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Stats highlights from New Zealand’s 3-0 sweep of England in the ODI series

Sampath Bandarupalli01-Nov-202510 Consecutive bilateral ODI series wins at home for New Zealand since losing to India in January 2019 – the second longest winning streak in men’s ODIs after South Africa’s 17 consecutive series wins between 2002 and 2007. New Zealand surpassed England’s streak of nine series wins between 2016 and 2020.2 Instances of New Zealand whitewashing England in a series of three or more matches across formats. The previous instance was also in a three-match ODI series at home in 1983.10 Consecutive defeats for England in ODIs away from home, their longest losing streak.ESPNcricinfo Ltd22.3 Strike rate of New Zealand’s bowlers in the series against England, the second best for any team in a men’s ODI series or tournament where they took at least 30 wickets. South Africa’s bowlers had a strike rate of 21.5 against Zimbabwe in a three-match series in 2018.New Zealand’s fast bowlers took 26 wickets against England at a strike rate of 19.8, the best for any team in a series or tournament for a minimum of 20 wickets.84 Runs scored by England’s top four across the three ODIs in New Zealand – the fewest by any team’s top four in a men’s ODI series or tournament where they batted at least three times. The previous lowest was 89 by Bangladesh in the 1988 Asia Cup.England’s top three scored 58 – Jamie Smith (18), Ben Duckett (11) and Joe Root (29) – in the three ODIs. Only one team has had fewer runs in an ODI series or tournament (minimum of three matches), while playing with the same top three: 46 by Bangladesh’s Tamim Iqbal (40), Junaid Siddique (1) and Mushfiqur Rahim (5) in the 2009 Tri-Nation Tournament in Bangladesh.ESPNcricinfo Ltd104 Runs added by England for their first four wickets in this series, having lost their fourth wicket at scores of 10, 63 and 31 in the three matches – the fewest runs added by a team for their first four wickets in a men’s ODI series or tournament (minimum of three games).156 Runs scored by Jamie Overton are the most in a three-match series while batting at No. 8 or lower, going past Mehidy Hasan Miraz’s 141 runs against India in 2022.

Sheffield Wednesday will look to improve on last season's finish in the Championship, thankful that they managed to keep their heads above water, but wanting to push on and finish higher up the table this forthcoming season.

The Owls will also look to work some magic in the transfer window again, which saw the likes of Ike Ugbo join in the January market and become an instant fan's favourite at Hillsborough, with the former Chelsea youth player netting some vital goals, bagging seven times from 19 Wednesday appearances.

Already purchasing the likes of Yan Valery and Max Lowe, the South Yorkshire titans will look to add more firepower to their attacking positions away from just adding numbers in defence soon, with it looking difficult for Wednesday that their Canadian star will return for the 24/25 season.

Wednesday setting sights now on former target

With the Athletic stating that Wednesday could be priced out of a deal for the current Troyes man amidst major competition for his signature, Rohl and Co could turn their attention back to trying to sign Orlando City centre-forward Duncan McGuire, who had a turbulent transfer deadline day to say the least.

A move to Blackburn Rovers fell through right at the death for the American attacker after being touted to sign on the dotted line for Wednesday before attempting to get a deal through at Ewood Park, with McGuire having to then return back to MLS action after a disorientating time in England.

This week, The Athletic has further reported that Wednesday look to be going back in for McGuire, offering him a platform finally to strut his stuff in the Championship in a bid to try and mend the still-fresh scars of his Blackburn fiasco.

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ByStephan Georgiou Sep 18, 2024 What McGuire can offer Wednesday

A potent goalscoring machine playing for Orlando, the 23-year-old could make those at Wednesday also forget about Ugbo if he doesn't come back, as well as offering the Owls another body up top with Lee Gregory no longer on the books.

Labelled as being a "lethal" finisher by his Orlando boss in Oscar Pareja last year, McGuire hasn't stopped being a dependable source of goals for his MLS employers as of late, despite the disappointment of a move to the Championship not materialising.

