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Aston Villa are now looking to beat Championship leaders Leeds United to the signing of a £20 million midfielder this summer, according to a recent report.

Emery eyeing new-look Aston Villa attack

Since the arrival of Unai Emery, Villa have been a side that have always maximised the most out of the transfer windows. It looks as though this summer is going to fall in a similar style for the Villans, as they already have their eye on several new attacking players for next season.

Aston Villa now keen on signing £54m star whose agent is speaking to Barca

Aston Villa are among the English clubs chasing an exciting attacker, but they face stiff competition from Barcelona.

By
Brett Worthington

Mar 24, 2025

Last week it was reported that Emery has approved Villa chasing after Ferran Torres of Barcelona, as he feels the Spain international will fit into his attacking system. As of now, Villa have only expressed an interest in Torres, and if they want to complete a transfer, Barca are looking to get around 35 to 40 million euros.

Ademola Lookman is also another winger that is of interest to the Villans, as they keep a close eye on his situation between now and the end of the campaign.

The Nigeria international is expected to leave Atalanta at the end of the season, and the Midlands side are among a long list of teams keen on securing a transfer.

Chelsea’s Noni Madueke is another who has now emerged on Villa’s radar, and they are considering making an offer to sign the winger, despite the fact that AC Milan have already made a £33 million bid.

Aston Villa pushing to beat Leeds in race to sign £20m ace

It is not just attackers on Villa’s shortlist ahead of the summer, as Emery also wants to improve his midfield options. According to TEAMtalk, Aston Villa are interested in signing Rangers midfielder Nicolas Raskin this summer.

The report states that Raskin was watched by several European sides during this international break, as he received a standing ovation for his performance for Belgium in what was his first full senior start for his country. It is claimed that Rangers may struggle to keep hold of the midfielder beyond this summer, as Villa, along with Leeds and Brentford, have been left impressed by his performances in Scotland and in Europe.

There are clubs from Germany and Italy who are also taking notice of the midfielder, but Villa know already how much it will take for them to beat the opposition in this transfer race. Given Raskin is under contract until 2027, the Gers are looking to get £20 million or more for the player, who has been described as the “best midfielder” in Scotland by Rangers’ sporting director Nils Koppen.

“With his big fighting heart, he has made himself enormously popular with our fanbase. After his strong performances in the Old Firm against Celtic and in Europe against Man United, Tottenham and Fenerbahçe, he is seen by our supporters as the best midfielder in Scotland,” said Koppen.

“He is different from the other midfielders in the national team. That combination of footballing qualities with a healthy aggression makes him a unique profile.”

There will be no domestic trophies for Manchester United this season as they have already been knocked out of the FA Cup and the League Cup, whilst being out of contention for the Premier League.

Their top-flight season has been particularly disappointing as they are currently sat in 13th place with just ten wins and 12 losses in the division so far.

The Red Devils have struggled in numerous areas, hence why they are so low down in the table, but goalscoring has been a significant problem for Ruben Amorim’s team, as it was for Erik Ten Hag’s.

Manchester United have only scored 37 goals in 29 matches in the Premier League, which is the second-lowest tally (behind Crystal Palace’s 36) in the top 14 teams in the division.

Despite beating Leicester City 3-0 last time out, goalscoring remains a problem for United moving forward and it has been an issue throughout the squad, not just in the forward department.

Why Manchester United have scored so few goals

The Red Devils have created 42.79 xG worth of chances in the Premier League so far this season, which shows that the overall team have underperformed in front of goal.

Essentially, United have not done enough to make the most of the high-quality opportunities that they have created in matches, and that has cost them throughout the season – as evidenced by their goal output and league position.

As you can see in the table above, four of the five players with the most xG in the Premier League for the Red Devils this term have underperformed, with only Amad Diallo elevating the quality of his chances to score two more goals.

These statistics can either suggest that United are creating chances for the wrong players and should be looking to create more for other stars, or that the board – simply – need to invest in the squad to improve their attacking options in the upcoming summer window.

Rasmus Hojlund, signed from Atalanta for £72m in the summer of 2023, is the club’s number nine and has only scored three goals in 24 appearances in the top-flight, underperforming against his xG.

