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Bowl anywhere near short at Australia’s pocket dynamo and you’ll disappear leg side

Annesha Ghosh16-Feb-2022It is one of the go-to shots she uses to bully attacks, however vaunted or varied, into submission. In many a rampaging innings, like the 51-ball 111 in WBBL 2020-21, it often sets the tone. At crucial junctures in play, as seen in her maiden international hundred, in 2018, it is a tool with which to crush the opposition’s spirit. Still, the pull shot remains something of an unsung hero in Healy’s ever-evolving repertoire.It doesn’t enjoy as much celebrity as her inside-out lofted drive over cover, the most viscerally appealing shot in her arsenal. But the frequency of its appearance, and the ease with which Healy uses it to clear the boundary from square leg to deep-midwicket, makes the pull one of her most high-reward shots.Deceptively nonchalant-seeming, the stroke is technically straightforward for Healy. A solid base. Feet firmly planted. An early, accurate assessment of length. Copybook arm extension. The power to muscle the hell out of the delivery. And seamless transfer of weight. The ball needn’t always be a world off a good length; anything marginally short, into the body, is enough for her to take a step back and swat it over the square-leg cordon.It’s not all one pull for Healy. One variant is executed after shuffling outside off; another is played while charging down the track; and the third, with minimal foot movement, is all hands and twist of torso to generate power in the swivel, resulting in a forceful short-arm pull.”From a young age Alyssa has been very quick to pick up length and rock back on the back foot,” Lisa Sthalekar, the former Australia captain and broadcaster and Healy’s one-time team-mate, says. “She never really misses out on capitalising when the bowlers miss their length. That is why she is one of the most destructive batters in the women’s game.”Healy isn’t among the tallest around, and her small frame often puts bowlers at a disadvantage on pitches with bounce. Deliveries ever so slightly short, which might ping taller players high on the pads or just above them, run the risk of ending up waist-high for Healy, enabling her to unleash the pull.”She’s a compact, very technical batter, and a very good puller,” says South Africa batter Lizelle Lee, whose WBBL stints as an opponent have given her a ring-side view of a gallery of Healy’s menacing pulls. “She’s the kind of batter I love watching: fearless, doesn’t waste time, always goes big, so when it comes off, she comes off big.”Perhaps the ever-burgeoning range of her strokes make it difficult to identify any one of them as a trademark Healy shot. And the mastery her contemporaries, such as India opener Smriti Mandhana, Australia team-mates Meg Lanning and Ellyse Perry, and New Zealand allrounder Sophie Devine, have demonstrated in playing the pull doesn’t quite make Healy peerless at it. This was reinforced by a poll of some members of ESPNcricinfo’s editorial staff for this series, in which Healy beat Mandhana by a whisker.Still, in Healy’s advent as a force of nature in limited-overs cricket since her maiden WBBL hundred in January 2018, the pull has been pivotal to establishing her authority in diverse conditions. Perhaps its relegation to a relatively low profile in her repertoire may not have been too bad a thing for the pull after all.Who Does it Best?: The cutter | The pull | The googly | The cover drive | The yorker | The cut | The bouncer | The sweep

St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn showed off the benefits of always hustling as he raced in from second base on a fly ball to center on Tuesday night. Winn's 180-foot scamper was facilitated by Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong losing track of how many outs had been recorded in the fourth inning.

The play started innocently enough as Alec Burleson lofted a high drive to the warning track that Crow-Armstrong easily tracked down. But once PCA had ball in glove he relaxed, thinking the inning was over. Winn, on the other hand, took off like he anticipated such a mental error and was able to score before the Cubs could get their act together.

The Cardinals would go on to win 8-7, Winn's run proving quite large. Crow-Armstrong offered a simple assessment of his performance.

Crow-Armstrong remains one of the most productive players in the National League and the Cubs one of the best team in baseball.

