The full fixture lists for South Africa’s and West Indies’ tours of England next summer have been confirmed by the ECB, with ten different counties hosting tour matches in the course of the season

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Sep-2016The full fixture lists for South Africa’s and West Indies’ tours of England next summer have been confirmed by the ECB, with ten different counties hosting tour matches in the course of the season, as well as an expanded programme of matches for England Lions in both red- and white-ball cricket.Sussex and Northamptonshire will each host South Africa in one-day warm-up games ahead of the three-match ODI series in May, with Leicestershire scheduled to host a T20 tour match if South Africa fail to reach the final of the Champions Trophy in June.South Africa’s preparations for their four-match Test series will include a three-day game against England Lions at Worcester, while the Lions are also due to take on South Africa A in three one-day games, one at Trent Bridge and two at Northampton, before a four-day unofficial Test at Canterbury.South Africa A’s month-long tour will also include a four-day game at Arundel – a ground with a long tradition of hosting international sides.Later in the season, Essex, Kent and Derbyshire will each stage three-day tour matches against West Indies as part of the tourists’ build-up to their three-match Test series. Leicestershire will also host the tourists in a two-day tour match, if they are not involved in the NatWest Blast T20 Finals’ Day.Tom Harrison, the ECB’s chief executive, said: “We’re very pleased to have agreed such a comprehensive touring programme for 2017 – a schedule which will provide fans with even more opportunities to see two international teams in action at county grounds; and help our Lions players test themselves against high quality opposition in both red and white-ball cricket.”With this country also hosting the ICC Champions Trophy and the ICC Women’s World Cup next season, 2017 promises to be a hugely exciting summer of cricket – and a strong platform to promote our sport to an even wider and more diverse audience.”

Chelsea remain interested in signing Inter Milan goalkeeper Andre Onana during the summer transfer window, according to a fresh claim.

Do Chelsea want to sign a new goalkeeper?

There have been various issues at Stamford Bridge throughout this season, with so many players underperforming, not to mention three different managers being in charge. While a lack of attacking spark has been a major problem, defensive midfield additions are wanted, with personal terms agreed with target Manuel Ugarte, and an upgrade is also wanted in goal in the summer window.

Onana is a player who has been linked with a move to west London numerous times in recent months, as he continues to thrive for an Inter side who are preparing to face Manchester City in the Champions League final later this month. The £67,000-a-week 'keeper has started 24 Serie A games this season, as well as 12 in Europe, with four Man of the Match awards coming his way from WhoScored.

Could Onana join Chelsea this summer?

According to Calciomercato [via Sport Witness], Onana could join Chelsea this summer, with Inter happy for him to move on at the end of the season. The Italian giants are "aware of the fact" that the Blues are keen on acquiring his signature, with a "very high offer" potentially arriving in a "few weeks".

The 34-cap Cameroon international could be exactly what the Blues are looking for this summer, having performed at such a high level for an extended period now. He was part of the Ajax team that came so agonisingly close to reaching the Champions League final back in 2019, but at 27, he has now matured into a more formidable all-round stopper.

Onana, sponsored, by Adidas, was hailed as "excellent' by fellow 'keeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic during the 2022 World Cup, where he made one appearance for Cameroon, and he is someone who could provide more stability between the sticks at Chelsea, giving more confidence to the defence and ensuring that the Blues go up a gear under Mauricio Pochettino.

Without a top-quality goalkeeper, it is hard for any team to enjoy success – Petr Cech was so instrumental when he joined the Blues, for example – and Onana could immediately make the west Londoners more of a force, simply by being a more consistent performer than Kepa Arrizabalaga and Mendy.

