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This was Namibia’s highest-successful chase in T20Is and also their maiden win at a World Cup

Firdose Moonda20-Oct-20211:10

David Wiese – ‘We would have never dreamed about playing, let alone winning a World Cup match’

Namibia completed their highest-successful chase in a T20I to keep their Super 12 hopes alive and put Netherlands on the brink of an early exit. The Dutch have now lost two group stage matches, have to beat Sri Lanka and hope Ireland win both their remaining games. Namibia, on the other hand, have their fate in their own hands after completing their maiden World Cup win in senior men’s cricket.After conceding 164 runs, a total which could have been lower after a fielding effort filled with fumbles, Namibia stumbled to 52 for 3 in the ninth over and were facing an uphill battle. But a 93-run fourth wicket stand between Namibian captain Gerhard Erasmus and David Wiese, which came in 8.3 overs, put Namibia on the brink of victory before Wiese and JJ Smit saw them home. South African of the match
There were several candidates to choose from in this fixture but this unique award has to go to Wiese. He turned Namibia’s innings around with a vintage performance that involved clearing the rope five times, all in the ‘V.’ Wiese’s first shot in anger came when he charged Roelof van der Merwe and hit the ball over his head for six, which put Namibia on 68 for 3 at the halfway stage, needing 97 runs off the last 10 overs. Namibia scored 52 runs off the next four overs, and Wiese was responsible for 37 of those. He brought up his first fifty for Namibia off 29 balls with a six over cover point and brought their required run-rate down to just over six runs an over in the last three overs, when they needed 19 runs. Wiese only faced one ball in the final over, and Smit hit the winning runs, but he set the victory up and finished on an unbeaten 66 off 40 balls. Wiese also took the Player of the Match award.Bounced out, slowly
Pace off the ball is likely to become the phrase of the tournament, and if you need a visual, look no further than the first two wickets of the Dutch innings. Jan Frylinck delivered a slow-motion bouncer to Stephan Myburgh, who tried to upper-cut him over point, but was earlier on the stroke than he would have liked and lobbed it to Stephan Baard at point. Two overs later, Wiese bowled a short, wide, and slow delivery that van der Merwe tried to cut but ended up slashing high to Bernard Scholtz at third man.Gerhard Erasmus and David Wiese shared a 93-run fourth-wicket partnership•ICC via Getty

Max(imum) number of lives
Max O’Dowd brought up a second successive half-century at this tournament, this one laced with leg-side boundaries, but it was not without its fair share of luck. He survived four times against some sloppy Namibian fielding, which could have seen his innings end much earlier. O’Dowd could have been run out in the 11th, when he was on 38, and he pushed a Ruben Trumpelmann delivery to cover and set off for a single, but almost immediately realised it was the wrong decision. He gave up about three-quarters of the way down but the throw missed the stumps. Then, when he was on 46, he hit the ball to extra cover, took off and again realised he was too hasty. O’Dowd was ready to run back to the dug-out but the throw was inaccurate. He brought up his fifty six balls later with an inside-out drive over the covers.O’Dowd entered the last five overs on 65 and sent an aerial shot in the direction of long-off, but the chance fell short. He added two more runs before he got a leading edge off JJ Smit. Baard ran in from the covers and got hands to it but could not hold on. O’Dowd had reached 70 by the last ball of the penultimate over and snuck two byes off a ball that struck him on the leg. He should have been run out at the wicket-keeper’s end but the throw went to the bowler. Eventually O’Dowd was run-out in the last over, chasing a second run but flagging in the heat. He became the first Dutch player to score back-to-back half-centuries at a World Cup.More missed chances, but it doesn’t matter as much
The fielding remained messy when Netherlands began their defence. In the third over, Baard punched a ball into the covers and took a single which appeared completely out of the question. van der Merwe rushed his throw that would have run Baard out at the striker’s end and he escaped an early exit. Two overs later, Namibia’s mini-collapse began, when Zane Green dragged an attempted pull onto his stumps off Frank Klaasen. They went on to lose 3 for 18, with Baard the third of those wickets when he missed a flick and was bowled by the Dutch captain Pieter Seelar. But then came the 93-run stand between Erasmus and Wiese to seize the advantage for Namibia once more, and that was that.

