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Mitchell battled fitness issues en route to a 118-ball 119 on a two-paced pitch, taking New Zealand to a total beyond West Indies’ reach

Alagappan Muthu16-Nov-2025 • Updated on 17-Nov-2025Everyone climbed onto the struggle bus in Christchurch, even Daryl Mitchell whose seventh ODI century cost him a little bit of his good health. A groin injury left him inside the dressing room for the entirety of the second innings, which wasn’t the worst thing ever. He could put his feet up and watch New Zealand pull off a seven-run victory.A two-paced pitch that offered sideways movement throughout the day made batting a distasteful exercise. Mitchell seemed immune initially but soon he was battling not just a disciplined West Indies attack but also his own body breaking down from the stress. The fact that he was able to ride those challenges – and take New Zealand to a total of 269 – made the innings all the sweeter.Mitchell must have felt it too. As soon as he reached his hundred, he whipped his helmet off and roared the word “yes” with so much emotion even the veins on his shaved head were popping all over the place. Performances like these were once the purview of Kane Williamson or Ross Taylor, two all-time Black Caps legends. Increasingly though, Mitchell has been putting himself up on their level, this 119 off 118 a prime example. No one else was able to make even half of those runs with Sherfane Rutherford’s 55 off 61 the next best score. Conditions at Hagley Oval on Sunday were not for the faint of heart.West Indies suffered in their chase, the help that was already available in the day now exaggerated under lights. Keacy Carty spent most of his 67 balls as a crash test dummy. He would’ve been fine if it was just swing or just seam or just bounce. But all three kept combining at the behest of New Zealand’s quicks and all the West Indian No. 3 could do was steel himself for the body blows. The first 10 overs produced just 32 runs. The next nine 27. There were 30 balls in between when only seven scoring shots were possible. And this was the change-bowlers – Jacob Duffy and Zak Foulkes – in operation.Matthew Forde helped West Indies start well with the ball•Getty Images

Shai Hope (37 off 45) and Rutherford fared a little better and New Zealand shelled a series of catches in the back end, but West Indies had fallen too far behind to capitalise.They came into this game with five changes – three spinners out, three seamers in. The best of them was Matthew Forde who was on a hat-trick in the seventh over, removing Rachin Ravindra for 4 and Will Young on his 50th ODI for a golden duck.That’s when Mitchell walked in and immediately flipped the game on its head. Till then, New Zealand’s batters were trapped in the crease and Forde was given the leeway to do whatever he wanted. Mitchell, though, walked at the fast bowler, trusting his reflexes to deal with the speed of the ball – which on average was only 122 kph – and negating the biggest thing that Forde had going for him – sideways movement, particularly into the right-hander. West Indies tried to stop that by bringing the wicketkeeper up but that only slowed Mitchell down. It didn’t uproot him.Mitchell was 33 off 37. He needed 24 deliveries to get to fifty. New Zealand were 91 for 2 in the 18th over. Only two of the next 16 would go for even a run a ball. Five of them almost became maidens. West Indies were remarkably tight, particularly Roston Chase, who harnessed the wind blowing across the ground to appear unhittable (just one four from his 10 overs) and mask the loss of Romario Shepherd (4-0-23-0) to a hamstring injury.Kyle Jamieson picked up 3 for 52 on ODI return•Getty Images

