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Sciver-Brunt takes lead in rampant run-chase to seal unassailable 2-0 series win

Valkerie Baynes23-May-2025Three wickets from Em Arlott, playing just her second international match, decimated West Indies as England ran away with victory in the second T20I at Hove and an unassailable 2-0 lead in their three-match series.Arlott’s impressive spell accounted for key batters Hayley Matthews, who had scored 100 of her side’s 146 runs in the first game at Canterbury, and Stafanie Taylor, who had returned from injury to bolster the tourists’ line-up. She also removed Zaida James, courtesy of one of two strong catches by Sophia Dunkley, and took a catch of her own to dismiss Shemaine Campbelle, the West Indies’ highest scorer for the match with just 26.That was off Charlie Dean, who took back-to-back wickets to finish with 2 for 12 from her four overs, while Lauren Bell took 3 for 28, including one in the opening over to set the tone for the match. Issy Wong was also economical with 1 for 10 in four overs.Player of the match Arlott had waited a long time to make her debut in Canterbury, having been called up to the England squad during India’s visit in 2021 without playing. She missed out again the following year when she left England’s camp before the home series against South Africa began, because she was suffering the after-effects of Covid. At that point she feared her chances of playing for her country were gone. But she made up for lost time as West Indies were restricted to 81 for 9.After losing opener Danni Wyatt-Hodge on the first ball of the reply, captain Nat Sciver-Brunt and Dunkley reeled in the target with 64 balls to spare.Arlott’s amazing spellMatthews needed someone to go with her this time following her gallant century in a losing cause on Wednesday. But fellow opener Qiana Joseph fell cheaply once more, spooning a return catch to Bell on the third ball of the game. A double-wicket over from Arlott left West Indies reeling at 18 for 3 in the fourth over with their inspirational captain, Matthews, back in the dugout with just six runs to her name. Matthews had tried to play across the line of a length ball from Arlott which shaped in and moved off the seam and clattered into the stumps. Four balls later, Dunkley held a stunning catch, leaping to her left and tumbling at short midwicket to dismiss James.England’s fielding demons from the T20 World Cup match between these two teams looked to be exorcised. Arlott was on a roll when she had the experienced Taylor well caught at short extra cover by Dean for a second-ball duck. That gave Arlott 3 for 7 in 14 balls. She finished her allocation with 3 for 14, including 18 dot balls.Lauren Bell struck in the first over to ignite a ruthless England display•Getty ImagesWest Indies implodeCampbelle was also back from injury and she made some semblance of a start in trying to drag West Indies out of their predicament, reaching 26 off 36 balls. But hers was the first of two wickets to fall in as many balls to Dean with Arlott in the action again, taking a comfortable catch at long-on. Mandy Mangru followed, bowled attempting to paddle sweep and West Indies were 63 for 6. Shabika Gajnabi survived the hat-trick ball but, in the over between, Bell had Aaliyah Alleyne caught behind.Gajnabi fell when Dunkley took another catch at backward point off Wong and Bell had her third wicket when Afy Fletcher holed out to Sciver-Brunt. England conceded just six more runs from that point but they were unable to bowl out West Indies, who set a paltry target of 82.Sciver-Brunt leads the run chaseIf failing to take 10 wickets was a hiccup in the display of ruthlessness that new England head coach Charlotte Edwards had called for on the eve of the series, her side were able to make up for it with a rapid run-chase. Wyatt-Hodge’s dismissal, bowled by James with the first ball of the innings, didn’t augur well. But Sciver-Brunt, England’s new captain, batted with authority, marshalling a powerplay of 49 for 1 and bringing up the team fifty with the first of back-to-back fours off Matthews, driven through the covers then reverse-swept.She brought up her half-century when she was dropped by Cherry-Ann Fraser moving to her right from deep midwicket and ran two for her 17th fifty in T20Is. She then struck the winning runs with a leg-side four off Afy Fletcher. Meanwhile Dunkley, who had top-scored for England with an unbeaten 81 in the previous game, played the supporting role with an unbeaten 24 off 25 balls as England cruised to 82 for 1 in 9.2 overs.

It may have ultimately proved to be fleeting and flawed, although there was a time where it looked as if Manchester United were fashioning a new fearsome forward line under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

2019/20 – albeit while latterly impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic – was a particularly fruitful campaign for the Norwegian’s bright young attack, with the 4-0 thrashing of Chelsea on the opening day setting the tone for what was to come.

