavoury episode in which he swore and goaded a jeering Emirates before throwing the shirt and armband to the floor, he had the captaincy stripped from him less than two months after receiving it.

The Swiss international would later reveal that at that point, he was set on leaving the club but eventually decided to stay and fight for his reputation after being convinced to do so by the recently appointed Arteta.

While it took some time, the Basel-born titan eventually started to win the fans back onside, and finally, after three years of graft, he was handed the armband again by Arteta in the absence of Martin Odegaard away to Brentford in September 2022, a game that also saw the fans begin to sing his name again, much to his appreciation.

That season would be his best in red and white as he racked up a brilliant tally of nine goals – two of which came in his final game – and seven assists in 47 appearances from central midfield.

Xhaka left the club that summer, but instead of doing so under a cloud of controversy as it seemed he would just a few years earlier, he left as a cult hero and with a rapturous Emirates Stadium singing his name.

Now it looks like a player in the current squad could be crafting something of a cult status for himself this year.

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The current Arsenal star with shades of Xhaka

There are probably some of you thinking that the player in question is Mikel Merino, as, after all, the Spaniard is positionally similar to Xhaka and has seen his stock skyrocket among Arsenal fans in recent months, but you’d be wrong.

Chalkboard

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

Instead, the current Gunners star who is starting to have shades of the Swiss international about him is none other than Jakub Kiwior.

Okay, so we know the pair couldn’t be more different in terms of position and, therefore, playstyle, but where they play has practically nothing to do with this comparison, as it’s based on their standing within the fanbase more than anything else.

For example, just a few months ago, you’d be hard-pressed to find a fan who’d had a particularly strong feeling towards the Polish international, as while he’s stepped in here and there, he’s never really looked like a first-team quality player.

In fact, it was only in December that Arsenal podcaster Phil Costa branded the former Spezia ace “shocking,” claiming that “he hasn’t kicked on at all since joining” and that, at the end of the day, “he isn’t good enough.”

Now, in his defence, it wasn’t an uncommon opinion, with content creator and fan Alexander Moneypenny describing the international as “shakey” following his underwhelming performance vs Bayern Munich last season.

So, while there wasn’t the same vitriol that there was surrounding Xhaka’s fall, there was a similar desire from plenty of fans to move the Tychy-born star on and find someone better as soon as possible, which in turn led to some serious concern over how he’d cope covering for Gabriel Magalhães following the Brazilian’s hamstring surgery.

However, instead of becoming a weak spot in the team, the “extraordinary” defender, as dubbed by Robert Lewandowski, has stepped up in a massive way.

For example, aside from a minor mistake early on in the first leg against Real Madrid, he was simply sensational. Moreover, after William Saliba’s mistake that led to a goal in the second leg, there is a strong argument that he was the better centre-back of the pair.

Then again, last night, while the Frenchman made a costly mistake, he was near-enough faultless, scoring a goal, making some impressive tackles and earning himself an 8/10 match rating from journalist Tom Canton, which was more than justified by his statistics.

For example, in 98 minutes of action, he scored, made six clearances, won 100% of his duels, blocked two shots, made one tackle, lost the ball just seven times despite taking 135 touches, completed 115 passes, was accurate with two of three long balls, and was even successful in 100% of his dribbles.

Minutes

98′

Expected Goals

0.04

Goals

1

Clearances

6

Blocked Shos

2

Tackles

1

Dribbled Past

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Duels (Won)

2 (2)

Lost Possession

7

Touches

135

Passing Accuracy

115/120 (96%)

Long Balls (Accurate)

3 (2)

Shots on Target

1

Dribbles (Successful)

1 (1)

Fouls

0

Ultimately, Kiwior has transformed from a player fans were worried about starting into one who’s outshining Saliba and becoming an increasing fan favourite for the no-nonsense way he’s going about his job – if that doesn’t remind you of Xhaka’s transformation, we don’t know what will.

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The contract situation of players at Liverpool has been the main focus over recent weeks, especially after the rumours over Trent Alexander-Arnold’s future at the club.

