Ruben Amorim has admitted to "stealing" piece ideas from his Premier League rivals following Manchester United's 2-1 win at Crystal Palace. Both Joshua Zirkzee and Mason Mount's second-half goals came from Bruno Fernandes' free kicks. The Portuguese manager also suggested his side were able to capitalise on the hosts' tiredness, three days removed from their latest Conference League fixture.
United exploit Palace tiredness with set piece goals
The visit to Selhurst Park looked set to be another frustrating outing for United, as they were outplayed by the Eagles in the opening 45 minutes. Oliver Glasner's side took the lead after Jean-Phillippe Mateta won a penalty when he was felled by compatriot Leny Yoro. The French international eventually converted from the spot, after he was allowed to re-take following an accidental double-touch on his first attempt.
Despite being second best for the majority of the opening hour of the game, Amorim's side were constantly threatening from set pieces. They could have taken the lead in the opening minutes, had it not been for a smart double save by Dean Henderson at the feet of Casemiro following a long throw. The visitors eventually made their dead-ball routines pay dividends in the second half. Captain Fernandes was the provider on both occasions. The equaliser came via Zirkzee's swivelling finish from a tight angle to score his first league goal in over a year. Mount found the winner as he struck home from the edge of the box after Fernandes took a quick touch from a free kick to catch the hosts napping.
In his post-match comments, Amorim admitted he was putting a greater emphasis on set pieces as teams in the Premier League continue to innovate in that phase of play. He also suggested his ability to work with his players on the training paddock without European football is helping, while the opposition struggling to keep pace in the second half due to their European exploits. Palace lost 2-1 away to Strasbourg on Thursday.
Advertisement
'We are stealing a lot of things'
When asked about United's improvement at set pieces, Amorim said: "'We have more time to work. We work a lot and we learn a lot in England. We are stealing a lot of things to score goals."
He added: "We need to understand the opponent was tired in the second half. When you increase the rhythm and the opponent suffers a goal right away a goal, we had control.
“In the last 10 minutes of the first half, I felt the opponent was struggling and they would struggle in the second half. We had that feeling that we needed to do something to change the way we were playing.
“We tried to change little things in the game. But the intensity and the quality in the way we connected, especially Zirkzee, was better and that improves a lot the way we play.”
Set pieces cover up United's lack of creativity
While Amorim is right to herald his team's performance at dead ball situations, the lack of creativity in open play should remain an ongoing concern. United generated 1.25 xG over the course of 90 minutes at Selhurst Park, while the hosts created 1.97xG, according to Opta.
However, just 0.2xG of those chances came from open play for the visitors. Despite Amorim's assertion that his side took control of the game in the second half, you could just as easily argue the Red Devils were lucky to take the lead when looking at the underlying data. Both sides generated 0.26xG after the break, with Zrikzee and Mount's goals coming on chances worth just 0.05xG.
ENJOYED THIS STORY?
Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting
Getty Images Sport
What comes next for United?
The Red Devils will be happy with a battling three points away to a well-drilled Palace side, regardless of how they get their goals. Amorim has bought himself more time over the course of the past few weeks, which could well be a result of the additional time on the training pitch without European competition. Now sitting in 7th in the Premier League table, the goal must be to return to continental competition next term. That endeavour continues when the Red Devils host West Ham at Old Trafford on Thursday.
