Awesome in Australia: Bumrah's genius at the MCG vs Pujara's resoluteness at the SCG

Vote for the best individual Border-Gavaskar Trophy performance by an Indian in Australia since 2000

Karthik Krishnaswamy21-Oct-2024Update: This poll has ended. Jasprit Bumrah’s performance goes into the quarter-finals. Check the other polls here.ESPNcricinfo LtdJasprit Bumrah’s slower ball to Shaun Marsh remains one of his iconic deliveries•Getty ImagesJasprit Bumrah – 6-33 and 3-53 in Melbourne, 2018India won by 137 runs, lead series 2-1India had won in Adelaide, lost in Perth, and knew Melbourne would be a hard slog on a slow surface where only 24 wickets had fallen in a drawn Ashes Test the previous year. Time was precious, particularly with rain forecast on days four and five, so they declared seven down with less than 450, recognising they had batted nearly 170 overs.Turns out you don’t need much time if you have a game-breaker who can take the pitch out of the equation. India bowled Australia out twice in 156.2 overs, with nine of their 20 wickets coming from Jasprit Bumrah’s irresistible blend of brain and biomechanical brawn. They wrapped up victory shortly after lunch on day five, with even a washed-out first session powerless to stop them.Bumrah’s first three wickets, all on day three, all from round the wicket to left-hand batters, showcased how dangerous he could be even with minimal swing, seam or pace off the deck. A pinpoint bouncer managed to both rush Marcus Harris and cramp him for room. An unstoppable yorker, with a hint of reverse, burst through Travis Head.In between came the last ball before lunch, a devious, 113kph change-up that would go on to define not just this spell but all of Bumrah’s remarkable career. Shaun Marsh’s movements, tuned to Bumrah’s regular 140 kph rhythm, were entirely out of step with this ball out of a slow-motion nightmare. Fixated on a front leg that moved too far across and far too early, it dipped late to miss the cue end of the bat and pinged the pad on the full, plumb in front.Watch the highlights of these performances on the Star Sports network at 10am, 1pm, 4pm and 7pm IST, from October 22 onwards.Cheteshwar Pujara put his body on the line for India in Sydney•Getty ImagesCheteshwar Pujara – 50 and 77 in Sydney, 2021Match drawn, series level 1-1Cheteshwar Pujara contributed three hundreds to India’s 2-1 win in Australia in 2018-19. He scored no hundreds when they pulled off an even more dramatic 2-1 win in 2020-21, and ended this tour with an average of 33.87, but he was still almost as much of a thorn in Australia’s flesh. The key number: 1366 minutes, the most spent at the crease by any batter playing four or fewer Tests in a series without scoring a hundred.Batting time. If an Indian team that lost all its premier bowlers to injury during the tour somehow triumphed over an Australian team that had its first-choice attack in every Test, a fair share of the credit must go to Pujara’s crease occupation. He kept asking Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon to go back and bowl another ball over and over again, until they weren’t quite themselves in the back half of the series.Pujara made two fifties in Sydney, and one in Brisbane, at strike rates of 28.40, 37.56, and 26.59, batting with a finger injury sustained earlier in the series. He showed it’s possible to mount a serious challenge in a chase of 407 – there’s a chance India could have won rather than drawn at the SCG if Hanuma Vihari, R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja weren’t all battling injury – and haul down a target of 328 if one batter shuts one end down completely and tires the opposition while other, quicker-scoring colleagues bat around him. For hour after hour, Pujara just stood there, taking blow after blow to his gloves and body, and let Australia expend all their energy in the futile pursuit of his wicket.

Breetzke must play, Maharaj out in front, room for Jansen – SA's ODI lessons

The maulings in the dead rubbers notwithstanding, South Africa have done many things right across the Australia and England ODI series

Firdose Moonda08-Sep-2025South Africa have won back-to-back ODI series and, despite the aberration in the two dead rubbers, have begun the process of building to the 2027 World Cup. While their success marks significant progress – their win in Australia was their fifth successive bilateral ODI series triumph over them, while victory in England was their first since 1998 – there are still some issues to iron out.Most pressing is the long-time concern of chasing. South Africa have not successfully chased over 200 since December 2023, and have failed to chase a score of that magnitude eight times, including twice across the Australia and England tours. Both times, with the series already won, South Africa conceded over 400 before being blown away, which may not worry them too much except for what it says about their obvious strength in batting first. Since 2023, South Africa have won 16 out of 23 matches when defending a total, but need to address the approach fielding first, especially when it matters. Here are five things to note on the road to 2027.