The lofty 6 foot 1 forward has six goals in his last 16 MLS appearances, taking his goal tally overall for Pareja's men to 22 strikes from 56 contests.

Games played

16

38

Goals scored

6

11

Assists

0

2

Expected goals (xG)

4.38 xG

9.87 xG

Scoring frequency

184 mins

204 mins

Shots per game

1.9

1.3

Although Ugbo managed to beat McGuire's total for goals across the full 23/24 campaign, playing for Cardiff City as well as under Rohl, the table above suggests the American striker could be as lethal, or even more lethal than his Canadian counterpart, if he comes into his own putting on a Wednesday strip.

Scoring every 184 minutes during last season, compared to Ugbo's 204 minutes, alongside averaging more shots per game, McGuire will hope he can terrorise second-tier defences if he does join, causing many a back four issues alongside the likes of Djeidi Gassama and Anthony Musaba.

In an ideal world, Wednesday would have been frontrunners to sign Ugbo again this window, but if there's a possibility that McGuire could join instead, the Owls would be fools not to test the waters again.

Sheffield Wednesday now plotting move for in-demand £2,700-p/w wide player

His versatility is a huge plus, playing every position up the left flank.

ByHenry Jackson Jun 24, 2024

Douglas Luiz's move to Juventus has yet to be finalised. Aston Villa are under pressure to adhere to Premier League profit and sustainability (PSR) rules before the end of the month and the Brazil midfielder has been sacrificed.

According to Gianluca di Marzio, Weston McKennie and Samuel Iling-Junior are poised to move to Villa Park in the same deal, but the former is currently holding up the deal, having yet to agree terms. Still, the move is very much on, with McKennie expected to ply his trade under Unai Emery next season.

The USMNT midfielder is talented but failed to impress during his loan spell with Leeds United in 2022/23. He will need support to reach his zenith, and Villa are lining up a new forward who could be the perfect partner for the 25-year-old.

Villa eyeing new striker

As per Football Insider, Aston Villa are hoping to strengthen their frontline with the signing of Tammy Abraham this summer, who are open to selling the striker.

Abraham enjoyed an instrumental loan spell at Villa Park in 2018/19, scoring 26 goals as the club got promoted to the Premier League. He has since enjoyed a trophy-laden career but missed most of the 2023/24 campaign due to a knee injury.

Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United are also thought to be interested in the £20m-rated Englishman, but Emery will hope his outfit's connection to the player holds sway.

Imagine Tammy Abraham & Weston McKennie

There is rarely an obvious branching point in a player's career, but Abraham cut his teeth at Aston Villa and honed his ability ahead of a prosperous few years.

An ACL rupture suffered on the final day of the 2022/23 campaign restricted him to only two Serie A starts last term, scoring one goal and adding one assist.

Standing at 6 foot 3, Abraham has scored 36 goals and provided 12 assists across 107 matches for his Italian club, notably notching a 27-goal haul during the 2021/22 campaign, scoring nine goals in the Europa Conference League en route to the title.

He's been hailed as a "goal machine" by former coach Stephen Elliott and would offer something different, more of a focal point, to that of Ollie Watkins. His imposing style up front would benefit McKennie greatly.

Matches played

34

Matches started

29

Goals

0

Assists

7

Pass completion

81%

Touches per game

44.9

Key passes per game

1.2

Ball recoveries per game

3.4

Tackles per game

1.4

Dribbles per game

0.5 (38%)

Duels won per game

3.4 (50%)

McKennie might have flattered to deceive during his loan spell with imperilled Leeds but this should not define him as a player. Last season, back in Turin, he was a key figure in the middle of the park and demonstrated a rounded skill set.

The 25-year-old's seven-assist total would obviously help Abraham, whose silky footwork could be a good target point for the American's distribution, but deeper analysis highlights the reason this would be so successful.

As per FBref, the Old Lady midfielder ranked among the top 5% of midfielders in Serie A last season for assists, which is great, but he also ranked among the top 20% for progressive carries, the top 17% for touches in the attacking penalty area and the top 7% for progressive passes received per 90.

