When you knock AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle off their perch life can become a bit of a blur, so it’s perhaps unsurprising that for Jake Fraser-McGurk his feat in Adelaide a few days ago, where he scorched a 29-ball hundred, was still sinking in.Fraser-McGurk’s astonishing display at Karen Rolton Oval shaved two deliveries off de Villiers’ 31-ball hundred against West Indies in 2015 as the fastest List A century, and also bettered by one Gayle’s 30-ball T20 effort against Pune Warriors in IPL 2015 meaning Fraser-McGurk holds the fastest hundred in the professional game.”I had no idea [about the record]. I was just trying to hit the ball to the boundary,” he told ESPNcricinfo. “I came off and a few of the boys said you’ve broken a few records and the one that sticks out is AB against West Indies, I remember watching that innings, it was incredible.”Related

• Fraser-McGurk and Bartlett handed Australia ODI call-ups

• Jake Fraser-McGurk's 29-ball ton breaks AB de Villiers' List A record

• Who is new world-record holder Jake Fraser-McGurk?

• Tasmania hold off Fraser-McGurk's record century to take victory

The onslaught began when Fraser-McGurk took 32 off Sam Rainbird’s second over. He passed fifty off 18 deliveries and needed just 11 more to reach the century. In all, he struck 13 sixes, and 23 off the 38 balls he faced before finding deep midwicket went to the boundary.”I was seeing the ball so clearly and everything felt a lot slower than usual, I was in that zone, that mental state, which is something as a batter you try and be in every single time but it’s rare,” he said. “To finally have that happen is very pleasing.”The mind-boggling display has come early in a new phase of Fraser-McGurk’s career following a winter move from Victoria to South Australia, although he will remain with Melbourne Renegades for the BBL. After making headlines as a 17-year-old when he scored half-centuries on both his List A and first-class debuts, it has been a tricky journey in the early years of his career.”It’s tough leaving your home and all your friends,” he said. “I’ve played a lot of cricket with the Victorian boys throughout my junior career. I’ve got lifelong friendships with those blokes but just felt I needed to be a bit selfish and do what’s best for me, get some more opportunity elsewhere, and South Australia came calling and took that with open arms. They’ve been absolutely brilliant.”He was particularly full of praise for batting coach Steve Stubbings – “up there with one of the best I’ve had, everything is so clear with him” – but he continues to lean heavily on his long-time coach Shannon Young back in Victoria.While the innings against Tasmania took things to a different level, Fraser-McGurk had given a hint at his batting mindset this season with a combined tally of 66 off 43 balls in the Sheffield Shield match against the same opposition, which followed two brisk 2nd XI scores against Queensland.”Every time you go out you have to adapt to conditions, but I usually do go out there and bat with some positive intent and try to get the game on my terms,” he said. “It’s a new process I’m working on, still learning and trusting, watching the ball incredibly hard, being calm and having full confidence in myself that I can play the shot I want to each delivery.”Having struggled to kick on from his promising debuts as a 17-year-old, Fraser-McGurk admitted to having doubted himself at various stages but believes that having started so young can make it easy to forget his game is still developing.”You have that thought in the back of your head when you think you aren’t really up to it when you’re not doing well,” he said. “I started pretty well in both debuts and was thinking it could only really go up from there being a naive young kid. I’ve been around for a while, but some people forget I’m still only 21, so hopefully got plenty of cricket to come and the way I see it, I’m just getting started.”I’ve caught myself a few times thinking this is so hard, but then I realise where some other greats of the game were at my age. Steve Smith was a bowler at my age and now he’s one of the best batsmen in the world, so things like that, you have to realise you’ve got plenty of time.”But it never means taking a backward step or stop working as hard, just means you have time to figure out your craft and now hopefully getting that score away, it can be a bit clearer for me.”

MatériaMais Notícias

Autora do terceiro gol do Corinthians na vitória por 4 a 1 sobre o Internacional, na tarde deste sábado, que deu o título do Brasileirão Feminino ao Timão, a meia Victória Albuquerque brincou sobre com os ‘secadores’ que torceram contra.

