Teenage legspinner takes second five-for in four days to clinch convincing victory

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay13-Aug-2025

Warwickshire completed back-to-back Metro Bank One-Day Cup wins with an emphatic 79-run victory over Kent at Rugby School.The Bears posted 283 for 9 largely thanks to Ed Barnard (60) and Kai Smith (58). On a pitch offering some turn, they coped most capably with a spin attack led by Matt Parkinson who bowled beautifully for his 1 for 36 from 10 overs.Kent replied with 204 all out, only ever partially recovering from the early straits of 19 for 3. Jaydn Denly hit 52 and Harry Finch 50, but legspinner Tazeem Ali followed his 5 for 43 against Northamptonshire on Sunday with 5 for 54 as Kent succumbed to their third defeat in three games in the competition.In front of another excellent crowd at Rugby, Warwickshire chose to bat, seeking a stronger start than in their first two group games when they had collapsed to 38 for 7 and 32 for 4. They got it as openers Barnard and Rob Yates (46) added 97 in 14 overs before Yates drove Joey Evison to cover.Ed Barnard top-scored with 60•Getty Images

Kent’s spinners reeled the run-rate back in by taking wickets. Barnard posted a polished 52-ball half-century, passing 2,000 career List A runs in the process, but overbalanced on a sweep and was stumped off Denly. Zen Malik drove Denly to cover, Hamza Shaikh fell to a superb catch by his England U19s colleague Ekansh Singh at deep mid-wicket off Jack Leaning. Alex Davies lifted Parkinson to long-off, supplying the legspinner with a well-deserved wicket.At 179 for 5, Warwickshire needed rebooting and Smith and Vansh Jani (42) delivered with a fluent partnership of 79 from 64 balls. Again, Kent hit back well towards the end as Fred Klaassen had Smith caught behind and Grant Stewart trapped Michael Booth and Jani lbw in the same over.Kent’s reply started badly as they lost three wickets in four balls to lurch to 19 for 3. Ben Dawkins was caught at cover off Barnard who bowled Evison first ball. Chris Benjamin, facing his former team-mates, also bagged a golden duck when he edged Ethan Bamber and wicketkeeper Smith took a fine diving catch.Denly and Finch rebuilt with an assured stand of 91 in 88 balls but both perished soon after reaching their half-centuries. Denly sliced Tazeem to short third man and Finch skied an attempted big hit at Adam Sylvester.Sylvester marked his List A debut with an excellent first spell of 1 for 7 in five overs, and his accuracy throttled the pursuit in tandem with Tazeem’s potency. Tazeem hit the stumps of Leaning and Stewart and, after Booth bowled Singh 42, returned to remove Parkinson and Michael Cohen in four balls and follow his maiden five-for in the previous game with another match-shaping performance.

شهدت الجولة الثانية من دور المجموعات لدوري أبطال إفريقيا، أحد أكثر المشاهد إثارة للقلق في البطولة، بعدما قام أحد المشجعين بإلقاء سكين بشكل مباشر على اللاعب محمود تريزيجيه، خلال مباراة الأهلي والجيش الملكي المغربي.

وسلطت صحيفة “ريكورد” البرتغالية، الضوء على هذه الحادثة أثناء المباراة، وأثارت على الفور قلقاً بين اللاعبين، الذين طلبوا دعم الحكام، ما ترك الجماهير في المدرجات في حالة من التوتر.

وسقط السكين بالقرب من لاعب الأهلي المصري الذي قام بحث زملائه على الفور وتنبيههم لخطورة الموقف، وحاول لاعبو الفريق بسرعة عرض السكين على الحكام لإيقاف المباراة وتطبيق القواعد بسبب تعريض سلامتهم للخطر.

ولم يكن مجرد إلقاء السكين في الملعب هو ما أثار دهشة المتابعين، بل حاول لاعبو الجيش الملكي منع الحكم من رؤية السلاح وحجبوا طريق لاعبي الأهلي وعرقلوا احتجاجهم وقد تم تصوير هذا الموقف وانتشر على مواقع التواصل الاجتماعي.

