The EFL Championship is one of the most exciting leagues in the world. With a reputation of being one of the most competitive divisions in Europe, England's second tier rarely fails to disappoint when it comes to drama, intrigue and entertainment.

Many great players have graced the Championship since its most recent rebranding when it left its old First Division moniker behind, with countless goals scored over the past 20 years.

We know football was not invented in 2004, but who has scored the most at this level since then? Football FanCast has the definitive list of the EFL Championship's best goalscorers since the 2004/05 season.

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By
Luke Randall

May 20, 2024

12

Charlie Austin – 88 goals

Burnley, QPR, West Brom

Charlie Austin is undoubtedly one of the greatest Championship goal machines, and the only reason he is not higher on this list is because Premier League clubs couldn't help but take notice.

Making his name at Swindon Town, Austin's transfer to Burnley in 2011 started a love affair between him and Championship goals. Between the 2011/12 and 2014/15 seasons, the lowest goals tally Austin racked up was 16 – and one of those campaigns was in the top flight with QPR, who he helped fire to the Premier League in his first season there.

While his top-tier journey saw him also turn out for Southampton, a last hurrah saw Austin notch ten goals as West Brom were promoted in 2020. Failing to find the net once they made it there, he dropped back down to help himself to 12 more QPR goals in a division he knows all too well.

11

Tom Ince – 93 goals

Derby, Blackpool, Stoke, Reading, Watford

Even without a famous father to catch people's attention, Tom Ince started to make a name for himself when he burst onto the scene with Blackpool, who he took to the brink of play-off glory in 2011/12.

Unfortunately, his tally of 18 the following campaign is as good as it’s got for Ince since, but he has continued to put away goals for most of the second-tier clubs he's played for – only Luton Town and Nottingham Forest were denied the pleasure.

Nearing a century of goals at senior level at the time of writing, Ince has more than proved his worth in the Championship.

10

Daryl Murphy – 93 goals

Ipswich, Nottingham Forest, Sunderland, Newcastle

Retiring over two years ago now, Daryl Murphy secures a place above Ince by virtue of making fewer appearances (Murphy has 329 compared to Ince's 386), having also notched 93 times.

The Irishman came over to English football in 2005, where he eventually got among the goals at Sunderland. Following a barren spell in the Premier League and a brief, fruitless stint at Celtic, Murphy returned to the second tier to show what he was best at.

Ipswich Town were the lucky recipients of his best form, with Murphy hitting double figures in three of his five seasons at Portman Road – including an impressive 27 in 2014/15 as the Tractor Boys fell in the play-offs.

9

Troy Deeney – 95 goals

Watford, Birmingham

To say his managerial career may not have gotten off to the best of starts is putting it lightly, but it would be remiss of anyone to dismiss Troy Deeney's prowess in front of goal.

Starting out at Walsall, Deeney got his big break at Watford, where, aside from being imprisoned for assault, he became a true Hornets hero, not least by firing them to the Premier League in 2015, by which point he had put together three consecutive 20-goal campaigns.

His greatest Championship moment undoubtedly came in the 2012/13 play-offs, when his breakaway goal from Anthony Knockaert's missed penalty for Leicester City sent Vicarage Road into raptures – and Watford to Wembley.

8

Lukas Jutkiewicz – 97 goals

Birmingham, Coventry, Middlesbrough, Bolton

Lukas Jutkiewicz has become a prolific Championship striker despite never reaching 15 goals in a single season. His best tally remains 14 in back-to-back campaigns between 2018 and 2020. Now an experienced veteran at this level – he has over 450 Championship games under his belt – Jutkiewicz is closing in on a century of second-tier goals.

However, he has only featured once under new Birmingham boss Tony Mowbray so far, so has work to do in order to reach the magic 100 this term.

