Thrilling century stand with Seren Smale reels in revised target with five balls to spare

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay10-Sep-2025

Lancashire 172 for 5 (Lewis 75, Smale 47) beat Warwickshire 283 for 7 (Freeborn 60, Surenkumar 49, Kalis 43) by five wickets (DLS method)Lancashire Women won an exciting rain-affected Metro Bank One Day Cup match against Warwickshire Women at Sale by five wickets.Warwickshire had posted 283 for 7 from their 50 overs but the Lancashire innings was halted halfway through the sixth over with the score 20 for 1 due to increasingly heavy rain. Set a revised target of 172 to win in 22 overs, a thrilling partnership of 106 off 73 balls between Gaby Lewis and Seren Smale set Lancashire on their way with victory achieved with five balls to spare.That outcome leaves Lancashire, who had already clinched a top-four spot, in third place, one point behind second-placed The Blaze going into the final round of group games on Saturday when they travel to face leaders Hampshire, who they trail by four points. Warwickshire finish their campaign with a trip to Taunton to face Somerset.Emma Lamb and Lewis began the Lancashire reply just as light drizzle began to fall and the pair had made 13 when Lamb drove Phoebe Brett to Issy Wong at mid-on for 4 midway through the fourth over. The rain began to fall more heavily at that point and after twelve further deliveries had been bowled the umpires halted play with Lancashire 20 for 1.Play resumed after a two-hour delay with Lancashire now needing a further 152 off 16.3 overs, and Lewis and Smale put bat to ball in emphatic fashion, reaching their 50 partnership off 45 balls with Lewis reaching her half-century off 42 balls.The century stand arrived just 25 balls later as Warwickshire struggled to contain the pair, Lewis smashing ten fours in making 75 off 53 balls before hitting Amu Surenkumar to Sterre Kalis at point with Lancashire 119 for 2 and five runs ahead on DLS.Fi Morris added a whirlwind 14 off eight balls while Smale was bowled by Georgia Davis for 47 off 39 balls to reduce the hosts to 143 for 4 with 29 needed from 23 balls.Ailsa Lister and Ellie Threlkeld steered Lancashire to within two runs of that target when Lister was caught for 16, but Threlkeld (13 not out) hit the winning runs at the start of the last over to seal victory.Warwickshire had built a strong-looking total of 283 after being put in to bat, built on a series of good partnerships.Abbey Freeborn top-scored with 60 and marshalled the visitors innings beautifully, while Surenkumar and Kalis contributed 49 and 43 respectively before captain Davis thumped a rapid unbeaten 31 over the closing overs.After Kate Cross had Ellis caught at midwicket with her fourth delivery, Meg Austin and Surenkumar fashioned a good recovery with 61 runs in 11 overs until Austin was drawn forward by left-arm spinner Hannah Jones and smartly stumped by Threlkeld for 32.Surenkumar had driven and pulled effectively in hitting eight fours before lbw for 49 after misjudging the length to pull against Fi Morris with Warwickshire 115 for 3 midway through the 20th over.Kalis was quickly into her stride, hitting her fourth ball faced for six off Morris, to up the tempo alongside Freeborn as the pair struck the ball positively in posting their fifty partnership off 65 balls.Kalis was undone by spin and bounce from Emma Lamb’s second ball and bowled for 43 off 52 balls, but Freeborn and Nat Wraith quickly established another good partnership to take the visitors past the 200-mark in the 38th over.The pair had added 52 inside nine overs before Wraith attacked the first ball of Jones’ second spell and was stumped for 29 with Warwickshire 220-5 in the 42nd over.And the visitors lost further wickets in the quest for late runs. Issy Wong made 12 while Freeborn – Warwickshire’s leading run scorer this season in the competition – reached her half century from 74 balls before falling for 60 off 86 balls.But Davis added a final flourish by hitting an unbeaten 31 off 21 balls alongside Hannah Hardwick to set Lancashire a challenging target.

A proud part of Arsenal’s DNA has long been their development and promotion of young academy talents.

This has been especially true over the last few years, with the emergence of players like Ethan Nwaneri, Myles Lewis-Skelly and, of course, Bukayo Saka.

