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Hosts build on 204-run first-innings lead through fifties from Young and Williamson

Alan Gardner14-Dec-2024Seddon Park may not be one of the more intimidating arenas in world cricket – even more so when there is a stuffed camel wearing a skipper’s cap stood at one end. But it has been a stronghold for New Zealand’s Test side and they won all the major skirmishes on day two against England, as they looked to bring an end to a run of four consecutive home defeats.It began with a ticklish last-wicket stand between Mitchell Santner and Will O’Rourke, which kept England in the field through the first hour of the day while they attempted to wrap up the innings. Come the close, Kane Williamson was walking off unbeaten having notched his 12th 50-plus score in Hamilton, as the hosts made solid progress in pushing on towards an impregnable position.In between, Santner and O’Rourke combined once again to rip the guts out of the England innings – that after Matt Henry had dispatched the head. O’Rourke produced a searing spell of unsettling bounce, sharp movement and 145kph/90mph pace, eliminating Nos. 3, 4 and 5 on the England card – including the top two batters in the world, according to the ICC’s rankings – in the space of eight deliveries. Santner broke the recovery stand between Ollie Pope and Ben Stokes in his first over, before Henry returned to dock the tail as England completed a grisly collapse of 8 for 66.The only member of New Zealand’s four-man attack who did not find himself in the wickets was Tim Southee, the “Sexy Camel” whose impending retirement explains the dromedary mascot. He will likely get another chance to go out on a high note, although his side’s unexpected dominance did imperil the chances of Southee reaching another landmark. With 100 Test sixes in his sights, surely someone in the New Zealand think tank will ensure he goes in to bat at some point on Monday.As England’s hopes of a 3-0 series sweep dwindled during the evening session, Young and Williamson adding 89 for the second wicket after Tom Latham had been induced into chopping on by Gus Atkinson, it appeared as if the Bazball reboot had hit another bump in the road. While they had fought their way out of difficult first-innings positions in Christchurch and Wellington to take an unassailable 2-0 lead, here they fell in a heap to concede a 204-run deficit.This time there was no blazing Harry Brook knock to bail them out. Perhaps he had used up all his luck when scoring match-turning hundreds in each of the first two Tests – but when he departed first ball in the 16th over, New Zealand surely felt the game swing decisively their way.O’Rourke was the catalyst. The 6ft 4in quick had bowled impressively without significant rewards in the series but, on the ground where he claimed a nine-wicket haul on debut earlier this year, produced a brilliant spell after lunch that left England 82 for 5 and reeling.He initially worked Jacob Bethell over with a back-of-a-length attack; when the ball was then pitched up, Bethell’s hard-handed drive flew to backward point. Brook fell to the in-ducker, perhaps a touch unlucky as he defended down into the ground, only for the ball to bounce up and flick off the leg bail. The result was the first golden duck of his career, and the first time that he had been dismissed by a New Zealand bowler for less than 50.Will Young and Tom Latham settle into New Zealand’s second innings•Getty Images