It was a small miracle the offspinner only ended up with one wicket – that of Michael Bracewell – because he created enough opportunities – three against Bracewell alone – to be driven to exasperation. “Jeeeesus,” Chase said when Hope missed a straightforward stumping.New Zealand were 192 for 5 in the 42nd over, but of greater concern was Mitchell pulling up in the middle of running a single and needing repairs to his left leg. He was 78 off 92 at that point, just starting to cut loose. Now, he was hampered running between the wickets and left to just stand and deliver. Good thing he’s six feet and change of pure muscle. Mitchell belted out those straight hits that he’s renowned for, thundering to his seventh ODI century, an innings that had so many phases.The initial acceleration, where he showcased a mutant pull shot, bringing the cross-bat up high and then whirling his wrists on impact with the ball to generate pace and find the boundary in front of square. The slowing down (from 33 off 37 to 56 off 77) because he knew he had to be there till the end. The injury (78 off 92) complicating things. The will to keep going. And the power to finish strong (41 off 26).West Indies could have had Mitchell for 19 and 67 but Chase at point and Jayden Seales at long-on put down two tough catches. New Zealand also benefited from Devon Conway’s persistence at the top of the order, where he scored 49 off 58 despite looking far from his best.Having specialist fast bowlers helped as well. Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson and Duffy all produced standout spells (29-4-146-4). They had the pace and the faith to go short, generating extra bounce. That was a clear a point of difference. West Indies got none of that, a drawback perhaps of having allrounders making up the majority of the seam attack. Justin Greaves, Shamar Springer and Shepherd stuck to the basics and were tidy (21-0-136-1) but in conditions that were often unplayable tidy doesn’t cut it.

The Blue Jays find themselves in a 2-1 hole in the World Series after losing an 18-inning Game 3 thriller to the Dodgers on Monday night.

While Shohei Ohtani's legendary performance and Freddie Freeman's heroic home run are the biggest storylines coming out of the marathon game, a decision by Blue Jays third base coach Carlos Febles probably has Toronto fans still fuming.

In case you missed it, the Blue Jays had a chance to take a lead in the 10th inning but those hopes came to a stunning end when Davis Schneider was thrown out at home to end the inning. This all happened after Nathan Lukes hit a shot down the right field line that rolled all the way to the wall.

Schneider tried to score on the play, running all the way from first, but was easily thrown out after a perfect relay by the Dodgers.

Here's how that played out:

If Febles didn't send Schneider there the Blue Jays would have had runners on second and third with two outs and Vlad Guerrero Jr. coming to the plate.

Here's a different angle of the play that shows just how bad of a decision it was to send Schneider, as he was just reaching third when Dodgers second baseman Tommy Edman received the throw from Teoscar Hernández.

That was a brutal way to end the inning for the Blue Jays, especially with so much being on the line.

Now, if Schneider stayed at third the Dodgers probably would have walked Guerrero to load the bases with two outs and could have still gotten out of the inning without giving up a run but it sure seems like that would have been a better opportunity for the Blue Jays than running into an easy third out at home.

Fans had reactions to that move:

Game 4 is Tuesday night bak at Dodger Stadium with Ohtani on the mound for the Dodgers. The Blue Jays will need a win to avoid falling into 3-1 hole.

These players, and some others, will be looking to impress at the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, especially with the IPL auction and T20 World Cup coming up

Shashank Kishore25-Nov-2025

Prithvi Shaw

After losing his spot in the Mumbai team and going unsold in IPL 2025 following concerns over form, fitness and discipline, Shaw has rebooted his career in Maharashtra. The move has given him a fresh start, and he has responded with an impressive return to red-ball cricket – 470 runs in seven innings at a strike rate of 92.33 in the Ranji Trophy. With the white-ball leg of the season beginning, Shaw is also in contention to lead Maharashtra once Ruturaj Gaikwad links up with the India ODI squad for the South Africa series. A natural powerplay aggressor, Shaw will be eyeing big runs and hoping to make a strong statement to IPL teams about what he could bring to the table in 2026.Riyan Parag is among the candidates who could captain Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2026•BCCI

Riyan Parag

Parag stepped in as Rajasthan Royals (RR) captain during Sanju Samson’s injury-enforced absence in IPL 2025, but his own form failed to reach the heights of the previous season. With Samson now moving to Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Parag has a chance to reassert himself, both as a performer and as a leader, when he turns out for Assam. He hasn’t been close to an India call-up for nearly a year after a shoulder injury. His form in the recent India A series against South Africa A too was lukewarm, making this an important stretch to rebuild momentum. There’s also the Royals’ long-term captaincy to stake a claim for, with the franchise having backed him heavily since 2018.Venkatesh Iyer was released by Kolkata Knight Riders ahead of the IPL 2026 auction•Associated Press