Chair of selectors George Bailey played down concerns over Cameron Green’s fitness while lauding the form of Marnus Labuschagne early season
Alex Malcolm and Tristan Lavalette18-Oct-20251:14
Mitchell Starc: Smith ‘has been a great sounding board’ for Cummins
There is growing optimism among Australia’s selectors that captain Pat Cummins will “play a major part” in the Ashes but there is still no decision on his availability with less than five weeks to go before the opening day of the series.Chair of selectors George Bailey was also very confident that Cameron Green would be fully fit and available as an allrounder for the first Test after “conservative” management of his side soreness saw him ruled out of the ODI series against India and he also confirmed that Beau Webster was a lock for the first Test squad after equally careful management of his rolled ankle.Related
Cummins says he's 'less likely than likely' to play in the first Ashes Test
Green ruled out of ODI series against India with side soreness, Labuschagne called up
Konstas wins the battle, Boland wins the match for Victoria
There was no update on Cummins’ progression despite coach Andrew McDonald suggesting late last week that a decision would be made on Friday regarding the skipper’s fitness for the first Test. Cummins then spoke on Monday and said he was “less likely than likely” to be fit for Perth and would need a minimum of four weeks of bowling to be ready.Bailey had no further information on whether Cummins had started bowling, but suggested there were positive signs in his training progression over the past week.”I actually have no further update on that from when I think the last time Pat spoke,” Bailey told reporters in Perth on Saturday. “It’s progressing. He’s building up. He’s optimistic about it. I think actually the more he’s done over the last few days, the more optimistic he’s become but I categorically don’t know if he’s bowled a ball.”We know time is getting short and there’s permutations around that, not just around the back, but other factors as well. It’s positive. [We’re] really confident that he’s going to play a major part. Hopefully it’s the first Test. If not, then we’ll pick it up.”Bailey confirmed that Steven Smith would captain Australia if Cummins were to be unavailable. Smith has arrived in Sydney from his home in New York and is set to play the next two Sheffield Shield games for New South Wales after missing the opening two rounds.Bailey added he would catch up with Smith when Australia’s ODI squad reaches Sydney on Friday but noted that discussions on the batting positions of Smith and Green in the Test XI would be had at a later date.Cameron Green remains on track to play two more rounds of Sheffield Shield cricket•Getty ImagesAllrounder questionsGreen’s withdrawal from the ODI squad after experiencing side soreness raised concerns, but Bailey said that scans had cleared him of injury and played down any worries about his availability to play as an allrounder in the first Test.”It is minor and it’s conservative, and I think this decision probably ensures that we do have enough time to make sure,” Bailey said. “We put so much time and energy into building out the plan for him to be available for the first Test as an allrounder. So for the sake of, he was only going to play the first two ODIs anyway, the way he swings the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, even if it just sets him back for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to approach this more conservatively.He’ll keep his plan of playing Shield [round] three and Shield four. I’m not across what overs there will be in that, but the plan will remain, and that should provide pretty good time that he’d in a good place to be ready to bowl.”Green’s minor injury aside, his return to bowling and the form of Marnus Labuschagne and Jake Weatherald had led to public conversation about whether Webster could be squeezed out of Australia’s XI for the Ashes.Webster has missed Tasmania’s opening two Shield matches due to a rolled ankle, although he wanted to play in the second game against Western Australia. He was urged not to by Bailey who gave the strongest endorsement yet that Webster would be a key part of Australia’s Ashes plans.”Last time he rolled his ankle, I think about five weeks later, he had a bit of a soft tissue injury,” Bailey said. “[We] just sort of [took] Beau through the journey of let’s work back from Sydney, rather than up to Perth. For the sake of one extra week, get it right, launch yourself into into Shield three.”I think [his] allround package has been really important. He’ll be in Perth. Everyone can relax.”Marnus Labuschagne is primed for a recall but debates over the batting order will continue•Getty ImagesSigns positive for LabuschagneBailey stopped short of guaranteeing Labuschagne’s return to the Test side but he had seen both his Shield centuries in person this summer and was impressed by what he watched.”I thought out of everything that he’s played, I really liked the innings in Adelaide,” Bailey said. “I liked the intent, I liked the movement, liked the way he built the partnerships. It’s a nice bowling attack South Australia have got, so he’s batting nicely. We know he’s a quality player. We know there’s a hell of a lot of class there.”To see him putting the runs up that has been really pleasing. And long may it continue.”Bailey noted Weatherald’s match-winning innings of 94 on a difficult surface in Hobart as another sign of his quality. He also thought there were positive signs in Sam Konstas’ 53 against Victoria on a tricky pitch at Junction Oval and added that the intense scrutiny on his domestic returns were “probably not helpful” given he’s in a “learning” phase of his career.Bailey also confirmed that Australia’s squad for the last three matches of the T20I series against India was still being finalised but there was a strong possibility that Travis Head, Josh Hazlewood and Sean Abbott will all be released to play in the fourth Shield round.Josh Inglis looks set to miss the entire ODI series against India after suffering a setback with his calf injury eight days ago as he ramped up his running but there is confidence he will be fit for the entire T20I series. There are no plans at this stage to send him to play Shield cricket despite being in the Ashes frame as a reserve batter and reserve wicketkeeper.The squad for the first Test will be named in early November after the conclusion of the third round of Shield matches.
