Glenn Maxwell's unbeaten 201 in Australia's win over Afghanistan should be considered as the "greatest ever" ODI innings.

Earlier in November, Maxwell dragged Australia – who were chasing a target of 292 – to victory from 91-7 despite battling a back injury that was hugely limiting him.

On Sunday, it was fittingly Maxwell who struck the winning runs as Australia overcame hosts India by six wickets in the final.

And former England bowler Sidebottom thinks Maxwell's knock against Afghanistan will likely go down as the best in 50-over cricket.

"As an ODI innings, I've been lucky enough to watch and see many great ODI innings, but that has to be one of the best ever," Sidebottom told Stats Perform.

"It was just some serious hitting and display. I was in awe, it was seriously one of the best things I've ever seen.

"And again, I've got to say, Afghanistan were brilliant throughout this tournament.

"Afghanistan could have quite easily qualified [for the semi-finals]. It was a truly wonderful innings and to see how he played was just something very, very special."

Asked to consider other great innings, Sidebottom pointed to Ben Stokes' heroics for England in 2019, but thinks Maxwell's tally, which came off 128 balls and included 21 fours and 10 sixes, is the greatest.

"There's been so many from so many greats," he added.

"Stokes in the 2019 World Cup final because of the situation and England were struggling a little bit at the time.

"I look at how they go about the innings when their teams are under pressure. But Maxwell was under pressure to score 200 on his own to win that – it has to be probably the greatest innings ever."

Gerri Colombe will have Leopardstown or Cheltenham next on the agenda as Gordon Elliott eyes one more run before a shot at the Gold Cup in March.

Beaten only once in six starts over the larger obstacles, the stamina of Gordon Elliott’s seven-year-old came to the fore when making a winning return at Down Royal earlier this month.

Now he has either the Savills Chase – the traditional Christmas destination for Ireland’s top staying chasers – or the Cotswold Chase on Festival Trials Day on January 27 as his big-race options in preparation for his main March objective.

Elliott said: “He’s in the Savills and that will be depending on ground. If the ground is safe he would go there, but if not he could go to Cheltenham at the end of January. We have all those options.

“He doesn’t actually mind nice ground, but you wouldn’t want to be chancing it at that time of year.”

On his Down Royal comeback, Elliott added: “He will have come on an awful lot for Down Royal. He’s only been back cantering since the middle of September and Jack (Kennedy) said he was proper blowing. There will be loads of improvement in him.

“I was impressed with him by the line, but my heart was in my mouth. Speaking to Jack after you would have to be happy. I suppose the one thing he has is the will to win. He wants to win and that is a great attribute to have, you know.”

Gerri Colombe finds himself as short of 7-2 for the Cheltenham blue riband with, a race where he could come up against Charlie Hall Chase winner Gentlemansgame who is also owned by Brian Acheson’s Robcour operation.

Although available at much bigger odds than Gerri Colombe, Elliott believes Mouse Morris’ charge warrants plenty of respect having claimed the scalp of Paul Nicholls’ Bravemansgame at Wetherby.

“I will worry about Gerri and Mouse will worry about Gentlemansgame,” added Elliott.

“He’s a good horse and I don’t think he’s getting the credit he deserves at the moment. For what he’s done on his third or fourth run over fences, I was impressed with him anyway.”

It is still to be decided if Gerri Colombe will be joined by last year’s third Conflated in the Gold Cup in March, with Elliott toying with the idea of switching the Gigginstown House Stud-owned nine-year-old to the cross-country sphere.

“I imagine he will go Leopardstown (Savills Chase) and then we will decide whether we go Gold Cup or cross-country at Cheltenham,” said Elliott.

“We’ve schooled him to go cross-country. It didn’t surprise me (when third at Down Royal behind Gerri Colombe) and I knew there was more improvement to come from Punchestown, so it didn’t shock me. He’s a good horse, he was third in the Gold Cup last year.”

