Newcastle United have Bayer Leverkusen to overcome this week in the Champions League, but there’s a far more tantalising fixture sticking out across the busy December period.

The Premier League’s first Tyne-Wear showdown since 2016 arrives on the calendar next weekend, with Sunderland’s electric start out of the blocks in the top-flight this season no doubt ramping up the nerves on the end of the Magpies.

Eddie Howe will also be fearful of a loss when you consider Newcastle have lost their last four meetings in this tense rivalry, with Leverkusen in midweek the perfect opportunity to collect a confidence-boosting victory, before facing off against Regis Le Bris’ tricky Black Cats.

In particular, Howe will hope he sees a lot more from the likes of Yoane Wissa and Anthony Elanga at the BayArena, with both high-profile summer recruits failing to settle so far on Tyneside.

The numbers behind Wissa & Elanga at Newcastle

£250m in total was forked out on summer signings at St James’ Park, with £110m of that excessive spending landing both Wissa and Elanga.

There was a method behind Newcastle’s madness here, with the former Brentford man and the Swedish winger amassing a stunning 41 goal contributions between them last season in the Premier League.

Unfortunately for the £55m striker, though, he has only lined up for a paltry 16 minutes in Toon black and white so far, with his first appearance for the club coming last time out against Burnley, 96 days on from him signing on the dotted line.

He is far from a lost cause, however, with a hope he can add to his 45 Premier League goals shortly with sustained time in the first team, as he potentially prepares to start versus Leverkusen. If he doesn’t get up and running soon, with his hefty £140k-per-week salary also added to the equation, he will definitely be dismissed as a rash waste of money.

Elanga doesn’t have a troubling injury record to fall back on when it comes to his critics, with just two assists and no goals next to his name from 22 appearances on Tyneside, making his £55m price tag already feel extremely extortionate.

Still, there will also be a hope in the air that the £100k-per-week forward is simply a work in progress, having previously shone with Nottingham Forest, away from negative labels coming his way that he is a “massive overpay” in the words of Raj Chohan.

Staggeringly, despite £110m being dropped on the underwhelming duo in question, they’re not deemed as big a waste of money as this other high earner, who Howe must now swiftly axe ahead of key games to come in December.

Howe must now drop £120k-per-week Newcastle man

At least with Wissa and Elanga, Howe and Co would have known they were paying a premium price for talents who were consistent top performers in the Premier League.

In the case of Jacob Ramsey, though, £43m was forked out on a star who had a rollercoaster stay at Aston Villa, having only collected a mediocre eight goal contributions across his final two top-flight seasons in the West Midlands, leading to him falling out of Unai Emery’s first team plans.

Ramsey’s flashes of brilliance at his hometown club did see journalist Charles Watts once herald him as a “special” talent for the future, but eyebrows would have been rightly raised when the £43m move was finalised, with his £120k-per-week wage also making him an immediate higher earner than St James Park stalwarts such as Dan Burn, who pockets £70k-per-week, on the contrary.

In the here and now, too, it feels like an awfully long time ago since the 24-year-old was generating lots of hype at Villa Park, with a rare first-team start against Burnley last time out seeing Ramsey look rather timid.

Indeed, it doesn’t make for pretty reading on Ramsey’s end, with the 24-year-old’s general game going down as largely uneventful, until he gave away an unnecessary penalty via a handball, with only one shot, one key pass, and one accurate dribble registered.

With no goals or assists next to his name from 11 clashes, it isn’t the wildest shout to suggest he’s a bigger waste of money than both Wissa and Elanga, with Wissa needing more time to acclimatise, while Elanga at least has two assists to cling onto and showed what a dangerous talent he can be last season..

Moreover, with both Joe Willock and Lewis Miley also at Howe’s disposal in midfield in the reserve ranks, there doesn’t seem to be a long-standing space for the ex-Villa man in his starting XI, as the forgettable number 41 likely just turns into an expensive background figure that can’t be redeemed.

The new Anderson: Newcastle could see £13m bid accepted to sign "special" star

Newcastle United could win themselves a cut-price Elliot Anderson alternative with this £13m star.

By
Kelan Sarson

4 days ago

Chelsea’s ownership group has reportedly beaten Manchester United and Manchester City in the chase for Mohamed Zongo, one of Africa’s most exciting young footballers, with the Burkina Faso midfielder set to join Strasbourg in 2027 when he turns 18. The deal, agreed with Sporting Football des Cascades Tenakourou, marks the latest step in Chelsea’s long-term recruitment project, which has increasingly focused on identifying global talent years before they reach senior breakout status.

• City and United left frustrated in youth recruitment battle

  According to both Manchester clubs had made formal contact with the Tenakourou Academy as they intensified their efforts to secure Zongo. City, whose global scouting system spans every continent, regarded Zongo as a profile perfectly aligned with their multi-club model. United’s pursuit was equally vigorous. Under INEOS, the club has doubled down on youth-focused recruitment, with recent additions such as U17 World Cup standout Sekou Kone. Zongo’s ability to operate as a No. 10, an advanced wide creator or a roaming central midfielder made him an attractive fit for Ruben Amorim’s fluid, mobility-driven blueprint. His growing reputation as a "next-gen Yaya Toure" only amplified interest, with coaches noting his blend of physical maturity and technical composure.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  BlueCo beat their opponents to Zongo

  Strasbourg, part of the BlueCo network, has been earmarked as the ideal environment to further Zongo’s development. The French side’s track record of transitioning young talents into senior football and their proximity to elite European competition have been deemed as key factors in edging out interest from both Manchester clubs. Zongo became one of the breakout stars of November’s Under-17 World Cup in Qatar, where Burkina Faso reached the quarter-finals. The midfielder featured in all six matches, scoring twice and assisting three more. His tournament highlight came in the round-of-32 victory over Germany, having previously bagged a crucial strike against the Czech Republic in the group phase. Even in Burkina Faso’s narrow 1-0 elimination by eventual semi-finalists Italy, Zongo was at the heart of their threat, striking the woodwork twice.

• Chelsea’s youth pipeline continues to grow

  Zongo becomes the latest addition to Chelsea’s vast youth recruitment network, which has rapidly expanded under the club’s multi-club ownership model. The pipeline now includes upcoming arrivals such as Sporting CP winger Geovany Quenda and striker Emanuel Emegha, who was signed via Strasbourg earlier this year. Further additions, including FC Kairat winger Dastan Satpayev and Corinthians left-back Denner Evangelista, are expected to join once they turn 18 next summer, while Ecuadorian defender Deinner Ordonez is scheduled to complete his switch in January 2028. Chelsea’s strategy is clear: acquire elite teenage talent early, develop them across a multi-club pathway and integrate only those who hit top-tier benchmarks into the first team. Zongo is viewed as a prospect with that level of potential.

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  Chelsea’s Champions League setback casts shadow over busy run

  Chelsea may be celebrating a major future signing off the field, but their evening in Italy ended in disappointment after a 2-1 defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League. Joao Pedro’s first-half strike gave them a deserved lead on Tuesday night, but a flat second-half showing proved costly as Gianluca Scamacca and Charles De Ketelaere turned the match on its head. For manager Enzo Maresca, the defeat was particularly painful, coming on his return to Italy. Chelsea, who produced a blistering display to dismantle Barcelona in their previous Champions League outing, looked well placed to back it up before their intensity faded dramatically in Bergamo.

  The aftermath carried its own drama. De Ketelaere could not resist aiming a playful jab at Chelsea winger Alejandro Garnacho, who had admitted before the match that he "hadn’t watched much of Atalanta recently." Speaking to Sky Italia, De Ketelaere smirked: "Now he knows who we are. For us, it's not possible to play games like Saturday's against Verona and then maybe win a match like today. We need to improve our consistency. We were coming off three wins and then there was this bad defeat, but we know we have great quality, and we proved it today."

  There is little time for Chelsea to dwell on the loss. They host Everton on Saturday before travelling to Cardiff City in the Carabao Cup, followed by a daunting Premier League run featuring Newcastle, Aston Villa, Bournemouth and Manchester City.

“I feel such things [about Kohli making it to the 2027 World Cup] shouldn’t even be spoken about after the way he plays and performs,” Sitanshu Kotak says

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Dec-20252:15

Kotak: We don’t need to talk about Kohli’s future

Virat Kohli has the most centuries in ODI history, and yet, each time one sees him bat in the only format he is still active in internationally, thoughts turn to the 2027 World Cup. Kohli is 37 now. Will he still be playing two years on? For Sitanshu Kotak, India’s batting coach, “there’s no point talking about all this” and fans should stay in the moment.”I don’t know why we need to look at all this – he’s really batting well, and I don’t see any reason we need to talk about his future,” Kotak said after Kohli’s 135 from 120 balls took India to victory in the first ODI against South Africa in Ranchi on Sunday.”Just the way he’s batting, it’s just brilliant. The way he’s performing, [and] his fitness – there are no questions about anything,” Kotak said. “I feel such things [the 2027 World Cup] shouldn’t even be spoken about after the way he plays and performs. That is something which is two years away. There’s no point talking about all this. For us, once the team arrives and we start practice, we just enjoy.”Related

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Vastly experienced players like Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who is a year older at 38, add value to the dressing room even otherwise, Kotak pointed out. And it’s not like they aren’t performing. Rohit’s last three innings in ODIs have been worth 73, 121* and 57.”Obviously, they do share their experience with others,” Kotak said. “I don’t think we’re talking anything about the 2027 World Cup. They are just brilliant, and they are performing. They are contributing to the team, which is a great thing for us.”Like Kohli, Rohit is also active only in ODIs internationally. That leaves both of them with very limited game time. But, despite that, for the second successive match, Kohli and Rohit showed good form while stitching together a match-winning century stand.After adding an unbeaten 168 against Australia in Sydney last month, they had a stand of 136 in the first ODI against South Africa. While Kohli followed 74* in Sydney with 135 in Ranchi, Rohit scored 57 at better than a-run-a-ball against South Africa after hitting 121* in a win over Australia.”They are such experienced players; it’s always great to have them,” Kotak said. “The way they bat – like today also, that partnership – it makes a huge difference. Obviously, they batted really well.”

England captain says England will lick their wounds and try to come back stronger at Brisbane

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Nov-2025

Stokes consults with his senior team-mates as the Perth Test runs away from England•Getty Images

Ben Stokes, England’s captain, admitted he and his team had been left “shellshocked” by Travis Head’s stunning 69-ball century, as Australia transcended the chaos of the first three innings of the first Ashes Test at Perth to romp to victory by eight wickets and with three whole days to spare.Head left the field to a standing ovation after his stunning knock of 123 from 83 balls had ripped the momentum away from an England team that seemed to have the contest in their grasp when they went to the second-day lunch break on 65 for 1, with a lead of 99 and nine wickets in hand.But a calamitous collapse of 4 for 11 in 19 balls, initiated by a fine spell from Scott Boland, turned the contest back in Australia’s favour. Though England’s lower-order rallied to set the hosts 205 for victory – the highest innings total of the game – Head’s promotion to the top of the order, in the absence of the injured Usman Khawaja, proved a blessing in disguise as he came out swinging, to blaze Australia to their target in a mere 28.2 overs.It was an example of England being comprehensively beaten at their own hard-hitting game, and Stokes was in awe of Australia’s matchwinner at the post-match presentations.”We’re a little bit shellshocked there,” Stokes told the host broadcaster. “That innings from Travis Head was pretty phenomenal. It’s quite raw, quite fresh at the moment but, geez, that was some knock. It’s knocked the wind out of us.”Asked if he regretted England’s approach to their own second innings – in particular a trio of big shots from Ollie Pope, Harry Brook and Joe Root in the midst of that post-lunch collapse – Stokes insisted that England’s approach had not been the wrong one, as Head’s own success demonstrated, but their execution had been lacking.”If you look at the way the game eked out, the guys who seemed to have success out there with bat in hand were the guys who were really brave and took the game on,” Stokes said. “Anyone who tried to stay around there and try and occupy the crease didn’t really seem to have too much success.Related

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“On wickets like this, you never think you’ve got enough, so if you find yourself in a position where you’re the guy who’s managed to get in, try and give yourself the best chance of going on. There was a lot of assistance there when the bowlers put the ball in the right areas. The guys who were brave enough to knock the bowlers off their lengths seem to find success on that.”Ultimately, however, England were blown away by Head’s extraordinary onslaught. Asked what more he could have done to contain such an aggressive innings, Stokes said: “We tried three or four different plans at him. When he was going like a train, those plans can change quite quickly, because those runs were coming down quickly.”I’ve seen Travis play a lot of knocks like that, whether it be in Test cricket or white-ball cricket. He’s very hard to stop.”Because of the two-day finish, England now have close to a fortnight to prepare for the day-night Test in Brisbane, beginning on December 4. Stokes admitted that his team would have to lick their wounds after such a bruising defeat, but said that the performance of his five-man pace attack in the first innings was proof that there will be some positives to take into the rest of the series.”The way in which we bowled yesterday was simply phenomenal,” Stokes said. “A lot happened on day one, 19 wickets fell, so it was a good day for the bowlers.”This is a very tough one to get the series going when we felt we were in control of the game, and we were coming out there to bowl in that fourth innings. We’ve got four more games here.”We’ll obviously let this sink in. Obviously it hurts extremely, but we got to get our heads round and move on to Brisbane, and then hit the ground running there.”

Keep up to date with all the movements around the counties as preparations are made for the 2026 women’s Tier 1 county season.DurhamIN:
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OVERSEAS:EssexIN: Liberty Heap (Lancashire)
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OUT: Mary Taylor (Warwickshire), Freya Davies (retired), Daisy Mullan (released)
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Kobbie Mainoo is ready to leave Manchester United on loan in January after getting increasingly frustrated with his lack of opportunities under Ruben Amorim. The midfielder was an unused substitute during United's 1-1 draw with West Ham on Thursday, the fourth time he has remained on the bench in a Premier League game this season. The 20-year-old is still yet to start a league game this term.

Getty Images SportMainoo set to seek loan move again

Mainoo, who asked to leave United on loan in the summer but saw his request rejected by the club, is ready to seek a loan again in January, according to . Mainoo is described as being 'deeply frustrated' with the lack of opportunities Amorim has given him, only starting him in the Carabao Cup tie against Grimsby back in August. The report claims Mainoo would prefer a loan move abroad, with Bayern Munich having shown interest in signing him in the past. United, however, are expected to wait until the Africa Cup of Nations is over and whether Noussair Mazraoui, Bryan Mbeumo or Amad Diallo sustain injuries during the tournament.

The decision over whether Mainoo will be allowed to leave in January, as fellow United academy graduate Marcus Rashford did earlier this year, comes down to whether United prefer to have him around for Amorim to call upon for the remainder of the season or will prioritise protecting his value for a future sale by assisting him in kick-starting his season by playing regularly elsewhere.

AdvertisementMidfielder repeatedly snubbed by Amorim

United wasted a huge opportunity to move into the Premier League's top five when they drew 1-1 at home to struggling West Ham, conceding an 83rd-minute equaliser by Soungoutou Magassa after Diogo Dalot had given them a second-half lead. Amorim used all five of his substitutions in a bid to win the game but did not turn to Mainoo, who has played a grand total of 171 minutes in the league this season spread across nine appearances off the bench.

And when it was suggested by a journalist in the post-match press conference that Amorim could have brought on Mainoo to boost United's attack, the coach laughed. Mainoo was seen as the club's future central midfielder for many years when he broke into the team under Erik ten Hag in November 2023, delivering an outstanding performance on his debut at Everton. 

He locked down his place in the starting XI and scored the winning goal in the FA Cup final against Manchester City. Mainoo also played a big role in England's run to the final of Euro 2024, playing in all but one match and starting all of the knockout games. But he has barely featured this season, with Amorim sticking with the midfield pairing of Casemiro and Bruno in 12 of the 14 matches and starting Manuel Ugarte in the two games the Brazilian has missed.

Getty Images SportAmorim: I know you love Mainoo but…

Amorim told a press conference: "Of course, I understand. My job is to answer but I am trying to answer always the same thing. And you ask me always the same thing. I understand what you are saying. You love Kobbie. He starts for England, but that doesn’t mean I need to put Kobbie when I feel I shouldn’t put Kobbie.

"I see it. I see it and I just want to win, I just put the players, I don’t look who it is, I don’t care about that, I just try to put the best players on the pitch. You have Ugarte that played two games, one of them, Case was out. Bruno is always fit, he’s the guy that is doing his position so maybe it has to do with that."

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AFCON absences won't necessarily help Mainoo

United will lose Mbeumo, Mazraoui and Amad for around a month due to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations which begins later in December. The trio will have to report for Cameroon, hosts Morocco and the Ivory Coast respectively on Monday December 15, the day United are due to host Bournemouth. They could be involved in the tournament until the final on January 18.

Although none of the players play in midfield, their absences in theory open up more opportunities for Mainoo to play, especially if Amorim decides to put Bruno Fernandes further forward into the attack while Mbeumo is away. But Amorim was not prepared to make any predictions about whether Mainoo would get a bigger role in the team during the AFCON.

"I don’t know, I don’t know," he said. "It’s the same question. I don’t know what is going to happen. It depends. If I see in the training it is the best thing, I will put it. That is the only way I know how to respond to that."

Despite using Mainoo so little, Amorim has said that he will not allow the midfielder or another out of favour player such as Joshua Zirkzee to leave the club in the January transfer window.

In the end the target was well out of reach for Hong Kong but there are greater challenges ahead

Danyal Rasool10-Sep-20251:36

Mukund: Dropped catches a concern for Afghanistan

While Pakistan have five days between the final of the tri-series on Sunday and their first game in the Asia Cup on Friday, Afghanistan did not get that luxury. Less than 48 hours after a humbling defeat in that game, they lined up for the tournament opener of the biggest T20I competition this year.They were aware that, bunched together in a group with Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, defeat against Hong Kong would put them on the brink of elimination as soon as the tournament began. They needed to shake the early nerves off, but four balls into the game, Sediqullah Atal nicked Hong Kong seamer Ayush Shukla to first slip.It felt like a continuation of their horror run with the bat from two days earlier and a hundred miles further north, when Afghanistan folded for 66. But this is a new tournament, and it brought with it better fortune for the Afghans. Captain Yasim Murtaza put the sitter down, and it would be two hours before Atal walked off: not as a man vanquished, but one who had batted through his side’s innings, scoring an unbeaten 73 off 52 as Afghanistan ran up an imposing 188, 34 more than the average first-innings score in Abu Dhabi.Related

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It was a sliding-doors moment Afghanistan coach Jonathan Trott acknowledged.”We started averagely today,” Trott said following the game. “We were a bit fortunate with a few dropped catches that sort of let us off. We need to make sure we improve on a few areas for the rest of the group games. We’ve got a few days off now. We’ve had a hectic schedule, six games in 12 days. So this is a good win. An important game for us and glad we’ve won it in the style we have.”However, for a side that opened the tournament with a 94-run win, Trott emphasised how far away this performance was from Afghanistan’s ceiling, or even the median level the coach has come to demand of this ever-improving group.Much of the concern will come from another turgid batting display for four fifths of the innings, when Hong Kong kept themselves in the game with the ball; better fielding would have put them in an even handier position. With 24 deliveries to go, Afghanistan had shuffled along to 119 for 4, needing to accelerate to even get to that average Abu Dhabi score.Azmatullah Omarzai ensured Afghanistan had plenty of runs in the bank•Getty ImagesIt was only as Hong Kong’s bowling fell away, particularly in an errant 17th over from Ateeq Iqbal, that the quality gap between these two sides began to reveal itself. A pair of sixes, a pair of fours, and a pair of balls that produced three wides combined for a 25-run over. With Azmatullah Omarzai at his explosive best, Shukla – of first-over misfortune – was pumped for another 24 in the penultimate, and 69 came off the final four.It took the target well beyond Hong Kong’s realistic ability, but Trott was adamant not to let this paper over the cracks.”We need players to take responsibility,” Trott said. “For me it’s important some of our players need to get in some form and need to start going runs. That’s very important.”I would like us to have batted better. But then the way Sediq played and the way Azmat came in and hit the ball showed us it’s a pretty good pitch. I’m fairly happy with the total that we got, but there are still things we need to work on and make sure we’re ready for the rest of the games.”

“We’ve won nothing. Let’s just make that clear. We’re an up and coming side and we’ve got a lot of work to do”Jonathan Trott

The strength of Trott’s words suggest he wants to head the problem off before the stakes are raised. They have a week off before two games in three days, with the quality of opposition vastly superior in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. One of those three sides – barring a miracle from Hong Kong – will be elbowed out at the expense of the other two. Trott appeared to warn his players – despite the heavy win – that a drop in level might mean it could be them against more familiar opponents.”All three teams have played each other quite a lot. We know each other quite well,” he said. “Recently we haven’t played a lot of games each other, but in the last couple of years we have. It’s about remembering those things that we’ve done well against them individually but as a side as well. For me, Azmat coming into a bit of form today and Sediq carrying on the form that he’s been in [are good signs].”But still, we need to play better because I think we were helped a little bit by Hong Kong’s fielding. Because if Azmat had been caught or Sediq had been caught in the first over, it could have been a very different game so we need to make sure we’re better in the next few games.”2:26

Mukund impressed by Afghanistan’s on-field trial

However, Trott knows the difference between self-criticism and dwelling on the past, and where he was keen to draw the line was that dispiriting loss in the tri-series final to Pakistan on the weekend.”This win was helpful just to move on and get past the final and move on and go into the Asia Cup,” he said. “So we don’t have to dwell on a very disappointing game for us which I think we were a good shot of winning at the halfway mark. Lessons learnt and I think the guys applied those lessons very well. We’ll get those habits going again, and get ready for the next game.”Afghanistan now come with a large fan following, particularly in the UAE, where their supporters perhaps outnumbered Pakistan’s in that final on Sunday. It is by far the most followed sport in a country that has bought into South Asian cricket fan culture much the same way as the more established nations from the region, with every moment, decision, selection or omission parsed and analysed to within an inch of its life.1:36

Chopra: ‘It will take time for Atal to mature into a T20 rockstar’

That support may be the lifeblood of a cricketing ecosystem, but in tournaments like these, it is not always helpful.”I’m not really worried about the media’s expectation or the outside expectation,” Trott said. “I’m worried about our expectation as players and as a side that we have for each other, and the standards we hold each other to on the field and off the field. That’s the most important thing. If we get those right, the bigger picture will take care of itself. We’ve been pretty good and come pretty close to being within a shot of a few things. But we need to be better.”We’ve won nothing. Let’s just make that clear. We’re an up and coming side and we’ve got a lot of work to do.”With that unflinching focus on constant improvement, Trott, and Afghanistan, may change that over the next three weeks.

The fast bowling duo were in the nets in Sydney on Tuesday as focus turns to the second Ashes Test

Andrew McGlashan25-Nov-2025In an encouraging sign for Australia, Josh Hazlewood returned to the nets on Tuesday as he recovers from the hamstring injury that kept him out of the opening Ashes Test in Perth.Pat Cummins, meanwhile, was pictured bowling with a pink ball as he continues his push to return for the day-night Test at the Gabba following his back injury.The pair trained at Cricket Central in Sydney while New South Wales were playing their Sheffield Shield match against Tasmania.Related

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In what looked like clear evidence of immediate priorities, Hazlewood was bowling with a red ball. He is not expected to be available for the Gabba Test, so his comeback target will be Adelaide, which has reverted to a day Test this year.Speaking on Monday, Australia coach Andrew McDonald was confident that Hazlewood would be available later in the Ashes.”I know that he’ll be available at some point during the series,” he said. “We’ve got a little bit of that early rehab to go through to formulate where he may plug into the series, but we expect him to take some part in the series.”Cummins has been making good progress in ramping up his bowling in recent weeks and looked impressive in the nets in Perth ahead of the opening Test. The selectors will need to be fully confident that he can get through the workloads required for a Test, even if the early indications are that matches in this series may not go the distance.”It looked like a player that was nearing the completion of his rehabilitation,” McDonald said. “The intensity was there, the ball speed was there. There’s a lot of positives, but now it’s just really building that resilience within the soft tissue and making sure that we’re not putting him in harm’s way in terms of accelerating it too much.”The first three Tests of the series are well spaced out – the gap between the first and second now 11 days after the two-day finish in Perth – but the schedule does become more condensed from Adelaide onwards: there is a four-day gap to the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne and the same to Sydney if those matches reach the fifth day.Pat Cummins has a go with the pink ball•Getty Images

With the day-night pink-ball element thrown into the mix for Brisbane, there is a good chance that it could be another short, sharp Test. In the current round of Sheffield Shield matches, ten wickets fell in the night session of the third day between Queensland and Victoria to hasten the contest to a result, although wickets hadn’t fallen at the same rate on the first two days.In that match, Xavier Bartlett put in an eye-catching performance with 4 for 35 in the second innings alongside a career-best 72 with the bat. Australia may not need further pace reinforcement during the Ashes, especially if Cummins and Hazlewood are available, but Bartlett, who has impressed in ODIs and T20Is, may have moved himself up the queue.Michael Neser was the spare pace bowler in Perth and the Gabba is his home ground. His two previous Tests have been with the pink ball in Adelaide: against England in 2021-22 and West Indies in 2022-23.In the build-up to the Ashes, the selectors also spoke of their hope that Jhye Richardson may become an option later in the series as he returns from the shoulder surgery he had earlier this year.He trained with the Test squad in Perth and then bowled 20 wicketless overs for the Cricket Australia XI against England Lions at Lilac Hill. He is expected to feature for Australia A against the Lions in Brisbane next week.”This game was a lot about physical preparation for me and making sure that we can get through,” Richardson told reporters after the CA XI outing. “I’m sure there would have been a few people seeing a bit of ice on it after the bowling but that’s basically just maintenance. The shoulder’s feeling really good and it’s feeling better and better each bowl.”It’s a decent hit out, the most overs I’ve bowled in a while and it’s all part of the process to building up to be ready for four and five-day cricket.”

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