Spinner thrives once more despite lack of county hinterland, as Cook’s struggles show dangers of expectation
Vithushan Ehantharajah24-May-2025It would be wrong to judge Sam Cook as a Test cricketer based on one appearance.Cook’s previous 321 red-ball wickets had come at 19.85, earning him the right to 31 overs across both innings of this Zimbabwe Test, even if they only produced 1 for 119. But as that first-class average ticks above 20, a little of the lustre has dulled from a bowler broadly accepted as a true master of his craft. Nevertheless the 27-year-old’s overdue Test debut will, for now, be front of the queue for examples of the difficulties with transferring form from the County Championship to the Test format.And yet, the man leading Cook and his new England teammates off the field at the conclusion of the first Test of the summer was Shoaib Bashir, saluting all corners with the match ball as he went. Somerset’s unwanted offspinner, who had taken two wickets at an average of 152 during a three-game loan spell with Division Two Glamorgan, had career-best figures of 6 for 81 – and consequently best match returns of 9 for 143. Not only did he walk off as the matchwinner – for the second time at this ground in an 18-month-old international career – but also as the youngest Englishman to reach the 50-wicket mark.Before the cascades of “yeah but the average is 36.39”, “yeah but he’s bowled more overs than anyone” and “yeah but it’s Zimbabwe”, consider this… it’s Shoaib Bashir. A 21-year-old who still talks about himself as “a work in progress”. Everything he says is tempered with gratitude and a competition-winner sparkle in his eyes that has not dulled since this six-foot-four, six-first-class-match-experience youngling was thrust into the spotlight of an India tour.The contrast between the lots of Bashir and Cook are clear, but perhaps more pronounced are what they tell us about this Test side Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes have concocted out of salt and spirit. Cook’s nerves, even after pocketing his maiden dismissal three overs into his debut, spoke of an anxiety at wanting to prove he deserved to be at this level, even if he was backed with the new ball and crowded slip cordons. Bashir, on the other hand, has never exuded anything other than belief he belongs at this level despite evidence to the contrary.It is as much an orchestrated feeling as one hinging on the fact that, unlike Cook, Bashir has no base to retreat to. Prior to his temporary move to Cardiff at the start of this season, Stokes gave him a call and essentially told him not to worry – he’d be back home soon. Even his travails at the start of the year on the Lions tour of Australia, taking just four wickets after a difficult finish to the New Zealand series at the end of 2024, were set against unwavering support from the England management. As Bashir said on Friday evening, “England cricket is my happy place.”The trust in him to bowl long spells allows him to bed in, as he did in the first innings during a stint that began as first-change and was only ended in his 13th over by a botched caught-and-bowled chance that ripped open his left ring finger. All but one of his 18 second-innings overs came on the bounce from the Radcliffe Road End on Saturday.Crucially, this has not simply been a case of Stokes tossing Bashir the ball and hoping for the best, plugging him in for long stretches to make the prospect of wicket-taking merely an act of probability – an obscure strand of privilege, like some kooky Guinness World Record holder who just so happens to have a really big bath and ready access to that many tins of baked beans.Sam Cook endured a tough Test baptism, in which his first-class average ticked above 20•Getty ImagesOver the last year, Bashir has adjusted his release points. This Test, he has been 5cm closer to the stumps when operating over the wicket, with a more noticeable 8cm closer when around, as he was often to Zimbabwe’s left-handers. He has also worked on his approach, after realising he needed to be a little bit straighter having noticed an issue when poring over the 524.3 overs he sent down last year.”My run-up is a bit straighter,” Bashir said. “It just allows me to finish off my action a little bit more.”It also allows me to get better shape on the ball so I can land the ball on the seam and then, if I want miss it for the ball to go straight on, I can do that as well. It just builds into my action nicely and yeah, I just feel like it’s quite natural to me.”Granted, the sample size is just the 34.4 overs over the last couple of days, but the results are promising. His lines are neater, with just 16 per cent of his deliveries down the leg-side in this Test, compared to 32 per cent previously. His proportion delivered in the channel outside off has almost doubled in this Test compared to his six previous home Tests.And of course, there were a few gifts among Saturday’s six as Zimbabwe’s middle- and lower-order had a dart for a few souvenir runs of this first English Test in 22 years. But there was enough within, say, the first-innings snaring of visiting captain Craig Ervine at first slip and the two bowled dismissals of Tafadzwa Tsiga, both spinning through the gate, that spoke of a personal development that has meant he can meet his captain more than halfway.On day two, Stokes made a note of imploring Bashir to be a little more patient. Previously, he would have not let any negativity pass his spinner’s ears nor tried to overcomplicate matters for a player still working out his place in the game with the gifts he has.Related
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“He’s got some unbelievable natural ability, his height and how much he puts on the ball and the ability to change from square to upright seam,” Stokes said. “The skill is undoubted, but a big progression with him, I think, is working out building towards a dismissal – not getting too giddy.”That was the word that he used out there – not getting too giddy with things. He’s always in the competition and you can see when he’s in the battle.”For a young inexperienced individual to have those characteristics whilst also wanting to constantly get better and make little tweaks and working with Jeets (Jeetan Patel, spin bowling coach) the way that he does – it’s very, very exciting.”It speaks to where England are with Bashir that even Stokes admits it is “an odd story”. This kid plucked from obscurity and left exposed in fame ever since.There are still plenty more chapters to go, all of which Bashir’s Islamic faith tells him have already been written. What is clear is that the challenge of India to come next month will determine just how exposed he is – or just how far he has really come.
Alan is joined by Miller and Firdose to discuss South Africa’s WTC triumph before Matt jumps in to help preview the Test series between England and India
ESPNcricinfo staff19-Jun-2025After an emotional victory for South Africa in the World Test Championship final, attention turns to England’s marquee five-Test series against India, starting on Friday. On the pod, Alan Gardner was joined by Andrew Miller and Firdose Moonda to talk Temba Bavuma, South African catharsis and what ails Australia. Matt Roller then dialled in from Leeds to help preview the first Test, as Chris Woakes returns to lead Bazball’s charge against a young India side led by a new captain in Shubman Gill. Tuck in.
And what’s the highest first-class total to not include any extras?
