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He scored heaps of runs in age-group cricket, but had only 55 runs to show for his five Ranji Trophy matches before this season

Srinidhi Ramanujam17-Jun-2022Armaan Jaffer has always had an appetite for runs and long innings. At the school level, at the Under-19 level, at the Under-25 level. And now, it was visible at the senior level too, when he scored his second century of the Ranji Trophy season, on day four of the semi-final and blunted Uttar Pradesh with centurion Yashasvi Jaiswal to take Mumbai close to their first final in five years. Mumbai now lead by 662 runs.After a long gap, this hunger for runs reflected in tangible terms only recently. Having started his age-group cricket alongside Sarfaraz Khan and Prithvi Shaw, he was tipped to be the next big thing with them from Mumbai.But it was a stop-start career for Jaffer after his first-class debut in the 2016-17 season. He missed the following season due to a knee surgery but made his way back into the Mumbai squad in the 2018-19 edition after an unbeaten 300 off 367 against Saurashtra in the Under-23 CK Nayudu Trophy.However, his career never really took off at the senior level as he would have wanted it to.Before this Ranji season, Jaffer had played five first-class matches and had scored a mere 55 runs.Self-doubt started to creep in and “people also started doubting” him. It was because of the reputation he had earned and the expectations he had set after being prolific in age-group cricket. The ‘Jaffer’ tag also had its own share of pressure.Jaffer first hogged the limelight with a record 498 runs in the Under-14 Giles Shield tournament – the highest individual score in Indian school cricket in 2010. He was then picked for the 2016 Under-19 World Cup on the back of three consecutive double-centuries in the Under-19 Cooch Behar Trophy. In the same year, he was added to the Kings XI Punjab squad for INR 10 lakh.But this drive to play long innings was rekindled by Abhishek Nayar, former India and Mumbai batter, post his 2019 ACL surgery.”I didn’t want to take any innings for granted,” he said of his changed mindset.During his rehabilitation in Mumbai, Jaffer trained with Nayar for six months and those interactions helped him get into a better mental state and “not focus on personal goals.” That was a bit of a “different preparation,” he would say.”Talking to him, him sharing his experiences…that motivated me a lot.”On my chat with Nayar, I came to know that it was his dream to hit a six off the first ball on debut like Vinod Kambli did, but that could not happen because he was under so much pressure. Then he could not string good performances, he got out for consecutive zeroes, and he was left out of the team. But he did not lose his hunger of coming back into the team and playing Ranji Trophy for Bombay for many years. Eventually, he made a comeback and went on to play for India as well. That was quite motivating for me.”For me, there was a time when I played five [Ranji] matches, and post that, I did not do anything.”I had scored so many runs in age-group tournaments that there was so much expectation from everyone, and that could not be fulfilled. So there was a lot of self-doubt, but when I spoke to him [Nayar], my dad, then my mindset changed a bit. This season I think my mindset has been better. There has definitely been hard work, but I think my mindset has been better. And that is paying off through my performances.”This clarity was visible in all the three Ranji games he has played so far. In his first match this season, against Odisha in the group stage, coming in at No. 3 and witnessing Mumbai slip from 73 for 0 to 76 for 3, Jaffer cracked a 223-ball 125 and stitched 277 runs with Sarfaraz to help Mumbai take a big lead. The next opportunity came a few months after the IPL, in the quarter-final against Uttarakhand and he scored 60 and an unbeaten 17.On Friday, in the semi-final, Jaffer scored a breezy 127 in the second innings on a flat pitch at the Just Cricket Academy and put on 286 runs with Jaiswal for the second wicket to further close in on the final spot. Mumbai ended the day at 449 for 4 with another massive lead. Jaiswal made his career-best first-class score of 181, his third consecutive century in the format.”The match was on our side, especially after they got out in the first innings,” Jaffer said. “But personally, I did not want to take any innings for granted. Regardless of the match situation, I did not want to take any innings for granted and did not want to waste any innings. My focus was to score runs. That would have helped the team and me.”In general, I haven’t made too many changes to my preparation. What I was doing at the time, I am continuing with the same now. Maybe, it was not destined to happen at the time, but now it is happening. The hard work that I have put in these years is paying off now. My preparation has been normal, I train with my father.”Mumbai might be closing in on a final spot, but Jaffer still has some unfinished business.”Before the season, the message from our coach [Amol Muzumdar] was that Bombay has won the trophy 41 times, so we have to win the Ranji Trophy anyhow. That was the goal right from the beginning,” he added.The senior Jaffer – Armaan’s uncle – has won 10 Ranji titles in his career. The junior may not be far from adding one to his name.

