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Cricket Australia calls the rating a “step in the right direction” for surfaces at the venue

Andrew McGlashan08-Jan-2025

It was the third-shortest Test (with a result) in Sydney in terms of balls bowled•Getty Images

The SCG pitch for the final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against India, which was dominated by pace bowlers who gained lavish seam movement and some uneven bounce, has been rated “satisfactory” by the ICC match referee, and Cricket Australia has termed it a “step in the right direction” for surfaces at the venue.The groundsman used a new variety of grass for this season’s Test pitch, having trialled it during last summer’s Sheffield Shield, and it resulted in the third-shortest Sydney Test of all time – with an outright result – based on deliveries bowled. Only two half-centuries were scored, one from debutant Beau Webster and the other a stunning 33-ball counterattack by Rishabh Pant.Australia opener Usman Khawaja called the pitch a “stinker” after the game, but his captain Pat Cummins said he would rather conditions tilt towards helping the bowlers, even though his team only needed a draw to win the series, while India coach Gautam Gambhir went further and said such pitches were important for the future of Test cricket.Related

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However, former Australia captain Michael Clarke was highly critical of the surface. “The SCG is my favourite ground in the world, it is my home ground, and I hate saying this out loud, but that’s the worst pitch I’ve ever seen in Sydney,” he told ESPN’s . “I didn’t think it was a good cricket wicket, balls not just going up off the surface but shooting low at the end of day two.”This is the second season in a row that the SCG has been rated satisfactory after receiving the same mark for the Pakistan Test a year ago.”We don’t look to prepare wickets that favour the home side or suit our situation in a series,” Peter Roach, Cricket Australia’s head of cricket operations and scheduling, said. “What we seek is a good contest between bat and ball and pitches that are likely to produce a result.”The SCG has been striving to bring out their unique characteristics of early pace and bounce before the pitch wears and spins. This year was a step in the right direction to achieving this which provided an exciting finish to the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series and bodes well for the Ashes summer in 2025-26.”The pitch ratings system was revamped in 2023 to reduce the number of categories from six to four: very good, satisfactory, unsatisfactory, and unfit. Venues are given demerit points if they receive unsatisfactory or unfit ratings.The SCG has previously been criticised for pitches not offering enough assistance for bowlers, which, coupled with poor weather, led to four draws in five seasons between 2018-19 and 2022-23.”The ground staff have done an incredible job in terms of creating a wicket with something in it,” Australia coach Andrew McDonald said after day two. “Traditionally here it’s quite benign and we’ve had a lot of draws, so a lot of people have been talking about the draws, so you’re damned if you do it and damned if you don’t. I think he’s trying to produce an even contest between bat and ball. It’s made for interesting cricket.”The other four pitches in the series – at Perth’s Optus Stadium, Adelaide Oval, the Gabba and MCG – all received “very good” ratings.

Retiring a shirt number in football is relatively rare compared to other sports, but there have been instances where multiple clubs have dedicated specific numbers to players who have represented them in the past.

Liverpool have become the latest side to do just that, following the extremely sad news of Diogo Jota’s passing. The Portuguese forward wore the number 20 shirt at Anfield and will be the last to do so for the Reds after those at Anfield honoured him by retiring the jersey.

Other clubs have immortalised their former players by hanging up shirt numbers.

10 Jude Bellingham Birmingham City – shirt number 22

Birmingham City knew they had a talent on their hands when they decided to retire Jude Bellingham’s number 22 shirt when he left St Andrew’s in 2020.

Now known as one of the best midfielders in the world for Real Madrid, Bellingham was just 17 years of age when he swapped Birmingham for Borussia Dortmund.

Some saw it as an interesting decision by the Blues, but as time goes on, you can see why they decided to do just that.

9 Bobby Moore West Ham – shirt number 6

The only Englishman to lift the World Cup, Bobby Moore is a Three Lions legend and at club level, is immortalised by West Ham.

The centre-back made more than 600 appearances for the Hammers over a 16-year period, helping the Irons win the FA Cup and UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup.

Moore was only 51 years of age when he passed away in 1993, and 15 years later, West Ham decided to retire his number 6 shirt in honour of their greatest ever defender.

8 Dylan Tombides West Ham – shirt number 38

Alongside retiring the number 6 shirt for Moore, West Ham also took the decision to hang up the number 38 shirt in memory of Dylan Tombides.

The Australian forward progressed through the Hammers’ academy and made one senior appearance for the Irons in 2012 after overcoming testicular cancer a few months before. However, tragically, Tombides’ cancer returned and metastasised to his liver, with the youngster passing away in April 2014.