Venkatesh Iyer

A headline-grabbing INR 23.75 crore signing, Iyer was at Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in IPL 2025 with major expectations around him, only to be released a year on after a disappointing 2025 campaign. Appointed vice-captain, he managed just 142 runs in seven innings with a single half-century and wasn’t used with the ball, largely because of the Impact-Player rule. With that restriction not applicable at the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Iyer now has a chance to reset. He’ll likely return to the top of the order for Madhya Pradesh and take on key overs for them as they look to go one better than last year’s runners-up finish. For Iyer, this is a crucial window to remind IPL teams why he commanded such a high price just a year ago.Akash Deep is still a work in progress in T20 cricket•BCCI

Akash Deep

Picked for INR 8.25 crore by Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) ahead of IPL 2025, Akash Deep endured a frustrating season. Family reasons forced him to be a non-starter when the season began. Then, when he returned, he picked up a niggle. And by the time he started, he seemed woefully undercooked, and went at 12.8 an over across the six games he played for three measly wickets. For someone who has climbed the ranks quickly, Akash Deep is still far from being an established IPL, or T20, player, having started with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) as a net bowler and then playing a handful of games across 2023-24. But Indian fast bowlers often command top billing at IPL auctions because of the flexibility they offer with regards to team balance. Which is why a good Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy could make Akash Deep an in-demand quick when the auction comes around.Ravi Bishnoi could be in demand during the IPL 2026 auction•BCCI

Ravi Bishnoi

Picked as an uncapped player for INR 4 crore by Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in 2022, Bishnoi has seen his stocks plummet sharply over the past year. The return of Varun Chakravarthy and the rise of Washington Sundar, who lends depth as an allrounder, has meant Bishnoi has slipped in the pecking order as far as the national team goes. His IPL fortunes have nosedived too; in the last two seasons, he’s managed all of 19 wickets across 25 matches. Having been released, he’ll hope to put in performances of note for Gujarat to once again be back in the reckoning not just among IPL teams but also the national team.Umran Malik is back to bowling at full tilt•KKR Knight Club

Umran Malik

He burst on to the scene at IPL 2022 hitting 156.9kph on the speed gun for Sunrisers Hyderabad, but the journey since has been anything but smooth. Malik’s fitness, form and attitude have all been under the scanner, forcing him to spend more time on the sidelines and in rehab than on the cricket pitch. He missed the entire 2024-25 domestic season and the IPL that followed with bouts of injury (hip and hamstring) and illness, but has since returned and has been bowling full-tilt and has even taken part in training camps under Abhishek Nayar. Importantly, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), where Nayar is now head coach, have retained Malik for the upcoming season. After playing just one Ranji game in the first leg, Malik now has a chance to show IPL teams why he’ll be an asset.

It would be fair to say that, on paper anyway, last week was Arsenal’s toughest so far this season.

Therefore, Mikel Arteta’s side should be pretty happy with seven points from nine in games against Tottenham Hotspur, Bayern Munich and Chelsea.

However, while the North Londoners were exceptional in the first two encounters, they were uncharacteristically poor away to the Blues, and that has understandably taken the shine off somewhat.

Moreover, while there were underwhelming performances across the pitch for Arsenal, one player in particular was really disappointing and currently looks miles off what fans saw last season.

Arsenal's underwhelming starters vs Chelsea

Starting at the back, and while he has arguably been one of Arsenal’s players of the season so far this year, Ricarrdo Calafiori looked way off the pace on Sunday evening.

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Aside from a well-timed last-man tackle on Estevao in the first ten minutes, the Italian looked far shakier defensively than he has all year, losing two of the three tackles he made and getting a silly yellow card when he lost Reece James.

It wasn’t much better going forward either, as the former Bologna man failed to deliver a single cross for the attackers to get onto, and was understandably hooked at the interval.

Things didn’t go much better for Eberechi Eze, as following his hat-trick last weekend and assist against Bayern, the former Crystal Palace star was utterly ineffective at Stamford Bridge.

In fact, while it sounds harsh, it would be a fair assessment to describe him as anonymous on Sunday, as was Gabriel Martinelli, whose most significant contribution was a shot from outside the penalty area in the first half.

