Crystal Palace have now joined the race for a “technically skilled” Champions League player, who could be brought in as an alternative to Sacha Boey.

Palace eyeing new right-back despite Munoz's impressive form

Daniel Munoz has established himself as one of Palace’s most important players over the past three seasons, with the Colombian full-back particularly impressive from an attacking point of view, chipping in with three goals and two assists in the Premier League already this season.

Oliver Glasner has also singled the right-back out for high praise, saying back in April 2024: “Daniel has an outstanding training mentality. Every training session he’s the guy who’s running most, who’s sprinting most.”

However, in light of his impressive showings for the Eagles, Munoz is starting to attract interest from some top clubs, with it recently being revealed that Manchester City have been making moves to secure his signature, while Chelsea have also been credited with an interest.

The South Londoners remain in a strong negotiating position, with the 29-year-old contracted until 2028, but they are now looking at signing a new right-back, who could push for Munoz’s starting spot.

Sacha Boey was named as a potential target earlier this month, and there is a belief a January deal for the Bayern Munich man wouldn’t break the bank, but he is not the only option, with Juventus’ Joao Mario also on the shortlist.

That is according to a report from Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness), which states Crystal Palace have now joined the race for Mario’s signature, alongside some unnamed clubs in Spain.

It is deemed very possible the Portuguese full-back leaves the Italian club in the next month, and a deal would be inexpensive, as Juve are demanding a fee in the region of €12m (£10m).

Related Shades of Zaha: Crystal Palace join race for £22m Champions League forward

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Sport Witness relay a previous report, which makes it clear Boey is the priority target, but the 25-year-old is viewed as a ‘reliable alternative’, despite being unable to make much of an impact in the Serie A this season…

Mario hasn't hit the ground running in Italy

It may be a gamble to sign the three-cap Portugal international, who has made two Champions League appearances this term, given that he hasn’t made a flying start to life in the Serie A, after joining from FC Porto in the summer, predominantly being limited to appearances as a substitute.

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However, manager Luciano Spalletti was full of praise for the former FC Porto man earlier this month, saying: “Joao Mario is technically skilled. He’s a good player, who knows how to make decisions and how to build confidence with the team and on the ball.”

The Juventus ace would also be a versatile option for Glasner, given that he is able to play in a multitude of positions, including full-back, wing-back, and further forward on both wings.

Having averaged 0.26 assists per 90 over the past year, which places him in the 98th percentile, compared to other full-backs, Mario could be a similar type of full-back to Munoz, and it may be worth Palace taking a risk, given the low asking price.

West Ham United are aboard a sinking ship in the Premier League this season, and Nuno Espirito Santo is struggling to get a tune out of this crop of players, whose 3-0 loss at Manchester City kept them in the relegation zone.

It’s not looking good. That’s now back-to-back defeats in the top flight for the Hammers, whose winless run has been extended to six matches.

Falling to Pep Guardiola’s Man City at the Etihad Stadium is hardly a world-ending result, but there’s no question that the manner of the loss, West Ham’s performance, is gravely concerning.

Too many players flattered to deceive.

West Ham's worst players vs Man City

West Ham owner David Sullivan faces overseeing relegation from the Premier League, with Nuno’s crop of players all flattering to deceive.

Against City, there wasn’t much to write home about, though there was something to be said of the cranked-up attack on the hosts’ goal after the interval. As per Sofascore, the entirety of the Irons’ xG total of 0.99 came during the second half.

It was a tough afternoon at the office for homegrown talent Ollie Scarles, with prominent fan voice Martyn Hobbs even asserting that the 20-year-old left-back “is nowhere near Prem standard”.

Scarles is a young and inexperienced player, though, and he was let down by his senior peers, with one in particular doing little to suggest that West Ham shouldn’t have sold him when they had the chance this summer.

West Ham should've sold 4/10 star

There’s no question that Lucas Paqueta is one of the most talented players in West Ham’s modern history, and he’s achieved some high points indeed, but he’s also struggling this season, and isn’t exavctly pulling his weight.

Against Manchester City, he toiled away to little avail without ever playing with the sparkle and drive that we know is within his capacity.

The statistics outlined some success on the Brazilian’s part, but metrics can be deceiving, with this another frustrating display that left much to be desired.

Indeed, the 28-year-old won nine duels and completed two dribbles before being replaced by Tomas Soucek with 78 minutes on the board, but he also ceded possession 14 times, losing the ball every 4.4 touches without crafting much of note. Sofascore data shows that he created two chances.

