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The American investment fund Knighthead Capital has completed a £40 million takeover of Birmingham Phoenix, marking the first finalised transaction in the Hundred’s sales process.Knighthead, the New York-based group, acquired a majority stake in Birmingham City FC two years ago and were successful bidders for a 49% interest in Birmingham Phoenix in late January. The sale transaction was completed on July 15, per paperwork filed to Companies House, and the franchise will be run in partnership with host county Warwickshire.Tom Wagner, Knighthead’s co-founder, has been appointed to the Phoenix board as a director along with colleagues Andrew Shannahan and Kyle Kneisly, both of whom are on Birmingham City FC’s board. The legendary NFL quarterback Tom Brady has a small interest in Knighthead but will not serve as a director.Knighthead’s purchase forms part of wider plans to create a ‘Sports Quarter’ in Birmingham, which would include a new 62,000-seat football stadium. Wagner has already successfully lobbied for government funding for new transport links and said last month that he saw the Hundred as an opportunity to underline his commitment to the city.Related

• Two remaining Hundred deals 'on track' after six new investors finalise terms

• Hundred sale explainer: Who has bought what and for how much?

• Hundred sale process encounters delay over future TV rights

• ECB consider 'de-coupling' Women's Hundred in bid for standalone sell-outs

• Eoin Morgan appointed to London Spirit board of directors

“We really, genuinely want to see Birmingham continue to develop and grow,” Wagner told the BBC. “The Phoenix is a great way to expand the exposure of the city to a broader, more global audience. It’s also a way for us to tie-in to the substantial south Asian community that is here in Birmingham.”Warwickshire and Knighthead will assume operational control of the Phoenix after the 2025 season of the Hundred, which runs from August 5-31. The county will retain four out of seven board seats as majority owners, with Mark McCafferty (chair), Stuart Cain (chief executive), Craig Flindall (strategy director) and Adam Lowe (commercial director) serving as directors.The ECB initially planned for all eight sales transactions to be signed off by early April but negotiations over paperwork have dragged on far longer than first anticipated. “It is about the ‘what ifs’,” ECB chief executive Richard Gould told ESPNcricinfo last month. “I hate to think how many sets of lawyers are in on this, but that’s what they’re paid to do.”ESPNcricinfo has learned that several other transactions are either finalised or close to completion, though it remains to be seen if all eight will be signed off before the 2025 season starts in 10 days’ time. Four of the seven other new investors are owners or co-owners of IPL franchises, while the other three are US-based like Knighthead.

Get up to speed with all you need to know as the clock ticks down to the first ball in Perth

Alan Gardner19-Nov-2025So this Ashes is a big deal, is it?
As the oldest rivalry in cricket (yes, we are deliberately overlooking USA vs Canada) the Ashes is always a big deal. But the 2025-26 series has been amped up to what feels like a new level – and this despite England’s woeful record in Australia, which reads P15 W0 L13 over their last three tours of the country.Why’s everyone so excited then?
There are a number of factors at play. Foremost is the style of cricket England have adopted – dubbed “Bazball” by one of ESPNcricinfo’s own – and the sense that they will come and have a go in a manner than few English teams in Australia have managed this century. There is also the hangover from the last Ashes, in England in 2023, which ended 2-2 but sparked all sorts of back-and-forth over “moral victories” and who really came out on top.Related

Will this Ashes be the making of Bazball 2.0?

The Ashes: the sun is hot, the spiders are large, the trash talk is garbage

England's Ashes squad have pace in abundance, but do they have the miles?

