Tag Futebol

No thrilling finish but draw with Gloucestershire is enough for Foxes combined with stalemate at Lord’s

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay11-Sep-2025There was no thrilling finale on the field but Leicestershire could celebrate nonetheless after securing the draw with Gloucestershire that, in the event, ensured their promotion to Division One of the Rothesay County Championship.With two fixtures still to play, the result at the Uptonsteel County Ground combined with the draw between Middlesex and Derbyshire at Lord’s guarantees that Leicestershire will finish in the top two in Division Two and end a 22-year-exile from the top division.Set 316 to win from a minimum 74 overs when Gloucestershire, who felt their outside chance of a promotion required them to win here, declared four overs before lunch on 175 for 3 in their second innings, Leicestershire were 93 for 1 from 30.3 when the afternoon’s third interruption for rain proved heavy enough for the final day’s play to be abandoned at around 4.10pm.It is a first promotion for Leicestershire since the County Championship adopted its current two-division format in 2000. Led for most of the season by Australian international Peter Handscomb – now back home preparing for his domestic season – Leicestershire have been the dominant side in Division Two all season after winning five of their first seven matches and suffering only one defeat.They last played in Division One in 2003 and have since become almost perpetual stragglers, finishing bottom of DivisionTwo on eight occasions. In four of those, the last as recently as 2022, they failed to register a single victory, famously going 37 matches over 933 days without a Championship win between September 2012 and June 2015.Leicestershire, whose next target is to secure the points they need to guarantee they are crowned Division Two champions, went into the final day in the comfortable knowledge that while a victory would seal the deal in terms of confirming promotion, a draw might do it anyway depending on the result at Lord’s, or at worst leave them needing minimal gains from their final two fixtures.Gloucestershire’s need for a win, therefore, put the onus on them to set up a finish, to which end they added 165 in 21 overs before declaring just before lunch, setting the home side 316 to win in a minimum 74 overs.Against a Leicestershire attack that was a man down because of Ben Mike’s ongoing hamstring problems, 21-year-old opener Joe Phillips further enhanced his growing reputation with an unbeaten 69 from 73 balls.Ben Charlesworth cleared the midwicket boundary off Logan van Beek and landed back-to-back sixes off Chris Wright in his 56-ball 61 before a miscue to deep third man ended his charge. Ian Holland limited Ollie Price to just 8 but Miles Hammond plundered another 28 from 26 before top-edging into the off side, Holland veering away in his follow-through to be under the ball when it came down.Gloucestershire asked Leicestershire to face four overs before lunch possibly more in hope than expectation. The wicket of Sol Budinger perhaps came as a bonus, the opener making no attempt to rein in his natural attacking instincts but perishing after just 13 deliveries, tempted by a widish ball from Ajeet Singh Dale despite having collected three boundaries already and picking out the fielder at wide third.The visitors’ cause was not helped by showers after lunch, which eventually washed out 43.3 overs of the scheduled 74.Yet there never seemed enough jeopardy in the fourth-day surface to make 10 wickets a realistic possibility. Rishi Patel finished unbeaten on 42 with acting captain Holland on 27. Gloucestershire’s frustration was cushioned a little by taking 15 points for the draw, but the gap between themselves and second-placed Glamorgan remains at more than 30 points.

In a tournament where fast-scoring has been difficult, West Indies’ opening duo put England to the sword

Valkerie Baynes16-Oct-20243:35

Takeaways: West Indies’ powerplay stuns England to land semi-final spot

Hayley Matthews looked at Qiana Joseph in the changeroom at the innings break and thought something was wrong.West Indies needed to chase down 142 to qualify for the T20 World Cup semi-finals for the first time since 2018 – a target Matthew later said she’d have “bitten your hand off” for at the start of the game.It turns out Joseph was simply in the mood.Related

• 'Overwhelming, unbelievable, joy' – Supermom Afy Fletcher's inspiring comeback tale

• Inspired by Narine, Ramharack goes from being sidekick to hero

• Mithali Raj: Time for 'saturated' India to move on from Harmanpreet as captain

• West Indies knock England out, join South Africa in semi-finals

“When we went into the changing room at halftime, I looked at her and I said: ‘What’s wrong? You look like you’re upset.’ She said: ‘I’m just ready.'”She’s always up for it, man. And it’s great to have characters like that within the dressing room, especially as a West Indies team who are probably always underdogs. We need fighters within the team and she’s a great example of that.”Joseph didn’t just fight. She pummelled England into submission.England, who had beaten West Indies in their 13 previous games dating back to 2018, had come into the tournament tipped as finalists with their vast resources and unbeaten record in the group stages.In her 15th T20I, Joseph had a big role to fill at the top of the order with Stafanie Taylor – West Indies’ leading run-scorer before the start of the game – succumbing to a knee injury she has been carrying through the tournament.Already the 23-year-old Joseph had shown her versatility, opening the batting in the first game – a 10-wicket loss to South Africa – before dropping below Taylor to No. 3 as West Indies sailed past Scotland. She dropped into a floating role next, listed at No. 6 against Bangladesh but not required as West Indies won by eight wickets.