7

Nahki Wells – 97 goals

Huddersfield, Bristol City, QPR

Featuring almost 100 fewer times than Jutkiewicz is 31-year-old Nahki Wells. Another whose numbers appear to flatter to deceive, his consistent ability to reach double figures (he has hit ten or more in six of his eight full Championship campaigns to date) means only few can rival his goalscoring record.

Huddersfield Town profited most from Wells' clinical nature in front of goal after he made his way through the EFL divisions. Wells also grabbed ten in the Terriers' promotion campaign of 2016/17.

Now seen ripping it up at Bristol City these days, he's been the Robins' top league goalscorer for two of the past three seasons, so he's still got it.

6

Lewis Grabban – 112 goals

Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth, Norwich, Sunderland, Aston Villa, Reading & Crystal Palace

On to those who have hit a ton of Championship goals, Lewis Grabban was someone who certainly knew where the target was. Currently without a club for little over a year, Grabban was last spotted in the Championship still bagging goals aplenty for Nottingham Forest at the age of 34.

One can only imagine how many more he could have got had he not spent two years in the Premier League after getting promoted with Norwich City, before re-joining former club Bournemouth.

Thankfully, Grabban eventually rediscovered his scoring touch in the second tier, particularly at Forest, who he also helped to promotion in 2021/22.

5

Chris Martin – 114 goals

Derby, Bristol City, Fulham, Norwich, Crystal Palace, QPR, Hull & Reading

The fact Chris Martin is the player on this list with the most clubs on his Championship CV suggests he can seamlessly adapt to his teams' respective needs.

His peak certainly came while at Derby County, where he netted 55 league goals in three seasons between 2013 and 2016. Given he had a period where he found minutes hard to come by in the years that followed, he really could have left even more of the players here in his wake with a little more luck.

Still proving his marksman capabilities in League One with Bristol Rovers at present, you never know if Martin's time in the Championship is done just yet.

4

Ross McCormack – 120 goals

Leeds, Fulham, Cardiff, Aston Villa & Nottingham Forest

Ross McCormack is certainly a case of what could have been. Following time in his native Scotland and a long stint in the English Championship where he scored everywhere he went, McCormack departed for Australia before his football career tailed off.

The Scotsman has the distinction of hitting 20 for three different clubs – most recently Fulham in 2015/16. His goalscoring feats came all amid some acrimonious departures throughout his career, with his Leeds exit in particular – for big money, Championship-wise – threatening to overshadow the fact that only three players have scored more at this level.

3

David Nugent – 121 goals

Leicester, Preston, Derby, Portsmouth & Middlesbrough

While his most famous goal arguably came in a Three Lions shirt, David Nugent is one of the best-ever Championship marksmen.

Hitting double figures on six occasions during his time in the second tier – including 20 in Leicester City's title-winning campaign in 2013/14 – Nugent was the previous all-time goalscorer in the Championship until his record was broken in 2022.

That record is thanks to prolific spells at Preston, Portsmouth and the King Power, before returning to the second tier to continue his fine exploits in front of goal at Middlesbrough and Derby. While he never sparkled at the dizzying heights of the Premier League, his impact in the division below is almost unrivalled.

Chelsea are having yet another below-par season and find themselves currently residing in mid-table in the Premier League.

The London-based club are a massive 14 points away from the top four despite spending over £1b over the last two seasons on transfer and loan fees alone.

This figure is astonishingly high and puts into perspective how badly they've played since the arrival of Todd Boehly at Stamford Bridge.

Out of the many additions made by Boehly in order to try to make his club one of Europe's powerhouses once again, the vast majority have failed to make an impact on the club since their arrival.

There is, however, one signing in particular which stands out above the rest for being woeful despite earning a bumper wage.

Marc Cucurella's form since joining Chelsea

Marc Cucurella joined Chelsea in August 2022 from Brighton and Hove Albion for a fee which was worth around £63m.

The move came off the back of his first in England's top flight, where he performed above and beyond what was expected of him.

