As South Africa’s most experienced specialist batter, his role is multi-fold in the two-Test series. It’s a challenge he’s up to take on

Firdose Moonda13-Nov-20252:04

Bangar: South Africa’s spin-bowling allrounders will be critical

Temba Bavuma had played only four Tests before he first batted in one in India, as the least experienced specialist batter of a side that was already defeated. He opened the batting, which he told ESPNcricinfo today was, “the best thing that could have happened because batting in the middle order was quite tough,” but back then, he called it “the toughest piece of batting I’ve had to do in my life.”If only he knew how much tougher it was going to get.Fast-forward a decade and Bavuma has realised that “Test cricket doesn’t get any easier.” He lists the 2018 sandpapergate series against Australia, when he had just returned from a broken hand, as “quite tough having not played any cricket,” and the 2019 series in India, which South Africa lost 3-0, as “also quite tough,” but arguably his toughest Test knock was most recent one. In the World Test Championship final, chasing the highest score at Lord’s against Australia, Bavuma was nursing a hamstring injury and scored the most important 66 runs of his career.Related

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Interestingly, 66 is also Bavuma’s highest first-class score in the subcontinent, for South Africa A in 2015, where he has only batted 22 times. That innings came a few months before the Test series. This time, Bavuma has been in India before most of his team-mates, again playing for an A side as he makes his return to the longest format. After a first-ball duck against India A, he scored 59 last week in South Africa A’s successful chase of 417. More importantly, he familiarised himself with his subcontinent gameplan after missing South Africa’s series in both Bangladesh last year and Pakistan this year through injury.”Having come off a long layoff from Test cricket, it was just about getting back on the field, proving my fitness to myself and everyone around and spending some time at the crease,” Bavuma said at the pre-match press conference. “I think that was important – to try to make whatever adjustments that I need to with conditions here in the subcontinent. I spent a lot of time on my feet in the field and it was a good exercise.”

“He’s our best player. It’s as simple as that. If you take the last two years maybe, he’s been one of the best players in the world.”SA head coach Conrad on Bavuma