In O’Rourke’s following over, once again the combination of bounce and movement back in did for Joe Root, as his late cut flew straight to Young at backward point.A sprightly recovery stand of 52 in 13 overs between Ollie Pope and Ben Stokes followed, only for Santner to remove both within the space of three deliveries. Pope had counterpunched effectively for the third Test in a row, only to prop forward limply and divert an edge to slip. In Santner’s next over, Stokes fell lbw when missing a slog-sweep.The procession continued, as Henry returned to the attack and induced a tame lob to mid-on from Atkinson. Brydon Carse squeezed a return catch back to Santner and when Matt Potts was caught throwing the bat at Henry, England had lost their last five wickets in five overs for the addition of nine runs. A total of 143 all out was England’s lowest in the first innings since their first outing under Brendon McCullum in June 2022.Henry’s opening spell had seen him maintain his hold over Zak Crawley, dismissing him for the fifth time in as many innings. England made a fast start in reply to 347, reaching 32 for 0 in fours overs as Southee was once again dealt with unceremoniously – and Crawley even succeeded in scoring his first runs of the series off Henry.But it was brief respite. From the third ball Henry bowled to him, Crawley could only manage a leading edge that was scooped up one-handed in the bowler’s follow-through. Crawley hung around for the third umpire to check but replays quickly confirmed fingers under the ball, bringing his record to five runs and five dismissals from 22 balls faced off Henry in the series. In the same over, Henry sent back Duckett with a ball that seamed in to hit his back leg in front of middle stump.That mini-session was the antithesis of what had gone before, as Santner and O’Rourke frustrated England while adding 32 runs to the overnight score in 15 largely untroubled overs. With the field spread for Santner, the pair were happy to tick along – the most excitement arguably coming via O’Rourke’s inside edge to fine leg that brought him his first boundary in 19 innings as an international cricketer.O’Rourke had been given out caught behind off Atkinson in the seventh over of the day, only for Ahsan Raza to have to overturn his decision when technology proved the ball had flicked the trouser leg. Potts eventually ended a cat-and-mouse contest with the first ball after drinks, but the tone for the day was set.

The match was overshadowed by a horrific on-field collision between Cameron Bancroft and Daniel Sams, which held up play for 20 minutes

Tristan Lavalette03-Jan-2025Sherfane Rutherford hit a boundary off the last ball as Sydney Thunder edged Perth Scorchers in a thrilling BBL match overshadowed by a horrible on-field collision involving Cameron Bancroft and Daniel Sams.Needing 15 runs off the last over to chase down 178, Rutherford blasted veteran seamer Andrew Tye for three boundaries including a thick inside edge that raced past short fine-leg for the winning runs. He finished 39 not out from 19 balls and had help from debutant Hugh Weibgen, who came on as a concussion substitute.After being sent in on a batting-friendly Optus Stadium, Scorchers were ignited by a second consecutive half-century from opener Finn Allen.But their innings in the 16th over was halted by 20 minutes after Bancroft and Sams collided in the outfield trying to get to a catch. Both players were concussed and sent to hospital, but conscious and talking.The crowd of 46,471 is Scorchers’ highest ever home attendance during the regular season.David Warner goes up, and over, during his 33-ball 49•Getty Images

Warner stars at the start, Rutherford at the close

With Bancroft sidelined, Thunder’s hopes largely rested on skipper David Warner, who was fresh off his 86 not out against Melbourne Renegades.He mixed inventiveness and power to help Thunder keep pace. Just before the drinks break, Warner sensed his move against legspinner Matthew Spoors, who was playing in his second BBL game. After reverse-sweeping him for a boundary, Warner was pinned on the pad by a quick delivery from Spoors, who mimics his bowling action on Rashid Khan. The lbw appeal was turned down, but Scorchers reviewed and Warner started to walk off the ground.But ball tracking had the ball clipping the top of the leg stump and the decision stood, and Warner had to scurry back. He seemed intent to cash in before holing out, but Thunder received a lift in the back-end from Rutherford.Weibgen had a tough initiation in his BBL debut but smashed a huge six off quick Jason Behrendorff in the penultimate over to leave Thunder needing 15 runs off the last over.Rutherford stepped up and his winning blow triggered scenes of celebration from Thunder on the sidelines with Warner jumping for joy.Cameron Bancroft left the field with a bloodied nose after the collision•Getty Images

The horrific Bancroft-Sams collision

Play was halted during Scorchers’ innings after Bancroft and Sams clashed heads when they both tried to take an outfield catch to dismiss Cooper Connolly. Sams appeared to be knocked out cold and had to be stretchered off in a mini-ambulance, while Bancroft walked off with his nose bloodied.It was a collision that evoked images of Steve Waugh and Jason Gillespie in Sri Lanka from 1999. Bancroft, who plays for Western Australia in domestic cricket, and Sams received a strong ovation from the fans as they left the field.Having clawed back in the middle overs through spinners Chris Green and Tom Andrews, who combined for four wickets, Thunder were understandably rattled on resumption as Scorchers went big in the death overs.Finn Allen was quick off the blocks and ended with a 31-ball 68•Getty Images