Manchester United are, now, reportedly interested in adding another centre-forward to their ranks in the summer, and that could be very bad news for the Danish marksman.

The latest on Man Utd's pursuit of Bundesliga star

According to Football Insider, Manchester United are one of a number of European sides showing an interest in Eintracht Frankfurt number nine Hugo Ekitike.

The report claims that the Red Devils are planning to add a new striker to their squad in the upcoming summer transfer window, and that they are keeping close tabs on the Bundesliga star.

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

It adds that Frankfurt will demand a ‘huge’ fee for their centre-forward, although it does not state exactly how much, and reveals that Newcastle United and other ‘elite’ European teams are in the race to secure the former Paris Saint-Germain ace’s signature.

This suggests that Manchester United will face plenty of competition as they plot a swoop to land the France U21 international to bolster their attacking options ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

Ekitike, who has been compared to the likes of Alexander Isak and Omar Marmoush, rejected a move to Newcastle in 2022, which suggests that the Red Devils may have the edge over the Magpies in this race unless the 22-year-old forward has changed his mind on a switch to Tynecastle since then.

The news that United are plotting a ‘huge’ swoop to sign the Frankfurt centre-forward should, now, come as very bad news to Hojlund, as it could end his chances of nailing down the number nine position as his own moving forward.

Why signing Hugo Ekitike would be bad news for Rasmus Hojlund

The Denmark international has been competing with Joshua Zirkzee for the striker role this season and they have combined for just six goals between them, which shows that neither of them have been the reliable forward that Amorim has needed.

Because Zirkzee has also struggled for goals, Hojlund has had plenty of chances to start games – starting 17 times in the top-flight – but those opportunities could be limited by the arrival of a new marksman.

Ekitike, who scored a hat-trick against England’s U21s during the break, is a centre-forward who has the potential to nail down the position as his own as a regular starter, leaving Hojlund and Zirkzee feeding on scraps as substitutes or as rotation options in cup competitions.

Analyst Ben Mattinson recently claimed that the 22-year-old star “is one of the best strikers out there” and it is hard to argue with that when you look at his form for club and country.

Along with his hat-trick for France’s U21s, Ekitike has produced 19 goals and eight assists in all competitions for Frankfurt this season, including three goals from 2.58 xG in the Europa League.

As you can see in the table above, the French starlet has significantly outperformed Hojlund at league level so far this term, with ten more goals and four more assists.

These statistics suggest that the Ekitike would come in as a huge upgrade on the Danish marksman and that is why his arrival at Old Trafford in the summer transfer window would be very bad news for the former Atalanta man.

It could result in his game time being heavily restricted, as Amorim may want his best number nine to start week-in-week-out, and that could force the £72m signing to consider his long-term future at the club.

Solskjaer sold Man Utd star for big-money, now he's playing like Gyokeres

Manchester United may regret selling a star who’s thrived away from the club.

By
Ethan Lamb

Mar 28, 2025

Therefore, Hojlund may hope to enjoy a strong end to the Premier League and Europa League season to show the manager and the board that he has what it takes to be the first-choice, because his form to date suggests that the signing of Ekitike is very much needed.

Did Dwayne Bravo’s absence help Super Kings, and how crucial is Sarfaraz Khan to Kings XI’s prospects?

