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New Zealand’s fast-bowling allrounder Nathan Smith has been ruled out of the second Test against Zimbabwe due to an abdominal strain. He has been replaced by pace bowling allrounder Zakary Foulkes, who gets his maiden call-up into the Test squad.Smith sustained the abdominal injury on the second day of the first Test against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo while batting. A subsequent MRI confirmed the strain, which will require a recovery time of approximately two to four weeks.Meanwhile, left-arm fast bowler Ben Lister has also been added to the New Zealand squad as cover for Will O’Rourke, who experienced back stiffness on day three of the first Test. He is being monitored, according to a New Zealand Cricket (NZC) press release. O’Rourke bowled 13 and ten overs respectively in the two innings of the first Test, picking 3 for 28 in the second stint.Related

• Latham-less New Zealand look to extend dominance as Zimbabwe search for Test revival

• O'Rourke ruled out of second Test with back injury

• Latham out of first Test against Zimbabwe, Santner to stand in as NZ captain

Smith returned 3 for 20 in Zimbabwe’s first innings as the hosts were bowled out for 149. He retired hurt at the end of the 93rd over of New Zealand’s innings on 22 off 79 balls and did not return to the field for the remainder of the game.Smith’s replacement Foulkes has played 13 T20Is and a solitary ODI. He most recently turned out for New Zealand in the tri-series involving Zimbabwe and South Africa, which New Zealand won in a pulsating final. Foulkes, 24, has played 19 first-class games and has 57 wickets, along with 544 runs at 19.42.Lister has also not played a Test yet but has turned out in three ODIs and 12 T20Is for New Zealand. He last played an international game more than a year ago in Pakistan.New Zealand registered a comfortable win in Bulawayo by nine wickets, with Matt Henry returning figures of 9 for 90 for the Test. Regular captain Latham had missed the opening game due to a shoulder injury and it remains to be seen whether he gets fit in time for the second Test, which begins on August 7 in Bulawayo

Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim recently revealed that captain Bruno Fernandes will have to be rotated and rested when they are back in Europe in the future.

When asked about resting the skipper, the manager said: “In the future, yes, is something that Bruno needs to understand. If you want to win every game that you are a part, with European games, is going to have to rotate. So good question, just for Bruno to put in his head, that maybe next year he’s going to be in rotation in the team.”

On top of that, there has also been speculation over the Portugal international’s long-term future at Old Trafford, amid links with a move away from the club in the upcoming transfer windows.

The latest on Bruno Fernandes' future at Manchester United

Last month, it was reported that the former Sporting star has a release clause in his contract with the Red Devils, which can only be activated by teams outside of England.

It was claimed that the release clause in his deal stands at £56.68m, for any team outside of this country, but it remains to be seen if there are any clubs willing to pay that.

The attacking midfielder turned down a move to Saudi Arabia, with Al Hilal, in the summer and revealed that money is not the driving force for his career, as he has not achieved everything that he wants to at Old Trafford, which also casts doubt over whether or not the United star would even want to move on.

Whether it is because Amorim has rested or rotated him, or if it is because he moves on from the club, United will be looking for the next man to wear the armband when Bruno is not on the pitch.

Harry Maguire, Tom Heaton, Diogo Dalot, Lisandro Martinez, and Noussair Mazraoui were named in the leadership group alongside Bruno in the summer, whilst Matthijs de Ligt has captained Ajax in the past, but there is another star who is looking like the manager’s new captain.

The Man United star who could be the next captain

Defensive midfielder Casemiro has led by example on the pitch in the Premier League this season and is showing that he has the attributes required to be Manchester United’s captain.

Whilst some may point to de Ligt, with his captaincy at other clubs, as a potential successor or stand-in for Bruno, Casemiro has the edge over him because of what he has achieved in the game.

The Brazil international, who has been hailed as a “monster” by Statman Dave, won five Champions League trophies and three LaLiga titles during his time with Real Madrid, per Transfermarkt, and he has been capped 81 times by his country.

Casemiro has started nine of his ten appearances in the Premier League this season, per Sofascore, and produced three goals and one assist from central midfield, whilst also offering defensive protection in front of the backline.

