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The allrounder’s back injury does not solve Australia’s selection issues, even if it might create room for Smith to move back to No.4

Alex Malcolm01-Oct-2024Australia are sweating on the outcome of Cameron Green’s back injury as the make-up of the side for the Test series against India becomes complex depending on his availability.Green, 25, was flown home from the UK following the third ODI against England after he complained of soreness in his lower back. He underwent a scan in the UK but is due to have more consultations in Perth this week after Australia’s medical staff return home following the final game of the series in Bristol on Sunday.The severity of the injury is still being determined but the seriousness is clear given he was flown home mid-series. Green has already had four stress fractures in his lower back during his career, all of which came before his Test debut in 2020. However, it has not been revealed whether this is a recurrence of that injury or something different.Related

• Green in doubt for India series with surgery on the table

• 'He can be successful as an opener' – Watson thinks Smith should stay put

• Khawaja, Labuschagne, Head and Marsh named for first round of the Shield, Smith rested

• 'Feels like we're in rarified air' – WA face their toughest test in pursuit of history

• Sheffield Shield preview: Western Australia chase history, Test stars to play early rounds

Green has had long layoffs from bowling after each of his previous stress fractures but has, at times, been allowed to play as a batter. He missed the entire 2017-18 domestic summer and instead played grade, Under-19 and second XI cricket as a batter only. He missed another stretch of domestic cricket between January and October 2019. Following a recurrence of a stress fracture in November 2019 he was still able to play Sheffield Shield cricket as a batter only just a week later. However, he was not cleared to bowl until October 2020 in the lead up to his Test debut.Australia’s Test selection for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar series was already complicated with the possibility of Steven Smith moving back down the order causing debate as to who might open given the selectors were on record saying the top six would not change barring injury.If Green is ruled out of playing altogether, Smith could slot straight back into No.4 and a domestic opener could be elevated, with Cameron Bancroft, Marcus Harris and Matt Renshaw once again vying for a Test recall while Nic Maddinson could also throw his hat in the ring with a hot start to the summer.Cameron Green made 174 not out in Australia’s last series•Getty ImagesIf Green is fit to play Test cricket as a batter only, and the selectors deem him valuable enough to pick, then the debate about who bats where will rage on.But either way, it will be highly unlikely he will be available to bowl. There has been external criticism of the need for two pace-bowling allrounders in Australia’s XI with Green and Mitchell Marsh picked together in Australia’s last four Test matches. But captain Pat Cummins has already stated the importance of having both in his arsenal to deploy across a tightly condensed five-Test series against India, and their presence together played a significant part in allowing Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc to play all seven Tests last summer without needing a rest.Without Green, Marsh’s overs become even more important. But there is a serious concern over Marsh’s ability to handle that workload. He only bowled four overs across the eight white-ball matches he played in the UK, having not bowled in a match since a hamstring injury ended his IPL in April, and pulled up sore following those four overs at Lord’s and was unable to play two days later at Bristol.Marsh has only bowled more than nine overs in a Test once since his return to the side at Headingley last year, when he bowled 16 at the Oval including eight in each innings. He then did not bowl again in a match until the ODI World Cup despite playing 11 limited-overs internationals as a batter in the lead-in.Since Green has returned to the Test side, Marsh only bowled two overs in each of the two Tests against West Indies, four overs in the first Test against New Zealand in Wellington and nine overs in the second in Christchurch.If Green plays and Marsh pulls up sore during a Test match, Australia will not have any seam bowling support in their XI against India. Such a scenario would be a concern for the selectors. It may lead to the consideration of either Aaron Hardie or Beau Webster to come into the Test frame.Aaron Hardie could push his case in Shield cricket•Getty ImagesHardie has elevated his case after a wonderful white-ball tour of the UK but still has to prove his case as a legitimate top-six batter for Test cricket having not played much red-ball cricket in recent times. His two Shield hundreds have come batting at No.8 and No.7 but he does have a century batting at No.4 for Australia A and scored 99 for Western Australia at No.5 against South Australia last summer. His red-ball bowling workloads are also set to be carefully monitored at the start of the home summer. He only played seven Shield matches last summer. He suffered calf tightness mid-innings in Tasmania, which saw him miss a T20I tour of New Zealand, and didn’t bowl in the next two Shield games after that before only bowling 10 overs in the last round and two overs in the Shield final. He was withdrawn from a county championship stint with Surrey in the winter.Webster is coming off the second-best season by an allrounder in the history of the Shield. He scored 938 runs at 58.62 and took 30 wickets at 29.30. Only the legendary Garry Sobers (973 runs at 74.85 and 47 wickets at 27.60) in 1963-64 has managed to have a better all-round year in Shield cricket. Webster’s recent batting success has come exclusively at Nos. 6-7. But he does have a Shield century opening the batting for Tasmania and two batting at No.3. His bowling has been very effective on Shield pitches, given his ability to stand the seam up from 200cm, but there will be a question as to whether that translates on Test pitches given his pace is generally sub-130kph.Both men are likely to get the chance to put a case forward in the early Shield rounds and for Australia A against India A in two four-day matches in late October and early November.But if one of those players were needed in the Test XI at the expense of an injured Green, it still means Australia will either have to stick with Smith as opener or use Marnus Labuschagne or Travis Head in the role.The debate was already complicated. Green’s injury only adds another layer.

