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The final weekend of the 2025 MLB season is upon us, and there is still a lot to play for. Eight teams have secured playoff spots, while eight remain alive fighting for the final two spots.

In addition to the teams desperately trying to punch their tickets to the postseason, two American League division races remain undecided. With all that in mind we’ve ranked the top five series of the season’s final weekend.

1. Detroit Tigers at Boston Red Sox

The Red Sox will host the Tigers in the final weekend’s most important series. The two teams currently hold the AL’s final wild card spots, and Detroit is still in contention for the AL Central. The Tigers’ collapse has been stunning. They led the division by 14 games on July 8, and were ahead of the Guardians by 15 1/2. They also led Cleveland by 10 1/2 games on September 1 and 9 1/2 on September 10. Now they’re tied atop the division. Detroit also leads the Astros by just one game for the AL’s final wild card spot, so there’s a chance they miss the postseason completely.

While the Yankees and Blue Jays are tied atop the AL East, Boston is sitting in a solid position, with a magic number of one. The Red Sox appear locked into the second wild-card spot, which means they’ll be traveling to face New York, Toronto, Cleveland or Detroit in the opening round. It will be Boston’s first postseason berth since 2021.

2. New York Mets at Miami Marlins

The Mets have been a mess for two months, but still have the final playoff spot in the NL cornered. While Juan Soto, Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso have done their best to lift the Mets to the playoffs, the team’s pitching staff has utterly disintegrated. They’ll need to perform this weekend to clinch a spot.

New York will travel to Miami to face a plucky Marlins team that wasn’t eliminated until Thursday afternoon. The Fish look like a squad that could be a dangerous next season, led by Kyle Stowers and rookie Jakob Marsee. They’ll do their best to play spoilers this weekend.

Worcestershire 320 for 5 (Roderick 95*, D’Oliveira 84, Edavalath 61) vs DurhamHalf-centuries from Rehaan Edavalath, Brett D’Oliveira and Gareth Roderick helped Division Two bound Worcestershire frustrate relegation candidates Durham on day two of their Rothesay County Championship clash.Durham struck twice in the morning session to leave the visitors 49 for two, but 21-year-old Edavalath and 19-year-old Dan Lategan combined for a partnership worth 84 to steer their side out of a spot of trouble.Durham bounced back with a double-wicket burst, removing the pair in the afternoon, but Roderick and D’Oliveira frustrated Durham, picking up their own half-centuries in a partnership worth 170, the highest fifth wicket partnership for their side in the fixture, to take the Pears to 320 for five at close.After a washout on day one, Durham won the toss and elected to bowl first in their crucial clash with the Pears. Jake Libby got off the mark early on with a tidy shot through the covers from the bowling of Ben Raine. The Worcestershire opening pair of Libby and Edavalath managed to negate some probing bowling from Raine and Matthew Potts without taking many risks during the first half hour.Raine was rewarded for the pressure he built up as Libby was caught behind for 14, after he chased one down the legside. A second soon followed as Kashif Ali edged a Potts delivery straight into the hands of David Bedingham at third slip for 10.Lategan then came to the crease and showed the first signs of aggression from the Pears batting line-up as he picked up three boundaries from a Potts over. Edavalath remained solid after seeing off the new ball and Lategan continued to attack as the youthful pair took their side to 100 before lunch.Edavalath calmly accumulated his way to his maiden First Class fifty just after lunch, reaching it from 96 deliveries. The opener played a glorious straight drive off the bowling of Durham’s Afghan debutant Shafiquallah Ghafari for four to keep the scoreboard ticking over.Lategan followed that up as he cut a Raine ball to the boundary, but Raine struck back as he got him LBW for a well-made 44.Pears skipper D’Oliveira was almost following the youngster back to the pavilion as he edged a Raine delivery to Emilio Gay at second slip but he couldn’t cling on.Just a couple of balls later, chaos ensued in the middle as when going for a quick single, Edavalath was sent back by his skipper and he was run out by Graham Clark for 61. However, D’Oliveira played a beautiful shot through the offside off the bowling of Potts to break the shackles.Roderick and D’Oliveira soaked up the pressure and they continued to accumulate runs, with the Pears captain finding the boundary after Sam Conners offered a bit of width. Roderick then joined in to whip a Ghafari ball off his legs to the boundary.The pair resumed after tea, with Roderick playing a delicate shot through the onside for four to kick things off after the tea break and he passed fifty off 88 balls soon after. D’Oliveira then reached his milestone from 114 balls as he got his side to a first batting point.Durham took the new ball on the 80-over mark and there was a little bit on offer for Raine, but Roderick and D’Oliveira continued to look unflustered.D’Oliveira played a beautiful shot through the offside for four, while Roderick continued to attack as he whipped a Will Rhodes ball through the legside for four.There was a late twist as Conners sent D’Oliveira’s off-stump flying for an excellent 84, but it was Worcestershire’s day as they got to 320 for five at close.

