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GOAL’s writers found no shortage of drama in the Conference semis, highlighted by Messi’s Miami rolling on and Son Heung-min’s LAFC crashing out in dramatic fashion.

And then there were four. After a month of playoff chaos – interrupted by that odd two-week break due to international duty – MLS finally has its Conference finalists: Inter Miami, NYCFC, San Diego FC and the Vancouver Whitecaps. All four got here after a wild weekend. Miami went on the road to their biggest Eastern Conference rivals and dismantled them behind another dose of Lionel Messi brilliance. NYCFC followed by taking down the Philadelphia Union on their own pitch — a result that somehow feels both surprising and strangely predictable.

Out West, things were a little more intriguing. Vancouver and LAFC played out what was, without a doubt, one of the best MLS games in history. Tied 3-3 before extra time, and pens needed to win it? Yes please. Had Son Heung-Min's penalty kissed the inside of the post rather than slamming off it, we'd have a totally different story here. And then, a word for San Diego, who managed the ugliest of 1-0 wins over a predictably resolute Minnesota United. 

What we’re left with is genuinely compelling. It was a chaotic weekend, and the picture is suddenly much clearer – so what does it all mean now? Are Miami truly unstoppable? And what’s been the standout element of these predictably unpredictable playoffs? With the conference finals now set, GOAL U.S.’s writers break down the MLS postseason so far.

Getty Images SportCan anyone stop Lionel Messi's Inter Miami now?

Tom Hindle: In the East? No way. NYCFC did an admirable job by springing an upset on Philadelphia, and will put up a good fight. But Miami are a tier above – especially the way a certain Argentine is playing. Beyond that, it's tough to say. match up well with San Diego, and would certainly be favored there. But Vancouver are a trickier side to play against – and have already beaten them convincingly earlier this year. Right now, that's the dream final. 

Ryan Tolmich: It sure doesn’t seem like it! Even compared to his usual form, Messi is on another level right now and seems totally determined to lift this team to a trophy. When he’s in that type of mood, and at this fitness level, more importantly, there’s not much anyone can do to stop him. Have fun, NYCFC!

AdvertisementAre Messi's playoff performances the best in MLS history?

TH: Yes – and it's not particularly close. Messi has been at his best for a month now, and that form has only continued. He's on fire, and Miami are, too. 

RT: We all know how to really answer this question. Ultimately, none of this matters unless there’s a trophy in the end. What we can say, though, is if that trophy lift does happen in Florida, yeah, this was the one, for sure.

Getty Images SportWas Vancouver vs. LAFC the GOAT playoff game?

TH: If not, what more would you like out of a game? Aside from a physical fight, a couple (more) red cards or some sort of act of a divine power, this has a pretty good claim. Perhaps the better one is the LAFC and Philadelphia Union final from a few years back. But even that simmered for a while. This was mad from the first minute. That Thomas Muller signing now looks like absolute genius. 

RT: Not the GOAT, but in the top five or 10. There have been some classics over the years: Toronto vs. Montreal and LAFC vs. Philadelphia both come to mind. Let this serve as a reminder of how good the playoffs can be when they’re at their chaotic best.

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ImagnHow big of an upset was NYCFC over Philly?

TH: BIG. NYCFC went to Philadelphia, suffering from injury and suspension, and managed a pretty convincing win. This was no 1-0 smash and grab, either. Philly certainly had their chances, but NYCFC played football, and were rewarded for it. Most had this pegged for a comfy victory for the Union. What happened was the opposite. 

RT: A little? The biggest factor were the injuries, as NYCFC went into this game so, so shorthanded. The Union, however, showed signs of weakness all season long against the league’s good teams, the ones that wouldn’t wilt to their tactics. NYCFC are one of those teams, so no surprise they were able to at least make it a 50-50 game and come out on the right side of their 50 thanks to some great goalkeeping.

The Chicago White Sox debuted new jerseys this year, inspired by 1990s-era Bulls uniforms. Previously, Chicago donned "Southside" City Connect jerseys that were near-universally loved by Sox fans. The prior uniforms were relatively close in motif to the style of a typical home Sox jersey: Primarily black, white pinstripes, with "Southside" across the chest as a nod to the stadium's location on 35th Street.

