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Kai Havertz scored during Arsenal's 6-0 rout of Lens, and Mikel Arteta revealed a key change in the German after his second goal in as many games.

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Arsenal win 6-0 against LensHavertz scores again Arteta highlights Havertz's confidence Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

The German star has suffered through the start of his career at Arsenal, as he failed to make a positive start following his £65 million move from Chelsea in the summer. The last few games, however, have seen the 24-year-old contribute more and more to Arteta's side. The Spaniard pointed towards in an increase confidence to explain Havertz's recent upturn in form, after he scored twice in two games following the late winner against Brentford on the weekend.

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"He’s becoming better and better, he’s more confident," Arteta said to club media. "His two goals, two very important goals as well, because one won us the game and today he opened the scoring. His overall contribution again was really, really good."

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In a performance that has left many Gunners fans excited, Havertz also made two crucial passes and prevailed in three of four aerial duals. After 21 appearances across all competitions, he has three goals and one assist to his name thus far.

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WHAT NEXT FOR HAVERTZ?

The 24-year-old will now be involved when the Gunners take on Wolves on Saturday, December 2 as the Premier League log leaders look to increase their lead at the top.

Real Madrid-bound Endrick pulled out the 'floss' Fortnite dance during Palmeiras' clash against Fluminense.

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Endrick pulls out the Fortnite dancePalmeiras beat Fluminense 1-0Palmeiras on verge of winning Brazilian leagueWHAT HAPPENED?

Palmeiras edged out Fluminense by a solitary goal thanks to a strike from Breno Lopes in the 30th minute – which has maintained their three-point lead at the top of the Brazilian league.

Real Madrid-bound Endrick featured in the team's starting lineup and played for 71 minutes. During the match, he was seen performing the famous 'floss' dance made famous by the Fortnite video game.

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The Verdao currently have 69 points from 37 matches and are on the verge of sealing their second consecutive Brazilian Serie A title. A draw against Cruzeiro in their final game of the season on December 7 will seal the title in their favour

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR ENDRICK?

The teenager has enjoyed a successful season with the Brazilian club in 2023, as he has scored 13 goals in 52 appearances across all competitions and provided one assist. He is set to join Los Blancos in July 2024 when he turns 18.

In his first Ranji match of the season, RP Singh 4 for 50 to send Baroda collapsing to 228 on the second day in Moti Bagh

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Nov-2013
ScorecardFile photo – RP Singh took 4 for 50 with the old ball•Associated PressAfter missing the entire 2012-13 Ranji season, RP Singh had marked his comeback to first-class cricket with a three-wicket haul against the touring West Indians recently. He went one step further in his first Ranji match in nearly two years, taking 4 for 50 to send Baroda collapsing to 228 on the second day in Moti Bagh. On a pitch dominated by the spinners, RP found sharp swing late in the afternoon to lead UP’s fightback after Baroda were sitting comfortably at 184 for 3.The day began with the Baroda offspinner Utkarsh Patel taking his fifth wicket to bowl out UP for 302. Patel and the left-arm spinner Bhargav Bhatt both finished with five-wicket hauls. Seeing the amount of turn and bounce available on a surface that was only a day old, the captain Suresh Raina brought himself on and struck with two wickets very early in his spell. The left-handed opener, Saurabh Wakaskar, steadied the innings with 70 before he fell to the left-arm spinner Praveen Gupta.Rakesh Solanki and Ambati Rayudu then added 84 for the fourth wicket, the highest of the innings. Baroda dominated the second session, but like UP did on the opening day, let the advantage slip in the third.The slide began when Solanki was caught at short leg off Gupta before the captain Yusuf Pathan holed out to long-off off the legspinner Piyush Chawla. Yusuf began the season with an explosive 70 in a one-day game for India A against West Indies A, but since then his performance has slipped. Looking to attack early, he charged Chawla and fell for a disappointing 7.RP claimed the first wicket by a seamer in the match when he trapped Pinal Shah lbw from round the wicket. Bowling from wide of the crease, RP got the ball to swerve in to the right-handers, hitting the stumps on two occasions. RP, who last played for India during the England tour of 2011, has struggled with injuries over the last few years. His aim would be to play as many four-day games as possible to convince the selectors he can make a comeback for India’s future tours.

