Where will this crucial contest be won and lost?

Sidharth Monga20-May-20252:58

Cricinformed: Bumrah, the gold standard for a T20 bowler

Win the toss by any meansThe toss seems to be worth more at Wankhede Stadium than other venues. The true pitch, the small boundaries and the dew are a nightmare for teams batting first. Among the active IPL venues, Wankhede offers chasing sides the best win-loss ratio in night games over the last five years: 1.8. This year only Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have defended successfully in a night game at Wankhede, scoring 221 and then just scraping home by 12 runs.What do you do if you lose the toss?MI are much more likely to overcome the toss disadvantage. They have the batting to keep hitting through the 20 overs and post a par-plus total. However, they haven’t yet been able to display how it can be done as they haven’t batted first and won a night game at Wankhede this year.They came close the one time they lost the toss, but that was on a seaming pitch. If they play on the same surface as they did against Gujarat Titans (GT), scoring just 155 and then taking the match to the last ball amid rain breaks, MI will back themselves because of a stronger pace attack. Especially given how DC are without Mitchell Starc, they might even want to play on the same track.DC will have a taller order if they have to bat first. They are coming off a match where KL Rahul scored a hundred in a total of 199, which turned out to be inadequate. On the usual flat Mumbai track, DC will have to bat out of their skins to post a challenging total.4:34

Are DC equipped to succeed without Starc?

Promote StubbsIt is not a question of just intent. DC made 56 boundary attempts as against GT’s 44 when they failed to defend 199. The conditions play a big role. The ball stops just a little when the pitch is fresh, but under lights it comes onto the bat beautifully. There are no match-ups or weak links for DC to exploit.The one tweak they could make is promote Tristan Stubbs to No. 3 if the first wicket doesn’t fall early. You can still have Abhishek Porel bat at 3 if the opportunity comes with a lot of powerplay deliveries left, but Stubbs has the highest ceiling among the DC batters after the openers. If DC find themselves batting first, it makes sense to give Stubbs as many deliveries as possible because what looks like a par score is never enough at Wankhede.The Surya-Tilak combinationDC are a rare team whose spinners have done well against Suryakumar Yadav. Axar Patel has gone at under a run a ball, and Kuldeep Yadav got him out the last time he came up against Suryakumar. However, Tilak Varma more than makes up for it with a strike rate of 178 against both of the spinners. We might just see MI promote Tilak if they get off to a good start or Axar bringing himself on should Surya and Rohit Sharma bat together. That is one pairing MI should look to avoid: both go at under a run a ball against Axar and aren’t great against Kuldeep either. Considering spin is DC’s strength, don’t bet against some flexibility in the order should Ryan Rickleton be the first batter dismissed.Target Deepak ChaharMI love to bowl a lot of Deepak Chahar in the powerplay so that they have Boult and Jasprit Bumrah for the death overs. Chahar has never got Rahul out. He has bowled just 11 balls to Faf du Plessis but has gone for 22 runs for no wicket. The best scenario for DC is to attack Chahar, force MI to take him off and make him come back late or make Hardik Pandya bowl those overs.

“Once you’re back in, you start looking at what’s on the horizon and it’d be amazing to play in a home T20 World Cup”

Valkerie Baynes26-Jun-2025Two teams, many changes, all to play for. That’s the scenario for India Women’s tour of England, where the hosts of the next two World Cups will face each other, not just for the immediate spoils but with an inevitable big-tournament focus.England have been buoyed by twin 3-0 sweeps of their white-ball series against West Indies after their 16-0 Ashes drubbing but expect a sterner test from an India side featuring a mix of stars, comebacks and inexperience.England have also shaken things up under the new leadership of head coach Charlotte Edwards, captain Nat Sciver-Brunt and national selector Lydia Greenway.Related

