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Twenty-one-year-old Ackeem Auguste enthralled the St Lucia Kings home fans, with his family members in attendance, by smashing 73 off just 35 balls which scripted their four-wicket win over Guyana Amazon Warriors in their CPL 2025 match on Tuesday.Kings’ lower order added the finishing touches in the chase of 203, sealed by captain David Wiese with 11 balls to spare, which helped them jump to second place, only one point behind Antigua and Barbuda Falcons with one game in hand. Only three points separate five out of the six teams now after Kings made it 3-0 over Warriors in their most recent contests. It was also the first time in the CPL that Amazon Warriors have scored 200-plus and lost, winning each of the last ten times they got there.After opting to bat, Amazon Warriors were given a blazing start by Ben McDermott before Keon Gaston had the two openers, Kevlon Anderson the other, caught by Tim David in the space of three balls in the fourth over. Moeen Ali then lost his middle stump to Khary Pierre for a duck in the next over and Amazon Warriors finished the powerplay on a precarious 44 for 3. The fall of Shimron Hetmyer, who had two fifties in his last three T20 knocks, added to their woes – he called for a second run in the seventh over, but his partner Shai Hope dropped his bat on the way; Hetmyer had to turn back to the striker’s end but his dive wasn’t enough.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

When Hope skewed one to mid-off after crawling to 23 off 27, Amazon Warriors were in real trouble at 78 for 5 in the 13th over. But the arrival of Romario Shepherd changed things straightaway as he smashed a six first ball before smoking three more in a row against the same bowler – Oshane Thomas – in what was a disastrous over for Amazon Warriors. After being hit for a four on the second ball, Thomas overstepped, and followed that with a wide, which kept the Free Hit in place, and Shepherd walloped him for two sixes on the leg side, which also turned out to be no-balls, and kept the Free Hits coming. Thomas finally delivered a legal delivery, and Shepherd lined him up for a 95-metre six. Iftikhar Ahmed ended the over with another six to make it 33 from the over. Thomas eventually finished with 4-0-63-1. These are the most expensive figures by a Kings bowler in the CPL, going past Wahab Riaz’s 3-0-61-0 from CPL 2021.Warriors’ run rate had shot up from 6.78 to 8.53 now with five overs to go. Wiese conceded only 18 from his last two but Shepherd went after Gaston for a 27-run over with two fours and two sixes, along with six wides in it. Gaston got the last over too and a wide after three balls might have sent shivers through the Kings dugout, but he ended things nicely with just three runs off the last three. Warriors had posted 202 thanks to Shepherd’s 23-ball fifty that was studded with seven sixes, and Gaston’s night ended with 4-0-57-2.Johnson Charles and Tim Seifert started things nicely in the chase and even though Charles fell in the second over, Seifert and Auguste joined hands to power them to 86 in the powerplay by taking on Jediah Blades, Moeen and Imran Tahir.Motie and Tahir slowed things down by conceding just 25 in the next four while Auguste got his maiden CPL fifty, the fastest of this season overall, off only 19 balls. Tahir and Motie pegged Kings back with the wickets of Seifert and Chase, although they needed a comfortable 67 from the last 48 balls. Auguste soon holed out for 73 off 35 before Aaron Jones and David brought the asking rate under six an over. David and Jones also fell towards the end before consecutive boundaries from Pierre and Wiese finished things off.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are now targeting Brendan Rodgers as a replacement for Vitor Pereira, amid boardroom doubts about the Portuguese manager, who has made a very poor start to the campaign.

Indeed, Pereira is arguably fortunate to still be in a job, given that West Ham United and Nottingham Forest have already made changes, with the Old Gold sitting bottom of the Premier League, having failed to win any of their opening nine games.

Wolves have amassed just two points, which means they are currently six points adrift of safety, and the most recent result is likely to be particularly concerning, suffering a 3-2 defeat at home against newly-promoted Burnley.

Pereiera had to be dragged away from an altercation with the fans after the full-time whistle, before going on to urge the supporters to stick with the team in his post-match interview, saying: “We understand the frustration of the people and supporters but what I must say, if we fight united with them, we can win games and compete and achieve our targets – without them, it is impossible,”

“If we win two or three games in a row, things will change.”

