Yorkshire on top in Scarborough despite unbroken last-wicket stand for visitors

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay29-Jul-2025

Sussex 210 for 9 (Coles 47, White 3-21) vs Yorkshire Yorkshire enjoyed a productive opening day of their key Rothesay County Championship clash with Sussex at Scarborough, a day lit up by a stunning James Wharton catch in the deep.Sussex, inserted on a green-tinged pitch, were limited to 210 for 9 from 96 overs. James Coles top-scored for them with 47 off 54 balls.New-ball seamer Jack White impressed with 3 for 21 from 17 overs, with the first of his wickets coming courtesy of what was labelled in some quarters as one of the all-time great catches by Wharton running back towards deep square-leg.Yorkshire came into this fixture second-bottom after 10 of 14 matches. They were seven points away from third-bottom and eighth-placed Durham, with Sussex only 21 ahead of the White Rose in fifth.These two counties were promoted from Division Two last summer. Yorkshire beat Sussex here last August. In fact, Sussex have never won a first-class match at North Marine Road. This is their 11th attempt. If Yorkshire’s start is anything to go by, that run may extend.Quite where Wharton’s catch stands on the list of all-time great grabs is difficult to say with certainty. What can be said with certainty, however, is that was a truly outstanding catch. You will struggle to see better at any county venue this season.Tom Haines looked to whip White over the leg-side but skied a chance off a top-edge. Wharton, positioned at a short midwicket, raced back towards deep square-leg and took the catch mid-air having dived full length.That left Sussex at 19 for 1 in the ninth over. From there, Yorkshire took wickets at regular intervals. Sussex reached lunch at 92 for 3 in the 29th over.Australian left-hander Daniel Hughes was the second wicket to fall when bowled by a beauty from White which angled in from around the wicket, straightened and hit the top of off stump with the score on 26.Coles and Tom Alsop steadied the ship, the former actually counter-attacking, including a six over long-on against the offspin of Dom Bess, Yorkshire’s stand-in captain with Jonny Bairstow on paternity leave. Coles fell just before lunch when caught behind against George Hill.A feature of the White Rose bowling performance was how miserly they were. For example, Sussex only scored 57 runs in an afternoon session which saw three more wickets fall – 149 for 6 at the tea break – and then 61 more after tea.White got wicket No. 4 when he had Danial Ibrahim caught at first slip pushing forwards before visiting captain John Simpson feathered behind a drive at Matt Milnes, leaving Sussex at 113 for 5 in the 44th over.Alsop, twice a fifty-maker in last year’s clash, was then the second Sussex batter to fall in the 40s after Coles. The left-hander had exactly 40 when he was bowled through the gate by one angled in from Revis with 129 on the board in the 53rd.More damage was done shortly after tea as Sussex lost three wickets for the addition of run one in eight balls, slipping to 150 for 9.The three wickets fell courtesy of catches at first, second and third slip. Two of them went to Will Sutherland’s seam in the 66th over – Fynn Hudson-Prentice for 23 and Jack Carson for a duck. Henry Crocombe also fell without scoring in the next over to Hill.Sussex were then boosted late on by an impressively watchful 10th-wicket partnership of 60 unbroken between Danny Lamb and Gurinder Sandhu. Both men pulled sixes off seam, Lamb finishing on 40 and Australian Sandhu 24.

The same qualities that brought Jayasuriya criticism when he was a selector have contributed to his success when he was interim coach

Madushka Balasuriya07-Oct-2024Confidence, data-driven insight, and a little bit of luck. These are the core tenets of Sanath Jayasuriya’s coaching philosophy, which have worked well enough for him to be handed the reins of Sri Lanka’s men’s national team, following roughly three months in the role in an interim capacity.Those three months, while not being a runaway success, included a home ODI series win against India, a home Test series win against New Zealand and an impressive Test win in England – yes, they lost the series 2-1, but it was a crucial victory from the WTC point of view. The only real blip was Jayasuriya’s first assignment, a T20I series defeat to reigning world champions India.”What I have always said is that it’s all about confidence and trust. I created that around the team and that’s very important,” Jayasuriya said on Monday, as he faced the media following the announcement of his full-time appointment. “And I think there was a little bit of luck also. You may do a lot of work, but you need that luck sometimes.Related

