Dreary drew ensues after youngster stars for Warwickshire with career-best 93

ECB Reporters Network29-Apr-2024Nottinghamshire 400 (Duckett 218, Haynes 74, Slater 65, Hannon-Dalby 5-78) and 75 for 1 drew with Warwickshire 361 (Bethell 93, Barnard 69, James 3-65, Pennington 3-74)Another stalemate landed in the ocean of early-season Vitality Championship draws as the match between Warwickshire and Nottinghamshire petered out at Edgbaston.In reply to 400 all out, Warwickshire extended their first innings to 361, Jake Bethell posting a career-best 93 (163 balls), before Nottinghamshire went in again and acquired 75 for one.As soon as Warwickshire reached 251, which they did with some comfort with five wickets down, the match was consigned to a draw, the home side’s fourth in four championship matches and Nottinghamshire’s third in four.It was a dreary conclusion to a match which delivered some excellence – Ben Duckett’s double-century and the seam bowling of Olly Hannon-Dalby and Dillon Pennington – but was ultimately smothered by a docile pitch and the loss of more than a day to rain.After Warwickshire resumed on the final morning on 175 for five, 76 short of the follow-on figure, Nottinghamshire needed to strike quickly but Bethell and Danny Briggs (37, 79) were soon collecting boundaries. Stubborn batting, allied to a pitch which stubbornly refused to deteriorate, drew the sting of a seam attack which bowled with a quality during this match to suggest they will cause batters a lot of problems in more helpful conditions.Bethell and Briggs added 85 in 23 overs to take their side to the requisite 251. Almost immediately, Briggs swatted Calvin Harrison to mid on where Freddie McCann entered the history books as the first former Papplewick & Linby CC player to take a catch as a substitute in first class cricket with the floodlights on at Edgbaston on a Monday.Bethell’s classy and composed innings ended seven short of a deserved maiden century when he edged Olly Stone to give the former Warwickshire player his first wicket back on his old patch. Bowling remained a joyless assignment though and Michael Burgess (43, 63 balls) and Aamer Jamal (40, 46) added 71 in 15 overs before the latter hammered a return catch to Lyndon James.After Hasan Ali chipped James into the covers, Hannon-Dalby settled in with his customary aplomb before running out of partners when Burgess mowed to mid off. James’ analysis had been upgraded from 0 for 57 to three for 63 in 18 balls.Nottinghamshire went into bat again at 2.54pm and filled the rest of a grey afternoon with batting practice. Duckett followed his 264-ball 218 with a six-ball seven when Hannon-Dalby trapped him lbw but Haseeb Hameed (41 not out, 69 balls) and Ben Slater enjoyed an outdoor net for the remaining two hours as the match fizzled out in a manner redolent of Nottinghamshire’s visit to Coventry in 1928 when they amassed 656 for three, four of the top five scoring centuries (only Arthur Carr missed out with a paltry 58) but their victory hopes were thwarted by a benign pitch, weather damage and obdurate batting by Warwickshire legends Tiger Smith and Bob Wyatt.

Kyogo Furuhashi has explained why he chose to join Birmingham City in a shock summer move, insisting he is "really excited" about the club's ambition.

Kyogo moves to St Andrew'sJapan international moves from RennesBirmingham eyeing Championship promotionFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Birmingham pulled off a stunning coup as they secured Kyogo's signature earlier this summer, bringing the Japan international to England after just six months at Rennes in France. He had played for Celtic for four years, scoring 85 goals in 165 games, but he only played six times in Ligue 1.

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Now, the 30-year-old, who can play as a centre-forward and on the left wing, has explained why he felt the Blues were the right choice for him this summer. The club co-owned by Tom Brady have ambitious plans to build a new stadium, and are targeting Premier League promotion.

WHAT KYOGO SAID

Speaking on Japanese television, Kyogo credited former Celtic team-mate Tomoki Iwata, who is also now at Birmingham, for selling the project.

He said: "I was happy because I received many good offers, but I decided Birmingham City's was the best for me.

"Tomoki Iwata contacted me and told me he'd be really happy if I joined him at Birmingham.

"I listened to what he had to say about the club and I got really excited about hearing about their ambitions."

Asked about his brief Rennes stint, he replied: "It's true that I had a difficult period at Rennes, but I don't regret going there.

"I think I grew in some ways, so I believe I can make use of that experience in Birmingham and I hope to make the most of it."

Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

Birmingham play Solihull Moors in a pre-season friendly on Wednesday in a game that could mark Kyogo's first Blues appearance.

Leeds United are heading towards the opening of the summer transfer window on Sunday, and are preparing to build a squad that can compete in the Premier League next term.

Daniel Farke’s side will be competing in the top-flight in the 2025/26 campaign after they won the Championship title with a staggering 100 points, beating Plymouth Argyle 2-1 away from home on the final day of the season to clinch the trophy.

The Whites are now tasked with preparing a group to battle against relegation from the top-flight at the first time of asking, which is going to be incredibly difficult when you consider recent history.

Southampton, Ipswich, and Leicester were all relegated from the Premier League this season, after Sheffield United, Burnley, and Luton all went down the season before, all six of whom had just been promoted from the Championship.

This illustrates the size of the task at hand for Farke and his players heading into the upcoming campaign, which is why this summer transfer window is particularly important.

Leeds needs to ensure that they have a team that is good enough to compete week-in-week-out in the top-flight, and that is why Brenden Aaronson’s future in the starting XI should be in doubt.

Why Brenden Aaronson must be replaced

The USA international started 43 of his 46 appearances in the Championship as a regular starter under Farke in the number ten position, but he has not done enough to suggest that the step up to the Premier League will suit him.

Aaronson ended the season with a return of nine goals and two assists in those 46 outings in the second tier, which was a decent, but unspectacular, haul for the attacking midfielder.

His finishing left a lot to be desired throughout the season for Leeds, with nine goals from 11.43 xG, and this does not suggest that he is ruthless enough in front of goal to be an effective operator at the top end of the pitch in the top-flight.

Aaronson, of course, played for the Whites in their last season in the Premier League, under Jesse Marsch, Javi Gracia, and Sam Allardyce, and his lack of quality was on full display that year.

Appearances

36

xG

3.86

Goals

1

Key passes per game

1.3

Assists

3

Ground duel success rate

43%

Aerial duel success rate

17%

As you can see in the table above, the American flop was incredibly wasteful in front of goal, underperforming his xG by almost three goals, and was a liability out of possession, as opposition defenders dominated him in duels.

With this in mind, the former RB Salzburg star should not be guaranteed to keep his place as a starter when the Premier League season gets underway next season.

Instead, Leeds should attempt to replace him during the upcoming summer transfer window, which appears to be what they are aiming for with their latest target.

Leeds eyeing move for Championship star

According to Leeds United News, reporter Graeme Bailey claims that Leeds United are one of the teams interested in a deal to sign Jack Rudoni from Coventry City this summer.

The report claims that the Whites are keen on doing a deal for the English attacking midfielder in the coming weeks, as they eye up a move for the Championship sensation.

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It adds that the second tier champions are yet to make an enquiry about his availability, though, which suggests that any transfer is in the very early stages at this point.

Meanwhile, EFL Analysis claims that Sheffield United, Leicester City, and Southampton are also lining up moves for the Sky Blues attacking midfielder this summer, providing competition for his signature.

Leeds, though, could have an advantage over those three clubs because of their promotion to the Premier League, and they should use that to snap him up ahead of next season.

Why Leeds should sign Jack Rudoni

The Whites should swoop to sign Rudoni from the Championship side this summer because he could be way better than Aaronson for Farke in the top-flight.

Whilst the left-footed star is unproven in the Premier League, having yet to play there in his career, his performances in the Championship during the 2024/25 campaign suggest that he has more to offer to the team than the American lightweight does.

The former Huddersfield Town star, who was dubbed a “standout” by pundit Lee Hendrie, joined Coventry in the summer of 2024 and hit the ground running as an instant star for the club this term.

Rudoni only delivered five goals and three assists in 35 appearances for the Terriers in the 2023/24 Championship campaign, but the move to the Sky Blues helped to get the best out of him.

Appearances

43

46

xG

7.49

11.43

Goals

9

9

Big chances missed

6

11

Big chances created

16

9

Key passes per game

1.8

1.6

Assists

12

2

As you can see in the table above, the Coventry star delivered 21 goals and assists in 43 appearances for Frank Lampard’s side, ten more than Aaronson managed in three more appearances.

They scored the same number of goals, nine, but the EFL star managed that tally with an xG of just 7.49, which shows that he was far more efficient with the chances that came his way.

Rudoni, whose personality was described as “infectious” by Lampard, also created seven more ‘big chances’ and produced ten more assists, speaking to the kind of creative quality that he could provide Farke’s team with in the Premier League.

These statistics suggest that the Coventry magician could be way better than Aaronson for Leeds by coming in to deliver more quality as a finisher and a creator in an attacking midfield position.

This could give him a greater chance of being a success in the top-flight in comparison to the USA international, as he appears more likely to make an impact in the final third.

Orta wanted him: Leeds eyeing move for "very prolific" Piroe upgrade

Leeds United are eyeing a Joel Piroe upgrade who was previously wanted by Victor Orta.

1 ByDan Emery May 29, 2025

It is now down to the club to win the race for his services in a battle with the likes of Southampton, Sheffield United, and Leicester this summer.

علق مارك كوكوريلا ظهير تشيلسي بعد مساهمته في فوز البلوز على ليفربول بهدفين لهدف على ملعب “ستامفورد بريدج” في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وقال كوكوريلا في تصريحات نشرتها “تليجراف” البريطانية: “بدأنا المباراة بشكل رائع، تجاوزنا أسابيعنا الصعبة، ندخل الآن فترة التوقف الدولي بثلاث نقاط”.

وأضاف بعد الفوز على ليفربول: “كنا نستحق هذه اللحظة، خلقنا زخماً مع الجماهير في دوري أبطال أوروبا وواصلنا الأداء الليلة”.

اقرأ أيضاً.. كايسيدو: كنت أعلم أن تسديدتي ستعانق شباك ليفربول.. “هدف رائع”

وواصل: “علينا دائماً تغيير اللاعبين بسبب الإصابات، وهذا ليس عذراً، لدينا الكفاءة للتكيف، نلعب لفريق كبير”.

وحول تقييمه للمباراة: “كنا نستحق الفوز، بدأنا المباراة بشكل جيد للغاية ثم بدأنا الشوط الثاني بشكل غير جيد مرة أخرى، علينا تحسين هذه الأمور، مررنا بأسابيع صعبة وكانت هذه اللحظة مذهلة ونحن سعداء للغاية”.

وأكمل: “لم يكن الأسبوع سهل علينا، في دوري أبطال أوروبا، نلعب كل بضعة أيام، هذا أمر جيد لأنه إذا خسرت فستخوض مباراة أخرى بعد ساعات قليلة، في منتصف الأسبوع عانينا في الدقائق الأخيرة، لقد بدأنا المباراة اليوم بشكل جيد وسجلنا مبكراً وبدأنا نستعيد ثقتنا”.

وعن هدف الفوز: “نعلم أن محمد صلاح يكون مستعدًا دائماً للهجمات المرتدة، لذا تدربنا على ذلك، وقال المدرب إن المساحة قد تكون موجودة على يمين ليفربول، رأينا أنها كانت اللحظة الأخيرة، لكننا واصلنا الهجوم، حاولت بذل قصارى جهدي ومرر لي إنزو الكرة ومررتها لإستيفاو”.

وأثنى على إستيفاو: “دخل المباراة، ربما لأول مرة ضد ليفربول في الدوري وكان رتم المباراة سريعًا للغاية، دخل بشخصية قوية، هاتو أيضاً دخل في وسط الملعب، من الصعب أن تأتي من مقاعد البدلاء بهذه القوة والسرعة، يستحق هذان اللاعبان هذه اللحظة، ليس من السهل التكيف مع البريميرليج أبداً واليوم أظهرا جودتهما”.

بهذه النتيجة، يتجمد رصيد ليفربول عند النقطة 15 خلال 7 مباريات من 5 انتصارات وهزيمتين، بينما يصبح تشيلسي برصيد 11 نقطة في المركز السادس من 3 انتصارات وتعادلين وهزيمتين.

Sheffield United head into this afternoon’s clash with Blackburn Rovers at Bramall Lane knowing that the result of the match is largely irrelevant to them.

The Blades have already finished in third place in the Championship and will head into the play-offs with the aim of gaining promotion back to the Premier League.

Irrespective of whether or not Chris Wilder and his men achieve that goal, Sheffield United are likely to be in the market to bolster their squad in the summer transfer window, and that could be bad news for club captain Jack Robinson.

Why Sheffield United need to upgrade on Jack Robinson

The long-serving defender, who has been at the club since his move from Nottingham Forest in 2020, has been a regular starter in the Championship this term.

Robinson has started 31 of his 34 appearances in the division, but has had some struggles of late. The 31-year-old dud lost three of his four ground duels and five of his eight aerial battles in the disappointing 2-1 defeat to Plymouth Argyle.

Wilder dropped him for the following game against Cardiff and it led to a 2-0 win over the Bluebirds, before he came back into the team for a 2-1 defeat to Burnley.

This suggests that Robinson, who has given away two penalties and made one error that directly led to a goal this season, is a player whom the club could improve upon in the summer transfer window.

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It was recently reported that Sheffield United are one of the teams, alongside Middlesbrough and Norwich City, interested in a deal to sign Oxford United centre-back Ciaron Brown, who could come in as an upgrade on Robinson.

Why Ciaron Brown would be an upgrade on Jack Robinson

Wilder could finally move on from the English defender as a regular starter and ditch him from the side by swooping to sign the Oxford United star this summer.

Firstly, Brown could provide more of a goal threat from the centre-back position. The left-footed defender has scored four goals and provided three assists in 41 matches in the league this season, compared to Robinson’s zero goals and zero assists in 34 games.

The Oxford United colossus, who former manager Gary Holt claimed has “real hunger”, could also be more reliable in his defensive work, as he has not made a single error that has led to a shot, goal, or penalty for the opposition this season.

24/25 Championship	Ciaron Brown	Jack Robinson
Appearances	41	34
Goals	4	0
Tackles + interceptions per game	1.9	1.8
Clearances per game	6.3	4.8
Ground duel success rate	66%	72%
Aerial duel success rate	67%	61%
Error led to shot, goal, or penalty	0	3
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Brown has the beating of Robinson in several key defensive statistics, whilst also providing a greater goal threat from set plays, which suggests that he could prevent Michael Cooper from being worked as much by making vital clearances, tackles, and interceptions.

He is also four years younger than the Sheffield United man and could, therefore, be a longer-term option for Wilder in the left-sided centre-back role.

He pocketed Brereton Diaz: Sheffield United racing to sign "fantastic" star

The Blades know all about his quality.

1

By
Tom Cunningham

May 1, 2025

This is why the Blades must pursue a deal for the Oxford United brute in the summer transfer window because they could improve their play at both ends of the pitch by ditching Robinson to bring Brown into their starting XI next term, whether that is as a Premier League or a Championship club.

Not “stuck” with what happened in the past, he is eyeing the IPL to return to the national team

Sruthi Ravindranath17-Sep-2020Bowling as fast as possible and plotting an India comeback – Varun Aaron has never wavered from two of his primary goals all these years. This despite having last played for India in 2015 and having to deal with injuries and fitness issues through most of his career. Somewhere between his debut as a 21-year old who relentlessly bowled in the range of 150kph to a 30-year old unwilling to compromise on his pace despite injury setbacks, Aaron feels he has learnt how to be “mentally strong” and “keep things simple” on the field.”Being in and out [of the Indian team] helps you,” Aaron told ESPNcricinfo. “More than the game it helps you value so many different things in life. The game’s always there but when you’re in and out, you see so many different sides of people, you see so many situations. When you’re getting injured when you’re young, you are always going to come from behind which helps you get mentally strong. I’ve had injuries in the past and have learnt a lot from it and I don’t find myself stuck with what’s happened previously.”My biggest learning is to keep things simple. Because when you are younger [there is] a whole different gamut of things – you want to do this and that – but I think knowing your strengths and keeping things simple is the most important thing.”With India making a big leap in the fast bowling department in the last few years, including boasting an impressive bench strength in all three formats, Aaron still believes a comeback – by making his IPL performances speak – is possible. He made his Test debut nine years ago but never broke into India’s T20I side, despite regularly featuring in the IPL and for Jharkhand in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in the last couple of years. Aaron had quite an impressive 2019-20 season, when he picked ten wickets in eight matches. He was part of three different sides in the IPL before the Royals pouched him last season, when he played five out of their 14 matches and picked four wickets.”Having a good IPL and winning matches for Rajasthan Royals and helping us win the trophy is the simplest way to make a India comeback,” Aaron said. “I’ve said and I always say that the only reason I play the game is to play for the country, and there’s nothing else that keeps me as motivated.”Aaron has managed to stay injury-free in the last couple of years and he attributes a large part of maintaining his fitness levels to Steffan Jones, the Royals’ fast bowling development coach. Jones, who has trained the likes of Stuart Broad, Shaun Tait and Dan Christian during the 2017 Big Bash League, has been part of the Royals set up since 2018. Aaron was also part of a preparatory camp hosted by the Royals under Jones earlier this year, and he explained what makes Jones stand out.Varun Aaron in his delivery stride•PTI “I really enjoyed working with Steffan last year and then consequently after the IPL I went and spent some more time with him in England. He’s a fast bowling coach who really bridges the gap between fast bowling and strength and conditioning, which is rare. But Steffan brings those aspects together really well. It’s really important for a fast bowling coach to have a really good knowledge of strength and conditioning. He’s like a catalyst which joins both. I had a decent knowledge of my body and what I needed to do. But meeting Steffan has given me a different sight to it and how I can always be powerful throughout a long season. It’s just more of a different side of training rather than conventional training or gym work.”I train myself actually. I consult Steffan and Rajnikanth (his fitness trainer at the MRF Pace Foundation) whenever I have doubts and stuff but just training over the years and training a lot, I have a decent grasp of what I need to do myself. During the lockdown I was focusing on getting into a good routine instead of just pushing myself too much and burning out and not being regular. I think lot of guys struggled to be regular during lockdown and my goal was to be regular. First of all, I worked through stuff which I felt I need to work on which was things like stability. Towards the end, I got in touch with Steffan and Rajnikanth to help me out with more specific stuff I needed.”I used to be injury prone and most of it used to be related to my back which wasn’t in my control. I’ve reached a space where I’ve got a grip on my body and what my body needs to last through a tournament. I don’t see any issues or me having to do anything to stay fit because I’ve been fit for almost two to three years without injury.”Conditions in the UAE are expected to help the slower bowlers, especially as the tournament progresses, but Aaron sees this as an opportunity for fast bowlers to bring out their variations. While saying that the biggest misconception about him during his younger days was that he lacked variations, Aaron believes that in the end it all comes down to the execution of those variations.

“The biggest plus is that they really want to bowl fast all the time which I enjoy, because I understand where they are in their head – because I was there when I was 19 and I’m still there.”Varun Aaron on Rajasthan Royals’ young quicks

“Bowling fast is definitely what I love doing but at the same time being adaptable is really important,” he said. “I don’t mind the wickets being slow at all because that bring in an opportunity to bowl so many variations which I’ve been working on. I have been bowling the knuckle ball for a while now and it has been coming out really well. If you’re playing at this level you more or less know how to bowl every single variation but the point is how well you can bowl it, how consistently you can bowl it and how deceptive it can be.”I don’t think the wickets are going to be that slow to start with; they might be a bit quick to start off with. It’s going to be a long tournament if the wickets are slow from day one, then at the end we’re just going to have dust bowls. So I think the curators will make sure there are good wickets to start off with and just because of the nature of how many games you’re going to play in a certain venue, the wickets are going to deteriorate.”The Royals have a well-stocked pace department, and watching some of the younger quicks reminds Aaron of his younger days.”They [the young quicks] are just full of energy and the biggest plus is that they really want to bowl fast all the time which I enjoy, because I understand where they are in their head – because I was there when I was 19 and I’m still there. Even today I want to bowl faster and increase my pace and I try to do everything I can. Ankit [Rajpoot] and Akash [Singh] are really keen to learn and they’re hungry to play and that’s what you want from youngsters.”You really don’t want to keep teaching them stuff. I’ve spoken to them and I’ve told them if they ever want anything, call me up I’m always open. But I believe giving space to youngsters to experience and learn things themselves is equally important because sometimes we can go overboard with bombarding them with information.”

The Man Utd star seemingly secured her starting role at July's European Championships with a stand-out performance on Sunday

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England will go into their European Championship defence full of confidence after beating Jamaica 7-0 on Sunday evening in their send-off friendly. The Lionesses have had highs and lows in the build-up to the tournament in Switzerland, with a win over Spain at Wembley in February showcasing their credentials before defeat to Belgium in April raised serious questions, but their final outing before Saturday's opening fixture against France was full of positives, with Ella Toone taking centre-back stage in a two-goal display.

There were just 10 minutes on the clock when the Manchester United star broke the deadlock with a sweet strike, seemingly setting the tone for a comfortable evening. There was a slight bump in the road not long after when Jamaica equalised through Kayla McKenna, but VAR intervened to rule it out and from there, England took firm control. Just past the half-hour mark, Jess Carter whipped in a fantastic cross to match Lucy Bronze's brilliant run and header, and Toone made it three in first-half stoppage time with a superb left-footed curler. It could've been more, too, with both Alessia Russo and Lauren Hemp rattling the woodwork.

After the break, the positives only continued to come. Georgia Stanway got her name on the scoresheet as her encouraging return from injury took another step forward, Lauren James looked sharp in her first minutes for club or country since April and Russo profited from that when the Chelsea star set her up for England's fifth, meaning the Lionesses' No.9 heads off to the Euros with that goal-scoring feeling. There will be much tougher tests in Switzerland, starting next weekend in their first group stage game against France, but the European champions certainly head there with a spring in their step after this big win, which Aggie Beever-Jones and Beth Mead wrapped up late on to really put the gloss on things.

GOAL rates England's players from the King Power Stadium…

• Getty Images
  

  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Hannah Hampton (6/10):

  Had very little to do, though didn't do much wrong when involved.

  Lucy Bronze (8/10):

  Assisted the attack brilliantly, highlighted best by her great run and header which doubled the lead.

  Leah Williamson (8/10):

  A little loose in possession early on but settled into the game nicely. Broke lines several times with her great vision and passing, while coping well with Jamaica's counter-attacking threats.

  Alex Greenwood (7/10):

  Really assured on the ball and well-positioned to mop up when needed.

  Jess Carter (7/10):

  Looked a little suspect defensively due to a lack of pace. Was fantastic going forward, though, most notably with the sublime cross that Bronze headed home.

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• Getty Images
  

  Midfield

  Keira Walsh (8/10):

  Classy performance at the base of the midfield. Dictated play nicely.

  Georgia Stanway (7/10):

  Looked sharp on just her second start since December. Tried to make things happen and caused problems.

  Ella Toone (9/10):

  Scored two fantastic goals to nail down the No.10 role for the Euros.

• Getty Images
  

  Attack

  Beth Mead (7/10):

  Got away with one when VAR intervened to overturn the goal that her poor marking played a big role in. Wasn't as stand-out as Hemp on the opposite flank but did some nice things when involved and showed good movement.

  Alessia Russo (7/10):

  Worked hard, moved well and finally got her well-deserved goal in the latter stages.

  Lauren Hemp (8/10):

  Electric all evening, which not only resulted in her creating several great openings but also gave Carter more space to thrive in.

• Getty Images
  

  Subs & Manager

  Esme Morgan (6/10):

  First change of a triple sub just past the hour saw her settle in comfortably at centre-back alongside Williamson.

  Lauren James (8/10):

  Slotted into the No.10 role for her first minutes since early April and looked incredibly sharp considering she has not played for almost three months. Got one assist and nearly had a couple more.

  Chloe Kelly (7/10):

  Took up space on the less familiar left flank but had no problem making an impact there, whipping in a couple of super crosses right away in a lively cameo.

  Aggie Beever-Jones (N/A):

  Was denied a goal by an outstanding save from Brooks in the latter stages but would beat her not long after with a stretched finish.

  Grace Clinton (N/A):

  Nice and positive in her short appearance from the bench, with great movement and a desire to get involved.

  Niamh Charles (N/A):

  Played at right-back, rather than her usual left-back role, for the final 15 minutes. Made her mark there, too, with a great run and cross for Beever-Jones' goal.

  Sarina Wiegman (8/10):

  Six days out from England's opener at the Euros, she went with what appeared to be her first-choice XI and stuck with it for longer than many might have thought, ensuring there is as much familiarity in it as possible before that clash with France. Used the bench well, too, though, giving James some vital minutes and ensuring rest for others ahead of the trip to Switzerland. Given the performances she got from players like Carter and Toone, in positions up for grabs, and the sharpness of James, there were so many positives she could take.

Spinners Felix Organ and Liam Dawson tore through Surrey to hand the champions their largest-ever Vitality County Championship innings defeat and open up the title race.Off-spinner Organ claimed his third career five-for with leg-armer Dawson picking up 4 for 45 to give Hampshire an innings and 277 run victory, their first home win of the campaign, and their largest-ever victory.Surrey’s only heavier defeats in first-class cricket came in 1866 against England – a match in which WG Grace scored a double century – and in 1948 versus Don Bradman’s Australians – both an innings and 296 runs.It was Surrey’s fourth defeat since the start of 2022 – with two of those coming after they had already secured their back-to-back crowns – with Essex and Somerset hot on their heels at the summit of Division One.Surrey were given a minimum of 172 overs to avoid an innings defeat, and got through to the 17th over unscathed but from then on wickets fell regularly.For the spin-fest that followed, the first man to fall, Rory Burns, departed to pace as Keith Barker found the Surrey captain edging to first slip. From then on, it was Dawson piling in the pressure and Organ celebrating with his usual exuberance.Serial blocker Dom Sibley had navigated 85 deliveries before an inside edge onto his pad ballooned to silly mid-off, before Organ produced a wicked off-spinner to pin back Ollie Pope’s middle stump.Organ has history with Surrey. In 2019, on his fifth first-class appearance, he was forced into the attack due to unsuitable conditions for fast bowlers. The then-predominantly batter claimed 5 for 25 to secure a three-day victory.It began his mythologised bowling strike-rate for Hampshire, which currently stands at 46 and is the best of any other spinner in the club’s history – Shane Warne included.Jamie Smith was his next victim as a change-up delivery slid into middle and off stumps. Dan Lawrence took a different approach from his defence-minded team-mates as he reverse swept his first ball to the boundary before switching to the opposite rope with a conventional sweep next delivery.His attacking got him up to 42, but saw his downfall when he chopped Organ onto his stumps. Having spent the best part of two days laying on the physio’s table with back spasms, Ben Foakes’ innings was heroic in his resolve. The England wicket-keeper faced 107 balls for his unbeaten 19.But wickets continued to clatter, with Dawson now taking the limelight. Cam Steel was brilliantly caught at first slip by Vince after a deflection off Ben Brown’s gloves before Jordan Clark was yorked.Organ got his five-for when Sean Abbott chipped to mid on, before Dawson closed out Hampshire’s second win in a row by bowling Gus Atkinson around his legs and, after some slapping around, Dan Worrall skied for 48 – Surrey’s highest score of the match. The visitors bowled out for 127 and 203.Earlier, Ben Brown, on 99 overnight, carted the first ball of the day to the boundary to reach his 24th first-class century, and second since arriving from Sussex.It meant that Hampshire had three centurions in a single innings for the 14th time in their history, and first and Utilita Bowl.Hampshire were all-out attack to send their lead sky-high but it meant Liam Dawson tickled a ramp behind to end a 183-run stand with Brown – a county record for the fifth wicket against Surrey, to go alongside a record second wicket partnership earlier in the innings.Michael Neser hoicked to deep square but James Fuller joined up with Brown to put on 66 – the fifth 50-plus stand of the innings – with the pair dragging weary boundary riders at their will.Brown – who had played a number of outrageous short-arm jabs on the off and on sides, to and over the boundary – passed his highest first-class score to end 165 not out before James Vince declared with his side 481 runs ahead.Hampshire’s 608 for 6 declared was their 13th-largest total of all-time and the third-highest Championship score at the ground.

ESPNcricinfo XI: one uncapped batsman in a big-hitting line-up, a sprinkling of quality allrounders, and an impressive pace attack

Mohammad Isam and Peter Della Penna09-Feb-20191. Tamim Iqbal (capt), 467 runs in 14 matches (Comilla Victorians)He saved the best for the last, a stunning unbeaten 141 that decimated a strong Dynamites attack in the final. It took Comilla Victorians to their second title, and Tamim to second place on the run-getters’ list, behind Rilee Rossouw. He also scored two fifties in a tournament where he said he was “off-colour”.2. Sunil Narine, 279 runs and 18 wickets in 15 matches (Dhaka Dynamites)Till the last ball he bowled, Narine was a constant threat for every batting line-up. He took wickets at crunch moments, but it was his economy rate, 6.35 for the whole tournament, that stood out in particular, given that he played every game for the Dynamites. He also scored vital runs opening the batting.3. AB de Villiers, 247 runs in 6 matches (Rangpur Riders)He was the most talked-about overseas recruit in BPL history, and he delivered on the promise of big, blinding hitting in almost every game. His unbeaten century against the Dynamites was a brilliant effort, and his other quick knocks ensured that the Riders didn’t lose any of the six games he played.4. Yasir Ali, 307 runs in 11 matches (Chittagong Vikings)The brightest performer among the local uncapped cricketers, Yasir contributed significantly in Chittagong Vikings’ best outings in the tournament. He was impressive, scoring three fifties, but according to his captain Mushfiqur Rahim, Yasir should have pressed on after getting good starts. Maybe something for him to target going forward.Rilee Rossouw topped the run-scorers’ chart•Raton Gomes/BCB5. Rilee Rossouw, 558 runs in 14 matches (Rangpur Riders)The batsman with the most runs in the competition, Rossouw took charge of the Riders’ batting line-up from the word go although he was initially picked as a likely cover for de Villiers. Even in the presence of Chris Gayle, Alex Hales and de Villiers, it was Rossouw who led the Riders’ progress in the tournament, though his duck in the second qualifier was most inopportune.6. Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 426 runs in 13 matches (Chittagong Vikings)The Vikings’ progress to the last four was down to a team effort, but Mushfiqur’s runs were essential. He was critical to two of the Vikings’ successful chases, against the Victorians and Rajshahi Kings, and ensured that the largely low-budget squad kept winning when they had the momentum. He later said that it was the sort of campaign that made him “slightly” happy.7. Shakib Al Hasan, 301 runs and 23 wickets in 15 matches (Dhaka Dynamites)Shakib finished the tournament as the highest wicket-taker and among the top ten run-scorers. He played some important knocks for the Dynamites, and led them well with the ball, too. But as he said at the end of the final, he should have made more runs. Nonetheless, he won the Player-of-the-Tournament award.Shakib Al Hasan and Sunil Narine were crucial to Dhaka’s progress•Raton Gomes/BCB8. Andre Russell, 299 runs and 14 wickets in 15 matches (Dhaka Dynamites)Russell formed Dhaka’s quartet of strong allrounders, along with Shakib, Narine and Kieron Pollard. He muscled plenty of sixes but when it was needed the most – in the final – Russell couldn’t get one. Still, it was a good campaign for the allrounder.9. Mashrafe Mortaza, 22 wickets in 14 matches (Rangpur Riders)Mashrafe’s best bowling performance was his 4 for 11 against the Victorians, a spell in which he ran through the opposition’s top order. He did his job for the Riders, but a lopsided line-up meant that it wasn’t always enough.10. Taskin Ahmed, 22 wickets in 12 matches (Sylhet Sixers)Taskin finished with two four-wicket hauls, standing out as a star performer for Sylhet Sixers. Many batsmen observed that his pace was back, and he also used a lot of yorkers and slower balls through the competition. It is a pity for Bangladesh, though, that he picked up an ankle injury that has ruled him out of the tour of New Zealand.11. Rubel Hossain, 22 wickets in 15 matches (Dhaka Dynamites)Rubel had to bowl well given the usual pressure on him during the tournament, and he delivered on most occasions for the Dynamites. He was crucial in the second qualifier against the Riders, but still had those spells when he just went off the boil, especially in the death overs.

da realsbet： Tottenham Hotspur chiefs hold a very real belief that they can now sign a “sensational” England international following their Europa League triumph on Wednesday, with the player himself also entertaining talks behind-the-scenes.

Ange Postecoglou makes Tottenham history after precious European win

da fezbet： Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou came under serious fire for his early-season comment that he ‘always’ wins silverware during his second season in charge, but the Australian’s decision to back himself with a bold statement was ultimately proved correct on a glorious night in Spain.

Related Tottenham: Ornstein shares Postecoglou sack update after Europa League win

His future is set to be a major talking point after the Australian’s triumph in Bilbao.

Posts 2 ByEmilio Galantini May 23, 2025

Spurs parked the bus and shut up shop against a dominant but largely unthreatening Man United side in the Europa League final on Wednesday, following Brennan Johnson’s scrappy opener just before half-time, with Postecoglou’s side displaying a resoluteness we’ve scarcely seen this season.

Tottenham vs Man Utd – best performers on the night

Match Rating

Guglielmo Vicario

7.7

Yves Bissouma

7.6

Cristian Romero

7.4

Bruno Fernandes

7.4

Destiny Udogie

7.2

via WhoScored

The heroics of shot-stopper Guglielmo Vicario in goal, not to mention the stellar performances of Pedro Porro, Destiny Udogie, Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero, helped Spurs to keep a rare clean sheet and end the club’s 17-year wait for a major trophy.

Their 1-0 win over United in the Europa League final also marked their first European trophy since 1984, with the Lilywhites squad and Postecoglou celebrating long into the night after what was a monumentous occasion at Ruben Amorim’s expense.

The trophy drought is now officially over, and to put the cherry on top of an already-sweet cake, Tottenham are set to play Champions League football next season.

The significance of Wednesday evening cannot be overstated, with Spurs’ qualification for the Champions League handing the north Londoners a seismic financial windfall whilst also making them a far more appealing destination for the continent’s top talents.

The summer transfer window is right around the corner, and Tottenham have dramatically increased their odds of tempting world-class targets by hoisting the Europa League aloft in Spain.

According to reports, a centre-back signing is on the cards this summer, and they retain a keen interest in Crystal Palace star Marc Guehi.

Spurs actually made an ambitious £70 million bid for the England international in January, which was rejected by Eagles chairman Steve Parish, but the consensus is that Tottenham are still eyeing a move for Guehi as he enters the final 12 months of his contract.

Marc Guehi prepared to hold Tottenham transfer talks

According to GiveMeSport, who shared a new update on his future this week, Guehi would be keen to hold talks with Tottenham and find out what they have to say – providing a boost for Postecoglou’s side in pursuit of the defender.

As per their information, Spurs have been given “fresh” belief they can seal a deal for Guehi after their European conquest, and Palace may have to sell him for £50 million or less considering the player’s contract situation.

Club chiefs are also “adamant” behind-the-scenes that qualification for the Champions League could tempt the 24-year-old to N17, and it is clear why they wish to sign Guehi this summer.

He’s been a pivotal member of Palace’s backline for years, and is now an established England regular following his impressive performances in place of Harry Maguire during Euro 2024 last year.