The 57-year-old appears to be safe for the meantime, with the board not taking any drastic action after the Burnley defeat, but the club’s hierarchy are starting to have doubts about their manager…

Wolves targeting Rodgers to replace Pereira

According to a report from The Boot Room, Rodgers has now emerged as a target for Wolves, with the 52-year-old now available after resigning from his position as Celtic manager earlier this week.

Transfer expert Graeme Bailey adds: “Wolves, as it stands, are sticking with Vitor Pereira, but I understand the club’s hierarchy is split. Some wanted Pereira out after their weekend defeat to Burnley, so they are one to watch.”

As such, the former FC Porto manager may get a few more games to save his job, but if results don’t improve, the Northern Irishman could be brought in to replace him, having decided moving back to England is his “number one priority”.

After such a poor start to the season, the Old Gold may need a special manager to guide them to safety, and the ex-Celtic boss, who has managed 34 Champions League games, could fit the bill.

Gabriel Agbonlahor once lauded the former Leicester City boss for the work he did at the King Power Stadium, describing him as a “world-class” manager.

During his time with the Foxes, Rodgers, who often utilises a 4-3-3 formation, secured two fifth-place finishes and won the FA Cup, showcasing that he is capable of punching above his weight with a smaller club.

Despite signing a new three-year contract last month, there is only so long Wolves can stick with Pereira if results don’t improve dramatically, and the former Leicester manager could be the ideal replacement.

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ByJack Salveson Holmes Oct 18, 2025

The Atlanta Braves are 39-31 this season, but that record is still well below their expectations heading into 2024. They've been bit by the injury bug and are now 8.0 games back from the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East.

Thankfully, they managed to squeeze by the Detroit Tigers via a 2-1 decision in the first game of their three-game set on Monday night and will try to string together a second straight win tonight.

We're going to dive into everything you need to know to bet on today's interleague showdown.

Tigers vs. Braves Odds, Spread, and Total

Run Line:

Tigers +1.5 (-139)Braves -1.5 (+115)

Moneyline:

Tigers +140Braves -167

Total:

9.0 (Over -105/Under -115)Tigers vs. Braves Probable PitchersDetroit: Casey Mize (1-4, 4.43 ERA)Atlanta: Spencer Schwellenbach (0-2, 6.32 ERA)Tigers vs. Braves How to WatchDate: Tuesday, June 18Time: 7:20 p.m. ESTVenue: Truist ParkHow to watch (TV): Bally Sports South, Bally Sports DetroitTigers record: 34-38Braves record: 39-31Tigers vs. Braves Key Players to WatchDetroit Tigers

Riley Greene: The Tigers' outfielder has been by their best offensive player this season. His 14 home runs is five more than any other player on the roster and his WAR of 3.0 is the best on the team by 2.0. When he gets going offensively, the Tigers are at their best.

Atlanta Braves

Spencer Schwellenbach: The Braves' rookie arm hasn't had a great start to his MLB career. He has a 6.32 ERA through his first three starts, but the good news is he was able to go 6.0 innings against the Baltimore Orioles his last time out. His development will be interesting to watch the next few weeks.

Tigers vs. Braves Prediction and Pick

Instead of betting on a side in this game, I'm going to opt for the total instead and take the UNDER.

Both offenses have been cold of late. Over the last 30 days, the Braves rank 18th in OPS at .687 and the Tigers come in at 24th at .669. Both teams also rank in the bottom half of the Majors in total runs scored in that time frame.

When it comes to pitching, I have faith we're going to see some positive regression from the young Schwellenbach. His 6.32 ERA is ugly, but a 4.43 FIP shows that some of his overall numbers may look reserve than they deserve to.

At surface level, you may think this game is going to produce a ton of runs, but when you dive into some underlying numbers along with recent form, it's clear to me we could see another low-scoring affair like we did on Monday.

وجه محمود الخطيب، رئيس مجلس إدارة النادي الأهلي، الشكر لأعضاء الجمعية العمومية على مشاركتهم الفاعلة اليوم في رسم مستقبل الأهلي، واختيار مجلس إدارة جديد يتولى قيادة الأهلي خلال السنوات الأربع المقبلة.

وكان قد انطلق ماراثون انتخابات الأهلي، صباح اليوم الجمعة، في تمام الساعة التاسعة صباحًا واستمر إلى ما يقارب 10 ساعات. 

