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Wolverhampton Wanderers are targeting Gary O’Neil as a replacement for Vitor Pereira, and the former manager’s stance on a return has been revealed.

The 3-0 defeat at Fulham on Saturday spelled the end for Pereira, with his side putting in yet another disappointing performance, barely laying a glove on the Cottagers and recording a total xG of just 0.24.

Moreover, the Old Gold were also very poor at the opposite end of the pitch, conceding three goals, which means they now have the worst defensive record in the league.

As such, it is no surprise that Fosun finally had enough and sacked the 57-year-old, who penned a new three-year contract less than two months ago, with Wolves’ Premier League status now under serious threat.

After the latest defeat, which was their eighth in ten Premier League games, the Wanderers are now eight points from safety, leaving the new manager with a lot of work to do to dig them out of the relegation zone.

Gary O'Neil pulls out of Wolves manager race

According to an update from reliable reporter John Percy on X, Wolves entered “advanced talks” to appoint O’Neil, who emerged as a “very strong contender” for the job.

However, the former Old Gold boss has on Monday evening withdrawn himself from the running.

Appointing a manager who was sacked less than 12 months ago could be viewed as a backwards step, and the ex-AFC Bournemouth boss doesn’t have the greatest of records in the Premier League, averaging a little over one point per game.

Games

88

Wins

25

Draws

16

Losses

47

Points per match

1.03

However, the Beckenham-born manager does have experience in relegation battles, successfully guiding the Cherries to safety in the 2022-23 campaign after taking over from Scott Parker, before going on to secure a 14th-place finish with Wolves the following season.

Percy also hailed O’Neil for the job he did at Molineux, after taking over from Julen Lopetegui at a difficult time.

In truth, with Wolves eight points from safety, top managers are unlikely to be queuing up for the job, so to miss out on their former boss is a blow.

Wolves also targeting Brendan Rodgers as Vitor Pereira replacement Wolves targeting Brendan Rodgers amid doubts about Vitor Pereira

The Old Gold have made a very poor start to the season.

2 ByDominic Lund Oct 29, 2025

Following the release of the beta last week, Football Manager fans have finally been able to get to grips with the new game ahead of the full launch on November 4th, and it has been a long time coming.

The 2025 edition of the game was cancelled, with Sports Interactive studio director Miles Jacobson revealing the problems with the game would’ve done irreversible damage to their reputation if it had been released.

It is full steam ahead for FM26 however, with a number of exciting new additions being made, including official FIFA tournaments, a Premier League license, over 40 new roles and the introduction of women’s football.

However, many of the core principles have stayed the same, and undoubtedly one of the most satisfying parts of FM saves is developing lesser-known talents into world-beating stars.

Goalkeeper Guillaume Restes

Every top side is built from the back, and one of the most exciting up-and-coming goalkeepers is Toulouse’s Guillaume Restes, who has already made 18 appearances for France’s U21 side, indicating the youngster could be the heir to Mike Maignan.

Just 20-years-old, the Frenchman is still in the very early stages of his career, but he has emerged as Toulouse’s first-choice option between the sticks, keeping three Ligue 1 clean sheets this season.

If you aim to emulate Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal by building from the back, Restes will provide a rock-solid foundation, but be sure to snap him up quickly, as the goalkeeper is likely to attract interest from plenty of Europe’s elite clubs.

Hidden gems: Quenten Attigah, Tommaso Martinelli, Alessandro Nunziante

Right-back Givairo Read

Previously an unfashionable position, with Jamie Carragher famously quipping “no one wants to grow up and be a Gary Neville”, Trent Alexander-Arnold showcased just how influential right-backs can be during his time with Liverpool.

It may be difficult to replicate Trent’s stellar assist record, but there are plenty of options to choose from in FM26, although many are already at top clubs, such as FC Barcelona’s Hector Fort and Real Madrid’s Jesus Fortea.

Givairo Read, on the other hand, may be easier to prise away from Feyenoord, despite the 19-year-old breaking out as a first-team player for the Dutch side, chipping in with two assists in nine Eredivisie games this season.