The Red Sox will leave no stone unturned in their pivotal Game 3 matchup against the Yankees on Thursday night.

When speaking with reporters ahead of first pitch from Yankee Stadium, manager Alex Cora revealed how Boston will use its bullpen behind 23-year-old starting pitcher Connelly Early—and they're using an all-hands-on-deck strategy.

Despite Brayan Bello starting Game 2, a 3-2 loss to New York, the 26-year-old will be in Boston's bullpen and available to pitch. Additionally, relief pitcher Garrett Whitlock—who threw a season-high 47 pitches across 1 2/3 innings on Wednesday night—will also be ready to roll.

"There's guys that are feeling it, but they're ready to go," said the skipper. "Let's put it that way."

Cora also didn't fully shut down the idea of ace Garrett Crochet taking the bump if necessary: "We'll see, but probably not."

Despite a willingness to bring in just about anyone from the bullpen, however, Cora also sounds like he has confidence in Early to give them a respectable outing from the jump.

"I think we're in a good place regardless,” he said. "Hopefully he goes deep into the game and we don't have to make too many phone calls to the bullpen."

Here's a look at who Boston will start in the field behind Early:

Red Sox Lineup for Game 3 vs. Yankees

1. Jarren Duran – LF
2. Trevor Story – SS
3. Alex Bregman – 3B
4. Masataka Yoshida – DH
5. Ceddanne Rafaela – CF
6. Nathaniel Lowe – 1B
7. Carlos Narváez – C
8. Wilyer Abreu – RF
9. Romy Gonzalez – 2B

Game 3's first pitch from Yankee Stadium is set for 8:08 p.m. ET and will air on ESPN.

Led by Jadeja’s four-for, India reduced South Africa to effectively 63 for 7 with three days to go in the game

Sidharth Monga15-Nov-20252:14

What to make of the Eden Gardens surface?

India started the second day 122 runs behind in the first innings with nine wickets in hand. Less than six dramatic hours of cricket later, they were sensing a win, having reduced South Africa to effectively 63 for 7 in their second innings. Fifteen wickets fell on the day, Shubman Gill retired with a neck spasm, 39 remained the top score in the Test, and 57 the top partnership. This was the lowest top score in the first two innings of a Test in India, and the lowest in any Test since Durban 2010-11 between the same sides.Absolutely nobody predicted the pitch would turn out to be so difficult to bat on. It looked like a normal Indian track, good for batting for first two days, but the top surface began to come off in the second half of the first day. On the second day, it became near unplayable. Even the fast bowlers drew generous help to take 11 of the 26 wickets to fall.The pitch might seem at odds with India’s public utterances after the series loss to New Zealand last year that they want to play on more balanced surfaces, but commentator Dinesh Karthik said on air that it was not watered on the day before the Test, which comes across as unusual.Related

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What wasn’t unusual was that the best player on this moving day was Ravindra Jadeja, who scored 27 largely trouble-free runs before his old-fashioned technique of hiding the bat behind the pad got him out lbw to Simon Harmer.Harmer himself showed all the hype was real, that he is now a vastly improved bowler to the one that showed up in India 10 years ago, taking 4 for 30 to keep South Africa in arrears of only 30 after being bowled out for 159 on the first day. Jadeja, though, showed 30 was plenty with an unerring unbroken spell of 13-3-29-4 as South Africa ended the day on 93 for 7.When the day began, and indeed even after the wicketless first hour, it looked like India were setting themselves up for a decisive first-innings lead. KL Rahul, the top-scorer in the match, and India’s new No. 3 Washington Sundar put together the joint-highest partnership of the match. Introduced only in the second hour of the day, Harmer produced immediate results, turning one past Washington’s edge and the next onto the edge.KL Rahul was the top-scorer of the match after the second day•AFP/Getty Images

