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England spinner stepped into big shoes for the Hundred, but has guided her side to the Eliminator

Andrew Miller30-Aug-2025Twelve months on from London Spirit’s victory over Welsh Fire in the 2024 Women’s Hundred final, Charlie Dean breaks into a grin as she recalls Deepti Sharma’s winning six over long-on, and her team’s agog reactions in the dugout by the boundary’s edge.”Every time you look at that clip, you see something different,” Dean tells ESPNcricinfo, thinking back to Spirit’s tightly fought four-wicket win, sealed in euphoric style with two balls to spare, and with Dean herself 1 not out at the non-striker’s end.Cordelia Griffith was the star of the subsequent meme: eyes out on stalks as she tracked Deepti’s shot, all the way off the bat and just out of the reach of a backpedalling Shabnim Ismail, but every player in the frame lived the moment in a different way.”There’s Eva [Gray] taking her helmet off, then putting it back on, then throwing it away,” Dean recalls. “I’d faced one full-toss and hit it straight to the fielder, so when Deepti hit the ball over the boundary there’s just a lot of relief. I’ve seen so many replays of the girls celebrating off the bench. It brings back a lot of good memories, a lot of good feelings. That’s why you play the game, isn’t it? To win big games like that. If we can replicate any of those feelings again this year, that would be amazing.”Spirit have certainly done the needful to give themselves a shot at back-to-back titles. For the second year running, they have qualified third in the table, meaning they will once again have to come through Saturday’s Eliminator at the Kia Oval to give themselves a chance to face Southern Brave in the Lord’s final.If there’s a slight nervousness about the weekend’s weather forecast, and the danger that a washout could send second-placed Northern Superchargers straight to the final without a ball being bowled, then Dean is unfazed. Not only has her team been in this position before, but now – as captain, in the wake of Heather Knight’s season-halting hamstring injury – she feels all the more ready to cope with whatever circumstances crop up in the coming days.Grace Harris opened the tournament with a blistering 89 not out•ECB via Getty Images”I’ve really enjoyed this year,” she says. “I’m in a place where I know my game quite well, and I can think about other people, and I feel like I’ve had a lot of personal development. I’ve gained a bit more confidence with my public speaking, and bits like that … things that would probably have challenged me a lot more in previous years.”The core group of girls is pretty similar to last year and the year before, with a few brilliant changes, so be able to lead this group is a bit of an honour,” she adds. “It’s lovely to have Heather still here with us, offering a bit of guidance and advice, then there’s Chris Liddle – it’s his first time being head coach, but you wouldn’t know it – so I’m incredibly lucky that I’m really well supported.”We work really well as a core leadership group, and that just makes my job so much easier. I trust my gut and go with how I see the game playing out on the pitch. The girls have performed really well, and different people have stood up at different times, so it certainly makes a captain’s job easier when that is the case.”The chance to captain Spirit – untimely though it has been for Knight – has the potential to transform Dean’s standing within English cricket. Back in March, when Knight left her role as England captain, Dean’s name had been one of many tentatively mentioned for the succession, but everywhere you looked, the problem was the same. Knight’s sheer longevity – eight years in the role – had inadvertently prevented anyone else within the England set-up from honing their leadership skills.Related

