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With Kagiso Rabada missing the Kolkata Test with a rib injury, the visitors have bolstered their fast bowling stocks

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Nov-2025

Fast bowler Lungi Ngidi has been added to South Africa’s squad for the second Test against India in Guwahati which starts on Saturday.Ngidi’s inclusion suggests Kagiso Rabada, who missed South Africa’s sensational victory in Kolkata with a rib injury, is a doubtful starter again. The visitors’ other fast bowling options on tour are Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch and Wiaan Mulder.Ngidi joined the team at their Kolkata hotel on Tuesday before their scheduled departure to Guwahati on Wednesday.Ngidi has played 20 Tests in his career so far, but only three since making a comeback in Cape Town against India in January 2024. His last red-ball appearance was the World Test Championship final against Australia in June. He has played just one Test match in India, going wicketless in Ranchi in 2019.Related

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Ngidi does have overs in his legs having been part of South Africa’s ODI and T20I series in Pakistan in October and November. Last week, he played a game for Titans in the CSA T20 Challenge.At Eden Gardens, South Africa’s quicks sent down 40 overs and returned six wickets as the team registered their first Test win in India since 2010. That Kolkata pitch provided enough assistance for the seamers but it is still unclear what the conditions in Guwahati will be like given the venue has never hosted Test cricket before.

أثار خوان لابورتا رئيس نادي برشلونة الجدل مجددًا وقام بالمقارنة بين فريقه والغريم التقليدي ريال مدريد، موضحًا أن البرسا يمثل الحرية وريال مدريد يمثل القوة.

ودخل لابورتا في مناوشات خلال الفترة الماضية مع رئيس ريال مدريد، فلورنتينو بيريز وذلك بعد اتهام الأخير للجنة الحكام بالوقوف مع برشلونة.

وقام لابورتا بعد ذلك بالرد على تصريحات بيريز، موضحًا أن ريال مدريد مهووس ببرشلونة، وأن البلوجرانا لم يستفد من التحكيم.

وتحدث لابورتا عن الفارق بين ريال مدريد وبرشلونة، موضحًا أن علاقته جيدة مع بيريز، وذلك في منتدى فوروس دي فانجارديا، عبر صحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو”.

وقال لابورتا: “ريال مدريد يمثل القوة وبرشلونة يمثل الحرية، لا أعرف إن كانت تعقد صفقات تجارية في مقصورة كبار الشخصيات في برنابيو، ريال مدريد يتمتع بالقوة أما هنا، فالأمر مختلف، فنحن أكثر تأييدًا للديمقراطية والحرية، تربطنا علاقة وطيدة وودية مع فلورنتينو بيريز”.

وسئل لابورتا عما إذا كان بإمكان برشلونة السير على خطى ريال مدريد، بعد أن طرح بيريز إمكانية بيع 5% من أسهم النادي في الجمعية العمومية الأخيرة.

طالع .. جوهرة برشلونة يثير إعجاب خوان لابورتا بعد عودته للمشاركة في المباريات

وأجاب لابورتا قائلاً: “في برشلونة لا نفكر في أيًٍ من هذا، لقد سمعت منذ أربع سنوات أننا سنصبح شركة مساهمة عامة، نحن نضمن أن يكون برشلونة ملكًا دائمًا لأعضائه، إنها قيمة مضافة لدينا وتربطنا بالمجتمع”.

وأردف:”المستثمرون الذين استحوذوا على شركة جولدمان ساكس للملعب أعجبوا بفكرة أننا لسنا شركة مساهمة عامة، لقد أنشأنا هيكلًا ماليًا لتجنب الرهون العقارية ولم نفكر في الأمر حتى، سيضرنا ذلك كثيرًا لأنه جزء من جوهرنا وهناك أشخاص لا يرون برشلونة في جوهره”.

وتابع لابورتا: ”برشلونة ليس شركة بل مؤسسة، لدينا قواعد مختلفة ونحن مؤسسة حديثة ملتزمة بالاستدامة والمساواة والتنوع، نحن مؤسسة كاتالونية منفتحة على العالم، وكل هذا يدفعني للاعتقاد بأن برشلونة يجب أن ينتمي دائمًا لأعضائه”.

واختتم: ”أنا وزملائي في مجلس الإدارة الوحيدون الذين يمكنهم ضمان ذلك، لقد تحدثت مع بايرن ميونيخ وآخرين حول هذا الموضوع ودائمًا ما ينتهي بهم الأمر إلى مشاكل مع أعضائهم”.

Rio Ferdinand has now claimed Thomas Tuchel “has to” select Danny Welbeck in England’s World Cup squad next summer, having emerged as the second-best striker behind Harry Kane.

Captain Kane will almost certainly be a nailed-on starter at the World Cup, should he remain fit, given that the 32-year-old is the Three Lions’ leading all-time goalscorer, having scored 76 goals in 110 appearances.

