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Sophie Ecclestone took 3 for 18 before a vital stand with Seren Smale to chase 152

ECB Reporters Network09-Jun-2024

Kate Cross hit a six and a four in the final over to deliver a thrilling last over five-wicket victory for the Thunder against Sunrisers in the Charlotte Edwards Cup at Blackpool.The result leaves the Thunder in fifth place, four points behind Central Sparks who occupy the fourth qualifying spot but Sunrisers, who remain on 8 points, now face an uphill task to qualify for the playoffs.It was an exciting finale after Sunrisers had posted 151 for 9 after winning the toss, one run shy of their best total in this season’s competition, led by Lissy Macleod’s 60, while Sophie Ecclestone was the pick of the Thunder bowlers with 3 for 18.Seren Smale was the batting hero for Thunder holding the middle of the innings together with an unbeaten 39, her best score in this competition, and late runs from Ecclestone and Cross were vital in clinching the win for the hosts who finished on 155 for 5.The Thunder started their run chase brightly, Fi Morris driving Nicola Hancock for six and striking three fours before she was run out for 25 off 11 balls. That was the first of two wickets falling for four runs after sub fielder Kate Coppack took a good diving catch off Sophie Munro to send back Emma Lamb for 14 with Thunder 43 for 2 in the seventh over.Katie Mack and Smale steered Thunder to 69 at halfway and Aussie overseas player Mack had just upped the tempo with three fours when she was run out for 28 by a superb direct hit from long-on by Jo Gardner, with Thunder 93 for 3 in the 13th over needing 59 off 46 balls.That looked to be a crucial blow, especially when Eva Gray bowled Ellie Threlkeld for two but Ecclestone and Smale kept Thunder in the hunt before play was halted by rain with the hosts on 123 for 4 needing 29 off 18 balls.After a 25-minute delay, Ecclestone departed for 23 but Smale and Cross reduced the target to nine off the last over from Grace Scrivens.Cross then delivered to clinch victory with three balls to spare.Earlier, Mady Villiers hit the first ball she faced for six over midwicket off Tara Norris but perished for 11 in the second over when repeating the shot off Cross but instead finding Dani Collins on the deep midwicket fence.Gardner and Macleod rebuilt swiftly with a 33-run partnership off 23 balls before the former was bowled for 14 after attempting an ambitious leg side scoop from Ecclestone’s third delivery.It was the introduction of spin slowed the Sunrisers progress, Morris (2 for 24) trapping both Scrivens (11) and Flo Miller (1) lbw in the same over to leave the visitors 72 for 4 at the halfway stage of the innings.When Ecclestone struck again in the following over after Jodi Grewcock pulled her first ball into the hands of Emma Lamb at midwicket, Sunrisers had lost three wickets for three runs in nine balls.It was Macleod who held the innings together hitting seven fours in reaching her fifty from just 33 balls. And she received great support from Amu Surenkumar who made a sprightly 31 off 23 balls as the pair hit out effectively to add 60 in exactly seven overs.Thunder hit back by taking three wickets in three chaotic balls in the 18th over with MacLeod and Surenkumar both run out and Gray lbw first ball to Ecclestone. The visitors scrambled to get themselves past the 150-mark but it proved to be in vein.

Already closing in on Bryan Mbeumo, Manchester United have now reportedly submitted an opening offer to the representatives of an ex-Manchester City defender who is desperate for a move this summer.

Man Utd closing in on Mbeumo as INEOS ramp up summer plans

Despite finishing closer to the relegation zone than any European place and compiling their misery by suffering defeat in the Europa League final against Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United remain an attractive club. Already, their name has carried enough weight to lure Matheus Cunha to the club and it looks as though Mbeumo is set to follow suit.

Recent reports even suggested that those at Old Trafford are ready to offer the Brentford star a stunning contract worth as much as £13m-a-year to complete a move to Manchester United this summer. If there was a collective belief that the Red Devils were entering this summer with financial limits, then that has already been put to bed somewhat.

INEOS may not be done there, either. They will be well aware that two arrivals won’t do the trick for Ruben Amorim’s side. The former Sporting Club boss needs an overhaul, not just Cunha and Mbeumo. The attacking duo represent the perfect start, however.

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With that said, Sir Jim Ratcliffe could yet set his sights on defensive additions now that United’s attack is about to be handed the injection of talent that it so desperately needed. And if that does prove to be the case, then Manchester United may even reportedly seal a deal to sign a former Manchester City star.

