All posts by h716a5.icu

Even with Derbyshire’s match-saving stand broken, hosts fail to force the issue on lifeless, relaid square

David Hopps25-Apr-2021 Derbyshire 267 (Madsen 76, Hosein 63, Rushworth 6-58) and 280 for 5 (Madsen 74, Critchley 69) drew with Durham 475 (Bedingham 257, Burnham 75, Conners 5-83) and 175 for 2 declared (Lees 78*, Bedingham 53*)Durham had been sustained throughout a wearying final day by the thought of a second new ball. They knew they would have 21 overs with it, ample time to knock over Derbyshire’s tail. Just get into position then bang, bang, bang.They got there with only five wickets down, Derbyshire’s high-class pairing of Matt Critchley and Wayne Madsen having been removed in successive overs as the old ball awoke to its task with its last breath. A glimmer of hope. But instead of bang, bang, bang there was not so much as a whimper. Stalemate was agreed with four overs remaining.When Durham’s new captain, Scott Borthwick, returned north in revivalist frame of mind, he was wise enough to negotiate a five-year deal, which should at least allow him to see a relaid square quicken up a bit. Bowling sides out twice on these pitches will be a challenge. The outcome of this game – a draw accepted with four overs remaining, and Derbyshire 280 for 5 in mock pursuit of 384, could be a harbinger of the frustrations to follow.Durham have now not won in 10. They are making progress in that they are drawing better. Derbyshire also have three draws to their credit and will take consolation in that. Their staunch resistance won professional respect. But Group 1 has produced 12 draws in 15 games in a dry April and is in danger of becoming a non-event, with Essex and Warwickshire winning matches and hoping to qualify in the right way, and everybody else drowning in draw points and hoping to nick something they barely deserve. If Group 1 is to be termed The Group of Death it will be because everyone is dying of boredom.Related

Unbeaten fifty by Ben Cox seals draw for Worcestershire after Derbyshire play it safe

Derbyshire’s dedication was there for all to see. But it is apt to remember more ambitious times. Their record chase was the unforgettable day in 1997 that they made 371 for 9 in less than 69 overs to beat the Australians at Derby, galvanised by their Australian captain, Dean Jones, who encouraged them to treat the greatest legspinner of them all, Shane Warne, like an offspinner and just whack him over mid-on.At Chester-le-Street, on a docile pitch that had even lost interest in providing an occasional shooter, they required 384, only 10 of them chipped away overnight. It would have taken someone with the vaulting ambition of Jones to persuade them to chase it, to overpower logic with desire. Sadly, Jones has departed, not just from Derbyshire, but from life itself. They never took it seriously.At the same time, in Mumbai, Ravi Jadeja struck a record 37 off an over and was consumed by the Art of the Possible, as defined by IPL – nothing can be discounted. In Chester-le-Street, Derbyshire’s definition of the Art of the Possible owed more to the pessimism of , the meaning with which the phrase was first uttered by the 19th C. German statesman Otto von Bismarck – settle for what is attainable, settle for second best, settle for draw points.With Championship draw points up from five to eight this season, settling for second best will happen a lot this season. It will be defended as the essence of professionalism, but there will be some dull days as run chases are eschewed prematurely, limitations are respected, and spectators (when they are ever allowed in) disconsolately drift away. Eight points is too many. It is to be hoped that some counties just decide, to hell with it, let’s accept the spirit of the age, take on the challenge and if we crash and burn, so be it. Otherwise, it is hard to see the Championship surviving as an entertainment sport. And, in that case, why should it survive at all?When Derbyshire’s fourth-wicket pair, Critchley and Madsen, were in the early stages of their match-saving stand of 143 in 40 overs, they were actually scoring at a match-winning rate, not that it mattered. They had no evidence that others could take up the challenge. This duo are a class apart from any other batter Derbyshire can offer, and this Derbyshire side is not in the same league as the one that Jones led in 1997.Derbyshire’s opening gambit had been plodding: 88 for 3 in 38.4 overs, survival already on their mind. Durham rued their ill luck – Tom Wood’s fast edge which flew through David Bedingham’s hands at second slip and ensured the hand sanitiser would sting for the rest of the day; Borthwick turning a legspinner to strike Leus du Plooy on the back pad, but finding him too far down the pitch for the umpire to take a view.Tom Wood is bowled by Ben Raine•Getty ImagesBut gradually the wickets came: Wood, bowled through the gate by Ben Raine who will be lucky if his in-your-face celebration escapes censure; Luis Reece lbw to Borthwick on the sweep; and du Plooy’s crouching defensive innings, as if in perpetual fear of a shooter, ended when he managed the crouch but not the shot and with both feet outside of stump, was adjudged lbw to Raine, bowling around the wicket. It was a decision that probably only an international umpire, educated and battle-hardened by the constant, all-knowing second opinion of ball tracking, would have dared to give and Richard Kettleborough was up to the task.That Critchley is on the verge of being regarded as Madsen’s equal is testimony to his advancement. He now has five half-centuries in six and the one he missed (which cost him a Derbyshire record) was 40, ended with a shooter in the first innings here. Madsen, who fell to a freakish head-high rearer from Raine, also had individual satisfaction as he made two fifties in a match for the first time for four years.They had occasional luck, not least when Madsen was 74 and Stuart Poynter, standing up to Raine, thought he had him caught at the wicket. Another incident where the match referee, Wayne Noon, will consider whether penalty points for dissent are appropriate. But it was not luck that settled this match, but judgement – the judgment that a draw was reward enough.