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ByTom Cunningham Oct 19, 2025

Hidden gems: Martim Fernandes, Daniel Banjaqui, Marco Palestra

Centre-back Willy Kambwala

Manchester United may end up ruing the decision to let Willy Kambwala leave in the summer of 2024, with the 21-year-old going on to make an immediate impact for Villarreal last season, making 19 appearances in La Liga.

Kambwala also caught the eye in a United shirt in the very early stages of his career, when called upon against Liverpool near the end of the 2023-24 campaign, at which point he was just 19-years-old.

If you do try to sign the Villarreal star, watch out for United, who retain a buy-back clause which doesn’t expire until 2027.

Hidden gems: Matteo Palma

Left-back Myles Lewis-Skelly

Lewis-Skelly needs very little introduction, given the impact the 18-year-old has made at Arsenal since such a young age, infamously mocking Erling Haaland with his celebration after scoring in the Gunners’ 5-1 rout of Manchester City last season.

The teenager hasn’t featured quite as regularly for Arteta’s side this season, but it is a testament to his ability that he has already amassed six international caps for England, with the youngster’s World Cup debut very much on the cards next summer.

The north Londoners are likely to demand a huge fee for their left-back, however, so it may also be worth taking a look at the more affordable options below…

Hidden gems: Saba Kharebashvili, Davinchi, Tom Rothe

Central midfield Ayyoub Bouaddi

It is no surprise that Ayyoub Bouaddi has already started to attract the attention of some top clubs, with Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal all hatching plans to sign the Lille midfielder.

Boauddi only turned 18 earlier this month, but he has already emerged as a key first-team player for Lille, making 66 appearances for the French club, during which time he’s displayed his versatility by featuring in both defensive and attacking midfield roles.

Having been born just one month too late to be included in the previous edition, FM26 fans should be chomping at the bit to sign the Lille starlet, given that beta players have already discovered he develops into a midfielder with phenomenal physical and mental attributes.

Hidden gems: Tom Bischof, Niccolo Pisili, Kees Smit

Right-wing Lamine Yamal

It would be impossible to compile this list without mentioning Lamine Yamal, who is already regarded as one of the best wingers in world football, currently sitting in second place in the 2026 Ballon d’Or power rankings.

Having established himself as one of the best players in the world, however, signing Yamal is likely to break the bank, which means it may be worth taking a look at some lesser-known prospects, such as Vasco da Gama’s Rayan, who Tottenham Hotspur recently opened talks to sign.

Still, if you choose to start a Barca save or somehow manage to persuade the La Liga giants to cash-in, you can be sure the 18-year-old will remain one of the best right-wingers in the world for a decade to come.

Hidden gems: Rayan, David Martinez, Ian Subiabre

Left-wing Kenan Yildiz

Much like Bouaddi, Juventus winger Kenan Yildiz has already started attracting major interest from the Premier League, with it recently being revealed Man United were preparing an ‘aggressive pitch’ to sign the 20-year-old.

Having initially made his breakthrough in the 2023-24 campaign, it was last season in which Yildiz truly started to flourish, regularly providing goals and assists for Juventus across all competitions.

Competition

Appearances

Goal contributions

Serie A

35

12

Champions League

10

2

Club World Cup

4

5

Italian Cup

2

1

Italian Super Cup

1

1

The Turkish starlet announced himself to the world with his stellar performances at the Club World Cup, and he could make all the difference in your pursuit of European domination on FM26…

Hidden gems: Jeremy Monga, Gabriel Mec

Attacking midfielder Arda Guler

Arda Güler has already gotten his big move to Real Madrid, which means he will no doubt cost a pretty penny on FM26, but the Turk has shown all the signs he is capable of reaching the very top level with his performances under the helm of Xabi Alonso.

Alonso clearly has a lot of faith in the 20-year-old, having played him in every La Liga match this season, and the Turkish youngster has repaid his manager with three goals and four assists.

FM fans will know all about the Real Madrid star, given that he was among the highest-potential players on FM24, and he is once again set to be one of the most exciting young attacking midfielders, although there are some potentially more affordable alternatives.