Kent earned the vital victory their efforts deserved to set up a thrilling final week in Division Two of the Championship

David Lloyd at Canterbury07-Sep-2012
ScorecardDarren Stevens broke Derbyshire’s resistance as Kent secured an important win•Getty ImagesIt turned out to be much ado about nothing so far as James Tredwell was concerned – nothing for 34 from 33 overs, to be precise. But Kent, with Darren Stevens working his medium-paced magic, still earned the vital victory their efforts deserved to set up a thrilling final week in Division Two of the Championship.Although Hampshire retain the faintest of mathematical chances, this is now a three-horse race for two promotion spots – and Kent, who finished second from bottom 12 months ago, have closed the gap on leaders Derbyshire to six points, while second-placed Yorkshire are only five ahead of them.They had to work extremely hard, though, to seal the deal on Friday – eventually crossing the winning line with 12.4 overs, or 43 minutes, to spare. Stevens, who continually asks questions which batsmen do not like, was not used before lunch but he captured four of the last seven wickets.”Stevo has been brilliant in these last couple of games,” Kent captain Rob Key said of the allrounder who took a five-for against Leicestershire a week ago. “He got his wickets with some serious balls.”The only good news for Derbyshire was Hampshire’s simultaneous defeat by Essex, meaning that their opponents next week will have next to nothing to play for in terms of promotion.Losing captain Wayne Madsen on Thursday evening was a serious blow to Derbyshire because he has shown on more than one occasion this season that he can bat long and big in difficult circumstances. Even so, the visitors made a promising start to the final morning with Paul Borrington and Usman Khawaja doing their best for 75 minutes to back up the defiant words of head coach, Karl Krikken, with some determined defence.Krikken had said that Derbyshire would “fight to get a positive result”, after complaining bitterly about Tredwell’s introduction to the match after the ECB had indicated he would not be available if he played in Wednesday’s final ODI against South Africa.In fact, Derbyshire never threatened to crumble to Tredwell. But the England spinner gave them nothing (he bowled 12 overs for 17 overs before lunch) whereas 20-year-old Adam Riley, who Tredwell replaced, might not have been able to maintain the pressure. To that extent, his introduction to the game did have a bearing.Wickets were what Kent required, however, and it was Matt Coles – picked for the England Lions this summer – who did the trick with two wickets in 17 balls. Tall, strong and bowling with every ounce of effort he could muster, Coles may have been a little fortunate to remove Borrington lbw with height the issue. A couple of overs later, however, he had Wes Durston leg-before, the batsman having shuffled across his stumps, and almost did for Dan Redfern, who edged thick and fast to gully where Sam Northeast could only parry a head-high chance.Then Stevens took over the role of match-winner. He removed Khawaja lbw with one that cut back, found the outside edge of Redfern’s bat, had Tony Palladino taken in the slips off an angled bat and produced a bail-trimmer to remove Tim Groenewald. Derbyshire continued to fight, but it was a battle they seemed destined to lose from the moment Mark Davies brushed David Wainwright’s off stump with the final ball before tea, thereby breaking a stand with Tom Poynton that took up 20 overs.”That was a massive wicket for us,” said Key. “This morning, I thought it would be over a lot earlier than it was. But Derbyshire fought really well and they were very hard to prise out. We had to force every dismissal and it was bloody hard work.”So now it is a three-horse race for promotion and I would say it is even money on everyone. After the last couple of years it is brilliant to be going into the final game with everything to play for.”Derbyshire can say precisely the same. But, having led the table virtually all season, they now find themselves under real pressure to confirm a first ever Championship promotion.

