Southern Brave 109 for 4 (Bouchier 42, Devine 41*) beat Trent Rockets 106 (Gordon 32, Corteen-Coleman 4-13) by six wicketsA dominant bowling performance followed by a measured if not nervy run chase saw the Southern Brave to a six-wicket win over Trent Rockets in The Hundred women’s competition at Trent Bridge.Electing to bowl first, Georgia Adams’ decision was justified almost immediately when 17-year-old Tilly Corteen-Coleman struck two huge blows in her opening set, removing Bryony Smith caught off a leading-edge and Nat Sciver-Brunt brilliantly stumped by Rhianna Southby.Despite a 16-ball 25 from captain Ash Gardner, the Rockets top order faltered miserably. From 36 for 2 at the conclusion of the powerplay, it was complete Brave dominance as Rockets collapsed to 55 for 8.Left-arm spinner Corteen-Coleman bowled brilliantly, also dismissing Heather Graham and Emma Jones – the former another stumping by the impressive Southby – on the way to brilliant figures of 4 for 13. Lauren Bell returned to strike twice in three balls, becoming the first woman to take 50 wickets in the Hundred in the process, finishing her 20 balls with 3 for 16.Alana King and Kirstie Gordon then staged a recovery to keep their side in the game. They shared a record tenth-wicket stand of 50 from 44 deliveries to help the Rockets to 106 and give them something to bowl at.In the run chase, Rockets struck early – Danni Wyatt-Hodge run out by King after a miscommunication with Maia Bouchier. Laura Wolvaardt was then caught by Sciver-Brunt off Gordon to see the score 10 for 2 with two in-form batters back in the shed.Bouchier and Sophie Devine played cautiously against probing bowling from King and Gardner, steadily chipping away at the target as the Brave reached 52 for 2 at halfway with 55 runs still required.Bouchier began to open her shoulders as Brave approached their target, but she targeted King one time too many, running past a wide one to be stumped for 43.Devine was joined by Freya Kemp who, after cracking a huge six off Gordon, went caught on the boundary with eight still required from seven balls. But Devine stayed calm, striking a crucial boundary off Graham as the Brave got home with two balls to spare.Meerkat Match Hero, Corteen-Coleman, said: “It’s been fantastic, such a great team performance. Good to get another win on the board. There’s a bit of a track record of Trent Bridge being a bit slow and having a bit of turn so I thought I might be in the game.”I can’t complain, it’s been a great day. We’re a great group. We’ve been working really hard and obviously off the back of last year I feel like we’ve got a lot to prove and we’re on our way to doing that.”
Arsenal cruised to a 4-0 victory over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday evening, leading Paul Merson to fire a warning to the rest of the teams in the competition.
In what was billed as a battle of defensive, tactical football between two managers who pride themselves on being tough to beat, Mikel Arteta made a mockery of the pre-match predictions as his side demolished Diego Simeone’s men in an enthralling second-half at the Emirates.
Viktor Gyokeres ended a seven-match goal drought with a quickfire brace to round off the scoring, taking Gyokeres’ tally for his new club to five following his £58million transfer from Sporting Lisbon, where he scored 97 times in 102 appearances.
Speaking after the thumping win, Arteta challenged Gyokeres to keep the goals coming, with the north Londoners back in domestic action against Crystal Palace at the Emirates on Sunday.
And Gyokeres, 27, said: “I’m more hungry now. You always want to contribute with work rate and other stuff, but when you score goals as well, it’s a bit special. So that’s something I always want to do.
“The group we have and the spirit is something different and something very special.
“When you win games and you do these performances, it builds confidence in the team. The belief has to always be there, but of course this helps to boost it. We just want to keep going like this.”
Arsenal's message to the rest of Europe
Gyokeres was not the only man receiving plaudits, as Merson was full of praise for Bukayo Saka during his commentary on Sky Sports, claiming he had Atletico stars like Koke “on toast”.
