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England captain in “a really good space” after extensive work with batting coach Sid Lahiri

Matt Roller29-May-2024When England left India in mid-November, it was the lowest moment of Jos Buttler’s tenure as white-ball captain. His side were eliminated at the group stages of the ODI World Cup after three wins in nine matches – and only one in seven when they were still mathematically alive. His own form was non-existent.Buttler managed 138 runs across nine innings, 43 of which came in the tournament’s opening match, and looked worn down by England’s string of defeats. Innovative and impish at his best, he instead became restricted and robotic: he reverse-swept just two of the 142 balls he faced at the tournament, and played neither a sweep nor a scoop.But as England prepare for the T20 World Cup, Buttler looks ready. After missing the Cardiff washout to be with his wife Louise for the birth of couple’s third child, he is set to return as captain on Thursday night at The Oval. He does so after winning the player-of-the-match award in the only completed match in the series so far.In his first international innings of the year at Edgbaston, Buttler took Pakistan’s attack for 84 off 51 balls and seemed to have recaptured the spirit of the player that broke through as a 20-year-old. He used his feet against the seamers to create different angles for himself and destroyed Shadab Khan, looting 40 runs off the 15 balls he faced from him.Related

• Buttler backs England to learn from 50-over World Cup debacle

• IPL: Buttler flicks the switch to find form at the right time

• Buttler misses Cardiff T20I on paternity leave

• Archer impresses on comeback as Buttler makes the difference

• Buttler to keep wicket and captain despite over-rate concerns

It was his highest score in any international cricket since an ODI century against South Africa in February 2023, and an innings defined by its impudence. He twice reverse-swept Shadab – once for four, once for six – and scooped Haris Rauf over fine leg to bring up his half-century. He even tried a rare reverse-scoop off Rauf, though toe-ended it towards point for a single.Since he became a regular T20 opener in 2018, Buttler has evolved into a more clinical, consistent player: in T20Is, he averages 47.95 with a strike rate of 151.98 from his 50 innings as an opener. But of late, he has made a conscious decision to dip into his extensive repertoire of unorthodox shots: “What’s really important for me at this stage of my career is to always be trying to improve and get better, and add new things to my game,” Buttler said last week.”There’s certain shots that I want to add to my game more, different things that I want to try. I think that’s really exciting. That feels really motivating for me, and it’s always been a mindset of mine, but it’s more [about] connecting to that again and not being afraid to try new things, and fail in different ways.”Buttler with Sid Lahiri in the Rajasthan Royals’ nets•Rajasthan RoyalsButtler has worked closely with Siddhartha ‘Sid’ Lahiri, his batting coach at Paarl and Rajasthan Royals. “Sid’s had a huge impact for me,” Buttler said last month. When Buttler arrived at the SA20 in January, he was “not really enjoying my cricket, a bit unsure with my batting, trying to find that rhythm. Lahiri told him: “Just give me this tournament, I’m going to work with you,” Buttler recounted.Buttler “gave myself over” to Lahiri, and empowered him to run his training sessions. “He’s got some great thoughts around the game,” he said. “He’s a very positive guy, always reminding you how good you are but at the same time, giving you some honest feedback, and