Also, which players have the most half-centuries without ever having made a hundred?

Steven Lynch20-Mar-2017Shivnarine Chanderpaul and his son Tagenarine recently scored fifties in the same first-class innings. Is this unique? asked Rajiv Radhakrishnan from England
That double by the Chanderpauls came for Guyana in their recent match against Jamaica in Kingston: the son opened and made 58, being joined by his dad when the score was 128 for 3. They put on 38 before Tagenarine was out, but Shivnarine went on to 57, as Guyana inched to a narrow lead. It is a remarkable feat, especially in the modern era, but not quite unique. It is, however, the first time a father and son have scored half-centuries in the same first-class innings since 1931, when Nottinghamshire’s 521 for 7 against Warwickshire at Edgbaston included 183 not out from 53-year-old George Gunn, and 100 not out (a maiden century) from his son, George Vernon Gunn, who had just turned 26. I think the last father and son to play together in the same first-class match before the Chanderpauls were Denis and Heath Streak, for Matabeleland in Zimbabwe’s Logan Cup final in Bulawayo in April 1996.Who has scored the most half-centuries in Tests without ever getting a hundred? And what’s the record for ODIs? asked George Robinson from England
The leader for Tests remains the Indian opener Chetan Chauhan, who reached 50 on 16 occasions during his 40 Tests between 1969-70 and 1980-81 without ever quite making it to three figures: his highest score was 97, against Australia in Adelaide in 1980-81. Next come the Australians Ken Mackay (13 half-centuries), Shane Warne (12) and Bruce Laird (11); the West Indian wicketkeeper Deryck Murray also reached 50 on 11 occasions without getting to 100. The leading current player is Mitchell Starc, who has nine half-centuries to his name – with, like Warne, a highest score of 99. The clear leader in one-day internationals is Misbah-ul-Haq, who reached 50 on no fewer than 42 occasions but was stuck with a highest score of 96 not out, against West Indies in the Champions Trophy at The Oval in 2013. The New Zealander Andrew Jones made 25 one-day half-centuries, and Graham Thorpe of England 21.Shoaib Malik and Shahid Afridi: they can hurt you with bat or ball (or, quite often, both)•AFPHow many times has someone scored a fifty and taken three wickets in the same ODI, and who has done it most often? asked Savo Ceprnich from South Africa
This particular all-round feat has now been achieved 199 times in one-day internationals, most recently by Ireland’s Paul Stirling, with 95 and 6 for 55 against Afghanistan in Greater Noida last week. The first to do it was Majid Khan, with 61 and 3 for 53 for Pakistan against Australia at Trent Bridge during the 1979 World Cup. Two other Pakistanis lead the way overall: Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Malik both managed it eight times. Chris Gayle and Sanath Jayasuriya did it on six occasions, Jacques Kallis and Shakib Al Hasan five, and Tillakaratne Dilshan, Lance Klusener, Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar four.What is India’s lowest total in a Test at home? asked Allan Alexander from the United States
India have been bowled out for under 100 on seven occasions in home Tests (plus once more for exactly 100, as England won in Mumbai in 2005-06). Their lowest of all was 75, against West Indies in Delhi in 1987-88 (Patrick Patterson took 5 for 24); they were also skittled for 76 – in just 20 overs on the first morning – by South Africa in Ahmedabad in 2007-08, when Dale Steyn claimed 5 for 23. India’s lowest all-out total in a home Test they ended up winning is 104, against Australia in Mumbai in 2003-04.Meg Lanning, hundred machine•Getty Images and Cricket AustraliaIs Meg Lanning the first woman to score ten hundreds in one-day internationals? asked Cherise Asha Clarke from Trinidad & Tobago
Meg Lanning’s unbeaten 104 in the Rose Bowl decider against New Zealand in Mount Maunganui earlier this month was indeed her tenth in one-day internationals, which put her clear at the top of the list, ahead of Charlotte Edwards (nine), and Karen Rolton and Claire Taylor (eight). The New Zealand captain Suzie Bates comes next with seven, one more than her team-mate Amy Satterthwaite.What’s the highest tenth-wicket partnership to win a one-day international? And what is the Sri Lankan record? asked Rajeeva Indiketiya from England
The highest last-gasp stand to win a one-day international remains the 64 of Deryck Murray and Andy Roberts for West Indies against Pakistan at Edgbaston during the first World Cup in 1975. The nearest a side has come to this record was in Brisbane in 2013-14, when James Faulkner and Clint McKay put on an unbroken 57 to spirit Australia past England’s 300. Sri Lanka’s record last-wicket partnership to win an ODI is a modest 12, by Ajantha Mendis and Suranga Lakmal against West Indies in Colombo in 2015-16. Overall, there have been two 100-plus tenth-wicket partnerships in ODIs and a further 35 worth 50 or more.Post your questions in the comments below