Reinstated as the number nine once again, amid Romelu Lukaku’s swift exit, Anthony Martial was in fine fettle leading the line, having got off the mark himself after bundling home against the Blues.

In all, the mercurial Frenchman reached career-best figures of 17 Premier League goals, a tally matched by teammate Marcus Rashford for his own joint-best top-flight record.

While Rashford – who bagged a brace on the opening weekend – would be hampered by injury in the latter stages of the campaign, it is noteworthy that nine of Martial’s league goals came in February onwards.

Wonder what could have happened to help spark that scoring spree….

Bruno Fernandes' connection with Martial & Rashford

Ah yes, the 2020 January transfer window marked the arrival of a certain Bruno Fernandes, with the Portuguese playmaker instantly hitting the ground running with a Man of the Match display on debut against Wolves.

As Luke Shaw stated later that year, Fernandes struck up a particularly “flowing” partnership with Martial straight off the bat, with the pair memorably combining for that inventive Manchester derby free-kick in March.

According to Transfermarkt, the pair enjoyed a joint goal participation of 14, with that the third highest of Fernandes’ career to date, behind ex-Sporting CP teammate Bas Dost (17), and the aforementioned Rashford (26).

To see the Englishman leading the way is perhaps no surprise, with his ability to run in behind and put a defence on the back foot, partnered with Fernandes’ creative brilliance, proving a simply deadly combination.

In 2020/21, for instance, five of Rashford’s goals were assisted by the one-time Udinese man, as per WhoScored. That figure rose to six in 2022/23, with only Erling Haaland and Manchester City’s chief provider, Kevin De Bruyne, enjoying a more fruitful marriage that season (8).

The way in which United’s two main men combined that season, in particular, was a joy to behold, with Fernandes speaking at the time about his ‘connection’ with the United academy graduate:

While both Rashford – now out on loan at Barcelona – and Martial have since departed, the opportunity remains for the 31-year-old to strike up a new bond under Ruben Amorim’s watch.

Why Fernandes may have found his new Fernandes & Martial

As time goes on, hopefully marquee summer signing Benjamin Sesko will begin to catch fire in his new surroundings, with six games having now come and gone without a goal for the £74m Slovenian.

Still just 22, the ex-RB Leipzig man has largely been restricted to cameos thus far, with chances so far at a premium.

There was a neat one-two with Fernandes in Saturday’s 2-1 win over Chelsea, although the United skipper uncharacteristically overhit his return pass, forcing Sesko wider than he would have liked with the goal in sight.

That connection will need to be struck – as it seemingly wasn’t with Sesko’s predecessor, Rasmus Hojlund – if United are to have a fruitful season, albeit with the early signs at least promising regarding Bryan Mbeumo.

Off the mark already with goals against both Grimsby and Burnley, the £65m signing from Brentford has undoubtedly been the shining light of 2025/26 so far for Amorim and co, putting in his “best game yet” against the Blues, as per journalist Samuel Luckhurst.

Mbeumo’s PL record

Season

Games

Goals

21/22

35

4

22/23

38

9

23/24

25

9

24/25

38

20

25/26

5

1

Total

139

43

Stats via Transfermarkt

Direct, dynamic and remarkably unfazed, the 26-year-old – described as an “output machine” by content creator Ronaldo Brown – appears to have the best of Martial and Rashford rolled into one, if the early evidence is anything to go by.

As his composed, calm finish against the Clarets indicated, Mbeumo is truly an elite finisher, having notably scored 20 league goals last term in west London. The manner in which he can almost stroke the ball home does evoke memories of Martial at his best, with it worth re-watching some of the Frenchman’s early days, in particular.

That unerring ability to almost caress the ball into the corner hasn’t been evident among many United forwards of the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era, yet Martial – when fit and firing – was a master. As Mbeumo’s strike against Grimsby showcased, he too possesses that silky quality in front of goal.

Like Rashford too, however, the pacy left footer has the speed and power to stretch a defence, having expertly latched onto Sesko’s flick on in the build-up to Robert Sanchez’s red card at the weekend.

The early connection with Fernandes also looks promising, with the playmaker notably picking out his new teammate with a delightful, searching pass in the early knockings of the Burnley win.

