Shane Warne’s line against right and left-handers, and Andrew Strauss’s control
On the ball with S Rajesh and Arun Gopalakrishnan08-Sep-2005Shane Warne has been the outstanding bowler for Australia in this series, and he proved it again on the first day of the final Ashes Test. Pressed into service before lunch on a first-day pitch, Warne winkled out three wickets in the morning session, and then picked up two more over the course of the day to end with splendid figures of 5 for 118. The highlight of his performance was his control against both left-handers and right-handers. There was no rough on the track yet, but Warne pitched 83 deliveries to the right-handers on or outside leg, and kept the batsmen down to only seven runs, an indication of his class and the batsmen’s respect for him.Warne has contributed 33 out of the 80 wickets taken by Australia in this series – that’s more than 41%. And Australia’s reliance on him is further highlighted by the fact that Warne has taken the first wicket in England’s innings five times out of nine in this series – twice each in the second and fourth Tests, when Glenn McGrath wasn’t around – and in the first innings here.If Warne was Australia’s hero, then Andrew Strauss ensured that England didn’t completely throw away the advantage of batting first. Strauss hasn’t had a very happy time of it in the series so far – especially against Warne – but today he went some way towards getting his own back. The stand-out feature of his innings was his assurance at the crease: his in-control factor – that’s the number of deliveries middled, left alone, or padded up to – was an impressive 87%. Though he was finally dismissed by Warne, for the fifth time in the series, Strauss handled him with assurance throughout the innings, achieving 90% in-control factor (70 out of 78) against him. In fact, England batted more comfortably throughout the day than the scoreline suggests – their in-control factor against all bowlers was 82.5%, and, quite surprisingly, the bowler they handled most easily was Glenn McGrath, against whom their control factor rose to 87.7%.
Overall 19 12 2 5 In South Africa 9 8 0 1 As the table below shows, all the South African batsmen have enjoyed plenty of success against West Indies. Jacques Kallis leads the way with an average of 77, but his numbers are even more impressive at home: in nine matches against West Indies he averages a staggering 108.81, with five centuries. In his last six home innings against them he has racked up four hundreds and a half-century, with a lowest score of 44. Graeme Smith and Herschelle Gibbs are struggling for form, but both have relished the West Indian attack in the past.
South African batsmen v West Indies
Batsman
Tests
Runs
Average
100s/ 50s
Jacques Kallis 18 1856 77.33 7/ 9 Graeme Smith 8 923 76.91 5/ 1 Ashwell Prince 3 199 66.33 1/ 0 AB de Villiers 4 460 65.71 2/ 1 Herschelle Gibbs 17 1376 50.96 3/ 6 Mark Boucher 18 598 27.18 2/ 1 Among the West Indian batsmen, their two left-handers, Chris Gayle and Shivnarine Chanderpaul, easily overshadow the rest. Gayle’s average is the highest, and the fact that he coped well with the South African pitches in the past, averaging 61 from three Tests, makes it crucial that he recovers from his hamstring injury in time for the first Test. Daren Ganga, his opening partner, has struggled against South Africa: in 15 innings against them – 14 of them overseas – Ganga averages a measly 13, and has gone past 30 once.
West Indies batsmen v South Africa
Batsman
Tests
Runs
Average
100s/ 50s
Chris Gayle 11 1021 48.61 3/ 2 Shivnarine Chanderpaul 14 1072 42.88 3/ 4 Dwayne Bravo 3 177 35.40 1/ 0 Marlon Samuels 4 206 25.75 0/ 2 Daren Ganga 8 197 13.13 0/ 1 The four South African bowlers from the current squad who have played West Indies in the past all have impressive records against them, with Andre Nel leading the way.
South African bowlers v West Indies
Bowler
Tests
Wickets
Average
Strike rate
5WI/ 10WM
Andre Nel 7 39 20.61 43.0 2/ 1 Shaun Pollock 15 65 23.41 59.1 4/ 0 Makhaya Ntini 12 53 25.52 47.1 5/ 1 Jacques Kallis 18 44 29.43 68.9 2/ 0The West Indian bowlers have all found it extremely tough to take wickets against South Africa, though the numbers may not accurately reflect the skills of Daren Powell and Fidel Edwards, since both have improved considerably in the last year.