It emerged over the international break that he had agreed a move to join Real Madrid on a free transfer at the end of the season, ending his 21-year association with his boyhood side.

Whilst nothing has been confirmed, it looks increasingly likely that the 26-year-old will depart Anfield with just a couple of months remaining on his current deal.

The news of his potential move has angered the majority of the supporters, leaving a hole at right-back for Arne Slot to fill this summer should he complete his deal with the LaLiga giants.

Conor Bradley is undoubtedly a readymade replacement given his rise in recent months, but the hierarchy have wasted no time in targeting reinforcements to replace the Englishman.

Liverpool plotting move for Trent replacement this summer

According to TBR, Liverpool are working on a deal to land Freiburg right-back Kiliann Sildillia this summer, but face competition for his signature from other Premier League outfits.

Manchester City, Brighton and Aston Villa have also registered interest in the 22-year-old, who looks set to leave the Bundesliga outfit given the interest.

Sildillia, who is a France U21 international, can also play at centre-back but is known for his marauding and athletic full-back play on the right side of the backline.

The report claims that the Reds have already checked in on the youngster ahead of a summer move, but no formal offer has yet been made for the defender.

Whilst it’s unclear how much a deal would set the hierarchy back, he would be a phenomenal option, providing a better alternative to another player already on their shortlist.

Why Sildillia would be better than Frimpong for Liverpool

Over the last couple of weeks, Liverpool have been linked with a move for Bayer Leverkusen full-back Jeremie Frimpong this summer as a replacement for Alexander-Arnold should he depart this summer.

The Dutchman has caught the eye in recent months for his flying, attacking play down the right-hand side, registering nine combined goals and assists in his 27 Bundesliga outings this campaign.

The 24-year-old’s agents have already been in contact with the Reds’ hierarchy as the club plans for life without Trent if he decides upon a move to Spain in the next few weeks.

However, Sildillia would be a better option than Frimpong for Slot’s side, outperforming the Dutchman in various key areas in the Bundesliga throughout the current campaign.

The Freiburg star, who’s previously been labelled “complete” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, may have registered fewer combined goals and assists, but has completed more take-ons – highlighting the threat he possesses in attacking areas.

Games played

16

27

Goals & assists

2

9

Progressive passes

3.2

2.2

Tackles won

1.2

1

Interceptions made

1.2

0.4

Take-on success

67%

30%

Aerials won

50%

34%

However, he’s also dominated defensively, winning more tackles per 90, along with more interceptions – offering the quality on defensive areas that Trent has often struggled to do in recent years.

His all-round ability makes him perfect for the Reds’ current system on Merseyside, with Sildillia also offering a younger option than Frimpong, potentially making the role his own for many years to come.

Whilst it’s unclear how much the pair would set the club back, it’s evident that the Freiburg star is a quality player and one that the club desperately need to pursue over the next couple of weeks.

His talent is reflected in the number of sides interested in his signature, with the board needing to act quickly to avoid a league rival getting ahead of them and landing his services.

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Their batting template remains in the spotlight, after failing even in conditions where it might have been expected to bear fruit

Sidharth Monga16-Jun-20241:31

Mumtaz on Babar’s innings – ‘Bizarre and baffling’

This space is not going to give into the exceptionalism that Pakistan cricket is more prone to this kind of a thing than any other cricket, but they have ended this disappointing campaign on a tragicomic note. It was like the middle order was hell bent on vindicating the RizBar way of playing white-ball cricket, and in these conditions it might well have been. And yet, in the end, even the RizBar way needed some fearless hitting from Shaheen Shah Afridi to relieve the pressure. It leaves you none the wiser about the course Pakistan should take.If we were to be left with Pakistan cricket’s improvisation on the chicken-and-egg situation of whether RizBar are so regressive because of a weak middle order or whether the middle order is so ordinary because RizBar don’t let them play at all in flat conditions, did we really need Pakistan to play the World Cup? To be fair to him, Babar Azam took the demotion, pushed up a more attacking left-hand opener, and still the results haven’t been great.In their final match, where the best they could achieve was a consolation win, Pakistan were staring at embarrassment when Babar showed his class, his ability to bat at a run a ball on a difficult surface, but eventually it wasn’t enough. It took Afridi’s sixes to settle the nerves.Related

