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With Klaasen and Miller set, the equation was seemingly in their favour – only to meet with crushing disappointment once again

Matt Roller29-Jun-2024It was the over that should have decided the final. It was clinical, destructive and dismissive: Heinrich Klaasen picked his moment to hit the 15th over of South Africa’s chase for 24 runs, ruthlessly targeting Axar Patel. It was stunning hitting in any context, let alone on the biggest stage in T20 cricket.Klaasen calculated that this was his chance to grasp a game that was in the balance. He lofted the first ball back over Axar’s head, then had the presence of mind to leave two wides alone. Two enormous sixes followed: the first, measured at 99 metres, hit the roof of the Greenidge and Haynes Stand at midwicket; the second, measured at 103m, landed in the Garfield Sobers Pavilion.After a violent launch over extra cover for four more and another for two, Klaasen had iced the chase: South Africa needed 30 runs off the last 30 balls with six wickets in hand. At first glance, it was the unloseable game: even if they decided to block Jasprit Bumrah’s final two overs out, they would still be favourites with either Klaasen or David Miller at the crease.Related

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By now, you know what happened next. Forty-five minutes later, South Africa’s players sat disconsolately on the Kensington Oval outfield, waiting for their runners-up medals. Few words passed their lips. Those final 30 balls brought just 22 runs, four wickets and a single boundary, via Kagiso Rabada’s outside edge. There is no weight heavier than the burden of history.It is never quite as simple as a choke: one team being close to victory does not strip all agency away from the other. India’s bowlers were sensational at the death, none more so than Bumrah. South Africa were rendered shotless by his skill, his final two overs costing only six runs; it left Arshdeep Singh and Hardik Pandya just enough to defend off the other three.But it is impossible to understand the last five overs of this final without acknowledging South Africa’s legacy. This was the first time they had reached this stage of a men’s World Cup in either format, a fact which owed to their repeated failures to win close knockout games – seven times exiting at the semi-final stage. How could it not have weighed on their players’ minds?This team thought it was different, finally overcoming the hurdle of a semi-final and winning countless close games along the way. One problem lingered: in choosing to play five specialist bowlers, South Africa were always vulnerable once they lost a fifth wicket. Against West Indies last week, they scrambled home regardless; in the final, their lack of batting depth proved costly.When Klaasen and Miller played out the 16th over, Bumrah’s third, South Africa needed 26 off the final four: it was a situation loaded in their favour. Time moves quickly in T20 finals and India realised they needed to win it back somehow. It was the mischievous Rishabh Pant who discovered a way to do so: he went down and called on India’s physio for treatment.

“It’s not the first game of cricket that’s been lost with a team needing 30 off 30. India are allowed to bowl well, they’re allowed to field well, they’re allowed to go from that position to a position of strength”Aiden Markram