West Indian bowlers v South Africa
Bowler
Tests
Wickets
Average
Strike rate
5WI/ 10WM
Pedro Collins 2 6 31.33 75.0 0/ 0 Chris Gayle 11 8 41.75 101.1 0/ 0 Daren Powell 4 9 52.77 98.0 0/ 0 Dwayne Bravo 3 4 79.75 156.0 0/ 0 Fidel Edwards 5 8 95.00 125.6 0/ 0 Rawl Lewis 2 1 225.00 441.0 0/ 0South Africa have generally done well at home, but Port Elizabeth has been a relatively tough venue for them: in 22 Tests, they have won only eight and lost ten. Since their re-admission to international cricket in 1992, they have done better here, with four wins in ten matches. The table below gives their venue-wise record at home since 1992 – in terms of win-loss ratio, Port Elizabeth and Johannesburg remain the lowest.
South Africa at home venues since 1992 (at least 5 Tests at a venue)
Venue
Tests
Wins
Losses
Win-loss ratio
Centurion 13 10 1 10.00 Cape Town 18 12 3 4.00 Durban 15 7 2 3.50 Johannesburg 19 8 6 1.33 Port Elizabeth 10 4 3 1.33 The weather conditions suggest the captain winning the toss will prefer to field first, which is the route most captains have taken at this ground. In the ten Tests since 1992, the team winning the toss has fielded seven times, and of the seven games which have ended decisively, five have gone the way of the team bowling first.
Cristiano Ronaldo still knows how to find the top corner with a 25-yard free-kick, while Sadio Mane also has his shooting boots on for Al-Nassr.
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Portuguese icon remains prolificNo slowing down at 39 years of ageTaking in domestic & continental actionWHAT HAPPENED?
The Saudi Pro League outfit will, after booking their place in the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League, be back in domestic action on Sunday when taking in a trip to Al-Shabab. A star-studded squad has been put through its paces ahead of that game.
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Al-Nassr placed plenty of emphasis on shooting practice in their final warm-up session, with Ronaldo and Co given a chance to get their eye in ahead of competitive action. Ronaldo looked lively in passing and fitness routines, before crashing a long-range free-kick into the top corner when setting his sights on the target.
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Ex-Liverpool star Mane also found the back of the net during a productive shooting drill. The Senegal international has been catching the eye alongside Ronaldo in the Middle East, with head coach Luis Castro having plenty of world-class talent at his disposal.
Newcastle United will travel to Bramall Lane on Sunday to face Sheffield United in the Premier League before welcoming Burnley to Tyneside the following weekend.
Forthcoming fixtures against newly-promoted opposition; a chance – with victory clinched against Brentford last time out – to put together a three-match winning streak to fully restore the feel-good factor on Tyneside after a challenging start to the campaign that left Eddie Howe's side nursing three successive defeats after a 5-1 win over Aston Villa hinted at such promise.
That's not to say the Magpies are in the mud, far from it. A minor blip does not erase the remarkable feats of the past 18 months or so, with Howe lifting the club away from relegation danger and now fighting for silver-laden success, having defied expectations with a top-four finish last term, despite the lucrative PIF club takeover.
Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe.
AC Milan presented United with their first continental test of the season, with the Premier League outfit emerging from the San Siro with a point to start off their group phase.
It was an impressive result, all things considered, but the performance itself left little to be admired from an attacking standpoint, with £63m club-record signing Alexander Isak flattering to deceive.
How did Alexander Isak play against AC Milan?
Newcastle, frankly, got battered for large portions of the affair in Italy earlier this week. Despite demonstrating their quality on the ball and definitely proving to be the more energetic and high-octane team, Milan unleashed 25 shots on Nick Pope's goal compared to just six strikes from Howe's men.
Isak led the line for all of 89 minutes but was not among those to test Mike Maignan between the sticks, nullified by a resolute and solid home defence, who left him "knackered" by the time of his withdrawal, according to presenter Kev Lawson.
