MLB's hot stove heated up on Tuesday night, as the Orioles announced they had completed a trade with the Angels, sending starting pitcher Grayson Rodriguez to Los Angeles in exchange for slugging outfielder Taylor Ward. On the surface, it appears that both teams benefit from this unique one-for-one deal.

Let‘s take a deeper dive and examine how both the Angels and Orioles fared.

Los Angeles Angels: B+

Rodriguez, the No. 11 overall pick in the 2018 draft, hasn't pitched since July of 2024, as he missed a chunk of time with a lat strain and tightness in his throwing shoulder, then missed the entire 2025 campaign after undergoing debridement surgery on his right elbow to remove bone spurs. So there's legitimate injury concern here.

However, when healthy, Rodriguez has shown the promise that once made him a tantalizing pitcher to scouts. Before his '24 season was cut short due to injury, Rodriguez was enjoying a career year, with a 3.86 ERA, a 1.24 WHIP and 130 strikeouts in 116 2/3 innings pitched. Rodriguez‘s 30.0% whiff rate ranked in the 82nd percentile and his 13.6% swinging strike rate ranked 11th among all starters during the span of his 20 starts in '24.

With a mid-to-upper 90s fastball and a changeup-slider-curveball mix of breakers, he certainly has the tools to take the next step. Plus, with lefty Tyler Anderson a free agent and righthander Kyle Hendricks announcing his retirement, the Angels needed a starter. Ward, a high-power, high-strikeout corner outfielder, had a somewhat redundant skillset with the similarly-skilled Jo Adell already entrenched at one corner outfield spot. That Los Angeles could acquire a high-upside arm such as Rodriguez, who is under contract through 2029, at the expense of their surplus of outfielders has to be considered a win for the Angels front office in the event that the 26-year-old can stay healthy.

Baltimore Orioles: C+

Ward enjoyed the best season of his career in 2025, as he posted career-highs in home runs (36) and RBI (103) in a career-best 157 games played for the Angels. The Dayton, Ohio, native was one of the best in the business at squaring up a baseball in '25, as he ranked among the top-30 sluggers in barrel rate.

The righty-hitting Ward brings some added pop and much-needed balance to the Orioles‘s lefty-heavy lineup, which posted a .661 OPS against southpaws, 22nd in MLB. It's certainly fair to wonder if Ward, who will turn 32 in December, will be able to keep up this level of production into his mid-30s, but the Orioles are certainly betting that the late-blooming outfielder will do just that.

There's no doubt that it's a potentially risky gambit. Rodriguez, a former first-round pick, showed signs of a breakout during the 2024 season, but had the promising campaign cut short due to injury, then missed the entire '25 campaign after undergoing surgery. There's a vacancy in center field, but the Orioles‘s outfield of Colton Cowser, Tyler O'Neill, Ward and top-100 prospect Dylan Beavers should be among MLB's best. But this move will be a bit of a head-scratcher if the Orioles don't add a starting pitcher or two in free agency to make up for the absence of Rodriguez.

There was a moment after the final whistle that typified Everton’s performance at Old Trafford.

A bloody-nosed Jake O’Brien stood, breathless, beside the centre circle, and David Moyes darted about with raw and passionate joy, congratulating his players after their 1-0 win over Manchester United.

It was a tenacious and draining display, the kind that Toffees fans love, that steeliness of spirit that is so typical of the Merseyside club.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall was all passion when he wheeled away in celebration after a sweet finish into the corner before half an hour had been clocked. His weak-footed wonder would prove the match-winning strike.

However, the highly-charged emotions were two-fold, and Idrissa Gueye found himself dismissed before that point, having been adjudged to have slapped none other than teammate Michael Keane.

Everton's enthralling response to Gueye's red card

It looked set to be a long and gruelling evening for Everton after Gueye was dismissed in the first half following an altercation with his own pal Keane.

The dismissal was harsh, but the spat between the two Blues was needless. Gueye will miss Everton’s next three matches due to violent conduct, and he will leave for a sojourn at the African Cup of Nations after the new year.

Even so, Everton responded with the kind of vim and vigour Moyes craves. This was a herculean performance, the visitors leaving the Theatre of Dreams, having willed their way past Ruben Amorim’s lagging side.

Dewsbury-Hall was the man of the moment but Jordan Pickford’s imperious goalkeeping helped matters, for sure.

But, this was a massive collective effort, Dewsbury-Hall the goal-getter but flanked by hard-working Jack Grealish and Iliman Ndiaye, supported by a determined Keane and commanding captain James Tarkowski.

One man trudged off the field during the closing stages having failed an individual objective, but then this Marouane Fellaini-esque Everton star also showed so much promise against a Red Devils backline who struggled to contain him.

Moyes's new Marouane Fellaini

It’s been a testing start to life in Liverpool for Thierno Barry after his £27m move to Everton from Villarreal this summer, but he’s probably put in the best performance of his campaign so far against Manchester United’s backline.

