The allrounder smashed the second fastest ODI hundred for Australia, off 47 balls, in the final ODI against South Africa

Andrew McGlashan24-Aug-20252:14

Green: ‘I was told I was next one ball before Heady got out’

Ask Cameron Green to do a job over the last couple of months and he’s generally made a success of it. Batting No. 3 in Australia’s Test side had a tricky start but he came good during the West Indies tour; then given the No. 4 role in T20Is he earned Player of the Series honours. It was very much in that T20 style that he surged to a maiden ODI hundred from just 47 balls in the third match against South Africa in Mackay.While his promotion to No. 3 from No. 4 had started to be discussed around the 30-over mark, as Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh forged their double-century opening stand, Green had one ball’s notice that it would actually happen before Head was dismissed for 142. “I think it always happens like that,” he said after the game. “You make a decision that doesn’t effect on-field, but for some reason it does. The next ball I was in, so it took me a while to get ready.”He was off the mark second ball, skipping down the pitch at Keshav Maharaj, Australia’s nemesis from the opening game of the series, and hammering a drive wide of long-off. From then on Green was always above a run-a-ball, and the gap quickly grew wider”I think it is that mindset of when you switch positions, kind of your role does change,” he said. “Instead of maybe nudging it around, maybe getting Bison [Marsh] on strike, I think it was just get out there, get on with it straight away.”Related

• Green set to bowl in Shield cricket

• Green, Head and Marsh flay centuries as Australia put on a show

• Stats – Records tumble in Mackay as Head, Marsh and Green batter South Africa

One of the most eye-catching moments of Green’s innings came when he faced left-arm spinner Senuran Muthusamy in the 45th over and turned down a single to keep the strike with an eye on the match-up. It was a continuation of the tactic Tim David had used in recent T20Is and Green responded by depositing the next three balls for six.”We were discussing it before Tim David did it in West Indies,” Green said. “If you get a really good match-up I think the bowler likes when a single gets hit, for example. Try and make the most of the short boundary.”Another curiosity in Green’s innings was that one of his eight sixes came courtesy of the amended boundary-fielding laws that prevent a player from “bunny-hopping” outside the playing area to field the ball mid-air. Green had launched Wiaan Mulder to long-on where Dewald Brevis couldn’t keep himself in the field of play and palmed the ball back having leapt in the air outside the boundary. Previously he would have prevented the boundary, but now it was six.Green’s century came in the next over, putting him between two of Glenn Maxwell’s finest hours in the list of fastest hundreds for Australia. Maxwell is one of the lynchpin ODI figures Australia need to replace ahead of the World Cup in 2027, alongside Steven Smith, with the batting performances in the first two games of this series raising a few questions about the health of the one-day side.It would be unwise to draw too many conclusions from the 431 for 2 in a dead rubber against a weakened South Africa attack and where batting first proved a distinct advantage. But it was an emphatic response, with timely runs for Head and Marsh’s continuing increase in output being the other encouraging signs.Cameron Green high-fives Alex Carey as he completes his hundred in Mackay•Getty Images”It’s been a while since we played one-day cricket so it just took a while to find our groove,” Green, who before this series had also not played an ODI since last September, said. “Shame it was a bit late for this series, but good signs moving forward.”I think you can normally work your way back from Test cricket. I think that’s a reasonably easy way [to go] because your technique’s normally in a good place and then you can open up and expand your game. Potentially going the other way is a bit tougher. You’re really looking to attack and then you have to kind of rein it in a little bit, pick and choose your times when to go.”Australia’s next ODIs are in mid-October against India, the No.1-ranked side, but Green could miss that series as he uses the Sheffield Shield to return to bowling ahead of the Ashes. If so, it will be another lengthy gap in the format for him.There remain some interesting questions for the selectors to ponder. Green’s performance in this match raises the possibility as to whether he could be Australia’s long-term ODI No. 3 or if that role stays with Marnus Labuschagne, who didn’t get the chance to bat after two scores of 1 in the first two matches of the series.Matt Short and Mitchell Owen were initially due to be part of this squad before injury and will likely feature against India. Aaron Hardie, a late call-up, struggled in two outings and his stock may have fallen although time remains on his side. Xavier Bartlett, however, will have done his cause no harm with new-ball wickets.Cooper Connolly, someone the selectors have been keen to expose at the top level, ended the series as an unlikely holder of the best ODI figures by an Australia spinner. He had Labuschagne’s brilliant out cricket to thank for a couple of wickets, and a stream of South African batters swinging in a lost cause, but if he grows into a genuine all-round option then he would be a valuable addition to the next generation of Australia’s 50-over cricketers. A team in which Green will be one of the most important figures.