Graeme Smith has praised his varied bowling attack for making his job as captain easier

Firdose Moonda in Wellington22-Mar-2012Graeme Smith has praised his varied bowling attack for making his job as captain easier, as South Africa chase a series win with his team 1-0 up ahead of the third Test at the Basin Reserve.”The maturity the guys have shown as a bowling unit has been exciting for me,” Smith said. “The guys have shown great discipline. There’s also been great aggression thrown in there.”Russell Domingo, South Africa’s assistant coach, said Smith had never been happier with the attack at his disposal and Smith confirmed that it is a luxury to be in charge of such a talented group. “I’ve been lucky. There have been a lot of great bowlers along the way but the all-round attack now is terrific,” Smith said. “To have three frontline seamers is rare for a captain. They all offer something different which allows me to attack in different ways all the time.”And then we’ve got an attacking spinner (Imran Tahir) who has also showed a lot of control for us at times when he was needed and it has allowed us to use Jacques [Kallis] in more impact roles. In the past, we’ve had some great bowlers but maybe not so much the whole rounded mindset.”Smith’s attack is developed enough for him not to have to issue instruction anymore but merely offer advice. “You always need to be giving a degree of guidance,” he said. “It’s not me telling him, it’s more of a discussion about what we’re trying to achieve so that we can both be cohesive in the way that we’re thinking and planning. I have a good relationship with the bowlers so that generally happens quite quickly.”Ross Taylor’s situation is a little different. While the New Zealand captain has the experience of Chris Martin and Daniel Vettori, Doug Bracewell is relatively new in the national side and Mark Gillespie has only just made his comeback. Rather than a settled unit to work with, Taylor has to cope with tactical teething issues and Smith said this series could prove defining in terms of the captain Taylor will one day become.”With their team, there’s lots of talk of where they want to go,” Smith said. “I guess that’s important for Ross to understand, do you want to go with six frontline batters or four seamers? That’s the decision we had to make in 2008. In 2007 and we went with strike bowlers and six batters to do the job. I think that’s an important decision for him as a captain. It’s still early days from that perspective so maybe this series will be a crucial stepping stone for him in terms of how he wants New Zealand to play.”Taylor has acknowledged that the team is still a work in progress. “I’m still in my infancy as a captain and I’m learning the whole time,” Taylor said. “There are different things you pick up along the way. I’m just learning from different situations and picking peoples’ brains and learning off the opposition.”Smith is only three years older than Taylor, but in cricket years, Smith is much older than that. On Friday, Smith will captain South Africa for the 90th time, Taylor will lead New Zealand for the seventh. Smith is the most experienced current national captain, Taylor the least. There’s knowledge to be transferred, knowledge that Smith believes begins with fear.”The more experience you gain, maybe the more fear you gain. And then you gain a knowledge in how to deal with certain circumstances and situations that you are going through and that players are going through,” Smith said, recalling his own captaincy journey, which began in 2003. “For me, at 22, I lacked fear because I didn’t know what to expect. I have gained a lot of experience now in terms of dealing with those situations.”The fear Smith talks about is the that of balancing attack with defence. It’s the fear that having built up a reputation, it could all come crashing down and the hunger to ensure that does not happen. Smith insists he has become that kind of fearful, but it does not show. He has led South Africa to a five-year stretch of being unbeaten in a series away from home.Whatever happens in Wellington, that record will remain in intact and Smith can take his badge of honour with him to England. His fear of maintaining that record can resurrect itself in July. For now, he will concern himself with finishing this season in the best way possible. “I just want to steer the ship well,” Smith said. “The last Test of the touring summer is always important.”Edited by Kanishkaa Balachandran

The Sri Lankan bowlers struggled through their first opportunity to play on South African pitches and conceded heavily on the second day of their warm-up match