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وقد ازداد الوضع سوءًا عندما التقط أحد لاعبي الجيش الملكي البدلاء، الذي تم التعرف عليه من خلال قميصه الرسمي، السكين من الملعب ووضعه في سرواله، لكي يحاول بشكل واضح إخفائه، وقد أثار هذا التصرف موجة من الغضب بين الجماهير والمحللين الياضيين الذين وصفوه بأنه تصرف غير رياضي وخارج عن السياق تمامًا.

وأعرب العديد من المتابعين في كرة القدم الإفريقية عن قلقهم بسبب هذا النوع من المواقف التي تعرض سلامة المشاركين في المباريات للخطر، ووصفت صورة أحد لاعبي الجيش الملكي وهو يخفي السكين، لمنع الحكم من التدخل، بأنها من أكثر الصور المخزية في تاريخ البطولة القارية الحديث.

وقد يتخذ الاتحاد الأفريقي لكرة القدم “كاف” إجراءات تأديبية في الأيام المقبلة سواء ضد المشجع المسؤول أو اللاعبين المتورطين في محاولة التستر، وأشار الخبراء إلى أنه يجب أن تكون الأولوية لضمان عدم تكرار هذا النوع من السلوكيات وتعزيز الإجراءات الأمنية في الملاعب الأفريقية.

ويشكل هذا الحادث جرس إنذار قوي للسلطات الرياضية في القارة الإفريقية، والتي سيتعين عليها تقييم أسباب الخلل الأمني في المباراة وكيفية منع تكرار هذه السلوكيات التي تهدد جوهر اللعبة.

West Ham United are in desperate need of attacking reinforcements and could now be set to lodge a bid to land Lazio star Tijjani Noslin in January.

Nuno Espirito Santo has walked into quite the job in East London, facing up to the possibility that a real fight for survival could be the story of the campaign unless his side get their act together over the next few weeks.

Fan unrest, dwindling forward options, and a set of difficult festive fixtures are unlikely to whet supporters’ appetites. However, West Ham is a club that has been built on fighting spirit, which is something the former Wolves boss will hope to incorporate to push them closer to Premier League safety.

Conceding from set-pieces has also become a major concern. While some would be led to believe that the Hammers could solve their problems by spending in January, journalist Dean Jones believes Nuno will have a ‘restricted’ budget to work with at the London Stadium.

He explained: “I am told there is a pretty restricted budget that will limit what they are capable of. It’s a pretty worrying time for their fans.”

Something has got to give, one way or another, albeit the Portuguese boss will have to press on with the squad he has for now, hampered by injuries to Ollie Scarles, Kostantinos Mavropanos and German international Niclas Fullkrug.

After facing Newcastle United, West Ham take on Burnley next weekend in a critical match relative to the context of their mission to secure survival. Winning is all that matters, with the consequences if they don’t looking bleaker than ever.

January is a lifeline in some respects, and they may now have their eyes on an attacker to gift Nuno some much-needed flexibility across his frontline.

West Ham set to launch bid for Lazio star Tijjani Noslin

According to reports in Italy, West Ham are lining up a move worth in the region of £14 million for Lazio attacker Tijjani Noslin, who could be cashed in on by the Serie A giants after joining from Hellas Verona in 2024.

The Amsterdam-born man is capable of playing on either flank or through the middle and has registered six goals and four assists in 43 appearances for his current club. However, he would be open to the possibility of a January departure.

Ultimately, West Ham’s willingness to spend will determine whether there is movement on his situation. Despite possessing an element of physicality and athleticism that could benefit the Hammers, he has only featured in 37 minutes worth of football for Lazio this season.

Versatile by nature, Noslin is capable of fitting into different tactical systems due to his robust skillset after being brought in to help replace veteran Ciro Immobile.

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Nevertheless, he hasn’t exactly been a rip-roaring success at Lazio, and his return of 31 goals in 159 senior career matches doesn’t suggest the attacker would be a prolific solution to the Irons’ goalscoring woes of recent times.