It was also an opportunity to remind himself of what lies ahead. Bavuma is now the most experienced specialist batter in a side that knows success far better than its opposite. South Africa, at full strength, have not lost a series under Bavuma (the 2024 makeshift squad that lost in New Zealand did not include him, nor any of those on this tour). And his stocks continue to rise.”Whenever we go into a series, there’s a lot more of an expectation for us as a team to uphold the world champion status,” Bavuma said. “From a confidence point of view, it’s a case of us kind of walking proudly with that badge, being known as the champions. We have a lovely opportunity now coming up against India in their own conditions. It’s a great opportunity for us to kind of stamp ourselves with that label.”While Bavuma said “not much” can trump winning the WTC, “second to that would be winning in India.” Not England. Not Australia. But India, because, “we haven’t been able to do it for the longest time.”Temba Bavuma checked out the Eden Gardens pitch•Associated PressSouth Africa last won a Test in India in 2010, when none of the current crop were involved in international cricket. They have been on two tours of India since with humbling results as they lost 3-0 on each occasion. They last won a series there in 2000, when Tristan Stubbs and Marco Jansen were not even born. “The longest time” seems a reasonable description, especially considering India’s formidable home record. Never mind South Africa, no team beat them in a home series for a dozen years between England winning in 2012 and New Zealand’s victory last year. That’s 18 successive home series wins for India which puts into perspective the scale of the task. “We understand the magnitude of the challenge,” Bavuma said. “For some of us, there have been moments of hurt having come from India. We know what it’s about. We look forward to the challenge.”Bavuma knows that better than most. His most recent Indian heartbreak is fresher than anyone else’s and didn’t involve Tests. It came at the 2023 ODI World Cup, where he captained South Africa to the semi-finals but was the only batter in the top five who did not score a century and played with an injured hamstring in the knockouts. The memes were cruel and included images of Bavuma seeming to fall asleep in the pre-tournament captain’s presser when the camera angle had just caught him awkwardly looking at his hand and being pushed in a wheelchair by the batters who were scoring runs. The experience could either have turned him away from leadership entirely or made him stronger and it seems to have done the latter.”It wasn’t the greatest of World Cups for me from a batting point of view, so I could understand why the criticism would have come but that’s probably more from a player point of view,” he said. “From a captaincy point of view, it always felt as if it’s a process of discovery. You’re always kind of learning a little bit more about yourself. You start off with maybe an understanding as to how you want to go about things but then as time goes by, as things happen, you work with different coaches, that generally comes into your whole idea. Now, I’m a lot more comfortable in my own skin. There’s no case of having to prove to myself, prove to the players or prove to people back home that I’m deserving of the title. The results that we’ve achieved speak for themselves. The type of reaction that I get from the players, also speaks for itself. The criticism, all of that, that’s not going to go away. For as long as you’re in these types of positions, the magnifying glass is always going to be on you. That’s just something that you have to accept. I just try to take it day by day and to enjoy it.”In the South Africa changing room, Bavuma is undisputedly regarded with the utmost respect. “He’s our best player. It’s as simple as that,” South Africa’s coach Shukri Conrad said. “If you take the last two years maybe, he’s been one of the best players in the world.”Bavuma scored 59 in South Africa A’s win over India A in the outskirts of Bengaluru last week•PTI Since February 2023, which is when Conrad took over the Test side, of batters who have scored more than 500 runs in Tests, Bavuma’s average is 56.93, the sixth-highest.Amongst the South African public, the perception of Bavuma has changed from seeing him as a bit-part player to someone who tried hard but couldn’t convert scores into centuries to being regarded as crucial to the operation and that’s largely because of his role in winning the mace. “I feel like there’s been a major shift in mindset towards the Proteas and towards cricket,” Bavuma said. “There’s been a lot more appreciation and love that’s been shown towards the team, but also to individuals within the team. For myself, probably a lot more, appreciation for my presence within the team.”And globally? That’s still to be determined, and Bavuma knows it. He is eyeing at least another two years in the game, both as ODI captain with a home World Cup to prepare for and as Test captain in the current cycle, which is where he believes this team will really be measured. “We have our own goals,” he said. “We know we want to do it as a team, and we know at what point we want to start measuring ourselves. We know that after two years, we can’t consider that a proper legacy. Winning the Test Championship was big in a lot of ways but we’d like to see ourselves after four years. We will continue doing what we set out to do two years ago.”By then, Bavuma will be 37, would have played international cricket for 13 years and will likely be on the cusp of retirement. He probably won’t play another Test series in India between now and then which makes this one crucial to his place in cricket’s pantheon.

A number of players at the Vidarbha vs Rest of India Irani Cup will want to put up big performances keeping in mind the remainder of the first-class – and Test match – season

