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The 32-year-old joins to boost promotion push following relegation to Division Two

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Jan-2025Australia batter Marcus Harris has joined Lancashire for the 2025 season.The left-handed opener will be available for the club’s County Championship and Metro Bank One-Day Cup campaigns through to September. He is due to arrive in the UK ahead of Lancashire’s opening Championship fixture against Middlesex at Lord’s, which begins on April 4.Acquiring someone of Harris’ standing brings vital experience to Emirates Old Trafford, which head coach Dale Benkenstein cited as vital for an immediate return to Division One after the county were relegated in 2024. Lancashire were keen to bring back New Zealand star Daryl Mitchell, who impressed with bat and ball during a stint in 2023, only for the allrounder to secure a lucrative Platinum deal with PSL franchise Lahore Qalandars.Harris has 12 Test caps for Australia, three of which came in the 2019 Ashes when the tourists secured the urn in Manchester. He came close to a recall for the home Test series against Australia, only for selectors to opt for Nathan McSweeney and then Sam Konstas.The 32-year-old has been a consistent performer domestically, and currently boasts 445 runs at an average of 49.44 for Victoria in this season’s Sheffield Shield. He is also well-versed in county cricket following spells at Leicestershire (2021 and 2024) and Gloucestershire (2022 and 2023), averaging 48.39 from 29 first-class appearances across both teams, with nine centuries.”I am really excited by the opportunity to join Lancashire for the English summer and will give my all to help this great Club win promotion back to Division One of the County Championship,” Harris said, via a statement from Lancashire on Thursday.”Emirates Old Trafford holds some special memories for me after we retained the Ashes there back in 2019 and I know that Nathan Lyon and Chris Green have both spoken so highly about their time at the club.”I have really enjoyed my time playing county cricket in England over the last few years and to start a new challenge with Lancashire is something which I am really looking forward to getting stuck into.”Director of Cricket Performance Mark Chilton said: “Marcus is an experienced operator with international pedigree and has a proven track record of scoring runs at the top of the order in domestic cricket in Australia and England.”He has a strong record in England, following a number of games with both Leicestershire and Gloucestershire in recent years. We are looking forward to working with Marcus and believe that he will play a key role as we look to earn promotion back into Division One at the first time of asking.”It was important to us that we got somebody on board who was going to be available for the majority of the County Championship this summer with the appropriate pedigree, and Marcus ticks that box, while he will also add valuable experience to our side in the One-Day Cup during August.”Harris will play alongside James Anderson, who earlier this month signed on for the upcoming season with Lancashire having not played since last July, when he bowed out of Test cricket against West Indies at Lord’s.West Indies quick Anderson Phillip is the club’s other overseas signing, and is available through to July for the first 11 Championship matches.

Head coach believes that the swing-friendly conditions at the Hagley Oval will assist his seam attack in the final