Finn Allen fires again

Much like last season, Scorchers had endured top-order wobbles and struggled during the powerplay. With consecutive belligerent half-centuries, Allen has provided the necessary spark and Scorchers’ batting-order looks much more imposing.Having scored only ten runs in his first four innings, Allen exploded with 50 off 23 balls against Adelaide Strikers on New Year’s Eve and he carried that form over much to the delight of a heaving crowd.Allen started somewhat cautiously by his standards before smashing Lockie Ferguson into the second tier over square leg in a very high blow that almost sailed parallel to the headlights of the massive ground.He dominated Scorchers’ powerplay of 35 for no loss and continued to strike mighty blows in his favoured area down the ground. He did have some luck after being dropped on 30 by backpedalling wicketkeeper Sam Billings before reaching his half-century in style with a six off Rutherford.Allen’s fireworks were made even more notable with Matt Hurst and Aaron Hardie struggling with their timing.He finally holed out in the 13th over, but Connolly and Nick Hobson once again batted well in tandem with a rapid 67-run partnership to lift Scorchers to a big total.Chris Green got wickets off successive balls in the 13th over•Cricket Australia via Getty Images

Lance Morris ramps up his speed

Lance Morris is known to be arguably the fastest bowler in Australia. He’s been clocked at speeds over 150kph early in his career, but injuries in recent years have forced him to be careful going full bore.Fit and firing, Morris has been ramping up his speeds, and after a sluggish start to the season – where he had the ignominy of being dropped – he has been a strong performer across Scorchers’ past three matches.Morris was sizzling with the new ball, reaching speeds of close to 150kph, and dismissed opener Blake Nikitaras with his first delivery. He returned to take the big wicket of Warner in the 14th over before finishing with 3 for 22 off his four overs.

It’s now a three-way battle for semi-finals qualification from Group B, with two games to go

S Rajesh26-Feb-2025

If Australia and South Africa win

Australia and South Africa will qualify with five points each. The top spot in the group will be decided by the win margins, with South Africa favourites to finish first, given their comprehensive win over Afghanistan. Assuming a one-run win for South Africa after scoring 300, Australia need to win by 87 runs (with the same first-innings total) to go past South Africa’s NRR.

If Australia and England win

Australia will top the group with five points, while South Africa will still finish second on three.

If Afghanistan and South Africa win

South Africa will top with five points, while Afghanistan, with four points, will finish second ahead of Australia.

If Afghanistan and England win

Afghanistan will finish on top with four points. The second place will then go to either Australia or South Africa, who will both finish on three points. South Africa are well ahead on NRR currently, which means they will have to suffer a big loss to England for Australia to move ahead on NRR. So, if Australia lose by just one run after Afghanistan score 300, South Africa will have lose by 87 chasing the same target for their NRR to slip below Australia’s.

If Afghanistan vs Australia is washed out

There’s a possibility of showers in Lahore on Friday. If points are shared in that game, Australia will go up to four points and will be assured of qualification.If South Africa beat England, they will top the group with five points, but if England win, then South Africa and Afghanistan will finish on three points each, which will bring NRR into the equation. Afghanistan (NRR -0.99) will almost certainly be eliminated then, as they need South Africa to lose by at least 207 runs (chasing 301) to move up to second place and qualify.