They didn’t manage to Bazball Australia at home, then?
No, but they did come back from 2-0 down, and were arguably only denied victory in the series by rain in Manchester. But let’s not go over all that again. England have been planning for the next campaign down under ever since, and have assembled what might be their fastest-ever bowling attack in a bid to win in Australia for the first time since 2010-11.So should Australia be worried?
Not on the face of it, given England have rarely even come close to winning a Test in the (Un)Lucky Country in the intervening period – and have particularly painful memories of a grueling visit, wreathed in Covid regulations, in 2021-22. Australia, meanwhile, have won five of their last seven Test series, including four in a row, and last experienced defeat in India in 2022-23. At home, they haven’t been beaten since 2020-21 (again by India). They also reached the final of the World Test Championship, although lost out on the mace to South Africa.I sense a ‘but’ coming here…
You guessed it. But Australia, who have picked a squad with only one player under the age of 30, are in the rare position of having significant question marks over their XI. Notably, it looks like they will field a debutant opener, while the man at the other end, Usman Khawaja, might be on borrowed time. They have also been beset by untimely injuries: captain, Pat Cummins, will miss the first Test as he continues to rehab from a back stress reaction, while another of Australia’s “Big Three” seam attack, Josh Hazlewood, is out with a hamstring strain.All eyes are on when Pat Cummins could play a role in the Ashes•Getty Images

So England will be taking on a weakened opposition?
On paper, yes, although Scott Boland (Test bowling average in Australia: 12.63) is a more than capable back-up for Cummins, while Brendan Doggett, another likely debutant, has both form and pedigree after his long wait for a baggy green. Steven Smith won’t miss a beat as stand-in captain, either. Whether this is the “worst Australia side since 2010-11” is up for debate, but their selection quandaries have certainly added to the intrigue around the build-up.Ah yes, the old ‘phoney war’…
As daft as ever, and impossible to get away from. But at least it’s almost time to take out the trash talk.Any other reasons for optimistic Englishmen to stay up through the night?
Well, Australian pitches have certainly made for entertaining viewing over recent seasons and might help level the playing field. Whether England have brought the right attack for the conditions is another debate.Will this be Joe Root’s Ashes?•Getty Images

They do arrive with the No. 1 and No. 2-ranked Test batters, Joe Root and Harry Brook (the latter for the first major Test of his supreme away record), as well as a fit Ben Stokes, after a shoulder tear sustained during the English summer. They’ve been lucky with injuries (so far), with Mark Wood surviving his own hamstring-knack scare over the weekend. And the only major talking point around their batting order – the identity of No. 3 – was put to bed during the warm-up game against England Lions by Ollie Pope making scores of 100 and 90.All aboard the Bazball bus, then!
At least until the wheels fall off. The series starts in Perth, where England have only ever won once (at the old WACA Ground) – with Optus Stadium hosting an Ashes Test for the first time. Then it’s on to the pink-ball day-night game at the Gabba in Brisbane, followed by Adelaide, which last hosted England for a daytime Test in 2013-14. If the Ashes are still alive come the Boxing Day Test at the MCG, we should have a series on our hands.Sounds like the chances are good?
Let’s see. It’s certainly their best shot in a long while. At the very least, it’s to be hoped that England won’t have conceded the contest inside 12 days’ cricket.Fingers crossed! Anything else I should know?
Regardless of whether England can be competitive/win a Test/not suffer complete embarrassment, let’s hope that Root finally scores a hundred on Australia soil. Otherwise Matthew Hayden’s middle stump is going for a walk – and not in the good way.

Celtic have now been approached with the chance to sign a Premier League striker who could become Wilfried Nancy’s first arrival, according to reports.

Nancy delivers "honest" response to Celtic criticism

It’s been a tough start for Nancy at Celtic, who lost their first game under the Frenchman against title rivals Hearts last time out. One image, one tactics board and one defeat have already raised concerns around Glasgow, but the new manager has been quick to point out that he won’t pay attention to such criticism.

The Celtic manager told reporters: “People deserve the right to talk. I’m going to dress one way, maybe they are going to say that they don’t like the way I dress, so I don’t waste time on that.

“If I use it [the tactics board], it’s because it’s good for me. Simple as that and I’m not saying that I’m going to use it all the time.

“I’m going to be really honest with you. When I decided to become a coach – sorry, when I had the opportunity to become a coach – I was an assistant coach for seven years, so I worked with many coaches. I always told myself that when you become a coach, cut everything. So this is what I did.”