ESPNcricinfo examines the roles of various South Africa players via their recent IPL performances

Gaurav Sundararaman07-Jun-20222:02

David Miller: ‘I pride myself on finishing off games’

David Miller
Runs: 481 Average: 68.71 Strike rate:142.72
Miller had a fixed role for Gujarat Titans and played it so perfectly that he had his best IPL season. He remained not out in nine matches and was one of the best finishers this IPL. Of the 58 batters to face at least 500 balls across the six IPL seasons from 2016 to 2021, Miller had the second-lowest strike rate – 118.65. He, however, turned it around this season with impressive strokeplay against spin and stated that the role clarity he had with the Titans was instrumental in his success. Miller plays a similar role for South Africa and he will be hoping that he can continue his scintillating T20 form.Quinton de Kock forged a strong opening partnership with KL Rahul at Lucknow Super Giants•BCCIQuinton De Kock
Runs: 508 runs Average: 36.28 Strike rate:148.95
Having retired from Test cricket, de Kock has now turned his focus to white-ball cricket. He may not get the top billing that other IPL superstars get but he has averaged 36.28 and struck at almost 150, with three fifties and one century, this season. Powerplay performance is usually key to setting the foundation and de Kock did the job during this phase by striking at 136.7 with 12 sixes.Only Jonny Bairstow and David Warner scored at a faster pace than him among overseas openers. Most oppositions look to match up de Kock with offspin as he has struck at only 124 against this type of bowling. de Kock will look to remedy this in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup.Kagiso Rabada was the highest wicket-taker among seamers in IPL 2022•BCCIKagiso Rabada
Wickets: 23 Average:17.65 Economy rate:8.45
No pacer has bowled more balls than Rabada across formats since 2016. Also, no bowler has conceded more sixes than Rabada across the last three IPL seasons. Since start of 2020, Rabada has 98 T20 wickets at an economy rate of 8.23. In IPL 2022, Rabada was the most prolific wicket-taker among pacers, picking up 23 wickets at an average 17.65. However, Rabada was below par in a couple of areas: taking wickets in the powerplay and keeping it tight at the death. Since January 2020, Rabada has struck only once every 24 balls in the powerplay and has conceded 9.45 an over at the death. He, however takes wickets at the death, striking once every 10 balls. South Africa will be hoping for early wickets and death-overs bite from him in the forthcoming series.Aiden Markram and Nicholas Pooran finished games for Sunrisers Hyderabad•BCCIAiden Markram
Runs: 381 Average:47.62 Strike rate:139.05
Markram was a surprise addition to the Punjab Kings set-up in the second half of 2021. Many players from various countries were not willing to fly to the IPL, citing bubble fatigue, while Markram was ready to fly in from Sri Lanka. The move proved a turning point in his T20 career.In IPL 2022 he hit higher notes, scoring 381 runs at a strike rate of 139.05 for Sunrisers Hyderabad. Markram has played only 18 T20Is so far and will look to build on that. He now plays one of the toughest roles in T20 cricket – batting at No.4 or 5. In his short T20I career at this position Markram has done an excellent job. Since June 2021, only five batters have scored more T20 runs than Markram while striking at over 135 and averaging over 35. Markram also is a good player of spin and can be handy with his own offspin.Marco Jansen sent Virat Kohli back for a first-ball duck•PTI Marco Jansen
Wickets: 7 Average:39.14 Economy Rate:8.56
Jansen is yet to make his T20I debut but in his short T20 career, he has shown that he is ready for the big stage. In IPL 2022, Jansen took seven wickets at an economy rate of 8.56. He is best suited to bowling three overs upfront; in the recent IPL season he went at just 7.7 an over during the powerplay while taking five wickets. His left-arm angle could pose a threat to Indian players who often struggle with this type of bowling.Anrich Nortje’s bowling lacked enough penetration in IPL 2022•BCCIAnrich Nortje
Wickets: 9 Average:24.51 Economy rate:9.71
Nortje’s return to Delhi Capitals from injury seemed a bit rushed as he could not replicate his form from IPL 2020 and 2021. Nortje played only six matches this season, conceding 9.71 an over. He ended up giving up 12 runs or more in an over on nine occasions. Returning from an injury can be particularly hard and hence South Africa need to manage his workload well. Nortje is at his best when he is paired up with Rabada. However, if he continues to leak runs for the national team as well South Africa may turn to other options.Rassie van der Dussen, Dwaine Pretorious, Tristan Stubbs and Lungi Ngidi were the others who had IPL gigs but did not get enough games to prove their worth. They will be looking to push for T20 World Cup selection if they get more opportunities against India.

