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In the past five years, there has been a sharp increase in the proportion of players who consider the T20 World Cup to be the most important ICC event

Matt Roller28-Jun-2024

The T20 World Cup is on course to overtake the 50-over World Cup as the “most important” ICC event to players around the world, according to new survey data seen by ESPNcricinfo.The newly-rebranded World Cricketers Association (WCA), formerly FICA, conducts regular surveys which are circulated to several hundred players around the world. In the past five years, there has been a sharp increase in the proportion who consider the T20 World Cup to be the most important ICC event, especially among young players.In 2019, 85% of respondents ranked the 50-over World Cup as the most important ICC event, compared to 15% who chose the T20 World Cup. In 2024, only 50% chose the 50-over World Cup, compared to 35% who said the T20 World Cup and a further 15% who picked the World Test Championship.Latest WCA (formerly FICA) survey data•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

For players under 26, the change is even more stark. In 2019, 86% picked the 50-over World Cup compared to 14% who chose the T20 World Cup. In 2024, just 49% said the 50-over World Cup, while 41% picked the T20 World Cup and 10% chose the World Test Championship.The trend is reflected more widely across the game, beyond ICC events. Five years ago, 82% of survey respondents picked Test cricket as the most important format while 11% chose T20. This year, only 48% of players chose Test cricket compared to 30% who said T20.The WCA say that the sample size for this year’s survey – which will be released in full later in the year – was around 330 professional players from 13 different countries, the majority of whom are current internationals. The data is skewed by a higher proportion of female respondents in 2024 but the WCA say the trends hold true when isolating responses from male players.India, Pakistan and Afghanistan players are among those who are not represented by the WCA since they are not unionised. But the survey responses are spread across players from cricket’s other major nations, which include Australia, Bangladesh, England, New Zealand, South Africa and West Indies.Tom Moffat, WCA’s chief executive, was in New York and Barbados during the group stages of the T20 World Cup to meet with players. He told ESPNcricinfo: “This Men’s T20 World Cup has been a great spectacle and our latest global player survey data continues to highlight the trend in player preferences towards T20 cricket in particular.”The WCA will invite players to scheduling symposiums in August and September, and Moffat believes that they must be involved in collective discussions if the game is serious about solving its issues. “The rapid evolution in the game is exciting but also presents challenges of leadership in a sport that has traditionally not come together coherently on many global issues outside of ICC events,” he said.Latest WCA (formerly FICA) survey data•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“Scheduling in particular is still managed based on individual deals and regional interests and if you looked closely enough, you would probably find some countries have already filled up their calendars with bilateral international cricket for the best part of the next decade.”Given the domestic T20 leagues are also filling up calendar space and becoming a preferred option for many players and those investing in the game, that doesn’t make much sense.”Moffat believes that bilateral international cricket has been significantly weakened by boards acting in their own self-interests and scheduling it alongside franchise leagues.”As an industry, we either accept there will be two parallel calendars and a split player employment market – which means international cricket isn’t going to be best vs best – or we come together to try and find a way to ensure both landscapes can co-exist, with scheduling windows and a properly structured international calendar,” he said.”Either way, the players should be collectively involved in decisions on game structure and regulations that impact their careers. The players drive and are invested in the game’s success, and their decisions are shaping its future.”The WCA and the ICC recently renegotiated players’ squad terms for the next four years of ICC events, which cover commercial and image rights. A deal was struck in the days leading up the T20 World Cup after many months of negotiations and the WCA believe the new collective model will benefit players from smaller nations.

Liverpool are in the mix to complete the signing of a defensive midfielder who has been hailed as a “joy to watch” in Serie A.

Elliott linked with exit as Liverpool make contact for new midfielders

The Reds’ midfield has excelled this season, playing a big part in Arne Slot’s side winning the Premier League, with Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai the go-to trio in the middle of the park.

While other positions are more in need of new signings this summer, from left-back to centre forward, a new midfielder wouldn’t go amiss, especially if Harvey Elliott departs.

Rumours have suggested that that may be the case, with the 22-year-old himself hinting at it earlier this week: “It’s been hard with how much I’ve played. I’ve tried as hard as I could and whatever happens, happens. It’s about what’s best for my career. It’s about reflecting and seeing what I can do. I’m here at the moment and I’m focusing on the final game.”

An attacking midfielder who could be about to move to Anfield is Bayer Leverksuen star Florian Wirtz, with the Reds confident of signing the German international.

