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It has been learnt that Rashid will not be available for the entire ILT20 and is likely to be around until December 20 before leaving for SA20

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Dec-2025Afghanistan legspinner Rashid Khan has replaced England allrounder Jordan Thompson in the MI Emirates squad for the ongoing ILT20 2025-26. Thompson has been ruled out for the rest of the season due to injury.Rashid, 27, is no stranger to the MI franchise. He is the captain of MI Cape Town in SA20 and led them to their maiden title earlier this year against Sunrisers Eastern Cape. He has also played for MI New York in Major League Cricket (MLC) in 2023 and 2024, but opted out this season. Rashid played two games for MI Emirates back in 2023, where he took four wickets.It has been learnt that Rashid will not be available for the entire ILT20, which runs till January 4, 2026 and is likely to be around until December 20 before travelling to South Africa for SA20 2025-26, where MI Cape Town play the season opener against Durban’s Super Giants on December 26.MI Emirates, the ILT20 2024 champions, will start this season against Gulf Giants in Dubai on December 4. Led by Kieron Pollard this season, they have reached the playoffs in each of the previous three seasons.The current season began on December 2, with Desert Vipers beating last year’s champions Dubai Capitals.

Chelsea have decided not to fast-track Emmanuel Emegha’s arrival from Strasbourg despite Liam Delap suffering another significant injury setback, with the club maintaining their long-planned timeline for the striker’s summer 2026 arrival. Delap’s shoulder issue leaves Enzo Maresca short of natural No.9 options, but the Blues remain committed to their original transfer plans.

Delap's injury won't change Emegha transfer plans

Chelsea entered the week preparing for their Champions League trip to Atalanta with an unexpected disruption in attack after Delap suffered a nasty shoulder injury in the 0-0 draw at Bournemouth. Delap left the pitch with his right arm supported in a sling, leaving Maresca without one of his two recognised strikers and creating immediate questions about the club’s reinforcement plans heading into January. Although early assessments indicate the issue is “quite bad,” there is not yet a definitive recovery timeline.

Because of Delap’s absence, speculation quickly grew suggesting Chelsea might accelerate the arrival of Emegha, the Strasbourg forward already pre-signed for next summer. However, the has insisted that Emegha will remain in France until the end of the season as originally agreed, with no intention of altering the transfer schedule. Chelsea believe they have enough cover internally and prefer not to disrupt the development plan set for the 22-year-old Dutch striker.

Chelsea opted to bring back Marc Guiu from his Sunderland loan back in August after Delap's earlier injury, and the plan is to stick with the former Barcelona star yet again to provide cover for Delap. Guiu replaced the injured Englishman against Bournemouth, with Maresca explaining that the physical nature of the match suited the teenager more than using Joao Pedro as a makeshift centre-forward. As a result, the club does not see the need to adjust their recruitment plans mid-season, even amid another injury blow in attack.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportChelsea left short of No.9s after Delap's injury

The timing of Delap’s injury is particularly disruptive given Chelsea’s need to balance Champions League commitments with Premier League progress. The club has scored in 20 consecutive matches across competitions before the Bournemouth draw, but the stalemate highlighted the fragility of their attacking output when key personnel are absent. Maresca’s forward line now depends heavily on the rotation of Guiu, Pedro, and Pedro Neto, the latter two of whom are not long-term natural fits as a conventional No.9.

While the decision to keep Emegha at Strasbourg appears firm, Chelsea know they must extract maximum versatility from their existing forwards in the coming months. Neto has operated as a false nine before, however, using him in that role regularly may hinder the team’s balance in wide areas. Pedro remains more effective between the lines, meaning Guiu becomes the most natural option, though the club acknowledges he is still raw and in the early stages of his development.

AFPEmegha's move pre-agreed for the summer of 2026

Emegha’s move to Chelsea was agreed months ago as part of the recruitment network shared between the club and their sister side Strasbourg. The plan is for him to complete the season in France to maximise minutes, given that he is still refining his physical and technical profile, and Chelsea consider a mid-season move potentially damaging to his progress. The Blues believe that arriving during pre-season offers him a much stronger platform to integrate and adapt.

