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Tottenham Hotspur have now discussed signing a “genius” attacker, who is keen on a move to the Premier League this summer, according to a report.

Frank needs to strengthen attacking options after Son departure

Son Heung-min’s ten-year stint at Tottenham came to an emotional end this summer, with the South Korean winger making the difficult decision to move to the MLS and join LAFC.

Of course, it is extremely sad to see Son depart, but the 33-year-old signed off on the best possible note, after finally getting his hands on some silverware, lifting the Europa League as captain back in May.

The forward will be very difficult for Thomas Frank to replace, and the need for the manager to improve his attacking options was exacerbated by the recent major injury blow to James Maddison.

As such, Tottenham have now set their sights on a new attacking midfielder, according to a report from GiveMeSport, which states they have discussed a move for Leicester City’s Bilal El Khannouss, who would be keen on returning to the Premier League this summer.

A number of clubs are said to be in talks with Leicester, who are prepared to cash-in on El Khannouss this summer, with Crystal Palace, West Ham United, Bayer Leverkusen and Al-Ahli also named as potential suitors.

It is not made explicitly clear whether Spurs have held direct talks with the Foxes, or simply discussed a move internally, but there is certainly interest on their behalf, and there is a feeling a deal could amount to £25m.

"Genius" El Khannouss could be savvy Maddison replacement

Leicester were relegated without putting up too much of a fight last season, but the 21-year-old caught the eye of scout Antonio Mango at times, who believes the youngster has a lot of potential.

Tottenham were already keen on signing a new attacking midfielder prior to Maddison’s injury, having pursued Morgan Gibbs-White, and it has now been revealed that Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze has emerged as an alternative option.

It could be ideal to bring in El Khannouss alongside Eze, given that a deal would not break the bank, and the Moroccan now has a full season in the Premier League under his belt, chipping in with two goals and three assists last term.

Barcelona respond after Tottenham make £43m bid for "world-class" attacker

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Given that the starlet is yet to prove himself as a top player, Eze should be Tottenham’s top target, but it would be a real bonus if they were able to get both attacking midfielders through the door before the transfer window closes, following Maddison’s injury.

The surfaces Pakistan prepared for the recently concluded three-Test series against England have been given a seal of approval by the ICC, who labelled the pitches for all three Tests “satisfactory”.The series, which Pakistan won 2-1, drew widespread attention for the pitches that were prepared. In the first Test, the surface appeared exceedingly flat, with Pakistan posting 556 before England racked up 827 for 7 declared, the highest total ever made in Pakistan, and the fourth highest in the history of Test cricket. It was only a third-innings collapse from Pakistan that forced a result that had appeared exceedingly unlikely when, halfway through the fourth day of the Test, the second innings was yet to conclude.Related

• ICC rescinds demerit point for Rawalpindi pitch

• Rawalpindi pitch gets 'below average' rating

Following that innings defeat, Pakistan radically changed their pitch-preparation philosophy. A new selection committee that included Aleem Dar and Aqib Javed decided to reuse the same surface for the second Multan Test, using giant fans to dry the pitch out. Preparation for the third Test in Rawalpindi – a venue that has historically taken little spin – also involved large fans as well as wedding-style heaters with windbreaks to help break the surface up.Both strips gave spinners plenty of help, with sharp and early turn as well as uneven bounce, and all 40 of England’s wickets in the last two Tests fell to spin. Pakistan won the second Test on the morning of the fourth day, while the Pindi Test didn’t even make it to lunch on day three.There was little public complaint from England, and Pakistan maintained they were within their rights to prepare surfaces that offered them home advantage following their chastening defeat on a flat track in the first Test. The ICC appears to have accepted that view, giving each of the strips the lowest rating that does not amount to a censure.The ICC rates pitches, and outfields, for all international games on a scale of very good to unfit: very good, satisfactory, unsatisfactory and unfit. One demerit point is awarded to venues for an unsatisfactory rating, and three for an unfit rating. If any ground receives five or more demerit points in a five-year rolling period, it is suspended from hosting any international cricket for 12 months.This was the third consecutive Test in Pindi where the pitch came under scrutiny. In March 2022, the surface was given a “below average” rating on the scale the ICC used at the time, and docked a demerit point. It was given the same rating for the Test against England later that year and awarded another demerit point, though this was later rescinded on appeal.