Manchester United have improved drastically in the forward areas this season, though they could now be prepared to offer a platform for Real Madrid star Endrick to shine ahead of the World Cup if circumstances align.

Benjamin Sesko has endured a mixed time since joining the Red Devils. Two goals in 11 matches haven’t exactly set the house on fire, though he has been an impressive presence within build-up play under Ruben Amorim.

Nevertheless, his recent performances have not escaped Gary Neville’s attention, who told NBC Sports that the ‘jury is out’ on whether he will be the right fit through the middle long-term.

He said: “I’m no further forward with him. The jury is out. He’s well off it compared to the other summer signings that Man United made up front in Cunha and Mbeumo.

“He looks awkward, he had a couple of really good opportunities in the first half – when balls got played over the top. And his touch wasn’t quite right.”

Quite clearly, Sesko has the potential to come good. Other than him, Joshua Zirkzee has had limited minutes at Manchester United this season, and he is now reportedly in the sights of Everton with the World Cup taking place next summer.

At this point, it is unclear whether he will be allowed to leave in January. If he is permitted to go, the Red Devils will likely target another forward to pick up the shortfall for the second half of the campaign, even temporarily.

As the transfer window draws closer, Manchester United may now have a plan in place to land a world-renowned talent to bolster their attacking options.

Man Utd target Endrick tells agent he wants loan from Real Madrid

According to The Daily Star, Manchester United target Endrick has told his agents that he will seek a loan move in January, with the only way of that being likely to change if his minutes improve at Real Madrid.

The Brazil international has been frozen out by Xabi Alonso and has played in a single match this season. Aston Villa have also come to the table if uncertainty over his future is set to linger.

Endrick since joining Real Madrid

Appearances

38

Goals

7

Assists

1

West Ham United and Juventus have been mentioned in dispatches as alternative suitors, with the 19-year-old fearful that a lack of games may prohibit his chances of going to next year’s World Cup.

In the scenario where any deal is concluded to send Endrick on loan, Real Madrid want his next club to pay his wages in full for the duration of a spell away from the Spanish capital.

Man Utd are also pushing hard to sign an England international

Mid-season always promised to be an important time of year at Old Trafford, and it now remains to be seen whether they can secure the youngster in a deal that would make headlines across the world.

The Brewers experienced a redemptive victory in Game 5 of the National League Division Series on Saturday to advance to the NLCS for the first time since 2018. In order to do that, they had to eliminate the Cubs, which was probably a nice little cherry on top of their third run to a league championship series since the early 1980s.

After the game, the team gathered together on the field to take a team picture. Someone got ahold of a white flag with a big blue L on it, meant to mirror Chicago's Win Flag which flies at Wrigley Field whenever the Cubs win.

According to the media present for the picture, pitcher Trevor Megill was the one brave enough to grab the flag and hold it up to immortalize the win with a little bit of trolling.

The two teams have both played in the NL Central since Brewers moved over from the American League in 1998. This troll job is just another chapter in an intense rivalry that's only getting spicier.

The last international break of the year is finally coming to an end this weekend, meaning Arsenal can once again continue their title charge.

However, instead of looking over their shoulder at Liverpool, the new hunter is, unfortunately, Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.

The Citizens have already gotten the better of Mikel Arteta’s side in two Premier League title races, in large part thanks to the outrageous goalscoring ability of Erling Haaland.

The Norwegian is an unstoppable machine of a player, but fortunately, it feels like Arsenal now have their own version of him, and he’s not even a striker.