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Apr-20192:05

Five reasons why Super Kings beat Kings XI

The target: 161After 12 overs of the chase, Kings XI: 91 for 2, just 70 away with 48 balls leftFrom there, Kings XI added just 47 more runs, lost three more wickets and finished 22 behind Chennai Super Kings’ 160 for 3, undone at Chepauk with a botched chase. Chepauk isn’t the easiest pitch to score runs on when the ball gets old. Kings XI found that out to their consternation on Saturday.But the slowdown was dramatic as it was dismal.ESPNcricinfo LtdKL Rahul and Sarfaraz Khan, the batsmen in the middle – and seemingly in control – hit not a single four or six for 37 balls, between overs 11.5 to 18.1. The required rate at 11.5 overs was a gettable 8.69. At 18.1, with 11 balls left, it had soared to 19.25.It was abject all right.Bravo’s injury a blessing in disguise for Super Kings?”It’s a big loss, he offers so much balance to the team,” Mike Hussey, the Chennai Super Kings batting coach, said when Dwayne Bravo was ruled out for two weeks, just before their match against Kings XI Punjab, saying that “a little bit of rejigging” was on the cards as a result.Bravo, at his best, is a superb late-order batsman, a wicket-taking medium-pacer, and an outstanding fielder. He’s also 35, and not at the peak of his powers any more.In fact, as a death bowler, which has been his primary role with Super Kings of late, Bravo has been far from at his best since the start of the last IPL season.ESPNcricinfo LtdWith Bravo gone, Super Kings needed two replacements. Quite usual when it comes to a star allrounder. So MS Dhoni had Faf du Plessis to open with Shane Watson, pushed Ambati Rayudu down the order, and handed Scott Kuggeleijn an IPL debut.”We have communicated to all the players as to what are the scenarios where they will feature in. And I think it’s that one slot, you know, that will keep changing according to the opposition and the conditions,” Dhoni had explained after Super Kings’ first win of the season, at the time speaking specifically about Harbhajan Singh taking the field against Royal Challengers Bangalore.By playing only three overseas players in their last game, Super Kings had left room for a double substitution for one man’s absence. Useful. And very Dhoni. Not to forget du Plessis’ contribution in his first match of the season: 54 in 38 balls, and a big part in Super Kings’ best opening stand for the season so far, 56 in 7.2 overs with Shane Watson. And Kuggeleijn’s – his first delivery in the IPL went for a six courtesy Sarfaraz, but he ended with 2 for 37, picking up two wickets later on.Sarfaraz gives Kings XI middle-order solidity Kings XI finished one from bottom in IPL 2018, with six wins from 14 games. Among the reasons for that could well have been the excessive dependence on Chris Gayle and KL Rahul at the top and the poor run by the middle-order batsmen (Nos. 4 to 6).Speaking specifically about the No. 4, perhaps the most crucial position among those three in terms of putting up the big runs, last season, Kings XI needed a No. 4 to go in 13 times, and played Karun Nair there on eight occasions (149 runs), Yuvraj Singh twice (24), and Aaron Finch (26), Marcus Stoinis (1) and Manoj Tiwary (35) once each.This year, it has been David Miller once, against Mumbai Indians when he scored 15 not out off 10 balls, and Sarfaraz Khan on every other occasion. And Sarfaraz has delivered on the whole, with scores of 46 not out, 13, 39 and, in Chennai against Super Kings in the latest outing, 67. It can, of course, be argued that his last innings took 59 balls, and contributed in the slowdown that led to a 22-run defeat.ESPNcricinfo LtdWith Gayle slotted in to provide the early impetus, Rahul there to bat through the innings if possible, and Mayank Agarwal, Miller and Mandeep Singh around to play specific roles, it’s the No. 4 hole that Kings XI desperately needed someone to make his own. Sarfaraz has put his hand up. Now to clean up the finishing act.Whose ‘home’ is it anyway?It was a good day out for the two lead offspinners from the two sides.Ashwin, the Chennai boy in the opposition camp, came on and bowled the second over of the Super Kings innings, sent back Watson in his second over, the eighth of the innings, and then bowled a double-wicket over, his last and the 14th of the innings, to finish with 3 for 23. Watson, du Plessis and Suresh Raina not a bad bagful at all.After the change of innings, it was the turn of the Punjab boy in the Chennai line-up, Harbhajan. Second over of Kings XI’s chase, and the veteran, with lower speeds and more turn than usual, first got Gayle to nick behind to Dhoni, and then had Mayank Agarwal holing out at long-on for a double-wicket maiden. Damage was done very, very early on.ESPNcricinfo LtdHarbhajan delivered only the sixth maiden over in Powerplays in IPL history. Amazingly, three of those are against his name. Together, Ashwin and Harbhajan conceded five runs an over in a game where the scoring rate hovered around 7.5.