It’s one step forward and two steps back for Newcastle United, who were defeated on the road in the Champions League against Marseille, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang at the double.
Eddie Howe’s side responded with vim and vigour after the international break to beat Manchester City at St. James’ Park, but this served as a sobering reminder that there is much work to be done away from Tyneside, with the Toon having won only one game away from home all season.
Harvey Barnes’ fine form continued as he swept home from close range only minutes into the affair, but United failed to channel their counter-attacking approach and were ultimately overwhelmed by the French hosts.
It was a frustrating performance, epitomised by the woes of Nick Pope between the sticks.
Why Howe must consider dropping Nick Pope
Pope joined Newcastle from Burnley for about £10m in 2022, and he has since. This season, he has started all 12 of the Magpies’ Premier League fixtures, though he has failed to keep a clean sheet across five successive matches.
There have been tenuous calls to drop the 33-year-old all year, but these are rising in volume and intensity, and the veteran’s mistake in France will only fan those flames, with United losing clarity and conviction in their performance after the gaffe.
Given that Aaron Ramsdale is patiently waiting in the wings, having been signed on loan this summer, there’s justification for dropping Pope going forward, it may be that Howe needs to drop his mainstay between the sticks and start to rewire his defence, as has already started through the likes of Malick Thiaw and full-backs Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento.
Newcastle still have three wins from five in the Champions League this season, and may yet find the form to seal a place in the automatically-qualifying top eight.
But Howe does need to continue to chop and change, and Pope isn’t the only one whose starting berth is at risk.
Newcastle star is now relegated to the bench
At the end of the 2023/24 campaign, Anthony Gordon was awarded Newcastle’s Player of the Year. But last year was a testing one for the England international, in contrast with United’s resurgence, and he has fallen further into the mire since the summer.
Against Marseille, Gordon’s woes continued as he proved utterly ineffectual in a makeshift centre-forward role.
Writer Firdie Idris remarked that the decision to field Gordon, a pacy left winger, as a central striker “never works”, and his display against Marseille only corroborated that claim.
In his central berth, Gordon only created one chance and hit the target with only one shot. He didn’t even attempt a dribble and won only one of five duels, as per Sofascore. He also completed just 14 passes as an isolated figure in Howe’s offensive line.
Penning their post-match thoughts, The Shields Gazette could only hand the Three Lions star a 4/10 match rating, criticising him for being on the back foot throughout the contest.
Anthony Gordon for Newcastle (25/26)
Match Stats (* per game)
PL
UCL
Matches (starts)
7 (7)
5 (5)
Goals
0
4
Assists
0
1
Touches*
35.4
39.2
Shots (on target)*
2.0 (0.7)
2.2 (1.0)
Accurate passes*
14.7 (80%)
16.4 (77%)
Chances created*
1.0
0.4
Dribbles*
1.4
1.4
Ball recoveries*
2.6
3.2
Tackles + interceptions*
0.7
1.4
Duels (won)*
4.7 (49%)
4.0 (41%)
Data via Sofascore
Truthfully, Gordon has been out of sorts all season. Prolific on the continent, he has yet to kindle any semblance of good form on the domestic front, and this was not a display to imbue within him a kind of confidence that will be needed ahead of Premier League clashes against Everton and Tottenham Hotspur.
Given that Gordon is one of Newcastle’s most profitable players, there’s reasoning behind the call to cash in down the line. Certainly, given the need for further investment over the coming transfer windows, it’s something PIF might consider as Barnes continues to go from strength to strength.
In any case, Gordon needs to raise his level. He is one of the outfit’s most talented players and is horribly underperforming. Like Pope, Howe would be wise to drop him for the forthcoming fixtures and rekindle his will to win.
