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Top-order collapses before Hughes, Ibrahim come together in fourth-wicket stand

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay31-Jul-2025

Sussex 222 (Lamb 48, Coles 47, White 3-25) and 115 for 3 (Hughes 56*, Ibrahim 50*) trail Yorkshire 545 for 9 dec (Revis 152*, Lyth 115, Wharton 85) by 208 runsAll-rounder Matthew Revis continued his sparkling run-scoring form in the Rothesay County Championship, posting his third hundred in as many matches to help Yorkshire press for a crucial victory over Sussex at Scarborough.Dating back to late June, in Yorkshire’s last four Division One fixtures, Revis – 23-years-old – has posted scores of 93 not out, 150, 110 not out and a career best 152 not out.He hit the 150 in a victory over Essex at York, 110 not out in last week’s draw here against champions Surrey and now this 188-ball effort with 14 fours and two pulled sixes against spin.Yorkshire declared on 545 for nine midway through the afternoon, leading by 323 with 44 overs remaining in the day, and then restricted Sussex to 115 for three at close. Opener Daniel Hughes gave the visitors something to cheer with an impressive rearguard 56 not out from 131 balls.It would now be a significant surprise if Revis is not selected to tour Australia with the England Lions this winter. Another man who could be on that tour is George Hill, with whom Revis shared an entertaining seventh-wicket partnership of 140 either side of lunch.Fellow all-rounder Hill contributed a season’s best 75 off 93 balls. He has already had Lions exposure this summer, courtesy of his near 40-wicket campaign with the ball.For Sussex, off-spinner Jack Carson plugged away with three for 150 from 43 overs. But he was swimming against the tide.Revis, who started the day on 22, drove handsomely down the ground before pulling a couple of sixes off Carson just before Yorkshire declared minutes before 3pm.Before lunch, Hill lofted Carson over long-on for six and out of the ground at the Trafalgar Square End.Revis reached his fifty off 77 balls and his fifth career first-class century off 137, the latter on the stroke of lunch. Sandwiched in between, Hill’s fifty came up in 65 balls.Sussex started the day nicely by removing Harry Duke and Will Sutherland, leaving Yorkshire 320 for six in the 97th over, the day’s seventh.Duke was caught behind for 21 against an out-swinger from Fynn Hudson-Prentice – Sussex having taken the new ball immediately at the start of play – before Sutherland was bowled by his fellow Australian Gurinder Sandhu for two.Sutherland is playing his last match of the season for Yorkshire this week and had been surfing in the North Sea at the end of day two.Revis and Hill advanced Yorkshire’s cause in entertaining fashion. The aforementioned Hill six off Carson even landed in the back yard of the Air BnB which the county’s live streaming team are using this week.Revis became the first Yorkshire player to score three hundreds in successive first-class matches since Gary Ballance did it back in 2019 and the first non-capped White Rose player to achieve that same feat in 80 years.Unfortunately for Sussex, further trouble was around the corner at the start of their second innings.They faced 12 overs before tea, where they reached at 29 for three.New-ball pair Jack White and Matt Milnes struck once apiece added to the run out of Tom Alsop courtesy of a direct hit from Imam-Ul-Haq at the striker’s end from cover.White had Tom Haines caught and bowled off a lead edge and Milnes got James Coles caught at fourth slip for a golden duck the ball after Alsop had fallen in the sixth over.But just when all seemed lost, left-handed Australian Hughes stood firm with the help of fourth-wicket partner Danial Ibrahim.Hughes was understandably watchful but drove, cut, pulled and deflected 10 boundaries en-route to a 114-ball fifty. The pair have shared an unbroken 95, with Ibrahim 50 not out.Ibrahim reached 50 off 111 balls with the day’s final delivery. But the pair have plenty more work to do on a pitch which is showing increasing signs of turn.

They might still be in the relegation zone, but things are starting to look up for West Ham United this season.

Following their draw away to Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday afternoon, Nuno Espírito Santo’s side have lost just one of their last six games.

The Portuguese manager has made the East Londoners far harder to play against and is getting more out of players, such as Callum Wilson.

The Englishman is starting to look like his old self, but if reports are to be believed, West Ham could soon sign an upgrade.

West Ham target Wilson upgrade

While the Hammers have most certainly improved over the last couple of months, it’s clear that they still need reinforcements in the January window, and so it’s not been a surprise to see them linked with a host of talented players.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

For example, Chelsea’s Axel Disasi has once again been touted for a move to the London Stadium, as has Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Jose Sa.

Yet, as good a signing as those two would be, neither one could be described as an upgrade on Wilson, unlike Joaquín Panichelli.

Yes, according to a recent report from Spain, West Ham are one of a few Premier League clubs interested in the Argentine striker.

Alongside the East Londoners, the report has revealed that Chelsea and Aston Villa have set their sights on the RC Strasbourg star.

A potential price for the 23-year-old is not mentioned in the report, but given that his £28k-per-week contract runs until 2030, he’s unlikely to come cheap.

With that said, West Ham should still do what they can to sign Panichelli, even if his arrival would be bad news for Wilson.

How Panichelli compares to Wilson

Now, it should be said that, as things stand, Wilson is doing an excellent job for West Ham.

However, football is a brutal game, and if the Irons can find themselves a better striker in the winter window, they should sign them.

So, with that said, is Panichelli a better forward than the Englishman?