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It’s an issue Dean recognises and accepts. “It’s hard, as an England player, to be in and out of domestic teams and still be a leader. You can’t captain a domestic team if you’re not there all the time. So opportunities to captain are few and far between, but I always relished the chance to step up in other leadership ways. This has been a perfect opportunity for me to test out how I’ve grown, and see where it takes me.”In the immediate future, Dean hopes it will take her north of the river once again, after this afternoon’s Eliminator, and back to the base-camp that she has been proud to call her midsummer home for the past five seasons.”Lord’s massively feels like home for us,” she says. “It really does feel like the norm to be able to go out and play there, which is crazy when you think, 5-10 years ago, you really wouldn’t be able to say that at all. Women’s cricket deserves that platform … the skill levels are increasing, day in, day out, with more professionalism and the chance to showcase our skills.”Even so, the Lord’s factor is a very real aspect of Finals Day, and so the chance for Spirit to have familiarised themselves with the surroundings, and the ground’s idiosyncrasies (“I don’t know if you know, but there is a slope here,” Dean jokes…) is undoubtedly a bonus.Lord’s ‘massively feels like home’ for London Spirit women, Dean says•ECB/Getty Images”It does give it a little home advantage, but a final is a final,” she adds. “You have to be the better team, but you also have to be smart. It’s not like The Oval or Headingley, where it’s a batter’s paradise most of the time. But equally, those are the games of cricket that really excite you as a player, when you have to engage a bit more, and plan for different scenarios – left-hand, right-hand, a smaller boundary, or whatever it is. Those are the things that really excite me as a player. It gets the brain ticking.”As Dean acknowledges, many of the same characters from the 2024 victory are still present in the Spirit dressing-room, from Georgia Redmayne at the top of the order, via Griffith and Dani Gibson in the middle, through the spin duo of Dean herself and Sarah Glenn, and with Gray topping their averages with nine wickets at 17.77.But Kira Chathli’s arrival as Knight’s replacement has been a revelation – 214 runs at a strike-rate of 150 has helped to propel their powerplays – while the return of Grace Harris alongside the marquee signing of Issy Wong has given Spirit a sprinkling of extra impetus as they seek to become only the second team after Oval Invincibles to land back-to-back women’s Hundred titles.”We picked up Kira before the wildcard draft, and that was gold-dust, really,” Dean says. “She’d had brilliant form in the Vitality Blast for Surrey, so it was a no-brainer for us to promote her to the top of the order and just encourage her to play the way that she’s been playing for Surrey.”As for Harris, she announced her return in irrepressible fashion in the tournament opener against Invincibles, where she clubbed a matchwinning 89 not out from 42 balls. Her returns since then may have been more hit-and-miss, but her threat has been ever-present, along with her indefatigable dressing-room attitude.”She’s a fantastic cricketer to have in your team,” Dean says. “The energy that she brings and the way she goes about her business, she just cracks on and gets it done. She set the tone with that opening game, and has been just fantastic for us. We let her go and express herself. And she does it really well, even though at times you may be like, ‘Wow, she really doesn’t stop!’ But it is fantastic to have someone in your dressing-room who just exudes energy, because it really brings everyone up with her.”And then there’s Wong, a player whose personal journey in recent seasons has arguably epitomised that of the women’s game as a whole. The huge promise, the inflated expectations, the inevitable dip in performance amid the glare of ever-building scrutiny. But now, still only 23, she’s been on the comeback trail for Warwickshire, England and Spirit all season long, and after a series of critical contributions with bat and ball alike, Dean believes she’ll be ready to deliver when her team needs it most.”Issy is someone that will always stand up under pressure,” she says. “That’s one of the qualities you really want in a player. She thrives in the battle and she’s really become resilient, and developed ways of bouncing back, because she’s had a few struggles.”She’s a fantastic bowler to have in our armoury. She’s come in and really owned what she’s doing, and she’s back with a bang, which is so exciting for English cricket. And for her, on a personal level, knowing how much work that she’s put in over the past couple of years.”

Fireworks, loud music, a near sellout crowd, and a special knock from a special player: the opening night had it all

Zenia D'cunha05-Mar-20236:29

A curtain raiser to rival the IPL opener?

The first match of the long-awaited Women’s Premier League (WPL) is at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, the venue that set the record for the highest crowd for a women’s cricket match in India last December.Walking up to the stadium from the main road, you can already feel the buzz. The buzz of the crowds lining up to enter, and the buzz of excitement to see what’s in store.If one had to paint a visual to describe this buzz, it would be blue.Related

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Blue, the colour of the Mumbai Indians’ jerseys worn by a large section of fans. Blue, of the Indian team’s jerseys a few others, are wearing. A whole shade card of blue in the usual knock-off kits being sold on the streets, both men and women trying the Mumbai Indians one for size. They belong to different editions of the IPL, but it’s the dress code of the day.The team flags, horns, tri-colour memorabilia, face-painters and long queues that circle the outside of any cricket stadium on match days are omnipresent as well.As far as signs of public interest go, this is a good one in Indian cricket.Blue was probably also what Gujarat Giants were feeling after an all-round capitulation against Mumbai Indians.But the crowd wouldn’t mind, they had after all come for two main things and they got exactly that: A historic occasion and a Harmanpreet Kaur special.”This is history in the making, it’s the first-ever women’s match like this and because it’s in Mumbai and this is our team, it feels very good. I’m getting goosebumps already,” one fan outside the stadium said. “It was decided, we had to come for the first match,” another one said.Most people entering the stadium had the same answer when asked the player they are most excited to watch at the WPL – Harmanpreet.1:51