These developmental considerations remain central to Chelsea’s reluctance to bring him in ahead of time despite the disruption caused by Delap’s injury. The 22-year-old forward has been closely monitored throughout the first half of the Ligue 1 season, and the west Londoners view his steady progression as evidence that sticking to the original timeline is beneficial. At the same time, Chelsea’s hierarchy trusts Maresca’s ability to extract attacking solutions from the current squad.

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Getty Images SportChelsea to utilise multiple players to cover for Delap

Chelsea are expected to continue with Guiu, Pedro, and Neto sharing responsibilities in central areas while Delap undergoes further medical assessment in the coming days. Maresca will rotate based on tactical needs, while the availability of Moises Caicedo and other key returnees may help stabilise the team’s overall structure. The manager is likely to offer further updates on squad depth following Tuesday’s Champions League match.

Attention will soon shift to Everton at Stamford Bridge, where a more traditional attacking setup may be preferred if Guiu continues to meet training expectations. Chelsea will be cautious not to overwork their young forwards amid a packed schedule, especially with Delap facing another potentially lengthy spell out. January discussions will continue internally, but the stance on Emegha appears settled barring an unforeseen change in circumstances.

Looking ahead, Emegha’s arrival in the summer remains a central part of Chelsea’s evolving forward blueprint, with the club expecting him to compete immediately for significant minutes. Delap’s long-term role will depend on his recovery and ability to stay fit.

The dog days of summer have come and gone and as the temperature in some parts of the globe begins to gradually drop, the temperature in MLB is rising. Division and wild card races are running hot as the calendar prepares to flip from August to September and contenders move ever closer towards solidifying playoff spots. The playoff picture in MLB is beginning to take shape but there is much still to decide. Can the defending champion Dodgers hold off a furious second-half push from the Padres to win the National League West division title? Can the Astros do the same against a surging Mariners club?

The final month of the regular season will provide the answers to these questions and more. But before all that, it's worth taking a look at the remaining schedules of each contender. Who has the toughest remaining schedule? Who has the easiest path?

Ranking MLB Contenders' Strength of Schedules

The following contending teams are ranked in order from easiest schedule to hardest schedule, in terms of opponent winning percentage.

Team

Strength of Schedule

Philadelphia Phillies

.493

New York Mets

.494

Detroit Tigers

.495

Kansas City Royals

.495

Houston Astros

.496

Cleveland Guardians

.497

Los Angeles Dodgers

.497

Milwaukee Brewers

.497

Cincinnati Reds

.498

Texas Rangers

.499

Toronto Blue Jays

.501

Boston Red Sox

.502

San Diego Padres

.503

Seattle Mariners

.505

New York Yankees

.506

Chicago Cubs

.506

Now, let's take a deeper dive into each team's schedule in the divisional and wild card races.

American League EastToronto Blue JaysPosition in Playoff Race: 1st in AL EastFangraphs Playoff Odds: 99.7%Biggest Remaining Matchups: vs. NYY Sept. 5-7, vs. BOS Sept. 23-25

Toronto will be battle-tested in the final month, as four of its final nine series will be against teams currently in the postseason picture.

Boston Red SoxPosition in Playoff Race: 1st AL Wild CardFangraphs Playoff Odds: 94.6%Biggest Remaining Matchups: vs. NYY Sept. 12-14, vs. TOR Sept. 23-25

Boston has it slightly easier than Toronto, as just three of its final nine series are against playoff teams. Six straight games against the Blue Jays and first-place Tigers to end the season is certainly a gauntlet, though.

New York Yankees Position in Playoff Race: 2nd AL Wild Fangraphs Playoff Odds: 98.1%Biggest Remaining Matchups: vs. TOR Sept. 5-7, vs. BOS Sept. 12-14

One thing is for sure: the Yankees will find out what they're made of in the season's last month. From Sept. 2 to the 14th, the Yankees, respectively, face the Astros, Blue Jays, Tigers and Red Sox. Blue Jays and Tigers and Red Sox, oh my!

American League WestHouston AstrosPosition in Playoff Race: 1st in AL WestFangraphs Playoff Odds: 90.8%Biggest Remaining Matchups: vs. SEA Sept. 19-21

The late-September series against the Mariners very well could decide the division. But games against the Yankees, two series against the Rangers and games against the Blue Jays loom large as well.