Himanshu Agrawal30-Sep-2025Akash Deep’s comebackAkash Deep, the right-arm quick, was last in action in the Oval Test against England, which finished in early August. After that, he was advised rest to recover from an injury and missed the season-opening Duleep Trophy.He is one of four quicks in RoI’s squad for the Irani Cup and is the most experienced of the lot. He had a good tour of England, where he picked up 13 wickets in three Tests, including a match-winning ten-wicket haul in the Edgbaston Test. The half-century from No. 4 in the final Test in England, which India also won, proved some ability with the bat as well.Akash Deep wasn’t picked in India’s squad for the two Tests against West Indies starting on October 2, where the focus is expected to be on spin. However, India are scheduled to play a total of four home Tests this season, and they will be watchful of Jasprit Bumrah’s workload during this time.A noteworthy performance for RoI could put Akash Deep back in the Test XI sooner rather than later. The key, one assumes, is his fitness.Ishan Kishan hasn’t played a Test match since July 2023•Getty ImagesAnother red-ball chance for Ishan KishanIshan Kishan was omitted from the BCCI’s list of centrally contracted players last year, but was included this year. This suggests he’s still in the team management’s plan, even though he last played a Test – his second – in July 2023. In June, Kishan played two County Championship matches for Nottinghamshire and scored 77 and 87 in his two innings. Like Akash Deep, Kishan was also selected in the East Zone squad for the Duleep Trophy, but missed out owing to a minor injury he suffered during his county stint.Tamil Nadu’s N Jagadeesan has leapfrogged Kishan in the wicketkeeper-batter’s race for the national side – Jagadeesan was named as the back-up to Dhruv Jurel for the Tests against West Indies – so the Irani Cup provides Kishan with a chance to remind the national selectors of his potential in the longest format.At 30, Abhimanyu Easwaran’s international career might remain a non-starter•Hindustan Times via Getty ImagesCan Abhimanyu Easwaran stay in the race?The opening batter was part of India’s Test squad in England but, like in the past, a debut eluded Abhimanyu Easwaran. Just before India announced their squad to face West Indies, former India quick Varun Aaron, while speaking to ESPNcricinfo, had said, “India have to give Abhimanyu a chance at some stage”. But Abhimanyu was dropped instead, and finds himself one level below again.And there might not be much space for him to squeeze in anyway for the foreseeable future, with Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul locked in at the top and B Sai Sudharsan at one drop.Abhimanyu got two half-centuries in four innings for India A against England Lions in May-June, and scored 44 against Australia A in the first unofficial Test earlier this month. For someone still looking to make the step up, those aren’t fantastic numbers, so the Irani Cup is a massive tournament for Abhimanyu who, at 30, might be running out of time.Ruturaj Gaikwad returned to competitive cricket with a bang at the Duleep Trophy•PTI Ruturaj Gaikwad’s return after injuryAn elbow injury cut Ruturaj Gaikwad’s IPL 2025 short and a “personal issue at home” forced him to pull out of a County deal with Yorkshire. Gaikwad returned to action only earlier this month – and with a bang. Playing for West Zone against Central Zone in the Duleep Trophy semi-final, Gaikwad slammed 184 at a strike rate of 89 after going out to bat at 10 for 2.Gaikwad had a relatively quiet domestic first-class season in 2024-25, averaging 36.93 in 16 innings across the Duleep Trophy, Irani Cup, Ranji Trophy and India A’s tour of Australia. That included six single-digit scores, three of which came against Australia A. Gaikwad’s dominant knock to kickstart this domestic season not only confirms that he’s in good touch, but will also help him gain confidence for the rest of the season.Yash Rathod and Danish Malewar played their part in Central Zone’s Duleep Trophy win•PTI Can Yash Rathod keep the good work going?Yash Rathod, the 25-year-old Vidarbha batter, has continued his rise through the ranks in domestic cricket. Nineteen of his 21 first-class matches have come since the 2023-24 season, a time during which he has cemented his place in Vidarbha’s middle order. Rathod averages 58.83 in this period, and enters the Irani Cup on the back of 374 runs in five innings at 124.67 in the Duleep Trophy. He passed fifty three times in those five innings, and hit a career-best 194 against South Zone in the final.Rathod said “it was quite disappointing” to miss out on a double hundred, but has his eyes firmly set on what’s coming: “I also obviously want to play IPL, but my immediate goal is to prepare myself for Irani Trophy as that is also a big stage. If I perform there, I will get closer to my India A dream. Yes, I want to play for India, but to reach there, India A is my first step.”This domestic season, Rathod will have to take on extra responsibility after Karun Nair switched back to Karnataka. But given his last two seasons, he will back himself to pull it off, as will Vidarbha.Watch out for Danish MalewarAnother of Vidarbha’s young batters in good form, Danish Malewar started the season on a high by smashing his maiden first-class double-century against North East Zone in the quarter-final of the Duleep Trophy. He has clocked 1135 runs in 12 matches in first-class cricket, averaging 56.75. Malewar has passed fifty 11 times in 20 innings, which is a sign of his consistency.Malewar looks up to his senior team-mate Rathod – he believes they have “a similar batting style” – and with 352, even got nearly as many runs as Rathod in the Duleep Trophy. Malewar will turn 22 next week, and given his bright start, looks like a long-term bet for Vidarbha.How will the game play out?The VCA Stadium in Jamtha, Nagpur, has traditionally had a slow and low surface. Last domestic season, it hosted three first-class games, two of which were drawn. Not even three innings could be completed in either of those two matches, as the pitch seemed to have little help for bowlers.Vidarbha have packed their 16-member squad for Irani Cup with four spin-bowling options, both frontline and all-round, so expect a spin-friendly pitch from the hosts, who last won the Irani Cup in 2018-19. In the end, though, it could come down to the first-innings lead, so expect both teams to bat long and bat deep.