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Sophie Ecclestone returns for her first international appearances since January, joining fellow left-arm spinner Linsey Smith, who shone on ODI debut against West Indies, as did seamer Em Arlott.Tammy Beaumont, who has been on the fringes of the T20I side since the 2022 Ashes, is in the squad after a hugely successful ODI campaign, reprising her opening partnership with Amy Jones.Against West Indies, the pair amassed 464 runs between them, including 424 in tandem, in two ODIs. With T20I opener Danni Wyatt-Hodge scoring just 17 runs in three innings, Beaumont offers a batting option, especially with former captain Heather Knight sidelined after tearing her hamstring tendon from the bone during that series.Knight says she is on track to be fit for the 50-over World Cup in India later this year, while Beaumont – who has played just five T20Is in three years and was part of the squad but didn’t play against West Indies – hasn’t given up on making it to a home T20 World Cup in the English summer of 2026.Amy Jones and Tammy Beaumont were prolific in the ODIs against West Indies•PA Photos/Getty Images”The previous couple of years, I hadn’t overly thought about that Lord’s final and that World Cup here next year,” Beaumont told ESPNcricinfo. “It was something that would be nice to happen, but I can’t get too caught up in it. Getting that call-up for the West Indies T20 series was a little bit of a surprise, but a really nice surprise.”This India series, I’m just trying to really enjoy my T20 cricket and try to contribute in any way I can. Once you’re back in, you start looking at what’s on the horizon and it’d be amazing to play in a home T20 World Cup. For me, it’s just about enjoying every opportunity I get these days.”It’s been proven that if you perform at county level, you’ll get a go and then you’ve just got to perform where you get the chance. That’s something that tends to work pretty well in my brain, play what you see in front of you and, so far, so good.”Rewarding players for performing at domestic level has been a tenet of Edwards’ time in charge since replacing Jon Lewis in April and the India series represents the next step in her task of rebuilding a team which, like India were humbled at the T20 World Cup 2024.

“She’s almost superhuman at times, just to be able to be a mother and a new England captain and perform at the level that she always has done”Tammy Beaumont is in awe of Nat Sciver-Brunt’s all-round game

“It will be a really tough tour and series for us, but a really good test and a really good time for that,” Beaumont said. “They keep finding more and more talent. There’s a lot of names that I haven’t played against before in this squad and that normally throws out some unexpected challenges.”With the WPL, they’re just getting so much talent coming through that’s ready to go. It’s going to be a tough challenge, but really exciting. There’s always a bit of drama with the England-India series, so I’m sure there’ll be some drama coming forward.”This is India’s first visit to England since 2022, a tour which ended in high drama when Charlie Dean was run-out backing up by Deepti Sharma in the third ODI at Lord’s and which seems a long time ago in the context of two T20 World Cups in which both sides have fallen short.The T20I leg which kicks off this tour with five matches from Saturday represents a chance for both sides to stamp their authority before moving their attention to the three ODIs with eyes on the 2025 ODI World Cup.The coach-captain combo of Charlotte Edwards and Nat Sciver-Brunt could face a stern test against India•Getty ImagesWhile Jones and Beaumont made the bulk of England’s runs in the ODIs, Sciver-Brunt still managed to score fifties in the first and third games, the latter while Beaumont was rested and Jones dropped down the order to give others a chance to bat. Sciver-Brunt also struck an unbeaten 55 in the second T20I in Hove, her first series as captain and a new mum after wife Katherine gave birth to their son, Theo, in March with the family travelling together through the West Indies series.”She’s always been great with kids and being with her own son is absolutely no different,” Beaumont said of her skipper. “A lot of us are getting a bit broody watching how good she is with Theo.”Katherine is doing brilliantly as well, making sure Nat can do everything she needs to do and look after the baby and then enjoy that time together and the way that Nat’s handled it, is so typical Nat.”She’s almost superhuman at times, just to be able to be a mother and a new England captain and perform at the level that she always has done. It’s just a testament to her character that she can just always take anything and everything in her stride.”