When we look at individuals within this team, so many times we would hear only ‘Deandra or Hayley or Staf will put in performances’, but one thing we can say we’ve started to see this year is others really stepping upHayley Matthews

Against England, Joseph blasted her way to a career-best 52 off just 38 balls with six fours and two sixes as she and Matthews took West Indies to the highest powerplay of the tournament so far at 67 without loss.It wasn’t until midway through the innings that the duo learned they needed to reach the target in 19 overs to finish ahead of South Africa at the top of Group B on net run rate. West Indies got the job done on the last ball of the 18th, Aaliyah Alleyne piercing the covers to find the boundary off Sophie Ecclestone and close an innings built by Joseph and Matthews.The duo shared a 102-run stand off just 74 balls with Matthews, who played her best innings so far with 50 off 38 – her first half-century against England – after scores of 10, 8 and 34.It was only the second time both openers had scored 50 or more in a women’s T20I for West Indies, the first time being when they beat Australia in the 2016 T20 World Cup final.It was Matthews who took control to begin with, smashing 14 runs off Lauren Bell, the most runs conceded in the first over of a match at this World Cup.Like her captain, Joseph was off the mark with a boundary, two in three balls from Nat Sciver-Brunt, no less. She then ripped into England’s spinners, powering Charlie Dean over midwicket for six then striking back-to-back fours off Ecclestone behind and over square leg.Joseph rode her luck as well, barely clearing fielders a couple of times then put down by Sophia Dunkley on 6, Alice Capsey on 31 the three times by Maia Bouchier. She reached her maiden fifty off just 34 balls, the fastest against England at the T20 World Cup.Hayley Matthews produced best innings of the tournament at a vital time•ICC/Getty ImagesJoseph was part of West Indies’ T20 World Cup squad in 2018 as a 17-year-old, largely as a left-arm spinner, but her ball-striking has improved markedly in recent times, prompting her move up the order.Earlier this year, she played largely as an opener in an away series against Pakistan, which West Indies won 4-1, and was used as a pinch-hitter in a 2-1 series win in Sri Lanka.Despite those results, West Indies hadn’t been expected to do so well here, possibly because of a well-documented lack of resources compared to the likes of India and England, both of whom are now out of the reckoning.”I think a lot of people wrote us off coming into this tournament,” Matthews said. “The way we’ve been able to go about our cricket, especially after the start we had against South Africa, we’ve just bounced back against Scotland, against Bangladesh.”We haven’t beat England in about six years. As far as I can remember, the last time we beat them was back in 2018, but everyone still came here with a belief and a fight and it just shows what we can do as a West Indian team. A lot of people coming up against us know that if it’s one thing we’ve got, it’s a lot of heart and a lot of fight and we showed that today.”Particularly pleasing for West Indies was the fact Joseph was able to step up in Taylor’s absence so that by the time Deandra Dottin came in to score 27 off 19 striking at 142.10, the bulk of the work was done.That said, Dottin was instrumental in setting the tone for the match with some brilliant fielding at the start of England’s innings and she also bowled for the first time in the campaign, taking 1 for 16 in three overs.’To be given this opportunity to come out, represent your nation and making a living out of it, every single person, it changes their lives’•ICC/Getty Images”When we look at individuals within this team, so many times we would hear only ‘Deandra or Hayley or Staf will put in performances’, but one thing we can say we’ve started to see this year is others really stepping up,” Matthew said. “Karishma [Ramharack] with 4 for 17 against Bangladesh] last game, Qiana Joseph this game, and it’s just going to make us more and more dangerous.”By topping their group, West Indies avoid favourites Australia in the semi-finals and will face New Zealand on Friday in Sharjah. Australia play South Africa in Dubai on Thursday. And Matthews was confident the entire Caribbean would be behind her team.”Honestly speaking, we probably just don’t have it like the rest a lot of the time,” she said. “Back home in the Caribbean, sometimes we don’t have facilities and a lot of our girls come from very humble beginnings. To be given this opportunity to come out, represent your nation and making a living out of it, every single person, it changes their lives.”Within the West Indies, I think a lot of the islands can always be against each other, but the one thing that does bring the entire West Indies together is cricket and the passion that the people have for the game is massive. It just brings our whole region together as one for the only time probably.”

