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We're officially in the final month of MLB’s regular season, with most teams having fewer than 25 games left to play. There is no division leader with a double-digit game cushion, five of the six divisions featuring a maximum of a six-game gap and three with a three-game maximum. September should bring lots of excitement down to the final weekend, so we prompted some of SI’s MLB writers to reflect on what’s transpired so far this season and what may lie ahead.

1. Which team are you most confident about penciling in for a World Series berth?

Tom Verducci: Los Angeles Dodgers. They can look almost bored at times. They have not been a good team on the road (33–33), against lefties (19–20) or the past two months (22–27). But they know how to play October baseball: swing-and-miss starting pitchers, home run hitters and a deep bullpen. Under manager Dave Roberts, they have won four of the past eight NL pennants and posted a .560 winning percentage in the playoffs. Respect the pedigree.

Stephanie Apstein: They had a terrible July and a mediocre August, but the Dodgers feel like they're about to get hot and stay hot. This is what they do: look sort of disappointing down the stretch, then get all their injured guys back and start beating the snot out of teams. With Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow back, they have six legitimate starting pitchers, and the bullpen is beginning to look dangerous again. Once Max Muncy and Tommy Edman return, they should be at close to full strength, and their full strength is better than anyone else's.

Ryan Phillips: I know it's boring to say this, but the Dodgers. They're getting healthy at the right time, Mookie Betts is starting to turn it on and Shohei Ohtani is improving on the mound. If Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow can round into form, L.A.'s bullpen will be the team's only concern. 

2. Which team currently in a playoff position is most susceptible to a September collapse?

Chamari Athapaththu looms as a key figure as the joint-hosts look to kickstart their tournament

Andrew Fidel Fernando10-Oct-20252:46

Preview: Can Athapaththu dismantle England’s plans?

Big picture: Sri Lanka eye another World Cup upset

In 18 completed games against England, Sri Lanka have won only once. But that one win was worth 18 at least. Sri Lanka’s victory over England in the 2013 World Cup wasn’t just the upset of that particular tournament, it was a vital staging post in the march of women’s cricket on the smaller of these two islands.Without that last-ball win at Brabourne, Sri Lankan women’s cricket would not be where it is now. Shashikala Siriwardene, Sri Lanka’s captain at the time, remembered it this way: “Our lives and our cricket changed with that match. It started with that game. We actually didn’t celebrate massively. We shouted a little bit in the dressing room, and the coach said a few words. And then we just went to our rooms. But I couldn’t sleep! I was up most of the night remembering all the little things in that match, and the big moments. I was overjoyed. It was only the next day that I got a little sleep. I think that happened to a lot of the others as well.”Since that match, England have won 10 ODIs against Sri Lanka on the bounce. There is no question who the favourites are on Saturday. England, additionally, have humbled South Africa, and eased past Bangladesh already in the tournament. Sri Lanka have one point from a washout against Australia, but lost their tournament opener to India in Guwahati.England have surmised that while Sri Lanka have more batting weapons now than they used to have, their best chance of securing victory is to dismiss Chamari Athapaththu cheaply. England opener Tammy Beaumont said as much on the eve of the match: “Chamari will certainly be the one we’ll be desperate to get out. It’ll be really well planned for.” Athapaththu is no stranger to being one of the most-analysed players by oppositions, having been such a singular star for Sri Lanka for a decade.And yet it feels accurate. If Sri Lanka are to topple England, it feels almost inescapable that Athapaththu will have to play a role. England, though, have a bowling attack brimming with confidence. They decked South Africa for 69 all out in their tournament opener, then restricted Bangladesh for 178 in their next game. England’s slow bowlers have been doing the damage. Finger-spinners Linsey Smith, Sophie Ecclestone, and Charlie Dean have 14 wickets between them, in two matches.