PIF can fund Anderson move by selling Newcastle star who's a "nightmare"
Newcastle are proving themselves to be a team in transition this season.
Patrice Evra has revealed the astonishing extent of his painkiller dependency during his playing days, admitting he took up to 38 pills every single day at the peak of his career. The Manchester United legend opened up about years of masking pain, rarely feeling fully fit, and now wants to warn the next generation after investing in an all-natural alternative.
Evra reveals painkiller issues as he promotes all-natural supplements
Evra has lifted the lid on the extraordinary level of pain management he endured during his professional career, detailing a regime that at one stage involved taking 38 pills per day. The former Manchester United and France left-back admitted that the constant physical strain of elite football left him relying heavily on painkillers to get through matches, even though he felt truly 100 per cent fit only a handful of times. His revelation came as he announced his new role as an investor and ambassador for KURK, a natural anti-inflammatory supplement he believes could help younger players avoid the same cycle.
Evra explained that the wear and tear of nearly two decades at the top level left him feeling he had little choice but to keep playing through injury. He described painkillers as a routine part of the job, something he turned to even when struggling physically, because the demands of elite football did not allow him time to rest properly. His move into promoting natural pain management methods reflects his desire to advocate for healthier long-term solutions after seeing the negative effects of medication overuse within the sport.
The 44-year-old retired defender now views his post-football health as a priority and hopes his admission will highlight an issue affecting many professionals. His comments follow growing concern within the game after several players have spoken publicly about painkiller addiction, dependency and long-term side effects.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportManchester Untied legend reveals he took 38 pills per day during career
“I was taking 38 pills per day,” Evra shared as he announced his personal investment in KURK, as well as his endorsement as a brand ambassador. “I maybe played more than 700 professional games, and when people ask, ‘How many games did you play where you felt 100 per cent fit?’ I would probably say maybe five. Throughout my career, I was constantly reaching for painkillers – it was part of the job.”
“At that level, sometimes even if you're injured, you don't have a choice but to play. And what's the easy solution? Taking painkillers.” Since retirement, Evra went on to admit, the former defender shared that he believes his biggest investment is “investing in his body”.
Painkillers and their never-ending grip on the footballing world
Several former players have warned about the risks of heavy painkiller use in professional sport, with Evra’s testimony echoing many of their experiences. Former Liverpool goalkeeper Chris Kirkland has also spoken publicly about his own addiction to Tramadol, a substance now banned by WADA after being widely used in football for years. Meanwhile, former Premier League striker Ivan Klasnic successfully sued a previous club for repeatedly prescribing him painkillers despite his kidney issues, winning a £4 million payout. Former Liverpool star Daniel Agger also recently revealed that he suffers from chronic back pain after ignoring his back injury and resorting to painkillers.
Evra’s move into promoting natural anti-inflammatory alternatives comes after a long career built on remarkable consistency and availability. Despite playing more than 725 club matches, his injury record was relatively clear of major long-term layoffs, but this durability evidently came at a high hidden cost.
ENJOYED THIS STORY?
Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting
Getty ImagesEvra's mission to educate about painkiller addictions
Evra now sees his mission as educating the next generation of footballers about long-term health, aiming to ensure they avoid the same dependence he fell into during his peak years. As he continues to champion natural recovery methods, he is expected to take on an increasingly prominent ambassadorial role in conversations about player welfare. With more former professionals speaking out, the pressure may increase on clubs and governing bodies to reform pain management practices in elite football.
KURK co-founder Trent Scanlen welcomed Evra’s involvement, saying: “The benefit of Evra’s involvement was that he had ‘lived the physical toll of elite sport’. So when he says KURK works, it carries real weight. His passion for wellbeing and performance makes him the perfect partner to help us bring KURK to the world.”
The India head coach said a decision on Rodrigues’ inclusion in the XI against New Zealand will be taken on match day
Sruthi Ravindranath22-Oct-20254:19
Preview: ‘Wounded’ India favourites against New Zealand?