Mbeumo pulled away from his man in Rashford style to get on the end of that chance, before expertly killing the ball dead, a la Martial, to cut inside and test Martin Dubravka from range.

It is, of course, still early days, yet the Cameroon international looks set to be central to everything good about United, both this season and beyond.

Having briefly struck gold with both Rashford and Martial, Fernandes may well have found a new, exciting partner-in-crime to dovetail with at the Theatre of Dreams. He no longer has to do it all on his own.

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Santiago Giménez has yet to score in Serie A after six appearances for AC Milan, with his lone goal coming in the Coppa Italia. Still, manager Massimiliano Allegri insists the Mexico striker has his full trust, praising Giménez’s importance to Milan’s structure and work rate after Sunday’s goalless draw with Juventus.

Getty Images Sport'He gives us structure'

AC Milan were forced to settle for a draw against Juventus on Sunday, ending their four-game winning streak in Serie A. couldn’t capitalize on their strong form and dropped to third place after six rounds after previously being on the top of the league. 

Giménez led the line once again for Milan, logging just over an hour before being replaced by Rafael Leão. Despite the striker's scoreless streak extending to another match, Allegri couldn’t have been clearer about how much he values the Mexican's contribution.

“Santiago is a fundamental piece of this team,” Allegri said after the match. “He gives us structure – the way he connects play, holds up the ball, and presses from the front is vital. The goals will come, but what he brings goes well beyond statistics.”

AdvertisementGetty Images SportStill searching for a goal

While the goals haven’t flowed as many fans expected, Giménez’s professionalism has earned him the trust of both his teammates and Allegri. Since arriving from Feyenoord, the 24-year-old has tallied seven goals in 27 appearances, numbers that don’t fully capture his influence on the pitch.

“Giménez played really well today,” Allegri added. “He worked hard, created spaces, and even forced a penalty. I took him off thinking Leão could give us a different spark, but Santi didn’t deserve to come out.”

Getty Images SportMilan in strong form

Gimenez was reportedly close to leaving Milan on deadline day this summer, yet decided to stay and fight for his place. That decision seems to be paying off – Milan have won five of their last six games in all competitions.

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Getty Images SportNext stop: International duty

Giménez now turns his focus to the national team, having been included in Javier Aguirre’s Mexico squad for the October friendlies against Colombia and Ecuador. With Raúl Jiménez unavailable due to injury, the Milan striker could lead the attack for – another opportunity to show why his club manager calls him “fundamental.”

Big picture: Pakistan vs New Zealand (again)

We live in a time when the ODI is starved for attention, with the older sibling commanding instant respect for its age and wisdom and the younger one bawling at full lung capacity if you dare to look away while it cartwheels around the room. For all that, the middle child never fails to remind us how captivating it can be whenever a global tournament comes along. The last two ODI World Cups produced so many classics between them, and so many passages of play that showcased the variety of skills that this format can both compress and give breathing room to.Given how little we’ve seen of it over the last year-and-a-half or thereabouts, then, our appetite for the ODI should be at its peak, even if the Champions Trophy remains an awkward fit in the calendar and the interests of the ICC’s member boards. So much has happened since Sarfaraz Ahmed lifted this trophy eight years ago, enough for everyone to forget that it even exists, but here we are now, and here it is once again.We have Pakistan, the defending champions and (co-ish) hosts, to start us off, and they’ll face familiar foes in the tournament-opener. No visiting team has played more ODIs in this country than New Zealand’s 11 since the start of 2019, and they begin this Champions Trophy a mere five days after beating Pakistan in the final of an ODI tri-series. Karachi hosted that match, and will host this one too.Related

• Rizwan says Rauf is 'fully fit' for Champions Trophy opener

It says something about the two teams that New Zealand and Pakistan finished fourth and fifth – just inside and just outside the knockouts spots – on the league tables of both the 2019 and 2023 World Cups, and that Pakistan won the head-to-head meetings both times. It speaks of two teams with potentially title-winning strengths as well as title-squandering flaws, and this, perhaps, makes it the ideal contest to kick things off.