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Afridi provided glimpses of what might have been: back to taking wickets in his first over, back to setting the game up for what can be a menacing pace attack. Of all the World Cups, this one had conditions where Babar and Mohammad Rizwan might have been justified in playing the way they do, but Rizwan cracked under the asking-rate pressure against India when the game was his to take home.A day before this match, Imad Wasim spoke about the mindset needed to play while-ball cricket at par with other excellent modern teams. He spoke about how Pakistan used to rule T20 cricket before they became a regressive unit. He spoke of the need to get rid of the fear of failure.When asked if it is insecurity from the decision-makers or the highly emotional reaction of the fans that nurtures this fear, Babar pointed at perhaps a question of quality. He said the selections have been consistent, that in fact there has hardly been much churn when he has been captain. In 85 matches that Babar has captained, 27 players have batted from Nos. 3 to 7, including Babar himself and Rizwan. By comparison, in 96 matches since the start of 2020, India have tried 32 players from Nos. 3 to 7.Babar Azam had to anchor the chase with wickets falling at the other end•AFP/Getty Images”I think we are playing the same eight-nine players for the last four years,” Babar said. “They should not fear on that front. They are being backed. They are being given opportunities. But as a player, you have to step up a little. Look, the mindset should be how you want to play. Now you can’t hit every ball, you can’t hit a six on every ball, you can’t even get a wicket on every ball. You need to assess the conditions, what’s required here.”Tell me how many matches have been played here [in the USA] and has there been any outstanding batting? There’s been a struggle, but you need to be proactive about what’s required here. You need partnerships, you need to bowl at good, hard length. It’s not that you come with a set mindset and follow just that.”I am not denying that we have to think out of the box. Every player has to think. It’s not that one person has to do it. Every player has to think because cricket has become very fast. We have to move with the times. With modern cricket, you must have game awareness. You know that you have to take it deep here, you have to take a bit of load. You know no matter how much you do, you can’t score at 150 here. You try to build the innings. I think it’s more game awareness and common sense that is required here.”That sounds like an acceptance that in other, more standard, T20 conditions, Pakistan need to move with the times. If this failure results in course correction, this World Cup could yet be an important event in Pakistan cricket.However, it will rankle them that they failed to make it out of round one in conditions that suited their style of cricket. There can be some allowance made for the USA defeat because they got put in and the scoring trend through the match suggests that only the first five-six overs were difficult, which is a significant portion of the game. Against India, though, they won the toss, they got the best of the conditions, and the one batter who got in neither killed the chase nor took it deep.It might also be time to crack the whip a little because the job security Babar mentioned hasn’t seemed to work for the top order or the middle order.

Finch said they were just “tinkering” with the line-up ahead of the T20 World Cup, but was it something more than that?

Alex Malcolm05-Oct-2022When Australia’s team sheet dropped at the toss during the first T20I against West Indies no one could quite believe it.”That must be a mistake,” Mark Waugh said on commentary for Fox Sports.It was no mistake. Six games and less than two weeks out from defending their title on home soil, Australia listed their captain, and their most prolific T20I opener of all-time, Aaron Finch at No.4. Cameron Green, who is not in the World Cup squad, remained at the top of the order alongside the returning David Warner, while Steven Smith was squeezed out of the XI.Related