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It doesn’t get any easier for Nancy, either. Up next, Celtic square off against AS Roma in the Europa League tonight and could get the chance to see Evan Ferguson in action for themselves ahead of a potential January move.

Celtic offered chance to sign Evan Ferguson

As reported by TeamTalk, Celtic have now been contacted with the chance to sign Ferguson, with Roma increasingly likely to cut his loan spell short in Italy.

The Brighton & Hove Albion forward was once valued at as much as £100m, but is now in the most difficult moment of his career after scoring just once in 14 games at Roma.

The Republic of Ireland forward now needs the Hoops just as much as they need the best version of him in January, as they aim to come from behind and retain their Scottish Premiership crown.

At his very best at Brighton, Ferguson was never short on praise with the Premier League’s record goalscorer, Alan Shearer, among those who had plenty of positives to say in 2023.

Two years on, the 21-year-old may be out of form, but the potential is still there and Celtic should look to take full advantage in the winter window next month.

£5m Celtic star is one of their biggest wastes of money since Albian Ajeti

Jasprit Bumrah hadn’t conceded 20 or more runs in an over since 2020 before Josh Inglis tore into him in Ahmedabad on Sunday night

Sampath Bandarupalli02-Jun-20252:30

Why didn’t Hardik and Santner complete their quota of overs?

204 – The target that Punjab Kings (PBKS) chased down on Sunday, is the highest by any team in the IPL playoffs (or knockouts). The previous highest was 200 by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) against Kings XI Punjab (now PBKS) in the 2014 final.1 – PBKS became the first team to successfully chase down a 200-plus target against Mumbai Indians (MI) in the IPL. The previous highest was 196 by the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in 2020.MI won all the previous 18 instances where they set a 200-plus target in the IPL, and the record was 19-0 in all T20s. Before Sunday’s defeat, they were the only team in the IPL not to lose while defending a 200-plus target.ESPNcricinfo Ltd87* – Shreyas Iyer’s score on Sunday is the second-highest by a captain in the IPL playoffs behind David Warner’s 93* against Gujarat Lions in 2016.8 – Number of successful 200-plus target chases for PBKS in the IPL. No other team in T20 history has successfully chased down 200-plus targets more than five times.Australia, India and South Africa in international cricket, and MI (all IPL), RCB (three in IPL, two in CLT20) and Quetta Gladiators (PSL) all have five successful chases of 200-plus targets.9-2 – MI’s win-loss record while defending a total in the IPL playoffs (or knockouts). Sunday’s defeat was their second in 11 matches while batting first, following the seven-wicket loss to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Eliminator in 2014.8 – 200-plus totals for PBKS in IPL 2025, the joint-highest for any team in a men’s T20 tournament, alongside Gujarat Titans (GT), who also had eight in this year’s IPL.3 – Number of teams that Iyer has led into the finals in the IPL – Delhi Capitals (2020), Kolkata Knight Riders (2024) and PBKS (2025). No other captain has led more than one team to the IPL finals.2:31

‘Such a big over’ – Aaron on Inglis taking 20 off Bumrah in the fifth

1271 – Sixes hit in IPL 2025 so far, the most in an edition, surpassing 1260 sixes in 2024. PBKS batters hit 159 of those 1271, only behind 178 by Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and 165 by Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in 2024.717 – Runs scored by Suryakumar Yadav in IPL 2025, the highest for any player while batting at No. 3 or lower in a men’s T20 tournament. He bettered the mark of AB de Villiers, who scored 687 runs in IPL 2016.242* – Runs scored by Iyer without being dismissed across the three IPL matches in Ahmedabad. He had unbeaten fifties in all three games, all coming at a strike rate of over 200.20 – Runs that Josh Inglis scored off Jasprit Bumrah in the fifth over on Sunday. Only two other batters have scored as many in an over off Bumrah in the IPL – 26 by Pat Cummins in 2020 and 20 by Dwayne Bravo in 2018.

How do you solve a problem like Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski?