Form guide:

England: WWLWL LLLWW (last five matches, most recent first)
Sri Lanka:

In the spotlight: Heather Knight and Inoka Ranaweera

In 11 innings against Sri Lanka, Heather Knight has three half-centuries, and an average of 50. In Sri Lanka, her returns are even better – 208 runs, four not outs, and an average of 52.00. She hasn’t batted on the island since 2019, though. Sri Lanka will be aware that Knight comes in to this match with some runs, having top-scored against Bangladesh with 79. Her vast experience and success in Asia is daunting.Athapaththu may dominate opposition bowler’s minds ahead of a match against Sri Lanka, but left-arm spinner Inoka Ranaweera will have plenty of airtime in the batting discussions. In Sri Lanka’s first match, she took three wickets in one over to leave India 121 for 5, before they recovered (a theme of this World Cup so far). She finished with 4 for 46 in that match. If the Khettarama track takes turn – which it is likely to do – she will be difficult to handle again.

Pitch and conditions: Spin, swing… and rain?

It has been drier in the last few days in Colombo, but the forecast is again for showers, which is normal for this time of year. Expect another track on which there will be turn. But the humidity at this time of year also makes for great swing-bowling conditions.

Team news: Hasini to open for SL

England could stick with a winning XI for the third game running.England: (possible) 1 Tammy Beaumont, 2 Amy Jones (wk), 3 Heather Knight, 4 Nat Sciver-Brunt (capt), 5 Sophia Dunkley, 6 Emma Lamb, 7 Alice Capsey, 8 Charlie Dean, 9 Sophie Ecclestone, 10 Linsey Smith, 11 Lauren BellSri Lanka have been trying Hasini Perera as opener rather than Vishmi Gunaratne. They will likely retain that order for this match.Sri Lanka: (possible) 1 Hasini Perera, 2 Chamari Athapaththu (capt), 3 Harshith Samarawickrama, 4 Vishmi Gunaratne, 5 Kavisha Dihari, 6 Nilakshika de Silva, 7 Anushka Sanjeewani (wk), 8 Sugandika Kumari, 9 Achini Kulasuriya, 10 Udeshika Prabodhani, 11 Inoka Ranaweera

Stats and trivia

• Although she hit an important 62 in that 2013 win against England, Athapaththu’s numbers against this opposition are modest. She hasn’t hit another half-century against them in 13 other innings.
  
• One of Knight’s two half-centuries in Sri Lanka came at Khettarama. She strikes at 80.62 in the country, up from a career strike rate of 72.45.
  
• Although Sri Lanka have never beaten England in an ODI series, they did win a T20I series 2-1 in England in 2023.

Quotes

“I think you can never write off Chamari at all. We’ve been on the tough end of it a couple of times over the last few years, particularly when Chamari came to England. She played a couple of amazing innings. But I think over the last few years there’s probably a few more [players] that we’ve started to talk about. There’s certainly a lot more depth to that team that can bat around someone like Chamari.”England opener Tammy Beaumont says Sri Lanka’s batting isn’t all about Athapaththu any more

Newcastle forward Yoane Wissa has been left out of the DR Congo squad for the Africa Cup of Nations, which is slated to commence on December 21. Although the decision will be a shock for the forward, it should benefit the Magpies, who are still waiting to see their £55 million summer signing in action. The 29-year-old has not featured for the Premier League club since arriving from Brentford due to a knee injury suffered on international duty just days after completing his move.

• AFP
  

  Injury strikes days after his Newcastle arrival

  Wissa’s start to life in the North East has been shaped entirely by misfortune. After signing on deadline day, he immediately joined DR Congo for the September international break. He starred in a 4-1 win over South Sudan on September 5 and showed why Newcastle paid a premium for him as he racked up a goal and an assist. But in the following fixture, a narrow 3-2 defeat to Senegal, Wissa sustained the knee injury that has sidelined him ever since. Initial fears centred around possible ACL damage, but Newcastle quickly moved to reassure supporters that the forward had avoided a catastrophic setback. His recovery has been slower than first anticipated, with it reported that the striker suffered a minor setback during rehabilitation.

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• International snub helps Newcastle’s festive plans

  Wissa was recruited as a Premier League-ready replacement for Alexander Isak following the Swede’s high-profile exit to Liverpool. His arrival was part of a broader attacking rebuild, and Newcastle believed his work rate and finishing ability made him a perfect fit for Howe’s system. In his absence, fellow summer arrival Nick Woltemade has stepped up impressively with seven goals in 14 starts across all competitions.

