Harry Kane has received more transfer advice from Chris Waddle, with the England captain being told that “Bayern Munich are massive but Real Madrid are even bigger”. It has been revealed that exit clauses in Kane’s contract at the Allianz Arena can be triggered in 2026. A Premier League return is considered to be unlikely, but the prolific striker could end up heading for Spain.
Trophy target: Kane eager to savour more success
The 32-year-old frontman has offered no indication that he is looking for another new challenge, with an extension to his deal in Germany being mooted. Remarkable individual standards have been maintained with Bayern – registering 108 goals through 113 appearances.
Kane has broken his trophy duck in Bavaria, savouring Bundesliga title and Super Cup successes, and is setting his sights on more major honours with club and country. A move to Santiago Bernabeu would present him with opportunities to compete for the grandest of domestic and continental prizes.
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What next for Kane – Premier League, La Liga or Bayern stay?
Ex-Tottenham and England star Waddle believes that Kane should be opening himself up to a spell in La Liga – potentially as a ‘Galactico’ in Madrid – with there little to suggest that he would be willing to retrace steps to north London as Spurs’ all-time leading scorer.
Waddle told : “I know, it sounds nice, doesn't it? I've heard this before where people talk about Harry Kane coming back. It would be great for Tottenham of course, but I’m not sure Tottenham will want him at the price and his age.
“Even if there was another team who wanted him, I’m not sure Bayern Munich will want to sell him. They let Robert Lewandowski go to Barcelona at about the same age, and he hasn’t stopped scoring since he left. I’ve looked, and Real Madrid could use a No. 9 like Harry Kane. Lewandowski could be stepping away from Barcelona and he’d be great to slot in there too.
“Harry will be thinking that he’s done his job in England, he might feel the same about his time in Germany. He could now be looking at Italy, Spain or France for a new challenge. Bayern are massive, but Real are even bigger – what a story that would be!
“If I was Real Madrid, Barcelona or Milan, I’d be asking why wouldn’t I go for him? He scores goals, technically very good, he can play as a No. 9 but he can play as a No. 10 too. Some of the work he’s done with Nicolas Jackson has shown just how good his passing and link-up play is. He can create. So really, I’d be surprised if Bayern would even let him leave rather than tie him down for another two years.
“If I was Harry, I’d rather try life in Spain than head back to England. That record would be special, but his track record in England already speaks for itself.”
Another Galactico? Kane urged to join Bellingham & Mbappe
Waddle has previously said of Kane joining the likes of Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe in the Spanish capital: “If he decided, ‘I've done well in Germany, now I'm going to have a game in Paris Saint-Germain or Real Madrid,’ I'm sure Real Madrid would be interested in taking him if he wanted to leave Bayern. And listen, I'm sure Tottenham would welcome him back.
“He's a great player, and people talk about Harry Kane being a really good, intelligent centre-forward. People say he's not quick enough or this or that, but he's gone through his career and scored goals everywhere he's gone. Every season he consistently scores goals, and that's what he's paid for. But he's a very good footballer.
“He wouldn't necessarily say, ‘I'd love to go back to Tottenham.’ If I were him, I'd think, ‘Why don't I sample somewhere else and play for someone like Real Madrid?’ What an opportunity that would be.”
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Kane transfer fee: Cost of triggering Bayern clause
Kane’s contract at Bayern is due to run until 2027. He could, however, be freed from that agreement by an offer of £57 million ($75m) during the summer of 2026. It remains to be seen whether any of his reported suitors – as Barcelona are heavily linked with an approach once more – decide to formalise their interest after Kane has captained England at another World Cup.
Dimitri Payet será desfalque do Vasco no duelo com o Palmeiras nesta quinta-feira (13), pela oitava rodada do Brasileirão. O camisa 10 sofre com dores na perna e sequer viajará para São Paulo com o elenco cruz-maltino. A informação é do portal “ge”.
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➡️ Tudo sobre o Gigante agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso canal Lance! Vasco
O francês já era tido como dúvida desde segunda-feira (10) por conta do problema. Como as dores persistiram, o meia será preservado pela comissão técnica e seguirá fazendo tratamento no Rio de Janeiro.
Além de Payet, quem desfalca o Vasco na partida contra o Palmeiras é Praxedes. O volante eve lesão na coxa direita constatada e não tem condições de jogo. O chileno Gary Medel, que negocia com o Boca Juniors e não deve mais vestir a camisa do Cruz-Maltino, também fica fora do confronto.
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No entanto, o técnico Álvaro Pacheco contará com a volta do atacante Adson, poupado no clássico com o Flamengo por conta de um desconforto muscular. Como o exame não detectou lesão, o ponta treinou normalmente durante a semana e reforça o Vasco nesta quinta-feira (13).
Mainz defender Dominik Kohr deserves a massive 12-match suspension following his red card for a brutal tackle on Hoffenheim's Max Moerstedt, according to World Cup winner Olaf Thon. The defender was shown a straight red card for his challenge in the late stages of the 1-1 draw in the Bundesliga, the ninth time he has been sent off in his professional career.
Kohr creates a new record
Kohr's reckless tackle on Moerstedt landed him his second red card of the season, having been sent off with two yellows in September. Since the 2016-17 campaign, he has been sent off a total of nine times, which makes him the record holder, having surpassed former Hoffenheim, Bayern Munich and Wolfsburg player Luiz Gustavo and ex-Bayer Leverkusen defender Jens Nowotny, who ended their careers with eight. Six of his suspensions have come during his time at his current club, and no other Mainz player has ever seen more than three red cards. Although the defender has apologised for his deeds, he awaits the final ruling on his ban on Monday.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportThon urges for long-term suspension
As per Thon, who won the 1990 World Cup with West Germany, Kohr has been deliberate when it comes to endangering the opponents and a line needs to be drawn to set an example. He said to : "I think it's time to set an example. In this extraordinary case, I think a ban of up to 12 weeks for the Mainz defender is absolutely appropriate. I myself have often played against opponents who have overdone it with their pace, in a way this is certainly part of the contact sport of football and you sometimes have to endure a lot. But a line is crossed when you constantly endanger the health of your opponent."
Kohr's teammate, Danny da Costa, spoke in support of the defender, saying: "You keep reading articles in which he is described as the ‘bully of the league’. I’ve known and played with him long enough to say that this is not fair to him. He has an aggressive playing style, but there are many other players who occasionally go too far. The tackle on Moerstedt was not intentional."
Nadiem Amiri, who plays as an attacking midfielder for Mainz, however, delivered a flat answer. He said: "It was quite clearly a red card. It was not a smart move as he is a key player for us."
Mainz head coach Bo Henriksen, however, played safe by saying: "I didn't see it. But, everyone says it wasn't smart. I have to talk to Dominik."
Kohr issues apology on social media
The German defender was gutted by his recklessness on the pitch. He did not defend his actions and rather humbly accepted his flaw.
He wrote: "It’s important to me to address you directly today, and especially you, Max Moerstedt. In my mind, I just wanted to prevent a pass. When I saw the TV images. I was shocked myself. It could have turned out differently. I’m relieved and glad that nothing more happened to you and that you were able to continue playing. I also apologise to the Mainz fans whom I serve and for whom I always want to give my all. I want to throw myself into every tackle for you, but I want to reassure you once again that I never want to hurt anyone on purpose."
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Getty Images SportWhat comes next for Kohr and Mainz?
The DFB Sports Court is expected to announce its verdict on the defender's suspension on Monday, and it is to be seen whether a hefty ban is imposed on the 31-year-old. Reports in Germany claim he could receive as much as a four-game suspension, which will come as a big blow to Mainz. The ex-Leverkusen player has made over 150 appearances for his current club and remains an important member for Danish maestro Henrikson.
Thomas Tuchel says it gives off a "bad impression" when England players don't embrace the team's collective spirit after Jude Bellingham seemed to take exception to being substituted against Albania. The Real Madrid star returned to the starting lineup for the Three Lions' 2-0 win but was replaced by Morgan Rogers in the second half as the battle for the No.10 spot intensified.
Bellingham returns to England starting XI
After four straight games of Rogers being in the England starting line-up, former Borussia Dortmund star Bellingham got his chance to shine, this time away in Albania. The 22-year-old impressed in the World Cup qualifying victory, even though the ball didn't always bounce his way. The midfielder was, naturally, disappointed to be taken off in the 84th minute, but he still celebrated Harry Kane's goals with the team. However, when one journalist accused Bellingham of not "embracing the collective", Tuchel said he would look into the matter, while stressing the importance of everyone being on the same page.
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'That's a bad impression'
When asked whether Bellingham is possibly not buying into the collective of the England team, he told reporters: "That is a bad impression. It should be about the collective. What we did in camp is all about the collective. I have to then review it – I was happy about the goal. I had a quick talk with Morgan Rogers and I was sure that everyone celebrated together. I will have a look at it. That is not the image we want to transport. We feel everyone is committed and that everyone accepts tough decisions, be it before the match or in the match."
The German added about the substitution: "He [Bellingham] has to accept it, he has to accept it. We should not make more out of it than it is. Rogers was not happy when he couldn't start today because he deserves to play, and he wants to play all the time. We gave him a bit of a rest because he came with a lot of minutes playing at club [level] and played for us against Serbia. I also don't want to make more out of it. I stick to my words – behaviour is key. Decisions are made, and you have to accept it as a player."
Bellingham defended by Ancelotti
In the build up to these England games, former Madrid boss and current Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti came to the aid of Bellingham when question marks were being asked of his attitude. The former Everton manager said on the Rest is Football podcast that Bellingham was a top player and even likened him to Brazilian great Kaka.
"I think Jude is a fantastic player. If I have to compare, we were talking about Kaka. He is this kind of player, a really intelligent player, who is physically really strong, fantastic to arrive in the box at the right time," said Ancelotti. "He's doing really well, and maybe he had a problem with his shoulder. He was out for two or three months, now he's back. No question mark. But why do you have to put a question mark on Bellingham?"
He added, "No, I never had a problem with Jude about his attitude. He is really professional, really serious, works hard in training, like all English players do. And no, no complaints."
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What comes next for Bellingham?
It remains to be seen if certain sections of the media are making a mountain out of a molehill or if Bellingham will be punished for his alleged actions. England finished their World Cup qualifying campaign with a 100 per cent winning record, and just when they appear to be on a roll, they will break for a while before returning next year. The Three Lions' fixtures ahead of next year's tournament in North America are yet to be confirmed, but it will be interesting to see what role Bellingham will play in Tuchel's plans going forward.
Incidentally, the ex-Chelsea boss added on the Albania win, "I cannot believe that I see all of them only in March – it is a tough one for me to swallow. I have to say I love to be on the sideline. I love to compete with them. This will be a long, long period now. They did amazing – from all our players full credit to them. We are very proud. We had a lot of changes and sometimes a lot of changes is not fair to the ones that play because then you miss a core of players who are used to playing with each other, but everyone did well. You could see we had a high quality bench to turn things around and influence things, so why not?"
The MLB trade deadline beckons a certain suddenness that can be jarring to some players.
One moment, they're teammates with a player, the next moment, they're striking out that same player they were sharing a seat on the team plane with. Or, in the case of Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Randal Grichuk, the sudden nature of a trade forced him to say his farewells to teammates during a game.
So on Tuesday, when Minnesota Twins star closer Jhoan Duran, the No. 4 player on SI's Big Board of trade candidates, was spotted hugging an individual in the bullpen, many thought he was headed out the door on a trade.
ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan, already chronically online due to his job as a news breaker, decided to ease the minds of the masses.
One Twins source told Dan Hayes of that Duran "hugged [Twins bullpen catcher] Frank [Nigro] like he always does."
Well, there you go. Much ado about nothing.
Though, for the record, it remains possible that the Twins—currently five games back of the third wild-card spot in the American League—opt to deal their flamethrowing closer, who would fetch quite the trade return.
كشف الدكتور جيرارد أوسو مانزانيت رئيس الجهاز الطبي للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي الزمالك، عن نتيجة الفحوصات الطبية والآشعة التي خضع لها نبيل عماد دونجا لاعب الوسط بعد إصابته أمام زيسكو الزامبي في الكونفدرالية.
وأقيمت المباراة بين الزمالك وزيسكو يونايتد على أرضية استاد القاهرة، في إطار لقاءات الجولة الأولى بمرحلة المجموعات ببطولة الكونفدرالية.
وأوضح رئيس الجهاز الطبي أن الفحوصات أثبتت إصابة دونجا بجزع في الرباط الداخلي للركبة.
طالع | الزمالك يكشف تفاصيل إصابة عبد الله السعيد أمام زيسكو الزامبي
وأضاف أن اللاعب غادر المستشفى بعد الخضوع للفحص الطبي والآشعة، وسيخضع لبرنامج تأهيلي وعلاجي في الفترة المقبلة.
وفاز فريق الزمالك على زيسكو الزامبي بهدف دون رد، في المباراة التي أقيمت بينهما على استاد القاهرة الدولي، في الجولة الأولى لمباريات دور المجموعات لبطولة كأس الكونفدرالية ليحصد الفريق أول 3 نقاط له في المجموعة.
ويحتل نادي الزمالك، المركز الثاني في ترتيب المجموعة الرابعة من بطولة كأس الكونفدرالية، خلف النادي المصري البورسعيدي المتصدر لكل منها 3 نقاط، ذلك بعد نهاية الجولة الأولي من دور المجموعات.
The Arizona Diamondbacks announced on Tuesday their decision to ban season-ticket holder Dave McCaskill, who had reached for a potential home run ball that was still technically in play resulting in fan interference, for the rest of the season.
After McCaskill latest semi-robbery on Monday night, internet sleuths were quick to note that this was not the first time McCaskill’s hand had gotten caught in the home run cookie jar. The eagle-eyed baseball fans at Jomboy Media were able to find four instances over the past four seasons involving a McCaskill reach leading to a review.
On Tuesday, McCaskill made his case while speaking with local news.
“I’m a D-Backs fan. I would never want to do anything to hurt the D-Backs or to have them lose the game,” McCaskill began.
McCaskill said that he had been ejected from games three times due to interference, but all of them had been close calls, and one of them was so close that he wasn’t ejected but actually just moved to another seat in the stadium, “So technically, I’ve only been ejected twice.”
McCaskill made his comments from an office that was adorned with a ton of other baseballs. Speaking with , he said he’s caught 24 home run balls while attending games at Chase Field.
This comical bit of setting works both for and against McCaskill’s case. On one hand, to his point, he’s only been ejected three times, and really only twice when you think about it, and given the number of baseballs he has apparently nabbed, you can make the argument that he’s actually on a pretty good hit rate.
On the other hand, there are many, I would even guess the majority of baseball fans who have never been ejected from a game once, let alone been ejected three times, or actually twice. McCaskill told , that he is apparently notorious enough that Diamondbacks center fielder Alek Thomas recognized him in the moment of his latest interference, asking “Dave, why do you keep doing this?”
It feels like this one blows over eventually. Hopefully McCaskill’s ban for the rest of the year is a good lesson and he can come back and enjoy games in 2026 and maybe still get a few home run balls like if they come in his direction but not be so aggro about it. Maybe it’s time to splurge for club level.
There has been much ado over Chelsea’s credentials as Premier League title challengers this season, but Wednesday evening’s defeat at Leeds United served as a sobering reminder that Arsenal are frustratingly further along in their project.
Enzo Maresca’s multi-title-winning maiden campaign in the Stamford Bridge dugout underscored his capacity to lead the Blues over a number of successful years, and there has been much to like about Chelsea this term.
However, it doesn’t feel like they will get their paws on the league title just yet, with the matchless Moises Caicedo illuminated once again in his absence, suspended for the loss.
The Gunners are nine points ahead at the summit, and Chelsea have improvements still to be made across a number of areas. Central defence is among the priorities, to be sure, with Tosin Adarabioyo’s error-strewn display at Elland Road underscoring that argument.
Tosin's performance vs Leeds
Tosin has faced heavy criticism since blundering late on against Leeds, the ball swept from underneath him by Noah Okafor, leading to Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s late goal to condemn Chelsea to a 3-1 defeat.
This emphasises the need for defensive additions at Chelsea. Maresca has been left with a number of not-quite-perfect options in his rearguard this season, and the 28-year-old Tosin has sadly fallen below expectations, actually winning only one of four duels on the evening. His error was not an isolated incident.
He could do more in the build-up, too. The 28-year-old likes to get on the ball, but he isn’t as progressive as some of his positional peers and this runs counter to the possession-based, flowing football Maresca has implemented.
It’s clear that the former Fulham star needs to be withdrawn from the starting line-up, but Chelsea don’t exactly have an overload of central defensive options, with Levi Colwill still injured and Wesley Fofana in and out of the team.
It will come as no surprise that Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart are gearing up for a big-money move in 2026.
Chelsea lining up Tosin ugrade
According to Football Insider, Chelsea have learned that it is likely to cost them £80m to prise Murillo away from Nottingham Forest next year, with the Brazilian centre-back also attracting the vested interests of Barcelona.
Murillo, 23, is into his third year in the Premier League, and he’s thriving. Instrumental in building Forest up to European contenders, his terrifying physicality and aggressiveness are exactly what Chelsea need.
More to the point, he’s fostering an interesting technical profile, and while Chelsea are eager to complete a deal in January, it may be that they have to wait until the end of the term.
In any case, he would prove an upgrade on Tosin
Why Murillo would be a Tosin upgrade
Murillo just keeps adding layers to his skillset. Hailed as “one of the best defenders in the Premier League” by some experts on Brazilian football.
Curiously, he is not the tallest, standing just shy of 6 feet tall. Nonetheless, Murillo is a force to be reckoned with, a monstrous defensive presence.
And, in spite of the upheaval at Forest this season, he has remained a steely presence in the backline, albeit less creative now that Sean Dyche has settled into his seat.
Murillo’s Premier League Form
Stats (* per game)
24/25
25/26
Matches (starts)
36 (36)
9 (9)
Goals
2
1
Assists
0
0
Clean sheets
11
1
Touches*
55.4
60.1
Accurate passes*
31.4 (80%)
39.1 (83%)
Key passes*
0.4
0.1
Dribbles*
0.8
0.4
Ball recoveries*
3.9
4.4
Tackles + interceptions*
2.5
3.3
Clearances*
6.7
4.6
Duels (won)*
3.6 (60%)
3.4 (66%)
Errors made
4x
0x
Stats via Sofascore
Statistics can be misleading, and though Murillo isn’t directly creating chances for his teammates this season, he remains one of the division’s most dynamic and well-rounded centre-halves, ranking among the top 5% of peers in the Premier League this season for interceptions and blocks, the top 8% for shot-creating actions, the top 12% for progressive passes and the top 5% for successful take-ons per 90, as provided by FBref data.
His enterprising take on the defensive game is something that Tosin simply doesn’t boast in his locker to anywhere near the same standard. Moreover, the 23-year-old is five years Tosin’s junior, and thus has so much scope for growth.
A goalscorer, protector, enforcer and leader, all wrapped into one, there is little question that Murillo would settle into Maresca’s starting line-up at Chelsea, surely at Tosin’s expense.
The English centre-half has been an astute addition after joining Chelsea on a free, but now it is time for that ruthless streak that the west Londoners have shown so many times before.
By implementing that success-first strategy, it will only elevate Maresca’s project.
As bad as Tosin: Maresca's 4/10 flop must never start for Chelsea again
Chelsea’s title hopes seemingly went up in smoke away at Leeds United.
LOS ANGELES — There are places on this earth a person can go to test the thickness of their skin and the resolve of their fight-or-flight instinct. Death Valley. The Danakil Depression. Everest. The visiting bullpen at Dodger Stadium.
Toronto Blue Jays 22-year-old pitcher Trey Yesavage, who only started pitching professionally six months ago, stepped into the toxicity of Chavez Ravine about 20 minutes before World Series Game 5 Wednesday, preparing for the first road postseason start of his budding career.
“You’ll never make it through two innings!” someone shouted. “Make it one!” said another. “You’re going to give up a lot of home runs!”
Decorum allows that those are among the few barbs that can be shared.
What happened next was the harbinger to what would be one of the greatest displays of pitching the World Series has ever seen.
Yesavage turned to his pitching coach, Pete Walker, and said, “I love this!” He recalled later, “That was so much fun, with the way everybody was hating me.”
Once Yesavage stepped on the game mound, the Dodgers, the defending National League champions, the highest scoring team in the league and a team that had just seen him five days ago, had no chance. Yesavage and the Blue Jays overwhelmed the Dodgers in a 6–1 victory that puts Toronto one game from the World Series title. Its first chance is Game 6 Friday.
Yesavage set World Series records for the most strikeouts without a walk (12), most strikeouts by a rookie pitcher and most swings and misses (23) in the pitch-tracking era, which began in 2008.
He did it all with a weird, mechanical delivery in which he takes a short stride and windmills the ball home from a high release point. Yesavage pitches like a man changing a light bulb while standing reluctantly and perilously on a ladder.
”So, I think he was very comfortable there,” Walker said. “I'd been here for a couple of days, seen the atmosphere. He wasn't overwhelmed by any stretch. I could tell by his warmup.
“He locked in, had great things to say, had a great approach. And really, you know, even from the first few warmup hits, I have a good feel for when someone's gonna be on, to be honest with you. And I felt like he was gonna be on here.”
Yesavage threw seven innings while continuing to keep the Dodgers in a deep October funk. The Dodgers must win Game 6 behind Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
SELBE: World Series Game 5 Takeaways: Dave Roberts Is Running Out of Options
Yesavage’s accelerated path to stardom
It was only a year ago that Yesavage entered the draft out of East Carolina. He was a consensus top five pick but slid because of concerns about his medicals. The Mariners rated him among the top two picks in the draft but passed because of injury concerns. The Jays snapped him up at 20. The first thing everybody noticed about him was his goofy, aw-sucks mannerisms. He started the next season, this year, at Class A. Word began to spread about this amazing giraffe of a pitcher.
“You know, when we drafted him, we obviously had a video and we looked at him and you’re like, “Oh, boy, that kid's gonna be really good,’” Walker said. “But even early on, because it is a funky delivery, funky release, it seemed like early on watching a lot of balls that were in the dirt were [inducing swings].”
Said Kevin Gausman, “I knew we drafted him. Honestly, the first video I saw of him throwing after the draft, I was kinda like, ‘Wow, what is this?’ It kind of jumps out. It's funky, it's kind of head, head towards the other.”
Yesavage hit every rung on the ladder before making his MLB debut Sept. 15.
“ Honestly,” Walker said, “we're hearing about him punching everybody out and I don't think anybody here honestly thought they would see him here. I honestly thought only of him getting to the big leagues and getting his feet wet, as opposed to getting the big leagues and dominating the World Series.”
Split-finger determined success
Yesavage and Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk executed Toronto’s game plan to perfection. / Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated
The Jays are 7–1 when Yesavage starts, the only loss being a clunker in ALCS Game 1 in which his signature split went missing. But with Walker’s help, and relying more on feel than a mechanical tweak, Yesavage found his elusive butterfly of a pitch.
“The last game he really had a tough time locating it,” Walker said. “He felt like it was not in his hand properly and just had a tough time getting the action he was looking for. So we went to the slider a little bit more last time, used more fastballs, but we knew we had to have the split today.”
His split in Game 5 was devastating. He threw 30 of them. The Dodgers tried to hit it 10 times. They missed seven times. He threw seven innings making the Dodgers and their taunting fans look foolish.
“He told me, ‘I love this,’ before it started,” Walker said. “I could tell he was comfortable. He was very comfortable to me. And he was fired up. Don’t get me wrong. It wasn’t like he was just going normally about his business. He was fired up, but he was in a comfort zone.”
The Dodgers prepped for the game by hitting off a virtual Yesavage in the Trajekt robotic pitching machine. The machine adjusts itself to match the exact release point and pitch shape of Yesavage.
“Once we set it,” one Dodger said, “it kept raising and raising until it was as far as it could go.” The high-tech pitching machine, the team source said, goes for about $300,000 with another annual fee of about $100,000 for software. The machine was invented by two former engineering students at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, about two miles from Toronto.
It didn’t help the Dodgers, nor did seeing him a second time in five days.
“Just complete dominance,” Gausman said. “When he has his split,” said teammate Max Scherzer, “it’s borderline unhittable.”
By the end of the night, Yesavage had himself a place as one of the greatest phenoms in World Series history, not to mention a $140 bottle of tequila in his locker as a reward from teammates for a job well done.
Ultimately, reality had to bite. 276 has never been chased at the Gaddafi, and the prospect has become even more unlikely since Pakistan pivoted to rapidly deteriorating spin tracks. South Africa gamely hung around till deep into the middle session, but they had been cut too far adrift, and kept losing too many wickets. Shaheen Shah Afridi polished off the tail after Pakistan’s spinners made early inroads, sealing a 93-run win that breaks South Africa’s record 10-Test win streak.Pakistan’s nerves had been settled at lunch with the dismissal of the dangerous and the dogged – Ryan Rickelton and Dewald Brevis both falling to superb deliveries from Sajid Khan and Noman Ali. Senuran Muthuswamy was trapped in front shortly after the resumption, and for the next half hour both sides appeared to be going through the motions. Kyle Verreynne and Simon Harmer hung around without really making a charge towards the total, while Pakistan’s spin kept plugging away, but without the intensity before the break. Slowly, South Africa edged past Pakistan’s third innings total, the first time since Pakistan have prepared these tracks that the fourth innings has outscored the third.The reintroduction of Afridi broke the game open, though. Coming around the wicket, he found reverse with the ageing ball on the ageing surface, viciously dipping one back into Verreynne that struck him so square Afridi never turned around to confirm the umpire agreed with his assessment that ball was hitting the stumps.Numbers 10 and 11 were easy work for an amped up Afridi, who sensed an opportunity to pad his figures up in a game where his relevance to the side had hitherto been limited. Prenelan Subrayen and Kagiso Rabada had no answer for the swinging yorkers that rattled their stumps, sealing a win that had perhaps been secured when Pakistan ran up a large total in the first two sessions of the first day.Dewald Brevis and Ryan Rickelton gave South Africa hope•Getty Images
A lively session of cricket had broken out in the morning in Lahore with Brevis taking the attack to Pakistan. The 22-year-old, playing just his third Test match, threatened to pull off the spectacular with a run-a-ball 54 but was unable to sustain such a breakneck tempo on a wearing subcontinent pitch. Noman took back the spotlight that South Africa have been trying to take away from him through the course of this entire game, bringing up his third Test-match 10-for and putting Pakistan on the road to victory. At lunch, they were four wickets off and had 139 runs with which to buy them.Nothing like this target of 277 has ever been chased before in a Test match in Lahore and that record seemed set to continue when the first four overs of Wednesday’s play yielded two wickets and just five runs. Afridi went through Tony de Zorzi’s defence with his third ball and the worry the visitors had about new batters struggling to find rhythm in these conditions came to pass. Tristan Stubbs only lasted eight balls before reverse sweeping Noman to Salman Agha at slip, who now has five catches in the match.South Africa’s overnight 51 for 2 had become 55 for 4 when Brevis walked in. He took a little time to get acclimatised and then, in the 34th over, he charged out to meet a half-volley from Noman and smacked it over mid-off. A slog sweep for six and a heave over midwicket for four followed, giving the young batter all the confidence he needed to trust in his attacking instincts. The battle between Brevis and Pakistan peaked when he hit a no-look six over long-on to bring up his half-century.Noman had been the recipient of most of Brevis’ punishment, but the canny left-arm spinner knew all he needed was one ball in the right area. That came in the seventh over before lunch when a ball fired into the pitch gripped well enough to turn right past the defending batter and clatter into the stumps. Brevis fell for 54 off 54 with six of South Africa’s 10 fours and all of their two sixes in the final innings.That was Noman’s 10th wicket of the match. Sajid, his spin-bowling partner, chipped in with one as well when he dismissed the other set batter, Ryan Rickelton, for 45 off 145 deliveries as Pakistan went to the break consolidating the upper hand they’ve had since the first day’s play.South Africa spent the best part of four days trying to claw back that advantage, and while they took Pakistan the distance, it was a task which proved just a bridge too far, even for the world champions.