A match-winning spell from Lance Morris helped Perth Scorchers clinch a 42-run win against Adelaide Strikers in their BBL clash at the Optus Stadium.Scorchers set a target of 212 as Laurie Evans smashed an unbeaten 85 off 28 balls, but had to hold off a Strikers’ counter-attack led by their captain Matthew Short to maintain their undefeated start to the season.Short (74) took Strikers to within sight of a stunning victory until Morris struck in the 16th over to dismiss the in-form opener and put the opponents back in command on Wednesday night. He finished with his first BBL five-wicket haul while only conceding 24 runs from his four overs in front of 41,576 fans.Strikers had reached 153 with seven wickets and more than five overs remaining until Short spooned a full delivery straight to mid-off to end an entertaining innings from the top scorer so far this season. The visitors then collapsed to 169 all out and suffered their fourth consecutive loss of the campaign.Chris Lynn had looked likely to partner Short towards the lofty target with a quick-fire 27 until slashing at a wide ball from Morris and picking out Zak Crawley at deep point.Morris also picked up the wickets of Adam Hose (13), out nicking a slower ball, Jamie Overton (1) caught off a good length, and James Bazley (2) getting a top edge to a short one. Andrew Tye (2-35) also picked up crucial wickets and reached 150 BBL scalps when ending Thomas Kelly’s impressive knock on 29.Jhye Richardson (2-31) wrapped up the Strikers’ innings with a pair of wickets from consecutive balls to secure the Scorchers’ fourth win from five matches this season.Evans had earlier struck a blazing 85 not out to propel the Perth Scorchers to 211. He punished the under-fire Strikers with seven sixes and seven fours from only 28 balls, as the Scorchers piled on more than 100 runs from the last six overs of their innings.Evans started raising the run rate with three sixes in an over from Overton (2-44), and reached a half-century from 18 balls in just his second innings of the BBL season.Aaron Hardie (34) also led the way through the middle overs in his second match in charge since taking the reins from the Scorchers’ injured captain Ashton Turner.Strikers won the toss and elected to field first at a venue where teams batting second have won eight of the past 10 BBL matches, but were unable to turn that into their advantage as Evans and then Morris took charge.

Batter relishing the ride as relentless touring lifestyle continues at pace

Cameron Ponsonby05-Dec-2023Harry Brook says that he agreed his three-year deal with England “as soon as they called”, with there being no temptation to keep his franchise options open with a shorter deal.Brook is one of just three England players, along with Mark Wood and Joe Root, who signed three-year central contracts with the ECB. Unlike Root and Wood, who are both in their 30s and would have appreciated the certainty that came with the length of the deal, Brook is 24 and highly sought after on the franchise circuit, becoming an IPL millionaire last year when he was picked up by Sunrisers Hyderabad for INR 13.25 crore.Nevertheless, despite the riches on offer around the world, Brook said there wasn’t even a thought of a negotiation with England when Rob Key called him.”Straight away as soon as England called I was going to sign the contract,” Brook said, one day out from the second ODI against the West Indies. “I’ve wanted to play for England all my life.”Brook was one of six players who were offered three-year contracts, with himself, Wood and Root agreeing to the deal, while Jofra Archer and Jos Buttler opted for two years and Test captain Ben Stokes gambled on a one-year deal on the basis that the value of central contracts may increase when new terms are agreed next year.As arguably the most talented batter of his generation, Brook’s commitment to England is a boon to the national side as they are able to control the workload of one of their most prized assets, who himself admitted to having felt that he needed a break following a difficult World Cup campaign.Since his Test debut in September 2022, no one has played as many matches for England as Brook’s 45. And it isn’t until you get to Chris Woakes at No.7 in that list with 32 matches that you find another player who has played Test cricket. With such a high workload, there could have been consideration to rest Brook for the ODIs and have him join up with the squad for the T20Is.”Obviously England made that decision but I’m happy to be out here to be honest,” Brook said of the potential to have had an extended rest. “It’s a different lifestyle. I’ve been waking up at six o’clock every morning and jumping in the sea so it’s been an enjoyable tour so far.”For a cricket nuffy like Brook, the West Indies tour also represents an opportunity to work on a format of the game he has had next to no experience in. Following the World Cup, he returned to his school coach for a few work-up sessions, but still the challenge of finding the tempo of one-day cricket has proved challenging. A fact that made his 71 in the first ODI all the more satisfying.”I liked the way I went about my innings,” Brook said reflecting on his run-a-ball innings at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium. “I’ve struggled a little bit in this format at the start of my career. I haven’t quite found the tempo of how I wanted to play.Related