Form guide

Pakistan LWLWW (last five completed ODIs, most recent first)
New Zealand WWWLW

In the spotlight

He’s gone 21 innings without an ODI hundred, and while this wouldn’t be abnormal for most batters, Babar Azam isn’t most batters. That sequence only includes two single-digit scores, so it isn’t as if he’s been struggling, but few things will bring as much joy to Pakistan at the start of a global event on home soil as a big score from their until-recently-irreproachable run machine. He’s batting at the top of the order now rather than No. 3, so a score of significance will also ease any doubts Pakistan may have about the structure of their line-up.Rachin Ravindra was struck by the ball on his forehead during the tri-series•AFP/Getty Images

In the recently concluded tri-series, New Zealand’s spinners finished with a combined economy rate of 4.41, which was remarkable considering their Pakistan and South Africa counterparts went at 5.67 and 5.94 respectively. It speaks to the quality of Mitchell Santner and Michael Bracewell, who picked up five wickets apiece during the tri-series at near-identical averages and economy rates. They form as enviable a spin combination as any in this tournament: a left-arm fingerspinner and an offspinner, both extremely handy with the bat.

Team news: Rauf boost for Pakistan

Haris Rauf played no part in the recent ODI tri-series after going off the field with a side strain during the opening game against New Zealand. He has been bowling in the nets in the lead-up to the Champions Trophy, though, and Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan was confident he would be fit to start the tournament-opener. This should leave Pakistan able to pick a full-strength XI.Pakistan (possible): 1 Fakhar Zaman, 2 Babar Azam, 3 Saud Shakeel, 4 Mohammad Rizwan (capt & wk), 5 Salman Agha, 6 Tayyab Tahir, 7 Khushdil Shah, 8 Shaheen Shah Afridi, 9 Naseem Shah, 10 Haris Rauf, 11 Abrar Ahmed.New Zealand go into the Champions Trophy with two of their original fast-bowling selections – Lockie Ferguson and Ben Sears – out of the tournament. There’s also doubt over whether Rachin Ravindra – who hasn’t played a game since being struck on the head by the ball while fielding during the first match of the tri-series – will be fit to start, but the opener has been batting during training sessions in the lead-up to this tournament. New Zealand will take a call on him after their training session on Tuesday, with Will Young likely to open alongside Devon Conway should they decide not to risk Ravindra. Ferguson’s replacement Kyle Jamieson will not arrive in Karachi in time to be available for the first game.New Zealand: 1 Rachin Ravindra/Will Young, 2 Devon Conway, 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Daryl Mitchell, 5 Tom Latham (wk), 6 Glenn Phillips, 7 Michael Bracewell, 8 Mitchell Santner (capt), 9 Matt Henry, 10 Jacob Duffy, 11 Will O’Rourke.

Pitch and conditions

Karachi hosted the last two matches of the recent tri-series, and they ended up as extremely dissimilar contests. On February 12, South Africa posted 352, the highest-ever total achieved at the venue, but that record only lasted a few hours as Pakistan hunted it down with an over to spare. Two days later, Will O’Rourke bagged four wickets and the unhittable Santner took 2 for 20 in his ten overs as Pakistan, electing to bat first in the final, were bundled out for 242, a total that New Zealand chased down with five wickets and 28 balls to spare.What sort of surface will the National Stadium serve up on Wednesday, then? Recent history suggests this is a testing venue for fast bowlers in ODIs, as their combined average of 33.67 and economy rate of 6.02 over this decade would attest. Where Lahore has tended to be just as harsh to spinners, however, Karachi has given them a modicum of respite; while their wickets have come at 45.50, they have only gone at 5.11 per over.Going by recent trends, pitches in global tournaments have tended to be good batting surfaces with something for bowlers to work with: the last three ICC ODI events – the 2017 Champions Trophy and the 2019 and 2023 World Cups – finished with overall run rates of 5.54, 5.59 and 5.82 respectively.Wednesday is expected to be a warm day in Karachi with a high of 29 degrees Celsius, and little to no chance of rain.

Stats and trivia

• New Zealand (2000) and Pakistan (2017) both beat India in the final when they won their respective Champions Trophy titles.
• These two teams have met three times in the Champions Trophy, in 2000, 2006 and 2009, with New Zealand winning all three times.
• New Zealand have faced Pakistan 11 times in ODIs since the start of 2023, and the results have been neck-and-neck. While New Zealand have won five and lost six, they’ve won three of the last four meetings.
• Of the 47 New Zealand batters to score 1000 ODI runs, Daryl Mitchell has the best average (50.42). His strike rate of 97.89 is also hugely impressive, since all five batters above him on that list average below 30.
• Of the bowlers from the eight teams in this tournament, Shaheen Shah Afridi (21 at 22.04) is the highest wicket-taker in ODIs since the end of the 2023 World Cup.
• Babar, Fakhar Zaman and Faheem Ashraf are the only members of Pakistan’s squad who were also part of their victorious 2017 campaign.

