Sri Lanka’s wicketkeeper batsman, Kumar Sangakkara who made anunbeaten 105 and helped his side consolidate their position in thefirst Test Match against India at the Galle International Stadium wasdelighted with his maiden hundred today, “It feels quite good. Notonly because this was my first one, but also considering the fact thatI haven’t been among the runs for a while. So I am glad that Icontributed to the team at the end.”Sangakkara has got out in 90s on two occasions, once against SouthAfrica at the Centurion Park and the next at Kandy against England.This time too there was the scare that he might not get there, but atthe end he managed to get to the three figures, “I actually wasnervous, because I was running out of partners. I had to decide how torotate the strike and then when Murali came to bat he just said we’dtake it as it comes and see what can be done. It’s good to get thathundred.”However the left-handed batsman refused to single out one particularknock as the best of his short career, “I like the 98 in South Africa.The 95 in Kandy also was important considering the position we werein. There was a quite a bit of pressure here as well. Every singletime you get runs you feel pretty happy. So I can’t single out oneparticular innings,” said the wicket-keeper batsman.Sangakkara singled out Venkatesh Prasad as the most difficult Indianbowler out of the lot, “I think it was Prasad,” said Sangakkara. “Hewas bowling very well with the old ball. He was quite accurate thoughwasn’t the quickest. But once again he made up for the lack of pace byhis accuracy”On the overall Indian bowling performance he said, “They bowled wellbut they gave us too many bad balls and took the pressure off us.”Harbhajan Singh ended up the innings with just one wicket and was notthreatening as expected. That can give a big boost Sri Lankan batsmensince there are two more matches to be played in the series,”Harbhajanis a good bowler. I was lucky to get a life when Dravid dropped me offhis bowling when I was on eight” remarked Sangakkara. “Though hebowled well, we handled him pretty well. He bowled about 30 overs andwe are happy that he just gave away one wicket for him. That gives usthe confidence that we can play him in the future games as well.”
After winning the Europa League last season, Tottenham Hotspur ended a boring narrative and an even more boring wait for silverware.
Ange Postecoglou would then be dismissed, and that was understandable. After all, Spurs finished 17th in the Premier League, and to say that the Australian coach’s side were imbalanced and porous would be an understatement.
Premier League 24/25 – Most Goals Conceded
Club
Final Position
Goals Conceded
Southampton
20th
86
Ipswich
19th
82
Leicester
18th
80
Wolves
16th
69
Tottenham
17th
65
Data via FBref
Thomas Frank is continuing to right those wrongs, and tying defensive mainstay Micky van de Ven down to a new deal is among his priorities heading into 2026.
But Tottenham are arguably weaker in attack, and Frank needs to bring down N17 some impactful offensive quality next month.
Spurs' plans to strengthen their frontline
While some feel a move to Tottenham would be the best move for Antoine Semenyo in his startling rise to the top, the Bournemouth talisman is headed for Manchester City.
Having lost Heung-min Son to LAFC in August, Tottenham lodged an enquiry about Semenyo’s availability. They were turned away. Frank had already welcomed Mohammed Kudus to the ranks, signing the Ghanaian from West Ham for £55m, but more elite quality was needed and still is.
With Pep Guardiola’s side honing in on Semenyo, a chance for one of the Etihad side’s wingers has ostensibly opened up, with Spurs technical director Johan Lange planning a fresh approach for Savinho.
That’s according to TEAMtalk, who claim the 21-year-old could be on the move despite City’s hopes of retaining his services. Spurs are said to be working on gauging the player’s interest in such a deal, prior to lodging any potential bid.
Savinho joined Man City from fellow City Group club Troyes, paying the French club £31m for his signature. Spurs chiefs held talks with City over a summer transfer for the Brazilian, in excess of £50m, but he was ultimately kept in Manchester.
Why Spurs should sign Savinho
An elite prospect, Savinho could benefit from regular minutes, thus opening the door for the Lilywhites to swoop.
Since joining Man City, Savinho has featured 70 times in all competitions, scoring only five goals but producing 16 assists. Described as “one of the best U21s in Europe” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the South American star is a breathtaking asset down the flanks, so dangerous and dynamic from the left and out on the right.