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Just 24 hours after Finch had declared that there was almost no chance that Green could find his way into the World Cup squad with Mitchell Marsh and Marcus Stoinis expected to be fit, suddenly there was further evidence to the contrary.With Marsh unavailable to bowl, and Stoinis ruled out of the T20Is against West Indies, Green had to play to balance the attack. That it was Finch who batted in a position he never had previously in T20I cricket, rather than Green, left more questions than answers about both Australia’s final World Cup 15 and their best XI.Finch played the somewhat foreign role perfectly making 58 off 53 to help guide Australia through a tricky, untidy chase alongside the irrepressible and currently irreplaceable Matthew Wade. It was a match situation tailor-made for Smith, but he instead ran the drinks in a sign that he might be surplus to requirements despite being embedded in the World Cup squad.Finch explained the reasoning at the post-match presentation.”We felt as though with Greeny batting well at the top of the order we might be a little bit light on for experience in that No. 5 and 6 at international level if we went [Tim] David and Greeny together there,” Finch told . “So it was just something different. We’ll probably swap it around again next game and keep trying a few things.”We’re going to keep tinkering with things just to try and make sure that we’ve got all bases covered going into the World Cup.”The structure makes some sense given the injury issues. Green’s bowling is vital without Marsh and Stoinis if Australia are to play seven batters. The importance of the middle-order roles, as Wade continues to prove, and Green’s success opening makes Finch’s move to the middle all the more sound. There are numbers to back it up. Finch has batted at No. 4 or lower 42 times in his T20 career including twice in last season’s BBL. He also has a remarkable record in T20I cricket batting in the middle order, albeit from a small sample size. In six innings batting from Nos. 4-6 he’s made 200 runs and tonight was the first time he had been dismissed. It was his second half-century and he strikes at 151.51.It is the second time this year Finch has moved out of his traditional opening slot to allow Australia to tinker with their structure after Ashton Agar opened in a pair of games against Sri Lanka in February in the midst of Finch’s form slump.Cameron Green has been a valuable addition in the Australia T20I side•AFP/Getty ImagesFinch’s T20I form since then has been solid, scoring 287 runs in eight innings striking at 140 with three half centuries. But his poor ODI form, which led to his retirement from the format, has in some ways created noise around his position ahead of the World Cup.To those on the outside, he still looks like the elephant in the room. But on the inside, that has now become Green. His incredible batting form aside, Australia’s attack looks even stronger with Green in it as he brings a lot more firepower on home surfaces compared to what Marsh and Stoinis can offer, despite his limited experience.It was proven again on Wednesday. Although he was walloped for two stunning sixes, he did deliver eight dots balls in two overs and picked up the wicket of Raymon Reifer with steep bounce, which is an asset Pat Cummins thought would be extremely valuable in the World Cup.”I think especially here if you look around the World Cup venues, big square [boundaries], you’ve got bounce, having a tall fourth quick bowler is I think really beneficial,” Cummins said. “He hasn’t bowled a lot really in T20 so I think he will just keep getting better and better.”Cummins also noted how Green’s presence allowed Finch to spread his resources more evenly across the innings and keep overs up his sleeve for his senior bowlers to bowl at the death without having to over attack with them through the middle.”I think it does,” Cummins said. “He can bowl in the first six and be a real wicket-taking option through the middle if we need someone to be aggressive. He can do that. I think at times we’ve had Stoin [Stoinis] or Mitch Marsh if there’s a swinging ball, maybe bowl one or two upfront. But yeah, it’s a huge asset.”Australia will continue to tinker with their team structure over the next four games against West Indies and England, and Green will remain the elephant in the room with injuries still a concern.What Australia’s team sheet looks like for their opening match of the World Cup remains to be seen.

She is the most genuine allrounder imaginable

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Oct-2020The 50 Greatest Australian Cricketers (Affirm Press), in which Dan Liebke charts the careers, characteristics and enduring legacies of the finest Australian players of the last half-century.

‘She’s totally amazing’ – Amy,
‘Watch the ball. Make good decisions’ – Ellyse Perry