Hidden gems: Rodrigo Mora, Luca Williams-Barnett

Striker Vitor Roque

South American strikers have helped transform countless struggling sides into European champions in FM saves over the years, and Vitor Roque has the ability to do exactly that.

The 20-year-old Brazilian has been prolific in front of goal for Palmeiras in the 2025 Serie A, picking up 13 goals and three assists in 27 matches, and it no doubt won’t be too long before links with a move to England re-appear, having previously been targeted by Newcastle United.

With the now one-time Brazil international still currently plying his trade in his home country, a deal will not break the bank, at least in comparison to his potential, which is among the highest of any striker in the game, as it has been revealed he is expected to cost around £45m.

Hidden gems: Sami Bouhoudane

Thierry Henry has named an “outstanding” Liverpool star as the signing of the summer, having been left very impressed with his performances so far this season.

Arsenal close gap to Liverpool after dramatic victory at Newcastle

Back in August, the Reds sent out a statement by picking up a dramatic 3-2 victory at Newcastle United, with teenager Rio Ngumoha scoring a stoppage-time winner, and Arsenal managed to win in similar style on Sunday.

With a little over five minutes to play, the Gunners were trailing against Eddie Howe’s side, but Mikel Merino and Gabriel were the saviours, and a late double ensured Mikel Arteta’s side closed the gap at the top of the Premier League table to just two points.

Speaking after the match, Gary Neville was under no illusions as to just how seismic the north Londoners’ victory could be, with the former Manchester United man insisting that Liverpool and Arsenal are the only teams that stand a chance of winning the league.

Arteta’s side may be starting to believe this is the season they can go all the way, having recruited well in the summer transfer window, strengthening the spine of the team by bringing in the likes of Eberechi Eze, Viktor Gyokeres, Cristhian Mosquera and Martin Zubimendi.

However, Henry has since made it clear that one of Liverpool’s new additions has caught his eye to a greater extent in the early stages of the campaign.

As relayed by WalkOn, when asked which new Premier League arrival he’s been most impressed by, the Frenchman said: “It’s Ekitike. People will say it’s an obvious one, but credit is due – nobody thought he was going to arrive and perform like that.”

"Outstanding" Ekitike could play pivotal role in title race

Hugo Ekitike will be very frustrated that he ruled himself out of contention for Liverpool’s defeat at Crystal Palace, after being shown a second yellow card for taking his shirt off during his celebration against Southampton.

However, the Frenchman has otherwise made a near-perfect start to life at Anfield, chipping in with five goals and one assist in all competitions.

It is not the first time Henry has singled out his compatriot for high praise, with the Arsenal legend describing the former Eintracht Frankfurt man as “outstanding” back in August, and the start he’s made to life at Anfield suggests he could play a pivotal role in the title race.

As such, Arne Slot will no doubt be pleased to have Ekitike back available for selection, despite criticising the “stupid” celebration against Southampton.

قال تقارير إعلامية اليوم الخميس، إن نادي ريال مدريد قرر اتخاذ إجراء جديد ضد الاتحاد الأوروبي لكرة القدم ”يويفا”.

ريال مدريد وبقيادة رئيسه فلورنتينو بيريز، كان حريصًا بشكل كبير على إقامة بطولة السوبر ليج ، وقد دخل مع الفريق الملكي العديد من الأندية الكبرى الأخرى أمثال برشلونة ويوفنتوس وبايرن ميونخ، وغيرها قبل أن ينسحب العديد من الأندية.

وذكرت صحيفة “آس”، أن إدارة ريال مدريد تخطط لرفع دعوى قضائية ضد اليويفا، وذلك للمطالبة بتعويض قيمته 4.5 مليار يورو، وهو مبلغ يراه الملكي تعويضًا مناسبًا عن الأضرار التي مست سمعة النادي.

طالع.. رئيس الاتحاد الإسباني يعلق على شجار كارفاخال ولامين يامال في الكلاسيكو

وأوضحت أن ريال مدريد وبرشلونة بقيادة بيريز وخوان لابورتا، قد دخلا في مباحثات مع اليويفا، بشأن إقامة السوبر ليج وتفاصيل حقوق البث وإذاعة المباريات ونظام البطولة، لكن المفاوضات انهارت في النهاية.