Having already agreed a loan deal to sign Cedric Kipre from Stade de Reims, Ipswich Town are now reportedly closing in on their second signing of the summer in the form of another Ligue 1 star.

Ipswich set to sign Cedric Kipre

It’s been a slow summer transfer window at Portman Road so far as Kieran McKenna looks to build a side capable of earning an instant return to the Premier League without Liam Delap. The talented forward was always destined to depart once relegation was confirmed and he did just that when Chelsea came calling to win a frantic race for his signature.

Replacing the forward remains the toughest task for Ipswich this summer, but not one that sits top of their list of priorities. Instead, according to recent reports, The Tractor Boys are set to commence their summer business by signing Kipre on loan from Reims to hand the central defender his first move back to English football since leaving West Bromwich Albion last year.

Kipre will need little introduction to Championship fans given his extensive experience in England’s second tier, and that experience should prove to be key for McKenna’s side next season.

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Whether signing Championship experience is part of the overall plan for Ipswich this summer remains to be seen. Recent links have emerged with the likes of Kwame Poku have been mentioned in recent weeks before his move to QPR, but those at Portman Road could first welcome a midfield reinforcement to match the potential arrival of Kipre this summer.

Ipswich in advanced talks to signing Matusiwa

As reported by Le Parisien, Ipswich are now closing in on a deal and are in advanced talks to sign Azor Matusiwa from Stade Rennais this summer. The defensive midfielder initially cost the French side around €16m (£14m) back in January 2024, but is seemingly set to move on just 18 months later in favour of McKenna’s side.

Minutes

2,078

1,959

Progressive Passes

134

59

Tackles Won

39

22

Ball Recoveries

134

107

As far as replacements for Jens Cajuste go, it’s fair to say that Matusiwa is an impressive option. The midfielder outperformed the former Ipswich loanee and Napoli midfielder in several key departments last season and will thrive in the Championship if he completes a summer switch.

In a deal worth £10m, Matusiwa could even turn into an excellent bargain at Portman Road. During his time at Reims, the midfielder found himself at the centre of praise more than once, including from Ben Mattinson in 2023. The analyst described the Dutchman’s anticipation as “great” and went on to praise him as “strong” as well as “agile”.

So, although Ipswich have taken time to get going, both Kipre and Matusiwa would represent solid signings to kickstart their transfer window at long last.

After dropping out of the race to sign Hugo Ekitike, Newcastle United are now reportedly in active talks to sign a 19-goal striker who St James’ Park chiefs “love”.

Newcastle drop out of Ekitike race

A week is a long time in the summer transfer window and Newcastle have experienced that in the most ruthless way possible once again. Having looked on course to sign Ekitike, Newcastle have since seen their deal hijacked by Premier League rivals Liverpool and have subsequently dropped out of the race for the Frenchman’s signature, according to reports.

It’s yet another setback for the Magpies in their search to sign a striker, but one they must move on from quickly if they are to reinforce their frontline before the Premier League gets back underway next month.

Whilst there will be some relief around Tyneside that Alexander Isak remains a Newcastle player, Eddie Howe will be well aware that he must welcome a backup option before the end of the window if Newcastle are to compete on all fronts next season.

To that end, names such as Dominic Calvert-Lewin and even RB Leipzig star Benjamin Sesko have threatened to steal the headlines as of late, with the latter a particular standout. As alternative options for Ekitike go, the Serbian should be up there with the very top candidates on Newcastle’s list.

Bundesliga stats 24/25 (via FBref)

Sesko

Ekitike

Starts

2,380

2,563

Goals

13

15

Assists

5

8

Expected Goals

10

21.6

As impressive as Sesko is, however, the most recent reports suggest that Newcastle could yet prioritise a deal to sign a more familiar face this summer.

Newcastle now in active talks with Yoane Wissa

As reported by Graeme Bailey for The Boot Room, Newcastle are now in active talks with Yoane Wissa and his camp as they look to secure his signature. As has been the case in pursuit of many targets this summer, though, the forward won’t come cheap. Brentford, who are facing the prospect of losing both Wissa and Mbeumo, reportedly value the 28-year-old at a hefty £50m.

Given that he scored 19 Premier League goals last season, that price may well be one worth paying for the Magpies, who will be desperate to finally end their search for a striker.