West Ham United have agreed personal terms with a "special" Premier League player ahead of a proposed move to the London Stadium.

West Ham’s busy summer transfer window underway

The Hammers and technical director Tim Steidten have already sealed three summer signings for new manager Julen Lopetegui, with the latest being the most expensive.

Winger Luis Guilherme from Palmeiras was the first to join for a fee worth around £25m and Wes Foderingham quickly followed suit on a free transfer after leaving Sheffield United.

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Centre-back Max Kilman then arrived from Wolves last weekend in a deal worth around £40m and said after penning terms with the Irons: “It’s an amazing feeling to be a West Ham United player.

“As soon as I was aware of the interest from the Club, it was an opportunity I was keen to pursue, so I couldn’t be more delighted to be here. I really enjoyed working with Julen during his time at Wolves – he’s a top-class coach and someone I learned a lot from, and I am confident I will continue to improve as a player under his management here.”

Now, attention for West Ham appears to be on another attacking addition after Guilherme.

West Ham agree Jhon Duran personal terms

According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, West Ham have agreed personal terms with Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran. The Colombian is seemingly open to a move to London to work with Lopetegui, however, a fee is yet to be agreed with Villa, with the latest offer worth around £35m including a 10% sell-on clause.

Duran, who has played second choice to Ollie Watkins, has also been heavily linked with Chelsea in recent months and there were claims that a £40m deal had been agreed.

As we know, a move to Stamford Bridge is yet to materialise, therefore, West Ham could swoop in and may not be far off with their latest £35m proposal.

Should a move go through, the Irons would be getting a forward who Villa manager Unai Emery is a big fan of, with the Spaniard previously saying after Duran’s brace against Liverpool: "Jhon Duran is a special player," said Emery.

"We have to try and help him. He is a good guy, and he needs a team behind him. He is getting our demands better. He was very clinical and today was important for him.

"Today we are celebrating with our supporters, we have to push it and keep working and be consistent. We were consistent all the season. The team was being mature and always consistent in our mind. Inch by inch we did it.

Duran could instantly become first choice striker with West Ham as well, with Danny Ings and Michail Antonio both into their 30s and possibly not fancied long term by Lopetegui, making this one to watch.

Jayden Seales has played just one first-class match, but the 19-year-old quick has impressed the West Indies selectors enough to be drafted into the 13-man shortlist for the first Test against South Africa. It’s already “a dream come true” for Seales, and he is hoping for more.”Firstly, it’s a dream come true being in the set-up. Being in the final 13 obviously was a goal of mine,” he said in a press interaction. “Just a matter of me now hoping that I get to play the first Test match and do my best for the team.”The Trinidad & Tobago bowler made his first-class debut last December, turning out for West Indies A in New Zealand, where he picked up one wicket.Related

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More recently, he took 4 for 40 playing for Team Hamilton in a four-day intra-squad game against Team Blackwood. He had also picked three wickets in the first innings during an intra-squad tour match ahead of the series against Sri Lanka in March.In all, he has played only ten games at the senior level across formats.”I didn’t play much first-class cricket but I think being in the set-up and training with the team from New Zealand to now I think I’ve put in a lot of hard work and my body is ready,” he said. “Now I’ve to go out there and perform for the team.”As far as chief selector Roger Harper is concerned, the lack of experience at the senior level should not be a hindrance for Seales.”I saw a young bowler perform in games where Test players and the best of our best of our regional first-class players were playing and he performed exceedingly well,” Harper said. “Better than a number of players who have been playing first-class cricket for a number of years. The thing is the match wasn’t classified as first-class match but those were played by the best of our first-class players.”I would like to think that if he can perform well in those games against those players, he has the potential to transfer that onto the Test scene.”Seales had attracted attention at the Under-19 World Cup in South Africa last year, taking ten wickets in six matches with an average of 18.30 and an economy rate of 3.89. That helped him secure a CPL deal with the Trinbago Knight Riders for the 2020 season, and he picked up eight wickets in six matches then. He has been retained by the franchise for the new season, and while he isn’t looking for idols he is learning from watching his team-mates closely.”Honestly, I never really try to adapt from any other bowlers,” he said. “It just came naturally. I’ve been told I have an action similar to [Kagiso] Rabada. In terms of internationals, I look at old West Indian bowlers and now in the set-up I look at Jason [Holder], Roachy [Kemar Roach] and Shannon [Gabriel] closely. I try to hear as much from them, learn as much from them and take it under my game.”With Gabriel missing out on selection because of an injury, Seales is happy to take his cues from Roach. “There has been no conversation whether I would take the new ball,” he said. “For me, if selected, if given a new ball, follow Roachy. If Roachy is bowling good areas it’s just my job to do the same and try and get the early wicket for the team.”