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“At the same time, the players are determined to do well. They know what they went through over the last couple of years. They were really down and I asked the people to support the Sri Lanka cricketers. They are a good bunch of cricketers and they are talented. Only thing I gave was confidence, and I am there with them. They can talk to me and discuss anything.”That, in a nutshell, is Jayasuriya the coach. Arm around the shoulder, almost parent-like in the handling of his players. While during his time as chief selector, this was one of the criticisms directed at him – that he was at times too comfortable with his players, seen giving them advice and instructions in the lead up to, or even during, matches – now it’s seen as a strength.Jayasuriya has always been all action, with emotions firmly worn on his sleeves. Even during his short stint as interim coach, it was not uncommon to see him standing on the boundary line at the edge of the dugout, no attempt whatsoever at hiding his many emotions.”Yeah, he himself gets nervous sometimes, but he doesn’t let that happen to us,” Angelo Mathews had said recently during Sri Lanka’s second Test against New Zealand.And most times at the highest levels of team sport, it’s not so much about the actual coaching as it is your ability to get the message across effectively to the players. Sri Lanka have had 14 head coaches across their history (not including interim appointments) including some on multiple occasions, but Jayasuriya is only the fourth from Sri Lanka.

“In practice, we try and find different ways to do them [training sessions]. I want to make them interesting. Even before we start training, we’ve done little changes to create a nice atmosphere. So there are little things I do but it goes a long way”Sanath Jayasuriya

While foreign coaches bring a mountain of experience, their communication often relies on a translator, with several anecdotes abound about players over the years having tuned out during team briefings as a result of this language barrier. This, allied with Jayasuriya’s standing as a player , has provided him with a unique authority over the dressing room.”It’s easy for me to communicate first and foremost,” he said. “Any issues they have they can speak with me freely, and it’s easy to sort out. They have the confidence to do that. They also know what sort of cricket I played, so they know the value I bring.”But I have a responsibility as a local coach, I don’t have favourites. I will always play the team that is best for Sri Lanka cricket. I know that after me, it’s unlikely that a local coach will get this role. So there’s a responsibility I have on that end as well.”As for insights into Jayasuriya’s coaching acumen, there is yet to be any real information forthcoming, aside from the results. This is largely down to his role as a man-manager first and foremost, with tactical insights derived from the data gathered by SLC’s centralised hub for advanced cricket analytics – their “brain centre”.”The players also know what sort of cricket I played, so they know the value I bring”•Getty Images”In practice, we try and find different ways to do them [training sessions],” he said. “I want to make them interesting. Even before we start training, we’ve done little changes to create a nice atmosphere. So there are little things I do but it goes a long way.”The basics are very important. And that they enjoy, and that they are focusing [on]. But like I always say, focus maximum and when you finish, switch off. I don’t need to put them under pressure when they are not playing and the game is finished.”A very key area at the moment is the analysing department. That’s why Sri Lanka Cricket has invested a lot of money to the ‘brain centre’. We got some support from India too recently to educate our analysis department. It was very successful. And every tour we get data on the opposition, we go through it and discuss every detail. We then discuss our plans 48 hours before the match, so it’s easy for us to go out and execute our plan.”But while it’s been a satisfying honeymoon period, there are much sterner tests to come. For Jayasuriya, though, as a player, administrator, and now coach, a challenge is something to take head-on.”I think this is [something I] never expected, but I am very happy to achieve this and get this opportunity,” he said. “It’s a challenging job, I know that, it’s not a very easy job. But I want to take on that challenge and move forward with the team.”