Isak game vs AC Milan by numbers
Statistic (Sofascore)
Match score
6.5
Goals
0
Assists
0
Total shots taken
0
Key passes
1
Pass completion
89% (17/19)
Dribble success rate
20% (1/5)
Duels won
42% (5/12)
As clearly delineated by the 24-year-old's listed metrics on the night, he endured a forgettable affair and found very little success, effectively marshalled.
While he did drop deep and look to influence the play from the centre of the pitch, he failed to do anything of note with his possession – which is why his pass success rate, which looks impressive on face value, actually doesn't work in his favour given that he failed to carry the ball into positive openings and didn't strike on goal himself.
Should Eddie Howe start Alexander Isak?
Isak was impressive last season and tantalised a future of prolific success on Tyneside, and that's despite suffering an injury-hit campaign.
Indeed, the £120k-per-week phenom posted ten goals and two assists in the Premier League despite only starting 17 times, heralded for his "complete" attacking abilities by former Willem II coach Adrie Koster.
Blighted by issues that sidelined him for 16 matches, the 6 foot 3 machine looks to have found his full fitness this season, and while he scored twice on the opening day of the term, against Unai Emery's Villa, he has yet to net again, starting four times since.
Undoubtedly, the goals will come sooner rather than later, but it might be wise for Howe to remove him from the starting line-up and offer someone else a chance to impress.
The same could be said for £55m summer signing Sandro Tonali, with the Italian midfielder – who was signed from AC Milan – "struggling to impact" the contest against his former side in the Champions League, according to Craig Hope.
A talented playmaker – who ranks among the top 12% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues for assists per 90 – he has not quite hit the ground running despite scoring on his debut, and might also receive a relegation to the bench in the short-term.
Who could replace Alexander Isak?
Clearly, if Isak doesn't start as Newcastle's focal point up top then there is only one man tailor-made to lead the line and do so with a flourish.
Callum Wilson has been superb since joining Newcastle from Bournemouth for £20m in the summer of 2020, scoring 41 goals and supplying ten assists from just 81 matches since his arrival.
Last season, he scored no less than 18 goals from just 21 starting appearances in the Premier League, also registering five assists and earning praise for his "clinical edge" by editor Andrew Musgrove.
And after bagging three times in the Premier League already this term – despite only starting the recent win over Brentford, where his penalty proved decisive – the 31-year-old does indeed appear to have that sharpness to propel the Toon back into form.
As per FBref, Wilson – who just recently signed a contract extension with the St. James' Park side – ranks among the top 6% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals and the top 9% for assists per 90.
When comparing that with Isak, who ranks among the top 25% of forwards for goals and the bottom 21% for assists per 90, it's clear to see who offers the more clinical attacking edge.
Of course, the Swede is far more dynamic and boasts a higher ceiling, not just because of his youth but the range of his talents – also ranking among the top 16% for progressive passes, the top 11% for progressive carries and the top 6% for successful take-ons per 90.
callum-wilson-newcastle-united
But given that Wilson has yet to receive successive starts in the Premier League this season and boasts an impressive record against both Burnley and the Blades – with eight goals and an assist from 16 matches against the two teams combined – Howe might be wise to offer him a shot as the star man up front.
Isak might be a formidable force but he has not quite clicked into gear this season, and with Wilson possessing that Midas touch in attack under Howe's stewardship, he must be provided with a starting berth going forward.