According to Sky Sports, Crystal Palace are one of two Premier League clubs interested in signing a new £35m forward.

Crystal Palace summer signings so far

The Eagles, sporting director Dougie Freedman and chairman Steve Parish have been making preparations behind the scenes ahead of Oliver Glasner’s first full season in charge at Selhurst Park.

So far, centre-back Chadi Riad is the only signing, with the Morocco international arriving after an impressive season on loan in Spain with Real Betis.

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Next to officially arrive looks set to be Daichi Kamada. The Japanese attacking midfielder will officially become a free agent at the beginning of July after leaving Lazio and has reportedly penned a two-year deal with Palace.

Glasner and Palace will lose Michael Olise, who is joining Bayern Munich in a deal worth more than £50m, and it is believed that Club Brugge forward Antonio Nusa could be the player to replace Olise, with the Norway international valued at £25m.

Meanwhile, another target is Sunderland’s Jobe Bellingham, the youngster brother of Jude, with Fabrizio Romano recently saying that the Sunderland gem is a “main target”, whereas Nusa is also among the “priorities”.

Alongside both Bellingham and Nusa, though, it looks as if another attacking target is of interest to Palace.

Crystal Palace want Emile Smith-Rowe – Sky Sports

According to Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth, speaking live on Wednesday evening, Crystal Palace are interested in signing Emile Smith-Rowe from Arsenal this summer.

“We understand that a number of Premier League clubs, including Fulham and Crystal Palace are interested in Arsenal forward Emile Smith-Rowe.

“He is very popular at the club, should be noted, Smith-Rowe. He is very popular at the club with those within the club, he’s very popular with the fans as well – the fans always get behind an academy product. But, he started just three times in the Premier League in the last two seasons, and now he’s in that position in his career where he thinks ‘I want regular first-team football’.

“It’s thought that if a suitable offer was to present itself, that Arsenal would seriously consider that offer. Formal approaches for Emile Smith-Rowe are expected to start coming in over the next few weeks.”

Reports elsewhere have stated that the Gunners could hope to bring in around £35m for Smith-Rowe, so the Eagles may need to make the 23-year-old Palace's most expensive signing of all time if they want to bring him to Selhurst Park.

In total, Smith-Rowe has made 115 senior appearances for the Gunners, scoring 18 times and registering 13 assists. He’s also spent time out on loan with RB Leipzig and Huddersfield Town after coming through Arsenal’s academy, but by the looks of things, a permanent exit could be on the cards.

USMNT duo Ricardo Pepi and Malik Tillman were center-stage as PSV cruised to their 10th-straight victory in the Eredivisie.

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PSV defeat PEC Zwolle 6-0Ricardo Pepi records brace, Malik Tillman scores headerDutch side cruised to 10th-straight win in EredivisieFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Earning a rare start, U.S. international Ricardo Pepi shined as PSV thumped PEC Zwolle 6-0 in regular season action. Opening the scoring in the ninth minute, he added his second in the 59th, while fellow USMNT regular Malik Tillman bagged a goal, too, scoring the Dutch side's third of the day in the victory.

Pepi's first, a stupendous side-volley, set the tone for the match, while the floodgates opened over the final 45 minutes. His second was a lovely low-driven effort, while Tillman's goal was a lovely placed header.