India captain says the team had not been prevented from looking closely at the pitches at any other venue in this series

Nagraj Gollapudi30-Jul-20252:40

Gill: Levelling series with a young squad will be a big achievement

India captain Shubman Gill has said it was “absolutely unnecessary” for Lee Fortis, the Surrey head groundsman, to prevent the visitors from having a look at The Oval pitch from close quarters during their training session on Tuesday.Tempers flared when India head coach Gautam Gambhir got into an argument with Fortis, who was concerned by the heavy footfall as well as the presence of training gear on the main square, and reportedly told the Indians that they should view the pitch standing 2.5 metres away from the strip.Gambhir was seen wagging his finger at Fortis and telling him that he was “just a groundsman”.Related

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“What happened yesterday, I thought was just absolutely unnecessary,” Gill, who was not at the venue during the incident, said on the eve of the fifth Test at The Oval. “It’s not the first time that we were having a look at the wicket, we have been there for almost two months. A coach has every right to be able to go close quarters and have a look at the wicket and I didn’t think there was anything wrong with that. I actually don’t know why the curator would not allow us to go have a look at the wicket.”Gill said no curator at the four previous venues in the series – Headingley, Edgbaston, Lord’s and Old Trafford – had imposed restrictions on viewing the pitch or the square.”As long as I remember, we had never got any instructions. As long as you are wearing rubber spikes or [are] barefoot, you can see the wicket from near,” he said. “We have played four matches already in this series, and nobody stopped us from watching the pitch.”All of us have played so much cricket, we have gone to the pitches so many times, including the coaches and captain, I don’t know what the fuss was about.”0:35

Watch – Gambhir’s heated exchange with Surrey groundsman

With India trailing 2-1 in the series heading into the final Test, Gill was asked whether the pressure of a must-win game could have provoked Gambhir’s reaction.”Not really,” Gill said. “If a pitch curator is going to come and ask us to not look at the wicket and look at the wicket from three metres behind, that’s not something that has happened to us before. We’ve been [playing] cricket for such a long time […] That’s the job of the coach and the captain.”Despite there being several heated moments between the teams since the third Test at Lord’s, Gill said relations between England and India remained strong. He said he had “no regrets” at the way he and his team had behaved during the incidents.”The relation is fantastic, but when you are on the field, you are trying to win a game at the end of the day, and both the teams have been very competitive and sometimes when you are competitive in the heat of the moment, you do or say things that you might not do [otherwise],” he said. “But once the match is over, there is mutual respect between both teams.”

Boston Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet will not pitch in the 2025 All-Star Game next week, MLB announced on Friday. He will be replaced with Detroit Tigers pitcher Casey Mize on the American League roster.

Ahead of the Red Sox's matchup against the Tampa Bay Rays from Fenway Park on Friday, the pitcher explained why:

"For me, it’s just looking at my past four years," Crochet said, via of MassLive's Chris Cotillo. "In 2022, I threw zero innings. In ‘23, I threw 13. Last year, I threw 146. And this year I’m on pace for 200. From my standpoint, it makes no sense to make that 201 to throw in a game that doesn’t determine my team’s fate throughout the season.

"It’s a huge honor to be [selected]," he continued. "I threw last year—with it being my first one. If I were to go next year, I would probably throw. But just with the way my continued growth is, and my workload ceiling, I’d rather not add to it."

Crochet also mentioned that Boston's current spot in the AL playoff hunt impacted his decision to forgo the All-Star Game.

Through 19 starts and 120.1 innings pitched this season, Crochet is 9-4 with a 2.39 ERA while leading MLB in strikeouts with 151. His next scheduled start is on Saturday afternoon against the Rays.