The centre-forward was hailed by one scout for being “very close to clicking”, with his energy and enthusiasm offering shades of Fellaini, who became the most expensive Belgian of all time when joining Everton for £15m (their club-record buy) from Standard Liege in 2008.

It took time and experimentation for Fellaini to find his feet, but once he did, he became a monstrous box-to-box force at Goodison Park, and Barry must take a leaf from the retired star’s book and continue to knuckle down with a continuation of performances like this one at Old Trafford.

Fellaini featured 193 times under Moyes’ wing across stints at Everton and Man United, making him the 14th-highest appearance maker in the Scotsman’s managerial history.

Everton

177

33 + 24

Man United

177

22 + 10

Shandong

141

50 + 14

Standed Liege

84

12 + 7

Barry won’t likely play as many matches in the veteran coach’s system, but that’s not to say the summer recruit cannot forge a long and prosperous career for himself on Merseyside, carrying Moyes’ schoolings right through that Everton career.

He didn’t score against Man United, but the 23-year-old was full of life and bustle, with Sofascore recording that he won 14 aerial battles on the evening. That’s the highest amount of any player in the Premier League this season across a single contest.

Moreover, Barry made three ball recoveries, two clearances and provided an outlet all evening, taking a stride forward toward cementing his place at the front of the ship, even though he hasn’t yet broken his duck.

The Liverpool Echo handed the French striker a 7/10 match rating, but the truth is that he might have enjoyed a higher score after such a battle-ready performance, never easing against United’s centre-halves while demonstrating slick movement throughout.

Moyes went ballistic when Beto squandered possession late on, brought on in the closing stages for freshness and physicality. The established number nine has done his chances a lot of harm this season, and Barry is beginning to show that he has what it takes to nail down a regular starting spot in this system.

This striker is full of potential. He didn’t actually manage a shot at Old Trafford, but impressed nonetheless.

The goals will come. He’s talented and willing to learn. Bonus: there’s something almost Fellaini-esque about his aerial prowess and willingness to get stuck in. Moyes will be delighted.

0 minutes all season: "Generational" Everton star could be Branthwaite 2.0

David Moyes must consider unleashing this talented Everton youngster in the coming weeks.

ByAngus Sinclair Nov 7, 2025

Tottenham Hotspur have been something of a mixed bag this season, but at least the Londoners are well set for a prolonged period of success, having recruited a range of exciting young talents over the past few years.

While there are many teenage talents waiting in the wings, Thomas Frank and Ange Postecoglou before him have succeeded in integrating youth, with the average age of Tottenham’s starting 11 in the Premier League this season 25.2, as opposed to a 27-year-old average during the 2022/23 campaign.

Who could be a better purveyor of this new focus than Micky van de Ven? The 24-year-old has increasingly become a talismanic force for the Lilywhites.

How Van de Ven is becoming the main man at Spurs

Van de Ven isn’t quite a spring chicken, having racked up 51 Premier League appearances, but he’s still well before his prime as a centre-back, and he’s still emerging as a superstar for Tottenham.

The Dutch defender has been described as “world-class” by journalist Sonny Snelling, with his remarkable blend of athletic power and position-bending pace making him a force to be reckoned with.

It is crucial that Tottenham keep him in their ranks over the coming years, with few players more influential than him in the Premier League. It would be difficult for Spurs to sign an even better star to strengthen their backline, after all. Certainly, it would be difficult to find someone capable of mimicking the former Wolfsburg player’s dynamic skills.

Of course, Tottenham’s prudence and promotion of their academy talent has seen them land such a player already.

Spurs have signed a bigger talent than Van de Ven

Van de Ven is a unique profile, but then Tottenham have also signed a singular talent in Luka Vuskovic, with the 18-year-old bearing the skillset to become one of the Premier League’s finest.

Hailed as a “freak talent” and a “freak athlete” for his physical profile by analyst Ben Mattinson, Vuskovic is currently plying his trade out on loan in Germany with Hamburger SV, with Spurs having wrapped up a deal for the youngster in 2023, yet to integrate him into the senior set-up.

While there is much work still to be done, the Croatian prospect has only increased the hype across his first few months in the Bundesliga, having established himself as a core part of Hamburg’s defence, who are 13th after ten matches.

Looking at how the teenager compares with Van de Ven this season, it’s easy to see why there is so much chatter around his name. You might even say Van de Ven is being outperformed by the younger man.

Translation from the Bundesliga to the Premier League can prove a hard task, but Vuskovic certainly has what it takes, and his physical attributes are only going to develop further over the coming years.

With this in mind, we might consider the 6 foot 4 teenager to have what it takes to become Tottenham’s leader at the rear, ahead of Van de Ven, ahead of Cristian Romero.