Additional goals came from wingers Noa Lang and Johan Bakayoko, with the latter coming in the 89th minute to seal all three points.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

It appeared as though Pepi had completed his hat-trick in the 71st minute when PSV scored their fifth, but his header deflected off goalkeeper Jasper Schendelaar for a Zwolle own-goal. Another chance arrived in the 83rd minute when PSV were awarded a penalty kick, but veteran Luuk De Jong was the preferred kick taker – however, the 34-year-old missed his attempt from the spot.

It was just Pepi's second start of the season, but notably, his second 90-minute appearance this season where he scored a brace. With five total goals on the campaign, he's found success when given an entire match, with just one goal off the bench in six other substitute cameos.

Tillman, meanwhile, scored his fifth goal of the season as well from his attacking midfield role.

DID YOU KNOW?

With five goals through Oct. this season, Pepi is on-track for a career-best scoring campaign. In 2021, he scored 13 with MLS side FC Dallas, and hit that number again in 2022-23 with FC Groningen. However, he's now on pace to surpass both of those tallies, if he stays on course during 2024-25.

AFPWHAT NEXT FOR PEPI, TILLMAN AND PSV?

The U.S. duo and PSV are back in action on Saturday, Nov. 2 when they travel to take on rivals Ajax in regular season play. A clash between first and third in the league, Tillman and Pepi will look to help their teammates continue their unbeaten start to the season.

da marjack bet： Manchester United have expressed interest in signing a teenage sensation whom former manager Ralf Rangnick rates.

Man Utd transfer speculation

da winzada777： After an 8th-place finish in the Premier League and an FA Cup triumph last month, Manchester United have opted to keep Erik ten Hag on as their manager heading into the 2024/25 season. The Red Devils must now begin their on-field rebuild as new co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe aims to return the Red Devils to the glory years of the Sir Alex Ferguson era.

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However, there looks set to be a shift in transfer policy under the new ownership, with United expected to target younger players and turn them into top stars, rather than spending big money on established names like they have done in the past with signings such as Raphael Varane, Casemiro and Angel Di Maria. Earlier this year, Ratcliffe was quizzed on whether he would rather United bring Mbappe to Old Trafford or INEOS sign two-time Tour de France winner Tadej Pogacar, with the life-long United fan going on to emphasise the need to avoid huge transfer fees on established stars.

“I’d rather find the next Mbappe, rather than spend a fortune to buy success,” Ratcliffe said. “It’s not that clever, is it, buying Mbappe? In a way, anyone could figure that one out. But what’s much more challenging is to find the next Mbappe, or next Bellingham, or the next Roy Keane.”

Man Utd have recently been credited with an interest in signing forward Maximilian Beier, while they are also

keen on signing talented youngster Desire Doue. Both players fit the profile of the type of signing Ratcliffe is looking to make now he is heading up United's recruitment strategy.

Man Utd hold talks to sign prolific teenage forward Ralf Rangnick rates

Now, another rising star has been linked with a move to Old Trafford. The player in question is RB Salzburg teenager, Oghenetejiri Adejenughure. The 17-year-old striker is yet to play any senior football for Salzburg but enjoyed a prolific 2023/24 campaign at under-18 level, netting 16 goals across 20 ÖFB Jugendliga U18 league ties.

The teenager also scored four goals in four games at the U17 Euros this year and, as per The Daily Express, Man Utd have expressed an interest in signing him and have also held talks with the player's entourage.

All told, the hitman has scored eight goals in 12 games for Austria at U17 level and as per the report from The Express, former Manchester United and current Austria manager Rangnick has already earmarked Adejenughure as a player capable of making his way into the national team's senior set-up.

Along with United, AC Milan and Borussia Dortmund are also believed to hold an interest in the striker, and it will be interesting to see what move the young sensation opts to make regarding his future.

يرى جون ألدريدج، النجم السابق لفريق ليفربول، أن كتيبة آرني سلوت يتعين عليها القلق بشأن نادِ واحد فقط، في سباق المنافسة على لقب الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، وهذا النادي ليس آرسنال.