This allowed Rohit Sharma the chance to rally his players. “The message was very loud and clear to everyone that until the last ball of the game is bowled, the game is not over,” he said. “My job as a captain is to make everyone believe that… Whether we were ahead in the game or behind, we wanted to keep fighting because moments like this will never come again.”It was only a short break, lasting barely three minutes, between the end of the 16th and the start of the 17th over. But it was long enough for the rhythm of the game to change: when Hardik sprayed the first ball of his over full and wide outside off, Klaasen could not quite reach it, and edged a catch through to Pant.This was the moment that the game changed for good, bringing Marco Jansen in at No. 7. It is a trade-off that South Africa have long accepted: rather than relying on part-timers in their top six, they have picked five specialist bowlers in their T20 team and backed their batters to get the job done more often than not.Jansen is not an overpromoted tailender but has been batting one spot too high. Suddenly, everything was on Miller; after he and Jansen exchanged four singles off Hardik’s over, the equation was 22 off 18. He seemed caught in two minds: should he take the responsibility of seeing off Bumrah himself, or get down the other end?The result was the worst of both worlds: two dots, a single which exposed Jansen, an unplayable ball which moved in late to hit leg stump, a firm block by Keshav Maharaj and then a single which kept Miller off strike for the start of the 19th. “Things happened very quickly,” Aiden Markram reflected. “They bowled really well at the back end.”Heinrich Klaasen left the job unfinished•AFP/Getty ImagesBy the time Miller got back on strike after Maharaj blocked, missed and finally connected at the start of the 19th, the equation was 19 off nine balls and India were favourites. He hauled Arshdeep away for two and inside-edged a yorker into the leg side to give Maharaj a free hit, but Arshdeep nailed his yorker to leave 16 required off the last.”A run a ball can go to 10 an over in the space of one over,” Markram said. “Your gameplan as a batter changes. You’re potentially thinking of keeping the ball on the ground, running hard until the job’s done. And then the bowler bowls a good over, and next thing you’d be searching for boundaries and everything changes quickly like that.”By the start of the last over, the plan was simple: swing, and swing hard. Finally, Miller got the ball he was after, a wide full toss from Hardik which he swung down the ground. It hung in the air, swirling towards the press box in the cross-breeze, as Suryakumar Yadav charged after it. He caught it, flicked it back up to himself as he ran over the boundary, and caught it again.Markram “couldn’t watch” as the TV umpire checked to see if he had stepped on the rope. “They were obviously pretty convinced that it was out, and that’s why it was a quick replay,” he said. Rabada edged his first ball for four but the game was up: South Africa only managed one more run off the bat, falling seven short of India’s total.”It’s not the first game of cricket that’s been lost with a team needing 30 off 30,” Markram said. “It’s more that India are allowed to bowl well, they’re allowed to field well, they’re allowed to go from that position to a position of strength. It happens often in this game.” He described the defeat as “gut-wrenching”, saying: “It stings a bit – but it’s good for it to sting.”The manner of this defeat will take some getting over. “When you get really close like that, especially the nature of how the game went, it obviously adds to the emotions,” Markram said.Ahead of the medal presentation, Miller spent 10 minutes by himself in the middle on his haunches; several players were in tears after this brush with immortality.For some, this was their final chance to write a new chapter in South African cricket’s World Cup story: Quinton de Kock’s reaction after his dismissal suggested that this was his final international appearance. Others will be wearing the same scars again in two years’ time, hoping that the ending will finally be different to this one.

Grenada comes out in force to revel in another famous series win over favourite opponents

Cameron Ponsonby27-Mar-2022One-nil, to the West Ind-ies. One-nil, to the West Ind-ies…A backs-against-the-wall, hang-in-there-and-grind-the-opposition-down-before-nabbing-it-right-at-the-end victory for the men in maroon. George Graham would approve.”Very proud,” a buoyant Kraigg Brathwaite said at the close, already a couple of sips of champagne down. “My first home series win, so very happy. It was a very, very good series for us. In two hard-fought draws in the first two games I thought England played extremely well and we had to show some fight in the last days of both of those games. But coming here, we ramped it up. It’s been a remarkable effort.”It’s a series victory that extends a proud record, with West Indies losing just once to England at home in Test cricket since 1968. And even that sole reversal, in 2004, is already 18 years ago, which is as long as England waited between Ashes victories from 1987 to 2005, and longer than they’ve been made to wait for a series win in any of the other established Test nations bar Pakistan (whom they haven’t been to visit for 17 years and counting).A point of real satisfaction for West Indies on this occasion, however, is that this wasn’t just the Jason Holder and Kemar Roach Show but a squad-wide effort. In Nkrumah Bonner, Brathwaite, Jermaine Blackwood and Joshua Da Silva, there were four separate centurions. Jayden Seales equalled Roach for wickets with 11 apiece and Alzarri Joseph was just one behind. Kyle Mayers and Veerasammy Permaul took more wickets than Holder despite both playing fewer matches. The West Indies rallied. And rallied together.”I believe this is the start,” Brathwaite said. “But we can’t become complacent. We have got to keep learning, keep improving. That is one thing with the youngsters in the team – Joshua, Jayden, Alzarri – they are willing to listen. That is the only way to get better, Jason Holder and Kemar Roach and Jermaine Blackwood really leading the way, and the guys learnt a lot on the job. I think it’s the start and we have to continue to work hard.”But if there was one man to laud with praise and whom without the series result would have been reversed, it was Brathwaite himself. With 341 runs at an average of 85.25, Brathwaite faced 901 deliveries across the series with Joe Root the next highest having faced 565. It was fitting therefore, that from the 901st and final delivery he did face, he struck the winning runs.”Yeah that felt well,” Brathwaite smiled in reflection as he pondered both the winning runs and the question of whether this had been his best-ever series with the bat. “Really good. Very happy that as a team we came out on top. It’s close, to be honest. And it very well may be. As a three-match series it was one of my best.”Kraigg Brathwaite and John Campbell celebrate West Indies’ win•Getty ImagesThis is an incredibly likeable side who clearly enjoy playing for one another. And while Brathwaite may now be the captain, former skipper Holder remains a willing lieutenant whose energy in the field and role as a leader is still apparent.Before the series began with Brathwaite doing his media rounds, Holder was perched behind the press pack pretending to film and attempting to get a laugh out of a stony-faced skipper. Whenever a dull moment occurred on the pitch, he would leap into action and lead the team in “Simon Says” activities of high knees or heel flicks. Viewers at home will have also heard his constant encouragement throughout the series. And that’s not even through the stump mic. The man’s voice just carries across the Atlantic.The relentless support on the pitch was matched off it here in Grenada and it was fitting that the Windies sealed the series in front of the first raucous home crowd of the tour. Steel bands were constant and chants of “London Bridge is falling down” regularly came from the stone-stepped party stand to the left, and only ever really petered out due to laughter rather than exhaustion. And for all the noise from the thousands in attendance, one man’s voice rose above all. We’ll never know his name, but Party Stand Pete has a certain ring to it.What Pete lacked in variation he made up for in consistency. Yelling “pressure, pressure” with a clap that could set off landslides if he wasn’t careful. This went on for the best part of three days with his advice strong and inarguable at all times. Never more so than when the Windies were in the depths of 95 for 6 late on day two.Related