Andrew Gale, Yorkshire’s captain for their back-to-back Championship victories in 2014 and 2015, is the county’s new Ist XI coach – but director of cricket Martyn Moxon says it is not a return to the insular days of old

David Hopps14-Nov-2016Yorkshire’s director of cricket, Martyn Moxon, has vowed there will be no retreat to the insular ways of old after the county responded to the loss of Australian coach Jason Gillespie by promoting Andrew Gale from the ranks.Such assurances were conveyed to the first-team staff minutes before the official Headingley unveiling of Gale, who as Yorkshire’s 1st XI captain was one of the key figures in a renaissance which has brought two Championships in three years and supplied England with a steady stream of players. His opening words? “I bet this surprised you.”Gale has been an inspirational and respected figure as Yorkshire’s captain. His pride in the county has been unstinting, his sense of unity strong, his expectations expressed in straightforward terms that translated easily both within the squad and across the Broad Acres. His worth goes far beyond a playing-record of 8217 runs at 36.03. “I didn’t expect the opportunity to come as early as it has, but it is one that is too good to turn down,” he said.Nevertheless, Yorkshire’s history of self-sufficiency automatically invites the suspicion that they are sometimes overly tempted to trust their own judgment – it would certainly be in keeping with the political mood sweeping across the Western world – but Moxon has a broad outlook on such things and he welcomed the chance to scotch such a notion when he spoke to the players, many of whom had anticipated a high-profile appointment.”We are not seeing this as an insular appointment, absolutely not,” Moxon said. “I have mentioned that with the players. We don’t want to see this as ‘we know best’ and that we have been successful over the past five years so if we just keep doing what we are doing we will be fine. We know we need an open mind, we need to be looking at new ways of doing things and we need to keep moving forward.”Gale’s appointment was announced on the day of the Super Moon – the largest moon since 1948. Many astrologers contend that this is an omen, although they seem divided whether it is a sign of imminent prosperity or apocalypse.He immediately showed a willingness to question Yorkshire lore by advocating a root-and-branch examination, from junior cricket upwards, to address the county’s shortcomings in T20 cricket, an area to which Gillespie was unable to find a solution.”I think we could be a bit more dynamic in the way we play our one-day cricket,” he said. “At times we are a little bit one-dimensional. I don’t think we work hard enough on our skills in white-ball cricket and I also think we need to be a bit more fearless.”We are very traditional here in Yorkshire. The first thing you would teach a lad at 14-years-old is how to play a forward defence. You can make a career out of playing a scoop now. We need to change the mindset from top to bottom, right down to U-14s, U-15s. I know having played in the second team that there are other lads around the country who are a lot more skilful than our second team in the white-ball formats. Red ball is different – the lads know what they have to do – but from a white-ball perspective we are behind with our development.”There will be unworthy suspicions, too, that the choice of Gale, who has agreed a three-year contract, represents a cost-cutting measure only a week after Yorkshire, £22m in debt, protested that potential delays in the redevelopment of Headingley could seriously jeopardise their international future. “It’s nothing to do with the finances,” Moxon said, before adding light-heartedly, “Anyway, he might be on more money than Dizzy.”Gale has retired immediately, at 32, after first indicating at the end of the season that he wanted to prolong his career only to be persuaded by Moxon that the time was ripe. Michael Vaughan, the former England captain and a member of Yorkshire’s board, was another person who Gale used as a sounding board.He has immediate challenges, not least the choice of a successor for his own role as captain. Alex Lees holds the role in both limited-overs formats, but Gary Ballance is also an influential figure in a strong-willed dressing room and, if indications are that his England career is losing impetus, he is bound to receive serious considerationAn overseas player is also a priority. “It depends on what happens with England and we have one eye on that at the moment,” Moxon said. “But we are in the market for a top-order overseas batsman, I can say that for sure.”The appointment of Gale is a pragmatic response by Moxon, who was solely in charge of recruitment, after high-profile targets such as Paul Farbrace, the England assistant coach, and Richard Dawson, head coach at Gloucestershire – both former heads of the Yorkshire academy resisted overtures.There was even talk of Andy Flower, the former England coach, who is now in charge of England Lions, and Brad Hodge, the former Australian batsman who is making a name for himself as a T20 coach as assistant coach to Gillespie at Adelaide Strikers and with Gujarat Lions in IPL, also had his advocates.”Of course we were looking around and I’m sure you would expect me to do that,” Moxon said. “But when I appointed people like Dizzy or Farby it felt right. That is the biggest thing about this appointment: it feels right.Yorkshire’s 1st XI is an experienced group, especially among the bowlers, which has persuaded Moxon that continuity matters. “It’s important we keep that continuity and protect the environment that we’ve created, one that has been successful for us.”The qualities are the togetherness we have had in the group, the strong leadership we have had, everyone knowing their role, everyone enjoying each other’s success and an honesty within the whole group. It has been a true team on and off the field”What took up most of my thoughts was running the first team in the short term. It was clear to me he was the best man to do that. It was the least disruptive option. We want to avoid chopping and changing particularly when at a crucial period when the transition of the team is taken place.”Gale’s immediate conclusion when Gillespie confirmed that he would be returning full-time to Australia had been that the vacancy had come too soon for him. But he will take his Level 4 coaching exams as soon as possible – he is already Level 3 – and his involvement in coaching is already substantial.Jason Gillespie and Andrew Gale combined successfully as coach and captain•PA Photos