India head coach Amol Muzumdar has said leaving Jemimah Rodrigues out of the World Cup clash against England on Sunday was “one of the toughest decisions” the team has had to make, and one dictated purely by combination and conditions.”To be fair, Jemi [Rodrigues] has been a very important player, an integral part of this side we have built,” Muzumdar said. “Sometimes you just have to take those tough calls. That game, particularly against England, required the sixth bowling option, given the ground of Indore and the [high-scoring] conditions over there, we thought six bowling options would be a better call on that particular day and for that particular match.”Rodrigues, who has managed just 65 runs from four innings this tournament, including two ducks, made way for seamer Renuka Singh in the weekend.”It was a tough call, there is no doubt about it,” Muzumdar said. “One of the toughest decisions, but sometimes tough calls do need to be taken. She took it really nicely and very sportingly.”Related
Rosemary Mair is fast, relentless, and coming for your stumps
Jemimah Rodrigues is at 80%. The last 20 is nearly here
The biggest hurdle for India at the Women's World Cup
CK Nayudu's kit bag, Syed Mushtaq Ali's letter
New Zealand in must-win territory with rain in the Navi Mumbai air
Ahead of India’s crucial clash against New Zealand, Rodrigues had an extended net session, closely working on her drives, though Muzumdar said the decision to bring her back into the XI will be taken only on match day.India have now lost three consecutive matches, to South Africa, Australia, and England, all after getting into promising positions. Muzumdar conceded that the pressure of playing a home World Cup is being felt, but backed the squad, including young pacer Kranti Gaud, who’s gone for runs in her second spell in all three games, to bounce back.”I think a home World Cup, of course, there has to be some kind of pressure. But this side, this particular side is well-equipped to handle that. We’ve built a side around it and I think all the players are well-equipped to handle pressure.5:13
‘Fans need to temper expectations with India’
“[Gaud] had not much of experience in international cricket, but that’s the stage we are in. She’s been the spearhead of the fast bowlers in the team. And we’ve had several discussions, we’ve not left any stone unturned with regards to discussion and taking the load off her.”While six Indian batters have crossed fifty in the tournament so far, none has reached three-figures, something Muzumdar said the team is actively trying to address. Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur had laid the platform in the England game with a 125-run stand but were dismissed for 88 and 70 respectively.”We are well aware that a three-figure mark hasn’t come this World Cup. But if you look at the past year-and-a-half, the 18 months that have passed before the World Cup, we’ve had definitely a lot of hundreds that we’ve seen than ever before. I don’t think there is a lot of load on anyone. But we’ve had honest discussions about it. And the players also have been honest that, ‘Yes, instead of a fifty, we could have converted that into a hundred’. They are aware of it. And I’m hopeful that it will come in the next couple of games.”Muzumdar also said there was no burden on either Harmanpreet as captain or on Richa Ghosh to finish games single-handedly.”As a batting group, we’ve discussed we need to get into a certain stage where we can have that, that kind of a liberty for Richa to go out there and play her shots.”
Being a home plate umpire at the major league level isn't the easiest job in the world and mistakes are often made thanks partly to pitchers throwing really nasty stuff these days and, well, the element of human error.
The latter of that was on display during Wednesday's Diamondacks-Rangers game in Arlington when Derek Thomas messed up something that should be easy for home plate umpires to keep track of—the count.
Arizona's Adrian Del Castillo was up in the fifth inning with two runners on. Thomas then rang him up on a called strike, only to quickly realize that was just the second strike of Del Castillo's at-bat. Thomas quickly corrected himself and let everyone know that it wasn't a strikeout.
The announcers had a good laugh over this:
Del Castillo lined the next pitch to right field for a hit and then Thomas redeemed himself by making an easy call at home plate as Ketel Martel was thrown out trying to score.
Still, you have to think Thomas might hear a thing or two from his umpiring buddies over that glaring mistake on what was strike two.
O volante André teve diagnosticada uma lesão do ligamento colateral medial do joelho direito, após realização de exame de imagem, segundo informado pelo Fluminense na tarde desta sexta-feira (26).
continua após a publicidade
➡️ Tudo sobre o Tricolor agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Fluminense
➡️ Ambos marcam! Com R$100 no Lance! Betting, você pode garantir R$194 se Corinthians e Fluminense balançarem as redes!