Breetzke must play

It could, and maybe should, become a campaign slogan after Matthew Breetzke stamped his name in the stars-to-watch list with five successive ODI fifties. That it took Breetzke eight months to play those five matches speaks to how difficult it has been for him to get into the XI, but he has now made the case for staying there. You could even argue that he should be batting higher than No. 4 given that he has spent most of his career as an opener. Breetzke’s aggressive approach fits in with how South Africa want to play and his square-of-the-wicket strength makes him difficult to stop. With Quinton de Kock and Heinrich Klaasen both retired from this format, Breetzke has the potential to take over the match-winning mantle and, injuries aside, should play in as many games as possible.Matthew Breetzke continued his prolific start in ODIs•AFP/Getty Images

Uncertainty over the top order

The jury’s still out on whether the Aiden Markram-Ryan Rickelton opening pair is the one to continue with after they came together in Australia. In six matches, they have shared one century stand, two half-century partnerships and three without getting past 11. Neither has looked entirely fluent, though Markram has been in better touch in 50-over cricket than in T20Is. Rickelton has battled for rhythm throughout so the efficacy of their partnership may best be judged when both are in better touch. Given the top-order options in the squad, South Africa may also want to experiment with other combinations, including moving Breetzke up or introducing Lhuan-dre Pretorius.Another factor that will affect the top two will be the availability of Temba Bavuma at No. 3, especially if injuries continue to interrupt his playing time. After going on tour with a mandate to manage his workload, Bavuma started five out six matches and suffered a calf strain in the fifth. While the captain has made plain his desire to lead the side at the 2027 tournament, his body may not agree and South Africa will need to start thinking of solutions. A potential one is to move Markram down to No. 3, creating an opening at the top.ESPNcricinfo LtdA middle-order of Dewald Brevis, Tristan Stubbs (who is also searching for form), and potentially David Miller promises much, especially with a wealth of allrounders to follow.

Getting Jansen back in

Corbin Bosch and Wiaan Mulder have each made significant contributions as the fourth seamer – Bosch with two T20I three-fors in Australia, Mulder with one in the ODIs in England – and they help lengthen the batting line-up. But will there be room for one or both of them when Marco Jansen is back? Jansen has not played since the World Test Championship final where he broke his thumb, but is expected to return for the Pakistan series.Jansen offers the left-arm variation, bounce and the ability to hit boundaries at will, which means he will likely slot straight back into South Africa’s XI and that will require a rejig.Bosch also has genuine pace and is a dangerous batter and Mulder’s ability to swing the ball and move up the order as needed may result in South Africa employing a horses-for-courses approach among the three and rotating them as conditions allow.There is also the option of the left arm-spin bowling allrounder Senuran Muthusamy, which gives South Africa additional resources.Related

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Maharaj grabs lead spinner’s role

All the talk about age may escape Keshav Maharaj, who is 35 now and will be 37 when the 2027 World Cup is played but continues to improve with experience.Maharaj took his first ODI five-for in Australia and became the No. 1-ranked ODI bowler the next day. He went on to take eight wickets in the England series to finish as South Africa’s most successful bowler and was named Player of the Series on both occasions.While accuracy has always been his strength, Maharaj has introduced more frequent changes of pace and gives it more flight in the shorter formats, as he actively goes in search of wickets in a more attacking role than before. Maharaj’s 50-over form earned him a recall to the T20I side and his performances have all but ensured he will be part of South Africa’s next two World Cup squads across 2026 and 2027.