In fact, WhoScored believe that Vuskovic’s performances have been so impressive that he gets into the European Team of the Season so far, higher-rated, in fact, than Arsenal’s Gabriel Magalhaes beside him.

Not just a warrior at the back, in the words of U23 scout Antonio Mango, much like Van de Ven, he is “turning into a goal machine” having netted seven goals on loan at Belgian side KVC Westerlo in 2024/25.

Though Vuskovic still has some developing to do, there’s no question that he’s a potential superstar, and if he does come to partner the Dutchman down the line, he might even outstrip him.

Spurs have their new Parrott in academy star who's been "compared to Kane"

This Tottenham Hotspur youngster could be a future star in North London despite his struggles this season.

By
Dan Emery

Nov 20, 2025

One of the best times of the summer as a New York sports fan is when we get to watch the Subway Series between the Yankees and Mets. The two teams will play two games in Citi Field this week and then will meet at Yankee Stadium for a two-game set in late July.

Tonight will be the first meeting between these two New York teams this season and it promises to be a fun one. If you want to bet on the game, you've come to the right place.

It's time to dive into everything you need to know to bet on the first edition of the 2024 Subway Series.

Yankees vs. Mets Odds, Run Line, and Total

Run line:

• Yankees -1.5 (+115)
• Mets +1.5 (-138)

Moneyline:

• Yankees -142
• Mets +120

Total:

• 8.5 (Over -105/Under -115)

Yankees vs. Mets Probable Pitchers

• Yankees: Gerrit Cole (0-0, 4.50 ERA)
• Mets: David Peterson (3-0, 3.97 ERA)

Yankees vs. Mets How to Watch

• Date: Tuesday, June 25
• Time: 7:10 p.m. EST
• Venue: Citi Field
• How to watch (TV): YES, SNY, TBS (out-of-market only)
• Yankees record: 52-28
• Mets record: 37-39

Yankees vs. Mets Key Players to Watch

New York Yankees

Gerrit Cole: The Yankees' ace made his first start of 2024 last week, pitching 4.0 innings against the Baltimore Orioles. He gave up three hits, one walk, and two earned runs in that start, totaling 62 pitches. It will be interesting to see how he fares tonight but I expect he'll need a few starts before he starts pitching at an elite level again.

New York Mets

Francisco Lindor: Francisco Lindor has quietly been one of the better players in the Majors this season, and his offensive numbers have started to skyrocket over the past month. He has an OPS of /875 in the month of June with a WAR of +2.3 on the season. He's the most impactful player in this Mets lineup.

Yankees vs. Mets Prediction and Pick

In today's edition of Walk-Off Wagers, I broke down why betting on the Mets as underdogs in tonight's Subway Series is one of my favorite plays of the day:

Likely to be a World Cup back-up, his approach is nevertheless exactly what his side needs

Matt Roller30-Sep-2022There is a fine line between selflessness and recklessness for attacking opening batters in T20 cricket. It is a line that Phil Salt treads every time he walks out to bat, chewing gum with his untucked shirt hanging loose.When things are clicking, life is good. The new ball flies through the infield and into the rope and you are the obvious hero, putting the team above yourself as the gunslinger without an ego. When you are out of nick, you become a magnet for criticism: for some judges, there is no greater crime than getting out while playing an attacking shot, even in a game predicated on them.Salt’s tour to Pakistan started with a grim run of form: 59 runs in five innings, including scores of 8 and 3 in England’s two most recent defeats to go 3-2 down in the series. In the circumstances, and chasing a middling total of 170, it would have been easy to put himself first, giving himself a few balls to find his rhythm – not least with a T20 World Cup looming.Related

• Pakistan and England set for knockout flavour ahead of T20 World Cup

• Moeen Ali: Liam Livingstone likely to be 'undercooked' for T20 World Cup following ankle injury

