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West Ham United fans will be hoping Graham Potter finds his groove in the Hammers’ hot seat this coming Premier League season, after experiencing an underwhelming start to life in East London.

Potter won’t want another blunder damaging his managerial CV, akin to his Chelsea misfire, with only five victories coming his way last season from 19 games.

He will be nervous about what lies ahead, therefore, especially as he grows accustomed to not having Mohammed Kudus at his disposal, with the ex-Irons star costing London rivals Tottenham Hotspur £55m to snap up.

Still, there’s plenty of time for West Ham to make a splash in the transfer market with some of their own exhilarating signings, as a new £35m ace emerges on their radar.

West Ham weighing up £35m transfer

In all fairness, away from the disappointment of Kudus leaving, West Ham have made some impressive signings here and there.

Indeed, Jean Clair-Todibo has now made his Hammers move permanent this summer, alongside both El Hadji Malick Diouf and Kyle Walker-Peters joining in quick succession to further bolster Potter’s options at the back.

Now, the task at hand will be to improve the attack at the London Stadium in the wake of Kudus upping and leaving, with reports now suggesting West Ham are weighing up a £35m move for Manchester City outcast James McAtee.

The Telegraph has stated that this is City’s asking price amid interest also coming from Nottingham Forest, but the Hammers and the Tricky Trees, who are pushing to seal his signature, would much rather do a deal around the £20m-25m price range instead.

Potter’s side might just have to bite the bullet if Pep Guardiola’s outfit isn’t willing to budge, with McAtee perhaps going down as a bigger talent to obtain than Harvey Elliott, who has also consistently been talked about as another West Ham target this summer.

How McAtee could be a bigger talent than Elliott

Both midfielders in question are at a crossroads in their careers, having been talked up as shining, homegrown talents once upon a time, only to now find themselves stuck on the periphery.

Between them last season, both McAtee and Elliott would only start a meagre five Premier League clashes, with a fresh move to the London Stadium just the switch the ex-Sheffield United loanee needs to show off his class on a more consistent basis.

Despite such limited opportunities, McAtee still managed to chip in with a high seven goals in all competitions, with three of those efforts coming his way in the bread and butter of the top-flight, on top of also managing to break his initial City duck in the illustrious Champions League.

Elliott falls just behind McAtee in his regard, with a slightly lesser five strikes managed on his end, with the hope now that the 22-year-old can come in and fill Kudus’ hole effectively, having displayed more of a flexibility across his fledgling career to date than his Reds counterpart has shown off.

McAtee’s career numbers by position

Position played

Games

Goals

Assists

AM

68

24

14

CM

47

26

14

RM

12

4

3

CF

8

3

3

RW

6

3

1

SS

4

0

1

LM

2

0

0

LW

1

0

0

Sourced by Transfermarkt

McAtee could well morph into a new Kudus-like figure for Potter on his arrival, with the Salford-born talent an adaptable presence.

Indeed, he can line up as a number ten, as a right winger, or as a left winger, much like the Ghanaian, as seen in his impressive 38 goal contributions from the central number ten slot, on top of his equally high 40 goal-and-assist count as a traditional central midfielder, further highlighting his malleable nature.

On the contrary, the Liverpool number 19 has amassed just 12 goals and assists himself as an out-and-out number ten, with plenty more to frighteningly come from McAtee if he’s handed consistent minutes in East London.

The “incredible” number 87, as he’s been labelled previously by Guardiola, will be champing at the bit to be a leading man for a Premier League side – after also just lifting the Euros with the England U21s alongside Elliott – with West Ham perhaps gifting him that opportunity very shortly if £35m is coughed up.

Related Payet 2.0: West Ham in talks for £22.5m star who's "made for the big stage"

West Ham United have reportedly made contact to sign a player for just £22.5m, and he could be as good as Dimitri Payet in East London.