The situation involving Sunderland appointing a new manager is becoming somewhat of a soap opera at the Stadium of Light, a dramatic predicament that looks no nearer to reaching a neat conclusion anytime soon.

This will, no doubt, be unsettling for supporters and players alike, who would have wanted to turn a corner after a dire 2023/24 season, only for an uncertain future to slap them straight in the face.

With Michael Beale in the dug-out and interim boss Mike Dodds' tenure distant memories now, Sunderland will need to appoint a new permanent boss very shortly, in order to raise spirits inside a tetchy Black Cats camp.

Both Dan Neil and Chris Rigg are hesitant to sign new deals, and when it comes to Jobe Bellingham, nobody would be surprised to see the teenager jump ship too, especially if a higher-up suitor convinces him to leave his current managerless employers with an extremely tempting offer.

Sunderland eyeing up Bellingham replacement

With Bellingham being eyed up by Premier League teams, including Tottenham Hotspur, Sunderland would be wise to look for a replacement for their breakout 18-year-old, in case he does move on up to the Premier League.

Well, The Sun has reported in recent weeks that the Wearside outfit are looking at bringing in current Burnley attacker Scott Twine this summer, who could well be the Bellingham replacement they desire if the attacking midfielder ups and leaves.

Sunderland won't be alone in their pursuit of the wantaway 24-year-old, who The Sun reveal will be sold this transfer window, as Birmingham City and Bristol City attempt to test the waters too over a deal for the agile attacker.

Capable of playing down the wings too, Twine could offer Sunderland more depth here, especially if Clarke also exits the Stadium of Light, but – looking at his numbers when dazzling in the EFL in the past – it's from Bellingham's usual number ten role where Twine shines.

How Twine could replace Bellingham

There could be an element of risk from Sunderland's point of view going after Twine this summer, considering his time with Burnley at Championship level was ravaged by injury, but his past glowing numbers, when fit and at full flow, will shove any concerns to one side.

Playing for a promotion-chasing Milton Keynes Dons side in League One during the 2021/22 season, the Clarets man would amass a staggering 33 goal contributions across the full injury-free campaign, with 15 of those coming from the attacking midfield spot.

AM

21

9

6

LW

15

4

5

SS

8

7

2

RW

2

0

0

CF

1

0

0

LM

1

0

0

Bellingham, in contrast, would end up amassing eight goal contributions from 47 appearances last season, which is a promising return from a teenage starlet, but Twine could be a different beast altogether if unleashed into the Sunderland XI next campaign.

