Railways earned two points from a six wicket victory over Rajasthan in the Ranji One-Day Central Zone League tournament at Karnail Singh Stadium, Delhi on Wednesday.Railways won the toss and put Rajasthan in to bat. Rajasthan had an early setback losing both openers for 18 runs. The batsmen never recovered from the blow and lost wickets at regular intervals before succumbing to 170 all out in 49.5 overs. RJ Kanwat (35), Gagan Khoda (33) and Sanjeev Sharma (33) hung around but could not hold the innings together. TP Singh and Zakir Hussian ran through the lineup picking up three wickets each for 23 and 36 runs respectively.In reply, Opener Amit Pagnis made a fluent 80 off 84 deliveries, studded with seven hits to the fence. TP Singh made a quickfire 34 off 22 balls with five boundaries. Railways scored the 172 in 32.1 overs. RJ Kanwat bagged three wickets for 47.
Last week, it was made known that Thomas Frank had sat down with ENIC Group and left that meeting with the backing of the Tottenham Hotspur board.
But, since then, the Londoners have fallen to another home defeat, this time against struggling Liverpool, and the pressure is unquestionably cranking up. Still, pundits like Jamie Redknapp have reiterated the stance that the Danish coach needs time to right the many wrongs down N17.
Redknapp is right, and Tottenham’s star players need to step up. However, with the defenders leaving much to be desired, who is it within the Lilywhites squad who has what it takes to step up and guide the squad back to the forefront of Premier League football?
Who can lead Frank's Spurs side to success
In recent years, Tottenham have lost Harry Kane and Heung-min Son to overseas moves. It’s difficult to argue that such talismanic figures have been effectively replaced.
Now, new stars need to step up. Whether Cristian Romero is the one to lead the charge is open to debate, with the Argentine skipper sent off after kicking out at Ibrahima Konate at the weekend.
Spurs need players to step up, leading the club to success after a first half of the 2025/26 campaign that has underlined the fact that there are too many pieces of driftwood about Frank’s outfit.
Too often, Spurs have launched big-money bids for the likes of Richarlison and Dominic Solanke. Both arrived to the tune of £60m or so, and it’s hard to argue that either striker has been a bona fide success.
The worst of the lot would have to be Tanguy Ndombele, who was the club-record arrival when he joined from Lyon for £63m in 2019.
Journalist Paul Brown called the lazy France midfielder “one of the worst signings Spurs have ever made”. It would be hard to replicate such a dismal deal, but ENIC Group may be worried they have done exactly that this summer.
ENIC must worry they've signed Ndombele 2.0
The Lewis Family didn’t enjoy a flawless summer transfer window by any stretch, but there’s no question that the likes of Mohammed Kudus and Xavi Simons arrived as talented additions capable of driving Tottenham back into the domestic ascendancy.
Simons, 22, joined Tottenham from RB Leipzig for an initial £51m fee this summer, and his arrival caused a fanfare, given Chelsea had shown a vested interest for many months before.
However, it’s been tough for the Dutchman to adapt to the pace and physicality of the Premier League, with content creator Ronaldo Brown even asserting that he has been “swallowed” in the English top flight this season.
Having started to kick on, Simons lunged too far against Liverpool, receiving red in the first half after a studs-up challenge against his Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk.
Branded for a moment of “reckless stupidity” by Sky Sports co-commentator Gary Neville, Simons will know miss a crucial run of fixtures after a recent uptick in form, scoring his first goals for the club in December and maintaining promising creative levels.
There’s nothing wrong with Simons’ application, but his over-zealousness and high technical bar suggest he may well have a bit of Ndombele-itis about him, and this is something that Frank will need to swiftly fix if his project is to be a success, having worked with the board to secure this coveted playmaker for a hefty fee.
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After all, Simons ranks among the top 10% of positional peers in the Premier League this season for passes attempted, the top 6% for progressive passes and the top 14% for tackles per 90, as per FBref, so he’s got the fullness of skillset to succeed.