Paqueta’s Last Two Premier League Seasons

Stats (* per game)

24/25

25/26

Matches (starts)

33 (27)

15 (15)

Goals

4

3

Assists

0

0

Shots (on target)*

1.2 (0.2)

1.3 (0.6)

Accurate passes

33.6 (79%)

35.6 (78%)

Key passes*

1.1

1.3

Big chances created

4

5

Succ. dribbles*

0.6 (50%)

1.0 (38%)

Ball recoveries

4.5

4.4

Tackles + interceptions*

2.5

2.5

Duels (won)*

6.0 (48%)

6.9 (47%)

Errors

6

1

Data via Sofascore

The fact that Paqueta has failed to create an assist since the 2023/24 campaign is telling.

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Claret & Hugh certainly weren’t impressed. The Hammers-focused site were scathing in their criticism of the ‘disinterested’ Brazilian, handing him a 4/10 match rating and remarking that they had had enough of such a talented playmaker continuing to punch below his weight.

How much longer can this continue? Paqueta is quite happy to pull strings when West Ham are firing on all cylinders, but he lacks the tenacity and desire to play a talismanic role when the tide is against him and his team. And the tide has been unkind to United for quite some time now.

Flamengo tried to sign Paqueta this summer after he was cleared of misconduct charges, and Manchester City were said to have revisited their interest earlier in 2025 too.

Now, Paqueta’s stock has diminished, and will diminish further still if West Ham are relegated. Unfortunately, all is not well at the London Stadium.

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Andhra ran out easy victors by an innings and 20 runs on the final day of their South Zone Ranji Trophy match against Goa at Margao on Sunday. The win, worth eight points, takes them to joint second place in the zonal table at 11 points from two games. Goa are languishing at the bottom without a point.The hosts resumed at 249/5, needing to post a total of 351 if they wanted to make Andhra bat again. But a double strike in the fourth over of the day dealt a fatal blow to Goa’s hopes. Skipper Pravin Amre was run out for 11 and three balls later, seamer N Madhukar scalped the other overnight batsman Ananth Bhagwat for 41.From 277/8, Avinash Avare and Nitin Kalekar extended the proceedings with a 51 run ninth wicket partnership but Andhra finally cut short the resistance of the tail one minute before lunch. Goa finished at 331 with off spinner YS Ranganath bagging 4/59. Andhra next play Karnataka at Bangalore while Goa take on Kerala at Ernakulam, both from November 15-18.

Four days and one session was how long the Zimbabweans lasted out at the Vidarbha Cricket Ground in the city of Oranges, Nagpur. The first Test match of the two match series ended in favour of the home team, as they marked their supremacy with an innings and 101-run victory. The visitors were left with thoughts of salvaging pride in the next match.Zimbabwe captain Stuart Carlisle won the crucial toss and elected to bat. He was hoping that his team would be able to post a big total on what was considered a batsman’s paradise. Despite a good beginning, the total that was finally scored was just not enough. The main batsmen failed to get their act together. The much-hyped `Flower Power’ never happened, and it was a strong tail that got Zimbabwe to a total of 287. Carlisle and Campbell played their roles atop the batting order, scoring 77 and 57 respectively. But the middle order did not follow the script and only one gem of an innings from the all-rounder Travis Friend of 60 valuable runs made the difference.For India, the smiling assassin Anil Kumble spun his way to capturing four wickets for 81 runs. With pace and a sensible attack, Zaheer Khan collected three wickets for 46.The home team was ready to feast on the wicket that had lots of runs for the taking. The openers went after the bowling and gave India a positive start. Batsmen walked out to the crease and played solid knocks and the ones to write home about were those from Shiv Sundar Das, who scored his second Test century at the same ground as he did the first. Rahul Dravid was looking at getting to his 100, but a tiny lapse of concentration and he was on his way back after adding 65.Sachin Tendulkar seldom disappoints and this was an occasion to let loose. Entertaining the locals who had flocked to see him, he indulged them with an array of shots, even the unorthodox ones, as he got to his 28th Test century and then looked like getting a double. But that would have to wait for another time, another place, as he wound up at 176. All-rounder Sanjay Bangar brought his good form from the domestic games into the Test arena as he scored his maiden Test century in only his second match. A huge total had to result from such brilliant shows with the bat and India declared at 570 for seven.Set a daunting task by the home team, the Zimbabweans took the field for the second time, towards the end of the penultimate day of the match. They had to score 283 to make India bat again. Nothing seemed to go right for them. The batting just did not click, with scores of 28 and 30 being amongst the highest atop the batting order, barring one courageous innings by Trevor Gripper who held out almost till the end with 60 face-saving runs. It was a matter of time before India knocked out all the stuffing in the Zimbabwean bag of runs. The bag was eventually emptied with 182 runs on the board.India triumphed in style. With a sizable win of an innings and 101 runs, she goes into the next match with her morale high. The spin twins Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh put the visitors in a whirl as they claimed five and four wickets respectively. Anil Kumble took his overall tally to 309 wickets with nine wickets added in this Test.Ferocious at home, the India tigers could try and transform the art of doing well at home into a more challenging art of performing overseas. But for the time being, winning is always a good feeling.Zimbabwe! My heart goes out to them, for they really had no clue as to what was happening in Sri Lanka with Murali spinning them round his little finger. And here, in India the second-most spin-friendly nation, it looks like they still have a lot to learn in that department. In a way that is a good thing. For what is a life worth living, where you learn nothing?Delhi will be the next testing ground for these two cricketing nations. Mini battles will be fought, and mini triumphs and defeats will be achieved, but it is the larger picture that will tell the final story. And we will just have to wait and watch.