New South Wales batter Nic Maddinson has revealed that he has been in a battle with testicular cancer after finding a lump earlier this year.Maddinson, 33, has played three Tests and six T20Is for Australia, but had been absent from the New South Wales set-up in the early part of the season. He revealed he had been diagnosed in April and has only just resumed full training after undergoing surgery and nine weeks of chemotherapy.The left-hand batter played his last match for New South Wales in early March but was dropped for the final Sheffield Shield match of the 2024-25 season. Having felt rundown with what he thought was a virus, he mentioned to New South Wales doctor John Orchard in his post-season review that he had felt a lump.Scans revealed a tumour and he had surgery immediately to remove it. But further tests seven weeks later showed the cancer had spread.”Once I found out I had to have chemo, that was pretty hard to deal with,” Maddinson told the . “It had spread to parts of my abdominal lymph nodes and lung. That was a bit where it was pretty daunting.”Maddinson’s wife Bianca was also pregnant with their second child when he began chemotherapy and had to quit her job as a dentist to look after their toddler son while Maddinson underwent treatment.”By the second or third week, I lost all my hair. I was feeling pretty average,” Maddinson said. “I was taking types of steroids to manage side effects, but they would keep me up at night. I’d be at the hospital from about 11am to 4pm. Then a sleep. Then I’d force myself to have dinner. I’d sleep until about 1am, but sometimes I’d then be awake until 6am. I found that difficult. I was super drained and felt like I had to sleep 24/7.”I felt guilty. I couldn’t do anything around the house.”Maddinson told very few of his team-mates, with his close friend Adam Zampa being one exception.He completed his chemotherapy on July 14. Ten days later, he had his first hit in the nets. He had to wait another two months before he was cleared to resume full training.”Eight weeks after my last chemo round, I got good news. The treatment had worked,” Maddinson said. “My recent tests were all good, and I can go about getting back into cricket, which I love.”He is continuing to build up his fitness but is likely to be available to play Sydney premier cricket and possibly second XI for New South Wales in the coming weeks with an eye to possibly returning to the Shield team in November.”I would still love to play Test cricket again, but I’m more realistic,” Maddinson said. “The older you get, the less likely it is to happen.”I had a really good opportunity last year and I just didn’t really grab it. I’m just really excited to try and play cricket again. I was dropped at the end of last year, so I’m not expecting to be straight back in the side.”The most important thing would be to say I am available. That would be a nice day.”Nic Maddinson has played three Tests for Australia•Getty Images

Following the birth of his second son Wilder, he is grateful to be healthy again and has urged others to get checked it they feel something abnormal.”When I found out I needed chemo, it hit me hard because I almost didn’t go,” Maddinson said. “I thought it would go away. To know that I caught it probably as early as I could have, and it still spread into other parts of my body, that was scary.”I just think it’s so important if you have anything you’re worried about, get it checked out.”It feels silly to not tell my story. If one person reads it and gets checked, I’ll be happy. I grew up in the country and a lot of people fob it off. It’s a ‘she’ll be right’ attitude. Get the stuff checked out, it can make all the difference.”

The India allrounder has ambitions of playing in the 2027 ODI World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Oct-20259:02

Chopra on Iyer vice-captain, Axar over Jadeja and more

Ravindra Jadeja has said that he isn’t surprised by his non-selection for India’s upcoming ODI series in Australia and that the communication from the team management has been smooth. Jadeja, who will turn 37 this December, had retired from T20Is after winning the World Cup last year, but has ambitions of playing in the 2027 ODI World Cup.”[Selection] is not in my hands. I want to play, for sure,” Jadeja said at his press conference after the second day’s play against West Indies in the Delhi Test. “[At the] end of the day, team management, selectors, coach and captain have their thoughts and they will have their reasons for not selecting me for this series. They have talked to me, it was not a surprise for me after the squad was announced.Related

Kohli and Rohit selected in India's ODI squad for Australia

“It is a good thing that they communicated the reason behind my omission. I am happy about that. But whenever I get a chance next, I will try and do what I have done all these years. If I get a chance in the World Cup and there are many ODIs before and if I do well there, it will be a good thing for Indian cricket. Winning a World Cup is everyone’s dream. We had narrowly missed out the last time, the next time we will try and make up for it.2:56

