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Experimental side captained by Nat Sciver-Brunt made to work before getting home in final over

Valkerie Baynes11-Jul-2024

Nat Sciver-Brunt and Sophie Ecclestone combined to dismiss Suzie Bates•Getty Images

England mixed it up, put it in a test tube, found themselves under pressure and still came out with a win and an unassailable 3-0 lead in their T20I series against New Zealand.Sophie Ecclestone’s four-wicket haul smothered Sophie Devine’s defiance before Alice Capsey’s T20I career-best of 67 not out saw the hosts win by six wickets with four balls to spare in Canterbury.With two matches left, the hosts could well continue their experimental approach which saw Sophia Dunkley take her chance with a 26-ball 35 returning to the top of the order and sharing a 66-run partnership with Capsey to put England in control. Two quick wickets to Fran Jonas preserved the hope that Devine had given New Zealand but Capsey’s 60-ball innings, and an cool cameo by Freya Kemp of 16 not out from eight balls saw England home as the White Ferns were left to rue a rash of missed chances in the field.Devine interventionFrom Suzie Bates’ stunning straight drive for four off the first ball of the match – bringing up her 10,000th international run – to her 52-run partnership with Amelia Kerr for the second wicket, this was more like the batting performance New Zealand had craved. At the end of the powerplay, the White Ferns were 46 for 1 and Kerr took them past the 50-mark with four off Sarah Glenn’s first delivery, a fuller one which she lifted behind square. But when Ecclestone cleaned up both in a devastating first over, Devine needed to produce the sort of innings that had so far eluded her on this tour.With Georgia Plimmer having fallen for a first-ball duck in the opening over, the spectre of New Zealand’s batting woes loomed large again and, at 63 for 3, it fell to Devine and Brooke Halliday to steady them. Devine received a life on 4 when Charlie Dean couldn’t hold a sharp return catch before Halliday spooned a Glenn delivery straight to Nat Sciver-Brunt at long-on. Devine broke a boundary drought lasting 5.4 overs when she struck Dean for two fours in four balls, swung through square leg and thundered through long-on, but as the wickets continued to fall, Devine would have to unleash if they were to turn 100 for 6 into a defendable total.Kemp made it 106 for 7 with a perfect yorker to remove Hannah Rowe but Devine slammed the first six of the match over long-on two balls later then slog-swept Ecclestone for an even bigger one over deep square leg and drove the next ball down the ground for four. Devine brought up her fifty with the first of three fours in a row off Dani Gibson, smashed down the ground, before slashing past short third and ending the innings with a heave through square leg to walk off with her first half-century of the tour.Ecclestone’s incisionsEcclestone came into the attack and struck with her second ball, Bates chipping straight to Sciver-Brunt at mid-off for a 27-ball 38. Kerr swung her bat in anguish after she was beaten a beauty three balls later, a flighted delivery that dipped then gripped off the pitch and sailed past the inside edge onto the top of middle stump. When Ecclestone splattered Izzy Gaze’s off stump with her arm ball, New Zealand were in all sorts of trouble. That’s when Devine shifted gears but Ecclestone claimed her fourth when Leigh Kasperek tried to match her captain’s hitting and heaved across the line, only to miss and see her middle stump rattled. It was the last ball of Ecclestone’s allocation, giving her 4 for 25, her second four-wicket haul in T20Is and bettered only by the 4 for 18 she took against New Zealand at Taunton in 2018.Alice Capsey’s half-century got England over the line•Getty Images