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“One ball at a time. *clap* Take your time. *clap* But remember! *clap* When you get the bad ball? *clap* Punish it!”It was a level of support that did not go unnoticed by the Windies team, with Brathwaite commenting on the strength of the home fans at the end of the game.”It was remarkable to see how many Grenadians came out to support us,” he said of the crowd in general, but hopefully of PSP in particular. “So I just want to say thank you to them.”We enjoyed it. Obviously we won the decider. The crowds in Barbados and Antigua weren’t bad but Grenada fans really came out. They don’t get much cricket here so it’ll be nice to see one or two more [Tests] out here.”And if there’s one thing you can be sure of as the Windies celebrate their victory long into the night on the Grand Anse beach, it’s that Pete couldn’t agree more.

In the ever-growing cross-city rivalry between the Mets and the Yankees, Juan Soto's mega-contract he signed this offseason—sending him from the Bronx to Queens—is only the latest blip on the radar.

The deal, a 15-year, $765 million pact, keeps the four-time All-Star with the Mets through 2039 and through his age-40 season … at least we think.

In a recent appearance on , host Brandon Tierney went on a bit of a rant about Soto's transition from pinstripes to orange and blue—and in doing so, questioned if the outfielder is really as young as we think he is:

"If you gave me a chance to put him on the Yankees right now, for the contract he signed with the Mets, or the contract that the Yankees offered, my answer would be … I'm good," he said. "Pass."

"Now I'm not good to the point where I'm feeling good about the Yankees team," Tierney continued. "And that's a Cashman thing, but 15 years of this? Honestly, does he look 26 [years old]? … When you're 26, you still have a youthful glow … I think that there's a chance, a good chance, he's not 26. I'll say it. Whatever."

What is this, ?

Tierney went on to dig himself deeper, saying that, while he doesn't want to give his theory any more credence, Soto may be closer to age 30.

Quite the interesting hill to die on.

The Mets are just 1-9 in their last 10 games as they cling on to the final National League wild-card spot with just over a month to go in the 2025 season. Soto leads New York in home runs with 29 and is batting .252 with 69 RBIs.

تمكن منتخب سوريا، من تحقيق الفوز على تونس، في إطار منافسات دور المجموعات من بطولة كأس العرب.

وواجه منتخب سوريا نظيره تونس، في تمام الساعة الثالثة عصرًا بتوقيت القاهرة، على ملعب أحمد بن علي، في الجولة الأولى من المجموعة الأولى من بطولة كأس العرب. 

طالع.. قناة مجانية تُعلن نقل مباريات كأس العرب 2025

ويقع منتخب سوريا في المجموعة الأولى في مجموعات كأس العرب رفقة منتخبات قطر وتونس وفلسطين. 

وحقق منتخب سوريا الفوز بهدف دون رد، على منتخب تونس، في افتتاح مباريات كأس العرب في نسخته الثالثة الدوحة 2025. 

وأحرز هدف منتخب سوريا الوحيد في مرمى تونس، اللاعب عمر خربين في الدقيقة 48 من عمر الشوط الثاني، من ركلة حرة مباشرة ليضعها بشكل رائع في شباك نسور قرطاج. 

وحاول منتخب تونس إدراك التعادل عن طريق سيف الجزيري في الدقيقة 70 من تسديدة قوية من خارج منطقة الجزاء، ولكن تمر بجوار الشباك. 

وبهذا الفوز رفع منتخب سوريا رصيده إلى ثلاث نقاط، في صدارة المجموعة الأولى، في انتظار مباراة منتخب قطر أمام فلسطين التي ستنطلق في السادسة مساء بتوقيت القاهرة.  أهداف مباراة تونس وسوريا في كأس العرب 

رفض نجم نادي برشلونة التهويل من الخسارة التي تعرض لها فريقه أمام تشيلسي بدوري أبطال أوروبا، موضحًا أن لاعبي البلوجرانا يعلمون جيدًا ما عليهم فعله.

برشلونة تعرض لخسارة ثقيلة أمام نظيره تشيلسي بثلاثة أهداف دون مقابل يوم الثلاثاء الماضي، ضمن الجولة الخامسة من مرحلة الدوري في بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.

ولم يقدم برشلونة المستوى المطلوب أمام تشيلسي، والذي كان أفضل بكثير ونجح في النهاية في تحقيق انتصار مستحق.

واعترف مهاجم برشلونة، ماركوس راشفورد، أن فريقه ظهر وكأنه عاجزًا حقًا ضد تشيلسي، وذلك في تصريحات نقلتها صحيفة “سبورت”.

وقال راشفورد: ”كانت ليلة صعبة، إنهم فريق جيد جدًا شاب ونشيط، ومع طرد لاعب من قبلنا، من السهل القول إن المباراة أصبحت صعبة، لكنهم أحسنوا التصرف مع الكرة حيث استغلوا الفارق بشكل ممتاز وجعلوا من الصعب علينا الوصول إلى منطقتهم والدفاع”.

وأكد أن برشلونة كان عالقًا بين سيناريوهين، موضحًا: “إما أن نبقى متماسكين ويتوقف إيقاع اللعب، أو أن نحاول الضغط على الخصم وترك المساحات، إذا كان الخصم مرتاحًا مع الكرة فسيستغلون تلك المساحات”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. آس: توتر في العلاقة بين فليك ولاعب برشلونة

وأكمل: “العامل الحاسم واضح، لقد استحقوا الفوز والآن، بالنسبة لنا لم يعد هناك أي هامش لعدم الفوز، في مباريات دوري أبطال أوروبا المتبقية علينا الفوز”.

وأردف: “كان من الصعب جدًا الوصول إلى مرماهم، حتى خلق فرص حقيقية كان تحديًا صعبًا بالنسبة لنا، لقد استحقوا الفوز وعلينا أن نشيد بهم”.

وتابع: “عندما تخسر، من السهل دائمًا القول إن كل شيء يجب أن يتغير ولكن كانت هناك فترات كنا فيها متماسكين كفريق ومتمسكين بفكرتنا، لا يمكننا المبالغة في التفكير في هذه المباراة، نحن نعرف ما حدث وما يجب علينا فعله”.

وعن مواجهة ديبورتيفو ألافيس المقبلة في الدوري الإسباني، اختتم راشفورد: “علينا أن نتحسن ونعود إلى المستوى الذي أظهرناه في فترات أخرى من الموسم، الفرصة الأولى ستكون نهاية هذا الأسبوع وسنحاول الفوز بتلك المباراة”.

Former Tottenham star Ramon Vega has launched a scathing attack on Spurs boss Thomas Frank after their 5-3 loss to PSG in the Champions League on Wednesday night.

Tottenham show flashes but fall to PSG defeat in Paris

Spurs’ unbeaten European run came to a grinding halt in spectacular fashion as the European champions powered to a thrilling victory at the Parc des Princes, with midfielder Vitinha stealing the headlines by scoring a sensational hat-trick.

Frank’s young side showed tremendous character by twice taking the lead in a pulsating encounter, only to be overwhelmed by PSG’s attacking quality during a devastating second-half spell.

The match showcased both the promise and vulnerability of Spurs’ inexperienced squad, with teenagers Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray impressing before defensive lapses proved costly.

Vitinha’s treble told the story of the evening. The Portuguese thundered home a spectacular long-range equaliser just before halftime, curled in his second to restore parity after the break, then sealed his hat-trick from the penalty spot following Cristian Romero’s handball, with his performance epitomizing PSG’s clinical edge when opportunities arose.

Randal Kolo Muani was another positive for Tottenham, scoring twice against his parent club and notching an assist for Richarlison to briefly give Spurs hope of an unlikely win.

However, Fabian Ruiz’s composed finish and William Pacho’s close-range effort during PSG’s dominant period ultimately proved decisive.