Jadeja: ‘I don’t think about captaincy and vice-captaincy anymore’

Jadeja’s omission was among five changes from the ODI squad that had won the Champions Trophy in the UAE in March. After announcing the squads, Ajit Agarkar, India’s chief selector, however, suggested that Jadeja is still part of their future plans in ODI cricket.”With regards to Jaddu [Jadeja], I mean look, at the moment to take two left-arm spinners to Australia is not possible. He is clearly in the scheme of things with how good he is, but there will be some competition for places,” Agarkar said at the time. “Of course he was there in the Champions Trophy squad, because we took those extra spinners with the conditions there [in UAE].”At the moment we could only carry one and get some balance in the team with Washy [Washington Sundar] and Kuldeep there as well. I don’t think we are going to need more than that in Australia. It’s a short series, you can’t accommodate everyone and unfortunately at the moment he is missing out, but it’s nothing more than that.”Jadeja has played 204 ODIs so far, taking 231 wickets to go with 2806 runs. In his most recent ODI assignment, the Champions Trophy, he came away with five wickets in five innings at an economy rate of 4.35.India will play three ODIs in Australia on October 19, 23 and 25, followed by five T20Is between October 29 and November 8.

GOAL’s writers break down a solid USMNT showing as Mauricio Pochettino looks to build momentum ahead of the World Cup.

There you have it: a win. The USMNT are not, once again, at full strength. They're missing a few faces, falling short of a few pieces. This is probably half, generously, of what a starting XI might look like in seven months. But the results are good. They beat a pretty good Paraguay side, 2-1, at home. Winning is nice. It fuels momentum. It gives Mauricio Pochettino reasons to praise rather than a need to rant. 

Gio Reyna was the headline, of course, handed a surprise start, and got himself on the scoresheet. This wasn't him at his best, but he did show that there's still a player there. Leading striker Folarin Balogun grabbed another goal – and he looks in good form for his country. There were mistakes here and there, but this was otherwise an agreeable Saturday night.]

So, what do we make of all of this? Are there sweeping conclusions to be drawn about Reyna? Is Joe Scally now the center back of the future? And who might have played their way of the squad next summer? GOAL's writers get far too reactionary in the latest edition of… . 

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  How significant was Gio Reyna's performance?

  Tom Hindle: Immensely. It has long been said in this space that Reyna is the U.S.'s most talented player whose last name is not "Pulisic." He has struggled immensely for three clubs over the past few years now, and needed a forum to show that he can still contribute. He wasn't exactly spellbinding against Paraguay, but there were glimpses of what he can be. If Reyna's fit, he should start at the World Cup. But that is a pretty significant "if".

  Ryan Tolmich: Very. It showed that, even when he isn’t at his best, he can make a difference. Does that translate to a starting gig? Unlikely given the other options. Does that give him a really strong case to make a 26-man roster? You bet, even if that means coming off the bench as an emergency option. There’s a caveat, of course, with his fitness but, as long as that goes in the right direction, Reyna has his chance.

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  If Reyna were to make it to the World Cup, who would he replace?

  TH: Well, if we run off the assumption that Alejandro Zendejas isn't sniffing it, then it's one of Brenden Aaronson or Diego Luna. Pochettino seems to like Luna a lot, so it'll probably mean Aaronson gets left at home – unless he shows something special for Leeds over the next few months. 

  RT: In terms of attacking midfielders, Christian Pulisic, Malik Tillman, and Weston McKennie are locked in. Then there’s that second group of Reyna, Brenden Aaronson, Diego Luna, and Alejandro Zendejas. Only so many of those players can be on a World Cup roster, which means it’ll come down to form and fit when Pochettino ultimately has to balance it out.

• Getty Images
  

  Joe Scally made his long-awaited return, what did you make of him as a third CB?

  TH: Uhhhh sure? Scally isn't a starting-level center back in this side, but he's highly rated in Germany, and really should be a part of the U.S. setup. Sometimes you need a guy who can offer cover, and Scally can play in multiple positions. Whether that makes him a starter is up for debate, but there's a strong case to be made that he should be in the squad next summer.