وأردفت أن ريال مدريد أدرك أن يويفا لم يكن ينوي التوصل لاتفاق للموافقة على إقامة السوبر ليج، وإنما كان يهدف للمماطلة من أجل عدم إقامة البطولة، بالتالي أنسب حل لتعويض الخسائر المادية والمعنوية هو مطالبة الفريق الملكي بتعويض كبير.

ريال مدريد يمر بموسم ممتاز على كافة الأصعدة وحقق الفوز في جميع المباريات التي لعبها بكافة المسابقات عدا الخسارة 5-2 من أتلتيكو مدريد خلال شهر سبتمبر الماضي في الدوري الإسباني.

وعزز ريال مدريد صدارته لبطولة الدوري الإسباني بعد فوزه بالكلاسيكو على برشلونة يوم الأحد الماضي 2-1.

Virat Kohli and Prasidh Krishna continue to lead the Orange Cap and Purple Cap tables respectively after Sunday’s double-header

ESPNcricinfo staff05-May-20251:04

Rayudu: Skillful Arshdeep takes pitch out of the equation

Purple Cap tableArshdeep Singh’s superb spell against LSG has taken him to third place on the Purple Cap table. He registered figures of 3 for 16 from his four overs to help PBKS seal a 37-run win in Dharamsala, and now has 16 wickets in ten bowling innings this season.Gujarat Titans’ (GT) Prasidh Krishna continues to lead the table with 19 wickets from ten innings, while Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) Josh Hazlewood is second with 18 wickets from the same number of outings.There are two other players on 16 wickets along with Arshdeep – Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) Noor Ahmad and Mumbai Indians’ (MI) Trent Boult. But Arshdeep remains above them because of his superior average and economy rate.Another player to move up the Purple Cap table after the double-header was KKR’s Varun Chakravarthy, who is now on 15 wickets following his 2 for 32 against RR.Orange Cap tableWhile the top three on the Orange Cap leaderboard remain unchanged from Saturday, there’s a new name in fourth position. RR opener Yashasvi Jaiswal has moved to just behind the top three with 473 runs from 12 innings following his 34 off 21 balls against KKR.RCB’s Virat Kohli leads the list with 505 runs from 11 innings, and GT’s B Sai Sudharsan is second, just one run behind Kohli from one fewer innings. MI’s Suryakumar Yadav is at No. 3 with 475 runs.Another player to have made some gains is PBKS opener Prabhsimran Singh, who went past Nicholas Pooran to move to No. 7. His 91 off 48 balls took his tally to 437 runs in 11 games. LSG’s Pooran, who was on top of the batting charts for the best part of in the first half of the tournament, has fallen behind after average returns in the last few games and is now at No. 8.Jos Buttler (GT, 470 runs), Shubman Gill (GT, 465 runs) are fifth and sixth on this table, respectively.You can also take a look at what ESPNcricinfo MVP table looks like at this stage.Here are some other IPL 2025 tables.Highest batting strike ratesBest bowling economy ratesMost sixesBest bowling figures in a match

It would be fair to say that Daniel Levy made some questionable and unpopular decisions during his mixed tenure as Tottenham Hotspur chairman.

Across the 25 years Levy was at the helm, Tottenham won just two major trophies, in part due to some strange appointments from Levy, who worked with 14 permanent managers during his time as chairman.

Of course, the 63-year-old does deserve credit for overseeing the move to an impressive new stadium, but football is ultimately a results business, and the former chairman was unable to achieve the expected level of success.

Here at Football FanCast, we have now ranked the five worst appointments Levy made during his time at the helm.

5 Andre Villas-Boas

Villas-Boas made his name as an exciting young manager during a very impressive spell with FC Porto, leading the Portuguese side to the title in an undefeated season, but he was unable to make his mark at Chelsea, lasting just over eight months.

As such, it was always going to be a gamble to appoint the at-the-time young coach, and some blunders in the transfer market meant he didn’t last particularly long at the helm.