• Cool-headed Jamal has something different to offer this Pakistan side

• Salt's 88 not out powers England to series-squaring victory

But Salt is part of England’s new generation of ultra-attacking batters who see things very different. “The way I play is aggressive and I want to win as many games as possible while I’m in an England shirt,” he said. “It’s very simple: we want to go out there, be on the front foot and put teams on the back foot.”The eye-watering cost of the presidential-style security that ensures international teams’ safety in Pakistan means that the PCB have little choice but to take up every commercial opportunity that presents itself: just in front of the perimeter fences at Gaddafi Stadium there are two model petrol pumps, with jumbo-sized cans of motor oil next to them.Salt may as well have wandered over to them at the interval, knocked two gallons back and slid the gearstick into fifth: he slashed the first ball of the chase away for four, out of short third’s reach, then whipped the third through mid-on. He crashed his sixth through mid-off, then smeared his seventh over fine leg.By the end of the fifth over, England had already posted their second-highest powerplay total ever and had effectively won the game. ESPNcricinfo’s forecaster saw the game as something close to a coin toss at the interval, giving England a 53.6% chance of winning; at 74 for 1 off five overs, that figure had jumped to 90.9%.He reached 50 off 19 balls, the third-fastest England T20I half-century. “We killed the game off straightaway,” Moeen Ali said. It was T20 cricket stripped back to its simplest form. “They just attacked us,” Shaun Tait, Pakistan’s bowling coach, said. “Every ball, they tried to hit a boundary.”Pakistan have used Mohammad Nawaz in the powerplay throughout this series, not least because Salt has historically struggled against left-arm spin. He has looked to address that weakness by spending winters in Asia – including at the PSL with Lahore Qalandars – but rather than getting off strike, he has looked to attack Nawaz.On Friday night, he scored 32 runs off the 15 balls he faced from the spinner, treating him with utter disdain as he cleared his front leg and swung for the hills. He was just as destructive against the seamers, with the wet ball skidding on under lights.Salt has been a leg-side cowboy for most of his career, pulling off the hip and dragging balls through midwicket, but has started to open up the off side much more, cracking full balls over mid-off and lofting wide ones over extra cover. He is strong down the ground too: his straight six off Nawaz was the shot of the night.He finished unbeaten on 88 off 41 balls, more than he had managed in seven PSL innings in Lahore earlier this year. He walked off with a strike rate of 214.63 despite have slowed down once any sense of jeopardy had been sucked out of the game and the finish line approached.In all probability, Salt will start the T20 World Cup on the bench. Alex Hales has not entirely convinced on his return but was quick out of the blocks himself with 27 off 12 balls, showing the same selfless streak as his obvious rival to be Jos Buttler’s opening partner. After making such a big call in bringing Hales back into the fold, it seems implausible that England’s management will overlook his sublime record in Australia.If so, Salt will be the ideal spare batter: in the early stages of his T20I career he has scored half-centuries from No. 1 and No. 6, he is a good outfielder and has proved himself as a back-up wicketkeeper on this tour. More than anything, he buys into England’s philosophy: attack first, worry later.

The MLB hot stove continues this offseason with another mid-week trade. On Wednesday night, the Astros sent infielder Mauricio Dubón to the Braves in exchange for fellow infielder Nick Allen. Dubón won his second Gold Glove award this season, whlie Allen was a finalist for the award for the first time in his career.

Dubón spent the last three and a half seasons in Houston. He helped the team win the 2022 World Series, then he earned his first Gold Glove award in ‘23. He typically splits his time between second base and shortstop, but he also has made an appearance in every defensive position apart from pitcher and catcher. He’ll become a strong utility player in Atlanta.

This past season, Dubón averaged .241/.289/.355 with 89 hits, seven home runs, 43 runs and 33 RBIs. He also produced a 1.7 dWAR to help him earn his Gold Glove.

Allen spent just one season with the Braves after he was traded there from the Athletics. He averaged .221/.284/.251 in 135 games he appeared in this past season. At shortstop, he was named a finalist for the Gold Glove.

This trade came shortly after Braves signed pitcher Raisel Iglesias to a one-year, $16 million contract to return to Atlanta for a fourth season.

On paper, this trade appears to be pretty equal—we’ll see how it turns out for both the Braves and the Astros in the 2026 season.

Twelve games in, have the pitches and conditions been as teams and fans have expected them to be?