Steven Lynch30-Sep-2025Abhishek Sharma hit his 50th T20 international six in just his 20th innings. Has anyone reached the milestone faster? And who holds the corresponding record in Tests and ODIs?asked Ayan Ghosh from India
India’s Abhishek Sharma hit his 50th six in T20Is with the second of his five against Pakistan in Dubai last week. It was his 20th innings, in his 21st match. Abhishek was the third to reach 50 sixes in his 20th T20I innings, after Evin Lewis of West Indies and Austria’s Karanbir Singh, who has hit 113 sixes in 36 innings so far.But there is one man who got there quicker: Aaron Johnson, who was born in Jamaica but plays for Canada, hit his 50th six in his 19th T20I innings. For the list of most sixes in T20 internationals, click here.The quickest to 50 sixes in one-day internationals is the New Zealander Corey Anderson, who got there in his 33rd innings, one fewer than England’s Liam Livingstone. The fastest in Tests is Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi, in 46 innings, ahead of the Indian pair of Rohit Sharma (51) and Rishabh Pant (54).In Derbyshire’s recent match against Kent, Luis Reece opened the batting and scored a double-century, and in the second innings he opened the bowling and took five wickets. Is this unique?asked Evan Sweney from New Zealand
That performance by Derbyshire’s Luis Reece against Kent in Canterbury last week – 211 after opening then 5 for 63 after taking the new ball – wasn’t quite unique, but it does place him on a very select list.There have been only five previous instances in first-class cricket of an opener scoring a double-century and also taking a five-for after opening the bowling. Three of those were by WG Grace, with 217 and 5 for 72 for Gentlemen vs Players in Hove in August 1871; 261, 5 for 62 and 6 for 77 for South vs North at Prince’s (Chelsea) in June 1877; and 221, 6 for 45 and 5 for 75 for Gloucestershire vs Middlesex in Clifton in August 1885.The feat was also achieved by the future Australian captain Herbie Collins, with 235 and 5 for 52 for the Australian Imperial Forces against South Africa in Johannesburg in October 1919, and Gloucestershire’s Reg Sinfield, with 209 not out and 5 for 56 against Glamorgan in Cardiff in August 1935.What’s the highest first-class total that did not include any extras at all?asked Clive Bartram from England
The highest such total is 647, by Victoria against Tasmania in Melbourne in February 1952. It’s a long way in front of the next-most, MCC’s 484 for 4 declared against North Eastern Transvaal in Benoni in December 1948, the innings in which Denis Compton reached 300 in 181 minutes, still the fastest on record by time.The highest Test innings without any extras is India’s 329 against England in Chennai in February 2021, which beat the previous record by one – Pakistan’s 328 against India in Lahore in January 1955.Younis Khan was only ever dismissed once in the 90s in the course of amassing 10,099 Test runs•Getty ImagesIn Hamilton in 2008-09, New Zealand scored 279 in their first innings against India, and then 279 again in their second. How many times has this happened?asked Jatin Das from India
There have now been nine Tests in which teams made an identical score in both innings. The first such instance was in Wellington in 1953, when New Zealand totalled 172 in both innings against South Africa, and that has been followed by New Zealand making 208 and 208, again against West Indies in 1956 in Wellington; India 136 and 136 vs Australia in Calcutta in 1956; India 201 and 201 vs Australia in Sydney in 1981; New Zealand 161 and 161 vs Australia in Hobart in 1993; Sri Lanka 306 and 306 vs South Africa in Cape Town in 1998; Bangladesh 148 and 148 vs Pakistan in Chittagong in 2002; India 407 and 407 for 9 declared against Pakistan in Kolkata in 2005; and finally New Zealand’s 279 and 279 against India in Hamilton in 2009.Mohammad Azharuddin played 99 Tests and was only out once in the nineties. Among batsmen with 5000+ Test runs, is this the fewest?asked Yasser Rizwan from Australia
Mohammad Azharuddin scored 6215 runs in his 99 Tests, and was only out once in the nineties (for 97 against West Indies in Nagpur in December 1994). It’s not the record though, as Don Bradman was never out in the nineties in amassing 6996 Test runs with 29 centuries. The nearest he came to 100 without getting there was when England’s Alec Bedser dismissed him for 89 at Lord’s in 1948. Michael Vaughan made 5719 Test runs without ever being dismissed in the nineties, and Ian Botham 5200.Of those who had one dismissal in the nineties, Younis Khan ended up with the most Test runs (10,099). Wally Hammond (7249), Chris Gayle (7215) and Greg Chappell (7110) also scored more than Azharuddin.Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions
The Victoria offspinner has returned to India with Australia A and is locked in a battle with Kuhnemann and Rocchiccioli to be Australia’s definitive No. 2 Test spin option behind Lyon
Daya Sagar24-Sep-2025Australia offspinner Todd Murphy is not someone who suffers from delusions of grandeur.The 24-year-old Victorian made a brilliant start to his international career when he took seven wickets on Test debut against India in Nagpur in 2023. Across four matches in his debut series, he picked up 14 wickets at an average of 25.21, and after R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Nathan Lyon, he was the fourth-most-successful bowler of the series. However, in the following two years, Murphy has played only three more Test matches and has lost his Cricket Australia contract.Murphy, who is currently on tour with Australia A in India, understands that as long as Lyon is around, he will get very few opportunities with the national side.Related
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“I think I’m under no illusions of that,” Murphy told ESPNcricinfo prior to the second four-day match in Lucknow. “When you get a guy like Nathan Lyon, who is number one there, then you know that your opportunities are going to be few and far between. So, I think sort of over the last couple of years, it’s just finding enjoyment out of training and trying to get better personally. So, if I do get an opportunity, then hopefully I’m well equipped to take it.”Following his debut series in India, Murphy was taken on the 2023 Ashes tour as Australia’s No. 2 spinner and got the opportunity to play two Tests in Lyon’s absence. He took seven wickets, including a four-wicket haul in the second innings of The Oval Test. But, after that, he had to wait almost one-and-a-half years for the next chance.At the beginning of this year, when Australia toured Sri Lanka, Murphy was once again picked as part of a three-man spin attack with Lyon and Matthew Kuhnemann, just as he was in three of the four Tests in India in 2023. But, on a spin-friendly Galle pitch, he managed to take only one wicket across both innings and lost his place for the second Test as Australia experimented with playing spin-bowling allrounder Cooper Connolly to lengthen the batting.