For his one and only season as a Brighton player, the Spain international managed a total of 38 appearances and contributed to two goals.

Although the stats may not showcase how solid he was across the season, he showed enough to get Chelsea to spend enough to make him the second-most expensive left-back in world football.

Since arriving at Stamford Bridge, the one-time Barcelona full-back has appeared on 45 occasions but, he has only garnered a total of two assists during that time.

His regular role in Chelsea's starting XI is largely due to the sheer number of injuries and time on the sidelines that Ben Chilwell has been faced with.

The England international has spent a total of 83 games on the sidelines since the arrival of the 25-year-old, which has resulted in the Blues relying on Cucurella more often than not.

To make matters worse, during their Premier League clash against Everton on the 10 December, Cucurella was himself struck down by injury and forced off the pitch early.

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Football FanCast's Wage Burners series explores the salaries of the modern-day game.

His injury was so severe that he had to undergo surgery, which has kept him sidelined for the past couple of months.

As with all players who get injured, their salaries are still paid in full, which leaves clubs in a bit of a pickle. Hence, why now, the Spain international is bleeding the London-based club dry.

Marc Cucrella's total cost at Chelsea

After being at the club for around 81 weeks now, the salary Cucurella has received is eye-watering. Over the time he has spent at the club, the 5 foot 8 defender has gained around £12m in wages alone – raking in a staggering £175k-per-week, as per Capology.

It would appear that such an outlay – which comes to £75m in total when including his initial transfer fee – has not been justified, with talkSPORT pundit Jamie O'Hara even branding him a "disgrace" following Chelsea's Champions League tie against Real Madrid last season.

This judgement came after Chilwell was sent off after pulling on the shoulder of Rodrygo in the box. The only reason the England international decided to commit the foul in the first place was due to the poor positioning of Cucurella for the goal.

This isn't the first time a situation has occurred like this with Cucurella, and it likely won't be the last. So, not only have Chelsea spent a near-record-breaking fee on the left-back, but they have also made themselves £12m lighter for a player who seemingly isn't up to the standard they expect.

So, it is without doubt that the left-back has bled the club dry and looks set to be yet another Boehly signing who won't make the cut in the near future.

Over the last few seasons, Manchester United have had their fair share of failed transfers. Names such as Jadon Sancho, Alexis Sanchez and perhaps even Paul Pogba are all figures which spring to mind.

Since the arrival of Erik ten Hag, it seems as if things haven't gotten much better in the arrivals department with many of the players signed arguably not being good enough for the Red Devils' squad.

Their 2023/24 season in general has been inconsistent, as just when Ten Hag's men finally appeared to be on the rise, they were knocked back at home to Fulham this afternoon.

The Red Devils will still be vying for a top-four spot come the end of the season and now, with just 12 games of the Premier League remaining, time is running out for the side to really hit their groove.

One first-team talent, in particular, looks set to remain on the periphery over the coming months, with the former Ajax boss having been stung by investing everything into the player during the 2022 summer transfer window.

Antony's wages at Man United

After spending £86m on Antony in the summer of 2022, everyone expected Ten Hag to know something that nobody else did.

The Brazilian winger joined United after coming off the back of a fairly solid season back in Amsterdam. He played 33 games in all competitions and managed to score 12 goals and provide ten assists for the Eredivisie side.

Whilst in charge of Antony in the Netherlands, Ten Hag evidently saw something he liked in the winger and decided he had to follow him to England at all costs, despite already having the likes of Sancho and Marcus Rashford within the clubs' ranks.

However, it wasn't only the large transfer fee which United had to fork out in order to acquire the services of the 24-year-old. As per Capology, the winger is currently on a contract worth £200k-per-week, which is a total of around £15m since arriving at the club roughly 77 weeks ago.

That hefty salary not only puts Antony in the top ten highest earners at the club, but, it also puts him ahead of the likes of Lisandro Martinez and Alejandro Garnacho – a curious fact indeed.