A forward-scurrying star, his athleticism and passion for pushing forward and influencing play would give Villa's prospective new striker a steady stream of creative support.

Given that he also ranked among the top 9% for crosses into the penalty area, his dynamic delivery also suggests that Abraham could find his noggin meeting ball with prolific constancy.

Watkins is the main man at Villa Park but with Jhon Duran mooted for a move to Chelsea, Abraham could be the perfect supplementary to add a dimension as Emery and his troops march toward Europe's elite club competitions.

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ByAngus Sinclair Jun 6, 2024

عزز فريق ليفربول تقدمه في ديربي الميرسيساديد، أمام إيفرتون في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز لموسم 2024-2025، بهدف ثان عن طريق محمد صلاح.

ويحل ليفربول ضيفًا على إيفرتون بملعب “جوديسون بارك” في مباراة مؤجلة من الجولة الخامسة عشر للدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وسجل محمد صلاح الهدف الثاني لليفربول في الدقيقة 73 من اللقاء، من تسديدة وهو منفرد بالمرمى، ليرفع رصيده للهدف 22 في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز هذا الموسم.

وكان صلاح صنع هدف تعادل ليفربول الذي أحرزه أليكسيس ماك أليستر في الدقيقة 16 من عمر المباراة.

وسبق وتقدم بيتو بهدف لإيفرتون في الدقيقة 11 من عمر المباراة، قبل أن يدرك ليفربول التعادل سريعًا.

ويمنكك متابعة التغطية المباشرة لمباراة ليفربول وإيفرتون لحظة بلحظة بالفيديو من خلال الرابط. هدف محمد صلاح في مباراة ليفربول وإيفرتون

Manchester United dropped yet more points at Old Trafford after another lacklustre performance under Ruben Amorim. The Red Devils were held to a 1-1 draw by relegation-threatened West Ham United, failing to create many substantial chances despite having the lion’s share of the possession.

Indeed, the first half went by without the home side creating too many chances of note. The closest they came was thanks to an effort from Joshua Zirkzee.

The Dutchman, who was one of the best players in Red on the night, saw his well-directed effort cleared off the line by former United right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

It took United until the second half to break the deadlock. It was a rare Premier League goal from Diogo Dalot, which was enough to put Amorim’s side ahead, and what a strike it was.

The ball dropped to the wing-back in the penalty area, and after a superb first touch, he fired the Red Devils ahead.

United never looked like doubling their lead, with Amorim making substitutions but once again opting against bringing Kobbie Mainoo on.

They paid the price with seven minutes left. The Hammers equalised thanks to a late strike from player of the match Soungoutou Magassa.

Indeed, Amorim’s underwhelming substitutions did not help United’s cause.

Amorim’s in-game management vs. West Ham

One of the biggest criticisms against the United manager throughout his 12-month tenure has been his in-game management. Well, the substitutions he made against the Hammers on Thursday night were underwhelming.

Zirkzee, who was linking up play nicely, was replaced by Mason Mount, and Manuel Ugarte was also brought on. That meant there was once again no place for Mainoo, who still cannot get the chance to showcase his skills for an extended period in the Premier League.

Lisandro Martinez also came on with the score at 1-1. It was a positive thing to see the 2022 World Cup winner coming stepping onto the Old Trafford pitch for the first time since February, but bringing a centre-back on when your side is chasing a goal to win the game is a strange call.

United social media presence, Alice said, the manager’s “subs and in-game management is shocking time and time again.” She also called out the decision to take Zirkzee off, and bringing Ugarte on over Mainoo when the Red Devils “need control” to help get over the line.

However, there was one substitution Amorim did get right, taking off one player who struggled.

The United star who's been overhyped

It was not the return from injury that Matheus Cunha may have hoped for. He was replaced by Ugarte on the 77-minute mark, after a performance which was “ineffective”, according to journalist Laurie Whitwell.

Indeed, the Brazilian struggled to get into the game against the East Londoners. He only had 46 touches across the 90 minutes, losing the ball 18 times and failing to create a chance in that time.