At 75 for 2, India were 84 behind South Africa, still a comfortable position to be in. Gill, whose neck seemed to be in some discomfort in the morning warm-ups, then went into a spasm as soon as he swept Harmer for four.While Rahul, Rishabh Pant and Jadeja – 39, 27 and 27 – looked good in their own individual ways, the eventual wicket-taking delivery was always around the corner. Rahul made the mistake of following Keshav Maharaj’s extravagant turn, Jadeja was done in by the natural variation, and Pant fell to extra bounce for Corbin Bosch.Maharaj will be disappointed he went at over four an over, but the combination of Harmer and Marco Jansen made light of India’s batting depth, which generally is the case on such pitches. In Kagiso Rabada’s absence, Jansen’s analysis of 15-4-35-3 kept South Africa alive in the Test. India lost their last four wickets for 36.By the time India started bowling for the second time, with a little over half an hour to tea on day two, it made complete sense to open with spin. Jasprit Bumrah, who got a five-for in the first innings, did open the bowling, and from the end where bowlers had generated uneven bounce, but it wasn’t long before South Africa were facing spin from both ends with little breathing time or space.Kuldeep Yadav took the wicket of Ryan Rickelton with what turned out to be the last ball of the middle session, one that didn’t turn and also had the batter playing back when he should have been forward.Ravindra Jadeja spun a web around South Africa•AFP/Getty Images

Pant, captaining in Gill’s absence, immediately brought on Jadeja, the fingerspinner who could accurately bowl at high pace, on at this end. As it often happens on such difficult pitches, the wicket-taking deliveries don’t look that threatening but the ones around them scramble batters’ brains. And so it looked like Aiden Markram should not have checked his sweep, but he did because this ball from Jadeja stopped on him. Tony de Zorzi reverse-swept the first ball he played but the next one jumped on him, making for an easy bat-pad catch.Wiaan Mulder tested Jadeja’s patience, but Jadeja eventually produced the edge with the big-turning delivery. Tristan Stubbs was worked over with subtle changes in the angle, with Jadeja finally going wide on the crease, angling the ball in, and then turning it away past the edge to take the off stump.Kyle Verreynne copped flak for trying to slog-sweep Axar Patel, but there weren’t many scoring opportunities on that pitch with in-out fields. A similar attacking strategy came off for Jansen for a while as he scored 13 but even he get a feather on a sweep off Kuldeep.The catching of both sides remained sensational with Rahul capping the day off with a low slip catch off a deflection of the keeper Pant. Temba Bavuma defended well and threw in the occasional sweep to end the day unbeaten on 29 off 78, but it seemed he still had a lot to do with the bat to give South Africa a shot at a win.

A Brazil international says his friends and family members are now urging him to join Arsenal, describing the Gunners as the ‘perfect’ club.

Arsenal prepare for Chelsea after statement Bayern Munich win

Arsenal’s commanding 3-1 victory over Bayern Munich on Wednesday night has set the stage perfectly for Sunday’s blockbuster Premier League clash with second-placed Chelsea this weekend.

Mikel Arteta’s side maintained their perfect Champions League record with a dominant second-half performance that overwhelmed the previously unbeaten German champions.

Jurrien Timber’s header from Bukayo Saka’s corner opened the scoring before teenage sensation Lennart Karl equalized with a composed volley to end Arsenal’s clean sheet streak in the competition.

However, the second period belonged entirely to the hosts. Substitute Noni Madueke, after returning from two months out with a knee injury, broke the deadlock with his first Arsenal goal before Gabriel Martinelli capitalized on Manuel Neuer’s catastrophic error to seal all three points.

The result sends Arsenal three points clear at the top of the Champions League table and represents their first victory over Bayern in a decade, ending a winless run against the Bavarians dating all the way back to October 2015.

Martin Odegaard’s late comeback appearance off the bench provided even more encouragement ahead of the weekend’s crucial encounter at Stamford Bridge.

The captain’s return offers Arteta additional midfield creativity just when Arsenal need it most, facing a Chelsea side riding high after their own impressive European victory over Barcelona.

Sunday’s clash represents a genuine title race test. Arsenal arrive in excellent form, having thrashed Tottenham 4-1 in the North London derby before dispatching Bayern, and they’re currently on a phenomenal 16-game unbeaten streak.

Arsenal’s unbeaten run in all competitions since defeat to Liverpool

Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest

Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 1-1 Man City

Port Vale 0-2 Arsenal

Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

Fulham 0-1 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-0 Atlético Madrid

Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace

Arsenal 2-0 Brighton

Burnley 0-2 Arsenal

Slavia Prague 0-3 Arsenal

Sunderland 2-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-1 Tottenham

Arsenal 3-1 Bayern Munich

Chelsea, meanwhile, sit just six points behind the league leaders following their Champions League demolition job.