ويتصدر ليفربول جدول الدوري الإنجليزي برصيد 56 نقطة، بفارق 6 نقاط عن آرسنال، صاحب المركز الثاني.

ويمتلك ليفربول ميزة كونه يمتلك مباراة مؤجلة، ضد إيفرتون، والتي سيخوضها يوم الأربعاء من الأسبوع المقبل.

ورغم ضغط آرسنال على ليفربول، في سباق لقب الدوري الإنجليزي لهذا الموسم، إلا أن جون ألدريدج يرى أن هناك ناديًا آخر يجب أن يثير قلق الريدز.

وقال ألدريدج، في مقاله عبر شبكة “ليفربول إيكو” الإنجليزية: “لا يتعلق الأمر بـ آرسنال أو مانشستر سيتي أو أي فريق آخر في سباق اللقب الآن، بل يتعلق بنا، يقول لي الناس (من الذي يقلقك؟)، أنا قلق بشأن ليفربول”.

وأضاف: “سواء عانينا من فترة سيئة أو أي شيء آخر، لا داعِ للقلق بشأن آرسنال، فقط علينا القلق بشأن أنفسنا، نحتاج فقط إلى الاستمرار والمضي قدمًا في القيام بما نقوم به ومحاولة التحسن إذا استطعنا، إلى جانب التعامل مع كل مباراة على حدة”.

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وواصل: “إذا فزنا بالمباراة المؤجلة وفزنا ضد آرسنال على أرضه، فإن ذلك يعني قطع شوط طويل لضمان تواجدنا في الصدارة نهاية الموسم”.

ويلتقي ليفربول مع توتنهام، مساء الخميس، في إياب نصف نهائي كأس كاراباو، مع العلم أن الريدز تعرض للهزيمة بهدف دون رد في الذهاب.

واسترسل ألدريدج: “ربما ذهبنا إلى ويمبلي (ملعب نهائي الكأس) أكثر من أي نادٍ آخر على مر السنين، نحتاج إلى قلب تأخرنا، سيكون من المثير للاهتمام أن نرى الفريق الذي سيدفع به سلوت، هذا سيكون الجزء المثير للاهتمام”.

وأفاد: “أعتقد أنه سيدفع بفريق قوي حقًا للفوز بالمباراة قبل اللجوء إلى التدوير في مباراة كأس الاتحاد ضد بليموث، أنا أتطلع إلى مباراة الخميس، فمن المفترض أن تكون مباراة جيدة، تحت الأضواء وأمام جماهيرنا”.

It’s the least Indian of all Indian grounds at least at a conditions level, as the pitch is fast and bouncy

Karthik Krishnaswamy05-Mar-20247:09

Ashwin picks the best batters he’s bowled to

Just over three weeks ago, the HPCA Stadium hosted a Ranji Trophy match between Himachal Pradesh and Delhi, where seamers took all 36 wickets that fell over its four days.This was far from unusual. In four Ranji games at the venue this season, fast bowlers have bowled a combined 814 overs and taken 122 wickets at an average of 23.17. Spinners have sent down 122.2 overs, and taken seven wickets at 58.42.The fast bowlers, in short, have taken as many wickets as spinners have bowled overs.Welcome to Dharamsala. It’s cold here, it’s high up in the Himalayas, and it has what may well be the most spectacular backdrop of any sporting venue in the world. It’s only natural to come here to watch cricket and go back having spent more time gazing upon the snow-veined Dhauladhars and pondering your own insignificance in the grand scheme of geological space and time.Related

