It might go against everything you’d expect to see from a right wing-back, although the decision to deploy Amad in that role is currently working wonders for Ruben Amorim and Manchester United, with the Ivorian striking up a devastating partnership with Bryan Mbeumo in recent weeks.

The presence of two left-footers both seeking to cut inside had caused problems in the early knockings of the campaign, not least when they collided in the area in the opening day defeat to Arsenal, with doubts creeping in over whether the duo were simply too similar to thrive together in tandem.

Since the win over Sunderland, however, in which the pair showed shades of Yorke and Cole with their interchanges, this right-wing pairing has simply taken off, with the two men combining at Anfield and at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

For all the question marks over Amad’s defensive prowess, having been caught out for Morgan Gibbs-White’s header at the City Ground, the 23-year-old is certainly making up for those shortcomings by dominating proceedings at the top end of the pitch.

That impact has no doubt been highlighted even further by the issues on the other flank, with Amorim still yet to find a permanent solution at left wing-back.

Man Utd's solutions at left wing-back

Heading into the January window, this might be an area that Jason Wilcox and co look to strengthen again, amid links to the likes of Inter’s Federico Dimarco, despite having seemingly solved that problem almost 12 months ago.

Indeed, the addition of Lecce’s Patrick Dorgu looked to have handed Amorim a perfect fit for this system, with the versatile Dane having previously featured as a winger, as well as at full-back, making him ideal for a rampaging left-sided role.

Perhaps as to be expected for a player who only recently turned 21, however, Dorgu is undoubtedly still a work in progress, a fact heightened most notably at the Etihad, where he had the most touches in the opposition box for United (12), yet had little to show for it.

An improved display did follow last time out against Spurs, having won nine duels in total, although that rawness to his game was seen in the final third, as he lost possession 24 times, as per Sofascore.

That is perhaps why Amorim had turned to Diogo Dalot as an unorthodox option prior to that, albeit with the Portuguese full-back not exactly shining in that role either, having been caught out for Nicolo Savona’s goal against Nottingham Forest.

The 26-year-old, as is to be expected for a right-footer, looks distinctly uncomfortable on that flank, forced to cut in repeatedly, rather than burst into potential space ahead of him down the left.

There is something of a wildcard option in the form of summer arrival, Diego Leon, although the 18-year-old – who did score a stunning solo goal for the U21s against Spurs – is still finding his feet in the youth ranks, having yet to make a competitive senior appearance.

The Paraguayan, thankfully, isn’t the only teenage sensation that Amorim can turn to in the near future.

How Man Utd can replace Dorgu

It will take more than one transfer window to get this squad where both Amorim and INEOS want it to be, although the Old Trafford side can’t simply rely on incomings and investment – the academy set-up also needs to be utilised.

Perhaps in midfield, the Portuguese coach could look to a player like 17-year-old sensation, Jim Thwaites, while at wing-back, a future star is brewing in the form of 18-year-old, Harry Amass.

The ex-Watford starlet – who made his senior debut last season against Leicester City – ended 2024/25 with seven senior appearances to his name under Amorim, having most notably come off the bench in the 5-4 thriller against Lyon in the Europa League.

Tipped to be “Luke Shaw’s successor” by journalist Alex Turk – with Shaw himself singling out his compatriot as one to watch – Amass has long been tipped for a starring role in the first-team, a fact only heightened by his displays out on loan at Sheffield Wednesday.

The teenager joined the struggling side on loan over the summer, having since gone on to make a real impression for the Owls, notably netting a delightful strike from range in the recent defeat to Southampton.

That effort showcased everything Amorim would surely want from a wing-back, as Amass took it upon himself to drive into the centre of the pitch, before providing a real quality end product.

Lauded as “one of the most exciting teenage full-backs in Europe” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the diminutive talent has started all 11 games since moving to Hillsborough, with ten of those seeing him play the full 90 minutes.

Harry Amass – 25/26 stats
Stat	Record
Games (starts)	11 (11)
Goals	1
Assists	0
Big chances created	2
Key passes*	0.7
Pass accuracy*	79%
Successful dribbles*	1.4
Total duels won*	50%
Tackles & interceptions	3.2
Stats via Sofascore

Such is the success of that loan spell so far, in which he has featured in a left midfield or left wing-back berth, there is already talk of further moves between the clubs, with United academy stars such as Victor Musa and Gabriele Biancheri in line to potentially follow him to Sheffield.

