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Mitch Marsh made nine om Sheffield Shield return amid speculation he’s an outside contender for an Ashes spot, as Sam Elliott’s 5 for 33 put Victoria in control

AAP04-Dec-2025Mitchell Marsh’s return to red-ball cricket has not gone to plan with the Ashes outsider failing for Western Australia against Victoria in the Sheffield Shield.Marsh had been touted as a potential shock factor at the top of Australia’s order in the series against England. But his return to Shield ranks yielded only nine runs, batting at No.3 for WA on Thursday’s opening day at the MCG.WA struggled to 194 all out, with Sam Elliott taking 5 for 33, before ladder-leading Victoria reached 51 without loss at stumps.Marsh’s most recent Shield match was in October last year. And he hadn’t played a first-class game since being axed from the Test side after the Boxing Day win against India last year, when he scored four and a duck.Marsh’s surprise return to red-ball cricket came amid speculation Test selectors are toying with deploying the hard-hitting batter as an opener against England.But after Travis Head’s first Test heroics at the top of the order, Marsh’s prospects of adding to his 46 Tests appear slimmer.On Thursday, the 34-year-old struck two fours, including a trademark pull shot. But he was also troubled by the movement of Victorian quick Mitchell Perry, who had a couple of lbw shouts turned down against Marsh.Australia’s T20 captain lasted only 16 balls, launching at a full, wide delivery from Perry and edging to wicketkeeper Sam Harper.Allrounder Aaron Hardie top-scored with 53 from 73 balls and Cameron Bancroft was next best with 39, while Jayden Goodwin and Cameron Gannon chipped in.But the West Australians collectively folded late as Elliott crashed through the lower order after Perry captured the initial three wickets.Elliott, who also took a five-for against NSW last month, took five of the last six wickets to fall as WA lost 5 for 42.Victoria’s opening batters Blake Macdonald and Harry Dixon posted a half-century stand inside 13 overs.Eight points clear atop the table, Victoria are chasing a fifth win from six games against WA who have one win from five games.

The Blue Jays host the Dodgers in Game 1 of the World Series on Friday night, with a shot at taking down the reigning champions and winning their first title since 1993.

While this year’s Blue Jays have had their fair share of “team of destiny” moments already in the postseason, the challenge of the Dodgers is simply on a different level. Los Angeles sports a lineup that can go bat-for-bat with Toronto, and a pitching staff the likes of which the Jays have not yet faced in the postseason.

Taking the mound for the Dodgers in Game 1 is two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell, who so far this postseason has pitched 21 innings and given up just six hits and two runs while striking out 28. Will the Blue Jays be able to break through against Snell? Or will the lefty continue his dominant run with another great start on the road?

Below we take a look at how some of Toronto’s best bats match up against Snell.

All stats come with the help of StatHead.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is in the midst of one of the greatest postseason runs we have ever seen from a hitter, and looking worth every dollar of the $500 million contract extension he signed back in April. Vladdy is slashing an absolutely absurd .442/.510/.930 so far this postseason, with six home runs, 11 runs scored and 12 RBIs. He has struck out just three times.

The Blue Jays will need Guerrero to keep up his hot streak if they are going to take the title, but the slugger will have his work cut out for him against Snell on Friday night. Guerrero is just 2-for-9 in his career against Snell, with three walks and no strikeouts. He has not produced a hit against Snell since the 2020 season.

Obviously we are working with small sample sizes here, and it’s possible that Guerrero’s current hot streak is more indicative than any stats on previous plate appearances vs. Snell could be, but it’s worth noting that Toronto’s best hitter will be facing his toughest competition yet on the mound.

George Springer

The SA allrounder’s century in the Guwahati Test marks a steady rise in his ability

Firdose Moonda23-Nov-20253:14

Philander: ‘Muthusamy deserves all the accolades coming his way’

If you’re surprised to be reading the words Senuran Muthusamy, Test centurion, don’t worry. You’re probably not the only one.Though Muthusamy has spent his domestic career labelled as a batting allrounder, he was picked at international level as more of a bowling allrounder. He was included in South Africa’s Guwahati XI at the expense of a seamer, rather than one of the frontline batters (remember Zubayr Hamza and Dewald Brevis are sitting on the sidelines). Still, he managed to do what no-one else has in the series so far: score a hundred.And he did it while demonstrating the perfect technique for these conditions, with a solid defence, the ability to play the ball late and levels of patience that Ravi Shastri called “meditative.” While Muthusamy himself often only goes as far as saying he is “just trying to do a job for the team,” as he did in Sunday’s post-match press conference, he also showed a skill set that ranged from navigating Mohammed Siraj in fading light on day one to negotiating Jasprit Bumrah and India’s spinners on day two.Muthusamy occupied the crease with monk-like discipline. In the early stages of his innings, he looked for runs only when he could steer the ball behind square. He had two nervy moments – one, when he was on 37 and edged Bumrah short of second slip; the other on 48, when he missed a sweep and was given out lbw to Jadeja.Related