  Had Wissa been selected for AFCON, Premier League regulations would have prohibited Newcastle from using him during the tournament window, even if he regained fitness earlier than expected. DR Congo’s decision to leave him out means that once he recovers, he is free to feature in every match of Newcastle’s congested festive schedule. If he continues to progress and avoids setbacks, he could finally be named in a matchday squad within the next two weeks, marking the end of a lengthy wait for his debut. 

• Getty Images
  

  Howe doesn't want to rush Wissa into action

  Speaking ahead of Newcastle’s Premier League meeting with Tottenham this week, head coach Eddie Howe struck a cautious but optimistic tone.

  "He (Wissa) had an 11 vs. 11 game this week while we were at Everton. He will have another one this week, and we will see where he is," he said.

  "There has been no change. He is working back, and he is doing well; everything is positive, but he will be back involved when we think he is able to contribute to the group and has a minimal chance of reinjury."

  Wissa has been progressing through a tightly managed individual training programme, with Newcastle’s medical staff taking a long-term view of his recovery. Howe has been impressed with the forward’s determination and professionalism, particularly given the psychological blow of joining a new club only to be immediately sidelined.

  "He has a very strong character and that comes across," Howe continued. "He’s good with the players, he’s very positive. He’s a leader. You can see that already. He’s trying to inspire and help the players, which is sometimes very difficult when you come to a new club and you’re injured straight away. That’s a real tough mental challenge for him to take on, especially with his transfer fee. There’ll be a lot of emotions going through him, but all he can focus on is trying to get fit and trying to make a difference on the pitch."

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• What comes next?

  With DR Congo choosing not to gamble on his fitness, Wissa’s pathway back now lies entirely within Newcastle’s hands. If his recovery continues smoothly, the forward could soon begin the Premier League chapter that was put on hold before it even started. 

  DR Congo’s AFCON squad in full: 

  Goalkeepers: Timothy Fayulu (FC Noah), Lionel Mpasi (Le Havre), Matthieu Epolo (Standard Liege)

  Defenders: Aaron Wan-Bissaka (West Ham United), Gedeon Kalulu (Lorient), Arthur Masuaku (Sunderland), Joris Kayembe (Genk), Rocky Bushiri, Axel Tuanzebe (Burnley), Chancel Mbemba (Lille), Steve Kapuadi (Legia Warsaw)

  Midfielders: Noah Sadiki (Sunderland), Edo Kayembe (Watford), Samuel Moutoussamy (Atromitos), Charles Pickel (Espanyol),  Ngal’ayel Mukau (Lille), Mario Stroeykens (Anderlecht), Theo Bondgonda (Spartak Moscow), Michael-Ange Balikwisha (Celtic), Nathanael Mbuku (Montpellier), Brian Cipenga (Castellon)

  Forwards: Simon Banza (Al Jazira), Ibrahim Mayele (Pyramids), Samuel Essende (Augsburg), Meschak Elia (Alanyaspor), Cedric Bakumbu (Real Betis).

He was sharp on the field, making batters overthink, and off the field, spoke out against petty-minded administrators

Suresh Menon25-Jun-2025At a Rolling Stones concert in Bengaluru many years ago, Dilip Doshi, then an ex-India cricketer, spotted Rahul Dravid, a current player, and escorted him towards the stage. Mick Jagger, Doshi’s good friend, was performing. I was sitting with my family nearby and saw this as entirely natural. Doshi was a team man and saw colleagues as family.It was the attitude that saw him stand up for Dilip Vengsarkar after a misunderstanding at Sharjah airport in the 1980s that led to Vengsarkar being deported to India. A bunch of Indian stars who were with the team then didn’t raise any objections. It was a commentary on the times in which Doshi played his cricket in India: it was every man for himself and the devil was assisted in his effort to take the hindmost.Of the left-arm spinners who had the misfortune to play under the huge shadow of Bishan Singh Bedi, Doshi was probably the most gifted and understood his craft better than most. He made his debut at around the same age that Bedi played his last Test (past 30) and still claimed over a hundred wickets, a tribute as much to his competitiveness as his resilience. It helped that he played first-class cricket in England; it kept him fit and saw him bowl to the best batters on the international circuit.Related

