Captain Marnus Labuschagne has confirmed that Usman Khawaja will play for Queensland in the Sheffield Shield final and believes last week’s public spat will high performance manager Joe Dawes will “improve his performance” rather than distract him.Khawaja, 38, has been the subject of an unusual media drama in the lead-up to the final after missing the last match of the regular season against South Australia at Karen Rolton Oval.Related

• Pope squeezed out as South Australia hope to break 29-year drought

• 'That is 100% wrong' – Emotional Khawaja insists Queensland knew about his injury

• Ironman Doggett has Shield glory in sights after career resurgence

• From rock-bottom to title favourites: How South Australia learned to believe again

Dawes spoke last Wednesday claiming Khawaja did not have any hamstring issues that they were aware of and said, “it’s just disappointing he didn’t play a game for Queensland when he had an opportunity to.”Queensland Cricket board member Ian Healy had also made strong comments on his SEN radio show saying, “It’s just this pick and choose mentality that has been evident in his later years that Queensland haven’t been happy with.”Khawaja fired back in an emotional and lengthy press conference, saying the accusations of him not having an injury were “categorically untrue” and that he was disappointed and disheartened by claims that he didn’t want to play for Queensland despite spending five days in Melbourne at the Australian Formula One Grand Prix while the Shield game was going on.Labuschagne confirmed that Khawaja would definitely play in the final at Karen Rolton Oval on Wednesday and was confident that Australia’s Test opener wouldn’t be distracted after a turbulent week.”No, not at all,” Labuschagne said at the captains’ pre-game press conference. “If anything, it’ll probably improve his performance. He just loves the big moments. He’s been an amazing player for a long time, so I don’t think he’s going to have any issues with going out there and performing at his best.”Queensland captain Marnus Labuschagne and South Australia captain Nathan McSweeney pose with the Sheffield Shield trophy•Getty Images

South Australia captain Nathan McSweeney, who was Khawaja’s opening partner for the first three Tests of the Border-Gavaskar series and is a former Queensland team-mate, said he had spoken to Khawaja in the lead-up to the final and expected him to perform well.”He wanted to see if he could get a tee time at Kooyonga,” McSweeney said. “So I did send him a cheeky text. But he’s all good. “He’s a professional player, has been for a long time now, and I think he’ll be definitely ready here tomorrow, and he’ll be a massive wicket for us.”Queensland’s staff put together a video of former Shield winning players sending their well wishes to the current team, which the squad watched on the big screen at Karen Rolton Oval before training on Tuesday.Labuschagne would not confirm Queensland’s final XI, but they will need to make at least one change from the side that drew with South Australia to accommodate Khawaja’s return. The concern for Queensland will be trying to take 20 wickets after claiming just 12 in four days last week, with Labuschagne taking four of them with his part-time medium pace.

How a drawn final is decided

In the event the Sheffield Shield final ends in a draw, the title will be decided on first-innings bonus points which are accrued across the first 100 overs.

Batting teams earn 0.01 of a bonus point for every run scored over 200 in the initial 100 overs; bowling sides get 0.1 of a bonus point for every wicket in the first 100 overs. For example, the batting side scores 350 all out in 90 overs they earn 1.5 points and the bowling side 1 point.

Should bonus points be tied and the match drawn, SA will win the Shield given they finished top of the ladder and earned hosting rights for the final.

“The wicket is probably not as hard as it was for last week’s game here,” he said. “I think there’s probably a little bit more moisture in it. The grass is probably a fraction longer. But obviously [curator] Trent [Kelly] hasn’t cut it yet, so we’ll have to wait and see whether that gets cut in the morning.”I think, all in all, last week would have been a really good cricket wicket for a five-day game. South Australia had us in a position where if they really wanted to try and win the game, they probably could have pushed down that route.”Even last week, on that wicket that was quite flat, there could have been a result. So I don’t think there’s going to be any problem with trying to get a result this game.”South Australia squad: Nathan McSweeney (capt), Jordan Buckingham, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Henry Hunt, Jake Lehmann, Ben Manenti, Nathan McAndrew, Conor McInerney, Harry Nielsen, Lloyd Pope, Jason Sangha, Liam Scott, Henry ThorntonQueensland squad: Marnus Labuschagne (capt), Jack Clayton, Lachlan Hearne, Usman Khawaja, Angus Lovell, Ben McDermott, Michael Neser, Jimmy Peirson, Matthew Renshaw, Mark Steketee, Tom Straker, Mitchell Swepson, Callum Vidler, Jack Wildermuth