Inglis-Carey stand breaks England before keeper’s maiden ODI hundred seals stunning chase

Danyal Rasool22-Feb-20252:04

Agar: Inglis controlled the innings, the rest could bat around him

By the time Australia’s fourth wicket fell, Josh Inglis had switched into declutter mode. There remained more than 200 runs still to get, the asking rate nearing eight, and there wasn’t too much batting to come. There was little time to regroup and consolidate, and at the same time little room for error.None of this, Inglis understood, would be helpful to worry about. “We were in and around the run rate to start off with, so that was a big help,” Inglis said after the game. “The partnership between Shorty [Matt Short] and Marnus [Labuschagne] was really important. They sort of set the platform there, got us off to a good start. And then me and [Alex] Carey, we didn’t really say too much out there. Carey is pretty quiet when he’s batting, so I think we were going pretty well. So, I just tried to not look at the scoreboard too much, [not] look at the run rate, just keep batting the way we were going.”Australia were in pursuit of what would be the highest chase in an ICC tournament, and despite his obvious talent, Inglis hasn’t had an ODI career of particular note yet. In 28 matches, he had scored 543 runs, averaging under 22, a quickfire 65 against West Indies in February 2024 his most significant ODI contribution. If Australia were to get close, he had to produce an effort little in his career so far provided reason to expect.Related

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In the immediate term, Carey and Inglis minimised risks while keeping the asking rate under control. Like Australia, England had opted for the security of a deeper batting order, and would have to compensate for it with part-time bowling. In just the second over after the partnership came together, Carey struck two fours of Livingstone, before Inglis launched him for six the following over. It balanced out the respectful caution they treated Adil Rashid with without falling too far behind.”We trained here at night for the last couple of days and it got really dewy around half past seven or eight o’clock,” Inglis said. “So, we sort of knew that was in our favour during the run chase and if we could take it deep enough it would be tough for the bowlers at the back end. It made life easier for us, the wicket skidded on beautifully and it really helped our run chase.”And we knew if we could get close enough with Maxi [Glenn Maxwell] still to come – we’ve just seen what Maxi can do and everyone’s seen it for a while now. So, to get close enough for him to be able to explode like that at the back end was probably in the back of our thoughts.”Inglis and Carey worked the run chase so expertly they didn’t necessarily need any explosions. They added 146 in just 116 deliveries, and by the time Carey holed out to mid-off, Australia just needed to stick with a similar rate of scoring.Josh Inglis and Glenn Maxwell celebrate Australia’s win•Associated Press

That fireworks came via Maxwell’s bat wasn’t especially surprising; he took the sting out of England’s two gun seamers in Jofra Archer and Mark Wood, scorching them for 31 in 11 balls. Inglis, however, wasn’t far behind, his last 36 coming off just 14 balls. It included a huge six over midwicket off Archer to bring up his hundred, and another one in the same region off Wood to seal the win.”Maybe under the circumstances [it’s my best innings]. It’s really special. I think in an ICC event, you want to have an impact and you want to help your team win a game, so maybe – I’ll reflect on that in the future.”Inglis’ personal history with England perhaps adds a further layer of intrigue to the story. He was born in Leeds and only moved to Australia as a teenager, and said as recently as 2022 that he still supported England at cricket. Those days, he said today, were “long gone now”.”It doesn’t matter who it’s against,” he said. “It’s a really tight, quick tournament. We knew how we started the World Cup in India last year and we weren’t able to get a good start, we knew you can’t work your way into this Champions Trophy. You’ve got to be right on it from the first game. So, I think that’s probably the most pleasing thing, to get a win on the board in game one.”And if there’s little doubt about Inglis’ loyalties now, the same couldn’t necessarily be said about the crowed. With 26,232 packed into the new Gaddafi Stadium, Australian and English flags were visible in roughly equal measure, and celebrations at each six or wicket, almost irrespective of who they came from. The quality and intensity of the game, without doubt the best of this tournament so far, meant the spectators’ attention was held right through the end, with few leaving before Inglis had struck the final blow.”I thought the atmosphere was amazing all day today. It’s obviously the new stands. I think the ground and the stadium looks amazing. To play tonight in front of a packed crowd was unbelievable and the noise at times was deafening, especially with the Mexican wave. I saw that going around a few times and it was a really nice crowd and good atmosphere tonight.”

