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Each franchise will have a total auction purse of INR 95 crore, a INR 5 crore increase from last year

Nagraj Gollapudi09-Nov-2022

The IPL auction is heading to Kochi for the first time•BCCI

The IPL player auction for the 2023 season will take place in Kochi on December 23. It will be a mini auction as opposed to the mega auction ahead of the 2022 edition, when the ten franchises had to rebuild their squads virtually from scratch.In addition to the money left over from their previous auction purse and the value of the players they release, each team will have an additional INR 5 crore (approx. US $607,000) to spend at this auction, making the overall purse INR 95 crore (approx. US $11.5 million).Punjab Kings had the largest purse left over – INR 3.45 crore (approx. US $425,000) – after last year’s auction, while Lucknow Super Giants had exhausted their entire purse. Chennai Super Kings had INR 2.95 crore (approx. US $358,000) remaining, followed by Royal Challengers Bangalore (INR 1.55 crore, or approx. US $188,000), Rajasthan Royals (INR 0.95 crore or approx. US $115,000) and Kolkata Knight Riders (INR 0.45 crore, or approx. US $55,000).Defending champions Gujarat Titans were left with INR 0.15 crore (approx. US $18,000) while three teams – Mumbai Indians, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Capitals – had INR 0.10 crore (approx. US $12,000).The IPL is expected to finalise the player pool for the auction by early December after the franchises submit the list of players that are being released, the deadline for which is November 15.While the mega auction in February was held over two days, the mini auction will be wrapped up in just one day. Mini auctions in the past, however, have produced some of the most expensive buys especially in the overseas players category.This year franchises are keen to see if allrounders Ben Stokes, Sam Curran and Cameron Green will put their names forward for the auction. If they do, they are likely to be in high demand.Three teams – Punjab, Delhi and Lucknow – bought only seven overseas players in the 2022 auction, so they could be on the lookout to fill that eighth and final spot. Six franchises had also brought in injury replacements for last season and they will have to decide whether to retain the replacement player or the original player, or both if the player limit allows.

Abu Dhabi will host the Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier from September 18 to 25. The top two teams taking part in the eight-team event will qualify for the 2023 Women’s T20 World Cup, which is set to be held in South Africa.The eight teams taking part in the Qualifier have reached the tournament via different routes. Bangladesh and Thailand, who took the two spots reserved for the bottom two teams from the previous edition of the Women’s T20 World Cup in 2020, are also the highest-placed teams on the ICC Women’s T20I rankings behind the eight automatic qualifiers for the World Cup.Scotland (Europe), Zimbabwe (Africa), United Arab Emirates (Asia) and United States of America (Americas) won their respective regional qualifiers, while Papua New Guinea qualified as the highest-ranked team from the East Asia Pacific region, since that regional qualifier had to be scrapped due to the Covid-19 pandemic.Ireland, meanwhile, were the highest-ranked team from the regional qualifiers to not win their respective tournament.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

The teams have been divided into two groups, with Bangladesh, Ireland, Scotland and USA in Group A and Thailand, Zimbabwe, PNG and UAE in Group B. The top two teams in each group will go through to the semi-finals, with the winners of each semi-final progressing to the final and next year’s World Cup.All matches in the Qualifier will be played at the Abu Dhabi Cricket & Sports Hub, which houses both the Sheikh Zayed Stadium and the adjoining Tolerance Oval.Hosts South Africa, as well as Australia, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and West Indies, have all qualified automatically for the World Cup on the basis of their T20I rankings.

Manchester City’s winter spending spree is underway.

On Monday, the Sky Blues unveiled Abdukodir Khusanov, joining from Lens for a reported fee of £34m.

This week, the Citizens are also expected to complete the signings of Vitor Reis from Palmeiras and Omar Marmoush of Eintracht Frankfurt, but Pep Guardiola is not done yet, now eyeing up a move for one of the most exciting English talents currently playing abroad.

Man City chasing a new winger

According to a report from Spain, Manchester City, alongside Chelsea and Bayern Munich, are set to ‘compete’ for the signing of Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens.