With their sights set on promotion, Leeds United are set to be handed the boost of a returning player when they square off against Queens Park Rangers this weekend.

Leeds recieve fresh injury boost

There may have been a sigh of relief around Elland Road when Leeds overcame Millwall to win 2-0 and instantly got back to winning ways after suffering shock defeat against Portsmouth just days before. Back on track, Daniel Farke’s side now sit two points above second placed Sheffield United and four clear of Burnley in third with just nine games left to play in the Championship.

Those in Yorkshire will be more aware than most that it’s not done until their place in the Premier League is confirmed and, as ever, they face a nervous final stretch towards potential promotion.

With nine finals remaining, Farke will need to use the quality of his squad more than ever. It is a side full of talent, from the likes of Manor Solomon – who has rediscovered his best form – to important midfielder Ao Tanaka. Now, that side must simply hold their nerve.

What will undoubtedly help them do just that is the boost of recent injury news. As revealed by Farke, Isaac Schmidt is now set to make his return against QPR after returning to training. The defender missed the victory over Millwall through illness but has seemingly since recovered in time for this weekend.

49ers eyeing Leeds move to sign £8m+ striker who already knows Ramazani

He’s been compared to Lukaku.

ByCharlie Smith Mar 14, 2025

Speaking to reporters about his side’s injury status, Farke said: “As it stands I hope I have that whole group plus Isaac Schmidt to pick from for the travelling squad.

“In terms of the starting line-up and who has recovered, we’ll make some late decisions. This turnaround is a bit more tricky. We had more or less 80 hours to recover for Millwall, this time around just over 60 hours. It will be a bit more tricky. Travelling is involved of course.”

Every player counts for Leeds in vital run

Whilst Schmidt hasn’t been one to steal the headlines throughout the current campaign, often watching on from the bench, he could be thrust into Farke’s side at any given moment and he, like others, must help the Whites in their push for promotion.

Having arrived in the summer, Schmidt has found himself at the centre of Farke’s praise even whilst playing a cameo role. The former Norwich City boss told reporters earlier this season: “Great guy, a bit like I mention also about all our new signings.

“I think still at a really good age because he is more likely still on his way up the hill in his career. Great mentality, also desperate to play for the shirt, desperate to play for us, great character, so really nice guy and really nice team-mate.”

Now back from a brief absence, Schmidt will no doubt have his sights set on putting every minute that he does receive to good use as he aims to leave his mark on Leeds’ promotion push.

The American soccer community celebrated a milestone after the two Eagles stars became the second and third USMNT players to win the FA Cup

• Turner and Richards spotted celebrating after big win
• Media highlight defensive showing from Richards in Palace's win
• FA Cup win is Crystal Palace's historic first major trophy

• WHAT HAPPENED

  Following Crystal Palace's unexpected 1-0 victory over Manchester City in the FA Cup final, social media platforms immediately lit up with reactions celebrating the Eagles’ achievement. Not only that, a lot of focus was on Chris Richards, who delivered a standout defensive performance in the 1-0 win over Manchester City at Wembley. He wasn’t the only American to be celebrated as Matt Turner was a part of the proceedings as they became the third and fourth Americans to lift England's oldest and most prestigious cup competition.

  “I think it’s dope,” Richards told Radio London when asked how he feels about winning the FA Cup as an American. “I believe Tim Howard and one other has won it so I think me and Matt Turner being a part of that very small group is an amazing feeling, and hopefully we’ll have a few Americans after us win it as well.

  “Winning a title always makes a difference, but also being able to play in a European competition also keeps a few guys here. We’re trying not to look too much towards next season, but I think it gives us a better chance of keeping some pivotal guys,” Richards added when asked about next season.

Advertisement

• WHAT WAS POSTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA

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• AFP
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The FA Cup triumph marks a watershed moment for American players in English football, as Chris Richards and Matt Turner helped Crystal Palace lift the historic trophy. While the competition dates back to 1871, only a handful of Americans have ever won it—most notably goalkeeper Tim Howard with Manchester United in 2004 and Boston-born Julian Sturgis, who played for the Wanderers in the 1873 final. Until now, however, it had largely eluded modern-era American outfield players, making Richards’ role in Palace’s victory especially significant.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT’S NEXT?