The new uniforms go an entirely different direction, with a base color of red, notably nowhere in the Sox's color palette. That's not abnormal for city connects, the Mets had a purple jersey, the Padres a teal and pink. The jerseys give teams the opportunity to experiment with different colors and themes on a temporary basis.

Chicago wore them for the first time on Friday night at home, and baseball fans were very split about it. Take a look at some of the reactions here:

One fan somewhat aptly lamented the subtle reminder that the uniforms bring: That Jerry Reinsdorf controls both teams. While both teams have lagged in recent years, under Reinsdorf's stewardship, the Bulls won six titles, the White Sox one World Series. Sports owners have certainly done worse.

Even if you don't like City Connect jerseys, the debate they bring is undeniable.

After a run of poor results, Chelsea got back to winning ways in the Premier League, overcoming Everton 2-0 at Stamford Bridge.

It is the first time since 22nd November that Enzo Maresca’s side have tasted victory in the top flight.

It only took the Blues 21 minutes before they went 1-0 up. On his first start at the Bridge since August, it was always going to be Cole Palmer who fired Chelsea into the lead.

It was a well-taken goal, too, with the England star making a well-timed underlapping run between the Everton defence and firing home past Jordan Pickford.

Chelsea had chances to double their lead, which they squandered. However, they did find the back of the net again on the stroke of half-time. It was Malo Gusto who got on the scoresheet this time, capping off an incisive counterattack by slotting home Pedro Neto’s cross.

It was a fantastic performance on the whole from the West Londoners. They shoot up to fourth in the Premier League, although most teams around them have a game in hand. Maresca will be hoping his side can build some momentum ahead of a busy few weeks.

There were a couple of real standouts for the Blues, and not just Palmer and Gusto…

Chelsea's best players vs Everton

It was inevitable, in many ways, that Palmer was going to have his say on this game. His first home start in months did not disappoint, with the Wythenshawe-born attacker proving why he is one of the Premier League’s most dangerous players.

It was a showing worthy of an 8/10 rating from Goal journalist Richie Mills. He said the Chelsea number 10 ‘showed good speed and a smart finish’, describing his performance as ‘a good day at the office’ in front of the home faithful.

The same could certainly be said for Gusto. He set Palmer up with a through ball that threaded the needle superbly, before getting on the score sheet himself for the second time in that famous Blue shirt.

Indeed, his stats from the game are superb. Gusto was constantly involved, having 81 touches, and completed 90% of his passes, as per Sofascore. Not only did the Frenchman create two chances, but he also made four ball recoveries and was impressive off the ball.

However, Palmer and Gusto were not the only two Chelsea players who stood out against Everton.

Chelsea duo look made for Mourinho

It was yet another clean sheet for the centre-back pairing of Trevoh Chalobah and Wesley Fofana. As a partnership, they have begun to string together some impressive performances and have become more than reliable for Maresca.

That was no different against the Toffees. They each received a 7/10 rating from Mills for their afternoon’s work. The journalist was full of compliments for the pair and said they are perhaps the ‘best centre-back pairing’ available to the Blues at the moment.

The stats from the game show just how well the pair, who earn a combined £250k per week, performed against the Toffees.

Some of the standouts included Fofana’s impressive 11 clearances and Cobham graduate Chalobah’s five successful duels out of seven.

Pass accuracy

97%

99%

Touches

84

83

Clearances

11

9

Ball recoveries

5

3

Duels won

6/15

5/7

Looking at the numbers in more detail, the West Londoners are unbeaten in their last seven games when the Frenchman and their academy graduate have started together.

Six of those games have been clean sheets.

Those numbers are superb and would certainly not look out of place in the era of Jose Mourinho at Stamford Bridge. The Portuguese manager famously oversaw a team that conceded just 15 league goals in a single season in 2004/05 – still the best-ever record in the division.

