Northern Diamonds bowled Lancashire Thunder out for just 61 – the lowest total in the four-year history of the Charlotte Edwards Cup – on the way to a five-wicket victory with 6.2 overs to spare against their arch-rivals at Durham’s Seat Unique Riverside.Scotland left-arm seamer Rachel Slater returned a superb three for 12 from four overs bowled straight through with the new ball, while opener partner Lizzie Scott also struck twice added to two wickets for the off-spin of Erin Burns in a final group clash which started with neither side able to qualify for Saturday’s Finals Day.Having almost perfectly made use of helpful bowling conditions, the Diamonds slipped to 37 for four in this helter-skelter contest. But Thunder had left themselves with too much to do, and their former batter Rebecca Duckworth steered the hosts over the line with an unbeaten 21.Both sides finished this competition with three wins from their 10 matches. Diamonds have won their last two and Thunder have lost their last two.Given the Diamonds are hosted by Yorkshire as a region, this was the first of two Roses T20s in as many nights, with the men’s teams facing off at Headingley in the Vitality Blast tomorrow. And the first blow was struck by the White Rose county in emphatic fashion.Diamonds got off to a near-perfect start, beginning with the correct call at the toss.Captain Hollie Armitage elected to bowl on a green pitch which offered obvious seam movement and also prodigious swing for Slater and Scott, the latter playing her first game of this season’s T20 competition.Thunder slipped to 19 for four inside the opening five overs, losing key trio Emma Lamb, Australian Katie Mack and in-form Seren Smale, whose 88 not out in their defeat at Central Sparks on Friday represented – at the time – the highest score by any batter in this competition.Scott had Fi Morris and Mack caught, the latter brilliantly by a diving Katherine Fraser at backward point, and left-armer Slater bowled Lamb and Smale.Unfortunately for Thunder, things got worse quickly, and 13 from Tara Norris batting at number nine proved to be their highest score. Only three batters reached double figures as a procession of batters came and went on a sunny North East day.Captain Ellie Threlkeld was run out from cover at the striker’s end before debutant all-rounder Grace Johnson chipped Slater to mid-off – 24 for six in the seventh.Kate Cross was bowled by Australian Burns before, considering the circumstances, the riches of back-to-back boundaries through the covers for Norris off former Thunder seamer Sophia Turner took the score to 50 for seven in the 11th.But it was only a brief respite. Norris was bowled on the pull at Scotland off-spinner Katherine Fraser before Liberty Heap was stumped off Katie Levick’s leg-spin.And when Sophie Morris chipped Burns to cover, Thunder were all out inside 15 overs for a record low total.Left-arm spinner Morris and new ball seamer Cross then both struck twice apiece to give Diamonds something to think about at 37 for four after eight overs, 25 runs still needed.England’s Cross trapped Emma Marlow lbw and had Bess Heath caught behind to finish with figures of two for 14 from four overs.Duckworth’s unbeaten 21 represented the highest score of the match.

It’s been a hectic summer for Chelsea so far this year.

Instead of enjoying some time off and getting themselves ready for an intense Premier League campaign next season, the Blues have been fighting their corner in the Club World Cup.

Enzo Maresca’s men might have stumbled somewhat against Flamengo on Friday, but in the small hours of Wednesday morning, they bounced back with a 3-0 win against ES Tunis.

More importantly, the game also saw summer signing Liam Delap open his account for the club, and if recent reports are to be believed, the club could be looking at someone who’d be a great teammate for the Englishman.

Chelsea target attacking reinforcements

With Chelsea looking to improve on their fourth-place finish in the Premier League next season, it’s not been a surprise to see them linked with a host of attacking stars in recent weeks, such as Hugo Ekitiké and even Victor Osimhen.

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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The former managed to rack up a tally of 34 goal involvements in 48 games this season and would reportedly cost around £84m, while the latter managed to amass a haul of 45 goal involvements in 41 games and could cost around £60m.

However, as brilliant as they would be for the Blues, they’re both centre-forwards, so it would be hard to describe either of their potential arrivals as good news for Delap, unlike with Alejandro Garnacho.

Yes, according to a recent report from the Telegraph, Chelsea could still make a push to sign the Manchester United star this summer.

The report claims that the West Londoners are now ‘weighing up the possibility’ of signing the Argentine international while sending Christopher Nkunku the other way in a swap deal.