Firdose Moonda at Willowmoore Park10-Dec-2011
Scorecard File photo: Rangana Herath was the Sri Lankans’ best bowler•AFPThe Sri Lankan bowlers struggled through their first opportunity to play on South African pitches and conceded heavily on the second day of their warm-up match. No play was possible on the first day due to persistent rain and a wet outfield. On the second, South Africa’s Invitation XI opted to bat first, denying the Sri Lankan batsmen time to adjust to local conditions. They capitalised on a pedestrian Sri Lankan attack and each of the top four scored half-centuries.The Sri Lankans lost Nuwan Pradeep to a hamstring injury after he had bowled just 10 deliveries. Dilhara Fernando got better as the day went on while Angelo Matthews’ first overs in a first-class match for more than a year went fairly well. In the spin department, Ajantha Mendis bowled the bulk of the overs and was worryingly inconsistent; Thilan Samaraweera and captain Tillakaratne Dilshan were acceptable as part-timers; and Rangana Herath was, by some distance, the team’s best bowler.For the Invitation XI, Dean Elgar showed both class and temperament and was the likeliest candidate to go on to record a century. Reeza Hendricks partnered him with aplomb, in an opening stand of 148, before Stiaan van Zyl and Rilee Rossouw built a 95-run partnership. When wickets fell, they did in clusters but the Invitation XI’s batting was dominant for most of the day.Of particular worry for the Sri Lankans will be that they struggled to adjust their lengths to the Benoni surface, which was a tame one. Although careful not to bowl too short, their bowlers were often too full and seldom bowled a good length.Fernando got closest to understanding which length to bowl. His one perfect yorker bowled Hendricks. He also claimed the last wicket of the day, with the second new ball, after Thami Tsolekile edged to give Mahela Jayawardene a comfortable catch at second slip. In between those two successes, Fernando, like the rest of the attack, was a victim of a confident Invitation line-up, who found the boundary 43 times.Mendis was introduced in the 8th over of the day and a combination of poor luck and the fact that he bowled at least one boundary ball an over meant he went for 4.68 runs an over while taking just one wicket. Dean Elgar picked him with particular ease. But when Mendis did bowl a good ball it was a very good one. He troubled Hendricks early on and had Farhaan Berhardien edge two fours down to third man. His solitary wicket, Elgar’s, was achieved with surprising bounce. Elgar tried to cut and was caught after a bit of juggling by Jayawardene at slip.Herath was more successful and bowled with good control, flight and guile. He picked up two of the three wickets that fell in the half hour before tea. Rossouw, who had been sweeping compulsively, came too far forward while attempting one and was stumped shortly after reaching his half-century. Then, Temba Bavuma became the only one of the top six to fail after his middle stump was uprooted.Berhardien had a nervous start and looked particularly edgy against the spin of Mendis and Herath, but soon settled into a rhythm. He allowed himself a few risks, driving Fernando in the air over a diving Jayawardene at mid-on and pulling him majestically in the same over. With allrounder David Wiese with him at the crease, the Invitation XI will look to bat for a while yet, which would increase the Sri Lankan batsmen’s concerns about when they will get time in the middle ahead of the three-Test series.

Less than 24 hours after seeing their No. 1 Test ranking slip away England will name their squads for the World Twenty20 and one-day series against South Africa

Andrew McGlashan20-Aug-2012Less than 24 hours after seeing their No. 1 Test ranking slip away England will name their squads for the World Twenty20 and the one-day series against South Africa. Kevin Pietersen, the focus of so much attention over the last few weeks, is not expected to be among the names chosen.There remains a huge amount of work to do between Pietersen and the ECB to create a path for his return to international cricket after his omission from the final Test against South Africa. There remains uncertainty over when the two sides will meet and while Pietersen’s relationship with Andrew Strauss has the been the focus of the attention, the teams in the next few weeks will be led by England’s other captains, Alastair Cook and Stuart Broad.When the selectors sat down to pick the World Twenty20 squad two weeks ago Pietersen was officially retired from limited-overs international cricket, only to announce, via YouTube, that he was now available for all formats the day before he was dropped from the Test side.England had started the process of moving on from Pietersen with Ian Bell slotting in at the top of the 50-over side and Alex Hales making 99 against West Indies at Trent Bridge in the T20I. The Twenty20 side would clearly be stronger with Pietersen included – his Man-of-the-Tournament display in the Caribbean was stunning – but the selectors would have been loath to ditch Hales.England’s batting, though, faces a mighty challenge in Sri Lanka in conditions that will test their techniques against spin, which remains the weaker suit. The rest of the batting order will have to be at the peak of their powers to compensate for the loss of Pietersen. Eoin Morgan becomes a key figure, a player with a similar X-factor quality to Pietersen who can turn a game in an instant.The other issue the selectors have to decide on is Ravi Bopara, who has just returned to action following his personal problems, having earlier in the season cemented his one-day place with a strong series against Australia. He has a month to get back into cricket before the tournament – there may be consideration to leaving him out of the one-day series against South Africa – but England do not want to be left with any last-minute dramas to solve if his issues reoccur. The ECB is likely to have checked with the ICC if they would be allowed a replacement.Jonny Bairstow and Jos Buttler are likely to make up the middle-order batting options while there could be a vacancy for a player able to fill a variety of roles if injury or illness occurred. As a batsman Bell fills the remit, but someone like Luke Wright would give full all-round options and the experience of having been part of the 2010 success. In that regard, do not discount Michael Lumb from discussions after his move to Nottinghamshire sparked his career, which had slumped following his brief England spell.The bowling attack poses fewer issues with most names nailed on although James Anderson faces a nervous wait having not been regular in Twenty20 cricket. Chris Woakes, the Warwickshire allrounder, has pushed his claims recently while Surrey’s Stuart Meaker could be an outside chance. Back-up, or support, for Graeme Swann will be required even though Samit Patel will be the second spinner. In a tournament environment experience is important so that could earn James Tredwell the nod ahead of Danny Briggs.Possible World Twenty20 squad Alex Hales, Craig Kieswetter, Ravi Bopara, Eoin Morgan, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler, Samit Patel, Luke Wright, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, James Anderson, Steven Finn, James Tredwell, Jade DernbachPossible ODI squad Alastair Cook, Ian Bell, Jonathan Trott, Eoin Morgan, Jonny Bairstow, Craig Kieswetter, Samit Patel, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, Steven Finn, James Anderson, Jade Dernbach