Seattle MarinersPosition in Playoff Race: 3rd AL Wild CardFangraphs Playoff Odds: 90.4%Biggest Remaining Matchups: vs. HOU Sept. 19-21

The Mariners' sneaky-tough schedule peaks in the season's final week with a pivotal series against the Astros and a test against the defending-champion Dodgers sandwiched around a series against the lowly Rockies.

American League Wild Card Race

Kansas City RoyalsPosition in Playoff Race: 4th in AL Wild Card chase Fangraphs Playoff Odds: 14.6%Biggest Remaining Matchups: vs. SEA Sept. 16-18

Kansas City has played its way back into the AL Wild Card race and will have a chance to at least cause mayhem with matchups against the Tigers, Guardians, Phillies, Mariners and Blue Jays in September.

Texas RangersPosition in Playoff Race: 5th in AL Wild Card chaseFangraphs Playoff Odds: 7.3%Biggest Remaining Matchups: vs. HOU Sept. 5-7, 15-17

Even after losing ace Nathan Eovaldi to a rotator cuff strain, the math still says the Rangers have a chance to make the postseason. And six games against the Astros in September give the 2023 World Series champs a chance to take destiny into its own hands.

Cleveland Guardians Position in Playoff Race: 6th in AL Wild Card chaseFangraphs Playoff Odds: 3.8%Biggest Remaining Matchups: vs. SEA Aug. 29-31, vs. KC Sept. 8-11, vs. TEX Sept. 26-28

The Guardians have had a nightmarish August but are still in the running for the AL Wild Card. Worst case, they muck up the plans of playoff-caliber teams like the Mariners and Red Sox. Best case, they take their nearly 4 percent playoff odds and make something crazy happen.

National League EastPhiladelphia PhilliesPosition in Playoff Race: 1st in NL EastFangraphs Playoff Odds: 99.8%Biggest Remaining Matchups: vs. MIL Sept. 1-4, vs. NYM Sept. 8-11, vs. LAD Sept. 15-17

Despite a three-game sweep at the hands of the Mets, the Phillies remain in the driver's seat for the NL East title. But four straight games against the Amazin's in mid-September could widen their lead or make this race very interesting.

New York MetsPosition in Playoff Race: 3rd NL Wild CardFangraphs Playoff Odds: 96.6%Biggest Remaining Matchups: vs. PHI Sept. 8-11, vs. SD Sept. 16-18, vs. CHC Sept. 23-25

The Mets can take one last shot at the division when they take on the Phillies later in September. But games against the Padres and Cubs present a chance for the Mets to rise up the standings and potentially secure home-field advantage for a Wild Card series should they end up as the first Wild Card.

National League WestLos Angeles DodgersPosition in Playoff Race: 1st in NL WestFangraphs Playoff Odds: 100%Biggest Remaining Matchups: vs. PHI Sept. 15-17, vs. SEA Sept. 26-28

As they look to hold into first place in the NL West, the Dodgers will benefit from a schedule that will see them play just two of their last nine series against current playoff teams.

San Diego PadresPosition in Playoff Race: 2nd NL Wild CardFangraphs Playoff Odds: 99.5%Biggest Remaining Matchups: vs. CIN Sept. 8-10, vs. NYM Sept. 16-18

The Padres don't have it as easy as the Dodgers, even though they do get to play the Rockies seven times in September. Games against the Reds and Mets will be pivotal for San Diego's standing in the Wild Card race, as well as its chances of catching Los Angeles.

National League Wild Card Race

Chicago Cubs Position in Playoff Race: 1st NL Wild CardFangraphs Playoff Odds: 99.5%Biggest Remaining Matchups: vs. CIN Sept. 18-21, vs. NYM Sept. 23-25

While the Cubs still have an outside shot at the NL Central title, their most likely path to the postseason is through the wild card, in which they currently hold homefield advantage for a potential series.

Cincinnati RedsPosition in Playoff Race: 4th in NL Wild Card chaseFangraphs Playoff Odds: 3.5%Biggest Remaining Matchups: vs. NYM Sept. 5-7, vs. SD Sept. 8-10, vs. CHC Sept. 18-21

The Reds have a golden opportunity to increase their playoff odds with September series against the Mets, Padres and Cubs, each of whom is ahead of them in the NL Wild card standings.

