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In a year with the most 200-plus totals and the highest economy rate, Bumrah has towered over all other bowlers

Sidharth Monga31-May-20252:13

Moody: Ridiculous how far ahead of the rest Bumrah is

People on X have been calling him Josh Hazlegod since Ashes 2017-18, but it is Mumbai Indians (MI) that have got the closest to a religious experience. You can almost always neatly divide any given match of MI, any given campaign, or their entire IPL history into Before Bumrah and Anno Domini.In hindsight, MI made a mistake at the toss in the Eliminator against Gujarat Titans (GT), had to fight heavy dew and were being carted all around; GT’s run rate at the end of the 14th over was higher than the asking rate, and they had eight wickets in hand. And then appeared the lord, Jasprit Bumrah. The miracle of Bumrah created what might yet be the image of IPL 2025: Washington Sundar in a variation of the spreadeagle having failed to negate a yorker, and his stumps all over the place.In this year’s IPL, Bumrah missed the first four matches. MI won only one of those. Since Burmah’s introduction to this year’s IPL, they have won eight out of 11 matches. Basically, that is the same number of losses in the four matches Before Bumrah and 11 matches after his return.Related

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Ashwani fills the gaps in MI's Bumrah-centric bowling plans

Overall, MI had zero titles in five years Before Bumrah; they are now gunning for the sixth one in 13 seasons with him in the side.There is no mistaking correlation with causation here. Even in a format with as limited agency for bowlers as T20, Bumrah creates a massive impact. The overall economy rate and average in all T20 matches involving Bumrah are 8.12 and 27.7, respectively. Bumrah, though, has gone at 6.86 and 20.09. When you are that much better than what the average bowler is doing in the same conditions, you can create a massive impact even in T20. Bumrah’s teams have to be really ordinary for him not to have an impact on the result. They usually aren’t.This year has been extra special for Bumrah. Bear in mind, it has been the year with the most 200-plus totals and the highest economy rate, and will end up with the most sixes. Among those who have bowled at least 25 balls in this IPL, Bumrah holds the best economy rate: 6.36 per over as against the overall 9.61. To turn in his most economical IPL ever in the big 2025 is phenomenal. Only three bowlers with as many or more wickets than him are still alive in the tournament.T20 is a format where batters hit you regardless, making it difficult to define what a good ball is, or to ascertain cause and effect. That’s not the case with Bumrah, though. Just one look at his pitch map, and you know why he has done well. A total of 43.41% of Bumrah’s deliveries have been full tosses, yorkers, or in the 2-4m bin. These can safely be assumed to be attempted yorkers. His unique action gives Bumrah the opposite of dip – the lift, which makes it difficult to line up any error in attempted yorkers.The miracle Bumrah created, what might yet be the image of this IPL•BCCITo have that higher margin for error because of a physical irregularity is one thing, but to hammer it home so beautifully is another. Bumrah’s full tosses have gone at just 7.42 runs per over (11.58 for all other fast bowlers), his yorkers at 5.49 per over (6.66 for others) and 2-4m deliveries at 5 per over (8.2 for others). Others have bowled only 22% of their deliveries in these three zones because if they miss their yorker, they get punished.The worst region to bowl in this year’s IPL has been 4-6m, which is the aggressive good length on a seaming pitch but just a slot ball on the T20 pancakes. Bumrah has veered into that zone only 7.75% of the time for 8.1 runs an over, while others have made the mistake nearly twice: 13.83% for an economy rate of 11.82.Bumrah has basically bowled defensive good lengths or hard lengths or attempted yorkers 36.82% of the time. This is incredible control over what you want to do. Hyperextension gives you certain benefits, but not this rate of execution and awareness of your game and the game in general.2:58

Cricinformed: Bumrah, the gold standard for a T20 bowler

Apart from the lift on his on-pace deliveries, Bumrah generates alarming dip and cut on the slower ones. He is streets ahead of the slower balls bowled by other bowlers. For others, only those slower balls that end up as yorkers have gone for under a-run-a-ball. For Bumrah, the whole band from 0-8m, plus 10-12m, is under a-run-a-ball. His slower balls in the slot have yielded a batting strike rate of just 50.Against his next opponents, Punjab Kings (PBKS), Bumrah bowled four overs for just 23 runs earlier in the season even as PBKS chased down 185. Against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), who are in the final, Bumrah went for just 29 runs in his four overs even as they scored a match-winning 221.So, for MI to win the title, they have to beat the two rare sides that have risen above Bumrah in the league stages. In both those matches, both Trent Boult and Mitchell Santner went either for or above ten runs an over. That tells you the scale of heavy lifting the batters have to do off the others.In a batters’ format, in a year that belongs to batters more than any other, Bumrah has two possible shots at making this arguably the greatest IPL for a bowler despite missing the first four matches. Still, there are many things that can go wrong: the toss, the dew, bad day for others around him, or a batting failure, but Bumrah is not likely to be one of them.