He is the joint owner of the Pro Coach Cricket Academy, which is based next to Yorkshire’s own academy at Headingley and which delivers a wide range of coaching clinics across the county for children and adults of all abilities – sometimes in alliance with Yorkshire. Yorkshire are expected to examine how that relationship exists to safeguard Gale from suggestions of any conflict of interests.”Initially we don’t need him to be a top-level coach,” Moxon said. “We need him to be a leader and a manager of men. He can do that. He will grow into the coaching side of things over the next couple of years. He is highly qualified in the way that he has led the team as captain over the past seven years and has expertise that we didn’t want to lose at the club.”Gale had admitted to Moxon and Gillespie in mid-season that he was not enjoying his cricket and was contemplating retirement. He had been disappointed to lose not just the captaincy, but only to make fleeting appearances in Yorkshire’s limited-overs side. His batting had become scratchy and his fielding was showing of signs of wear and tear. In September, he stared down an average of 21 in the Championship and resolved to carry on, but a coaching career was inevitable. It was just a matter of when and where.As potential coaches were openly discussed around the county, Gale was under no lllusions that his Yorkshire career was drawing to a close. He remained under contract, but he had averaging only 21 in first-class cricket in 2016 and Alex Lees had replaced him as Yorkshire’s captain in both limited-overs formats. His batting had become increasingly scratchy and his fielding was showing premature signs of age.”When I drove into Headingley a fortnight or so ago, as a player, I had the feeling of ‘here we go again'” he said. “Now I have driven here today with a real sense of excitement.”Obviously, I have experience at grassroots running my own coaching company, and I have worked with young batters as a senior player about how they can improve their game, but I know senior coaching is different. I am willing to learn on the job and I need to learn quickly.”Gale is too grounded to be overly concerned by the fact that he was not Yorkshire’s first choice. Most people are second choice to somebody, theoretically anyway. In fact, as club captain, he could hardly be unaware of the dead ends that Moxon came up against as he tried to find a replacement for Gillespie. But he also knows that when the applications came in, he was rapidly preferred.”I’m under no illusion that the club would have preferred an international coach, but Martyn’s philosophy was that if they couldn’t get that then they didn’t want too much change,” he said. “I know the players inside out so that transition should be easier than somebody we could have ended up taking a punt on: we could have ended up putting fires out in the middle of the season. The state that the club is in at the moment it just needs to continue the good work we have done.”Obviously, you are going to be more distant from the players. You are making judgments on their place in the team, and on their careers, but the relationship will naturally get further apart, but I know what makes the players tick and how to get the best out of them. Whether I’m captain or coach, that’s going to be the key in the short-term for this role.” I’ve never been frightened to make those decisions as a captain anyway. I guess there might be a few tough words but that’s part and parcel of the job.”

How to watch Barcelona against Betis in La Liga in the US as well as the kick-off time and team news.

Runaway La Liga leaders Barcelona are set to host top-four contenders Real Betis at Camp Nou on Saturday.

