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كشفت تقارير صحفية تطورات جديدة بشأن مستقبل المدافع الإسباني المخضرم سيرجيو راموس مع نادي مونتيري المكسيكي، والذي ينتهي عقده في 31 ديسمبر 2025.

وبحسب “Daily Sports” أعلن سيرجيو راموس صاحب الـ39 عاماً أنه لن يجدد عقده مع مونتيري المكسيكي وسيغادر خلال شهر واحد فقط.

ولا يخطط سيرجيو راموس للاعتزال بعد الفترة التي لعبها في المكسيك، وكلف وكلاء أعماله بالبدء في البحث عن ناد جديد.

وكان سيرجيو راموس اختار الانضمام إلى مونتيري المكسيكي في بداية عام 2025، كلاعب حر بعد انتهاء عقده مع إشبيلية.

أقرأ أيضاً.. فان دايك يوجه رسالة إلى جماهير ليفربول بعد زلزال آيندهوفن

جدير بالذكر أن سيرجيو راموس شارك في 30 مباراة مع مونتيري المكسيكي وسجل 7 أهداف.

وبدأ سيرجيو راموس مسيرته مع الفريق الأول لإشبيلية في 2004، ثم انتقل لريال مدريد وبقى لـ16 عاماً ورحل لباريس سان جيرمان ولعب لمدة موسمين حتى 2023 وعاد لإشبيلية لموسم واحد قبل أن ينتقل لمونتيري في 2025.

Emma Jones, Alice Davidson-Richards shine with centuries before rain hits

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay10-Sep-2025Surrey 313 for 5 (Jones 141, Davidson-Richards 107) vs Essex match abandonedRain denied Surrey the chance of securing a semi-final spot in the Metro Bank Women’s One-Day Cup, after centuries from Emma Jones and Alice Davidson-Richards had put them in a commanding position over Essex.With Somerset washed out away to Hampshire, a bonus-point victory for Surrey would have been enough to secure fourth place ahead of their final match away to Durham on Saturday.Instead, the rain, which arrived at the innings break and didn’t stop, means the match at Chester-le-Street now turns into an effective quarter-final, with Durham in fifth place and only three points behind Surrey.Surrey had made two changes to their team that lost to Lancashire at the weekend, one of which was Jones coming in at No.3 in place of Alice Capsey.Jones had played just one fifty-over match for Surrey this year, and while showing glimpses with the bat across the T20 season, no-one predicted that her inclusion would bring such dramatic results, as she compiled a chanceless 141 off only 117 balls to record her first century for Surrey.Jones entered this season without a half-century to her name in List A cricket, but has now scored two massive centuries in the format, after making 147 not out off 101 balls earlier this year while on loan at Glamorgan.After rain early in the day, Surrey’s innings had been reduced to 45 overs, although they still managed to finish on 313 for 5 on what was a difficult day in the field for Essex, who with just two wins from 13 matches, remain bottom of the table.”Jonesy was hitting them wonderfully,” said Davidson-Richards, who made 107.”I was just enjoying helping her along and watching her smash fours at the other end. I think sometimes it’s really simple and you just realise how the other person is ticking. It was a really nice partnership.”

Thomas Frank has lifted the lid on a remarkable moment from his Brentford tenure, revealing he was interviewed for the Manchester United job inside Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s garage — just hours before holding another meeting with Chelsea. The Tottenham boss says he still can’t believe he spoke with two of the world’s biggest clubs on the same day before United eventually chose Ruben Amorim.

• Frank reveals talks with Man Utd in Ratcliffe's garage

  Frank has revealed that he was formally interviewed by Manchester United during their search for a new manager in the summer of 2024, and the unusual talks took place in Ratcliffe’s garage. It came as the Red Devils were weighing up potential successors to Erik ten Hag before eventually delaying the change until six months later. Frank also travelled across London later that same day to discuss a separate vacancy with Chelsea, who ultimately appointed Enzo Maresca instead.