He shares a tactical likeness with Kudus, and he is undoubtedly one of the most exciting ball-carrying prospects in Europe. Though Kudus is an imperfect player, he is exciting and destructive on the ball, unique in his performance and invariably willing to take on opponents.
Savinho vs Kudus (past 12 months)
Stats (per 90)
Savinho
Kudus
Goals
0.09
0.14
Assists
0.20
0.20
Shots taken
2.20
1.79
Touches (att pen)
6.82
3.89
Pass completion (%)
80.5
77.4
Shot-creating actions
3.95
3.23
Progressive passes
2.56
2.71
Progressive carries
6.69
3.57
Successful take-ons
2.02
3.17
Recoveries
4.62
5.45
Tackles won
0.54
0.92
Data via FBref
Adding someone like Savinho to the ranks would reinforce Tottenham’s flanks and provide the club with an up-and-comer who might one day take the baton from club legend Son, though it’s clear that there are many miles to cover before that potential outcome.
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With City closing in on a move for Semenyo, it’s clear that Savinho is going to find regular minutes in the Premier League hard to come by, having only started four times since the summer.
Last season, his fleet-footed creativity underlined his quality and potential as a superstar. Sofascore record that he created 11 big chances and racked up eight assists despite only starting 21 times. He completed 57% of his dribbles, and he attempted many.
There is something distinctly Kudus-esque about him, but given his youth and inexperience, it’s fair to say that Savinho could become something even more special, and Spurs have to snap him up.
Spurs could finally bin Brennan Johnson by signing "generational" £88m star
Tottenham need more impetus in attack ahead of the January transfer window.
ScorecardNick Browne made a second-innings hundred•Getty Images
Glamorgan go into the final day at Chelmsford facing a massive task to avoid their first defeat of the season. After being set a victory target of 462, they reached the close on 110 for 1 but with the pitch starting to offer more encouragement to the spinners, it will need something special to deny their opponents success.Essex’s position of strength owed much to the efforts of Nick Browne and Liam Dawson. They shared in a stand of 237, setting a new record opening partnership for Essex against Glamorgan and they seldom experienced moment of anxiety. Left-hander Browne excelled with some fine driving, a straight six at the expense of offspinner Andrew Salter carrying him to his third century of the summer. He went on to make 129 that also included 20 fours before he was caught behind off legspinner Colin Ingram.Dawson, on-loan from Hampshire, and thrust into the opener’s role because Jaik Mickleburgh was suffering from back spasms, looked set to mark his home debut with a hundred. He had moved to 99 when he pushed a simple return catch to Ingram that brought to an end an innings that was noted for its placement rather than power. His effort contained eight fours and a six and his dismissal arrived soon after Ingram had trapped Tom Westley leg before on his way to final figures of 3 for 90 in 17 overs.Ravi Bopara was the fourth batsman to depart in the space of 33 runs but Jesse Ryder and Ryan ten Doeschate composed and unbroken stand of 74 in 11 overs before the 344 for 4 declaration left Glamorgan with their daunting mission. Both went aggressively about their business, Ryder’s 41 came from 43 balls while ten Doeschate struck 40 from 36 deliveries with the aid of four fours and a six.Jacques Rudolph and Will Bragg looked comfortable enough against the Essex pace attack when they began Glamorgan’s second innings but the introduction of left-arm spinner Dawson proved more of a problem. He soon beat the bat and found the edge before he tempted Bragg into a pull that finished in the hands of ten Doeschate at midwicket to bring to an end an encouraging partnership of 42.But 18 year-old Aneurin Donald and the experienced Rudolph further success. The teenager was particularly impressive as he seized every opportunity the loose ball as he ended the day with 42 from 68 balls. The more cautious Rudolph will resume in 45 which has so far spanned 95 balls.
