Eoin Morgan’s form remains a talking point as final match takes place in Test’s shadow

Andrew Miller21-Jun-2022

Big pictureWell, it’s been a fun week on the continent. Records broken, press-box windows broken, and historical precedents smashed to smithereens too, with the ECB finally deigning to take on their nearest cricketing neighbours (as the crow flies from their respective HQs at any rate) in a full bilateral series.The last rites get underway at 10am on Wednesday, and to judge by the events of the opening two games, a theme of damage limitation may well dictate the hosts’ gameplan. Twice they’ve given a decent account of themselves in spite of the evidence to the contrary – first in stretching their reply to England’s world-record 498 for 4 into the final over of the match, and then, on Sunday, in forcing their opponents to play it cool in a medium-sized chase, after a collapse of 3 for 9 in 3.1 overs briefly took the strut out of their stride.But there’s no real sense that anything resembling an upset can be on the cards in a match that still carries World Cup Super League points and is therefore not a dead-rubber in the traditional sense of the word. Such is the strength in depth of England’s current white-ball set-up that there’s no room for any incumbent to coast through the contest – least of all England’s captain, Eoin Morgan, whose travails have been particularly scrutinised this week.Certainly, the Dutch proved to have learnt a hasty lesson in choosing to bowl first after winning their second toss of the series on Sunday. Pieter Seelaar’s mid-series retirement meant that the captaincy passed to Scott Edwards, but his predecessor would surely have taken the same decision after watching how effectively England ransacked his attack in their opening game. Seelaar had doubtless bowled first in the hope of limiting Netherlands’ chase to the sort of 300-run region that had kept them in the hunt against West Indies earlier in the month. Thirty-six fours and 26 sixes later, such plans were out of the window.Within the bigger picture, however, the narrative is already moving on from this pleasant little sojourn. It’s not unique for England’s white-ball and red-ball teams to play on consecutive days – that precedent was set in the Covid-bubble summer of 2020, when two similarly distinct squads lined up for an ODI against Ireland and a Test against Pakistan within hours of one another. But with the return of international cricket to Headingley, and the accompanying excitement of England’s Baz-ball era, it may take something approaching Friday’s fireworks to prevent this finale from sliding out of sight and out of mind.Form guide
Netherlands: LLLLL
England: WWWWWIn the spotlightWell, it’s hard to avoid the subject for long. Eoin Morgan has been the instigator of so much that is great about England’s recent white-ball cricket, and his place in the sport’s folklore is already guaranteed. But after a year of injury, absence, and insubstantial scores – culminating in this week’s back-to-back ducks in Amstelveen – he needs some urgent runs to assuage the swirling doubts. His team remain loyal to their agenda-setting leader, and there’s little doubt that his tactical acumen is still of value in the heat of battle. But another failure this week, allied to his stated desire to avoid back-to-back matches in the forthcoming series against India and South Africa, may ramp up the pressure for regime change. To add to the intrigue, he missed training on the eve of the game, seemingly to save his energies for the main event.It’s been a series best judged by small gains for the Netherlands – Logan van Beek’s maiden at the death of England’s run-chase on Sunday being a case in point – but one man who’s made a bigger impression than some is Bas de Leede, the son of former Netherlands allrounder Tim, who has twice chipped in with useful if unfulfilled innings in the middle order – 28 from 38 balls on Friday, and 34 from 41 on Sunday – allied to some energetic seam bowling that hasn’t yet earned him a wicket but has given England more of a hurry-up than others. At the age of 22, he has a real chance to take on board the learnings of a tough week, and come back stronger.Team newsNetherlands will be boosted by the return of two of their county-based seamers, Paul van Meekeren and Fred Klaassen, who have been released from Blast duty by Gloucestershire and Kent respectively. Van Meekeren has not played for three weeks due to injury but is set to slot back into the side, while Klaassen – the pick of Kent’s bowlers in their defeat to Middlesex on Sunday – arrived in Amsterdam on Tuesday rather than attempting a mad dash from Canterbury on the morning of the game (a decision potentially influenced by the all-encompassing travel chaos around Schiphol Airport and the UK train network, as well as Kent’s struggles in the Blast) – and so is likely taking over from Vivian Kingma.Netherlands (possible): 1 Vikramjit Singh, 2 Max O’Dowd, 3 Tom Cooper, 4 Bas de Leede, 5 Scott Edwards (capt/wk), 6 Teja Nidamanuru, 7 Logan van Beek, 8 Tim Pringle, 9 Shane Snater/Aryan Dutt, 10 Paul van Meekeren, 11 Fred KlaassenBrydon Carse impressed with his mid-overs hit-the-deck role on Sunday, and is worthy of retaining his place in the line-up in spite of the pre-series intention of using these games to build Sam Curran’s bowling workloads back up in the wake of his back stress fracture. Reece Topley, another England quick whose fitness requires careful monitoring, may be due a break after back-to-back games. Fellow left-armers Luke Wood and David Payne are waiting patiently to make their international debuts. Unless there’s a wholesale change to the balance of England’s team, there’s no reason to expect any alterations to the batting line-up.England (possible): 1 Jason Roy, 2 Phil Salt, 3 Dawid Malan, 4 Jos Buttler (wk), 5 Eoin Morgan (capt), 6 Liam Livingstone, 7 Moeen Ali, 8 David Willey, 9 Brydon Carse/Sam Curran, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Reece Topley/Luke WoodPitch and conditionsAfter two matches on the same (record-breaking) strip of turf, a new pitch, two strips across, has been prepared for the final contest, one that would appear to be drier and therefore may offer more for the spinners on both sides – even Adil Rashid has struggled to make an impact so far with two wickets for 109 across 19 overs. After the dank conditions for Sunday’s game, the sun is set to make a return on Wednesday, with temperatures in the mid-20s Celsius throughout.Stats and trivia Eoin Morgan (still) needs 43 runs to reach 7000 in ODIs for England (he is currently on 7701 all told, including 744 for Ireland). Another victory over Netherlands would send England top of the World Cup Super League standings, ahead of Bangladesh. After taking over from Seelaar on Sunday, Edwards became the seventh Netherlands captain in their ODI history. Moeen Ali needs 81 runs to reach 2000 in ODIs.Quotes”They’ve both been around for a long time and they bring a lot of experience and knowledge. Whatever the team ends up looking like, we’re confident we can hopefully put in a good performance for this last game.”
“The thing that’s forgotten is that Morgs [Eoin Morgan] is an unbelievable leader. He’s the leader of our team and everybody knows that he’s only one score away so I’m sure that will come very soon and he’ll be off and running again.”

