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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• Coach Leigh, spinner Kasperek: Scotland to New Zealand, twice over

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• Could this be the closest-ever Women's T20 World Cup?

• FAQs: The first ever women's T20 World Cup at a neutral venue

“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.”

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

Ben Cliff’s maiden five-wicket haul in first-team cricket – a superb 5 for 46 from 8.3 overs – set Yorkshire up for an opening day Metro Bank One-Day Cup win over last year’s semi-finalists Warwickshire at Scarborough, by five wickets chasing 138.New-ball quick Cliff, aged 22, was playing his first first-team game since the summer’s opening week following a side injury, and he was the chief tormenter as the Bears were bowled out for 137 inside 37 overs at the start of Group B.Cliff struck four times in a devastating opening spell, with Warwickshire slipping to 38 for 7 before Vaansh Jani’s brilliant 82 off 92 balls. It was the 20-year-old’s maiden first-team fifty in his second game.Yorkshire, for whom Adam Lyth took four catches in the slips – equalling a club record for outfield catches in a List A innings – didn’t chase with ease on a tricky pitch. But Pakistani international opener Imam-ul-Haq held things together with 55 off 83 balls.Cliff struck twice in three balls in his opening over and four times in all as the Bears crumbled to 24 for 5 in the 10th having been inserted. He had both Rob Yates and Zen Malik caught at cover by James Wharton in the second over, the former via a leading edge as he looked to play to leg and the latter off a miscued drive.Cliff’s new-ball partner Jack White clipped Warwickshire captain Ed Barnard’s off bail with a beauty before Cliff struck again to get a driving Hamza Shaikh caught at second slip by Lyth. And when extra bounce forced Kai Smith to loop a catch to backward point, the Bears were five down and in serious strife.Things got worse before getting better. Alex Davies fell to Matthew Revis’s first ball for 15, the seam-bowling allrounder getting him and Jake Lintott caught by Lyth at slip. When Lintott fell to the third ball of the 14th over, Warwickshire were 38 for 7.Batting at No. 7, Jani’s first of six boundaries was a lovely on-drive against George Hill as Warwickshire strove for respectability.Hill’s seam accounted for Michael Booth caught at slip by Lyth – 63 for 8 in the 21st. Hill added a second wicket when Ethan Bamber drilled to mid-off, though Jani counterattacked.He hoisted Hill over long-on and scooped White over fine-leg for his first two of five sixes, reaching a 67-ball fifty, by which time the visitors were 101 for 9 in the 31st over.Right-handed Jani smashed Revis out of the ground over long-on before miscuing Cliff to mid-on to end the innings.Jani and Oliver Hannon-Dalby added 64, a Warwickshire List A record stand for the 10th wicket and comfortably the best of the innings. Last man Hannon-Dalby contributed one run.Yorkshire were cautious in reply. They lost Lyth and Will Luxton, the latter for 25, to the seam of Hannon-Dalby and Bamber – 47 for 2 in the 14th over.Booth’s pace then accounted for James Wharton and Revis in successive deliveries, caught behind off the inside-edge and caught low down at second slip, as the score fell to 72 for four in the 21st.But left-handed Imam anchored things. His first five scoring shots were boundaries, strong on the pull and drive, and he shared a calming fifth-wicket stand of 56 with Hill, 20 not out. Imam fell caught at deep square-leg with 10 to win, but it was a consolatory third wicket for Booth. Yorkshire won with 17.1 overs remaining.

With the 2025 MLB trade deadline upon us, there are some teams expected to take bigger swings than others as they look to gear up for a postseason push.

Different front offices face different amounts of pressure to improve their rosters in the pursuit of success. Some teams are stuck in a lengthy World Series drought that fans are eager to see end, while others have the make-up of contenders and are simply missing a piece or two.

Regardless of why, there will be a few front offices in the market for a seismic move, and we'll take a look at what organizations may be feeling the most pressure to make a big splash before Thursday's deadline.

New York Yankees

After months of misery and poor performances, there are now reasons for West Ham United to feel somewhat hopeful.

Yes, it’s still going to be a tough season for the East Londoners, but Nuno Espírito Santo got it spot on against Newcastle United and secured his first win with the club.

Moreover, several standout performers demonstrated they are ready for the fight, such as Freddie Potts.

The academy graduate was incredible and has to be a regular starter from this point onwards, even if that means it’s the end of the line for another West Ham ace.

The West Ham duds who need to be sold

While the win over Newcastle has certainly helped morale around the club, there remain more than a few players West Ham need to shift as soon as possible.