This season is going from bad to worse for Tottenham Hotspur.

Ange Postecoglou’s side were knocked out of the League Cup in emphatic fashion on Thursday night, which only placed more importance on their FA Cup Fourth Round game against Aston Villa yesterday evening.

Unfortunately, instead of witnessing a response from their team, the Spurs faithful had to watch a dire first half, and while there were about ten minutes of fightback in the second, it was too little, too late.

2

Score

1

52%

Possession

48%

4

Big Chances

3

16

Total Shots

11

7

Shots on Target

5

1

Hit the Woodwork

0

13

Shots Inside the Box

6

442

Passes

412

88%

Tackles Won

64%

The North Londoners still have a chance of winning silverware in the Europa League, but that feels like an incredibly distant possibility, so it may well be time for Daniel Levy and Co to axe the boss and one of his starters, who was particularly poor at Villa Park.

Why it's time for Spurs to sack Ange

So, when talking about Spurs’ form under Ange, you cannot ignore the fact that he has been incredibly unlucky with injuries.

For practically the entire season, he has been without his first-choice backline, and recently, he’s been without a number of his first-choice attackers to boot.

However, while the injuries have undoubtedly been a massive part of the team’s poor form, there comes a point in which the displays are so dismal and the results so unforgivable that blame once again has to fall squarely on the shoulders of the manager.

Games

24

8

5

2

Wins

8

5

4

1

Draws

3

2

0

0

Losses

13

1

1

1

Points per Game

1.13

2.13

2.40

1.50

For example, out of the 24 Premier League games the Australian has managed this season, the North Londoners have won eight times, drawn three games and lost a staggering 13 times, meaning they’re averaging 1.13 points per match.

Things were going far better in the League Cup, where his side were averaging 2.40 points per game.

However, while there is no shame in going out to Liverpool, there is in the manner in which they went out,, with former Tottenham midfielder Jamie Redknapp describing the team’s display as “abject.”

Yesterday’s performance against the Villans was not much better, as they were 1-0 down within a minute of kick-off, and for all the talk of Postecoglou playing exciting and attacking football, the team were unbelievably passive for much of the game and could easily have lost by four or five.

However, while the manager got a lot wrong, much of the blame has to fall on the players who started the game, including one international star who shouldn’t start the next game.

The Spurs ace who mustn't start the next game

Unfortunately for Postecoglou, and the fans for that matter, there were a number of players who could justifiably be dropped from the starting lineup following yesterday’s defeat, from Son Heung-min up top to Antonín Kinský between the sticks.

However, in this instance, the starter in question is Rodrigo Bentancur, who was once again poor in the middle of the park and should be nowhere near the starting XI for the game against Manchester United on the weekend.

The Uruguayan international is a brilliantly talented midfielder who, at his best, can influence proceedings all over the pitch.

However, it has been some time since we have seen that player, and like his teammates, the Nueva Helvecia-born ace seemed all over the place at Villa Park.

Instead of controlling the pace of the game from the middle of the park, the former Juventus ace was constantly being bypassed as if he wasn’t even there, and then the few times he was able to get a hold of the ball, he’d make a wrong decision, or play it back.