Whether Amass does actually see out the season in his temporary home remains to be seen, however, with recent reports revealing that there is the presence of a break clause in January, ensuring he could return to United in the New Year.

Should that occur, it would likely be with another loan in mind, although with neither Dorgu nor Dalot nailing down that left-sided role this season, Amorim should certainly consider bringing Amass back into the fold.

Their own Wharton: Man Utd teen looks like he's "stepped out of La Masia"

Manchester United could save themselves millions in the transfer window, by looking for an in-house Adam Wharton.

By
Robbie Walls

Nov 14, 2025

يلتقي منتخب المغرب، اليوم الجمعة، مع نظيره عمان، ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس العرب 2025 المقامة في دولة قطر.

ويواجه المغرب منتخب عمان على ملعب استاد المدينة التعليمية في العاصمة القطرية الدوحة ضمن منافسات الجولة الثانية من دور المجموعات.

طالع|موعد مباراة سوريا القادمة في كأس العرب بعد التعادل مع قطر

يدخل المنتخب المغربي بقيادة المدرب طارق السكتيوي المباراة بهدف الفوز وحسم بطاقة التأهل إلى ربع النهائي في كأس العرب، بعد فوزه في الجولة الأولى على منتخب جزر القمر بنتيجة 3-1.

من جانبه، يسعى المنتخب العماني بقيادة البرتغالي كارلوس كيروش لتعويض خسارته أمام السعودية 2-1 في الجولة الأولى، وتحقيق نتيجة إيجابية أمام أسود الأطلس للبقاء في المنافسة على التأهل. موعد مباراة المغرب وعمان في كأس العرب

وتنطلق المباراة بين المغرب وعمان في الساعة 4:30 مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة والساعة 5:30 مساءً بتوقيت الدوحة والسعودية و3:30 مساءً بتوقيت المغرب و6:30 مساءً بتوقيت عمان. القنوات الناقلة لمباراة المغرب وعمان في كأس العرب

وتُبث المباراة عبر قنوات بي إن سبورتس HD المفتوحة، بالإضافة إلى قناة الكأس 1، أبوظبي الرياضية، ودبي الرياضية وإم بي سي مصر 2.

ويمكنكم مطالعة مواعيد ونتائج جميع المباريات لحظة بلحظة عبر مركز المباريات من هنا.

Longtime relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel is signing with the Astros, ESPN's Jeff Passan reported on Thursday. He will be signed to their major league team.

Kimbrel started off the 2025 season on the Braves' minor league teams of the Double-A Columbus Clingstones and the Triple-A Gwinnett Stripers. He was called up to the majors for one game in June and appeared in one inning before being designated for assignment.

Shortly after in June, he signed a minor league contract with the Rangers. He played for the Triple-A Round Rock and was released on Thursday. He posted a 3.86 ERA in 28 innings there.

Kimbrel is a nine-time All-Star reliever, with his most recent nod coming in 2023 with the Phillies. The Astros will mark the ninth MLB team Kimbrel's played for in his 16-year career.

Kimbrel struggled last season with the Orioles, posting a 5.33 ERA across 57 game appearances. He threw 73 strikeouts across 52.1 innings pitched.

The Athletics lost at home to the Arizona Diamondbacks, 7-2, on Saturday night in a forgettable game between two teams with losing records.

Athletics manager Mark Kotsay had the team's biggest highlight of the night when he was tossed in the seventh inning after he lit up home plate umpire John Bacon with a profane message over what sure looked like a bad call on a pitch that was ruled a ball.

"Inside!?," Kotsay yelled from the dugout after Bacon missed what looked like should have been strike one. He then didn't hold back:: "It’s not f—— down! You missed the ball all night. All night you f—– us!"

 Here's that moment:

Safe to say Kotsay didn't like that call.

He then had to take a long, awkward walk back to the Athletics' clubhouse, which is behind the left field wall:

Kotsay and the Athletics will look to bounce back Sunday when they finish off their series with the Diamondbacks at 4:05 p.m. ET.