Haaland's record vs Arsenal

There are more than a handful of players Arsenal fans have dreaded seeing play against their team over the years.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

When he was at Chelsea, Didier Drogba was a nightmare for the North Londoners, as was Harry Kane when he played in N17.

Unfortunately, even though he hasn’t been in the league anywhere near as long, Haaland has become another goalscorer who just seems to have the Gunners’ number.

For example, while he didn’t score against them in the FA Cup three years ago, or the Community Shield a year after that, he has made a habit of putting the ball in their net in the league.

In the seven appearances he’s made against the North Londoners in the competition, he has scored five goals, with the two blanks coming home and away in the 23/24 season.

Interestingly, while he provided two assists in the 22/23 game at the Etihad, the former Borussia Dortmund star has never scored more than one goal in a match against Arteta’s side.

In all, Haaland scoring against Arsenal feels practically invincible, even this season, when Arteta has built an almost impregnable defence, one that features the club’s own version of the Norwegian.

Arsenal's own Haaland

Now, while people might try to argue that Viktor Gyokeres or Bukayo Saka could be Arsenal’s answer to Haaland for their goals and where they play, they’d be wrong.

Instead, and this might sound odd to begin with, it’s Gabriel Magalhaes.

After all, City’s biggest strength is their attack, and their best attacker is the Norwegian, while the Gunners’ biggest strength, and so far this season, the Brazilian has been their best defender.

Moreover, like the former Dortmund star, the 27-year-old is a monster of a centre-back, someone who makes full use of his 6 foot 4 frame to bully opposition players off the ball or block their path entirely.

He is not a stereotypical ball-playing defender; he’s an old-school blood and thunder type, someone who relishes the physical battle and celebrates a well-timed slide tackle just as much as a goal.

However, unlike some other players of his ilk, the former LOSC Lille ace is also a tour de force in the opposition’s box.

Since moving to the Emirates, the São Paulo-born titan has scored 22 goals and provided eight assists in 227 appearances, and with five goal involvements already this season, he’s only becoming more of an attacking threat.

Appearances

227

Starts

216

Minutes

19391′

Goals

22

Assists

8

Points per Game

2.02

It’s this combination of being incredible in all phases of play that led to Jamie Carragher suggesting that he could “be seen as the most influential player in the Premier League” only last month.

It also lends plenty of credence to Statman Dave’s claim that he’s one of the best defenders “on the planet.”

Ultimately, while he’ll never get the adulation of a striker, Gabriel has slowly become Arsenal’s own Haaland-like player, and the sooner he’s back from injury, the better.

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The game-changing winger could be a Saka-like addition to Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal side.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 18, 2025

“We wanted to bring her in and actually expose her to the environment so that she can understand what the expectations are,” Mandla Mashimbyi added

Firdose Moonda28-Aug-2025South Africa’s former captain Dane van Niekerk is “definitely not part,” of their plans for the upcoming World Cup despite coming out of retirement and being included in an ongoing pre-tournament training camp. National coach Mandla Mashimbyi confirmed that van Niekerk will only be considered for future series “when she ticks all the boxes.”That means van Niekerk, who is 32, may not play at another 50-over World Cup after missing out in 2022 as she recovered from a broken ankle. She has appeared in three previous editions and led South Africa in 2017, where they suffered a semi-final defeat to England. She has also played in seven T20 World Cups but did not feature in the home event in 2023 after failing to meet Cricket South Africa’s (CSA) fitness requirements. It was then that she announced her retirement from international cricket.Van Niekerk has since come back to domestic competition, u-turned on her international retirement and was called up to a 20-player squad for a week-long camp in Durban ahead of South Africa’s World Cup squad selection. But her name will not be among the final fifteen that will be announced next week. “She’s just part of the bigger or broader base of players that we’re trying to bring into our environment,” Mashimbyi said. “She’s definitely not part of this World Cup. She’s not going.”Related