Quotes

“We’re all equal whether someone’s a platinum or an emerging player. The senior players have a bit more pressure on them, and we expect ourselves to perform on the biggest occasions, and this is as big as it gets.”
“Anytime you’ve been in conditions you’re been coming up against is an advantage. We’re lucky we’ve been over here for a couple of weeks and played in Pakistan quite a bit over the last three years”

Australia captain Alyssa Healy is a significant doubt for the remainder of the Ashes series after she was ruled out of the first T20I with a “stress response” in her foot on the same side as the injury she sustained at last year’s T20 World CupIt meant that Australia were led by Tahlia McGrath in what became a convincing victory to retain the Ashes at the SCG while the top-order vacancy was filled by debutant Georgia Voll and Beth Mooney will keep wicket.”As you can imagine, she’s pretty flat,” Mooney said. “She doesn’t want to miss any games for Australia and unfortunately for her, she’s missed a few in the last few months. We’ll put our arm around her, wait and see what the [medical] staff say and what the prognosis is.”But, certainly, she’s a key member of our playing group both on and off the field and we know what impact she can have to the outcome of the results on field. So, we’ll be keeping a close eye on making sure she’s okay mentally, but also doing all the right things with [the sports science sports medicine staff] well.Australia also had to contend with allrounder Ashleigh Gardner being ruled out with a calf injury. She will be assessed again ahead of the second T20I in Canberra.Related

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The injury to Healy meant that Australia pushed back announcing their squad for the day-night Test at the MCG which had been due to be named during the T20I on Monday.”Alyssa has got a stress response in her foot,” head of high performance Shawn Flegler told Fox Cricket. “We’re going to try and get a little bit more information before we make a call on her. It’s a big call for Alyssa. Test captain as well. So we’ll wait and see on what we come up with over the next 24-48 hours.””We’ve got a selector meeting tomorrow morning. We’ll see what plays out. We’re not going to rush into it. There’s still a week or so before the Test matchAfter returning from the plantar fascia injury sustained at the World Cup, Healy had her WBBL cut short by a knee problem which also meant she played as a batter only in the ODIs against New Zealand in December having missed the earlier home series against India.She returned to keeping duties for the three ODIs against England with the matches taking place in six days. The schedule is also tight for the T20I series with games in Canberra on January 23 then Adelaide on January 25.Even if Healy is able to play a part in either of those, there will be major questions over whether she can sustain the workload of a Test match, especially as a wicketkeeper.Depending on the prognosis for Healy, her participation in the WPL and the T20I tour of New Zealand in late March could also be in doubt.

Beth Mead has made WSL history after becoming the first-ever player to reach 50 assists in the competition as Arsenal won 4-1 on the opening day.

Mead first player to reach 50 WSL assistsArsenal beat London City Lionesses 4-1WSL season underway this weekendFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Mead created history after laying on two goals for her team-mates in their convincing victory over London City Lionesses. Despite only coming on as a substitute in the 76th minute in place of Chloe Kelly, Mead set up quick-fire 83rd and 84th minute goals to secure a 4-1 victory and her own name in the history books. As reported by Opta, she's the first player to hit a half-century of assists in the competition.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Mead played a key role as England's Lionesses won the European Championship for the second consecutive time this summer. The theme of substitutes sealing victory during the tournament was replicated in Arsenal's opening-day WSL victory, as Mead laid on two goals for fellow substitutes Stina Blackstenius and Frida Maanum in the closing stages.

DID YOU KNOW?

It has been an incredible few months for Mead, who also tasted Champions League glory with the Gunners over Barcelona in May. The 2022 BBC Sports Personality of he Year winner has had a career laden with success and this latest record of 51 WSL assists only adds to an ever-growing legacy for the 30-year-old. Interestingly, newly-promoted London City Lionesses reportedly attempted to sign her in the summer before Mead inflicted opening-day misery on the club.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR MEAD?