💻 Watch Barcelona vs Real Betis live on ESPN+ today!

Xavi's side suffered a 2-1 defeat at Rayo Vallecano last Thursday and recorded goalless draws against Girona and Getafe which sandwiched the 1-0 win over Atletico Madrid. Nevertheless, it was enough for the Blaugrana to maintain a healthy lead over Real Madrid in second.

Whereas sixth-placed Real Betis, who come into the match on the back of a five-game winless run after a goalless draw against Real Sociedad, are currently nine points behind fourth-placed Real Sociedad but have a game, with fifth-placed Villarreal just a point above.

GOAL brings you details on how to watch the game on TV in the US as well as how to stream it live online.

(C)Getty ImagesKick-off timeGame:Barcelona vs Real BetisDate:April 29, 2023Kick-off:3pm EDTVenue:Camp Nou

The Primera Division game between Barcelona and Real Betis is scheduled for April 29, 2023, at Camp Nou in Barcelona, Spain.

It will kick off at 3pm EDT in the USA.

Advertisement(C)Getty ImagesHow to watch Barcelona vs Real Betis online – TV channels & live streamsTV channels & streaming options

Country TV channel Live stream

U.S.ESPN DeportesESPN+, Fubo, DirecTV Stream

In the United States (USA), the game can be watched live on ESPN+, ESPN Deportes (Spanish-language), Fubo and DirecTV Stream.

Getty ImagesTeam news & squadsBarcelona team news

Ousmane Dembele and Andreas Christensen are named in the squad for this one, though they may start on the bench.

Sergio Busquets is back from suspension, while Sergi Roberto is out with a hamstring issue.

Busquets' return in the middle calls for Gavi to start up front, as Pedri is also fit to start alongside Frenkie de Jong.

With Jordi Alba at left-back, Alejandro Balde would need to switch to right-back.

Barcelona possible XI: Ter Stegen; Balde, Kounde, Araujo, Alba; De Jong, Busquets, Pedri; Raphinha, Lewandowski, Gavi

Position Players

GoalkeepersTer Stegen, Pena, TenasDefendersAraujo, Kounde, Christense, Bale, Alba, Alonso, GarciaMidfieldersBusquets, Pedri, De Jong, Gavi, Kessie, TorreForwardsLewandowski, Dembele, Raphinha, Torres, Ansu Fati, YamalReal Betis team news

Victor Ruiz, Juanmi, Youssouf Sabaly and Nabil Fekir all set to be unavailable, and Betis boss Manuel Pellegrini is expected to restore Luiz Henrique and Borja Iglesias back into the XI for the Barca trip.

The changes in the XI could bring about some alterations in the positions as well, with William Carvalho dropping deeper in midfield and Ayoze Perez moving on to the right flank to allow Iglesias to push through the middle.

Real Betis possible XI: Silva; Ruibal, Felipe, Pezzella, Miranda; Rodriguez, Carvalho; Perez, Canales, Henrique; Iglesias

Position Players

GoalkeepersSilva, Martin, BravoDefendersLuiz Felipe, Gonzalez, Pezzella, Abner, Miranda, Ruibal, MontoyaMidfieldersRodriguez, Carvalho, Akouokou, Guardado, Canales, Sanchez, Juan Cruz, JoaquinForwardsPerez, Iglesias, Jose, HenriqueHead-to-head record

Date Result Competition

February 2, 2023Real Betis 1-2 BarcelonaLa LigaJanuary 13, 2023Real Betis 2-2 (P) BarcelonaSpanish Super CupMay 8, 2022Real Betis 1-2 BarcelonaLa LigaDecember 4, 2021Barcelona 1-0 Real BetisLa LigaFebruary 8, 2021Real Betis 2-3 BarcelonaLa LigaENJOYED THIS STORY?

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Getty ImagesUseful links

Barcelona team page

Live soccer on TV in the U.S.

Barca meeting over Messi return

It’s safe to say Anthony Taylor has made a few enemies with his referee performance in last night’s Europa League final.