Chelsea’s opening goal in the 1-1 draw against Arsenal on Sunday should have been disallowed under IFAB Law 11.

Arsenal unable to take all three points against ten-man Chelsea

With Moises Caicedo being shown a straight red card after fouling Mikel Merino in the first half, the Gunners would’ve been expecting to pick up what could be a crucial three points at Stamford Bridge, but the hosts refused to lie down.

In fact, Trevoh Chalobah opened the scoring for Enzo Maresca’s side just after half-time, although the north Londoners were ultimately able to come away with a point, as Mikel Merino was able to level things up just over ten minutes later.

Speaking after the game, Maresca made it clear he had no problem with Caicedo being given his marching orders, although he did question why Tottenham Hotspur’s Rodrigo Bentancur was not sent off for a similar challenge last month.

However, Mikel Arteta may have complaints of his own, with VAR being accused of going “completely blind” and missing Enzo Fernandez in an offside position during Chalobah’s opening goal.

IFAB’s Law 11 describes offside offences, and Fernandez’s position battling against Cristhian Mosquera certainly meets the criteria for ‘interfering with an opponent’.

A player in an offside position at the moment the ball is played or touched* by a team-mate is only penalised on becoming involved in active play by:

interfering with play by playing or touching a ball passed or touched by a team-mate or interfering with an opponent by: preventing an opponent from playing or being able to play the ball by clearly obstructing the opponent’s line of vision or challenging an opponent for the ball or clearly attempting to play a ball which is close when this action impacts on an opponent or making an obvious action which clearly impacts on the ability of an opponent to play the ball

However, the goal stood and Maresca’s side managed to hold out for a draw, despite having ten men for most of the game, so Arteta arguably has a right to feel aggrieved the Gunners were unable to extend their lead at the top.

Arsenal should have taken three points regardless

Although there is a case to be made that Chalobah’s goal should’ve been ruled out, Arsenal will be kicking themselves, given that Caicedo’s early red card presented them with a golden opportunity to pick up a victory.

Arteta concurs that it was two points dropped, saying after the game: “I think overall it’s been a really positive week because the difficulty was immense.

“But I have this flavour that today we should have and we could have won the game and we haven’t. That’s a learning point from it.”

Arteta must drop 4/10 Arsenal star who lost every single duel vs Chelsea

Arsenal were not at their free-flowing best as they drew with Chelsea.

ByMatt Dawson Dec 1, 2025

That said, the north Londoners shouldn’t be too disheartened, as getting a point at Stamford Bridge is still a good result, and they have a healthy lead at the top of the Premier League table, currently sitting five points clear of Man City.

Bruno Fernandes was back to his best to guide Manchester United past a sorry Wolves and into the Premier League's top six. The United captain scored twice and got an assist in a 4-1 win at Molineux although it was not a trouble-free night for the Red Devils, who suffered the embarrassment of being the first team to concede a league goal to Wolves since October.

Wolves went into the game having lost their last eight matches in all competitions and without scoring a league goal in more than two months. They made things easy for United, which was just as well as the Red Devils did not exactly bring their A game. Diogo Dalot should have made more of a piece of quick-thinking by Fernandes which played him through on goal but he couldn't beat Sam Johnstone.

United did take the lead through more awful Wolves defending, as Casemiro capitalised on Andre's dilly-dallying on the ball to rob his countryman and send it to Matheus Cunha. The former Wolves forward bungled his pass to Fernandes, who then fell over but still managed to score past Johnstone.

United had a triple chance to double the lead which saw Bryan Mbeumo denied by Sam Johnstone, Cunha's follow-up shot blocked on the line by Toti Gomes and then Amad Diallo whistled the rebound wide. The visitors must have been kicking themselves as Bellegarde scored in the second minute of added time at the end of the half after United had failed to clear their lines. It was Wolves' first league goal since October 26, when they were beaten at home by Burnley.

United, for once, responded well to the setback and came out looking determined to put things right. They got their lead back in the 51st minute thanks to a quick breakaway move which led to Dalot passing for Mbeumo to slot into an unguarded net. They then went for the jugular as they had to and sealed the points. 