طالع.. اكتمال النصاب القانوني للجمعية العمومية لـ الأهلي

وأكد محمود الخطيب أن الجمعية العمومية كانت اليوم كعادتها نموذجًا يحتذى في الانتماء والحرص على مصلحة النادي، ومثالًا للوعي والمسؤولية والمشاركة الإيجابية في صناعة القرار.

وأشار الخطيب إلى أنه خلال شهر واحد فقط عقدت جمعيتان عموميتان داخل الأهلي، الأولى خاصة بتوافق لائحة النادي مع قانون الرياضة، والثانية الجمعية العمومية العادية لإجراء الانتخابات، ورغم ذلك حرص أعضاء النادي على التواجد والمشاركة الفاعلة التي تعكس حرصهم على المشاركة والاضطلاع بالدور التاريخي للجمعية العمومية للأهلي.

ووجه رئيس النادي الشكر لمجلس الإدارة في دورة 2021-2025، مؤكدًا أن كل عضو أدى دوره بإخلاص وحرص شديد على خدمة الأهلي بدعم من الجمعية العمومية، كما خص بالشكر الأعضاء الذين لم تشملهم قائمته الانتخابية، وثمَّن تفهمهم لرؤية المرحلة المقبلة، رغم نجاحهم السابق، مؤكدًا أن الاختلاف في الرؤى لا يفسد وحدة الأهلي، وأن جميع أبناء النادي يجمعهم الإخلاص والانتماء.

واختتم الكابتن الخطيب تصريحاته قائلاً: “سيبقى الأهلي قويًّا بمشاركة أبنائه المخلصين، وبحضور الجمعية العمومية لبناء مستقبل النادي”.

Former New Zealand seam bowler Tim Southee is being considered as England men’s bowling consultant, replacing James Anderson who had held the role since retiring from Test cricket in July.With Anderson proritising a season-long deal to play for Lancashire this summer, BBC Sport reported on Tuesday that Southee, who himself retired from international cricket after England’s tour of New Zealand at the end of 2024, is the frontrunner to fill that gap.Southee, 36, finished a distinguished 16-year international career as the Black Caps’ leading wicket-taker, and would reunite with his former captain and good friend Brendon McCullum should he join England’s backroom staff. The pair represented New Zealand together on 170 occasions – McCullum skippering for 78 of them – while also sharing the field at Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL and Middlesex in the T20 Blast. McCullum even presented Southee with a bottle of red wine signed by the England team at the conclusion of Southee’s 107th and final Test in Hamilton.McCullum has long held the belief that Southee would make a good bowling coach. It helps, too, that Southee has a good relationship with many of the current squad, including Test captain Ben Stokes.Related

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Ideally, England would have a bowling consultant in place for the summer to oversee both red-and white-ball formats. It would also be beneficial for the sake of continuity that the successful candidate continues through for the Ashes. Anderson, a veteran of five tours of Australia, could end up fulfilling that role if, for instance, Southee could not commit to the winter.England’s international season gets underway on May 22 with a one-off Test against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge, followed by a five-match series against India, which is sandwiched by limited-overs series against West Indies and South Africa. There is also a three-match T20I tour of Ireland in September.England are due to name their squad for the Zimbabwe Test on Friday. Given the spate of injuries, it is likely to feature a relatively inexperienced bowling group, including a maiden call-up for Essex seamer Sam Cook.Southee was already down to feature in the English summer through his £63,000 deal with Birmingham Phoenix in the men’s Hundred. Upon his retirement, he stated a desire to continue on the franchise circuit, and played the entirety of this year’s ILT20 tournament for Sharjah Warriors. As such, any prospective deal with the ECB will require him to park what remains of his playing career for the time being.That being said, there is no international clash with the Hundred; Phoenix’s season begins four days after the end of the final India Test at the Kia Oval, with the Hundred final two days before the one-day series with South Africa. And next year’s ILT20 begins five days after the scheduled final day of fifth Ashes Test in Sydney.Anderson, meanwhile, is still yet to make a County Championship appearance for Lancashire this summer as he continues to battle a calf injury. Having missed the opening month’s Division Two fixtures, he will also sit out this week’s match with Gloucestershire and perhaps the following round against Northamptonshire. A home meeting with Derbyshire on May 16 has been earmarked for a potential return to action.

Leeds United goalkeeper Karl Darlow made his first appearance of the season in the Premier League on Saturday because of Lucas Perri’s injury.