The latest player who seems ready to make the leap from the youth sides to regular senior football is Max Dowman.

However, the talented 15-year-old certainly won’t be the last, and there is already one youngster making waves in the academy who could soon find himself in the first team.

Dowman's rapid rise to stardom at Arsenal

Even before this season, Arsenal fans have been at least somewhat aware of Dowman.

After all, respected talent scout Jacek Kulig boldly proclaimed him as the “most exciting prospect” he had seen “since Lamine Yamal.”

That might sound absurd, but over the course of last season, the youngster ended up scoring 19 times and providing five assists in just 23 appearances, totalling 1945 minutes, for the youth sides.

That comes out to a sensational average of 1.04 goal involvements per match, or one every 81.04 minutes, made all the more astonishing by the fact he was playing for the u18s and even the u21s.

With performances like that in age groups well above his own, it wasn’t much of a surprise to see the Chelmsford-born dynamo included in the first team’s pre-season tour.

The 15-year-old made his debut against Newcastle United, and in the words of analyst Ben Mattinson, spent his short cameo “humiliating Premier League players.”

His competitive debut came at home to Leeds United in the Premier League, and then he became the youngest player to ever start a game for the club against Brighton & Hove Albion in the League Cup.

The superstar in the making then broke another record in the Champions League a week later, and was described as “a miracle player” by Slavia Prague defender David Zima.

In all, it certainly seems like Dowman is destined to reach the top of the game with Arsenal, although he might be joined by another academy gem this season.

Hale End's next superstar

It’s been a good season for Hale End this year, as on top of Dowman, Andre Harriman-Annous has also been given his full competitive debut by Mikel Arteta.

It could get even better, though, as there is another youngster in the system, who, like the record-breaker, could find himself becoming more involved with the senior side as the campaign goes on: Ife Ibrahim.

The 17-year-old has been with the club since May 2016, and while he started out as a striker, he has since moved back down the pitch, into defensive midfield.

However, he’s not limited to just one position, as the highly rated youngster has also played at right-back, in central midfield, and even as a centre-back.

It’s no surprise that he has been used in the defence before, as even though he’s still so young, the versatile prospect is huge and towers above some of the first team in pictures taken of the time he trained with them. It is no wonder that analyst Harvey Diamonds said that he has a “languid frame like [Patrick] Vieira and [Abou] Diaby.”

Don’t let his size and physicality fool you, though; the Hale Ender is no slouch on the ball.

In fact, academy expert Will Balsam described him as someone who makes everything look so “effortless.” Moreover, this and his height mean “he eats up space, recovers the ball, and glides past players with ease.”

He has also made an impression on U23 scout Antonio Mango, who has described him as “composed, technically talented in possession and calculated out of possession.”

Overall, while he plays in a totally different position to Dowman, Ibrahim sounds like the sort of Hale End product who could come in and have a serious impact on the first team soon enough.

Zubimendi upgrade: Arsenal chasing "the best CM in the world" for £114m

The incredible international could already be a significant upgrade on Zubimendi for Arsenal.

1

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Nov 11, 2025

With the 13th season of the CPL set to kick off on August 14, here’s a primer to bring you up to speed

Deivarayan Muthu13-Aug-2025

So, the biggest party in cricket is back?

Yep, the six-team league will start on August 14 and will run until September 21, with six venues set to host 34 games. The top four sides in the league phase will qualify for the playoffs, which will be held at the Providence Stadium in Guyana. Just like the IPL, the top two teams will get two tilts at the final.

Okay, how many countries are hosting the tournament?

CPL 2025 will be played in six countries: St Kitts, Antigua, St Lucia, Trinidad, Barbados and Guyana.Related

• CPL 2025: Pooran replaces Pollard as Trinbago Knight Riders captain

• Tahir: 'It doesn't matter how good you are, you always learn about the game every single day'

• David Wiese to captain St Lucia Kings in CPL 2025

• Five rookies who could make a splash in CPL 2025

Are you excited about the reunion of the Bravo brothers?

Dwayne Bravo, who has been one of the faces of the CPL for a number of years, had retired from competitive cricket after an injury had cut short his CPL season in 2024. He has since coached the Knight Riders’ franchises around the world, and this will be his first stint in the CPL as head coach. He will take over the role at Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) from Phil Simmons, who is now in charge of Bangladesh.Can the most decorated player in the CPL – he has won five titles – add another to his kitty, this time as TKR’s head coach?Dwayne Bravo was appointed TKR head coach earlier this year•CPL T20 via Getty ImagesUnder Dwayne, his brother Darren Bravo, who has won four titles, will return to the CPL, having last featured in the league in 2022. Darren has not played any competitive game in senior cricket since 2023, but after taking a break from cricket, the 36-year-old is ready to return to action.

The league of ageless wonders

Imran Tahir, who turned 46 this March, showed that he still has it in T20 cricket, taking 14 wickets in five games at an outstanding average of 9.28 and economy rate of 6.61 in Guyana Amazon Warriors’ run to the Global Super League title. He remains the only overseas player with 100 or more wickets in the CPL and hopes to bring home a second CPL title for Amazon Warriors.Faf du Plessis, who had led St Lucia Kings to CPL glory in 2024, will miss the tournament this year. The 41-year-old had originally prioritised the Hundred over the CPL, but has now withdrawn from that competition too for groin surgery. David Wiese, who turned 40 earlier this May, has been appointed as the new captain of Kings. He brings a wealth of T20 experience, having played 400 T20s around the world, including 39 in the CPL.Then, there’s Moeen Ali, 38, who has opted to skip the Hundred for the CPL, where he will team up with Tahir.After winning the MLC with MI New York, 38-year-old Kieron Pollard is back in the Caribbean with TKR. Colin Munro, also 38, and Alex Hales, 36, lend more experience to TKR. Hales is 41 runs away from surpassing Pollard as the second-highest run-getter in the history of T20 cricket.Shakib Al Hasan, 38, was Falcons’ second-round pick at the draft and is now just two strikes away from 500 T20 wickets. He is set to become the fifth player to the landmark.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

New captains in the spotlight

Four of the six franchises have new captains*. Nicholas Pooran will take over as TKR captain from Kieron Pollard. Apart from Tahir, Imad Wasim (Falcons) and Wiese (Kings) are the overseas captains in the league. Meanwhile, Jason Holder, who had exited Royals after 13 years, has been appointed as the captain of Patriots. Holder will work with head coach Simon Helmot, who had replaced Malolan Rangarajan. Helmot had coached Patriots and the Trinidad & Tobago franchises to CPL titles in the past.

Who are the defending champions?

Kings are the reigning CPL champions, having won their maiden title in 2024, when they toppled Tahir’s Amazon Warriors in Guyana. USA international Aaron Jones, who cracked an unbeaten 48 off 31 balls in the final last year, has been retained by Kings for the upcoming season. Jones qualifies as a local player in the CPL through his Barbados passport.

Which are the strong teams?

It’s hard to look past TKR, who have a number of T20 stalwarts such as Andre Russell, Pooran, Sunil Narine in addition to Pollard, Hales and Munro. They’ve added more variety to their attack by recruiting the Pakistani pair of Mohammad Amir and Usman Tariq.Under Tahir, Amazon Warriors won the title in 2023 and came close to successfully defending it last season. They have lost a key signing, Glenn Phillips, to injury, but the depth in their spin attack makes them one of the favourites.The absence of left-arm wristspinner Noor Ahmad, who has opted for the Hundred over the CPL, and injury to allrounder Matthew Forde has depleted Kings, but count Daren Sammy’s team out at your own peril.Jediah Blades is one of the players to watch out for•Randy Brooks

How many overseas players can be part of the XIs?

In CPL 2025, each franchise must play at least one player from the breakout league, a new tournament that was held earlier this year to identify emerging talent from the region, in every game. This gives the franchise the option of picking five overseas players in their XI to go with their ‘breakout’ player.

Any unknown local players to keep an eye on?

The depth below the first-choice West Indies T20I XI isn’t particularly encouraging, but do watch out for Amazon Warriors’ Jediah Blades who swings the new ball and is also capable of operating with the older one. Barbados Royals’ Kofi James, who goes hard in the powerplay with the bat and can also pitch in with offspin, might emerge on West Indies’ radar, especially if he has a good CPL season.