Speaking about the interest in Wissa, Bailey told TBR: “Yoane Wissa’s camp are speaking to four or five different clubs at the moment, Tottenham and Newcastle are two of them, and both would love to sign him.”

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Fending off any interest from former Brentford boss Thomas Frank and Tottenham Hotspur may prove to be a tough task, but Newcastle have the money to spend and should look to do so as soon as possible following their Ekitike disappointment.

Leicestershire opener upstages David Willey’s milestone-game 71

ECB Reporters Network21-Jun-2024

Rishi Patel made his second T20 hundred•Getty Images

Leicestershire’s Rishi Patel maintained his rich vein of form in this year’s Vitality Blast, savaging Northamptonshire’s bowlers for an outstanding 104 from 45 balls to set up a thrilling tie at Wantage Road.Patel, the Blast’s leading run-scorer this season, equalled the Foxes’ fastest ever T20 century – set by Ben Raine against Birmingham six years ago – as he reached the landmark in just 41 deliveries.The 25-year-old opener upstaged Steelbacks skipper David Willey, who marked his 300th career T20 game by top-scoring with 71 from 48 – and passing 4,000 runs in the format – as the home side posted 208 for 5.Northamptonshire struggled in the face of Patel’s onslaught, but rookie seamer Raphy Weatherall pegged the Foxes back with 4 for 50 before Lewis Goldsworthy edged a boundary from his final delivery to tie the contest.The Steelbacks recalled Ricardo Vasconcelos to their line-up and the opener made a sprightly start after they opted to bat first, hitting a couple of early cover boundaries off Wiaan Mulder.He and Matthew Breetzke, who dispatched Ben Mike’s first three balls to the fence, rattled along nicely as they added 42 from 24 before Scott Currie pounced to run the left-hander out with a pinpoint throw from long off.Another piece of individual brilliance by Currie accounted for Breetzke, who was yorked for 47 from 24, but Willey began to accelerate, slog-sweeping Goldsworthy for the first six of the night and punching the next ball for four.Ravi Bopara (22 from 15) helped to keep the scoreboard racing along before he was castled by Goldsworthy, but it was Sikandar Raza’s explosive knock of 36 not out from just 14 balls that did most to propel Northamptonshire beyond 200.Raza hammered both Goldsworthy and Ian Holland for successive sixes and, although Willey perished in the final over, miscuing to mid-off – the first of two wickets in as many balls for Josh Hull, the Steelbacks’ total looked competitive to say the least.However, Patel eagerly accepted the challenge when Leicestershire replied by smashing 18 from Willey’s first over and hitting cleanly over the ring as he and Sol Budinger accumulated an opening partnership of 61 from 28.Ben Sanderson eventually removed Budinger, caught in the deep for a supporting act of 13, but Patel sped past his half-century from 22 deliveries with a cover-driven four off Raza and continued to plunder boundaries from seamers and spinners alike.A six and four from successive Sanderson deliveries took Patel to his hundred and, although he was dropped by Breetzke at long-on on 103, the fielder made amends in the next over by safely pouching a top edge off Freddie Heldreich.Willey gave Northamptonshire renewed hope, trapping Louis Kimber leg before and Mulder and Mike both holed out to deep square leg off Weatherall in quick succession to leave the Foxes needing 19 from the last two overs.A trio of dot balls by Sanderson built pressure, though, and Weatherall dismissed both Peter Handscomb (43 from 41) and Ben Cox to bring the equation down to five from the last ball, but Goldsworthy’s outside edge flew to the boundary to rescue a point for Leicestershire.

With the 49ers’ takeover complete and Russell Martin appointed, Rangers have now reportedly opened talks to sign a Premier League veteran who could become one of their first arrivals of the summer.

Rangers officially appoint Russell Martin

After much deliberation and countless links with moves for the likes of Davide Ancelotti and former manager Steven Gerrard, Rangers finally came to the decision to hire Russell Martin on Thursday. The former Southampton boss is back in the technical area for the first time since his St Mary’s stint ended with the sack and will be well aware of the extent of the task that he now has on his hands.

By the end of his tenure, the former Norwich City defender will be desperate to be up there with the most successful managers in the club’s history. Whether he is able to stop the trend of Celtic dominance in the Scottish Premiership remains to be seen, however.