– A gente fala muito da nossa mentalidade vencedora e é em todas as questões, com lesões, ou não, time completo, ou não. Serve de motivação. Então, quem estava torcendo muito obrigada, e para quem não estava, bom final de semana – disse a jogadora na zona mista após o jogo.

Vic acertou o seu retorno ao time feminino do Corinthians já na reta final do Campeonato Brasileiro. Entre janeiro e agosto, a jogadora defendeu o Madrid, da Espanha, mas foi repatriada pelo mesmo time que atuava quando foi para o clube europeu.

+ATUAÇÕES: Corinthians dá show, coletivo brilha e leva o Brasileirão Feminino

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasCorinthians‘Patrona’ do futebol feminino do Corinthians dá dica para outros clubes seguirem o caminhoCorinthians24/09/2022CorinthiansApós tetra, time feminino do Corinthians atinge marca impressionante em finaisCorinthians24/09/2022CorinthiansApós mais um título com o Corinthians, Arthur Elias afirma: ‘Confio nas minhas jogadoras’Corinthians24/09/2022

A jogadora exaltou a confiança do elenco e do treinador Arthur Elias por ter voltado sendo utilizada no elenco.

– Meu retorno, mais do que nunca, foi importante para o título. As minhas companheiras e o meu treinador confiaram em mim. Tive uma lesão séria, que me tirou de jogos importantes, mas estava ajudando no dia a dia, nos treinos, motivação, e todo esse conjunto faz com que a gente levanta taças. Sou muito grata pelo que fizeram por mim, e eu pude contribuir hoje – destacou Albuquerque.

O título brasileiro foi o segundo do Corinthians neste ano na categoria. Em fevereiro, as Brabas conquistaram a Supercopa do Brasil, campeonato que foi disputado pela primeira vez. A equipe ainda pode terminar 2022 levantando mais dois canecos: do Campeonato Paulista e Libertadores.

– Comodismo não faz parte do nosso dia a dia, a gente se cobra muito todos os dias, são atletas de alto nível, seleção. Tudo o que a gente conquistou ficou para trás, amanhã a gente já vai estar pensando no Paulista, na Libertadores. Os títulos que a gente ganha só servem para motivar a gente a ganhar mais. O Arthur (Elias) e a nossa psicóloga trabalham muito a gente nisso, de pensar só em vencer, e é o que tem acontecido – disse Victória.

Desde que retornou ao Corinthians, Victória Albuquerque entrou em campo em seis oportunidades e participou de quatro gols, tendo marcado três e dado uma assistência.

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Jarell Quansah has had his medical booked in ahead of the young Liverpool defender completing a move to Bayer Leverkusen.

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Quansah's Leverkusen medical will be on MondayMove to Germany for 22-year-oldFee of £35m including add-ons agreedFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Quansah's pending move to Leverkusen has taken another big step towards being finalised, as Fabrizio Romano reports that his medical has been booked and will take place on Monday. A fee rising to £35 million ($48m) has been agreed for the 22-year-old, though the deal includes a buy-back clause which could be worth between £60m ($82m) and £70m ($96m) depending on various add-ons being met.

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Quansah has been on the books at Liverpool since the age of five, but fell out of favour last season under Arne Slot. The club feel that the next stage in his development should take place away from Anfield, though the inclusion of a much larger buy-back clause indicates that they retain high hopes for his future.

This deal is a continuation of the good relationship between the Reds and Leverkusen this summer, with Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong recently heading in the opposite direction.

DID YOU KNOW?

Quansah made 13 Premier League starts in 2023-24, which was his first full season in the Liverpool first-team squad. But this was reduced to just four league starts under Slot, two of which came in defeats once the title had been secured, and he was introduced off the bench just nine times as Ibrahima Konate nailed down a starting role alongside Virgil van Dijk.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR QUANSAH?

Quansah's next chapter appears set to begin in the coming days as he follows several young English stars in making a Bundesliga switch. He will hope to star for Erik ten Hag's side both domestically and in Europe as he aims to take his career to a new level. In the meantime, he will hope for U21 European Championship glory with England on Saturday evening.

