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Amy Jones and Tammy Beaumont both scored back-to-back centuries to deliver an unassailable 2-0 ODI series lead and put England on the cusp of a complete sweep of West Indies’ tour.Reprising their successful first-wicket partnership from the opening match in Derby, Jones and Beaumont drove the hosts to 366 for 6 against a severely understrength West Indies, who fell 143 runs short in the second game in Leicester despite a bright half-century from ODI debutant Realeanna Grimmond.Thrust into the role of opener with captain Hayley Matthews on the sidelines in a sling after aggravating a shoulder injury in the first ODI, and Qiana Joseph out due to illness, Grimmond scored 53 off 72 balls in just her third match for West Indies.Jannillea Glasgow, making her first appearance of this ODI series after two single-figure innings in the T20Is, added a quick-fire 44 off 24 balls at No.6 but Alice Capsey’s three wickets and two apiece for Linsey Smith and Lauren Filer allowed England to bowl West Indies out for 223 with 4.2 overs to spare.That was after Jones, who scored her maiden international hundred upon returning to the top of the England batting line-up for the first time in five years during the opening match last Friday, once again made the most of her promotion from the middle order.She and Beaumont had put on 222 runs together in Derby and on this occasion they managed 202, becoming only the second pair with two 200-plus partnerships in Women’s ODIs after Australians Meg Lanning and Ellyse Perry.Emma Lamb contributed a brisk 55 after Jones bettered her 122 in Derby with 129 off just 98 balls and Beaumont followed her 107 with 106 on Wednesday as West Indies faced a 367 target to secure the first win of their tour, following England’s 3-0 sweep of the T20I leg and a 108-run victory in the first ODI.Amy Jones and Tammy Beaumont celebrate their century stand•Getty Images

The tourists’ target, even higher than the 346 they were asked to chase in the previous game, was made to look even more unattainable by the absence of Matthew. Their captain has carried her side throughout the trip, which resulted in her being named player of the T20I series. Her 48 in a 91-run stand with Joseph, who scored 62, were the only highlights for West Indies in the first ODI.Jones and Beaumont picked up where they had left off in Derby. Beaumont found the boundary with a lovely pair of cover drives off Cherry-Ann Fraser in the second and followed up a short time later with back-to-back fours off 19-year-old quick Jahzara Claxton, playing just her second ODI and third international match overall.Jones was also into her work early and took the partnership past the fifty mark with four through fine leg off a wide full toss from Claxton at the start of the seventh over. Claxton should have had Jones out for 43 but Grimmond spilled the chance at point and she brought up her fifty off 41 balls with a single crashed through long-on.Beaumont faced 64 deliveries for her fifty, which she brought up after overturning an lbw decision on 44 when she missed an attempted scoop off Afy Fletcher. The ball rapped her low and in line with off stump but ball-tracking showed it was turning too much.Three consecutive fours off Glasgow took Jones well into the 80s and she raised her second hundred in as many innings off just 76 balls with an authoritative extra cover drive off Karishma Ramharack for her 16th boundary. Ramharack saw Jones put down again on 104 after picking out long-on, but she finally ended Jones’s innings with a sharp return catch.Beaumont brought up her 12th ODI ton with a thunderous six over long-on, bookended by fours through midwicket and cow corner as Ramharack conceded 16 off the 38th over.Legspinner Fletcher could have had Beaumont out off her own bowling next over, although her hands thrust instinctively in front of her face to stop a rocket of a return did well to prevent serious injury, making the missed opportunity a secondary concern. In any event, Ramharack had Beaumont two balls later, holing out to deep midwicket.Claxton suffered a stinging blow to her hand stopping a similarly hard-hit drive back at her from Nat Sciver-Brunt but was fine to play on. Lamb had already brought up a 41-ball fifty at that point and Sciver-Brunt fell cheaply soon after, well caught in the deep by Grimmond off Aaliyah Alleyne. Grimmond took another excellent catch to end Lamb’s knock. A neat cameo of 31 off 19 balls by Sophia Dunkley took England past the 350 mark.Grimmond had run herself out for 4 in the first T20I at Canterbury after losing track of the ball as it was fired in from the field over her head, then scored 15 in the third at Chelmsford, her only other appearances to date for West Indies. But the fact that she took to her sizeable task in Leicester so well suggested there will be many more.Kate Cross took her 100th ODI wicket•Getty Images