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Posts ByEmilio Galantini Nov 28, 2025

Away from the pitch, sporting director Andrea Berta continues to weigh up how best to strengthen Arteta’s squad for the long-term.Reports suggest that Arsenal have already held ‘initial’ talks over Elche sensation Rodrigo Mendoza, amid his comparisons to Pedri, but someone else has now opened the door for a potential N5 move.

Luiz Henrique makes Arsenal transfer admission

That man is Zenit St. Petersburg winger Luiz Henrique.

The Brazilian, who boasts 11 caps for his country, joined the Russian Premier League side back in January following a brief stint in his homeland at Botafogo.

Before that, he was at Real Betis in La Liga after coming through the ranks at Fluminense, and he’s been discussing his next career moves in an interview with Globo Esporte.

Speaking to the outlet, as translated by Arsenal News, Henrique claims that his close circle have told him to join Arsenal, expressing how he is a “huge fan” of that idea.

The 23-year-old, who’s bagged one goal and three assists in 14 league appearances this season, is in Carlo Ancelotti’s thinking for the 2026 World Cup.

He was included in the Brazil squad for recent friendlies against Senegal and Tunisia, making appearances off the bench, and Henrique’s versatility to play almost anywhere in attack would appeal to Arteta.

However, as yet, there’s been no links to the forward from an Arsenal perspective, at least not this year.

That being said, Henrique has clearly invited the north Londoners to make a move, so the door is wide open.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola is in the market for attacking quality and could now turn to a Premier League star who is high up on his shortlist at the Etihad Stadium.

Man City leave it late to see off Leeds United

Despite sitting at opposite ends of the table, Manchester City dug deep to see off Daniel Farke’s Leeds United in a dramatic clash on Saturday afternoon that helped to narrow the gap on Arsenal and Chelsea in the top-flight standings.

Phil Foden’s early and late strikes were enough to seal the deal. However, Guardiola will be frustrated at surrendering a two-goal lead when it appeared his side were in cruise control.

Either way, Foden made it clear that he and his teammates were ‘delighted’ with the end result as the Citizens avoided dropping points in back-to-back fixtures after the conclusion of the international break.

He said: “When there was a short break, the manager got us together, and we adapted to their formation. We had a few half-chances, and finally, I’ve found a bit of space and found the bottom of the net.

“There are still things we can improve. We’re delighted with the result. The title race is never straightforward. There are always ups and downs and periods where you can’t seem to get going, and we’ve had that. The belief and togetherness came through at the end.”

For some, an overreliance on Erling Haaland is something Manchester City need to be cautious of moving forward, hence they may now make a move to sign Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo as he is available for £65 million.

Looking to scale up in all areas, Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson could be at the centre of a transfer battle between the Citizens and Manchester United. In other news, he isn’t the only player Guardiola is willing to fight over.

Manchester City have Everton's Iliman Ndiaye high on their shortlist

According to Foot Mercato, Manchester City have Everton attacker Iliman Ndiaye high on their shortlist after his excellent start to life in the Premier League this campaign.

Scoring four times and notching an assist in 15 matches across all competitions, the Senegal international is also wanted by Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool, with the trio all keen to bolster their frontline once the transfer window opens.

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Posts ByDominic Lund Nov 27, 2025

Labelled “top drawer” by Jamie O’Hara, initial contact has been made for the Rouen-born man as Guardiola steps up his hunt for invention, even if Ndiaye is unlikely to be an out-and-out alternative to Haaland.

Over a long Premier League season, his ability to operate almost anywhere in a front four is a commodity most managers would love to have, especially given he has created 15 chances in the top-flight circa 2025/26, per Fotmob. Based on that, it’s perhaps no wonder previous reports have suggested he is valued at £70m.

Now, it remains to be seen whether they can push a deal over the line as Guardiola seeks reinforcements in order to further Manchester City’s title challenge.

Chelsea defensive midfielder Moises Caicedo has been one of the standout performers for Enzo Maresca in the Premier League in the 2025/26 campaign.

The 24-year-old star, who signed for a club-record £115m from Brighton in 2023, has scored three goals in 11 matches in the top-flight, whilst averaging 5.5 tackles and interceptions per game, per Sofascore, which is a club-high.

Caicedo offers an exceptional box-to-box presence with the goal threat and defensive quality that he provides in the middle of the park, which makes him such an important player for Maresca.