Leverkusen will be glad to bring in a high-potential young defender as the long-term successor to the departed Jonathan Tah. Meanwhile, Liverpool have been linked with Marc Guehi, left with a shortage of senior centre-back options and with the future of Konate still yet to be resolved.

Miami were never likely to win, and their Club World Cup exit emphasized where MLS sits relative to world football

Even the linesman was tired by the end. The man on the far side of the pitch had been running up and down the touchline all match, just trying to keep up with a Miami defense constantly in retreat. He hadn't put a foot wrong. In the 76th minute, an intrusive camera panned his way. The man looked exhausted.

So was everyone else not wearing the effortless navy blue of PSG. Inter Miami were battered here, out run, outplayed and embarrassed on home(ish) turf. The 4-0 loss Sunday in the Club World Cup round of 16 will hurt the competitors on the pitch, give fuel to the online Lionel Messi trolls, and reflect poorly on Javier Mascherano in his first season in club management.

Inter Miami owners Jorge Mas and David Beckham won't take it well. It will also, undoubtedly, be a stick to beat MLS with in the coming days, weeks, and months.

But to criticize Miami, loss or not, is to miss the broader point. The 4-0 scoreline was comprehensive. But when put into context, makes perfect sense. Miami had stretched what MLS could do in this tournament, reached just beyond where the league really sits in the global sphere. And when they took the field against the true elite – who had big money and better players – there was only one way this game was going to go.

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  A predictable battering

  Miami were in the game for about five minutes. The opening exchanges looked admittedly promising. The Herons dug in. Mascherano pointed around with vigor and encouragement. Luis Suarez got those old legs churning. This was a contest between the European champions and the team currently with the 11th best points total in the ninth best league in the world.

  And the plucky underdog – yes, a team can still have Messi and be an underdog – looked alright.

  Then PSG started to play a bit. Their first goal was simple enough, a wide open Joao Neves nipping in at the far post to head back across Oscar Ustari. What crushed Miami, though, was the next 15 minutes.

  Noah Allen went off with an injury. PSG dominated possession. Khvicha Kvarastskhelia pulled the Herons' defense left and right, leaving a confused Marcelo Weigandt reduced to a pool of flailing limbs. Tomas Aviles came on, tried to set the tone with a shin high crunching tackle on Nuno Mendes – and went straight into the book. Messi barely touched the ball.

  They did well, in fact, to hold out for as long as they did. It was a surprise that the Parisians needed until the 39th minute to make it two. But even that one was simple. Sergio Busquets was stripped at the top of his own box. Five touches, four passes and eight seconds later, the ball was in the back of the Miami net.

  Busquets, one of the great defensive midfielders of his time, barely had time to compute what had happened. The third and fourth came in short order. Aviles headed into his own net after a slick move down the right. Hakimi basically walked the ball home for the fourth after a kind ricochet.

  PSG boss Luis Enrique took off his captain and a vital midfield piece at half time, and spent the majority of the second half rotating. Miami enjoyed a bit more of the ball. Messi danced around for moments. A clunky touch from Suarez prevented what would have been a tap in. Messi whacked a free kick into the wall.

  A goal, in truth, wouldn't have been fair – 4-0 felt about right, a first half battering followed by a second half siesta for the French giants and their Spanish manager.

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  Fighting against the numbers

  PSG issued a thumping in pretty much every statistical category. Pick your preferred number to measure it all. They had 67 percent possession. They completed 685 passes. Miami completed 306. They took 19 shots. Miami took eight. They won the xG battle, 2.49-0.43.

  They dominated elsewhere, too. Miami averaged 45 seconds between ball recoveries. PSG needed just 18. The Parisians scored more goals in the first half (four), than Miami had completed passes in the final third (three).

  But all of that should come as a surprise to no one. Zoom out, look at the numbers beyond the white lines of the football pitch, and it all makes so much sense. One thing that we can take away from this expanded version of the Club World Cup – it is a measure of the relative strength of the global sport.