The independent head of BCB’s integrity unit said keeping some players out of the auction was “one of many actions” to “protect” the BPL

Mohammad Isam30-Nov-2025

Alex Marshall, the independent head of BCB’s anti-corruption unit, wanted to keep some individuals away from the upcoming edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) as it would make the tournament “much safer” without them. On Saturday, the BCB had removed several players from the auction that took place on Sunday. The BCB integrity unit is carrying on investigations to look into previous editions of the BPL.Marshall’s statement was played ahead of the BPL auction’s broadcast. “In advance of BPL 12, I have provided advice to the (BPL) governing council about some people who should not be invited to this year’s event,” he said. “That’s just one of many actions that are being taken to protect this year’s BPL. And I just felt it would be much safer to keep some people away while investigations are completed and we look back over recent years.”Marshall and the BCB have, however, not officially named anyone as part of their reports. “I’ll say no more about any individuals because that would be wrong, and I will never discuss the details of a live investigation. That’s unfair to victims and witnesses, and it’s unfair to people who are suspects. My team will maintain confidentiality.”Shortly before the auction started, the BCB also announced that the country’s high court had rejected three writ petitions which challenged the board’s decision to exclude nine cricketers from the BPL auction.The board released an official statement that said: “Upon hearing the petitioners’ lawyer Barrister Ruhul Quddus Kazal, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of Bangladesh and Bangladesh Cricket Board’s lawyer Barrister Mahin M Rahman, Advocate (Appellate Division), Supreme Court of Bangladesh, a Division Bench of the High Court Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh, Mr Justice Sikder Mahmudur Razi and Mr Justice Raziuddin Ahmed, vide an Order dated 30 November 2025, summarily rejected the said writ petitions. Accordingly, the auction of the BPL 12th Edition will proceed without the names of the nine players.”

When South Africa began the World Cup by being blown away for 69 by England, it was natural to wonder whether they really were serious contenders for the title. But, since that catastrophic start, they have put on one hell of a campaign. They have now won five games in a row – four of those comfortably, only one match going into the final over.In the rain-affected match against Pakistan on Tuesday, South Africa’s batters put on their highest World Cup score ever, hitting 312 for 9. What’s more, they only had 40 overs in which to make those runs. The 312 is also the highest total at the Khettarama this World Cup by 54 runs.Senior allrounder Marizanne Kapp, who hit 68 not out off 43 balls, said afterwards that a host of players had stepped their game up to make this turnaround happen. “We were very disappointed with that performance against England,” she said. “Luckily, we turned it around very quickly. I think that’s down to the goals we’ve had and the hard work we’ve been putting in.Related

• 'Want to take it one step further' – Bosch on SA's push for maiden ODI World Cup final

• Kapp-powered SA knock Pakistan out in wet Colombo

“The beauty of this team is that we’ve not relied on one person. More people are starting to click and put in performances.”And so it was on Tuesday, that to reach their highest World Cup total, South Africa had a range of important contributions. Captain Laura Wolvaardt led off with a 90 off 82 balls. Sune Luus made 61 off 59. Kapp hit three sixes and six fours in her innings. And, at the death, Nadine de Klerk thumped a staggering 41 off 16 balls. De Klerk had hit only two fifties from 43 previous innings before she bludgeoned a match-turning 84 not out off 54 balls in the game against India. She had then hit 37 not out off 29 against Bangladesh, before this explosive innings in Colombo.”We’ve always known Nadine’s very talented,” said Kapp. “I’ve always rated her. I’ve always said she’s a very good batting allrounder. In the last few years, I think it’s been about the bowling, but this year her batting is really clicking.”South Africa had booked a place in the semi-finals even before this game and are now certain to finish at least third on the table. They have one match in this stage to play – against the feared Australia side.Despite that embarrassing start, Kapp thinks the bowlers have more work to do than the batters to get South Africa in perfect shape for the knockouts.”The batters have been very proactive. The intent is there, as well as the scoring shots,” she said. “I think we can tighten up a little bit on the bowling side of things. Even though we’ve done well, we’ve bowled some loose deliveries.”But in general we’re happy with where we are at the moment.”