Non-penalty goals

0.44

Top 1%

Assists

0.15

Top 22%

Tackles

3.22

Top 9%

Tackles + interceptions

3.96

Top 18%

Dribblers tackled

1.46

Top 14%

Blocks

1.76

Top 9%

Aerial duels won

2.20

Top 11%

As you can see in the table above, the experienced Brazilian ranks highly among his positional peers in a host of key defensive metrics, which speaks to the quality that he provides for the Red Devils.

The 33-year-old star is coming towards the latter stages of his career, but that may be what makes him ideally suited to captain the club in Bruno’s absence, whether that comes through further rotations of the team or a move elsewhere.

Casemiro has an exceptional career behind him that commands respect from his teammates, he is a regular starter, and his performances this season have been superb.

These are the ingredients of a captain. Someone who others will surely listen to in the dressing room and will set an example on the pitch with his behaviour and performances.

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ByTom Cunningham Nov 15, 2025

Therefore, Casemiro is currently looking like he could be Amorim’s new captain, if Bruno is rotated or leaves the club, instead of de Ligt, who does not have the same career and standing in the game behind him.

Allrounder moves on from Hampshire at age of 37 to fill hole left by Steven Mullaney

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Nov-2025

Benny Howell, pictured in action for Birmingham Phoenix, is headed for Nottingham•ECB/Getty Images

Nottinghamshire have signed the veteran allrounder Benny Howell from Hampshire on a two-year, T20-only contract and charged him with filling the role that Steven Mullaney played for them during their years of dominance in the Blast.Mullaney, who has since moved into a coaching role at Trent Bridge, was a two-time Blast winner with Notts in 2017 and 2020, and head coach Peter Moores believes that Howell has similar attributes and can spearhead their bid to reach the quarter-finals for the first time in three seasons.”We saw some really good examples of the progress that we’re making as a side last year, and bringing Benny in will only serve to continue that,” Moores said. “If you look back into recent history, we feel he can take on the role that Steven Mullaney played for many years in our T20 side, not just as a quality allrounder, but also as that link between players with different levels of experience.”He feels like the perfect fit for where we are as a side right now, where we’re trying to bring together our more experienced players, and those that are still emerging. We’re really excited to welcome him to Trent Bridge, and we can’t wait to see the impact he has both on and off the field.”Howell forged his reputation as one of the canniest white-ball bowlers in county cricket during his 11-season stint with Gloucestershire before returning to Hampshire, his first club, in 2023. They reached Blast Finals Day twice during his three seasons with them and were losing finalists last season but, at 37, he is on the move again.”It’s a real honour to sign for Notts Outlaws. The club have a rich history, a great fanbase, and play at a fantastic ground in Trent Bridge. I’m looking forward to calling it home,” Howell said. “With the way the club is run, with the coaching staff and group of talented players that are there, I was immediately excited when this opportunity first came up.”I’m constantly looking to improve my game and I believe this is the perfect environment to do that. With my skill set and experience, I hope to contribute to the team’s success in the Blast, and ideally lift that trophy.”

تمكن فريق مانشستر سيتي من تعزيز تفوقه في مباراته الجارية حاليًا ضد نظيره سندرلاند، في إطار منافسات بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

ويستضيف ملعب “الاتحاد” مباراة مانشستر سيتي وسندرلاند في خضم منافسات الجولة الخامسة عشر من الدوري الإنجليزي، موسم 2025/26.

ونجح مانشستر سيتي في تسجيل الهدف الثالث في شباك سندرلاند، في مباراتهما الجارية في الوقت الحالي، في الدقيقة 65.

جاء الهدف عن طريق فيل فودين، بعد تمريرة مثالية من ريان شرقي، لتصل إلى الإنجليزي الذي سددها برأسه في الشباك، معلنًا عن هدف ثالث لكتيبة بيب جوارديولا.

GOAL!@PhilFoden makes it 3-0 to @ManCity!

Incredible assist from @rayan_cherki 😮‍💨#beINPL #MCISUN #MCFC pic.twitter.com/67kqnkkZYo — beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS_EN) December 6, 2025

When Gian Piero Gasperini was unveiled as Roma's new coach back in June, he made a point of repeatedly stating that his first objective was getting the fans onside. The former Atalanta coach may have worked miracles in Bergamo but he's always been a bit of a divisive figure, so his appointment certainly wasn't met with universal approval among the supporters.

Truth be told, they would have preferred to see local legend Claudio Ranieri continue as coach for another year. However, Ranieri refused to reverse his retirement in order to take up a directorial role with the club and felt that the infamously gruff Gasperini was precisely the kind of character required to revive Roma.