  RT: Seems feasible! At the very least, Scally is a good utility guy, which is always welcome in a World Cup squad. He can either start in three positions or be your defensive stopper off the bench in place of the more attack-minded wingbacks. He needs another good performance or two, but, again, there’s a walkable path there.

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• Getty
  

  Based on current form, what are your expectations for the USMNT at the World Cup?

  TH: Please do not be deceived by wins against Australia and Paraguay. Round of 16 exit, as per usual. Sure, you can make the argument about "kind draws" and say the U.S. could imitate a, say, Morocco in Qatar 2022, but the dirty little secret is that Morocco side was really very good. Keep expectations level, and anything else feels like a bonus.

  RT: It hasn’t changed much, largely because we still haven’t seen this team in the way it will likely be assembled. Maybe the floor is a bit higher than it was a few months ago, but we still don’t really know this team’s ceiling. As always with a World Cup, though, get out of a group and see what happens.

MatériaMais Notícias

O São Paulo anunciou nesta quinta-feira (7) a prorrogação do contrato de Wellington Rato até o final de 2026. Em vídeo publicado nas redes sociais, o Tricolor celebrou a extensão do vínculo, e aproveitou para provocar o Corinthians, rival nas semifinais da Copa do Brasil.

– Rato cortou para a esquerda e assinou – escreveu a equipe paulista na postagem, em uma clara alusão ao gol marcado por Rato contra o Timão, no estádio do Morumbi, pela semifinal da Copa do Brasil.

➡️ Tudo sobre o Tricolor agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! São Paulo

O meia-atacante de 31 anos, que chegou ao clube nesta temporada, tinha um acordo até 2025. No entanto, segundo informações do GE, a ampliação foi uma forma que o São Paulo encontrou de recompensar o desempenho de Rato, que permaneceu no Tricolor apesar do interesse do futebol japonês.

– Estou muito feliz com esta renovação. Jogar no São Paulo é a realização de um sonho, como falei na minha chegada ao clube. Este foi o ano da minha afirmação, e fomos coroados com o título. E que 2024 seja ainda melhor para nós e para a nossa torcida – comemorou o camisa 27.

Em 2023, o jogador disputou 63 partidas com a camisa tricolor, contribuindo com cinco gols e dez assistências

Barcelona director Deco has labelled discussion of coach Hansi Flick's style "irrelevant" after a chaotic 3-3 Champions League draw with Club Brugge. Despite defensive frailties, Deco insists the club "know perfectly well" where to improve and will rely on nothing other than hard work, drawing parallels to overcoming difficulties last season.

Barcelona's defensive frailties exposed in chaotic Brugge draw

Flick's side twice came from behind before they ultimately needed a 77th-minute own goal from Christos Tzolis to salvage a point in Belgium. The result has intensified scrutiny on Flick's high-risk, possession-based system, which has produced 12 goals but also conceded seven in four Champions League matches.

The match at the Jan Breydel Stadium perfectly encapsulated Barcelona's current struggles. The Catalans dominated the ball, enjoying 77% possession and registering 23 shots, but were repeatedly carved open on the counter-attack.

Club Brugge, in contrast, were ruthlessly efficient, scoring three times from just 11 total shots, with six of those hitting the target.

Barcelona found themselves trailing after just six minutes to a Nicolo Tresoldi goal before Ferran Torres equalised. Carlos Forbs put the hosts back in front, and after Lamine Yamal's 61st-minute leveller, Forbs struck again just two minutes later to make it 3-2.

Despite Flick previously stating he would not compromise on his aggressive style, the recurring defensive lapses have raised questions about the squad's suitability for the system.

AdvertisementGettyDeco insists 'style discussion is irrelevant'

Speaking to the club's media during an open training session at the Camp Nou, Deco was clear that the club's hierarchy is not panicking and is aware of the problems.

When questioned about Flick's style and the team's defensive vulnerabilities, the sporting director shut down the debate.