Deivarayan Muthu09-Feb-2023Since taking charge of the Canterbury men’s team in 2020, Peter Fulton has coached them to Plunket Shield and Ford Trophy title victories, but the Super Smash trophy is the one that keeps getting away from him. Canterbury last won the 20-over competition in 2006, the inaugural edition of the tournament, when Fulton, Brendon McCullum, Chris Cairns and Craig McMillian were still active players.Fulton has since lost two 20-over finals as a player [in 2009 and 2012] and two more finals as Canterbury’s coach [in 2021 and 2022].Despite the absence of a number of senior players who were on tour with the New Zealand side in Pakistan and India, Canterbury have made it to their third successive Super Smash final. They will also be without the likes of Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Ish Sodhi, and Matt Henry for their home final on Saturday, but Fulton is hopeful that they can break the jinx this time.”I’ve played in a couple of losing finals since we won that first one back in 2005-06, I think it was,” Fulton recalls, speaking to ESPNcricinfo. “So, I’ve lost a couple as a player and I’ve lost two now as a coach. So, let’s hope the third time’s the charm.”I think it probably starts with the players, as it does with most cricket teams. You have to have good cricket players [to have such sustained success] and we’re lucky in Canterbury…on the last Black Caps tour of Pakistan and India, I think we had six Canterbury players. That’s a good start, but our T20 success this season has been while all those Black Caps have been away. So, we obviously have some good depth in Canterbury and some good young players coming through.”With Henry Shipley being called up to New Zealand’s tours of Pakistan and India, Matt Henry on the sidelines, and Will Williams ending his Canterbury career to join Lancashire in 2022, Canterbury’s pace stocks appeared particularly thin at the start of the season. But Zakary Foulkes, William O’Rourke and Angus McKenzie have emerged as unlikely match-winners, picking up 12 wickets each. Among seamers, only Otago’s pair of Michael Rae (16) and Matthew Bacon (13) has got more wickets than them in this Super Smash. Even Fulton is surprised by the rapid progress of his raw, inexperienced seam attack.”I think probably at the start of this T20 campaign, if I’d have been completely honest, I’d have said that we would struggle in the bowling department by virtue of those guys being very young and inexperienced,” Fulton says. “Zak Foulkes is only 20, Will O’Rourke only 21 and Angus McKenzie 23. A lot of inexperience there, but they’ve really progressed quickly. They’re fast learners and they’ve embraced the challenge of T20 cricket, which is not quite easy as a bowler. Sometimes, the ball disappears to all parts of the ground, but they’ve shown a lot of maturity and they’ve probably progressed a little bit quicker than I thought they might.Peter Fulton hopes to produce more players for New Zealand from Canterbury’s talent pool•Getty Images”I guess, as a coach, we knew that those [senior] guys would be away [in Pakistan and India] or very likely to be away. In our planning, we sort of identified guys who might be playing at this time of the season. But, as I said, you can plan for what might happen, but the players still have to take the opportunity themselves and they have to, I guess, step up and take some responsibility. The fact that Zak and Will O’Rourke have opened the bowling as young players… and they have also bowled at the death. And they’ve been outstanding, so that’s quite uncommon for young guys to do that. Like I said, you can have all the planning in the world, but the players have to go out and do the job themselves.”Fulton also believes that the swing-friendly conditions and the bigger boundaries at the Hagley Oval will work in the favour of his seam attack in the final.”Really looking to the home final,” Fulton says. “The last two times we played the final we lost and that was away. So, I hope the home advantage will be good for us. The boundaries are bigger, and the wicket generally has good pace and bounce, which will hopefully assist our bowlers. And the ball generally swings at Hagley. On the day, we got to play some good cricket.”Fulton: ‘Having a short memory is important in T20 cricket’
Canterbury’s progress to the final didn’t look as likely, especially when they started their home leg with three successive defeats. However, they overcame the early setbacks and pressed on to win five of their next six matches to storm into the final. Their thumping eight-wicket victory against Otago in Dunedin on Monday saw them leap from third to the top spot in the league phase.”I think having a short memory is really important in T20 cricket – whether you have success or maybe struggling a little bit as individuals or as a team,” Fulton says. “The game can change pretty quickly and we had three games in a row, where we lost, and we didn’t necessarily play great cricket. But in two of those games, we came up against an opposition that performed really well on the day. So, that can happen in T20 cricket and I guess it’s [about] encouraging the guys to go out and play each game like a new game and not to carry the baggage from potentially previous failures or previous losses.”Chad Bowes was part of the New Zealand A team that toured India in 2022•Manoj Bookanakere/KSCA Chad Bowes – a future New Zealand player? Opening batter Chad Bowes, 30, has been central to Canterbury’s success this season, rattling up 342 runs in ten innings at an average of 42.75 and strike rate of 156.88. A former South Africa Under-19 captain, Bowes has done his time at Canterbury and recently in 2022, he was even part of the New Zealand A team that had toured India.Fulton reckons that Bowes has the tools to be part of the senior team later this year for the home series against Sri Lanka in March-April, when a number of New Zealand’s first-choice players will be in India for IPL 2023.”Look, he’s been outstanding this season,” Fulton says of Bowes. “When you watch domestic cricket, you try to identify players who can play at the next level. Watching them play here, you look for that extra little bit of class or the extra little bit of time [to play shots]. He’s certainly got that and to be fair, he has always had that ability.”I think he’s been a bit more consistent this season, in terms of the scores he has been putting on the board. He’s really standing out amongst the other players at this level. So, the Black Caps have been away, but he has really stood out this season and at times shown that he’s a class above the other guys on display.”