O ligamento cruzado anterior está preservado, assim como o menisco. O atleta iniciará seu tratamento no Centro de Treinamento Carlos Castilho (CTCC).
A contusão de André é idêntica à que o atacante Tiquinho Soares, do Botafogo, sofreu na temporada 2023. Na ocasião, o centroavante ficou pouco mais de um mês em recuperação. O Tricolor Carioca, porém, não divulgou o grau da lesão do volante.
continua após a publicidade
A lesão de André aconteceu durante empate do Fluminense contra o Cerro Porteño, na quinta-feira (25), pela Libertadores. O jogador deixou o Paraguai na madrugada desta sexta, de forma antecipada, para retornar ao Brasil, realizar exames de imagem e iniciar o tratamento. O restante do elenco embarcou para São Paulo nesta tarde.
Sem André, o Fluminense enfrenta o Corinthians no domingo (28), pelo Brasileirão. A partida acontece na Ne Química Arena, às 16h.
تقدم الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي كهرباء الإسماعيلية، بالهدف الأول أمام منافسه بيراميدز في بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز، قبل أن يتعادل السماوي عن طريق مدافعه علي جبر.
وتقام المباراة بين بيراميدز وكهرباء الإسماعيلية، الآن، على ملعب استاد الإسماعيلية، في المواجهة المؤجلة من الجولة الثامنة من الدوري المصري.
طالع|خاص | إيقاف قيد الزمالك للمرة السادسة
وتقدم كهرباء الإسماعيلية بالهدف بعد عرضية من الجهة اليمنى داخل منطقة الجزاء حولها أوناجم برأسية قوية على يمين الحارس داخل الشباك في الدقيقة 56.
وفي الدقيقة 65 جاء هدف التعادل لبيراميدز بعد عرضية داخل منطقة الجزاء، حولها علي جبر برأسية قوية استقرت داخل الشباك.
ويدخل بيراميدز مباراة اليوم وهو يحتل المركز الثاني في جدول ترتيب الدوري المصري، ولديه 23 نقطة بعد الفوز بـ7 لقاءات والتعادل بمباراتين وتلقى هزيمة وحيدة.
أما فريق كهرباء الإسماعيلية يحتل المركز الـ21 والأخير في جدول الدوري ومعه 8 نقاط من الفوز بمباراتين والتعادل مرتين وتلقى 9 هزائم. أهداف مباراة بيراميدز وكهرباء الاسماعيلية في الدوري المصري
Cal Raleigh is re-writing the record books once again—this time for the Mariners.
Raleigh hit his 57th home run of the season off Astros pitcher Framber Valdez on Saturday, and now passes Mariners legend Ken Griffey Jr. for the franchise's single-season home run record.
Griffey Jr., a Hall of Famer and 13-time All-Star that played for Seattle from 1989-99 and 2009-10, hit 56 home runs in a season for the Mariners in both 1997 and 1998. Now, Raleigh has passed that mark and his 57 long balls are tied for the 17th-most in a single season by any player in MLB history.
Earlier this week, Raleigh tied Griffey Jr.'s record and also broke Mickey Mantle's record for the most home runs in a single season by a switch-hitter. Mantle hit 54 home runs in 1961 to set the record, and over 60 years later, Raleigh has broken that mark and become the second switch-hitter to surpass 50 home runs in a season.
Along with these records, Raleigh previously broke Salvador Perez's record for most home runs in a season by a catcher. Perez hit 48 home runs in 2021, and Raleigh surpassed that nearly a month ago.
And how rare is it for a batter to be dismissed for 99 and 0 as Harry Brook was?