"The issue of discussing style is irrelevant," Deco said. "We already know perfectly well where we can improve and the difficulties we face.

"Last season we also went through some difficult times and we were able to overcome them. By getting players back and regaining our form, staying united, and working hard… That's what we have to do.

"We did it last season and we're going to do the same this season. Nothing can change things except hard work and dedication."

La Masia's new generation yet to play at 'spectacular' Camp Nou

Deco's comments were made as the squad trained at the still-under-renovation Camp Nou, a move designed to familiarise the team's new faces with their future home.

The director noted the "spectacular" progress of the stadium and the squad's anticipation of a return from their temporary home at Montjuic.

"All of us at the club who are still in Montjuic miss being here," Deco said. "It feels like it was a magnificent stadium before, and now it's even more so. There are memories, of course, but the most important thing is that we can return as soon as possible. It's different playing here; the players have the same feeling."

He also highlighted a remarkable statistic: that eight members of the current squad, many of them homegrown, have never played an official match at Camp Nou due to the two-and-a-half-year renovation.

"This is a sign that things have been done well, that there are homegrown players, from La Masia, and this is important and a good sign because in the last two and a half years that we've been away, we've been able to bring through important players from La Masia," he said. "That's what Barca is about; the president was looking for this project."

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Getty Images SportWhat next? Barcelona's precarious Champions League position

The 3-3 draw in Belgium leaves Barcelona in 11th place in the new Champions League league-phase standings. With a record of two wins, one draw, and one loss, they remain in a solid position to qualify for the play-off round (spots 9-16).

However, the result puts significant pressure on their final four league phase matches if they hope to secure a top-eight finish, which guarantees direct entry into the last 16.

Flick and Deco will be acutely aware that conceding seven goals in four European matches is not a sustainable rate for a team with ambitions of challenging for the trophy. The immediate priority will be to find a defensive balance in La Liga before their next European test, without sacrificing the attacking principles Flick is determined to maintain.

Aaron Judge’s player prop futures are out now for the 2024 season.

Here are the current home run and RBI markets for the Bronx Bomber:

Home Runs: 44.5
Over (-110) | Under (-110)

RBIs: 112.5
Over (110) | Under (-110)

Judge is just one season removed from a 62-home run, 131-RBI season for which he earned his first AL MVP award, and the sportsbook is expecting big things again from the New York Yankees slugger.

MatériaMais Notícias

Alex Nascimento, zagueiro titular do Santos nas últimas partidas, sofreu uma fratura no tornozelo direito durante o treino desta quinta-feira (7), no Centro de Treinamento Rei Pelé. O jogador passará por procedimento cirúrgico ainda hoje, no Hospital Albert Einstein.

Por conta disso, defensor será desfalque para a partida contra o Cruzeiro, no próximo dia 14. Não há estimativa para o tempo de recuperação do camisa 31.

+ Já atualizou sua camisa de 2023? Confira os novos uniformes do Peixe!

Além dele, o Peixe também não poderá utilizar contra a equipe mineira o meia-atacante Soteldo, que foi expulso nos acréscimos do confronto frente ao América-MG, na última rodada do Brasileirão.

Agora, Alex integra uma lista com outros lesionados do Santos. Os afastados por conta de problemas médicos são: o lateral Felipe Jonatan, o zagueiro Leonardo Zabala, e os volantes Alison e Sandry.

MOMENTO NO SANTOS

Após reintegrar o elenco do Alvinegro Praiano depois de ter sido emprestado na temporada passada para o Famalicão, de Portugal, o jogador não teve muitas experiências em campo. Contudo, depois de começar a ser utilizado pelo ex-comandante Paulo Turra, Alex conquistou ainda mais espaço com o treinador Diego Aguirre.

Nos quatro jogos do atual técnico do Santos, o defensor foi titular em três e jogou as partidas de forma integral. Em uma de suas melhores sequências pelo manto alvinegro, o jogador sofre uma lesão e, agora, passará por acompanhamento do Departamento Médico do clube.