With the performances that Chalobah and Fofana have put in this season, it certainly feels very Mourinho-era coded. The ex-Blues boss is a famously pragmatic coach, so he would no doubt appreciate a record like six clean sheets in seven games.

Indeed, it is helping Maesrca’s side, and the current Chelsea gaffer surely has his centre-back pairing locked in for the foreseeable future.

Caicedo 2.0: Chelsea have made contact to sign "world-class" top target

Chelsea have made one player their top target ahead of the upcoming January window.

ByEthan Lamb 3 days ago

Burger walked off the field in the first innings after bowling 6.1 overs and de Zorzi pulled up in the dying moments of the chase to retire hurt for 17

Firdose Moonda03-Dec-2025South Africa left-arm seamer Nandre Burger has suffered a hamstring injury that curtailed his participation in the second ODI against India in Raipur and could impact the rest of his season.South Africa suffered another injury scare when Tony de Zorzi pulled up towards the end of their chase and retired hurt for 17 after the 45th over.”It didn’t look too good, to be honest – Nandre not being able to finish his overs and Tony also walking off,” captain Temba Bavuma said at the presentation. “If need be, we do have other guys waiting in the wings come Saturday.”Related

Markram ton trumps Kohli, Gaikwad centuries for nervy win

Burger had started his seventh over when he lost his run-up twice and appeared to struggle to land on his right leg. He held onto his right knee before walking off the field. Aiden Markram delivered the next five balls to complete the over.ESPNcricinfo understands that Burger was assessed and is still experiencing discomfort in his right hamstring. He will continue to be monitored by South Africa’s medical staff. In the immediate term, it affected South Africa in this match, where Markram bowled 5.5 overs in total, and will impact team selection for the third ODI on Saturday. Burger is not part of the T20I squad, where Anrich Nortje will make his return, and he may be called on earlier if South Africa feel they need extra pace. They are already without Kagiso Rabada, who has a rib niggle, and Gerald Coetzee, who was not picked for this tour.Later in the match, South Africa suffered a second injury blow when de Zorzi pulled up as he completed a second run. De Zorzi was on 17 off 11 balls when Corbin Bosch called him through and though he reached the non-striker’s end safely, de Zorzi hobbled the last third of the way. He received treatment on field and decided to continue. But after Bosch hit the next ball for four and de Zorzi had to hop on one leg, he left the field, with South Africa 27 away from victory after 45 overs. De Zorzi walked off unaided, but very gingerly, suggesting the injury is serious. He has an SA20 deal with Durban’s Super Giants.Burger has a long history of injuries, including a lower-back stress fracture which kept him out of the game from October 2024 until September this year. He missed last year’s SA20 but was re-signed by the same team, Joburg Super Kings for this year’s edition for R6.3 million, and they will be sweating on his availability. The tournament begins on Boxing Day, in just over three weeks’ time.

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery made a stark transfer admission about out-of-favour Liverpool loanee Harvey Elliott as the January transfer window looms. Elliott was sent out on loan to the Villans in the last window after the Reds bought Florian Wirtz, breaking the British transfer record. His journey, however, has not gone as planned as he has struggled for minutes at Villa Park.

Elliott's struggles at Aston Villa

Villa are facing a crucial call over Elliott's next steps after the Liverpool loanee slipped further down the pecking order in recent weeks. The 22-year-old has made just one Premier League start since arriving in the summer and has been left out of the club's last seven matchday squads in the Premier League. His lack of involvement has heightened speculation that the Reds will recall him in January, especially with a mandatory £35 million ($47m) purchase clause activating if he reaches 10 appearances.

The structure of the loan had originally been viewed as a chance for Elliott to accelerate his development in a high-level environment, but the early months of the season have told a different story. The Villans' form and the emergence of other midfield options have severely limited the opportunities available to him. As a result, both clubs now find themselves needing clarity ahead of a decisive mid-season transfer window.

AdvertisementAFPEmery makes Elliott transfer admission

Just weeks before the January transfer window opens, Emery told reporters: "We are speaking with him and about his situation. He is not here with us. Hopefully we can get the best for him and the best for us. I respect him as a player and as a person. He is training well, but we have one circumstance with him.

