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Aston Villa secured a top eight spot in the Champions League group stage, automatically putting them into the final 16 of the competition along with Liverpool, Barcelona, Arsenal, Inter Milan, Atlético Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen and Lille.

Morgan Rogers netted a hattrick against Celtic in their 4-2 victory to seal the three points needed to secure eighth spot, putting the Englishman on ten goals in all competitions this campaign, having also provided five assists.

With Jhon Duran set to be sold, Unai Emery could be armed with extra transfer kitty heading into the final days of the window, where he could obtain the perfect partner in crime for Rogers.

Latest Aston Villa transfer news

According to reports from Fabrizio Romano, Aston Villa have been in touch with Chelsea over not just Axel Disasi, but also Joao Felix.

Transfer Focus

However, the deal will depend on what Chelsea decide to do with Felix, which could be determined by their own business at the top end of the pitch.

With Duran on his way to Al Nassr for €77m (£54.4m) deal with add-ons, Emery’s side could have a busy final few days of the window, as they look to not only replace Duran, but use the funds to improve the squad ahead of a big second half of the season.

Felix has made 20 appearances for the Blues this season since joining in the summer, scoring seven goals, providing two assists and totalling 947 minutes played.

The 25-year-old can play a variety of positions across the front line, including attacking midfield, left-wing and even as a centre-forward.

Why Felix could shine with Rogers

By bringing another versatile forward to the club, Emery would have the capacity to play both Felix and Rogers alongside each other, two players who excel in creativity in the pockets/half spaces, can link play, arrive in the box and offer goal threat.

Stats (per 90 mins)

Felix

Rogers

Goals

0.67

0.34

Assists

0.17

0.17

xG

0.54

0.22

xAG

0.24

0.22

Progressive Carries

5.12

3.39

Progressive Passes

6.34

3.90

Shots Total

4.83

1.99

Key Passes

1.46

1.52

Shot-Creating Actions

4.39

3.43

Successful Take-Ons

2.44

2.45

When comparing the two players’ metrics this season, you can see how closely they rank in key areas, completing very similar key passes per 90, very similar take-on numbers and both offering output.

Felix has offered more in terms of progressive numbers and shot volume this season, but many of his minutes have also come in the UEFA Conference League against an overall lower standard, compared to Rogers in the Premier League and Champions League.

Felix is someone in the footballing sphere who has been labelled an “immense” talent by many experts, including Alex Barker (EuroExpert on X).

However, since his big-money move to Atlético Madrid from Benfica, coaches have struggled to get the best of him, usually due to his best work being done in tandem with a centre-forward to play off of, in something of a front two.

This is why Emery could fully unlock the potential of Felix, playing him behind a striker such as Ollie Watkins, moving Rogers over to the left, who can then drift inside alongside Felix, creating an excellent attacking triangle where Felix has the freedom to roam and do his best work.

With Duran seemingly out the door, snapping up the Chelsea man could represent the perfect attacking replacement.

Aston Villa about to accept £59m offer to sell "special" ace Ronaldo rates

This would certainly steal the headlines…

ByTom Cunningham Jan 29, 2025

Apart from keeping Pakistan’s start steady at one end, Sarfraz Ahmed also freed up Umar Akmal to be used elsewhere, to provide his team the balance it lacked till now