Following the sale of Gareth Bale, the likes of Roberto Soldado, Paulinho and Vlad Chiriches failed to make the desired impact, and the trio did not last long in north London.

Andre Villas-Boas’ Tottenham record

Games

80

Wins

45

Draws

18

Losses

17

Players used

43

While the Villas-Boas era wasn’t all bad on the whole, having only narrowly missed out on Champions League qualification in his first season, the humiliating 5-0 defeat to Liverpool and 6-0 loss against Manchester City in his second campaign means he enters this list in fifth.

4 Jacques Santini

In fairness, the appointment of Santini made perfect sense at the time. The Frenchman arrived at White Hart Lane off the back of a very impressive spell with Lyon, during which time he was awarded the “best French coach” award in 2002.

The former Lyon boss got off to a promising start at Spurs too, making an unbeaten start to the Premier League campaign. However, Santini had to make this list simply because of the length of his tenure.

Santini lasted just 13 games before handing in his resignation, citing personal problems as the reason for his exit, although it has since emerged that broken promises behind-the-scenes may have played a part, with the ex-Tottenham boss saying: “They promised me a big apartment on the beach and I found myself 200m from the sea with a view of my neighbours.”

Jacques Santini’s Tottenham record

Games

13

Wins

5

Draws

4

Losses

4

Players used

24

3 Juande Ramos

It may seem strange to name one of only two Spurs managers to win a trophy during the Levy era on this list, but the terrible start Ramos made to the 2008-09 season meant there was no way he couldn’t be included.

After winning the League Cup in 2008, the Spanish manager failed to kick on in the following campaign, picking up just two points from the opening eight games, which left Tottenham rock bottom of the Premier League table.

Consequently, Ramos’ reign is probably remembered more for that disastrous start than the success in the previous campaign, and his managerial career slowly went downhill following his departure from N17.

The Spaniard returned to his native country after leaving Tottenham, landing the Real Madrid job, but his stint at the Bernabeu was short-lived, being sacked after around seven months in charge, before going on to have another unsuccessful spell with CSKA Moscow.

Juande Ramos’ Tottenham record

Games

54

Wins

19

Draws

16

Losses

19

Players used

34

2 Jose Mourinho

Jose Mourinho is widely regarded as one of the greatest managers of all time for good reason, having been extremely successful during his time at Chelsea, Inter Milan, FC Porto and Real Madrid.

However, the iconic manager was clearly on the decline before Levy appointed him, having been dismissed by Manchester United after winning just seven of the first 17 games in the 2018-19 Premier League season.

Having won 26 trophies throughout his career as a manager, it is clear Levy viewed Mourinho as a born-winner, who could end Tottenham’s trophy drought, but the timing of the decision to sack him is the main reason he is included on the list.

Related Jose Mourinho names 3 greatest players in history, picks between Messi and Ronaldo

The ‘Special One’ has had his say.

Posts ByCharlie Smith Sep 6, 2025

With the former FC Porto boss, there is almost an expectation that the football won’t be great to watch, but he will win silverware. However, Levy made the bizarre call to pull the trigger just days before Spurs were set to play Manchester City in the EFL Cup final.

Tottenham were left to rue the decision, going on to lose the game 1-0 under the helm of Ryan Mason, with Levy later going on to admit it was an error to appoint Mourinho in the first place, saying: “The strategy was to bring in a trophy manager and we did it twice. You have to learn from the mistakes.”

Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham record

Games

86

Wins

45

Draws

17

Losses

24

Players used

44

1 Nuno Espirito Santo

Like the majority of the names on this list, Nuno is by no means a bad manager, having gone on to prove himself at Nottingham Forest, leading the Tricky Trees to the Europa League after finishing 7th in the Premier League last season.

However, the 51-year-old felt doomed from the start, with Spurs well-known to have made approaches for a number of other managers before having to ‘settle’ for the former Wolverhampton Wanderers boss.

The Portuguese manager actually went on to start the season very well, winning his first three matches, but results soon went downhill, and he didn’t last long, with Levy ultimately dismissing the now Forest boss at the beginning of November.