The Wales international made three saves, including one impressive stop from a free-kick, before Gabriel Gudmundsson found the top corner of his own net in the 94th minute.

Perri’s injury provided the former Newcastle United stopper with an opportunity to strut his stuff in the Premier League, but it also meant that Illan Meslier made the bench for the first time this season.

Why Illan Meslier is a Leeds outcast this season

The French goalkeeper has played 214 matches for the West Yorkshire outfit in all competitions, per Transfermarkt, and was the number one option in goal from the 2020/21 season until he was dropped near the end of last term.

Meslier let in 2.73 more goals than expected based on the xG of the shots against him in the Championship last season. He also made three errors that directly led to goals for the opposition.

His errors eventually convinced Daniel Farke to bring Darlow in as the number one for the last seven games, which helped the Whites to clinch the title.

Then, this summer, Leeds decided that Meslier was not good enough to be first or second choice in the Premier League, as evidenced by their move to sign Lucas Perri as the new number one with Darlow as his back-up.

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The French goalkeeper is an outcast in the current squad, only to be called upon if both Perri and Darlow are unavailable, and that is because of his poor performances on the pitch last term.

Leeds have another star who may be on his way to becoming the next Meslier in Joel Piroe, who has had a difficult start to the Premier League season.

Why Joel Piroe could be the next Illan Meslier for Leeds

The Dutch striker, who signed from Swansea for a fee of £10m in the summer of 2023, was immense for the Whites in the Championship last term, scoring 19 goals in the division.

Piroe was the top scorer in the league, ahead of the likes of Borja Sainz and Josh Sargent, and an integral part of Farke’s team with the goal threat that he provided in the final third.

However, a concern heading into the Premier League season was that the left-footed centre-forward does not have the physical profile of a typical number nine in the division, as he tends to struggle out of possession.

24/25 Championship

Joel Piroe per 90

Percentile rank vs STs

Dribble success rate

31.8%

Bottom 27%

Successful dribbles

0.41

Bottom 35%

Fouls won

0.44

Bottom 9%

Duels won

2.24

Bottom 3%

Duel success rate

26.9%

Bottom 10%

Aerial duels won

0.90

Bottom 12%

Aerial duel success rate

21.4%

Bottom 17%

Stats via FotMob

As you can see in the table above, the £40k-per-week striker ranked very poorly among his positional peers in the division in a host of physical and out-of-possession metrics.

Piroe was described as “anonymous” by reporter James Marshment back in February, which is what he can, unfortunately, be when Leeds do not have it all their own way with the ball, as they often will not in the Premier League.

The Dutch striker won 9% of his duels and failed to score a goal or create a ‘big chance’ for the team in the first two matches of the Premier League season, per Sofascore, before he was an unused substitute in the 0-0 draw with Newcastle and missed the loss to Fulham through injury.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha, who scored the club’s only league goal this season against Everton, were signed to compete with Piroe for his position up front in the summer transfer window.

Therefore, Piroe may well be in danger of becoming the next Meslier to be pushed out of the squad because of his lack of suitability for the Premier League, due to his physical attributes, and the signings that have been made in his position.

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Manchester City have now held talks with the agents of a “world-class” star, who is also being targeted by Arsenal.

Man City keen on new forward despite dominant victory over Wolves

Man City got off to a fantastic start to the new Premier League season, laying down a marker by winning 4-0 away at Wolverhampton Wanderers, and two of Pep Guardiola’s summer additions marked their league debuts with a goal.

Indeed, both Rayan Cherki and Tijjani Reijnders got on the scoresheet, with the latter also providing an assist for Erling Haaland’s second goal, in what was a dominant display from the Blues.

Gary Neville has even been forced to reconsider his predictions for the season, in light of City’s fantastic performance, saying: “We could look back in six months and be saying it was staring us in the face because City have got a treble-winning spine, they’ve got new players in who look outstanding and they’ve got the best forward in the league.”

Neville is correct to point out that Guardiola is blessed with some top-quality attacking options, but one forward who didn’t feature against Wolves is Savinho, as the Brazilian is being heavily linked with a move to Tottenham Hotspur.

Now, according to a report from The Boot Room, Manchester City have identified Real Madrid star Rodrygo as their ideal replacement for Savinho, and they have now made fresh contact with the Brazilian’s agents.