Welcoming Martin, new sporting director Kevin Thelwell told Rangers’ media channels: “We went through a quite diligent and thorough process and tried to use the time we had at our disposal to the very best opportunity. Right from the very start, it was clear to me, and the other guys involved in the process, that Russell was the standout candidate. He was outstanding.

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“He has a lot of experience as a manager and head coach, and over the course of that career it’s been clear to see that he’s sharpened that approach in his methods, in terms of technical, tactical, and also from a personal perspective.”

The new sporting director has wasted no time before turning his focus towards the transfer market after appointing Martin, either. The Gers have even reportedly made their first move to sign an experienced Premier League defender this summer.

Rangers open talks to sign Coady

As reported by Daily Record, Rangers have now opened talks to sign Conor Coady from Leicester City, seeking to find out what it would take to make a deal happen this summer. The experienced defender has just one year left on his current deal at the club and will, therefore, have a decision to make sooner rather than later.

Given that Thelwell is reportedly an admirer of Coady too, the former Wolverhampton Wanderers captain may find himself near the top of Rangers’ wishlist in the coming months.

Whilst it’s fair to assume that Coady’s price tag could drop this summer given how little time remains on his current Leicester deal, there may be no escaping his £75,000-a-week salary for Rangers if they decide to make their move.

Whether Rangers deem the defender’s experience invaluable enough to match his current salary will be the question.

To Coady’s credit, even at 32 years old and part of a relegated squad, he still found himself at the centre of Leicester boss Ruud van Nistelrooy, who told reporters last season: “He is a big part in this squad. He’s one of our leaders.

“He’s such a character that when he doesn’t play, he’s still that leader, he’s still helping the team, coaching the team, talking to players, pushing everybody to their highest levels in training sessions. “

Manchester United have now launched a blockbuster move to sign an “absolute genius” who they have been closely monitoring this season, according to a report.

Amorim keen to bolster attacking options

As we approach the summer transfer window, it is clear that Ruben Amorim wants to bolster his attacking options, with Rasmus Hojlund set to be allowed to leave, which means a new striker will be required.

The Red Devils are edging ever closer to sealing a deal for Wolverhampton Wanderers star Matheus Cunha, with the Brazilian “keen” on a move to Old Trafford, although he is expected to feature in a number 10 role for Amorim next season.

As such, United could bring in a different option as an out-and-out striker, and they are expecting to win the race for Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres, despite interest from Chelsea, while Crystal Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta is also on the shortlist.

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The Red Devils have made their first move for a midfielder, who is also being targeted by Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain.

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Not only are Man United keen on an attacking midfielder and striker, but they could also look to strengthen out wide, and a report from Spain has now revealed they are obsessed with Paris Saint-Germain winger Desire Doue.

Amorim’s side are said to have launched a blockbuster move for Doue, as their interest ‘goes beyond casual monitoring’, and they could be willing to make a substantial offer to ensure they win the race amid interest from rival Premier League clubs.

PSG aren’t keen on sanctioning the 19-year-old’s departure, which means it would take a huge bid to prise him away from the French club, and reports from elsewhere have suggested Manchester City are now lining up a stunning £102m offer.

"Absolute genius" Doue could be coup for Man Utd

PSG have already wrapped up the Ligue 1 title, and they now have one foot in the Champions League final after the 1-0 victory at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday afternoon, with the young forward playing a major role in their success.

The France international has amassed 13 goals and 12 assists in 48 matches in all competitions, having established himself as an important player for Luis Enrique.

Competition

Appearances

Goals

Assists

Ligue 1

28

6

7

Champions League

14

3

3

Coupe de France

5

4

2

The teenager has also caught the eye of football scout Ben Mattinson, who believes he is one of the best attacking midfielders around at the moment.

Doue could be a real coup for Manchester United, but it seems unlikely they will be able to compete for his signature if they don’t manage to qualify for the Champions League.