While this might sound harsh, it’s an opinion shared by football.london’s Alasdair Gold who awarded him a 4/10 match rating and accurately described him as ‘anonymous,’ while The Athletic’s Alex Barker described the midfielder’s tracking for the second goal as “shocking.”

Unsurprisingly, the 27-year-old’s statistics do nothing to help his case, as in 72 minutes of inaction, he took 44 touches but played one key pass, failed to have a single shot on or off target, misplaced 50% of his long balls, lost four of five ground duels and one of one aerial duels, lost the ball four times, committed two fouls and was dribbled past twice.

Minutes

72′

Goals

0

Assists

0

Touches

44

Key Passes

1

Shots on Target

0

Shots off Target

0

Long Balls (Accurate)

2 (1)

Ground Duels (Won)

5 (1)

Aerial Duels (Won)

1 (0)

Lost Possession

4

Fouls

2

Dribbled Past

2

Ultimately, yesterday’s game was one to forget for the entire Spurs team, but given how diabolically poor the results have been all season, Postecoglou must be on incredibly thin ice, and for his part in the defeat, Bentancur has to miss out on the next game.

He's now better than Son: Spurs must regret offloading "big-game monster"

Tottenham have a number of problems that need to be addressed at the end of the season.

ByAngus Sinclair Feb 9, 2025

Keshav Maharaj has more wickets than any of Morne Morkel, Vernon Philander or Kagiso Rabada this series. For a change, the quicks were creating pressure so the spinner could profit. How South African cricket has changed

