She hammered 73 off 58 balls and took 3 for 24 to wrap up the ODI series 3-0, and consolidate her team’s position on top of the Women’s Championship table
ESPNcricinfo staff11-Mar-2018 ScorecardSophie Devine makes room to slap one away•Getty Images
Sophie Devine’s all-round show, along with significant contributions from Suzie Bates and the seamers, helped New Zealand set up a thumping 205-run victory over West Indies to seal the series 3-0 in Christchurch. With this win, New Zealand also consolidated their place at the top of the Women’s Championship table. They are now four points clear of their nearest rivals.New Zealand were off to a strong start after being asked to bat first, with captain Bates (89 off 97 balls) and Amy Satterthwaite (69 off 81) putting up a 152-run partnership for the second wicket. After their dismissals in space of two overs, Devine went beserk, scoring an unbeaten 73 off 58 balls to stretch the total to 310.West Indies posed little threat to the target, folding for 105 in the 35th over, the last eight wickets tumbling for a mere 63 runs. Fast bowlers Holly Huddleston (2-19) and Hannah Rowe (2-31) took care of the top order, while Devine finished the innings off with 3 for 24. Stafanie Taylor’s 26 in as many balls was the highest score for the visitors.
Nottingham Forest are still active in the transfer market even with only a few hours left to complete new signings, and now a new update has emerged from a reliable source on a long-term target.
Who could Nottingham Forest sign on transfer deadline day?
According to Italian journalist and transfer insider Fabrizio Romano, Nottingham Forest are interested in signing PSV Eindhoven Ibrahim Sangare before the transfer window shuts at 11pm today.
Romano revealed on social media yesterday:
"Nottingham Forest are pushing in talks with PSV Eindhoven for Ibrahima Sangaré. Negotiations ongoing today in London.
"Sangaré out and Lozano in could be key part of the domino for Johan Bakayoko to leave PSV."
A move for Sangare could further align following the exit of Lewis O'Brien last night, as the Forest midfielder has joined Middlesbrough on a season-long loan in the Championship.
What are Ibrahim Sangare's strengths?
It is no secret that Nottingham Forest have been huge admirers of Sangare for a long time, so finally sealing his signature in the dying hours of the summer window would be an exciting prospect for the club and its supporters.
The Tricky Trees are currently 14th in the Premier League table and will be keen to compete much more comfortably this season to avoid getting caught up in another tight relegation battle at the bottom of the table and retaining their top-flight status once again.
As a result, the signing of Sangare would be a major coup for the Trentside club as the midfielder is a high-quality midfielder who boasts a diverse skill set, but is especially consistent in his defensive presence in the centre of the pitch.
Over 29 Eredivisie appearances last season, the Ivory Coast international was in red-hot form, scoring five goals, tallying up an 84% pass completion rate and successfully completing 77% of his dribbles, winning 2.3 tackles and 5.8 duels per game, as per SofaScore, proving that he is a dominant presence both in attack and defensive.
Not only that, the 25-year-old sensation ranks in the top 15% of his positional peers across the eight leagues most similar to the Eredivisie for progressive passes, successful take-ons, clearances and aerial duels won per 90 minutes played over the last 12 months, according to FBref.
Branded the "King of PSV" and "extraordinary" in the past by former PSV and Ajax boss Aad de Mos, Sangare has been linked with moves to some of the biggest and most successful English clubs over the last few months including PSG, Bayern and Liverpool, meaning it would indeed be quote the coup if he arrives at the City Ground today.
According to PSV journalist Rik Elfrink, Forest submitted a €35m (£30m) bid for the midfielder on Wednesday [30th August], but it remains to be seen as to whether the Dutch club will accept the offer or demand more as the clock ticks down in the final minutes and hours of the transfer window.
With that being said, it would be a no-brainer to secure Sangare's signature this summer as he could be a huge asset to Cooper's pursuit to establish Nottingham Forest as a competitive Premier League club over the season ahead and beyond.
Aston Villa have contacted Manchester United to ask about a deal for Harry Maguire, and a new report has revealed his stance on joining the club this summer.
Is Harry Maguire leaving Man United?