On loan at Hull City and Bristol City last term, Twine ended up accumulating one more goal contribution than Bellingham, to prove he has what it takes in the second-tier.

Described as being a "terrific" talent by his ex-MK Dons manager in Liam Manning during that fruitful season at Stadium MK for the 24-year-old, with Manning now interested in a permanent reunion at Ashton Gate, Sunderland will hope they can come out of this intense transfer tussle for Twine's services as victorious.

Even if Bellingham does stay at the Stadium of Light, the target in question could offer Sunderland some much-needed versatility in attack – as can be seen glancing at the table above – with the likes of Abdoullah Ba sweating about his first-team chances down the left wing, if Twine was to join.

Before a transfer is confirmed or rubbished, however, the Black Cats hierarchy need to make a sharp decision over their next manager, to end the ongoing circus surrounding the vacancy.

Sunderland losing £3m star would be as big a blow as Clarke leaving

Sunderland will attempt to keep this gem at the Stadium of Light for the foreseeable.

ByKelan Sarson Jun 18, 2024

Australia seamer available for three Championship games and full Blast season

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Apr-2021Sean Abbott, the Australia seamer, has signed to play for Surrey this summer. He will be available for three LV= Insurance County Championship fixtures and the whole of the Vitality Blast group stage.Abbott had been due for his first stint in county cricket with Derbyshire last year, but the deal was deferred due to the effects of Covid-19. He will replace Kemar Roach as Surrey’s second overseas player, joining the squad in time for the Championship match against Gloucesershire starting on May 27.Related

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Capped in ODIs and T20Is by Australia, Abbott has been a key performer with the Sydney Sixers, Big Bash champions in 2019-20 and 2020-21. He has taken 115 wickets in 94 T20 appearances, including a spell at the IPL with Royal Challengers Bangalore.”I’m delighted to have secured the services of Sean for three LV= County Championship matches and all of our T20 group games,” Surrey’s director of cricket, Alec Stewart, said. “His all-round skills and the experience of having won back-to-back BBL trophies will add real strength to our group.”Abbott has plenty of first-class experience, too, with more than 150 wickets in a decade playing for New South Wales. He averages 22.88 with the bat, and made a maiden hundred in the 2020-21 Sheffield Shield season.Abbott said: “I’m absolutely delighted to be joining Surrey, one of the biggest counties in England. I’m grateful for the opportunity to go over and play. I’ve had the pleasure of playing with a few of the Surrey guys who played at the Sydney Sixers who have done very well.”Obviously I’m keen to pull on the Surrey colours and be involved in the setup over there, and continue to learn and get better as a cricketer, whilst hoping to help Surrey win the Vitality Blast and the LV= County Championship.”I know they’ve got an amazing set up and a great bunch of lads so I’m looking forward to getting to London, playing some great cricket, and making new friends.”Roach, the West Indies seamer, has now arrived in the UK following his involvement in the Test series against Sri Lanka. He is expected to be available for Surrey’s second Championship match, against Leicestershire, and could feature in six games before departing after the London derby with Middlesex in late May.

Mayank Agarawal led from the front, seasoned pros were discarded, and a bunch of new faces made their presence felt in the winning run

Shashank Kishore20-Jan-2025Mayank Agarawal leads from the frontOver the past two seasons, the selectors had moved on from a number of seasoned players, who have had to find new teams or wait for answers on their future – R Samarth and Karun Nair have shifted to Uttarakhand and Vidarbha, respectively, while Manish Pandey and K Gowtham are out.Related

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'I'm amazed myself' – Karun Nair reflects on record-breaking run