It’s not only his performances but also his data-driven approach that has played a part in Pakistan getting to the final

Osman Samiuddin12-Nov-20222:03

What makes Shadab so successful in Australia?

Before the start of this tournament, Shadab Khan was asked to rate Pakistan’s reliance on data analytics in T20 on a scale of 1 to 10. He answered with words, not numbers, but if ever words represented a solid five, this was it. Difficult to say. Franchises are different. International cricket is different. Hmmm. Haww. Not reliant on it. Not disregarding it.Shadab is a poster boy of the Islamabad United data dynasty. He gets it. He applies it. He believes in it. He is also the vice-captain of a Pakistan team where the captain is not a great believer in match-ups, where a religious philosopher doubles as a coach and a mentor who is a man of words that don’t always make sense. At the last T20 World Cup, almost the same Pakistan side were mostly ignoring – politely – data-based tactical advice they were getting from analysts, and they reached the semi-finals unbeaten. Shadab gets this too. He believes in this too.Related

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But this happy accommodation – Shadab of the Pakistan ethos, Pakistan of Shadab – captures something intrinsic about this latest Pakistan ride, of which Shadab has been the absolute beating heart. A ride fuelled by a little bit of data, a little bit of (prayer) and a whole lot of Pakistan.

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History repeats itself, the saying should go, first as Pakistan cricket, then as a meme. The 1992 parallels have long gone viral, but there’s a more compelling one from an individual performance from Pakistan’s second world title. Trent Bridge, 2009 and you know where this is headed: the coronation of Shahid Afridi, 13 years into his career. A fifty first, the blown kiss for Jacques Kallis and then the iconic castling of Herschelle Gibbs and AB de Villiers in four balls to set up Pakistan for the final.In Sydney, a little over a week ago, against South Africa, in another must-win game, Shadab dismissed Temba Bavuma and Aiden Markram in the space of three balls to unhinge the chase. Earlier he had rescued Pakistan with a 22-ball 52, like Afridi in 2009, his first fifty in an ICC event. No kisses were blown.Memory says the Shadab ball to dismiss Markram might have resembled Afridi’s to de Villiers but Youtube proves otherwise. Afridi was getting so much drift in those days, each ball was like a fully formed character out of a Kerouac novel. But the Markram delivery was almost identical to Shadab’s own dismissal of Markram from the only other time he’s bowled to him, in a World Cup game three years ago. A flipper maybe, or a toppie, a goodie definitely: across nine balls, it’s bowled Markram twice.Shadab Khan is a big draw in this Pakistan team•ICC via Getty ImagesThis isn’t a coronation, not yet anyway, more an arrival. Shadab’s been a gun for a while, but he’s now stamped his presence all over a global event. He’s a genuine shot for player of the tournament though if it’s just a fan vote, only one guy is winning that (You don’t even have to scroll down. He’s right there).Shadab still considers himself a legspinner first, though his batting has come on so sharply in recent years soon it might not be so easy to agree. But it’s perhaps the highest compliment to his bowling in this tournament that it has made the central issue of his batting – to be higher up the order more often – redundant.He’s offered Pakistan essential control in those middle overs, foremost with 10 wickets – the most by any bowler in that phase at the tournament (to have bowled at least 30 balls). That’s one wicket less than Rashid Khan, Adil Rashid and Adam Zampa combined. Among spinners, his economy rate of 6.59 is the fifth best, and he’s basically as good as the most economical spinners because only 0.22 per over separates him from top spot.That fifty against South Africa was no fluke though. Since 2020, he’s one of just three players in all T20s to have scored over 1000 runs and taken 100 wickets (Samit Patel and Jason Holder are the other two). Dig a bit more into that period* and he’s the only player alongside Mohammad Nabi to have at least 10 scores of 30+ at a strike rate above 150 as well as at least 10 innings where he’s bowled his full quota of four overs and conceded less than six per over. Most teams would love to have a player tick one of those boxes: Shadab ticks both. No surprise either that ESPNcricinfo’s Smart Stats has him as the fifth-most impactful T20 player in the world since 2020.So he might call himself a legspinner, but he’s as all-round as they come, not least when his fielding is factored in. He’s the best fielder in the best fielding side Pakistan has ever put out at a global event. The run-out of Devon Conway in the semi-final was an electric and pivotal moment, but in the canon of Shadab run-outs, hardly spectacular. All three stumps, nice and easy bounce for the pick-up – if he’d missed it, it would’ve been surprising.