Fabrizio Romano adds that Liverpool are also “monitoring the situation”, with Florian Plettenberg and Patrick Berger of Sky Sports Deutschland believing the 20-year-old is valued at around €100m (£85m).

Transfer Focus

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

The Englishman spent time in both Chelsea and Manchester City’s academy set-ups, but ditched the Sky Blues for Borussia Dortmund at the age of 16, taking a similar path to that established by Jude Bellingham and Jadon Sancho.

Since making his senior debut against Wolfsburg in April 2022, Gittens has scored 16 goals and provided 14 assists in just 84 outings for die Schwarzgelben, registering a goal involvement every 132 minutes on average.

So far this season, despite the fact Nuri Şahin’s side are struggling in general, the youngster has gone to another level, scoring seven times in the Bundesliga and four times in the Champions League, most notably on target against Real Madrid at the Bernabéu in October, as well as in November’s Klassiker draw at Westfalenstadion.

You may know this player as Jamie Bynoe-Gittens however, at the start of this season, he decided to shorten his name following a discussion with his father, the pair agreeing it would be ‘easier to pronounce’.

What Jamie Gittens would bring to Manchester City

Regardless of what is on the back of his shirt, he’s certainly a player to watch, with data analyst Ben Mattinson on X particularly enthused by his “electric pace”, while Sebastian Stafford-Bloor of the Athletic believes his “two-footed finishing and blazing speed” will be impossible for new England manager Thomas Tuchel to ignore.

The 20-year-old is certainly attracting attention from clubs in England, so could we soon see him gracing the Premier League?

Guardiola has plenty of wingers at his disposal already, namely Jack Grealish, Bernardo Silva, Savinho and Jérémy Doku, but keeps on chopping and changing in search of a winning formula.

Will Unwin of the Guardian has praised Doku’s “maverick tendencies”, saying they provide Man City with something different, which is in stark contrast to Grealish, who Richard Jolly of the Independent believes is no longer “exciting”, with Guardiola’s over-coaching responsible.

Thus, stylistically, the Man City player Gittens is most similar to is certainly Doku, so let’s see how the duo compare.

Appearances

60

85

Minutes

3,162

4,758

Goals

0.37

0.15

Assists

0.23

0.42

Shots

2.99

2.61

Goals – xG

+6.6

+2.4

Attempted take-ons

7.41

7.15

Take on success %

45%

51.6%

Progressive carries

5.44

8.07

Touches

41

44

As the table, using data since the start of last season outlines, Gittens and Doku are very similar players.

Gittens ranks higher for both goals and shots per 90, while Doku has the slight edge when it comes to assists, progressive carries and take-on success %.

Nevertheless, across Europe’s top five leagues this season, Gittens ranks second for attempted take-ons (118), behind only Lamine Yamal, who’s not bad, while the young Englishman also sits eighth for goals – xG, with an impressive tally of +4.6, bettered only by one Bundesliga player, that being Marmoush, who’s already on his way to Man City.

What is clear is that Gittens is a future superstar, so if the Sky Blues, or anyone else for that matter, get the chance to secure his services, they should certainly take it.

Worth way more than Marmoush: Pep has struck gold on Man City "superstar"

Man City have a youngster in the squad who is worth more than Omar Marmoush

ByRoss Kilvington Jan 18, 2025

Potentially dealing London rivals Tottenham Hotspur a frustrating blow, Chelsea could now reportedly look to hijack the Lilywhites’ move to sign a defensive reinforcement worth £41m in 2025.

Chelsea transfer news

The Blues are, of course, no strangers to splashing the cash, having stolen the headlines plenty of times in the last two years. The arrival of Todd Boehly has seen a number of players arrive at Stamford Bridge to mixed success but since appointing Enzo Maresca, Chelsea have finally looked on course to reap the rewards for their spending.

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Standouts have included Moises Caicedo, who has settled into a key role following a difficult debut season, and of course, Cole Palmer, who swapped Manchester City for the chance to become the main man at Stamford Bridge. Doing just that since his arrival, Palmer is now undeniably one of the best players in the Premier League much to the regret of the Citizens.