Mason Mount produced a smart volley to finish off a Fernandes pass and then the captain rounded off a pleasing evening for him by bagging a penalty after a handball, given by VAR, against Yerson Mosquera. 

GOAL rates Man United's players from Molineux…

• AFP
  

  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Senne Lammens (6/10):

  Transmitted confidence, especially when dealing with crosses. Had few shots to make and blameless for the goal.

  Noussair Mazraoui (6/10):

  Brushed off a bruising challenge by Jhon Arias and delivered a composed display, calmly averting the danger on the rare occasions there was any.

  Ayden Heaven (5/10):

  Surprising to see him start after his poor game against West Ham. Looked very relaxed and nearly ran into trouble in the first half. Made a couple of good interventions, especially against Arias and Fer Lopez, but his lack of authority when Wolves scored showed he is not suitable to lead the three-man defence.

  Luke Shaw (7/10):

  Strong all-round display, even withstanding his casual play against Lopez and needing help from Heaven. His aggressive defending helped United play on the front foot. It was his tackle on Bellegarde which sparked the counter leading to Mbeumo's goal.

Advertisement

• AFP
  

  Midfield

  Amad Diallo (6/10):

  Didn't really get into the game. Fired wide after Cunha's shot was hacked away while in the second half he made a promising dribble then didn't know what to do next. 

  Casemiro (7/10):

  Put in a combative performance, harrying Andre to help create the opening goal. Protected the defence well around the area.

  Bruno Fernandes (8/10):

  Back to his dominant best after a poor display against West Ham, having his say in all four goals. Managed to score after slipping over; drove the team forward leading to the second goal; put in a peach of a cross for Mount and then calmly slotted in the penalty. 

  Diogo Dalot (7/10):

  An excellent display which showed he can help the team despite playing on his weaker left side. Should have done better with his chance but made amends with good wing play, teeing up a header for Cunha with the outside of his foot and then generously setting up Mbeumo to score.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Attack

  Bryan Mbeumo (7/10):

  Gave a typically energetic performance and took the rough with the smooth. Should have scored when Johnstone denied him but kept his head up and could hardly miss Dalot's gift after bursting forward. Booked for a foul on Arias after trying to compensate for losing the ball to him.

  Matheus Cunha (6/10):

  A rusty display against his old club. Got an assist despite bungling his pass to Bruno and should have done better with his attempt even with Gomes clearing it off the line. Couldn't get the ball out of his feet when it fell to him in the area although to his credit he set Dalot on his way when United restored their lead. 

  Mason Mount (7/10):

  Capped a fine display with a fine finish. Involved in United's best moves, demonstrating his footballing intelligence as well as his technique.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• AFP
  

  Subs & Manager

  Lisandro Martinez (6/10):

  Got the away crowd going with a couple of meaty challenges.

  Leny Yoro (6/10):

  Gave the team a bit more leadership in defence.

  Kobbie Mainoo (6/10):

  Played it simple to ensure United had no late panic.

  Patrick Dorgu (N/A):

  Replaced Dalot in the 84th minute.

  Joshua Zirkzee (N/A):

  Got six minutes plus added time but looked in no hurry to increase the damage on Wolves.

  Ruben Amorim (7/10):

  Watched his team mostly dominate and recover well from a setback, with the important caveat they were playing a historically awful Wolves side.

Manchester United dropped yet more points at Old Trafford after another lacklustre performance under Ruben Amorim. The Red Devils were held to a 1-1 draw by relegation-threatened West Ham United, failing to create many substantial chances despite having the lion’s share of the possession.

Indeed, the first half went by without the home side creating too many chances of note. The closest they came was thanks to an effort from Joshua Zirkzee.

The Dutchman, who was one of the best players in Red on the night, saw his well-directed effort cleared off the line by former United right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

It took United until the second half to break the deadlock. It was a rare Premier League goal from Diogo Dalot, which was enough to put Amorim’s side ahead, and what a strike it was.

The ball dropped to the wing-back in the penalty area, and after a superb first touch, he fired the Red Devils ahead.

United never looked like doubling their lead, with Amorim making substitutions but once again opting against bringing Kobbie Mainoo on.

They paid the price with seven minutes left. The Hammers equalised thanks to a late strike from player of the match Soungoutou Magassa.

Indeed, Amorim’s underwhelming substitutions did not help United’s cause.