Well, when it comes down to their output, the most important metric of all for forward, the answer is resounding yes.

For example, so far this season, the Argentine, whom U23 scout Antonio Mango has dubbed “one of the most in-form Strikers in Europe,” has scored ten goals in 19 appearances.

Appearances

19

13

Goals

10

4

Assists

0

1

Goal Involvements per Match

0.52

0.38

That means that the former Deportivo Alavés star is averaging a goal involvement every 1.9 games.

In contrast, the former Newcastle United ace has scored four goals and provided one assist in 13 appearances this season, resulting in a goal involvement every 2.6 games.

Another area in which the Córdoba-born gem clearly has a significant advantage over the Irons ace is age.

The once-capped international only turned 23 in October, whereas the Coventry-born poacher is 33 and set to turn 34 in February.

Now, this may not be an issue at the moment, but it does mean Nuno cannot build a team around the Englishman, which isn’t the case for the “clinical” Strasbourg striker, as dubbed by Mango.

Ultimately, while Wilson shouldn’t be moved on, West Ham should sign Panichelli next month to rival him for game time and then eventually surpass him to become the club’s starting number nine.

West Ham already have a Paqueta replacement who's 'like Kevin De Bruyne'

Nuno already has his Paqueta replacement in a hugely exciting West Ham star.

ByJack Salveson Holmes 3 days ago

Michael Clarke expects Usman Khawaja to be in the XI for Brisbane providing he is fit

Andrew McGlashan26-Nov-2025Former Australia captain Aaron Finch believes Travis Head remains best suited to batting at No. 5 in the day-night Test at the Gabba despite his barnstorming century opening in Perth, while both he and Michael Clarke are convinced that Nathan Lyon has to play as the home side weigh up the best balance of side to face England after their demolition job in the opening match of the Ashes.Usman Khawaja’s spot has come under scrutiny after Head’s spectacular century at the top when he was promoted after Khawaja suffered further back spasms on the second day, having also been unable to take his usual spot in the first innings with England collapsing so quickly he couldn’t make up enough time on the field.Related

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However, Finch said that the pink-ball factor of the second Test adds another layer on how Australia may structure their side and argued that in this case having Head in the middle was the favoured option.”If this wasn’t a pink-ball test match coming up at the Gabba, I would tend to agree and say, you know what, maybe it is time to throw him [Head] up there and you just launch into it from day one of a Test,” Finch told ESPN’s .”But I just feel as though the fact that it is a pink-ball test, the impact that that brand new ball can have and the impact that Travis Head can have batting at No. 5 when the pink ball does go a bit soft and the game can sort of, the wicket can flatten out. I like him at five still, just to be that real explosive player through the middle order.”Khawaja batted at No. 4 on the first day in Perth and gloved a rising delivery from Brydon Carse. His form was a talking point ahead of the Ashes after making one Test century in his last 44 innings prior to the series.Brisbane would be a home Test for Khawaja – where he is the leading run-scorer in day-night first-class cricket at the Gabba with 502 runs at 50.02 – and Clarke does not see Australia shifting from the original plan for now.Usman Khawaja’s position is being debate after Travis Head’s stunning success as an opener•AFP/Getty Images”I think he plays. I think if he’s fit, they give him another chance,” Clarke said. “I think a few days and Uzzie will be sweet. He hasn’t had this back problem that many times throughout his career, so I think he will be fit.”Meanwhile, both Clarke and Finch agreed that Lyon should be a lock for Brisbane despite only sending down two overs in Perth and having been left out of the day-night Test in Jamaica earlier this year.”He’s in for sure,” Clarke, who was Lyon’s first Test captain, said. “He’s in my XI every Test match. Unless it’s an absolute raging green seamer. Like even Perth, the wicket certainly didn’t look that bad. I’m still picking a spinner in my team.”Finch added: “The impact that Nathan Lyon has in that side is huge. We saw him not selected for the Test in Jamaica…and they were extreme conditions. So Australia decided that they probably weren’t going to use a spinner at all. I can see from that point of view why it happened in Jamaica. At the Gabba, 100%, it should not ever be talked about, Nathan Lyon not being in an Australian XI.”The other decision that will need to be made will be around the fitness of Pat Cummins who is pushing for a return in Brisbane. He bowled with the pink ball in Sydney on Tuesday and speaking during the Perth Test gave himself “half a chance” of being ready for the Gabba.”I think Australia will stick to the plan,” Finch said. “If he’s 100% fit, he plays. If he’s 95% fit, he doesn’t play. I think that’s the way that they’ll go. They’ve been really consistent with how they’ve picked squads, how they’ve picked the XI. And for me, it’s a long series. You don’t want to rush it.”