The defeat leaves Tottenham precariously positioned sixteenth in the league phase standings after five games, significantly increasing pressure on Frank ahead of Saturday’s Premier League clash against Fulham.

The Dane has attracted, to say the least, very mixed reviews since replacing Ange Postecoglou in the summer. Frank’s spell has been marred by concerns surrounding creativity and a ‘boring’ style of play, with Spurs nearly bottom of the pile for numerous attacking metrics so far this season.

This includes an expected goals (xG) of just 11.0, which is the fourth worst in the entire Premier League.

Many are wondering if Frank really is the right man to take them forward, and their crushing North London derby loss last weekend didn’t exactly plead his case.

Ramon Vega makes scathing Thomas Frank claim after Tottenham defeat

Speaking to talkSPORT, former Lilywhites player Vega made his thoughts on Frank crystal clear this morning — even stating that Postecoglou was the better man for the Spurs job.

Vega also says that the dressing room doesn’t appear to have that same respect for Frank, with the pundit questioning his ability to be a leader.

Given Frank is now starting to attract these kinds of opinions, absolutely nothing but a win will do at Fulham this weekend.

However, he’ll have to make do without star defender Cristian Romero, who’s suspended for the clash.

CJ Abrams's first All-Star campaign came to a unexpected end when the Washington Nationals optioned him to Triple-A Rochester late in the 2024 season. The surprising demotion took place right before the Triple-A season came to an end, and the Nationals were clear to distinguish that he was optioned because of an "internal matter," not his play.

Later, it was reported that the Nationals optioned Abrams after he was out at a casino until 8 a.m. despite the Nationals having a 1 p.m. game that same day. Abrams would go 0-for-3 with a walk in the loss to the Chicago Cubs that day.

The team would head into the offseason shortly after, but have since returned to spring training and are now looking towards a fresh start in the 2025 season. Nationals manager Davey Martinez noted that teh team has "moved on" from what happened with Abrams at the end of last season.

"We're beyond that," Martinez said, via "I talked to him over the winter. I don't have any hard feelings about the whole deal. I love the kid, I really do. For the most part, he's engaged, he's here, he knows what he needs to do. His routine's impeccable. That's beyond us, I hope he learned from what happened, and we've moved on, and we're looking forward to him doing big things."

Abrams also addressed getting optioned earlier in spring training, saying it "took some time" to get passed the situation, but spent much of the offseason putting in work to prepare for the upcoming season. As the 2025 campaign approaches, Martinez is looking to see Abrams build off his All-Star season by improving his consistency on defense and accepting walks as the team's lead-off hitter.

The Nationals open up the season against the Philadelphia Phillies on March 27.

The Detroit Tigers elected to intentionally walk San Diego Padres designated hitter and two-time batting champion Luis Arraez to pitch to outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. in the bottom of the 10th inning of San Diego's 6-5 win on Wednesday.

And Tatis took that personally.

The Padres star, who on Monday returned from the injured list to a warm reception from Padres fans, gave the Petco Park faithful something else to cheer about on Wednesday with a single to score rookie Jackson Merrill for the winning run.

After the game, Tatis admitted the Tigers' decision fueled him, according to Darnay Tripp of NBC 7 San Diego.

"I took it personal," Tatis said. "As soon as I saw four fingers up, but it gave me the push that I needed, the energy that I needed. I just wanted to come through for the boys."

Of course, it's hard to blame the Tigers for walking Arraez. The Padres slugger is batting .315 and has struck out just twice since the All-Star break. Tatis, on the other hand, has logged just nine at-bats since June in his return from injury heading into the bottom of the 10th inning.

But Tatis, who just three years ago belted 42 home runs in a single season, is also one of the more productive hitters in the game when healthy. And the Padres star delivered for his club in a big spot.

Tatis compiled an .821 OPS in the first half of the season and was selected as an All-Star game starter for the National League, though he missed the game due to a stress reaction in his right thighbone.

Now healthy, Tatis will look to help the Padres (80-61) hold onto the top Wild Card spot in the National League, and perhaps push for the NL West division crown, where the club is currently 4.5 games back of first place.