Football fans far and wide, heading into the 2025/26 Premier League season, must have been expecting that Liverpool would continue their domestic dominance.

It started well for Arne Slot’s Reds, too, as they went about defending their status as reigning champions, with five straight wins picked up in league action in the early stages of the campaign.

However, since they got the better of Everton in the Merseyside Derby in mid-September, it has all gone rather pear-shaped for the Reds, with an alarming six defeats now collected in all competitions, pushing them down to a dire seventh position in the Premier League standings.

Things have to change, and quickly, with many of the players Slot and Co. purchased in the summer failing to live up to their grand expectations.

Liverpool's most underwhelming signings

Liverpool really didn’t hold back this summer when breaking the bank.

Indeed, a jaw-dropping £415m in total was spent on revamping the Reds, with the triumphant top-flight champions waving goodbye to the likes of Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez, and Trent Alexander-Arnold in the summer for mega money.

Unfortunately, despite sitting at the top of this above list with their spending power, a lot of their high-profile signings have flopped so far at Anfield, with Florian Wirtz – who cost a whopping £116m just on his own – still yet to pick up a single goal or assist in league action, culminating in the German being labelled as “pretty average” by ex-Liverpool midfielder, and compatriot, Dietmar Hamann.

Milos Kerkez has also been subject to some scathing criticism, with the £40m recruit looking like a shadow of his expansive AFC Bournemouth best, particularly against Crystal Palace last time out in the EFL Cup, as Ismaila Sarr confidently collected two goals down his left flank.

Another former Liverpool favourite in Jason McAteer, has even suggested that the move to the Reds was “too big for him”, amid concerns he looks “lost” donning the number six jersey.

Thankfully, Hugo Ekitike has shone in spurts as another flashy new signing, but there is one dud that is extremely concerning now, as Slot potentially has to contend with his own Naby Keita-style blunder.

The £280k-per-week star who is Slot's own Keita

Glancing over Liverpool’s most expensive signings of all time is an intriguing read.

Of course, they struck gold when landing Virgil Van Dijk for £75m as he remains the club’s top leader to this day. But, when you

scroll down more, you’re then greeted by Keita’s name, who is still Liverpool’s eighth most expensive recruit at the £48m mark.

Keita did, of course, have a stunning goal up his sleeve at Liverpool – as evidenced in this glittering highlight package – but he didn’t consistently shine bright enough to justify his once club-record fee, with injuries galore often stopping him in his tracks.

Fast forward to the present, and an eerily similar tale could now be unfolding with Alexander Isak, with the ex-Newcastle United striker – who is prone to an injury niggle himself – yet to get up and running at Anfield, after breaking the Reds’ transfer record when joining in the summer for a ludicrous £125m.

Isak’s numbers this season

Stat

Isak

Games played

8

Goals scored

1

Assists

1

Games missed through injury

5

Sourced by Transfermarkt

After all, Liverpool must have thought they’d sealed the signing of the window when landing the £280k-per-week hotshot, considering he was once branded as a “world-class” talent at Newcastle United by ex-boss Eddie Howe when burying a lethal 62 strikes from 109 games.

But, caution should have been exercised here in trying to temper expectations, considering Jurgen Klopp also hailed Keita as the “best player in the league” in the Bundesliga when sealing his services, only for everything to fall apart.

Indeed, as is the case looking at the table above, Isak has only one paltry goal next to his name so far in his uncomfortable new surroundings, with the extortionate number nine already falling foul of sitting out five games for club and country this season through injury issues.

The hope will be that it doesn’t get as bad as Keita’s injury situation got, with his penultimate season in England seeing him miss a staggering 40 games with recurring trips to the treatment room.

He looks set to miss Liverpool’s must-win clash with Aston Villa on the weekend, to add insult to injury.

Isak, additionally, has the pressure of being known as a lethal goalscorer weighing him down, as the burden of being Liverpool’s most expensive signing proves, yet again, to be a debilitating hindrance, rather than a badge of honour.

The Reds waited a year for Keita to arrive, after initially signing him in advance in 2017, only for the move to end in disappointment.

Having waded through a whole summer saga before landing Isak, it looks as if the Swede could be heading for similar frustration at Anfield.