If heading down the cross-country route, Conflated would be adding to a strong hand Elliott possesses in a race he has dominated in recent years at the Cheltenham Festival.

He won it last year with Delta Work, with Galvin another of Elliott’s string poised to navigate the twists and turns of the cross-country track in March. However, the defending champion Delta Work finished lame when when reappearing at Prestbury Park last Friday.

“He’s lame, it’s nothing serious, but you can see that half way through the race his jumping went to pot,” said Elliott.

“We’ll get him back and train him for Cheltenham. He will probably go for a hurdle race in February and then onto Cheltenham for the cross-country race off level weights.”

Gordon Elliott has defended the number of runners he had in Navan’s Troytown Chase on Sunday after reiterating his desire to one day be crowned Ireland’s champion trainer.

Elliott ended up seeing 14 of his Cullentra House battalion face the starter for the  €100,000 handicap and saddled four of the first five home with 20-1 shot Coko Beach scooping the big pot for Gigginstown House Stud.

It is a contest Elliott has enjoyed great success in down the years and having been responsible for nearly three-quarters of the final field of 20, he simply believes he is doing what is best for both the horses in his yard and their owners by targeting the race.

“I started with nothing and didn’t get handed anything, I’ve worked for everything I’ve got,” explained Elliott.

“We didn’t stop any horse running in the race, the race didn’t fill and I think if I only run one or two horses then there might only be eight or nine in the race.

“I think for a €100,000 race, for Bar One who are sponsoring the race and for Navan, it would be embarrassing if there is only eight or nine runners in it.

“All my owners are paying training fees and entry fees and they want to run, so I don’t think I have anyone to answer to. All I want to do is do my best for every horse and every owner.”

Coko Beach brought up winner 115 for the season for Elliott with American Mike’s impressive chasing debut quickly taking that total to 116.

He currently stands €500,000 ahead of his great rival Willie Mullins at the head of the standings in Ireland and although still dreaming of a first title, concedes his priorities have changed since his well-documented ban in 2021, with his focus firmly on training as many winners as possible..

“If you had asked me about that two or three years ago, it was all I would have thought about,” he said about the title.

“If you ask me my ambition in life, it is to be champion trainer, but I probably look at life a little different now to how I did before what happened (the ban).

“It’s what I want to do and what I would love to do and my aim in life, but you look at things and people a lot different.”

When asked about his current motivation, he added: “Winners. I’m probably selfish and all I care about is training winners. It’s not ideal sometimes but I love what I do.

“I love training winners. I worked for a man called Martin Pipe and he loved it and I’m probably unfortunate that I was born in the same era as a man called Willie Mullins.

“Willie makes us all better and hungrier and I just like to do my best and keep him honest.”

Although realistic about his own title ambitions, Cullentra House number one Jack Kennedy has a real chance of getting his hands on a first title having partnered 60 winners so far this term.

That puts him 18 clear of nearest rival Paul Townend and Elliott believes he is in a great position to remain on top spot until the end of the season.

“I would love to see Jack Kennedy be champion jockey and I think it’s going to happen some day,” said Elliott.

“Whether that is this year, next year or the year after I don’t know. Just looking he has 60 winners already and I think last year when he had the fall he had 77 winners during the first week in January.

“It looks like he is ahead of last year and it looks like he is in a better position than last year to be honest.

“Last time he always had to worry about Davy Russell and now he is first jockey and has the pick of everything. I’m sure it will be something he would love to do anyway.”

Paul Nicholls has cited a clash in meetings between Haydock and Ascot as the reasoning behind Harry Cobden missing the ride on Bravemansgame in the Betfair Chase.

The gelding, who was second in the Gold Cup at Cheltenham, has only ever been ridden by Cobden in 18 starts under rules as he is the Ditcheat stable jockey.