Doug Bollinger provided a reminder of his focus and fitness with six wickets and a sharp evening spell to set NSW on the course for first-innings points against Tasmania

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Oct-2013
ScorecardDoug Bollinger was the pick of the NSW bowlers•Getty ImagesDoug Bollinger provided a reminder of his renewed focus and fitness with six wickets and a sharp evening spell to set New South Wales on the course for first-innings points over Tasmania in the Sheffield Shield match at Blacktown.On a day when scoring was difficult and 11 wickets fell, Bollinger’s haul ensured the Tigers could not establish a meaningful partnership, despite a succession of starts by Ed Cowan, Alex Doolan, Jon Wells, Tim Paine and Luke Butterworth.At 4 for 161 the visitors harboured thoughts of creeping ahead in the match, but Bollinger persuaded Paine to leave a ball that flicked the stumps, then had Wells fending a short ball to the slips. From there the innings spluttered to its current state of modesty.Bollinger had earlier plucked the wicket of Jordan Silk for a duck with the new ball following the Blues’ morning dismissal for 288. Sam Rainbird claimed Bollinger’s wicket to finish with his own six-wicket haul for the Tigers.

Preview of the first T20 between Zimbabwe and Bangladesh in Bulawayo

The Preview by Mohammad Isam10-May-2013Match factsMay 11, 2013
Start time 1330 (1130 GMT)It has gone downhill for Mushfiqur Rahim after the drawn Test series. For the time being, the team has to give him a fine send-off•AFPBig PictureZimbabwe’s last Twenty20 experience at home is a cheery one. In the final of an unofficial three-nation tournament last year, they crushed a South Africa XI by nine wickets. There were several heroes that day for the home side, and as they play their first home T20 international in 18 months, the spirits would still remain high. Bangladesh, meanwhile, are at the opposite end of the cheery scale.Zimbabwe have just clinched the three-match ODI series after coming back from a game down. They have a few more players who have stood up when the chips were down. The Taylors and Masakadzas took a backseat as Vusi Sibanda, Sean Williams and Tendai Chatara grabbed their opportunities to turn in match-winning performances. Zimbabwe would still rely on a strong bowling performance to pull them through, like in the last two ODIs. Chatara complemented Kyle Jarvis and Brian Vitori quite well, using his accuracy and bounce to surprise the visitors.Hamilton Masakadza will be at the forefront of their batting and, with Sibanda also in form, there will be much to look forward to for the Bulawayo crowd that turns up on Saturday afternoon.The same cannot be said about the visitors. After going down in the ODI series, they have lost their leader after he resigned in a fit of rage. Mushfiqur Rahim will still lead the team out but these will be his last matches as captain. For the time being, the team has to give him a fine send-off.Bangladesh, just like Zimbabwe, have been without a win in their last five matches. Remarkably, for a young side with lots of trigger-happy batsmen, Bangladesh admittedly struggle in T20s. It will still be a close contest at the start but the team with more confidence will take this away quickly.Form guideZimbabwe: LLLLL (completed games, most recent results first)
Bangladesh: LLLLLPlayers to watchHamilton Masakadza has six international fifties in this format, and can be explosive during a chase. He recovered from a poor spell in the BPL with a more productive performance in Zimbabwe’s domestic T20 tournament, averaging 44.83 at a strike-rate just under 140.Bangladesh don’t possess too many T20 specialists but Ziaur Rahman is one of them. His big-hitting abilities have not come to the fore so far on this tour but this is a format where he has made a name for himself. With his medium-pace is coming together, he should go into these two matches in a