Off the ball, United’s number ten won just three from 11 duels.

Touches

46

Number of times ball lost

18

Pass accuracy

69%

Duels won

3/11

Key passes

0

Crosses completed

0

Expected goal involvements

0.29xGI

His disappointing performance earned him a 5/10 rating from Goal journalist Richard Martin. He noted that Cunha failed to make any sort of impact, describing his efforts at Old Trafford as ‘underwhelming’.

It remains to be seen if Amorim will keep Cunha in the starting lineup for the next game, a trip to his former club, Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The Brazilian has not really hit the ground running for the Red Devils so far, with just one goal and no assists in 11 Premier League games.

Whilst that is not necessarily just his fault, United fans may well have wanted more from one of their marquee summer additions. Perhaps there was an element of Cunha getting overhyped, with CEO Omar Berrada suggesting he could be “Cantona-esque” for the club.

That is a lot of pressure for someone to have placed on them immediately after joining a huge club, despite the Brazilian’s obvious confidence.

Things have not really gone that way for Cunha so far in a United shirt, and his performances have certainly left a little to be desired, as the game against West Ham showed.

With other options, such as Mount and Mainoo, at Amorim’s disposal, he may well make the bold decision to rotate his number 10 out of the starting 11 next Monday. Cunha can certainly add a little bit extra in the final third to make him a more dangerous option going forward.

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Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has taken a fresh swipe at Mohamed Salah ahead of the team's Champions League clash with Inter at San Siro on Tuesday evening. Salah has been left out of the squad for the game in Milan following his critical comments after Saturday's draw with Leeds, and his future at the club remains in doubt. Carragher has already branded Salah a "disgrace" for his outburst and has now followed that up with a fresh post on social media.

• Salah in the spotlight amid Liverpool struggles

  Salah vented his frustrations at Liverpool after being left out of the starting XI by Arne Slot for the third straight match against Leeds last time out. The 33-year-old Egypt international, who has scored 250 goals in 420 Liverpool appearances, claimed he had been "thrown under the bus" at Anfield and alleged someone at the club wants him out. Salah also claimed his relationship with head coach Slot had broken down. His comments shocked the football world and drew a critical response from Carragher who dubbed Salah a "disgrace" and claimed his comments were designed to "cause maximum damage and strengthen his own position." Slot has responded by admitting he has "no clue" if Salah will play for the club again and subsequently left him out of the squad travelling to Italy for their Champions League match.

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• Carragher takes fresh swipe at Salah

  Salah has posted an image on social media on Tuesday of himself training alone in the gym at Liverpool while his team-mates are in Milan preparing for their Champions League match without their talisman. Carragher has reacted to the post by responding: "I'm not sure I've wanted Liverpool to win a game more than tonight for a long time! Come you mighty reds."

• Will Salah play for Liverpool again?

  While Salah will play no part against Inter, it's still not clear if he will feature for the Reds again. Slot's side are in Premier League action on Sunday against Brighton, a fixture which will be Salah's last before he is due to link up with the Egypt squad for the Africa Cup of Nations. The Liverpool boss has been asked if Salah will feature against the Seagulls but was coy in his response. He told : "We are here for the Inter game. And I think you can understand that the last two days were already a lot. A lot of things going on, after conceding in the last minute against Leeds. Not for the first time this season. Then what happened afterwards. So I think you can understand that my full focus is now on Inter Milan, and we will see what the future is."

  Slot was quizzed further on the saga with Salah and added only: "No, far from ideal. Not good for anyone. First of all, not for the club, not for the team, not for him as well. So, far from ideal, but, yeah, we reacted in the way we did not to take him here. And that tells you what we felt about his comments."

  The drama has brought a fresh wave of speculation about Salah's future, with Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal reportedly willing to sign the forward in the January transfer window if he does decide to move on from Liverpool.

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  Liverpool face tough task in Italy

  Liverpool must now focus on their clash with Inter and what promises to be tough match against the Serie A giants. The Nerazzurri, who reached last season's Champions League final, head into the game with four wins from their opening five matches in the competition and are also currently sitting in third place in the Serie A table. The Reds were humbled 4-1 last time out in the competition at home to PSV and know another poor result will pile more pressure on Slot during what's fast become a nightmare second season at Anfield for the Dutchman.