Playing with poise and a sense of timing which made up for her slight frame, Grimmond struck six and four off Lauren Bell’s third over and after Zaida James, elevated from No.3, was caught behind by Jones off Bell for 19, Grimmond pulled another maximum away off Bell.Grimmond was struck hard on the right triceps attempting another pull shot off Lauren Filer but recovered quickly and a substantial edge off Filer through a vacant slips cordon took her to the brink of her maiden international milestone. She got there next ball, hammered away towards deep square leg where the fielder stationed just inside the rope restricted her to a single.That was after stand-in captain Shemaine Campbelle, dropped by Sciver-Brunt at third while on 2, added just four more then fell to Smith, the left-arm spinner who was England’s third star in Derby when she took five wickets while making her ODI debut more than six years after playing her first T20I.It was Smith who also accounted for Grimmond, who picked out Kate Cross at long-on, leaving West Indies 90 for 3 and still 277 runs adrift.Stafanie Taylor, playing just her second match of the tour after scoring a duck in the second T20I at Hove as she continues her comeback from injury, had a lot of work to do as the former captain and most experienced player left in the visitors’ line-up. But she fell for a 39-ball 20, chipping a Capsey delivery straight to Cross at mid-on.Cross, playing her 100th game for England across formats, took her 100th ODI wicket when she had Alleyne caught behind for a first-ball duck.Filer bowled with extreme pace into her eighth over. Having seen Fraser dropped by Jones behind the stumps in her seventh, a 77mph delivery that left Claxton and Jones smiling in disbelief was followed immediately by another beauty that sent Claxton’s bails flying and Fletcher went the same way three balls later to leave Filer with a decent reward for her efforts.Fraser offered stubborn resistance with an ODI career-best of 24 off 30 balls but when she skied Capsey to Bell at point it was all over.

Winfield-Hill impresses for loan county to give hosts big victory over Somerset

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay01-Jun-2025

Esmae MacGregor claimed career-best T20 figures as Essex’s bowlers ripped through the Somerset batting line-up to secure their side’s first win of the Women’s Vitality Blast at Chelmsford.The Essex medium-pacer finished with four for eight from 3.2 overs, while leg-spinner Abtaha Maqsood took two for 16 as the visitors were rolled for just 84, with Fran Wilson their only batter to reach double figures.Somerset had looked strongly-placed at halfway after seamer Ellie Anderson’s three for 19 restricted their opponents to 149 for seven, opener Lauren Winfield-Hill top-scoring with 42 from 25 balls.Anderson struck with her first delivery after Somerset had won the toss and inserted their hosts, uprooting Grace Scrivens’ middle stump to set the tone with two tight powerplay overs.The seamer should have snapped up another early wicket, spilling a return drive from Lissy Macleod, while Winfield-Hill swept Chloe Skelton for successive boundaries as the pair added a brisk 45 from 33.But Olivia Barnes’ acrobatic catch at square leg, leaping to grab the ball one-handed at the second attempt, removed Macleod and Alex Griffiths castled Winfield-Hill in the next over to leave Essex under pressure.Amanda-Jade Wellington’s miserly spell of two for 21 maintained control, but Sophia Smale – dropped early on by Mollie Robbins – provided some impetus with 22 from 18 before she was eventually bowled trying to ramp the medium-pacer.Jo Gardner (20 from 22) and Eva Gray both cleared the ropes during the death overs to haul their side to fractionally short of 150 – a total that looked far more challenging for Somerset after they lost four wickets in the powerplay.Dropped at slip first ball, Bex Odgers was then caught behind slashing at Kate Coppack and Emma Corney swung at Scrivens and missed before Amelie Munday skied MacGregor into the hands of mid-on.Skipper Sophie Luff also fell cheaply, cleaned up by Gray’s inswinger, but the experienced Wilson started strongly with successive fours off Coppack and was looking nicely set with 25 from 19 when she perished top-edging a sweep off Maqsood.The leg-spinner also accounted for Griffiths before diving forward at mid-on to pouch Anderson’s drive off MacGregor and Somerset’s last faint hope of a fightback evaporated when Wellington holed out to long leg.With Barnes unable to bat after sustaining an injury in the field, the contest ended in the 15th over as MacGregor has Skelton caught at mid-off to secure the ninth Somerset wicket – and her fourth.

The Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) has reiterated its concerns about player welfare due to the packed nature of the English domestic schedule, with 83% of respondents to a pre-season survey citing physical concerns over their current workload, and 67% believing the schedule is detrimental to their mental health.The findings come after the PCA visited all 18 men’s professional counties ahead of the 2025 season to gauge opinion on the state of the sport in England and Wales. The results of their survey represent a rise in concern across the game, following the PCA’s dire warning in 2024 that the game had a duty to “pre-empt disaster” due to the long late-night journeys that many players were obliged to make to travel between fixtures.Earlier this month, the ECB announced a review into the men’s domestic structure, in which the number of County Championship matches could be reduced from 14 to 12 as soon as 2026.Related

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With the anticipated windfall from the Hundred equity sale, allied to the rise of the new women’s tiered county structure, Rob Andrew, the managing director of the professional game, said this could now be an opportunity for a “holistic” reappraisal of the county domestic structure.According to the PCA, the “progressive integration of the women’s teams” was a key theme of their pre-season meetings, as well as the impact of private investment into the game, and how all male and female players can benefit.Ben Foakes, the England and Surrey wicketkeeper, welcomed the prospect of heightened investment in the domestic game, but reiterated the players’ wider concerns about fatigue amid the current schedule.”You hear the amount of money coming into the game, and you want to know how the whole game can grow,” Foakes said. “At Surrey, we now have the women’s team, which is great, and there’s a lot of forward momentum.”We do play a hell of a lot of cricket. It is tough, and I don’t think it necessarily produces the best cricket at times because you have people sleepwalking on to the pitch which definitely doesn’t help. It is a balancing act, and it is just about trying to get it right.”PCA chief executive Daryl Mitchell: “I have been really impressed with the domestic structure review process”•PA Photos/Getty Images

Olly Hannon-Dalby, the PCA chair, said: “We have a clear mandate based on the growing feeling amongst the membership that change is required to protect current and future professional cricketers in England and Wales. The meetings were set out to support the positive direction of travel we have seen in the domestic structure review meetings the PCA has been part of since late 2024. We are confident there is a greater appetite for change now compared to previous reviews.”Ultimately, our members are consistently telling the game they are worried about their mental and physical health because of the schedule, and almost every conversation I am having is a realistic one. This isn’t about huge reductions or creating conflict – far from it. We want to play as much as we can, in a safe environment at optimum levels to entertain county members and supporters, and ultimately drive the game forwards for a vibrant future.”Nine out of ten respondents to the PCA’s survey believe a minimum one-day break between T20 games should be standard going forward, with 77% believing there is too much county cricket played across the summer – an 11% rise from the figure in 2024.The meetings also addressed the ECB’s recent change to its NOC policy, which led to the red-ball retirement of Hampshire’s James Vince earlier this year, due to his conflicting opportunities in the Pakistan Super League. Only 9% of respondents believed the policy was completely fair, but there was an acceptance that progress has been made since its initial implementation.PCA chief executive Daryl Mitchell said: “The pre-season meetings are always a highlight of the year as we get a real feel of how each squad is feeling, and there is huge positivity from domestic players. The introduction of joint meetings with the Tier 1 women’s teams was a huge positive, and there has been a fantastic integration across the counties to create the one-club, two-team ethos.”We are also in a time of change. There is a great deal of support for the investment the ECB has brought into the game through the Hundred, whilst there are many questions on how all players will benefit, [and] not just those holding Hundred contracts. I have been really impressed with the domestic structure review process, and this data will only support the work of the group and wider stakeholders in understanding how some reasonable adjustments could have a great impact on pushing domestic cricket to new heights.”England and Hampshire fast bowler John Turner said: “The structure is a contentious one, and you will never please everyone. It’s [about] trying to find what is best for the game as a whole, and it feels like we are moving in the right direction.”From the conversations today, we understand whatever the outcome, it won’t be perfect. But it has to be better than what we have at the moment, which would allow us to be closer to 100% for every game.”Findings from the women’s research will be published ahead of the domestic season.