"Hopefully, we can get a solution for him to try to play consistently and try to continue in his career with us or not. I have spoken with him two or three times about the situation we have with him. Firstly, my decision and also the situation. He is on loan playing with us, but he is not definitely adding to us with a permanent contract."

Will Elliott return to Liverpool?

With the January transfer window fast approaching, Elliott's future at Villa Park now hinges on what happens over the next several weeks as the club navigate a congested fixture list in December. Increased rotation in domestic and European competitions could offer the midfielder a chance to re-enter Emery's plans and influence the club's decision, although the manager's words suggest his days are numbered.

Should Elliott continue to miss out, Liverpool are expected to explore bringing him back early to avoid stagnation in his development. The Reds remain invested in his long-term trajectory, and the lack of minutes at Villa may prompt a reassessment of the loan strategy altogether. A recall would also reopen the possibility of integrating him into Arne Slot's plans as the Reds continue to toil, or arranging a new temporary move with guaranteed playing time.

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Getty Images SportLiverpool want to solve Salah issue first

Before thinking about bringing back Elliott from his loan spell, Liverpool are currently focused on resolving the Mohamed Salah issue after the Egyptian winger vented his frustrations against the club and the manager in front of the media after being left out of the starting line-up by Slot for the third consecutive Premier League game against Leeds..

Salah has even hinted that he could leave the Merseyside club in the upcoming January transfer window and has already been linked with a move to the Saudi Pro League. In fact, the SPL chief executive Omar Mugharbel has confirmed that the Liverpool talisman is a transfer target amid uncertainty over his future at Anfield.

Speaking to reporters, Mugharbel said: "Mohamed Salah is welcome in the Saudi League, but it is the clubs that are responsible for negotiating with players. For sure, Salah is one of them [a target]."

After a morale-boosting win over Inter in the Champions League on Tuesday, Slot's men will be back in action with renewed energy on Saturday as they host Brighton in a key Premier League fixture at Anfield.

The American League All-Star pitching staff will look a little bit different on Tuesday night in Atlanta.

New York Yankees lefthander Max Fried has been replaced on the roster by teammate and fellow southpaw Carlos Rodon, MLB announced Friday.

Fried, who in all likelihood would have pitched an inning in the game, is scheduled to start for the Yankees on Saturday against the Chicago Cubs, meaning he'd be pitching on just two days rest in the Midsummer Classic. In taking his place, Rodon, Friday's scheduled starter for the Yankees, would be pitching on three days' rest in the All-Star Game.

The two southpaws have headlined New York's Gerrit Cole-less starting rotation, helping to stabilize the club's pitching staff in the wake of Cole's season-ending surgery in March. Fried leads the MLB in wins and ranks third in the AL with a 2.27 ERA. Meanwhile, Rodon has pitched to a 3.30 ERA and has recorded the sixth-most strikeouts in baseball with 127.

Fried and Rodon are joined by fellow Yankees Aaron Judge and Jazz Chisholm Jr. on the AL roster. The All-Star Game is at 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday night.

The Giants are reportedly close to hiring a new manager—and he will potentially be an unorthodox one.

San Francisco is nearing a deal to hire Tennessee coach Tony Vitello as its new manager, according to a Saturday afternoon report from Andrew Baggarly, Brittany Ghiroli and Ken Rosenthal of . Vitello would replace Bob Melvin, who the Giants fired after an 81–81 season.

The 47-year-old St. Louis native has never worked in Major League Baseball in any form or fashion. He has served as the Volunteers' coach since 2018; he previously worked as an assistant for Missouri, TCU and Arkansas.

With Tennessee, Vitello won a national championship in 2024 and advanced to three College World Series. The brassy, bombastic coach would depart the Volunteers with a career record of 341–131 in eight seasons.

San Francisco has not made the playoffs since its out-of-nowhere 107-win season in 2021, which ended with a loss to the Dodgers in the National League Division Series.