Thomas Frank issued a concerning injury update on Mohammed Kudus ahead of their Manchester United clash this weekend. The Ghanaian playmaker, who joined Spurs from West Ham United in a £55 million ($72.5m) summer move, has become one of the club’s most consistent performers this season. He has scored once and set up five goals across 15 appearances. But just as he seemed to gain momentum, disaster struck again.

Spurs sweating on Kudus fitness

Kudus picked up a knock during training last week, ruling him out of Tuesday’s emphatic 4-0 Champions League win over FC Copenhagen. Now, his participation against United is also uncertain. 

Speaking in his pre-match press conference on Friday, Frank cut a cautious figure and said: "Kudus is touch and go for tomorrow, we’ll see."

In Kudus' absence, Brennan Johnson, who started on the right flank in midweek, is expected to retain his spot. The Welshman impressed with his intensity against Copenhagen and should be a handful for United defenders. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTottenham's injury list grows longer

The north London side’s growing injury list continues to stretch the squad thin. Radu Dragusin, Dejan Kulusevski, and James Maddison all remain long-term absentees, while Yves Bissouma and summer recruit Kota Takai are still awaiting their first minutes of the season. To make matters worse, promising youngster Lucas Bergvall will sit out the United game after suffering a concussion during last weekend’s narrow 1-0 defeat to Chelsea. 

Frank also offered an update on Dominic Solanke’s slow recovery. The striker has been limited to a total of 59 minutes this season. Solanke’s ankle problems have kept him sidelined since pre-season, and he even underwent a minor surgery on October 1. And while his rehabilitation is progressing, Frank insists the club won’t rush his return.

"I think the international break will be the big decider, because we have two weeks there, to push with the next steps," said Frank.

"It was clear that he was not ready before the international break, it’s more that we look after the international break, that’s what we’re aiming for. I think you always want to get it right, I think it’s important to get it right so he’s out there, can help the team, and we need him back." 

However, he did offer some positive updates as well. 

"The ones that have been out for a small spell, Cuti (Cristian Romero) and Destiny (Udogie), responded well, so fit and available," he said. 

Amicable resolution with Van de Ven and Spence

Frank has also had to manage an internal situation involving defenders Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence. In the aftermath of the disappointing defeat to Chelsea, the Spurs head coach encouraged his players to perform a lap of appreciation for the fans. However, television cameras caught Van de Ven and Spence walking away, apparently ignoring the manager’s request. At the time, Frank refused to publicly criticise the pair, choosing instead to defuse the incident.

"All the players are, of course, frustrated," he had said after the match. "They would like to do well, they would like to win, they would like to perform. I understand that. I think it’s difficult to be consistent in good times and bad times, that’s why I went around to the fans as I did, it’s more fun when we win, I can tell you that."

He added, "I understand why you ask the question. But I think that’s one of, how you can say, small issues. We have Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence doing everything they can. They’ve performed very well so far this season. Everyone is frustrated. We do things in a different way, I don’t think it’s a big problem."

However, the two players have apologised to the manager to reach an amicable solution.

"Micky and Djed came into my office yesterday and just said they wanted to say sorry for the situation," he informed. "They didn't want it to look bad or any misconception that you can get in this beautiful media world. So there was no disrespect meant at all towards me or the team. They were just frustrated with the performance from us and the booing during the game."

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Getty Images/GOALA pivotal match for Spurs

Tottenham’s 1-0 loss to Chelsea was another frustrating afternoon for the fans, who voiced their displeasure at full-time. Saturday’s showdown against United now carries enormous weight for both sides. A win could reignite Tottenham’s momentum and strengthen their Champions League ambitions. They remain sixth in the Premier League table with 17 points from 10 games and are level with Manchester United but eight behind leaders Arsenal.