“So it was another challenge to try and adapt to a flatter wicket, find ways to put the batters under pressure and that’s just bouncing in an out of different plans and working with the captain. Sometimes the best way to do that is just shut the scoreboard down and get a different shot out of the batter”Todd Murphy on his return to India with Australia A
Kuhnemann, who had also debuted in India in 2023, took 16 wickets against Sri Lanka with Australia’s selectors preferring to pair the left-arm orthodox with Lyon rather than picking two offspinners in the same XI. Kuhnemann was also given a CA contract and selected in the Australia squad alongside Lyon for this year’s West Indies tour.Murphy knows that even when the 37-year-old Lyon retires, it will not be easy for him to secure a permanent spot in the XI because Australia’s spin depth is as strong as it’s been for some time. Western Australia offspinner Corey Rocchiccioli is partnering Murphy on the current Australia A tour and has outperformed Murphy and Kuhnemann in Sheffield Shield cricket over the past two years. However, Murphy considers it healthy competition.”There are some really good guys underneath Gaz [Lyon],” Murphy said. “Kuhney [Kuhnemann] did super well in Sri Lanka. Rocks [Rocchiccioli] is bowling outstandingly well in Shield cricket. So, there is a good crew of us coming through now. We all are just trying to continually get better underneath Gaz. And when the time comes, when someone gets an opportunity, they’ll be able to take that.”Rocchiccioli has not yet made his international debut, but he took 38 wickets in nine matches of the 2024-25 Sheffield Shield and was the best spinner of the season. Across the last four Shield seasons, he has been the highest wicket-taking spinner with 83 wickets, 56 of which have come on the bouncy WACA pitch.Cooper Connolly and Todd Murphy in conversation•Tanuj/UPCAOn the flat pitch in Lucknow in the first unofficial Test of the tour, Rocchiccioli took three wickets in the only innings while Murphy went wicketless from 35 frugal overs.Rocchiccioli also performed brilliantly in this year’s County season while playing for Warwickshire. He took 16 wickets across seven innings in four matches, including two five-wicket hauls. On the other hand, Murphy, playing for Gloucestershire, took only 11 wickets across six innings in four matches at a costly average of 56.27, without a five-wicket haul. But Murphy took a lot of positives from the four-game stint.”It was a really good opportunity for me to play four games in the UK with a Kookaburra ball,” Murphy said. “There were a lot of runs scored there as well. I think it was a lot of the same stuff, just continuing to learn and being open to learning against different players in different conditions. There’s some really good takeaways from there and I realised the importance of being super consistent as an offspinner and challenging the batters for long periods of time.”Murphy has now completely recovered from a shoulder injury, which caused him frustration and affected his performance at times over the past two years. But he is not one to make excuses and is delighted with the opportunity to return to India to develop his bowling further.Corey Rocchiccioli is one of the Australian spinners who might have leapfrogged Todd Murphy•Tanuj/UPCA”The pitch in the first match was very different from the last tour,” Murphy said. “Instead of spinning, it was more of a flat pitch. This too is a kind of challenge, how do we bowl on flat wickets? The whole purpose of the trip is to come over here and try to keep adapting to these conditions.”So it was another challenge to try and adapt to a flatter wicket, find ways to put the batters under pressure and that’s just bouncing in an out of different plans and working with the captain. Sometimes the best way to do that is just shut the scoreboard down and get a different shot out of the batter.”Following the second unofficial Test, Murphy will return for the start of a new Shield season with Victoria. Ambitions of reclaiming his place as Australia’s first-choice understudy behind Lyon will fade behind his aim to help Victoria claim a Shield title that has narrowly eluded them over the past three seasons.”I think when you start a new Shield season, the first hope is to try and push as hard as you can to try and win the Shield,” Murphy said. “My role amongst the Victorian team is just to try and contribute to win. So that’s sort of what I’m looking to do. We’ve got a really good group of fast bowlers at Victoria, so I will try and play my role in and around that. Hopefully, I will be able to put up some good performance personally to keep myself going. But yeah, just try and play the best team role I can and I know performances will come from that.”
Stats highlights from New Zealand’s 3-0 sweep of England in the ODI series
Sampath Bandarupalli01-Nov-202510 Consecutive bilateral ODI series wins at home for New Zealand since losing to India in January 2019 – the second longest winning streak in men’s ODIs after South Africa’s 17 consecutive series wins between 2002 and 2007. New Zealand surpassed England’s streak of nine series wins between 2016 and 2020.2 Instances of New Zealand whitewashing England in a series of three or more matches across formats. The previous instance was also in a three-match ODI series at home in 1983.10 Consecutive defeats for England in ODIs away from home, their longest losing streak.ESPNcricinfo Ltd22.3 Strike rate of New Zealand’s bowlers in the series against England, the second best for any team in a men’s ODI series or tournament where they took at least 30 wickets. South Africa’s bowlers had a strike rate of 21.5 against Zimbabwe in a three-match series in 2018.New Zealand’s fast bowlers took 26 wickets against England at a strike rate of 19.8, the best for any team in a series or tournament for a minimum of 20 wickets.84 Runs scored by England’s top four across the three ODIs in New Zealand – the fewest by any team’s top four in a men’s ODI series or tournament where they batted at least three times. The previous lowest was 89 by Bangladesh in the 1988 Asia Cup.England’s top three scored 58 – Jamie Smith (18), Ben Duckett (11) and Joe Root (29) – in the three ODIs. Only one team has had fewer runs in an ODI series or tournament (minimum of three matches), while playing with the same top three: 46 by Bangladesh’s Tamim Iqbal (40), Junaid Siddique (1) and Mushfiqur Rahim (5) in the 2009 Tri-Nation Tournament in Bangladesh.ESPNcricinfo Ltd104 Runs added by England for their first four wickets in this series, having lost their fourth wicket at scores of 10, 63 and 31 in the three matches – the fewest runs added by a team for their first four wickets in a men’s ODI series or tournament (minimum of three games).156 Runs scored by Jamie Overton are the most in a three-match series while batting at No. 8 or lower, going past Mehidy Hasan Miraz’s 141 runs against India in 2022.
Richard Hughes was rightly lauded after overseeing a staggering summer transfer window for Premier League champions Liverpool, but any positivity has been scourged away by the dreadful form that has fractured Arne Slot’s reign.
Nine losses across 12 fixtures is bad enough, but the limp and toothless manner of many of the defeats – especially recent losses at Anfield against Nottingham Forest and PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League – underscores the severity of the crisis Slot is dealing with.
He needs to find answers, or else FSG will be forced into making a rare managerial dismissal. It’s inevitable that discussion is increasing about the security of Slot’s position.
That would be an outcome few of a Red persuasion would want, not least because of a shortage of options.
Jurgen Klopp’s name has been bandied about, but this is not realistic.
Who Liverpool could replace Slot with
Klopp draped the curtain on his Liverpool dynasty at the end of the 2023/24 campaign. He was tired. It had been a tough, gruelling, heavy metal career on Merseyside, where he had devoted nine years to restoring Anfield as a global superpower.
Klopp’s Silverware at Liverpool
Competition
Times won
Season(s)
Premier League
1x
19/20
Champions League
1x
18/19
FA Cup
1x
21/22
Carabao Cup
2x
21/22, 23/24
Club World Cup
1x
19/20
UEFA Super Cup
1x
19/20
Community Shield
1x
22/23
Data via Transfermarkt
There has been some discussion online as to whether FSG should push for a comeback, but this romanticised notion would fall flat.
Klopp is not the answer. His quasi-retirement has seen him assume the post of Head of Global Soccer for Red Bull GmbH, and it’s important to remember that the German tactician’s tactical shrewdness waned toward the end of his tenure. He was tired, after all.
But, if Slot is fired, Liverpool would need to find a replacement, and Spanish sources suggest Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola is on the shortlist.
Iraola, 43, is one of the most exciting young managers in Europe, having shaped the Cherries into a front-footed and sharp attacking outfit.
Compensation pay would be required to pull him away from the Vitality Stadium, but given Iraola’s vision aligns with the club’s long-term project, he might be the one to go for.
Why Iraola could be perfect for Liverpool
It was a bold move for Bournemouth to ditch Gary O’Neil after the pragmatic manager steered the club to safety after promotion to the Premier League in 2022/23. A bold move, but one carried out with diligence, for Iraola was earmarked as a progressive option.