Does the CPL clash with any other franchise tournament?

Of course. What’s a franchise league without a schedule clash these days? It overlaps with the Hundred.

How can fans outside the Caribbean follow the action?

Every match of CPL 2025 will have ball-by-ball commentary right here on ESPNcricinfo. Fans in India can watch the CPL on JioStar (linear TV) or Fancode (digital). USA and UK viewers can watch it on Willow and TNT Sports respectively. Sky NZ will be broadcasting in New Zealand and SuperSport in Sub-Saharan Africa.*GMT 2pm, August 14: The story was updated following TKR’s announcement of a captaincy change

West Ham United have now submitted an offer of around £20m for a “natural goalscorer”, with Nuno personally a big fan.

West Ham targeting new striker with Fullkrug heading for exit

It has recently been revealed that Niclas Fullkrug is heading for the exit door this winter, having struggled to find the back of the net consistently since arriving from Borussia Dortmund, scoring just three goals in 28 appearances for West Ham.

Callum Wilson has been the man leading the line as of late, and the Englishman has impressed, bagging a brace in the 2-2 draw against AFC Bournemouth, but there are also question marks over his long-term future at the London Stadium.

Given that Wilson is set to turn 34 in February, and his contract expires at the end of the season, it would be a shrewd move to bring in a younger striker, and the Hammers are desperate to sign at least one new centre-forward in the upcoming window.

That is according to a report from Hammers News, which states West Ham have failed with an opening bid of £20m for Al-Hilal striker Marcos Leonardo, with the Saudi Pro League side adamant they won’t sanction a departure.

However, the Irons may return to the negotiating table with another offer, such is their determination to get a deal done, with Nuno personally a big fan of the Brazilian, who was linked with a move to Nottingham Forest during the manager’s time in charge there.

Nuno has made bringing in a new striker the number one priority for the January transfer window, and if the Hammers were able to get a deal for the 22-year-old done, they would be signing a player in red-hot form.

West Ham and Tottenham get Ivan Toney response after holding discussions

The Al-Ahli striker is fielding enquiries ahead of January.

ByEmilio Galantini Nov 29, 2025 "Natural goalscorer" Leonardo on fire in Saudi Arabia

Indeed, the Al-Hilal star has been fantastic since the Club World Cup in the summer, scoring four goals in five matches in the new-look competition, and he has since impressed considerably domestically too.

Marcos Leonardo’s goalscoring record

Appearances

Goals

Saudi Pro League

6

6

AFC Champions League

5

3

King’s Cup

3

2

The former Santos man also earned high praise from scout Jacek Kulig courtesy of very impressive attacking numbers during his time in Brazil.

With Fullkrug heading for the exit door, West Ham undoubtedly need to bring in a new striker this winter, and Leonardo could be capable of leading the line for Nuno’s side for years to come.

Nottinghamshire captain wary of looking too far ahead as they aim to depose three-time defending champions Surrey

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay23-Sep-2025

The stage is set for one of the most memorable ends to a Rothesay County Championship season with the battle for the Division One title and relegation places still very much alive heading into the final round this week.Nottinghamshire put themselves in pole position to win their first title in 15 years after snatching a 20-run win over three-time reigning champions Surrey last week. It was a contest to highlight the very best of the Rothesay County Championship and leaves Notts needing a maximum of 10 points to be crowned champions when they host Warwickshire at Trent Bridge starting Wednesday.With excitement building in the east Midlands after their success at the Kia Oval, Notts captain Haseeb Hameed has warned they will still need to produce “four more days of quality cricket”.Related