The Bayern Munich star has also made an incredible start to the season, amassing 20 goals in 13 matches in all competitions, blowing existing records set by Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi out of the water.

England’s back-up options aren’t quite as reliable, however, with Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins, who scored the winner against the Netherlands in the Euro 2024 semi-final, netting just one goal in nine Premier League appearances this season.

There may also be doubts about the inclusion of Ivan Toney, given that the 29-year-old arguably isn’t testing himself at the highest level week in week out, having signed for Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli in the summer of 2024.

Ferdinand urges Tuchel to take Welbeck to the World Cup

As such, Ferdinand has now made the bold claim that Welbeck should be re-introduced to the England squad, saying: “He’s second to Harry Kane. If you’re talking form right now and the squad was being picked tomorrow, Danny Welbeck has to go, no?

“I would take him. If he finishes the season in the form he’s in right now, there’s no way you can’t take him because he’s only going there for a month, it ain’t like we’re saying to him he has to play a full season, you’ve got to be ready and that role he can do that, coming in and out, be a support act for someone like Harry Kane.”

“Right this second, right this moment in time, form wise he’s [Welbeck] above all of them [Ollie Watkins, Dominic Solanke and Ivan Toney], and playing in the best league in the world. He’s second, for me.”

The ex-Manchester United defender also added: “He’s a class act on and off the pitch, a great guy.”

In fairness, the Brighton striker is in far better form than Watkins, having scored five goals in his last four Premier League games, most recently finding the back of the net against former club Man United with a remarkable free-kick.

That said, it may be a risk for Tuchel to reintroduce the striker to the squad, given that it has been a long time since he was involved in the England set-up, with the 34-year-old’s last cap coming in a friendly against Switzerland way back in 2018.

There is also still plenty of football to be played before the England boss decides his squad, and Toney should arguably be on the plane as the main back-up for Kane, having proven he can handle big-game pressure by coolly converting a penalty against Switzerland in the 2024 Euros quarter-final.

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After a dismal defeat against ten men last Monday, Manchester United bounced back with a 2-1 win away to Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon.

The Red Devils were behind at half-time after a Jean-Philippe Mateta penalty, but two goals from set pieces were enough to ensure they would take all three points back to Manchester.

Both goals were impressive finishes from United. First, the lesser-spotted Joshua Zirkzee got himself on the scoresheet with a fantastic finish.

He controlled a Bruno Fernandes free-kick on his chest before superbly volleying low and hard into the back of the net.

That was the strike which drew United level, and the goal which won them the game, from Mason Mount, was just as good. The Red Devils’ number 7 walked onto a Fernandes layoff from yet another free-kick, driving his effort through the Palace wall and into Dean Henderson’s goal.

Despite the result and an energetic second half showing, it was far from a perfect afternoon for United. Ruben Amorim’s side could only muster an expected goals tally of 1.25 xG, and just 0.26 xG in the second half. It was an important win, but there is still a lot to improve on.

Indeed, it was a tough day at the office for some United players, including young defender Leny Yoro.

Leny Yoro's day to forget vs Palace

Young French defender Yoro did not have the best outing at Selhurst Park on Sunday lunchtime. It was his foul on Mateta, a challenge late from behind his countryman, which led to Palace’s penalty and Oliver Glasner’s side taking the lead.

Indeed, there were bright moments against the South Londoners for the former Lille star, who has struggled to find his best form for the majority of this season. He made a crucial block in the first half to prevent Palace from scoring, an important moment in the game.

Yet, it was still not the day Yoro would have hoped for. His foul on Mateta, which was ultimately quite a clumsy challenge, and the fact that he won just three duels from the six he contested, meant Amorim took him off for Noussair Mazraoui after Zirkzee’s goal.

Despite what is a tough moment for Yoro, the United squad is rallying around him. Mount was one of the players quick to support his teammate at full-time, something that football presenter Dylan Penketh said he was “glad to see” after the final whistle.

It was a disappointing day for Yoro, but he was not the only United player who struggled.

Not just Yoro: Man Utd star struggles vs Palace

Coming up against Adam Wharton and Daichi Kamada was always going to be tough for United’s pivot at Selhurst Park, and Casemiro was a player who felt the brunt of that.

The Brazilian was said to be “haunted by Adam Wharton” according to journalist Samuel Luckhurst.

Indeed, it was not an easy day against the Eagles’ energetic midfield pivot, especially in the first half. The Brazilian had 65 touches in total across the game, losing the ball 11 times and creating one chance. He also won just seven of his 15 duels.

Touches

65

Pass accuracy

80%

Number of times ball lost

11

Ground duels won

5/9

Aerial duels won

2/6

Fouls

4

Chances created

0

The United number 18 received a 5/10 rating from the Manchester Evening News journalist Steven Railston. He said Casemiro did improve throughout the game, although he described his start to the game at Selhurst Park as “shaky.”