What’s the latest on Anthony Taylor and Jose Mourinho?

Meeting at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, Sevilla played Roma in a scrappy encounter which ended 1-1 after 90 minutes before eventually being settled on penalties after a goalless extra time.

Two fine saves in the shootout from Yassine Bono, allowed Gonzalo Montiel the opportunity to win the tournament for Sevilla.

He actually missed the penalty but referee Taylor was advised by the VAR of an encroachment, and so the Argentine – who also netted the decisive penalty in the World Cup final – scored here at the second attempt to bring the trophy back to Spain yet again.

Throughout the game, however, much of the focus was on the officiating of the Premier League official as he handed out 13 yellow cards – a record for a European final.

Both teams had cause to be upset with the Englishman though. First of all, he failed to spot a possible foul on Ivan Rakitic shortly before Paulo Dybala’s opener.

Fans were furious right after that incident, taking to Twitter to make their feelings known.

Sadly for Taylor, things didn’t get any easier from there as he failed to give some big calls in Roma’s favour either.

Most notably, he failed to award the Serie A side a penalty for this potential handball inside the box.

After the defeat, Jose Mourinho – who had been booked during the game – seemed absolutely enraged with the referee’s display.

Speaking to the press (via Sky Sports), he publically questioned Taylor’s performance saying:

“It was an intense, vibrant game with a referee who seemed Spanish.

“It was yellow, yellow, yellow all the time.”

What’s more, the 60-year-old – who had just lost a European final for the first time in his career – was then spotted in the car park confronting the English official.

It’s certainly a shameful way to take defeat, even if the referee wasn’t at his best on the day. But then again, that’s just classic Mourinho.

Ryan Reynolds is one of the most famous actors on the planet and his decision to purchase Wrexham caused a stir back in 2021.

Film-lovers have been aware of Ryan Reynolds' work for some time. However, his purchase of Wrexham, alongside star Rob McElhenney, made football fans sit up and take notice too.

The Hollywood pair have not been shy in splashing the cash since taking over in north Wales, signing a host of top players from the leagues above as well as investing heavily in the club's infrastructure.

Now that National League promotion has been secured, next on the agenda is revamping the tired Kop stand, as well as strengthening the squad ahead of their return to the Football League.

You may be wondering how Reynolds can afford all of this investment. Below, GOAL takes a look at his net worth, streams of income and highest grossing films.

• What is Ryan Reynolds' net worth?

  Net worth:	£282 million ($350m)
  Source of wealth:	Film & television contracts, other business ventures
  Date of birth:	October 23, 1976
  Country of birth:	Canada

  As of 2023, Reynolds' net worth is reported to be around the £282 million ($350m) mark. This figure should be taken with a pinch of salt, though, as Reynolds has not publicised all of his income.

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• Getty Images
  

  How much does Ryan Reynolds get paid per film?

  The amount that Reynolds gets paid for each of his films varies wildly. When he first started out as an actor he only earned a few hundred dollars for each episode of However, for both Deadpool films he received a great deal more.

  For the first movie in the franchise he was paid $2 million (£1.6m) – but this increased by around tenfold as Reynolds pocketed a portion of the box-office receipts. For Deadpool 2 he was reported to have been paid around $22 million (£17.7m).

• What are Ryan Reynolds' highest-grossing films?

  The 2016 film Deadpool was Ryan Reynolds' highest-grossing film, with takings of $800 million at the box office, closely followed by the sequel, Deadpool 2 in 2018.

  As reported by Money Inc, below are Reynolds' highest grossing films of all time:

  Film	Box office takings
  Deadpool (2016)	$800m
  Deadpool 2 (2018)	$786m
  The Croods (2012)	$573m
  Detective Pikachu (2019)	$430m
  X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)	$375m
  The Proposal (2009)	$315m
  Green Lantern (2011)	$219m
  Safe House (2012)	$208m
  The Hitman's Bodyguard (2017)	$172m

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• Getty
  

  What businesses does Ryan Reynolds have?

