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Ngidi took 5 for 42 as Australia were bowled out for 193, with Inglis making 87 after South Africa were set up by half-centuries from Breetzke and Stubbs

Firdose Moonda22-Aug-2025

Lungi Ngidi added to his excellent record against Australia with 5 for 42•Getty Images

South Africa completed a fifth successive bilateral ODI series win over Australia, dating back to 2016, and this one, with a game to spare. Their 84-run victory in the second match followed a similar pattern to their triumph on Tuesday which was set up by a strong batting effort that was well defended under lights.Half-centuries from Matthew Breetzke and Tristan Stubbs, who also shared in an 89-run fourth wicket stand, took South Africa to a competitive total on 277, with Breetzke becoming the first player in men’s ODI history to pass 50 in his first four ODI matches. Nandre Burger and Lungi Ngidi then led the way in defence. Ngidi was player of the match with 5 for 42, his second five-for in ODIs and second against Australia.Australia have now lost their last three bilateral ODI series and will be concerned about a lack of contributions from their line-up. As was the case in match one, there was only one individual score of note, this time Josh Inglis’ 87.Related

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South Africa’s performance, while trophy-winning, was far from flawless. After a good start, they faded away with the bat and lost 5 for 44 in the last 10 overs and dropped three catches, to add to a growing tour tally. Stubbs, who scored his first fifty 16 international innings across all formats, put down two and has grassed six across the five matches in Australia so far.Still, South Africa will be pleased with their performance in the field which came with regular captain Temba Bavuma being rested for workload management and senior seamer Kagiso Rabada out of the series with an ankle injury. In Rabada’s absence, Burger and particularly Ngidi stepped up.Burger bowled with good pace to start proceedings and had early success. In the third over the chase, Travis Head tried to loft him over mid-on and was caught by a backpedalling Aiden Markram. Seven balls later, Ngidi offered Marnus Labuschagne some width, Labuschagne drove hard and edged to Ryan Rickelton. Australia were 7 for 2 in the fourth over, and things could have got a lot worse.Lungi Ngidi had Marnus Labuschagne caught behind•Getty ImagesCameron Green edged Ngidi’s next ball to Stubbs at second slip but he could not keep his hands on the ball. Three overs after that, Mitchell Marsh, on 13, drove Burger to Stubbs in the covers and he dropped another. Luckily for Stubbs only the first would prove somewhat costly. Marsh added five more runs before he pulled Wiaan Mulder to Corbin Bosch at mid-on and left Australia 39 for 3 after the first 10 overs.Markram brought himself on in the 18th over and Inglis took a liking to him. He reverse-swept the second ball over backward point, and then played one of the shots of the match when he danced down the track to lift Markram over cover for six. Markram took himself off and brought Mulder back and the move should have paid off when Inglis, on 42, chipped Mulder to cover where Tony de Zorzi spilled the chance.There was some relief for South Africa when Green was caught by Senuran Muthusamy in his follow-through to end Australia’s best partnership on 67 but Inglis continued to pose a threat. He top-edged Mulder short of deep third and then pulled and cut him for back-to-back fours and his fifty came off 46 balls. What Inglis lacked was someone to stay with him.Alex Carey flayed Burger to backward point where Dewald Brevis took a good catch. Inglis responded by taking 19 runs off Keshav Maharaj’s next two overs to enter the 18s. But it was all Ngidi from there.He deceived Aaron Hardie into popping a slower ball back to him and then took a low return catch. He also accounted for Inglis, who made room for himself on the drive but bottom-edged to Rickelton, and then had Xavier Bartlett caught at mid-on. Ngidi’s fifth came in the 38th over when Adam Zampa skied him to mid-on and Australia were bowled out with more than 12 overs remaining in their innings.Matthew Breetzke pulls behind square•AFP/Getty ImagesThat made South Africa’s batting effort, which Breetzke initially thought was 20 runs short, appear far above-par against a well-resourced Australian attack. Australia made use of seven bowlers, including three spinners. Between them, Zampa, Head and Labuschagne bowled 17 overs for 94 runs and took five wickets. Nathan Ellis was the standout seamer, with 2 for 46, and Xavier Bartlett did a good job upfront in the absence of Ben Dwarshuis, who was rested.Playing in his third ODI, Bartlett opened the bowling and enjoyed early success. Markram chipped him to midwicket for a fourth-ball duck before Rickelton was caught behind in his third over.Breetzke announced himself when he took on Hardie, with a four down the ground and two sixes flicked over fine leg in a signature show of his strength on the leg side. At the other end, de Zorzi also showed off his stroke-play with clean straight hits and a couple of cracking square drives.Breetzke and de Zorzi demonstrated some excellent, proactive run-scoring but also rode their luck. Breetzke charged Bartlett and top-edged a bouncer over Inglis while de Zorzi pulled a half-volley just short of midwicket. Their partnership had grown to 67 when de Zorzi gifted Zampa a simple return catch off a leading edge.Breetzke and Stubbs went five overs without scoring a boundary, during which time Breetzke brought up a 46-ball fifty, and it allowed Stubbs to settle. His confidence grew when flicked a Zampa googly over midwicket for six as South Africa targeted spin. Breetzke swept and pulled Zampa for successive fours and Stubbs reverse-swept Head.Xavier Bartlett made early inroads on his return to the side•Getty ImagesMarsh brought Ellis back at the halfway stage and it worked. Breetzke, who had pulled well throughout the innings, could not control one off Ellis that found Carey at deep square leg. Breetzke remains ODI cricket’s best performing batting newcomer scoring more runs than any other player in history across four matches from debut.Stubbs brought up his fifty with a single off Labuschagne and found a good finishing partner in Mulder, albeit he could have been out for 3. Mulder pulled Labuschagne to Marsh at midwicket but the captain put it down. In the next over, Labuschagne dropped Mulder on 5.Stubbs and Mulder put on 48 together and took South Africa to 233 for 5 with 10 overs to go but neither finished the job. Mulder was the first to go when he slog swept Labuschagne to Green at long-on. Muthusamy sent a full toss to Hardie at deep midwicket. Stubbs skied Zampa to midwicket and Burger holed out to long-off where Green completed his fourth catch of the innings, equalling the most outfield catches for Australia in ODIs.But that won’t be the statistic that grabs the headlines. For the first time since 2009, Australia had lost four consecutive ODIs at home, having been bowled out in four consecutive home ODIs for just the second time in history and for the first time without passing 200 in any of them. They have also lost seven of their last eight ODIs in total.