On July 11, Major League Baseball promoted Misiorowski—a flamethrowing rookie with five starts to his name—from mere curiosity to unwitting sports celebrity. The commissioner’s office named the 23-year-old to the National League All-Star team, making him the least experienced All-Star in history and setting off a firestorm of controversy.

It's true that Misiorowski has the makings of a phenomenon, and his Brewers are on an 11-game winning streak. However, he still falls just short of the experience needed to credibly contend for Rookie of the Year at this time. He should get there soon—this column's cutoff is 31 innings (a 50-inning pace over 162 games). Misiorowski has pitched 25 2/3 innings and is in line to start against the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday.

In the meantime, a different Milwaukee youngster has seized the top spot in the NL pecking order since last month's check-in. Welcome to this edition of MLB Rookie Watch.

American League1. Jacob Wilson, shortstop, Athletics

He's still the boss after introducing himself on the national stage with a start in the All-Star Game. All three of his slash line numbers have nosedived since late June—and yet he still, with a .197/.246/.279 this month, remains second in the American League in batting average and 10th in offensive bWAR. He was hit on the wrist with a pitch against the Atlanta Braves on July 8, but it turned out, in his own words, to be "nothing serious." His biggest competition for Rookie of the Year may turn out to be…

2. Nick Kurtz, first baseman, Athletics

Wilson’s infield-mate, the white-hot Kurtz has raked to the tune of .329/.427/.776 since June 24 while Wilson has been hanging out around the Mendoza Line. It's his power stroke, however, that has put the AL on notice. His 18 home runs so far would put him on pace for 47 over 162 games, a threshold crossed only by Khris Davis (2018) among Athletics this century.

3. Noah Cameron, pitcher, Kansas City Royals

He may not be perennially unlucky Pirates hurler Paul Skenes, but he's not far off. Cameron is 4–4 with a 2.61 ERA, having received no-decisions in starts where he did not allow a run twice since the calendar turned to July. When he's on, he's on—ask the Pirates, who were overwhelmed by Cameron on July 7 to the tune of seven stellar innings. For that, he holds down his spot while (still-steady) Red Sox catcher Carlos Narváez falls out.

Honorable Mention

Narváez; Roman Anthony, right fielder and designated hitter, Red Sox

National League1. Caleb Durbin, third baseman, Milwaukee Brewers

Along with Misiorowski, Durbin is a face of the unsinkable Brewers' in-season revival—a renaissance that has them in a dead heat with the Cubs in the NL Central race. In June, this column praised Durbin's unorthodox catalog of statistical accomplishments, like leading the NL in hit by pitches (he's still doing that) and leading NL rookies in win probability added (ditto). Now, thanks to a .373/.456/.542 tear, he's finding much more conventional success. It's getting to the point where Yankees fans are grousing about giving him up for two-time All-Star pitcher Devin Williams during the offseason.

2. Drake Baldwin, catcher, Atlanta Braves

Durbin has passed Baldwin in bWAR and in these rankings, though it should be noted that the Milwaukee fixture has done so in 61 more plate appearances. That's because the Braves remain stubbornly devoted to past All-Star Sean Murphy, who has rewarded his team's faith by slugging .774 since June 24. On Wednesday, David O'Brien of reported that Atlanta has "no intention of trading Murphy this month, despite much speculation to the contrary." This is probably good for a Braves team in observation mode, but bad for Baldwin's Rookie of the Year chances.

3. Yohel Pozo, catcher, St. Louis Cardinals

Making his first appearance in these rankings is Pozo as Dodgers second baseman Hyeseong Kim (still a contender) returns to earth. Pozo is not clearing this column's hitting threshold (95 at-bats; he has 96) by much, but this is a fractured race and that .302/.327/.490 slash line is hard to ignore. He actually made his MLB debut in 2021, after a period of homelessness reported upon by Levi Weaver of at the time. Look for his profile to increase if the Cardinals remain in contention.

Honorable Mention

Agustin Ramirez, catcher and designated hitter, Miami Marlins; Hyeseong Kim, second baseman and center fielder, Los Angeles Dodgers

The last international break of the year is finally coming to an end this weekend, meaning Arsenal can once again continue their title charge.

However, instead of looking over their shoulder at Liverpool, the new hunter is, unfortunately, Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.

The Citizens have already gotten the better of Mikel Arteta’s side in two Premier League title races, in large part thanks to the outrageous goalscoring ability of Erling Haaland.

The Norwegian is an unstoppable machine of a player, but fortunately, it feels like Arsenal now have their own version of him, and he’s not even a striker.

Haaland's record vs Arsenal

There are more than a handful of players Arsenal fans have dreaded seeing play against their team over the years.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

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When he was at Chelsea, Didier Drogba was a nightmare for the North Londoners, as was Harry Kane when he played in N17.

Unfortunately, even though he hasn’t been in the league anywhere near as long, Haaland has become another goalscorer who just seems to have the Gunners’ number.

For example, while he didn’t score against them in the FA Cup three years ago, or the Community Shield a year after that, he has made a habit of putting the ball in their net in the league.

In the seven appearances he’s made against the North Londoners in the competition, he has scored five goals, with the two blanks coming home and away in the 23/24 season.

Interestingly, while he provided two assists in the 22/23 game at the Etihad, the former Borussia Dortmund star has never scored more than one goal in a match against Arteta’s side.

In all, Haaland scoring against Arsenal feels practically invincible, even this season, when Arteta has built an almost impregnable defence, one that features the club’s own version of the Norwegian.

Arsenal's own Haaland

Now, while people might try to argue that Viktor Gyokeres or Bukayo Saka could be Arsenal’s answer to Haaland for their goals and where they play, they’d be wrong.

Instead, and this might sound odd to begin with, it’s Gabriel Magalhaes.

After all, City’s biggest strength is their attack, and their best attacker is the Norwegian, while the Gunners’ biggest strength, and so far this season, the Brazilian has been their best defender.

Moreover, like the former Dortmund star, the 27-year-old is a monster of a centre-back, someone who makes full use of his 6 foot 4 frame to bully opposition players off the ball or block their path entirely.

He is not a stereotypical ball-playing defender; he’s an old-school blood and thunder type, someone who relishes the physical battle and celebrates a well-timed slide tackle just as much as a goal.

However, unlike some other players of his ilk, the former LOSC Lille ace is also a tour de force in the opposition’s box.

Since moving to the Emirates, the São Paulo-born titan has scored 22 goals and provided eight assists in 227 appearances, and with five goal involvements already this season, he’s only becoming more of an attacking threat.

Gabriel’s Arsenal Record

Appearances

227

Starts

216

Minutes

19391′

Goals

22

Assists

8

Points per Game

2.02

All Stats via Transfermarkt

It’s this combination of being incredible in all phases of play that led to Jamie Carragher suggesting that he could “be seen as the most influential player in the Premier League” only last month.

It also lends plenty of credence to Statman Dave’s claim that he’s one of the best defenders “on the planet.”

Ultimately, while he’ll never get the adulation of a striker, Gabriel has slowly become Arsenal’s own Haaland-like player, and the sooner he’s back from injury, the better.

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Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 18, 2025

Manchester United’s lack of success in the Premier League has been there for all to see, with the club now going 12 years without a title – something which was unthinkable during the Sir Alex Ferguson era.

The Red Devils have been through countless managers since the Scotsman’s retirement, but Ruben Amorim is the latest to try and end such a drought.

The 40-year-old has come under huge scrutiny over the last couple of months, and understandably so, given his measly win percentage of just 41% across all competitions.

However, the manager has already been massively backed by the hierarchy in the market, as seen by the £200m spending spree during the summer transfer window.

As part of the heavy backing from INEOS, the former Sporting CP boss added numerous attackers to his first-team squad, with one already making an immediate impact after his move to Manchester.

The stats behind Mbeumo’s start to life at Man Utd

During the summer, a real impetus was placed on improving United’s frontline, which saw the vast majority of their spending directed into the final third.

Benjamin Sesko and Matheus Cunha were just two of the additions made by the hierarchy, with Bryan Mbeumo the final part of the new-look attacking trio formed by INEOS.