The WSL title will be the overriding goal for Arsenal and Mead this season. Mead has only won the division once before with the Gunners, back in 2018/19. Usurping Chelsea's recent monopoly over the title will be a difficult goal, but one Renée Slegers and her side will aim for alongside looking to retain their Champions League crown.

Southampton have now opened talks to sign an “unbelievable” winger, who could be brought in as a replacement for Tyler Dibling, according to a report.

Saints looking to sign replacement for Dibling amid Everton links

Following the Saints’ relegation from the Premier League, Dibling has been expected to leave the club, and Everton have emerged as one of the most interested parties, with David Moyes’ side having multiple approaches knocked back.

It has been widely reported the 19-year-old is training away from the rest of the squad, amid interest from the Toffees, and reporter Sami Mokbel has recently suggested the youngster could be heading for the exit door this summer.

Mokbel said: “The information varies depending on who you speak to. If you speak to people closer to Everton, they will tell you that the deal has reached an impasse and Southampton are asking for far too much.

“If you speak to those closer to the South Coast, there is a realisation there that maybe Tyler Dibling’s time is coming to an end.”

Amid the major doubts surrounding the starlet’s future at St. Mary’s, Will Still’s side have now set their sights on a replacement, and a report from Football Insider has revealed they have opened talks over a deal for West Bromwich Albion star Tom Fellows.

Fellows has been lined up as a direct replacement for Dibling, who has been the subject of a £40m offer from Everton, and a deal may be relatively inexpensive, with reports from elsewhere revealing the Baggies could look to hold out for just £10m.

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Posts ByDominic Lund Jul 15, 2025 "Unbelievable" Fellows could be perfect replacement for Dibling

Losing one of their prized assets will, of course, be a bitter pill to swallow for the Saints, should Dibling complete a move elsewhere, but there are plenty of signs the West Brom winger could be the perfect replacement.

Most notably, the Solihull-born winger chalked up some very impressive attacking numbers in the 2024-25 campaign, picking up four goals and 14 assists in the Championship alone, leading to some very high praise from teammate Karlan Grant.

Grant said: “He’s an unbelievable young player. As soon as he does that step-over, I know the ball’s going to be arriving at the back stick and there’s going to be chances.

At just 22-years-old, Fellows could still have plenty of room to develop even further, but he is already a top winger at Championship level, and West Brom’s potential asking price of just £10m means the forward could be an absolute bargain.

With Habib Diarra and Reinildo already on their way, Sunderland have now reportedly stepped up their pursuit of an 11-goal striker by submitting an opening offer.

Who Sunderland could sign after Diarra and Reinildo

Both Diarra and Reinildo stand out as impressive signings for a promoted side and the former should particularly make his mark in Wearside next season. But the Black Cats still have work to do. Keeping hold of their Premier League place will be an incredibly tough task – just ask the last six sides that attempted to do so – and further investment will be key.

Even after splashing out a club-record fee for Diarra, the Black Cats have reportedly set their sights on signing the likes of Abdoulaye Doucoure, although that would be at a bargain price thanks to his current status as a free agent.

The Frenchman left Everton at the end of last season and could now get the chance to stay put in the Premier League courtesy of Sunderland. It’s a deal that would work for both parties too. Doucoure’s experience would be invaluable next to younger talents like Diarra and the player, himself, is still more than good enough for England’s top-flight.

He’s not the only name on Sunderland’s wishlist, though. Those at the Stadium of Light have also reportedly set their sights on Bournemouth’s Hamed Traore. Like Diarra, the attacker set Ligue 1 alight last season and could now earn a permanent move away from the Cherries, be it thanks to Sunderland or another club this summer.

Ligue 1 seems to be where it’s at for Regis Le Bris’ side too, amid further reports that they’ve now submitted an opening offer to sign an impressive striker from France’s top tier.

Sunderland submit opening offer to sign Abline

As reported by Foot Mercato, Sunderland have now submitted an opening offer worth €20m (£17m) to sign Matthis Abline from FC Nantes this summer. The Black Cats already made contact with the French side about the forward earlier this summer and have now made their first move in pursuit of his signature.

Better signing than Diarra: Sunderland now targeting "fantastic" £18m star

Sunderland’s rapid summer business is showing no signs of slowing down as a new target now appears on their shopping list.