According to a report last month, Liverpool also made contact with Juventus midfielder Nicolo Rovella, who is currently on loan at fellow Serie A side Lazio.

Liverpool ramping up pressure on Lazio to sign Rovella

According to Il Messaggero [via Sport Witness], Liverpool remain in the mix to sign Rovella, with Aston Villa also interested in signing the 23-year-old. Manchester City showed interest in him during the January transfer window, but it is the Reds now putting pressure on to get a deal over the line ahead of next season.

Lazio are expected to make his temporary stay into a permanent one straight away this summer, but could then sell him on for profit if they do not make the Champions League this weekend, currently sitting two points adrift with one game to play.

Rovella stands out as an exciting option for Liverpool, proving to be a strong enforcer in front of the defence for Lazio this season.

The Italian has made 30 appearances in Serie A, averaging 2.6 tackles per game, with only Alexis Mac Allister (2.7) averaging more for the Reds in the Premier League in 2024/25. Meanwhile, scout Jacek Kulig has described him as a “joy to watch”.

As mentioned, there are more pressing areas of the pitch for Liverpool to focus on in the summer transfer window, but an out-and-out defensive midfielder could still provide Slot with more balance, coming in as a younger upgrade on Wataru Endo.

He could have a big decision to make regarding his future if Lazio cannot rescue a top four finish this weekend.

Liverpool boss Arne Slot could oversee some significant squad changes this summer and his side could now have taken a step forward in their hunt to sign a new striker, per reports.

Liverpool could now kick transfer activity into gear

Other Monday mornings pass by with little in the way of incident, but Liverpool fans will have been rocked by confirmation that Trent Alexander-Arnold will join Real Madrid on a free transfer. Fabrizio Romano has delivered the news that will undoubtedly have Reds fans talking for weeks to come, meaning Arne Slot will need to dip into the market for a replacement.

Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez could arrive at Anfield to provide competition for Andy Robertson on the left of the backline, though the other side will now likely demand more attention due to Alexander-Arnold’s bitter departure. Barcelona’s Jules Kounde is on the list to replace the Reds’ academy graduate. However, he will cost in the region of £68 million to prize away from the La Liga giants.

Arne Slot is now a Premier League winner and won’t be keen on hanging around as his side look to establish themselves as England’s dominant force over a number of years.

Statement arrivals will be needed to fend off a new challenge from the likes of Manchester City and Arsenal next term, while there may also be transfer battles between the traditional ‘Big Six’ to land talented assets.

Now, Liverpool are said to be positioning themselves for a clinical striker who is commanding the attention of several elite clubs this summer.

Liverpool embark on Benjamin Sesko scouting mission

Per TBR, Liverpool sent scouts to watch RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko in action against Bayern Munich last weekend alongside representatives from Arsenal and Chelsea. The Slovenia international’s entourage are in regular talks with the clubs mentioned and England appears to be the striker’s likeliest destination this summer.

Benjamin Sesko’s record in 2024/25 – all competitions

Appearances

43

Goals

21

Assists

6

Manchester United and Newcastle United may also be worth watching out for in the race for his signature. No final decision has been made on Sesko’s future, though his camp are comfortable with the way things are shaping up.

Labelled as someone with “incredible potential” by Jurgen Klopp, the 21-year-old scored in front of scouts before Bayern Munich were confirmed champions on Sunday due to Bayer Leverkusen dropping points. Showing his clinical nature, Sesko has directed 31 of his 67 shots in the Bundesliga on target alongside completing an impressive 38 dribbles this term.

Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota could be at risk of moving on this summer, and Sesko would definitely be an ideal alternative that could cement his place as number one striker at Anfield for years to come.

Leeds United supporters are arguably blessed at this moment in time as the West Yorkshire giants regularly flirt with promotion up to the Premier League.

Not too long ago, the Whites were seen as mid-table fodder in the Championship, with a number of poor finishes in the competitive division regularly dampening the mood at Elland Road before Marcelo Bielsa graced the famed dugout.

Daniel Farke will hope he can follow in Bielsa’s footsteps by guiding his side to a triumphant title success in the second tier, with the German already having to make some cutthroat calls to try and steer his team to said glory by ditching Illan Meslier.

What the future holds for Illan Meslier at Elland Road

It’s fair to say Meslier finds himself on extremely thin ice at Leeds at this moment in time, with stand-in goalkeeper Karl Darlow the chosen man now in between the sticks away from the wobbly Frenchman.