Strength of schedules and playoff odds are subject to change. Here are the latest, up-to-date strength of schedules and playoff odds.

One half down, one half to go.

The All-Star Game and its thrilling tiebreaker swing-off officially marked the midway point of the baseball season. While some players used the first half to build a surprising MVP resume (we're looking at you, Cal Raleigh), others didn't quite live up to expectations.

Here's a look at six players who are hoping to turn things around in the second half:

Anthony Volpe, SS, Yankees

Over two-and-a-half seasons to start his career, Volpe has never really gotten his bat going. He owns a career 84 OPS+ (the league average is 100) and a .224 batting average. This year, Volpe is hitting .214/.287/.384 with 10 homers and 10 stolen bases.

In the past, Volpe has made up for his offensive shortcomings with an elite glove. That hasn't been the case in 2025. Volpe, who won a Gold Glove as a rookie in 2023, has struggled at shortstop. He has made 11 errors—the fourth-most in baseball and the most among AL shortstops—and has just two defensive runs saved at the break, compared to 15 DRS in '23. Volpe appears to be in his head, too, making mental mistakes like this one:

There's still plenty of baseball left to play this summer. But if Volpe can't figure it out, perhaps the Yankees will be shopping for a new shortstop this offseason.

Ozzie Albies, 2B, Braves

Albies was a key piece of the Braves' run of six straight NL East titles from 2018 to '23, but his best days appear to be behind him.

Among the 16 qualified second basemen across MLB, Albies ranks 15th in OPS (.606), batting average (.220) and wRC+ (72). He has yet to rediscover the power that helped him hit 33 homers in 2023, socking just seven long balls over the first half.

Albies still has his everyday job at second base. But his future in Atlanta is in doubt with a $7 million club option looming in 2026.

Willy Adames, SS, Giants

Still searching for a new franchise shortstop after they rescinded a lucrative offer to Carlos Correa in in 2022, the Giants signed Adames to a seven-year contract worth $182 million in December. It hasn't aged well.

Adames, who hit at least 31 homers in two of the last three seasons, only mashed 12 dingers over 96 games in the first half. He is actually making good contact—a career-high 45.2% hard-hit rate—but it hasn't produced the results San Francisco was hoping for with a slash line of .220/.307/.373.

If the Giants are going to catch the Dodgers in the NL West, they'll need their $182 million shortstop to start living up to his price tag.

Mookie Betts, SS, Dodgers

For the first time since 2015—his first full season in the big leagues—Betts wasn't named an All-Star this summer.

The uber-talented shortstop batted just .244/.315/.381 over the first half, adding up to a .696 OPS—well short of his career .885 OPS. In fact, Betts has never posted an OPS south of .803 in his 12-year career.

So, what's going on? His BABIP sits at a career-low .247, so there might be a bit of bad luck involved. But his average exit velocity is way down (28th percentile), and his hard-hit rate (35.4%) ranks in the bottom fifth of qualified hitters.

“If I knew [what was wrong]," Betts said in late June, "I promise you I wouldn’t keep doing it."

Royce Lewis, 3B, Twins

In the early days of his career, Lewis, the No. 1 pick of the 2017 draft, was one of the most exciting players in baseball. The only problem was he couldn't stay healthy.

Lewis has struggled with his health again in 2025, missing some time due to hamstring issues. But his production on the field has been far short of what the Twins have come to expect. In 42 games, Lewis is batting .216/.281/.302 with just eight extra-base hits (six doubles, two homers). His 1.3 HR% is a far cry from the 5.5 HR% he posted over the first three seasons of his career.

Minnesota entered the season featuring one of the most exciting offensive trios in baseball in Lewis, Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton. While Buxton has held up his end of the bargain (.925 OPS), Correa (.694 OPS) and Lewis (.583 OPS) have not.

Zac Gallen, RHP, Diamondbacks

Unless he drastically turns things around in the second half, Gallen, pitching on the final year of his deal, probably won't land the free-agent contract he was hoping for this offseason.

In a league-high 20 starts, Gallen has registered a 5.40 ERA and 1.374 WHIP. His strikeouts are significantly down this year—8.6 K/9 compared to 9.5 K/9 last year—and his walks are way up—3.5 BB/9 compared to 2.0 BB/9 in 2023 when he finished third in NL Cy Young voting.