The Red Devils centre-back first arrived at Old Trafford from Leicester back in 2019, and despite having become a regular feature of the first team during his four years at the club, last season he fell significantly out of favour under Erik Ten Hag having failed to compete with the likes of Lisandro Martinez and Rapahael Varane.
In the Premier League, England’s international was handed just eight starts during the previous campaign, so despite still having another two years to run on his contract, he will know how low down in his manager’s pecking order he is, and the boss himself recently publicly told him to step up his game. The Dutchman said:
“He has to fight for his place. He has the ability to be a top-class centre-back and he is the best for England so why shouldn’t he be the best for us? But he has to prove it. When he is not confident enough to fight then he has to go, then he has to make a decision, but I’m happy with him."
Read The Latest Aston Villa Transfer News HERE…
According to West Ham manager David Moyes, his side have already seen a £30m bid for the 30-year-old accepted but the finer details like personal terms are yet to be finalised, allowing other clubs to step in and potentially hijack the deal, something which seems to be on the mind of NSWE, Unai Emery and Monchi.
Are Aston Villa signing Harry Maguire?
According to Football Transfers, Aston Villa have “made enquiries” for Maguire having identified him as a potential replacement for Tyrone Mings who was stretchered off the pitch with a serious knee injury during the 5-1 defeat to Newcastle last weekend.
The Midlands outfit won’t submit an offer until they know the extent of the damage to their own defender, though it's since been revealed that he will require surgery, but it’s stated that “talks are at an early stage” with Man United and chiefs have made the top-flight giants aware that they would be “prepared to match and beat” any proposals that were put forward by other interested parties.
As it stands, West Ham are still the player’s “preferred destination”, but having still not yet agreed personal terms as mentioned above, anything could happen in the final weeks of the window.
Manchester United defender Harry Maguire.
What is Harry Maguire's salary?
At Man United, Maguire currently pockets £190k-per-week which he isn’t really earning considering his lack of game time, but should he be put on a decent wage if he was to make the move to Aston Villa, that could all change because he still has so much potential to offer.
The Sheffield-born talent last season ranked in the 89th percentile for aerial wins and was averaging 2.6 clearances per top-flight game, showing that he’s a “dominant” physical presence in the air, as dubbed by Ten Hag, whilst also being strong at getting rid of the danger from his area.
The 6 foot 4 colossus, who has racked up 52 goal contributions (28 goals and 24 assists) since the start of his career, has plenty of experience in a back three or four, so he would provide Emery with some welcome versatility, therefore making this a no-brainer of a deal to wrap up should the right opportunity present itself.
The visitors have not found a way to curb the dominance of South Africa’s batsmen and are in danger of ending up with a 0-3 series scoreline
The Preview by Mohammad Isam21-Oct-2017
Mushfiqur Rahim has scored runs but has had little support from the other Bangladesh batsmen•Gallo Images
Big PictureSunday’s ODI in East London is set to be the last match in the format for South Africa and Bangladesh in 2017, and they will each eye a good finish, although the game holds a little more importance for Bangladesh, who are trailing 0-2 in the series. While Bangladesh will look to salvage a win, South Africa will want to finish with their second series-sweep of the year.The hosts’ dominance has been driven by their batting. The first two ODIs saw AB de Villiers, Hashim Amla and Quinton de Kock make the most of opportunities. While Amla and de Kock made hundreds in the first ODI in Kimberley, setting up a record opening partnership in the process, the second match belonged to de Villiers, who brought up his personal best of 176 off only 104 deliveries.Shakib Al Hasan’s quick wickets had given Bangladesh some hope in Paarl but once de Villiers began accelerating, particularly after crossing 100, there was little Bangladesh could do to stop him. Rubel Hossain dismissed de Villiers to bring some respite but the match highlighted once again the visitors’ struggles with the ball on this tour – they took a total of 13 wickets across three innings in the Test series, and only six in the two ODIs.Bangladesh’s batting hasn’t been as dismal but it hasn’t won them matches either. Mushfiqur Rahim has scored 170 runs and has been dismissed