Buzz and anticipation abound in Mumbai as the inaugural WPL kickstarts

One superfan, conspicuous by his vintage Mumbai Indians jersey from the 2013 edition of the IPL – the year they won their first title – wanted Harmanpreet & Co to end a strange jinx.”Mumbai Indians are known to lose their first match, it’s actually a pretty good omen for them. But I hope that’s not the case today, I want them to win.”They did win, and in a way fulfilled the many expectations. The Indian captain delivered a memorable knock to start the tournament on a high, smashing a boundary-studded, 22-ball 50 that helped Mumbai cross 200 in the first game.It was the kind of innings that got the home crowd involved from the beginning – the gasps when she smacked the ball, the cheers when she effortlessly found the gaps, the roar for her shots and the acknowledgement after her dismissal, and the constant chants of her name.With the inaugural WPL taking place entirely in just two venues, Mumbai are the only team to have a home crowd at all their matches and to start it with a bang is exactly what the tournament needed.”We keep discussing how we want to enjoy this moment because we waited for this for a long time,” Harmanpreet said about the atmosphere after the match.”Personally, it was very special to me because whenever I played other leagues, [the crowd] went more towards the local players, but today the Punjabi singer came [AP Dhillon] and it felt like home. The Mumbai crowd was special for all of us, it felt like the whole family came together cheering for this big moment.”Meg Lanning, Beth Mooney, Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, and Alyssa Healy pose with the trophy•BCCIThe others played their part too, the opening fireworks by Hayley Matthews, the handy cameo by Amelia Kerr, Pooja Vastrakar and Nat Sciver-Brunt keeping the boundaries coming, the dominant bowling in the powerplay. And the crowd loved every moment.They may have come for the Indian players they know, but as the game progressed, the Mumbai crowd adopted the others also their own. Issy Wong, the fire-cracker fast bowler from England, got her own chant of ‘Wong, Wong, Wong’ as she started a run-up. All of 20 and not as well-known yet in the international circuit as yet, it was her spectacular first-ball six and second-ball wicket of Ashleigh Gardner (on a golden duck) that endeared her to the cricket-lovers watching.Before the match began, the playing XIs of both teams were announced in the stadium with corresponding images on the big screen – a nice touch given how new all this is. One would hope this player introduction with photos continues through the WPL.Not all was perfect, of course. The one-sided second innings saw the crowds thin out midway through the innings and the stands were almost empty by the end. Already, despite the sold-out sign while booking online, the stadium was not completely full and there were some walkouts after the opening ceremony too.But even at the death overs, nearing 11 pm and long after the stadium announcer and music had stopped at the deadline, there was a sizable cheer when Harmanpreet was fielding at long-on boundary. It’s the power of good, old-fashioned cricketing excellence.”It was a different experience and I hope that we continue to get the kind of crowd support we got today,” she said.That may be difficult in the stadium on weekdays and when the home team is not involved, but what her knock has ensured is that WPL has begun well and will be followed.

Like Australia’s recall of Chris Rogers in 2013, it could be the right solution for the short term