Forget 1981 and 2005. If you really want to play parallels, how about 1954-55 and 2005? Both provided famished Englishmen with a rare and convincing Ashes triumph, plotted by a Yorkshire batsman and executed by a versatile five-man attack. Both saw the victors go one down before snatching a close-run second Test. And both inspired too many hardbacks – more than a dozen apiece, most of them unimpaired by perspective. That England won only one more Ashes series before drawing a complete blank in the 1960s is not entirely propitious.”England, not being grotesquely bad at cricket like Australia, won the Ashes …” Thus that unfailingly contrary Australian opener Sidney Barnes began The Ashes Ablaze, his (ghosted) account of England’s most fondly remembered triumph down under since Bodyline. But then Australians are uncommonly adept at diminishing their vanquishers. A more disinterested view would be that England were further along the road to renewal, and could have reversed history’s tidehad Colin Cowdrey built more assertively on the rich promise of his maiden tour and Frank Tyson not been confined to a handful more Tests.This was the final Ashes trip for the postwar pillars – Len Hutton and Alec Bedser, Denis Compton and Bill Edrich – and it was Alan Hill’s “Daring YoungMen” who now walked tallest: Peter May and Cowdrey the batting heartbeat, Brian Statham and Tyson, whose pace capitalised on some iffy surfaces and consistently beheaded the opposition before Bob Appleyard (cut and spin) andJohnny Wardle (left-arm orthodox and chinamen) tussled over the torso. Had Michael Vaughan held such a hand, September’s tense finale would have been unnecessary.Yet Hill reserves his most fervent (and not unbiased) admiration for Hutton. He scorns those – Richie Benaud among them – who criticised an intentionally slow rate of 60 eight-ball overs a day (about 80 six-ball overs) and skates over the enigmatic captain’s failure to apprise Bedser of his omission from the Melbourne Test. Still, if semi-blinkered idolatry is your thing, it is hard to conceive of a more deserving object. Hutton battled illness, nerves and the strain of a decade spent manning burning decks; he also carried the burden of being England’s first professional captain of the 20th century. He deserved a George Cross more than a paltry knighthood.One of the elite to have won the Cricket Society Literary Award twice (for biographies of fellow Yorkists Herbert Sutcliffe and Hedley Verity), Hill is a nostalgist of occasional elegance and vast industry. Here he has interviewed most of the surviving players, which is why, though this tour now seems almost too familiar, and nothing especially revelatory emerges, the book remains eminently worthwhile. One could be picky. Hill has been ill-served by botheditor and proofreaders, which may explain some atypical lapses: even pre-Laker, Tyson’s 7 for 27 in Melbourne were nothing like the best figures in Ashes history. More vexing is the lack of context: bar a snap of the four-shilling turnstiles at Adelaide there is little sense of time or place. Still it is a happy tale lovingly retold.
With Jose Mourinho looking to take advantage of Manchester United’s ruthlessness, Fenerbahce are now reportedly preparing a summer move to sign one of Ruben Amorim’s unwanted attacking options.
Man Utd need another summer overhaul
Manchester United have been attempting to return to the top of English football for over a decade now. As each year has passed, however, the Red Devils have become further away from where they once belonged under Sir Alex Ferguson, and the current campaign has seen them fall deeper than ever. Closer to the relegation zone than the European places in the Premier League, United desperately need yet another squad overhaul.
In the past, it’s been Jose Mourinho demanding reinforcements or Ole Gunner Solskjaer receiving a Cristiano Ronaldo-shaped gift that some may argue he never truly desired. These days, it’s Ruben Amorim who needs change at Old Trafford if he is to stand a chance at success with his 3-4-2-1 system. Unlike under Mourinho and Solskjaer, though, there remain question marks over whether United can afford such a big summer.
Amorim on alert: Man Utd consider move to sign "unique" new £30m wing-back
The Red Devils could sign their next Dorgu on the other flank.
ByTom Cunningham May 16, 2025
INEOS have been cutting costs in every way they can this season, including when it comes to the travel expenses and tickets for staff to attend the Europa League final, but next week’s game against Tottenham Hotspur may yet hand them a much-needed boost.
Europa League victory would see the Red Devils clutch Champions League football from the claws of disappointment and from the bottom half of the Premier League. Suddenly, from their lowest-ever finish in the Premier League, Manchester United could be back among Europe’s elite.
Joshua Zirkzee
That said, with or without Champions League football, some big calls look set to be made this summer, which could spell the end for Joshua Zirkzee amid recent reports and others. The struggling forward may well be one of few to be shown the door at Old Trafford.
Fenerbahce preparing Hojlund move
According to Sozcu, as relayed by TeamTalk, Fenerbahce are now preparing a loan-to-buy move to sign Rasmus Hojlund, who will be allowed to leave Manchester United this summer. A move courtesy of former United boss Mourinho, the Dane desperately needs to rediscover his best form following a disastrous spell in the Premier League.