Australia legspinner available for four matches from July 6

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Jun-2025Adam Zampa has signed to play for Surrey in their next four Vitality Blast matches.Legspinner Zampa will arrive ahead of the double-header featuring Surrey’s women’s and men’s teams against Essex at the Kia Oval on July 6.The highest wicket-taker for Australia in T20I cricket with 117 wickets, Zampa became the first Australian to pass the 100-wickets mark in the format and was part of the teams that won the T20 World Cup in 2021 and the 50-over World Cup in 2024.His 363 T20 wickets include appearances at the IPL, Big Bash and the Hundred, where he was part of the Oval Invincibles teams which won consecutive titles in 2023 and 2024.His IPL stint with Sunrisers Hyderabad this year was cut short in mid-April when he suffered a recurrence of a shoulder injury. He played the first two games of the tournament as the Impact Sub, taking 1 for 48 and 1 for 46 but missed the next four games with soreness in his bowling arm and ultimately flew home to Australia.”I can’t wait to get going for Surrey and to play in front of the Kia Oval crowd once again,” Zampa told Surrey’s website. “It’s one of the great grounds in the world to play the game and I know how much playing for Surrey means to the lads so I’m looking forward to seeing what it’s all about.”Zampa will also play for Surrey against Gloucestershire in Bristol, then at home against Glamorgan on July 11 and Somerset two days later.Australia are in the Caribbean playing the first of three Tests against West Indies, which will be followed by a five-game T20I series starting in Kingtston on July 21.Should Surrey reach the knockout stages of the Blast, Zampa will be available for the quarter-finals and Finals Day in September.Alec Stewart, High Performance Cricket Advisor at Surrey CCC, said: “Adam Zampa is one of the finest T20 spinners in world cricket and I’m excited to welcome him to Surrey for the Vitality Blast. He brings a wealth of experience and technical skills on the pitch and great character off it.”

Clash of North Group’s top two puts Lancashire on the verge of quarter-final berth

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay13-Jul-2025Chris Green starred with bat and ball as Lancashire Lightning won the battle of the top two in the Vitality Blast North group to put themselves on the verge of qualification for the quarter-finals, while defeat leaves Durham fighting it out for one of the remaining top four spots with two games left.Colin Ackermann with 42 and Ollie Robinson (35) were the mainstays in Durham’s 155 for 7 but a vital contribution of 20 off the final two overs from Matthew Potts and Will Rhodes also gave their innings an important late boost.Green, who earlier had taken 3 for 15 for the Lightning, came in with the hosts struggling on 107 for 5 needing 49 runs from 37 balls on a slowish pitch. The Australian all-rounder hit 31 off 16 balls including two sixes and three fours, gaining good support from Tom Hartley (7 not out) that finally turned the game in Lancashire’s favour with the Lightning finishing on 156 for 7, skipper Keaton Jennings making 42, to win a tense encounter with eight balls to spare.Lancashire lost Phil Salt for 2 in the first over, but Jos Buttler and Jennings combined to take 17 runs from Parkinson’s second over, Buttler reverse-sweeping a six, to get the Lightning reply swiftly up and running.Potts hit back with the big wicket of Buttler for 21, in the sixth over with the hosts taking 47 for 2 from the powerplay.Luke Wells hammered Nathan Sowter for consecutive sixes in the eighth over but then perished for 17 when trying to repeat the shot off Parkinson at the start of the ninth.Jennings and Ashton Turner steadied the innings, reaching the ten-over mark on 83 for 3 with Turner taking consecutive fours off Kasey Aldridge, and the pair had progressed nicely adding 42 from 32 balls when off spinner Sowter struck twice in the space of three balls.Jennings was stumped by Robinson for 42, while Michael Jones fell for a second-ball duck to leave Lancashire on 107 for 5 needing 49 off 37 balls.Green hit his second and third balls for four, with 17 runs chipped off the target before Turner skied a return catch to Neesham for 27 who then had Jack Blatherwick lbw for 0 two balls later with 27 required off 21 balls.Green pulled Potts for six, Tom Hartley drove Neesham for four and Green finished the game in style with another pulled six off Neesham.Lancashire enjoyed early success, taking three wickets in the first seven overs after Durham opted to bat.Graham Clark was nicely caught by James Anderson at mid-off diving to his left off Luke Wood for 13, David Bedingham was neatly stumped down the leg side by Jos Buttler for 12 off Chris Green who next took a return catch to send back Alex Lees for 11 leaving the visitors in early difficulties on 46 for 3.Ackermann and Robinson advanced that to 73 for 3 at halfway, Robinson hitting Blatherwick over extra cover for six and Ackermann taking 10 runs from the same 12th over as the pair posted their 50 partnership from 29 balls.But the visitors suffered a double setback losing both well-set batters in quick succession.Having added 68 in seven overs for the fourth wicket, Robinson pulled Hartley to Blatherwick at long-on for 35 (off 22 balls) while Ackermann deflected a Wood delivery onto his stumps attempting a leg side ramp after making 42 from 35 balls, leaving Durham 119-5 midway through the 16th over.Jimmy Neesham (4) and Kasey Aldridge (3) followed before Will Rhodes (11 off 13 balls) and Potts (17 off 7) hit 21 off the final two overs to lift Durham to a much more challenging 155 for 7.