That will change on Saturday, however, as Daryl Jacob steps in for the mount at Haydock with Cobden due to head to Ascot to partner Pic D’Orhy in the Grade Two 1965 Chase.

Cobden is also expected to partner a full book of Nicholls-trained rides on the day and the trainer cites this as the reason for the change – with Cobden also seen as more pivotal to Pic D’Orhy’s success than he is to Bravemansgame’s.

“Harry’s got to go to Ascot, he’s got six good rides there including Pic D’Orhy. It wasn’t an easy decision but it’s sometimes good to let someone else have the ride because if ever you need a reserve in the future you’ve got one,” Nicholls said on a press call hosted by the Jockey Club.

“That’s the decision we’ve made and that’s what Bryan’s (Drew, owner) happy with so that’s where we’re going.

“We’ve always had Pic D’Orhy in mind going to Ascot, Johnny’s (De la Hay, owner) got 15 or 16 very nice horses in training with us and he needs looking after.

“Harry is very important to Pic D’Orhy, probably more so than the other way round with Bravemansgame. Sometimes when you’ve got big meetings on a Saturday you have to make tough decisions that are right for everybody.”

Nicholls rejected the suggestion that Cobden would not resume his partnership with last year’s King George winner, adding: “There’s no question about that, of course he would!

“Harry’s the stable jockey but he can’t be in two places on the same day. Of course he’ll ride him again.”

Bravemansgame is one of six confirmations for the first Grade One of the UK season.

Nicky Henderson had spoken all summer of targeting Shishkin at the race, with the King George VI Chase his main aim in the first half of the season, although he now also has the 1965 Chase at Ascot as an alternative option.

Last year’s winner Protektorat has had the race as his big target and will attempt to join the likes of Kauto Star and Cue Card as a multiple Betfair Chase winner.

Grand National hero Corach Rambler has been left in by Lucinda Russell but he will need to take a huge step forward from his seasonal reappearance at Kelso.

Royale Pagaille (Venetia Williams) and Minella Drama (Donald McCain) may also run.

Novak Djokovic’s ATP Finals win on Sunday rubber-stamped him as the year-end world number one for a record eighth time and took him to 400 total weeks at the top of the rankings.

Here, the PA news agency looks at how his record compares to the greats of the game.

Djokovic already had more year-end number one rankings than any other male player, with his eighth meaning he now matches the record set by Steffi Graf on the WTA Tour.

The Serbian finished both 2011 and 2012 top of the pile, with another pair back to back in 2014 and 2015. Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal interrupted his dominance in 2016 and 2017 respectively but Djokovic was back on top in 2018, 2020, 2021 and now this year.

Pete Sampras is his nearest challenger on the ATP Tour with six year-end number one rankings, all in successive years from 1993 to 1998, with five each for Jimmy Connors, Roger Federer and Nadal.

Djokovic has pulled ahead of Martina Navratilova, who had seven to trail Graf by one on the WTA Tour where Serena Williams and Chris Evert rank next on five.

Djokovic is the first player, male or female, to spend 400 weeks on top of their tour’s rankings.

Graf is closest behind with 377 weeks, followed by Navratilova and Williams with Federer the second male player in that chart at 310 weeks – the last player, male or female, above 300.

Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of Djokovic’s dominance is how the 36-year-old has stayed at the top so long.

He has 177 weeks as number one in his 30s, more than any male player and trailing only Williams’ 196 overall. Nadal is next on that list with just 68 weeks.

Djokovic is the oldest world number one, male or female, other than Federer. The Swiss star’s final day at the top was June 24, 2018, when he was 36 years and 320 days old – should Djokovic top the rankings on or after April 6 next year, he will also claim that record.

The ATP number one ranking changed hands seven times this year as Carlos Alcaraz emerged as a serious rival to Djokovic.

The 20-year-old Spaniard beat Djokovic in the Wimbledon final to deny him a calendar-year Grand Slam and enjoyed four separate spells at number one.