stuff you can do better. He’s had a great impact on my batting.””Jos didn’t have a particularly great time at the World Cup,” Lahiri told ESPNcricinfo. “What I felt was that he had slightly gone away from his usual sync. He’s not a conventional Ian Bell or Joe Root; he’s an unconventional batter whose greatest strength is his hand-eye coordination. It’s all about the time when the bat meets the ball, and his ability to sync that with the way he watches the ball.”Lahiri encouraged Buttler to move away from underarm feeds in practice, introducing “some harder spin throwdowns, where he had to play with the bat because he wasn’t wearing pads”. He also suggested that he should bat against the Royals’ seamers in the nets more often as opposed to net bowlers – another change designed to “ensure that he kept on finding his rhythm”.They also worked on his alignment early in his innings, after some bowlers – Bhuvneshwar Kumar, for example – targeted his pads with the new ball. “We didn’t tinker too much on his basics, more how he positions himself,” Lahiri said. “There were certain areas which he was not accessing, and bowlers were targeting. Now, if they target him in towards him, he’s going to hit it through midwicket for four.””i’ve worked closely with Sid… just [to get] some different ideas”•Rajasthan RoyalsButtler believes that he is sometimes “a victim of my own expectations”. Lahiri agrees: “When Jos is walking out for the Royals, his level of expectation is at its peak; the same pressure is there playing for England as captain. He can’t just think, ‘Let me go and smack a few balls’, which possibly he would love to. It’s a challenge for him.” His main aim, therefore, was simple: “To bring back the fun and the joy, and for Jos to actually enjoy batting again”.They are not major interventions but Buttler believes they have been beneficial and his statistics back that up: he averages 40.36 for the Royals’ teams this year, striking at 142.30. “I feel in a really good space,” he said last week. “I’ve worked closely with Sid… just [to get] some different ideas. He had a couple of drills that he thought would be really good for me. Change is good, change is nice.”Lahiri is an unlikely figure to be working so closely with Buttler: he is a self-described “outsider” who, unlike most IPL coaches, did not have a professional playing career. He played representative cricket in Bengal but went to the UK in his late 20s to qualify as a coach and never returned to Kolkata, instead building his career overseas.He played club cricket for Stoke d’Abernon in Surrey while working at Parkside School in Cobham, and launched his own business, the Star Cricket Academy. It was incorporated into the Rajasthan Royals Academy in 2019 and Lahiri has worked with the franchise’s professional set-up around the world since, including five seasons with their IPL team in various roles.”My coaching journey has come from the grassroots level up,” he said. “I’m very proud that I am a little bit of a trend-setter.” He admitted that he has, on occasion, found it “tough” to get buy-in from top players, but said: “The time is not that far away when people will take coaching as completely different to playing… it’s there already in football.”Lahiri has been empowered by the Royals’ director of cricket Kumar Sangakkara, and is grateful to Buttler for his support: “At the Royals, we talk a lot about trust… Jos has obviously supported me in all of this, and that is why it has been able to work.”His influence on Buttler encapsulates the unlikely multi-national relationships which have been forged in the IPL era. If it helps Buttler play a decisive role at the T20 World Cup, England’s supporters will be grateful.