Before that, Meslier had started every Championship game available to him this season, but errors seeping into his game at an alarming rate means the former Newcastle United ‘keeper is now Farke’s surprise number one.

Coincidentally, the aforementioned Bielsa was the first boss at the Elland Road helm to hand Meslier senior chances, with the ex-Lorient shot-stopper up to 214 appearances and 72 clean sheets for the promotion chasers before falling out of favour.

Now, it seems Meslier will be heading for the exit door, with rampant reports suggesting that Southampton goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale is on the summer shopping list.

Frustratingly, if Leeds could reverse time, they’d potentially opt to have a different stopper back over splashing excessive wads of cash on new personnel.

Former Leeds goalkeeper is now better than Meslier

Of course, if Darlow continues to perform competently, he too will be in the running to be Leeds’ first-choice ‘keeper for the foreseeable.

Yet, if Farke had a figure like Kasper Schmeichel at his disposal right now, it would be a no-brainer as to who would pull on the Whites’ number one jersey, with the Danish veteran going on to have a distinguished career after leaving Leeds behind all the way back in 2011.

Simon Grayson was the boss in the Whites hot-seat when a far younger and rawer Schmeichel departed the building, with the Scandinavian stopper only going on to make 40 appearances for his ex-employers all across the 2010/11 campaign.

He wasn’t helped by the poor environment he found himself in, considering the West Yorkshire titans finished outside the playoff spots in seventh during his one and only full season, with Schmeichel only able to collect a low ten clean sheets along the way.

Games played

603

Clubs played for

4

Goals conceded

710

Clean sheets

192

Premier League title wins

1

Looking at the table above, however, the Copenhagen-born ‘keeper has never let this swift exit from Elland Road impact him, with Schmeichel going on to assert himself as a Premier League regular at Leicester City where he even lifted a dramatic top-flight title.

Picking up a bumper 192 clean sheets since walking out of the Whites too, the “outstanding” 38-year-old – as he was once lauded by his ex-Foxes boss in Brendan Rodgers – is continuing to age like a fine wine with current side Celtic, who are funnily enough managed by the aforementioned Rodgers.

A regular in the Champions League this season, if his wealth of experience wasn’t enough to prove his credentials above Meslier, the Bhoys’ number one also has a gleaming record of 22 clean sheets this campaign from 40 appearances.

Of course, playing for Leeds in the Championship is a far trickier situation than playing your part in Celtic’s dominance over Scotland, but the Whites must still rue letting Schmeichel leave so prematurely, especially with their recent ‘keeper woes.

Not just Darlow: Farke has revived £70k-per-week Leeds star's career

Karl Darlow is not the only Leeds star who has revived his Elland Road career.

ByDan Emery Apr 13, 2025

The major takeaways from India’s squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup

Sidharth Monga30-Apr-20245:08

Should Shivam Dube be in India’s starting XI at the World Cup?

Rinku loses out to ChahalAs reported here, the last spot in India’s 15-man squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup came down to a choice between Rinku Singh and a back-up bowler. It must have been a tough decision to omit Rinku because India need an in-form hitter of high pace in the middle- and lower-middle order, and he has been exceptional in the opportunities he has got for India. To pick him, though, India’s selectors would have had to go without a specialist bowler among the back-ups. Eventually, they went with a second wristspinner in Yuzvendra Chahal instead of a fourth fast bowler in Avesh Khan. It seems like a specific selection for sides against whom India can play two wristspinners.What would have been the point of picking Rinku?From Rinku’s point of view his exclusion seems heartbreakingly unfair, but from the team’s point of view India are already struggling to fit Shivam Dube into the XI. So where would Rinku have fit in?This situation began when Hardik Pandya, India’s T20I captain for a while last year, was sidelined by injury for a long time after the 2023 ODI World Cup. Keeping his fitness in mind, India’s selectors and coaching staff decided they needed someone else as captain. In came Rohit Sharma, who had been “rested” from T20Is since the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia, for the home T20I series against Afghanistan in January. With Rohit came Virat Kohli, who also hadn’t played a T20I between the 2022 T20 World Cup and this January.Rohit is believed to have asked for Kohli for his temperament, but picking Rohit and leaving out Kohli would have been difficult for the selectors. The debate over their explosive hitting ability might rage on, but Rohit and Kohli along with Yashasvi Jaiswal and Suryakumar Yadav means India have a top four who don’t bowl or keep wicket.A wicketkeeper and two allrounders will likely make up the lower-middle order. That leaves hardly any room for Dube in the starting XI, or Rinku.Related