  This game reflected exactly where the numbers lie off the pitch, as well. Since 2023, PSG have spent $445 million on new players. Miami have spent $26M. PSG, in 2024, dished $744M on wages – $121M more than anyone else in Europe. According to the most recent MLS salary guide, Miami is spending $46.8M – around 1/17th of PSG's total annual allotment (and just under half of that goes into the pocket of one player.)

  The Parisians collected $94M for winning the Champions League this year and pocketed another $58M for lifting the Ligue 1 title. And there's $125M on the line for whichever team wins this Club World Cup.

  Miami did not win a major trophy last season, and Bloomberg estimated that they took about $8M from MLS' broadcast deal with Apple – which is split between teams in the league. PSG are funded by Qatari Sports Investment – a massive sovereign wealth fund that has invested not only in football but also in basketball, baseball and hockey. Miami are owned by David Beckham and the chairman of an engineering company.

  For comparison, MLB's famous "Moneyball" Oakland A's had a salary of $41M to the New York Yankees' $125M. This is perhaps among the biggest examples of financial disparity in professional sports, being played out on a pitch.

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  PSG are so, so good

  Of course, it is one thing to have money, and another to use it well. For years, PSG offered an absolute clinic on how to throw away cash without any real direction. They signed the wrong players, hired the wrong managers, and spent basically a decade constructing poorly pieced together squads that always lost on the biggest stages.

  Star power failed them. So, last summer, they were clever. Luis Enrique admitted that he was glad that Kylian Mbappe left because he could finally have a .

  His ownership bought him a pretty good one. What PSG created was a well-oiled pressing machine, full of some of the brightest young talents in Europe. And when the season was off to a poor start – when it looked like they might be in danger of dropping out of the Champions League at the group phase – they simply spent $72M plus add ons to buy the best player in Serie A, if only to complete the side.

  No one else in the world has that luxury – least of all an MLS team.

  Fittingly, there is no real star player here. Ousmane Dembele might be a Ballon d'Or frontrunner, but his 30 minutes of involvement against Miami were the first he has played all tournament. Kvarastskhelia may be electric, but he's unassuming. Desire Doue scored two in the Champions League final, plays with the kind of flair that sells shirts en masse, but is still 20 (and will presumably don the white of Real Madrid before reaching his absolute peak as a footballer).

  They embarrassed Inter Milan, 5-0, in the Champions League final. That beatdown was so comprehensive that the merciful referee didn't even add any stoppage time in the second half – such was the wobbliness of the Milanese legs. They followed that by battering Atletico Madrid to open their CWC campaign.

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  Botafogo, who play without ego

  What happened after that, then, might be confusing. PSG smashed back-to-back European giants before facing Brazilian side Botafogo – and were beaten 1-0. It would seem to run counter to all of the rhetoric about money, power and, well, quality. It served as a reference point, a blueprint – perhaps even a glimmer of hope. If Botafogo could do it, why couldn't Miami?

  It's a fair assumption, but dig a little deeper, ponder the circumstances, the angles, and the actual physical teams playing football, and it's a flawed comparison.

  Any such assumption is a massive disservice to Botafogo as a team, and the Brazilian Serie A as a league. Botafogo, remember, are the reigning Copa Libertadores champions. They are led by Igor Jesus, who has started up front for the Brazilian national team. More broadly, Brazil's top flight is, well, better than MLS. Botafogo are a better team, playing in a better league, with a more impressive resume to back it up.

  But perhaps the real reason Botafogo were able to beat PSG when Miami couldn't is because of the vibe, the setup, what kids call "aura." Manager Renato Paiva claimed that the "cemetery of football is full of favorites" before the game, and seemed to instruct his side to kick the Parisians to their football grave.

  They committed 15 fouls across those 90 minutes, and got away with so many more. Their goal came from a kind deflection from Jesus's rather scuffed shot, and they were shameless in their defensive setup thereafter. Botafogo dug in for an hour, "played" something resembling a 6-3-1, and were good value for a vintage smash and grab.