Related "We never speak about this in here" – Slot stunned at Liverpool press conference

It took the Dutchman by surprise.

Posts ByCharlie Smith Oct 31, 2025

Bullpens win World Series titles, and the New York Yankees appear to be acting with that knowledge.

The Yankees are acquiring pitcher Camilo Doval from the San Francisco Giants, according to a Thursday afternoon report from ESPN's Jeff Passan.

Doval, 28, has pitched five years for the Giants. He has spent four of those years as the team's primary closer, and has accumulated 107 saves. He departs the franchise seventh on its all-time list in that category, including a National League-best 39 in 60 games finished in 2023.

In 2024, his ERA ballooned to 4.88 and he cost the team half a win above replacement per Baseball Reference; he has recovered nicely with a 3.09 ERA in 2025.

He joins a New York team looking for bullpen help as it navigates choppy waters in the American League East division. Once the leaders of that division, the Yankees now trail the Toronto Blue Jays by four games—although they occupy a favorable position in the wild-card race.

Trent Rockets now in pole position to finish second, which would grant them a Finals spot if the Eliminator is washed out

ECB Media26-Aug-2025Manchester Originals 140 for 3 (Buttler 70, Ravindra 47*) beat Northern Superchargers 139 for 8 (Patel 42, Aspinwall 3-17) by seven wicketsWith the return of Sir James Anderson to the Manchester Originals’ line-up, there was an extra frisson at Headingley for the local derby as the Northern Superchargers looked to record eight wins from eight for the women and men at their northern fortress. Alas for Harry Brook’s side, although they will still be in the Eliminator at the Kia Oval on Saturday, it was not to be.Starting on the same points total as the Trent Rockets but with a significant deficit in net run rate, the Superchargers were looking for a big win to give themselves a decent chance of finishing second in the group stages.The Originals won the toss and chose to field, with Anderson bowling the first ten, and rapidly picking up his first and second wickets in The Hundred, accompanied by a broad grin. He then had Brook dropped in the deep before seeing England’s white-ball captain try his falling-over scoop, the ball merely dribbling a few feet from the bat, Brook ending up on his bottom and Anderson in stitches.Brook (20 off 20) was then caught off Scott Currie and Zak Crawley (17 off 17) holed out, and at 73 for 5 off 67 balls, the Originals were in the box seat.Enter the 40-year-old Samit Patel, three years younger than Anderson perhaps, but still very much a senior citizen in professional cricketing terms. When he was dismissed off the penultimate delivery, he had pummelled four fours and three sixes in his 19-ball 42 and, along with David Miller (30 off 22), given the Superchargers something to defend despite Tom Aspinwall’s impressive 3 for 17.The Superchargers’ opening pair of Jacob Duffy and Matthew Potts were tidy, Phil Salt (9 off 13) and Ben McKinney (6 off 8) struggling to break free but once they had gone, Jos Buttler and Rachin Ravindra (47* off 23) showed just why they are rated two of the best white-ball batters in the world, a thrilling partnership of 99 off 48 ensuring the Originals finished the competition on a high and consigning the Superchargers to a third-place group finish, barring a catastrophic defeat by the Rockets to the Phoenix tomorrow at Trent Bridge.Buttler was imperious, smiting seven fours and five sixes in his 37-ball 70 before being bowled by Adil Rashid, at which point only 10 were needed off 21 balls. Rashid conceded 39 from his 20, the most he has ever leaked in The Hundred, and successive boundaries from Ravindra sealed the deal with seven wickets and 16 balls to spare.Meerkat Match Hero Jos Buttler said: “The surface was a bit tricky, a bit slow. I thought we bowled exceptionally well apart from three or four balls and that allowed us to chase it down. We showed our best cricket in this last game when we were already out of the tournament, which is frustrating.”Overall, over the course of the tournament, we left a lot out there. In a couple of games, we failed to get over the line and we are where we deserve to be in the end. Tonight we showed what we are truly capable of as a team.”

Tottenham Hotspur are now willing to pay £70m to sign AFC Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo, as they believe he would be perfect for Thomas Frank.