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It’s also the least Indian of Indian grounds at a conditions level: the pitch here is fast and bouncy, and during the winter months when cricket is played in India, it doesn’t bake under the sun and deteriorate in the way Indian pitches tend to. Fast bowlers like it here.Spinners? Well, it’s complicated.It’s clearly not a ground for spinners during India’s domestic season. Over the 49 first-class games that have been played here, they have averaged 41.02 to the fast bowlers’ 27.90.But there’s only so much extrapolation you can do when a Test match rolls into town.Dharamshala has hosted one previous Test, back in March 2017, and while it’s fondly remembered by India fans for Umesh Yadav’s third-innings spell of new-ball venom, it was also a match where spinners took 18 of the 30 wickets that fell to bowlers. Kuldeep Yadav made his debut and took a first-innings four-for; Nathan Lyon picked up five in India’s first innings; R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja shared six in Australia’s second.Before that Test match, the pitch had worn a tinge of green, and the curator had said it would offer something to all four disciplines: pace, spin and batting, of course, but fielding too, with good carry to the slips cordon.Axar Patel, Shubman Gill, R Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Sarfaraz Khan and Rajat Patidar in training•AFP/Getty ImagesThe pitch delivered on that promise, and it helped that the match was played in the end of March, by which time warmer weather had arrived in Dharamsala. The sun helped turn the surface into something like day four in Australian conditions- fast and bouncy but with plenty of cracks for the spinners to work with.It’s a little different now, as Dharamsala gears up for its second Test match. It’s still the first week of March, and there has been rain in the weeks leading up to the game. Rain is forecast for Thursday, day one of the Test match, and maximum temperatures on all five days are likely to hover in the early to mid-teens (Celsius). It’s not the kind of weather for cracks to open up.Against that, though, is the look of the pitch itself, two days out from the match. It seemed to be a pale brown rather than green – the pitch that hosted the third Test in Rajkot had looked significantly greener in the lead-up – and Jonny Bairstow called it a “used pitch” in his press conference on Tuesday. He was not wrong, since it’s the same pitch that was used in that HP-Delhi game, but that was three weeks ago – how much time must elapse between matches for a used pitch to cease being one?James Anderson bowls with the Himalayas in the background•Getty ImagesEven so, it seemed fairly evident that the powers that be have made an effort to get this pitch to play in as Indian a way as possible, and minimise the advantages it bestows upon fast bowlers through its soil and location.It could still be fast and bouncy, then, and there could be swing if it’s overcast – as is likely to be a case for at least parts of the Test match – but it’s not a green seamer. The fast bowlers could still have a big influence, but the spinners could enjoy the bounce too. The lack of grass on the surface could help it wear a little quicker, though how quickly, in these conditions, remains to be seen.The outfield – a distinctly different and darker green to the square – is lush. Reverse-swing, if it happens, may take some time to happen.From England’s perspective, any help for the fast bowlers is welcome, potentially even-ing the battle between the two attacks. There is every chance they will play three quicks.It’s a little trickier for India to play an extra seamer, though. Any Indian pitch that’s not an outright greentop – and this one isn’t – is one where Ashwin. Jadeja and Kuldeep can find a way to take wickets. They’ll certainly enjoy the bounce, particularly if England keep sweeping and bring the top edge into play. And cooler weather allows fast bowlers to extend their spells; Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, used judiciously, could still deliver enough overs to ensure India don’t waste windows of fast-bowling opportunity.The question for India is whether a third seamer – likely Akash Deep – could get them more wickets, and get them quicker and cheaper, than a third spinner. It’s a question they’re likely to spend a lot of time mulling over, over the next day-and-a-half. It’s the kind of question they rarely have to ask themselves when they’re playing at home, but this is Dharamsala. Everything is different here.

It was yet another devastating result for Manchester United. The Red Devils slumped to another defeat, this time losing 3-1 away from home to Brentford. Ruben Amorim’s side have now lost three games in the top flight this season, winning just two and drawing the other.

That is merely a continuation of the dismal form shown under their Portuguese manager. United have only won 12 games under Amorim in not far off one year, and are yet to win back-to-back games in the Premier League.

Their trip to the Gtech Community was a chance to do just that. However, two first-half goals from Igor Thiago in the first half, and a late strike from Vitaly Janelt were enough to seal the three points for the Bees.

The only real positive for United was the fact that Benjamin Sesko bagged his first goal for the club. It was a strike that showed lots of fight, scrapping for a ball in the penalty box before finally firing a shot into the back of the net.