  Aside from owning Wrexham, Ryan Reynolds has several other business ventures. His first foray into this world came in 2018 when he became a shareholder in Aviation American Gin. Just two years later, the company was sold to drinks giant Diageo for a staggering $610 million (£491.5m).

  This clearly gave Reynolds a taste for the business world as he would then set up creative agency Maximum Effort alongside friend George Dewey. That venture has since expanded incredibly and it is now based at a huge premises in Ontario, Canada.

  Reynolds is also a board member at Match Group, which owns dating services Tinder, Match.com and Hinge. He also appears in advertisements for a host of other companies, including 1Password.

  Reynolds' biggest win in the business world came in 2023, when he sold his stake in low-cost telecommunications provider Mint Mobile to T-Mobile – which pocketed him a cool $300 million (£241.5m).

  In 2023, Reynolds and Wrexham co-owner McElhenney made another venture into the world of sports, taking a 24% stake in the Alpine Racing Formula 1 team.

Wes Durston has called time on his Derbyshire career by mutual consent.Durston, 36, leaves Derbyshire after making 218 appearances since his debut in 2010, scoring 7,628 runs across all formats. He also skippered Derbyshire in limited-overs cricket.Cricket advisory director, Kevin Dean said: “Wes has been a tremendous player for Derbyshire and we would like to thank him for his efforts over the last seven seasons. He made many notable contributions down the years, no more than in our 2012 promotion winning season, but both parties feel that the time is now right to move on. We wish Wes all the very best for the future.”Durston’s uncomplicated see-ball, hit-ball approach made him a favourite with Derbyshire supporters and probably testified to a late-developing career that had a reawakening in his thirties after he had been released early by Somerset. But he began to show his age in 2016 and with the new director of cricket, Kim Barnett, intent on a shake-up, his departure is no surprise.

Referee Robert Jones and his VAR team may have made a big mistake in the recent Manchester United win as they didn't send off Aleksandar Mitrovic for a headbutt.

What's the latest on Manchester United vs Fulham?

Having already secured Champions League football, the Red Devils were looking to finish third in the Premier League as they took on Fulham.

Marco Silva's men were destined to end the season in a very responsible tenth, easily smashing their pre-season aim of avoiding relegation.

Despite having nothing beyond pride to play for, though, the away team still played well and took the lead in the 19th minute as Kenny Tete headed in Willian's corner at the near post.

However, Man United hit back before halftime as Jadon Sancho finished from close range. A second-half strike from Bruno Fernandes was then enough to seal a 2-1 win at Old Trafford.

In the 79th minute, with Fulham now chasing the game, they came forward with an attack which saw Mitrovic grappling with Tyrell Malacia to get on the end of a cross.

The opportunity came to nothing as the ball bounced out of a play but that didn't mean the two players were happy to let go of one another.

Indeed, with the pair on the ground, as Mitrovic tried to get back to his feet, he appeared to flick his head forcefully in the direction of Malacia – as seen in the Match of the Day highlights (1:21:49).

Did Mitrovic deserve a red card?

The Fulham striker was ultimately booked on what was a difficult afternoon as he also had a penalty saved by David de Gea. However, it's safe to say he was lucky to avoid a red card for this headbutt on the Man United left-back.

Seeing as though Mitrovic has only just returned from an eight-match ban after pushing referee Chris Kavanagh – incidentally in another defeat at Old Trafford – he would perhaps be wise to learn how to control his anger a little better.

On this occasion, it really does feel as though he got away with one, but evidently, the VAR assistant didn't believe it was quite bad enough for them to get involved and overrule the initial decision by referee Jones.

The Athletic's Laurie Whitwell took to Twitter to comment on the situation, noting how it had been "another bad day at Old Trafford" for the striker as he was subbed immediately after "shoving his head at Malacia".