Posts ByBen Gray Jul 18, 2025

Wan Julia’s maiden half-century for Malaysia went in vain

S Sudarshanan20-Jul-2024It was not the perfect game but Thailand got their Women’s Asia Cup 2024 campaign off to a winning start, keeping their perfect record over Malaysia in T20Is intact.Thailand missed a couple of key batters due to injuries, and were being led by a new, young captain Thipatcha Putthawong. But thanks to wicketkeeper-batter Nannapat Koncharoenkai’s 35-ball 40, they managed to post a challenging 133 for 6 after opting to bat. And then, despite a 68-run opening partnership by Malaysia, they beat them by 22 runs.Despite the win, it was a day to forget for Thailand in the field as they spilled two catches and were a tad sloppy overall.Thailand’s attacking ways pay offUnder the previous coach Harshal Pathak, Thailand developed an attacking game, packing their side with strokemakers. In their first Asia Cup game under new head coach Nitish Salekar, they continued in a similar vein even if the personnel were slightly different. In the absence of Natthakan Chantham, out with an ACL injury, the other regular opener Nattaya Boochatham set the tone early. She got going with three fours in the opening over. No. 4 Putthawong also struck one off the second ball she faced. This was when Malaysia’s seamers were getting plenty of swing.Koncharoenkai also found the gaps regularly, hitting two fours in three balls off Suabika Manivannan to keep the momentum going. Even though Thailand lost two wickets in the powerplay, they managed to hit eight fours and score 44 in that phase. In comparison, Malaysia scored 36 for 0 and hit only five fours in their batting powerplay.Koncharoenkai never let her intent dip, even when offspinner Mahirah Izzati Ismail was bowling in excellent rhythm. That confidence rubbed off on Phannita Maya, who also kept the scorecard moving. Koncharoenkai’s 48-run fourth-wicket partnership with Maya set the platform for Thailand’s score that proved enough.Ismail impacts the middle oversIsmail was introduced right after the powerplay and she struck immediately by deceiving Putthawong in flight. Putthawong went for the sweep but the ball was too full to do so, and was trapped lbw.Wan Julia’s maiden half-century went in vain•ACCIn her third over, Ismail struck twice in three balls. She got the set Koncharoenkai to mistime a cut to backward point, and then flighted the ball to Chanida Sutthiruang, who chipped it straight to cover. Despite Thailand’s attacking ways, Ismail managed to hold her own. She conceded just one boundary in her four overs and finished with 3 for 16.Julia, Duraisingam and Malaysia flatter to deceiveMalaysia had never beaten Thailand in four T20Is before Saturday. And without Mas Elysa, one of only two Malaysia batters with 1000-plus runs in the format, in the side, their hopes rested on their experienced openers Wan Julia and captain Winifred Duraisingam. They did their bit, stitching together a steady partnership.Duraisingam used the crease well to pierce the gaps in the powerplay. Julia used her power more, using the cuts and slashes. But with the Thailand bowlers not offering a lot of boundary opportunities, the pair had to rely on the running between the wickets. They took Malaysia to 59 for no loss after ten overs.But Duraisingam fell in the 12th over in a bid to attack offspinner Onnicha Kamchomphu. In the following over, Elsa Hunter also fell trying to attack legspinner Suleeporn Laomi. Even though Julia brought up her maiden T20I fifty – becoming Malaysia’s first half-centurion at the Asia Cup – Malaysia were waging a lost battle. Apart from their openers, no one else entered the double digits and Thailand flexed their bowling muscles aplenty to walk away with a win.

It is set to be a very busy summer for Arsenal.

After three consecutive second-place finishes in the Premier League, Mikel Arteta’s team are determined to finally take the next step.

With that objective in mind, could they be about to make yet another statement signing from Spain?

Arsenal's incoming transfer business

By early next week, with Tuesday being the start of July, expect a few of Arsenal’s transfer targets to be unveiled.

Transfer Focus

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

Kepa Arrizabalaga will arrive from Chelsea for a reported fee of £5m, to be the back-up to David Raya, while, as reported by David Ornstein of the Athletic, Arsenal are ‘finalising’ a deal to sign Brentford captain Christian Nørgaard for £9.3m.

The Dane, however, is not the only central midfielder heading to North London, given that Martín Zubimendi is set to be unveiled next week, after the Gunners paid his £51m Real Sociedad release clause.

Nevertheless, with Thomas Partey and Jorginho both departing on free transfers, this is an area of the team they do require multiple reinforcements, so are seemingly not done yet.

That’s because, according to reports in Spain, the Gunners are ‘preparing an offer’ of around £35m to Barcelona, as they attempt to sign Marc Casadó.

They also claim that Arteta believes the 21-year-old ‘fits his style of play’ perfectly, hence why the la Másia graduate ‘has become a priority’ for Arsenal.

Given Barcelona’s ongoing financial crisis, they have not ruled out sanctioning a departure, especially one that facilitates Nico Williams’ arrival from Athletic Club which, as Pol Ballús of the Athletic outlines, still faces financial obstacles.

How Marc Casadó would improve Arsenal

As alluded to earlier, Casadó joined Barcelona’s academy as a 13-year-old, making his senior debut for the first team during a Champions League dead rubber against Viktoria Plzeň in November 2022.

Since then, he has accumulated 41 appearances for Barça, but only establishing himself as a key figure this season, a regular starter before suffering a ligament injury in March, as the table below outlines.

Appearances

36

16th

Starts

29

10th

Minutes

2,447

11th

Completed passes

1,682

7th

Progressive passes

154

8th

Passes into the final third

182

6th

Shot-creating actions

64

9th

Tackles

77

2nd

Interceptions

25

8th

Touches

2,122

8th

Ball recoveries

120

8th

Average SofaScore rating

7.03

10th

As the table outlines, Casadó ranked very highly for every metric included at Barcelona this season, including both passing, as well as defensive statistics, namely tackles, interceptions and ball recoveries, underlining that he is an all-rounder.

Following his international debut against Denmark in Copenhagen, in which he came off the bench to replace Zubimendi, teammate Bryan Zaragoza described the midfielder as “barbaric”, adding “I don’t even know what to say about how he played​​​​​​​…. he’s an animal”.

Meantime, Domagoj Kostanjšak of Total Football Analysis believes he is the heir to Sergio Busquets’ throne, stating that Casadó is ‘mostly a ball-recycler’, praising his ‘crisp close control and great decision-making in possession’.

Meantime, Price of Breaking the Lines outlines how the youngster ‘always wants to make progressive passes’, noting that he is almost never dispossessed​​​​​​​ and has the ability to ‘dominate’ any midfield battle he is involved in.

So, we all already know what Zubimendi is all about, with Ogunniyi Abayomi of Breaking the Lines stating that he too is ‘capable of making line-breaking passes​​​​​​​’ as well as dictating the tempo from the base of midfield.