Devashish Fuloria in Auckland07-Mar-2015Ahmed Shehzad, facing Kyle Abbott for the first time in the bowler’s second over, took time to mark his guard on the crease before taking a stroll towards the leg umpire. Just as the bowler was about to start, he noticed something on the good-length area, walked out again, swept it aside with his bat, then came back, bent down to clean something from the crease, using his hands.All this while, Sarfraz Ahmed stood at the non-striker’s end, his right hand on his waist, his left leg crossed over his right, his body leaning on the bat, intently watching and perhaps wondering what his partner was so fussed about. Three days back, it was Shehzad who had scored 93 against UAE while Sarfraz watched each ball from the sidelines, just like he had watched the rest of the World Cup.And then, as Pakistan ran out of reasons for not playing him in the XI, Sarfraz walked out to open the innings and stood outside the crease facing the first ball of the match from Dale Steyn. Seven hours, 35 minutes and a record six catches later – including that of a rampaging AB de Villiers – Sarfraz had a Man-of-the-Match award too.”It was like a debut game for me today,” Sarfraz said. Cricket can be a simple game for some.In 2006, Sarfraz led Pakistan to title in the Under-19 World Cup. But a chequered international career that began more than seven years ago with an ODI against India in Jaipur – a game he did not get a chance to bat in – finally took a decisive turn when Sarfraz was brought in for an injured Adnan Akmal in the second Test against Sri Lanka last January.He had played four Tests before, but his second-innings half-century in Dubai was his first substantial innings. However, it was his quickfire 48 in the next match, during Pakistan’s astonishing chase of 302 in 57.3 overs, that Sarfraz established himself in the team.During that innings, he stepped out to Rangana Herath and smashed him over midwicket for a six and has since repeated that shot numerous times, to spinners and fast bowlers alike. Today, it was JP Duminy’s turn as he was thrice lifted in the same over for sixes in that region. However, it’s not his big hitting that is disruptive – Pakistan have others who solely earn their per diem using that method – but what he does in between.Sarfraz was always on the lookout for a single; not the manic type, but that which keeps the fielding side on their toes, teasing them. He would shuffle across, dab the ball and would immediately dash out of the crease for a couple of meters, only to return in time, with his bat entering the safe zone before his feet would.Then at other times, he jogged singles to third man and fine leg in the old-fashioned way while Shehzad hared down the pitch as most coaches would tell you these days. Mostly, you knew Sarfraz was in no hurry. He just wanted to irritate the bowlers and the fielders alike, a distinctly old-world Pakistan trait that was missing in this team.Playing late cuts, standing a couple of feet outside the crease to extreme pace, shuffling across to work the ball on the leg side, these tactics draw from the ones used in streets and maidans of the subcontinent, where, at most times, on one side certain areas of the ground are more profitable. Sarfraz’s game brought back during his innings that street-smartness so often the forte of Pakistan sides of the past. Had the innings lasted any longer, surely Sarfraz would have pulled out Moin Khan-like sweeps against the South Africa pacers.Seventh months ago, an unbeaten 52 in Galle had given Pakistan a chance to almost save a match that appeared to have slipped as Pakistan’s batting collapsed on the fifth day. In the next game, he scored his maiden Test hundred in an innings dismantled by Herath with nine wickets. Another century followed in his next Test, and another, two matches later.”I think it’s been a good seven-eight months that he has started coming out of the shell and is trying to play his own game. Freedom has been given to him to play the way he plays. He has been coming good for Pakistan, he has been in a very good nick, so it’s good to take advantage of that form he is in.” Waqar Younis had said after Sarfraz’s match-winning 76 not out against New Zealand in a T20 last December, before he was inexplicably left out from the starting XI in this tournament.With Pakistan looking for every gasp of air to push ahead in this tournament, Sarfraz was finally included. He looked more assured than Shehzad, strutting up three-quarters the length of the pitch – shoulders open, gait confident, chin up – to chat with Shehzad after every dot ball. When he kept wickets, he was hardly noticeable, a massive change from the usual.When he wanted to, he used the full stretch to defend against Imran Tahir’s googlies. And then he made Younis Khan run hard too. He made one mistake and paid the price with his wicket. But after giving Pakistan the start they had been lacking in previous matches, Sarfraz had more to contribute.As the team came out to field, Sarfraz’s presence behind the stumps would have set a certain calm among the bowlers. It also freed up Umar Akmal, inconsistent with gloves but an excellent all-round fielder, to be used elsewhere. With moisture in the air, the pace quartet found movement and zip off the pitch. That requires adjustments from wicketkeepers, so Pakistan were well served in that they had a specialist man. Moin-like, Sarfraz was, swooping low to his right as he pulled off a one-handed stunner to send back Hashim Amla and then taking a head-high catch when Steyn edged a bouncer.”I never doubted his abilities. We all knew how good he is,” Waqar said today, before hinting why he may have missed out till now. “He is a makeshift opener, but he did a superb job today.”Can’t ask for anything better if your regular wicketkeeper can play and bat as an opener too. But don’t forget, Umar Akmal has also done a superb job, he got five catches in the last game. So, I am happy with both. Both are doing a wonderful job. It’s the belief that matters the most and both of them have belief with the gloves on. “As Shehzad once again dabbed the pitch with his bat, keeping the bowler waiting during that opening stand, Sarfraz, at the non-striker’s end, wandered along facing the western stand, his head held high, maybe wondering “Am I really here?” but most probably thinking, “I was meant to be here.” Call it confidence, call it self-belief, call it the aggressive posturing, that intent at the start of the match had set the tone for Pakistan.