Sri Lanka allrounder Dunith Wellalage’s father, Suranga Wellalage, died on Thursday, September 18, the same day that Dunith played in the Asia Cup Group B match against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi.Wellalage, 22, only learned of his father’s death after the match, which Sri Lanka won by six wickets and eight balls remaining to qualify for the Super Four round of the tournament. Soon after the match ended, he left for home.This bereavement casts doubt over Wellalage’s further involvement in the Asia Cup, in which Sri Lanka have at least three more matches to play: against Bangladesh on September 20, Pakistan on September 23, and against India on September 26.Thursday’s Asia Cup match between Sri Lanka and Afghanistan was only Wellalage’s fifth T20I and his first in this tournament. He has played 31 ODIs, with his career best of 5 for 27 coming in the third ODI against India in Colombo in August 2024. He also took 5 for 40 against India in a 2023 Asia Cup match, when the tournament was played in the ODI format. He was the equal-second wicket-taker in that tournament, claiming 10 dismissals at an average of 17.90.

Brandon King’s unbeaten 98 went in vain as Chris Green put down four catches in the chase

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Sep-2025Antigua and Barbuda Falcons 188 for 6 (Gous 85* Wickham 26, Sams 3-29) beat Barbados Royals 187 for 4 (King 98*, Rutherford 29, Irshad 2-13) by four wicketsAntigua and Barbuda Falcons nearly lost grip of the last-ball thriller in Bridgetown with their over-reliance on singles and doubles in a tense chase of 188, but Shamar Springer hit the winning runs for them to strengthen their third spot on the points table. It meant Barbados Royals continued to scrape the bottom without a single victory to their name so far this season, as they failed to defend 187 after Brandon King’s 98 not out.Royals captain Rovman Powell thought they had enough runs at the halfway mark but two Royals fielders went on to drop six catches – Chris Green four and Daniel Sams two – which hampered their chances of getting their first victory. Royals have just one point from six games season, their qualification chances narrowing with every loss.Andries Gous was the leading man for Falcons, starring with an unbeaten 85 off 53 with five fours and four sixes, but he barely got strike in the last over, off which they needed 12. Powell rolled the dice by giving the ball to Sherfane Rutherford, who had last bowled 26 T20s ago, against England in June. Rutherford started with three wides in his first four balls before bowling hard lengths on a straight line. Three off two became two off one when Imad Wasim attempted a second after hacking the ball to long-on but a quick collection of the throw, turning around and hitting the stumps from Quinton de Kock found Imad short. Local boy Springer calmly collected two next ball and sealed Falcons’ first win away from home this season.Chris Green put down four chances•Getty Images

Openers Gous and Amir Jangoo had given Falcons a quick-fire start in the chase by pummeling 38 in the first four before Jangoo was cleaned up by a slower delivery from Sams, and Ramon Simmonds sent back Karima Gore. Green put down two chances off Kevin Wickham in consecutive overs after the powerplay and once again in the 11th one before Wickham was eventually taken by substitute fielder Kofi James at mid-off for 26. Needing 78 from 47 from there at over 9.75 an over, Gous, who had brought up his fifty off 32 balls, anchored the chase while Shakib Al Hasan and Fabian Allen holed out after hitting a few boundaries. Gous belted his fourth six in the 18th over before being dropped next ball by Green to bring it down to 19 from 12 before they sealed victory on the last ball.When Royals were put in to bat, they crawled their way to 31 for 0 in the powerplay before King took off with boundaries in every over till the halfway mark. De Kock tried to replicate it – and succeeded to an extent – but was run-out for a scratchy 27 off 28. King then took on Shakib and Imad before smashing Jayden Seales for three sixes in an over to reach 94 off 58 after 16. He faced only seven off the last 24 balls and scored only four of those as Salman Irshad sent down skiddy deliveries to rattle the stumps of Powell and Rassie van der Dussen and Falcons managed just 38 off the last four.

While Chelsea made plenty of good signings in the summer, it would be fair to say that they’ve had mixed starts to life in West London.

Joao Pedro, for example, might have slowed down a little in recent weeks, but has already amassed an impressive tally of seven goal involvements.

On the other hand, Jamie Gittens has largely struggled this season and looks quite some distance off being good enough to start week in week out.