It is little wonder Tottenham are looking to bring in a new forward, given that some of their current attacking options have been far from impressive so far this season, with Jamie O’Hara left fuming by Xavi Simons and Randal Kolo Muani after the Chelsea defeat.

Mathys Tel has also found it difficult to adapt to life in the Premier League, with the 20-year-old being dropped to the bench in recent weeks, having now scored just one goal in his opening 10 matches in all competitions.

Spurs’ attacking woes were particularly apparent in the 1-0 defeat against their London rivals on Saturday, failing to craft a single big chance, while also having just three shots in the entire match.

Tottenham willing to make offer for Antoine Semenyo

Having struggled in front of goal, Tottenham are now willing to make their club-record signing in one of the stars of the Premier League this season, with a report from Spain revealing they are prepared to make a bid of around €80m (£70m) for Semenyo.

There is a belief the Bournemouth forward would be ideal for Frank, given that he is fast, powerful and clinical, but there could be competition for the Ghanaian’s signature, as several unnamed European clubs are also keen.

The Cherries value the 25-year-old highly, but they may be willing to cash-in for the right price this winter, with a £80m fee being touted.

The Bournemouth star has shown signs of year-on-year development since first emerging as a regular starter in the Premier League during the 2023/24 season, and he is already over half-way to matching his goal and assist tally from the previous campaign.

Season

Premier League appearances

Goal contributions

2023-24

33

11

2024-25

37

17

2025-26

10

9

Scout Ben Mattinson has also been left impressed by the Ghana international in the past, urging Arsenal to sign him back in February.

Semenyo has earned a move to a top club, with his performances this season indicating he is ready to make the step-up, and it would be a real statement of intent from ENIC if they were able to get a deal done.

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Spurs have set out to sign a new striker.

ByDominic Lund Nov 2, 2025

USMNT star Haji Wright has been advised to shun any interest shown in him during the January transfer window, with Coventry looking for him to “be the man” that fires them back into the Premier League. Ex-Sky Blues striker Clinton Morrison has explained, during an exclusive interview with GOAL, why Wright is on course to hit his top-flight target in England.

• Wright's record: Goals scored for Coventry

  Los Angeles native Wright joined Coventry in the summer of 2023 for a club-record £7.7 million ($10m) fee. They would be able to get much more than that for the 27-year-old frontman were they to open themselves up to a sale.

  That is because the versatile forward has netted 40 goals for the Sky Blues through 97 appearances. Said return is made all the more impressive when taking into account that he was regularly deployed on the left wing by former manager Mark Robins.

  Wright has been moved down the middle by current club boss Frank Lampard, leading to him sitting third in the 2025-26 Championship Golden Boot race. His eye for goal, alongside notable physical qualities, have brought him to the attention of clubs across Europe.

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  Bit of everything: What makes Wright special?

  Ex-Coventry star Morrison admits that Wright has got a bit of everything – telling GOAL while speaking in association with Freebets.com, the home of best casino sites: “He’s good. This is what I’m saying about Frank Lampard. Mark Robins was playing Haji Wright off the left, now Frank is playing him through the middle. That is where he looks better.

  “He can cause problems – he can run in behind, score all kinds of goals. He’s a big target man, wins his headers, so I think he’s a problem. He wasn’t fit last year, they did miss him for a few months and that hindered Coventry. The way that he’s playing at the moment, he’s a handful. That’s credit to Frank Lampard. I do rate Haji Wright. He wants to have a good season because it’s a World Cup year and he wants to get into that America squad.”

• January transfer: Wright urged to shun interest

  A home World Cup in 2026 is providing added incentive for Wright. He will be determined to form part of Mauricio Pochettino’s plans at that tournament. Regular game time will be required in order to catch the eye.

  With that in mind, as Coventry top the second-tier table in England, Wright has been urged to shun any advances that may be made in January. Instead, he has been told to stay put and fire the Sky Blues back into the big time after a 25-year absence.

  Morrison added on Wright being destined to grace the Premier League at some point: “I think he can get there. There will be interest but I think he will stay at Coventry City. If he is going to play in the Premier League, it will be with Coventry.

  “There will be interest from other clubs due to his record in the Championship, but at the moment it is a difficult one because if you go to the Premier League, he might not get the game time he wants. If he stays with Coventry City, he has got a good chance of getting promoted. If you get that on your CV and you are the man to get them to the Premier League, you will be playing at that level next season anyway.”