It was another disappointing day at the office for Amorim’s side. No one really covered themselves in glory. One player who struggled was defender Luke Shaw.

Shaw’s performance vs. Brentford

One of the Red Devils’ most experienced players, Shaw, once again started as the left centre-back in Amoirm’s infamous back three system. He has certainly had better performances in a United shirt.

The England international, who is normally excellent on the ball, was surprisingly poor in possession in West London. Out of possession, he struggled against the physicality of Brentford’s forwards, including goalscorer Thiago.

In terms of his numbers from the lunchtime kickoff, the 30-year-old had 71 touches, losing the ball 17 times. He only won one duel from four attempted, and made one error, which led to a Brentford shot, per Sofascore.

Goal journalist Richard Martin seemingly agreed that the experienced defender did not put in his best performance against the West Londoners. He gave him a 5/10 for his efforts and highlighted his struggles with the ball at his feet, describing him as “sloppy in possession.”

It was certainly not Shaw’s best day at the office, although he was not United’s worst player at the Gtech Community Stadium.

The United player who worse than Shaw

Shaw was certainly not the only player in a United shirt who struggled against the Bees. Harry Maguire was at fault for the first goal, and goalkeeper Altay Bayindir could have done better for the second strike.

However, Bruno Fernandes put in a surprisingly poor performance. The United captain had his afternoon summed up by Statman Dave, who called the situation a “nightmare.” Indeed, he struggled to get involved creatively and, crucially, missed a penalty.

That effort from 12 yards was certainly not his finest moment of the season. The second penalty he’s missed in West London this season, Fernandes struck his effort low to the goalkeeper’s left, which Caoimhin Kelleher easily managed to tip away.

It was a moment that summed up Fernandes’ afternoon. The Portugal international, once again operating deeper in a pivot, struggled to create a chance, playing just one key pass, and losing the ball 18 times.

Indeed, Martin seemed to agree that the United captain had a day to forget at the Gtech Community Stadium. He gave Fernandes a match rating of 4/10 and, unfortunately, did not have anything positive to discuss from his performance.

United’s number eight certainly was not involved enough creatively, either. Perhaps that is more on Amoirm rather than the reflection of a poor showing. Fernandes would surely be able to create more chances if he were playing further forward, rather than in a pivot. With that being said, perhaps you’d have expected him to create more with United chasing the game.

It was definitely a day to forget for Fernandes. Normally, such a consistent penalty taker, he missed from the spot to make it 2-2 and give United a fighting chance of getting a positive result.

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The milestones Kane Williamson crossed in his marathon innings of 251 at Seddon Park

ESPNcricinfo stats team04-Dec-20200 Number of higher Test scores by Kane Williamson. Williamson beat his best of 242 not out, which he made against Sri Lanka in 2015. This was Williamson’s third double-hundred and his second in the last two years. He made an unbeaten 200 against Bangladesh at the same venue last year.9 250-plus scores by New Zealand batsmen in Tests, including Williamson’s 251 in this match. Williamson is the eighth New Zealand batsman to hit 250 in a Test innings. Stephen Fleming is the only batsmen with two such scores.ESPNcricinfo Ltd142.14 Williamson’s average in his last ten innings at Seddon Park, Hamilton; he has four centuries in these innings – scores of 108*, 176, 200*, 104* and 251. In fact, his average of 88.42 at Hamilton is the highest for any New Zealand batsman at a venue where he has batted at least ten innings. Williamson has made 1238 runs from 17 innings with five hundreds and five fifties.259 Highest score by a New Zealand batsman against West Indies in Tests. Glenn Turner had made that score back in 1979 in Georgetown. Williamson’s 251 is the second highest and the fifth double-hundred by a New Zealand batsman against West Indies.624 Minutes batted by Williamson in his innings of 251. This is the second time Williamson has spent more than ten hours at the crease in a Test innings. He had batted for 623 minutes in his 242* against Sri Lanka. He is the only New Zealand batsman to have batted more than ten hours in an innings twice in his Test career (wherever minutes information is available).