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Delhi Capitals captain admits his team was playing catch-up right from the powerplay

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Apr-20242:34

‘Capitals bowlers gave Head the start he wanted’

When Delhi Capitals opted to bowl in their first match of IPL 2024 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, they expected dew to play a role later in the evening. Which would have meant a target of around 220 also gettable. But the absence of dew in the chase helped Sunrisers Hyderabad, who got the balls to grip on the surface, register a 67-run win to move to second on the points table.”The only thought process behind [opting to bowl at the toss] was we thought there will be a bit of dew, which did not come,” Rishabh Pant, Capitals captain, said at the post-match presentation. “If we could have restricted them to 220-230 we still had a chance. [The ball] stopped more [on the surface] in the second innings than what we anticipated. But when you have 260-270 to defend, it gives bowlers confidence.”Sunrisers once again rode on the brilliant power-hitting display of openers Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma, who helped them score a record 125 for 0 in the powerplay, the highest in all men’s T20s. Abhishek fell for a 12-ball 46 while Head made 89 off 32 after his maiden IPL century in the last outing as Sunrisers posted 266 for 7, their third 250-plus total in IPL 2024.Related

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125 in 6 overs: Head and Sunrisers shatter T20 powerplay records

Head, Abhishek, Shahbaz, Natarajan break records and help SRH go second

“I think powerplay was one of the differences,” Pant admitted. “They got 120-130 runs in the powerplay and we were catching up throughout the match.”Pat Cummins, the SRH captain, had mixed feelings watching his openers bludgeon the opposition. “Part of me is very excited and elated, but the other thinks I will have to bowl on this later,” he said. “Amazing, every game they keep delivering and keep playing the way we want to.”Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma put on a blazing show in the powerplay•Associated PressThe game saw 213 runs being scored in the powerplay, both innings combined, again a record in T20 cricket. Capitals romped to 88 for 2 in their chase of 267 and Cummins said that the pitch came into play once the ball became old.”We saw in the powerplay, there was not much in it for the bowlers for both sides,” he said. “Once the game got on, the ball got softer and it started to hold a little bit. But 260-odd plays 200 [means it] is a good batting wicket.”Normally dew makes it hard [to grip the ball]. It slides on. But there was a little bit of grip out there, so maybe that was a factor also.”T Natarajan led Sunrisers’ charge with the ball, picking up 4 for 19, his best figures in T20s. Mayank Markande and Nitish Kumar Reddy also returned two wickets apiece, and Cummins was pleased with the discipline the bowlers showed.”Really happy with how we closed out. It was really disciplined, everyone was strong with their fields and how they wanted to bowl and executed well on the fly. It was not easy when they are trying to hit a six every ball.”Bhuvneshwar Kumar: SRH batters are ‘ruining us’T Natarajan bowled a triple-wicket maiden•BCCIThe leader of the SRH bowling attack, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, heaped praise on Natarajan’s effort in what was their fifth win in seven outings. Natarajan used his change-of-pace as well as was effective with the yorkers, making it tough for Capitals’ batters to line him up.”We know how good he is when it comes to Yorkers,” Bhuvneshwar said after the match. “He is someone who keeps working hard, a silent guy who goes unnoticed most of the times. But he is a star for us for so many years playing for SRH. We know how important he is for us, he is truly a match-winner.”For years, SRH were known to win games because of their bowling in the IPL. But for a change their batters are firing in unison and Bhuvneshwar, who returned 1 for 33 off his four overs, was happy for the bowlers to take a backseat. But he also had a word of caution for them.”For so many years, this is possibly the first time our batting is clicking so much,” he said. “As bowlers, we are happy to take the backseat and let the batters do their work and happy do defend so many runs. Honestly, they are ruining us; if one of the games we score 180-200 mentally, it will be tough for us bowlers to defend those. But great to see the way they are batting.”When you are defending those many runs, either of the things happen – you go for plenty of runs or you get teams out within 150. We accept the fact that when you defend so many runs, you can go for plenty of runs.”