Someone who falls somewhere in the middle is Liam Delap, but if he doesn’t start performing soon, one of Cobham’s most exciting prospects could eventually take the nine shirt off his back.

Delap's start at Chelsea

When Chelsea were the ones to secure Delap’s services for around £30m in the summer, there was an understandable level of excitement from the fans.

After all, here was a young, physically imposing centre-forward who, in his first proper season of top-flight football, had just scored 12 goals and provided two assists in 37 appearances for a poor Ipswich Town side.

Expectations remained high at the Club World Cup as the former Manchester City academy ace provided an assist against LAFC and scored his first Chelsea goal against Esperance.

However, it would be fair to say that, so far, those expectations have not been met this season, as in six games, totalling 227 minutes, the 22-year-old has failed to score a goal or provide an assist.

Now, he was unfortunate to pick up a hamstring injury in the game against Fulham, but in the other games he has appeared in, he has not looked particularly threatening.

Moreover, upon his return from injury against Wolverhampton Wanderers, he stupidly got himself sent off, picking up two yellow cards in the space of 22 minutes.

With all that said, there is still plenty of time for Delap to turn things around and make this season a successful one.

However, should he continue to underwhelm, he could eventually see one of Cobham’s most exciting prospects take the nine shirt from him.

The Cobham gem who could replace Delap

When it comes to producing Premier League-quality prospects, few academies can truly rival Chelsea’s Cobham.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

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There are, once again, several youngsters in the setup who could see themselves become first-team regulars over the coming seasons, and the one who could rival Delap for the number nine shirt is Chizaram Ezenwata.

The 17-year-old gem joined the Blues from Charlton Athletic in October 2023 and has established himself as one of the most dangerous attackers in the academy.

For example, in just eight appearances this season, totalling 641 minutes, the Bexley-born marksman has already scored seven goals and provided one assist, which comes out to a goal involvement every game, or every 80.12 minutes.

The youngster isn’t just on a hot streak either; in 20 appearances last season, totalling 1,279 minutes, he managed to score 12 goals and provide three assists, which works out to an average of a goal or assist every 1.33 games, or every 91.93 minutes.

Ezenwata’s U18 record

Appearances

26

Minutes

1913′

Goals

19

Assists

4

Goal Involvements per Match

0.88

Minutes per Goal Involvement

83.17′

All Stats via Transfermarkt

With numbers like that, it is easy to understand why U23 scout Antonio Mango has told Chelsea fans to “get excited” about his development, and why Como scout Felix Johnston has described him as someone who “lives and breathes goals.”

The young poacher isn’t just making his mark at club level either.

For example, in seven appearances for England’s u17s he scored five goals, and in five appearances for the u18s, he has already scored twice.

Ultimately, Ezenwata is unlikely to challenge Delap for a place in the team this season, but if the former Ipswich man does not improve soon, next year could be a different story entirely.

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Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 11, 2025

Tottenham manager Thomas Frank is being made to sweat over the fitness of one Spurs star ahead of their vital North London derby clash with Arsenal.

Frank’s side are desperately seeking to end their dismal run against Arsenal and salvage pride in one of English football’s most intense rivalries.

Tottenham have lost seven of the last nine North London derbies, and it’s been 14 years since the Lilywhites last won away to Arsenal in the Premier League. These shocking statistics hang heavy over Frank, who’s faced criticism for Spurs’ lack of creativity in open play this season.

Spurs are also faced with the mountainous task of breaking down a water-tight Arsenal backline which boasts the most superior defensive record in Europe’s top five leagues.

Mikel Arteta’s title chasers went on an historic eight-game run without conceding a single goal before their 2-2 draw with Sunderland, so you could hardly ask for a worse time to come up against Arsenal, who also splashed nearly £270 million on a plethora of new stars in the summer transfer window.

In 65 league visits to Arsenal, Spurs have won only twice, with their rivals triumphing 26 times. Even more concerning, Tottenham have failed to keep a clean sheet in a staggering 25 consecutive Premier League games away to the Gunners, a record that stretches back over a decade, and Arsenal have won 84 matches in the all-time head-to-head compared to Spurs’ 61.