Danyal Rasool03-Feb-2021A month shy of his 36th birthday, Chris Rogers had only ever played one Test match for Australia. This wasn’t a travesty of justice; for the best part of his career, the opener had to wait his turn behind Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer, and latterly a combination of Shane Watson, Phillip Hughes, Simon Katich and David Warner, each of whom were either better, sexier or younger than him. So the New South Welshman bided his time building up a rock-solid domestic career in both Australia and England, content that it was likely just about as far as his talent would take him.Fast forward to the 2013 Ashes series in England. Katich had been removed from CA’s contracts list two years ago, controversially, and Hughes’ inconsistent returns had led Australia to push him down the order in an attempt to get more out of his unquestionable ability. Watson had moved up and down the order too, and his most recent act in Test cricket had been his departure from India in the wake of Homeworkgate. Warner, meanwhile, had just punched an opposition player in a bar.Australia had a decision to make. They made one that didn’t look too far into the future or signal any long-term intent in terms of the direction they were taking. But calling up Rogers to plug a gap at the top proved a pragmatic and brutally effective step.He had over 20,000 first-class runs over the best part of 15 years, and more experience playing in England and Australia than most of his more established teammates. He lacked the boyish charm of Hughes, or Watson’s wrecking-ball drives down the ground, but he was a decent, honest professional who had built up a decent, honest career. He was also, if for the extremely short term, the best opener in the country.What might that have to do with Pakistan? Well, they’ve tried a plethora of opening combinations over the past decade, and looked about as likely to stumble upon a solution as a toddler fiddling with a Rubik’s cube. The trend continued with Abid Ali and Imran Butt against South Africa in Karachi, where they put on 5 and 22. They’ll almost certain retain the same pairing in Rawalpindi, but it remains to be seen for how long they endure.The most compelling argument for Azhar as opener?•ESPNcricinfo LtdSince the start of 2016, Pakistan have tried 14 different openers. Only India (16), and Sri Lanka and Australia (15 – remember, Rogers retired in 2015), have played around at the top more, and all three teams have played significantly more Tests than Pakistan in this period.In fairness, other Test sides – other than New Zealand (who have used just four) – have all had to juggle around at the top too, so for once, this isn’t a uniquely Pakistani problem. We appear to be in a golden age of Test match opening bowling partnerships, but that has spelled trouble for their batting counterparts. Opening partnerships have averaged 30.91 in the decade that’s just begun, and 34.51 in the 2010s. They’re the two lowest-averaging decades for opening stands since – wait for it – the 1900s.Since, arguably, the retirement of Andrew Strauss in 2012, no Test side has managed to lock in two set-and-forget openers, and the days of Langer and Hayden or Graeme Smith and Herschelle Gibbs seem like fuzzy, faraway memories.What makes Pakistan’s case so intriguing, however, is that they might have at least one half of the solution hiding in plain sight. Sometime during the past five years, Pakistan decided Azhar Ali was better suited at No. 3, where he has the majority of his career (110 of 158 innings). Perhaps Azhar, or Pakistan, or both, believe it’s his best position.But in batting him at No. 3, Pakistan have ignored his record as opener: his average of 45.76 at the top of the order is better than those of Alistair Cook or Andrew Strauss or Marvan Attapattu or Gautam Gambhir, among a host of other distinguished names. His accumulation methods might not be pretty, but his numbers certainly are.There is some nuance to those numbers, of course, not least because since January 2010, openers have averaged higher in the UAE and Pakistan than anywhere else, and while he’s yet to open at home, 10 of Azhar’s 37 innings as opener have come in the UAE. But Pakistan’s other openers in this period have also played a lot of their cricket in these two countries, and most have struggled to make the most of those favourable conditions.Azhar Ali has been part of some of Pakistan’s most durable opening pairs in recent times•ESPNcricinfo LtdShan Masood has struggled to buy a run since a superb 156 at Old Trafford, while just under 60% of Abid Ali’s Test runs came in his first three innings; he has since averaged less than 20. Imam-ul-Haq, meanwhile seems to have faded from contention, having last played Test cricket in 2019. Sami Aslam, who combined with Shan Masood relatively successfully – albeit briefly – has his eyes set on a career in the USA.It might be time to sit back and wonder, as presumably the bigwigs at Coca-Cola did a few decades ago, what was wrong with the old formula after all. Azhar Ali’s average as opener is higher than any other Pakistani batsman’s since January 2010. In that period, three of Pakistan’s seven highest-averaging opening partnerships have included him. He has a triple-hundred in the UAE from the top of the order, and he’s the only visiting opener in history to score a double-century at the MCG; no other current Pakistan opener has a double-hundred anywhere. If this wasn’t a batsman reputationally associated with the middle order, he’d be at the front of a fairly short queue of contenders making a persuasive case to face the new ball. It isn’t like he doesn’t face the new ball as things stand anyway, given he bats almost exclusively at No. 3 and Pakistan’s openers haven’t hung around for too long of late.And while Azhar is 35, the same age as Rogers before that 2013 call-up, this might not be the worst time to consider returning him to the top. Stripped of the captaincy with signature Pakistan insensitivity – for the second time in his career, his removal was known to the media before being officially communicated to him – Azhar has decided against doing his talking off the pitch, and has quietly begun building up a head of steam on it. A potentially career-saving hundred against Sri Lanka last year was followed by a likely match-saving century against England in the summer, a 93 in Christchurch, and two steely knocks against South Africa in Karachi in sticky situations that received less attention than they perhaps deserved.It certainly would be typical of his career to expect Azhar to bail Pakistan out just after Pakistan themselves bailed on him, but it’s also a reminder of what a versatile asset he has been over the years. Sure, his absence in the middle order would need serious plugging, but with Haris Sohail and Asad Shafiq currently out, and Agha Salman and Saud Shakeel among the squad, that is an area Pakistan could cover far more effectively than the opening positions.t the sIt’s not the sexiest idea or the longest-term solution. But Rogers, once recalled ended up playing 24 further Tests over two years, scoring 1996 runs at 44.35, including four Ashes hundreds and one in South Africa. That’s not a swansong. It’s a second career.About to turn 36, Azhar might not so much have been stripped of the captaincy as liberated from it. Pakistan have searched high and low for a man who might be half-decent at facing the new ball. It may be worth giving that dressing room one final look after all.

Television presenter Laura Woods is due to return to screens following her dramatic collapse live on air ahead of the Lionesses' friendly win over Ghana at the start of December. Woods subsequently issued a positive update, allaying fears over her health and thanking all those who had helped her at St Mary's Stadium. The popular star is now heading back to work and is set to be part of this week's Champions League coverage.

• Woods to return after scare

  Good wishes were quick to flood in after Woods collapsed on live television and was caught by co-presenters Ian Wright and Anita Asante. ITV promptly cut to an advertising break, with Katie Shanahan taking over hosting duties and telling viewers: "As you may all be aware, Laura Woods fell ill at the start of the programme. We want to reassure you that she's doing OK. We all send her our love."

  Woods subsequently offered an update of her own on social media, allaying fears over her health. She posted on Instagram: "Gosh that was a bit weird. Sorry to worry everyone, I'm OK, the wonderful paramedics at Saints have said its probably a virus, just need a bit of rest and hydration. I'm really embarrassed that happened on TV, but a big thank you to my colleagues at ITV who have really looked after me tonight. And to Wright and Neets for catching me and sorry again x."

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  Blockbuster clash up next for Woods

  Woods is now set to return to screens on Wednesday in time for Manchester City's huge Champions League tie with Real Madrid at the Bernabeu, according to . The popular presenter will front the live coverage for TNT Sports and is set to be joined by pundits Steven Gerrard, Joleon Lescott and Steve McManaman for the crunch fixture in Madrid. Darren Fletcher and Ally McCoist are set to provide the commentary as the two European heavyweights clash once again. 

• Wright and Keane make light of collapse

  Wright and fellow pundits Roy Kane, Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher and Jill Scott have been talking about Woods' collapse on podcast. The panel said that Woods "would want" them to make light of the incident and proceeded to do exactly that.

  The former Arsenal star said: "She’s fine. I got a message from her this morning. It was worrying at the time but she’s fine. People have been really nice about it. I’m glad she’s okay." Scott added: "She said that she thinks she’s got a virus but it must have been horrible for that to happen, on live TV as well.”

  Meanwhile, Keane couldn't resist poking fun at the ex-Arsenal man. He joked: "I’m guessing she’s not the first woman to fall into your arms Ian. That’s just your knack. She’s okay and that’s all that matters, that’s the most important thing, obviously. You’ll get a knighthood or an award for that, Wrighty."

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  Dramatic night expected in Madrid

  A dramatic night of action is expected in Madrid as the two teams meet for the fifth straight season in the Champions League. The hosts come into the game fresh from a 2-0 defeat to Celta Vigo in La Liga that also saw two red cards for the Spanish giants. The loss leaves Los Blancos now four points behind Barcelona in the title race and with serious questions being asked of manager Xabi Alonso. Another defeat would pile more pressure on Alonso, and the Real Madrid coach heads into the game after seeing Eder Militao ruled out for several months with a torn hamstring and star striker Kylian Mbappe a doubt for the game due to a leg injury.

For the fourth consecutive Sunday, an India team may choose not to shake hands with a Pakistan team.India Women meet Pakistan Women in Colombo on October 5 in the ongoing Women’s World Cup. On Wednesday, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia did not rule out the possibility that Harmanpreet Kaur’s team could take cues from Suryakumar Yadav’s.”Whether there will be handshakes, whether there will be hugging, I cannot assure you of anything [at] this moment,” Saikia told the BBC’s podcast. “I cannot forecast anything, but our relationship with that particular hostile country is the same. There is no change in the last week.”Related

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• India refuse to accept Asia Cup trophy from Mohsin Naqvi

India’s men played Pakistan three times at the recent Asia Cup and chose not to shake hands at the toss and after the game. That tournament also ended in acrimony after India refused to accept their Asia Cup trophy from Mohsin Naqvi, who is Pakistan’s Interior Minister in addition to being the PCB’s chairman and the ACC’s president. Naqvi, for his part, refused to cede the handing over of the trophy to anyone else. The standoff caused a 90-minute delay to the post-match presentation, at which no trophy was ultimately lifted.Saikia said the team would play to the “regulations of cricket”.”India will play that match against Pakistan in Colombo, and all cricket protocols will be followed,” he said. “I can only assure that whatever is in the MCC regulations of cricket – that will be done.”There have been no indications yet from the women’s teams themselves as to how they will negotiate the politics around their match on Sunday.

West Ham United are now looking to sign a “sensational” £35m midfielder who’s won the Premier League title two times, amid growing uncertainty surrounding his future…

West Ham eyeing new midfielder amid Paqueta uncertainty

West Ham star Lucas Paqueta recently admitted that he wanted to return to Brazil during the summer transfer window, saying: “Maybe I shouldn’t even be saying this, but I had some conversations with Filipe (Luís), who is a friend, in addition to the work he’s doing at Flamengo,”

“I really expressed my desire to return and also showed it to my agents.”

Ultimately, the attacking midfielder ended up staying put, however, and he has since gone on to put in some impressive performances in the Premier League, scoring three goals, most recently finding the back of the net in the 3-1 victory against Newcastle United.

That said, the Hammers won’t be particularly reassured by the fact one of their key players was angling for a move, and they have now set their sights on a new attacking midfielder, who could be brought in next summer.

That is according to the print edition of the Sunday Mirror (via West Ham Zone), with a report stating West Ham want to be kept informed about Harvey Elliott’s situation, having failed to make an impact since arriving at Aston Villa on loan from Liverpool.

Villa have an obligation to pay £35m for Elliott if he plays ten matches this season, but he hasn’t been getting a look-in as of late, which means Liverpool may recall the Englishman during the January transfer window.

The 22-year-old, who is represented by the same agency as Niclas Fullkrug, is viewed as a target for the summer, rather than this winter, but the Hammers may have to fend off rival interest, with RB Leipzig also named as potential suitors.

"Sensational" Elliott could reignite career at the London Stadium

The attacking midfielder’s move to Villa simply hasn’t worked out, but he is still very young, and there are plenty of signs he could be an exciting acquisition for West Ham, having impressed at times during his spell with Liverpool.

West Ham and Tottenham get Ivan Toney response after holding discussions

The Al-Ahli striker is fielding enquiries ahead of January.

ByEmilio Galantini Nov 29, 2025

The London-born midfielder made 149 appearances for the Reds, amassing 15 goals and 20 assists and playing a role in his side winning two Premier League titles, while the 28-cap England U21 star has also caught the eye at international level.

As such, West Ham should continue to monitor Elliott’s situation as the season goes on, ahead of potentially launching a move next summer, with the former Fulham man in need of a move to a club where game is guaranteed, if he is going to fulfill his potential.

Fanning, Bancroft and Cartwright all made half-centuries in WA’s 298 for 9 before the quicks cleaned up SA for 232, with Harvey making 76 in the losing chase

AAP24-Sep-2025

Joel Paris starred with the ball taking 5 for 42•Getty Images

Western Australia opener Sam Fanning has top-scored before teammate Joel Paris claimed five wickets in a 66-run one-day win against South Australia in Adelaide.Fanning’s 75 from 91 balls and half-centuries from Cameron Bancroft (63) and Hilton Cartwright (55) steered WA to 298 for 9 from 50 overs on Wednesday.SA were bowled out for 232 from 44.3 overs in reply at Karen Rolton Oval with the left-arm seamer Paris taking a career best 5 for 42 to claim player of the match honours.SA’s defence of the Dean Jones Trophy is in early strife with consecutive losses, while WA banked their first win from two outings. WA, led by Paris and 19-year-old quick Albert Esterhuysen (3-42), who was on debut, prevailed after weathering an early onslaught from SA’s Mackenzie Harvey (76 from 65 balls).The aggressive opener struck 11 fours and one six after the early loss of his partner Jake Fraser-McGurk, who smacked three fours but was dismissed for 14 from 10 balls.SA’s top order failed to fire with second-gamer Harry Manenti (39 from 49 balls), Jake Lehmann (33 from 42) and acting captain Jason Sangha (18 from 24) unable to cash in on promising starts.Cameron Bancroft and Sam Fanning posted half-centuries•Getty Images

Earlier, WA openers Fanning and Joel Curtis made a brisk start with an 86-run partnership in less than 13 overs. The stand was broken when Curtis (44 from 33 balls) edged to wicketkeeper Harry Nielsen from the bowling of Manenti (1-51).Fanning and Bancroft combined for a 92-run partnership, taking the visitors to a position of power at 174 for 1 in the 29th over.But the dismissal of Fanning, who struck three sixes and four fours from 91 balls, allowed SA to stifle momentum as WA lost 4 for 49 in the next 10 overs. Sam Whiteman, Ashton Turner and Ashton Agar all fell cheaply.And when Bancroft was out lbw to legspinner Lloyd Pope, WA were 223 for 5 in the 38th over and could only muster 75 more runs from the next dozen overs.Pope finished with 2 for 51 from 10 overs, Hanno Jacobs took 2 for 61 from nine on debut for SA while pacer Jordan Buckingham was the pick of the bowlers with a miserly 2 for 33 from 10 overs.

Tottenham Hotspur have only won one of their last four matches in all competitions after a last-gasp goal meant that they had to settle for a point against Manchester United on Saturday.

The Lilywhites turned the game around from 1-0 down to lead 2-1, but they were unable to get the three points over the line, as they were napping in stoppage time to allow Matthijs de Ligt to head in at the back post.

Spurs have only won one of their last four matches in the Premier League after that result, which has seen them drop out of the top four in the division.

Thomas Frank will surely be disappointed with the nature of the two goals that were conceded, because they were both unmarked headers inside the box that should have been dealt with.

The former Brentford head coach should look at his full-backs and demand more from them defensively, as Destiny Udogie was on the scene for the second goal and Pedro Porro was caught out for Bryan Mbeumo’s header.

In fact, Porro is one player who may be on borrowed time in the starting line-up under Frank, because his defending has come into question on multiple occasions.

Why Pedro Porro should be dropped

The Spanish right-back’s marking, or lack thereof, for Mbeumo’s goal was simply not good enough. He was not aware of arguably the biggest United threat in the box, and allowed him to have a free header to score past Guglielmo Vicario.

To his credit, though, the former Manchester City youngster did react to a comment from a supporter after the match and acknowledged that he was not at his best against the Red Devils.

This is not the first time that Porro’s defensive qualities have been called into question. Last year, former Ireland international Keith Treacy said: “Pedro Porro is a good footballer, obviously, he plays in the Premier League, he’s a decent footballer, but he’s not a good right-back, he can’t defend.”

The former Blackburn star added: “If I was a coach going up against Spurs I would say to isolate him, run at him all day long.”

Back in 2023, former Spurs manager Tim Sherwood said that Porro was “all over the place” because he “just wants to run forward” and play as a winger. The Tottenham defender later reacted to those comments by saying that he is not a “machine” who could integrate straight away, as he had only just joined the club from Sporting.

On top of the long-standing question marks over his defensive capabilities, the 26-year-old full-back has also been incredibly wasteful with the ball at his feet in the last two Premier League matches.

Pedro Porro

Vs Chelsea

Vs Man Utd

Minutes

73

67

Tackles won

0

1

Duels won

3

3

Error led to shot

2

0

Key passes

0

0

Crosses completed

0/5

1/12

Possession lost

24x

29x

Pass accuracy

58%

64%

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Porro has lost possession of the ball a staggering 53 times in the last two league games, without creating a single chance for his teammates, and creating two chances for the opposition with errors that led to shots.

This shows that the Spaniard has been dismal defensively and offensively of late for the Lilywhites, which is why Frank should ruthlessly ditch him from the starting XI after the international break for the North London derby.

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The obvious solution in the short-term would be for Udogie, who assisted Mathys Tel’s goal on Saturday, to come in at left-back and Djed Spence to move over to right-back.

However, the long-term plan that could put an end to Porro’s career in North London could be for Archie Gray to eventually nail down a place in the team as a right-back.

Why Archie Gray can end Pedro Porro's Spurs career

The England U21 international is currently sidelined with a calf injury that he sustained at the end of last month, and he is expected to be back in action around the end of this month or at the start of December.

Gray signed for the Lilywhites from Leeds United for a fee of £40m in the summer of 2024, with Joe Rodon heading back the other way, but he has failed to establish himself in one position since his move to the club.

The English youngster had to fill in at centre-back far too many times under Ange Postecoglou because of the injury crisis in that position, with the likes of Radu Dragusin, Micky van de Ven, and Cristian Romero all picking up injuries last term.

Archie Gray’s Tottenham career

Position

Starts

Centre-back

20

Right-back

9

Defensive midfield

8

Left-back

6

Central midfield

3

Stats via Transfermarkt

As you can see in the table above, Gray’s second-most played in position at Spurs has been right-back, which is where he played the majority of his first-team football with Leeds, despite coming up through the academy set-up in West Yorkshire as a central midfielder.

The young defender played 44 out of 46 league matches for Leeds in the Championship in the 2023/24 campaign, mainly as a right-back, and earned the Championship Young Player of the Year award.

Gray, who was hailed as “ridiculous” by Como scout Ben Mattinson, showcased his defensive quality as a right-back in that second tier season with the Whites, winning 92 tackles and 186 duels in total.

Per FotMob, he ranked within the top 7% of full-backs for tackles won and the top 14% for duels won, whilst also ranking in the top 7% for ball recoveries (196), which shows that he was one of the best defensive full-backs in the division, for a team that finished third in the league.

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These statistics suggest that he has the defensive resolve to eventually nail down a place at right-back as a reliable defender for Spurs in the future, which is why he could end Porro’s career at the club by offering Frank a steadier presence than the Spaniard, who has struggled on and off the ball.

It is now down to Gray, though, to return from injury and deliver quality performances when called upon to show that he can be better than Porro defensively week-in-week-out, which would leave Spence free to compete with Udogie at left-back.

The Sri Lanka captain is likely to take the vacant No. 4 slot following Angelo Mathews’ retirement

Andrew Fidel Fernando24-Jun-2025Sri Lanka might be facing an 11-month Test hiatus after the second match against Bangladesh, but that won’t stop Dhananjaya de Silva from putting his mark on this team. This is the first World Test Championship (WTC) cycle for which Dhananjaya has the reins from the outset, and he’s doubling down on some of his strategies.Through the last two years, he’s been insistent that Sri Lanka have to blood seamers at home, so they are prepared for overseas assignments. In the second Test, they may even play three seamers.Related

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“We’ve got 12 in the squad, and we’ve got options, because our weather is changing from time to time as well,” he said on the eve of the Test. “We were hoping to go with three seamers, but it’s hard to tell exactly – the pitch also looks flat.”Part of Sri Lanka’s thinking seems to be that Bangladesh are more likely to lose wickets to their seam bowlers than spinners. In the last series these two teams played, for example, their top three seamers (Lahiru Kumara, Vishwa Fernando, and Kasun Rajitha) took 29 wickets between them, placing first, second and third on the series wicket-takers’ list.For this match, Asitha Fernando is almost certain to play, while Rajitha and Vishwa may also enter the XI. Isitha Wijesundara, an uncapped right-armer, is in the squad as well.”Not just in the last series in Bangladesh, even in the previous one it was pace that got a lot of wickets,” Dhananjaya said. “We talked a lot about how the seamers got about 70% of their wickets. But it’s not easy to play seamers on these pitches, but we’re trying to play three. Let’s see what the pitch is like tomorrow morning.”Dhananjaya de Silva averages 43.95 from No. 6 but 20.33 from No. 4•AFP/Getty ImagesThere is also the question of who will play in place of the retired Angelo Mathews at the newly-vacant No. 4 position. Dhananjaya himself will leap up the order to second drop. Though he’s clearly been effective at No. 6, averaging 43.95 in that position, a move up the order is something of a risk. In six innings at No. 4, Dhananjaya averages 20.33 so far.”If you think I’m good enough, I’m ready to bat at four,” Dhananjaya joked when asked who’d fill the gap. “I’m set to bat there.” He had also batted at No. 3 between 2017 and 2018 with mixed results. He played an impressive match-saving, second-innings hundred against India from that position, but over 18 innings there, he averaged 32.88 with two hundreds and two fifties.He’s been an improved batter in the last several years, however. Since 2020, Dhananjaya has averaged 43.85, compared with a pre-2020 average of 34.47. Which leaves the question of who replaces him at No. 6?Another of Dhananjaya’s hallmarks has been to blood young players, with both Lahiru Udara and Tharindu Ratnayake having made their debuts in the first Test. In this game, Sonal Dinusha, the left-arm spin allrounder with 99 first-class wickets and seven first-class tons, seems set to play his first match.”With the wicket the way it is and if we need a spinner, I think Sonal is the best option,” Dhananjaya said. “For now there’s a big chance he will play.”

Leeds-born allrounder turned down contract extension and will move at end of season

Matt Roller17-Jun-2025Jordan Thompson, the combative Yorkshire allrounder, will make a shock move to Warwickshire at the end of the 2025 season after turning down a contract extension at his boyhood club.Thompson, 28, was born and bred in Leeds and has played for Yorkshire since Under-13s level, graduating from their academy and into the first team. But he has signed an all-format contract with Warwickshire for the next three seasons and said the move will represent a “new chapter” after making the “tough decision” to leave Yorkshire.”I’m incredibly excited to be joining Warwickshire and starting this new chapter,” Thompson said. “While it was a really tough decision to leave my home county of Yorkshire, the clear vision for the club and the opportunity to play alongside a number of familiar faces make this a truly exciting move for me.”Related

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Thompson took 32 wickets as Yorkshire won promotion to Division One of the County Championship last summer but his finest moments for them came in T20 cricket. In the Blast in 2022, he held his nerve with a brilliant 20th over to sneak past Surrey in the quarter-finals at The Oval, then hit an 18-ball 50 in defeat to rivals Lancashire at Finals Day.”The club would have loved to have kept him, but were unable to agree contract terms,” Gavin Hamilton, Yorkshire’s general manager, said. “Whilst it’s obviously disappointing to lose Jordan, we understand his reasons and would like to take this opportunity to wish him all of the best for the future.”Ian Westwood, Warwickshire’s coach, said: “Jordan is a three-dimensional, multi-format player who will be a great addition to our squad both on and off the field. He’s a quality performer who I believe still has his best days in front of him. He’s known for his competitiveness and thrives on being involved in big moments on the field. We can’t wait to welcome him to the Bears.”Yorkshire have struggled in the first half of this season: they are second-bottom in Division One after winning one of their first seven Championship matches and are propping up the North Group in the T20 Blast. Thompson has only featured once in their T20 season due to a side strain but returned in their defeat to Durham on Sunday.Warwickshire also recently announced that Danny Briggs, their left-arm spinner, will rejoin Sussex at the end of the season on a white-ball contract that will see him involved in coaching the club’s young spinners.