Leroy Sane’s surprise move to Galatasaray has drawn heavy criticism from Bayern Munich legend Oliver Kahn, who claimed the winger “doesn’t want to be a top player” despite having all the qualities to dominate at the highest level. The German international left Bayern this summer after five years, turning down a contract extension in favour of a new challenge in Turkey.

Sane’s Galatasaray switch questioned by Bayern great

Sane opted to leave the Bavarians at the end of his contract negotiations, ending a five-year spell in which he scored 61 goals and provided 55 assists in over 220 appearances. Despite interest from other European clubs, he rejected several offers to join Galatasaray, citing the atmosphere at Rams Park as decisive. His choice, however, has not gone down well with the former Bayern figure.

AdvertisementImago ImagesKahn: Sane has everything, absolutely everything

Speaking to , the former Bayern goalkeeper expressed disbelief at the winger's decision, insisting he has all the natural gifts to be an elite player.

"When you see him, what qualities he has – in training, on the pitch, his speed, his style of football, his dribbling, even his finishing when he's focused: The boy has everything, absolutely everything, you need to become a truly top player," said Kahn

The German stressed that the biggest question around Sane isn’t his ability, but his mentality and desire to consistently reach the very top.

"If he doesn't want that, then it's his decision, then his career will just follow a little differently, and now he has to make sure he finds his place at Galatasaray. If I don't come today, I'll come tomorrow – that's just his character, often with his entire body language."

Bayern forced into transfer reshuffle

The 29-year-old's exit left Die Roten short of experience out wide, prompting the German giants to splash €75 million (£65m/$87m) on Liverpool’s Luis Diaz. While Galatasaray have enjoyed a flawless start to the Super Lig, winning all seven games, Sane himself has struggled to settle. With just one goal and three assists in eight starts across competitions, his output has fallen short of expectations.

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Getty ImagesNext steps for Sane in Istanbul

Sane remained on the bench during Galatasaray’s Champions League victory over Liverpool. However, with a crucial clash against Besiktas up next, the German international will be eager to break into the starting XI and prove that his move to Turkey was not a step down from European football’s elite stage.

تحدث ديكو المدير الرياضي لبرشلونة، في مؤتمر صحفي اليوم الأحد، وأوضح قرارًا هامًا للنادي بشأن المدير الفني هانز فليك، وعلّق على تحركات الفريق في سوق الانتقالات.

وقال ديكو في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “سبورت” الإسبانية: “هناك الكثير من الضجيج، ولدينا هيكل تنظيمي جاهز للوصول إلى ما نطمح إليه، لقد استعدنا فكرة المنافسة، الموسم الماضي لم يكن محض صدفة”.

اقرأ أيضًا | تطور مفاجئ.. برشلونة يعلن عودة لاعب مهم قبل الكلاسيكو

وأضاف: “الإعارات ليست صدفة، وانتقالات مثل لينجليت، الذي كان مُعارًا بالفعل، وفيتور روكي، جاءت في وقت كان فيه النادي يُعاني، باو فيكتور لاعب شاب تعاقدنا معه، وكانت لدينا ثقة كبيرة به، مع وجود راشفورد، كان من الصعب عليه (باو فيكتور) الحصول على دقائق لعب، وينطبق الأمر نفسه على بابلو توري”.

وواصل: “نراقب تطور يان فيرجيلي في مايوركا، وانتقل أليكس فالي إلى كومو؛ مع ما لدينا، لن يُسبب لنا أي ضرر على الإطلاق، وصل دارفيتش وهو في سن صغيرة، ونقلناه إلى ألمانيا، كل شيء منطقي ومبرر للقيام بذلك”.

وأشار: “لدينا خيار إعادة شراء سيرجي دومينجيز من دينامو زغرب، لدينا الكثير من لاعبي قلب الدفاع، هناك الكثير من الشائعات، والكثير من الضجيج، لم نتوقع رحيل إنييجو، جددنا عقده لموسم آخر، واتفقنا على أنه، نظرًا لعمره، إذا سنحت لنا فرصة شخصية، فسنحترمها”.

وتابع: “جددنا عقد فيرمين، الشاب الواعد؛ وبيدري، الذي كان يدخل عامه الأخير؛ وجافي، الذي أمضى فترة طويلة في هذا النادي، ويبلغ من العمر 21 عامًا فقط، إنه يعاني، لكنه سيكون لاعبًا أساسيًا في المستقبل، جددنا أيضًا عقد أراوخو، وباو كوبارسي، وجيرارد مارتن”.

وأستطرد: “جددنا عقد لامين يامال، يجب أن نحتفل بهذا ليس فقط لوضعه الحالي، بل لأنه يمكن أن يكون معيارًا لكرة القدم العالمية”.

اقرأ أيضًا | لابورتا منتقدًا يويفا: حاولوا حرمان برشلونة من دوري أبطال أوروبا

وأكد: “التعاقدات الجديدة هي التجديدات، رافينها يُظهر ما يُريده برشلونة، جددنا عقد بيرنال عندما كان مُصابًا؛ وهذا يُظهر إلى أين نحن ذاهبون، كان كوندي يدخل عامه الأخير في عقده، تمامًا مثل فرينكي دي يونج وجددناه”.

وعن المدرب هانز فليك، شدد: “نقوم بتجديد عقد المدير الفني لموسم آخر، وكذلك عقد الجهاز الفني، للحفاظ على هيكل ما نقوم به”.

وبشأن تعاقدات برشلونة أفاد: “بإمكان راشفورد أن يلعب معنا في الجناح الأيسر، أو في الوسط، أو حتى في اليمين، اعتمدنا كثيرًا على رافينها ولامين العام الماضي، إنه لاعب من الطراز العالمي”.

وأسترسل: “تير شتيجن لاعب من الطراز العالمي، إصابة مارك جعلتنا في عجلة من أمرنا أكثر من المعتاد؛ إنها إشارة تحذيرية يجب أن نكون على دراية بها، وكنا نتابع باهتمام التعاقد مع خوان جارسيا”.

وأتم ديكو تصريحاته مؤكدًا: “روني لاعب في الجناح الأيمن يتمتع بجودة عالية، لم نقصر في التعاقدات”.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Palmeiras vai reencontrar um velho conhecido nas oitavas de final da Copa Libertadores 2023. Pelo terceiro ano consecutivo, Abel Ferreira encara o Atlético-MG por uma vaga na competição mais importante do continente. Na semi em 2021, nas quartas em 2022 e agora nas oitavas em 2023.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasPalmeiras disputa Choque-Rei decisivo pela Copa do Brasil em busca de alongar invencibilidade contra rivaisPalmeiras05/07/2023São PauloEm busca da vaga! São Paulo enfrenta Palmeiras na Copa do Brasil para repetir 2022São Paulo05/07/2023PalmeirasPalmeiras reencontra São Paulo na Copa do Brasil com sete novidades em relação ao time de 2022Palmeiras05/07/2023

+ Veja tabela e classificação da Libertadores-2023 clicando aqui

Porém, o confronto deste ano reserva um ingrediente mais do que especial para o Verdão. Luiz Felipe Scolari acaba de assumir o comando do Galo e mais uma vez vai reencontrar o Palmeiras na Libertadores. Nunca o experiente treinador foi eliminado numa oitava de final de Libertadores, e Abel terá que fazer história mais uma vez se o Verdão quiser avançar para as quartas da atual edição.

Mesmo em um momento melhor na temporada e também na Libertadores, não consigo achar o Palmeiras favorito para esse confronto. Nos últimos dois anos, foram quatro empates e apesar dos oito jogos de invencibilidade do lado alviverde, é um adversário que merece muita atenção por parte do Verdão.

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A primeira partida que deve ser somente no início do próximo mês pode reservar um Palmeiras diferente, uma vez que com a janela aberta, a diretoria pode buscar algum reforço até lá, uma vez que o Verdão negociou recentemente o atacante Giovani e está prestes a liberar Rafael Navarro para os Estados Unidos. A pressão da torcida por reforços até lá será grande.

De um lado, Abel Ferreira que não quer de jeito nenhum ser eliminado pelo segundo ano seguido pelo amigo Scolari, do outro Hulk e cia que não aguentam mais perderem para o Palmeiras na Libertadores.

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Façam as suas apostas!

Apesar do duríssimo confronto diante do Galo, pelo menos o Palmeiras caiu no lado mais fraco da chave e tem apenas Boca Juniors e Nacional pela frente no caminho de uma possível final.

Fast bowlers Renuka Singh, Pooja Vastrakar and Titas Sadhu are injured and were not considered for selection

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Apr-2025Kashvee Gautam, N Shree Charani and Shuchi Upadhyay have been handed their maiden national call-ups in a much changed India ODI squad for the upcoming tri-series in Sri Lanka, where South Africa are the third team.Harmanpreet Kaur is back as the captain after sitting out the previous series, against Ireland at home in January, while Sneh Rana, Yastika Bhatia, Arundhati Reddy and Amanjot Kaur have all come back. Renuka Singh, Pooja Vastrakar and Titas Sadhu, the fast bowlers, are both injured and were not considered for selection.ODI tri-series schedule

April 27 – Sri Lanka vs India
April 29 – India vs South Africa
May 2 – Sri Lanka vs South Africa
May 4 – Sri Lanka vs India
May 7 – India vs South Africa
May 9 – Sri Lanka vs South Africa
May 11 – Final

Shafali Verma, meanwhile, continued to be out of the picture despite a strong showing at the Women’s Premier League (WPL) earlier this year, when she scored 304 runs from nine innings (fourth on the table for highest run-scorers) with a strike rate of 152.76.When India hosted Ireland, and swept the series 3-0 with comprehensive wins in all three games, Smriti Mandhana was India’s captain. That squad also had Uma Chetry, Raghvi Bist, Sayali Satghare, Tanuja Kanwar, Minnu Mani, Priya Mishra and Saima Thakor, who have all been left out.ESPNcricinfo LtdGautam, 21, was one of the star performers at the WPL this year, picking up 11 wickets – the most by an Indian – in nine games and impressive with her control. Twenty-year-old Charani, a left-arm spinner, played just two games in the WPL, for Delhi Capitals (DC), picking up four wickets. Left-arm spinner Upadhyay, meanwhile, was the third-highest wicket-taker at the Senior Women’s One-Day Trophy held in December last year. She picked up 18 wickets then at an economy rate of 3.48 and an average of 15.44 in nine innings. She was named the Player of the Tournament as her team, Madhya Pradesh, won the trophy.The series is an important one for all three teams keeping in mind the ODI World Cup later in the year – in September-October – in India.India squad for women’s ODI tri-series in Sri LankaHarmanpreet Kaur (capt), Smriti Mandhana (vice-capt), Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wk), Yastika Bhatia (wk), Deepti Sharma, Amanjot Kaur, Kashvee Gautam, Sneh Rana, Arundhati Reddy, Tejal Hasabnis, Sree Charani, Shuchi Upadhyay

Newcastle United are almost at the end of an exhausting and at times exasperating summer transfer window, but there are potential exits still to contend with, and signings to be made.

The transfer show was put on pause on Monday night, though, as United met Premier League champions Liverpool in a spectacle of a game, losing 3-2 but reinforcing the bond with the fanbase after such an incredible effort.

Bruno Guimaraes led by example, blending talent with tenacity and toughness. He acted as the talisman that Alexander Isak should be for the Magpies, but the number nine, wanted by Liverpool, wanting Liverpool, remains absent, having ostracised himself from Eddie Howe’s squad as he pushes to force an exit.

Howe took the positives from a brilliant collective performance that cruelly yielded nothing by way of points for the Tynesiders.

But the contest with Arne Slot’s side has highlighted the need for a few more signings before the transfer window shuts in six days.

Newcastle eyeing several signings

Newcastle’s summer-long pursuit of a new striker continues to rage on, with recent bids being rejected for Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Jorgen Strand Larsen and Brentford forward Yoane Wissa.

Whether Isak stays or goes remains to be seen, but there’s no question that a new forward is needed irrespective of that outcome.

However, Newcastle also need a midfielder, with injuries inflicted on Joelinton and Sandro Tonali during the recent defeat to Liverpool emphasising that fact.

Well, according to journalist Jason Soutar, Newcastle are exploring a move for Chelsea’s Andrey Santos, with the need for another central midfielder persisting after the £40m acquisition of Jacob Ramsey from Aston Villa.

Sean Longstaff left St. James’ Park and signed for Leeds United this summer, so a versatile and robust midfielder like Santos, who is only 21, could be the perfect fit, though Premier League rivals such as West Ham United are interested too, and he has been valued at £42m.

Why Newcastle want Andrey Santos

Chelsea signed Santos from Brazilian club Vasco da Gama when he was 18 years old. Recognised as a top talent from the off, the Brazilian midfielder has spent a season-and-a-half on loan with Strasbourg in Ligue 1.

However, he has since returned to Stamford Bridge, featuring in the Club World Cup and playing a peripheral part across the opening weeks of the 2025/26 campaign.

Santos has only been handed 39 minutes of action across Chelsea’s opening two fixtures of the Premier League campaign, and he might be convinced to jump ship if offered the promise of playing time and a pathway to prominence at St. James’ Park.

After all, the Brazilian showcased his skills and then some in France last season, even rivalling Guimaraes in regard to midfield quality, perhaps suggesting that he could replace his compatriot at Newcastle in the coming years.

League Stats 24/25 – Guimaraes vs Santos
Stats (* per game)	Guimaraes	Santos
Matches (starts)	38 (38)	32 (32)
Goals	5	10
Assists	6	3
Touches*	64.0	65.9
Pass completion	84%	89%
Big chances created	12	9
Key passes*	1.4	0.8
Dribbles*	0.9	0.6
Ball recoveries*	4.9	5.9
Tackles + interceptions*	3.0	4.4
Duels won*	6.4 (52%)	7.1 (67%)
Stats via Sofascore

It’s a well-documented fact that the Premier League presents a different kind of challenge for so many talented prospects making the leap, but it bodes well for Santos that he has shown he has a striking similarity to Newcastle’s midfield machine

Hailed as a “duel monster” with a “top tackling ability” by analyst Ben Mattinson, Santos has what it takes to one day succeed the 27-year-old Guimaraes, especially with such crispness in possession, and much creativity besides.

Guimaraes’ performance against Liverpool was played with such fervent passion that it’s inconceivable to imagine him leaving anytime soon.

But he will remove the famous black-and-white shirt for a final time at one point, and if Santos is signed, Howe might find himself wielding an incredible successor.

Huge upgrade on Strand Larsen: Newcastle in talks to sign "special" £50m CF

Yoane Wissa isn’t the only forward Newcastle are trying to sign before the closure of the transfer market.

By
Angus Sinclair

Aug 25, 2025

Marcus Rashford's stunning volley proved to be a consolation goal for Barcelona, who were hammered 4-1 in Seville. The defeat was compounded after Robert Lewandowski missed a penalty, but Sevilla were well worth the scoreline and it was only a fine performance from Wojciech Szczesny which kept the scoreline down.

The hosts took the lead in the 11th minute after a clumsy challenge from Ronald Araujo on Isaac Romero, referee Alejandro Muniz Ruiz initially failed to give the penalty, but pointed to spot after reviewing the challenge on the pitchside video, and Alexis Sanchez sent his former Arsenal team-mate Szczesny the wrong way to give Sevilla the lead. 

The conditions in southern Spain were sweltering, hitting 33 degrees, and it was the hosts who were on fire, doubling their lead in the 37th minute, courtesy of a well-taken finish by Romero after Joules Kounde had been caught in possession. But Barcelona game themselves hope deep into time added on in the first-half, when Pedri picked out Rashford who timed his run to perfection and fired an unstoppable shot past Odysseas Vlachodimos. 

And while Hansi Flick's side were improved in the second half, Lewandowski fired his penalty wide in the 77th minute and the league champions conceded two further late goals to slump to a demoralising 4-1 defeat. 

GOAL rates Barcelona's players from the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan in Seville…

• AFP
  

  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Wojciech Szczesny (8/10):

  Making his third appearance as he continues to cover for the injured Garcia and was well beaten by Alexis Sanchez's penalty, but made stunning saves  throughout the match. The margin of defeat would have been much wider if not for his heroics.  

  Jules Kounde (5/10):

  Sanchez caused him massive problems and was at fault for the second goal after being caught in possession inside his own half. He tried, in vain, to claim he was fouled. Poor afternoon. 

  Ronald Araujo (5/10):

  Was clearly at fault for the early penalty. A clumsy challenge, and the referee initially waved away the shout from the hosts, but it was given after pitchside video review. He was fuming, but a penalty was the right call. Substituted at half-time. 

  Pau Cubarsi (6/10):

  Important to remember he's still young and finding his way and deserves credit for hardly making a mistake all game. 

  Gerard Martin (4/10):

  Was given a torrid time throughout the first-half as Barca were overrun on both wings and through the middle. Hooked at half-time, replaced by Alejandro Balde.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Midfield

  Frenkie de Jong (5/10):

  Did his best to find pockets of space, but was well shepherded by the Sevilla midfield. Had one of those days where everything he tried failed to come off. 

  Pedri (6/10):

  Stunning pass to set up Rashford late in the first-half and was a constant attacking threat whenever he got on the ball, but this was nowhere near often enough. 

  Dani Olmo (6/10):

  Barely put a foot wrong, but was well below-par. Will consider his shift to have been solid but, like so many of the visitors, nothing worked for him on the day. 

• AFP
  

  Attack

  Marcus Rashford (8/10):

  Squandered a wonderful opportunity in the 43rd minute, through on goal he fired it wide when he really should've scored. But made amends in time added on in the first-half, firing home a stunning volley. Remained a positive attacking presence for Barca all match, but couldn't stop a dismal defeat.

  Robert Lewandowski (4/10):

  A diabolical afternoon, fired his penalty wide and his finishing was poor throughout. A dire day at the office, which he'll be keen to forget in a hurry. 

  Ferran Torres (5/10):

  Replaced in 69th minute by Roony Bardghj. Only managed one touch in the opposition box. 

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Subs & Manager

  Alejandro Balde (6/10):

  Brought on on the 52nd minute and his positive run into the box won a penalty for Barcelona after he was fouled by Adnan Januzaj.

  Eric Garcia (5/10):

  An uncomfortable afternoon for him, made little impact after being brought on. 

  Roony Bardghji (5/10):

  Was brought on in the 68th minute and was a real live wire, but wasted a gilt-edged chance to equalise with just a few minutes to go. 

  Hansi Flick (5/10):

  Will argue the huge number of injuries his side had to deal with was to blame for the defeat. But his team played without any real urgency and were out-played for large swathes of the match. Has plenty to ponder after that shocking performance.

Tourists prevail in low-scoring contest at Hurstville Oval to get off to a winning start in multi-format tour

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Mar-2025

Mahika Gaur impressed with 2 for 10 from her four overs•Getty Images

England Women A 119 for 7 (Scholfield 36, Scrivens 35) beat Australia Women A 117 for 6 (Gaur 2-10) by three wicketsEngland Women A succeeded at the first attempt where the senior squad had failed in seven matches out of seven, as they opened their multi-format tour of Australia with a three-wicket victory over Australia A in the first T20I at Hurstville Oval in Sydney.After winning the toss and choosing to bowl first, England restricted their counterparts to 117 for 6 in their 20 overs, with Mahika Gaur, the tall left-arm seamer, proving especially unplayable as she returned figures of 2 for 10 in four overs. Gaur’s opening delivery of the match trapped Tahlia Wilson lbw for 0, as Australia slipped to 43 for 4 in the first ten overs.Georgia Davis chipped in with 2 for 16 in three overs of offspin, while Mady Villiers and Emma Jones were also in the wickets as Australia A struggled to build any significant partnerships. The best was a stand of 49 in eight overs for the fifth wicket between Maddy Penna, who top-scored with 27, and Rhys McKenna (25), before Davis dismissed both in the space of five balls.In reply, England’s chase was controlled by a second-wicket stand of 63 between Grace Scrivens, who was captaining the side at the age of 21 and made 35 from 38 balls, and Paige Scholfield, who top-scored with 36 from 29.Between them, they carried England into the ascendency at 80 for 1 in the 12th over, before Australia hit back to set up a tense finish. Lauren Cheatle dismissed both in consecutive overs, before Freya Kemp, Villiers and Jones all departed cheaply. But Bess Heath held her nerve with 18 not out, to seal victory with five balls to spare.The tour has taken on heightened importance for the England Women’s set-up, in the wake of the twin sackings of head coach Jon Lewis and captain Heather Knight last weekend. The new-look A-team squad contained just four players who were part of the Ashes squad that suffered a 16-0 points whitewash in January and February.Scrivens, who led Sunrisers to victory in last year’s final staging of the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy and will be captaining Essex this season, was last week named as captain for the T20I leg of this tour, with Durham’s Hollie Armitage set to lead the forthcoming 50-over series.Following last week’s confirmation of a stress fracture for Dani Gibson, the squad has suffered another setback with Bryony Smith ruled out of the tour due to illness.The Surrey captain, who was originally selected in the white-ball squads, did not travel with the core group and following medical investigations in the UK, a decision between ECB and Surrey medical teams was made for Smith to withdraw from the tour to continue her recovery ahead of the new domestic season.No replacement will be named.

Arsenal are in advanced talks to sign Bayer Leverkusen defender Piero Hincapie before the deadline on Monday, but a deal may not be as straightforward as that after all.

The Ecuador international is poised to come in as a direct replacement for Jakub Kiwior, who has now sealed a loan move to FC Porto ahead of a permanent switch in 2026.

Mikel Arteta and Andrea Berta are looking to both grant Kiwior’s wish for more game time elsewhere, whilst also ensuring that the Gunners are not left too exposed defensively in case one of William Saliba or Gabrial Magalhaes succumbs to injury at some point this season – which is a distinct possibility.

Kepa Arrizabalaga

£5m

Martin Zubimendi

£60m

Christian Norgaard

£15m

Noni Madueke

£52m

Cristhian Mosquera

£13m

Viktor Gyokeres

£55m

Eberechi Eze

£67.5m

Cristhian Mosquera helps to reinforce Arteta’s options in this regard, but the young Spanish prospect is untested in England and would benefit from a more experienced partner of the highest calibre.

Hincapie played a key role under Xabi Alonso at Leverkusen last term and was a member of their Bundesliga-winning side in 2023/2024 – a team that also went unbeaten all campaign until their loss to Atalanta in the Europa League final.

The 23-year-old also offers versatility and can play in multiple defensive roles, with Arsenal believed to be closing in on a loan deal which includes an obligation to buy next year – similarly to Kiwior.

The Premier League title hopefuls appear determined to get Hincapie over the line with time running out, but according to BBC journalist Sami Mokbel, they face a late roadblock.

Arsenal talks for Piero Hincapie take late transfer twist

According to Mokbel, due to “concerns” over UEFA’s squad coast ratio rule, Arsenal are working to sell players before finalising a deal for the defender.

In his piece for the BBC, Mokbel also reports that a successful move for Hincapie “hinges” on Berta getting players out of the door with Kiwior.

Of the names up for grabs at Arsenal, it is believed Reiss Nelson, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Albert Sambi Lokonga and Fabio Vieira could all leave the Emirates before Monday’s deadline.

Zinchenko has attracted interest from Italy and Turkey, while Stuttgart were in talks for Vieira and Fulham have approached for Nelson – but the latter want to sign him on a straight loan and are reluctant to agree to any permanent deal conditions (BBC).

The lack of Premier League football might be a drag, but West Ham United fans were at least able to watch Jarrod Bowen on Tuesday night.

The sensationally talented winger didn’t feature in the drab 2-0 win over Andorra, but he did come off the bench in the 5-0 demolition of Serbia.

It was the Hammers star’s 17th cap for the country, and while that’s a great achievement, plenty would argue his talent and form suggest he should have plenty more under his belt.

The Englishman has been one of the Irons’ best players for years now, but he might have some welcome competition in the shape of an academy gem pretty soon.

Bowen's West Ham career

Bowen joined West Ham in January 2020 from Hull City for a fairly hefty fee – for a Championship player – of £20m.

While it’s easy to forget today, the then 23-year-old wasn’t an instant hit in East London, scoring just a single goal and providing four assists in his 13 appearances that season.

However, we started to see the player we recognise today the following season, as he bolstered his return to eight goals and six assists and, from that point on, was one of the club’s key players.

Undoubtedly, the 28-year-old’s best moment for the Hammers came in the 2023 Conference League final, in which he scored the match-winning goal in the 90th minute to hand the club their first European trophy.

In all, the Leominster-born monster has made 242 appearances for West Ham, totalling 19251 minutes, in which he’s scored 75 goals and provided 52 assists.

That means the legend in the making has managed to average a goal involvement every 1.90 games, or every 151.58 minutes since making the move to the London Stadium over five years ago.

With all that said, it’s certainly encouraging that the academy might be about to provide the club with their own homegrown version of Bowen.

West Ham's homegrown Bowen

West Ham have a proud history of developing some seriously top talent, and the latest star to come out of their academy may just be Elisha Sowunmi.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

The 18-year-old prospect joined the club at the under-9s level and put pen to paper on his first professional contract earlier this summer.

It’s not hard to see why the Hammers were keen to tie him down, as he’s come on leaps and bounds in the junior sides and had a campaign to remember last season.

For example, in 25 appearances totalling just 2081 minutes, the promising talent put the ball in the back of the net 14 times and provided two assists to boot.

That means he was able to maintain an average of a goal involvement every 1.56 games, or every 130.06 and suggests he could be a real goal threat when he progresses to the first team, like Bowen.

Appearances

25

Minutes

2081′

Goals

14

Assists

2

Goal Involvements per Match

0.64

Minutes per Goal Involvement

130.06′

However, that isn’t the only trait he shares with the 28-year-old, as he’s also incredibly versatile, having played all over the pitch from attacking midfield to up top and off the right, which is now considered his primary role.

It should be said that the step-up to senior football is massive, and it may take a few years before fans see him on a regular basis, but as academy manager Kenny Brown points out, “he has all the talent in the world.”

Ultimately, Bowen is without question West Ham’s best player and probably will remain so for at least a few more years, but keep an eye out for Sowunmi – he looks like the real deal.

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