However, it could be said that the same was true for Ndombele. He’s one of the most technically gifted players we’ve seen in Spurs colours this decade, but the application of his skillset was too inconsistent. He became an easy scapegoat and his time in the capital ended in tears and with a hefty dent in the club’s wallet.
Tanguy Ndombele
Spurs cannot afford to fall by the wayside here. Neither can Frank. Neither can Simons.
Forget Romero: Frank must make Spurs' "world-class" star his new captain
Thomas Frank now has a huge call to make on Cristian Romero’s future at Tottenham Hotspur.
Victoria’s struggling top order will need to fend off a fired-up Brett Lee if the Bushrangers are to upset the favourites New South Wales in the Pura Cup final at the SCG. Despite playing only one match during the Blues’ campaign this season Lee is desperate to help his state finish the summer on top, according to the team’s coach Matthew Mott.”I know he’s fired up, he’s incredibly keen to do well,” Mott told the . “He’s never played in a shield final before and he’s absolutely champing at the bit. We’re hoping that if he doesn’t get the wickets he’ll at least rattle a few blokes for others to cash in. He’s certainly keen to play, very excited. The week off will do him good.”A Pura Cup title would cap off an incredible summer for Lee, who stepped up to be Australia’s spearhead following Glenn McGrath’s retirement. He was named Man of the Series in both of Australia’s Test contests, against Sri Lanka and India, and became the first bowler since McGrath to win the Allan Border Medal.Lee joins Stuart Clark, Nathan Bracken and Stuart MacGill in a Test-quality attack that will provide a serious challenge for Victoria, whose top order has hit a slump at the wrong end of the season. Brad Hodge, David Hussey and Cameron White continue to pose a threat in the middle but it is three months since the Bushrangers have had a 50-run partnership from their openers, Nick Jewell and either Rob Quiney or Lloyd Mash.Mark Cameron, the New South Wales fast bowler who has impressed with 27 wickets at 17.51 this season, is likely to miss out when the game starts on Saturday, to accommodate the returning Australia bowlers. Mott said it was disappointing for whoever was omitted but the Blues had a duty to field their best available side.”That debate always comes up but it’s something the players have been used to in New South Wales for a while, having such a big number of Australian representatives,” he said. “Sometimes you get the good end of it as well. The thing that the players have got to remember is if the Test players were around all the time they probably wouldn’t get an opportunity at all.”I think it makes them hungrier. It is very hard for the likes of Matthew Nicholson and Mark Cameron who have done exceptionally well all year. But they’ve all copped it pretty well. We love having the Australian blokes back and it’s special for the other guys to get to play with them, playing with the best players in the world. It’s something they look forward to.”
Pakistan and Sri Lanka will play three one-day internationals in Abu Dhabi from May 9, the Pakistan Cricket Board announced.”The series has now been confirmed and given clearance by the ICC,” Zakir Khan, director cricket operations, told Reuters.The series will be the first since Pakistan’s elimination from the World Cup and will be the first under their new captain, Shoaib Malik.