Staggering acceleration after tea was fuelled by a ‘cheese and ham toastie and a cup of coffee’

Andrew Miller14-Jun-2022A “cheese and ham toastie and a cup of coffee” proved the rocket fuel that Jonny Bairstow needed to launch a sensational post-tea onslaught on the final day of the second LV= Insurance Test at Trent Bridge, and power England to a thrilling five-wicket victory that, he says, shows the “sky is the limit” for what this team’s new-found positive attitude can achieve.Bairstow’s 136 from 92 balls included a century from 77 balls – one ball shy of Gilbert Jessop’s record set at The Oval way back in 1902 – as he and England’s captain, Ben Stokes, destroyed a delicately balanced match situation with 102 runs in the first nine overs after the interval.Their 179-run stand spanned just 20.1 overs, and meant that England romped to their 299-run target in exactly 50 of their allotted 72 – a fitting tribute to a chase that Bairstow said had been treated exactly like one of their World-Cup-winning ODI performances.”It was great fun,” Bairstow said during the post-match presentations. “When you get in that mood, you’ve got to just go with it. The plan that [New Zealand] set out with after tea was do or die, so you’ve got to do.”That plan involved a consistent short-ball approach from a seam attack lacking the services of Kyle Jamieson to a back injury, and already weary after spending 128.2 overs in the field during England’s first-innings 539.”Ben at the other end said ‘don’t even think about hitting one down [the ground], hit it into the stands,” Bairstow said. “That was the catalyst. Today was our day, and what a day it’s been.”What happened next was simply extraordinary. From a well-set 43 from 48 balls, Bairstow reeled off 10 fours and seven sixes from his next 44, the majority of them slammed into the short leg-side boundary at the Bridgford Road side of the ground.”I’m not sure about ‘picking the right ball’,” he said. “Strip it back, it’s only you and the bowler there. That’s the bit that sometimes gets complicated. If you strip it back, and just watch the ball, that’s the zone right there, and you have to get in it.”A staggering 1675 runs were scored across the five days of the Test – second only to the 1948 Ashes Test at Headingley – and Bairstow said that England took extra confidence in the fourth innings from the exploits that had preceded it.”When there’s been so many runs scored in the game, you don’t look at it as a record run-chase, you look at it as an opportunity to chase down a total,” he said. “We saw it as a one-day game.”The pitch was very good, outfield was fast, and that’s how you have to look at it. If you take a negative mentality, then all of sudden you’re apprehensive. We have a positive approach, and the players who can play that brand of cricket, and that never-say-die attitude, and the ever-evolving confidence that people have got in that dressing room, allowed people to go and flourish.”And I tell you what, days like this are very exciting,” he added. “If this is happening now, let’s see what’s going to happen in the next few weeks and next few months, because it’s going to be a journey.”England’s chase was made all the more special thanks to the decision by Nottinghamshire to allow free entry for this final day, and Bairstow paid tribute to that decision while acknowledging that – of all his nine Test hundreds – this one clearly stood out the most.”This is No.1 for me, it’d be tricky not to be,” he said. “There’s been a lot of chatter around England’s Test cricket over a few years, some of it’s been harsh, but I’m hugely proud about how we’ve gone about it in the last few years [of Covid etc]. It has enabled us to get closer as a group, and if we can keep that momentum, the sky is the limit.”Stokes, England’s captain, now has two wins from two – and England’s first series victory since January 2021 – after inheriting a team from Joe Root that had won just one in its previous 17. And afterwards he paid tribute to his entire team, not least the bowling unit that had rattled New Zealand in the third innings, and enabled England to hunt down a sub-300 target.”I’ve got to give credit to the boys for all five days, with the ball, and the bat, and in the field. It was a phenomenal performance,” he said. “Today was set up absolutely perfectly for how we want to go about it. Run into the danger, rather than back away or stand still.”That’s what we did today. Not just myself and Jonny there. Credit to Leesy [Alex Lees] at the top again, two really important knocks for the team again, everyone at some stage has put their hand up and contributed.”Test cricket isn’t necessarily about what you’ve seen there, but you’ve still got to execute your skills, and we wanted to put pressure back on their attack. And once Jonny gets his ‘Jonny eyes’, there’s no stopping him.”One concern for England came when Stokes appeared to jar his troublesome left knee while coming down the wicket, but he insisted afterwards that it was “fine”.Stokes also thanked Nottinghamshire for opening the gates to the public – “don’t under-estimate the power of a home crowd,” he said – and when asked what’s next, he replied: “Headingley … We’re going to come harder.”