Ireland left-arm spinner Aimee Maguire has been cleared to resume bowling in international cricket with immediate effect.Maguire, 18, was suspended from bowling earlier this year after being reported during the first ODI against India in Rajkot on January 10. Her action was deemed suspect under the ICC’s Illegal Bowling Regulations.Maguire has since remodelled her action and subsequently underwent an independent re-assessment at an ICC-accredited testing centre where she was cleared.”An independent assessment of Maguire’s remodelled bowling action at an ICC accredited testing centre concluded that the amount of elbow extension was within the 15-degree level of tolerance permitted under the ICC Illegal Bowling Regulations,” an ICC release said.Maguire made her ODI and T20I debut against West Indies in July 2023. She has so far played 11 ODIs, where she has picked 16 wickets, with best bowling figures of 5 for 19 against England last year. Maguire has also played nine T20Is, where she has nine wickets at an economy rate of 7.20.The 18-year-old is not part of the Ireland squad that faces Pakistan in a three-match T20I series, which begins in Dublin on Wednesday.

It was far from a rip-roaring classic at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday evening between Chelsea and Spurs in the Premier League.

But, in the end, Enzo Maresca’s Blues wouldn’t care one bit, as a hard-fought 1-0 win was secured that sees the West Londoners jump into the top four positions temporarily.

Joao Pedro answered back to his critics with the winning strike in the tight clash, with the former Brighton and Hove Albion attacker now out of a ten-game streak of no goals, after placing a fierce first-half effort past a busy Guglielmo Vicario.

Pedro's redemption arc versus Spurs

In pre-season, Pedro looked every bit worth the £60m splashed out on his services in the summer, with goals galore coming his way in the Club World Cup.

However, in the bread and butter of the Premier League this season so far, Pedro has looked shaky, with only three strikes falling into his lap in the top-flight from ten games, before being handed a chance on a plate by a relentless Moises Caicedo against Thomas Frank’s hosts.

He thumped home the resulting chance that did come his way, with the up-and-down Brazilian stating at the full-time whistle when speaking to Sky Sports that he really “needed this goal” to get his personal season back on track.

Hopefully, more and more goals come Pedro’s way in the coming matches, as Chelsea aim to be nearer to runaway Premier League leaders Arsenal when another London-based rivalry is on the menu at the close of November.

While Pedro undoubtedly strengthened his grip on a first-team spot with this decisive winner, there is another Chelsea attacker – at this moment in time – who will sense they’re on uneven ground when it comes to their own concrete position in Maresca’s starting XI.

Chelsea star on borrowed time after Spurs

Alongside splashing the cash on some fresh recruits – such as their brand-new number 20 joining in the summer to up the entertainment levels in attack – Chelsea have also looked towards the next generation coming through in West London to steer the Blues to some captivating wins in recent weeks.

Indeed, both Marc Guiu and Estevao were recently on the scoresheet against Ajax, as the youthful attacking duo aim to be senior regulars down the line.

Guiu will feel knocked by Pedro looking revitalised away at Spurs, but Estevao will feel that he’s even more deserving of first-team minutes down the right flank shortly, when analysing how poor Pedro Neto’s below-par showing was on Saturday.

Minutes played

85

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Touches

45

Shots

3

Accurate passes

20/25 (81%)

Accurate crosses

1/3

Successful dribbles

1/6

Possession lost

18x

Total duels won

2/11

Neto ended up being replaced by the much-talked-about Brazilian for the final moments, after a dire day at the office saw the former Wolverhampton Wanderers forward only complete one successful dribble from six attempts, while also only registering one accurate cross as a gung-ho option that often lacked the killer pass, to back up his rapid pace.

Moreover, when Neto wasn’t frustrating fans with an overhit cross or giving up the ball entirely – with possession given away a high 18 times – the £54m buy ended up just fading out of the contest entirely, with his tally of 45 touches even being beaten by Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez at the end, who amassed 51 himself on the way to clinching a clean sheet.

Thankfully, Neto’s dire afternoon didn’t cost his team the three points in the end but Maresca would surely fancy giving the likes of Estevao more chances in the first team soon over the hit-and-miss number seven, with the exhilarating 18-year-old already on to three goals and one assist for the season, despite his limited first-team starts.

Neto only has two goals next to his name, on the contrary, with Daniel Sturridge’s comments about Chelsea putting in an “absolutely brilliant” showing against Spurs for the most part still ringing true, even if the direct Portuguese attacker looks to now be on borrowed time in the first team picture.