Van Niekerk in line for SA comeback after u-turn on retirement

'Want to play again and have fun' – Dane van Niekerk signs for Western Province

So why was van Niekerk brought into a squad specifically put together, “in preparation for the upcoming Pakistan tour and the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 held in India and Sri Lanka,” according to a CSA press release? To see what she needs to do in order to get back in.”We wanted to bring her in and actually expose her to the environment so that she can understand what the expectations are,” Mashimbyi said. “Hopefully she can carry on from here onwards and really understand how she wants to go about things. And then one day when she gets a call up, you know, she can come in and have an impact immediately.”Strictly monitored running times are no longer part of the expectations, which will come as a relief to van Niekerk who was left out of the 2023 T20 World Cup squad because she could not run two kilometres in under 9:30. Now, CSA leaves selection to the coach and convener’s discretion but there is still an implicit understanding that fitness standards need to be at a high level and van Niekerk knows it. “I’ve seen the standards in the last two years. I’ve been in and around the team, commentating and even though I was really not involved I knew how the team was evolving when it comes to the physical sides of things,” she said. “There’s a massive difference from two years ago. The players have evolved, got stronger, smarter you can really see the work ethic around the group as well.”

“I know I’m probably not where everyone’s at at the moment. I understand where I need to be for the team.”Dane van Niekerk

Van Niekerk, who plays for Western Province but does not have any franchise deals at the moment, conceded that she still has some work to do to catch up. “I know I’m probably not where everyone’s at at the moment. I understand where I need to be for the team. It’s going to be a lot of hard work, but I definitely wouldn’t have gone through all of this if I’m not willing to put that in,” she said. “This is almost a baseline for me to really gauge where I’m at when it comes to the physical side, when it comes to the skill side, and all those things. Hopefully, I can have a clearer view after this camp. I’d know with the conversations we’ve had where I need to be in the next few months.”While she will not be part of the action over September and October, van Niekerk may be eyeing a home comeback later this year. After the Women’s World Cup, the South Africa’s women’s team’s series against Ireland and Pakistan will headline the international summer as the men only host West Indies for five T20Is next year. The women’s team will play at all the country’s big grounds including Newlands, the Wanderers and van Niekerk’s home venue – St George’s Park – where she has never played an international. That will be followed by preparations for next year’s T20 World Cup, which both her and Mashimbyi may also have in their sights for her future.Mashimbyi acknowledged that it would be “false of us to not think that Dane is an important cog in the bigger scheme of things,” because of her experience. “She’s captained the team. She’s played for a long time, and she was successful in doing that. Bringing a player like that back into the environment for me was a no-brainer,” he said.But he also made it clear that she won’t receive any special treatment based on that history. “She’s like any other player now. You know, she needs to work her way up again. She needs to earn a place as well.”

Keeper-batter’s first List A century for Durham was followed by Will Rhodes’ maiden List A five-for