As they continue their unbeaten start on the pitch, Celtic have reportedly started plotting a move to seal a future star after sending their chief scout to watch him in action recently.

Celtic transfer news

How the Bhoys go about improving their current side is a difficult but positive conundrum to crack thanks to their flawless start to the current campaign. Even in the Champions League, the Bhoys remained unfazed, smashing Slovan Bratislava 5-1 to open their European season in style.

Meanwhile, in the Scottish Premiership, the champions remain on course to retain after creating a five-point gap on Old Firm rivals Rangers and instead going head-to-head with new challengers Aberdeen.

With that said, the focus for Celtic should be on the future and ensuring that they only extend their dominance rather than eventually lose out to those around Scotland. And if recent rumours are anything to go by, they intend to do exactly that in the January transfer window.

According to Fotbolldirekt – a media outlet based in Sweden – via Sport Witness, Celtic are beginning to plot a move to sign Bazoumana Toure from Hammarby IF.

Sold for £20m: Celtic struck gold selling ace who's now worth millions less

The Hoops hit the jackpot when they decided to cash in on the centre-forward.

ByDan Emery Sep 25, 2024

The media there expect a big development to take place soon with Celtic positioning themselves to sign the 18-year-old winger after sending chief scout Joe Lefevre to watch him in action.

Given that Eintracht Frankfurt, Crystal Palace, Bayer Leverkusen and Benfica are all also reportedly interested in Toure, Celtic will undoubtedly have to act fast if they want to secure his signature in a deal that would have to meet Hammerby’s reported €10m (£8m) price tag. A player with plenty of potential, Toure would be joining the Scottish champions at the perfect time, as they go for yet another title.

"Superb" Toure is one for the future

At 18 years old, Toure is already making his mark at Hammerby, with six goals and three assists in just 16 appearances last season. It’s no real surprise that he has attracted such high interest from all around Europe and the Bhoys will simply be hoping to see their sales pitch convince the youngster that Celtic Park is the place to be.

Earning plenty of praise during his recent rise, Toure was dubbed “superb” by Football Talent Scout’s Jacek Kulig.