Most of the players in Pakistan’s Test squad have not played first-class cricket since February

Danyal Rasool10-Oct-2025Pakistan host South Africa for a two-Test series starting on Sunday, marking the beginning of the 2025-27 World Test Championship cycle for both sides. It is a battle between opposites, with the winners of the previous cycle playing the team that finished last. For Pakistan, it is also their first Test series since January, something their red-ball captain Shan Masood termed unacceptable at the time while hoping his side would find a way to play more matches.More notably, though, Pakistan struggled to get their first-class tournament, the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, up and running in time to give their Test players match practice ahead of this series. Only one round of that competition was possible, from October 6 to 9. Even those games were severely curtailed by unseasonal rain in much of the country, and with most of the Test squad already in a training camp by then, only two were able to participate.ESPNcricinfo takes a look at the amount of red-ball cricket the players in Pakistan’s Test squad have played since their last Test.Related

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Shan Masood – 4 games
The Pakistan Test captain’s red-ball participation is one of the brighter sparks in the void. He played two President’s Trophy matches in Karachi in February, shortly after the conclusion of the series against West Indies. He also played two matches for Leicestershire in the County Championship in September, scoring 90 and 111.Abdullah Shafique – 7 games
Abdullah Shafique has played the joint-highest number of first-class games among the players in the squad, though most of them were in February. His only red-ball game since was a County Championship match for Yorkshire with a batting-friendly Kookaburra ball in June, where he scored 5 in his only innings.Babar Azam – 0 games
Despite losing his spot in the T20I squad, Pakistan’s premier batter has been unable to fill his time with any first-class cricket. Pakistan’s most recent Test in January was the last time he played a red-ball match.Imam-ul-Haq – 3 games
Imam-ul-Haq has been on fire for Yorkshire in List A cricket recently, but he has played precious little first-class cricket as he works his way back into Pakistan’s Test squad. He played two President’s Trophy matches in February and March, and one game for Yorkshire in the Championship in July, where he made 19 in his only innings.Mohammad Rizwan scored a hundred in the QEA Trophy in the first week of October•ICC/Getty ImagesMohammad Rizwan – 1 game
Another player who fell out of Pakistan’s T20I squad, Mohammad Rizwan comes into the series against South Africa with extremely limited red-ball match practice. His only game since the West Indies series was earlier this week in the rain-affected round of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, where he scored an unbeaten 123 in a drawn game.Rohail Nazir – 3 games
Pakistan’s back-up wicketkeeper is a case study for how difficult it has been to play first-class cricket in this long gap between Tests. Despite not being part of any international team, his only red-ball matches were in the President’s Trophy in February, where he scored two hundreds in three games to burnish his credentials.Saud Shakeel – 1 game
Saud Shakeel, the Pakistan batter perhaps more suited to this format than any other, has played a solitary first-class game in this period. It came in March in the President’s Trophy, where he scored 2 and 45 for State Bank of Pakistan.Salman Agha – 1 game
With his increased profile within the national set-up, Pakistan’s T20I captain has been busy. Perhaps unsurprisingly, that added responsibility has come at the expense of first-class opportunities. His only red-ball game in the last nine months was for Lahore Whites in the first round of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy last week, where he scored 47 runs and took one tail-end wicket.Asif Afridi – 3 games
The 38-year-old left-arm spinner’s inclusion in the side gives away the kind of pitches Pakistan will hope to prepare against South Africa. He has never played international cricket and his most recent first-class cricket was also in February, where he took 5 wickets at 31.80 in three games.Kamran Ghulam – 0 games
Kamran Ghulam, who scored a hundred on Test debut against England this time last year, has played no first-class cricket between January and now.Sajid Khan – 2 games
It is a series where Pakistan’s fate depends almost entirely on Sajid Khan and his left-arm compatriot Noman Ali. Despite being one of Pakistan’s MVPs, Sajid has played little red-ball cricket recently. His last two first-class games, too, were in February and he took ten wickets in those President’s Trophy fixtures.Noman Ali and Sajid Khan have also not played any red-ball cricket since February•Getty ImagesNoman Ali – 3 games
The other half of that duo, Noman, is a similar tale. He hasn’t played first-class cricket since February, when he appeared in three matches. If Noman, 38, is to light up Pakistan’s Test arena at home once more, he will have to do so on the back of fairly degraded muscle memory.Abrar Ahmed – 0 games
The fourth spinner in the Test squad is now Pakistan’s premier white-ball option. But Abrar Ahmed has not played first-class cricket since January, despite being viewed as Pakistan’s first-choice Test spinner before the heel-turn that led to the spinning tracks produced, which shot Sajid and Noman back to prominence.Hasan Ali – 0 games
Hasan Ali has had several injuries and gradually nursed his way back to health. He last played first-class cricket in 2024.Khurram Shahzad – 7 games
Arguably Pakistan’s most successful exponent of the red-ball in this barren nine-month period. Despite Pakistan’s clear preference for spinners at home, Khurram Shahzad threw himself into first-class cricket immediately following the West Indies series, playing four games in February. After that, he played another three games for Worcestershire. His performance in the County Championship was adversely impacted to an extent by the use of the Kookaburra ball, which is more conducive to batting and less to the kind of swing he likes to deploy. Even so, he took 6 for 42 in his first innings against Warwickshire.Shaheen Shah Afridi – 0 games
Shaheen Shah Afridi’s waning interest in Test cricket is no secret by now. As his performances in white-ball cricket show signs of resurgence, there is little indication of what that means for his red-ball career. He has not played a first-class match since Pakistan opted to go spin-heavy, his last Test coming in October 2024.