Fortunately, it appears that at least one of them is set to leave, with reports emerging that Niclas Füllkrug has his heart set on returning to Germany in January.

The former Borussia Dortmund striker has been a complete flop in East London, having scored just three goals and provided two assists in 27 appearances.

Appearances

20

7

Minutes

877′

385′

Goals

3

0

Assists

2

0

Goal Involvements per Match

0.25

0.00

Minutes per Goal Involvement

175.4′

N/A

Someone who at least had a reasonably decent first season with the club, but needs to be sold nonetheless, is James Ward-Prowse.

The former Southampton captain was a constant problem in the middle of the park while Graham Potter was in the dugout, as he lacked the physicality and pace for the defensive side of the game and became increasingly ineffective going forward.

Moreover, with Nuno now freezing him out of the squad, selling him in January would be best for his own career.

Finally, although it may seem a bit early, it is likely in the club’s best interest to sell Mads Hermanssen before his value declines further.

The Danish shot-stopper might have looked good at Leicester City, but was woeful at the start of the season and miles off the level Alphons Areola is at today.

With all that said, there is one more player who might have been able to stay at West Ham were it not for Potts’ impressive display against Newcastle.

The West Ham ace whose time is up

While there were excellent performances across the pitch on Saturday, it would be fair to say Potts was one of the best players for West Ham.

Chalkboard

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

The academy gem played with his heart on his sleeve, adding some real dynamism and power to the midfield, but at the same time, showed some real technical quality.

It was the sort of display that should see him start every game for the foreseeable future.

However, if he is to do that, and the likes of Mateus Fernandes and Lucas Paqueta are to play a major role this year, while Soungoutou Magassa is on the bench, the club need to trim their midfield options.

This, unfortunatly for him, leads to Andy Irving.

Unlike his teammates, the once-capped Scotsman doesn’t really bring any standout qualities to the team.He is not an overly technical player, and as fans have seen over the last few weeks, he is not nearly physical enough for the Premier League.

In fact, he started in the loss to Brentford last month, and in the aftermath, Jamie Carragher described the Hammers as “one of the slowest teams I’ve seen in Premier League history!”

Then, against Leeds when he was once again tasked with running the midfield, journalist Jordan Rushworth described him as a “National League standard” midfielder, adding that he “gets walked past every time an opposition midfielder has the ball.”

Ultimately, while that might be a step too far, it has become increasingly clear that Irving is not at the level to play for West Ham.

Therefore, with Potts now unignorable, the club should look to sell the Scotsman as soon as possible.

Tottenham receive response after contact to sign West Ham's Jarrod Bowen

Spurs are looking to raid their London rivals for another forward, having signed Mohammed Kudus in the summer.

ByDominic Lund Nov 4, 2025

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca seems to have pulled a major U-turn over one of his axed stars as a photo from Cobham training reveals his surprise change of heart.

The Blues are back to winning ways after suffering a shock 2-1 home defeat to newly-promoted Sunderland in October, with Chelsea winning three out of their last four in all competitions and briefly climbing to second in the Premier League table.

The in-form Joao Pedro scored Chelsea’s only goal of the game to seal a dominant 1-0 victory over London rivals Tottenham, maintaining Chelsea’s impressive derby record, and followed that up with a comprehensive 3-0 triumph over bottom-side Wolves in their last match before the international break.

The victory came despite Maresca making eight changes from their midweek 2-2 draw with Qarabağ in the Champions League, continuing his rotation policy that has seen a grand total of 93 starting eleven changes in all competitions so far this season — the most of any Premier League side.

Their plethora of injury problems throughout the campaign, which has seen Levi Colwill, Cole Palmer, Benoit Badiashile, Enzo Fernández, Pedro Neto, Dario Essugo, Liam Delap, Reece James, Wesley Fofana, Tosin Adarabioyo, Andrey Santos and Josh Acheampong all sidelined at various points, has forced Maresca’s hand in this regard.

Chelsea also have 25 players in their squad who’ve been given at least 45 minutes of playing time this term, with only Nottingham Forest and West Ham (24) coming anywhere close to that number.

Two of the only Chelsea players who’ve not seen a single minute thus far are ‘bomb squad’ outcasts Raheem Sterling and Axel Disasi.

Both men, after failing to secure moves away in the summer, are training in isolation, with Sterling causing quite a stir when he posted an image of him training alone and very late at night in what looked like a barren training complex.