Shohei Ohtani became the first Major League Baseball player in history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in the same season last year, accomplishing the incredible feat amid much fanfare. This year, able to pitch again after returning from injury, he has charted new ground yet again by becoming the sole member of another 50-50 club; this time becoming the first to post 50 dingers and 50 strikeouts.

Ohtani hurled five hitless innings against the Philadelphia Phillies in what would become a 9-6 defeat, fanning five batters to bring his total to 54 on the year. He's right on the half-century mark when it comes to his own long ball total and carries a 1.006 OPS as the season reaches its final weeks.

Now, racking up 50 strikeouts on the mound in this day and age of swings and misses isn't the most impressive thing in the world. Doing it in 41 innings of work sure is, though.

Whenever Ohtani's career ends there are going to be countless stats and feats to sift through as we try to decide if he's the greatest player of all time. Becoming a founding member of two different clubs showcasing the diversity of his talent in back-to-back years will certainly be one of them.

Former West Indies selector Roland Butcher was part of the panel who plucked out the young quick bowler

Andrew McGlashan02-Feb-2024One of the first people involved in West Indies cricket to set eyes on Shamar Joseph has recalled the excitement at seeing him bowl.Roland Butcher, who played international cricket for England, was a West Indies selector until earlier this year and was present at various stages through Joseph’s rapid rise which made global headlines with his 7 for 68 at the Gabba to bowl West Indies to a famous eight-run win despite an injured toe.It was last year at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua that Butcher was convinced they had found a special talent. He quickly took his thoughts back to fellow selector Desmond Haynes and the wheels were set in motion.Related

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“I immediately saw this guy bowling and thought, wow, this guy has got talent,” Butcher told ESPNcricinfo. “Went back to the hotel and sat down with Desmond and said, I saw a boy today who I believe is what we’ve been looking for. He’s the real material as a fast bowler.”Joseph took a five-wicket haul in his second first-class match and then earned a place on the A tour to South Africa where he claimed 12 wickets in two games. But even before then, Butcher had his eyes on the Australia tour.”What I saw was a guy with great athletic ability,” he said. “He’s not a big lad, but he’s strong and extremely fit. You could see that in him then, and once he started playing for Guyana, you saw the easy run up and the pace and the areas that he bowled. He’s not a guy who is all over the place. He bowls good areas but at serious pace.”It surprised us all that he’s done it so quickly but we always believed he had the talent. We took a chance, a calculated risk. I believed Australia was the perfect place for him to play because the pitches obviously favour fast bowling but you still need to know how to bowl there.

We knew his capabilities but don’t think we expected that sort of impact. How can you?Roland Butcher

“What you saw in Australia is what he did in that first game. The same lengths, movement, pace, everything you saw he did in the first game.”Butcher and Joseph had first crossed paths a couple of years earlier at a cricket clinic in Berbice, Guyana, when he and Andy Roberts had been invited to visit by the local board.”We had a long conversation. I saw him and realised he had talent,” Butcher recalled. “We spoke about it, I said listen, you have a lot of talent and I believe if you get serious about the game I know what could happen.”Then during the Super50 last year in Trinidad he came and sat down and said do you remember when you spoke with me about taking the game seriously. Then he said, six to eight months later he decided to take it serious.”Shamar Joseph sustained his pace throughout his matchwinning spell•Cricket Australia/Getty ImagesAlthough Butcher’s contract as a selector has ended, the pair kept in regular contact during the Australia tour with Butcher passing on advice about bowling in the conditions.”He’s not a bang it into the pitch bowler,” he said. “We talked about not getting carried away with the bounce and bowling a fuller length and about being quicker through the air.”They were all attributes on display at the Gabba where he continually challenged the defence of the Australia batters and was still getting movement with the pink ball as it grew older. His stamina, too, stood out as he touched 150kph deep into the matchwinning spell.”We knew his capabilities but don’t think we expected that sort of impact. How can you? The impact he’s had is unreal,” Butcher said. “What he has achieved is unbelievable. From his background, what he had to do…he’s one of the most natural athletes I’ve seen for a long time.”You have to remember where he came from. You must have real love for the game and serious desire to play in a place where there’s hardly any cricket, hardly any facilities, a very difficult place to get to. The support he got from within his village, he must have had huge desire to be a cricketer.”The story has already shifted to what happens next for Joseph. He has T20 league deals (an ILT20 stint has been curtailed by the toe injury) but has committed to always being available for West Indies. Their next Test series is against England in July.”I talk to him about things happening quickly, the type of people he needs around him to handle this kind of thing,” Butcher said. “That will be key now in terms of him getting good advice. He’s got a strong family background, so I have no doubts he won’t get carried away. He’s the catalyst for dragging that young team forward.”