And Bill Foley must be delighted. In 2023/24, Bournemouth recorded a record points total (56) in the Premier League, leading journalist James Horncastle to hail him as “the best coach in the Premier League” for his sharp-witted and positive approach.
Iraola likes aggressive and high-octane football. He is not as turbo-charged in his approach as Klopp, but the Spaniard would infuse Liverpool with more risk-taking and directness than Slot prefers, albeit still maintaining an emphasis on retaining possession.
This could play to the strengths of Florian Wirtz, who has had a tough time since joining Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen for £116m in the summer.
A silky and inventive attacking midfielder, the German has yet to register a goal involvement in the Premier League and has lacked the clarity and poise that was expected after the thrill of his official announcement.
There remains a world-class talent in there, and Wirtz’s woes come with the caveat that he has entered a dysfunctional tactical system.
Iraola’s focus on a 4-2-3-1 formation suggests that the 22-year-old could find a natural place at number ten. As per FBref, he does rank among the top 11% of positional peers in the English top flight this term for shot-creating actions and the top 4% for passes attempted and progressive passes per 90.
This suggests that Wirtz has the potential to be a superstar in England, and Iraola can provide the stability and fluency of tactics to help realise that.
He might not be Klopp, but Iraola has labelled his tactics as being akin to “rock and roll”. Klopp’s famous branding of his vision as being ‘heavy metal football’ suggests that Liverpool might hit the jackpot by making this switch.
No one wants to see Slot be sacked, but this pitiful form and level of performance cannot be allowed to continue, and Iraola has the acumen to revive Wirtz and bring the champions back into the ascendancy.
Better than Isak: Liverpool join race for "one of the best RWs in the world"
Arne Slot’s Liverpool tenure is crumbling before him, and FSG are considering changes.
As the 2025 season barrels into the second half, the July 31 trade deadline draws nearer. With only six teams more than seven games outside of a wild-card spot, there is a shortage of obvious sellers, adding a level of intrigue to the ever-shifting market.
The dynamics of the trade market are sure to swing wildly in the coming weeks. As we gear up for the drama, has a primer of the 25 best players who seem most likely to be traded by the end of July. We’ve identified each player’s best fit, and offer predictions for where (or if) they’ll get dealt that are, of course, all certain to be proven correct by the time we hit August.
1. Jarren Duran, Boston Red Sox LF
2025 stats: .254/.307/.404, 5 HR, 8 3B, 20 2B, 41 R, 38 RBI, 0.6 fWAR in 81 games
Best fits: Padres, Braves, Royals, Dodgers, Phillies, Guardians
Duran ranked fourth in the AL in WAR last season—directly above Juan Soto and José Ramirez—while leading the majors in doubles and triples. The 28-year-old has fallen off quite a bit this season, but he’s under team control through 2028 and still profiles as an above-average leadoff hitter for the next several years. The Red Sox would have to be blown away by an offer to consider trading another building block so soon after the Rafael Devers deal, especially if they continue to linger on the edge of the playoff race, though they do possess a surplus of outfielders and Duran has been the name most frequently popping up in rumors.
Prediction: Not traded
2. Eugenio Suárez, Arizona Diamondbacks 3B
2025 stats: .251/.323/.569, 25 HR, 15 2B, 48 R, 67 RBI, 2.3 fWAR in 78 games
Best fits: Brewers, Cubs, Tigers, Mariners, Royals, Yankees, Twins
Suárez is a streaky power hitter who’s had a terrific first half—the 33-year-old leads the NL in RBIs and is on pace to top his previous career high of 49 home runs set during the 2019 juiced-ball season. He also recently hit the 300th home run of his career and will likely be the best bat moved before the deadline. D-Backs GM Mike Hazen has thus far indicated an unwillingness to sell, but top prospect Jordan Lawlar is waiting in the wings, Suárez is a pending free agent and Arizona may not have the pitching to keep up in the playoff race following season-ending injuries to ace Corbin Burnes and closers Justin Martinez and A.J. Puk.
Best fits: Cubs, Phillies, Tigers, Diamondbacks, Braves, Rangers
Duran has taken his game to new heights in his fourth big-league season, blowing hitters away with a four-seamer that sits 100.4 mph and a devastating knuckle curve that’s generated a 42.6% whiff rate. He’s posted a staggering 71.7% ground ball rate and is yet to allow a home run. Should the Twins fall out of the race, there should be no shortage of contending teams lining up to add a game-changing closer to the back of their bullpen.
Prediction: Not traded
4. Josh Naylor, Arizona Diamondbacks 1B
2025 stats: .307/.363/.479, 10 HR, 18 2B, 42 R, 53 RBI, 1.5 fWAR in 76 games
Best fits: Mariners, Rangers, Reds, Red Sox, Twins, Royals
A 2024 All-Star with the Cleveland Guardians, Naylor is enjoying his best all-around offensive season following an offseason trade to Arizona and its hitter-friendly confines, where his OPS is over 200 points higher than on the road. Still, he’s one of just 10 qualified players batting at least .300 and slugging at least .475. Naylor, like Suárez, is set to be a free agent this offseason and a number of teams in need of a bat could sway the D-Backs into selling.
Prediction: Not traded
5. Seth Lugo, Kansas City Royals SP
2025 stats: 4–5, 2.93 ERA, 4.25 FIP, 1.05 WHIP, 68 K, 23 BB, 0.9 fWAR in 83 IP
Best fits: Blue Jays, Cubs, Dodgers, Cardinals, Braves, Angels, Padres
Lugo doesn’t strike out a ton of hitters, but he hasn’t posted an ERA above 3.60 since 2020 and quietly finished second in AL Cy Young voting last year while winning a Gold Glove to boot. The 35-year-old also fared well in two playoff starts last season. The converted reliever would improve just about any postseason rotation and the Royals may feel obliged to deal Lugo ahead of his looming free agency if MLB’s lowest-scoring offense doesn’t perk up in the coming weeks.
Prediction: Traded to Blue Jays
6. Sandy Alcantara, Miami Marlins SP
2025 stats: 4–8, 6.69 ERA, 4.69 FIP, 1.46 WHIP, 59 K, 34 BB, 0.3 fWAR in 74 IP
Best fits: Cubs, Blue Jays, Astros, Tigers, Dodgers, Mets
The 2022 NL Cy Young Award winner has been on a winding path to rediscover his form after making his return from Tommy John surgery. Through the first two months of the season, that form seemed a long way off. Alcantara went 2–7 with an 8.47 ERA through his first 11 starts, with 29 walks and just 40 strikeouts in 51 innings. Since the start of June, the results have been much better: a 2.74 ERA and 3.20 FIP in four outings, with a meager 5.3% walk rate. If he can keep that up, interest should be high in the 29-year-old, who has a club option to keep him under contract through 2027.
Prediction: Traded to Dodgers
Mullins has spent his entire career with the Orioles, making the All-Star team in 2021. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
7. Cedric Mullins, Baltimore Orioles CF
2025 stats: .214/.298/.419, 12 HR, 8 SB, 31 R, 35 RBI, 0.7 fWAR in 64 games
Best fits: Phillies, Mets, Guardians, Royals
A lack of starting caliber center fielders drives much of Mullins’s trade value. At his peak, he was a legitimate difference maker with speed and power, posting a 30–30 season in 2021 and averaging 16 homers and 28 stolen bases from ‘22 to ‘24. This year, Mullins’s offensive production has dipped to career lows in batting average and on-base percentage, though he’s still tracking for over 20 home runs. A sub-par defensive center fielder (ranking last at the position in defensive runs saved), he’s a free agent after this season, and likely not a part of the Orioles’ long-term plans.
Prediction: Traded to Guardians
8. Ryan O’Hearn, Baltimore Orioles 1B
2025 stats: .301/.384/.485, 11 HR, 30 R, 30 RBI, 2.0 fWAR in 67 games
Best fits: Mariners, Royals, Giants, Rangers
O’Hearn has been among the few bright spots in what’s been a dismal season in Baltimore. After posting a respectable 119 wRC+ from 2023 to ‘24, his 149 mark to start the year ranks as the sixth-highest in the American League. O’Hearn can passably play first base and the corner outfield, and has improved against lefties to the point where he’s not automatically relegated to the bench against southpaws. He’s a free agent after this season, so likely wouldn’t cost much to acquire, and could be a middle-of-the-order bat to boost a contending team’s lineup.
Best fits: Cubs, Dodgers, Phillies, Tigers, Diamondbacks, Rangers
Bautista’s stuff hasn’t quite returned to its pre-Tommy John surgery level of dominance—his sinker is a couple ticks slower and doesn’t generate whiffs as frequently. He’s also walking batters at a 15.0% rate—fifth-highest out of nearly 400 pitchers with at least 20 innings this season. None of that has stopped him from putting up strong results, with a .170 expected batting average against that ranks as the third-best among qualified pitchers. Bautista hasn’t given up a run in his last 10 outings, with 17 strikeouts and just two hits allowed.
Prediction: Not traded
10. Marcell Ozuna, Atlanta Braves DH
2025 stats: .247/.379/.406, 11 HR, 10 2B, 34 R, 40 RBI, 1.0 fWAR in 76 games
Best fits: Tigers, Mariners, Royals, Yankees, Twins
After mashing 79 homers over the last two seasons and finishing fourth in NL MVP voting last year, Ozuna’s power has significantly fallen off in his age-34 season, though he’s partially compensated by trailing only Juan Soto in walk rate (17.3%). It’s hard to imagine the Braves waving the white flag unless things really unravel, especially after they won the 2021 World Series with a late-season surge sparked by additions from GM Alex Anthopoulos. But if Atlanta ends up dealing anyone, it’ll probably be their only pending free agent of much value.
Prediction: Not traded
11. Merrill Kelly, Arizona Diamondbacks SP
2025 stats: 7–3, 3.39 ERA, 3.31 FIP, 1.05 WHIP, 93 K, 25 BB, 1.8 fWAR in 93 IP
Best fits: Cardinals, Cubs, Braves, Blue Jays, Mets, Twins, Red Sox, Angels
Kelly has never made an All-Star team or garnered Cy Young votes, but he’s been one of the league’s most solid starters since coming over from the KBO in 2019. His 3.78 ERA over that span ranks 14th (min. 800 IP), ahead of hurlers like Dylan Cease and Aaron Nola. He also showed during Arizona’s 2023 World Series run that he can be counted on in the playoffs, recording a 2.25 ERA in four postseason starts. The 36-year-old could make for a sneaky-good hired arm amid one of his best seasons if the D-Backs elect to move him before he enters free agency in the winter.
Prediction: Traded to Cardinals
12. Aroldis Chapman, Boston Red Sox RP
2025 stats: 3–2, 1.36 ERA, 1.86 FIP, 0.82 WHIP, 14 SV, 48 K, 10 BB, 1.4 fWAR in 33 IP
Best fits: Phillies, Tigers, Dodgers
Playing for his fifth team in four years, Chapman could be headed for a sixth if the Red Sox continue their slide down the standings. And his form could ensure that the cost to acquire him is much steeper than a typical 37-year-old free agent to be. That’s because the lefty has been as lights-out as ever, with a 38.1% strikeout rate and a career-best 7.9% walk rate. Chapman still touches triple digits regularly and keeps hitters guessing with his four-pitch mix. Even in his 16th season, he still looks plenty capable of anchoring a title contender’s bullpen.
Prediction: Traded to Tigers
13. Luis Robert Jr., Chicago White Sox CF
2025 stats: .185/.270/.313, 8 HR, 8 2B, 27 R, 32 RBI, 22 SB, 0.0 fWAR in 73 games
Best fits: Mets, Guardians, Phillies, Padres, Rangers
Robert’s production at the plate has rapidly diminished since winning a Silver Slugger in 2023 to the point where he’s currently valued as a replacement-level player even with his stellar baserunning and glovework in center field. A pair of $20 million club options for 2026 and ’27 that were once seen as potential bargains are now highly unlikely to be exercised. His walk rate (10.2%) and chase rate (32.7%) are at career-high points, indicating an improvement in his plate discipline, but his abysmal squared-up rate (17.9%, second percentile in MLB) indicates there’s work for him to do to be a plus on offense. The White Sox don’t have much to gain by holding onto Robert, but it’s hard to tell if their valuation on him will come down enough by the deadline for another team to take a swing on the 27-year-old.
Prediction: Traded to Mets
14. Taylor Ward, Los Angeles Angels OF
2025 stats: .208/.278/.460, 19 HR, 43 R, 53 RBI, 0.9 fWAR in 78 games
Best fits: Padres, Phillies, Guardians, Mariners, Royals
Ward is putting up the best power numbers of his career, on pace to soar past last season’s career-high 25 home runs sometime in the next month or so. That’s come at the expense of his results on balls in play, with his .222 BABIP the product of an extreme fly ball approach. Under team control through 2026, Ward could be of use to teams with corner outfield holes and add some extra thump to the middle of the lineup. But the Angels are hovering on the periphery of the wild-card race and have demonstrated a reluctance to sell in years past, so it seems more likely he’ll stay put in Anaheim.
Prediction: Not traded
15. Edward Cabrera, Miami Marlins SP
2025 stats: 2–2, 3.78 ERA, 4.04 FIP, 1.37 WHIP, 69 K, 29 BB, 0.7 fWAR in 64 1/3 IP
Best fits: Dodgers, Cubs, Orioles, Blue Jays, Cardinals
Cabrera has long been an intriguing yet inconsistent talent, capable of dominating one outing then looking erratic the next. He’s put together an impressively stable stretch here after a rocky April, posting a 2.36 ERA and 3.38 FIP with a 26.3% strikeout rate in nine starts since the beginning of May. Cabrera is still only 27 and under team control through 2028, so Miami is likely to want to hang onto him—though offers for one of the few impact starters on the market could entice them to part ways.
Prediction: Not traded
Gallen has struggled in his seventh big-league season, giving up a league-worst 62 earned runs on the year. / Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images
16. Zac Gallen, Arizona Diamondbacks SP
2025 stats: 5–9, 5.75 ERA, 5.17 FIP, 1.41 WHIP, 88 K, 42 BB, -0.4 fWAR in 97 IP
Best fits: Braves, Twins, Blue Jays, Angels, Padres, Mets
Gallen has finished in the top 10 of NL Cy Young voting three times this decade, but the 29-year-old has picked an awful time for a down season. With his team desperately needing quality arms and himself months away from free agency, Gallen ranks 297th out of 300 qualified pitchers in run value (ranking last if you don’t count Rockies or White Sox) and leads the NL in free passes. None of his five pitches are working for him as practically all of his batted-ball metrics have trended in the wrong direction. He’s even given up 12 combined earned runs in his last two starts against the Rockies and White Sox. It all makes for a somber outlook, and while his track record may convince a contender to try and squeeze some quality innings out of him down the stretch, it also will make it hard for two teams to agree on his value.
Prediction: Not traded
17. Walker Buehler, Boston Red Sox SP
2025 stats: 5–5, 6.29 ERA, 5.74 FIP, 1.57 WHIP, 56 K, 29 BB, -0.4 fWAR in 63 IP
Best fits: Dodgers, Cubs, Astros, Mets
Buehler’s numbers to date look like a massive disappointment until you realize they’re more or less in keeping with what he did in his final year with the Dodgers. His postseason heroics might have made the Red Sox brush aside his regular season struggles, and perhaps they’ll buoy his trade value for a contending team looking for someone who’s proven capable of getting outs in October, either as a starter or in relief.
Prediction: Not traded
18. Tyler Mahle, Texas Rangers SP
2025 stats: 6–3, 2.34 ERA, 3.35 FIP, 1.13 WHIP, 56 K, 27 BB, 1.7 fWAR in 77 IP
Best fits: Padres, Red Sox, Blue Jays, Dodgers, Cubs, Braves
Mahle has enjoyed a successful rebound campaign after shoulder and elbow injuries limited him to just 38 1/3 innings over the past two seasons. Unfortunately, he was placed on the IL with shoulder fatigue a couple of weeks ago, and whichever team he plays for down the stretch will want to be cautious with his workload. The 30-year-old’s medical history—and less-than-stellar secondary metrics—likely point to him staying put in Texas, though a quick return to the mound combined with a slide down the standings for the Rangers could make him a back-end rotation option on the trade market.
The Pirates actually demoted Bednar to the minors early this season after three rough outings in which the two-time All-Star retired only three of the nine batters he faced. He returned in mid-April and has been nearly untouchable since, posting a 2.03 ERA and 1.50 FIP over his last 28 appearances to regain closer duties. Bednar is making a reasonable $5.9 million this season and has one year left before reaching free agency, so teams would be getting more than just a rental to fortify the back end of their bullpen.
Prediction: Traded to Phillies
20. Ramón Laureano, Baltimore Orioles OF
2025 stats: .258/.328/.484, 9 HR, 8 2B, 22 R, 22 RBI, 1.2 fWAR in 53 games
Best fits: Padres, Phillies, Guardians, Mariners, Royals
After forcing his way into playing time down the stretch in Atlanta last year, Laureano has done the same in a crowded Orioles outfield this season and has in fact been Baltimore’s second-most valuable player, per bWAR, behind only Gunnar Henderson. The 30-year-old still boasts a cannon of an arm and can play either outfield corner, with his reverse splits this season (.957 OPS vs. RHP, .578 OPS vs. LHP) indicating he can continue to start if needed. The O’s do hold a $6.5 million team option on Laureano for 2026, but it may behoove them to sell high on him.
Prediction: Traded to Padres
McMahon made his first career All-Star team in 2024. / Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
21. Ryan McMahon, Colorado Rockies 3B
2025 stats: .222/.324/.404, 12 HR, 12 2B, 32 R, 25 RBI, 1.3 fWAR in 78 games
Best fits: Brewers, Mariners, Royals, Yankees
McMahon is on pace to hit 20 homers for the sixth straight full season, an impressive accomplishment that’s somewhat lessened by playing half of his games at Coors Field—despite that fact, he’s never registered as an above-average bat by wRC+. His OPS this season is also more than 300 points higher in Colorado compared to road games. The 30-year-old is also set to make $16 million in each of the next two seasons, meaning the Rockies would likely have to pay part of his contract if they want to acquire a meaningful prospect package in a trade. Still, McMahon’s season statistics are about as consistent as they can get, and he could fill multiple spots around the infield for some playoff team.
Prediction: Traded to Yankees
22. Dennis Santana, Pittsburgh Pirates RP
2025 stats: 2–1, 1.57 ERA, 2.37 FIP, 0.79 WHIP, 26 K, 5 BB, 0.9 fWAR in 34 1/3 IP
Best fits: Phillies, Mariners, Rays, Braves, Blue Jays
Santana gets things done without big velocity or the ability to miss many bats. His 6.8 K/9 doesn’t scream “closer” for many teams, but he’s nonetheless been effective thanks to his command. Santana could be attractive to teams looking for a bridge arm to their highest-leverage reliever, and is under team control through 2026.
Prediction: Traded to Rays
23. Jesús Sánchez, Miami Marlins OF
2025 stats: .245/.315/.409, 7 HR, 24 R, 28 RBI, 8 SB, 0.5 fWAR in 58 games
Best fits: Guardians, Mariners, Reds
Sánchez’s production has never quite seemed to match his potential. He put up 18 homers and 16 stolen bases in 2024, but his slash line to date this season has translated to a 99 wRC+. He has elite bat speed and an imposing frame (6’ 4”, 222 pounds) that indicates there’s more in the tank, making him enticing enough for a team looking for an experienced hitter that’s still something of a project. Sánchez is under team control through ‘27.
Prediction: Traded to Reds
24. Jake Bird, Colorado Rockies RP
2025 stats: 2–1, 2.62 ERA, 2.49 FIP, 1.28 WHIP, 56 K, 18 BB, 1.1 fWAR in 44 ⅔ IP
Best fits: Reds, Cubs, Mariners, Tigers, Rays, Braves, Blue Jays, Phillies
It’s hard to rack up whiffs in the high altitude of Denver, but Bird has managed to nearly double his strikeout rate (30.1%) from last year during his fourth season in the majors. The righthander has actually performed far better this year at Coors Field than on the road, though he’d likely figure out how to succeed in another home park once he isn’t constantly changing altitudes. The Rockies have precious few tradable assets and should probably cash in on a reliever who, while performing admirably, isn’t doing much to change their fortunes and is under team control through 2028.
Prediction: Traded to Cubs
25. Kyle Finnegan, Washington Nationals RP
2025 stats: 0–2, 2.89 ERA, 3.32 FIP, 1.21 WHIP, 23 K, 8 BB, 0.6 fWAR in 28 IP
Best fits: Blue Jays, Reds, Cubs, Mariners, Tigers, Rays, Diamondbacks
The Nationals righthander wouldn’t close for most contenders considering his mediocre strikeout rate and career 3.51 ERA, but he’s nonetheless racked up 106 saves over the past five seasons and could at least fill a setup role for a better team than Washington. The Nats have little incentive to keep their 2024 All-Star past the deadline given his pending free agency, so Finnegan seems like a lock to change addresses by the time the calendar turns to August.
England’s poor 50-over form continues as South Africa claim first ODI series win in country since 1998
Matt Roller04-Sep-2025
Matthew Breetzke went on the attack as South Africa posted an imposing 330 for 8•AFP/Getty Images
Matthew Breetzke had not been born when South Africa last won a bilateral ODI series in England. By extending a remarkable start to his career in the format, he helped them clinch this one with a match to spare. On his return from a hamstring injury, Breetzke hit 85 to underpin South Africa’s total of 330, before their bowlers closed out a tense win under the floodlights.Breetzke, 26, was born five-and-a-half months after South Africa’s 2-1 triumph in the 1998 Texaco Trophy but will now lift the series trophy in Southampton on Sunday after his team took an unassailable 2-0 lead at Lord’s. Unlike in Leeds, England at least competed but none of their three half-centurions – Joe Root, Jacob Bethell and Jos Buttler – kicked on past 61.The chase went down to the final ball, which Jofra Archer needed to hit for six to take the game into a Super Over. But his inside-edged hoick off Senuran Muthusamy brought only a single and South Africa were deserving winners, backing up the thrashing they inflicted on Tuesday with a clinical, calculated performance.ESPNcricinfo Ltd
This was an eighth defeat in 11 ODIs for England in 2025, and their captain Harry Brook refused to blame fatigue after an exhausting summer. “In my eyes that’s just an excuse,” he said. We’re good enough and fit enough to be able to keep playing for the time being… Chasing 6.5 an over from ball one is a tough task. But that’s exactly why we’ve picked this side: we’ve a long batting order. To get within one blow of that score is a really good effort.”South Africa had been stuttering at 93 for 3 after 19 overs when Tristan Stubbs joined Breetzke, but a fourth-wicket partnership of 147 off 126 balls laid a strong foundation before Dewald Brevis’ cameo launched them towards 300. They fell four runs short of the record ODI total at Lord’s, which has stood since the 1975 World Cup, but this was clearly a fighting effort.Breetzke’s innings was the highest by a South African in an ODI at Lord’s, and he achieved the unprecedented feat of passing 50 in each of his first five innings in the format. By the time he fell 15 runs short of a second hundred, he had taken his ODI aggregate to 463 and executed South Africa’s clear plan to put England’s part-time spinners under severe pressure.England got away with picking only four frontline bowlers in their 3-0 win against West Indies in June, but South Africa were merciless in targeting Bethell and Will Jacks; with Root curiously unused, they returned combined figures of 1 for 112 from their 10 overs. Brevis was particularly severe on Bethell, hitting him for consecutive sixes, while Stubbs laid into Jacks.The margin of victory obscured the fact South Africa were ahead of the game from the moment Nandre Burger had Jamie Smith caught behind off the first ball of the chase. Root dominated the scoring in a second-wicket stand of 66, with Ben Duckett desperately out of form at the other end; his dismissal for 14 off 33, bowled reverse-sweeping Keshav Maharaj, was a mercy kill.Jofra Archer nearly took England over the line•AFP/Getty Images
Where Duckett looked exhausted by his non-stop summer, Bethell had been short on time in the middle and was pushed up to No. 4 to take on South Africa’s two left-arm spinners. Temba Bavuma responded by bringing on Aiden Markram’s offspin, but Bethell slog-swept and pulled sixes as his two overs cost 27 runs.He brought up a 28-ball half-century by launching Burger over mid-on, five balls after Root had cruised to his own off 57. But they fell in quick succession, too: Bethell sliced the relentless Corbin Bosch to backward point, and Root was beaten in the flight by Maharaj to be stumped in an ODI for the first time in a decade.Brook and Buttler added 69 for the fifth wicket, launching sixes off Bosch and Muthusamy respectively. But Muthusamy found extra bounce to have Brook chipping to cover, and despite Buttler’s outrageous reverse-slap for six on his way to 50 – a landmark he celebrated with a look to the skies after his father’s recent passing – the required rate climbed past nine an over.Lungi Ngidi got the big wicket of Jos Buttler at the death•AFP/Getty Images
The game looked as good as won when Lungi Ngidi flummoxed Buttler with a dipping slower ball, and Burger removed Jacks and Brydon Carse in the same over to leave 40 required off the last three. Despite Archer’s best efforts – with two lusty sixes and a pair of reverse-slaps for four – they always looked like falling short.It looked like an important toss when Brook put South Africa into bat, with the start delayed by 15 minutes after a morning of heavy showers. Archer and Saqib Mahmood – recalled at Sonny Baker’s expense – both found extravagant seam movement early on, but Markram and Ryan Rickelton were equal to it, adding 73 for the first wicket.Rickelton fell for 35, top-edging Archer behind to Buttler, before Adil Rashid struck twice in quick succession, with Bavuma done on the outside edge and Markram furious with himself after chipping back a return catch on 49. But that only brought Breetzke and Stubbs together, whose partnership took the game away from England – and they never quite recovered.
