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West Ham United are now planning to sign an “insane” Premier League striker in the January transfer window, as a replacement for Niclas Fullkrug.

Fullkrug set to leave West Ham in January

Sky Sports Florian Plettenberg revealed last month that Fullkrug wants to leave West Ham in the upcoming window, with the striker looking to make it into Germany’s World Cup squad next summer.

In truth, Nuno probably shouldn’t be too concerned if the German does depart, given that he has made a torrid start to the Premier League season, having failed to score in his opening eight matches.

Callum Wilson has now emerged as the first-choice option at centre-forward, and the Englishman has caught the eye at times, scoring two goals in his last three matches.

However, Wilson was unable to find the back of the net against Liverpool on Sunday, with the Hammers succumbing to a 2-0 defeat, and they are now looking to sign a new striker in the January transfer window.

That is according to a report from La Lazio Siamo Noi, which states West Ham have now identified Manchester United striker Joshua Zirkzee as a top target to replace Fullkrug next month.

The Irons are looking to cash-in on their £27m signing this winter, and they have already started offering him out to offer clubs, primarily to teams in the Bundesliga.

The 32-year-old would prefer to return to his home country, and if the Hammers do manage to get a sale over the line, there will be space to bring in a new forward, with Liverpool’s Federico Chiesa also of interest.

"Insane" Zirkzee returns to form against Crystal Palace

Zirkzee scored his first Premier League goal for nearly a year on Sunday afternoon, beating Crystal Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson with a tidy finish to ignite Man United’s comeback, which earned him high praise from Bruno Fernandes.

Scout Ben Mattinson has also praised the Dutchman in the past, describing him as “insane”, however, his goalscoring record should be a major concern for West Ham.

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Much like Fullkrug, the 24-year-old has struggled in front of goal ever since arriving in the Premier League for £36.5m, netting just four goals in 38 top-flight games, and the Hammers should be able to find a much more prolific striker to replace the Germany international.

Lower-order runs are useful and can change Test matches, but are they worth it if they come at the cost of bowling potency?

Sidharth Monga01-Jul-20252:28

Gill: A second spinner won’t be a bad option if pitch is similar to last Test

India are worried about their long tail. They keep saying 20 wickets are their priority and that they are willing to play four tailenders if that means getting 20 wickets as cheaply as possible, but believe it once you see it with your own two eyes.It is clear by now that Shardul Thakur played the first Test at Headingley primarily because of his batting ability. India have repeatedly called him a “bowling allrounder”, but used him for just 16 overs out of 182.4. Two days out from the second Test, assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate was asked why, when the tail hasn’t been contributing anyway, India don’t just go after 20 wickets by playing four proper bowlers plus Ravindra Jadeja. His response politely suggested that it’s great optics to say India can play four tailenders but those advocating it don’t have skin in the game.Related