Ngidi’s resurgence

The numbers are not going to make this seem like a good argument especially as 2025 has been Lungi Ngidi’s most expensive in ODIs, but that’s not the full story. Ngidi’s bowling strike rate of 26 is his best in the format in five years and points to a resurgence across formats. It was only three months ago that Ngidi played his first Test in ten months at the WTC final and recovered from a poor first innings to bowl a match-changing spell of 3 for 38 in the second innings. He has since played four of South Africa’s five T20Is in Zimbabwe, all six white-ball games in Australia, and nine out of South Africa’s 11 ODIs this year.Considering that between 2021 and 2024, Ngidi only played 36 out of 56 ODIs and struggled (with a strike rate of over 30 each year), the consistency of this comeback has been impressive, especially in Kagiso Rabada’s injury-enforced absence. Ngidi’s slower ball continues to be his ace and the delivery that bowled Jos Buttler at Lord’s and effectively won the series was one to remember.

What’s next?

South Africa’s focus will shift to T20Is with the series against England, which starts on Wednesday, in what is the more immediate concern as next year’s World Cup draws closer. Then they return home for a few weeks before heading to Pakistan for an all-format tour, including the start of their WTC title defence.

Enzo Maresca drops fresh Cole Palmer injury update ahead of Chelsea v Barcelona

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has now dropped a fresh injury update on Cole Palmer ahead of the tough Champions League clash against Barcelona on Tuesday night.

The Blues are gearing up for a difficult fixture in mid-week, taking on reigning La Liga champions Barca in their fifth Champions League fixture this season, and Maresca’s side will be aiming to put things right after only being able to muster up a 1-1 draw against Qarabag last time out.

However, the west Londoners have been struggling on the injury front for quite some time, which will be a concern for the manager, with the likes of Levi Colwill, Romeo Lavia and Palmer still sidelined, missing the 2-0 victory against Burnley at the weekend.

The Italian will no doubt be frustrated the England international has missed large parts of the campaign, having said back in January: “His team-mates see him as a top player so at the moment when we have some difficulties and we are looking for the closest one to help us, we need Cole to step forward in that moment.

“In that moment, in the second-half against Wolves, he showed his team-mate he is a leader inside the pitch.”

However, there has now been a promising update on the 23-year-old’s injury ahead of Tuesday’s clash with Barcelona…

Enzo Maresca drops injury update on Cole Palmer

As relayed by Football London, Maresca has now confirmed Palmer has already returned to training, saying: “Yeah, we don’t know when, but for sure, it will be soon. He is already on the pitch, touching the ball and the feeling is good.”

The 45-year-old stopped short of confirming whether the £130k-a-week star will be available for the tough test against Barca, but a swift return appears to be on the cards, which will be welcome news, heading into a tricky run of fixtures.

Chelsea’s upcoming fixtures

Date

Barcelona (h)

November 25th

Arsenal (h)

November 30th

Leeds United (a)

December 3rd

AFC Bournemouth (a)

December 6th

Atalanta (a)

December 9th

The Blues may have an outside chance of winning the Premier League title, having moved into second place courtesy of the victory at Turf Moor, and they could make a major statement by defeating league leaders Arsenal at Stamford Bridge this Sunday.

However, Maresca will need his best players available if Chelsea are to stand any chance of beating the Gunners, and the former Manchester City man is certainly in that category, having contributed 45 goals and 29 assists in 101 appearances since moving to west London.

Palmer will also be eager to receive consistent game time to ensure he is on the plane to the World Cup with England, having proven his ability to deliver in big games by scoring against Spain in the final of Euro 2024.

Chelsea have Palmer 2.0 with a "left foot made of gold" Chelsea have Palmer 2.0 with a "left foot made of gold" & it's not Estevao

The promising talent could be the perfect solution to Chelsea’s Cole Palmer problem.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 22, 2025

Baseball Players Suddenly Breaking Bats on Check Swings

The Mariners beat the Athletics,11-4, on Sunday. Jorge Polanco added two runs as he reached on both a walk and single in the game. However, it was during his fourth and final plate appearance of the day that something truly notable happened.

Polanco was down 0-1 when A's pitcher Joey Estes threw a pitch that was a little low. Polanco started to swing, but tried to check his swing. That's when something remarkable happened.