Not Gyokeres: Paul Merson says "outstanding" Arsenal star had Atletico Madrid "on toast"
The Gunners legend was very impressed by his performance.
ByEmilio Galantini Oct 21, 2025
And the former Gunners star believes his old team sent out a warning to the rest of Europe after accomplishing something that “no one” does.
Arsenal have won their three games in Europe so far with as many clean sheets. Remarkably, Arteta’s men have conceded just three times – away at Liverpool and Newcastle and at home to Manchester City, with just one of those coming from open play – in their first 12 fixtures.
Goalkeeper David Raya, who has recorded five consecutive shutouts, said: “I give clean sheets the same credit as goals.
“If we’re keeping clean sheets, it’s going to make games easier to win. It’s really, really important for the whole team, not giving away that many chances and being very, very solid.
“The depth of the squad is incredible. We have a lot of players who can play in two, three or four positions.
“(Mikel) Merino came on as a striker (against Atletico), but he can play as a number six, eight, or as a number 10, and that is the variety that the boss has and he is using it to our advantage.
“It gives us an extra level in training and in games, because if you are not at it you can lose your spot and everybody is on board with that.”
Arsenal will head into this weekend’s round of league fixtures with a three-point cushion over second-placed Manchester City. Defending champions Liverpool are a further point off the pace.
Kylian Mbappe found the back of the net again and super-sub Vinicius Junior baited two red cards as Real Madrid beat Getafe 1-0 on Sunday night. Los Blancos were dragged into a rather ugly contest, but the Frenchman's second-half goal saw them get the job done and go two points clear of arch-rivals Barcelona at the La Liga summit ahead of next week's Clasico.
Madrid struggled to create an opening in the first half. Mbappe came close, only to see a weak-footed shot parried away by the excellent David Soria in the Getafe net. David Alaba, too, was denied by the Spaniard, who saved an awkwardly spinning free kick.
Mbappe had a good chance after 65 minutes, running onto a Jude Bellingham through ball before firing into the side netting.
What followed was a remarkably odd sequence. Right back Allan Nyom was subbed on to protect Kiko, who was on a red and facing the dangerous Vinicius Jr. Nyom was sent off after 50 seconds for elbowing the Brazilian. In the ensuing chaos, Getafe failed to reorganize their defensive setup, and Mbappe ran through to make it 1-0.
Vinicius baited a second red soon after, drawing a silly booking from Alex Sancris, who had already been cautioned and left Getafe with just nine men for the final stages of the game. And with a two-man advantage, Madrid rather cruised. Not an easy win, but a valuable one ahead of El Clasico.
GOAL rates Real Madrid's players from Estadio Coliseum…
GettyGoalkeeper & Defence
Thibaut Courtois (8/10):
Made a miraculous save in second half stoppage time to secure the win. Immense.
Federico Valverde (7/10):
A bit mixed after facing heavy criticism of late. Covered ground, played some nice passes, but looked a little vulnerable defensively.
Eder Militao (6/10):
Erratic at times, and could have done with holding down the back line when Alaba was benched.
David Alaba (7/10):
A good contest to hand the injury-plagued defender a start, especially given that Madrid would have little defending to do. Unlucky not to score a free kick. 45 tidy minutes.
Alvaro Carreras (7/10):
Sat in, held his position, and ensured that the left side was tidy enough.
AdvertisementGettyMidfield
Aurelien Tchouameni (7/10):
Sat at the base of midfield. Won the ball, and kept it moving.
Eduardo Camavinga (7/10):
Ensured Getafe had pretty much nothing through the middle. Did his job – even if it wasn't a glamorous one.
Jude Bellingham (7/10):
A composed performance. Made things happen, played some clever passes.
GettyAttack
Franco Mastantuono (5/10):
Clever in tight areas and combined effectively with Bellingham, but didn't leave a lasting mark. Rather outdone by the physicality of it all.