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Stoinis and bowling pack lift LSG to third spot

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Can Dube fit in?In a conservative XI, he can’t, but there are left-field options. The team management could leave out Jaiswal, open with Rohit and Kohli, and free up the No. 4 spot for Dube. If they can trust Ravindra Jadeja to bowl four overs, they could leave out Hardik and possibly rely on one over from Dube, who unfortunately has not bowled at all for CSK this IPL season because of the Impact Player rule.There is another, more enterprising way to fit Dube in. Play the spin allrounder – Jadeja or Axar Patel – at No. 8 and go with just three specialist bowlers. That, though, is a leap of faith the team management might not be willing to take even if it provides batting depth.Is India’s batting depth at issue?In a straightforward XI from this squad, India will not have any six-hitters after No. 7. It is a strange shortcoming in Indian cricket that specialist bowlers who can do some power hitting down the order don’t exist. The team has already shown signs of moving on from players with the batting ability of Shardul Thakur if they cut it as specialist bowlers.So what might India’s first XI look like at the World Cup?For conditions that are not extremely spin-friendly, the following could be the probable XI:Top order: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav
Middle order: Sanju Samson/Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja/Axar Patel
Spinner: Kuldeep Yadav/Yuzvendra Chahal
Fast bowlers: Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj
And two out of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube.If India play on a slow track, they can pick another spinner instead of a third fast bowler. They could either go with both Jadeja and Axar to strengthen the batting, or both Kuldeep and Chahal for a more potent wicket-taking attack.

The opener scored his maiden ODI fifty in only his second game to rescue New Zealand from a perilous 0 for 2

Deivarayan Muthu13-Jul-2022Finn Allen’s T20 strike rate of 178.92 is the best among batters who have played at least 50 innings in the format. That strike rate jumps up to 186.54 in the powerplay, and this ability to dash out of the blocks earned him an IPL gig with Royal Challengers Bangalore even before he had made his international debut for New Zealand.Allen has since broken into the Vitality T20 Blast and The Hundred as well, his rise somewhat highlighting the changing landscape of cricket. But while he’s hot property in the T20 world, does he have the range of skills to succeed in 50-overs cricket? On Tuesday, Allen was asked that question during New Zealand’s second ODI against Ireland, on a Malahide pitch that was two-paced, offering assistance to both seamers and spinners, with the overnight and early-morning rains juicing it up even further.Related

• New Zealand 'potentially left a few runs out there' – Guptill on their tense finish at Mahlaide

• Watch the ball hard, hit the ball hard: the Finn Allen mantra

• Allen, Latham, Bracewell help New Zealand seal series after bowlers' show

After Matt Henry and Jacob Duffy swung the ball prodigiously in the powerplay in the afternoon, it was Mark Adair’s turn to let it rip later in the evening in Ireland’s defence of 216. Adair yorked Martin Guptill first ball and then breached Will Young’s defences with a sharp inducker. New Zealand were 0 for 2 in two balls, and The Village raised itself in a massive roar.In the early exchanges, Allen looked to bash his way out of trouble, like he often does at the Basin Reserve for Wellington Firebirds in the Super Smash. He dashed out of the crease to Craig Young but almost yorked himself in the process. He swung hard at a pull against Adair and almost ended up dragging it back onto his off stump. Soon after, he wound up for a lusty leg-side slog against Adair but missed the line.But once he had sussed out the conditions, and when the ball stopped swinging, Allen’s natural game came to the fore. Adair erred too full in the ninth over, and Allen walloped him for 6,4,4,4. Having scored just 6 off 18 balls at one stage, Allen charged to a 47-ball half-century, his first in ODIs, coming in just his second game. His 101-run third-wicket partnership with captain Tom Latham was central to New Zealand chasing down their target and wrapping up the three-ODI series with one game to go.”I supposed I recognised that it wasn’t easy early on” Allen told NZC’s in-house media team after the game. “Me and Tommy had good comms. We kept each other in it and kept reiterating to trust our base and just go from there. There’s lot more time than we realise at times in 50-over cricket, so it was nice to just sit in and bat with him and spend a bit of time in the middle and once we sort of got one away, we became a bit more free-flowing, which is nice.”Tom Latham and Finn Allen added 101 after getting together at 0 for 2•Sportsfile/Getty ImagesAllen has played just 29 List A games so far, including his two ODIs, and and has an average of 27.96 to go with a strike rate of 108.71. As the first of those numbers might suggest, he’s still learning to adjust to the pace and pattern of play of 50-overs cricket.”Obviously having Tommy there… It helped a lot in talking with him but for me I’m still figuring out the pace at which I want to go about my one-day cricket and sometimes on those wickets, you have to sit in and realise that they’re bowling well and get through that,” Allen said. “We still finished the powerplay on 56, I guess, so we came out of it nicely.”Just recognising that there are tough periods in the game that you’ve to get through and once you get through that, you’re kind of set in a way. So, yeah, a lot of learnings for me today and obviously, as I said, nice to spend time with Tommy out there today.”New Zealand will be particularly pleased that Allen could adapt on a difficult pitch against a promising Ireland attack. They had to rejig their batting line-up to accommodate Allen at the top, with Henry Nicholls dropping down to the middle order. Allen’s inclusion could potentially allow New Zealand to use their accidental T20 opener Daryl Mitchell as a finisher alongside Michael Bracewell in white-ball cricket.Allen, who plays under Bracewell’s captaincy at Firebirds, wasn’t surprised by the allrounder’s brilliance in Ireland. After securing an unlikely victory with his maiden ODI century in the series opener, Bracewell took 2 for 26 and made an unbeaten 42 off 40 balls in the second match. His figures on Tuesday were the most-economical ten-over spell by a New Zealand spinner since Daniel Vettori’s 4 for 18 against Afghanistan in Napier during the 2015 World Cup.”The Beast [Bracewell] was challenging the bat the whole innings and the whole time he was bowling,” Allen said. “It was also really good to see him get the rewards for that and his batting has been pretty outstanding as well.”He’s done exactly what he’s been doing in domestic cricket out here [in international cricket] and showing everyone what he can do. That guy has got ice in his veins and he backs himself 100%. He’s got really good options that he’s taking and he’s just executing really well. So it’s so good to see such an awesome guy and everyone back home is pretty stoked to see him do well. So it has been phenomenal to watch.”

And what’s the most catches taken by someone who bagged a pair in the same Test?

Steven Lynch24-Mar-2020Which bowler holds the record for dismissing the highest number of century-makers in Tests? asked K Lokaraj from India
The name at the top of this list is an unsurprising one – Test cricket’s leading wicket-taker Muttiah Muralitharan dismissed 34 batsmen after they got to 100 – but the man in second place is a bit more of a shock: Harbhajan Singh accounted for 28 century-makers in Tests. Jimmy Anderson is currently third, with 26, ahead of the Indian pair of Anil Kumble (25) and Zaheer Khan (24).At the other end of the scale, Glenn McGrath inflicted 104 ducks in Tests, and Murali and Shane Warne 102 apiece.Who was twice stranded on 99 not out in the Sheffield Shield? asked Justin Kelly from Australia
I was rather surprised to discover that there have only been seven cases of a batsman scoring 99 not out in a Sheffield Shield match. The unfortunate man who bagged two – in the space of three matches in 2008-09 – was the Tasmanian allrounder Brett Geeves, who played three white-ball internationals for Australia around this time (and was also called into the Test squad, without winning a cap). Geeves’ first near-miss came against Victoria in Melbourne, and was soon followed by another 99 not out against New South Wales in Newcastle. Both times he was stranded when No. 11 Tim McDonald was dismissed. Poor Geeves never did make a first-class hundred.The others to make 99 not out in a Sheffield Shield innings were Roger Woolley (Tasmania v Western Australia in Devonport in 1978-79), Adam Gilchrist (WA v South Australia in Adelaide in 1995-96), Jimmy Maher (Queensland v WA in Brisbane in 1998-99), Michael Klinger (Victoria v Tasmania in Hobart in 2000-01), and Michael Hussey (WA v South Australia in Adelaide in 2012-13).I spotted that Sachin Tendulkar took part in 72 Tests that ended as draws. I assume this is the record. Who’s next? asked Hasan Narayan from India
Rather surprisingly, perhaps, Sachin Tendulkar’s total of 72 drawn Tests only puts him second on this particular table. On top is Kapil Dev: although he played 69 fewer Tests than Tendulkar (131 to 200), well over half of them – 75 – ended in draws. Two more Indians come next: Sunil Gavaskar (67 draws in 125 Tests) and Dilip Vengsarkar (64 out of 116). Javed Miandad played in 62 drawn Tests, and Allan Border and Rahul Dravid 59 each.Out of the 131 Tests that Kapil Dev was a part of, 75 ended as draws•Getty ImagesWhat’s the most catches taken by someone who bagged a pair in the same Test? asked Kelly Morgan from New Zealand
Two wicketkeepers have taken seven catches in a Test in which they also bagged a pair – South Africa’s Dave Richardson, against Pakistan in Johannesburg in 1994-95, and David Williams for West Indies against England in Port-of-Spain in 1997-98. Ian Healy made eight dismissals, two of them stumpings, to go with a pair for Australia against West Indies in Adelaide in 1992-93 (the match West Indies won by one run). Gary Wilson also took six catches in the match for Ireland against England at Lord’s last year.The record for an outfielder who also bagged a pair is three catches, which has happened seven times now. It was most recently done by the Zimbabwean legspinner Brandon Mavuta, against Bangladesh in Mirpur in 2018-19 (he also managed 0 for 189 with the ball).Following on from the recent question about who has played the most Tests on one ground, I wondered who had played on the most different grounds? asked Michael Clements from England
Sachin Tendulkar does come out on top of this list, helped by having played a record 200 Test matches in all. He played at 42 different grounds, with 11 matches in Kolkata and Mohali, and ten each in Chennai and at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Rahul Dravid played Tests at 36 different venues, and Shivnarine Chanderpaul at 35. VVS Laxman played at 32 different grounds, and Alastair Cook and Jacques Kallis at 30.The former West Indian batsman Faoud Bacchus played 19 Tests at 19 different grounds, a record recently equalled by England’s Adil Rashid.Chanderpaul holds the overall record for having played first-class cricket on the most grounds – 116, one ahead of Tom Graveney and Mushtaq Mohammad. The former England captain MJK Smith played on 114 different grounds, his sometime Test team-mates Jim Parks and Peter Richardson on 113, and Dravid and Tendulkar on 112.Use our feedback form or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

Seattle Mariners slugger Cal Raleigh is quite literally striking fear into opposing managers.

On Friday, Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford led off the top of the third inning with a single and Julio Rodriguez followed it up with a double to give Seattle runners on second and third with Raleigh and his MLB-leading 32 home runs stepping up to the plate. Texas Rangers pitching coach Mike Maddux emerged from the dugout to have a discussion with starter Nathan Eovaldi, and Texas then opted to intentionally walk Raleigh to load the bases with no one out.

While Texas's decision also set the club up for the double play, it was still the ultimate sign of respect towards baseball's home run leader.

The Mariners scored a run when second baseman Jorge Polanco grounded into a fielder's choice, then another when outfielder Randy Arozarena hit a sacrifice fly to left field. One could certainly argue that the damage had been limited.

But it wasn't the last time that Raleigh's power would force the Rangers into a tough decision. Just an inning later, Texas skipper Bruce Bochy faced a similar predicament, though this time there were two outs in the inning and the Mariners had two base runners with Raleigh again walking up to the batter's box.

And again, the Rangers intentionally walked the Mariners' backstop. Polanco grounded out to short and the Rangers emerged out of the top of the fourth having only surrendered a run.

It's hard to argue with the strategy, especially given how well Raleigh has been swinging the bat. He has belted 10 home runs in June, giving him a league-leading 32 for the season. Not only did Raleigh break Cincinnati Reds legend Johnny Bench's record for the most home runs by a catcher before the All-Star break (28), but he is also on pace to break Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez's record for the most home runs by a catcher in a season (48).

Oh, and Raleigh is pacing to break the American League single-season home run record of 62 home runs, set by New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge in 2022.

Can you blame the Rangers for not wanting to pitch to him with runners in scoring position?

Manchester United will still be without Matheus Cunha, Harry Maguire and Benjamin Sesko for their next game against Crystal Palace as they look to respond to their chastening defeat against 10-man Everton. Cunha sustained a knock in training before the Everton game and Amorim has confirmed that while he will not be back to face Oliver Glasner's side, he could return to face West Ham on Thursday.

• Cunha, Maguire and Sesko still out

  United missed Cunha and Sesko badly as they failed to break down Everton despite Idrissa Gueye being sent off in the 13th minute at Old Trafford as the Red Devils lost a home game against 10 men for the first time in Premier League history. Sesko was ruled out for up to a month following his injury against Tottenham just before the international break and Amorim has confirmed that the £74m striker is still recovering and has stressed that the club will handle the injury carefully. United are also without Harry Maguire for Sunday's trip to Selhurst Park, where they have not won a game in more than five years.