The long-winding rise of Krishnan Shrijith

Karnataka hadn’t come close to winning the title in any of the formats last season, and in this one, 2024-25, they exited in the quarter-finals of the T20 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and have had a tough time during the first half of the Ranji Trophy season. Against this backdrop, Mayank Agarawal’s four centuries and 651 runs at an average of 93 in a title-winning campaign came at a time when there was a growing sense that the selectors were looking towards youngsters.”I thought I had a great tournament,” Agarawal told ESPNcricinfo. “To be overshadowed by somebody who had a record-breaking run like Karun – it was absolutely stunning for him to achieve what he did and I’m delighted for him – but, at a personal level, those four hundreds made a massive difference personally and for the team.”A slight shift in technique was the starting point. “I made subtle changes in my setup and backlift,” Agarawal explained. “It was also more about breaking down different phases in the game and making plans for those phases and executing those. When you execute it once, you get the confidence and a rhythm and hunger to keep going it again and again.”Agarawal’s upturn in form came after not finding any takers at the IPL mega auction ahead of the 2025 season.”To be honest, I gave myself six-eight hours to soak in what had happened and then said to myself, ‘listen, this is what has happened, this is where I’m at – what do I do next?’ I didn’t want to sit and brood over why it didn’t happen.”It was a knock on the chin and instead of getting upset, I tried to figure out what I need to do, what my immediate focus should be and how I get back on track. So the hundreds and runs was the coming together of all these processes I set for myself in rediscovering myself.”[File photo] Krishnan Shrijith is one of the bright new finds in the batting department•KSCARevamped middle order: KV Aneesh, R Smaran and K ShrijithAgarawal picked out Karnataka’s ability to win key moments regularly as a major reason for their success. It started from the go, with Karnataka chasing 381 against Mumbai in their tournament opener. “That instilled a lot of belief, because this is after all a team in transition,” Agarawal said.K Shrijith scored 150, and Praveen Dubey bounced back from an expensive spell with the ball (2 for 89) with an unbeaten 65. “You suddenly saw fearlessness that the younger group carried forward from there – it was as if that chase unlocked something within the youngsters.”In the second game against Puducherry, R Smaran got his first List A hundred in his maiden season. Smaran had been a standout player in the Under-23s last season for Karnataka. His temperament and ability to soak in pressure was evident again in the final. With Karnataka in choppy waters at 67 for 3, he put together a remarkable partnership with Shrijith to set up the finish for Abhinav Manohar.Smaran finished as Karnataka’s second-highest run-getter, hitting 433 runs in seven innings at an average of 72.16 with two hundreds and two half-centuries. Shrijith made 303 runs, 228 of those in two innings alone – against Mumbai and in the final against Vidarbha – which points to some thought in team selection, since they persisted with him despite a dip in the middle of the tournament.Like Smaran, KV Aneesh is a product of the Under-23s, and he flourished to play a crucial role in the middle order in Pandey’s absence. Aneesh, who grew up in the UAE but returned home to be able to give his cricket career the best shot possible, broke through into the state side on the back of 922 runs, including a double-century in the final, in the CK Nayudu Trophy last season. At the Vijay Hazare Trophy, Aneesh hit a crucial 83 against Saurashtra and 52 in the quarter-final against Baroda.It also helped that Devdutt Padikkal, who was available for the knockouts after the Australia Test series, hit 102 and 86 in their quarter-final and semi-final wins over Baroda and Haryana.”I thought I had a great tournament”•Mayank Agarawal Abhilash Shetty, the new left-arm pacer on the blockIt’s a dimension to Karnataka’s bowling attack that has been missing since S Aravind exited in 2017-18. While there have been a few left-armers, like Prateek Jain, who have played sporadically, they hadn’t found that one seamer capable of playing across formats. Until the Vijay Hazare Trophy.Abhilash Shetty arrived in style, taking a five-for against Punjab on his List A debut, and carrying on that form to finish with 17 wickets in seven games, the joint-third-highest in the tournament. Seven of those wickets came in the semi-final and final.”In the game against Punjab, Abhilash picked up two wickets in an over [Anmol Malhotra and Ramandeep Singh] as he came back for his second spell – which was the turning point I’d say between us having to chase 290 and chasing 248,” Agarawal said. “He’s a very talented bowler, who understood what he needed to do whenever he was brought on to bowl.”Shetty’s arrival coincided with Karnataka’s bowling stocks having been depleted. Vidwath Kaverappa and Vyshak Vijaykumar were both out injured, while Prasidh Krishna was away with the Test squad in Australia, though he rejoined the team on his return.This made Shetty the partner to the consistent V Koushik, who not only contributed 18 wickets (just two short of Arshdeep Singh’s chart-topping 20) but also made a crucial 7 not out at No. 11 in an unbroken 47-run stand with Agarawal to seal a tense win against Punjab, which was massive in the overall context of their qualification to the knockouts.Shreyas Gopal delivers on his returnThere had been a debate within the state circles over the decision to go back to legspinning allrounder Shreyas Gopal, who returned after a season with Kerala. But Shreyas showed that his rich experience counted for a lot, finishing as the joint-second-highest wicket-taker, his 18 wickets coming at an economy of 4.98. This included two thrifty spells of 2 for 36 and 2 for 38 in the quarter-finals and semi-finals respectively. He also contributed a useful 29 with the bat in the low-scoring one-wicket win over Punjab.