The incident occurred in the 47th over when Inglis whipped off the bails when the batter ventured out of the crease before the ball was dead

Andrew Fidel Fernando28-Feb-2025

Steven Smith directs a field change•ICC/Getty Images

Australia captain Steven Smith withdrew an appeal against Noor Ahmad in the 47th over of Afghanistan’s innings, after wicketkeeper Josh Inglis whipped off the bails at the striker’s end to catch Noor out of his ground before the over was called.Noor had not been attempting a run – he had drifted out of his crease to meet batting partner Azmatullah Omarzai mid-pitch, mistakenly believing that the ball was dead. The ball is live until the umpire calls “over”, however, and umpire Alex Wharf had not yet called.Replays showed Noor to be well out of his ground, but Smith was quick to signal to the umpires that the appeal should not be considered, despite some enthusiasm from Inglis. Noor had just completed a single after Omarzai struck Nathan Ellis through midwicket and called Noor – the No. 10 batter – through, in order to keep strike for the next over.Although Afghanistan were not attempting to gain an advantage, the rules of cricket are clear. Run-outs are a viable dismissal until the ball is dead. If Smith had not withdrawn the appeal, Noor would have been ruled out, likely by third umpire Chris Gaffaney.

Noor had been on three off three balls at the time, and went to make six off eight. But of more consequence was the fact that Afghanistan would have been 248 for 9 after 47 overs had Smith not withdrawn the appeal. They were less likely to have hit the further 25 runs they managed if they had only had one wicket in hand. Noor was eventually dismissed off the last ball of the innings.Australia have in the past upheld appeals against batters ambling out of their crease, even if they were not looking to take a run. Most famously, this occurred in a Test at Lord’s against England in 2023, when Alex Carey underarmed the ball into the stumps after Jonny Bairstow had wandered down the pitch before the ball was deemed dead.Muthiah Muralidaran had also been dismissed in similar circumstances in a Test in Christchurch in 2006, when he had wandered out of the crease to congratulate Kumar Sangakkara on completing a century before the ball was dead (though that had not been at the end of an over). Brendon McCullum broke the stumps on that occasion, and captain Stephen Fleming upheld the appeal.In the 2011 Trent Bridge Test, India recalled Ian Bell to the crease after he had been run-out in similar circumstances at the stroke of tea on day three, when he ran a three and proceeded to walk down the pitch and towards the dressing rooms, before the fielder Praveen Kumar had had a chance to throw the ball in from the boundary. India captain MS Dhoni agreed to recall Bell after England captain Andrew Strauss and coach Andy Flower approached him during the tea interval with this request.

And who took England’s first wicket in ODIs?