Amorim’s in-game management vs. West Ham

One of the biggest criticisms against the United manager throughout his 12-month tenure has been his in-game management. Well, the substitutions he made against the Hammers on Thursday night were underwhelming.

Zirkzee, who was linking up play nicely, was replaced by Mason Mount, and Manuel Ugarte was also brought on. That meant there was once again no place for Mainoo, who still cannot get the chance to showcase his skills for an extended period in the Premier League.

Lisandro Martinez also came on with the score at 1-1. It was a positive thing to see the 2022 World Cup winner coming stepping onto the Old Trafford pitch for the first time since February, but bringing a centre-back on when your side is chasing a goal to win the game is a strange call.

United social media presence, Alice said, the manager’s “subs and in-game management is shocking time and time again.” She also called out the decision to take Zirkzee off, and bringing Ugarte on over Mainoo when the Red Devils “need control” to help get over the line.

However, there was one substitution Amorim did get right, taking off one player who struggled.

The United star who's been overhyped

It was not the return from injury that Matheus Cunha may have hoped for. He was replaced by Ugarte on the 77-minute mark, after a performance which was “ineffective”, according to journalist Laurie Whitwell.

Indeed, the Brazilian struggled to get into the game against the East Londoners. He only had 46 touches across the 90 minutes, losing the ball 18 times and failing to create a chance in that time.

Off the ball, United’s number ten won just three from 11 duels.

Cunha key stats vs. West Ham

Stat

Number

Touches

46

Number of times ball lost

18

Pass accuracy

69%

Duels won

3/11

Key passes

0

Crosses completed

0

Expected goal involvements

0.29xGI

Stats from Sofascore

His disappointing performance earned him a 5/10 rating from Goal journalist Richard Martin. He noted that Cunha failed to make any sort of impact, describing his efforts at Old Trafford as ‘underwhelming’.

It remains to be seen if Amorim will keep Cunha in the starting lineup for the next game, a trip to his former club, Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The Brazilian has not really hit the ground running for the Red Devils so far, with just one goal and no assists in 11 Premier League games.

Whilst that is not necessarily just his fault, United fans may well have wanted more from one of their marquee summer additions. Perhaps there was an element of Cunha getting overhyped, with CEO Omar Berrada suggesting he could be “Cantona-esque” for the club.

That is a lot of pressure for someone to have placed on them immediately after joining a huge club, despite the Brazilian’s obvious confidence.

Things have not really gone that way for Cunha so far in a United shirt, and his performances have certainly left a little to be desired, as the game against West Ham showed.

With other options, such as Mount and Mainoo, at Amorim’s disposal, he may well make the bold decision to rotate his number 10 out of the starting 11 next Monday. Cunha can certainly add a little bit extra in the final third to make him a more dangerous option going forward.

Related £30m Man Utd flop has been so bad he makes Ugarte look like a good signing

INEOS have made great strides of late with regard to Man Utd’s recruitment, although it hasn’t all been perfect.

Posts 1 ByRobbie Walls Dec 4, 2025

Bangladesh A won the Super OverIn a thriller that nearly went into a second Super Over, Bangladesh A seamer Ripon Mondol knocked India A out in the semi-final of the Rising Stars Asia Cup in Doha, Qatar on Friday.Mondol delivered a superb 19th over, giving away just five runs and removing the well-set Ramandeep Singh to leave India A needing 16 off the final over; a target Bangladesh A nearly didn’t defend.With eight needed off the last three balls, Jishan Alam dropped a sitter at long-off to reprieve Ashutosh Sharma off left-arm spinner Rakibul Hasan. Even worse, he parried it to the boundary for four. Ashutosh couldn’t capitalise, though, and was bowled next ball to leave India A needing four off the final delivery.Yet, India A found an unlikely lifeline thanks to a misjudged underarm throw from Bangladesh A captain Akbar Ali. As Harsh Dubey dug out a full delivery to long-on, he’d nearly given up but somehow willed himself to run a second.Akbar collected the return and had enough time to run to the stumps to seal the game, but instead flicked an underarm throw that missed. With no one backing up, India A stole a third run to force a Super Over.India A then perhaps misfired tactically, not unleashing the tournament’s highest six-hitter, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, to open. Instead, Mondol bowled a pinpoint yorker to castle a frazzled Jitesh Sharma, who premeditated too early and got into a tangle attempting to paddle. Ashutosh toe-ended a yorker straight to extra cover as India A ran out of gas, leaving Bangladesh A a mere one run for victory.There appeared to be another twist when Suyash Sharma struck off the first delivery to remove Yasir Ali to a sharp catch by Ramandeep at the long-on fence. Akbar then took a strike with an opportunity to undo some of his earlier damage. Fortunately for him, Suyash’s misdirected googly ended up being a wide and Bangladesh A sealed victory in dramatic circumstances.Habibur Rahman Sohan led Bangladesh A’s charge•Asian Cricket Council