Appearances
60
Goals
14
Assists
2
With just 16 goal involvements in 60 Premier League appearances, Hojlund has far from lived up to expectations since completing a move worth as much as £72m from Atalanta in 2023.
Whether some around the club still have faith in the Dane despite his record will certainly be interesting to see this summer. Amorim recently praised his goal-shy forward, albeit whilst admitting that he needs fortune to fall his way in front of goal, telling reporters: “Today, he did some three or four connections that can allow us to change the side of the game. I think he deserved this kind of moment [the assist for Dalot] to feel that.
“Every striker wants to score goals and we are going to help him score. He’s so anxious, you can see it. But Josh, everybody, Nous did it. All the team played really well today.”
The pitch was slow and the outfield fast. India tried five spinners and England a quintet of seamers. And the paths England and India tread to reach their scores of 226 and 230 were remarkably different
George Binoy31-Mar-2006In the end, the game turned out to be a low-scoring but tight contest. The pitch was slow and the outfield fast. India tried five spinners and England a quintet of seamers. And the paths England and India tread to reach their scores of 226 and 230 were remarkably different.England crawled to 13 for no loss in their first seven overs while India chopped 43 runs off their target in the same time. But while England picked up the pace with a flurry of boundaries and, more importantly, sustained the run-rate on a sluggish pitch by picking off singles and twos with tremendous ease, India hit a deep rut. England ran 95 singles in their innings while India had 79. Though, in terms of runs, the difference might not seem much, the singles kept England going while the lack of them caused India to struggle in the middle overs. Between overs eight and 20, England added 56 runs while India managed only 28. The following graphic shows the comparison between the teams between during that period.However, during the slog, England failed to increase the run-rate where India succeeded. In Kevin Pietersen, they had the perfect batsman to bash the ball and he obliged by carting Yuvraj Singh for a four and a six before holing out next ball. After his departure in the 43rd over, England found the fence on just one occasion as they added just 28 runs and lost five wickets in the last seven overs. For India, Suresh Raina and Mahendra Singh Dhoni bided their time, watching as the asking rate increased to beyond six an over, but never letting it get out of hand. It was their ability to put away the loose ball that kept India always in control of the chase. By the end of it, India had hit 23 fours and a six to England’s 16 fours and two sixes. The following graphic compares the scoring pattern of the two teams after the 40th over, a period in which India hit seven fours and a six and England just two fours and a six.India won their 14th consecutive match chasing, equaling the record set by West Indies who won 14 straight chases between February 1985 and November 1986.Kevin Pietersen reached 1000 ODI runs in his 21st innings and equaled Viv Richards as the fastest to the landmark.Virender Sehwag’s 26 off 45 balls was his slowest innings for a score above 25. His strike rate of 57.77 is lower than the 34 off 58 balls against South Africa at Kingsmead in 2001-02.
A tactical change allowed the Reds right-back more licence going forward, and that helped change the game and secure a vital victory
Conor Bradley starred as goals from Virgil van Dijk, Cody Gakpo, Luis Diaz and Harvey Elliott sealed a memorable comeback victory for Liverpool against Luton Town on Wednesday, and in turn moved Jurgen Klopp's side four points clear at the Premier League summit.
Klopp was forced into naming a nearly unrecognisable team at Anfield with 11 of his first-team players out injured, and Liverpool's new-look side made a stuttering start, allowing the hosts a rare sight of goal from a fairly basic throw-in routine. Chiedozie Ogbene turned home after Caoimhin Keller parried Tahith Chong's effort, and Liverpool struggled to bounce back in a first half so tense that Klopp felt the need to rally the home crowd.
Diaz's wayward efforts characterised a frontline that misfired in Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nunez's absence, and the Reds' frustration manifested in countless long-range efforts that, more often than not, flew wide of the goal.
That would all change, though, as whatever Klopp said to his players at half-time did the trick. Liverpool turned the game around in typical style, an ode to some of their famous midweek games at Anfield under the lights.
Two goals in three minutes from Van Dijk and Gakpo turned the game on its head – and eased the crowd off Liverpool's back. Diaz then got the goal that his countless efforts deserved, while Elliott rounded out the scoring in the last-minute to complete what, in the end, seemed a comfortable victory.