Antony's statistics since joining Man United

Any player who costs £86m should automatically be one of the first names on a manager's team sheet. However, of late, this hasn't been the case for Antony.

Wage Burners

Football FanCast's Wage Burners series explores the salaries of the modern-day game.

Since joining last season, the one-time Sao Paulo man has played a total of 70 games and has contributed to a total of 13 goals and assists – only two of which have come this season in the FA Cup against Newport County.

The mercurial winger is still yet to score or create a goal in the Premier League this season despite not suffering any injuries and playing 20 games in total, with talkSPORT pundit Gabby Agbonglahor correctly describing the forward as "very frustrating" during his time in Manchester.

'Frustrating' would certainly be among the words that spring to mind among United supporters to describe Antony, with the £101m spent on the player – when totalling his £86m fee and £15m in wages – certainly representing poor business from the Old Trafford outfit.

Hopefully, under the new Sir Jim Ratcliffe regime, such costly mistakes will become a thing of the past.

Nitish Kumar produced a third straight Man-of-the-Match performance and Canada continued their unbeaten run

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Oct-2019

Nitish Kumar produced a third straight Man-of-the-Match performance and Canada continued their unbeaten run, beating Ireland by ten runs to go top of the table with six points.Nitish, who hadn’t made a single T20I fifty before the start of the tournament, made his third in a row, the latest a 35-ball 53 at No. 3 that came in a 111-run stand with opener and captain Navneet Dhaliwal, who made 69 off 51. Although Canada’s innings dipped after that stand – from 124 for 1 in 15 overs they only managed 156 for 5 – the runs were enough against Ireland who batted their full 20 overs and lost seven wickets.This was largely down to the fact that Ireland had been reduced to 54 for 4 at the start of the eighth over. Having lost Kevin O’Brien in the first over, they had recovered to be 44 for 1 in the fifth over. But No. 3 Gareth Delany’s run out by Nitish was followed next ball by Andy Balbirnie’s wicket to left-arm spinner Saad Bin Zafar, who hit the middle stump. A drop in run rate ensued and just under three overs later, Zafar had Paul Stirling caught behind attempting to cut. At 54 for 4, Ireland captain Gary Wilson had to steady the innings with 19-year-old Harry Tector. But by the 13th over, Ireland fell to 85 for 6. Offspinner Nikhil Dutta’s three overs for 12 didn’t help Ireland’s cause.The eight-wicket pair of Stuart Thompson and George Dockrell had to make 51 off the last 25 balls. It proved to be 11 runs too many.

LAFC boss Steve Cherundolo opted not to directly answer questions about links to the USMNT after Gregg Berhalter firing

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USMNT fire Gregg BerhalterLAFC's Cherundolo believed to be candidateMLS coach doesn't deny connectionWHAT HAPPENED?

Speaking in a press conference after LAFC's Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup victory over New Mexico United Wednesday night, LAFC's Steve Cherundolo, considered by many to be a top candidate for the now vacant U.S. men's national team coaching role, would not directly confirm or deny his interest in the job.

TUDN has reported that the former U.S. international is expected to be a "finalist" for the position.

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The question arrived due to the sacking of now former U.S. head coach Gregg Berhalter on Wednesday.

A number of names have been mentioned as potential candidates, including Jurgen Klopp – who "politely" rejcted an approach from U.S Soccer.

Cherundolo has emerged as a frontrunner among other candidates. The LAFC boss won MLS Cup and the MLS Supporters' Shield in his first season with the Black and Gold in 2022, and fell just short last season after reaching the final once again.

WHAT CHERUNDOLO SAID

“I think it wouldn’t be the right time to speak about other things,” he said, when asked about his interest in the USMNT job. “I’m LAFC coach, and I am very proud to be LAFC’s coach and we have something really good going here, and we’re excited to be in the semifinals. So I understand the ask but I am going to talk about LAFC tonight.”