The South Australia fast bowler had been due to tour the West Indies before injury but is on track to start the Sheffield Shield season

Andrew McGlashan11-Sep-2025Brendan Doggett is in the “prime of his career” and has been backed by his South Australia coach Ryan Harris to be able to step into Test cricket during the Ashes if needed.Doggett was part of the Australia Test squad last season, having first been called up back in 2018 for a series against Pakistan in the UAE, and was a traveling reserve for the World Test Championship final against South Africa.He had been due to tour the West Indies before being withdrawn because of a hip injury but is on track to start the season for the double defending champions although from there will have his workload managed in conjunction with the Australia set-up.Related

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The depth of Australia’s pace bowling has been brought firmly into view with Pat Cummins’ back injury, and while Scott Boland will be the next in line for a spot in the startling XI, Doggett is likely only one more injury away from a debut.”He’s had a really good winter,” Harris told ESPNcricinfo. “He came back from the World Test Championship with a couple of niggles [but] he had good time to let them heal.”He had a really good programme that he was following and he was diligent. We didn’t take him to Darwin in our pre-season camp and let him just get himself right down here.”We’ve got a couple of trial games [this week] which he’ll bowl some good overs in. But what I’ve seen in training, he’s up and about. He’s ready to go. He’s bowling fast and he’s moving the ball, which is good. He’ll definitely start for us.”Doggett’s elevation to the Test squad last season came on the back of a career-best 6 for 15 against India A in Mackay. He capped his summer with a career-best match haul of 11 wickets in the Sheffield Shield final, where South Australia secured the title with victory over Queensland, to finish with 44 first-class wickets at 20.56 which followed 32 wickets at 21.90 the previous season.”He’s definitely ready [for Test cricket],” Harris said. “[With] his mind, I think, and the confidence he has now in his game. He was a bit mixed [up] probably a couple of years ago where he was trying to swing it and he wasn’t trying to swing it, but he’s worked it all out.”He knows what he needs to do. He knows when he has step it up and bowl quick and knows he can control his pace. He’s in the prime of his career now. There’s no doubt that if Brendan gets a call, I have absolute full confidence in that he can go in and do a good job in that team.”There will be a balancing act for the selectors in the lead-up to the Ashes in ensuring the fast bowlers in the mix have enough work to be ready while avoiding pushing them too far.It is expected that Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood will combine the ODIs against India with potentially one Sheffield Shield game for New South Wales before the first Test, while Boland is expected to play at least two four-day games for Victoria. Lance Morris, who would have been in the frame, has been ruled out for 12 months after undergoing back surgery.Brendan Doggett will likely be around Australia’s Ashes squads•Getty Images