The team's first season playing in Sacramento has been a mess, as they're now 49-64 and in last place in the AL West.

The Australia captain went through his action off about five paces at Cricket Central in Sydney

AAP29-Oct-2025Pat Cummins has made a tentative return to bowling as Australia’s Test captain accelerates his bid to play in the Ashes.Cummins bowled off a five-step run-up in a brief net session in Sydney on Wednesday. Australia’s captain has been ruled of out of the first Test against England starting on November 21 in Perth.Related

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But Cummins, who has said he would need four to six weeks of bowling before returning to match action, hopes to return in the middle sector of the five-Test series.The second Test in Brisbane starts on December 4 and the third Test in Adelaide on December 17.Cummins bowled off a short run-up at Cricket New South Wales’ Silverwater headquarters on Wednesday, watched by renowned physio Patrick Farhart and the Blues’ strength and conditioning coach, Dean McNamara.His bowling return came two days after Australia coach Andrew McDonald expressed hope Cummins could prove his fitness for the second Test.”We flagged this a week or so ago, that it would take sort of four-plus weeks to get him up and running,” McDonald told reporters on Monday. “We’ve run out of time [for the first Test] unfortunately, but really optimistic and hopeful for the second Test match.”The next question is, what’s the time frame, what does it look like for the second Test? [I am] not really going to be able to answer that, other than to say that he’ll be back bowling this week, and that’s a huge step.”That was the big variable that we wanted to add in and get that information. So we’re on the journey to that second Test and very hopeful that that will be a positive outcome.”Cummins last played in mid-July on Australia’s Test tour of the West Indies. He reported back soreness after returning to Australia and was diagnosed with a lumbar stress injury in September.McDonald said how Cummins recovered from his return to bowling would be vital.”We will see how he pulls up and then we’ll make decisions moving forward,” he said. “With the nature of this injury, it’s never going to be a clear time frame … I would never put the medical team under that sort of duress either.”

Curtis Jones said it best. However, it’s probably best to glaze over the exact details of the Liverpool star’s post-match thoughts, his team having been wrecked at Anfield by PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League.

But Liverpool are in the lurch, and this has formed into a crisis of unimaginable depths for Arne Slot, who believes he has the backing of FSG and the board, but with each miserable defeat is cashing in more credit from the bank of his Premier League title success last season.

Liverpool have lost their past three matches by an aggregate score of 10-1. Since the November international break, Anfield has hosted Nottingham Forest and now PSV, and the Reds have been turned over both times.

So deep is this malaise that Liverpool are beginning to become a team not just struggling to identify tactical answers but lacking any conviction or confidence in their performance. In many ways, they are victims of their own self-combustion.

And Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate are, sadly, representations of that.

Liverpool's deteriorating defence

Across Liverpool’s past three matches in all competitions – three defeats – they have recorded an xG score of 6.59; their opponents have combined for a 5.39 total. As already mentioned, the aggregate score stands at 10-1 to the opposition.

As the boss, Slot has to shoulder the blame. However, he must be dumbfounded by the manner of Liverpool’s defending, the absence of coherence. There is an inability to perform the basics of football that has rattled this cage too hard.

Konate is a perfect example of this, with the French centre-back so shorn of belief that mistakes are becoming a part of his daily routine.

When Liverpool concede, Konate is at the heart of it. And Liverpool are conceding in droves.

But the typically unflappable Van Dijk is deteriorating too. He inexplicably shot his hand into the air like a curious schoolchild in the early stages against PSV, and that sealed a spot kick for the visitors. Moments into the game. Converted. Set-piece concession. Again.

He might be 34, but the skipper remains one of the best defenders in the world. Still, his leadership skills have been swept from under his feet, so disjointed is this Liverpool backline.

VAN DIJK KONATE GRAPHIC

Slot needs to fix this mess, and no mistake. But Liverpool’s problem stretch far wider than just the inconsistencies of centre-backs. Where to begin? Where is the end of this remarkable rut?

The boss was brought in for his cool-headedness and tactical ingenuity. But that’s not been on show this season, and the repeated hammering of two stars into a combination that just isn’t working is an illustration of this bitter situation.

Slot cannot start them together again.