Aakash Chopra02-Oct-2020When the IPL moved to the UAE, the general perception was that there would be a certain sameness in the conditions across the three grounds. Of course, the games at Sharjah were always expected to be high-scoring, and perhaps that’s why the organisers ensured that all the teams will play the same number of matches there. But setting the short boundaries in Sharjah aside, the pitches at the three venues have presented radically different kinds of challenges for batsmen and bowlers, and that’s likely to change further as the tournament moves forward.Dubai
The pitches at the Dubai International Stadium for the first couple of games had tufts of grass, which meant not only that the ball darted around a little after pitching but also had variable bounce. The long, forced hiatus must have had an impact on the pitches too. The general consensus among players and curators is that cricket pitches need a certain amount of regular activity to ensure they behave well. Too much or too little action leads to some uncertainty with regard to pitch behaviour.ALSO READ: How will teams’ strategies change because the IPL is being played in the UAE?So it wasn’t surprising to see bowlers, especially the faster ones, having a bigger say in the first few games. The assistance on offer for the bowlers also forced batsmen to choose caution over aggression before getting set, for the ones who didn’t respect the conditions perished quickly.The dimensions of the ground have further accentuated the slight dominance of the bowlers. But one thing that went against the teams fielding second was the presence of dew. At this time of year there’s a significant difference between day and night temperatures in the UAE, and so dew is a factor. Every captain who has won the toss here has chosen to field first – for who wants to bowl with a bar of soap? Still, while it’s tough to bowl with a wet ball, the help for bowlers on the surface, coupled with the huge boundaries, has negated the disadvantages of bowling with the wet ball somewhat.In a T20 game, if there’s any assistance in the pitch for the bowlers – which is unlikely to dissipate over the course of the game – it’s always better to bat first. That way, you have enough time to make up for a few quiet overs later in the innings. And don’t forget that it’s the IPL, not international cricket, and every team will invariably have a weak link in the bowling department that you can go after. On the contrary, while batting second, your approach is predetermined by the scoreboard, and every quiet over adds an extra bit of pressure. Having said that, it must be said that the pitches in Dubai have already started to look a lot browner.Unlike most stadiums in the world, this one has a ring of lights mounted along the rim of the roof. While the placement of the lights ensures that no long shadows are cast on the ground – it’s like noon all the time – it creates blind spots for fielders when the ball goes high. Over the years, cricketers have figured out a way to create angles, whenever they can, to avoid looking into the floodlight banks, for it’s almost impossible to catch the ball while looking directly into such strong light sources. But here there’s no way you can create an angle to avoid the light, for you’ll have two blind spots for nearly all skied balls – the first when the ball is on its way up and the second when it descends. It does create a slightly different depth perception as compared to what players are used to over the years. No wonder the dropped-catch percentages at this venue are a little alarming.Sharjah
A flat pitch without a blade of grass, and a really small ground. One assumed that like the ones at Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the curator at Sharjah would also start off leaving some grass on the surface, but that wasn’t the case. Perhaps the smaller number of matches to be played here, and the somewhat longer breaks between games, have allowed the curator to prepare a pitch befitting the legacy of this iconic stadium.Sharjah is the only ground where you’d want to field first almost every time you win the toss, for it’s a lot closer to what we get at the Chinnaswamy and Wankhede stadiums back in India. The presence of dew makes it even tougher for teams defending even big targets.ALSO READ: What is the template for a successful chase in the IPL?A number of people are of the opinion that we are seeing more sixes as compared to the past because the boundary ropes have been brought in significantly, but that’s not the case. A vast majority of sixes are either reaching the stands or going outside the ground, which means that a few extra yards wouldn’t have made a big difference to the final tally.Besides the flat surface and the short boundaries, two factors play an important role: On smaller grounds, modern batsmen tend to go aerial with a lot more confidence and that’s why the average six distance is greater at smaller grounds. That and the improvement in the quality of bats. One can only fantasise about how many sixes the likes of Kapil Dev would have hit at this venue if he had a modern bat in his hands.Abu Dhabi
The track at Abu Dhabi for the first game was close to what we have come to expect from tracks in the UAE. While the pitch wasn’t a tough one to bat on, it wasn’t as flat as the ones you will find at some Indian venues either. The ground at Abu Dhabi is as big as the one in Dubai, and there seems little inclination to bring in the boundary ropes to facilitate high-scoring games.This ground, unlike the other two, has got lots of open spaces in the stadium structure, which ensures there’s a fairly decent breeze blowing throughout the day. The breeze ensures dew does not make an early appearance, and that when it does, it is not too heavy to counter. Early signs are that this ground might end up as the lowest-scoring ground amongst the three venues, with spinners having a bigger say with every passing game.

And have the Royals found Uthappa’s best spot?