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Shadab Khan might call himself a legspinner, but he’s as all-round as they come•Getty ImagesIn his first season as captain, Shadab’s Islamabad were chasing 183 against Lahore Qalandars at Gaddafi Stadium. They were 5-2 at the end of the second, both openers gone. Until that point Shadab had mostly batted lower down, usually at seven.The story goes that he reasoned to coach Misbah-ul-Haq that he should go in at four. The chase was a tall one and going in himself was a way of maximising resources. He would go hard from ball one and if he failed, it would hardly be a dent on batting resources with Colin Ingram, Asif Ali and Hussain Talat to come.As it turns out, his 29-ball 52 helped Islamabad win a raucous game, but more than the potential of his batting, the story reflects his grasp of the format’s demands. The phrase low-value wicket wasn’t as in vogue then, but that is exactly what he was.That game awareness, built off some homespun instinct and enabled by the environment at Islamabad, is something that few in the Pakistan side can match. That is what filters through to the national side. It’s been said, for instance, that it was his input that led to the recent tactical flexibility in Pakistan’s batting order. There’s a suggestion Shadab had a fingerprint on the early introduction of Mohammad Nawaz against Glenn Phillips in the semi-final. High pace is usually a good way to go against Phillips but Shadab was aware that Phillips’ can struggle early against left-arm spin. Nawaz took his wicket sixth ball, bowled one more economical over and was done.None of this is to exaggerate Shadab’s role, merely to highlight that Pakistan have come upon, in him and Babar Azam, a valuable complementariness in on-field leadership. Babar’s a more orthodox captain, albeit with sound instincts. Shadab’s approach bounces nicely off this and they get on far too well for it to be any more complicated than that.Not that the last bit matters at this moment. The last Pakistan captain and vice-captain to feature in a world final at the MCG had, you might recall, an infamously complicated relationship. You might also recall where that got them that day.

The ICC’s trophy tour of the Champions Trophy will begin on Saturday from Islamabad in Pakistan but will not go to Muzaffarabad in the first leg of its journey. The BCCI had objected to the trophy’s original route, which included Muzaffarabad, capital of Pakistan administered Kashmir, a territory disputed by the two countries.The objection caused the delay in finalising a new route, raising the prospects of the tour being delayed altogether. The PCB had announced the launch and route of the tour on its social media channels on Thursday, catching the ICC by surprise; as it is an ICC event, the protocol is that the global body announces those details.But an alternative route was finalised late on Friday, allowing the tour to begin, as originally planned and announced by the PCB, from Saturday. Former fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar will accompany the trophy on the first day as it is displayed at well-known landmarks in the capital, including Daman-e-Koh, Faisal Mosque and the Pakistan Monument.From Islamabad the trophy will go to schools, colleges and landmarks in Abbottabad, Murree and Karachi in the opening leg before heading off on an international tour, taking in the seven other countries who are part of the Champions Trophy.The trophy then returns to Pakistan on January 27, three weeks before the scheduled start of the tournament, with another tour of venues around Pakistan.Less than a 100 days before the start of the tournament, however, there remains no clarity about how much of the event will be played in Pakistan. The BCCI has told the ICC its government will not allow the team to play in Pakistan, raising the possibility of a hybrid model tournament that sees India playing its games outside of Pakistan. The PCB has stood firm against that possibility, however, and insists the entire tournament is played in Pakistan.The PCB has written to the ICC asking the BCCI to put down in writing the exact reasons for its inability to visit, as well as asking the ICC when they were informed of the BCCI’s decision.