• Dilip Doshi – The man apart (2006)

• Doshi: 'Spin bowling is a battle of wits' (2008)

• Dilip Doshi, former India left-arm spinner, dies aged 77

His strike rate (81.7) was only a whit behind Bedi’s (80.3), but in the era of Bedi, Erapalli Prasanna, Bhagwat Chandrasekhar and Srinivas Venkataraghavan, it was generally considered sacrilege to look beyond the quartet. Every spinner who followed was expected to combine the aesthetics and effectiveness of that generation.Doshi was his own man. He gave the ball a rip that spun it alarmingly on helpful wickets and confused batters on good ones – batters who were taken in by the apparent effort. In this he was a bit like Clarrie Grimmett, who spun it the least when he seemed to be putting in the most effort. As that great left-arm spinner Wilfred Rhodes said, it is enough if the batter it’s spinning. Doshi was not only a thinking bowler himself, he was the cause for overthinking in batters.With his thick glasses and slightly distracted air, Doshi reminded many of the absent-minded professor who knew he had found the solution to the problem the previous day but couldn’t recall where he had left his work. But in fact, he was sharp and knew exactly what was happening around him. Some of his powers of observation found release in his autobiography Spin Punch, which earned praise from the likes of Garry Sobers, but didn’t find too many cheering in his own team.Doshi was not afraid to speak his mind, even during his playing career•AFP/Getty ImagesHe played for India at a time when the authorities kept players in check by injecting individuals with large quantities of insecurity. You had to be in the right camp, support the right official, and engage in public-relations work all the time. Doshi was unafraid to speak his mind. In Spin Punch, he went public with how team meetings were invariably about money and how much could be made how; cricket was discussed if at all only incidentally. He saw the BCCI as a self-aggrandising body, and his one-time friend Sunil Gavaskar as a “petty tyrant”.I am not sure he wanted to play a role in Indian cricket after his retirement, but if he did, he had trodden on too many toes for that to happen. Toes, his own, played an important role in the Doshi legend, when, bowling with broken ones that needed much medication, he bowled India to victory in the Melbourne Test of 1981. Fans love a performer who cuts through the pain barrier, and for a while Doshi, India’s leading spinner, became a national hero despite the fact that he was not Bedi.Yet, in the end, Doshi might have echoed Jagger to sum up a career that gave “Satisfaction” as much to himself as to lovers of the game of which he was a shining representative.

After 12 rock-solid years across Major League Baseball, pitcher Alex Wood is calling it a day.

Wood is retiring from baseball, he announced in a Friday afternoon Instagram post. The 34-year-old Charlotte native had not pitched since a stint with the Athletics in 2024.

"Baseball was my first love. Outside of God and my family, nothing else has shaped me the way this game has," Wood wrote. "Even writing this, I can’t help but smile thinking about how much I still love the game after all this time."

Wood, who pitched collegiately for Georgia, debuted with the Braves in 2013. Atlanta traded him to the Dodgers in '15 in a three-team trade after a solid start to his career.

In 2017, Wood surprised the baseball world by opening the season 10–0. The All-Star finished the year 16–3 with a 2.72 ERA, falling just short of qualifying for the ERA title. In the playoffs, he posted a 2.92 ERA and helped Los Angeles win its first pennant since 1988.

Wood's fortunes declined after that, and he bounced around four franchises in his final seven years. He did experience a brief rejuvenation in 2021, going 10–4 with a 3.83 ERA during the Giants' shock 107–55 season.

Qarabag's youth team have been fined just over £4,000 by UEFA after a supporter was found to have racially abused a Chelsea player during an academy match in Azerbaijan. Shortly after Blues striker Sol Gordon opening the scoring at Azersun Stadium in Baku earlier this month, the 17-year-old was allegedly subjected to monkey gestures. Now, Qarabag have been punished off the back of what transpired in this UEFA Youth League encounter.