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Thomas Frank’s start to life at Tottenham Hotspur has certainly been an impressive one, as seen by his side’s current Premier League standing in 2025/26.

The Lilywhites currently sit third in England’s top-flight, after losing just two of the first nine outings – even keeping four clean sheets during such a period.

His men have been just as impressive at the opposite end of the field, as seen by their tally of 17 goals in the first nine matches, with Mohammed Kudus having a huge bearing on such a record.

The Ghanaian has made an immediate impact after his £55m switch from West Ham United, subsequently registering one goal and four assists in the league to date.

However, despite his impressive start to life in North London, he may have a long way to go until he makes the list of the Lilywhites’ best additions within the last decade.

Spurs’ best additions over the last decade

Over the last few years, Spurs have made numerous high-profile additions to help the first-team squad mount a challenge for a Premier League title challenge.

Cristian Romero was brought into the club on loan in the summer of 2021, but would move to North London on a permanent basis 12 months later for a reported £42.5m.

Such a deal may have seemed to be an expensive one, but three years on, it could go down as one of the Lilywhites’ best over the last few years, given his impact in North London.

The Argentine has brought a needed steel to the club’s backline, racking up a total of 133 appearances across all competitions – even being named as part of the current leadership group.

However, Heung-min Son will no doubt take top spot for Spurs’ best addition in the last decade, with the South Korean exceeding all expectations during his spell in the Premier League.

The hierarchy paid £22m for his signature from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 2015, an absolute bargain given his total of 454 appearances in North London.

He would score on 173 occasions during his decade-long spell with the Lilywhites, with such a tally putting him fourth in the club’s all-time goalscoring charts.

From solo goals against Burnley and incredible long-range strikes against North London rivals Arsenal, he was capable of the spectacular and handing the fanbase moments to last a lifetime.

Son was even a part of the club’s Europa League-winning campaign in 2024/25, with such an achievement undoubtedly cementing his place as a Lilywhites icon.

The player who could be Frank’s answer to Son

After such success in Europe, Son decided to call time on his Spurs career, leaving in the recent transfer window to join MLS outfit LAFC in a deal worth a total of £20m.

The South Korean international left for a net loss of just £2m from the fee forked out for his signature – further highlighting the incredible business done by the Lilywhites hierarchy.

The decision meant that current boss Frank was unable to have the opportunity to work with the iconic forward, which has often left him without a settled left-winger.

Wilson Odobert, Brennan Johnson and Xavi Simons have all operated in such a position over the last few weeks – but none have managed to clinch the faith of the boss in the role.

However, that could change in the years ahead, with the club already having a superb young talent within their ranks in the form of teenager Hyeok-min Yang.

The 19-year-old joined the Lilywhites from Gangwon FC back in January, undoubtedly being brought into the club for the future years rather than the present.

It’s evident he already possesses bags of talent, with the youngster scoring 12 times in his 38 appearances for his homeland club, prior to his switch to England earlier this year.

However, in order to gain familiarity with the demands of English football, he’s been sent on various loans in the Championship – currently spending the 2025/26 campaign with Portsmouth.

Yang may only have featured in seven league outings to date, but he’s already made an immediate impact with Pompey, registering two goals and one assist in England’s second tier.

His impressive form on the South Coast has led to Korean analyst Jason Lee stating that the teenager is just “like Son Heung-min” – huge praise indeed given his compatriot’s achievements in North London.

Yang’s underlying stats at Fratton Park further indicate how impressive he’s been in 2025/26, with the winger ranking in the top 18% of players for goals per 90.

Other tallies such as 1.8 fouls won and 4.7 touches in the opposition per 90, showcase the danger he poses to the backlines in the Championship, even despite being just 19.

There’s no denying that he has a long road ahead of him before he makes an impact in North London, but there’s no disputing that he could be a real asset to the club in years to come.

Should he get anywhere near the levels produced by his compatriot in the Premier League, Yang will be a force to be reckoned with and potentially help catapult Frank’s men to yet more silverware in the near future.