Kylian Mbappe (8/10):
Had one saved that he would usually bury, and then fired wide. Made up for it by smashing in the winner to bring up 50 goals in 2025. First Madrid player to score 10 or more goals after his first nine games of a season since Cristiano Ronaldo in 2014-15.
Rodrygo (5/10):
Handed a rare start in his preferred position. Didn't do much to show that he deserved more of them. Moved to the right soon after.
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GettySubs & Manager
Raul Asencio (6/10):
An assured second half, aside from one defensive lapse.
Vinicius Jr (8/10):
Made things happen. Got kicked a lot. Baited two reds.
Arda Guler (7/10):
Assisted Mbappe for the 5th time this year alone.
Gonzalo Garcia (N/A):
No time to make an impact.
Brahim Diaz (N/A):
No time to make an impact.
Xabi Alonso (7/10):
Shuffled his pack, benched Vinicius and gave Rodrygo a rare start on the left. Got a disciplined showing out of his side, and will take the win – even if it was an ugly one.
“We play night games in domestic cricket. It got me used to such conditions,” says Haider after his impressive spell of 3 for 7 in series-decider
Mohammad Isam22-May-2025Haider Ali turned to an old-school method to prepare for Sharjah’s infamous dew: dipping the cricket ball in a bucket of water and practising with it. The tactic worked like a charm on Wednesday night as the left-arm spinner starred with figures of 3 for 7, helping UAE seal a historic 2-1 T20I series victory against Bangladesh.Dew, a well-known factor in night games in the UAE, hadn’t shown up in the first two T20Is. But it arrived early in the third and deciding match. Unlike many bowlers on both sides who struggled for grip and control, Haider was ready. He said that the experience of having played in Sharjah under lights helped him.”There was dew from the first over,” Haider said after the game. “It usually sets in a little later in the game. But we were prepared for it. We have played in Sharjah a lot. I practice a lot with the wet ball. You have to get used to bowling with the wet ball if you want to perform here. You have to dunk the ball in a bucket of water and then bowl with it. We play night games in domestic cricket. It got me used to such conditions.”Related
Five reasons Bangladesh couldn't pass the UAE test
Haider and Sharafu lead UAE to historic series win against Bangladesh
Haider's miserly spell and a record chase in UAE's series win
Making his T20I debut in this series, Haider had gone wicketless in the first two matches. But in the decider, he delivered right from the start. He dismissed batters Litton Das and Towhid Hridoy within his first three balls, then removed Mahedi Hasan in his next over, reducing Bangladesh to 49 for 4.His spell – tight, aggressive, and accurate – set the tone for UAE’s dominance with the ball. Haider credited his mindset shift for the turnaround.”The series was level at one-all. I saw in the previous games that if I was being a little defensive with the ball, runs were leaking from the other end,” he said. “After talking to the coaching staff, I decided that I will be aggressive in my bowling in this game. There was a lot of dew around, so the pitch had softened, which actually helped me. I could put together a good spell. The team needed my contribution.”We decided to stick to the plan we made before the game. The plan was obviously to win the game at any cost. We decided that I will bowl aggressively, like I do in the ILT20 or domestic cricket. I wank to thank all those people who have supported me in the last 12 months, especially my domestic teams who have helped me practice on these wickets.”.Haider was especially proud of dismissing Litton, whom he called “a big wicket.””He has performed all over the world,” Haider said. “He was also my debut wicket. He can build partnerships and take the game away from you. Waseem bhai and I decided to attack him. We thought, ‘we shouldn’t be bowling defensive lines to him. If we can get him out early, we can deprive them of an early big partnership’.”Bangladesh recovered from 84 for 8 to post a competitive 162 for 9, but UAE chased it down, thanks to an unbeaten 68 from No. 3 Alishan Sharafu.That apart, the 2-1 series win is a huge boost for UAE, as they head into a crucial year, having qualified for the Asia Cup.”The UAE cricket board and our management supported the players a lot,” Haider said. “I would like to thank them for the series victory. Bangladesh is a Test-playing nation, but UAE played really well in this series. The victory will boost the players, and it will boost our confidence in tournaments like the Asia Cup.”