With the Diamondbacks (47-50) falling behind in the NL playoff race, Gallen is a candidate to be dealt at the deadline. Perhaps a change in scenery can help the 29-year-old find his old form.

After watching him clobber two home runs in Game 1 and deliver an RBI single earlier in Game 2, the Cincinnati Reds were done pitching to Shohei Ohtani. So, when the reigning National League MVP stepped to the plate in the bottom of the seventh inning with a runner on second base and one out on Wednesday night, the Reds opted to intentionally walk him.

Can you blame them?

But the decision didn't pay off, as the next batter, Mookie Betts, hit an RBI double to extend the Dodgers' lead to 8-2. And even though Betts helped orchestrate the decision's backfire, he told reporters after the game that he doesn't blame teams for not wanting to pitch to Ohtani.

"Nothing," Betts said when asked what goes through his mind when he's intentionally walked. "I wouldn't let Shohei swing either. I mean, I understand. I expect the Phillies to do it. I expect [it to happen] for the rest of the postseason. I undertstand. I understand Shohei. I understand the situation of the game. And so I just gotta be ready to do my thing."

And ready he was, as Betts' RBI double proved to be valuable insurance when the Reds would bring the tying run to the plate with the bases loaded in the top of the eighth inning, a jam the Dodgers bullpen navigated out of.

And as for intentionally walking Ohtani to pitch to Betts, it may be a short-lived strategy with the latter heating up at the dish. Betts collected six hits and three RBI in the Dodgers' sweep of the Reds.

Game 1 of the National League Division Series against the Phillies begins on Saturday.

Meet Drew Gilbert. The Giants rookie outfielder has hit .242 with four home runs and an .757 OPS since he was called up a month ago. He also likes to get choked in the dugout, which he has apparently talked teammate Matt Chapman into doing multiple times since he joined the team.

During San Francisco's win over the Diamondbacks on Monday the broadcast ran a montage of Gilbert's antics from the game. They included getting choked by Chapman, slapping things and shaking uncontrollably.

Earlier this month teammate Willy Adames said that Gilbert comes in each day like he "has new batteries," is hilarious and brought energy to the club that the Giants needed. Gilbert was traded to the Giants organization in late July as part of the trade that sent Tyler Rogers to the Mets and he quickly made his MLB debut and an impression.

The official MLB X account also posted a montage of Gilbert doing things like getting choked last week.

The Giants have won 12 of their last 15 games and are now just three games out of the final Wild Card spot. Ironically, they'll need the Mets to choke to sneak into the postseason.

Who do you pick from among the stellar middle-order players going around? Our in-house selection panel tackles that and other thorny questions

Sreshth Shah03-May-202027:19

Which players would make it to a current World Test XI?

In the first instalment of , a new series where we ask our writers to pick all-star teams based on certain criteria, we selected the best XI from among all the Asian World Cup-winning sides. In episode two, George Dobell, Osman Samiuddin and Andrew Fernando take up the unenviable task of selecting the best Test XI (along with a 12th man) from among the world’s current cricketers. Quite a few players were unanimous choices, but there was plenty of debate too. Watch how our selectors arrived at their picks in the video above.4:38

Don’t we have any top-drawer Test openers?

The opener dilemma
Let’s face it. Very few compelling choices exist among openers successful in all conditions. Does Tamim Iqbal’s form in England earn him a place? Has Tom Latham proved his worth in Asia? Does Mayank Agarwal’s Test average of 57.29 make him an obvious choice? Who did our selectors eventually pick?Come down to the middle order and it’s the opposite. Smith, Kohli, Williamson, Labuschagne, Pujara, Azam and Co. You can pick only three. Who’d be a selector?3:28

A toss-up between two offspinners

Who will keep? Who will spin?
Two front-line contenders in the race for the wicketkeeper’s spot. Guess who they are, and who our panel picked. (They didn’t spend too long debating this one.)Two offies, a leggie, and a left-arm orthodox tweaker were the contenders for the spinner’s spot. One was swiftly discarded based on current form, but the other three offer such varied benefits that they needed to be weighed against each other. Ravindra Jadeja is the ideal allrounder, Nathan Lyon has been excellent on surfaces in Australia – where spin bowling has never been simple – but R Ashwin’s success in Asia cannot be ignored either. Can the experts fit more than one into this XI?6:44