This social media post even prompted the PFA to intervene and ensure that Chelsea weren’t treating the duo unfairly, coming after Maresca previously stated there was no way back for either man and they’d continue training away from the group.

When asked if they could play their way back into the first team, Maresca’s reply was brief, and it was a resounding ‘no’ (The Mail).

Sterling, who spent last term on a failed loan spell at Arsenal, has been linked with a move to Celtic ahead of the January window. Disasi, meanwhile, was surprisingly spotted training with the first team this week — despite Maresca previously saying there was no way.

Enzo Maresca pulls U-turn over axed Axel Disasi as Cobham photo reveals surprise call

In a twist, The Mail have shared a photo from Cobham of Disasi tussling with Liam Delap in an international break session, with Maresca now going back on his word and allowing the Frenchman to compete with his squad after all.

While there was still no sign of Sterling, Disasi’s recall to first-team training makes for an intriguing development, and one which will make on-lookers wonder whether he’s done enough to earn back Maresca’s favour.

After playing only 18 per cent of available Premier League minutes under Maresca last term, Disasi failed to establish himself as a regular starter domestically, despite captaining them in the Conference League and largely playing as an emergency right-back.

Aston Villa sealed his loan signing for the remainder of 2024/2025 last January, coming after Disasi reportedly rejected a loan to Tottenham, insisting on competing with Unai Emery’s side in the Champions League instead.

Disasi’s brief flashes ultimately failed to convince Villa to make the move permanent, and when the summer transfer window opened, Disasi found himself back in Chelsea’s notorious bomb squad alongside Sterling.

Having rejected moves to Crystal Palace and West Ham among others, and despite rumoured interest from clubs in Turkey and Saudi Arabia, Disasi snubbed multiple opportunities, leaving him stranded at Stamford Bridge.

With the January window looming, Maresca could well be planning to hand the 27-year-old some minutes as a way to drive up interest from suitors, but we’re purely speculating here.

Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez scored in either half as Chelsea closed the gap on Premier League leaders Arsenal in a tight 2-0 victory over Burnley at Turf Moor. Enzo Maresca’s Blues moved up to the second in the table with a performance which saw Andrey Santos shine in place of Moises Caicedo, who was rested ahead of Tuesday’s mouth-watering Champions League clash with Barcelona.

Roared on by their home supporters, Burnley started the better of the two teams on Saturday afternoon, forcing Chelsea trio Trevoh Chalobah, Santos and Tosin Adarabioyo into making last-ditch blocks on the counter attack. Lacking rhythm in the opening 30 minutes, Chelsea soon sparked into life, taking the lead when Jamie Gittens’ teasing cross was headed home by Neto. Retaining his place in the starting eleven, Liam Delap then fired past the post as Maresca’s men carried their lead into the interval.

In the second half, Chelsea retained possession far better but their attacks were often let down by a lack of conviction from forwards Joao Pedro and Delap. However, the west Londoners shone whenever they found Neto, who struck the post with a powerful, low strike just after the hour mark. In a rare opening, in-form Burnley striker Zian Flemming wriggled free from substitute Benoit Badiashile but he blazed over from inside the penalty area.

While Burnley made a host of changes to try and force their way back into proceedings, Scott Parker’s side huffed and puffed but Chelsea eventually put the game to bed when Fernandez latched onto substitute Marc Guiu’s pass before powering the ball beyond Clarets goalkeeper Martin Dubravka. The result means Chelsea have now won eight of their last 10 games in all competitions heading into the titanic fixture with Barcelona at Stamford Bridge next week.

GOAL rates Chelsea's players from Turf Moor…

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Robert Sanchez (5/10):

  The goalkeeper's distribution was shaky at times, drilling a clearance straight at the back of team-mate Fernandez's head in the first half.

  Reece James (5/10):

  Brought back into the starting XI, the skipper produced a quiet first-half performance before being substituted at half time. The full-back was pictured smiling after the interval, which suggests he has avoided suffering an injury.

  Tosin Adarabioyo (7/10):

  Another introduction to the starting lineup, the centre-back made a terrific block to prevent Burnley's Jaidon Anthony opening the scoring. He was then influential in Neto's goal, playing a lofted ball towards Cucurella, who recorded the pre-assist.

  Trevoh Chalobah (6/10):

  Occasionally finding himself up against Burnley livewire Loum Tchaouna, the defender showed great composure in the battle, biding his time to get a good block in. However, he was fortunate not to concede a penalty in the first half when he put his hand on what looked like a restart from goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, though the referee thought otherwise.