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Arsenal are also in the race for the Madrid forward, however, with sporting director Andrea Berta currently working on a deal, which could be on the expensive side, with a potential transfer fee of £86m recently being touted.

With Savinho keen on a move to Tottenham, it is looking more likely that City may pursue the Madrid star, but it could be difficult to win the race, given that the Gunners have a strong relationship with the Spanish side.

However, since then, Guillem Balague has stated that City, right now, are set to keep Savinho, which would rule out any move for Rodrygo in the process.

"World-class" Rodrygo could be Savinho upgrade

Not only is Rodrygo far more experienced than Savinho at the top level, having amassed 39 goal contributions in 64 Champions League appearances, but he has also outperformed his compatriot in front of goal over the past year.

Indeed, despite a promising debut campaign at the Etihad Stadium on the assist front, with the 21-year-old setting up 10 Premier League goals, the youngster has averaged just 0.08 non-penalty goals per 90 over the past year, compared to the 24-year-old’s 0.33.

The former Santos man has also received high praise from Real Madrid legend Luka Modric, who dubbed his former teammate as “world-class”.

As such, Rodrygo could be an upgrade on Savinho, but the reported £86m asking price is prohibitive, and rival interest from Arsenal could hamper a deal.

Manchester United are issuing the perfect response to a 2024/25 campaign that left everything to be desired.

Though INEOS’ efforts to bring in new signings proved protracted at the start, there has been an impetus on strengthening with genuine quality, the frontline revamped through deals for Premier League stars Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, followed by the £74m acquisition of Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig, one of the most talented young strikers in Europe.

Ruben Amorim was dealt a tough hand when leaving his high-flying Sporting Lisbon project and taking over an Old Trafford side in disrepair, but he’s weathered the storm and has hunkered down, reshaping the team, stamping his mark on the squad.

Man Utd confident they will sign PL star

Technical director Jason Wilcox remains hard at work. Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma has been slated to replace the beleaguered Andre Onana between the sticks, while talks continue over the sales of several first-team drifters, chief of which being Alejandro Garnacho, who is expected to join Chelsea before the end of the window.

However, it’s clear that Amorim is also hoping to sign a dynamic number 6 before the end of the month, viewing a robust profile in the role as being perfect to take his side to the next level and leave a significant impression on the Premier League, pushing United back into the ascendancy of European football.

According to The Independent’s Miguel Delaney, via TEAMtalk, Manchester United are growing in confidence as they chase a deal for Brighton & Hove Albion’s Carlos Baleba.

The all-action midfielder, 21, has previously been reported by Fabrizio Romano to be the focus of new talks between the Premier League rivals, though the Seagulls don’t want to sell and will make any bid extremely difficult, pricing their star at £104m.

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Baleba, however, is attracted by the thought of joining the Old Trafford side and Amorim is intent on bringing players who want to fight for the badge.

What Carlos Baleba would bring to Man Utd

One of Man United’s most fatal flaws throughout the post-Fergie era has been signing established ‘superstars’, who perhaps have the headline name but have been there and done that, and thus don’t have the fire in their belly that the club need.

Baleba is the perfect profile to buck that trend, and what’s more, so are the already-made deals completed over the past few months. Whisper it quietly, but something feels different about the Red Devils this time.

Brighton have a knack for identifying and developing midfielders. Their talent ID is superlative and mistake-free. And with Baleba eager to switch the sandy south coast for Manchester’s bustling streets, INEOS and Amorim have a glorious opportunity to take this Man United team into their next phase.

The 21-year-old powerhouse is a holding midfielder with bags of energy and an attacking flair, lending itself to an influential position in Fabian Hurtzler’s Seagulls team.

And considering the player’s “colossal” performances so far in the Premier League, as have been noted by Brighton reporter Aden-Jay Wood, he could revolutionise United’s midfield, maybe even turning out to be their own version of Manchester City sensation Rodri.

Rodri’s is a name that we all know. The Spain international is one of the greatest players of his generation and has won the full gamut at the Etihad Stadium, scoring 26 goals and supplying 32 assists across 265 matches in all competitions.

But he started somewhere, and that first campaign in the Premier League proved tricky, with City losing their Premier League title to Liverpool.

Rodri still made an exciting impression, though, and it’s curious to note that Baleba for Brighton last season ranked up quite nicely against that version of the Iberian midfielder.