7 Marc-Vivien Foe Manchester City – shirt number 23

During the 2002/03 season, Marc-Vivien Foe impressed on loan at Manchester City from Lyon and was subsequently selected to play for Cameroon in the Confederations Cup.

The midfielder helped his nation to the semi-finals but collapsed against Colombia in the second half and was rushed to hospital. Foe would pass away shortly after reaching hospital, with an autopsy showing a heart-related issue for his death.

City, who were managed by Kevin Keegan at the time, quickly acted and announced they would retire Foe’s number 23 shirt in his memory.

6 Matija Sarkic Millwall – shirt number 20

In the summer of 2024 at the age of just 26, Millwall goalkeeper Matija Sarkic suddenly passed away from heart failure.

A Montenegro international, Sarkic made the permanent move to The Den in 2023 from Wolves after loan spells at Shrewsbury Town, Birmingham City and Stoke City.

He made a big impact in a short space of time with Millwall, who retired his number 20 and also introduced the “Matija Sarkic Award” for the season’s best save.

5 Joe Thompson Rochdale – shirt number 15

Joe Thompson has rightly been recognised as a Rochdale legend, after making more than 200 appearances for the club across three spells.

The midfielder scored an iconic goal in 2018 which meant Dale avoided relegation from League One and retired a year later. Thompson was diagnosed with cancer for a third time in 2024 and died a year later at the age of just 36.

Rochdale were quick to retire their number 15 shirt in honour of their former star, calling him “an incredible person who had a positive impact on everyone”.

4 Billy Kee Accrington Stanley – shirt number 29

Billy Kee represented numerous Football League clubs during his career, but it was with Accrington Stanley where he is best known after scoring 83 goals in more than 200 appearances.

However, at the beginning of 2020 at the age of 30, Kee decided to retire from football after seeking treatment for depression, anxiety and bulimia.

Accrington Stanley and Kee agreed to terminate his contract, with the club dedicating the number 29 to their former forward.

3 Ray Jones QPR – shirt number 31

Queens Park Rangers retired their number 31 shirt in 2007 following the passing of highly-rated teenager Ray Jones, who died in a car crash.

Jones, who was just 18, had already made more than 30 Championship appearances for the R’s and had a promising career ahead of him before the tragic incident.

2 Jack Lester Chesterfield – shirt number 14

Jack Lester was scoring as frequently as Cristiano Ronaldo and Fernando Torres in his first season as a Chesterfield player, and he has rightly gone down as a club legend after six free-scoring years with the club.

The forward helped the Spireites win League Two and the Football League Trophy during his time at the SMH Group Stadium, resulting in the club retiring the number 14 shirt in 2013 in his honour. Lester couldn’t stay away, though, and returned as manager four years later.

1 Diogo Jota Liverpool – shirt number 20

Most recently, Diogo Jota’s passing in the summer of 2025 stunned the footballing world. Just a week after getting married, Jota and his brother Andre Silva were involved in a fatal car crash during the off-season.

The Portugal forward helped the Reds win the Premier League title just months before his death, with the Reds dedicating the number 20 shirt to Jota forever.

How many more new signings will Chelsea make before the transfer window closes on 1 September?

So far, the Blues have brought in eight new recruits, including João Pedro and Liam Delap, both of whom featured during their victorious Club World Cup campaign, as well as Estêvão Willian, Jamie Gittens, Kendry Páez, and others.

However, they are far from done yet, with Xavi Simons on course to arrive from RB Leipzig, while they remain interested in Alejandro Garnacho of Manchester United, as the Blues seemingly aim to sign all the attacking midfielders and wingers.

Now, could Enzo Maresca’s side strengthen the other end of the pitch, targeting a repeat of Thiago Silva’s arrival from five years ago?

Chelsea targeting a new goalkeeper

As outlined by Nizaar Kinsella of BBC Sport, many believe Chelsea need a new first-choice goalkeeper if they’re to challenge for the Premier League and Champions League, with a lot of observers remaining unconvinced by Robert Sánchez.

The table below documents why.

Robert Sánchez 2024/25 PL rank

Statistics

Sánchez

PL rank

Minutes

2,880

10th

Goals conceded per-90

1.06

4th

Saves

92

10th

Save %

76.4%

1st

Clean sheet %

31.3%

6th

Post-shot xG – goal conceded

+1.7

11th

High claims

44

3rd

Crosses not claimed

2

2nd

Punches

12

14th

Errors leading to goals

5

1st

Average SofaScore rating

7.03

24th

Statistics courtesy of FBref.com and SofaScore

As the table outlines, Sánchez’s statistics in the Premier League last season were, at best, mixed, ranked first for save percentage, but also first for errors leading to goals, hence why a team with aspirations of winning the title may want better.