Aussie’s unbeaten 50 off 32 balls seals victory against Manchester Originals

ECB Media11-Aug-2025Reigning champions London Spirit made it three from three as they downed Manchester Originals in a nail-biter at Emirates Old Trafford, Grace Harris’s beautifully paced unbeaten 50 the stand-out performance.Brimming with confidence, Spirit won the toss and elected to bowl first, enjoying a dream start as Georgia Redmayne brilliantly caught Kathryn Bryce down the leg side before Melie Kerr was needlessly run out going for a non-existent second from a free hit.Beth Mooney counterpunched briefly and from 46 for 4 after 39 balls and Originals batted sensibly, Deandra Dottin mixing solid defence with the occasional blazing strike. She was well supported by Fi Morris and Alice Monaghan to take the home side to 122 for 6, both Charlie Dean and Sarah Glenn going for under a run a ball.Mahika Gaur bowled 15 of the first 25 balls in reply, finding significant swing and ensuring Originals were still in the game before unleashing their own international class spinners. New Zealand leggie Kerr was at the heart of the action, taking catches to get rid of Kira Chathli and Redmayne and bowling Dani Gibson for a duck.But Harris was they key, the big-hitting Aussie who struck 89 not out off 42 balls in Spirit’s first-up win against Oval Invincibles, starting steadily as the run rate climbed. A four off a no-ball, followed by a free hit six, took the equation to 30 off 21, which became 16 off the last 10, at which point Harris hit a six just past Monaghan’s outstretched fingers. But Bryce then dismissed Issy Wong and Dean lbw in successive balls to leave the game in the balance.An edge for four first ball by Glenn made it five needed from the last five, and she hit another boundary off the 98th ball to seal the deal.Meerkat Match Hero Harris said: “I just thought it was a bit of a trickier wicket to start on, and then once you got in, you could try and cash in at the back end. I thought that’s what Deandra Dottin did really well in that first innings. When we got to about needing 26 runs, I thought we’re pretty good. We’d got wickets in hand; we could try and take the game on a little bit more.”Credit to our bowlers. I think we’re just really enjoying how we’re playing at the moment. I’m delighted with how I’m going. I think a lot of the principles that I’ve been working on within my game are paying off, and I just keep summing up conditions and whenever I’m injected into the game, I’m seeing what impact I can have.”