The ECB wants to sort out the umpiring mess in the UK by presenting its vision of the future, but it has much ground to make up today when it meets with the general council of the Association of Cricket Umpires and Scorers.The Association, known as ACUS, will hear a proposal from Lord’s to form the ‘Association of Cricket Officials’. The ECB would like to merge ACUS and its own Officials Association – which has attracted only about 1200 members since formation last year – under the umbrella of the county boards.The ECB presentation document makes no mention of the Institute of Cricket Umpires and Scorers, known as ICUS, which was set up this year to offer top to tail training, including Edexcel-accredited BTEC courses to fit into the educational system.The bottom line for the ECB is whether they can persuade ACUS to give up their independence – a status umpires and scorers have cherished since the association was formed in 1953. Even though attitudes within the ECB administration have changed along with the first class power structure, many people within the recreational game view Lord’s with immense suspicion after so many years of under-funding.ACUS are vulnerable through their unwieldy, outdated governance structure and thin finances – not helped by the ECB cutting off the £25,000 annual grant – but the rank-and-file have a fantastic spirit with, one suspects, a low opinion of bureaucracy.For too long the First Class Forum, with power over revenue distribution, ensured there was a ‘them and us’ climate, reflected by the shortage of money filtering through to cricket development in the shires. Nowhere was this attitude better reflected than in umpiring. First-class umpires were appointed from the ranks of former professional players without the formal training and examination that ACUS required for the vast majority of umpires outside the county circuit.One would have thought that county experience and proper qualifications would create the ideal international umpire, but the ECB did not subscribe to that until relatively recently when the ICC took control of officials. It is very surprising – indeed suspicious — that only two officials have squeezed on to the English first class list without having played at pro level — Neil Bainton and Jeff Evans – though it is true there are an encouraging number in the reserves, including Martin Bodenham, Keith Coburn, Stephen Garratt and Terry Urben.With David Collier as chief executive, the ECB is changing its spots as quickly as it can, but recreational cricket is an area with ‘history’. And umpires have long memories. The ECB have to prove that ACUS would be better off losing their independence. Their presentation document to these experienced, dedicated men does not seem to do so.This is quite apart from the politics of independence. The danger of merging with governing bodies was thrown luridly under the spotlight by the Darrell Hair business last year and the forfeit by Pakistan of the Test at the Oval. ICC proved incapable of making sensible decisions under the stress of international politics, and Hair – rated as their second-best umpire – was effectively sacked for making correct umpiring decisions.The ECB propose that the proposed Association of Cricket Officials is formed on a structure based on 39 county associations, with regional forums based on five ECB regions and the European Cricket Council.Each county elects a representative to the board, with a say in the distribution of finances, and to the forum for the wider picture. There will be a national board operating under the umbrella of the ECB. The 13 members, with an independent chairman, with be a representatives from six regions, a representative of the MCC, scorers and women’s cricket, an education director, an ECB finance director, an independent director and an ECB executive director.Convincing the ACUS membership and winning a two-thirds majority on a ballot will take some doing.
Bob Woolmer, Pakistan’s coach, has defended his misfiring top-order batsmen after their continued failure in the three-day fixture against Northamptonshire. Salman Butt and Imran Farhat, who struggled in the drawn first Test at Lord’s last week, were dismissed for single figures but Woolmer has come to their defence.”There is not a problem with the top order batsmen,” Woolmer told Sporting Life. “Lots of people are talking about it after their failure against England but I have faith in my players and I know they will come good.”The bright part of Pakistan’s outing at Northampton was Younis Khan, who returned from a knee injury to captain the side in place of Inzamam-ul-Haq and scored an unbeaten 50. “I am really pleased to see Younis get a 50 and be in such good form after he missed the first Test,” said Woolmer. “These types of games are great because we can bring in players, like Younis, who have not had much time in the middle. It’s good to get some match practice and much better than batting and bowling in the nets. It helps to get the guys scoring some runs and improves their form and confidence.”Stephen Peters, whose 142 took the hosts to 269 for three declared, cut a relieved figure after his effort. “It was very pleasing to get my 100,” he said. “I have had a tough season so far which made it even more enjoyable. I have played well in quite a few one-day games lately and I’ve made a few technical changes to my game which I think have made all the difference. Hopefully this will get me back in the hat for the first team next week.”The second Test against England gets underway at Old Trafford on July 27.