She has changed her game, and the five-match T20I series in England could be Shafali’s way back into the ODI side in a World Cup year

S Sudarshanan27-Jun-2025This will be Shafali Verma’s third tour of England, but a lot has changed since the previous ones. For starters, she is not a teenager anymore.When Shafali first toured England for the multi-format series in 2021, she was only a T20I cricketer. She made her debut in ODIs and Test cricket on that tour. Around the time of the England tour – for the Commonwealth Games followed by the bilateral series – in 2022, India were happy with the high-impact knocks she produced despite her inconsistency. It was a risk-versus-reward trade-off that worked for both India and Shafali.Cut to mid-2025, and Shafali has just earned a recall to the T20I side and is still out of favour in ODIs in a home World Cup year. After India crashed out in the league stage of the T20 World Cup 2024, Shafali’s place in the team seemed untenable. Not that India found other batters who could attack from get-go like she could – there aren’t many who can do it anywhere in the world, let alone in India. She was dropped anyway.Related

Harmanpreet embraces 'happy headache' with India's depth on the rise

Mandhana: 'Shafali deserves this comeback and I'm really excited to open with her again'

Home World Cup in Beaumont's radar after three-year absence from England T20I side

India's road to T20 World Cup 2026: what's right and what's not

She gets knocked down but she gets up again – Sneh Rana

In hindsight, the timing of her exclusion perhaps worked well for Shafali, in that she was able to play the whole of the 50-over domestic competitions. She captained Haryana to a quarter-final finish in the Senior Women’s One Day Trophy and topped the run-scoring charts – 527 runs at an average above 75 and a strike rate of 152.31. Only one other batter (Kiran Navgire) batted at a higher strike rate in the entire competition, but she scored only 116.Shafali then played the Senior Women’s One Day Challenger Trophy, a competition in which best performers in the one-dayers are picked by the national selectors. She topped the charts there, too, as captain of Team A – 414 runs at an average of 82.80 and a strike rate of 145.26. She had scored close to 200 runs more than the next best, and no one else scored at a higher pace in the competition.In WPL 2025, Shafali was the leading run-scorer for runners-up Delhi Capitals (DC) – and fourth-best overall – and she could no longer be left out of India’s T20I side. That India played only one T20I series since her axing did not matter, they have their premier opener back as the road to the 2026 T20 World Cup starts.But what has changed in Shafali’s game in the intervening period? How is she scoring with such regularity, which she couldn’t earlier?

“Her power game is natural, no one hits sixes at will like her in the women’s game. I told her to not leave behind the qualities that have brought her here. She is a different cricketer, I selected her for the first time based on that”DC assistant coach and former India chief selector Hemlata Kala

“She has worked on keeping herself cool,” DC assistant coach Hemlata Kala told ESPNcricinfo. “In the WPL, she tried to play longer innings and not getting out inside the powerplay.”Everyone said she only bats for 10-15 overs [in one-day cricket]. But she batted for longer in [the domestic] one-dayers, struck back-to-back hundreds. Even in multi-day (Senior Women’s Multi-Day Challenger Trophy) she played well. She has now consistently started playing longer innings. It is not that she didn’t do it before – she has hit 130-140 in Under-23 cricket. She has the ability, but in T20s she tries to make best use of the powerplay.”Former India international Kala was the chief selector when Shafali, aged 15, made her international debut. Apart from being with DC, Kala was also part of the coaching staff for teams in the one-day and multi-day Challenger Trophy and witnessed the damage Shafali could inflict as an opposition player.”I keep telling her, no one has the mindset she has – of hitting sixes from ball one,” Kala said. “Whenever I talk to her, I tell her, ‘don’t leave your game’. Her power game is natural, no one hits sixes at will like her in the women’s game. I told her to not leave behind the qualities that have brought her here. She is a different cricketer, I selected her for the first time based on that.”Pratika Rawal and Harleen Deol have been in India’s top-three in ODIs in the recent past•SLCConsciously, though, Kala also instilled in Shafali the importance of rotating strike and not getting bogged down while going for big hits. She has worked on finding gaps when the field spreads.”As you all know, my starts are good but building an innings has been an issue,” Shafali had said earlier this year. “But now, I am focusing on how to get those singles, how to build the innings, how to do well for the team.”Some of that was on display in the WPL, where she did not seem desperate to power deliveries away. She showed restraint even in the powerplay. But she did not let it affect her overall strike rate (152.76 in 2025 vs 156.85 in 2024) much.The five-match T20I series in England could be Shafali’s way back into the ODI side. After the three games in England, India have one more series before the World Cup – a three-ODI series against Australia at home. Whether Shafali makes it there and what the implications on the other top-order batters – Pratika Rawal has been the ODI opener and Harleen Deol the No. 3 – is anybody’s guess.Third time could indeed be a charm for Shafali.

Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither will this Manchester United team be under Ruben Amorim, with it likely to require patience – and the chequebook – for the Portuguese to turn the Red Devils back into true contenders again.

It is still early days, although the signs are promising following his first window in charge, with the summer arrivals of Senne Lammens, Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko all making an impact to date.

That investment will surely be just the start as Amorim seeks to shake things up, however, with a turbulent 2025/26 thus far having again showcased the scale of the task at hand, with reinforcements needed all across the park.

At wing-back and central midfield, in particular, there remain problems to be solved, with January providing the perfect opportunity for the required upgrades to be found.

With that in mind, here’s a look at how United could shape up after the window closes, should all go to plan in this dream scenario…

1 GK – Senne Lammens

Perhaps up there with Sunderland’s Granit Xhaka as the bargain of the summer in Premier League terms, United’s £18m man is yet to taste defeat in his new surroundings, having hardly put a foot wrong to date.

He might not be the second coming of Peter Schmeichel – who is – but he’s certainly made a stronger first impression than Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir, that’s for sure.

2 RCB – Matthijs de Ligt

Second time’s the charm for Matthijs de Ligt, with the Dutchman building on a solid, but unspectacular first campaign to emerge as arguably one of Amorim’s key lieutenants this time around.

The hero at the death against Spurs, the 26-year-old is the only member of the squad to play every minute in the Premier League this season. A future captain in waiting?

3 CB – Marc Guehi

So close to a last-gasp move to Liverpool over the summer, Marc Guehi is now for anyone’s taking heading into January, with a potential bargain deal on the cards amid his expiring contract.

Those at Anfield might still be frontrunners, but reports have suggested that United will also be in the mix for his coveted signature, with the England international a possible successor to the ageing, but influential, Harry Maguire at the heart of the backline.

4 LCB – Lisandro Martinez

Not seen in action since early 2025 due to an ACL injury, Lisandro Martinez is inching ever closer to a return to action – providing a significant boost for Amorim and co.

Luke Shaw, for what it’s worth, has held the fort impressively in the left-sided centre-back role of late, yet the Argentine – part of United’s new-look leadership group – looks destined to start when fit and firing again.

5 RWB – Amad

The Amad and Mbeumo combination endured some early teething problems, although in recent weeks, United’s right-hand side has been so effective, with the pair notably combining for the opener at Anfield last month, as well as in the game’s first goal against Spurs.

Such form – which also saw Amad net late on at the City Ground – will only serve to make it all the more concerning when the pair head to AFCON in December.

6 CM – Bruno Fernandes

The debate will rage on over whether this is Bruno Fernandes’ best position, but the 31-year-old – who came close to an exit over the summer – is still quietly pulling the strings from his deep-lying role.

Two goals, three assists and two penalties missed in the Premier League this season showcases that the Portuguese maverick is still bringing the usual chaos and consistency as the heartbeat of Amorim’s side.

There’s no dislodging him just yet…

7 CM – Carlos Baleba

He wants United – by all accounts – and United want him. So make it happen INEOS.

The midfield “monster” – as hailed by analyst Ben Mattinson – was touted with a £100m plus move to Old Trafford over the summer, although there might be some wriggle room in negotiations, considering his drop in form in 2025/26.

Those woes – which have seen him substituted at half-time on three occasions already – may be cause for concern, but at his best, the athletic, all-action 21-year-old could be the Casemiro successor that United are crying out for.

8 LWB – Federico Dimarco

The caveat to this next addition would be that if United and INEOS were to fork out for Guehi and Baleba, there would likely have to be notable sales made to balance the books, be it a figure like Joshua Zirkzee or Diogo Dalot.

The beauty of moving for Federico Dimarco is, however, that the Italian defender has just 18 months left on his current contract at Inter, ensuring an astute deal could be struck amid reported interest from Manchester.

At a time when neither Dalot nor Patrick Dorgu has nailed down that left wing-back role, signing a specialist like Dimarco would be the perfect upgrade for 2026.