Rodri might be a Ballon d’Or-winning superstar, but when he first arrived on English shores and got to work under Pep Guardiola’s wing, he had much to learn, and it’s promising to note that Baleba in his youthful period is on the same level as the Spaniard’s one-time iteration.

FBref recorded that the Cameroonian midfielder ranks among the top 12% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for successful take-ons per 90 too, thus illustrating his capacity to slide forward and progress play for his team.

Though it would take much time and effort to build Baleba up to a position where he could be considered the finest midfielder in the Premier League, one of the best in the world, he certainly has the potential to be just that.

There’s plenty of rocky terrain still to traverse before Man United crest this mountain, which has loomed before them for so long, but it’s not unjust to suggest that things are changing, and that the signings being made have the potential to drive an exciting new era.

Were Baleba to join, Amorim’s midfield would be revolutionised, with a centrepiece carrying all the potential to emulate Rodri and become an all-powerful presence in a Manchester midfield.

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Stand-in captain hopes the young team will grow in confidence after notching a win in challenging conditions in Mirpur

Firdose Moonda24-Oct-2024

Ten years and six tours is how long South Africa have waited for a Test win in the subcontinent, which is something none of their current squad have experienced until now. Only five members of the playing XI in Mirpur have featured in a Test match in the subcontinent before and though eight of the 15-man squad have toured Asia, no one was part of the South African team that last enjoyed success on the continent, in Galle in 2014.The long period between victories was marred by massive losses and breaking the drought is what stand-in captain Aiden Markram hopes could be the start of something new. “It’s special. We’re a pretty young, slightly inexperienced group, so to come to the subcontinent and get a win is great for us and the environment,” Markam said at the post-match press conference. “This win does a lot for us and gives us a taste of what playing cricket in the subcontinent is like, and it excites us for the challenges that we possibly face here.”It also may spark some memories of a time, not that long ago, when South Africa were superior in the subcontinent. Between 2007 and 2014, they played 15 Tests in Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and the UAE and lost only three, racking up series wins over everyone except India, against whom they drew twice. In the same period, Australia won just one out of 15 Tests in the subcontinent and England won three out of 16. Apart from India and Sri Lanka, South Africa were, by far, the most successful team in Asia over that period of time.Related

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Which is the biggest Test upset of the year?

That ended in 2015, when South Africa were outspun 3-0 in India in a series which started a significant slide. After their win in Galle in 2014, South Africa played 14 more Tests in the subcontinent before this one, and lost ten. Six of those defeats were in India but they were also blanked 2-0 by Sri Lanka in 2018 and Pakistan in 2021.All those occasions were marked by how poorly South Africa played against all kinds of spin, from the left-arm spin of Noman Ali, Ravindra Jadeja and Rangana Herath to the offspin of R Ashwin and the legspin of Yasir Shah. In Bangladesh too, spin proved the biggest threat as South Africa lost five of their top six to Taijul Islam in the first innings and at 108 for 6, looked like only gaining a marginal advantage. It was thanks to Kyle Verreynne and his second Test hundred that South Africa took a healthy, and ultimately match-winning lead.Verryenne called the innings the “best” of his Test career, because it came in “the toughest conditions I have played under.” He cited the heat and humidity as one of the challenges and facing “long periods of spin bowling,” as the other.Of the 144 balls delivered to Verreynne, 115 were from spinners, which amounts to 80%. The work Verreynne has done on the sweep shot was evident as ESPNcricnfo’s ball-by-ball data recorded that he scored almost half his runs, 49, with sweeps – conventional, reverse and slog – and maintained a strong scoring rate too.Kyle Verreynne is all smiles after getting to his second Test century•AFP/Getty Images