After a tougher game for Casemiro, and the fact that he is one yellow card away from suspension, it will be interesting to see if he keeps his place in the side ahead of United’s next game. Next up, they have a clash with West Ham United on Thursday at Old Trafford.

It is also a game where United are likely to have the lion’s share of possession. Perhaps Amoirm opts to bring Kobbie Mainoo into their midfield, a man who is better on the ball and more capable of retaining possession and sustaining attacks.

On top of that, the Brazilian played 90 minutes at Selhurst Park. With the game as soon as Thursday and a hectic December coming up, it would not be a surprise to see him rotated out of the side to help aid his recovery.

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ByEthan Lamb Nov 29, 2025

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

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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.”

علق عدى الدباغ لاعب منتخب فلسطين، على تأهل بلاده إلى دور ربع النهائي من بطولة كأس العرب 2025، المقامة في قطر.

حسم التعادل السلبي نتيجة مباراة فلسطين وسوريا، التي أقيمت على ملعب استاد المدينة التعليمية، ليتأهلا سويًا لدور ربع النهائي من بطولة كأس العرب 2025.

وقال عدى الدباغ في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر قناة “بي ان سبورتس”: “ألف مبروك التأهل التاريخي للاعبين والجهاز الفني والإداري والجماهير الفلسطينية، شعور لا يوصف لأنه تأهل تاريخي لفلسطين للدور المقبل في كأس العرب”.

طالع.. فيديو | التعادل السلبي يحسم مباراة سوريا وفلسطين ويتأهلان لربع نهائي كأس العرب

وأكمل: “كانت مجموعتنا صعبة، أن نتصدر المجموعة في ظل تواجد منتخبات كبيرة مثل تونس، فهذا فخر وتطور كبير للرياضة الفلسطينية”.

وأردف: “سنفرح اليوم وبداية من غدًا سنفكر في المباراة المقبلة ومن الذي يتأهل والخصم المقبل”.

وأتم: “الشوط الأول كنا أفضل من منتخب سوريا، حاولنا وأتيحت لنا فرص ولكن لم نوفق فيها، الشوط الثاني كان يوجد حذر لأن النقطة تؤهلنا”.

Shohei Ohtani recorded his 1,000th hit in MLB on Wednesday, and he did it in very Ohtani-like fashion.

The Los Angeles Dodgers superstar came to the plate in the third inning and sent mammoth two-run shot over the wall in center field. It was his 39th home run of the year, and more importantly, hit No. 1,000 for the Japan native since his arrival from NPB in 2018.

Wednesday's tilt against the Cardinals was Ohtani's 973rd game in MLB, and he was doing a bit of everything at Busch Stadium. In addition to becoming the 59th active player with 1,000 hits in MLB, Ohtani was also dominating on the mound for the Dodgers, making his eighth pitching appearance of the season.

He racked up eight strikeouts in just four innings and lowered his season ERA to 2.37 in the process. He then gave himself some run support by launching the 440-foot home run. His 39 homers rank third in MLB and second in the National League, trailing only Cal Raleigh and Kyle Schwarber.

A new update has emerged regarding Vitor Pereira’s potential replacement at Wolves, with the club eyeing a cheap alternative option to him if he is sacked.

The Old Gold have suffered a dire start to the 2025/26 Premier League season, picking up just two points from nine matches and sitting rooted to the bottom of the table. Their only points have been draws away to Tottenham and at home to Brighton.

After a promising period in charge last season, Pereira now finds himself battling to save his job, with the manager having to be dragged away from the supporters after last weekend’s dramatic 3-2 defeat at home to Burnley, and asking for their support after the game.

“We understand the frustration of the people and supporters but what I must say, if we fight united with them, we can win games and compete and achieve our targets – without them, it is impossible. If we win two or three games in a row, things will change.”

Potential replacements for Pereira have already been mentioned, including Brendan Rodgers, who left Celtic earlier this week after a disappointing start to the season, and who may like the idea of a return to the Premier League.

On Saturday afternoon, Wolves make the trip to Fulham, with defeat at Craven Cottage potentially proving to be the final nail in the coffin for the Wanderers boss.

Wolves have cheap managerial plan to replace Pereira

According to Football Insider journalist Pete O’Rourke, Wolves “would hope to find an out-of-work manager” to replace Pereira in charge, should he be relieved of his duties in the near future.

The Premier League strugglers “will be looking for a cheap option” instead of “poaching a manager from another club”, and Wanderers “would prefer not to pay the compensation fee needed to release a working boss from their current contract”. That’s partly due to Pereira getting a big payout if he is sacked.

There is plenty of sense in this approach by Wolves, rather than bringing in a manager who is already in charge elsewhere, immediately making it a more expensive venture.