9 RAM – Bryan Mbeumo

As already stated, Mbeumo and Amad are emerging as a deadly duo down the right flank, although it is clear to see who the main man in that pairing is, with the Cameroonian already scoring six times in 12 games following his £71m switch from Brentford.

Comfortable on either foot, or with his head, the 26-year-old is the ready-made attacking spearhead that Amorim needed. Long may his rampant form continue.

10 LAM – Matheus Cunha

While Casemiro may be approaching the climax of his United journey, with just six months left on his deal, the club do have a new Brazilian hero to cherish in the form of Cunha, with the ex-Wolverhampton Wanderers talisman already earning rave reviews at Old Trafford.

Powerful and elegant in equal measure, the 26-year-old has the makings of a future United star, although he will have to improve upon his return of just one goal to date.

The Savannah Bananas brought their traveling baseball party to legendary Fenway Park in Boston this past Saturday and brought back some special Boston athletes and former Red Sox players to join in on the fun.

One of those guys was Brock Holt, a former infielder who spent seven seasons in Boston and won a World Series with the Red Sox in 2018.

Holt made a dramatic entrance for his at-bat, walking through the stands before making his way to home plate while the sold-out crowd gave him a huge ovation. Then a few moments later, he suffered the unluckiest of outs as a fan caught his foul ball, which per Savannah Bananas rules counts as an out.

Here's the fan robbing Holt of a chance to get a hit in front of a crowd that wanted to see the best for one of their former players. And yes, this guy was immediately booed for doing what he did:

Not cool, dude!

Stats highlights from Navi Mumbai, where India completed the highest-ever chase at the Women’s ODI World Cup

Sampath Bandarupalli30-Oct-2025339 The target chased by India against Australia in the semi-final. It is the highest-ever chase in women’s ODI cricket, bettering the 331-run chase by Australia against India earlier in the tournament in Visakhapatnam.India’s previous highest successful chase was 265 against Australia in 2021, and they had never chased a 200-plus target at a World Cup.15 Consecutive wins for Australia at the Women’s ODI World Cup, coming into Thursday’s semi-final. Their previous defeat was also against India, in the semi-final in 2017.Related

• Rodrigues completes her redemption arc as the silence turns to roars

• Australia feel India's force as Rodrigues brings down the Death Star

• Alyssa Healy on semi-final defeat: We did that to ourselves

• 'The belief, the fight, the hunger to win' – cricket world reacts to India's historic win

• Rodrigues: Felt like a dream after a month of anxiety

It is the joint-longest winning streak for any team in the Women’s ODI World Cup, equaling Australia’s earlier streak of 15 wins between 1993 and 2000.341 for 5 India’s total in the chase is their highest at the Women’s ODI World Cup, a run more than the 340 for 3 they posted against New Zealand in Navi Mumbai last week.It is also the second-highest total by any team against Australia in women’s ODIs, behind their 369 in Delhi last month. In fact, that is the only total in a women’s ODI chase higher than India’s 341 on Thursday.679 Runs by India and Australia on Thursday in Navi Mumbai, making it the highest aggregate for a Women’s ODI World Cup game. The previous most were 678 runs between England and South Africa at Bristol in 2017.The 679 runs are also the second-most for any women’s ODI, behind the 781 runs in last month’s Delhi ODI, also featuring India and Australia.3 Number of successful chases of 300-plus targets in a knock-out match across men’s and women’s ODIs. The previous two were by India in men’s ODIs, who chased 315 against Pakistan in the third final of the Silver Jubilee Independence Cup in 1998 and 326 against England in the 2002 NatWest tri-series final.127* Jemimah Rodrigues’ score against Australia is the highest for India in an ODI chase, bettering the 125 by Smriti Mandhana, also against Australia last month in Delhi.167 Partnership between Rodrigues and Harmanpreet Kaur for the third wicket – the highest by any pair against Australia at the Women’s ODI World Cup.It is also the third-highest partnership against Australia in all women’s ODIs and the highest for the third wicket.3 Fifty-plus scores for Harmanpreet in the three knockout matches she has played in the Women’s ODI World Cup. Only Belinda Clark, with four, has more fifty-plus scores in World Cup knockouts than Harmanpreet.Harmanpreet aggregated 311 runs across those three games, the second-most in Women’s ODI World Cup knockouts, behind Clark’s 330 runs.Hug it out: Smriti Mandhana congratulated Jemimah Rodrigues after India’s epic chase•ICC/Getty Images77 Balls Phoebe Litchfield needed for her century against India, the fastest in any knockout game in women’s ODIs. The previous quickest was off 90 balls, by Harmanpreet against Australia in the 2017 World Cup semi-final and by Nat Sciver-Brunt against Australia in the 2022 Women’s ODI World Cup final.Litchfield is also the youngest batter to score a hundred in a knockout match in women’s ODIs.23.3 Overs bowled by Australia’s spinners in the semi-final. They also conceded 157 runs without taking a wicket. These are the most overs the spinners have ever bowled in a women’s ODI while being wicketless. The previous highest by Australian spinners was the 23 overs against New Zealand in 2012 at SCG.0 The 2025 edition will be the first Women’s ODI World Cup final to not feature either Australia or England. At least one of the two teams have featured in all the previous editions of the World Cup which have had a final.