The Chicago Cubs are in the market for a starting pitcher ahead of the July 31 MLB trade deadline, and the club has a specific target in mind. The Cubs are interested in Washington Nationals lefthander MacKenzie Gore, a first-time All-Star in 2025, according to Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma of . Gore, who has pitched to a 3.52 ERA in 117 2/3 innings pitched, has racked up 144 strikeouts, tied for the sixth-most in MLB. He's a sensible trade target for the Cubs, given that the club's rotation has recorded just a 20.2 percent strikeout rate, which ranks 23rd out of 30 teams.

Only the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres' starters have recorded worse ERAs than Chicago's rotation among National League playoff contenders. Gore would bring a much-needed swing-and-miss element to the Cubs rotation, and would immediately slot in as the club's third starter behind Shota Imanaga and Matthew Boyd.

But there are a couple of caveats. Number one, the Nationals, with an interim manager and general manager in place, may not be keen on parting ways with their 26-year-old starter, who is seen as one of the building blocks of the club's current young core. Plus, should they decide to trade Gore, the Nationals' asking price is believed to be "sky-high," according to .

Keep an eye on the Cubs and Gore, but it's possible Chicago's quest to import starting pitching may take them elsewhere in the lead-up to the deadline. The Cubs (62–43) are currently tied for first place in the NL Central with the Milwaukee Brewers.

Leeds United must wish they could play at Elland Road exclusively in the Premier League.

When looking at just their home record this season in the demanding division, the Whites have only been beaten once on their patch all campaign long, with two wins also collected.

It’s when you look at the West Yorkshire outfit’s away record that you begin to view the cracks, with four defeats picked up from five away contests, also seeing Daniel Farke’s men leak a concerning 12 goals.

This miserable record on the road was clear for all to see on Saturday as Farke and Co. were humbled 3-0 by Brighton and Hove Albion, as the Leeds backline was regularly all at sea on the South Coast.

Games played

5

Wins

1

Draws

0

Losses

4

Goals scored

3

Goals conceded

12

xG

3.58 xG

xGA

8.89 xGA

It was also another no-show from the Leeds attackers at the Amex, too, as a rudderless Dominic Calvert-Lewin now worryingly looks over his shoulder at potential transfer developments this coming January…

Leeds plot January move for EFL star

Calvert-Lewin has chipped in with one of Leeds’ three away goals this season, but he is otherwise goalless, away from heading home a past effort against bottom-of-the-table Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Therefore, with Joel Piroe also rumoured to be on the move, it isn’t the greatest shock to see the relegation-threatened side be linked with some fresh blood up top, as Football Insider now reveals that Coventry City star Haji Wright is on their agenda.

Indeed, Football Insider states that Farke’s men are monitoring the Sky Blues’ star man ahead of a potential January switch, although winning his signature is not deemed a priority, despite Leeds’ ongoing frustrations in front of goal. Transfermarkt currently value the forward at £9m.

Still, it is alleged that the free-scoring American is on their potential shopping list, with Noah Okafor presumably jumping for joy at the prospect of working with a striker who has been deemed “too good” for the Championship previously by EFL-based pundit George Elek.

Branded as Leeds’ “best chance of something happening” away at Brighton by journalist Graham Smyth, Okafor will hope he can link up with Wright to devastating effect down the line, as the exciting pair, in theory, attempt to push Leeds out of the relegation mire together, while Calvert-Lewin is demoted to the bench.

How Wright can boost the Leeds attack

Nobody can call out Calvert-Lewin for not trying or cutting a passenger-like figure on the pitch, with five duels won on average already this season by the ex-Everton marksman in league action.

But, he’s stuck on that one goal, and he only managed to fire two paltry efforts at goal across his side’s last two Premier League contests. While he continues to look goal-shy, Wright is tearing the Championship to shreds week in week out for Frank Lampard’s table-toppers, as a Premier League move awaits.

Coming in at a similarly tall 6-foot-3 frame to that of Calvert-Lewin, Wright now has eight second-tier goals next to his name this season from 12 league outings, with the Los Angeles-born forward usually in the right place, at the right time to gobble up an opportunity.

Lampard has even labelled Wright as a “constant problem” for defenders to keep tabs on, with the goalscoring menace only needing 22.7 touches on average this season to fire home his electric Championship goal tally.

Games played

95

Goals scored

40

Assists

10

Hat-tricks

1

Wright has excelled at the Sky Blues with a fast-paced attacker often at his side, with Lampard spoiled for choice this season by having the likes of Victor Torp and Brandon Thomas-Asante also at his disposal.

If the 27-year-old centre-forward were to relocate to Elland Road shortly, he would surely hope he could form a blistering working relationship with Okafor, who has stood out as one of Leeds’ most direct players this season to date.