What is interesting to note is that he can also play on both wings to hand Brendan Rodgers a versatile option within his frontline, should Celtic complete their move in 2025. With years to reach his best form too, the Ivory Coast youngster could quickly turn into an excellent coup.

Stats highlight from Sri Lanka’s win against New Zealand in Chittagong

Shiva Jayaraman31-Mar-2014 Rangana Herath’s magnificent figures of 5 for 3 are the third best in T20 internationals. The top two also belong to Sri Lanka – Ajantha Mendis took 6 for 8 against Zimbabwe in the last World T20 and 6 for 16 against Australia in 2011. Before this game, Herath had played only six T20Is and taken six wickets at an average of 20.16 and an economy of 6.72. Herath’s five wickets cost him only three runs, an average of 0.60 apiece – the fourth best average for a five-wicket haul in international cricket and the best in T20 internationals. Across formats, the best average for a five-wicket haul belongs to Courtney Walsh who gave away just one run against Sri Lanka. Kane Williamson was the lone New Zealand batsman standing amid the mayhem, scoring 42 out the total of 60 – his 70% was the highest percentage contribution to a team’s total in a T20I. The record was previously held by David Warner, who scored 90 out of Australia’s 137 – 65.70% – also against Sri Lanka at the SCG in 2013. Charles Bannerman and Viv Richards hold the record for the highest percentage of runs in a completed innings in Tests and ODIs. New Zealand’s 60 is their lowest total in T20Is. Their previous lowest was 80 against Pakistan in 2010. New Zealand’s 59-run defeat is their third worst by margin of runs. For Sri Lanka, it is their fourth highest margin of victory. They hold the record for the biggest win in terms of runs – 172 against Kenya in the first World T20. The 59-run win is the highest margin for a team that set a target of 120 or less. The previous highest margin was Scotland’s 35 runs over Kenya in Aberdeen last year. Scotland had scored 113 and dismissed Kenya for 78 runs. Three of New Zealand’s top five batsmen – Brendon McCullum, Ross Taylor and Jimmy Neesham – were dismissed for ducks. It was only the eighth time that three or more batsmen in the top five fell without scoring. Sri Lanka’s 119 is their third lowest total batting first in T20 internationals. It was also only the fifth time that they were dismissed in the first innings of a T20I. Trent Boult’s 3 for 20 are his best bowling figures in T20Is. He was playing only his fifth match. He had taken three wickets for 125 runs at an average of 41.66 in his previous-four matches. Lasith Malinga – Sri Lanka’s stand-in captain – and Brendon McCullum were dismissed for a duck, the second time both captains had fallen without scoring in a T20I. The first instance involved Michael Vaughan and Ricky Ponting in the in 2005. New Zealand were 23 for 4 at the end of six overs – their third-worst Powerplay score in a T20 international. Their worst was also against Sri Lanka, in Lauderhill in 2010, when they were 17 for 5. New Zealand were on a similar score – 17 for 5 – against Pakistan too, in Christchurch in 2010.

West Ham are looking to return to European football next season, having recently had Europa League and Conference League runs.

The Hammers won the UEFA Conference League in 2023, beating Fiorentina 2-1 in the final, with Jarrod Bowen scoring a dramatic winner, and sealing victory for the Hammers.

Last season, West Ham failed to qualify for Europe, finishing ninth in the Premier League, which saw David Moyes’ reign in charge come to an end for a second time, with a new era beginning this season, under new manager, Julen Lopetegui.

Regardless of their start, he might well wish he had a prime Jesse Lingard at his disposal.

Jesse Lingard at West Ham

Lingard spent six months on loan with West Ham, joining in January 2021. The English midfielder was a sensation during his stint in east London, enjoying some of the best days of his career.

Indeed, he made 16 appearances for the club in which he netted nine goals and provided four assists across 1,425 minutes played.