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Promotion push: Coventry on course to reach the Premier League

  Morrison is not the first to suggest that Wright’s career path will pass through the Premier League. Another ex-Coventry forward, Matt Jansen, told GOAL recently when asked if the United States international is ready to compete at that level: “He has eight [Championship] goals this season, USA international, good player. You can never say you are going to succeed in the Premier League until you get there.

  “We will get a glimpse of that in the World Cup when he is up against world-class defenders, whether he can handle that. He is certainly doing a fantastic job for Coventry at the minute. Time will tell, if they go up, whether he can produce the same in the Premier League. If I was a betting man, I would bet that he would.”

  Coventry sit five points clear at the top of the Championship table through 15 games this season. They have suffered just one defeat – to the Wrexham side backed by Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac – and will return to action on November 22 when playing host to West Midlands rivals West Brom.

Nikesh Arora believes tech consortium can help Hundred become “multi-billion dollar product”

Matt Roller07-Aug-2025

The head of the Silicon Valley technology consortium that bid £144 million (US$193 million approx.) for a 49% stake in London Spirit in January believes that the Hundred can become “a multi-billion dollar product” to rival the IPL.Nikesh Arora, the CEO of cybersecurity firm Palo Alto Networks, leads Cricket Investor Holdings Limited – better known as the ‘Tech Titans’ – and is a newly-appointed board member at Spirit after they completed their lucrative deal for a minority stake. They will run the franchise as a joint venture with MCC, who hosted the consortium at Lord’s this week.The consortium has grown in number since seeing off significant competition from Sanjiv Goenka’s RPSG Group in a virtual auction earlier this year, with Arora estimating that 15 of its members were at Lord’s to watch the Hundred’s opening match day – which saw Spirit’s women beat Oval Invincibles, but the men’s team bowled out for 80.Related

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ECB ditches controversial Hundred-branded balls

Titans land at Lord's as London Spirit sink to new low

They met Justin Langer and Kane Williamson at a training session on Monday, and dined in the pavilion that evening before lining a hospitality suite in the Edrich Stand on Tuesday. The CEOs of Adobe, Google and YouTube are all involved; Satyan Gajwani, the vice-chairman of Times Internet, suggested that not even the World Economic Forum could bring them all together.Arora and Gajwani walked across the outfield and posed by the pitch after Tuesday night’s games, a display of power which laid bare the new era that awaits English cricket. “This is a way to get involved with one of the most storied and hallowed grounds in the world,” Arora said at Lord’s, while watching his new team for the first time. “It’s like bringing our passions to our work.”We’ve never had buyer’s remorse. We’ve never been stressed about what we paid. I have more people who want to be part of the consortium now than I had before I made the investment, so it’s not a problem. Many of them are here; they flew from the US to come watch it. This is a passion for every one of us… It’s going to be fun.”Chair Mark Nicholas has promised MCC members a “major relaunch” of the franchise once the joint venture assumes operational control from the ECB on October 1. The London Spirit name is expected to remain for the time being but new sponsors and new kits have been lined up, potentially incorporating egg-and-bacon trim or piping as a nod to the club’s famous colours.Justin Langer, David Warner and Kane Williamson arrive before the game•Getty Images

The eight Hundred franchises were sold at a combined valuation of around £975 million ($1.3 billion approx.) earlier this year. Six deals have now been signed off, with Cain International and Reliance Industries expected to complete their purchases of stakes in Trent Rockets and Oval Invincibles respectively after the 2025 season is complete.Arora believes that the arrival of eight new investors simultaneously can “optimise” the Hundred and turn it into a “product” that rivals the most lucrative league in the world: “The IPL started from nowhere, and became a multi-billion dollar product. Why couldn’t this be that product? It’s not just us, there are eight new shareholders, give or take, across eight new franchises.”They all have successful businesses or cricket operations somewhere in the world. If that energy, that passion, that creativity, that innovation is brought to this, imagine what they could do? The ECB incubated it, which is great. But I’m sure there are ways to optimise things a bit better. I don’t think the Hundred is a bad product… It’s about creating the excitement around it.”