When asked if he would be LAFC's manager through the remainder of the season, Cherundolo responded, “I am LAFC head coach right now and that is my job, what I do every single day. Tomorrow morning training is at 11:15 and I will be there for that.”

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR CHERUNDOLO AND LAFC?

LAFC take on the Columbus Crew in a cross-conference clash between two of MLS' elite Saturday night. They'll follow it up on Wednesday with a match against RSL, for a battle between the Western Conference's two top teams.

Spain boss Luis de la Fuente compared Lamine Yamal to Julius Caesar after his dazzling display against France.

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• Yamal dazzled against France
• Scored a stunner to equalise for Spain
• De La Fuente warned him to stay humble

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  In a captivating Euro 2024 semi-final match at Munich’s Allianz Arena, 16-year-old Yamal delivered a performance that not only secured Spain's place in the final but also etched his name into the annals of football history – as he became the youngest player ever to score in a major international tournament. Yamal’s equalizer in the 21st minute was a moment of magic. Curling the ball in from well outside the area, he not only brought Spain back into the game but also broke Brazil legend Pele’s long-standing record.

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  Spain’s coach Luis de la Fuente was enthralled with Yamal's performance and described him as someone who has a "touch of genius". He also emphasized the importance of keeping the young star grounded and to drive home his point, he drew an analogy with renowned Roman general Julius Caesar.

• WHAT DE LA FUENTE SAID

  De la Fuente told reporters: “We saw a touch of genius from a footballer who we all need to take care of. We have to help him by keeping his feet on the ground and developing him in the best way. That's about calm and tranquillity. In Ancient Rome, when they talked about Caesar they would say: 'Remember he's mortal!' Fundamentally I celebrate that he’s on our team, he’s Spanish, and we hope we can enjoy him for years to come."

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  WHAT NEXT?

  The Barcelona winger's journey has already been marked by significant achievements. Having won La Liga with Barcelona in the 2022-23 season, Yamal is now on the brink of winning his second major trophy and his first with the Spanish national team. With Yamal’s exceptional form and the team’s renewed vigour, Spain look poised to reclaim their status as Europe’s best when they take the pitch on Sunday for the final, against either England or the Netherlands.

Tottenham Hotspur have been told to back manager Ange Postecoglou by signing a £43 million star with "real pace" this summer.

Spurs' summer transfer plans – explained

Amid their chase for Champions League qualification and a place in the top four, Spurs are also making transfer plans for later in the year as technical director Johan Lange and the wider recruitment team get to work.

Related Tottenham chiefs really want 24 y/o seen as potential "bargain signing"

He’s seen as a player who could be very gettable.

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It is claimed that the Lilywhites are eyeing up a new winger, with the likes of Pedro Neto grabbing Spurs' attention, while Postecoglou himself has freely admitted that Tottenham will look to sign another centre-back after Dragusin.

In terms of a wide attacker, many names have been linked, as Tottenham cast their net far and wide in search of more attacking quality despite possessing the option to sign Timo Werner on a permanent basis from Leipzig for around £15 million.

"Pedro Neto is somebody on their radar," said journalist Dean Jones to GiveMeSport recently.

Tottenham's best-performing players per 90

Match rating per 90 (via WhoScored)

Son Heung-min

7.40

James Maddison

7.38

Pedro Porro

7.14

Cristian Romero

7.12

Dejan Kulusevski

7.05

"Raphinha has been mentioned as well. Nico Williams, at Athletic Bilbao, is another player that they're continuing to monitor. It will be interesting. Pedro Neto will be a very difficult one to get because of the competition that there will be to actually sign him.

"But Tottenham have signed a couple of players recently, that they've done well to get through the door, and they will believe that anything is possible."

Williams is a particularly curious case, as Spurs have been thrust into the race for him these last few weeks. The Spaniard, who's bagged three La Liga goals and eight assists in 24 appearances over 2023/2024, could leave for just £43 million this summer – as is the release clause in his contract.