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay05-Aug-2025A brilliant century from Ollie Robinson and an excellent all-round effort from Will Rhodes led Durham to a 51-run victory over Sussex in the Metro Bank One Day Cup.Robinson’s counter-attacking century, which was his first List A ton for Durham, supported by a gutsy innings from Rhodes fired Durham to a total of 310 for 7 from their 50 overs, with Archie Lenham the pick of the Sussex bowlers.Sussex’s chase of 311 got off to a poor start as they found themselves 86 for 4 at one point, but middle order runs from Danny Lamb dragged his side back in the game.However, Rhodes secured Durham the opening day victory with his first ever List A five-wicket haul.Sussex won the toss at a sunny Roseworth Terrace and elected to bowl first and they got off to a great start as Alex Lees edged a Fynn Hudson-Prentice delivery behind to Charlie Tear in the opening over.Rhodes and Emilio Gay settled Durham down after the early loss and reached 50 in the powerplay as the former produced a crunching straight drive for four.Rhodes then reached his half-century from 43 balls on his List A debut for Durham, while Gay started to show some aggression as he took the aerial route to find the cover boundary.Gay then tried to launch a Jack Carson delivery down the ground for six, but he was caught well by Ari Karvelas for 34. Sussex then struck again as Lamb bowled Colin Ackermann for 14 to leave things finely poised.Robinson joined Rhodes at the crease and looked to be proactive as he pulled a Lenham ball for four and he followed that up with a cut shot on the back foot that went for four.Rhodes then hit the first maximum of the day as he gave a Carson ball the treatment with a beautiful slog sweep.Robinson then got his fifty from 47 balls, getting to the milestone with a six, but Rhodes fell four short of his century as Lenham got him caught at deep square. Wickets then came like buses for Sussex as Lamb got Ben Raine for six. Despite the wickets, Robinson kept the scoreboard ticking over and picked up another maximum as he pulled a Henry Crocombe ball over the ropes.Haydon Mustard, making his first appearance of the season, also looked to move Durham towards 300 as he picked up a couple of boundaries including a lovely cut shot.Mustard then fell for a lively 36, but Robinson reached his century off 78 balls to take his side to a big total. The centurion fell for 100 exactly, Ari Karvelas picking up the wicket, but Durham reached 310 for seven at the end of their 50 overs.Tom Haines and Danial Ibrahim started Sussex’s chase of 311, but it got off to a bad start as Ibrahim was caught behind off the bowling of Codi Yusuf for two.Durham cranked up the pressure as George Drissell got Tom Clark caught behind for 14.Haines showed a glimpse of some aggression as he reverse swept Drissell for four, however, Tear departed for nine after he pulled a Mitch Killeen delivery straight to Yusuf in the deep.Killeen then struck again as he got Haines for 23 as he chipped one straight to Ackermann at mid-on.Hudson-Prentice was frustrating Durham and he took a liking to James Minto’s bowling as he smashed one over the square boundary and out of the ground.Durham got the big wicket of Hudson-Prentice for 43 as he went for a second run, but a throw came in from Yusuf and Robinson whipped the bails off with aplomb.Oli Carter then hammered one from Drissell down the ground for six and followed that up with a four off Minto. Danny Lamb then hit Ben Raine for six to boost his team’s hopes and he backed that up with a tidy flick off his legs for four a few balls later.Lamb continued his charge, dragging his side back into the game with some powerful strokes and reached his fifty from 35 balls.However, Carter departed for 38 as Rhodes got him caught behind to halt Sussex’s momentum. Lamb continued his assault on the Durham attack as he pulled a Yusuf ball for four, but Rhodes got another wicket, getting Carson caught and bowled for four.Rhodes got his third, removing Lamb for an excellent 74 to leave Durham on the verge of victory.Rhodes then wrapped things up for Durham to bowl Sussex out for 259 and he finished with figures of 5 for 30.

Liverpool boss Arne Slot has opened up on his future at Anfield after meeting with the club's owners. The Reds are currently on a dreadful run of form and were beaten yet again on Wednesday night in the Champions League by PSV. Slot's side have now lost nine of their last 12 matches in all competitions, piling pressure on the Dutchman in his second season in charge.

Liverpool crisis grows after PSV thrashing

Liverpool's form has collapsed this season, culminating in the Champions League humiliation by PSV, a defeat which marked the club's worst run in over 70 years. The Reds' diabolical form includes being dumped out of the League Cup at home by Crystal Palace and consecutive 3-0 Premier League defeats by Nottingham Forest and Manchester City, followed by the humbling by the Dutch outfit. Fans and pundits alike are questioning the team's lack of fight and individual errors, and the failure of high-profile summer signing to integrate successfully into the team. But Slot has spoken with the Anfield hierarchy and fully believes his job is safe for now.

AdvertisementAFPSlot vows to fight on

Slot faced the press on Thursday ahead of Liverpool's next game against West Ham in the Premier League and was grilled on his future. The Dutchman admitted he has spoken with the owners at Liverpool and vowed to fight on. He told reporters: "We've had the same conversations that we've had since I got here. We fight on. We try to improve, but the conversations have been the same as they have been for the last one and a half years." 

And when pressed on what he can change to arrest the dreadful run of results, Slot added: "That's not so easy to say. It's normal to reflect on a game with decisions you have made. Maybe you do it a little bit more if you lose. In the end, it's about doing what this club is about. Keep fighting no matter how difficult it is I would be nice if we rewards ourselves in he moments we play well. People are focused on he parts we don't play well but there are large parts where we do play well."

AFPCarragher: 'That’s a sackable offence'

Anfield legend Jamie Carragher was caught on camera deep in conversation from the TV studio during the match, discussing Slot’s decision to continue picking Ibrahima Konate, who was at fault for the third PSV goal. 

Carragher said: "Honest to god, I've had enough of them. That Konate, I mean, that's a sackable offence for the manager for f******g keep picking him. He should be sacked for that." 