“What-if?” planningEngland made sweeping changes in a piece of “what-if?” planning ahead of the T20 World Cup, as it was described at the toss by Sciver-Brunt, standing in as captain for Heather Knight, who sat out alongside Danni Wyatt and Lauren Bell. That made way at the top of the order for Dunkley to play her first T20I since March. Kemp returned after her unbeaten 26 and 1 for 30 playing again as an allrounder in the opening T20I in Southampton while making her comeback from a back injury. Bell made way for fellow seamer Lauren Filer in the other change, which was in keeping with a theme Knight painted ahead of the T20I series where she said England would look to try different combinations and tactics with a view to needing to adapt to changing conditions in Bangladesh.Having been dropped after England’s tour of New Zealand earlier this year, Dunkley scored 15 in her only other appearance of this visit by the White Ferns, in the third ODI in Bristol. Here she had another chance to show what she could do ahead of the T20 World Cup and the spotlight intensified here when Maia Bouchier fell on the first ball of the run-chase, pinned lbw by Rowe. In Rowe’s next over, Dunkley powered a big six over long-off, then helped herself to three fours – and 15 runs in all – off Devine’s second over, which was the last of the powerplay and ended with England comfortable on 50 for 1. But when left-arm spinner Jonas entered the attack, she had two wickets in two balls, Dunkley cramped by a full ball which drifted in and chopping onto her stumps and Sciver-Brunt to an lbw decision that would have been overturned had she reviewed with ball-tracking showed it was missing leg stump.Capsey, Kemp get the job doneThat left England needing 73 runs in 10 overs and Capsey made the most of her chance when she was pinned on the front pad attempting a reverse sweep off Kasperek and successfully reviewed, the ball shown to be going down the leg side. Amy Jones survived two dropped chances, put down on 11 by Plimmer at long-off and Devine at mid-off on 18 with England needing 28 off 17 balls. Capsey slammed Kerr over long-on for six next ball so that when Jones was run out, the equation was 22 needed from 15.Yet another chance went begging when Maddy Green failed to hold in the deep and Kemp capitalised, cleverly reversing Kasperek to the boundary through short third and smashing the next ball down the ground to leave England with five to get off the last over. They got there with four balls to spare via a streaky four by Capsey off a Jonas misfield.

Cursory comments regarding Newcastle United’s wealth must be frustrating for the Toon faithful, and indeed the powers that be at St. James’ Park.

While several divisional rivals have struggled to direct their hosepipe stream of transfer funds over the past several years, Newcastle have been diligent and calculated under the wing of Eddie Howe.

However, last summer’s window left plenty to be desired. In that regard, it’s all the more remarkable that Howe led his Magpies to glory in the Carabao Cup and sealed a place in next season’s Champions League proper after finishing fifth in the Premier League.

With talisman Alexander Isak expected to stay put now that Newcastle have registered themselves for a return to Europe’s elite stage, focus has turned to a right-sided forward.

However, Newcastle have already hit a bump in the road on that front.

Newcastle's search for a right winger

The overload of reports on the matter has made it clear for a while that Newcastle have held a vested interest in Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo, one of the Premier League’s standout stars last season.

Premier League 24/25 – Top Goalscorers
Rank	Player	Apps	Goals
1.	Mohamed Salah	38	29
2.	Alexander Isak	34	23
3.	Erling Haaland	31	22
4.	Chris Wood	36	20
5.	Bryan Mbeumo	38	20
Data via Premier League

Mbeumo finished fourth in the goalscoring charts, no doubt contented with his placement given the calibre of those ahead of him, and he would have added quite the dimension to Howe’s brood, had he not rejected interest from Newcastle and a host of further suitors.

The reason? Mbeumo has chosen Manchester United as his desired new stomping ground, in spite of the Red Devils finishing 15th in the Premier League and losing the Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur, another interested party.

Newcastle have missed out on Mbeumo, but they could yet secure a fantastic new winger. They might even have the perfect fit, having profiled him one year ago.

Newcastle strengthen interest in winger

According to The Northern Echo, Nottingham Forest are on alert as Newcastle gear up to reinforce their interest in Anthony Elanga, who was the subject of a rejected £50m bid on transfer deadline day in August 2024.

The Tricky Trees would expect negotiations to start in a similar ballpark, though in truth, United would perhaps need to pay north of that figure, having held initial discussions this year to discuss the possibility of a deal.

While fellow Premier League forwards Joao Pedro and Antoine Semenyo are on PIF’s radar, the 23-year-old Elanga is felt to be Howe’s leading target.

What Anthony Elanga would bring to Newcastle

Nottingham Forest signed Elanga from Manchester United for a fee of £15m in July 2023, with the young forward earning scant opportunities at Old Trafford.

Two years on, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone willing to testify that the star’s decision was a bad one, instrumental in the club’s rise into European competition last year and in staving off relegation during 2023/24.

Anthony Elanga’s Premier League Career
Season	Apps	Goals	Assists
24/25 – Forest	38	6	11
23/24 – Forest	36	5	9
22/23 – Man Utd	16	0	1
21/22 – Man Utd	21	2	2
20/21 – Man Utd	2	1	0
Data via Transfermarkt

Still only 23, remember, the Sweden international could become a bona fide star in the years to come, with a transfer to Howe’s Newcastle sure to spark an acceleration of development.

His blistering speed and powerful athleticism even suggest Elanga could bloom into Howe’s new version of Allan Saint-Maximin, though perhaps one who offers a tad more by the way of clinical output.