With that in mind, according to a report by Ahad Shaukat of Caught Offside, Chelsea are ‘in the mix’ to sign Gianluigi Donnarumma from Paris Saint-Germain, with Manchester United and Manchester City also interested.

Les Rouge-et-Bleu are closing in on the signing of Lille goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier, so are looking to offload their Italian shot-stopper, valued at around £35m, according to a report by La Repubblica.

So, could Donnarumma become the latest Italian superstar to call Stamford Bridge home, following in the footsteps of Gianfranco Zola, Roberto Di Matteo, Gianluca Vialli, and many others?

How Gianluigi Donnarumma would improve Chelsea

Amazingly, Donnarumma is still only 26 years old, having made his senior debut for AC Milan a decade ago, racking up 251 appearances for the Rossoneri, before featuring 161 times for Paris Saint-Germain, since moving to the French capital in 2021.

On top of this, he has racked up 74 caps for Italy, currently Gli Azzurri’s captain, having been instrumental to their triumph at Euro 2020, named player of the tournament following his exploits in the shootout victory over England.

Then-Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti asserted ahead of Euro 2024 that the goalkeeper is “world-class”, while his agent Vincenzo Raiola, who admittedly isn’t a neutral observer, believes he is the “best goalkeeper in the world” who “deserves [to win] the Ballon d’Or”.

Well, let’s put those assertions to the test.

Gianluigi Donnarumma Champions League 2024/25 statistics

Statistics

Donnarumma

UCL rank

Goals conceded per 90

0.91

5th

Saves

35

13th

Save %

70.8%

20th

Clean sheet %

40%

9th

Post-shot xG – goals conceded

+2.2

13th

Crosses stopped

4th

3rd

Punches

13

1st

High claims

13

4th

Errors leading to a goal

1

13th

Average SofaScore rating

7.1

16th

Statistics courtesy of FBref.com and SofaScore

As the table documents, Donnarumma was a key figure in the Paris Saint-Germain side that won the Champions League last season, posting very impressive statistics across the board, emphasising that he is a top-class goalkeeper, even if he is no longer wanted by the European champions.

Similarly, five years ago, Thiago Silva was deemed surplus to requirements in the French capital, cast aside when his PSG contract expired in 2020, before proving he certainly still had the quality to compete at the highest level after joining Chelsea, making 155 appearances across four seasons in West London, most notably winning the Champions League.

Tom Sanderson of the Guardian documents that the Brazilian centre-back was very ‘successful’ during his time at Chelsea, able to perform at a very high level, labelling him a ‘great leader’.

Well, albeit significantly younger, all available evidence suggests that Donnarumma could have a similar impact, should he arrive at Stamford Bridge later this month, given his performances on the pitch and the leadership qualities that he could provide.

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Division Two challengers wrap up win, need ten more points for return to top flight

ECB Reporters Network20-Sep-2024Yorkshire bowled Glamorgan out for 209 to win by 186 runs and put themselves on the verge of a return to Division One with one round of matches to go.A draw and a couple of bonus points in their final game at home to Northamptonshire would clinch promotion, as they lead third-placed Middlesex by 15 points, 20 behind leaders Sussex, after taking the final three Glamorgan wickets in an hour.They were relegated by a single point two years ago and were handicapped by a points deduction last season, so there is an air of determination about Yorkshire as they target a return to the top level.”We played well, we have played well for a number of weeks now,” Yorkshire head coach, Ottis Gibson, said. “This week was important for us the way Sussex keep playing, keep winning, so to lose the toss and get put in meant the way we have played in the last three-and-a-half days we fully deserved our win.”Glamorgan’s focus turns to the One-Day Cup final against Somerset at Trent Bridge on Sunday as they try to bring silverware back to Sophia Gardens this season despite their Championship form, which has seen them drop to second from bottom in the table.”That was disappointing, really gutting,” Glamorgan coach, Grant Bradburn, said. “We take the loss on the chin up against very good teams in the last couple of weeks and we have not quite been sharp enough in all aspects. We don’t want to lose, of course, but we don’t mind losing if we are putting ourselves in a position to win.”James Harris and Asa Tribe started the morning knowing they had a mountain to climb, even if the target was to survive until forecast bad weather later in the day.Yorkshire opening bowlers Ben Coad and Matthew Fisher started the day with 13 wickets between them, so it was no surprise that they continued their partnership looking for the breakthrough.They had to be patient for half an hour before Fisher was able to get one to cut away and bowl Tribe for a patient 58, a significant step forward for the 20-year-old opener as he tries to establish a place in the Glamorgan line-up.Fisher was buoyed by his success and pinned Andy Gorvin lbw a few balls later to put his team close to the finish.”I have been begging for Fish and Coad to be fit together for a period of time and to have those two taking the new ball then you know they will challenge the opposition and take wickets,” Gibson said.Harris kept plugging away at the other end as he did his best to delay the inevitable, getting more aggressive in the final wicket partnership with Ben Morris which put on 41. Inevitably the fun came to an end as Harris was clean bowled by Jordan Thompson one short of a half-century.