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Will Slot make changes

Slot had been urged to drop some of his misfiring stars amid Liverpool's run of form and was also asked if he would be making changes to his team for the game against the Hammers. He replied: "Everyone trains with us every single day, and they can prove themselves in that moment. It's always a balance. There was a period where I lost, and I made a few changes and people complained that I made too many changes. Of course, I consider but I can not tell you the end decision of what I've considered for Sunday."

Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Adil Rashid made gains in white-ball rankings

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Oct-2025Pakistan left-arm spinner Noman Ali has rocketed up four places to No. 2 in the ICC Men’s Test bowling rankings after his ten-wicket haul in the first Test against South Africa in Lahore, which included a first-innings six-for. His 853 rating points are also a career-best for the spinner.South Africa quick Kagiso Rabada, who earlier occupied that second position, slipped down three positions to fifth after picking up just two wickets in Lahore.Allrounder Marco Jansen also saw a drop in his ranking, as he slid out of the top ten after he was left out of the South Africa XI in Lahore.Full rankings tables

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Pakistan fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi moved up three places to 19th after his second-innings 4 for 33 helped Pakistan seal a 93-run win.Ryan Rickelton, who made 71 in the first innings against Pakistan, moved into the top 50 for the first time in the batting rankings.Meanwhile, Josh Hazlewood moved up six spots to 10th in the ODI bowling charts after Australia’s win over India in a rain-affected game in Perth. Mitchell Starc moved up four spots as well, to 21st.Adil Rashid, meanwhile, claimed figures of 4 for 32 in England’s win over New Zealand in Christchurch and shot up three spots to third among T20I bowlers.

Nearly 70% of the matches at the tournament will be played under lights, and one venue will pose a specific challenge

Vishal Dikshit03-Oct-2024Megan Schutt, Lea Tahuhu and Fran Jonas in the recent T20Is in Australia, Laura Wolvaardt in the recent T20Is in Multan. S Sajana at short third in the opening game of WPL 2024. Karishma Ramharack at midwicket in the WCPL 2024 opener.Young or experienced, in the 30-yard circle or in the deep, and in any part of the world, the common thread that binds all these names is that all of them put down fairly straightforward catches that went high into the night sky when the floodlights were on. And all these players – picked randomly from a large sample size – will feature in the Women’s T20 World Cup starting October 3.The lights are going to be flicked on in the UAE for that tournament, in which 13 of the 20 league games will start at 6pm local time, and if we include the three knockout games also slotted for 6pm, it will be 16 games out of 23, nearly 70%, to be played entirely under lights. The challenge is that if your eyes aren’t used to following the white ball against the night sky with the lights blinding your vision at times, you won’t be very well equipped to track the ball going up or coming down.ESPNcricinfo LtdAnd even though more and more women’s T20s are being played under lights these days, day-night and night games are less common than in the men’s game. Since the start of 2021 (games for which ESPNcricinfo has data), close to 41% (2046 out of 5019) of men’s T20s have been played partially or completely under lights (day-night or night games) but the corresponding number for women’s T20s is just 18% (319 out of 1779). On average, just one out of five women’s T20s have used floodlights in this period.The encouraging sign is that over 51% (54 of 105) of women’s T20Is between Full Member teams since the last Women’s T20 World Cup (in 2023) have been day-night or night games, which is close to the men’s figure of 57.5% (80 of 139). But the discouraging figure is that since the start of 2021, women have dropped more catches (25.2%) compared to men (17.75%), with similar numbers even in T20 internationals.Related