Real Madrid figureheads have reportedly held talks over Xabi Alonso's future after a damaging 2-0 loss to Celta Vigo. Los Blancos suffered a disappointing home defeat, which included red cards to Fran Garcia and Alvaro Carreras, putting them further behind La Liga leaders Barcelona. Now, speculation is mounting that their upcoming Champions League clash with Manchester City could be pivotal for the 44-year-old.

Madrid's woes continue

Six weeks ago, Madrid were basking in the glow of a Clasico win over Barcelona, giving them a five-point cushion at the top of the table. Fast forward to the present and Los Blancos have been left reeling by a 2-0 home loss to Celta Vigo on Sunday, which was Os Celestes' first win at Santiago Bernabeu for 19 years. They now sit four points adrift of bitter rivals Barcelona and if Villarreal win their game in hand, Alonso's side will drop down to third in the division. After this shock result, the former Bayer Leverkusen manager, who joined the Spanish giants this summer, admitted this was a "significant setback".

He told reporters: "We had planned for this match after the Bilbao game to play at a high tempo and press against a good opponent. We were lacking in some areas, and the injury disrupted our plans. It's bad news; we're already struggling with injuries. This is another significant setback. We struggled to react; perhaps our best reaction came when we were down to ten men. The team pressed hard, we ran, and we tried. We understand that the fans left angry. We have to show a different side on Wednesday."

Indeed, Madrid are currently without injured defenders Eder Militao, Daniel Carvajal, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Ferland Mendy among others. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportAlonso under pressure

According to , after taking just six points from a possible 15 in La Liga, the biggest talking point around the club is Alonso's managerial future. Following Sunday's loss, club president Florentino Perez and general director Jose Angel Sanchez, among other senior leaders, held internal discussions about the team's situation and Alonso's position. The report adds that none of the sources around the club felt confident in saying the ex-Liverpool player would still be in charge if City beat Los Blancos in the Champions League on Wednesday. The Spanish giants are said to be keen on continuing with this Alonso project but results matter most at such a demanding club. The board are reportedly unhappy with the team's image and recent results and there are concerns the players don't have a good connection with Alonso and his ideas. If he is sacked, they may turn to Real Madrid Castilla coach Alvaro Arbeloa or Los Blancos legend Zinedine Zidane, although it is uncertain whether he would return to the club for a third time as manager.