  "Sesko is going to take a little bit more time, Harry the same," Amorim told a press conference. "I expect to have Matheus back in the next one, not this one."

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• Getty Images
  

  'Tough' week after Everton loss

  Amorim admitted that spirits have been low after the Everton game and reflected that United should be in a much better position than 10th in the Premier League 12 games into the season.

  He said: "In our club it is the same thing because last year we had to win every game all the time and we took a lot of criticism because we are not winning. So in our club there is no excuses. About Europe, I have already talked about Europe and I said the same thing last year when we were in Europe, and I say the same thing this year, the advantage and disadvantage of being in Europe so there is no excuses. Last year or this year it is always to win games.

  "If I look at the games we should have more points because we had control of some games, we had the advantage in some games and we lost that control. So if I look at our games we should have more points and that is really disappointing and really frustrating especially in the last game. In our club it is the same thing because last year we had to win every game all the time and we took a lot of criticism because we are not winning. So in our club there is no excuses.

  "It [the aim] is to start again and it was really tough the week as it should be. It was hard after this result, this defeat. But the process needs to continue and we need to go for the next game and we have to understand, especially in our league this year, everything can change really fast so let's go again and focus on the next one."

• Palace doing better than United with same formation

  Palace coach Oliver Glasner uses the same 3-4-3 formation as Amorim but has had more success than the Portuguese since arriving in England in February 2024. He led the Eagles to win the FA Cup last season, their first ever major trophy, while they are fifth in the table heading into Sunday's game. Their spirits could be a little deflated though following defeat to Strasbourg in the Europa Conference League.

  Amorim admitted that Palace are in better shape than United but stressed that they are different clubs with different levels of expectation. He said: "We play a different way and you can understand that by data but it is hard to explain everything. It is a different club and they are doing better than us so that is quite simple but you don't say all 3-4-3s play in the same way. We play in a different moment, we defend in different space and we try to attack in a different way and they are just doing things better than us.

  "I take inspiration from everyone. When I have two weeks for national teams, I watch all the managers and try to take all the inspiration that I can take. I have six years as a manager and I am always trying to learn to improve my team."

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  Amorim hoping to improve on poor away record

  United have won just one of their seven away games this season in all competitions, with champions Liverpool being the only team they have beaten on their travels. That momentous victory looks less impressive now though given the fact that Palace, Nottingham Forest and PSV Eindhoven have all since won at Anfield. 

  Amorim could not give a clear answer on why his side have struggled so much away from home and stressed the importance of learning to cling on to their leads after throwing away advanages in their last two outings at Nottingham Forest and Tottenham.

  "We need to do to show to the players why we lost control of Forest why we lost control against Tottenham. And if you look at those games they were there to win," he said.
  "Sometimes a small detail can change everything. Then I felt this year when we play at home the intensity is higher and I felt in this game at home the intensity was not at the same level so I think it is something that we need to work on. It is hard to point at one thing why we are not winning away. There is a lot of issues that we are improving. Like I say, we have advantage in the away games but we need to know how to finish the games in order to win."

Big picture – Both sides looking for a spark

Someone find a power pylon, a generator… even a car battery would do. Attach the wires to Sri Lanka’s Women’s World Cup 2025 campaign. Two games (and one washout) in, it desperately needs to be shocked to life. Although they are playing at home, this World Cup schedule was always going to be a challenge – they were playing the teams they have struggled most against in their first three games. And so far, only that point from the washout against Australia is keeping some sort of hope alive.New Zealand have had a rough start to the tournament too, thumped by Australia in their opener, before South Africa strode past them with relative ease. But they do, more recently, have that win against Bangladesh to hold them over. Their campaign doesn’t quite need the defibrillator as badly as Sri Lanka do. But a loss in Colombo on Tuesday be a major blow to their hopes of qualifying for the semi-final, with South Africa and England now rolling into serious form, while Australia and India have more-or-less played like the tournament favourites they were expected to be.The problem for New Zealand, is that Sri Lanka have beaten them in their most-recent ODI series in Sri Lanka – a three-match series in Galle in 2023, which Sri Lanka won 2-1. The problem for Sri Lanka, is that both those ODI victories had been founded on truly epic performances from Chamari Athapaththu, with the 140 not out off 80 balls in the conversation for being her best innings ever.In any case, New Zealand’s batting – however lacklustre by their own standards – is in significantly better shape this tournament than Sri Lanka’s has been. All three New Zealand innings have produced totals between 225 and 240. Against England on Saturday, Sri Lanka nosedived to 164 at this very venue.New Zealand meanwhile, are fresh from rolling Bangladesh over for 127. That performance was more a result of their seamers – Jess Kerr and Lea Tahuhu taking three apiece – where it is spin that usually decides matches at Khettarama. Legspinner Amelia Kerr has five wickets in the tournament, but may need a little more support from the other spinners than she has had so far, if New Zealand are to make a statement on Tuesday.