“Better than imagination”, screamed the , the Dhaka-based daily, after Bangladesh’s best-ever opening day in Test cricket, when they amassed 355 for 5 against the mighty Australians. The man responsible for Bangladesh’s dream day out, Shariar Nafees, revealed that his inspiration was “playing against the world’s best attack”.”When you come out with a hundred against them [Australia], it’s simply a great, great feeling,” an excited Nafees told the reporters. “And when players like Adam Gilchrist and Ricky Ponting congratulated me saying that it was a well-paced hundred, joy knew no bound for me.” Nafees played the perfect team man, stating that the opening-day effort was the proof that “Bangladesh cricket is going upward. Scoring 350 runs in day against a team like Australia is not a joke.”Nafees, who was promoted to open the batting in this Test, said he was not worried about his batting position and only wanted to do well for the team. “It’s great that I made my hundred as an opener,” he said. “I am looking forward to serving my team as best as possible. I was not nervous at any stage even when I received a nasty bouncer off Brett Lee on my helmet.”Yet he admitted to nerves as his maiden first-class century approached. “But honestly speaking I was little bit tense when I reached 99.”The 20-year-old Nafees displayed a mature head and talked about learning from his previous mistakes, notably against Sri Lanka. “I was wrong in choosing the ball for the sweep shot against Murali,” said Nafees. “But I think I learnt from my mistake which reflected in the day against Warne. My main intention was to play according to merit of the delivery.”Nafees found praise from his captain Habibul Bashar. “It was one of the best innings from any Bangladeshi batsman. He played according to merit and never allowed the bowlers to get on top.”But it was never on our mind that we would score 350 runs on a day against a team like Australia. I want to say that it is a clear message that we are improving. If you consider the previous record, definitely it is the best day in our history and the most significant thing is not many teams in the world score 350 runs on a single day.”However, he had his feet firmly on the ground, conceding that Australia could fight back strongly. “There are still four days to go and you all know that Australia can bounce back from any stage. That’s why our first target would be to bat at least two more sessions tomorrow and then we can think about saving the match. There is no scope to be over excited. It would have been satisfactory had we finished the day losing one less wicket,” said Bashar, who himself was guilty of throwing his wicket away, something he regretted doing. “A century would have been good not only for me but also for the benefit of the team. Making a century against Australia is always special for any batsman.”John Buchanan, Australia’s coach, also praised the Bangladeshi batsmen for their pluck and skill. “Bangladesh played spin and quick bowlers very well,” Buchanan said. “There will be more opportunities for us tomorrow morning.” And he picked out Nafees’s contribution, who made the most of being dropped at fly-slip by Shane Warne on 66. “Nafees played very sensibly. We dropped a few catches and that opened up an opportunity for them.”
ScorecardWellington added 8 runs to their fourth-day 268 for 9 before being all out, leaving Otago chasing 199 for victory on the final day. Then Jeetan Patel and Jesse Ryder got stuck in, sharing the wickets between them as Otago slumped to 147 all out and lost by 51 runs. Patel’s offspin fetched him outstanding figures of 6 for 32, while Ryder’s mediumpace yielded 4 for 23. Otago’s batsmen had no response to the bowling, with only Mohammad Wasim, the former Pakistani batsman, and Gareth Hopkins offering any resistance.
Veteran fast-bowler Paul Wilson will not be available for WA for the next week after succumbing to a groin injury. Wilson will not play for the Warriors in the ING or Pura Cup matches against NSW this week.Warrior’s team management said that Wilson’s injury was due to ‘wear and tear’. Wilson was due to have an MRI scan on his groin on Monday evening.South Perth all-rounder Darren Wates comes into the Warriors squad to replace Wilson.The WA Selectors have finalised the Warriors ING Cup squad for Wednesday’s game.Justin Langer (C), Michael Hussey (VC), Ryan Campbell, Beau Casson, Michael Clark, Murray Goodwin, Kade Harvey, Scott Meuleman, Marcus North, Chris Rogers, John Taylor and Darren Wates.The 12th Man will be finalised on the morning of the match. Jo Angel and Ben Edmondson are the two men not picked in the WA’s provisional 14-man squad.The Warriors ING Cup team will train at the WACA Ground outdoor nets from 4.00pm on Tuesday. This will be a vision only opportunity.