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The board also introduced Mymensingh as the latest first-class team. It will replace Dhaka Metropolis

Mohammad Isam10-Aug-2025The BCB has brought in Alex Marshall, Julian Wood and Tony Hemming as the three new appointments after its meeting in Dhaka on Saturday. Wood will come in as a specialist batting coach for three months. He is a power-hitting specialist who recently worked with Sri Lanka Cricket.Marshall has been appointed as a consultant for the board’s anti-corruption department, for one year. Marshall was the ICC’s anti-corruption unit general manager until September last year. BCB’s media committee chair Iftekhar Rahman said they want Marshall to “enhance” the board’s anti-corruption unit.Rahman also said that the BCB has appointed the ICC’s integrity unit to oversee the BPL’s anti-corruption operations.The BCB’s anti-corruption unit is currently investigating corruption allegations from the BPL and Dhaka Premier League of the 2024-25 season.The BCB has also brought back Hemming, who recently resigned as the PCB’s head curator. Hemming had taken up the Pakistan role after being BCB’s curator from July 2023 to July 2024. Hemming’s appointment brought the question of whether Gamini Silva, the Shere Bangla National Stadium curator, will continue in his role. Rahman said that Gamini was given a one-year extension.”Tony Hemming has been appointed head of turf management for two years,” Rahman said. “All our international venues and curators will be under him. He will also undertake the process of training Bangladeshi curators. All the board directors had a lot of interest in bringing him back.”Hemming is one of the best curators in the world. Maybe he had a good experience with the BCB in the previous occasion, that’s why he agreed to come back. The turf management will run as Hemming will want. Time will tell if Gamini will stay or not. He has been given a 12-month extension.”Meanwhile, the BCB introduced Mymensingh as the latest first-class team. It will replace Dhaka Metropolis, which was introduced in 2011 to make it an even number of teams in the first-class competition.”Mymensingh is one of the country’s newest divisions,” Rahman said. “They will play in the NCL first-class tournament from the coming season. They will replace Dhaka Metropolis. Mymensingh will play all divisional tournaments though we can’t accommodate them in the upcoming NCL T20s as the schedule has been made. Mymensingh will play in the T20 tournament from the next edition.”

Nick Browne, the Essex opener, has announced his retirement from the professional game.Browne, 34, was in his benefit season after more than a decade on the books at Essex but only made three One-Day Cup appearances. His last outing in the County Championship, the format which showcased the best of his ability, came in July 2024.Having made his county debut at the age of 22, Browne went on to become a mainstay at the top of the order, scoring 20 first-class hundreds – including four doubles, equalling the record of Graham Gooch for the club – and helping Essex to four-red-ball titles between 2016 and 2020.Related

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“The time has come to hang up the Gray-Nicolls boots and retire from professional cricket,” Browne said. “It has been my lifelong dream to play for Essex, starting with the club at the age of 8, the last 26 years of my life has been about Essex Cricket and I have loved every minute of it.”I want to say a massive thank you to all of the members and fans of Essex for your unwavering support throughout the years. I have played every ball, every session and every day like it is my last. I have tried to play with a smile on my face every day and hope I have given you some joy and happiness.”I am incredibly grateful to all my coaches who have thrown millions of balls at me over the years. They have supported me through so many great days and some average ones. To the boys who I have shared the dressing room with, thank you for everything. We have had so many great memories on and off the field from winning Championships to the late nights in the changing rooms.”To my parents, family, friends and my partner Alice, I have had the most amazing, unforgettable time playing cricket, I could not have done it without your love and support. You have always been there for me to celebrate me in the highs and the lows. I cannot thank you enough. I look forward to the next chapter.”Predominately a red-ball player, Browne passed 1000 runs for the season three summers in a row between 2015 and 2017. His runs helped secure the Division Two title in 2016, followed by Essex’s first County Championship in 25 years in 2017. He struggled to reach such heights again, but was part of another Championship-winning side in 2019, as well as the team that lifted the Bob Willis Trophy a year later.Having been almost an ever-present at the top of the order for a decade, he only played six times in the Championship last season and has not featured this term.Dan Feist, Essex’s chief executive officer, said: “Nick Browne is the epitome of dedication and professionalism. His contributions to Essex Cricket have been remarkable, and his commitment to the club is admired not just by those at Chelmsford but by players, officials and supporters throughout the county game.”Nick has been a true professional on and off the field, with a passion for the game and for Essex Cricket that stands out. We are grateful for his immense contributions and wish him every success in retirement and beyond.”