Lingard had managed to rediscover the form that had once seen him in the England national team setup, having scored 13 goals and provided seven assists in the 2017/18 season, before heading to the World Cup with the Three Lions in 2018, scoring one goal, and providing two assists there.

There were claims at the time that West Ham had found their new Dimitri Payet, making attempts to bring the midfielder to the club on a permanent deal during the summer of 2021.

First Impressions

What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast's 'First Impressions' series has everything you need.

The Frenchman was a genius player during his own stint in the capital, scoring 15 goals – of which many included some beautiful free-kicks – and supplying 22 assists.

Sadly, the Hammers were unable to strike a deal, and Lingard ended up joining Nottingham Forest a year later.

How Lingard compared to Payet

A failure to bring Lingard back to the London Stadium saw him stay for one last season at Manchester United, making 22 appearances for the Red Devils in all competitions, scoring two goals and providing one assist.

The ex-England international was then released in the summer of 2022, which saw Nottingham Forest acquire his services on a free transfer.

Lingard’s career has slowly fizzled out since, only making 20 appearances for Forest in the 2022/23 season where he registered four goal contributions. It’s a far cry from the days of being compared to Payet. Speaking of which, how did they compare?

Goals

0.51

0.31

Assists

0.22

0.31

xG

0.28

0.27

Progressive Carries

3.73

2.91

Progressive Passes

4.75

5.23

Total Shots

2.70

1.57

Goals/Shot

0.17

0.16

Key Passes

1.14

2.55

Shot-Creating Actions

3.99

4.35

Whilst Lingard was showing signs of replacing Payet at West Ham, the 33-year-old Frenchman was still putting up good numbers for Marseille across the 2020/21 campaign. Payet still averaged 0.31 assists per 90, and made more progressive passes, key passes, and shot-creating actions per 90. That being said, besides key passes, they did rank pretty closely.

Lingard was back to his best infront of goal though, scoring 0.51 per 90, 0.20 more than Payet, and scoring at a rate of 0.17 goals/shot, again bettering the former France international.

It’s sadly now a story of what might have been for the Man United academy graduate who is now valued at just £1m and playing out his final years for FC Seoul in the K-League, having made 18 appearances for the club and scored four goals.

Offloaded by Lopetegui: West Ham have already axed their next Declan Rice

The club have seen a huge overhaul of their midfield department in the last 12 months.

ByEthan Lamb Sep 17, 2024

Santos have teased Neymar's impending transfer amid Richarlison sending a hilarious message of support to his Brazilian compatriot.

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Al-Hilal terminate Neymar contractSantos tease Brazilian's returnRicharlison sends message of supportFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

After Al-Hilal terminated Neymar's contract this week, the 32-year-old's former club Santos have tried to sign the forward. Ahead of the Brazilian's impending arrival at the Serie B champions, Santos have dropped a big hint he is coming "home" again. And Tottenham forward Richarlison, whose full-back tattoo features Neymar, has suggested the forward is heading to Santos following a humorous social media post.

AdvertisementWHAT SANTOS AND RICHARLISON SAID

The Santos post translates to: "There is no place like home. 🏠"

And Richarlison's Instagram post reads: "Neymar returning to Santos. Me automatically:"

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Neymar has had a dire 18 months or so at Al-Hilal, where he made just seven appearances in an injury-ravaged stint in the Middle East. The ex-Paris Saint-Germain star, who cost €90m (£77m/$98m) to sign, may go down as one of the biggest transfer flops in history. But for his sake, the Brazilian will hope he can resurrect his career at the club where he made his name.

(C)Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

Neymar, who bid farewell to Al-Hilal's fans this week, could be unveiled at the Brazilian giants in the coming days in what would be an emotional return for the ex-Santos star.

Harry Kane issued a stark warning to Bayern Munich's rivals as he hailed his team's performance in a 4-0 win against Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday.