Alonso calls for unity

Amid this unsatisfactory run of results, Alonso has called for everyone to rally around one another and trust the process. He also stressed there is a long way to go this season and that they can come good.

He added: "If we all stick together, knowing that this is football, we can reverse the situation. There’s still a long season ahead, and having a bad game at home is normal. It’s not ideal, but we have to look ahead. We know what self-criticism and high standards this club demands. We know that defeats hurt a lot. This is everyone’s responsibility, not just the players, coaching staff, or the club. We all have to commit to doing things right and approach each match as the most important one. Today, the three points we dropped are important, but not decisive. There’s still a long way to go. It’s a responsibility and a job for everyone to do together."

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Getty Images SportMan City test next

Madrid are currently fifth in the Champions League table, putting them in a strong position to progress to the knockout stages of the competition. But that could be under threat if they lose to a rejuvenated City in midweek. 

Ahead of that clash, Alonso said: "We all take the blame. We're all in this together through thick and thin. We have to handle it with the responsibility we have to assume. We shouldn't look too far ahead. The situation is tight because of the injuries; we have to change things every game. We'll see what happens on Wednesday."

Coach Andrew McDonald said the captain has had a ‘positive week’ but conceded time was running short for Perth

Alex Malcolm10-Oct-20251:14

Mitchell Starc: Smith ‘has been a great sounding board’ for Cummins

A decision on Pat Cummins’ availability for the first Ashes Test is set to be made next Friday with Australia coach Andrew McDonald admitting his captain is running out of time to be fit for Perth but there remains confidence that Cummins will play some part in the series.Cummins had a scan earlier this week on the lumbar bone stress in his lower back and McDonald confirmed on Friday that the injury had improved.But Cummins is still yet to bowl with just six weeks to go before the first Test begins in Perth on November 21 which has led to doubts over his availability.Related

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McDonald said the latest scan had allowed Cummins and the medical staff to add some different elements to his training that has been restricted to lower leg strength work only over the past month. He added that a decision would be made late next week as to whether he can progress to bowling with an eye to playing in the first Test but admitted the timeline was getting very tight.”We still aren’t further advanced on whether he’ll play the first Test,” McDonald told reporters on Friday. “We are definitely running out of time around that. He’s added some variables into his training. I think by this time next week, we’ll be in a position where we’re better informed to make a judgment around what that first Test match looks like.”He’s had a positive week, and so we’ll just wait for that information to come in. Anyone that knows the nature of those injuries, you do add the variables in and it’s about how you recover from adding the variables into your training. It’s not as quick as everyone thinks it is. We look forward to a positive outcome next Friday and then making some decisions around what it looks like for the first Test match.”Even if Cummins was ruled out of the first Test, McDonald was reasonably confident he could play a part in the Ashes series.”I haven’t really delved into what it looks like without him for five Test matches because the information and the week that he’s had would suggest he’s going to play some part as it sits right now,” McDonald said.”Can that change with new information when we start to add some more variables into his training? Could that go backwards? There is a possibility of that. And for those who have had lumbar bone stress, they would understand that it’s a journey to add those variables in, how you pull up, recover, and that can ebb and flow a little bit across the rehab. So we’ll just see how it plays out. At this stage there’s no thinking that he will be ruled out for the whole series.”McDonald believes it is possible for Cummins to be ready for the first Test in Perth off a preparation of less than six weeks of bowling. But he said Cummins, the selectors and the medical staff would have to weigh up the risk and reward of rushing him back.”The biggest variable that we need to add in is bowling and if you looked at a reasonable time frame for Patty to get ready, we feel as though he can do a shortened preparation, unlike other bowlers that probably need a longer prep,” McDonald said.”But even if we were to shrink that prep down, we’d start to take on some risk around soft tissue [injuries], some skill readiness as well, making sure he’s prepared to do the job there and then is it advantageous for us to get him up and running in a series even if he’s a little bit underdone and grow throughout the series as well.”Pat Cummins has not bowled since the Caribbean tour in July•AFP/Getty Images