Make no mistake, Arsenal dominate the derby, but there’s real encouragement to be found in Spurs’ overall away record this season.

An excellent run of four wins, one draw and zero defeats outside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has catapulted them to top of the away form table with an average of 2.60 points per game, though Frank will be hoping as many players as possible will be back in contention after a mini-injury crisis.

No other top-flight has more men out of action right now, with as many as 11 sidelined.

Star winger Mohammed Kudus missed Spurs’ 2-2 draw with Man United and their 4-0 win over Copenhagen with a knock, with the Ghanaian also not called up for his national team’s friendlies against Japan and South Korea. Meanwhile, striker Dominic Solanke is “unlikely” to feature against Arsenal amid his slow recovery from what was once deemed a ‘minor’ ankle problem.

It remains to be seen how long Randal Kolo Muani will be out for too, after he fractured his jaw against United.

Frank sweating over Lucas Bergvall ahead of North London derby after injury setback

There is also the matter of young midfielder Lucas Bergvall, who’s been missing since their 1-0 defeat to Chelsea due to a concussion.

The 19-year-old was sent home from international duty earlier this week after initially being included in Graham Potter’s first ever Sweden squad, with national team official Stefan Pettersson now revealing he was withdrawn due to a ‘setback during training’.

Pettersson, speaking to the media, says they didn’t hesitate sending Bergvall back to N17 after a “reaction” to testing.

The teenager has been a revelation ever since arriving at Tottenham in an £8.5 million deal from Djurgardens.

Bergvall’s managed 60 total appearances for the club already, enjoying a fantastic September with successive Player of the Match awards and his first Premier League goal for the club against West Ham.

Frank’s preferred midfield partnership of Rodrigo Bentancur and Joao Palhinha has largely kept Bergvall out of the starting eleven recently, but the tactician will be hoping that he can upon his fellow Scandinavian from the bench for their all-important clash on enemy turf.

Manchester United’s 2024/25 campaign handed Ruben Amorim and the hierarchy a huge task of winning the fanbase over ahead of the ongoing season.

The Red Devils’ 15th-place finish in the Premier League was nothing short of an embarrassment, with such a standing the club’s lowest since the division’s formation back in 1992.

The Europa League gave the manager a chance to redeem himself, but such a competition brought about more misery – losing the final in Bilbao to fellow English strugglers Tottenham Hotspur.

Despite all the failures of Amorim’s debut year at Old Trafford, the hierarchy decided to stick with the 40-year-old for 2025/26 – even handing him over £200m worth of funds to improve the first-team squad.

However, further embarrassing defeats against League Two side Grimsby Town in the Carabao Cup once again led to rumours over the manager’s long-term future in the role.

He’s since managed to win three league games in a row for the first time in his tenure, with some of his tactical tweaks finally starting to take effect 12 months on from his appointment.

The impact of Bruno & Mbeumo in Amorim’s system at United

Despite United struggling massively last season, it didn’t stop club captain Bruno Fernandes from impressing and producing some astonishing numbers in the final third.

The 31-year-old ended 2024/25 on a combined 37 goals and assists, by far and away the highest tally of any player in the squad – with his efforts saving the club from a relegation battle.

However, after the recent summer spending spree, the Portuguese international has been forced to operate in a deep-lying central midfield role – but it hasn’t taken away from his incredible ability in attacking areas.

Bruno currently sits on a total of four goal contributions, but his underlying stats highlight the bearing he is still having on creating carnage for the opposition.

In the recent Premier League outing against Nottingham Forest, he registered a total of four chances created – the most of any player on the pitch at the City Ground.

Bruno has also created the most chances of any player in the first-team squad this campaign, with his average of 2.8 per 90 ranking him in the top 3% of all players in the division.

Most of his opportunities have fallen the way of Bryan Mbeumo, with the 26-year-old tasked with the responsibility of transforming the club’s lack of quality in the final third.