  With their place in American soccer history secured, Richards and Turner will likely enjoy the immediate aftermath of their victory before returning their focus to the Premier League. The Eagles host Wolverhampton Wanderers at Selhurst Park on May 20 in their penultimate game of the 2024-25 season before going to Anfield to face Liverpool on May 24 in the final league game of the season.

Chelsea are reportedly considering a move for Everton star Jarrad Branthwaite but face competition from Tottenham for his services.

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Man Utd tried & failed to sign BranthwaiteChelsea & Tottenham now eye defenderEverton set seismic price tag againFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

TEAMtalk reports that the two London rivals are mulling over making an offer for the Everton centre-back, but the Blues' interest is more advanced. They claim the England international is high on Chelsea's transfer shortlist, alongside Ajax's Jorrel Hato.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Manchester United submitted repeated bids for Branthwaite last year but Everton knocked back each offer. And similar to last year, Everton value the 23-year-old at around £70-75 million ($95-101.6m) and won't budge on that as his contract runs until 2027.

DID YOU KNOW?

The report adds that Tottenham are less in need of a left-sided centre-back than Chelsea, although they are on the lookout for a successor to Welshman Ben Davies – who has been linked with Championship new boys Wrexham.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT?

With that price tag, it seems unlikely that any potential suitor will fork out that kind of fee for Branthwaite's services for now. But when his contract ticks closer to its expiration, bids may come the Everton star's way.

da 888casino： Manchester United have told a Champions League club that they are planning to make a big bid to sign one of their stars this summer.

Plans for new 100,000-seater Man Utd stadium revealed

da apostaganha： The major breaking news coming out of Old Trafford recently has been the Red Devils’ plans to knock down the historic ground and build a new 100,000 capacity stadium.

Man Utd announced the plans in the week for a new arena that will be built close to the existing Old Trafford and is set to cost around £2bn.

Facts on Man Utd’s new stadium plans

Referred to as “New Trafford Stadium”

New Stretford End will have a capacity of 23,500

Stadium will be visible from the Peak District

5-10 years to build

Second largest stadium in Europe behind Nou Camp

Will be tallest building in Manchester

Images of the planned new stadium show three masts described as “the trident” and are set to be 200m high and visible from 25 miles away. The club are hoping the stadium can be built in just five years, although it is unclear how it will be financed, with United currently £1bn in debt.

Talking about the plans for the new stadium, chief executive Omar Berrada said: “Our long-term objective as a club is to have the world’s best football team playing in the world’s best stadium. We are grateful for the feasibility work done by the Old Trafford Regeneration Task Force exploring options for the future of Old Trafford.

“We have carefully considered its findings, together with the views of thousands of fans and local residents and concluded that a new stadium is the right way forward for Manchester United and our surrounding community. We will now embark on further consultation to ensure that fans and residents continue to be heard as we move towards final decisions.”

The new stadium may also impact spending on the squad, however, a number of players continue to be linked with a move to Old Trafford in the summer ahead of Ruben Amorim’s first full season in charge.

One of those targets is Atalanta midfielder Ederson, who Man Utd recently made a new approach for after interest in 2024. Now, a fresh update has emerged on the Brazilian and a potential move to England.

Man Utd tell Atalanta they are bidding £50m for Ederson

According to reports from Italy, relayed by Sport Witness, Atalanta, who played in this season’s Champions League, are trying to renew Ederson’s contract, however, the player is alerted by interest elsewhere.

One of those clubs is Man Utd, who have told Atalanta that a ‘€60m offer is coming’ and Ederson is fascinated by the idea of playing in the Premier League.

Juventus are also keen on the Serie A star, but it is Man Utd who are best placed to sign the 25-year-old, with the £50m pending bid potentially set to be enough.

Ederson has been among Atalanta’s best performers this season, with a WhoScored average match rating of 6.98/10. No Atalanta player is fouled more than Ederson per game, and by the looks of things, he could be a potential replacement for Christian Eriksen or Casemiro at Old Trafford.