The postponement of the IPL has been a “blessing in disguise” as it has given the injury-prone young quick time to get back in shape

Shashank Kishore15-Aug-2020Shivam Mavi remembers February 6, 2017 vividly. He had just recovered from a side strain, and wanted to prove a point as he pitched for a berth in India’s Under-19 World Cup squad. England Under-19s batted first at Brabourne Stadium that day, and Mavi “got into the zone” straightaway, castling Tom Banton with a nipbacker.”Full delivery, swung in late, hit the seam, nipped back, and beat the inside edge to crash into the stumps,” Mavi reminisced in a chat with ESPNcricinfo. “, Banton batsman out (It was fun, getting a batsman like Banton out).”That’s when things were going well for him. For a better part of the last three months, Mavi has binge-watched videos such as that one to kill time in Noida, where he lives. He hasn’t played any competitive cricket since December 2019 because of a stress fracture in his back, and is only just feeling his way back into competitive cricket, just like on that day in 2017. After four months of rehabilitation, he feels fit and ready for the upcoming IPL season in the UAE, where he will have a chance to remind Banton about delivery; the two are team-mates at Kolkata Knight Riders.”The IPL being postponed has been a blessing in disguise for me,” he said. “Had the IPL happened in April-May, I would have missed my second straight season. I was scheduled to recover only mid-April. Then to cope that kind of bowling workload straightaway may have been tough, so the last four months have given me time to recover, rehabilitate and become stronger.”

If I can bowl to a player like him, who can hit any ball anywhere, I can bowl to anyone. Sometimes, when I bowl to him, and he can’t hit it the way he wants, he’ll nod. That’s a sign it was a good ball. Once you get confidence bowling to someone like him, you aren’t afraid anymoreShivam Mavi on bowling to Andre Russell in the Knight Riders nets