  The Dane, then Brentford manager, had been firmly established as a Premier League success story, having guided the Bees into the top flight and cemented them as a stable mid-table force. His work placed him on the radar of both clubs as they conducted parallel managerial searches ahead of what they hoped would be major rebuilds. But while both sides admired his progression, neither interview resulted in an immediate job offer.

  Frank has revealed that the interview with Ratcliffe occurred while Manchester United’s squad were travelling to London ahead of the FA Cup final, which they went on to win 2-1 over Manchester City. That victory gave Ten Hag a temporary lifeline before the club replaced him with Amorim the following November. Frank, meanwhile, remained with Brentford until Tottenham triggered his release clause in 2025.

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  Spurs boss reveals back-to-back interviews in 2024

  Speaking to Danish outlet TV2, Frank described the surreal nature of the day in detail, insisting the experience alone proved just how far he had climbed in his coaching career: “Sitting down to talk to two of the ten biggest clubs in the world – two hours apart – is quite unique.”

  Reflecting on the moment he found himself walking between the two milestone meetings, he added: “I know I didn't get either job, but it was still huge. I remember walking through Battersea Park between the two interviews and thinking: ‘Thomas Frank from f*cking Frederiksvaerk – am I really experiencing this?’”

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  Frank finally got his big move in 2025 with Spurs

  Frank’s account of the day was included in an upcoming book, , which charts his rise from Danish football to managing in Europe’s biggest league. It also details the significance of him becoming someone considered by clubs that dominate the modern game financially and historically. For Frank, the episode symbolised not disappointment, but validation — the proof that his meticulous work had been noticed beyond Brentford’s buzzing west-London bubble.

  Chelsea’s interest came at a time when the Blues were again struggling for stability, while United explored several candidates ahead of a transition in leadership after Ineos took a controlling role in football operations. The fact that Frank was seriously interviewed by both within hours of each other underlined his rising reputation. While neither club opted for him then, it cemented his name among the elite managerial conversation.

  The following year, Frank finally received his major move. Tottenham parted ways with Ange Postecoglou in 2025 after a 17th-place finish, sparking an overhaul that saw Spurs activate Frank’s clause. The Dane took charge in June and has since overseen a respectable start, with five wins and three defeats leaving Spurs firmly in the top-four race after 11 matches in the league.

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• Frank's story so far at Tottenham…

  Frank’s Tottenham remain unbeaten in Europe and are now preparing for a major test against league leaders Arsenal after the international break. His side have shown promise under his intense, structure-focused style.

  As for Manchester United, Amorim is now firmly in post, though their long-term direction under Ratcliffe continues to evolve. Frank’s revelation serves as a reminder of just how close the managerial landscape can shift, and how different the Premier League might look had that interview in a billionaire’s garage ended differently.

  For Frank himself, the door to the biggest benches in world football has clearly opened once, and there is little doubt it could open again. Spurs may prove the beginning of a journey that sees his name linked with such jobs for years to come.

With the pressure increasing on Chris Davies, Birmingham City chief Tom Wagner has flown in and will attend the Blues’ next game against Wrexham on Friday.

Davies admits "relief" after Sheffield Wednesday draw

After an impressive summer transfer window saw Birmingham welcome the likes of Kyogo Furuhashi and Demarai Gray, many expected them to be fighting for a place in the top six or perhaps even more in the Championship. So far, however, they’ve been sent plummeting back down to reality in ruthless fashion and sit routed to the middle of the pack.

On a run of one win in their last six games in all competitions, the pressure is increasing on Davies and he couldn’t help but admit the “relief” in his side’s dressing room after rescuing a late point against Sheffield Wednesday.

The manager is under unique pressure at a newly-promoted side after Birmingham’s summer spending and with Wagner set to attend the Wrexham game, a timeline for how long he might have left at the held has been reported.

When Birmingham could sack Chris Davies

As reported by Football Insider, Davies is under scrutiny at Birmingham, who will relieve him of his duties if they lose confidence that he can take them to the Premier League. Despite his achievements at St Andrew’s, Wagner and the rest of the Blues’ hierarchy would repeatedly not hesitate to make the decision if they deemed it necessary in the quest for promotion.