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Kane started in bench in Bayern victoryStriker impressed by the four-goal displayAlso praised co-England international DierFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Bundesliga leaders ran riot against their third-placed visitors at the Allianz Arena, with Michael Olise, Hiroki Ito, Jamal Musiala and Serge Gnabry getting the goals to keep Vincent Kompany's men eight points clear at the top of the table.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Star striker Kane was reduced to a 25-minute substitute appearance after missing training during the week with a calf injury. The England captain was impressed by what he saw watching on from the bench, though, and feels that few teams they come up against could have withstood the pressure they put on Frankfurt.

WHAT KANE SAID

"Fantastic performance from start to finish. Just the way we dominated without the ball," he told . "I think we are always going to have quality going forwards we have fantastic players going forwards and we are going to create chances. Ultimately that pressure without the ball, we almost nullified any threat from them. We know they are a team with a lot of pace and can be really good on the transition. We were at the top of our game. If we play like that, there are not many teams can withhold that pressure and that's exactly what happened today."

KANE HAILS ERIC DIER

In Kane's absence, Eric Dier represented England with a strong performance beside Kim Min-jae at centre-back. The former Tottenham star put in some good tackles and did well in the air to keep the away side quiet.

Asked about Dier, Kane said: "He's been outstanding. From when he first came. Obviously he was a big part of our Champions League run last season and our performances in the league. He was one of our more consistent performers. He's been biding his time this season but whenever he's stepped in the level has gone even higher. Out there today he was outstanding from start to finish. I'm really happy for him."

Stats analysis of the Carlton Mid Tri-Series final between Australia and England in Perth

Bishen Jeswant01-Feb-2015502 Number of international wickets taken by Stuart Broad, making him only the third English player to take 500 wickets, after James Anderson and Ian Botham. He started the game on 499 wickets and returned figures of 3 for 55.89 Runs conceded by Chris Woakes, the fourth-highest by an English bowler in an ODI innings, and the second-highest against Australia. The most runs conceded by an English bowler is 97, by Steve Harmison against Sri Lanka in 2006.141 The fifth-wicket partnership between Glenn Maxwell and Mitchell Marsh, the highest ever fifth-wicket stand in Perth. This was Australia’s first 100-plus stand for the fifth wicket in Perth.3 Number of Australian batsmen – James Faulkner (50), Maxwell (95) and Marsh (60) – who made fifties in the first innings, batting at No. 5 or below. This is the second such instance involving three Australian batsmen and the tenth overall.3 Number of times Maxwell has been dismissed in the nineties in ODIs since 2013, the most for any batsman, tied with Shikhar Dhawan.48.1 Faulkner’s batting average, the fifth highest for any Australian batsman. Faulkner has scored 770 runs, in 38 ODIs, including a hundred and four fifties.24 Number of balls Faulkner took for his 50, the sixth fastest by an Australian batsman. This is the second instance of Faulkner scoring a fifty off 24 balls, the other being against India in 2013.

West Indies started the fourth day from a promising position before rain and South Africa’s bowlers combined to trigger yet another batting implosion

Firdose Moonda in Cape Town05-Jan-2015The longest second: waiting for the lift doors to open to escape a stranger’s space. The longest minute: the kettle whistling as the water reaches boiling point. The longest hour: the last on a long-haul flight. The longest session: The 48.2 overs bowled in four hours on the fourth day of the New Year’s Test between South Africa and West Indies.Only the last of those is not an exaggeration. It really was one of the longest sessions, in terms of time and overs.After rain washed out the morning and early afternoon, the umpires were allowed to extend the final session in unprecedented fashion. With the clause limiting the time for a session to no more than two-and-a-half-hours removed and the generous daylight of a Cape Town summer, play could continue past cocktails and almost encroach on dinner-time without any interruptions, in order to “maximise the playing hours”, as an ICC spokesperson put it. Lunch and tea were moved forward so the game could do the same and it would not feel like the longest day.’Just needed one massive effort from us’ – Morkel