The bat broke on a check swing without making contact with anything.

The barrel of the bat flew out onto the field and all Polanco could do was look on through his fashionable sunglasses. You can watch the replay in much higher clarity on Reddit.

seems to be a common reaction to this incident. The thing is, it also happened in a minor league game very recently.

Just last week Payton Green, an infielder for the Marlins' Double A affiliate Pensacola Blue Wahoos, did the same exact thing. He tried to check his swing and the bat just broke and flew into the infield.

Just one more thing for players to have to worry about.

Worse than João Pedro: Maresca must drop Chelsea flop who lost 100% duels

Just when Chelsea were seemingly building serious momentum, wait, what happened?

When the Blues took a fourth-minute lead through Alejandro Garnacho against Sunderland, they appeared set to cruise to a nice routine victory at 3 o’clock on a Saturday.

However, Wilson Isidor equalised for the Black Cats soon after and then, right at the death, with the home side pushing for a winner of their own, Chemsdine Talbi snatched victory, sparking wild celebrations from the Mackems who had traveled to West London.

Chelsea did end the afternoon with 16 shots to Sunderland’s ten, but forced Robin Roefs into just two saves, while Robert Sánchez made six, hence why the newly-promoted outfit ended the game with a higher xG figure: 0.97-1.16.

Before this, Enzo Maresca’s team had won four on the spin, demolishing Ajax 5-1 in the Champions League, while also beating both Liverpool and Nottingham Forest in the Premier League.

Now, though, question marks will be raised against the manager, so, with a fierce London derby against Tottenham to come next Saturday, which player should Maresca cast aside following his display during this defeat?

João Pedro's start to life at Chelsea

Back in the summer, after arriving mid-way through the Club World Cup from Brighton, straight into action having been on a Brazilian beach, João Pedro was being heralded as a revelation.

He scored twice on debut against former side Fluminense in the semi-finals, before also netting during the final demolition over Paris Saint-Germain a few days later.

However, since serious football has returned, he’s not lived up to these admittedly astronomical high standards.

Pedro has scored only twice this season, on target against both West Ham and Fulham back in August, thereby enduring something of a goal drought, which is not ideal given that Liam Delap is sidelined long-term.

Also not helping Pedro’s cause is the fact that, on Wednesday night, he missed the annihilation of Ajax, suspended, having been sent off in stoppage time against Benfica, and the team put in a free-flowing, free-scoring display in his absence.

Per Sofascore, during Sunday’s defeat to Sunderland, in 85 minutes on the field, he touched the ball just 30 times, lost possession on nine occasions, was flagged offside twice, and mustered zero shots, replaced by Tyrique George towards the end, a change Chelsea supporters may have wished to see sooner.

However, his place in the starting lineup may actually not be under that much threat, given that his primary competition for minutes may have actually been even worse.

The Chelsea youngster who should be dropped

It may still only be October, but Marc Guiu has already endured a weird season.

The teenage Spaniard began the campaign on loan at Sunderland, making just three appearances for the club, scoring against Huddersfield in the Carabao Cup, before being abruptly recalled following the aforementioned injury sustained by Delap.

Upon his return to West London, he did not feature in any of their first six fixtures, making the recall seem a bit pointless, but he then changed the game off the bench against Nottingham Forest last weekend, providing a much-needed focal point.

Guiu was then rewarded with a start against Ajax in mid-week and repaid the manager’s faith, breaking the deadlock in that one, thereby starting against his, briefly, former club this weekend too, a first-ever Premier League start.

However, as the table below documents, safe to say he did not make Sunderland supporters rue what could have been.

Marc Guiu’s stats vs Sunderland

Stats

Guiu

Match rank

Shots on target

1

8th

Shots off target

1

6th

xG

0.22

4th

Accurate passes

2

30th

Duels contested

3

23rd

Duels won

Zero

30th

Possession lost

6

17th

Touches

10

26th

SofaScore rating

6

30th

Stats via SofaScore

As the table documents, Guiu won zero duels, completed just two passes, and touched the ball only ten times, the same number as the man who replaced him in the 76th minute, namely Jamie Gittens.