once, while Imrul Kayes has struck his first fifty this year in Paarl. The rest, however, have fallen after getting starts. One of the batsmen who may suffer as a result of this inconsistency is Liton Das, who could be replaced by Soumya Sarkar.South Africa’s bowling has done just about enough to keep Bangladesh quiet in both matches. Kagiso Rabada constantly pushed them back with his pace, movement and bounce while Imran Tahir and Andile Phehlukwayo have also been among the wickets.Form guideSouth Africa WWLLW (last five completed matches, most recent first) Bangladesh LLLWLIn the spotlightIn Paarl, JP Duminy turned the strike over to a belligerent de Villiers, contributing 27 runs in a partnership of 117. However, once de Villiers was dismissed in the 48th over, Duminy could not find the big shots to boost South Africa further. He hit only one six in his run-a-ball 30 and will hope to set things right in the third ODI, if given the chance.After scoring 93 runs in the Test series, and fending off questions on his captaincy, Mushfiqur Rahim has had a better time in the ODIs with scores of 110 not out and 60. He needs another 51 runs to bring up his most productive bilateral ODI series, surpassing the 220 runs he made against Pakistan in 2015.Team newsAmla has been rested and his replacement, Aiden Markram, could be in line for an ODI debut. Temba Bavuma is another contender for that spot. Wiaan Mulder, the 19-year-old allrounder, could replace Dwaine Pretorius. David Miller, who had missed the second ODI because of a groin injury, will undergo a late fitness test on Sunday morning to determine his availability.South Africa (probable): 1 Aiden Markram/Temba Bavuma, 2 Quinton de Kock (wk), 3 Faf du Plessis (capt), 4 AB de Villiers, 5 JP Duminy, 6 David Miller/Farhaan Behardien, 7 Andile Phehlukwayo, 8 Wiaan Mulder, 9 Dane Paterson, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Imran TahirWith Tamim Iqbal ruled out, Bangladesh could promote Shakib to No 3 and replace Liton Das with Soumya Sarkar. Nasir Hossain could also be replaced by Mehidy Hasan or Mohammad Saifuddin, depending on how the Bangladesh team management read the track at Buffalo Park.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Imrul Kayes, 2 Soumya Sarkar/Liton Das, 3 Shakib Al Hasan, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim, 5 Mahmudullah, 6 Sabbir Rahman, 8 Mohammad Saifuddin/Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 9 Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), 10 Rubel Hossain, 11 Taskin AhmedPitch and conditionsThe average score batting first at the reputedly slow-and-low Buffalo Park pitches this year has been 254. But only teams who have scored 300-plus have won matches batting first. The weather forecast predicts a dry day in East London.Stats and trivia De Villiers’ whirlwind 176 was his 25th ODI hundred, one less than Amla’s century tally. Rubel needs three wickets to become the fifth Bangladesh bowler to take 100 ODI wickets In five List A matches this year in Buffalo Park, teams batting first lost the match on three occasions. Sunday’s match will be Mashrafe Mortaza’s 50th as captain in ODIs. Only Shakib Al Hasan and Habibul Bashar have captained Bangladesh in 50 or more ODIs before.Quote”We have put a lot of focus on what we are trying to achieve and fortunately for us we have blown them away in all departments. It doesn’t take away what is going to happen tomorrow, I still believe that Bangladesh will come out and try to prove a point and try to get back into this tour.” “It is still possible [to do well] but if we go about our job the way we played the last two matches, things become harder.”
Manchester City have made a “fresh” approach for Lyon forward Bradley Barcola, and a reliable journalist has shared the club’s stance on a deal taking place.
Who is Bradley Barcola?
Barcola, primarily a right-winger, is an academy graduate at the Groupama Stadium having worked his way up through the various youth ranks to get promoted to Laurent Blanc’s first team back in January 2022, and since that time he’s gone on to make a total of 44 senior appearances to date.
The France youth international still has another three years to run on his contract in his homeland, but having established himself as the Ligue 1 outfit’s third best-performing offensive player last season, he’s grabbed the attention of Pep Guardiola and chiefs at the Etihad.
According to 90min, the Sky Blues regularly scouted the 20-year-old during the previous campaign, and after being hugely impressed by the talent they saw on offer, have reportedly identified him as an ideal replacement for Riyad Mahrez who left last month to join Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli in a £30m move.
Are Man City signing Bradley Barcola?
