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A host of leading players from around the world will be in Sydney for the WBBL

Andrew McGlashan14-Oct-2020Suzie Bates (New Zealand/Adelaide Strikers)T20I record: Matches 122; Runs 3301; Avg 30.00; S/R 110.62 | Wickets 50; Avg 25.52; Econ 6.73

WBBL record: Matches 70; Runs 1710; Avg 28.50; S/R 104.07 | Wickets 35; Avg 28.08; Econ 6.83Formed the formidable Smash Sisters pairing at the Strikers with Sophie Devine, but has lost her national team-mate who has moved to the Perth Scorchers. There is some doubt over her fitness heading in the tournament after she picked up a shoulder injury against Australia in BrisbaneTammy Beaumont (England/Sydney Thunder)T20I record: Matches 88; Runs 1382; Avg 22.29; S/R 108.73

WBBL record: Matches 40; Runs 854; Avg 22.47; S/R 95.20The England opener hasn’t quite been able to translate her excellent ODI record into T20 but was the leading scorer in the recent series against West Indies and remains a dangerous option at the top of the order. She has had previous BBL stints with the Strikers and the RenegadesKatherine Brunt (England/Melbourne Stars)T20I record: Matches 87; Runs 493; Avg 17.00; S/R 113.85 | Wickets 89; Avg 19.39; Econ 5.49

WBBL record: Matches 44; Runs 447; Avg 17.88′ S/R 103.47 | Wickets 49; Avg 17.71; Econ 5.15An aggressive seamer and hard-hitting batter, Brunt has been a stalwart of the England side and will be tasked to bring a cutting edge to the Stars attack. She has the best economy rate in WBBL history (5.15) of anyone to have bowled at least 250 deliveries.Nadine de Klerk (South Africa/Brisbane Heat)T20I record: Matches 20; Runs 241; Avg 24.10; S/R 94.50 | Wickets 18; Avg 14.38; Econ 7.06

WBBL record: Yet to playThe bustling seamer made a mark when she came into the South Africa side during the T20 World Cup, claiming 3 for 19 in the semi-final against Australia. She was awarded a national contract shortly after the tournament.Sophie Devine (New Zealand/Perth Scorchers)T20I record: Matches 94; Runs 2447; Avg 30.97; S/R 125.42 | Wickets 91; Avg 17.07; Econ 6.26

WBBL record: Matches 66; Runs 2174; Avg 39.52; S/R 129.40 | Wickets 60; Avg 22.13; Econ 7.12The New Zealand captain has become one of the most dominant players in the format. She is the highest scoring overseas player in WBBL history (behind just Ellyse Perry and Beth Mooney) and was the Player of the Tournament last season. Her switch from the Strikers to Scorchers was one of the biggest off-season moves.Sarah Glenn has emerged as a formidable part of England’s spin attack•Nathan Stirk/Getty ImagesSarah Glenn (England/Perth Scorchers)T20I record: Matches 15; Wickets 22; Avg 12.63; Econ 5.34

WBBL record: Yet to playLegspinner Glenn is among the most promising emerging bowling talents in the game having impressed during the T20 World Cup and last month’s series against West Indies where she was named Player of the Series and was also awarded the PCA Player of the Year title.Maddy Green (New Zealand/Brisbane Heat)T20I record: Matches 51; Runs 385; Avg 11.66; S/R 86.32

WBBL record: Matches 16; Runs 309; Avg 20.60; S/R 112.36Green showed glimpses of her power in the matches against Australia and has also worked on developing her offspin. She could have an important part to play in compensating for the loss of Beth Mooney at the defending championsShabnim Ismail (South Africa/Sydney Thunder)T20I record: Matches 92; Wickets 99; Avg 18.65; Econ 5.73

WBBL record: Matches 15; Wickets 13; Avg 25.23; Econ 6.65Among the fastest bowlers in the world, it was Ismail’s economy that stood out last season as she conceded 5.88 but the Thunder will hope she can add further wicket-taking to the record.Hayley Jensen (New Zealand/ Hobart Hurricanes)T20I record: Matches 30; Wickets 24; Avg 24.91; Econ 6.74

WBBL record: Matches 36; Wickets 32; Avg 19.21, Econ 6.55The medium-pacer has joined the Hurricanes, her fourth WBBL club, as a replacement player and won’t immediately be available unless one of the three other overseas signings is injured. She had a good T20 World with three-wicket hauls against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.Amelia Kerr celebrates a wicket•Getty ImagesAmy Jones (England/Perth Scorchers)T20I record: Matches 54; Runs 776; Avg 19.89; S/R 116.51

WBBL record: Matches 34; Runs 689; Avg 24.60; S/R 114.26Jones, the wicketkeeper-batter, is now in the middle-order for England it may be a role she plays for the Scorchers given they also have Mooney and Devine. She struck 55 off 37 balls in the fourth match of the series against West Indies.Marizanne Kapp (South Africa/Sydney Sixers)T20I record: Matches 78; Runs 946; Avg 19.30; S/R 96.23 | Wickets 58; Avg 20.65; Econ 5.42