Slot must never start Liverpool duo together again

Liverpool have so many tactical imbalances. It is quite incredible how Slot’s side have regressed so deeply after cantering to the Premier League title last term.

But this is the club’s reality, and Slot needs to prove he can find the answers, else his tenure will be cut painfully, regrettably, short.

To spark positive change, the Netherlands tactician has to end this partnership of Milos Kerkez and Cody Gakpo down the left flank. There is no harmony on show between the left-back and winger.

Kerkez is fast, and, when he’s firing on all cylinders, furious. Analyst Sam McGuire observed that “a potential break is nullified by our own players” when the Hungarian threw himself down the line, only for those around him to remain rooted to their spots.

Sure, Kerkez, who joined Liverpool from Bournemouth for £40m this summer, is showing himself to be unintuitive defensively. But awareness and understanding can be worked on, and such flaws have been exacerbated by the squad’s wider issues.

Gakpo is a seasoned Liverpool star now, having joined from PSV in a deal rising to £45m in January 2023. He needs to play with more conviction and more maturity. He also needs to connect with Kerkez and help this young and talented left-back grow into his skin.

Minutes played

90′

90′

Goals

0

0

Assists

0

0

Touches

66

66

Shots (on target)

1 (0)

3 (1)

Accurate passes

31/35 (89%)

28/35 (80%)

Crosses

1/5

3/9

Key passes

1

4

Dribbles

0/2

1/4

Tackles won

4/8

1/2

Clearances

2

0

Duels won

9/14

4/9

Twice Kerkez and Gakpo have started together in the Champions League, and twice Liverpool have been beaten, first at Galatasaray, a miserable evening, and then this week, at Anfield against PSV.

It is unfair to heap all the criticism on these. The sum of Liverpool’s downfall is greater than its individual parts. Against Manchester City earlier this month, Slot lumped them on together with just over half an hour on the clock; they were already three goals down.

But they aren’t working together, not one bit. You can see why Liverpool are so interested in completing a winter deal for the electric Antoine Semenyo, Kerkez’s former teammate at the Vitality Stadium.

The 22-year-old was part of the PFA Premier League Team of the Year last season. He was immense at Bournemouth. But that player has not been found at Anfield this season, with content creator Mark Goldbridge remarking that he has been “such a bad signing” for the champions.

In fairness to Kerkez, he is being shoehorned into a role that does not suit him. It is hard to believe that he, a ferocious touchline full-back, moved to Merseyside on the premise of being utilised in a build-up-focused role.

Journalist Henry Winter said after the match that it’s “pointless writing him off”, and that he “shines most when overlapping a left winger who reads his movement”.

This is not Gakpo. Though the Dutch forward probably receives undue criticism at times, he is not an uncoded winger, given artistic license to roam and do as he pleases – to an extent. No, Gakpo is quite limited in what he does, but he does it well, and that offered a nice counterpoint to Luis Diaz last season, both forwards notching 25 goal involvements across all competitions for league-winning Liverpool.

With four goals and three assists this term, Gakpo isn’t providing the clinical output needed, and Kerkez’s woes behind him are certainly factoring into this tough equation.

The fact of the matter is Liverpool are in a mess of a situation, and Slot’s tenure teeters on the edge of a precipice.

The Dutch coach has just a handful of games to save his Liverpool tenure, and if he continues to persist with this Kerkez-Gakpo combination, he will only be writing his own dismissal note.

Slot must drop 3/10 Liverpool flop who was just as bad as Konate vs PSV

Arne Slot must now axe this Liverpool flop after he put in an extremely poor display at Anfield against PSV Eindhoven.

1 ByKelan Sarson Nov 27, 2025

There has been some understandable concern from some sections of the Leeds United fan base over the club’s recent run of results in the Premier League under Daniel Farke.

The Whites have lost their last three matches in the division, to Brighton, Nottingham Forest, and Aston Villa, despite taking the lead in the last two games.

This run of results has left the West Yorkshire outfit in the relegation zone, albeit only on goal difference, with a daunting run of fixtures on the horizon in the Premier League.

Leeds travel to The Etihad to face Manchester City this weekend before a clash with Chelsea at Elland Road in midweek and a game against reigning champions Liverpool next weekend.

Unless the Whites pull off a surprise result in one of those matches, which is not impossible when you consider that Farke did beat City with Norwich in 2019, they could find themselves adrift in the relegation zone.

If Leeds lose all three of those games, it would be six defeats on the spin and a spot in the bottom three for the club. That is a hard position for any manager to keep their job in.

The case for Leeds to stick with Daniel Farke

Farke’s Premier League record will, naturally, come into question after his dismal time in the top-flight across two seasons with Norwich and the Whites’ form this term.

The German boss has lost 42 of his 61 games in the league, averaging 0.61 points per game, per Transfermarkt, with the Canaries and Leeds combined, which is a concerning statistic for any supporter looking to the manager and hoping that he can keep the team in the division.

However, it is worth adding some context. Norwich spent money on one permanent signing, Sam Byram for £750k, in the 2019/20 campaign and they had to play their last nine games behind closed doors. Before the second season, Farke’s best player, Emi Buendia, was sold to Aston Villa just weeks after they earned promotion from the Championship.

Then, of course, Farke wanted Leeds to strengthen their attacking options in the summer transfer window, but the club were unable to get a deal done for Harry Wilson on deadline day, which has left the manager short of options in the final third.

25/26 PL	Leeds	PL rank
xG	14.3	13th
Goals	11	19th
xGA	16.1	12th
Goals conceded	22	17th
xGD	-1.8	12th
GD	-11	19th
Stats via FBref

As you can see in the table above, Leeds should be in midtable based on their performances, but the players have not taken their chances and their goalkeepers have conceded more than expected.

Whilst all of this mitigation is a case to save Farke’s job, a fresh report suggests that the club may be making a change in the dugout in the coming weeks.

The latest on Daniel Farke's future at Leeds

According to Football Insider, the owners are ‘preparing’ to part ways with the German boss if he is unable to oversee an improvement in the team’s results in the next week or so.

The report claims that the club are planning to sack Farke if he does not pick up any points from the matches against Manchester City and Chelsea, as harsh as that may seem given the level of opposition.

Manager Focus

Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast’s Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.

It adds that the Whites are already looking at possible options to come in and replace the German manager in the dugout if they do have a decision to make in the next seven days.

Football Insider reveals that Valencia head coach Carlos Corberan is one of the names in the frame to possibly replace Farke, stating that he has moved ahead in the race to move to the Premier League.

If Leeds are able to convince their former U21s boss to return to Elland Road, the Spaniard could arrive as an upgrade on Farke and the club’s new Marcelo Bielsa.

Why Leeds should appoint Carlos Corberan

Whilst, as aforementioned, there is plenty of mitigation that suggests that Farke would be somewhat unfortunate to lose his job, this latest update clearly shows that Leeds are preparing for a change.

With this in mind, the focus should be on getting the best possible manager in to take the job, and there may not be many better and realistic options than Corberan, due to his history with Leeds and his managerial career to date.

The Spanish boss, who has played a 4-4-2 and a 4-2-3-1 in LaLiga this season, was a first-team coach under Bielsa at Elland Road before taking his first senior posting outside of Cyprus with Huddersfield in 2020.

Since then, he has managed Olympiacos, West Bromwich Albion, and Valencia, gaining vital experience, and has had his coaching style compared to that of Bielsa’s, as shown in the post below.

This suggests that the Whites would be signing a more pragmatic manager than Farke, and one who may be able to implement more subtle tactics within matches to secure results.

That is backed up by his record in LaLiga with Valencia since he made the decision to move on from West Brom to make the move to Spain midway through the 2024/25 campaign.

LaLiga/Premier League	Farke	Corberan
Matches managed	61	34
Wins	9	12
Draws	10	11
Losses	42	11
Points	37	47
Points per game	0.61	1.38
Stats via Transfermarkt

As you can see in the table above, the ex-Leeds U21s manager has a far better record in a major European league than Farke has, with ten more points from almost half as many games.

Of course, there is the aforementioned mitigation to take into account for Farke, but the Valencia boss is now a proven operator at that level of management, whilst the German is still yet to prove that he can successfully keep a team up.

Corberan was once hailed as “elite” by scout Petar Petrov for getting more out of his group of players than expected, which is exactly what the Whites need in the position that they are currently in.

Therefore, the Spaniard could arrive as an upgrade on Farke, due to his proven ability to get the most out of his players at the top level in Europe, whilst also being Bielsa 2.0 with his pragmatism and willingness to adapt, which is why the club should move for him if they sack Farke.

Leeds have a "laughable" signing who's a bigger waste of time than Perri

Leeds United fans must now be scratching their heads as to why their beloved side ever signed this dud.

By
Kelan Sarson

Nov 28, 2025

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.”

Zimbabwe-born batter has sights set on higher honours after sparkling in sunshine at The Oval

Matt Roller11-Aug-2025The Hundred’s relentless social-media push for viral moments can make it hard to know where to look across a weekend featuring eight matches, 2,084 runs and 95 wickets. But Tawanda Muyeye’s roar of celebration after Jordan Cox hit the winning runs at a brimming Oval on Saturday afternoon was the culmination of a performance which demanded attention.Muyeye punched the air and shouted in celebration in the south London sunshine, after playing an innings that had been two years in the making. First signed by Oval Invincibles in 2023, he has been backed as a first-choice player this season and his unbeaten 59 off 28 balls to set up a nine-wicket thrashing of Manchester Originals showed precisely why.When Muyeye walked along Cottesloe Beach earlier this year to meet Invincibles coach Tom Moody for coffee, he feared that he was about to be released. He was playing grade cricket in Perth, and knew the retention deadline was imminent. “I was like, ‘Goodness, this could be one of two things: either I’m getting flicked, or he’s going to continue with me,'” Muyeye said.Related

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Muyeye, Jacks demolish Originals as Invincibles go two from two

But Moody was clear in his belief that after struggling to find an opening partner for Will Jacks – Jason Roy and Dawid Malan were both inconsistent – it was time to back Muyeye. “We felt that T was ready to play a frontline position,” Moody said. “He’s come along leaps and bounds over the last 12 months, and has been part of our dressing room for some time now.”Muyeye has had a breakout T20 season for Kent – only D’Arcy Short has scored more than his 516 runs in the Blast – and he believes he is a far better player than the one Moody first signed as a wildcard on Matt Walker and Sam Billings’ recommendation: “Every time I’ve come into this group, I’ve improved so much [from] being around a gun group of cricketers.”His innings on Saturday was dominant, part of an opening stand worth 114 in just 49 balls. Jacks appeared determined to break the back of the game inside the powerplay – he slashed his second ball over deep third for six – and Muyeye soon emerged from his slipstream, hitting his first ball for four and then belting another off James Anderson.

“If I keep working hard, we don’t know what can happen in the future. [International cricket] has always been my dream… But I’m just trying to focus on getting better and being the best player possible.”Tawanda Muyeye

“Jacksy just took the attack to them and I was like, ‘Okay, well, I might as well join the party,'” Muyeye said. “It was good. He took the initiative… I don’t play like that without him, so it was a bit of yin and yang. I think our games complement each other pretty well, and we showed it today.”The most impressive feature of Muyeye’s innings was his takedown of Noor Ahmad: he had never previously faced a left-arm wristspinner in a short-form match, but hit five of Noor’s first six balls for four. It was substance to match his undeniable style. “I just saw a few opportunities, and played my strongest shots against him,” Muyeye said.”We talked about one of their threats being Noor, who is one of the most effective wristspinners in the game,” Moody added. “We talked about concentrating on vertical-bat shots through the off side, and he played a couple of great ones: one just past cover, then one lifted over cover-point. Absorbing information is one thing; being able to execute under pressure is another.”For all of Muyeye’s success in the Blast this year, the Hundred is a step up. His innings on Saturday came in front of a soldout crowd at The Oval, in a televised game, and in a tournament with a concentrated talent pool. “For me personally, this is the closest thing to international cricket there is,” he said.!function(){“use strict”;window.addEventListener(“message”,function(a){if(void 0!==a.data[“datawrapper-height”]){var e=document.querySelectorAll(“iframe”);for(var t in a.data[“datawrapper-height”])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data[“datawrapper-height”][t]+”px”;r.style.height=d}}})}();