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Chelsea star Raheem Sterling has been urged to push for a sensational transfer to Wrexham and end his struggles at Stamford Bridge. The winger is part of the club's infamous 'bomb squad' and is training away from the first team in west London. Former Wales and Liverpool striker Dean Saunders says a transfer to Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac's side would be a great bit of business.

• Sterling out in the cold at Chelsea

  Sterling has been deemed surplus to requirements at Chelsea which has led to speculation over his future, and talk of a sensational transfer to Wrexham. The winger's last competitive appearance came back in May, at the end of his loan spell with Arsenal, and it remains to be seen when he will return to action. With the January transfer window now just weeks away, Sterling's future is likely to come under the spotlight once again. Saunders has been left baffled by Sterling's situation at Chelsea and feels a shock move to Wrexham is not out of the question.

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  Wrexham told Sterling 'not over the hill'

  Saunders told BOYLE Sports who offer the latest football betting: "Raheem Sterling to Wrexham? Why not? You might see some big players that have watched the documentary and they think, ‘I'll have a bit of that. I'd love to play for them, Wrexham.’ You might get somebody like Raheem Sterling saying that. I can't get my head around his situation. What's going on? He’s not over the hill. He's a very good player. Having said that, the Championship's not easy to play in. I've managed in the Championship and sometimes Premier League players come down and play in it and they can't believe what's going on. We're playing all the time and every game's a battle. Millwall away on a Tuesday night. When the ball's up in the air all night, some of them find it difficult."

• 'Everybody wants to play for Wrexham'

  Saunders also feels that Wrexham is an attractive club to join following their rapid rise up the leagues under Reynolds and Mac, and the Hollywood duo's subsequent heavy investment in the first team.

  "I always thought that if we could get Wrexham back in the league, I thought our team would be better than most of the League Two teams. If you get in League Two, you can go up again to League One.  Now, when you get to League One, the budgets can be five million, then you get teams like Sunderland who are in there with twenty million," he added.

  "You get a few big clubs trying to go up. To get into the Championship, once you get into the Championship, I thought we could get to the Championship, but then you're competing with three Premier League teams who've just got relegated. A couple who tried to go back up but never made it, with massive playing budgets and Premier League players in it. And I thought that might be the difficult bit because you have got to put your hand in your pocket then to try and compete in the Championship. And to be fair, they have.

  "I mean, I'm hearing what some of the players are earning now. You know, they've signed Josh Windass, they've signed Nathan Broadhead, Kieffer Moore. They can play at that level every day of the week and all day long and have an impact most weeks. Fair play to the manager because they've turned the players over ruthlessly so they've kept momentum.

  "If Wrexham get to the Premier League I'll be delighted because it's a great club. They've got great, great supporters. And there is a massive catchment area around Wrexham, in between Wrexham and Cardiff, there's a catchment area which they're getting players through now into the academy. 

  "Obviously not far the other way is Man City, Man United, Liverpool, Everton. So they normally nick the best young kids. Then you've got Stoke not far away. So they have had all the best players nicked off them, but now everybody wants to play for Wrexham, don't they? Famous all around the world. It's an incredible story."

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  Sterling to move on in January?

  Wrexham have been tipped to spend again in January as they bid to secure promotion to the Premier League. Phil Parkinson's side currently sit 10th in the table but are only three points off the final play-off place. It's not clear yet if Sterling could be tempted to head to Wales, but it certainly would be no surprise to see the 30-year-old move on in a bid to try and resurrect his career after losing his place at Chelsea.

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Chegou ao fim a fase de grupos da Copa Libertadores 2024. 15 dos 16 clubes classificados às oitavas de final já estão definidos, e a última vaga sai alguns dias após o sorteio dos confrontos, que será realizado no dia 3 de junho.

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Faça as suas apostas na Libertadores 2024: quem será o campeão? Vem pro Lance! Betting!

No grupo C, o Grêmio teve duas partidas adiadas em razão das enchentes que atingiram o estado do Rio Grande do Sul e ainda luta por uma vaga no mata-mata. Atualmente na terceira colocação da chave, a equipe comandada por Renato Gaúcho ainda enfrenta o Huachipato, no Chile, e o Estudiantes, no Couto Pereira.

Os outros seis clubes brasileiros que participam do torneio garantiram vaga na próxima fase. Para isso, atletas como Gerson, do Flamengo, Paulinho, do Atlético-MG, e Raphael Veiga, do Palmeiras, brilharam na fase de grupos.

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Assim, o Lance! montou o time ideal da primeira fase da Copa Libertadores de 2024. Com nove jogadores presente, as equipes brasileiras dominaram a seleção, que é escalada na formação 4-3-3.

Goleiro: Guillermo Viscarra (The Strongest) – Nota: 7.73Lateral-direito: Marcos Rocha (Palmeiras) – Nota: 7.26Zagueiro: Bruno Fuchs (Atlético-MG) – Nota: 7.45Zagueiro: Murilo (Palmeiras) – Nota: 7.43Lateral-esquerdo: Guilherme Arana (Atlético-MG) – Nota: 7.62 Meia: Gerson (Flamengo) – Nota: 7.93 (maior nota)Meia: Gustavo Scarpa (Atlético-MG) – Nota: 7.68Meia: Raphael Veiga (Palmeiras) – Nota: 7.72 Atacante: Paulinho (Atlético-MG) – Nota: 7.86Atacante: Bruno Sávio (Bolívar) – Nota: 7.62 Atacante: Pedro (Flamengo) – Nota: 7.60

* Os números foram retirados do site SofaScore

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The five T20Is in England offer India an early glimpse of the World Cup venues and a chance to narrow down personnel that could do the job for them

Sruthi Ravindranath26-Jun-2025

T20Is back in focus for India

This series will be India’s first T20I assignment of the year. Their last series was against West Indies at home in December, which they won, but 2024 was all about heartbreaks: a loss in the Asia Cup final followed by a group-stage exit in the T20 World Cup. Most of the players were, however, in action at the Women’s Premier League (WPL) in February.They do have several T20Is lined up after this series before the T20 World Cup next year – they will be playing three home T20Is against Bangladesh, three in Australia in February 2026 followed by a tri-series in New Zealand which will also feature England in May – but this will be their chance to try out new faces. India will also be playing across five venues, all of which will be hosting T20 World Cup matches next year.

New (and old) faces in the T20I squad

The returning Shafali Verma is likely to slot straight in as opener, given her superb form in the last few months in domestic cricket and the WPL. In her absence during the West Indies T20Is, Uma Chetry opened with Smriti Mandhana but failed to make an impact.Related

• Back on the field after 11 months, Shreyanka Patil is ready to 'just roar' again

• Mandhana: 'Shafali deserves this comeback and I'm really excited to open with her again'

• The metamorphosis woman – third time could be a charm for Shafali

• Home World Cup in Beaumont's radar after three-year absence from England T20I side

• Mithali Raj: Time for 'saturated' India to move on from Harmanpreet as captain

A few new faces have been added to the bowling department. Left-arm spinner N Shree Charani and seam-bowling allrounders Kranti Goud and Sayali Satghare have received their maiden T20I call-ups, while batting allrounder Amanjot Kaur has been recalled into the T20I squad.Sneh Rana has returned to the T20I squad for the first time since February 2023 on the back of her impressive performances with the ball – and on one occasion with the bat – in WPL 2025. She also picked up two wickets in the three overs she bowled in the tour game against ECB XI in Beckenham.There’s a bit of inexperience in the fast-bowling unit with the likes of Renuka Singh and Pooja Vastrakar out of this series. They had not played India’s last assignment – the ODI tri-series with Sri Lanka and South Africa in April and May – due to injuries. India might field a completely new bowling line-up from the West Indies T20Is in December, barring Radha Yadav. With Renuka and Vastrakar expected to be back at some point, India will be looking to build their fast-bowling reserves in this series.Amanjot could be the new-age finisher India are looking for•BCCI

The gaps India will look to fill

India have persisted with Harmanpreet Kaur as captain in the format despite the criticism she faced after the T20 World Cup exit. Between then and now, she’s proved her capabilities as a T20 leader by taking Mumbai Indians to their second WPL trophy this season. She is also one of India’s best batters in the format, having been their go-to during pressure situations, as she showed during India’s T20 World Cup group-stage game against Australia where she top-scored as the rest of the line-up collapsed around her. Last year, she had spoken about the need for India to develop the “mindset” to deal with nerves. With two global tournaments to be played in the next year, captain Harmanpreet’s focus will be on assembling a squad specifically with players who can handle pressure situations better.The batting department looks solid with Mandhana, Shafali, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet and Richa Ghosh making the top five. However, India have been hurt by a lack of contribution from the lower middle order, which also troubled them during the T20 World Cup last year. Their batters from No. 6 and further down strike at just 104.05 and have just hit just four sixes in total in 42 matches since 2023.Spin-bowling allrounder Deepti Sharma, who’s played in the middle order, has a strike rate of just 99.10 since 2023. India will also want to nail down the rest of the line-up, which has seen several changes in the last few years. Amanjot, who showed off her skills as a finisher in the WPL, will be one of India’s options to fill that gap in the middle order, though she played at No. 3 in the tour game in Beckenham, with Rodrigues dropping to five.India have also not been able to nail down their go-to spin option in the format. Deepti aside, they have tried as many as ten spinners since 2023. While Rajeshwari Gayakwad has been out of favour recently, the likes of Saika Ishaque, Shreyanka Patil and S Asha – who were part of the last few series – have not found a place in this squad. One of the three spinners in the squad – Radha, Rana and youngster Charani will want to make the most of their chance to make sure India’s search for a reliable spinner ends.

Where India have improved

India will also want to define the brand of T20 cricket they want to play, with their batting approach having come under scrutiny over the last few years. While Ghosh has the highest strike rate of 148.80 among all players since 2023 (minimum 200 balls faced), India’s next best is Mandhana’s strike rate of 122.66, which exposes this gap. Ghosh also has the best balls per six ratio of 18.75 since 2023, while Mandhana, who’s hit the most sixes for India in this period, has hit one every 40 balls.India’s overall scoring rate, however, has seen an improvement: they were at their best-ever in 2024, scoring at 7.99 per over compared to 6.93 in 2023. They also posted their highest-ever T20I total of 217 (in the third T20I against West Indies) in 2024. But their run rate at the death since 2023 is 8.86 compared to Australia’s 10.16, the best on this list.

Youngster Diego Leon may “not have to wait much longer” for his senior Manchester United debut.

Despite only turning 18 in April 2025, Leon had already made over 30 appearances in senior football with Cerro Porteno in his native Paraguay. Since joining the Red Devils in the summer, Leon has played exclusively for the Man United Under-21s, where he has caught the eye with his performances.

Leon is evidently an exciting talent and Man United, no doubt, will aim to avoid a repeat of what happened with Alvaro Carreras. The teenager has been in several matchday squads for Ruben Amorim’s side, who have acquired 10 points from an available 12 in their previous four games.

Reports from Leon’s home continent of South America, as per The Peoples Person, have suggested that the wing-back could soon be handed his senior debut at Old Trafford.

Leon is highly thought of at Carrington

To be part of a Premier League squad in any capacity is a sign that Amorim has been impressed by Leon. As per journalist Christian Martin, the Paraguayan is a firm part of the club’s plans going forward.

Having signed in January, Patrick Dorgu is yet to make a strong impression for Man United. Formerly of Lecce, the left-sided player has not started a game for the Red Devils since a 3-1 loss against Brentford at the end of September.

Diogo Dalot has been starting as the left-wing-back in Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system since Dorgu was dropped. Naturally suited to the right-hand side, Dalot has also struggled in the position and given the injury troubles that both Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia have faced in recent years, Leon could well soon find himself involved in a first-team game.

Reportedly, Leon will “get his chance sooner rather than later.” Top flight football in Paraguay is, of course, a different level to the English Premier League, but Leon has already played consistent senior football, a rarity for a player of such a young age.

When exactly Leon will receive his chance remains to be seen, but given the impressions he has been making since arriving in the summer, it surely can not be long until the Paraguay international makes his bow for the Red Devils.

Man Utd offered chance to sign striker for bargain in January

Thomas Frank enjoyed a rip-roaring start to life as manager of Tottenham Hotspur.

Spurs looked a great deal more organised, shipping just four goals in their first six Premier League games and keeping five clean sheets in their first seven fixtures across all competitions.

Yet, despite maintaining their clean sheet against Everton a week ago, there is a sense that Frank still hasn’t got the fans on side.

They have kept a clean sheet in only two of their last eight games and have won just two of those encounters too.

While a more trigger-happy Daniel Levy may no longer be chairman, the pressure is still on Frank to improve.

The way in which the Lilywhites lost to Chelsea on Saturday, tasting a 1-0 defeat, was alarming.

The hosts only managed an expected goals tally (xG) of just 0.10, they gave the ball away on countless occasions and were subsequently booed off the pitch at the full-time whistle after making a mess of a late free-kick.

Guglielmo Vicario decided to take it short, much to the dismay of the home support and indeed Jamie Carragher who simply said: “You have been awful today Spurs”.

So, why are things going wrong?

Spurs' biggest underperformers against Chelsea

Despite his bizarre set-piece late in the fray, the only player in white to come away with any credit was that man Vicario.

Without him, the scoreline would have been far worse as he made a whopping eight saves, denying a combined xG of 2.17.

He was made to work hard due to the efforts of the players in front of him, notably the defence.

Both Xavi Simons and Micky van de Ven combined in dismal fashion to give the ball away in the build-up to Joao Pedro’s goal.

The likes of Pedro Porro and Kevin Danso did not cover themselves in glory either. Porro notably gave the ball away in the first half which led to a Pedro chance, while Danso was also given a rough time by the Brazilian. It was no surprise to see Cristian Romero come on for him in the 60th minute as the centre-back made his return from injury.

Danso has had a few encouraging displays of late but this was not one of them, notably allowing Chelsea’s main man in attack to get past him easily towards the end of the opening 45 minutes.

In attack Spurs were dry. The defence didn’t do their bit but those in front of them failed to ever relieve the pressure.

They did not create a single big chance and had just 15 touches in the opposition’s box. For context, Enzo Maresca’s men managed 36.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

It was a tale of woe for many of the club’s summer signings. Randal Kolo Muani cut an isolated figure up top but not much of the blame can be handed to the French loanee who was starved of service.

That fell at the door of Mohammed Kudus, who despite completing 96% of his passes, failed to create a goalscoring opportunity and failed with all six of his crosses.

Perhaps the biggest concern, however, was the display of marquee arrival Simons.

Spurs' biggest concern after Chelsea

Frank will have been hoping for a straightforward first transfer window at Spurs but it’s safe to say he did not get that.

With Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison out long-term with injuries, the club’s hierarchy knew they needed to bring in more creativity. They tried extremely hard to do so.

For all the world it looked as though they were going to sign Morgan Gibbs-White from Nottingham Forest.

A secret release clause was allegedly activated only for Forest owner, Evangelos Marinakis, to threaten legal action against the north Londoners. Gibbs-White ultimately stayed at the City Ground and signed a new contract in the process.

Spurs moved on to Eberechi Eze but were again fruitless in their efforts. The England playmaker looked set to sign, a deal had been agreed with Crystal Palace only for Arsenal to gazump their rivals at the 11th hour.

An injury to Kai Havertz meant that the Gunners needed more cover in their attack and there was only going to be one ending once Eze’s boyhood club came to the table.

As a consequence, Frank and Co turned their attentions to Simons. Before arriving in England, the 22-year-old was seen as one of the most sparkling jewels on the continent.

Once of La Masia, Barcelona’s famed academy, Simons has long been highly thought of and had made a living off scoring and assisting goals regularly.

In his two seasons with RB Leipzig in Germany, the creative midfielder scored 22 goals and supplied 24 assists in 78 matches. At Spurs, however, that ability to influence games has waned.

Like another Bundesliga import in the shape of Florian Wirtz, he looks lightweight in the Premier League and has really struggled to get going. The Dutchman has a solitary assist and no goals to show for his efforts from 12 contests to date.

Simons’ worst performance to date arguably came in that 1-0 loss to Chelsea, so much so that he was substituted on and back off.

Minutes played

66

Touches

55

Unsuccessful touches

4

Possession lost

14x

Accurate passes

25/29 (86%)

Key passes

0

Accurate crosses

0/2

Shots

0

Successful dribbles

2/3

Tackles

2

Interceptions

0

Duels won

9/17

Dribbled past

3x

The Netherlands international initially wasn’t pencilled in to start but after young Lucas Bergvall suffered a first-half injury on just seven minutes, Spurs’ big-money summer signing was introduced to the action.

His influence on proceedings was near non-existent. Football.London reporter Alasdair Gold handed the midfielder a dismal 3/10 rating post-game, aptly summing up his performance by writing: ‘Other than a couple of nice touches the Dutchman was a passenger against the team he was linked with all summer.’

Simons gave the ball away on several occasions, 14 in total, and never really looked like providing a much-needed spark. He didn’t have a single shot and didn’t provide a key pass either.

His display was summed up abysmally when he was asked to defend. The former Leipzig man sold Van de Ven short in the build-up to the goal and was shown a late yellow for a desperate lunge on Alejandro Garnacho in the second period.

For a player who cost £51.8m in the summer, more is expected. At the moment, he’s heading into the Richarlison and Tanguy Ndombele categories.

Ndombele was another talented midfielder when he joined. The Frenchman had bags of talent but failed to ever extract it.

As the Daily Mail’s Dan Ripley put it in September 2020, he was a signing that should have ‘at the very least cemented Tottenham Hotspur’s place inside the top four for another season.’

It was a signing that, after reaching the Champions League final, really excited Spurs fans.

The parallels with Simons are strikingly scary. Spurs’ big addition after getting to a European final and indeed winning the competition, the Dutchman is here to take Frank’s side up a level, just as Ndombele was supposed to do six years ago.

However, for whatever reason, he’s simply failed to do that. Like Ndombele, he’s enduring a nightmare first campaign in English football and it’s difficult to see him extracting his full potential anytime soon.

He is yet to play a full 90 minutes for his new club and hasn’t lasted past the 78th-minute mark in any game he’s played in.

Frank may well be struggling to get a tune out of the Netherlands star but he’s going to have to if Spurs are to cement themselves as genuine top four contenders.

Sadly at the moment, Simons is becoming another Ndombele. He’s a talented midfield player and was deserving of his price tag at the time. Unfortunately, he is not deserving of it right now.

Tottenham number one Guglielmo Vicario faces an uncertain long-term future amid reports of Inter Milan’s interest, with his personal stance on an exit now also coming to light.

Guglielmo Vicario criticised after recent Tottenham outings

Vicario’s tenure at Tottenham appears increasingly uncertain following his costly error against Fulham, which added to the concerns surrounding his capability as their first-choice goalkeeper.

The 29-year-old endured a nightmare moment during Spurs’ 2-1 home defeat to Fulham last Saturday, rushing needlessly off his line before playing a weak clearance straight to Josh King.

Harry Wilson capitalised spectacularly, curling home from near the touchline to double the visitors’ advantage inside six minutes.

Related Tottenham could prove 'irresistible' to manager who Levy was urged to hire before Frank

He’s on the verge of leaving his current club.

Posts 1 ByEmilio Galantini Dec 2, 2025

The blunder sparked an immediate negative reaction from frustrated Tottenham supporters, who booed Vicario throughout the remainder of the first half.

Thomas Frank defended his goalkeeper afterward, questioning whether those jeering could be considered true Spurs fans, with damage to the relationship between keeper and supporters appearing pretty significant.

Much was already made of the Italy international’s weak command of his area, with pundits suggesting that opposition teams should target Vicario as a weak link in Spurs’ side.

Frank has also been urged to drop the ex-Empoli star by former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy, who called Vicario ‘nervous as a kitten’ with his distribution.

Despite his torrid time lately, Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Inter hold a serious interest in Vicario, and the prospect of a 2026 transfer back to Italy isn’t ruled out.

Now, Italian newspaper La Gazetta dello Sport have shared their own update on the matter.

Guglielmo Vicario yearns for Tottenham exit and sends message to his agents

Indeed, Vicario has apparently communicated his growing frustration with life at Tottenham to his representatives, revealing his weariness and how he’s ‘yearning’ for a Serie A return.

La Gazzetta claim the shot-stopper has grown tired of difficult seasons at Spurs and has informed his agents that the current term could mark his final year in English football.

The newspaper suggests a powerful emotional pull toward his homeland is driving his thinking, with a permanent return to Italy now firmly on his mind.

Inter have emerged as the frontrunners for his signature, with reports in Italy indicating the Nerazzurri have already opened discussions with Vicario’s representatives.

The Serie A champions are said to view him as an ideal long-term replacement for veteran Yann Sommer, whose contract expires at the end of the season.

Meanwhile, Tottenham are reportedly already scouring the market for potential replacements.

Brighton’s Bart Verbruggen has been identified as a potential option, with TEAMtalk reporting earlier this week that Spurs have made contact over the keeper who Bayern are also looking at as an heir to Manuel Neuer.

Pakistan lost their last five wickets for just 17 runs during a dramatic collapse

Danyal Rasool21-Oct-2025

Keshav Maharaj now has the best bowling figures for a South African in Pakistan•Getty Images

Sometimes, when Test cricket is played well, it can be slightly dull and the pair of Tony de Zorzi and Tristan Stubbs made no apologies for prioritising good cricket over entertaining cricket for the second half of the day. South Africa were much better placed going into the third day than they have been at any time this series, 148 runs short of Pakistan’s first innings 333 with six wickets still in hand. That they were not further adrift came thanks to a heroic shift early in the morning from Keshav Maharaj, who took all five Pakistani wickets to top up his two overnight, inducing a 17-run collapse for Pakistan’s bottom half.It might have been all so different if Pakistan – usually so trigger-happy when bringing the third umpire into the game – had done so in the 26th over. Asif Afridi had pushed de Zorzi, batting on 5, onto the back foot as the ball flicked him just above the knee roll. Short leg held onto it and Pakistan, distracted by an appeal for the catch, failed to consider lbw might be a more plausible shout. Down to just one review, they passed it up only for HawkEye to show three reds.It was a rare chance either de Zorzi or Stubbs offered as they settled into the tedium of steady accumulation, aware that one wicket could bring a surge from Pakistan that might wash away their challenge entirely. The first eight overs post-tea brought just 17 runs, but time wasn’t a factor in the game at the moment. The pair waited patiently to earn their right to score runs, and had the humility to opt for survival when good deliveries shut down scoring options, eventually adding 113 runs for the third wicket.Related

De Zorzi and Stubbs – SA identify their horses for Asian courses

Asif Afridi finally gets his moment, 16 years and 90 deliveries in the making

Maharaj: 'Old-fashioned Test cricket' helped us claw back

First day in Pindi = first day in Lahore

From time to time, Pakistan offered the odd poor delivery, gifts both accepted with alacrity. A waist-high full toss from Sajid was dispatched away for four, while Noman darted one in that de Zorzi slapped over long-on after dancing down the track. Both used their feet superbly to neutralise and unsettle the spinners, and it was a ploy that, for the most part, Pakistan appeared to lack clear responses to. When Stubbs misjudged and came down too far on a rare occasion, he smacked the ball straight back at Sajid, who was defeated by the pace of the ball. Soon after, de Zorzi made amends, skipping out of his crease to Sajid. He lifted the ball over his head for a six that took him to fifty. The milestones were being ticked off now. Two balls earlier, Stubbs had got there, and in the following over, the 100-run partnership – South Africa’s first this series – was brought up.It was in the final half hour that Pakistan dragged it back far enough to prevent South Africa unequivocally laying claim to the day. The 38-year-old debutant Asif Afridi didn’t exactly look Pakistan’s most threatening bowler for the most part, but hit a spot that caused the ball to dive, trapping de Zorzi halfway up the shin. This time, Pakistan made sure to review. South Africa required a vulnerable Dewald Brevis to stick it out until the end, but Asif broke through once more. This time, it was a lovely conventional orthodox left-armer’s delivery which got him the wicket. Salman Agha at first slip made no mistake pouncing on the edge.Pakistan’s penchant for collapses had continued at breakneck speed in the morning, with South Africa removing Pakistan’s last five for 17 runs to dismiss them for 333. Maharaj, who had earlier called the first session in this series the “moving session”, did most of the moving himself, taking all five of the morning’s wickets for a seven-wicket haul.Pakistan will content themselves with the fact that Agha and Saud Shakeel put on 57 brisk runs in the morning to continue their sixth-wicket stand. They were in complete control during the first hour, milking the spinners while picking up the occasional boundary. Kagiso Rabada’s opening spell was seen off without damage. Until Maharaj began his rampage, there were no visible signs of discomfort against him either. In the over before the first wicket fell, Shakeel had scored eight runs off him as Pakistan moved their score past 300.Tristan Stubbs and Tony de Zorzi added 113 runs for the third wicket•Associated Press

But things unravelled quickly – within 18 Maharaj deliveries, to be precise. An arm-ball slid onto Agha, who played for the turn and found himself trapped in front. The following Maharaj over, Shakeel softly guided one into the palms of first slip, with South Africa making no mistakes in the field. Shaheen Shah Afridi’s attempted wafts over midwicket were meat and drink for the spinner, who guided one through the gate to rattle his stumps. Maharaj would need just four more balls to dispense with Sajid and Asif.Pakistan’s early threat with the ball came all down to Shaheen. In the first Test, he found ways to be effective with the old reversing ball, but in the first half hour here, it was the new ball in his hand that proved to be a menace. Aiden Markram was worked over in his second over after lunch, surviving an lbw review and nearly nicking off. But Shaheen’s reward came against Ryan Rickelton in the over that followed, finding seam movement to kiss the outside edge and Mohammad Rizwan to take a straightforward catch.After that six-over burst, Pakistan turned to spin, and both sides settled into a steady grind. There were streaks of dot deliveries, the monotony broken occasionally by a dance down the ground to loft spin over the top. It proved a largely successful plan on a pitch that hasn’t yet opened up to spinners, but as lunch neared and Pakistan turned to Sajid, Markram tried his luck once too often.Sajid delivered the wicket ball with a bit of flight outside off, and Markram’s drag over long-on didn’t have the power he was targeting. Shan Masood had stationed Shakeel about eight yards on from the boundary, who barely had to move to gratefully pouch it.It was a rare shot of irresponsibility from a South African side that has struck an excellent balance between run-scoring and survival. In the end, thanks to Stubbs and de Zorzi, they found a way to do both today.

Tahuhu’s two-for reduced Pakistan to 92 for 5 and leave their chances of progressing hanging by a thread

Vishal Dikshit18-Oct-2025

New Zealand’s fate will be decided by their games against England and India•Getty Images

No result Pakistan 92 for 5 (Riaz 28*, Tahuhu 2-20, Carson 1-7) vs New ZealandColombo handed a second washout in four days to Pakistan at the Women’s World Cup 2025, leaving their chances of progressing to the knockouts hanging by a thread. As Pakistan and New Zealand shared points, South Africa became the second team to progress to the semi-finals, after Australia, as even a finish on eight points in the league stage will take them through.If two or more teams finish on the same points, it will first be seen who has more wins, and South Africa will progress with four wins already from five games.With Saturday’s washout, Pakistan continue to remain winless in the tournament while New Zealand keep themselves in the running for the knockouts, still placed fifth with just one win and two abandoned games so far. Their next two matches, against India and England, will now decide their fate.Related

• Road to the semis: Five teams in contention for one spot

• 'It's extremely frustrating' – Captain Sophie Devine on New Zealand's back-to-back washouts in Colombo

A fired-up New Zealand side laid the foundation after winning the toss in overcast conditions on Saturday. While their experienced quick Lea Tahuhu returned to the XI to strike twice in her first spell, the Kerr sisters and Eden Carson picked up a wicket apiece to leave Pakistan reeling at 92 for 5 before the second rain break sealed the outcome of the match.Tahuhu was the first to strike and she did it in her first over when Omaima Sohail, who had crawled to 3 off 14, was trapped lbw before two sharp catches dented Pakistan further. Muneeba Ali had dispatched a few boundaries and had been handed a life on 8 when wicketkeeper Isabella Gaze put down a low chance off Jess Kerr. But when Muneeba pulled a short delivery off the same bowler on 22, Suzie Bates threw herself to her left at midwicket to take a stunner. No. 3 Sidra Amin then saw a similar effort from Carson at point when she scythed a short ball from Tahuhu, and Pakistan were 52 for 3. It had been drizzling then for a few minutes, and as soon as Amin walked back after 12.2 overs it got heavier for a break.Pakistan now have two washouts in five games•ICC/Getty Images

Play resumed after 95 minutes in what was shortened to a 46-overs-a-side contest as Natalia Pervaiz joined Aliya Riaz. The more experienced Riaz soon charged down to crash Tahuhu to the square-leg boundary even as Pervaiz lived dangerously against Melie Kerr’s variations. Pervaiz even got a life on 9 when Sophie Devine put down a sharp catch at slip off Melie Kerr but lasted only five more balls by holing out off Carson for the simplest of catches to Devine at long-on.Melie Kerr then foxed the new batter – captain Fatima Sana – with a wrong’un which rattled the stumps to leave Pakistan on 80 for 5. Rain interrupted again after five overs and the players walked off with the score on 92 for 5 after 25 overs.It stopped raining within an hour with some lightning also around, and the game was soon reduced to 36 overs per innings. But the drizzle soon returned, turned into a heavy shower to make the ground staff cover the whole field, and the game was eventually called off.

Notts on verge of Championship as hosts do their utmost to stay in Division One

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay24-Sep-2025Hampshire 154 for 3 (Albert 37*) lead Surrey 147 (Sundar 3-5, Abbott 3-27, Fuller 3-46) by seven runsSurrey were rolled out for 147 to all but snuff out their Rothesay County Championship title-winning hopes, as Hampshire boosted their chance of remaining in Division One.The defending champions went into the last round 14 points behind Nottinghamshire – whom they lost to last week – but after they collapsed, their hopes of a fourth successive crown dwindled further.Kyle Abbott led the rout with three for 27 – taking his 50th Championship scalp of the season in the process – with James Fuller and Washington Sundar also picking up three-wicket hauls.Hampshire had eased themselves into a first-innings lead, picking up three vital bonus points in their fight for safety.Surrey chose to bat first and gave 17-year-old Ralphie Albert his first-class debut. The all-rounder wasn’t even born when Hampshire’s Liam Dawson made his professional bow.Surrey were massively depleted with Gus Atkinson, Ollie Pope, Jamie Smith, Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Tom Curran, Jordan Clark and Cam Steel all unavailable, but even still their display was surprising.Dom Sibley had already been dropped at second slip before he was lbw to Abbott, before the South African drew a loose drive out of Ryan Patel to celebrate his 50th wicket of the season.It is the sixth Championship campaign that Abbott has reached the landmark, and he would later add No. 51 when he bowled Albert.Fuller also grabbed three wickets to gut the rest of the top order, as Rory Burns wafted to a juggling Sundar at first slip before Ben Foakes was bowled by a nip backer and Dan Lawrence skied an attempted pull – the latter walked before the ball was caught having scrapped hard for his innings-high 36.The back end of the innings saw wickets fall to spin. Indian international Sundar was particularly wily in his 20 balls, in which he only conceded five runs while taking three wickets.Ollie Sykes went back to one that skidded into his stumps, Matt Fisher was undone by a stunner that ripped across him and into off stump, while compatriot Rahul Chahar guided to first slip. In the middle of it, Tom Lawes was caught and bowled by Dawson.Surrey were bowled out for 147 inside 44 overs – their lowest total of the season at the least opportune moment as the title slipped away from them.The pitch had offered a fair amount of movement, but not excessive, and wickets were mostly down to batting errors and high-quality bowling rather than the elements.Hampshire further suggested a poor pitch wasn’t to blame as Ali Orr glided through the opening overs.He smashed 18 of the second over of the innings and by the fifth over had already secured a partnership higher than anything Surrey had managed in their innings – their best being the 32 between Lawrence and Sykes.Orr’s fast start was undone by a careless swing down leg side but Fletcha Middleton and Nick Gubbins put on 50 to set the sort of foundation that the visitors couldn’t lay.Both the bowled Gubbins and leg-before Middleton fell to Lawrence – who ended the day with two for 12 after an exceptional nine-over spell of off-spin.But Hampshire avoided any serious wobble as Toby Albert and Ben Brown stayed cautiously positive to take them to close with a lead – despite 13 wickets falling on the opening day.

Marcus Stoinis takes 2 for 0 to break crucial Superchargers stand between Harry Brook and Graham Clarke

ECB Media10-Aug-2025

Tom Banton set Rockets’ run chase off to a promising start•Nathan Stirk/ECB via Getty Images

Trent Rockets beat Northern Superchargers by five wickets at Trent Bridge to continue their 100 percent start to The Hundred this season.In front of their home fans for the first time this campaign, Rockets – who beat Birmingham Phoenix at Edgbaston on Friday – restricted Andrew Flintoff’s Superchargers to 128 for 9 from their 100 balls and won with relative lack of alarm, though Superchargers did well to take the game deep.Runs were perhaps expected given the weather and the manner in which Superchargers women’s team batted in the day’s first game, but on a dry surface the ball gripped and few batters seemed able to bat with much freedom. That meant the Rockets never ran away with the chase but they had enough to see it home with four balls to spare.With the ball, spinners Akeal Hosein and Rehan Ahmed took two wickets apiece for the hosts and never allowed the Superchargers to get going, though it was Australian allrounder Marcus Stoinis who broke the most crucial partnership, that of top-scorer Harry Brook and Graham Clarke, who put on 56. Stoinis would go on to take two wickets in two balls, and conceded no runs from his five balls.It was a similar tale when it was time for Superchargers to defend, with Imad Wasim taking two wickets in two balls, and three overall, and Adil Rashid giving next to nothing away alongside two wickets, but Stoinis and Adam Hose scrambled Trent Rockets home with four balls remaining in front of 13,497 happy home fans.Meerkat Match Hero Akeal Hosein said: “I was grateful for that start [two early wickets] and thankful to be able to put my team in a winning position early on.”I think both ends of the wicket played differently. The top end here where I started off, it was a bit sticky, it gripped a bit, and then when I went on the other end it was a bit low and skiddy, so it’s about just working out what works well at each end and sticking to that plan for as long as possible.”It’s a happy bunch. It’s a talented bunch as well, and we have one goal in mind. Whenever the ball is thrown to us, it’s our opportunity to make it happen for the team. It’s very good to have a good group of bowlers. So even if it doesn’t go your way on that day, you know you’ve got your brothers to cover you.”On the close finish, he added: “I walked across from the dressing room with all confidence. I had no pads on, you know? So that’s the confidence I had in the boys to get over the line. But with that being said, it was closer than we would have liked, but we were glad to get over the line.”