Steven Lynch18-Nov-2025Have England ever won a Test in Perth? asked Nicky Harrison from England
England have a pretty poor record in Test matches in Perth, where the Ashes series starts later this week. They haven’t yet played at the new Perth Stadium – Australia won the first four Tests played there before coming a cropper against India last November – but at the traditionally bouncy pitch at the former Test ground, the WACA, England played 14 matches and won only one. That was in 1978-79, when Australia had a weakened team thanks to defections to Kerry Packer’s World Series Cricket.Of the others, Australia won ten, with England escaping with draws in 1970 (the inaugural Test at the WACA), 1982 and 1986. Australia have won the last eight Ashes Tests in Perth, mostly by wide margins.Sam Nogajski gave an lbw decision off the fourth ball of his first Test – was this the earliest decision a debutant umpire has had to make? asked Lachie from Australia
Umpire Sam Nogajski from Tasmania, who was standing in his first Test, gave Ireland’s captain Andy Balbirnie out to the fourth ball of the match against Bangladesh in Sylhet a few days ago.It’s quite early in a Test career to be giving a decision – but it’s not a record: another Aussie, Bill Alley, gave Sunil Gavaskar out caught behind from his very first ball as an umpire in a Test, at Edgbaston in 1974. Alley recalled: “Geoff Arnold thundered in and cut back his first delivery, which Gavaskar tried to avoid but could not. The ball appeared to run along the bat and Alan Knott held the catch about six feet down the leg side. I was still nervously fumbling the coins in my pocket, which I used to count the number of deliveries bowled in each over. There was an appeal and I was lifting my hand from my pocket to give him out, like a gun from a holster, but Gavaskar had decided to take the law into his own hands… he put his bat under his arm and was on his way to the pavilion.” I suppose it’s therefore debatable whether Alley actually had to give a decision!In Brisbane in 1936, England’s Stan Worthington was caught behind trying to hook the first ball of an Ashes series. According to the watching Bruce Harris, “It was the first Test in which Jack Scott, the old South Australian fast bowler, umpired, and he had to make a decision first ball!”And in 1974 again, umpire Har Prasad Sharma gave India’s Sudhir Naik out caught behind from the first ball of the match against West Indies in Calcutta.We don’t have full details of many early Tests, so it’s often not known at which end an umpire was officiating, or whether a decision was even required. Herbert Sutcliffe of England was caught behind against New Zealand in Christchurch in 1933: both umpires, Thomas Burgess and Richard Torrance, were standing in their first Test. In the following cases it seems unlikely a decision was required (and we don’t know at which end the umpires were standing). The West Indian opener Conrad Hunte was caught in the field off the first ball in Port-of-Spain in 1958: George Williams was standing in his first (and only) Test. Keith Stackpole was caught at slip off the first ball in Auckland in 1974: umpire Ralph Gardiner was in his first Test. And South Africa’s Jimmy Cook was caught at third slip to the first ball of the match against India in Durban in 1992: umpire Karl Liebenberg was in his first Test (as was Cook).Bangladesh’s Hannan Sarkar was lbw first ball against West Indies in St Lucia in 2004: Jeremy Lloyds was making his debut as umpire, but was at the other end (Sarkar was lbw to the first ball of the next Test too, and that time Lloyds did give the decision). Chris Gayle of West Indies was lbw to the first ball of the match against Sri Lanka in Pallekele in 2010, but debutant umpire Bruce Oxenford was at the other end. Here’s the full list of those out to the first ball of a Test.Is Jordan Neill the first teenager to play a Test for Ireland? asked Kevin Finucane from Ireland
The Ireland allrounder Jordan Neill was 19 years 245 days old when he made his Test debut last week, against Bangladesh in Sylhet. He was their first Test-playing teenager: their previous-youngest player was Neill’s team-mate Matthew Humphreys, who was 20 years 208 days old when he made his debut, against Sri Lanka in Galle in 2023. Humphreys and Neill were also both making their first-class debuts, joining this list of players who made their first-class debuts in Tests.Neill made his one-day international debut last May, against West Indies at Malahide, aged 19 years 83 days. George Dockrell and Paul Stirling were both 17 when they played their first ODIs for Ireland. Their youngest T20 international is Josh Little, who was only 16 when he played against Hong Kong in Bready in 2016.Ireland have had younger women players, though: Lucy O’Reilly, Elena Tice and Josh Little’s sister Louise were all 13 when they played their first ODIs, while Gaby Lewis was even younger when she made her T20 international debut – 13 years 166 days against South Africa in Solihull in September 2014.Nineteen-year-old Jordan Neil is the first male cricketer to debut as a teenager for Ireland, though among women Gaby Lewis debuted at age 13•ICC/Getty ImagesStan Squires of Surrey once scored 236 out of a team total of 345. Is this the highest percentage at first-class level that includes a double-hundred? asked Phil Carter from Norway
Stan Squires had a long career for Surrey, scoring over 19,000 runs between 1928 and 1949 despite usually wearing glasses. In his last season he made 1785 runs, his second-highest annual return, but sadly died a few months later from what Wisden called “a virus of the blood”. Surrey team-mates Alec and Eric Bedser paid tribute in their book Following On: “His death was a sad blow to us all. Stan had many virtues and no major faults. He was a fine allround cricketer – his ability to play slow bowling was a byword in the game – and his sunny temperament often cheered up the team when depression threatened the dressing-room.”The innings you’re referring to came against Lancashire at The Oval in 1933. Squires’ 236 represented 68.40% of the total of 345 – but, surprisingly perhaps, there have been several higher percentages than that. The highest of all in a completed first-class innings by a double-centurion is 81.56%, by Namibia’s Gerrie Snyman against Kenya in the Intercontinental Cup in Sharjah in 2008: Snyman hit 230 of Namibia’s total of 282, with the next-highest contribution being 13.The only higher percentage in any completed first-class innings is 83.43%, by Glenn Turner, with 141 of Worcestershire’s 169 against Glamorgan in Swansea in 1977, when the next-highest contribution was 7, by Norman Gifford. The Test record was set in the very first match of all, in Melbourne in 1877, when Charles Bannerman’s 165 represented 67.34% of Australia’s first innings of 245. The Test record involving an individual score of more than 200 was set by Seymour Nurse, with 258 out of 417 (61.87%) for West Indies vs New Zealand in Christchurch in Match 1969.Who took England’s first wicket in one-day internationals? asked David Cooper from England
What has become recognised as the first one-day international of all was played between Australia and England in Melbourne in January 1971, after the scheduled third Test of the Ashes series was washed out. To the organisers’ surprise, over 46,000 spectators turned up, and a new format was born.England batted first: the first man out was Geoff Boycott, caught by Australia’s captain Bill Lawry off the bowling of Alan “Froggy” Thomson. When Australia batted, needing a modest 191 to win in 40 eight-ball overs, their first casualty was Keith Stackpole, who gave a sharp return catch to the Lancashire fast bowler Ken Shuttleworth, who was playing in what turned out to be his only ODI. You can see this wicket at about 17 minutes in this video clip.Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