As a result, India A bowed out following an underwhelming campaign, where they were also beaten by Pakistan A in the group stages, while also being pushed by Oman.As chaotic as the finish was, India A would reflect on a poor finish with the ball as one of the major turning points. They conceded 50 off the last two overs alone, as left-hander SM Meherob made an unbeaten 48 off 18 balls. This included four stunning sixes in a 28-run penultimate over by Naman Dhir.Meherob’s cameo was the perfect sequel to Habibur Rahman’s 46-ball 65 up top that helped set up the game for Bangladesh A, before the middle-order briefly wobbled.India A brought up their fifty off just 19 balls as Vaibhav Suryavanshi went big, hitting two fours and four sixes in his 38 off 15 before he toe-ended a slog to long-on. Dhir struggled for timing – he was on 3 off 10 at one stage – and fell soon after.The chase was revived by Priyansh Arya and Jitesh Sharma, who made 44 and 33, respectively, to ensure India A were up with the asking rate for most parts. When Jitesh fell to leave India A 150 for 4 in 15 overs, the chase was upon Ramandeep and Nehal Wadhera, who appeared to have it under control before India A’s chase combusted in dramatic circumstances.

In a format that isn’t their top priority right now, they showed enough and more evidence that they can go toe to toe with the very best

Firdose Moonda30-Nov-2025Well, that was fun.South Africa, at 11 for 3 in the fifth over, should never have been in with a chance of chasing 350. But Matthew Breetzke, who has the joint-most fifties (six) in his first 10 ODIs and Marco Jansen, who is enjoying the tour of his life, with bat more than ball, kept them in the contest. Still, South Africa, after losing Breetzke and Jansen in the same Kuldeep Yadav over and who were at 228 for 7 in the 34th, should not have come within three hits of the second-highest successful chase against India.That they did will remind them of two things: they are building the muscle memory of not knowing when they are beaten and that coach Shukri Conrad’s partiality to allrounders is proving to be a good policy, especially in the lower order. That they didn’t finish the job won’t bother them too much, not because South Africa aren’t interested in a slice of history but because of cricket’s three formats, ODIs are the lowest on South Africa’s priority list right now.They have just come off an intense and successful start to the World Test Championship title defence in Pakistan and India and there is a T20 World Cup less than three months away. The Tests were crucial to underlining their credentials and the five T20Is that follow in December will be vital to their preparation for the tournament. ODIs are just ODIs for now.Related

'I'm easy wherever I fit in' – Bavuma not fussed about batting spot ahead of must-win ODI