• Chelsea strongly condemn unsavoury incident

  Despite Chelsea's Under-19 side going on to win the game 5-0, the contest was marred by Gordon being discriminated against by those in the crowd. 

  At the time, the Blues said in a statement: "We are aware of an incident during today's UEFA Youth League match in Azerbaijan in which, after scoring, a number of our players were subjected to racist abuse from an individual in the crowd. Racism and all forms of discriminatory behaviour are completely unacceptable and have no place in football or indeed in society. We strongly condemn the actions of the individual responsible. Our players have the full support of everyone at the club, and we have raised the incident immediately with the UEFA match delegate and home club: We expect this matter to be investigated fully under UEFA's disciplinary procedures. We are proud of the way our players and staff responded to the incident on the pitch, swiftly reporting it to the referee, and commend those for dealing with the matter professionally and appropriately in line with UEFA protocols."

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Qarabag apologise before getting fined

  Soon after Chelsea's statement, Qarabag responded with their own. They vowed to investigate the matter and said this incident does not reflect the club's values. 

  They added: "We are sorry about this incident. It does not reflect the values of our club. We will investigate it thoroughly."

  Now, European football's governing body, UEFA, has slapped them with a £4,379 fine, with Qarabag's youth team having to play a match behind closed doors following "racist and/or discriminatory behaviour of its supporters" – though that punishment is suspended for a year.

  A statement from UEFA reads: "The CEDB has decided: To fine Qarabağ FK Youth €5,000 and to order Qarabağ FK Youth to play its next one (1) UEFA competition match as host club behind closed doors, for the racist and/or discriminatory behaviour of its supporters. Said match behind closed doors is suspended during a probationary period of one (1) year, starting from the date of the present decision."

• Atletico Madrid punished for racism

  On a similar note, Atletico Madrid have been fined £26,256 by UEFA after their fans reportedly made monkey gestures and noises, along with Nazi salutes, towards Arsenal's players in their 4-0 home win at Emirates Stadium in October. The club has also been hit with a suspended sanction of a ban on travelling supporters for "racist and discriminatory behaviour". Despite the severity of the charges, the one-match ban on ticket sales for an away game has been suspended for a probationary period of one year.

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  What comes next for Chelsea?

  Aside from the aforementioned matter, Chelsea return to Premier League action on Sunday when they host London rivals and league leaders Arsenal in a huge clash at the top of the table on Sunday. The Blues sit six points behind the Gunners, and a win at Stamford Bridge could catapult them into the title race. But a loss could put pay to those hopes and give Mikel Arteta's team a huge boost in their bid to win their first league title since 2004.

  Following Chelsea's 3-0 Champions League win over Barcelona in midweek, head coach Enzo Maresca said: "I’ve told the players, next 48 hours, completely switch off. Have a rest. Recover the energy. Because [on] Sunday we have Arsenal. My message after the game was just: recover the energy. That, in this moment, is the most important thing. Then, on Friday, we start to think about Arsenal. We need to keep the momentum because it’s very nice – and it’s much easier to recover energy when you win games."

Bangladesh were bowled out for 93 and 109 in their 3-0 series defeat to Afghanistan

Mohammad Isam15-Oct-2025Mehidy Hasan Miraz admitted that Bangladesh are in such a dire situation in ODIs that batting out 50 overs is now their first priority. They went down by 200 runs against Afghanistan, bowled out for 93 runs in 27.1 overs. It follows their 109 all out in 28.3 overs in the previous game on the tour of the UAE.Both innings followed a similar pattern. Bangladesh’s top-order couldn’t get them off to a good start with only Saif Hassan hitting some big ones, before Rashid Khan ran through the middle order. On Tuesday, it was also Bilal Sami, the 21-year-old seamer, who joined in the wicket-taking, finishing with his maiden five-wicket haul.With Bangladesh’s next ODI series, against West Indies, starting this weekend, captain Mehidy has little time to fix things. “We have to target playing 50 overs” he said at the post-match press conference, “As we failed to do so in the last two matches. I think we have to accept that we have played poor cricket as a batting unit.”A team suffers when the batters don’t take responsibility. Every batter has to take responsibility. We will keep struggling otherwise. We can’t win a game without runs on the board, regardless of conditions.”Related