Overall, Verreynne struck at 79.16, and against Taijul, he was particularly aggressive with 49 runs off 53 balls.”Kyle sweeps really well, swept for a lot of his innings and he ended up doing well,” Markram said. “So it’s nice to see the guys backing those sorts of strengths. He’s a good player of spin and for him to score a hundred in his first Test match in the subcontinent is a really special feat.”While Verreynne traveled with the South African squad to Pakistan in 2021, he only made his debut later that year in West Indies. He competed with Heinrich Klaasen for the role of South Africa’s first-choice wicket-keeper but Klaasen’s Test retirement in January has meant Verreynne has the opportunity to make the spot his own. “He’s had a bit of backing now from the management, and he just looks really comfortable now in the environment,” Markram said.Having Verreynne’s spot fairly secure ramps up competition with reserve keeper Ryan Rickelton, who has gone six Tests with a top score of 42. If regular captain Temba Bavuma recovers from an elbow niggle in time to play the second Test, one of Rickelton or Matthew Breetzke will have to make way and both could end up sitting out if South Africa opt for a fifth frontline bowler.They went into the Mirpur game with a four-man attack and there were times in Bangladesh’s second innings when it seemed lacking. Still, they’ll be heartened by the way their champion quick Kagiso Rabada, who combined well with Wiaan Mulder in the first innings and then took a six-for in the second, registered his best figures in the subcontinent.Rabada’s wicket-taking ability is second to none, literally, as was documented when he became the only bowler to take 300 Test wickets in under 12,000 deliveries, and doing it in the subcontinent only makes him stand out more. On a surface with good bounce, Rabada’s hard lengths made him difficult to get away and dangerous and Markram hailed him as a “superstar.”Having Rabada fresh and firing also vindicates CSA’s decision to rest him between August and now, and leave him out of white-ball series in the UAE, and it shows how the two national coaches are working together. Test coach Shukri Conrad and white-ball coach Rob Walter jointly plan selections so that each of them has the best players available when it matters most.For the next two-and-a-half months Test cricket is the focus and Rabada, and to an extent Markram, who was released from the UAE early, have been allowed to focus on that.South Africa, despite limited Test matches in the calendar, remain in the running for the World Test Championship final but they cannot afford many (or any) slip-ups. They have five matches left to play – one next week in Chattogram, and four at home. They must win at least four to give themselves a chance to make the final in this cycle and this victory has shown them they can do that.It has also given them confidence ahead of their return to the subcontinent next year to begin the next cycle with two Tests against each of Pakistan and India, where even tougher challenges await.”The biggest thing we take from it is the belief and the confidence that we actually can do well here as a team,” Markam said. “I believe that’s where a lot of the game is played, from a confidence and belief and a mental side of things. It will help the team a lot as far as moving forward and seeing if we can put back-to-back performances together goes.”

Edson Álvarez limped off with a hamstring issue that could sideline him for a month.

Mexico will face South Korea on TuesdayHirving Lozano came on in the 60th minuteAguirre admitted his side didn’t deserve to winGet the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowGetty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED?

Mexico settled for a goalless draw against Japan in a friendly at Oakland Coliseum, leaving head coach Javier Aguirre with more questions than answers as the 2026 World Cup cycle continues.

The “Vasco” was blunt in his post-match remarks, admitting the Asian side deserved the result. 

“It was a preparation game, but we weren’t better than our opponent,” Aguirre said. “We didn’t deserve to win. They made it difficult, pressed with intensity, and the draw was fair. It wasn’t spectacular, but matches like this help us evaluate where we are.”

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Japan dictated much of the first half, forcing goalkeeper Luis Malagón into key saves and even requiring Johan Vásquez to clear a shot off the line. Mexico’s night worsened in the 28th minute when captain Edson Álvarez exited with a hamstring injury, later replaced by Erik Lira.

Although Hirving Lozano’s introduction in the second half injected energy, Mexico still struggled to break down Japan’s organized back line. To make matters worse, César Montes was shown a red card after VAR review, leaving to finish the game with 10 men. Despite the numerical advantage, Japan couldn’t find a breakthrough either, and the score remained 0-0.

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Aguirre acknowledged Japan’s superior pace and physicality. 

“They surprised us with their speed and intensity. Most of their players are in Europe, so their rhythm is different. We gave away the first half, not because of attitude, but because they outplayed us," he said. 

Still, he noted positives in the second half, pointing to missed chances from Lozano, Germán Berterame, and Lira.

Meanwhile, San Diego FC forward Hirving Lozano shared his thoughts on returning to the Mexican national team. 

“I really wanted to come back to the national team. Thank God I was given the opportunity, Javier gave me the opportunity, and I have to make the most of it. I need to work hard, perform well, and keep pushing forward,” he said.

It had been over a year since Lozano last featured for , with his previous appearance coming in 2024. 

“This is a very good squad, it has very important and very talented players. I think we’re facing a team that is always at the World Cup and that now has some great players,” he added.

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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR MEXICO?

Mexico will now turn their focus to South Korea on Tuesday, while Japan will face the United States that same day.