Yorkshire 213 and 125 for 1 (Rhodes 53*) lead Warwickshire 69 (Sidebottom 6-34, Brooks 3-14) by 269 runs
ScorecardJack Brooks’ 3 for 14 helped tear Warwickshire apart•Getty Images

On days such as these are Yorkshire’s Championship credentials rubber-stamped. With Ryan Sidebottom turning in one of his habitually irresistible spells of swing and stamina, and threatening briefly to claim all ten wickets in the innings, Warwickshire’s batsmen were routed in the gloaming at Edgbaston.Bowled out for 69, their lowest first-class total for 29 years and their lowest at Edgbaston since 1982, they avoided the follow-on by the skin of their tenth wicket – no mean feat when you have already reduced your opponents to 213 in their first innings – then watched Yorkshire’s batsmen plough off into the distance in a less dramatically one-sided evening session.By the close of a day in which Edgbaston’s bespoke “e”-shaped floodlights had been a near-constant companion, Will Rhodes had calmly notched up his maiden Championship half-century with Jack Leaning alongside him on 28. At 125 for 1, the lead was already an imposing 259 with nine wickets standing, and with two days remaining, there is plenty time for Yorkshire to turn the screw further, even with a dour forecast in prospect.Yorkshire’s day began with a sniff of an opening, courtesy of Sidebottom’s two-wicket burst on Sunday night, but plenty of work still required to restore parity after a slipshod display with the bat in which Jonny Bairstow’s century had shown up the shortcomings of the rest of the order.After a rain-wrecked morning session had been reduced to nine balls, the mere fact that play was possible after lunch came as something of a surprise. Either way, Warwickshire’s batsmen did not appear remotely ready to repel the threat posed by the oldest swinger in town.”Taking a few early wickets last night helped the confidence,” said Sidebottom. “I suppose it happens like that, you get in a bit of rhythm, you put it in the right area with a little bit of seam and swing, you get the edge, got a few bowleds, it was really nice.”In the team meeting this morning, Dizzy [Jason Gillespie] actually put in onto me to say a few words and I said we’ve got to bowl full and straight, so I had to do what I’d said!”Sidebottom required nine deliveries in the afternoon session to send shockwaves through Warwickshire’s innings. Having been standing at the far end on Sunday evening when Varun Chopra shouldered arms to Sidebottom’s first ball of the innings, Ian Westwood might have realised the folly of leaving the good-length deliveries. Instead he too had his stumps flattened by a wicked late curler, and at 29 for 3, Warwickshire’s innings swung out of control.Laurie Evans needed ten balls to get off the mark and was then cut down by his 11th, another Sidebottom special that curled around his half-formed defences to flatten his off stump, as Warwickshire contrived to lose their next five wickets for no runs in the space of 30 balls.Sam Hain bagged a nine-ball duck as he handed Sidebottom his fifth wicket of the innings, courtesy of a smart take by Jack Leaning at third slip, whereupon, two balls later, Peter McKay was pinned so palpably lbw that Sidebottom didn’t bother turning to the umpire to appeal as he charged off in celebration. At that stage, Sidebottom had claimed all six wickets in the innings but before he could start a new over, Warwickshire lost their seventh, and their third in four balls, when Jonathan Trott, their only remaining hope, was outstandingly plucked by Leaning, scooped at full stretch in the slips to give Jack Brooks his first scalp of the day.Jeetan Patel registered the fifth duck of the innings when he fenced limply outside off to be caught behind in Brooks’ next over, and Boyd Rankin the sixth, though not before he had raised ironic cheers in the crowd for scoring Warwickshire’s first run in six-and-a-half overs, a deflection off the helmet that required a break for some running repairs.At 37 for 9, the ludicrous prospect of the follow-on now loomed into view – Yorkshire’s bowlers could hardly have been fresher, with Sidebottom and Brooks running on adrenaline and the change seamers, Tim Bresnan and Steve Patterson, yet to be called upon, and Andrew Gale signalled Yorkshire’s desire to stick their opponents back in with one of the more improbable 37-for-9 fields you’ll ever witness – two slips and four men out on the boundary.But Rikki Clarke found the gumption to resist. He flicked Sidebottom over square leg for six and added three more fours en route to 28 from 42 balls which, at that stage, was the joint-second-highest score of the match. His resistance was ended when Patterson bowled him through the gate, leaving Oliver Hannon-Dalby unbeaten on 5.Yorkshire’s second innings was a model of uncomplicated restraint. The conditions remained trying but the fizz was understandably absent from their attack. Rhodes capitalised with 53 not out from 125 balls, an innings of understated class that showed why, at 20 years old, he is a batsman whose progress is being so closely monitored.With Leaning no less resolute, the only man to fall was Alex Lees, who was smartly taken at first slip by Chopra to end an opening stand of 58. But Warwickshire’s problems were compounded soon afterwards when McKay, the wicketkeeper who had been conspicuous by his failure to go for that catch, had to leave the field with a suspected broken finger. His role was temporarily filled by Andy Umeed, a 19-year-old batsman whose maiden first-class match came for Scotland against Afghanistan at Stirling last month.