"I didn't like him [when I was a coach]," Ranieri revealed with typical honesty, "and I told him so, but he was chosen because I am convinced that Rome needs a strong personality, a coach who is never satisfied, who is always angry, who wants to improve the team, the individual.

"I will be a friend for him, I will be on one side and if he needs something, we will try to solve problems together. He's aware of the difficulties we will encounter but if I had stayed, I would have lost a year of time for the construction; he was called to build something that can bear fruit.

"That won't be easy, of course, but that's why we offered him a year to make himself understood." Happily for everyone involved, Gasperini has needed less than six months to win over the fans by cooking up a surprise Scudetto challenge…

• The first sign of Gasperini's killer counters

  An hour into Sunday's Serie A clash with Cremonese, Roma were 1-0 up and going top of the table – not that you would have known that from Gasperini's demeanour. He'd been on edge pretty much all afternoon, irked by the decision-making of the match officials, and, in the 62nd minute, he was sent off.

  Unsurprisingly, Gasperini lost it and, rather amusingly, he argued afterwards that if he was going to be dismissed, it should have been in the first half rather than the second. Indeed, when he was issued two yellow cards in a matter of seconds just after the hour mark, an irate Gasperini insisted that, in that particular moment, he hadn't actually said anything insulting towards the referee or his assistants.

  However, Gasperini's rage quickly dissipated. While he was still reluctantly making his way to the stand, substitute Evan Ferguson scored his first goal for the club. Five minutes after that, a visibly ecstatic Gasperini was out of his seat and slapping colleagues after Wesley finished off the kind of killer counterattack with which the 67-year-old had enjoyed such remarkable success at Atalanta.

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• The wizard of Rome

  By the time the moment came to speak to the press after a 3-1 win that moved Roma two points clear at the summit of Serie A, Gasperini was all smiles – and particularly when he was shown images of a piece of street art that appeared in the Italian capital last week depicting him as a wizard concocting a title challenge with 'grit, heart and sweat'.

  "That's wonderful but disconcerting!" Gasperini joked in his post-match interview with . "The ingredients are fantastic, though, and I agree they are the things that we need. Maybe we can also add a little spice and salt." With Gasperini as coach, that shouldn't be too much of a problem. Keeping a lid on the fans' expectations represents a tougher task.

  What's interesting, though, is that Gasperini isn't really trying to rain on anyone's parade. He's actually preaching positivity, looking to ride rather than quell the wave of optimism generated by Roma's best start to a season for 10 years.

  "We want to keep playing like this," Gasperini said on Sunday. "It's only right to dream in these positions, while at the same time being aware that very few dreams come true in the end. However, we're trying to keep the dream going for a while longer."

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Continuing Ranieri's good work

  The good news for Roma's long-suffering supporters, some of whom weren't even alive when they last won the Scudetto (2001), is that we've already seen enough evidence to suggest that the Gasperini-led title challenge is at least sustainable.

  As Ranieri alluded to, nobody anticipated an especially smooth transition from last season to this. Gasperini is a notoriously demanding coach, he has been known to clash with unwilling workers, and it usually takes some time for his methods to take root.

  There was, therefore, a fear that his spell at Roma would go the same way as his last stint at one of Italy's biggest clubs, when he was sacked after just five games in charge of Inter all the way back in 2011.

  However, Gasperini has done a sensational job building upon the excellent platform put in place by Ranieri, who took over with the Giallorossi in total disarray last November and led the club to a fifth-place finish, after losing just once in the second half of the season.

  As a result, Roma have retained a base level of organisation and commitment that has allowed them to continue eking out wins. Indeed, across Europe's 'big five' leagues, only Real Madrid (23) have won more matches by a single-goal margin in 2025 than the Giallorossi (20).

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• A surprisingly strong defence

  Roma have also kept clean sheets in half of their 12 Serie A games so far, and conceded just six goals – fewer than anyone else in Italy's top flight thanks to the likes of veteran centre-back Gianluca Mancini, goalkeeper Mile Svilar and midfield duo Manu Kone and Bryan Cristante, who are both doing an excellent job of protecting the three-man backline.

  However, to say that the excellent defensive record is surprising would be a massive understatement, as Gasperini's Atalanta were renowned – and revered – for their offensive game, which was significantly aided by the willingness to go one-v-one at the back.