The former India coach says Gambhir has the “tools, experience and goods” for being the head coach

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Jul-20240:38

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Ravi Shastri believes having Gautam Gambhir as the new India head coach is “refreshing” because he is “contemporary” and has “fresh ideas”.”He’s contemporary, he just had a great season in the IPL,” Shastri said on Gambhir on the ICC Review. “I think he’s the right age where he’s young, he’ll come with fresh ideas. He knows most of the players, especially in the white-ball format, having been part of teams in the IPL. So I think it’s refreshing.”And we know with Gautam, he’s a no-nonsense guy. He’ll have his ideas as well. And the good thing for him is he’s got a mature team. He’s got a settled team, a mature team. I think even though you might think you’re mature, you might benefit from some fresh ideas. So I think it’ll be interesting times.”Related

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Gambhir takes over from Rahul Dravid after India’s victorious T20 World Cup campaign, and his first assignment will be the white-ball tour of Sri Lanka that starts with the three T20Is on Saturday in Pallekele.Gambhir takes over in all formats fresh on the back of an IPL win with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) – he was team mentor and was credited with rallying the players together, for making Sunil Narine open again with the bat and lifting the confidence of newcomer Harshit Rana, among other things. With the Indian team too, he will have the big task of managing both junior and senior players, across formats.”Obviously, player management becomes the key as a coach,” Shastri said. “So it’ll be interesting to see how he goes. I think he’s got the tools, he’s got the goods for the job and he’s got the experience.”Shastri said Gambhir’s “most important task” will be to understand his players as people and their “temperaments”.”It’s a question of just understanding his players as quickly as possible,” Shastri said. “What their strengths are, what kind of human beings they are and what kind of temperaments do they have. What are their personalities. A lot goes behind the scenes to understand a human being.0:50

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“I think that will be his most important task, which I think again should not be a problem because he’s contemporary. He’s seen these guys from the outside, he’s dealt with a lot of guys who might have played with KKR as well and for Lucknow [Super Giants] when he was there.”And he’s been around the circuit, the moment he finished cricket – and that was not too long ago – and he still is around, plays a lot of the legends cricket as well.”In Tests, Gambhir’s major assignments will be the five home Tests starting in September (two against Bangladesh and two against New Zealand) followed by five Tests in Australia for the Border Gavaskar Trophy. In the white-ball formats, the ICC trophies he will be eyeing are the Champions Trophy in 2025 and the T20 World Cup in 2026.Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja have retired from T20I cricket, but Shastri did not see that as a problem for India, given the resources waiting on the fringes.”I think a lot of the players that won this T20 World Cup will still be around two years later,” he said. “You mentioned the three players who were retired, but barring them, I think most of the others will be still fit to be in that T20 World Cup team two years down the line in India.”So I don’t think there’s much to be done there. In fact, you will get a problem on your hands because you’ll have to choose from the new lot that’s coming and there’s some real exciting talent there.”So I think it’s the other way around. It’s how do you get those guys in there who are bursting at the [seams] to get it. There’s a queue out there and that will be his biggest challenge, but it’s a good headache when you have that kind of talent.”

Fabrizio Romano has shared an intriguing update on Arsenal and their transfer plans for the summer window, with one target set to speak to his agents about the possibility of a move to the Emirates Stadium this week.

Mikel Arteta set for talks with Arsenal co-chairman over striker plans

The Times and journalist Gary Jacob shared some very interesting news regarding Mikel Arteta and Gunners co-chair Josh Kroenke.

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According to their information, amid a plethora of reports linking them with a striker, Arteta and Kroenke are set for internal talks over signing a prolific centre-forward in the next few days, with Arsenal looking to solve their goalscoring problem.

Arsenal surrendered the Premier League title to Liverpool, finishing 10 points behind Arne Slot’s side, with the north Londoners failing to reach their previous heights in terms of ruthlessness in the final third.