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Whether their £17m offer is enough to complete is a question that Sunderland may have an answer to soon enough. Nantes have already told Marseille that they’ll only sell their star striker for €50m (£43m) in the coming months, but whether clubs outside of France will have to pay such a premium fee remains to be seen.

Described as an “instinctive finisher” who’s “quick” and “direct” by analyst Ben Mattinson, Abline scored 11 goals in all competitions at Nantes last season and could now have the chance to repeat that record in the Premier League when August arrives.

Bangladesh’s Hridoy says he should’ve finished the game off after putting his side in a strong position

Sidharth Monga11-Jun-20241:01

Manjrekar: Maharaj’s final over was poor, but Bangladesh’s batting was poorer

South Africa’s decision to bat first in New York on Monday, at a ground that they have won two matches chasing at the T20 World Cup 2024, was actually a tribute to Bangladesh’s bowling.”Third game on the wicket,” Player of the Match Heinrich Klaasen said about the decision. “These guys are incredible when the wicket becomes slow. So that was the biggest reason why we didn’t want to chase 120. Because the wicket was definitely better than other games. But given Bangladesh, when pressure is on, and they have to go into cutters, they’ve got some of the world’s best cutter bowlers and their spinners are high quality. So that was the biggest reason why we chose to bat first.”Then South Africa found themselves in trouble at 23 for 4, but chose to pull out of it like you would in the middle overs of an ODI. They went into a T20I knowing aiming for just a run a ball, not minding staying even below six per over as long as they were just a boundary away.Related

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“I think David [Miller] showed us in the previous game [against Netherlands] how to bat on this wicket and it’s almost a similar way that we bat in the middle overs in a one-day game,” Klaasen said. “So, our mindset is not even close to T20 cricket. You just want to get in and find a way to bat at a run a ball. And we know you’re one or two hits away just for going over the run-a-ball strike-rate.”2:25

Should cricket revisit the leg-bye rule on a referral?

Hridoy: ‘I should have finished the game’Three teams have been involved in close chases in these conditions. South Africa, under Miller’s stewardship, won despite never getting ahead of the chase. Pakistan lost using the same approach. Bangladesh lost an early wicket, but never did – or were never allowed to – get ahead of the chase. Their best batter on the day, Towhid Hridoy, said there wasn’t much wrong with going at around a run a ball, just that he should have gone on for longer.”From that position I should have finished the match,” Hridoy said when asked if Bangladesh could have perhaps tried to get ahead of the rate sooner. “It’s difficult for new batsmen to adjust to the conditions. In that position, I should have finished the match.”Hridoy fell in the 18th over, leaving Bangladesh 21 to get off 17 with five wickets in hand. One would back the chasing side in most conditions, but this pitch has been difficult and the outfield slow.When you lose by just four runs, you do tend to assign greater significance to otherwise smaller events. Hridoy was left looking at some umpiring calls without complaining about them. One of them was an lbw that was given out but they got it reversed only to lose out on possible leg-byes.”See, ICC rule is not in my hands, but at that time those four runs were very important for us,” Hridoy said. “The umpires are also human beings, and they could have made a mistake. But we had two-three more wides, which were not given. So, in a match like this, where hardly a run is being made in a low-scoring match, one or two runs are a big factor. So, I think those four runs or two wide runs were close calls. Even my out was the umpire’s call.”

Leeds United will be doing plenty of deals in the next couple of months in an attempt to build a squad that can avoid an instant relegation from the Premier League.

The Whites have already made one new signing to bolster Daniel Farke’s options at the top end of the pitch, as Lukas Nmecha has agreed a deal to join the club on a free transfer from Wolfsburg at the start of next month.

He only scored three goals in 19 appearances in the Bundesliga during the 2024/25 campaign, and has only scored eight league goals in the last three seasons combined.

This does not suggest that Nmecha is likely to be the go-to centre-forward option from the start for the West Yorkshire outfit, but the former Germany international could provide experienced back-up to the other number nines in the squad.

The 26-year-old star will not be the last striker to arrive at Elland Road this summer, though, as reporter Graham Smyth claimed that the club are still looking for another addition in that position.

This could spell bad news for 21-year-old marksman Mateo Joseph’s future in West Yorkshire, amid speculation that he could move on ahead of next season.