He came on as a substitute fielder after the fifth over of the SRH innings on April 6, but had to limp off by the end of the sixth over

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Apr-2025

Glenn Phillips, who picked up a groin injury while fielding in Gujarat Titans’ (GT) game against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Hyderabad on April 6, has been ruled out of the remainder of IPL 2025. An IPL statement said that Phillips has “returned to New Zealand”. GT, the table-toppers at this stage with four wins from five games, haven’t named a replacement for Phillips yet.Phillips, who didn’t get into GT’s starting line-up even once during his stay with the team, came on as a substitute fielder after the fifth over of the SRH innings but had to limp off within minutes. He fielded the fourth ball of that over, bowled by Prasidh Krishna, and hurled a throw to the wicketkeeper’s end as Ishan Kishan and Nitish Kumar Reddy stole a quick single. He went down clutching his groin straightaway. “Looks like he might have pulled his groin while getting that throw away,” we noted on our live ball-by-ball commentary.He hobbled off before the next delivery, helped along by some of the others from the GT camp.Related

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GT had earlier lost the services of Kagiso Rabada, on April 3, when he left home “to deal with an important personal matter”. There is no clarity on when, and if, he would be returning. GT hadn’t named a replacement for Rabada either.Only seven overseas players had been acquired by GT for the season, and now they are down to five. Jos Buttler, Rashid Khan and Sherfane Rutherford have played all their games so far. They also have Karim Janat, the Afghanistan allrounder, and Gerald Coetzee, the South Africa quick bowler, in their ranks. Coetzee, though, is on his way back from an injury, which put him out of both the SA20 and Champions Trophy earlier this year.

The left-arm quick made an early impact against Sri Lanka and will be part of the Champions Trophy

Tristan Lavalette13-Feb-20252:01

Finch: Big three absence a chance for Ellis to lead attack

As a tall left-arm Australian quick, capable of hitting speeds consistently at 145kph, comparisons to Mitchell Starc are unavoidable.Since he burst into prominence in the BBL in recent years, Spencer Johnson has been anointed as the successor to Starc, whose versatility and durability were again evident during a brilliant Test series against Sri Lanka.With Starc to miss the Champions Trophy due to personal reasons, the spotlight will shine considerably on Johnson. He started his preparation with 2 for 44 from seven overs in the first ODI against Sri Lanka in Colombo and mirrored Australia’s fortunes.Related