If I told you that Australia had a batter who averaged 78.10 in Tests, 52.10 in ODIs and 29.07 in T20Is, you’d probably consider them the kind of player you’d want batting in your top order.If I told you that Australia had a bowler who averaged 18.19 in Tests, 24.29 in ODIs and 18.97 in T20Is, you’d surely want them to lead your bowling attack.If I told you that those figures belonged to the same cricketer, you’d probably smack me upside the head and tell me to stop lying. After all, the Australian men’s team, as a rule, haven’t had a true allrounder – one who could comfortably hold their spot with their prowess in either discipline – for decades.ALSO READ: Profile: Ellyse the incredible (2017) In the last 50 years, which man comes close? Shane Watson was handy with the ball, but if you had to choose him as a bowler only, you’d be in a perilous state of affairs. Steve Waugh in his youth was a handy ODI allrounder, as was Simon O’Donnell. But neither reached that standard in Tests. Mitchell Johnson has a Test century, but no sane person would ever have picked him as a specialist batter.However, over in the women’s side, we have Ellyse Perry, the most genuine allrounder imaginable.Perry made her debut for the Australian ODI side in 2007. She was 16 years old, the youngest ever cricketer to represent Australia. Her T20 debut came six months later, where she was awarded player of the match for her 29 not out with the bat and her 4 for 20 with the ball. Her Test debut came two weeks after that. Not yet old enough to vote or legally drink, Ellyse Perry was an allrounder in all three formats of the game.At this stage, however, she was primarily a bowling allrounder, who batted in the bottom half of the line-up and was only expected to contribute occasional runs. This would be her position for the first half of her career.Despite an ankle injury bothering her when she started bowling in the 2013 World Cup final, Ellyse Perry took 3 for 19 to help dismiss West Indies for 145•Pal Pillai/Getty ImagesThis slightly reduced role didn’t stop her from having an impact. In the 2010 World T20, the still-teenaged Perry was given the last over of the final, with New Zealand needing 14 to win and the big-hitting Sophie Devine at the crease. Perry saw the game out, using her football skills to intercept with her foot a straight drive from the final ball that would have sent the match into a Super Over. She was player of the match.Three years later, in the 2013 World Cup, Perry was struggling with an ankle injury. She’d missed a good chunk of the tournament because of it, but was determined to play in the final against the West Indies. She batted with no apparent discomfort, contributing 25 not out (22) to help Australia to 259 for 7 from their 50 overs.When it came time to bowl, however, with the West Indies moving comfortably along at 32 for 0, Perry’s ankle wouldn’t support her. Attempting to bowl her first ball, she was forced to abort her run-up, and limp back to the top of her mark. Her second attempt was no more successful, the pain evident with every step.Yet somehow, Perry fought through the pain and forced herself to bowl the over. It was a maiden. A wicket maiden to be precise, as she removed Kycia Knight lbw from the final ball of the over. From the first ball of her next over, she caught the edge of Stafanie Taylor’s bat. However, the third umpire adjudicated that the ball didn’t carry to Meg Lanning at slip. So three balls later, Perry had Taylor caught and bowled instead. Still no runs had been taken from her. In her following over, Perry had Natasha McLean lbw. After three overs, she had the figures of 3 for 2 with two maidens. West Indies were done. Ellyse Perry had won the World Cup on one leg.ALSO WATCH: 25 Questions with Ellyse Perry: ‘Fast bowlers are cooler than spinners. Just look at them!’Even if you only considered her bowling feats at this stage of her career, that would have been enough to see her acknowledged as one of Australia’s finest ever cricketers.From the middle of 2013 on, however, Perry suddenly decided to become not just a handy lower-order batter, but instead one of the best batters in the world. Perhaps, given that her international soccer career was winding down, she was bored and looking for a new challenge.The improvement in Perry’s batting from 2013 on was most noticeable in the longer forms of the game. Her batting average in ODIs, which was 21.86 from 54 matches up to the 2013 World Cup final, transformed into an average of 70.58 from 58 games afterwards. In Tests, her batting average of 22.66 from three Tests prior to 2013 jumped to 111.20 from five Tests afterwards.Granted, those Test figures are a very small sample size. On the other hand, they’re the only Tests that the women get to play, and jumping from 22.66 to 111.20 is certainly better than moving in the other direction. Furthermore, given the jump in her ODI batting records, which is over a far more statistically significant sample, it’s not crazy to think Perry’s Test batting might genuinely have improved dramatically as well.Certainly, when she was compiling a patient 213 not out in the 2017 Ashes Test and then following it up with 116 and 76 not out in the 2019 version, one got the distinct impression that her batting at Test level had advanced a notch or two.Perry’s 213 not out in the 2017 Ashes is the highest Test score by an Australian female batter•Getty ImagesRegardless of how precisely Perry’s astonishing Test batting figures reflect her true ability at that level, there’s little doubt that she’s one of the elite batters in women’s cricket these days.Oh, and her bowling has also maintained its previous spectacular standard throughout this period of her batting improvement.All of which makes Ellyse Alexandra Perry an impossibly good package of a cricketer.A decent trick question a seasoned cricket fan can ask a more casual fan is to name the greatest cricketer of all time. Most such casual fans will unhesitatingly blurt out “Bradman” as the answer.But Bradman was merely the greatest batter of all time. The more nuanced answer is to consider both batting and bowling and pin your vote on Sir Garfield Sobers, who had a batting average of 57.78 and a bowling average of 34.03.Despite the difficulties of comparing different eras and the different formats played, it’s not crazy to consider Ellyse Perry the Sobers of women’s cricket. She’s got a similarly mind-boggling record with both bat and ball over a similarly long career.And so if I told you that Ellyse Perry was Australia’s greatest cricketer of the last 50 years, you’d have to at least consider the possibility that I was telling the truth.Which is convenient, because that’s exactly what I am telling you: Ellyse Perry is Australia’s greatest cricketer of the last 50 years.This excerpt has been edited lightly to ESPNcricinfo house style