Indeed, while most of his teammates receded into their shells against Fabian Hurzeler’s men, Okafor would end the one-sided affair with a mightily impressive five successful dribbles under his belt.

Lauded as being a “class difference maker” by Leeds-based content creator Oscar Marrio, too, Farke will hope that if he does bring in Wright in January, the American will be supplied with chances galore by the Swiss international.

The worry might well be that Wright isn’t proven in the Premier League.

But, it’s clear that Leeds need something fresh up top, instead of over-relying on a hit-and-miss Calvert-Lewin to consistently deliver the goods, as the “unbelievable” EFL hotshot – as he was once labelled by ex-international teammate Tim Ream – potentially becomes Leeds’ first foray into the January transfer window.

Worse than Aaronson: Farke must drop 4/10 Leeds dud who won 33% duels

Daniel Farke has to now drop this Leeds United star after his shocking display against Brighton and Hove Albion.

ByKelan Sarson Nov 2, 2025

Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany revealed that he remains in regular contact with Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola. The Belgian, who played under Guardiola during his time at City, credited the the Spanish coach with playing a key role in his promising career and said their relationship continues to be strong.

Kompany's mentorship under guardiola

Kompany joined Manchester City in 2008 and went on to spend 11 successful years at the club, becoming one of its most iconic captains. During his time in Manchester, he played under several managers, but it was under Guardiola, between 2016 and 2019, that his tactical understanding of the game reached new heights. Kompany made 62 appearances under Guardiola, scoring six goals and providing two assists, while playing a key role in City’s dominant era. Together, they won back-to-back Premier League titles in 2017-18 and 2018-19, along with the FA Cup in 2019.

Guardiola’s focus on positional play, ball control and tactical flexibility had a strong influence on Kompany. His current coaching style shows that impact, as he uses a similar system based on structured build up play, fluid attacking movements, and disciplined pressing. These principles have shaped the way he manages his teams.

AdvertisementAFPKompany confirms 'regular contact' with Guardiola

"Pep played a very important role in my career as a player and my development as a coach," Kompany said at a press conference when asked about his current relationship with the Catalan coach. "He is currently busy getting back to the top of the Premier League, we are in regular contact and get along well."

After finishing a disappointing third in the Premier League by City’s lofty standards in the 2024-25 season, Guardiola's team are currently second, six points behind league leaders Arsenal. 

Bayern's resurgence under Kompany

Bayern's incredible start to the season continues, with the team winning all 16 of their matches across all competitions so far. Their flawless run has caught the attention of many, with Koln coach Lukas Kwasniok declaring Bayern strong contenders for the treble this season. Much of the team’s success has been attributed to Kompany’s distinctive style of play, which emphasises perseverance, sacrifice and collective responsibility. His approach has revitalised several players, most notably star striker Harry Kane and midfielder Konrad Laimer, both of whom have thrived under his leadership.

Kane has maintained his scoring consistency, while Laimer has earned widespread praise for his tireless work rate and tactical intelligence. Kompany’s man management and commitment to discipline have brought unity and balance to Bayern’s squad. Bayern and France defender Dayot Upamecano has experienced a resurgence under Kompany after struggling for consistency under former coaches Julian Nagelsmann and Thomas Tuchel. The French centre-back has openly praised Kompany, calling him an example to follow both on and off the pitch.

In a recent interview, Upamecano said: “We all watched him when we were young; he was a legend for Belgium and Manchester City. He was a very aggressive defender in duels, a leader on the pitch too, a good example for me. He helps me a lot; we do a lot of videos, he talks to me about my positioning. With him, it's always very intense.”

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Getty Images SportKompany's pursuit of Guardiola's record

Bayern will travel to face Union Berlin on Saturday as they look to continue their perfect start to the season. A win would see Kompany equal his mentor Guardiola’s record of 10 consecutive victories in his first 10 Bundesliga matches of a campaign, a milestone the former Barcelona boss set during the 2015-16 season. They are already five points clear of nearest challengers RB Leipzig.

Bayern fans will be eager to see star striker Kane continue his fine form and get on the scoresheet once again against a team sitting 10th in the table and coming off the back of a goalless draw against Freiburg. With Bayern already showing remarkable consistency and confidence under Kompany, another win would further underline their dominance and strengthen their status as favourites for the Bundesliga title.