Cameron Green has been left out of the T20I tour of New Zealand so that he can play for Western Australia in the first round of the Sheffield Shield, which could mark his return to bowling following the surgery he had a year ago.Speaking earlier this week, Cummins said he was confident in the fast-bowling reverses Australia had heading into the summer.”We feel really well placed,” he said. “A lot of planning goes in. It’s not just a month before, it’s 12 months out. Someone like Jhye Richardson, hopefully he will be available for some of the summer. There’s [Michael] Neser. Brendan Doggett was part of squads last year. Sean Abbott. So I’m really confident in our depth.”Obviously there is a bit of Shield cricket and white-ball cricket before that to make sure everyone is up and raring to go.”Those who are involved in the one-day leg of the Australia A tour of India or the T20I tour to New Zealand will miss the opening round of Sheffield Shield matches which start on October 4. The men’s domestic season starts on September 16 with the 50-over Dean Jones Trophy.

PCB sticks with Masood despite Pakistan finishing last in the previous World Test Championship cycle

Danyal Rasool23-Sep-2025Shan Masood is set to lead Pakistan in the 2025-27 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. The PCB reaffirmed its confidence in the current Test captain after Masood met with PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, along with Pakistan’s red-ball coach Azhar Mahmood.A PCB statement said Masood and Mahmood have been given “free hand” of the Test side, without elaborating what specifically that entails. The captain and coach are not in the selection committee for the Test side, which comprises a five-member panel including Aleem Dar, Aqib Javed, Asad Shafiq, and Azhar Ali.There was speculation on Masood’s future after the 2023-25 WTC cycle, where Pakistan finished bottom of the table. He was captain for the entirety of that cycle. Last month, when the PCB announced player contracts for the 2025-26 season, Masood was demoted from the ‘B’ category to ‘D’, the lowest rung of central contracts.Related

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In that time, the position of Pakistan’s Test coach underwent several changes, including the brief reign of Jason Gillespie, which ended on acrimonious terms. In that context, the PCB’s declaration of confidence in Masood represents a major upswing his fortunes and the possibility of a fresh start. He is Pakistan’s longest-serving current captain, with the ODI and T20I captaincy changing hands multiple times since he took over the red-ball side.While consistency with the bat has remained elusive, Masood made useful contributions at the top of the order, having established himself as an opener over the last four Tests following an extended stint at No. 3. Two big hundreds, one at home against England and one in South Africa, took his average into the mid 30s; it is higher as captain than it has ever been under any other skipper. However, Test wins have been in short supply under Masood, with Pakistan losing nine of 12 matches.Masood’s first test of the new WTC cycle is against defending WTC champions South Africa, who play two Tests in Pakistan in October.

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In recent memory, it’s difficult to identify a manager that had such a profound effect on the footballing environment of a country; this is precisely what Arsene Wenger achieved during his 22-year tenure at Arsenal. Considering the extent of his influence at the club and given his immense success with the Gunners – he won ten major trophies with the North London side – the first season without the Frenchman at the helm was likely to be challenging for his successor.

Currently, Arsenal are situated in sixth place in the Premier League having won 14 out of a possible 25 games. To date, Unai Emery has overseen 36 games for Arsenal across all competitions, flaunting a respectable total of 22 victories, six draws and eight defeats. Six of those eight defeats have come in England’s top-flight, and despite embarking upon a 22-match unbeaten run, the Gunners lie three points and two places adrift of a top four finish.

A simple comparison between the current Premier League table and the final standings from last season would indicate that the Gunners have failed to progress significantly under Emery’s tutelage – Arsenal finished sixth in the previous league campaign, and they currently occupy that same position in the table. Yet, such an assessment would be harsh on Emery during his first season in the Premier League, and it would wrongly ignore the time required for a new manager to successfully acclimatise to a new environment and implement their ideas accordingly.

Nonetheless, the issues that Arsenal face domestically have not arisen directly from the Spaniard’s appointment. Instead, they can be traced to the latter stages of Wenger’s period as their manager. Southampton and West Ham aside, Arsenal’s remaining four league defeats have come against direct top six rivals, three of which were away from home.