Kagiso Rabada rejected the idea that he might need a period of rest after a below-par performance in the Port Elizabeth Test

Firdose Moonda at Newlands04-Jan-20171:03

‘Resting is when you’re off’ – Rabada

Rest and rotation of fast bowlers has become a contentious, and much-discussed, subject in recent years. Ask Graeme Smith, South Africa’s former captain, however, and he will tell you it is all modern day mumbo-jumbo that messes up a team’s mojo. Little wonder that Kagiso Rabada agrees.”Resting is when you’re off,” Rabada said. “When you get time off that’s when you must rest. When you need to bowl is when you need to bowl, to get yourself to the highest level you can be at. There’s no room for you to rest if you’re not bowling well.”After his first Test at a level slightly below excellent in Port Elizabeth, where Rabada was down on pace and lacked his usual aggression, his workload has become a topic of conversation. Rabada has played every Test since January 2016 (10) and all but two ODIs (15) and one T20 (nine) but the 21-year old denied suggestions that he is fatigued. Instead, he went the other way and, much like Dale Steyn used to say, claimed that the more he bowls, the better he feels.”I didn’t feel good rhythm in Port Elizabeth at all but I’ve just bowled more and got better rhythm through bowling,” he said.Before the St George’s Park match, Rabada was on a three-week break after the Australia tour. He was not required to play for his franchise, Lions, in the T20 tournament and he was not called on for the exhibition match between the national cricket and rugby teams. His captain, Faf du Plessis, said he believed Rabada had “had enough rest” ahead of the series and was ready to go.Rabada’s view is clear, although he would consider accepting a prescription of rest on the advice of higher-ups. “If it’s recommended you have to be open-minded about it,” he said. “The people that are in your area, you have to respect their opinions because they’re employed for a reason. Take their advice because they know what they’re talking about.”But you have to make the choice – it’s about how you feel. So you take their advice and then see what you think of it. It’s a broad topic. If you’re bowling well, you feel good. You don’t have to bowl as much. But I guess it comes with experience, because everyone’s different – knowing yourself and knowing when to rest.”Does the same thing apply to batting? With Hashim Amla struggling for fluency and form on the eve of his 100th Test, it has been suggested he could also do with a break, but Rabada was quick to defend the team’s most senior batsman. “He is not a robot so he is not going to play well all the time. He is a great player so he knows what to do to get back into form. You don’t do so well for so long by fluke. He knows what to do.”

South Africa inflicted their fourth whitewash in a five-match series after overcoming a stiff challenge from David Warner, who stroked 173 in Australia’s chase of 328

The Report by Firdose Moonda in Cape Town12-Oct-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details0:59