Six-wicket haul follows century as Middlesex are made to suffer by Hampshire

ECB Reporters Network26-Jun-2023Liam Dawson forcefully put forward his case to play a part in this summer’s Ashes series with a century and six wickets as Hampshire set up a rout on Middlesex in the LV= Insurance County Championship.Spinning all-rounder Dawson was overlooked by England for the previously retired Moeen Ali when Jack Leach suffered a lower back stress fracture for the first Test against Australia, before teenager Rehan Ahmed jumped ahead of him for the upcoming second Test.But having been decisive in his 141 with the bat, he tore through Middlesex with his left-arm spin to claim six for 38 – and leave Middlesex 142 for eight at close.Earlier, Hampshire had been bowled out for 419 with Josh de Caires picking up career-best figures of seven for 144.Dawson had shrugged off being slighted by England the previous evening, saying: “It doesn’t really affect me. I’ve not expected to play Test cricket for a long time. To me if it happens then brilliant, if not then it doesn’t bother me.”The clamour behind Dawson has been backed by a strong start to the season with both facets of his game and a deep level of experience.His 16 wickets is the most for any Championship spinner who is English-qualified and fit – only Leach and South African Simon Harmer have more – while his 384 runs is in the top 30 in the top tier. Add to that 13 Vitality Blast wickets and his finisher runs coming at a 176 strike rate.He was introduced in the 12th over, after Mohammad Abbas had already nicked off Mark Stoneman, and immediately started with a double wicket maiden.Pieter Malan was hit on the back pad before Max Holden stumbled in front of a turner.Sam Robson tried to hang around with 38 off 81 but dangled behind to leave Middlesex in a troubling 66 for four.After a period of regular lbw shouts and tightness from both ends, Dawson’s bowling took another aspect; he added exaggerated bounce to his turn.Ryan Higgins was the first to be surprised when he edged behind, two balls later John Simpson fended to short leg and then Luke Hollman stepped back to be pinned in front of his stumped. For Dawson it was three wickets in six balls.It also handed him his second sixth wicket haul in successive home matches, and left the visitors 88 for seven.De Caires and Toby Roland-Jones scored 48 swiftly before the latter swung Felix Organ to Dawson at midwicket. De Caires ended a personally successful day unbeaten on 24, but his side in danger of being asked to follow on.Dawson had begun his day with bat in hand continuing his mammoth fifth wicket stand with Nick Gubbins, with all eyes on the former Middlesex man’s quest to reach three figures.It eventually came with a steer down the third after 14 more dots to add to his 277-ball vigil – by far the slowest of his 15 first-class centuries.He eventually fell for a 318-ball 120 when de Caires had him caught at backward point on the reverse sweep, with Dawson caught at slip playing the same shot soon after.There were scores of 40 for James Fuller and Felix Organ as Hampshire slowly pushed over 400 but other than Hollman having Fuller stumped, it was de Caires’ moment.De Caires has been seen primarily as a batter growing up but the 21-year-old took the lead with his off-spin – with each wicket celebrated with genuine glee.His 47.3 overs during the innings was more than the 46 overs combined he had previously managed during his embryonic first-class career, for a single wicket. Keith Barker was lbw to one which stayed low, Kyle Abbott was caught swinging to first slip and Organ holed out to deep midwicket.His seven-for better his father, former England captain, Michael Atherton’s leg-spinning best of six for 78 – and was the seventh-best away Championship bowling figures at the Ageas Bowl.