Mavi felt something was off as he bowled a probing spell in a Ranji Trophy game against Railways in Meerut last December. He felt strain in his back even as he went flat out to finish with figures of 6 for 83 in the match. After the game, he went for a scan that revealed an L1 disc injury. It was another setback. After all, the 21-year-old had felt he had made a complete recovery from another back problem just three months earlier.”Two injuries back-to-back isn’t easy, and I was down mentally,” he said. “I kept thinking how things could go wrong. Fortunately, I had great motivators at NCA. Anand Date, our trainer, I’ve known him since my Under-19 days, so there was familiarity. He understands my body better than anyone. He, Amit Tyagi [NCA physio] and Ashish Kaushik [NCA head physio] charted my recovery, step by step. It took me four months to come back to full rhythm.”Mavi was bowling at “70 to 80%” in March when the initial lockdown was imposed. “I couldn’t bowl for three months, so I was back down to zero again,” he said. “Normally during rehab or training, when you spend all your energy, you tend to sleep well. During lockdown, because I wasn’t spending that energy, I wasn’t able to sleep. I used to be up until 3-4am sometimes, so not being able to bowl or train was a big challenge.”ALSO READ: Shivam Mavi: young, focused and very fastMavi returned to bowling in June and has since clocked in regular training, apart from gym work prescribed by the NCA. He has also kept in touch with the backroom staff at Knight Riders, and “can’t wait to join the camp and bowl”. For the last three weeks, he has spent considerable time with Suresh Raina and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, training and practicing with them at a private facility in Noida after lockdown restrictions were lifted.”Bhuvi teaches you a lot, just the skills he has is amazing,” Mavi said. “He only keeps telling me, ‘swing is your natural strength’. I feel I have good pace anyway, so I don’t worry about that aspect. If I can retain that swing, I can be lethal even at 135 kph. I’ve honestly never thought about pace. For me, rhythm is most important.”Mavi clocked 149kph at the Under-19 World Cup in 2018. This combination of pace and swing made him and Kamlesh Nagarkoti a deadly pair during India’s victorious run at the tournament. Knight Riders staved off aggressive bidding from Delhi Capitals prior to the 2018 edition, and when the hammer went down, he was sold for 15 times his base price for INR 3 crore ($470,000 approx. at the time).Shivam Mavi poses with the 2018 Under-19 World Cup trophy•ICC via GettyHe impressed immediately.”I remember my first wicket like yesterday, I want that feeling back – Gautam Gambhir, at a packed Eden Gardens,” Mavi said. “That itself was like pressure, because he has led the team [Knight Riders] to two titles. But fans were roaring for me this time because he was playing for Delhi Daredevils [Capitals’ earlier avatar]. I bowled a length ball, got it to skid, he looked to punch and was played on. That roar after the wicket, I still get goosebumps. That feeling we may not have this time because we will play behind closed doors, but that was a different feeling altogether.”Mavi suggested that the biggest change in his approach to T20 bowling has come because of bowling to Andre Russell in the Knight Riders’ nets. “If I can bowl to a player like him, who can hit any ball anywhere, I can bowl to anyone,” he said. “Sometimes, when I bowl to him, and he can’t hit it the way he wants, he’ll nod. That’s a sign it was a good ball. Once you get confidence bowling to someone like him, (you aren’t afraid anymore).”On their part, Knight Riders have gone out of their way at times to ensure young talent such as Mavi and Nagarkoti, who has also had his fair brush with injuries, haven’t been lost to the game. Both players, and others part of the set-up, have been part of the franchise’s academy programme where they are monitored twice a year under specialised coaches in Abhishek Nayar and Omkar Salvi. It has helped in a big way.”That support has been immense,” he said. “They look after us amazingly well. They care for us. At these camps, you learn so much more about your game. They have worked on me not just on the bowling aspect, but also on my batting. As a franchise, they are very chilled out. Initially when me, Nagarkoti and Shubman Gill went into the dressing room for the first time, we were very nervous and overawed. But immediately we were made to feel welcome.”Someone like Shah Rukh Khan comes and talks to you like he knows you from many years, laughs and dances with you, such things makes us feel very special. I’m feeling fresh physically and mentally. I can’t wait to start training and bowling for KKR again.”

انتقد محمد أبو تريكة، أسطورة الكرة المصرية والنادي الأهلي، مستوى نادي مانشستر سيتي أمام كريستال بالاس، وذلك في المباراة التي تلعب بين الفريقين في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

مانشستر سيتي يحل ضيفًا على كريستال بالاس في الوقت الحالي، وذلك لحساب الجولة الخامسة عشر من الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وتشير النتيجة إلى تقدم مانشستر سيتي بهدفين مقابل لا شيء حيث تلعب المباراة في شوطها الثاني.