As per FBref, Elanga ranked among the top 6% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 10% for goal-creating actions and the top 3% for crosses per 90.

He didn’t rank that highly across ball-carrying metrics, but do not let this fool you: Elanga is one of the most electric wingers in England, simply reduced in his intensity due to Nuno Espirito’s pragmatic tactics (often hemmed in, Forest ranked 18th for possession with a 42% average).

He’s got that “X-factor pace”, all right, as was agreed by Sky Sports pundits Andy Reid and Jamie Redknapp. And in that regard, Newcastle could unearth their new version of Saint-Maximin, one who could offer more of a clinical threat than the fleet-footed Frenchman.

Saint-Maximin’s qualities have earned him cult status on Tyneside, with reporter Pete O’Rourke also noting his own “X-Factor” quality, having been hailed as a real “box of tricks” due to his frightening speed and dribbling prowess.

While his £23m transfer to Saudi Arabian club Al-Ahli back in 2023 was bittersweet, Howe clearly knew what he was doing, however, with the winger posting 13 goals and 21 assists across 124 matches at Newcastle, a contribution rate of only 0.28.

Elanga, conversely, has been far more prolific in Nottingham, heaving an almost identical haul of 11 goals and 21 assists for the City Ground side, but doing so across just 82 fixtures in all competitions, a rate of 0.39.

Though Elanga wouldn’t bring the innate goalscoring quality of Mbeumo to the Newcastle fold, he could definitely make a big difference, promoting creativity and taking his athletic qualities into a more fitting park, with Howe’s expansive system allowing him to roam and find the likes of Isak in the middle.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Of course, given that he only missed six big chances in the Premier League last term, converting six more, as per Sofascore, there’s every reason Howe could fashion this talented up-and-comer into a rip-roaring sensation, one bursting with completeness and layers befitting of a place in one of the most exciting projects on the continent.

Big Wilson upgrade: Newcastle hold talks for £50m "proper quality" ST

Newcastle need to complement Alexander Isak with some fresh firepower next season.

By
Angus Sinclair

Jun 7, 2025

Chelsea securing qualification for the Champions League next season means Enzo Maresca will be able to entice a greater calibre of players to Stamford Bridge this summer.

Of course, that hasn’t exactly been a problem over the previous year or two, but returning to Europe’s premier club competition for the first time since 2022/23 should give all at the club a massive boost of confidence.

The rumour mill has already begun as several players have been linked with a move to the Blues and the window isn’t even open yet.

Indeed, Marc Guehi is reportedly a player routinely linked with a move to Chelsea and this may accelerate following their fourth-place finish in the Premier League.

Maresca is also looking for another striker or two. Victor Osimhen appears to be a key target, as does Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap. The latter is available for a fee of just £30m due to his club’s relegation from the top flight.

Another player has emerged as a potential signing recently, however, as Brighton and Hove Albion forward Joao Pedro is the latest attacking player to be linked with a move to Chelsea.

Chelsea eyeing move for Joao Pedro

According to reports from Brazil last week, the Blues have made an offer worth £51m to sign the Brazilian. It appears as though the club are attempting to ‘speed up negotiations’ in a bid to have him ready for the upcoming Club World Cup which begins in June.

Pedro wasn’t involved in Brighton’s victory over Tottenham Hotspur on the last day of the Premier League season following a ‘training ground altercation’ with teammate Jan Paul van Hecke.

The Seagulls look certain to cash in on him sooner rather than later, with the Blues jumping to the front of the queue.

Since joining the club in the summer of 2023, the 23-year-old has registered 40 goal contributions in just 70 matches – 30 goals and ten assists – which represents an excellent return.

This season has been particularly productive, netting ten goals in 27 league games, and these helped the Seasiders to an eighth-place finish in the top flight.

It would be a smart signing by Maresca to bring the former Watford man back to London. He knows the Premier League and, as evidenced over the previous two seasons, knows where the back of the net is.

Money will be available for the manager, that’s for sure. But should a chunk be spent on Pedro? Or is there another option out there which might be a better long-term signing?

Chelsea have held talks over Pedro alternative

Maresca is in the market for a new centre-forward this summer and the one player he appears to be most serious about is Benjamin Sesko.

The youngster has been a target for quite some time, but now Arsenal have joined the list of potential suitors.

Sesko has a reported release clause worth £67m, and they will have to act swiftly amid reports that Arsenal are now in talks about securing a move for the RB Leipzig striker.