• Jansen reaches great heights and carries South Africa with him

• India confront the steepest of challenges

• Muthusamy ton, Jansen 93 put South Africa in dominant position

South Africa had just crossed 300 at the time, and his partnership with Kyle Verreynne was worth 57. Muthusamy later told the broadcasters he was so “emotional and disappointed” at losing his wicket that he just reviewed, not knowing whether there was anything that could save him. While he waited for the replays and chatted to Verreynne, Muthusamy said he realised there was the possibility the ball brushed his glove, although he didn’t feel it. When the smallest of spikes resulted in Rod Tucker’s on-field out decision being overturned, neither the Indian fielders nor Muthusamy could believe it, but that’s sport. There’s often some luck involved.Muthusamy capitalised on his, and later, revealed his improved hand-eye coordination was down to a stint with a South African sports scientist, Dr Sheryll Calder, who founded EyeGym – an organisation that works with ordinary people and athletes to sharpen motor responses.Senuran Muthusamy had an answer to everything the Indians threw at him•AFP/Getty ImagesThere was a point when Muthusamy “wasn’t sure if I’d ever play Test cricket again, and certainly not in India.” For four years after his debut in Visakhapatnam, he just went into what he called “the wilderness,” of domestic cricket, where he took 76 wickets in 24 matches at 25.15. He was looked at again when Shukri Conrad took over as head coach. Even then, Muthusamy played just one game in 2023, against West Indies in Centurion, where South Africa went all-pace but with the security of someone who could bowl spin. He only bowled eight overs in the match.Since then, Muthusamy has played six of South Africa’s 21 Tests but only appeared in consecutive matches once, in Pakistan last month where conditions called for an extra spinner. That he can bat is a bonus (especially for a coach like Conrad who places significant store in allrounders), and it’s proved more than handy in Guwahati.And let’s not forget that Muthusamy definitely can bat. His game awareness, especially of his own scoring strengths – which is something South Africa have been working on – was exemplary, and he even ventured out of his crease as his innings progressed. When he was on 68 and had seen Marco Jansen clear the ropes, Muthusamy decided he could also show aggression. Washington Sundar tossed the ball up and Muthusamy slogged it over long-on for his first six. Jansen would go on to hit six more sixes during what Muthusamy called a “sublime knock,” helping South Africa race past 400.Muthusamy and Verreynne managed just 28 runs in the first hour of play and scored at a rate of 2.23 per over, but when that partnership was broken and Jansen came in, the run-rate jumped to 5.49. Several factors, including an older ball and a flat pitch, contributed to the difference. But mostly it was Jansen.5:06

‘Extremely tactical’ hitting from Jansen

“He’s got fantastic levers, he’s a clean striker of the ball, and he really showed his skills today,” Muthusamy said. “That was a treat to watch from the other end. It was really attritional cricket out there until Marco came in and really played his shots beautifully. It was a good challenge and then awesome to just build those partnerships and really extend our first innings.”After bettering his previous career-best of 84 with a swing over midwicket, Jansen was on track for a first Test hundred, and furious with himself when he bottom-edged Kuldeep Yadav onto his stumps on 93. But South Africa could still be satisfied with their highest score in India, since the 558 for 6 declared in Nagpur in 2010. The next step is figuring out how to take wickets a surface that is still excellent for batting.Muthusamy seems to be banking on the collective experience of the South African attack more than the prospect of the surface deteriorating and taking turn as the team goes in search of a series win. “We’ll adjust accordingly to the conditions. Simon (Harmer), Kesh(av Maharaj), and myself have got a lot of experience,” he said. “Simon’s got over 1,000 first-class wickets and Kesh has over 200 international wickets, so there’s a vast amount of experience, and I look forward to seeing how things unfold.”Don’t forget Muthusamy has 277 first-class wickets, including 11 in the Lahore Test last month, which contributed to him earning the Player-of-the-Series award. He also scored 89* in the Rawalpindi game, giving South Africa a match-winning lead, and showing the full range of what he offers. Perhaps he shouldn’t be categorised as either a batting allrounder or a bowling allrounder, but rather what he thinks he is. “I see myself as an allrounder,” he said, no caveat attached besides this one. “And it’s tough being a spinning allrounder in South Africa. Conditions are a lot different to the subcontinent. But when we get an opportunity to come to the subcontinent, we really look forward to it.”