Stats – Kohli and Rohit smash records in Ranchi run-fest

Kohli dictates South Africa's reality from within his bubble

Kohli, Harshit, Kuldeep star to give India 1-0 lead

These matches will be chalked up as experiments on the road to the home World Cup in 2027, which is important to them but too far away to be too important right now. So while losing is not ideal, and Conrad’s predecessor Rob Walter came under pressure for a poor bilateral record albeit in similar circumstances, South Africa will see this series as a process of information-gathering and already they have some good stuff.Chiefly, that in Jansen they not only have a destructive new-ball bowler but also a confident lower middle-order batter. Those words have been chosen carefully. Jansen is a proper batter, not just a finisher and he has shown that over the last week. After his career-best 93 in the Guwahati Test, Jansen followed up with a 39-ball 70 in this match which included the fastest fifty for a South African in India in men’s ODIs, off 26 balls.After he timed a drive off a Harshit Rana yorker gone slightly wrong, Jansen brought out his full range of sweeps: conventional, reverse and slog off four balls from Kuldeep and then iced the cake with his range hitting down the ground. Exactly half of his runs were scored in the ‘v’ and he only scored five runs behind square demonstrating his traditional strength. The 97-run sixth-wicket stand he shared with Breetzke came at a run rate of 8.43, and set South Africa up to push for the win.Then it was over to Corbin Bosch to try and get them there. With a Test hundred to his name, Bosch has the ability and he has now also shown it in white-ball cricket. He is particularly strong against the short ball and on the cut and marshalled the tail well to give himself maximum opportunity to pull off something amazing. No one will blame him for South Africa falling short with Aiden Markram laying the blame on the top three’s inability to deal with the swinging ball and who “have to come up with a solution in the next game.”Whether all three will or should play the next game is a question that forms part of a wider discussion over how South Africa have stacked their squad. Even without Temba Bavuma, who was ruled out of this match through illness, South Africa’s top five includes four batters – Quinton de Kock, Ryan Rickelton, Tony de Zorzi and Breetzke – who have all opened more in List A cricket than they have batted anywhere else. The fifth, Markram, is not a regular opener but is playing in that position and South Africa need to relook at the combination.Marco Jansen struck several meaty blows•Associated PressSpecifically, they have to get de Kock in the top two, because that is where he is at his best. De Kock has opened the batting in 175 out of the 200 List A matches he has played and has scored all 22 of his ODI centuries as an opener. Who should he displace? Markram, who must move down to No. 4 for the same reason de Kock must be promoted. In 84 ODIs, Markram has batted 43 times at No. 4, averages 42.91 and has all three of his centuries in that position. He has opened the batting 24 times, including at the start of his career (which proved a mistake), with an average in the 30s and four fifties. Conrad’s rationale behind promoting Markram, at least in T20Is, is that it allows for bigger hitters in the middle order. The same does not need to apply to ODIs.It may also be that there is a hesitance to have two left-hand batters in the top two – and all of de Kock, Rickelton and de Zorzi are left-handed – so de Kock should open with Bavuma, with one of Rickelton or de Zorzi at No. 3, Markram at No. 4 and Breetzke at No. 5. On form, de Zorzi gets in ahead of Rickelton at this stage.That’s unfortunate for Rickelton, who has also been dropped from the T20 squad following de Kock’s return, but with no half-centuries since his century against Afghanistan at the Champions Trophy in February, it is probably the right call. It would also mean South Africa have their Dewald Brevis and Jansen at Nos. 6 and 7 respectively, which seems to be the right spot for both of them. With Bosch, Nandre Burger and the return of Keshav Maharaj and eventually Kagiso Rabada (out of the series with a rib niggle), South Africa have the makings of their strongest XI.Ultimately, that’s what they’re using these matches to try and find. If they’re able to produce some entertaining cricket along the way – and bag some wins – that’s a bonus they’ll gladly accept.

Would it be hyperbole to suggest that Kobbie Mainoo provided the best, or most significant, moment at Manchester United in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era?

Faced with an imperious Manchester City side in the 2024 FA Cup final, Erik ten Hag’s men defied the odds to claim a richly deserved 2-1 win, a year on from having tamely been defeated by their neighbours en route to treble glory.

Alejandro Garnacho had pounced early on to open the scoring, before fellow academy graduate Mainoo popped up at the backpost to add a second, slotting home perfectly following Bruno Fernandes’ ingenious reverse pass.

The then-teenager, like the thousands decked out in red at Wembley, roared in celebration, revelling in the crowing moment of a stunning, six-month rise from relative obscurity.

The Old Trafford faithful have been wedded to United’s golden boy since then, although there has been no such warmth from new boss Ruben Amorim.

What Amorim said about Mainoo after West Ham

From the highs of that Wembley showpiece, and his subsequent role in England’s run to the final at Euro 2024, Mainoo’s impact has plummeted since then, having hardly had a look-in following an injury-hit start to 2024/25.

Seemingly fighting a losing battle from the off following Amorim’s arrival in November 2024 – having failed to start the Portuguese’s first game in charge against Ipswich Town – the Stockport native has drifted onto the periphery, with 2025/26 proving particularly frustrating thus far.

The forgotten man, Mainoo is yet to start a single Premier League game this season, playing just 171 minutes in all, having been an unused substitute for the fourth time against West Ham United in midweek.

Speaking after that dismal 1-1 draw, Amorim went on the defensive regarding his treatment of the youngster, while laughing off suggestions that the midfielder could have been an “offensive” alteration.

Asked if he understood why Mainoo’s status as a homegrown talent made him such a talking point for fans and pundits alike, the 40-year-old replied:

Mainoo, unsurprisingly, is seeking a January exit amid his bizarre fall from grace, although he surely isn’t the midfielder INEOS should be looking to move on.