The Cameroonian cost a whopping £71m including add-ons from Brentford, but has already made an immediate impact despite the pressure of the price tag looming over him.

He’s scored four times in his first ten outings for the Red Devils, but like Bruno, his underlying figures are the ones that greatly highlight his impact in the Premier League during 2025/26.

Mbeumo’s total of 1.4 shots on target per 90 ranks him in the top 4% of all players in the division, undoubtedly contributing to his impressive goalscoring tally.

He also ranks in the top 4% for crosses completed and the top 10% for successful dribbles – further reaffirming how he’s helped transform the club’s ability to impress in front of goal.

The United star who’s becoming the best in the world

The impact of Bruno and Mbeumo in the final third simply can’t be understated, with the duo playing a key role in United’s recent revival under Amorim this season.

The pair have played a key role in the majority of the club’s goals in the Premier League this campaign, with such a situation night and day from the previous year.

Amorim’s men have already netted 17 league goals in just 10 outings to date, which is already 45% of the efforts registered during the embarrassing 2024/25 campaign.

Such an investment has already been worthwhile, which has certainly set the first team on the right trajectory for success if they can sustain such levels in the years ahead.

As for the defensive department, they have often come under fire for their lack of quality – with the majority of which being directed to goalkeeper Andre Onana.

However, the centre-backs in front of the shot-stopper didn’t cover themselves in glory, resulting in the Red Devils conceding 44 times in just 38 matches.

The hierarchy backed Amorim in the summer, as previously mentioned, even landing a new goalkeeper in the form of Senne Lammens from Belgian outfit Royal Antwerp.

The 23-year-old cost a fee in the region of £18m during the recent window, subsequently being an investment for the immediate and long-term future at Old Trafford.

His arrival has brought a newfound sense of confidence in the defensive department, already keeping a clean sheet and only conceding five times in his four senior outings for the Red Devils.

Amorim’s men currently remain unbeaten during the youngster’s spell in the first-team, which is no coincidence given the struggles of those who have filled the void before him.

His stats from the early stages of his career at Old Trafford no doubt highlight his impressive start to life in England, which has seen the side rise up England’s top-flight.

Games played

4

Minutes played

360

Saves made

12

Goals prevented

0.4

Goals conceded

5

Clean sheets

1

High claims

5

Passes completed

48

Lammens has achieved a 71% save percentage to date, whilst making three saves per 90 – tallies which have certainly prevented the side in numerous key moments.

He’s also achieved a goals prevented xG of 0.38, ranking him in the top 8% of all ‘keepers in the league – which has led to one analyst tipping him to become one of the “best in the world”.

The Belgian’s ability to quickly transition the play has also aided Mbeumo and Bruno, with his tally of 8.8 accurate long balls per 90 able to quickly start a counterattack for Amorim’s men.

Given his tender age, it’s certainly frightening how exciting Lammens could be at United, with the 23-year-old able to fill the void between the sticks for at least the next decade.

Should he carry on his current path under Amorim, there’s no reason as to why he can’t play a vital role in any success endured by the Red Devils in the near future.

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And has anyone scored more runs than Harry Brook against one country while striking above 100?

Steven Lynch17-Dec-2024I heard that Steve Smith scored his 15th century against India in Brisbane. Was this a record? asked Vijay Bedade from India

Steve Smith’s 101 in the third Test in Brisbane at the weekend was his 15th century against India in all three international formats (his tenth in Tests, to go with five in ODIs). That’s the most by anyone against India: Ricky Ponting made 14, and Joe Root currently has 13.The overall record is held by Sachin Tendulkar, who made no fewer than 20 international centuries against Australia – 11 in Tests and nine in ODIs – while Don Bradman made 19 against England, all in Tests (and in 37 matches, compared to Tendulkar’s 110).Virat Kohli currently has 17 centuries against Australia, while Tendulkar made 17 against Sri Lanka. Kohli also has 15 international hundreds against Sri Lanka.Harry Brook went past 2000 runs during his century in the first Test in New Zealand. It was his 36th innings – was this a record, for anyone or maybe just for England? asked Dominic Sampson from England