The Detroit Tigers' mascot Paws tried to do his part to distract Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes as he was dealing on the bump at Comerica Park on Thursday. He threw six innings and tied a season-high with nine strikeouts, but will record yet another no decision after the Tigers tied the game after Skenes's exit.

The Pirates ace had it going though, amidst a clever, yet audacious distraction attempt from Paws behind home plate. Skenes makes up one half of debatably the most notable couple across sports with his girlfriend, former LSU gymnast Livvy Dunne.

As Skenes toed the rubber Thursday, Paws held a big sign that said "sup Livvy Dunne" adorned with hearts to try and get in the NL Cy Young favorite's head. A bold and pretty hilarious attempt. It turned out to be just a failed attempt as Skenes set Tigers' batters down on strikes left and right, giving up two earned runs in his six-inning outing.

Dunne quickly took notice and posted the perfect response to the Tigers' mascot.

"Sorry… not my type of tiger," the LSU alum wrote on her X account.

Skenes and Dunne recently made the trip to Omaha to cheer on their LSU Tigers in the men's College World Series. LSU is set to meet Coastal Carolina in the championship final round, which is a best-of-three series and begins Saturday.

India first, Australia second. No, that wasn’t an early prediction for the finals, just simply Sri Lanka’s first two matches at this World Cup. It should only get easier from here but for a Sri Lankan outfit that, despite having played 31 ODIs between the 2022 World Cup and this one, has been crying out for consistent, high-level competition, this upcoming game will lay the most accurate marker yet on their upward trajectory over the past couple of years.Having challenged the hosts India in the tournament opener, they fell short at key moments in that game, perhaps succumbing to the pressure of the occasion. And that pressure will only be cranked up against an imposing Australian outfit, one with so many avenues to hurt you, it’s hard to pinpoint any single weak point that opponents could potentially prey on.For Sri Lanka’s captain Chamari Athapaththu both these matches have come at the right time – at the start of the tournament – and she hopes they will serve as a building block for her side’s ambitions.Related