Three wins in eight games is hardly a record worthy of the Premier League but a lot could still change. Davies is still waiting for the likes of Kyogo to come good. The former Celtic star is certainly talented enough to be among the Championship’s best, yet has so far scored just once in 10 games in all competitions.

How many games Ethan Laird will miss for Birmingham as Davies confirms "real blow"

It’s not good news…

By
Tom Cunningham

Oct 1, 2025

It must also be noted that Birmingham are asking Davies to do something that only Ipswich Town and four others have done in EFL history by achieving back-to-back promotions from League One to the Premier League. Whether Wagner and co. take that into account when watching this Friday’s Wrexham clash remains to be seen, however.

Glasgow Rangers finally got their first win on the board in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday, after they failed to win any of their first five league games under Russell Martin.

There would not have been a more relieved man in the ground than the Light Blues head coach when Max Aarons popped up in stoppage time to score the winning goal for the away side.

The Ibrox loanee came off the bench to rattle a finish into the bottom corner from Nicolas Raskin’s corner to prevent Rangers from falling to a fifth draw in six league games.

James Tavernier’s penalty miss did not help matters in the first half, as the captain failed to make it 2-0 before half-time, but the Gers still conceded a sloppy goal and lacked a cutting edge in the final third before Aarons scored the winner.

It was a win and a much-needed one for Martin. However, the manager may not be too pleased with some of the individual performances that were on display when he goes back to review the match.

Summer signing Bojan Miovski is one of the players who may end up finding himself on the bench because of his underwhelming start to life at Ibrox.

Why Bojan Miovski may be dropped to the bench

The Macedonia international was signed on a permanent deal from Girona in the summer transfer window to bolster the club’s attack, as a player who has already proven himself in the Premiership.

Miovski, as shown in the graphic above, scored 32 league goals in the division during his two seasons at Aberdeen before a move to Girona in the summer of 2024. This shows that he can score goals at an impressive rate at that level.

The Light Blues are yet to see the best of the left-footed forward in front of goal, though, as he missed a huge chance to open the scoring in the 2-1 win over Livingston on Sunday.

It was like watching Miovski at Aberdeen to create the chance. His movement on the last line to beat the offside trap was superb and he looked in control and composed, up until he needed to find the target.

The 26-year-old marksman, who scored his first goal for the club in the League Cup against Hibernian, has not done enough in his Premiership outings to warrant keeping a place in the starting line-up.

As you can see in the table above, Miovski ranks lowly among his positional peers in a host of attacking and physical metrics, as he has failed to deliver quality in the final third and reliability out of possession.

This is why Martin must drop the former Aberdeen and Girona centre-forward from the starting line-up, because he has not offered enough to the team in or out of possession.

The Macedonian number nine is not the only Light Blues star who showed that he should not be starting for the club at the moment in the win over Livingston on Sunday.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Thelo Aasgaard was selected once again in the left-sided central midfield role in Martin’s 4-3-3 system, but he failed to justify his inclusion in the team with a strong performance.

Why Thelo Aasgaard should not be starting for Rangers

The Norway international was signed from Luton Town during the summer transfer window with a view to adding an attacking threat to the team from a central midfield position.

Aasgaard scored 11 goals in 45 matches in all competitions for Wigan Athletic and Luton combined in the 2024/25 campaign, which shows that he did offer a decent threat in front of goal last term.

The English-born star, who was described as a “huge talent” by former Wigan communications officer Jamie Allen, has yet to show the Rangers fans what he is capable of at the top end of the pitch.

That has not been through a lack of opportunity, though, because Martin has provided him with six starts in all competitions, yet the attacking midfielder has not delivered a single goal or assist.

Aasgaard made no key passes, did not complete any dribbles, and did not register any shots on target in 73 minutes against Livingston, per Sofascore, which shows that he offered next to nothing in possession for the Gers.

Unfortunately, a lack of quality at the top end of the pitch has become a theme for the Norway international in the Premiership for Rangers so far this season.

As you can see in the table above, the summer signing from Luton has created one chance in four starts in the league, with no goals or assists to his name.

These statistics show that he is not offering enough to the team in front of goal, as is also the case with Miovski, despite being in the side to provide a spark and break down opposition defences.

This is why the Rangers head coach should ruthlessly drop both players from the starting XI for the trip to Falkirk in the Premiership after Thursday’s Europa League clash with Sturm Graz, because both of their performances on Sunday showed that they should not be starting.

Miovski and Aasgaard are not terrible players, as their records at previous clubs prove, but they are not delivering enough quality on the pitch for the Gers, which is why they should have a spell on the sidelines.

Worse than Tavernier: Martin must drop Rangers flop who was saved by Aarons

Glasgow Rangers head coach Russell Martin must drop this flop who was saved by Max Aarons against Livingston.

By
Dan Emery

Sep 29, 2025

If the two attackers can impress off the bench and start to show more promising signs at the top end of the pitch in matches, then they can earn back their place in the XI and start to kick on at Ibrox.

What a game it was between Chelsea and Liverpool at Stamford Bridge. The evening kick-off in the Premier League brought plenty of fireworks, with the Blues running out 2-1 winners in stoppage time, in a game that felt like it could have gone either way.

For much of the game, it was a diligent performance by Enzo Maresca’s side. The West Londoners took the lead inside the first quarter of an hour, and what a strike it was. Moises Caicedo unleashed a thunderbolt from the edge of the Liverpool penalty area, which flew into the top left corner.

Liverpool did manage to get back into the game, which coincided with the introduction of Florian Wirtz at half-time. The Reds scored through Cody Gakpo, with the Dutch winger getting on the end of a lay-off from Alexander Isak, although whether the Swede meant it is another question.

The game became incredibly open in the final 20 minutes, and Chelsea, who hit the post in stoppage time, left it until the 97th minute to score. It was Estevao who bagged the winner, which caused a huge celebration across Stamford Bridge.

It was a fantastic way for the game to end for Chelsea, with Estevao saving the day off the bench.

Estevao’s cameo vs. Liverpool

Brazilian wonderkid Estevao has already left a huge impression during his short Chelsea career so far. The 18-year-old bagged his first goal for the club against Liverpool, adding to the assists he got away to West Ham United.

What a way to win the game it was, too. The former Palmerias star capped off a good team move, sliding in at the back post to put Marc Cucurella’s cross into the back of the net.

He showed excellent instinct and understanding despite his inexperience.

It was a brilliant contribution off the bench from the teenager, which former Blues striker Daniel Sturridge described as a “top drawer” effort. Aside from the goal, he made three touches in the opposition box and made six ball recoveries.

That is why Football London journalist Bobby Vincent gave Estevao an 8/10 for his night’s work. Like Sturridge, Vincent was full of praise for the 18-year-old, describing his stoppage-time strike as a “memorable” goal.

It was certainly a night to remember for Estevao, who saved the day for Chelsea and spared the blushes of one of his fellow attackers.

The Chelsea player who was saved by Estevao

On the whole, Chelsea’s win against Liverpool was a good performance. Estevao was one of the standouts, with the likes of Caicedo and Cucurella also putting in good shifts at Stamford Bridge.

Yet, there were a couple of players in that famous Blue shirt who struggled. Centre-forward Joao Pedro was one of those. After a fast start to life in West London, the Brazilian international has now failed to score in his last five games in all competitions.

The game against Liverpool was certainly a tough outing for Pedro.

He only managed 17 touches during the 75 minutes he was on the pitch, fewer than Blues goalkeeper Robert Sanchez. The striker only had one touch in Liverpool’s box, and one shot, which was off target.

Pedro stats vs. Liverpool

Stat

Number

Minutes

74

Touches

17

Passes into final third

3

Touches in opposition box

1

Shots

1

Duels won

2/6

Stats from Fotmob

Vincent also seemed to agree with the sentiment that Pedro struggled against the Premier League champions. He gave the Blues number 20 a 5/10 for his evening’s work, and said he was ‘quiet’ overall.

Perhaps it is a concern for Maresca that Pedro is struggling to get into the game when Cole Palmer is not on the pitch. The pair have combined for two goals in seven matches so far, according to Transfermarkt.

Of course, the England international is the key creator in this Chelsea squad, and it was the case at times that it seemed Pedro could not get on the ball unless he was there linking things up.

The Brazilian has chipped in with goal involvements this season, without Palmer on the pitch. Yet, the Chelsea number 20 has already said that they look to “combine our ideas so that it works in the games.” Perhaps we are seeing the effect that Palmer not featuring in the Chelsea side can have on Pedro, with the rest of the side struggling to get him the ball.

It is certainly food for thought for Maresca, who will surely look to find a way to get Pedro more involved when Palmer is not on the pitch.

Related Outscoring Pedro: Chelsea lost one of "the best finishers" in Europe for £0

The international goalscorer has been on fire since he left Chelsea for nothing.

Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Oct 4, 2025

Pep Guardiola has been urged to leave Manchester City and seek a new challenge by one of his most trusted confidants. The Catalan coach has enjoyed remarkable success since moving to England in 2016, lifting 18 major honours during the greatest period in City’s history, and is under contract at the Etihad Stadium until 2027.

• Guardiola and City have dominated English football

  After achieving incredible success in both Spain and Germany with Barcelona and Bayern Munich respectively, Guardiola and City have dominated English football since joining forces nine years ago. Under the 54-year-old’s stewardship, City have won six Premier League titles – including an unprecedented four in a row – as well as two FA Cups and four League Cups. City also lifted their first Champions League crown as part of only the second treble-winning season in English football history in 2022-23.

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  Planchart believes time has come for a new challenge

  And after presiding over what has been the golden spell in City’s history, Guardiola has now been told he should look for new mountains to climb. In an interview with Spanish publication Carles Planchart – who worked alongside Guardiola at Barcelona, Bayern and City as a performance analyst – believes the time has come for his close friend to seek a fresh challenge.

  Planchart said: “It’s a personal decision he’ll (Guardiola) have to make. I think a project should last five or six years, no more. But not for him, for everyone. Afterwards, you have to regenerate. As a friend, I would tell him to look for a new project because he still has a long way to go.”

• Pep wants to manage a national team at a World Cup

  What a new project would look like for Guardiola remains to be seen. The manager has previously expressed his desire to manage a national team at a World Cup before he calls time on his illustrious coaching career, saying in February 2024: "I would like to train a national team for a World Cup or a European Championship. I would like that.”

  When pressed if he had a preferred national team in mind, Guardiola added: "I don't know who would want me! To work for a national team they have to want you, just like a club."

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  Emotional Barcelona return ruled out

  Guardiola has categorically ruled out completing an emotional return to Barcelona, however. Having built one of the greatest club sides in football history during his first stint as Blaugrana boss between 2008 and 2012, he insists he has no intention of managing the Spanish giants again. 

  In an interview with in July, Guardiola said: “It's over. It's over forever. It was very beautiful, but it's over now.”

  And when pressed on a potential presidential post at Camp Nou, Guardiola added: “No! I'm no good at this.”

سجل فريق برشلونة هدفًا قاتلًا أمام خصمه جيرونا، في مباراتهما الجارية حاليًا في بطولة الدوري الإسباني لكرة القدم، موسم 2025/26.

ويستضيف ملعب “مونتجويك” مباراة برشلونة وجيرونا في الجولة التاسعة من الدوري الإسباني لهذا الموسم.

وتمكن برشلونة من تسجيل هدف قاتل في شباك جيرونا، في الدقيقة الثالثة من الوقت المحتسب بدلَا من الضائع للشوط الثاني.

جاء الهدف عن طريق رونالد أراوخو، بعد تمريرة من الهولندي فرينكي دي يونج، ووصلت الكرة إلى الأوروجواني الذي سددها في الشباك، معلنًا عن هدف قاتل.

Doggett signs for his fourth BBL club on a two-year deal while Jewell is set to leave Hurricanes on the final day of the player movement window

Tristan Lavalette05-Feb-2025

Melbourne Renegades have further bolstered their pace stocks after landing free agent Brendan Doggett, while the club’s shake-up is set to continue with Hobart Hurricanes’ title-winning opener Caleb Jewell poised to sign with them before the BBL’s new player movement window ends on Thursday.Doggett, who was part of Australia’s squad during part of the recent India Test series, has played the past two seasons with Adelaide Strikers, but only claimed three wickets in six matches in BBL 14. He had previously played four seasons with Sydney Thunder after having started his career at Brisbane Heat.His signing comes on the back of Renegades securing left-arm quick Jason Behrendorff on a three-year deal after Perth Scorchers were not able to guarantee him a contract.Related

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“Brendan is an exciting addition to our squad, he’s a skilful fast bowler with ability to execute under pressure and take important wickets,” Renegades general manager James Rosengarten said. “We believe Brendan will play an important role for us. To pair him up with Tom [Rogers], Jason, Adam [Zampa] and Will [Sutherland], we believe we have a powerful bowling unit that boasts variety and the very highest-end talent.”After missing out on the finals for the fifth time in the past six seasons, Renegades have also looked at shoring up their top-order batting. ESPNcricinfo understands that Jewell is set to be released from his Hurricanes contract and take up a deal with Renegades. He played a key role in Hurricanes’ championship campaign, complementing breakout opener Mitchell Owen in an anchoring role.Owen extended his contract with Hurricanes through to BBL 17, while free agent Tim David is expected to re-sign after significant interest from Melbourne Stars. Hurricanes, however, are believed to not have offered a contract to legspinner Peter Hatzoglou. He only took one wicket from six matches this season, but was relatively economical and did play through their finals campaign.ESPNcricinfo understands left-arm seam-bowling allrounder Hayden Kerr is set to re-sign with Sydney Sixers on a two-year deal having had considerable interest from several teams, including Stars.Kerr started his BBL career with Sixers in 2019-20 and has been a mainstay of the side since his breakout in BBL 11, highlighted by clubbing 98 not out as an opener against Strikers in the Challenger final. He took nine wickets from ten matches this season.Free agent D’Arcy Short is expected to re-sign with Strikers, but the club is believed to be still weighing up their batting options. The veteran averaged 23.50 with a strike rate of 135 from nine matches in various roles in Strikers’ batting-order.Caleb Jewell is set to leave Hurricanes for Renegades•Getty Images

Meanwhile, left-arm quick Joel Paris has returned to Scorchers, his original BBL club, after signing a one-year deal. Paris was Scorchers’ primary target to replace Behrendorff and he will rejoin the club he played for from BBL 5 through to BBL 10. He finished the latest BBL season strongly and helped Stars make an unlikely finals appearance.”We identified the need for another new-ball bowler and saw this as a great opportunity to bring Joel back to Perth,” Scorchers high-performance boss Kade Harvey said. “Joel had a strong BBL14 season for the Stars, bowling a lot of his overs during the powerplay. We also like having a left-arm pace bowler in the squad.”He’s an excellent leader and has been an enormous contributor for WA over many years, so we’re looking forward to having him throughout the whole summer.”Scorchers’ former captain Mitchell Marsh is still out of contract but appears likely to remain with the team despite interest from both Melbourne clubs.In another development, Stars general manager Blair Crouch has stood down after four seasons in the role. Stars appear set to reshape the general manager role to remove the cricket high-performance and list-management element from the job having hired former Australia fast bowler Clint McKay as T20 high-performance manager last year.

Pakistan overcame a deficit of 421 but South Africa’s target of 58 was little more than a formality

Danyal Rasool06-Jan-2025

South Africa marked their qualification for the WTC final in style, romping to a ten-wicket win over Pakistan. It is their seventh successive Test win, and came after two and a half days of toil with the ball before they finally prised Pakistan out for 478 in the third innings. A valiant century from Pakistan captain Shan Masood and numerous other contributions forced South Africa to bat again as the visitors overcame the second-highest first-innings deficit in Test history. However, the target – 58 – was little more than a formality, and South Africa took 7.1 overs to knock it off.But Pakistan made them wait for the win. When South Africa enforced the follow-on leading by 421 on Sunday afternoon, they did not anticipate having to bowl another 122.1 overs. Masood, unbeaten overnight on 102, carried on and tried to rebuild after a mammoth 205-run opening stand with Babar Azam. South Africa were frustrated for large parts of the day, most notably during an 88-run stand between Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Agha in the afternoon. But Keshav Maharaj, who had been denied for most of the day, found the breakthrough, and regular wickets after that ensured a finish was on in the late-evening sunshine.Related

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Earlier in the day, Marco Jansen got nightwatcher Khurram Shahzad out early on before Rabada cleaned up Kamran Ghulam. Maharaj more or less bowled through the entire session, interrupted only when he switched ends at one point. His variations in pace and flight, as well as a ball that continued to turn, posed the most significant threat to the batters, but the wickets came to pace.Shahzad had done his job and never quite looked equipped to carry on too long. When a length ball from Jansen grew too big on him, he chipped it straight to Maharaj at point. Ghulam never quite appeared to settle, keeping the slip cordon interested throughout his innings. He should have been on his way without scoring when, in the same over as Shahzad fell, he slashed at a wide one but it burst through David Bedingham’s hands at first slip.Kyle Verreynne celebrates the key wicket of Mohammad Rizwan•AFP/Getty Images

That wicket was always coming though. Rabada’s increasing frustration at his wicketlessness and general indiscipline – he bowled another four no-balls this morning – was mounting. Just after overstepping, he found a beauty that nipped back off the seam into Ghulam, pegging back his middle stump. It was an excellent way to bring up his 50th Test wicket at Newlands, with the roar that followed it making clear how much it meant to him.Saud Shakeel and Masood continued to make South Africa work for each scalp, and yet South Africa could have had one more before lunch. Kwena Maphaka squared Shakeel up with a lovely delivery that straightened as it hit the pad, only for South Africa to opt against a review. As Shakeel received extensive treatment for the blow, Hawk-Eye showed it was hitting leg stump.Masood’s vigil at the crease ended in somewhat contentious circumstances. Maphaka got one to shape away off the seam that kept low before cannoning into the batter’s front pad. Umpire Nitin Menon felt it was missing off stump, but when South Africa reviewed, Hawk-Eye showed it hitting. It prompted a furious response from Masood, whose protests continued all the way along his slow walk off the crease and into the dressing room.It capped a bright first hour post lunch for South Africa. Shakeel had been dispensed with shortly after play resumed in much the same way he fell in the first innings: nicking off into the slips while drove at Rabada. With Masood departing, there was a danger Pakistan might crumple in a heap, as they have tended to recently.David Bedingham made short work of South Africa’s victory target•AFP/Getty Images

But Agha and Rizwan rebuilt once more. They wore off the sheen of the second new ball and kept the strike turning over. There were just three fours in the first 55 runs of the partnership as Pakistan looked to milk the tiring bowlers, but when Mulder erred, Agha was quick to put him away for two fours in three balls.The two carried on as Pakistan wiped out the deficit, but soon Rizwan chipped Maharaj to short cover, precisely where Bavuma had placed a fielder for the shot, and South African nerves began to loosen once again.Agha, having been reprieved by DRS, fell quickly after – two runs shy of his half-century – when a Maharaj delivery ripped and bounced, drawing a sharp catch for Aiden Markram in the slips. Mir Hamza came out and had a bit of fun, including a heave back over the bowler’s head for the only six of the innings. But it wasn’t built to last. Aamer Jamal reverse-swept Maharaj to slip before Rabada wrapped the innings up, and Bedingham and Markram sprinted off the field.Six years ago, at this very ground, Pakistan’s third innings ended on the third evening, with South Africa needing 41 to wrap the series up. Stumps were called, with the game concluding on the fourth morning.This time around, the South Africa openers did not let the match go into the next day. Bedingham provided a shot in the arm with an eye-catching little knock – an unbeaten 47 off 30 – that ensured it took South Africa just 43 balls to seal a win that, despite a very long wait in the field, was ultimately routine.