  Miami, meanwhile, set up with a hint of ego. This is the curse of having Messi in your team: you have to play like it. Miami tried to match PSG man-for-man. Their 4-4-2 formation, with a bit more attacking intent, predictably, was ripped to shreds.

  Critics have long pointed out that the Herons don't have the athleticism to survive against younger, quicker and more expansive sides. Those are all traits that PSG have. Throw in the fact that they can also field a team of 11 elite footballers, and this was a thrashing waiting to happen.

Bayern Munich’s hopes at the Club World Cup were dealt a devastating blow on Saturday as young star Jamal Musiala sustained a severe leg injury during their quarterfinal defeat against Paris Saint-Germain. The incident, which occurred just before halftime at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, left players and staff in visible distress as Musiala was forced off the pitch and transported to a nearby hospital for immediate medical care.

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• Bayern lost 2-0 to PSG
• Musiala injured in the first half
• Twisted his ankle while chasing a 50-50 ball

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Musiala was injured following a 50-50 challenge involving PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. The impact was significant, prompting medical staff to rush onto the field as the 22-year-old lay writhing in pain.

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  As the referee blew for half-time, concern loomed large over the German camp. Serge Gnabry was brought on as Musiala’s replacement for the second half, with the match still goalless at that point.

  Watch every FIFA Club World Cup game free on DAZNStream now

• WHAT KOMPANY SAID

  Kompany did not hide his emotions when addressing the situation. Speaking candidly after the match, Kompany described his fury, not at his team, but at the cruel misfortune that befell one of his brightest talents.

  "I've rarely been so angry at half time, not against my players – I know there are much more important things in life, but for these guys it's their life," he said. "Someone like Jamal lives for this. He just came back from a setback, and now this happens. You feel powerless. My blood is still boiling right now, not because of the result, that's football. But because it happened to someone who enjoys the game so much."

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Kompany was also asked whether the recurring injuries within his squad were impacting his strategy for pre-season. While acknowledging the frustration, he remained composed and reflective: "I'm not someone who complains about that. It's a fact, and it happened, but our fight is to make sure, before the season, that it doesn't happen. We need to stay calm and objective. To be honest, you also need luck. We couldn't do anything about Musiala's injury today. You can't always have everything under control. It's a pity."

New Zealand beat Sri Lanka to all but lock up another semi-final with India while Allan Donald is issued a please explain from the BCB

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Nov-20231:19

Harmison: All the pressure now on India for the semi against New Zealand

–Fixtures | Squads | Points table | Tournament IndexTop Story: Boult all but leads New Zealand into semi-finals; SL’s Champions Trophy hopes fadeNew Zealand all but booked their place in the World Cup semi-final against India with a dominant five-wicket win – with 160 balls to spare – against Sri Lanka in Bengaluru. The result took them to ten points, and a net run rate (NRR) of 0.743, leaving Pakistan needing to beat England by 287 runs, while Afghanistan need an even more fantastical 438-run win over South Africa, if they are to surpass New Zealand’s NRR.If Pakistan were to chase, they would have no chance of qualifying.As for Sri Lanka, the margin of defeat against New Zealand left them languishing in ninth place, thus out of qualification for the 2025 Champions Trophy. They now need one of England or Bangladesh to suffer defeats – while Netherlands also need to lose to India – to the extent that their respective NRRs drop below Sri Lanka’s.Click here for the full reportMatch analysis: How Santner slows it up to get the drop on battersMitchell Santner is pumped up after snagging Angelo Mathews•Associated PressIt won’t go down as the ball of this World Cup. Or even the best ball bowled by a left-arm orthodox spinner at this World Cup. Or even the best ball bowled by Mitchell Santner at this World Cup – that honour, surely, will go to the pitch-leg, hit-off ripper he bowled to Mohammad Nabi in Chennai.This ball wasn’t that kind of ball, the kind that becomes instant social-media fodder. This was different, a ball less about its own magnificence than what it revealed about the bowler’s craft in totality. This was the kind of ball that made you wish you had paid more attention to every preceding ball this bowler had sent down, and resolve to pay extra attention to every subsequent ball.Read the full piece from Karthik KrishnaswamyMust Watch: Sri Lanka’s batting has been a massive letdown2:35