It could be said that the main business of one-day cricket is to produce an exciting finish. This was a classic of its kind by that reckoning as the pendulum of fortune swung first one way and then the other. The teams, and individual players, alternated between ecstasy and despondency and back again as England kept alive their hopes of squaring the series, winning by a mere two runs. That bald statistic, however, conceals a wealth of drama.Put in after a delayed start on a misty Delhi morning, England appeared to have opted for an entirely different strategy in their innings. The openers did not throw everything into a heady pursuit – some might say reckless pursuit – of a large total.The Indian attack allowed few liberties to be taken and, unlike other starts from both sides in the series, Nick Knight and Marcus Trescothick could not take the rate much above four an over. The total stood at 51 in the 12th over when Trescothick drove Ajit Agarkar in the air towards mid-off where Sarandeep Singh, making his debut, just clasped the catch as it died on him.Nasser Hussain announced himself with a majestic cover drive for a boundary. Although he did not appear totally at ease – he was breathing heavily throughout his innings – he stuck to the task in company with Knight as the pair registered the first century partnership for England in the series.Sachin Tendulkar had been brought into the attack to take the pace off the ball and, not only did he achieve that objective, he also took the wicket of the England captain. A shortish ball out side the off stump saw Hussain playing a favourite dab and Ajay Ratra took a smart catch with Hussain one short of his fifty.Andrew Flintoff waited for his second ball before clubbing it to the cover boundary and, unlike other times on the tour, went on to build an innings. And a rollicking knock it was. He took 13 off a Tendulkar over to see him out of the attack, and the same off Javagal Srinath when he came back to the bowling crease.Knight had not been his usual cavalier self, even if his steady innings was priceless for England, and he reached his hundred from 126 balls with seven fours. He was run out shortly afterwards thanks to a moment’s hesitation and slick fielding between Agarkar and Srinath. The partnership with Flintoff had produced 80 runs in ten overs as the pace picked up to the required level.Flintoff reached his fifty from just 36 balls with six fours and a six. He did not last for long after that, being caught at long-off, but he had been at his destructive best to lift England to what was considered to be about a par score in the conditions. The closeness of the finish confirmed that assessment.India got off to a flyer. Andrew Caddick had been out of international cricket for some time and must have wondered if he should have bothered to return as the first ball of the innings crashed into the extra-cover boundary via the middle of Virender Sehwag’s bat. With another of the same, ten runs came from the first wayward over.Knight put down a difficult chance off Flintoff at slip when Sehwag edged in the second over, before the batsman picked up another boundary. The first three overs produced 26 and by the end of the fourth the total stood at 32. And the batsmen were not even slogging.Tendulkar had been the quieter of the two and he was first to go. He fenced at a lifting ball outside the off stump from Caddick for James Foster to take the catch. Sehwag responded to the fall of his partner by bludgeoning 14 from the next over.At this point, England began to rein the batsmen in. Caddick produced the first maiden of the match, and then he and his old mate Darren Gough each conceded a single run off the next two overs. Sourav Ganguly took 13 balls to get off the mark, which he did with a straight four off Gough.The Indian captain should have been out when he had 14. Michael Vaughan had been doing a splendid job as a spinner, luring Ganguly down the pitch, beating him, only to see Foster fluff the take. Although the wicket-keeper got the ball back onto the stumps, the third umpire reckoned Ganguly had grounded his bat. Confidence in that official, however, had evaporated when he gave Flintoff not out in similar circumstances with his foot clearly not grounded.Foster did take a regulation catch to dismiss Dinesh Mongia off Flintoff to reduce India to 100 for 3 in the 22nd over, but he could do nothing but watch as Ganguly lifted his side right back into contention. He and Mohammad Kaif brought up the century partnership in 95 balls.Kaif was impressive but not chanceless. Foster put down a dab outside the off stump when Kaif got a face of the bat onto the ball. Vaughan failed to get a hand onto a simple chance despite moving well within reach in the covers. It looked as if those errors would cost England the game, but there were a few more twists to come.The pair had put on 111 in 19 overs when Ganguly lifted Ashley Giles to long-off. Giles had retired from the attack with figures of 4-0-32-0, but he returned now in spectacular fashion with five wickets in six overs.Kaif followed his captain two balls later after chipping into the covers. Giles accepted a caught and bowled from Hemang Badani. Foster, to his evident relief, found that he could still effect a stumping to dismiss Ratra, and then Giles bowled Anil Kumble. India 239 for 8 in the 47th over. Game over? Not a chance!Agarkar is dangerous with a short boundary. Sarandeep offered staunch support. Agarkar was particularly effective, hitting the ball cleanly to the boundary four times in his stay of 24 balls that left him undefeated on 36.They gnawed away at the total and England’s nerves so that nine were needed off the last over to be bowled by Gough. Summoning up all the experience of one hundred such matches, Gough delivered a dot followed by four singles. Five runs were needed off the last ball – it was no time to overstep or go wide – but the courageous Agarkar could manage no more than a couple. England had won by the narrowest of margins to set up a grand finale in Mumbai on Sunday.