Amit Mishra, who has won a Test recall after four years out, reckons his bowling has improved significantly since his last Test match, against England at The Oval in 2011.”No doubt I have more experience now,” Mishra said, at the end of the second day’s play between India A and Australia A at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. “I have more experience of [assessing] how to bowl, how the partnership is going, how the wicket is, which batsman is playing how.”My bowling has improved along those lines, and my thinking has improved. I feel I have made the improvement I had needed to make.”Mishra felt Sri Lanka would be challenging, both as an opposition and in terms of the conditions India would face.”It will be a tough tour,” he said. “The Sri Lankan players, whoever is there, they are good against spin, and the pitches are good for batting.”In Sri Lanka’s last home series, Yasir Shah had picked up 24 wickets in three Tests and paved the way for Pakistan to win 2-1. India’s selectors identified this as a reason behind turning to a legspinner, but Mishra himself wasn’t looking too deeply into Yasir’s performance.”See, someone [else] performing or not performing doesn’t boost my confidence. I have always been confident about my bowling, I am bowling well and performing well, and I have confidence from that. But it is important to go there and adapt quickly to the conditions,” he said.Having played under his captaincy in ODIs, during the Asia Cup in 2014, Mishra looked forward to Virat Kohli’s leadership on the Sri Lanka tour.”He backs all the players, he talks to them, and I feel he will keep doing well in the matches to come. He has always supported me, and I’m sure he will continue supporting me when we go there. That’s his nature. He always backs his players.”Mishra is one of three spinners in India’s squad for the Test series in Sri Lanka. R Ashwin and Harbhajan Singh, the other two, were the first-choice options during India’s last Test assignment in Bangladesh. Mishra said he wasn’t worried about whether he would get a chance to play or not.”I’m in the side, so if I get the opportunity, I’ll give my best,” he said. “I’m not thinking about that. I’m happy I am making a comeback to the Indian side. I will just go there and give my best.”