As 2022 year-end number one, Alcaraz held that spot until January 29. He enjoyed another two-week spell in March and April, three from May 22 to June 11 before surrendering top spot to Djokovic for a fortnight, then another 11 weeks from June 26 to September 10 before Djokovic took over for the remainder of the year.

It is the most lead changes since 1999 when Sampras had four spells and Andre Agassi two, with one each for Carlos Moya, Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Pat Rafter making for eight lead changes.

The ATP record is 10 lead changes in 1983, with John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors and Ivan Lendl battling for top spot. The WTA Tour has never had more than seven lead changes in a single year, hitting that mark in 1995, 2002 and 2017.

Jonjo O’Neill has confirmed Monbeg Genius is on course to attempt to give him a second Coral Gold Cup victory next month.

The Jackdaws Castle handler won the Newbury showpiece with Cloth Cap in 2020 and has another leading contender with the progressive seven-year-old, who is a 7-1 ante-post co-favourite for the December contest with the sponsors.

He won three times over the larger obstacles last term, a season that culminated with a gallant third at the Cheltenham Festival in the Ultima Chase behind Grand National winner Corach Rambler.

The gelding met a hiccup on his seasonal return at Ascot, when a couple of mid-race errors brought an end to his challenge and he was subsequently pulled up.

However, despite O’Neill preferring to see Monbeg Genius complete in that assignment, the plan remains to head to Newbury in search of a share of the £250,000 prize-fund.

The trainer said: “He will go there as long as the ground is well, and I’m sure it will be soft. He’ll go there and that is the plan.

“Ascot was a shame because I didn’t get a race into him, which was a pity and it would have been nice to get a race into him because you need a race when you are going for those big handicaps.”

Paul Struthers is to resume the role of chief executive of the Professional Jockeys Association in the New Year.

He will replace Dale Gibson, who will revert to the position of racing director after stepping up to take on the top job on an interim basis.

Struthers left the PJA almost two years ago, when admitting the responsibilities involved had “taken a significant toll” on his family and personal life.

He went on to establish his own sports consultancy firm, Moya Sport, and has retained ties with the PJA on an advisory basis.

PJA chair Nick Attenborough said: “As expected, the role attracted a high calibre of candidates but following a thorough and extensive selection process, Paul was the overwhelming choice.

“He obviously brings unrivalled experience to the role, but even without his previous time at the PJA, he would have been the strongest candidate given his regulatory knowledge, leadership experience and expertise in membership and stakeholder comms, crisis management and PR.

“We look forward to welcoming Paul back in the New Year and I am delighted to be working with him, Dale and the team to create an even stronger PJA.

“I’d also like to thank Dale Gibson and the executive team for their very considerable support over the past year during a challenging time for the PJA.”

Struthers was previously chief executive for almost a decade and is looking forward to getting back on board.

“Obviously, my previous time at the PJA didn’t end how I wanted it to, but as difficult as it was, leaving when I did was undoubtedly the right thing to do at the time, both for myself and for the PJA,” he said.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed the challenge of setting up my own consultancy and trying to make Moya Sport a success, but the chance to rejoin the PJA was too good an opportunity to pass up. I am incredibly grateful and honoured to be entrusted with this role for a second time.

“With my prior experience, time to reflect on things I would have done differently and a fresh perspective that my break from the role has allowed, I am excited to be returning to lead the talented and passionate PJA team in representing and supporting the hard working, dedicated men and women of the weighing room.”

His appointment was welcomed by top jockeys from both the Flat and National Hunt spheres.

Ryan Moore said: “I wasn’t involved in the recruitment process but was delighted to hear the news that Paul is coming back, I was very disappointed when he left, and I know the weighing room will be as pleased as me that he’s back where he belongs.”

Champion jumps jockey Brian Hughes added: “This is the best news we’ve had in some time. It’ll be great to have Paul back.”