Manchester City have completed the double over Arsenal, registering a comprehensive 3-1 victory last weekend. Similarly, Emery’s men endured a 5-1 demolition at Anfield against Liverpool, and they lost away to Chelsea 3-2 at the start of the season.

They also failed to beat Manchester United at Old Trafford at the start of December, a period in which the Red Devils were devoid of confidence and belief, while the Gunners maintained their unbeaten run to 20 games in all competitions. Therein is the best demonstration of Arsenal’s issues – their propensity to be utterly ineffectual away at top six teams.

When you couple this unfavourable streak with the fact that Arsenal have conceded 36 goals in 25 league games – Palace, Wolves and Brighton are among many teams that flaunt superior defensive records – then the Gunners’ hopes of triumph, at least domestically, seems rather bleak. Also, at the start of March, the Gunners travel to Tottenham in the North London Derby, a game that could have a significant bearing on the race for a top four finish.

To their credit, Arsenal have been far more defiant and competitive against the league’s best sides at the Emirates Stadium. A convincing 2-0 defeat of Chelsea and a characterful 4-2 triumph against Tottenham is evidence of their ability to compete with the best. They also contained one of the league’s most prolific attacks, Liverpool, to a solitary goal in November. However, if Arsenal are to achieve their ambitions, or replicate the days of former glory, they must improve upon their away record against the division’s best teams.

Emery commands one of the division’s most prolific and talented attacks, and it’s difficult to dismiss the quality that’s present within his squad. Yet, without generalising all of the Arsenal sides in recent memory, or without ignoring the intricacies that are involved with match preparation, Arsenal’s trend of failing to perform at the best sides’ grounds suggest that the issue is deep-rooted, and more affiliated with the team’s psychology rather than its personnel or management.

In the previous five Premier League seasons, Arsenal have faced their top six rivals (Chelsea, Spurs, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Liverpool) on 23 occasions away from home, failing to win a single game, while losing 16. During that period, they’ve conceded a staggering total of 50 goals, attaining seven points from a possible 69.

Any prospective league success is immediately curtailed by this abysmal record, and it impacts severely on their ability to achieve Champions League qualification, especially when considering that 2015/16 was the last time that the Gunners have finished in the top four. The North London side’s previous away victory at a top six team was against Manchester City in January 2015, over four years ago, a damming assessment of their fractured mentality and a definite impediment to any potential success.

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West Ham aren’t that far off from being a very formidable side, although there is one issue that Manuel Pellegrini must address in the transfer market if he wants his team to be serious competitors for one of the domestic cups, or a place in Europe next season.

Who are they missing?

The Hammers have an excellent goalkeeper in Lukasz Fabianski, who has excelled so far in what is his debut season at the London Stadium. Ahead of him, the east London-based side have two excellent centre-backs in Issa Diop and Fabian Balbuena, who have also caught the eye in their first few months at the club – the fact that this trio have all been signed recently proves that the club’s recruitment is looking in the right areas.

Club-record signing Felipe Anderson has starred out on the wing, whilst Robert Snodgrass, Marko Arnautovic and Samir Nasri make up the rest of an attacking quartet that has shown it can be effective under Pellegrini.

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Of course, you can’t forget the man of the moment at the club right now, Declan Rice. The 20-year-old is by far the club’s prize asset, and his stock is rising with every game right now. However, as a result of that, he deserves to play alongside an equally as competent midfielder, which Mark Noble unfortunately isn’t anymore.

Who should they sign?

The Irons should go all out to sign a player who is the same age as Rice in Schalke’s midfield sensation Weston McKennie.

Interestingly, the American star is reportedly on Jurgen Klopp’s radar over at Liverpool, so the Hammers have to steal a march on the bigger clubs before they swoop in for McKennie.

The 20-year-old is an energetic, box-to-box midfield dynamo who is very good on the ball, but also excels defensively and is a presence in the air.

If West Ham could bring McKennie to the London Stadium and pair him with Rice, the Hammers could have the base of their midfield sorted for the next decade.