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

Arteta’s men drew more games than any other side in the top ten over 24/25, scoring just 69 league goals in total, which is far fewer than the 91 and 88 they managed over the previous two seasons.

There has never been a more clear indication that Arsenal are in dire need of a striker, and Arteta publicly suggested that they have every intention of solving that issue among other concerns in the squad.

“Believe me, we are on it,” said Arteta about Arsenal potentially making a signing up front.

“We will try to squeeze and think and turn every stone that we possibly can, to make this club even more successful. But I think what these boys have done, the team has done, regarding everything that has happened, I repeat myself, I think they deserve a lot of credit.”

The result of these sit-down talks with Kroenke could have a profound effect on their chances of mounting a better Premier League title challenge next season, amid serious links to Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres.

Viktor Gyokeres set to speak with agents about possible Arsenal move

The Swede ended 24/25 with 54 goals and 13 assists in all competitions, potentially signing-off on his Sporting career with a strike in the Portuguese Cup final against Benfica on Sunday.

Gyokeres is a top striker target for Arsenal, alongside RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko, but it remains to be seen which marksman ends up at N5.

The 26-year-old has plenty of options, including Arteta’s side, with Romano sharing an update to GiveMeSport on Gyokeres’ plans after what was potentially his last game for Sporting.

Romano reports that Gyokeres is set to speak with his agents “in the next days” and assess all new destinations, including a possible move to Arsenal, and the ex-Coventry City star will make a decision on his next club “soon”.

Gyokeres’ rumoured price tag comes in at around £63 million, which could be seen as a bargain considering his exceptional goalscoring record, and it is peculiar that he hasn’t managed to seal a big-money move until this summer.

It adds further weight to some belief that Gyokeres is “massively underrated” in terms of strikers, and while you can make a case for a lack of quality in the Primeira Liga, the forward’s haul is hugely impressive no matter what division you’re playing in.

Everton manager David Moyes has the opportunity to make his stamp on the first-team squad this summer, with investment expected from the Friedkin Group.

The Scotsman rejoined the club in January after Sean Dyche’s dismissal, returning to the role after previously managing the Toffees over an 11-year period.

He’s led the club clear of any relegation threat and will lead the side into their final ever at Goodison Park against Southampton this weekend – in what will be a memorable occasion for all involved.

The move to the Bramley-Moore Dock Stadium presents a new era for the Toffees, which could lead to added investment and changes in the first-team squad.

With the summer window rapidly approaching, work has already been done behind the scenes to ensure a quick start is made to hand Moyes with the ammunition he needs to make the changes he desires.

The latest on Everton’s hunt for new additions this summer

Various names have already been linked with a move to join Everton this summer, with it unclear how much funding the manager will have at his disposal in the coming months.

The likes of Liam Delap, Emanuel Emegha and Dan Neil have all been on their radar in recent weeks, but no progress has yet been made with any of the aforementioned stars.

However, the hierarchy has already registered interest in another Championship star in the form of Bristol City talent Jason Knight, according to TEAMtalk.

The report claims that the board have been scouting the 24-year-old over the last few weeks and are considering a move for his signature ahead of the summer window.

It also states that the club are targeting younger options at the heart of the side, potentially being a replacement for either of Idrissa Gana Gueye and Abdoulaye Doucoure, with both of their contracts set to expire this summer.

Why Everton’s latest target could be Moyes’ next Cahill

Australian forward Tim Cahill is one of many legends who have previously plied their trade for Everton, starring during his eight-year spell on Merseyside.

He joined the Toffees from Millwall back in 2004 and made over 250 appearances and registered 68 goals – an average of a goal every four games, a solid record over such a timeframe.

His iconic corner flag celebration became a staple during their success under the Scotsman’s reign, with the striker producing countless moments of magic.

Arguably, one of his best goals for the club came against Chelsea, scoring an incredible bicycle kick against the Blues at Stamford Bridge way back in 2007.

However, 13 years on from his departure, Moyes has the chance to land his next version of the Australian in the form of Knight this summer, in a move that would certainly bolster their ranks.

The Republic of Ireland international could replicate Cahill by joining the club from a Championship side, but that shouldn’t take away from the levels produced by the 24-year-old in 2024/25.

He’s played a key role in the Robins’ ability to finish within the play-off places, featuring in every minute of their league campaign – registering three goals and six assists.