After reaching an agreement to sign Fer Lopez to get their summer business underway, Wolverhampton Wanderers are now reportedly showing “intent” in the race to sign a veteran defender.

Premier League fixtures confirmed as Wolves plot signings

Whilst the chaos continues in the transfer window, the Premier League fixtures have now officially been announced. Discovering their fate, Wolves will have an interesting reunion on the opening day of the 2025/26 season, with the visit of Rayan Ait-Nouri and Manchester City kicking things off in difficult fashion for Vitor Pereira’s side.

Of course, the last thing that Wolves will want is to get sucked into another relegation scrap – especially after Pereira’s instant progress after taking the job last season. But if they do find themselves in trouble, then relegation six-pointers against Leeds United in April and then Sunderland and Burnley in May stand out as crucial fixtures.

Burnley away on the final game of the season could be particularly decisive and already looks like one to watch in the relegation battle. As much as Wolves are keen to avoid another season in and amongst the dropzone, there’s no denying that they could face a tough transition into life without Matheus Cunha and Ait-Nouri.

On that front, however, those at Molineux are already working on replacements. The big question will be whether the likes of Lopez and Evann Guessand are capable of replicating Cunha’s crucial output in the Premier League, which singlehandedly carried Wolves’ frontline at times.

It’s not just attacking additions that the Midlands club need either. Pereira and Wolves have also reportedly set their sights on some key defensive reinforcements and could even reunite with a familiar face as a result this summer and one that Molinuex would need no introduction to.

Wolves show "intent" in Conor Coady race

Just two years on from his departure, Molineux could have one of their favourites back this summer. According to Sky Sports (17:10pm), Wolves are now showing “intent” in the race to sign Conor Coady in a transfer battle against Scottish giants Rangers. The veteran defender has been shown the door at Leicester City, handing Wolves the chance to secure an important reunion with their former captain.

By rejoining Wolves, Coady would instantly become the most experienced Premier League player in the current squad and could even go on to break the record for appearances in the club’s Premier League history, jumping ahead of Ruben Neves in the process.

The veteran defender experienced it all at Molineux, from Championship failure and then Championship promotion all the way to a European tour. Now, at 32 years old, he could return to ensure that Wolves steer clear of the dropzone and so much more once again.

Molineux chiefs scrambling as Club World Cup side Benfica set to raid Wolves

A major European side have their eyes on an important member of Wolves’ team.

By
Brett Worthington

Jun 16, 2025

Whilst it remains to be seen how much Leicester demand to sell their defender, reports that they have opened the door for the £75,000-a-week defender to leave suggest that they’d be willing to accept a relatively cheap price this summer.

A “world-class” player is “waiting” for Manchester United to sign him in the summer transfer window, according to an exciting new claim.

Man Utd still pursuing new striker

The Red Devils struggled all over the pitch last season, but they lacked a top-quality striker throughout the campaign, playing a part in them finishing 15th in the Premier League table.

With serious doubts over the long-term worth of Rasmus Hojlund, United continue to be linked with elite-level strikers, with Sporting CP superstar Viktor Gyokeres mentioned as a leading option to come in. In fact, the club have even reportedly spoken to his agents about a move to Old Trafford.

The Swede has enjoyed a stunning few years for the Portuguese giants, scoring an incredible 68 goals in the past two Primeira Liga seasons combined, as well as netting 11 times in Europe during that period.

Eintracht Frankfurt star Hugo Ekitike and Crystal Palace marksman Jean-Philippe Mateta have also been mentioned as alternative options to Gyokeres, as United look to nail their new striker choice ahead of next season. Now, a new transfer rumour has dropped at the other end of the pitch.

World Cup winner "waiting" for Man Utd

According to an update from TyC Sports [via Sport Witness], Emiliano Martinez is “waiting” for Manchester United to make their move and sign him this summer.

The 32-year-old World Cup winner has lots of interest, including from Galatasaray, but he likes the idea of moving to the Red Devils most, even though they can’t offer him Champions League football next season.

The £150,000-a-week Martinez could be a perfect signing for United this summer, at a time when there are genuine doubts over Andre Onana’s worth between the sticks.

The Argentine has proven to be one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League for Aston Villa in recent years, if not in Europe for that matter, having won the Best Fifa Men’s Goalkeeper award in 2024, beating Gianluigi Donnarumma, Ederson, Andriy Lunin, Mike Maignan, David Raya and Unai Simon to the prize.

Martinez possesses huge character, as shown during his heroics performances for Argentina at the 2022 World Cup, not least during the penalty shootout in the final, and he has been called “world-class” by Gary Neville, as well as being lauded by Nuno Espirito Santo for one stunning save against his Nottingham Forest side last season.

He's better than Cunha: Man Utd in talks to sign £40m Ekitike alternative

Manchester United appear to be making moves to land a star who could sign ahead of Viktor Gyokeres.

ByEthan Lamb Jun 13, 2025

Martinez would immediately give United more presence between the sticks, and still has plenty of years left in him at the top. His personality would also make him a popular figure at a time where the club need characters, not least his ability to get under the skin of opposition players and fans.

Newcastle United hold plenty of appeal for prospective recruits this summer and they could now be on the verge of landing a key target, according to a report.

Newcastle United make inroads during the summer window

There are plenty of transfer stories beginning to circulate in the North East after Antonio Cordero’s arrival from Malaga was confirmed earlier this week, and it remains to be seen where Eddie Howe will decide surgery is necessary to enrich his squad.

According to Sky Sports reporter Phil Dorsett, Newcastle remain keen on Brighton & Hove Albion striker Joao Pedro, and it is mooted that the former Bournemouth boss is keen to strengthen his forward line regardless of whether Alexander Isak or Callum Wilson depart.

“NUFC interested in Joao Pedro, who has admirers in PL and Europe. Big summer for Newcastle – Callum Wilson out of contract, and widespread interest in Alexander Isak – who nufc don’t want to sell. But Howe wants another striker, departures or not. And Pedro is an option.”

Defensively, talks have been held to bring Bayern Munich star Kim Min-jae to Tyneside. His asking price is said to have dropped from £42 million to £29.5 million, but Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan are also waiting in the wings.

Bolstering the heart of his backline has to be a priority for Howe amidst Fabian Schar and Jamaal Lascelles coming towards the latter stages of their career.

Teenage attacker agrees 4-and-a-half year deal to join Newcastle United

Paul Mitchell isn’t messing around.

1 ByHenry Jackson Jan 31, 2025

Lloyd Kelly has left on a permanent deal to join Juventus worth £20 million. Meanwhile, Jamal Lewis has been released by the club as per their annual retained list.

With spaces to fill, Newcastle have now turned the tables and are closing in on a landmark signing, per recent reports.

Newcastle reportedly close to signing Marc Guehi

According to Portuguese newspaper outlet A Bola, Newcastle United have more or less completed a deal to sign Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace, which has prompted the Eagles to target Sporting Clube de Portugal’s Ousmane Diomande as a direct replacement.

There is no mention of the fee that it would take for the Magpies to pull Guehi away from the FA Cup holders, but the report states Palace have “lost Guehi to Newcastle”, and he is thought to be valued at around £50m.

Similar players to Marc Guehi – FBRef

Trevoh Chalobah

Chelsea

Oumar Solet

Udinese

Sinaly Diomande

Auxerre

Waldemar Anton

Borussia Dortmund

Once again a lynchpin for Crystal Palace during a productive campaign under Oliver Glasner, the Abidjan-born man made 44 appearances across the recent season, registering three goals and two assists.

Maintaining an element of dominance, Guehi won 168 duels in the English top-flight and continues to show up on a consistent basis for the Eagles, piquing the interest of clubs on the lookout for solidity.

Newcastle have long been at the front of the queue for his signature, and it appears they may finally be close to pushing a deal over the line, making this one to keep an eye on over the next few days.

New Zealand were bowled out for 88 in a chase of 149, leaving their progress in doubt

Madushka Balasuriya08-Oct-20243:16

Clinical Australia complicate NRR matters for others

Australia put one foot in the semi-finals with a dominant 60-run victory over neighbours New Zealand in Sharjah, and in the process recorded their 13th straight win in T20I World Cups. The result means Australia have two wins from two with a healthy net run-rate of 2.524 – they are also the only unbeaten side in the group. For New Zealand, the margin of defeat has had a hefty impact on their net run-rate, now going below Pakistan’s as they fell to third place.The win was a result of a supreme all-round effort from Australia, and a solid execution of plans. Their top order of Alyssa Healy, Beth Mooney and Ellyse Perry contributed heavily, and while Amelia Kerr – who ended with excellent figures of 4 for 26 – did her best to reel New Zealand back into the game, Australia’s total of 148 for 8 on a sluggish surface always felt like too tall a chase.And so it proved as New Zealand’s batters struggled to get going. Suzie Bates hung around for a scratchy 20 off 27, while Kerr’s 29 off 31 was the only other innings of substance. While Megan Schutt, Sophie Molineux and Annabel Sutherland shared eight wickets among them, it was Schutt’s outstanding spell of 3 for 3 that pinned New Zealand down. Schutt took home the Player-of-the-Match award for her efforts.Healy takes chargeOn a surface with a nice layering of grass, Australia might have suspected they had won a good toss when they elected to bat. After Healy’s 26 off 20, that decision was looking more sound than ever, as Australia struck 43 inside the powerplay.It might not have been so though, had Healy not been convinced by partner Mooney to review an lbw call in the third over. That overturned decision seemed to bring clarity, as the very next delivery from Fran Jonas was smoked over mid-off. Two balls later, another one over extra cover. She’d repeat the trick in the next over as well, before carving one over point in the final over of the powerplay.While Healy fell looking for a fifth loft over the offside, Australia had set the ideal platform for their innings.Mooney and Perry shift through the gearsOnce the fielding restrictions were lifted, Perry in particular struggled to turn over the strike. The pressure that was built eventually told when she struck one straight to long-on, only for Maddy Green to spill the chance. New Zealand unsurprisingly came to the rue that missed opportunity as Perry and Mooney stitched together the match’s highest stand of 45 off 38.Amelia Kerr picked up 4 for 26•ICC via Getty Images

What both batters did well from there on was not get bogged down. While boundaries were hard to come by, they were still eager to use their feet and keep ticking over singles. It meant the momentum set up by Healy’s early salvo was never lost. This was highlighted by Mooney’s 40 off 32, which included just the two boundaries.Once Mooney fell, caught trying – and failing – to clear mid-off, Perry took over as aggressor carting Eden Carson for six over long-off, before pummeling her through square leg. Bookending those strikes was a pair of boundaries off two Kerr overs, as Perry threatened to take the game away from New Zealand.Kerr keeps New Zealand in itBut just as Australia were looking to truly unleash, Kerr struck in consecutive deliveries in the 14th over to take out Perry and Grace Harris, having already removed Mooney earlier. Kerr grabbed one more before signing off, making it three wickets in a five-ball period for the legspinner.These wickets had the effect of snuffing out Australia’s momentum, though their propensity for picking up singles mixed in with the odd boundary meant they still managed 32 runs off the final five overs. Not as much as they would have liked, but enough to push them to a fairly imposing total.Australia execute to perfectionKnowing that they had a good total on the board, Australia’s goal was to simply make life as difficult as possible for New Zealand’s batters – and that they did. Schutt set the tone with her impeccable lines and lengths, never allowing the batters to swing their arms, while she was ably supported by her team-mates.This meant that while New Zealand lost just one wicket inside the powerplay, they were only able to muster 29 runs. By the 10th over, it was still one wicket down but the scoreboard had just about ticked over to 54.The final 10 overs then brought about the conclusion they’d been planning for throughout as batter after batter got out trying to hit out. In the end, at no point in the chase we New Zealand ever in the game.

فتح جياني إنفانتينو رئيس الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم “فيفا” الباب أمام إقامة بطولات كأس العالم وكأس العالم للأندية في الشتاء.

ويعتقد إنفانتينو أن كرة القدم بحاجة للتفكير بعقلية منفتحة بشأن نقل البطولات الكبرى من الصيف.

وتجرى مناقشات حول جدول مباريات ما بعد 2030 وهو ما يمثل نقطة توتر خاصة بالنظر للضغط المتزايد الذي تفرضه البطولات الموسعة.

وشكل الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم مجموعة عمل لدراسة هذه المسألة وقد وضع الاتحاد نفسه في مأزق بمنح استضافة كأس العالم 2034 للمملكة العربية السعودية.

ومن شبه المؤكد أن تقام هذه البطولة في فصل الشتاء كما حدث مع قطر 2022، واقترح إنفانتينو أن تعتاد كرة القدم على فك ارتباطها بالصيف الأوروبي.

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وقال إنفانتينو في تصريحات نقلتها “جارديان” البريطانية: “نحن بالفعل في صميم الموضوع ونناقشه طوال الوقت، الأمر لا يتعلق بكأس عالم فقط بل هو انعكاس عام، حتى اللعب في بعض الدول الأوروبية في يوليو يكون حارًا جداً، افضل شهر للعب كرة القدم وهو يونيو لكنه لا يستخدم كثيراً في أوروبا”.

وواصل: “ربما توجد طرق لتحسين التقويم، لكننا نناقشها وسنرى ما سيحدث عندما نتوصل لاستنتاجات، علينا فقط أن نكون منفتحين”.

وتابع: “من المعروف أنه إذا أردت اللعب في نفس الوقت في كل مكان فمن المرجح أن تلعب في مارس أو أكتوبر لأنه في ديسمبر لا يمكنك اللعب في مكان ما من العالم وفي يوليو لا يمكنك اللعب في مكان آخر”.

وأكمل: “علينا أن نأخذ جميع هذه العوامل في الاعتبار عند الحديث عن مسابقات المنتخبات الوطنية ومسابقات الأندية وأن نبحث كيف يمكن تحسينها بما يعود بالنفع على الجميع لذا هناك الكثير على المحك”.

وأضاف إنفانتينو أنه يأمل ألا يتم استهداف مباراتي أحد المنتخبات المقبلة في تصفيات كأس العالم ضد النرويج وإيطاليا من قبل المتظاهرين بعد الاتفاق على وقف اطلاق النار مع حماس.

وختم: “الآن هناك وقف لإطلاق النار ويجب أن يكون الجميع سعداء ويدعمون ذلك، الأمر يتجاوز كرة القدم، اتفاق وقف إطلاق النار خبر رائع للعالم أجمع”.

He played 40 Tests and 15 ODIs for India between 1975 and 1987, before becoming a selector, and later, the coach of the national team

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Jul-2024

Aunshuman Gaekwad, the former India batter and national head coach, has died aged 71, following a long battle with blood cancer. Gaekwad, who was in London till last month, died in Baroda after a brief time in the ICU due to various health complications.Gaekwad played 40 Tests and 15 ODIs for India between 1975 and 1987, before becoming a selector, and later, the coach of the national team.As a batter, Gaekwad scored 1985 runs from 70 Test innings, with a highest score of 201 against Pakistan in 1982-83, where he patiently batted for 671 minutes – then the slowest ever double-century in first-class cricket.