Spoilt for choice with fast bowlers

Does Pat Cummins score over Jasprit Bumrah?
Is it fair to judge Bumrah – who plays most of his Tests in seam-friendly conditions while being rested in Asia, where fast bowling is toughest – on the same yardstick as other seamers? How strong a case do Kagiso Rabada and Trent Boult make? What about one of the other Indian seamers? Questions, questions. Dream Teams,

Australia will never have a better chance to trial Will Pucovski, and the absence of Virat Kohli after the first Test makes room for a talented Indian batsman to step up

Ian Chappell22-Nov-2020This summer’s chaotic, pandemic-plagued Australian cricket schedule may just benefit India in their quest to repeat last tour’s series victory.India’s enforced period of lockdown – with training allowed – will provide the team more time to acclimatise in Australian conditions than the rushed pre-Test schedule that touring teams normally experience.The extra training period during lockdown gives the bowlers ample opportunity to work out what length is applicable in Australia, and for the batsmen to become accustomed to the unusually steep bounce. A lot of touring batsmen have trouble in scoring sufficient runs off the back foot in Australia. It is not enough to just survive against short-pitched bowling in Australia, you also have to be able to score off those deliveries. Until a batsman proves he can make runs regularly against that style of attack, he will continue to be peppered with short stuff.ALSO READ: Three young cricketers I’d like to watch in the 2020-21 Australia v India seriesBeing on the receiving end of a concerted short-pitched attack can rattle a player and cause his footwork to become uncertain. On the other hand, if he adequately copes with the onslaught, the bowlers then have to resort to a more full-length mode of attack and this can lead to greater scoring opportunities.This battle of wills was best summed up by former England fast bowler John Snow who enjoyed a very successful tour of Australia in 1970-71. When asked to explain the bouncer, Snow replied, “It’s a short and emphatic examination paper that you put to the batsman.”Mind you, if the Indian selectors have done their job properly, the batsmen currently enduring the Sydney lockdown training will become re-acquainted with the requirements needed on bouncy pitches rather than being confused by the experience.Speaking of confusion, I was flummoxed by the Australian coach’s summation of the choice between incumbent Joe Burns and rising star Will Pucovski for the job of David Warner’s opening partner. Justin Langer said, “When guys have done a really good job for us – like in this case that Joe [Burns] and Davey [Warner] did for us last summer – those sorts of partnerships are really important, so we should never underestimate that.”In response I’d say that equally, you shouldn’t overestimate the value of the partnership. Burns’ contributions last summer equated to an aggregate of 256 runs at an average of 32 with two half-centuries. That is the performance of a below-average Test player.ALSO READ: Justin Langer hints that Joe Burns will retain opening spot ahead of Will PucovskiIf no one else is vying for the position then Burns retains his place. However, Pucovski has been banging on the door for a while now – something Langer craves. Pucovski has taken a sledgehammer to the entryway by making six centuries at Shield level, three of them doubles; two of those double-hundreds came this season. He has well and truly proved he is good enough at that level, so it’s time to see if he can succeed in the Test arena.If the selectors are worried about his mental health, which has been a problem so far in his short career, then now is the right time to see if he has overcome those issues in the pressure cooker of international competition. He’ll never have a better chance to prove himself, with his confidence at an all-time high after back-to-back double-centuries.If Pucovski is chosen and succeeds, he’ll form with Marnus Labuschagne, and perhaps Cameron Green, the backbone of Australia’s batting when Warner and Steve Smith move on. Travis Head would be another candidate if he produces the right form to retain his place.India also face a selection dilemma when skipper Virat Kohli departs for home for the birth of his first child following the opening Test. This creates both a big hole in the Indian batting order and an opportunity for one of their talented young players to make a name for himself.What was already shaping up as an exciting tussle now has the added stimulus of crucial selection decisions. The result could well come down to who is the bravest set of selectors.

Also: which batting position has the highest average in Tests?