The Ecuador international arrived at Stamford Bridge as a proven Premier League star, thanks to his time with Brighton, and the club are now reportedly looking to repeat that feat.

Chelsea want to sign one of the best midfielders in the Premier League

In theory, signing players from other clubs in England is preferable to signing from abroad because they do not need time to adapt to the league or country, which helped Caicedo to hit the ground running when he first arrived at the Blues.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

According to CaughtOffside, Chelsea are interested in a deal to sign Nottingham Forest central midfielder Elliot Anderson to bolster their ranks in the middle of the park.

The Blues are set to fight it out with Manchester United and Manchester City to land the England international in the January transfer window or next summer, after extensive scouting work done on the Tricky Trees star.

The Mirror reported, earlier this month, that Nottingham Forest are expected to demand a fee of up to £120m for the midfield star, and it remains to be seen whether or not Chelsea are willing to pay that much for Anderson.

Why Chelsea should sign Elliot Anderson

The Conference League champions should push to win the race for the Forest star’s signature in the January transfer window because he could be Caicedo 2.0 at Stamford Bridge.

Like the Ecuador international, Anderson would arrive at the club as a Premier League-proven star and as a club-record signing, if he costs as much as the reported £120m.

The 23-year-old star has racked up 92 appearances in the division, per Transfermarkt, and was described by former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel as “one of the best midfielders in the Premier League”, which shows what a former Champions League winner and the current England boss thinks of his talent.

That opinion is also held by former Liverpool defender and Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher, who recently sang Anderson’s praises in the clip above.

25/26 Premier League	Elliot Anderson (per 90)	Percentile rank vs midfielders
xAG	0.15	Top 22%
Shot-creating actions	4.18	Top 5%
Progressive passes	8.82	Top 1%
Passes into the final third	8.55	Top 1%
Successful take-ons	1.27	Top 3%
Tackles won	2.64	Top 24%
Passes blocked	1.43	Top 7%
Stats via FBref

As you can see in the table above, the central midfielder’s statistics in the Premier League this season make it easy to understand why the likes of Tuchel and Carragher rate him so highly.

The England international has proven himself to be one of the top-performing midfielders in the division, particularly with his use of the ball at the base of the midfield, and that is why he could be a fantastic signing for Chelsea.

Pairing Caicedo and Anderson at the base of the midfield could be an exciting prospect for Maresca, as the former brings defensive quality and a goal threat, while the Forest ace offers incredible ball progression, mobility, and creativity.

Chelsea open talks with Premier League star as £26m January deal on the cards

The Blues could now look to one of their London rivals to acquire an exciting new addition.

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Sean Markus Clifford

Nov 15, 2025

If Chelsea do decide to go through with a January or summer swoop for the English star, his proven quality in the Premier League could allow him to hit the ground running in the same way that Caicedo did.

As the Los Angeles Dodgers prepare to begin their journey in the 2024 MLB playoffs, don't expect to see Shohei Ohtani taking the mound this fall.

Back in September, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts left the door open for Ohtani to toe the rubber in the playoffs. But Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes shot down that possibility on Wednesday.

Ohtani hasn't pitched in an MLB game since undergoing elbow surgery last September. He has been on a throwing program for most of the summer and worked off a mound for the first time in August.

"I just think like anything—you should always leave some margin, a crack in the door for any possibility," Roberts said in September on MLB Network Radio. "If things line up and there's a need, and the game, his body, everything is telling us that it makes sense in that situation, great. It would be storybook."

A return to the mound would be storybook, indeed, but it appears Ohtani will have to save his playoff heroics for the batter's box. He is coming off one of the best offensive seasons in baseball history as he became the first player to tally at least 50 homers and 50 stolen bases in a single season.

Ohtani, who never made the playoffs over six seasons with the Los Angeles Angels, will make his postseason debut in Game 1 of the NLDS. The Dodgers will face the winner of the ongoing best-of-three wild-card series between the Atlanta Braves and San Diego Padres.