Three points, four goals scored and no injuries of note – not a bad way to prepare for Sunday's Carabao Cup showdown against Chelsea!
GOAL rates Liverpool's players from Anfield…
Getty ImagesGoalkeeper & Defence
Caoimhin Kelleher (6/10):
His unorthodox save from Chong put the ball in the path for Ogbene's goal, but it would seem harsh to pin the blame solely on him. Rarely tested apart from that strike.
Conor Bradley (8/10):
Defensive work was generally solid but it was his ability going forward that changed the game. Picked up more progressive positions in the second half and Liverpool's attack looked far more threatening for it. Great quick thinking from the throw-in for Gakpo's goal, and left the field to a standing Anfield ovation.
Jarell Quansah (6/10):
Covered out wide when needed in a classy defensive display. Looked assured when bringing the ball out from the back, too.
Virgil van Dijk (7/10):
Went about his business fairly comfortably before popping up with the equaliser – a vital goal in this game before the eventual cruise. Could've had a second from an identical position, but for Kaminski's heroics.
Joe Gomez (5/10):
The weakest of Liverpool's backline. Slow to the rebound for Ogbene's opener and offered far less than Bradley going forward. Oblivious to runners in behind and incapable of dealing with Ogbene's pace at times.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesMidfield
Alexis Mac Allister (7/10):
Was enjoying a quiet evening before his two assists in three minutes. Offered a delightful cross for Van Dijk's equaliser and was razor sharp for Gakpo's header. Two crucial contributions from the Argentine.
Wataru Endo (6/10):
Helped Liverpool turn over the ball successfully so often before being let down by poor finishing. Gakpo should have converted his delicate through-ball late on.
Ryan Gravenberch (6/10):
Won the ball well in the press and linked up play well, albeit in a midfield that was afforded plenty of space. Overall solid display.
Getty ImagesAttack
Harvey Elliott (7/10):
Started the game with immense confidence but tailed off after the opening 20 minutes. More effective dropping back into midfield, and did eventually get his goal late on. What a way to mark your 100th Liverpool appearance.
Cody Gakpo (7/10):
Like many Liverpool players, was heading towards a subpar display before a crucial goal. Showed great alertness to latch onto Mac Allister's cross. Should've had a second late on, though.
Luis Diaz (6/10):
Forgot his shooting boots in the first half but was back to his typical dangerous self in the second. Stunning solo strike papered over several poor misses. Klopp will hope Diaz takes his second-half form, not his first, to Wembley on Sunday.
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Andrew Robertson (6/10):
Brought on for Bradley midway through the second half. Got an assist for Diaz's goal barely three minutes after coming on.
Bobby Clark (6/10):
Substituted for Gravenberch with 15 minutes remaining. Rarely touched the ball as Liverpool saw out what ended up being a comfortable victory.
James McConnell (N/A):
Brought on for Mac Allister but too late to make an impact.
Jayden Danns (N/A):
Brought on for Diaz to make his Liverpool debut, albeit too late to make an impact.
Jurgen Klopp (8/10):
Asked the crowd to up the ante in a nervous 45 minutes and undoubtedly demanded the same from his players at the break. And whatever the German said worked, with a seriously depleted Liverpool squad picking up vital points – when at first it didn't look so comfortable.
The two former allrounders have joined head coach Matthew Mott as part of preparations for the next two World T20s
ESPNcricinfo staff18-May-2018Australia have added two former allrounders – Shelley Nitschke and Ashley Noffke – as assistant coaches to their support staff, headed by Matthew Mott, as part of preparations for the next two World T20s. Both Noffke and Nitschke were also part of the support staff during the recent India tour.Nitschke will also support former team-mate Leah Poulton to develop the next generation of players in the Women’s National Performance Squad, while Noffke will assist on all domestic and international tours, as well as high performance camps.”I’m delighted to have Shelley and Ashley join the coaching group for the next two years. They both bring extensive playing experience to the group, which will be invaluable,” Mott said. “I’m looking forward to seeing them build on the strong foundation that (former assistants) Joe Dawes and Tim Coyle have laid.”Shelley has an impressive coaching resume and had a really positive impact on the group during the tour to India. She knows the women’s game inside out and is a great asset for our programs.”Nitschke has been in various coaching roles with South Australia, Cricket Australia and the Adelaide Strikers, whom she also played for, when she came out of retirement in the inaugural WBBL season. She is expected to continue as the Strikers assistant coach in the next WBBL season.During her playing career for Australia women from 2005 to 2011, Nitschke picked 153 wickets across formats with her left-arm spin and scored 3118 runs, including an ODI hundred, in 115 international innings. She was ranked the No. 1 allrounder and bowler when she retired in 2011, and had been named the ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year in 2010.Noffke represented Australia in a solitary ODI in 2008 and two T20Is, and retired from first-class cricket in the 2010-11 season. He later joined the Queensland support staff as a bowling coach.Australia recently completed a successful tour of India where they whitewashed the hosts 3-0 in the ODIs, before winning a T20 tri-series that also featured England.
Everton manager Sean Dyche will have used the first international pause of the season as a chance to reset and forge ahead with his side's Premier League efforts after a disappointing start.
Suffering three successive defeats before an entertaining 2-2 draw against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane handed the Toffees their first goals and point of the campaign, a daunting clash against title-chasing Arsenal now awaits.
How much did Everton spend this summer?
After falling by the wayside last season and struggling against the threat of relegation, Everton sacked Frank Lampard in January and replaced him with former Burnley boss Dyche, who successfully manufactured an escape from danger and preserved top-flight status on a nail-biting final day, defeating Bournemouth 1-0.
Ashley Young
Free
Arnaut Danjuma
Loan
Youssef Chermiti
£15m
Jack Harrison
Loan
Beto
£26m
Fees sourced via Sky Sports.
While a summer of additions has been concluded, there has been little progress on the pitch thus far – though centre-forward Beto has been described as "fantastic" by The Athletic's Patrick Boyland for his start to life in England, having already found the net once in his two outings.
Dyche will hope to use the draw against Sheffield United as a launchpad, and while Arsenal are one of the most formidable outfits in Europe right now, the Toffees will be emboldened by their 1-0 victory over Mikel Arteta's side in the corresponding fixture last year.
In fact, Everton have won four of the past six matches against the Gunners and are unbeaten in five clashes at Goodison Park, and this could now be the opportune moment for the Blues to kickstart their season. That said, they will need to be better defensively.
Ashley Young, aged 38, has started all four of Everton's Premier League matches this season after joining in the summer, but as Boyland noted, the defence has been "very vulnerable".
Against Arsenal, perhaps it's time for Vitaliy Mykolenko to earn his first league start of the season, especially after his display against England last week, producing a solid performance to help negate the threat of Bukayo Saka.
How good is Vitaliy Mykolenko?
Indeed, analyst Liam Tharme remarked that the prodigious winger got "walloped" by the Ukrainian last Saturday, and while he produced an unforgiving defensive display, it will have caught Dyche's attention ahead of the forthcoming club clash.
Mykolenko, who was once hailed as "outstanding" by Lampard, made five clearances, two tackles and an interception, as per Sofascore, also winning four of his six duels on the day, and while Saka was still lively and elegant, he failed to produce his most effective display for the Three Lions despite hitting the woodwork. After all, this was England's Player of the Year struggling to get into the game.
Journalist Paul Brown doesn't believe that Dyche "trusts" the 24-year-old Everton defender, and while this may be the case, his physicality and robustness might be crucial in nullifying the abundant qualities of Saka, who has already posted two goals and assists apiece for Arsenal this term.
While the £58k-per-week left-back might have some questionable defensive tendencies, there's no question of his tenacity and application, ranking among the top 2% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for clearances, the top 4% for blocks and the top 10% for interceptions per 90, as per FBref.
While Dyche clearly doesn't hold Mykolenko in the highest regard, he could be an important component against Arsenal and their star man Saka and be the “hero” once again, as has been said by Joe Thomas.
It might even prove to be a masterstroke to deploy the 5 foot 11 defender to the starting fold on Sunday to stifle Saka's threat and set Everton on their way.