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Johnson, 29, helped Australia move into a strong position with two wickets with the new ball before he suffered under an avalanche from skipper Charith Asalanka, who sparked a turnaround as Sri Lanka ran out eventual 49-run winners.”It’s obviously something I’ve pictured in my mind, to come in and play a similar role to him,” Johnson said about the Starc comparisons. “There were a few nerves there, and obviously big shoes to fill.”I think I am better for the run, it’s only my third ODI, hopefully a few more and I’ll be able to replicate some of the stuff he’s done.”While it’s easy to see why Johnson is likened to Starc, he mostly threatens through awkward bounce and probes away at a back of a length using his towering height to good effect.But after being carved through point by opener Pathum Nissanka, Johnson smartly readjusted to a fuller length and produced an edge to claim his maiden ODI wicket in his third match.Johnson’s second wicket was perhaps more fortuitous when he had Kamindu Mendis chipping tamely to square leg, but he bowled consistently around 140 kph with the new ball and his rearing bounce was impressive on a dry surface.It might just foreshadow what’s ahead in Pakistan where he is almost certain to be handed the new ball with a shorthanded Australia also without injured frontline quicks Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood.”Guys like Trent Boult and Starcy, left-armers who are aggressive, hopefully it’s what I can bring to Pakistan,” Johnson said. “I think this wicket is not what we’re going to get over in Pakistan.Spencer Johnson claimed his first ODI wickets during the opening match in Colombo•Getty Images”It was nice to bowl on early with the new ball, and there was a bit of nip and carry. But [Pakistan] will be different to what we got here, potentially a bit flatter.”Australia’s selectors have been unsurprisingly keen to test Johnson in the shorter formats. The 29-year-old Johnson has played 11 white-ball internationals since debuting in South Africa in August 2023.Johnson produced his best international performance when he claimed 5 for 26 against Pakistan in November at the SCG – the best figures by an Australian quick in the format.But he’s so far in his career mostly played T20 cricket. Somewhat a product of franchise cricket, Johnson is already a veteran of the circuit having also played in the IPL, Major League Cricket, T20 Blast and The Hundred.But he’s had limited exposure in the longer formats with Johnson having played just 11 List A matches and six first-class matches. In his last first-class match in November, he snapped a tendon in the middle toe of his right foot during South Australia’s Sheffield Shield game against Western Australia after bowling 45 overs for the match.Set to be a key part of Australia’s Champions Trophy line-up, Johnson will now get a prolonged block in the 50-over format and a chance to build on a modest record of 12 wickets at 42.25 from 11 List A matches.”Obviously four overs [in T20 cricket] versus 10 overs is a little bit different, but the way I sequence my overs is pretty similar,” Johnson said. “I feel like I’m ready to play for Australia and I’ve had a little bit of a taste in T20 cricket and now a couple of ODIs. So heading to Pakistan it’s exciting and I’m ready to go.”

Durbar Rajshahi have promised to pay their local players on Thursday, a day after the players boycotted training in Chattogram to protest the non-payment of fees by the franchise. Jayed Ahmed, the operations in-charge of Rajshahi, said in a late-night video statement on Wednesday that they spoke with BCB president Faruque Ahmed and assured him that the unpaid dues would be cleared.Bangladesh Premier League franchises are supposed to pay 50% of a player’s total payment before the start of the tournament, 25% during the tournament and the rest of the 25% after the tournament is over. Rajshahi however didn’t pay the local players their first installment even two weeks into the tournament, which began on December 30.After the players’ demonstration, BCB chief Faruque held a meeting with his board of directors. He also spoke to the Rajshahi owner Shafique Rahman, captain Anamul Haque and other cricketers.Related

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“There’s no doubt that they will receive payment on January 16,” Jayed said. “We express regret at not being able to make the payments on time. There’s no denying the fact. This shouldn’t have happened. The management has decided to pay 25% payment in cash. We will pay another 25% in checks.”Our owner spoke to the BCB president on the phone. I met him in person. We had a cordial conversation. He wanted to understand the situation. We expressed our regret for the payment delay. We promised him that we will make the payments tomorrow.”Jayed said some of the cheques bounced because the bank couldn’t clear the payment without confirming with Shafique on the phone.”You will remember that the day our owner’s wife went to the ground, she got hit by a ball, she suffered a fracture. She was taken to Bangkok for treatment. Our owner was with her. We had given the cheque beforehand, so our owner told me to inform the players that the cheques won’t be submitted since he was not in the country.”Otherwise the bank won’t get me on the phone. We told this to all the cricketers but one or two of them submitted the check. They forgot about the owner being in Bangkok.”Rajshahi had made the 25% payment to their overseas players and coaching staff. The side will take on Khulna Tigers in their seventh game in Chattogram on January 17.

تعرض فريق برشلونة لضربة قوية للغاية، الجمعة، بعد إعلان النادي إصابة حارس المرمى خوان جارسا، وكذلك رافينها، حيث سيغيبان عن الملاعب الفترة المقبلة.