WBBL record: Matches 70; Runs 637; Avg 18.20; S/R 101.11 | Wickets 77; Avg 17.67; Econ 5.18A fine allrounder, Kapp is the leading overseas wicket-taker in WBBL history after a long association with the Sixers and part of a formidable line-up. She started the T20 World Cup in excellent form but her tournament was curtailed by illness.Amelia Kerr (New Zealand/Brisbane Heat)T20I record: Matches 35; Wickets 37; Avg 19.89; Econ 5.75

WBBL record: Matches 16: Wickets 14; Avg 25.50; Econ 6.22Kerr, the legspinning allrounder, has just turned 20 but has already been around the international scene for four years. She will be a key weapon in the Heat attack and is also a very handy batter in the middle order, who could need to take on more responsibility this season. She took nine wickets across the six recent matches against Australia.Heather Knight (England/Sydney Thunder)T20I record: Matches 79; Runs 1256; Avg 22.83; S/R 119.96 | Wickets 20; Avg 25.00; Econ 5.71

WBBL record: Matches 55; Runs 1353; Avg 26.52; S/R 107.63 | Wickets 39; Avg 27.27; Econ 6.92The England captain, who has moved from the Hurricanes to the Thunder, has taken her T20 batting to a new level this year with 486 runs at 40.50 and a strike-rate of 135.75 which included a maiden century against Thailand in the T20 World Cup.Lizelle Lee’s power game will now be utilised by the Renegades•Getty ImagesLizelle Lee (South Africa/Melbourne Renegades)T20I record: Matches 74; Runs 1664; Avg 25.21; S/R 109.47

WBBL record: Matches 40; Runs 1100; Avg 29.72; S/R 125.57A thunderous striker of the ball, Lee has crossed town from the Stars to the Renegades and will be tasked with making the most of the Powerplay. In consecutive seasons she has produced the first century of the competition: 102 off 56 balls against the Sixers in 2018-19 and 103 off 65 balls against the Scorchers last summer.Hayley Matthews (West Indies/Hobart Hurricanes)T20I record: Matches 55; Runs 986; Avg 18.60; S/R 105.68 | Wickets 51; Avg 18.00; Econ 6.00

WBBL record: Matches 43; Runs 737; Avg 18.42; S/R 99.46 | Wickets 28; Avg 25.71; Econ 6.84Matthews will be looking to revive her credentials as one of the finest young players around after a lean run in T20Is where her top score in the last 14 innings is 23. Her talent suggests she should be averaging much better than 18Rachel Priest (New Zealand/Hobart Hurricanes)T20I record: Matches 75; Runs 873; Avg 16.77; S/R 104.42

WBBL record: Matches 69; Runs 1410; Avg 21.04; S/R 116.14After retiring from international cricket, wicketkeeper-batter Priest has set up her cricket base in Tasmania after previous WBBL spells with the Renegades and the Thunder. She will carry significant responsibility in what shapes as a potentially light Hurricanes top order.Amy Satterthwaite (New Zealand/Melbourne Renegades)T20I record: Matches 102; Runs 1595; Avg 21.26; S/R 96.02 | Wickets 24; Avg 22.00; Econ 7.07

WBBL record: Matches 53; Runs 1254; Avg 31.35; S/R 101.29 | Wickets 43; Avg 18.97; Econ 6.51Back as captain of the Renegades after maternity leave, Sattherthwaite will have a vital role at the top of the order which will be without Jess Duffin. She slotted back into international cricket impressively against AustraliaLaura Wolvaardt will be looking to bring these shots to the WBBL•Getty ImagesNat Sciver (England/Melbourne Stars)T20I record: Matches 80; Runs 1535; Avg 25.58; S/R 112.37 | Wickets 52; Avg 19.38; Econ 6.35
WBBL record: Matches 52; Runs 952; Avg 24.41; S/R 112.52 | Wickets 36; Avg 27.66; Econ 6.90A formidable allrounder, Sciver – one of the few players to have a shot named after them – joins team-mate Brunt at the Stars and is capable of match-changing performances with bat and ball. She had an outstanding T20 World Cup and made 82 off 61 balls against West Indies last monthLea Tahuhu (New Zealand/Melbourne Renegades)T20I record: Matches 60; Wickets 52; Avg 21.09; Econ 5.97

WBBL record: Matches 56; Wickets 49; Avg 24.61; Econ 5.96Continues to vie to be the fastest bowler in the game, Tahuhu is another injury concern heading into the tournament have suffering a back strain in the ODI series against Australia. If fit, she will be the pace-bowling strike weapon for the Renegades.Stafanie Taylor (West Indies/Adelaide Strikers)T20I record: Matches 108; Runs 3062; Avg 36.02 | Wickets 94; Avg 16.88; Econ 5.65