Saurabh Somani17-Oct-20206:39

Tom Moody: Tactical flaw not to give Jofra Archer the 19th over

Why didn’t Jofra Archer bowl the 19th over?The Royal Challengers needed 35 runs in the last two overs, but that is no longer the intimidating task it once was, not in IPL 2020 at least. And especially not when AB de Villiers is still batting. T20 cricket’s time-honoured wisdom has been to bowl your best bowler in the penultimate over of a chase, but Steven Smith opted to go with Jaydev Unadkat instead of Jofra Archer.De Villiers promptly dispatched Unadkat’s first three balls over the boundary, going midwicket, long-on and square leg. It was the longer boundary, but boundary length rarely matters when you feed de Villiers in his arc. Even Gurkeerat Singh, on 11 off 13 till then, latched on to a short and wide one outside off to slash a four. As a result, when Archer did come on to bowl, he had only 10 runs to defend.Smith explained his thinking post-match, telling host broadcaster Star: “We wanted to use Jaydev to the bigger boundary, he bowls a lot of slower stuff into the wicket. Obviously the boundary was not big enough for AB.”While there might have been some merit in that thinking, there was also the fact that Unadkat’s death overs economy rate in the IPL has been 11.33, and among bowlers who have bowled at least 100 balls at the death, Unadkat’s economy is the 10th highest ever. Moreover, it’s not exactly a secret that de Villiers can clear most boundaries in the world.Have the Rajasthan Royals found Robin Uthappa’s best spot?So far in this IPL, Uthappa had batted at either four or five for the Royals, and sat out a few matches too with underwhelming returns. Uthappa’s best success in the IPL has come at the top of the order, when he was with the Kolkata Knight Riders. However, he wasn’t particularly explosive off the blocks even then, which is why the Knight Riders went for the Chris Lynn-Sunil Narine combination when it was available.Robin Uthappa shows aggressive intent•BCCIFrom IPL 2017 onwards, Uthappa had opened just twice until the Royals sent him at the top in this game. It was the fifth opening combination they have tried in nine games. “I’ve been waiting to open the batting for a really long time,” he would say later.Uthappa duly shrugged aside indifferent form to blast 41 off 22, one of his quickest innings ever at the top of the order. At the end of the powerplay, he had 32 off 16, and the last time he had scored quicker in a powerplay was back in 2016. In fact, Uthappa has scored at a better strike rate in a powerplay only three times in his entire career. He has opened 72 times now in the IPL, but has scored at a strike rate of 150 or more on only 12 of those occasions.Still, the success he had against the Royal Challengers Bangalore points to the way forward for him and the Royals. He can clearly still go at a quick pace, especially with the field up, as he showed against a competent bowling attack on a large ground. Given the Royals’ fairly long batting line-up, Uthappa going hard in the powerplay looks like the best solution to the various problems they have had at the top of the order.… But what about Jos Buttler?Yes, having Ben Stokes at the top of the order is not a bad idea. But now that the Uthappa experiment at the top has got off to a successful start, the natural fit at the top of the order seems to be Buttler and Uthappa. A left-right combination is good to have, but only when all other things are equal. For the Royals, they not only have a T20 opener in Buttler who has few equals, but opening is also where Buttler has been of most value. The upside in Buttler opening outstrips the downside to Stokes going down the order, simply because of what Buttler can do – and has done – at the top versus how he has gone in the middle.Jos Buttler’s IPL numbers – when he’s opening and when he’s not•ESPNcricinfo LtdWhen he opens the batting, Buttler’s powerplay strike rate is 162.7. When he has batted in the powerplay when not an opener, it’s a steep fall to 63.0. The sample size is limited, since non-openers don’t get to bat as much in the powerplay, but the difference is more stark when you look at the middle overs. Buttler’s middle-overs strike rate when opening is an astonishing 148.4. When he’s not come out at the top of the order, that strike rate falls to 129.3. Do Rajasthan really want to neutralise such a powerful weapon by pushing him down the order?How valuable has Chris Morris been for the Royal Challengers?Amazingly so, and the Royal Challengers haven’t even utilised his batting fully yet. In this game, the situation seemed ripe for him to walk out when Virat Kohli fell. The equation was 76 needed off 41 and de Villiers had not faced a ball yet. That de Villiers eventually pulled it off on his own – with Gurkeerat Singh striking at 111.76 at the other end – is down to his genius, but a potential Morris blast in the middle would have made the chase more straightforward. The only time he’s batted in four games so far, Morris made 25* off 8, which is not surprising given his overall T20 strike rate is 151.94.His value to the Royal Challengers this season is best captured via Smart Stats. His bowling rating – impact points per match – is 56.91, which is only second to Yuzvendra Chahal, who has a rating of 63.72. In terms of total impact, he’s at the top of the charts for his team with 73.08 per game. His Smart Economy Rate is 3.77, only behind Rashid Khan and Washington Sundar in the entire competition.His inclusion after a niggle kept him out has given the Royal Challengers potency with the ball at the death and in the powerplay, and a big-hitting option down the order which they ought to make more use of.Why did Devdutt Padikkal struggle to score quickly?Padikkal was on 19 off 16 at the end of the powerplay, which was already not very quick. After the field was spread though, it was even more of a struggle for Padikkal, with only 16 more runs in 21 balls. The pattern isn’t new – Padikkal has typically scored at brisk rates in the powerplay but then slowed down considerably. His powerplay strike rate so far in the IPL has been 131.0, as against a middle-overs strike rate of 115.45.This is directly down to Padikkal’s struggles against spin bowling. His strike rate against pacers is 135.40 this IPL, while against spinners it’s just 97.50. What compounds the problem for Padikkal – and the Royal Challengers – is that he isn’t losing his wicket to the spinners but getting tied down. He’s faced 80 balls of spin and been out just twice (seven times dismissed off 161 balls against pace on the other hand). What this means is that Padikkal is not just scoring slowly against spin, but eating up a fair few balls while doing so.