Taking to Twitter X, Gianluigi Longari revealed that Man City have taken their initial interest in Barcola one step further by holding preliminary discussions with Lyon to discover what it would take to bring him to the Premier League before the end of the transfer window. He wrote:
“Fresh contact between Manchester City #MCFC and Olympique Lyon #OL for Bradley #Barcola. He’s one of the City’s target.”
Lyon forward Bradley Barcola.
How good is Bradley Barcola?
Man City have reportedly seen an opening £70m offer for West Ham United’s Lucas Paqueta turned down, but with outlets claiming that a second bid is being prepared, Barcola could be following in the formerly mentioned player’s footsteps to put pen to paper with the reigning champions should negotiations continue in a positive manner, and what an exciting double move it would be.
Lyon’s £6k-per-week earner has posted 19 goal contributions (12 assists and seven goals) in 44 senior outings at his club, not to mention that last season he ranked in the 94th percentile for attacking touches in the opposition’s penalty area, highlighting his desire to create chances for himself and his fellow teammates in the final third, and this form saw him receive three man-of-the-match awards from WhoScored.
The Villeurbanne native, who has been dubbed an “elite” player by talent scout Jacek Kulig, also has the versatility to operate everywhere across the frontline and even on the left side of the midfield, so he would give the manager great flexibility when it comes to choosing his formation and team selection should he want to include several different players altogether.
Finally, Barcola shares the same agent, Gestifute, as Ederson, Ruben Dias, Joao Cancelo and Bernardo Silva, as per Transfermarkt, so this existing connection that his representative already has to the club could them a potential small advantage should they decide to continue pursuing a deal for the attacker in the closing stages of the summer market.
يستعد فريق الاتحاد لمواجهة قوية وهامة أمام نظيره الشباب اليوم الجمعة، وذلك ضمن منافسات بطولة دوري روشن السعودي، مساء اليوم الجمعة.
وتقام المباراة بين الفريقين على أرضية ملعب مدينة الملك عبدالله الرياضية “الجوهرة المشعة”، في خضم مواجهات الجولة الـ 29 من عمر مباريات الدوري.
وكان الاتحاد قد حقق فوزاً مثيراً على نظيره الحزم بنتيجة 3-2، وذلك بالمباراة التي أقيمت بينهما يوم السبت الماضي بالجولة الـ 28.
طالع أيضاً.. ترتيب هدافي الدوري السعودي.. موقف كريستيانو رونالدو
ويحتل الاتحاد المركز الرابع في جدول ترتيب الدوري السعودي برصيد 50 نقطة، فيما يأتي الشباب بالمركز العاشر، ولديه 35 نقطة. موعد مباراة الاتحاد والشباب اليوم في الدوري السعودي
تنطلق المباراة اليوم الجمعة في تمام الساعة التاسعة مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية. القناة الناقلة لمباراة الاتحاد والشباب اليوم
من المقرر أن تنقل المباراة عبر قناة SSC HD1.
ويمكنكم مطالعة مواعيد ونتائج جميع المباريات لحظة بلحظة عبر مركز المباريات من هنا
Mithali Raj believes India’s lack of experience was a telling factor in their narrow defeat in the Women’s World Cup final
ESPNcricinfo staff23-Jul-2017Mithali Raj, the India captain, put down India’s nine-run loss in the World Cup final at Lord’s to nervousness and lack of experience in finishing close games. India lost seven wickets for 28 runs after looking set to clinch their maiden World Cup title. They slumped from 191 for 3 to 219 all out in chase of 229.But even in disappointment, Raj chose to focus on her team’s “special journey”. “Everybody was very nervous and I think that resulted in our defeat,” she said. “The girls are sad because they have given it their all. Its natural and it will take time. These girls have set the platform. They have opened a lot of channels for women’s cricket. They should be proud.”As a captain I am very proud. I have seen the changes the girls have made. I’ve seen the transition. The team still looks very confident they will be a team that other teams will be looking out for. That’s what I’m proud of. We started off well. We had a few matches in which we were defeated and we came back stronger. Unlike 2005, this went to the end. The girls gave their best.”Without taking any names, Raj said the middle and lower order had not been able to handle the pressure of the chase. Veda Krishnamurthy was out slogging, Sushma Verma was bowled playing a nervous sweep, Shikha Pandey was run out attempting a single that wasn’t on while Deepti Sharma, realizing the need to finish things off as she was running out of partners with India needing 11 with two wickets in hand, dragged a hoick to midwicket.The slide undid some solid groundwork laid by Punam Raut, who top-scored with 86 during a 95-run stand with Harmanpreet Kaur, who made 51.”The last four or five batters could not handle the pressure,” Raj said. “At one point, the game was in the balance. That is when we didn’t hold our nerve. Their bowling and fielding was really up.”We messed it up in the end. It was a very brave innings from Punam. It’s about experience and how composed you are. The girls weren’t experienced enough to do it. But the way they have fought all along the tournament is very heartwarming. The Indian women’s team has a very bright future.”Raj, who confirmed that this was her last World Cup game, hoped India’s performance would serve as the start of a giant leap for women’s cricket in India. “The response from the public is very positive. I’m sure BCCI is very proud of the team. When we lost the warm-up games, no one gave us the chance to reach the semi-finals,” she said. “When we lost to South Africa and Australia, no one thought we would get to the final. A team like that has come to the finals and given a good fight to the home team.”The WBBL has given exposure to the two girls who have played [Smriti Mandhana and Kaur]. If more girls participate in such leagues, it will give them experience and help them to improve their own game. If you ask me they should have IPL because now is the right time to create that base. Women’s cricket is everywhere and they have put up a much better standard than the last World Cup.”
Todd Boehly is eyeing a Chelsea move for Bayer Leverkusen youngster Florian Wirtz this summer as Mauricio Pochettino looks to continue his overhaul of the squad ahead of 2023/24.
What’s the latest on Florian Wirtz to Chelsea?
According to journalist Simon Phillips reporting on his Substack, the Blues are currently keen on making a move for the talented attacking midfielder as Pochettino looks to rejuvenate the squad.
The 20-year-old currently earns £76k-per-week at the Bundesliga outfit and if he joins Chelsea, he will surely secure a major increase on that figure. The German international has a contract until 2027, indicating that the Blues will need to submit a substantial offer if they have any ambitions of signing Wirtz during the transfer window.
Could Chelsea sign Florian Wirtz this summer?
The Stamford Bridge side are undergoing a huge rebuild this summer, with a mass exodus currently occurring, as seven players have already departed and there will likely be more as the club try to keep in line with the financial fair play rules.
There will need to be some new arrivals to offset the large volume of exits however, and Wirtz could be an excellent option, with the youngster looking to follow in the same trajectory as compatriot Kai Havertz.
Havertz left Chelsea to join Arsenal following a three-year spell at the Blues and he too, like Wirtz, played for Leverkusen before making a move to the Premier League.
The duo also tend to operate in similar positions too, with Havertz perhaps more forward-thinking as he is usually deployed as a centre-forward whereas Wirtz mainly plays just behind the striker, or on the right wing if required.
The “incredible” talent – as dubbed by Fabrizio Romano – has already scored 23 times and registered 30 assists during his spell at Leverkusen, despite only turning 20 in May and Havertz also shone at the club during the embryonic stages of his career.
The 24-year-old was even more prolific, netting 46 goals while securing 31 assists during his spell in Germany and the pair have both proven they are dangerous in the final third.
The youngster has actually outshone Havertz over a few attacking metrics across the previous 365 days, completing more successful take-ons per 90 (3.87 to 0.82), shot-creating actions per 90 (5.66 to 2.48) and progressive passes per 90 (6.71 to 3.27), underlining just how effective he is in the final third, and he could even be an upgrade on the former Chelsea star judging by these statistics.
Statman Dave even went as far as to hail him a “wonderkid” and the future appears bright for the German starlet.
A round-up of the Group D matches of the Vijay Hazare Trophy held on March 6, 2017
ESPNcricinfo staff06-Mar-2017
File photo – Mayank Agarwal led Karnataka’s chase of 200 with his eighth half-century in List A cricket•ESPNcricinfo
A batting meltdown at Eden Gardens cost Hyderabad dear as they were pipped for a knockout berth by Jharkhand on net run rate.Services’ pace trio of Suraj Yadav (3 for 36), Diwesh Pathania (4 for 21) and Sachidanand Pandey (3 for 22) skittled Hyderabad for 88, before the batsman wobbled and eventually got home by five wickets. Hyderabad ended their campaign with four wins in six matches.A stand of 39 runs for the sixth wicket between Tanmay Agarwal (16) and Chama Milind (32) saved some of Hyderabad’s blushes after they lost their first five wickets inside 11 overs. They were struggling at 25 for 5 when the duo added the only significant stand. Hyderabad’s bowlers, led by spinner Mohammed Siraj (2 for 31), made the Services chase difficult, but useful knocks from Gaurav Kochar (24) and G Rahul Singh (22) were enough to complete a consolation win.Karnataka completed their sixth-straight win to finish as Group D toppers after beating Chhattisgarh by three wickets . Captain Vinay Kumar snared three wickets while opener Mayank Agarwal slammed a half-century (66 off 76 balls) to help complete the chase of 200 at Kolkata’s Jadavpur University Ground.Vinay struck early after Chhatisgarh chose to bat; they slumped to 60 for 4 before Abhimanyu Chauhan (58 off 102 balls) and Mohammad Kaif (43* off 52 balls) put on a 75 for the fifth-wicket. Chauhan was the fifth man to go with the team on 135. They would lose their last four wickets for 12 to finish with 199.Karnataka’s started strongly after a 52-run opening partnership between Agarwal and Robin Uthappa (23). That was followed up by useful contributions from captain Manish Pandey (34 of 40 balls) and Stuart Binny (25 off 34 balls). Shubham Thakur’s three wickets kept Chhattisgarh in the hunt, but a batting collapse would eventually mean they didn’t have enough to defend in the end.Jharkhand qualified to the next round after Shahbaz Nadeem’s second List A fifth-wicket haul set up their five-wicket win over Jammu & Kashmir.A patient 78 from Kumar Deobrat led Jharkhand’s 185 chase. They got past the line with 90 balls to spare. MS Dhoni, who hit two fours and a six, was unbeaten on 19 when the winning run were scored. J&K got off to a strong start courtesy a 66-run third wicket partnership between Owais Shah (59) and Parvez Rasool (45 off 40 balls) but Nadeem’s introduction to the attack turned the game. He took four wickets off his last three overs to set up a comfortable second-innings chase.
Arsenal are "on the verge of agreeing" a deal to sign Ajax defender Jurrien Timber alongside Kai Havertz, according to journalist Chris Wheatley.
Who will Arsenal sign this summer?
The Gunners currently have many plates spinning in north London, as manager Mikel Arteta and sporting director Edu prepare for what will be a crucial 2022/2023 Premier League season.
Arsenal are trying to sign West Ham United star Declan Rice, but having seen their most recent bids rejected for the player, a third attempt is in the pipeline for a top target.
Meanwhile, Havertz is thought to be joining Arteta's side, as a wide variety of reliable sources have confirmed as much in the last few days – including the likes of Fabrizio Romano.
Arsenal have apparently reached an agreement to sign the German for around £60 million plus £5 million in add-ons, but reporter Wheatley says they're closing in on another deal after him.
Netherlands defender Jurrien Timber.
Indeed, writing for London World, the journalist claims that they're "on the verge of agreeing" a move to sign Timber alongside Havertz – with both men nearing moves to Arsenal.
Wheatley reports that they have agreed personal terms with the Netherlands international, who is "set to make a £35 million move" from Ajax.
He claims that, although this exact fee is still to be fully negotiated and ironed out, there is real confidence that a deal for Timber will be finalised "in the coming days".
Who is Jurrien Timber?
The 22-year-old has been a mainstay for Ajax under manager Maurice Steijn, playing more Eredivisie minutes last season than any other player in their squad (WhoScored).
Chipping in with two goals and two assists in that time, Timber also averaged a higher pass accuracy than all of his teammates (91.7%), making him a credible candidate for Arteta's fluid, attack-minded system.
Liverpool star and international teammate Virgil van Dijk has seriously endorsed the young defender, calling him a "great player" and "true professional" (via 90min).
“I wasn’t nearly as far along as he is now [at the same age],” Van Dijk said.
“I have nothing but praise for him. He is a great player and a true professional.
“He has so much potential. Hopefully he can develop further. Then it will be all right, I think.”
As Arsenal look to shore up and challenge for another league title, Timber may well be a fantastic addition, if they manage to get it done.