Birmingham romp home in chase after spinners strangle Derbyshire batting effort

ECB Reporters Network16-Jun-2024Birmingham Bears picked up a second win in three days to keep their place among the North Group contenders with a seven-wicket Vitality Blast victory over Derbyshire Falcons at the Incora County Ground.On a used pitch that yielded runs only reluctantly, the visitors restricted Derbyshire to 133 for 7, left-arm spinner Danny Briggs taking 2 for 23 with David Lloyd scoring 50 and Brooke Guest an unbeaten 38. Richard Gleeson took two wickets in the powerplay but it was the Bears spinners largely responsible for tying down Falcons.Derbyshire’s spinners threatened to do a similar job but Dan Mousley and Sam Hain (43) showed considerable patience and eventually reaped the rewards, their 93-run partnership across 13.3 overs effectively winning the match, Mousley closing it out with his seventh four with seven balls to spare.Having opted to bat first, Derbyshire suffered a setback when the in-form Aneurin Donald fell for just 2 but seemed to be heading for a satisfactory start until Gleeson removed Cam Fletcher and Wayne Madsen in the space of three balls in the last over of the powerplay to give Bears an early advantage.A boundary apiece from Guest and Lloyd off Jake Lintott’s opening over hinted at acceleration but Falcons’ progress was unspectacular at 65 for 3 from 10. Lloyd drove a soaring straight six off Lintott and repeated the blow against Briggs to complete a 36-ball half-century but was then caught aiming to clear the midwicket boundary.Samit Patel perished cheaply, pouched at backward point when he skied one from Briggs as the competition’s all-time leading wicket-taker on 229 dismissed his closest rival. At 103 for 5 from 16, Derbyshire had been properly strangled by Bears’ spinners. Mousley’s offspin was wicketless but conceded only 16 in his allocation.Ross Whiteley lifted Chris Woakes into the car park on the leg side but once the ball had been found Woakes promptly bowled him with a full delivery off an inside edge. The over cost 13 runs but was one of only three across the innings to yield a tally in double figures and, after Zak Chappell was run out in the last over, 133 looked too little.Daryn Dupavillon, the South African quick, angled one in to bowl Rob Yates with his fourth delivery. Mousley picked up three quick boundaries but Alex Davies, having uppercut Dupavillon for four and lifted Pat Brown for an audacious six on the leg side was caught at midwicket as Brown exacted instant revenge. Mousley slog-swept Madsen for six and the Bears were 50 for 2 from six.Patel and fellow spinner Mitch Wagstaff applied the brakes, conceding just 29 in six overs bowling in tandem, but with 55 needed after 12 overs, and eight wickets in hand, the Bears were still favourites, more so after Mousley and Hain plundered 21 from the next two before Mousley swept Patel to go to fifty from 42 balls.The requirement was down to six from 17 balls by the time Brown bowled Hain after a 42-ball innings containing only one boundary. Mousley cut Chappell for his seventh four to complete the win.

He has confirmed that the ongoing T20 World Cup will be his last tournament in the role

Sidharth Monga03-Jun-20241:43

Dravid: Even 140 could be a winning total in certain conditions

Rahul Dravid has confirmed that the T20 World Cup 2024 will be his last assignment as India head coach as he will not be applying for the position again. It was largely expected, but this was the first official confirmation that India will have a new coach come July.Dravid confirmed it when asked if this World Cup was going to hold extra importance for him. “Every tournament is important,” Dravid said. “Every game that I’ve coached for India has been very important for me. For me, this is no different just because it is going to be the last one that I’m in charge of. I love doing the job. I’ve really enjoyed coaching India, and I think it’s a truly special job to do. I’ve enjoyed working with this team, and it’s a great bunch of boys to work with.”Unfortunately, just the kind of schedules [that are in place in international cricket] and where I find myself in this stage in my life, I don’t think I’ll be able to re-apply. Having said that, it’s no different for me to be very honest. I don’t see this anything particularly different or significant. From the first day I took the job, I always felt that every game was important and every game mattered, and that will not change.”Related

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As a player, Dravid played a World Cup final in 2003, but even though he enjoyed a stellar career and was part of the No. 1 Test side, he never got to be called a world champion. As a coach, he came close to it on three occasions, in all three formats. This will be his last chance for now to be part of a world champion side. Dravid, though, could step back and look at the larger picture.”To be very honest, I think we’ve actually played really well in these World Cup tournaments,” Dravid said. “In terms of our consistency, we’ve been very consistent. Making the semi-final in the first, in the T20 one in Australia [in 2022]. The World Test Championship is slightly different in terms of it’s not one tournament, but it’s a whole cycle, but playing extremely well in the cycle to get to the final there again [in 2023]. The 50-over World Cup where we had a great run and went into the final [in 2023]. In terms of our consistency, in terms of the quality of cricket that we have played in these big tournaments, I think we’ve been right up there with some of the best teams.’You have to find yourselves in those positions where you are pushing for glory, and that’s all you can do as a group and as a team’•ICC via Getty Images

“We can’t say that we’ve not played good cricket in these tournaments. Yes, we probably haven’t been able to get across the line in that one knockout game. The [2023 ODI] final in Ahmedabad or the [WTC final] game at The Oval and then again at Adelaide in the T20 semi-final. So we just probably haven’t been able to execute in that last phase.”Hopefully we play good cricket to get ourselves into those positions again. Then maybe play good cricket on the day to get across the line. But the important thing when you start these tournaments is not to think about that. It is to actually think about getting into those positions again. I think that’s as hard as actually winning those games at times. You have to find yourselves in those positions where you are pushing for glory, and that’s all you can do as a group and as a team. Our whole goal will be to try and get ourselves once again into a position where we give ourselves a chance to be able to, um, win a tournament.”That unfortunately is not enough if you are the Indian cricket team. It comes with the territory of being the most followed cricket team in the world. Dravid said they would need to focus more on their decision-making than expectations to get past the knockouts hurdle.”To be able to read and understand conditions that will be different in various places,” Dravid said. “It’s our ability to use our experience. It’s our ability to execute in the middle. It’s our ability to make the right decisions whether with the bat or with the ball at those critical moments, which will be the defining factor. We would rather focus on that rather than kind of worry about the expectations. Of course, there are expectations and it’s a great thing that people are rating our team highly because that means that we’ve been playing good cricket and we’ve got a good squad together.”