Harry Brook surged past 2000 runs during his 171 in the first Test against New Zealand in Christchurch last month. It was his 36th innings, putting him level with three other batters: the West Indians Everton Weekes and Frank Worrell, and Australia’s Arthur Morris.But there are seven men who reached 2000 Test runs in fewer innings. Brian Lara (West Indies) and Doug Walters (Australia) got there in 35, Marnus Labuschagne (Australia) in 34, Michael Hussey (Australia) and Herbert Sutcliffe (the only England player quicker than Brook) in 33, and George Headley (West Indies) in 32. But way clear at the top is that man again – Don Bradman needed just 22 innings to reach 2000 Test runs for Australia.Amir Jangoo scored a century in his first ODI the other day. How many people have done this for West Indies? asked Conrad Patterson from Barbados

The Trinidad & Tobago wicketkeeper-batter Amir Jangoo, who’s 27, hit an unbeaten 104 in his first one-day international, against Bangladesh in St Kitts last week. He’s in rarefied company for West Indies: the only other man to score a century on debut in ODIs for them was Desmond Haynes, with 148 against Australia in Antigua in February 1978.Haynes was the second man overall to score a debut hundred in ODIs, after Dennis Amiss for England against Australia at Old Trafford in August 1972. In all, 18 men have now achieved the feat. Jangoo was the second to do it in 2024, after Michael English for Scotland against Namibia in Dundee in July.Harry Brook is the only batter to have scored more than 400 runs against a single opposition while striking at above 100•Getty ImagesAfter Harry Brook’s century in the first Test against New Zealand, I noticed he had scored 500 runs against the Kiwis off only 495 balls, thus giving him a strike rate of over 100. Does anyone else have more runs against a single opponent at over 100? asked Alan Green from Northern Ireland

The short answer is no – among batters for whom we have full ball-by-ball information, no one has scored more than 400 runs against a single country at a strike rate above 100. Before the start of the third Test, Harry Brook led the way with 678 runs against New Zealand from 671 balls, a strike rate of 101.04 runs per 100. He’s also in fifth place on this particular list, with 841 runs from 907 balls against Pakistan, a strike rate of 92.72.Currently second behind Brook is India’s Virender Sehwag, whose 1239 runs against Sri Lanka came from 1241 balls, a strike rate of 99.83. Before the third Test in New Zealand, Tim Southee had biffed 619 runs against England from 623 balls (99.35), while Shahid Afridi’s 709 runs for Pakistan against India came from 729 balls, at a rate of 97.25 per 100. For the list, click here. Note that an asterisk in the strike-rate column means we don’t have full details for all the player’s innings, so these should be discounted as they are likely to be inaccurate. It’s also possible (but slightly unlikely) that we are unaware of someone else with better figures.What are the highest tenth-wicket partnerships involving an opener and a No. 11 in Tests and first-class cricket? asked Nirmal Mendis from Sri Lanka

The highest tenth-wicket partnership in first-class cricket between an opener and the No. 11 in the innings in question is 214, by Nick Knight (255 not out) and Alan Richardson (91) for Warwickshire against Hampshire at Edgbaston in May 2002. Wisden called the partnership “astonishing” and “prodigious”, mainly because Richardson had scored only 82 runs in his previous 31 first-class innings, and reached double figures just twice. They took the score from 258 for 9 to 472 all out.By coincidence, the record they broke was also set at Edgbaston, 20 years previously in May 1982, when Geoff Boycott (79) and Graham Stevenson (115 not out) put on 149 for Yorkshire’s last wicket against Warwickshire. The record in Tests is 94, by Sunil Gavaskar (166 not out) and Shivlal Yadav (41) for India against Australia in Adelaide in December 1985.Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions