Manchester City are now reportedly ready to hijack Manchester United’s move to sign a Premier League star worth as much as £100m in 2026.

Man City make Semenyo a top target

It’s not just their local rivals that Man City are looking to frustrate. The Citizens are also reportedly interested in signing Antoine Semenyo and have made the Bournemouth star a top target. In what would deal Liverpool an untimely blow, City could land one of the most in-form wingers that the Premier League has to offer.

It’s clear that Semenyo likes the idea of linking up with Erling Haaland, too, after saying: “Haaland is number one. You see it on TV, scoring all these goals and thinking, surely he’s not like this in person… That man is tall, my goodness. Tall, strong, fast, can finish.

“He’s got everything you need as a striker. I remember Man City just bopping, and I’m thinking, okay this is normal that they bop it. Ruben Dias wraps the ball to him, the ball’s like this high, I’m thinking ‘how’s he going to deal with this?’ just takes it on his chest like this – I am thinking: Haaland, the man.”

It’s also easy to see why City have set their sights on another direct winger. Aside from the improved Jeremy Doku, Pep Guardiola’s wide men have struggled to leave their mark, with Savinho receiving his fair share of criticism from those at the Etihad in recent weeks.

The Brazilian was part of a much-changed Man City side against Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League, but to say that he failed to make his opportunity count would be an understatement.

Alas, it’s not just wide men that Guardiola wants. The Spaniard and Man City have now reportedly turned their focus towards midfield star Elliot Anderson, who is represented by the same agency as Omar Marmoush.

Man City ready to hijack Man Utd's Anderson move

As reported by the Daily Mail’s Craig Hope, Man City are now ready to hijack Man Utd’s move for Anderson. The Citizens have made the Nottingham Forest star a top target and could splash out as much as £100m to secure his signature in 2026.

Man City now considering move for £65m forward who Pep called "extraordinary"

City have identified a forward as a priority target ahead of the January transfer window.

ByDominic Lund Nov 27, 2025

The England star is quickly becoming one of the most wanted players in the Premier League and that should come as no surprise.

England boss Thomas Tuchel has quickly made the Forest star one of his main men and has showered him with praise a number of times, telling reporters: “He is an elite player with the right attitude and a lot of talent. He is fulfilling his role in the best way possible so we are very happy with him.”

Man City now frontrunners to sign "world-class" £80m star, Pep's a big fan

Three-cap Australian opener signs all-format deal for 2026 summer

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Oct-2025Northamptonshire coach Darren Lehmann has made a statement signing by luring Australia’s Nathan McSweeney to Wantage Road for the 2026 season. The deal covers all formats and the club expect McSweeney to be available “for the whole season” barring an international recall.Lehmann joined Northants last summer and took them to T20 Blast Finals Day for the first time since 2016, though they finished second-bottom of Division Two in the County Championship and won only once in the One-Day Cup. He signed an extension mid-season which means his contract now runs until the end of 2027, and has started to strengthen his squad for next year.Lehmann was an assistant coach when McSweeney captained Brisbane Heat to the BBL title in 2023-24, and presented him with his baggy green cap when he made his Test debut against India last year. McSweeney was harshly dropped after only three caps – four of his five dismissals were to an in-form Jasprit Bumrah – but has not featured for Australia since.McSweeney previously worked with Lehmann at Brisbane Heat•Cricket Australia via Getty ImagesAs a result, he should be available throughout the English summer. He will play alongside his South Australia team-mate Harry Conway for the first half of the Championship season, with Yuzvendra Chahal set to take over from Conway for the second half of the Championship and the One-Day Cup. Allrounder Louis Kimber has also joined from Leicestershire.”When the chance came up to sign with Northamptonshire, it was an easy decision,” McSweeney said. “The club has a strong culture and some quality players, and working with Boof again made it even more appealing. I’m eager to get over there, settle in, and help the team win games.”Lehmann said: “Nathan McSweeney is a brilliant player who has so much talent and potential. He’s a classy individual who will hopefully provide us with some stability in that top order. We can’t wait for him to arrive and hit the ground running.”

MatériaMais Notícias

O comentarista da TV Globo Eric Faria não poupou elogios em suas redes socias ao falar sobre o novo uniforme do Cruzeiro. O clube divulgou o modelo nesta terça-feira (5).

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasCruzeiroApós vazamento, Cruzeiro lança oficialmente uniforme da temporada 2024Cruzeiro05/03/2024Fora de CampoQue sono! Torcedor do Cruzeiro viraliza ao dormir no Mineirão durante jogo; vejaFora de Campo04/03/2024Futebol NacionalCampeonato Mineiro tem semifinais definidas; Cruzeiro confirma primeiro lugar geralFutebol Nacional02/03/2024

Além de enaltecer o novo uniforme, Eric Faria contou que tem uma camisa do Cabuloso em sua coleção.

➡️Siga o Lance! Fora de Campo no WhatsApp e saiba o que rola fora das 4 linhas

– Pra mim, das mais bonitas do mundo. Sempre achei a camisa do Cruzeiro espetacular. Tenho uma na minha coleção da década de 80 – declarou o cometarista.

O novo uniforme do Cruzeiro foi o inspirado nos grandes títulos do clube. A camisa é predominantemente azul e traz estrelas em outro tom da cor, além das cinco estrelas clássicas em branco.

continua após a publicidade

➡️ Ousadas ou conservadoras? Levantamento revela cores mais usadas em terceiros uniformes no Brasil

Nossa história está escrita nas estrelas!🌌

Inspirada nas conquistas icônicas de 92 a 95 e no brilho do destino. 🔮

Garanta o novo manto do Cabuloso no adidas app ou https://t.co/7xFOY0DG2f@adidasbrasil pic.twitter.com/wZEn6FDS0m

— Cruzeiro 🦊 (@Cruzeiro) March 5, 2024

Tudo sobre

CruzeiroEric FariaFora de campo

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca and BlueCo are gearing up for what could be an intriguing January transfer window, as one player reportedly eyes the Stamford Bridge exit door.

The west Londoners could be genuine Premier League title contenders, and their 3-0 statement win over Barcelona in midweek absolutely supports that theory.

Chelsea’s triumphant Champions League victory against the La Liga champions was the perfect way to prepare for their blockbuster face-off at home to Arsenal, and victory would see them close the gap to just three points.

However, a few players may not be along for the ride this season.

Chelsea are reportedly preparing for potential departures in January, as several current squad members seek routes out of London.

Raheem Sterling and Axel Disasi remain the most problematic situations. Both players have been completely frozen out by Maresca, training separately from the first team in what has been dubbed the club’s “bomb squad.”

Sterling, who earns £325,000-per-week, and Disasi have been denied access to standard first-team facilities this term and will be desperate for January moves to resurrect their careers.

Chelsea open talks with star who's "very keen" to join amid Barcelona triumph

Enzo Maresca’s side are in dreamland right now.

ByEmilio Galantini Nov 26, 2025

Sterling’s substantial wages and Disasi’s apparent lack of suitors complicate matters significantly, but Maresca has confirmed that the latter has actually been assisting young players and helping with the ‘second team’.

There is also the matter of second-string goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen.

Jorgensen has emerged as the highest-profile exit candidate among active squad members. The Danish goalkeeper is reportedly considering a January departure after finding himself firmly behind Robert Sanchez in the pecking order.

Jorgensen wants regular playing time to secure his spot in Denmark’s 2026 World Cup squad, with national team bosses making clear he needs consistent minutes.

However, Chelsea are reluctant to sanction a loan, and any departure would need to be permanent.

Filip Jorgensen wants to leave Chelsea as clubs make contact

That is according to journalist Simon Phillips, who reports via his Substack that Jorgensen wants to leave Chelsea and clubs are now starting to make contact.

The 23-year-old, who’s started just one Premier League game, one Champions League and two Carabao Cup matches, finds himself stuck behind Sanchez and a move could be the best solution for all parties.

Promising young shot-stopper Mike Penders is also due back from his loan at Strasbourg in 2026, acting as a ready-made replacement for Jorgensen, and there are reports that Chelsea have reopened talks with AC Milan’s Mike Maignan.

If the latter were to arrive, Jorgensen’s game time would be even more limited, so it is hard to envisage a future where the Dane is playing regularly enough in a Blues shirt.

Australia’s T20I captain has a series against India starting on Wednesday but could return to Shield cricket after that

Andrew McGlashan27-Oct-20253:26

McGlashan: ‘Marnus has done everything asked of him’

The door remains open for Mitchell Marsh to return to Test cricket in the Ashes, with Australia head coach Andrew McDonald saying he’s batting “as well as he has for a long period of time”, while Usman Khawaja has endorsed his Queensland team-mate Matt Renshaw as the best option to partner him in the first Test.Speaking ahead of the T20I series against India but with much of the focus on the Ashes, McDonald said the selection panel would be confident picking a player out of white-ball cricket to face England, but added there could be a window for Marsh to return to the Sheffield Shield when it overlaps with the first two Tests.McDonald’s view is consistent with what was first stated back in April when the chair of selectors said Marsh’s Test career wasn’t over after his axing against India in January. In recent weeks the notion of a recall has gained traction amid Marsh’s impressive ODI and T20I form, which has brought 555 runs in his last ten innings.Related

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“We would be comfortable picking someone, and if you want to put a name to it, Mitch Marsh, out of white-ball cricket, if we felt like that was going to benefit the Test team,” McDonald said. “He’s the captain of the white-ball team. It’s very hard for him to vacate and balance out Test preparation, if he was to be in the window for that.”We feel he’s batting as well as he has for a long period of time. And when he got dropped last summer, I think he was one of our highest averages from Headingley [in the 2023 Ashes] to that point. He hit a bit of a flat patch there, and we felt it best at that time to bring Beau Webster in.”Marsh, Australia’s T20I captain and stand-in ODI leader, has played down the prospects of a Test return with varying degrees of humour over the past month, starting with a simple “no” in New Zealand when asked if he was thinking about to, to saying he’ll be “six beers deep” by lunch on day one having got tickets for the opening Test.”We still haven’t given up on Mitch Marsh’s Test career,” McDonald said. “So what would the prep look like for him? It would have to be through white ball or maybe some Shield cricket after white ball if he isn’t in that first squad and then [he] he can press his claim through that.Mitchell Marsh’s immediate priority is the T20I series against India•Cricket Australia via Getty Images

“There’s Shield [rounds] five and six also when we’re playing the Test matches, where players that aren’t in the first Test will obviously go to work then.”Western Australia play a day-night game against South Australia from November 22 and then face Victoria in the final round before the Big Bash break. Marsh played two Shield games last season before the India series, where he was then dropped after six single-figure scores in seven innings.It’s unlikely Marsh would be an all-round option, having shelved his bowling and not done any since late last year against India.Meanwhile, Khawaja believes that Renshaw is ready to return to Test cricket as the selectors ponder over who will open in Perth. Sam Konstas is the incumbent alongside Khawaja, having done the job in the West Indies but has just one fifty in four Shield innings so far this season after his lean returns in the Caribbean.Marnus Labuschagne could yet take the role if both Cameron Green and Webster make the XI but Khawaja would prefer him to return at No. 3.”I think our best line-up has Marnus three, [Steve] Smith four and [Travis] Head five,” he said ahead of Queensland’s match against New South Wales at the Gabba. “I know if Renshaw is picked, that he is in the best space right now to have a crack at Australia again and be ready to score runs. Obviously, I am a little bit biased because he is my opening partner and a friend of mine, but he’s been there and done it. He has scored 184 for Australia.”He hasn’t done himself any harm with the way he has played in the last three matches in the one-dayers [against India]. He has taken the pressure on really well and looked the part, which he always does whenever he goes to the next level. You feel like he is one guy that really belongs at the next level.”

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has hit out at Florentino Perez after the Real Madrid chief reignited accusations over the Negreira case during his latest assembly speech. Perez linked Barca’s historic success to payments made to the former refereeing vice-president, prompting a fierce response as Laporta accused Madrid of “obsession” and weekly attempts to influence referees in a fiery escalation of the long-running rivalry.

Perez reignites Negreira accusations as tensions explode again

Madrid president Perez reopened the Negreira controversy, using his most recent Assembly intervention to once again question Barcelona’s integrity and imply historic refereeing corruption. His comments immediately triggered a new wave of tension between the two giants at a time when La Liga’s title race is heating up.

Perez referenced charts, statistics and historic disciplinary data as he accused the Catalan giants of benefiting from improper influence between 2001 and 2018, the 17-year period in which Barca were alleged to have paid €8.4 million to former refereeing vice-president Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira.

He outlined his stance bluntly in front of club members: "It’s not normal that Barcelona has paid the vice president of referees more than €8m for at least 17 years, whatever the reason," Perez denounced before the members. "I repeat: whatever the reason, it’s not normal."

He continued to say that Enriquez Negreira held "a key position in the refereeing hierarchy," responsible for referee promotions and demotions. "A period that coincides, coincidentally, with Barcelona’s best sporting results in our country," added Perez.

The Los Blancos president also presented numerical data to justify his argument: "Real Madrid had a net balance of two red cards in 2021,” he explained. "And Barcelona, 61 red cards. That’s a difference of no less than 59. On the other hand, during the same period, the balance in Europe is almost identical: +12 for Barca and +13 for Madrid."

These remarks set the stage for a fierce response, one Laporta delivered within hours during an institutional visit to Andorra.

AdvertisementAFPLaporta blasts ‘obsession’ and accuses Madrid of weekly referee pressure

Laporta responded forcefully, framing Madrid’s approach as a long-standing campaign to undermine Barcelona’s achievements. He opened with a direct attack: "Now that I remember the statements made at the Madrid Assembly, which I haven't had a chance to comment on, and now that I'm in Andorra I'll address them. I think they're out of line; they reveal Madrid's obsession with Barca. It seems they have to talk about Barca to justify who knows what. They're constantly involved in the legal proceedings of the 'Negreira Case,' which they're dragging out like chewing gum because they know there's nothing to it, but it's a way of justifying something that isn't true: Barca has never bribed referees, and referees generally don't favor Barca; they've always favored Madrid."

The Barca president then escalated his criticism by accusing Madrid of manipulating public opinion through media channels: "If they're caught up in this 'Barcelona-itis,' I'm delighted, because these are usually times when Barca is successful and triumphant. Real Madrid's television channel is trying to influence referees every week."

His defiant message reflected a club determined not to let Madrid control the narrative, especially with legal proceedings and media pressure intensifying around the Negreira case.

A rivalry torn open as Laporta cites officiating controversies

Laporta also referenced Los Blancos' recent 2-2 draw at Elche, pointing to two controversial goals involving Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Jr. as evidence of what he sees as favorable treatment. He argued that Madrid benefited from decisions that should never have stood: "Just last week, Real Madrid scored two goals that, in my opinion, clearly involved Bellingham handling the ball, and in the other, Vinicius broke Inaki Pena's nose. Those two goals shouldn't have stood, and Barca would be leading the league now."

The Barca president then returned to a historical perspective, insisting Madrid’s accusations were rooted in resentment for Barcelona’s most successful era: "They have a persecution complex against the best period in Barca's history. They didn't like that Barca was the world's leading team from 2004 to 2015, when Barca was dominant, and they're trying to find excuses that lead nowhere. We were the team that played the best football, recognised, admired, and esteemed for what we gave, recognised for what we did, and admired for how we did it. We won many titles, and Barca's style of play was admired all over the world, so don't make excuses."

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AFPA new chapter in the Madrid-Barca divide

The fallout adds another layer of turbulence to a rivalry already stretched by Super League disagreements, legal battles, and constant refereeing disputes. Barcelona's leadership is adamant the Negreira case will not tarnish their legacy, while Madrid insist questions must be asked.

With the La Liga title race entering a decisive phase and both clubs preparing for crucial fixtures, domestic and European, the political war between the presidents is likely to continue running parallel to events on the pitch. Laporta’s final message was clear: Barcelona will not be intimidated, and they believe Madrid’s growing fixation only proves their continued relevance.

فاز منتخب جزر القمر لكرة القدم على نظيره اليمن بركلات الترجيح، اليوم الأربعاء في إطار مباريات الملحق المؤهل لمرحلة المجموعات من بطولة كأس العرب 2025.

وأقيمت المباراة بين اليمن وجزر القمر، في العاصمة القطرية الدوحة، في لقاء حسم المتأهل إلى بطولة كأس العرب 2025، وفاز منتخب جزر القمر بركلات الترجيح بنتيجة 4-2، بعد انتهاء الوقت الأصلي بالتعادل 4-4.

طالع| مجموعة السعودية والمغرب في كأس العرب 2025

وسيلعب منتخب جزر القمر في المجموعة الثانية التي تضم منتخبات المغرب والسعودية وعمان.

وسجل رباعية جزر القمر زكواني وعنبر وزيد قاسم، بينما أحرز رباعية اليمن الزبيدي وناصر والمطري “هدفين”.

وتستضيف قطر فعاليات بطولة كأس العرب 2025، خلال الفترة من 1 حتى 18 ديسمبر المقبل، وذلك بمشاركة 16 منتخبًا.

وتنطلق بطولة كأس العرب يوم الإثنين 1 ديسمبر المقبل بمواجهة منتخب تونس أمام نظيره منتخب سوريا. أهداف مباراة اليمن وجزر القمر في كاس العرب

Cristiano Ronaldo is making a move into MMA, with the Portugal icon announcing a new job in a link-up with UFC legend Ilia Topuria. At 40 years of age, and with his glittering football career entering its final chapters, Ronaldo has made one of the clearest statements yet about life after football. The Al-Nassr star says the new project "represents values I truly believe in – discipline, respect, resilience."

• WOW FC’s rapid rise aligns with Ronaldo’s global influence

  Founded with modest ambition, WOW FC has exploded into one of Europe’s fastest-growing MMA promotions. Over the past year, attendance has surged by over 400 per cent. The events have consistently sold more than 5,000 tickets, and live broadcasts now reach 170+ countries. The arrival of Ronaldo is expected to accelerate WOW’s push into Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East. His involvement will also extend beyond sport, with WOW aiming to intersect culture, fashion, entertainment, and education.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  What did Ronaldo & Topuria say

  In a statement, Ronaldo said: "MMA represents values I truly believe in – discipline, respect, resilience, and the constant pursuit of excellence. WOW FC is building something unique and powerful, and I’m proud to join this project to help elevate the sport and inspire the next generation."

  Meanwhile, in a tweet, he further added: "I’m excited to share some big news: I will become a shareholder of @wowfcmma! We share values I truly believe in – discipline, respect, resilience, and the constant pursuit of excellence. WOW FC is building something unique and powerful, and I’m proud to join this project to help elevate the sport and inspire the next generation."

  Topuria welcomed Ronaldo with enthusiasm: "Having Cristiano Ronaldo join WOW FC is a powerful moment for the sport. He represents the highest standards of professionalism, hard work, and global excellence. Together, we will push MMA to new heights and inspire athletes and fans around the world to believe that anything is possible."

• From rivalry to partnership: Ronaldo and Topuria’s surprising alliance

  The partnership marks a remarkable shift in the relationship between Ronaldo and Topuria, who exchanged barbs just a year ago. Before UFC 308 in October 2024, Ronaldo publicly backed Max Holloway to dethrone Topuria, claiming the Spaniard "spoke too much" and had not beaten "the top guys."

  Topuria fired back sharply at the time: "The one I'm going to personally invite there [in Miami] is [Lionel] Messi because he lives there, so screw Cristiano as long as Messi exists. I didn't understand it, to be honest. I saw the clip that came out talking about me talking too much. If Cristiano says it, something doesn't add up to me. Cristiano always talks."

  Alongside his MMA venture, Ronaldo has quietly been building an extensive portfolio outside football. The latest addition is the Vega Private Members Club, set to open in Madrid before the end of the year. According to Spanish outlet , the project is being developed with entrepreneur Inigo Onieva and the hospitality group Mabel, co-owned by Ronaldo and businessman Manuel Campos Guallar. The ultra-exclusive club, located on the Golden Mile, will cover 1,000 square metres, feature a mobile-phone ban, private offices, co-working areas, and even a podcast studio by day. By night, it will transform into a private dining and cocktail hub.

  When asked about retirement, he said in an interview with Piers Morgan earlier this month, "Soon. I think I will be prepared. It will be tough, of course. Will be difficult, yes. Probably I will cry, yes… It will be very, very difficult but I've prepared my future since [I was] 25, 26, 27 years old. So I think I will be capable to support that pressure."

  He added: "Nothing will compare to the adrenaline we have for football to score a goal. But I have other passions. [When I retire] I'm going to have more time for me, have more time for my family, to raise my kids. I want to be more a family person, more present. Also, to have my own hobbies. I like to see UFC, the fights. I like padel. I like and I want to learn more about my companies. I'll never be a [full-time] YouTuber, of course, but I want to be there. I'm going to spend more time on that to learn. I think I'm going to do funny things and things I'm not used to doing before. Because I live football 24 hours [each day] to do the right things and perform."

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  What comes next for Ronaldo?

  Ronaldo has a contract with Al-Nassr that runs until 2027 and is expected to lead Portugal to global glory during the World Cup in 2026. However, before that, he remains determined to inspire Al-Nassr to the Saudi Pro League title that has remained elusive since he moved to the Middle East. They are currently at the top of the league standings with 27 points from nine matchdays and will return to action against Al-Najma on December 21. 

Naseem Shah and Abrar Ahmed inflicted a late collapse on South Africa to bowl them out for an under-par 263 in the opening ODI in Faisalabad.On a dry, flat batting surface, it allowed Pakistan to control the tempo of the chase, one in which they further tightened their grip with an 87-run opening stand in the first 15 overs. South Africa battled hard through the middle overs to drag the hosts back, but Mohammad Rizwan, freshly stripped of the ODI captaincy, shepherded his side calmly through the middle overs with 55, while Salman Agha chipped in with a half-century of his own.But it wasn’t without a dramatic late stumble that almost derailed Pakistan right at the death, needing a late Mohammad Nawaz six to see Pakistan through to a final-over two-wicket win that should have been more comfortable than it ultimately was.Pakistan appeared to have complicated a chase that – at the outset – looked especially straightforward. With 12 overs to go, Pakistan needed just 69 with seven wickets in hand and their two most reliable batters, Rizwan and Agha, having compiled a 91-run partnership. But Corbin Bosch, Pakistan’s tormentor-in-chief this series, struck when Rizwan flicked straight to deep backward square, and Pakistan suddenly began to find run-scoring hard.Salman Agha and Mohammad Rizwan added 91 together•Associated Press

However, they retained wickets as Hussain Talat and Agha kept counting the runs down, albeit a little more conservatively than Pakistan might have wished. The upshot, however, was a run-a-ball 45-run stand that took Pakistan to less than 30 runs away from a series lead. But when Talat misjudged a slower ball and looped one to mid-off, George Linde took a stunning catch diving forward, and threw the ball and the game back up into jeopardy.Linde would come back into the attack, ball turning square by this stage, and send back Hasan Nawaz, who saw fit to come down the crease against the turning ball and attempt a straight slog, already halfway down the crease when he was stumped. Pakistan’s plight became even drearier when, 12 runs shy, Agha holed out to Donovan Ferreira, who covered a huge chunk of the Iqbal Stadium before taking a catch that dismissed Pakistan’s anchor.With the equation suddenly ten in seven, it was thanks to a straight hit from Nawaz down the ground of the final ball of the 49th that brought the game irrevocably in Pakistan’s control. There was time enough for Nawaz to be dismissed with the scores level, with Pakistan limping over the finish line – quite literally – when one thudded into Naseem’s pads as they scuttled through for a legbye. It seemed an apt metaphor for the ultimate unconvincing manner of Pakistan’s win.It needed to be nothing like that, especially with Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub batting. The duo matched South Africa’s opening pair in the venom of their opening stand, finding boundaries and sixes in the first 15 that took them to well beyond the required rate. It was only a half-hour of pressure from South Africa’s spinners, Bjorn Fortuin and Ferreira, that turned a cakewalk into a contest.On ODI debut, Donovan Ferreira dismissed both Pakistan openers•Associated Press

Ferriera struck first with an arm ball that skidded into Ayub as he shaped for a cut. He would double up two overs later as Fakhar mistimed a slog that found long-on before Fortuin struck the dagger into Faisalabad’s hearts. With Babar Azam crawling along to 7, he got one to skid along the angle and trap him plumb in front, both bowler and batter barely waiting for the umpire’s decision.But Pakistan’s stalwarts of late salvaged the situation and steered Pakistan back on course. In their slightly humdrum yet dependable way, Rizwan and Agha kept turning the strike over and taking Pakistan closer to South Africa’s total. Most crucially, they avoided the fate of South Africa in the middle overs, denying the visitors the constant flurry of wickets that had characterised the first innings and hamstrung South Africa.This series has seen six captains across the two sides, and yet, it has been the home skipper who has won the toss each time. After winning their sixth on the trot, Pakistan elected to chase. Through the debutant Lhuan-dre Pretorius and the returning Quinton de Kock, the visitors may have given Pakistan reason to regret that decision with a near-flawless start.They took on Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem early and refused to let the spin of Agha or Abrar settle either. Pretorius, who took much of the early impetus, danced down the ground to drive Agha over cover in the innings’ eighth over, while de Kock smashed Abrar over long-off to bring up the 50-run stand.By the end of his first three overs, Agha had leaked 30, and Shaheen was forced to turn to Ayub, and that is where Pakistan began to regain some control. South Africa continued to tick along at a fair clip as Pretorius completed a 48-ball 50, but Pakistan starved him of the strike for the next few overs. Even so, South Africa had got to 98 in the 16th over before Pretorius tried to carve Ayub through the offside, only for Nawaz to complete a sharp catch diving to his weaker right side.For the moment, though, South Africa were not to be slowed down by one bump. Tony de Zorzi made his intentions clear by creaming Nawaz over the top for a six so huge it flew out of Iqbal Stadium and required a replacement ball. De Kock was milking the spinners and getting a boundary away each over, with one through short fine off Ayub, bringing up his own half-century in his comeback ODI.Abrar Ahmed came back well in his later spells•Getty Images

The reintroduction of Naseem would serve as the first real break on South Africa’s careening sled. He’d copped 19 in his first three, but coming around the wicket to the two left-handers, he conceded just one in his return over, and when Ayub kept things tight at the other end, Naseem struck in the following over.It was the free-flowing de Kock who, cramped for room from the angle, chipped onto the stumps as he tried to guide the ball fine. Ayub struck six balls later to extinguish de Zorzi’s innings in its embryonic stages, and the momentum began to shift.South Africa lacked batting heft lower down the order. Sinethemba Qeshile’s back-to-back boundaries off Shaheen broke the shackles, while captain Matthew Breetzke walloped Abrar for a six and a four as South Africa attempted a relaunch. But Nawaz induced a top edge from Qeshile off the first ball of the next over, and from thereon Pakistan began to punch their way through a brittle South Africa.It was the first of five wickets to fall within 37 runs as Pakistan gutted their way through South Africa. Abrar got rid of Breetzke and trapped Fortuin first ball, almost believing he had a hat-trick when the umpire raised his finger for his third delivery in a row, but on that occasion, an inside edge denied him the honour.Bosch shielded Ngidi from the strike and put on a valuable 41 runs at the very end, but the resigned disappointment on South African faces at the ultimate score they’d posted told the real story. Four hours later, it was clear how just a few more runs might have made all the difference.

The first leg of Thursday’s doubleheader between the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves ended on a questionable call from home plate umpire Bruce Dreckman.

The Braves were able to load the bases with two outs in the top of the ninth inning, trailing the Phillies by a single run. Left fielder Eli White was at the plate facing Phillies closer Jordan Romano.

On the fourth pitch of the at bat, Romano delivered a breaking ball that appeared to be out of the zone, but Dreckman disagreed, punching White out and ending the game.

From the announce booth, the Braves broadcast team lamented the missed call.

Missed calls are a part of baseball, but when they happen in high leverage moments, they are hard to look past.

Thursday’s game-ending call came just hours after an even worse called strike three ended the Angels’ hopes of a comeback against the Yankees on Wednesday night.

Major League Baseball has been experimenting with its ABS challenge system in spring training, which would allow teams the chance to review some calls on balls and strikes. Should the system eventually make its way to the regular season, it’s possible that calls like this are nothing but a memory in the near future.