Why Mateo Joseph could leave Leeds

The Spain U21 international is reportedly being eyed up by several clubs, as GIVEMESPORT recently claimed that Birmingham, Strasbourg, and Real Betis are all keen on securing his signature.

This suggests that there will be no shortage of suitors for the Whites academy graduate if Farke decides that he will not be a part of his plans for the Premier League season, which will kick off with a clash against Everton on the first Monday Night Football of the campaign.

Joseph has now had a taste of first-team football, with 61 Championship outings and four goals in the last two seasons, and should be wanting to play regular minutes next term to continue his development.

The Spanish youngster only scored three goals in 39 matches for Leeds in the second tier during the 2024/25 campaign, but did put up some promising underlying numbers.

Non-penalty xG

0.36

Top 29%

Shots total

2.73

Top 11%

Shots on target

1.05

Top 17%

Non-penalty goals

0.21

Bottom 34%

xAG

0.13

Top 20%

Assists

0.21

Top 6%

Shot-creating actions

2.31

Top 20%

Touches in the opposition’s box

5.25

Top 10%

As you can see in the table above, Joseph ranked highly among his positional peers when it came to getting into high-quality shooting positions and creating chances for others, but his finishing let him down.

A loan move away from Leeds to play regularly and hone his skills next term could be the ideal next step for him, whilst Leeds are eyeing up a striker who could be an upgrade on him in the short term.

Leeds plotting move for new striker

According to TEAMtalk, the Championship champions are eyeing up further forward additions after the signing of Nmecha, and Besiktas striker Semih Kilicsoy is one of the players they are plotting a move for.

The Turkish attacker and Fulham centre-forward Rodrigo Muniz are both said to be targets for the West Yorkshire outfit, as they look to improve Farke’s options in the final third.

Transfer Focus

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TEAMtalk adds that Leeds are moving forward in deals to sign Muniz, Kilicsoy, and USG’s Noah Sadiki, with the Besiktas whiz said to be available for a fee of £18m.

The outlet claims that the Whites have extensively scouted the Turkey U21 international and view him as a versatile star with potential who would come in as a long-term signing for Farke.

If Leeds can get an £18m deal over the line to sign the 19-year-old forward during the summer transfer window then they could have an immediate upgrade on both Nmecha and Joseph for next season.

Why Leeds should sign Semih Kilicsoy

There are many reasons why signing the teenage marksman from Besiktas makes a lot of sense for Leeds, including his age profile. At 19, he has many years left ahead of him to develop and improve as a player, which means that the striker could grow in value over time.

It also means that he may not demand to be the first-choice number nine week-in-week-out in the Premier League straight away, and be happy to be a versatile bench option at first, which would allow the Whites to also sign a more experienced striker, such as Muniz.

Kilicsoy’s performances for Besiktas in the last two seasons also suggest that he would offer more quality in front of goal than both Nmecha and Joseph in the top-flight.

The Turkish attacker, who was once hailed as “incredible” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, scored 15 goals and provided nine assists in the 2023/24 and 2024/25 seasons combined for his club side.

Joseph managed seven goals and four assists for Leeds in all competitions, and Nmecha racked up five goals and zero assists in that same time, which immediately suggests that the teenage star has more to offer the team at the top end of the pitch.

Goals

0.21

0.21

xG on target

0.35

0.35

xA

0.13

0.10

Assists

0.14

0.21

Dribbles completed

2.49

0.78

Dribble success rate

57%

42%

Fouls won

2.00

1.29

As you can see in the table above, Kilicsoy offered more quality at the top end of the pitch than Joseph this season, with more goals and xA combined per 90, along with far more success in dribbling past opposition players.

Impressively, the teenage attacker managed 0.59 goals and 0.21 assists per 90 in the Super Lig in the previous campaign, when he managed 11 goals and four assists in the division, whilst Joseph scored one goal in 22 league games for Leeds that term.

Therefore, Kilicsoy could be a very exciting signing for Leeds as a young forward who has shown that he has the potential to make a big impact as both a scorer and a creator of goals, even more so than Joseph and Nmecha have in recent years.

Better than Aaronson: Leeds submit bid to sign £21m Sadiki alternative

Leeds are looking at signing a new midfielder this summer

ByJoe Nuttall Jun 17, 2025

This is why Leeds must press ahead with a deal to sign the £18m-rated centre-forward before the start of the Premier League season to bolster their attacking options.