Bobby Vincent of Football London awarded him a 4/10, noting that he ‘got very little change’ out of Dan Ballard, while Sam Tabuteau of the Evening Standard added that he ‘struggled to get into the game’ and lacked ‘finesse’, believing the game was a ‘reminder of his inexperience’, both of which are pretty polite ways of phrasing it, we would suggest.

Thus, the Barcelona wonderkid may not be the answer to Chelsea’s centre-forward conundrum after all.

With games against Spurs, Barcelona and Arsenal to come in November, Maresca will surely favour alternative options, especially for those tougher assignments.

Not just George: Maresca must start Chelsea teen who's "similar to Palmer"

Enzo Maresca must start this exciting Chelsea youngster more regularly, who is being compared to Cole Palmer.

ByKelan Sarson Oct 25, 2025

Ref cam captures Inter Miami superstar Lionel Messi debating decisions during historic MLS Cup final win

Lionel Messi has been caught on camera speaking English, quelling a long-standing rumor that he has not learned the language. The Argentine superstar has been plying his trade in the United States since 2023. He was captured putting his language skills to the test in footage obtained by the match referee during the 2025 MLS Cup final.

  • Messi's career: From Barcelona to Miami via PSG

    Messi spent 21 years tied to La Liga giants Barcelona, having joined their academy ranks as a teenager. There were no language barriers to break down there, with the record books being rewritten in Catalunya by the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner.

    He headed to Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent in 2021, but spent only two years in the French capital and had no real need to communicate with locals. Having endured a tough time at Parc des Princes, the American dream was chased when accepting an offer from David Beckham and Co.

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    Messi, alongside wife Antonela and their three sons, settled quickly in South Florida. He has enhanced his standing as the most decorated player of all-time. Having inspired Inter Miami to Leagues Cup and Supporters’ Shield triumphs, major trophy No.48 was obtained when savouring a historic MLS Cup success.

    As captain of the Herons, one of Messi’s responsibilities is to interact with match officials. There are plenty of teammates who are happy to do tthe alking for him, but the evergreen 38-year-old also wants to get his message across.

    Ref cam video from a cup final date with Vancouver proves that the World Cup-winning GOAT can express himself in basic English when required. He is seen debating one decision as he asks: “No foul?”

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    Three more years! Messi signed Inter Miami contract extension

    Messi is clearly not confident enough to carry out interviews in English, but he knows enough to get by. He also has several more years in Miami through which to widen his vocabulary.

    A contract extension with the reigning kings of American soccer is set to keep him in his current surroundings until 2028. More trophies will be chased down in that time, with the expectation being that the mercurial No.10 will form part of Argentina’s World Cup title defence in the United States, Canada and Mexico next summer.

Elly De La Cruz Amazed Broadcasters By Scoring From First on Ball Hit to Left Field

The Reds beat the Angels, 6-4, on Tuesday night in Anaheim. Shortstop Elly De La Cruz scored two of Cincinnati's runs in the game, including one trip around the bases that left the Angels broadcast in awe.

In a tie ballgame in the top of the fourth, De La Cruz singled to lead off the inning. On a 2-1 pitch he took off early and Miguel Andujar blooped one into short left field. De La Cruz slowed to barely jog around second as he looked up to see where the ball ended up.

He then effortlessly increased his speed as he watched left fielder Taylor Ward field the ball. Five seconds later he slid into home ahead of the throw.

"There he goes. Huge jump and Andujar dumps a base hit into left. De La Cruz can score on that ball," said announcer Wayne Randazzo as he realized what he was seeing. "They're going to wave him around on a base hit to left! Ward's throw home… OH MY GOODNESS! Now I've seen everything! Dude scored on a base hit to left field!

It truly was a sensational play to watch. Scoring from first on ball that was fielded cleany is impressive on its own. The fact that De La Cruz wasn't even going full-speed the entire time is wild. De La Cruz is a truly special athlete and getting to see something like this every now and then is a thrilling reminder. Especially when you think you've already seen it all.