WBBL record: Matches 60; Runs 1074; Avg 26.19; S/R 101.41 | Wickets 49; Avg 18.51; Econ 6.55Taylor has an impressive T20 record and will be tasked with helping fill the void created by Devine’s departure after her 2019-2020 campaign was cut short by international duty and then injury.Chloe Tryon (South Africa/Hobart Hurricanes)T20I record: Matches 65; Runs 757; Avg 20.45; S/R 139.66 | Wickets 19; Avg 34.36; Econ 7.09

WBBL record: Matches 13; Runs 248; Avg 35.42; S/R 178.41
Few players in the world hit the ball as hard as Tryon – her WBBL strike-rate, albeit, from a small number of matches, is far and away the best in WBBL history (minimum 125 balls faced). The key for the Hurricanes will be finding the best spot in the order for her.Dane van Niekerk (South Africa/Sydney Sixers)T20I record: Matches 83; Runs 1839; Avg 28.73; S/R 94.79 | Wickets 63; Avg 21.06; Econ 5.45

WBBL record: Matches 63; Runs 795; Avg 21.48; S/R 105.67 | Wickets 64; Avg 20.00; Econ 6.35The South Africa captain is another of the leading allrounders in the game, although given the Sixers’ batting strength it is arguably her legspin that plays the more important role. She was Player of the Match in South Africa’s opening T20 World Cup victory over England earlier this year.Laura Wolvaardt (South Africa/Adelaide Strikers)T20I record: Matches 25; Runs 427; Avg 22.47; S/R 103.38

WBBL record: Matches 20; Runs 99; Avg 8.25; S/R 92.52It is best not to pay too much attention to Wolvaardt’s previous WBBL record which was two seasons with the Heat. The T20 World Cup felt like a breakthrough tournament for her in the format, with two dazzling unbeaten innings to highlight her as one of the most exciting emerging batting talents.

MatériaMais Notícias

O técnico Fernando Diniz ficou muito insatisfeito com a derrota do Fluminense para o Flamengo. No jogo, que terminou 2 a 0 para o rival, o Tricolor esteve desatento e sofreu durante toda a partida. Na coletiva, Fernando Diniz criticou a equipe e afirmou que o Fluminense não existiu durante o primeiro tempo.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasFlamengoVÍDEO: Assista aos melhores momentos de Fluminense x FlamengoFlamengo10/03/2024FlamengoEm jogo movimentado, Flamengo vence o Fluminense por 2 a 0 no MaracanãFlamengo09/03/2024NotíciasCarioca: como foram os últimos jogos entre Fluminense e Flamengo?Notícias09/03/2024

➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

Culpa assumida

-O que mudou foi a postura do time. O time que não existiu no primeiro tempo. Se fosse só por conta da marcação, o time teria trocado passes com mais velocidade, criado mais chances. Mas a gente não criou e a gente não marcou. É sempre essa coisa fácil, e o futebol não é fácil assim. Não é porque jogou o Renato Augusto e o Ganso. A gente errou uma enormidade de passes, saiu jogando mal, escolheu mal se saia jogando curto ou longo. O time não existiu por conta de um todo, não é por causa dessa coisa fácil. Se quiserem achar isso podem achar-, afirmou.

O técnico ainda foi questionado sobre as escalações de Renato Augusto e Ganso, mas insistiu que isso não contribuiu no resultado final.

-Quando um time joga um primeiro tempo tão mal como jogamos, o responsável é o treinador, não adianta atribuir a outros fatores. Mas essa explicação que o torcedor quer saber… Se o time jogasse mal, naturalmente iam dizer que era por causa do Renato Augusto, mas não tem absolutamente nada a ver. Se fosse por isso… o time melhorou no segundo tempo, não melhorou? Só porque saiu o Ganso? Mas entrou o Lima, que é outro meia, não é volante -, finalizou.

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⚽ COMO FOI A PARTIDA?

Na etapa inicial, Flamengo e Fluminense fizeram um clássico movimentado. O Flamengo começou a partida dominando. No início, o destaque foi para Everton Cebolinha, que teve velocidade e inteligência para encontrar espaços na defesa. Sem espaços, o Tricolor só assustou o Flamengo aos 12, mas levou um contra-ataque que quase terminou em gol de Pedro.

A partir dos 30, o Flamengo voltou a controlar a partida e, aos 46, abriu o placar. Após transição rápida, Pulgar cruzou na cabeça de Cebolinha, que cabeceou para o fundo das redes.

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No segundo tempo, o Flamengo seguiu dominando. Mesmo com a melhora Tricolor após a entrada de Lima, o Rubro-negro continuou com a posse de bola e a iniciativa. Após a lesão de Ayrton Lucas, a equipe de Tite começou a jogar mais pelo meio.

Sem Thiago Santos, expulso após falta duríssima em Cebolinha, o Fluminense passou a administrar a derrota por pouco, já visando o segundo jogo, que acontece no próximo sábado. No fim, após um cruzamento incrível de Arrascaeta, Pedro deu números finais à partida.

✅ O QUE VEM POR AÍ?

O próximo jogo das duas equipes é no próximo sábado (16), às 21h, no Maracanã, pelo segundo jogo da semifinal.

Tudo sobre

Campeonato CariocaFernando DinizFluminense

Glasgow Rangers failed to get back to winning ways in the Scottish Premiership on Wednesday night as they were held to a 2-2 draw by Dundee United.

The Light Blues, who were held to a 0-0 draw by Falkirk at Ibrox at the weekend, had to come from behind on two occasions to secure a point on their travels, on a night where they should have aimed for all three points.

Max Aarons was caught as he got to a loose ball first in the box deep into stoppage time to provide Nedim Bajrami with a chance to equalise from the spot in the 98th minute.

That came after their first goal was a stunning long-range strike from Brentford loanee Jayden Meghoma, who rifled in his first goal for the club with a sweet left-footed finish.

Ultimately, Danny Rohl will be unhappy with the fact that his team only came away from the game with one point to show for their efforts after they created seven ‘big chances’, per Sofascore, to the host’s two.

One of the players who was guilty of wasting one of those ‘big chances’ was Macedonia international Bojan Miovski, who should be dropped by the German boss.

Why Rohl should drop Miovski for Rangers

The left-footed marksman was given the chance to lead the line for the Light Blues once again in the Premiership against Dundee United, but he did not do enough on the pitch to suggest that he deserves to keep his place.

Miovski, who was signed from Girona during the summer transfer window, missed the only ‘big chance’ that came his way, as he failed to beat Dave Richards.

To his credit, the Rangers striker was more involved than he usually is. Miovski completed 32 of his 33 passes on the night, despite averaging ten completed passes per game for the season, per Sofascore, which shows that he was trying to get involved and was reliable with his passes.

However, the 26-year-old flop is in the team to score goals, as the main number nine, and he has not been anywhere near good enough in that respect for the Light Blues.

After Wednesday night’s 2-2 draw with Dundee United, the former Aberdeen centre-forward has only scored one goal in 11 outings in the Scottish Premiership for the Ibrox giants.

25/26 Premiership	Miovski
Appearances	11
Goals	1
Minutes per goal	730
Big chances missed	5
Assists	1
Ground duel success rate	32%
Aerial duel success rate	31%
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Miovski has not done enough this season to suggest that he has been a good addition to the squad by former sporting director Kevin Thelwell, as he has struggled in front of goal and physically on the deck and in the air.

That is why Rohl should ruthlessly drop him from the starting XI for the trip to Kilmarnock on Saturday, because he was wasteful again on Wednesday night, and is yet to prove that he can be relied upon week-in-week-out in a Rangers shirt.

Chalkboard

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

Whilst the goalless Miovski was disappointing again for the Light Blues, Emmanuel Fernandez was even worse than the Macedonia international with what was his worst performance for the Scottish giants since his permanent move from Peterborough United in the summer transfer window.

Where that performance ranks in Emmanuel Fernandez's Rangers career

The English central defender has played seven matches for the Light Blues since his move, and his display against Dundee United was his worst outing for the club to date.

Fernandez, who was given a 3/10 player rating by IbroxNews, was beaten far too easily in the channel for the opening goal from Zach Sapsford, who burst past the centre-back before racing through to chip the ball over Jack Butland.

Heart & Hand content creator David Edgar described it as “dreadful” defending, which is hard to argue with, as he got sucked in on the halfway line and spun with ease.

On top of that error, Fernandez only won ten of his 18 duels and six of his 11 aerial duels. Per Sofascore, he has won 75% of his aerial battles in the league this season, which makes his 55% success rate against Dundee United look poor by his usual standards.

He was even worse than Miovski, therefore, because the central defender was nowhere near his best and was at fault for a goal, whilst the striker at least looked a lot better in his all-round game as a passer, even if his finishing was not good enough.

When looking at his other performances for the Light Blues, it is hard to look past Wednesday night’s showing being his worst display for the club.

Ranking Fernandez’s Rangers performances
Rank	Performance
1	Livingston (H)
2	Falkirk (H)
3	Braga (H)
4	St Mirren (A)
5	Alloa Athletic (H)
6	Dundee United (A)
N/A	Hibernian (A)

He only played one minute off the bench against Hibernian, which makes it impossible to judge, and he scored goals against Alloa Athletic in the League Cup and Livingston in the Premiership.

Fernandez also won ten of his 12 duels against Falkirk and nine of his 12 duels against Braga, per Sofascore, as Rangers conceded two goals in those games, whilst he was not at fault for the goal conceded in the 1-1 draw with St Mirren under Russell Martin.

Per Sofascore, his 55% aerial duel success rate against Dundee United was his lowest in a game for Rangers in any competition, which speaks to how off the pace he was on the night, without even taking into account his error for the opening goal.

With John Souttar and Derek Cornelius out injured, though, Rohl does not have many alternatives in his position at the moment, so Fernandez may keep his place at the heart of the defence against Kilmarnock.

Rangers "passenger" has been so bad that he makes Dowell look good

This Glasgow Rangers flop is currently making Kieran Dowell look like a good player by comparison.

By
Dan Emery

Dec 3, 2025

If that is the case, the former Peterborough colossus will need to get back to his usual dominant self at the back, after a disappointing game against Dundee United.

The Boston Red Sox traded Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants on Sunday in a shocking move, and the baseball world is still putting together exactly what happened that led to the unexpected breakup.

While Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said that a formal trade request was never made, Devers's team brought up the idea that it might be time for their paths to split.

“There were times during the course of conversations with Raffy’s camp where they indicated that perhaps a fresh start would be best for both sides,” Breslow told reporters on Monday. “We were committed to trying to work through this, ultimately we weren’t able to achieve that alignment.”

The trade likely stemmed from Devers's frustration when the team asked him to move to designated hitter from third base this offseason after Boston signed Alex Bregman. After eventually agreeing to DH, he was once again miffed when he was asked to play first base due to a season-ending injury sustained by Triston Casas. It seemed to the Red Sox that Devers didn't want to "step up" for the team.

Regardless of how the trade came about, the move still shocked the MLB world, including Devers's teammates like Trevor Story. He specifically was surprised the Red Sox chose to send him away while the team is on a hot streak.

However the trade came about, the result is all that matters now. Devers is set to debut with the Giants this week.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a sensational overhead kick on Sunday night in the Saudi Pro League as table-toppers Al-Nassr maintained their perfect start to the 2025-26 season with a ninth win from nine games. The 40-year-old rolled back the years with an eye-catching acrobatic effort in stoppage time and promptly set a challenge for fans on social media after the victory for his side at Al-Awwal Park.

• Ronaldo scores stunner for Al-Nassr

  The Portuguese superstar may well be very much in the twilight of his sensational career but showed once again on Sunday that he's still more than capable of producing magical moments that will live long in the memory. Goals from Joao Felix, Wesley and Sadio Mane had put Al-Nassr 3-1 up and cruising against Al-Khaleej, until Ronaldo stole all the headlines with a wonderful effort deep into stoppage time to seal another victory in fine style. The 40-year-old posted footage of his goal on social media after the match and set fans a challenge. "Best caption wins!" he wrote on X, inviting supporters to have their say on his latest spectacular effort.

Advertisement

• Watch the clip

• 'Who's topping this?' – Fans react to CR7 stunner

  Fans were quick to react to Ronaldo's challenge by replying to his post.

  Supporter @Cunha__utd posted: "Cristiano Ronaldo doing this at the age of 40. There’s players at the peak of their game right now who could only dream of doing this. He’s the greatest to ever do it."

  And @ararsoabdull added: "Gravity? Never heard of her! At 40, you're rewriting physics books, @Cristiano. Caption: "Aging like fine wine… or should I say, fine goals. Who's topping this?"

  Elsewhere, @sandybabyonyii wrote: "Cristiano Ronaldo hit the rewind button on Father Time and ripped in a goal that would make every young baller question their life choices. Pure, vintage carnage."

  @ProjectKMbappe added: "When gravity said no, but greatness said yes" and @ Being_Cr7fan replied: "Years change, seasons change… but Ronaldo stays inevitable."

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  Ronaldo back with a bang after red card

  Ronaldo was back in action for Al-Nassr after seeing red over the international break during World Cup qualifying. The 40-year-old was sent off in Portugal's defeat to Ireland for an elbow on Dara O'Shea and was subsequently sent home by manager Roberto Martinez. Portugal went on to book their place at World Cup 2026 with a 9-1 victory over Armenia, achieved without their talismanic captain, with Ronaldo forced to sit out the game due to suspension. The sending off was Ronaldo's first at international level but means he could now miss Portugal's opening games of the finals in North America. Portugal have reportedly assembled an appeal to FIFA in a bid to cut a potential three-match ban down to one.

Nielsen will coach a 15-man squad against India Under-19s in Australia next month but Ollie Peake is not available due to Australia A duty

Alex Malcolm08-Aug-2025

Tim Nielsen (left) and Jason Gillespie worked together with Pakistan•PCB

Former Australia coach Tim Nielsen will take over as Australia’s Under-19s coach ahead of the upcoming series against India Under-19s with the World Cup on the horizon but Australia’s squad won’t feature star batter Oliver Peake as he will be touring with the Australia A team.Cricket Australia announced a 15-man squad for the upcoming home series against India Under-19s in Brisbane and Mackay starting next month, which will feature three 50-over matches and two four-day games. The three Youth ODIs will be played on September 21, 24 and 26 at Ian Healy Oval in Brisbane. The first Youth Test will be held at the same venue starting on September 30 while the second will played in Mackay from October 7.Nielsen, 57, coached Australia’s men’s team between 2007 and 2011, having been a long-time assistant to former Australia coach John Buchanan before that, as well as being head coach of CA’s Centre of Excellence, a position that no longer exists.Related

Mhatre to lead India U-19 in multi-format tour of Australia

Konstas, Peake, McSweeney named in Australia A squad for India tour

Weatherald 'ready' for Test cricket, excitement around teen-prodigy Peake

Following his stint with Australia’s men, Nielsen was South Australia and Adelaide Striker’s long-time high performance manager before resigning in February 2024. He took up a brief post as Pakistan’s high-performance red-ball coach alongside close friend and long-time colleague Jason Gillespie when the latter was Pakistan’s Test coach in 2024.Nielsen returns to a development role at CA after Lachlan Stevens resigned as CA’s development coach earlier this year and his first duty will be to lead an Under-19s squad in their last bilateral series before the Under-19s World Cup in January in Zimbabwe and Namibia.Australia’s 15-player squad looks very different to the one CA sent to India in September and October last year, where they were beaten soundly 2-0 in the Youth Test series and 3-0 in the Youth ODI series. Only four players, Simon Budge, Steve Hogan, Hayden Schiller and Alex Lee Young, remain from that tour where India batting sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi announced himself with a 58-ball century in the first Youth Test.Oliver Peake made an impressive 52 on first-class debut aged 18•Getty Images

Suryavanshi has been named in India’s Under-19 squad to tour Australia. But Peake, who made a century in the second youth Test in India last year, has been selected on Australia A’s tour of India that will occur at the same time, following an impressive first-class debut for Victoria in March and scoring 92 for Australia A against Sri Lanka A last month. Peake, 18, is still eligible to play in the Under-19s World Cup next year but it remains to be seen whether he will given he is contracted to Melbourne Renegades in the BBL and a key part of Victoria’s plans for the upcoming Sheffield Shield season.”We’re excited to continue our preparation for the ongoing ICC U19 World cup cycle, with an exciting squad of emerging players,”CA’s Head of National Development Sonya Thompson said.”This series against India provides a valuable opportunity for our young players to experience international cricket in white-ball and red-ball formats, and to test themselves against a high-quality opponent.”The multi-format tour is designed to challenge players to adapt and grow, while also giving selectors and coaches meaningful insights ahead of the National U19 Championships in December.”We’re also thrilled to welcome Tim Nielsen as Head Coach of the National U19 squad. His extensive international experience and leadership will be instrumental in guiding and inspiring Australia’s next generation of cricketers.Australia Under-19 squad: Simon Budge, Alex Turner, Steve Hogan, Will Malajczuk, Yash Deshmukh, Tom Hogan, Aryan Sharma, John James, Hayden Schiller, Charles Lachmund, Ben Gordon, Will Byrom, Kasey Barton, Alex Lee Young, Jayden Draper

The New York Yankees will represent the American League in the 2024 World Series. After a handful of tightly contested games against the Cleveland Guardians, New York ultimately only needed five games to finish off their side of the bracket. Now, they await the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets in the National League.

Following the game, second baseman Gleyber Torres stood next to designated hitter (and ALCS MVP) Giancarlo Stanton during an interview with YES Network's Meredith Marakovits. Torres, holding the American League trophy, said, "take the baby, take the baby," as he handed the hardware over to Stanton to cradle like a newborn. Stanton rocked the trophy like a baby.

It was hard for fans to not think back to Josh Naylor, who in 2022 rounded the basepaths while giving an aggressive baby-rocking celebration after hitting a home run. Naylor used that celebration often, but not nearly as aggressively as in that moment.

Fans quickly took Stanton and Torres's antics to be a callback to Naylor's celebration from 2022 after the Yankees eliminated him and the Guardians again.

Torres, who forced the runner out at second in 2022 to send the Yankees past the Guardians, rocked the baby on the field.

January 17th 2016 was the last time Liverpool lost a game of football at Anfield to their dear old rivals.

That day it was a Wayne Rooney strike that sealed the win for Manchester United over the Reds. How times have changed since then. Liverpool have won the league on two occasions; their friends across the way have not.

Ruben Amorim came into this clash with slim hopes. Yes, Liverpool were in a rough run of form but United’s own form has been troublesome ever since the Portuguese took over.

Yet, for the first time during his tenure, they were able to secure back-to-back league victories. Perhaps Amorim is the right man for the job?

Regardless of the feeling among the Red Devils, questions may now be emerging about Arne Slot’s position.

This 2-1 defeat was a really tough one to swallow. Liverpool hit the post on a few occasions and registered a higher xG (expected goals) tally but failed to take their opportunities.

Cody Gakpo equalised but a late Harry Maguire header condemned the hosts to a third straight league defeat.

They are now four points behind Arsenal in the race for the Premier League title. It’s worrying, certainly when you consider just how much they spent over the summer.

So, where did it all go wrong?

What went for Liverpool against Manchester United

Well, where to begin? When things aren’t going your way, curious things happen, and that was certainly the case for Slot’s charges on Sunday evening.

Before scoring from close range in the second half, Gakpo hit the woodwork a staggering three times, the most notable came in the opening 45 minutes when Liverpool surged forward on the counter-attack.

The Dutchman found plenty of room to surge towards the penalty area but bent his shot against the post.

Liverpool could and should have equalised sooner. On another day, they win the game, such are the slim margins of Premier League football.

It wasn’t just their lacklustre finishing that cost them, however. Last term, the Reds were resilient and rock solid at the back but they are really paying the price for not investing further in the centre-back pairing.

Milos Kerkez has signed but is still struggling to get going in Liverpool colours with Amad Diallo and Bryan Mbeumo – the scorer of United’s first goal – running rings around him.

Yet, skipper Virgil van Dijk is perhaps the most worrying of the lot, given his experience. Not for the first time in a game this term he was caught out and should have done better for the opening goal.

Mbeumo was allowed to ghost in behind the big Dutchman and he got on the end of Amad’s cute pass to fire home.

Whether Van Dijk has regressed is very much up for debate but perhaps a more pressing matter is the form of the Premier League’s most expensive signing.

Liverpool's biggest problem after Man United defeat

In the summer, Liverpool looked as though they had won the transfer window. £116m for Florian Wirtz? Don’t mind if we do. £125m for Alexander Isak? Yeah, go on then.

The Swede was at the centre of an almighty saga. He refused to go on Newcastle’s pre-season tour and then trained away from the Toon’s first-team squad for a few months before finally getting his move to Anfield.

However, since heading to Merseyside, he has scored just once, ultimately battling with fitness having not featured at all during pre-season.

Well, heading into the game with United, Slot declared that now was the time to judge him. “Fitness-wise he is close to the level he should be and we can judge him in a fair way from now on.”

Judge him is exactly what we shall do. Unfortunately, it was not a great showing from the Premier League’s record man.

For the sixth straight game, the centre forward failed to find the net and arguably, he should have done inside Anfield this weekend.

Isak had two shots and missed one OPTA-defined big chance, one of which he stuck straight at Senne Lammens’ right boot. It was unsurprising he left the game with a 4/10 match rating courtesy of GOAL, who rightfully suggested that the striker will be “hugely disappointed with his performance.”

Minutes played

72

Touches

19

Accurate passes

7/11 (64%)

Key passes

0

Shots

2

Shots on target

1

Expected goals

0.34

Big chances missed

1

Dribbles

0

Possession lost

8x

At Newcastle last season, when the goals were flowing, he’d definitely have scored, such is his ruthless nature. You can point to a lack of sharpness but as Slot says, he’s now ready to go.

It’s incredibly difficult to leave your biggest signing of all time on the bench but Isak’s lack of form has had consequences, notably for Hugo Ekitike, arguably Liverpool’s player of the season so far.

He bagged five goals in his first eight games of the season for the Reds and registered an assist as well.

The Frenchman was ruthless in the final third; he was everything Isak has been over the last few seasons and he looked the full package doing it.

It’s perhaps no coincidence that since Ekitike became less of a regular starter Liverpool’s form has dwindled. During Isak’s three Premier League starts, Slot’s side have lost all three. It’s time for Ekitike to get a run from the start instead in the Champions League on Wednesday in Frankfurt.

When it comes to the definitive Tottenham Hotspur player of the last decade or so, most people will think of Son Heung-min.

After all, the South Korean international was captain of the club when they won the Europa League last year and wore the shirt for a decade.

However, another Lilywhites star who at least has to be in contention for the title is, of course, Harry Kane.

While the England captain did leave the club, he is their all-time top goalscorer and was arguably the key player in the side that came painfully close to Premier League glory.

Unfortunately, he’s now blowing people away in Germany and is an early contender for next year’s Ballon d’Or. Worse yet, another striker Spurs sold is now starting to emulate the world-class forward.

Why Kane could win the Ballon d'Or

While there was a 15 year period in which the Ballon d’Or would generally go to either Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, things are a lot more open these days.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast’s Where Are They Now series.

For example, Rodri won the award in 2024, and Ousmane Dembélé won it last month. So with this in mind, there is no reason Kane couldn’t be holding that golden ball next year.

In fact, in his usually humble way, the former Spurs star has already made it clear that he would “love to win” it.

Moreover, with the consideration for next year’s award beginning at the start of this season, it would be fair to say that, as things stand, the 32-year-old stands a great chance of getting his wish.

For example, in just ten appearances for Bayern, totalling 827 minutes, the Walthamstow-born machine has already scored 18 goals and provided three assists.

Appearances

10

Starts

10

Minutes

827′

Goals

18

Assists

3

Goal Involvements per Match

2.1

Minutes per Goal Involvement

39.38′

Minutes per Goal

45.94′

In other words, the “generational” talent, as dubbed by former manager Ange Postecoglou, has been averaging 2.1 goal involvements per game this season, or one every 39.38 minutes, which is utterly incredible.

Another way to look at those numbers is that, when you take away those three assists, the Englishman is averaging a goal every 45.94 minutes, which is undeniably world-class.

At the end of the day, there wasn’t really much Spurs could have done to keep hold of Kane in 2023, but they certainly could have retained another striker sold the following summer who is putting up numbers similar to his this season.

The former Spurs gem emulating Kane

As with all big clubs, Spurs have gotten rid of their fair share of players they should’ve kept over the years, and one international who is starting to fit that category is Troy Parrott.

The Irish international joined the club’s academy setup in 2017, but made just four competitive appearances for the first team before being sent out on several loans to Millwall, Ipswich Town, MK Dons and Preston North End.

Then, in the summer of 2023, Postecoglou sent him abroad for his fifth loan spell, to Dutch side Excelsior, and it was a brilliant move as, in just 32 appearances, he notched up 17 goals and five assists.

That was enough to convince fellow Eredivisie side AZ Alkmaar to come in with a £6.7m offer, which was enough to tempt the North Londoners into selling, a decision that, based on how things have gone since, might have been a mistake.

In his first season with De Kaasboeren, the 23-year-old poacher found the back of the net 20 times and provided five assists in 47 appearances, totalling 3432 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.88 games, or every 137.28 minutes.

However, this season, the “phenomenal” forward, as dubbed by former manager Ryan Lowe, has taken things to a whole new level.

In just eight appearances, totalling 509 minutes, the Dublin-born goal machine has put the ball in the back of the net ten times and provided two assists for good measure.

Appearances

47

8

Minutes

3432′

509′

Goals

20

10

Assists

5

2

Goal Involvements per Match

0.53

1.5

Minutes per Goal Involvements

137.28′

42.41′

That comes out to a brilliant average of 1.5 goal involvements every game, or every one every 42.41 minutes, which is a rate of return that is pretty much on parity with Kane’s.

Ultimately, it’s impossible to say how Parrott would have gotten on had he not moved to the Netherlands two years ago, but given his incredible form since then, he certainly feels like a player Thomas Franks would appreciate.

Tottenham Hotspur's most expensive sales of all time

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ByCharlie Smith Oct 7, 2025

West Ham are weighing potential replacements for under-pressure boss Graham Potter behind-the-scenes, and chairman David Sullivan favours one man in particular amid difficulties surrounding Nuno Espírito Santo.

Nuno tipped as West Ham favourite to replace Graham Potter

Nuno is currently the favourirte to replace Potter at West Ham, owing to his availability and obvious suitability to the role.

A public fallout with Evangelos Marinakis cost the Portuguese his last job, but before his unceremonious departure, Nuno helped to transform Nottingham Forest into a European outfit for the first time since 1995.

Nuno first went to the City Ground with Forest in major danger of a drop back down to the Championship, but the 51-year-old avoided relegation, solidified their leaky defence, gave them an identity and got the very best out of his squad.

On paper, Nuno’s appeal to West Ham is there for all to see, and he is by no means a one-club wonder, having achieved similar feats with Wolves, where he first made his name as a noteworthy Premier League manager.

Worst West Ham managers in the Premier League

Win percentage

9. Sam Allardyce

30.7%

10. Julen Lopetegui

30%

11. Gianfranco Zola

27.8%

12 Graham Potter

26.1%

13. Avram Grant

18.9%

via StatMuse

His brief stint at Tottenham is one to forget for all involved, and he was sacked by Al-Ittihad just months after winning the Saudi side a league title.

However, you can make a serious case that Nuno is the best available manager for West Ham right now by some distance, with Potter on the verge of being sacked with looming games against Everton and Arsenal poised to decide his future.

ExWHUemployee is among the reliable media sources to state that Nuno is the favourite for West Ham’s hot seat, and he says that talks have already been held with both Sullivan and Karren Brady as the tactician considers joining them.

Other top contenders include Gary O’Neil, following his “respected” work at Wolves and Bournemouth (Miguel Delaney), while former West Ham defender Slaven Bilic is also reportedly very keen to make a return to east London (GiveMeSport).

Bilic was in charge between 2015 and 2017. He guided West Ham to one of their highest ever Premier League finishes (7th), earning them a place in the Europa League qualifying rounds, before he was sacked at the start of 2017/2018 with his side languishing in the relegation zone.

Sullivan in "regular contact" with Bilic as West Ham dealt Nuno roadblock

While Nuno is still the managerial favourite, journalist Pete O’Rourke has now said that West Ham have been dealt a roadblock regarding his potential appointment.

In a piece for Football Insider, the reporter claims that ‘legal issues’ are delaying a move for Nuno, so much so that they could even be forced to push back Potter’s sacking, with it now being unlikely he’ll leave before the October international break.

The legalities around Nuno surround his departure from Forest, and until they’re resolved, the race to replace Potter remains open.

Sullivan is apparently in regular contact with Bilic as a West Ham alternative to Nuno, and the Croatian would be the Irons chairman’s first choice.

However, Bilic would only be given the job on a short-term basis, even if insiders like ExWHUemployee have claimed that the former West Brom boss is already plotting a major backroom reshuffle.

Bilic vs Potter at West Ham

Manager

Bilic

Potter

Games

109

25

Wins

42

6

Draws

30

5

Losses

37

14

Points per Game

1.43

0.92

Goals Scored

160

30

Goals Conceded

167

41

All Stats via Transfermarkt

Mark Noble could come in as his assistant coach if he gets the job, with Julian Dicks also potentially joining Bilic’s would-be team of staff.

In terms of whether Bilic is the right man, even just for the season, the jury is very much still out — as best encapsulated by a confused Simon Jordan.