Maharshtra by virtue of their first innings lead picked up five pointsin their Under-16 Vijay Merchant trophy match against Baroda at theMotibaug Palace Ground on Monday.The hosts had to be content withthree points as the match ended in a draw.Earlier, Baroda won the toss and decided to bat first. The openersgave a decent start scoring 56 runs off 12 overs. Most of the batsmenmade good starts but failed to convert it into long innings. R Solankiwas the top scorer with 84 off 141 balls laced with 14 hits to thefence. Baroda were bowled out for 263 in 90.1 overs. S Agarkar pickedup five for 80. Aditya Sharma picked up two for 21.In reply, Maharashtra batted cautiously. Openers S Puranik (38) andAditya Sharma (16) put on 62 runs off 35.2 overs. C Suryavanshi and SGaikwad added a 102 run partnership for the third wicket off 29 overs.Suryavanshi topscored with 68 off 126 balls, with eight boundaries. SChavan chipped in with a useful 58 off 116 balls, hitting nine to thefence. A Bochare, Y Pathan and J Naikwade picked up three wickets eachfor 50, 68 and 73 runs respectively. Maharashtra were bowled out for308 in 118.3 overs.In the second innings, Baroda declared at 238 for two off 64 overssetting Maharashtra a target of 283. R Solanki continued his good formscoring an unbeaten 114 off 197 balls, hitting 18 boundaries. YusufPathan was unbeaten on 50 off 48 balls with eight hits to the fence.Opener R Patel chipped in with 63 off 134 balls. Maharshtra battedthe day for 33 overs ending the day at 92 for two.
Newcastle United have been handed a huge injury boost over midfielder Jonjo Shelvey
What’s the latest?
Magpies boss Eddie Howe has revealed that the 30-year-old is available after recovering from an illness and will be able to face Tottenham on Sunday.
Shelvey has not played for the Toon since the 2-1 win over Southampton at St Mary’s in the Premier League on 10 March, missing the subsequent defeats to Chelsea and Everton.
The Athletic’s Chris Waugh tweeted this update: ‘Howe: “Midfield has been a key area for us. We’ve had a really good mixture of technical & physical quality. If we decide to play with three, I need to pick which three & it’s a difficult choice but nice one to have.” Jonjo Shelvey is also fit to play after illness.’
Delighted
This update will surely leave Howe delighted, as having Shelvey back fit and available will be a big boost to his team heading into the clash with Spurs.
The ex-Liverpool metronome is unbeaten in his last nine Premier League appearances, having been absent for the last two losses, and will be hoping to make it into double digits this weekend. He has been a key player for the Magpies this season and having him back in the middle of the park will improve their chances of picking up a result, as he has been one of the club’s top performers.
Allan Saint-Maximin (6.96) is the only Newcastle player, excluding January signings, who has averaged a higher SofaScore rating than Shelvey (6.91) this term. This shows that the Englishman has been excellent for the majority of the campaign as he has stepped up under Howe and made himself a go-to option in the middle of the park.
He has chipped in with two goals and one assist from midfield, whilst averaging 0.7 key passes and 1.8 tackles and interceptions per game. Shelvey is making contributions at both ends of the pitch in a box-to-box role, but it is his passing which catches the eye, playing 4.9 long balls per game with an impressive accuracy of 61%.
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His ability to spray passes left and right to spread the play opens up angles of attack for Newcastle and gets them up the pitch quickly. He has the quality to drop a ball in behind for the likes of Allan Saint-Maximin and Ryan Fraser to run onto, which is why his availability will be crucial against Tottenham.
If Spurs dominate the game on Sunday, then Shelvey’s long passing will be key to hitting them on the counterattack, and that is why Howe will be elated by the midfielder’s return this week.
AND in other news, Fabrizio Romano drops exciting Newcastle United transfer update, fans will be buzzing…