  Marc Cucurella (7/10):

  The Spain international was heavily involved in the build up to Neto's header, keeping Adarabioyo's lofted pass alive before feeding Gittens with a pass.

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• AFP
  

  Midfield

  Andrey Santos (8/10):

  Given the unenviable task of filling in for the benched Moises Caicedo, the youngster was excellent, providing a solid shield in front of Chelsea's goal.

  Enzo Fernandez (8/10):

  The Argentina midfielder created the space for Neto's back-post header, making an unselfish run which attracted Burnley left-back Quilindschy Hartman. And in the dying moments of the game, he then rattled home Chelsea's second after some brilliant work from team-mate Guiu.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Attack

  Pedro Neto (8/10):

  Electric once again, the winger almost teed up Gittens with a teasing cross before meeting his team-mate's ball in with a super header. The former Wolves ace almost got a second after the break but his effort hit the post.

  Joao Pedro (5/10):

  Fielded in his favoured No. 10 position, the forward struggled in the first half, with Chelsea shining out wide rather than through the middle. The Brazilian saw more of the ball after the break but he often failed to sort his feet out.

  Jamie Gittens (7/10):

  The England Under-21 winger almost put Chelsea ahead, thwarted at the last minute by Kyle Walker's superb clearance, before curling in the cross for Neto's opener.

  Liam Delap (6/10):

  In a hot and cold performance, the striker occasionally showed good hold-up play, though – at times – he should have been quicker to play in his team-mates.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Subs & Manager

  Benoit Badiashile (5/10):

  Replacing club captain James at half time, the former Monaco man lost Burnley's Flemming on one occasion, before receiving a yellow card for wrestling with defender Maxime Esteve.

  Malo Gusto (6/10):

  Replacing Delap in the second half, the Frenchman made a good impact, forcing Burnley shot-stopper Dubravka into a save late on.

  Marc Guiu (7/10):

  Brought on with 15 minutes of normal time to play, the young striker showed magnificent strength to set up Fernandez's late strike.

  Enzo Maresca (7/10):

  Shuffling his deck by making four changes to the side that beat Wolves 3-0, he made the brave decision to rest Caicedo and start Santos, which worked wonders. The Italian also gave minutes to striker Guiu, who played a key role in helping Chelsea wrap up all three points.

Tim Seifert and Ackeem Auguste led the chase of 110, as Kings topped the table and ended TKR’s winning streak

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Sep-2025The St Lucia Kings spinners Tabraiz Shamsi, Roston Chase and Khary Pierre shared seven wickets to bundle Trinbago Knight Riders for 109 and set up a commanding seven-wicket win in Tarouba. Victory took Kings into the playoffs of CPL 2025.Tim Seifert, Ackeem Auguste, Chase and Tim David made sure the chase was wrapped up at the start of the 12th over to give their net run rate a big boost with their fourth win in a row that placed them on top of the points table. Their streak also ended TKR’s hot run of five wins in a row as they lost the top spot after the game.Pierre struck on the second ball of the match after Kings opted to bowl. He had Colin Munro caught for a duck off a delivery which kept a little low. In the third over, Darren Bravo chipped Pierre to short fine leg for 11, before captain Nicholas Pooran staged a brief recovery.But once Chase had Hales bowled for 9 to end the powerplay, Kings began to slide. Forty for 2 soon became 59 for 5 by the end of ten overs. Shamsi cleaned up Akeal Hosein with a wrong ‘un first ball while Chase, who ended with 2 for 19, had Pooran caught behind albeit with help from DRS. After Pooran’s knock of 30 off 27, no TKR batter managed to cross 20.Keiron Pollard and Andre Russell were TKR’s biggest hopes if they were to reach a respectable total. But Shamsi had both batters bowled with his deceptive turn to finish with 3 for 12 without conceding a single boundary in his four overs. Nathan Edward and Terrance Hinds took TKR past 100, but Delano Potgieter and Alzarri Joseph wrapped the tail up to leave Kings only 110 to win.Seifert came out firing first ball. He swept Hosein for six, before cutting and punching him for fours in the first over that went for 14. TKR removed Seifert’s partner Johnson Charles for 1 to end the second over; but by then, Seifert had crashed 25 off ten deliveries. Two quiet overs followed before Auguste and Seifert ensured TKR’s momentum was short lived.The two batters doubled the score in the last two overs of the powerplay, which ended with Kings at 66 for 1. Usman Tariq, though, ended the fun for Kings in the seventh over when he had Seifert caught at deep midwicket for 36 from 19 balls. Next over, Sunil Narine trapped Auguste for an attacking 28, but Chase, who hit Tariq for three fours in the ninth over, and David took Kings home with 53 balls to spare.