Jamie Carragher went on to suggest that Nuno’s style of play meant the appointment was simply never going to work out, saying:

“I can never justify a manager losing his job after 10 Premier League games, it doesn’t feel right, but I don’t think Nuno at Spurs ever felt right either.

“I don’t feel this is a bad sacking, I think it was a bad appointment initially. Nuno’s style of football was at odds not only with the ‘Tottenham way’ but also the ‘top-club way”.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s Tottenham record

Games

17

Wins

9

Draws

1

Losses

7

Players used

30

With Levy now gone, Tottenham fans will be hoping that this is the beginning of an exciting new era for the club.

The 29-year-old quick took 10 wickets in the match as the home side overcame being a bowler down

AAP and ESPNcricinfo staff11-Feb-2025

Kieran Elliott’s six wickets bowled Tasmania to a thrilling victory•Getty Images

Peter Handscomb’s rearguard fell short as Kieran Elliott powered Tasmania home against Victoria for a thrilling 20-run Sheffield Shield victory.Elliott followed his first innings, four-wicket haul with 6 for 84 in 28.1 overs on Tuesday as the hosts defied early rain and several Victorian stands to notch a crucial, second victory this season. They were comfortably career-best innings and match figures for 29-year-old Elliott.Related

Weatherald's dominant century gives Tasmania chance of victory

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Tasmania were down a bowler with Lawrence Neil-Smith have gone off injured on the third day which made their success even more noteable.Set 270 for victory after Jake Weatherald’s blazing day-three century, Victoria resumed on 55 for 2 and inched towards the total in between morning rain delays.Handscomb had support from nightwatchman Sam Elliott before Sam Harper joined and put the visitors within reach. But Kieran Elliott ended both of those partnerships and then nabbed Will Sutherland to again stunt their march before the second new ball was due.Gabe Bell then found Fergus O’Neill’s edge and left Victoria needing 21 from their final partnership.Handscomb tried to do it himself, but could only sky an attempted flick over midwicket, Nivethan Radhakrishnan running in from the boundary to take the catch and spark wild scenes.The only wicket not taken by Elliott of Bell fell to debutant Aidan O’Connor who had Jonathan Merlo top-edging to fine leg early in the day. O’Connor had contributed a vital half-century on the opening day.Tasmania lifted off the bottom of a crowded ladder while second-placed Victoria missed a chance to push clear of the pack with three matches to play.

Fox Sports analyst Alexi Lalas expressed optimism about Gio Reyna’s prospects with both Borussia Mönchengladbach and the U.S. men’s national team, suggesting the midfielder could still be in the World Cup conversation. Lalas highlighted Reyna’s strong debut despite Gladbach’s rough Bundesliga start.

Getty Images SportReyna back in USMNT contention

Lalas highlighted the way Reyna has handled the move and his public comments as showing the right mentality. 

"Thank you, Gio, for a couple of things. No. 1, having the right attitude and saying the right things publicly,” Lalas said on his State of Union podcast. “That's exactly what if I'm Pochettino or any American fan out there, you want to hear in that there is a recognition that he is on the outside looking in, and there's also a recognition that he needed to do what was necessary to put himself back in contention.

“If he is playing and yes, if he is playing well, but I think because he's Gio Reyna, it's literally if he's playing. We know that he's playing for a team that is going to struggle this year, and they certainly struggled in the game [last weekend]. But that there was this American view of a positive of seeing Gio Reyna on the field, I think it shows how much faith people still have in Gio Reyna."

AdvertisementGetty Images SportReyna's intriguing skillset

Lalas expressed that the widespread faith in Reyna's abilities remains justified based on these recent performances, even as Gladbach works through early-season challenges.

“Like I said, how much leash we are willing to give him because of his talent. But that humility in those comments, I think, is going to serve him well going forward,” Reyna explained. “And again, if he is not just playing, but being recognized in general as having a good game, even in crap results for a team, that bodes well for the future because this is not a very, very good team.

“I hesitate to use the word star, but at least make an impact. And I know we're kind of myopic and what we're looking at when it comes to Gladbach. This is again a wonderful thing. And I hope that he's, again, knock on wood, stays healthy and continues to start with the score.”