Celtic are in the hunt for a permanent manager and that will take their focus over the international break, albeit they appear to be prioritising new arrivals regardless of who the new man in the dugout will be.

Martin O’Neill has presided over the Parkhead hotseat since Brendan Rodgers’ acrimonious departure from the Scottish Premiership champions, and there is still plenty of speculation over who could replace the Irishman on a full-time basis.

Since coming into the club after a 20-year hiatus, the former has delivered a morale-boosting victory over Falkirk and led the Bhoys to the Premier Sports Cup final in an enthralling triumph over Rangers, leading some reports to claim O’Neill could take the role permanently.

Nevertheless, there is a long list of candidates, something that refuses to narrow ahead of the international break. Bodo/Glimt manager Kjetil Knutsen is also a Celtic managerial candidate amid a glorious spell in Norway.

On the flipside, the main drawback of any approach to hiring the 57-year-old is that he would like to finish their Champions League campaign before committing to life in Scotland.

Wilfried Nancy, Robbie Keane and Ipswich Town’s Kieran McKenna are also on the Bhoys’ radar. Either way, this feels like a pursuit that may go on for time to come as majority shareholder Dermot Desmond carefully considers his options.

Away from the managerial hunt, Celtic are considering a bid for Kilmarnock midfielder David Watson, who is available to sign a pre-contract in January and is also wanted by rivals Rangers.

Recruitment is ongoing as the reigning champions look to bolster amid Heart of Midlothian’s push for the title, and they may now look to an untapped market to land a shining star.

Celtic bid to sign Under-20 World Cup winner Hossam Essadak

According to AfricaFoot, Celtic have submitted an offer for Moroccan attacking midfielder Hossam Essadak, who is currently on the books of Union Touarga Sport.

Recently, he featured in the Under-20 World Cup with his nation, captaining them to glory after they defeated Argentina 2-0 in the final to record a historic triumph.

Hossam Essadak’s senior career

Appearances

35

Goals

4

Assists

4

Not short of suitors, Sunderland have also made an official bid to try and sign the blossoming talent, and European clubs are said to be at the front of the race for his signature despite further interest from Wydad Casablanca and RS Berkane in his homeland.

Per Fotmob, Essadak created four chances, completed four dribbles and won six duels during Morocco’s World Cup heroics, and he could well be the latest star Celtic look to sign from North Africa after their summer capture of Sebastian Tounekti.

Celtic are also plotting an emotional move for a Premier League icon

Admittedly, the Bhoys are well-stocked in midfield, and departures may be needed before new arrivals can integrate themselves at Lennoxtown, though it does seem as if work is ongoing to bolster the ranks with talented stars with potential to develop.

Pakistan chased down 205 in just 16 overs – another record

Sampath Bandarupalli21-Mar-202516 Overs Pakistan needed to chase down 205 against New Zealand in the third T20I in Auckland. It was the earliest any team completed a 200-plus chase in T20Is. The previous fastest was in 17.4 overs by South Africa, who chased down 206 against West Indies in the opening game of the 2007 T20 World Cup.2 This was Pakistan’s second-highest successful chase in T20Is. The 208 they chased against West Indies in 2021 in Karachi remains their highest.4 This was the fourth time New Zealand failed to defend 200 or more in T20Is. Three of those games were played at Eden Park.ESPNcricinfo Ltd44 Balls Hasan Nawaz took to bring up his hundred, the fastest for Pakistan in T20Is. The previous record was 49 balls by Babar Azam against South Africa in 2021.4 Batters, including Nawaz, who followed up successive ducks with a century in men’s T20Is. Rilee Rossouw (100 vs India in 2022), Rohit Sharma (121* vs Afghanistan in 2024) and Sanju Samson (109* vs South Africa in 2024) are the other three. Nawaz is the only one to start his career with two ducks and score a hundred in the third game.7 Sixes hit by Nawaz, the joint-most by a Pakistan batter in T20Is alongside Mohammad Rizwan, who also hit seven against South Africa in 2021.12 Sixes hit by Pakistan in their innings, their joint-second-most in a T20I, behind 15 against Ireland in 2024.ESPNcricinfo Ltd75 for 1 Pakistan’s powerplay score on Friday, their highest in this phase, bettering the 73 against England in 2016. After ten overs,Pakistan were 124 for 1, 15 runs more than their previous best at that stage.Pakistan reached 100 in 8.1 overs, 150 in 12.2, and 200 in 15.5 – all fastest for them. They also equalled their fastest team fifty in the format, in four overs. Their previous fastest team hundred came in nine overs against New Zealand last year, while their quickest 150 was in 13.5 overs against South Africa in 2013. The fastest 200 was in 17.5 overs against South Africa in 2021.3 Instances of a team successfully chasing down 200 or more with nine or more wickets in hand. All three are by Pakistan. They previously chased down 204 against South Africa in 2021 for the loss of one wicket, and secured a ten-wicket win against England in 2022 while chasing 200.84 Runs scored by Pakistan between deep third and fine leg, making most of Eden Park’s short boundaries behind the wicket. These are by far the most a team has scored in that region in a T20I (where ESPNcricinfo has data). The most before Friday was 70 by Australia, also at this very ground during their 244 chase against New Zealand in 2018.