He was ‘speechless’ after bowling his side to victory against NZ A and claiming the best-ever List A figures for Australia A just two days after being called up

Alex Malcolm13-Sep-2023Henry Thornton has capped a whirlwind 48 hours by claiming a career-best 7 for 39 on debut for Australia A in a thumping victory over New Zealand A in Brisbane just two days after an unexpected call-up into the squad.Thornton claimed the first seven wickets of New Zealand A’s chase as they were bowled out for just 135 inside 32 overs, falling well short of Australia A’s 243 that had been underpinned by a stunning 70 off 59 balls from Ben McDermott.The 26-year-old was a long way down the list of Australia A fast-bowling candidates when the initial squad was selected having played just 16 List A games for Victoria and South Australia. But an unprecedented spate of injuries across the Australia ODI squad and Australia A squads meant Thornton was flown to Brisbane on Monday, just hours after he got the call from the selectors, ahead of Wednesday’s second unofficial ODI as Liam Hatcher’s replacement after he was ruled out with foot soreness. Ben Dwarshuis, Wes Agar and Mark Steketee had already been ruled out from the initial squad.Thornton took full advantage ripping through New Zealand A, just as he did for Adelaide Strikers in the BBL last year when he took an extraordinary 5 for 3. He was left in shock after his performance having produced the best List A figures for Australia A in front of his dad, who had flown up for the day to watch.”I’m kind of speechless at the moment,” Thornton said. “It was pretty cool. My dad was up here in the crowd and he was going absolutely ballistic.”He said you might not get many chances to play for Australia A again so I’d better come up and watch. He was going absolutely nuts.”New Zealand A were cruising at 0 for 46 in the seventh over when Thornton was introduced and he took three wickets in the over. Tim Seifert drilled a catch to cover to start the rot. Thornton then nipped one back through Dean Foxcroft’s gate before claiming Tom Bruce first ball with another that decked back and caught the inside edge through to keeper Josh Philippe.Thornton didn’t even know he was on a hat-trick next over when he delivered a bouncer but New Zealand A’s run-rate completely stalled. Opener Nick Kelly, who had blazed 30 off his first 20 balls scored just 14 from his next 35 before slicing Thornton to backward point.Two overs later he was on a hat-trick again as the visitors slumped to 6 for 74. Thornton bowled out his 10 overs straight, including a maiden, claiming his seventh wicket for the innings in the 24th over. New Zealand A’s tail folded with Matthew Kuhnemann and Ashton Turner picking up the last three between them.”It’s pretty crazy,” Thornton said. “I thought if we bowled enough balls in the right area, there’d be enough there. I just tried to hit the top of the stumps and got pretty lucky to be honest. They’re pretty good players. I was just honestly stoked to get the call-up for the last two games up here. And it’s been a great couple of days with the boys.”If you look at the guys in the room. It’s a pretty special team and for me to just be involved and a part of it … I said this when I was playing BBL and took that 5 for 3, two years ago I was just running around playing grade cricket. So any game that I get to play is an absolute bonus. And it’s a privilege to play with the guys in this room.”Thornton was one of only four players in the Australia A XI who haven’t played international cricket. McDermott provided some international standard ball striking on his way to a blistering 70 earlier in the day. He thumped four fours and six sixes in his 59-ball stay. He was savage on anything back of a length, clubbing all of his sixes over deep midwicket and wide long-on, including one onto the roof of the Stuart Law stand and several out of the ground before he miscued one of Foxcroft.Australia A crumbled from 1 for 119 after 19 overs to be all out for 243 in the 45th. William O’Rourke pegged it back for the visitors after the rough start claiming 4 for 29. Matt Renshaw contributed 43 and Josh Philippe 35. Matt Short, Ollie Davies and Gurinder Sandhu were the only other Australia A batters to reach double figures.But after losing the two four-day matches, Australia A claimed the 50-over series 2-0 ahead of the final game on Friday.