ويعاني خوان جارسيا من إصابة تتمثل في تمزق في الغضروف الداخلي لركبته اليسرى، حيث سيضطر إلى الغياب عن برشلونة فترة تتراوح بين 4 و6 أسابيع.

هذا الأمر يعني غياب خوان جارسيا عن مباراة ريال سوسيداد في الجولة السابعة من الدوري الإسباني يوم الأحد المقبل، قبل صدام باريس سان جيرمان يوم الأربعاء في الجولة الثانية من مرحلة الدوري من دوري أبطال أوروبا.

اقرأ أيضًا.. لامين يامال يفاجئ فليك وجماهير برشلونة قبل مواجهة ريال سوسيداد

كذلك سيغيب خوان جارسيا عن مباراة الأحد 5 أكتوبر ضد إشبيلية في الجولة الثامنة من الليجا، قبل فترة التوقف الدولي.

بعد ذلك، سيغيب الحارس الإسباني عن مباراة جيرونا يوم 18 أكتوبر في الجولة التاسعة من الدوري الإسباني، ثم أولمبياكوس يوم 21 في الجولة الثالثة من دوري أبطال أوروبا.

ولن يستطيع خوان جارسيا المشاركة في مباراة الكلاسيكو ضد ريال مدريد يوم 26 أكتوبر المقبل على ملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو” إلا في حالة حدوث مفاجأة كبيرة، حد وصف صحيفة “سبورت” الإسبانية.

وربما يكون خوان جارسيا جاهزًا للمشاركة في مباراة إلتشي في بداية شهر نوفمبر، في الجولة الحادية عشر من الليجا، ولكن إذا اضطر إلى الغياب لمدة 6 أسابيع، فإنه سيغيب عن مباراتي إلتشي وإشبيلية في الدوري وكلوب بروج في الأبطال، و لن يعود إلا بعد التوقف الدولي للشهر نفسه.

Manchester United now “fully expect” to sign a “sensational” £70m star soon, as they want him to take part in their pre-season tour, according to transfer expert Graeme Bailey.

Man Utd looking to sign new forward

It has been a slow start to the summer transfer window for Man United, with Matheus Cunha their only high-profile arrival to date, and they have also faced issues getting some of their own players off the books.

There has been a great deal of speculation surrounding the futures of Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford, with Liverpool even reportedly coming forward to sign the England international, although Barcelona seems like a more likely destination.

However, United legend Teddy Sheringham has now weighed in on Rashford’s situation, making the bold claim that he hopes Rashford doesn’t end up at the Spanish side, as he doesn’t deserve the move.

The other main transfer saga surrounding Man United this summer centres around Bryan Mbeumo, with Ruben Amorim identifying the Brentford forward as a player who could help solve his side’s attacking issue.

There has now been a new update on United’s Mbeumo pursuit, with Bailey telling The Boot Room that the Cameroonian is growing frustrated by the lack of progress.

The transfer expert said: “United are very frustrated, as is the player. But again, they are keeping pretty quiet. Officially.

“The guaranteed money is the main obstacle still… this was seen as a minor issue two weeks ago, yet that is still the main problem. Man United are telling Mbeumo they still fully expect him to be on their pre-season tour.”

It is little wonder that the Red Devils are starting to grow tired of the negotiations, given that Brentford have recently raised their asking price to around £70m, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe determined to pay no more than £65m.

Man Utd line up move for "talented" £25m+ PSG star who's been told to leave

United are now interested in signing a defender who is desperate for more playing time.

1

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Brett Worthington

Jul 17, 2025

Man Utd must finalise deal for "sensational" Mbeumo soon

While Ratcliffe should not be pressured into forking out an amount above his valuation of the Brentford star, the saga needs to come to an end soon, especially with the player himself now growing frustrated by the lack of progress.

£70m is, of course, a lot of money to spend on a player who is unproven at the highest level, but the former Troyes man performed remarkably well in the Premier League last season, amassing 27 goal contributions in 38 outings.

Lauded as “sensational” by Sky Sports commentators, Mbeumo could be a fantastic signing for United, so it is promising news they expect him to take part in their pre-season tour, with Amorim’s side set to take on Leeds United in Sweden in two days’ time.