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“You know when you’re 430 for 3, it’s absolutely fine,” ten Doeschate said, “but when you’re 200 for 5, it’s a very different ball game.”It’s not about optics, though. It is about establishing and living with a philosophy to try to win Test matches. Thakur worked as a fourth fast bowler on spicy pitches in 2021; if India had similar confidence in his bowling on the flatter tracks of 2025, they would have used him more.Since the start of the 2024-25 Australia tour, with the exception of the Perth Test on a spicy pitch, India have struggled to take 20 wickets while staying competitive in a Test match. Thakur, who wasn’t in the squad in Australia, has not really proved to be the solution either.Head coach Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar have decisions to make•Gareth Copley/Getty ImagesIf their nets sessions and public utterances between Headingley and Edgbaston are anything to go by, India seem likely to replace Thakur with Washington Sundar. Captain Shubman Gill said he felt a second spinner could help control the flow of runs when the ball goes soft and India are waiting for the second new ball. Their opponents have the luxury of Ben Stokes, who swung the ball more than anyone else in the first Test, as their fourth quick.India expect the surface – dry underneath patchy grass, according to them – to assist spin, but if they do go ahead with Washington, they basically give up on the wicket-taking threat of wristspinner Kuldeep Yadav, who, albeit in different conditions, was the Player of the Match in their last Test against England before this tour.All things being equal, you absolutely want bowlers who can contribute runs, but Kuldeep and Washington, for all the extra runs the latter can bring, are not exactly equal with the ball. Or you want a seam-bowling allrounder who brings wicket-taking threat. India have neither. This is where their commitment to taking 20 wickets as cheaply as possible gets tested. This is where you see if they put their money where their mouth is.Before you counter any of the team management’s arguments, of course, you must look at it from their point of view in good faith. They probably feel that good lower-order batting doesn’t just bring runs but also deflates the opposition bowling, and gives India the chance of coming back into the game with the bat in many situations. They may also feel that the bowlers might struggle to create pressure without runs on the board. They may even feel that in the likely absence of Jasprit Bumrah, they don’t have the class and the experience in the bowling to take 20 wickets anyway.For all the runs Washington Sundar could bring, does he present the wicket-taking threat of Kuldeep Yadav?•Getty ImagesAll of it seems counterproductive, though. Any reduction to the bowling firepower from Headingley only takes India closer to playing for a draw and taking the win as a bonus if the opportunity presents itself.India need to eliminate all else and condense this debate to runs that extra batting could get them versus runs that extra bowling could prevent by taking wickets quicker. Look at it this way: if you have a wicket-taking attack, a match-winning first-innings total could be 450 rather than 550. Targets could be smaller too. Better bowling attacks don’t increase the batters’ load but reduce it.All the arguments of psychology and pressure can be flipped on their head too. Extra runs on the board can only increase the chance of a draw; runs saved by bowling oppositions out can win you games. One extra threatening bowler gives all the bowlers longer breaks between spells. England’s four fast bowlers bowled 21%, 21%, 18% and 17% of their overs. India’s quicks bowled 24%, 23%, 19% and 9% of their overs. A more equitable workload keeps the bowlers effective for longer.While the team management may have their reasons to prioritise batting depth, and while it might seem like a drastic change to put 20 wickets first, this might just be the time to take that leap of faith. And India haven’t yet ruled it out.

It wasn’t the perfect performance, but Chelsea are now through to the quarter-finals of the League Cup.

At one point in their clash away to Wolverhampton Wanderers, Enzo Maresca’s men looked like they were going to run away with it.

Unfortunately, some really sloppy play and defending in the second half let the Old Gold right back into it.

With that said, Chelsea managed to get out of there with the win, and one player in particular showed why he could be another Cole Palmer, and no, it wasn’t Estevao.

Chelsea's standout stars vs Wolves

One Chelsea starter who did his chances of playing more minutes well on Wednesday night was Andrey Santos.

Chalkboard

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The Brazilian ace started in the middle of the park and made an instant impact, scoring the opening goal just five minutes in.

It was a well-taken shot from just outside the area, but that wasn’t all he did, as he ended the game with 100% of his tackles won, ten ball recoveries and seven of eight ground duels won.

In short, it was an excellent all-action display from the 21-year-old and just the sort of showing fans were hoping to see from him this season.

One of his teammates who wasn’t quite as impactful, but is still worthy of praise, is Estevao.

The Brazilian wonderkid didn’t make any key passes or complete more than two crosses, but he did score a sensational chip to make it 3-0 in the 41st minute.

Finally, while he didn’t get a goal involvement like his midfield partner, Romeo Lavia, helped to keep things ticking over in the middle of the park for the Blues.

Minutes

61′

Key Passes

1

Touches

67

Accurate Passes

54/59 (92%)

Fouls Won

2

Interceptions

1

Clearances

1

Recoveries

7

Ground Duels (Won)

5 (4)

Aerial Duels (Won)

1 (1)

In his 61 minutes of action, the young Belgian completed 54 of 59 passes, played one key pass, took 67 touches, made seven ball recoveries and won five of six duels.

Perhaps the best thing you can say about the former Southampton gem’s performance is that Wolves scored two of their three goals when he was off the pitch.

With all that said, there was another Chelsea player who stood out above all the others and showed just why he could be another Palmer-type star.

Chelsea's new Palmer-type star

When it comes down to the player who impressed most on Wednesday night, it’s impossible to look past Jamie Gittens, and it’s the summer signing who could be the club’s new Palmer-type star.

Now, it’s important to caveat that this doesn’t mean he will become as good a player as the Blues’ number ten – few players ever will be – but there are some similarities.