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“Yes, we’re playing against the two best teams in the first two games, but that’s really good for us,” Athapaththu said ahead of Saturday’s match against Australia in Colombo.”Because then we have some games against teams – like South Africa, New Zealand, Pakistan Bangladesh – that we have beaten during the last 12-15 months. So it’s good to start with best teams so that we can prepare well and learn from our mistakes and bounce back.”That resilience to bounce back from setbacks is what has driven this Sri Lankan team over the past couple of years. Between October 2019 and June 2022, they didn’t play a single ODI. Since then, they’ve surged forward, culminating in their T20 Asia Cup title in 2024.Game time has helped, even if parity with the men’s team remains distant. Sri Lanka played 31 WODIs and 61 WT20Is between the 2022 and 2025 World Cups. Still, matches against elite sides like Australia remain rare. Before this tournament, Sri Lanka hadn’t played an international for four months; they prepared with domestic fixtures and games against youth teams.”Everyone knows the Australians are the best team and they have a very experienced side,” Athapaththu said. “In 2019 we played a series against them and I scored a century in Brisbane. After that we never played against Australia because of Covid and some other various reasons. So we missed playing against Australia.”We know we haven’t played international games during the past few months, but we played some domestic cricket. There are things that I cannot control as a captain but I’ll control my bat and ball. Our preparation is good, because we played some games against national youth teams.”Australia’s preparation, meanwhile, has been ideal. They won a hard-fought series in India in September and several of their players have gained exposure to Indian conditions through the WPL. They arrived in Colombo on Thursday afternoon, well in time to recover and prepare for Saturday.”It’s been good, positive vibes,” said opener Phoebe Litchfield when asked about the team’s mood following their journey from Indore. “Woke up this morning, hit the gym, got to the ground and hopefully have some food and get started into training. The commute was fine. It was pretty stock standard but the bodies feel great all around so we’re keen to play tomorrow.”Litchfield struck a 31-ball 45 against New Zealand to set the tone for Australia’s innings in Indore, but with conditions in Colombo unlikely to be as conducive to batting, she knows a more considered approach might be required.”I think we’ll see when we get out there,” Litchfield said. “I’m not going to swing from the limbs first ball. Going to assess conditions, see how it’s playing. And if we think it’s a 300 wicket, it’s a 300 wicket and we’ll play our way. But also know that we might have to adapt depending on the conditions that we face.Litchfield has played just the solitary match against Sri Lanka – a WT20I last year – but Australia know what to expect for the most part.”Their opening bowlers pose a threat but their spin attack is where their work gets done. They’ve got four spinners that are completely different to each other. That’ll probably be the biggest threat to us.”

India have never been swept in a bilateral ODI series against Australia as they aim to bounce back in Sydney

Tristan Lavalette24-Oct-2025

Xavier Bartlett dismissed Virat Kohli for a duck•Getty Images

Big Picture – Can India avert a clean sweep?In an anti-climax, considering the rivalry and general fanfare, the third ODI at the SCG will be a dead rubber after Australia clinched the series with a two-wicket victory in Adelaide.The final result probably flattered India, who fought to the end but were mostly up against it through the game. While valid excuses could be made for the truncated rain-affected opener in Perth, India were generally outplayed in the second ODI and could never quite recover from the early wickets of captain Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli, who bagged a second consecutive duck for the first time in his legendary ODI career.India’s top-order has been completely pinned down by Josh Hazlewood, the standout quick across the two games as England watch on ahead of the Ashes. The much-hyped returns of Kohli and Rohit Sharma have not quite gone to plan, although Rohit top-scored with 73 in Adelaide, and there remains an unknown over their futures with some pushing for Yashasvi Jaiswal to freshen up the top-order.Related