Bangladesh were bowled out for 93 and 109 in their 3-0 series defeat to Afghanistan

Mohammad Isam15-Oct-2025Mehidy Hasan Miraz admitted that Bangladesh are in such a dire situation in ODIs that batting out 50 overs is now their first priority. They went down by 200 runs against Afghanistan, bowled out for 93 runs in 27.1 overs. It follows their 109 all out in 28.3 overs in the previous game on the tour of the UAE.Both innings followed a similar pattern. Bangladesh’s top-order couldn’t get them off to a good start with only Saif Hassan hitting some big ones, before Rashid Khan ran through the middle order. On Tuesday, it was also Bilal Sami, the 21-year-old seamer, who joined in the wicket-taking, finishing with his maiden five-wicket haul.With Bangladesh’s next ODI series, against West Indies, starting this weekend, captain Mehidy has little time to fix things. “We have to target playing 50 overs” he said at the post-match press conference, “As we failed to do so in the last two matches. I think we have to accept that we have played poor cricket as a batting unit.”A team suffers when the batters don’t take responsibility. Every batter has to take responsibility. We will keep struggling otherwise. We can’t win a game without runs on the board, regardless of conditions.”Related

• Patience running thin back home amid Bangladesh's batting gloom

Mehidy said he will take responsibility for the series loss to Afghanistan, but believes the team now needs to recharge mentally before the next match. “The team is definitely feeling down after losing this series. We are hopeful that if we can spend time with our family in those two days that we have at home, we can play with a fresh mind.”As a captain, I want the batters to be mentally strong. I don’t expect an overnight improvement. The coaching staff is boosting the team mentally. I should be doing it too, as a captain.”Despite the 3-0 loss, Mehidy hinted that he doesn’t want many changes in the side for the West Indies series, saying he still has confidence in the current group to come good.”We are not learning from each defeat,” he said. “We are not improving as much as required. We definitely lack in certain area but we have to move ahead with these players. We don’t have a lot of players outside [the team]. We are not as bad a team as these results show, but we just have to improve, and rectify our mistakes.”The 3-0 ODI series defeat against Afghanistan cancelled out their 3-0 win over the same opposition in the T20I series earlier. This defeat also puts Bangladesh hopes of automatic qualification for the 2027 World Cup in further trouble.Although the BCB put out an explanation on the eve of the third ODI that they still have enough matches to return to the top nine in ODI rankings and secure their place for that ICC event, Bangladesh’s poor batting form isn’t encouraging at all.They made 221 in the first game batting first, before the two batting debacles. Coach Phil Simmons said prior to the third ODI that he wanted the batters to be positive against Afghanistan’s spinners but in all six white-ball games on this tour, Bangladesh surrendered in front of Rashid.Bangladesh travel back home on Wednesday and have only two days to prepare for another three-match ODI series against West Indies. The only saving grace could be home conditions, but the crowd might receive them poorly and the Dhaka pitches could still be very similar to Abu Dhabi’s. There is hardly any respite for Bangladesh’s batters.

Chamari Athapaththu looms as a key figure as the joint-hosts look to kickstart their tournament

Andrew Fidel Fernando10-Oct-20252:46

Preview: Can Athapaththu dismantle England’s plans?