Now, as 2025 arrives, Boehly could splash the cash once again. Names such as Benjamin Sesko have already been mentioned in a move that would complete Chelsea’s attack once and for all despite Nicolas Jackson’s impressive form in the current campaign. Meanwhile, away from the attacking department, the Blues could deal London rivals Spurs quite the blow.

According to TeamTalk, Chelsea could now look to hijack Spurs’ pursuit of David Hancko, who is valued at €50m (£41m) by Dutch club Feyenoord. Reportedly ready to test himself at the top level and, therefore, open to a move, Hancko could have quite the decision to make if two of London’s biggest clubs come calling in 2025 following heavy Spurs links.

Whilst Chelsea’s attacking talent has been in fine form this season, there remain question marks over their backline and question marks that are currently standing in the way of faith that they could build a true Premier League title charge. The arrival of Hancko could go a long way towards answering those questions, however.

"Freak technician" Hancko would add vital experience

Although Chelsea’s trust in young players is admirable, Maresca’s side would undoubtedly benefit from an experienced figure within their backline such as Feyenoord’s Hancko.

The Slovakian defender could partner Levi Colwill to form a duo capable of bridging the gap on Premier League leaders Liverpool, especially if they pursue a January deal. Both on and off the ball, Hancko stands out as someone who could lead the likes of Colwill to greater heights.

League stats 24/25 (via FBref)	David Hancko	Levi Colwill
Starts	16	15
Progressive Carries	38	4
Progressive Passes	157	59
Ball Recoveries	77	49

What is particularly impressive is Hancko’s ability to progress play through both driving with the ball and through his extensive passing range. It’s a trait that Colwill is yet to master and if Chelsea are to become a dominant Premier League side capable of competing for the top honours once again, Maresca needs his defenders to possess that ability in abundance.

Dubbed a “freak technician” by analyst Ben Mattinson, 27-year-old Hancko is certainly one to watch ahead of 2025 and amid interest from both Chelsea and Spurs.

With the January transfer window now well underway, Manchester City have already seemingly made their mark, with reports in one target’s home country now claiming that he’s signed for the Premier League champions.

Man City transfer news

It’s an important month for those at The Etihad. They currently sit outside of the Premier League’s top four and shockingly on course to miss out on Champions League football for the first time under Pep Guardiola. It has undoubtedly been the worst season so far in the Spaniard’s tenure and arguably even as far as his entire managerial career in what highlights the ever-increasing standards that he’s able to hold.

There’s still time for the Citizens to somewhat salvage their season, however, with the January transfer window likely to play a major part. Names such as Martin Zubimendi were mentioned in the build-up to this month – and there’s no doubt that he’d solve their current midfield problem without Rodri – but a fresh name has recently emerged who could yet steal the early headlines.

According to major Egyptian outlet Youm7, Omar Marmoush has already signed for Manchester City from Eintracht Frankfurt in what would be the deal of the January transfer window at this early stage.

Meanwhile, adding fuel to the fire, Mohamed Murad – a supposed spokesman for the Egyptian national team – has congratulated the winger on completing a move worth £50m.

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Whether those reports prove to be true remain to be seen, with GiveMeSport’s Ben Jacobs quick to shut down any rumours that Marmoush has already signed for Manchester City, claiming that they hold an interest in the Frankfurt star but are yet to make an official approach and, therefore, nothing is at an advanced stage as of yet.

With that said, it’s fair to say that the transfer season is finally underway as those at The Etihad potentially await their first signing of a crucial window.

"Outstanding" Marmoush could be Sane repeat

Of course, it’s not so long ago that Manchester City benefitted from signing an in-form winger from the Bundesliga in Leroy Sane and now, years later, they can repeat their transfer genius by signing Marmoush.

The Frankfurt man has been one of the best players in Europe so far this season and the Citizens seem to believe that it’s more than just a purple patch, as they eye a deal to sign a player who can ease the responsibility in front of goal on Erling Haaland.

The Egyptian, who’s scored 18 goals and assisted another 12 in 24 games this season, has unsurprisingly found himself at the centre of Dino Topmoller’s praise.

The Frankfurt manager told reporters as relayed by the Bundesliga website: “He’s responsible for producing danger up front, firing in goals and setting up others. He’s very difficult to defend due to his pace and how fast he can run in deep.

“He can also sneak in from close range, take a great touch and play some great passes. He’s in outstanding form at the moment, and he’s feeling comfortable. That’s the key to his success these days. He feels comfortable with this club and the squad, and is thus a key component for us.”

After just eight minutes of the 2014 FA Cup final, Arsenal found themselves 2-0 down to Hull City.

Wembley hadn’t seen anything much like this before. This was an opportunity for Arsene Wenger to finally end the Gunners’ trophy drought but their chances were evaporating before they’d even had a sniff.

Luckily, there’s always been something in the air when it comes to Arsenal and the FA Cup. No club has won it more than their 14 times and that special day at the national stadium proved why they have such a love affair with the great competition.

Laurent Koscielny and Aaron Ramsey fought back with an equaliser in the second half and then a winner in extra time but it was a certain Santi Cazorla who kickstarted the comeback.

Placing a free-kick down a considerable distance from goal, he whipped a remarkable set-piece beyond Hull goalkeeper Allan McGregor.

It was just one of many magical moments Cazorla provided in Arsenal colours. It’s a pity his stay in north London ended in such traumatic circumstances.

Santi Cazorla's time at Arsenal

The diminutive Spaniard signed for the Gunners in August 2012 for just £15m. Yeah, remember when transfer fees were that low?

It turns out that was one of the biggest bargains in the club’s history as Cazorla went on to provide some incredible goals and assists while at the Emirates Stadium.

Remember that hat-trick against Reading? Remember the corners on his weak foot? Remember that dazzling mazy run against Manchester City?

The Spain international is one of the most technically gifted footballers we’ve seen at Arsenal in the last 15 years, boasting some of the quickest and most elegant feet the Emirates has seen.

Hailed by Wenger for his qualities, Cazorla’s time in the Premier League hardly ended in fairytale fashion.

After 180 games, 29 goals and 44 assists, he departed in 2018 at the end of his contract following a period of injury hell.

It was an extremely sad period in the career of someone so gifted as the Spanish technician was even being told he may never walk again.

Games

49

Goals

12

Assists

13

Minutes played

4,251

PL Starts

37/38

What was the issue? Well, Cazorla cracked a bone in his ankle and suffered knee ligament damage in November 2015 and played in increasing pain until October 2016 when he was withdrawn during a match against Ludogorets.

Wenger admitted it wasn’t a “big injury” but the former Malaga star was never seen in an Arsenal shirt again. Why? Well, a terrible infection impacted his right ankle that wasn’t fixed until a skin graft took place.

Calling himself “a jigsaw puzzle”, Cazorla has a bit of his left forearm on his right ankle, a piece of thigh in its place and the back of a leg in one heel. It’s pretty gruesome but remarkably it’s now kept him playing until the age of 40 where he is at Real Oviedo.

So, although the Spanish star never got the farewell from Arsenal that he deserved, the club could bring their next Cazorla to the club next year…

Arsenal could sign their next Cazorla

Reports emerged in the run-up to Christmas from Spain that Arsenal are on course to sign Las Palmas midfielder Alberto Moleiro.

Transfer Focus

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

It’s suggested that the Premier League outfit have already reached an ‘agreement in principle’ to sign the 21-year-old after the Gunners made it clear they would pay his £50m release clause.

So, who is Moleiro and what could he bring to the club? Well, the clip below shows you everything you need to know about the youngster’s qualities.

He’s very much cut from the same cloth as Cazorla, possessing quick feet and the ability to manoeuvre the ball and keep possession in tight spaces and when surrounded by opponents.

Described as an “agile, electric” talent by Spanish football expert Neal Gardner, he also calls the Spanish sensation “an excellent dribbler” to elevate those Cazorla comparisons.

If that wasn’t enough then they can both feature off the wings and from central areas, using their crafty skillset to beat defenders in multiple zones on the pitch.

Often popping up in the final third, Moleiro has the ability to score and assist on a frequent basis like Cazorla, netting four goals this term and having a hand in eight goals last term despite his tender age (4 goals & 4 assists).

He may not be producing awe-inspiring numbers quite yet but he’s got an eye-catching toolkit at his disposal, notably ranking among the top 17% of positionally similar players in LaLiga for attempted take-ons and the best 14% for pass completion percentage (82.5%), statistics that showcase his flair and composure.

£50m sounds like a lot of money to spend on such a raw talent but the rave reviews are there, as is the experience of elite level football at such a young age.

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Newcastle United got back to winning ways on Saturday, and in some style, smashing Leicester City 4-0 at St James’ Park.

Jacob Murphy bagged a brace as the Magpies enjoyed their most-emphatic victory since April, ending a four-match winless streak, as Eddie Howe’s team climbed up to 12th in the table.

When the Magpies travel to Ipswich on Saturday, they’ll be targeting back-to-back Premier League victories for just the second time since September and, if their key players continue to perform, they’ll be firm favourites for victory at Portman Road.

Newcastle United's star men coming to the fore

Both Bruno Guimarães and Alexander Isak scored at the weekend, doing so within three minutes of one another, which was symbolic considering they are the Toon Army’s two most high-profile players.

Isak, in fairness to him, has been generally excellent this season, taking his tally to eight goals for the campaign at the weekend, while the Swede has now bagged 15 goals in 16 appearances on Tyneside since Boxing Day last year.

Since the start of last season, only Erling Haaland, Cole Palmer and Mohamed Salah have scored more Premier League goals than Isak, which isn’t bad company to keep, hence why the striker has been attracting countless admiring glances.

Guimarães meantime, has started all 16 Premier League matches so far, only 16 players across the entire division have played more minutes, featuring for more minutes than any other Newcastle player both this season and last too.

Saturday though saw the Brazilian score for the first time since the final day of last season, yet to be at his dominating best, as the midfield trio alongside him continues to chop and change.

Market Movers

Football FanCast's Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club's star player or biggest flop worth today?

Of course, everyone knows about the qualities of Isak and Guimarães, but their less-heralded teammate is currently outperforming both.

Newcastle's new star in the making

According to Sofascore, Lewis Hall is Newcastle’s highest-rated player this season, above Anthony Gordon and the aforementioned duo of Isak and Guimarães.

Hall arrived from Chelsea for a fee of £28m, plus potentially £7m in add-ons, making him the club’s ninth-most expensive signing of all-time, all of which have come during the PIF-era, but that’s still a significant outlay considering the PSR-constraints under which Newcastle continue to operate.

During his first campaign on Tyneside, the left-back made just 22 appearances, starting a mere eight Premier League matches, scoring two goals both of which, coincidentally, came in front of the Stretford End at Old Trafford, most notably firing home during a memorable EFL Cup victory over Man United.

However, since both Jamaal Lascelles and Sven Botman suffered ACL injuries in March, Dan Burn has been required at centre-back, allowing Hall to start 19 of the last 21 Premier League fixtures, including all 13 since 1 September.

Dominic Scurr of the Shields Gazette described Hall as Newcastle’s “star man”, noting that he “had the most touches, chances created and passes” on Saturday, claiming he could become Premier League’s best left-back, if he isn’t already.

So, how does the 20-year-old compare to some of the division’s best left-sided full-backs?

Appearances

16

15

14

16

16

15

Minutes

1,228

1,174

1,041

1,301

1,165

1,277

Assists

2

1

0

1

2

2

Expected assists

3.1

0.9

2.2

1.2

2.9

2.4

Progressive carries

26

15

23

36

11

38

Touches

1,128

884

893

946

756

746

Tackles

30

25

18

44

31

22

Avg SofaScore rating

7.29

6.90

6.69

7.00

7.01

7.09

As outlined, Hall has played more minutes and touched the ball more frequently than any of the other selected left-backs this season, while his expected assist figure of 3.1 underlines his creativity too.

With Sofascore rating Hall as the best left-back in the Premier League to date this season, considering he’s only 20 years old, he’s only likely to get better, elevating his transfer market value to something rather considerable considering the priciest left-back above was Cucurella’s £60m fee.

New England manager Thomas Tuchel handed Hall his senior debut at Chelsea so, given the Three Lions’ recent issues at left-back, the Newcastle man will feel that spot is up for grabs, having earned his first two senior caps in November.