We say ‘sort of’ swap deal, as the report claims the pair moving in opposite directions would be handled as separate deals, meaning a fee would have to be paid for the winger, who the Red Devils value at £60m.

It could be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but given Garnacho’s potential and ability, it might be one worth pursuing, especially as he could be a great signing for Delap.

Why Garnacho would be a great signing for Delap

Okay, there are two main reasons why Garnacho could be a great signing and teammate for Delap at Chelsea, and the first relates to his output.

Even though the United ace is far from being the finished product and can certainly be a little frustrating at times, his raw output is actually quite impressive, especially for someone his age.

For example, in 58 appearances this season, totalling just 3568 minutes, the “generational” talent, as dubbed by Statman Dave, managed to score 11 goals and provide ten assists for a pretty rubbish Red Devils side.

Garnacho vs Neto

Players

Garnacho

Neto

Appearances

58

47

Minutes

3568′

3032′

Goals

11

8

Assists

10

9

Goal Involvements per Match

0.36

0.36

Minutes per Goal Involvements

169.90′

178.35′

All Stats via Transfermarkt

That comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.76 games, or one every 169.90 minutes, which is actually better than some of the Blues’ better wing options, like Pedro Neto, were able to manage.

So, just imagine how effective the former Ipswich Town gem could be with someone able to produce those numbers in a dysfunctional team to his left.

The second reason the Madrid-born ace would be a great teammate for the Englishman is that he is also a young, developing player, so in theory, they could develop alongside one another, learn each other’s game and hopefully reach their respective peaks at near enough the same time, in turn helping the squad as a whole.

Ultimately, signing Garnacho might not be a popular decision to start with, but he’s shown that in the right environment, he can thrive, and with an exciting, capable striker like Delap next to him, he could become exceptional.

Related He'd be a dream for Ekitike: Chelsea move close to signing £55m star

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Posts 2 ByJack Salveson Holmes Jun 24, 2025

Under DeSilva holdings, the franchise will be known as Dambulla Sixers

Andrew Fidel Fernando05-Jun-2024The Lanka Premier League’s Dambulla franchise has new ownership – an engineering consulting firm called Sequoia Consultants based in Los Angeles.Sri Lanka Cricket announced this news about two weeks after the board was forced to terminate the previous ownership of the Dambulla franchise, because one of the co-owners – Tamim Rahman – was arrested by Sri Lanka police under the Prevention of Offences Related to Sports Act.SLC said this new franchise will be run by a local company named DeSilva Holdings, “which was specifically set up for this purpose”. The owner of DeSilva Holdings, Priyanga de Silva, is in turn a majority shareholder of Sequoia, and had played domestic cricket in Sri Lanka, according to the release.Related

LPL terminates contract with Dambulla Thunders

Under DeSilva holdings, the franchise will be known as Dambulla Sixers, having previously been Dambulla Viiking, Dambulla Giants, and Dambulla Aura – the ownership having changed repeatedly since the tournament’s first season in 2020.”My desire to get engaged in cricket, especially cricket in Sri Lanka, prompted me to purchase the Dambulla Sixers team,” said De Silva. “I have seen LPL grow as a league during the last four years, which is commendable for a small country like ours. I am excited to be a part of this growth and be able to contribute to the development of cricket in our country,” he added.The new ownership takes charge with a little over three weeks to go, before the tournament’s scheduled start, on July 1. Matches will be played in Pallekele, Dambulla, and Colombo.

Opener remains unbeaten after Ryan Higgins’ 163 looked to have given the hosts control at Lord’s