مران الزمالك | رسائل أحمد عبد الرؤوف للاعبين.. وتصعيد لاعب جديد استعدادًا لـ كهرباء الإسماعيلية

عقد الجهاز الفني للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي الزمالك بقيادة أحمد عبد الرؤوف جلسة مع اللاعبين قبل انطلاق مران اليوم الجمعة، على استاد الكلية الحربية، في إطار الاستعداد للقاء كهرباء الإسماعيلية المقبل في بطولة كأس عاصمة مصر.

وتحدث المدير الفني عن أهمية مشاركة الفريق في بطولة كأس عاصمة مصر، وشدد على ضرورة استغلالهم للفرصة لإثبات أنفسهم.

وفي نفس الوقت شرح أحمد عبد الرؤوف برنامج تدريب اليوم، استعدادًا للقاء المقبل أمام كهرباء الإسماعيلية، ومنح اللاعبين بعض التعليمات الفنية التي سيتم تنفيذها في المران، كما طالبهم بالتركيز وبذل أقصى جهد.

طالع.. خاص | موقف أحمد حمدي من الاستمرار مع الزمالك.. وخطة بيضاء

وركز الجهاز الفني على الجوانب الفنية، خلال مران اليوم الجمعة، الذي على استاد الكلية الحربية، في إطار الاستعداد لمباراة كهرباء الإسماعيلية المقبلة في بطولة كأس عاصمة مصر .

وخاض اللاعبون فقرة تدريبات بدنية في بداية المران، تحت قيادة نونو كوستا ريبيرو مدرب الأحمال.

وبعد ذلك قسم الجهاز الفني اللاعبين لمجموعات لخوض تدريبات فنية وخططية، وحرص أحمد عبد الرؤوف على توجيه اللاعبين باستمرار خلال هذه الفقرة.

وصعد الجهاز الفني للقلعة البيضاء اللاعب زياد مدحت لاعب وسط فريق الزمالك مواليد 2007. 

وكانت تدريبات الأمس شهدت تصعيد عدد من لاعبي قطاع الناشئين وهم، محمد عبد الفتاح حارس مرمى فريق مواليد 2005، وهشام فؤاد مدافع فريق مواليد 2005 ويوسف الطباخ مدافع فريق مواليد 2009 و محمد إبراهيم ظهير أيمن فريق مواليد 2005، وأنس وائل جناح هجومي فريق مواليد 2005، ويوسف وائل الفرنسي لاعب وسط فريق مواليد 2005، ومحمد حمد صانع ألعاب وجناح هجومي فريق مواليد 2008 وأحمد صفوت صانع ألعاب فريق مواليد 2009.

ويستعد فريق الزمالك للقاء كهرباء الإسماعيلية المقرر له يوم 9 ديسمبر الجاري في بطولة كأس عاصمة مصر.

Annabel Sutherland: 'If you're a youngster coming through and you're not frustrated, you're doing something wrong'

The Australia allrounder talks about grabbing opportunity when it comes her way

Andrew McGlashan18-Sep-2024Annabel Sutherland has long been marked out as a key part of Australia’s future. It now feels that her time has come.Last year in South Africa she played one match at the T20 World Cup; it would be a significant surprise if her role was as limited this time in the UAE.Sutherland, who will be in action this week against New Zealand during Australia’s final preparation for the World Cup, enters the tournament on the back of a Player-of-the-Tournament display in the Hundred for Northern Superchargers, where she scored 212 runs at a strike rate of 137.66 and claimed ten wickets with a remarkable economy of 4.53. That output came after a maiden Test hundred in last year’s Ashes and a stunning double-century against South Africa in Perth in February.Related

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While those Test hundreds may not be immediately relevant to a T20 campaign, they put on show Sutherland’s class with the bat, which hasn’t often been given a chance to flourish in an Australia batting order so full of world-class players that opportunity, even when you’re in the XI, can be hard to come by.In T20Is, Sutherland’s highest score remains the 22 off 11 balls she made on debut as an 18-year-old against England in 2020, which helped earn Australia a Super Over in a tri-series held ahead of that year’s T20 World Cup. In 31 T20Is, she has only batted 12 times, and it was not until January 2023 that she bowled a full four overs; in ODIs she has got to the crease in just over half her matches, although last year took the chance provided by opening, with a maiden hundred against Ireland.”[There’s] elements of frustration, definitely, but I think that’s a good thing at the same time,” Sutherland says. “If you are a youngster coming through and you aren’t frustrated or wanting to get a crack up the order or bowl more, then you are doing something wrong.Make mine a double: Sutherland followed up her first hundred, in her third Test, with 210 in her fifth, against South Africa in Perth•Getty Images and Cricket Australia”I’ve definitely felt that at times, probably pestered [head coach] Shelly [Nitschke] a little bit too much about what opportunities I can get. But you look at that top order and, who do you come in for? It’s pretty stacked. There are stars all through the line-up and someone performs more often than not, which is the strength of our team – the depth we’ve got, right down to ten and sometimes 11.”It’s part of it as a young player coming through and you can build a fair bit of resilience. I’ve run drinks for a fair share of games and understand it’s a little bit about earning your stripes. It’s important to take an opportunity when it comes, too. You can easily build up the expectation on yourself, and sometimes you’ve just got to let it play out and believe you’ve done the work.”At last year’s WPL auction, Sutherland fetched the joint-highest price of A$364,000 (Rs 2 crore) when the hammer came down in favour of Delhi Capitals. But she would only play four matches in the competition.”It can be a different world at times over there,” she says. “To be honest, I didn’t think too much about the price you go for. You try to keep that out of your mind, it’s just another cricket game. Probably didn’t get the opportunities I was hoping for but trying to fit four internationals into a side when you have six sitting there – any one of us could have played a role.”

However, as an overseas star in the Hundred, Sutherland was at the centre of the action and the results were impressive. She never failed to reach double figures and bowled with both wicket-taking threat and economy. “I had a really good pre-season,” she said. “Think when you get those windows [that] we don’t often have, it’s important to take them, and I certainly enjoyed that period of time, finding different ways to work on my game.”Her recent bowling returns are especially notable. She is used an increasing amount at the death, and since October 2023 has an economy in the 17-20-over period of just 6.86 – the third lowest among all bowlers who have delivered at least 100 balls in that phase. It won’t always go right, but it’s a role she relishes. At North Sydney Oval last year Sutherland was almost able to stop a rampaging Hayley Matthews when she conceded just three runs off the 18th over.”I’m wanting to put my hand up for any situation,” she says. “I’ve been really grateful for the opportunities I’ve had in the Australian team in the last six to 12 months in ODI and T20, moments that Midge [Alyssa Healy] has thrown me the ball and asked me to do a job. I’ve learnt a lot in those situations.”T20 cricket, especially, is a game of experience – the more times you get put in those situations and feel comfortable under the pump, or a batter is coming for you, you know your options. You have to have the toolbox in the first place but to call on the right options, then execute, it’s the fun part of cricket as a bowler. It can go both ways pretty quickly but I feel like I’ve been able to be relatively consistent in those moments.Team-mate Ash Gardner picks Sutherland as a future leader of Australia. “She’s a player well beyond her years,” Gardner says•Getty Images”A strength of mine is to try and look at things objectively and take the learnings from it,” she says.”Whether I do well or not so well, it’s: what did you learn from it, and what can you take to the next game? That was the cool thing about the Hundred. It was a great opportunity to play some short-format cricket, obviously a T20 World Cup in sight, and taking bits and pieces of learning from it, get comfortable in different situations.”The growth in Sutherland’s bowling is an aspect that has stood out to her team-mates. “We always knew she was going to be good, and her batting has come on leaps and bounds, but I actually think in the T20 format her bowling is what’s been the most impressive,” Ash Gardner says. “She’s one of those bowlers who can be thrown the ball at any point in the game. The credit she deserves is how hard she’s worked and the options she has at the death.”There’s not many female bowlers who can bowl a slower-ball bouncer. She has a very good back-of-the-hand ball, so things like that, she has a lot of balls she can use throughout those moments and has the cricket brain as well to know when to use them.”She’s a player well beyond her years and will be a leader of the future in this side and any other team she plays for. That just feeds back into how calm she is out on the field, and ultimately that’s what’s probably her biggest thing is – she doesn’t crack under pressure.””The thing I love about being a cricketer is, you’ve always got places to improve in your game and I enjoy that process”•Mike Owen/Getty ImagesThe ability to bat big and long has been evident in Sutherland’s two Test centuries. “Feel like it’s been a strength of mine to bat for longer periods,” she says. “Growing up I’d open the batting in boys’ cricket. A strength was that I could bat through. I enjoy batting for long periods, dealing with the ups and downs of an innings, finding ways to keep working through those little ruts you have.”But while for Northern Superchargers she was at No. 4, and she has played the majority of her innings for Melbourne Stars at four or higher, in Australia’s T20I side she will likely remain at No. 7 or 8, which requires a very different skill set.”Whatever role I might play, I’ve definitely worked pretty hard on my boundary-hitting and accessing different areas of the ground, knowing what potential plans teams may throw at me and being able to adapt,” she said. “It’s something I’ve been looking to improve on and worked really hard through the off season [on], lots of time in the nets working on my power-hitting.”You can’t rest on your laurels because the way the game is moving and changing all the time, the depth is growing around the world. The thing I love about being a cricketer is, you’ve always got places to improve in your game and I enjoy that process.”