Wyatt half-century, Bell and Moore three-fors as Superchargers fall well short

Matt Roller27-Aug-2023

Anya Shrubsole signed off from professional cricket by lifting the Hundred trophy at Lord’s, captaining Southern Brave to their first title in their third final. After successive defeats to Oval Invincibles, they comprehensively outplayed Northern Superchargers in front of a record 21,636 crowd at Lord’s.Brave’s batting let them down in their first two finals and they were 8 for 2 after nine balls on Sunday, Smriti Mandhana and Maia Bouchier falling cheaply after Superchargers opted to bowl first. But they recovered to set a target of 140, Danni Wyatt making 59 off 38 and Freya Kemp contributing an invaluable 31 off 17 from No. 5.Lauren Bell struck twice in her first eight balls in Brave’s defence, including removing Superchargers’ leading run-scorer Phoebe Litchfield who was well caught by Kemp at deep cover-point, and Superchargers were always behind the game.Rhianna Southby, Brave’s 22-year-old wicketkeeper, has played a crucial role for them despite not facing a ball this season: she effected three stumpings in the chase, and finished the Hundred with a tournament-high 11 dismissals.Jemimah Rodrigues opened the batting for Superchargers and was starved of the strike: when she was caught at extra cover for 24, she had faced just 14 of the first 73 balls bowled. Bell and Kalea Moore took three wickets each, and the winning moment came when Bell whipped off the bails to run No. 11 Grace Ballinger out after a mix-up.Shrubsole had been due to bowl the final five balls but Superchargers were bowled out with six to spare. Having left international cricket after last year’s World Cup, she opted to play on as Brave captain this year and her impending retirement has been a source of motivation for the squad throughout the season, who were determined to send her off with a trophy.Shrubsole looked uncharacteristically emotional in the aftermath of the final wicket, and admitted her overwhelming emotion was one of relief. “We feel like we’ve played some brilliant cricket,” she said, “coming into this we’d won 20 out of 25 games which is an unbelievable record. Not to have won the trophy was tough to take so it felt like this was just deserts.”For Charlotte Edwards, their coach, this was a third short-form trophy this year, after success in the Women’s Premier League with Mumbai Indians and with Southern Vipers in the Charlotte Edwards Cup. Brave have been the best team across the three seasons of the Hundred, and lifted an overdue trophy as the fireworks were set off at Lord’s.Danni Wyatt notched the first half-century in a Women’s Hundred final•ECB via Getty Images

After walking around the boundary from the stage in the Compton Stand, Shrubsole was given a guard of honour by both teams as she walked back towards the pavilion, holding the H-shaped trophy aloft as she did so. It was a fitting send-off for a great of England women’s cricket.Mandhana hit the first ball of the final for four through point but slashed the second to gully, and when Bouchier skied Kate Cross to extra cover, they were forced to rebuild through Wyatt and Georgia Adams.They had 45 off the first 43 balls of the final before Wyatt cut loose with back-to-back boundaries off Lucy Higham, at which point Superchargers became ragged in the field. Wyatt, who finished the tournament as leading run-scorer, swept Higham for four to bring up a 35-ball 50 and lofted Georgia Wareham for the first six of the game.She was primed to accelerate at the death when she was on the wrong end of a freak dismissal: Adams drove the ball straight back at her at the non-striker’s end as she started to take a run, and Cross executed a simple run-out as it popped up into her hands. When Adams holed out to midwicket after a chancy 27 off 28, Superchargers had an opening.But Kemp added 31 with a streaky cameo, hitting five boundaries to keep Brave on track. She eventually chopped Cross’ cutter onto her stumps; while Cross fumbled both a catch and a run-out chance off the penultimate ball, she was the pick of Superchargers’ attack with 3 for 21 off her 20.Bell thought she had struck with the first ball of the chase, trapping Marie Kelly on the pad only for her to successfully review the on-field decision. It hardly mattered: Kelly was dismissed by the next delivery she faced, with the ball ricocheting off her pad and onto the base of the stumps.When Litchfield lofted into the deep, Brave had two early wickets and were in control of the game. Southby’s sharp work gave Moore a wicket with her first ball, stumping Hollie Armitage, and her fast hands accounted for Bess Heath soon after, Chloe Tryon making amends for a drop on the square-leg boundary by beating her on the outside edge.Shrubsole had Alice Davidson-Richards lbw to leave Superchargers five down, and a brilliant catch by Bouchier – running in off the long-on boundary, then diving forwards at full stretch – meant Rodrigues was their last hope. Having tried and failed to build partnerships by knocking singles, she looked to loft Moore over extra cover but picked Adams out.Southby pulled off her third stumping as Leah Dobson charged Moore and missed, and Bell administered the last rites, having Higham caught at short fine leg then completing a straightforward run-out at the bowler’s end to cue the celebrations.