South Africa’s coach Shukri Conrad labelled his team’s record 342-run defeat to England in the third ODI “embarrassing” while captain Temba Bavuma said the performance “doesn’t do us justice” after their recent ODI success. South Africa have beaten both Australia and England 2-1 in series over the last month.Their loss in the third match in England, which was a dead rubber, came after a comprehensive win in game one and a nail-biting triumph in game two. That secured a first series in England since 1998. But the magnitude of the defeat in Southampton, which comes after a 276-run loss against Australia – also in a series that was already won – asks questions of how quickly and dramatically South Africa switch off, especially when the result does not matter.”Any excuse is better than none. We were definitely off today. And against a top side like England, when you’re not on top of your game, you do get exposed,” Conrad said at the post-match conference. “A similar thing happened in Australia, where after going 2-0 up, it was a complete aberration. They got in excess of 400 as well. But if we were going to be poor at something, we’d rather be poor at games that aren’t clutch games. We’re not making light of today’s defeat. That was slightly embarrassing.”Related
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Both defeats – South Africa’s two heaviest in ODIs – have come when they have fielded first and were accompanied by lack of discipline and dropped catches. Against Australia, South Africa bowled 15 wides and put down Alex Carey, who went on to finish the innings strongly. Against England, they bowled 19 wides and dropped two catches including Jamie Smith on 23 and Jacob Bethell on 44. Bavuma said at the post-match presentation that bowling that many extras was “far from ideal, not good enough” and said it “could be complacency”, while Conrad believed a wayward bowling performance impacted the rest of their skillset.”The bowling affects the fielding and the other way around, but nine out of ten times, Matthew Breetzke is taking that catch [off Smith, who offered a chance off a leading edge in the covers],” Conraid said. “We’re not going to read too much into that, but it’s a difficult one because when that edge is not there and something doesn’t go your way and the harder you try, it’s just not there. I’m not offering it as an excuse because it’s not supposed to be like that, but the fielding wasn’t at the usual high standard that we set. All in all, yeah, it was an embarrassing performance in the field.”Among South Africa’s bowling lows were Nandre Burger’s 0 for 95, which was the most expensive in their history, and Codi Yusuf’s 0 or 80, the worst by a South African debutant. Some of that may be down to inexperience especially in the absence of pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada, who has not played an ODI in either Australia or England as he recovers from ankle inflammation.Conrad confirmed Rabada could have been “really pushed and forced through today” but South Africa decided they “didn’t want to take any risks with him” ahead of the T20Is next week. “The T20 is the priority for us. When we earned the right to give him another rest, we definitely exercised that because with the T20 World Cup looming, we want to make sure that we get a good take on that. We’ve obviously got two massive Test series [against Pakistan and India] coming up.”Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, who was rested, and Marco Jansen, who has not played since the World Test Championship final where he broke his thumb, will all be back for the T20Is. A new concern is Bavuma, who could not bat after hurting his calf – but as he is not part of the T20Is, he will be assessed on his return to South Africa. Bavuma’s injury was among the reasons South Africa’s batting stumbled to their second lowest total in ODIs – 72 – as they went in pursuit of a target of 415 for which Bavuma said there is “no real formula”.In the end, they were blown away by a searing opening spell from Jofrra Archer, who took 3 for 1 in his first three overs and finished with 4 for 18. Archer’s first wicket was Aiden Markram, who nicked off against a short, wide ball and sent the rest of the line-up into freefall.”Aiden lost his wicket to a pretty innocuous delivery, and that probably summed up the day,” Conrad said. “And then from there, before you know it, you’re four down. Obviously, the disruption of Temba not being able to bat, that played a part as well but it is very difficult to explain. If you’re not on top of your game, if the edge is not there, then you’re going to get exposed.”Bashful as they were in this match, Bavuma also highlighted South Africa’s achievements over the last month after beating both Australia and England with a game to spare. “There are lots of positives in the series, coming to England away with a fairly inexperienced side and we wouldn’t want today’s performance to diminish that,” he said. “There are shining moments so we’ll try to highlight those. They can’t be wiped away by one performance.”
Since taking over Manchester City in 2016, Pep Guardiola’s team has constantly evolved, going through different eras with countless top quality players key to the Sky Blues’ success.
Right now, we’re all very much living in the Erling Braut Håland-era, given that the Norwegian striker has now scored 18 goals this season, most recently on target against former club Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Wednesday night.
In behind the goalbot though, Guardiola has an array of attacking options at his disposal, but could two of these players be poised to replicate, arguably, Manchester City’s most productive ever attacking duo?
Kevin De Bruyne and Raheem Sterling's Manchester City legacy
Of players who’ve made the most appearances for Guardiola during his illustrious managerial career, Raheem Sterling ranks seventh on 292, while Kevin De Bruyne sits second with 381, behind only Bernardo Silva.
The Belgian departed for Napoli in the summer having scored 108 goals and registered 177 assists for Man City, a high proportion of which were for Sterling.
As noted by Total Football Analysis, in the 2019/20 season, De Bruyne registered 20 Premier League assists, equaling Thierry Henry’s long-standing record, with 25% of these assists providing Sterling with a goal, underlining their exceptional combination play.
The midfielder himself stated that he and Sterling had a “strong connection”, making them unquestionably one of the most dangerous attacking partnerships in modern Premier League history, winning four league titles and seven other major trophies together.
With both having now moved on to pastures new, Guardiola is searching for his next great attacking partnership, seeking to feed a certain prolific striker, so does he boast the ideal two candidates?
Manchester City's new Sterling and De Bruyne
Now that Manchester City’s treatment room has begun to empty, Guardiola has plenty of options from which to choose, with eight players battling for the four spots alongside Håland.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
Against Borussia Dortmund in mid-week, Tijjani Reijnders, Savinho, Jérémy Doku and scorer of a brace Phil Foden started, while Silva, Omar Marmoush and Rayan Cherki were all introduced during the second half, with Oscar Bobb left in reserve.
Nevertheless, ahead of Sunday’s blockbuster Premier League clash with Liverpool, Guardiola has to prioritise establishing Cherki and Doku as a partnership.
The 22-year-old Frenchman arrived from Olympique Lyonnais for £34m in the summer with a massive reputation.
Guardiola asserted that Cherki “is one of the most talented players I have ever seen in my career”, while Lyon teammate Ainsley Maitland-Niles labelled him “an absolute… wizard with the ball”.
So far, including the Club World Cup, Cherki has scored four goals in sky blue, on target against Wolves on his Premier League debut, subsequently netting against Swansea in the EFL Cup and Dortmund in the Champions League.
Doku meantime has been consistently one of the Premier League’s most prolific dribblers since first joining the club, as the table below highlights.
Attempted take-ons
2nd
2nd
Successful take-ons
1st
2nd
Progressive carries
1st
1st
Carries into area
2nd
3rd
Assists
43rd
4th
Shot-creating actions
62nd
4th
Big chances created
54th
1st
As the table outlines, Doku is both a high-quality and high-volume dribbler, ranked behind only Mohammed Kudus when it comes to take-ons this season.
However, ten matches into this campaign, there are signs that the Belgian will exponentially increase his attacking output, seeing a vast increase when it comes to shot-creating actions and big chances created.
In 1,514 Premier League minutes last time round, he created only eight big chances and registered just six assists, while this season, in only 549 minutes, he has already racked up five big chances created and three assists, thereby very much on course to smash last season’s tally.
Former Tottenham captain Ledley King labelled Doku “dynamic”, adding that he “likes to attack on the outside” while, following a 5-1 win over Burnley, Guardiola described the winger as “unstoppable”, interestingly noting that “I have the feeling that Jérémy’s decision-making in the final third has improved”.
Reportedly earning £50k-per-week and £180k-per-week respectively, both still aged 23 or under, there are signs that Doku and Cherki are both realising their true potential at Man City.
On paper, Cherki’s creativity and eye for a pass, coupled with Doku’s flair, pace and off-the-scale dribbling ability, has all the ingredients to replicate when De Bruyne and Sterling were able to produce for many years.
Thus, it is over to Guardiola to ensure this duo can flourish together, starting on Sunday when Liverpool visit the Etihad in a match not to be missed.
Forget Haaland & Foden: 41-touch star had "his best game in a Man City shirt"
Man City beat Borussia Dortmund 4-1 and this player starred