Tottenham told to sign Nico Williams

Pundit John Wenham, speaking to Tottenham News this week, has said he would welcome the forward with "open arms" with Lange told to do a deal for Williams this summer.

“Williams is a good young talent," said Wenham.

“It appears that Tottenham are going to invest in a wide forward this summer, with that position seemingly the main target. Williams is a player who appears to be very highly regarded and rated.

“He’s probably someone who is on the shortlist of 20 to 30 of Europe’s biggest clubs. If Spurs decided to pursue him, I’d welcome him with open arms. He has real pace, he can cause problems out wide, and he seems to be involved in a lot of big games.”

The 21-year-old's output in one of Europe's most competitive divisions has also been mightly impressive, so the £43m clause in his contract will come as a pretty enticing one from Tottenham's perspective. This, however, could make him a top target for a host of other elite sides.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Botafogo definiu metas esportivas e financeiras que precisam ser cumpridas em troca dos ativos, da imagem e da estrutura do clube para entregar o futebol à possíveis investidores. Juntamente com uma carta do presidente Durcesio Mello, os termos foram enviados nesta terça-feira aos conselheiros do clube, que vão votar no dia 27 de maio se a nova tentativa de transformar o Alvinegro em empresa vai ou não para frente. A informação foi publicada inicialmente pelo site ge.

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>Nova camisa lançada! Relembre os últimos uniformes II do Botafogo

Dentre as metas, segundo o site, está a “proibição” de rebaixamentos e boas campanhas em torneios nacionais e internacionais, preferencialmente com títulos. Especificamente falando sobre títulos, deseja-se uma conquista nacional ou internacional no período de dez anos – ou, pelo menos, com campanhas consideradas competitivas, como presença no G4 e vice-campeonatos, por exemplo.

Em relação ao aspecto financeiro, o clube exige a criação de conselhos fiscais, de administração e de ética. A reportagem revela ainda que obriga-se o pagamento de royalties para pelo menos honrar o Profut e o Ato Trabalhista, além da quitação sem atraso de outras pendências. Além disso, a S/A não pode acumular mais de R$ 25 milhões em dívidas vencidas. A utilização da marca Botafogo também é obrigatória.

Para pegar o futebol novamente, a nova gestão da S/A teria que: levar o time a ser rebaixado; ou fazer com que o time fique em uma divisão inferior à que pegou o clube por duas vezes no período de cinco anos consecutivos. Se qualquer cláusula for quebrada, o clube pode comprar todas as ações da S/A por R$ 1.