How much luck is too much? Long before 19-year-old Lhuan-dre Pretorius became the youngest ever to score 150 in men’s Test cricket, he had been given four reprieves thanks to a mixture of the umpiring and the absence of DRS. After getting lives on 30, 54, 55 and 127, Pretorius ended up scoring 153 off 160 balls. At the time of his dismissal, he alone had scored more than half of South Africa’s total against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo.By the end of the day, Corbin Bosch’s maiden Test hundred added to fellow debutant Dewald Brevis’ counterattacking 51 from 41 deliveries earlier in the day, as the visitors finished day one of the first Test on 418 for 9.Pretorius arrived when South Africa were reeling at 23 for 3 in the 15th over. At the time, Tanaka Chivanga had all three wickets, while Blessing Muzarabani and Hamilton Masakadza supported him by keeping it tight. Masakadza’s figures at that stage were 5-0-9-0 and Muzarabani’s were 5-4-5-0, having started with four maidens.Related

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The extra bounce on the pitch meant Muzarabani beat the bat several times early in the day, even as Chivanga struck thrice. The first breakthrough came in the sixth over when Tony de Zorzi edged to Brian Bennett at third slip for a 16-ball duck. The next wicket came when off the last ball of the 13th over, Mathew Breetzke also jabbed to Bennett at the same position. The appreciable bounce left Breetzke looking at his fingers as he walked back.The third wicket then fell in the 15th over when David Bedingham pushed hard at a length ball on the fifth stump and edged to first slip. That was when Pretorius began to hit back at Zimbabwe. Facing Masakadza in the next over, Pretorius launched him for six over long-off and then drove for four wide of mid-off. He ended the 18th over with another boundary, motoring along to 17 off his first 16 balls.Muzarabani continued to bowl tightly at the other end, but could only manage to keep the runs down. Like de Zorzi, Wiaan Mulder also struggled to find rhythm, apart from driving Masakadza for four. But Mulder was run out in the 23rd over after a mix-up with Pretorius left him well short at the non-striker’s end; Muzarabani’s direct throw broke the stumps cleanly.At 55 for 4, it was down to the two debutants, Pretorius and Brevis, and they repaid South Africa’s faith. But Pretorius was living a charmed life. In the 25th over, Chivanga could have had his fourth when Pretorius, on 30, chased a ball outside off. There was a clear noise as the ball passed the bat, prompting a loud appeal for caught behind, but the umpire remained unmoved. The absence of DRS only added to Zimbabwe’s frustration.File photo – Tanaka Chivanga struck early on the first morning•Getty Images

Just after lunch, Pretorius reached his half-century off 53 balls, after which Brevis deposited Vincent Masekesa for six over midwicket and followed up with a straight four to end the 30th over. Chivanga, Muzarabani, and Masekesa managed to restore some control briefly.Masekesa trapped Pretorius plumb in front on 54 with a delivery that turned in and beat an attempted reverse sweep, but again, the umpire was unmoved. In the next over, on 55, Pretorius mistimed a pull off Chivanga, but the ball flew over the keeper’s head, his third lucky escape.Brevis, meanwhile, showcased his attacking instincts in the longest format. He smashed Masekesa for three sixes in the 36th over, bringing up his fifty in just 38 balls. However, in the next over, Muzarabani dismissed him for 51, as he toe-ended a pull to mid-off, ending a game-changing 95-run stand.Pretorius soon lost Kyle Verreynne, but continued to find boundaries regularly. He reached his century off 112 balls, hitting his third six with a beautiful punch over long-off off Bennett. Bosch, at the other end, played more calmly, focusing on rotating the strike. Their partnership crossed fifty as South Africa maintained a steady scoring rate, thanks largely to Pretorius.Pretorius’ final slice of luck came on 127, when he attempted a punch off Bennett and was beaten on the outside edge. Once again, there was a faint sound, but the umpire ruled in his favor. Eventually, he was dismissed after tea, in the 65th over, when Pretorius skied a pull off Chivanga to mid-on.That ended a dominant 108-run stand for the seventh wicket, but Bosch took over and frustrated Zimbabwe alongside the tail. He reached his fifty in the 71st over, flashing at a wide delivery from Muzarabani that flew over the slips for four. Keshav Maharaj supported him with a handy 21, including two sixes, in a 41-run stand, which ended when Masekesa stuck.With two wickets remaining and South Africa nearing 350, Bosch went on the offensive. From 61 off 91 balls, he accelerated to finish unbeaten on 100 off 124, hitting five boundaries in the process, including a drive, a pull, and a swat off consecutive deliveries from Masekesa. Codi Yusuf, also on debut, supported Bosch with 27, including five fours.Bosch was on 84 when Muzarabani dismissed Yusuf. At that point, South Africa had 389 runs on the board. In the company of last man Kwena Maphaka, Bosch not only reached his century in the final over of the day but also took South Africa past the 400-run mark.