Man Utd must sell flop who's getting the Mainoo treatement

Perhaps the biggest source of frustration regarding Mainoo’s situation is that Amorim isn’t exactly blessed with regard to midfield depth, with his current squad boasting just four recognised, senior midfielders to choose from.

For much of 2025/26, the ex-Sporting CP boss has selected ever-present skipper, Fernandes, alongside the ageing Casemiro, with both Mainoo and Manuel Ugarte limited to mere late cameos off the bench.

Like the FA Cup final hero, Ugarte has also become a notable talking point amid his limited role under Amorim, despite having previously worked with the 3-4-2-1 boss in Lisbon.

Indeed, it was reported last month that the ex-Paris Saint-Germain man had been criticised by his manager in front of teammates at Carrington, following the Europa League final defeat.

Like Mainoo, who enjoyed just a mere last-gasp cameo in Bilbao, Ugarte was also something of an afterthought even as United toiled, having failed to even make it off the bench on the night.

Games

9

10

Starts

0

2

Goals

0

0

Assists

0

0

Big chances created

0

0

Key passes*

0.6

0.1

Pass accuracy*

87%

86%

Total duels won*

36%

60%

Balls recovered*

1.1

2.0

Dribbled past*

0.1

0.4

Much like Mainoo too, the Uruguayan has been forced to settle for a watching brief for much of this season, starting just twice in the top-flight, while notably being hooked at the break following an “embarrassing” display against Grimsby Town, in the view of writer Alex Turk.

Of course, there isn’t the groundswell of support for Ugarte like there is for his midfield colleague, with the decision to fork out almost £50m on the 24-year-old standing out as one of the worst decisions of recent years at Old Trafford.

Whether the £120k-per-week talent, again like Mainoo, is being helped by his manager is another matter, however, with Amorim hardly backing his man after revealing that Ugarte is “struggling” to adjust to life in the Premier League.

Either way, if it comes down to choosing between which peripheral midfielder needs to be shown the door, it should surely be Ugarte whom INEOS cash in on, with the safe and steady asset doing little to warrant a third-season stay in Manchester.

Cunha 2.0: INEOS to fast-track Man Utd bid for 'best winger in England'

Manchester United look set to make a huge move for one player in the upcoming January window.

ByEthan Lamb 6 days ago

Marnus Labuschagne forced to open after back spasm forces Usman Khawaja off the field

Alex Malcolm21-Nov-2025

AFP/Getty Images

Usman Khawaja was unable to open for Australia after an ill-timed decision to leave the field to get treatment for back spasms just before England’s first innings collapse on the opening day of in Perth leading to a hasty reshuffle of their top order.After months of debate about Australia’s batting order and the selectors’ decision to reinstate Marnus Labuschagne at No. 3, he was forced to open anyway alongside debutant Jake Weatherald after Khawaja spent the last three overs of England’s innings off the field as they lost 5 for 20 in 23 balls to be bowled out for just 172.”I didn’t know about it until the ninth wicket when he still had 10 minutes or so [to make up],” Mitchell Starc said. “We got caught off guard a little bit with the wickets falling pretty quickly in the back end there. It’s just unfortunate that was the case. He’ll manage that overnight and see how we’re at tomorrow.”Khawaja, 38, had left the field several times in the first three hours of play and exited again with the score at 152 for 5 after 29 overs. Khawaja battled back stiffness through the day and had a back spasm the second time he left the field.Related

Ashes FAQ: Do England really have a chance?

Why is Monty Panesar trending on the eve of the first Ashes Test?