Thus, together, the Spanish duo – both potentially arriving from LaLiga – could form an unstoppable partnership, finally ending Arsenal’s interminable 22-year wait for the Premier League title.

£70m star wants to join Arsenal after Norgaard and Mosquera, talks ongoing

The north Londoners mean business this summer.

2 ByEmilio Galantini Jun 28, 2025

This season has felt like one long nightmare for Tottenham Hotspur.

On top of losing a staggering 20 games in the Premier League, Ange Postecoglou will now be without James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski for the club’s Europa League final next week.

Moreover, on top of losing player after player through injury during the campaign this year, they now look like they’re going to lose one of their most important in the transfer window: Cristian Romero.

However, it is not all doom and gloom, as recent reports have linked them with a Premier League star who could be the ideal replacement.

Tottenham transfer news

Unfortunately, in the last few months, a number of reports have emerged touting Romero for a move to La Liga this summer, with Atlético Madrid being his supposed destination last month.

Transfer Focus

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

It was even said that the Argentine defender had personally spoken to Diego Simeone about the purported move.

However, in the last few days, the World Cup winner’s supposed destination has changed to Real Madrid, with reports claiming that Xabi Alonso is a big fan of the player, who could be sold for around £60m.

While this situation is far from ideal, the good news is that the North Londoners have been linked with someone who could be an ideal replacement: Marc Guéhi.

Yes, according to a recent report from Spain, Spurs have maintained their strong interest in the full England international following their failed £70m bid for him in early February.

Alongside the Lilywhites, the report has revealed that Chelsea and Newcastle United are keen to sign the Crystal Palace star, who could be available for a pretty reasonable fee of around €55m, which is about £46m.

It might be a complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Guéhi’s ability and the potential departure of Romero, Spurs should do all they can to get it done.

Why Guéhi would be a great replacemnet

So, if Spurs cannot keep hold of Romero this summer and are forced to shop for a replacement, why would Guéhi be such a great option?

Well, first of all, not only is he vastly experienced for someone who is still just 24 years old, but he’s also thoroughly Premier League-proven at this point and someone clearly quite sought-after.

For example, across his career to date, the “exceptional” centre-back, as dubbed by The Athletic’s Stuart James, has made 132 top-flight appearances, 52 in the Championship, 15 in the FA Cup and a handful more in several other competitions.

Appearances

154

59

2

Goals

8

0

0

Assists

4

0

0

Goal Involvements per Match

0.07

0.00

0.00

On top of that, the 6 foot “tank,” as dubbed by former England U21 teammate Joe Bursik, is now a full member of the national team, making 23 appearances since his debut in March 2022, and most crucially, was an ever-present in the country’s backline when they made it all the way to the final of the European Championships last year.

Furthermore, while the Lilywhites’ Argentine warrior has missed a staggering 75 games for club and country across his career, the former Chelsea prospect has missed just 16, and you know what they say: availability is the best ability.

Finally, if that’s still not enough to convince you, then perhaps his rather impressive underlying numbers will.

According to FBref, the Palace ace sits in the top 3% of centre-backs in Europe’s top five leagues for through ball, the top 4% for passes blocked, the top 5% for goal-creating actions through a defensive action, the top 9% for goals plus assists, key passes and shot-creating actions, the top 11% for expected assists and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, replacing a player as talented Romero is always going to be difficult, but Guéhi looks like he could get pretty close, and therefore, Spurs must do what they can to sign him this summer.

Ange can solve Kulusevski blow by unleashing £45m Spurs star in new role

The gifted ace could provide some more attacking spark to Spurs.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes May 15, 2025

While the major honours haven’t come – bar some FA Cups – Arsenal have had some supremely gifted players pull on the famous red and white shirt during the Emirates era.

In Mikel Arteta’s current team, you’ve got the likes of William Saliba, Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka, who wouldn’t look too out of place in some of the club’s more successful sides.

Go back a little further, and the likes of Pierre Emerick Aubameyang and Mesut Özil were wowing fans every week, but perhaps the player who entertained more than any other during his stint at the club was Alexis Sanchez.

Sanchez’s Arsenal record

Appearances

166

Minutes

13556′

Goals

80

Assists

44

Goal Involvements per Match

0.74

Minutes per Goal Involvement

109.32′

All Stats via Transfermarkt

The Chilean international racked up a stellar haul of 80 goals and 44 assists in 166 games for the North Londoners, and while his exit left a dreadfully sour taste in the mouths of fans, he remains one of the very best players to have graced the Emirates.

So, fans should be incredibly excited about recent reports linking the club with another superstar attacker who could be their new Sanchez.

Arsenal transfer news

With Arsenal’s need for more goals in the team next year undeniable, there have been several talented wingers linked with the side in recent weeks, like Antoine Semenyo and Bryan Mbeumo.

Transfer Focus

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

Expand Collapse

The former could be available for just £42m in the summer, which seems like more than a fair price, as not only can he play on either side of the pitch, but he’s also scored 11 goals and provided seven assists in 40 games this year.

Mbeumo looks set to be marginally more expensive at £51m, but even then, that seems like a reasonable price for a winger who’s scored 18 goals and provided nine assists in just 40 appearances for Brentford this term.

However, if a winger has the potential to be the Gunners’ next Sanchez, they have to be truly special, like Rodrygo.

Yes, according to a recent report from Spain, Arsenal are indeed interested in the Real Madrid superstar.