Wolves targeting Brendan Rodgers amid doubts about Vitor Pereira

The Old Gold have made a very poor start to the season.

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Ideally, though, Pereira will turn things around at Molineux, overcoming this dreadful start to mastermind a great recovery as the seasons goes on.

Wolves targeting Brendan Rodgers amid doubts about Vitor Pereira

Sadly, that feels unlikely at the moment, with Wolves’ performances so disappointing on a regular basis, and the fact that a chunk of the fanbase has already turned on him feels like the writing is on the wall.

In Rodgers, Wolves could have a good option to bring in, with the Northern Irishman proving himself in the Premier League in the past, not least coming so close to winning the title with Liverpool back in 2013/14, playing some stunning attacking football along the way.

West Ham United are now planning to sign an “insane” Premier League striker in the January transfer window, as a replacement for Niclas Fullkrug.

Fullkrug set to leave West Ham in January

Sky Sports Florian Plettenberg revealed last month that Fullkrug wants to leave West Ham in the upcoming window, with the striker looking to make it into Germany’s World Cup squad next summer.

In truth, Nuno probably shouldn’t be too concerned if the German does depart, given that he has made a torrid start to the Premier League season, having failed to score in his opening eight matches.

Callum Wilson has now emerged as the first-choice option at centre-forward, and the Englishman has caught the eye at times, scoring two goals in his last three matches.

However, Wilson was unable to find the back of the net against Liverpool on Sunday, with the Hammers succumbing to a 2-0 defeat, and they are now looking to sign a new striker in the January transfer window.

That is according to a report from La Lazio Siamo Noi, which states West Ham have now identified Manchester United striker Joshua Zirkzee as a top target to replace Fullkrug next month.

The Irons are looking to cash-in on their £27m signing this winter, and they have already started offering him out to offer clubs, primarily to teams in the Bundesliga.

The 32-year-old would prefer to return to his home country, and if the Hammers do manage to get a sale over the line, there will be space to bring in a new forward, with Liverpool’s Federico Chiesa also of interest.

"Insane" Zirkzee returns to form against Crystal Palace

Zirkzee scored his first Premier League goal for nearly a year on Sunday afternoon, beating Crystal Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson with a tidy finish to ignite Man United’s comeback, which earned him high praise from Bruno Fernandes.

Scout Ben Mattinson has also praised the Dutchman in the past, describing him as “insane”, however, his goalscoring record should be a major concern for West Ham.

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Much like Fullkrug, the 24-year-old has struggled in front of goal ever since arriving in the Premier League for £36.5m, netting just four goals in 38 top-flight games, and the Hammers should be able to find a much more prolific striker to replace the Germany international.

The Yankees and Red Sox will face off in an elimination Game 3 on Thursday night at Yankee Stadium as the fierce AL East rivals look to compete for a spot in the ALDS.

New York's lineup was released ahead of first pitch, and there was a notable change to the lineup that took the field in Game 1, when the Yankees faced Boston's star lefty Garrett Crochet. With fellow southpaw Connelly Early toeing the rubber for the Red Sox in Game 3, it was expected that Aaron Boone would insert Paul Goldschmidt back into the lineup for a more favorable matchup. It's something he'd said he planned to do ahead of Game 1 when there was a lefty on the mound.

Instead, however, Ben Rice drew back into the Yankees' starting lineup after his impressive performance in Game 2, and Boone had a perfectly succinct explanation for the change.

"Ben Rice," Boone said, when asked what led him to change his mind on Goldschmidt being at first base against lefties (via Bryan Hoch of MLB.com)

While New York might miss Goldschmidt's defensive prowess at first base, keeping Rice's bat out of the lineup was simply not an option in a do-or-die Game 3. Rice homered on the first pitch he saw on Wednesday night, which was also the first pitch he faced in the postseason in his career. Rice went 2-for-4 and drove in two runs in his postseason debut, and he's done enough to warrant a place in the Yankees' lineup for Game 3.

Yankees Lineup for Game 3 vs. Red Sox

1. Trent Grisham – CF
2. Aaron Judge – RF
3. Cody Bellinger – LF
4. Giancarlo Stanton – DH
5. Ben Rice – 1B
6. Amed Rosario – 3B
7. Jazz Chisholm Jr. – 2B
8. Anthony Volpe – SS
9. Austin Wells – C

Rice had a .752 OPS against lefties across 106 at-bats in 2025, well lower than Goldschmidt's .981 (149 at-bats). Still, Boone opted to roll with the hot hand on Thursday night.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. was also not in the starting lineup against Crochet in Game 1, but he has also returned to the mix for Game 3 against Early. The other lineup change for Game 3 will be Ryan McMahon being replaced at third base by Amed Rosario.

First pitch is scheduled for 8:08 p.m. ET.