Jordan Cox, the newly-crowned PCA men’s player of the year, will leave England Lions’ tour to Australia early to take up a lucrative contract with Dubai Capitals in the ILT20.Cox missed out on selection for England’s 16-man Ashes squad after they deemed Ollie Pope to be sufficient wicketkeeping cover for Jamie Smith. He will have a chance to impress Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes first-hand when playing for the Lions in England’s only warm-up fixture but, barring an injury, will arrive in Dubai before the ILT20 starts on December 2.”We have got an agreement,” Cox said at last week’s Toyota PCA Awards. “I won’t be at the Lions as long as people think. I will be there for the first game, maybe the second. It’s mainly to help the England boys get ready for the Test matches, which is the most important thing. When they don’t need me, they will flick me off to Dubai.”The Capitals signed Cox as a replacement player before the ILT20’s recent auction and he is understood to be one of the league’s highest earners, with a contract worth around US$250,000. His exact itinerary is yet to be confirmed, but he is expected to leave the Lions tour before they play Australia A in Brisbane on December 5.After missing out on a Test debut there last winter with an ill-timed thumb injury, Cox is back in New Zealand with England’s T20I squad ahead of the start of the series on Saturday. He capped an excellent summer for Essex and Oval Invincibles with a maiden international half-century in Ireland last month, and is anticipating a busy winter.Brydon Carse hopes his injury problems are behind him, going into the Ashes•Getty Images

“There is some England stuff I’d love to be a part of,” he said, “but if not, there’s a few franchise competitions and I’ll have some fun. My aim is to play Test cricket, but I wouldn’t wish an injury on anyone. If I get a chance, it would be awesome.”It will be nice to show Stokes, Baz and Keysy [Rob Key]. They haven’t watched me live much in red-ball [cricket]. They have come to Hundred or T20 games, but I don’t imagine they are coming to much four-day cricket. Maybe they will see something different that they like – or not – and I’d like to show them [what I can do] in the flesh. That would be really good.”I was close to a Test call-up but hopefully I will get closer. It will be nice to be on the Lions and try to score a few runs against the England bowlers to show them I’m capable… You always notice more outside of the nets: do they mingle well with the group? Are they polite, well-mannered? All that sort of stuff you need to be if you want to be an England player.”Related

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• Boland's MCG heroics more relevant than 2023 Ashes blip

Meanwhile, Brydon Carse – who, like Cox, has arrived in New Zealand ahead of Saturday’s first T20I – has revealed that he has stockpiled specially modified bowling boots ahead of this winter’s tours. Carse struggled with an infected toe last winter and churned through pairs of spikes this summer as he tried to avoid cutting it back open.Carse said he had “absolutely no problems” with his toe this summer, and said that his sponsors have been an “unbelievable” help. “They’ve kitted me out with enough pairs of boots to go away,” he said. “They’ve started cutting holes into my boot for me, specifically made for me, which has been a massive help.”I’ve got a little hole in the second toe [area of the boot]… During that India Test series, I struggled in the first couple of games. I probably went through five or six pairs during the first two Tests. New Balance have been really supportive with me. As long as they keep churning out pairs of boots, I’ll be happy.”Carse spent two weeks training at Loughborough before travelling and said that Stokes and Mark Wood are progressing well in their recovery from injuries: “Ben is looking near enough 100% fit, and so is Mark. It’s exciting to see where they have got to after their setbacks during the summer. They will be raring to go come Australia time.”

Phoenix crawl to 122 as Rockets cruise home with 22 balls to spare

ECB Media08-Aug-2025Trent Rockets kicked off their campaign in the Hundred men’s competition with an effortless victory over Birmingham Phoenix at Edgbaston.122 for 6 from the Phoenix never looked enough, and David Willey’s new-look Rockets side were led to a comfortable six-wicket victory by a strong bowling effort spearheaded by Lockie Ferguson (3 for 20) and a chase fronted by Tom Banton (42 from 29).Asked to bowl first, the Rockets attack made early inroads, removing Phoenix’s top three of Ben Duckett, Will Smeed and Aneurin Donald to leave the home side 24 for 3 after the 25-ball Powerplay.Rehan Ahmed swivels on the pull•Matt Lewis/ECB via Getty ImagesSam Cook’s brilliant work off his own bowling to run out Jacob Bethell left Phoenix reeling, but a defiant Liam Livingstone (39) and Joe Clarke (29) partnership led a rebuild. Livingstone played a captain’s knock, hitting three sixes in his 30-ball stay, while Clarke struggled for fluency; a brilliant set from Ferguson removed them both.Despite some tight Rockets death bowling, a couple of late blows from Dan Mousley and Benny Howell brought Phoenix closer to a respectable total.In reply, although Tim Southee (2 for 36) bowled Joe Root early on, the Rockets began aggressively against the trio of Kiwi quicks. Banton and Rehan Ahmed (25 from 16) struck some lusty blows to quickly bring the runs required to below a run-a-ball.Although Ahmed and Banton were both removed by Benny Howell (2 for 25), who was the pick of the Phoenix bowlers, Max Holden (22 from 13) led the Rockets comfortably home with 22 balls to spare.

Chelsea’s title ambitions were always more realistically viewed through a wider lens than the current campaign, but this recent drop in form has been concerning for Enzo Maresca’s side nonetheless.

A creditable draw against table-toppers Arsenal last weekend, preceded a bitter defeat to promoted Leeds United at Elland Road in midweek, and this one marked the perfect chance to bounce back and keep a toe in the early Premier League title race.

Bournemouth stood strong against the Blues on Saturday afternoon, but they also pulled their weight in the final third, recording an xG total of 1.37 compared to the visitors’ 0.88.

There was an undeniable bluntness to Chelsea’s attack, with a number of stars flattering to deceive on the south coast.

Chelsea's worst performers at Bournemouth

Robert Sanchez certainly wasn’t among Chelsea’s worst performers at the Vitality, having made a string of important saves throughout the contest to keep parity intact.

Neither was Moises Caicedo to blame. The Ecuadorian served the second game of his three-match suspension after seeing red against Arsenal, and his absence was keenly felt in the middle of the park.

Enzo Fernandez toiled without his dance partner in the engine room, but he was sloppy on the ball. Likewise, Cole Palmer looked rusty on his return from injury, only creating one chance and wasting a few decent opportunities before being replaced by Joao Pedro before the hour mark.

There was another attacking instrument under Maresca’s command who struggled to impose himself despite some hustle and bustle, looking like a teammate of his who has been absent for some time.

Maresca must bench Mudryk-esque Chelsea forward

Since leaving Manchester United and joining Chelsea this summer in a deal worth £40m, Alejandro Garnacho has blown hot and cold, scoring two goals and supplying two assists across 14 matches in all competitions. In the Premier League, Maresca has handed the 21-year-old six starts.

Against Bournemouth, though, he was part of a Chelsea side who succumbed to an absence of end product, hitting the woodwork and failing to build on his positive form of recent weeks.

Football.london did hand Garnacho a 6/10 match rating, acknowledging his optimism and energy on the ball, but he left much to be desired all the same, with his end product leading to a sense that he is shaping into the club’s next version of Mykhaylo Mudryk.

Mudryk is suspended at the moment, but from a footballing standpoint, his £89m transfer from Shakhtar Donetsk to Stamford Bridge in January 2023 ended up a major misfire from Todd Boehly and co, with the Ukrainian’s pace and technical skill unable to be applied with efficiency on English shores.

Having failed with all three of his attempted dribbles and proved unable to even attempt a tackle, the South American left something to be desired, and though he created a chance, he also lost the ball 11 times, and that having only completed 17 passes on the evening.

Minutes played

77′

Goals

0

Assists

0

Touches

35

Shots (on target)

2 (0)

Accurate passes

17/20 (85%)

Chances created

1

Crosses

2/3

Dribbles

0/3

Ball recoveries

3

Tackles won

0/0

Duels won

3/7

We already know that Garnacho has a penchant for the spectacular, but he needs to channel his craft and grow into the player he has been touted to be.

In this, he is not too dissimilar to Mudryk, though hopefully he has more opportunities to showcase his skills.

Mudryk and Garnacho share a likeness in that they are both athletic and dynamic wingers, but the latter needs to prove now that Chelsea are going to get bang for their buck, and perhaps a return to the bench might fuel him with the requisite aggression and focus going forward.

Shades of Sterling & Mudryk: Maresca must axe Chelsea's "pointless signing"

The highly-rated attacker has not impressed so far this season.

ByJack Salveson Holmes 6 days ago

Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh had a dream 2025 MLB season but ultimately it will feel like a nightmare as his Mariners fell a game short of the World Series after losing to the Blue Jays, 4-3, in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series on Monday night.

The switch-hitting catcher belted 60 home runs during the regular season and then added five more in the postseason. His last dinger came in the Game 7 loss when he gave the Mariners a 3-1 lead with a solo shot to right field in the fifth inning.

Raleigh was understandably emotional after the loss. He fought through tears while talking to reporters at his locker, calling the season a "failure" after the team fell short of its ultimate goal of winning a championship.

“I’m super proud of these guys. It was a great team effort. I love every guy in this room but ultimately it’s not what we wanted," Raleigh said when asked to sum up his team's year. "I hate to use the word failure, but it’s a failure. We expected to get to the World Series and win the World Series and that’s what the bar is and what the standard is and it’s what we want to hold ourselves accountable to but yeah, it hurts. But I don’t want that to take away—like I said I’m proud of the guys in the room, I thought we fought all the way to the end and like I said I think it’s a great group of guys and I love every single one of them."

Here's that emotional post-game interview.

While Raleigh was rightfully bummed out with how his season came to an end, he could still very well win the AL MVP award thanks to his monstrous year.

The Mariners, however, will be kicking themselves for a while about how they fell just short of making it to the World Series. The took a 3-2 series lead over the Blue Jays with a win at home in Game 5 but then were not able to get one more win on the road as that 3-1 lead in Game 7 was wiped out by a three-run home run in the seventh inning by Toronto's George Springer.

The Blue Jays will now face the Dodgers in the World Series with Game 1 taking place Friday night in Toronto.

The NZ captain has a signature deadpan style and even World Cup pressure hasn’t been able to dilute it

Sruthi Ravindranath22-Oct-20254:19

Preview: ‘Wounded’ India favourites against New Zealand?

Two losses in the first three games, and the next two washed out. New Zealand’s World Cup campaign has veered off track, but on the eve of an all-important clash against India, captain Sophie Devine was all calm, answering questions at the press conference in her signature deadpan style.”Thanks for not saying I’m old. I appreciate that, experienced is nice,” she said on being asked how her near 20 years as an international cricketer might help her in Thursday’s high-pressure game.New Zealand haven’t had much game time lately but they’re embracing the “underdog badge with pride”, Devine said, also acknowledging the pressure her side will be under playing in Mumbai in front of “99.9%” of India fans. But she also feels “real empathy” for hosts who have come under scrutiny after losing three matches in a row.”We’re really stepping towards that pressure,” Devine said. “In all honesty, I can’t begin to imagine the type of pressure that the Indian team is under. I know when we played at a home World Cup [in 2022], the pressure that we felt to perform in front of our home crowd was at times overwhelming. I can’t imagine what that’s like with a billion people tuned into the TV screens and the expectation and the weight that’s on their shoulders.””These are the moments that you want to be playing cricket in – a pretty much knockout game against India in India at a World Cup. We’re obviously under no illusions that India are still the favourites, without a doubt. And we will wear the underdog badge with pride, as Kiwis often do.”India might have home advantage but when it comes to ODI World Cups, their win-loss ratio against New Zealand is 0.2, the lowest against any opposition. Does that give New Zealand a psychological edge?Sophie Devine has 260 runs at the World Cup at an average of 87•ICC/Getty Images

“Yeah, ask me after the game tomorrow because I think that’s generally the way it goes, isn’t it?” Devine quipped. “We can get confidence from the fact that we’ve played them in pressure situations before. But tomorrow’s a new game, everyone starts on zero.”Related

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Whether it’s the atmosphere or the profile of the game, Devine hopes it serves as a learning experience for the young players in her side.”Some youngsters that we’ve got, they’ve still played cricket under different pressures and have had to perform at different stages,” she said. “It is such a cool opportunity. This is why you play high-performance sport, it’s why you play international cricket. To be put under the most intense pressure and see how you stand up.””To me that’s just a really exciting opportunity to not only showcase the women’s game, but showcase New Zealand cricket,” she said. “And as you mentioned, we’ve had a great record, not just females, but males as well, of playing India in these sort of tournaments.”Rustiness is a concern – New Zealand haven’t played a full game in nearly 12 days – but so is the forecast. With rain having already sabotaged their campaign, Devine responded in her trademark style when informed there’s more in the forecast.”I’m not surprised, to be honest. I expect there to be rain everywhere we go at the moment,” she said, shrugging. “But you can’t control the weather. We’ll deal with it if it comes. There’s no point worrying about it until it actually falls down and the umpires call you off, we’re just focused on what we want to do.”Thursday’s clash will also be New Zealand’s first outing at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai, but they’ll be banking on local knowledge from Amelia Kerr, who has played six WPL matches at the venue.”Not just tomorrow, but everyone expects Melie to perform and to give to this group,” Devine said. “She’s played a lot with Harman [Harmanpreet Kaur], she’s obviously played with the Mumbai Indians here. Hopefully she’s got a few fans in the crowd as well that’ll be cheering for New Zealand and her.”Melie knows some of those Indian players really well. They also know Melie well. I think the Indians probably have enough pressure on them coming from the rest of your country to try and perform and get through to a semi-final, which I know is the expectation for them.”Devine ended the press conference in her typical style: “We’ll let the Indian public and the media and all that give the Indian team enough pressure and we’ll just keep going about our thing.”

Daniel Vettori calls it “New Zealand cricket’s greatest achievement”, while Shane Bond says “New Zealand have done an India on India”

Raunak Kapoor04-Nov-20247:20

Bond: ‘Sweeping India 3-0 is NZ’s best result ever’

Shane Bond: Delight is the first reaction. New Zealand coming off the back of that series in Sri Lanka where they played pretty well, probably could have won the first Test, but lost the series 2-0. I don’t think anyone, anywhere, especially at home, thought we could win this series, let alone a 3-0 sweep. I gave a little fist pump when Ajaz [Patel] went through the gate to get that last wicket [of Washington Sundar] and I’m absolutely delighted for the players, for Gary [Stead], the head coach.It’s always nice to see history created and for a team like New Zealand to beat India and become the first team to sweep them in a three-match series at home is something pretty remarkable.Related

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Ross Taylor: Like most of the country, I’m just in awe of the team. I think the way they played throughout the whole series… I think we hoped more than thought we were going to win. But a clean sweep – think it still hasn’t quite sunk in among the New Zealand public, probably for the players as well.Cricket is fighting for an audience [in New Zealand]. It’s a rugby nation, now there’s an extra football league in our local competition, so cricket after losing in Sri Lanka, the press after that has changed around completely. I don’t think we’ve had scenes like this since winning the [last] World Test Championship and I think it just tells you how high the New Zealand cricket public holds the Indian cricket team and what it’s like to go and win over there.After winning the first Test [in Bengaluru], it gave the team as well as the public some belief, but I don’t think even in our wildest dreams we imagined a clean sweep and such a convincing performance from Tom [Latham, the captain], Gary and the boys.Daniel Vettori: I think the excitement built from the first Test match. The expectation for any touring team that goes to India on these types of wickets is that it’s going to be incredibly difficult. We understand the challenge and in a lot of ways it’s just how are you going to compete against them. And for New Zealand to then go there, put in such an amazing performance in the first Test… people around New Zealand saw the excitement knowing how hard it is, given the history with two Test match wins in almost 80 years and a lot of trying.You have to go back to the great Sir Richard Hadlee’s era, and he could only get one win. So for this team to come here and get that first one and then to win a series is probably New Zealand cricket’s greatest achievement.8:53

Vettori: ‘New Zealand’s win is great for Test cricket’

How did New Zealand put it all together?

Taylor: After the Sri Lanka series loss just before [the India series]… what I found when I was playing was a New Zealand team that has nothing to lose and everyone writing them off is a dangerous New Zealand team. I think that’s where this team was at the start of the series. Obviously, you come to India after being completely outplayed in Sri Lanka, probably only the players in that dressing room and the support staff gave themselves a chance, and I think anytime you’re giving New Zealand the expectation to do well, that’s when I think we’ve struggled in the past. But a New Zealand team that’s got their backs against the wall is a pretty dangerous side.You need a little bit of luck as well. Bengaluru was a good toss to lose. And then winning the toss in the next two Tests [in Pune and Mumbai] after New Zealand knew they are likely to play on turners after India went down in the first Test was significant.Bond: I think if you look at this New Zealand team, they have a really nice blend of experience and youth. You’ve got players who’ve played in the IPL and in Indian conditions. You got contributions from everybody. Everyone through different Test matches stood up. It was Mitchell Santner in Pune, Ajaz in this one. And you’ve got a team that has had success in the last ten years, so they believe they can win and compete. Obviously that first Test match in Bengaluru, to start the series well was massive, and they’ve sort of just ridden the wave and ridden that experience through the series as well. New Zealand have had a great period over the past ten years, and this is just the perfect way to cap it off.And I think Tom Latham talked about it. They’ve come with a clear game plan. They understood how they wanted to play and how they thought they could win, and they’ve executed it. And for longer periods of time, they’ve been better than India. They’ve sort of done an India on India and they’ve done it over three Tests, which is a hell of an effort.Vettori: Obviously a lot of planning has gone on. I think the hardest thing going to India is the ability to score runs against [Ravindra] Jadeja and [R] Ashwin, and on this tour you had Kuldeep [Yadav] in the first Test and Washington [Sundar] in the last two. So the gameplan to score runs against bowlers like those was impeccable, and allowed New Zealand to put pressure on India, which is so rare.When you go to India, you feel like you’re hanging on for dear life most of the time. But it felt like in all three Tests, New Zealand made the running, and that’s really so unique in that part of the world.I think it was the batting. When you tour India and come up against Ashwin and Jadeja in particular, with their immense home record, the planning goes into firstly negating their wicket-taking ability and then secondly how you’re going to score runs. It just looked like New Zealand had such a good gameplan to be able to take on those two and find ways to score runs and actually put some pressure back on India.3:41

Young’s success formula in India: ‘Have the courage to back your methods’

On the success of Devon Conway, Will Young and Rachin Ravindra with the bat

Vettori: It was so nice for New Zealand to go through Devon’s lean patch and trust him and allow him to keep going, because he’s a quality player and has performed ever since he’s come in to the side, and they backed him and got the reward in this series.Rachin, in a short period of time, has proven how successful he can be in all formats, and in particular in the subcontinent. So to have those two players and a Will Young as well as the others contribute meant that India couldn’t put pressure on the batters and New Zealand were aggressive, they took really good options. [Daryl] Mitchell as well in the last Test. So the batting group came together and stood up and put up six really good performances with the bat and that’s what you have to do against India. It can’t just be a one-off, it has to be consistent.

On doing it without Kane Williamson

Taylor: All the batters contributed at different times. Will Young trusted his defence a bit more than all the other players, and he looked at ease. When you’re coming up against Jadeja and Ashwin, you can sort of put them on a pedestal and try and survive. I think we tried to hit 360, and the way all the batters tried to reverse sweep meant Ashwin and Jadeja weren’t able to settle on a length.When you do let those two bowl over after over on the same spot, you’re going to get a ball with your name on it, but I think Will Young set the tone. A lot has already been said about it but winning 3-0 without our best batter – and Will Young had to step in to fill those big shoes of Kane Williamson, which can be quite intimidating – but he handled it with calmness. It would’ve been easy to give that position to someone else, but for him to win Player of the Series is a fantastic accolade.Bond: We were missing our best player. That’s probably the most remarkable thing, that Kane Williamson wasn’t even there.So I think for a group to go, ‘no one is irreplicable, we can still perform without one of our best players’, and the fact that they managed to play the way they did – especially Will Young who was brilliant – that’s a real credit to the group and to Gary Stead, who has done a great job with the team.1:24

Manjrekar: Have to take your hats off to Ajaz

How did Mitchell Santner and Ajaz Patel pull it off?

Vettori: I think there’s trust built up with Mitch over a long period of time. He’s a senior player, he’s a captain, and I suppose at the start of the series he was secondary to Ajaz, who has been incredibly successful in the subcontinent.But the way that he bowled when he got his opportunity… the style, the pace, his ability to read the Indian batters, and then to have a surface that really suits him, just shows when you get on that roll, anything’s possible. Everyone knew Mitch had this sort of performance in him but to do it in India, take 13 wickets [in the Pune Test] and set up a series win, that’s incredible.Ajaz Patel is just completely consistent. His action is repeatable. The balls he bowls are repeatable with a lovely seam position and he gets a lot of revolutions on it. He was able to consistently put these great Indian batters under pressure. I thought New Zealand set some great fields to allow that pressure to maintain, so all these things in combination put together another incredible Wankhede performance from him.

On the contribution of New Zealand’s seamers

Bond: Well, you don’t have to worry about the bowling workload, do you, for starters, when you have seamers bowling six overs between them! But if you look at Matt Henry, his Test record has gone from averaging 50 at one point to now being almost in the 20s. That’s how good he’s become over the last few years.That experience of [Tim] Southee at times when everyone else was going around the park, he controls that run rate. Will O’Rourke is a hugely exciting prospect for New Zealand. New Zealand have obviously got the guys who are now in their early 30s and have been around a long time. But it’s that blend now. [Glenn] Phillips at 27, Ravindra at 24 – he is going to be a quality player – and O’Rourke at 23.1:23

Manjrekar: ‘My respect for Glenn Phillips has grown’

The importance of Glenn Phillips…

Bond: I think New Zealand have come to India this time with part-time spin bowlers. In the past, we’ve had the part-time medium-pace bowlers. And now when you look at someone like Glenn Phillips, who has really worked hard over the last four years to develop his bowling, even Rachin Ravindra… just having those options has allowed New Zealand to have much more depth in the spin-bowling department and that’s led to having depth in their batting, which has really helped them.Vettori: He’s the real complementary piece to it all. A No. 7 batter who is as aggressive as he is but can offer a lot of overs. I’m sure he reflects upon his performances in Bangladesh and that ability to perform in those conditions with bat and ball gave him the confidence to come up against this batting line-up and continue on that form. That allows every other facet of the game to come together. So I think when you look at that team, and what Glenn Phillips was able to contribute, that was a key part of achieving the series victory.

A word on Tom Latham’s captaincy…

Taylor: There’s an attacking nature to Tom. He’s had a lot of captaincy experience. He has captained the New Zealand team in all three formats of the game, so it’s not like it has just come to him overnight. But I think all those games that he has captained over the last three-to-five years came to the fore and he was able to show not only his attacking nature but also his discipline and the way he rotated his bowlers… New Zealand outfielded, outbatted and outbowled India. New Zealand’s tactics were definitely better than India’s.Apart from Kane Williamson and Tim Southee losing the captaincy, it’s the same team that lost to Sri Lanka. So there’s something to be said about that. Latham has a calming influence, the leadership will improve his batting and we saw glimpses of that.Bond: Great start to your captaincy reign! I think you’ve got to pay some credit to Tim Southee, who was magnanimous enough to step down and say, ‘look, it’s someone else’s time’, and Tom would have reaped the rewards of a lot of the work that Tim’s done over the last few years. But I know Latham’s a very good captain, good man, and good leader. I thought the innings he played in the Pune Test was the best innings I’ve seen him play, leading from the front.You can sit there and watch TV as you do and pick holes in some of the decisions and go ‘why is he doing this and that’ but at the end of the day he’s won 3-0 and done a brilliant job.1:28

Manjrekar: ‘Calm, composed Latham typifies the New Zealand trait’

Vettori: Latham’s been one of the leaders of this team for a long, long time, and I wouldn’t underestimate the inputs that Southee had in that group as well. Between them and Gary Stead, they were able to formulate a fantastic plan and implement it. A lot of teams have had great plans going into India, but to implement it for three Tests pretty much every day of the Test series is a credit to all of them.

… and on Gary Stead, the man in the background

Bond: I think he was probably under some pressure. There were enough voices at home calling for his sacking after the men’s T20 World Cup and a tough tour of Sri Lanka. But no one works harder than Gary – I’ve played a lot of cricket with him. He coached me as a boy actually. I played with him and then worked alongside [him] as a coach. He’s a great man, very hard working.In New Zealand, if you win the rugby World Cup, you get knighthoods. Gary’s taken this team to World Cup finals, won a World Test Championship, now this series win, and you still won’t see him front and centre. That’s the sort of guy he is. But I’m delighted for him, he’s a top man and should get the recognition for the work that he’s done.Taylor: Gary Stead and Tom Latham have a good rapport. Gary’s been around a long time. We were outplayed on the last trip [to India in 2021], but he would’ve learnt things about how he would want to go about it again. He is quiet, unassuming. Sits in the background. He would have had a big influence on the way that the team prepared, giving Tom some ideas along the way.And not just Gary, you’ve got a pretty accomplished support staff in Jacob Oram and Luke Ronchi there as well. That would’ve had a big influence.

New Zealand’s greatest feat in men’s cricket?

Taylor: This has to be the greatest New Zealand series win in Test cricket. No one has done it. South Africa have won a two-match series 2-0, but 3-0 in India, I don’t think anyone could see this at the start. So this surpasses the 2-1 Test victory in the ’80s against Australia.It’s also great for the World Test Championship and I’m sure the next team that comes to India will travel there with more confidence now, but I’m also sure India are a proud nation and they’ll be trying their hardest to rectify what went wrong here.Bond: In terms of Test matches, it’s our best result ever. No other team has come and done what New Zealand have. When you talk to all the teams about touring India, it almost seems like mission impossible. Even the great Australian team came there and couldn’t win. So for NZ to have won 3-0, I know they’ve made World Cup finals and would have loved to have won an ODI World Cup, but I think in terms of red-ball cricket, alongside the WTC [title win], this is far and away the best series result ever.4:51

Latham on series win – ‘I’m lost for words’

What does this result mean for New Zealand, and Test cricket in general?

Bond: I think Test cricket needs this. It needs a tight championship. It’s good overall for cricket. The game is still going to be challenged by T20 cricket, but I think New Zealand has been lucky over the last ten years to have made it to World Cup finals in men’s ODI and T20 cricket, the Test championship win, and now this. I think it’s always nice to see a game you love at home prosper. With England coming soon, I know it’s already sold out, people are pumped about cricket. And it’s nice in a country that loves the winter coats predominantly, that people will be talking about cricket, and about this performance, because everyone recognises what an effort this is.Taylor: We’re coming up to a big period in our cricket, to be honest. The England series is going to be massive, players are going to head away after that. But this just reminds us that Test cricket is right up there as the ultimate format. And that’ll show in the crowds for the upcoming series. I think it’s going to be something we haven’t seen in a long period of time in Test cricket and that’s a testament to the team and also a testament to where Test cricket is still held around the world. Hopefully this is a good sign for young players that they still want to play Test cricket in the years to come, but we don’t have the money and resources that some of the other teams do, so we have to skin the cat differently. But results like these put it out to the players that Test cricket is still the ultimate form.Vettori: I think this is an exciting time. What you want to see is every team on a level-playing field. Hardest thing to do in cricket is win Tests away from home, and New Zealand have proved they can do that. It’ll give them confidence wherever they go in the world, so I think it’s great for both Test cricket and the WTC, it keeps it wide open.

Haydos in the altogether at the MCG: you didn’t hear it here first

Alan Gardner16-Sep-2025The ECB has tried calling it “Super September”, which the Light Roller understands is short for “Super Sopper September” – and South Africa’s autumnal return to England, three months on from winning the World Test Championship, became a predictable shemozzle, with two rain-wrecked T20Is sandwiching a deluge of a different kind, as England pongo-ed their way to 300 in Manchester.South Africa managed to concede 400 during the ODI series too – having achieved the same in Australia last month (though it’s fair to note that they had already won the series on both occasions). At least you could say they are consistent. Such are the convolutions of the schedule that we would forgive the bowlers for not knowing which team jersey they should be wearing, never mind what format they’re playing or what lengths to hit.In England and Wales, getting back to bilateral internationals, as well as the culmination of a host of county competitions, was sort of comforting – dreary weather included – after a month of the Hundred, during which the game’s global T20 overlords descended en masse. Did the Teen Tech Titans have fun playing with their new toys at Lord’s? We can only hope they did, after buying up the prime chunk of summer.On the subject of the calendar, ECB chair, Richard Thompson, tried speaking truth to power (i.e. himself). “Cricket arguably does play too much,” Thompson told the BBC. “We’re the only sport to have a World Cup every year, which I personally think is too much.” Now, that might sound like far too sensible an opinion for a cricket administrator to espouse, but don’t get carried away.Asked about the fact the ECB had squeezed the Hundred into such a small window that it started the day after the conclusion of the Test series against India, and finished less than 48 hours before an ODI against South Africa, Thompson said change would have to wait until the end of the current broadcast deal in 2028. “So we’re only three years away from being able to ensure there is a gap at the beginning and end of that period.” Just three more years, lads, then you can have a proper rest! It’ll still be raining in September, though.

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The Ashes are coming (you may have noticed), and that means all sorts of nonsense leaking into the discourse. But – and we sincerely apologise for bringing this to your attention if you were otherwise unaware – new levels of WT-actual-F were reached by Matthew Hayden’s contribution on the subject of whether Joe Root, now the second-leading Test run-scorer of all time, would get into an Ashes XI. Regarding the absence of a century on Australia soil from his CV, Hayden declared: “I’ll walk nude around the MCG if he doesn’t get a hundred this summer.” And it doesn’t matter if Haydos does eventually do the walk of shame dressed only in his Stetson or not, you now have that image in your head regardless.

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“Wait, eco-warrior means you’re fighting the ecosystem, right? Right?”•Matt Lewis/ECB via Getty ImagesAdam Zampa loves the environment. He loves animals (he’s a vegan), he loves sustainability. But he also loves the Hundred, as he said midway through a 34,000 km round trip to play in the men’s final for Oval Invincibles: “I absolutely love this comp, it’s my favourite one. I’ve loved playing for this team over the last couple of years of being involved.” Zampa duly bowled his 20 balls and helped Invincibles lift a third consecutive title, after which he hopped on the plane – presumably returning to his Byron Bay farmhouse, where the focus is on promoting native flora and fauna, growing their own food, and learning about “the ways in which we can help our impact on the eco-system”. Presumably one of those lessons being: if you can’t source your legspinners locally, it’s okay to fly them in from the other side of the world for one game.

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As anyone who has followed the sport for a period of time knows, cricket is more about talking than doing. There’s very little doing at any one time – often only two, maybe three or four, of the 13 people involved on the field – but usually lots of talking about it among those looking on. Or not talking about it, but rather discussing the weather, the food, the pigeons, or the regular appearances of the No. 32 bus over the shoulder of fine leg. So it’s fitting that attempts to refine and reduce the structure of the County Championship, after five months of discussion, look very much like boiling down to: it’s completely unworkable, but too hard to agree on change… so shall we just do the same again next year?

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It was bold, it was risky, it was trying to get ahead of the game… it was precisely none of the things that their opening partnership for Pakistan was famous for. And it probably needed an outsider of the calm, measured character of Mike Hesson to pull the T20I plug on Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan. It’s not about agendas or personal shortcomings, he said, just a simple question of strike rates. Data, guys. Look at the data. And then, y’know, obviously, he had to sit back and watch his bold, risky, ahead-of-the-game move result in Pakistan scoring at 0.35 above a run-a-ball after choosing to bat first in their defeat to India. Good try, Mike. But Pakistan’s gonna Pakistan.