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Winning run comes to an end despite fifties from Maia Bouchier and Freya Kemp

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay25-Jul-2025

Alice Davidson-Richards produced a game-changing fifty as Surrey ended Hampshire’s winning streak in a rain-curtailed Metrobank Women’s One Day Cup clash in Guildford.Freya Kemp’s 58 and Maia Bouchier’s 51 gave Hampshire a platform for a big score, but wickets at regular intervals, including three for Phoebe Franklin, restricted the visitors to 278.Surrey initially struggled to build regular partnerships but Davidson-Richards capitalised on a lengthy rain delay and smashed 62 to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat for Surrey.Having been sent in to bat, Hampshire got off to a positive start as openers Bouchier and Rhianna Southby capitalised on some erratic bowling from the Surrey quicks before Southby chopped on for 27.Bouchier anchored Hampshire’s innings well as she marshalled her side past 100 but then mistimed a flick straight to midwicket to fall for 51 as the run rate slowed.Surrey were sharp in the field throughout, as Ryana MacDonald-Gay produced two diving stops before substitute fielder Alexa Stonehouse took a reflex catch at midwicket to dismiss Georgia Adams as Hampshire slumped to 131 for 4.Abi Norgrove joined Kemp to bring about a revival and the two increased the tempo, cruising beyond 200 with a blend of big hitting and well-placed strokes before Norgrove was dismissed for 40.Kemp breezed past 50 and rotated the strike effectively with Nancy Harman until she was run out by Alice Monaghan for 58 attempting to take two on the boundary rider’s throw. But a flurry of wickets prevented Hampshire from fully attacking during the death overs and Surrey restricted the visitors to 278 all out.As dark clouds loomed over Guildford, Hampshire used the conditions to dismiss Kira Chathli early on for a duck but Bryony Smith and Alice Capsey counterattacked to make the most of the powerplay.The pair raced to 46 for 1 after seven overs before a brief shower forced the players off. Immediately after the resumption, Smith was dismissed for 24, having driven Perry straight to cover.Surrey began to settle once more but Freya Davies returned to the Hampshire attack and took the crucial wicket of Capsey for 47 thanks to Bouchier’s juggling take at midwicket.Hampshire continued to turn the screw as Ava Lee and Perry dismissed Paige Scholfield and Grace Harris, leaving the hosts 123 for 5 after 21 overs.Davidson-Richards and Danni Wyatt-Hodge kept the run rate manageable as they put together a meaningful partnership to steer Surrey to the drinks break.The rain showers that had persisted throughout the innings finally got too heavy, forcing the players off with Surrey 19 runs behind the DLS par score.After a lengthy delay, Surrey were set a revised target of 63 off 29 balls and their hopes looked over when Wyatt-Hodge holed out to cover. But Davidson-Richards and Monaghan took up the mantle, smashing a barrage of boundaries to chase down the target with two balls to spare.

انتقد خالد الغندور، كابتن الزمالك السابق، أحد لاعبي الفريق الحاليين، خلال مواجهة طلائع الجيش، التي أقيمت اليوم الأحد، ضمن منافسات بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

وفاز الزمالك على طلائع الجيش، بثلاثة أهداف مقابل هدف، في اللقاء الذي أقيم ضمن مواجهات الجولة 13 لبطولة الدوري المصري، سجل للفارس الأبيض ناصر ماهر “هدفين” وعدي الدباغ هدف، بينما أحرز محمد عاطف هدف الجيش.

وقال الغندور خلال تصريحات عبر قناة “أون سبورت”: “الزمالك قدم أداء جيدًا، لأن طلائع الجيش يقدم موسمًا ضعيفًا، الجيش من الفرق التي ستصارع من أجل البقاء”.

طالع.. فيديو | بعد رحيل فيريرا.. الزمالك يعود لطريق الانتصارات في الدوري بثلاثية أمام طلائع الجيش

وأضاف: “الزمالك تحكم في اللقاء تمامًا بعد الهدف الثالث، لكن بعد ذلك تم تسجيل هدف في مرماه وتراجع الأداء والجماهير شعرت أن طلائع الجيش يُمكنه العودة في النتيجة، وهذه مشكلة الزمالك، ليست أول مرة أن فريق يتحكم ويستحوذ في الشوط الثاني أمام الزمالك، وبالتالي هناك مشكلة في تباعد الخطوط”.

وأتم: “أنا عندي مشكلة مع عدي الدباغ مهاجم الزمالك، يُهدر انفرادات سهلة، المهاجم المفترض أن يطور نفسه، لكنه اليوم اتخذ 3 قرارات خاطئة في 3 انفرادات”.

وبفوز الزمالك، اليوم ارتقى إلى المركز الثاني في ترتيب جدول الدوري المصري، برصيد 22 نقطة.

Wayne Rooney has named a “frustrating” player as his worst teammate from his time at Manchester United.

Rooney reveals "worst" teammate from his Man Utd days

Rooney spent 13 full seasons at Old Trafford, establishing himself as a club legend by amassing a whopping 253 goals and 142 assists in 559 games, during which time Man United won five Premier League titles.

United’s ability to sustain such levels of success suggests Sir Alex Ferguson made very few mistakes in the transfer market, but the legendary manager did make a few errors, with Kleberson, who arrived from Atlético Paranaense in 2003, widely regarded as one of his worst signings.

The Brazilian made just 20 Premier League appearances for the Red Devils before being sold to Besiktas, with the midfielder joining the likes of Diego Forlán, Bebe and Mark Bosnich on the list of signings that just did not work out.

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In fact, Rooney once told Alan Shearer just how angry he was about Kleberson getting ready to be brought on in his place against Newcastle United, saying: “I was p***** off. You can see it in my face. Then I saw Kleberson warming up on the touchline, ready to come on for me. I was even more p***** off that I was going to be taken off for him.”

Despite clearly not rating the midfielder, the 39-year-old once named a different former Man United star as his worst teammate, saying:

Nani's record at Man Utd

In many ways, it seems a little harsh that Nani was namechecked as Rooney’s worst teammate, given that the winger’s goal and assist record across his first five campaigns at Old Trafford is actually very impressive.

Season

Premier League appearances

Goal contributions

2007-08

26

11

2008-09

13

4

2009-10

23

12

2010-11

33

26

2011-12

29

18

In fairness, the 112-time Portugal international went off the boil towards the end of his time at Man United, failing to score across the 2013-14 campaign before signing for Sporting CP, but he enjoyed a successful career at Old Trafford, winning four Premier League titles.

The Portuguese winger also scored some iconic goals for the Red Devils, finding the back of the net 41 times and celebrating with his trademark back-flip celebration.

In fairness, the now 41-year-old’s longevity is probably why Rooney named him his worst teammate, as it is easy to forget players like Kleberson and Bosnich, who were shipped out fairly quickly after failing to adapt.

Ironically, nowadays Nani would probably be among the best players in the Man United squad, with Ruben Amorim’s side making a disastrous start to the Premier League campaign, collecting just four points from their opening four games and losing 3-0 to Manchester City.

Punjab Kings (PBKS) fast bowler Lockie Ferguson has been all but ruled out of the remainder of IPL 2025, their fast-bowling coach James Hopes has said.Ferguson had hobbled off the field in their previous game, against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Saturday after bowling just two balls.”Ferguson is out indefinitely, and the chances of us getting him back by the end of the tournament are very slim, I would have thought,” Hopes said ahead of PBKS’ match against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Mullanpur on Tuesday. “I think he has sustained a pretty serious injury.”Ferguson had pulled up after the second delivery of the sixth over against SRH and was seen holding the side of his left leg just below the hip. He had to leave the field after consultation with the physio and did not return to bowl again as SRH pulled off the second-highest successful chase in IPL history with eight wickets in hand.He had only just recovered from a hamstring injury that he had picked up in the ILT20 in the UAE, which forced him to miss the Champions Trophy in February. This is the third time since November 2024 that Ferguson has been injured. Before his hamstring issue in the ILT20, he had suffered a calf injury, which forced him to miss the ODIs against Sri Lanka late last year.In his three-and-a-bit games this season, Ferguson has five wickets at an economy rate of 9.17.

Benjamin Sesko shared his delight in scoring his first goal at Old Trafford in Manchester United's 2-0 win over Sunderland. The Slovenian striker did not get too caught up in the moment however, as he channelled his inner-Roy Keane in saying it's "his job" to score goals and that the Red Devils fans have yet to see the best of him despite finding the target on two occasions in his last two games.

Sesko shares delight after first Old Trafford goal

The 23-year-old doubled United's lead over the Black Cats in the 26th minute, latching onto a loose ball in the box after the visitors failed to deal with Diogo Dalot's long throw. 

Sesko was clearly elated, meeting the rapturous applause of the Stretford End with a spirited leaping celebration. Later, in an interview with , he described the moment as "a dream come true". 

"To play for a club like this, even train every day, is an obvious pleasure and I'm looking forward to being back [after the international break]," he said.

"It feels amazing [to score]. It feels even better because I helped the team to win the game because in the end, it's important to win the match. I try to help the team as much as possible.

"The atmosphere afterwards [his goal] was unbelievable. It's something I've been dreaming about – jumping high in the stadium like that. My dream came true." 

However, he was quick to bring himself back down to earth, suggesting the best has yet to come from him in a United shirt, replying "no net yet," when asked if we had seen the best of him in the past couple of games.

"There's loads to come. I'm still getting used to it more and more to read the players, to be connected with them even more. I believe I can be even better and I will try to show that.

"It's my job to try to score as many goals as possible, try to win the game, try to help the team in every single situation and hopefully I get more moments like this." 

When asked on the main differences between the Premier League and the Bundesliga, the young striker focused on the physical demands of English football. 

"I would say it's way quicker and you have less time in general.

"This is one of the biggest changes I would say. Everyone is really physical and athletic, but I'm getting used to it. I'll come to this level soon."

AdvertisementGetty Images SportAmorim praises Sesko's performance

Ruben Amorim expressed his pleasure with the £60m man's performance. The Portuguese manager said: "He gives us a different type of profile inside the box, to use more crosses.

"He is going to improve the connection with this team-mates. How many times Senne [Lammens] kick the ball and he was there with the first touch? That is more important, especially in this league that we are thinking when there is a throw-in we have an extra guy who is big at the first post.

"All the characteristics of Ben, not just the goals, can help us to win games. We are happy with him, he puts a lot of pressure on himself that is not a bad thing but he has potential to do so much more."

Is Sesko finally the answer to United's No.9 problems?

Among the many, many issues that have plagued the Red Devils in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era, finding a long-term option at striker has been one of the most persistent. Veteran options like Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Edinson Cavani may have provided temporary respite, but the failures of young promising players such as Antony Martial, Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee, as well as bewildering stop gaps such as Odion Ighalo and Wout Wegworst, has left United without a reliable goal-getter for far too long. 

Hojlund's double for Napoli in the Champions League again raised the question of whether players are held back by the club's current state. Sesko's goal in the 3-1 defeat against Brentford, and in the win over Sunderland, therefore came at the most opportune time for Amorim and the club's decision makers. 

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Getty Images SportSesko will hope for form to continue after the international break

Sesko almost seemed disappointed that he would have to leave Manchester to hook up with international teammates ahead of Slovenia's World Cup Qualifiers against Kosovo and Switzerland.

He has a chance to solidify his standing with the Red Devils faithful upon his return. A winning goal against a reeling Liverpool side would be the perfect moment to start building his legend in the Stretford End. 

RCB end the season on a high and deny MI a direct finals berth

Vishal Dikshit11-Mar-20255:25

Mel Jones: ‘Phenomenal’ Perry played a different sort of innings

First-season champions Mumbai Indians (MI) finished the league stage second behind Delhi Capitals for the third year in a row, after failing to chase down 200 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at Brabourne Stadium. Needing a win to top the table and seal a direct final berth, MI put on a shoddy fielding display that gave RCB a competitive total. In their reply, Nat Sciver-Brunt was the only batter to cross 23 as the hosts fell to their first loss at Brabourne in six games.RCB’s 11-run win was the third victory in a row for the team batting first at WPL 2025 after the early trend was heavily in favour of teams chasing. Their win that helped them off the bottom of the table was set up by a half-century from Smriti Mandhana, free-flowing strokeplay from S Meghana, Ellyse Perry’s anchoring role, and boundary-laden cameos from Richa Ghosh and Georgia Wareham.For MI, Sciver-Brunt did the heavy lifting after the losses of Hayley Matthews and Harmanpreet Kaur, but once she fell for a stunning 69 off 35 in the 15th over, MI had too much to score (71 runs) in too little time (31 balls) with no big names to follow.Meghana starts the engine, Mandhana changes gearsWith nothing to lose in this campaign, RCB came out all guns blazing in their last game and they did it audaciously by targeting MI’s best bowlers. Meghana clubbed Sciver-Brunt for two fours in the second over before seeing Mandhana end the third over with a four followed by a glorious straight six against Shabnim Ismail. Meghana then welcomed Matthews with 4, 6 and 4 but Matthews’ riposte came in the form of a 102.8kmh bouncer which she top-edged to short fine leg for 26 off 13.Smriti Mandhana scored a breezy 37-ball 53, with six fours and three sixes•BCCI

RCB finished the powerplay on 53 for 1, and Perry made MI pay for gifting her three lives. The next bowler to be carted all around was Amelia Kerr. Once her first ball – a long hop – was pulled for four by Perry, Mandhana swept her for six, flicked for four and swung her down the ground for a 22-run over. Briefly after MI pulled the run rate down from 9.62 to under 8.50 an over, Mandhana collected two consecutive aerial fours to reach her fifty off 35 balls.MI’s greasy fingers allow RCB to speed awayKerr’s second over was even more dramatic. She gave Perry a life on 16 when she failed to hold on to the ball that was smashed back to her. Two balls later, Mandhana, on 52, skied a sweep but Sanskriti Gupta put down a sitter at midwicket. That didn’t cost MI much as Mandhana found long-off on her next ball.What did cost MI was Perry’s life. She gloriously lofted Ismail for a six next over and drilled Parunika Sisodia for four after Ghosh had already collected two fours in the 14th over. Ghosh was also living dangerously. She miscued a couple of swings before tearing Ismail apart. A reverse-scoop edged for four, a mighty straight six and a scoop right over the keeper fetched 15 from the over to give Ismail figures of 0 for 41. Ghosh miscued Matthews for 36 off 22 next over but Perry and Wareham piled on more boundaries.The duo went after Amanjot Kaur – whose tight lines saw her concede just nine off her first three overs – for four fours all around, which included the reliable Sciver-Brunt putting down a dolly at deep midwicket after being distracted by the spidercam. Perry was dropped on the first ball of the last over, bowled by Kerr, that went for four. Wareham swept and reverse-swept Kerr for 4, 2, 4 and 6 to give RCB 199 with her scintillating 31 not out off 10 that helped them collect 65 off the last four.Kerr fails again, Rana lands the blowsMI’s opening woes continued as Kerr again failed to put on a decent score. While Matthews got going with spectacular hits off Perry, Kerr faced just nine balls in the first 30. Sneh Rana snared the two openers in consecutive overs when she had Matthews hole out to deep square leg and Kerr sky one towards cover for 9.Nat Sciver-Brunt struck a 29-ball fifty but received little support from others•BCCI

MI needed a big lift from 45 for 2 in the powerplay. Harmanpreet survived an lbw appeal and review from WPL debutant Heather Graham and found the gaps with two confident boundaries. But Mandhana brought back the wily Kim Garth and she foxed the MI captain with a back-of-the-hand legcutter that drew an edge which was pouched nicely by Ghosh. Sciver-Brunt keeps the runs comingDespite the captain’s fall, MI did not slow down, thanks to Sciver-Brunt. She often shuffled to off stump to target the slightly shorter boundary on one side and belted out one boundary after another. Wareham was dispatched straight down, Graham for consecutive fours, Rana was brought back and was given similar treatment in a 12-run over. But soon after Sciver-Brunt smoked Perry for a four and six in the 15th over, she miscued an offcutter which Perry settled under easily.The Sajana scare for RCBNeeding 71 to get from 31 from there was a tall ask for MI but their lower order didn’t give up. The charge was led by the hard-hitting S Sajana mainly at the end after the wickets of Yastika Bhatia, Amanjot and G Kamalini. With 44 to win from 12, Sajana packed some power against Garth’s slower ones and then with 24 to get from five, she hammered Perry in the ‘V’ down the ground for two sixes. She missed the next ball and then miscued one to be dismissed for 23 off 12 and MI fell short.

MatériaMais Notícias

Na tarde desta sexta-feira, o Corinthians seguiu a preparação para enfrentar o Fluminense no domingo, às 16h, na Neo Química Arena, pelo Brasileirão. Com as atividades abertas para a imprensa, foi possível notar o retorno de Cássio, poupado no meio de semana.

O goleiro não entrou em campo pela Libertadores na última quarta-feira, mas deve ser titular contra a equipe carioca no nacional. Além dele, Fagner e Renato Augusto também estiveram presentes nos trabalhos.

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+ Ataque faz jogo apagado e a “luz” do Corinthians na Libertadores começa a falhar; veja notas

O lateral deve ser opção de Luxemburgo na partida de domingo. O meio-campista, por sua vez, passará por uma avaliação da comissão técnica neste sábado para saber se tem condições de jogo, tendo em vista que o plano sempre foi que sua volta acontecesse contra o Atlético-MG, pela volta da Copa do Brasil, na próxima quarta-feira.

+ Todos os jogos do Brasileirão você encontra no Prime Video. Assine já e acompanhe os jogos do Timão

Todo o elenco do Timão participou dos treinos desta sexta-feira, sem nenhum desfalque confirmado. Os jogadores titulares no meio de semana trabalharam em um campo separado e também fizeram atividades regenerativas. Já os demais atletas fizeram aquecimento e enfrentamento no gramado.

continua após a publicidade

England white-ball captain excited by future after 3-1 T20I series win in Caribbean

Cameron Ponsonby18-Nov-2024

Jos Buttler has said that Ben Stokes and Joe Root are not guaranteed to return to England’s white-ball set-up for the Champions Trophy, but hopes the pair retain ambitions in white-ball cricket.Neither Stokes nor Root have represented England in ODI cricket since their disastrous World Cup defence in 2023, with the Champions Trophy set to begin in exactly three months’ time.Stokes has previously said that the answer would “definitely be yes” if Brendon McCullum, who takes over the white-ball side in January, asked him to return, but added that: “I’m not going to be too disappointed if I don’t.”In August, England selector Luke Wright said that there was “no reason” why Root couldn’t come straight into a major tournament, although Root himself hasn’t spoken publicly about his own desire to return to the format.”I don’t know exactly,” Buttler said of whether Root and Stokes will be back in February. “Obviously Brendon McCullum is coming in full-time and he’ll be in touch with the guys.”England have a white-ball tour to India in January that includes three ODIs, which are the only 50-over matches they have before the Champions Trophy begins.Asked whether the pair are guaranteed to come back in if they are available, Buttler added: “It’s conversations for the next few weeks with the guys in charge. The guys here have played really well. Some of the young players have done themselves no harm at all. There are people who aren’t here who will have aspirations to be in the white-ball side as well. It’s really exciting.”Root is arguably England’s greatest ODI batter, with more than 6500 runs and 16 hundreds in 171 matches since 2013. However, he has struggled over the past three years in the few 50-over matches he has played. Since July 2021, he averages 22.94 in the format across 20 matches. His last ODI century came during the 2019 World Cup.Related

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Similarly, Stokes has played just 19 ODIs in the last five years. However, in that time, he has averaged 43.38. Across the 2023 World Cup, he scored 539 runs at an average of 59.88.”I can’t speak for them individually but I hope they have white-ball aspirations,” Buttler said of the pair. “They’re two great players.”Naturally the teams will become closer in terms of personnel now the overall messaging will be coming from one man who is in charge of England cricket now. The guys who play all three formats, they won’t feel it’s red or white as much anymore.”Maybe you’ll see the same faces and the same guy in charge, no matter what colour the ball is. It’s certainly going to give more consistency.”Buttler was speaking in the moments after a washout in St Lucia had secured England a 3-1 series win over West Indies, the T20I side’s first away series win in over two years.”To come and beat the West Indies here is a great effort. We’ve had some close series against them over the last few years which has been good. I’m really pleased for everyone in the dressing room who put in the performances we did to get the results we got.”In particular, Buttler singled out the performance of Saqib Mahmood, whose nine wickets across four matches led to him being named as Player of the Series, after two years in which the fast bowler had been plagued by injuries.”It’s a great piece of work,” Buttler said. “Having just gone through an injury recently – nothing as serious as Saqi – you realise how much hard work it is. It’s an eye-opener for how much resilience and hard work and all the rehab that the guys who have had these back injuries and long-term injuries must go through.”More than anything he showed great skill with the ball and he got the results he deserved.”Buttler himself returned this series after four months off with a calf injury, but was able to come through the series unscathed. On this trip, he opted not to keep wicket to gain experience of captaining from the field.”I don’t know exactly but I’ve enjoyed it,” Buttler said, when asked if he will give up the gloves for good. “It’s been good for me to take one less thing off my plate. Tres has been great at doing that as well, he’s really led the side and really helped me and pushed me towards those kinds of things. Change is good sometimes. I’ve enjoyed being closer to the bowlers.”

Opportunity to impress in absence of Test stars, but financial boost is West Indies’ main motivation

Andrew Miller30-Oct-2024Big picture: Do not adjust your timezonesAre you keeping up at the back? England’s Test team has just arrived back home from Pakistan, licking their wounds after a 2-1 series defeat, but already making plans for their next three-Test tour of New Zealand in barely three weeks’ time. And now, to fill the idle minutes between those two significant endeavours, a separate England squad has been dispatched to the Caribbean for its fourth visit in the space of three years, to continue the reboot of their white-ball fortunes after two underwhelming World Cup defences.This is the sweet spot of England’s post-Covid fixture congestion – a series so shoehorned that it’s hard to know what to read into the players selected, or indeed the results expected. As Jason Holder told ESPNcricinfo, the ECB’s honouring of its debts to West Indies after his team’s efforts in the lockdown summer of 2020 is a significant factor in the timing of this tour, and so there’s a transactional aspect to the coming eight games that cannot be ignored. The financial stimulus in the Caribbean may matter more than the actual results, given that the hosts don’t even have a place at February’s Champions Trophy to offer a short-term focus for their efforts.For England, however, this is a golden opportunity for their next generation to stake claims for integral roles in the coming Bazball-ification of the white-ball team. Brendon McCullum won’t be getting his feet under the table until the tour of India in January, but his influence is already palpable. The cross-pollination of players – with Jordan Cox and Rehan Ahmed joining from the Pakistan tour and Jacob Bethell soon to take the opposite route to New Zealand – reinforces the sense that one philosophy is about to take hold across all three squads, and so it probably doesn’t matter where and how you make your case … Big Bazzer Will Be Watching You.And so, in the short term at least, cohesive strategies will probably matter less than well-crafted cameos. With Jos Buttler extending his absence from professional cricket into a fifth month, and with Harry Brook – his heir apparent – tied up on Test duty, Liam Livingstone gets an unlikely shot at the captaincy, just weeks after he was initially cut from England’s ODI plans against Australia. He takes charge of a squad that features five potential 50-over debutants, from the restlessly ambitious Cox, to the fast-tracked legspinner Jafer Chohan, as well as the ubiquitous John Turner, the Hampshire fast bowler who has been mentioned in dispatches for more than a year already but might finally get his opening in these coming games.Shimron Hetmyer is back in West Indies’ ODI squad•Getty ImagesMore established names ought to relish this opportunity too. Sam Curran, for instance, was wondering out loud last month whether his face fitted in the Bazball era, given his lack of extreme pace and height runs counter to the attributes that England’s selectors have been advocating of late. The fact that he was overlooked as Buttler’s stand-in might confirm his paranoia too. But he was player of the match in his last ODI in Antigua, and that will surely count for something.Phil Salt is another who might be grateful for the absence of the multi-format players. The Caribbean was the scene of his breakthrough as a T20I opener, with twin hundreds on England’s last visit, but in the 50-over format, he failed to make it out of the powerplay in any of the five matches against Australia, even if his 45 from 27 at Bristol last month was a rowdy way to sign off for the summer.They’ll be coming up against a West Indies team with a proud home record against England. In addition to their two-decade unbeaten run in Tests, they’ve won each of their last three home white-ball series against the visitors, including a 2-1 win in the corresponding ODI campaign in December 2023.Between the wily left-arm spin of Gudakesh Motie and the pace prowess of Alzarri Joseph and Jayden Seales, West Indies have invariably found the requisite firepower to blunt England’s hard-hitters, and they’ve rarely lacked muscle with the bat themselves. It ought to be high-octane cricket over the coming days, in front of eager crowds of autumnal English sun-seekers. But quite what any of it will prove, the jury will remain out on that, at least until the new year.Form guideWest Indies WLLLL
England LWWLLIn the spotlight – Evin Lewis and Liam LivingstoneEngland fans may remember Evin Lewis from his astonishing onslaught at the Kia Oval in 2017, right at the apex of England’s white-ball revolution. On a cool autumnal afternoon, he blazed a remarkable 176 not out from 130 balls with 17 fours and seven sixes, and was firmly on course for West Indies’ second ODI double-hundred when he inside-edged a yorker onto his ankle and retired hurt with a hairline fracture. That was the third of his five ODI hundreds to date – a tally that only Shai Hope among contemporary West Indies cricketers can beat – and the most recent came only last week against Sri Lanka in Kandy: a 61-ball onslaught, sealed with a matchwinning six. Remarkably, that was Lewis’ first ODI appearance for more than three years, but as his captain Hope put it at the post-match presentations, “he picked up where he left off”.Barely six weeks have elapsed since Liam Livingstone was called up as an injury replacement for Jos Buttler, after his calf injury ruled him out of the ODI series against Australia. Now, he’s been handed a more remarkable promotion still – stepping directly into the skipper’s shoes as England’s sixth captain of 2024. He returns on the crest of a relative wave, after recently rising to become the leading T20I allrounder in the ICC’s rankings. But his returns in ODI cricket remain hit-and-miss. His blistering 62 not out from 27 balls against Australia at Lord’s contained a stunning seven sixes, but was also his first half-century in 14 innings since another dramatic intervention, 95 not out from 78 balls, against New Zealand in September 2023. In between whiles he went missing (along with most of his team-mates, to be fair) at the 50-over World Cup in India. His multi-faceted spin bowling remains a vital means of balancing England’s XIs, however, and a strong showing in this series will set him on course for a shot at redemption in the Champions Trophy.Jacob Bethell prepares to bat in the nets in Antigua•Getty ImagesTeam news: Debuts in prospect for EnglandShimron Hetmyer’s return is West Indies’ only change from the ODI squad that played (and won) the last of its three matches against Sri Lanka on Saturday, and so continuity would seem to be the order of the day. He looks likely to slot into the middle-order, with the 17-year-old Jewel Andrew, who made his international debut in that Kandy contest, the obvious batter to make way. There’s time enough for him to come again. Romario Shepherd could also make a return after sitting out that same match.West Indies: 1 Brandon King, 2 Evin Lewis, 3 Shai Hope (capt and wk), 4 Sherfane Rutherford, 5 Shimron Hetmyer, 6 Keacy Carty, 7 Alzarri Joseph, 8 Roston Chase, 9 Gudakesh Motie, 10 Romario Shepherd, 11 Jayden SealesThe squeeze on this series, from Test tours of Pakistan at one end and New Zealand at the other, mean a swathe of multi-format players will be missing in the coming days, including Brook and Ben Duckett, whose century against Australia in Bristol was a perfect translation of his Bazball tempo from five-day to 50 overs. Cox, fresh from the Pakistan tour, will be one of several players earmarked for ODI debut in the coming days, while Buttler’s absence means Michael Pepper, his injury replacement, could be another. More likely, perhaps, given the rough hierarchy that governs England’s opportunities, is that Will Jacks gets a chance to open, and Dan Mousley – overlooked for a debut against Australia – gets first dibs in the middle order.England: 1 Phil Salt (wk), 2 Will Jacks, 3 Jordan Cox, 4 Jacob Bethell, 5 Liam Livingstone (capt), 6 Dan Mousley, 7 Sam Curran, 8 Jamie Overton, 9 Adil Rashid, 10 Jofra Archer, 11 Reece TopleyPitch and conditions: Remember the wind factorA fairly central strip means boundary dimensions are more or less uniform. With four visits to the Caribbean in the space of three years, England’s senior players are well used to the cross-winds that can aid or end any given batter’s attempts to clear the ropes. Conflicting reports of rain may also throw a little chaos into the mix.Stats and trivia West Indies have won seven of their previous 18 ODIs at the Sir Vivian Richards Ground in Antigua, five of which have come in their last six appearances since 2017. Their most recent match at the venue, however, was a six-wicket defeat against England in December 2023. Evin Lewis needs 51 runs to reach 2000 in ODIs.Quotes”That’s something you’re going to see throughout the series, there’s going to be a fair few debuts. And there’s going to be people who get an opportunity because we want to see what we can do. Because that’s what we want to get out of this trip is see how they fare in international cricket.”

أوضح طه إسماعيل، لاعب الأهلي الأسبق، رأيه في أداء الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالقلعة الحمراء، في الفترة الأخيرة، وذلك بعد الأزمة التي يمر بها النادي، وتراجع النتائج.

وقال طه إسماعيل في تصريحات عبر قناة “أون سبورت” عن رأيه في أداء الأهلي: “لا يوجد فريق يستمر في القمة دائمًا، أوقات تحدث عملية هبوط لأسباب كثيرة واضحة وغير واضحة”.

وأوضح: “مثال على ذلك مانشستر سيتي، معه أفضل لاعبين في العالم وأفضل مدرب في العالم ومع ذلك لم يتوج بأي بطولة في الموسم الماضي وهذا الموسم لا زال يُحاول، هو نفسه غير قادر على تشخيص حالته، وهو يؤكد دائمًا أنه لن يستغنى عن طريقة الاستحواذ”.

طالع أيضاً.. محمد بركات: أؤيد الأهلي في بيانه.. ولدينا حكام قليلي الخبرة

وتابع: “الفرق بدأت تركز على الشق الدفاعي، وأصبحت الأمور صعبة، لذلك المدرب ظل يبحث عن الخلل، وحاول أن يتطور في مزج النقل والاستحواذ من وسط الملعب واللعب الطويل واستغلال المساحات، علاوة على الأمور الفردية، لأنك عندما تفقد المهارات الفردية تجعلك تقدم أداء روتينيًا”.

وأفاد: “النادي الأهلي، أرى أنه مر هذا الموسم ببعض المشاكل سواء برحيل المدرب ريبيرو، وأمر آخر بخصوص الصفقات، أحيانًا عندما يكون لديك نجوم كثيرة مثلما هذا الأمر له ميزة أحيانًا يكون عيبًا، في كل مركز يوجد نجمان، أحدهما سيشارك، ولو حاولت أن توفق الأمور وتدفع بالثنائي سيحدث تغيير في المراكز وهذا أيضًا سيتسبب في مشكلة”.

وأتم: “عندما تصنع توازنًا في الفريق، لو أكثرت من النجوم في كل مركز هذا يتسبب في مشكلة”.