Rain again thwarts visitors’ push for victory on same day that they receive points deduction

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay11-Sep-2025A bad day for Hampshire ended with them flirting with first division relegation after rain frustrated their attempt to beat Sussex at Hove.Only 21 overs were possible on the final day at the 1st Central County Ground and between the showers Sussex, who needed 278 to win, reached 84 for 3 before a final downpour at 4pm ended play with opener Tom Haines unbeaten on 40. Both teams took 11 points.That at least covered the eight points Hampshire had been deducted earlier in the day for preparing a poor pitch when Sussex won at the Utilita Bowl in May.Hampshire have a trip to Somerset next week before they finish the season at home to title-chasing Surrey.Having been up against it after two days, Sussex will be relieved with an outcome which stretches the gap between them and the bottom two. They host ninth-placed Yorkshire next week before finishing the season against the side currently bottom, Worcestershire, at New Road.After the entire third day was washed out, more rain delayed the start until 2pm, leaving Sussex 51 overs to score a further 241 at 4.7 runs per over.On a pitch which was becoming more comfortable to bat on, Hampshire needed to take every opportunity going but in the third over of the day wicketkeeper Ben Brown put down a chance low to his right offered by night watcher Sean Hunt off Kyle Abbott. In the next over Hunt edged Keith Barker between second and third slips.Just 27 minutes were possible before another shower drove the players off with six overs lost but Hampshire then struck twice in successive overs to give themselves hope. Hunt had done his job, using up 61 balls in making 19 before left-arm spinner Bjorn Fortuin pinned him lbw half forward.In the next over Barker picked up a deserved wicket when Ollie Carter was bowled by a delivery which nipped back onto his off stump. But only 8.4 overs more were bowled either side of tea before another downpour was quickly followed by handshakes on the dressing-room balcony.

The Mets are on the brink of disaster.

Sporting the second-largest payroll in baseball at $314 million, New York lost 6-2 to the eliminated Marlins on Friday night to drop to 82-78 on the year. That loss—combined with the Reds' 3-1 win over the Brewers—means the Mets no longer control their own destiny.

That's right. Elly De La Cruz and the Reds' $119 million payroll are now in the driver's seat. If Cincinnati beats Milwaukee again on Saturday and Sunday, it doesn't matter what the Mets do against Miami—the Reds would be heading to the postseason.

Entering the slate of games Friday night, Fangraphs gave the Mets a 78.1% chance to make the playoffs. But after the Mets' loss and the Reds' win, Cincinnati now has a 55.4% chance to make the postseason, and New York's odds slumped to 44.6%.

The only other team in the running for the NL's third wild-card spot was the Diamondbacks, who were officially eliminated from playoff contention with a 7-4 loss to the Padres on Friday night at Petco Park.

Elsewhere in the National League, pretty much everything else is decided. The Brewers, Phillies and Dodgers have all been crowned division champs, while the Cubs and Padres will enter the postseason bracket as wild-card teams.

Here's where everything stands in the National League as of Friday night:

National League Playoff PictureNL DIVISION LEADERS

TEAM

RECORD

x – Milwaukee Brewers (NL Central)

96-64

x – Philadelphia Phillies (NL East)

95-65

x – Los Angeles Dodgers (NL West)

91-69

NL WILD CARD

TEAM

RECORD

GB

x – Chicago Cubs

90-70

+8

x – San Diego Padres

88-72

+5.5

Cincinnati Reds

82-78

—

—

—

—

New York Mets

82-78

—

Arizona Diamondbacks

80-80

2