ويرى أبو تريكة في تصريحات عبر إستوديو بي إن سبورتس، أن مدرب مانشستر سيتي، بيب جوارديولا، قد تغير كثيرًا وأن الفريق لديه مشاكل عديدة خصوصًا في وسط الملعب.

وقال أبو تريكة: ”لا أعلم ماذا حدث لجوارديولا، مانشستر سيتي أصبح فريقًا عقيمًا للغاية، وعلى الرغم من التقدم إلا أن الفريق يعاني حقًا في الكثير من الأمور ومن بينها خط الوسط، هناك مساحات كبيرة”.

اقرأ أيضًا .. هالاند يقترب من تحطيم رقم قياسي لـ رونالدو وأسطورة إفريقية

وأضاف أبو تريكة في حديثه: ”مانشستر سيتي يعاني كذلك من خطأ في التمرير ، لا توجد سيطرة على مجريات المباراة وهناك بطء كبير في خط الوسط، وفي النهاية يفوز الفريق بكرة عرضية يسددها هالاند في الشباك”.

وأوضح: ”من يشاهد مباراة اليوم لا يمكنه أن يتوقع أن يكون مانشستر سيتي في المركز الثاني ولا أن يكون هذا الفريق مدربه جوارديولا”.

وأردف أبو تريكة في حديثه عن مانشستر سيتي: ”هذا الفوز لن يخفي عيوب أداء مانشستر سيتي وإذا استمر الفريق بهذه المستوى سيكون لديه مشاكل كبيرة”.

وتابع: ”النتيجة لا يمكن أن تخفي عيوب الأداء، جوارديولا تغير وهذه ليست معاييره التي وضعها لمدة 8-9 سنوات ، مانشستر سيتي لم يدخل منطقة جزاء كريستال بالاس في الشوط الأول سوى مرة واحدة والتي جاء منها هدف هالاند، وفي المقابل شاهدوا فرص كريستال بالاس”.

واختتم: ”الشوط الاول من مباراة مانشستر سيتي وكريستال بالاس هو شوط عقيم حقًا من السيتيزن، الفريق ظهر بشكل فقير فنيًا وجوارديولا لم يقدم شيئًا، ولم يكن مانشستر سيتي ليتقدم لولا هالاند”.

The Philadelphia Phillies have been slumping of late, held scoreless in the first two games of their series against the Houston Astros. Entering play on Thursday, the team hadn't scored in its last 19 innings.

They were again held scoreless for much of Thursday's game, failing to get anything going against Houston's ace Hunter Brown before finally getting a run across the plate in the eighth inning. Their streak had extended to 26 consecutive scoreless innings before they broke through courtesy of a Brandon Marsh sacrifice fly in the eighth inning.

Phillies announcer John Kruk, who was not in the broadcast booth for Thursday's game but was following along at home, was overjoyed to see their scoreless streak reach its end.

"Holy s— we scored!!!" wrote Kruk on social media.

Unfortunately for Philadelphia and its fans, their one run in the eighth inning was all the offense could muster, as the team lost 2–1 and was swept by the Astros. The lineup will look to turn things around during the upcoming series against the Atlanta Braves.

Thursday's loss sees the Phillies fall to 47-34 on the season, and they're now tied for the division lead with the New York Mets.

Rafael Devers made his debut at first base for the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday, and the move appeared to be a pleasant reset for the three-time MLB All-Star.

Despite Devers refusing to play first base for the Red Sox and serving as Boston's designated hitter this season until he was traded to the Giants, Devers was open to playing first base for the Giants once he landed in San Francisco.

Though Devers has spent the majority of his career at third base, the Giants already have a Gold Glove-winning third baseman in Matt Chapman. Instead, there was an open opportunity for Devers at first base, where he finally played for the first time in their second game of the series in Atlanta.

"I felt very comfortable [playing first base],” Devers said through interpreter Erwin Higueros, via Rick Farlow of MLB.com. “I’ve been practicing for a while. It’s really good that I was able to get out there, but most importantly we won the game.”

Devers explained after making his first start at first base that he likes playing in the field because it keeps him from getting inside his own head during a game.

"It keeps me active and it keeps my head out of just thinking of the next at-bat,” Devers said. “I’m the kind of player who likes to be active and likes to be on the field. I’d rather be on the field than be in the cage hitting all the time.”