Tongue prevails in thriller to put Nottinghamshire on cusp of title

Moores hails 'box office' Tongue as Notts close in on title

Somerset handed points deduction for 'below average' pitch

Rahul Chahar joins Surrey for final Championship match of the season

“We have to go into the game with that mindset and focus because Warwickshire are a really good team,” Hameed told ecb.co.uk. “I think you can see that across the whole County Championship this season – anyone can beat anyone. It has been a really tight and tough year and that’s probably why it’s so close at the bottom as well.”There are no easy wins in this division and we go into the final round knowing we have to play four more days of quality cricket.”Surrey have been the county to catch for the past four seasons as they have set the bar high for the chasing pack. They will draw on that culture of success as they look to become the first county, since the great Surrey side of the 1950s, to win four titles in a row when they travel to Hampshire.Rory Burns’ team know that anything other than a win will probably not be enough while Hampshire, who could welcome back talisman Liam Dawson from England duty, have plenty to play for themselves as one of five counties that head into the final round looking to avoid relegation.The south-coast club are just two points above Durham, who sit inside the relegation zone on 140 points, but the northern-most county do have their fate in their own hands as make the journey down the A1 to a Yorkshire team who need 10 points to be assured of staying up.Sussex and Essex both have 150 points and know avoiding defeat in their final-round matches against already-relegated Worcestershire and third-placed Somerset respectively would be enough to retain their place in the top tier.It sets the scene for an intriguing final round at both ends of the table and Hameed admits he’d have it no other way.”At the start of the season the goal of every team would be to put themselves in the position we’re in heading into the final round,” he said. “It’s a great position to be in, but there’s work still to be done and that’s the focus. There is going to be a bit of noise around and there will be some excitement I’m sure across the four days with everything that is going on at the top of the bottom of the division.”We just have to be ready to go on Wednesday morning and focus on doing what we’ve done in the 13 matches so far.”Hameed is not letting himself think about becoming a title-winning captain, after reviving his career since moving to Notts from Lancashire ahead of the 2020 season. The 28-year-old, who has 10 Test caps, scored 1235 runs when he helped Notts win promotion from Division Two in 2022 and could surpass that mark this week as this season’s second-leading runscorer.”I just want to lead from the front and do my job. I’ve been here five or six years now and it feels like home and I’ve enjoyed my cricket,” said Hameed, who also highlighted the influence of his opening partner Ben Slater, who could pass 1000 runs for the season this week.”It’s been great establishing an opening partnership with Slats. He’s had a great season and has loads of experience which is so important. But I come back to it – the whole team knows we have to focus on our job because Warwickshire are a quality team. I’d love to see a good crowd at Trent Bridge and hopefully we can make it a week to remember.”In Division Two, Leicestershire will head into the final round knowing the title – and a return to Division One for the first time in 22 years – is already assured. The Foxes’ star allrounder Rehan Ahmed, who has struck five Championship centuries in a breakout summer with the bat, was not born when they were last in the top-flight.Leicestershire make the short trip to Northamptonshire to round out their season while Glamorgan, who under head coach Richard Dawson have secured their place in Division One for the first time since 2004, will host Lancashire at Sophia Gardens.Kent welcome Derbyshire to the Spitfire Ground in Canterbury while Middlesex host Gloucestershire at Lord’s.

Liverpool have lost four games on the spin in the Premier League and their latest setback came under controversial circumstances at the Gtech Community Stadium.

Arne Slot’s side slipped to another damaging defeat on Saturday night after being beaten 3-2 by Brentford, adding to recent defeats against Manchester United, Chelsea and Crystal Palace.

The defending Premier League champions are now sat seventh in the table, seven points behind leaders Arsenal, and Wayne Rooney has concerns about the leadership within the team.

“Three or four weeks ago no one saw this coming. It has hit them quick, it’s hit them hard and I think they’re struggling to find a way out of it,” the former England and Manchester United striker said on his podcast this weekend.

“This is a time where the manager, the leaders in the team need to figure it out very quickly. (Virgil) Van Dijk and (Mohamed) Salah signed new deals, but I don’t think they’ve really lead that team this season, with performances and body language.

“Body language tells you a lot and I think we are seeing slightly different body language from the two of them. They are the top two players in that team. If their body language isn’t right that affects everyone else.

“If I was a Liverpool fan or the manager that would be a big concern for me.”

Move over Salah: Slot's 5/10 Liverpool star is the new Jordan Henderson

Liverpool’s crisis deepened as they were condemned to a fourth successive Premier League defeat at Brentford.