There are 8678 kilometres between Bangladesh and Benoni and for Dane Vilas, it may feel even longer. Little more than a month ago, Vilas made his Test debut for South Africa in Dhaka. This weekend, he will play as the only international in Western Province’s Africa Cup T20 squad, after Wayne Parnell was forced to withdraw with a hamstring injury. And next month, Vilas does not know where he will be.Either he will be back with the South African squad as they embark on their longest-ever tour of India, or he will still be with his domestic team, who may either be playing in the Africa Cup knockouts or preparing for the franchise season ahead. In between, there’s not too much he can do to force his fate in either direction.”I am not sure,” Vilas told ESPNcricinfo when asked whether he knows what he needs to do to make sure he goes to India. “I am just going to plan and train as though I am going and then if happens, that’s great. There’s not a lot of cricket between now and then.”The only cricket in September is the Africa Cup, where Vilas and his rival, Quinton de Kock are both playing but their performances in the tournament will do little to sway selection. The Africa Cup is a semi-professional competition where Vilas and de Kock will be men among boys and not the right platform to decide whether either should earn the right to be a boy among the men of international cricket.South Africa A’s recently completed tour of India is a better measure for that purpose and those statistics suggest stiff competition between the two glovemen. De Kock found his form with three successive centuries but Vilas, who bats in the middle order, was also in good nick. He scored 50 in one of the List A matches and 75 in an unofficial Test. “We both did well on the tour so it’s difficult to speculate,” Vilas said.The selectors may have to make a decision based more on nuances than numbers and if that is the case, Vilas may have the edge over de Kock for now. Vilas is eight years older than de Kock and knows the rigour of establishing himself in an unfamiliar team.Five years ago, he left Johannesburg’s Lions franchise to join Cape Town’s Cobras. At the time, he was competing with Thami Tsolekile for a place in the Lions’ team and the Cobras were swapping between keepers in different formats and wanted some consistency. Vilas still had to prove himself, to take the gloves off Ryan Canning and Andrew Puttick and become a regular in the starting XI, but it was a task he stuck to with tenacity.”When I moved, I put more responsibility on myself to get into the team and to hold a regular place. It’s more difficult when you are out of your comfort zone, away from your family and friends and I guess it was a bit of a fast-track to growing up,” Vilas said.Once he had done that, it seemed Vilas had hit a ceiling. “My career has fallen in the time between Mark Boucher at the national side, Thami Tsolekile with the A side and then Quinton with the national side,” he said. “So you have to get a bit lucky and then if you get a chance, you’ve got to be able to take it.”When it became clear Tsolekile was no longer in contention for South Africa, because of the rise of de Kock, Vilas got a chance in the A side. His big break only came when AB de Villiers went on paternity leave, and then de Kock was dropped because of poor batting form. Vilas was the reserve gloveman in the Test squad that went to Bangladesh and was capped in Dhaka as a result.Despite a forgettable debut, since play was only possible for one day of the match, Vilas treasures the memory. “It was amazing – to get the call-up to be part of the squad and then to make my debut; it was everything I had worked for,” he said. “But it was also bittersweet because of the washout.”The rain robbed Vilas of the chance to show what he could do with the bat and only allowed for a brief glimpse of his skills behind the stumps, but he hopes it was enough to demonstrate his ability to adapt. “At least, I know what to expect from a conditions perspective – the ball stays lower and what I found different was that we were using the SG ball, which gets softer a lot quicker. You have to get used to the way it reacts off the pitch.”Vilas had time to get used to that in Bangladesh and on the A side’s tour of India, and he believes he can do the job if picked for the senior tour there. He also believes he can come good for South Africa for a sustained period, even though he is older than de Kock. “It’s probably better that I got selected now that I am older and know my game. It’s better for me in the long-term,” he said. “I am fit and strong and I am only 30, so I hope I’ve still got six or seven good years to give.” Whether they are in Bangladesh or Benoni.

Jayananda Warnaweera, the Galle Cricket Stadium curator, has resigned from Sri Lanka Cricket’s interim committee with immediate effect, SLC has announced. Warnaweera handed over a letter of resignation to interim committee chairman Sidath Wettimuny on Friday.”In the letter he said he said he was resigning for personal reasons,” Wettimuny said. Warnaweera remains the Galle stadium curator and the Southern Province Cricket Association secretary.Warnaweera had also been an executive committee member in the previous SLC board, headed by Jayantha Dharmadasa. For that reason, his appointment in March to the current interim committee prompted minor criticism, while then-sports minister Navin Dissanayake postured the new board as a clean break from controversial past administrations.With the interim committee likely to have been dissolved, and fresh board elections held by the end of January, the committee is unlikely to appoint a replacement for Warnaweera.