Man Utd open talks to sign Laporte

According to reports in Spain, Manchester United have now opened talks to sign Aymeric Laporte, making a bid to the defender’s representatives. The centre-back is reportedly desperate to leave Saudi Arabia for European football once again and has been public with his complaints about life at Al-Nassr in the past – sparking exit rumours.

As ever, though, the deal won’t come cheap. Al-Nassr are reportedly keen to recoup the €27m (£23m) that they initially paid out to secure Laporte’s signature in 2023, whilst the defender himself reportedly earns as much as €15m-a-year (£13m-a-year) at the Saudi club.

Whether Manchester United deem that price affordable remains to be seen. However, in terms of quality and experience, Laporte would certainly offer Amorim a much-needed upgrade within his backline. The Spaniard played a huge role in Manchester City’s historic treble in the 2022/23 campaign and could now come back to haunt the Citizens, years after signing for what was then their club record of £57m.

Described as “incredible” by Pep Guardiola in 2022, Laporte could yet return to the Premier League and earn similar praise at the home of his former club’s biggest rivals. The move would be full of controversy, there’s no doubt about that. But it would also hand Manchester United an instant upgrade.

The representative of a “complete player” is actively pushing for his client to join Chelsea, according to reports, with a deal also being worked on behind-the-scenes.

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While their qualification for the Champions League is set to have a big impact on their summer plans, that hasn’t stopped BlueCo from laying the groundwork for potential transfers.

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Chelsea are competing in the Club World Cup this summer as well, and will have the chance to sign new players before the tournament kicks off, thanks to a special edition window, which will be open from June 1st to June 10th.

Chelsea’s final four Premier League fixtures

Date

Newcastle (away)

May 11th

Man United (home)

May 16th

Nottingham Forest (away)

May 25th

The first window is therefore just weeks away from opening, and Chelsea are reliably believed to be eyeing a centre-back as one of the main priorities on their agenda.

They’ve already been linked with a host of new defenders, including Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi, Ajax sensation Jorrel Hato, Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite and Burnley ace Maxine Esteve, but one name who keeps being mentioned is Bournemouth star Dean Huijsen.

The Spain international is set to be one of the Premier League’s most sought-after defensive targets this summer, amid reports of a £50 million release clause written into his contract following a very impressive debut campaign in the English top flight.

Ali Barat pushing Dean Huijsen to join Chelsea

Chelsea have held productive talks with Huijsen’s camp in recent weeks, according to journalist Simon Phillips, and the reporter now claims that his agent, Ali Barat, is determined for him to seal a west London move.

Phillips claims Barat is pushing for Huijsen to join Chelsea as he actively works on a deal, even if the player’s father, Don, would prefer it if he joined Liverpool.

“Agent Ali Barat is working on the deal and is pushing Huijsen towards Chelsea,” said Phillips, via his Substack.

“The player’s father has so far been keen for him to join Liverpool. The player has always said that he won’t make a decision until the season ends, but Chelsea continue to work on it, as do Liverpool.”

The 20-year-old has been outstanding this term, and is now an undroppable member of Andoni Iraola’s starting eleven, prompting members of the media to call Huijsen a perfect modern-day defender.

“He is so cool, so composed, so chill, as he said,” said Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp.

“He just makes the game look so easy and so effortless. For a 20-year-old to be playing at this level and doing what he is, that’s why he’s coveted by pretty much everyone in Europe.

“If you’re creating a footballer, the modern-day centre-back, you’ve got a bit of the influence from the Netherlands, the influence from Spain, where they come out with the ball and all the great defenders they’ve had.

“And then you’ve got that Italian mark on it as well so the journey, the mixture that he’s got, is pretty perfect, and now he’s found himself in the Premier League. The elements are good, everything is right for him. You have to get all the right ingredients to be a top player.

“He’s a complete player, this young man.”

In one of the dullest Manchester Derbies in recent memory, Manchester United were held to a 0-0 draw by Manchester City at a sunny Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon. Neither side had many chances of note, both opting for a more passive approach, helping them to earn a point each.

There were not many chances of note across the game. Omar Marmoush forced United goalkeeper Andre Onana into a couple of saves in the second half, first with a free kick, followed by a superbly struck volley.

For United, it was probably second-half substitute Joshua Zirkzee who came closest to finding the back of the net. He looked to hook Patrick Dorgu’s cross into the back of the City net, but Ederson made a sharp save from close range.

The stats from Sofascore reflect just how drab of an affair it was. United had 13 shots, but just two on target, and had an expected goals tally of 0.92xG. As for City, they had just nine shots but got five of those on target and had a 0.49xG.