With the pressure on Ruben Amorim refusing to go away even after victory over Sunderland, Paul Scholes has now named the manager he believes should come in as a replacement at Manchester United.

Amorim still under pressure at Man Utd

Whilst some reports have reiterated that Amorim will be given a full season at Old Trafford, defeat against Sunderland would have no doubt tested the limit of that stance.

For now, the former Sporting Club boss remains in a job after goals from Mason Mount and Benjamin Sesko secured a long-awaited comfortable victory for the Red Devils, but the pressure is still on.

Speaking after what was a much-needed win, the United boss told reporters: “That is the kind of game where when we’re not playing well we’re defending well. We had our moments, we were focussed and competitive.

“Not the perfect performance. Senne [Lammens] did really well. We were a competitive and adult team today. We need to win these games with a clean sheet. Good for us.

“We need to understand that we need everyone to be ready to play. It’s a long season, we have a lot of problems, anything can happen. The important thing is that the teammates helped Lammens a lot to have a very good performance.”

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With the pressure still on Amorim to turn things around for good, reports have emerged regarding a number of candidates that INEOS could turn to in the coming months.

Former England boss Gareth Southgate, Crystal Palace’s Oliver Glasner and Fulham’s Marco Silva have all been among those in the headlines, but it remains to be seen if they’ll be needed.

A move for Glasner would be particularly impressive, given that the Austrian has just led Palace to a 19-game unbeaten run and taken them into European football. Alas, if it was down to Scholes, he’d go out and pick a different Premier League manager.

Scholes "definitely" wants Eddie Howe at Man Utd

Speaking on The Overlap, Scholes revealed that he “definitely” wants to see Eddie Howe at Man United. The Newcastle United boss stands out as the top name to replace Amorim, in his opinion, even if the move would be incredibly difficult to pull off from a side in the Magpies’ position.

The Old Trafford legend said, when asked who he’d like to see: “Eddie Howe, Eddie Howe. I’m not sure about his mate [assistant manager Jason Tindall], but definitely him.”

Although unlikely, if there is a chance for United to chase Howe’s signature, then they should go all in. He is one of the most reputable managers in the Premier League and has taken Newcastle from relegation contenders to Champions League qualifiers. It’s the exact type of transformation that the Red Devils so desperately need.

Games

19

Wins

7

Losses

3

Draws

9

Having lost seven times in 19 games against sides led by Howe, Man United have seen what he’s capable of first-hand and, more importantly, know just how adaptable he is on a tactical front. If the chance comes their way, the Newcastle boss should sit top of their list of Amorim replacements.

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Na tarde desta quinta-feira (7), o Internacional apresentou o lateral-esquerdo Dalbert, nome oficializado nessa semana em acordo com validade somente até o fim de 2023. Antes, ele esteve por seis anos ligado contratualmente a Inter de Milão, mas passou por empréstimos em outros clubes da Europa como Fiorentina, Rennes e Cagliari, equipe que defendeu na temporada passada.

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Um dos elementos que facilitou a chegada do atleta de 29 anos de idade foi o fato de estar há bastante tempo fora de combate, já que precisou se recuperar de séria lesão ligamentar em um dos joelhos, ocorrida em julho do ano passado.

O tema, naturalmente, veio à tona na sua apresentação onde Dalbert garantiu não existir qualquer receio ou necessidade de cuidados especiais além de readquirir ritmo de jogo ao ser acionado pelo técnico Eduardo Coudet:

– Me sinto muito bem fisicamente, já estou recuperado, 100%. Estava apto a jogar fevereiro, março, não joguei por outras situações. Mas sempre trabalhei, quando acabou meu contrato sempre trabalhei. Hoje me sinto bem, meu joelho está recuperado, se o treinador precisar estarei pronto.

Outra situação que colaborou para a decisão de fechar com o Inter, essa citada pelo próprio atleta, é a possibilidade de atuar profissionalmente em um clube de expressão no Brasil (revelado pelo Fluminense, mas nunca jogou na equipe principal). Algo que, consequentemente, implica em estar mais próximo dos seus familiares e disputar tanto o Campeonato Brasileiro como a Libertadores:

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– Tive outras propostas no Brasil, na Europa também, mas o projeto do Inter foi excelente, e jogar uma Libertadores e o Brasileiro me motivou, pelo clube que é, a grandeza do Inter. Estar perto da família também motivou meu retorno.