The Red Sox may want to consider wearing their Green Monster-themed City Connect uniforms on a full-time basis.

When shortstop Trevor Story punched a ground ball through the infield to drive in the winning run for a 2-1 victory over the Marlins on Friday night, it marked Boston's fifth walk-off win wearing their green uniforms which were just released this season.

The thrilling victory was Boston's 10th walk-off win of the year with half of those coming in their Fenway Greens. Considering they only wear the special uniform during Friday home games, that's a pretty remarkable feat. Plus, each game the Red Sox have won donning the green has come on a walk-off.

After the close win in the series opener against the Marlins, the Red Sox advanced to 67-56 on the year, currently 4.5 games back of the Blue Jays who hold the lead in the AL East. They are in wild-card position, though, currently two games up on the Yankees who hold the final spot and three games in front of the Guardians who sit as the first team out.

Down the stretch, maybe they should bend the rules and rock the Fenway Greens more often.

Charlie Parker was a giant of county game who took 3278 first-class wickets – but only once played for England

Paul Edwards28-Apr-2020 Odd Men In, “The Boxer” – Simon and GarfunkelThe number of first-class matches played in England has declined so markedly in the last half-century that some records stand like monuments from antiquity. Likewise a few giants of the past have become shadowy figures, their achievements mentioned by current historians but seldom properly investigated. What might be said, for example, about the third-most successful bowler in the game’s history, a slow-medium left-arm spinner who took 3278 first-class wickets in 635 matches but bowled in just one innings of Test cricket? Well, for a start do not be fooled by his three faintly distinguished first names: Charles Warrington Leonard; or by his fine reputation as a golfer; or by the fact that he was born in Prestbury, Gloucestershire, and died in Cranleigh, Surrey, both of them apparently affluent locations. Charlie Parker was the son of a general labourer, an admirer of the Russian Revolution and a gut radical who, in 1929, nearly stuck one on Pelham Warner, the former England captain and an epitome of his country’s cricketing establishment.Immediately there is a danger that our subject’s fondness for communism, if not pugilism, will overshadow an appreciation of his skills. (This is not a frequent hazard for students of English county cricket.) Let us therefore allow Grahame Parker, Gloucestershire’s historian and someone who played with his namesake for three seasons in the 1930s, to give us a picture of Charlie in his pomp:”Lithe and over six feet tall, he would glide through a day’s bowling with unbuttoned shirt sleeves flapping about his wrists, always with a cap pulled down at a rakish angle over his right eye and a smooth effortless rhythm that did not change as the overs passed. His was a classic action – left arm hidden behind the body as he approached the wicket, brought over fully extended at the moment of delivery in a lazy circular arc that defied analysis from the other end.”ALSO READ: Odd Men In: Ian FolleyBut our observant historian can have seen Parker only after he started bowling spin in 1919. He had joined Gloucestershire in 1903 as a left-arm seamer and for over a decade he left the twirling to George Dennett, a bowler who picked up a mere 2147 