The International Cricket Council has nominated the umpires and match referees who will officiate in the four-match Test series between India and Australia. Ranjan Madugalle, from Sri Lanka, will be the ICC Match Referee, and Steve Bucknor (West Indies), Rudi Koertzen (South Africa), Billy Bowden (New Zealand), David Shepherd (England) and Aleem Dar (Pakistan) will be the umpires.1st Test, Bangalore Steve Bucknor and Billy Bowden2nd Test, Chennai Rudi Koertzen and David Shepherd3rd Test, Nagpur Aleem Dar and David Shepherd4th Test, Mumbai Aleem Dar and Rudi KoertzenMatch Referee Ranjan Madugalle
Day 3 Gauteng 286 and 73 for 2 require another 385 runs to beat Easterns 405 for 4 dec and 338 for 9 dec (Z de Bruyn 88, Toyana 63, Cullinan 65, Mathebula 5-56) v ScorecardEasterns extended their lead to 457 before declaring their second innings on 338 for 9, with Zander de Bruyn following his century in the first innings with 88 in the second. In the process, he became the only batsman to exceed 1,000 runs for the season. Daryll Cullinan’s 65 also moved him into the second spot behind de Bruyn with 839 runs for the campaign. Brian Mathebula, in only his second first-class match, recorded his first five-for after bowling with far more discipline than he did in the first innings. At the close, Gauteng had reached 73 for 2.Eastern Province 432 lead Boland 324 by 108 runs ScorecardNo play due to rain.
During the Australia v Namibia match at Potchefstroom, Adam Gilchrist and Glenn McGrath became the first wicket-keeper/bowler combination to effect 50 dismissals in ODIs. The leading wicket-keeper/bowler combinations in ODIs are:
Keeper Bowler Team M Cts Sts DisAC Gilchrist GD McGrath Aus 103 50 0 50Moin Khan Saqlain Mushtaq Pak 119 16 31 47Rashid Latif Waqar Younis Pak 132 40 0 40RS Kaluwitharana M Muralitharan SL 145 16 24 40MV Boucher SM Pollock SA 132 39 0 39A Flower HH Streak Zim 148 37 0 37Rashid Latif Wasim Akram Pak 114 36 0 36DJ Richardson AA Donald SA 91 35 0 35IA Healy SK Warne Aus 68 13 21 34RS Kaluwitharana ST Jayasuriya SL 173 8 26 34
In the above table “M” is the number of matches that they have played together.Gilchrist took 4 catches off McGrath in the match. This equals the record for the most dismissals in a Limited Overs International match by a wicket-keeper/bowler combination. The following wicket-keeper/bowler combinations have taken 4 dismissals in a Limited Overs International:
Dismissals Keeper Bowler For AgainstVenue Season(4 ct) RW Marsh RM Hogg Australia EnglandLeeds 1981(4 ct) HP Tillakaratne RJ Ratnayake Sri Lanka PakistanSharjah 1990/91(4 ct) A Flower EA Brandes Zimbabwe EnglandHarare 1996/97(4 ct) MV Boucher M Ntini South Africa AustraliaDurban 1999/00(1 ct, 3 st) KC Sangakkara M Muralitharan Sri Lanka South AfricaColombo-RPS 2000(4 ct) RD Jacobs CD Collymore West Indies Sri LankaColombo-RPS 2001/02(4 ct) AC Gilchrist GD McGrath Australia NamibiaPotchefstroom 2002/03
The Asian Test Championship is nearing as the days are progressing.Bangladeshi players are now often seen in the BCB gym taking weighttraining. Physiotherapist Gavin is demonstrating the training program. TheNational Squad seem to be absolutely serious about doing well in the Testchampionship, therefore, they are now giving extra pressure over physicalfitness.Today most of the squad members were found working on their muscles withGavin around them to give instructions. Bikash Ranjan, Habibul Bashar,Khaled Masud, Mohammed Sharif and Ashraful from National and many fromBangladesh-A team took part in the hard weight-training session. Theseworkouts are now the indispensable parts of cricket.The newly set BCB gym is equipped with modern weight instruments that arequite accommodating to build a hard and endurable physic. Modern cricket hasaltered many conventional ideas. As for example, fielding and fitness werenever given more importance than they are given in the last ten years.Bangladesh realized it lately. The National players deserved a gym like thisand definitely earlier.Khaled Masud, the number-one wicket keeper in Bangladesh, is going all-outto regain his fitness. He was severely injured in the Zimbabwean Tour, whichkept him out of cricket for months. He looks very confident to slip backinto the squad. This veteran player’s contribution to his country isunforgettable, no doubt. We wish to see him back in form.Bikash Ranjan Das, the ace medium pacer of the country, possesses aperfectly shaped body. He missed the Zimbabwe Tour, which gave him a lot ofpain. This time he has been included in the Squad that are taking thepreparatory measures in BKSP. Bikash spends a fair amount of time in thegymnasiums at BKSP and BCB.