The Premier League will return to action this weekend following 2023’s final international break.

Here, the PA news agency takes a statistical look at how things stand through the first 12 games of the season.

Goals galore

With 370 goals in 120 games, this season is averaging more than three goals per game – a rate which, if sustained for the full campaign, would be unprecedented in the Premier League era.

Last season’s 1,084 goals in 380 games meant an average of 2.85 per game, the highest since rebranding. This season’s average of 3.08 would lead to a total of 1,171, surpassed only by the early seasons of the Premier League featuring 22 teams each playing 42 games.

There have been only three goalless draws along the way – two of them in consecutive Crystal Palace home fixtures, against Fulham on September 23 and Nottingham Forest two weeks later. Bournemouth held Chelsea in the other.

Erling Haaland has picked up where he left off, the Manchester City striker again leading the scoring charts with 13. Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah is also in double figures already, with 10 in 12 appearances, while Jarrod Bowen and Son Heung-min, on eight apiece, and Callum Wilson with seven, complete the top five.

An increase in stoppage time under stricter enforcement rules has played a part, with 50 of the 370 goals coming in the added minutes – 13.5 per cent of the total, up from 7.7 per cent last term when there were only 84 stoppage-time goals all season.

Competitive campaign

The current table sees five teams on at least 25 points, the most ever through 12 games of a Premier League season.

There were four such teams in each of the 2011-12, 2016-17, 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons but Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham and Aston Villa have made it a Premier League-era high.

Just three points separate those five teams while the league has already completed a ‘victory loop’ – made by arranging results so that team one beats team two, team two defeats team three and so on until team 20 beats team one.

The 73 previous teams with at least 25 points at this stage include 20 league champions, a further 42 top-four finishers and only 11 who finished outside that bracket.

At the other end of the table, Burnley have only four points and have been joined on that total by Everton following the latter’s unprecedented 10-point deduction for financial breaches. Sheffield United, just a point better off, complete the relegation zone.

Only three teams have previously had as few as four points after 12 games – Everton themselves in 1994-95, QPR in 2012-13 and the Blades in 2020-21, who had only one point.

A further seven have been on five points at this stage and eight of the 10 teams overall were relegated. The only survivors were the aforementioned Everton team, in a 42-game season, and Crystal Palace in 2017-18 when Roy Hodgson rescued a dismal start that saw Frank de Boer sacked just four games into his reign.

Tough start for promoted teams

With Luton also on only six points, the combined record of the three promoted clubs is comfortably the lowest in the Premier League era.

The trio occupied the three relegation places until Everton’s points deduction and their combined 15 points smashes the previous record worst of 26 at this stage.

That was in 2007-08 and saw Derby on six points on their way to a record low of 11 for a Premier League season. Sunderland had nine and Birmingham, who were eventually relegated alongside the Rams, 11.

LeBron James knows it is him "vs Father Time" as he looks to prolong his illustrious career at the highest level.

James had 37 points as the Los Angeles Lakers edged out the Houston Rockets 105-104 on Sunday.

The veteran sunk the winning 3-pointer to beat the shot clock and move the Lakers to 8-6 for the season.

While James knows he is entering the last stretch of his incredible career, the 38-year-old wanted to offer up a reminder of his quality.

"Sometimes you need to remind folks," James said after the game.

"Just trying to push the limit. See how far I can take this thing. I don't know. I mean, it's me vs Father Time."

James, though, stressed he is feeling sharper than in recent seasons, saying he is over a long-standing foot injury.

"I have been able to be on the court a lot more during off days this year because of past injuries the last couple years with my foot or whatever the case may be," James told ESPN.

"So to be able to hone in on everything that I need to do instead of having to get off my foot, unless we're playing games has allowed me to stay in rhythm.

"I got my bounce back, my spring back, my quick twitch back and things of that nature."

Lakers coach Darvin Ham added of James: "He was outstanding. The LeBron we've all come to know and love over these 21 years."