It was not a classic, as far as Manchester Derbies go. However, there was still a standout player on the pitch, who looked a class above anyone else. That man was United captain Bruno Fernandes.

Fernandes’ stats vs. Man City

As you might expect, Fernandes was the one player on the pitch who looked like he would make something happen. The man who is lovingly dubbed “Portuguese Magnifico” by United fans continued his excellent form at Old Trafford.

If there was one word to sum up that Fernandes performance, it would be influential. The Red Devils captain had 70 touches and completed 93% of his passes, and created three chances, more than any other player on the pitch.

He was everywhere, starting the game as a number ten before dropping into the more familiar number eight role that he has played in recent weeks. Yet, there was not one part of the game that Fernandes did not feel involved.

Samuel Luckhurst, United correspondent for The Manchester Evening News, rated Fernandes’ performance highly. He gave the Red Devils skipper a 7/10 and explained that he was ‘as reliably creative as ever’. Classic Fernandes.

It was a memorable performance for United’s number eight in an otherwise forgettable Manchester Derby. However, he was not the only United player who impressed against their cross-city rivals.

The Man Utd star who's making himself undroppable

What an impressive performance it was from Leny Yoro against the reigning Premier League champions. The young French defender was calm and composed at the back, helping to keep City’s attackers at bay.

Yoro’s stats from the game show just how well he performed in his first Manchester Derby at Old Trafford. The Frenchman had 54 touches of the ball, completing 89% of his passes. He also showed excellent reading of the game, making three interceptions.

Yoro stats vs. Man City

Stat

Number

Minutes

90

Touches

54

Pass accuracy

89%

Passes completed

39/44

Interceptions

3

Clearances

1

Accuract long balls

1

Stats from Sofascore

Luckhurst was certainly impressed with the United number 15’s day at the office. Just as he did with Fernandes, the journalist gave Yoro a 7/10 for his efforts, explaining he ‘had little trouble from City’ on the left of United’s back three.

This performance was really a continuation of excellent form from the youngster. According to Statman Dave, he has now gone 12 games in all competitions without being dribbled past, showing just how tough he is to get past.

In many ways, Yoro has become undroppable for Ruben Amorim, and was described as a “key” member of the United side by Dev Bajwa, football content creator and United fan. He is making that left centre-back role his own and has clearly become a problem for many attackers, as the stats show.

It is certainly encouraging for the Red Devils that Yoro is establishing himself as a certain starter in this side. His recent form is something to get excited about, and he will surely have a vital role to play in the remainder of United’s season.

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The Madhya Pradesh batter has a reputation for scoring tough runs, and is fresh off a century against England Lions

Shashank Kishore24-Jan-2024Since 2000, only six Indians have made their Test debut after turning 30. Rajat Patidar could be the seventh, and only the second specialist batter after Suryakumar Yadav, if he earns his Test cap during the series against England beginning in Hyderabad on Thursday.Called up late as a replacement for Virat Kohli in the squad, Patidar has grown up batting at Nos. 3 and 4 for Madhya Pradesh for much of his first-class career. His numbers in red-ball cricket are impressive: 4000 runs in 93 innings at an average of 45.97, with 12 centuries and 22 half-centuries. Over nine years of domestic cricket, he has gained a reputation of being a batter for tough surfaces.Patidar’s composure has impressed Chandrakant Pandit, the Madhya Pradesh coach. Pandit’s old-school coaching methods have often divided opinion, even though he’s produced results, but for someone as hard-nosed as Pandit to say he simply let Patidar be speaks volumes about the player’s maturity.”Before every game, I have a whiteboard where I list out strengths and weaknesses of every batter and what I feel they need to work at the nets,” Pandit had once said. “While going through this at our meeting, one of the players innocently remarked, ‘Sir you’ve missed out Rajat’s name’. I told him, ‘ (let it be, he will manage. I’m not worried about him)’.”Related