• Patience running thin back home amid Bangladesh's batting gloom

Mehidy said he will take responsibility for the series loss to Afghanistan, but believes the team now needs to recharge mentally before the next match. “The team is definitely feeling down after losing this series. We are hopeful that if we can spend time with our family in those two days that we have at home, we can play with a fresh mind.”As a captain, I want the batters to be mentally strong. I don’t expect an overnight improvement. The coaching staff is boosting the team mentally. I should be doing it too, as a captain.”Despite the 3-0 loss, Mehidy hinted that he doesn’t want many changes in the side for the West Indies series, saying he still has confidence in the current group to come good.”We are not learning from each defeat,” he said. “We are not improving as much as required. We definitely lack in certain area but we have to move ahead with these players. We don’t have a lot of players outside [the team]. We are not as bad a team as these results show, but we just have to improve, and rectify our mistakes.”The 3-0 ODI series defeat against Afghanistan cancelled out their 3-0 win over the same opposition in the T20I series earlier. This defeat also puts Bangladesh hopes of automatic qualification for the 2027 World Cup in further trouble.Although the BCB put out an explanation on the eve of the third ODI that they still have enough matches to return to the top nine in ODI rankings and secure their place for that ICC event, Bangladesh’s poor batting form isn’t encouraging at all.They made 221 in the first game batting first, before the two batting debacles. Coach Phil Simmons said prior to the third ODI that he wanted the batters to be positive against Afghanistan’s spinners but in all six white-ball games on this tour, Bangladesh surrendered in front of Rashid.Bangladesh travel back home on Wednesday and have only two days to prepare for another three-match ODI series against West Indies. The only saving grace could be home conditions, but the crowd might receive them poorly and the Dhaka pitches could still be very similar to Abu Dhabi’s. There is hardly any respite for Bangladesh’s batters.

And what’s the earliest in their career that a player has scored a hundred and taken a five-for in the same Test?

Steven Lynch15-Jul-2025I heard that KL Rahul was the 100th player to be out for 100 in a Test. Who did it most often? asked Arqam Fazal Mirza from India
You heard correctly: KL Rahul’s round 100 at Lord’s last weekend was indeed the 100th time a batter had been dismissed for exactly 100 in a men’s Test. The great England opener Len Hutton managed it four times between 1937 and 1951, while a later Australian opener in Graeme Wood had three round 100s. Four others were out for exactly 100 twice – both Waugh twins, Gordon Greenidge and Kevin Pietersen.There have also been 69 cases of 100 not out, including two by Allan Border, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Saleem Malik (and another one by Steve Waugh). There are also three instances (plus one not-out) in women’s Test matches.England and India tied on the first innings at Lord’s. What are the highest and lowest such instances? asked Ahmedul Kabir from Bangladesh

Both first innings at Lord’s last week ended at 387: this was the ninth time such a tie had happened in all Tests.Twin totals of 387 come in fifth – exactly halfway – on the list. The highest was 593, by West Indies (who declared five down) and England in St John’s in April 1994, in the match in which Brian Lara first claimed the Test record with an innings of 375. The lowest such instance involved two totals of 199, by South Africa and England at the old Lord’s ground in Durban in January 1910 (England were 198 for 7, but lost their last three wickets for one).Corbin Bosch scored a hundred and took a five-for in just his second Test. Has anyone else done this? asked Nelson from South Africa