Big picture: Sri Lanka eye another World Cup upset

In 18 completed games against England, Sri Lanka have won only once. But that one win was worth 18 at least. Sri Lanka’s victory over England in the 2013 World Cup wasn’t just the upset of that particular tournament, it was a vital staging post in the march of women’s cricket on the smaller of these two islands.Without that last-ball win at Brabourne, Sri Lankan women’s cricket would not be where it is now. Shashikala Siriwardene, Sri Lanka’s captain at the time, remembered it this way: “Our lives and our cricket changed with that match. It started with that game. We actually didn’t celebrate massively. We shouted a little bit in the dressing room, and the coach said a few words. And then we just went to our rooms. But I couldn’t sleep! I was up most of the night remembering all the little things in that match, and the big moments. I was overjoyed. It was only the next day that I got a little sleep. I think that happened to a lot of the others as well.”Since that match, England have won 10 ODIs against Sri Lanka on the bounce. There is no question who the favourites are on Saturday. England, additionally, have humbled South Africa, and eased past Bangladesh already in the tournament. Sri Lanka have one point from a washout against Australia, but lost their tournament opener to India in Guwahati.England have surmised that while Sri Lanka have more batting weapons now than they used to have, their best chance of securing victory is to dismiss Chamari Athapaththu cheaply. England opener Tammy Beaumont said as much on the eve of the match: “Chamari will certainly be the one we’ll be desperate to get out. It’ll be really well planned for.” Athapaththu is no stranger to being one of the most-analysed players by oppositions, having been such a singular star for Sri Lanka for a decade.And yet it feels accurate. If Sri Lanka are to topple England, it feels almost inescapable that Athapaththu will have to play a role. England, though, have a bowling attack brimming with confidence. They decked South Africa for 69 all out in their tournament opener, then restricted Bangladesh for 178 in their next game. England’s slow bowlers have been doing the damage. Finger-spinners Linsey Smith, Sophie Ecclestone, and Charlie Dean have 14 wickets between them, in two matches.

Form guide:

England: WWLWL LLLWW (last five matches, most recent first)
Sri Lanka:

In the spotlight: Heather Knight and Inoka Ranaweera

In 11 innings against Sri Lanka, Heather Knight has three half-centuries, and an average of 50. In Sri Lanka, her returns are even better – 208 runs, four not outs, and an average of 52.00. She hasn’t batted on the island since 2019, though. Sri Lanka will be aware that Knight comes in to this match with some runs, having top-scored against Bangladesh with 79. Her vast experience and success in Asia is daunting.Athapaththu may dominate opposition bowler’s minds ahead of a match against Sri Lanka, but left-arm spinner Inoka Ranaweera will have plenty of airtime in the batting discussions. In Sri Lanka’s first match, she took three wickets in one over to leave India 121 for 5, before they recovered (a theme of this World Cup so far). She finished with 4 for 46 in that match. If the Khettarama track takes turn – which it is likely to do – she will be difficult to handle again.

Pitch and conditions: Spin, swing… and rain?

It has been drier in the last few days in Colombo, but the forecast is again for showers, which is normal for this time of year. Expect another track on which there will be turn. But the humidity at this time of year also makes for great swing-bowling conditions.

Team news: Hasini to open for SL

England could stick with a winning XI for the third game running.England: (possible) 1 Tammy Beaumont, 2 Amy Jones (wk), 3 Heather Knight, 4 Nat Sciver-Brunt (capt), 5 Sophia Dunkley, 6 Emma Lamb, 7 Alice Capsey, 8 Charlie Dean, 9 Sophie Ecclestone, 10 Linsey Smith, 11 Lauren BellSri Lanka have been trying Hasini Perera as opener rather than Vishmi Gunaratne. They will likely retain that order for this match.Sri Lanka: (possible) 1 Hasini Perera, 2 Chamari Athapaththu (capt), 3 Harshith Samarawickrama, 4 Vishmi Gunaratne, 5 Kavisha Dihari, 6 Nilakshika de Silva, 7 Anushka Sanjeewani (wk), 8 Sugandika Kumari, 9 Achini Kulasuriya, 10 Udeshika Prabodhani, 11 Inoka Ranaweera

Stats and trivia

• Although she hit an important 62 in that 2013 win against England, Athapaththu’s numbers against this opposition are modest. She hasn’t hit another half-century against them in 13 other innings.
  
• One of Knight’s two half-centuries in Sri Lanka came at Khettarama. She strikes at 80.62 in the country, up from a career strike rate of 72.45.
  
• Although Sri Lanka have never beaten England in an ODI series, they did win a T20I series 2-1 in England in 2023.

Quotes

“I think you can never write off Chamari at all. We’ve been on the tough end of it a couple of times over the last few years, particularly when Chamari came to England. She played a couple of amazing innings. But I think over the last few years there’s probably a few more [players] that we’ve started to talk about. There’s certainly a lot more depth to that team that can bat around someone like Chamari.”England opener Tammy Beaumont says Sri Lanka’s batting isn’t all about Athapaththu any more