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“Until the summer I hadn’t played anything. So yeah, I was just trying to figure out, find my feet in the format really and try to find a tempo with the way I wanted to bat. England have been renowned for being an aggressive side but there’s always so much time. The other day was a perfect example of that. It was about nine overs from the end that I got out and I felt like I was sat up on the balcony watching for about three hours.”Despite a relentless workload, Brook has put his name into the auction for the IPL which, coming off the back of England’s five-match Test tour there in January, will mean he’ll have spent the best part of six months from the start of October to the end of May in India.”In India you can end up sitting in your hotel room with not much stuff to do,” Brook said of the cricket-mad nation where the celebrity effect takes things up a notch and can make social media a particularly difficult place. “I’ve been off social media for a while now. So anything I stumble across, I delete it from the phone…I think that’s helped my game, helped my mental health and everything, to be off social media and seeing all the negativity that brings.”It marks a change for Brook, who after a run of low scores in IPL 2023 said in a post-match interview following his century against Kolkata Knight Riders that he was “glad he could shut them [his critics] up to be honest.””I was an idiot and I said a stupid thing in an interview which I regret a little bit,” Brook laughed when recalling the incident, adding that it wasn’t this incident alone that led him to quitting social media. “I’d find myself scrolling Instagram or whatever, and you just come across stuff you just don’t want to see, so I thought it was the right idea to get rid of it. I’ve obviously still got Instagram and Twitter but thankfully I’ve got someone running it for me.”

Ahead of the final, GOAL US writers discuss the CWC impact and whether a PSG win locks up the Ballon d'Or for Ousmane Dembele

PSG or Chelsea? That's what it's all come down to. Most will predict that the Club World Cup final can only go one way. PSG are the best team in the world and, over the past few months, beat all of the other best teams in the world. They are tactically brilliant, individually excellent, and filled with attacking weapons all over the pitch. Is this not the football we want?
On the other side, you have Chelsea. The Blues have been up and down under Enzo Maresca. At times, there is a real vision here, a clarity to how they might play the game, and hope for the future. At others, they've been pretty ordinary, and evidence that money can't buy success all the time. It seems a mismatch, then.

But stranger things have happened on a football pitch, and Cole Palmer is pretty good! Throw in the jeopardy of a final, and this could be quite a compelling fixture.

It serves as a fitting end to what has been a bit of a chaotic month. The Club World Cup was criticized early on because the field didn't really feature all the best teams in the world. The final has served up two of the best , but there are some big sides still watching from their sofa. Has that impacted the integrity of the competition?

GOAL US writers predict the final and sum up the month in the latest edition of… The Rondo.

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  Is an all-Euro final good for the CWC?

  Tom Hindle: Tough to say. In some ways, yes, in that it is an accurate reflection of the football pyramid. Europe has a big advantage over everyone else, and even if this tournament has proven that the margins are finer than we think, UEFA reigns supreme. Six of the top 10 teams in the world weren't here anyway, so having two of the best European ones makes sense. It would have been nice to see a Brazilian side make it, but to their credit, Chelsea beat the two best ones on the way here. Ball don't lie.

  Ryan Tolmich: it was always going to be this way, wasn't it? The fact is that the best teams in the world are in Europe, so it would objectively be a surprise if one of the finalists was from anywhere else. That said, would it have been awesome for a Brazilian team to make it? Absolutely, and the clubs from that particular country sure earned their chance. Still, tournaments are based in reality, and reality says that teams from Europe are just simply better.

  JS: It's expected, right? Nobody actually thought, when 32 teams were announced, that any non-European side were going to make the final. This is just how it's played out. Cinderella runs are fun, but they're always meant to end.

  AL: From a fans-in-the-stands and TV ratings perspective, yes. PSG are fresh off their European title win and you have Chelsea, a well-known in the U.S.. Yet, for the football fans around the world, it would have been more consequential and impactful if say a Brazilian side went to the final and won. As learned throughout the tournament, the world is catching up to Europe and a non-European team winning would have really sent that message home.

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  Would a Chelsea win be the most significant cup final upset in recent memory?

  TH: It would be the second, just behind Crystal Palace beating Man City in the FA Cup. PSG are one of the better teams we've seen in a while – even though the Barcelona-Guardiola comp is a bit overblown (were you even watching football then?) And Chelsea are, well, meh. They're the fifth-best team in England, the Parisians comfortably beat the first and second. Do the math.

  RT: It would be right up there. Anything can happen in a final. Just look at Palace's win over City in the FA Cup finale a few months back. There are plenty of one-off upsets scattered through this game's history. This one, though, would be significant because PSG are very, very good , Chelsea haven't been very, very good in a few years. We'll just say it would be a massive surprise. But things can happen, from freak goals to bad calls to red cards, to change a one-off game.

  JS: It shouldn't be viewed as an upset if the Blues win, to be honest. They've made incredible waves under Enzo Maresca, and boast the second-best midfield pairing in the world (only behind PSG, of course). There's a reason they're in the final, and the likes of Man City, Bayern and Real Madrid are not. This is the best Chelsea team since their 2021 UCL title, and if they beat PSG, it should be viewed as an achievement for the club – not a mark against PSG.

  AL: This might be blasphemy for anyone younger than 30, but it wouldn't be the biggest cupset in the team's recent history. The 2012 Champions League final is by far the bigger upset. You had a Chelsea side led by an interim coach, most of its stars were on the wrong side of 30, at least four players were suspended or injured – including star defender John Terry. And somehow, they managed to beat an all-world Bayern Munich team in their own home stadium – a rarity for a UCL final – in one of the greatest penalty shootouts in football history. Bayern had 76 percent possesion and dozend of shots – and Chelsea had, like, eight. THAT is the biggest club upset in recent memory.

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  Would a PSG win lock up the Ballon d'Or for Ousmane Dembele?

  TH: Yeah, just about. Have long been a proponent of a Mo Salah win, and it should be him. The CWC counts towards this kind of thing, and the Ballon d'nonsense is set up to reward team performances. Dembele has it on lock.

  RT: Should just about do it, yeah. In terms of both pure numbers and trophies, Dembele has generally done just about everything a player can do to really go after this trophy. Is he the best player in the world right now? Few would say yes. But has he had the best season? That's hard to argue against at this point. He deserves his reward for consistently showing up and doing the work for the world's best team.

  JS: He locked it up the minute he won the UCL. People who are just now realizing the season he's had? They're not watching games, they're looking at highlights on social media and firing off hot takes. Dembele has been the best attacker in the world this year, and his Ballon d'Or campaign is in the bag.

  AL: Yes, this award typically favors in-form attackers and he's been the best forward in Europe this year. There really isn't anyone who screams a worthy contender, so this year is all about Dembele.

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  Has the Club World been a success overall?

  TH: Yep. It seems a bit weird to say, especially considering this whole tournament has been a FIFA vanity project. But if you look at the fact that this is a sporting event, then it's a job well done. All of the best(ish) teams in the world played each other. There were a few good games. Some of the fans were really into it. At the very least, there's reason for it to exist in 2029.

  RT: What's a success? Has it been a rip-roaring, game-changing, life-altering tournament like FIFA said it would be? Certainly not. Has it been super fun? Sure! Ultimately, it's fun to see good teams play each other, and it's even more fun to see good teams from different parts of the world play each other. Are there real problems to address with this tournament going forward? For sure, but this was definitely a good start, one that did capture the attention and give people some fun soccer to watch all summer long.

  JS: For on-field performances, yeah, absolutely. We've seen some electrifying showings from teams in South America, and some valiant performances from teams in Asia and North America. However, there's still the big issue that clouds the CWC: congestion. The players are exhausted. The regular season legitimately starts in one month. Money, trophies, accolades and success aside, one year out from the World cup and these players are being run into the ground.

  AL: Yes, but it wasn't a resounding one. There are bones for something special here, and one would hope FIFA will bring this tournament back with some revisions. Random teams such as Salzburg shouldn't be in this tournament – there are no real grounds for the club being there. It should be largely be Champions League winners in this tournament. It's OK if there's an extra slot or two given to host nation teams, but overall, this should be the best clubs in world football. And there need to be efforts to get the tournament on national TV – at least from a U.S. point of view. Visibility was an issue for average sports fans and while it was great that DAZN streamed all of the matches for free, how could you find it? Overall, it was an enjoyable tournament to watch and hopefully it'll be back with some improvements in four years.

The third day saw 24 wickets tumble as the home side swept to a dramatic win

Andrew McGlashan30-Nov-2023

Chris Tremain and Jackson Bird secured New South Wales a dramatic Sheffield Shield victory at the SCG as Tasmania were bundled out for 68 on a pitch that offered the bowlers plenty.On an action-packed third day, 24 wickets fell after play had resumed with the visitors’ first innings still in action. Tasmania drew within 24 runs of NSW’s total then the home side collapsed to lose 9 for 55 (and 7 for 19) leaving a target of 143.That quickly grew to significant proportions on a surface providing variable bounce and significant seam movement for the quicks. Bird, against his former team, and Tremain reduced Tasmania to 12 for 3 then returned to halt a recovery and blast through the middle and lower order, taking all 10 wickets between them to give NSW their second win of the season.Related

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Perhaps unsurprisingly there were contrasting views on the pitch which used a new type of grass the SCG is trying this season which encourages greater growth.”I’m definitely going to go into bat for the groundsman,” Tremain told ESPNcricinfo. “Ask the batsmen, they’ll tell you something different. They were at the mercy of the weather leading into the game so don’t think the pitch was underprepared. Over the first two innings it created quite a few divots as it was a little soft on top with that good grass cover.”When those divots harden up they get a little bit sporting. The crack played a lot of a part in things this afternoon, but don’t think that wicket was poorly prepared. In the balance of bat versus ball obviously ball was the winner, but I wouldn’t be too quick to hang the groundsman out to dry.”Tasmania captain Jordan Silk said he was all for wickets that had something in them for bowlers, but believed that the uneven bounce was the concerning factor about this pitch.”I’ve played quite a lot Shield cricket and can’t say I’ve played on a wicket quite like that where the ball was nipping around a lot, there were cracks on lines and it was snaky,” he told ESPNcricinfo. “You had not just the sideways movement but you had a few balls climbing up then some climbing down.”Think you can cop a bit of wear and tear over the course of a game, but when there’s been 40 wickets in 160 overs of cricket you probably think it’s a bit too heavily weighted towards the bowlers. And that’s coming from someone who is really keen on having some sporting wickets, but it was slightly too far towards the bowling side.”There were some unplayable deliveries among the wickets on the third day, not least Bird’s wicked ball to seam past Caleb Jewell’s bat from around leg stump and take the top of off at the start of Tasmania’s chase.Tremain, who took 5 for 35 in his previous SCG outing against Western Australia, then had Charlie Wakim caught at slip and followed that by nipping one back through Silk to leave himself on a hat-trick.That was not forthcoming, and for a while either side of tea Tasmania made positive progress as Jake Doran took an aggressive route which included cutting Nathan Lyon’s first deliveries through the off side.Gabe Bell battled through injury for a five-wicket haul•Getty Images

But Bird produced another cracking delivery to nick Doran’s off bail after the runs required had been brought below 90. Beau Webster has been one of the form players of the season and early indications were that he was going to take the game on as he pulled his first ball through midwicket, but in the next over he went too far across against Tremain and was lbw.There was no stopping Tremain as he ended Tim Ward’s hard-working stay with an edge to the keeper then castled Mitchell Owen, who had been unbeaten on 70 in the first innings at the start of the day, and Jarrod Freeman, with batters regularly left starring down at the pitch.The final two wickets went to Bird, the game ending when Lawrence Neil-Smith, who claimed career-best match figures of 10 for 104, lobbed to cover.A few hours earlier, Neil-Smith had walked off alongside a limping Gabe Bell having shared eight wickets in NSW’s second innings to bundle them out for 118.With a narrow lead under their belt, NSW had started positively and reached 30 in the fifth over before Bell broke through, and at 63 for 1 there was no imminent sign of the carnage to come.Bell had left the field midway through his sixth over with a groin strain. However, during lunch he went through a fitness test and told Silk he was “about 80%”. Ryan Hackney and Jason Sangha had been dismissed in consecutive overs, but Moises Henriques and debutant Sam Konstas battled through 11 overs to start another partnership.Then the clatter started. Henriques was caught at slip off Neil-Smith and Konstas fell to the last ball before a rain delay. Ollie Davies, batting with a fractured finger, edged behind three deliveries after the resumption and the rest went quickly.But both sides knew 143 was going to be tough. “Mo [Henriques] said before we went out that 120 was par,” Tremain said. “Don’t know if that was bravado or he was serious. He was probably serious, he’s a very serious character. We had a bit of confidence knowing anything can happen, and anything did happen.”Tasmania bat very deep and Silk backed them to get over the line, but the reality was different. However, he refused to be too downhearted with the team still having a chance of topping the Sheffield Shield table at the BBL break and three home games to come when it resumes in February.”We knew it was going to be difficult,” he said. “There was a lot of belief that we could chase 140 but we knew it would take a group effort to get it done. Against high-class bowling in Bird and Tremain in conditions that are favourable to them, you have to bring your best and unfortunately it wasn’t good enough to keep out their good stuff.”I’m really proud of how this group have gone about the first six games. Probably a lot of people will be speaking about who we are playing, but we have a lot of belief within those four walls that we are a good enough team to mix it with a lot of sides. One bad week won’t our thinking.”

Bayern Munich are reportedly eyeing Arsenal forward Leandro Trossard as a potential Plan B, with the German champions growing increasingly doubtful over their chances of signing Liverpool’s Luis Diaz. Trossard’s versatility, experience and short contract make him an appealing alternative as Bayern look to reinforce their left wing this summer.

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Bayern turn to Trossard after Diaz talks stallArsenal may sell due to expiring contract situationTrossard’s versatility suits Kompany’s tactical visionFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Liverpool are standing firm on their stance that Diaz is not for sale and Bayern have started exploring alternatives. According to German publication BILD, Arsenal forward Trossard has emerged as a serious candidate for the Bundesliga giants.

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Bayern are in urgent need of wide reinforcements following the exits of Leroy Sane and Mathys Tel. While Diaz remains their top priority, Trossard’s experience and contract situation make him a more attainable option. Arsenal could be open to a deal to avoid losing him on a free next year. Additionally, the Belgium international recently changed agents, and his new representative, Dirk Hebel, has strong ties to German clubs, potentially easing a move to Bavaria.

DID YOU KNOW?

Trossard scored ten goals and provided ten assists across 56 appearances last season, proving to be a valuable attacking option for Mikel Arteta. He also deputised effectively as a central striker during injuries to Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz.

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Bayern will continue to monitor Diaz’s situation but could soon accelerate talks with Arsenal for Trossard. The Gunners must now decide whether to extend the Belgian’s deal or cash in before the new campaign begins.

فاز منتخب السنغال على نظيره نيجيريا، بهدف دون رد، في مباراة قوية بين المنتخبين، أقيمت بينهما اليوم الثلاثاء، ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا للمحليين 2025.

والتقي منتخبا السنغال ونيجيريا، في إطار الجولة الأولى من عمر مواجهات المجموعة الرابعة لبطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا للمحليين.

وانتصر منتخب السنغال، بهدف نظيف سجله لاعبه كريستيان جوميس في الدقيقة 75 من عمر اللقاء، ليقتنص أسود التيرانجا أول 3 نقاط في البطولة الإفريقية.

طالع.. فيديو | التعادل يحسم مباراة السودان والكونغو في كأس أمم إفريقيا للمحليين

وتضم المجموعة الرابعة من بطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا للمحليين، منتخبات السنغال ونيجيريا والسودان والكونغو.

وبعد انتهاء الجولة الأولى من المجموعة الرابعة من كأس أمم إفريقيا للمحليين، يتصدر منتخب السنغال الترتيب برصيد 3 نقاط، ويأتي في المركزين الثاني والثالث الكونغو والسودان على الترتيب بنقطة واحدة، ويتذيل المجموعة منتخب نيجيريا بدون نقاط.

وتقام بطولة كأس أمم أفريقيا للمحليين، في تنزانيا وكينيا وأوغندا بمشاركة 19 منتخبًا، مقسمة على 4 مجموعات، أول 3 مجموعات تتواجد بها 5 منتخبات والمجموعة الرابعة بها 4 منتخبات.

أشاد الاتحاد الدولي لكرة السلة “فيبا”، بـ منتخب مصر بعدما قدم الفراعنة أداء أكثر من رائع في بطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا لكرة السلة “الأفروباسكت” المقامة في أنجولا.

وحسم منتخب مصر تأهله إلى الدور ربع النهائي، بعد تصدره لترتيب المجموعة الرابعة برصيد 4 نقاط، وذلك قبل الجولة الأخيرة أمام أوغندا غدًا السبت.

طالع | منتخب مصر للسلة يهزم السنغال ويتأهل إلى ربع نهائي بطولة الأفروباسكت

ونشر الاتحاد الدولي لكرة السلة عبر موقعه الرسمي تقريرًا عن المباراة التي جمعت منتخب مصر بنظيره السنغالي، والتي انتهت بفوز الفراعنة بنتيجة 91-77، في ثاني جولات دور المجموعات لبطولة الأفروباسكت.

وأشاد “فيبا” بالأداء الكبير الذي قدمه منتخب مصر أمام السنغال، مؤكدًا أن مصر تمتلك جميع المقومات في هذه البطولة، من لاعبين رماة، وأصحاب أدوار محورية في الوسط، بالإضافة إلى نجوم قادرين على الاختراق والتسجيل.

ومن المقرر، أن يتأهل المتصدر إلى دور الثمانية مباشرةً، بينما يخوض الوصيف وصاحب المركز الثالث دور الـ 16 المؤهل للثمانية الكبار.

وتضم قائمة منتخب مصر للسلة في بطولة الأفروباسكت بأنجولا تضم القائمة النهائية كل من عمرو الجندي، عمر طارق، إيهاب أمين، يوسف أبو شوشة، آدم موسى، ياسين نصر، يوسف باترك، خالد عبدالناصر، محمد طه، إبراهيم زهران، أنس أسامة، أحمد أبو العلا.

ويرأس البعثة الكابتن طارق السعيد، نائب رئيس الاتحاد المصري لكرة السلة والمشرف على المنتخبات الوطنية، فيما يتكون الجهاز الفني من محمد الكرداني مديرًا فنيًا، محمد سليم مدربًا، رامي جنيدي مدربًا، أحمد الجارحي مدربًا، سامح صلاح مديرًا إداريًا، إسلام جمعة طبيبًا، عبدالرحمن الجلاد محلل أداء، محمد جمال مدرب أحمال، علي موسى استشفاء، السيد علي المنسق الإعلامي للمنتخبات المصرية.

Wicketkeeper-batter, who also holds Australian citizenship, will replace Quinton de Kock for Renegades’ final two BBL games

Alex Malcolm04-Jan-2024Melbourne Renegades have sent an SOS to Netherlands captain Scott Edwards to be available for the last two games of the BBL season as a replacement for the injured Joe Clarke.Edwards is currently in South Africa with the Netherlands team on a training tour that includes five practice matches against SA20 teams before the start of that tournament and a month-long camp.But Edwards, who also holds Australian citizenship, is leaving South Africa early to return to Melbourne, where he grew up, to be available for Renegades’ final two BBL matches, as they will be without a specialist wicketkeeper-batter after Quinton de Kock departs for the SA20 following the match against Hobart Hurricanes on Thursday.Related

Edwards, Dutchman from Melbourne, is coming home for World Cup

Mujeeb's BBL season cut short by Afghanistan Cricket Board

Renegades don’t have a local wicketkeeper on their list, having traded Sam Harper to Melbourne Stars for legspinner Adam Zampa. They had recruited de Kock to keep in the six games he was available for, and were relying on Clarke to fill the role for the remaining matches. But Clarke’s season-ending quad injury threw a spanner in the works.Englishman Jordan Cox was recruited as a replacement player for de Kock, and has played two matches for Renegades already as a specialist batter – one before de Kock’s arrival, and the other as Clarke’s replacement in the Melbourne derby on Tuesday. Cox has played as a wicketkeeper in 24 of his 88 T20s at professional level, but has not kept in his last 26 matches dating back to January last year.Edwards, 27, qualifies as an Australian local, and had played in Renegades’ practice matches before the BBL. But the Netherlands ODI and T20I captain, who had a very impressive ODI World Cup in India with both bat and gloves, was not signed by any of the BBL teams despite being fully available for the tournament, even as Stars only carried one specialist wicketkeeper in their 18-man squad.Edwards instead spent December playing club cricket in Melbourne before heading to South Africa with the Netherlands team. But he will return to Melbourne on January 11, and will be available for the second Melbourne derby against Stars at the Marvel Stadium on January 13 and for their final match of the home-and-away season against Sydney Thunder on January 17 if required.Edwards has never played in the BBL or been contracted despite winning the Ryder Medal as the best player in Victoria’s Premier Cricket competition in 2021. He has also never been contracted to play domestically in Australia despite being eligible as a local, although he has played second XI cricket for Victoria in Cricket Australia’s second-tier four-day competition that sits underneath Sheffield Shield cricket.Renegades replace Mujeeb with HoseinRenegades have also added West Indies left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein for the last two games of the season after Mujeeb Ur Rahman was ruled out of the remainder of the BBL following the Afghanistan Cricket Board’s decision to revoke his No-Objection Certificate.It continues a tumultuous season for Renegades, with their captain Nic Maddinson dropping himself mid-season due to being out of form, while long-time captain and all-time leading run-scorer Aaron Finch was also left out of their most recent match despite being fit, and has announced he will retire at the end of the season despite having a year to run on his contract.

The WPL final is scheduled for March 17 in Delhi, two days before England’s first T20I against NZ in Dunedin

Matt Roller02-Feb-2024The ECB has made an unsuccessful request to New Zealand Cricket (NZC) to move the dates of England’s upcoming women’s tour, with four players deemed unavailable for the first three T20Is as a result of their Women’s Premier League (WPL) commitments in India and two others pulling out of their franchise contracts.NZC confirmed the fixtures in July for the tour, which comprises five T20Is and three ODIs between March 19 and April 6. The BCCI had only publicly announced the window for the WPL last Wednesday, with the final scheduled for March 17 in Delhi – two days before the opening T20I in Dunedin.ESPNcricinfo understands that the ECB asked NZC to consider shifting the series back but were told it would not be possible. “We explored every option available to us to make sure all our players were available during the New Zealand series, but that didn’t quite work out as we would have liked,” Jon Lewis, England’s coach, said.”Yes, there are things that other boards could have done, but they’re things that are totally out of our control to be honest. We’ve had to react to the situation as best we can… it’s quite a unique situation. It’s quite complex… we talk to everyone as individuals and work out what we think is the best plan for them.”Lewis blamed the late release of the WPL’s schedule, which was decided several months after NZC had confirmed the dates of England’s tour. “[The series] was in our diary for a very long period of time,” he said. “The WPL dates came out very late. Moving forward, all the boards around the world will create a window for the WPL similar to the men’s game.”Related

Nat Sciver-Brunt: 'I'd be lying if I said money wasn't a factor'

The ECB told the eight England players with WPL contracts that to be considered for selection in the first three T20Is, they would need to leave India before the knockout stages. Jonathan Finch, the director of England women’s cricket, said: “All players participating in the WPL were given our backing to remain in India for the duration of the tournament.”Lauren Bell (UP Warriorz) and Heather Knight (Royal Challengers Bangalore) both pulled out of their deals last week. “They withdrew once they learnt that the WPL regulations don’t allow for replacements mid-tournament, not wanting their respective WPL teams to be disadvantaged by their early departure,” Finch said.Lewis himself will leave the WPL after UP Warriorz’s final group game on March 11, with assistant coach Ashley Noffke likely to deputise if they reach the knockout stages. “I had good discussions with the franchise,” Lewis said. “Hopefully, we’re in a really strong position. We’ve got a lot of cover in the coaching department and UP have been really accommodating.”Jon Lewis: “Moving forward, all boards around the world will create a window for the WPL similar to the men’s game”•ICC via Getty Images

England named two separate T20I squads on Friday, one for the first three matches and another for the final two. Hollie Armitage and Linsey Smith will be replaced by Alice Capsey (Delhi Capitals), Sophie Ecclestone (UP Warriorz), Nat Sciver-Brunt (Mumbai Indains) and Danni Wyatt (UP Warriorz) ahead of the fourth T20I. Kate Cross (RCB) will arrive for the ODIs, while Issy Wong (MI) was not selected for either format.”We tried to make sure that all the players that are in New Zealand with us will get a really fair crack, rather than worrying about Nat Sciver-Brunt getting knocked out [of the WPL] on one day, flying in three days later and taking their position in the team,” Lewis said, framing the clash as “a brilliant opportunity” to test England’s depth ahead of the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh later this year.With Wyatt in India for the full WPL, Tammy Beaumont looks set to open the batting in the first three T20Is and will win her 100th cap in the format. A pedestrian strike rate meant she has spent two years out of the side since her 99th, but she has since shown her dynamism in domestic cricket. “We asked her to go away and improve in certain areas,” Lewis said. “She went away and she did that.”Mahika Gaur, who has played in England’s last two T20I series, is unavailable as she continues to study for her A-Levels, while Freya Kemp has been picked as a specialist batter for the parallel England A tour to New Zealand after a recurrence of a back injury. Kirstie Gordon (T20s) and Grace Scrivens (ODIs) will captain the secondary tour, while Tash Farrant and Emma Lamb both feature after back injuries.England T20I squad vs New Zealand: Hollie Armitage*, Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey+, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone+, Lauren Filer, Danielle Gibson, Sarah Glenn, Bess Heath, Amy Jones, Heather Knight (captain), Nat Sciver-Brunt+, Linsey Smith*, Danni Wyatt+ ()England ODI squad vs New Zealand: Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Kate Cross, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Danielle Gibson, Sarah Glenn, Bess Heath, Amy Jones, Heather Knight (capt), Nat Sciver-Brunt, Danni WyattEngland A squad vs New Zealand: Georgia Adams, Hannah Baker, Alice Davidson-Richards, Tash Farrant, Kirstie Gordon (T20 captain), Freya Kemp, Emma Lamb, Ryana MacDonald-Gay, Sophie Munro, Grace Potts, Paige Scholfield, Grace Scrivens (ODI captain), Seren Smale, Rhianna Southby, Mady Villiers

Lucas Vazquez has finally left Real Madrid after 18 years with the team. It looks like his boat could head to Italy to play against Luka Modric.

Juventus offered Vazquez after Real Madrid exitSalary demands could delay or block transferPlayed 402 games and won five UCL titlesFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Vazquez has been offered to Juventus following his Madrid departure, according to a report from . The 34-year-old is now a free agent having left Santiago Bernabeu, where he won five Champions League titles and made 402 appearances. Juventus, in need of depth on the right flank amid potential exits of Timothy Weah and Andrea Cambiaso, have been approached by the player’s agents with a proposal, as the player recently snubbed a La Liga proposal.

Advertisement(C)Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The Old Lady are actively scouting replacements on the right flank, with Damien Comolli evaluating several names alongside head coach Igor Tudor. While younger targets like Joan Gonzalez and Fiorentina's Dodo remain on the radar, Vazquez presents a cost-effective and experienced option, as he would arrive on a free transfer. However, his previous €4.5 million salary at Madrid could prove a stumbling block. Juventus might attempt to navigate this via a multi-year contract to distribute the wage burden.

DID YOU KNOW?

The Spanish international made 32 appearances in La Liga last season under Carlo Ancelotti, scoring once and assisting five times. Despite being 34, he remained a regular starter before the arrival of Trent Alexander-Arnold under new coach Xabi Alonso.

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(C)Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR JUVENTUS?

Juventus will continue to assess right-back options in the coming weeks. While Vazquez is seen as a short-term solution, the final decision will depend on how negotiations around contract length and salary unfold. Juventus open their Serie A campaign next month and aim to finalize squad reinforcements before pre-season ends.