Sydney Sixers secured a home BBL final after seamer Ben Dwarshuis tore into Brisbane Heat on a two-paced Gold Coast surface. Earlier, captain Moises Henriques and Daniel Hughes combined for a valuable partnership to take Sixers to 152 for 8.In the Qualifier between this season’s top two teams, Sixers were set up by a 94-run third-wicket partnership from Henriques and Hughes. The pair had inspired their team’s remarkable three-wicket victory over Perth Scorchers in the previous match that propelled Sixers into second spot.Sixers’ disciplined quicks were excellent in helpful bowling conditions with Dwarshuis claiming 5 for 21 while allrounder Jack Edwards took a stunning one-handed return catch to finish with two wickets. Sixers will host the final at the SCG on January 24 as they seek a fourth BBL title.Heat’s hopes to end an 11-year title drought goes on the line in the Challenger on Monday against the winner of Saturday’s knockout final between Scorchers and in-form Adelaide Strikers.Top-ranked Heat had lost just one regular season match but failed to ease concerns over their batting order which has been gutted after a number of withdrawals.There had been an unknown over the surface in the first match played on the Gold Coast this season after Heat shifted grounds due to the Gabba’s unavailability ahead of the second Test between Australia and West Indies.Heat elected to bowl in humid conditions and spearhead Michael Neser immediately produced menacing movement. Edwards, who made a golden duck against Scorchers, was moved up the order after the departure of opener James Vince to the UAE’s ILT20.Moises Henriques picked up speed after a slow start•Getty Images

He countered swing by effectively taking the aerial route to force Heat captain Nathan McSweeney to remove the lone slip. But Edwards holed out to Neser in the third over after Paul Walter took a fine catch running back.Heat were on top when left-arm quick Spencer Johnson nicked off Josh Philippe in a decision overturned on review to cap a wicket maiden in his first over. Reaching speeds of 147 kph, Johnson was unplayable early as Hughes and Henriques were forced to rebuild.In contrast to his late heroics against Scorchers, Henriques played sedately and scored just nine runs off his first 20 deliveries. But in trademark fashion, he remained calm and made his move just before drinks with a six down the ground off legspinner Mitchell Swepson and went on to add a boundary moments later.Heat were left to rue dropping Henriques twice after the resumption and he made them pay by dominating the power surge across overs 13 and 14. Seamer Xavier Bartlett has enjoyed a breakout BBL season by bowling an accurate hard length, but an adventurous Henriques rattled him by shuffling across his stumps to thump him over the legside. Bartlett leaked 25 runs as Sixers smashed a season-high 38 runs in the power surge. But Hughes was outfoxed by a slower short delivery from Walter in the 15th over to trigger a collapse.Sixers lost 5 for 23 with Henriques struggling to regain his earlier momentum and he fell in the 18th over to a relieved Bartlett, who again showed his death bowling specialty.In reply, Heat were tied up early with big-hitting opener Josh Brown struggling to handle the two-paced pitch. He scored just two off his first 13 balls before skipping down the wicket and smashing seamer Sean Abbott for six over mid-off. But Brown and Jimmy Peirson succumbed to accurate Sixers bowling as the run rate required soared to above 10 an over by the midpoint.The pressure fell on Matt Renshaw, who just two days earlier was released from Australia’s first Test squad to play in this match. Heat sought the power surge in the 12th over and Renshaw tried to turn the game by blasting two sixes.But he fell in the 13th over to Dwarshuis, who with his next delivery removed Walter and it was just a matter of time before Sixers reached their seventh BBL final.

Suffering from stomach cramps, the India captain gave the first standalone Women’s World T20 what it needed in its very first match