The January transfer window is due to open for business next week and there are some big calls that will have to be made by Danny Rohl and the board at Glasgow Rangers.
Whilst there will be a lot of attention on who they bring in to bolster the squad, as new signings are always exciting, there should also be some focus on who they need to move on from the club.
One of the toughest parts of squad building is knowing when the right time to move a player on is. The Light Blues have suffered because they have failed to time departures right in the past, such as was the case with Borna Barisic.
Why Rangers let Borna Barisic go too late
The Croatia international spent six years at Ibrox as a left-back for the likes of Steven Gerrard, Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Michael Beale, and Philippe Clement, making 236 appearances in all competitions, per Transfermarkt.
In his last season with the Gers, though, the left-footed star’s performances regressed, and he was not the same player he once was at Ibrox.
After recording nine assists in 30 Scottish Premiership matches in the 2022/23 campaign, the summer of 2023 may have been the perfect time for the club to cash in on Barisic, as his contract only had 12 months left to run at that point.
Barisic (Premiership)
22/23
23/24
Appearances
30
20
Key passes per game
2.3
1.7
Big chances created
12
1
Assists
9
3
Tackles + interceptions per game
2.8
2.1
Ground duel success rate
63%
61%
Dribbled past per game
0.2x
0.3x
Stats via Sofascore
Instead, they kept hold of the Croatian defender and, as you can see in the statistics above, his performances in and out of possession regressed in the 2023/24 campaign.
Barisic then left on a free transfer at the end of the season, as Clement opted to go in a new direction at left-back, and Rangers may have ended up regretting not letting go of him sooner.
The current Rangers star who is in danger of becoming the new Barisic
There is now a current Light Blues player who is in danger of becoming the new version of Barisic at Ibrox, as they have regressed on the pitch.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
In the summer transfer window, Rangers were reportedly interested in a deal to sign Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper Pierce Charles, but they ended the window without adding a new goalkeeper to Russell Martin’s ranks.
That is a decision that they may now regret because first-choice goalkeeper Jack Butland has been far too error-prone in the 2025/26 campaign, and has regressed with each passing season in Glasgow.
The English shot-stopper was somehow beaten at his near post by Lawrence Shankland in the 2-1 loss to Hearts on Sunday, and it was his seventh error leading to a shot or goal already this season, per Sofascore.
After that loss, journalist Jonny McFarlane posted that “Butland, no matter how well he’s playing, will always make three or four howlers a season”, which has, unfortunately, been true since the start of the 2024/25 campaign.
Jack Butland’s Rangers regression
Season
Error led to shot
Error led to goal
25/26 Premiership
3
2
25/26 Europa League
1
1
24/25 Premiership
2
2
24/25 Europa League
0
1
23/24 Premiership
1
0
23/24 Europa League
0
0
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the former England international made five errors leading to shots or goals in the Scottish Premiership and Europa League combined last term, which was four more than his first season at the club.
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That regression in his consistency clearly sounded some alarm bells inside Ibrox because they were then interested in a deal to sign Charles from Sheffield Wednesday, possibly to replace Butland.
However, Rangers opted to back their man by avoiding any new goalkeeper signings, and they have been punished for that support, as he has already made more errors than he did in the entirety of last season.
As was the case with Barisic, it seems like the Light Blues have held on to Butland a season too long, and there could be a decision for Rohl to make in January, as a new goalkeeper to challenge the Englishman could be needed.
£7m Rangers duo have been so poor they make Miovski & Chermiti look good
This £7m Rangers duo have been so underwhelming at Ibrox that they even make Bojan Miovski and Youssef Chermiti look good.