first-class wickets in his 19 English summers. Before that first post-war season, however, the 36-year-old Parker informed officials at Gloucestershire – negotiation was rarely his style – that he would be turning to spin. So began a decade or so in which Parker was became one of the finest cricketers in the world, an achievement which RC Robertson-Glasgow (“Crusoe”) assessed in his inimitable style: “On a sticky wicket…[Parker] was the greatest bowler I have seen; for, then, there was no man whom he could not make to look like a child batting with a pencil… Slim and angular, he was a sad-eyed executioner.”The statistics of Parker’s career after 1919 might initially strain the belief of the 21st century cricket lover. In every season from 1920 until his retirement in 1935 he took over a hundred wickets; in each of the three seasons plumb in the middle of the 1920s he picked up over two hundred. In 1925 he took five wickets in an innings and ten in a match more often than Simon Harmer, a very fine current bowler, has managed in his entire career. But such facts burst out from Parker’s career like clothes from an over-filled cupboard. He took five wickets in an innings 227 times and ten in a match on 91 occasions. “He wasted nothing,” wrote Crusoe, “to every ball some stroke had to be offered; and there was Walter Hammond roaming, predatory, at very short slip.”Parker was shrewd enough to choose the Yorkshire game for his benefit in 1922 and then skilful enough to take 9 for 36 in his opponents’ first innings. During the course of that 10.2-over spell he hit the stumps with five successive deliveries, one of which was a no-ball. That sequence included his first hat-trick; two years later he managed three in the same season, including two in the home game against Middlesex, a match Gloucestershire won after being bowled out for 31 in the first innings. (Hammond chipped in with 174 not out in the second dig.) Parker bowled a total of 7719 maidens; James Anderson, a great modern bowler, has so far delivered 8317.5 overs Having taken 467 wickets in nine seasons before 1914 Parker picked up another 2811 after the war until a modest return of 108 wickets at 26.04 in 1935 convinced him it was time to retire. He was 52.The consensus of Parker’s fellow professionals was that on a damp pitch he was the best bowler in the country and on a dry one he was merely among the top three or four. He was unfortunate that the first decade of his spin-bowling career overlapped with Wilfred Rhodes’ last and also unfortunate that his latter seasons coincided with Hedley Verity in his pomp. The very shrewd Bob Wyatt thought him a less dangerous bowler when attacked. “You had to know how to play him,” Wyatt said. “Move down the wicket…and hit the ball over his head. It could affect him. His next delivery might be short, then.”Parker’s great liking for damp English wickets and the availability of other slow bowlers offers an explanation as to why he was not selected for any MCC tours but it is scarcely a satisfactory one. Crusoe was certainly having none of it: “the silly saying went that Parker could not bowl on a plumb pitch; as if so great an artist were a sort of one-pitch man, like some elder who must occupy but one certain chair in the room, and if that be taken, cannot sit down at all.” What defied conventional comprehension, then as now, was that Parker was selected for only one home Test and that he was not picked when conditions suited him perfectly.