Steven Lynch08-Dec-2020Is it right that Kane Williamson’s 251 was the highest score by a captain against the West Indies? asked Justin Barratt from New Zealand
It’s not quite right: Kane Williamson’s 251 in the first Test in Hamilton was actually the second-highest by a captain against West Indies – it remains behind Peter May’s 285 not out for England at Edgbaston in 1957. There have been only six other double-centuries by captains against West Indies in Tests, as the list shows.Williamson’s innings did set some other records, though. It was New Zealand’s highest Test score at home to West Indies, beating Ross Taylor’s 217 not out in Dunedin in 2013-14; their only higher score against West Indies was Glenn Turner’s 259 in Georgetown in 1971-72. And it was not only the highest Test score at Hamilton’s Seddon Park – previously Joe Root’s 226 for England last December – but the highest score in all first-class cricket there, beating Peter Ingram’s 247 for Central Districts against Northern Districts in 2008-09.I was watching the Kane Williamson masterclass against the Windies, and wondered which batsmen in Test cricket have scored the highest percentage of their team’s runs in Tests during their careers? asked Nick Perry from Australia
It shouldn’t come as a great surprise – especially to an Australian – that the top name on this list is Don Bradman, who scored 24.28% of Australia’s runs in his 52 Tests (and that includes two matches in which he did not bat because of injury). Next on this list, according to Wisden (whose table has a qualification of 20 Tests), come West Indians George Headley (21.38% of their runs in 22 Tests) and Brian Lara (18.87% in 131). The leading current player, in seventh, is Steve Smith (17.49% in 73). Kane Williamson currently sits outside the top ten, with 15.93% after his 251 in Hamilton. He may yet pass the leading New Zealander, Bert Sutcliffe, who lies 12th: he scored 16.87% of their runs in his 42 Tests.Which batting position has the highest average in Tests? I thought the openers had the most opportunities, but actually not many of the leading run scorers are openers… asked Hemant Kher from the United States
The average score for the openers across all 2393 Tests (and half the 2394th, between New Zealand and West Indies in Hamilton) is 35.80 – that’s 36.91 for No. 1, and 34.67 for No. 2. My bet was that No. 3 would be the highest, but even that man, Don Bradman, doing most of his scoring from there only raises the average to 39.78. The winner, if that’s the right word, is No. 4, with an overall Test batting average of 40.92.From there, as you’d probably expect, the averages go down. No. 5 is 38.09, No. 6 32.58, No. 7 27.68, No. 8 21.33, No. 9 15.61, No. 10 11.57, and No. 11 (despite 2957 not-outs) just 8.60. For completeness, we should probably mention No. 12, as three men have gone in there recently after concussion substitutions. The bad news is that none of those three managed a run, so No. 12’s average is 0.00.Lakshan Sandakan has, so far, sent down nearly 180 overs in ODIs without bowling a maiden•BCCIWho has bowled the most in ODI cricket without bowling a single maiden? asked Geetha Krishnan from India
That’s an interesting one, and the answer is a bit of a surprise as it’s a specialist bowler rather than a part-timer: the Sri Lankan left-arm wristspinner Lakshan Sandakan has so far played 24 one-day internationals, taking 20 wickets at 58.05 apiece. He’s sent down 1076 deliveries – the equivalent of 179.2 overs – but hasn’t yet managed a maiden. The second-placed man is probably less of a shock: South Africa’s long-time captain Graeme Smith was never a regular bowler, although he did end up with 18 wickets in his 197 ODIs. He served up 1026 deliveries of fairly straightforward offspin – 171 overs – with not a maiden in sight.For the list, click here.After last week’s question about the fastest hundreds in men’s ODIs, I was wondering what the equivalent women’s record was? asked Lesley Clarke from England
The fastest hundred in women’s one-day internationals was scored by Australia’s Meg Lanning, who got there in just 45 balls against New Zealand in North Sydney in 2012-13. That’s actually quicker than any Australian man, a fact I managed to miss last week. Lanning beat the record held by one of her predecessors as captain, Karen Rolton, who reached three figures in 57 balls against South Africa in Lincoln (New Zealand) during the 2000 World Cup.Next come two centuries by New Zealand in a run-soaked series in Ireland in 2018: Maddy Green got there in 62 balls in the first match, at Claremont Road, while two days later in the second game Sophie Devine needed only 59 at The Vineyard, also in Dublin. Next – and England’s fastest – is Charlotte Edwards’ in 70 balls against New Zealand in Lincoln in 2011-12.Use our feedback form or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