By
Angus Sinclair

Oct 26, 2025

Hooper praised for role in Liverpool penalty decision

Van Dijk was furious about the decision to award Brentford a penalty for his challenge on Dango Ouattara during the second half, a call that was made by back-up referee Tim Robinson after Simon Hooper had to be replaced due to an injury.

Hooper had his own controversy to deal with in the first half however, neglecting to award Liverpool a penalty after Nathan Collins tangled with Cody Gakpo.

The incident has now been reviewed by former PGMOL referee Dermot Gallagher, who labelled the decision “marvellous”.

“When you look, Nathan Collins plants his foot, he does no more, he doesn’t make a challenge, I think Gakpo anticipates the challenge, it doesn’t come and he goes over, it’s not a foul,” he said on Sky Sports’ ref review show.

He continued: “I think Simon Hooper has done really marvellous there. Because it does look a penalty, there’s no doubt it looks a penalty… you look at the replay and you see it’s so different. But Simon Hooper has one look, makes one decision, gets it right.”

While it certainly would have been a soft penalty, Liverpool fans will be incensed by Gallagher’s claims that Collins “doesn’t make a challenge”, but they can have little complaints about the final score.

Brentford were just the latest team to walk away with a higher expected goals rate than the Reds, and Arne Slot’s side are being outfought on a weekly basis, which will be the most worrying aspect of the current rut for owners FSG, who pumped huge funds into the Dutchman’s squad this summer.

Whether conversations begin about the manager’s future may be determined by their fixtures prior to the November international break, as they face Crystal Palace, Aston Villa, Real Madrid and Man City in the next four.

حقق فريق الهلال السعودي فوزًا كبيرًا على نظيره الشرطة العراقي برباعية نظيفة، في المباراة التي جمعت بينهما ضمن منافسات بطولة دوري أبطال آسيا.

وأقيمت المباراة بين الهلال والشرطة على أرضية استاد الأول بارك، في إطار لقاءات الجولة الخامسة من دور المجموعات لدوري أبطال آسيا للنخبة.

ونجح ماركوس ليوناردو في تسجيل الهدف الأول للهلال مع نهاية الشوط الأول في الدقيقة 45، قبل أن يعزز سيرجي ميلينكوفيتش سافيتش التقدم بهدف ثانٍ في الدقيقة 63، ثم عاد ليوناردو ليضع بصمته بهدف ثالث في الدقيقة 72 ويؤمن انتصار الزعيم.

واختتم كانسيلو رباعية الهلال بهدف مميز في الدقيقة الثالثة من الوقت بدل الضائع للشوط الثاني. أهداف فوز الهلال على الشرطة العراقي في دوري أبطال آسيا

وشهدت المواجهة سيطرة واضحة للهلال على مجريات اللقاء، وسط محاولات محدودة من الشرطة العراقي للخروج بنتيجة إيجابية، إلا أن خبرة لاعبي الهلال حسمت المواجهة لصالح أصحاب الأرض.

ترتيب دوري أبطال آسيا بعد فوز الهلال على الشرطة العراقي

وعقب المباراة وصل رصيد الهلال إلى 15 نقطة كاملة من 5 مباريات، محققًا العلامة الكاملة دون أي تعادل أو خسارة، وسجل لاعبوه 14 هدفا واستقبلت شباكهم 5 أهداف فقط.

England missed their chance for a perfect Test summer, but never mind because the Aussies are here. The pod chat more Oval success for Sri Lanka and England’s latest white-ball overhaul

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Sep-2024Sri Lanka got the better of England in the third Test at The Oval, meaning the home side missed out a 6-0 summer sweep – but the agenda is already moving on, with white-ball series against Australia and the announcement of a touring party for Pakistan. In this week’s podcast, Alan Gardner was joined by Andrew Fidel Fernando, Andrew Miller and Vithushan Ehantharajah to dig into the Sri Lanka series – has Ollie Pope silenced the doubters? Is Josh Hull’s high ceiling worth investing in? – before Andrew McGlashan jumped on to help preview the Australia tour, which will see England give debuts to a number of new faces over the next couple of weeks.