After Hyderabad were relegated to Plate Group, Rahul knew he needed to do something different to catch the selectors’ eye

Shashank Kishore05-Jan-2024Rahul Singh woke up on Friday morning thinking he needed to do something different. His side, Hyderabad, had been relegated to Plate Group and were taking on Nagaland in their 2023-24 Ranji Trophy opener. The stakes were low and players needed “extra motivation” to push themselves at a level that is a notch below where they aspire to be.Rahul found himself in the thick of things, in the third over of the match, after Nagaland captain Rongsen Jonathan elected to field. Rahul responded by smashing the second-fastest first-class double century by an Indian (where data is available), off 143 balls, behind Ravi Shastri’s 123-ball one against Baroda in 1984-85.Rahul made 214 in all, his highest in first-class cricket. This included century stands with Tanmay Agarwal (80) and captain Tilak Varma (100*). Hyderabad raced to 474 for 5 in 76.4 overs, at a run rate of 6.18 before declaring in the final session.Related

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“The mindset was to dominate and not just grind my way in,” Rahul told ESPNcricinfo. “The only way we can attract attention, if at all that is possible at this level, is by doing things differently. By which I mean scoring a quick hundred or a double-hundred, else you are never going to be eye-catching. That was the motivation when I went out to bat. Glad it worked.”It was extra special because this was Rahul’s first first-class outing for Hyderabad. More than a decade ago, he made his List A and T20 debut for them, before a job opportunity with the Indian Army forced him to make a switch to Services, a side comprising players from the armed forces.Rahul, who moved to Hyderabad as a five-year-old, was recommended for a job in the army by Biju Nair, a local coach who led the army’s cricket recruitment process in Hyderabad. And when the lure of job security clubbed with the opportunity to play cricket came up, he jumped at it.In his first first-class season with Services, in 2016-17, Rahul finished as the fifth-highest run-scorer. Only Priyank Panchal (1310), Nitin Saini (989), Prashant Chopra (978) and Rishabh Pant (972) scored more than Rahul’s 945 runs in 15 innings, including two hundreds and seven fifties.Rahul made his return to Hyderabad after representing Services•Courtesy Rahul SinghFor the better part of the next seven seasons, Rahul played for Services. Ahead of 2023-24, when he felt things were not working out, he decided he needed to play for a different team. His first port of call was his old side, Hyderabad. It helped that the team was at its lowest ebb and in dire need of experience to get them back on track.”It wasn’t a tough decision, returning to Hyderabad was my first option since that’s where I grew up playing,” Rahul said. “I was honed here during my age-group days by Vijay Paul [former Hyderabad batter, who has mentored the likes of Ambati Rayudu and Pragyan Ojha]. I also played for AOC, a club owned by the army set-up in Hyderabad. Luckily this year, club cricket was back on the calendar and scoring runs there earned me a chance at selection games where I performed well to get this opportunity.”Along the way, Rahul has also received a lot of backing from MSK Prasad, the former India wicketkeeper. Prasad had noticed a young Rahul playing at the Gymkhana grounds and invited him to play for his employers, Bharat Dynamics Limited, a government organisation under the Ministry of Defence.”MSK sir also bought me my first cricket kit,” Rahul said. “He has been a constant support for me along the way. He was always a call away, his contribution in my cricket journey has been immense, along with my parents’.”At 28, Rahul knows there is a lot of work to be done. He is pragmatic in saying helping the next generation of batters is more realistic than something more far-fetched, like the India cap.”The goal over the next couple of years is to help Hyderabad win at least one of the three domestic tournaments. And mentor the next group of batters,” Rahul said. “If we can do that, we would have taken some steps towards regaining some lost pride and becoming a more competitive team in the domestic circuit again.”