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Hayley Matthews, the West Indies captain and two-time WCPL champion for Barbados Royals, had said in August that the first few games of this year’s WCPL (all played under lights) saw “quite a bit [of] dropped catches from all the teams” because “we haven’t played under lights in a really long time.” When a fair few such chances slipped through in India’s Women’s Premier League (WPL) this year, UP Warriorz coach Jon Lewis, who also coaches England Women, had said even though it was primarily the Indian domestic players responsible for the fielding lapses, it was “a little bit of lack of experience for a lot of players especially under the lights.”A lot of the players – domestic or international – were also not used to the grounds they were playing at in Delhi and Bengaluru in the WPL, and unfamiliar with the dimensions and the deep pockets. “Understanding the angles” takes you some time to get used to as well, as former India quick and Mumbai Indians bowling coach and mentor Jhulan Goswami said.Unfamiliarity with the grounds in the UAE for the T20 World Cup could be another obstacle for at least half of the ten participating teams because Australia, India, England and West Indies have never played T20Is in that country, and the last T20Is played by South Africa, New Zealand and Pakistan there were at least seven years ago.Throw in balls going high off top-edges with the floodlights on, and it won’t be easy.”I think whether women or men, if you’re playing under lights, it is a completely different story altogether, only because the background from which the ball comes is different,” Malolan Rangarajan, part of the RCB coaching staff in the IPL and WPL, and head coach of St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in the CPL, tells ESPNcricinfo. “When you’re talking about catches being dropped, there’s something called depth perception. When the sky is blue or white, the depth perception is completely different to when the sky is dark and black.”Even though the ball is in contrast to the colour of the sky, the most important thing for a fielder to understand is how high the ball is and at what speed it is coming down [at]. Since it is a darker colour [at night], one needs to get used to it. And once you get used to it…I am not saying it is more difficult or easier. A few fielders might say they find catching the ball easier under lights and a few of them might say it’s difficult.”While teams like Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan and South Africa played their most recent T20Is under lights and a lot of West Indies players got similar game time during the WCPL, the India squad didn’t hold even one training session under lights in their month-long preparation before the T20 World Cup, and they jumped straight into the warm-up games in Dubai starting at 6pm.The ring of fire around the Dubai International Stadium poses a unique challenge to fielding teams•Tharaka Basnayaka/Getty ImagesThe other challenge in this tournament is the unique design of lights at the Dubai International Stadium. As can be seen above, the ground doesn’t have floodlight poles but a lights all around the edge of the roof, commonly known as the “ring of fire”. Is catching going to be tougher here then?”Only for the high catches because there they have a circular ring of light,” former India Women fielding coach Biju George, currently with Delhi Capitals in the IPL and WPL, tells ESPNcricinfo. “So it’s very difficult to pick the ball. If you have four, five or six floodlights, there are spaces where you are not hindered by the light but in Dubai at every angle, at any point of time, the ball is going to disappear in that space. So your judgment should be spot on.”The flip side, however, is that the ring of fire may not blind you as severely as the conventional floodlights in Sharjah, where the contrast of the block of lights against the dark sky might be starker because it’s a more open stadium.”Fielding under four or six poles of lights is completely different to this ring of fire, as they like to call it,” Rangarajan says. “If you ask me personally, it is easier to still catch the ball when there is a ring of fire, as opposed to when you have one pole with about 20-30 lights and once the ball goes in that [area] it is almost impossible [to catch]. No matter how experienced you are, those few milliseconds or seconds when the ball goes inside, when it’s a pole [of floodlights], it is much more difficult.”Everything will have a downside, but I think, holistically speaking, the lights which are like Dubai Stadium comparatively will be easier for catching high balls, 100%. This is a point only because it is unusual to have lights like that, and that’s why people find it difficult because they’re not used to it. But it doesn’t blind your eye.”The teams at the T20 World Cup won’t be entirely thrown into the unknown. They have all played two warm-up games each before the main tournament, all starting at 6pm, to get used to to the conditions at night. But it may not be enough because the venues for the main matches are Sharjah and the Dubai International Stadium whereas the warm-ups were at the two Academy grounds and the multi-sport Sevens Stadium in Dubai.According to George, who was with DC during the IPL in 2020 and 2021 in the UAE, there are still ways to plan around the ring of fire, by identifying your best fielders, the best positions for them, and the pockets the top opposition batters are likely to target.”First thing is you have to find out who your inner-circle fielders are, who your outer fielders are,” he says. “And second, you have to find out, for every team as an opposition team captain or coach, where the batters’ hotspots are, where they tend to get their runs, where they tend to get out. So I make sure that the best catchers are there.”

‼️ Did you see that

Stunning catch from our Hollywoodbets Dolphins superstar, Seshnie Naidu in the recent T20I between Proteas and Pakistan

Naidu just makes that look too easy WOW! #GoDolphins#CatchTheThrill #ReadyForMore #WozaNawe pic.twitter.com/GhjMVHq9cO

— Dolphins Cricket (@DolphinsCricket) September 18, 2024