Morgan’s team are full of brilliance, belief, and free spirit

Mark Nicholas05-Dec-2020Empty again, that was Newlands, but this time even the cricketers were missing. The famous ground, 131 years into cricket business now, was bathed in sunshine – the clean pale blue of the African sky framing Table Mountain with spectacular clarity – but the Covid bell had tolled on the scheduled one-day match between South Africa and England. Sport lifts the spirit like little else, but it was denied the chance to make its magic yesterday.In waiting, conversation turned to England’s impressive T20 play over the previous week, year and more. How have they become so good?There is the IPL theory, a tournament once spurned by English arrogance but now embraced like an old friend, so valuable is it to England’s representatives. Kevin Pietersen was first on the plane to India in 2008, finding it too appealing for the liking of most of his colleagues. And not just his colleagues. The headline “Dumbslog Millionaire” appeared in the of London when Pietersen, on 97 after a flurry of boundaries, played an ugly mow across the line to the West Indian left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn in a Test match in Jamaica. It cost him his wicket and, moreover, a great deal of embarrassment given he had just been bought at auction for US$1.55 million to play for the Royal Challengers Bangalore. Truth is, KP had read the tea leaves. The IPL was where it was at, and still is.ALSO READ: Chris Jordan: Pressure for places is driving England’s players to keep improvingNow, a raft of England’s best head to India – or the UAE – each spring (or autumn) to pit themselves against the best in the world. Most come up smiling because the money compensates nicely for mixed results: think Jofra Archer, Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes and Tom Curran at the Rajasthan Royals; Eoin Morgan and Tom Banton at the Kolkata Knight Riders; Jonny Bairstow with the Sunrisers Hyderabad; Chris Jordan at the Kings XI Punjab; Moeen Ali at RCB; and Sam Curran, with MS Dhoni at the Chennai Super Kings. Curran’s debut season was a qualified success. It’s a chunky cheque for a chap not long out of the classroom but the real benefit came in the experience and exposure. Rarely does Curran fall short of expectation and never of ambition or courage. Stephen Fleming, the Super Kings coach, sees the youngest of the three brothers as an integral part of the team’s makeover and as a long-term investment.Then there is money, lots of it from the television-rights deals that pay for central contracts and support staff, which, in turn, allow the ECB to direct the course of a player’s career. The board caught on with the appointment of Andrew Strauss as director of cricket. He prioritised one-day and T20 cricket and the result has been a glittering success.There is the captain, Morgan, whose calculating leadership has ensured a team with core values, unwavering belief, and above all, a free spirit. This is not to say discipline is compromised – far from it. These guys don’t mess with Morgan – in fact, those that do pay a price – but they trust him right down to the last ball of the last Super Over. He is smart tactically, open to original thinking, and fiercely loyal. Perhaps best of all, there is a ruthlessness in him that appeals to the key lieutenants, and so it is that they follow him to the wire.Morgan would say he is blessed with a group of brilliant players. He might also point out that he has shaped them. The professional game in England has become attractive to outsiders – witness Archer, Jordan and Morgan himself. Many of England’s best short-form players began their lives elsewhere but the old country has always opened her arms. It is remarkable to think that the debate about Archer’s place in the World Cup party was taking place only 20 months ago. It says something for both Morgan and Archer that the Bajan-born was entrusted with Super Over.Finally, there is the free spirit mentioned above. Sport is littered with the fear of failure; the fact that its audience feels this too hugely increases the likelihood of players falling foul of it. (And that may explain why the cricket in the recent IPL and the Premier League football has been played with such expression: no live crowd to put the fear of god into the players.)English cricket has, inherently, put defence before attack. Those that have not are outliers and, unsurprisingly, mostly brilliant. A negative mindset that was long prevalent in county cricket where the better players looked after No. 1 and the fringe players hung on for dear life. Morgan blew all that nonsense out to sea. He encouraged expression, demanded invention and applauded risk. In no time, he moved a team from the ignominy of defeat by Bangladesh, and failure to qualify for the quarter-finals at the 2015 World Cup, to the final of the T20 World Cup in Kolkata a year later. The rest, as they say, is history. Deep down, the England cricketers might well fear failure but in their performance the guns blaze away with a previously unimagined sense of adventure. It’s great way to play – like it doesn’t matter, because in the end it doesn’t really matter.ALSO READ: Why Dawid Malan remains on England fringe despite absurd T20I recordTalking to Gary Kirsten, he asked about Dawid Malan. Kirsten was surprised to see Malan at the top of the ICC T20 rankings. So was Malan. Did we know he was that good, asked Kirsten? No, but he did make an excellent hundred against Australia in an Ashes Test at the WACA. That impresses anybody. It is quite a thing that his ranking points are higher than those of any batsman ever in the format. That impresses everybody.He has been around the England set-up for a while without ever nailing it. The advantage of this is that he is unlikely to let the days of his life slip away. He has improved his technique, principally by keeping his hands higher and creating a greater arc for the swing of his bat. He is the most delicious timer of the ball, tending to caress rather than muscle. One shot at Newlands the other night, a drive over extra cover that seemed almost in slow-motion at the point of contact was so perfect as to draw the breath of those who bore witness. He loves to play off the back foot, pulling the ball while balanced and with power. In short, he has a lot of game.That he keeps Joe Root out of the team is all we need know. Malan is a serious cricketer, whose journey has been anything but easy. He is off to the Big Bash in Australia, where, again, he will surprise people. Actually, he should still be here, in England’s one-day outfit, putting South Africa to the sword. It is inconceivable that he is not good enough. But such are Morgan’s riches.