ScorecardFile photo: Akshath Reddy hit seven fours and a six for his 73•PTI

Goa and Services continued to play attritional cricket in Porvorim with the hosts scoring only 205 runs on the second day. Opener Swapnil Asnodkar ground out his 11th first-class century to guide Goa but their progress was stalled by late wickets.Overnight batsman Dheeraj Jadhav managed to add only two runs before he was bowled by Poonam Ponia. Asnodkar then put on partnerships of 62 and 99 with Darshal Misal and Rahul Keni respectively as Goa nudged past the 200-mark. However, Goa lost four wickets for 22 runs, slipping to 259 for 8. Pacers Diwesh Pathania and Poonia shared six wickets between them. Shadab Jakati and Rituraj Singh hung around to close out the day without any further damage. Goa finished at 268 for 8, still trailing Services by 134 runs.
ScorecardResuming from their overnight score of 40 for 1, Hyderabad crawled to 207 for 8 in reply to Kerala’s 401. Opener Akshath Reddy and B Anirudh made fifties at strike-rates of 30s to prop up their side after they were reduced to 97 for 3. Hyderebad, however, were done in by the lack of substantial contributions from the lower middle order. Reddy was dismissed for 73 by Karaparambil Monish, who then cleaned up the tail to claim his maiden five-wicket haul in first-class cricket. Monish wheeled away for 43 overs, bowling 10 maidens and finishing with six wickets. Anirudh, though, was still unbeaten on 54 off 142 balls.
ScorecardHimachal Pradesh’s 23-year old batsman Nikhil Gangta scored his maiden first-class double-century to drive his team to a commanding lead against Jammu & Kashmir in Dharamsala.Resuming on 111 on the third morning, Gangta went on to score 203 at a brisk pace, hitting 20 fours and seven sixes. He was the seventh wicket to fall with the score on 514, having added 168 with Bipul Sharma. Sharma remained unbeaten on 117 off 154 balls, driving Himachal Pradesh to 554 before the last wicket fell in the 143rd over.The Jammu & Kashmir openers added 58 before Sharma dismissed Waseem Raza for 38. The visitors ended the day on 85 for 1, trailing by 176.

Australia fast bowler John Hastings is the latest to hedge his bets when it comes to the pink ball. It was in use in Victoria’s opening match of the Sheffield Shield season against Queensland at the MCG and Hastings mentioned at the end of the first day’s play that the pink ball lost its hardness rather quickly, and also pointed out that it doesn’t swing after approximately 15 overs leading to “a boring brand of cricket.”As a workaround, Hastings suggested changing it after 50 overs of use rather than 80 overs as is custom with the red ball. “It’s certainly better than the first few pink-ball games that we’ve played but I think there’s a fair bit of work to do,” he said. “The main issue for me is the hardness of the ball. It just doesn’t stack up to the red ball. Maybe if we change the ball at around 50-55 overs and get a new one or a semi-new one, it might be a better contest towards the end.”We’ve bowled about 15-16 overs with it and it stopped swinging,” he said. “It’s just a matter of the ball doesn’t move off the straight. It’s tough work. All you’ve got to do is set straight fields and it’s quite a boring brand of cricket when do have that pink ball.”If conventional swing was restricted, Hastings felt reverse swing with the pink ball was underwhelming. “It did actually go a little bit there at times. It wasn’t consistent. But the main thing is that when you get a red ball to go reverse, it’s actually quite hard and it can zip off the wicket. But with the pink ball we didn’t really get the zip off the wicket.”The rate of wear on the pink ball is a major concern to John Hastings•Getty Images

Hastings also indicated the fielders found it difficult to pick up the ball as it got discolored, echoing the comments made by Test batsman Adam Voges after the PM’s XI match against the touring New Zealanders. Cricket Australia, however, said it did not read too much into the issues.It was noted that with a lush outfield the pink ball’s durability was increased, but when the pitch and the outfield were abrasive – as in Manuka Oval where the PM’s XI match was held – the deterioration happened faster. Adelaide Oval, where the inaugural day-night Test between Australia and New Zealand beings on November 27, shares that trait. It is hosting a Shield match currently, where it is understood that the groundstaff were encouraged to prepare a grassy surface to keep the pink ball functioning optimally.When asked if the difficulty in sighting the pink ball posed safety concern for the players, Hastings said. “I don’t really know. It could well be but I’m not 100% sure. I felt okay at mid-on, I felt I could pick it up okay.”