Parker’s hands were trembling, and for several seconds it seemed possible he was going to give one of the game’s most eminent men a punch up the bracket

He certainly believed playing for Gloucestershire didn’t help his cause. Even when naming him as one of ‘s Cricketers of the Year, Sydney Pardon confessed: “I have seen so little of Parker that I can say little about his bowling from personal observation.” Yet in 1922, the season for which he was honoured, Parker had taken 206 wickets. One can imagine Charlie bridling in resentment at the editor’s admission before ascribing such ignorance to the fact that he played at least half his games in Bristol, Gloucester and Cheltenham.Other occasions offered him perfect opportunities to publicise his deep grievance. At the county’s annual dinner in February 1926 he was presented with a trophy to mark his achievement in taking 17 for 56 in the match against Essex the previous season. Earlier the same evening Pelham Warner, the principal guest and an England selector, had spoken of his country’s chances against Australia in the forthcoming Ashes series. As recorded by David Foot in Parker concluded his acceptance speech by saying that “the selection committee would do well not to overlook some of the players in the less fashionable counties”.No one could argue the barb was out of character. Parker had a good mind and he frequently spoke it, particularly on his favourite topics: music, politics and cricket. Sometimes the last two subjects could be combined. Foot’s typically fine essay, which itself is based on a series of conversations with his subject’s team-mates and opponents, records several occasions when Parker had execrated the unearned privilege in which inter-war English cricket was soaked. Annual dinners like that held at Bristol’s Grand Hotel were a perfect example of an occasion when the dividing line between cricket’s officers and men was very clear. More often than not, the amateurs were placed with the guests of honour and the county’s officials. The professionals sat together and drank their beer.Five months after that dinner England’s players gathered at Leeds for the third Ashes Test. The first two matches had been drawn and all the signs were that the unprotected sections of the Headingley pitch would be wet, “marshy” the called them. They were classic Charlie Parker conditions and there was little surprise he was among the 12 players picked for the game. There was, though, astonishment when he was omitted from the team and disbelief when the England captain, Arthur Carr, then opted to bowl first. Australia made 492 and the game was eventually drawn. The England selectors for that series were Arthur Gilligan, Percy Perrin and Pelham Warner.Charlie Parker•Hulton Archive/Getty Images”Leaving out Parker at Headingley in 1926 was the most extraordinary mistake in all Test history,” concluded Wyatt, who was himself to omit Parker from his own England side at The Oval in 1930. “If it was thought proper to invite him to the ground, it was an act of lunacy not to play him when you had decided to put the opposition in because it was a wet wicket,” wrote Alan Gibson.Charlie Parker rarely forgot a batsman’s weakness and he never forgot a slight. In April 1929 Warner attended Gloucestershire’s annual dinner once again. Once the formal proceedings had ended Parker went to the lift with his team-mate and close friend, Reg Sinfield. The pair were hoping to take some fresh air on one of the balconies. Suddenly an obsequious lift attendant announced that room should be made for “Mr Pelham Warner”, who was approaching the lift and wished to go up to his room. Let us allow David Foot to take up the story:”Parker flung his arms out and grasped Warner by the lapels. ‘I’ll never once in my life make way for that bugger. He’s never had a good word to say for me. This so-and-so has blocked my Test match career. I played once in 1921 – and he made sure I’d never play for England again. He even got me up to Leeds in 1926 and then left me out. Make way for him…? Mr Bloody Warner will go to bed when I’ve finished with him.'”Foot admits that he has heard various versions of the story but none that contradicted its basic elements. (He even toned down some of the language.) Parker’s hands were trembling. For several seconds it seemed possible he was going to give one of the game’s most eminent men a punch up the bracket.”Come on, Charlie. Tisn’t worth it,” said Sinfield. Parker released his grip.Cricket’s historians might do well to pay more attention to Charlie Parker but it would be fatuous to turn him into either a paragon or a martyr. He was sharp-tempered, irascible and quick to criticise other fielders while being fairly inept himself. And for all that he might have argued about politics his career displays the conventional characteristics of the inter-war professional. He admired some of Gloucestershire’s amateur captains – Bev Lyon is a good example – and his benefit brought him £1075 (worth about £50,000 today). After retirement he served the game as a first-class umpire and then as a coach at Cranleigh School. Yet he remains one of the most intriguing characters from an age when the English professional cricketer was notable for his silent deference. And on a warm afternoon at Nevil Road it is wonderfully easy to imagine that rhythmic approach to the crease as Charlie wreaked quiet havoc in the only republic he ever knew. Odd Men In

Also: What was the thinking behind the Sunrisers’ super slow start with the bat?