Paul van Meekeren suggests Dutch warm-ups for other teams in bid to get more international cricket for Netherlands

Andrew McGlashan27-Oct-20221:13

Paul van Meekeren: ‘We’ve got guys who pay to go to their own training’

Netherlands pace bowler Paul van Meekeren has called on the major cricketing nations to use Netherlands as a stopping-off point on their way to England tours, as a way of helping boost the amount of international cricket available to them.The volume of bilateral cricket Netherlands will play against the leading teams in the coming years is uncertain with the discontinuation of the ODI Super League, which has guaranteed them 24 matches in the current cycle. They have played 15 in 2022, their most for a calendar year, including home series against West Indies, England and Pakistan.Related

Rohit, Kohli and Suryakumar power India to the top of Group 2

While all the games this year have been lost they came close to beating Pakistan, and captain Scott Edwards previously talked about the importance of the Super League in helping develop depth in Netherlands cricket. Van Meekeren believes their competitiveness on the field and the facilities available would make it an ideal lead-in to an England series rather than playing county sides.”There’s no reason why Test teams can’t come to Holland instead of playing the counties,” he said, speaking after the match against India at the SCG. “We’ve got the facilities. I think this year hopefully we showed how good the wickets are in Holland. I think the practice wickets were outstanding back home, and we played some competitive games.”We can be as competitive as playing the warm-up game against other counties. Why not come to Holland for ten days before they travel to England?”Paul van Meekeren had KL Rahul lbw on Netherlands’ big day•Getty ImagesOn the field in Sydney, the result went the expected way, with India coming out winners by 56 runs in the first T20I between the teams, and just the third international meeting overall, but with the ball Netherlands made them work hard.India were kept to 32 for 1 in the powerplay – van Meekeren removed KL Rahul lbw, although replays showed it was missing – and it should have been two wickets in the first six but Tim Pringle shelled Rohit Sharma. After 10 overs it was 67 for 1, and that many only because the 10th over cost 14 runs. Predictably with wickets in hand India accelerated, but they were kept to 26 fewer than South Africa had been by Bangladesh on the same surface although van Meekeren had mixed emotions.”If we’re being honest to ourselves, [we would have liked] probably a little bit less, especially after the first 10 overs,” he said. “Obviously, we didn’t take the wickets that we wanted to, which gives them the freedom to play as they did at the back [end].”Yeah, we’re being hard on ourselves. I guess you can’t miss by a centimetre…you’re in trouble. Bowling against the best players in the world, even if you miss a little bit, you just go.”I personally did it three times, and I’m sure some of the other bowlers might feel the same about their own bowling. But I think, firstly, I’m very proud about how we went about it. Them being one down [at the halfway stage], it could have been a lot more.”We could have panicked and lost our heads, but I think all the bowlers stayed very clear on what they wanted to do. Sometimes you get it wrong and you’re in trouble, and sometimes you execute and it’s only a dot ball no matter how good they are.”On the overall experience of playing India in front of 36,000 spectators, van Meekeren said it would take a little time to process.”I said this would be a day I’d tell my grandkids about, and it is playing against India, but at the end of the day you are playing against 11 other men, they aren’t gods or anything. You just compete men to men and that’s what we tried to do today.”You try to block the noise out. You watch it on TV about 100 times and just to be there is very special. I think in the moment I probably didn’t realise it as much, and it will probably sink in in the next 24 hours.”

A raft of retirements, and uncertainty over MSL among concerns for SA as their summer winds up abruptly