Most minutes played by outfielders in the Championship (2024/25)
Player	Team	Minutes played
Jason Knight	Bristol City	4140
Zak Vyner	Bristol City	4140
Dominic Hyam	Blackburn Rovers	4140
Joe Rodon	Leeds United	4136
Maxime Esteve	Burnley	4057
Jimmy Dunne	Queens Park Rangers	4050
Shane Duffy	Norwich City	4042
Ben Cabango	Swansea City	4034
Stats via Transfermarkt

His underlying stats are just as impressive, completing 56% of the dribbles he’s attempted and creating 1.3 chances per 90 – having the tools to hand the players in front of him.

Knight, who’s been labelled “incredible” by one analyst, has also won 58% of the tackles he’s entered, whilst winning 5.6 duels per 90 – handing Moyes an added defensive presence in the middle of the park.

It’s unclear how much a deal for the Bristol City ace would cost this summer, but it’s clear that he has the potential to make the jump to England’s top-flight and be a success on Merseyside.

If he were to get anywhere near the levels produced by Cahill at the club, it would be a sensational piece of business, allowing the Toffees to have a key player at the heart of the side for many years to come.

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Angus Sinclair

May 14, 2025

The race to finish inside the coveted Champions League spaces in the Premier League is really starting to heat up with Chelsea staring down the barrel of a disappointing 1-0 defeat at Fulham on Sunday.

Thankfully for the Blues supporters who made the short journey over to Craven Cottage, their side managed to dramatically fight back to pick up a crucial three points.

That was thanks to 19-year-old sensation Tyrique George making himself an instant hero off the bench with the equaliser before Pedro Neto thumped home the last-gasp winner.

Chelsea fans packed into Fulham’s home ground would have been largely impressed with the showing of Cole Palmer too, away from Neto and George stealing the limelight, with the ex-Manchester City attacker guilty of putting in some rather subdued displays prior to this 2-1 victory being clinched.

Chelsea's Palmer problem

Amazingly, the once unplayable 22-year-old is now without a Chelsea goal since netting versus AFC Bournemouth all the way back in January.

But, he was still lively in spurts versus Fulham to show Maresca that he warrants a first team spot, with Palmer involved in the slick passing move that resulted in the 20-year-old forward grabbing his side’s much-needed equaliser.

Moreover, the hot-and-cold number 20 would trudge off the Craven Cottage turf at the close of the dramatic victory with only six misplaced passes, alongside firing two efforts of his own at Bernd Leno’s goal to try and guide his team to a less nervy win.

Of course, Palmer is stil some way off the blistering best that has seen him tally up a stunning 14 goals and eight assists overall this season in league action, but there is enough on show to indicate that other underperformers are costing Enzo Maresca more dearly.

Instead, there is a bigger problem right now at the Bridge…

4/10 Chelsea star is becoming a problem

The Champions League chasers haven’t been the most front foot team in recent matches, considering Maresca’s side have only bagged five Premier League strikes across April to date.

Nicolas Jackson, unfortunately, finds himself deep in a barren spell up top, with the low-on-confidence forward now up to 13 games without a goal after firing even more blanks away at Fulham. Considering they rely on him so much to find the net, one could argue that he’s becoming a bigger problem than the aforementioned Palmer.

Jackson vs Fulham

Stat

Jackson

Minutes played

78

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Touches

21

Accurate passes

12/16 (75%)

Shots

1

Big chances missed

1

Total duels won

1/4

Stats by Sofascore

Jackson just never looked confident leading the line for the Blues against Silva’s tricky hosts, with the Senegalese attacker failing to find the back of the net again by mustering up just one effort all contest.

He was also anonymous in large patches in an attacking capacity when attempting to find openings, with just 12 accurate passes accumulated, alongside weakly winning just one of his four duels.

Amazingly, within five minutes of the number 15 coming off the pitch, the Blues would celebrate hitting the back of the net through the aforementioned George, leaving Maresca with an almighty conundrum as to who he should select here moving forward.

Of course – much like Palmer – Jackson has displayed his class in the not so distant past at Stamford Bridge with nine goals powered home this campaign alone, but the scathing post-match reaction to his shoddy showing says it all, with London Evening Standard journalist Malik Ouzia dishing out a low 4/10 rating to the striker who he labelled as a “shadow” of his former lethal self.

There were jubilant celebrations at the final whistle as Chelsea picked up their 16th league victory of the season, but if they are serious about cementing a spot inside the top five, blindly sticking by a wasteful Jackson might prove to be a costly call.