If Cummins were to be ruled out, McDonald was confident the team could cover his absence across all aspects of the game. Cummins’ bowling will be sorely missed but Scott Boland was already pushing for a first choice spot in the XI and has an incredible Test record in Australia where he averages 12.63.If another injury were to happen to one of Australia’s quicks then the likes of Brendan Doggett, Michael Neser and Sean Abbott will come into consideration.Doggett is set to be ruled out of a second straight Sheffield Shield game for South Australia with a minor hamstring issue but it is understood to be a conservative decision and that he will be fully fit for the third round that starts on October 28. Neser bowled well in Queensland’s first Shield match against Tasmania while Abbott is set to play his first four-day game of the season for New South Wales against Victoria next week after being left out of the ODI squad to face India. He has been named in the T20I squad which will rule him out of the third Shield round at least.Cummins’ calm leadership in what looms as a frenzied Ashes would also be missed if he were to be ruled out at any stage but McDonald believes Steven Smith, who is an outstanding tactician, would step in seamlessly if needed.”It’s highly likely that Steve would be that the person that we turn to,” McDonald said. “George Bailey would have to tick that one off. Steve’s incredibly experienced. He’s done a good job as recently as Sri Lanka, when Pat wasn’t on that tour. So that’s the person that we’ve turned to. I don’t see that changing.”Cummins batting contributions in recent years at No.8 have also been vital, particularly in pressure moments having won Australia two Test matches at Edgbaston and Christchurch in nail-biting run chases.McDonald was confident Mitchell Starc could step back up to No. 8 after a impressive performance in the World Test Championship final in June while he cited Boland and Nathan Lyon’s crucial tenth-wicket partnership against India at the MCG last summer as a sign of their ability. Josh Hazlewood has also had large 10th wicket stands in Test matches with Cameron Green and Starc over the last the last two years.

Manchester United’s central midfield department has been one that has come into huge question over the last couple of months, with Ruben Amorim needing improvements in such an area.

The 40-year-old has often had to rotate the options to the heart of the side, with Bruno Fernandes often the man to start as a number eight on a regular basis.

The Portuguese international has mainly been joined by Casemiro in the two midfield roles in 2025/26, which has allowed the latter to make a name for himself in the Premier League.

However, at 33, the Brazilian is now entering the latter stages of his professional career, with the player set to leave at the end of the season upon the expiration of his contract.

As a result, the hierarchy will desperately need to target added reinforcements in the midfield department, especially with the January transfer window now approaching.

Man Utd looking to sign mega-money midfielder

Over the last couple of days, United have been named as one of the sides interested in a deal to sign RB Leipzig star Assan Ouedraogo in the January window.

The German star has endured a phenomenal start to the 2025/26 campaign, featuring in 11 Bundesliga outings and already posting a total of six goal contributions in the process.

However, it’s been reported that Ole Werner’s side are extremely reluctant to offload the 19-year-old, who is seen as a player with huge potential to explode into an elite-level talent.

He’s not the only player currently in the Red Devils’ sights at present, with Nottingham Forest sensation Elliot Anderson still firmly in their sights ahead of the winter window.

According to journalist Andy Mitten, Amorim’s men “would love” to sign the 23-year-old midfielder who has been a shining light at the heart of the Reds side in 2025/26.

It’s also been reported that such a deal could rise to around the £100m mark, which would be a club record for United, passing the figure forked out for one player in 2016.

Why Anderson could be Man Utd's new Paul Pogba

Paul Pogba joined United in a staggering £89m deal back in the summer of 2016, with such a deal becoming the most expensive in the club’s long-standing history.

The Frenchman arrived for his second spell at Old Trafford, amassing over 225 appearances and often catching the eye with various impressive moments over his six-year period.

From long-range strikes to vital efforts in Manchester derbies, he truly did capture the hearts of the supporters – that’s despite concerns over his fitness and attitude at certain times.

However, there’s little denying he’s one of the most technically gifted players to operate in the deep-lying midfield roles, as seen by his tally of 86 goals and assists for the Red Devils.

Despite Bruno operating in such a role, there’s little denying the first team have lacked a technical player of Pogba’s quality, but that could be about to change with a move for Anderson.

Like Pogba, he would be a massively expensive addition, but his underlying stats from the 2025/26 campaign showcase his incredible technical ability with and without the ball.

The Englishman, who’s been labelled “world-class” by one analyst, has completed 8.3 progressive passes per 90, with 8.2 of his efforts being made into the final third.

Such numbers showcase his incredible ball-playing ability, with such talents allowing him to pick out numerous of the club’s £200m additions in attacking areas.