Maharoof: Sri Lanka’s batting has been a massive letdown

News headlinesThe BCB has sought an explanation from Allan Donald, the Bangladesh team’s fast bowling coach, for his comments on Angelo Mathews’ timed out dismissal following the World Cup match in Delhi on November 6. In an interview with CricBlog.net, conducted soon after the team returned to their hotel in Delhi, Donald had said “it was disappointing to see” that kind of a dismissal and he found it “really difficult to watch that unfold”.
Ben Stokes never countenanced the possibility of leaving the World Cup early to bring his impending knee surgery forwards, despite England’s Test tour to India looming in two-and-a-half months’ time. Going home, he said, would have been “the easy way out”.Match previewAfghanistan vs South Africa, Ahmedabad (2pm IST; 8.30am GMT; 7.30pm AEDT)5:31

Harmison: Chance for SA to go into semi-finals with momentum

Afghanistan were so close to achieving their most important ODI win. Against Australia. For a shot at the World Cup semi-finals. Almost there. Before a Glenn Maxwell-sized meteorflattened them.They are now in Ahmedabad to play their final league game and will bow out of the World Cup at the largest cricket stadium in the world. Having only ever beaten Scotland once in 2015 and 2019, Afghanistan have beaten three former champions – England, Sri Lanka and Pakistan – this time, as well as Netherlands, but the 438-run victory they need against South Africa to push New Zealand out of fourth place on net run rate is impossible. An exit with ten points, as many as the team that qualifies fourth, however, will be a massive win in itself.In all seriousness, England would be all too happy to walk away from this miserable campaign right now.Full previewFeature: Clinical, risk-assessed, productive – Afghanistan’s batting evolution unlocks new highsIbrahim Zadran’s ramp against Australia would have been remembered as one of the shots of the World Cup on any other night•ICC/Getty ImagesDo you still remember that shot? The shot before the shots that you’re not going to ever forget. The shot before Glenn Maxwell pulled off shots that even Glenn Maxwell might think were a little bit too much.That shot came off the bat of Ibrahim Zadran earlier in the game and on any other night, it would have been recognised and remembered as one of the shots of the tournament. A ramped dab – or was it a dabbed ramp? – dead straight over the wicketkeeper, off Pat Cummins, to the boundary on the bounce: written out like this, it sounds a little prosaic.Read the full piece from Osman Samiuddin

سجل مدافع الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي برشلونة، إريك جارسيا، هدف العملاق الكتالوني الأول في شباك فيسيل كوبي في المباراة الودية المقامة في الوقت الحالي باليابان.

وبدأ برشلونة جولته الآسيوية قبل أيام قليلة استعدادًا للموسم الجديد 2025/2026 بقيادة المدير الفني، هانز فليك، وتستكمل في كوريا الجنوبية خلال الفترة المقبلة.

اقرأ أيضًا | تدهور العلاقة يزداد.. برشلونة يواصل الضغط على تير شتيجن بقرار جديد هدف إريك جارسيا في مباراة برشلونة وفيسيل كوبي

وجاء هدف إريك جارسيا بعد ركلة ركنية نفذها، فيرمين لوبيز بالدقيقة 34 ومع ضعف دفاعات فيسيل كوبي وصلت الكرة إلى جافي قبل أن يتابعها زميله داخل الشباك.

ويشارك في المباراة للمرة الأولى بقميص برشلونة الحارس، خوان جارسيا، القادم من صفوف إسبانيول وهو الذي اختاره هانز فليك ليكون الأساسي مع الفريق.

مع وجود الثنائي الجديد الآخر روني باردجي وماركوس راشفورد على مقاعد البدلاء في انتظار خطة فليك للمشاركة في الشوط الثاني في مباراة اليوم.

Lionel Messi is reportedly set to bypass old clubs Barcelona and Newell's Old Boys as a decision over his Inter Miami contract approaches.