No bowler has more international wickets against one team at a better average than Khan against Ireland

Matt Roller20-Jan-2021In the storied history of international cricket, no player has taken more wickets against a single team at a better average than Rashid Khan against Ireland. Not Muttiah Muralitharan against Bangladesh; not Cathryn Fitzpatrick against New Zealand; not even Sydney Barnes against South Africa. None of them can match Khan’s record against the Irish: 89 wickets across all three formats, at an average of 13.34.At one stage, across a period spanning nearly two years, Khan took at least two wickets in 14 consecutive matches against Ireland – comprising nine ODIs and five T20Is – returning 42 wickets at 10.11 during that stretch. Despite his youth, he has often resembled a grown man playing in a children’s game.Unsurprisingly, therefore, Ireland will approach their ODIs against their most regular opponents this week with some trepidation. Their preparation for the three-match series – which forms part of the World Cup Super League – has been far from ideal: they arrived in Abu Dhabi in late December targeting a 4-0 win against the UAE, but had two fixtures cancelled due to Covid cases in the hosts’ squad and needed an inspired comeback to level the series 1-1.Related

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But in recent times – even if the bar is at a record-breaking low – they have improved against the man who will again provide Afghanistan’s main threat this week. Across his last 10 innings against Ireland, Khan has taken more than two wickets only twice: 5 for 82 in the second innings of a Test, and 3 for 22 in a T20I.In his last six ODI innings against them, he has taken only seven wickets, albeit at a miserly 3.87 runs per over, suggesting a more restrained, defensive approach. The irony of the fact that the worst figures of Khan’s ODI career came at the hands of an Irishman will not be lost on them.”In T20, having to take someone like that down is really difficult,” said Paul Stirling, Ireland’s vice-captain, who has made two hundreds in his last three ODI innings. “We’ve got a chance to play him in 50-over cricket, and give ourselves a chance to see the ball. Defence comes into the game: if he goes for 30 or 40, not taking many wickets, then we can maybe try and target someone else.”I generally try to read the ball in the air. His action is so quick. It looks really easy when people slow it down. I usually pick it in the air and off the pitch and play from there. The world’s best might be able to pick it from earlier in his run-up but certainly not me. Given the speed he bowls at, if he gets a little bit of turn both ways, it’s hard work.”

“Whenever I’ve had trouble against any of those spinners, I’ve been caught in two minds about what to do. But whenever I’ve had some sort of success, I’ve backed my game completely and gone with that.”Andy Balbirnie on facing Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Mohammad Nabi

“Some days you can pick him, some days you can’t,” explained Andy Balbirnie, Ireland’s captain, who successfully negotiated 31 balls against Khan while making his highest ODI score two years ago. “He’s always thinking, always looking to change it up. It’s really enjoyable to play against him because it’s a real competition and from ball one, you’re under the pump.”It’s a great place to be because if you can get beyond that, the message that sends to the rest of the guys is great. We’re aware that when he fires, by and large, they have a good day, but if he doesn’t, sometimes we get up on them. It’ll be a great contest – it always is.”And while Khan presents a particular threat, Ireland will not take the rest of Afghanistan’s attack lightly. Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Mohammad Nabi have been regular wicket-takers against them over the years, while Naveen-ul-Haq looks set for a bigger role in this series and left-armer Sayed Shirzad took 3 for 28 in a warm-up game on Saturday.ESPNcricinfo Ltd”You can’t take their seamers for granted,” Stirling said. “But without getting too caught up on them only, it’s Nabi, Mujeeb and Rashid who are their big three. We’ve got to combat that in such important games. We’ve done it before, it’s just about doing it again and again. It’s quite a hard one to practise for: there’s only a certain amount that our net bowlers can try and replicate those three, so you’ve got to get your skills bang in order and make sure everything is working.”Balbirnie said: “I think it’s pretty simple: [it’s about] having a really clear gameplan against them and backing that. Whenever I’ve had trouble against any of those spinners, I’ve been caught in two minds about what to do. But whenever I’ve had some sort of success, I’ve backed my game completely and gone with that.”The great thing about having such a young squad is that they’re so enthusiastic to learn. Not many of them have played specifically 50-over cricket against Afghanistan, so they’ve been asking questions since we got to the airport. They’ve all got the confidence to back their game against them.”That’s what I learned from the senior guys in the squad when I first came in: no matter who you’re playing, just back yourself. If you get out doing what you’re good at, so be it. Always have the mind to back your skills and your gameplan 100%.”It is a mindset that Ireland’s batsmen will hope serves them well when they come up against their chief tormentor this week.