Returning to fielding appeared to benefit Devers, who recorded two hits, two runs, and one RBI on five at-bats. His efforts contributed to the Giants rebounding from their offensive woes and a six-game losing streak with a huge 9-0 win over the Braves.

Overall, Devers feels playing third base is harder than first, but is still practicing to improve. "There’s not much difference,” Devers said, via MLB.com. “I think third base is a lot harder, but that’s why I’m practicing and that’s why I’m working every single day to get my grounders out there just to get adjusted to playing first base.”

Devers is not slated to become an everyday first baseman, but will continue to see time in the field in some games going forward. He will not play first base in Wednesday's game, and instead will potentially see time at first again versus the New York Mets this weekend.

Manchester United wonderkid JJ Gabriel rubbed further salt into Liverpool’s wounds as he celebrated like Alexander Isak after netting a hat-trick in his side’s 7-0 thrashing of the Reds’ Under-18s on Saturday. The highly-rated 15-year-old enhanced his burgeoning reputation with a remarkable performance which helped Darren Fletcher’s youngsters move up to third in the U18 Premier League table.

Another miserable afternoon for Liverpool

Liverpool fans are having a tough time currently, with the first team struggling under Arne Slot after having slipped to a ninth defeat in 12 games last time out in the Champions League against PSV. There was more misery on Saturday afternoon as Liverpool's Under-18s came up against bitter rivals United and slumped to a 7-0 defeat at the AXA Training Centre in the Premier League.

AdvertisementGabriel enhances reputation with hat-trick

United forward Gabriel put in another eye-catching display with a clinical hat-trick. The teenager showed brilliant skill, twisting and turning in the box to make it 2-0 to the Red Devils. He then escaped more defenders with another goal for 3-0 and then ensured he went home with the match ball by finishing off a well-worked move to wrap up the scoring late on for United. Gabriel also managed to troll Liverpool's struggling big-money signing Isak by imitating his goal celebration. It's the sort of performance that will have United fans purring about their rising star, who appears to have a very bright future ahead of him.

Amorim to call on JJ Gabriel?

The teenager, who was born in London and has spent time at the academies of Arsenal, Chelsea, and West Ham, has been at United since 2022. In that time, he has impressed through the club's age groups, so much so that he took part in the Red Devils' first-team training last month. The youngster, who earned a sponsorship with Nike at the age of 11, is understood to have taken part in a full 11 vs 11 practice game. Perhaps he will get more chances to play with Ruben Amorim's side in 2026.

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Getty/GOALWhat next for Man Utd wonderkid?

Gabriel, who is still too young to even play in the FA Youth Cup, will hope to continue his excellent scoring form when United's U18s host Newcastle's U18s next Saturday in a game between third and second in the division, respectively.

South Africa’s left-arm spinner due to play first two months of Championship, then through T20 Blast

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Sep-2025

Leicestershire have signed South Africa’s left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj for the first four months of next season as they target a strong return to Division One of the County Championship.South Africa have a clear window in their international schedule next year, and Maharaj is due to play in the Championship for the first two months of the season and then throughout the T20 Blast. Maharaj has previously been to the IPL, playing two matches for Rajasthan Royals in 2024, but his Leicestershire deal effectively rules him out of the 2026 edition.Leicestershire’s promotion to Division One for the first time since 2003 was confirmed on Thursday thanks to their draw against Gloucestershire. Maharaj will be one of two overseas players at the start of the season along with club captain Peter Handscomb, who has signed a year’s extension to his contract.”I’ve been digging into the history of the club, and it seems like a very exciting time to sign,” Maharaj said. “The boys have done some exceptional work throughout the season and have built some great momentum heading into next year. It’s early days, but we’re tracking in the right direction, so who knows how far this team can go?”He has previously featured in county cricket for Lancashire and Yorkshire, and was ruled out of a planned stint at Middlesex in 2023 through injury. His new team-mates at Leicestershire will include Rehan Ahmed, the young England allrounder, whose new role as a No. 3 batter opens up the possibility of both men playing in the same side.”It’s fantastic to welcome Keshav to Leicestershire,” Claude Henderson, Leicestershire’s director of cricket, said. “Alongside his exceptional cricketing abilities, he will bring vast international experience, leadership skills, and a huge passion for the game – all of which will be fundamental to our changing room.”Maharaj is the latest in a string of signings that Leicestershire have made ahead of the 2026 season. He follows top-order batter Steven Eskinazi (joining from Middlesex), wicketkeeper-batter Jonny Tattersall (Yorkshire) and seam-bowling allrounders Ben Green and Josh Davey (both Somerset).

Jeremy Doku ripped Liverpool to shreds in one of the great individual displays this fixture has seen as Manchester City outclassed their rivals in a dominant 3-0 win. The Belgian winger gave Conor Bradley a living nightmare throughout the time he was on the pitch but no Liverpool player was safe from him and after monstering the Reds he topped his performance off with a fittingly brilliant goal.

Doku's trickery earned City a penalty when he was fouled by Giorgi Mamardashvili although the goalkeeper got his own back by denying Erling Haaland from the spot. Haaland would not be denied though and powered City into the lead with a header. Liverpool thought they had levelled against the run of play when Virgil van Dijk scored a header from a corner but Andy Robertson was interfering with play from an offside position.

It was a warning to City and they responded by doubling their advantage right before half-time with a deflected effort from Nico Gonzalez. Liverpool improved in the second half and gave the hosts a few scares but Doku had the final say, scoring with an incredible curling strike which ended the contest there and then.

GOAL rates Man City's players from the Etihad Stadium…

Goalkeeper & Defence

Gianluigi Donnarumma (6/10):

Some good, some bad. Risked a red card with a headless charge from his area to face down Mohamed Salah and was saved by Dias. He did make a good save from Dominik Szoboszlai's long-range hit and was quick to push a loose ball away from the feet of Van Dijk.

Matheus Nunes (7/10):

One of his best displays in a City shirt and against a top opponent. Provided the perfect cross for Haaland to open the scoring and was comfortable in defence, a key challenge on Andy Robertson among his many contributions.

Ruben Dias (8/10):

A masterful performance from the back. Made countless interventions, from cutting out an inviting pass from Salah, beating Szoboszlai to the ball and above all saving Donnarumma's blushes by tackling Salah.

Josko Gvardiol (5/10):

Made a worrying amount of mistakes in the second half which gave Liverpool encouragement.

Nico O'Reilly (7/10):

Worked his socks off throughout, which was particularly impressive after going down with an apparent injury in the first half. Caused Bradley plenty of bother, making for a fearsome double act down the left flank with Doku.

AdvertisementMidfield

Bernardo Silva (8/10):

Produced a big-game performance, controlling proceedings with his precise passing and vision.

Nico Gonzalez (8/10):

He has been learning the trade of a Man City midfielder in the last year and today he delivered his first-class thesis. Showed brilliant awareness throughout, making numerous key blocks and interceptions while also bolting forward to support the attack. His goal may have been a little lucky but he showed the belief to shoot from range and was rewarded.

Phil Foden (6/10):

Was perhaps a little worn out after his Champions League heroics as he took a beat seat role in creativity although he did chip in with some important defensive work.

Attack

Rayan Cherki (5/10):

A comedown from his excellent display against Bournemouth. Spooned a shot over the bar, had another blocked and overall failed to sparkle, leading to him being withdrawn for Savinho early in the second half.

Erling Haaland (7/10):

Responded perfectly to the setback of having his penalty saved by finding the breakthrough goal, beating Konate in the air with an athletic leap and getting a whole load of power on the cross. Linked the play well by giving his team-mates wall passes from which to launch quick breaks. 

Jeremy Doku (10/10):

A truly phenomenal display from start to finish. Began playing all over the attack but was most dangerous down the left. Tore Conor Bradley apart from start to finish, earned the penalty, fuelled countless attacks with his dribbles and then adorned his performance with a magnificent strike.

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Subs & Manager

Savinho (5/10):

Should have done more after replacing Cherki in the 52nd minute and his introduction initially led to Liverpool getting a grip on the play.

Omar Marmoush (6/10):

Looked keen to add to the goal rout but still looks a little rusty after his injury lay-off.