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So far this season, Marcus Stoinis has played nine games, faced 65 balls and bowled only 13.1 overs, but with some players leaving, he might have more to do in the IPL 2025 playoffs

Hemant Brar25-May-20251:18

Moody: Stoinis the icing on the cake for PBKS

The story of Punjab Kings’ (PBKS) success in IPL 2025 revolves around how their Indian batters have stood up. Before Saturday, five of them had over 250 runs at strike rates above 150. No other team in any IPL season has had such a record. What has made it even more impressive is that four of them are uncapped in international cricket.Their boom, and the composition of the side, has resulted in Marcus Stoinis batting largely at No. 7. This is a completely different role to the one he played for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) last season, when he scored 258 runs in seven innings at a strike rate of 154.49 from No. 3. While Stoinis has played the finisher’s role for Australia, he has mostly batted at No. 5 there too. In fact, before this IPL season, he had batted at No. 7 or lower only ten times across 316 T20s.That said, Stoinis has lapped up his new role. Against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), he blitzed 34 not out off just 11 balls. Against LSG, he applied the finishing touches with 15 not out off five. Both times striking at 300 or more.Related

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On Saturday, playing against Delhi Capitals (DC) in Jaipur, he was at it again. He came out to bat in the 16th over with PBKS 144 for 5. They needed another impactful knock and Stoinis did not disappoint. Off the first four legal deliveries he faced, he crunched two sixes and a four and dented Mukesh Kumar’s figures. Having conceded only 24 in his first three overs, the seamer finished with 1 for 49.Stoinis was on 18 when Mohit Sharma dropped him at deep square-leg off Kuldeep Yadav. When Mohit came to bowl the 19th over, Stoinis rubbed it in by tonking two sixes and two fours. In all, he scored 44 not out off 16 balls and powered PBKS to 206 for 8.This was Stoinis’ first game after returning from Australia. During the break between innings, he was asked if he had nets sessions when the tournament was suspended for a week.2:33

Moody: Young Indian players thrive under Shreyas’ captaincy

“I actually didn’t,” he replied. “Unfortunately, I had a bout of Covid when I got back – it was a nice welcome home. So I rested up and came back here.”What has worked for Stoinis in this new role is his ability to take down fast bowlers. Since the start of 2023, he has a strike rate of 151.95 against pace. Against spin, it drops to 128.30. When he comes out at No. 7, typically, the fast bowlers are in operation.”It is always a bit different when you go out in the end and you go in that one mode,” he said. “But I think it was really good for me out there. I was surprised they didn’t bowl more slower balls when I was setting up… because I felt they were holding [in the pitch].”In a way, it was a familiar situation for Stoinis, who had played a similar innings for DC against PBKS (then Kings XI Punjab) in Dubai in 2020. Batting at No. 6, he had scored 53 off 21. Then bowling the final over of the chase, with Punjab needing 13 from six balls and then one from the last three, Stoinis pushed the match into the Super Over, where DC won.3:09

Should PBKS be concerned about their bowling?

On Saturday, too, he was tasked to bowl the 20th over. But DC took only three balls to score the required eight runs. Stoinis finished with 1.3-0-21-0. With Azmatullah Omarzai also going for 46 from his four wicketless overs, PBKS could not defend what their captain Shreyas Iyer later called an above-par score.But this is the bargain PBKS have made. By playing both Stoinis and Omarzai, they get Marco Jansen batting at No. 9 and Harpreet Brar at No. 10. While this weakens their bowling somewhat, it allows them to go as hard with the bat as they do, even when they are losing wickets. That’s how they have posted seven 200-plus totals in nine innings when batting first.Another factor in their loss against DC was Yuzvendra Chahal’s absence. According to head coach Sunil Joshi, Chahal was “rested” because of a “small niggle”. His replacement, Praveen Dubey, bowled only two overs, in which he went for 20. Had Chahal been fit, Omarzai and Stoinis might not have had to bowl six overs.So far this season, Stoinis has played nine games, faced 65 balls and bowled only 13.1 overs. But from here on, he may have to play a bigger role. Jansen will not be available anymore as he gets ready for the World Test Championship (WTC) final. If Josh Inglis also leaves – he is Australia’s reserve wicketkeeper for that final – Stoinis will have to shoulder more responsibility. The good news for PBKS is he seems to be primed for that challenge.