With most of the morning and afternoon session lost to rain, South Africa were as much at risk of losing focus as West Indies but Hashim Amla made sure they knew what was expected of them.
“The captain spoke to us quite hard and said we had the whole morning off and as a unit it can be disjointed, so it’s important for us to start well,” Morkel said. “It’s part of the mental battles of Test cricket. We knew if we put in a solid session, we could have an easier day tomorrow. It just needed one massive effort from us, before we go to Bangladesh in six months’ time when we next play Test cricket. So we knew we could go out there and give it everything.”
South Africa were aware that the series they entered as over-riding favourites remained in the balance with two days left and wanted to show their best side in an attempt for success.
“We respect West Indies a lot. We know that most teams have a breaking point and it is important to push a batting team as far as they can go,” Morkel said. “The team who can sustain the pressure at that breaking point will come out on top in the end. For us, it’s to really try to break teams down. That’s key in Test cricket.”

For the first four-and-a-half hours, that’s what it was shaping up to be as rain swept through the stadium, steaming in from both sides of the grandstand in the swirling wind. The teams had seen enough of that in Port Elizabeth and did not want to resort to change-room cricket and idle chat again, so they stayed away until there was a chance of play.Dead time can kill a competitive spirit and West Indies, who would have been holed up in hotel rooms, had to guard against that. They could not.Overnight, they were in a decent position. They had two settled batsmen at the crease, had whittled down the deficit to the point of turning it into a lead and could seriously challenge South Africa for a share of the series spoils. They did not need anything to interrupt that flow, especially not a lengthy rain delay.Grey, gurgling skies over a generous gust encourage lethargy in all its forms. The legs and eyelids grow heavy, the brain foggy and the reflexes slow. The idea of waiting until tomorrow to do anything seems far more tempting than emerging from a semi-slumber to concentrate. And when the ball is coming at you at pace, 140 kmph, you need to concentrate.Everyone except Marlon Samuels and, to a lesser degree, Shivnarine Chanderpaul knew that. The rest, bar Denesh Ramdin, do not have the experience to call on for this kind of situation, which is why it was up to the three stalwarts to build West Indies a lead on which they could look for a victory. Samuels seemed the likeliest to do that.He is the type of player who rubs South Africa up the wrong way. He straddles the line between talent and arrogance a little too tightly and he talks a good game on top of all that. So South Africa did their talking with the ball. Dale Steyn banged it in short, Morne Morkel went full, and induced an edge, and Vernon Philander appealed for a catch which the umpires referred. Samuels’ response at first was to pull, drive and react so dismissively to the prospect of getting out that he almost suffered that fate off the next ball when he flayed loosely.Samuels, however, did not always get to emerge as the cooler cat. He was hit on the back by Steyn, almost on the face by Morkel and consistently tested by Philander. It’s hardly a surprise then, that the one person he felt comfortable against was Simon Harmer, who he eventually played with too much freedom. Samuels was the perfect Shakespearean character – the architect of his own demise – and the opening South Africa needed.With him gone, their longest day ended and West Indies’ began. Again. For the third time in the series, their lower order gave way in spite of a more assured showing from Shivnarine Chanderpaul. If that was his last innings in South Africa, at least he left with a half-century but he did not marshal the lower-order the way senior batsman should. He played a tentative innings and edged the fourth ball he faced to gully, but it dropped just short. He was given out on 10 but reviewed successfully. He was foxed by spin and offered a chance to AB de Villiers when he was on 33.In the middle of that struggle, West Indies lost all the rest. What started out as a day of promise, faded into another day of lost potential. They ended up with a total they may not be able to defend, because South Africa’s attack were not prepared to give their batsmen a long final day. And that is the difference between a No. 1-ranked side and a No. 8 side – one of them knows that even the longest second, the longest minute, the longest hour and the longest session will end and is willing to fight through it.