Gladbach move pivotal

The 22-year-old midfielder's summer transfer from Borussia Dortmund to Mönchengladbach for approximately $7 million was designed specifically to provide the regular playing time needed to fulfill his considerable potential ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

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Getty Images SportTough road ahead

Reyna faces immediate challenges with Borussia Mönchengladbach's upcoming Bundesliga fixtures as they face Bayer Leverkusen on Sept. 20 followed by Eintracht Frankfurt on Sept. 26. 

He tightened his game to get the best out of himself after being promoted up the order in Gqeberha

Firdose Moonda05-Dec-2024Ryan Rickelton doubted himself. He wondered if, after being among the top run-scorers in domestic cricket for several seasons, he could transfer that talent to the international stage. More importantly, he doubted if, on 98 in his first innings in his preferred position at No.3, he had hit the ball and been saved from an lbw decision.But he was two runs away from proving his own potential to himself and scoring a first Test century, and South Africa had all three reviews available so he decided to challenge umpire Joel Wilson’s decision despite being unsure. Someone, or something, was looking down on him and the final call went his way with replays showing his bat had made contact with the ball, despite his own uncertainty.”I didn’t think I hit it at all,” he said at the post-day press conference. “I think I might have got a little bit lucky there with some scratches on the UltraEdge. I was reviewing because I was on 98, and because I was thinking maybe it was outside the line, but I didn’t feel anything.”Related

Bavuma, Rickelton prove, in their own special ways, that they can and they will

Rickelton's maiden ton propels SA but Asitha, Kumara ensure opening day is evenly shared

Except “relief” two balls later when he drove Vishwa Fernando down the ground to bring up his hundred. He could stop his self-questioning over whether he was good enough. “I’ve been in and around this team for probably about four or five years, having played a handful of games, but I’ve always believed that I can do something useful at international level,” he said. “It was always just a case of can I do it and can I prove it to myself.””So it was a relief to say to myself I’ve waited my time, but I can do it. Because there’s always those doubts. They live in everyone, they definitely live in me. After a couple of failures here and there, ‘am I actually… can I do it? Am I speaking a good game?’ It was just the relief of being able to do it, and do it for the team as well.”The individual achievement aside, Rickelton also put in a performance that rescued South Africa from a top-order wobble and was able to do so because he was batting where he is more comfortable.Ryan Rickelton stuck to his game plan even after being set•AFP/Getty ImagesIt is in the top three that Rickelton has been at his most productive domestically, where he averages over 60, but in a Test squad where he was the newest batter in 2022, he was slotted in at No. 5. At the time, Keegan Petersen occupied the No. 3 spot; most recently Test coach Shukri Conrad has given it to Tristan Stubbs but after Stubbs’ century at No. 4 in Durban and the decision to pick an extra batter in the line-up for this Test meant that Conrad offered Rickelton the No. 3 slot.Rickelton “jumped at the opportunity”, because he knows he is at his best when conditions are most challenging. “Playing against the new ball in red-ball cricket actually helps me, it tightens me up,” he said. “If I come in at No. 5 or 6, I actually get a bit too loose or maybe a bit expansive. I had my game plan, having had some relative success in the past domestically, and just tried to stick to it for long parts of the day.”That plan also worked because South Africa were on the ropes, and he knew he could not afford to slip up. “Being 44 for 3 solidified my plan. We were in a bit of trouble, so I knew that I had to probably tighten up even more. Cricket’s funny. I think the better things go, the looser individuals become. I’m one of those guys. Under pressure, I kind of made myself tighten up, and luckily for me, Temba [Bavuma] was seeing it really well and playing incredibly well. He actually took a lot of pressure off of me by scoring so freely on what actually was quite a tough morning.”Bavuma dominated their fourth-wicket stand, outscored Rickelton and was the batter who looked odds on for a hundred but played at a ball he could have left and was dismissed before tea. In the end, Rickelton also went for a delivery he didn’t have to play at and was out before the end of the day. But he believes he has left South Africa in a good position. “In PE [formerly Port Elizabeth, now Gqeberha], if you’re hovering around 350, it’s a really, really good score,” he said. “We are one decent partnership away from setting a really nice score.”