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Messi set to stay at Inter MiamiEmotional returns to Barca or Newell's were rumouredMLS project may not be overFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

have issued an update regarding an update on the future of Messi, whose contract with Miami runs out at the end of 2025. The belief is that the great Argentine will sign a new deal with the MLS club, to the disappointment of those who had hoped for an emotional return to one of his first clubs, Newell's Old Boys in his native Rosario, Argentina, or to his second home of Barcelona. Sources claim that Messi may decide to stick around in Miami to help the club's 'new project' grow instead.

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argue in the report that a return to Newell's would provide an even less competitive environment than that which he currently experiences at Inter Miami. While Argentine football culture is as strong and passionate as ever, Newell's have not won a trophy since 2013 and languished in 25th in the Primera Division standings in 2024. Despite his close ties to the club, it is believed that this would not be a compatible environment with Messi at this point in time.

As for Barcelona, Messi is said not to trust club president Joan Laporta, and the Catalan club remain in an undesirable financial situation regardless. There may not be any better options than to remain in Miami for at least a year longer.

DID YOU KNOW?

Messi has scored 50 goals in 63 appearances for Inter Miami, netting his half-century for the club with a stunning free-kick against Porto in the Club World Cup last month. It remains unconfirmed whether the 38-year-old intends to compete in the 2026 World Cup with Argentina. If he doesn't, then a 4-0 last 16 defeat to former club PSG with his current employers may have been his final game on the global stage.

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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR MESSI?

Messi has a few short months to decide what the next chapter in his illustrious career should be. The MLS club will have departed from the Club World Cup with their head held high despite defeat against the Parisians, as the Florida outfit exceeded expectations to reach the knock-out rounds and out-did the MLS's other participants – arguably justifying their controversial inclusion in the tournament.

For the very first time in this World Cup, India had to set a total. And, coming up against England in Lucknow, they were off to a rocky start at 40 for 3 in the 12th over. From there, as per their captain and Player of the Match Rohit Sharma, it was vital for him to use all his experience on a challenging pitch and “bat to the situation”.”It’s just not about going and playing my shots, when you have that much experience you’ve got to use that experience and do whatever is necessary for the team, and it was at that point in time necessary for me to take the game as deep as possible and create that partnership and get to a decent total,” Rohit said after the game.He had raced away to 17 off 11 in the first two overs after England put India in, but as England repeatedly broke through at the other end, he cut back, easing his way to 29 off 40 before he would hit his next boundary – in the 14th over on his way to 87 off 101, which set India up for a 100-run win.That margin of victory might be as convincing as they come, but Rohit felt India had left a lot of runs out on the field. He had done the initial repair job with KL Rahul, putting on a stand of 91 for the fourth wicket, and then adding 33 more in partnership with Suryakumar Yadav before falling 13 short of a hundred. From there, England chipped away regularly, tying India down to 229 for 9.Related

• Stats – England's worst ODI World Cup campaign yet

• Bumrah: 'Good challenge to be put under pressure by England'

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“I still felt like we were 20-30 runs short once we finished,” Rohit said. “The new ball was a bit challenging and then obviously as the game went on the ball got softer, it was not easy to rotate strike. But we said in the middle that we’ve got to keep digging in, keep digging in and then, finally, you know we got to a decent partnership there, but like I said we were 20-30 runs short towards the end.”Regardless of the conditions, Rohit said some of India’s issues came down to their batters being loose. Shubman Gill was bowled by a good one from Chris Woakes – albeit driving a touch airily – and then Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer were poor in their shot selection, offering up catches, the former for a duck. After their repair work Rahul and Rohit, and then Suryakumar too, were caught going for the big shots.Rohit Sharma kept India on track despite early losses•ICC via Getty Images