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Former Essex and England wicketkeeper succeeds Darren Lehmann in role

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Feb-2022

James Foster oversees a training drill with England•Getty Images

James Foster, the former England and Essex wicketkeeper, has been appointed as Northern Superchargers men’s head coach for the second edition of the Hundred. He replaces Darren Lehmann, who stepped down from the role last month.Foster, who has worked as a wicketkeeping consultant with England, has built up a wealth of experience on the global T20 circuit since retiring in 2018. He has held positions in all of the major leagues, including IPL, BBL and PSL, where he was recently named head coach of Peshawar Zalmi.”I’m delighted to be joining the Northern Superchargers and working with the team this season,” Foster said. “I loved watching the Hundred last year and seeing so many kids and families enjoying it, and I am really looking forward to meet up with the group and getting started.Related

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“It’s a huge privilege and I’m thrilled to be working with an exciting group of players and hopefully we can excite the supporters with the style of cricket we play.”Foster’s first job in charge of Superchargers, who finished fifth under Lehmann last season, will be to oversee decisions on player retention, ahead of the draft for 2022 in March.He will be aided by Hassan Cheema, currently Islamabad United’s strategy manager at the PSL, who has been brought in as men’s team analyst.Andy Dawson, Northern Superchargers general manager, said: “James has a vast amount of experience working with high profile coaches from around the world and we’re thrilled to appoint someone of his calibre. He embraces the culture and environment we want to create at Superchargers, and we’re sure he will help us create sustainable success on and off the field.”

MatériaMais Notícias

Além do meio-campista João Gomes, outro represente do Flamengo publicou uma mensagem pedindo “amor e paz”, nas redes sociais, por conta do brutal início da invasão da Rússia na Ucrânia, que aumenta a tensão na Europa com a possibilidade de uma guerra a nível avassalador, por questões territoriais. Nesta sexta-feira, o técnico Paulo Sousa postou o seguinte:

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Ainda não é assinante do Cariocão-2022? Acesse www.cariocaoplay.com.br, preencha o cadastro e ganhe 5% de desconto com o cupom especial do LANCE!: GE-JK-FF-ZSW

– Todos queremos e merecemos amor e paz. Somos um só. Um abraço de força e solidariedade a todos – postou Paulo Sousa, em seu story do Intagram, com emojis da bandeira da Ucrânia, coração e mãos em oração.

O temor também atinge os jogadores brasileiros que estão na Ucrânia, e, agora, pedem ajuda do Governo Federal para que consigam deixar o local com segurança.

ENTENDA O CASO

Desde 2014, a região de Donetsk se declarou independente da Ucrânia e por conta dos conflitos geopolíticos, o Shakhtar teve que deixar a cidade de origem e atuar em Kiev. O mesmo acontece com a região de Luhansk. Na última segunda-feira, Vladimir Putin, presidente da Rússia, reconheceu a independência das duas províncias.

Nesta quinta-feira, a Rússia decidiu invadir militarmente a Ucrânia com o argumento de que está atuando em defesa das reivindicações territoriais. No entanto, há pouco esclarecimento se a nação de Putin busca apenas garantir a soberania de Donetsk e Luhansk ou se planeja se expandir territorialmente.

He knows the five-for may not be enough to keep him in the team for Melbourne, but is “happy to go either way”

Alex Malcolm21-Dec-2021Jhye Richardson’s return to Test cricket could not have gone much better, taking a five-wicket haul in the fourth innings to help Australia claim a 2-0 Ashes series lead in Adelaide. But his reaction in the aftermath said a lot about his character.”More of a relief than anything,” Richardson said. “Especially after the first innings having a bit of a tough time of it out there, to come out again and most importantly get the win. It’s nice to make a contribution as well, but there’s no better feeling a Test win.”He also knows that a Test match five-for may not be enough to keep him in the team for the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne, with Pat Cummins certain to return and Josh Hazlewood pushing to be fit as he recovers from a side strain.Related

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Australia reassert age-old dominance of England at home