  Gasperini even brought up his adventurous approach in his first press conference as Roma boss. "I don’t think it's any secret, everyone knows what kind of football I like," he said. "My style of play reflects my own characteristics.

  "My teams have always played in a certain way, with intensity and quality, scoring a lot of goals, always focused on scoring one more rather than conceding one fewer."

  And yet 10th-placed Udinese are the only team in the top half of Serie A to have scored few goals (12) than the current league leaders (15).

Mandhana, Rawal and Deol’s fifties helped India post 281 for 7 but it wasn’t enough

Sruthi Ravindranath14-Sep-2025

Phoebe Litchfield played plenty of sweeps and reverse sweeps in her innings•Getty Images

Fifties from Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney and Annabel Sutherland helped Australia clinch the first ODI against India in New Chandigarh.India were left to rue several spilled chances – including one of Litchfield on zero – as they could not defend 281. After India opted to bat, they too had three players – Smriti Mandhana, Pratika Rawal and Harleen Deol – score half-centuries, but Australia’s overall performance, specifically Litchfield’s masterclass against spin, helped them ease past the hosts by eight wickets.With India fielding four spinners and one seamer, they opened the bowling with Kranti Goud and Sneh Rana. Rana created a chance in the second over, getting Litchfield to flick a floaty delivery towards short midwicket where Jemimah Rodrigues put down the chance. Captain Alyssa Healy and Litchfield then settled in, hitting a flurry of boundaries in the third and fourth overs.Healy seemed to carry on from where she left off from the series against India A – she made scores of 91 and 137* in the one-dayers ahead of this series – as she punished width and half-volleys from Goud in the seventh over. But Goud hit back instantly, having her drag one on to her stumps with a delivery that seamed back in.Beth Mooney maintained Australia’s momentum with an unbeaten 77•Getty Images

Litchfield soon made India regret the dropped chance as she targeted all areas of the ground. She was particularly adept against spinners, bringing out the sweep, reverse sweep and switch hit. Those shots brought her five boundaries.Ellyse Perry soon joined in on the fun, punishing full tosses from Sree Charani and Radha Yadav for a boundary and a six, respectively. With the pitch offering little for spinners, the duo kept the runs flowing, scoring well over the required run rate. Litchfield brought up her half-century off 44 balls, sweeping Deepti Sharma to the backward-square-leg boundary.Soon after, India put down two more chances. Rawal dropped Perry at deep midwicket in the 17th over and Harmanpreet spilled a simple chance of Litchfield at covers. And Perry and Litchfield continued to pile on the misery.However, Perry retired hurt for 30 at the end of the 20th over, seemingly having trouble with her left calf after previously calling for assistance twice during her innings. Mooney then joined Litchfield at the crease and kept the tempo going. In the end, it was the reverse sweep that brought Litchfield’s wicket as Arundhati Reddy managed to hang on to a catch running in from short third. But by then Australia were firmly on course.Sutherland took her time to settle in but broke the shackles with a drive to the backward-point boundary. Sree Charani bowled a slew of full tosses throughout her spell, one of which was whacked over midwicket by Mooney to bring up her 19th ODI fifty. With less than 50 runs required, India dropped another catch – their fourth of the day – as Deepti spilled an easy one of Mooney at extra cover. Sutherland soon brought up a fifty of her own, off 47 balls in the 43rd over, and also scored the winning runs two overs later.Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal added 114 for the first wicket•Getty Images

Earlier, India’s openers Mandhana and Rawal got off to a solid start, with Mandhana making her intent clear from the beginning, bringing out her trademark cover drive to score boundaries and charging down to Kim Garth for a big hit.Australia put the pressure on Rawal early on, having three catchers in the cordon and just one fielder in the deep. But she managed to pick up boundaries through the gaps, one of which was an edge that went past Beth Mooney at gully.Mandhana and Rawal brought up their fifth century stand, equalling the Indian record. They also put up the highest opening stand for India against Australia, going past 103 by Sandhya Agarwal and Gargi Banerjee in 1984.The stand, however, came to an end in the 22nd over due to a mix-up. Mandhana set off for a single to extra cover with Rawal ball-watching, as Litchfield made a diving stop and nailed a direct hit at the striker’s end. A livid Mandhana walked back for a 63-ball 58.Rawal became more watchful after that as India’s run rate dropped below five. She further slowed down with the introduction of Alana King in the 27th over and even played out a maiden. She looked to break the shackles with a slog sweep off King, only to be caught by Perry at deep midwicket.Harleen Deol changed gears during her half-century•Getty Images

As Australia kept building the pressure, a boundary from Deol after 40 deliveries was met with loud cheers across the ground. Harmanpreet Kaur, too, showed intent as soon as she came on, hammering a six over deep-backward square leg. But she was trapped lbw by Annabel Sutherland in the same over. Even a review couldn’t save her.Deol gave India the much-needed impetus, putting the pressure back on the Australia spinners, hitting four boundaries and two sixes on her way to a run-a-ball fifty. But she was stumped off Megan Schutt soon after that, with Healy standing up.In a chaotic 43rd over bowled by Tahlia McGrath, Richa Ghosh was saved by a no-ball after being caught at deep-backward square leg. The free-hit – a no-ball again – was launched straight down the ground. The next free hit was lofted over long-off. McGrath, however, found some respite by the end of the over by dismissing Rodrigues for 18.Despite Schutt removing Ghosh for 25 off 20, thanks to a superb catch by Ash Gardner at deep midwicket, cameos from Deepti and Radha took India to 281. But it did not prove to be enough.

Bangladesh coasted home in just 13.1 overs, achieving their third-quickest T20I chase

Abhimanyu Bose01-Sep-2025

Nasum Ahmed took three wickets•BCB

Bangladesh surged to a 2-0 lead in their three-match series against Netherlands with another comfortable win in the second T20I in Sylhet. Netherlands’ batting failed once again, failing to punish the hosts for some sloppy fielding, and seven of their batters were dismissed for single-digit scores as they slumped to 103 all out.Nasum Ahmed, who replaced Rishad Hossain for this game, finished with three wickets, while Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman continued their wicket-taking form with two apiece.Tanzid Hasan then hit an unbeaten half-century as Bangladesh romped to victory in 13.1 overs, making it their third-quickest chase in T20Is (where overs weren’t reduced).Nasum deals early double-blowEven though Max O’Dowd flicked the first ball for a boundary, it was a cagey start for Netherlands, including a missed run-out chance when Mahedi Hasan failed to collect a throw cleanly at the non-striker’s end in the first over with Vikramjit Singh short of his crease.Nasum’s introduction in the third over brought Bangladesh their first breakthrough, and then another.It was more poor execution of shots than the quality of bowling that brought about the wickets, as O’Dowd skied a half-tracker to mid-on and Teja Nidamanuru miscued a cut off another short ball to short third to give Nasum two in two.Vikramjit kept the boundaries coming, cover-driving Mahedi and sweeping Nasum fine before punching the left-arm spinner through point.But he tried to ramp a slower ball from Taskin in the sixth over, got cramped for room, and ended up spooning a catch to short third.Bangladesh sloppy in the fieldTaskin could have had his second off the next ball when Shariz Ahmad skied the ball attempting a swipe across the line but Tanzim Hasan Sakib, who had taken a good catch off the previous delivery, slipped at deep third and spilled the chance.Bangladesh’s sloppiness in the field continued next over, when they failed to capitalise on a mix-up: Towhid Hridoy first tried to run to the stumps from extra-cover, with the ball, and then sent an underarm throw off-target.But Netherlands couldn’t capitalize as Scott Edwards failed to clear mid-on in the ninth over, with Parvez Hossain Emon taking a good catch running back to give Mustafizur his first wicket.Where Bangladesh let simpler chances go, Saif Hassan produced a moment of brilliance to leave Netherlands five down in the tenth over. He dived to his right to stop a flick from Shariz, leaving non-striker Noah Croes, who had set off for a single before turning back, short of his ground with a direct hit.Taskin Ahmed was among the wickets again•BCB

Dutt resists, but bowlers have final sayFive became six next ball as a Tanzim bouncer cramped Shariz, who could only glove it behind down the leg side.Sikander Zulfiqar, brought into the XI to bolster Netherlands’ batting, made just two before Mustafizur hit the top of his off stump for his second wicket of the evening.Taskin and Nasum then added to their tallies before Aryan Dutt hauled Netherlands past 100, hitting the only six of the innings off Taskin in the process. But he bottom-edged Mahedi onto his stumps as he tried to go for another big shot, ending Netherlands’ innings on 103 with 2.3 overs left unused.Dutt top-scored with 30 and was one of only three Netherlands batters to record double-digit scores.Emon navigates tricky powerplayBangladesh openers rode their luck in the first couple of overs, with Emon top-edging a reverse-sweep over the keeper and missing out on a conventional sweep.But they enjoyed pace on the ball, with both Emon and Tanzid launching medium-pacer Kyle Klein over mid-off for boundaries.Emon was given out lbw off Paul van Meekeren, but he survived upon reviewing and responded by whipping him behind square leg for four and launching him down the ground for Bangladesh’s first six.However, Klein struck in the final over of the powerplay as Emon lost shape trying to hit a length ball down the ground and ended up edging behind.Tanzid, Litton finish the jobEmon’s wicket came during a spell of 15 balls without a boundary, and Litton broke it with a reverse-sweep behind point off Daniel Doram.When O’Dowd was introduced in the ninth over, Tanzid welcomed him with a six down the ground. In the next over, Tanzid tried to go down the ground again off Doram and was given a life with O’Dowd spilling the chance at long-on.Tanzid slogged O’Dowd over midwicket for a four and a six in his next over, the 12th of the innings, and brought up his half-century off 39 balls in the 13th. The rest of the chase was a formality, and Tanzid sealed the win with a slap down the ground.

Avishka Fernando, Dinesh Chandimal, Jeffrey Vandersay, Eshan Malinga and the injured Wanindu Hasaranga have been left out of the squad

Madushka Balasuriya28-Aug-2025Vishen Halambage, the 20-year-old batter, has earned a maiden national call-up as Sri Lanka named their T20I squad for the upcoming tour of Zimbabwe.Halambage is among five changes to the squad that faced Bangladesh last month and one of three new batters, with Nuwanidu Fernando and Kamil Mishara also drafted in, alongside legspin-bowling allrounder Dushan Hemantha and seamer Dushmantha Chameera. Making way are Avishka Fernando, Dinesh Chandimal, Jeffrey Vandersay, Eshan Malinga and the injured Wanindu Hasaranga.All three of Halambage, Nuwanidu and Mishara had impressed at the recent SLC T20 League, a three-team invitational tournament designed to help the selectors finalise squads ahead of the Asia Cup and this Zimbabwe tour.Related

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The three picks inform how the selectors are looking to shape the T20I team more in line with modern, intent-driven batting. Both Halambage and Mishara struck a tournament-high six sixes at the domestic T20 tournament. The others to reach that total were Pathum Nissanka, Charith Asalanka and Bhanuka Rajapaksa, while only Niroshan Dickwella (20) managed to better Mishara’s total boundary count of 19.Mishara’s strike rate of 172.72 was impressive too, second as it was only to Nissanka’s 190.24, with Halambage’s 140.32 not far behind. Nuwanidu struck at a more modest 124, but his 155 runs across four innings were the highest in the tournament, as was his average of 77.50 – courtesy two unbeaten knocks. With Sri Lanka’s No. 4 slot up for grabs following the exclusions of both Avishka and Chandimal, Nuwanidu has been earmarked as a potential long-term replacement, a claim aided by his stellar recent performances across formats domestically and with the Sri Lanka A team.ESPNcricinfo LtdOne player who might count himself unfortunate to have missed out is Dickwella, whose 134 runs came at a rate of 161.44 and included two fifties. But with those performances coming at the top of the order, where Nissanka and Kusal Mendis have locked down their positions, and the selectors likely looking to pick for the future, it seems a pathway for the now 32-year-old seems limited.On the bowling front, Hemantha’s inclusion as Hasaranga’s replacement ahead of the likes of Vijayakanth Viyaskanth and Vandersay seems to have come down to the former having a more rounded skillset.Viyaskanth picked up five wickets in the tournament as compared to Hemantha’s four, while Vandersay was not even invited to play – signalling early that the selectors perhaps didn’t see a future for him in T20Is. While Viyaskanth was the more impressive legspinner across the tournament, Hemantha is a more accomplished fielder, while he is also capable of clearing the boundary with the bat – two facets to his game that are likely to have swayed the selectors in his favour.Eshan Malinga had an excellent IPL 2025, but hasn’t been too hot since•BCCIMalinga’s exclusion, meanwhile, can be put down to the heated competition for places in Sri Lanka’s seam-bowling department. Malinga had only just made the squad for the Bangladesh tour on the back of an impressive IPL 2025, but his exploits both domestically and with the national side since have left observers underwhelmed.In the domestic T20 tournament, he picked up four wickets – all in a single innings – but leaked 164 runs across four innings at an economy rate of 11.71, making him the most expensive bowler overall at the tournament. Chameera, by comparison, conceded 85 runs at 8.5 an over for his four wickets, while the likes of Chamika Karunaratne went for just 5.5 runs per over and topped the wicket-taking charts with eight strikes.The rest of the squad shapes up as expected, led by skipper Asalanka. Following the two ODIs over the coming weekend, the T20I series will begin in Harare on September 3.Sri Lanka squad for Zimbabwe T20I seriesCharith Asalanka (capt), Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (wk), Kusal Perera, Nuwanidu Fernando, Kamindu Mendis, Kamil Mishara, Vishen Halambage, Dasun Shanaka, Dunith Wellalage, Chamika Karunaratne, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushan Hemantha, Matheesha Pathirana, Nuwan Thushara, Dushmantha Chameera, Binura Fernando

The Texas Rangers and San Diego Padres kicked off a weekend series at Petco Park on Friday.

With one out in the bottom of the 5th inning, Trenton Brooks hit a ball off the wall in right field. Right fielder Adolis Garcia fielded the ball off one bounce and made a good throw to second base, but Brooks beat the tag of Corey Seager.

Then he popped up.

The Rangers challenged the play and it was confirmed that Seager had kept the tag on him as he levitated above the bag. It almost doesn't seem fair when you consider middle infielders are allowed the latitude of the "neighborhood play," an unwritten rule widely accepted to the point where MLB.com has a page defining it.

This is the second time this happened this season. In April a game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Texas Rangers ended when Wyatt Langford stole second, but was called out because he popped off the bag.

Matt Renshaw’s golden summer continued with a magnificent 112 in front of Australia selector Tony Dodemaide at the Gabba.His innings drove Queensland to 352 for 7 at stumps on day two of the top-of-the-table Sheffield Shield clash after Victoria had declared late on the opening day.Renshaw had made scores of 128, 29, 101 and 51 in the Shield before Sunday’s knock. He also had a consistent ODI series against India which included an accomplished 56 in Sydney.Related

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• Jewell ton leads Tasmania reply amid double subsitition

• Flattened by Archer, lifted by Head: Weatherald's wild Test debut

Runs are runs and Renshaw has filled his cup with them. The 29-year-old doesn’t have to do anything more to convince Australia selectors that he is ready for a return to the Test arena. All he needs is an opportunity.”I’m just keeping it really simple and having a lot of fun out there and having good intent,” Renshaw told AAP. “It’s been a good start and hopefully it amounts to something at the end of March. I will keep trying to put in performances to help win games for Queensland. I’m just concentrating on what I can control and that is trying to do my job for the team.”There is doubt over who will open in the second Test of the Ashes series at the Gabba, which starts on Thursday-week.Usman Khawaja’s back spasms in the first Test have put him in some doubt while Travis Head’s blistering century as opener has also put him in the frame to stay at the top of the order alongside Perth debutant Jake Weatherald.Renshaw now has 421 Shield runs for the summer, putting him on top of the aggregate list with 19 runs more than Marnus Labuschagne.He was patient early in his innings against Victoria before finding a more aggressive tempo and his drives down the ground were exquisite. Once Renshaw reached his half-century the runs started to flow all around the ground.He brought up his century with a controlled cut for three off spinner Todd Murphy. A healthy contingent at the Vulture St end of the ground gave him a rapturous reception, realising what a vital innings it was in the context of the summer.His stay ended when he nicked a delivery that just moved away from Fergus O’Neill, who toiled manfully all day with his tight lines.Renshaw received solid support from Angus Lovell in an 88-run opening stand and Hugh Weibgen.Former Australia Under-19 captain Weibgen, playing his second Shield match, looks a promising prospect with his classy strokeplay and composure. The tall 21-year-old will play for the Prime Minister’s XI against an England XI in a two-day, pink-ball match that starts on November 29 in Canberra.He was caught in a juggling effort by Mitchell Perry trying to loft Murphy over the long-on boundary.Lachie Hearne (47) continued the momentum until he was brilliantly caught on the deep midwicket boundary by Campbell Kellaway.