South Africa’s Corbin Bosch scored 100 not out in the first Test against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo at the end of June, and then took 5 for 43 in the second innings.He was the fourth man to do this in his second Test, following Jack Gregory, for Australia against England in Melbourne in January 1921, Roston Chase for West Indies vs India in Kingston in August 2016, and one of his opponents in the match in question – Zimbabwe’s Brian Bennett, against Afghanistan, also in Bulawayo in December 2024.But there’s one man who achieved this all-round feat on his Test debut: New Zealand’s Bruce Taylor followed 105 with 5 for 86 against India in Calcutta in March 1965. There’s also one woman: Chamani Seneviratna made 105 not out after taking 5 for 31 in Sri Lanka’s only women’s Test to date, against Pakistan in Colombo in April 1998.Bosch was the fourth to do this particular double for South Africa in Tests, following Jimmy Sinclair, Aubrey Faulkner and Jacques Kallis (twice). It was also Bosch’s maiden first-class century: he was the fifth South African to do this in a Test – but the first since 1955, following Sinclair, Percy Sherwell, Tuppy Owen-Smith and Paul Winslow.Corbin Bosch was the fourth man to score a hundred and take a five-for in his second Test•Zimbabwe CricketLhuan-dre Pretorius scored 157 runs in all on his Test debut. What’s the record for this? asked Biraj Bohara from Nepal

The South African left-hander Lhuan-dre Pretorius had scores of 153 and 4 on his Test debut, against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo at the end of last month.Rather surprisingly, perhaps, no fewer than 46 men have made more runs in their first Test: the list is headed by Lawrence Rowe, who marked his debut for West Indies – against New Zealand in Kingston in February 1972 – with 214 and 100 not out. The only other batter to score more than 300 runs in his first Test is England’s Reginald “Tip” Foster, who followed his 287 against Australia in Sydney in December 1903 (the highest individual debut score) with 19 in the second innings.The South African record is held by Jacques Rudolph, with 222 not out against Bangladesh in Chittagong in April 2003.Has anyone ever scored centuries in the second and third innings of a Test? asked Nirmal Mendis from Sri Lanka

This is obviously quite a difficult thing to do, as it requires your team to bat second and then be forced to follow on. But it’s dangerous to say “never” about this sort of thing, because actually it’s happened twice in Tests! The first to do it was India’s Vijay Hazare, who contributed a valiant double of 116 and 145 (his first two Test centuries) as his side slipped to an innings defeat in Adelaide in January 1948. In the opening innings of the match Hazare had bowled Don Bradman – but unfortunately he’d made 201 by then, and Australia were well on their way to a total of 674.The other instance came in a match in Harare in September 2001. After South Africa romped to 600 for 3 declared, Andy Flower made 142 in Zimbabwe’s total of 286. He was soon back at the crease in the follow-on, and this time remained undefeated after almost ten hours with 199 out of 391. His epic resistance forced South Africa to bat again, and extended the match close to tea on the final day before the visitors finally won by nine wickets.Flower was only the second man, after South Africa’s Jimmy Sinclair against England in Cape Town in April 1899, to score more than half his side’s runs in a match in which they were bowled out twice. They were later joined by Brian Lara, with 221 and 130 as West Indies (390 and 262) lost by ten wickets to Sri Lanka in Colombo late in 2001.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

Manchester United are now in direct negotiations to sell a player Ruben Amorim wants to keep, with a departure on the cards in the January transfer window.

Man Utd could sell first-team star in January

Ahead of the January transfer window, it has now emerged that Benjamin Sesko is making good progress in his recovery from an injury sustained against Tottenham Hotspur, with his agent, Elvis Basanovic saying: “Benjamin is feeling very good, his rehab is going as planned,”

“He’s really eager to return to the pitch; he misses playing. He’s missing games, and he’s a bit impatient, so hopefully he’ll be back soon and be where he feels most comfortable. It’s hard to say exactly [when he will return], that will be more up to the medical team and the coach.”

With Sesko spending time on the treatment table, Joshua Zirkzee started three games on the spin in the Premier League, prior to the 4-1 victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers last time out, and scored in the 2-1 victory against Crystal Palace at the end of November.

However, the Dutchman hasn’t exactly been prolific in front of goal, scoring just once in all competitions this season, and AS Roma have now entered direct negotiations with Man United over a January deal for the centre-forward.

That is according to a report from TEAMtalk, which states United are open to offers of around £35m for Zirkzee next month, despite Amorim wanting to retain his services, as he values the former Bologna man’s versatility.

Roma are in pole position in the race for the Netherlands international, but they are not the only club in the race, with Premier League rivals West Ham United, Brighton, Everton and Aston Villa also being named as potential suitors.