He did it on Thursday. He did it on Friday too. This time he got to triple digits with shots all around the park, and celebrated in style after what’s been a tough cricketing period for him

Vishal Dikshit24-Jan-2025Shardul Thakur likes batting in difficult situations. He had said as much on Thursday, after he had put together 51 off 57 after coming in with Mumbai 42 for 6 against Jammu & Kashmir. On Friday, he took the rescue act up a notch, delivering an unbeaten century at almost a run a ball having come in at 91 for 6, with Mumbai leading by just five runs.All this when the recent past has not been kind to him. Shardul the allrounder was a regular in and around the India set-up at the end of 2023 before a foot surgery kept him out for more than half of 2024, and he hasn’t found a way back in since. Even though he has added consistency to his batting: four of his 14 first-class half-centuries and both his centuries have come in the last two domestic seasons. And much of this has been crisis batting, including 109 off 105 from 106 for 7 against Tamil Nadu in the Ranji Trophy semi-final last season, followed by 75 off 69 from 111 for 6 against Vidarbha to set up the title win.And he went unsold at the mega auction ahead of the IPL 2025 season. “You have to forget whatever has happened in the past,” he had said on Thursday. It is perhaps this practicality that helps him stay in the present when he walks out to bat in tough situations.Related

Ranji round-up: Jadeja demolishes Delhi, Thakur rescues Mumbai yet again

Shardul Thakur on his rescue act: 'I like batting in difficult situations'

What worked in his favour on Friday was that the ball was more than 25 overs old when he came out, and had lost all its swing. So, when he saw width on offer, he didn’t shy away from slashing over the infield on the off side. When the fast bowlers pitched it short, he middled his pulls. And the shots kept coming.First ball after tea, when Mumbai were 174 for 7, Thakur punched Umar Nazir Malik through the off side for four and, three balls later, pulled a short ball to the boundary. In the next over he swept left-arm spinner Abid Mushtaq for another four to get to a 59-ball half-century. What did slow him down a bit was cramps; he had to call out the physio a couple of times after he crossed 50 and was clearly struggling between the wickets.The worst of it seemed to have passed by the time he got into the seventies, and his strokes reflected that. He pounced on fast bowler Yudhvir Singh outside off on 80 with such timing that he made it look like he was picking the length against a spinner. Two balls later, he clobbered Yudhvir over the covers with disdain to take the lead past 150 in style. On 94, he hooked Auqib Nabi and got a leading edge, but also four more. He was on 98, his team was still not on top of the game with the lead only 162, but Thakur kept going for it. He lofted the next ball straight down the ground, didn’t middle it at all, but it landed just beyond mid-off’s reach.

When Shardul Thakur saw width on offer, he didn’t shy away from slashing over the infield on the off side. When the fast bowlers pitched it short, he middled his pulls. And the shots kept coming.

Next over, against Mushtaq, he brought out the sweep on 99 and got the run that cued telling celebrations: he ran at speed (what cramps?) with his bat held high, punched the air, let out a scream, and pointed to the sky. It showed what the knock meant to him.The Mumbai dressing room, which had been dour and gloomy for most of the day, broke into rapturous applause, acknowledging a rare feat from a No. 8: Thakur was only the 13th player to score a fifty and a hundred in the same first-class match batting at No. 8 or lower since 2006.The J&K bowlers knew the pitch had nothing to offer now and they started peppering him with short balls. He took a blow on his chest near the left shoulder, got some ice treatment on the field, and still went on. He ramped Nabi’s short ball over the keeper for four, and eventually walked back unbeaten on 113 off 119 with Tanush Kotian – again, his support act from the semi-final last season – for company on 58 off 119.It was another Thakur knock that will go down as one that saved Mumbai’s blushes, even putting them a little in front after they’d been far behind. Maybe it will serve Thakur well to remember these bits of the past.