confident frame of mind.Team newsZimbabwe are likely to continue with the combination from the ODI series. However, Elton Chigumbura has been ruled out of the T20 series after suffering a groin strain. Fast bowler Shingi Masakadza or legspinner Tinotenda Mutombodzi may find a place in the playing XI.Zimbabwe (possible): 1 Vusi Sibanda, 2 Hamilton Masakadza, 3 Sikandar Raza, 4 Brendan Taylor (capt & wk), 5 Malcolm Waller, 6 Sean Williams, 7 Shingi Masakadza/Tinotenda Mutombodzi, 8 Prosper Utseya, 9 Kyle Jarvis, 10 Brian Vitori, 11 Tendai ChataraShamsur Rahman will most likely come in, having been around the team since the end of the Test series. He did well in the BPL this year, so he has the runs behind him to stake a claim. The rest of the playing XI could remain the same as the ODI series.Bangladesh (possible): 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Shamsur Rahman, 3 Mohammad Ashraful, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (capt & wk), 5 Shakib Al Hasan, 6 Nasir Hossain, 7 Mahmudullah, 8 Ziaur Rahman, 9 Abdur Razzak, 10 Shafiul Islam, 11 Robiul IslamPitch and conditionsThe 1:30 pm start will aid both both batting sides because the Queens Sports Club pitch flattens out in the afternoon. There will also be slight movement for the quick bowlers.Stats and trivia Zimbabwe and Bangladesh have played just one T20I in 2006. Bangladesh beat Zimbabwe by 43 runs in that game The Queens Sports Club ground in Bulawayo has never hosted a T20 international Ireland (30) have played more T20 internationals than Bangladesh (28) and Zimbabwe (24) Hamilton Masakadza’s six fifties are the most for any batsman on both sides. Abdur Razzak, with 36, has taken the most wicketsQuotes”It is a format we haven’t played a lot of. But playing at home and winning this series, it gives us some momentum to take forward. We have a few things to work on. But we are going to be up for it.””There are a couple of Zimbabwe guys who also play in the BPL. They know how we will go about the T20s, but we will hopefully bounce back.”

Ireland have secured more valuable game-time against Full Member opposition, confirming a two-match one-day series against Pakistan in May

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Jan-2013Ireland have secured more valuable game-time against Full Member opposition, confirming a two-match one-day series against Pakistan in May as part of the visitors’ preparations for the Champions Trophy.The matches will rekindle memories of one of Ireland’s most famous days on the international stage when they beat Pakistan at the 2007 World Cup in Jamaica. The sides have met twice since then at the ODI level with Pakistan winning both matches during a short trip in 2011. These latest games will be played on May 23 and 26, with the venues still to be confirmed, during a week-long stay for Pakistan in Ireland.The matches add to an increasing fixture list for Ireland, which includes a one-day international against England and a tour by Australia A. There are also plans in place to play a series against Bangladesh. Ireland have benefited from extra funding from the ICC that is enabling them to attract more high-level opposition, which is a key part of their long-term plan.Phil Simmons, the Ireland coach, said: “It’s fantastic news for Irish cricket, and we’re grateful to both ICC and the Pakistan Cricket Board for making the series possible. The extra funding we’ve secured through TAPP ensures we’re able to organise additional matches against Full Members.”Pakistan are a formidable one-day side and it’s a great way of measuring where we are as a team. We’ve had some wonderful tussles with them in the past, and for many, Irish cricket was born the day we beat them in the 2007 World Cup. That win grabbed the attention of the world and we haven’t looked back since.”Last week, Pakistan were also confirmed as playing Scotland in two one-day internationals in the build-up to the Champions Trophy.