The Cameroonian joined in a deal worth a reported £71m from top-division rivals Brentford, with such a deal seeming to be an overpay at the time it was confirmed.

However, 15 games into his career at Old Trafford, such a move now looks like excellent business, with the 26-year-old already scoring six times in the Premier League.

Such a tally is the highest in the first-team squad, but his underlying stats in the league further showcase his impressive start to life at the Theatre of Dreams.

Mbeumo has also registered 1.5 shots on target per 90, with an accuracy rate of 58%, with both tallies currently the highest of any player in the first-team setup.

The United star who’s becoming the best in the world

Despite the struggles over the last couple of seasons, numerous United players have still managed to catch the eye – but none more so than Bruno Fernandes.

The 31-year-old, who’s the club’s captain, registered by far and away the most goals and assists last campaign, subsequently ending the year on 37 goal contributions across all competitions.

He’s no doubt been at world-class level over the past couple of years, with more of an argument certainly being made after showcasing his versatility under Amorim in 2025/26.

Bruno has dropped into a deeper midfield role this season, but it has not stopped him from starring in the Premier League – as seen by his incredible tally of 10 goals and assists in his 15 appearances.

Alongside Mbeumo and Bruno, goalkeeper Senne Lammens has also massively exceeded all expectations after his own summer transfer to join the Red Devils.

The Belgian was brought in from Royal Antwerp on deadline day to bolster the shot-stopping department and provide an upgrade on the now departed Andre Onana.

Whilst he had to bide his time early on in his career at Old Trafford, the 23-year-old has now cemented himself as the club’s number one between the sticks and has become one of Amorim’s star men.

He’s now featured in nine league matches after his summer transfer, with his stats from the current campaign showcasing his immediate impact – leading to huge praise being directed his way.

Lammens has conceded just 11 goals in his nine matches to date, subsequently registering two saves per 90 whilst achieving a save percentage of 62% – one of the best records in the division.

Senne Lammens – Man Utd stats

Statistics (per 90)

Tally

Games played

9

Minutes played

810

Saves made

2.0

Goals prevented

0.14

Goals conceded

11

Clean sheets

1

High claims

8

Long balls completed

6.9

Stats via FotMob

He’s already prevented 0.14 goals this season – ranking him in the top 25% of all ‘keepers in league, resulting in one analyst labelling him “one of the best in the world”.

The Belgian’s impressive figures have also been evident with the ball at feet, subsequently completing 6.9 long balls per 90, which places him in the top 15% of other goalkeepers in England’s top-flight.

Given his £15m fee and the issues that the club faced in such an area before his move, it’s safe to say that Lammens has certainly been a better addition than Mbeumo.

At just 23, he has plenty of time in his career to reach the next level, which certainly could allow him to become one of the best goalkeepers in the world for at least the next decade.

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MatériaMais Notícias

O Corinthians realizou mais um treinamento visando a preparação para o duelo contra o Cruzeiro, pelo jogo de ida da semifinal da Copa do Brasil. Nesta terça-feira (8), Dorival Júnior promoveu uma atividade no CT Dr. Joaquim Grava.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasCorinthiansRaniele sente dores e preocupa Corinthians para semifinal da Copa do BrasilCorinthians09/12/2025CruzeiroPelo Cruzeiro, Cássio tem 100% de aproveitamento contra o CorinthiansCruzeiro09/12/2025Futebol NacionalCruzeiro x Corinthians: onde assistir, horário e escalações do jogo pela Copa do BrasilFutebol Nacional09/12/2025

No último trabalho antes da viagem para Belo Horizonte, o treinador do Timão esboçou uma equipe titular. Yuri Alberto e Garro treinaram com o elenco, mas o argentino ficou entre os reservas, com Breno Bidon testado na armação. O atacante participou entre os onze iniciais.

A dupla se recuperou de lesões e devem estar disponíveis para o jogo. Garro se recuperou de um estiramento no músculo solear, que fica na panturrilha, enquanto Yuri Alberto tratou uma inflamação no adutor da perna esquerda.