Matt Roller11-Oct-2020Tewatia’s lucky break: the bails stay in their grooveDuring the Royals’ chase, Rahul Tewatia defied convention by deciding to attack Rashid Khan’s last over, the 18th, when most batsmen this season have opted to see him off and protect their wicket. He started by reverse-heaving two boundaries before flaying another over the covers. But when he then aimed to cut, he bottom-edged into wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow’s pad.The ball then ricocheted into the stumps with Tewatia out of his crease, leaving him to rue what appeared to be an unfortunate stumping. But after the zing bails lit up, they landed back in their groove to give him a valuable reprise. It brought to mind the storm surrounding the bails in the 2019 World Cup, when they failed to be dislodged five times in the first two weeks of the tournament.The non-dismissal proved crucial, too, with Tewatia and Parag sealing the win with a ball to spare after adding 85 between them in 7.5 overs for the sixth wicket.Why did Ben Stokes open the batting?For the second time in the IPL and the sixth time in his T20 career, Ben Stokes opened the batting for the Royals – as had been mooted on ESPNcricinfo’s Stump Mic podcast and by Tom Moody in our T20 Time:Out pre-match show.The move didn’t work – he chopped on against Khaleel Ahmed for five – but there was plenty of logic behind it. Stokes has struggled in the middle order over the last two years, struggling to get started against spinners in the middle overs – since the start of the 2018 season, he has scored at a strike rate of 116.57 and averaged 18.16 against spin in the IPL. It also meant the Royals had a left-right opening combination, and in theory meant that Buttler should have been more free to play his shots, with Stokes the slower starter of the two and more likely to anchor the innings.Having already made more changes than any other side in the tournament, the Royals will be reluctant to switch things around too much despite Stokes’ failure. This was Stokes’ first professional game for two months, coming immediately after his quarantine period, and was only his fourth white-ball appearance since the World Cup final in July 2019 – the fact that the move didn’t work on this occasion should not mean that it is canned for good.Royals’ powerplay strugglesIn their first game of the season, the Royals made 54 for 1 in the first six overs, and followed that up with 69 for 1 in their second. But in their last five, they have managed 185 runs in 30 powerplay overs while losing 12 wickets, and have been the IPL’s worst team in the first six overs. Today, they managed 36 for 3 and again seemed to be batting frenetically: perhaps the looming spectre of Rashid in the second half of the innings meant they felt they had to make the most of the fielding restrictions.ESPNcricinfo LtdTheir struggles have partly been down to Buttler and Steven Smith’s poor form, but also due to an unsettled batting line-up: Stokes and Buttler was their fourth different opening combination of the season, and their longest opening stand lasted only 2.4 overs. As a result, it seems unlikely that they will want to switch things around again, and will instead bank on their three overseas batsmen to come good at the top of the order.What was behind Sunrisers’ slow start?Despite only losing one wicket, the Sunrisers started very slowly, finishing the powerplay on 26 for 1: it was the joint third-lowest six-over score this IPL season, and the first time a team had only managed two boundaries in the powerplay.Why? Knowing how reliant their openers are on Bairstow and David Warner’s opening partnership, the Royals decided to frontload, giving their two best bowlers – Jofra Archer and Shreyas Gopal – two overs each with the new ball. They hit their straps, meaning Warner and Bairstow decided to drop anchor and eke out only 13 runs from the first four.When Kartik Tyagi came into the attack to bowl the third over, Bairstow had little option but to free his arms and look to make use of the fielding restrictions. He cracked him for two twos and a six, but then mistimed a pull and was caught in the deep, rewarding Smith’s aggressive captaincy move.Is Warner Archer’s bunny?Six innings, 41 balls, five dismissals: that is Warner’s head-to-head record against Archer in 2020. He gave him a torrid time in Australia’s T20I and ODI series in England, bowling high pace, and did similarly with the new ball today, bowling only one slower ball across his first two overs. Today’s dismissal was a little different, and Warner was cleaned up while backing away and looking to flay over the off side, but extended his poor run against Archer. As below, it also earned him a new console.

Looks like @JofraArcher will be getting a new console @xboxuk #SRHvRR | #IPL2020 pic.twitter.com/tcVvDbnlk6

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) October 11, 2020

Kane Williamson: T20 finisher?Two games in a row, the Sunrisers’ top order has laid a platform for their middle order: against the Kings XI, they lost their first wicket in the 16th over; today, they lost their second in the 15th.On both occasions, the Sunrisers’ approach has led to questions about Kane Williamson’s role in their side. He has been listed to bat at No. 4, with Manish Pandey ahead of him performing an anchoring role, but their plan for the openers to bat far into the innings has left Williamson’s name looking somewhat out of place as a finisher with Mohammad Nabi and Fabian Allen both sitting on the bench.But he has shown glimpses of his power game at the death in both games, with 20* off 10 against the Kings XI and 22* off 12 in this afternoon’s match. While he has shown his ability to adapt to an unfamiliar role, the fact that Williamson has only faced 66 balls across five innings this season seems like something for the Sunrisers think-tank to address.Should Stokes have bowled more?Stokes only bowled one over, which went for seven runs, with Tewatia bowling his full allocation and conceding 13 from his final over, the 16th. That might have been due to Stokes’ poor record with the ball since joining the Royals – average 35.64, economy 9.10 – or with a view to easing him back towards full match fitness: in his two most recent Tests for England, he bowled a total of four overs due to concerns about his quad muscle.Either way, it seems likely that Stokes’ role with the ball this season will resemble Andre Russell’s for KKR: bowling short, sharp spells at crucial junctures rather than being one of their main options.