Journalist Simon Phillips claims that the Blues are also working hard behind the scenes to secure a move for the Slovenian international.

“The new info I have is that Arsenal are now really pushing for Benjamin Sesko as well as Chelsea,” said Phillips.

“Both clubs have held talks and laid down some groundwork to sign him. Arsenal also really like Viktor Gyokeres, but there’s a split internally there as to which striker they want to push for.”

Benjamin Sesko’s Budlesiga stats for RB Leipzig

Metric

2023/24

2024/25

Goals

14

13

Assists

2

5

Shots on target per game

0.8

0.9

Successful dribbles per game

0.5

1.2

Big chances created

1

5

Via Sofascore

Pedro may have 89 Premier League appearances under his belt, but the sheer raw talent of Sesko means he could be the better signing of the two.

Why Chelsea must sign Benjamin Sesko this summer

The 21-year-old made his mark at Austrian side RB Salzburg, enjoying a breakthrough season in 2022/23, scoring 18 goals in 41 appearances for the club.

This secured him a move to the German Bundesliga with Leipzig, and he hasn’t looked back since. Across 87 games for the club, he has scored 39 goals and grabbed eight assists, working out as a goal every 2.2 matches.

Following a late-season goal splurge during his debut season in Germany, U23 scout Antonio Mango hailed the striker as a “monster” for his performances in front of goal.

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig even hailed Sesko as “the new Erling Haaland” back in May 2021, and while he might not be at that level just yet, his trajectory has been trending upwards ever since.

Still only 21, Sesko has plenty of time to reach the level of Haaland, that’s for sure. Judging by the statistics, he could certainly turn out to be a better signing for Chelsea than Pedro this summer.

Indeed, according to FBref, Sesko has registered more goals and assists (18 vs 16) than the Brazilian across their respective domestic leagues.

Furthermore, he has also registered more shots per 90 (2.5 vs 1.94), boasts a higher successful take-on percentage (52% vs 33.7%) and wins a higher percentage of aerial duels (58.8% vs 48.8%) per 90 this season.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

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In the Bundesliga, Sesko averaged a goal every 185 minutes for Leipzig during 2024/25, while registering 0.9 shots on target per game.

In comparison, Pedro averaged a goal every 195 minutes for the Seagulls, while averaging 0.7 shots on target in the Premier League during the same time period.

Not much to choose between, but on paper, Sesko would be the perfect long-term option for Chelsea and Maresca given his high ceiling for development.

That’s not to say Pedro wouldn’t be a good signing, but if the Blues are going to be spending northwards of £50m on a striker, bringing in one who has better potential makes perfect sense.

The Blues face competition from Arsenal, but this might not pose much of a problem for Maresa, who will be keen to entice the Slovenian to Stamford Bridge in the coming weeks.

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Chelsea secured Champions League football after a 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest this afternoon.

Posts ByEthan Lamb May 25, 2025

Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy is in the market for a potential new manager this summer, with Ange Postecoglou likely to leave after a disappointing season.

Ange Postecoglou facing Spurs exit regardless of Europa League

News sources across the British media, including Mirror journalist John Cross and The Telegraph’s Matt Law, have heard from their sources that Spurs could part company with Postecoglou, even if they win the Europa League.

Tottenham now "ready to sell" £50m-plus star and replace him with 24 y/o

Spurs are hatching a plan to reshape the squad.

1 ByEmilio Galantini Apr 23, 2025

It would be quite a feat for the Australian to clinch Tottenham’s first piece of silverware in 17 years amid a campaign blighted by injuries, protests from supporters and potentially their worst ever Premier League season to date.

Liverpool (away)

April 27th

West Ham (away)

May 3rd

Crystal Palace (home)

May 10th

Aston Villa (away)

May 18th

Brighton (home)

May 25th

The Lilywhites face this year’s fairy-tale overachievers Bodo/Glimt in the Europa semi-finals, a side nobody expected to get this far, and Postecoglou’s men are the overwhelming favourites to reach this year’s final in Bilbao.

However, even in the event that Postecoglou keeps good on his promise by winning a major trophy during his second season in charge, something he confidently predicted right at the start of 2024/2025, Spurs’ torrid domestic form and lack of backing from fans could mean he still parts company.

Levy has the likes of Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola, Fulham’s Marco Silva, Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner and Brentford’s Thomas Frank on Spurs’ managerial shortlist to replace Postecoglou, according to reports,

Further abroad, reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano has previously shared news of Inter Milan’s Simone Inzaghi attracting admirers from within Spurs, but it will be very hard for Levy to prise the Nerazzurri boss away from Italy.

The dissatisfaction around N17 right now after this tepid campaign has caused tensions in the stands to reach boiling point, so Levy and ENIC are under real pressure to get this next appointment right, make smart investments into the squad and turn Tottenham’s fortunes around.

Tottenham now eyeing Burnley manager Scott Parker

As per The Mail and journalist Mike Keegan, a new name is now on Tottenham’s growing list of linked head coaches – Burnley boss Scott Parker.

The former Lilywhites and England midfielder amassed 63 appearances for Spurs during his playing days, and has since gone on to enjoy some successful stints during his managerial career – guiding both Fulham and Burnley to Premier League promotion.

Bar a failed stint at Jupiler Pro League side Club Brugge, the 44-year-old has showcased some promise in his early career as a tactician, and it is believed Tottenham are fans of Parker as a manager.

He’s also attracted praise from his peers, with Man City boss Pep Guardiola branding him one of English football’s new “innovative” coaches back in 2021, while former Tottenham left-back Ryan Sessegnon called Parker a “top coach” when he was linked with the hot seat four years ago.

“He’s a top guy, top man and a top coach. He’s just an all-round great guy,” explained Sessegnon.

“He obviously has a philosophy of play and sticks to it and all the players are buying into that. Recently, it hasn’t been so good for them in terms of results, but I think the performances and effort is still there.”

Aston Villa moved up to seventh in the Premier League table by beating the team that were ahead of them – Brighton & Hove Albion – 3-0 away from home on Wednesday night.

The Villans, in a match that lasted over 100 minutes, secured all three points in emphatic fashion, thanks to goals from Marcus Rashford, Marco Asensio, and Donyel Malen, who all joined the claret and blue army in the January transfer window.

There were many impressive performers for Unai Emery’s side throughout the match at the AMEX, including the player who scored the opening goal on the night – Rashford.

Why Marcus Rashford's performance was vital for Aston Villa

The England international, who is on loan from Macnhester United until the end of the season, was the player to make it 1-0 for Villa with his terrific run in behind the Brighton defence.

He made a great movement off the shoulder of the last defender to race clear through on goal and the finish matched the run as the speedster brilliantly lifted the ball into the back of the net to give Villa the lead.

The 27-year-old attacker’s goal broke the deadlock and allowed the away side to play with more freedom, having taken the lead, which teed up the rest of the performance for Villa to go on and win with ease, which is why his display and goal were so vital for Emery’s team.

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There was a Villans star, however, who was even more important to the result, as Morgan Rogers proved that he is the main man for Villa with another sublime showing.

Why Morgan Rogers is the main man for Aston Villa

Emery has a host of brilliant attacking talents at his disposal, including the likes of Rashford, Asensio, and Ollie Watkins, but it is the former Manchester City man who runs the team with his performances.

As the attacking midfielder tasked with carrying the ball through the thirds, Rogers is crucial to everything that Villa do in possession and is now closing in on 20 goal contributions for the season, with 12 goals and seven assists in all competitions.

The 22-year-old dynamo, who was handed a player rating of 8/10 by BirminghamLive, added another two assists to his tally in the win over Brighton, playing a phenomenal long-range ball to Rashford for the opener, and racing down the flank to provide a perfect cut-back for Asensio to make it 2-0.

Minutes

88

65

Goals

0

1

Big chances created

2

0

Assists

2

0

Duels won

6/12

0/2

Tackles + interceptions

7

1

As you can see in the table above, the English whiz outperformed Rashford with his contributions to the side in and out of possession throughout the game, which shows that he offered more to the team overall.

Rogers, who was compared to Jude Bellingham on Sky Sports earlier this season, has proven himself to the main man time and time again for the Villans, as he has started all 29 of his appearances in the Premier League, whilst Watkins has been a substitute on five occasions.

Illustrating his all-round quality, Rogers is the only player in the squad who ranks within the top five for shots, dribbles, key passes, and fouls won per game, which speaks to how much of an influence he has on matches on the ball.

The Villa star can impact games with his energy out of possession, by winning tackles and duels, whilst also providing a threat as a scorer and a creator of goals, which makes him the full package for Emery and the manager’s main man on the pitch in the top-flight.

Monchi sends scouts as Aston Villa race to sign "special" Galatasaray star

He’s a wanted man…

ByTom Cunningham Apr 2, 2025

Australia will want David Warner to get back to playing attacking cricket ahead of the T20 World Cup, for which Spencer Johnson is also making a case

Alex Malcolm22-Apr-20244:30

How to bowl to Travis Head?

Head’s hot streak bodes well for World Cup

Travis Head has IPL bowlers shaking in their boots right now. In the past week, he has smashed a 39-ball century against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and then 89 off 32 balls against Delhi Capitals to help Sunrisers Hyderabad to two wins while shattering scoring records and threatening to break the 300-total barrier.Head feels empowered by Australia and Sunrisers captain Pat Cummins, and Sunrisers coach and Australia assistant coach Daniel Vettori to go out and tee off without fear. He spoke glowingly of Cummins’ leadership in terms of allowing him to stop worrying and play his way. Earlier, Head’s name was only pencilled in to open in the T20 World Cup, and there was little doubt that wouldn’t happen. But his name is in permanent ink now, and he looms as a key match-winner for Australia – just like he was at the ODI World Cup last year.Related

• When Head stopped worrying about his career and turned a corner

• 'Everything's happening so quickly' – Fraser-McGurk on his rapid rise

• Maxwell signs with Washington in MLC, clarifies IPL self-omission

Fraser-McGurk fires to get selectors thinking

Jake Fraser-McGurk made an impressive IPL debut ten days ago to give Indian audiences a glimpse of what he had already shown domestically down under, and in his initial ODI appearances. However, even with that innings, he remained a fair way down Australia’s pecking order in terms of Australia’s World Cup 15.But what he has done in the last week will make Australia’s selectors consider whether he could be of value. He smashed 20 from ten balls against Gujarat Titans, and then a 15-ball half-century – including seven sixes – against Sunrisers Hyderabad to finish with 65 off 18.Jake Fraser-McGurk clattered a 15-ball fifty•Associated PressWhat would have made the selectors sit up and take notice was Fraser-McGurk’s treatment of the in-form Cummins, thumping him for a six and a four. But more impressively, he launched six of his seven sixes off the spinners Washington Sundar and Mayank Markande. Admittedly, it was on a pristine batting strip. But he was able to take down Markande outside the powerplay three times with five men out before he holed out trying for a fourth as Capitals briefly gave themselves a chance to chase down even 267.Australia’s top three for the World Cup is set, with Head to open with David Warner, and Mitchell Marsh to bat at No. 3. But the one glaring area of weakness in that top three, outside of Warner, is spin hitting. Fraser-McGurk has not played a T20I yet, and it would be unlikely that he would make Australia’s squad for the World Cup, as using a slot on a spare specialist top-three batter with no international experience would be a risk, given the selectors will prefer versatility on the bench. But he’s still making a case.

Warner wobbles; Maxwell’s unusual move

While Head and Fraser-McGurk are making statements, two of Australia’s best T20 batters in Warner and Glenn Maxwell aren’t in peak form. But any suggestion that Warner’s World Cup place is under threat due to a slightly lean IPL would be ill-conceived. He was controversially dropped by Sunrisers in the lead-up to the 2021 T20 World Cup and had his position questioned, only to come out and be named as the Player of the Series as Australia won the title.Warner’s form at present isn’t alarming, and he is still recovering from a finger injury that caused him to miss the match against Titans despite playing in Capitals’ most recent match against Sunrisers. But there’s no doubt Australia’s hierarchy would like him to recommit to the aggressive, fearless method he had in the ODI World Cup last year. Warner has not played an innings in this year’s IPL where he has struck at more than 149, in a tournament where the average scoring rate is above 150. In his last three innings, he has scored just 19 runs off 20 balls, including 12 dots, and been dismissed three times.5:49

Why did Glenn Maxwell ask to be dropped by RCB?

Meanwhile, Head is striking at 216 for the tournament and Fraser-McGurk is going at 222. Maximising the powerplay at the T20 World Cup is going to be crucial. Warner knows how to switch it on for the big occasion, and Australia would like him to get back to that brand at the back-end of the IPL.There also aren’t many concerns in Australia over Maxwell’s decision to drop himself from the RCB side last week due to a horror run of form. He did clarify that he wasn’t seeking an extended break due to fatigue, given he has had two extended three-week breaks from cricket already this calendar year.Maxwell wasn’t selected again on Sunday night against Kolkata Knight Riders when Cameron Green was recalled to bat at No.5. With RCB’s tournament all but over, it will be intriguing to see if Maxwell can find his way back into the XI or whether they choose to use the remaining matches to develop some younger talent. But both Maxwell and Australia would almost certainly feel more comfortable ahead of the World Cup if he got some more game time and found a little bit of confidence with the bat.1:17

Moody on Mitchell Starc’s final over against RCB, which went for 19

Starc’s roller-coaster IPL continues; Johnson shows promise

It appeared that Mitchell Starc had turned a corner at the IPL with three solid outings following his difficult start. But his last two games in the past week have been poor. He conceded 50 from four overs against Rajasthan Royals, as Jos Buttler peeled off an unbeaten century to run down 224. Starc then conceded 55 in three overs on Sunday night against RCB – including 19 off the final over – but somehow survived as he had 20 runs to play with.He spoke last week of not being tactically up to speed with T20 bowling after not playing the format for 16 months prior to the IPL. Execution is now the issue for Starc as he continues to bowl the hardest overs on batting-friendly pitches. KKR are still playing well despite his fluctuations in fortune. He will have seven games plus the playoffs, if KKR get there, to get his execution where it needs to be for the World Cup.Meanwhile, with Starc’s recent form, Spencer Johnson could edge into Australia’s final 15 given he has been playing regular cricket for Titans, while Nathan Ellis hasn’t for Punjab Kings. Australia will want a left-arm pace option in their XI at the World Cup. Johnson has been much more economical than Starc across the tournament, although he has been playing on lower-scoring pitches. His overall bowling impact is only marginally better than Starc’s according to ESPNCricinfo’s Smart Stats.

In 2012, he was busy topping bowling charts for West Indies at a World Cup in Australia. Could he do the same with the bat later this year?

Deivarayan Muthu03-Aug-2022Kyle Mayers began his career as a bowler who could hit some sixes lower down the order. At the 2012 Under-19 World Cup in Australia, he emerged as the highest wicket-taker for West Indies – and the fourth highest overall – with 12 strikes in six matches at an average of 11.83 and economy rate of 3.78. Three years later, on his first-class debut for Windward Islands, he took the new ball and bagged a duck from No. 8 in his first innings.Mayers to open the batting for West Indies at a T20 World Cup? Who’d have thunk it? A series of unexpected events now means he could well be returning to Australia as an opening bowler batter.Related

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Chris Gayle hasn’t officially retired yet, but his West Indies future is uncertain. Gayle, 42, has not played for West Indies since the previous T20 World Cup in the UAE. He will not be in action in CPL 2022 either and has instead turned his focus to 6IXTY, a T10 tournament.Evin Lewis’ immediate future with West Indies seems uncertain as well after he failed to complete a fitness test that had been arranged for him by the CWI during his recent IPL stint with Lucknow Super Giants, according to chief selector Desmond Haynes. Much like Gayle, Lewis has not played for West Indies since they bowed out of the 2021 T20 World Cup.So, let’s talk about Mayers now. An ankle injury sustained in 2018 forced him to reduce his bowling workload and remodel himself into a batting allrounder. In 2018, Mayers didn’t have a CPL contract and, after he recovered, he worked his way back into action, with high returns in a low-profile setting in Oslo.When his side Eagles didn’t have an opening batter at the Norway T20 Premier League, Mayers stepped in and cracked 528 runs in six matches at an average of over 100. Once he returned home, Mayers told his father Shirley Clarke, the former Barbados allrounder and now Level-3 coach, that he preferred to continue at the top for his local club as well.

“He is one of the West Indies’ most important players at the moment and, [in] every game, he continues to grow and improve and that’s something wonderful.”Pooran on Mayers

“Norway was where I opened the batting for the first time,” Mayers told last year. “Then, when I came [back] from Norway, I went home and my dad asked me where I wanted to bat at the club. So we had T20s and I was saying: ‘you know what? At the top (laughs).'”I broke a record in Norway, then I broke a record for Carlton [club] as well in the domestic T20. So, I thought it [opening in Norway] was a stepping stone and it gave me another option. It showed me what I’m capable of doing.”At the CPL for Barbados Royals, Mayers had shown what he is capable of at the top. On Tuesday, against India’s IPL superstars, on a used pitch in St Kitts, Mayers once again showed everyone that he could be explosive as an opening batter.When Avesh Khan dug in a hip-high delivery at 140kph, Mayers jumped into position quickly and short-arm jabbed it over midwicket for four. Most quicks in modern T20 cricket rely on heavy lengths to stop batters from driving and pulling, but Mayers has developed this short-arm jab to counter them and manufacture scoring opportunities. The next ball was even shorter from Avesh, but Mayers was one step ahead of him. He sat back for this exact length and pulled him with the strong wind over square leg for six.The ball didn’t swing for Bhuvneshwar Kumar but he still kept things tight by targeting the stumps, with protection on the leg side. Mayers, however, found a way to score once again by backing away and belting a leg-stump ball through extra cover. Mayers was responsible for 29 of the 45 runs West Indies had scored in the first six overs.Since the start of 2022, Mayers has struck at 147.44 in the powerplay – the highest among openers who have played at least 10 innings in T20I cricket during this period. Rohit Sharma (140.16), Regis Chakabva (137.60), Andy Balbirnie (136.36) and Paul Stirling (123.21) are the others in the top five on this list.Kyle Mayers took on the fast bowlers in the powerplay•AFP/Getty ImagesImmediately after the powerplay in the third T20I, Rohit matched up R Ashwin with Mayers, but the left-hander kept up the intent high by stretching out and pumping the offspinner to the left of long-off. Mayers then briefly appeared clueless when Hardik Pandya hid the ball away from his swinging arc with a mixture of slower cutters and on-pace back-of-a-length deliveries.But, after slogging and missing three times in a row against Hardik, Mayers adjusted and played late, deliberately opening the face of the bat and dinking a four between backward point and short third man. When Avesh, one of India’s most inexperienced seamers on tour, returned to the attack in the 14th over, Mayers went after him once again.He then launched Bhuvneshwar with the wind for another six, but when tried to repeat the shot, the bowler took pace off and took him out for 73 off 50 balls.Of course, Mayers is no Gayle or Lewis but he can give it a good whack and with Brandon King also showing some improvement against spin, West Indies could have a promising left-right opening combination at the World Cup.”It’s about communication,” Mayers said of his partnership with King. “Whoever gets off to the flier, you continue to give him the strike. Once the person is hot, you continue to feed him to get him going and give the other person that’s not going the time to get in and click at the end.”Batting aside, Mayers can also play on the egos of batters with his floaty legcutters and legrollers. In the second ODI against India in Port of Spain, he tricked both Shubman Gill and Suryakumar Yadav with lack of pace in successive overs. In the same game, he had pulled off a spectacular sliding catch at deep third to dismiss Shikhar Dhawan.Mayers is only into his second year in international cricket but has already established himself as an “important” all-format player for West Indies, as captain Nicholas Pooran suggested in his glowing appraisal of Mayers’ all-round abilities during the ODI series.”Kyle has been impressive so far in all formats,” Pooran had said. “He is one of the West Indies’ most important players at the moment and [in] every game, he continues to grow and improve and that’s something wonderful.”Going forward, we do hope he can continue going from strength to strength and, you know, he is working really hard as well. He is now getting rewarded and we are really happy for that.” Australia calling, then?

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Giants second baseman Casey Schmitt was one of the few batters to get a hit off of Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto on Sunday, but he was also one of his seven strikeout victims. Schmitt was the final batter Yamamoto faced and he struck out looking on a ball up in the zone.

While home plate umpire John Bacon rang him up in an animated fashion, Schmitt spun around to argue the call, throwing his arms up in disbelief. To Bacon's credit, he heard Schmitt out while he tossed a ball out towards the mound and let him walk away without tossing him.

Bacon was obviously confident that he had the call right this time and with good reason. Schmitt was probably just frustrated with how effectively Yamamoto moved the ball around the zone in this at-bat and left him watching a strike go by after he just chased one low out and outside.

The Los Angeles Dodgers enter the All-Star break with the second best record in baseball at 58–39. Yamamoto is 8–7 on the season after his latest no-decision despite the fact that he scattered three hits over seven scoreless innings on Sunday.

Chicaog Cubs legend Ryne Sandberg died on Monday. He was 65.

The Hall of Fame second baseman played 16 seasons in the majors, 15 of them in Chicago. Throughout the course of his career, Sandberg won nine Gold Gloves, seven Silver Slugger awards, and was named NL MVP of the 1984 season.

Tributes poured in for Sandberg from across the baseball world. MLB Network put together a video package celebrating the life and playing career of Sandberg, highlighting some of the brightest moments of his career. You can watch that below.

The Cubs will wear a patch in honor of Sandberg on their uniforms for the remainder of the season.

RIP to a Cubs legend.