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Por outro lado, Raniele, com dores no joelho esquerdo, não participou do treinamento e virou dúvida para a partida. A informação foi trazida pelo ‘ge.globo’. O meia irá para Belo Horizonte, mas deve ser substituído por José Martínez.

O Corinthians deve iniciar o jogo com: Hugo Souza; Matheuzinho, André Ramalho, Gustavo Henrique e Matheus Bidu; José Martínez, Maycon, Carrillo e Breno Bidon; Memphis e Yuri Alberto.

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Tudo sobre o Timão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Corinthians

Expectativa

O Corinthians encara o Cruzeiro nesta quarta-feira (10), no Mineirão, às 21h30 (de Brasília). Os comandados de Dorival Júnior chegaram ao momento decisivo após eliminar Novorizontino, Palmeiras e Athletico Paranaense durante a competição.

A expectativa da comissão técnica sempre foi ter 100% do elenco para a semifinal. Pensando nisso, Dorival Júnior escalou uma equipe alternativa, com muitos reservas, nas últimas duas rodadas do Campeonato Brasileiro. O clube alvinegro não vence há quatro rodadas na temporada, e chega pressionado para o duelo.

Tudo sobre

Copa do BrasilCorinthiansFutebol Nacional

MatériaMais Notícias

Após a derrota do Fluminense para o Corinthians por 3 a 0 neste domingo (28), na Neo Química Arena, pelo Brasileirão, o técnico Fernando Diniz concedeu entrevista coletiva e reconheceu o momento difícil da equipe carioca que, segundo o ele, precisa melhorar.

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➡️ Tudo sobre o Tricolor agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Fluminense

➡️ Ambos marcam! Com R$100 no Lance! Betting, você pode garantir R$194 se Corinthians e Fluminense balançarem as redes!

– A gente está tentando se encontrar na temporada de uma maneira mais consistente desde que a gente voltou em janeiro. Não é por conta do jogo de hoje, por conta do ano que a gente está fazendo que está abaixo. Tanto em termos de resultado como em termos de performance. E tirando a semana que a gente decidiu a Recopa, a gente está jogando abaixo, jogando abaixo em rendimento e em resultado – desabafou o treinador do Fluminense.

O Fluminense tem quatro pontos no Brasileirão, ocupando a 15ª colocação da tabela. Diniz admitiu que os resultados estão abaixo do esperado e que precisa ter consistência.

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– A gente precisa imediatamente parar de errar esse tipo de erro, que o modelo de jogo não permite. São erros muito fáceis de serem evitados, então isso é uma coisa. E uma outra coisa é saber que passou a Libertadores, que passou a Recopa, que o ano 2024 começou. A gente precisa melhorar melhorar bastante, principalmente no que diz respeito á parte tática, na construção – completou o técnico.

Tudo sobre

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New Zealand have decided to move Devine to the middle order so that she can finish off games for them

S Sudarshanan03-Oct-2024Heading into Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, New Zealand had ten games against England – five at home and five away – and three against Australia. Playing two top T20I sides, their preparation could not have been any better, one would think. At the end of it, though, New Zealand have 13 T20I losses to show. This is the most un-winningest they have been heading into a T20 World Cup.Yet, alarm bells are not ringing in the New Zealand camp. The experience in the squad – only wicketkeeper Isabella Gaze is playing her first World Cup – is enough to maintain calm. The core of the unit has been the same for the last few years. And yet, they decided to make a tweak ahead of last year’s World Cup – separate the opening pair of Suzie Bates and Sophie Devine. On the list of the most successful opening partnerships in T20Is, Bates and Devine – known as the Smash Sisters – sit pretty at third. New Zealand needed Devine’s power and hitting prowess in the middle and latter part of the innings and hence decided to make the switch.Georgia Plimmer has partnered Bates at the top after Bernadine Bezuidenhout’s retirement earlier this year but is yet to have the desired effect. It is no surprise because Plimmer is only 20, and facing some of the world’s best bowlers is no easy task. Wouldn’t New Zealand be better off with Devine at the top?Related