The captain delivered a masterclass in control and accountability, standing tall amid the team’s various tactical tangles

Sidharth Monga02-Jul-20251:52

Aaron: A statement knock from Gill

There is a disturbing trend among these young batters of late: getting out in non-traditional manners with little jeopardy around. So Shubman Gill had to lead by example at Edgbaston.The three India innings so far have been enough to bring to mind memories of the Hyderabad Test against England in 2023-24. Ollie Pope enjoyed luck, all right, but India also missed batting them out in the first innings by getting out in ways that teams don’t plan dismissals. Yashasvi Jaiswal caught and bowled trying to hit a four, on 80; Rohit Sharma and Gill out in the 20s trying to hit sixes; KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer caught at deep midwicket on 86 and 35.Go back to Headingley. Three of the five centuries ended in unforced errors. India again failed to bat England out. Story same: young batters get into dominating positions, but get out in non-traditional manners with little jeopardy. In the lead-up to this Test, Gill didn’t blame others. He singled himself out for getting out the way he did when there were more runs to be had.Related

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Not every century has to be a test by conditions. Sometimes you have to overcome the test by match state, by opposition plans, by the state your own career is in, by the responsibility you have as captain and the scrutiny that comes with it.The opposition plans have been apparent. England have been bowling straighter at him, trying to work with the incoming ball that has been getting him out. Among specialist batters in this series, only Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope have faced a higher percentage of balls ending up on the stumps line from right-arm, over-the-wicket pace. Even from Leeds to Birmingham, the plans have changed: only 22.4% at the stumps line in Leeds, 33.5% here.Gill was equal to it, scoring 33 runs on the flick and nine on the on-drive. In all, he scored 61 runs on the on side. Among 84 balls that he sent into the leg side, Gill played false shots to only four.This was perhaps a regulation adjustment for him on a slow flat pitch, but India had dug themselves a hole when it comes to the state of the match. Two of the five wickets had fallen to unforced errors. There was a “here we go again” feel to the scorecard.Add to it the general chaos around India’s position in the series. Having lost the unloseable Test in Leeds, they seemed confused with their selection for the Test amid the confusion around which of the three matches Jasprit Bumrah should play. It wasn’t the baptism the young captain would have wanted in only his seventh first-class match as captain.So, amid all that, Gill dug in, living the words he spoke before the Test. Gears kept shifting throughout. He scored just four off the first 26, got to 50 in 125, and when the new ball was approaching he pulled out two sweeps in one Joe Root over to get the hundred. By the time he reached his century, according to ESPNcricinfo control numbers, he had played only 12 false shots in 199 balls. One of the lowest rate of false shots in any hundred in England since 2006.Shubman Gill lets out a roar after reaching his century•PA Images/GettyGill has an unusually high control percentage across his career. It is clear he is a batter with rare ability, but what really got him approval from the decision-makers in Indian cricket was the way he could bat in different ways at different tempos, specifically during the home series against England after India lost Hyderabad.There is no “natural game” he hides behind. He is an old-fashioned, even-tempered batter. His dogged century in the second innings in Visakhapatnam and his unbeaten fifty in the chase in Ranchi – his only boundaries came in the last over of the match – were evidence of that.Going out there and doing what you want others to do is a good way of earning the respect of your team-mates. “He has been amazing the way he has been batting,” Jaiswal said at the end of the day. “Incredible to see him bat. And as a captain also he has been amazing. He has been clear in what he wants to do.”By recent experience, though, Gill will know his job is only half done. The match state has merely been salvaged. He has two allrounders to bat with to make sure they get close to batting England out of the Test. Day two calls for just as much leadership from Gill as day one did.

He made the most of the new ball on a flat Ranchi pitch and kept some of the batters guessing with his variety even though he leaked runs

Alagappan Muthu01-Dec-20254:46

Takeaways – Kohli in his comfort zone, Jansen, Kuldeep and Rana sparkle

India’s best XI in any format starts with Jasprit Bumrah. He will lead the bowling attack at the 2027 World Cup, guaranteeing 10 overs of magic.Mohammed Siraj is second in charge. He can be hit or miss in white-ball cricket. He missed the Champions Trophy but was such a hit in an Asia Cup final a couple of years ago that the opposition scorecard looked like this.Hardik Pandya, who is returning to competitive cricket for the first time since his injury in September, will be crucial to balance the team in overseas conditions. That leaves one specialist fast-bowling spot open for Harshit Rana (28 List A matches), Arshdeep Singh (40) and Prasidh Krishna (75). All of them have a lot to learn but they’re still familiar with high-pressure white-ball situations thanks to the IPL.Related

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Ranchi was a high(ish)-pressure situation in the appropriate format and Rana rose to it. He picked up two wickets in an over, which eventually left South Africa 11 for 3 chasing 350. Ryan Rickelton was bowled on a defensive shot and Quinton de Kock was caught behind on the drive.”I think a lot of credit to Harshit also,” India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak said at the post-match press conference, “For taking the early wickets because I think otherwise, for them, in so much dew, they would’ve found it very easy to score runs.”Beyond those results was the process. Rana didn’t waste the brief window, under lights, when a still new, still dry ball was willing to zip around. That alone was good work. The wickets (three) and the win will perhaps reinforce it.”He was moving the ball well,” Kotak said. “He was hitting the right area early in the innings because the Kookaburra only swings for the first four or five overs and I think he made the most of it.”Rana still gave away 65 runs in 10 overs though. This happens because he bowls to unsettle. Targeting the stumps. Then the helmet. Then taking pace off. Then going wide. Then going yorker. Then going wide yorker. Or wide and slower ball. It’s basically fast bowling on shuffle. Bangers mixed in with duds.Rana commits to this role, at the expense of his economy rate, and India are happy to pay the price because they have Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav as banker bowlers capable of creating and sustaining pressure from the other end. They must also value how Rana doesn’t flinch when things go wrong. On Sunday, he took a no-look six on the chin from Dewald Brevis in one over. Dismissed him in the next. He gritted his teeth when Corbin Bosch saw through his slower ball and sent it into the stands. Then killed the momentum with a couple of good yorkers. Rana still needs a bit of refining but there’s something there.Conditions for fast bowling in India vary from those expected at the World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. Marco Jansen touched upon it after the first ODI when he said he had to keep reminding himself to get lower in his batting stance.Two years ago when India were in Centurion, they tried to lean into a pitch with pace and bounce by picking Prasidh in their Test team. His release from a high-arm action and ability to hit the deck hard were seen as an asset after South Africa had used a similar strategy to beat them on the previous tour. It didn’t quite pan out but not because it was poor logic.Arshdeep’s skills are more traditional and his left-arm angle can be a useful point of difference. There’s his composure at the death as well. He bowled a wicket-maiden in the 47th over when South Africa had brought the equation down to 38 off 24.The spotlight in that game and in any ODI that India play nowadays tends to be elsewhere, but these three are very different fast bowlers and the way they’re getting along makes for interesting viewing too.

With tours of India and Sri Lanka to come in this WTC cycle, South Africa have shown in Pakistan that they have the resources to be dangerous

Firdose Moonda23-Oct-2025Never before have spinners played such a major role for South Africa in a Test victory.Simon Harmer and Keshav Maharaj’s 17 wickets in Rawalpindi are the most by South African spinners in a win. Add Senuran Muthusamy’s 11, Harmer’s five and Prenelan Subrayen’s two in Lahore and South Africa’s spinners took 35 of the 40 wickets on offer this series – the most in a two-Test series.The performance of the spin quartet speaks as much to South Africa’s evolving relationship with spin to the improvement of the personnel involved. Put simply: “We didn’t come here with mediocre spinners,” as Kagiso Rabada said after the game, and he’s right.Related

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South Africa went to Pakistan with a clutch of the best spinners they have ever had. In Maharaj, who missed the first Test while he recovered from a groin injury, they have their country’s most successful Test spinner and the only one to 200 wickets. In Harmer, who made his return to international cricket after two-and-half-years, they have the only South African spinner with 1000 first-class wickets. Between them, Harmer and Maharaj have 402 first-class caps. Add Muthusamy and Subrayen, with limited international exposure but plenty at domestic level, and South Africa’s spinners had 595 matches worth of experience between them.”There’s a wealth of knowledge in our change room,” Maharaj told the broadcasters as he received the player of the match award.And it paid off. Maharaj, who took all five wickets as Pakistan’s lower order suffered a collapse of 5 for 17 in their first innings, has made his name on discipline and accuracy and this performance was no different. According to ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball data, he delivered 301 of his 325 balls in the match on the stumps or just outside off which cramped the Pakistan batters for room and did not allow them to score freely. He conceded at under 2.5 runs per over through the match as Pakistan faced 705 dot balls (117.5 overs) in 163.1 overs, which was part of South Africa’s plan to frustrate and eventually be able to dismiss them.Simon Harmer completed his maiden five-wicket haul in the Rawalpindi Test•Associated Press”Against the Pakistan batters, you needed to take away their boundary options,” Harmer said. “They’re very good at using their feet and something that we spoke about. Even when the ball’s turning away from the bat, they’re not scared to step out and get to the pitch of the ball. Non-subcontinent players look to sweep first versus using their feet, especially against a ball turning away. So I think with the amount of spinners we had in the squad, we bounced ideas around, came up with plans and then I think bowling in partnerships, as you touched on, is extremely important. In the first test, we probably weren’t as good at that. We were leaking runs from one side. But then in this Test, we were able to sort of stop the game.”In Lahore, Pakistan faced 637 dot balls (106.1 overs) in 156.5 overs which is still a significant number but they scored at a run-rate of 3.47 compared to 2.88 in Rawalpindi. Some of that can be attributed to the slower nature of the Pindi surface, which turned less. That also meant South Africa’s spinners, not known as huge turners of the ball anyway, had to rely on something other than just spin to take wickets.Maharaj said he did it with consistency and flight. Harmer, whose second innings six-for set South Africa up to chase a small target to level the series, did it with changes of pace, something he refined on the county circuit. He has been in in the top 10 wicket-takers on the county championship in the last six seasons and was the leading wicket-taker in two of them (2019 and 2022).”Recently, I feel like the wickets in England have died a bit. They’ve lost their zip and pace. There’s a lot of times playing in Chelmsford where you get into a situation like that,” he said. “Through the series, the most dangerous ball has been a pace off, between 78 and 82 (kph) On this wicket, the quicker pace was the pace that got batters to commit on the front foot, and then you could use your slower ball to get them into trouble. My time in England has helped me with that, bowling on flat wickets where there’s not a lot happening. It’s about how you construct your overs, what you’re looking to do and what shots you want the batters to play.”An example was the ball that dismissed Saud Shakeel on the third day, before Pakistan had taken the lead. It was flighted generously by Harmer, and delivered at 79.7kph. Shakeel played a little early, tried to force it though the offside and got an edge for Aiden Markram to pouch at first slip. Maharaj’s wicket-taking balls too, were in that same pace range, including the final one at 82kph which drew Sajid Khan out of his crease, only to miss a swipe and be stumped.Senuran Muthusamy barely bowled in Rawalpindi after career-best figures in Lahore, but contributed with the bat•AFP/Getty ImagesMuthusamy barely featured with the ball in Pindi and bowled only four overs in each innings. The most likely explanation is because South Africa already had left-arm spin covered with Maharaj but Harmer confirmed they still “felt we needed the option,” even if they didn’t use it. Muthusamy made the case for being included as a batter alone with his 89 not out and wasn’t too concerned about his lack of contribution with the ball after taking a career-best 11-for in Lahore and ending as the Player of the Series.”This Test match meant a lot more because we won the game,” Muthusamy said on receiving his award. “The first Test was good. It was lovely to get a good few spells of bowling and to get a few wickets and contribute. In this Test, Kesh and Harmer bowled really well and they’re world-class operators. I just try to do my best when I get a go.”In the end, that’s what matters to South Africa. They got to this year’s WTC final thanks to contributions from different players in different matches and if they are to challenge for the next one, they want to know they have a pool of players who can do the same. They’ve always known they have the fast bowlers, they discovered batters aplenty in the last cycle, and this series has shown that they also have the spinners which will be important as early as next month.South Africa’s next stop is India, where they last won a Test in 2011, and have since been outspun on two disastrous tours in 2015 and 2019. They’re expecting similarly challenging surfaces but believe they have the resources to combat them.”The unit that is out here in these conditions is up there with the best in the world,” Aiden Markram said. “Generally, you think of South Africa as just a country of seamers with the odd spinner here and there. But in conditions like this, the guys that put their hands up and put in performances, it’s bloody exciting for us as a team to see.”

While West Ham United have certainly signed some real talents over the last few years, they’ve unfortunately made more than their fair share of poor signings.

For example, the likes of Andy Irving, Mads Hermanssen, and Gianluca Scamacca are either failing to make the grade or have already failed, and that’s just from the last few summers.

Yet, perhaps the most disappointing addition the East Londoners have made in recent years is Niclas Füllkrug.

Fortunately, it looks like the German could be moving on sooner rather than later, although West Ham should make sure they get rid of another flop at the same time, someone former manager David Moyes was particularly excited about.

Füllkrug's West Ham disaster

When West Ham splashed £27m on Füllkrug last summer, there was a fair deal of excitement from some in the fanbase, as while he was certainly on the older side, he had just come off a stellar season for Borussia Dortmund in which he reached the Champions League final and chalked up 15 goals and provided ten assists in 43 appearances.

As if that wasn’t enough, he had also just spent the summer playing for Germany in the Euros.

Unfortunately, even those with the lowest of expectations for the veteran striker have since been disappointed with his efforts in East London.

In his first campaign with the club, injuries limited him to just 20 appearances, totalling 877 minutes, in which he scored just three goals and provided two assists.

This season has not been much better, as before his current injury, the 32-year-old had failed to score a single goal or provide a single assist in seven appearances, totalling 385 minutes.

So, with the former Dortmund star being both woefully ineffective and injury-prone, most fans weren’t too upset when news broke of his desire to leave the club in the winter window.

It now looks like such a move will occur, with several Bundesliga sides readying offers to take him off the Hammers’ hands.

Füllkrug will probably end up doing alright back in Germany, but his departure would be best for all parties involved, which is also the case for another West Ham dud Moyes once thought would be a success.

The West Ham star who must be sold

Aside from Füllkrug, the West Ham player most in need of being sold in the winter window is, unfortunately, James Ward-Prowse.

First Impressions

What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast’s ‘First Impressions’ series has everything you need.

The expectations around the Englishman’s £30m move in the summer of 2023 were even higher than for the German’s arrival, with then-manager Moyes highlighting his “leadership qualities” as a reason why he could become a “big voice” in the dressing room.

Now, to his credit, the former Southampton captain didn’t have the worst of starts during his time in the capital and actually ended his first campaign with a reasonable enough tally of seven goals and 12 assists in 51 appearances.

However, the wheels very quickly came off the following season as new manager Julen Lopetegui didn’t fancy him in his midfield and sent him away on loan to Nottingham Forest.

Unfortunately, Nuno, who was in charge of the Tricky Trees, also quickly realised he did not want the Englishman in the heart of his midfield and barely gave him any game time.

So, the Irons recalled the 31-year-old, and under Graham Potter, he once again became an important part of a team.

However, whether it was age, poor form or something else entirely, the former Saints star came back and looked miles off it and continues to look off the pace into this season.

He simply didn’t have the physicality or athleticism to do the defensive work required of a central midfielder, and he also became far more ineffective going forward.

So when Nuno was appointed manager in September, it was not a surprise to see the Portsmouth-born ace left out of the squad entirely.

Since the Portuguese manager has been in the dugout, the 11-capped international has not even featured in a match-day squad, and it is therefore fair to say his time at the London Stadium is well and truly over.

Therefore, like with Füllkrug, West Ham should sell Ward-Prowse as soon as possible.

West Ham star with "KDB-type quality" looks like Nuno's new Gibbs-White

The incredible talent could play a massive role in helping Nuno keep West Ham United in the Premier League this season.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Nov 11, 2025

Sheffield United have completed a free deal for Patrick Bamford following his departure from Leeds United earlier this season, with the striker signing a short-term contract until January 2026.

The Blades are desperately attempting to turn their season around following a miserable start which saw Chris Wilder return to replace Ruben Selles just three months after he left the club.

Now as low as 22nd and far from the promotion hopes that they had in mind, those at Bramall Lane suddenly find themselves in an early, unexpected relegation scrap which they’ll be looking to turn on its head after the international break.

Saturday’s 0-0 draw against Queens Park Rangers at least stopped the rot and handed the Blades their first clean sheet in four games, but they must find a way to turn a draw into all three points in a crucial clash against rivals Sheffield Wednesday on 23 November.

Speaking to reporters after the QPR stalemate, Wilder admitted his frustration afrer what he felt was a performance worthy of three points.

Goals were once again the problem for Sheffield United, but the arrival of Bamford could help put an end to their unexpected woes in the Championship.

Sheffield United sign Bamford

As reported by The Telegraph’s Mike McGrath, Sheffield United opened talks to sign Bamford just this week, and things have moved quickly as the Blades announced an agreement on Thursday morning.

The former Leeds forward has been a free agent since leaving Elland Road in August, but now seemingly has the chance to make a return to the Championship on a prove-it deal lasting just a few months.

If Wilder is looking for goals then getting the best out of Bamford will give him exactly that. The 32-year-old has stolen headlines in the Premier League at his best and has as many as 69 Championship goals to his name throughout his career.

Previously dubbed “fantastic” by Leeds boss Daniel Farke, Bamford has the perfect opportunity to get the latter stages of his career back on track by joining Sheffield United. And he could even get the perfect chance to impress on his debut in the derby if he proves his fitness in time to face Sheffield Wednesday.

Wilder set to make ruthless January decision as three Sheffield Utd players get the axe

برز نيكو شلوتربيك كواحد من أفضل مدافعي الدوري الألماني، وقد أثبت لاعب بوروسيا دورتموند نفسه كقائد حقيقي في خط دفاع العملاق الألماني.

ويتميز شلوتربيك بقدراته وبراعته الدفاعية والفنية إلى جانب سرعته، ويقدم اللاعب أداء ثابتا مع دورتموند منذ سنوات وجذب الآن اهتمام عدة أندية أوروبية كبرى بما في ذلك برشلونة.

واعترف سيباستيان كيل المدير الرياضي لبوروسيا دورتموند في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “سبورت” الإسبانية عن اهتمام أندية مثل بايرن ميونخ وبرشلونة بخدماته: “أعلم أن نيكو يفكر جدياً في الأمر”.

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ويأمل كيل أن يوقع نيكو عقداً جديداً مع بوروسيا دورتموند نظراً لعلاقته الوثيقة مع النادي: “إنه مرتبط جداً ببوروسيا لذا أنا متفائل”.

واختتم: “هدفه هو النجاح والفوز بالألقاب، سنكون مرنين مالياً وسنبذل قصارى جهدنا ليبقى في دورتموند”.

ويثير شلوتربيك مدافع بوروسيا دورتموند إعجاب هانز فليك مدرب برشلونة ويرغب في ضمه لصفوف البلوجرانا كما أشارت تقارير صحفية، وقد يكون البديل المثالي للمدافع السابق إينيجو مارتينيز والذي انتقل لصفوف النصر السعودي.

They replace Shabnim Ismail, Lauren Winfield-Hill and Madeline Penna in a last-minute change

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Sep-2025

South Africa allrounder Dane van Niekerk has been picked by Guyana Amazon Warriors for the Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) 2025. The franchise announced van Niekerk, New Zealand medium-pacer Molly Penfold and Ireland wicketkeeper-batter Amy Hunter as replacements for Shabnim Ismail, Lauren Winfield-Hill and Madeline Penna.This will be van Niekerk’s first stint in a franchise league since August 2023, when she played in the women’s Hundred. She was also part of the inaugural season of the Women’s Premier League in 2023, where she was signed by Royal Challengers Bengaluru but did not play a single game, and she was released ahead of the 2024 season. It will be her first stint in the WCPL.Van Niekerk recently made a U-turn on her international retirement after returning to domestic cricket and was part of a training camp with the South Africa national team, but will not be a part of the upcoming ODI World Cup in India and Sri Lanka that begins on September 30. She had initially announced her international retirement after being left out of South Africa’s squad for the home T20 World Cup in 2023 after failing to meet fitness requirements.Related

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However, South Africa head coach Mandla Mashimbyi has said she’s being looked at for future series.Van Niekerk played the 2024-25 domestic season for Western Province, and finished fourth on the list of highest run-scorers in the CSA Women Pro20 Series, with one century and a fifty.Amazon Warriors will kick off WCPL 2025 against Trinbago Knight Riders in Providence on Saturday.