ECB Reporters Network24-Jun-2024

Luis Reece survived a sketchy start to remain unbeaten on 123•Getty Images

Derbyshire 308 for 4 (Reece 123*, Madsen 49, Higgins 1-39) trail Middlesex 433 (Higgins 163, du Plooy 57, Roland-Jones 52) by 125 runsDerbyshire opener Luis Reece posted a maiden Lord’s hundred to lead his side’s steady response with the bat in their Vitality County Championship game against Middlesex.The 33-year-old left-hander shook off a patchy start, sharing a third-wicket stand of 111 with Wayne Madsen and bringing up his century from 176 balls to reach stumps unbeaten on 123.The visitors closed at 308 for 4, trailing by 125 after Middlesex had totalled 433 in their first innings, with overnight centurion Ryan Higgins last man out for 163.Higgins, whose partnership of 71 with Ethan Bamber set a county record for the last wicket against Derbyshire, has now overtaken Northamptonshire’s Emilio Gay to become Division Two’s leading run-scorer this season.Handily placed on 342 for 7 overnight, Middlesex lost captain Toby Roland-Jones for 52 in the third over, driving to mid-on where opposite number David Lloyd sprang forward to take the catch.With Henry Brookes soon following, trapped leg before by a ball from Zak Chappell that kept low, it looked as though a fourth batting point might elude the home side – but Higgins and Bamber determined otherwise.Bamber looked accomplished at the crease, compiling an unbeaten 21 as he chopped Daryn Dupavillon to the fence and Higgins raised the tempo, lifting Sam Conners for three leg-side sixes.A rare untidy shot by Higgins, top-edging Conners over slip for four, took him beyond 150 and it was Reece who eventually wrapped up the innings as Madsen – narrowly avoiding a collision with Conners – gathered Higgins’ slog-sweep in front of the rope.That left Derbyshire six pre-lunch overs to negotiate and Lloyd started positively, punching Bamber off the back foot for two boundaries before he was caught at point trying to do it a third time.Brooke Guest looked in good touch after the interval, having just driven Roland-Jones to the cover boundary when he was undone by the next ball, which nipped back down the slope to strike middle and off.By contrast, Reece played and missed several times at the start of his innings, surviving close calls when he edged Roland-Jones and Bamber through the slips before eventually settling into his stride.The left-hander formed a solid alliance with Madsen, whose first six scoring shots all flew to the boundary and ushered the 40-year-old beyond the landmark of 14,000 first-class runs in Derbyshire colours.Although leg-spinner Luke Hollman caused Madsen problems, with one inside edge flying just past the stumps, he looked poised to emulate Reece’s half-century until Brookes broke the partnership with a fearsome rising delivery in the first over after tea.Madsen, on 49, attempted to fend the ball off and could only glove it to wicketkeeper Jack Davies – yet his dismissal did little to slow Derbyshire’s scoring rate as Reece and Matt Lamb began to accelerate.Lamb targeted the short boundary in a breezy 30 before Davies, standing up to the stumps, took a sharp catch off Higgins, but the keeper was unable to hold on to another chance soon afterwards when Bamber found Aneurin Donald’s inside edge.Donald, who had yet to get off the mark at that stage, took advantage to progress to 43 not out as Derbyshire pocketed their second batting bonus point prior to stumps.

Chelsea’s second signing of the summer is through the door. Last week, the Blues completed a deal for Liam Delap from Ipswich Town, activating his relegation release clause and bringing him to Stamford Bridge, beating the likes of Manchester United in the race for his signature.

Now, signing number two is also in the building for Enzo Maresca and his squad. Centre-back Mamadou Sarr has made the move to West London from their sister club, Strasbourg, who were one of the standout clubs in Ligue 1 last summer. The defender has signed with the club for eight years and could be in line to play in the Club World Cup.

Sarr might not be the only defender Chelsea sign this summer. They are already linked with another centre-back.

Chelsea’s next centre-back target

So, it seems clear that Maresca is intent on strengthening at the back this summer. After the addition of Sarr, the Blues seem likely to pursue another defender, although they might not be in before the pre-Club World Cup deadline on Tuesday.

Transfer Focus

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

According to a report from Caught Offside, Chelsea are set to make a move for Ajax and Netherlands international Jorrel Hato. They have reportedly ‘had contacts with Ajax in the last few days’ regarding a potential move for the Dutch talent.

Despite the contact and willingness to get a deal done, they will face stiff competition from Premier League rivals. Hato has ‘long been on the radars of both Arsenal and Liverpool’, with Newcastle United also showing interest.

They have all ‘asked for information on the player’ ahead of a potential summer move, which could cost as much as £42.3m.

Why Hato would be a good signing

Football scout Antonio Mango summed up just how good Hato is by describing him as “one of the best young talents in football”. Indeed, that is the kind of impression the 19-year-old has made during his short career so far.

Last season was a strong campaign by the talented young defender. He amassed 50 appearances for Ajax in all competitions, mainly playing as a left-back, but also slotting in at centre-back, a position in which he equally excels. He managed three goals and six assists in total.

To put into perspective the kind of player Chelsea are looking to sign, Hato was Ajax’s youngest ever captain back in November 2023, at the age of just 17. He has now skippered his boyhood club three times, showing incredible leadership at such a young age.