Man Utd should cash-in on Zirkzee next month

Given that the Red Devils signed the striker for £36.5m, it would be fantastic if they were able to command a fee of £35m and recoup nearly all their money, considering the 24-year-old has never really managed to find his feet in the Premier League.

Amorim personally keen: Man Utd preparing £87m bid for top midfield target

United are readying a bid for a “sensational” central midfielder, who is now their priority target.

By
Dominic Lund

2 days ago

The £105k-a-week forward has just eight goals to his name in 58 appearances for Man United, with Ronald Koeman also criticising him earlier this year, after choosing not to call him up for the Netherlands, saying: “He wasn’t in the preliminary selection because I don’t think he’s good enough at the moment.

“Especially scanning when turning or passing often goes wrong.”

With Sesko due to return from injury soon, and Matheus Cunha also able to play striker, doing so in the rout of Wolves, Man United should offload Zirkee in the January transfer window, despite it emerging that he wants to stay…

Harry Kane and his Bayern Munich team-mates have wished former team-mate Thomas Muller luck ahead of Vancouver Whitecaps' MLS Cup Final against Lionel Messi's Inter Miami. Muller had an immediate impact at his new club after joining the MLS side this summer. He has led the team from the front and helped the Whitecaps to their first-ever MLS Cup final.

• Kane and Bayern stars send message to Muller

  Muller's club mates at Bayern Munich came up with a surprise for the German legend as Kane and Co. sent out good wishes for him ahead of the all-important MLS Cup final against Inter Miami on Saturday. Muller, who served Bayern Munich throughout his career, parted ways with them this summer after his contract expired. The former Germany international followed Messi's footsteps and moved to the US and signed for the Whitecaps.

  In his first season in Vancouver, the 36-year-old scored nine goals in 12 matches across all competitions, including seven goals in as MLS league stage appearances. As he gears up to win his first-ever trophy with his new side, Bayern stars wished him luck. Kane said in the video message: "Congratulations on getting to the final. Wishing you the best of luck. We'll be watching Saturday evening. It'll be late here but we will make the effort for you for sure. All the best. Hope it goes well. I'll see you soon. Stars like Joshua Kimmich, Jamal Musiala and Dayot Upamecano also had some words of support for Muller. 

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  Messi excited to face Muller in MLS Cup final

  Messi, who has faced Muller on multiple occassions in the past during their stints at Barcelona and Bayern respecively, is excited to meet his old rival once again at the grandest stage. Speaking to reporters, the Herons captain said: "First of all, it is very nice that Muller has come to play in MLS and the repercussions that this represents. It’s good that this final came to be and that we can face each other again. We have already faced Vancouver, and we know what kind of team they are. 

  "In fact, they eliminated us in [the CONCACAF Champions Cup]. It was also a very consistent team throughout the year that finished among the top teams and competed in all competitions until the end, just as we did. And well, we know it's going to be a very, very tough game. And the addition of Muller coming to that team, makes them much better still. It brings more awareness to the game, to the team, and it will be a very, very special final, in which we hope it will be in our favour."

• Inter Miami overdependent on Messi?

  Muller earlier claimed that Vancouver Whitecaps are a more balanced until compared to Inter Miami as he felt that their MLS Cup final opponents were overdependent on their captain. Speaking to MLSsoccer.com, the German said: "It's not about Messi against Thomas Müller; it's Miami against the Whitecaps. Maybe they rely a little bit more on him than we do on me, because we are such a good group, you know what I mean?" 

  He went on to call Messi "the greatest player who played our game and is still playing our game" and added that the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner has brought a new audience to MLS. He added: "If more people are watching, the value also for you as a player, as an individual, also for your team and also for your franchise, is way bigger."

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  Kane and Co. thrash Stuttgart before cheering for Muller

  Bayern faced Stuttgart in the Bundesliga earlier on Saturday. The reigning German champions thrashed their opponents 5-0, courtesy of yet another hat-trick from Kane as they extended their unbeaten run in the league to 13 matches and are now 11 points ahead of second-placed RB Leipzig.

  Vincent Kompany's side next face Sporting CP on December 9 at home in a key Champions League fixture.