Dropping points away to Sunderland was far from ideal, but even so, Arsenal are flying this season.

Unlike last season, Mikel Arteta’s side aren’t finding it hard to score goals, and thanks to their unreal defence, they rarely concede any.

This combination sees them sit atop the Premier League table, four points ahead of Manchester City and eight points clear of reigning champions Liverpool.

While there are several candidates, it would be fair to say that, so far, Gabriel Magalhães has been Arsenal’s player of the season, and Andrea Berta has already signed another version of the Brazilian.

Gabriel's development at Arsenal

Gabriel joined Arsenal from LOSC Lille for around £27m in the summer of 2020, and since then has developed significantly in practically every way imaginable.

Chalkboard

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

Now, the Brazilian wasn’t a bad player in his first season for the Gunners, but he wasn’t one of the first names on the teamsheet.

For example, he made just 32 appearances across all competitions for Arteta, of which 23 were in the league, averaging 1.57 points per game.

He would become more of an ever-present member of the backline over the following seasons, but even during the early stages of the 22/23 season, he was seen as someone who could be a liability.

In fact, following a game away to Leeds United, in which he had a penalty incident overturned, Rio Ferdinand pointed out that “every week he’s in the headlines or he’s in underneath with a little bullet point next to his name and a bad incident.”

Fortunately, towards the end of that year and in the campaigns since, the former Lille star has become increasingly dependable, to the point that he occasionally wears the captain’s armband and has been the club’s standout performer this year.

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.06

0.21

Shots

0.64

0.93

Passing Accuracy

85.3%

88.6%

Key Passes

0.11

0.34

Shot-Creating Actions

0.53

1.23

Goal-Creating Actions

0.04

0.27

Tackles Won

0.51

0.53

Shots Blocked

0.82

1.30

Passes Blocked

0.32

0.48

Dispossessed

0.32

0.00

Aerial Duels Won

2.59

3.22

Another way to see his growth is to compare his underlying numbers from his first season to those of today.

Doing this shows that the 27-year-old now wins more tackles, blocks more shots and passes, makes more clearances, wins more aerial duels, completes more of his passes, is a greater goal threat, and is far better at creating chances for his teammates.

In all, Gabriel has been able to channel his natural passion over the years and is now arguably the club’s most important defender, so it’s excellent news that Berta signed someone who could develop just like him.

Arsenal's new Gabriel

Arsenal are blessed with an abundance of extremely talented defenders, but when it comes to the one most likely to develop down a Gabriel-esque path, it’s impossible to ignore Cristhian Mosquera.

Andrea Berta signed the Spanish centre-back from Valencia in the summer, for a fee of just £13m, which one content creator fairly described as “a steal.”

Now, the 21-year-old certainly has some of the elegance of a William Saliba, and could certainly be that ball-playing passing machine at the back, but it still feels like he is going to evolve to be more like the Brazilian.

One of the main reasons is that, despite being so young and having only just joined the team, he already appears mature beyond his years, as exemplified by his unfazed performance against Liverpool at Anfield earlier in the season.

More crucially, though, the 6 foot 3 “monster,” as club insider Hand of Arsenal dubbed him, seems to relish the more physical side of the game.

Sure, he can play it safe, but as respected analyst Ben Mattinson points out, he very clearly “loves to battle with physical attackers” and “thrives in ground duels due.”

Further described as an “absolute cheat code of a player” by Arsenal content creator Harold Hickman, he has already proven himself to be something of a leader.

For example, in his recent games for Spain’s U21 side, he has had the responsibility of wearing the captain’s armband.

Ultimately, it’s still early in his career, but thanks to his composure, ability to compete in physical duels, and passion for doing so, it looks like Arsenal have themselves another Gabriel in Mosquera.

