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Sune Luus, Hayley Matthews and Chamari Athapaththu also named as the first nominees for the inaugural WBBL overseas draft

Alex Malcolm02-Aug-2023Five international captains in Harmanpreet Kaur, Sophie Devine, Sune Luus, Hayley Matthews and Chamari Athapaththu are the first players unveiled as nominees for the inaugural WBBL overseas draft to be held on September 3 ahead of the upcoming season.Four of the five players have been regulars in the WBBL with Devine and Harmanpreet both winning Player of the Tournament awards. Devine is the only player in WBBL history to have been named Player of the Tournament twice doing it in back-to-back seasons in 2019-20 and 2020-21 for two different clubs in Adelaide Strikers and Perth Scorchers, where she is currently the captain.Previously, WBBL clubs have been free to recruit overseas players privately but for the first time this season the WBBL will have an overseas player draft after it was introduced in the men’s BBL last season. Both drafts will be held on the same day on September 3 and will have the same format. Sydney Thunder have the first pick in the draft following the draft lottery on July 13.ESPNcricinfo LtdInternational players will nominate for various salary bands with WBBL Platinum players to earn AUD$110,000 to be paid by the clubs from the AUD$732,000 salary cap. Gold players will earn AUD$90,000, Silver AUD$65,000 and Bronze will earn AUD$40,000.Harmanpreet and Devine will almost certainly be Platinum players available to be selected in the first round. Four of the five will be eligible to be retention picks. Harmanpreet will be available to be retained by Melbourne Renegades as will Matthews and Athapaththu. Matthews only spent one edition there last year, having played five seasons previously with Hobart Hurricanes, but captained Renegades in two matches last season. Athapaththu played two seasons at Renegades in 2017-18 and 2018-19 but played in 2021-22 for Scorchers before returning to Renegades last year.Sophie Devine latches on to a cut•Getty ImagesDevine can be retained by Scorchers but not Adelaide Strikers having been captain of the Scorchers for the past three seasons. Luus did play nine games with Brisbane Heat in 2018-19 but WBBL rules state that a player who was not on a team in the previous season can only be retained by a club if they have played at the club for a minimum of two seasons and haven’t been contracted to another team. Luus has only played for one season at Heat.Each club is only allowed one retention pick, meaning Renegades will need to choose between Harmanpreet, Matthews and Athapaththu as to which player they would like to retain. They can opt not to retain any of them. They could also re-draft all three if no other club chooses to take them when they are available.The WBBL will announce further draft nominations in the coming weeks.

أعرب علي معلول ظهير أيسر النادي الأهلي السابق، والصفاقسي التونسي الحالي، عن سعادته بعد عودته مرة أخرى لفريقه الأسبق، موجهاً رسالة شكر إلى جماهير القلعة الحمراء.

وأعلن نادي الصفاقسي التونسي، ضم علي معلول رسمياً، في صفقة انتقال حر، بعد نهاية عقده مع النادي الأهلي.

وقال علي معلول في تصريحات صحفية: “أنا سعيد لأنني متواجد مرة أخرى وسط عائلتي، الفرصة جاءت في وقت مهم بالنسبة لي، إن شاء الله ستكون عودة جيدة لي وللجميع”.

طالع أيضاً.. فيديو | “الأسطورة رقم 10”.. الصفاقسي يعلن ضم علي معلول

وتابع: “جمهور الصفاقسي ليس غريبا علي ولا أنا غريب عليهم، وما حدث اليوم أظهر المعدن الحقيقي للجماهير، وإن شاء الله سنسعد الجماهير، ونكون على قدر المسؤولية، وأتمنى أن يكونوا متواجدين معنا دائماً ويساندوننا”.

وواصل: “تواجدت في النادي الأهلي لمدة 9 سنوات وكانت تجربة ناجحة على جميع المستويات، والجمهور أحبني محبة خاصة، وأنا نفس الأمر، في تلك الفترة كان يسودها الاحترام المتبادل، أشكرهم كثيراً على محبتهم وتفاعلهم معي”.

وأتم: “أتمنى أن أكون قد تركت ذكرى غالية وكبيرة للنادي الأهلي، وإن شاء الله ستظل الجماهير تتفاعل معي”.

Former West Indies captain and current assistant coach Carl Hooper has called the team’s current position “distressing”. West Indies are ranked tenth right now in ODI cricket, below Bangladesh and Afghanistan, and will have to compete with nine other teams in Zimbabwe to qualify for the ODI World Cup, which will begin in October in India.Earlier last year, West Indies had failed to make it out of the qualifier to the T20 World Cup proper in Australia, losing to Scotland and Ireland.”The position hasn’t changed,” Hooper said ahead of the ODI World Cup qualifier in Harare. “The point is can we go lower than this? Yes, we can go lower than this and if we don’t qualify, we go a step lower. Never thought that I’d live to see the day where West Indies are trying to qualify for major tournaments. I sat in Australia, and we struggled to get through it in the T20s and here we are in Zimbabwe.Related

• Sammy urges WI batters to show more 'intent to score'

• Lights, camera, qualifiers: Big runs and a bigger prize on offer in Harare and Bulawayo

• All you need to know about the World Cup Qualifier

• Paul and Motie named in West Indies squad for World Cup Qualifier

• Associate players are picking county cricket over the World Cup Qualifier. And why shouldn't they?

“No disrespect to the other teams, but we’re playing against the likes of the USA, Nepal and Scotland. Even Afghanistan is ahead of us, and Bangladesh has gone ahead of us. So, this is distressing, and can we go lower? Yes, we can go lower. This game continues to remind you that until you start doing the right things, you can go lower. As I said before, I never thought I would live to see this day, but here I am in Zimbabwe, starting a game on Sunday. We’ve got to try and beat the USA.”After West Indies crashed out of the T20 World Cup in Australia, Phil Simmons decided to step down as head coach and then Nicholas Pooran also gave up white-ball captaincy. Daren Sammy, Shai Hope, Hooper and Co have tuned up for the World Cup Qualifier with a 3-0 sweep of the UAE earlier this month. West Indies have been bolstered further by the return of their IPL stars who had rested during the UAE tour.”We’re ready. I mean you get a feel, and you get a vibe for the energy in the team,” Hooper said. “I think Daren Sammy, as you know, is a fabulous, inspirational leader. Now he has been tasked, trying to get West Indies into the qualification, which will be massive for us. So, the energy so far in Dubai and with the other boys joining us here in Zimbabwe has been great. We’re looking forward to the game on Sunday and I’m sure we will do well.”Nicholas Pooran and Shai Hope are among the senior players in the side•AFP/Getty Images

Hooper was also pleased with how some of West Indies’ players have adapted quickly to the Harare conditions, despite not getting enough game time in the IPL. Allrounder Romario Shepherd, who got just one game at Lucknow Super Giants, hit the ground running in Harare, smacking 53 off 34 balls and then bowling three overs in West Indies’ 91-run victory over Scotland in the warm-ups. Rovman Powell, who played just three matches for Delhi Capitals for the IPL, got cracking with 105 off 55 balls, including eight sixes and as many fours, in West Indies’ 114-run win over UAE.”What we’ve tried to do is guys who are going to be an integral part of our campaign get a chance to spend some time in the middle,” Hooper said. “We’ve had quite a few players coming from the IPL. I believe five or six of the boys…while they’ve been involved in the IPL haven’t played a lot apart from maybe Pooran. So, the important thing was to get them some time in the middle.”Having said that, the games that we’re going to play here in Zimbabwe are going to start pretty early in the morning. So, we noticed that in the two games we bowled, it certainly swung around. So, we’ve addressed that, and we’ve been having conversations, so there’s not much you can do technically but you can I suppose raise an awareness of conditions and how we might approach them to get the best out of the batting group.”

أعلن نادي ريال مدريد منذ لحظات، عن تعرض لاعبه للإصابة، وذلك قبل عدة ساعات من قمة الجولة الرابعة من مرحلة الدوري في بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا أمام ليفربول يوم غدًا الثلاثاء.

ليفربول سوف يستضيف نظيره ريال مدريد يوم غدًا الثلاثاء على ملعب أنفيلد، حيث يسعى الريدز إلى تحقيق الانتصار على الفريق الملكي واستغلال عامل الأرض والجمهور.

وفي الجهة الأخرى يسعى ريال مدريد إلى الانتصار على ليفربول واستغلال الحالة الرائعة التي يمر بها الفريق الملكي خلال الفترة الأخيرة.

اقرأ أيضًا .. محمد صلاح على موعد مع التاريخ قبل مباراة ليفربول وريال مدريد

وأكد ريال مدريد في بيان رسمي، أن جناح الفريق الشاب ، فرانكو ماستانتونو، قد تعرض للإصابة خلال تدريبات الفريق خلال الأيام الماضية.

وأشار ريال مدريد في البيان، أن ماستانتونو يعاني من آلام في العانة، بالتالي من المتوقع أن يغيب عن الملاعب لعدة أسابيع دون الكشف عن مدة الغياب.

وفي سياق متصل، ذكرت الموثوقة آرانشا رودريجيز، أن ماستانتونو مصاب في الفخد ولا تزال مدة غيابه غير معروفة.

وبذلك، انضم ماستانتونو إلى قائمة المصابين في ريال مدريد والتي تضم كلًا من أنطونيو روديجير، بجانب ديفيد ألابا وداني كارفاخال.

Glasgow Rangers manager Russell Martin finally has the chance to meet some of his players in the flesh for the first time after they returned for pre-season testing on Monday.

The Light Blues head coach will have a lot of difficult decisions to make over the playing squad at Ibrox in order to end the summer transfer window with a squad that is capable of competing for the Scottish Premiership title.

Martin will be working with sporting director Kevin Thelwell, who is now in his first window at Ibrox as well, to secure new signings to bolster the team.

In fact, Thelwell is reportedly pursuing a deal for a new player who would leave the Scottish manager with a big decision to make on two of his current options in the same position.

Rangers set to bid for Premier League defender

According to DAVEOCKOP, Rangers are interested in a deal to sign left-back Owen Beck from Premier League champions Liverpool this summer.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The report claims that the Light Blues are planning to submit a bid to sign the Wales international, as Thelwell aims to add another full-back option to Martin’s squad.

It adds that Liverpool have held talks with Beck over a potential new contract and that the plan has been to send him out on loan for the 2025/26 campaign.

However, Rangers are now looking to disrupt those plans by swooping in with an offer to sign the left-footed star on a permanent deal this summer, although it remains to be seen how likely a move is at this moment in time.

Why Rangers should sign Owen Beck

The Light Blues should push to convince the Reds to part ways with the 22-year-old full-back because his performances on loan at Dundee in the Premiership in the 2023/24 season suggest that he has the potential to be an upgrade on Jefte.

Beck spent this season on loan at Blackburn in the second tier of English football and started 21 of his 24 appearances in the division, averaging 3.4 tackles and interceptions per game at left-back.

The Welsh star, who was once hailed as a “spectacular” player by talent scout Jacek Kulig, really caught the eye whilst playing in Scotland with Dundee, though.

Jefte started 30 of his 33 appearances in the top-flight during his debut campaign in Glasgow in the 2024/25 campaign, but the arrival of Beck on a permanent deal could put an end to his role as a regular starter.

Appearances

25

33

Big chances created

6

4

Assists

4

4

Key passes per game

2.3

1.0

Tackles + interceptions per game

3.9

3.3

Ground duel success rate

57%

53%

Dribble success rate

60%

46%

As you can see in the table above, Beck’s performances for Dundee suggest that the potential is there for him to offer more to the team as a creator and as an out-and-out defender.

The 22-year-old star put up more impressive creative numbers than Jefte did whilst playing in an inferior team, with respect to the Premiership, which suggests that he could thrive even more at the top end of the pitch as part of a ball-dominant Rangers team led by Martin.

Couple that with his superb defensive numbers, which suggest that he does not shirk his responsibilities going back the other way, and it appears as though Beck would come in with a real chance of being an upgrade on Jefte.

As a proven Premiership performer, the Liverpool dynamo would also have the potential to hit the ground running without having to get used to the physical demands of the style of football in Scotland.

A Colak repeat: Club now pushing to sign Rangers star in the next 48 hours

Rangers could repeat their Antonio Colak masterstroke by selling this star this summer.

ByDan Emery Jun 23, 2025

Therefore, this is a signing that would make a lot of sense for the Light Blues, but it would also leave Martin with some big decisions to make on Jefte and Ridvan Yilmaz.

The reigning champions will have a chance to defend their title on Sunday, facing either Spain or Germany in the final in Basel

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• Inspired by retro sportswear and Lioness kits of the past
• Features classic English colours in a modern and energetic execution
• Available in S, M, L, XL and 2XL

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Away

Away Kit

• Celebrates the squad's impact on future generations of female athletes
• Features bursts of bright colours accenting a fearless black
• Available in S, M, L, XL and 2XL

From

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Goalkeeper

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• Comes in the traditional green colourway
• Logos centralised for a retro look
• Available in S, M, L, XL and 2XL

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Home

Home Kit

• Inspired by retro sportswear and Lioness kits of the past
• Features classic English colours in a modern and energetic execution
• Available in S, M, L, XL and 2XL

From

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Buy

Away

Away Kit

• Celebrates the squad's impact on future generations of female athletes
• Features bursts of bright colours accenting a fearless black
• Available in S, M, L, XL and 2XL

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For large parts on Tuesday, it looked like England's luck had finally ran out. Just five days after somehow completing a great escape against Sweden in the quarter-finals, the Lionesses were again on the brink of crashing out of Euro 2025, with just two minutes of added time standing between them and a 1-0 defeat to surprise package Italy. Yet, once more, they came back from it, completing arguably an even more miraculous turnaround as Michelle Agyemang's last-gasp equaliser and Chloe Kelly's winner from the spot – in the penultimate minute of extra time, no less – made England 2-1 victors and sent them into Sunday's European Championship final.

For the most part, it was a frustrating and disappointing watch for fans of the Lionesses, with few chances created either side of a thumping finish from Barbara Bonansea which broke the deadlock in Italy's favour just past the half hour mark. The Azzurre were good for their lead, too, in a performance that suggested much greater experience in this sort of high pressure moment. Were it not for a superb double save from Hannah Hampton in the dying moments of the 90, Italy's place in the final would've been cemented, too.

But England piled the pressure on, battling through adversity and plugging away without some sort of magical spark coming from somewhere, anywhere, hoping that Italy would buckle, that the ball would bounce favourably, that a chance would come and they would take it. It took almost all of the allotted time, but Agyemang was once again ready for her big moment when it arrived, rifling an effort beyond Laura Giuliani to keep the Lionesses alive – just as she had with her equaliser against Sweden.

There was still plenty for England to do, though. Sarina Wiegman had thrown the kitchen sink at Italy with her substitutions and now her strange assortment of players had to adapt, arrange themselves into something of an organised XI and try and find a breakthrough. It looked like it would have to be penalties again, as it was against Sweden, but instead it was just penalty – thanks to Emma Severini's daft challenge on Beth Mead. There was time for one more twist, as Kelly's effort from the spot was saved by Giuliani, but it was the winger, England's hero in extra time back at Euro 2022, who latched onto the rebound, to put her name in lights yet again and send the Lionesses into a third successive major tournament final.

GOAL rates England's players from Stade de Geneve…

• Getty Images
  

  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Hannah Hampton (7/10):

  Made a big double save at the death to keep England's hopes alive, which proved particularly huge after Agyemang's equaliser. It was even more impressive given the little she'd had to do until that point.

  Lucy Bronze (4/10):

  Lapse in concentration proved extremely costly and allowed Bonansea to creep in and break the deadlock. Quite the contrast to her quarter-final heroics.

  Leah Williamson (5/10):

  Best of a bad bunch in defence, though that was a low bar to clear.

  Esme Morgan (4/10):

  Too easily exposed in the build-up to Italy's opener, dragged all over the place by Cantore's movement. A difficult night, with the Azzurre always getting in down England's left.

  Alex Greenwood (4/10):

  Out of position again, Italy made sure to target her side and did so successfully. Quality of her set pieces was inconsistent.

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• Midfield

  Keira Walsh (6/10):

  A more front-footed approach than usual led to her being one of the players who really tried to spark England into life, with some good runs, incisive passes and a few efforts at goal.

  Georgia Stanway (4/10):

  Battled well, winning plenty of her duels, but was wasteful in possession.

  Ella Toone (4/10):

  Had good spells where she looked likely to make something happened, albeit not for sustained periods.

• Getty Images
  

  Attack

  Lauren James (4/10):

  Looked a little leggy and flat here, with it no surprise to see her go off with a knock at half time. Had one of England's best chances of the first 45 minutes, but opted to place the shot and it was well read by Giuliani.

  Alessia Russo (4/10):

  Had one decent chance in the first half but couldn't quite wrap her foot around the ball to direct the shot on target. Otherwise, lacked service – again.

  Lauren Hemp (5/10):

  Ebbed and flowed throughout the game, starting and finishing well. Teasing cross led to the all-important equaliser.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Subs & Manager

  Beth Mead (7/10):

  Did well to stay onside with her run towards Hemp's cross, which discombobulated Giuliani and led to Agyemang's equaliser. Showed great experience to settle centrally in a mishmash of an XI in extra time, too.

  Chloe Kelly (6/10):

  Honoured her defensive duties well and was good on the ball, though her final product was inconsistent. Poor penalty, but great reactions.

  Michelle Agyemang (8/10):

  Came to England's rescue yet again with a remarkable composed finish at the death. Was so close to winning it in extra time, too, but for the woodwork.

  Aggie Beever-Jones (6/10):

  Worked hard and gave Italy something else to think about as England went to two up top.

  Grace Clinton (N/A):

  Brought necessary energy to midfield in extra time.

  Jess Carter (N/A):

  On at the death to seal the win.

  Sarina Wiegman (4/10):

  Didn't learn her lesson from the near-miss against Sweden, where hesitancy with subs almost cost her team. The wait to react almost proved decisive again here, but her subs did come through and deliver in the end. Would be naive to believe she can be that passive in Sunday's final.

Former Australia allrounder explains what the visitors need to do, to not only survive but also thrive in India

Alex Malcolm05-Feb-20232:11

India’s unparalleled home dominance

Australia’s batters are trying to cram for the India exam during a nearly week-long training camp in Bengaluru. The test of R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, and Axar Patel on a spinning surface likely awaits them in Nagpur.It’s an exam former Australia allrounder Shane Watson has faced before. One he freely admits he was challenged by. He went on four Test tours of India and scored a hundred in Mohali. That was in 2010 facing Harbhajan Singh and Pragyan Ojha as an opener at the peak of his powers.Ashwin and Jadeja in 2013, batting in the middle order on some rank turners, was an entirely different proposition. If Watson had his time again, he would think differently and play differently.Related

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Ravindra Jadeja 'hadn't felt the sun for about five months'

Battles to watch: Lyon vs Pujara and Kohli, and Ashwin vs Warner and Smith

Will Todd Murphy get a chance to shine in India?

India vs Australia: one classic after the other

“One thing I didn’t really do [in India] was just accept what I had at that moment in time, instead of trying to be someone else,” Watson told ESPNcricinfo. “I was thinking, ‘Should I use my feet this time to get out and cover the ball from spinning or should I sit deep in the crease’, instead of going, ‘Well this is what I’ve got right now, and this is the best way for me to try and have success.'”For me, it was going away from using cross-bat shots off the back foot in particular, which is one of my strengths outside of turning conditions.”Using a straight bat to be able to hit off the back foot through the off side or the leg side. I wish I had got that through my head and then developed that instinct earlier because it’s much lower risk. All the good players, especially from India, very rarely do they use cross-bat shots, especially for a pull shot. They’ll hit it with a straight bat to be able to hit it through the leg side.”Ravindra Jadeja has just returned from a long injury lay-off with a seven-wicket haul in the Ranji Trophy•PTI Jadeja looms large over Australia’s right-handers Watson fell to Jadeja’s left-arm spin in Delhi during the 2013 series, when Jadeja snared seven wickets in the match, and has played with him at Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings in the IPL. Watson believes Jadeja’s pace and unrelenting accuracy make him a huge threat to both edges in turning conditions.”Facing him when the ball is turning compared to when the ball is not turning is just chalk and cheese,” Watson said. “It’s like you’re facing a different bowler when the ball is turning because he’s flatter, he’s faster, he’s accurate all the time. He’s always at the stumps.”One will turn or one will skid through. He’s very hard to be able to work through as a right-hander, to find a method that’s going to not just survive but also score runs.Obviously Australia has got some really good players of spin in there with Steven Smith and Marnus Labuschagne. They’ve got a number of lefties as well which will negate Jadeja a bit more with the ball just turning in. If I had my time again, I would definitely play with a straighter bat to Jadeja.”Axar Patel has taken 39 wickets in six home Tests•BCCIAxar is a known unknown to Australia Axar has terrorised visiting Test teams in India with his variety of left-arm spin since bursting onto the scene against England in 2021. No Australian has faced him in Test cricket yet. Watson faced Axar in the IPL and found him a different proposition to Jadeja, yet equally uncomfortable.”Axar’s angle is what makes him really hard to line up,” Watson said. “I didn’t face him in Test cricket but I always found him really difficult to play even in T20 cricket because of his release point. He’s not low round arm, but he’s round arm and he bowls from quite wide on the crease, and with the angle that the ball comes in I was never able to really line it up. And then if the ball is turning it just seems like the ball is turning a lot more because of the angle.”It’s different to Jadeja because Jadeja is normally a bit closer to the stumps and he doesn’t create as much angle with the ball coming into the right-hander from his release point.”Axar is at the stumps all the time. It’s going to be pretty challenging. He’s a fair bit taller and his release point is still pretty high. But you don’t feel like his bounce is a threat as much because he does get balls to skid through.”The guys playing are going to have to get used to that angle and find a way to be able to line that up. Once the guys line it up they’ll be okay, but it can take a bit of time to work that out.”Ashwin’s amazing skill an ever-present challenge Australia will have at least four left-handers in the top seven. They could possibly play five if Cameron Green isn’t passed fit and Matt Renshaw retains his place at No.6 after returning to Test cricket in Australia’s previous match against South Africa in SydneyIn Watson’s experience, Ashwin’s skill level and control makes him dangerous against Australia’s right-handers as well, especially if there is bounce and sharp turn.R Ashwin has 50 wickets in eight Tests against Australia in India•AFP via Getty Images”It’s a bit easier as a right-hander but when the ball is turning and sort of jumping out of either the rough or the fresh part of the wicket, he’s relentless,” Watson said. “He hardly gives you a free ball to be able to score off.”He’s incredibly skilled. It’s not just getting the ball spinning with the occasional one that’s not going to turn. He’s got a lot of variations through his flight and pace that he still can land exactly where he wants. So even as a right-hander, when the ball’s not turning that much it’s a much easier challenge. I just batted on off stump and hit straight to the leg side knowing that unless one really explodes and I get caught at bat-pad, I’m not really exposed to that.”Whereas when the ball is turning, coming back into my stumps, it’s much more challenging to be able to try and cover that ball coming in when there’s plenty of guys around the bat.”Proactivity is the key Watson admits he didn’t need to be that proactive during his Mohali century because of the quality of the surface.”It was a really nice wicket,” Watson said. “The ball didn’t really turn much. I was facing a lot of Harbhajan Singh in that innings and I was able to be really patient. It was quite a slow hundred. At that moment in time, I wasn’t being proactive against spin, I was just waiting for a loose ball.”It makes it easier when it’s a truer wicket. Whereas the other times I’ve been in India, even in the first session there’s been times where the ball has spun out of the fresh part of the wicket, which makes more opportunities for the bowler to get you out. But it’s also harder to just try and be patient and wait for a loose ball because you’re really just a sitting duck waiting for them to get you out.”While Watson is an advocate for Australia’s batters to find their own method and stick to it, he believes the blueprint is there from the way some of his team-mates played on past tours to India.”The guys who have done it the best are the ones who are either really quick on their feet and get down and cover the spin, and or they’re really good at just getting back and allowing the ball to spin and then playing the ball,” Watson said.”I think of Damien Martyn who did incredibly well in that 2004 series, especially in Chennai where he played back and allowed the ball to spin. I think about Matt Hayden’s transformation as a player of spin where he’d either sweep or as soon as the ball was slightly flighted he would use his feet and hit dead straight. Michael Clarke was a great player of spin. His ability to be able to use his feet to get out when the ball was slightly flighted, then when it wasn’t to get back deep in his crease to let the ball spin, those are the guys who had the most success when the ball was turning quite extreme.”They’ve got a good method but they are proactive to be able to get off strike, get down the other end, but also put pressure on the bowler.”But being proactive all the time, every ball in Test matches, it takes a lot out of you physically but especially mentally because you’ve got to be really sharp all the time.”

The PCB had to curtail the National Women’s Championship in Karachi on Monday after five players had a close shave following a fire incident in the team hotel.”Fortunately, no players were injured, as the PCB promptly evacuated the five players in the hotel at the time of the incident and relocated them safely to the Hanif Mohammad High-Performance Centre,” the PCB said in a statement.The PCB tried to find an alternate accommodation for the teams but because of the Ideas Defence Exhibition being held in Karachi, they could not find a hotel. The board said the decision to truncate the tournament was taken keeping in mind the health and safety of the players.”Additionally, the unavailability of alternative accommodations to meet the approximately 100 rooms of the required standards contributed to this outcome,” said the PCB statement. “To determine the tournament winner, the PCB has decided that the Invincibles and the Stars – the top-two teams after four matches each – will face off in the final. The date and venue for the final will be announced in due course.”

Wicketkeeper Polly Inglis has received a maiden call-up to New Zealand’s squad for the three-match ODI series against India starting later this week. Inglis, 28, plays for Otago Sparks in the Women’s Super Smash and earned her first New Zealand Cricket (NZC) central contract earlier this year.Batter Lauren Down has also made been included in the 15-member squad after she made her return from maternity break in July. The pair’s inclusion is the only change to the squad that helped New Zealand win their maiden Women’s T20 World Cup title.From the victorious squad, fast bowler Rosemary Mair has been rested, keeping in mind her workload management following her return from a serious back injury, while offspinner Leigh Kasperek has been left out.Related

• Lauren Down back on NZC's central-contracts list

The core of the T20 World Cup-winning team, including the senior trio of Sophie Devine, Suzie Bates and Lea Tahuhu are part of the touring party. Devine will continue to lead them in the ODIs following her decision to step down as the T20I captain after the World Cup.Inglis’ strong performances in domestic cricket first helped her earn a contract and then a spot in the national squad. She scored 324 runs – the second-most in the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield 2023-24, the 50-over competition – at an average of 54 and a strike rate close to 80, largely batting the middle order. She also scored 103 in the three-match one-day series between New Zealand A and England A that they won 2-1.”We’re really excited to introduce Polly for her first tour,” Ben Sawyer said in a NZC statement. “She put her hand up in last season’s Hallyburton Johnstone Shield one-day competition and throughout the New Zealand A series against England, so it’s a great next step for her.”Touring India is one of the great experiences in world cricket. It’s such a special place to come and I know everyone is looking forward to the challenge ahead.”The three ODIs, to be played in Ahmedabad, are part of the Women’s Championship. New Zealand are currently placed sixth on the table with a three-match series against Australia to follow. The top five teams plus hosts India qualify directly for the Women’s ODI World Cup next year.

New Zealand squad for the women’s ODIs against India

Sophie Devine (capt), Suzie Bates, Eden Carson, Lauren Down, Izzy Gaze (wk), Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Polly Inglis (wk), Fran Jonas, Jess Kerr, Amelia Kerr, Molly Penfold, Georgia Plimmer, Hannah Rowe, Lea Tahuhu

da 888： West Bromwich Albion supporters won’t have to wait too much longer to see who their beloved Baggies will play in the opening matches of the new Championship season.

da poker： Indeed, the always hotly anticipated fixture list will be released next week, with Ryan Mason hopeful that whatever selection of fixtures is thrust his side’s way, they can start the fresh second-tier campaign with a bang, instead of a whimper.

One figure that definitely won’t feature under Mason’s early tenure is Grady Diangana, with the Congolese forward reportedly edging ever closer to a Hawthorns departure, after failing to seal an extended contract this summer.

Diangana's current situation

Mason’s arrival on the scene might well have contributed to the former West Ham United man wanting to leave, knowing that the 33-year-old boss would want to stamp his mark onto proceedings from the get-go.

It is a sad severing of the ties, however, with Diangana once viewed as an electric menace donning Baggies blue and white in both the Premier League and in the EFL.

In total, the 27-year-old would collect an impressive combined tally of 48 goals and assists from 202 appearances in the West Midlands, with Diangana often having the Hawthorns masses in the palm of his hand when pulling off unbelievable finishes like the one above.

But, the output on Diangana’s end had begun to dry up – as seen in just four goals and three assists coming his way last season – with a reported reunion now on the cards for him to uproot to Valencia to link up with ex-Baggies boss Carlos Corberan to try and recapture his best.

Whilst Diangana looks forward to his possible moment in the sun in Spain, West Brom will no doubt be on the hunt for a replacement to bolster their options in attack.

West Brom's "fabulous" Diangana replacement

After all, the long-standing servant’s exit will be felt in terms of the personnel Mason can select from.

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Jed Wallace is the only other recognisable right winger in the depleted Baggies camp currently in the wake of Diangana moving on, whilst the rookie manager has even fewer faces to call upon in the number ten spot – another position that the 27-year-old was comfortable playing in – with John Swift also heading out of the building on a free transfer.

Therefore, in hunting down an immediate fix to Diangana’s exit, West Brom will need to win themselves a versatile and flexible presence who can play all over the attacking positions.

Who could that be? Well, former Derby County captain Tom Lawrence is perhaps their man. It has been reported by TEAMtalk this week that West Brom are interested in landing the now free agent forward.

Away from his ability to be adaptable making him a worthwhile candidate to replace Diangana, the 31-year-old also boasts a vast collection of goals and assists in the Championship himself, with a mighty 50 goals and 40 assists tallied up from 264 career appearances in the second-tier.

Staggeringly, that’s 42 more goal contributions than the Valencia-linked star managed during his entire Hawthorns spell, albeit from 62 fewer clashes.

Lawrence in the Championship by position

Position played in

Games

Goals

Assists

LW

157

30

21

SS

57

9

9

CF

21

5

2

RW

16

2

7

AM

6

2

0

LM

3

2

1

Sourced by Transfermarkt

The similarities don’t just stop here either, with Lawrence also prone to scoring an audacious strike or two during his celebrated Derby stay, much like Diangana at his Baggies peak.

His expertise in this regard even saw ex-Rams boss Gary Rowett label the entertaining Welshman as “fabulous” when the pair were together at Pride Park, as West Brom now pray he can arrive on the scene this summer and roll back the years to fire Mason and Co. to promotion.

Pulling off such a feat would make the managerial newcomer an instant icon at the Hawthorns, with Lawrence also entering into the club’s hall-of-fame no doubt by securing a promotion success Diangana could never get over the line.

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Posts ByKelan Sarson Jun 18, 2025