Tottenham Hotspur breezed into the fourth round of the Carabao Cup last night, after beating League One outfit Doncaster Rovers 3-0 in North London.

Goals from Joao Palhinha, Brennan Johnson and an own goal from Jay McGrath secured the win for Thomas Frank’s men, setting up a fifth-round clash with Newcastle United at St James’ Park.

The showing on home soil last night was an extremely professional one, avoiding a slip-up and keeping their hopes alive of securing a trophy during the Dane’s maiden campaign in charge.

A strong side was certainly fielded in the meeting with Grant McCann’s side, as the new boss looked to keep the continuity that he’s built in recent weeks flowing ahead of Premier League action this weekend.

However, numerous players failed to grab their first-team opportunity with both hands, potentially leading to the 51-year-old looking past them for their clash with Wolves on Saturday.

Spurs’ poor performers against Doncaster last night

Brennan Johnson has seemingly fallen down the pecking order over the past couple of weeks, subsequently being named as a substitute in each of the last three of Spurs’ league outings.

However, the Welsh international was handed a start against Doncaster last night, subsequently getting on the scoresheet in the closing minutes of the encounter in North London.

The 24-year-old had the least amount of touches of any player to play 90 minutes (36), whilst also being caught offside three times – showcasing his lack of positive impact against the League One outfit.

Johnson wasn’t alone in failing to capture the opportunity handed his way, with Djed Spence also looking lacklustre against the opposition two divisions below them in the pyramid.

The full-back failed to complete any of the dribbles he attempted, whilst only winning one of the five duels he entered – often struggling to get the better of his opposite number.

However, despite the showings of the aforementioned duo, one other starter for Frank’s side looked way below the level expected, which should result in the player being dropped once again.

The 5/10 Spurs player who must be axed

Coming up against League One opposition was always going to be a tricky task for Spurs and Frank, but it was one that the side navigated with flying colours.

The Lilywhites restricted Donny to just two shots on target in the 90-minute display in North London, subsequently keeping their fifth clean sheet in the 2025/26 campaign to date.

Whether it be Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero, Kevin Danso or Palhinha at the heart of the defence, the side have still managed to thrive without the ball.

Frank’s arrival has certainly added the needed defensive solidity that has been greatly missed in recent years – hopefully allowing the club to compete for more trophies in the months ahead.

In the attacking third, Richarlison has been one of the side’s leading talismen, scoring three times to date, but the Brazilian was handed a needed rest in the win last night.

Such a decision gave Mathys Tel the chance to start just his second outing of the new campaign, but it was one that he failed to take – ultimately enduring a night to forget.

The Frenchman featured for 87 minutes and failed to get himself on the scoresheet, but it was his underlying stats which highlighted his lack of impact in Frank’s side.

Minutes played

87

Touches

29

Shots on target

1/2

Big chances missed

1

Dribbles completed

0/2

Duels lost

60%

Possession lost

6x

Fouls committed

2

The 20-year-old registered two shots on goal, only one of which was on target, whilst also missing one big chance – showcasing his wasteful nature when in possession.

He also failed to complete any of the dribbles he attempted, whilst losing 60% of the duels he entered – often being dominated by the side two divisions below the Lilywhites.

Tel could only register a total of 29 touches during his time on the pitch, a total fewer than that of goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky, who registered 35 – further highlighting his lack of positive impact.

To top off his dismal showing, the former Bayern Munich talent was handed a measly 5/10 match rating by Football London’s Alasdair Gold – the lowest of any player who started the encounter.

As a result of his showing, Frank desperately needs to drop the youngster from his starting eleven, with the Dane currently having numerous better alternatives already at his disposal.

The decision to leave Tel out of the Champions League squad now appears somewhat respectable, with the player evidently lacking huge confidence after his summer transfer.

Forget Solanke: Spurs can soon unleash Kane 2.0 in "relentless" 18-year-old

Tottenham Hotspur could have their next Harry Kane on their hands under Thomas Frank.

ByEthan Lamb Sep 24, 2025