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PCA Men’s Player of the Year wants to take form Down Under, but awaits clarity on tour

Andrew Miller28-Sep-2021Joe Root says he cannot yet commit to captaining England in Australia this winter, or taking part in the series at all, even though he is “desperate” to carry his formidable run of form into the Ashes, and so improve his record in one of the few countries where he has yet to score a Test century.Root, 30, has been named as the cinch PCA Men’s Player of the Year after a stellar 2021 in which he has scored six of his team’s seven centuries in 12 Tests, including four scores of 180-plus. With a total of 1455 runs at 66.13 for the calendar year so far, he still has a realistic chance to overhaul Mohammad Yousuf’s record haul of 1788 runs, set back in 2006.However, with one Test postponement already this year, following India’s withdrawal from last month’s series decider at Old Trafford, the prospect remains that Root and England will not play another Test in 2021, as negotiations continue between the ECB and Cricket Australia over the team’s impending quarantine arrangements.Although the ECB is understood to have received an updated brief from CA with “better than expected” guidelines – including an ability to train and move freely within their hotel during their 14-day quarantine period and some flexibility thereafter – the details have yet to be shared with the players. Their confidence in the arrangements is unlikely to have been improved by the overnight news that Tasmania’s Sheffield Shield fixture against Queensland has been postponed indefinitely after four new Covid cases were reported in the state. Brisbane is due to host the opening Ashes Test on December 8.”We are still waiting for some information,” Root said. “Hopefully that will be with us soon. It’s a little bit frustrating but it’s where we are at. It’s so hard to know until we find out what the conditions are going to be like. Hopefully it’ll be coming shortly and we can start moving forward.”Root captained England to a 4-0 defeat in 2017-18, but is keen to put the record straight•Getty Images

Root has toured Australia twice in his career, as a rookie in 2013-14 during England’s ill-fated 5-0 whitewash, and again as captain four years later, when he made five half-centuries in as many Tests but a highest score of 83 in the final Test at Sydney, as Australia wrapped up another comprehensive 4-0 win.Given England’s stated aim at the start of the year, of winning back the Ashes in Australia, and Root’s own decision to stay on as captain after the 2-2 home draw in 2019, his conflict is palpable ahead of a series that ought to be a career-defining moment. However, with the squad determined to present a united front, particularly given the likely restrictions on families joining the tour, Root insists it’s hard to make a “definite decision” on whether he will be able to lead the tour.”It’s really important everyone makes a decision that they’re comfortable with,” Root said. “There’s so many different factors that fall into it, so we just have to be patient, and wait until we know what’s happening and then make a decision on the back of that.”I’m very hopeful, and think I speak on behalf of everyone that Ashes cricket – an away tour to Australia – is one of those things that you’re just desperate to be on,” he added. “The position I’m at in my career, it could be the last opportunity I get to go, so of course it’s something you’re desperate to do, to hopefully make history over there and be part of something very special. Until we have information it’s very difficult to know where everything sits.”Although Root’s average in Australia is creditable by most players’ standards – 38.00 from nine matches – it is still his lowest in any Test-hosting country bar Bangladesh, where he has played just twice, while the UAE is the only other country where he hasn’t made one of his 23 Test hundreds. Given his form this year, which has taken him back to the top of the ICC batting rankings, he knows he may never get a better chance to set the record straight.Related

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“I’m very aware of [my record in Australia], and it’s something that I desperately want to put right,” Root said. “As a senior batter in the side, you want to be the one scoring the runs, you want to be the one making those big hundreds. I have done that this year so far. But it’s the one place where I feel like I have underperformed, and I’ve not got the best out of myself. So it’s a great driver for me to go and do it this this time round. So hopefully that can be the case.”I certainly feel I’m playing some of the best cricket I’ve played. I’m playing quite nicely, and it’s been one of those years you need to make the most of. I feel I’ve got good rhythm in the way that I’m moving and good confidence at the crease. More than anything you are desperate to keep it going, keep that hunger, keep that drive to make those big scores and contributions.”Regardless of whether the tour goes ahead or not, England’s preparations for the Ashes have already been severely hampered by the ongoing uncertainty – including the likelihood that the Perth Test, currently due to start on January 14, will be have to be relocated given that Western Australia’s border is unlikely to be reopened until February at the earliest.”You look at the last two years, nothing’s really been normal, in terms of planning for anything,” Root said. “You just want to make the best of everything you can. From our point of view, everything we’ve done has been about being ready for when we are due to get to Australia, making sure that we’re as ready as we can be, that we are organised and clear on what we need to do.”How we’re approaching it, from a mental point of view more than anything at the minute, is getting your head around the challenges that a tour like that poses,” he added. “Regardless of what decision they finally make, everyone has to have at the forefront of their thinking, ‘what do I need to do to perform well?’, whether that’s with bat, ball, or collectively, as a group.”We’ve tried to ready the guys, and have conversations leading into this part of going away, so that they have an idea of what to face when we get there. As much as anything, we’ve tried to keep it as close to how you’d want to prepare for any tour, but in particular an Ashes tour of Australia.”Despite England’s own recent struggles – which include a 1-0 series loss to New Zealand, as well as trailing 2-1 against India in a series that may yet be concluded next year – Root still has faith that England can compete against an Australia team in transition, having watched India emerge victorious in their own tour last year.”India have proven [they are beatable],” Root said. “You look at their side in the last Test match in Brisbane, it was far from the side that played against us this summer, it wasn’t their first-choice team, without their captain and some very senior players, so they’ve shown the world that you can go to Australia and we’ll certainly take a lot of confidence from that. We know that when we play like we did at Headingley for example, we’ll beat most sides in the world regardless of where we’re at.”Joe Root was speaking following the 52nd cinch PCA Awards, the biggest awards ceremony in English cricket

Her 159-run partnership with Sune Luus against NZ is the highest for SA for any wicket in Women’s World Cups

Namooh Shah06-Oct-2025

Tazmin Brits got to seven ODI hundreds in 41 innings•ICC/Getty Images

232 – The target chased down by South Africa on Monday is the highest by any team against New Zealand in the women’s World Cup, going past their own record – 229 in Hamilton in 2022.101 – The runs scored by Tazmin Brits, which makes her the third South Africa batter to score a hundred in the women’s World Cup. Linda Olivier in 2000 and Marizanne Kapp in 2013 are the other two.5 – Hundreds by Brits in 2025, the most by any player in a calendar year in women’s ODIs. She went past Smriti Mandhana, who scored four hundreds in 2024 and also has four so far in 2025.Brits has also scored four hundreds in her last five ODI innings.1 – Brits took 41 innings to score seven ODI hundreds. That is the fewest by a batter in women’s ODIs, bettering the record of Meg Lanning, who took 44 innings to get there.Brits took 87 balls to complete her seventh ODI hundred, which is the fastest by her, and the fourth-fastest by a South Africa batter in women’s ODIs.2 – Brits now has 749 runs in ODIs in 2025, the second-most for a South Africa batter in a calendar year. She is only behind Laura Wolvaardt, who scored 882 runs in 2022.159 – The partnership between Brits and Sune Luus for the second wicket, is the highest for South Africa for any wicket in women’s World Cups. They went past a long-standing record of 128* between Dane van Niekerk and Kapp in 2013.It is also South Africa’s third-highest partnership for the second wicket in women’s ODIs (where ball-by-ball data is available).1 – Lea Tahuhu dismissed Brits to take her 30th wicket in ODI World Cups and with that became the leading wicket-taker for New Zealand in the tournament. Tahuhu went past Catherine Campbell, who has 29 wickets.350 – Suzie Bates became the first woman to play 350 international matches across formats. Harmanpreet Kaur is next on the list with 342 international caps.

Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund says his body "feels good again" after missing the start of the season with a hamstring injury.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Hojlund injured in pre-season
• Says he now "feels good again"
• Admits to "fluctuating" weight

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The 21-year-old missed the start of the season with a hamstring injury but now he is back fit for the Red Devils. The Denmark international is content to be eased back into first-team action as he says there is "no point" rushing things and risking another injury. The former Atalanta star also spoke about he is now carrying a bit less weight after hitting the gym.

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• getty images
  

  WHAT RASMUS HOJLUND SAID

  He told reporters: "There is no point in rushing things and risking another injury. My body feels good again. I might be ready to play 90 minutes, but if I also use my brain a little bit, I don’t think 90 minutes on Saturday against Spain is a good idea.

  "I've lost a little weight, but it doesn’t matter. I know there are some benefits to being a little lighter and some benefits to being a little heavier. I’m not focused on the scales. I’ve gotten used to the fact that my weight fluctuates a little bit."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Hojlund has a big responsibility for United this season – to provide the goals in attack they need to challenge for trophies again. However, the Red Devils have had a poor start to the season and sit 14th in the Premier League. The Dane will hope he can hit form, stay fit, and deliver on the pitch.

• Getty
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  The forward could start for Denmark in their Nations League clash away at Spain on Saturday and then again against Switzerland on Tuesday. He will then return to Erik ten Hag's team next week.

Full-on and full-scale, England vs India was a series so packed with events and excitement that you’ll struggle to remember more than a handful looking back

Osman Samiuddin06-Aug-2025You know what? Let’s go there right away. Of course you want to. You probably already have. It’s an entirely human urge. As good as ’05? Better than ’23 surely? Does it beat any BGT from this century, even the three-match epic that kick-started the modern rivalry? No, spare yourself and don’t go down that rabbit hole. Or down that cloying path of self-congratulation, where we collectively phew and pat ourselves on the back because Test cricket has been saved. Again.Stay in the present. Let this Anderson-Tendulkar series take over your head. Let it swirl through your veins. Let it be the natural dopamine rush you didn’t have to exercise for. Process what you have seen. Digest it. Take your time – no, actually the time to go back and pore over every bit of it, to make sense of how, nearly every day – every , and sometimes every ball – this series dragged you one way, then yanked you the other and finally wrung out every drop of emotion from you like you were some wet tea towel.Did so much really happen in this one series? Could so much really happen in one series? So much that no matter how much you recall, there’ll always be that much you won’t because, the human brain. Shubman Gill really did go for Bradman’s record. As hard as he went for Zak Crawley’s masculinity. Jofra Archer really did return to Test cricket and Jofra Archer really did bowl those two deliveries to Rishabh Pant. England really did chase down their second-highest total ever and it felt a little underwhelming and quite inevitable. England did really want to be humbler and not so nice and also not d***heads, all in the same series.Related

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• Tendulkar: Siraj 'doesn't get the credit he deserves'

KL Rahul really did become the Test batter he has for so long promised to be, the absolute picture of old-school judiciousness. Mohammed Siraj, for all the big stuff he did, really did take that catch at Edgbaston, arguably the catch of the series. There really was a brouhaha over handshakes. There was definitely one over the Dukes balls. Personally, this would be incomplete without mention of Washington Sundar and his entirely unexpected gatecrashing of this series. He saved one Test with old-school stonewalling, won the last with new-age freewheeling, and got such wicked, deceptive drift with the ball, it should rightfully be labelled grift: as in, 5.369 degrees of grift on that one to Ben Stokes at Edgbaston. He has some of the gait and bearing of R Ashwin, with less genius to be sure, but also, thankfully, less uncle; the Ashwin you fret your daughter will bring home, not the one you want her to be with.There’s still so much that hasn’t made it here, but will no doubt make your lists. Every moment, for instance, when Stokes was involved, was a moment in which Test cricket was an Extreme Sport, with his body on the line. Or, of his 481 runs, the six that Harry Brook swept while falling over off Siraj at The Oval, which, despite Pant having normalised the shot and Brook’s own electric range, was entirely abnormal nonetheless. Or Joe Root who, like Rahul, hummed along, the James Earl Jones (or Morgan Freeman) voiceover to the series, imparting deep and sensible authority unto a fraying, steaming silliness. And imagine, all these feats of memory and none for the very first wicket India took in this series.That was 46 days ago, occurring both like yesterday as well as a lifetime ago. Which is the thing about five-Test series. In more ways than we might think, they are actually perfect for the modern age. Watching seven hours a day more or less. Five days at a stretch. Over six to eight weeks. There’s a term for this you might be familiar with, which made its way into the dictionary officially a decade ago, when streaming platforms truly began to take over our screens, but describes the preferred, and only, mode of following Test cricket since 1877. That’s right: binge-watching.4:04

How do you move on from such an epic series?

Like any bingeable series, a great Test series also becomes our world for a while. We obsess over its plays and ploys, plots and subplots, heroes and villains and their character arcs. We move to its pace and speak its language and live by its logic. We live by its episodic highs and lows and lulls, its continuity, although we can never really know what comes next. And there can never be spoilers.Simply watching one is never enough. We must obsess over it online, listen to all the podcasts, read all the pieces, snigger our way through TikToks, and yes, exult and outrage and hot-take all over everyone else’s feeds. A long Test series enforces an element that is the opposite of the binge-watch: the stinge-watch, when you hoard episodes and space them out for your viewing convenience. Barely a break to breathe between some Tests, but a week or more to meditate between others, and yet somehow the arrhythmia feels normal.Here we were doubly blessed to have, on the final day of the series, a 56-minute recap of every sensation of the 24 days that preceded it. The two boundaries off the first two balls, one authoritative, one unintended, cutting the target down by a fifth; the wicket off the seventh multiplying it back again by five; a chance missed, another turned into a six, a review upheld, one overturned; the breathless, relentless surge and counter-surge of an entire series. England, now India, England again, India again, compressed into under an hour. A recap, but also it hit you like that tool so beloved of the auteur, the long one-shot take, always fraught, always tense, always building to more fraughtness and tension, and never hiding its fragility, of how easily and suddenly everything could go south.Main men: Washington Sundar finished with seven wickets and 284 vital runs, and Shubman Gill averaged 75-plus in his ten innings•Getty ImagesIt was the perfect tribute to the inseparability of the two sides, a closeness that a couple of comfortable-looking results and a comfortable-looking draw don’t necessarily convey (neither does the generally bat-dominated look of the stats tables). Three of the five Tests, after all, were essentially one-innings shootouts, where often the second innings felt like different Tests altogether from the first. But for a catch here or a drop there, a collapse or a call at the toss, a timely ball change or an untimely run out, or just the simple physics of backspin after a perfect back-foot defensive, but for all of this and so much more, who knows? And yet, who cares, because at the end, at two-all, it landed exactly right.As right as it was that Chris Woakes and his sling were on the field at the end, a reminder of how non-fiction this entertainment was, of the unquestionable, unscripted authenticity of this drama. In this series alone, Pant returned to play with a broken foot, Shoaib Bashir took a match-winning wicket with a broken finger, and Stokes bowled an eight-over spell on the final morning at Old Trafford with a torn shoulder muscle of unpronounceable provenance.All four were game-related injuries that could have happened in a shorter series, but there’s no doubting that a five-Test series takes a toll like little else. This one has been almost uniquely exacting. When the sides came out for the final day on Monday, it was only the third time this century that each Test of a five-match series had gone into the final day. It was uncharted territory for all but Root, England captain during the 2017-18 Ashes, when it last happened.It cost the final Test four of the biggest names in the game in Stokes, Archer, Jasprit Bumrah and Pant. But it says everything about the series that their absence was barely noticed, that without these stars, it produced its best game.

The 2023/24 season came to a perfect end for Manchester United last Saturday, after they beat their biggest rivals, Manchester City, in the FA Cup final. It was not an easy campaign for the Red Devils, but it finished in an ideal way.

Goals from academy graduates Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo sealed the win for Erik ten Hag’s side, who played very well outside of that. It was a resolute defensive showing, and they held out well against a relentless City onslaught, despite a late goal from Jeremy Doku.

It was a victory that secured United European football for the 2024/25 season, which they did not manage to do via the Premier League. Ten Hag’s men finished eighth in the top flight and needed their cup final win to knock Chelsea into the Europa Conference League, and Newcastle out of Europe altogether, with United claiming Europa League football.

It has given United a platform to build off ahead of the next campaign, at the very least. With continental football secured for another season, it helps them attract bigger names in the transfer market, as they look to develop the squad ready for an improved campaign next term. Already, the Red Devils have been linked to one highly-rated youngster.

Man Utd looking to sign Serie A defender

The player in question here is AS Roma’s on-loan defender Dean Huijsen, whose parent club is Italian giants Juventus. He has been a revelation at the heart of Roma’s defence this season and could depart parent club Juve this summer, with United one of the teams sniffing around.

According to a report from journalist Graeme Bailey, United are one of the sides interested in signing the 19-year-old Spain under-21 international, who has already represented the Netherlands at youth level, having been born in Amsterdam.

Indeed, they will certainly face competition for Huijsen’s signature should they pursue him during the summer window. As Bailey explains, there are several Premier League clubs who 'have asked to be kept informed' on any transfer movement regarding Huijsen.

As per the report, Newcastle United and Chelsea have previously enquired about the youngster. However, this summer United, as well as Liverpool, and Tottenham Hotspur, have also shown an interest in bringing Huijsen to their respective clubs. A price has not yet been rumoured.

How Huijsen and Jarrad Branthwaite compare

19-year-old Huijsen is not the only young centre-back United have been linked to this summer. As per a recent report from Natasha Everitt of TalkSport, the Red Devils are 'confident' of wrapping up the signing of Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite, as well as Crystal Palace winger Michael Olise.

However, it would be an expensive deal to do, with Everton potentially asking United for £75m, according to Rob Dawson of ESPN. This could lead United to turn their attention to signing Huijsen, who would not be a bad alternative. His manager at Roma, Daniele De Rossi, described him as someone who can “become one of the best players in the world”, which suggests he would be a good signing for United.

When Huijsen went on loan to Roma in the second half of the season, he became an important fixture in the side for I Giallorossi. He played 13 times for the Serie A side, managing to get on the scoresheet twice, and registering one assist. He was also part of four clean sheets in Italy's top-flight.

Huijsen is a confident carrier of the ball, and, as per FBref, averages an incredible 56.03 carries per 90 minutes, which ranks him in the top 2% of centre-backs in Serie A. This shows how much he oozes confidence on the ball.

Not only that, the 19-year-old is a good box defender and averages 4.66 clearances per 90 minutes which ranks him in the top 15% amongst Serie A centre-backs. As per SofaScore, Huijsen also makes an average of 1.8 ball recoveries per 90 minutes.

Comparatively, as per Fbref, Branthwaite averages 4.71 clearances per 90 minutes, which ranks him in the top 29% of Premier League centre-backs, although his 5.2 ball recoveries per 90 minutes, according to SofaScore, is much better than Huijsen’s numbers.

Factoring in Branthwaite’s cost, the signing of Huijsen – who is valued at just €10m (£9m) by CIES Football Observatory – would certainly make a good alternative deal for United. He is clearly highly thought of by legends like De Rossi and has the potential to become the next iconic centre-back at Old Trafford.

Man Utd chasing "insane" £34m signing who's like Zlatan

The Man Utd target could be bought for just £34m this summer.

By
Tom Lever

May 31, 2024

Marchant de Lange returns to Somerset as Wahab Riaz links up with Trent Rockets

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Aug-2021Paul Stirling, the Ireland batter, will replace New Zealand’s Devon Conway at Southern Brave, and the availability of Wahab Riaz, the Pakistan quick, for the Trent Rockets means their South African recruit Marchant de Lange will leave the men’s Hundred after four matches and return to Somerset for their Royal London One-Day Cup campaign.Conway, also a Somerset man and one of the more prominent newcomers at the international stage, had a steady run with Brave in the Hundred, getting starts on each occasion. He had scores of 18, 23, 34 and 22 for a tally of 97 runs, scored at a strike rate of 112.79. But in that last game, against London Spirit at Lord’s, Conway took a blow from a Blake Cullen delivery in the fingers of his left hand very early in his innings, and while he finished his innings, he didn’t come out to field.Stirling, the veteran batter, wasn’t at his best when he turned out for Ireland during South Africa’s visit in July for a set of ODIs and T20Is, but brings with him a wealth of experience. Not to forget the exceptional form he was in earlier this year in Abu Dhabi, when he scored ODI centuries against UAE and Afghanistan.de Lange, meanwhile, was one of the bowling stars of the competition, the joint-leading wicket-taker after the first 17 matches with eight wickets, the same as Northern Superchargers’ Adil Rashid and the Rockets’ Rashid Khan.But the Rockets will welcome back their original pick, Riaz, whose participation in the Hundred had been delayed after he reached the UK because of an issue with his visa – he didn’t have a valid work permit – which forced him to fly home, sort it out, and then return to link up with his team. He has completed his mandatory quarantine on his return to the UK, and is available for the Rockets’ next fixture, against Welsh Fire on Friday in Cardiff.The Rockets have had the better time of it at the tournament so far, three wins in four outings giving them a top-of-the-table spot with six points, while Brave are in the other half of the eight-team table, down at seventh place with four points from four games, only above Spirit.

Arsenal are preparing a £70m offer for Real Madrid star Rodrygo, who is now unhappy with manager Xabi Alonso, and keen to play under Mikel Arteta.

There are arguably question marks over whether the Gunners need to bring in another forward, off the back of a fantastic attacking display in the 4-1 rout against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, with Eberechi Eze bagging a hat-trick.

Such is the depth of the attacking options Arteta has at his disposal, Gabriel Martinelli was unable to get off the bench against Spurs, with Leandro Trossard bagging his fifth goal of the season in all competitions, while also setting up Eze’s third goal.

Arteta has also confirmed that Martin Odegaard and Viktor Gyokeres were close to being involved in the North London derby, and added: “Unfortunately, [Odegaard] wasn’t 100% to be involved in such a game, but Noni [Madueke] is back and Gabriel [Martinelli] being back is a boost for us.”

However, with the Gunners perhaps keen to seize the chance to finally win the Premier League title, they are now lining up a move for a new forward ahead of the January transfer window.

Arsenal preparing offer for Rodrygo

According to a report from Spain, Arsenal are now preparing a package worth a total of €80m (£70m) to sign Rodrygo, with the Brazilian now unhappy with Alonso and keen to leave Real Madrid before the 2026 World Cup.

The 24-year-old is eager to receive consistent game time ahead of hopefully heading out to North America with Brazil, and he is keen to play under Arteta, alongside the likes of Eze, Odegaard and Bukayo Saka.

Having already tried to sign the Madrid forward in the past, Arteta remains in ongoing talks with his representatives, which means they could be the favourites in the race for his signature, ahead of Liverpool.

Although game time has been hard to come by this season, the Brazil international has certainly impressed in a Real Madrid shirt in the past, receiving particularly high praise from journalist Bence Bocsak back in July.

Since then, the versatile forward, who can play at striker and on both wings, has continued to impress in Europe’s elite competition, picking up two assists in three Champions League outings this season.

The report makes it clear that Rodrygo is being targeted amid Martinelli’s uncertain future, and it would certainly be worth pursuing the Real Madrid ace if his compatriot were to move on next year.

However, Arsenal are currently very well-stocked in attacking areas, and £70m would be a huge fee to pay for a player who may not be a necessary addition.

Rodrygo has been named as one of the best wingers in the world

The Best 15 Wingers in World Football Ranked (2025)

Who is the best wide man in world football right now?

By
Charlie Smith

Nov 28, 2025

All the stats highlights from India’s second ODI against Ireland, where they posted 370 for 5

Sampath Bandarupalli12-Jan-2025370 for 5 India’s total against Ireland in Rajkot is now their highest in women’s ODIs. Their previous highest total was 358 for 2 against Ireland in 2017 and 358 for 5 against West Indies last month.3 Number of 350-plus totals by India in women’s ODIs. Two have also come this season – 358 for 5 against West Indies in Vadodara and 370 for 5 on Sunday. Before India, only two teams have posted 350-plus totals multiple times in women’s ODIs in the same season.New Zealand had three 400-plus totals in the ODI series against Ireland in 2018, while England scored 350-plus in consecutive ODIs against Pakistan in the 2016 home series and had two such totals in the 2017 World Cup.Related

• Rodrigues: 'Like the way I showed patience and switched gears'

• Rodrigues' maiden international hundred seal series win for India

90 Number of balls Jemimah Rodrigues took to complete her maiden century, the joint-second fastest for India in women’s ODIs. It is the joint second-fastest hundred for India in the format, behind Harmanpreet Kaur’s 87-ball century against South Africa last year. Harmanpreet also posted a 90-ball ton against Australia in 2017.2 Previous instances of two 150-plus partnerships in a women’s ODI innings. Both were by Australia – against Pakistan in 1997 and England in 2022.3 Number of century partnerships for the first wicket between Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal in five innings. Only three opening pairs before them had three or more century stands in a season in women’s ODIs.Anju Jain and Jaya Sharma in 2003-04 and Rachael Haynes and Alyssa Healy in 2021-22 had four partnerships of 100-plus runs each, while Belinda Clark and Lisa Keightley also had three in 1999-00.Pratika Rawal and Smriti Mandhana scored fifties each•BCCI8.21 Run rate at which Mandhana and Rawal scored for the opening stand. It is the fifth-highest for a 150-run partnership and the second-highest for the opening wicket (where data is available).44 Number of fours hit by India batters on Sunday are the most by them in a women’s ODI, surpassing the 43 they hit against West Indies last month in Vadodara. Only six times a team has hit more fours in a women’s ODI than India’s 44.7 Instances of the top four batters scoring 50-plus runs in an innings in women’s ODIs, including India’s performance in Rajkot. It is the second such instance for India, with the first coming against West Indies in Dhanbad in 2004.

Gloucestershire suffer group-stage disappointment for second time in the week

David Hopps18-Jul-2021Tom Lammonby, one of county cricket’s breakout stars of 2020, thrust aside a miserable follow-up season to play one of the most scintillating innings of this season’s Vitality Blast and dump Gloucestershire out of the competition in the process. Somerset were ailing before Lammonby infused them with life with a freewheeling 90 from 36 balls which turned the likelihood of defeat into a 23-run victory.Until Lammonby transformed the mood, Gloucestershire had everything under control. Their disciplined bowling performance had restricted Somerset to 89 for 5 after 14.2 overs, the run out of Will Smeed for 39, the one batsman to muster any sort of resistance, pointing towards the win they needed to secure a quarter-final place alongside Somerset.Instead, Somerset secured a home quarter-final in late July while Gloucestershire were left to reflect on final-day heartache which has seen them fail to qualify for the latter stages of both the Championship and the Blast in the space of a few days. Ian Cockbain fought valiantly with 72 from 46 balls, but the big over never quite came.

Vitality Blast quarter-finals

• Yorkshire vs Sussex (Aug 24)

• Nottinghamshire vs Hampshire (Aug 25)

• Somerset vs Lancashire (Aug 26)

• Kent vs Birmingham (Aug 27)

How Taunton deserves that quarter-final. Cold-shouldered in the Hundred, they can at least look forward to a home tie against Lancashire, followed by a possible Finals Day at Edgbaston and they are still in the hunt for a first Championship title, too.Lammonby, 21, long limbed and wristy, evidenced why there was such excitement over his entry into county cricket last season. Discriminating judges were prone to a touch of fantasy. Talk was more of his Test potential rather than white-ball – and how England must yearn for a touch of class in their top order. As for white-ball, the queue is a long one, but perhaps this was the night when Lammonby signalled his intention one day to join them.This innings – a veritable one-man show – was the evening that a bright flash of sunlight finally flashed through the clouds. A demoralising second season in the Championship led to his omission at the start of the Blast, but that was hard to credit as he appeared to be intent on exhibition cricket, running through his repertoire with a game-changing confidence.At one stage a 12th man seemed about to bring on a drink, but Lammonby waved him away, a batter back in the zone, desperate not to lose his uninhibited mood. His whiplash wrists enabled him to find gaps in the field. He was masterful behind square, his speciality the paddle and reverse paddle. All but 14 of his runs came in the arc between midwicket and third. If there was a defensive shot, it must have been an accident.David Payne and Dan Worrall, who had the game where they wanted it with the new ball, ran into a young upstart of high ambition. “It was a special knock,” said Gloucestershire’s captain, Jack Taylor, “but our execution was a bit wanting.” Somerset’s stand-in skipper, Craig Overton, was obviously more ecstatic. “He will be the first to admit he has struggled this year, but I think that’s the best I’ve ever seen him play.”Sixteen from three balls from Worrall – paddle against a head high full toss, reverse paddle from the free hit, and a no-messing long-on six, took him to his first Blast fifty at the 26th attempt, a reminder that not all nights have been like this. But another 20 came off Payne’s penultimate over and Ryan Higgins, charged with controlling things at the death, spilled 45 from three overs.Gloucestershire had set the tone with an excellent Powerplay during which they drew pace and a little movement from an excellent surface. Somerset were restricted to 32 for 2 for the loss of Devon Conway and Steve Davies.Conway has had a plentiful season, averaging more than 60, his moderate strike rate of 124 also illustrating how he has glued this Somerset side together. Payne had bowled only four overs in July after his inactive spell with England’s ODI shadow squad, but he outfoxed him with a widish delivery as he tried to make room to hit over the off side. Davies, who has been brought back late in the tournament as injury cover, trod on his stumps as Payne took a second wicket. Benny Howell’s sleight of hand removed James Hildreth in his first over.Somerset’s innings descended into a succession of scrambled runs and what felt like endless TV adjudications. Gloucestershire finally got the run-out they had threatened when Higgins, alert and well in from the rope at deep midwicket, defeated Smeed’s second run.Somerset’s most pressing need in the field was to curb Glenn Phillips, the leading six-hitter in the tournament, well ahead of the Nottinghamshire pair of Alex Hales and Joe Clarke. Phillips added two more to his total – he finishes on 35 for the season – but he miscued Ben Green to deep mid-off on 29.Overton and Brooks both delivered spells for under 20, and the medium-pacer Green hit his yorkers in the closing overs, one of them bowling Taylor. Cockbain was left needing to hit the last four balls for six, but nobody was about to steal Lammonby’s thunder.

Wrexham co-owner Ryan Reynolds has been thanked for a generous donation to a charity auction in Welsh.

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• Reynolds donated Deadpool equipment to charity
• Auction raised money for autism organisation
• Wrexham star Mullin involved with Your Space

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Hollywood actor donated gym equipment from his latest blockbuster film Deadpool and Wolverine to raise funds for Welsh autism charity Your Space. The auction, named the Lifepool Gym Auction, raised a sensational £48,175.36 for the charity.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Your Space has been backed by Wrexham's star forward Paul Mullin. The English hitman has been a patron of the organisation for over a year and a half after his son, Albie, was diagnosed with autism. The non-profit issued a thank you to Reynolds and others who helped raise funds.

• WHAT YOUR SPACE SAID

  "Never in a million years did we think our charity would get this kind of support," a social media post read. "This donation has kept the lights on and means we will be here for the future. Thank you to everyone who placed a bid. We love you guys."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

  After their good turn for charity, Reynolds and Mullin will hope Wrexham can claim a vital three points when they take on Rotherham in their next match, on October 19. The Red Dragons are second in League One, two points behind Birmingham.