Talks are underway between Manchester United and Wrexham for the two clubs to take part in a headline-grabbing friendly next summer in pre-season ahead of the 2026/27 campaign. Scandinavia has been touted as a possible destination but nothing is yet confirmed, as discussions continue. The two clubs last faced each other in a friendly in July 2023 in San Diego in the United States, with Wrexham coming out 3-1 winners against a youthful Red Devils side.

• Wrexham could face Man United again in 2026 friendly

  The Athletic report that United and Wrexham may do battle once again in pre-season next summer, with the Red Devils no doubt hoping to come out on top at the second time of asking, after their 2023 defeat in front of a record 34,248 crowd at Snapdragon Stadium.

  Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac’s side will be acutely aware of the lucrative business opportunity that another friendly against United represents, as Wrexham look to increase their ever-growing global profile in the game. The Red Dragons currently sit in 14th place in the Championship, just four points off the play-offs and harboring ambitions of forcing their way into the top six come the end of the season.

  Meanwhile, United are sixth in the Premier League, level on points with fifth-placed Chelsea, and will hope to have regained their spot in Europe by the time a prospective pre-season friendly with Wrexham comes around.

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• Getty Images
  

  United and Wrexham's dramatic previous encounters

  The last time the two clubs faced off, Wrexham striker Paul Mullin was seriously injured in an incident which resulted in him suffering a punctured lung following a challenge by United goalkeeper Nathan Bishop, with Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson describing it as a “clumsy, reckless challenge”.

  Mullin is somewhat of a modern-day Wrexham legend after scoring 110 goals in 172 matches for the club, and spearheaded the Hollywood-backed outfit’s rise up the Football League. Now 31, he is out on loan at Wigan Athletic in League One.

  Wrexham and Man United last did battle in a competitive clash back in 1995, in an FA Cup Fourth Round tie which ended 5-2 to the Red Devils at Old Trafford. Wrexham were in the third tier at the time and took a shock 1-0 lead into half-time, before Dennis Irwin, Ryan Giggs and Brian McClair were all on the score-sheet in a comeback win for the Premier League giants.

  Should Wrexham’s current club trajectory continue as it has in recent seasons, Reynolds and Mac will dream of facing United in a competitive scenario once again – maybe even in the league, if their ultimate goal of reaching the top flight is realized.

• Wrexham confirm new investment amidst Man United friendly news

  As Wrexham continue to grow on and off the pitch, it was revealed earlier this week that the Welsh outfit and their A-list owners have sold a minor stake in the club to Apollo Sports Capital. The American sports investment firm – which recently bought a majority stake in Atletico Madrid – will join the club’s ownership and contribute to their ambitions of seeing the side establish themselves in the Championship and sustain themselves in preparation for a push to gain promotion to the Premier League. 

  Wrexham have already gained three promotions from the National League to the second tier since Reynolds and Mac bought the club in 2021 and immediately injected £2million ($2.7m) into what became the shoots of a highly memorable run up the pyramid.

  Manager Parkinson said of the latest investment, reported by BBC Sport Wales: "I think it's really positive news for the club. It helps the club moving forward and building a sustainable club for the future. It's a great, positive story. Everybody's looking forward to working with the new investors.

  "Everything stays the same football-wise, but Michael [Williamson, club chief executive officer] has kept me informed over the last few weeks. I was aware that there was something going on a while ago," added Parkinson.

  "It's about putting those building blocks in place for the short and long-term. This is another step towards that. We're a club that's building all the time, on and off the pitch, and this is another step in that direction."

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Wrexham continue to build towards their lofty ambitions

  Amidst the arrival of ASC as investors and the prospect of a friendly with Man United on the horizon, Wrexham’s future off the pitch continues to look in very healthy shape. On the pitch, the Red Dragons will look to push for a play-off place in the Championship and see where the remainder of the season takes them.

It feels like Chelsea’s momentum is starting to build this season.

Enzo Maresca’s side had a few poor results earlier in the campaign, but have just come off a week that saw them demolish Barcelona in the Champions League.

Then, a few days later, they held Premier League leaders Arsenal to a 1-1 draw, despite being a man down for over half the game.

One of Chelsea’s best players in this uptick in form has been Marc Cucurella, but if reports are to be believed, he could soon have some extra competition for his place in the team.

Chelsea target Cucurella rival

With the winter transfer window now so close, Chelsea have unsurprisingly been linked with a huge number of players.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

For example, the West Londoners have been one of several sides linked with an audacious move for Juventus’ Kenan Yıldız, and if that wasn’t exciting enough, Real Madrid’s Eduardo Camavinga has also been touted for a £70m move to Stamford Bridge.

However, while these two players would most certainly improve Maresca’s squad, if not his starting lineup, they cannot really be described as competition for Cucurella, unlike Castello Lukeba.

Yes, according to a recent report from Caught Offside, Chelsea are one of a number of teams interested in the French defender.