Hato might even be a better signing for Chelsea than their new defender Sarr. The 19-year-old France under-20 international is certainly an exciting addition, and impressed for Strasbourg under Liam Rosenior last season.

The youngster played 28 games in all competitions, with all but one of those appearances coming in Ligue 1. It was certainly a successful season for the new Blues defender, who helped keep ten clean sheets in the top flight of France as his side qualified for the Conference League.

However, Hato managed to keep more clean sheets in an Ajax shirt than Sarr managed for Strasbourg under Rosenior. The Dutchman played his part in 14 clean sheets in the Eredivisie last term.

When looking at the underlying data on FBref from Hato and Sarr’s campaigns in 2024/25, there are further numbers which suggest the Ajax star is a better player than the new Chelsea man. For example, Hato averaged 2.78 tackles and interceptions per 90 minutes, compared to 2.39 each game for Sarr.

Hato and Sarr – key stats in 2024/25 compared
Stat (per 90)	Hato	Sarr
Progressive passes	4.17	1.98
Tackles and interceptions	2.78	2.36
Blocks	1.22	0.99
Ball recoveries	4.51	3.73
Aerial duels won	1.77	1.14
Stats from FBref

It seems as though, for a talent perhaps better than Sarr, £42.3m is a steal for Hato. He has all the tools needed to make it to the very top, and the fact that he has already captained Ajax at such a young age is even more of a reason to sign him.

With the Blues looking to bolster at the back, this is a fantastic option for Maresca’s side, which can definitely add quality and potential to their defensive options.

Chelsea contact £80m ex-Man City starlet who'd join with Jamie Gittens

The west Londoners are looking to sign multiple attackers.

By
Emilio Galantini

Jun 10, 2025

There are no prizes for guessing what Celtic’s priority in the transfer window is likely to be in the coming days or weeks, as they look to add more quality to Brendan Rodgers’ squad.

The Hoops have already snapped up Ross Doohan, Kieran Tierney, Callum Osmand, Hayato Inamura, and Benjamin Nygren to bolster their options across the pitch.

However, Celtic are not done there and they are set to be in the market to add another winger to their squad, as they are about to lose one of their star forwards.

Nicolas Kuhn is reportedly set to undergo a medical with Como either today or on Tuesday ahead of a £17m switch from the Scottish giants this week.

The German forward’s exit will come as a blow for Rodgers, given what he produced in the 2024/25 campaign, but it also represents a masterclass by the club.

Celtic have played a masterclass with Nicolas Kuhn

The Scottish Premiership champions hit the jackpot when they swooped to sign the left-footed attacker from Rapid Vienna for a reported fee of £3m at the start of 2024.

Kuhn had a relatively slow start to life in Glasgow, with a return of two goals and two assists in 14 league games in the second half of that season, but his first six months in Scotland helped him to adjust to the country and the league.

That experience helped him to then hit the ground running in the 2024/25 campaign, as the 25-year-old star went on to become a key player for Rodgers.

The German attacker, who came through the youth set-ups at Leipzig and Bayern Munich, ended the season with a haul of 21 goals and 15 assists in 51 matches for the Hoops, which shows that he made a big impact in the final third for Celtic.

24/25 Premiership

Nicolas Kuhn per 90

Percentile rank vs wingers

xG

0.46

Top 10%

Goals

0.62

Top 8%

Shots on target

1.30

Top 14%

xA

0.34

Top 10%

Assists

0.43

Top 10%

Chances created

2.49

Top 12%

Stats via FotMob

As you can see in the table above, Kuhn ranked very highly among his positional peers in a host of key attacking metrics, which further illustrates the impact that he had on the team, particularly in the Premiership.

Celtic hit the jackpot with Kuhn because they turned a £3m signing into a Premiership superstar and are now set to make a £14m profit on him within 18 months.

Celtic eyeing deal for new winger

The Scottish giants could be on course to repeat the masterclass that they played with Nicolas Kuhn, as they are eyeing up a player from his former club.

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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According to The Scottish Sun, Celtic have identified Rapid Vienna winger Isak Jansson as a potential replacement for Kuhn, as a player who can play on either side of the pitch.

The report claims that the Swedish forward is one of a number of attackers on the club’s radar as they look to add more quality to their frontline, amid the German’s proposed move to Como.

It adds that the 23-year-old dynamo, who was signed by Rapid Vienna to replace Kuhn, is valued at a fee of around £3m by the Austrian Bundesliga outfit.

However, it currently remains to be seen whether or not the Hoops are prepared to accelerate their pursuit of the right-footed star by offering that kind of fee for his services.

Why Jansson could be Kuhn 2.0

Despite being a right-footed winger who predominantly plays on the left flank, there are a lot of similarities between a potential deal for Jansson and the deal they completed for Kuhn in 2024.

For starters, a fee of £3m would be the exact same figure that they paid Rapid Vienna for the German sensation, which would leave plenty of room to make a healthy profit on him in the future if he follows in the left-footed ace’s footsteps at Parkhead.

The Swedish star, who was once hailed for his “beautiful” goal by ex-head coach Robert Klauß, could also be a Kuhn repeat for Celtic because, of course, he would arrive from the same club.

Jansson has caught the eye with some impressive performances in the Austrian top-flight for Rapid Vienna, just as the £17m-rated winger did before his move to Parkhead, which suggests that he could be an exciting addition to Rodgers’ squad this summer.

Austrian Bundesliga

Isak Jansson (24/25)

Nicolas Kuhn (23/24)

Appearances

22

16

Goals

7

2

Goals per game

0.3

0.1

Crosses per game

0.5

0.5

Big chances missed

2

8

Assists

2

5

Big chances created

5

11

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the right-footed attacker delivered nine goal contributions in 22 matches in the Bundesliga last season, two more than Kuhn managed in 16 games for Rapid Vienna before his switch to Scotland.

When you see the way that the German winger had adapted to life in the Premiership, as a scorer and a creator of goals, after thriving in Austria, Jansson’s performances for Rapid Vienna are incredibly exciting.

The Swedish star could aim to follow in Kuhn’s footsteps as another £3m winger to make the switch from Austria to Scotland to thrive in the final third as a forward who makes a big impact on a regular basis.

At the age of 23, the Celtic target would also arrive at Parkhead with plenty of time left on his side to develop and improve over the years to increase his output in front of goal, and his market value.

Related Bigger loss than Kuhn: Celtic have set huge asking price for "special" star

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Therefore, this is a signing that could make a lot of sense for the Hoops, despite not being a like-for-like replacement for Kuhn from a stylistic perspective, because of his quality and potential for the reported fee that would be needed.

Mason Crane, the legspinner who played a single Test for England, has signed a three-year contract with Glamorgan. He is a product of the Hampshire youth system and has spent his entire professional career under contract with them, but has enjoyed a successful spell in Cardiff this season after moving on a season-long loan.Crane, 27, is Glamorgan’s leading wicket-taker in both the County Championship (24 at 42.87) and the T20 Blast (17 at 16.94) this season, and said he has “loved every minute” of his time at the club. “I’m very grateful for the opportunity to make this move permanent,” Crane said. “I’m very excited for the next chapter and the years to come.”Grant Bradburn, Glamorgan’s head coach, said Crane had been “an outstanding addition” this season and that his success has been “testament to the culture our players have welcomed him into.” Bradburn said: “We feel very fortunate to have the quality of Mason here at the club and we look forward to building more success with him as part of our Glamorgan family.”Related

• Crane: 'I just want to play and feel like an integral part of a team'

• Glamorgan sign Crane on loan, Hamza for Championship

Crane made his professional debut for Hampshire as a teenager, making Kumar Sangakkara his first victim. He quickly rose to prominence, playing two T20Is for England against South Africa in 2017, and found himself in the Test squad for an Ashes tour later that year as the second spinner behind Moeen Ali.He was handed an unexpected debut at the age of 20 at the SCG and took a single wicket for the cost of 193 runs. Since then, he has struggled for regular opportunities due to injury and loss of form – particularly in first-class cricket – though he remained an important part of the sides that won the Royal London Cup (2018) and T20 Blast (2022).”I would like to thank everyone at Hampshire for an amazing journey over the years,” Crane said. “We have created some memories together that will last forever, but now is the time for me to start a new chapter. Thank you also to the fans for all the support and I wish everyone associated with the club all the best for the future.”

The hosts fell 12 runs short in Chennai and now trail the three-match T20I series 1-0

Shashank Kishore05-Jul-2024

South Africa lead the three match T20I series 1-0•BCCI

After defeats in the ODI series and the one-off Test, South Africa began their run to the women’s T20 World Cup with a morale-boosting victory over India in the first T20I in Chennai.Starring in the win were Tazmin Brits, whose 81 – an innings of contrasts – set South Africa up along with Marizanne Kapp. The pair added 96 in just 9.2 overs; Kapp’s own contribution was a robust 33-ball 57 as the visitors posted 189 for 4.India’s chase began well with Smriti Mandhana’s 30-ball 46, but her wicket slowed things down considerably, until they found their ammunition through Jemimah Rodrigues’ punchy 29-ball half-century.Related

Brits 'finds a way out', with a little help from her friends

Ghosh goes off with concussion, Brits stretchered off with contusion

Eventually, the target proved steep as South Africa’s spinners used the slow pitch and the absence of dew to their advantage. In the end, India fell 12 runs short after flirting with the possibility of a heist when Rodrigues brought the equation down from 47 off 18 to 21 off six.Wolvaardt flies, Brits stuttersLaura Wolvaardt came out all guns blazing and took Renuka Singh for 16 runs in the third over. But South Africa weren’t able to build on that with Brits, at this point, struggling to hit the ball off the square.Brits took 10 deliveries to get off the mark and the piling up of dots made Wolvaardt take more risks than she would’ve liked. One such stroke – walking across to expose all three stumps in a bid to sweep left-arm spinner Radha Yadav into acres of open space – led to her downfall in the eighth over to leave South Africa 50 for 1.Kapp finds her gears straightawayKapp began with two fours off her first three balls, the first one, an inside-out drive over extra cover, particularly attractive. But she was also massively lucky to be reprieved twice in the 10th over.First, Richa Ghosh failed to hang on to a catch behind the stumps when Kapp was on 11 and then Mandhana put down a tough chance running in from long-off with the South African allrounder on 11. This helped unleash Kapp, which reduced the pressure on Brits after she had limped to a run-a-ball 25 at the 10-over mark.Jemimah Rodrigues made a half-century•BCCI

Fighting a back injury, Kapp had shelved her sweeps for large periods during the Test match between these two teams a few days ago. But in perhaps a sign that she was feeling heaps better, Kapp displayed different variations of her sweeps as her innings progressed – the full-blooded ones, the paddles, the scoops and even the reverse – during a 30-ball half-century that injected momentum into South Africa’s innings.Brits makes the most of her luckBrits broke the shackles in the 11th over when she heaved legspinner S Asha over the long-on boundary, even as Kapp went berserk at the other end in their near-century stand.Brits should’ve been out on 50 when she top-edged a slog, only for Ghosh to grass the opportunity. It would prove game-changing in a sense as Ghosh, who was hit on the chin by the ball rebounding off her gloves, while tumbling to the floor was ruled out of the rest of the game due to concussion.It took Brits until the 17th over of the innings to hit top gear, when she launched Radha for back-to-back sixes to offset any pressure from Kapp’s wicket in the same over. South Africa ransacked 58 runs off the last five to head into the break with momentum firmly with them.India go off rails despite Mandhana, Rodrigues knocksMandhana’s cameo helped India raise their half-century in the fifth over, before Ayabonga Khaka pulled the game back by nicking off Shafali Verma. That wicket slowed things down considerably as India’s No. 3, D Hemalatha, struggled to cope with the pressure of the asking rate. She limped to 14 off 16 at the halfway mark.This may have resulted in Mandhana’s downfall as she left her crease against Chloe Tryon and got caught behind. When Hemalatha was bowled off the very next ball, looking to clip Nadine de Klerk, South Africa sensed an opportunity with India 87 for 3 in the 11th.Rodrigues kept punching, using the crease superbly to manipulate the bowlers and pick up runs behind square against spin. Her enterprise offset Harmanpreet’s struggle against cramps, which appeared to limit her hitting range. Yet, when she played a full-blooded slog for a boundary to bring the equation down to 17 off 5, India believed. However, it wasn’t to be on the night as South Africa held their nerve to close out the game and seal their first win on tour.

Leeds United have already made several moves in an attempt to bolster their playing squad ahead of their return to the Premier League next season.

The summer transfer window has been open for many weeks now, and the Championship champions have added Jaka Bijol, Lukas Nmecha, and Sebastiaan Bornauw to the group.

The Whites reportedly agreed a fee of around £5m with Wolfsburg to bring Bornauw to Elland Road as their most recent addition to the squad, to bolster their centre-back ranks.

Daniel Farke now has a plethora of central defensive options to choose from, including Joe Rodon, Pascal Struijk, Ethan Ampadu, Bijol, and Bornauw, although he recently lost one when Max Wober completed a loan move to Werder Bremen.

The German head coach will be hoping that he now has enough quality in that position to form the core of a strong defensive unit that will lead the team to Premier League survival.

It does remain to be seen, though, exactly what sort of role Bornauw will play for Leeds next term, having been signed after Bijol, with Rodon and Struijk also already at the club.

Why Sebastiaan Bornauw may not be a starter for Leeds

The competition that he has ahead of him in the centre-back position suggests that the Belgian central defender has been brought in to provide depth at the back.

That is not to say that it is impossible for him to emerge as a starting calibre-option for Farke if his performances are good enough, but it currently looks like Rodon and Struijk, who were regular starters in the Championship, and Bijol, who has been signed for £15m, are ahead of him in the pecking order.

Another reason why Bornauw may be viewed as a back-up option by Farke initially is because of his lengthy career injury history in Germany.

During his time with Koln and Wolfsburg, the Belgium international has missed a lot of matches through injury in his career, which is a slight concern.

24/25

4

18

23/24

1

2

21/22

1

2

20/21

1

13

19/20

1

2

18/19

3

19

16/17

1

12

However, as you can see in the table above, Bornauw missed 18 games through injury, with four separate issues, in the 2024/25 campaign, which shows that he has a recent track record of being consistently unavailable.

This does not suggest that Bornauw is the sort of player who Farke can reasonably rely on to be available to start week-in-week-out in the Premier League, which is why he may not be viewed as a starter, at least at this moment in time.

Leeds, however, are now reportedly interested in signing another defender who would come in as an even better signing than the former Wolfsburg man, as he could be a starter for the Premier League new boys.

Leeds closing in on new defender

According to the Yorkshire Evening Post, Leeds United are close to securing a deal to sign Lille left-back Gabriel Gudmundsson to bolster their squad.

The report claims that the Whites are closing in on a swoop for the Sweden international, as they look to make him their fourth signing of the summer transfer window.

Transfer Focus

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

It adds that talks are continuing over a potential move for the 26-year-old full-back, but it remains to be seen how much money it will take to strike an agreement with Lille, as he is valued at around £6m by Transfermarkt.

The Yorkshire Evening Post also reveals that Gudmundsson could fly to England on Sunday to finalise a switch to West Yorkshire if all goes well in negotiations, possibly to complete a medical and agree personal terms.

This latest update suggests that the Whites could have their fourth signing in the building in short order, and he could be an even better signing than their third one.

Why Gudmundsson could be a better signing than Bornauw

Leeds could secure an even better signing than Bornauw by getting a deal over the line to bring Gudmundsson to Elland Road in the coming days, because he has the potential to be a regular starter in the defence.

Whilst the Belgian colossus may be a back-up option initially, for the aforementioned reasons, the Swedish star would arrive as the only senior left-back at the club.

Junior Firpo has already moved on from West Yorkshire and Sam Byram’s future remains a mystery, as his deal expired at the end of last month, which means that Farke does not have any senior options in that position.

Gudmundsson, who started 20 matches in Ligue 1 for Lille last season, would be in pole position to be the starting left-back for Leeds next term, because there are currently no players in the building who could challenge him for that role.

This means that the left-footed whiz could join the club as an immediate starting-calibre option for Farke, whilst Bornauw may begin the season as a back-up centre-back initially.

Pass accuracy

82%

Top 31%

Progressive passes*

4.59

Top 34%

Progressive carries*

3.58

Top 5%

Successful take-ons*

1.01

Top 30%

Non-penalty goals*

0.10

Top 20%

Crosses into penalty area

0.50

Top 36%

As you can see in the table above, Gudmundsson showcased a lot of quality in possession for Lille in his appearances in the French top-flight last season, ranking highly as a progressive left-back, who can get his team up the pitch with both passes and carries.

These statistics suggest that the left-footed star, who was described as a “fun” player and a “risk-taker” by reporter Joe Donnohue, could suit Farke’s ball-dominant style of play, as he is comfortable in possession and has shown he can consistently progress play down the left whilst playing in a major European league.

Overall, Gudmundsson appears to have the quality to step in as an immediate starter for Leeds, as a direct replacement for Firpo, which suggests that he will come in as a key operator in the Premier League next season.

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Bornauw, however, may have to settle for a back-up role, at least at first, and that is why the Lille star would come in as an even better signing for the club in the here and now.

علق خالد بيبو مدير الكرة بـ نادي زد، على تغيير الجهاز الفني لـ الأهلي خلال الفترة الحالية بعد رحيل خوسيه ريبيرو، موضحًا رأيه في تواجد عدد كبير من نجوم الصف الأول بالقلعة الحمراء.

وقال خالد بيبو في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر قناة أون: “ليس شرطًا أن تكون التجربة التي تُجرى جديدة، وتجربة النادي الأهلي أن يكون لديه عدد كبير من النجوم في وقت واحد، هذه تجربة كبيرة وجديدة، ولا يوجد أحد يعمل بنجوم كثيرين مثل النادي الأهلي على مر الزمن”.

وتابع: “النجوم كثيرون جدًا، لكنهم لم يكونوا يُجلبون من كل مكان في العالم بتصنيف عالٍ، وكل اللاعبين كانوا يأتون إلى النادي الأهلي نجومًا لكنهم بحاجة إلى تطوير للوصول إلى مستوى النجومية العالي، الأهلي الآن جلب اللاعب رقم واحد من نادي الزمالك، وجلب لاعب من المصنفين في مصر مثل تريزيجيه، وضم بن شرقي، وهو بالطبع من أفضل اللاعبين وكذلك محمد علي بن رمضان”.

وزاد: “طوال الوقت الأهلي يضم نجومًا، لكن ليس بهذا الحجم وهذه الكثافة، وأتحدث عن الحقبة الأخيرة، والأهلي من قبل احتاج لمهاجم صريح إلى أن جاء وسام أبو علي، وكذلك كانت هناك حاجة للتعاقد مع أجنحة”.

وأوضح: “الآن لدى الأهلي في كل مركز ثلاثة لاعبين أفضل من بعضهم، أنا لا أتحدث عن رقم واحد فقط، بل عن رقم واحد ورقم اثنين ورقم ثلاثة في نفس المركز، الأهلي الآن لديه ثلاثة لاعبين في نفس المستوى في مركز واحد”.

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وحول تعاقد الأهلي مع كهربا وإمام عاشور ثم زيزو وكونهم لاعبين سابقين في الزمالك، أردف: “إمام لم أضمه من الزمالك، كان قد خرج من ميتلاند، وخرج من تشكيلة نادي الزمالك أنا لم آخذه منهم، فلا أعتبر أنني أخذت لاعبًا كان مؤثرًا من المنافس، وهذا أمر مختلف”.

واستطرد: “تجربة جديدة أن يكون لدى الأهلي ثلاثة لاعبين في نفس المستوى في مركز واحد، لكن هذا موضوع مختلف، وأنت كنت تعرف سابقًا من سيشارك، أما الآن، فتحتاج إلى أن تستفيد من الجميع، ولذلك غيّرت مراكز عددا من اللاعبين، فلم تحصل على 100% من إمكانيات الجميع”.

وواصل: “إلى الآن المستوى المتوقع للفريق داخل النادي الأهلي لا يحقق هذه النتائج التي حدثت، والمفترض أن يكون مستوى الأهلي يجعلك تلعب وأنت مرتاح جدًا، وحتى الآن لم يحصل على 50% من مستوى لاعبيه”.

وعن هل كان للإدارة الفنية دور مهم في هذا الأمر؟، أوضح: “نعم بالتأكيد، وإلا لما حدث هذا التغيير، الجمهور والإدارة أو أي محب للأهلي، لم ير كفاءة هؤلاء اللاعبين في الملعب، فشعرتَ أنك لا تستطيع التحرك واللعب كما تريد، وكان يمكن أن تتحرك بشكل أفضل، وكان يمكن أن تظهر بشكل أفضل، ولكن الحلول لم تأتِ بنسبة 100% كما تريد، والنتائج لم تساعد”.

وأتم: “في كأس العالم للأندية، الأهلي أضاع عددًا هائلًا من الفرص في كل المباريات، ومباراة بيراميدز كانت سيئة، ومباراة المحلة كذلك الأهلي أضاع فرصًا كبيرة جدًا، وكان يمكن أن تتحسن الأمور، لكنها توقفت، ولذلك، اتخذتَ قرارًا بأن التركيبة لم تنجح”.