“We were not great with the bat today, losing three wickets in the first powerplay isn’t the ideal situation but when you are in a situation like that all you are looking to do is create that long partnership, which we got. But then couple of guys threw it [away] at the end, including myself,” Rohit said. “But at that stage all I was thinking was to be positive and the balls in my areas I wanted to put it away. That’s how you put the pressure back on the bowler and the opposition as well but, yeah, when you look at the overall picture, I thought we were 30 runs short there.”Those lost runs were quickly forgotten as India quickly carved up England’s line-up, pacers Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah doing the early damage. Rohit was all praise for his attack: “With the experience that our seamers have now, you know you can always rely and bank on it that they could come good and get you those crucial breakthroughs and that is exactly what our seamers did. They exploited the conditions well and I thought they put the ball in the right areas to create that doubt in the batsmen’s minds.”Asked by Michael Atherton at the post-match presentation if India’s is the best-rounded attack in the tournament, Rohit said: “We’ve got a good balance. A couple of good spinners and the seamers have a lot of experience playing in these conditions and, yeah, if I look at the overall options I have in terms of bowling, there is a fair bit and with experience as well.”So you know when you have a bowling line up like that, it’s very important that the batters put the runs on the board, give them something to work for and then rely on them to do the magic.”And magic they did, rolling England over with 15 overs to spare to keep India unbeaten at the top of the table and consign the defending champions to their fifth loss in six games.

In the other matches in this round, Sylhet Division, Barishal Division and Chattogram Division notched up victories

Mohammad Isam30-Oct-2023

Their fast-bowling trio helped Sylhet Division to an innings-and-26-run victory over Rangpur Division in the NCL Tier-1 match over the weekend. The result also helped Dhaka Division keep their lead in the points table despite their game against Dhaka Metropolis in Cox’s Bazar ending in a draw, with cyclone Hanum on the south-eastern coast allowing very little cricket to be played.Batting first in Khulna, Sylhet reached 415, only the third 400-plus score in their first-class history. Shamsur Rahman, playing for his fourth NCL side, struck 15 fours and two sixes in his knock of 160 off 252 balls. He added 180 runs for the fifth wicket with Tawhidul Islam, who made 62. For Rangpur, quick bowler Asadullah Galib took 5 for 107, his second five-for this season.Sylhet’s quick bowlers Khaled Ahmed, Abu Jayed and Rejaur Rahman Raja grabbed all ten wickets as Rangpur were bowled out for 159 in reply. Khaled took 5 for 50, while Jayed picked up four wickets and Raja took the other one.The trio then shared six more wickets in the second innings, with Jayed taking three to get to 300 first-class wickets. Jayed became the third Bangladeshi fast bowler to reach the milestone, following Mohammad Sharif (374) and Forhad Reza (312), as Rangpur were bowled out for 230 in the second innings after being asked to follow on.Barishal Division opened their account this season with a seven-wicket win against Khulna Division, who, despite the loss, remained on top of the Tier-2 points table.Ruyel Miah took four wickets and Kamrul Islam three as Khulna were bowled out for 142 in the first innings in Bogra. Moin Khan’s 76 then gave Barishal a 79-run lead after they had slumped to 121 for 8. No. 8 Moin added 98 runs for the ninth wicket with Kamrul, who added 30 to the total.Soumya Sarkar, who took four wickets in the Barishal innings, then remained not out on 96 with ten fours and three sixes as Khulna were bowled out for 225 in the second innings. Kamrul took four wickets for Barishal, who then needed 43.2 overs to knock off the 147 runs in the fourth innings. Moinul Islam made an unbeaten 71 to help them along.Chattogram Division picked up their second win after they beat Rajshahi Division by nine wickets in Sylhet. Sabbir Hossain’s quick maiden first-class century gave Rajshahi the perfect start. But his 123 off 122 balls, that contained seven sixes and 13 fours, couldn’t translate into a big score for his side. Rajshahi were bowled out for 309, with Shykat Ali taking five wickets.Chattogram replied with 437, with fifties from Parvez Hossain Emon, Mominul Haque, Shamim Hossain and Irfan Shukkur. Taijul Islam took his 29th five-wicket haul in first-class cricket, having bowled 44.4 overs in this innings.Quick bowler Ifran Hossain’s five-for, however, dealt Rajshahi a heavy blow, as they were all out for 182. Nayeem Hasan took four wickets to add to his three in the first innings. Chattogram then needed just ten overs to knock off the required 57 runs in the fourth innings.