Form guide

Sri Lanka LLLLW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
New Zealand WLLWW2:14

Green: ‘Halliday has many options against spin’

In the spotlight – Amelia Kerr and Hasini Perera

Sri Lanka will be extremely wary of Amelia Kerr’s bowling, given she averages 24.62 in Asia. But this tournament is yet to see the best of Kerr the batter, and perhaps their stop in Sri Lanka is the place to change that. She has played only three innings on the island – in that 2023 series. But she did hit a 108 off 106 balls in the only match of that series that New Zealand won. It’s not as if she’s been especially bereft of form, having made some starts at No. 3 this World Cup. But each of those innings has been slightly laboured. Kerr firing at first-drop would make New Zealand a much more daunting opposition towards the end of this tournament.Sri Lanka batter Hasini Perera has attracted a little bit of criticism over the past week or so. While Sri Lanka’s top order fails, she has been an easy target, partly because of her long-term record. After 53 ODI innings, Hasini has a high score of 46. She has, this year, been asked to sacrifice her preferences for the team, however. Sri Lanka see Vishmi Gunaratne as an investment in the future, and have sent her down to No. 4, where, it is hoped, she will have a greater chance of success in this development phase of this career. And Hasini, who averages a respectable 33 at No. 4, has been asked to open. She top-scored for Sri Lanka in the loss to England, so clearly she is not out of her depth at the top of the order. But she needs a good score – a fifty ideally – to fend the critics off.

Pitch and conditions – More rain (perhaps). More spin (for sure)

Colombo’s weather continues to be as it has been in the last two weeks – humid, hot, with frequent showers rolling through. Expect the track to take good turn again, as it did on Saturday.Dewmi Vihanga’s spot in the XI could be in focus•ICC/Getty Images

Team news – Spotlight on Sri Lanka’s attack

Sri Lanka will think about Dewmi Vihanga’s place in the XI. She offers offspin and some hitting with the bat, which is why Sri Lanka picked her against England ahead of another seamer. But she does also tend to be a liability in the field. Seamer Malki Madara, who impressed in the tri-series earlier in the year, also waits in the squad.Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Hasini Perera, 2 Chamari Athapaththu (capt), 3 Harshith Samarawickrama, 4 Vishmi Gunaratne, 5 Kavisha Dihari, 6 Nilakshika Silva, 7 Anushka Sanjeewani (wk), 8 Dewmi Vihanga/Malki Madara/Achini Kulasuriya, 9 Sugandika Kumari, 10 Udeshika Prabodhani, 11 Inoka RanaweeraNew Zealand may retain their winning XI.New Zealand (possible): 1 Suzie Bates, 2 Georgia Plimmer, 3 Amelia Kerr, 4 Sophie Devine (capt), 5 Brooke Halliday, 6 Maddy Green, 7 Isabella Gaze (wk), 8 Jess Kerr, 9 Rosemary Mair, 10 Lea Tahuhu, 11 Eden Carson

Stats and trivia

• New Zealand had never lost an ODI against Sri Lanka, until they lost twice in one series in 2023. Their overall record is 13 wins to those two losses. They won by big margins against Sri Lanka this year as well, but those two games had been played in New Zealand
• Amelia Kerr enjoys bowling in Asia, but her batting in the continent has not been quite as strong – she averages 36.37 in Asia, down from her overall average of 41.18
• Inoka Ranaweera has been Sri Lanka’s best bowler by a distance in their first two completed matches. So far this tournament, she has seven wickets at an average of 11.29

Quotes

“In this tournament so far we’ve seen wickets falling early in just about every ground pretty much. It’s about trying to build big partnerships up top.”New Zealand allrounder Maddy Green on the way the batting in this World Cup has tended to go so far.“Even though Hasini has played short innings, we think those are good innings. And sometimes no one has played better.We know what she is capable of.”Sri Lanka coach Rumesh Ratnayake on Hasini Perera.