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“We see Sophie in particular as an absolute world-class ball-striker and having the power a little bit later in the innings is something that we think is really, really important,” New Zealand head coach Ben Sawyer told ESPNcricinfo.”We flip that [question] a little bit: when there are four [fielders] out and you’re asking someone to go at eight or tens an over and the game’s on the line, who better to have than Sophie Devine? That’s the way we’ve looked at it. To have Sophie up the top is amazing but we also think having Soph in the middle and finishing off games for us is amazing.”We are not expecting Sophie to be able to bat up top, get through a powerplay, do it at a really high strike rate, then bat through the middle and also finish the game off for us. That’s a lot to ask of one player. Getting off to a great start in the powerplay is really important but we also feel that finishing off the game is really important. We’d love to have Soph bat the whole way through, or any other world’s greats bat the whole way through, but it doesn’t tend to happen.”Katey Martin: “The biggest challenge for Sophie in the middle order will be to face spin”•Getty ImagesSince February last year, Devine has opened the batting for New Zealand just once. She has scored two fifties in this period, both at No. 4. In both the warm-up matches ahead of the tournament proper, though, she batted at No. 3, a position she last batted in a T20I at in 2018.”I like Sophie opening because I think the best players want to face the most number of deliveries,” former New Zealand wicketkeeper Katey Martin, who retired in 2022, told ESPNcricinfo. “But I understand the decision around why they see her through their middle order – to elongate the batting order. The biggest challenge for Sophie going from opening to a middle-order role is that you face spin quite regularly [in the middle order]. It’s you might face one over of spin early in the powerplay, but you’re actually facing more spin throughout that middle when you start and what are your options around that?”She is always a slower starter anyway. So it’s not like you’re going to get her exploding when she’s betting in the powerplay. It’s just the fact the number of deliveries she gets to face. For New Zealand, she is such a key weapon and I think maybe the fact that she batted at No. 3 in that warm-up game was to say that a floating role maybe when New Zealand chase. If she is going to bat in that middle order, [the challenge] is how the top three set up the game, so that they are enabling her to be as effective as she can, but also hitting a strike rate that they need in terms of their role.”Since last year’s T20 World Cup, New Zealand have scored 140 or more in an innings only seven times in 22 matches. Their collective batting average in this period is only 19.39; only Scotland and Bangladesh average lower among teams at this T20 World Cup. Their batting strike rate in the same period is 105.47; only Scotland, Pakistan and Bangladesh fare worse.

“She [Devine] is always a slower starter anyway. So it’s not like you’re going to get her exploding when she’s betting in the powerplay. It’s just the fact the number of deliveries she gets to face”Katey Martin on Sophie Devine

Prima facie it does seem like batting is a concern for New Zealand, especially in conditions that may be tough to bat in.”Batting is an area that hasn’t necessarily been developed through a period of time for years in New Zealand and it’s not specifically the batting,” Martin said. “It’s just the development of batters within our domestic game. And you’re not challenged as much [in domestic cricket] as you are internationally, which goes without saying. When you get an opportunity early in your career, not playing too many domestic games going straight away and playing international cricket, you get exposed so much quicker. And that’s not the fault of the players by any stretch of the imagination. It’s just the position that New Zealand cricket is in around developing those youngsters.”While it’s a concern in terms of that, the numbers aren’t necessarily there, when you look at the way that the team are playing, you still see them inventing, you see them moving around, you see them making the effort. So I don’t think it’s a lack of effort. It is a concern, but I still think that they’re trending in the right way.”You look at Australia, they’re all domestic contracted full-time players and they’re playing A tournaments, India A as well. There’s a lot of competition at that lower level below the international stage. WPL, WBBL, the standards, the pressure, the experience is allowing those players to develop a lot quicker. And you’ve seen a number of Indian and Australian domestic players perform at their international stage because they’ve learned that domestically. So that’s just a continued focus around how to develop the players so that they’re prepared for international cricket and prepared in a way that they can be successful straight off the bat rather than having to develop on their international stage.”