William Porterfield has stepped down as Ireland’s captain after 11 years in the role. Andrew Balbirnie, the middle-order batsman, will replace him as Test and 50-over captain, while Gary Wilson will continue in the T20 job.Porterfield led Ireland in 253 games after taking over from Trent Johnston in 2008, captaining in two 50-over World Cups – which saw memorable wins over England and West Indies – and five World T20s, as well as their first-ever Test match, against Pakistan at Malahide in 2018. He intends to continue playing international cricket.”It has been an incredible journey, and a fantastic honour to have captained my country over the past 11-and-a-half years,” Porterfield said. “There have been many highs, along with a few lows along the way, but I can honestly say that it has been thoroughly enjoyable. To have been able to lead Ireland out at various World Cups, through to our first Test against Pakistan, and again at Lord’s in the summer, have been but a few of these highlights. I feel incredibly lucky and privileged to have done so.”I feel, and in consultation with Cricket Ireland, that now is the right time to hand over that mantle. With the ODI league starting in the summer it will allow ‘Balbo’ [Balbirnie] time to get into the swing of things. I feel that the selectors have made a great choice in appointing ‘Balbo’ and that it has come at a great time for him personally being on top of his game, and with more to come. Having spoken to him, I know how honoured and excited he is to get going. I’m looking forward to helping and supporting Balbo in any way I can, and seeing him lead Ireland forward.”Balbirnie, 28, becomes Ireland’s second Test captain and fifth ODI skipper. He has been capped 123 times since his debut in 2010, and has led the A team and Ireland Under-19s in the past.”To be asked to captain my country is an absolute honour and one that I am very excited about as we move into a busy new year,” Balbirnie said. “It’s a proud moment not just for me but also for my family and everyone who has been there on my cricket journey so far – especially my coaches, team-mates and friends at Pembroke Cricket Club.”Since 2008, William has been an amazing leader on and off the field, not just to me but anyone who has been lucky to represent Ireland. Taking over from our greatest captain will certainly be a hard act to follow but one I’m looking forward to getting into. William still has a huge role to play in this team going forward and I look forward to working with him over the next couple of years.”We are very lucky that we are entering arguably the most exciting period to be an Irish cricketer, so to be able to lead the guys into this will be a great honour and challenge, and one that I’m looking forward to immensely.”Andrew White, the chair of national men’s selectors, said: “William has been a remarkable captain, and we have been fortunate over such a long period to have his skills and experience to draw on. His leadership abilities on the field have been clear for all to see, but what is, and always has been, his greatest quality is his off-field leadership and support that has benefitted numerous coaches and players over a long period of time.”‘Porty’ has also been integral to the development of the national pathway system in Ireland, helping to shape and advise on what is now a comprehensive programme that is starting to bring through local talent and mould that next generation of Irish cricketer.””However, there comes a time when that baton is handed over, and in the Test and ODI formats we had identified the leadership potential in Andrew early on. Succession planning in international sport is so important these days, and Andrew has certainly developed and grown in confidence and stature over recent years. It is often said that the weight of captaincy can weigh heavy on some players, but we believe Andrew is someone who has the instincts and resolve to carry that weight and excel.”Over the past two years we have been on a process of transition, and with our new Test member status, entry into the Future Tours Programme, and combined with being on the cusp of entering the new ICC Cricket World Cup Super League in 2020, we believe this is a good time to for Andrew to begin his captaincy journey and we wish him well.”Balbirnie’s first outing as captain will come in the Caribbean, where Ireland play three ODIs and three T20Is at the start of next year.

Gareth Delany and Simi Singh helped reduce Namibia to 20 for 3 in the Powerplay as Ireland defended 136

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Nov-2019
Spinners Gareth Delany and Simi Singh helped reduce Namibia to 20 for 3 in the Powerplay as Ireland defended 136 on a day when neither team batted 20 overs. Delany and Singh’s early wickets made a dent to Namibia’s scoring rate and subsequently put pressure on their batsmen, only three of whom got into double digits.Namibia captain Gerhard Erasmus made 51 off 34 and was the only batsman who struck at more than run-a-ball. Erasmus was the aggressor in all three partnerships that he was part of, but the partnerships themselves weren’t substantial. By the time he was the sixth man out in the 15th over, Namibia needed 44 off 32 balls. Seamers Mark Adair and Boyd Rankin made that difficult work and Singh returned to add two wickets to his tally and finish as Man of the Match.Earlier, Ireland’s top order had set a reasonable base before Zhivago Groenewald took two quick wickets to rattle them either side of the 11th over. From 71 for 2, Ireland fell to 85 for 4. Set batsman Andy Balbirnie and captain Gary Wilson then tried to stage a recovery, but their stand of 21 off 21 ended with Balbirnie falling to Craig Williams. It was the start of a collapse.In his next over, Williams bowled Wilson, and in the over after that, JJ Smit accounted for both Shaun Getkate and Simi Singh; 106 for 4 had turned to 120 for 8 with two overs left, and it took an Adair cameo – the No. 8 made 17 off 7 with two sixes – to put Ireland in sight of a score close to 150. But Williams and Smit combined again and split the last two wickets over three balls to end the innings on 135 with five balls to spare.