USMNT duo Ricardo Pepi and Malik Tillman were center-stage as PSV cruised to their 10th-straight victory in the Eredivisie.

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PSV defeat PEC Zwolle 6-0Ricardo Pepi records brace, Malik Tillman scores headerDutch side cruised to 10th-straight win in EredivisieFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Earning a rare start, U.S. international Ricardo Pepi shined as PSV thumped PEC Zwolle 6-0 in regular season action. Opening the scoring in the ninth minute, he added his second in the 59th, while fellow USMNT regular Malik Tillman bagged a goal, too, scoring the Dutch side's third of the day in the victory.

Pepi's first, a stupendous side-volley, set the tone for the match, while the floodgates opened over the final 45 minutes. His second was a lovely low-driven effort, while Tillman's goal was a lovely placed header.

Additional goals came from wingers Noa Lang and Johan Bakayoko, with the latter coming in the 89th minute to seal all three points.

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It appeared as though Pepi had completed his hat-trick in the 71st minute when PSV scored their fifth, but his header deflected off goalkeeper Jasper Schendelaar for a Zwolle own-goal. Another chance arrived in the 83rd minute when PSV were awarded a penalty kick, but veteran Luuk De Jong was the preferred kick taker – however, the 34-year-old missed his attempt from the spot.

It was just Pepi's second start of the season, but notably, his second 90-minute appearance this season where he scored a brace. With five total goals on the campaign, he's found success when given an entire match, with just one goal off the bench in six other substitute cameos.

Tillman, meanwhile, scored his fifth goal of the season as well from his attacking midfield role.

DID YOU KNOW?

With five goals through Oct. this season, Pepi is on-track for a career-best scoring campaign. In 2021, he scored 13 with MLS side FC Dallas, and hit that number again in 2022-23 with FC Groningen. However, he's now on pace to surpass both of those tallies, if he stays on course during 2024-25.

AFPWHAT NEXT FOR PEPI, TILLMAN AND PSV?

The U.S. duo and PSV are back in action on Saturday, Nov. 2 when they travel to take on rivals Ajax in regular season play. A clash between first and third in the league, Tillman and Pepi will look to help their teammates continue their unbeaten start to the season.

Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl will be relishing his first opportunity to bring in his own players when the January transfer window opens for business next month.

The German manager joined after the summer window closed and has only been able to work with the squad that was put together by previous managers and sporting directors.

With five wins and two draws in seven matches in the Scottish Premiership so far, it is exciting to think about what Rohl could achieve with signings that he has a chance to have a say in.

Rangers pushing to sign Premiership star

After a host of signings from England in the summer, the Light Blues are reportedly looking closer to home to bolster the manager’s options in midfield.

Transfer Focus

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

According to FootballTransfers, Glasgow Rangers are ‘pushing’ to reach an agreement to sign Kilmarnock central midfielder David Watson in the January transfer window.

