Hampshire’s quarter-final hopes look thin after two wins and five defeats
ESPNcricinfo staff12-Jul-2024
Ottneil Baartman celebrates a wicket at the T20 World Cup•Getty Images
Visa issues have prevented Ottneil Baartman, the South African fast bowler, from joining Hampshire for the rest of the T20 Blast.Baartman, who made six appearances at the T20 World Cup during South Africa’s run to the final, was due to play for Hampshire in their final six group games. But his arrival was delayed due to unspecified “visa issues” and the club announced on Friday that, with their quarter-final hopes thin, his deal has been cancelled.”We would like to wish Ottneil all the best and hope to see him in a Hawks shirt in the future,” Hampshire said in a club statement. Baartman initially signed as a replacement for Naveen-ul-Haq, who pulled out of his contract with Hampshire citing “personal reasons” and is instead playing for Texas Super Kings in Major League Cricket.After two wins, three no-results and five defeats, Hampshire sit seventh in the nine-team South Group of the Blast heading into Friday night’s fixture against Gloucestershire at the Ageas Bowl. With the top four teams qualifying for the quarter-finals, they may need to win all four of their remaining fixtures to progress.”We’ll have to do some maths to see if we can still qualify,” Adi Birrell, their coach, said after their most recent defeat to Sussex. “I can’t really think that two wins out of ten gives us a chance of getting through to the quarter-finals but we’ll have to have a look at it.”We had three rained-off games, which has given us a few points, but we’re not really playing well enough to go through… we were a bit off in all departments [against Sussex], as we have been throughout the campaign. We haven’t really put in a good performance in all departments.”
It is perhaps the worst-kept secret in football that Arsenal are trying to sign a new striker for Mikel Arteta this summer, following a 2024/2025 campaign marred by the struggle to break sides down as often as they should.
Arsenal search for new striker after disappointing 2024/2025
Arteta watched on from the sidelines as his Gunners side drew more Premier League games than any other side in the top half whilst scoring just 69 goals in the top flight, a far cry from the 91 and 88 they’d scored in the previous two seasons.
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Major factors at play were the long-term injuries sustained by Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus, who were both sidelined for extended periods midway through the campaign, prompting Arteta to deploy Mikel Merino in an emergency striker role.
19/20 – winter
£0
20/21 – summer
£81.5m
20/21 – winter
£900k
21/22 – summer
£156.8m
21/22 – winter
£1.8m
22/23 – summer
£121.5m
22/23 – winter
£59m
23/24 – summer
£208m
23/24 – winter
£0
24/25 – summer
£101.5m
24/25 – winter
£0
Arsenal’s lack of potency in the final third saw them surrender the Premier League title to Liverpool by a seismic 10 points, and sporting director Andrea Berta appears determined to ensure they don’t repeat that scenario next term.
According to reliable media sources, Berta’s two top striker targets for Arsenal are Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko.
Arsenal began “concrete” talks for Sesko last week, and some reports in Portugal claimed that Gyokeres received a contract offer from Arsenal. The north Londoners appear to be laying groundwork over both deals before they formally move towards their best option, and the two frontmen have very enticing credentials.
That being said, there are alternative options under consideration, and one of them was Botafogo striker Igor Jesus.
Botafogo'sIgorJesuscelebrates scoring their second goal
Last month, Arsenal were reported to have made contact over a deal for Jesus, who actually has an £84 million release clause in his contract.
Igor Jesus "set to join" Nottingham Forest with Arsenal snubbed
However, according to journalist Graeme Bailey in a piece for The Boot Room, Arsenal appear set to miss out on a move for the highly-rated Brazilian.
It is reported that Jesus is “now set to join” Nottingham Forest instead, with Nuno Espirito Santo’s side closing in on a £30 million deal for the 24-year-old after opening talks. The striker was also attracting interest from Brentford, Everton, Leeds United, Newcastle, and West Ham, but Forest are now far out in pole position to secure his signature.
Arsenal have one less option to turn towards in the event they cannot strike deals for Sesko or Gyokeres, which comes as a minor setback for Berta considering Jesus’ glowing reputation.
“Igor Jesus has had an incredible year,” said journalist Zach Lowy in late 2024. “Started 2024 off on fire in the UAE, went back home after four years abroad, made his Brazil debut, started in each of their last four matches, led Botafogo to the greatest year in their entire history.