A deeply scientific analysis comes to a foregone conclusion

Alan Gardner15-Sep-2021Another week, another venerable institution falls victim to cancel culture. But while we lament the latest blow to Test cricket, surely an even greater pang was felt by those readying themselves to ballyhoo India for scaling yet another peak in the game.With the series result in limbo, we may never be able to proclaim India winners in England, backing up their twin successes in Australia to go with an indomitable record at home. The greatness of Virat Kohli’s team is there for all to see, although some people do keep pointing to evidence suggesting they not be the best around. Such as the fact they lost the World Test Championship final to New Zealand. And that they are ranked No. 2 in the world, behind New Zealand. And their only series defeat in the last three years came against… New Zealand.So which of these teams is actually the best? The Light Roller has put together this largely unscientific comparison:Captains
Loveable and humble as he is, Kohli would have to go some to outdo Kane Williamson in the popularity stakes. Even those who pretend to find fault with his “neck beard” can’t avoid wanting a slice of Kane. Plus, he’s in charge of the No. 1-ranked WTC champions (have we mentioned that?) so he must be doing something right.
Verdict: New ZealandCoaches
The reappointment of Ravi Shastri to the India job was undoubtedly a great service to cricket commentary boxes the world over. But we’ll have to give this one to Gary Stead on the basis that he picks from a player pool consisting of the roughly two dozen New Zealanders who don’t like rugby.
Verdict: New ZealandBatting
While it’s possible to make a strong case for Rohit Sharma winning this category all on his own, we’ve got no time for such hipster posturing. According to our sophisticated database, India’s three middle-order musketeers, Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane, haven’t made a century since well before anyone had heard of Wuhan. And New Zealand have Devon Conway.
Verdict: New ZealandBowling
India are blessed with such riches that they could probably pick two separate attacks – and R Ashwin might not get in either of them. But can any of that compare to Williamson packing the leg-side field and programming Neil Wagner to run in hour after hour and repeatedly try to hit the batter in the head? Wagner-Ball wins every time.
Verdict: New ZealandStyle
Another no-contest, unfortunately. Both teams wear their abilities well and are comfortable strutting their stuff. But while New Zealand could till recently call on the timeless wonder of Colin de Grandhomme’s mullet, India have to answer for Ravindra Jadeja and his various crimes against denim.
Verdict: New ZealandAnyway, after adding that all up and cross-checking with social media, there’s only one possible conclusion as to who has the best Test team in the world. It is, of course… New Zealand India! Never in doubt.

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Spare a thought for the ICC (not something we would suggest you do very often), after cricket’s governing body found itself stuck between a rock and the end of a 20-year war. The return to power of the Taliban in Afghanistan might well have all sorts of implications for the stability of the region, the fates of innocent people, and a geopolitical landscape that is – to slip into some particularly egregious cricketing parlance – genuinely a bit of a minefield. But it turns out the first thing many people wanted to know about after the fall of Kabul was how far the Afghanistan Cricket Board had got with its women’s programme (answer: not very). Cricket Australia, in particular, is very concerned about this, despite being party to the process of giving Afghanistan Full Membership four years ago – when the country didn’t have a women’s team at all. The put-upon folk at the ICC, meanwhile, can console themselves with the thought that they are already well used to dealing with despotic regimes (insert least-preferred Big Three member here).

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The resignation of the head coach a month before the start of a global tournament – in the midst of protracted manoeuvring over who will be the new chairman of the board – might just seem like Pakistan doing Pakistan things. And even when you consider that the man doing the resigning was staid, sensible old Misbah-ul-Haq, if you start doing the sums, it quickly adds up. Misbah, of course, was on the committee two years ago that recommended the sacking of Mickey Arthur and then – what luck! – stepped straight in to the fill the vacancy (taking on the role of head selector, for good measure, too). Having bided his time through a largely uninspiring run in charge, you might have assumed he would doggedly occupy the crease until the last – but then you remember that staid, sensible, over-my-dead-body Misbah also scored one of the fastest Test hundreds of all time. In short, we should have seen this coming. Classic tuk-tuk boom.