Pep Guardiola (9/10):

A near-perfect display from his team on his 1000th game. Got his selection spot on and knew exactly how to cause Liverpool harm. Only made two substitutions as there was very little he needed to change.

Getting to his 400th wicket in his 100th Test, with a flurry of records thrown in, makes it a game to remember for Mitchell Starc

Andrew McGlashan15-Jul-2025

Mitchell Starc termed the Jamaica Test match as an “uncomfortable” one for him. West Indies’ batters might well have said, “speak for yourself”. Starc was not, of course, referring to when he had the pink ball in hand.Starc’s feelings around the last few days refer to the attention on him for his 100th Test. “Get on with the cricket,” he said ahead of the game. He has often spoken about how he will only reflect on landmarks and achievements when he hangs up the bowling boots. In this match, he added plenty to the list: a triple-wicket opening over, his 400th wicket, and the quickest five-wicket haul in a Test innings.It was as though he was putting together his own highlights package to mark the occasion: inswingers, pads struck, stumps splattered. Only one of his wickets needed the assistance of a fielder. In some ways, it was a bit of a shame Mikyle Louis got his pad in the way of the 400th.Related

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The night before the match, Starc was presented with a couple of signed shirts and a bottle of Jamaican rum to mark his century. But what seemed most special was a video put together with messages from family, friends, former Australia cricketers and players from his AFL team, Greater Western Sydney Giants.”It’s certainly been uncomfortable throughout the week,” he said. “I was happy just to have a win and sing the song. It’s certainly been a special week to play, to wear the baggy green. It’s been one I’ll cherish for a long time.”Such was the speed of Australia’s victory (or West Indies’ disintegration) that supporters were playing on the outfield before it even went dark. While Starc and Scott Boland finished the game in the blink of eye, this was not a collapse under lights. On the first two days of the match, wickets had been hard-earned in the first two sessions. But on the third, the sun hadn’t even started setting when Starc claimed three in his first over.In fact, Australia bowled just nine overs under lights for the game, on the first evening after they made the decision to have a thrash, losing 7 for 68 in the process. They found themselves batting under lights yesterday and were 99 for 6. In the fourth innings, they were preparing to try and hold the game until the lights took hold, hoping 203 runs would be enough to take the game deep if needed.”[It’s] probably a win against the conditions in the fact that we only bowled ten [nine] overs under lights,” Starc said. “I think everyone today with the ball was pretty spot on. I don’t think anyone thought it was going to happen that quickly. We were talking about almost consolidating the scoreboard until we got closer to that night session.”It wasn’t a plan to drag it out. [But] if things weren’t happening straight away, we knew that things would happen quicker in the night session. [It was like] this is what we want to do at the start, but if it doesn’t happen straight away, let’s just chill out and stop the scoreboard and cash in at night. Didn’t need to.”Starc’s 6 for 9 took him to 20 wickets at 16.45 in this four-Test stretch, which started with the World Test Championship final. For the second time in ten Tests, following his 6 for 48, also with the pink ball against India last season in Adelaide, he has improved his career-best.Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins lead the trophy celebrations•AFP/Getty Images

“I felt like my rhythm has been pretty good for a while now,” he said. “Even coming into the lead up to Lord’s, I felt like everything was clicking into place. It’s been nice to have that carry on throughout the series. Today, again, just felt like everything was in sync and got some late swing. I think perhaps the breeze might have helped in the fact that I wasn’t under lights.”Starc’s six and Boland’s hat-trick meant that for just the second time in an innings of significance when he was fit, Pat Cummins wasn’t required to bowl. “My favourite part,” he joked.”I think a lot of the chat leading into this week is how resilient you need to be and professional to make it 100 Tests,” Cummins said of Starc. “[But] I think that’s kind of the Starcy I always remember playing alongside. He can tear a game open by himself really in the matter of a couple of overs. It feels like he can do it in any format, any time.”When day-night Tests were introduced, Starc was a strong voice questioning the wisdom of it. He still believes they need to be scheduled carefully, and that Adelaide is an ideal model, but he can see a place for them – 81 wickets 17.08 no doubt helps.”It’s good for my record,” he said with a smile.