James is averaging 26.3 points, 7.7 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game this season.

Sam Billings has defended the "phenomenal" Rob Key despite England's early World Cup exit, saying people have "short memories".

England's defence of their World Cup crown came to a dismal end, crashing out at the group stage and suffering defeats to the likes of Afghanistan and Sri Lanka.

The miserable elimination has led some to criticise Key, England's managing director, but Billings has come to his defence, praising the work he has done since being appointed in 2022.

"I think Rob Key has been phenomenal," Billing told Stats Perform, speaking on the Pro Am Padel Tour. 

"People have ridiculously short memories. He's accountable for everything that's been a positive change over the last 15 months.

"So yeah, I think people always like to shoot people at the top. I think it's all just paper talk, but you look at where English cricket is at the moment – it's an interesting time for cricket as a whole.

"There are so many options. There are so many different competitions around the world, and so multifaceted where you're trying to juggle everything so I think they're doing a fantastic job."

Billings believes England's terrible World Cup campaign is a reminder of how quickly fortunes can change in sport, saying: "Without stating the obvious, it's hugely disappointing.

"But it's just a reminder of how brutal sport is. There are no guarantees, we prepare the best we can as athletes, the best we can as a team, but ultimately, there are no guarantees and every single team, regardless of how good they are or how good they've been, can have off days that can kind of mount up.

"It's just been one of those things – I think it's important to keep perspective in a time like this where it's been five weeks, probably, of poor cricket over an eight-year period. When you put it in perspective like that, I think that's pretty much all I can say about it. I just think it's important to keep perspective."

Ryan Jack will have Euro 2024 thoughts at the back of his mind until next summer after Scotland’s qualifiers concluded with a 3-3 draw against Norway.

Steve Clarke’s had already qualified for the tournament in Germany before the final two Group A games in Georgia and against the Norwegians at Hampden Park.

A 2-2 draw in Tbilisi on Thursday was followed by a thrilling match against Norway on Sunday, when the 31-year-old Rangers midfielder came on as a late substitute.

The draw will take place on December 2, after which the race will be on to make Clarke’s 23-man squad.

Jack said: “We all go back to our clubs. There is obviously a lot of football to be played, everyone will have a lot of big games to play from now to then.

“It is always at the back of your mind. You are never going to just forget what we have achieved.

“It is going to give everyone motivation to play well, to play consistently for their club and do everything we can to be part of it.

“It has been a great campaign. We qualified with a couple of games to spare and that has not been done for a long time.

“We wanted to go out with wins but at the start of the campaign the most important thing was qualifying and we did that.”

It was quite a final Group A game at Hampden where Aron Donnum fired the visitors ahead in the third minute before Scotland captain John McGinn levelled with a penalty 10 minutes later.

Striker Jorgen Larsen regained Norway’s lead before an own goal by Leo Ostigard had the Scots level again before half-time.

A fine strike by Scotland midfielder Stuart Armstrong had the home side ahead for the first time but that was cancelled out by a late header from Norway substitute Mohamed Elyounoussi.

Scotland have lost only twice in total in their last two qualifying campaigns – to Spain last month and to Denmark in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, which ended with Clarke’s side eventually missing out.

The Scots did make the previous Euros, albeit they could not emerge from their group which included England, Croatia and the Czech Republic.

But Jack believes that experience will be beneficial.

He said: “That (consistency) comes with belief and the confidence of getting results. The same core of the squad has been here since the last qualification.

“We are in a good place at the minute but we need to keep that going.

“We will be going to the tournament a lot more experienced and very optimistic.

“That (Euro 2020) will help. It probably didn’t go as well as we hoped so there will be a lot of reflection on that and what we think went wrong in that tournament and hopefully we can rectify that for this one.

“Hopefully the experience we have all had, the backroom staff, the players, will stand us in good stead for the next tournament.”