Melinda Farrell in Guyana10-Nov-2018It was a pleasant summer Saturday evening at North Sydney Oval and a decent crowd had filtered in to watch the Sydney Thunder host the Melbourne Stars in the Women’s Big Bash League. In its second season, the tournament was fast gaining traction.Set 148 for victory, the Thunder had lost their first two wickets for 60 runs. Making her debut in the WBBL – the first Indian to play in an overseas T20 league – Harmanpreet Kaur walked to the crease. Only serious fans of women’s cricket in Australia knew who she was. The WBBL was raising the profile of female players but Harmanpreet wasn’t even the most famous Indian player – Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami were surely more recognisable.Still, It was Harmanpreet walking out to the middle and taking guard. And it was Harmanpreet who produced the shot that stunned the world. With impeccable timing and strength that belied her slender frame, she gracefully met a Gemma Triscari ball on one knee and launched a lofted drive over the deep extra cover boundary. Triscari burst into incredulous laughter. Commentators flew into raptures. Anyone who followed women’s cricket was agog. Sure, sixes were becoming more common in the women’s game, but were more often the result of a slog sweep in region of deep midwicket. Women just didn’t hit sixes like that.Harmanpreet scored an unbeaten 28-ball 47. It wasn’t quite enough. The Thunder fell short by six runs. The Stars’ Emma Inglis won the Player-of-the-Match award. None of those things are particularly memorable. But those who saw that shot don’t forget it.

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In the sweltering Georgetown heat, Lea Tahuhu was bowling fast. Really fast. She had sent both of India’s openers back to the dugout: Taniya Bhatia beaten by pace and seam, deflecting the ball off her pads onto the stumps and Smriti Mandhana flat-batting a pull that looked sure to be six but was snaffled brilliantly by Hayley Jenson at the midwicket boundary. New Zealand were jubilant, even more so when Dayalan Hemalatha was caught off after making a brief but sparky debut.India wobbling at 40 for 3. That was as good as it got for New Zealand.Harmanpreet Kaur eyes the leg side•International Cricket Council

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Harmanpreet has many hashtagable nicknames: the #Harmonster, the #Harmanator #HarmanpreetPhwoar #KaurBlimey. All convey in their own way the open-mouthed joy that comes with watching her at her unfettered best. Some call her Harman for short, but her team-mates call her Harry. Perhaps it should be preceded by ‘Dirty’; it would be fitting if she muttered to hapless bowlers, “You’ve gotta ask yourself one question: ‘Do I feel lucky?’ Well, do ya, punk?” before firing balls at targets in the stands.But here in Georgetown her pistols were holstered by nerves early on. They weren’t helped by the fact that she hadn’t quite felt right on the morning before the match. The first 13 balls she faced netted just five runs. On the 14th, she jettisoned the jitters and charged down the pitch to Jess Watkin, belting the ball into the stand beyond midwicket. On the last delivery of the over she attacked again, but didn’t quite middle it. Not that it mattered; another six, this time over long-off.After running two in the following over, Harmanpreet turned and dropped to the ground. As she lay on her back holding her mid-riff while the physio ran on to the ground and Jemimah Rodrigues looked on with concern, the concerned muttering flittered around the stadium. Harmanpreet didn’t train the day before the match and there was talk of possible back problems.But the not-quite-right feeling had developed into stomach cramps which could hardly be helped by the hot and sticky humidity. Harmanpreet realised that running twos was not helping, so she did what only the best and most confident players can do. She told Rodrigues to give her the strike whenever possible and she would make sure she didn’t have to run between the wickets so often.What followed was a monstrous display of timing and power hitting. There were delicate dabs, too, and canny finesse as she carved through the New Zealand field with all the accuracy of a teppanyaki chef dicing tuna.New Zealand had chosen a bowling attack they thought suited a Providence pitch that was expected to be low and slow, but actually offered decent pace and bounce. Harmanpreet treated both pace and spin with disdain. According to Cricviz, she averaged a lazy 9.75 runs per over against pace and a crushing 13.20 against spin.Helping her was the fact that Rodrigues was holding up her end of the bargain by finding the boundary regularly and saving her captain’s legs or, rather, stomach. When her fine innings ended on a 45-ball 59 with a stumping, Harmanpreet had the ball on a string. The slog-sweeps, the pulls and, of course, those rockets over extra cover where women were never supposed to be so strong. It was an innings that called to mind her demolishing of Australia – a breathtaking unbeaten 171 that propelled India into the World Cup final last year.When she brought up her century in the final over she barely celebrated, a quick hug of Veda Krishnamurthy, a briefly raised bat to the dressing room and the crowd, many of them schoolchildren who will undoubtedly remember this day.And two balls later it was over, an edge behind leaving her total to stand at 103 off 51 balls. The New Zealand players, knowing they had an Everest to climb, offered up applause as Harmanpreet walked off, greeted by a standing ovation from her team-mates.This is the first standalone Women’s World T20. The tournament needed a marquee moment and it got one in the opening game, thanks to pistol-packing Harry.As the other Harry might say: “Did she fire six shots or only five? Well, to tell you the truth in all this excitement I kind of lost track myself.”

If Champions League football is secured at the City Ground for next season, it could be a very busy summer, and plans are already being put in place as Nottingham Forest are eyeing a move for a “sensational” £20m player, according to a recent report.

Update on Morgan Gibbs-White’s Nottingham Forest future

It has been an outstanding season for the Reds, and at the heart of that success has been midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White, who has not only been an excellent captain but has produced moments of quality that have helped Forest remain in the race for a Champions League place.

Club in contact with Nottingham Forest "monster" who has uncertain future

He’s found minutes hard to come by this season.

ByBarney Lane Mar 17, 2025

The 25-year-old, who has five goals and seven assists in 25 Premier League games, has gained admirers from top teams in England given his performances this campaign, but according to journalist Pete O’Rourke, Forest are going to “do everything they can” to keep hold of Gibbs-White this summer.

Manchester United and Liverpool have been mentioned as teams interested in the midfielder and will hope they have the resources to lure him to their clubs. However, if the Reds do secure Champions League football this season, then O’Rourke states that the Midlands side would be well-placed to retain their best players for next season.

Gibbs-White has just earned a call-up to the England squad, despite missing out initially, and Forest will be hoping that his international recognition doesn’t mean it will become harder for them to keep hold of their star player.

Nottingham Forest eyeing move for "sensational" £20m star

As the Reds and owner Evangelos Marinakis plan to keep hold of Gibbs-White, they are looking at players who could form a good partnership with the Englishman in the middle of the pitch, and according to TEAMtalk, Nottingham Forest and Marinakis are eyeing a move for Sunderland’s Jobe Bellingham ahead of the summer transfer window.

The report states that Forest are among the four Premier League teams who are all watching and tracking the young midfielder, with Manchester United, Brentford, and Brighton also keen on Bellingham. All four clubs would be interested in a deal should the Black Cats fail to seal promotion to the Premier League.

The 19-year-old, who has been labelled “sensational” by journalist Josh Bunting, would be interested in a move, as he is looking to play at the highest level. Meanwhile, the Black Cats are not interested in negotiating any deal for the midfielder, and they will demand a high fee for the player, with it being previously reported that they want £20 million. Bellingham is under contract until 2028, meaning the Black Cats do hold the power when it comes to negotiating a transfer.

Apps

34

Starts

34

Goals

4

xG

2.61

Shots per game

1.4

Assists

3

xAG

2.24

Touches per game

56.3

Big chances created

4

Key passes per game

1.3

Bellingham’s potential arrival at the City Ground would see him provide competition for the likes of Elliot Anderson, Danilo, Nicolas Dominguez, and Ryan Yates. But given how highly he is rated and obviously how well his brother Jude has done, Bellingham could be a starter wherever he moves to, as he will want to continue developing his career.

He returned the best-ever figures for an Ireland player in ODIs following which an impressive performance by Campher with the bat guided them home

Ashish Pant15-Dec-2023

Josh Little picked career-best figures of 6 for 36•Zimbabwe Cricket

Josh Little returned the best-ever figures for an Ireland player in ODIs to help his team claim a 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series against Zimbabwe with a four-wicket win.Little blew away the Zimbabwe top-order with four wickets – including three in an over – reducing the hosts to 19 for 4. Ryan Burl, Clive Madande and Wellington Masakadza all held fort for a bit as Zimbabwe were bowled out for 166 in 42.5 overs with Little claiming 6 for 36 in 10 overs. In reply, Curtis Campher struck a 71-ball 66 as Ireland completed a win in 40.1 overs.Sikandar Raza elected to bat under blue skies, but was in for a rude awakening. Tinashe Kamunhukamwe struck two fours off Mark Adair but failed to keep a Little short-of-a-length ball down pulling to George Dockrell who took a good catch diving forward. Two balls later Miton Shumba poked at an away-swinger only to offer Lorcan Tucker a simple catch behind the stumps. Little struck for the third time in the fourth over when Joylord Gumbie’s tough stay at the crease ended with him bottom-edging an in-decker back onto his stumps.Zimbabwe were reduced to 16 for 3 after four overs and Little added to their miseries by taking out their captain Raza the next over, who also chopped a length ball onto his off stump.Burl and Madande then staged a brief revival. The duo added 45 off 74 balls for the fifth wicket with Madande being the aggressor scoring a 42-ball 33. He did get a life on 5 when Harry Tector dropped a tough chance at backward point but grew in confidence. His innings was ended by Andy McBrine with deep midwicket moving excellently to his left.Brandon Mavuta came and went as Zimbabwe were reduced to 70 for 6 in 22 overs. But Burl and Masakadza stemmed the collapse through a 63-run stand for the seventh wicket.Masakadza came in and whacked Little for two fours before clobbering McBrine into the stands over deep midwicket. Burl, too, having been circumspect till then broke the shackles by depositing Graham Hume over mid-on.Tector then broke the promising stand by taking out Burl before Little came back to complete his first five-wicket haul in ODIs by removing Masakadza and then cleaned up Ngarava for 1. Mark Adair closed out the Zimbabwe innings in the 43rd over. Burl, who was ruffled by a Little short-ball in the 10th over was concussed out of the game and replaced by Tony Munyonga in the second innings.Lorcan Tucker and Curtis Campher put up a 43-run stand•Zimbabwe Cricket

The surface was not a belter for batters and Andy Balbirnie found that out straightaway when he saw his off pole take a walk first ball courtesy of a Richard Ngarava away-swinger. Paul Stirling got off the mark with a crisp drive but Ngarava and Blessing Muzarabani kept things tight. Stirling was dropped by the keeper on 13 but failed to cash in, getting castled by Muzarabani soon after. Ireland could only manage 29 for 2 after the first powerplay with the two frontline seamers bowling unchanged.The first-change bowler Tanaka Chivanga, however, failed to keep up the pressure. He leaked 15 runs off his first over with Campher taking him for three successive fours. Muzarabani then went four two fours in his next as Ireland kept chugging away.Tector and Campher added 52 for the third wicket before the former was bowled by a peach of a legbreak by Mavuta. Campher, though made sure to keep going and found an ally in Lorcan Tucker.The two pushed Ireland closer to the target when rain interrupted play with the visitors on 101 for 3 after 25, needing 66 off 25 overs. Campher hobbled off into the changeroom holding his side at the rain break but made it back into the middle once play resumed.No overs were lost but Zimbabwe did strike a couple of blows to cause a few flutters in the Irish camp. Campher reached his fifty off 58 balls and then struck a couple of fours. But Mavuta soon had him clean bowled when he missed a sweep to a full-length ball. Muzarabani then saw the back of Tucker for 28 as he finished with excellent figures of 10-2-23-2.Adair and Dockrell, however, kept their composure adding 34 for the sixth wicket. Dockrell fell when just a run was needed for victory before Adair closed the game with a ramp over the wicketkeeper’s head.

An “incredible” Liverpool player who featured against PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday night could still exit Anfield before the February 3rd transfer deadline, according to a report.

Reds finish top of the Champions League

Despite failing to win for the first time in the Champions League this season, the Reds finished top of the league phase after collecting a very impressive 21 points in eight games.

Arne Slot’s side now advance straight to the round of 16, standing them in good stead to win Europe’s elite competition for the seventh time, and they will be pleased to avoid having to play an additional two games in the play-off round.

With the Premier League title-hopefuls still competing on all fronts, they can now turn their attention back to their pursuit of domestic glory, with everything also still to play for in the league and both cup competitions.

Liverpool make enquiry over "outrageous" £20m star who's wanted by Man Utd

The midfielder’s agents are keen to secure him a move to a new club.

By
Dominic Lund

Jan 29, 2025

Having already secured their place in the round of 16 prior to yesterday’s fixture, Slot handed minutes to some lesser-used players, with Tyler Morton coming on in the second half, appearing for the first time since the FA Cup tie against Accrington Stanley.

Morton has struggled for game time this season, and The Mirror report the 22-year-old could still exit Anfield before the transfer window comes to an end, after recently admitting he has found it difficult not being in the team.

Slot is now set to make a decision on the midfielder’s future, most likely partially based on what he saw on Wednesday night, with a move elsewhere on the cards prior to the February 3rd deadline.

Liverpool’s upcoming fixtures	Date
AFC Bournemouth (a)	February 1st
Tottenham Hotspur (h)	February 6th
Plymouth Argyle (a)	February 9th
Everton (a)	February 12th
Wolverhampton Wanderers (h)	February 16th

Another loan move could suit Morton

The Wallasey-born midfielder has spent a lot of time out on loan in the past, enjoying impressive spells with Blackburn Rovers and Hull City, where he solidified his place as an important part of the team.

However, it was always going to be a difficult task for the central midfielder to force his way into starting contention at Liverpool, and there is unlikely to be an increase in game time on the horizon.

With the Reds performing at such a high level both domestically and in Europe, Slot is unlikely to want to make too many changes to his side, meaning the Englishman may not be handed many more opportunities.

Having expressed how difficult it is to not be regularly involved, another loan move until the end of the season could suit Morton, at which point his contract is set to expire, and the club can re-assess his future.

Considering the Liverpool academy graduate has been lauded as “incredible” in the past, it is clear he possesses a lot of potential, but he is not going to develop if he doesn’t receive consistent game time.

The 24-year-old is preparing for Sunday's FA Cup final after a remarkable rise to becoming the best defender on the planet

Naomi Girma’s unveiling as a Chelsea player was different to most, befitting of her status as the most expensive transfer in the history of the women’s game. It was at Stamford Bridge, ahead of a huge London derby against Arsenal, that fans learned of the 24-year-old’s arrival, with her walking out to rapturous applause as she waved to the adoring supporters of her new club. It’s a moment that Girma, with her beaming smile, appeared to relish. However, it also probably felt a little bit strange for someone who, in the words of one former team-mate, has “never really made it about her”.

Kennedy Wesley, who played alongside Girma at Stanford University and the San Diego Wave, can’t help but be amused when she thinks about all the attention her friend is getting at the moment. “Obviously, she's the best defender in the world, but if you were to ask her about that or tell her that yourself, she would respond in the most humble way possible,” she tells GOAL. “Like, that she still has so much room to improve, she has her team-mates and coaches and everyone else to thank. I feel like she's never going to claim the status that we all view her as [holding] and that's one of the things that I love most about her, that she carries herself with a humility and grace that is just unmatched for someone with her stature.”

Speak to anyone who knows Girma and they will say similar things. It’s part of what has made her an exceptional team-mate throughout her career to date, while giving her the determination to hit even greater heights. It’s also helped her on a journey that, though arduous at times, has already taken her to world-class status and made her the first million dollar player in the women’s game.

Getty ImagesStrong foundations

It’s not hard to find people to talk to about Girma. She’s made such a positive mark in the places she has been throughout her career to date that it’s incredibly easy to get people on the phone to chat all about her. “I could talk about Nay all day,” Wesley laughs, after taking time out of her own day to talk about their time together in San Diego and, before that, at Stanford.

Paul Ratcliffe, head coach of the latter’s women’s soccer program since 2003, noticed this impact during the centre-back’s four-year stint at college. When he would meet with his players and speak to them about how they were settling in, three or four would pick out Girma as their best friend on the whole team. “That's the kind of connection she has with her team-mates,” he tells GOAL. “They all adored her.”

It's something he cites as a “testament” to Girma herself, but also to her family. Born in the Bay Area of California, her father founded Maleda Soccer Club, centred around the region’s Ethiopian community. “There is a church and people would gather there, but there wasn't any other gathering other than holidays, I guess, so it was kind of an easy way for everyone to stay in touch and for the kids to just get active,” Girma told GOAL previously. “It was a really good community bonding thing and it still happens now. My dad isn't as involved because me and my brother are in our 20s, but the kids still get together and play, and I think it's just great for everyone.”

It's no surprise that Girma, who started playing soccer at Maleda, has been stood in such good stead by a family that creates and contributes to this sort of community space. “They're hard working people, they're caring, they're intelligent,” Ratcliffe says, remembering his first impressions of the whole family. “For me, one of Naomi's strengths is her character, her overall character. She's just a great human being. Obviously, it's a testament to Naomi and how she wants to be, but it definitely starts with the family.”

AdvertisementGetty ImagesAlmighty rise

Those personal traits would help mark Girma out as a true leader as her growth as a player really took off. Aged 13, she was playing in national-team camps and, aged 15, she’d committed to Stanford, one of the best programs in the country for college soccer but also, in a nod to her off-pitch talents, an academic powerhouse. Maya Doms started at Stanford the year after Girma and, knowing she was going there, watched all the Cardinals’ games. “Even though she was a freshman, she was one of the key players,” Doms remembers of her future team-mate. “I guess I sort of idolised her even before going there.”

By the time her sophomore year rolled around, Girma was the team captain, a relatively unheard of feat. In her first season with that armband, she would lead Stanford to a national title. Unsurprisingly, when her time at college came to a close, the defender was selected by the San Diego Wave as the first overall pick in the NWSL Draft.

“Sometimes the younger players take a while to get going in the league, but you could just tell right away with Nay, especially when we had the pre-season games, I felt like she was an international player,” Emily van Egmond, the 158-time Australia international who was Girma’s roommate in San Diego, tells GOAL. “I didn't even feel like she was a rookie. She came out and she just had that presence about her already, and she just fit straight in. I remember sitting with some of the girls and we were just saying, 'Nay, we can't even classify you as a rookie. You're like a veteran!'”

Within a few weeks, Girma’s debut for the U.S. women’s national team would follow, kickstarting a year that would end in her being crowned Rookie of the Year, Defender of the Year and being named to the NWSL Best XI, having helped the Wave become the first expansion team to reach the post-season. Under the tutelage of former England defender Casey Stoney, Girma thrived in San Diego and helped the team win two major titles before departing at the start of 2025. That success has translated to the international stage, too, with her an incredible performer in the USWNT’s Olympic triumph last summer.

Getty ImagesNot without setbacks

That, though, is to make Girma’s rise sound simple; it has certainly not been. One of the first big setbacks came right after the high of that national title in 2019, when the defender tore her ACL. It’s a dreadful injury to sustain, the type which players can take months to feel like themselves again after, even once they’ve returned to action. Girma’s attitude throughout the recovery, though, was remarkable.

“Not only was she able to carry herself in such a strong way through her own rehab, but she also was able to still be the leader and the team-mate and the captain that she was at the time to the rest of us that were playing,” Wesley remembers. “She had such a positive impact, even from the sidelines.”

“She was there with us at every practice, every game,” Doms adds. “It almost felt like she wasn't injured, because she was still kind of, in a way, coaching us, giving us pointers as a team and just sharing her wisdom. It didn't really feel like she was injured. Maybe the results reflected that! We obviously missed her vision and her security as a defender on the field, but her involvement with the team never really went away, even though she was injured for that long.”

Girma’s discipline in her recovery wowed those around her, too. “I feel like it was the fastest year I had ever seen for her to recover,” Ratcliffe recalls. “Her dedication to all of her rehab and getting back to full strength was tremendous, and it shows your character when you go through adversity like that. In my eyes, Naomi has the highest level of character.”

Example on and off the pitch

That adversity, however, was nothing in comparison to the tragic news that came just a few weeks before Girma’s first season in the NWSL. On March 1, 2022, Katie Meyer, Girma’s best friend and college team-mate, died by suicide. Meyer was an incredibly popular person, as showcased by the outpouring of love in the wake of her death.

“The truest friend I ever had,” Girma wrote on . “The most unapologetic, positive, caring person in the world. The first person to be open and talk about her feelings. The first person you’d turn to when you needed to talk about yours. And the last person you’d think would take her own life.”

That Girma would go on to have the incredible season she did shortly after that news broke is almost unfathomable. But more inspiring is the work she has been doing to continue Meyer’s legacy and help young people who are struggling with depression, anxiety and more.

Along with international team-mates Sofia Huerta and Sophia Wilson, the latter of whom was part of the same incredible Stanford team, and partnered with Common Goal, Girma helped launch a mental health initiative on the eve of the 2023 Women’s World Cup. “Through this project, Katie’s spirit, her warmth, and her legacy will live on. We will make sure of that,” she wrote.

Tara Norris, Amelia Kerr share five wickets as Spirit strangle home side for first win

Matt Roller15-Aug-2023London Spirit clinched their first win of the season to leave their rivals Oval Invincibles’ bid for a three-peat in tatters, battling back from 53 for 6 and 87 for 9 to defend 118. The back-to-back champions are three points behind third-placed Northern Superchargers, and need not only to win their last two games but to hope other results go their way.Invincibles were in control of the game after taking early wickets. Suzie Bates – captaining for the rest of the season with Dane van Niekerk sidelined – used Marizanne Kapp aggressively: she bowled 15 of the first 20 balls, and 20 of the first 35.And she struck twice early, bowling Niamh Holland and taking a return catch off Heather Knight, and when she completed her allocation, Spirit were 37 for 4 after 35 balls. Spinners Mady Villiers and Sophia Smale strangled Spirit through the middle and when the ninth wicket fell, Spirit were 87 for 9 with 22 balls left in the innings.But Tara Norris and Lauren Filer, Spirit’s No. 10 and 11, ensured that they not only avoided being bowled out, but had a total to defend. In the final set of five balls, Filer hit Alice Capsey for a straight six and a four through mid-off, breaking the record for the highest 10th-wicket stand in the women’s Hundred (31*) in the process.Filer was an unlikely source of runs. She has one senior half-century for Western Storm but admitted afterwards: “I don’t like batting.” She said: “I feel like I’m a ‘go big or go home’ type of batter, but I’ve obviously had to work technically on it as well. Tara has to take credit as well. The first eight or nine balls, I couldn’t find the middle but in that last set of five, I found it.”And Invincibles never got going in the chase. It took until the 20th ball for them to hit a boundary, by which time Lauren Winfield-Hill had holed out to deep midwicket, and Capsey’s cameo of 11 off 6 balls was not the innings they required, with van Niekerk’s absence leaving them light on batting.Bates struggled to time the ball, hitting a solitary boundary in her anchoring innings of 24 off 34, and while Kapp showed her more intent in hitting Filer back over her head for consecutive boundaries, she was the only batter to adjust to the demands of a slow pitch.Sophia Smale picked up two cheap wickets•PA Photos/Getty Images

After Bates sliced Charlie Dean to short third, shortly after the strategic timeout, Kapp had a life: she spooned Norris’ slower ball up towards the edge of the ring, but Knight dropped a tough chance over her shoulder, running back from cover-point. Paige Scholfield fell three balls later, holing out to long-on.Kapp had another life on 28 when Richa Ghosh dropped an under-edge and failed to gather for a stumping chance, but skied a catch behind two balls later. Invincibles were well beaten, eventually bowled out off the final ball of the innings when Amelia Kerr held a blinding return catch to finish with 3 for 16.”We’re ecstatic,” Filer said. “We’ve had rain every game and it’s been up and down. We just needed to come the other side of the river! It’s one of those things. We’ve got a few tough games coming up but we’ve take this going forwards.” Spirit are mathematically still in contention, but need to win their final three games.For Invincibles, van Nierkerk’s absence proved too much to overcome. “It’s a massive hole to fill – she’s such a good batter, as well as a leader,” Smale said. “But I don’t think we should be relying on Dane: we’ve got some really good domestic players in that middle order that have stepped up really well. It’s obviously massive to lose her.”They need to beat Southern Brave in Southampton on Saturday but their title defence looks all but over.