After falling short of expectations several times before, he knows he needs to step up and take the opportunity with both hands

Firdose Moonda08-Mar-2023Eight years after he captained King Edwards VII, one of Johannesburg’s most prestigious schools, and seven years after he led South Africa’s Under-19 side at a World Cup they entered as defending champions and left in 11th place, Tony de Zorzi returned to the Wanderers and discovered mates he didn’t know he had.”There were a couple of my friends here – some people claimed to be my friends but I’ve never met them – and it’s always nice to have my mom watching,” de Zorzi said.Related

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Raised by Natasha, a single parent, de Zorzi has always wanted to be the best he could be for his mother. These days, she doesn’t watch him play much because he has taken the scenic route to international cricket, from the alma mater of Neil Mckenzie and Graeme Smith, through Pretoria and eventually to Cape Town, 1400 kilometres away from where he grew up. In a way, it’s been cathartic for de Zorzi to make his Test debut on the Highveld, and to score his first Test half-century with Natasha watching on.”She usually sits in the same place, so I knew where she was,” he said. “I’m in Cape Town, so she hasn’t been able to watch a lot of the games. Hopefully, next time she comes, I can get three figures.”De Zorzi has set himself high standards. In the last two years, only one of his team-mates has scored a century at home and only two others (Sarel Erwee and Kyle Verreynne – neither of whom are playing in this series) have brought up three figures. But after falling short of expectations several times before, he knows this is his chance to step up.”From playing for SA under-19, a lot has changed in my life,” de Zorzi said. “Although I was captain, I wasn’t the star boy out of that side.”That’s because Wiaan Mulder was. De Zorzi returned from the age-group World Cup and had to go back to playing club cricket and “start again.” He played for the University of Pretoria’s team, where current fielding coach Kruger van Wyk was in charge. Then he was contracted by Northerns, where he made steady progress and averaged nearly 80 for the second-tier provincial side in the 2016-17 summer. He moved to Western Province in the summer of 2020, where Ashwell Prince was the head coach, and has since been elevated to captain.

“It’s been a long process, and I’m happy that it has eventually led to this. It’s also a reminder of where I come from and not to get ahead of myself because I’ve had to do a lot of dirty work to get there.”Tony de Zorzi

This summer, he averages over 100, thanks largely to his unbeaten 304 against the Knights, with an attack that included Gerald Coetzee (though admittedly not many other big names).”It’s been a long process, and I’m happy that it has eventually led to this,” de Zorzi said. “It’s also a reminder of where I come from and not to get ahead of myself because I’ve had to do a lot of dirty work to get there. For some guys, it happens a bit earlier. Mine’s starting to happen now.”After averaging above 48 in three of the last four seasons, de Zorzi was impossible to ignore in this Test squad but it took a changing of the guard for that to happen. He was picked by new red-ball coach Shukri Conrad, who also acts as a selector in the absence of a panel, to get his chance. “With the changes in coaching, we knew it would be a fresh start,” de Zorzi said. “If everyone gave themselves an opportunity and did well, you knew it would be a fresh set of eyes and maybe, more opportunities. That was exciting. There was always a message from senior guys – Dean (Elgar) said it while he was captain, that the weight of runs would get you in the side. Guys knew that if they wanted to make the step up they had to have a good season. There was no other way.”De Zorzi is particularly adept at the cut shot and scored almost a third of his runs with that stroke in this innings•Gallo ImagesBut now that that has happened, players like de Zorzi need to own their space. In the first Test, he showed West Indies’ attack what he was made of, and Kyle Mayers saw it. “This guy looks very organised,” he said. “He is strong, square of the wicket.”De Zorzi is particularly adept at the cut shot and scored almost a third of his runs with that stroke in this innings but knew West Indies worked him out from the first Test. They tried to offer him less width at the SuperSport Park. “They stick to the basics a little bit longer,” de Zorzi said. “You might get a few less bad balls but international cricketers that are going to do their homework. I could see from the way they bowled to me today compared to at SuperSport Park, they had different plans and they can limit your scoring options. And obviously, the intensity is a little bit higher, like I was really tired once I was out. It’s challenging.”But so was de Zorzi. He played with authority during South Africa’s free-flowing afternoon session. All the while, Natasha sat in the Memorial Stand, unmoved. De Zorzi gestured to her first when he drove off Alzarri Joseph through gully off the 82nd ball he faced. Undoubtedly, she would have been unbelievably proud. De Zorzi went on to face 73 more balls, and score 35 more runs, as the pitch quickened up and West Indies staged a comeback.They took five for 64 after tea and now see the game as being in the balance. Restrict South Africa to under 350, and West Indies are in with a chance of fighting back. Concede over that, on a pitch that is already showing signs of turn, and it may be that the game is gone. Either way, it’s set up to attract friends cricket didn’t know it had, especially in a mid-week Test match where the crowd only fills a fraction of the stadium. But it matters. And no one knows that more than de Zorzi.