The former coach says Stubbs and Rickelton could be key to South Africa’s chances

Firdose Moonda07-Jun-20252:02

Boucher: WTC final appearance a massive achievement for SA

Reaching the World Test Championship (WTC) final proved South Africa’s continued ability to compete in the top echelons of world cricket but winning it could mark the start of an entirely new era, according to former national coach Mark Boucher.”A lot of people have criticised South Africa, which is not really fair,” Boucher told ESPNcricinfo during the IPL. “You play what’s in front of you and with all due respect, the sides that we’ve played against, we probably should have beaten and we’ve done that. So we find ourselves in a final. But I wouldn’t say that it has got the crowds going in our country. Everyone’s very excited about it now as the opportunity arises, a lot of people are going to travel over to London, spend all their Rands and go watch what should be a good match. If we win it, I think then that could be the turnaround for Test cricket in our country.”Boucher’s comments speak to those (like Michael Vaughan) who have said South Africa’s road to the final was too easy as they avoided both England and Australia, but such was the design of the FTP. It also points a finger at the South African public, whose belief in their team has wavered after decades of faltering in semi-finals and, most recently, losing three T20 World Cup finals (two women’s, one men’s) in succession. Do they think the WTC is the one South Africa can win?Related

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Road to WTC final: SA chase Test crown after seven straight wins

Prince says 'all possibilities open' as SA deal with problem of plenty

“We’re playing for a trophy, so I guess a lot of people are saying no [we can’t win] but I think it’s a different feel in Test match cricket,” he said. “It’s played over a longer period of time and you’ve just got to win big moments in the game as well. Yes, there will be that tag [chokers] that gets thrown our way until we win a trophy. You’re not going to get rid of the tag. Is it deserving on these youngsters coming through? No, it’s almost like they’re carrying the burden of what happened in previous years, which is always going to be tough on them but they’re the ones in control of their futures at the moment.”Boucher identified two of South Africa’s younger batters, who have never played a Test at Lord’s or against Australia, as key to their chances in this match. “Ryan Rickelton has been playing nicely for Mumbai Indians (MI) and he was actually on the tour that we went to England [in 2022] as well,” Boucher said. “He’s actually played quite a few games in England as well, so he’ll know the conditions. And Tristan Stubbs has come back and played a lot of domestic cricket and basically forced his way into the Test side because of the runs that he’s got. On paper, Australia will probably feel that they’ve got a better batting line-up than what we have, but have we got the attitude to go out there and in a one-off game, just leave it all out there? Absolutely.”Mark Boucher picked Tristan Stubbs and Ryan Rickelton as batters to watch out for•ICC/Getty Images

Boucher was in charge of South Africa the last time they played Tests in England in 2022, where they won the opening Test at Lord’s but lost in Manchester and at The Oval to go down 2-1. He cited their inability to score significant runs as the main reason for their defeat – “we just couldn’t really put together anything that’s substantial on the scoreboard with regards to runs and that’s where we really lost our way in the whole series” – but there was also a selection blunder at Old Trafford, where South Africa picked a spinner. It forced them to bat first on a green top, where they were bowled out for 151. They lost by an innings and 85 runs.Aiden Markram and Kyle Verreynne are the only batters from that tour that are still in the squad (Temba Bavuma was out injured) and that was Boucher’s final Test series in charge. He has not been involved in the South African structures since resigning after the 2022 T20 World Cup and went on to coach MI for two seasons before finding work as a pundit.As for Boucher’s point about in-stadium support, at least South Africa can look forward to plenty of that at Lord’s. It is expected to be filled with South African fans, with a healthy number of expats in the city and a number of travelling supporters due to land in London next week. The same vibe is not always seen at home, though there has been a revival post-Covid, especially at the SA20, which sees regular sell-outs, and at some Test venues. SuperSport Park in Centurion and Newlands in Cape Town tend to attract the most number of people, while Kingsmead in Durban and St George’s Park in Gqeberha remain a challenge. Some of that has to do with a lack of interest, another issue is with timing (Tests that start midweek mean the working and schooling population cannot attend) and a third, cost. Most South Africans live below the breadline and a day at the cricket, including transport, tickets and refreshments, is beyond their budget. But if South Africa win the WTC, will they come?Not this summer, with no home Tests planned as grounds are refurbished for the 2027 ODI World Cup but next summer South Africa host eight Tests (three each against England and Australia and two against Bangladesh) in a cycle that also includes away series in Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka. Given that South Africa reached the final this time, whatever happens at Lord’s, expectations will be high as they enter the 2025-2027 period with much tougher challenges in store.

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O camisa nove já balançou as redes do adversário para o Grêmio 16 vezes neste ano. Recém-promovido à Série A, o Grêmio, de Luis Suárez, conseguiu o impressionante feito de chegar à semifinal da Copa do Brasil de 2023 e briga pelo título do Brasileirão.