The Scotland U21 international’s contract with Killie is due to expire at the end of the season, and the Gers are looking to take advantage of that situation to make him the first signing of the Rohl era.

It adds that Kilmarnock are open to a sale in January, to avoid losing him for nothing in the summer, but it remains to be seen how much they will demand for his services.

FootballTransfers reveals that the 20-year-old starlet has been identified as the club’s top target for the January window, but they will face competition from Lazio and Celtic, which means that this will not be an easy deal for Rangers to get over the line in the coming weeks.

Why Rangers should sign David Watson

With Mohamed Diomande heading off to the African Cup of Nations later this month, Watson could arrive at Ibrox at the start of January as an upgrade on the Ivorian talent.

Rangers will, of course, be without Diomande until the end of his country’s run in the tournament, which could provide a new signing like the Kilmarnock star to come in and take his place in the team before he returns.

Based on their respective performances in the Scottish Premiership this season, Watson would be likely to step into the side and offer more than the left-footed star has for Rangers so far.

Described by Scottish scout and analyst Kai Watson as a “box-crashing, goalscoring midfielder that works hard on both ends”, the Kilmarnock star has scored three goals and created two ‘big chances’ for Kilmarnock in the Premiership, per Sofascore, whilst Diomande has only scored one goal and created one ‘big chance’ for his team in that time.

This suggests that Watson, on current form, could offer more of a threat at the top end of the pitch for the Light Blues if he arrives in January to take a place in Rohl’s midfield, as both a scorer and a creator of goals in the middle of the park.

Appearances

12

16

Goals

1

3

Big chances created

1

2

Tackles + interceptions per game

1.9

3.1

Duels won per game

2.9

5.7

Ground duel success rate

45%

50%

Aerial duel success rate

31%

41%

As you can see in the table above, the Scottish talent has also provided more quality than Diomande out of possession in the league this season, winning a higher percentage of his duels on the ground and in the air, whilst making more defensive interceptions per game.

Analyst John Walker claimed that Watson had “blown up the league” last year, and the same is true this season with his impressive performances in the middle of the park as a 20-year-old star.

The Killie central midfielder has significantly outperformed Diomande, who was the subject of a £6.5m bid from Besiktas in the summer, and has shown that he can deliver consistent displays in the division.

Watson, who scored four goals in 23 league starts in the 2024/25 campaign, is a proven Premiership performer who could arrive at Ibrox to hit the ground running in January, which is exactly what they need when signing a player midway through the season.

Rangers dud was as "rotten" as Miovski, now he's Rohl's most improved player

This Glasgow Rangers flop who looked as bad as Bojan Miovski is now Danny Rohl’s most improved performer.

ByDan Emery 4 days ago

With Diomande set to jet away to the African Cup of Nations, signing the Scottish star to come in as an upgrade on him at the start of the January transfer window could be a shrewd move by the club and a dream first signing for Rohl.

Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant, Krunal Pandya, Washington Sundar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Siraj drafted in too