Live Report – Stunning Head century gives Australia 1-0 lead

England then collapsed while he was stretching to overcome the spasm and it left stand-in captain Steven Smith calling for Khawaja to come back onto the field. Khawaja eventually did return to the field for the end of the innings but according to ICC rules had not returned for the equal amount of time he had been off and therefore was ineligible to open the batting.”I don’t think we really realised he wasn’t going to come out at the start of the innings. It was probably more unsettling for the Aussies,” Brydon Carse said after play.It is understood Khawaja did not have a prior back injury. However, Khawaja did play 18 holes of golf on Thursday, having missed Australia’s last optional training session, and also played several times earlier in the week. It is not unusual for Khawaja to play golf the day before a Test match. Scott Boland and Mitchell Starc, who took a career-best 7 for 58 on Friday, also played on Thursday along with several members of the coaching staff.It meant Weatherald faced the first over from Jofra Archer, although he may have done so anyway. Weatherald had not faced the first ball of an innings in each of his last 20 first-class innings before his Test debut, during a run of form that saw him earn his first Test cap.He was trapped lbw second ball by a searing full delivery from Archer that knocked him off his feet. His duck mirrored that of Nathan McSweeney’s on Test debut for Australia when opening against India at the same ground 12 months ago in very similar circumstances.Given the wicket fell so soon into the innings, it meant Smith walked out at No. 3 for the first time in a Test since 2017, although he had opened alongside in four Tests in early 2024 before returning to his preferred No. 4.Khawaja made his way to the middle at No. 4 after Labuschagne fell to Archer after tea. Like a few in the top order, he didn’t end up surviving long, gloving a superb delivery from Carse to the keeper for 2, as Australia followed suit in struggling with the bat and ended the day on 123 for 9.

Beth Mooney’s unbeaten 94 helped Perth reach their target of 165 with seven wickets to spare

AAP06-Dec-2025Beth Mooney has led Perth Scorchers back into the WBBL finals, executing the perfect chase against Brisbane Heat and ending Melbourne Renegades’ title defence in the process.Needing 165 for victory in a must-win game at the WACA on Saturday, Mooney hit an unbeaten 94 from 61 to help Perth reach the target with seven wickets and four balls to spare. The victory ensured the Scorchers would have a home final, knocked the Renegades out of the top four and handed the Heat the first winless season in WBBL history.With one game to play in the season, Hobart are guaranteed top spot and hosting rights for next Saturday night’s final at Ninja Stadium. Perth and the Melbourne Stars are also locked into finals spots, with the winner of the Sydney Sixers and Adelaide at North Sydney Oval on Sunday morning to join them.The WBBL’s finals system has third and fourth face off in eliminator on Tuesday, before the winner of that plays against second on Thursday for a spot in the final.The Stars could have wrapped up second spot on Saturday morning had they beaten the Sydney Thunder at Junction Oval, only for them to be well beaten. Instead Perth are now in second, and will stay there if the Strikers beat the Sixers on Sunday.Facing a tricky chase after Georgia Redmayne’s 57 helped the Heat to 164 for 7, Mooney took control of the game at the WACA. Australia’s veteran opener regularly picked balls up off her pads and hit them over the legside to the rope, hitting 12 boundaries in a near-flawless knock. The Scorchers’ chase threatened to wobble late when Maddy Darke (24) and Sophie Devine (13) fell, but Mooney held her nerve and Freya Kemp’s late hitting saw Perth home.The leading run-scorer in WBBL history, Mooney now has scores of 105, 75 and 94* for the season and will enter the finals as one of the league’s most dangerous players.

There are set to be at least five seasons and it will be the first professional women’s cricket event in Saudi Arabia

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Nov-2025

FairBreak and Saudi Cricket have announced a five-year partnership to host the Women’s World T20 Challenge in Saudi Arabia from 2026. It is set to be the first professional women’s cricket event in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Cricket and FairBreak said in a release that the competition will feature players from more than 35 countries.FairBreak is a private company founded in 2013 that aims to improve gender equality in sport and previously hosted the FairBreak Global Invitational T20 in 2022 and 2023 in Dubai and Hong Kong respectively. A third edition was planned in 2023 in the USA but it was initially postponed to 2024 and eventually didn’t come to fruition.The FairBreak Invitational was fully sanctioned by the ICC and had six teams. It featured international stars like Chamari Athapaththu, Sophie Ecclestone, Laura Wolvaardt and Marizanne Kapp among others. However, the BCCI did not give No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) to the Indian players. It is also unclear as of now if any Indian players will feature in the new T20 tournament.The announcement said new T20 league is “in alignment with the ambitions of Saudi Vision 2030” and among its objectives are to develop women’s cricket talent through structured training programmes and pathways, to raise public awareness and inspire the next generation of players, to enhance international collaboration, and to bring in players from more than 35 countries.The Women’s World T20 Challenge will see Saudi Arabia increase its presence on the cricket map. The IPL auction was held in Jeddah in 2024 and the country was also poised to back a new Grand-Slam-style circuit of T20 tournaments. Saudi Arabia is also set to host some games in the future seasons of the ILT20.