Manchester United have now held talks over a deal for an “enormous” Bayern Munich target, who they have scouted for quite some time, according to a report.

Man Utd set to strengthen in multiple areas

After finishing 15th in the Premier League table last season, it is little wonder that Ruben Amorim is looking to strengthen all over the pitch, with targets being identified in a number of different positions over the past few days.

Player

Current club

Position

Javi Guerra

Valencia

CM

Benjamin Sesko

RB Leipzig

ST

Emiliano Martinez

Aston Villa

GK

Lucas Beraldo

PSG

CB

John Victor

Botafogo

GK

It may be particularly important for Amorim to bring in a new goalkeeper this summer, given that Andre Onana has been subjected to widespread criticism, although there are doubts over whether Martinez would be a suitable replacement.

With the likes of Victor and fellow target Senne Lammens yet to prove themselves at the top level, it could be even more important to have a strong backline next season too, and there has now been a development in Man United’s pursuit of SK Brann defender Eivind Helland.

According to a report from TEAMtalk, United have now held talks over a deal for Helland, who they have scouted for quite some time, but there could be competition for his signature, with Bayern Munich also named as potential suitors.

Brann could be tempted to accept a bid of £8m, meaning a deal would not break the bank, with the Red Devils viewing the 20-year-old as a cost-effective addition to the squad.

"Enormous" Helland has what it takes to succeed in England

The youngster is yet to prove himself outside Norway, so it may be difficult to immediately come in and compete for a starting spot with the likes of Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez, but the Brann starlet is showing some promising signs.

Data scout Bastian Schmitz has suggested the towering defender has great potential, saying: “He’s a massive talent.

“Helland has an enormous physique, standing tall at 6ft4 and with a broad frame, which means he could already compete physically in the Premier League. Other strengths include his speed and ability to open the game up with his passing.”

Schmitz also notes that the United target is a versatile player, capable of playing in three positions, namely centre-back, right-back and defensive midfield.

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As such, Helland could be an exciting long-term addition to the squad, and the versatile defender’s potential availability for around £8m makes him a low-risk signing.

They have also retained last year’s captain Matthews and legspinner Wellington while adding wicketkeeper-batter Redmayne

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Jul-2024

Defending Women’s Caribbean Premier League [WCPL] champions Barbados Royals have strengthened by adding Sri Lanka superstar Chamari Athapaththu to their side for the 2024 season. Australia wicketkeeper-batter Georgia Redmayne will also turn out for Royals this year.Royals have also retained allrounder Hayley Matthews and legspinner Amanda-Jade Wellington from the title-winning squad of last year. Additionally, they are also bringing back Australia batter Laura Harris along with Chinelle Henry, Afy Fletcher, Aaliyah Alleyne and Qiana Joseph from the 2023 squad for the new season.There are six more spots left to be filled and these players will be selected at the WCPL draft which takes place later in July.Matthews had captained Royals to glory last season and finished with the second-highest runs in the competition: 191 in five matches with a strike rate of 132.63. She was also the joint third-highest wicket-taker with seven at an economy rate of 7.44. Her most telling contribution came in the final against Guyana Amazon Warriors when she scored 82 off 59 balls and picked two wickets.Wellington, meanwhile, finished as the second highest wicket-taker in 2023 with eight in five games at an economy of 4.80.In Athapaththu, Royals have a solid top-order batter and offspinner. In 12 T20Is this year, she has scored 371 runs which includes a 102 against Scotland. Athapaththu has also picked up 13 wickets with a best of 4 for 29 against West Indies last month.The WCPL this year will be staged in Trinidad from August 21 to 29, with the Brian Lara Cricket Academy hosting all seven games. Trinbago Knight Riders, Amazon Warriors and Royals are the three teams taking part.Barbados Royals squad so farHayley Matthews, Chamari Athapaththu , Amanda-Jade Wellington, Laura Harris, Georgia Redmayne, Chinelle Henry, Afy Fletcher, Aaliyah Alleyne, Qiana Joseph