Finally, while they were not terrible, Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapie were clear downgrades on the Gunners’ usual partnership.

Moreover, on top of being less defensively solid, it was clear that they were less confident starting together, which massively impacted the team’s build-up.

With all that said, there was another Arsenal star on Sunday who looked way off the pace, and unfortunately has done all season.

The Arsenal star who has taken a step back

Unfortunately for Arteta, the poor performances on Sunday evening were not limited to the starters, as Myles Lewis-Skelly’s cameo off the bench was one to forget.

The Hale Ender was sent on to replace Calafiori after the Italian picked up his silly yellow card, but just nine minutes into the second half, he got one himself.

That moment sort of summarised the teenager’s display, as while there were a few moments of quality, like a run through the middle of the pitch towards the end, he largely struggled.

He offered little going forward and looked less than secure defensively and in possession, so much so that there were more than a few occasions when you could see Rice getting frustrated with him, notably when under no pressure at all, the youngster played the ball straight to a Chelsea player on the left-hand side of the pitch.

Unsurprisingly, the watching press were not hugely impressed with the youngster, with Arsenal writer Charles Watts awarding him just a 5/10 match rating at full-time.

That might sound harsh, but his statistics justify it; in his 45 minutes, the 19-year-old produced an expected assists figure of just 0.02, lost 50% of his ground duels and 100% of his aerial duels, didn’t play a single key pass or cross and committed one foul.

The worrying thing is that Sunday was not the full-back’s first poor performance of the season, as he also looked the weakest of the club’s starters against Bayern.

With that said, it would be unfair to blame this entirely on the youngster, club insider Hand of Arsenal, dubbed a “future captain,” as he’s just not been given enough game time.

One of the things that allowed him to play as well as he did last year was that Arteta picked him time and time again, in turn building his sharpness and understanding of the team’s rhythm.

Therefore, while it’s true that Lewis-Skelly has taken a step back this season, fans shouldn’t worry too much, as more games on the horizon should give him more opportunities to play and rebuild that sharpness.

Arteta must drop 4/10 Arsenal star who lost every single duel vs Chelsea

Arsenal were not at their free-flowing best as they drew with Chelsea.

By
Matt Dawson

Dec 1, 2025

Heat’s finals hopes in danger while Thunder win back-to-back games after beginning with three losses

AAP21-Nov-2025Sydney Thunder’s huge total of 200 for 6 has secured their second consecutive win in the WBBL and put the winless Brisbane Heat’s finals hopes in grave danger.Thunder opener Tahlia Wilson secured her second consecutive player-of-the-match award to inspire a 41-run. Wilson’s 79 off just 51 deliveries was the foundation for the 200-run total after being asked to bat by the hosts at Allan Border Field on Friday.The Heat were never in the hunt, despite a swashbuckling innings by South Africa international Nadine de Klerk (43 off 27 deliveries), and were bowled out for 159 in 19.1 overs.Wilson’s knock was just four runs short of her best-ever total of 83 and followed on from her unbeaten 55 against Perth Scorchers two days earlier.The 26-year-old drove the ball straight down the ground and through the off-side with precision and played an array of flicks through the leg-side, striking eight boundaries and clearing the rope twice.Wilson said opening the innings suited the way she wanted to play after taking her game to a new level.”I think being back at the top of the order has been a good thing for me,” Wilson told AAP. “I can go out there early, time the ball and get full value. I have expanded my game this year and I’m glad it is paying off.”In pre-season, I worked on trying to hit down the ground a lot more. A lot of girls know I do like to hit it square, but adding that gives me that option to go straight down the ground, particularly in the power play.”The Heat were without key batters Grace Harris (calf) and India’s World Cup star Jemimah Rodrigues, who had to return to India for a personal commitment.After 10 overs, the Thunder were 99 for 1, with the only joy for the Heat coming when their captain Jess Jonassen trapped her former Heat teammate Georgia Voll (21) in front attempting a reverse sweep.Thunder captain Phoebe Litchfield played an assortment of ramps and lofted off drives in her entertaining 31 off 19 balls, which included six boundaries.It was an attempted ramp that brought Litchfield’s downfall with Nicola Hancock rattling the stumps.Former Heat master blaster Laura Harris had no joy against her old team, holing out for her second golden duck in a row.The Heat’s WBBL campaign is on the rocks with no wins in four matches. Last year’s finalists will need to win five of their remaining six games to have a chance of figuring in this year’s finals series. The Thunder have found form with back-to-back wins after starting the season with three losses.

Thomas Frank is not concerned about losing his job at Tottenham, expressing unwavering confidence that the club’s "intelligent" owners will remain patient amid the team's dismal run of form. The Spurs manager cut a composed figure in the wake of Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to Fulham, even as frustration inside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium boiled over and supporters turned on goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario.

• Vicario booed after crucial error sparks fury

  Fans lost their cool following a calamitous mistake by Vicario that led to Fulham's second goal. As Frank’s side struggled to recover from recent defeats to Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain, they were stunned by two goals in a breathless opening six minutes that silenced the home crowd and turned nervousness into hostility. Kenny Tete’s early strike put Marco Silva’s team ahead after just four minutes. Moments later, Spurs were rocked again. Vicario raced off his line to close down Raul Jimenez, yet his attempt to control the ball with his weaker left foot went horribly wrong. His scuffed clearance rolled straight to Josh King, who calmly squared the ball for Harry Wilson to curl into an empty net. Vicario’s error became the focal point for simmering anger, with pockets of supporters jeering the Italian every time he touched the ball. Frank, visibly annoyed by the treatment of his goalkeeper, later described those leading the booing as "not true fans," arguing that loyalty matters most during moments of adversity.

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  Frank remains confident despite slippery form

  Saturday’s defeat added to an increasingly grim home record for Tottenham this season. Spurs have also suffered losses at their own stadium to Bournemouth, Aston Villa and Chelsea. Draws against Wolves and Manchester United have compounded the sense of crisis, leaving Frank’s men searching for answers in a stretch of the season that is becoming more punishing with each passing week.

  The sense of a team stuck in reverse has been exacerbated by November’s torrid sequence, in which Tottenham lost four matches and claimed a solitary draw from their five domestic fixtures. Their only moment of respite came in the Champions League, where a hard-fought win over Copenhagen briefly lifted the mood before the subsequent dip washed away any lingering optimism.

  Nonetheless, Frank believes that he still enjoys the backing of the ownership group, led by chief executive Vinai Venkatesham. 

  "It seems like they’re good guys, intelligent people," Frank said. "They know how to run businesses and are learning about football, learning more now they’ve become owners.

  "When we’re dealing with intelligent people they can see every successful dynasty, every successful club has taken time. Yes, you have one where you maybe win one year or the second year, but you can’t sustain it if you don’t build something sustainable."

• Frank challenges narrative of losing support

  When asked about whether he has lost the fans, Frank pushed back against the idea that supporter confidence has evaporated entirely. He questioned the premise itself, wondering aloud what proportion of the fanbase such claims even refer to and insisting that football crowds are never monolithic in their opinions.

  "I’m pretty sure every fan wants to win and wants to support," he said. "If you’re not going to plan, then maybe some get more frustrated than others. There’s always some that shout louder than others. When you say you lose the fans, how many is that? Five per cent, 10%, 15%, 20%? How much is it? I don’t know. We would like to get all 100% on board."

  Frank also addressed comments made by defender Pedro Porro on social media following the Fulham defeat. The Spurs full-back had publicly expressed his frustration at the abuse directed toward teammates, and Frank backed the player’s right to speak his mind. He noted: "The players, they are individual people that can have their own opinions. What he put out there was fair in every aspect."

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  Pivotal festive period for Frank & Spurs

  There is an acknowledgement that December could determine the trajectory of Spurs’ season. A demanding run of fixtures looms, with clashes against Newcastle, Liverpool and Crystal Palace approaching rapidly. Positive results would ease scrutiny on Frank and restore belief among players whose confidence has taken visible blows in recent weeks.