In fact, he goes a step further, revealing that the North Londoners are “one of the clubs that has shown the most interest” in the Brazilian international, or in other words, they are currently leading the race for him.

However, while no price is mentioned in the report, stories from earlier this month claim that it could cost up to £85m to sign the talented winger this year.

It could be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but given Rodrygo’s incredible ability, it’s one worth splashing the cash for.

Why Rodrygo would be Arsenal's new Sanchez

Given Sanchez’s spectacular stint with Arsenal, it’s certainly a big claim to say that Rodrygo could be the club’s new version of him, but there are some key similarities.

Firstly, like the former Barcelona player with Lionel Messi and Neymar Jr, the Real ace would be making his way to the Emirates to get out of the shadow of Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior.

Second, he’d be leaving one of Spain’s big two for the Gunners at 24 years old, just a year younger than the Chilean icon.

Moreover, he’d be able to add some much-needed threat to the North Londoners’ left-hand side, which has been seriously lacking this term.

For example, in 50 appearances, the Osasco-born dynamo has scored 13 goals and provided ten assists, and then last year, he managed to rack up a sensational haul of 18 goals and nine assists in 52 games.

Rodrygo’s Real Record

Appearances

267

Minutes

16060′

Goals

68

Assists

50

Goal Involvements per Match

0.44

Minutes per Goal Involvement

136.10′

All Stats via Transfermarkt

Furthermore, it’s not just the fact he can score and create goals from the wing; it’s the way in which he plays, the way in which he drives at defences and terrifies opposition defenders that could see him become like Sanchez.

Finally, the “world-class superstar,” as dubbed by Luka Modrić, also knows how to win, as, during his time with Los Blancos, he has lifted three La Liga titles, two Champion Leagues, one Spanish Cup and plenty more.

Ultimately, from the similarity in how he might join the club to his playing style and output, Rodrygo has every chance of becoming Arsenal’s new Sanchez, so Arteta and Co have to do all they can to sign him as soon as possible.

Related Their answer to Salah: Arsenal make offer for £63m CF who's outscoring Isak

The dazzling striker could be the one to lead Arsenal to glory next year.

Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes May 14, 2025

The final nail in Ipswich Town’s Premier League coffin could well have been handed to them on Saturday, as Vitor Pereira’s Wolverhampton Wanderers recovered well on the road to beat Kieran McKenna’s hosts 2-1.

Ipswich did race into a slim one-goal lead in the first half courtesy of Liam Delap, but it was to no avail as the Old Gold eventually clinched a dramatic three points, meaning the gap between the Tractor Boys in 18th and Wolves in 17th spot is at a sizeable nine points.

Therefore, McKenna will likely be preparing for Ipswich to drop back down to the Championship very soon, with a hope that Omari Hutchinson will stick it out in Suffolk if a bruising relegation is confirmed.

Hutchinson's heroics at Ipswich

After all, Hutchinson’s finest form donning Tractor Boys blue came about when Ipswich last found themselves in the entertaining EFL.

The ex-Chelsea man would fire home a hefty ten goals and pick up an impressive six assists during Ipswich’s promotion-winning exploits back in the 2023/24 season, leading to McKenna and Co landing Hutchinson for a bumper £20m.

He has since acclimatised to the demands of the top-flight well – even if an instant return to the Championship is on the cards for his employers – with this breakaway effort against Chelsea in December one of five goal contributions he’s managed from 27 league clashes.

If Hutchinson does stay put, he will hope he can wriggle free of any injury concerns that have made this season somewhat stop-start for him, with the 21-year-old missing from his side’s last crushing loss to Wolves.

But, regardless of what does occur with the Ipswich number 20 moving forward, McKenna will know he has his next Hutchinson in the making in this entertaining ace who has previously taken the Championship by storm.

McKenna's next Hutchinson in the making

Everyone associated with the Portman Road strugglers will hope when relegation is inevitably confirmed, all the building blocks are put in place for Ipswich to mount an instant return to the top-flight.

Already possessing a top talent for the division in Jaden Philogene-Bidace will make this mission easier to accomplish, with the ex-Hull City star twisting and turning second tier defences for fun when Ipswich were hunting down automatic promotion last time around.

Games played

44

32

Goals scored

10

12

Assists

5

6

Shots*

1.5

3.6

Big chances missed

4

6

Big chances created

7

7

As can be seen glancing at the table above, Philogene tore the second tier to shreds playing as a fast-paced loanee for the Tigers, with the 23-year-old actually bettering Hutchinson’s blistering numbers in the process by picking up three more goal contributions from 12 less encounters.

Therefore, McKenna will have full faith in Philogene to dust himself down and get back to his rampaging best if second tier football returns on the menu, with one audacious effort for Hull last season leading to him be recognised by FIFA as a Puskas award nominee.

Dubbed a “special” talent by his then-Hull boss in Liam Rosenior, McKenna will further hope he can be as impactful as Hutchinson by delivering the goods to see promotion be instantly achieved.

Philogene could perhaps be capable of even more on the books of Ipswich, considering the Tigers finished just outside the playoffs in seventh position despite their dazzling attacker’s heroics.

Whatever does transpire this summer, the Tractor Boys won’t want to dwell on matters for too long, with everything in place for a finish near the Championship summit if stars such as Philogene can be as exciting as Hutchinson proved to be.

Ipswich may have found the Premier League's new Alexander-Arnold

The incredible talent is one of Ipswich’s most important players.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Apr 6, 2025

The fast-bowling allrounder from rural Madhya Pradesh grabbed every cricketing opportunity that came her way and now finds herself heading to the WPL

S Sudarshanan13-Feb-2025Seven years ago at a women’s leather-ball cricket match in Ghuwara, a small town in Bundelkhand in the Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh, one of the teams was a player short. Spotting a young girl wandering around with a stick in hand, they asked her if she would like to play. That 14-year-old had grown up playing tennis-ball cricket, and was crazy enough about it to risk a scolding, playing it even when her exams were on.But all she had played was tennis-ball cricket matches and tournaments with boys, much to the displeasure of her neighbours and those known to her family, who thought that a village girl was not meant to play cricket.That did not bother the teenager or her family. She grabbed that chance to play her first leather-ball game, starred with bat and ball and took home player-of-the-match honours.Kranti Goud, at age 21, is now a fast-bowling allrounder who has made her way to the UP Warriorz team for WPL 2025

****

Goud was in Chandigarh for the Senior Women’s One Day Trophy, and she watched the WPL 2025 auction with her Madhya Pradesh team-mates. She had picked up 3 for 24 against Chhattisgarh the previous day, but had low expectations from the auction. She had been a net bowler with Mumbai Indians in 2024 and loved the environment of the WPL. Her name came up in the uncapped-players’ set, and much to her surprise, she was selected by Warriorz at her base price of Rs 10 lakh (approximately US$12,000).”When UP Warriorz picked me, I had tears in my eyes,” Goud says. “I called my family and spoke to my oldest brother, Mayank Singh.” She is the youngest of six siblings – three brothers and three sisters. ” He was watching the auction – he had been looking forward to it. At first he got very emotional, and we couldn’t speak. I called him again after a while; he started crying and even I couldn’t control myself.Goud led the Sagar Division Under-16 side to the final of an inter-divisional tournament conducted by the MPCA, where they were runners-up for the first time•Rajiv Bilthre”They say in the village that she is a girl, so don’t let her play cricket. But my brother did not listen to them, supported me fully. The family supported me. So that is why I am here.”My first thought after getting picked was that I had been doing well in the senior one-dayers, so I just wanted to continue the same in the WPL. I was also excited to meet the India players and play alongside them.”After that memorable first match with a leather ball, Goud travelled to Jatara, a town about 70km away in Tikamgarh district, for another match, where she did well again. There she was spotted by Rajiv Bilthre, the secretary of the Chhatarpur District Cricket Association (CDCA) and the coach of Sagar Division, who runs the Sai Cricket Academy.”She was agile, fast, and very athletic. I felt she could do well, so I asked her father to enrol her with me and leave her in Chhatarpur,” Bilthre says. “I told him I will make a good player of her. Her father said, ‘ [We are entrusting our daughter to you.] You have to shape her future.’ It is her effort and talent that has got her to where she is, by god’s grace. I did what I could. Her family was financially not well off, so I helped her a bit – kit, dress or bat – because these days you need good bats.”In India it is natural for youngsters to pick up a cricket bat; batters have long held sway in the public imagination – Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar, Mithali Raj, Virat Kohli, Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana. How did Goud take to fast bowling then?”It just happened,” she laughs. “As I started playing with the tennis ball, I saw that everyone just ran in and bowled medium pace. I did not even know spin bowlers existed. Where are spinners in tennis-ball cricket anyway? My brother also told me to bowl medium pace, so I did that. After I joined [Bilthre’s] academy, I saw there weren’t many medium-pacers. I saw one, Sushma Vishwakarma, who became my friend. She also asked me to stick to fast bowling and there was no looking back.”Rajiv Bilthre (left), who coached Sagar Division in the MPCA, was the first to spot Goud’s talent•Rajiv BilthreAround the time India finished runners-up in the Women’s ODI World Cup final in 2017, the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association launched an Under-16 women’s tournament. Teams competed at the division level first. From there, a pool of talent was created for the state side. Satyam Tripathi, cricket operations manager at Sagar Division, which comprises the districts of Sagar, Chhatarpur, Damoh, Panna, Tikamgarh and Niwari, set out to make a women’s team with Bilthre’s help. They went to various schools to create awareness, contacted parents, and managed to get over 40 girls to the academy, from which 15 were selected for Sagar Division.”We conducted an inter-district U-16 tournament, in which Kranti played from Chhatarpur district,” Tripathi says. “She was their captain and gave all-round performances. We then made her the captain of Sagar Division, and we finished runners-up for the first time in the 2018-19 U-16 tournament that the MPCA conducted. Teams from Indore, Gwalior and Bhopal used to play more, so one-odd win in the tournament for Sagar Division was a big thing. Kranti helped our team finish runners-up – Bhopal were the champions – and her career kind of kickstarted there.”Goud always had the speed. Her lean figure allowed her to run in hard and bowl fast. The zip she generated in tennis-ball cricket often confounded batters. She moves the leather ball both ways at high speed, a skill she has developed over time and one that was on show in the Senior Women’s One Day Trophy final this season. She picked up 4 for 25 in the final, including the wicket of India wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh, bowled through the gate. Madhya Pradesh won the trophy for the first time.”She had the speed [when she was younger], which was unlike most girls at the time,” Bilthre says. “She used to match the boys when she used to run. I felt she was extraordinary at that age. So we focused on her fitness and undertook some bowling drills. She is very hard-working: if she is on the ground for three hours, she will spend every minute on the ground and not laze around or chit-chat.”At CDCA as well as Sagar Division, Bilthre focused on having players with all-round skills. He recognised the need for multifaceted players and helped them develop. In Goud’s batting, he saw promise. She had the power and was nimble on her feet, which she used well against spin. He worked on her technique and taught her the importance of hitting in the V. Goud honed her batting skills with months of practice under methodical guidance from Bilthre. But she lacked one thing: patience.Bilthre on Goud inspiring young girls: “People believe if she can get to the state and WPL team from my academy, then even they should give it a shot”•Getty Images”Earlier, she wanted to hit every ball,” Bilthre says. “I asked her to work on her patience and made her meditate. During matches we asked her to look at us in the dugout after every ball and we used to tell her using gestures that she needed to bat calmly, patiently. Then she started to play according to what we said, and that became a habit for her. Until the batter develops such a mindset, they won’t bat well. Now it is an inherent skill – we need not tell her anymore how to play in what situation.”An example of this was seen in the U-23 Women’s One Day Trophy quarter-final last season. Against Bengal Goud walked in with MP 106 for 5 in the 35th over. She scored a restrained 42-ball 46 to help them to 182 for 9, a total that was not enough for a win. But it is a knock that Goud remembers proudly.”My [natural] instinct is to bat in a T20 template even in the one-day format. When I go to bat in a 50-over game, my team-mates hope that I don’t play some [weird] shot,” she says. “In the U-23 one-dayers [quarter-final] last year, my team was hoping I didn’t throw my wicket away since we had lost quick wickets. At that time, I thought I shouldn’t do something different, since we had a lot of overs left. I played the waiting game, but then hit the balls that were in the slot.” Offspinner Piyali Ghosh went for two sixes over cover, Goud’s favourite shot.To date, she and Bilthre talk before and after every game. The topics range from tactical and technical stuff to “motivational chats”. At Warriorz, Saima Thakor has been Goud’s go-to, helping her understand match simulation and bowling under different situations.Around the country, one of the effects of the WPL has been an increase in the number of girls joining formal training academies. Bilthre’s academy has also seen a similar influx and he attributes it to Goud’s rise. “There has been a difference after Kranti’s progress. She is a local; everyone knows her. So people believe if she can get to the state and WPL team from my academy, then even they should give it a shot.”Goud’s progress has shown that even girls in villages can, and absolutely should, play cricket.

And has anyone scored as many runs at a higher strike rate than Heinrich Klaasen in ODI?

Steven Lynch19-Sep-2023Was Sri Lanka’s total of 50 the other day the lowest in an international final? asked Vivek Naik from India

Sri Lanka’s collapse to 50 all out in the Asia Cup final in Colombo last weekend was indeed the lowest all-out total in any major international final, undercutting India’s 54 in the Champions Trophy final against Sri Lanka in Sharjah in October 2000. There have been only nine lower all-out totals in all one-day internationals.The lowest in the 50-over World Cup final is 132, by Pakistan against Australia at Lord’s in 1999. West Indies managed only 140 when they famously lost the 1983 final to India, also at Lord’s.The lowest in the final of a T20I tournament is Ireland’s 71 against Afghanistan in the Desert Challenge tournament in Dubai in January 2017. The lowest in the T20 World Cup final is Sri Lanka’s 101 against West Indies in Colombo in October 2012.Heinrich Klaasen blitzed 174 at a strike rate of 209 last week. Has anyone made more runs in an ODI more quickly? asked Nick van Vuuren from South Africa

That brutal knock by South Africa’s Heinrich Klaasen against Australia in Centurion the other day brought him 174 from 83 balls, at a strike rate of 209.63.No one has scored more runs at a faster rate in one-day internationals: Shane Watson clattered 185 not out from 96 balls – a strike rate of 192.70 – for Australia against Bangladesh in Mirpur in April 2011.The only innings over 150 in ODIs that came at a faster rate than Klaasen managed were two cases of 162 not out – by AB de Villiers from 66 balls (strike rate 245.45) for South Africa against West Indies during the 2015 World Cup in Sydney, and by Jos Buttler in 70 balls – a strike rate of 231.42 – for England against Netherlands in Amstelveen in June 2022.If we look at all ODI innings of 100 or more , de Villiers leads the way with the astonishing strike rate of 338.63 during his 149 from just 44 balls against West Indies in Johannesburg in January 2015. He came in during the 39th over, and was out in the 50th, after smashing 16 sixes and nine fours.Adam Zampa conceded 113 runs in the high-scoring ODI at Centurion. Was this a record? asked Billy McAlpine from Australia

The Australian legspinner Adam Zampa’s forgettable day against South Africa in Centurion last week – rounded off by a tenth over that cost 26 – left him sharing top spot in the list of most runs conceded in a one-day international innings. Zampa matched another Australian, seamer Mick Lewis, who also went for 113 in the famous 872-run match in Johannesburg in March 2006.In all, there have now been 16 instances of a bowler conceding 100 or more runs in a men’s ODI: the only other Australian is Andrew Tye, with 0 for 100 (from only nine overs) against England at Trent Bridge in 2018.Only Viv Richards, with 189, has a higher score from No. 4 or lower in an ODI than Ben Stokes’ 182•PA PhotosWas Ben Stokes’ 182 against New Zealand the highest score from No. 4 or lower in a one-day international? asked Jeremy Newman from England

In a high-scoring few days for international cricket, Ben Stokes clattered 182 against New Zealand at The Oval on September 13. The only higher score from No. 4 in any ODI is Viv Richards’ 189 not out for West Indies against England at Old Trafford in 1984, in an innings that lasted 55 overs.Ross Taylor made 181 not out for New Zealand vs England in Dunedin in 2017-18, and Richards also battered 181 against Sri Lanka in Karachi during the 1987 World Cup. For the list of the highest ODI scores from No. 4 and below, click here.Stokes’ 182 was the highest for England in an ODI, beating Jason Roy’s 180 against Australia in Melbourne in 2017-18.A recent column here mentioned a Sussex player with seven forenames, but my county Northamptonshire also had a multi-initialled man a few years ago. Sadly I’ve forgotten his name! What was it? asked Ted Richardson from Northampton

You’re probably allowed to have forgotten him, because George Arthur Adam Septimus Carter Trenchard Sale Pennington played for Northamptonshire nearly a century ago, in 1927. He played 12 matches that season as a batter, with his highest score of 47 coming on debut, against Glamorgan in Northampton.The son of a vicar, Pennington was also a talented rugby player. He served in the Royal Naval Air Service (the forerunner of the Royal Air Force) during the First World War, and is said to have sunk a German submarine in the Mediterranean Sea. He continued flying after the war, but was only 34 when he died in September 1933, after the aircraft he was piloting crashed on take-off near Doncaster in Yorkshire. His six passengers, who included the famous jockey Gordon Richards, escaped with minor injuries.Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

From Jos Buttler to Dom Sibley, we take a look at whose star has risen and which players missed out

Andrew Miller10-Oct-2021WinnersJos Buttler
More than anyone, Buttler epitomises the stand-off that England and Australia have endured in the run-in to this Ashes squad announcement. Of all the players who were uneasy about the quarantine restrictions in store, no one felt it more than England’s vice-captain – an integral member of the T20 World Cup squad, and also the father of two young daughters, the second of whom was born last month. With the prospect of three months on the road, his apparent refusal to travel unless the players’ families were factored into the plans was critical to a number of concessions being granted – even if a few “critical” details remain to be resolved. In a purely playing capacity, Buttler’s recent Test form is not a lot to write home about. He has passed fifty once in 10 innings in 2021 so far, although when he made his return to the Test team in 2018, you suspect that England’s Ashes tour was always the endgame. Rather like the absent Stokes, some characters are just the sort you need for the toughest assignments.Dom Bess
It’s been a rocky road for Bess in the past year. His anguish in India in the spring was palpable, as he became a rather unfortunate fall guy for England’s wider failings on spinning surfaces at Chennai and Ahmedabad – despite never looking at his best, he had fronted up with 17 wickets in England’s three consecutive wins in Asia, after all, including a five-for at Galle in his first outing of the winter. He never came close to a recall this summer despite being included in a handful of squads later in the summer, but then neither did his former Somerset spin-twin Jack Leach, as England chose to field a seam-only attack for their first three Tests, until an abortive return for Moeen Ali against India. But now, with Moeen retired, Bess has an unlikely chance to reassert his status as England’s No. 1 spinner – Australia is an unforgiving venue for such a comeback, particularly as a fingerspinner. But England admire his all-round package, including a compact and combative batting technique in the lower-middle order. In the absence of Stokes, Moeen, Sam Curran et al, the need for de facto allrounders may yet tip the scales in his favour.Dom Bess won a place in England’s Ashes squad•PA Images/GettyJoe Root
Talking of anguish, you could see it in Root’s features when he spoke to the media at the height of the Ashes impasse a fortnight ago. As England’s captain, his desire to present a united front on behalf of his players was visibly at odds with his “desperation” to take his sensational batting form back to the most notable country in which he has yet to make a Test hundred, and set about making amends for England’s 4-0 beating in 2017-18 – a tour which ended with him retiring with exhaustion during his final unbeaten half-century of the campaign in Sydney. At the age of 30, and with the World No. 1 batting ranking under his belt, Root travels as England’s best prospect of upsetting the odds – and as the Barmy Army have helpfully pointed out, he does so with more Test runs this year than his opposite number Tim Paine has amassed in his entire career. There’s nothing perfect about the circumstances of this tour, but for Root himself, this may be his greatest shot yet at Ashes glory.LosersBen Stokes
For the second time in the pomp of his career, Stokes looks set to miss an Ashes tour of Australia, one of the ultimate highlights for any England cricketer. In 2017-18, his availability – or lack thereof – was the subject of an intense and destabilising period of speculation in the wake of his arrest outside a Bristol nightclub, and so England have nipped all doubt in the bud this time round with a very to-the-point statement that he is “not available for selection”, given his ongoing break on mental health grounds. Nevertheless, after an apparently successful follow-up operation on his injured left finger, the ECB did state that he would undergo “intensive” rehabilitation “for the next four weeks” – an oddly specific timeframe given England’s departure date in early November.Dom Sibley
Eighteen months ago, Sibley looked like the coming man in England’s Test ranks. At a time when Chris Silverwood, newly promoted to head coach, was re-emphasing the virtues of batting time and posting 400-run first-innings scores, his bloodless crease occupation was just the ticket for a team whose middle order was still pumped with post-World Cup adrenalin and were rather grateful for the chill he brought to their tempo. A gutsy maiden hundred in Cape Town helped turned the tide on a thrilling South Africa tour in January 2020, and six months later he added another against West Indies – again enabling his team to come back from a first Test loss. This summer, however, his strokelessness became his undoing – in particular his inability to rotate the strike and release the pressure on his batting partners. He was ditched after two Tests of the India series, and despite a return to form in Warwickshire’s County Championship victory, he’s not yet being trusted for a return. Zak Crawley, in particular, can be grateful for the perceived higher ceiling to his talent, after his year from hell with the bat.James Vince made a memorable half-century in opening Test of the 2017-18 Ashes•Getty ImagesJames Vince
Let’s face it, it’s the one name we all secretly thought might be in with a shout on this tour. Dawid Malan is back in favour, after all, having proven relatively successful on the 2017-18 tour with a century in Perth, but without having featured in Test cricket since the subsequent summer. Similarly, Vince has been lying in abeyance ever since that trip too – and who knows how different history might have been had he not been run out for 83 on the first day of the series at Brisbane? After an innings of such pure and unfettered strokeplay, you wonder if he might still be batting now but for that direct hit. His most recent Test innings was 76 against New Zealand at Christchurch four months later, and he played a walk-on part in the World Cup win since then too. But despite some flickers of destructive intent for Hampshire this summer, including a lacerating innings of 231 from 220 balls against Leicestershire, and a maiden international hundred in the ODI series against Pakistan, it seems that Vince’s return, at the age of 30, would have been just a little bit too back to the future.

Aston Villa were steadily getting back to their best across October.

Indeed, five straight wins had been collected by Unai Emery’s men, with three of those victories falling in October, before a trip to Dutch outfit Go Ahead Eagles fell on the calendar in the Europa League.

Yet, even with Evann Guessand netting after just four minutes had been played, the Eredivisie hosts would collect a surprise 2-1 win come full-time, as Emery and Co. cursed their luck away from Villa Park.

On another night, Villa might well have at least collected a share of the points. Unfortunately, though, Emiliano Buendia noticeably underperformed throughout, with a second-half missed penalty from the ex-Norwich City midfielder only further confirming that it was the hosts’ lucky day.

Buendia's poor showing against Go Ahead Eagles

Before his Europa League hiccup, Buendia had very much shown Emery why he was deserving of more consistent first-team minutes.

It was widely reported this summer that Buendia was on the brink of a move away from the West Midlands, with his future at the club still remaining uncertain if Villa need to cash in on an asset here and there to satisfy PSR troubles.

Despite all this distracting chatter, Buendia had managed to let his football do the talking as of late, with a standout haul of three goals and an assist from 11 appearances.

However, his poor day at the office in the Netherlands does have the potential to trouble his concrete starting position.

The out-of-sorts number ten would spurn another big chance away from missing that vital spot-kick, with Buendia also uncharacteristically sloppy with the ball at his feet, with possession surrendered a worrying 17 times.

Off the back of this individual showing, leaving a sour taste in Emery’s mouth, the Spaniard could look to alternate options in the number ten spot when Premier League action returns, with Morgan Rogers an easy fix here.

He might not be afforded a spot down the left wing, either, with Guessand scoring from this spot on the pitch against Melvin Boel’s hosts, as the ex-OGC Nice forward was in the right place, at the right time, to poke home a rebound.

Emery will want all of his attackers to be as instinctive as the Ivorian when Manchester City come to town next, with this other notable Villa first-teamer fearful of his starting spot subsequently, after another quiet game passed him by mid-week.

Emery must axe Villa star who is "off it"

The former Arsenal boss isn’t blessed with plentiful options in the centre-forward department anymore, with super sub Jhon Duran now plying his trade in the Saudi Pro League, after once being seen as an ideal second-in-command figure.

This has ramped up the pressure on Ollie Watkins’ shoulders, arguably, with his forgettable season so far displaying a striker in clear decline, with talkSPORT’s Troy Deeney even calling out the England international as being way “off it” back in September, when his goal output had already begun to disastrously dry up.

Watkins’ declining form this season
Stat	Watkins
Games played	12
Minutes played	822
Goals scored	1
Assists	0
Sourced by Transfermarkt

Since this scathing assessment from the former Watford centre-forward, Watkins has only gone on to pick up an unsatisfactory one strike for the Villans from 12 matches, with Emery clearly losing patience with his usual reliable starter when benching him last time out in the Premier League against Tottenham Hotspur.

Villa didn’t look lost without their 88-goal man leading the line, either, with ex-Borussia Dortmund man Donyell Malen filling in as the main marksman somewhat competently, as the likes of the aforementioned Rogers and Buendia stole the show with goals from the midfield areas.

Watkins didn’t exactly bang the door down to reclaim his top-flight starting spot with his shoddy showing against Go Ahead Eagles, with what should have been a confidence-boosting night only sapping the 29-year-old’s belief even more, as three shots failed to find the back of the net from his minimal 17 touches of the ball.

Guessand might even be the face that Emery chooses to start up top against Pep Guardiola’s challengers, if he wants to experiment away from a goalless Malen, with eight goals actually collected by the versatile Ivorian from this position for Nice, as Watkins fears another spot warming the bench is going to come his way later today.

£868m release clause: Aston Villa now willing to bid for "world-class" star

The Villans are prepared to make an offer for a new forward, who is now looking to leave his club.

By
Dominic Lund

Oct 24, 2025