Tottenham Hotspur officially confirmed that Daniel Levy was stepping down from his role as the chairman of the club last week, after more than 24 years at the helm.
The English supremo had not long finished, what turned out to be, his final transfer window running the show in North London, months after the club lifted the Europa League trophy.
Ange Postecoglou led Spurs to their first trophy in 17 years by beating Manchester United in the final, but Levy still decided to move on from the manager because of the club’s poor form in the Premier League.
Thomas Frank was brought in from Brentford to replace the former Celtic boss. The Danish manager was then backed by Levy in the transfer market, with the signings of Mohammed Kudus, Randal Kolo Muani, and Xavi Simons, in particular.
It is now a matter of wait and see to judge whether or not the former Tottenham chairman’s final signings in charge of the club were a success.
On paper, though, Simons appears to be an incredibly exciting addition to the squad, as his form in Germany suggests that he could make a big impact in the Premier League.
Why Xavi Simons is an exciting signing for Spurs
The Lilywhites reportedly splashed out a fee worth up to £51m to sign the Netherlands international from RB Leipzig to bolster Frank’s attacking midfield options after James Maddison sustained an ACL injury.
Simons has yet to make his debut for the club, having signed shortly before the 1-0 loss to Bournemouth last time out, and could make his bow against West Ham United on Saturday.
The Dutch playmaker is an exciting signing for Spurs because his form for Leipzig suggests that he can add a lot of creativity to Frank’s midfield, as shown in the graphic below.
These statistics show that Simons is an attacking midfielder who is incredibly effective at breaking down opposition defences to create high-quality chances for his teammates to find the back of the net.
Naturally, there will be a comparison made to Maddison because the Dutch star is essentially coming in to take his role as creator-in-chief whilst the England international nurses his way back from an ACL injury.
24/25 League
Simons
Maddison
Appearances
25
31
xG
5.11
5.83
Goals
10
9
Big chances created
12
6
xA
5.98
5.91
Assists
7
7
Dribbles completed
1.3
1.1
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, Simons delivered more goals and created twice as many ‘big chances’ at league level in comparison to the former Leicester and Norwich star in the 2024/25 campaign.
These statistics suggest that the potential is there for him to be even more valuable to the team than Maddison if he can hit the ground running in England, but it is now down to him to adapt to the league and deliver on the pitch.
Whilst Simons, who has been signed for £51m, is a very exciting addition because of the attacking quality that he could provide, Levy may not want to be reminded that there is a player who left Spurs for nothing and is now worth even more than the Dutchman.
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.
Tottenham had Noni Madueke in their youth set-up and failed to keep hold of him as a teenager, which was a blunder that the now former-Spurs chief may regret.
Why Noni Madueke left Tottenham Hotspur
The left-footed forward joined the club’s academy from Crystal Palace in 2014, at the age of 12, and spent four years in the youth ranks before his exit on a free transfer in 2018.
Noni Madueke
Speaking to Sky Sports in 2023, Madueke explained: “Tottenham was a great academy and they’ve got a great development plan. I’d been offered a scholarship agreement at Tottenham but I’d seen a lot of the boys – that were good as well – just kind of get lost in the system and I just didn’t want that for me.”
This is only an inference from these quotes, but it seems like the winger did not see a clear enough pathway to the first-team, despite Harry Kane’s emergence a few years prior, and that is down to Levy and the first-team management team for not making that clear enough.
The club were unable to convince Madueke that there was a pathway for him, which led to the talented forward’s exit in 2018 on a free transfer, signing for PSV in the Netherlands to continue his development.
He scored 20 goals and provided 13 assists in 80 appearances in all competitions for PSV, per Transfermarkt, before his move to Chelsea in January 2023.
Madueke enjoyed similar success during his time at Stamford Bridge. The England international scored 20 goals and produced nine assists in 92 outings for the Blues, per Transfermarkt.
His form for Chelsea led to a move to Arsenal earlier this summer in a deal that could be worth up to £52m, £1m more than the deal that brought Simons to Spurs in the same transfer window.
Madueke’s soaring market value
Date
Market value/transfer fee
October 2019
£520k
April 2020
£3.9m
October 2020
£5.2m
October 2021
£15.6m
September 2022
£13m
January 2023
£29m move to Chelsea
June 2023
£26m
October 2024
£30m
December 2024
£34.7m
July 2025
£52m move to Arsenal
Market values via Transfermarkt
As you can see in the table above, the 23-year-old star’s value has soared exponentially since his move to PSV from Spurs on a free transfer in 2018.
Spurs had a howler, therefore, when Levy and the first-team management staff, led by Mauricio Pochettino at the time, failed to offer a clear enough pathway to convince him to continue his development at the club.
Madueke, who was described as a “maverick” by analyst Ben Mattinson, has gone on to become an England international and Premier League star who is now valued at more than £50m and slightly more than Tottenham’s star summer signing Xavi Simons.
Forget Bale and Son: Spurs "wonderkid" was Levy's best-ever signing
Tottenham Hotspur hit the jackpot on this star who was an even better Daniel Levy signing than Gareth Bale & Heung-min Son.
By
Dan Emery
Sep 8, 2025
Levy, when looking back at his long Spurs tenure, may regret that he was unable to convince, or unable to create an environment to convince, Madueke to stay at the club back in 2018, because of what he has gone on to achieve.
أعلن الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم، فيفا، التصنيف الخاص بالمنتخبات فيما يتعلق بشهر أكتوبر الجاري لعام 2025، والذي شهد تقدمًا لصالح منتخب الأرجنتين مقابل تراجع لمنتخب فرنسا.
وحافظ منتخب إسبانيا على تواجده في صدارة المنتخبات لشهر أكتوبر، برصيد 1880.76 نقطة، وصعد منتخب الأرجنتين إلى المركز الثاني بعدما كان ثالثًا فيما سبق، برصيد 1872.43 نقطة.
اقرأ أيضًا | فيفا يعلن تصنيف شهر أكتوبر 2025.. منتخب مصر يتقدم 3 مراكز
في حين تراجع منتخب فرنسا إلى المركز الثالث، بعدما كان ثانيًا، حيث بلغ رصيده 1862.71 نقطة، في حين حافظ كل من إنجلترا والبرتغال على مركزيهما الرابع والخامس، برصيد 1824.3 نقطة و1778 نقطة على التوالي.
وصعد منتخب هولندا إلى المركز السادس برصيد 1759.96 نقطة، بعدما كان سابعًا، في حين تراجع منتخب البرازيل ليحتل المركز السابع برصيد 1758.85 نقطة، ويليه بلجيكا وإيطاليا برصيد 1740.01 و1717.15 نقطة على التوالي.
وقفز منتخب ألمانيا مركزين في تصنيف فيفا لشهر أكتوبر ليحتل المركز العاشر برصيد 1713.3 نقطة. أفضل 10 منتخبات في تصنيف فيفا لشهر أكتوبر 2025
Craig Young’s four-wicket haul in vain as Zimbabwe take a 1-0 lead in the series
Sreshth Shah23-Feb-2025
File photo: Tony Munyonga played a vital hand of 43 not out•AFP/Getty Images
Craig Young’s four-wicket haul appeared to put Ireland on the ascendancy, but No. 6 Tony Munyonga dragged Zimbabwe out of a hole with an unbeaten 43 to seal a tight three-wicket win for the hosts in Harare.Their victory with four balls to spare now gives Zimbabwe an unassailable 1-0 lead in the three-game series with the first T20I washed out and the third encounter remaining on February 25.Young turns perfect replacementThe quick was not in the T20I squad originally, but brought in late to replace the injured Mark Adair. Adair had been Ireland’s best bowler in the ODIs, but Young’s new-ball spell made up for his absence.His first ball of the evening was a short ball that Zimbabwe opener Tadiwanashe Marumani half-heartedly pulled towards short fine leg. Three balls later, he dug another one in and took Wessly Madhevere’s outside edge to Paul Stirling. Next over, Brian Bennett sliced one to deep backward point and Ireland had the early edge.Later, when Ireland were desperate for a wicket, his dismissal of Tashinga Musekiwa at what seemed to be a crucial point in the game left him with figures of 4 for 24.Zimbabwe’s lower-middle order steps upWith the early collapse, the experienced pair of Raza and Burl were the perfect batters to follow. Ireland kept the pressure up, but Raza grinded it out with only two fours in his 27-ball 22. He could afford to with a middling target.Burl’s 27 at a strike rate of 135 kept the Zimbabwe innings in touch with the rate. Ireland, though, dismissed both in quick succession with Burl edging Harry Tector behind and Raza hitting down long off’s throat to leave Zimbabwe at 64 for 5.Munyonga, though, showed great maturity in navigating a tricky period by contributing in the 33-run sixth-wicket stand with Musekiwa (15) and another 15 runs with Wellington Masakadza. No. 9 Richard Ngarava struck two crucial fours late in the 19th over off Young before Munyonga hit the winning runs with a thrashing through the covers.Ireland stutter after rain breakAfter losing Stirling early, the other opener Lorcan Tucker (46) held fort in the company of No. 3 Tector (28) to lift the innings. Tector, the more enterprising of the two, fell in the eighth over to Raza trying to find a big shot, leaving Ireland at 59 for 2.But Tucker and No. 4 Curtis Campher failed to gain momentum like Tector, adding only 40 runs in their 5.5 overs together and their dismissals shortly after the rain break came in a phase when Zimbabwe’s bowlers kept things tight.Blessing Muzarabani, Trevor Gwandu and Raza all went for under six an over. Gwandu’s dismissals of Tucker, George Dockrell and Neil Rock crippled Ireland’s pursuit of a big flourish, while Raza broke two dangerous partnerships. Ireland scored only 16 in the last three overs to finish on a below-par 137 for 8.
Tamim has not played an international game since September 2023 but now the selectors are hopeful he will make the trip to Pakistan next month
Mohammad Isam08-Jan-2025
Will Tamim Iqbal be back in the green and red of Bangladesh come the Champions Trophy?•Joe Allison/Getty Images
Bangladesh’s selectors are waiting for Tamim Iqbal to make up his mind about a possible comeback to international cricket ahead of the Champions Trophy next month. The deadline for announcing squads is January 12, and the BCB is willing to wait till the last minute to see if Tamim wants to play. Chief selector Gazi Ashraf Hossain led the talks with Tamim at the Fortune Barishal team hotel in Sylhet; Tamim is captaining the side in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).Tamim retired from international cricket in July 2023, before reversing his decision the next day after intervention from then Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina. Tamim had a falling out with then BCB president Nazmul Hassan. Both Hasina and Hassan left the country during the anti-government protests in mid-2024 which left several hundred protesters dead.Tamim gave up the captaincy during that run-in with the board in 2023 but returned to play two ODIs against New Zealand in September before the then selectors, led by Minhajul Abedin, dropped him for the 2023 World Cup. That was followed by then captain Shakib Al Hasan blasting Tamim in a televised interview.Tamim Iqbal has been a key cog for Fortune Barishal at the BPL•Fortune Barishal
Tamim has not played an international game since then but continued to play domestic cricket, including winning the 2024 BPL with the Barishal franchise and finishing as the Player of the Tournament. Tamim is currently defending that title in Sylhet, where the meeting with the national selectors took place.”We held a primary discussion with Tamim,” Gazi Ashraf Hossain said. “We have to announce the Champions Trophy team by January 12, so we have a bit of time. We want to let him take time, not be in a hurry to decide. We have spoken to him on behalf of the board. The player has to come to a decision after speaking to his family, friends and well-wishers. He is also in the middle of a tournament so he will need a bit of time.”We have four days left [before announcing the squad]. We have done our homework, so we know how things will shape up. We pay respect to a cricketer like Tamim Iqbal, so he can take his time before informing us. I think it’s fair enough. The board is fine with this, so everyone now has to be patient.”Gazi Ashraf said that ODI captain Najmul Hossain Shanto is in faour of Tamim’s return. “We are always speaking to the captain. He wasn’t however there when we spoke to Tamim. We have spoken to the captain separately about the squad. I think everyone wants Tamim back in the Bangladesh team.”Tamim also recently played in the National Cricket League T20s, where he was the top scorer for Chattogram Division.Gazi Ashraf said that showed Tamim is match fit, though he will have to take a call himself if he can make the step up to international cricket. “There’s a huge gap between domestic and international cricket. A player who is at a crucial juncture in his career, he has to consider a lot of things. I think it will be hasty for everyone to take a call in just one meeting, given that Tamim hasn’t been around international cricket for quite some time.”He is playing the BPL. He played in the NCL T20s. There’s no question about his ability. We are all waiting for his return to the Bangladesh team. He is most welcome from our side. You just have to wait. Let there be suspense.”
The ICC Women’s Championship has expanded to 11 teams with Zimbabwe’s inclusion, and a new T20 Champions Trophy has been introduced
Shashank Kishore04-Nov-2024The Women’s Premier League (WPL) will be played in January-February from 2026, while the Hundred (August) and WBBL (November) have been allotted dedicated windows in the new women’s Future Tours Programme for the 2025-29 cycle.The BCCI moving the WPL has resulted in Cricket Australia pushing back its women’s marquee summer fixtures from mid-January to February-March to avoid a clash with the most lucrative women’s franchise league.The 2024-25 women’s Ashes, which begins on January 12, will be the last international matches Australia will host in January until 2029. The first of Australia’s marquee home series in their new window is a tour by India for one Test, three ODIs, and three T20Is after the WPL in January-February 2026.The ICC Women’s ODI Championship has been expanded to 11 teams in the new FTP with the addition of Zimbabwe. This follows the addition of Bangladesh and Ireland to the ongoing cycle that will culminate with next year’s ODI World Cup in India in October. Zimbabwe’s inclusion means all of ICC’s Full Members except Afghanistan, who don’t field a women’s team, are part of the championship.With the expansion of the Women’s Championship, each country will play four teams at home and four away over a three-year cycle. In their maiden appearance in the upcoming cycle, Zimbabwe will host South Africa, West Indies, Ireland and Sri Lanka and will tour India, New Zealand, Bangladesh and Pakistan.As expected, India and Pakistan will only play each other in world tournaments in the new FTP, and not in bilateral series.ESPNcricinfo LtdIn another addition that has been largely members-driven, teams have scheduled tri-series as part of their preparation for ICC events during this cycle.”Ahead of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, England will host India and New Zealand for such a three-team T20I tournament while Ireland will host Pakistan and the West Indies,” ICC general manager Wasim Khan said. “Sri Lanka and the West Indies are among other Members scheduled to host tri-series, in 2027 and 2028, respectively.”A T20 Champions Trophy for womenThe ICC has introduced a T20 Champions Trophy – to be held in Sri Lanka in 2027 – as part of its strategic plan to have at least one women’s global tournament each year. This new tournament will feature six teams and will comprise 16 matches. The addition of this tournament to the women’s calendar means there will be three global events – including the LA Olympics (August 2028) and T20 World Cup (September 2028) – over a 12-month period.This takes the count of all ICC senior women’s events in the new FTP cycle to five: two T20 World Cups (2026 and 2028), two ODI World Cups (2025 and 2029), and a T20 Champions Trophy in 2027.The ODI World Cup will have 10 teams playing 48 matches from 2029 (up from eight teams, and 31 matches, till 2025), the T20 World Cup will be expanded to 12 teams playing 33 matches from 2026 (up from 10 teams and 23 matches till 2024).Women’s FTP – Test cricket•ESPNcricinfo LtdWest Indies to play Tests after 20 yearsA total of 15 women’s Tests have been included in this cycle, with West Indies set to return to the format after more than 20 years. They host Australia for one Test as part of a multi-format series in March 2026, play England in another at home in April 2027, and will play a Test in South Africa in December 2028.West Indies last played a Test in 2003-04, against Pakistan, and have only played 12 women’s Tests in all. India, meanwhile, will play Australia and South Africa in away Tests in 2026, while also hosting Australia and England later in the cycle.Having toured Australia for what was only their second women’s Test in nearly a decade, South Africa will host Australia for a Test for the first time in March-April 2027. The new FTP concludes in 2029 with the ODI World Cup, the venue for which is yet to be announced.
Shuffled into middle order, Luke Wells finishes day on 78 not out as Lancashire take control
ECB Reporters Network18-Sep-2024Lancashire’s batters made title-chasing Somerset work for every wicket on the second day of the Vitality County Championship match at Old Trafford and had built a formidable 292-run lead at close of play.Josh Bohannon’s 60 and Luke Wells’ unbeaten 78 enabled the home side to finish on 298 for 7 in their second innings of a match both sides desperately need to win, Lancashire to preserve their hopes of avoiding relegation, Surrey to stay in touch with Surrey at the top of the table.The difference between the first day’s play and the second was immediately apparent during a morning session in which Lancashire scored 90 runs in 27 overs for the loss of only two wickets.On a pitch that had dried out and lost much of the greenness, bowlers had to work harder for their successes and the only batsman dismissed in the first hour was the nightwatchman, Will Williams, who was leg-before wicket to Craig Overton for 7 in the third over of the morning.Harry Singh then added 85 for the third wicket with Bohannon, who batted beautifully to make 60 off 76 balls. However, it was indicative of the problems Bohannon has encountered this season that his half-century was only his fourth innings over fifty in 22 Championship innings.None of which diminished Somerset’s joy in the penultimate over before lunch when Bohannon tried to pull a ball from Kasey Aldridge but only succeeded in diverting it via the toe of the bat to Tom Abell in the gully.On the resumption, Singh and Rocky Flintoff defied Lewis Gregory’s bowlers for 50 minutes until Singh thin-edged a catch to James Rew off Brett Randell to give the New Zealander his first wicket for Somerset.Singh had faced 142 balls during his 260-minute innings of 30 but his patient resistance was not copied by Matty Hurst, who hit three breezy fours in 19 runs before attempting to drive Randell and nicking a catch to Overton at second slip.In the next over, Flintoff was bowled by Jack Leach’s arm-ball for 27 but Well and George Bell saw their side through to 214 for 6 at tea, when Lancashire’s lead was 208. And on the resumption, Wells and Bell extended their seventh-wicket stand to 83 before Bell was bowled for 23 when trying to pull a ball from Gregory that kept low.Wells shifted down into the middle order for this match, having struggled in his usual opening role in recent weeks. Batting as low as No. 7 on account of Williams’ deployment as a nightwatchman, he went on to emulate Bohannon’s feat in passing fifty for only the fourth time this season but his strokeplay was impressive, most noticeably when he hit three off-side boundaries in one over from Gregory.And the day ended with Lancashire in the ascendant. Wells was unbeaten on 78 and Somerset’s fielders appeared aggrieved that George Balderson had not been adjudged run out on 5 when apparently run out by Overton’s throw from slip. The visitors had earlier been penalised five runs for fake fielding.