Stats: Australia make it 9-0 in pink-ball Tests

“The beauty of Australian cricket at the moment is we’ve got fast-bowling stocks for days,” Richardson said. “I think that’s a wonderful problem for the selectors and JL [Justin Langer] to have. Whatever happens, happens. I had an unfortunate first innings and then bowled a little bit better second innings. I’m happy to go either way. As long as we’re winning, then that’s all we can ask for.”Richardson, 25, marks himself harder than most young fast bowlers. He is a deep thinker and a perfectionist in terms of his craft.After nearly three years out of Test cricket following a shoulder dislocation that kept him out of the 2019 World Cup and the Ashes series that followed, and multiple surgeries thereafter that saw him nursed back through Sheffield Shield cricket while still being unable to throw with any venom in the field, Richardson could have forgiven himself for his first-innings figures in his first Ashes appearance.But the disappointment was written all over his face. Having bowled superbly on the second night, repeatedly beating Haseeb Hameed’s outside edge and bowling three consecutive maidens, he returned on the third afternoon to leak more than four runs an over without taking a wicket.”I think getting back into the intensity of Test cricket, it’s obviously a step above playing domestic cricket,” Richardson said. “You can often find yourself – if you haven’t played for a while – trying too hard because you feel like you need to impress. But having said that, I don’t think I bowled too badly.”Steven Smith on Richardson: “He thinks about the game really well and he’s got good control of his skills.”•AFP/Getty ImagesRichardson went away and came back a different bowler in the second innings, something which his stand-in captain Steven Smith noted having never played with him before.”I think the way Jhye adapted throughout this match was really pleasing,” Smith said. “First innings we made a concerted effort to try and get the ball a little bit fuller, and we went for quite a few runs in that first session but I wasn’t too disappointed with that. We were still a long way in front of the game and we tried to bowl a lot fuller than England perhaps did.”In the second innings, I think he wanted to work his way up in terms of length. He wanted to start back a little bit and sort of drive his way forward from there. So that was fine. He’s a thinker. He thinks about the game really well and he’s got good control of his skills.”Richardson explained that he just wanted to get himself into a rhythm the second time around.”I think for me on a personal level, I probably started a little too full and didn’t give myself a chance to get it in the right area,” he said. “I sort of started too full and then struggled to bring it back a little bit and get into a rhythm. Whereas I think second innings, I probably started a little bit back of a length, and allowed myself to sort of creep up a bit more and get into a bit more of a rhythm.”

“I said to Starcy at mid-on [that] I’m just going to charge in here, [and] try and get some airspeed because I was getting annoyed at the speed gun”Richardson expresses his frustration at his bowling speed

Richardson’s skill set is unique, and he showed his full repertoire among his five wickets. At just 178cm, he is naturally skiddy but he can also produce extra bounce from nowhere, like he did to blow Hameed’s glove off on the fourth evening and to remove James Anderson to close out the match late on day five.He even dismissed Rory Burns with a skillful piece of bowling from around the wicket, angling in and seaming away to catch the outside edge. His ability to move the ball both ways did for Chris Woakes after his partnership with Jos Buttler frustrated Australia. Richardson’s wider release point always challenges the right-hander’s inside edge, but his ability to shape it away also threatens the outside edge. Woakes played for the latter and had the top of his middle stump rattled as it nipped back sharply through the gate at 139kph.”It was quite funny, I was getting frustrated at myself looking at the speed gun each ball and seeing sort of 131-132kph – I wasn’t too happy with that,” Richardson said. “So I said to Starcy [Mitchell Starc] at mid-on [that] I’m just going to charge in here, [and] try and get some airspeed because I was getting annoyed at the speed gun. I just tried to bowl fast and bowl straight. Thankfully, the wicket did something.”Most importantly, he took the key wicket of Buttler in unusual and fortuitous fashion, after he trod on his stumps as he pushed off for a single, having defended from deep in the crease. Amazingly, it is the second time he has dismissed Buttler hit-wicket. The first came in a BBL match nearly three years ago in January 2019. Buttler, on 55 playing for Sydney Thunder then, tried to reverse sweep a Richardson slower ball and clipped the stumps with his bat in his follow-through.”Maybe it might be worth mentioning if I get another Test,” Richardson said.