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Without Hardik Pandya, India have looked unbalanced and they trotted out the same XI across the two games to no avail. There are clearly teething problems for Gill as he looks to start moulding his preferred line-up.In a notable contrast, Australia feel rejuvenated especially with fringe players Matt Short, Cooper Connolly, Mitch Owen and Matthew Renshaw making valuable contributions in their successful run chase in Adelaide.Their performances would have pleased Australia’s hierarchy as they look to bed down a batting-order after the ODI retirements of Steven Smith and Glenn Maxwell.Australia have never swept India in a bilateral ODI series, providing further motivation for a group that is currently in good spirits after a patchy run in 50-over cricket.Like in the previous two games, a pro-India crowd is expected amid a sold-out SCG.Form guide(last five completed matches, most recent first)
Australia WWWLL
India LLWWWShubman Gill and Gautam Gambhir talk during a training session•AFP/Getty ImagesIn the spotlight: Matt Renshaw and Shubman GillHaving waited nine years into his international career to play ODIs, Renshaw has fitted in seamlessly after finishing the job in Perth with an unbeaten 21 off 24 followed by a run a ball 30 in Adelaide. He has publicly spoken about shutting out the external noise and exuded composure after coming to the crease in Adelaide with Australia wobbling at 54 for 2. Renshaw helped change the momentum with a brisk 55-run partnership with Matt Short, but would have been annoyed to not make a big score after being knocked over by a looping delivery from left-arm spinner Axar Patel having attempted to launch over mid-off. Renshaw is set to get another chance in Sydney as competition hots up in this transitioning batting-order. There is also the Ashes hovering, with Renshaw considered an outside chance of being in the selection mix.There has been a lot of attention on the returns of Kohli and Rohit, which has somewhat deflected the slow start to Gill’s ODI captaincy. Gill has been unable to set the tone like he spectacularly did in Test cricket. He has made just 10 and 9 although hasn’t been helped by Rohit holding up an end early in the innings, putting pressure on Gill to counterattack. He will face some heat early in his captaincy reign if India succumb to just a sixth ODI series whitewash in their proud history, underlining the importance of this game.Team news: Hazlewood/Starc may opt for restAustralia (possible): 1 Mitchell Marsh (capt), 2 Travis Head, 3 Matt Short, 4 Matthew Renshaw, 5 Alex Carey (wk), 6 Cooper Connolly, 7 Mitch Owen, 8 Xavier Bartlett, 9 Mitchell Starc/Jack Edwards, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Nathan Ellis/Josh HazlewoodWith the match a dead rubber, Australia might be tempted to rest Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc with there being just one day of rest between games two and three. Nathan Ellis, who performed well in game one, might be recalled while allrounder Jack Edwards has been named in the squad on the back of strong form on Australia A’s tour of India. Left-arm spinner Matt Kuhnemann has also returned to the squad after an impressive effort in the first ODI but two spinners in the XI seems unlikely.Josh Inglis has joined the squad in Sydney after missing the first two but is unlikely to play as he continues to recover from a calf strain, which means the top seven will likely remain the same.Josh Hazlewood could be rested•CA/Getty ImagesIndia (possible): 1 Shubman Gill [capt], 2 Rohit Sharma, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 Axar Patel, 6 KL Rahul (wk), 7 Washington Sundar/Kuldeep Yadav, 8 Nitish Reddy, 9 Harshit Rana/Prasidh Krishna, 10 Arshdeep Singh, 11 Mohammed SirajIndia decided to stick with the same XI in Adelaide but it did not do the trick and changes are almost certain. There has been a lot of debate over whether left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav should be in the side with the attack lacking some bite so far in the series. India have preferred the more conservative option of allrounder Washington Sundar, who has taken three wickets in the series but failed with the bat. Seamer Prasidh Krishna could be in the frame to replace Harshit Rana, who has been expensive in the series. It is also interesting to see if they find a way to give a game to Yashasvi Jaiswal.Pitch and conditionsClear and pleasant conditions are expected in Sydney on Saturday. While turn has not been as notable at the SCG in recent times compared to previous decades, spinners have still played a vital role on flat surfaces. Australia’s batters have feasted in the conditions, piling on huge scores during their current six-game winning streak in ODIs at the ground.Stats and triviaKohli still needs 54 runs to move past Kumar Sangakkara and into second place on the ODI runs list.India have lost the toss a record 17 times in a row in ODIs dating back to the 2023 World Cup final. India have not lost three consecutive ODIs since a four-game skid to Sri Lanka and South Africa in 2021-22 Australia have a commanding 16-2 (1 no result) record over India at the SCG. India’s only victories were six-wicket wins in 2008 and 2016.Quotes”We’ve got a lot of depth in Australian cricket. With Smudge [Smith] and Maxi [Maxwell] retiring from one-day cricket earlier in the year, there’s room for some younger guys to come through.”
“It definitely hurts [to lose the series]. I personally feel the way Australian bowlers bowl on such wickets, they have a fair bit of an advantage at the start and they utilised it pretty well.”