By the Numbers – Australia suffer rare whitewash

South Africa inflicted a first-ever five-match ODI series whitewash on Australia with a tense victory that underlined the main difference between the two sides. Not only was Australia’s inexperienced attack unable to challenge South Africa’s batsmen, but their batting line-up, bar David Warner, could not keep up either.Warner scored his second century of the series and was Australia’s only real hope of pulling off the highest successful chase at Newlands to take home a consolation win after Rilee Rossouw’s third ODI century – a 118-ball 122 – propelled South Africa to 327 for 8. Warner’s 173 was six short of a career-best, but could have ended on 11 when he edged Kagiso Rabada to slip. Quinton de Kock dived in front of Hashim Amla and spilled the chance. Warner made South Africa pay, but he lacked proper support.Aaron Finch partnered Warner in a 72-run opening stand, but a double strike from Imran Tahir and a wicket to Andile Phehlukwayo saw Australia lose three wickets for just two runs. Travis Head then shared a 90-run fifth-wicket stand with Warner, but by then the required run rate had escalated to over eight an over with 23 overs left.South Africa had not scored that quickly at any stage but were consistently attacking, thanks largely to Rossouw. Brought into the squad as AB de Villiers’ replacement and used in every match, he topped up on his twin half-centuries from the opening two matches by reaching three figures in this one. Rossouw shared in a 178-run fourth-wicket stand with JP Duminy to account for more than half of South Africa’s total – the second highest at Newlands.The most impressive aspect of South Africa’s performance was how easily runs came. Upfront, de Kock and Hashim Amla began in imperious fashion against an inconsistent Australian new-ball attack without John Hastings. Despite being the most experienced member of the pack, Australia chose to rest him and give Joe Mennie another run, and it proved a decent decision.Mennie recovered from his nightmare debut to pick up two quick wickets. After de Kock chipped a catch to short cover off Boland, Mennie bowled Amla with a ball that straightened to hit off stump. Two overs later, he tempted South Africa’s captain Faf du Plessis into a drive and beat the inside edge onto the stumps. It would be more than 27 overs before Mennie took his next wicket, but by then Rossouw, who played a chanceless knock, was on 99.Australia failed to apply pressure on Rossouw, who had faced just nine balls when the top three were dismissed. The first ball after du Plessis’ dismissal was misfielded at mid-off and the result was four.Mitchell Marsh bore the brunt of the assault, sometimes as a consequence of his own actions – two full-tosses in the his opening over, which went for 17 – and sometimes unavoidably. Rossouw took the first six of the innings off him, shimmying down the pitch to hit over long-on.The spinners struggled as much as the seamers. On a flat track, legspinner Adam Zampa posed none of the same threat he had in earlier matches while Head’s part-time offspin had equally little effect. Rossouw and Duminy scored quickly – Rossouw’s fifty coming at a run a ball and Duminy’s off 47 – and with 20 overs to go, South Africa were headed for 350.When Rossouw reached 99, Duminy was so anxious to get him on strike that he carved a ball to backward point while trying to drive into the covers. George Bailey took the catch and Duminy missed a century of his own. Instead, it was David Miller who enjoyed mid-pitch celebrations with Rossouw before being tasked with the responsibility of finishing strongly.Rossouw opened up after the milestone but holed out with five overs to go. Miller ushered the tail to plunder 46 runs off the last five overs. Even though Australia took three wickets in that period, they were unable to bowl South Africa out for a fifth time in the series.Australia, with luck on their side, wiped out fifty inside eight overs. Warner was not the only one to enjoy a reprieve. Aaron Finch benefitted too when Steyn put down a chance off a top-edge, off Abbott.Enter Tahir. His opening over included a flat delivery, a legbreak, a googly, a flipper, a slower ball, a straight one and two wickets. Finch was bowled going back to cut the flipper, and Steve Smith went the same looking to drive a straight ball. Warner brought up his fifty the ball after Smith was dismissed but Australia’s cheer was shortlived as Phehlukwayo was rewarded for his accuracy when George Bailey inside-edged a length ball onto his stumps.Boundaries dried up as Australia then went 55 balls without one. Warner and Mitchell Marsh were forced to progress slowly but there seemed intent after the halfway mark as Marsh tried to step up. He pulled Rabada to fine leg where Abbott palmed the ball over the boundary for six. Off the next ball, Marsh was ball-watching when Warner called him through for a single. A direct hit from Duminy from point would have seen Marsh run out. Two balls later, Marsh hit Rabada for six again. But the surge didn’t last long as he was cleaned up by Rabada in the next over.For every blow South Africa struck, Warner had a response. He took two fours off Rabada soon after to get into the nineties and two more off Phehlukwayo to reach 99, before bringing up a hundred off 88 balls. His celebration was subdued; he knew he had more to do.Head proved a handy partner and put on 90 for the fifth wicket with Warner, but the sting was out of the contest until du Plessis reviewed an lbw shout against Warner off Tahir. Replays showed the ball was pitching outside leg and the over ended with Warner and Tahir in a verbal squabble. The tussle continued into the next over.Australia entered the last ten overs needing 99 runs, but began that quest with Head skying a pull off Abbott. Matthew Wade was caught behind for 7 to leave Warner wage a lone battle. And he looked like set to drag them over the line till the 47th over.Australia needed 41 runs from the last three overs when Warner sent the ball to deep point where Tahir was stationed. Warner wanted a second run and took on Tahir’s arm but, in a microcosm of the battle that ran throughout the series, did not win. With that went Australia’s hopes too.