Linsey Smith achieves full-circle moment with first England central contract

Linsey Smith has earned her maiden full central contract with England Women, seven years after making her international debut, while Em Arlott and Emma Lamb have been awarded skills contracts for the first time.On the list of 17 full contracts for 2025-26 announced by the ECB, a total of 10 players received one-year deals with a further seven entering the second year of their current two-year terms.Joining Smith on one-year deals are Tammy Beaumont, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Sophia Dunkley, Lauren Filer, Mahika Gaur, Danielle Gibson, Sarah Glenn and Freya Kemp.Entering their second year of existing contracts are Lauren Bell, Charlie Dean, Sophie Ecclestone, Heather Knight, Amy Jones, Nat Sciver-Brunt and Danni Wyatt-Hodge.Related

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There were no surprises on the list with Kate Cross, England’s long-serving seam bowler, left out, having revealed in September that she was told her contract would not be renewed after an international career spanning nearly 12 years.In commenting on Cross’s omission on Wednesday, Clare Connor, managing director of England Women, said “the door to selection is never closed on any domestic cricketer” although Cross is yet to make any announcement on her overall playing future.Smith played nine T20Is up to the middle of 2019 before spending nearly five years on the outer before her recall for England’s tour of New Zealand in March 2024. She took a five-wicket haul on ODI debut against West Indies in May.Arlott made her international debut at the age of 27 during that home series against West Indies.Lamb, meanwhile, made her first appearance for England in a sole T20I against New Zealand in 2021 before establishing herself more firmly the following year. She represented her country just twice in 2023 and underwent back surgery last year before returning to favour under new head coach Charlotte Edwards.She and Arlott join Ryana Macdonald-Gay and Issy Wong on skills contracts, a rebrand of the development contracts traditionally given to players that the management feel can play a pivotal role for England in the future. Macdonald-Gay and Wong were both on development contracts for 2024-25.Connor said the contracts reflected “our confidence in this group of players” as Engalnd turns its focus to emulating India’s recent 50-over World Cup victory on home soil at next year’s Women’s T20 World Cup, with the final to be staged at Lord’s on July 5.”Linsey Smith, Emma Lamb and Em Arlott have all made important contributions for England across the last year and these contracts are both a reward for what they have achieved and an opportunity to develop their skills further,” Connor said.”Kate Cross misses out on a central contract after years of extraordinary service to England Women’s cricket. The door to selection is never closed on any domestic cricketer. Consistency in scoring runs and taking wickets in county cricket will always put players in a strong position to be picked in England squads.”We’re all excited about what 2025-26 brings. Witnessing India win the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in their own country in front of their own fans is a powerful reminder of the impact that winning major events on home soil can have.”

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