Steven Lynch01-Jul-2025India lost the first Test against England despite having five individual centurions. Has this ever happened before? asked Krishna Saha from Bangladesh, and many others India’s feat of losing the first Test against England at Headingley last week is not only unique in Test cricket, it has never happened before in more than 63,000 matches in all first-class cricket.There was only one previous case of a team scoring four centuries in a Test but losing. This was by Australia in a timeless match against England in Melbourne in 1928-29. That included 112 from Don Bradman, his maiden century, in his second Test.There have been 11 further instances of a team scoring three individual hundreds in a Test but losing.Rishabh Pant scored two centuries in the first Test in England. How many wicketkeepers have done this in Tests? asked Mark McKenzie from Scotland That stunning double of 134 and 118 by Rishabh Pant in the first Test against England at Headingley last week was only the second time anyone has scored twin centuries in a Test match in which he was also the designated wicketkeeper.The other one was Zimbabwe’s Andy Flower, with 142 and 199 not out against South Africa in Harare in 2001.Pant was the seventh man to score two centuries in a Test for India (Sunil Gavaskar achieved the feat three times, and Rahul Dravid twice), but the first to do it against England. The only other player to score two centuries in a Test at Headingley was Shai Hope of West Indies in 2017. Jonny Bairstow (against India at Edgbaston in 2022) and Kumar Sangakkara (twice) also achieved the feat, but not in matches in which they kept wicket.Harry Brook scored 99 and 0 in the first Test. How rare is this? asked Orlando Coelho from India The England batter Harry Brook followed up his 99 in the first innings at Headingley last week with a first-ball duck in the second. He’s only the fifth man to be out for 99 and 0 in the same Test, following Pankaj Roy (India against Australia in Delhi in 1959), Mushtaq Mohammad (Pakistan vs England in Karachi in 1973), Misbah-ul-Haq (Pakistan vs West Indies in Bridgetown in 2017) and Babar Azam (Pakistan vs Australia in Abu Dhabi in 2018).Two other men have made 0 and 99 not out in the same Test: Geoffrey Boycott for England against Australia in Perth in 1979, and Andrew Hall for South Africa vs England at Headingley in 2003.Only four other batters before Harry Brook have been dismissed for 99 and 0 in the same Test•Getty ImagesIndia’s first-innings 471 at Headingley included three individual centurions. Was this the lowest total to include three hundreds (and three ducks!)? asked Sandeep Koparde from India You’re right that India’s 471 at Headingley last week was the lowest completed Test innings to contain three individual centuries. The previous mark was South Africa’s 475 against England in Centurion in 2016 (Stephen Cook 115 on debut, Hashim Amla 109 and Quinton de Kock 129 not out). Australia’s 494 all out against England at Headingley in 1926 also contained three individual centuries, as did West Indies’ 497 against India in Kolkata late in 2002.Leaving aside the all-out stipulation, the lowest Test total to include three hundreds is South Africa’s 393 for 3 declared against England at Lord’s in 2008.The highest Test total to include three dismissals for ducks is Afghanistan’s 699 against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo in 2024. There were also three individual centuries (two of them over 200).I heard that Dilip Doshi once had figures of 8-7-1-1 in a one-day game in England but was dropped for the next match. Is this correct? asked Rahman Ashwini from India Remarkably, it is true. Dilip Doshi, the left-arm spinner who sadly died last week aged 77, was playing for Nottinghamshire in 1977. He conceded only a single in his eight overs as Northamptonshire were skittled for 43 in their Sunday League game at Wantage Road in June.Their next match in the competition was against Kent at Canterbury a fortnight later. Doshi recounted in his entertaining autobiography Spin Punch: “I changed at around 12.30 for the two o’clock start, but was informed ‘Thank you, but Kenny Watson is playing in this one.’ I was aghast. After all, I had won them the last match. Kent players such as Derek Underwood could hardly believe this.”The explanation seems to be that Nottinghamshire had three overseas players on their books – Doshi, the South African allrounder Clive Rice, and Watson, another seamer from South Africa – and only two could play in any game. According to Doshi, “Rice felt there was no place for the slow bowler in limited-overs cricket, and he sold this idea to the cricket committee.”Doshi was a late starter in Test cricket, mainly because the left-arm spinner role in the Indian team was held down for many years by Bishan Singh Bedi. Doshi finally got a chance in 1979-80, when he was nearly 32. He still finished with 114 Test wickets: at the time he was only the second bowler (after Australia’s Clarrie Grimmett) to make it to 100 after making his debut when over 30. They have since been joined by Saeed Ajmal (Pakistan), Ryan Harris (Australia), Mohammad Rafique (Bangladesh) and Bruce Yardley (Australia).Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions