Sussex 94 for 5 (Pattinson 3-27) trail Nottinghamshire 240 (Mullaney 70, Slater 55, Robinson 4-44) by 146 runsEngland fast bowler Ollie Robinson took four wickets on his return to competitive action as Sussex bowled out Division Two leaders Nottinghamshire for 240. In reply, however, they sunk to 49 for five before closing on 94 for five on an eventful opening day of their latest LV= Insurance County Championship match.Robinson, whose problems in recent months have included a bout of Covid, a tooth infection and food poisoning in addition to a persistent back injury, dismissed the first four names on the Nottinghamshire scorecard to finish with four for 44 from 16 overs in his first appearance since May.He produced two particularly high-quality deliveries to bowl openers Haseeb Hameed and Ben Slater, albeit 89 runs apart, the latter making 55 as one of two Nottinghamshire players to post half-centuries in an otherwise largely miserable-looking scorecard in which skipper Steven Mullaney’s 70 was vital in giving the innings some substance.James Pattinson added a useful 39 batting at nine before taking three wickets in his principal role as spearhead of the Nottinghamshire attack. Much responsibility will rest with Cheteshwar Pujara, captaining the side here, to build on his 34 not out if Sussex are to claim any advantage tomorrow, although the Indian Test star needed checking over late in the day after being struck on the helmet by a ball from Dane Paterson.”I had an injection and it took about 10 days to feel fully settled. I started my rehab slowly with a bit of gym work but two and a half weeks in I started bowling and could tell straight away it felt better,” Robinson said.”I would have liked to have bowled in a Second XI game but the fixtures just didn’t allow that, but last week I bowled 30 overs, the week before 24 and the week before that 18. So I was able to come into this match feeling I could give 100 percent. I felt a bit rusty as I suppose after a few months it is going to be, but the ball came out OK.”I’ve had a few conversations with the England coaches and said that I wanted to bowl as many overs as were needed by the team, with no restrictions, and they have allowed me to play this game to 100 percent. I’m hoping to play in a Lions game early next month after which the South Africa series comes up pretty quickly, so I’m hoping that with a couple of good games I can be back in the mix.”After Sussex won the toss and made the home side bat first on a wicket with a good covering of grass, Robinson quickly put Nottinghamshire on the back foot, dismissing Hameed with his 12th delivery.Hameed fell four short of a maiden 200 against Derbyshire last week but went for just five this time, offering no shot to a ball that came back a long way to clip his off stump.Slater put early runs on the board as a fast outfield added value to any attacking shot, particularly with a short boundary on the Bridgford Road side.But he lost partners in Robinson’s fourth and fifth overs as Ben Duckett clipped one straight to backward square leg and Joe Clarke nibbled outside off stump to be caught behind at 41 for 3.Nottinghamshire went to lunch at 87 for 4 after Lyndon James was caught at second slip off seamer Ari Karvelas for 7, having been dropped by the same fielder on the same score in the previous Karvelas over.Back after lunch, Robinson struck another blow by removing Slater for 55 with the ball of the day, pitching on middle and hitting the top of off.Tom Moores flailed at a wide loosener from 20-year-old left-armer Sean Hunt to be caught behind and Liam Patterson-White nicked a loose drive to second slip off Karvelas as Nottinghamshire slipped to 152 for 7.Mullaney was dropped at second slip on 26 and by the keeper on 53 but made the most of his opportunities otherwise, hitting eight fours and two sixes, helping Pattinson add 65 for the eighth wicket.After Pattinson nicked one behind, the last two wickets fell quickly as left-armer Brad Currie, who took 6 for 93 on his debut at Lord’s last week, picked up the final three, including Mullaney who was perhaps unlucky to be given leg before to the left-armer coming round the wicket, before Paterson was caught behind off an inside edge.Nottinghamshire missed out on a second batting bonus point but in the context of the match their 240 began to look a decent effort as Sussex stumbled to 49 for 5.Pattinson pinned Tom Clark leg-before, Paterson produced a beauty to beat Fynn Hudson-Prentice’s defensive push on his return from a stress fracture and then Pattinson took two in five balls, ending Ali Orr’s good start with a ball to match Paterson’s and squaring up Oli Carter for another lbw.Paterson then drew an edge to second slip from James Coles to leave Sussex with half their wickets gone and still 191 behind, but Pujara and Archie Lenham survived the last 18 overs to cut that deficit to 146.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Internacional ainda não desistiu de contar em definitivo com o zagueiro uruguaio Bruno Méndez, que desde o ano passado está emprestado pelo Corinthians. No entanto, o Timão espera um contato do clube gaúcho para negociar sobre o tema, o que ainda não aconteceu.

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> GALERIA – Veja as notas dos jogadores do Timão contra a Lusa-RJ
> TABELA – Confira e simule os jogos do Brasileirão

No momento do empréstimo, o clube alvinegro colocou uma opção de compra de 6 milhões de dólares (R$ 30,8 mi) por 50% dos direitos pelo defensor, mas está disposto a negociar essa quantia com o Inter, pois entende que o preço é elevado para se cobrar de um jogador de defesa.

A cessão de Bruno Méndez ao Internacional tem validade até o próximo dia 30 de junho, e o Corinthians está tranquilo quanto ao desfecho da situação, pois sabe que no caso das partes não chegarem a um acordo terá a devolução do atleta, que evoluiu tecnicamente jogando pela equipe do Beira Rio.

Neste sábado (14), às 19h, o Timão visita o Inter, em Porto Alegre, pela sexta rodada do Brasileirão. No contrato de empréstimo entre os clubes está previsto que a utilização de Bruno Méndez pelo Colorado está atrelada a um pagamento de R$ 800 mil. De todo modo, há um consenso entre as diretorias dos clubes para que o Internacional não utilize Bruno Méndez antes que as partes cheguem a um acordo, justamente para evitar que o zagueiro uruguaio complete seis jogos na competição nacional e não possa defender outro clube nesta edição.

Inclusive, houve o contato entre um membro da diretoria corintiana com Paulo Autuori, logo após o ex-treinador assumir a diretoria técnica do Inter, no início de abril. O papo foi inicialmente para desejar sorte ao novo dirigente do Colorado, mas também foi abordado o consenso entre as direções de não utilização de Bruno Méndez até uma definição sobre o futuro do atleta.

A relação entre as diretorias de Corinthians e Internacional é considerada boa.

Manchester United beating arch-rivals Manchester City 2-1 at the Etihad in the middle of December feels like a lifetime ago now, with four defeats in all competitions since that dramatic victory seriously souring the mood.

Glancing at those four losses, Ruben Amorim’s Red Devils have also worryingly fired blanks on three occasions, which included Monday night’s latest embarrassment as Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United comfortably ran out 2-0 winners at Old Trafford.

This was meant to be the managerial appointment that saw Man United rise up the league standings, but Rome wasn’t built in a day, as many of the poor signings that Erik ten Hag once signed off on continue to severely underperform.

One of those poor underperformers was Joshua Zirkzee, who was hauled off mid-way through the first half by Amorim after offering very little.

Zirkzee's performance vs Newcastle

The decision to hook him off with barely 33 minutes on the clock would cause one of the biggest cheers from the home masses all game, as the toxic environment that went hand-in-hand with Ten Hag’s final few months in charge shows no signs of lifting.

After all, Man United linger in a dire 14th spot in the Premier League standings off the back of defeats like these, with Zirkzee once again way off the pace.

The £36.5m flop could only muster up three accurate passes from his 33-minute stint on the Theatre of Dreams turf, with zero shots also being registered on Martin Dubravka’s goal from his meagre 14 touches.

This could well be the endpoint for Zirkzee – who has already been linked with a January exit – under Amorim, with the United boss set to look to other members of his squad away from the floundering Dutchman to try and kickstart some positive form heading into 2025.

But, the problems run far deeper than just the dejected number 11, with Casemiro putting in yet another abject display for his side against a Newcastle midfield that were head and shoulders above the waning Brazilian all night.

Casemiro's performance in numbers

The former Real Madrid man continues to watch his Man United career go down the drain, after once being seen as a statement buy for the Red Devils off the back of his illustrious playing days in Spain.

Now, he’s an easy opponent to come up against, with the Magpies far too quick with their passing moves for Casemiro to keep tabs on, seen in Alexander Isak’s opener as the 32-year-old simply watched the move unfold alongside an equally tired Christian Eriksen before the deadly Swede headed home.

The likes of Joelinton also managed to get in on the scoring act whilst Casemiro trudged about the pitch passively, with Joelinton’s midfield partners in Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes bossing the game at the expense of the out-of-sorts number 18.

Indeed, whilst the Italian and his confident teammate boasted 60 and 61 accurate passes respectively, the Red Devils dud could only muster up 48 among other dire numbers.

Casemiro’s performance in numbers
Stat	Casemiro
Minutes played	65
Touches	78
Accurate passes	48/60 (80%)
Possession lost	14x
Shots off target	2
Big chances missed	1
Total duels won	5/7
Stats by Sofascore

Looking at the table above, away from squandering possession 14 times, Casemiro was also wasteful in front of goal when a rare opportunity opened up, seen in him slicing a golden chance wide right at the end of the first half.

On another day, he could have been the hero to get his despondent side back into the contest, but it wasn’t to be, with Manchester Evening News journalist Samuel Luckhurst dishing out a dismal 2/10 rating to him after the defeat consequently.

Labelled as the “worst Brazilian midfielder on show by a distance” by Luckhurst, Amorim could now have had enough of giving the veteran chances to impress, alongside attempting to get a tune out of Zirkzee.

With links regarding a potential switch to Saudi Arabia resurfacing ahead of the looming January window, the veteran should well have turned out in a United shirt for the last time, if a swift exit can be agreed.

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By
Ben Gray

Dec 30, 2024

The Celtic manager was overjoyed by the defender’s spectacular goal in the Hoops' emphatic 5-1 victory over Kilmarnock

Carter-Vickers scores stunning long-range goalRodgers lauds defender's confidence and techniqueCeltic's dominant performance keeps title hopes aliveGetty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED

Cameron Carter-Vickers unleashed a sensational strike from 30 yards out, helping Celtic secure a commanding 5-1 win against Kilmarnock at Celtic Park on Saturday. The American defender's goal, his first of the season, came in the 21st minute and was part of a four-goal blitz in the first half.

Vickers put the icing on the cake by taking a shot from over 30 yards out and sending the ball into the far left of the net, beyond the goalkeeper. Brendan Rodgers praised the 27-year-old’s performance and wonder strike, believing that it showcases the confidence the defender is playing with.

“It shows his confidence,” Rodgers said on Celtic TV. "It is important you play against Kilmanrock and your center halves will have space, you know, the man marking what normally happens is in the fact that the spare man is unmarked so you get the chance to carry the ball in. And obviously we forced them back. But no-one ever would have thought from that distance he would have gotten the strike, but it’s a great hell of a strike and brilliant goal.”

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Celtic's dominant performance against Kilmarnock keeps them firmly in control of the Scottish Premiership title race. The emphatic victory serves as a statement of intent following their shock defeat to St Johnstone the previous week, proving the team's resilience and ability to bounce back under pressure.

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Celtic are on the brink of yet another Scottish Premiership title and will win the trophy should Rangers lose at Aberdeen on April 13. That would leave the Gers with only 15 points left to play for and thus crowns Celtic the champions for the 13th time in 14 years.

MatériaMais Notícias

Fernando Diniz não poupou elogios a Germán Cano após a vitória do Fluminense contra o Athletico-PR por 2 a 1, no estádio Raulino de Oliveira, pela sexta rodada do Brasileirão. O treinador destacou a sintonia que tem com o atacante, que marcou os dois do Flu neste sábado, e como ele se entrega “de corpo e alma”. Além disso, Diniz fez elogios ao camisa 14 como pessoa fora de campo.

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> ATUAÇÕES: Cano recebe a maior nota da vitória do Fluminense

– É um jogador muito especial, mas mais do que especial, é uma pessoa diferente. É um cara que eu tenho uma sintonia muito fina. Conheço ele há muito pouco tempo, mas, ao mesmo tempo, parece que eu o conheço de longa data. A gente trabalhou só dois meses no Vasco. Fui lá no Vasco, talvez, para ajudá-lo a vir para o Fluminense, porque ele estava numa fase um pouco difícil. Aí ele jogou muito bem comigo, fez muitos gols. Eu fui consultado quando ele ia vir para o Fluminense – disse Diniz.

– Quando eu vim para cá, essa sintonia ficou ainda mais forte. Ele é um cara que se entrega de corpo e alma pelo que faz. Tudo o que você conversa com ele não precisa falar duas vezes. Ele simplesmente cumpre o que está acordado. Então, mais do que um jogador, ele é uma referência como pessoa. É um ótimo jogador e uma pessoa melhor ainda – completou.

Agora, o Fluminense vira a chave para a Copa Sul-Americana. O Tricolor volta a campo na próxima quinta-feira, às 19h15, para enfrentar o Unión de Santa Fe. A partida é válida pela quinta rodada do Grupo H da competição e terá transmissão em tempo real do L!.

Veja mais declarações de Diniz:

CANO E PASSAGEM DE BASTÃO COM FRED

– No meu modo de ver, esse bastão já está sendo passado de uma maneira natural. É muito difícil atingir as marcas que o Fred atingiu, até porque, além de marcas de gol, o Fred ganhou muitos títulos no Fluminense. Também foi muito importante naquele “título invertido”, que foi evitar o rebaixamento do Fluminense, que foi quase um milagre. Ele tem uma história construída ao longo de muito tempo no Fluminense.

– Esse bastão de fazer gols está sendo passado de maneira natural. Agora, eu espero, de fato, que o Cano consiga ter tempo aí para conseguir os títulos que o Fred também conseguiu. É muito bonita a relação que os dois têm.

ANÁLISE DA VITÓRIA SOBRE O ATHLETICO-PR
– O time evoluiu em relação a partida contra o Vila Nova. A gente fez dois tempos parecidos, não caiu no segundo tempo. Em alguns momentos até o contrário, aumentou a rotação. O ponto negativo é ter tomado o gol praticamente no último minuto do jogo. Estávamos com a bola dominada, não precisava acelerar o jogo.

– Forçamos um passe sem necessidade. Originou o escanteio, e uma bola baixa… não vi o lance ainda, mas era um gol muito evitável. Mas, de maneira geral, eu gostei do comportamento da equipe. Acho que os jogadores lutaram muito hoje, do começo até o fim do jogo. Mereceram a vitória, foi muito justa a vitória.

GANSO VOLTA PARA A SUL-AMERICANA?
– Tem chance. A gente não sabe se ele vai jogar, mas tem chance. Na segunda-feira, nós retornamos. A gente tem segunda, terça e quarta ainda para definir se ele vai poder jogar

INTENSIDADE X DESGASTE
– Tem que saber por que saiu o jogador. Não tem nada a ver com desgaste. O Samuel (Xavier) teve uma virose e o David Braz teve uma virose também. Então, não tem nada a ver com a intensidade do jogo, pelo contrário. Acho que o time está treinando e jogando… quanto mais joga nessa intensidade, a tendência é de que eles consigam suportar e se adaptar a essa nova forma de jogar, a essa nova carga física que eles têm se dedicado a fazer. Acredito que eles só tem a melhorar com o decorrer dos jogos em relação a isso.

It is no secret that West Ham United are in the market to add another centre-forward to Graham Potter’s squad before the end of the January transfer window.

Sky Sports recently reported that the Hammers have had a bid of £57m rejected by Aston Villa for Colombia international Jhon Duran, with the Villans intent on keeping the number nine.

Villa reportedly value the 21-year-old forward at £70m after his return of seven goals in four Premier League starts this season for Unai Emery, which means that West Ham’s bid was some way short of their valuation.

The London outfit have now, reportedly, turned their attention away from Duran to an alternative centre-forward target to come in and bolster the squad.

West Ham willing to swoop for Serie A forward

According to Calcio Mercato, as relayed by Sport Witness, West Ham are ‘queuing’ up to sign AC Milan number nine Noah Okafor before the end of the January transfer window.

Transfer Focus

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

The report claims that the Hammers are looking to take advantage of RB Leipzig deciding to pull out of a deal for the Swiss forward due to a calf injury issue by moving for the Serie A marksman.

It states that Leipzig were set to sign the former RB Salzburg man on loan with an option to make it a permanent deal in the summer for a fee of around £21m and West Ham are now ‘willing’ to sign Okafor for the same terms.

The Hammers are ready to sign the 24-year-old star from Milan but Premier League rivals Bournemouth are also interested in snapping him up, which means that it could be a fight between the two teams to land the striker on loan before the window slams shut.

Why West Ham should sign Noah Okafor

Potter should gamble on a swoop for Switzerland international because the potential is there for him to come in as an exciting partner for Jarrod Bowen in the final third.

Like the England international, Okafor can play out wide on either flank or through the middle as a centre-forward and this means that they could form a fluid partnership for the Hammers, interchanging positions in matches to cause constant problems for defenders.

The Milan striker, who analyst Ben Mattinson once praised for having “electric” pace, has only scored one goal in five starts in the Serie A this term, but did show promise last season.

Appearances (starts)

28 (6)

xG

3.81

Goals

6

Conversion rate

27%

Assists

2

As you can see in the table above, Okafor was ruthless in front of goal with the chances that came his way, scoring 27% of his shots on goal and overperforming against his xG.

That also came after the Swiss dynamo produced 16 goals in 22 starts for Salzburg in his final two seasons in the Austrian Bundesliga in the 2021/22 and 2022/23 campaigns combined, and these statistics all suggest that he has the potential to be a lethal finisher for the Hammers if he can get back to his best.

Bowen has created 18 ‘big chances’ and has been rewarded with ten assists in the Premier League since the start of last term, which suggests that his teammates have not made the most of his creativity in the final third.

Therefore, Okafor has the potential to be a dream signing for the England international, as he has the finishing quality to thrive on the service that the winger can provide.

West Ham make enquiry for "proper goal-getter" likened to Freddie Kanoute

West Ham have been having troubles in front of goal all season.

ByBarney Lane Jan 20, 2025

In a ruthless mood, Manchester United could bid farewell to an attacking talent this month with a European giant now reportedly ready to increase their offer and secure their target.

Man Utd transfer news

Before the Red Devils can even think about welcoming incomings of their own, they must endure a January exodus of players. The likes of Marcus Rashford and Christian Eriksen have become surplus to requirements with the former dropped ever since missing out on a place in Manchester United’s derby day victory over Manchester City. Now, he alongside a number of others must be shown the door this month.

At the start of the season, Rashford’s potential departure would have sent shockwaves throughout the Premier League. One managerial change later, however, it seems simply inevitable. But he may not be the only attacking star headed for the door.

According to Corriere Dello Sport, Napoli are ready to increase their offer to sign Alejandro Garnacho this month in what could see them egde closer to Manchester United’s reported £59m asking price.

Related Amorim wants Man Utd to sign "talented" Premier League star to replace Shaw

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Posts ByBarney Lane Jan 17, 2025

The Italians have certainly got money to burn after selling Kvicha Kvaratskhelia to Paris Saint-Germain for a reported €70m (£59m) this month, but it remains to be seen whether they’ll spend the entirety of that fund on a replacement in the form of Garnarcho.

The winger, himself, meanwhile, reportedly wants out of Old Trafford after falling down the pecking order since Ruben Amorim’s arrival and could yet get his wish before the end of this month to follow in Diego Maradona’s footsteps and become the latest Argentine to become a Napoli star.

Man Utd should cash in on Garnacho

When he was scoring sensational overhead kicks under Erik ten Hag, the idea that Manchester United would be selling Garnacho a season later would have been absurd. But Napoli’s next bid could be too much to turn down.

The Red Devils desperately need to sell in order to welcome reinforcements of their own and players of Viktor Gyokeres’ calibre and that could mean sacrificing Garnacho.

The young winger once found himself at the centre of praise at Old Trafford when Ten Hag told reporters as relayed by Reuters: “I love to work with Garnacho. He’s a player who needs a challenge, he likes a challenge, he is very brave, he’s very confident, our job is to push him to high levels.

“He has high potential and now we have to get the potential out, therefore you have to work day by day.”

The days of that praise are seemingly over, however, with Amad Diallo instead stealing the spotlight and Garnacho potentially heading for a disappointing departure. Given how quickly Napoli will want to replace Kvaratskhelia too, their pursuit of the Manchester United one may well be as swift as possible this month.

تحدث جمال حمزة، نجم الزمالك السابق، عن وضع الفريق الحالي في بطولة الدوري الممتاز، مؤكدًا أن الأبيض يسعى للفوز في جميع مبارياته المتبقية دون الالتفات لمن سيتوج باللقب.

وقال جمال حمزة في تصريحات عبر برنامج “ع المكشوف”، على إذاعة “أون سبورت إف إم”: “الأمور غير واضحة بالنسبة لـ الزمالك، الدوري ابتعد، لكن الأبيض يلعب كل المباريات من أجل الفوز، وليس في حساباته من يتوج باللقب”.

وأضاف: “ليس لنا علاقة بمن يتوج بالدوري، المهم أن يلعب الزمالك من أجل الفوز على بيراميدز، لا بد من مراعاة الضمير في العمل وتقديم أفضل أداء، لأن الزمالك نادٍ كبير وتاريخ عظيم، ولن يسمح أحد بأي تهاون، المهم اللعب على الفوز”.

طالع أيضًا | نادر السيد عن تفويت الزمالك لـ بيراميدز: يجب أن يلعبوا بشخصية النادي وتاريخه

وتحدث حمزة عن الفارق بين لقاءي الدوري والكأس أمام بيراميدز، موضحًا: “مباراة الدوري مختلفة عن الكأس، الحسابات مختلفة، وارد لقاء الدوري قد ينتهي بالتعادل، الزمالك ابتعد عن المنافسة على الدوري، وبالتالي الدوافع ستكون مختلفة، لكن بيراميدز يجب أن يكون عنده الشراسة لأن أهدافه مختلفة في البطولتين، لأنه مازال يُنافس عليهما”.

واختتم تصريحاته بالإشارة إلى حاجة الزمالك لدعم صفوفه خلال الفترة المقبلة، قائلًا: “الزمالك يحتاج إلى تدعيم بـ 6 لاعبين في كل الخطوط، الزمالك يحتاج دكة بدلاء بنفس قوة اللاعبين الأساسيين”. موعد مباراة الزمالك وبيراميدز في الدوري المصري

تقام مباراة الزمالك أمام بيراميدز، غدًا الثلاثاء 13 مايو الجاري، على ملعب استاد القاهرة الدولي في تمام الساعة الثامنة مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية.

The fast bowler knows her career does not have long to go, but there remains a big prize to focus on

Valkerie Baynes05-Aug-2022

Katherine Brunt struck in the first over of the game to set the tone for England’s victory•Getty Images

Katherine Brunt has a lot to think about at the moment.You wouldn’t necessarily know it watching her rip opposing players’ poles from the ground in true, vintage Brunt fashion. But with the spectre of retirement looming larger as England draw closer to their goal of winning a Commonwealth Games medal on home soil, this isn’t exactly the Brunt of old.Brunt hasn’t set a date for her retirement, publicly at least. But, having declared that she had played her last Test during the Ashes in January, she recently told ESPNcricinfo that, whether she calls time on her international career after the Commonwealth Games or presses on to next year’s T20 World Cup, the end would be “very soon”.”Everybody has ebbs and flows,” Brunt said, touching briefly again on the difficulties she faced while struggling with her action during England’s tour of Australia and then New Zealand for the ODI World Cup.Related

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Brunt, Wong set tone as England brush past New Zealand

“I’ve had a lot of questions for myself and I’ve worked exceptionally hard in the last three months before this tournament. So it is funny because I’m feeling good, playing well, and it’s hard to walk away from stuff like that. So yeah, a lot going on in my head right now.”She was speaking after claiming two wickets for just two runs in her first two overs to pound New Zealand into submission as they posted just 71 for 9 from 20 overs during their final group game. England won by seven wickets with 50 balls to spare to secure top spot in Group B and avoid favourites Australia in the semi-finals. New Zealand will face Group A leaders Australia in Saturday’s second semi-final, to be played in the evening UK time, after England take on India in the day game.Brunt has enjoyed an excellent tournament so far. She ended Thursday night’s match with 2 for 4 from three overs, while she took 1 for 16 and scored an unbeaten 38 from 23 balls in a 26-run win against South Africa and claimed 1 for 8 from three overs as England beat Sri Lanka by five wickets.Her fourth ball against New Zealand was an offcutter that sent Sophie Devine’s leg stump cartwheeling, a ball she added to her arsenal under previous England Women’s coach Mark Robinson.”He challenged me to get better as a player,” Brunt said. “He’s seen a lot of 30-year-olds not be able to up their game at that stage. You either fizz out or you step up.”It was a challenge and I wanted to prove him wrong, step up, so I gained a couple of balls and that’s my banker, and I bring it out when I need to against who I need to. I’m really happy for having picked that up in such a late stage of my career.”Issy Wong continues to shine as part of England’s new generation•Getty Images

Brunt’s eighth delivery was similar but faster and pinged the top of Amelia Kerr’s middle stump as New Zealand slid to 10 for 2. Then Issy Wong, the 20-year-old quick representing England’s next wave of seam bowlers, took 2 for 10 from her three overs, including the tournament’s leading run-scorer, Suzie Bates, to have New Zealand in dire distress.Brunt was full of praise for the likes of Wong and left-arm seamer Freya Kemp, who is just 17, as is Alice Capsey, who sits second behind only Bates on the tournament run-scoring chart. All three England youngsters made their international debuts in the bilateral series against South Africa immediately before the Games and have taken to the task with ease, seeming to revel in the atmosphere of a 10,000-plus crowd at Edgbaston.”I know for a fact they love it, and they’re not intimidated,” Brunt said. “They’re very confident people and you can’t play international sport without confidence and arrogance in a healthy way.”It’s like boxers isn’t it? They talk a good game. They say they’ll never lose, they’re the best ever, and that’s the kind of arrogance you’ve got to have because it takes a lot to step out into a crowd like that and put yourself out there in front of thousands of people. I’m glad they’ve got it because I feel like that’s been a key ingredient for myself in my career.”Devine, the New Zealand captain, joked that the end of that illustrious career couldn’t come quickly enough.”To be perfectly honest, me and Suze [Bates] said we can’t wait till she retires,” Devine smiled. “She’s been pestering us for 15-odd years. She’s just outstanding. She defies her age and her skill is unbelievable, so full credit, to still be able to run in and bowl the way that she does.”She’s a really wily player. She probably isn’t as quick as she used to be, she’ll be the first to admit that… I hope so, because otherwise she’s probably going to send me a few beamers. But a really smart bowler and she leads that team well. She will leave a massive hole when she does retire, which is hopefully very soon.”

Lorcan Tucker and George Dockrell gave Ireland hope with 86-run stand but couldn’t prevent seventh consecutive T20I defeat

Firdose Moonda03-Aug-2022Ireland have run India, New Zealand and now South Africa close, but not close enough, as they slumped to their seventh successive defeat in T20Is. This time, they were asked to complete their highest successful chase and fell 21 runs short, though they were closer than that margin would suggest for much of their innings.On a ground with short straight and square boundaries, bowlers across both sides had expensive outings. South Africa posted their highest score against Ireland, though they may have wanted it to be higher still. After slipping to 45 for 2, a 112-run third-wicket stand between Reeza Hendricks and Aiden Markram put them in a position to push for a score of 220-plus.Gareth Delany removed the pair in successive deliveries, and Ireland had the chance to pull South Africa back. But Tristan Stubbs’ 24 off 11 balls and Dwaine Pretorius’ 21 off seven deliveries helped South Africa post 53 runs off the last four overs.South Africa were helped by an indisciplined effort from Ireland with the ball. They bowled 13 wides – and more than two extra overs as a result – and only three of their seven-bowler attack conceded at under ten runs an over.South Africa’s spinners were the only ones who did not travel, and in the absence of the injured Kagiso Rabada and the rested Anrich Nortje, will be reasonably pleased with their effort. Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi took 4 for 66 in their combined eight overs and were complemented by clever use of slower balls from Lungi Ngidi, and yorkers by Dwaine Pretorius and Wayne Parnell.Ireland were in the chase until the 17th over when Lorcan Tucker was dismissed. He put on 86 runs with George Dockrell for the sixth wicket and built on a strong powerplay while brushing aside the loss of 3 for 12 between the eighth and the tenth over.De Kock’s curious run
Apart from a blazing undefeated 92 in the washed-out third ODI against England in Leeds, it has been a quiet tour for Quinton de Kock, especially in T20Is. He has scored just 24 runs in four innings, and hasn’t looked like his usual destructive self. He had a busy but unremarkable start against Ireland too, with ones or twos scored mostly on the leg side.That is when he tried to force things, and set off for a quick single after bunting Mark Adair down the ground. Harry Tector sensed an opportunity for an intervention, ran in from mid-off, and his direct hit found the stumps at the non-striker’s end, with de Kock short of his crease. The decision was confirmed on review, and South Africa were in early trouble on 23 for 1.Hendricks in the runs again
Here is one for your next sports quiz: what do Hendricks, Chris Gayle, Brendon McCullum, Gustav Mckeon and Rayyankhan Pathan have in common? They are the only five batters in the game to have scored four T20I fifties in succession, with Hendricks joining the list on the day.He topped up on his three against England with an easy-as-you-like-it 74 on Wednesday. Hendricks looked in control from the moment he lofted Josh Little over the covers for six, with what seemed minimal effort. He showed his power game with the pull and the cut, as also the smooth strokeplay he has built his reputation on with silken cover drives.Hendricks’ fifty came up off 32 balls, and he went on to equal his career-best of 74 from 53 deliveries.Going big on Little
Markam had come back into the XI for the third T20I against England after missing the first two games. He immediately scored a fifty in that match as well as this one. He took 13 balls to find his feet and then charged Gareth Delany and Barry McCarthy before taking on left-arm quick Josh Little.In four deliveries, Markram took 20 runs off Little, including two sixes over deep square leg, four over mid-on and four through midwicket. Markram went on to score his third successive T20I fifty, with a chance to join Hendricks in elite company if he manages as many in the next match.Lorcan Tucker swings for the leg side during an attacking 78•AFP/Getty ImagesPunching in the powerplay
Ireland made as strong a statement as they could with a powerplay led by Tucker that put them much further ahead than where South Africa were at the same stage of their innings. Captain Andy Balbirnie set the tone with a four in each of the first three overs before he top-edged Wayne Parnell to Pretorius at mid-on.But despite the early loss, Tucker and Paul Stirling sent Lungi Ngidi’s second over for 17. Tucker went on to hit Parnell over mid-off for four, and over long-off for six, before taking on Pretorius’ slower ball. Tucker had scored 26 runs off the eight balls he faced in the powerplay as Ireland racked up 67, 20 more than South Africa’s total at that stage.Soon after, Tucker went on to his third T20I half-century off 25 balls and put Ireland in a position to provide South Africa with a serious challenge.Shamsi seals it
Tabraiz Shamsi went wicketless at this venue a week ago but had a much better outing today, and dismissed Ireland’s most dangerous player at a crucial moment. Tucker was Ireland’s best hope of scoring the 64 runs they needed in the last five overs and identified Shamsi as the bowler to target.He slogged a full delivery over long-on for six, and then pulled a shorter one between long-on and midwicket for four. But when he tried to slog-sweep a fuller ball, he top-edged towards short fine leg. De Kock had to make some ground but took a comfortable catch to leave Ireland’s lower order with too much to do.