Firdose Moonda in Wellington18-Mar-20173:08

‘I rely on my consistency’ – Maharaj

The strength of a team’s character, Graeme Smith used to say, is not seen when they scale a peak but when they remain steady at the top when strong winds threaten to blow them off. Smith was speaking figuratively after South Africa took the No.1 ranking from England in mid-2012. South Africa were acting out those words literally in Wellington almost five years later, where they are no longer the holders of the mace but pushed a position of authority so hard that they inflicted defeat on New Zealand inside three days to take an unassailable advantage in the three-match series.Let’s start with the wind. It was blowing from the south, the Antarctic, and filtering through the Cook Strait at speeds of around 50kph. So it was not just a wind but an icy scythe cutting through everything but the enthusiasm of the Wellington faithful, who arrived at the Basin Reserve with blankets to put over their singlets and shorts. South Africa, though, were more sensibly dressed.Their bench-warmers wore soft-shell jackets, beanies and gloves. On the field, Kagiso Rabada, big, strapping Kagiso Rabada, had hand-warmers in his pockets and he held on to them like a kid to his security blanket. Faf du Plessis also had them in his pockets and when one of the warmers broke, it leaked a dark substance onto his fingers. Thank goodness du Plessis did not go near the ball with that.And there were real consequences attached to this cold. When JP Duminy dropped the catch that would have dismissed Jeet Raval on 53, he immediately looked at his fingers, as if to blame them. Stephen Cook, who put Raval down at square leg on 76, was more stoic but there was more hand-rubbing than wringing in response. Temba Bavuma joked that he would have to bat with bricks in his pockets to avoid being blown away in the Wellington southerly. Would Keshav Maharaj need a whole house? Although not as short as Bavuma, Maharaj is certainly lighter. And he would have to do more than just keep himself upright, he would have to control a ball too.Being a spinner on a cold, windy day isn’t easy. Being a spinner in a South African attack, who tend to view their slower bowlers as gatecrashers at a private party, isn’t easy either. And being a spinner on a pitch that showed no signs of deterioration early on and was as green as the outfield wasn’t supposed to be easy. But with a bit of drift, an inviting line outside off and some help from New Zealand’s batsmen and his own quicks, Maharaj must have wondered whether this gig was really as tough as it was made out to be.After Maharaj tried to lure Neil Broom and Raval into a mistake, he succeeded in getting first-innings centurion Henry Nicholls to make one. The positivity Nicholls showed on the first day was misused on the third when he reached for a sweep and played on. That brain fade opened the over, Jimmy Neesham’s closed it. Knowing the situation called for some responsibility, Neesham stepped down the track and tried to flick Maharaj over midwicket where he was met by a Plessis one-handed signature stunner. New Zealand were effectively -1 for 5 at the end of that over and mostly had themselves to blame.Jeet Raval was one of Keshav Maharaj’s six wickets in the second innings•AFPAs did Raval when he threw away the chance at a first hundred by making almost the same mistake Neesham did by stepping out, but instead of hitting the ball, he missed and was stumped. As did Tim Southee and BJ Watling, who both holed out when the heat was on. The only New Zealand batsman who was outfoxed by a delivery, and not by a tactic to force a mistake, was Colin de Grandhomme, who received a ripper that turned passed the outside edge and hit the top of off.So why did the rest allow Maharaj, who bowled 14 overs into the wind, to make such a mess of their attempts to set a target? Because at the other end, Vernon Philander, Morne Morkel and Rabada were operating. Philander has bowled brilliantly throughout the two Tests with scant success; Morkel has returned to greater rewards and has used his aggression well and Rabada’s pace is unmatched. Yet, Maharaj has more wickets than any of them. For a change, the quicks were creating pressure so the spinner could profit. How South African cricket has changed.The last time a South African spinner took six wickets in an innings was eight years ago: Paul Harris against Australia in Cape Town. The last time a South African spinner took consecutive five-fors was 14 years ago: Paul Adams against Bangladesh in 2003. And the last time a South African spinner took 15 wickets in a series was 16 years ago: Nicky Boje West Indies. Maharaj has already bettered the first two and with 13 wickets so far he could overtake the third too. Those numbers are impressive but they don’t fully explain what Maharaj adds to this attack: certainty.While Adams lost his mystery, Boje and Harris did their job without setting the world alight. In searching for someone with a bit more spark, they moved on to Imran Tahir who tried so hard and got it so wrong that they went all the way back to Robin Peterson. Dane Piedt was an interesting experiment and that may continue as early as next week in Hamilton, where South Africa are expecting a turner. But there is no doubt that Piedt is No. 2.The No. 1 is a character whose confidence in his on-field performances – even with bat in hand Maharaj isn’t afraid to give it horns – morphs into boy-scout bashfulness off it. He is a man who has mastered the role of a South Africa spinner which is mostly a behind-the-scenes one but can step up when needed. He is the one who withstood the wind.

da dobrowin： Newcastle United are now eyeing a move for a striker who drew comparisons to Brazil legend Ronaldo for some of his performances last season, according to a report.

Eddie Howe assessing striker options

da realbet： Although Alexander Isak’s early goal was ruled out in the 2-0 triumph over Arsenal last night, the Sweden international once again underlined his importance to the team. Isak received praise from Alan Shearer for the way in which he tormented the Gunners’ defence, playing a big part in Newcastle booking their place at Wembley.

However, the striker’s long-term future at St. James’ Park is still in doubt, and his performance last night will only serve to attract the attention of even more of Europe’s top clubs.

As such, Eddie Howe has started to look at potential replacements for the 25-year-old, most recently identifying AFC Bournemouth’s Justin Kluivert as an option, in light of his impressive campaign with the Cherries.

The Boot Room have now dropped another update on a striker the Magpies are interested in, stating they have been keeping a close eye on Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta.

With Mateta yet to sign a new deal at Selhurst Park, he has started to attract the attention of a number of Premier League clubs, with the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea also namechecked in the report.

Palace are still trying to convince the forward to sign a new deal, but his head could be turned, given that some top English and European clubs are considering moves, with the likes of Atletico Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen also interested.

Mateta performing very well for Palace

After the Eagles’ very strong end to the 2023-24 campaign, which saw them finish in the top half after winning their last three games, the 27-year-old finished the season on 16 league goals, drawing praise from journalist Rory Smith.

Smith lauded the impact Oliver Glasner had on the Frenchman’s game, saying: “I thought Mateta was a perfectly serviceable target man who did a lot of good stuff that wasn’t really glamorous but wasn’t particularly eye-catching. He looks extraordinary, like original Ronaldo, under Glasner.”

Related Newcastle and PIF expected to pursue summer move for "incredible" £75m star

The Magpies are planning to spend big when the transfer market reopens.

Posts ByDominic Lund Feb 5, 2025

The £50k-per-week forward has continued to impress this season, having now reached double figures for goals in the Premier League, putting himself in a good position to eclipse his goal tally from the previous campaign.

Newcastle’s interest appears to be tentative at this stage, and Howe’s main goal will no doubt be to keep hold of Isak, given the instrumental role the striker has played in his side’s solid Premier League campaign and run to the EFL Cup final.

However, while he is not at Isak’s level, Mateta’s performances since the arrival of Glasner indicate he could be a solid addition to the squad.

ESPNcricinfo staff07-May-2016Marcus Stoinis, who was retained as opener, struck a half-century to help Kings XI recover•BCCIDelhi Daredevils let some of the pressure off with some sloppy fielding•BCCIWriddhiman Saha struck 52 off only 33 balls to set the stage for the big hitters•BCCIChris Morris did well at the top and tail-end of an innings to pick up 2 for 30•BCCIBut with Glenn Maxwell and David Miller contributing 27 runs in 17 balls, Kings XI put on 181 for 5•BCCIQuinton de Kock took the chase off to a bright start, scoring a half-century in 27 balls. Incidentally, he was the third man to score 52 tonight•BCCIBut Stoinis plucked three wickets through the middle overs to cause a wobble, which the Sharmas, Mohit and Sandeep, took advantage of and sealed a nine-run win•BCCI

Newcastle United are now very interested in signing a “successful” £21m striker, and they are among the favourites to win the race for his signature, according to a report.

Doubt over Alexander Isak's future

Prior to Saturday’s 4-1 defeat at home to Bournemouth, Alexander Isak had scored in eight Premier League matches on the spin, so it is no wonder the striker has started to attract the attention of some of Europe’s top clubs.

Arsenal are one of the English clubs vying for Isak’s signature, with Chelsea also amongst the potential suitors, but the Magpies remain in a strong negotiating position, given that the Sweden international is contracted until the summer of 2028.

That said, it may still be difficult to keep hold of the striker this summer, and Eddie Howe may also be tasked with signing a long-term replacement for fellow forward Callum Wilson, who has struggled with injuries this season.

Newcastle send high-ranking scout to watch "unplayable" £45,000-a-week star

What a signing he could be for the Magpies.

By
Henry Jackson

Jan 17, 2025

One of the forwards Newcastle are looking at is FC Nürnberg’s Stefanos Tzimas, with Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg recently revealing they are keeping a close eye on the 19-year-old.

There has now been a new update on the Magpies’ pursuit of Tzimas, with BILD stating they have a 35% chance of signing the striker in the summer (via Sport Witness).

Howe’s side are said to be very interested in signing the forward, and the €25m (£21m) asking price will not be an issue, as they will have plenty of money to spend.

Newcastle are reportedly the second favourites to sign the starlet, at least out of the English clubs, and he is very likely to be available this summer, as FC Nürnberg plan to sign him for a fee of €18m (£15m), before immediately selling him on for a profit.

Tzimas showing signs of great promise

It is fair to say FC Nürnberg manager Joti Chatzialexiou is pleased with the youngster’s development this season, saying: “He has made enormous progress in the past few weeks. We’ve had him on our radar for a long time and we’re delighted that he’s now so successful.”

The Thessaloniki-born striker has made a flying start to life in the 2. Bundesliga, picking up eight goals and two assists in his opening 14 games, so it is no wonder some of Europe’s clubs have been alerted to his availability.

Newcastle United’s upcoming Premier League fixtures
Opposition	Date
Southampton (a)	January 25th
Fulham (h)	February 1st
Manchester City (a)	February 15th
Nottingham Forest (h)	February 23rd
Liverpool (a)	February 26th

That said, the PAOK loanee is still in the infancy of his career and is yet to prove himself over a sustained period of time, nor in a major league.

As such, Newcastle should continue to monitor Tzimas’ development between now and the end of the season to make sure he definitely has what it takes to make the step up to one of the Premier League’s top sides.

Manchester United confirmed the signing of left-back Patrick Dorgu as Ruben Amorim made his first signing since taking over the club a few months ago.

It will take time, but the former Sporting CP manager is slowly building the building blocks ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

The Red Devils also showed interest in Mathys Tel as Amorim was keen on bolstering his attacking options, but no deal materialised.

Why Manchester United missed out on Mathys Tel

Tel turned down an offer to join Tottenham Hotspur which left the door ajar for the Old Trafford side to make their move for the Frenchman before the window closed.

According to reports in France, however, Bayern Munich were “too greedy” during discussions with United, meaning the youngster wasn’t going to make the move to Manchester this window.

Instead, he ended up heading to Spurs in a remarkable turn of events after the player had initially rejected the advances of Ange Postecoglou and Co.

This should come as a big blow to the Red Devils, chiefly because they’ve also got rid of fellow winger Marcus Rashford.

Man United should regret selling their own Tel

Back in the summer of 2023, Erik ten Hag sold Swedish forward Anthony Elanga to Nottingham Forest for a fee of just £15m. 18 months later, the club must surely regret this sale, especially as Elanga could have been their own answer to Tel.

Under Ten Hag in the 2022/23 campaign, Elanga registered just two assists across 26 matches in all competitions. Hence, when the £15m offer arrived, the Dutchman felt he wasn’t good enough to be a key player for him.

The 22-year-old soon began to prove him wrong. In his first season at the City Ground, Elanga scored five Premier League goals, chipping in with nine assists, as the club finished 17th, narrowly avoiding relegation back to the Championship.

This season has been a totally different experience for the club as Nuno Espírito Santo has guided them into the top four, with a 7-0 victory over Brighton recently proving just how good they have become.

Metric

2024/25 Percentile

Goals

38%

Assists

93%

Key passes

77%

Crosses

96%

Goal-creating actions

93%

During that match, Elanga registered three assists while also making three key passes and succeeding with 66% of his dribble attempts, causing plenty of damage in the final third.

Overall, the winger has scored three times while grabbing eight assists in the top flight this season. Add in the fact that he currently ranks in the top 7% for assists and the top 4% for crosses when compared to positional peers in the Premier League this term, Elanga’s move to the Forest has been an inspired one.

Indeed, analyst Ben Mattinson lavished praise on the youngster in November 2023, just months after leaving United, saying: “What a bargain he’s proving to have been for Forest. Man Utd had a stinker letting him go and especially for that fee.”

The Red Devils certainly sold their own version of Tel – an exciting younger winger – far too hastily.

Sell him on deadline day: Amorim must axe 5/10 Man Utd dud after Palace

Manchester United fell to yet another Premier League defeat against Crystal Palace this afternoon.

1 ByEthan Lamb Feb 2, 2025

Former India batsman Sanjay Manjrekar analyses the talking points from the third day of the Antigua Test

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Jul-2016‘Heartening to see Shami and Umesh vary their lengths’Seamers Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Shami shared eight wickets between them to put India in firm control of the Antigua Test2:11

Manjrekar: ‘Heartening to see Shami and Umesh vary their lengths’

‘Might see a lot more of Ashwin in the second innings’R Ashwin was under-bowled in the first innings, but that could possibly be because of Virat Kohli envisioning a bigger role for the offspinner in the second innings1:47

Manjrekar: ‘Might see lot more of Ashwin in the second innings’

‘Holder and Brathwaite should bat up the order’West Indies are misusing the batting talents of Jason Holder and Carlos Brathwaite, who batted at No.9 and No.10 in the hosts’ first innings2:03

Manjrekar: ‘Holder and Brathwaite should bat up the order’