Bayern Munich star Harry Kane has been backed to return to the Premier League and "have a go" at Alan Shearer's goalscoring record.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Kane starring at Bayern MunichLinked with Premier League returnBacked to "have a go" at Shearer's recordFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Former Tottenham boss Tim Sherwood believes Kane, 31, will head back to the Premier League one day in a bid to topple record scorer Shearer. Sherwood has also suggested that Kane may retire from football at the age of 36.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT TIM SHERWOOD SAID

He told OLBG: "Harry Kane will have a go at Alan Shearer’s record. I think he’ll be back in the Premier League and he’ll have one eye on that record and why wouldn’t you. He might decide to come home at one stage and there'll be a lot of takers for him. Harry Kane will play until he's 35, 36 years of age, I'm convinced of that. So he's got a lot of time yet. I can only think of one person who doesn't want him coming back, and that's Alan Shearer."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Kane sits second in the all-time Premier League scoring books, with 213 goals compared to Newcastle United legend Shearer's 260. The England international could beat that feat but he would have to head back to English football soon, and for now he is happy at Bayern. However, Kane has not ruled out a Premier League return at some point.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT?

Transfer speculation aside, Kane could feature for Bayern on Friday away at Augsburg in the Bundesliga. Vincent Kompany's side are on course to wrestle the title back from Bayer Leverkusen, and also have a Champions League quarter-final to look forward to against Inter.

Watson, who said he put too much pressure on himself as a player, believes Green has been handled very well

Alex Malcolm08-Jul-2022Very few players have experienced the burden of expectation that Cameron Green currently has on his broad shoulders, but former Australia allrounder Shane Watson has carried that load, and he is full of praise for how Green is maturing at such a rapid rate in Test match cricket at the age of just 23.Watson watched Green’s match-winning innings in the first Test against Sri Lanka at Galle and was awestruck by how well he adjusted his game to suit the extreme spinning conditions he faced.”He’s incredible,” Watson said, speaking at an event to mark 100 days until the men’s T20 World Cup. “He’s incredibly skillful and to see how he’s continued to upskill so quickly.”He’s got such a deep understanding of his game obviously. For him to be able to make the adjustments, little adjustments like he has to be able to just find his feet so quickly. That innings last week in the last Test match was something very special.Related

Green stars as Australia build strong lead on truncated day

Cummins lauds 'brave' Australia for facing challenge head on

How Green's meticulous foresight helped reach the zone of proximal development

“For someone to have such control over just changing his game plan, changing his game to be able to be very effective in extreme conditions. It’s special to be able to watch someone like him.”Watson, like Green, entered international cricket at 20 after dominating domestic cricket for two seasons. But he was blooded in ODI cricket playing 27 matches over a three-year period before finally breaking into the Test side in 2005. It took another four years before he became a mainstay in Australia’s Test side due to a multitude of injuries.Speaking after the first Test, Green referenced Watson’s record: “I had plenty of allrounders when I looked up to when younger,” he said. “There are not many allrounders who bat at No.3 and bowl as many overs as [Shane Watson] did. He has incredible stats.”Cameron Green played the defining innings of the first Test against Sri Lanka•Getty Images

Green has not suffered a back injury since he started his Test career although there was a minor scare post the Pakistan series that saw him unavailable to bowl for the first two ODIs in Sri Lanka. But Watson has been impressed with how he has been handled by the Australian team.”They’re managing him very well already,” Watson said. “They’re looking after him when he has a few niggles or he’s got a little injury, which is a great thing to be able to continue to look after him. He’s a good enough batter alone to be able to play in the Aussie team just as a batter because he’s so highly skilled, but if they just continue to look after his bowling as they have already then that’s going to play a big part in his longevity.”Watson believes Green is well placed to handle the expectations that are already building around him. Watson said the pressure he put on himself to succeed was heavier than anything external, but he urged people to remain patient with Green.”I wanted to be the best allrounder that I possibly could be the best allrounder Australia had, and I probably let that be known as well when I should just kept that internal,” Watson said with a laugh. “So that’s a life lesson learned. But that was the expectation that I had on myself and when you put that much expectation on yourself, it’s hard to be able to chase it all the time.”It was a good learning experience for me and it seems like things are different with Cameron Green at the moment. People are just being more patient with him and letting him do his thing and he’s shown very quickly how good he is.”Watson, one of Australia’s best ever limited-overs players, believes Green has the capabilities to feature in all three formats despite his limited exposure to T20 cricket in particular. Green has played just one T20I and only 14 T20s in total, but Watson said he has the skills to succeed.”Seeing him in the Test matches and a little bit in one-day cricket but he’s got all the tools to be an incredible T20 player as well,” Watson said. “As a top-order batting allrounder, he’s someone who’s going to be exciting to watch.”

Chelsea continued their impressive start to life under Enzo Maresca with a convincing 5-1 victory over Shamrock Rovers to complete a 100% start to their UEFA Conference League campaign.

A hat-trick from Marc Guiu was the highlight of the game with defender Marc Cucurella also getting himself on the scoresheet as the Blues romped to a 4-1 half-time lead, before adding a fifth in the second half.

Another player on target against the Irish side was midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, who curled home with a fabulous left-footed strike after Christopher Nkunku was challenged in the box.

Despite enjoying a decent Conference League campaign, Dewsbury-Hall is yet to make a real impact in the Premier League for his new club, making just five appearances all season and yet to register a goal contribution.

It seems that the former Leicester midfielder’s lack of league action has put a number of clubs on alert for the upcoming January transfer window.

Chelsea could be set to lose summer signing

Dewsbury-Hall has featured in all six of Chelsea’s European games this season, scoring twice and assisting once. The midfielder has been performing well in a number of key facets of the game but as of yet cannot break into Maresca’s Premier League midfield.

Not only has Dewsbury-Hall contributed goals and assists, but it seems his all-round play has been solid for Chelsea with a 91.1% pass accuracy and 75% of his tackles won among the highlights.

This form has attracted the attention of a number of Premier League clubs and, according to CaughtOffside, Arsenal are planning a January move for the Chelsea midfielder.

Transfer Focus

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

The Gunners see Dewsbury-Hall as an ideal fit for their midfield following the struggles of new signing Mikel Merino and could make contact with Chelsea despite only acquiring Dewsbury-Hall from Leicester in the summer for £30m.

Chelsea set to make another Havertz mistake

Should Chelsea allow their £80k-per-week star leave the club for Arsenal, it wouldn’t be the first time that the Gunners have raided Stamford Bridge in recent years.

That list grew in the summer when winger Raheem Sterling joined Arsenal on loan from Chelsea for the 2024/25 season. Arguably, the most successful of those transfers has been Kai Havertz, who has excelled since joining the North London side and Chelsea would not want a repeat with Dewsbury-Hall.

Haverz scored 32 goals in 139 appearances for Chelsea and is only eight goals away from eclipsing that record at Arsenal having only played 74 times. Havertz is also performing better for Arsenal in a number of other key metrics.

Havertz, having joined Arsenal, is not only providing more expected assists but seems to have also refined his finishing ability with more goals per shot on target at The Emirates.

Furthermore, Havertz has more durability at Arsenal with a higher minutes per match rate and is maturing as a player too with fewer offsides and fewer fouls committed at the Gunners compared to his Chelsea days.

As interest in Dewsbury-Hall will no doubt intensify during the upcoming transfer window, boss Maresca would be wise to consider that Chelsea have let players go in the past that could now be valuable assets in their title push.

Chelsea could sign "Europe's best player" to replace Mudryk in £85m deal

Chelsea are interested in a winger to replace Mykhaylo Mudryk

2

By
George Light

Dec 19, 2024

Aston Villa’s form in the Premier League may have been mixed over the last few months, but Unai Emery will still be confident of leading the club to another top-four finish.

Progress to the knockout stages of the Champions League is all but guaranteed, while the Villa Park side are due to kick off their FA Cup campaign against West Ham this week. Add in the league matches, and Emery’s squad will be fully tested over the next few weeks.

Player

Club signed from

Morgan Rogers

Middlesbrough

Kosta Nedeljkovic

Red Star Belgrade

Joe Gauci

Adelaide United

Lino Sousa

Arsenal

Jhon Duran

Chicago Fire

Via Transfermarkt

Winter transfer window 2025: All the latest deals from England and Scotland

Find out who is on the move this winter with our comprehensive list of done deals from the Premier League, EFL and Scottish Premiership.

ByStephan Georgiou Feb 3, 2025

As such, the January transfer window could see plenty of arrivals and departures as the Spaniard looks to enhance his team while shipping out some of the deadwood.

Potential Aston Villa incomings Donyell Malen (Borussia Dortmund)

With just Jhon Duran and Ollie Watkins as his two senior centre-forwards, Emery could have a big problem heading into the second half of the season if one gets injured.

With this in mind, Borussia Dortmund striker Donyell Malen has emerged as a key target, with Villa even recently submitting an offer for the player.

According to German outlet BILD, Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl isn’t budging from their €25-30m (£21-25m) valuation of the former Arsenal academy gem, with Villa reportedly offering €18m (£15m).

The report states that an improved offer could be made, as the manager is keen to lure Malen to Birmingham with a salary of around £7m per year.

Nicolas Kuhn (Celtic)

Another area in which Emery looks keen to strengthen is out wide, specifically on the right flank. Leon Bailey hasn’t replicated the form of last term, managing to register just four goal contributions across all competitions this season.

According to journalist Graeme Bailey, Tottenham Hotspur and Villa are eyeing a move for Celtic sensation Nicolas Kuhn this winter, who has been in superb form during the first half of the 2024/25 season.

Indeed, the German has scored 16 goals while recording 11 assists for the Parkhead side, who sit top of the league and on course for a fourth title in a row.

The report states that Celtic could easily treble the money they paid to sign the winger just over 18 months ago, which means an offer of over £10m may well be enough for Emery to land the player.

Antonio Silva (Benfica)

Before the transfer window even opened, it was reported that Villa were keen on bringing in centre-back Antonio Silva to bolster their defensive options.

The 21-year-old is a sought-after talent, with Newcastle United also seemingly keen, while the youngster reportedly has his heart set on a move to Juventus.

Nothing concrete has arrived from the Serie A side, which suggests Emery must make his move now, or he could regret it later.

It is no secret that the Spaniard is keen to add another defender to his squad, especially with Diego Carlos attracting interest, but only time will tell whether Silva is tempted to move to the Midlands.

Carney Chukwuemeka (Chelsea)

Carney Chukwuemeka moved from Villa to Chelsea in August 2022 for a staggering £20m, which represented excellent business by the Midlands side considering he had played just 16 times for the senior team.

However, his spell at Stamford Bridge hasn’t been as productive as many hoped. Since moving to west London, the 21-year-old has featured 32 times for the club across all competitions.

With Enzo Maresca making a few signings during the summer transfer window, he has slipped down the pecking order and Villa are apparently keen on re-signing him this month to add some depth to their midfield.

One thing that might put off Emery is the price tag. Chukwuemeka is available, but only if a club stumps up £40m in the process.

Considering he might not be an automatic choice in the starting XI, this fee is lavish to say the least, and the manager might go elsewhere for better value unless Chelsea want to negotiate.

7 players Chelsea could sell in January

Who could be off in the winter window as Enzo Maresca tinkers with his squad?

ByBarney Lane Jan 2, 2025 Potential Aston Villa departures Diego Carlos (Fenerbahçe)

When Steven Gerrard signed Diego Carlos in 2022, the Brazilian was expected to become the cornerstone of his side, forging a key partnership with Tyrone Mings at the heart of the Villa defence.

On just his second appearance, he suffered a serious injury which almost kept him out for the entire 2022/23 campaign, before he returned to full fitness and made 38 appearances under Emery in 2023/24.

So far this season, Diego Carlos has made only 14 starts, and it looks as though his time in the Midlands could be coming to an end.

Reportedly, Fenerbahce are keen on signing the centre-back, contacting Villa over a potential move this month.

With Pau Torres injured, Emery may look to bring in another defender before sanctioning any departures, which could put any move to Turkey on the back burner. But if a decent offer arrives, Villa would be foolish to turn it down.

Jaden Philogene (Everton)

Jaden Philogene could once again be on his way out of Villa, just months after re-joining the club.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Everton have opened talks to sign the youngster, who has made just 15 appearances since returning to Villa, failing to establish himself as a regular in the starting XI this term.

Romano states that the Toffees are attempting to make the move a permanent one rather than a loan deal, which could work out well for all parties involved, especially with Emery looking to raise some funds for new arrivals.

Nothing has been mentioned with regard to a potential fee, but considering Villa paid around £18m to lure him back to Villa Park during the summer window, Everton may need to at least match this fee should they wish to sign him.

Every 2024 Puskas Award nominee – ranked

The award for the best goal in football is down to the final 11.

ByBarney Lane Dec 3, 2024

Ipswich Town have reportedly held talks over a move to sign a new versatile attacker for Kieran McKenna.

Ipswich Town land Godfrey and want more signings

On the pitch, the Tractor Boys are putting up a real fight in their bid to avoid the drop from the Premier League, sitting 18th in the table currently. Away from the action, though, Portman Road chiefs have already been making moves in the January transfer window.

Centre-back Ben Godfrey, formerly of rivals Norwich City, signed on loan from Serie A side Atalanta, becoming the first addition of 2025 in the process.

Talking after putting pen to paper for the remainder of the campaign, Godfrey said: “I’ve played against Ipswich over the years, so I obviously know about the size of the club and when I spoke to the manager, he really sold it to me and I’m looking forward to being part of this project.

“Before I spoke to him, I’d heard through football people that he was a great coach, a great manager. He’s got a great history in the game with coaching, coaching some great players and I think to have the opportunity to work under him is massive. I’m really looking forward to that.

“I think you can tell from watching the games that it’s a tight bunch, a bunch that is giving everything to try and stay in this league and for me to be a part of that, that’s great. We’ll do all we can to achieve that. I’ve been quite fortunate over my career so far to be a part of some good dressing rooms and I’m sure Ipswich will be exactly the same.”

It may not be just Godfrey who arrives at Portman Road, though, with reports claiming McKenna wants up to five new players at Ipswich in January.

An addition in the final third is seemingly on the club’s radar, with a £16m bid rejected for Liverpool’s Ben Doak and a £30m move mooted for Botafogo striker Igor Jesus. Now, a new name has emerged.

Ipswich Town in talks for Patrick Wimmer

According to reports from Italy, relayed by Sport Witness, Ipswich Town have opened talks with the entourage of VfL Wolfsburg forward Patrick Wimmer over a potential transfer.

The Tractor Boys aren’t alone in their interest, though, with Italian sides Como and AS Roma also keen on the 23-year-old.

Wimmer, an Austria international, can play as a right-winger, left-winger or as an attacking midfielder, so would offer McKenna a versatile option in attack, should Ipswich secure his services.

Related After Godfrey: Ipswich target £16m monster who outperformed Delap last year

The experienced forward would add more goals to Ipswich’s attack.

Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Jan 6, 2025

This season, the Wolfsburg attacker has been limited to just 12 Bundesliga appearances, registering two assists in 640 minutes of football.

He has been with his current employers since 2022 and has a total of 17 goal contributions in 59 games, but by the looks of things, a move to England and Ipswich could be one to watch over the coming weeks.

Was this a case of mistaken identity? As England’s full-strength 50-over side capitulated to a ten-wicket defeat in south London, bowled out for 110 by India, their second-string counterparts blitzed their way to a target of 319 in just 37.1 overs against South Africa in Taunton.Somerset had made 265 for 5, the highest total in the history of English domestic T20, at this ground on Saturday night and the short boundaries are notoriously inviting. On another excellent batting pitch at their home ground, Will Smeed and Tom Banton added 113 for the first wicket in 13.4 overs – more than the ODI side had managed in 25.2 – to remove any kind of scoring pressure from the chase.Smeed eventually fell for 90 off 56 balls in what was his first senior 50-over innings, hitting seven fours and six sixes against the same South Africa attack that will be used in next week’s ODI series against England. Ben Duckett and Stephen Eskinazi added 127 for the fourth wicket in 15 overs; Duckett fell with two to win, but Eskinazi hit the winning runs by crashing Marco Jansen through point, bringing up his half-century in the process. The margin of defeat was six wickets, but with as many as 77 balls remaining, this was a genuine thrashing.South Africa were not overly concerned. “It was good for the batters to spend some time in the middle and get used to the conditions,” Janneman Malan, who top-scored with 103, said. “We always saw today as a warm-up: time in the middle for the boys, time on our feet. Their guys were prepared well for today and they played well but we saw this as a proper warm-up game and it’ll be a competitive game in two days’ time.”Keshav Maharaj, standing in as captain for the 50-over leg of this tour with Temba Bavuma absent through injury, juggled his bowlers and the tourists used 16 players with either bat or ball; Quinton de Kock, who was rested as a precaution due to a bruised finger, was the only squad member who did not play some part. Thursday’s second tour match, which has List A status, will be a better test of their standing heading into the England series.But this was still a significant result, one which reasserted the extent of England’s depth in limited-overs cricket – even if the cream of the crop were enduring a rare off-day simultaneously. Like Manchester City, Barcelona and Ajax’s football academies, England have encouraged their developmental sides to play in the same manner as the first team, as evidenced by the team that reached the Under-19 World Cup final earlier this year, and the Lions’ romp had all the hallmarks of the first team’s style. “They fell into the brand that England want to play perfectly,” Malan said. “They obviously have their structures and their blueprint. It looks like they bought into it.”Related

• Injured Bavuma ruled out; Maharaj and Miller to lead white-ball teams in England

• Will Smeed loves living in the 90s as Somerset defeat Surrey

• Rilee Rossouw gives Derbyshire a rocket in record-breaking Somerset win

• Boucher on Bazball: 'It's probably the way that red-ball cricket is going'

• Taunton tussle awaits as South Africa take on Lions in tour opener

South Africa started cautiously, working their way to 39 for 1 after the powerplay after Kyle Verreynne had slashed Sam Cook to point. Malan and Reeza Hendricks took a liking to George Scrimshaw’s extra pace, adding 80 for the second wicket, but England’s slower bowlers dragged things back: Benny Howell, making his Lions debut at 34, restricted the scoring with his unique brand of “fast spin” and Jake Lintott, the left-arm wristspinner, had Hendricks caught behind, edging a googly through to Banton.Malan continued to accumulate, reaching a 112-ball hundred, but was one of three men to fall to Rehan Ahmed, the 17-year-old legspinner, as South Africa looked to take him down. He finished his six overs with figures of 3 for 54 as Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller attacked, but David Payne nailed his yorkers at the death, taking four late wickets to restrict South Africa to 318.Smeed and Banton, Somerset’s opening pair, were both beaten outside off stump early on but soon found their range, adding 78 inside the 10-over powerplay and taking on Anrich Nortje’s express pace. Banton reached his half-century off 43 balls and whacked his next for six off Maharaj, but then fell looking to repeat the trick as he top-edged to short third.Smeed, the 20-year-old batter, will not make his List A debut until Thursday and last played a 50-over game in club cricket, but looked like a natural after getting himself set. He generated remarkable power off the back foot against South Africa’s spinners, clubbing Maharaj for two sixes in the space of four balls before hitting a back-to-back pair off Tabraiz Shamsi to fly into the 70s.He was in no mood to slow down, reaching 90 with a hoick over midwicket off Andile Phehlukwayo, but was bowled a ball later, looking to swing him across the line once more. His innings, off 56 balls, reinforced his status as one of England’s brightest young talents; a full international debut is a matter of when, not if.Sam Hain came and went for a 17-ball 20 at No. 3 but Duckett and Eskinazi did not let up. Duckett breezed along, scooping and dinking South Africa’s seamers and accumulating at will against spin, while Eskinazi – overlooked by all eight teams in the Hundred – brought up a 36-ball half-century when he hit Jansen for the winning runs, crashing him through point. If England need reinforcements for the second ODI at Lord’s on Thursday, they will not have to look far.

England opener on the rise after sensational hundred against South Africa

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Jul-2022England opener Tammy Beaumont has jumped three places and made a return to the top 10 of the ICC Women’s ODI rankings for batters, following her 107-ball 119 in the third ODI against South Africa. She is now in eighth place, ahead of Chamari Athapaththu, Smriti Mandhana and Ellyse Perry.Having been “gutted” at being dropped from England’s T20I squad for the Commonwealth Games, Beaumont scored 178 runs at an average of 59.33 in the three ODIs against South Africa.England batter Emma Lamb also rose considerably – jumping 35 spots to 66th place – in the rankings, after making scores of 102, 67 and 65 to finish as the leading run-getter in the series.Related

Tammy Beaumont banishes pain of Commonwealth Games omission with statement century

Lisa Keightley defends England's youth policy after Tammy Beaumont's shock omission

Alice Capsey named in England's Commonwealth Games squad, Tammy Beaumont omitted

Nat Sciver, who sat out of the final ODI with England already having won the series, lost one spot on the table. She moved to third place behind Beth Mooney, while Alyssa Healy continues to lead the ODI rankings.South Africa lost the series 3-0 to England, but Marizanne Kapp rose six places to 18th in the rankings, after scoring half-centuries in the second and third ODIs. Chloe Tryon also had a good series with the bat and rose two spots to 20th position.Kapp also jumped to third place in the allrounder rankings, but her bowling colleagues did not fare well. Fast bowler Shabnim Ismail, who took just two wickets in the ODI series, lost her second spot to Australia’s Jess Jonassen and moved down to third place in the rankings for bowlers. Ayabonga Khaka dropped one place to sixth, while Kapp herself lost three places to move to 10th position on the list.

Liverpool are believed to have made contact with a Premier League club over the availability of an “outstanding” player in January, according to journalist Rudy Galetti.

Liverpool transfer news

The Reds continue to be linked with new signings, whether that be this month or the summer transfer window, and Napoli stars Victor Osimhen and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia have both been mentioned as options. The Nigerian is on loan at Galatasaray currently, but a permanent move away from the Serie A giants is on the cards for both players if they cannot find a way to extend their contracts.

Another report has claimed that Liverpool have submitted an offer for Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, having been backed to sign him in 2022, prior to him opting to join the La Liga giants instead.

The Reds are thought to be plotting a move for Bayern Munich ace Joshua Kimmich, too, with the German now into the final six months of his contract there. He is able to sign a pre-contract agreement elsewhere this month, but could seal a move away in the coming weeks, in order for his club to avoid losing him on a free transfer.

There are also players who could leave Liverpool in the near future, one of whom is youngster Ben Doak, with the winger out on loan at Middlesbrough this season. The club need to weigh up if they see him as a big part of their future or want to cash in on him.

Liverpool make contact with club over "outstanding" midfielder

According to Galetti on X, Liverpool have “asked” for fresh information on Wolves midfielder Joao Gomes, as have a number of other Premier League clubs.

The Reds may be well-stocked in midfield currently, but signing a true defence-minded option in that role could be ideal, giving the squad even more balance moving forward and offering an alternative to the smoothness of Ryan Gravenberch.

In the £30,000-a-month Gomes, Liverpool could have the perfect option there, with Danny Murphy lauding him and Mario Lemina’s relationship in the middle of the park last year: “The defensive work in central midfield is something that goes unnoticed sometimes, but you can’t win matches in the Premier League unless your midfielders do the hard yards and the dirty bits and they did it brilliantly. The pair of them, outstanding.”

At 23, Gomes is also a young player who should only continue to develop as he gets older, becoming even more mature and polished sitting in front of the defence.

PL club want him: Liverpool face their own Palmer disaster with "magic" ace

This Liverpool player has been linked with an exit and it would be a disaster for Slot’s project.

ByAngus Sinclair Jan 10, 2025

This season, the Brazilian has started 19 Premier League games for Wolves, averaging 3.2 tackles per game in the competition, which is more than any Liverpool player, with Alexis Mac Allister (3.0) leading the way.

The Champions Cup match drew many celebrities to BMO Stadium as LAFC beat the Herons 1-0

Jenner spotted alongside Ramirez, Patty Rodriguez and Becky G

Cristo Fernandez and Jamie Camil also seen celebrating with fans

LAFC defeats Inter Miami 1-0 with a goal from Nathan Ordaz

Getty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED

LAFC hosted Inter Miami in the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinal, with a host of celebrities in attendance. The match saw LAFC emerge victorious with a 1-0 win, courtesy of a 57th-minute goal by Nathan Ordaz.

Kendall Jenner, Patty Rodriguez, and Danny Ramirez were spotted among the crowd, while Ted Lasso actor Cristo Fernandez and Mexican star Jamie Camil were seen celebrating the goal with LAFC fans.

AdvertisementWATCH THE VIDEOTHE BIGGER PICTURE

This match was more than just a soccer game; it was a cultural event that brought together stars from various fields. The crowd of 22,207 fans at BMO Stadium included not only Hollywood celebrities but also sports icons like Stephen Curry, showcasing the international interest in the competition.

The match also marked Inter Miami's first defeat of the 2025 season and set the stage for an intense second leg at Miami.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images SportWHAT’S NEXT?

The two teams will meet again for the second leg in Miami on April 9, with Inter Miami looking to overturn the 1-0 deficit. Prior to that, Inter Miami will host Toronto FC on April 6 at the Chase Stadium while LAFC will go on the road to face the Houston Dynamo on the same day.