Alongside the Blues, the report claims Liverpool, Manchester United and Newcastle United are all keen on the 22-year-old, but the good news is that it is the West Londoners who are leading the race at the moment.

Interestingly, while he has a release clause worth up to €90m in his contract, which is about £79m, the report has revealed that RB Leipzig may be willing to let him leave for around €60m, which is just £53m.

It could still be a complicated transfer to get over the line, but with how talented Lukeba is, one Chelsea should fight for, especially as he could provide more competition for Cucurella.

How Lukeba compares to Cucurella

Now, the first thing to say is that it feels incredibly unlikely that any defender would come into this Chelsea side in January and immediately displace Cucurella.

After all, the Spaniard is one of the first names on the team sheet at the moment.

However, all great teams need serious competition in all areas of the pitch, and by signing Lukeba, Maresca would be ensuring that he has that at left-back and extra cover at centre-back.

Yes, the Frenchman has spent most of his career playing in the centre of a defence, but he has got some experience out on the left, and players like Jorrel Hato, Jurrien Timber and even Riccardo Calafiori all prove that centre-backs can transition to become more of a full-back.

Moreover, respected analyst-turned-Como scout Ben Mattinson has even described the 22-year-old as a “perfect LB/LCB hybrid for the modern game.”

Mattinon goes on to describe the Frenchman as “defensively exceptional,” pointing out his “outstanding timing of last man tackles” as one of the reasons why.

However, he’s not just a lockdown defender, as u23 scout Antonio Mango has described him as someone who “excels on the ball” and has “that line breaking ability” so many managers want from their full-backs and centre-backs.

With all that said, his most significant advantage over Cucurella, and the reason he could seriously challenge him for game time, is his defensive solidity, and the numbers back that up.

According to FBref, the Leipzig star outperforms the Blues ace in most defensive metrics, including ball recoveries, aerial duels won, blocks, interceptions and clearances.

Ultimately, Cucurella’s place in Chelsea’s starting lineup is guaranteed at the moment, but were Maresca to get his hands on Lukeba, he could have some serious competition.

Chelsea are brewing a "monstrous" star at Cobham who's their next James

The incredible Cobham prospect could become Chelsea’s next Reece James.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Dec 3, 2025

India have a training session in Kolkata on Tuesday morning but Gill is not expected to take part in that

Sreshth Shah16-Nov-20253:39

Bangar: Sai Sudharsan should have played instead of a fourth spinner

India Test captain Shubman Gill has been discharged from the hospital where he was receiving treatment for neck spasm sustained during the first Test against South Africa in Kolkata. He, however, remains in doubt for the second Test in Guwahati starting Saturday.India have a training session in Kolkata on Tuesday morning but Gill is not expected to take part in that. The team is expected to fly to Guwahati on Wednesday, but with commercial air travel not advised for people recovering from neck issues, Gill is unlikely to fly with the team that day.Head coach Gautam Gambhir said at the post-match press conference that Gill was “still being assessed”, with another assessment to be carried out by the physio and team soon. Gill’s absence in the fourth innings left India a batter short in their 30-run loss in a low-scoring game.Related

• Gill set to miss Guwahati Test against South Africa; Pant to stand in as captain

• Stats – South Africa's first win in India since 2010

• India face reality check for their bull-headed belief in pitch preparation

• 'Job's far from done' – Conrad eyes series win

“It was tough because we always knew we were one down,” Gambhir said after India were bowled out for 93 in their chase of 124. “Obviously, Shubman wasn’t there, and then losing two before lunch, we were literally three down. But we always felt that if we got those partnerships, a 50-run partnership or two 40-run partnerships, we would’ve been in the game.”If Gill is unavailable for the next Test, potential replacements are left-hand batters B Sai Sudharsan and Devdutt Padikkal. Sudharsan made 87 and 39 against West Indies in Delhi but had a top score of 32 in four innings for India A against South Africa A earlier this month. Padikkal, who played one Test each in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and the home series against England, returned three single-digit scores and a 24 against South Africa A.If that’s the only change India make for the Guwahati Test, it would leave them with seven left-hand batters in their XI. In Kolkata, India fielded six left-hand batters for the first time. Of the eight wickets offspinner Simon Harmer took in the Kolkata Test, six were of left-hand batters, while part-time offspinner Aiden Markram also dismissed one left-hand batter.Gill was admitted to the hospital after the second day of the Kolkata Test, following the decision to retire hurt after facing only three balls in India’s first innings. On the morning of the third day, the BCCI said Gill would take no further part in the Test.Gill missed a Test against New Zealand in October 2024 due to a neck spasm too. His injury scare comes at a time when his workload has been under constant monitoring. He has played cricket non-stop across formats since IPL 2025 and was among four Test players who flew to Kolkata straight from Australia after the T20I series.