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Mar-2021M Prasidh Krishna is the brand new face in the Indian ODI squad, which was named on Friday morning for the upcoming three-match series against England. The 18-member squad also includes Suryakumar Yadav, who made a rousing start to his international career with a match-winning half-century in the fourth T20I against England on Thursday, which helped India pull level with one game to go. The ODIs will be played in Pune on March 23, 26 and 28.The last time India played ODIs, in Australia late last year, the squad had Mayank Agarwal, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Manish Pandey, Navdeep Saini and Sanju Samson, all of whom are missing from the line-up this time. Rohit Sharma, who was back in India before linking up with the squad during the Test series in Australia, is back in the frame now, as the designated vice-captain, while Rishabh Pant, Krunal Pandya, Washington Sundar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Siraj have also been drafted in.Krishna, the 25-year-old quick from Karnataka, has had limited exposure in days’ cricket – just nine first-class games since his debut in 2015 – but has been a prominent name in limited-overs formats for a while, having played 48 List A games (81 wickets at an average of 23.07) and 40 T20s (33 wickets at 35.84 and an economy rate of 8.49). A part of the Kolkata Knight Riders set-up since 2018, Krishna has played 24 games for the franchise in the IPL, returning 18 wickets with an economy rate of 9.33.India ODI squad for England series•ESPNcricinfo LtdThere was talk of Krishna being in the national frame, especially for the shortest format, before the Covid-19 pandemic shut down the world, when Virat Kohli had said that the young bowler “could possibly be an X-factor” for India in the run-up to the T20 World Cup, which ended up being postponed. It is scheduled to be played later this year, in October-November, in India.Of the players missing, Bumrah was granted leave for the last Test against England and the entire white-ball leg of the series because of his marriage, while Shami has been out of action since fracturing his wrist while batting in the first Test in Australia last December. Pandey, too, has been nursing a tennis-elbow condition, which forced him to miss the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20s, though he has since played two games for Karnataka in the 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy.Overall, the expanded squad includes eight frontline batting options, including designated wicketkeepers Pant and KL Rahul, allrounders Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya and Washinton Sundar, fast bowlers T Natarajan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur and Krishna, and spinners Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav.

Ex-Lionesses captain Steph Houghton will be honoured at Wembley ahead of England's clash with Germany on October 25, following her recent retirement.

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Houghton retired at end of 2023-24 seasonHad incredible club career and for the LionessesAchievements to be recognised at next England gameFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Houghton made the difficult decision to hang up her boots at the end of the 2023-24 season, bringing to an end a 22-year senior career which saw her lift 16 major honours – with Leeds Carnegie, Arsenal and Manchester City – and win 121 England caps.

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Now, the Football Association (FA) has unveiled plans to honour Houghton with a retirement ceremony, ahead of the Lionesses' friendly match against Germany at Wembley on October 25.

WHAT HOUGHTON SAID

"It was the greatest honour and privilege of my football career to have represented England, and then to go on to captain my country for eight years," Houghton said, upon the announcement of the news. “My time with England coincided with huge changes in women’s football, as we went through the period of amateur to professional. As I have said before, I hope that I left the game in a better place than when I came into it and that I contributed in some small way to giving the next generation of players a better future. I was fortunate to have played with amazing players and absolute legends of the game. I learned from managers, coaches and support staff at every camp and tournament. I will forever look back on some amazing memories and it will be special to go back to Wembley and say goodbye to the superb England fans”.

Kay Cossington, the FA’s women’s technical director, added: “I am delighted we can all come together with the fans at Wembley Stadium on a very special night and pay tribute to Steph’s remarkable England career. Steph’s impact and leadership has played a pivotal role in the Lionesses’ journey. We are all indebted to her contribution and this is our way to say thank you for everything she has done, not just for England, but for the whole of the women’s game. I hope Steph remains involved in the sport, using her expert knowledge and passion to continue to drive progress and help preserve the unique identity and values of women’s football. There’s no doubt she is, and will always be remembered as, a Lionesses legend.”

DID YOU KNOW?

Houghton has some incredible moments at Wembley in her career. It was the scene for her famous winner for Great Britain against Brazil in the 2012 Olympic Games, a tournament which did a lot for the women's game domestically, and where she lifted the Women's FA Cup on three occasions, as captain of Man City.

England slipped to a 2-1 series defeat in Pakistan but are already looking ahead to New Zealand. Alan, Miller and Vish discuss the fallout, and preview the West Indies white-ball tour

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Oct-2024England were sent spinning to defeat in Rawalpindi, as Pakistan completed their comeback to take the series 2-1. But England have stuck with much the same group of players for next month’s tour of New Zealand. On the podcast, Alan Gardner was joined by Andrew Miller, Vithushan Ehantharajah and, from Pakistan, Matt Roller to discuss the fallout from only the second series defeat for Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum – and also look ahead to the white-ball series starting in the Caribbean this week. Topics included Ollie Pope’s place in the side, Ben Stokes’ captaincy and a Test call-up for Jacob Bethell.