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Patidar was sidelined for much of 2023 because of an Achilles injury that required surgery in London and wondered if he’d missed his big chance. Now, his career graph has surged to an unprecedented high, having made his ODI debut in South Africa in December.Last week, Patidar made 151 off 158 balls in India A’s innings of 227 in the first unofficial Test against England Lions in Ahmedabad. Before that, he smashed 111 in a two-day fixture against the same opponents. This wasn’t him trying his hand at Bazball.It is just who Patidar is. For him, batting is all about the “feel”.”I don’t judge myself on performance,” he had told ESPNcricinfo after helping Madhya Pradesh win their maiden Ranji Trophy title in June 2022. “I need to get that batting feel – the shots are good, the balance is there, the head is in the right position – till I don’t get that feel I don’t feel I’m in good form. Obviously it’s every batter’s job to score runs, but for me, if I feel good about my batting the runs come automatically.”Rajat Patidar made his ODI debut against South Africa in December•Gallo ImagesAnother strength of Patidar is his ability to deal with setbacks. Four days after finding no takers at the IPL 2022 auction, he began the 2021-22 Ranji season with twin fifties on a rank turner against Gujarat to help Madhya Pradesh win despite conceding a first-innings lead. The crunched nature of the group stages – thanks to the effects of Covid-19 – meant each team had just three matches and every one was crucial. Patidar scored 335 runs in four innings at an average of 83.75.Patidar was in the middle of planning his wedding in May when he got a call from Mike Hesson to join Royal Challengers Bangalore as an injury replacement. Within 24 hours of the call, he had postponed his wedding and was on the plane to IPL 2022, where he became the first uncapped Indian to hit a century in a playoff game.That knock at Eden Gardens against Lucknow Super Giants was followed by a half-century in Qualifier 2 against Rajasthan Royals. He finished that IPL season with 333 runs in eight innings at a strike rate of 152.50. A week after that breakthrough IPL century, Patidar was playing for Madhya Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy knockouts, hitting 323 runs at 80.75, including a match-winning hundred in the final against Mumbai.He had scored nearly 1000 runs across formats over three months and passed 50 in every knockout game he played. It was around then that his reputation of being a big-match player gathered momentum.”He’s a class player, a superb touch player,” Amol Muzumdar, who was Mumbai’s coach in that final, had said. “His bat flow was really good. I enjoyed… I mean didn’t ‘enjoy’ enjoy it, but loved the way he approaches batting. It’s clean. He’s a good player and I’d like to congratulate him for getting a Ranji Trophy final hundred. Not many achieve that.”Patidar made his India A debut later that year, against New Zealand A at home, and hit two hundreds in three red-ball games. Those performances have been the springboard to where he is today.Rajat Patidar is the only uncapped Indian to score a hundred in an IPL playoff game•BCCIIt’s a landmark moment in the life of someone who had wanted to be a fast bowler, but a lack of opportunities – he didn’t play age-group cricket for Madhya Pradesh until 18 – meant he had to try and do something different. He switched to offspin, “basically to do anything to find a place in junior cricket.” But when an anterior cruciate ligament injury forced him to rethink his choice of discipline, he turned to batting after working with Amay Khurasiya, the former India batter and MP captain.Patidar marked his first-class debut with a hundred against Baroda. He followed that with another century on a rank-turner in Gwalior, where offspinner Jalaj Saxena took the second-best figures in Ranji Trophy history to win Madhya Pradesh the game inside three days.Patidar made 113 off just 131 balls in that game, a knock he rates as among his best. “It was turning square, so you could either survive or look to score quickly,” he had said. “I thought while I’m in it, I should take the game forward and score runs. It’s not like I didn’t trust my defence, but the situation demanded that I look to be positive. Everything clicked.”With Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer and a wicketkeeper likely to form India’s middle order in the first Test against England in Hyderabad, Patidar might have to wait for his opportunity. But should the need arise, India can call on a seasoned 30-year old who’s played high-pressure innings in tough spin-friendly conditions.

All the interesting numbers about the close finishes, scoring rates, and more from the Women’s World Cup 2022

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The tournament of close games
One of the biggest talking points of the tournament was how a number of matches went down to the wire. Teams batting first won five times by a margin of fewer than ten runs, while the chasing teams got over the line in the final over four times. Nine of the 30 completed matches in this edition were either won in the last over by the chasing side or by a margin of fewer than ten runs. Before the 2022 Women’s World Cup, there have been only 12 such results, and no more than three in any edition.Related

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The only previous instance of a team either reaching the target on the last ball of the chase or winning with only one wicket in hand at a World Cup was by Sri Lanka in 2013 against England, when they reached the 239-run target on the last ball of the 50th over, having lost nine wickets. In the 2022 edition, there were two similar results – England beating New Zealand by one wicket at Eden Park, and South Africa completing a chase on the last ball against India in the final league game.Australia’s dominance
Australia started the tournament as clear favourites on the back of an impeccable record in the format since the previous World Cup. Between the 2017 and 2022 editions, Australia won 31 of the 33 ODIs they played, including a record of 26 consecutive wins. Their performance was no less than the expectations from them, as they ended up winning all nine matches on their way to the seventh ODI World Cup title.