Firdose Moonda17-Mar-2020GainsA deeper player pool
South Africa’s selectors cast their net as wide as possible and provided opportunities to a wide range of players. By doing that, they’ve found that the resource base is not as rickety as initially thought. In Test cricket, Rassie van der Dussen established himself as a reliable middle-order presence while Anrich Nortje secured a spot as one of the frontline seamers, in ODIs Heinrich Klaasen, Kyle Verreynne and Jon-Jon Smuts showed their potential as candidates for the 2023 World Cup and, in T20Is, Temba Bavuma demonstrated an ability to switch gears. This summer showed that South Africa’s domestic system, however ragged it appears, is still producing players that can make the step-up to the international stage and can be trusted as a feeder system for the national side. Quinton de Kock’s captaincy step-up
Six years ago, when Graeme Smith stood down after leading the Test side for more than a decade, South Africa were unprepared. They rotated through Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers before landing on Faf du Plessis, but seemed equally unready for du Plessis’ departure. In white-ball formats, Quinton de Kock has taken to the treble role of captaining, opening the batting and keeping wicket with relative ease. De Kock’s on-field presence is commanding, with bat in hand or when issuing instructions, and his form as South Africa’s highest Test run-scorer in the season may suggest he is up for the red-ball role as well. The only sticking point is that it may require him to give up the gloves, something de Kock is adamant he does not want to do. A new pace pack
Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander were the last links to South Africa’s previous pack (after Morne Morkel retired in 2018 and the rest went Kolpak) but their injury struggles meant South Africa were at pains to find a new attack. In Nortje and Lungi Ngidi, they have the foundations. Both have recovered from injuries and came through the season with strong results. Nortje was the leading wicket-taker across all formats and particularly impressed with his pace which was often in the higher 140kph range, while Ngidi’s ODI form showed his varied skill set, which includes pace off the ball and the temperament to bowl at the death. Workload management is always an issue with fast bowlers and they will need to be handled carefully in future but, if done well, both could become stalwarts of the new era.Kagiso Rabada wears a pensive look in the outfield•Getty ImagesFormer player involvement
Mark Boucher’s appointment as national coach, along with a support staff including Jacques Kallis and Charl Langeveldtl, was hailed as a victory for the current crop of players because of the extensive experience they bring to the set-up but the South African system as a whole, too, have seen former players return to the fold. Four of the six franchise coaches are former internationals – Ashwell Prince (Cobras), Robin Peterson (Warriors), Imraan Khan (Dolphins) and Allan Donald (to start with the Knights in April) – while Paul Harris, Jacques Rudolph, and Hashim Amla have all been involved in consultancy roles of some description. At a time when South African cricket needs to call on as much expertise as it can, keeping former players close is a priority and, so far, CSA has got it right.Losses Kagiso Rabada’s form
Whether to impetuousness or injury, the leader of South Africa’s attack, Kagiso Rabada, had a disappointing 2019-20 season. He endured his leanest Test season since debuting, with just 21 wickets in six Tests at 32.05, the first time his bowling average has peeped over 30. Besides, he was suspended from the final Test against England after an accumulation of demerit points and ended his season with a groin injury. Is the burden of being the poster boy becoming too much for Rabada or is he simply finding other interests, like music and the NBA? Either way, he is too good a player for South Africa not to pay attention to and they need to work with him to get him back to his best. Calling it a dayHashim Amla and JP Duminy called time on their careers before this season while Steyn stepped away from Tests and Imran Tahir is now available only for T20 cricket, and South Africa had to deal with more retirements as the season wore on. Vernon Philander played his last Test series against England, leaving South Africa without a bowler with the subtle ability to move the ball off the seam, while several domestic veterans also decided to call it a day. Rory Kleinveldt, Farhaan Behardien and Andrew Birch played their last matches for the Cobras, Titans and Warriors respectively, which may not mean much for international cricket, but strips the domestic circuit of a layer of experience essential for knowledge transfer. While Behardien signed a Kolpak deal, Kleinveldt and Birch could be convinced to become involved with local teams. The transformation fight With a past as polarised as South Africa’s, it is inevitable that there is still much grappling over race issues but matters came to a head during the England series when the country’s only black African Test batsman Bavuma was left out of the New Year’s Test. Bavuma had averaged less than 20 in 2019, so his omission was justified but the message from the team camp which went along the lines of, “We don’t see colour,” was badly received. It didn’t help that the messenger, du Plessis, went through a period of poor form that attracted severe criticism. Bavuma was recalled but the bigger debate, about the slow pace of change, remains. Financial struggles The withdrawal of major sponsor Standard Bank and a second summer of running the Mzansi Super League (MSL) without a broadcast deal has left CSA financially flailing. Corporate backers may be lured back in once the fate of suspended CEO Thabang Moroe is known, but the future of the MSL remains uncertain. At the same time, CSA needs to find a way to fund the six franchises, all of whom are dependent on the mother body, and the 13 provincial unions as well as put money into the women’s game and development cricket.

كشفت تقارير صحفية رد فعل إدارة ليفربول واللاعبين بعد تصريحات محمد صلاح الأخيرة عقب مباراة الريدز أمام ليدز يونايتد ضمن منافسات الدوري الإنجليزي.

وخرج صلاح مساء أمس بعد انتهاء المباراة وتحدث لوسائل الإعلام وفتح النار على الجميع وعلى رأسهم مدربه آرني سلوت، بسبب جلوسه على دكة البدلاء لثلاث مباريات متتالية.

كان ليفربول قد تعادل أمام ليدز يونايتد بثلاثة أهداف لمثلها بعدما كان الريدز متقدمًا بنتيجة 2/0 في المباراة وكل الأمور كانت تسير بشكل إيجابي.

ووفقًا لـ”caughtoffside”، فإن مقابلة صلاح أحدثت صدمة في ليفربول ولزملائه في الفريق، الذين كانوا يعتبرونه قائدًا كبيرًا ولم يصدقوا تصرفاته الأخيرة.

وأشارت إلى أن هذا قد يفسر اختيار آرني سلوت لأندي روبرتسون نائبًا للقائد بدلًا من صلاح لأن روبرتسون، رغم استبعاده من الفريق الأول، التزم الصمت مما زاد من حدة التوتر.

اقرأ أيضًا | حكم مباراة ليفربول وإنتر ميلان في دوري أبطال أوروبا

وذكرت أن فريق انتقالات ليفربول يشعر بالقلق من أن مارك جويهي وأنطوان سيمينيو، اللذين كانا مرشحين للانضمام إلى الريدز في يناير، قد يُؤجلان أو يُغيران رأيهما في الانتقال إلى النادي بسبب الأزمة التي يمر بها.

كما أفادت أن هناك اجتماعًا طارئًا يُعقد حاليًا لمعالجة تداعيات الخلاف بين سلوت وصلاح وهناك غموض حول مستقبل سلوت.

يرغب الجهاز الفني بقيادة الهولندي في استبعاد صلاح من قائمة مباراة إنتر ميلان في دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وفي ضوء ذلك، أكدت الصحيفة أن هناك تقارير أفادت بأن مايكل إدواردز وريتشارد هيوز منفتحان على التفاوض بشأن خروج صلاح من الفريق مبكرًا.

واختتمت أن صلاح لا يزال يرى نفسه لاعبًا في ليفربول، حتى مع المدرب الجديد، يبقى أن نرى كيف سيحل ليفربول هذا الوضع خلال الأسابيع القليلة المقبلة، خاصة في ظل معاناته الحالية على أرض الملعب.

It's not a good time to be a Colorado Rockies fan.

The Rockies own MLB's worst record through the first month-plus of the 2025 campaign, and quite frankly, it's not even close. The team has won just six games through its first 37 contests and owns a stunningly bad run differential of -109.

Colorado dropped both games of a doubleheader against the Detroit Tigers on Thursday, capping off a series sweep at Coors Field. They were outscored 21–3 throughout the two games.

Kyle Freeland, who drew the start for the first game and surrendered five runs and 11 hits across just three innings, got emotional when addressing the media after the loss. When asked about what he'd say to fans amid the team's historically woeful start to the season, he issued a heartbroken response.

"Keep believing in us," Freeland said, seemingly fighting back tears, before leaving the podium.

Freeland is one of the longest tenured players on Colorado's roster, currently in his ninth season with the organization. Having been with the Rockies since his MLB debut in 2017, he was present for the team's consecutive postseason appearances in '17 and '18. He has also been present for the following seven seasons of mediocre sub-.500 baseball, and it would appear the losses are taking a toll on him.

For reference, the Rockies' 6–31 record equates to a winning percentage of .162. Only one team in MLB history has had a worse winning percentage through a full season: the 1899 Cleveland Spiders who finished the year 20–134. If Colorado can't turn things around quickly, they could find themselves approaching those historic lows come season's end.

Manchester United have been warned that a stunning return to Old Trafford for Scott McTominay is unlikely to happen. The Scotland international has been starring for Serie A champions Napoli, earning comparisons to Frank Lampard with his goal scoring exploits, but Wes Brown has told GOAL in an exclusive interview why another transfer agreement with the Red Devils is not in the pipeline.

Talisman: Serie A winner McTominay heading to the World Cup

Having parted with academy graduate McTominay in the summer of 2024, when sanctioning a £26 million ($34m) sale, United are being linked with a move to bring a familiar face back into their ranks.

Recruitment whispers have started after seeing the 28-year-old midfielder become a talismanic presence for club and country. He helped Napoli to a title triumph last season, being named MVP in the process, and has just steered Scotland to their first World Cup finals since 1998.

McTominay posted a career-best return of 13 goals in 2024-25, with full potential being unlocked in his game after being freed from the shackles that had been holding him back in Manchester. There is little suggestion that he wants to retrace professional steps, but interest in his services is expected to be stepped up in 2026.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesMan Utd return? McTominay deal considered to be unlikely

Quizzed on whether United should be looking into a deal, former Red Devils defender Brown – speaking in association with – told GOAL: “It would be a lot of money for Man United to get him back. I’m so happy that Scott has gone away and done so well – he has done better than so well! He’s been excellent.

“Would it happen? Probably not. The respect from that getting talked about is unbelievable. What an achievement by Scott, for one. Sometimes when you leave really big clubs, it can be difficult to keep a level going – normally it is a dip. But he’s got better and better. He’s a great lad and he’s determined to do the best he can. I can’t see it happening, but I can understand why there are whispers.

“Could he come back? He’s got the legs. He now plays in the right position, which isn’t holding midfielder. I’ve been trying to tell people that many, many times. Because he’s big, everyone thinks he’s a holding midfielder. He’s got the legs, can go up and down, and every fan will tell you that he gets in the right position to score goals.”

Transformation: Holding midfielder to free-scoring one

Brown added on McTominay’s transformation: “He used to do it for United, but not often because he wasn’t told to make them runs and get into positions. If he gets into positions, I’m not going to say he is Frank Lampard yet, but he is up there with making the right runs to get a midfielder into a scoring position. It’s hard to defend that type of player, who understands that role and gets into those areas where he can score – and has the mentality to think he can score.

“Scott is slowly becoming that player, where he knows where to be, the runs to make when defenders are out of position or have got their mind on the striker. It’s a shame he couldn’t have shown that a lot more at United because they weren’t in a good moment, weren’t winning every week and sometimes you can’t express yourself as much. Plus, he was a youth team player. I think it’s hard for them to do it straight away when you have got superstars in the team – you hold back a little bit.

“But Scott is doing his thing now. It will be very interesting. Napoli, after a year or two – even though they all love him – will probably want to sell to get good value for him. You just have to see how it goes.”

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Getty Images SportWhere next? McTominay contract & transfer talk

McTominay is under contract in Naples until the summer of 2028, which is helping to keep his valuation high. Said asking price could rise even further if he catches the eye on a global stage with Scotland in 2026, with La Liga giants Barcelona already among those to have been credited with interest.

Ex-Celtic striker Charlie Mulgrew has told the Hoops exactly what they must offer Jurgen Klopp to become their Brendan Rodgers replacement in what would be a sensational move.

The Bhoys are still looking for their next manager as Martin O’Neill continues to be a success as interim boss. The 73-year-old made it two wins from two on Sunday after defeating Old Firm rivals Rangers 3-1 after extra-time in the Scottish League Cup semi-final.

It was just like old times for O’Neill, who watched on as goals from Callum McGregor and a first goal for Callum Osmand ensured that his side got one over on their biggest rivals once again.

Relieved to earn a place in the final, O’Neill told reporters at full-time: “It was an incredible game. We were terrific and got the goal in front and got one disallowed for offside.

“We were in command, but I was saying to [assistant] Shaun Maloney we needed a goal to kill the game off and six or seven minutes later, Rangers get the penalty. I was 73 on Monday… I’m 94 now!”

Victory against Rangers has done O’Neill’s chances of becoming the next Celtic manager no harm, that’s for sure. Although the Northern Irishman was quick to admit that he’s just keeping the seat warm when first arriving, two wins from two has sparked rumours that he could yet get the job until the end of the current campaign.

With Ange Postecoglou taking a break from football and reportedly pulling out of the race and other candidates such as Nicky Hayen still in a job, O’Neill may make perfect sense. He’s more experienced than most, especially at Celtic Park, and he is already turning things around.

But he’s not everyone’s first choice. Instead, Mulgrew has urged Dermot Desmond to “go big” and turn to a Champions League winner in Klopp.

Mulgrew urges Celtic to "go big" and hire Jurgen Klopp

Speaking on the latest edition of The Warm-Up Show, ex-Hoops player Mulgrew urged Celtic to hire Klopp and offer the former Liverpool manager a contract worth as much as £7m-a-year, which works out at £135k-a-week.

There’s no denying that it would be an incredible appointment. Klopp transformed Liverpool, awaking English giants and taking them back to Champions League glory, but it seems unlikely that he would make a return to the dugout for Celtic.

Not just Osmand: O'Neill has another future superstar for Celtic's next boss

Celtic have another future superstar who is as exciting as Callum Osmand in their academy.

ByDan Emery Nov 3, 2025

That said, whilst unlikely, all hope isn’t lost. The Liverpool legend recently admitted on Steven Bartlett’s Diary of a CEO podcast that a return to management is still possible – saying: “I’m 58, that means I could make the decision in a few years, I don’t know. Do I have to make the decision today?

“Then I will not coach again. But thank God, I don’t have to do that. I can just see what the future brings.”

Celtic submit offer for Mark van Bommel

Northern Superchargers 96 for 2 (Sutherland 30*, Davidson-Richards 30) beat Manchester Originals 94 (Monaghan 26, Sutherland 3-15) by eight wicketsIn the battle to reach The Hundred Eliminator this Saturday – with Southern Brave having already secured their spot in The Hundred Final – it was the Northern Superchargers who came out on top at Headingley as Manchester Originals, targeting the huge score that would have significantly bumped up their run rate, ended up being bowled out for just 94, a score that the Superchargers knocked off with ease to win by eight wickets and ensure second place.With the runners-up in the table going through to the final in the event of an Eliminator wash-out, the Superchargers will be pleased with their afternoon’s work, their win guaranteeing them that second spot and ensuring London Spirit would join them in the Eliminator.Electing to field first, Hollie Armitage’s side saw Beth Mooney get off to a flyer but once she had gone for 20 off 13, the rest of the innings was something of a procession.Kate Cross put the disappointment of her non-selection for England’s World Cup squad behind her, showcasing the enduring qualities of line and length in conceding just six runs from her 15 deliveries.Annabel Sutherland also starred with 3 for 15, while Nicola Carey took 2 for 13, both off their full allocation. Only Alice Monaghan sparkled, her 26 in 17 balls containing the innings’ only two sixes.Faced with the nigh-on impossible task of restricting the Superchargers to 38 in order to finish in third place or 35 to claim second, the Originals tried hard but the task was simply too great.Those two targets came and went as Alice Davidson-Richards went on the charge, hitting 30 off 18 with six boundaries, before she hit the competition’s quickest bowler Lauren Filer to Deandra Dottin on the edge.Sutherland (30* off 17) carried on attacking, hitting Dottin down the ground exquisitely for four then six, Phoebe Litchfield (26* off 20) at the other end working the gaps and unfurling the occasional well-timed sweep and pull shot.The result was beyond doubt well before the end as the Australian pair eased to victory by eight wickets with 35 balls to spare.The Meerkat Match Hero Annabel Sutherland said: “It feels great. Hopefully we can carry that momentum into the next two games. We love it at Headingley and I guess it shows in the results we’ve got here.”Everyone’s really keen for Saturday, and hopefully we will put our best foot forward. We honestly just have a blast out there. We really enjoy each other’s company. It’s a great tournament, lots of fun.”

There’s no doubt that Manchester United’s dismal displays on the pitch over the last couple of seasons have fallen way below the expectations placed on the side by the supporters.

The Red Devils faithful have been treated to constant success, as seen by their tally of 13 Premier League titles – all of which came under Sir Alex Ferguson’s guidance.

Ruben Amorim is the latest manager to try and add himself to the list of managers to achieve such a feat, with the club now going 12 years without an English top-division title.

However, the club’s 15th-placed finish in 2024/25 highlights the work he and the first-team squad have to do before being able to achieve such a feat in the near future.

Whilst the prospect of battling for a title this campaign remains extremely slim, the 40-year-old will have certainly seen improvements in numerous players within his ranks.

Man Utd’s star performers in 2025/26 to date

In an attempt to get back to their former glory, United forked out a fee in the region of £71m for the signature of Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford during the recent summer transfer window.

Given the nature of the fee, the supporters have no doubt had big expectations of the forward to thrive, but he’s already shown glimpses that he’s able to live up to the hype.

The 26-year-old has netted two goals and registered an assist in his first eight outings for the club, already cementing himself as one of Amorim’s most important attackers.

He’s not been alone in impressing in such an area, with Amad Diallo also making an impression and picking up where he left off from the closing stages of last campaign.

The Ivorian has failed to register a single goal or assist, but has ranked third in the squad for chances created – subsequently highlighting his ability to cause the opposition endless chaos.

However, despite the performances of the aforementioned duo, one other first team member has managed to impress and managed to turn his career at the club around.

The United star who’s been their Player of the Season so far

Given the lowly league finish last time around, it’s a surprise to no one that many United players struggled to make the desired impact at Old Trafford.

Numerous players were moved on during the summer transfer window, as Amorim looked to complete an overhaul of his first-team squad to help suit his 3-4-2-1 system.

Part of the reason behind the departures was to make room for the £200m spending spree, which allowed the likes of Mbeumo to complete their own moves to the North West.

However, some of the below-par performers did stay put at the Theatre of Dreams, with Matthijs de Ligt just one talent who the manager decided to keep hold of ahead of 2025/26.

The Dutch international was often dug out for his lack of impact last season, with former Red Devils fan favourite Paul Scholes also voicing his disappointment with the defender.

Speaking on The Overlap last season, the 50-year-old described his lack of form as a “big concern” amid his move to Manchester – but us safe to say the former Bayern Munich star has started to prove his doubters wrong.

De Ligt has started all seven of the club’s 2025/26 league games to date, featuring for every minute and helping Amorim’s men keep a clean sheet in the recent win against Sunderland.

Games played

7

Minutes played

630

Pass accuracy

88%

Duels won

6.2

Aerials won

3.6

Interceptions made

1.2

Dribble success

50%

Tackles won

2.2

His underlying stats are just as impressive, subsequently winning 6.2 duels per 90 – a tally that ranks him within the top 16% of all players in the Premier League.

He’s also won 3.6 aerial battles and made 1.2 interceptions per 90, with such numbers undoubtedly handing the side the defensive presence they lacked last season.

In possession, the 26-year-old has been just as impressive, completing 88% of the passes he’s attempted – arguably being the perfect all-round defender for the Red Devils.

Given his lack of form last campaign, and prior to joining United, it truly is a credit to the player for his remarkable turnaround, with De Ligt arguably one of the first names on the teamsheet at present.

His performances have certainly made him the club’s Player of the Season to date, with real hope that he can maintain such levels for the remainder of 2025/26.

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Newcastle United are in a six-club battle to sign an “exceptional” Champions League-winning player, sending scouts to watch him in action.

Newcastle handed Livramento injury concern in Arsenal heartbreak

The Magpies lost 2-1 at home to Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon, as their disappointing start to the season continues.

The nature of the defeat was bad enough, with the Gunners winning it in the dying seconds, but a serious-looking injury to Tino Livramento compounded Newcastle’s misery, with Eddie Howe clearly concerned about it after the game.

“He’s such a big player for us in so many different ways – his versatility, his attitude, his quality. If we’re going to miss that for any length of time, it is going to be a huge blow.”

Losing Livramento for a lengthy period of time would be a massive blow for Newcastle, considering what a key man he has become at both right and left-back, and it could even affect his chances of representing England at the 2026 World Cup.

Away from the injury news, it looks as though the Magpies are still trying to show ambition in the transfer market, with a Champions League winner mentioned as an option for them in 2026.

Newcastle send scouts to watch "exceptional" star

According to a new report from Caught Offside, Newcastle United are “closely monitoring” Real Madrid forward Arda Guler, sending scouts to watch him in La Liga action.

The Magpies are far from alone in expressing an interest in the Turk, however, with Arsenal, Tottenham, AC Milan, Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig making it a six-club tussle for his signature. The Gunners have been the most strongly linked, pursuing the Turkey prodigy – who was also wanted by Barcelona before he chose Madrid – since earlier this summer.

Guler is arguably one of the most gifted and exciting young attacking players in Europe, so Newcastle supporters should love the idea of him moving to St James’ Park.

The 20-year-old has tasted Champions League glory with Madrid, impressing with his left-footed guile as a squad player, with Spain coach Luis de la Fuente a big admirer of him.

“Arda Guler is an exceptional player. We’re watching him here in La Liga with Real Madrid. His position has changed, he’s shown that he’s very versatile. He can play in deeper positions, close to the box, and also on the wing. He’s a great player.”

Guler isn’t always a key starter for Madrid, given the world-class attacking depth at their disposal, but he already has three goals and assists apiece in the league this season, suggesting that he is an important player for Xabi Alonso.

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