He’s also completed 1.5 key passes per 90 to date, with 1.3 of his passes being into the opposition’s 18-yard box, further highlighting his world-class talents in possession.

However, without the ball, Anderson has been just as impressive, as seen by his tally of 2.8 tackles made and 7.2 duels won per 90 in the Premier League this campaign.

The aforementioned figures showcase why he would be the perfect box-to-box option for Amorim’s side, which could get the best out of Bruno once again in the near future.

£100m for a player in the modern market is slowly becoming an acceptable choice, as seen by the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City, who have all spent such a figure on players in years gone by.

However, if United are to do it, Anderson would be the perfect player to spend such an amount on, with the midfielder having the immediate quality to impress, whilst potentially improving tenfold in the years ahead.

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The 18-year-old batter has impressed the likes of Viv Richards, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Curtly Ambrose with his skill and maturity

Deivarayan Muthu02-Jan-2025At 17, Jewel Andrew became the youngest player to feature in the CPL and then the youngest to debut for West Indies in ODI cricket. In October 2024 in Sri Lanka, he received his maiden cap from fellow Antiguan Alzarri Joseph and played under Shai Hope, whose shots he has copied from childhood.Andrew was earmarked as a future West Indies star right from his age-group days, but not many expected him to make the step up to international cricket in his teens. Things have been happening rather quickly for him. He recently celebrated his 18th birthday in Chennai, at a two-week camp for West Indies’ brightest young talents at the Chennai Super Kings Academy.Andrew has all the shots in the book, including the reverse sweep, which disrupted the local spinners in a two-day game in Chennai.”I’ve been trying the sweeps and reverse, which is a good option against spinners,” Andrew says. “In that two-day game, I actually scored 30 [runs] off reverse sweeps, so it’s working for me. I’ve been working on this type of stuff at this camp.”Related

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Andrew had also showed off his reverse sweep on his CPL debut in August last year. He picked up a Tabraiz Shamsi stock ball from the stumps and audaciously flipped it over short third during his unbeaten 50 off 30 balls for Antigua and Barbuda Falcons against St Kitts and Nevis Patriots. In the lead-up to his debut, Andrew visualised nailing the shot off Shamsi.”My plan against Shamsi was to take him on,” Andrew says. “I actually planned it because he’s an experienced bowler. It was a crazy shot (laughs). I felt if I could get a boundary off him, it would be a highlight.”Andrew also nervelessly took on other internationals like Anrich Nortje and Dominic Drakes that day. He had started playing cricket from when he was four years old and was used to competing against the big boys.”I try to forget about nerves when I’m playing,” he says. “It’s just something that grew with me throughout my career so far. I try to let go of nerves and just play what I normally play because I just feel it’s another opportunity to showcase my talent. I keep playing and keep being me, and it’s working for me so far.”Andrew is still a teenager, but his temperament and maturity have impressed a number of West Indies greats, including Viv Richards and his Falcons coaches Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Curtly Ambrose. When the young batter brought up his fifty on CPL debut, Ian Bishop exclaimed on commentary: “Jewel really is a precious commodity. He could end up being one of the more valuable young players in the history of the game in the region!”ESPNcricinfo LtdRichards’ opinion of him, Andrew said made him feel good about himself. “He’s a legend of the game. They’re all legends. Hearing them speak about me is special for someone like me coming up. But the information I’ve gathered from them so far is [mostly] what I know already. In terms of just being patient and picking the right deliveries, because I have all the shots. It’s for me to pick the right one and try to extend my game and learn as much as I can, because I’m here to learn.”In his first stint with the West Indies team, Andrew learnt to balance his emotions. He initially felt that he wasn’t ready for international cricket, but a chat with Hope helped him ease into the set-up.”I told Shai I felt I didn’t belong here because it seems a bit rushed, I was nervous being in Sri Lanka” Andrew says. “He was talking to me about emotions and time management. Shai is big on time management and I’m just keen to learn more from him.”Andrew first met Hope in 2023, when he was a flag bearer for the start of the home ODI series between West Indies and England. His ultimate goal is to emulate Hope and have a long, decorated West Indies career, just like his hero.”Just talking to Shai makes me feel good. I watched him growing up,” he says. “Just sharing the dressing room with him is a special feeling. I don’t want to be a player who is around for just one or two tours; I want to be playing for West Indies for a long time and hopefully average 50 like Shai.”

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