Kamindu notched up his fourth Test ton and New Zealand fought back with late wickets

Madushka Balasuriya18-Sep-2024

Kamindu Mendis’ hundred lifted Sri Lanka•Associated Press

Sri Lanka 302 for 7 (Kamindu 114, Kusal 50, O’Rourke 3-54, Phillips 2-52) vs New ZealandKamindu Mendis continued his phenomenal start to Test cricket notching up a fourth Test ton, but a couple of late wickets at the end of play ensured that New Zealand were not completely out of it after an engrossing opening day’s play in Galle.That one of those wickets was that of Kamindu will have brought the visitors particular joy, though the nature of the wicket – with it spitting out of the rough outside the left-handers off stump, to catch his glove – might give New Zealand’s left-hand heavy batting line-up some pause.Kamindu’s 114 off 173 was part of two key partnerships, the first worth 72 with Angelo Mathews and the second for 103 with Kusal Mendis. Around those New Zealand did what they do best. They put their best foot forward, set up solid plans, and threw themselves at everything.It meant Sri Lanka were unable to take complete control of the game having won the toss and elected to bat first on an unusually grass-strewn surface.Will O’Rourke was the pick of the bowlers, grabbing three wickets, including that of both Sri Lanka openers within the first hour of the morning session, while Glenn Phillips was the pick of the spinners with figures of 2 for 52. Mitchell Santner was wicketless, though that was less a reflection of his efforts and more a case of bad luck.Ramesh Mendis was unbeaten on 14 off 42 at stumps, alongside him was the Prabath Jayasuriya, but this was a day that belonged to Kamindu.His best work was done alongside the other Mendis in the lineup, Kusal, whose 50 off 68 provided the ideal foil to Kamindu’s steady hand. While missteps were rare for New Zealand, one in particular – a missed chance off a Kamindu miscue when he was still on 21 – might linger a little longer in the memory. That was also a rare Kamindu misstep, as for the most part, he dealt with whatever the visitors threw at him with consummate ease.William O’Rourke got his third wicket on the stroke of tea•Associated Press

The most striking feature of his innings was the ease with which he used his feat against the spinners, a concerted ploy geared towards not allowing them to settle on their lines and lengths. It meant the use of sweeps was more targeted than prolific, hounding out gaps in the field for a consistent flow of runs.His partnership with Mathews offered a much-needed period of consolidation after Sri Lanka had slumped to 106 for 4. Mathews had looked far from his best during a laboured 36 off 116, and it meant the scoreboard also wasn’t moving as swiftly as the hosts might have hoped.However once Mathews fell, edging behind off the excellent O’Rourke, it also brought up Sri Lanka’s best period of the day.With the ball softening and Kamindu already settled, Kusal’s natural aggression ran a tiring attack ragged. It took a freak dismissal to break the stand, as a hard pull off a Phillip’s long-hop saw the ball loop up off an evasive short leg and balloon to midwicket. Kusal looked on in disbelief, though by then Sri Lanka had already played themselves into a considerable position of strength.New Zealand though had started the day the better of the two sides with O’Rourke lighting up a gloomy morning session with a menacing opening burst full of pace, bounce and lateral movement. Through it he accounted for the wickets of Dimuth Karunaratne and Pathum Nissanka, while he also wrought some pain on Mathews, after one seamed back in sharply to strike his right forefinger. That knock forced Mathews to retire hurt, but he was able to return later on to complete his innings.New Zealand’s persistence continued to pay off after lunch, as they grabbed a further three wickets to bookend the session. Dinesh Chandimal fell right at the start, chipping to midwicket for a sharp catch, while Mathews fell on the stroke of tea. In between, Dhananjaya de Silva had a ripper from Phillips turn right through bat and pad to clip the top of off.On another day, all that might have signalled a successful day for the visitors, but Kamindu ensured that it was the hosts that would take home honours on a hard-fought opening day.