Liverpool are already set to lose Trent Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid, and they may have to brace for the departure of another key player, with the Spanish side lining up another move.
Trent set to join Real Madrid
The Reds will be delighted to have managed to tie down Virgil Van Dijk and Mohamed Salah to new contracts, but Trent has now confirmed his decision to leave on a free transfer this summer, with the right-back expected to join Real Madrid.
There have been widespread reports suggesting the Spanish side could even look to get a deal done early by paying around £850k, as they are eager to have the right-back available in time for this summer’s Club World Cup, which is set to start on June 14th.
With the 26-year-old set to move on this summer, Arne Slot’s side have now stepped up their pursuit of a replacement, and they are set to make an offer for Bayer Leverkusen’s Jeremie Frimpong, who could be available for the relatively low fee of just £30m – £34m.
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However, Alexander-Arnold is not the only Liverpool defender Madrid are keen on, with a report from Spain suggesting the La Liga side are now looking at snapping up Ibrahima Konate, whose contract is set to expire in the summer of 2026.
Madrid are not planning to make a move anytime soon, but they will look to make an approach closer to Konate’s contract expiry date, with the Reds at risk of losing yet another defender on a free transfer to the Spanish heavyweights.
Liverpool's IbrahimaKonatecelebrates after winning the Premier League
Arsenal’s William Saliba and AFC Bournemouth’s Dean Huijsen are also named as targets for Madrid, however, so Slot will be hoping they choose to pursue a different centre-back this summer, rather than waiting for the 25-year-old to become available.
"Incredible" Konate would be huge loss for Slot
Slot has done a fantastic job to secure the Premier League title in his first season, and the French defender has been one of the players integral to Liverpool’s success, making 39 appearances in all competitions, having continued his fantastic partnership with Van Dijk.
The Frenchman has been a consistent performer for the Reds, even managing to average more tackles and blocks per game than Van Dijk in the Premier League, so it will be a worry that Madrid have now expressed an interest.
However, the Spanish side have a number of options on the shortlist, and Liverpool still have time to tie the £70k-a-week defender down to a new contract, with Madrid not planning to make an approach in the near future.
BlueCo have now decided to make one “special” ace a Chelsea player next season, with the club already triggering a clause in his contract.
Chelsea set for tough Champions League run as race heats up
Just four points separate seventh from third in the Premier League table, so Enzo Maresca’s side are involved in a tense battle to qualify for Europe’s most prestigious competition alongside Aston Villa, Newcastle, Nottingham Forest and Man City.
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Chelsea scraped the west London derby bragging rights at Fulham by the skin of their teeth on Easter Sunday, courtesy of a dramatic 93rd-minute strike from Pedro Neto, and their remaining fixtures are far from straight forward.
After hosting David Moyes’ rejuvenated Everton on Saturday, Chelsea face off against Liverpool, Newcastle and Man United in the space of a fortnight – with these crucial clashes set to make or break Maresca’s first season in charge as they also try to win the Europa Conference League.
Chelsea’s next five Premier League fixtures
Date
Everton (home)
April 26th
Liverpool (home)
May 4th
Newcastle (away)
May 11th
Man United (home)
May 16th
Nottingham Forest (away)
May 25th
Speaking to Premier League productions this week, pundit Alan Shearer sent a warning to Chelsea, claiming Maresca, without doubt, has the hardest run of games out of any Champions League qualification contending side.
“Looking at the fixtures, there’s no doubt in my mind that Chelsea have the toughest run-in,” said Shearer (via The Mirror).
“The league might be done for Liverpool. Obviously, Newcastle is a huge one. And that last game against Nottingham Forest, they could be playing for everything, who gets a Champions League place. So that for me is the toughest run-in.”
This set of fixtures has also been tipped to serve as an audition for £100,000-per-week winger Jadon Sancho, who is currently at Stamford Bridge on loan with an obligation to buy from Man United.
While Sancho’s stay is obligatory on paper, reports in the last few months have claimed that Chelsea can cancel the move by paying a penalty fee of £5 million.
Sancho is said to have already agreed terms on a permanent Chelsea move, but it appears the club do have an option not to make his stay indefinite.
Chelsea decide to keep Jadon Sancho after clause triggered
The £25 million obligation is dependent on Maresca’s side finishing above 15th, which is now mathematically guaranteed, and the clause has been triggered as a result.
That is according to CaughtOffside, who also share an update on Chelsea’s stance about using the £5 million fee to get out of buying the 25-year-old.
Jadon Sancho for Chelsea
The outlet claims that Chelsea have decided to keep Sancho at Stamford Bridge next season, and have no plans to pay the penalty, as his form has improved in recent weeks and those within the club view him as a “smart investment”.
Blues insiders also think the £25 million will prove great value for money, and if they do decide to sell the Englishman in future, Sancho could end up being worth more than that.
Chelsea are “happy” to pay the full amount for Sancho, following Maresca’s claim that the ex-Borussia Dortmund starlet is a “special” player.
“As I’ve said before, for sure he is going to help us. We really believe that he is a special player,” said Maresca about Sancho.
“But the only way for him to confirm that is by working hard every day and never be happy and always be ambitious.”
For the team’s captain and coach, it was their last, best shot at the biggest prize in the game. Being thwarted at the very end will have been shattering for their team and them
Sambit Bal20-Nov-2023It wasn’t to be, and for Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid, who had poured their all into fashioning this Indian World Cup campaign, it will never be. There will be sadness and regret. Hurt will linger, and it will rankle. That’s the cruelty of sport. It leaves losers, and scars. Tears were shed on the field and there will have been more in the dressing room.No team in the history of the World Cup has dominated a tournament so comprehensively only to flunk the final test. India didn’t just win their previous ten matches in the tournament, they swamped their opponents and obliterated them. When the rawness of the night has passed, there will be time to reflect, to find satisfaction, and even pride, but in the moment, there will only be hollowness and despair. It was writ palpably on the face of Virat Kohli, the tournament’s most prolific and consistent batter, as he walked up to collect the Player of the Tournament trophy.Dravid spoke with composure, and even a few smiles, when he fronted up at the press conference. I had occasion to chat with him before India’s semi-final against New Zealand, and inevitably the talk turned to how good India had been till then. It didn’t matter who had been the best team in the tournament, he said; in a knockout it only came down to which was the best team on the day. No doubt, he will have said as much to his side, to keep it real.Related
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In losing the final there was no dishonour for India. What they came up against was as much a team as it was a winning culture. Australia weren’t the best team in the competition, but as they have done for over two decades now, they summoned their absolute best in the match that mattered the most. They were astute and brave at the toss in going against the grain of banking the runs in a final; with the ball, they were skillful, smart and unerringly disciplined on a pitch that seemed designed to negate their strengths; and in Travis Head, they found a batter with the clarity and courage to play an innings to cherish for a lifetime. That India were unable to be at the top of their game was because they weren’t allowed to be.Rohit sat before us the day before the final and spoke repeatedly about calm and balance. Indeed, he kept his calm through the 40-minute interaction, as cell phones blared despite a stern plea at the beginning that they be put in anti-nuisance mode. He also spoke about not getting away from the game that had carried them to the final. He spoke about it so much that it felt like he was trying to reinforce it to himself.The World Cup final, he knew like we did, was never going to be just another game. Shutting themselves off from the noise outside, an impossible task by itself, wouldn’t have quelled the tempest inside. It was the biggest game of their lives, and upon it lay their biggest dream; it would be remembered forever. There was going to be only one World Cup winner in the playing XI the following day, and even for him, it would be his last chance to rediscover the feeling. For the rest, including Dravid, it would be the moment of a lifetime to lay hands on that trophy.However tired the format may feel, however much scepticism may be thrown around about its future, the 50-over World Cup, for its scale and legacy, remains the biggest prize in the game. To be a World Cup winner is life-changing. We might be hurtling towards the age of artificial intelligence, but emotions are still real. So are nerves. Managing them is one thing, but how not to feel them?Rohit managed them all right, batting in the final the way he had throughout the tournament. Putting a premium on making the most of the powerplay rather than on his own wicket, not allowing a sense of jeopardy to mess up battle tactics, charging fast bowlers, lofting fours and sixes. And then falling on the cusp of a personal landmark by not holding back – even when the previous two balls that over had yielded ten runs; why not make it 20?Rahul Dravid was this close to a World Cup trophy before – 20 years ago•Gareth Copley/Getty ImagesHis innings was about all that went to script for India. For a team that had rained boundaries through the tournament, and that had put up scores of 357, 326, 410 and 397 in their last four matches, in all of which they batted first, they managed only five more boundaries after Rohit’s dismissal – of which just four were outside the powerplay, and only three off the bats of their specialist batters.The only time they had been contained for under 250 batting first, India had won by 100 runs, bowling England out for 129. But here, their opening bowlers, who had terrorised batters all through the tournament, went for 41 off the first four overs. Jasprit Bumrah, whose powerplay economy rate was under three in the group matches, was taken for 15 off his first over. His first ball found the edge but streaked between the slips to the boundary. Mohammed Shami, as he had so frequently done, struck in his first over, but his first two overs produced 23 runs. KL Rahul, so spectacular through the tournament, conceded byes. And most tellingly, the spinners made no impact on a pitch that had promised a feast for them. For the first time in the tournament they went wicketless.That’s how life plays out for all of us. We lose some. Like sportspersons, we too pack our gear and go to work. But unlike them, the gaze of the world is not upon us; most of us do our business in anonymity, very few of us are emotionally wired to the outcomes of our day jobs. We don’t come back feeling like winners. Or losers. As sports fans we can summon empathy for those who stretch their bodies and minds to the limit in the pursuit of athletic excellence and provide such joys in the process.But we will never experience the highs that are their reward. And we will never know the depth of their lows, which are their burden.Still, no one will know better than Rohit and Dravid that it’s already a new day. There might never be a World Cup win for them. But there are loved ones to go to. Life awaits still.
Compelling contest runs aground on officials’ interpretation of bad light rules
Andrew Miller19-Jun-20212:33
Manjrekar: There needs to be clarity around the concept of bad light
The World Test Championship final is trying, really rather hard, to splutter into life in a manner befitting the status of the contest. But the weather is doing its best to sink the occasion before it can gain the traction it both needs and deserves and, dare one say it, the officialdom hasn’t exactly been playing to the gallery either.What little action we’ve witnessed in a fraction over a third of the scheduled playing time – 64.4 overs out of a possible 180 – has been utterly compelling. Two outstanding Test teams have given no quarter in an arm-wrestle for the ascendancy, from India’s openers’ thrilling response to the new ball, to New Zealand’s depth and variety of seam options finding the nous and the skill to wrench the contest back into the balance.Related
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But out of that parity, paralysis is already looking the likely outcome, even though the ICC has the option to trigger their reserve day on Wednesday, after a frustrating second afternoon in which the umpiring amounted to a very precise definition of “zealous”.All day long, the rain radar had warned that something damp and nasty was surging up from the English Channel towards Southampton’s coastline, with a relentless menace that evoked the poster art of Jaws. By 7pm, however, that promised deluge had still to arrive, even though the beaches had been cleared several hours in advance – three lengthy delays for bad light, each perhaps best measured against the near-continuous action on a gloomy but gripping final day of the Women’s Test in Bristol.Debates will rage and the fans will boo – a hardy and passionate mixture of Indians and Kiwis kept the atmosphere bubbling in spite of the compromised circumstances, and frankly they deserved better for their patience and patronage. But nothing that Michael Gough and Richard Illingworth did was out of keeping with the ICC’s unhelpfully ambiguous playing condition 2.7.1 – which states that the umpires alone decide if the conditions are “dangerous or unreasonable”, with the caveat that play should not stop “merely because they are not ideal”.There were mitigating circumstances aplenty. Both Shubman Gill and Cheteshwar Pujara took thumping blows to the helmet during the course of a tough day’s play – Gill’s blow, full frontal in the visor, was Kyle Jamieson’s emphatic response to his hitherto successful tactic of batting outside his crease, and when a 6ft 7in beanpole is bearing down on you in less-than-ideal circumstances, the risk of serious injury can never be discounted. But by the time the players were hoicked off for an early tea at 3.11pm, Virat Kohli in particular was batting with a poise and focus that made it pretty clear he was sighting the ball just fine.The lights were on most of day two of the WTC final at the Ageas Bowl•ICC/Getty ImagesAnd as a consequence, bad light has become the ultimate “umpire’s call” – a necessarily subjective decision that, once made, tends to be all too final. Last summer, on this same ground, the same quartet of officials – onfield umpires Gough and Illingworth, third umpire Richard Kettleborough and match referee Chris Broad – oversaw a similarly grinding delay on the second afternoon against Pakistan, one that ultimately ensured there would be no result, once a rather more definitive band of rain had wrecked the final day too.”It was pretty frustrating,” Jamieson admitted. “When you bowl three or four balls and you go off, and then come back on for another couple and then you go off again, it’s not how you’d like it ideally. But it’s just the cards we’ve been dealt, and it’s the same with rain. We’ve all played in games throughout our careers where we’ve been off for rain or off for bad light.”Obviously the spectacle is such a special one for everyone involved, and you don’t want that to be curtailed by bad light or rain, but it’s kind of part and parcel of what we sign up for, and hopefully we get some good amount of play in tomorrow.”Watch cricket on ESPN+
The WTC final is available in the US on ESPN+. Subscribe to ESPN+ and tune in to the match.
So we sit tight, and we wait – much as Pujara and Kohli sat tight during an absorbing afternoon stand that had as its very raison d’etre the belief that better times would be around the corner. If cricket fans can, quite rightly, find fascination in the addition of 18 runs in 12 overs prior to Pujara’s extraction, it shouldn’t be asking too much to accept that, sometimes, you just have to delay your gratification and accept that bad weather is just another passage of epic stone-walling. There’s little (besides the installation of a £100 million roof and the consequent wrecking of fair-weather ambience) that any cricket venue in the world can do about such elemental matters.And so to the action itself – so finely poised that it is almost too soon to judge the success or failure of any tactics, except to say that India got off to an utter flyer, one that rather evoked the inverse scenario of the 2015 World Cup final, when Brendon McCullum tried to be similarly positive against Mitchell Starc, and scuttled his team’s innings in the process.With that in mind, there were inevitable mutterings that New Zealand had bottled their big occasion once again as Rohit Sharma and Gill climbed with calculated aggression into the new-ball offerings of Trent Boult and, especially, Tim Southee. Gill was savage on the short ball, but Sharma’s response to the swinging ball was especially masterful, hitting with the curl rather than falling into the trap of playing with straight-lined discipline and bringing the slips into play more readily.Somewhere in his ECB-sanctioned mothballs, James Anderson will already be taking notes. He’s not yet taken a new-ball wicket this summer, and on this evidence, Sharma in particular has no intention of being his first.”Rohit and Gill both showed a lot of patience, but at the same time they showed a lot of intent,” Vikram Rathore, India’s batting coach, said at the close. “They were looking to score runs whenever they had an opportunity, and that is what batting is all about.”Kyle Jamieson celebrates the dismissal of Rohit Sharma•Getty ImagesBut New Zealand hauled the game back by degrees, with the depth and verve of their five-man seam attack justifying (at this early stage at least) the decision not to omit one of their very different options in favour Ajaz Patel’s spin – no matter what Shane Warne has to say on the matter.Colin de Grandhomme performed on Kohli the same sort of confidence trick he played on Joe Root in the 2019 World Cup final, dangling his unhittably accurate wobblers just far enough out of his arc to invite danger if he second-guessed his response, while Neil Wagner – force of nature that he is – channelled the vein-throbbing fury of being overlooked until the 25th over into a third-ball extraction of Gill, playing for swing when this time there was none – before ratcheting his length back, for arguably the first time this tour, to challenge his quarry to take on the uppercut in a typically back-breaking spell.But it was Jamieson who made the first incision, and unquestionably the most crucial one, given how integral Sharma’s strokeplay had been to India’s agenda-setting first hour. Advancing out of the pitch to the skiddier members of the attack was all very well, but Jamieson’s vertical take-off proved to be a very different challenge, as he reeled off 14 overs for 14 runs in a cauterising display.”If they were walking [out of the crease], they weren’t comfortable with where I was bowling when they were on the crease,” Jamieson said. “So I tried to take that as a bit of a positive that we were winning the battle. If they felt like they had to move around to throw us off, if we could just hang in that area that would bring dividends.”New Zealand’s quintet will certainly be fresh for the resumption, and with Rathour suggesting that “250-plus would be reasonable in the conditions”, there’s clearly enough time for this contest to take proper shape. A greater willingness to let it breathe and become the event it deserves to be, however, would not go amiss either.”I think the disruptions probably didn’t help the momentum we were trying to get and that we had at the time,” Jamieson added. “But it’s probably pretty even at the moment. It was a pretty good day of Test cricket really.”
Manchester United now hold an advantage in the race to sign Sporting CP star Morten Hjulmand, with the midfielder being targeted as a replacement for Casemiro.
Casemiro has repaid Ruben Amorim’s faith in him with some fantastic performances this season, most recently picking up a goal and an assist in the 4-2 victory against Brighton & Hove Albion, while also making a number of other important contributions.
Statistic
Number completed
Tackles
3
Interceptions
2
Ground duels (won)
6 (4)
The Brazilian was lauded by Amorim after the match, with the 40-year-old suggesting he should be a role model for the other United players, saying: “I think he gives a lot of experience,
“He’s so important for us. Today he run a lot. He had to press so high and then return, and he’s doing that. So, I’m really pleased with him. And the other guys need to look at Casemiro.”
However, the 33-year-old’s long-term future at Old Trafford remains up in the air, given that his contract is set to expire next summer, and the Red Devils are now lining up moves for new midfielders, with Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson emerging as a target.
A deal for Anderson could be on the expensive side, however, with it being reported Forest could hold out for £120m, and the England international is not the only target on the shortlist…
Man Utd hold advantage in race for Hjulmand
According to a report from Football Insider, Man United hold an advantage in the race for Sporting CP midfielder Hjulmand, given his links with Amorim, with the Portuguese manager signing the Dane from Lecce back in 2023.
The central midfielder has a £70m release clause in his contract, but there is now a feeling he could be available for the cut-price fee of £50m, which will also be welcome news for the Red Devils.
Amorim is known to be a big fan of the 26-year-old, but there may be competition for his signature, with Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City also in the race.
With it also being revealed that United don’t plan to trigger the extension clause in Casemiro’s contract, the Sporting star could be brought in as a replacement, and he may be a solid option, having impressed for club and country.
The Denmark international displayed his ball-striking ability with a fantastic goal against England at Euro 2024, and there are signs he could have a positive influence in the Man United dressing room, having been dubbed a “leader” by sporting boss Rui Borges.
It would be a shame to see Casemiro depart, but the 33-year-old is on massive wages, raking in £350k-a-week, so it could make sense to sign a younger midfielder this summer, and Hjulmand, who’s made 12 Champions League appearances, may now be ready to test himself at a top club.
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The Red Devils have identified a new top target in midfield, and they could make a move in the January transfer window.
حقق مانشستر سيتي فوزاً عريضاً على حساب كريستال بالاس، بثلاثية نظيفة، على ملعب سيلهرست بارك، في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.
وجاءت أهداف مانشستر سيتي عن طريق إيرلينج هالاند، الذي أحرز ثنائية في الدقيقتين 41 و89 من ركلة جزاء، وفيل فودين في الدقيقة 69.
وارتفع رصيد مانشستر سيتي للنقطة 34 في المركز الثاني بفارق نقطتين عن المتصدر آرسنال، بينما تجمد رصيد كريستال بالاس عند النقطة 26 في المركز الخامس.
اقرأ أيضاً.. جوارديولا: نفضل صدارة الدوري الإنجليزي.. ولاعب مانشستر سيتي لم يقدم أداء جيدًا
ونشرت “سيتي إكسترا” أن بيب جوارديولا أصبح أسرع مدرب يحقق 150 فوزًا في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، عندما يسجل مانشستر سيتي ثلاثة أهداف أو أكثر.
وحقق بيب جوارديولا هذا الإنجاز خلال 358 مباراة، وقد تجاوز المدرب الإسباني رقم السير أليكس فيرجسون مدرب مانشستر يونايتد السابق بـ522 مباراة ورقم أرسين فينجر في 524 مباراة.
India haven’t had a perfect game yet, and they head into Vizag bracing for a battle of resilience
Vishal Dikshit08-Oct-20254:10
Two wins in two, but scratchy start for India?
Big PictureWhen close to 800 runs were scored between India and Australia 10 days before the start of the World Cup, this tournament was being billed as the biggest run-fest of them all. But since then, we have seen South Africa bowled out for 69, India suffer two collapses, the 275 mark breached just once, and even Australia collapse to 76 for 7.The action now moves to Visakhapatnam, the fourth venue of this World Cup, where the Indian team held preparatory camps in the lead up to the tournament, and where five women’s ODIs have been played before, the last in 2014, but none involving South Africa. They arrive here after contrasting results in their first two games, but they have the personnel in terms of batters, spinners and quicks to adapt to whatever the damp conditions in Visakhapatnam throw at them.India’s first two wins were far from their “perfect game,” as Jemimah Rodrigues put it on Wednesday, and with this fixture, they head into a 10-day period of big clashes against South Africa, Australia and England, which could well decide their fate in this home World Cup. South Africa were the ones who had knocked India out of the semi-final race in the last ODI World Cup but they have since been beaten 5-0 by India, including the three ODIs last year in India and the two in the Sri Lanka tri-series earlier this year.With some rain around in this city too, both teams will be desperate to continue their winning ways.Related
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From 69 all out to statement win – South Africa restore World Cup credentials
Stats – Tazmin Brits fastest to seven hundreds in women's ODIs
Form guideIndia WWLWL (last five completed matches, most recen first) South Africa WLLWWIn the spotlightBetween them, Tazmin Brits and Smriti Mandhana have scored nine of the 29 centuries this year by players from teams in this World Cup. Brits’ five are the most centuries in a calendar year, with Mandhana right on her heels with four. Mandhana, meanwhile, has played five innings more than Brits’ 11 this year and has 959 runs against Brits’ 749. And if Brits recently became the fastest to seven ODI hundreds (in 41 innings), Mandhana had recently smashed the second-fastest ODI century, against world champions Australia.Thursday will see a clash of not just two of the most prolific ODI openers but batters in recent times, who have been rewriting one record book after another. While Brits’ 101 against New Zealand got South Africa their first points, India will hope Mandhana follows on Brits’ footsteps having started the tournament with two low scores.3:04
‘South Africa can’t afford to drop points from here’
Team newsIndia were without Amanjot Kaur for the Pakistan game because of a fever and she will likely be back for this game, having bowled and batted in the nets at length on Tuesday evening. How they slot her back is the question because her replacement Renuka Singh bowled tidily with the new ball and sent down a maiden to finish with 0 for 29 from her 10 overs. India will also wonder if their five-bowler strategy will be good enough against a side that scored 234 in under 41 overs a few days ago. The only way to add a sixth bowler is by dropping a batter, which isn’t straightforward at all.India (possible): 1 Smriti Mandhana, 2 Prtika Rawal, 3 Harleen Deol, 4 Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), 5 Jemimah Rodrigues, 6 Richa Ghosh (wk), 7 Deepti Sharma, 8 Amanjot Kaur, 9 Sneh Rana, 10 Shree Charani, 11 Kranti GoudSouth Africa may not feel the need to change their winning XI from the New Zealand match in Indore although conditions in Visakhapatnam may not be as flat. But the pressure is mounting on Anneke Bosch at No. 5 who has scores of 0, 6 and 10 in her last three ODIs, and South Africa have so far kept out pace-bowling allrounder Annerie Dercksen, being seen as Marizanne Kapp’s successor.South Africa (possible): 1 Laura Wolvaardt (capt), 2 Tazmin Brits, 3 Sune Luss, 4 Marizanne Kapp, 5 Anneke Bosch/ Annerie Dercksen, 6 Sinalo Jafta (wkt), 7 Chloe Tryon, 8 Nadine de Klerk, 9 Masabata Klaas, 10 Ayabonga Khaka, 11 Nonkululeko MlabaPitch and conditionsThere was a brief shower two days before the game and a slightly longer spell the day before, but neither too threatening to pose a threat of a washout on game day. There are some spells expected on Wednesday afternoon too, but not as bad as the one in Colombo for Australia vs Sri Lanka. While keeping with the theme of the other venues of this World Cup these two teams have played at – Indore, Guwahati and Colombo – Visakhapatnam is going to be muggy too, with temperatures capping in the early thirties, but could feel a lot worse. Rodrigues said on match eve a score around 270-odd could be competitive at this ground.Richa Ghosh was in a cheerful mood during India’s training session•ICC via Getty Images
Stats and trivia Marizanne Kapp became the most capped South Africa player in ODIs, with 155 matches, by overtaking Mignon du Preez in their last game. Mandhana has scored three centuries against South Africa and averages 53.29 against them, with 906 runs in 18 innings. Harmanpreet’s average is even better, even if marginally, at 53.46 with 802 runs from 23 outings. Harmanpreet is 84 away from 1000 runs in ODI World Cups. Mithali Raj is the only Indian who has a tally of over 1000 in World Cups and is second overall with 1321 runs behind Debbie Hockley’s 1501. Kapp is four wickets away from equaling Shabnim Ismail (36) for most wickets by a South African at World Cups. Jhulan Goswami leads the list with 43. Quotes “Yes, we have had small contributions from the top order and the middle order. But we have had new match winners every match. So, I feel if an enemy team, the opponent team is seeing us, they will know that we have batting till the end. So maybe if one doesn’t click, the other is taking the responsibility. I think how I would put it forth, it’s scary for the opponents to know that we have not had our perfect match yet.” “I think this World Cup is all about fight and character at the end of the day and I think we’ve shown that in the last game. You have to be at your very best from the first game, and we weren’t against England and we got put under pressure, so I think it was just an eye opener and we have to be ready for every single game we play.”
Sunderland ended a run of three matches without a win by turning around a 2-0 deficit to beat Bournemouth 3-2 at the Stadium of Light on Saturday in the Premier League.
Summer signing Bertrand Traore grabbed his first goal for the club to make it 2-2, before substitute Brian Brobbey scored for the second time in three matches off the bench to secure all three points.
The work done by Kristjaan Speakman and his team in the summer transfer window can only be described as miraculous at this moment in time, given that the Black Cats are fighting for European football, rather than battling against relegation.
Ranking Sunderland's top five summer signings
Sunderland, including permanent deals, free agents, and loans, made a whopping 15 additions to the team that earned promotion from the Championship in the 2024/25 campaign.
It is hard to look past Robin Roefs and Granit Xhaka as being the two best signings made by the club, as they are both undroppable stars within Regis Le Bris’ side.
The Black Cats number one has prevented 3.28 xG more than expected in 13 Premier League games, per Sofascore, whilst Xhaka has showcased his vast experience, starting all 13 matches and providing one goal and four assists from the middle of the park.
Ranking Sunderland’s 5 best summer signings
Rank
Player
1
Robin Roefs
2
Granit Xhaka
3
Nordi Mukiele
4
Noah Sadiki
5
Omar Alderete
As you can see in the table above, we have put experienced signings Nordi Mukiele and Omar Alderete, as they have played a role in Sunderland only conceding 13 goals in 13 games so far.
Noah Sadiki also has to be up there because of his brilliant work rate in the middle of the park, averaging 2.7 tackles and interceptions per game across 13 starts, per Sofascore, after his £15m summer move from USG.
Of course, not every single signing goes to plan, and Sunderland are no exception. For example, Simon Adingra is currently on track to become the new Jeremain Lens on Wearside.
Why Simon Adingra may be the new Jeremain Lens
The Black Cats splashed £8m to sign Lens from Dynamo Kiev in 2015 to bolster their wide options, but he only went on to play 24 matches for the club, per Transfermarkt, with four goals and three assists to show for his efforts.
Lens found game time hard to come by after Dick Advocaat was replaced by Sam Allardyce. The winger went as far as to call it “annoying” and stated “I did not come to the Premier League to sit on the bench”.
He then went out on loan to Fenerbahce and Bestikas before signing for the latter permanently in 2018, ultimately leaving the Stadium of Light as a flop.
Unfortunately, Adingra may already be on the same path as the Dutchman after the club paid £21m to sign him from Brighton in the summer, making him the second-most expensive signing in the team’s history, behind the £27m deal for Habib Diarra.
Sporting director Speakman noted in the Ivorian star’s unveiling that he was “excited” to see the 23-year-old in action for the Black Cats, after the youngster had scored 12 goals in 73 games for Brighton, per Transfermarkt.
However, Adingra has not hit the ground running at the Stadium of Light, playing in eight of the 13 Premier League games this season, and is yet to register a goal or an assist, per Sofascore.
The right-footed flanker has struggled badly for game time in the top-flight his season, with one minute played in the last two matches, which will not be what the Black Cats were expecting when they decided to splash £21m on his services.
Adingra’s Sunderland career
Opposition
Minutes
Bournemouth
0
Fulham
1
Arsenal
26
Everton
0
Wolves
0
Man Utd
37
Nottingham Forest
12
Aston Villa
0
Crystal Palace
69
Brentford
25
Burnley
63
West Ham
76
Stats via Sofascore
Adingra has been a bit-part player for Le Bris, with the likes of Traore and Chemsdine Talbi ahead of him in the pecking order, and it remains to be seen whether or not he can turn things around to become a key player for Sunderland.
If it gets to January, or next summer, and he is still struggling for minutes and rarely getting off the bench, the former Brighton man may end up in the position that Lens found himself in, where a loan will be needed for him to go out and play regular football again.
Not Ballard: Sunderland have signed their new O'Shea in £100k-per-week star
Regis Le Bris now has his very own John O’Shea at Sunderland in this £100k-per-week warrior.