The Detroit Tigers are fortifying the back end of their starting rotation, striking a deal within their own division in order to acquire another established arm.

According to MLB insider Ken Rosenthal, the Tigers have agreed to trade for Chris Paddack in a deal with the rival Twins. Detroit is sending Minnesota 19-year-old minor league catcher/first baseman Enrique Jimenez in the deal, according to 's Robert Murray.

Paddack, 29, is in his seventh MLB season and has spent the last four years in Minnesota. In 2025, he owns a 4.95 ERA with 83 strikeouts, 27 walks and 17 home runs surrendered across 111 innings.

He'll join a starting rotation in Detroit that currently consists of Cy Young favorite Tarik Skubal, Jack Flaherty, Reese Olsen, Casey Mize and Dietrich Ennis.

The Tigers enjoyed a superb first half of the season but have struggled recently, losing eight of their last 10 games. Now sitting at 61–46 with just a few days until the trade deadline, they chose to strike early and bring in Paddack to shore up their rotation ahead of their postseason push.

It looks as though chairman Andrew Cavenagh was fully invested in hiring Danny Rohl as Rangers’ next manager when everyone thought Kevin Muscat would take charge at Ibrox.

Rangers make Rohl their new manager

Things have moved quickly over the past 24 hours or so, with Muscat’s talks with the Gers falling through when it looked as though he was the front-runner to come in as Russell Martin’s successor at Ibrox.

Rohl has been confirmed as Rangers’ next boss instead, with the German most recently in charge at Sheffield Wednesday, and once enjoying a coaching spell at Bayern Munich, working under legendary boss Hansi Flick.

The 36-year-old has constantly been mentioned as one of the favourites to take charge of the Gers, alongside Muscat and Steven Gerrard, with the latter another who decided not to take the job and enjoy a second stint at Ibrox.

After a dire start to the Scottish Premiership season, Rangers fans will be keeping their fingers crossed that Rohl is the right choice, and it looks as though he may have been the leading option for the Scottish giants all along, following a fresh claim.

Cavenagh held secret talks with Rohl during Muscat saga

According to reports, Cavenagh held talks with Rohl last week about becoming Rangers’ next manager, amid constant claims suggesting Muscat would be the man to come in. They did then back away from the discussions when the Australian became the leading target again, prior to his move collapsing.

Only time will tell whether the former Wednesday boss is the right choice for the Gers, but there is plenty to like about him from the off, as he likely prepares to take charge of his first game away to Brann in the Europa League on Thursday evening.

At just 36 years of age, he represents a young and long-term option for Rangers, rather than going with the safer bet of an older manager who knows about getting teams out of trouble rather than adopting an attractive playing style.

As mentioned, Rohl excelled at Wednesday, coming in when the Owls looked destined for relegation from the Championship in October 2023, only to turn their fortunes around and finish the 2023/24 campaign in 20th place.

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Interestingly, it does look as though Muscat’s arrival at Rangers was never as concrete as reported by some, hence Cavenagh’s talks with Rohl last week, and hopefully, the German ends up being an inspired choice who gradually brings the glory days back to Ibrox as the months and years pass.