For example, both of them have come from Manchester City’s academies, both can play out wide, the former Borussia Dortmund gem is almost certainly going to be involved in the senior England setup at some point, and, crucially, Gittens is capable of the incredible.

Yes, the 21-year-old has indeed underwhelmed so far this season, but against Wolves, he showed that he has it in him to utterly dominate an opposition and drag his side to victory.

For example, he provided the assist for Santos to open the scoring, and then, just ten minutes later, he did even better, setting up Tyrique George with a tap-in he simply couldn’t miss.

Then, if that wasn’t enough, the Reading-born monster made sure his side didn’t throw the game away by scoring an absolute screamer to make it 4-2 in the 90th minute.

It was the sort of goal you’d expect a player of Palmer’s calibre to score, and perhaps an indication that the Blues might have another superstar on their hands.

Overall, it really was, as one content creator put it, a “masterclass” of a performance from Gittens, and one that should see him remain in the team for the next few games.

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Bizarre broadside from Australia’s stand-in captain puts England’s former spinner front and centre of the pre-series banter

Alan Gardner20-Nov-20250:39

Steve Smith’s strange ‘Mastermind’ jibe at Monty Panesar

Hands up who had ‘Steven Smith Hits Back at Monty Panesar’s Sandpaper Comments with BBC Mastermind Jibe’ on their Ashes 2025-26 phoney war bingo card?Because that, bizarrely enough, is the point we had reached when those in the UK woke up on Thursday morning, less than 24 hours out from the start of the first Test. Perhaps it was the logical endgame of an Ashes build-up that has seemed ever more febrile and fantastical as the weeks have ticked by. But it also prompted, on many levels, the question: why?Why had Smith, in responding to what was reportedly a planted question early in his press conference, chosen to specifically target Panesar amid all the pre-series chatter on both sides? Why did Smith decide to make a personal dig at a retired player about a TV appearance from almost seven years ago? And why, on the eve of one of the most anticipated Ashes in recent memory, was he rewatching Panesar’s infamous meltdown if, as he claimed, “it doesn’t really bother me”.Ironically, the Panesar comments that Smith claimed he hadn’t been bothered by received minimal coverage – certainly in contrast to his “off-topic” digression in the full glare of pre-game media duties, which caused “Monty Panesar” to become a trending topic on two sides of the globe.The issue had, in fact, seemed to spiral after being picked up by Brad Haddin and Alyssa Healy on the Willow Talk podcast earlier this week. Haddin, still keen as ever to get involved in a stoush, suggested Panesar should “Pull your f***ing head in” – which is about the level of wit for Ashes repartee. What’s remarkable is that the mud-flinging has not been confined to social media, but ended up with Australia’s stand-in captain using it for an open-mic spot on matchday-minus-one.For those still in the dark, Panesar – speaking to an online betting company – had urged England to “really get into” Smith about his role in the 2018 sandpaper incident at Cape Town and “make him feel guilty”. But it seems unlikely that Monty’s masterplan would have featured quite so high up in the strategising by Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum ahead of this series (although perhaps it now should…)Monty Panesar and Steven Smith have reprised hostilities in unlikely circumstances•Getty ImagesPanesar also explicitly urged the UK media to take up the cudgels against Smith, following the example of some typically fruity coverage of England’s preparations by the local outlets. In another irony, Smith’s response has made it much easier for the English pack to now mount their high horses (something that rarely requires a second invitation).As for the Barmy Army, who are expected to make up a significant proportion of the crowd in Perth Stadium, they won’t need any prompting from Panesar to break into another chorus of “We saw you cry on the telly”.Smith added in his press conference that he was “pretty chilled” these days, and certainly delivered his pre-planned bit for the cameras with a broad grin in place. It was, nevertheless, a curious call that has added another layer of intrigue to the series – as well as an unexpected new chapter to Panesar’s colourful Ashes backstory.By coincidence, it is only a couple of weeks since Panesar popped up as a walk-on character in the story of Jake Weatherald’s maiden Test call-up. Weatherald – who described Panesar as “one of the funniest people I’ve ever met in my life” – played alongside the former England left-arm spinner during his time in the UK with Great Witchingham CC and took time to regale the Grade Cricketer podcast about what an “amazing experience” it was. Whether they were laughing with or at Monty is probably moot.Related

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This has often been the case, starting with Shane Warne’s infamous comment that Panesar hadn’t played 33 Tests, but the same Test 33 times. Panesar was an unlikely hero with the bat for England at Cardiff shortly after that, but was again reduced to a figure of fun on the 2013-14 tour, including when Cricket Australia apologised for causing offence with a tweet that pictured four men dressed as Teletubbies wearing turbans and the caption: “Will the real Monty Panesar please stand up?”Since the end of his playing career, Panesar has forged a number of different career paths – often with limited success. His blooper, which he put down to nerves, came during a period in which he tried to carve out a regular spot as a reality TV personality, while he has done more run-of-the-mill work as a cricket pundit for a number of organisations (including ESPNcricinfo). Last year, he made headlines after briefly promising to stand as candidate in the General Election for the Workers Party of Britain, before backtracking.He has also spoken about his struggles with mental health issues and, sadly, still seems to be casting around for a comfortable post-playing role. Whether Ashes bantermeister is the right fit remains to be seen – but Smith has fanned the flames, inadvertently or otherwise. Certainly Panesar’s zinger of a response, delivered on BBC radio a few hours later, then followed up in a Telegraph guest column, suggested he is rising to the occasion:”I’ve started, so I’ll finish,” Panesar wrote. “Those were the words I heard at the end of my Mastermind shocker six years ago. But if I’m guilty of anything, it is having bad general knowledge. And that is better than being a cheat.”We’ve both made mistakes. I made my mine on a quiz show. He made his on the cricket field.”And so the sideshow rumbles on, with Panesar also due to appear on Michael Clarke’s Beyond23 podcast later on Thursday. Wonder what they’ll talk about? Thankfully the cricket is about to begin, otherwise who knows what we’d wake up to tomorrow.

He delivered a masterclass in control and seam movement, dominating without taking a wicket and proving that perfection in bowling isn’t always measured by numbers

Sidharth Monga23-Oct-2025One of the idiosyncrasies of cricket is that not all new balls are the same. Sometimes you can end up with a bum ball that doesn’t swing. Sometimes you get a good one that hoops. So the choice is given to the bowling team. They pick out a new ball (two in ODIs) from a box of new balls. Usually the experienced fast bowler in a side does so. They look for balls that feel “small” in their hand. Which, you can imagine, might be a problem when Josh Hazlewood chooses the ball.Every ball seems small in Hazlewood’s hands. And he lets it go so beautifully from his high release point that if there is any seam movement available from the pitch, he is certain to get it. You give him some moisture in the pitch to work with, and you get the kind of spell for ages that Hazlewood delivered in Adelaide.Related

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It is not often that you watch a close match where the result margin is two wickets, and your lasting memory of the day is the work of a bowler who didn’t take any wicket. And yet, if rain or some other circumstance had ended the game at the 38th over of the first innings, the organisers would be justified in refusing any refunds because Hazlewood’s 10 overs for 29 runs had already been worth the gatemoney.Forty-three of the 60 deliveries were dots, 21 times he beat the bat, got the edge on six occasions, but was just not lucky enough to get a wicket. In an ODI that eventually featured runs at well over five an over, batters were in control only 55% of the time when facing Hazlewood. And he didn’t bowl to the tail. Fifteen of those 21 plays and misses were defensive shots.It is just his luck that Rohit Sharma comes out to play the only format he now plays for the first time in seven months and in front of him is Hazlewood on early-season Australian pitches with bounce and moisture. After getting done in in Perth, Rohit decided to give himself some time in Adelaide. He even played out two successive maidens from Hazlewood. It didn’t matter, though, how much time he gave himself. Hazlewood was not leaving the good length outside off with subtle changes in release. Some balls nipped away, some jagged back in. Even the ones that went straight on were so accurate you couldn’t take liberties with them.Like a fine machine, Hazlewood kept going on and on for seven overs with the new ball. Poor Rohit faced 31 of those 42 deliveries. Shreyas Iyer faced nine, and even in that brief period he was made to dance and fumble for the ball.Not once did Hazlewood go searching. He was happy to keep bowling the good length and wait for the wicket. If he didn’t get it, he was at least creating chances for the bowlers at the other end.After Hazlewood’s first spell was over and the movement settled down, Rohit and Iyer displayed their quality in scoring half-centuries. The vexing part, though, is that when Hazlewood came back for his second spell in the 34th over, the ball started nipping around again. It started to look small in his hands again. The high release, the high vertical speed, and whatever juice was still available was extracted again.On another day, Hazlewood could have easily walked away with a five-for with a performance of this quality. Somewhere in a deep sadistic corner of his heart, you wonder if he enjoys such tormenting of helpless batters just as much as he does taking wickets. Especially in limited-overs cricket, where these tight overs still have a significant impact on the wickets others get and the overall score.

Zimbabwe’s top-heavy batting line-up never looked in contention in a chase of 196

Danyal Rasool23-Nov-2025There are wins that seal two points, and wins that damage the opposition’s net run rate enough to imperil their path to the final. A half-century from Babar Azam and an Usman Tariq hat-trick walloped Zimbabwe by 69 runs to dent their net run-rate and keep Sri Lanka in contention for the tri-series final on Saturday. It is a final Pakistan are guaranteed to play now, having won all of their first three games. Pakistan’s 195 quickly became academic for a Zimbabwe unit that didn’t have the firepower to challenge it, and found themselves shot out for 126.After winning the toss and batting first, Saim Ayub looked to take full advantage of the powerplay. In a breezy cameo, he struck a pair of early sixes before finding a fielder. Sahibzada Farhan and Babar shifted through the gears through their partnership as they controlled the pacing of their innings, setting up Fakhar Zaman and the middle order for a big finish.Zimbabwe’s top heavy T20I batting line-up meant they could not afford to leave too much work for anyone outside the top five, but in pursuit of 196, risk-taking was inevitable. The warning signs were there when Tadiwanashe Marumani tamely spooned Naseem Shah to cover point. Brian Bennett and Brendan Taylor followed soon after, and the only resistance Zimbabwe offered came in the form of a 34-run partnership between Ryan Burl and Sikandar Raza.With Tariq’s hat-trick running through the visitors at speed, Burl suddenly found himself fighting a lone hand at one end. Somewhat curiously, he appeared disinterested in farming the strike right up until he began to approach his half-century. He would get there in style with a six off Naseem, and while he remained unbeaten, the same could emphatically not be said of his team-mates.Babar, Sahibzada take Zimbabwe onAfter Ayub holed out following a flashy start, it was left to Farhan and Babar – two men who have recently returned to form – to maintain Pakistan’s momentum. The pair went about their business in contrasting fashion. Farhan was intent on making the most of the powerplay, looking to heave at deliveries and partially riding his luck. Even so, the first 20 balls saw him score 32 runs, while Babar was characteristically sedate, looking to get himself in before launching. In his first 20, he had managed less than half of Farhan’s output, with 15 runs on the board.Babar Azam began sedately but accelerated after bedding in•PCB

But they appeared clear-headed about the target they wanted to set, and picked their moment to launch. Babar dispatched Sikandar Raza for a couple of boundaries in the 12th over, with both targeting the next few overs. Farhan brought up the hundred partnership with a colossal six down the ground as Pakistan set themselves up for the final five overs. Raza snared him next ball, but he had scored 63 off 41, and by the time Babar holed out in the deep, his 52-ball 74 had more than made up for the quiet start.The back-end onslaughtWith wickets to spare in the final five overs, Pakistan shuffled their batting order, but everyone had the license for uninhibited attack. Faheem Ashraf and Mohammad Nawaz were promoted but failed to fire, with Babar keeping the run rate soaring as he took down Brad Evans and Raza in overs that produced 16 and 11 respectively.When Raza removed Babar, though, Zimbabwe enjoyed an over or so of calm, but all that hard work would be undone in a stunning final over. Fakhar, sent in at No. 7 in a career-first, smashed three sixes and a four off the hapless Evans, plundering 25 in the over to rocket Pakistan to a tournament-best 195. That Evans appeared to have dismissed him off the innings’ final delivery, only for it to be called a no-ball and for Fakhar to dispatch the free hit for six, added insult to injury.Usman Tariq’s hat-trickThe phrase “why did he do that” has become instantly recognisable among Pakistan supporters since it was immortalised when Shannon Gabriel attempted to attack spinner Yasir Shah when on the verge of saving a Test match. Today, Wellington Masakadza attempted something similar when seeing off Tariq’s hat-trick delivery.The offspinner had dismissed Tony Munyonga when he edged a sweep to short fine, and the following ball Tashinga Musekiwa was cleaned up. With fielders crowding around the bat for the hat-trick delivery, Masakadza opted to loft Tariq into the onside. Long-on was perfectly positioned to take the catch, and Tariq was gifted a hat-trick that ensured Zimbabwe would fall to a huge defeat.

Sudharsan spoke about Gambhir’s influence on him, his approach to Test cricket and wanting to be versatile like KL Rahul

Shashank Kishore29-Oct-2025B Sai Sudharsan has hailed India head coach Gautam Gambhir for backing him unconditionally through a challenging initiation into Test cricket.Sai Sudharsan scored 140 runs at an average of 23.33 in his debut Test series on the tour of England, and was out for 7 in his only innings in the first Test against West Indies in Ahmedabad earlier this month. He felt under some pressure coming into the second Test in Delhi until a chat with Gambhir put him at ease.”The support has been impeccable,” Sai Sudharsan said in Bengaluru where he will be India A’s vice-captain in the first unofficial Test against South Africa A, which begins on Thursday. “After the first game in Ahmedabad, we were practicing at the Feroz Shah Kotla nets. As always, I was the last to come out of the nets.Related

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“GG [Gambhir] sir called me and said, ‘You are not getting desperate. You are one of the best players in the country. So do not think about any of the other things. Don’t think that you have to score runs in this game or what will happen if you don’t.'”He told me, ‘You will play.’ The way he said that gave me so much confidence and freedom. I was trying to be more free and not think about external factors or the magnitude of things. But when you hear it from the head coach himself, the perspective and environment change drastically.”That helped me express myself better as well. Even in that game [2nd Test], I wasn’t in a mindset just to get runs, I was in a mindset to fight and win for the team, to dominate for the team.”Sai Sudharsan hit a composed 87 in his last Test outing•AFP/Getty Images

Sai Sudharsan made 87 and 39 in Delhi as India won by seven wickets to clinch the series 2-0. While those knocks have given him confidence, he doesn’t want to put himself under the pressure of having to live up to some of India’s past No. 3s.”I take it game by game, inning by inning, look at the situation, and react as best as I can,” he said. “Playing for India, there’s so much competition. So many great cricketers who have done well, are doing well, and will continue to do well. I’m not looking at a spot to cement or thinking about securing a place. I’m playing for a reason and that is to win games and fight for my team. That’s my mindset when I walk in.”When I think about sealing a spot or playing for safety, I tend to go defensive and play for myself, which I definitely don’t want to do. I look at it from a different perspective – to win one session at a time and make a difference there. Runs will be a byproduct of that process.”That said, Sai Sudharsan acknowledges the challenges that will come with batting at No. 3, having come through domestic cricket primarily as an opener for Tamil Nadu.”It’s a great responsibility, and I’m grateful for the opportunity,” he said. “No. 3 is also like an opening spot. There’s not a big difference, to be honest. But playing for India, wherever we get an opportunity, we have to be on point, not just fill a place but be really ready for whichever spot we play.”We have great examples. Like KL [Rahul] , who has played in almost all positions and is so versatile. We can learn from him. We have to be ready for all those challenges. I wouldn’t say I prefer one or the other. I’ve played quite a lot at No. 3, even in the IPL, and when I was younger in the Under-14s and Under-16s also I’ve batted at No. 3. So I enjoy both. It’s not a big difference”

Alana King takes four wickets as struggling Essex slump to another defeat

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay30-Jul-2025A brilliant century from Lancashire and England’s Emma Lamb helped her side ease to their latest Metro Bank One Day Cup victory by 138 runs over struggling Essex at the beautiful surroundings of Sedbergh.Lamb hit a career best 142 and shared a mammoth opening partnership of 162 with Eve Jones (71) as the Red Rose racked up a total of 306 for 4 off their 50 overs after being put into bat by Essex skipper Grace Scrivens.As for Essex there were few highlights with only Jodi Grewcock’s half-century to take back with them on the long journey home from the South Lakelands.Lamb and Jones have proved a hugely effective opening pair this season with three century partnerships before this game and their fourth never really looked in doubt from the moment they began to stroke Essex’s Kate Coppack and Eve Gray around Sedburgh’s lush outfield.44 runs came off the first powerplay but it was after the introduction of Esmae McGregor and Abtaha Maqsood that the openers really got going with the former going for 25 off her four overs.The century partnership was reached in the 20th over with Jones bringing up he half-century soon after with the landmarks coming regularly thereafter with the opening pair reaching 150 in the 30th over.The long-awaited breakthrough for Essex eventually came when Jones mistimed a drive to Coppack off Sophie Smale but the disruption did little to put off Lamb who brought up her century with a huge six off a waist high full toss from the expensive Maqsood.By the time Lamb was out in the 42nd over most of the damage had been done with her superb knock ending off 109 balls with 15 fours and two sixes.Fi Morris quickly followed for five to a caught and bowled from Scrivens but Lancashire powered on through to the end of their innings with some energetic running from Seren Smale and skipper Ellie Threlkeld putting on 38 for the fourth wicket in just under six overs with Smale’s run out in the penultimate over scant consolation for a tired looking Essex.The early departure of opener Scrivens, who edged Mahika Gaur behind for two in the third over, ensured Essex were on the back foot from the off and in truth Lancashire never allowed their innings to gain any momentum.Cordelia Griffith edged Gace Potts’ first delivery to keeper Threlkeld for 13 and Smale, who had battled well for 38, holed out to mid off and a grateful Potts to give Alana King her first wicket.When King bowled Australian Maddie Penna for 15 it looked like the game was up with the visitors 100-4 and over 200 runs still required with the task getting even tricker when Jo Gardner was brilliantly caught by Kate Cross at mid off for eight off left arm spinner Sophie Morris.Meanwhile the stubborn Grewcock was providing the only solace for Essex as she reached her half-century from 54 balls but that would prove as good as it got as she departed hooking a Gaur slower ball straight to Morris for 52.Gaur suddenly found herself on a hat-trick when Amara Carr hit her first ball straight up in the air to Alisa Lister to leave Essex 142-7 and all hope all but gone.Coppack was run out for two and although Gray hit a flurry of fours that was pretty much it with King picking up a third wicket when MacGregor was stumped for one and then repeating the trick the very next ball when Maqsood departed the same way to leave Lancashire challenging at the top of the table going into the break for The Hundred.

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O vice-presidente de futebol do Flamengo, Marcos Braz, criticou a punição sofrida por Gabigol por tentantiva de fraude ao exame antidoping. Para o dirigente, o ídolo rubro-negro não teve esta intenção. Confira no player acima.

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Eu não enxergo essa possível tentativa de fraude. O jogador que quer fraudar alguma coisa não faz exame de sangue. Porque o exame de sangue você não consegue fazer qualquer tipo de movimentação. Acho que o enquadramento foi numa situação muito pesada. Pesou muito mais o problema de relacionamento do que qualquer outra coisa, mas existe uma questão central. O atleta fez o exame de sangue, de urina e deu negativo em todos

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considerou Marcos Braz

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A BCB spokesperson confirmed the news, saying that the board has received a letter from the BCCI saying that the white-ball series will be scheduled at a later date

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Nov-2025

Bangladesh’s tour of India to play a series of three ODIs and three T20Is in December has been “postponed”.A BCB spokesperson confirmed the news to ESPNcricinfo on Tuesday, saying that the board has received a letter from the BCCI saying that the white-ball series will be scheduled at a later date.No specific reason has been given for the postponement but it is understood that the prevailing political tensions between India and Bangladesh was a key factor.The series, a part of the ICC’s future tours programme, was meant to be India’s last set of games before the start of the next edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) and the only series between their triumphant ODI World Cup campaign and the WPL. The matches were expected to be played in Kolkata and Cuttack, with the ODIs kicking off the new cycle of the Women’s ODI Championship for both sides.Earlier this year, India men’s white-ball tour of Bangladesh, originally slotted for August 2025, was pushed to September 2026.”This decision has been reached following discussions between the two boards, taking into account the international cricketing commitments and scheduling convenience of both teams,” the BCCI had said in a statement at the time. “The BCB looks forward to welcoming India in September 2026 for this eagerly anticipated series. Revised dates and fixtures for the tour will be announced in due course.”