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ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 13, 2025

Allrounder is carving his own niche away from attention that comes with Ashes-winning father

Valkerie Baynes26-Mar-2025Archie Vaughan is enjoying the freedom to be his “own man” at Somerset.Vaughan, who turned 19 in December, produced a match-winning performance against Surrey last year in just his second first-class game.Though he doesn’t consider that to be the moment that established him as a player in his own right, independent of his famous father, Michael, he does see an upside to carving out the beginnings of a promising career in a place where his surname carries less weight of expectation.”It’s something that I’ve probably not really thought about before,” Vaughan tells ESPNcricinfo during Somerset’s pre-season media day. “Coming to Somerset where my dad’s not known, I think that’s really helped me just be my own man.”It’s nice obviously putting in a performance like that in a big game, but I think Somerset’s a club where everyone’s treated the same, so it doesn’t matter if you’ve played 200 games or you’ve played four.”We’ve got great friendships and it’s not really about proving yourself. Everyone knows the pressures of cricket and, when you go into the changeroom, it’s trying to be as inclusive and welcoming as possible. That’s what we do.”Vaughan’s connection with Somerset came about, not from any desire to put distance between himself and his father’s Yorkshire roots, but through attending Millfield School, near Glastonbury. From there, he entered the Somerset Academy system and worked his way up.”Before then I wasn’t involved in any major county, it was just Cheshire,” he said. “If I was to stay at home and progress, it probably would’ve gone down the Lancashire route, which is obviously not where my dad went.”It’s definitely not been a conscious thought, but I think I’ve probably recognised some benefits, just him not knowing anyone, I think that’s helped just me get on with my own game.”Vaughan captained England Under-19 in South Africa this winter•Gallo Images/Getty ImagesHe made his Championship debut against Durham last August, having signed his first professional contract in May and already played for Somerset in the One-Day Cup. He ended up playing four first-class matches and seven List A games, averaging 33.71 with the bat in the Championship and taking 15 wickets at 20.13.But it was his 11 wickets against Surrey that drew the most attention. Partnering left-arm spinner Jack Leach to keep Somerset’s title hopes alive, the duo took 20 wickets between them for the match, Vaughan ending with 6 for 102 and 5 for 38 after scoring a first-innings 44 in his primary role as a top-order batter.The England Under-19 captaincy followed at the start of this year in South Africa, where England lost a 50-over series 2-1 before winning the two-match four-day series 1-0.But he remains humble and eager to learn.”I’m very proud of what I’ve done, but trying to manage my expectations for the start of the season to try and get in the team for starters,” Vaughan says. “Then if I do get in the team, trying to stay in and just put performances in to win games of cricket.Related

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“It’s easy to put pressure on myself after having a few good games, but I’m still 19, I’m still young, so trying to manage my expectations is probably going to be the challenge and realising I’m not going to bowl that well every game or even bat – I batted a few nice innings.”So it’s just going to be a challenge, but trying to get in the first team for the first game of the season will be my first goal.”Vaughan only started bowling off-spin during lockdown, in 2020, so Leach is a key source of knowledge that he is keen to keep drawing on.Leach, who took two wickets in three balls to seal victory in the Surrey match, understandably has fond memories of that game too.”It was really special,” Leach recalls. “That game will always live with me and just that last moment, to take that last wicket and then the boys and Archie all running towards me, and to win it right at the end like that, there’s no real better feeling in cricket.”What he did and the temperament he showed as a young player, and someone who was renowned as a batter and then bowled some off-spin, he has shown that he’s much more than that.”His temperament on those wickets, to not put too much pressure on himself, but deliver, was awesome and made my job a lot easier as well. I really enjoyed that partnership.”Vaughan has made an impression in white-ball cricket too•Getty ImagesIt may not be until later in the season that they combine again with the ball. Shoaib Bashir – another mentor for Vaughan – has gone to Glamorgan on loan to increase his opportunities given that Leach remains Somerset’s No.1 spinner, if not England’s, at the moment.And while Vaughan is happy in his batting with just over a week until the start of the Championship season, he says “a few teething problems” in his bowling indicate more volume might be required.But that doesn’t deter him from wanting to do it all. Quite the opposite.”When it comes to training, I do definitely treat myself as an allrounder,” Vaughan says. “I spend probably the same amount on both in terms of skillset. At the minute I think I’m probably a slightly better batter than a bowler but I think that’s just due to my inexperience with the ball.”In terms of length of time, I’m a few years back on my bowling than I am on my batting, so again, it’s managing my expectations. I had a good game here. It’s about realising that it’s not going to be like that every game, it’s not going to come out as I want every game.”Chatting to Leechy and Bash, having these people at the club, it’s definitely a great asset to my bowling.”England Lions host India A in two four-day matches this summer, which could prove another step in Vaughan’s development, although he’s not looking that far ahead.”My main aims and goals are definitely the start of the season here, getting in the team, putting in performances, and if I do well and that comes along then great, but definitely no thoughts, trying to just keep focus here.”